Features
All the latest features from Gardens Illustrated magazine
First details of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026: discover who is designing what
Everything we know so far about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, including who is designing gardens and the causes they focus on.
We have to charge for Chelsea, or we wouldn’t have the money to do everything else, says RHS director general
The director general of the RHS on a childhood spent among nature, her impulse to engage and educate, and the strategy for the future
The elegant Cornish hideaway that was designed on the back of an envelope
Designer Matt Keightley has transformed a small plot of rough grass on the north Cornish coast into an elegant Mediterranean-inspired space for entertaining
Behind the scenes with Piet Oudolf – here's how he plants his legendary schemes
Ever wondered how Piet Oudolf plans out and plants up one of his extraordinary landscapes? Rebecca McMackin was there to document each step at the creation of his most recent large-scale scheme, at Calder Gardens in Philadelphia.
Gardening events and shows in 2025
All the big names in one place. Here's our guide to the gardening calendar's biggest and best gardening events for the year ahead
Chelsea 2026 | Tickets, information, dates and what's on
Everything you need to know about RHS Chelsea Flower Show tickets and more for 2026
The nursery that’s changing the face of Australian gardens
Antique Perennials has always been about introducing exciting plants to Australian gardeners, says co-founder Michael Morant, and now has a vibrant display garden to showcase its wares
Have you booked your Christmas light show visit yet? Here are 22 of the best not to miss
Here are our top picks for the best Christmas light shows and illuminated trails in gardens across the UK, to enjoy with friends and family during this festive season
From pastels to punchy: how colour in the garden is changing
Jobs to get done in the garden this month: what to do in October
Aaron Bertelsen and Benjamin William Pope explain a few key jobs you can do in the garden right now. Illustration Alice Pattullo
Gen Z are becoming gardeners now and they have a few ideas
Get a fresh perspective with these top tips from the UK’s next generation of bright young gardening stars
This Surrey garden is a beautiful retreat for the whole family
Tabitha Rigden’s multifunctional design for this suburban family garden offers privacy and versatility as well as planting for biodiversity
A New England garden inspired by some of the world’s most influential designers
Designer Adam Woodruff reflects on his personal garden beside a New England harbour shaped by years of travel, study and thoughtful experimentation.
Meet the Jamie Oliver of gardening - and Monty's protege
The plantsman, designer and TV presenter Jamie Butterworth on his new book, keeping things simple and working with Monty Don
This casting director transformed her small garden in London into a plant-filled sanctuary for reading scripts
When faced with the challenge of this small, steeply sloping garden, Miria Harris took an unconventional approach to elevate it into a calm and nurturing sanctuary
You can create a sense of space in a compact garden – here's how to design a stylish small garden
Designer Charlotte Harris has faced many awkwardly shaped, compact gardens, and offers her advice on making them work
A tiny garden in London, inspired by Kyoto by Japanese designer Haruko Seki
Haruko Seki’s ingenious design makes use of raised containers and subtle planting to create a sense of stillness, balance and light in a tiny city courtyard.
We want to rewild our gardens, but is it OK to say no to nature sometimes?
It’s good to listen to what your garden wants to grow, but that doesn’t mean you always have to agree, argues Andrew Timothy O’Brien
Has this been the most challenging year yet for gardeners?
What housebuyers want in a garden - and the features that turn them off
Discover which garden features will help sell your home, and the ones that turn buyers off, with top tips from leading estate agents and garden designers
Little garden, big ideas: how to make a small garden look bigger
There's no need to feel hemmed in by your small garden - here are the experts' design tricks you need to make it look and feel bigger
This sunken city garden has been transformed into an exotic leafy paradise
Exotic evergreen texture and form bring multiple perspectives to a shady, low-level urban garden designed by Declan Buckley
Invasive pests and diseases are the biggest challenge facing gardeners, says Young Designer of the Year
Meet last year’s RHS Young Designer of the Year, Ashleigh Aylett, who also won Gold for her balcony garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show
When is the official first day of autumn?
When autumn starts is different depending on whether you follow the astronomical or meteorological approach to the seasons. Here we answer the question what is the first day of autumn in 2025?