Amateur Gardening

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