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Take a bough: How — and why — you should plant a mature tree
For instant impact in a newly landscaped garden, there’s nothing quite like planting mature trees or native hedgerow plants for transformative and long-lasting results.
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'The view changes with the seasons, so there’s always something new to see': David Beckham on one of his favourite sights in the Cotswolds
Sir David Beckham discovered this Cotswolds view while looking for a house to buy.
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'It makes me feel as if I’ve done a good job as a father and that I did the right thing in wanting us to have a house here': David Beckham on why the countryside matters so much to him and his family
Sir David Beckham talks to Paula Minchin about discovering the joys of beekeeping and gardening.
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‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now'
Now is the time to firstly, hug a tree, and secondly, plant some more — in increasingly imaginative ways.
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‘Once upon a time they covered an area the size of Ireland’: The restoration of Britain’s native oyster reefs is shaping future marine projects around the world
Jane Wheatley reports on an innovative project to restore Britain’s once plentiful native oyster reefs in Tyne & Wear.
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The secret life of seeds: The little wonders that sustain all life on Earth
They might not be especially striking to look at — if you can see them at all — but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels.
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Do not be afraid of this bodysnatching fungi that lives on a lawn in Scotland
The lawns at Haddo House in Aberdeenshire are luscious and friendly, unless you are the prey of the vile 'Strathy Strangler'.
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Temperate rainforests are being planted all over Britain — what are they and why do we need them?
Glen Auldyn on the Isle of Man is part of a £38 million restoration scheme to re-establish rainforests all over the world. Lotte Brundle went to see what's going on.
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The Essex entrepreneur with big plans to eradicate microplastics from our oceans — and he's got the royal seal of approval
Adam Root plans to eradicate microplastics from our ocean for good.
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Amanda Owen: The Yorkshire Shepherdess on farming, life, and having tea with her sheep
Life can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
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How the full moons got their names, including tomorrow's rare Harvest supermoon
With a new full moon on the horizon, John Lewis-Stempel reflects on her many guises.
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James Robinson: A fifth-generation farmer on the ups and downs of 'the most glorious job in the world'
Life can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
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The roads less travelled: The shapeshifting glories of Britain’s sea paths
Roger Morgan-Grenville celebrates the joys of wandering along the evanescent byways revealed by our tides.
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They will never go out of stile
Historic and idiosyncratic, friend to lovers and an enemy of ageing canines, every stile has a tale to tell, says Harry Pearson.
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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the bats
Bats and newts are an easy target, but can they actually be blamed for not building enough houses?
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'A phenomenon that has shaped Britain’s landscapes and wildlife for millennia': A five minute guide to mast years
The ground is already littered with acorns and beech nuts, notes Florence Allen, thanks to a phenomenon called mast years, or mast seeding.
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The curious world of the penny bun mushroom
Blessed with a vastly superior taste, penny buns are the champions of champignons and the perfect accompaniment to maggots
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Sir Francis Beaufort: The man who measured the wind and set the foundations for the Shipping Forecast
Neptune’s realm may never be tamed by Man, but Sir Francis Beaufort ensured seafarers have a way to measure the winds
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Galls: Nature's most beautiful, horrifying and intriguing parasites
A playground for aphids, wasp eggs, and funghi — galls come in all shapes and sizes
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Five years of drought means there's only one conclusion for Britain's farmers: 'Climate change is real and affecting us now'
The cumulative effects of the past five years of hot weather are causing chaos for farmers — and there's no signs that it will improve. Jane Wheatley reports.
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The ring ouzel: The mystery behind the common blackbird's feral twin
A master of disguise, inexplicably shy and unpredictably wild, the increasingly rare ring ouzel warrants giving any blackbird a second glance.
