Wildflowers of Britain: A simple guide
From deciduous woods yet to fill out with leaf, to windswept hilltop shingle beach and riverbank, our flora can give so much pleasure.
Three gardening myths debunked
Gardening myths get passed down from one generation to the next, says Charles Quest-Ritson, so never be afraid to try things out for yourself.
10 gardening Instagram accounts to delight and inspire you
Pretty gardening accounts that will inspire green fingers everywhere.
Wormistoune: A luxuriant, sheltered garden tucked away in Scotland
For sheer romance and, given its coastal location, a surprising amount of shelter, it would be hard to beat this luxuriantly planted and colourful Scottish garden.
Wychwood Manor: A 1920s house and gardens, restored and transformed
On a south-facing ridge in the Evenlode valley, the Arts-and-Crafts-style garden of a 1920s house has been given a facelift in recent years, enhancing the building’s relationship to its landscape.
Felley Priory: The ultimate lesson in the value of planting hedges
The garden at Felley Priory, Underwood, Nottinghamshire, enjoyed considerable fame a generation ago for its cohesive planting and plantsmanship, but Non Morris finds its greatness continues with the present owners.
How to keep a perfect pond
Alan Titchmarsh reveals when to clear out the weeds and keep your pond in top condition – and you can even get the grandchildren to help out.
The day that Woolworths accidentally sold me an endangered species
Charles Quest-Ritson reminisces about the day his bargain purchase of a cyclamen in Woolworths proved to be something rather special.
17 country garden gates which demonstrate a perfect combination of form and function
A glorious garden deserves a glorious garden gate.
Birkhall, Balmoral estate, Aberdeenshire
In 1852, the freehold was secured and the smaller residence of Birkhall was gifted to Edward, Prince of Wales. We pay the garden a visit.
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Dawn Chorus: The beavers who built a £1 million project for free, and Alexa Chung's new Barbour collection -
The real name of a 'ghost' rainbow, the first ever omnishambles, and golf on the moon: Country Life Quiz of the Day 20 February 2025Some real brainteasers for you in our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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‘It can take three days to paint one leaf’: The extraordinary, painstaking lives of Chelsea Physic Garden’s Florilegium Society artistsIt sounds like a secret spy agency, but the Florilegium Society is actually a part of one of London’s oldest botanical gardens and they’re on an ambitious quest to record 5,000 plants.
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Isabel Bannerman: The year’s first and most abundantly cheery, uplifting and undemanding of winter flowersCyclamen coum is one of the plants that lights up our gardens at this time of year.
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Country Life's top 10 gardens articles of 2024From the gardens of A-listers and crazed plant hunters to tips on compost, we covered it all in 2024.
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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 resistIt’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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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024: See all the gold medallistsWe 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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Mark Diacono: Chips, mash, roasted or dauphinoise — all better with your own potatoesThe versatile varieties of the potato make it a great crop to experiment with and, no matter what, nothing beats the taste of home grown
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George Harrison's Garden: How the Beatle and his wife turned a 'tangled jungle' into a magnificent gardenWhen George Harrison first saw the famous Topiary Garden at Friar Park in Oxfordshire, it was a tangled jungle of overgrown yews. The work he began has been continued by his wife, Olivia, and, now, the display is back to its full glory, finds Charles Quest-Ritson.
