Plants
Plants, how to plant, what to plant
Everything you need to know about crocus
Crocuses bring welcome pops of colour to the garden in late winter and early spring. Richard Wilford from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew gives his advice on growing them and recommends the best varieties.
Crocuses or croci: what is the plural of crocus?
Is the correct term for the plural of crocus crocuses or croci? Here's what we found out
The English country town where everyone goes completely snowdrop mad each February
The annual Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival in Somerset is the place to be for galanthophiles in February.
POV: You’ve inherited an historic English hall with two moats and incredible gardens – now what?
Once home to garden designer Xa Tollemache, Helmingham Hall is now under the care of a new generation of Tollemaches and is as glorious as ever, especially in winter when its bones are laid bare.
Words: Chris Young, Photographs: Richard Bloom
The search for the Backhouse daffodils: a remarkable plant treasure hunt
Tracking down the Backhouse daffodils, narcissi bred by her ancestors, has become a lifetime’s work for Caroline Thomson.
What's new?
How to propagate houseplants - an easy and cheap guide to growing your houseplant collection
Expert house growers Maddie and Alice Bailey explain how to propagate your houseplants using stem cuttings
How to repot your plants - watch our guide to repotting houseplants to make sure your indoor plants are happy
Our simple and easy-to-follow guide on how and when to repot your houseplants from experts Alice and Maddie Bailey from Forest London
Reviewed: best flower subscription and delivery services for 2025
Don't just surprise them with ONE bunch of flowers. Why not show how much you love them all year long?
Best places to propose: pop the question in a garden
Thinking of proposing to your beloved? Why not do it in style and pull off the perfect marriage proposal in one of our pick of beautiful garden venues
The snowdrops that sell for thousands - the online bidding wars for plants that people pay huge sums for
They herald the beginning of spring, but certain varieties of tiny, white snowdrops have sold for an alarming amount of money online and at plant fairs. Discover why these blooms are so special and how to start your own Galanthus collection
Autumn
54 brilliant purple flowers for the garden
Discover 55 of the most beautiful purple flowering plants for the garden, chosen by expert horticulturalists and growers
Feed the birds: these are the best plants for birds that you can have in your garden
Making your garden a safe haven for birds is easy and rewarding says Jane Moore, author of Planting for Garden Birds.
A well-behaved alternative to bamboo, these grass-like evergreens are great year-round
Defying easy categorisation, restios are evergreen plants that offer eye-catching details, attractive stems and grow rapidly in spring
Bulbs
Here's exactly how to grow snowdrops to make sure you have a beautiful display early in the year
All you need to know about growing snowdrops, including when to plant snowdrops and how to care for them
Why you should buy snowdrops 'in the green' - plus how to plant them
Planting snowdrops in the green is considered the best way to establish them. Here's advice on why you should buy them, where to buy and how to plant
The strange coloured snowdrops that people pay big sums for
Most snowdrops are white, or green and white, but some have yellow markings – and are highly sought after.
Flowers
Three expert gardeners reveal their favourite places to buy seeds
Three expert gardeners pick their favourite seed catalogues and online plant lists that are also an enjoyable and informative read
Monty Don show's flower farmer Cel Robertson on changing career and her top 7 flowers for cutting
Cel Robertson of Forever Green Flower Company in Norfolk on flower farming and the best blooms to grow in your garden for cutting
Looking for colour in winter? Hellebores are perfect flowers for the season- here's how to plant, care for and sow them
Plant expert John Hoyland gives advice on planting, sowing and growing hellebores. Plus, the best varieties to grow, recommended by some of our favourite plant experts.
House plants
The surprising ways the scammers of the plant world swindle unsuspecting pollinators (spoiler: it's sex... or a fight)
There are plants which use deception to get what they want: discover these remarkable plants that go to extreme lengths to trick pollinators to visit them
The best indoor orchids for long-lasting, colourful blooms plus how to to keep them alive and flowering again
Add colour to the winter months with these delicate houseplants that offer exotic, long-lasting flowers, and are easier to look after than you may think.
Words: Matthew Biggs, Photographs: Éva Nemeth
You can grow beautiful bulbs in your house over winter by 'forcing' them - here's how to do it
Forcing bulbs is a way to manipulate spring bulbs so that they flower early, bringing a much-needed burst of colour into the home during the winter months. Try these bulb combinations to learn how to force bulbs yourself. Images by Jason Ingram
Planting ideas
Get inspiration for your garden and discover which plants will work best and where
Trees and shrubs to plant for birds
Discover some of the best shrubs to plant in your garden for birds, chosen by Isabel Losada
Make your own seed envelope using recycled paper with our handy guide and video
Follow our fold-by-fold guide to making your own origami seed envelope. Then save and collect your own seeds from this year's favourites, or swap with a gardening friend and be ready to sow next spring.
Seeds to sow and plants to get in the earth in January to make sure you've a thriving garden in spring
Head gardener Benjamin Pope is keeping busy this month in preparation for spring. Here are his suggestions of what you could be planting through the month of January
Pots
Give your containers autumn style with the help of designer Jo Thompson's hellebore and euonymus designs
Designer Jo Thompson creates this stylish display using hellebores and euonymus to see you through the colder months
A great planted pot for winter and autumn using succulents with architectural texture
Designer Jo Thompson creates a stylish display to see you through the colder months using aloe and other succulents
Alternatives to a Christmas tree
Looking for an alternative to a cut Christmas tree? Here are some attractive conifers that you can grow outdoors in pots all year round, then bring indoors for the festive season
Shrubs
How to prune wisteria
Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year to keep it in good shape and to ensure abundant flowers. Here's how to do it.
Great flowers and plants for the garden in December picked by head gardeners
The best December flowers and foliage from winter interest plants chosen for structure, colour and texture in the garden. Photographs Jason Ingram
These colourful stems will be a great addition to your winter garden
Cultivars of Cornus sanguinea, Cornus alba and Cornus sericea are grown for their colourful winter stems, but some have the benefit of attractive foliage too, giving them year-round appeal. Plant expert Andy McIndoe recommends some of the best.
Spring
Plants for February
Keith Wiley of Wildside in Devon and Jimi Blake of Huntingbrook Gardens choose some early flowering bulbs and sweetly scented shrubs for February, to help welcome the return of spring.
These snowdrops don't need much work - they will naturalise and spread in your garden for a majestic snowdrop carpet in February
John Sales, former head of gardens at the National Trust, recommends 12 of the best snowdrops to grow in your garden. Words Mary Keen.
Love birds? Here are the best way to attract them to your garden
Looking for ways to attract birds to your garden? Here's how to keep all your feathered friends happy all year round
Summer
In praise of the chrysanthemum
Discover exactly how to grow these late-flowering hardy chrysanthemums that will look perfect in your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram
The best fuchsias for your garden
Hardy fuchsias can flower from late spring right through to early autumn. Mat Reese, head gardener at Malverleys in Hampshire, recommends his favourites and gives advice on growing them
Why Japanese anemones are the perfect bloom for late-summer and autumn borders
These elegant blooms are perfect for brightening up late-summer and autumn borders, here we explain how to use this colourful flower.
Words: Matthew Reese, Photographs: Jason Ingram
Trees
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again – with these 13 expert picks for trees in pots
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again. We asked experts to recommend the best trees to grow in containers. Words: Chris Young, Photos: Jason Ingram & Eleanor Walpole
The best wood for burning on wood burning stoves and fires
As winter approaches, re-stocking your firewood supplies is on the agenda. We choose the best types of firewood, give advice on stacking logs and how to light a fire. Words Louise Allen, photographs Andrew Montgomery
The world's most extreme trees grow in the fiercest conditions. But should you plant them in your garden?
Faced with a warming climate, many gardeners are thinking carefully about resilient plants for their garden. But what about three of the world's most extreme trees?
Winter
A classic walled garden that's a delight in frost with a beautiful winter structure designed by Arne Maynard
This walled garden designed by Arne Maynard is a perfect example of a winter garden that has faded to reveal its beautiful bare framework.
The best winter-flowering clematis
Plant expert John Hoyland recommends 14 of the best winter-flowering clematis to grow in your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
Best UK gardens open for Boxing Day walks
Many UK gardens are open this festive season, so why not work off your Christmas indulgence between Boxing Day and New Year with a winter walk at one of these 13 great open gardens?