Indholdsfortegnelse for Mar-22 i BBC Gardeners' World

Enjoy… a high-impact garden for low cost, with our 132-page Your Garden from Seed special edition. This full guide to the seed-sowing year is just £7.99 (+p&p) atmagsdirect.co.uk/YGFS22 Explore… the iconic Cotswolds on our exclusive tour – including two of the finest British gardens created in recent times! Tour places are limited – read more on page 91 Learn… about wildlife gardening from experts Kate Bradbury (right) and David Hurrion, in our online Masterclass on 11 March, from just £15. Go to GardenersWorld.com/Grow-How Save… over £45 on tools and gloves when you subscribe – you’ll receive hard-wearing leather gloves, a stainless steel trowel and Japanese snips. See page 28 Keep up to date with us at FACEBOOK @GWmagazine INSTAGRAM @gardenersworldmag TWITTER @GWmag PINTEREST @GWmag Looking to get in touch? Turn…

Bergenias Which would you prefer in your garden? Elephants or pigs? Doesn’t sound like much of a choice, does it? But, when you plant bergenias, you get both. Let me explain. Elephant’s ears is the common name for bergenias. Not that their leaves are 2m tall and 1.5m wide. Or battleship grey. If they were, we wouldn’t want them. Then there’s the notion that bergenias sound like pigs, as in another common name, pigsqueak. This is said to originate either in the idea that if you rub together two leathery bergenia leaves, or rub a leaf between thumb and forefinger, you hear a squeak. So in the spirit of scientific enquiry I’ve just been out in the garden to rub two bergenia leaves together. The variety is ‘Eric Smith’, its…

APRIL Sunflower + coriander worth £4.80 Tall red sunflowers and tangy coriander MAY Basil + nigella worth £4.30 Delicious basil and annual love-in-a-mist Parsley + lettuce worth £4.30 Easy-to-grow parsley and lettuces Zinnia + gypsophila worth £5.20 Vibrant zinnias and frothy baby’s breath JUNE Foxglove + cosmos worth £4.55 Tall, pastel foxgloves and long-flowering, sun-loving cosmos WATCH video guides and get more seed-sowing and trouble-shooting advice at GardenersWorld.com/free-seeds In partnership with Mr Fothergill’s mr-fothergills.co.uk…

When to plant Although nurseries and garden centres often sell dahlias in growth, by far the best way to start is by buying tubers. Make sure they are fat and firm. In February or March, pot them up in loam-based compost and bring them into growth by watering, in a bright, frost-free environment, then plant out in the garden after all risk of frost has passed. Alternatively, plant out the tubers directly in May and protect with fleece until the risk of frost has passed. Where to plant Whether in pots or the ground, dahlias love hearty conditions so incorporate lots of organic matter and always plant in full sun. How to care for dahlias Water plants well throughout the growing season and give a liquid balanced feed (we use…

Plants that last year after year in pots can form the backbone of your patio, providing structure, shade and enclosure as well as colour, flowers or fruits. Growing permanent plants in containers also gives you the chance to enjoy plants that wouldn’t thrive in your garden soil. If camellias or rhododendrons don’t do well in your soil, they can still give beautiful results for years if grown in their preferred conditions in pots. You will need STEP BY STEP Plant a small tree in a pot 1 Add compost to a pot one-and-a-half times wider and deeper than the plant’s current pot. Fill three-quarters full. 2 Sprinkle the roots with friendly fungi. Plant with the base of the main stem just below…

Sowing seeds in trays allows you to raise a very large number of new plants in a small space. The process of sowing is very quick when you sow this way and it suits plants with small seeds such as aquilegia or primula. In spring, summer flowers that are not able to cope with frost, such as nicotiana (tobacco plant), tagetes (French marigold) and cosmos are best sown in trays, too. You will need withdrainageholes withveryfinesprinkler) STEP BY STEP How to sow seeds in trays 1 Fill a tray with peat-free seed sowing compost then firm it down gently so the compost level is 3cm below the rim of the tray. 2 Sprinkle the seeds over the compost surface, distributing them as evenly as possible.…

Young plants that have only known indoor temperatures and plants that are not hardy (will be killed by frost) need help to be protected from cold. Bedding plants and veg crops can be wiped out by frost, but some simple steps will keep them safe and allow them to thrive once the risk of frost has passed. Mastering the art of protecting plants takes time and experience, but there is no substitute for keeping an eye on the weather forecast, then taking evasive action! You will need forcarryingplants toattachfleeceto woody stems) toholdfleecelayers in place) 2 WAYS TO protect vulnerable plants from cold in spring USE fleece to protect plants if you don’t have a cold frame. MOVE vulnerable plants into a cold frame before night…

There’s no need to compromise on an attractive display when you grow edible crops. Part of the joy of growing your own food is eating a dish that tastes – and looks – great. Luckily, the ever-increasing popularity of homegrown food has fuelled plant breeders’ enthusiasm to create eye-catching, attractive varieties in a continually expanding palette of colours. Crimson-flowered broad beans, vividly marked ‘Borlotti’ French bean pods, and ‘Turk’s Turban’ winter squashes are stalwart potager plants, but conventionally unassuming vegetables are also now receiving a makeover. For example, I’ve found that hot-pink ‘Starmaker’ kale teams beautifully with blush-pink ‘Peppermint’ chard and purple ‘Crimson King’ basil.…

Who doesn’t adore eating homegrown strawberries? I absolutely love them, so each year I devote a sizeable part of my plot to their cultivation. I’ve experimented with many different ways of growing strawberries, from traditional terracotta tower pots to open ground and hanging baskets. This year I tried planting in large troughs, which is a method that emulates the system commercial strawberry growers use. I was really impressed by the volume of fruit produced. But tower pots, hanging baskets and open ground can all give great results too, so let me share what I’ve learnt. Supermarket strawberries may offer convenience, but it’s often at the compromise of environmental considerations. Buying them out of season involves significant energy resources and considerable air miles, and whenever strawberries are transported to and stacked…

Guaranteed to brighten up the shadiest corner of your garden, this new ‘improved’ version of Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ will allow you to enjoy non-stop colour and impact while saving you time and money. Keep under cover until all danger of frost has passed. Height x Spread 30cm x 45cm Flowers Jun-Oct ■ 1 planted 25cm basket £19.99 ■ 2 planted 25cm baskets £39.98 £28 SAVE £11.98 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE… ■ Begonia Illumination Mixed H x S 60cm x 60cm F Jul-Oct 1 x 25cm basket £19.99 2 x planted 25cm baskets £34.99 SAVE £4.99 ■ Fuchsia Trailing Mix H x S 30cm x 45cm F Jun-Oct 1 x planted 25cm basket £19.99 2 x planted 25cm baskets £34.99 SAVE £4.99 ■ NEW! Pink Shockwave H x S 25cm x…

SAVE UP TO 50% BUY 1 FOR £19.99 OR 4 FOR £39.98 Height x Spread 45cm x 30cm Flowers Jul-Sep BUY 1 FOR £14.99 OR 4 FOR £29.98 H x S 30cm x 60cm F Jun-Sep BUY 1 FOR £14.99 OR 4 FOR £29.98 H x S 50cm x 30cm F Jun-Oct BUY 1 FOR £14.99 OR 4 FOR £29.98 H x S 75cm x 60cm F Jul-Sep SAVE 20%* ACROSS REST OF RANGE If violet-blue isn’t your colour, then browse the entire range and SAVE 20% using code RGW20. worfieldplants.co.uk/R322 01746 335150† Please add £5.95 postage Terms & conditions Offer closes 24 April 2022. Limited stocks – all items are subject to availability. Offer available to UK addresses only. All items delivered within 10 working days. All orders will…

You can give large herbaceous perennials a new lease of life by dividing the clump, removing the old sections and replanting the smaller, most vigorous pieces. Now is the best time to do this with flesy-rooted perennials such as kniphofias, hostas, daylilies, delphiniums and agapanthus. The new plants will grow away quickly at this time of year, and it’s a good opportunity to remove perennial weed roots from the border too. 1CUT around the clump with a spade, treading the whole depth of the blade into the ground to loosen the roots. Lever up the spade, making more cuts if it resists, then lift the whole clump out of the ground. 2DIVIDE the clump into several smaller pieces by carefully cutting vertically through it with your spade, between the new…

Plant early potatoes You can grow early potatoes in even the smallest of spaces in a potato bag. Keep covering the shoots with more compost until the bag is full. The crop forms on the buried stems. Water regularly and add a general liquid feed weekly. You can harvest in late June. 1 MAKE a 50:50 mix of loam-based and peat-free potting compost, then place a 20cm layer of it in the potato bag and firm gently. 2 PLACE the early potato tubers on the surface. Each needs roughly 10 litres of compost, so space out four in a 40 litre bag. 3 COVER the tubers with 10cm of compost mix, firm gently and water well. Keep more compost ready to add as the shoots grow. Pot up evergreen herbs Expand your supply…

If you only have space for one fruit tree, try Cherry ‘Stella’. Self-fertile and a heavy, reliable cropper, ‘Stella’ is hardy throughout the UK and suitable for planting into a garden border, but can also be grown in a pot on the patio. The dark-skinned fruits are sweet and ready to pick from mid-to late July each year, with beautiful white blossom from early March. These multi-branched, bare-root trees have been grafted onto ‘Colt’ rootstock to provide a compact and manageable habit. 1 bare-root tree £19.99 PLUS ONE FREE SAVE £19.99 (300005) OTHER OFFERS TREE PLANTING KIT  High-quality kit, comprising treated and tanalised softwood support stakes (1.2m x 3.2cm) and soft rubber tree ties. Kit for two trees £4.99 SAVE £2 (150051) BLOOMING FAST FISH, BLOOD AND BONE  A natural,…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and has designed his garden to produce lots of veg, fruit and cut flowers. Christine Walkden Garden writer Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years. Q Which colourful evergreens suit a small shady garden? Nick & Kym, by email A MATT SAYS Variegated evergreens will provide year-round leaf colour and structure, and you can add ground cover and bulbs beneath. The compact shrub Skimmia japonica ‘Perosa’ has green leaves with cream margins and produces bright-red buds and cream flowers in winter. The foliage of Aucuba japonica ‘Picturata’ has a bold central splash of yellow and yellow-blotched edges. Mahonia x…

Sandybrook Lodges Sandybrook Lodges are an ideal base from which to explore the Peak District National Park. The award winning holiday park has 50 luxury lodges, a swimming pool and a restaurant onsite. It is close to the picturesque market town of Ashbourne and the stunning Dovedale. The lodges sleep from 2-8 people, with spa lodges including a hot tub. There are also pet-friendly lodges available. It is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday with friends and family. 01335 300000 sandybrook.co.uk Potter and Mooch Explore our brand new collection of Ear Wings climbing earrings designed for a single piercing due to the small bar that runs up the back of the lobe. Each pair is handmade in England on either 925 Sterling Silver, 14ct Rose or Yellow Gold-Filled wires.…

And with thewords “Hello, and welcome to Gardeners’ World”, spring is here… As the nation’s gardeners gather again to watch Monty and friends on a Friday night (because nothing beats the mood of a real-time watchalong), we tune in and breathe out. The seasons are turning, the cycle begins and a whole new growing year – full of promise – lies ahead of us. What a time to be gardening! And what an opportunity we all have, however small our plots, to feed our passions, our families and our souls and, even more, to be part of something big and vital – supporting nature and our wider environment. Our individual gardens add up to a great sweep of this land – so small steps together do make a difference. Growing…

Experience more as a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Subscriber Club member with: 1 FREE delivery directly to your door 2 Secret Garden access, a special Subscriber-only area of gardenersworld.com 3 Rewards pages and Your Extras section, sharing extra content in every copy 4 Exclusive money-saving offers, competitions and discounts 5 Subscriber events and opportunities to meet the magazine’s experts Offer ends 17 March 2022 Niwaki Garden Snips are the ideal tool for fruit, veg and flower maintenance, while the Soft Touch Gold Leaf gloves are comfortable and durable. The Burgon and Ball stainless steel trowel features a wide, deep dish and lifetime guarantee. FREE seeds for subscribers You’ll also receive double-packs of seeds with each issue until June 2022. Subscribe before 1 March to receive your April magazine, which includes luscious coriander and stunning sunflower seeds. ■…

1 Gladiolus papilio Purpureoauratus Group Mysterious, slightly drooping flowers of subtle colouring, purplish-grey with yellow butterfly markings on its lower petals. If it likes you, it will spread and spread, and most of us would happily accept its colonising habits. H x S 90cm x 10cm F Aug-Oct 2 Galtonia candicans Sometimes called summer hyacinth, which is misleading because it is much taller. Can a plant be sturdy yet elegant? In this case, yes. Metre-high stems with a dozen or so waxy, pendulous bells adorning each stem. Plant the bulbs this month or next for flowers this summer. H x S 1.2m x 40cm F Jul-Oct 3 Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ The pineapple lily, so-called for its columns of textural flowers topped with a tuffet of leaves, looks exotic, but…

Watermelon peperomia Here’s the perfect house plant for adding an understated splash of jungly foliage to an inside space. It will liven up a bright spot away from direct sun with its attractively marked leaves, and if you place it against the backdrop of a plain wall, its detailed foliage will be shown off to perfection. Peperomia likes to be warm and dry, with an occasional misting during hot summer spells. A compact plant (growing to around 30cm x 30cm) that gently cascades over the rim of a container, its elegant appearance doesn’t rely on any complicated growing techniques, and it only needs re-potting every three years. VISIT GardenersWorld.com/houseplant for more on growing house plants No relation to the juicy fruit that it is named after, watermelon peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)…

Generally, hydrangea pruning is carried out in late winter or early spring, because winter frost can damage the buds. Climbing hydrangea (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) should be pruned in summer, immediately after the flowering season. Neglecting to prune your hydrangeas this spring will likely result in two things. The first is a slightly messy display of this season’s flowers mingled in with the skeletal forms of last year’s dead heads. The second is that your hydrangeas may eventually outgrow their position. So depending on your species you need to either just deadhead them annually, or cut older stems right down to promote healthy regeneration of the whole plant over a few years. This works well for the popular variety Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’. Hydrangea paniculata – seen in the steps below…

Mock orange Philadelphus is a beautiful scented shrub that flowers in June and July, so prune back after this. Bridal wreath Spiraea ‘Arguta’ also goes by the name of foam-of-May, so you should not prune it until June. 10 plants not to prune in spring The following shrubs usually flower in late spring and early summer on the previous year’s growth, so only prune after they have flowered. By pruning them in spring you may cut off the buds and get no flowers this year: ✗ Philadelphus ✗ Ceanothus ✗ Rhododendron ✗ Weigela ✗ Kolkwitzia ✗ Pieris ✗ Escallonia ✗ Deutzia ✗ Spiraea ‘arguta’ ✗ Syringa Frances on TV Catch up with Frances and the team when the new series of Gardeners’ World begins onFriday, 11 March at 8pm.…

Trees provide shade, shelter, blossom, scent and fruit in the garden, and will help encourage wildlife to visit, too. Good-quality trees are a considerable investment, so it pays to plant them carefully so that you can enjoy all the benefits. Potted trees can be planted at any time in spring, provided that they are watered regularly in the first year after planting. You will need STEP BY STEP How to plant a tree 1 Dig a circular hole that measures twice the width of the tree’s roots and the same depth as its roots. 2 Lower in the tree. With a length of wood across the hole, check the tree is at the same depth as it was in its pot. 3…

Growing plants from plugs is a cost-effective way of raising large numbers of bedding plants and is a good way to start off vegetable crops, such as lettuce and kale, when you want to control the number of plants you grow. Plug plants are ideal if space is limited because many plants can be grown in a small space when they are potted into cell trays. As the plugs grow through spring they will need potting into bigger modules or small pots before planting out when the risk of frost has gone. You will need STEP BY STEP How to pot plug plants into bigger pots 1 Fill pots with two parts peat-free multi-purpose compost to one part perlite and level it off. 2 Push…

Sowing into small pots (known as cells) is ideal for plants that don’t like being transplanted, such as beetroot which can suffer from damaged roots if young seedlings have to be separated from open trays. This method allows young plants to develop without having their roots disturbed. Then the whole pot can be planted out into its final position, or potted on into a bigger individual pot, as if it were a plug plant. You will need STEP BY STEP How to sow into small pots 1 Fill the pots with the compost. Keep pushing the compost down into the cell with your fingers as you fill up the tray. 2 Select the seed you want to sow. This method is best for flowers and crops that…

Kim Stoddart edits The Organic Way magazine for Garden Organic, runs planet-friendly gardening courses and has her own smallholding in West Wales Growing even a little produce at home is a positive action towards a greener, rosier future as concerns around climate change and food security abound. No matter the size of our gardens, allotments, patios or windowsills, nurturing our own fruit and veg in a nature-friendly way can make a real difference for us, our plates and the planet. But it can be hard to see how our diet has an impact, so I asked food policy expert, Tim Lang, who is part of Gardeners’ World Magazine’s Growing Greener campaign panel, to explain. Tim beleivesthe impact of food consumption on climate change has been played down by policymakers. “The…

■ Spring This is the time to get your growing year started. From late winter, prepare your seedbeds and start sowing tomatoes and chillies under cover, early carrots in boxes, and early peas and broad beans outdoors. Also start chitting early potatoes. Within a few weeks, you’ll be pricking out and potting up seedlings, so make sure to check progress. Protect early fruit flowers from sharp frosts and get supports (canes, pea sticks, netting) ready for climbing crops. Early harvests include forced rhubarb, sea kale, chicory and asparagus. Keep an eye out for weeds. ■ Summer Start watering in earnest – monitor containers – and apply liquid feeds. Key tasks include thinning tree fruitlets, ventilating greenhouses, looking out for pests and diseases, and weeding. Make the last sowings of crops…

VISIT Gardenersworld.Com/what-to-do-now for more advice on the best crops to sow and plant this month, and how to do it. TUTTI FRUTTI™ TOMATO COLLECTION Tutti-Frutti™ tomatoes produce masses of sweet fruit with delicate hints of cherry, mandarin, and grape. Collection contains one plant each of ‘Grape F1’, ‘Cherry F1’ and ‘Mandarin F1’. Height x Spread 2m x 50cm Harvest Jul-Sep SAVER COLLECTION 3 jumbo plugs(1 of each) £11.99 £8.99 SAVE £3 (KC7444) organiccatalogue.com/SUOGW1 Call 0344 967 0330* Please add £5.99 P&P Offer closes 14/04/2022. Offer subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute varieties if necessary. Terms and conditions available on request. Regretfully we are unable to ship live plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR25, ZE1-ZE3. We are also unable…

Over the years we’ve tested everything from gloves to ride-on mowers, and the reviews team are always on the lookout for new gardening kit to help you choose the tools you need with confidence. Regularly visiting shows and press events, we constantly have our ears to the ground to ensure we don’t miss new product launches and we’re always on top of the latest innovations and trends. Every month, popular tools are reviewed by our expert team, who put them rigorously through their paces to see how they fare. We research the market, including all the popular brands, then call in samples to test – and these are always chosen independently and impartially and never influenced by brands. Our experienced gardeners take care to use the tools just as you…

Sow seeds of perennial rudbeckias now to produce lots of new plants to fill your borders with late-summer colour for years to come. It’ll save you money and you’ll have the satisfaction that comes with raising your own plants. You’ll need to prick out the seedlings in a few weeks and pot them on into individual pots to let them grow a good set of roots. You can then plant them into the garden in mid-summer. 1FILL a tray with loam-based compost, firm it gently to make a level surface, then soak it in a tray of warm water. Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly over the surface. 2SIEVE a light layer of compost over the seeds using the drainage holes in a pot if you don’t have a sieve.…

Dig up and move a young deciduous shrub to a better position in the garden now rather than have it in the wrong place until it has grown so big that you can’t change your mind. March is a good time to do this as the plant will still be dormant. Choose a day when the soil is dry and avoid windy weather to protect the shrub from drying winds, which can cause water loss even when there are no leaves. Prepare the new planting hole so that the shrub has the minimum time out of the ground. Add organic matter and a handful of bonemeal to encourage root growth. Water the base of the hole before planting too, particularly if your soil is very free-draining. Large shrubs or small…

Don’t forget ■Hard prune buddleia to encourage strong and vibrant new growth to emerge ■ Top up bird feeders with calorie-rich food to help birds prepare for breeding ■ Protect new growth on hostas from slugs using copper rings, egg shells, sharp grit and organic pellets ■ Prune willows growing as shrubs down to 10cm, to encourage colourful new stems TOP TIP Reshape the edges of your lawn with a half-moon edger before you give it its first cut of the season. This will make it easier for the mower to cut the grass at the edges cleanly. Lay a hose on the lawn as a cutting guide. BEECHGROVE GARDEN The TV programme returns next month, from 7 April – on Thursdays in Scotland and Sundays nationwide. Check TV listings…

One of my bugbears is the use of the word ‘pests’ when referring to creatures in the garden that don’t minutely and obediently fit into any particular horticultural scheme of things. It is unhelpful because it closes down any possible engagement with a wider view of the world. We share our gardens with lots of other animals. Some of the things we do – like growing masses of soft succulent plants where they would not naturally – encourage certain animals to take advantage of our hubris and tuck in. Slugs and hostas come to mind. Other things we do actively deter and even destroy other creatures, by taking their preferred habitats or food. Excessive tidiness or chemical controls have a lot to answer for in this respect. But we willingly…

Your new book A Song of Gladness was inspired by an encounter with a blackbird during lockdown – tell us more Every day I would go to the vegetable garden and pick kale to make kale smoothies for breakfast. One morning I heard this blackbird singing to me, happy as you like. So I whistled back the same tune, and this went back and forth. Next day, the blackbird was waiting for me, so I sang back again – and I knew this was something special, a relationship. It confirmed we’re all of one universe. So I wrote the book. I read it to my blackbird – I got a good review! What’s so great about kale smoothies? A while back I was ill and a good friend said, “Have…

Sowing seeds 1 Fill pots or trays with peat-free potting compost, then label with the type of seed you’re sowing. 2 Poke the seeds into the compost to a depth of 0.5cm and water carefully. Keep warm. Pricking out 3 Gently prise out each seedling from its compost and replant into its own individual pot to grow on. 4 Water the seedlings to settle the compost around the roots. Place in a warm, light location. worth £47.94, comprising Niwaki snips, Burgon & Ball trowel and Gold Leaf gardening gloves – see overleaf for details…

Spring is in the air, the days are getting longer and, after a short winter break, Gardeners’ World is returning to our television screens. The programme is back – each episode a full hour – and it’s going to be even bigger and better. Due to popular demand, the run has been extended to 40 hours throughout the year – the most ever. Monty and the team return for the first episode on Friday 11 March, at 8pm on BBC2, and the series runs right through until November – but that’s not all. The programmes that aired in the run-up to Christmas 2021 proved such a success that four more have been commissioned, to bring a little gardening joy and festive sparkle to brighten up the winter months. With more people…

As with any of the plants in this new series, the most enjoyable part about growing them is how you use them. This is where your creativity comes in. Will you plant your hedychiums to create a jungly effect? Or grow them in a square stainless-steel container for a modern take? Will you try Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ pushing through a border scheme adding height and drama, or Allium angulosum providing a low storey of its bee-and butterfly-friendly pale lavender flowers among old roses? Summer bulbs are so versatile. Not only are there so many from which to choose, but there are so many ways in which to use them. They can be planted as stand-alone features, mix and mingle, harmonising with perennials, or make impactful counterpoints. They can be…

LOOK OUT FOR Nesting birds DON’T prune hedges between March and August, and always check for nests. Big-leaved evergreens Large-leaved evergreens such as fatsia and Prunus laurocerasus (above) should be pruned in late spring to avoid fresh growth being blackened by a late frost. Use secateurs or loppers for this, avoiding hedge trimmers as they can cut leaves in half, which is unsightly. Prune back to just above a bud with a clean cut, retaining a balanced shape. Box Box blight is a fungal disease which causes bare patches and makes our prized topiary look as though it’s been scorched. To minimise the risk of spreading this disease, prune in late spring and choose a dry day when your hedge is not wet. Disinfect your tools with antibacterial spray to…

Beautifully planted containers filled with summer flowers transform patios from mere functional spaces into something rather special. Get the hang of planting up a stylish, instant pot display with blooms and the patio will only ever be minutes away from getting a lush makeover. The choice of plants is never wider than in late spring and early summer. You will need atleast30cmwide) peat-freemulti-purposeandsoil-based) STEP BY STEP How to plant an instant summer pot 1 Fill your container to 20cm from the top, using a mix of half multi-purpose and soil-based compost. 2 Place the biggest plant in the container first, loosening any tightly packed roots with your fingers. 3 Position the rest of the plants on the compost surface and fill in around them with…

Move seedlings from their original pots and trays to new cell trays or individual pots in spring and they will soon transform from fragile slithers of growth to sturdy plants. Once seedlings have their first pair of ‘true’ leaves (not the pair that first appear as the seed germinates) they can be lifted from the compost and moved on. Don’t wait for the seedlings to get long and leggy before transplanting or it becomes a very delicate job. You will need oruseapen or pencil) STEP BY STEP How to transplant seedlings into cell trays 1 Sieve the compost into the cell tray until it has covered the whole tray and is piled higher than the rim. 2 Use a block of wood to level off the…

A productive garden is one of the best places where you can enhance, rather than harm, the environment. These simple ways will help to make your fruit- and veg-growing part of your armoury to protect the planet Sow your own Reduce the amount of plastic waste (and food miles) by sowing in plastic-free or reusable pots at home. Ensure your compost is peat free and grow without chemicals or pesticides. Sowing means you’ll know exactly what variety you are growing, which is especially important if you plan to save seed. TOP TIP Cold frames can be made from recycled materials such as old windows to help acclimatise plants before planting out later in spring. Grow perennial crops They have deeper root structures so are weather resilient. Mixed into your garden…

Growing your own fruit and veg is something all gardeners can do, from pots of herbs on the windowsill – so you no longer need to buy forced supermarket seedlings – to a year-round veg plot. dedicated plot. But it’s not just what you grow – it’s how you do it that makes a difference. Even if you’re an experienced allotment holder, there are always new crop varieties to try and they might help you cope with plant problems without pesticides or get a bigger crop. This month, we’ve put together more timely advice on our website to get you growing your own greener fruit and veg this year, whatever your growing experience Go to: GardenersWorld.com/growing-greener COMING UP in Growing Greener Nospaceistoosmall to benefit from a greener approach, from…

This eye-catching mimosa (Acacea dealbata) will light up your garden in late winter with its frothy canary-yellow blooms. These have a gorgeous fragrance and are loved by beneficial insects, as they’re a valuable winter nectar source. Mimosa will thrive in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot in a pot or in the ground. It can be damaged by frost, so take care where you position it. ■ One plant in 15cm pot £19.99 (510634) ■ One 70cm caned plant in 19cm pot £24.99 SAVE £5 (510235) OTHER OFFERS ■ Dahlia Hybridisers Mix Enjoy a spectacular array of flower colours and shapes. Plant in spring in pots or beds for flowers in late summer. ■ 10 mixed tubers £8.99 SAVE £6 (630005) 03333 702 702* and quote code GDGW100 gardeningdirect.co.uk/GDGW100 Please add P&P £6.99 Terms &…

With the gardening year in full swing, there’s plenty to be getting on with and, thankfully, there’s a whole host of new tools and innovations to help you garden with ease. The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine reviews team is always on the lookout for new kit, so we’ve done the hard work for you and scoured the market to bring you our pick of the best of the new gardening products for 2022. From pressure cleaners to gloves and seed trays to mowers, there’s something for everyone. We pride ourselves on knowing what’s what, so we can help you make the best decisions when it comes to buying kit. This year there’s a wealth of eco-products focusing on recyclability and sustainability, so you don’t need to worry that your new…

Save on these new vibrant and long-lasting rudbeckias These compact plants bloom from early summer to autumn and are ideal for containers and borders. The collection comprises: ■ Sunbeckia ‘Sophia’ with two-tone golden-yellow flowers ■ Sunbeckia ‘Mia’ with yellow and red petals ■ Sunbeckia ‘Lucia’ with golden-yellow double flowers Height x Spread 40cm x 40cm Flowers Jun-Oct Rudbeckia Sunbeckia Series Collection £29.97 ONLY £17.99 SAVE £11.98 Each variety is also available individually for £9.99 You may also like… Alstroemeria ‘White Pink Blush’ H x S 30cm x 30cm F Jun-Oct 1 jumbo plug £11.99 3 jumbo plugs £35.97 £18.99 SAVE £16.98 6 jumbo plugs £71.94 £31.99 SAVE £39.95 0844 736 4208* quote code SUSGW1 suttons.co.uk/SUSGW1 Please add £5.99 P&P. Rudbeckias despatched from May.…

Plant up a pot for instant spring colour using plants and bulbs that are in flower. This pot has wallflowers and pansies with narcissus, but you could use forget-menots, primulas or bellis with muscari and chionodoxa. It is a temporary display that can be dismantled after spring and planted with summer flowers instead, so it’s fine to crowd the plants in. The pot will look better with no gaps between the plants and you’ll still get great results. Use an open-structured, peat-free potting compost, which will keep air around the roots while retaining enough moisture to sustain growth. With such a high density of roots in the pot, it will need regular watering. Check it most days if you can. Deadheading the flowers as they go over will keep it…

House plant mealybugs If you spot the white, powdery signs of a mealybug infestation on your house plants, do not ignore them! The insects look like tiny pink or white woodlice, but at first you’re unlikely to see the creatures, just the waxy powder they use for protection. It coats crevices in the plants, such as leaf axils or cracks in stems, and hides the insect’s tiny eggs. Mealybugs suck plant sap for food and excrete sticky honeydew, which in turn can attract sooty mould. So if you don’t take action, your house plants can get into quite a mess! It’s difficult to control infestations, as getting access to the tiny spaces between the leaves and stem is harder for us than them. There are biocontrols – hungry ladybirds and…

Niwaki Garden Snips are the ideal tool for fruit, veg and flower maintenance, while the Soft Touch Gold Leaf gloves are comfortable and durable. The Burgon and Ball stainless steel trowel features a wide, deep dish and lifetime guarantee. Offer ends 17 March 2022 2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Call 03330 162123* and quote code GWSP322 Visit buysubscriptions.com/GWSP322 1 FREE delivery directly to their door 2 Secret Garden access, a special Subscriber-only area of gardenersworld.com 3 Reward pages and Extra section, sharing extra content in every copy 4 Exclusive money-saving offers, competitions, discounts and free seeds 5 Subscriber events and opportunities to meet the magazine’s experts…

Should I confess to you that I have been musing on The Unbearable Lightness of Being, you will most likely assume that I had been watching the 1988 film of the book written by Milan Kundera. I confess that I have neither read the book nor seen the film, but the very title struck me as ironic in an age where The Unbearable Heaviness of Being seems to be our daily fare. Never have our gardens offered us greater respite from the unremitting diet of tragedy and despair served up not only in the news but also television drama. That mistress of comedic timing Miranda Hart recently deplored the lack of lightness in television programmes – a state of affairs with which I find myself in total agreement. Don’t get…