Shrubs

The explosion of box blight and box moth caterpillar has left many gardeners looking for alternative plants for balls, topiary and hedges. Matthew Pottage, curator at RHS Garden Wisley, recommends his top choices. Images by Jason Ingram.

We asked expert plantspeople, designers and gardeners which brand new and recently introduced plants they are excited about growing this year

Looking for plants with impact? Great Dixter's head gardener Fergus Garrett rounds up his top plants for dramatic impact

One of the UK's most innovative gardeners, head gardener at Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett, shares the plants he loves the most. Portrait Jim Holden

With extreme wet weather events becoming more frequent, writer and designer Naomi Slade picks the plants that are best for flood-prone gardens

Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year to keep it in good shape and to ensure abundant flowers. Here's how to do it. Photographs by Gavin Kingcome.

Plantsman John Hoyland shows how to prune buddleia to achieve a well-shaped, prolifically flowering plant. Photographs by Gavin Kingcome

These evergreen shrubs come in a multitude of sizes and shapes with shiny, often variegated or colourful leaves and small scented flowers.

For many, the word conifer conjures an image of imposing trees and hedges, but there are also smaller types that can add useful evergreen structure. Matthew Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, recommends some of the best to grow. Photographs by Jason Ingram.

Shrub and evergreen plant expert Andy McIndoe explains the benefits of evergreen trees and how to prune them

Discover the best varieties of Hamamelis, witch hazel, to plant for colourful winter flowers, with expert advice on how to grow and prune this garden shrub. Words John Hoyland

The best December flowers and foliage from winter interest plants chosen for structure, colour and texture in the garden. Photographs Jason Ingram

The garden at the Hauser and Wirth gallery in Somerset is a planting installation by garden designer Piet Oudolf called the Oudolf Field. Here you'll find 24 of the key plants that make up the stunning perennial meadow garden. Photographs: Jason Ingram

Don't hang up your wellies and spade just yet. Put the work into your garden now and you'll reap the rewards come spring. Our columnist Benjamin William Pope explains what you can sow in November

There's plenty of ways to find colour and contrast in the garden on November days. Here Tom Brown and Fleur van Zonneveld pick the best plants for November. Photographs Jason Ingram and Maayke de Ridder

Looking for an alternative to a cut Christmas tree? Here are some attractive conifers that you can grow outdoors in pots all year round, then bring indoors for the festive season

In autumn deciduous spindles come into their own, as bright, fleshy fruits exposing colourful seeds combine with fabulous autumn foliage. Words Tony Kirkham, photographs Annaïck Guitteny

Our changing climate is already changing the way we garden. But what plants should we grow? Must we sacrifice lushness for toughness? We asked five leading designers whose gardens have sustainability at their core for their ideas

Head gardeners from some of the most spectacular gardens around pick their top beautiful plants and flowers

Lavender is a very versatile, low maintenance plant to grow and is suitable for gardens of all sizes. Here is a list of favourite lavender cultivars, along with tips on how best to grow and maintain them

A rosehip is the 'fruit’ of the rose, coming after the summer flowers and 
offering vibrant colour in the winter garden. Discover the top roses to grow for rosehips and how to care for them to get the best display.

Bold autumn tints and early plumes of flower make the cotinus, or smoke bush, an indispensable shrub in the garden. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe advises on how to grow them. Photographs by Richard Bloom

Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter in East Sussex, shares the bold jungle-style planting in their famous exotic garden