Since 1884 Amateur Gardening has been the gardening ‘Bible’ for serious gardeners from all walks of life. With unrivalled levels of practical content written by seasoned experts, it remains the only media brand to win a coveted gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. We are passionate about all things horticultural and are dedicated to producing informative content that gives accurate and helpful advice. Amateur Gardening is a trusted fortnightly companion, offering guidance and advice for all green-fingered projects.
Amateur Gardening 139 years of practical advice • 1884 The World’s Oldest Gardening Magazine 2023
A final summertime trim • Ruth tidies up her grapevine, trees and wayward shrubs
Why it’s time to stop feeding your plants now
Keeping lavender in shape • A late summer trim after flowering will keep plants shapely
How to grow wisteria well
It’s been a fruitful week! • Ruth has been propagating and pruning her fruit stock
Get more berries • Easy way to get more strawberries
Project Peat-Free update • So far so good, as flowers and crops benefit, says Ruth
How to avoid blossom end rot
Saving seeds for next year • Ruth saves money by harvesting homegrown seeds
Our wild lawn • Time for the first cut of the year
Wafting into the autumn • Tall verbenas are a worthwhile addition, says Ruth
How to sow this airy beauty
What’s On
Happy harvests • Knowing when to gather crops makes all the difference to taste. Here’s to harvests with a smile, says Bob
Bob’s top tips for the week
Climate chaos • Val looks at the effect climate change is having on birds
Focus on… Growing figs • Fancy a crop with unique ornamental appeal as well as delicious, prolific fruits? Just one year and a south-facing wall is all it takes for figgy delights, says Lucy
How to know when figs are ready to pick
Gigantes beans
Enjoy Japanese anemones • For beautiful late-flowering perennials that light up shadier areas of your borders, choose Japanese anemones to take your garden into autumn, says Camilla Phelps
6 single-flowered anemones
3 pink doubles
4 companion plants
Black beauties • Whether deep purple, wine red or chocolate, a few plants with dark flowers and foliage can totally transform tired borders, taking them from staid to stylish, says Hazel Sillver
6 purple-black flowers
3 brown-black flowers
4 dark-foliage plants
Buddlejas • If you want a shrub with beautiful flowers that attracts bountiful butterflies choose the butterfly bush, says Graham Rice
6 traditional buddlejas
4 modern seedless buddlejas
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Ask JOHN NEGUS • John will reply personally to all your gardening questions
WORDS OF WISDOM • From Amateur Gardening’s historic 139-year-old archive
Success with Peruvian lilies • Christopher Lloyd explains how to care for Alstroemeria ligtu hybrids
A gardener’s MISCELLANY • Gardening’s king of trivia and brain-teasers, Graham Clarke
AG’s Garden Wall
Word search
Crossword…just for fun!
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Steve & Val’s TRIED & TESTED
Ask ANNE SWITHINBANK • Masterclass on: growing chard
SIZZLING HOT SUBSCRIPTION
Your LETTERS TO WENDY
My Garden of Contrasts
Amateur Gardening
TOBY BUCKLAND • Plantsman and BBC gardening presenter