Gardens Illustrated Magazine

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 this month

3 FOR THE GARDEN…

May plants • A sultry species tulip, an adaptable black pea and a delicate shade lover are among the many wonderful late spring plants Rosy Hardy celebrates this month

KITTED OUT • Everything you need for a stylish sundowner drink on the terrace or balcony

Busy season • As Mounton House in Monmouthshire bursts into bloom, head of gardens Tim Stretton explains how he and his team stay on top of the many jobs for late spring and early summer

OTHER SEASONAL TASKS

DOWN TO EARTH • For most of the year, Nigel Slater is obsessed with filling bare patches with the perfect underplanting, except when it comes time to mulch

PERENNIAL FOXGLOVES • While biennial Digitalis purpurea is perhaps the best-known foxglove, many species are perennial and have become designer favourites

PATTERNS IN NATURE • Old Bladbean Stud in Kent is a romantic country garden that has unfolded slowly over 20 years

SAM SOUTHGATE • Horticulturist Sam curates the woodland banks in Lady Anne’s Garden at RHS Garden Rosemoor

FIELD OF EXPERTISE • For his own new garden on the Balearic island of Mallorca, designer Luciano Giubbilei has created a wild, romantic space to experiment and observe how plants behave with different levels of interaction

Fresh takes • Designer Katie Guillebaud channels the ebullience of the season with three nature-inspired container ideas

NATURAL BALANCE • Jo Hoy’s Bedfordshire garden is testament to her skill in balancing self-seeded natives, prized ornamentals and structural trees and shrubs

CATHERINE MACDONALD • The award-winning designer on the importance of teamwork, designing gardens for HM The King and why she always looks forward to Chelsea

HIDDEN GEM • Over the past 25 years, Frances Druce has created a Himalayan-inspired garden around her West Sussex house hidden in a woodland glade

ON WITH THE SHOW • Trends, themes and what to expect at RHS Chelsea 2026 - Stephanie Mahon highlights what you need to know before the show

SHOW GARDEN GUIDES • Discover the inspiration and thinking behind the designs of the top gardens at this year’s show

THE FUTURE FOR CHELSEA? • Now Project Giving Back funding is ending, what will the show look like in the coming years?

DOWNTOOLS • Book reviews, Q&A, the crossword and final say

MAKING WAVES • A richly photographed exploration of resilient coastal gardens, blending design insight, ecology and inspiration for designers and serious gardeners alike, says Joe Perkins

Recommended reads this month

‘I have no discipline when it comes to buying plants’ • Australian horticulturist and director of the Super Bloom plant practice Jac Semmler on planting for the seasons and her love of deserts

Crossword

Should garden shows aim higher? • The RHS Chelsea Flower Show shines a light on horticulture for a week every year, but is there a better way to bring gardening to the masses, asks Jack Wallington