Small gardens
Inspiration, ideas and everything you need to know about designing and planting small gardens
The best crab apple trees for colour and form
Kew-trained plant expert Graham Rice recommends 15 of the best crab apple trees for blossom, foliage, fruit and flavour. Photographs Dianna Jazwinski
The best trees for front gardens
Choosing the right tree for a front garden can be tricky but there are advantages and countless pleasures that can be had if you choose your tree carefully.
What is soil? You may think you know, but there's a lot going on under your feet
Think of your garden soil as a living organism that needs gentle handling and you will reap the benefits in healthier plants, urges no-dig gardening expert Charles Dowding
How to make your garden child friendly without ruining it
If you thought children's play areas and a stylish garden don't mix, here's our advice on pleasing the whole family in the garden.
Garden water feature ideas: expert tips for using water in the garden
Water brings magic to the garden, says designer Matt Keightley, adding movement and sound to muffle unwelcome noise
How to lay a hedge
Interested in the centuries-old skill of hedge laying? Follow our guide on how to lay a hedge and learn about the traditional ways to lay a hedge. Words Louise Allen, photography Andrew Montgomery, illustration Liam McAuley
Garden path ideas: how to make a garden path
Paths are not just a means of getting around – they can knit areas of the garden together and are as much a part of the overall design as any other feature. Designers James Alexander-Sinclair, Andrew Wilson and Arne Maynard offer solution
Colour and lightness in a small family garden
A playful design by Jack Wallington for a family garden in south London is all about concealment and discovery – and for making memories. Words Natasha Goodfellow. Photographs Claire Takacs
Lush, Japanese-style planting in a small garden in Bristol
In Bristol Artisan Landscapes have created a calming tranquil space that invites the owners to immerse themselves in its cool, textural greens. Words Juliet Giles, photographs Jason Ingram
Modern small garden ideas
Whether you want minimalist design, Japanese elegance or an intimate green retreat, you’ll find lots of inspiration for modern small gardens in our expert guides below. Photograph Alister Thorpe
A small modern meadow garden by Jenny Bloom
For this garden in north London, designer Jenny Bloom drew inspiration from the unusually wild landscape on its fringes. Words Kate Jacobs. Photographs Richard Bloom.
Inspiration and advice for planting bulbs in pots
To help you get the very best out of bulbs in pots, follow these step-by-step instructions, advice and inspiration to create and maintain stunning container displays throughout the year.
A wildlife and child-friendly garden in California
In a California suburb where neat squares of lawn are the norm, landscape studio Terremoto has created something different. Images by Caitlin Atkinson
How to design your garden
Award-winning designer Annie Guilfoyle explains everything you need to know before you start to design your outdoor space
Saving water in garden design
Harvesting and storing rainwater run-off, as well as recycling household water, can help gardeners cope with drought, writes garden designer Andrew Wilson
Late summer planting plan using tried and tested plants
This bold design for a late summer border by gardener Andrea Brunsendorf uses tried and trusted plants that will keep the show going in your garden border until the first frosts
Inside Andy Sturgeon's modern coastal garden
We take a tour around Andy Sturgeon’s small coastal garden in Brighton, where hard landscaping is minimised to allow for plentiful planting. Words Annie Gatti, photographs by Jason Ingram.
Edimentals: What are they, and how to grow them in your garden
Edimental plants – plants that are both edible and ornamental – are a beautiful and easy way to grow your own food. We asked three expert growers to recommend their favourite edimentals to grow.
A small, sloping in garden in San Francisco
Careful sculpting, artfully placed local stone and considered planting has transformed a sloping garden in San Francisco into a charming, immersive space. Images by Marion Brenner.
How to cope with a sloping garden
Expert advice from Andrew Wilson on how to cope with level changes in the garden, with ideas on including steps and ramps with safety and accessibility in mind
How to create a luminous oasis in a small modern garden
Designer Sheila Jack’s sparing use of colour in her own city garden transforms a partially shaded space into a luminous oasis of calm, just when she needs it at the end of a busy day. Words Belinda Cooper, Photographs Britt Willoughby Dyer
30 of the best climbing plants for 2024
Choose from our selection of best climbing plants and add vertical interest to walls and trellises or allow to scramble over other plants in borders. Plantsman and garden designer Rory Dusoir gives his top recommendations.
Clematis montana: how to grow and prune, plus the best varieties
Although known as vigorous plants, Clematis montana can be also be medium sized or even compact. Here are some recommended varieties from the National Collection at the garden of National Collection holder, Val Le Neville-Parry. Words by plant expert Andy McIndoe. Photographs by Dianna Jazwinski
How to plant a terrarium
Terrariums are indoor miniature gardens created under glass using moss, succulents and other low-maintenance plants. Follow our easy step-by-step guide to planting up your own terrarium.