Widely regarded as the Vogue of the gardening press, Gardens Illustrated aims to inspire you with an eclectic and international editorial mix of remarkable places, plants and people. With superb photography, authoritative journalism and exceptional design, this award-winning magazine is a style bible for garden designers, garden lovers and enthusiasts alike.
Welcome
Contributors
Gardens Illustrated Magazine
DIG IN • What’s new, what’s growing and what’s going on this month
WHAT TO DO IN… APRIL
3 FOR THE GARDEN… • RIDE-ON MOWERS
April plants • As spring takes hold, Lowther’s head gardener Andrea Brunsendorf takes pleasure in the garden’s bright groundcover plants and an abundance of fragrant blossom
KITTED OUT • Stylish wear for working in the garden, whatever the weather
TRY, TRY AGAIN • The question of what to grow this year has Nigel Slater thinking back on past failures and hoping wildly for the future
The next chapter • Now managed by the charity Perennial, The Laskett is entering a new phase, which in spring includes a wealth of tulips
HANNAH MOORE • With training at Beth Chatto’s and Wildegoose Nursery already under her belt, Hannah is currently an Elizabeth Hess Scholar at Tresco Abbey Gardens
CAREX • Subtle grass-like sedges are perfect for adding texture and beauty in challenging and shady spots in the garden
How to grow Carex
Park life • A derelict brownfield site next to a former railway yard is now brimming with life as Manchester’s first new city park in a century
JOHN WYER • The landscape designer on the art of winning arguments, cycling to China, changing people’s preconceptions and refusing to be pigeonholed
Natural selection • British designer Jennifer Gay has transformed a neglected, ancient olive grove into a sublime, sustainable garden in Corfu
Shady characters • Two passionate plant enthusiasts have set up a new nursery specialising in rare and unusual plants for shade
VISIONARY SPACES • The gardens of the future are diverse and beautiful. We take a look at four boundary-pushing gardens - both private and public - around the world that are addressing sustainability and climate change with style
LEARNING TO LET GO • Grower Charlie Ryrie details her personal journey from intensive flower farming to lower-maintenance gardening, adapting to life’s challenges
Charlie’s tips for easier gardening
Design • News, garden design insight and sourcebook
FLIGHTS OF FANCY • Designer Maïtanne Hunt had her mettle tested when she built this dramatic roof terrace, seven storeys up - with no lift - in Kensington, west London
Garden rooms • Add some glamour to your garden with these pods, huts, offices and studios
Flood-proof plants • As our weather becomes wetter and wilder, flooding and waterlogging are becoming more frequent, so what should you plant to cope with a changing climate?
DOWNTOOLS • Book reviews, Q&A, the crossword and the big idea
Recommended reads this month
‘My guilty gardening secret? Not composting’ • In his new book, Your Outdoor Room, designer and TV presenter Manoj Malde is equipping us all with the tools to create a harmonious design for our gardens
Crossword
WE NEED A NEW NATURE • In the first of a new series of personal opinion pieces, Noel Kingsbury shares his hopes for how gardeners might help to adapt to the post-climate change world