grow your own
How to grow peonies
Peonies offer voluptuous blooms to grace your garden from late spring until July. Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall and Claire Austin give tips on how to grow these alluring flowers
The best garden design courses to join
Looking for a garden design course? Here's a selection of the UK's leading garden design schools and details of the training they offer.
Want beautiful cherry blossom in your garden? Here are 18 of the best cherry blossom trees to plant
Ornamental Japanese cherry blossom trees are one of the delights of spring, with their clouds of pink or white blooms.
How to make your own plant supports and protection that are easy, cheap and full of charm
Ideas for homemade plant supports using natural materials, to give plants support and protection during the growing season.
Make your own seed envelope using recycled paper with our handy guide and video
Follow our fold-by-fold guide to making your own origami seed envelope. Then save and collect your own seeds from this year's favourites, or swap with a gardening friend and be ready to sow next spring.
Make your own Christmas decorations from your garden
Festive ideas and inspiration for stylish Christmas decorations such as baubles and garlands, easily handmade at home using foraged and natural materials from the garden
Make a trailing ivy and crab apple garland for natural Christmas decorations
A creative way to add some festive charm into the house this Christmas is decorate picture frames and mirrors with a simple garland.
How to make a hazel ball with ivy berries for a great natural Christmas decoration
Ivy is one of the best plants to grow in the garden for year-round interest. This natural Christmas decoration celebrates its architectural berries.
No-dig expert Charles Dowding recommends the best winter vegetables to grow
Organic vegetable grower, Charles Dowding chooses his favourite vegetables to grow in the garden or allotment in winter and offers his advice for getting the most from your crop. Photography Andrew Montgomery
What is soil? You may think you know, but there's a lot going on under your feet
Think of your garden soil as a living organism that needs gentle handling and you will reap the benefits in healthier plants, urges no-dig gardening expert Charles Dowding
How to grow pumpkins and squashes
There is a huge variety of winter squash and pumpkins out there, all easy to grow in an allotment or garden if you know how. If you want to grow pumpkins for next year, here's a few of our favourites, plus some extra advice on sowing and planting. Illustration Kerry Lemon
33 of the best spring bulbs to plant in autumn chosen by experts and tips on how to plant them
Five leading garden designers recommend the best spring bulbs to plant in autumn to add colour into the garden after the dull winter months
Best Boot Scrapers and Brushes in 2024
Keep your boots - and hallways - clean through the muddy seasons. Here’s our selection of the best boot scrapers and boot brushes.
Mini greenhouses for your garden
Whatever the size of your garden or outdoor space, growing under glass offers great opportunity.
Reducing plastic in your garden and allotment
The invention of plastic changed how we gardened forever. Now it is everywhere, here's why we need to deal carefully with our plastic usage and how to get closer to a zero waste garden. llustration Vicki Turner
The best crab apple trees for colour and form
Kew-trained plant expert Graham Rice recommends 15 of the best crab apple trees for blossom, foliage, fruit and flavour. Photographs Dianna Jazwinski
17 timelessly elegant Victorian greenhouses and porch glasshouses for 2025
Check out our shortlist of the most stylish luxury glasshouses, Victorian-style greenhouses and top-end glasshouses with porches to transform your garden and growing possibilities in 2025
The best garden wheelbarrows
There's a big variety of wheelbarrow designs out there, so take a look at our guide to find the best options for you. We've listed plastic, metal and fabric versions too.
Garden border ideas | Spring border: a planting plan by designer Sarah Price
Download this border planting plan, created exclusively for Gardens Illustrated by award-winning garden designer Sarah Price. It will look good from late winter to early summer. Illustration by Hannah McVicar.
15 stylish fruit cages for keeping your produce protected
A fruit cage is a practical and stylish way to protect your fruit and vegetables. We've selected 15 different fruit cages to keep birds and other pests at bay, so you can choose the right design for your garden.
The best gardening gloves and gauntlets for 2024
Keep your hands warm and protected with our pick of the best gloves for gardening
10 ways to improve your garden
Award-winning garden designer Jinny Blom gives us her 10-point plan for improving any garden.
Garden border ideas | How to plant bulbs in perennial borders
Advice and tips for planting spring bulbs in borders to create a colourful display in spring, plus how to combine bulbs with perennial
Annual climbers: 21 of the best annual climbers to plant
Annual climbers can be sown and grown in a year and are an easy and colourful way to cover walls or trellises. Plant expert Matthew Biggs chooses 21 of his favourite annual climbers