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

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

Kelsall Hill’s Phil Latham on the highs and lows of running events, and the time he “kidnapped” Rishi Sunak

Life in the Dales means embracing the seasons and for Hannah Gatecliffe, Christmas brings family fun as well as quieter moments to enjoy the wintry landscape

In and around the Howardian Hills, chefs are crafting dishes that sing of this county’s rich larder, with ingredients like zesty spruce tips and salted rhubarb adding pizazz to locally sourced fish, meat and game