Expert Guide

Design and Grow a Beautiful Garden, Expertly Curated for Every Season

Published: Jun 01, 2026
Written by Editorial Team
5 min read
Design and Grow a Beautiful Garden, Expertly Curated for Every Season

This Compact Shrub is Quietly Replacing Hydrangeas – It’s More Fragrant, Resilient, and Ideal for Urban Yards

white flowers of V carlesii Snowball

(Image credit: Shutterstock/nnattalli)

This is your cue to replace hydrangeas with something just as colorful, low-maintenance, and reliable. We have leant on them for far too long to bring easygoing charm to our backyards, ignoring some of the best scented shrubs available right on our doorstep. Enter Korean spice viburnums.

Plan Your Beautiful Spring Garden

Chelsea garden with pots and a wooden outhouse

CONTAINER TRICKS: For pots that last all summer long

RHS Chelsea 2024 shady container garden

PEST PROOF PLANTS: The only plant you need for a slug-proof barrier

Achillea, perovskia,

PLANTING TRENDS: What's replacing traditional cottage borders

Curate a Gorgeous Garden With Us

Lucy Hunter's Charleston garden

GARDEN DIARIES: Explore stories of creativity, where every detail matters

Rachel Bull arranging wild flowers in bud vases

PETALS & ROOTS: Gardens Editor Rachel's weekly gardening video series

Image of a potting shed filled with vintage decor and pots

THE POTTING SHED: How designers and gardeners craft beautiful spaces

Be Inspired By The Latest Garden Design Trends

wooden garden studio pod with screening hedge, water feature and planting

PAVING PLANTING: Create a natural transition from home to yard

hollyhocks, sweetpeas, and garden arch

COTTAGE GARDEN COURTYARDS: Harness this romantic vibe in a small space

AI generated image of plants in a metal bucket

FUSS-FREE CONTAINERS: These plant pairings thrive on neglect

Welcome Wildlife into Your Garden

Bee feeding on purple allium flower

PLANT FOR BEES: Discover why pollinators adore alliums and how to care for them

A Hummingbird populates Tackapausha Preserve on September 16, 2024 in Seaford, New York. The Long Island region provides a welcome habitat for a host of birds and wildlife

ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS: How to entice these ethereal creatures

butterfly garden small tortoiseshell on flowering sedum plant

SPECIALIST POLLINATORS: Unusual plants for rare bees and butterflies

Latest

Monstera fruit and flowers
What Your Monstera Needs in June For a Summer of Vigorous Growth and Iconic Split Leaves
  • Aerial view of vegetable plants in terracotta plants
    This Genius Self-Watering Tomato Planter Keeps My Plants Hydrated in Summer Heat – With Very Little Effort

    Published

  • Vegetables and flowers growing in containers on a balcony
    ALDI's $17 Wooden Plant Stand is the Cottagecore Addition That Every Small Yard Needs This Summer to Create an Abundant Feel

    Published

  • A bee collects nectar from blue Borage flowers
    These June-Flowering Herbs Are Pollinator Magnets – They'll Bring Bees, Butterflies, and Even Hummingbirds to Your Yard

    Published

  • raised timber garden beds in a vegetable garden
    This Is the Exact Temperature Your Soil Should Be Before Planting Vegetables – to Guarantee a Bumper Harvest

    Published

  • Woman in blue denim jacket and long hair placing natural jute twine around hazel wigwam
    Petals & Roots: How to Make A Sweet Pea Wigwam – For A Natural, Beautiful Frame to Support Your Favorite Flowers

    Published

  • watering plants with a hose
    The Best Time to Water Your Garden – to Keep Plants Healthy and Thriving in Summer Heat

    Published

  • A basket of harvested fall vegetables
    7 Vegetables to Sow in June – for a Bountiful Supply of Homegrown Produce Through to Fall

    Published

  • Grow For Me Gardening hydrangeas
    Garden Diaries: ‘You Have to Let Go of Perfection’ – How Eric and Christopher Feml-Nelsen Transformed an Ordinary Suburban Yard Into a Romantic Cottage Garden

    Published

  • Cascading Christmas cactus stems with pink flowers
    What Your Christmas Cactus Actually Needs in June to Bloom This Winter – And It Takes Just 5 Minutes

    Published

  • Orange and yellow flowering plants alongside colourful foliage plants in a metal container against a wooden fence
    What to Plant in June for a Full and Flourishing Summer Garden

    Published

  • A golden-winged butterfly is visiting the pinkish-purple blooms of a purple coneflower plant
    This Low-Maintenance Plant Is the Drought-Tolerant, Wildlife Magnet You’ve Been Looking for if You Want Easy Blooms That Pollinators Adore

    Published

  • RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 bench with layered planting all around
    Where to Shop for Garden Plants – Our Favorite Online Retailers for High-Quality Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

    Last updated

  • flowerbed design with oriental poppies, achillea and angelica in pink and purple shades
    What’s Replacing Wildflower Planting in 2026 – And Why Designers Are Moving Away From Chaos Gardens

    Published

  • A gardener is using Felco F2 pruning shears to trim a tree
    The Right Tools Can Make Pruning Faster, More Precise, and Feel Effortless – These Are the Ones Experts Swear By

    Published

  • Container garden with concrete pavers and gravel
    What’s Replacing Traditional Garden Decks? Experts Say This Sustainable Alternative Is Reshaping Modern Yards

    Published

  • pink orchid on brown background
    What Your Orchid Needs in June to Encourage Even More, Bigger Blooms this Summer

    Published

  • Zinnia flowers blooming in orange, pink and yellow in a garden border
    7 Plants Never to Grow Next to Zinnias – For Spectacularly Vibrant, Long-Lasting and Joyful Blooms

    Published

  • Indeterminate tomato plants laden with red and green fruits growing outdoors in a vegetable garden
    How Far Apart to Plant Tomatoes for the Best Harvests – And to Give Yours the Space They Need to Thrive

    Published

  • Gardening jobs to do before September
    Homemade Vs Store-Bought Compost – An Expert Says Both Have Benefits, but One Comes With a Warning

    Published

  • Red border, Large leaved Banana plant, red Crocosmia, Fuchsia, Lobelia Tupa and mixed shrubs.
    Color Drenching Isn’t Just for Interiors – It’s the Outdoor Trend Transforming Yards This Summer

    Published

  • A garden path lit with lanterns
    LIDL's New $10 Solar Lights Make Flower Beds, Walkways, and Patio Edges Look Far More Expensive at Night

    Published

  • Vine weeds in lawn
    Lawn Still Yellow in May? 4 Common Causes and How to Quickly Fix It – For Lush, Green Grass in Summer

    Published

  • A spring-tine lawn rake is being used to remove thatch from the grass
    Why Lawn Experts Swear by This One Simple Tool for a Thicker, Greener Summer Grass

    Published

  • Stainless steel outdoor kitchen with pots and gardening tools
    IKEA's 2-in-1 Outdoor Kitchen Makes the Perfect Potting Bench – From Summer Gardening to Al Fresco Hosting, it Can Do it All

    Published

  • RHS Chelsea 2025 garden with terracotta hues
    7 Vertical Garden Ideas – to Elevate Your Planting and Maximize Your Outdoor Space

    Last updated

  • RHS Chelsea 2024 shady container garden
    The Only Plant You Need For a Natural Slug-Proof Barrier – It's Low-Maintenance and Thrives in Shade

    Published

  • Onions growing in the soil alongside harvested onions in a wooden crate
    Unpredictable Spring Temperatures Can Cause Onions to Bolt – Do This One Quick Fix to Save Your Crop

    Published

  • dandelions growing next to lawn
    Want to Give Your Yard The Best Chance of Surviving a Drought? Experts Say This Often-Overlooked Task is Key

    Published

  • Black steel plant stand with gray plant pots on a balcony
    IKEA's Sleek Plant Stand is Versatile, Affordable, and Stylish – if You're Looking For Space-Saving Storage Options, it's Ideal

    Published

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Share this guide: