In this issue

Gorgeous summer gardens

Dig for victory: vegetables that win
Solved: why we love Agatha Christie
Tom Parker Bowles’s asparagus risotto

Tunnel vision

The Private Gardens at Petworth House, West Sussex The home of Lord and Lady Egremont The making of a secluded garden within the landscaped acres has been managed with great charm and panache, reveals Non Morris

8 mins

In the garden: Shelf life

PAINTED by John Nash in 1945, Window Plants shows an old woman, with a cat on her lap, dozing next to her potted plants. I’ve always loved that image and always wanted to have a windowsill wide enough for as many flowers in terracotta pots as I could muster, rather than the indestructible house plants that thrive in airports and hotels.

3 mins

Make This Your Best Year In The Vegetable Garden

Old May Day is the traditional time to sow runner beans. It’s also the perfect time to add some finishing touches to beds and plots, says Val Bourne

7 mins

Letters from Hillside

In the third of a quarterly series from his Somerset home, plantsman designer Dan Pearson considers the hedges: a haven for wildlife and markers of the landscape

6 mins

A mysterious affair: the phenomenon of Agatha Christie

It’s 100 years since her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published. What is the secret of Agatha Christie’s enduring popularity? Emma Hughes investigates

7 mins

An epoch-making idea

Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire, part II By courtesy of the Chequers Trust In 1917, the newly restored Chequers was gifted to the nation as the country seat of Britain’s Prime Ministers. John Goodall turns to a personal diary to explain how this came about

9 mins

Bring me my spears

Whether steamed and eaten hot with lashings of melted butter or dotted through a fresh-tasting risotto, asparagus is the darling of spring vegetables for Tom Parker Bowles

2 mins

Absolutely marble-ous

Marbled paper has been popular, on and off, since the 9th century. Now it’s enjoying a micro revival

2 mins

Making an impression

As the London Original Print Fair exhibits online, Emma Crichton-Miller explores the appeal of original prints for both artists and collectors

7 mins

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

No rainy picnics, no loo queues, no cost–thanks to the wonders of streaming, Claire Jackson can re-create the summer country-house opera season at home

3 mins

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Country Life UK Magazine Description:

Country Life; architecture, gardens, countryside, property, the very best of British life Published by IPC Media. Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.