Innehållsförteckning för May 2025 från BBC Gardeners' World

WORTH £19.96 The instantly recognisable scent of a lavender bush brings summer gardens to life, and the butterflies and bees love them too! The collection contains: ◼ Lavender ‘Hidcote’ x 18 (right) With its compact habit and dark purple flower spikes, this must be one of the nation’s best known varieties of English lavender. The fragrant stems are ideal for cutting or drying, and the nectar-rich flowers are particularly attractive to bees. Height x Spread 60cm x 75cm Flowers Jul-Sep ◼ Lavender ‘Munstead’ x 6 This neat, compact variety of English lavender bears masses of dark purple-blue flower spikes. Loved by pollinators, this plant is great in a floral display but also makes an excellent low hedge or path edging, allowing the perfume to be appreciated as you brush past…

Download our 2 for 1 Gardens app to make finding gardens quick and easy. You can search by county and filter by facilities, so you can find ideal gardens to visit. You can also search by dog-friendliness, accessibility level, and whether they offer our single visitor discount. Visiting alone? This year, 138 gardens offer discounted entry for solo visitors. Look for the purple symbol in your 2 for 1 Gardens guide and in the app, or go to GardenersWorld.com/gardens Always check with gardens before you go, as some have restricted entry, close at short notice or require booking. To enjoy discounted entry, present your 2 for 1 Gardens entry card on arrival. Find it on the inside coverflap of your guide – cut it out, sign it and enjoy unlimited…

“I regularly lose part of the day in contemplation, anticipating the beauty of buds to come” Flower show season is upon us–a joyous time of the year – and with it the chance to gather inspiration and knowledge to inform our own garden design and plans. I love to visit the show gardens at events such as RHS Chelsea, Gardeners’ World Live and Malvern, not only for the plants and flowers on display, but also to watch what people are drawn to and how long they linger. What brings them joy? Often, it’s beautifully crafted borders full of flowers – a takeaway that I always try to replicate in my garden. Stopping to observe and marvel at the sensory delights that a border can provide is one of gardening’s greatest…

Much mythology surrounds the idea of vegetable companion planting, and there is a lot of dubious anecdotal advice out there. However, there are certain sets of edibles that definitely do grow better together. And this companion growing can have numerous benefits including deterring pests, growing sacrificial plants to deflect pests from others, drawing in pollinators, enriching the soil or creating masking scents to hide a crop from pests. Better together Perhaps the most important aspect of edible companion growing is the concept of creating plant communities and avoiding monocultures. Big Agriculture relies on vast monocultures stretching to hundreds of hectares, but growing just one species en masse like this has many disadvantages. If a pest or disease strikes it can tear though a crop of the same plant at great…

SAVE £25 Oleanders are one of the UK’s favourite exotics. They’re easy to grow and thrive on neglect. Pink Emilie has boldly coloured, sweetly perfumed blooms that stand out wonderfully against rich, green foliage. Although oleanders love hot, dry weather, they are also content in warmer gardens in milder parts of the country through winter. Compact and low-maintenance, these evergreens flower through summer into autumn. Height x Spread 3.5m x 3m Flowers Jul-Sep ◼ 1 plant in 15cm pot £19.99 SAVE £5 (680027) ◼ 2 plants in 15cm pots £24.98 SAVE £25 (680031) Note: Contact with oleander foliage and sap may irritate the skin. All parts of the oleander plant are toxic if ingested. ◼ PLUS, FREE 100g Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser worth £4.99 with every order (100085) YOU MIGHT LIKE……

Use pheromone traps on fruit Hang a pheromone trap in a fruit tree to help control the damage done to the crop by tunnelling moth larvae. The pheromone mimics the chemical used by the female to attract a mate. Apply the pheromone to a sticky sheet in the box and the males will investigate and be trapped. The chemical is specific to the insect. Codling moth larvae feed in apples for example, plum moth inside plums. These traps used every year will reduce the breeding pairs to save much of the crop.. DON’T FORGET ☐ Stake pea plants as they grow, using garden prunings or pea netting ☐ Make sure pollinating insects have access to greenhouses, cloches and polytunnels ☐ Water acid-loving crops such as blueberries and cranberries with collected…

“It’s when we stop and take it all in that we feel the true benefits of being outdoors” Gardening can often seem like an endless job list, with seasonal tasks piling up. Perhaps you’ve been seduced by the latest garden catalogue and are only now realising that your towering stack of seed packets must all be sown within the next few weeks. Maybe that bramble seedling you took your eye off for five minutes is now knocking at the patio door, asking to be let in. Whatever the size of your outdoor space, there’s something to be done at every turn, so it’s no surprise that at times we can feel overwhelmed. It’s important to focus on arriving in the garden as a human being, not doing. It’s when we…

As spring gets into her stride – and May is a month which, regardless of the weather, is most definitely at the heart of spring – so the greenhouse becomes a powerhouse of activity. It also offers welcome shelter from unseasonably windy days, downpours and generally inclement weather. The one thing we’re assured of at this time of year are the lengthening hours of daylight – guaranteed to give plants a growth spurt and make life a whole lot brighter. I love May and June; they are the months when promises are fulfilled. While April is capricious in the extreme, May will generally offer more settled weather and June is a month that can be guaranteed free of frosts in all but the most northern counties. That means that much…

Mowing the lawn is a key job at this time of year when the grass is growing fast. If you have a large, complex or sloping garden and want to take the strain out of mowing, then a self-propelled lawn mower is the answer. These mowers offer an extra boost thanks to a drive bar on the handle that makes the mower move forward. You don’t have to push it, just walk behind, guiding it where you want to go. They are heavier than push mowers, but tend to be the larger mowers on the market with a wider cutting width. This makes them ideal for bigger lawns, saving you both time and effort. To see what you get for your money, we tested seven cordless self-propelled mowers, ranging in…

Serves 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Bring a taste of the Mediterranean to a leisurely lunch using broad beans, one of the first crops to be harvested in spring. I keep a jar of tahini in the cupboard at all times and most of the other ingredients can be collected from the garden. Fresh mint brings a freshness to the dish and complements its green colour. This is my favourite way to enjoy broad beans and, as we’ve grown them ourselves, it’s both delicious and sustainable. This recipe works just as well if you are using vegetables that you’ve previously frozen. Whether you peel each bean or not is a matter of personal preference, but as it’s all blended together, I’d rather save myself the time and enjoy the extra…

Juliet Sargeant Juliet is an RHS Gold award-winning garden designer and regular contributor on radio and television. 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. Q Which long-lived plants for a seafront balcony? Ruth Talbot, Cornwall A JULIET SAYS Salt winds will be a challenge in a situation such as this. Because the space is probably fairly long and narrow, there will be no opportunity to create more sheltered spots, so all the plants will need to be equally resilient. For low maintenance and a level of permanence I’d be thinking about shrubs, climbers and grasses, with also perhaps…

“The month of May is the gateway to summer”Jean Hersey STAR OF THE MONTH Iris ‘Tropic Night’ This is the Siberian Iris (although it grows across most of Europe as well), so you know that it is going to be pretty tough and resilient. In the wild it colonises damp meadows, so if you have anything even faintly resembling such a place in your garden then this would be a good addition – maybe a bit of badly draining ground or where a water butt overfows? Not one for everybody, but if you are lucky enough then just imagine long grass studded with these intricate and beautiful fowers. Grow alongside lythrum and meadowsweet, which will keep the colour going after the iris finishes blooming. Divide plants when the centre dies…

SAVE 15% * book by 31 May Departures June 2025 to November 2027: 14 days, £2,855pp Enjoy a classic introduction to the USA, taking in California, Las Vegas and the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. Combine the movie-land glamour of LA and Hollywood, the show-time sparkle of Las Vegas, the charm and personality of San Francisco, aka the ‘City by the Bay’, with the awesome spectacles of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park. Take a scenic journey along California’s wild Pacific coast to explore sun-kissed towns and cities, and enjoy an irresistible holiday full of unforgettable, must-see highlights. Follow the link and use code GAW15 to claim your 15% off. Timetable DAY 1 Fly to the USA DAY 2 Santa Monica and Hollywood DAY 3 San Diego tour and Palm Springs DAY 4…

Sow now and reap the rewards of a bumper crop of vegetables this summer with this exclusive offer. We’ve put together a selection of favourites that are great to sow now for harvesting this year. PLUS add on 5 packs of herb seeds for £5* and ensure you have all the herbs you need for flavourful salads, marinades and much more. COLLECTION INCLUDES ONE PACK EACH OF: ■ Beetroot ‘Boltardy’ A reliable and flavourful early variety with good resistance against bolting. ■ Kale Borecole Vates Blue Produces delicious frilled leaves in all seasons. ■ Sweetcorn ‘Golden Bantam’ Classic flavour and minimal core. Rich, sweet-tasting corn. ■ Dwarf French bean Slenderette Glossy, pencil-thin pods with outstanding taste. ■ Runner bean ‘Firestorm’ Sweeter pods than other types. ■ Courgette ‘Black Beauty’ Delicately flavoured…

“For dramatic effect, move tender succulents outdoors to a warm sheltered spot in the hotter months” The earliest months in my garden are brilliantly lit with colour. From the deep indigo, lapis, purple and yellow of Iris reticulata, I. histrioides and I. danfordiae, to the chocolate bells, flared with primrose yellow, of Fritillaria michailovskyi, nodding under the cover of the cool greenhouse, I enjoy these plants with a delight slightly tinged with regret that I have not always grown them with real purpose. Until about 10 years ago, I suppose I felt that they – among all the other gorgeous bulbs that we place into the ‘alpine’ category – were somehow not part of my horticultural vocabulary. I had not learned to appreciate them or the many others in this…

There’s nothing better than a wildlife pond for providing a fantastic habitat for nature in your garden – even a small one will help a host of birds, amphibians and mammals like hedgehogs and bats. Digging a pond the size of a square metre can be completed in a weekend, or you can make one from an old sink or even a deep plastic trug. Fill your pond with native aquatic plants to offer places for creatures to lay eggs, find shade and hide from predators. And, once your local wildlife finds the water, you’ll be able to sit nearby and enjoy watching all of them in action. REGISTER YOUR METRE NOW AND ENTER A PRIZE DRAW * – PLUS GET 20% off full-price plants with code GW20 We have teamed up…

Plant annual climbers Annual climbers such as Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) and black-eyed Susan can be planted into warm, sheltered corners towards the end of the month. Make sure the plants have been hardened off for at least a week outside. A sheltered spot will help the plants to develop quickly, without being at the mercy of strong winds. Plant them at the base of their supports, mixing a handful of well-rotted garden compost or leaf mould into the bottom of each planting hole. Water them in well and again when dry, and check the plants daily, loosely tying them to their supports with some soft string when they are tall enough. DON’T FORGET ☐ Sow new lawn seed, ideally after rain has dampened the soil ☐ Prune early-flowering clematis…

SAVE 30% Overnight stay at Goldsborough Hall from £155pp * Goldsborough Hall is a private and exclusive stately home in North Yorkshire, overlooking 12 acres of historic gardens and tranquil parkland. With five AA Gold Stars, it offers fine dining in the superb Dining Room, which was recently awarded three AA rosettes. Boasting 17 en-suite guest bedrooms and suites that span the upper floor of the main house and the adjoining Dower and Garden House, each room offers a magical combination of romantic, historical charm and contemporary style, along with top-of-the range facilities to ensure a luxurious stay. The culinary creatives present dishes with the emphasis firmly on fresh, seasonal food sourced locally and making the most of the natural larder provided by the traditional kitchen garden. As a BBC Gardeners’…

Take part in No Mow May Join the Plantlife No Mow May campaign and avoid mowing your lawn this month to boost biodiversity and raise the profile of lawns as meadows across the UK. By letting some or all of your grass grow long, you will provide egg-laying opportunities for several species of butterfly, including the speckled wood, gatekeeper and Essex skipper. Any wildflowers already present in the lawn will bloom, attracting pollinators, and others may arrive naturally. But all that gets razed when you resume mowing in June, so make a real difference and don’t mow until September! 30 MINUTES TO SPARE Spend time looking into your pond and you may catch sight of smooth newts. Newts mate later than frogs and toads, and don’t spawn in the same…

From £1,845pp * , 4 nights, 5 days – departs 6 October 2025 SAVE £50pp when booking Join us for an exploration of Marrakech’s most captivating gardens, where history, culture and natural beauty converge to create memories that will last a lifetime. This meticulously curated experience offers a blend of cultural immersion, horticultural exploration, and luxurious five-star accommodation, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the snowcapped Atlas Mountains. Tour highlights ■ Bahia Palace ■ Jardin Majorelle ■ Benchaâbane gardens ■ Menara Garden ■ Arset Moula Abdessalam ■ Jnane Harti ■ Le Jardin Secret ■ Saffron plantation ■ Nectarome ■ Anima DAY 1 Fly to Marrakechwith a transfer to the five-star Es Saadi Gardens & Resort Palace. Enjoy an exclusive welcome drinks reception and a guided tour of the gardens. DAY 2…

5 minutes Abandon your shoes at the door! Step onto the cool grass and take three deep breaths. Imagine yourself rooted in place like a great tree. This will give you an awareness of your body and its connection to the environment. Grounding can reduce cortisol levels, helping to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall wellbeing. 30 minutes Focus on a small area of your garden that you want to work on. Stay aware of your posture, breathing and movement while carrying out tasks. Try not to let your mind wander but stay in the moment. If you find yourself negatively judging your work or the appearance of the area, try to embrace the imperfections rather than strive for an unattainable ideal. 1hr+ Take a gentle stroll around your…

“Gardening is largely about death. But I always tell myself that every loss is a new planting opportunity” Tucked away on the rugged coast of Cornwall, novelist Patrick Gale has spent the past 25 years transforming a windswept farmyard into a lush, vibrant garden. Sheltered by towering windbreaks and filled with roses, salvias and Mediterranean plants, his garden is both a testament to resilience and a deeply personal retreat. How would you describe your garden? Our garden, Trevilley, is just under an acre in size. I’ve gradually taken over a large part of the farmyard, which is now part of the garden. The biggest challenge here, though, is that the soil near Land’s End is only about 5in deep before you hit a layer of compacted subsoil and then solid…

“I’ll be watching for the brief elderflower season so I can make a year’s worth of cordial” May is the month to enjoy the warmth of the sun while we potter in the garden. Early crops, such as the broad beans that I planted last autumn, are now ready to harvest. Thankfully, with two bank holidays, there’s a bit of extra time to spend at the allotment preparing the beds for direct sowing. Towards the end of the month, I’ll be watching for the brief elderflower season so I can make a year’s worth of cordial. This usually falls around half term, and I have happy memories of taking the children out to forage for these special flowers when they were younger. Now, I have a plentiful source at home and at…

Gardeners' World offer With spring in full swing, it’s a great time to be out in the garden – and to help you make the most of your outdoor space, we’ve teamed up with some of our trusted online partners to save you £££s. Enjoy 15% off everything you need to get your garden into great shape. FARMER GRACY CODE: GW0525RDR  farmergracy.co.uk (online orders only) Offers top-quality bulbs and bare-root perennials. Farmer Gracy works hard to ensure its products are processed and packed in a sustainable way. GARDENING DIRECT CODE: GD15RO ☎ 03333 702702, gardeningdirect.co.uk Based on the philosophy that ‘gardening is for everyone’, Gardening Direct sells plants that are easy to grow and maintain. HARKNESS ROSES CODE: 15HARKN ☎ 0844 502 0014, roses.co.uk Offering some of the finest award-winning…

SPRING Magnificient magnolias Only open until 8 June, Caerhays Castle Gardens in Cornwall come alive in spring. They are home to a National Collection of magnolias, with more than 40 species, including many huge and venerable trees that are over 100 years old. The flowers come in many shades of pink and white, as well as butter yellow, all contrasting beautifully with bright blue skies. These gardens also feature many other spring favourites, including camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as tree ferns and champion trees. Follow any of the marked paths to enjoy the impressive spring spectacle. OFFER Garden: 2 for 1 £12.50. Booking recommended. visit.caerhays.co.uk SUMMER Wild at heart Discover what happens when nature is allowed to find its own way, on a booked visit to Knepp’s Rewilded…

“It was Geoff Hamilton who got me into interplanting herbs across the garden” Herbs are such brilliant plants and even a very simple meal with a fresh scattering of them becomes elevated for me! They are the magic when it comes to adding flavour to food and drinks, plus while growing, they also attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, which is great for the overall health of our gardens. But it was Geoff Hamilton who got me onto the idea of interplanting herbs across the garden, some ideal for sun, others for shade – a herb for every location as it were. With a choice of shapes, forms, flowers and uses there’s something for everyone. From the ornamental border to the veg patch or in pots, they really do…

■ Add year-round interest This will encourage you to be in the garden, even in the colder seasons. Seeing early-flowering plants such as snowdrops and hellebores can act as a beacon of hope in the depths of winter. Winter-flowering plants often have the added bonus of being scented. ■ Build a water feature The sound of running water is instantly soothing and will encourage wildlife into your garden. Light reflecting on the surface of water is mesmerising and can enhance a space. ■ Create privacy You don’t want to feel overlooked by neighbours when trying to relax. Clever use of trees and shrubs can provide screening. Keep hedges to a reasonable height, so you feel secluded but not trapped. Hedges can also be used to filter out unwanted noise and…

FELICIA AMELLOIDES These daisy bushes, with flowers the colour of a sunny African sky, bloom for months on end, so although they are a little tender (only hardy down to around -2ºC) you’ll get blooms for a whole summer. Plant in large pots (each bush reaches around 60cm x 60cm). This species is at home growing on coastal sand dunes so do plant in free-draining soil or compost and position in full sun. SALVIA CHAMELAEAGNEA Part of a naturalistic planting scheme close to my hotel room, this striking salvia emitted a lovely scent which filled the air each evening. Quite new to the market in the UK it’s best to treat it like a Mexican salvia and take precautions against cold winters until more is known about its hardiness here.…

Save £250pp on select tours † Classical Spain From £999pp, 6 nights, 7 days – departs 7 November 2025 ‡ Andalucía is one of the most beautiful corners of Europe, where the excesses of modern life do not seem to have taken root and travellers are welcomed as honoured guests. Immortalised by the writings of Ernest Hemingway and beloved by Orson Welles, it is the Spain of Carmen, Figaro and flamenco. Rich with the legacies of the Moors and Romans, the region’s charm and serenity will captivate you. Your tour includes ◼ Return flights from a selection of regional airports, with hotel transfers ◼ 6 nights in three-star superior and four-star accommodation, with daily breakfast, inclusive of all local taxes ◼ The services of our experienced and insightful tour manager…

BESPOKE TOUR 7-11 July | 4 nights/5 days from £1,295pp* WHAT’S INCLUDED ◼ Four nights’ B&B ◼ Welcome reception ◼ One three-course dinner with wine and three further dinners ◼ All talks, guided tours, and admissions as per itinerary ◼ Accompanied by expert plantsman David Hurrion ◼ Coach travel GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS ◼ Dawyck Botanic Garden ◼ Kailzie Gardens ◼ Floors Castle ◼ Monteviot Gardens ◼ Carolside Gardens ◼ Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh ◼ Amisfield Walled Garden ◼ Humbie Dean Garden YOUR ACCOMMODATION ◼ Peebles Hydro Hotel is a four-star hotel with breathtaking views. This exclusive tour for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine readers focuses on the gardens of the beautiful Scottish Borders. You’ll visit wonderful gardens, with a mix of guided tours and free visits. ◼ DAY 1 Arrive independently at…

Step by step By changing one letter each time to make a new word, can you transform STEM into BUDS in five steps or less? Going wild Can you find these ten creatures that might be attracted to a wildlife friendly garden? BAT BUTTERFLY DORMOUSE FROG HEDGEHOG HONEYBEE LADYBIRD MOLE MOTH SONG THRUSH What’s in a name? Use each letter in the grid once to complete these eight common Latin plant names Bee beautiful Unscramble the anagrams to spell out four early summer bloomers irresistible to bees Blossom time Here are four trees famed for their spring blossom – but they’ve got a bit muddled. Can you match the correct genus and species to each picture? Puzzle solutions over page PUZZLE SOLUTIONS What’s in a name? Nana, lutea, elata, aurea,…

ACROSS 1 It’s time to __ tender plants raised indoors (6,3) 7 Check for scarlet __ beetles on plants of the same name (4) 8 __ reptans is a late spring bloomer with deep blue flowers (5) 9 __ plant is a cool name for Hylotelephium spectabile (3) 10 Trees of the ulmus genus (4) 12 Cupressus sempervirens is better known as __ cypress (7) 13 Handy tool for pruning hedges, for example (6) 16 Plant out dahlia __ when the risk of frost has passed (6) 19 Botanical language (5) 20 Colourful moss vital in the creation of peat bogs (8) 22 Describes a leaf, for example, shaped like an egg (5) 24 Organic matter useful as a soil improver (6) 25 Fungal disease of lawns (4-3) DOWN 1 Fragrant,…

It’s Showtime! May is when the garden erupts into something worth looking at (hopefully), and growers and garden designers flex their muscles and show off their wares and their talents. The prime catwalk for both has, since 1913, taken place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and is regarded as a barometer for what’s in, what’s out, and what’s the way forward, especially in terms of garden design. Like as not the extravaganza this year will be accompanied by a little bit of controversy. Don’t ask me why or what, since only on the opening day will we be able to set eyes on the creations that will have been promoted in the hope of whetting our collective appetites, but a little bit of controversy is always a…