The English Garden

Enjoy over 60 beautiful gardens a year with The English Garden. Every issue features country, city, cottage and coastal gardens, with advice on how to recreate them. Be inspired by articles written by the country's top garden designers and discover the best plant varieties for your garden, chosen by expert nurserymen and plantspeople.

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The English Garden

This Month • Our guide to plants, people, gardens and events, tasks and shopping in December

People to Meet • Introducing the gardeners and public figures we most admire in British horticulture

Out & About • Unmissable events, news and the very best gardens to visit this month

Things to Do • In December, Jane Moore tames her overgrown roses and battles the gloom by helping bright spots in the garden shine through and potting up colourful gifts

Beautiful & Useful • New plants, books, tools and creative designs, plus shopping inspiration

Christmas Gift Guide • From hand-forged tools to heirloom-worthy ornaments, our gift guide celebrates the finest in craftsmanship and design. The Christmas table is the centrepiece of the season, so elevate yours with these decadent handmade crackers filled with little luxuries to make the day even more special. Mushroom luxury crackers, £39. nancyandbetty.com

The Shape WITHIN • Sarah Vermont discovered her inner artist on moving to Hungerdowns in Essex. Now an accomplished topiarist, she’s coaxed dazzling forms from yew to fill this former farmyard

Quiet BEAUTY • Myddelton House in Enfield is the erstwhile home of the great plantsman E.A. Bowles and his evocative writing perfectly depicts the muted delights of its garden in the off season in a way that still holds true today

A Secret SHARED • Hidden in a secluded Cotswold Valley, the enigmatic gardens of Owlpen Manor retain their Tudor heritage despite later Georgian additions, and this lack of interference gives it an otherworldly charm just waiting to be discovered

High DRAMA • The garden of Cressy Hall near Spalding in Lincolnshire, provides the enchanting stage for a cast of remarkable topiary characters, trained and trimmed with precision around an elegant Georgian manor house

The Right ANGLES • The sublimely structural garden at The Old Rectory in Doynton is at its most impressive in the chill of a winter’s evening when cleverly deployed lighting picks out its special geometry and architectural details for the enjoyment of all

Take Cover • Bring interest to bare walls and fences during winter with these ten attractive evergreen climbers, selected by Jack Ogg, head gardener at York Place

Indoor Jungle • Beth Otway meets Inga Nikitiniene to explore her 250-strong orchid collection and glean advice on caring for these exquisite tropical flowers

FINE PRINT • In the age of the internet there’s a deliciously analogue pleasure to be had from sitting down with a printed plant catalogue filled with lavish illustrations or lyrical descriptions

Festive Shopping • Tap into the Christmas spirit and support independent makers at seasonal fairs around the country, or make festive decorations at a special workshop

IT’S A WRAP • These practical, cosy clothes will keep you warm all winter, whether you’re gardening, walking or visiting outdoor markets

CHRISTMAS JOY • From dressing the tree to roasting homegrown Brussels sprouts, celebrated cook and author Skye McAlpine shares her secrets to creating the happiest of festivities

SKYE’S CHRISTMAS RECIPES • A selection of delicious dishes from the book to dazzle throughout the festive season

NEXT ISSUE • ON SALE 2 DECEMBER

Green Christmas • On a trip to London’s JamJar Flowers to buy a festive wreath, Non Morris is...