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.
Editor’s letter
Contributors
CONTRIBUTING CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Gardens Illustrated Magzine
CONTEMPORARY IRISH GARDENS • Join plantsperson extraordinaire Jimi Blake to explore some of the best gardens around Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains
DIG IN • What’s happening, what’s in flower and what to buy this month
News
3 FOR THE GARDEN… BENCHES
KITTED OUT • For growing and arranging cut flowers
May plants • There is a touch of the exotic to Jimi’s May selection. From shrubs that offer striking foliage and emerging leaves that have a reptilian-look to a sex-changing Japanese flower
GROWING PAINS • As the days start to get much longer and warmer, Aaron’s biggest problem is finding space for all his seedlings, but he still finds time to sow seeds for climbing beans and has a ball choosing pumpkins
Jobs for May
LUCY HART • The historic, public, Fulham Palace Garden has a dedicated head gardener in Lucy, who’s worked there for ten years with a focus on accessibility and sustainability
IN BRIEF
ONE STEP AT A TIME • On her journey from novice gardener to professional designer, Bella Stuart-Smith has created a multifaceted, ever-evolving garden at her home in Hertfordshire
12 KEY PLANTS
Soft and gently does it • Pick up on the textures and colours of pre-loved household items or discarded industrial objects to bring out the best in late-spring arrangements with cool, pastel palettes
UMBELLIFERS • As loved by pollinators as they are by gardeners and designers, this vast group of plants creates a froth of delicate flowers and foliage to suit many garden styles
PLANT PROFILE
Plants aplenty • In Andy Sturgeon’s small coastal garden hard landscaping is minimised to allow for multiple planting opportunities
A sense of freedom • Informal planting that embraces nature’s constant state of flux is the secret to this hazily romantic Cotswold garden by designer James Alexander-Sinclair
12 KEY PLANTS
A painterly palette • Designer Dan Pearson has long loved the beautiful irises bred by the artist Cedric Morris, and recommends some of the best currently available
HOW TO GROW
JO THOMPSON • The award-winning garden designer on a childhood divided between Rome and Dorset, loving the New Romantics and creating gardens in which people long to spend time
Practically beautiful • In their Oxfordshire garden, Petra and Luke Hoyer Millar have combined relaxed, traditionally English planting with contemporary, practical touches
A GARDEN INDOORS • Artist Flora Roberts brings the outside in with her beautiful murals and range of floral-inspired wallpapers – all enchanting botanical creations that envelop us in flowers
Design • News and sourcebook
News
Glasshouses • Find the perfect glasshouse to suit your garden no matter what its size or style
DOWNTOOLS
BOOK REVIEWS
Other books • Enjoy this selection offering delicious drink recipes, terrarium gardening, stunning Nordic design inspiration and more
READER OFFER • Save on these collections of beardless iris from Woottens of Wenhaston
READER COMPETITION • Win a Southwold Collection Bistro Set from Harrod Horticultural*
Tangier • Known as the gateway to Europe, the Moroccan port of Tangier is a laid-back melting pot of cultures that feed...