A new plot for tasty crops

Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale

We love July

July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut

Hassle-free harvests

Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings

Bite-sized bounties

Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit

Upcycled outdoor living

Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips

Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN

Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates

Greening up a city balcony

Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife

The dry and mighty garden

As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers

Nature knows best

Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there

Binder boosters

July sees the stars of early summer shine and fade, but a few clever planting additions made now will carry your garden through to a glorious late crescendo, says Monty

Container of the month

Brighten up a garden corner with fiery red and orange blooms, and contrasting strappy foliage

We love June

We're cruising towards midsummer: this is a month full of love and abundance. Wherever you look there will be something in your garden that lifts the spirits and makes you glad to be alive. We have colour to cheer us, we have leaves that still have the bounce and freshness of small puppies, we have the first berries fattening up, there are birds frantically parenting very demanding broods of chicks, the bees are all over the place, it's prime barbecue and picnic season, and we have lawns as lush and green as billiard tables. What a month to fall in love.

Your wildlife month

The female will usually lay one clutch of up to eight eggs

An edible garden in pots

Join Lucy Bellamy in creating an edible container garden for all seasons, as she harvests what's ripe now and starts later-season crops

Garden craft with kids

Fill the summer holidays with fun nature makes for kids, including botanical printed t-shirts, seed sowing in upcycled food containers and a hanging home for beneficial insects. Jaime Johnson and family show you how

Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN

Using a colour theme is an easy way to give any garden a strong, unified character - Nick Bailey shows you how

Indoor plants, outdoor treats

Break the rules and give your house plants a summer holiday, with Michael Perry's mixed pot display ideas

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

The first few weeks of summer are a good time to get spring-flowering plants in shape. Follow Frances' guide for best results

Gardening for wellbeing

As the pressures of modern living bear down, our outside spaces can provide soothing respite for our minds and bodies, says Arit Anderson

Your greenhouse guide to A fruitful summer

Get the best from your greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops this summer, with these tried and trusted growing tips from Adam Frost

Stars of the show

Agapanthus is the perfect midsummer plant, flowering with spectacular blooms from June onwards and, as Monty explains, it loves to grow in a pot

Container of the month

Celebrate the sun with aromatic Mediterranean herbs, light-catching foliage and spires of violet flowers

Make room for roses

Find inspiration in Stina Hasan's romantic rose-filled garden in the heart of East London

Travel Ideas For Garden Lovers

Looking for green-fingered holiday inspiration? The GW team share recent destinations for garden getaways

Your wildlife month

December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?

The Full Monty

I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit

Expert's choice

Smaller variegated ivies still pack a big punch all year round, says Graham Rice

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

Frances Tophill explains what to cut back now, including grapevines and hardy shrubs

Hardwood cuttings

It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey