CATEGORIES

Practically Perfect In Every Way

IN the same way that many people seem to want a fastgrowing shrub offering year-round interest and which stops growing when it reaches a manageable height, so they also ask for a border perennial that is tough, easy to grow, happy in most soils, self-supporting and in bloom for as much of the year as possible.

Like Grandpa, Like Grandson

Knowing when to introduce children to the joys of fishing is a conundrum, but youth often means confidence–and success

Heavenly Hydrangeas

Mark Griffiths extols the beauties of this shrub, from its 18th-century beginnings to its revival in the hands of hydrangea champion Maurice Foster

Desperately Seeking Leonardo

Silvia Davoli considers Britain’s long infatuation with the Renaissance Master and explains how the desire to buy a genuine Leonardo led to a new approach in collecting Italian art

All The Fun Of The Festival

From the Great Exhibition to the London Design Festival, Britain has a long tradition of celebrating creativity, says Clive Aslet

A Last Hurrah

The new, starry, big-screen version of Downton Abbey will be the perfect antidote for anyone having withdrawal symptoms after the series’ end, says Kate Green

Not Too Hot Too Handle

THOSE of you who have kept sheep know that they’re seemingly born in search of ill-health; if you’ve tried growing chillis, you might be forgiven for thinking that they’re the vegetable equivalent. Although not quite so intent on bringing about their own demise as our woolly friends, chillis are certainly tricky to get to flourish.

Meet Man's Best Friend

People are increasingly welcoming family-protection dogs into their homes, says expert training company K9Protector

Style Secrets

Meet the British designer Stewart Parvin, in conversation with COUNTRY LIFE’S Luxury Editor Hetty Lintell to discuss inspired looks, insider secrets, his latest collection and styling tips–with an exclusive shopping experience–in the intimate setting of the designer’s flagship store

Louise Moelwyn-Hughes

John McEwen comments on Portrait of a Young Girl

Kitchen Garden Cook Apples

Normandy chicken with apples Serves 4Preheat the oven to 180ËšC/ 350ËšF/gas mark 6.

The Beauty Of Bespoke

Specially designed, handmade shutters, blinds and curtains create the perfect outcome in any space, new or old

Jack And Jill Went Up The Hill

Jack Windmill and Mill House, Clayton, West Sussex A home of Claire Maugham The redevelopment of a house within a former windmill complex has inspired a remarkable contemporary home with striking interiors.

The Bone Collector

WE went swimming in the sea last week, on the hottest bank holiday Monday in recorded history. From Beachy Head to Bangor, from Yarmouth to Argyll, the country lay under a purging sun set in a blue sky.

Horses Are The Best Medicine

When life’s hard, hanging out with a horse can offer solace and self-esteem beyond the physical benefits. Pippa Cuckson reports on how they’re increasingly being used to help heal minds as well as bodies

Animal Magic

Camilla Naprous’s stunt horse

The Back Of Beyond

Nestled along the west coast of Scotland are wild peninsulas and isolated communities that give a taste of island life without the hassle, says Madeleine Silver

Swimming With The Fishes

I WAS going to tell you about life on the Suffolk beach this month. Picnics at Felixstowe, art in Aldeburgh, fish and chips at Dunwich, crabbing in Walberswick and donkey rides on the Lowestoft strand.

On The Hoof In The Highlands

On estates such as Balmoral, The Queen’s home in Aberdeenshire, tough and shaggy Highland ponies are vital members of the stalking team when it comes to bringing deer off the hill, finds Octavia Pollock

Peeling Back The Years

Carnell, Hurlford, Ayrshire Home of Michael Findlay and Adrienne EastwoodGenerations of gardeners have left their mark on–and their plants in–this unique garden, says Non Morris

I Would Walk 500 More

Scottish castles and estates for which it’s worth going that extra mile

Hiding Away In The Outer Hebrides

Oban and Barra and Uist, oh my! Kenneth Steven takes a tour of these magical Scottish islands and others besides

Breeding Rosemary's Babies

ROSEMARY VEREY, the much-missed grande dame of English gardening, used to say ‘a garden that isn’t deadheaded is like a pretty girl with dirty fingernails’.

Castles In The Sky

In an extract from her book My Scotland, crime writer Val McDermid revisits Assynt in Sutherland and the magic of the Hermit’s Castle, perched on rocks above the sea

A Regency Revival

Ardgowan House, Renfrewshire The seat of Sir Ludovic Shaw Stewart, Bt A major Scottish house never previously covered in the pages of Country Life is coming back to life. John Goodall reports on this remarkable building and its fascinating story

A Light Touch

When reinventing estate buildings, less is definitely more

‘Such Smashing Little Dogs'

They’re not as well known as their Pembroke cousins that are so beloved by The Queen, but Cardigan Welsh corgis are small dogs with a big attitude, finds Matthew Dennison

Size Isn't Everything

THE national enthusiasm for growing our own fruit and vegetables, which waxes and wanes with the generations, is presently at a high pitch.

Noble Assets

For tree-loving landowners who want to leave their mark, nothing beats planting your own quercetum. Mark Griffiths celebrates the mighty oak and its determined collectors

My Favourite Painting Guy Oliver

In the West of Ireland