Wildflowers, perfect ponds and a luxuriant, sheltered garden tucked away in Scotland: Country Life’s top gardening stories of 2017
Between Christmas and New Year, we're taking a look back at some of our most popular stories of the year – today, we look at the gardens that have delighted and inspired.

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.
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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.
Agnes has worked for Country Life in various guises — across print, digital and specialist editorial projects — before finally finding her spiritual home on the Features Desk. A graduate of Central St. Martins College of Art & Design she has worked on luxury titles including GQ and Wallpaper* and has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Horse & Hound, Esquire and The Independent on Sunday. She is currently writing a book about dogs, due to be published by Rizzoli New York in 2026.
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How many puppies in the average litter? Country Life Quiz of the Day
Plus a 1960s house, Hollywood's most famous cavewoman and more in Friday's quiz.
By Toby Keel Published
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Love, sex and death: Our near-universal obsession with the rose
No flower is more entwined with myth, religion, politics and the human form than the humble rose — and now there's a new coffee table book celebrating them in all of their glory.
By Amy de la Haye Last updated
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An expert guide to growing plants from seed
All you need to grow your own plants from seed is a pot, some compost, water and a sheltered place.
By John Hoyland Published
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The best rhododendron and azalea gardens in Britain
It's the time of year when rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias and many more spring favourites are starting to light up the gardens of the nation. Here are the best places to go to enjoy them at their finest.
By Amie Elizabeth White Published
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Great Comp: The blissful garden flooded with rhododendrons and azaleas that's just beyond the M25
Each spring, Great Comp Garden — just outside the M25, near Sevenoaks — erupts into bloom, with swathes of magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons. Charles Quest-Ritson looks at what has become one of the finest gardens to visit in Kent.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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'I'm the expert who wrote the RHS's guide to roses — here's why pruning them right now is almost certainly a terrible mistake'
More roses die from over-pruning than any other cause so what’s the reasoning underpinning this horticultural habit? Charles Quest-Ritson, the garden expert who wrote the RHS Encyclopedia of Roses, takes a closer look.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Last updated
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Forsythia: The spring flower that's a ray of sunshine — and a foolproof option for novice gardeners
Forsythia are often sniffed at for being too brassy, but there is a lot more going for them, says Charles Quest-Ritson, although don’t plant them next to clashing pink-flowering currants.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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John Morley: A brush with the artist who changed the world of snowdrops
Tilly Ware meets the artist and galanthophile John Morley in his Suffolk garden, home to the oldest snowdrop nursery in the country.
By Tilly Ware Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: I went a bit mad ordering bulbs — and I'm not even a little bit sorry I did
Our columnist's splurge in the autumn is now paying off with spectacular irises across his garden.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Dawn Chorus: How to travel around the world in 19 flowers and the Mini Moke that took St Moritz by storm
What do Charles Dickens, Henry VIII and Ellen Willmott all have in common? They all appear in a new book chronicling 19 flowers and the people responsible for bringing them to the UK. Find out how to get your hands on it, plus, we reveal why a rare Beach Boys-inspired Mini Moke turned up in a Swiss ski resort and a few of India Knight’s favourite things.
By Rosie Paterson Published