Innehållsförteckning för April 2020 från BBC Gardeners' World

Our award-winning app Keep up to date while you’re on the move with our digital edition, made for iPhone and iPad. Get extra content and videos from Monty and the team, plus access to our subscriber-only, online Secret Garden. Pay from £4.99 an issue in the App Store. See bit.ly/GW-digital Meet Monty Join our latest reader excursion to some of Europe’s finest gardens on our no-fly trip to Holland – plus you’ll meet Monty, who joins us for tours and a talk. See more on page 40. You’re in the pink! Bag a bargain on your summer bedding with our exclusive offer of 36 free plants, paying just £5.80 postage. Order now for a colour-rich summer! See page 48. Meet the team Book a date to join the Gardeners’ World…

“Dahlias are splendid flowers, reliably floriferous and need little attention” CONTAINERS ‘Moonfire’ Although they look good on their own in pots, you can have great fun combining dahlias with other plants. Dahlias perform magnificently in pots as the compost is usually rich, and we treat them to an occasional liquid seaweed feed. Dahlia ‘Moonfire’ has always been a favourite. It is neat yet elegant, its flowers are held well above the dark foliage, making for maximum impact, and their glowing colour of amber-yellow petals lit with a vermilion centre is irresistible. Height x Spread 70cm x 40cm STRIKING FOLIAGE ‘Magenta Star’ I saw this dahlia at both Great Dixter and Gravetye Manor, where it was used to dramatic effect in a border setting. Its simple, starry magenta flowers…

Matt Pottage, curator of RHS Wisley, shows how to nurture and propagate houseplants. Having a houseplant care regime needn’t be another spreadsheet of tasks to add to your already never-ending ‘to-do’ lists. However, they are not something that can be ignored for months, and perhaps the first, biggest lesson is correct watering, followed by the right positioning, then feeding and finally repotting. I find indoor gardeners fall into two camps with the watering can: those who use it too rarely (their plants are always gasping) and others who apply water like it is going out of fashion (with plants showing the tell-tale signs of the heavy-handed waterer – see page 62). Of course, a balance somewhere in the middle suits most plants. Propagating your own plants is another enjoyable aspect,…

When Manoj Malde was asked to transform a tiny back garden in Kentish Town, London, he knew he was in for a challenge. But his love of bright, bold colours and exotic planting was just what was needed to bring this awkward plot to life. Fortunately, it was colour that his client wanted, along with planting that would evoke memories of her childhood in Tehran and give the plot a Mediterranean feel. At only 4.75m at its widest point and with a long, narrow side return, the space is certainly small, but it is very sheltered and benefits from the warmer temperatures of its city location. However, all that shelter meant lots of shade, despite the garden being south facing, and Manoj had to carefully choose plants that would thrive,…

Apache beads (Anemopsis californica) Originally from North America, this marginal aquatic plant has large, unusual white flowers, often with a flash of pink. Its broad green leaves turn red in autumn, bringing late season interest. Height x Spread 45cm x 50cm Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) Many irises work well in a small pool, but I really love this classic blue flag. It has strong erect narrow green foliage and attractive blueish-purple flowers in early summer. A beautiful plant for floral interest. H x S80cm x 25cm Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) This is a native wildflower that I use a lot. It adds height and its nectar-rich purple blooms provide for wildlife and bring colour through summer to autumn. I divide it every two years. H x S1.5m x 50cm…

Handle top The top of the handle should, ideally, be rounded and smooth, so that it sits comfortably in the hand. Extra grip On metal handles, this helps stop hands slipping. Wooden handles are sometimes tapered where hands grip, for extra comfort. Shaft length This is key – the tool should be long enough so that you hoe standing upright rather than having to bend over or lean into the hoe. Head This is usually made from stainless steel or heavier carbon steel for strength. The head must be angled just right so that it skims below the soil surface. Stainless steel SCORE: 17/20 Kent & Stowe Garden Life Stainless Steel Dutch Hoe £24.99 Weight 0.82kg Length 1.3m Warranty 15 years The smooth ash handle tapers where the top hand…

With the April sun warming my skin and heating up the soil, this is the first month of the year when I begin to feel a sense of freedom on my allotment. But this feeling is accompanied by a real sense of urgency, as there still aren’t enough daylight hours to get all my tasks done. I’ve got lots of green manure covering the plot that I will be digging in as a natural fertiliser. My heavy clay soil gets very wet in winter, making it challenging to grow overwintering garlic and onions. My solution was to start my hard- and softneck garlic in autumn in individual pots and my ‘Senshyu’ onions in modules under cover, to be planted out next March. Another job is to remove all winter veg,…

DON’T FORGET ■ Introduce biological controls to control whitefly if their population is rising ■ Feed amaryllis bulbs with a high potash fertiliser, reduce watering when foliage begins to yellow and store with pots under the bench on their sides ■ Take hydrangea stem tip cuttings from young, healthy, non-flowering shoots and keep moist ■ Prick out half-hardy annual seedlings as soon as they are big enough to handle WATCH Videos and get tips at gardenersworld.com/ greenhouse Vine weevil control Pick off adult vine weevils if you see them. Each one can lay thousands of eggs now and the new grubs eating plant roots are the most damaging. Discard compost and re-pot into fresh if you have an infestation. A combination of hand picking, using a nematode drench over compost…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years. Q Can I green up a west-facing breeze-block wall? Sally Matthews, Devon A PIPPA SAYS If it is a retaining wall and abuts onto soil, you could plant behind/ above, assuming the soil level is close to the top of the wall, and allow plants to cascade down. Providing there is soil at the base of the wall, there are lots of options. If there isn’t a decent amount of soil at the base, I suggest you invest…

SUBSCRIPTIONS – 03330 162123 Including new subscription orders or queries, missing covermount gifts and magazine slipcase orders. Email gardeners.world@buysubscriptions.com Phone line open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm. GARDENERS’ WORLD OFFERS – 020 7150 5780 Email offers@gardenersworld.com MAGAZINE EDITORIAL – 020 7150 5770 Email magazine@gardenersworld.com or letters for publication to: letters@gardenersworld.com. Phone line open in office hours, Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm.…

They’re a mixed bunch, fritillarias – mixed in their looks and mixed in their care. All grow from bulbs and most carry six-petalled bells, but a few are tall and imposing, while some reach no more than a few inches in height. Some are dramatic in their impact while others are quieter in their appeal. A few are robust and increase steadily, while others are tricky to grow and the bulbs slow to increase. Some make dramatic border plants, others are better in pots. Fritillarias grow wild all across the northern hemisphere, including here in Britain, where the purple, chequered flowers of Fritillaria meleagris, the snake’s head fritillary, may spread across whole meadows with occasional white-flowered plants scattered among them. It is a captivating sight. Here, I’ve set aside those…

Piet Oudolf is an award-winning Dutch landscape architect whose projects include the High Line, along a former railroad in New York. A leading figure of the ‘New Perennial’ movement, he has created a garden for the new Maggie’s Centre at the Royal Marsden in Sutton, which provides free support for people living with cancer and their families. To visit his Dutch gardens, see pages 40-41. How can gardening benefit wellbeing? I think there is something so spiritual and engaging about being in a garden. Many doctors today say that patients heal better with access to a garden. For patients here at Maggie’s, it will help with process of getting better – it’s a medicine for the mind. I still feel very good being in my own garden, I am less…

We grow dozens of basil plants every year and Sarah turns almost all of it into homemade pesto, which we eat fresh with pasta, potatoes and good bread, or freeze for winter consumption. Every batch is slightly different, but always delicious. • 85g fresh basil leaves • 30g pine nuts • 1 large garlic clove • Pinch of sea salt • 100ml olive oil • 75g Parmesan cheese, grated METHOD 1 Put the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and salt into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until everything is roughly chopped. It is important not to overprocess, as it will turn to sludge. Add the olive oil in a thin stream through the top of the processor and pulse until combined. Finally, stir in the cheese.…

Ready-potted dahlias should be planted at the same depth as they were in their original containers. They need good, fertile soil, moist rather than dry. If you decide to plant tubers straight into the ground, wait for last frosts to pass then enrich the soil with compost and a balanced organic fertiliser. Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the tubers with at least 5cm of soil above them. Use plenty of grit in the planting mix. Water well during the growing season and occasionally feed with a high-potash food, like tomato feed, to maintain flower quality and production. Stake where necessary and deadhead regularly to keep flowers coming. NEXT MONTH Carol shares how to garden with our precious environment in mind…

REPOTTING • I tend to repot plants when they show signs of requiring a larger home, such as roots bursting out of the bottom of the pot, or so much congested growth at the top of the pot that they are hard to water. • There is no right or wrong time to repot, but I think when day lengths start increasing in the spring is probably the most sensible. • When potting plants, mix in slow-release fertiliser granules for a longer-lasting, healthy performance and tease out congested roots. PESTS • I’m often asked about pest outbreaks. Most people wonder where they came from, and in many cases a plant already had them in small quantities and they went unnoticed at the time of purchase. • Plants with papery foliage…

It’s not a garden – it’s a gap – and a small one at that. So if you only have a tiny patch of earth, how can you possibly create a half-decent garden? The answer is simple: by being a bit crafty and making the most of every part of that pocket-hanky-sized plot; by using vertical spaces as well as horizontal ones, by planting in layers, and by revelling in the intricacy of your creation. Our first garden measured just 5m by 15m (even that might be thought of as large by inner-city standards) and some of the most enjoyable gardens I’ve visited have been miniscule. The pleasure they give their owners is out of all proportion to their size – and you’ll save all that money that you would…

DeWit Dutch Hoe £29.99 Comfortable to hold and use, with a sharp, smooth slicing action that handled any weed it came across. Excellent value for the quality and performance, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Sneeboer Royal Dutch Hoe £73 Although this was the most expensive hoe on test, it really is worth it. The razor-sharp toothed blade cut and sliced brilliantly on both the push and the pull action. The L-shaped handle design made hoeing even difficult clumps a joy. Burgon & Ball Dutch Hoe – RHS Endorsed £34.99 An elegant but sturdy tool, with a wide, open, stainless-steel head that doesn’t snag or catch. The long wooden handle is narrow and comfortable in the hand and on the back. Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens…

How to water Feel the compost or lift and feel the weight of your pots and baskets to check whether they need watering. Plants putting on leafy growth require more water. Warm or windy conditions will increase the need for watering too. Don’t rely on the rain to do the job as leaves act like an umbrella and the rain ends up on the ground around the pot. Soak the compost by holding the watering can close to the compost surface as you pour. If pots are very dry, go back and water them again to give the water a chance to soak right through, rather than run off down the sides of the pots. STEP BY STEP Plug plant care Buying seasonal bedding as plug plants is a convenient…

Look after chilli seedlings Keep your chilli seedlings warm to encourage strong growth. When they are large enough to handle by the seed leaf, prick them out by lifting the seedling with a dibber and lowering the roots into pots of potting compost. Firm lightly and water them in but avoid drenching with cold water and put them back onto a warm windowsill or greenhouse bench. Give them plenty of space and add a cane to support the main stem as the branches develop. You can plant them outside in early June. Chillis produce the best crops in the sunniest spot of the veg patch and will keep cropping till autumn. VISIT  gardenersworld.com/ vegetable for more information about growing your own crops Make pea and bean supports Make structures ready…

Spring at last! Oh, how we’ve longed for it through those long, grey days of mist and mud, mild weather and murk, when all we really wanted was a crisp, frosty, proper winter. The thing is, we believe that cold weather kills off beasts and bugs, bacteria and blights when, to be honest, most of them are resilient to low temperatures, which is why they are resident in our sceptred isles. Somehow, that reality is tempered by the fact that a good icy cauterisation between November and March makes us feel we’ve had a winter. “Gardeners are a lucky band, as we have an opportunity to participate in the natural world, rather than simply looking on as spectators” But, whatever the weather in the darker months, at least the trees…

When we launched our Gardens of the Year competition a few years ago, the ingenuity of you, our readers, in making brilliant gardens against the odds astounded us. From urban high-rise balconies and countless pocket patches to a steeply raked plot of builder’s rubble, the power of gardens to enhance our surroundings and lift our spirits has been clear to see. So, we’re launching the competition again this year, knowing that we’ll not only uncover yet more of your creativity, but also to show you really can make a garden anywhere. From page 64, our judges reveal what they’re looking for, while Alan (one of our expert panel) opens our small space solutions section with his tricks of the trade for making compact gardens seem bigger. We’re also celebrating the…

Averages only tell partial truths but they do steer you in a clear direction. According to BBC figures, the average age of the BBC2 viewer is apparently 62 and getting older – albeit not getting older as fast as I am. But then viewers of all terrestrial channels are getting older. For BBC1 it’s 61, ITV, 59 and Channel 4 viewers are mere striplings at 55. Apparently, according to the same report, only 11 per cent of under 35’s watch BBC2. Indeed, fewer and fewer younger people are watching any terrestrial television at all. This is alarming for terrestrial channels because by the time the younger audience reach potential audience age, of 35 to 45, terrestrial TV will not be part of their cultural landscape. When I started hosting Gardeners’…

Few ornamental trees can match cherries for the sheer abundance of blossom, and we’ve had a love affair with these glorious trees for well over 100 years. Originally in Europe we had to make do with only three native species, which were used to produce prized edible forms. But in the Far East, the genetic diversity of over 200 different species allowed growers to breed and select for the beauty of blossom alone. In Japan the flowering cherry, or sakura , has developed deeply symbolic meanings. The tradition of hanami – drinking under a sakura tree – is thought to date back to the 8th century, when it was practiced by members of the Imperial Court and this has developed into the festivals that take place today, where millions of…

Gardens of the Year 2020 is open for entry and we want to see beautiful readers’ gardens from all corners of the country. If you’d love to see your garden featured in this magazine and be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize, enter our exciting competition now! We’re looking for inspiring gardens of all shapes and sizes, from balconies bursting with containers to country acres with orchards! We’ll pick eight winners – each of whom will win at least £400 in holiday vouchers plus be featured in the magazine. Our expert judging panel will then award their Judges’ Choice and Highly Commended prizes, while you, the readers, and the general public will choose our People’s Choice. It could be you – so go on, enter now! What…

This shallow pot combines a scented pelargonium and a pretty thyme. It would sit perfectly on a tabletop, easily accessible to get a good whiff, especially when the leaves are rubbed. The pelargonium leaves can be used to scent sugar for baking (similar to lavender) and it flowers all summer. The lime-green, lemon-scented thyme is a great addition to many dishes. Top tip Place in a sunny spot – but not until the last frosts have passed as pelargoniums aren’t hardy. Pinch out the pelargonium’s growing tips to encourage it to bush out and produce more flowers.…

How to create your pond Spring is a great time to create a mini-pond, because you’ll see it develop over the next few months. If possible, locate it in a spot that you can see from the house as they’re fascinating to watch – I can see this one, and all the wildlife it attracts, from the living room window. Choose somewhere with dappled shade, so the metal doesn’t heat up in the sun and harm resident wildlife, and make sure you get your container in place while it’s empty – even the smallest ones are very heavy once they are full of water! You will need • Large watertight container • A large spirit level • Water supply to fill the feature • A mix of pond plants (see…

Hoeing is a simple job, made all the easier if you choose the right tool for you. Consider the following points before you buy: • Is it the right size? To allow you to hoe with as little strain on your back as possible, the handle of the hoe should be long enough for you to work standing up straight. If it’s too short, you’ll start to lean into the hoe and won’t be able to work for long before your back starts to ache. Always try before you buy, holding the hoe in position to check it’s the right size for you. • Is it comfortable? Make sure the handle sits nicely in the hands. If it’s metal with a rubber or plastic grip, check it is positioned exactly…

Sowing carrots When my grown-up daughters were young they did not like carrots – until I acquired an allotment and grew my own. “But these aren’t carrots!”, they said, unable to believe that the sweet and tender roots they were eating were the same as those they had for lunch at school or bought from the supermarket. They proved the point that homegrown carrots have an infinitely better flavour than shop bought. Now is the perfect time to sow, since carrots need to grow rapidly and without check if they are to be sweet and tender. The task is easy as they need nothing more than watering in dry spells before they are pulled and enjoyed a couple of months after sowing. Sow too thickly and you’ll have to thin…

STEP BY STEP Move evergreens Move and replant evergreen shrubs in the garden now before they start putting on too much growth. You can reduce damage to the branches while you work by tying them up into a column. Take off the ties immediately after planting. Keep the shrub well watered for the first year. 1 DIG OUT a large rootball using a spade to cut through the roots and long-handled pruners or a saw to cut through the deeper anchoring roots 2 LIFT the shrub onto a tarpaulin sheet, keeping as much soil as possible with it, then use this to lift the rootball into a wheelbarrow. 3 LOWER the shrub into a wide planting hole that has been prepared with added presoaked organic matter. Back-fill with soil, treading…

✔ Buy a wooden model that comes apart, enabling you to clean it thoroughly ✔ Select one with removable parts (such as bamboo canes) that can be replaced annually ✔ Choose a structure that has a back on it, so the bees are snug and safe from parasites ✔ Select a hotel with a holes that range in size from 8-12mm in diameter ✘ Don’t buy a model with glued-in bamboo canes that you can’t remove ✘ Make sure it doesn’t have pine cones, straw or other ‘habitats’ bees won’t nest in. These are the perfect conditions for spiders, which eat bees! ✘ Avoid ones with holes larger than 12mm diameter. These are too big for British species of solitary bee ✘ Don’t choose or erect one that’s angled in…