Expert Gardening Tips

Charles Quest-Ritson: The secret to enjoying gardens in beastly cold, deepest winter

Our columnist has a suggestion for enjoying January, albeit one that doesn't involve staying put in England.

What you need to know about training fruit trees, from fans and spirals to arches, palmettes and beyond

Trained fruit trees are beautiful as well as bounteous. Mark Diacono explains what you need to know if you wish to get started.

Country Life's 10 best garden stories of 2021

From Alan Titchmarsh's beautiful prose to expert advice on growing an orchard.

Alan Titchmarsh: 'Only God’s earth — in the garden and the countryside — is capable of coming up with the goods with reliability equal to that of St Nicholas'

Alan Titchmarsh's Christmas column looks at all the plants of the festive season.

A gardener's guide to winter, from late autumn to the end of February

Tiffany Daneff shares her winter gardening tips.

How to grow spectacular winter flowers that will make your garden smell wonderful until Spring

It's possible to plant flowers that offer beautiful sights and smells throughout winter. Steven Desmond suggests some of the best.

How letting invasive plants jump the garden fence could land you in court

Charles Quest-Ritson looks at invasive plants and what to watch out (or look for) in our gardens.

Best climbing plants for conservatories

Nothing beats the sun glinting through the conservatory windows on a chilly winter day, but what to plant inside? John Hoyland recommends the finest climbers.

Eight of the best succulents to grow in your home and garden

Despised for decades, aeoniums, echeveria and the many other kinds of succulent are now finding favour everywhere. Val Bourne recommends the best.

Noel Kingsbury: Why it's time to reassess 'one of the great triumphs of the 20th-century English garden'

Everything from climate change to the whims of gardening fashion shape what we plant, but is it time to remember our traditional strengths, asks Noel Kingsbury.

How the poppy captured the imagination of the nation

Poppies aren't just beautiful, natural flowers lighting up the countryside; they're inextricably linked with our history. Jack Watkins looks at how the ‘painted glass’ that ‘never glows so brightly as when the sun shines through it’ became a powerful symbol of the brevity of life.

The six varieties of poppy every gardener needs to know

From common poppy and the poum poppy to the bright yellow Welsh poppy, Jack Watkins takes a look at these exquisite natural flowers.

What you need to know about privet hedges: The good, the brilliant, the quirky... and the one that all my visitors ask me about

Privet can be dull, admits Charles Quest-Ritson — but it needn't be, if you plant the right varieties. Our expert shares his knowledge of a plant so ubiquitous that we rarely stop to think about it.

How to grow a nut tree

Country Life's expert grow-it-to-eat-it gardener Mark Diacono shares his tips on how to grow a nut tree — or even better, an entire nuttery — in your garden.

What to do with sweet chestnuts, from roasting over an open fire to adding zip to burgers and brownies

Mark Diacono says that autumn is synonymous with sweet chestnuts — and he has all sorts of ways to make the most of a seasonal treat.

Nine unusual berries that you should be growing in your garden, from boysenberries to wineberries

There’s a wealth of juicy deliciousness beyond the standard fruit-cage fare of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. Mark Diacono explores all the other berries we should be growing, too.

Alan Titchmarsh: How to force Christmas bulbs to ensure fresh, beautiful seasonal flowers

Writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh generally enjoys the patience and anticipation of gardening, but is happy to make an exception when it comes to forcing bulbs for Christmas. Here's how he does it.

How to plant the perfect pot of tulips

Pots look simple, but it takes a bit of planning to create a balanced display for five weeks of colour in spring. Designer Angel Collins shows how to do it.

Charles Quest-Ritson: 'Our beautiful lawns are the envy of the world... and the idea of rewilding your garden is nonsense'

The neat stripes of British gardens, such as Rockcliffe Garden in Gloucestershire, are an art form that is admired across the world and weeds have no place there.

How (and why) to grow walnuts in your garden

From making a delicious aperitif to enjoying the citrusy scent of their leaves, there are plenty of reasons to plant walnut trees in your garden, says Mark Diacono.