Clare Foster
After several years working in publishing, Clare Foster felt like a change of direction and took on the role of sub-editor at Gardens Illustrated. She stayed here for nine years, rising through the ranks to the role of editor. Clare joined House & Garden as garden editor in 2005: ‘I have the best job in the world: I visit gorgeous gardens, meet lovely people and then write about them.’ Her first book, 'The Flower Garden: how to grow flowers from seed', was published in 2019 by Laurence King. Read more by Clare at her website budtoseed.co.uk or follow her on Instagram at @clarefostergardens.
Gardening Calendar
What to plant in August (and other garden tasks for the month)
Our garden editor Clare Foster on the vegetables, flowers and herbs to plant in August and all the essential garden jobs for this month
Gardens
66 small garden ideas from the House & Garden archive
Whatever your budget or style, maximise your outdoor space with these enlightening small garden ideas
Garden designer Chris Brown on the climate-resilient plants to know about
Plantsman and adventurer Chris Brown explains to Clare Foster how his training at Kew and his travels have helped to develop his knowledge and experimental use of native and non-native species
Matthew Reese's perfect planting scheme for an English flower border
Continuing her latest series, Clare Foster talks to Matthew Reese about a distinctive and dynamic border he has made at Malverleys Gardens in Hampshire in the style of an English flower garden
Gardening Calendar
What to plant in July (and other garden tasks for the month)
Our garden editor Clare Foster on the flowers, vegetable and fruit to plant in July – and the essential garden jobs for this month
Flowers
How and when to plant dahlia tubers and how to care for them
Clare Foster explains how and to plant dahlia tubers, how to care for them, whether they are perennials, and chooses favourite varieties
Why deutzias are having a comeback
Continuing her series on flowering shrubs and small trees Clare Foster extolls the merits of Deutzia and offers advice on its cultivation
All about companion planting and why you should be trying it in your garden
Mixing flowers, herbs and vegetable crops in the same space is good for biodiversity, but it also lessens the chance of serious outbreaks of pests and disease. Clare Foster demystifies the art of companion planting, a term used to describe the practice of growing different food crops and flowers together in symbiotic harmony
A farmhouse garden in the Chianti hills of Tuscany that blends the local vernacular with an English sensibility
Tasked with revitalising the garden of this old Tuscan farmhouse, Arne Maynard has taken his cue from both the local vernacular and the English sensibility of its owners. His design combines stone terraces built into the hillside with multi-layered planting, which introduces colour, fragrance and texture, and flows into the rolling landscape
Planting Advice
Arne Maynard's ‘plant by numbers’ design for an early summer border
Arne Maynard shares his design for a softly coloured border that flowers in late May before giving way to lush foliage – and we've made it very easy to steal
Sarah Price's idyllic Abergavenny garden, filled with her experiments in resilient and low-intervention planting
Award winning garden designer Sarah Price has taken the garden at her grandparents' house in Wales in exciting new directions
Planting Advice
How to grow foxgloves, a staple of the English country garden
Romantic, dramatic foxgloves are a must in a country garden. We get tips from florist Kitten Grayson and our garden editor Clare Foster on how to grow them
Inside the experimental hardy planting scheme at Knepp Castle with head gardener Charlie Harpur
As part of a series on resiliant planting, Clare Foster visits Knepp in West Sussex and talks to the head gardener, Charlie Harpur, about an experimental new garden masterminded by Tom Stuart-Smith. Designed for biodiversity and sustainability, this showcases plants chosen specially for their adaptability and resilience
Planting Advice
How to plant beautiful window boxes for every season
Follow our guide to making the most of your window boxes and your house will soon be the envy of the whole street
Garden Architecture
How to design an English country garden (with ample inspiration from the House & Garden archive)
From rural cottage to grand estate, country gardens should be tailored to the house and landscape they occupy. Clare Foster talks to three garden designers about the elements that give a garden that all-important sense of place and we've included loads of inspiration to help you design your English country garden to perfection
Gardening Calendar
What to plant in June (and other garden tasks for the month)
Our garden editor Clare Foster on the vegetables and plants to plant in June - and the essential garden jobs for this month
Cordelia de Castellane's French garden is an abundant haven of beautiful flowers
Working with designer Milan Hajsinek, Cordelia de Castellane has created a glorious garden at her country house in northern France, where the abundant borders provide beautiful flowers for her home as well as inspiration for her role as a creative director at Dior
Jasper Conran's Dorset garden is a constantly evolving, flower-filled delight
In a quiet corner of rural Dorset, Jasper Conran’s 17th-century house is surrounded by an informal, flower-filled garden that reflects the designer’s predilection for constantly evolving and creative planting
The Newt's drought-tolerant ‘Karoo’ garden at Chelsea Flower Show transports you to South Africa
At the heart of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is the remarkable Karoo Succulent Garden created by the Newt and their sister hotel, Babylonstoren in South Africa.
See our garden editor's highlights from the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show
There are lots of new names and concepts at the Chelsea Flower Show this year which makes a visit to the show more interesting than ever. Clare Foster picks out her highlights from the show gardens this year