Innehållsförteckning för November 2018 från BBC Gardeners' World

UK and European gardens cruise Due to exceptional demand we’re offering readers another opportunity to explore the stunning coastal scenery of Britain, as well as glorious gardens in Ireland, the Isles of Scilly and France. See page 78 for more details. Plastics debate Monty explains his crusade against plastics in our exclusive video at bit.ly/monty-plastic. Cut your own plastics use with help from the BBC at bit.ly/plastics-action Bulbs bonanza We’re at peak bulb planting, so to make the most of them, get a copy of our new, 132-page Complete Guide to Bulbs. We’ll send it to you for just £7.99 incl. p&p, by ordering at magsdirect.co.uk/GWbulbs18 Plant tips on demand We’ve expanded the Plant Finder tool on our website to give you more details – from pruning times to plant…

We all get confused about grasses. We know the difference between a dahlia and a chrysanthemum but sorting out the different grasses is much more of a challenge. One group that’s easier to identify than most is the fountain grasses, Pennisetum, attractive perennial grasses from warmer parts of the world with their peak season of interest in late summer and autumn. What sets them apart from other grasses is the mass of bristly bottlebrush spikes, fountains of them, upright or arching, held above slender, graceful foliage emerging from tough, tight, slowly spreading crowns. The flowers may be creamy or various tan and biscuit shades, some with pink or red overtones, with many retaining their looks right through the autumn into winter and even into spring. The long, narrow foliage is…

“Rules are there for a reason and it makes life easier if we stick to them” It’s widely accepted that allotments are primarily for growing fruit and veg for personal consumption, and should be non-profit. Having rules on allotments is a result of problems experienced by previous tenants and they’re made to make our lives easier by preventing problems before they arise. Rules are normally set by the landlord, who could be a private landlord like a farmer, the local parish council or a committee - and the rules for each site will differ. Some plots have a small seating area to relax in, which is fine, but turfing the whole plot, adding swings, a trampoline and a BBQ, then using it as a play area and garden just isn’t…

What do you love most about your garden? Being amazed by the plants. How something looking as plain as a potato produces enormous dahlia flowers. Do any plants have a special place in your heart? We planted a beautiful dogwood in memory of Otis our dog, who was a real part of the family and sadly passed away three years ago. How has the internet changed the way you garden? It lets me find plants that are right for my chalky soil. I love finding inspiration and indulging in a bit of late-night plant ordering. Any top tips for growing veg? We grow comfrey and make a liquid plant feed. It stinks like hell but the plants seem to love it. What is your earliest gardening memory? As a child,…

If you don’t have enough space to plant a tree in the ground, but have a courtyard, patio, or even a balcony, it’s entirely possible to grow a tree. First, the variety must be carefully selected and needs to be to scale – for example, there is no point planting a forest tree, an oak or beech, if it won’t get the chance to reach maturity. It should also offer more than one season of interest, perhaps blossom in the spring coupled with arresting autumn colour or winter bark. Selecting the right container is almost as crucial as choosing the tree. It must be capacious enough to support the tree; and be prepared to pot on as necessary. It also needs to have adequate drainage, so there is no possibility…

What was once a derelict yard, filled with junk, now transports you to the courtyards of Spain and Morocco. The theatrical, home-made arch screen, instantly transforms the space and hides the bins and shed. Combined with the tiled floor, they form the dramatic backdrop to the colourful planting. Cleverly positioned mirrors, including one behind the screen, make the tiny space seem larger than it is. The garden is packed full of plants, growing in pots and in narrow borders. John (on the left) has even made room for a small pool, with a jet of burbling water, to complete the Moorish effect. He found the tiles that line the pool while on holiday, and brought them home in his hand luggage. “What a wonderful piece of theatre – the hard…

Fill any gaps in your borders with winter-flowering plants such as hellebores, heathers, sweet-scented evergreen Sarcococca, and bulbs like snowdrops that can be bought in pots for instant colour. 1 USE a trowel to make a hole a little deeper and wider than the root ball. Add some garden compost, then soak the base of the hole. 2 WATER the plant before taking it out of the pot and place it in the centre of the hole. 3 PUSH the soil back around the rootball and firm well to avoid it lifting out in a frost.…

If your houseplants are looking a bit tired and weary of life, then don’t wait for spring to divide and repot them to make new ones. What’s more, with Christmas just around the corner, the plants will look much more decorative, and you can even give away any extras as presents. The peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) is a good example of such a plant. Handsome of habit and generous with its flowers, it’s enormously tolerant of every indoor situation, from bright indirect light to relative gloom. Only scorching sunlight will cause it to suffer. It can also form a dense clump quite rapidly, filling its pot with fibrous roots. These are tough enough to withstand quite brutal division – although you’ll probably need the help of a kitchen knife! FIVE…

The young, tender spears of asparagus emerge in April and, on mature beds, are harvested until June. Newly planted beds are harvested over lengthening time year on year until they have the energy to be cropped for many weeks. Keep the bed well fed, weeded, and pick off asparagus beetles in spring. 1 CUT the died-back stems to the ground and remove the hollow stubs to stop asparagus beetles using them as nesting sites. 2 WEED the bed thoroughly with a trowel and clear all plant debris that may protect the beetle. Remove any red berries dropped from female asparagus plants to prevent seedlings germinating and competing with your crop. 3 CHOP up the pile of old stems into smaller pieces to make a valuable carbon-rich addition to the compost…

■ Remove fallen leaves from grey-leaved plants ■ Avoid walking on lawns that are either waterlogged or frosty. If you need access, make a temporary path with wire-covered planks ■ Sow seed of hardy shrubs and trees. Leave the trays outside ■ Treat red thread on lawns with fungicide and plan a care regime for next year ■ Hard prune any deciduous hedges that need it, and prune mixed native hedging to keep it in bounds ■ Carry out major pond clearances but leave some original water and silt for existing wildlife ■ There’s still time to plant tulips and hyacinths, if conditions allow. Label their location to prevent future damage ■ Check any forced bulbs and water if the bulb fibre is dry…

After the clocks go back, our gardens are full of leaves and there’s a lingering mist hanging over the lawn at first light. It’s autumn. Apart from birds, which we might notice more now as the shorter days leave less time for them on our feeders, everything else is tucked away. Most animals go into hibernation in autumn. It’s the most efficient way of surviving winter. Rather than searching for food (of which there’s very little), they shut down and sit it out. Those hibernating in your garden right now include hedgehogs, amphibians, reptiles and insects – particularly bumblebees, butterflies and wasps. Some insects hibernate as adults, such as peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies. Others hibernate as larvae or pupae. Whatever the species, it has evolved its own way to…

3 WAYS TO TRY • Peel and slice the swedes thinly, then boil. Drain and layer with cream, mustard, garlic and cheese. Bake until tender. • Fry with onion, cumin, turmeric and garlic. Add a splash of water and cook until tender. Wrap the mix in pastry and deep fry. • Chop, boil and drain well. Toss with olive oil and seasoning, then bake. Leave to cool, then scatter with chopped chilli. FIND MORE delicious swede recipes from Olive Magazine at bit.ly/recipes-swede Nutrition High in vitamins C and E, fibre and calcium. Despite its sweet taste, it has only half the calories of a sweet potato. How to grow Swedes need a sunny site with fertile soil, so grow on a site where the previous crop was manured. If growing…

Complete Guide to Bulbs Create impact in your garden with Complete Guide to Bulbs. Designed for all levels of gardener, this 132-page special edition will help you get the most from your planting. Bulbs are an easy way to transform the displays in your plot and this guide will help you create and enjoy colour all year round. Only £7.99 incl. P&P at magsdirect.co.uk/magazine/gwbulbs18 Creative Containers  o inspire you to create great pots for every season, we’ve gathered 100 pot recipes in a 132-page special edition. With easy-to-follow nstructions and beautiful photos Creative Containers will give you all the now-how you need for colour and interest all year round. Only £7.99 incl. P&P at magsdirect.co.uk/GWContainer18 Small Space Gardening Make the most of your outside space,…

• Composting is defined as the biological decomposition of organic material, such as garden waste, under controlled conditions. • To successfully kill plant diseases, compost must contain a diverse mix of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes that feed on your organic garden waste. The mixture of organisms changes as the heap temperature varies. • A compost bin would need to be large and turned frequently to reach the required 50ºC for seven days that would kill off phytophthora, club root and honey fungus. • A bonfire built with wood and charcoal can burn at up to 1,100°C. • Hedgehogs are most likely to hide in the centre and bottom 60cm of a bonfire. • Ash from bonfires contains potassium, so can be scattered around fruit trees to improve cropping. It…

Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Matthew Wilson Garden designer Matthew was curator of RHS Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr, and often appears on television. Christine Walkden Garden writer Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader. Q Why won’t my Chilean bellflower produce flowers? Nicola McCartney, by email A ANNE SAYS This is a tricky plant to grow, so at least yours is still alive. The Chilean bellflower (Lapageria rosea) is an evergreen twiner, hardy to -5°C, and when happy will produce large, pinky-red, bell-like blooms. Its roots must be kept cool and shady, but it likes a little sun and warmth at the top, so a cool greenhouse…

“It saddens me that we place so little value on practical skills compared with those of a cerebral nature” Ever since I can remember, I’ve derived great satisfaction from working with my hands. I was, as a child, practical rather than academic, and while I like to think I’ve been a late developer when it comes to the latter, the former has never deserted me. It saddens me that we place so little value on practical skills compared with those of a cerebral nature – unless the loo or the fridge goes wrong and we’re desperate for a knight in shining armour in the form of a plumber or an electrician. And then all we do is complain about the price! While intellectual pursuits might keep our brains sharp, there’s…

Stand by to travel the world in this issue, as we celebrate the creativity of our readers in the 2018 Gardens of the Year Competition. From the heat of Jamaica, and lushness of the tropics, to a colour-soaked, Marrakech-style courtyard, you’ll find amazing spaces, created with determination, perfectionism and a whole lot of love! We enjoyed reading the hundreds of entries, telling us how your gardens were made – for pleasure, sharing, healing… With huge difficulty, we whittled it down to just 11 finalists to put before our panel of judges: Alan Titchmarsh, Diarmuid Gavin and Kate Gould. Years of showing, watching and judging at Chelsea Flower Show have honed their instincts for a great garden – and, despite heated debate, they emerged unanimous in choosing our overall winner. Will…

I love leaves on trees but I also like them on the ground. Which is just as well, because they are now falling like fat confetti as the wind whips across Longmeadow, ruffling and flicking the branches like a shaken rug. But by Christmas every last fallen leaf will have been gathered, mown and stored in our leafmould bay, which will be gently steaming and converting as a million fungi put their digestive systems to work. (Do fungi have digestive systems? Probably not, but you get the gist.) By next autumn, this will all be soft, black leafmould, clean to handle and smelling sweetly of a sunny woodland floor. It will radiate an aura of health and goodness that matches its performance in the garden. We use leafmould as an…

FROM SEED The opium poppies and annual cornfield poppies, plus the Shirley varieties that sprang from them, are easy to grow in light, well-cultivated soil. Simply scatter the seeds over the surface of crumbly, weed-free soil and lightly rake them in. There is no need to cover them deeply. Sow in autumn (early November is not too late if the weather is mild) to give seedlings a chance to establish themselves more rapidly than if sown in spring, and they will be less likely to dry out during germination. Sow thinly! Autumn sowing also leads to earlier flowering and your poppies will bloom from May or June onwards into August. My spring-sown plants were still flowering in September. Eschscholzia is best sown in a patch of sunny earth in April…

A north-facing site, full of builders’ rubble, on a different level to the ground-floor of the house, is what faced Wayne Amiel when he moved into his home in south London, eight years ago. Undeterred by the scale of the challenge, he was determined to create a little slice of his Jamaican childhood in the narrow garden. As if that wasn’t difficult enough, buying the house meant there was little money left to spend on the garden, so the whole thing was done on a shoe-string budget, when funds allowed. “A brave and exuberant garden – it’s amazing! Imagine finding this in the middle of London Alan Titchmarsh” What have you done to make the garden? The first thing I had to do was get rid of the mound of…

The colour explosion Gulrukh Saleem’s 8m x 25m plot in Glamorgan delighted the judges for its exuberance and sense of joy. It’s bursting with colourful plants, plus white paintwork and palms for a Mediterranean feel. A calming courtyard It was the serene courtyard of Ed Greenall’s 1 acre Herefordshire garden that stopped our judging panel in their tracks. But there’s more to the space, including tropical borders and a potager. And the cat of course. Supersized borders At 1.5 acres, Robert Bailey-Scott‘s Lincolnshire garden was described as an ‘amazing achievement’ by our judging panel. The enormous herbaceous border and the wildflower meadow were particular highlights. Always green and white The tiniest garden in our final, Richard Small’s Tyne and Wear courtyard is just 3.2m x 6.6m. Our judges were impressed…

Tulips bulbs offer the opportunity to provide a colour theme for your spring garden. Planted in pots or among border plants, they make a vibrant addition to your early-flowering display. Choose a mixture of early, mid or late season performers to spread the flowering season. November is the best time to plant tulips as the frosts will have reduced the risk of tulip diseases that persist in the soil. The roots develop in the coldest months so after planting, water well and then leave them to the elements. 1 MIX some multi-purpose compost with an equal amount of loam-based John Innes No.2. Measure three times the height of the tulip bulbs down from the top of the pot and add compost to that level. 2 ARRANGE the tulip bulbs on…

1 KNOCK the plant out of its pot and use a sharp knife to cut the rootball into sections about as fat as your clenched fist – smaller if you want lots of plants. 2 ENSURE each section has several shoots and a chunk of roots that is large enough to support that growth. If the rootball is too small, the plant will struggle. 3 PLACE the plant in a pot that’s a little larger than the rootball, making sure there’s a drainage hole. Fill any gaps with peat-free multi-purpose compost. 4 WATER the plant in, then stand it in an attractive outer pot. Dust the leaves regularly, especially when light levels are low, to help the plant photosynthesise.…

In recent years, more severe winter weather, particularly snow, has arrived well after Christmas, allowing us to get many tasks completed, but there is always a chance of an early whiteout. Upright and cloud-pruned conifers need protection from breakage and limb damage in the event of heavy snowfall. Our technique involves using using sturdy hop string. On cloud-pruned trees attach the string to a bare stem just below a conifer ‘cloud’ and wind it round the stem opposite, repeating this to create a cross-brace structure to support the limbs. Spiral hop string all the way up the height of upright conifers to keep the branches together and protected until spring.…

• Before lighting bonfires check for any creatures sheltering in them. • If you accidently dig up a bumblebee, don’t re-bury it. Pop it somewhere cool and dry, such as on a pile of leaves. • If you disturb a slow-worm, place it on your compost heap, covering it lightly with material. • If you wake a butterfly, catch it in a shoe box and take it to your shed. It will be fine there, but remember to release it in spring. • If you spot a moving hedgehog, offer it water and food (chicken flavour, cat or dog food will do) and leave it. It will soon settle down somewhere.…

Now your garden needs less hands-on attention, you might wish to spend time outdoors doing something different. Did you know that, as a gardener, you’re qualified to report your observations to professional scientists, who collate them to form a picture of the state of the environment in the UK? Public participation like this is called ‘citizen science’ and is surprisingly common. The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch in January is one typical project but there are others you can join now, such as Nature’s Calendar from the Woodland Trust (bit.ly/nature-calendar), which records the signs of changing seasons, or even Project Splatter, run by Cardiff University, (bit.ly/project-splatter), which aims to collect data on, and ultimately reduce, wildlife casualties on roads. Your job is to record what you see and send in your…

Pet friendly – or not? I enjoyed your ‘Pets Special’ issue last month (October), and was interested to hear that pets seem to enjoy using paths in gardens. Having just added some paths to my own, I was delighted to find that my toddler also enjoys using them to guide her through the garden, thank you! Ashley Jones, Scottish Borders Am I the only one getting fed up of seeing Monty’s dogs inside or on the front cover of Gardeners’ World Magazine? I have no problem with dogs or cats, but in context. I buy the magazine for gardening information and ask that the editors take this into consideration when compiling it. Paul Gibbins, by email As a keeper of several tortoises, I really appreciated your suggestion (Pet-friendly gardens, October…

1 Plastic pot recycling If your council collects plastic ‘pots, tubs and trays’ (around ¾ do), then clean, non-black, plastic plant pots can be put in your household recycling. recyclenow.com 2 Extraordinary fungi Around 90% of living plant species have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi. Kew’s first ‘State of The World’s Fungi’ report reveals how important fungi are to life on earth. kew.org 3 Neighbourhood watch Half of all Brits rate the success of their garden by comparing it to that of their neighbour’s, while one in 10 admit to visiting their neighbour so they can get a better look at their garden.* 4 The big red To celebrate its 40th anniversary, seeds firm Mr Fothergill’s has created a Ruby Garden at Capel Manor Gardens, Enfield, to showcase its…

Most of the plants in my garden trigger memories, either of the people who gave them to me, or the place that I first encountered them. Peonies remind me of my schoolboy paper round, for that is when I was first stopped in my tracks by the explosion of deep-crimson petals in a border alongside the path of one of the houses on my route. Another had Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ growing by the front door – I had to ask about that one. And poppies? They remind me that my great uncle Robert Hardisty lost his life in The Great War on 2 September 1917. He was a private soldier in The Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment and is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery. “Poppies remind us of the ability…

Getting colour into the garden this month is a challenge, but a large pot of well-chosen plants is a great solution. My selection offers berries, richly coloured and variegated foliage, plus interesting leaf shapes. Place the pot in a sheltered spot and the display will last all winter, as the beautyberry holds onto its amazing purple berries long after its leaves have fallen, while the heuchera, lilyturf and heavenly bamboo are all evergreen. The latter, despite not dropping its leaves, offers rich autumn colour Everything except the fountain grass, which is more tender than the other plants, can be planted into your borders in spring, where you can enjoy them for years to come. In cold areas, replace the fountain grass with Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’. Flo’s recipe • Heavenly bamboo…

A boring back garden, laid to lawn with a narrow strip of flowerbed running down each side, has been transformed into a jungle hideaway. The couple have worked tirelessly over the past 19 years, doing all of the work themselves – digging out old concrete washing line posts and building a raised deck and pergola. To get the exotic feel they craved, in the UK climate, they make clever use of plants that look tropical, but are actually hardy, mixed in among the more tender plants. “ A tasteful and beautiful explosion of tropicana – the foliage contrast and use of colour is amazing” Diarmuid Gavin What have you done to make the garden? We have always been mad keen on tropical plants, so we knew from the outset what…

We’ve crowned our three winning gardens, but that’s not the end of the story – now it’s time to have your say. Visit our website to see more pictures of all 11 final gardens, and cast your vote for the People’s Choice award. This coveted prize is awarded to the favourite garden, chosen by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine readers, regardless of whether it was one of our winners, so don’t miss the chance to champion your choice. Plus, all 11 gardens are packed with ideas guaranteed to create inspiration for your own plot, so they’re definitely worth a look. You only have until midday on 1 November to vote, so don’t delay – visit gardenersworld.com/garden-competition to cast your vote. CLOSING DATE: MIDDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2018 Slice of Jamaica Wayne Amiel,…

Wrap tender pots in fleece If you grow exotics in pots, but don’t have a frost-free place to overwinter them, protect them with fleece now. Banana plants, cannas and tree ferns all need winter protection. The crown of the plant is the most important bit to protect, so peg or tie the fleece so that it covers the canopy. The roots are also vulnerable in freezing conditions, so wrap up the pot in plastic bubble wrap. WATCH Videos and get tips at gardenersworld.com/planting Start off forced bulbs Bulbs such as hyacinths, Narcissus and Hippeastrum are traditionally forced for Christmas flowering by being kept cold and dark for around 10 weeks. They then take another three weeks to flower. The timings are specific to the plant, so do some research first.…

Remove leaves As natural light levels drop, let in as much light as possible by regularly clearing leaves and debris from the greenhouse roof. A long-handled broom will do the trick - brush them down from the ridge towards the gutter. Wear gloves to run your hands along the length of the gutter, scooping out the leaves as you go. Make sure leaves don’t block the down pipes that fill water butts. Blast a hosepipe down them to be sure and collect any debris that falls into the butt. Start using heaters Now that the days are cooler, heaters are a good way of protecting tender plants. Use a max-min thermometer to monitor temperatures so you know when to turn on the heaters. You’ll just need heat at night to…

Leafmould makes the best soil conditioner but it takes two years to form. The rotting fungi and bacteria need moisture and air so open heaps are best, but bagged leaves work well in a small space. 1 RAKE or blow leaves from lawns and paths, but leave them on the borders to rot down naturally. 2 FILL a robust black polythene sack with leaves, press them down and water if they are dry before tying the top securely. 3 PUNCTURE the bag with a fork to allow some air exchange as the leaves rot.…

Clear the ground of perennial weeds, then put up post-and-wire supports: for summer-fruiting raspberries put in a single row of posts with horizontal wires at 60cm, 120cm and 180cm high; for autumn-fruiting raspberries put up parallel posts 45cm apart, with horizontal wires at 75cm and 150cm high. Raspberries are usually supplied bare root, but small pot-grown plants are sometimes available. 1 DIG A HOLE that’s large enough to fit the plant without the roots touching the sides. Space the plants 45-60cm apart. 2 PLANT the cane to the depth it was in the nursery. Spread out any fibrous roots shallowly about 5cm below the surface. Firm in carefully. 3 IF PLANTING long canes (these are more expensive, but produce a harvest in the first growing season), tie them to the…