Country Life 13 September 2023
Country Life 13 September 2023 looks at the sex lives of plants, hedgehogs, and Coco Chanel's love of the English countryside.


The cutting-garden diaries
In the first of a new series, Anna Brown is busy picking flowers—and already planning for spring
Fifty shades of green
John Wright investigates some of the more outlandish and risqué techniques plants have developed to spread their seed
Who are you calling prickly?
As Mrs Tiggy-Winkle faces an uncertain future, Sarah Sands explores our relationship with the much-loved hedgehog
Cut from a different cloth
Coco Chanel’s love affair with the British countryside shaped some of her most enduring designs, finds Justine Picardie
Carmel Allen’s favourite painting
The managing director of the Tate opts for visual escapism
Back to the wall
Fiona Reynolds walks in the footsteps of Roman soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland
A Scottish fairy tale
George Plumptre is spellbound by a magical garden restoration at Aldourie Castle in Inverness-shire
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Roll out the green carpet
Groundcover has a bad name, but the trick is to pick the right plants, argues John Hoyland
Great nurseries
Tilly Ware eyes the best salvias for the dog days of summer at Great Comp Gardens in Kent
An architectural accident
In the first of two articles, John Goodall explores the origins of Spetchley Park, Worcestershire
Native breeds
Red Ruby Devon cattle grazing the county’s heather moors are a sight to behold for Kate Green
To the manor sworn
Matthew Dennison meets the determined and discerning modern country-house chatelaines
Plastic fantastic
Harry Pearson catches up with Wallace and Gromit as they mark 30 years of The Wrong Trousers
Drop-red gorgeous
Tom Parker Bowles savours the subtle and gently rich flavour of red mullet—always on the bone
Interiors
Amelia Thorpe turns the new-season spotlight on Focus/23
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell gets the hump with some soft camel colours
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producers
Stormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
By Lotte Brundle
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'A delicious chance to step back in time and bask in the best of Britain': An insider's guide to The Season
Here's how to navigate this summer's top events in style, from those who know best.
By Madeleine Silver