The Gardener Magazine

The Gardener is a monthly, national magazine dedicated to inspiring gardeners, providing practical advice and showing step-by-step garden projects. Our monthly features include garden design, in-depth plant features, growing vegetables and herbs, water gardening, garden wildlife and pets, specialist plant articles and much more. We have an extensive database on our website that is growing daily.

Welcome

FRESH PICKS AND CLIPS

‘Our place’ is Cape Garden • With care, passion, respect, and determination as core values, a mother built a nursery business that exceeded her wildest dreams…

Ask the team • It is the small niggles that sometimes give us the biggest gardening headaches…

LETTERS

Romantic cottage garden flowers for 2026

COVER STORIES

Where roses meet RIPPLES • Inspired by a love of all things beautiful, this Englishinspired garden, where water gurgles, roses bloom, and cousins fish for tilapia, is as much for the children as it is for the grown-ups.

Fiskars since 1649 • The sign of a company with good products is one that has stood the test of time, in this case, three centuries of excellence.

Beach BREAK • It’s holiday time and the living is easy with seafood sizzling on the braai – prawns to stuff in rolls, squid to top off spicy soup – it’s a breeze.

Tools for the summer garden • Summer brings about more flowers, more foliage and more growth, which is great, but it sometimes needs taming. This is where battery-powered handheld tools like the range from STIHL can make summer gardening a breeze.

WHAT TO PLANT NOW

The perfect houseplant for every personality • Plants make thoughtful Christmas gifts – they’re living, lasting, and bring joy long after the holidays. But the best gifts are personal, and choosing the right plant for the right person makes them extra special. Here’s a guide to 10 gardening personalities and the plants that suit them best, complete with simple care tips so your gift can thrive.

Colour parade • Summer brings in the brightest annuals for the year. Some sunloving plants and colourful options for the shade; these are some of the best varieties to plant now.

Echinacea ‘Red Ombre’ • If you agree that the word ‘ombre’ means gradual transition, then you will understand why we are crazy about Echinacea ‘Artisan Red Ombre’.

6 Rare and sought-after plants to grow • Some things are changing in the world, and what we don’t yet think about today may become scarce in the future. Be proactive and grow one or all of these six things so that you can still enjoy a cup of coffee with your smashed avo toast in the mornings.

Long haul blooming! • Hydrangea and bougainvillea guarantee endless summer colour and all gardeners love that…

Bougainvilleas – warriors against heat • Many hybrids were developed from the vigorous species indigenous to Southeast America, and the papery bracts come in many colours.

IN THE FOOD GARDEN

9 Creative ways to plan a food garden • What is a good layout for a vegetable garden? Many gardeners rely on intuition, and that is perfectly fine; it is, after all, your space, and it should reflect your personality. There are, however, some clever little rules that will help you get the most out of your plants and ultimately achieve the best yields.

Sowing Guide November and December

Top tips for summer strawberries • Growing strawberries takes very little effort, and the results are fresh, juicy fruits that beat anything in the store. Here are some top tips to get it right.

Jane tackles pests and diseases • Jane Griffiths has a new book in her series on edible gardening, and this one is a must-have. Jane’s Delicious Natural Solutions for Pests and Diseases for Organic Edible Gardens is...