Innehållsförteckning för July 2017 från BBC Gardeners' World

• Anniversary special If you missed our special issue in June celebrating GW TV’s 50th anniversary, find it for iPad in the App Store. Each digital edition is packed with video clips, live links and more. Subscribe and get two free issues – or buy a single issue for £3.99. • In conversation We caught on video the entertaining meeting of Monty and Alan, brought together for our June Anniversary cover. Watch it on our Facebook page. Island life with Alan Discover the many varied gardens of the Isle of Wight in the company of fellow readers this September. Alan will join the group – read more on page 76. • Bag a bargain! There’s still time to get your copy of our 2 for 1 Entry Card & Guide,…

“I’m as fond of the paths, walls and yards we have made here as I am of the planting” How much does a garden need plants? If you are British and of a certain age – over 40 but still able to eat a boiled egg unaided – then the answer is likely to be an incredulous snort and a retort along the lines that a garden IS plants and that the more you have the better. But every now and then I come across a garden where plants are bit-part players or even ruthlessly excluded so as not to spoil the beauties of hard landscaping. I once had a heated argument with my director when we were filming Around the World in 80 Gardens about how many plants are…

“On seeing your pumpkins, theirs are always better” As the song goes, “Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours”, but the problem is that you can rarely choose who you live next door to. If you are both keen gardeners, then it can go two ways: either you’ll strike up a relationship over the fence, and seedlings will be swapped and information exchanged; or, if you are unlucky, a deadly rivalry will develop. I think the latter is rare because, in my experience, most gardeners are nice people, eager to help and happy to share. I have, however, met gardeners who are pretty competitive. On seeing your roses/tomatoes/pumpkins, theirs are always bigger and better. Some even resort to bragging about weeds. “Oh,” they say while sympathising about your bindweed, “I have dreadful…

Aussie Eden A new Australia Garden has opened at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Set in the Mediterranean Biome, it features many rare and beautiful plants that have adapted to thrive in some of the Earth’s most infertile soil, in the continent’s south-west corner. Star plants include the red- and-green kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos manglesii). “The flora of south-west Australia is among the world’s most threatened landscapes,“ says Eden’s director of life sciences Dr Mike Maunder, “and Eden is proud to exhibiting these extraordinary plants.” If you bought the May issue of Gardeners’ World Magazine, you can use your 2 for 1 Entry Card to visit the Eden Project. To buy the May issue, including the card, go to gardeners world.com/2-for-1-gardens On the verge of extinction The time of year our grass…

Raising from seed Scatter seeds sparingly over the surface of a good quality seed compost and cover lightly with grit. Then place the tray or pot in shallow water, and drain when the compost is thoroughly soaked. Once the seedlings are sturdy enough, prick them out into modular trays and grow them on. Making new plants Many grasses can be increased by division, but do this in spring – never in autumn or winter. During winter, root growth slows down and stops. When you divide any plant, its priority is to make new roots, and grasses can do that best in spring when conditions are warming up and day length is increasing. With some grasses, you can lift the whole clump, then pull or chop it into pieces. It’s best…

Cos: ‘Little Gem’ This popular, compact variety has thick leaves with a stiff central rib and forms a crisp, sweet heart. Cos: ‘Parris Island’ The long leaves form an upright, elongated head. It is named after an island off South Carolina. Butterhead: ‘All The Year Round’ Sow March-Sept and protect autumn sowings under cloches for early pickings in spring. Wild rocket Easy-to-grow, peppery leaves – keep well watered and shaded in hot spells to delay running to seed. Oriental leaves: mibuna With a light mustard flavour, these cut-and-come-again leaves thrive in cool, damp conditions. Oriental leaves: mizuna Feathery foliage to eat raw or cooked. Keep out of full sun during hot weather, and water regularly. Radicchio: ‘Rossa di Treviso’ Adds colour and zest, especially in autumn and winter – sow…

We’re in the grip of jungle fever! Lush green foliage and striking architectural shapes have stolen our hearts. To help you bring a touch of the tropics to your garden, we’ve put together a 16-page special Trachycarpus fortunei This Chusan palm creates an instant tropical vibe. The evergreen fan-shaped leaves can reach 1m wide, and the tree can eventually grow to 12m tall. It tolerates most soil types and is hardy to -10°C, although it does benefit from shelter from strong winds, which can damage the leaves. RAMP UP THE DRAMA Discover more plants that will bring a dramatic touch to your garden at gardenersworld.com/dramatic-foliage…

We generally plant up containers, pots and hanging baskets to help style our gardens, add impact to key areas and keep things looking fresh across the different seasons. However, many gardeners see shade as tricky to deal with and don’t even consider putting containers in these areas. That’s a shame, because it’s often these shady sites that are most in need of a lift. I’ve planted up many shady gardens, adding all kinds of pots and planters. It’s really no different to creating container displays for sunny spots and, if anything, choosing the right plants and combinations is even easier. The key to success is to look beyond the range of traditional container bedding plants and turn instead to leafy perennials. These can work remarkably well together to bring a…

Water and feed agapanthus While agapanthus need free-draining soil and plenty of sun to successfully overwinter, they may not flower well unless you water and feed through the summer growing season. So to keep them at their best, in dry weather, soak their compost or soil every week. Then every two weeks add a high potash feed (e.g. tomato feed) to the water, which will strengthen the bulbs for future flowering. This routine is especially important where the plants are growing in containers where the roots have less room to develop. Keep deadheading When a plant flowers and goes to seed it has done its work for the year and will stop producing more blooms. The production of seed requires energy from the plant, so plants in seed often look…

Potting on your plants Keep your plants healthy and growing well by potting them on as soon as they need more root room. It’s easy and means you can enjoy the satisfaction of buying small plants and growing them on, and confidently rescue any pot-bound houseplants. Prepare your plant for the move by watering it well. Remove any yellowing leaves from the base and snip off flowers too, so the plant has plenty of energy for new growth. If you find that the roots are circling around the base of the old pot, either trim off some of the tangle or tease them out to encourage new root growth into the fresh compost. Choose a new pot that’s no more than twice the diameter of the old pot, and use…

After shooting to fame in 2015 as winner of the BBC’s Great British Bake Off series, and tearfully telling the 15m TV audience she’d never again impose limits on herself, Nadiya Hussain has become the baker for the big occasion. Her ‘By royal appointment’ orange drizzle cake for the Queen’s 90th birthday not only looked regal, with its three layers of purple and gold icing, it was deemed ‘delicious’ by Her Majesty. So we set Nadiya a new challenge: what would she devise for the nation’s gardeners – using ingredients from the garden – to celebrate Gardeners’ World’s 50th birthday? Her answer was to go back to her roots – with a sweet treat that champions that most earthy (and easy) of veg, the beetroot. “We’re right in beetroot season,”…

Fresh home-grown herbs are hard to beat, but without the right aftercare plants can soon become unproductive. Depending on whether they’re annual, perennial or woody, herbs have different needs – simply follow my tips below to rejuvenate tired plants, at little to no cost, and they’ll soon be ready to pick again. Annual herbs When basil and coriander plants start to look past their best, there’s little to be done other than starting again. Basil should be sown under glass or in a warm spot in late winter or early spring, however these early sown plants often burn out in summer, so you should make subsequent sowings until early July to continue the supply. Coriander is a hardier herb, usually sown outdoors in late May or June, but it can…

Bunny Guinness Bunny is a winner of Chelsea Gold Medals and has designed everything from public parks to city gardens. Matthew Wilson Garden designer Matthew was curator of RHS Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr, and often appears on television. Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Q Help! I think my cypress has coryneum canker Dr Ron Barnes, by email APIPPA SAYS Coryneum canker (also known as seiridium canker) typically causes patches of foliage to die off, usually scattered across the crown of the tree. If you see these, then try to trace the damaged foliage back to the stem and, if you find areas of intense gumming or resin-like material, this suggests that the canker fungus is indeed…

The categories 1 Fantastic Flowers The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine category, where we’re looking for gorgeous photos (landscape format) of individual plants, borders or combinations. The winner will receive £500 worth of STIHL cordless garden tools and the image will be included in our 2018 calendar. 2 Celebrating NGS Gardens Photos that exemplify the ethos of the National Gardens Scheme 3 Gardens and Health Photos that show the positive effect gardens have on health 4 Investec ‘Out of the Ordinary’ Photos that show something extraordinary about garden visiting The prizes BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine category • The winner will receive £500 worth of cordless garden tools or accessories of their choice from manufacturer STIHL; visit stihl.co.uk for details. • The winning image will appear in our 2018 calendar. Best…

The nation’s favourite plants rarely earn their keep on looks alone. Those we love most create a mood, trigger a memory, evoke a place or time, tell a story. Every time you plant something, you’re creating new memories and connections. So the naming of the Golden Jubilee Plant for Gardeners’ World’s 50th Anniversary confirms that this classic plant is deeply rooted in our affections (no spoiler here – you’ll have to turn to page 26!). We’re celebrating the result in this issue, but also looking ahead and tipping exotics as the big plant group most likely to make an impact in our gardens, this year and beyond. As our climate changes (see page 127 for more on this), and these plants become easier to grow, they’ve leapt into our affections…

P. subulata ‘McDaniel’s Cushion’ A low, evergreen creeper that makes a mat of fresh foliage and deep-pink flowers in late spring. H x S10cm x 30cm P. divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’ A scented creeper for dappled shade with ice-blue flower clusters in early summer. H x S 35cm x 50cm P. drummondii ‘Moody Blues’ For summer colour and cutting, this easy sun-loving annual comes in delightful harmonies of blue shades. H x S 25cm x 20cm P. paniculata ‘Becky Towe’ Dark-eyed, carmine-purple flowers set above brightly variegated foliage with creamy-yellow edged leaves that give colour from April. H x S 70cm x 70cm P. paniculata ‘White Admiral’ A valuable late flowerer, with rounded clusters of striking starry-white flowers boasting a strong fragrance. Soil must not dry out. H x S…

Ivy shapes I just reread the ivy debate between Toby Beasley and Chris Baines (Over the Fence, March issue). We have an old Manx stone house and the windowless side was completely covered in ivy. Rather than get rid of it, I cut two thirds off the height and ‘topiaried’ some shape into it. It is shelter for many small birds and the quirkiness of the shapes make people smile. If only more people would take responsibility then maybe ivy would not have such a bad reputation. Doris Slingsby, Isle of Man Chloramine and garden ponds We have recently been notified by Scottish Water that our water supply will now have chloramine added to it in order to give us cleaner, purer water. As a pond owner I was alerted…

• Spray, spray and spray again is the only solution to mare’s tail. You may not get rid of it all, but it should become manageable. Then rake up your old pebbles, put down a strong membrane and add the pebbles, making sure there are no mare’s tail roots among them. hogweed • Before you lay new membrane, try a weed burner over the pebbles (provided there is no plastic under them), rake over and re-burn every time you see one pop up. No photosynthesis, so the roots will weaken and die eventually. IainR • We had a fire on a piece of land that was alight for a couple of days where I hadn’t noticed any mare’s tail growing but it is now among my potatoes. Don’t know what…

1 Line the basket with landscape fabric or part of an old compost bag. Fix it in place using a staple gun or drawing pins and puncture holes in the base for drainage. 2 Half-fill the basket with multi-purpose compost, then start positioning your plants. Once you’re happy with the arrangement, top up the compost and firm it in to get rid of any air pockets. 3 Place a generous layer of sphagnum moss (from garden centres or online) on the surface of the compost. This sets off the plants nicely and helps to lock in moisture. 4 Use more of the moss to fill the gaps between the wooden slats, hiding the liner. Pack it in firmly so it won’t fall out. 5 Trim off the loose moss using…

Large-flowered clematis Known as Group 2 clematis, these dramatic flowered hybrids burst into bloom in May and June. If you shorten their shoots after flowering – cutting back to a good pair of buds lower down on the stem – a second flush of flowers can be enjoyed later in the year. Suitable varieties include ‘Barbara Jackman’ and ‘Nelly Moser’. Cherry family ( Prunus ) Cherry trees pruned in winter are more susceptible to attacks from silver-leaf fungus and so are always tackled during the growing season. That said, be careful about hacking at them in an insensitive way. Many ornamental cherry trees have a strange and sometimes lop-sided habit, and while it might be tempting to train them into perfect orbs of growth, the effect…

CONTROLLING SIZE • Keep spring-flowering shrubs and evergreens in check once they’ve reached their desired size by cutting back the soft, current season’s growth. Now that woody plants have completed their spring and early summer flush of growth, it’s a good time to give many of them a nip and tuck to improve their form and optimise their potential. Most pruning at this time of year involves trimming back the current season’s growth, rather than cutting into woody branches. The amount you cut off will vary according to the speed of growth. All these soft prunings can be added straight to the compost heap and will quickly rot down. This type of pruning reduces the amount of water that the plant loses through its leaves by evaporation during the hot…

Seasonal harvesting Picking your crops at the right time ensures you can eat veg that’s fresher than any you can buy (from plot to plate in minutes). You’ll save money too, and enjoy the unique sense of achievement that growing your own brings. Check your maturing veg daily if you can, and harvest just before you think they’re ready. Don’t let them fatten up too much, as many crops, including radishes, turnips and spring onions, are more tender and tasty when modest in size. With crops that can continue producing over several weeks – beans for instance – regular harvesting will stop them ripening their seeds and winding down. When crops are finally cleared, don’t leave the ground empty – sow quick-maturing salad leaves, radishes, rocket or spring onions to…

In the spring rush it can be easy to forget our pollinator friends, but by sowing a few choice biennials now we can ensure there is plenty for bees and butterflies to feast on next summer. Foxglove, honesty, sweet rocket, hollyhock and teasel can be sown now, ready to plant out next spring and keep the pollinators happy. YOU WILL NEED Seed tray or small pots Peat-free seed or multi-purpose compost Tamper (optional) Water Vermiculite Soil sieve 1 Fill seed tray with compost. Tamp down so there are no air gaps, which can prevent germination. 2 Stand the tray in water then allow to drain. Sow the seeds on the surface sparingly. 3 Use the sieve to cover the compost with an even layer of vermiculate to keep the seed…

• The flavour of herbs is often due to secondary metabolite chemicals produced in their foliage and stems. Thymol, a secondary metabolite found in thyme, is actually a toxic biocide, but in small doses it does us no harm. • Oils produced by Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and lavender have several functions in the plant, including slowly atomising around the leaves during extreme heat to act as a sunblock. • A huge range of herbs, including lavender, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme and mint, come from the deadnettle family – Lamiaceae. • Look on the ingredient panel of any cleaning product and you are likely to see linalool listed. Many of the herbs in the deadnettle family contain this compound, which adds a ‘clean’ floral scent to the products. •…

A wheelbarrow wonder I thought I would share this planter I made from odd bits of wood. It was quite simple; I just marked the wood and cut it to shape, drilled holes and screwed it together. One coat of wood stain and there it was, a very nice addition to our garden – why not give it a go? Melvyn Griffiths, Anglesey Talented wasps I was amazed to find this incredible structure in my roof. I’ve had large wasp nests before but never one this size or as intricate. Wasps are needed for our ecosystem and while they can be a nuisance – eating plums, etc., they do eat other biting insects. I’ve found a way of protecting my plums by offering the wasps a watered-down jam solution, which…

“In the case of this border, decided to bite the bullet. hauled out everything in March and felt astonishingly daring, rather wicked and, yes, excited” The danger with ‘playing safe’ in a garden is that it can lead to stagnation. You know the sort of thing I mean: there’s a bed or border that’s planted with a bit of this and a bit of that – the classic ‘mixed border’. It has roses, shrubs, perennials and bulbs, and the nearest it ever comes to an overhaul is when a few extra bulbs are added or a border perennial that was ‘over the hill’ is replaced by a different one. It’s the way of things, but when this modus operandi pertains over the whole garden, it results in a general lack…

I felt nostalgic reading The Full Monty (April issue), about the transformation of gardens in the 50 years since Gardeners’ World first appeared on TV. Watching Percy Thrower was the highlight of my week – I remember how natural and heartfelt he was. One of my greatest gardening memories is of visiting The Magnolias, his home and nursery near Shrewsbury, in the 1980s. There was Percy having his morning cuppa in the café, pipe in hand and ready to chat to anyone who wanted a bit of advice – a moment I will never forget. Sylvia Monk, Herts Our first garden in the 1960s contained an Anderson Shelter full of water. We needed help so were keen watchers of GW from the very start. Percy Thrower was so enthusiastic and…

1 Chenies Manor Gardens Chenies, Bucks WD3 6ER Alan: “A fantastic rambling house that is especially worth visiting at tulip time, when the borders explode with colour.” A physic garden, maze, kitchen garden and parterre play the romantic leads in this five-acre garden, where elegant and imaginative plantings abound. It was a location in the BBC film Miss Austen Regrets (2008). Open 5 April-26 October, Wednesday, Thursday & bank holiday Monday, 2-5pm. Adults/ OAPs £6, under-15s £4. Card not valid on event day: 16 July. Tel: 01494 762888; cheniesmanorhouse.co.uk 2 Chawton House Library & Gardens Alton, Hants GU34 1SJ Alan: “To walk through the grounds that Jane herself walked through gives the place a special atmosphere.” Now lovingly restored, these charming gardens were owned…

It’s all about lush greens and striking textures nowadays. The trend started with succulents, but now we want something a little more dramatic. Exotics aren’t just for inside, a plethora of tropical-looking plants will thrive outside, even in the UK’s toughest climates, and will fill your garden with jungle fever. Here’s my top 10 to get you started, and most of them cope without protection, so you won’t have to spend the winter wrestling horticultural fleece. Macleaya x kewensis Spires of tiny pink or cream flowers top the towering, chunky stems and large, scalloped leaves of this plume poppy. Cut down to the ground in autumn and in spring it will shoot up to 2.5m tall. Hardy to -20°C and, if sheltered from strong winds, it…

The long summer holidays may be upon us, but there’s no need to panic. We’ve put together a whole host of fun and easy projects that can be done in any size of garden, at minimal cost. They’re guaranteed to get the kids outside, entertained and away from the TV or computer screen. There are even a couple of indoor projects to keep them occupied on the inevitable rainy days. All of the activities are suitable for primary schoolchildren, but it’s easy to tailor them to suit older or younger kids of any age. Little ones will need a bit of extra help and guidance, while the more grown up can be given planning and decision-making responsibilities and the use of tools such as hand drills and shears. 1 Colourful…

• Timing is critical – the sooner after flowering you can prune the better for late spring-flowering shrubs. Wait until later in the summer to trim trained fruit trees. • Avoid pruning when plants are under stress, especially during drought. If dry weather persists and you need to get on with the job, water the plants really well before you prune. • Always use sharp secateurs and pruning tools. Use loppers on stems that are more than a centimetre thick. • Avoid tearing the tissue, which may allow fungus diseases to enter. • Keep an eye open for dead wood on any tree or shrub. It is often more visible at this time of year and therefore easier to see and remove. • Make sure that plants are watered and fed…

LOOK OUT FOR BLOSSOM END ROT This disorder can strike tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. It’s caused by a lack of calcium and due to irregular watering. You can still eat the undamaged part of each fruit and any later fruits. Take plants out While the night temperatures are warm, houseplants can be given a treat by putting them outside for a while, particularly if rain is forecast. They must be protected from strong sunlight and drying winds that they’re not used to, so place them in a sheltered spot. It’s also a good chance to clean the shelves inside where the plants have been, to remove any pests or fungal spores, before putting the plants back inside. Make new plants from cuttings Take cuttings now to give you new plants…

Take camellia cuttings Make more camellia plants for free by taking semi-ripe cuttings from short sideshoots. Tear these off the main stem, so each one has a ‘heel’ of ripened wood at the base. Trim the heel and remove the lower leaves. Improve rooting by making a narrow wound 1cm up the stem down to the heel. Dip in rooting gel then insert into gritty compost. Keep moist, out of direct sun, and pot on in spring once well rooted. Make wise use of water Well-established garden plants have deep roots and can be left to their own devices in all but the driest years. Limit your watering to new plants, such as summer bedding, that are not yet properly established, and those in pots and hanging baskets, which dry…

Beetroot Home-grown beetroot is delicious, whether as baby beet or larger roots. There’s just time to sow now for an autumn crop. 3 WAYS TO TRY • Whizz cooked beets with yoghurt, tahini and dill to make a dip • Toss raw grated beetroot with a mustard-seed dressing and crumbled feta • Roast wedges with whole garlic cloves and thyme Beetroot Nutrition Rich in folic acid, fibre, manganese, potassium, iron and antioxidants. Studies indicate nitrates in beetroot can help lower blood pressure. How to grow Free-draining and fertile soil in sun is best. Ideally, it will have had manure or compost added the previous year to rot down thoroughly, so the only preparation is raking in a general fertiliser before sowing. Sow a short row every couple of weeks for…