Garden conservation

It takes more than just gardening to care for some of the UK's most important gardens. Behind the scenes our experts provide the specialist conservation skills needed for the long-term future of these special places

Large Christmas baubles decorate a tree in the garden at Lanhydrock, Cornwall
A Christmas tree farm

Evergreens and Christmas trees 

Have you ever wondered how an evergreen keeps its leaves in winter, or why the fir has become such an iconic festive feature? Pam Smith, a garden consultant in the Midlands, reveals all.

The history of Christmas trees
A Robin among holly branches

Five things you never knew about holly 

From pagan roots to glittering decorations, discover the myths, magic and history of holly, one of the UK's favourite festive plants.

Five festive facts
Conservation in action
Aerial view of Westbury Court Garden, Gloucestershire

Duck islands return to Westbury Court after 300 years 

For the last fifty years, gardeners at Westbury Court have been reviving the UK's last remaining Dutch-style water garden from dereliction. The latest project sees the return of duck islands to the canal, offering a safe haven for nesting waterfowl.

Gardeners abseiling down the walls at St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

Heroic gardening feats 

From abseiling gardeners to horse-powered pond dredging, discover some of the unusual gardening techniques needed to keep your favourite historic gardens looking picture-perfect all year round.

Palm House

Five plants that changed Britain's gardens 

Adventurous 'plant-hunters' of the 18th and 19th centuries scoured the land in search of exotic and unusual trees and flowers. While they may not seem out of the ordinary today, these five plants have transformed British gardens.

Edith Lady Londonderry in the gardens at Mount Stewart

Great women gardeners 

From wealthy socialites to horticultural pioneers, journey through the gardens of time and discover seven of history's most inspirational women gardeners.

Planting the seeds of innovation
A portrait of Humphry Repton

Humphry Repton: the first landscape gardener 

Repton, the original landscape gardener, brought his unique design style to the gardens and parks at more than 20 of our places. As a skilled water colour painter, each commission was accompanied by one of his ingenious 'red books' to illustrate his proposal.

Discover Repton's work

For garden lovers...

The oriental inspired Water Garden at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire

Listen to our garden podcast series 

Now in its third series, catch up on the highlights from the last year, when we travelled to some of our most important historic gardens and meet the staff and volunteers who help to care for them.

close up aerial view of maze

Get some garden inspiration 

Want to discover more than 200 gardens, or pick up horticultural tips from our green-fingered experts? Browse all of our gardening content in one place to find your next inspiration.

Thank you

We couldn't do it without you

Thanks to you, we're able to protect our glorious gardens for ever, for everyone