Gardens
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Romancing the stone: How one man has taken the craft of dry-stone walling and turned it into an art
Tom Trouton's works at The Newt and elsewhere set him apart as a master of one of our oldest heritage crafts.
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Chilcombe House: the garden that's become a 'pilgrimage' and a 'living legacy' to its former owners
When John and Caryl Hubbard first moved to Chilcombe House, they created a garden that impressed and inspired. Now, after their passing, their legacy lives on through a garden that basks in comfortable maturity.
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Autumn olives: The summer fruit that enriches the soil, your lunch table and your life
A hedge? A crop? A beautiful foliage plant? All this and more come to those who grow Autumn olive, says Mark Diacono.
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The creation of Tom Stuart-Smith's showstopping garden at RHS Chelsea 2024
Tom Stuart-Smith returned to Main Avenue at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 with a hazel grove for the National Garden Scheme. Joanna Fortnam took an exclusive look behind the scenes at its creation.
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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024: See all the gold medallists
We take a look at all the gold medallists from the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. All photographs by Andrew Sydenham for Country Life.
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Alan Titchmarsh on Chelsea 2024: 'We need controversy to make us think... Just don’t expect me to regard slugs and snails as my friend'
Alan Titchmarsh looks ahead to the 'matchless spectacle' of the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show, the 'Paris catwalk of the British gardening scene.'
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Isabella Tree on how rewilding took the Knepp Estate from a ruin in the red to a miracle of Nature
Isabella Tree tells the incredible tale of Britain's first rewilding project.
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'I could buy ready-to-go evergreens and hurry up the process, but I’m not in a hurry' — why gardeners, like plants, should move slowly
Shrubs, grasses, mess and dead leaves are nothing to be feared. We should take a leaf from Piet Oudolf and enjoy watching things grow and decay.
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The poisonous plant that can 'run riot' in your garden, was a favourite of Elizabeth II and is more beautiful than a rose
Lily of the valley has a long history of royal connections, as well as being the ideal flower for expressions of love.
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The gardens of High Moss, a Cumbrian paradise just moments from Derwentwater
Non Morris visits the much-loved gardens of High Moss, in Portinscale, Cumbria — home of Peter and Christine Hughes — and finds a historically fascinating Arts-and-Crafts garden which has been imaginatively brought back to life. Photographs by Val Corbett for Country Life.
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'Within a month, one was eaten by a tiger, one was burned alive, five disappeared and the sole survivor emerged with 7,000 specimens': The unique passion engendered by orchids
Charles Quest-Ritson admits that he never fell for orchids the way he has for roses — but the devotion they inspire is legendary.
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The garden of Midsummer House: An Oxfordshire gem that's small but perfectly formed
With a stream running through it and views of the Uffington White Horse, the garden of Midsummer House in Oxfordshire — the home of Mrs Penny Spink — is a garden of great natural beauty cleverly designed and planted to make it seem much larger than it actually is. George Plumptre paid a visit; photographs by Mimi Connolly.
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When sheds become art: The 'mini temples' that stand proud on 200-year-old allotments
Arthur Parkinson marvels at the spectacular sheds of Stoney Road Allotments.
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How to make a garden good enough for Country Life from scratch
Within only 14 years, seven acres of featureless grass around Charlton Farm in Wiltshire have been transformed into a garden full of incident and charm, writes Caroline Donald
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Six of the finest gardens in Britain, but only one can be the winner
The Historic Houses Garden of the Year competition is once again underway — we take a quick glance at the six shortlisted entries.
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How to grow lovage — and the reasons why you'd want to bother
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono takes a look at the lovely uses for lovage.
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Five of the most amazing mazes according to a man who makes them
Adrian Fisher is a world-famous maze designer. The man behind the Saltburn maze tells us about some of his favourites.
