Shrubs are the backbone of our gardens but left to their own devices many will outgrow their allotted space or become lanky and flower poorly. Martyn Cox guides you on how to give even the most overgrown shrub a new lease of life.
Shrubs
What’s the best way to label garden plants?
After years of experimenting with different plant labelling techniques, Tamsin Westhorpe shares her views on how to keep track of specimens in the garden.
Top 10 plants for beginners
Martyn Cox guides you through ten of his (almost) foolproof favourite plants for beginner gardeners.
Plant partners for roses
Rose expert Michael Marriott suggests some perfect companion plants for garden roses. Enhance your garden roses with the beauty of other flowering plants.
Evergreens for winter pots
Evergreens come into their own in winter. Make use of smaller ones in pots and containers to bring colour and interest to your garden.
Tidying the garden in autumn
Martyn Cox has some advice on how your unruly autumn plot can easily be tamed within a few hours, leaving it in great shape until spring.
Planting shrubs and trees in autumn
Autumn is the perfect season for planting shrubs and trees. Andy McIndoe gives his advice and top tips for planting, and his 5 favourite shrubs.
Why is autumn the best time for planning and planting?
Geoff Hodge offers some timely advice on planning and planting in autumn for seasonal interest.
Autumn planting for beginners
Autumn is the right time to buy and plant up trees and shrubs. Martyn Cox explains more in his guide for beginner gardeners.
How to move garden plants
Sometimes plants don’t like where you planted them, or you simply change your mind. It’s OK to move them, Martyn Cox explains.
What can I do in the autumn garden to get ahead?
Although the garden is slowly beginning to take its winter rest – before bursting into growth again next spring – it doesn’t mean it’s rest time for you, says Geoff Hodge
Charismatic Camellias
Choose camellias for large, striking flowers that light up the garden from the depths of winter into spring.
What are annual, biennial and perennial plants?
Martyn Cox unravels the difference.
My favourite roses
Everyone loves roses. Michael Marriott from David Austin Roses has spent his career working with these wonderful plants and picks some of his favourites.
What’s so festive about holly and ivy?
Jean Vernon extols the virtues of the winter evergreens holly and ivy explores some of the myths and legends that relate to some of these seasonal plants
How can I use containers creatively in the garden?
Plants in pots and containers make up parts of most gardens, but they can be used to plant larger areas too, giving you lots of options in terms of plant choice and design.
Five things to enjoy at RHS Wisley Gardens in spring
Jean Vernon pays a quick visit to the RHS flagship garden at Wisley; here are five things to enjoy this spring
Should I winter prune my wisteria?
Tamsin Westhorpe explains how winter pruning wisteria now will encourage more May flowers
What shrubs should I plant in my garden?
Viburnums for every season Though their individual flowers are small, and they cannot compete with more showy shrubs for floral display, the sheer usefulness of viburnums makes them essential garden plants. With diverse habits, often colourful berries and foliage that adds texture and colour to the garden all year, there is always one viburnum that […]
Five winter-flowering plants
Choose some great plants that flower in winter to add interest to your garden. Plantsman Graham Rice chooses his five favourite winter beauties.
How do you get the garden ready for winter?
Geoff Stonebanks explains what’s involved in putting his award winning garden to be for winter.
Top shrubs for autumn
Seven of the best shrubs for autumn colour for UK gardens. These plants will bring stunning colour to your garden in autumn.
Five great azaleas
When in flower in spring, azaleas are simply stunning, literally covered all over with vibrant and beautiful blooms. Here are five great azaleas recommended by Peter Chapman from Perryhill Nurseries.
HRH Prince Charles’ grave warning
HRH Prince Charles warns of devastating plant disease
Show Gardens at RHS Chatsworth
Visitors to RHS Chatsworth Flower Show are in for a treat says Jean Vernon
This June the very first RHS Chatsworth Flower Show opened it’s gates to visitors. The weather was not very kind, with high winds and torrential rain closing the show on Press Day and creating parking issues for those that braved the elements. For show stalwarts who refused to be repelled, the show offered plenty of fresh and innovative gardens, exhibits and displays. The show gardens were a delight, with a range of Free Form creations, that ducked under the judging radar and some show gardens that would have been just as at home on main avenue at RHS Chelsea.
Grow scented tree peonies
If you love peonies you will adore scented tree peonies. Mature plants can boast over a hundred flowers on one plant.
Grow Peony ‘Celebrity’
Peony ‘Celebrity’ is an easy to grow plant for the garden with huge blooms packed with raspberry ripple effect petals.
Camellia ‘Lady Vansittart’
Indulge yourself and your garden and plant Camellia ‘Lady Vansittart’ for a blush of pink in spring in your garden.
Five resilient shrubs
Autumn is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. Here are five easy to grow, low maintenance shrubs from plantsman, Graham Rice.
Grow Hydrangea ‘Love’
Hydrangea ‘Love’ far outperforms the common or garden hydrangea in terms of flower shape, colour and more.
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