Expert Gardening Tips

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.

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.

Alan Titchmarsh: The priceless flowers I planted before my grandchildren were born — and they're still going strong

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The coming together of music and gardening

'Let's hope it is the first of many' says Mark Griffith of The Garden Museum's latest coup.

The rose variety that's ridiculously easy to grow: 'Stuff some cuttings into the soil and two years later, they'll be flourishing'

Rose expert Charles Quest-Ritson on the delights of the rambling rose.

Alan Titchmarsh: A foolproof guide to growing wisteria

If you've been enviously eyeing the extraordinary wisteria on display across Britain this summer and wondering how you can grow your own, help is at hand. Alan Titchmarsh shares his advice for growing this most glorious of horticultural spectacles.

Sweet cicely: A delightful plant with a scent that's 'a gorgeous coming together of fennel, liquorice and star anise'

Mark Diacono on how — and why — to grow sweet cicely.

The 10 best shrubs for your garden, by the legendary gardener who's dedicated his life to them

The revered gardener Peter Catt — one of a tiny number of people to have won the RHS’s top accolade — has bred and grown some of the finest shrubs in Britian. He told Val Bourne about his ten favourites.

Plants really do 'talk' to each other and work together — and gardeners can use it to their advantage

Huge strides are being made in understanding the lives of plants, and Mark Diacono is listening closely.

Anna Pavord: The point of gardening? Not a mad rush to get it done, but relaxed enjoyment of the act of doing it

The odd quick win is one thing, says garden writer Anna Pavord, but those who take their time in the garden are the ones who gain the most.

How to grow delphiniums

We may not all be able to grow the sort of delphiniums that are on display at the Chelsea Flower Show, but even in ordinary gardens these statuesque plants still turn heads. John Hoyland shares his expert tips.