Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i BBC Gardeners' World

This year for the first time, I was lucky enough to witness the judging of our annual Gardens of the Year competition. Thankfully, I didn’t have the responsibility of making the final decision – that was in the capable hands of Alan Titchmarsh, Arit Anderson, Anne-Marie Powell and our own Kevin Smith, and I was able to sit back and watch the judging day unfold. Most importantly, I got to see the incredible gardens that were entered, and to hear the stories behind them and the journeys each gardener went on to create them. The final six have quite different plots but each is a very worthy and inspirational finalist, and the brave decision that one of them made to transform their garden has even inspired me to think about…

“Wisdom comes with winters”Oscar Wilde STAR OF THE MONTH Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ Forgive me please because I have, in my youth, been a bit sneery about mahonias. I recognise that this was a mistake as they have an awful lot in their favour: colour at a time when we have little, evergreen leaves, heavenly scent and they can be pruned into really interesting architectural shapes. The knubbly-barked stems can be trained as tall umbrellas to frame views and gateways. On the downside (we are always balanced here at GW), it is extremely prickly. Fortunately, as it flowers in winter, you should all be wearing enough clothes to keep it at bay. Good in sun or part-shade. Propagate from late-summer cuttings. Ideal for woodland edges. Height x Spread 3m…

Deck the hall A confluence of styles and eras, Eltham Palace & Gardens in London is part art deco mansion and part medieval hall, with lavish interiors to admire. Outdoors, cross London’s oldest working bridge into the 19-acre garden, stroll beside the moat and explore the garden rooms. Hellebores bloom from December and the scent of viburnum fills the air. OFFER Palace & garden: 2 for 1 from £15 (see website for prices), single reduced by 25%. Offer not valid on bank holiday weekends or event dates with an advertised additional charge – check website. englishheritage.org.uk/eltham Northern star A Greek revival mansion, medieval castle and 30 acres of gardens and woodland await you at Belsay Hall, Northumberland. The gardens, reinvigorated by celebrated designer Dan Pearson, include jewel-like irises and heather,…

ASHLEY EDWARDS BARBARA SEGALL BECKY SEARLE HAFSAH HAFEJI JAMIE WALTON POLLYANNA WILKINSON There is a strange irony to being a garden designer, in that when most people are not quite so interested in their garden (late autumn and winter) this is the exact time that it needs the most attention, at least from a design and planning point of view. However, most of our design enquiries come when the weather improves in spring, usually with a plea for it to be ready by summer – but the reality is, by spring, it’s arguably too late to do anything constructive or meaningful. My hope, therefore, is to spur you into action during these cold and dark days so you can enjoy the fruits of your labour when the weather turns. Winter…

Shorten buddleia stems Reduce the height of tall buddleias now to prevent the risk of any branches snapping and potentially causing damage during winter gales. This pruning is also essential on younger buddleias to reduce the chance of the roots ‘rocking’ in the wind, which could stunt the development of the plant. Work your way around the plant, cutting all the stems back by a third. Prune to just above a leaf bud, making an angled cut so that winter rain runs off easily and doesn’t cause rot. Secateurs are fine to use on most stems, but you will need to switch to bypass loppers or a pruning saw for the thicker ones. Cut weak stems from sambucus Prune out stems on sambucus (elder) that are weak, spoiling the shape…

Top up your urn plant’s water tank Replace the water in the ‘tank’ (in the centre) of urn plants (Aechmea fasciata) every two to three weeks. Replacing the water, regardless of its level, helps keep it fresh and prevents the plant from rotting. Carefully tip the plant on its side to release the old water, then fill the tank so the water level is 2.5cm deep. Use clean rainwater, kept at room temperature. Keep the plant in a bright room in indirect light at a temperature of 18-24°C, with moderate humidity. DON’T FORGET □ Keep citrus plants in a well-lit, cool but frost-free place for the rest of winter □ Remove yellowing leaves promptly to prevent rotting □ Turn hanging plants regularly to ensure even exposure to available sunlight □…

It’s not often that you can visit somewhere breathtakingly beautiful that’s only a two-hour flight from London and that’s largely undiscovered by British tourists. My family and I travelled to South Tyrol, a province of northern Italy that was part of Austria until World War One. It’s nestled in the Dolomites mountain range. As we drove, zig-zagging up into the mountains, with dramatic valleys falling away to the side and cable cars zipping over us, I was grateful that I’d given everyone a travel sickness tablet before we set off. We stayed at the AKI Family Resort in Plose, where we were the only Brits. In the winter, the hotel caters to skiers, but in spring and summer, when we visited, it’s a dream destination for walkers and nature lovers.…

Buy a collection of three Loved for their winter beauty, hellebores will survive the coldest weather, poking their heads up above the snow. These blousy, cup-shaped double blooms appear above glossy evergreen foliage from January through to May, giving colour to your garden when little else is flowering. Fully hardy perennials, hellebores are perfect for planting in shady borders and containers or underneath trees and shrubs, where they will add their timeless elegance. Height x Spread 35cm x 35cm Flowers Jan-May ◼ Helleborus ‘Double Ellen White’ x 1 £16 (K10594) ◼ H.‘Double Ellen Spotted’ x 1 £16 (K42680) ◼ H.‘Double Ellen Red’ SAVER COLLECTION ◼ Double hellebores collection of 3 (1 of each) £24 SAVE £24 (K50026) ◼ Supplied as 9cm pots, delivery in 7 days 3 EASY WAYS TO ORDER NOW Please add…

Pippa Greenwood One of the top experts on pests and diseases, Pippa gardens using organic methods. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years. Kirsty Wilson Kirsty is Head of Gardens at Balmoral Castle and is a presenter on BBC2’s Beechgrove Garden. Q Which plants are good for a small table by a window and the foor next to it? Alison, Worcestershire A MATT SAYS For ease of maintenance and as an attractive feature, plant up a terrarium using small plants such as: fittonias with their dark-green leaves with netted veins, ranging in colours from white to dark pink; Hypoestes, the polka dot plant, which has spots so dense they become almost solid colours; and a whole range of Peperomia including large, glossy,…

Established 1991 Here at GW, our goal is simple: to provide expert, trusted advice and inspiration to gardeners – whenever and wherever they need us. Through all of this, we’re rooted in a set of core values that are at the heart of all we do: ✔ Dependable advice We equip everyone to get the very best from their plants and gardens. Our in-house gardening experts are trained to the highest standard and always deliver dependable know-how, making GW the go-to place for practical advice. ✔ Top gardening names We work with the best gardening writers and content creators in the business, including Gardeners’ World TV presenters and other high-profile names. Our content is world-class, with quality, impartiality and accuracy at its core. ✔ Every space counts We understand that gardens…

There are many things about plant names that test our patience or that are just plain baffling. Take hollies. Now, most of us remember that hollies come as male plants and female plants, and that the female hollies need pollen from a male to develop berries. That’s the easy part. So, down at the garden centre our eye is caught by a holly with dark-green leaves edged in creamy white. We check the label, ‘Silver Queen’ – just the thing – and we look forward to all the Christmas berries among that variegated foliage. But that ‘Silver Queen’ will never ever produce any berries. Why? Because ‘Silver Queen’ is a male holly. What idiot, 150 years ago, decided to name a male holly ‘Silver Queen’? I really don’t know. But…

It’s going to be different, that’s for sure. I’m determined not to take too much with me, aside from potted pelargoniums and a host of lead planters. Things that are established in the garden will stay there, otherwise I will have dismantled the very thing that probably attracted the new owners. (We are only ever custodians of our small patch of landscape and now it’s someone else’s turn to enjoy it.) Our new garden has no greenhouse, so that’s the first priority. Well, actually, it’s the second, because the garden doesn’t have a shed either and I have a heck of a lot of stuff in a friend’s garage just waiting to come home. The chance to design a potting shed that will not only store tools, garden furniture and…

Pot up skimmias Plant skimmias in pots so you can position them in spots where you can best see their attractive berries now, their pretty flower buds at the end of winter and blossom in spring. Skimmias do best in partial shade, although they will tolerate full shade. A popular misconception is that skimmias require ericaceous (lime-free) soil, but this is not the case. For growing in pots, use a good-quality, peat-free multi-purpose potting compost with added loam. Put a thin layer of compost at the base of the pot, then lower in the plant so it is at the same depth as it was in its original pot. TOP TIP Leave your lawnmower clean and dry to avoid the blades seizing up and the fittings going rusty while it’s…

NEW EPISODES! Get inspired by the UK’s favourite gardening voices! The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast is your go-to source for year-round growing advice, heartwarming stories, and down-to-earth gardening conversations. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, our trusted experts share practical tips and uplifting insights that are sure to get you hooked. Join Monty Don, Frances Tophill, Adam Frost, Arit Anderson, Carol Klein and more for friendly gardening chat and informative discussion with the magazine team, perfect for everyone who enjoys gardening. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday, with bonus listens on Saturdays. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts at GardenersWorld.com/podcast Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or at GardenersWorld.com/podcast…

Plant up a colour pop container Create a mixed pot of colourful winter plants to keep your patio looking as exciting as it did in summer. Use a selection of bold winter flowers such as cyclamen and winter pansies with plants that have colourful stems and foliage. Evergreen grasses such as Carex testacea or semi-evergreen Anemanthele lessoniana will also add movement, so your container will be a striking focal point on even the wildest of wintry days. Choose a pot to complement the colours of the planting; for example, a classic terracotta pot housing the orangey stems of Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ is a simple way of adding an instant pop of rich colour to the patio. Once watered in, only water again in very windy dry spells – push your…

Simon Richards, Folkestone, Kent “The garden is peaceful, musical with the wind and grasses, and truly my happy place.” JUDGES’ CHOICE “The b ggest transformation was digging up about two-thirds of the lawn and creating a gravel garden, inspired by Beth Chatto. Over time, I’ve filled the space with a mix of self-seeding plants and deliberate plantings. It’s now about finding the right balance” “So clever how he’s created different levels in a flat garden. The pond area is breathtaking with beautiful texture and colour in the planting, and the steps down into the sunken area – perfect”Sara Faulkner, finalist and Judges’ Choice winner, GOTY 2024 For more than a decade, Simon Richards has nurtured his Kent garden into an inspiring example of what resilience, creativity and patience can achieve.…

Create an impressive summer display with these two agapanthus varieties: blue ‘Queen of the Ocean’ and white ‘Polar Ice’. With their large spherical flowerheads on tall stems, these magnificent perennials lend stature to borders and patio pots in a warm, sunny spot. The seedheads then provide interest well into autumn. Both the flowerheads and seedheads also make long-lasting vase displays. Height x Spread 80cm x 40cm Flowers Jul-Sep ◼ 6 bare roots (3 of each) £14.99 £9.99 SAVE £5 (KF9515) ◼ 12 bare roots (6 of each) £29.98 £18.99 SAVE £10.99 (KF9516) ◼ Black & gold patio pot upgrade Upgrade your order to include a black & gold patio pot (39cm x 30cm) worth £19.99, for only £9.99. Made from durable plastic, this attractive pot is lightweight and the weatherproof material makes it perfect…

Step by step By changing one letter each time to make a new word, can you transform LIME into ZEST in six steps or less? Cocktail party Below are six fruits that might be used to make festive cocktails. But numbers have replaced the letters. Can you crack the code? Spice it up These six spices add fragrance and flavour to Christmas cooking. If you fill them in correctly, the letters in the boxes will spell out a popular nut. Word wheel Use letters from the wheel to solve the clues below. Each answer includes the letter in the centre. Then use all the letters in the wheel to spell out a plant known for winter interest. 1 An evergreen flowering shrub 2 A pollinator 3 A plant with practical…

LEADING THE WAY Content Director Kevin Smith Magazines Editor Kay Maguire Head of Content Adam Duxbury Head of Digital Catherine Mansley Head of Operations Gregor Shepherd CREATING QUALITY GARDENING CONTENT Horticultural Editor Emma Crawforth Digital Editor Blake Roberts Senior Content Creator Sonya Patel Ellis Picture Editor Sarah Edwards Audio/visual Editor Claire Vennis Strategic Projects Editor Oliver Parsons Social Media Lead Rachael Gibson Video Content Developer Jordan Kelly-Linden Editorial Assistant Sydney James GETTING THE DETAIL RIGHT Art Director Jo Cloke Art Editor Andrew Ellis Chief Sub Editor John Perkins Multimedia Sub Editor Shirley Accini PUBLISHING AND MARKETING Commercial Director Rachel Clare Commerce and Partnerships Manager Rita Baptiste Brand Marketing Executive Phoebe Elliott Commerce and Digital Marketing Executive Lois Elliott Brand Admin Assistant Sara Bhambra With thanks to Paula Boyd-Barrett, Neil Darby,…

Back in the spring of 1994, I noticed that all over the Spring Garden, which I had begun to plant the year before, hazel seedlings were popping up. These were from nuts that had been buried by squirrels from the big hazel tree just beyond the back door. So I dug them up and potted them. Across the next couple of years I accrued about 70 of them, so decided to plant them out and make a small hazel coppice as part of the transformation of Longmeadow from a grassy field to a garden. I grew up in North Hampshire with coppices of hazel with beech standards as the dominant woodland, and have loved them and their attendant flora ever since. The essence of any coppice is that it is…

Immediate ■ Get rid of anything that upsets or annoys you, especially plants that are past their sell-by date or in the wrong position. Then enrich the soil with garden compost, so it’s ready to welcome new occupants. ■ Order seeds for spring sowing and sort out your old packets. If they’ve been stored in the warmth of your home, many seeds may no longer be viable. It’s not worth taking the risk of sowing them. ■ Take hardwood cuttings of roses and shrubs and plant in a slit trench in a spare patch of earth – perhaps on the veg patch. They’ll save you pounds. Short term ■ Begin winter pruning of apple and pear trees and roses. Traditionally we used to leave rose pruning until March, but they…

Bring scented blooms indoors Create beautifully scented, long-lasting indoor arrangements using winter greenery and flowers from your garden. Choose fragrant blooms such as viburnum, witch hazel, Christmas box and wintersweet, and combine with evergreen foliage, berries, rosehips and the seedheads of grasses and perennials. They’ll look beautiful and fill your home with scent, too. Change the vase water regularly to keep it fresh and place displays away from sources of heat to enjoy them for the longest possible time. Clear plants of fallen leaves Keep border plants free of fallen leaves to prevent their stems and buds from rotting. Autumn’s leaf layer is a natural soil conditioner if left on the ground, but plants can get smothered, preventing light and air from reaching them. Deep leaf litter around woody plants…

Give the veg plot a year-end tidy Now is the perfect time to spruce up the veg patch, to round off this growing season and get ready for the next one. The remains of spent crops can harbour pests and diseases over winter and make the place look a little sad and sorry for itself. But a good session of clearing them away and preparing the ground will lift your spirits even on the coldest day. There will be lots of spent plant material to put on the compost heap and it’s an ideal opportunity to turn the heap, mixing all the ingredients together well. Cover the heap after turning if the contents are excessively wet. It’s also the perfect time to use any compost that has rotted down well,…

■ Pear ‘Conference’ & ‘Concorde’ Height x Spread 2.5m x 1.5m Fruit Sep-Oct 1 x bare root (300064) ■ Cherry ‘Stella’ & ‘Sunburst’ H x S 3m x 2m F Jul-Aug 1 x bare root (300065) ■ Apple ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ & ‘Braeburn’ H x S 2.5m x 1.5m F Sep-Oct 1 x bare root (300063) ■ Plum ‘Victoria’ & ‘Czar’ H x S 3m x 2m F Jul-Oct 1 x bare root (300066) ■ Peach ‘Redhaven’ & apricot Early Orange H x S 2.5m x 1.5m H Aug-Sep 1 x bare root (300165) Choose any two of these delicious varieties for £19.99 SAVE £19.99 ■ PLUS FREE Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser 100g worth £4.99 (100085) YOU MAY ALSO LIKE… ■ Tree-planting kit Includes 2 stakes (1.2m x 3.2cm) and 2 ties. 1 kit…

Start lifting parsnips Parsnips roots will have reached full size by now, so you can begin harvesting them whenever needed. To get them out in one piece, loosen the soil around the roots with a garden fork beforehand, and ideally lift when it’s not too wet underfoot. Parsnips taste sweeter the longer they’re left in the ground and particularly after a hard frost. If your soil is heavy and prone to staying damp, lay a mulch of straw over the plants to help prevent the crown from rotting, which can spoil the top of the roots. Make a veg-plot compost trench Give next year’s crops a boost and reduce the need for watering in dry spells by making a compost trench on your veg plot. This is simply a trench…

This year’s prizes All six finalists were awarded a professional photoshoot of their garden and will be featured in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine in 2025-26. ◼ The winner of the Judges’ Choice award, Simon Richards, receives a sevennight  Italian holiday for two worth £7,000, staying at the Palazzo Belmonte hotel on the Cilento coast, south of Naples. They will enjoy a ground-floor room with private terrace and sea view, with flights, car hire and breakfasts included. The hotel is set in lush gardens with an outdoor pool and private beach. Set in pretty Santa Maria di Castellabate, it’s the perfect location for exploring the natural beauty of Cilento National Park. long-travel.co.uk/palazzo-belmonte PLUS… ◼ The prize for the People’s Choice winner is a seven-night holiday for up to six people (travel…

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES ◼ Return flights from London to Nice ◼ Five nights bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Le Grimaldi, Nice ◼ Four lunches and three dinners ◼ Welcome drinks reception with horticulturalist Colin Crosbie ◼ Services of Colin Crosbie as expert tour manager ◼ Comfortable coach travel throughout ◼ Visits include the Serre de la Madone, Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild, Jardin Exotique d’Èze, Jardin Botanique Val Rahmeh, Hanbury Gardens, Menton Lemon Festival, Villa Thuret, La Mouissone, St Paul de Vence and and Jardin Exotique de Monaco. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ◼ The glorious colours and spectacle of the Menton Lemon Festival ◼ Cacti of every shape and size in Èze ◼ The Hanbury Gardens plant collection ◼ Opulent surroundings of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Experience the radiant gardens of the…

Avocet 8 x 32 Binoculars rspb.org.uk, £145 A good pair of binoculars is essential for any keen wildlife watcher. This pair from the RSPB is fully waterproof and can be adjusted to use over glasses. WildID Fold-out Guides field-studies-council.org, £4 each These handy laminated guides make finding and identifying different species of birds, insects, bats or butterflies easy and enjoyable. Over 90 titles in the series. Crenova Outdoor Trail Camera crenova.net, £95 This motion-activated 4K wifi wildlife camera will record all visitors to your garden, day and night. Folding Metal Loupe Magnifier: 10x, 23mm diameter opticron.co.uk, £14.95 Small and lightweight, this 10x magnifier is great for close-up inspection of small invertebrates and plants on the go. Beginner’s Bat Detecting Kit nhbs.com, £126.68 Ideal for budding bat lovers, this kit includes…

Collection comprises ‘Timperley Early’, Polish Raspberry and ‘Victoria’. These budded pieces from established crowns can be harvested two years after planting. Harvest April-June 3 budded pieces (1 of each) £28.97 £12.99 SAVE £15.98 (KC4676) Scan QR code to buy and for more great deals dobies.co.uk/SUDGW4 Call 0844 736 4209* quote code SUDGW4 Items despatched from December 2025 onwards. Offer closes 15 January 2026. Contract for supply of goods with Dobies, Ipswich IP8 3BU. Terms and conditions available on request. Subject to availability. Full growing instructions included. We reserve the right to substitute varieties. Images for illustrations purposes only. *Calls cost 7p/minute plus your network access charge.…

on sale from 30 December New Year special! Monty brings in the new gardening year at Longmeadow by keeping the birds well fed PLUS ✔ It’s snowdrop time! Humaira Ikram visits a specialist nursery for expert tips and growing advice ✔ Giving back through gardening is good for you – Errol Reuben Fernandes shows how ✔ Look forward to the coming seasons by gardening for the soul with Ashley Edwards FREE SEEDS with our special NEW YEAR ISSUE Get ready to start sowing next year’s flowers and edibles with our free seeds chosen by the GW team ◼ Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cupcakes White’ ◼ Lettuce ‘Tom Thumb ◼ Sunflower ‘Earth Walker’ With expert sowing and growing guides in print and online to ensure success 7 REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE NOW… 1 FREE premium seed collection with our January to June issues, plus December 2 2 for…

“Breaking up is never easy, I know…” Good old Abba – always ready with an apposite lyric, though in this case I suppose it should be “Letting go is never easy” as I say farewell to the garden I have made over the last 23 years. So why go? Well… it’s time. Time for a new challenge. Time to downsize – a little – as those of us of relatively senior years are regularly told we would be wise to do. To be honest, we had no plans to move. When you restore an old house and make a garden around it, you pour so much of your heart and soul into it that moving on is bound to be a wrench. But when you are knocking on a bit (which…