Innehållsförteckning för January 2025 från BBC Gardeners' World

Gardeners together can protect biodiversity Recent reports such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet Report make it clear that over the past 50 years, human activity has led to an average decline of 73 per cent in global wildlife populations, with some regions reporting losses of as much as 95 per cent. Meanwhile the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species indicates that almost a third of species are at risk of extinction. In terms of biodiversity, the UK isn’t faring well either, named as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world in the State of Nature Report 2023. Ecosystems are being pushed to such an extent that the world is close to irreversible global tipping points, such as the melting of…

WE USED ➊ 1 x rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) ❷ 2 x pots of Iris ‘Harmony’ (3 bulbs per pot) ❸ 2 x pots of Crocus large-flowered blue (3 per pot) ➍ 1 x round terracotta pot (30cm) New year celebration Rosemary is an excellent choice for a container all year round, and here I’ve combined it with small, colourful treasures – winter-flowering bulbs in rich, bright hues – to welcome in the new year. After the crocuses and reticulata irises fade, you can replant the bulbs straight into the garden and the rosemary will continue happily in the pot. A terracotta pot hints at the sun-baked, summer climes that these plants all favour and its porosity means that they don’t sit wet in winter. Its scalloped edge and warm colour…

When we think about gardening, it usually brings about positive feelings of doing good and being at one with nature. This may elevate to even feeling virtuous when reflecting on a day of hard work in the garden. I doubt anyone comes in from their outdoor pursuits and discusses the deadly sins they’ve committed! We have soil under our nails and sweat on our brow, what could we possibly have done wrong? In the spirit of new year’s resolutions, I’m going to look through the lens of the seven deadly sins and confess my own gardening offenses. But as you read mine, I ask that you reflect on yours with a notepad and a cup of tea. Hopefully, this process will provide fresh inspiration on how we can help wildlife,…

Matt Collins is a garden, landscape and travel writer, and Head Gardener at the Garden Museum in London @museum_gardener Despite years of transatlantic travel, immersion in the beautiful and botanically diverse landscapes of the American Southwest had long eluded me. Evermore curious to experience the arid homeland of some of the gardening world’s toughest and most dynamic flora, I finally made a trip in spring and fell head over heels for the ‘Grand Canyon state’. Arizona paints a very particular image in the mind: of wide-open Route 66 and the magnificent Canyonlands, and of the Sonoran Desert stretching off into the Mexican sunset. But as the fifth largest of the contiguous United States, preparing an itinerary can feel daunting. Arriving at Phoenix’s international airport, you face the question of whether…

Sara Ward is a passionate advocate for community food growing and is director of social enterprise Cultivate London. She is author of Living the Good Life in the City: A Journey to Self-Sufficiency (Pimpernel Press, £20). @hencorner “Here, in our little corner of West London, we have transformed our home into an urban smallholding” I love January – it’s the season of fresh starts. We can forget the failures of last year and look ahead with faith that this growing year will find us gathering in bountiful harvests of all our favourite food. Here, in our little corner of West London, we have transformed our home into an urban smallholding with fruit and nut trees, a small kitchen garden, lots of hens and three hives of honeybees. We log all…

Just £135* per couple WHAT’S INCLUDED ◼ One night’s stay in a Classic double/twin room ◼ Complimentary drink in the hotel bar ◼ Full English breakfast The Castle Hotel in Windsor has been welcoming guests since the early 16th century. Perfectly located on the High Street, opposite the world’s oldest and largest occupied castle, it combines its unrivalled heritage with all the modern touches that today’s traveller needs. This landmark hotel is also only a short distance from Windsor Great Park’s Savill Garden, offering 35 acres of beautiful woodlands and gardens. BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine readers can enjoy a one-night stay in a Classic bedroom with a full English breakfast, starting your visit with a complimentary drink in the hotel bar to set the mood for relaxation. Plus, you can add a delicious…

YOUR DAY ■ 10am Guests arrive for tea/coffee and biscuits ■ 10.30am Guests split into two groups: garden tour or edible flower seed-sowing workshop ■ 11.30am Water refreshment ■ 11.45am Groups swap ■ 12.45pm Champagne and canapés ■ 1.15pm Call for lunch. You will be seated with other guests ■ 1.30pm Three-course tasting menu with wines, tea/coffee and petit fours ■ 3.30pm Depart with a complimentary goody bag To welcome the spring season, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is delighted to offer an exclusive event at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel. Join us on Thursday 24 April for a day of fun and learning that includes a garden tour, a seed-sowing masterclass on edible flowers, a champagne reception and a three-course Michelin-star lunch. “I can’t thank you enough for…

‘Same old, same old…’ is a phrase that sends a shiver down my spine. Friends who have hoed the same furrow (pardon the gardening analogy) year after year in a job that pays the rent but which they do not like have my deepest sympathy. Every New Year reminds me of my good luck in pursuing a career that has never been anything less than an all-consuming passion. Oh, I have days off and other interests, but deep at the heart of my very being is a burning desire to make a difference to the earth – to contribute to its health and wellbeing and to beautify my surroundings. Should this sound excessively saintly, I will admit to a degree of self-interest: I find my life enriched by gazing on…

WORTH £29.97 The flamboyant, tall stems of gladioli are superb for adding height and drama to your garden. They also make great cut flowers in floral arrangements. Just plant the corms in a sunny, sheltered spot from early May and forget about them until midsummer, when you will enjoy an abundance of gorgeous flowers. Your collection includes: ◼ Gladiolus Kim One of the Glamini Series, Kim is a large-flowered purple variety and makes a beautiful cut flower. Height x Spread 60cm x 15cm Flowers Jul-Aug ◼ Gladiolus Emmy Delicate pale-pink to white flowers, with a brush of yellow on the lower petal, edged in a brighter shade of pink. H x S 60cm x 15cm F Jul-Aug ◼ Gladiolus Amber Pure-white floral flowers that fit seamlessly into any vase or…

ACROSS 1 High-energy food for birds during the winter months (3,5)  6 Check hellebore foliage for signs of leaf __ disease (4) 7 Clean and sharpen metal tools and spray with __ (3) 8 Common name for Ulex (5) 9 Rudbeckia hirta is also known as black __ Susan (4)  10 Prickly native wildflowers whose seeds are loved by birds (7) 13 Stokesia laevis is the botanical name for Stokes’ __ (5) 14 Perennial leafy herb with a subtle liquorice flavour (8) 16 __ fir is the common name for Abies procera (5) 19 A group of plants that share a uniform character (6) 20 __ bonnet is a traditional name for Aquilegia vulgaris (7) 21 __ dioica is the formal name for red campion (6) 22 Use this to sift soil,…

FREE SEEDS‡ until June! Offer ends 30 January 2025 2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Visit buysubscriptions.com/GWNP125 Call 03330 162123* and quote code GWNP125 Free UK delivery Money back guarantee Worldwide delivery Secure online payments FREE SEEDS‡ for subscribers Subscribers will receive an expertly selected mix of seeds with each issue until the June 2025 issue. Subscribe before 6 January to receive your February issue, which includes a pack of Nigella Persian Jewels and Coriander Cilantro seeds. † 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 30 January 2025. You will pay £14.99 for the first 6 issues, your subscription will then continue at £27.60 every 6 issues thereafter, saving 32% on the usual shop…

sponsored by Jo and Andi Butler “Our garden inspiration is eclectic – a combination of travel, particularly around Asia, and our love of traditional English gardens” When Jo and Andi moved to their relatively large, rural garden in Telford, Shropshire, over 15 years ago, it was dominated by trees, brambles and weeds. They enjoyed it as it was for a while, before starting to create their travel-inspired garden just over five years ago. It has evolved into a series of gardens, designed and planted according to each area’s growing conditions, but above all the garden is imbued with creativity and fun. Jo and Andi love to relax in it, both together and with friends. They also open the garden via the National Garden Scheme to raise money for nursing charities,…

Henry Agg is a professional landscape designer based in the South East. With training from the RHS and The English Gardening School, he advocates for gardening’s restorative benefits on mental wellbeing. @henryagg How to build a railway-sleeper bench No garden is truly complete without a comfortable place to sit and admire all of your hard work. Garden seating comes in all shapes and sizes, but a railway-sleeper bench is a classic option that suits most garden styles. It is rustic, solid, and surprisingly simple to build. And by making one yourself, it will be the perfect size for your garden and save you money, too. Read on as I show you how to create your very own garden bench, made from heavy-duty oak railway sleepers, that’s sure to last for…

Kate Bradbury is a garden writer specialising in wildlife gardening. She is the author of six books on wildlife gardening and is the Wildlife Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. “Let’s improve our garden habitats to provide more food as nature intended” For years we’ve been encouraged to feed garden birds, both for their benefit and our enjoyment. I’ve written countless articles on the most calorific food to help birds through winter and get them into good shape for breeding. When research revealed the benefits of feeding all year round, I was there too, explaining that offering adult birds food in summer would help more chicks survive. And more chicks did survive. Garden birds do very well from us feeding them, including declining species like house sparrows, tree sparrows and starlings.…

Wildflowers of Crete 8 days from £1,649pp, departing April 2025 Return flights from London, overseas transfers, other transport and porterage Wildflowers and nature walks are at the heart of this holiday, as well as incredible history. Journey to Heraklion and admire the Old Town’s Venetian walls and the ancient fortress. Discover more wildflowers during a botanical ramble around the Akrotiri Peninsula before a visit to Chania. And finally, head to the Minoan cemetery of Armeni, where masses of spring flowers bloom in the beautiful flower-strewn Cretan landscape. Guided tours SAVE £50pp Highlights include: ◼ Wildflower meadows and the White Mountains tour ◼ Explore the Akrotiri Peninsula ◼ Chania and its Venetian harbour ◼ Sample Cretan coffee at a traditional cafenion ◼ Visit the ancient city of Aptera For further information…

Plant garlic Plant garlic in free-draining soil or, if your ground tends to stay wet in winter, plant in pots then transplant in spring. Position cloves 15-20cm apart, or one per pot, in a hole twice their depth, with the pointed end upwards. Firm in and water well. Wait for leaves to appear before watering again. Garlic needs regular rain or watering in spring to ensure the bulbs swell, but water less often from June onwards, to avoid rotting. 30 MINUTES TO SPARE Use a soil-testing kit to check acidity levels across your veg plot, as it can vary. This will help you choose which crops to grow where. Potatoes like slightly acidic soil, while cabbages, pak choi and sprouts prefer alkaline soil. Top up raised beds Now is a good…

“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page”Henry Ward Beecher STAR OF THE MONTH Clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’ Winter flowers are so valuable to us. I know I sound like a misery guts complaining about this month, but it does drag a bit and we definitely need something to keep our gardening enthusiasm buoyant. This particular clematis is a great evergreen eye-catcher for a pergola or an archway – just make sure it is visible from the house or a path, as you don’t want it hidden away. As might be quite obvious from the name, it was originally discovered at the RHS garden at Wisley, an excellent place to visit if you want to see a world-class winter garden. Regular…

“The presence of scent can be as carefully chosen for your winter garden as for the rest of the year” Try describing any scent and you may cast around for words but always end up comparing it with another odour in the hope that your listener will recognise it. It is like a conversation in a foreign language of which you have only the scantest knowledge. But the presence of scent, agreeable or otherwise, can be as carefully chosen for your winter garden as for the rest of the year. Spring in the air The choice of plants is more limited, but their quality is not. Some of the best fragrant shrubs are winter flowering and powerfully scented to entice the few pollinating insects around at that time of year.…

After the frantic festivities, many of us will be feeling a bit down in the doldrums at this time of year, so reignite seasonal joy by creating an elegant container display. Reflecting the spirit of January, this pot recipe is icy cold in terms of colour, but positively bursting with new life. Based around a pale-blue pot, this scheme sticks to a limited palette of blues, greys, greens and white, all finished off with a cushion-like topping of moss. This container will bloom through January and February, making it perfect for perking up a winter patio. Inspired by the ice chill of January, this container makes use of cool-coloured blue and grey foliage plants to show off the pure-white blooms at the front of the display. Ideal for cheering up…

WHAT’S INCLUDED ◼ Four nights’ bed and breakfast at The Crown Hotel in Blandford Forum, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room ◼ Welcome drink ◼ First night: three-course dinner with wine, tea/coffee ◼ Last night: three-course dinner, with tea/coffee (wine not included) ◼ All talks, guided tours, and admissions as per itinerary ◼ All coach travel as per itinerary ◼ Tour manager and garden expert throughout GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS ◼ Mapperton House and Gardens ◼ Mappercombe Manor ◼ Batcombe House Gardens ◼ The Newt ◼ Careys Secret Garden ◼ Sculpture by the Lakes ◼ Abbotsbury ◼ Forde Abbey This BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Exclusive Tour of Dorset and Somerset is designed to give you a full taste of the West Country’s garden life. These counties are rich in beautiful…

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 DELICIOUS WHITECURRANTS Whitecurrant ‘Blanka’ produces masses of large, sweet, almost translucent berries. Height x Spread 1.2m x 1.2m Harvest Jul-Aug ■ 1 bare root £11.99 £9.99 SAVE £2 (14295) ■ 3 bare roots £35.97 £16.99 SAVE £18.98 (KC2495) suttons.co.uk/SUSGW43 Call 0344 326 2200* quote code SUSGW43 (£6.99 P&P) Items despatched from January 2025 onwards. Offer closes 15 February 2025. Contract for supply of goods with Sutttons Seeds LTD Poplar Lane, Ipswich IP8 3BU. Subject to availability. UK delivery only not including N. Ireland, with restrictions to specific postcode areas. Full terms and conditions available at Suttonsco.uk *Calls cost 7p/minute plus your network access charge. Scan QR code to buy and for more…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is the author of dozens of gardening books, as well as a radio presenter and organic gardener. Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and house-plant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years. Q Plants for privacy from overlooking neighbours? Heather Johnson, by email A MATT SAYS You could create a higher barrier just forward of the boundary, using pleached trees. Hornbeam is ideal, with fresh green leaves in spring, golden autumn colour and fine branches in winter. Look out for the variety Rockhampton Red, which takes on red and orange hues in the autumn. Alternatively, try Arbutus unedo, also known as the strawberry tree, which boasts cinnamon-coloured,…

Wildlife Review 2024 ■ Which wildlife is thriving? And which is in decline? ■ Gardening to help boost bees, birds and butterflies ■ How to help reduce the impact of climate change FREE SEEDS* exclusively for subscribers ■ Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe before 6 January to receive your free nigella and coriander seeds, plus a further eight packs between now and June. For more details go to GardenersWorld.com/free-seeds 24 FREE† summer bedding plug plants for every reader Fill your pots and borders with our vibrant collection – six each of: ◼ Petunia ‘Frenzy’ ◼ Begonia Organdy (mixed) ◼ Busy Lizzie Beacon Mix ◼ Geranium ‘Best Red’ †Just pay £5.95 postage PLUS ◼ Cherry tomatoes on trial ◼ Make a pergola ◼ Alan on hardwood cuttings ◼ Grow the good life…