Do not fear the Spanish invaders, the English bluebell will reign supreme
Our native spring flower, sprinkled across the woodland floor, is quite safe from foreign imposters.
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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Rose hips: the perfect accompaniment to the gentle descent into winter
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead your spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead.
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'That first taste, six months later, was a quiet revelation': Mark Diacono on how he was inspired to grow his own vegetables
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono looks back on the early days of his growing, and how things he'd never heard of such as salsify and scorzonera found a place in his heart. And his garden, of course.
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The Anderson shelter: Good for gardening, good for storing wine, and great for hiding from bombs
Damp, dimly lit and cramped they may have been, yet Anderson shelters were lifesavers during the Second World War. Russell Higham explores their legacy.
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Growing together: Why the community garden is more than just plants and green space
The NGS has begun investing in community garden schemes. The results are more than anyone could have expected and showcase the best of Britain.
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Alan Titchmarsh's garden: No insecticides, no herbicides, just beautiful flowers, lawns, a statue of Repton and a swing seat that's impossible to resist
It’s always fascinating to see what a high-profile gardening personality does with their own home. Tiffany Daneff visits Alan Titchmarsh’s Hampshire garden, to find a place of endless delights and charm. Photographs by Jonathan Buckley.
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Ghost hunters: the search for Britain's rarest flowers
Climbing, swimming and crawling, rare-plant hunters know no bounds when it comes to tracking down the botanical equivalent of the Holy Grail, says Peter Marren
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The incredible legacy of the 'the only man ever to get away with smoking in the RHS Library'
The impact of the trailblazing Walter Ingwersen is still felt today, says Kathryn Bradley-Hole.
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'Prepare to be amazed' by a cathedral of autumn in the heart of Herefordshire
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire — home of Edward Banks — is an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
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Asters: what they are, which ones to try and how to grow them
These late blooming plants 'promise future spring', making them essential for any garden.
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Charles Quest-Ritson: Winter buddlejas, and the plant that might just cover the VAT on your children's school fees
Charles Quest-Ritson on the buddlejas that help see him through the winter — and the plant breeding idea that could help you grow a small fortune.
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A English country garden that brings the four corners of the world to one corner of Wiltshire
England, Africa, Italy or China — it’s possible to travel the world without leaving this imaginatively designed garden, which divides into four distinct geographical sections, each with a resonance for the owners. Caroline Donald reports from the garden at Seend Manor in Wiltshire, home of Amanda and Stephen Clark.
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The garden fruit that's a blend of strawberry, blueberry and kiwi — and it grows beautifully in Britain
The Chilean Guava was Queen Victoria's favourite fruit — so why don't we grow more of them, asks Mark Diacono.
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The best bulbs to plant in your gardens, pots and pathways to guarantee floods of colour next Spring
The anticipation of cheerful spring bulbs can keep the gardener going through the dull winter months. John Hoyland advises on what to plant for every situation, from gravel to orchards, sun, shade or in pots.
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The spread of Johnny Appleseed: The many many varieties of apple
They grow on our roadsides and most taste pretty ordinary. But some are 'humdingers'.
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Alan Titchmarsh's Compost conundrums
No, it's not the name of a new quiz show featuring our columnist as host (although that *would* be a hit, surely) but instead it's Alan Titchmarsh on the increasingly tricky issue of getting the right kind of compost for the right kind of planting.
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The Cotswolds garden that's cleverly designed to defy the worst of the elements
Coates Barn in Warwickshire — home of the Sonneborn family — presented a challenge: how to lay out this exposed north-Cotswold site so as to protect new planting from the elements, and simultaneously provide a garden that three generations of residents could enjoy. Tiffany Daneff explains how they did it; photographs by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
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Alan Titchmarsh: I've been looking for the answer to peat-free compost — and now I think I've found it
Alan Titchmarsh delves into the history of compost, and has finally found something that can replace the brilliant but environmentally unsustainable peat-based formulae.
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'A garden should be the cosiest of places, but with some element of awe, menace, and glimpses of the wider landscape'
Isabel Bannerman shares her thoughts on making a garden that makes people feel at home.
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‘My God! What’s he done?… look at it!’: How George Harrison left The Beatles, turned his hand to gardening, and created a masterpiece
The garden at Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames — the Oxfordshire home of the late Beatle George Harrison and his wife Olivia — is breathtaking. The ‘Gardening Beatle’ did a spectacular job of reviving an historic alpine garden in the shadow of the ‘Henley Matterhorn’, and Olivia has enhanced what was Britain’s largest rock garden with her exceptional and imaginative planting schemes. Charles Quest-Ritson reports.
