Innehållsförteckning för February 2017 från BBC Gardeners' World

• New for 2017 Our two special editions on wildlife and growing veg will inspire you. Now subscribers get £1 off the full price of each – go to buysubscriptions.com/ wildlife and /gyo17 • Pruning basics Discover more about the art of pruning, and get plants back in shape, with our video guides at bit.ly/shrub-pruning • Learn new skills Launch your gardening year by picking up new skills, or brushing up old ones, with our hands-on Sowing Masterclasses, on 8 March in Hampshire and 29 March in Hereford. Book at gardenersworld.com/masterclass • Plant finder Choose the right plants for your garden with our new online Plant Finder tool. Go to gardenersworld.com/ plant-finder and search by month of interest, soil type and more. Use it outside, too, on your smartphone. KEEP UP TO…

• Garden wildlife The results of our 2016 garden wildlife survey are in, with readers reporting fewer sightings of most garden wildlife (including birds, hedgehogs and butterflies) than in 2015. Turn to p20 for more information. • Problem plots Got a tricky garden? Check out My Garden is a Car Park and other Design Dilemmas in which writer Kendra Wilson shares solutions for tricky plots. £12.99, Lawrence King. • An apple a day Scientists plan to unravel the genetic code of the apple that inspired Isaac Newton’s greatest discovery 350 years ago. Researchers are conducting whole genome sequencing of the ancient tree in the garden of Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, from which Newton is said to have seen an apple fall, prompting him to speculate on the nature of gravity in…

Zinnia With one of the widest ranging colour spectrums imaginable in one genus, zinnias are some of the most eye-catching in the summer carnival. Though there are a plethora of dwarf varieties, the taller selections offer the true character of the plant. Flowers Jun-Sep Height x Spread 60-80cm x 30cm Rudbeckia Providing months of sunny colour, this is one of the most rewarding of annuals. I grow ‘Rustic Dwarfs’. Seedlings are slow to develop but later come on by leaps and bounds. Nurture even the weakest seedlings as they often turn out to have rich mahogany flowers. F Jul-Oct HxS60cm x 20cm Dahlia Easy to germinate, ‘Bishop’s Children’ is one of the best seed strains. Keep potting on before planting out. By autumn, tubers will have formed and you can…

 WITH NATURAL HABITATS in decline, our gardens are an increasingly vital resource for wildlife, but how do you ensure yours is a beneficial as possible? This month we show you round the gardens of our three finalists in the wildlife garden competition category. “I built an attractive bug home and used left-over pond liner to keep it dry, then roofed it with moss” Pam Woodall The owners – Pam Woodall, Jeremy Young and Joanne Palmer – share some of their tips and advice on attracting wildlife into the garden, and we pick out some of their best features and ideas. We give ideas on how to recreate them in your own garden and how to make your patch of land, whatever its size, as beneficial to wildlife as possible. Next…

Cool and fresh The white Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is the star of this pot, so simply plant it with complementary evergreens to really give it a chance to shine. Here we’ve used a plain green ivy combined with golden variegated foliage to create the perfect trio. This pot will suit a sheltered, shady spot and will act as a focal point. Pick off the flowers as they start to fade to keep the pot looking fresh. More plants to try with hellebores: • Variegated euonymus • Variegated pieris EXPERT TIP All of the plants in this container can be moved to the garden when the display is past its best – they will live on happily for years Sunny contrast The elegantly pointed, grey-blue foliage of this hellebore complements…

Spring • State of growth New growth on deciduous shrubs is usually pliable and green or pale in colour. Spring is the season when growth tends to be at its most vigorous. • Why prune in spring? It channels sap flow and growth into fewer buds and stems. It also opens up the centre of plants to allow better air circulation, which deters pests and diseases in summer. Pruning cuts tend to heal more rapidly when plants are growing strongly. • What to prune Summer-flowering shrubs: buddleia, perovskia, spiraea and fuchsias, in early spring before growth starts. Winter- and spring-flowering shrubs: Viburnum bodnantense, winter honeysuckle, forsythia and weigela, after flowering. Frost-tender shrubs: abutilons, acacia and others, in mid- to late-spring, after final frost. Evergreen shrubs and conifers: after the risk…

STEP BY STEP Sow indoor tomatoes FOR AN early crop of greenhouse tomatoes, sow a small batch of seeds this month. Wait a month or so before sowing tomatoes destined for outdoor growing. Indoor tomatoes will crop for longer and are less susceptible to blight. However, you will need to protect from indoor pests such as greenhouse whitefly. 1 Fill small pots or modules with multi-purpose compost, then tap lightly to settle. Select a variety recommended indoor growing. 2 Sow two or three seeds per pot or module, on the surface, and cover with a little sieved compost. Water well from below. 3 Write a new label for each variety you have sown. Place on a well-lit windowsill or in a heated propagator. Plant fruit bushes…

Chit potatoes THIS IS ONE OF those lovely old traditions that gives veg growers something to get on with when the ground is still too cold and wet to sow seeds. ‘Seed potatoes’ are raised to be virus free, which is why they crop better than old tubers from the vegetable rack. Early and second early varieties, which are the first to be harvested, ahead of maincrops, produce a better and earlier harvest if their tubers are sprouted or ‘chitted’ before planting. The time to chit is from late January through March. Simply stand the tubers in an empty seed tray or egg boxes, with the shoot buds, or ‘eyes’, uppermost. To encourage the shoots to grow, place them in bright light with a temperature of 10-15°C – a windowsill…

Tablets like Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s range of Android tablets have become more and more popular over the last few years. They used to sound like something out of Star Trek - portable devices that you just touch to operate... and that you can even talk to! But now they’re everywhere - and with good reason. They’re by far the easiest way to access the internet, send and read emails, keep in touch with far flung friends and relatives... even making video phone calls (free). Of course you could do all that on a “traditional” PC or laptop, but a tablet is far more portable - take it to the cafe or out to the park... or curl up on the sofa with it. Plus tablets are easier to use…

Is this the year we learn to love the wasp? “Are you crazy!”, I hear you say. Well, it may seem odd – and yes I know their reputation and no more want to be stung than the next person – but they are one of our gardens’ hidden ‘friends’. As both pollinators and predators, they work unseen for most of the year, and only in late summer do we tend to take note of their drunken antics. By contrast, we admire honeybees – rightly so for their industry, and life would be unimaginable, even unsustainable, without them. Thousands of other pollinating insects also visit our gardens in a year, grazing on flowers and devouring aphids and more – natural pest control without us raising a finger. Wasps are a…

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Barmstedt Gold’ Large, scented yellow flowers on upright stems, yellow autumn foliage Flowers Jan-Feb. H x S 3m x 3m H. x intermedia ‘Aphrodite’ Large marmalade-orange, lightly scented flowers on spreading stems, with yellow autumn leaf colour. Flowers Feb-Mar. H x S 3m x 4m H. x intermedia ‘Diane’ Fine red blooms, almost ruby at the base, plus red-orange autumn foliage. A little more scent would be ideal. Flowers Dec-Feb. H x S 3.5m x 3.5m H. x intermedia ‘Rubin’ Lightly scented, vivid red blooms, with orangey-yellow autumn foliage on a vigorous, rounded plant. Flowers Jan-Feb. H x S 4m x 4m H. x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ Perhaps the best – highly fragrant, lemon blooms, rich autumn foliage. Flowers Feb-Mar. H x S 3m x 3.5m If…

“Plants are more important than a designer’s need for fashion fodder” What value do ornamental plants have ? Do they have intrinsic value as living, breathing, highly evolved organisms or are they only valuable as fashion statements? For me this is at the heart of this question because garden design is unique, being the only area of design that uses living organisms as part of the designer’s tools. I worry that garden design has evolved with the same determination for quick fixes and fashion fads as we see on endless property and interior makeover television shows. This is acceptable when working indoors, as wallpaper, soft furnishings and furniture do not need suitable habitats, soils, light, warmth, food, water and maintenance to remain in optimum condition – their only value is…

Wild Plants of Southern Spain by Tony Hall Now’s the perfect time to see the wildflowers of Andalucia in their spring glory, and this new book is the ideal companion. Tony Hall, of Kew Gardens, has travelled extensively in Andalucia – one of the world’s most florally diverse regions – and lists over 500 species, illustrated with more than 600 photos and maps – a visual guide that’s a treat to use. • Kew Publishing, RRP £30 Green Guide to Seashore life of Britain and Europe by Bob Gibbons Travel and natural history writer, Bob Gibbons, explores the wide range of plants and animals to be found on Britain’s coast, with concise descriptions and colour illustrations of 150 species. A great companion if you’re planning a spring walk on the…

What to sow into At Glebe Cottage we always sow our seeds in half seed trays or, if they’re big seeds, in cell or module trays. If you’re starting from scratch it’s worth buying heavy-duty trays that you can re-use over and over again. Compost choice We use a loam-based seed compost with enough nutrients in it for the seeds both to germinate and to grow into strong seedlings. We fill modules and trays to the brim and then tamp down. You don’t have to buy a tamper, you can make one simply from a piece of plywood with a handle glued onto it cut from a broom handle. But if you haven’t got a tamper you can also drop the trays onto a flat surface to settle the compost.…

Our gardens are vital in supporting native wildlife, and there’s lots we can do to help birds, mammals and beneficial insects. From introducing nectar-rich plants for pollinators to building a bug box, it all makes a difference. On the following pages you’ll discover everything you need to turn your plot into a wildlife haven, with advice from Monty, inspiration from real gardens and a year-round checklist. DISCOVER more must-grow wildlife plants at gardenersworld.com/wildlife-planting…

When I design garden layouts I often start with the placing and size of the seating areas and take it from there. They are a key element in forming the ideal ‘destination point’ and, when you’re seated, they also dictate how you view the garden. By definition, seating is for relaxing – after all, who can resist a bench in the dappled shade of a tree on a sunny day? It would seem rude not to sit on it and take a break! The type, size and finish of any garden seating you choose can help to set the overall style of the garden, and the surrounding hard landscaping and planting has the ability to turn it into a design feature in its own right. Over recent years, companies and…

A ride-on mower can make light work of large areas of lawn and grass, transforming a laborious, tedious job into a quicker and more enjoyable activity. It’s a big investment, though, and choosing the right one for your individual needs can be a confusing process. To help you make the right decision we’ve carried out a comparative trial highlighting the pros and cons of a selection of ride-ons. A mower needs to suit your garden layout and lawn type, as well as yourself and your budget – and there’s no shortage of choices. Ride-ons are predominantly aimed at gardeners with half an acre or more of grass, although for those with smaller lawns there are compact models that are no larger than a big walk-behind mower, but easier to use,…

Join David Hurrion, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Associate Editor, who will share his pruning expertise in a day full of hands-on practical advice and inspiring ideas, for gardeners of all levels. Learn how to prune your shrubs • Discover which plants to prune in spring • The right tools and how to use them • Where to cut and how hard to cut back • How to get more flowers and fruit Included in your day • Four practical pruning sessions led by David Hurrion • A set of notes to keep from each session, full of inspiring ideas and practical tips • Free access to the gardens and plant shop after the Masterclass • Tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival • A delicious lunch (special diets may be accommodated)…

Throw away yellow leaves TENDER and half-hardy plants that are overwintered under glass, along with cuttings you took last year, need to be checked regularly for any dead, dying or yellowing leaves. These should be picked or cut off as they can harbour fungal disease, which can spread to healthy foliage. Removing them will help to maintain good air circulation around the plants, which also reduces the risk of fungal infection. Keep an eye out, too, for signs of pests that can be picked off by hand. Pop all removed leaves on the compost heap. Prepare for cuttings IT’S NEARLY time to start taking softwood cuttings, and it pays to prepare by sectioning off part of the greenhouse with polythene to create a warm propagation area. Line the inside of…

Neaten up your lawn edges YOUR GRASS is probably barely growing on the surface, but the edges of the lawn can end up looking ragged and ill-defined at this time of year. Grass may even be creeping into your borders. So it’s worth taking time to re-cut the edges with a half-moon edger or a flat-bladed spade (any curve on the blade will create a scalloped effect). This will instantly make the lawn look smarter. Cut off edges can be placed on the compost heap or turned upside down and covered so the grass gradually rots away in the dark, leaving you with a pile of fine, loamy soil. Check and adjust tree ties WINTER STORMS often cause trees to sway vigorously, even if they’re held in place by a…

Tablets are becoming hugely popular. And no wonder - they’re lighter and easier to carry around than a PC. You can sit in a comfy armchair and browse the web or even video call your family around the world. They’re easier to use than PCs in lots of ways, too. But there’s a catch. In fact, two Catch number 1: They’re different from PCs. So if you already know how to use a PC, you have to start again. Catch number 2 (the big one!): There are lots of important features that are “hidden”. There’s no button for them, saying “click here”. And you simply can’t work it out. You need to know to slide the screen from the left, or drag the thingyme-bob to the right. Someone needs to…

DAVID SAYS Add small amounts of material at a time and mix thoroughly. Avoid adding large quantities of a single ingredient, such as grass clippings or shredded woody prunings. Q How can I make compost faster? A In a well-designed standard compost heap or bin, it should be possible to make a reasonable quantity of compost in as little as nine months, but not much faster. Much faster composting – around 90 days – is possible in wormeries and ‘hot’ composting bins, but both of these methods will produce very small quantities in that time frame, and they require careful management and monitoring to ensure that the contents don’t turn to slurry. Standard composting, however, is a reliable and steady process. By understanding the process, you can turn all your…

“It is modern nonsense to not consider an orchard a fully paid-up garden” When we came to Longmeadow in November 1991, the garden consisted of an open but abandoned field, with two trees the only growing things that stood out above the uncut grass. One was a hawthorn that remains as part of the coppice, and the other a large hazel in the Spring Garden. But there were two rotting trunks of damsons and evidence of old, long-fallen apple trees submerged beneath the tangle of grass. In short, there had been a sizeable orchard on the site – probably for centuries given the pattern of so many similar farmhouses nearby. From the outset I knew I wanted to plant an orchard and I knew I wanted it to comprise mostly…

• Make a pond and they will find their way on their own. There’s plenty of info online to help you with size, materials, design, etc. Obelixx • Frogs will forage in your garden if there are ponds fairly nearby, but they breed in water so won’t be found miles away from it. nutcutlet • There needs to be permanent water somewhere for frogs, but they don’t seem too fussy about what form it takes. A couple of years ago I left a gravel tray out and it filled with water over winter. When I went to move it, it was full of frogspawn. KT53 • You can control the slugs and snails a bit, especially in spring, by physically removing them or using nematodes. Encouraging birds will also help.…

Brexit means bee-exit? Scientists are calling for EU rules on certain pesticides to be retained after Brexit to safeguard Britain’s bees. The EU ban on three neonicotinoid pesticides, aimed at protecting bees and insects vital for pollinating crops, could be dropped if legislation is not retained. Following a Friends of the Earth/YouGov survey last year, which revealed 81% of the public want the EU ban retained, a leading bee expert says the evidence against these pesticides is growing. Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at Sussex University, says: “New work from Italy has shown even tiny doses of neonicotinoids impair the immune system of honeybees. Perhaps more concerning is it’s become clear they’re persistent and pervasive in the environment, so that soils, and rivers commonly contain significant levels.” Bayer, a UK…

The Italian Lakes with Monty 24-28 April 2017, from £1,995 per person Explore some of the world’s most dramatic gardens on our exclusive tour this spring to the Italian Lakes. Monty Don and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Editor, Lucy Hall, will join the tour as you enjoy the best of Italian food and hand-picked accommodation for an unforgettable experience. WHAT’S INCLUDED: Four nights’ bed, breakfast and dinner at the 4-star Hotel Metropole Suisse, Lake Como, and the 4-star Grand Hotel Majestic, Lake Maggiore. Flights from London to Milan – other airports available on request. Visits to Isolas Bella, Pescatori, Madre; and gardens of villas Balbianello, Carlotta, Cicogna Mozzoni, Taranto, and Pallavicino. Monty joins the group at Isola Bella and gives a talk that evening. Services of a specialist Brightwater Holidays…

“One of the elements of Longmeadow is that it is resonant with loud birdsong of all kinds” At some stage this year, I can guarantee someone will compliment me about Gardeners’ World but then add, “ I do wish the BBC wouldn’t add the ridiculously fake bird soundtrack. It would be much better to be more natural.” And – as I have done so many times before – I will assure them that the soundtrack is real and natural, and that one of the noticeable elements of Longmeadow is that it is resonant with loud birdsong of all kinds. Now, if Longmeadow blackbirds and thrushes appear to sing extra loud, it is an indication of the population density of these and other songbirds in the garden – and that density…

Spring Plant varieties with single flowers, like Verbena rigida, calendula, alyssum, French marigold and nasturtium, as these provide easy access for insects. Help hedgehogs recently out of hibernation by leaving out a shallow dish of water and some meat-based dog or cat food. Sow cornfield annuals, like cornflower, corn cockle and field poppy, in a sunny spot, to attract pollinating insects. Rake thatch from the lawn and hang it in a ball for nesting birds. Dog hair can also be used. Make boxes for solitary bees and hang them securely in a sunny part of the garden. Leave patches of bare soil in full sun to give ground-nesting solitary bees, like the tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva), a helping hand. Keep an area of grass mown short, too. You might…

To get the best from your plants in the coming growing season, pruning at the right time and in the right way is vital. Many gardeners are afraid to prune, but mastering the basics is surprisingly simple and very effective. Correct pruning can remedy all manner of ills, from overgrown or oddly shaped plants to poor flowering and fruiting, to pest infestations and diseases. It can also bring out the best in all kinds of plants, whether they’re spring or summer flowering, grown for their colourful stems or giant foliage, trained into decorative shapes and forms, or cultivated for fruit. Getting the timing right is essential. Pruning is a year-round process, with different types of plants needing to be pruned at different times, so you should keep your secateurs, loppers…

FEBRUARY AT Longmeadow is, for me, the beginning of spring rather than a continuation of the long, drawn-out winter months. The evidence is accumulating daily: snowdrops, aconites, hellebores, violets, crocus, muscari, early daffodils, a wonderful show of early irises. The garden is testing these early waters with a wide range of lovely flowers. Aside from the appearance of specific plants, there’s a sense that the sap is rising, and there’s energy building beneath bare patches of soil that will soon erupt into growth. Even snow and ice can’t blunt the edge of this, while the lengthening days add hope and expectation as the weeks lead into spring. It’s a busy time, too, with the last winter work to be done, bare-root planting, winter pruning and digging. Ideally this will be…

Cut back perennials AS THE DAYS slowly lengthen, winter will begin to loosen its grip in all but the coldest parts of the country. Plants will soon start into growth, so it’s time to clear away last year’s stems on all herbaceous perennials and some ornamental grasses. Cut the dead growth down as close to ground level as possible, using a sharp pair of secateurs. Then bundle them together, upright, at the back of a border or in a sheltered place out of sight, so that any insect eggs, larvae and chrysalises are protected and can develop and emerge in spring. Label snowdrops REMEMBERING where your favourite snowdrops are planted is almost impossible by the time you want to lift and divide them, so mark their position in the border…

Getting started Sow seeds in a sunny spot, to get them off to the best start. Sow on a bright windowsill, or in the sunniest part of the garden, and plant out into shadier areas when they have good roots. Choose crops that can be grown up supports and into the light, such as beans and courgette ‘Tromboncino’ – this needs sun but can be trained up a frame so the fruit can ripen in the warm light. Grow annual flowers, such as cornflowers and borage, among veg to lure pollinating and beneficial insects – there will be fewer of these in shade. Problem solving Plant slightly away from the base of walls, where shade is most dense and the soil is often poor and dry. Add plenty of well-rotted…

TOP TIP After flowering repot bulbs like these in free-draining compost to make feeding and watering easy. When snowdrops, amaryllis and hyacinths don’t bloom there’s usually an obvious cause: last year’s growing conditions. Plants that grow from bulbs go through ‘perennation’, meaning they survive cold or drought, relying on reserves they have built up during good times. Their perennating organs (bulbs) consist of a bud surrounded by fleshy leaf scales, which store moisture and food from last year’s photosynthesis, all protected by papery leaf scales. So it’s essential to give bulbous plants plenty of nutrition and water after flowering, because that’s when they’re building up stocks for their displays next year. Be sure to water and feed hyacinths and amaryllis when their flowers finish and don’t cut the leaves off…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Bunny Guinness Bunny is a winner of Chelsea Gold Medals and has designed everything from public parks to city gardens. Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Wisley. Q Which ornamental climbers are safe for dogs? Lynne Brunot, by email A ANNE SAYS This is a rather unusual request, and a challenging one, because while some plants are definitely toxic to dogs, others are questionable, rarely eaten or have poisonous or indigestible berries. Our dogs have been around all kinds of potentially poisonous plants, but never ate any of them. But if a dog is bored or very curious, you’d be wise…

“French marigolds, lobelia and alyssum have yet to make a comeback. Hostas are hanging on in there” About 30 years ago I wrote a book on garden snobbery. It was called Alan Titchmarsh’s Avant Gardening. It was a tongue-in-cheek look at fashionable gardening and poked fun at those who loved hellebores and hostas, clipped box and lime allées. I was reminded of this recently when I met the author and broadcaster Victoria Glendinning, whose perceptive biography of Vita Sackville-West is well worth a read. I thanked Victoria (only three decades late) for the good review she gave my book and she replied that it had landed on her desk at a time when she was just beginning to garden and had not realised until that moment that the world of…