BBC Gardeners World Magazine

Forget the beaches, the real magic of the Seychelles is hidden in its forests

2026-03-12T18:05:16.000Z

Legend has it that the Garden of Eden wasn’t a myth, but a real place hidden in the Indian Ocean. Standing under the prehistoric canopy of the Vallée de Mai in the Seychelles, it’s easy to see why General Charles Gordon was convinced he’d found it. While most tourists fly here for its world-famous beaches, I was drawn by the unique wildlife, plant life and gardens found inland.

A forest from another age

My journey began on Praslin Island at the UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai forest. It felt magical, with the afternoon light filtering through giant fronds in dusty, golden shafts and the scent of damp earth filling the air. The only sounds were visitor footsteps and the occasional whistle of the native black parrots.

All six of the Seychelles’ indigenous palms grow here, including the huge coco-de-mer. These ‘coconuts of the sea’ were once a maritime mystery; sailors found the massive seeds floating at sea and imagined they grew in underwater forests. In reality, they are the heaviest seeds on Earth, endemic to just two islands.

Because the trees are dioecious, the species has separate plants that are either male or female and so rely on a tiny cast of characters for pollination. Alongside bees, bright-green geckos skitter along trunks carrying pollen from male catkins to heavy female fruits. It was fascinating seeing them hard at work.

Island of giants

The following day, I traded forest for water. After snorkelling in reefs teeming with tropical fish, I waded onto Curieuse Island. This uninhabited national park is the domain of the Aldabra giant tortoise. Roaming freely through the scrub, there is something grounding about crouching next to a giant that might have been alive since the 19th century.

I spent the rest of the morning wandering boardwalks through mangroves, spotting baby sicklefin lemon sharks in the shallow waters below, before retreating to the shade for a barbecue.

Life on two wheels

If Praslin Island’s defining characteristic is the forest and Curieuse the wildlife, then La Digue is all about tranquillity. The island is blissfully car-free – you simply grab a bicycle and go. I pedalled through L’Union Estate, an old coconut and vanilla plantation, until the path spilled out onto one of the Seychelles’ most recognisable beaches, Anse Source d’Argent. Here, iconic granite boulders, worn smooth by millennia, frame the turquoise water beautifully.

Protecting paradise

I finished my trip on the largest island of Mahé, where I tasted sushi made from fresh island fruit at the organic Vallée des Fruits farm, before learning about the conservation efforts at the Biodiversity Centre, which runs education programmes that teach schoolchildren about the importance of the Seychelles’ unique plant life and encourage islanders to grow endemic species in their own gardens. They have a plant nursery on site where local people can come and buy native plants.

Gardens and markets

In the capital, Victoria, I retreated to the grand botanical gardens – vast but peaceful, with giant palms lining the avenue. Towards the back is a tropical forest area mimicking the one where I started my trip. Here, I became fixated on hundreds of giant fruit bats hanging from branches, fighting over jackfruit.

The garden also dedicates a section to endemic plants, giving me a final, concentrated examination of the archipelago’s biodiversity. Make sure to go for a wander around the city centre, with it's quaint streets and bustling markets before you leave.

Seychelles provides a wonderful escape from everyday life in Britain, but don’t spend all your time at the beach or you’ll miss out on the islands’ incredible nature inland. That’s something you can’t find anywhere else.

What do you need to know to go to the Seychelles?

Seychelles enjoys a tropical climate all year round and there are rarely extremes of weather. Between October and May the seas are calmer and better for water sports and diving.

Most flights from London take 10-14 hours and include a layover.

Where did I stay?

Island hopping is the name of the game here. Thanks to the following hotels on each island, where I stayed:

Praslin island: the quiet Villa de Mer hotel, with only 12 rooms, which means the staff know every guest.
La Digue island: the Casa de Leela, with it's homely self-catering style apartments set in a charming garden setting.
Mahé island: the tranquil Laïla Resort on the south of the island. The ideal place to relax after a day out exploring.
Mahé island: the Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa, where I didn't have a chance to get a massage, but did make use of the sauna and steam room facilities.

More travel inspiration:

From bag to bumper crop - how to grow potatoes anywhere

2026-03-12T10:44:35.000Z

This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.

From earthy new potatoes and bite-sized salad varieties, to floury bakers and roasters, the humble potato remains the nation’s favourite vegetable. If you’re a potato aficionado, there's a huge number of exciting potato varieties you can grow that you’ll never see in the shops. You don't even need a garden to grow them – many grow very happily in large bags or pots on a balcony or patio.

There are three main types of potato to grow, named according to when you plant and harvest them.

First early or ‘new’ potatoes are the earliest to crop, in June and July. They don't store for long so are best eaten fresh.

Second earlies (also called ‘new’ potatoes) take a few more weeks to mature and are harvested in July and August. These also don't store for long, so are best eaten fresh.

Maincrop potatoes take the longest to mature and are harvested from August to October. They are suitable for baking, roasting and mashing, and can be stored for a few months.

How to grow potatoes at home

Potatoes are easy to grow – one seed potato will produce many potatoes to harvest. Prepare the soil by digging and removing weeds, and then dig straight trenches 12cm deep and 60cm apart. In spring, plant seed potatoes 30cm apart and cover them with soil to fill the trench. When the shoots reach 20cm tall, use a rake, hoe or spade to mound soil up around the bases of the shoots, covering the stems half way. This is called earthing up. You can also grow first early and second early potatoes in a large bag on a patio or balcony, regularly covering the bottoms of stems with more compost as they grow.

More expert advice on growing potatoes:

When to plant potatoes

First early potatoes can be planted from mid-March, while second earlies should be planted a couple of weeks later. Maincrop potatoes are usually planted in late April or early May and need to stay in the ground longer to produce a good crop. However, planting times vary across the country – planting in northerly areas should be delayed by a couple of weeks, depending on temperatures and risk of frost.

If you have a greenhouse it's possible to plant a second batch of potatoes in late summer, which will yield a crop for Christmas Day.

How to chit potatoes

Before planting, many people 'chit' their early potatoes. This involves letting the potatoes grow short, strong, stubby shoots, which will allow them to start growing more quickly after planting. Place seed potatoes in trays or egg cartons with the end that has the most eyes uppermost. Stand in a cool, light spot until short shoots have formed, or when it's time to plant them out.

Should I rub shoots off my chitted potatoes?

Seed potatoes only need one or two shoots to grow, so if you've chitted your seed potatoes and they have more shoots, you can just rub off any extras with your fingers. Our video guide explains more about whether or not to rub extra shoots off your chitted potatoes.

View Green Video on the source website

How to plant potatoes

You can grow your own potatoes by planting out 'seed potatoes', which are small tubers rather than actual seeds. You can buy seed potatoes from late winter. Don't be tempted to use old potatoes from the veg rack as they won't produce reliable crops.

Home-grown potatoes do well in all types of soil, but the richer the better, so dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter such as garden compost. An open, sunny site is best.

While maincrop potatoes grow well in the ground, early or salad potatoes will also do well in large pots and bags. Polypropylene potato growing bags are designed especially for this purpose and are handy if you're short of space. However, you can also plant potatoes in an old compost bag, with similar results.

Here, Monty explains how to grow potatoes in a bag:

View Green Video on the source website

When growing potatoes in the ground, plant earlies and salad types 10-15cm deep and 30cm apart, with 60cm between rows. Maincrop potatoes require more space to produce a decent crop. Plant them 40cm apart, with 75cm between rows. Plant potatoes with the shoots (or 'eyes') facing upwards.

Growing potatoes in a raised bed? Monty shows you how:

View Green Video on the source website

Where to buy potatoes online

Growing potatoes: caring for your crop

Water potatoes during warm, dry spells but avoid wetting the foliage unnecessarily, and keep the soil free of weeds. As the potato plants grow, use a spade or hoe to cover the shoots with soil to encourage the development of more tubers from the buried stems. This is called ‘earthing up’. Leave the top few centimetres poking out the top. As plants continue to grow you will need to earth them up again.

Watch Monty explain how to earth up potatoes growing in a bag:

View Green Video on the source website

Growing potatoes: problem-solving

Slugs can be a problem, especially if growing potatoes under black plastic.

Potato blight is a fungal disease which turns foliage yellow with dark patches and causes the tubers to rot. Grow a blight-resistant potato variety to avoid the problem. You can also cut the potato plants down at the first sign of infection, as the fungus will not have reached the tubers by that stage. Then harvest the tubers as soon as you can.

Never grow potatoes in the same soil year after year as this could lead to a build up of pests and diseases. These include potato eelworm, which causes stunted growth and poor cropping.

When to harvest potatoes

First early potatoes are harvested in June and July, when the potatoes are about the size of a large hen’s egg (gently rummage around in the soil to check). Cut the potato plants (also known as haulms) to the ground, then gently prise the plants out of the ground with a fork. First early potatoes don't store well, so dig them up in batches, as and when you want to eat them.

Second earlies are harvested in July and early August. Harvest in the same way as first earlies. Again, these potatoes don't store well, so dig them up in batches, as and when you want to eat them.

Maincrop potatoes are harvested from August to October, when the leaves on the plants have turned yellow and died down. Choose a dry day to dig up your crop so that they store better, ideally in the morning. Cut the plants to the ground and dig up your potatoes, discarding any that are bruised or have been attacked by pests. Leave them on the soil surface for a few hours in the sun to dry out properly, then brush off any soil before bagging them up.

Watch Monty Don's video guide to harvesting new potatoes:

View Green Video on the source website

To harvest potatoes grown in pots, simply tip out the contents and enjoy the rich – and easy – pickings.

Here Monty explains how to harvest potatoes grown in a bag:

View Green Video on the source website

Preparing and cooking potatoes

Wash and scrub potatoes before frying, boiling, baking, mashing, roasting or sautéeing – this has to be the most versatile vegetable!

Health note: never eat potatoes raw. Green potatoes contain a chemical called solanine, which they develop when exposed to light. It can cause severe stomach upsets.

Looking for inspiration on how to use your crop? Our friends at olive have curated a delicious collection of potato recipes, including their best-ever roast potatoes. And listen to our podcast episode, where Adam Frost and Good Food's Cassie Best share advice on growing and cooking potatoes:

View oEmbed on the source website

Storing potatoes

Home-grown maincrop potatoes will store well for many months in a cool but frost-free place. Only store perfect tubers, removing any showing signs of damage, and don’t wash them before storage. All light must be excluded to avoid potatoes turning green and poisonous. Hessian or thick brown-paper sacks are available for the job. Check crops in store regularly, removing any rotten ones.

Watch Kevin Smith explain how to prevent stored potatoes from rotting, in our Quick Tips video:

View Green Video on the source website

Advice on buying potatoes

Potatoes are available from a range of garden centres and nurseries, with many offering online sales. If you're a member of an allotment association, you may be able to buy potatoes direct from the 'allotment shop' at a reduced price
Choose between first earlies, second earlies and maincrop potatoes, depending on when you want to to eat your potatoes and if you have a problem with blight (first and second earlies are usually harvested before blight hits)
Check the seed potatoes thoroughly when they arrive/before you buy. Make sure they're firm and avoid any with very long roots or any with signs of mould

Where to buy seed potatoes online

Buy early seed potatoes from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Buy second early seed potatoes from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Buy maincrop seed potatoes from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Buy late-maincrop seed potatoes from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons

Growing potatoes: potato varieties to grow

Early potatoes:

'Annabelle' – compact, small tubers with white skins and golden flesh. Disease resistant.
'Charlotte' – yellow skin and flesh, with a lovely flavour. Remains firm when cooked. Buy from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons.

Salad potatoes:

'Cherie' – delicious red-skinned salad variety with waxy flesh.
'Milva' – yellow flesh, perfect for boiling. Good yields.
'Pink Fir Apple' – an odd shape, but good flavour. Buy from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons.

Maincrop potatoes:

'Blue Danube' – with purple skin and white flesh, this new variety is resistant to blight.
'Cara' - round, waxy and drought resistant, it bakes well. Buy from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons.
'Isle of Jura' - an excellent all-rounder, with large crops from late summer. Disease resistant.
'Nicola' - yellow skin and flesh, small, oval tubers, sweet flavour. Buy from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons.
'Setanta' - drought tolerant and great for roasting and baking.

You could also try growing your own sweet potatoes, which although they are not really potatoes at all, are an excellent crop to grow in a more ornamental garden or a conservatory. Buy from Crocus, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons

Frequently asked questions

Help! My potato leaves have brown spots Brown spots on potato leaves could be caused by a number of things, including magnesium deficiency, early blight (caused by Alternaria fungi) or potato blight (also known as late blight), Phytopthera infestens. Magnesium deficiency can be more common on light and sandy soils, and is remedied with a foliar feed of Epsom salts. Early blight isn't a big problem in the UK and is more common in North America. Both early and late blight can devastate potato crops – remove all foliage immediately and harvest the potatoes quickly to stop the disease reaching the tubers. Help! My seed potatoes are sprouting and have gone soft Sprouting seed potatoes is perfectly normal, and is actually encouraged – the act of potato chitting is done to encourage sprouts to develop, which is thought to increase potato yields. Slightly soft seed potatoes are usually nothing to worry about but really soft tubers may be mouldy. Check your seed potatoes thoroughly before planting and discard any with sunken or white patches, as these are rotting and could infect your other potatoes. What can I plant immediately after harvesting potatoes? If you want to make the most of soil vacated by harvesting potatoes, you can plant a number of crops in their place, including carrots, leeks and brassicas. If you're practising good crop rotation then brassicas usually follow potatoes. If you don't have plants ready to plant out, see what young plants are available from the garden centre – many have broccoli, cabbage, kale and swede plants ready to plant straight away. Is it possible to save potatoes for seed next year? It is possible to save potatoes for seed the following year, but you run the risk of transmitting disease. Seed potatoes are grown in a cool, controlled environment, so are certified disease-free. If you want to save your own potatoes for seed, keep them in a cool, dark spot. In late winter they should develop shoots and you can plant them as you would normal seed potatoes, from late March.

The best lawn aerators in 2026, as tested by our expert team

2026-03-12T15:05:49.000Z

Jump to our 3 top-rated aerators

A lush, green lawn is a source of pride and joy for many gardeners, but as the focal point for gatherings with friends and family, it can suffer from overuse and too much wear and tear. Terrific turf needs a good lawn care regimen to achieve it, and while regular mowing and watering will take you so far, there are a couple of additional tasks for you to do on your to-do list, which will help keep your lawn in tip-top condition.

Regardless of how often you cut your lawn, over time, the soil underneath the turf becomes compacted, while above ground, a thick, impenetrable layer of thatch and organic debris develops around the roots. This undesirable combination prevents air, water, and nutrients from reaching the root system, ultimately weakening its growth and leaving the plant susceptible to pests and diseases.

Scarifying your lawn will help remove thatch and debris, but if you need to relieve compacted soil underneath the turf, it's best to aerate it. Aeration is the process of making air holes in the lawn to create ventilation. In small lawns, a simple garden fork can be used to push holes into the ground, but you can also buy manual aerators, either solid or hollow-tined, which require the same effort as a fork. However, if you have a lot of lawn and not much time, other types of aerators are probably the best option. Whether you’re pushing a roller covered in spikes or using a powered machine, these aerators are a labour-saving version of the trusty garden fork, mechanically making a series of holes in the lawn.

Our 3 best aerators to buy at a glance

4.5 stars: Our best combination aerator for safety – Stihl RLA 240 Cordless Lawn Scarifier RRP £229 (bare tool)
4.5 stars: Our best aerator for manual aerating – Greenkey Lawn Aerator RRP £49.99
4.3 stars: Our best aerator for manual hollow-tined aerating – Kent & Stowe 4 Prong Lawn Aerator RRP £39.99

View Affiliate Playlist on the source website

Our expertise

We reviewed the most popular aerators on the market, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best aerators, both manual and powered. Each model has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of use, handling, performance, and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on lawn aerators that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to the best aerators:

Our 3 top-rated lawn aerators

Jump to aerator advice:

What is a lawn aerator, and what does it do?
Types of lawn aerator
How to choose the best lawn aerator
Meet our testing panel

Our 3 top-rated lawn aerators

Stihl RLA 240 cordless lawn scarifier and aerator

Our best combination aerator for safety

RRP: £229 (bare tool)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£209 bare tool)

Reasons to buy:

Excellent safety features
Easy to use
Comfortable

Reasons to avoid:

Struggles with inclines

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for safety, this combination machine is powered by a 36V, 4.8Ah battery. It takes 205 minutes to charge, but is easy to plug in and has a helpful charge indicator, although this is faint in daylight. The battery also has great safety features – it won’t work without a safety key, and there’s a lock on the powerbar for an effective dead-man switch. It lasts long enough to cover a 250sq. metre lawn, about the size of a tennis court. Thanks to smooth, high-quality wheels, it feels lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, which is surprising given that it weighs 15kg.

Powerful aerating blades cut through the top layer of soil well, to help improve lawn health, rather than relieve compacted soil or open the structure of heavy clay and, in doing so, also tackle most of the thatch and moss in the lawn. The scarifying drum attachment was effective on moss, too, though not as efficiently with thatch. Although this machine struggles with inclines, catching on the surface and shutting itself off if your lawn isn't level, this isn’t too much of a problem, because you can easily adjust the heights from +7.5mm to -9.5mm to avoid this problem. The automatic shutdown is also a great safety feature.

Buy Stihl RLA 240 Cordless Lawn Scarifier and Aerator from Just Lawnmowers (£209 bare tool)

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Greenkey Rolling lawn aerator

Our best lawn aerator for manual aerating

RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£36.95), B&Q (£39.99) and Crocus (£57.99)

Reasons to buy:

Adjustable height
Easy to use
Lightweight
Good for storage
Plastic caps to cover the spikes when not in use

Reasons to avoid:

Needs assembling – though it’s straightforward
Hard work, so best suited to small gardens

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for manual aerating, the Greenkey Rolling lawn aerator is basic but does the job well. Lightweight with sturdy spikes, it’s just the tool if your small lawn needs aeration. Made from aluminium and plastic, it’s lightweight but feels substantial and features a T-bar grip as well as an adjustable shaft to suit different height users. The drum is 30cm wide, which covers a lawn quickly and easily, and there are 30 x 4.5cm spikes to ensure deep, even aeration. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Read the full Greenkey Rolling Lawn Aerator review

Buy Greenkey Manual Lawn Aerator from Amazon (£36.95), B&Q (£39.99) and Crocus (£57.99)

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Kent & Stowe stainless steel 4 prong lawn aerator

Our best aerator for manual hollow-tined aerating

RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Marshalls Garden (£36.99)

Reasons to buy:

Lightweight
Comfortable
Removes good whole soil plugs

Reasons to avoid:

Needs strong treading to work

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for manual hollow tined aerating, this simple aerator from Kent & Stowe works well. The smooth, FSC-grade ash handle is comfortable, lightweight and doesn’t rub, even after using it for a while. The handle runs into a single-riveted steel socket above wide steel treads, and these treads are great for striking and pushing into soil. However, the 9cm stainless steel tines don't go in smoothly every time, despite being pointed. Its best feature is that it produces good, solid plugs of soil that are great for breaking down and reusing as topsoil.

Buy Kent & Stowe Lawn Aerator 4 Prong from Marshalls Garden (£36.99)

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Best of the rest

Although this model didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, it still had features that made it worth recommending.

Cobra S3840V Cordless scarifier and aerator

RRP: £360.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£329.99 kit) and Sims Garden Machinery (£329 kit)

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable to use
Very effective
Quick to charge

Reasons to avoid:

Scalps the lawn
Very poor instructions

The Cobra S3840V Cordless scarifier and aerator handles well. It’s big and the wheels are prone to being a little stiff, but it’s lightweight and has a soft-grip handle, which makes it comfortable to use. At 92dB, it’s relatively quiet, too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly in just 90 minutes and lasts for 40 minutes. The machine itself is easy to use, and we loved being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window.

The aeration blades and spring tine scarifying drum can be set at five heights, which range from -10mm to +5mm. Unfortunately, the instructions are poor, so it takes a while to get this machine up and running. On the plus side, at 38cm wide, it covers a large area of lawn, reducing how long you spend on the job, but its size makes this combination machine very bulky and difficult to store.

Buy the Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier from Just Lawnmowers (£329.99 kit) and Sims Garden Machinery (£329 kit)

Latest Prices

Time to show your lawn some TLC? Check out our round-up of the best lawn scarifiers and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks. You can also keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

In addition to aerators and scarifiers, we've tested a range of lawn mowers, including the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers, the best electric lawn mowers and the best grass trimmers. For those with small lawns, our guide to the best hand push mowers will be helpful.

What is a lawn aerator, and what does it do?

Aerating your lawn is part of a spring and autumn lawn care regime, and there are two different methods of aerating your lawn:

Spiking – this involves using solid spikes to create holes in the lawn, which are a couple of millimetres in width and several centimetres deep, to help relieve compacted soil
Hollow tining – as it sounds, hollow tines are pushed into the ground to remove cylindrical plugs of turf, around a centimetre wide and a few centimetres deep. Depending on the soil type, you may wish to fill these holes with a sandy mix or leave them to let the soil expand and close the holes, which helps with waterlogged clay soil

Types of lawn aerators: the different ways to aerate your lawn

There are four types of aerators, each with its own pros and cons:

Spike shoes - these are cheap and easy to use and most effective on soft – but not soggy - ground in small gardens
Manual aerators - although these are useful tools, which can do specific jobs (see above), using them requires a lot of effort, as it gets tiring, even on a small lawn. But they’re cheap, and a great idea if you’re after a workout
Manual Rolling Drum Aerators – these are time and labour saving, as you simply walk across the lawn pushing the roller
Powered Aerators – the obvious advantage of using these is that they’re labour-saving. They're also almost always available as part of a 2-in-1 combination machine that scarifies as well, so you get two jobs done for the price of one. However, it’s important to note these mechanical aerators don’t aerate in the same way that a manual aerator does - they use metal blades rather than spikes or tines. These blades create shallow slits rather than deep holes, and although they will help maintain a healthy lawn by allowing air and water to move through this top layer of soil, they won’t improve your lawn if it’s compacted or you have heavy clay. Mechanical aerators are quite an investment too, as you’re using them twice a year at the most – even if they’re a 2-in-1 combination of aerator and scarifier – and they require more space to store than the other alternatives

Which type of powered machine is best? When it comes to choosing whether you go for an electric, cordless or petrol aerator, consider the pros and cons that are associated with each type:

Electric corded aerators: Lightweight, quiet and often at the budget-end, these are best suited to small and medium-sized gardens with a power supply. Most come with a collection box, which is a useful, time-saving feature, but the cord length can be restrictive as well as potentially hazardous
Cordless aerators: Lightweight, quiet and an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol types, the downside to buying cordless tools is that they can cost more, and the batteries and chargers are sometimes an additional cost. While they don’t have a restrictive cable and are therefore ideal for accessing all areas of the garden, it’s important to be aware of their charge and run times, as this could limit their effectiveness if you have a larger garden
Petrol aerators: Often the most powerful models, this comes with the inconvenience of using messy, expensive petrol. Like cordless, they do mean you’re free to roam wherever needed, but they’re noisier than the battery-powered alternative, not as good for the environment and will need more in the way of general maintenance, with regular servicing to keep them in tip-top working order

How to choose the best lawn aerator

Depending on the type of aerator you’re going to choose, there are several key features to look for:

Manual hollow tine – look out for strong, solid tines that will cope with compacted turf, a decent tread to prevent your foot from slipping, and a soft-grip handle for comfort
Manual rolling drum – ideally, you want a good number of metal spikes on the drum to create plenty of holes – as a guide, 27 spikes will give you about 180 spikes per square metre. The spikes should also be at least 5cm long to ensure they penetrate the ground deeply
Mechanical aerator – go for strong, good-sized blades and a collection box. If storage space is an issue, look for handles that fold down and a collapsible collection box rather than a solid one

How to get the perfect lawn

It’s not just aerating that will improve the quality of your lawn; look at our other tips below:

Always rake up clippings when mowing at the start of the year, so they don’t smother younger, emerging shoots
Neaten edges with a lawn edger
Dig up small weeds like plantain and dandelions with a hand trowel
Use a spring-tined lawn rake to rake out dead grass and moss in areas where there is poor growth
Once the lawn is established, and later in the year, leave the clippings in place to act as a nutrient-rich mulch that will feed the grass
If you notice bare patches, break up the soil, scatter grass seeds then sprinkle with potting compost. Cover newly sown seeded areas with netting
When mowing on hot, dry days, raise the mower’s cutting height and make sure newly sown areas are watered

How we tested lawn aerators

To see how well lawn aerators perform, the GW reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – creating holes and slits in different turf and ground conditions. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn aerators were compared, and the following criteria used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

Set-up & storage: We looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the cable length
Handling: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features
Performance: Considered the strength of the tines or blades, as well as how well they created holes and slits in the lawn. For the 2-in-1 machines, we also evaluated how well the spring tines removed moss and thatch in the scarifying mode
Value for money: We reviewed all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and the length of warranty

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, freelance powered tools tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

This review was last updated in March 2026.

The 9 best gas BBQs to buy in 2026, as tested by our experts

2026-03-12T16:10:14.000Z

Jump to our 5 best gas BBQs

Cooking and eating outside in the garden are highlights of the summer, and although charcoal barbecues are often the traditional choice, gas barbecue make grilling simple. Quicker and cleaner than charcoal, they leave little mess, cook without smoke, and often come with a range of bonus features to take your cooking to the next level. Watch our video above for expert advice on buying the best gas barbecue for your garden.

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Gas BBQs – Buyer’s Guide

Our 5 best gas BBQs to buy at a glance

4.8 stars: Our best gas barbecue for small gardens – Weber Q2200N gas barbecue with side tables and premium cart RRP £479
4.8 stars: Our best premium gas barbecue – Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 RRP £1,599
4.8 stars: Our best portable gas barbecue for design – Cadac Citi Chef 40 RRP £280
4.8 stars: Our best gas barbecue for convenience – Weber Traveler gas barbecue RRP £539
4.8 stars: Our best portable gas barbecue – Weber Q1200 RRP £389

Also recommended: gas BBQs

4.5 stars: Our best gas barbecue for crowds – Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue RRP £867
4.5 stars: Our best all-round gas barbecue – Napoleon Rogue 425 RRP £674.99
4.5 stars: Our best gas barbecue for small families and couples – Char-Broil Grill2Go RRP £229.99
4.3 stars: Our best basic gas barbecue – Boss Grill Deluxe Portable Gas Barbecue RRP £249.97

Comparison table: best gas BBQs

Our expertise

We teamed up with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine to ensure our tests were as accurate, fair, and useful as possible. With their culinary knowledge and our reviewing expertise we’ve found the best gas BBQs for every garden. Each review has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set up and assembly, ease of use, cooking results and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on gas barbecues that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to the best gas BBQs:

Our 5 top-rated gas BBQs

Jump to gas BBQ advice:

Should I choose a gas BBQ or a charcoal BBQ?
Are gas BBQs safe?
How to choose a gas BBQ
Which gas do I need?
How we tested
Meet our testing panel

Our 5 top-rated gas BBQs

Weber Q2200N gas barbecue with side tables and premium cart

Our best gas barbecue for small gardens

RRP: £479

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: BBQ World (£329)

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Reasons to buy:

• Feels sturdy and well-made
• Handle stays cool and comfortable
• Drip tray is effective
• Cooks quickly, evenly and well

Reasons to avoid:

• Expensive

I found this sturdy little barbecue is easy to put together and to move in and out of storage with its four lockable wheels and side tables that slot on and off in seconds. It takes up very little room and the gas can be stored in the cart when not in use. It’s light but robust, and the grill is a comfortable height for cooking. It's easy to connect the gas, with intuitive controls, and the Porcelain-enamelled, cast-iron cooking grates get to temperature (400°F, 204°C) in just five minutes, with even heat distribution and slightly cooler edges.

There’s enough space for up to 12 burgers, and all the food I tested was evenly cooked with good grill lines. The lid has a thermometer and a heat-proof handle, and the quality and design are very good. It feels sturdy and long-lasting, and it comes with a five-year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best gas barbecue for small gardens.

Buy the Weber Q2200N from BBQ World (£329)

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Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 smart gas barbecue

Our best premium gas barbecue

RRP: £1,599

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: BBQ World (£1,399)

Reasons to add:

Easy to load rotisserie arm
Double-width warming rack
Side burner perfect for popping a skillet on

Reasons to avoid:

Short power cord
Expensive

Retailing at around £1,500, the Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 Smart gas barbecue is a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best premium gas barbecue. I was impressed by this three-burner barbecue that's packed with features. Not only does it cater for a whopping 12 people, but it has a digital thermometer that lets you control the temperature to the exact degree. It also sends step-by-step temperature alerts to your phone to guide you through cooking. There’s a large sear zone, as well as a side burner that’s perfect for pans and skillets and doubles up as an additional work surface with its lid down. The warming rack is double-width, for extra snacks, and there’s even a rotisserie arm for cooking whole birds. I found the heat was evenly distributed across the whole barbecue.

The combination of the sear zone and the side burner allowed me to sear steaks on the right while cooking kebabs on the left, while at the same time keeping extras piping hot on the double-width warming rack. The steaks I cooked had well-defined char lines and a delicious flavour while remaining pink, tender and juicy in the middle. The rotisserie arm is easy to use and turned out two succulent roast chickens. There was no sticking with any of the ingredients and recipes on test, and everything I cooked was delicious.

However, I can’t get around the cost. There’s a lot of functionality crammed into this barbecue, but £1,500 is a very hefty price tag, especially in the current climate. It also has a large footprint on a patio, so in small gardens it will dominate your space. You need to place it near a power socket too, as it has a short power cord to run the digital temperature gauge. I can’t comment on how easy this barbecue is to assemble, because it was delivered to me fully built.

Buy the Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 Gas Barbecue from BBQ World (£1,399)

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Cadac Citi Chef 40

Our best gas barbecue for design

RRP: £280

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£119)

Reasons to buy:

Very little assembly
Easy to use and carry
Light but stable
Cooks evenly with good char lines

Reasons to avoid:

Lid a little hard to fit
Lacks carry handles
Regulator not included

This super simple barbecue is well thought out and was awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for design. There’s very little assembly needed, just slot in the pot stand and put the lid together with the Allen key supplied, and you’re ready. However, this barbecue doesn’t come with a regulator, so you do need to purchase this separately and set it up before you can get cooking. It's very light at just over 6kg, and easy to pick and carry onto a tabletop or the grass, but it does lack handles, which might have made it easier to move about for some people. A great carry bag is included, though, which zips up with the lid strapped to the top so it's easy to pack away and transport to wherever you’re cooking.

It has an attractive circular design that sits on low, sturdy legs with rubber non-slip feet, and a domed lid with a temperature gauge, a cool-touch handle and a handy hook on the inside to rest it on the back of the barbecue while you add and turn your food. At 33cm, the circular ceramic-coated grill is big enough for a family of four, and the auto ignition is easy to light. It takes just a few minutes to get this barbecue up to temperature. It cooked our range of barbecue staples well, with clearly defined char lines, and there were no evident cool spots. Beneath the grill is a removable porcelain-enamelled fat pan that runs like a moat around the burner to catch dripping fat. It's easy to take out and clean, and the grill itself is simple to lift out and run under the tap or wash in the dishwasher.

This is a well-designed barbecue that’s easy to use and take with you to the allotment or on holiday, and it's also ideal for use on a balcony or small patio. It’s available in a choice of three colours and, as the Cadac is part of a modular system, there’s a whole host of interchangeable cooking surfaces available, including a griddle, paella pan, pizza stone and more to increase your cooking repertoire. It comes with a five-year warranty.

Buy the Cadac Citi Chef 40 from Amazon (£119)

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Weber Traveler gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for convenience

RRP: £509

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£539)

Reasons to buy:

Easy set-up and transportability
Solid and sturdy
Large cooking area
Cooks evenly and well
Powerful burner

Reasons to avoid:

Small gas canister doesn’t last long
Large and heavy to lift if needed
Expensive

This is a well-designed barbecue, great for small gardens, camping, or taking down to the beach for instant barbecuing. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for convenience as I found it one of the easiest to use of all the barbecues we've tested. Almost ready to go straight out of the box, it just needs the wheels slotted on, the grill plates and drip tray inserted, and you have a table-top barbecue, complete with a work surface, no matter where you are.

Easy to lift up into position, it has a good-sized cooking area with two cast iron grill plates with a porcelain enamel coating above a single burner. The domed lid has a temperature gauge, and the grill plates heat up quickly within just a few minutes. The control dial is easy to adjust, there’s ample space to feed a family or larger gathering, and in my test, everything cooked well and evenly, and nothing stuck to the grill plates. Next to the burner are handy plastic tool hooks, and the side table is easily big enough for plates, sauces and more.

As a travel barbecue, it uses small, screw-in canisters of propane and butane, which won’t last long. I used about two-thirds of a bottle in our test, but if you plan to use this barbecue regularly at home, it’s worth investing in a regulator and adaptor hose so you can hook it up to a bigger propane canister.

With its trolley design, the barbecue collapses down flat with the flick of a button (and the lid and legs lock automatically), and I found it simple to lift and move around on its wheels. It’s also very easy to store, as once flat, it stands up vertically and can be tucked away flat against a wall. Compared to other portable barbecues, it's quite pricey, but given its quality, ease and cooking results, I'd say it’s well worth it. It comes with a five-year warranty.

Buy the Weber Traveler gas barbecue from Amazon (£539)

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Weber Q1200 gas barbecue

Our best portable gas barbecue

RRP: £389

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£349.99)

Reasons to buy:

Easy to use
Cooks well
Portable and compact to store

Reasons to avoid:

Non-stick coating disappointing

The Q1200 portable gas barbecue is a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best portable gas barbecue. I found it easy to use, and it cooked well, albeit without the bells and whistles of larger models. Fuelled by a C500 gas cartridge, it heats efficiently, but the temperature does drop if the lid is opened for any length of time, and it takes several minutes to regain heat, especially once the grill is covered with food. The compact grill makes this barbecue ideal for cooking a few steaks for a cosy gathering of four, rather than a prolonged burger-flipping session catering for a larger party.

I was pleased with the good char lines, but sections of the grill were solid, which reduces the areas where you can achieve this authentic barbecue texture. The non-stick coating isn’t always effective. Clear instructions mean it’s easy to assemble, just make sure the plastic side tables don’t accidentally touch the hot grill, as they are likely to scorch. This is a versatile barbecue that’s completely portable, whether you’re in the garden or on the beach, and it’s easy to store. It's also available with a stand.

Buy the Weber Q1200 Gas Barbecue from Amazon (£349.99)

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Also recommended: gas BBQs

Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for crowds

RRP: £867

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: BBQ World (£625) and B&Q (£695)

Reasons to buy:

Large cooking area
Quick to preheat
Easy to control temperature
Attractive, intuitive design

Reasons to avoid:

Lengthy, fiddly assembly
Some cold spots across the grill
No warming rack

This simple-to-use barbecue impressed me with its good looks and quick, ferocious cooking. It comes with three die-cast grills, each of which slots above a burner that works independently – so you can fire up all three at once or just use one at a time. It reaches grilling temperature in a matter of minutes and reacts well to temperature change, with three hob-like knobs to adjust the heat that sit on the right-hand side of the grill and bring an element of familiarity if you’re used to cooking on gas indoors.

I found putting this barbecue together quite fiddly and time-consuming, especially as some of the screws didn't thread through properly, but the instructions were mostly clear and, although no tools were provided, all I needed was a Phillips screwdriver. Once built, it can stay assembled and has two small wheels to help you push it in and out of storage. Alternatively, there’s a (somewhat pricey) cover to protect it from the elements available to buy from BBQ World. It's robust and a good size, with a wide grill able to handle a large amount of food. There's space for up to 28 burgers or three roast chickens at one time, and almost everything I cooked was well charred and succulent. However, I did find the occasional cold spot on the grill, which made some results inconsistent.

It has a sturdy hood with a temperature gauge and a side table on the left-hand side, plus a shelf below for storing accessories and utensils. It's expensive, which no doubt reflects the attached celebrity name, but it's a high-performing barbecue with plenty of user-friendly features, and I think it's good value for money. It also comes with a five-year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best gas barbecue for crowds.

Buy the Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue from BBQ World (£625) and B&Q (£695)

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Napoleon Rogue 425 gas barbecue

Our best all-around gas barbecue

RRP: £674.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: BBQ World (£639.95)

Reasons to buy:

Good temperature control
Excellent cooking results
Thoughtful design
Easy to move around and lock

Reasons to avoid:

Non-stick coating disappointing

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy winner, the Napoleon Rogue 425 is the best all-round gas barbecue. It was quick to set up and simple to use, and thanks to its slick, lockable wheels, I found it easy to move around the garden. It ignites easily and reaches temperature in 10 minutes, hitting a powerful 700°F (371°C) and has a large grill area at 46cm x 59.5cm, with Napoleon’s iconic wavy grill lines. The grills are at the perfect distance from the burners to prevent burning and ensure even heat transfer, which also massively reduces hot and cool spots on this barbecue.

All my test recipes turned out to be delicious, with golden caramelisation and crisp grill lines, and I loved the temperature gauge, which is clear to read in both Fahrenheit and Celsius and offers precise control. I also appreciate the fact that the gas tucks away neatly on its own inbuilt shelf, so this sleek barbecue looks fantastic on a patio. However, the warming rack gets so hot that it can continue to cook your food, and I also found the non-stick grill disappointing, as marinades often stuck to the grill. This is an expensive barbecue, but it’s well thought out, with excellent cooking results, and it comes with a 15-year warranty.

Buy the Napoleon Rogue 425 Gas Barbecue from BBQ World (£639.95)

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Char-Broil Grill2Go gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for small families and couples

RRP: £229.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£144.99), Robert Dyas (£192.99) and Wayfair (£156.99)

Reasons to buy:

Easy to set up and use
Compact and lightweight
Cooks well
Includes scraper

Reasons to avoid:

Some flare-ups and cool spots

The Char-Broil Grill2Go gas barbecue is designed for use at home and on the move, and won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for small families and couples. A simple, single-burner gas barbecue, I was impressed that it's almost ready to go from the box. You just need to plug in the regulator and add your gas. However, unless you shell out for a specialised propane gas regulator, it only runs on threaded EN417 gas bottles with a mix of butane and propane.

It gets to temperature in under five minutes and has a handy thermometer in the lid. When cooking, the most notable feature of this barbecue is its well-defined grill lines. I found that burgers came off this barbecue looking picture-perfect, with precise grill lines. The Grill2Go is also excellent at retaining moisture, which can be tricky on a barbecue. Vegetable kebabs come off the grill with crisp, charred outsides and succulent insides. It’s small and lightweight, so though it has a relatively large 44 x 28cm cooking area, it’s easy to move around the garden and would be a great companion while camping. It also comes with a useful scraper for cleaning after use.

However, this barbecue suffers from the success of its char-lines, which can quickly blacken food even at lower temperatures, so I found it difficult to cook through larger ingredients. This is particularly tricky because of its temperature control, which is simple to use but doesn’t always react quickly. I spotted a few flare-ups, and the right half of the grill is also much hotter than the left, with a noticeable cool spot along the front of the barbecue. Nevertheless, I think this grill is excellent for couples and small families. Because it heats up so quickly, it’s just the thing for everyday grilling too.

Buy the Char-Broil Grill2Go Gas Barbecue from Amazon (£144.99), Robert Dyas (£192.99) and Wayfair (£156.99)

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Boss Grill Deluxe portable gas barbecue

Our best basic gas barbecue

RRP: £249.97

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£264.97) and Appliances Direct (£219)

Reasons to buy:

Stylish, keep-cool handle
Intuitive controls
Generous cooking area
Easy to move around

Reasons to avoid:

Hose for gas a little short
Quite low and rather wobbly

This barbecue is a brilliant option if you’re after something that gets the basics of barbecuing right, so it won a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best basic gas barbecue. It’s worth noting that while the majority of the build could be done by just one person, the quality of the manual is seriously lacking. On test, it left me to work out a considerable amount on my own, owing to the poor-quality images and the lack of text. It’s a little wobbly, and I also think the overall height of the barbecue is a little short – on a 5'5" tester, the grill sits just below the hips. This isn’t a barbecue for experts; rather, it's geared toward someone who wants a simple barbecue for basic dishes, but it’s all you need to get grilling.

It features a large, generous grilling area with a double burner and enough space to comfortably cook for four people. This model takes just five minutes to heat up and provides an even and consistent heat, right to the edges. It’s also particularly responsive to changes in temperature, and overall, it cooks well, with wonderfully defined grill lines and excellent sealing. I loved the stylish faux-leather handle, which remained cool. It's lightweight, and I found it easy to move around thanks to the chunky wheels.

Buy the Boss Grill Deluxe Portable Gas Barbecue from Amazon (£264.97) and Appliances Direct (£219)

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The best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Campingaz Attitude 2go Table Top gas barbecue

RRP: £249.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

Available from: Amazon (£195) and B&Q (£219)

Reasons to buy:

Ready to go
Sleek and simple to use
Good char lines
Sturdy carry handles

Reasons to avoid:

Slow to heat up
Heavy for portability
Regulator bought separately
Lacks accessories

This neat, tabletop barbecue needs no assembly: I just added the grill and the drip tray, and it was ready to go. However, it doesn’t come with the gas regulator included, so you do have to purchase this separately and attach it yourself, which was quite tricky. I found that soaking the end of the hose in warm water to soften it before attaching it definitely helped. It’s compact with carry handles built in to the legs, so it’s easy to carry and lift onto your table or patio, but at 13kg it’s heavier than other portable barbecues such as the Cadac.

The enamelled cast iron grill sits above a single gas burner, which is easy to adjust by a chunky dial on the side, and the lid has a handy temperature gauge. But I found this barbecue slow to heat up. I took 10 minutes to reach temperature, although once there, it maintained an even, constant heat and cooked food well with good char lines and no sticking. The chunky handle on the front of the lid stayed cool to the touch and felt sturdy and safe, and the front-loading drip tray was easy to clean. Once cool, the barbecue was simple to pick up and store away.

Overall, this is a simple tabletop barbecue, but it lacks accessories, so the range of what and how you can cook with it is limited. The lid has a 10-year warranty, and the cooking grill has a five-year warranty.

Buy the Campingaz 2go table top gas barbecue from Amazon (£195) and B&Q (£219)

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Spirit II E-310 GBS Gas Barbecue

RRP: £549

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Argos (£549) and BBQ World (£439.95)

Reasons to buy:

Great cooking results
Versatile

Reasons to avoid:

Long assembly time
Bulky/hard to move around

This intuitive barbecue from Weber makes gas grilling a breeze. I found it easy to connect to my gas, and it ignited on the first click every time, reaching cooking temperature in 15 minutes. With responsive temperature knobs, this barbecue is easy to control, too. However, you’ll need a rubber mallet, 7/16-inch spanner, and a Phillips head screwdriver to assemble this barbecue, and it’s tricky to move around. Though the side burner and side table are great additions, they got in the way when I was trying to manoeuvre it, and the lack of handles means it's hard to push or drag the barbecue. Despite being a two-burner barbecue, it has quite a large patio footprint, so, like me, you might struggle to store it in a shed or a greenhouse.

On test, chicken wings and burgers cooked well thanks to excellent heat retention, and it gives sausages and halloumi wonderful grill lines. I especially liked the versatile grill. The circular panel in the grill can be replaced with Weber accessories, like a wok and pizza stone. The included thermometer is quick to respond and easy to read, and there are very few cool spots. Suiting both serious grill masters and casual barbecuers, this is an impressive model that's simple to use and turns out great dishes.

Buy the Weber Spirit II E-310 GBS Gas Barbecue from Argos (£549) and BBQ World (£439.95)

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George Foreman GFSBBQ1 single burner gas barbecue

RRP: £123.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£99.99) and Currys (£99.99)

Reasons to buy:

Clear instructions
Cooks well with even heat coverage
Low price

Reasons to avoid:

Basic - no extra features or functions
Regulator assembly fiddly
Some cold spots

The George Foreman GFSBBQ1 is a single-burner barbecue for three people, but I'd say you could easily stretch this to four. It’s easy to assemble, but it needs a screwdriver for the lid, and you have to screw in the thermometer, too. Its biggest weakness is that you have to put together the regulator yourself, which I found very fiddly as you need water to lubricate the hose in order to fit it, and you need to use small hose clamps to tighten everything. However, the instructions are simple and clear. Once you’re set up, it’s a dream to use.

It gets to temperature in just five minutes, and its temperature control is smooth and reacts quickly to any change. It has a couple of cool spots in the corners, but otherwise has even coverage, so you can cook everything at exactly the same rate, no matter where it is on the grill. It produced good char-lines for me, but other barbecues on test have better definition. Though everything tastes delicious, the food isn’t as quick to cook or as well-cooked as with some of the other barbecues on test.

Above all, what you see is what you get. There are no extra functions or hidden storage, just a simple grill. It also feels a little flimsy, but that isn’t a surprise at this price. I also found that the 70cm width of this barbecue slightly defeats the point of a tabletop barbecue, as it’s too big to comfortably sit on most patio or garden tables. I think this barbecue would best suit an unfussy family of four. You might not make gourmet grub on this grill, but it’s all you need for a few burgers on a sunny afternoon.

Buy the George Foreman GFSBBQ1 Single Burner Gas Barbecue from Amazon (£99.99) and Currys (£99.99)

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Napoleon Freestyle 365 gas barbecue

RRP: £469.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: BBQ World (£446.49)

Reasons to buy:

Quick to heat
Cooks precisely and is easy to control
Effective side burner
Generous warranty

Reasons to avoid:

Long assembly
Noisy

The Napoleon Freestyle 365 comes with a handy side burner, and our Good Food Magazine colleagues love how well it cooks. However, before you get started, it’s worth noting that this barbecue is difficult to put together. You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver, as well as a set of spanners. Frustratingly, the diagrams are all over the place and demonstrate the assembly from odd angles, so it takes a little figuring out. All told, it takes at least two hours to get everything together, so if you’re planning a big bank holiday barbecue, you don’t want to be building this on the day. That said, I like the inclusion of spare parts, so there’s no panic if you lose a screw.

Once it’s assembled, it’s easy to ignite and quick to heat, offering remarkable evenness across the whole grill. The 51cm by 45cm grilling area is a good size, offering lots of space for cooking without taking up the entire patio. However, the grates are wide, so smaller items like prawn skewers might struggle to cook or char evenly. That said, more substantial ingredients like chicken ended up with beautifully defined grill lines. I found the three burners and thermometer responsive, letting me precisely control the temperature, and the warming rack is suspended in just the right spot to keep kebabs and corn on the cob at the perfect temperature. Unfortunately, it’s surprisingly noisy when it gets going.

The side burner is a hit, grilling an astonishing steak, and the bottle opener on this side burner is a lovely extra touch, making this barbecue a social focal point on a patio. All of its parts are robust, high-quality steel and aluminium, neatly stamped with Napoleon’s logo. This quality extends to the warranty, which I was impressed to see lasts for ten years.

Buy the Napoleon Freestyle 365 Gas Barbecue from BBQ World (£446.49)

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Outback Magnum 3 burner hybrid barbecue

RRP: £529.99

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

Available from: Calor (£414), Charlies (£413.99) and Direct Stoves (£459.99)

Reasons to buy:

Well thought-out instructions
Good features
Includes charcoal basket

Reasons to avoid:

Some cool spots
Grease tray requires sand layer
Side burner close to ignition

I found the Magnum 3 a well-thought-out gas barbecue with a lot of features for the price. It has a large cooking area, with a removable grill that can be swapped with a griddle or pizza stone for an additional cost, and it also comes with a charcoal basket to fill with charcoal briquettes to get that traditional smoky charcoal flavour from the ease of a gas grill. There’s a detailed thermometer in the hood, with helpful markings for types of cooking, and it has a side burner for sauces or charring aubergine, tool hooks, or even a bottle opener.

It took me around an hour to assemble this barbecue, but the instructions were clear, and it was a slow, methodical build that required two people towards the end. On the whole, it cooked well in my test. There were some cool spots around the edges of the burners, and it didn’t char or sear as well as others, but it heated up quickly, and, for those new to gas barbecuing, it’s versatile, quick and easy to cook on. It’s also light with two wheels that make it easy to move around and in and out of storage, but it is quite large with no folding tables, so it will take up a fair bit of room on the patio or in the shed over winter. It's best for medium-sized gardens.

Buy the Outback Magnum 3 Gas Charcoal Barbecue from Calor (£414), Charlies (£413.99) and Direct Stoves (£459.99)

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Boss Grill Georgia classic gas barbecue

RRP: £249

Our rating: 3.5/5

Available from: Appliances Direct (£249)

Reasons to buy:

Useful accessories included
Features a side burner and two plate styles on the grill

Reasons to avoid:

Poor instructions and assembly is hard
Flimsy materials
Side burner hard to light

The Boss Grill Georgia Classic is a decent choice if you want a starter barbecue. This model comes with two different grilling plates to suit a range of meals, and I'd say it would fit easily into most mid/large-sized gardens. With four burners for the main BBQ area and an additional side hob, it offers a lot of room to cook multiple foods at once. Although large, it’s lightweight and features wheels on the back, so you can move it around your garden with ease. It also comes with some handy accessories.

Some food cooked well on the barbecue, like skewers, aubergine and potato. My potato slices were particularly great thanks to a griddle plate, which is great for flat, thin items like halloumi. However, this barbecue leaves courgette slices with poorly defined grill lines and unevenly toasted burger buns. The side burner was tricky to get going, and the build is tricky as a result of poor instructions.

Buy the Boss Grill Georgia Classic Gas Barbecue from Appliances Direct (£249)

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If a gas grill isn’t for you, check out our tests of the best charcoal BBQs. We've also reviewed the best pizza ovens, in collaboration with Good Food magazine. For accessories, check out our guides to the best BBQ accessories and BBQ shelters.

For extra help with barbecuing, take a look at Good Food Magazine’s guide to barbecuing safely, their range of BBQ recipes, with delicious ideas for burgers, BBQ ribs, hot wings, and drinks, as well as vegetarian and vegan treats.

Should I choose a gas BBQ or a charcoal BBQ?

The main considerations are how much and how often you want to barbecue. Gas barbecues tend to be better for feeding a crowd, as they often have a larger cooking area and a uniform temperature across the grill, so you can be sure of a consistent cooking time wherever you’re cooking. They also heat up and get to cooking temperature fast: depending on the model, they can be ready to cook in just five minutes, compared to thirty or forty for a charcoal barbecue. This means you won’t be stuck at the grill and left out of the party. You can also get everyone’s portion to the table at once or, if you have guests coming and going throughout the day, cook as and when you need to. This speed also makes a gas BBQ great for everyday cooking. If you fancy a quick burger in the garden after work, there’s no need to bother with a messy bag of charcoal as if you’re getting ready for a big family get-together. Just switch on the gas and get grilling.

Gas barbecues are also ideal if you’re new to barbecuing. With a gas grill, there won’t be any panic on the day as you light charcoal for the first time, which can take a few attempts. They’re easier to control, too. With charcoal, achieving the right temperature requires playing around with vents and learning the difference between direct and indirect heat so you don’t sear everything you’re trying to cook. On a gas barbecue, you can precisely control the temperature by simply turning the knob. They’re also safe, as you can just turn the barbecue out when you’re done, rather than having to keep an eye on hot coals as they cool.

They’re a neighbourly way to cook, as they don’t produce smoke. The strong smell of a charcoal barbecue can be antisocial, especially if next door has washing out and, because they don’t smoke, gas barbecues are also cleaner to use, with no chance of getting charcoal dust on your hands and clothes. This, in turn, makes gas barbecues easier to clean because there’s less charring on the grill.

However, a gas barbecue can’t quite match the smoky flavour of a charcoal barbecue, or at least not as much as manufacturers claim they can. On a charcoal barbecue, fats and oils from the food drip between the grill and vaporise on the hot coals, to create that unmistakable smoky flavour. This happens a little on a gas grill too, if oils drip onto the flames, but not to the same extent. Your food will still have that distinctive char-grilled caramelisation, but it won’t be as smoky. If you want the best of both worlds, there are also a few combination charcoal and gas barbecues on the market, such as the Outback Magnum 3 hybrid barbecue we tested.

Are gas BBQs safe?

Used correctly, a gas barbecue is perfectly safe. Make sure you use the right gas for your barbecue and that the gas hose, regulator and canister are in good working order and connected correctly and securely. Don’t stand the canister in the storage area beneath the grill, but well away from the cooking area and high temperatures. Always cook in an open area away from fire hazards like wooden fences, sheds, hedges and trees. Once finished, be sure to turn the barbecue off and disconnect the gas.

How to choose a gas BBQ

Size. Bigger isn’t always better. A small gas barbecue with one or two burners is all you need for entertaining a family of four. This is especially true with gas barbecues, which need somewhere to store propane, too. If you’ll be entertaining a larger gathering of upwards of six people, opt for a gas barbecue with at least four burners. Height is also crucial here. You don’t want a barbecue that’s too high or low for you to use comfortably. Bigger barbecues also need more assembly time, so factor that in if you’re planning to build a barbecue on the same day you’re cooking
Special features. Some of the best gas barbecues come with extras as standard. Look out for warming racks to keep food hot until you’re all ready to eat, thermometers to gauge heat, and side burners for cooking extra bits like caramelised onions or homemade BBQ sauce. Side tables and tool racks to keep spatulas, sauces and serving dishes to hand are also useful, as is built-in storage for the gas bottle. Make sure you have a drip tray for collecting waste fat and oils

Which gas do I need?

Gas barbecues are fuelled by a gas canister, which you need to buy separately. Most use propane (in a green canister and also sold as patio gas) or butane (in a blue canister), but some smaller, tabletop and portable barbecues use small bottles of camping gas. Make sure to check which type you need in the manual before you buy.

With current events affecting gas prices and availability, it’s important not to spend too much on fuel. For one- to three-burner gas barbecues, a 5kg bottle is all you need and should give you about ten barbecues’ worth of fuel. You need at least a 10kg bottle for bigger appliances with five or more burners, though 13kg is a common unit.

Gas is available through homeware and DIY shops like Homebase and B&Q, or directly from manufacturers like FloGas and Calor. You'll pay a deposit the first time you buy one, plus the cost of the gas. After this, you just pay to refill the canister, and once you’ve finished with a canister, it can be returned for a refund of the original deposit.

The gas is connected with a hose and regulator, and although most barbecues come with these connected, you may have to attach them yourself or even buy them separately.

How we tested

Together with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine, we tested a range of gas barbecues. Each barbecue was unpacked, assembled, used to cook a variety of dishes, and then assessed according to our specific criteria. Good Food Magazine put particular emphasis on how well each barbecue cooked, but at Gardeners' World Magazine, we assessed the barbecues with emphasis on their garden context, including how easy they are to assemble, move around and store.
They were assessed according to the following points, with equal marks attributed to each:

Setup and storage. Looked at the ease of assembly, clarity of instructions, warm-up time and how easy the barbecue is to store
Ease of use. Focused on ease of use, how simple it is to move around the garden and how easy it is to control the temperature and cook
Cooking results. We cooked a variety of common barbecue dishes to assess the non-stick ability of each grill, its grid-cooking capabilities, and how well it chars, softens, and seals food. We also checked for defined lines, even cooking, sticking and hot spots. Above all, we tested how long it took to cook each dish and how good each dish tasted
Value for money. Considered all of the above, as well as quality, design, warranty and price

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

This review was last updated in March 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

Cherry blossoms, historic estates and secret gardens: A different side of Washington, DC

2026-03-12T18:06:50.000Z

When I visited Washington, DC in spring last year I was intrigued to find out what this capital city would have to offer the garden and nature lover. I was primarily there for the annual Cherry festival, but I was thrilled to discover there was lots more to see.

The city itself is surprisingly green for a capital with a wide, open skyline and sweeping lawns, trees and gardens defining the landscape. I stayed in Georgetown, a historic neighbourhood just a short bus or subway ride from the main attractions with homely, cobbled streets, grand residential architecture and designer shops. It felt a world away from the boulevards of the National Mall and as I walked it’s charming streets I noticed it has its own Georgetown Garden Club. In May they hold garden tours around local private gardens with all proceeds going back to Georgetown’s parks and recreation facilities. It was a shame to miss it but there were plenty of other horticultural delights to occupy me.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival

In 1912 as a symbol of friendship, the Mayor of Tokyo gifted over 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington, DC. Trees were planted along the Tidal basin, this became an annual tradition, and in 1934 the National Cherry Blossom Festival was born.

Spanning four weeks in March and April when the blossom bursts, the festival is a celebration of the cherries and the joys of spring, and it resonates across the city. The most popular place to see the blossom is the Tidal basin but you can also walk among the cherries along the National Mall and Potomac Park, at the National Arboretum and even in neighbouring Maryland and Virginia. A grand opening ceremony kicks it all off with artists from both Japan and the US and is followed by other events such as a Blossom Kite Festival and the National Parade, and shops, galleries and restaurants join in with this festival of the season. There’s even a real-time ‘Bloomwatch’ camera fixed on the tidal basin so you can keep watch and track peak bloom time!

The original cherries gifted from Japan represented 12 different varieties, but now Yoshino (P. x yedoensis) and Kwanzan (P. serrulata ‘Kanzan’) are the most common trees you’ll see in the city. Yoshino cherries, with their single white blooms, circle the Tidal basin while double pink flowering ‘Kanzan’ bloom mainly in East Potomac Park.

Big Bus Tour

Whatever time of year you visit a great way to get your bearings and see as many of the cities highlights as you can is to travel on one of the bus tours that loop its iconic landmarks. Headphones are provided so you can listen into their audio commentary, and I spent my first day in Washington hopping on and off buses. As well as the familiar Capitol building, Monument and Lincoln Memorial, I stopped to wander around the Floral Library, with its 93 flower beds. Tulips were just poking their way out of the ground when I was there but they continue to bloom throughout the summer with an array of annual bedding plants. Another stop, Constitution Gardens is a good spot for a picnic and a quiet little park with a pond that has a small island and platform honouring the signatories of the Declaration of independence.

US Botanic Garden

This historic garden is a welcome stop on a busy day seeing the sights. Opened in 1820 it’s the oldest public garden in the US and entry is free. When I visited in March, its outdoor gated gardens were closed but the domed Conservatory, with its collections of plants from across the US, the Tropics, the Mediterranean and beyond was holding an Orchid festival and the place was buzzing with visitors enjoying the thousands of orchids on display. I also took a short walk across Independence Avenue to the Bartholdi Fountain and garden, which has been part of the US Botanic garden campus since 1932. A two-acre garden it showcases sustainable landscaping and includes raised bed plantings, a rain garden and its dramatic centrepiece, a cast-iron fountain that’s well worth seeing at night, when it’s illuminated to become a fountain of light and water.

Dumbarton Oaks

A twenty-minute walk up the hill from Georgetown is the historic 10-acre estate of Dumbarton Oaks. Once a private home, then research institute, it’s now a museum, library and garden and a large public park. The gardens are well worth a quiet afternoon stroll, with cherry trees lining the pathways, herbaceous borders, a kitchen garden, rose garden, fountains and orangery. I had the gardens to myself and was lucky to spot a red cardinal hopping about its beautiful mosaic garden.

Washington National Cathedral and Gardens

The cathedral is the second-largest church building in the US and sits in 59 acres of grounds. I opted to take the 45 minute walk there from Georgetown past the amazing homes of Cathedral Heights, but it’s also just a short bus ride up the hill. As well as an oak and beech forest, Olmstead Woods, there’s the pretty Bishop’s Garden, which was inspired by mediaeval walled gardens and was bright with flowering shrubs and bulbs when I visited in Spring. Its Open City café also had delicious cake and smoothies.

Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens

Another historic estate worth a short taxi ride is Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens. Rebuilt in the 50s by wealthy businesswoman Marjorie Post (of Post cereal Company) its 13 acre gardens are set out as a series of rooms, at their peak in spring and autumn when Marjorie was in residence. As well as rose and Japanese gardens, a parterre and cutting garden there are greenhouses brimming with over 2000 orchids. The house, now a museum, is also well worth a look around. I watched an introductory film which set the scene perfectly and then wondered at the collections of decorative arts from the House of Romanov and 18th century France. My favourites though were the huge 1950s state-of-the-art kitchen, and her breakfast room, which with its indoor ‘garden of orchids’, must have been a beautiful way to start the day!

US National Arboretum

My last day in the capital was spent in northeast DC, just a couple of miles from the Capitol building at the US National Arboretum. A government research facility and free public garden, it was opened in 1959 and is almost 450 acres of tree filled parkland. As well as a number of impressive plant collections, including azalea, dogwood and magnolia, there’s a pretty National Herb Garden and the National Bonsai and Penjing museum, a mind-blowing collection of Japanese and Chinese horticultural art. It’s not a horticultural skill I think I’ll ever have the patience for but the trees were awe inspiring. One, a Japanese white pine survived the Hiroshima bombing and has been ‘in training’ since 1625.

More info

For more ideas and information for a trip to Washington, DC visit Washington.org. I stayed at Canal House of Georgetown and travelled around the city on Big Bus tours.

Orchid won't flower? Read these top tips

2026-03-11T15:11:02.000Z

It's not unusual to receive an orchid as a gift, enjoy the flowers and then find yourself with a pot of green leaves. What are you doing wrong? A non-flowering orchid is a common problem, but it's easy to fix. We've got some expert tips to ensure you have a healthy, strong plant that will flower regularly.

Why orchids stop flowering

Orchids can stop flowering for a few reasons:

lack of light
low temperatures
overwatering

If you have a healthy plant with a good root system, it should flower regularly but be aware of what 'regularly' means. Orchids can flower any time of year but they are unlikely to flower every few months. You can expect the most common orchid (phalaenopsis) to flower at least once a year, but the flowers do last for several months.

The most common mistakes gardeners make

Overwatering – this is one of the most common reasons that house plants die. Another common mistake is watering with very cold water, which will stress the plant. Tap water is fine, but use tepid water or water that has been left to come to room temperature.
Watering from above – avoid watering to the leaves, as the water can get into the crown of the orchid and cause root rot.
Don't let your orchid sit in water. Let it drain and then pour the excess water away.
Putting your orchid in a cold room – moth orchids are tropical plants, so they won't thrive in temperatures below 15ºC
Placing orchids near a radiator or draft
Lack of nutrients – feed orchids every other week during the growing season

What your orchid is trying to tell you

Yellow leaves – if the leaves of your orchid are yellow, it's possible your plant has root rot. Most moth orchids are sold in clear plastic pots. Inspect the roots to check they are a healthy silver or green colour. Rotten roots will be black or brown, and mushy.

Wrinkled leaves – can indicate a lack of water – increase watering to once a week, checking first that the roots are silver.

No flowers – this could mean that your orchid isn't getting enough light, or the they are being kept at the wrong temperature.

How to fix it

Water carefully – aim to water around once a week, but check the roots first. If they are silver then the orchid needs water. If they are green, there's no need to water. Water by pouring water over the compost. Leave it to drain and then empty any excess water out of the pot.

Put your orchid in the right place – orchids are easy to grow plants and will thrive in most homes, but they do not grow well in direct sun or cold temperatures. Place them on a windowsill that gets indirect light, in a warm room that will remain above a temperature of 19ºC during the day and above 15ºC, at night.

Cut flower spikes down to a node – once your orchid has flowered, cut the spike down to just above a node (it will look like a triangular bump on the stem). This will encourage the orchid to produce a new flower spike and you may get a second flush of flowers. Once the spike has turned yellow, cut the whole stem down to its base

When will it flower again

It's not difficult to get your orchid to flower again, your plant may just need a few tweaks to its care regime. Make sure it's in a position where it has plenty of light, water carefully, keep it at the right temperature and it's likely to flower again. If you're cutting down a flower spike to a healthy joint, you may another flush of flowers in a couple of months.

After your orchid has finished flowering completely and the flower spike has turned a straw colour, it could be dormant for around eight months, so there's no need to panic. Your plant is simply resting. After this rest period if there are no flowers and your plant looks healthy, try placing your plant in a spot that is around 5ºC cooler for three to four weeks. This drop in temperature can trigger reflowering.

Crossword number 11

2026-03-11T14:04:19.000Z

View Riddle on the source website

More crosswords Crossword number 10

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Meet the crevice garden – wild, sculptural and surprisingly easy

2026-03-10T14:07:47.000Z

What is a crevice garden?

A crevice garden is made using thin flat slabs like slate or sandstone. These are placed vertically, parallel to each other, and then plants are placed between them, into the narrow gaps. This style of gardening can be used in small spaces such as a trough, or expanded to create a display within a border.

Why does it work?

The plants' roots grow in deep crevices where the conditions are cool, like they would on a mountain. It's a low maintenance version of rock gardening, because the plants don't need much watering and the drainage is good so alpines are less affected by heavy rain. The deep holes also mean that plants stay cool in summer and warm in winter.

How is it different from alpine gardening?

The stones are thin and vertical in crevice gardening. In a typical rock garden, boulders or large stones are laid horizontally. Alpine gardening can range from planting in a trough filled with soil and topped with grit, or planting in gaps between rocks of different sizes. Planting may be flat or on a slope, but the rocks are wider than they are high, and the planting gaps are bigger.

Best plants for a crevice garden

When planting a crevice garden, you can position the rocks to create a south-facing side and a north-facing side, or east/west. Plants on the north-facing side of the tall rocks will be suitable for shade, for example. This means you can grow a wide variety of plants.

Saxifraga
These alpine plants are evergreen perennials with rosettes of leaves and small flowers on tall stems. They grow well in rock gardens, in the cracks of walls or crevice gardens. There are hundreds of species, with some thriving in shade and others in full sun. Check before buying that the saxifrage is suitable for your planting spot. Good choices include Saxifraga cotyledon or S. paniculata.

Lewisia cotyledon
Lewisia also has leaves that form rosettes and tall stems with bright flowers that can be pink, gold or apricot coloured. It reaches about 30cm tall and thrives in a sunny spot.

Thymus vulgaris
This species of thyme will grow well in crevices and has aromatic leaves as well as pretty purple flowers. Look for low-growing varieties – other thymes that will thrive in crevices include Thymus 'Hartington Silver' or 'Pink Chintz'.

Sempervivums
Also known as houseleeks, sempervivums are perfect for growing in crevice gardens. Plants have a rosette of succulent leaves and produce flowers between spring and summer. They're very hardy and easy to grow. Plant in a sunny location, ideally south facing.

Erodiums

The flowers of these pretty perennials are attractive to hoverflies, and a good way to add colour to your crevice garden. The most colourful have pink blooms, but there are also varieties with yellow or white flowers. The scalloped or fern-like leaves are attractive too.

Top tips for success

Use a mix of sand, peat free potting soil and grit to ensure good drainage
Make sure each stone has at least a third in the ground or soil so that it doesn't tip over
Use plants that are suited to the aspect of the crevice garden, whether that's shade or sun
Use a knife to lever plant roots into the narrow crevices when planting

Are you really never more than six feet from a rat? Here's the 'science' on that

2026-03-12T10:46:18.000Z

If you feed birds, have a compost heap or have decking in your garden, there’s a good chance that rats are on your mind.

But how much of our fear is based in reality, and how much of this fear is just misconceptions bouncing around inside our heads? Here’s our reality check on some of the biggest myths (and some of the most chillingly little-known facts) on the world’s most unloved rodent.

1. “You’re never more than six feet from a rat”

First, relax: this one is false, although it may have been not far from the truth once, and in only the most deprived locations.

Part of the problem is the assumption that populations (human and rodent) are consistently distributed, when they’re highly varied, and that localised rat numbers are not dependent on numerous environmental factors, when they obviously are.

Whatever the actual figure, there’s no doubt that rats do like to be relatively near to humans – and particularly the ample shelter and food that we offer, usually by accident. Most urban rats will be living in the comparative comfort of drains and sewers, and will emerge only at night, but they’ll happily break that habit if we make things comfy for them in the garden or allotment.

2. “There’s one rat for every person in the UK”

Disturbingly, we just don’t know about this one; modern estimates from the British Pest Control Association put rat populations at between 10 and 120 million, against the UK’s human population of 69 million.

According to Robert Sullivan, author of Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants (Granta, 2005), this claim goes back to an estimate made in WR Boelter’s The Rat Problem in 1909.

Following what would today seem a profoundly unscientific method, Boelter surveyed inhabitants of the English countryside on whether they thought one rat per acre of cultivated land was a reasonable estimate.

Based on the conclusion that this was in fact the case, the figure of roughly 40 million acres of cultivated land equated to roughly 40 million rats, which in turn roughly equated with the population of England at the time; and thus ‘one rat for every person in the country’ was born as a lasting rule of thumb.

However, the lack of certainty on total rat numbers probably doesn’t really matter, as it’s where they are in relation to us that really counts.

Their encroachment on our space tends to be driven by the availability of food, and the relative lack of human footfall to disturb them.

For this reason, Britain’s gardeners may be best served to keep a particular eye on their allotments rather than their gardens as we head into winter; warm, dry compost heaps make for a cosy retreat from winter cold, as do the foundations of semi-derelict sheds, seldom visited by humans between the final planting of garlic in autumn and the first pre-season clear-up.

3. “Rats will attack if cornered”

Not usually. Wild rats are wary animals that will avoid humans whenever possible. Bites are rare and tend to happen only when an animal is trapped, injured or handled.

For gardeners, the bigger risk is startling one in a compost heap or under a shed, but rats will almost always bolt to escape in such situations. Still, thick gloves are always a good idea when clearing overgrown corners or shifting old timber, to protect against general injuries and infections – as well as the far less likely outcome of a rat bite.

4. “You can catch nasty diseases from rats”

This one is true — but the danger is often overstated or misunderstood.

Rats can carry a number of pathogens that affect humans, including leptospirosis (Weil’s disease), hantavirus and rat-bite fever. In the UK, the most relevant is leptospirosis, spread through contact with rat urine in water or damp soil.

Gardeners are advised to wear gloves, cover cuts, and wash their hands after contact with compost heaps or work inside and around ponds. For most of us, the risk remains small, but it’s real enough to merit good hygiene.

5. “Certain smells or gadgets keep rats away”

Maybe – a bit. Peppermint oil, ultrasonic buzzers and home remedies are the talk of social media, but the evidence is mixed.

Rats quickly adapt to new stimuli, and unpleasant smells or sounds – unless implemented with real zeal and consistency – won’t deter them for long if they’re strongly motivated by the possibility of food and shelter. It’s a bit like using moss killer on a shaded, damp lawn; you may get rid of the moss for a while, but the cause is still there, and the moss will probably return.

The proven methods are boring but effective: seal up access holes under sheds, keep bins closed, clear bird-seed spills and avoid leaving standing water.

Video: Alan’s ultimate guide to keeping rats out of your garden

View Green Video on the source website

6. “Rats breed like… rabbits”

They can, if conditions allow. Female brown rats are capable of producing six litters in a year, each with up to 12 pups. The gestation period is just three weeks.

Rat pups grow fast and can themselves breed three months from birth, so a population of two rats can become hundreds within half a year – considerably faster than even the most amorous of rabbits.

In reality, reproduction and survival is governed by environmental factors such as temperature, predation and the availability of food, so reproduction rates are unlikely to be quite as high in most instances.

Conditions for rodent reproduction and survival are best in the warmer months, so numbers are likely to be at their highest in late summer into autumn; the reason we humans become so aware of rats in autumn is precisely because these populations are seeking warmth from encroaching cold, and food where supplies are running down.

7. “It might just be mouse droppings”

This one is easy: if it’s larger than a grain of rice, about 1-2cm, then it’s rats. If it’s smaller, it’s mice.

Another sign to look out for is the presence of greasy residues. Rats are extremely short-sighted, so they use vertical surfaces such as walls as a guide, as well as an instinctive protection against predation, leaving telltale staining on these surfaces.

8. “Rats will get worse with climate change”

This is probably true. Milder, later winters mean greater access to food, reduced hazardous exposure to freezing temperatures and longer breeding seasons.

A 2025 study led by Johnathan Richardson of the University of Richmond, in Virginia, USA, reported a significant rise in complaint calls to city pest control departments, using data going back as far as 17 years. The study linked climate change as a cause, noting that cities where temperatures were rising fastest had larger increases in rat activity and sightings.

This research has since been criticised for its use of messy proxy data rather than actual rat populations, but whatever the precise truth, the logic that longer summers and shorter, warmer winters would make life easier for rats to survive and reproduce is hard to dispute.

9. “A big rat can weigh six kilos…”

Yes, but only if phrased in the past tense. This is the now-extinct Timor giant rat, which has been estimated to weigh up to 6kg, a little more than the average house cat.

This was one of 13 species uncovered by excavations in 2010 on the island of East Timor, a location known to palaeontologists as a global hotspot for rodent evolution.

The Timor giant rat survived until as recently as the 10^th century AD, so it may have been a reasonably common sight for the island’s human inhabitants, who arrived 40,000 years ago.

UK readers may be relieved to hear that the brown rat, by far our most common species, rarely exceeds 500g.

Spring Conversations 2026

2026-03-07T07:25:36.000Z

Enjoy friendly gardening chat and informative discussion with the magazine team. From how to begin gardening, growing with the seasons, creating months of floral colour in borders and pots, and discovering successful plant combinations, we’ll also share how to give your garden year-round interest, unlock the potential of your plot, advice for what to grow in small spaces, plant for pollinators, nurture the land we grow on, find the joy in gardening, and more.

Episode 1 - Frances Tophill on how to start gardening today

Ignite your gardening passion and your gardening year with Frances Tophill.

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