Innehållsförteckning för December 2016 från BBC Gardeners' World

This is the time of year when anything seems possible in the garden. Of course, set foot outside and the bare earth may not look too welcoming but, hunkered down indoors, we can get creative – it’s the time to dream! So, piled up by my bedside are my favourite seed catalogues – I’m a sucker for them and the good times they bring. I can’t resist buying and sowing more seed than my garden has space for... but that leaves plenty to share around. We know lots of readers also find seeds irresistible, and here at the magazine we’ve loved seeing photos of the swathes of colour created from your sowing adventures this year. Many of you took our ‘sow one, share one’ challenge this year when, to mark…

C. alba ‘Sibirica’ An old favourite with crimson-red winter shoots – lovely underplanted with crocuses. H x S2m x 2m C. sanguinea ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ Intensely coloured reddish-orange shoots in winter. H x S 2m x 2m C. sericea ‘Baileyi’ Reddish-brown stems have a striking upright habit. Plants tend to spread by suckering at the base. H x S 3m x 3m C. sericea ‘Flaviramea’ The yellowish-olive winter stems look especially good alongside ‘Sibirica’. H x S 2m x 3m C. ‘Midwinter Fire’ Spectacular twigs, yellow at the base grading to orange at the tips. Striking autumn leaves. H x S1.5m x 1m In winter, most deciduous shrubs are, quite frankly, dull. Apart from a mass of grey twigs, there’s really not much to see. But there’s a group of…

• If you have some spare ground put them, pot and all, in the ground. This will help keep frost away from the roots. When it gets colder, drape some fleece over them. Verdun • Leave the top growth on and cut back in spring – it is believed to protect the plant more. Pot them into larger pots if pot bound, and keep sheltered and on the dryish side until spring. Against a sheltered wall, if you haven’t got a coldframe. fidgetbones • I overwinter small plants and cuttings in my cold frame. Some types are more hardy than others. As you have already lost some in the ground, I agree with fidgetbones abiut keeping them in pots and giving them some protection. hollie hock • I had penstemons…

• 60 mins of Monty & co Gardeners’ World will return to our screens next year, with most programmes being an hour long from late May. This follows a successful autumn of hour-long shows, which were well received by viewers and saw the introduction of a host of new presenters. • Free seed success After circulating over one million packets of seed this spring, we’ve been inundated with letters telling us how readers got on. The seeds were all part of our Let’s Get Growing campaign launched in January for our 25th anniversary celebrations, with the subscriber-exclusive, free cosmos proving a massive hit. • Plants in the office boost worker productivity by almost a fifth, according to a study carried out at Exeter University. • Save on GWL tickets Snap…

1 Further coverage We’re taking a closer look at all nine of our 2016 shortlisted gardens in our February, March and April issues – see what makes a winner. 2 Video diaries Hear from 2016’s shortlisted garden owners to discover their gardening journey. You’ll find nine inspiring audio slideshows at bit.ly/gw-goty 3 Competition launch We’re kicking off 2017’s competition in our March issue. We’ll reveal our fantastic prizes along with new categories. Could you be a winner?…

Golden touch The warm tones of this display give it a rich, opulent feel and make it perfect for brightening a sheltered porch. The orange chillies steal the show, but do need to be kept frost-free, while the cordyline provides the backbone of the display. The violas, kept deadheaded, will flower non-stop. The carex and cordyline will both do well in the garden when the display is past its best. Other plants to try: • Winter cherry (Solanum capsicastrum) • Phormium • Bronze-leaved heuchera To make everything shimmer, we added gold spray-painted cones and twigs, and warm-white battery-powered lights Opposites attract Fancy a change from the traditional seasonal colours? Then this striking combination is for you. Pink and lime create the perfect colour contrast for a container that’s a real…

If mowing isn’t your favourite job or you have limited time for gardening but still want a neatly trimmed lawn, then a robotic mower could be the answer. They can also be a godsend for older or less mobile gardeners and for second-homers with more space than time. Rather like quiet mechanical sheep, these cute and compact mowers ‘graze’ by cutting little and often, so the clippings mulch down, helping to feed the lawn too. Robotic mowers run on powerful lithium-ion batteries, they recharge themselves automatically and are kept within bounds by a continuous loop wire hidden around the edge of the lawn. Of course, access to mains electricity is essential, as is a clear, clutter-free lawn. No emissions, little noise and an evenly cut lawn that never has a…

Monitor heater performance WHETHER YOU are keeping the greenhouse frost free or heating it to a higher level for tender plants, it is crucial to check temperatures regularly to ensure that your heater is working efficiently. This is good for your pocket as well as your plants – greenhouses are expensive to heat. Use a greenhouse thermometer, at plant level, to gauge temperatures first thing in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Keep a record of these and adjust any heater thermostats accordingly. Keep it clean THOROUGH winter cleaning of your greenhouse will maintain good light transmission, so wash the glass and framework with warm water and a greenhouse or household detergent. This will remove traces of shade paint and algae and any stuck on leaves and birds’…

Bring in bulbs for indoor flowering WITH THE exception of ‘prepared’ hyacinth and narcissus, all traditional forced bulbs (apart from amaryllis) need a period of cold outdoors to ensure that the flowers develop properly. After six weeks in pots outdoors in a cool, shaded place, spring-flowering bulbs can now be forced into growth to put on a show at Christmas and through the new year holiday. Bring one or two pots indoors at 7-10 day intervals, so that you have a succession of flowers to enjoy. Place them in a coolish, well-lit place, away from direct sources of heat and radiators – this prevents the leaves and flower stalks from becoming leggy and flopping. VISIT gardenersworld. com/pots-containers for more inspiring and practical container projects…

Maintain mowers ALTHOUGH your mower will have been consigned to the shed at this time of year, it pays to clean, service and sharpen its blades before next spring. Always ensure that it’s disconnected from the mains or its battery, or has the spark plug removed, before touching the machine’s underside. Brush or rinse off grass residue and then sharpen blades, if you can, and check the condition of any power cable or batteries. If you prefer to send it off for servicing book early, as mower companies get busy in late winter. Keep ice and leaves off ponds WATER IN ponds can get full of sludge in the winter unless you take care to stop the last of the autumn leaves from blowing in. This sludge can give off…

Winter is a time for rearranging the veg plot, but if you grow perennial crops they’ll be staying put. Rhubarb, asparagus, artichokes, seakale and nine-star broccoli remain in beds for years, needing just a little care to ensure a delicious harvest. Rhubarb can be ready before any other fruit, with asparagus spears filling the hungry gap. Winter’s a good time to clear away dead foliage and stems and remove any pests you can find (asparagus beetles overwinter in sheltered spots). Vigilantly check for weeds and dig them out with a knife to minimise disturbance then mulch to keep the soil healthy. Take care to avoid stepping on crowns and shallow roots. These steps will reduce the problems that build up in long-term planting. Do plan to replant your perennials every…

• Shoot landscape format rather than portrait, as that’s the shape of the calendar. • Focus on quiet months as we’re always spoilt for choice when it comes to the spring and summer months. By sending in a winter or autumnal scene, you’ll have less competition. • Photograph at dawn and dusk for atmospheric shots, particularly in winter. • Use soft winter light to backlight the plants. • Try different angles, and with plants that grow low to the ground, the only way to shoot them is to put on waterproof clothing and lie on your stomach! • Photograph up into plants, with the sky as the backdrop. • Control the aperture setting on your camera if possible. Use a shallower depth of field when shooting individual plants. This gives…

“You must make your winter green where you find it, but make it you must” December is the cruellest month – so short the days and so long the nights, but the quality of day can make up for diminution in quantity. Eight hours of dazzling, albeit cold, sunlight can be plenty enough to see you through the longest night. But Herefordshire rarely does dazzling winter sunlight and almost never eight hours in one bright, brief day. Our December days lower, loom and flicker like a waning bulb, barely making it to the safety of the premature afternoon dark. I am used to this. It comes round, you deal with it. I don’t ask for, nor need, sympathy. But pity the poor garden. In December, it is stripped of all…

Shades of grey I’d just like to say that Alan isn’t alone in his dislike of the current trend for green/grey paintwork in the garden (Tales from Titchmarsh, November issue). I work as a gardener and these colours are ubiquitous in the gardens I come across. From pergolas to gates to back doors, everything seems to have been painted in shades of gruel. I love colour in the garden and it was great to see wildflower seeds being sown by my local council. Heidi Hurwood, by email Sting in the tail Are readers aware of the Asian hornet? The first sightings in the UK were made in Somerset and Gloucestershire this summer. These hornets are voracious predators of all insects, especially honeybees, and pose a real threat to the UK’s…

Live Butterfly Garden Watch caterpillars transform into chrysalides before emerging as painted lady butterflies. £20, insectlore.co.uk Nature Trail Binoculars With 30 x 6 magnification, these plastic binoculars will get them on the right track to spotting wildlife. £4, muddypuddles.com RSBP Minibeast viewer A double magnifying container for viewing bugs, flowers, leaves, or anything else they can find. £4.99, rspb.org.uk/shop Pond Dipping Kit Learn all about pond life with 24 pond life ID cards, magnified jar, fishing net, notepad and pencil. £12, flibberty.com Nick Baker’s Bug Safari This kit has everything a budding entomologist needs to examine and identify common bugs. £9.99, argos.co.uk…

Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’ Male, so no berries, but there is still plenty going on. It gets its common name of ‘hedgehog holly’ from having some of the most prickly of leaves – ‘ferox’ means fierce! The texture of the leaf margins is emphasised by the cream. It’s an accommodating plant and will bring light to a dark corner. H x S 7m x 3m Ilex x meserveae ‘ Blue Princess’ Young, purplish shoots turning to blue-grey foliage on a tree with a dense growing habit. This variety usually has a good berry set – as long as there is a male nearby. It’s lends itself to being shaped and is suitable as a hedge or incorporated into a mixed hedge – good…

“I never imagined it would be me – I’m so touched! It’s fantastic to have my daughter involved in the garden and she loves playing outdoors. It’s also very educational for her.” Magda D’Ingeo Scooping almost 40 per cent of our online vote, Magda’s garden was the clear winner of the People’s Choice award. She has received £1,000 of Cobra garden equipment, in addition to the £2,000 of kit for winning the Family Plot category. Judges praised her garden for being a fantastic space suited to both adults and children.…

Moth orchid care SEEING ORCHIDS growing in their natural environment is one of the most breathtaking experiences I have had during my career – pure beauty! Moth orchids, or phalaenopsis, are tropical, epiphytic plants that are native to forests throughout south-east Asia, where they thrive in warm, moist conditions. When I was given my first moth orchid, I didn’t know how to look after it and doubted it would last long. But in fact these orchids are easy to care for. Take your lead from their natural environment by providing moisture in the air (for example by misting them), a temperature of 15-24°C, good air circulation, an east- or west-facing window and protection from midday sun. Repot every couple of years, keeping the plant at its existing level in the…

Making ivy ‘topiary’ TOPIARY INVOLVES commitment. It is a hugely useful art, for it creates sculpted shapes that – since they are usually evergreen – give the garden year-round form and interest. The trouble is that most evergreens that are capable of being ‘topiarised’ are relatively slow growing. It’s fun making peacocks out of yew, but you will need patience and time, and box is now a martyr to blight. Ivy enables you to ‘cheat’ at topiary if it is used with a wire framework that in itself creates the shape. Use long, well-grown ivy and the effect can be instantaneous. If variegated ivy is used, it will also be bright and cheerful during the winter months. Provided the earth in the ground or the container does not become waterlogged,…

Though a staple of the British diet, the potato is often overlooked by gardeners or treated as a ‘plant-and-forget’ crop with correspondingly poor results. But by following just a few simple steps, you can ensure you get a bumper harvest, so it’s well worth growing your own. There is a huge range available, from iconic classics to unusual heritage varieties, and they can be grown in any size garden. Freshly harvested, their flavour is second-to-none – and is made that bit sweeter when new potatoes are expensive in the shops. Follow our guide to make 2017 your best potato year ever. Where to buy Order your seed potatoes now to be sure of the best varieties. Take advantage of our free ‘Charlotte’ potatoes, on p14 and for other varieties try…

DAVID SAYS Fruit makes an attractive productive addition to the garden, and once planted will produce a worthwhile crop year after year Q Can I grow fruit in a small garden? A Although often overlooked, fruit is a great option for small gardens, patios and balconies, where it will provide you with homegrown pickings and look attractive when it’s in flower and the crop is ripening. Whether you want to grow fruit in borders, raised beds or large containers, there is a huge range of different types and varieties to choose from. Where you have garden soil to plant in, fruit trees and bushes can be used to create a ‘framework’ in your garden, their trunks and branches doing the same job as ornamental trees and shrubs, but with the…

School’s out at St James’s Every year, our small club within a primary school helps to improve the environment by planning a gardening project. We’ve planted and sowed to attract bees and butterflies, and as you can see we’ve had great success. Over the summer we’ve been visited by cabbage whites, bumble bees and hoverflies. Children and playworkers, St James Primary School, Derbyshire Top banana I decided to pot up my banana tree so I could bring it indoors for the winter. I know that Monty has historically decapitated his for hibernation, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it; instead, I removed the lower leaves (only so I could fit it in the house), put them in a vase for all to enjoy and placed my newly potted…

“What’s just been pushed under your cabin door? A menu or the following day’s itinerary? No, it’s a snippet of rotting plant matter with a query from that lady in cabin 1045” Gardeners are more aware than most of the seasons. We have seasons to sow and seasons to harvest; seasons, like the present, in which to gather holly and ivy, and sit by a roaring log fire fastening sticky notes to a seed catalogue. But what gardeners can also do at this time of year is dream – of a new season that will be better than the last, and of holidays that can be taken when the garden is dormant. Yes, December and January are the months when advertisements and holiday brochures make us yearn for sun to…

Our gardens aren’t just a place to play, create and relax, but a precious window onto a world turned by natural cycles and seasons. We’re celebrating that here by capturing key moments in the year for your 2017 gardeners’ calendar, from the unfurling colours of new leaves and sun-seeking flowers to the shimmer of seedheads casting their contents to the wind. Three of these images are reader photographs – including the joyous picture of wood anemones by James Duffy, which you voted for in our reader poll to decide the cover image. We’re now taking entries for our 2018 calendar (see the calendar page in the December 2016 issue), so why not give it a go for the chance to see your photos in print next year? And we’re celebrating…

• New plant search Choose the right plants to suit your garden with our new online Plant Finder tool. Go to gardenersworld.com/ plant-finder and search by month of interest, soil type, hardiness and a lot more – we’ve thousands of plants in our database, so you’ll always make the right choice! • Festive makes Keen to make your own festive decorations? Follow our easy video guides to wreaths, stars and more at gardeners world.com/christmas • Monty & friends The programme may be off air but you can catch up with topical video tips from Monty at gardenersworld.com/ monty-don • Made for wildlife Our latest special edition makes a perfect stocking filler. Find our 132-page Gardening for Wildlife, for just £6.99, at WHSmith, or buy at buysubscriptions.com/gwwildlife, with free home delivery. KEEP UP TO…

“It is the nature of change that matters, not change itself” When asked about change, the late Christopher Lloyd of Great Dixter said, “It is impossible to conserve a garden of herbaceous material in the manner of its creator, after they have gone… the gardeners work in the spirit of the creator while adding something of themselves to the mix; this is inevitable and essential if the garden is not to die.” Those who remember Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Vita Sackville West’s day agree that she had a marvellous vision of the abundant effect she wanted to achieve. To many professional gardeners, however, it was lacking the horticultural control needed to maximise its beauty, but then she was unashamedly amateur: she had no need to make a garden that pandered…

Butterfly collapse Results from this year’s Big Butterfly Count reveal fewer butterflies were seen than in 2012 – the official worst year on record for the insects. Common butterflies, such as the comma, small copper and gatekeeper, experienced their worst summer since the launch of the Big Butterfly Count, with numbers down 46%, 30% and 40% respectively compared to 2015. But the news wasn’t all bad – red admiral numbers were up 70% since 2015, while green-veined whites were up 58%. Visit big  butterflycount.org for the full picture. Hornet alert British gardeners have been put on alert to watch out for Asian hornets – a threat to our honey bees and other pollinators. The killer hornets are described as a significant threat to native insects by government agencies. Visit nonnativespecies.org…

THE LONG, LONG LIFE OF TREES Fiona Stafford This beautifully illustrated book offers an intimate, detailed exploration of 17 common trees. Brimming with surprising topics, facts, and discussions including tree diseases and environmental threats, this book celebrates trees as our inspiring and beloved natural companions. • Yale Press, £16.99 GOOD GOOD FOOD Sarah Raven Make the most of your home-grown harvests with this book of recipes. Sharing her medical knowledge, Sarah, who trained as a GP, explains how and why certain foods can help you to feel well, look well and live longer. Includes 250 recipes, and 100 superfood biographies. • Bloomsbury, £25 VEGETABLES, HERBS & FRUIT Matthew Biggs, Jekka McVicar and Bob Flowerdew This classic source-book by three of the UK’s leading gardening experts covers almost 300 herbs, vegetables…

Lower branches can accumulate dead wood, especially in shady areas where growth tends to be leggier. Remove these, as well as any branches and shoots that are diseased, dying or rubbing against each another. A few hollies have a tendency to throw out awkward shoots – prune back above a bud, removing the rangy growth. Tidy up a holly that is getting too big for its position by cutting each branch to create a good shape. In limited spaces, create a standard holly by removing all side shoots from the trunk up to the required height. Japanese hollies ( Ilex crenata ) grown as hedges or topiary should be clipped in May and September to keep their shape. They’ll make fresh growth from brown wood if more drastic pruning is…

“I’m gobsmacked at winning. My partner said I had nothing to worry about, but I didn’t believe her – I’m blown away and so pleased. Gardening means the world to me and I can’t imagine life without it.” Steve Moodey As the winner of both our Small Space category and the Judges’ Choice award, Steve received Cobra garden equipment to the value of £3,000. Judges were wowed by the transformation of his plot – from a scrappy tip to tropical oasis – along with his clever use of space. “I’ve never entered a garden competition before, and this is my first proper garden. It’s very different to most gardens around me, and local people can’t believe what I’ve done. It’s a trade off between wild and natural.” Pam Woodall Winning…

Take inspiration from nature and the seasons this Christmas by making our thrifty festive decorations. Raid the garden and keep your eyes peeled when you’re out on a winter’s walk for attractive foliage, flowers still in bloom, stems of glistening berries and sculptural seedheads. Gather materials together early so the birds don’t get them all first and they don’t get damaged by winter weather. But do take care to leave enough for wildlife and others to enjoy. We’ve listed the ingredients we used, but get creative with what you have in your garden. You can also buy a range of dried seedheads and flowers from florists or online. Festive wreath HOW TO MAKE IT 1 Secure three short sprigs of fir to a wreath base with wire. Repeat by overlapping…

I DO LESS gardening in the whole month of December than I do in a normal week of March or April. In fact, there have been Decembers when I have barely done anything at all other than open up the greenhouses occasionally. The combination of the shortest days and the dreariest weather means that the garden shuts up shop and hunkers down, waiting for the year to pass. But now and then there are a few days of dry weather, when I get out and clear as much fallen, soggy foliage from the borders as possible. Anything standing without support is left as cover for the birds and to add a skeletal adornment. As the garden is stripped, it becomes almost entirely green and brown – the essential evergreen structure…

Prepare a trench for beans THIS MONTH is a good time to dig your trench or pit ready for next year’s planting of runners or climbing French beans. Dig parallel trenches if you intend to grow your beans in rows, or a pit at the centre of the circle where you'll make a wigwam of supports. Line your excavation with cardboard and newspaper and then fill with the least decomposed material taken from the top of your compost heap. Leave the trench open in winter, so that you can add layers of vegetable peelings from festive dinners and any lawn clippings, gradually covering with a fine layer of the excavated soil. Cut back autumn rasberries PRUNING autumn-fruiting raspberries is a straight-forward matter of cutting all the canes down to ground…

Lasting trees MAKE SURE your Christmas tree is a sparkling success by choosing carefully and conditioning it before you decorate. Our traditional Christmas tree is the Norway Spruce (Picea abies). It’s a good choice but the soft-needled Nordmann and Fraser firs (both Abies species) are challenging the spruce for scent, needle retention and their space-saving, narrow, upright habit. There are other species to choose from, with the larger needled pines also looking good, although they need more room. Before you go shopping, decide where your tree will go and measure the space. Select your tree, then pick it up. The heavier it feels, the fresher it is as it will have lost less moisture since being cut. Tap the base of the tree on the ground to check for needle…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Wisley Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Q How do slugs contribute to a garden’s ecosystem? Helen Marshall, West Yorkshire A PIPPA SAYS Although best known for being the number-one garden pest, there may be some benefits from having them in the garden (providing there aren’t too many). Slugs and/or their eggs are a potentially useful source of food for garden visitors or residents including hedgehogs, ground beetles, grass snakes, toads, frogs, newts, slow-worms and centipedes. Some birds, including blackbirds and mistle thrushes,…