Innehållsförteckning för July 2024 från BBC Gardeners' World

Discover… Caroline Quentin’s garden in our podcast, plus how to decode nature’s secrets, easy ways to use homegrown harvests, and how to make your house plants love you back. Catch new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday, along with a bonus episode on Saturdays, at GardenersWorld.com/podcast Join us… for an exclusive day at magnificent Highclere Castle – the real ‘Downton Abbey’ – hosted by Alan Titchmarsh – see p127 Subscribe now… to get three issues for £5, then save 32% on the retail price, paying just £27.60 every six issues – see p32 Buy… our latest special edition, Grow & Cook, a collaboration with Good Food, and with a foreword by Adam Frost. Available in stores and at bit.ly/guides-gw Sign up for our newsletter at GardenersWorld.com/newsletters Keep up to date with us…

“July is… hammocks, fireworks and vacations”Jean Hersey STARS OF THE MONTH Pelargonium ‘Lord Bute’ and Achillea millefolium ‘Balvinrose’ If you’re a pelargonium enthusiast (and who isn’t?), then this one should be high up your wish list. Lord Bute was Prime Minister for a year in 1762. More importantly for us gardeners, he was interested in botany and helped to create Kew Gardens. His pelargonium is sensational, with velvety petals the colour of tawny port, edged with a squeeze of fruity pink. It’s at its best on its own in a mellow, well-aged terracotta pot or bringing a bit of aristocratic tone to a border combination. The achillea is a pretty punchy colour, which makes this a stop-and-stare combo. SHAPING UP BEAUTIFULLY We all need a burst of colour in our…

A tropical vibe This well-coordinated ensemble provides a vivid spectacle throughout late summer. Delicate yet vibrant crocosmia exudes exotic charm with its striking upright habit, strappy mid-green leaves and tall sprays of red, orange or yellow blooms – Orange Pekoe is a gorgeous shade of marmalade. It thrives in gardens with a sunny spot, but can tolerate partial shade. Resilient grassy evergreens such as black mondo (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Kokuryũ’) and lime-green Carex morrowii Ice Dance combine to create fuss-free, year-round contrast, while shade-tolerant New Guinea Group orange and red impatiens adds vibrant colour to the understorey and can be overwintered indoors, ready for next year’s displays. TOP TIPS WE USED ❶ Crocosmia Orange Pekoe x 2 ❷ Carex morrowii Ice Dance x 1 ❸ Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Kokuryũ’ x 1 ❹…

“The garden in early summer has a heady sense of being at the peak of perfection – but all good things come to an end” The days stretch endlessly, the weather tries hard to be good, and your garden has that magical midsummer combination of overflowing abundance, still lit with the freshness and inner vitality of late spring. Summer stretches out ahead in an unbroken festival of floral proliferation. Well, up to a point. Disregarding what we can’t control, such as the weather and the soil, a great deal of how summer unravels itself in your garden, in the months ahead, will be down to what you do in the critical fortnight or so between midsummer, 24 June, and the middle of July. In effect, it is the end of…

When it comes to colour in the garden lots of us tend to focus our attention on flowers and foliage. It’s the obvious choice. But, beyond their own colour, the thing that makes leaves and blooms really shine is the background they are placed against and the objects that surround them. We’re not all blessed with beautiful Cotswold stone walls, corten steel screens or fabulous views into the surrounding landscape, but it is possible to create drama, romance or serenity simply by choosing paint colours, structures and objects that truly show off our plants. Colour from the landscape The colour choices we make in our gardens have the capacity to tie the space into the surrounding environment or have the plot stand alone as an entity in its own right.…

◼ Dine out for less Create an outdoor dining area by reusing old kitchen cabinets, worktops and tiles. Also factor in a way to protect it from the elements. ◼ Reclaimed retreat Build a pergola from scaffolding poles, boards, acrow props and railway sleepers. Use videos to help with assembly skills. ◼ Customised cushions Transform old sailcloth, hessian, tarpaulin or vintage fabrics into sun awnings, cushion covers and throws. ◼ Repurpose pallets Use wooden pallets to construct chairs, tables, sun loungers, sofas, garden dividers and compost bins. Source a pallet breaker for removing planks. ◼ Fashion a water feature Give new life to old sinks, baths, watering cans, buckets, barrels, pipes, pumps and pond liners by using them to make creative water features. ◼ Waste not Trawl neighbourhood groups to…

Just three courgette plants will keep a family supplied through summer, but I often grow more. And there’s so much you can do with them – in muffins and fritters, or cooked with chilli and garlic and stirred through pasta – though I draw the line at courgette cake. Peas, French beans, spinach, early potatoes and radishes are in season. Make a vinaigrette, like the one in my burrata, almonds, French beans and peas recipe, for lots of easy meals – I love a French bean and potato salad for lunch with boiled eggs – stir the dressing through while the vegetables are still warm. “Peas, French beans, spinach, early potatoes and radishes are in season” Burrata with almonds, French beans and peas This easy summer dish is a lovely…

Visit GardenersWorld.com/what-to-do-now for more advice on the best crops to sow and plant this month, and how to do it Gardeners' World offer SAVE ON CHERRY ‘PORTHOS’ BUSH This delicious cherry can produce up to 5kg of super sweet fruit each year once fully established. Self-fertile and blooms with iconic cherry blossom in spring, too. Height x Spread 2m x 2m Harvest Jul-Aug 1 plant in 3L pot £19.99 SAVE £10 (300176) PLUS FREE Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser (100g) worth £4.99 with every order (100085) yougarden.com/RGW271 or call 0844 502 0050* and quote code RGW271 Please add £6.99 ostage to your order. Offer subject to availability. We reserve the right to send substitute varieties of the same or higher value. Offer closes on 31/08/24 or whilst stocks last. Delivery to UK…

◼ Allium ‘Party Balloons’ Multiple flower stems per bulb. A real magnet for pollinators. Height x Spread 55cm x 20cm Flowers May-Jun 3 bulbs £7.65 NOW £6.50 ◼ Narcissus Art Perfume Unique double corona. Captivating perfume. H x S 40cm x 15cm F Apr 5 bulbs £9.75 NOW £8.29 ◼ Iris ‘Blue Note’ Purple-to-blue petals with white markings. Lightly fragrant. H x S 15cm x 10cm F Feb-Mar 20 bulbs £4.80 NOW £4.08 ◼ Tulipa ‘Pink Star’ Wavy, multi-layered petals in peach-pink. Front of border. H x S 40cm x 15cm F Apr-May 10 bulbs £7.90 NOW £6.71 ◼ Fritillaria ‘Lutea’ Flamboyant yet classy. H x S 85cm x 20cm F Apr-May 3 bulbs £11.85 NOW £10.07 ◼ Tulipa Drakensteyn Deeply fringed petals. Pink and white stripes. H x S…

HOT TOPIC Child’s play I enjoyed reading the recent debate piece about whether children’s play equipment belongs in the garden or not (Over The Fence, May issue) and wanted to share my thoughts. Children belong in the garden as much as gardeners, plants and wildlife do. We talk about ‘giving over’ certain sections of our garden to help nature so why is it any different to ‘give over’ a section to encourage our children to engage with nature? Our current garden is split into thirds: one third planting and lawn, one third seating area (with pots), and one third dedicated play area. Having the play area there encourages my children out into the garden and keeps them busy as I get on with gardening jobs. And before long, they are…

Public gardens take crucial steps to cope with climate change A run of record-breaking weather has led climate scientists to declare that global warming has entered a new phase. March 2024 was the world’s warmest month since records began 175 years ago, while the 18 months to March 2024 were the wettest for England since 1836. Although the Pacific weather system El Niño compounded these extremes, our long-term trend is on a warmer, wetter trajectory. Forecasters predict summer 2024 will be the UK’s hottest yet. For gardeners, the impact of climate change is already being felt. “Warmer springs and autumns are extending the growing season and allowing us to grow a wider range of plants, so there’s a greater need for weeding, mowing and pruning, and extreme rainfall is increasing…

2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Visit buysubscriptions.com/GWNP724 Call 03330 162123* and quote code GWNP724 Free UK delivery Money back guarantee Worldwide delivery Secure online payments Offer ends 18 July 2024 † This offer is only open to new UK customers subscribing to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine by recurring payment. The closing date for this offer is 18 July 2024. You will pay £5 for 3 issues; your subscription will then continue at the rate of £27.60 every 6 issues – still saving 32% on the usual shop price. You may cancel at any time and receive a full refund on any outstanding issues by contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may also be required. We reserve the right to reject or cancel subscriptions during the trial period for…

A year ago, together with a band of like-minded helpers, we built a great big show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Perhaps ‘built’ is the wrong verb, ‘plant’ is what we did. The garden was all about the plants. It was meant to illustrate the ethos of choosing plants that are going to thrive in the situation you have. Gardens are not the same as nature, but studying nature, learning lessons from what grows where and in what conditions, illuminates the way forward for us gardeners. To that end, the garden was divided into different areas, each one a reference to a specific habitat that would inform plant choices in a garden situation. In real life the chances of having six different habitat types in one garden…

1 Incorporate one or two evergreen shrubs to offer structure – choisya (Mexican orange blossom) is good in full sun, while osmanthus will tolerate shade. Add drought-tolerant perennials, annuals – such as sun-loving eschscholzia – and bulbs to fill the available space. 2 Dry gardens in full sun are often most effective when they are sparsely planted – emulating the natural conditions in which the plants would grow. Rivers of gravel used as a mulch will not only show off the plants to best effect but will also ensure that weeds are suppressed and surface drainage is fierce – preventing mud-splashing and alleviating that problem of moisture sitting around the ‘collars’ of the plants and leading to rotting off in winter. 3 In shady areas around trees and shrubs a…

Perhaps you’re like me, radar always poised to spot a unique bit of reclamation as a present for your garden? Or maybe you’re looking for hands-on inspiration and knowhow to transform rescued refuse into something beautiful or useful? Either way, the more relaxed nature of gardens makes them ideal spaces for a little DIY fun, especially when the sun is out, turning old into new and benefiting from the feel-good factor that comes with rescuing something from landfill. That’s exactly how an old bridge became part of my growing garden stash recently, liberated (with permission) from a building site, where it would otherwise have been treated as waste. I haven’t crystallised a plan for this reclaimed gem yet, but that’s all part of the process – finding inspiration for a…

My journey into the world of gardening began with my grandfather in northern Italy. This inspiration led me to cultivate my very own natural oasis right in the heart of London. Together with my fiancé, we transformed our front yard into a flourishing edible garden, offering a year-round supply of fresh herbs and medicinal plants, which we utilise to concoct natural remedies, saving us money. Additionally, our modest backyard, spanning just 40 square metres, yields an impressive variety of fruits and vegetables. Despite these successes, I have long aspired to secure an allotment to expand our endeavours. I am a firm believer in the critical role these urban green spaces play – not only in providing fresh produce but also as vital sanctuaries for insects and wildlife, which I am eager…

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is delighted to bring you the opportunity to join GW TV presenter Adam Frost for an exclusive event at Highgrove Gardens on Monday 9 September 2024. Greeted by the magazine team on your arrival at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, you’ll be guided through a 90-minute tour to discover the beautiful gardens that weave their way around the private home of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. You’ll learn about the evolution of these private gardens, with fascinating stories about their development, including insights into family life on the estate. Discover how HM King Charles III has crafted each amazing space from scratch, so they now form one of the most inspirational gardens in the UK. After your tour, you’ll return to a prosecco and canapé…

“The speckled bush-cricket cannot fly, but instead jumps, using its powerful back legs” You may spot… Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima The speckled bush-cricket has short wings, long, thin antennae and a dark orange stripe on its back (the male has a thicker stripe than the female). The female has a long, curved ovipositor (egg-laying tube). It cannot fly, but instead jumps, using its powerful back legs. Found in scrub, hedgerows and gardens in summer, it seems particularly fond of bramble. It’s mostly active at dusk and at night, and feeds on flowers and leaves. In late summer, adult males attract females by rubbing their wings together. After mating, females lay their eggs in tree bark or plant stems, and the hatched nymphs overwinter in the same spot. The nymphs are…

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is delighted to bring you another exclusive event at Highclere Castle, the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, where you’ll be joined by Alan Titchmarsh and Lady Carnarvon. On arrival, a warm welcome from the magazine team awaits you, before the Countess of Carnarvon introduces the story of her family home. Here, she will delve into the secrets of one of England’s most enchanting country estates and share her intimate knowledge of the castle’s gardens, with their rich heritage. Joining her will be Alan Titchmarsh, who’ll delight you with stories about his illustrious career and discuss the influence of royalty on gardening. There will then be time for a Q&A session before the group is split into two: one group will have a light lunch while the other explores…

Join Frances Tophill as she takes over Premium, the exclusive subscriber-only area of GardenersWorld.com. She shares why gardening sustainably matters, how it can help save you time and money, and make your plants better able to cope with summer’s unpredictable weather. Plus, she reveals her favourite wildflowers. You’ll find all this and more by logging into Premium from 1 July – don’t miss it! Wild about wildflowers Wildflowers, such as cow parsley and foxgloves (below) can support a wide range of wildlife, from providing pollen and nectar for pollinating insects, to seeds for birds and breeding sites for butterflies. Frances shares her favourite wildflowers, which are fantastic for wildlife and have other uses that you might find surprising. Make your garden more resilient We all want to do our bit…

With exceptional flavour, reliability and heavy cropping, these strawberries can be planted in containers and baskets – perfect if you have limited garden space. Ideal for making jams and desserts. You will receive 12 bare-roots of one of the following varities: For details of how to order, see opposite page Beautiful alstroemerias – SAVE £24 when you buy the collection Enjoy non-stop, exotic flowers with these gorgeous Peruvian lilies. Producing vibrant blooms, with each petal displaying flecks or markings, they will create a blaze of colour in your garden. Plant in pots on a patio or in a border for flowers that will keep coming all summer long. Alstroemeria Majestic Layon H x S 90cm x 40cm F Jun-Oct 1 plant in 9cm pot £16 (K16847) A. Majestic Chinon Fiery-red blooms…

“We have endured wetter springs and milder winters, which has necessitated a reappraisal of plants deemed suitable for periodically dry soils” Most of us have a patch of dusty earth – even those of us who garden on what is diplomatically called ‘stiff’ soil. It may be open to drying winds and baking sunshine and, as a result, it will be capable of being transformed into a dustbowl with remarkable rapidity once the endless spring rains are nothing but a memory. Alternatively, the patch of earth may be shaded but sucked dry of moisture by a dense network of tree roots. Either way, all is not lost. The secret (which is obvious when you come to think of it) is to grow plants that are naturally suited to dry soils…

“Although my gardening journey started quite recently, I’m excited by a lifetime of seeing and learning as much as possible”Oliver Hymans When Oliver and his partner Marcus moved to their north-east London flat six years ago, the 5m by 1.5m balcony was just used to store bikes. But Oliver soon set about turning it into a relaxing haven, surrounded by greenery. His passion for gardening began with house plants, then expanded to propagation and trying out different plants. First came the Malaga-inspired red pelargoniums. The couple then made a few aesthetic changes to the walls and floor. They also wanted foliage to cool the space, which gets sun for most of the day. The many challenges of balcony gardening include keeping everything watered in summer, so they soon moved to…

PLUS Harvesting peas ◼ Controlling sciarid flies ◼ Sowing wallflowers ◼ Thinning out grapes ◼ Taking hypericum cuttings Sign up to our Newsletter for more helpful tips and advice for the month at GardenersWorld.com/newsletters…

Keep rambling roses under control Tie in the long new shoots on rambling roses to save them from snapping in the wind and to make sure they cover their supports and flower next year. Wear gloves to protect your hands from thorns. Pull the stems down carefully to avoid snapping them and tie them to their support with soft string, making it loose enough for the stem to expand as it grows. The more horizontal the stems are, the better they will be at flowering along the whole length rather than just at the tips. Prune out any stems that are heading off in the wrong direction or crowding into other plants. Cut back centaurea Get a new flush of flowers from centaurea by cutting out the old flower stems…

ACROSS 1 It’s a good idea to __ summer bedding plants regularly (8)6 Apply tomato __ fortnightly to crops in pots and grow bags (4)7 Poisonous plant belonging to the nightshade family (7)8 Check brassica __ for the eggs of cabbage white butterflies (6)9 Taxus baccata ‘Hibernica’ is better known as __ yew (5)11 A plant that grows on another plant for support (8)13 A shoot of asparagus or broccoli, for example (5)16 __ fern is a name for Matteuccia struthiopteris (7)19 Genus of July bloomers known as sweet spire (4)20 I. germanica is better known as the __ iris (7)21 Summer-blooming bulb also called Peruvian daffodil (6)22 Stiff bristle growing from the ear of various cereals (3)23 ‘__ Hoffmann’ is a popular variety of Chile lantern tree (3) DOWN 1 Give…

Do you have one of those smartphones that tells you how many steps you have taken in a day? If you leave it in the house and forget to carry it with you, do you feel as though your exercise has been wasted? Mad isn’t it? I am musing on this fact as I watch a pair of moorhens on my pond – one of them is travelling repeatedly to and fro gathering sticks, passing them to its mate who sits on a pile of twigs of all shapes and sizes that pass as a nest right in the middle of a raft of waterlily pads. The mate is tasked with arranging the collection into something resembling a habitation for the hoped-for chicks. The coming and going is ceaseless, with…