Irises: 'The next batch isn't even planted yet, but I am already excited about seeing them flowering next year'
John Hoyland, the gardens advisor at Glyndebourne, on how irises with 'elegance and delicacy' are a constant joy.
Gardens
We can’t get enough of our gardens at Country Life magazine. We love to visit gorgeous English country gardens at any time of year – and more and more are opening for longer, as you can see from our piece on beautiful gardens to visit all year around.
At the same time, different gardens are best at certain times of year. For instance we know the best places to see snowdrops, where to see bluebells, and the best gardens for afternoon tea in the summertime.
We have guides to our flowering trees, and our ultimate guide to British wildflowers, as well as tips on overcoming box blight and other garden pests.
Read on, and find out whether we are running any of our exclusive garden tours, which take readers to see some of the most impressive private gardens in Provence and Tuscany twice a year.
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What is a garden hermit?
Martin Fone takes a look at the curious history of the hermits who spent years living happily in the grounds of country houses, perhaps the ultimate garden folly.
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West Lavington Manor: The gardens four centuries in the making
Originally laid out in the 1630s, the garden at West Lavington Manor in Wiltshire is today the home of Mr and Mrs Andrew Doman. And in its latest iteration, says Charles Quest-Ritson, has found a perfect balance between planting and design. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
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Little Chapel: The tale of Guernsey's seashell-covered, miniature recreation of Lourdes
Designed as a miniature replica of the basilica at Lourdes, the seashell- and mosaic-decorated Little Chapel on Guernsey was at risk of collapse until a group of locals stepped in, as Arabella Youens discovers.
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In the swim: Britain's best private swimming pools
As Britain goes through a blazing hot tail-end of summer, Christopher Woodward dives into the history of the swimming pool and relishes some lengths in the best private pools in the country. Photographs by Simon Buck and Millie Pilkington.
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John Hoyland: The only garden tools you'll ever need
You can easily blow your gardening budget buying tools for all sorts, says John Hoyland, but don't be fooled: a handful of the right tools is all you need to garden.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The priceless flowers I planted before my grandchildren were born — and they're still going strong
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The gardens of Melbourne Hall: A spectacular outdoor space 500 years in the making
The gardens at Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire have been in the same family for 500 years. Non Morris meets Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr to find out about this rare example of an 18th-century Anglo-French Baroque garden, which has not only been sensitively restored but added to with wonderful new plantings in its wilder parts. Photography by Andrea Jones.
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How to grow your own figs that'll be 'like a feather on the tongue'
The fig is one of the most exotic fruits you will be able to grow in Britain. Mark Diacono explains how to go about it.
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Charles Quest-Ritson: 'I'm always amazed by the codswallop that garden experts write'
Charles Quest-Ritson takes aim at some of the gardening advice that constantly does the rounds despite being complete nonsense.
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I'm planting a shrubbery and my gardening friends are horrified — but I'll have the last laugh
Some gardeners may scoff at the idea of planting a shrubbery, but not John Hoyland.
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The kitchen so spectacular that an entire new garden was planted to make the most of the view
A modern kitchen extension was the catalyst for a bold new flower garden at Park House, Cambridgeshire, explains Tiffany Daneff.
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Best plants for people who hate weeding? Five beautiful (and low-maintenance) flowers to grow in gravel or sand
Sarah Price shares with Tilly Ware five plants which will grow in sand or gravel.
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Sarah Price, one of Britain's great garden designers, takes Country Life round her own garden
Close artistic observation combined with a deep horticultural intelligence has made Sarah Price one of the finest garden designers today. Tilly Ware visits her at home in Monmouthshire, where she is experimenting to magical effect to create 'a level of harmony that pins you to the spot'. Photographs by Sarah Price.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The secrets of my wildflower meadow
It's been 10 years in the making, but Alan Titchmarsh's wildflower meadow is now full of life, colour and needs next to no maintenance.
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My 40-year odyssey turning a field into a wildflower meadow that's a buzzing, humming, fluttering world
Country Life columnist Agromenes started turning a field from intensive agriculture to wild flowers four decades ago — a decision which has been proven spectacularly worthwhile.
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Why everyone needs to plant an arboretum — or at least one or two trees
Trees don’t need to be weeded, pruned, sprayed and fussed about. The only catch is that they take a while to grow — so don't wait any longer.
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Growing your own cherries: A simple guide to what you need to know
Mark Diacono shares his advice on how to grow your own cherries — including the varieties that you'll never see in the supermarket.
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The gardens of Mounton House: A masterpiece restored, and a dream fulfilled
The gardens of Mounton House near Chepstow in Monmouthshire are the masterwork of Henry Avray Tipping, into which he poured his vast inheritance. Yet they would have gone the way of so many Edwardian gardens had it not been for its new owners, who had the brilliant idea of asking the designer Arne Maynard to bring it back to life. Helena Gerrish tells the story; photographs by John Campbell.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The iconic British garden designer who worked for kings, queens and A-listers across the world
Great garden designers 'have a plant vocabulary that runs into hundreds or even thousands' says Alan — and that's at the heart of Russell Page's genius.
