From a milliner inspired by topiary to a model-turned-ecological gardener and a couple who swapped jobs in telecommunications for growing vegetables, Sir David Beckham’s rural heroes tell Julie Harding why craft and the countryside are key

On an open and windswept tract of land in Oxfordshire, where once stood some derelict barns and a lone maple tree, our guest editor has created a haven for his family and his honeybees, discovers Alan Titchmarsh

Green-fingered Wakefield lad Jamie Butterworth is one of the country’s leading plant experts, a gardening broadcaster and author. Jamie’s book, What Grows Together , was published in September. His passion for horticulture can be seen on Gardeners’ World , and he also delivered Monty Don’s RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. Jamie spends as much time as he can in Yorkshire where his family all still live

From his east London childhood to discovering the joys of beekeeping and gardening, our guest editor, former England football captain Sir David Beckham, tells Paula Minchin why the countryside matters so much to him and his family

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Cook Clodagh McKenna reflects on the importance of following her own path and why, at 50, she’s never felt healthier and happier