Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i BBC Gardeners' World

1 Anemone ‘St Brigid’ & Primula denticulata In planting combinations you either want contrast or harmony. Here is an example of the latter: two flowers that are almost identical in colour and shape, as closely matched as The Stylistics (I am sure some of you remember them – extraordinary suits and soupy dancing), but each still with its own individual character. Anemone ‘St Brigid’ • Care Perfect for cutting. Soak bulbs overnight before planting in light soil. Best in sunshine. • H x S30cm x 15cm Primula denticulata • Care Happiest in rich soil in sun or part shade. Divide larger plants in spring or sow seed in autumn. • H x S30cm x 30cm 2 Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic’ & pansy The grape hyacinth is a profligate…

Nothing heralds the arrival of spring more than cheery daffodils. You’ll find potted ones in garden centres that are ideal for combining with other spring blooms in a vibrant display. We’ve chosen other yellow and orange plants for a coordinated look, but a contrast of blue or purple would work too. Position the tallest at the back, with smaller blooms in front. Pull out the pansies and wallflowers at the end of the season and plant summer bedding on top, leaving the bulbs in situ for next spring. 1 Fill a pot with multi-purpose compost until two-thirds full. Add a measure of slow-release fertiliser. 2 Add the plants one at a time, breaking the daffodil bulbs apart as you go so that they’re evenly spaced. 3 Fill any gaps between…

Monty raises an issue I was delighted to read about Monty Don’s enthusiasm for gardening in raised beds in Get a taste for success (February issue). My vegetable garden is entirely given over to raised beds, which, like Monty’s, are raked and composted, but never dug – unless you count the end of every growing season when I let the hens in to jump excitedly from bed to bed, gobbling up slugs or slug eggs, while turning over the soil. I would, however, like to suggest the use of recycled black plastic beds instead of wood. They are better for the environment as they recycle plastics, which would otherwise be dumped in landfill. They are also cheap, light, and easy to assemble, and don’t rot or warp. And best of…

• I read somewhere that you should put them in a small amount of soil to begin with, then add more as they start to grow. rainbowfish • I grew spuds in old potting compost bags last year in my polytunnel using the same method as rainbowfish suggests. I turned the bags inside out so the black inside was outside, attracting the heat of the sun. I had a lovely crop! Hostafan1 • I grow them in very large pots, a few in each, and, as suggested, add soil as the haulm grows. I add just six inches over the top of them to begin with, and have good clean crops. cornelly • I grow spuds in tubs every year as well as in the ground. Mainly to experiment but…

As part of our 25th Anniversary competition to name a sweet pea (see p97) we’re also offering readers the chance to grow this exclusive variety, with a special price for 24 plants. Its large, pure white blooms packed with sweet fragrance, impressed at trials in 2015. To complement this as-yet-unnamed variety we’ve created a collection containing a further 24 plants of some of the best-performing varieties of sweet pea. They are all highly fragrant and perfect for cut flowers in your home. BRAND NEW, EXCLUSIVE AND STRICTLY LIMITED TO ONE PACK PER HOUSEHOLD Anniversary Sweet Pea Collection 1 • 24 plants ‘Unnamed Competition Variety’ (pure white) • 4 plants ‘Charlie’s Angel’ (lavender) • 4 plants ‘Just Jenny’ (deep-blue) • 4 plants ‘Sylvia Moore’ (pink) • 4 plants ‘Apricot Queen’ (apricot)…

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DISTORTED LEAVES Spring-flowering bulbs can suffer distortion when infected by stem eelworms and viruses. Bin any damaged plants when you find them and grow different types of plant on the site next. STEP BY STEP Make more snowdrops SNOWDROPS FORM dense clumps and can be lifted and planted in other parts of the garden once they have finished flowering and before the leaves die back. Snowdrop cultivars can be expensive, so dividing and replanting is a great way of encouraging new drifts of flowers without buying bulbs. They do best in shade or partial shade and need soil that never dries out completely, so choose a site out of direct sun and prepare it well with moisture-holding organic matter like garden compost or leafmould. 1 Dig a hole in…

Divide perennials DIVIDING HERBACEOUS perennials in spring is one of the easiest ways to propagate more plants, whether you want to start a border, fill some gaps or inject some colour just where you need it. Many perennials tend to die out in the centre of the clump after a few years with the younger vigorous growth found on the outer edges – lifting and dividing every two or three years is also a way of rejuvenating these plants too. Early spring is an ideal time to lift as the ground is drying out but still soft and plants are just starting to come into growth. Divide plants into fist-sized chunks before spacing them out and replanting. Plants such as hemerocallis, asters, hardy geraniums, bergenia and euphorbia can be divided…

Find out if hedgehogs use your garden by recording their footprints as they feed. Simply make a tunnel using a sheet of corrugated plastic, place food, paper and ink inside, and site it near a fence or hedge. YOU WILL NEED Corrugated plastic or an old storage box A4 paper Paper fasteners Masking tape Small plastic bowl Paint brush Carbon powder Vegetable oil Hedgehog food / meaty pet food 1 Make a triangular tunnel with sides roughly 23cm, or a bit over the width of a sheet of A4 paper. It should be about 90cm long to take two A4 sheets plus space for ink and food. 2 Make a cardboard insert and attach a sheet of A4 at either end with paper fasteners or an elastic band. Add strips…

FACT FILE Sage DID YOU KNOW Sage has antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and can be used to treat sore throats, stomach disorders and fever. It also possesses properties that stimulate brain and memory function and is being researched for use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. NUTRITION Sage is rich in beneficial oils, vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A, B, beta-carotene and potassium. Fresh sage is high in vitamin C. Avoid taking it excessively and for long periods, as it could develop toxic effects, and do not take medicinally if pregnant or suffering from epilepsy. HARVEST Pick leaves and tips from non-flowering shoots for the best flavour. These can be stored in the fridge for several days, in a sealed polythene bag. STORE It is best used fresh. The…

In a week of busy schedules where every minute counts, it may seem impossible to find time to grow your own veg. Our days are crammed with meetings, school runs or supermarket trips – the list of jobs goes on. Surely it’s not possible to squeeze in growing veg, too? Well, yes, it is. I have a hectic life, too, and yet I enjoyed harvesting tasty home-grown veg all the way through last summer. There’s no fancy system. I simply started from scratch in the spring and only allowed myself to spend an hour a week tending my plot – almost anyone could fit that in. By restricting myself to one raised bed and choosing crops wisely, I was able to get big harvests from just a little time spent.…

Explore the sun-drenched gardens of Tenerife and Madeira with Tony Russell, broadcaster, tree expert and former head forester at Westonbirt Arboretum. A full programme of activities on board Balmoral will compete for your time, including exclusive lectures and question times. Onshore, meanwhile, it will be gardens galore with free garden tours in Madeira and Lisbon. INCLUDED IN YOUR CRUISE Host Tony Russell En-suite accommodation with TV, hairdryer, safe and individually controlled air-conditioning All meals throughout your cruise – from five-course a la carte dining, to casual buffets and late-night snacks All-inclusive drinks package Complimentary tea and coffee at selected venues, including afternoon tea with sandwiches and cakes, and in-cabin snacks All evening entertainment Captain’s Drinks Party and Gala Buffet On-board leisure facilities including gym, swimming pools and Jacuzzis Daily on…

We all know the stag’s horn sumach, Rhus typhina. It’s one of those love-or-hate plants and not everyone appreciates the winter stems that look like monster antlers. But add some extra features and it’s much more desirable. Step forward Tiger Eyes. The foliage of Tiger Eyes is as big and bold as the leaves of the usual form, but more finely dissected at 45cm long. And then there’s the colour: the leaves on pinkish stems open as a lovely chartreuse shade, quickly mature to sunny yellow, becoming less intense in summer, then in autumn fiery orange and red tones develop. The clustered summer flowerheads are greenish-yellow, maturing to purplish-red as the foliage turns and remain in place in winter, topping the bold, purple-flushed ‘antlers’. The everyday stag’s horn sumach can…

I understand people’s worries regarding The hidden chemicals on your fruit & veg (January issue), but I can’t agree with one reader’s assertion that the feature was sensationalist (Have your say, February issue). Having worked for two decades in an independent testing facility, I have first-hand experience of studies carried out on residues found in fruit and veg. Some of the figures we obtained were extremely worrying. These chemicals do not break down before eating, and we do get some build-up in our systems. Although some chemicals have since been withdrawn, certain generic types are still used outside the EU. The UK is one of the best countries for keeping food safe and adheres to strict limits on chemicals, monitoring growing, storing, transport and delivery, but it’s not possible to…

1 Creating the Green Room With increasing pressure on space in our towns and cities over the past 25 years meaning houses and gardens are shrinking in size, the garden has become our outdoor living room, both day and night, and we furnish it accordingly. In 1991, we were relaxing on plastic patio dining sets. Now we fill our gardens with sophisticated barbecues, fire pits and chimineas, outdoor sofas, waterproof bean bags, cushions, and all kinds of outdoor lighting – from tea-lights to solar and strings of LEDs. Latest figures available (Mintel 2015) show we now spend £1.2 billion a year on garden leisure products but it is all worth it when families come together in the garden for ‘green time’, not screen time, and escape tech-overload indoors. 2 Growing…

What do you want from a holiday? Peace and relaxation? Probably. But you also want to feel like you’ve made the most of your destination in the time that you’re there. Maybe you want to escape, but you also want to use the time to indulge your passions. You want to return home feeling refreshed, rejuvenated – and like you’ve had a rewarding experience. With so much to do, it’s not always easy to work out what to fit in – but with Thomson Lakes and Mountains, you don’t have to choose from the vast number of unproven options out there. The internet’s a great search tool but it’s also a big – and sometimes unreliable – place. Thomson Lakes and Mountains helps you narrow down the options so you…

“I love bulbs because they offer variety in shape and colour” I make no apology for repeating my favourite description of bulbs as ‘firework plants’. The fact that someone else has done all the work in terms of their flowering capability really does mean that all you, as the gardener, have to do is metaphorically light the blue touchpaper and stand well back. That much is true for the first year at least, but if bulbs are planted in a spot they enjoy then it can hold true for subsequent years as well. I love bulbs, not only for their rapid response after planting, but also because they offer variety in shape and colour as well as time of flowering. They can generally be shoe-horned in between other plants so…

How to enter • ONLINE: Go to bit.ly/sweet-peas-gw to fill out your details and suggest your chosen name • BY POST: Write your name, address, daytime phone number and email on a piece of paper, together with the name you would like to give the sweet pea (in capitals please), and send your entry to Sweet Pea Competition, Gardeners’ World Magazine, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT The closing date for entries is Wednesday, 11 May 2016 – good luck! Our competition winner will receive this prize package... • A bouquet of scented sweet peas and roses from The Real Flower Company, delivered to their door, every month for four months starting June 2016. Worth £320 • An exclusive visit to Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire, including lunch and afternoon tea,…

Sow half-hardy annual seeds HALF-HARDY annuals grow, flower, set seed and die all in one year but unlike hardy annuals, they cannot withstand low temperatures. They are quick to grow from seed, flowering in as little as 12 weeks, and can be added to borders and pots for a burst of showy colour. Half-hardy annuals include cleome, cosmos (shown here), morning glory, nicotiana (tobacco plant) and zinnia. To give your plants as long a flowering season as possible, sow the seed early, indoors, in March or April. Once they have sprouted and have two pairs of leaves, transplant into individual 7cm pots and grow on under cover. In May, harden them off before planting to help them adjust to conditions outside – leave plants in an open cold frame or…

SLUGS ARE active all year, but they become more of a problem from March onwards, when the weather is warmer and often damp, and there is plenty of new growth for them to munch on. Tell-tale signs are irregularly shaped holes in leaves, stems and flowers (plus tubers and bulbs), and silvery slime trails. There are many options for controlling slugs, and if you combine a few methods, you should keep them under control, especially if you start now. Protect seedlings, new growth on most herbaceous plants, and all parts of susceptible plants, such as delphiniums and hostas. Organic slug pellets, made of ferric phosphate, are just as effective as non-organic ones but are less harmful to wildlife; you could also try nematodes – see p153. Another alternative is to…

48% of readers have never seen a hedgehog Hedgehog sightings: † 2015: 29% 2014: 32% 75% of you say we must act to save hedgehogs from extinction In the first decade of this century, around a quarter of hedgehogs were lost, according to The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2011 report.* And a follow up report last year shows that they are continuing to decline, with rural populations thought to be down by at least half, and urban populations by around a third. Despite being voted the nation’s favourite mammal by BBC Wildlife Magazine readers in 2013, the humble hedgehog is disappearing on our watch. And we gardeners hold the key to its future. What’s more, in a recent Magazine Insiders survey, just over a quarter of you recalled seeing hedgehogs in…

START SOWING nectar-and pollen-rich hardy annuals, such as marigolds, Californian poppies (eschscholzia) and annual poppies (papaver) in open ground. These will attract the pollinators. Tie bunches of twigs, dried moss and other stringy vegetable matter near your feeders for birds to use in nest-building. Keep bird feeders topped up but avoid leaving out whole peanuts, which could choke nestlings. Mealworms and suet products containing insects are popular with tits. Leave aphids and caterpillars on your plants as nesting birds will feed these to their young. Take the last opportunity to plant bare-root hedging plants such as hazel and hawthorn. Use them to make a hedge or dot them through your borders. If spring flowers are in short supply, plant native primroses, lungwort and hellebores for early bees. Leave out a…

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeds that don’t germinate or seedlings that keel over. But by making sure you sow your seeds as well as possible, you can give them the best chance of success. I’ve been sowing seeds and selling the produce for more than 35 years, and over that time I’ve developed techniques and habits that help ensure I get results every time. This month, I’ll share how I sow my seeds, and next month I’ll explain how I make my veg plot more productive by packing as much into my space as I possibly can. It’s worth getting your sowing really spot on, not just for the money it will save you compared with buying plants, but also because homegrown plants are often stronger than bought ones,…

There’s no time like the present to get cracking and start enjoying delicious homegrown harvests with just 60 minutes’ work a week. The first thing to tackle is the plot. If you’re new to veg growing, locate an area of your garden that ticks all the boxes (see opposite) and get it into shape. Make sure you get rid of as many weeds and stones as you can. If you’ve already got a veg garden, ensure it’s weed-free and improve the soil with good-quality compost. While you’re getting your plot up to scratch it won’t hurt to take a breather and plan what crops you’re going to grow. Follow our crop choices (above left) and buy seeds in garden centres or via mail order. Make a list and stick to…

DAVID SAYS Healthy soil is the basis of organic growing. Add compost once or twice a year to feed soil organisms and to hold moisture and nutrients in the soil surface where roots can use them. Q How can I garden more organically? A Many people come to organic gardening through growing vegetables and fruit so that they can control what goes into their food. In its simplest form, this means not using man-made chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and weedkillers, as well as striving to source organically grown seeds and young plants. However, in its purest form organic growing can encompass not only what you eat but also the effect gardening has on the environment and wildlife. The principles of organic growing can extend into debates over the use of…

Discover the beauty and heritage of some of the remoter parts of the British Isles and France, including Dublin and charming Honfleur, with Tony Russell, broadcaster, tree expert and former head forester at Westonbirt Arboretum. Experience a feast of horticultural gems with visits to the terraced sub-tropical Abbey Gardens at Tresco and the romantic riverside garden of Mount Usher from Dublin. Also enjoy opportunities to visit Claude Monet’s Garden at Giverny and the Gardens of Sausmarez Manor in Guernsey. INCLUDED IN YOUR CRUISE Host Tony Russell Welcome drinks party Exclusive gardeners’ talks and get-togethers with your host Delicious full-board cuisine, plus afternoon teas and late-night snacks Welcome and farewell Captain’s Cocktail Parties Self-service tea and coffee from 6am to 10pm Stylish entertainment, cabarets and popular classical interludes Daytime activities programme…

BACK TO BASICS Step-by-step guides to the essential skills every gardener needs to know • 25 core techniques, including plant choices • Projects to do in the garden with children • Tips to help ensure you succeed every time • Collectable three-part series, free in April, May and June issues Your gardening experts Alan on how to make your lawn lusher for summer Monty shares his tips for tackling common problems the organic way Carol shows easy ways to make new plants for free FREE with every issue • Pack of ‘Super Sweet 100’ tomato seeds • Tasty cherry variety • PLUS how to sow your free seeds for the best results ON TEST Lawnmowers & tomato feeds Budget mowers Tomato fertilisers + that give the best that produce the…

“And so our hero returns home with a mortgage-sized hole in his bank account and a line in conversation that covers everything except the ‘toy’” Spring, and a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Well, a young man’s fancy might but, to be honest, an older man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of mowers. Come to that, it turns to anything mechanical that will make this year in the garden slightly easier on the back than last. Funny, isn’t it, this obsession men have with anything that has wheels? Oh, I know that women also enjoy driving – I’ve no wish to be remotely sexist, but I’ve never heard a lady pining for a ride-on mower. Ever. It’s a state of mind confined to the male of…

1 Monty loves ... ‘Geranium’ “I like to grow Narcissus ‘Geranium’ in pots. They have a lovely scent and once they start flowering I move them to where we sit outside and enjoy their fragrance as well as display.” From the tazetta group – many of which are scented • Height 35cm 2 Joe loves ... ‘Tête-à-tête’ “‘Tête-à-tête’ is one I count on. It’s good in containers, but also holds its own in mixed borders. A tough, reliable yet dainty miniature, it has diminutive golden-yellow petals that envelop the deeper yellow cups – perfection.” • H 20cm 3 Carol loves ... ‘W.P. Milner’ “Neat and compact, this heritage daffodil variety bears pale-straw flowers, which change to a milky white. The blooms look good for weeks and it’s ideal for growing…

“I want my art and craft to reach as deep as it can, rather than be relegated to an exercise in expertise” The other day I was talking to a friend who I’d not seen for at least 10 years. You might say that makes us not very good friends, but it doesn’t work like that. By a certain age, we have all met up with someone we’ve had no contact with for quarter of a century and within five minutes realised that we still have more in common with them than with many of the people we see all the time. I like this. It mines into seams that run deep in our lives and the circles are reconnected. Of course, you regret lost time, unanswered phone calls or…

“The world of gardening needs to open its eyes to everyone” The answer is simple – yes! Yet, why don’t we see more gardens designed by the physically disabled, the young, the elderly, people with learning difficulties – in fact, anyone who has a passion for gardening? I’m a garden designer and I’m in a wheelchair. I love designing gardens that are accessible to ambulatory and disabled people alike. So why do I come across so many gardens with awkward steps, narrow paths, small turning circles for wheelchairs and disabled access around the back (usually by the bins)? I stopped working in London due to ill health 10 years ago, but with a love of gardening and having published books on horticulture, I decided a career in garden design was…

Garden design is often perceived as the fancier side of gardening, with the need to spend lots of money, but that’s not what it’s all about. Good garden design principles can be applied to any garden, however awkward, and come into play the minute you think about putting a new feature into an empty or existing plot. Just making a new seating area, path or lawn layout can lead towards a new design for the whole garden. Having a plan to work towards means you can develop a great garden over the course of a few years, and you won’t look back wishing you had done something differently. Playing around on paper and overlaying sketches on photos helps to get things right at the earliest stage and avoids making expensive…

Eccremocarpus scaber The Chilean Glory Vine is a slightly tender perennial, usually treated as an annual. Flowers Jun-Nov Height 3m Ipomoea lobata Soak seeds overnight to help them swell and germinate. Does better some years than others and relishes sunshine. Flowers Jul-Oct Height 2-2.5m Cobea scandens This Mexican perennial is pollinated by bats. Sown early enough, it can cover a sizeable wall in one season. Flowers Jul-Oct Height 10m Rhodochiton atrosanguineus Exciting blooms from late summer but must be started early –Feb or Mar in heat. Flowers Jul-Dec Height 2m…

• Follow a few simple rules and you won’t go far wrong. Spring-flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, while summer bulbs go in during spring. Otherwise, they need exactly the same treatment. • Find the right spot for the bulb in question. Does it like sun or shade, moist or well-drained soil? The conditions are critical to its survival and will greatly affect performance. • Plant at the correct depth – generally three times the depth of the bulb itself. If planted too shallowly it may dry out and run out of sustenance, which is vital if the bulb is to flower well the following year. • Allow the foliage to remain for at least six weeks after flowering to build food reserves for the following year. Tying it in…

BIKE STORAGE Incorporate a secure bike store to save you wheeling cycles through the house. It should match your bin store. HIDDEN BINS Create a bin enclosure from brick, timber, fencing panels or trellis, which can be smothered in ivy or other evergreen climbers. Position it so access to the bin is easy. UP FRONT FRAGRANCE Use scented plants to welcome visitors – you can’t beat roses and lavender for summer, while sarcococca releases winter scent. ON THE RAILS A low brick wall topped with wrought-iron railings lends a timeless feel. It also stops litter blowing in and allows light and air to penetrate. POT OF GOLD A feature pot is a useful focal point. Fill it with hardy, long-flowering, drought-tolerant plants to reduce the need for watering. Try Delosperma…

Encourage new growth Cutting out old stems stimulates new shoots and opens up the centre of a shrub, improving air circulation. The resulting new stems tend to be more vigorous and productive. They’re often more attractive too – the new stems of cornus (see above) are vibrantly coloured. Control size Pruning can be used to restrict size, which is vital with vigorous plants such as wisteria (above). It lets you keep climbers, trees and shrubs, such as buddleia, at the right height or width for your garden. Left unpruned, they would soon outgrow their space in the border. Improve shape Pruning young plants helps to establish their final shape, then regular trimming maintains it. Shaping tasks include clipping topiary, cutting back climbing roses, and keeping plants tidy, such as trimming…

FIRST there is the light. Every March day stretches a bit further, pushing back the dark, and by the middle of the month it is light enough to walk or even work outside by 6.30am and stay working until 6.30pm. After the darkness of winter, that - and a fair wind - is all any gardener asks for. The fair wind is less inevitable, for March is often a cold, bleak month here, and any planting or seed sowing is in hock to the soil, which can remain horribly cold and wet. But signs of life are irrepressible, from the dawn chorus to buds on hawthorns, and daffodils and fritillaries flowering freely. The itch to get outside grows more urgent by the day, regardless of the weather. There is housekeeping…

Sarah Raven freesias are • First class, top size, fresh healthy corms • Have been stored throughout the winter at the perfect humidity and temperature • Ready for planting in March (in a greenhouse) or April (outside), once temperatures reach 5°C or above • Will flower 3-4 months after planting • Despatched from late February Classic Mix A classic, highly perfumed, zingy-coloured jumble including white, yellow, red, pink, and purple freesias. Height 40cm 50 corms £9.95 (229034) 100 corms £17.95 SAVE £1.95 (229034) White The scent of white freesias is very distinctive, with a bit of black pepper in the mix. H 40cm 25 corms £5.50 (229031) 50 corms £8.95 SAVE £2.05 (229031) Extra products to add to your order Large Molly’s Jug in red A versatile jug that looks…

PATROL the plot for early pests. Pick off and bin slugs and snails hiding beneath leaves. Look out for pigeon and mouse damage and set up barriers against them. Greenfly on veg plants can be controlled with plant/fish oil sprays. Hand-pollinate wall fruit WALL-TRAINED fruit such as apricots, peaches and nectarines flower early and benefit from hand pollination, as flowers often turn up way before many pollinators are out doing their work. Peaches may also be covered in fleece to avoid peach leaf curl, so these must be pollinated by hand. For self-fertile specimens like peaches you don’t need another tree, the flowers on one plant can pollinate the others. Take an artist’s paintbrush and lift pollen from one flower and place it in the centre of another. You’ll have…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 20 years. Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Q Can I get rid of vine weevil on my heuchera? R Barber, Bristol A PIPPA SAYS Heucheras, sedums and fuchsias are some of the vine weevil’s favourites. If your plant is badly damaged and the pot infested with grubs, bin it. But I suggest you treat the compost of all your plants, even those not showing symptoms. Nematode control works very well and kills grubs in compost without risk to the environment. Q How should I look…

25 years on I knew from your first issue 25 years ago that BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine was very special. Here’s me with my first two treasured issues, the contents of which are still topical; for example, Alan Titchmarsh’s column about box is worth a reprint. Joy Henocq, Dorset Joy and the first two issues Home to roost Inspired by your feature New ways to feed birds, (January issue), I bought a feeding station and made some nesting balls, which I’ve hung on the fruit trees. Since then, I’ve definitely noticed an increase in bird activity in the garden. Valerie Griffin, Weymouth Rich pickings When our Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ was damaged by high winds, and the last of the apples had dropped to the ground, my husband packed them all…

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine celebrates its 25th birthday this year and we’ve got some great subscriber exclusives coming up. Join us now for just £25 for 12 issues, saving over 50% on the normal cover price.* Subscriber Club benefits Experience more as a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Subscriber Club member: • Great savings on the magazine cover price • Your own Subscriber Edition with exclusive cover and Subscriber Club pages, plus quarterly newsletters • Free delivery direct to your door • Exclusive money-saving offers and discounts on plants, products and BBC Gardeners’ World Live • Just for you – Subscriber events and opportunities to meet the magazine’s experts PLUS Unlock the Secret Garden – a Subscriber-only area of gardenersworld.com with extra features, videos and offers 2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE…