Innehållsförteckning för Dec-22 från BBC Gardeners' World

Gardens become a growing stronghold for wildlife The world’s wildlife populations have crashed by almost 70 per cent in the past 50 years, with Europe’s biodiversity among the most fragmented, according to the Living Planet Report, the World Wildlife Fund’s regular worldwide audit of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. This year’s report is the biggest yet, scanning 32,000 populations and 5,230 species, and paints a bleak picture of worldwide decline, especially in Latin America, where animal populations are now just six per cent of what they were in 1970. The decline has been slower in Europe, where biodiversity is down 18 per cent – but here much of the damage was already done by 1970, says WWF’s Andreas Baumüller. “We’ve already lost much of our biodiversity, so the continuing…

I always associate winter pruning with the period between Christmas and New Year. It is a job that can be done in the worst of weather and has a slightly ruminative quality that goes well with cold turkey and hot mince pies. Although it can start at any time from late November and continue until the middle of March, I have a basic rule for my timing of winter pruning: I do not begin until the leaves have fallen and I do not continue once the leaves start to reappear. • Fruit trees Prune any crossing or rubbing branches. Cut back any over-long or straggly branches to a bud, to promote vigorous, multi-stemmed regrowth. Do not prune plums, apricots, peaches or cherries in winter. • Trained fruit Trained fruit, such…

“Having a garden that looks good at Christmas need not break the bank or make you a slave to the spade” Of course, you could just shut up shop and turn your back on the garden until spring. After all, nothing much is happening out there, is it? True enough, nature is moving more slowly during the winter months, but to assume this means nothing interesting is going on is an admission that something is sadly lacking in your planting scheme. There may well be very few deckchair moments in the garden at Christmas, but the views from your windows can provide you with more inspiration than you might think if you grow plants that are happy to give their all in the festive season. Each year on Christmas Day…

A classic colour combination, this green and white wreath includes several types of greenery foraged from the garden, combined to make a luscious and full wreath. Dried flowers grown earlier in the year have been included, as well as attractive seedheads, to create lots of interest and texture. If you haven’t dried your own flowers, you can buy them from many garden centres and online. The whole wreath will dry beautifully too. See the previous page for step-by-step instructions on how to make it. YOU WILL NEED ◼ Circular willow base◼ Secateurs◼ Green jute twine◼ Greenery from your garden, such as bay, eucalyptus, conifers and ivy◼ Various dried white flowers, including statice, gomphrena, gypsophila and feverfew, and fresh white heather◼ Seedheads of nigella, thistles, grasses and similar◼ Ribbon, for hanging…

How to make your decorative swag Versatile and colourful, this swag will flow elegantly over your mantelpiece, table or any flat surface YOU WILL NEED ◼ Sprigs of foliage, such as bay, yew, ivy, conifer and eucalyptus◼ Flowering heather, in shades of pink◼ Green jute twine 1 CREATE A SMALL BUNCH of foliage and pink heather. Use at least five sprigs, cut to 15-20cm long. Wrap twine round the stems to hold them together. 2 MAKE A SECOND BUNCH in the same way, then lay it over the top of the stems of the first bunch, to hide them. Wrap twine around both sections of stems to secure them together. Continue adding bunches until the swag reaches the length you need. VISIT GardenersWorld.com/christmas for a host of other festive projects…

£5 and under £10 and under…

MAKE IT HOMEGROWN Order cranberry bushes now and plant in ericaceous compost in containers or a raised bed, or in the ground in acidic soil. Water with rainwater. These hardy bushes produce berries in autumn and although self-fertile they will crop better if you plant several bushes nearby. ✶ Try cranberry ‘Pilgrim’, which if grown in a container will cascade over the sides. Jackie Kearney was a finalist in BBC One’s MasterChef in 2011. As a street-food pioneer in the UK, Jackie – aka The Hungry Gecko – travelled up and down the country with her iconic trailer Barbarella, serving up Asian street food. She is the author of Vegan Street Food, My Vegan Travels, Plant-Based Burgers and Vegan Christmas Feasts. @thehungrygecko The festive season means so many different things…

December is the start of winter, with days at their shortest, but conversely not at their coldest – an accolade reserved for the month of February in the UK. However, those short days have a huge impact on plant growth, which is affected by temperature, day length and light levels. So pruning around now is appropriate for plants that need to be tackled at their most dormant. This applies to lots of productive plants like apples, which need their fruiting growth encouraged, as well as many deciduous plants like grapevines that can bleed if pruned in the new year. Plants grown for their colourful winter stems, such as cornus and ornamental rubus, or those bearing attractive berries, such as cotoneaster, are usually pruned toward the end of winter. Start planning…

Check cold frames for pickings Regularly check your vegetable cold frames for fresh pickings of salad leaves such as lamb’s lettuce, mizuna and rocket. Start with the outer leaves, cutting them off at the base. You may come across slugs on the soil that have been sheltering under the leaves, so pick those out. Check around the edges of the frame, where more may be sheltering, and snails, which better cope with drier conditions than slugs. Pick kale leaves Harvest kale leaves, starting with the lowest ones on the plant. Kale can keep cropping right through winter until spring. The lowest leaves are the toughest, with a thick midrib, but the soft leaf can be stripped away from the midrib for cooking, and the midrib chopped and composted. Later, before…

Mulching the soil Mulching is among the most important gardening tasks– a solution for soil infertility, pests and diseases, water loss and weed invasion. While mineral mulches, such as gravel, can also work, only organic mulches improve soil fertility and structure. These are biodegradable, made from garden compost, leafmould, wood chippings and manure, etc. Over time, broken down by soil-dwelling creatures and incorporated into soil, they introduce air and water channels along with nutrients plants take up directly through their roots. Dark organic mulches, like garden compost, also absorb sunlight to warm the soil. A thick (5-7cm) layer works best to stop weed seeds germinating. To max out your mulch benefits, consider the needs of your plants and soil. Don’t waste rich compost on wildflowers, but do apply it to…

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“The colour of winter is in the imagination”Terri Guillemets STAR OF THE MONTH Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ You will remember this plant with fondness. Back in about July, the sun shone down and it was a picture of pink perfection with petals draped like silken scarves on the golden shoulders of princesses. Those petals have now long since returned to compost but we are left with these delicious central bosses: as firm as doorknobs and knubbled with frost. Here, in one picture, is the reason why we should let our perennials stand for as long as possible. I have a golden rule: if it looks horrible, cut it down. If it still looks good, leave it be. This one can stay. Purple coneflower. Attracts bees, birds, butterflies and moths. Take root…

By and large I am fairly fit and healthy, but my knees don’t work so well nowadays and by the end of a day’s filming I am hobbling around the garden. This deterioration has been going on a long time. I remember seeing my GP about one of them some 25 years ago and he simply commented, “bad design, knees”, which, although profoundly unhelpful, turns out to be true. They work pretty well until they don’t and thereafter they are just trouble. However, apart from this patellae problem, gardening is good for you both in mind and body. Gardening cannot reverse the depredations of age, but it can militate against them and slow them down. In a few hours’ gardening we inevitably bend, lift, haul, push, reach, lever and stretch.…

Dame Judi Dench is one of our finest and best-loved actors. Her career spans over 60 years, and at 87 she is still box office gold: last year she won an eighth Oscar nomination as Sir Kenneth Branagh’s grandmother in Belfast. She’s also a passionate tree-lover and has planted dozens in her woodland garden in Surrey. When did your love of trees begin? As a little girl I used to get irrationally upset by lorries going past with huge cut-down trees – I still don’t like it. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love them. Michael [Williams, Dame Judi’s late husband] was very, very fond of trees. What’s your earliest tree-related memory? Our next-door neighbours had a beautiful pear tree and one of my brothers and I used…

Duangdao Jamieson, Hampshire I’m originally from Thailand, from a farming background – plants and the land have always been special to me. I came to the UK seven years ago and my husband and I moved into a flat with a small balcony (4m2). I bought seeds, pots and hanging baskets, and did plenty of reading. My many plants include herbs and tomatoes to use in the Thai dishes I love to cook. The balcony is a haven for us – all we need now is a bigger one! “I can sit immersed in my plants for hours at a time, unwinding from my long working hours, surrounded by beautiful colours, shapes and smells” Emma Cripps, London The balcony was totally bare and just 2m x 1m, but it gives…

Christmas is the perfect time to tap into your creative spirit and harness nature’s bounty to make beautiful foraged decorations for your home. From festive wreaths for your front door to a garland for your mantelpiece, they’re simple to make, gorgeous, sustainable and recyclable. There’s no limit to what you can try, fresh or dried, to transform into an amazing display. The most beautiful thing is that most of the materials you need can be found in your own garden or by foraging in the gardens of your friends – with permission of course! I’ll show you a few simple skills to help you create decorations that will bring beauty and nature into your home this Christmas. Amber is owner of Howe Farm Flowers near Aylesbury, growing sustainable, seasonal cut…

How to make your gift wrapping Make a pocket at the front of your gift, then add festive greenery and other natural decorations. This method is ideal for boxed gifts and books YOU WILL NEED ◼ Wrapping paper◼ Sticky tape◼ Sprigs of greenery, such as holly, eucalyptus and rosemary◼ Other natural decorations, such as dried flowers, pine cones, dried oranges and cinnamon sticks 1 CUT A LARGE SQUARE of wrapping paper and lay your gift in the centre. Wrap the paper over it at the top and bottom. Then fold in the sides, first from each top upper corner, to create a triangular flap, then a second flap from each top lower corner. 2 FOLD THE FOUR FLAPS into the centre, overlapping from alternated sides. Secure in place to create…

As much as I’m grateful for a bouquet of flowers, I’d far rather be gifted a flowering house plant. Cut flowers wither and die after a few weeks, while growing them commercially can have severe environmental impacts. They’re often dowsed in pesticides, wrapped in plastic and imported, sometimes from as far away as Kenya, using energy-intensive refrigeration. Flowering house plants can be a simple way to boost your mood during the darker months, adding a welcome splash of colour to your home. You can even have different plants in bloom throughout the year. And don’t be put off if you’ve had no previous success getting house plants to bloom or even survive. In this series, I’ll share my tips on choosing, growing and enjoying flowering house plants all year round.…

Check young broad beans Check young broad bean plants that were sown in pots last month. Give them space and water sparingly to avoid the base of the stem rotting at compost level. If plants get too leggy they can be snipped back to a healthy bud where more compact growth will appear. They could be planted out in sheltered spots in the mildest parts of the country, but will be best protected inside if your garden is vulnerable to biting frosts. QUICK SOLUTIONS Check your plants in pots regularly to ensure their watering needs are met. With any that are standing in saucers, promptly drain off any excess water that may have collected, to avoid the roots rotting. VISIT GardenersWorld.com/greenhouse-kit for advice on key accessories Set heating thermostats Save…

Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and house-plant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Ashley Edwards As a head gardener with charity Horatio’s Garden, Ashley enjoys sharing his passion for plants. Pippa Greenwood Pippa is one of the foremost experts on pests and diseases. She gardens using organic methods. Q What can I grow in a shady narrow border by a wall? Eva Pollard, by email A ASHLEY SAYS As your border is so narrow (only 30cm), planting tall herbaceous plants may look odd and they would flop forward, so would need staking. Instead I’d suggest a climber or a wall shrub. The following three would work well. Pileostegia viburnoides is a climbing shrub with narrow, evergreen leaves and clusters of creamy-white flowers. It grows…

Phormiums You’d think it was obvious, wouldn’t you. So here’s the big question. Are phormiums perennials or are they shrubs? Well, I know what I think, and that’s why I included them in the RHS Encyclopedia of Perennials, the most comprehensive book on perennials ever published. I was in charge of deciding what was in and what was out, and phormiums are very definitely in! But The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs, also published by the RHS and the most comprehensive book on trees and shrubs ever published, also includes phormiums. What are we to make of that? Phormiums are evergreens with sword-like leaves arising from a tight crown. There are no woody stems – which would seem to clinch it. Not to mention that the botanists say that…

HOT TOPIC Troubles with trees People are encouraged to plant trees, but please not too close to their neighbours’ garden fence or boundary. If that happens, too much of the tree overhangs the adjoining property, often causing an obstruction as well as blocking out natural light and sometimes just being too intrusive. When talking about planting trees in small or medium gardens, can advice be given not to plant trees close to adjacent gardens that will inflict a nuisance on others when they become fully grown? Brian Hill, by email My wife and I love plants, shrubs and trees of all shapes and sizes, except one – THE WRETCHED SYCAMORE! Our neighbours on two sides have sycamore trees close to our boundaries, which means that we are inundated with hundreds…

SAVE £8.50 Winter wonderland For a grand 18th-century country house crammed with impressive works of art, Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire has a surprisingly homely feel to it. Visit this December to see the house transformed in A Winter’s Night. The magical tour features winter scenes, including a Swan Lake ballet in the music room and a twinkling starry night down in the basement. There’s even the chance to post a letter to Santa. Outside, a mix of formal and walled gardens make up a succession of garden rooms, each with its own balance of grandeur and charm. Take the apple pergola walk to see the fruit replaced with glittering baubles. Open Until 31 Dec, daily except 24 and 25 Dec, booking essential, check before visiting. Full details at nationaltrust.org.uk/gunby-hall SAVE…

Bare-root trees and shrubs must be planted while dormant – during the cold months between October and March. They are grown in field rows, unrestricted by pots, so have well-developed, strong roots that establish easily. They’re also generally cheaper. Containerised blueberries tend to establish better than bare-root plants. Figs are not available bare-root as they must only be planted after the last frost. Potted strawberries can be planted all year round, but autumn is best for establishing bare-root plants. • Bare-root raspberries There are two kinds of raspberry – summerand autumn-fruiting. Summer raspberries ripen between the end of June and August. Autumn ones overlap for a week or so in August and, depending on the weather, can be picked well into October. For summer, I grow ‘Malling Jewel’, an old-fashioned…

Green spaces and gardens in hospital settings provide much-needed respite areas for staff, where they can relax, recover, breathe and connect to nature within an otherwise sterile environment. Families visiting loved ones can benefit from tranquil gardens for reflection. Clinical staff can use gardens for physiotherapy sessions to support speedier recovery. Even patients who can see greenery from their window have been shown to recover more quickly than those who don’t have such a view. Green spaces within hospitals have multiple benefits for staff, patient and community wellbeing at all levels. Hospitals are often set in the heart of a community, where people will visit at different stages of their lives. Embedding a hospital garden into a community and encouraging local people to be involved can have huge benefits, providing…

Loved for their beautiful winter blooms, hellebores will survive the coldest of weather. Cup-shaped flowers appear above glossy, evergreen foliage throughout winter and into spring, providing your garden with colour when not much else is flowering. Perfect for planting in shady borders and containers or underneath trees and shrubs. Height x Spread 35cm x 35cm Flowers Feb-Apr ◼ Helleborus x hybridus ‘Double Ellen Picotee’ 1 plant in 9cm pot £16 ◼ Helleborus x hybridus ‘Double Ellen Pink’ 1 plant in 9cm pot £16 ◼ Helleborus x hybridus ‘Double Ellen White Spotted’ 1 plant in 9cm pot £14 Hellebore collections ◼ 3 plants (1 of each) in 9cm pots £24 SAVE £22 ◼ 9 plants (3 of each) in 9cm pots £32 SAVE £40 SAVE up to £40 01386 426245 (quote…

Wild and rustic, this wreath includes a little bit of everything: greenery foraged from the garden creates the base layer, with seedheads and dried flowers woven in to add texture and interest. Pine cones, willow stems, thistles and frothy clematis seedheads were added at the end to give a wild and natural look. YOU WILL NEED ◼ Circular willow wreath base◼ Secateurs◼ Green jute twine◼ Foraged greenery, such as bay, eucalyptus, ivy and conifers◼ Seedheads, such as clematis, buddleia, nigella, thistles, grasses and more◼ Pine cones◼ Dried flowers, such as lavender◼ Stems of twisted willow◼ Ribbon, for hanging How to make your wreath Follow these simple steps to create festive wreaths of all styles, shapes and sizes 1 GATHER YOUR MATERIALS in front of you. Place your greenery in piles…

How to make a table centrepiece Create an elegant and long-lasting display to adorn your dining table throughout the festive season YOU WILL NEED ◼ Deep bowl◼ Clear florists’ or sticky tape◼ Evergreen sprigs, such as choisya, spotted laurel, variegated euonymus and holly◼ White flowers, such as dried helipterum or fresh narcissi◼ Candles (optional) 1 GATHER EVERGREEN FOLIAGE, selecting an array of different leaf shapes and colours. Then choose a deep bowl and create a grid over the top using clear florists’ tape (or sticky tape). Fill the bowl with water. 2 CUT YOUR FOLIAGE STEMS to various lengths, then arrange in the bowl, creating different heights and trailing the greenery over the sides to hide the tape. Tuck in plenty of dried or fresh flowers. Add candles if required.…

If you’re looking for a show-stopping floral display, opt for a Christmas cactus. These produce the most striking flowers, in shades of red, vivid pink or white, from late September to January. Schlumbergera, native to the mountains of Brazil, has different care requirements to desert cacti. While its arid-loving cousins can go months without a drink, these rainforest dwellers crave more frequent watering and less intense light – but that doesn’t mean placing it in a shady spot with damp compost. Position ideally on an east- or west-facing windowsill. Rest after flowering until late March by only watering to stop the compost completely drying out, then increase watering. Keeping the plant outside over summer until temperatures are down to 10°C, then bringing it back inside, can help trigger it to…

As gardeners, when we plant a tree or a shrub in our garden, we are most likely doing it for its ornamental attributes during one or more of the four seasons of the year, but these plants provide so many other essential benefits to people and wildlife, especially in urban settings. And there is no excuse for not planting them as there is a tree or shrub suitable to grow in any location, regardless of the size or space available. According to the RHS, UK domestic gardens cover 700,000 hectares – that’s equivalent to an area the size of 93,000 professional football pitches – so there is plenty of room for us to accommodate them. With just over 45 million adults having access to a garden in the UK, we…

The year ends and my plot sits in silence. It seems even the other allotment holders have gone into hibernation. While much of my patch is covered in green manure, it’s good to see part of it still filled with food to eat – there are lots of fresh winter greens there for the picking. But nonetheless, it’s definitely slowed down and the silence is only briefly broken by the chirping of a visiting robin. Strolling around the plot allows me to reflect on what this fleeting year has provided: a jubilant spring, a hot, sizzling summer, a bright and colourful autumn and now we are entering a cold winter. That said, I am so glad I have a greenhouse on the plot, and although it is unheated, it most…

STEP BY STEP Cut back hellebores Cut all last season’s hellebore foliage back to ground level now to reveal new flower stems and to keep the blotchy fungal disease hellebore leaf spot at bay. Make sure all the foliage is put in your domestic green waste bin. Fungal spores on the foliage are able to survive the home composting process. 1 HOLD the leaves steady then cut the stem down as low to the base as possible, taking care not to damage emerging flower stems. 2 LOOK out for the flower stems extending over the next few weeks. While the plant is in full flower a canopy of fresh green foliage will emerge below it. TOP TIP Move tubs of evergreen shrubs and seasonal flowers closer to the house so that they…

Trim shrubs for festive displays Gather some fresh, healthy foliage from the garden for Christmas garlands and festive arrangements. Choose strong evergreens such as holly, mahonia, myrtle and Christmas box. Reach in with your secateurs to cut shoots out from beneath the foliage canopy. To keep the shape of the shrub intact, take the shoots from all round the shrub, avoiding the top or bottom shoots. Be careful not to over-cut in one spot and leave big holes. Put the foliage straight into a bucket of water. See p49 for lots more festive inspiration. Clean your mower Leave your lawnmower clean and dry to avoid the blades seizing up and the fittings going rusty while it’s not in use over winter. Disconnect power-driven machines and turn them on their side…

Word wheel Make as many six-letter words as you can using letters from the wheel (excluding proper nouns, plurals acceptable), all containing the letter in the centre. Target: 9 Now use all the letters in the wheel to spell out a plant associated with Christmas Language of flowers Can you unscramble the anagrams to spell out four plants ideal for winter colour? CARA COOKS ROE IN A COACH SMILE AT HAIRY HENS BURN AS COAL IRIS LOCATES CHARM Tree tease Use all the letters in the grid once to spell out four conifers that make good Christmas trees Step by step By changing one letter each time to make a new word, can you transform a SEED into a PINE? SEED PINE Christmas cracker Here are six festive foods. Unfortunately,…