Expert Gardening Tips
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Mark Diacono: Chips, mash, roasted or dauphinoise — all better with your own potatoes
The versatile varieties of the potato make it a great crop to experiment with and, no matter what, nothing beats the taste of home grown
By Mark Diacono Published
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Where art meets biology: How Anne Wright has bred some of the world's most covetable snowdrops
At Dryad Nursery near York, botanical artist Anne Wright has been breeding some highly collectable snowdrops, writes Mary Keen. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
By Mary Keen Published
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'Giving a gardener a tree for Christmas is akin to offering a kitten or a puppy'
Wondering what to give a green-fingered friend or family member for Christmas? John Hoyland, gardens adviser at Glyndebourne, has some advice.
By John Hoyland Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The most spectacular flowers of spring are easy, guaranteed to flower — and now is the time to plant them
Alan Titchmarsh doesn't like tulips. He loves them.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Inside the National Trust's secret nursery
Charles Quest-Ritson was invited in to the National Trust's top-secret plant nursery. Here's what he discovered.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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How to grow broad beans: How to plant them, how to look after them, and the best varieties for your garden
Mark Diacono names the best broad beans for flavour, reliability, tenderness and the beauty of the plant itself.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The plants that I simply can't ever grow
Unless you're lucky enough to have a garden with medium loam soil, chances are that there are plants which you'll always struggle — but you're not alone, says Alan Titchmarsh.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Plastic pots revolutionised gardening in the 1960s — but field-grown plants are the future
John Hoyland always opts for bare-root plants if he can — and here's why you should too.
By John Hoyland Published
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There are 7,000 varieties of apple out there — and you've probably tasted less than a dozen. Here's how to put that right.
Our grow-your-own expert columnist Mark Diacono shares his advice on how to branch out in to the wonderful world of apple varieties.
By Mark Diacono Published
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The gardening jobs to enjoy with secateurs in one hand — and a glass of wine in the other
Gardening does need hard work, says John Hoyland — but not all the time.
By John Lewis-Stempel Published
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Charles Quest-Ritson: The 'devastating consequences' when two of Britain's greatest-ever gardeners met for afternoon tea
A single meeting between Graham Stuart Thomas and Gertrude Jekyll shaped the career and thinking of the 'greatest gardener ever', says Charles Quest-Ritson. But at what cost?
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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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.
By John Hoyland Published
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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.
By John Hoyland Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The priceless flowers I planted before my grandchildren were born — and they're still going strong
Memories are made of... Agapanthus ‘Catharina’—still blooming in the writer’s garden and now older than his grandchildren
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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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.
By Mark Diacono Published
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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.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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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.
By John Hoyland Published