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May 2020 gardenersworld.com 3
We May
Contents
We love... Offers for you
On the cover…
128
67
105
30
117
36
88
6 We love May
14 Expert’s choice: bearded iris 55
19 Full Monty : whywe’re at a watershed offers 36
70
20 Over the fence: bedding plants 58
22 Have your say: reader letters
24 Clippings: news for gardeners COVER: Meconopsis
‘Lingholm’ photograph by
30 Our 2-for-1 highlights for 2020
Alamy/Martin Hughes-Jones.
34 Win one of three UK holiday breaks
Peony ‘Peter Brand’
photograph by GAP/Jo
Be inspired Whitworth – see
36 Monty’s summer of colour
44 Joe’s 10 favourite show gardens
16
40 free lavender
page 31 for offer
55 10 ways to garden in self-isolation ‘Hidcote’ plants

58 Eco-friendly gardening tips from Carol that bees will love
67 A to Z of houseplants: airplants
78 Real gardens: challenging plot
86 Gardens of the Year competition
FREE
16 40 lavender ‘Hidcote’ plants,
Do it now worth over £27, plus other o�ers
70 Alan sows now for summer crops
88 Nick Bailey’s container masterclass
Subscribe today!
64 Subscribe to get 6 issues for
117
96 Gardening fun for all the family Grow £130 worth
100 How to prune shrubs and evergreens £24.50 plus get a pair of Niwaki of food from just
Mainichi secateurs – FREE £10 of seeds
On test 165 Treat a friend to a subscription

105 Best hose reel kits selected by of 6 issues for £24.50, saving 25%,
the Gardeners’ World expert team and get a free pair of secateurs
58
Grow & Eat Carol reveals
her secrets to
112 From plot to plate on Rekha’s allotment eco-friendly
117 £10 veg challenge gardening
125 Crops to start now
Wildlife
126 What to watch out for in May
128 How to make a bee hotel
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBO S; JASON NGRAM
Q&A
155 Growing bulbs
156 Gardeners’ Question Time
64
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Last words
163 Crossword
184 Coming up next month
Plants
ON TEST
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30
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145 SAVINGS Get 10 hardy
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105
We reveal our best
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4 gardenersworld.c May 2020

96
Fun gardening
projects for
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Your 13-page
May planner
78
Get inspiring
36
Monty’s shares his
ideas from this advice for high-impact,
tricky plot colourful displays
70
Follow Alan’s
guide to starting
a veg patch now
50 things to do
this month
Monty’s month 133
Flowers 137
Greenhouse 138
Alan’s job of the month 141
Back to basics 143
Test your skills 144
Fruit & veg 147
Around the garden 151
gardenersworld.com 5
Rough winds do shake the
darling buds of May
Shakespeare
6 gardenersworld.com May 2020

We May
We love
May
May has an awful lot to offer – it’s
a month to be savoured by gardeners
and nature lovers alike. All around
us are bursting buds, the unfurling
of foliage, and the unmistakable
æ «Ìæ Óª òâ« ÓÌ Ì« Ì Ó â Ó Ì«
ª âí Å í C æ ò Óòí íâ Ì«
to pack as much travel and
procreation into the short lifespans
granted to them, and May trees
(aka hawthorn aka Crataegus
monogyna â Ì ªòÅÅ Ó â ]ßâ Ì«
° æ ËÓæí Ì í Å æßâòÌ« Ì
summer is just around the corner.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,
to the most anticipated month
in the gardening calendar.
WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR
STAR OF THE MONTH

Primula ‘Inverewe’
When I was a child, we used to have a tin of boiled
sweets in the car glove box: they were dusted with
icing sugar I am pretty sure that many of you will know
exactly what I am talking about. These were dished
out at moments of extreme boredom or imminent
car sickness. I am mentioning them here because the
Óâ Ì« Óòâ æ í ÓÌ í ° Ì æò Â ªÓâ
í æ íÅ í° æ ÓÅÓòâ í° æ Ó â Ì° æ
a dusting of white to remind us of the sugar. A bright,
cheery orange that will light up a shady corner.
PHOTO: TORIE CHUGG
Best on edge of a pond or stream under deciduous shrubs.

Sterile, so divide in autumn. H x S 80cm x 40cm

We May
TICKLED PINK
ª��òÅÓòæ ßÅ�ÌíϚ þ° â í° ĕÓþ âæ �òâæí
from a papery pod and dangle like the
Queen of Sheba’s earrings. Then, come late
summer, they return to the upright position
and make a crisply handsome silhouette for
winter. A few years ago, this used to be an
allium but the name was changed Ї although
it still smells quite oniony, so best left in the
border rather than being brought inside.
Nectaroscordum tripedale
More flowers than its better-known cousin
N. siculum. Will grow from seed but best
as a bulb planted in autumn. Looks good
in long grass. H x S 1.2m x 10cm
WILD BLUE YONDER

Sometimes, if I am lucky, I happen upon
� Ĕ Å� Óª ĕ�ă þ°³Å íÓÓíÅ³Ì« �âÓòÌ� í°
countryside and I always pull onto the
ý â« íÓ Ì¿ÓĄ í° æ � Óª ß�Å Є�Åò ĕÓþ âæ
nodding in a gentle wind. You, too, can
have the same thing in your garden with,
or without, tall spikes of echium.
Linum perenne
Perennial flax. Best with lots of sunshine
and excellent drainage. Propagate from seed
or cuttings H x S 60cm x 30cm
Echium wildpretii
Also known as the ‘Tower of Jewels’. A
spectacular biennial plant, flowering in the second
year. Protect from frost. H x S 1.5m x 60cm
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM
May 2020 gardenersworld.com

r sw 9
We May
BALLS AND SPIKES

When combining plants, you need to look
not just at colours and cultivation, but also
ĕÓþ â æ°�ß � c°³æ ³æ � «ÓÓ� ă�ËßÅ Óª þ°�í
I like to call a balls and spikes combination,
þ°³�° �Åþ�Ąæ þÓâÂæ þ ÅÅ� c° Å³Ë Є«â Ì ĕòªª
that ties them all together in this particular
photograph is a euphorbia
Allium ‘Mount Everest‘

Good in flower and as a seedhead. Propagate by
dividing bulb offsets. Removing foliage as it gets
tatty does no harm. H x S 1.2m x 30cm
Salvia ‘Caradonna’
Very popular mid-height perennial. Cutting back
after flowering promotes a second flush later in
the summer. H x S 50cm x 30cm
EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS ONLY

.ª ĄÓò °�ßß Ì íÓ æíòË�Å ��âÓææ í°³æ ßÅ�Ìí
ĄÓò þ³ÅÅ ª�ÅÅ ³Ì ÅÓý � zÓò þ³ÅÅ æ í°�í ĕÓþ â
�æ �Åò �æ � þ³Ìí â æÂĄ �Ì� ĄÓò þ³ÅÅ �Óý í ³í
�òíϚ òÌªÓâíòÌ�í ÅĄϚ í°³æ ßÅ�Ìí ³æ í Ëßíâ ææ�
]° þ³ÅÅ ��ßí³ý�í ĄÓò �òí ÌÓí ý âĄ Ë�ÌĄ
Óª òæ �â Åò�ÂĄ ÌÓò«° íÓ °�ý í° â³«°í
PHOTOS: ALAMY/MARTIN HUGHES-JONES; JASON INGRAM
�ÓÌ�³í³ÓÌæ ³Ì Óòâ «�â� Ìæ� °�ÅÂĄ æÓ³ÅϠ %Óâ« í

³í� +Óí �âĄ �ÓâÌ âϠ zÓòЕâ °�ý³ÌЕ � Å�ò«°
Ë�í � c°³æ ³æ � ßÅ�Ìí ªÓâ í° �°Óæ Ìª þ�
Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’
Needs slightly acidic soil, cool, damp summers
(Scotland is good), moist soil and shelter – you
see what I mean? H x S 80cm x 30cm

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YOUR GARDEN, YOUR LIFE

We May
IN THE GREEN
When we think of tulips, we usually picture
fanfares of rich colour in pots, borders and,
of course, vases. With that thought in mind
then, a green tulip may seem like a weirdly
pointless invention. Rest assured that it isn’t
Ї it is, instead, a valuable curiosity that goes
well with other tulips and the fresh foliage
Óª æßâ³Ì«� Ì� ³í ĕÓþ âæ ªÓâ�« æ Ї right into
June if you are lucky.
Tulipa ‘Evergreen’
Plant bulbs in November once temperatures
have dropped enough to deter tulip diseases.
H x S 60cm x 10cm
VELVET AND LACE

I was taught that red and white together
þ�æ òÌÅò�ÂĄ Ђ �Åí°Óò«° ĔÌ ªÓâ í° ]þ³ææ
ĕ�« Ђ . í°³ÌÂ ³í þ�æ íÓ �Ó þ³í° �ÅÓÓ� �Ì�
tears. However, with these two plants
I will make an exception. The only thing
missing is a sashay of Stipa tenuissima
to give a bit of movement.
Orlaya grandiflora
Really long-flowering annual. Sow seed in
autumn for beefy plants – if you have
a cold frame. H x S 60cm x 60cm
Geum ‘Mrs J. Bradshaw’

Avoid very wet soil, Sow seed in a cold frame or
divide plants in either spring or autumn.
H x S 60cm x 60cm
PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM

‘Benton Primrose’ ‘Black Swan’
Pale-yellow upper petals, with white Sultry, with rich-purple upper petals,
lowers edged in yellow. Bred by painter black lower petals and a blue beard
Cedric Morris. H x S 90cm x 30cm that turns orange. H x S 1.2m x 60cm
‘Beverly Sills’ ‘Dancer’s Veil’

Large, ruffled coral-pink flowers with an White upper petals speckled and edged
orange beard and a sweet scent. Prolific in violet, white lower petals edged in
and vigorous. H x S 90cm x 20cm violet. White beard. H x S 80cm x 60cm
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM
Tall bearded iris

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowering
Plant out
Lift/divide

We May
E x pe � ’s
c h oic e
Bearded iris
The display may be fleeting, but
the array of colours is elegantly
outstanding, says Graham Rice
“Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” –
remember that? Perhaps you’re too young, but
your parents will remember it. It’s a mnemonic
device, a neat way of remembering the colours
of the rainbow. The initial letters of each word
in the phrase are the initial letters of the rainbow
colours, in the right order – red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, violet.
So why are we harking back to our days in
primary school? Because tall bearded irises are
not only the most flamboyant perennials we can
grow, but they’re also rare among plants in being
available in every single rainbow colour, not to
mention myriad colour combinations, including
black! The other great thing about them is that
although they’re dazzlingly colourful, they’re
never crude or garish – they all have a little
panache. Okay, so a month of colour is what
you get and after that there’s only the foliage
in green swords – but what a show!
An old friend of mine capitalised on their
brilliant colours by interplanting her irises
with Oriental poppies. Now that was a sight
for sore eyes – if it didn’t make your eyes sore!
What’s that about a beard? It’s the furry patch,
usually orange or yellow, at the base of each petal.
And finally, what does the Greek word iris
mean in English? Yes, rainbow. I rest my case.
M Happiest in full sun, in free-draining,

non-acid soil.
M All are fully hardy across the country.
M Tall bearded irises are the last bearded irises
to flower, in late May and June, and with the largest
flowers 50cm across on 150cm stems.
M Plant pot-grown plants March-September. Plant
bare-root rhizomes in late August/September – July
is often recommended, but drought can be a killer.
M Where to buy claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk,
01686 670342; irisofsissinghurst.com, 01622
831511; toddsbotanics.co.uk, 01376 561212
‘Jane Phillips’ PLANT DIRECTORY Choose

A prettily waved, fragrant, pale sky-blue varieties of bearded iris to suit your
iris with a white beard. An old favourite, « â Ì òæ Ì« Óòâ ßÅ Ìí Ì â í
and rightly so. H x S 1.2m x 60cm gardenersworld.com/search/plants

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We May
With Covid-19 bringing chaos and lack of control, the role of the garden
as a health-giving sanctuary of certainty is ever more vital, says Monty
ty
Like any gardener, I am aware of how the spending more time not doing anything in
garden is changing and unfolding at this time particular but just being in our gardens.
of year, from day-to-day, let alone across the That doesn’t sound like hardship to me. In fact,
months. In every other year of my life, the it sounds like a recipe for improved physical
flower show season would be rising to its and mental wellbeing – and probably a better
Chelsea climax along with most gardening garden, too.
activity, driven by the huge commercial The truth is our gardens have been snared in
trade that underpins it. a tangle of commercialism. I say ‘our’ because
But everything has changed. It is as though I know I have been just as guilty of this. I buy far
the world has been thrown up in the air and the too many pots, plants and tools. You can only
pieces are cascading around us. All the bits are dig with one spade at a time, so I (probably) do
the same but they don’t fit together any more. not need 14 of them, at last count. But if what
It is not wartime, not the Blitz, not foot and comes out of this experience is a sense that we
mouth disease, not the great winter of ’63, can be more self-reliant, that we don’t need to
not the floods – not like anything that we may buy everything in order to have what we want,
have as a frame of reference. Coronavirus is or to make a beautiful garden, then that is
uncharted territory for us all. I have no idea empowering. I am not sure when garden
what things may be like by the time you see centres went from being places devoted to
these words. These are frightening, selling plants, seeds and equipment to centres
discombobulating days. for ‘outdoor living’, disguised as soft-furnishing
stores with restaurants attached, with plants
This is a genuine for sale like sweeties at a supermarket check-
out – but you can’t blame them. They gave us
watershed – with the potential what we wanted. I suspect this crisis may make
to be powerfully healing us rethink what we want when it’s all over.
I am sure that this is a genuine watershed.
Let us assume that if you are reading this you For the moment, we are caught in transition,
are going to be OK. Let’s assume I am too. We but my guess is that we will adapt pretty quickly
might get ill but let’s believe that we will get and that things will be different. On one level, it
better. So, other than the illness to be rightly is up to us what we want that difference to be,
anxious about, what have we gardeners lost or although it may not feel as though we have
even gained? At time of writing we cannot visit much control over the matter. But we really do.
gardens, garden centres are closed and that This enforced time in the garden, on our own or
bond of shared shopping, looking at gardens, quietly with our families, has the potential to be
eating cake together, sharing cuttings is all put powerfully healing. We can – and must – still
into abeyance. We are forced back upon our connect with each other using all the resources
own gardens and our own resources. We are that technology, from the printing press to
having to learn how to survive in the garden. video-conferencing, has given us. But we can
In practical, horticultural terms that might slow down, cut back, take stock and work out
mean making our own potting compost, what matters when all the rest is stripped away.
reusing pots and containers, taking cuttings And when we come together again and can
and dividing plants from what we already have, rub shoulders and hug friends and stand in a
PHOTO: JASON INGRAM.
collecting seed, recycling landscaping crowded Tube or packed bar, we will all be the
materials, growing more veg – perhaps digging better for the strength of resourcefulness that
up our lawn as a consequence – and learning to this experience will give us. The quietness and
store properly what we do grow, and learning slowness of gentle gardening looks to me like a
not to waste it. We might now have time and key to a better way to share our lives together.
inclination to make a proper, working compost
heap, adding more wildlife to our garden
because we need that element as part of our
daily lives. And last, but by no means least,
MONTY ON TV Keep up to date with him on Gardeners’ World every Friday, as it moves
to 60-minute programmes from 1 May. And follow Monty on Twitter at @TheMontyDon

We May
O ve r the fe nce
Is it time to ditch bedding plants?
Nigel Dunnett is Professor Michael Perry, also known

of Planting Design and Urban as Mr Plant Geek, is a broadcaster
Horticulture, Universtiy of Sheffield. and plant-breeding specialist.
@nigel.dunnett @mr_plantgeek
Bedding plants are a cornerstone of the Bedding is bright, fun and unashamedly colourful!
horticultural industry, and the foundation of our spring It evokes memories of childhood for every one of us. Planting
and summer gardens, because they are cheerful, familiar, out bedding can be a ritual for most families, too. As a
colourful, easy and cheap. But wait a minute – easy and teenage gardener, it was something I navigated the year by –
cheap? I don’t think so! After you buy them, they have to from the January sowing of pelargoniums, to the mid-May
be watered regularly to get them established, and often watching for frosts. I think most people’s first gardening
you have to wait months before they fill their space, and experiences would’ve been with bedding. Let’s face it, most
then you have to constantly deadhead them to keep them herbaceous perennials only give a fleeting appearance when
going. And that’s before we even consider the amount it comes to flowering, and you have to really plan a
of heat and other forms of energy needed to grow them herbaceous border to get the most out of it all summer.
before they are sold, and the often very unsustainable However, the type of bedding you use can make a
materials that are used in their production, such as difference. I actually can’t bear the sight of small soldier-like
composts and plastic packaging. marigolds, planted six inches apart and surrounded by bare
It’s time to rethink how we do cheerful, familiar soil – yuck! They make bedding hard work. Recent breeding
and colourful, in ways that are triumphs with supersized specimens – such as begonia
more cost-effective, reliable Increasingly, I like (Big Series) or pelargonium (Calliope Series) – are far better
and environmentally positive.
I have pioneered the use of
the idea of making choices, as each plant covers more ground. That blanket
suppresses weeds and keeps the moisture locked in,
the hardy annual ‘Pictorial bedding schemes thus debunking the perceived maintenance demands
Meadows’ mixes that you can
sow in spring directly where
using perennials of a bedding display. And, how about the fact you could
use bedding more than once? Look at specimens such
they are to flower, and which as the recently bred Penstemon ‘Pensham Wedding Bells’
will give months and months or some Coreopsis varieties. They are actually hardy
of beautiful naturalistic colour, bringing huge benefits perennials, but their long flowering pushes them into the
to pollinators along the way. bedding category. These are the
However, increasingly, I like the idea of making bedding bedding plants that you never have These are the
schemes using perennial plants. There is nothing to stop to dig up at the end of the season!
bedding plants
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; VICTOR DE JESUS.
you moving them around from year to year, or splitting The vision of plastic bedding packs
them up to make more plants, but you only have a one-off can give bedding a bad name in our that you never
investment in a substantial plant that will be with you for increasingly sustainable world.
years – which is cheaper than buying yearly disposable However, I have spied plenty of
have to dig up
bedding plants. For example, the bronzy evergreen sedge specimens in recyclable cardboard
Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ looks great teamed with yellow packaging. You can also reduce your environmental impact
rudbeckias, and orange Geum ‘Prinses Juliana’. Throw in by planting more ‘double season bedding’ specimens and the
some spring bulbs and you will have a joyful planting full larger, ground-hugging varieties. Maintenance and excessive
of seasonal change that will go on for years and years. watering will soon be a thing of the past!
Have your say Do you think bedding has become unsustainable in the modern garden? Is it time to change
the way we think about bedding plants? Email or write to us at the addresses on page 22

A G I FT I N YOU R WIL L C OU LD
CH A N G E M A N Y C H IL DR EN ’S LIVE S
Vaccinations save children’s lives.

Leave a gift in your Will to Unicef and
you could help protect children from
measles and polio.
© UNICEF/FrankDejong
Unicef is the world’s largest provider of
vaccines. We help vaccinate almost half
the world’s children - and we rely entirely
on public donations. With enough
vaccinations, these diseases could be
eradicated for good.
Every child should have the chance to

live free from disease. Search ‘Unicef
NGICE[oVQ�PFQWVOQTG
Unicef UK. Registered charity Englanda & Wales (1072612) Scotland (SC043677)
We May
Have our say

The view from your side of the fence
HOT TOPIC Sowing success

Gardening for good Thank you for the free
seeds in my copy of
during coronavirus Gardeners’ World (April
issue). I am so grateful
Seeing Monty gardening at Longmeadow for that little packet of
is a relief during the coronavirus outbreak. joy – it doesn’t matter to
Perhaps he or others could create some me now whether they germinate or not!
temporary ‘demonstration gardens’ where When I stood in my sun-warmed
people could be taught what is possible to summerhouse and opened the packet the
grow – on a budget of course! fragrance was overwhelming. Never mind
Please can you also think of creative ways sowing them, I just stood and inhaled the
in engaging with the imagination of children delicious smell and suddenly, in the middle of
while they’re off school? This would be so all this madness and fear, my heart was filled
great for the emotional and mental wellbeing with joy and hope and summer was in my soul.
of people and who knows what budding It was uplifting that a simple packet of seeds
gardeners may result. I was very surprised could have that affect. I am hopeful that those
not see a single mention in April’s edition of sown will germinate, and if not in the pots,
Gardeners’ World of coronavirus. How far in Grow salad on your
they have certainly done so in my soul.
advance does the magazine go to print? window ledge
Ann Lakin, by email
Ruth, by email
We say: We go to print a while before the issue reaches the shops. At the time of print for the
last issue, the situation had not yet escalated. For ideas on gardening in self isolation turn to p55
In the dog house

Apple trees
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; TIM SANDALL; GETTY/RYANJLANE, MARK SWALLOW.

I have just relocated back to the UK after nine are great for
years and was sad to discover that many public small gardens
gardens still have rules banning dogs from their
premises – as discussed in the last edition
An apple a day for everyone
(Over the fence, April issue).
Days out supporting public gardens are In reply to a comment from your reader Russell
family events that can often last for hours at a (Have your say, April issue) about new homes
time, and the pet dog is an integral member of built with spaces for cars instead of trees,
thousands of families nationwide. Do garden it reminded me of when my parents moved
charities not realise that they are losing out on into a rented house developed under the
huge potential income by excluding dog-owning New Towns Act in the late 1950s.
families? All that is required are clear signs Then every garden had an apple tree, planted
stating that dogs must be kept on a lead at all by the developers. Having a corner house, my
Many public times and to clear up your dog poop – a simple parents had three trees that provided all the
gardens don’t solution that would mean many more people – apples we could eat as a family for many years.
allow dogs and their dogs – could enjoy visiting gardens. Couldn’t this happen again?
Elaine Rust, by email Gloria Williams, by email
Wr�e to us at
Have your say, Gardeners’ World Magazine, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT or email letters@gardenersworld.com
and you could win a prize. Letters or emails submitted may be edited for publication. *Prizes can be sent to UK addresses only.
CROSSWORD ANSWERS (see p163) ACROSS 1 Harden Off 7 Ling 8 Water 9 Tie 10 Tar 11 Eyed 12 Heath 14 Tagetes 17 Radish 19 Ipomoea 21 Shears 23
Thin Out 24 Aerial 25 Grain DOWN 1 Hawthorns 2 Rot 3 Earth 4 Ostrya 5 Fleece 6 Ensete 13 Ard 14 Thistle 15 Growing 16 Spartan 18 Isatis 20 Odora 22 Heel

Dandelions
gone to seed
spread quickly
A dandy treat for the bees

I too have waged war on the dandelions in my
lawn and beds (Q&A, April issue) – but as a
budding beekeeper, I have been advised that they
are a vital early source of nectar for newly
emerging bees in the spring. So rather than
remove completely or even snip off the flowers,
I am resolving to let them flower and try to catch
them before they set seed. Wish me luck!
Marina, by email
Calling a spade a smaller spade

To quote Monty (The Full Monty, April issue) “the
separation of young people from gardening is a
serious problem.” I have found that while gardening
with my grandchildren, aged six and eight, the spades
and forks at hand were far too big for them. I cut down
wooden handles on hoes and rakes to make them
child friendly then went online to find suitable tools.
I only found one manufacturer producing a spade at
greater-than-adult-version prices. Come on! If we
want the young to get involved then let’s give them
the tools to enable them to do so.
Grandad Billy, Luton
Perfecting peat-free options

Regarding the peat-free compost debate
(Clippings, April issue), I would agree that the
low demand for peat-free compost is a
hangover from when the first versions
available were truly awful. However,
I changed to peat-free last year and was
delighted with the results. I would encourage
all gardeners to make the switch.
Geoff Smith, Moray, Scotland
This month’s prizes

Each winner will receive a
Boskke Flipped Pot self-
watering planter worth £35
To view boskke’s full

range of products, visit
boskke.com
In association with Arley ref. 834
www.boskke.com
Bespoke Traditional Glasshouses
call 01270 753 826
May 2020 or visit www.whitecottage.co.uk
Clippings Our roundup of the
month’s latest gardening
news and views
Seismic shift for gardening as “Wear gloves”

retail centres forced to close warns leading GP
Looking after your garden while self-
isolating is “absolutely safe”, says
Bradford GP Dr Amir Khan, star of
Channel 5’s GPs: Behind Closed Doors
and a keen gardener. But he advises
staying 2m away from neighbours and
washing your hands before and after.
“Wear gardening gloves,” he urges too,
“You’re less likely to touch your face.”
However, Dr Khan suggests that
allotments pose too great a risk –
contrary to guidance by government
minister Michael Gove MP. “You can’t
guarantee the state of health of other
people at the allotments with you,
or what they’ve touched,” says Khan.
Growers across Europe
“And the virus can live for at least
were near peak production
24 hours on hard surfaces like
as the lockdown took effect
plastic and gateposts.”
Overall, Dr Khan’s prescription
The survival of many UK garden centres effect as they were nearing peak production. is to garden as much as possible.
and plant growers is in the balance, with The Horticultural Trades Association, backed by “People are so cooped up,” he says.
retailers forced to close their doors for weeks the RHS and National Farmers’ Union, is calling “Gardening improves vitamin D and
ahead of the key Easter weekend, for “urgent Government serotonin levels, boosting your
and, at time of going to press, People may funding” and compensation for mood.” Even just growing
WORDS: SALLY NEX. PHOTOS: GETTY/DAN KITWOOD, GOSPHOTODESIGN, TAVIPHOTO; JASON INGRAM
possibly beyond, following growers forced to throw out houseplants indoors has
the nationwide lockdown to
be tempted into plants they can’t sell. Many “massive psychological
prevent coronavirus spreading. growing food for smaller nurseries are looking benefits”, he says.
The 68 garden centres in to recoup costs by selling “It will help you get
Britain’s largest chain, Dobbies,
the first time locally via social media. through this.”
initially stayed open to sell “essential items” Mail-order firms, however, are reporting
No allotment visits,
including plants, food, cleaning and DIY record-breaking sales. Chiltern Seeds stopped
warns Dr Amir Khan
products and pet supplies – arguing that taking orders for a while due to high demand,
garden centres are ‘home and hardware while Real Seeds had to restrict orders to one
stores’ – but were forced to close in late
March. The company says, “The welfare of
pack of each variety. Thompson & Morgan has
seen “an unprecedented spike in orders” and
Health funding dip
our customers and team members is and added extra shifts for sales and despatch staff. Health charities could suffer a dip in
will remain our number one priority.” “The increase has been enough to make us donations with the suspension due to
“Gardening is a good thing for people to be check and see whether the numbers are right,” coronavirus of garden openings for
doing at this time,” Mike Burks, chair of the says David Robinson, MD of seed merchants the National Garden Scheme – which
Garden Centre Association, tells us. “It can Suttons. Compost, veg seeds, potatoes and last year raised over £3m for them.
prevent people being bored, it’s good for onion sets are selling fastest, many to first-time The NGS is calling on gardeners to
mental wellbeing and it’s keeping people fit.” buyers. “One small silver lining is that people keep supporting these vital causes
But it’s estimated that the horticultural may be tempted into growing their own food by donating via its JustGiving
industry, including specialist growers, will lose for the first time,” he adds. fundraising page – go to justgiving.
millions through the lockdown, which took See Full Monty for his view on the crisis: p19. com/ngs/donate to contribute.

We May
It’s easy to turn

elderflowers
into a delicious,
low-alcohol bubbly
Over 2.7m tuned in to see Monty and Nigel back on screen
Switching on to gardening
The launch of the new series of Gardeners’ World saw its
audience leap, as the nation turned to healthy ways to live
through a lockdown. More than 700,000 extra viewers tuned
in on 20 March, compared to the start of last year’s series.
Executive producer Gary Broadhurst says: “All of us at
Gardeners’ World – the presenters and production team –
know how important the programme is to viewers at this
difficult and uncertain time. We also know the benefits to
our wellbeing that time in our gardens can give us. This is a
e key message at the heart of the programme. The show may
Elderflower champagne is at the glamorous end of look a little different, but we want to reassure viewers that
self-sufficiency, says Dick Strawbridge, TV presenter and our priority is to provide you with your weekly gardening fix.”
champion of home grown and home made. Find his recipe In addition, the BBC’s team behind coverage of the
for it, using 600ml of fresh-picked elderflowers, 4.5 litres of RHS Chelsea Flower Show is busy working on alternatives.
water, wine vinegar, lemon zest and 675g of sugar, in Practical Paolo Proto, executive producer of the shows, tells us:
Self-Sufficiency by Dick and James Strawbridge (DK, £25). “I hope we can bring some Chelsea magic to our viewers.”
Box tree caterpillars rated Public Enemy No.1

Box tree caterpillar topped the Royal Horticultural Society’s list of gardeners’
most troublesome pests for the third year running in 2019. The non-native
pest became established in Britain in 2011 and strips box branches bare
within weeks. The RHS says that reports to its online survey have doubled
in a year to over 12,000 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Find out more about it and how to report your sightings at bit.ly/box-pest
Packham forces netting climbdown

Construction projects are continuing to cover trees and hedges with
netting to prevent birds nesting, despite last year’s public outcry.
Cambridge University’s decision to net about 20 trees this spring
was branded “absolutely outrageous” by broadcaster Chris Packham
on Twitter. The University later apologised and removed the nets.
Highways England also netted hedgerows marked for removal
alongside the A19 in Yorkshire. “We were unable to remove the hedges
before nesting seasons began,” a spokesman said. “So we have used
nets, which are checked daily, to prevent birds nesting and to avoid
any delays to this important safety work.”
It is illegal to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird, so
developers net hedges and trees in the nesting season to prevent
interruptions to building work. “It’s a legal practice,” says the RSPB’s
Martin Fowlie. But, he says, the charity is working with developers to
help them take a more nature-friendly approach, adding: ”If you plan
your work, you can schedule it to miss the nesting season altogether.” Netting hedges may be legal, but it stops birds nesting in their natural habitat

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We May
News in brief
My gardening world
Zoe Ball 1
NO MOW MAY
Presenter of BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast
Conservation charity Plantlife
Show, Zoe is a keen gardener, a big fan
wants gardeners to let lawns
of Gardeners’ World and a firm believer
grow long, allowing nectar-rich
in the therapeutic benefits of gardening
wildflowers to thrive. Log your
Zoe loves looking lawn’s blooms to find out how
Who inspired your love of gardening?
after and learning many bees they support.
My grandad Ball had topiary bushes in his
about her plants plantlife.org.uk
little yard in Blackpool. They were shaped like
different sized chairs. I was fascinated by
them, they had a magical Alice in Wonderland garden, when they bloom, and what works
2
quality. My grandad Fred grew cucumbers and where, tending to them and making mistakes,
tomatoes – I loved the smell of the greenhouse but learning is the most comforting and
and helped him water. My parents have always joyous thing. Gardeners’ World signals the
been keen gardeners, so it was inevitable! end of my hectic working week and the start
of my weekend. I love Monty’s Jobs for the
How do you fit gardening into your life? Weekend. I even have a book to write down SOCK IT TO ‘EM
I have a little walled garden, it’s the reason I bits about the garden, plants and things to try. Encourage kids to get their
bought the house. It’s my little paradise. It’s hands dirty during National
full of antique roses, as well as a fabulous Why does gardening matter to us? Children’s Gardening Week
wisteria, fig tree and all sorts. I’m still very I’m now a strong believer in the pleasures (23-31 May), with lots of fun
much learning. Last year I grew my first of gardening, the benefits for the head and activities, including making a
courgettes, and this year I’m attempting much heart. Growing from seeds and cuttings, from ‘caterpillar’ out of old tights.
more: dahlias, beetroot, sweetcorn, spuds. trial and error, whether in windowboxes, tubs childrensgardeningweek.co.uk
PHOTOS: GETTY/ANTEROVIUM; JON HAWKINS SURREY HILLS PHOTOGRAPHY; JAZ LYEL/CHILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL
When I get home from my radio show, it’s or with houseplants – it’s all an experience.
the perfect time to potter outside. There’s a I love that friends and family share tips and 3
corner where I sit on a bench with a cuppa plants with me. I’ve still so much to learn.
and watch the birds. I love early evening too, FILL ’EM UP!
with the bird song and the sun going down What’s looking great in your garden? Nearly 20 independent garden
across the Downs. It’s so peaceful. My wisteria is spectacular and the roses centres now supply compost in
make me so very happy. And the view of the ‘bags for life’ from peat-free
What’s your best memory in a garden? South Downs from my bench is pretty compost maker Melcourt.
When I lost my partner, lots of my loved ones special. Theo, my gardener, planted some But no major garden centre
bought me roses to grow in his memory. pots of tulips that were fabulous – so I’m chain has yet joined them.
He loved roses and I found the hours tending going to try some pots of my own this year. melcourt.co.uk
to these new plants so therapeutic. I also need to learn about plants for different
seasons, so I can keep colour all year round. 4
Does gardening help your wellbeing?
PEST CONTROL MADE EASY
The minute I step into my garden I properly What’s your best gardening tip?
Natural biological pest controls
take a deep breath and really relax. I find the To not rush to plant up a new garden until you
are now available in an easy-
garden so calming. Perfect for my ever busy get to know it. You need time to figure out the
to-apply gel that you water in.
brain, and especially good for my menopause sunny areas, the drier areas, the best places
NemaKnights nematodes range
anxiety. I love learning about the plants in my for things to be. I’m learning to be patient.
includes controls for slugs.
environmentalfactor.com
%ʠʋʋơɭ�ǫơɽ�ơơƎˊ�ʠ� Olive trees come off sale 5

Three-quarters of butterfly and moth Olive trees have all but disappeared from shops
species are declining, but your amid fears they might carry the deadly bacterial
garden can throw them a plant disease Xylella fastidiosa. Although not yet
lifeline. The Wild about in the UK, it has badly hit olive groves in Spain
Gardens campaign is and Italy, where most UK-sold trees originate.
calling on gardeners Now garden centres including Notcutts, OUR AMBASSADOR
to create a butterfly Squires and Dobbies have stopped selling them. Gardeners’ World presenter
patch filled with “We don’t believe it’s worth the risk,” the Squires Rachel de Thame, who recently
grasses such as fescue team told us. Essex-based Todd’s Botanics still went through cancer treatment,
for caterpillars and a long imports olives from trusted nurseries, putting them says she’ll use her new role as
season of nectar-rich wildflowers, from through rigorous testing. “We can only do it ambassador for the National
spring primroses to lavender, buddleia because we’re a smaller company,” says owner Garden Scheme to promote the
and flowering ivy. Log your new patch Mark Macdonald. But he points out that it health benefits of gardens.
at wildaboutgardens.org.uk before remains legal for individuals to bring in trees from ngs.org.uk
30 April for your chance to win a prize! the continent, calling the system “flawed”.

We May
Update on Gardeners’ World Live
3 themes to look
out for in 2021
1
Living GREENER:
as action on climate change and
sustainability becomes more vital,
the show will help you discover
solutions with a positive impact on
the environment. Q&As with the
presenters, Toby Buckland’s
Navigator Garden and on-topic
exhibitors will be on hand in 2021
to help us do our bit.
Monty, Frances and the team filming last year’s show – and it’ll all happen again in June 2021
2
Gardeners’ World Live, our annual show due of gardening and food, which regularly draws Living JUNGLE:
to take place this June in Birmingham, has been over 100,000 visitors at this peak time in the our new House of Plants feature
postponed until 2021, as coronavirus forced year for gardening. “It’s been heart wrenching will debut in 2021, packed
the delay or cancellation of much-loved to postpone the show, which we know was with inspiration for home
gardening events this spring. going to be one of the best yet,” says Rachel styling and anyone
seeking the jungle look.
Key features will not be lost, however, Poletti-Gadd, managing director of the show.
A beautifully styled room
but put on hold and carefully She highlights the lifeline
maintained for a year – including It’s been that Gardeners’ World Live and
set, House of Plants
brings together a wide
Toby Buckland’s eco-gardening-
inspired Navigator Garden, the
heart-wrenching other shows give to smaller
and family-run businesses,
range of indoor plants
from expert growers.
House of Plants indoor feature to postpone the and is calling on readers to An open-plan kitchen
for houseplant fans, and a
never-before-seen eremurus
show rally in support of them by
ordering plants and products
and living space will
showcase upcycling
flower spectacle. directly. Go to bbcgardenersworldlive.com/ ideas and a sustainable
Over 100 nurseries and growers, hundreds of exhibitors to see the full exhibitor list and their approach to interiors.
exhibitors and dozens of popular experts were specialities, with links to their websites.
scheduled to appear during the four-day festival See more at bbcgardenersworldlive.com 3
Living WELL:
the hugely popular Beautiful
Eremurus plants Toby’s garden lives on Borders will have as their 2021
grown for this year theme Flower Power, taking
Simple ways to garden more inspiration from the wellbeing,
will be back in 2021 sustainably were at the heart medicinal and health properties
of the show’s key feature, the of plants. Over 30 designers were
Navigator Garden, created creating these in 2020 – including
by Toby Buckland, former several magazine subscribers – so
lead presenter of Gardeners’ watch this space for your invitation
World. Designed around an to apply for 2021 in a few months.
PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM; GETTY/KSENIÂ SOLOV’EVA/EYEEM
inverted boat-turned-shed,
ALL SHOW DETAILS CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS.
and showing ways to thrive in a A WORD ABOUT TICKETS

Growing for gold changing climate, Toby’s beachcomber- If you had already booked
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foxtail lilies – a much under-rated impact plant, later’,” Toby told us. “When this extraordinarily Just email
explains Jon. The good news is these towering difficult time comes to an end, we’ll reflect on bbcgardenersworldlive@
perennials (lovers of drier conditions) will be what we value most. That’s when practical ideas riverstreetevents.co.uk
happy growing on for another year – to produce for gardening with nature and awareness of our OR call 0333 300 3010 and
an even bigger spectacle in 2021. So, every impact on the environment will be more vital than the team will be able to help.
cloud has its silver lining! ever. I look forward to seeing you all in June ‘21!”

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When the
gates reopen...
our escape into the natural world
more than ever. And, when the time
is right, we’re there to help with our
2 for 1 Garden Entry scheme
Show support for the nation’s

gardens by getting out there,
when it’s safe to travel, and
visiting those in our 2-for-1
scheme – after all, they’re the
best in the world. The entry card
is valid all the way to April 2021,
so you’ve plenty of time to
experience our gardens, great
and small. From landmark estates
such as Kew and Eden Project,
to hidden gems with passionate
and enthusiastic owners, you will
be helping to keep our nation’s
gardens thriving.
And these gardens aren’t just
about plants – many of our
gardens have beautiful parkland
(perfect for a stroll and a little
light exercise) and lovely outdoor
cafes for catching up.
Don’t forget to look out for
BODNANT GARDEN IMAGE: ROD KIRKPATRICK
gardens with play areas, too.

There are 131 gardens offering
free admission for children – just
the salvation you need over the
summer. So, sit tight and, when
the time’s right, give our
wonderful gardens your support
– they’ll need it this year more
than ever.
30 gardenersworld.com
2 for 1 gardens
How to use your 2 for 1 Garden

Entry Card and Guide
There are MASSIVE year-round savings to be made nationwide –
here’s our pick of some of the big hitters from our 461 gardens:
Harewood House, Yorks SAVE £15 Hever Castle, Kent SAVE £18
Eden Project, Cornwall SAVE £28 Alnwick Gardens, Northumb SAVE £13
Visiting alone? No problem. There are 156 gardens across the UK,
all offering single-visitor discounts entry – just look out for the
symbol on invidual garden listings.
Want to entertain the kids? We got the answer: 131 of our gardens
offer free entry to children – perfect for green time, not screen time.
Love our cover star?

The gorgeous peony used on our 2 for 1 Guide could
be yours. A richly coloured ‘Peter Brand’ variety, its
large, pinky-red blossoms pucker nicely in the centre
of each bloom and its flowers appear on robust
stems. Flowers May Height x Spread 1m x 1m
Peony ‘Peter Brand’ x 1 plant £15 (ROGW20-17PPB1)

Peony ‘Peter Brand’ x 3 plants £28.50 SAVE £16.50 (ROGW20-17PPB3)
Bodnant Garden, Wales, Supplied in 11cm pots
is just one of the many
locations across the UK
01386 426245 quote code ROGW20-17
in your 2-for-1 scheme www.hayloft.co.uk/rogw
Ts&Cs: Items delivered in 14 days. All orders receive an order acknowledgement with
approximate delivery date. Offer closes on the 24 May 2020. All items are subject to
availability. Offers available to UK addresses only. Reader offers cannot be used in conjunction
with any other promotions or discounts. Please add £4.95 postage to your order.
Save year round
en e me s r be n s ng gar ens, u e ou
2 for 1 Garden Entry Card to enjoy savings year-round – here
are a few ideas to inspire your adventures until April 2021
Rose retreats
A treat for the eye and the
nose, rose gardens around
the UK will be looking their
spectacular best in June and
July. Roses are one of the
oldest of blooms and many of
the rose gardens in the 2 for 1
scheme are hundreds of years
old. Whether a hidden gem of
a garden or a display of
thousands, it’s the ideal spot
to while away a summer’s day
– perfect inspiration for roses
in your own garden, too.
Shown here: Hever Castle and
Gardens, Edenbridge, Kent
Tropical and exotic Winter wandering

You don’t need to travel to Visit many of the gardens
the Caribbean for a tropical participating in the scheme
getaway with temperate from January to March and
gardens right here in the UK you’ll discover carpets of
that are bursting with exotic delicate white snowdrops
blooms and vibrant colours. to bring you much welcome
Some areas of the country, cheer. In many gardens there
such as the Cornish coast, are snowdrop walks, made up
benefit from special micro- of hundreds of thousands of
climates allowing sub-tropical bulbs – simply breathtaking.
plants to flourish. Visit them Shown here: Brodsworth Hall
for a sensory treat even on and Gardens, Doncaster,
the gloomiest days. South Yorkshire
Shown here: Trebah Garden,
Falmouth, Cornwall

2 for 1 gardens
Get more from your 2 for 1

Garden Entry Card and
Guide this year
Visit gardenersworld.com/
gardens now to explore our
mobile-friendly directory – perfect
if you’re on the move!
Q Searchable by region and

supported by maps, with
additional garden-style filters
Q Discover more gardens with
the teams’ recommendations
and topical listings
Q Garden-visiting itineraries The Japanese Garden
to help you plan your trip at Cowden 2-for-1 entry
Get social with us

We’d love to see your garden-
visit photos – share them on
social media using the hashtag
Autumn colour
#GW2for1 and we’ll publish
As Summer retreats into
our favourites.
Autumn, the nights draw in
and days begin to get cooler,
and so the colours in the UK’s
gardens begin to change from
hues of greens to magnificent
orange, maroon and gold.
Button up that jacket and
enjoy an invigorating walk
PHOTOS: MARIANNE MAJERUS
with crisp leaves underfoot

and canopies of colour above
– perfect for the whole family.
Shown here: Sheffield Park,
Uckfield, East Sussex
Kew Gardens by @mimiand Abbeywood Estate

mamaslondonlifestyle by @leepitt47
Kitchen gardens
The Victorians and Georgians
knew how to do it – feeding Enjoy additional year-round updates
the grand folk of the stately Get more from your visits when you register to receive our seasonal
manor with super-efficient updates and offers in conjunction with your 2 for 1 card. Sign up for our
walled gardens, orchards and garden visiting email, go to gardenersworld.com/garden-visiting
glass-houses growing produce
of the highest quality. Many Want to enjoy 2 for 1 visits with others?
of these gardens have been Visiting gardens with friends or family and need an additional card?
lovingly restored and are a Buy extra copies of the May issue at gardenersworld.com/gardens
feast for the eye. Not only – only while stocks last!
that, they may feed you too,
in their very own cafes.
Shown here: Harewood
House, Leeds, West Yorkshire 461
gardens
to visit
2 FOR1
ENTRY
Card & Guide 2020
Order your 2 for 1 card online:

2020 Guide out now!

WIN a garden Prizes
worth
£4,500
To celebrate the launch of
our 2 for 1 Card & Guide
2020-21, we’ve teamed
up with gardens and
organisations participating
in the scheme to bring you
three fabulous UK holiday
competitions each worth
£1,500. Worried about
making a plan to travel?
Don’t be – you have until
spring 2021 to claim these
fantastic prizes.
Wildlife lovers
A three-night stay for up to
six people at Bewick’s Lodge,
Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Stay in Wildfowl and Wetlands
Trust founder Sir Peter Scott’s
former house and garden, with
magical sights over tranquil Rushy
Lake – it’s a unique experience
PHOTOS: JAMES LEES (WWT); JIM HOLDEN @ HISTORIC ENGLAND (ENGLISH HERITAGE)
you’ll treasure for sure.

The package includes:
Q Three bedrooms with ensuite
facilities for up to six guests
Q Open-plan kitchen,
living and dining room
Q VIP wildlife tour or Evening
with Swans Experience
Ts&Cs Prize available at any time

when the Lodge is not pre-booked, and
except bank holidays and the
Christmas/New Year period. Valid for
stays up untilMay 2021. Children under
7 years old not permitted.
For more information about
Bewick’s Lodge, visit
bewickslodge.co.uk
ENTER NOW to win a fabulous UK holiday! Go to gardenersworld.com/win

Follow the link of the competition you would like to enter and answer the multiple-choice question and click ‘Enter now’.
Terms & Conditions: Full details of each prize are included on the website. Validity dates vary and may be subject to change. Closing date for entry is midday,
28 May 2020. No cash alternative, non-transferable and no alternate prize will be offered. Not for resale. Open to UK residents only. Only one entry per person,
per competition. Full terms and conditions apply. See gardenersworld.com/EH-comp, gardenersworld.com/Endsleigh-comp, gardenersworld.com/WWT-comp .
PLEASE NOTE: Validity dates subject to change due to coronavirus restrictions.

2 for 1 competition
Family fun
Holiday in an English Heritage
Cottage plus family membership
Stay in one of our 19 contemporary
holiday cottages, set in the heart of
historic England. Whether you
choose the grounds of a marvellous
mansion, regal seaside holiday
home or medieval fortress, you’re
guaranteed a trip full of memories.
The prize includes:
Q Three or four-night stay
in a holiday cottage
Q Option to bring two dogs
at dog-friendly cottages
Q Welcome hamper for guests
Q Entry to events during your stay
Q Explore grounds after hours
Q Annual family membership
Ts&Cs Stays in cottage any time

of year is subject to availability.
Last date to stay by is 26 Mar
2021 excluding dates between
1 Dec 2020 and 3 Jan 2021. For
more information, visit:
english-heritage.org.uk/
visit/holiday-cottages
Luxury for two

Two-night stay at Hotel
Endsleigh, Dartmoor
With no noise or light pollution, the
Grade I listed Hotel Endsleigh offers
complete relaxation, with extensive
gardens and woodlands to explore,
seasonal local food, and inspiring
views of the River Tamar.
The prize includes:
Q Two nights in a suite
at Hotel Endsleigh
Q Champagne, fruit bowl
and chocolates on arrival
Q Breakfast for two
Q Dinner for two on one night
(with a bottle of wine chosen
by the sommelier)
Q Private Garden Tour with
the Head Gardener
Q Afternoon tea for two
Ts&Cs Prize is subject to availability.
Valid from 1 Sep 2020 to 31 Mar
2021, excluding 23 Dec 2020
to 1 Jan 2021, and
14 Feb 2021. Visit
the polizzicollection.com

Fire
starter
Monty invites us all to take some
risks with colour, let the sparks fly
and risk a shot of anarchy in
our borders this summer
PHOTOS JASON INGRAM

It’s a balance between artistry and control...
Colour has to dance and flow and occasionally jar

W e think very carefully about
colour at Longmeadow.
We plan it, try to control it,
constantly monitor and adjust it – and yet
are very happy when much of this goes
haywire and colour anarchy takes hold.
May in the
Writing Garden
sees a joyful exuberance
of white foxgloves, alliums
and frothy cow parsley
I am being serious about this! It’s a tricky

business getting the right balance between
the artistry of using colour in a border to
create the effect you want and the sterility
of rigid colour control. I visited a garden in
America last summer that boasted a pair of
huge 200-yard-long colour borders, but the
boast rang if not hollow then distinctly flat,
because the colours were banded and
demarcated so rigidly and metronomically
that the effect of walking down it was like
flicking through swatches of fabric to
choose your curtains.
So there is a very fine line between real
creativity and painting by numbers. Colour
has to dance and flow and occasionally jar,
but you can cater for this and use the slide
into anarchy to liberate you from the
limitations of a ‘by numbers’ approach.
Find your theme

There are two key stages to creatively
managing colour in a border. The first is to
work out and then stick to a broad theme.
So the Cottage Garden at Longmeadow is
broadly based around pastel colours, with
pinks of every hue playing a very strong
hand. The Jewel Garden, meanwhile, is
based around the basic jewel colours: We plan and try to control colour, yet are
emerald, ruby, sapphire, and the slightly
more obscure, but horticulturally powerful,
very happy when colour anarchy takes hold
amber, garnet and topaz, plus metals: gold,
silver, bronze, copper. While pink does not
officially feature here, we find that magenta July on the
adds vitality to the colours around it. When Mound
we first planted the Jewel Garden, we is the ideal place to sit
included white to represent diamonds and relax, among a calm
but very quickly discovered it was a bad sea of blue agapanthus
idea so, like pink, white is banished.
However, the Writing Garden is basically
all white – but not quite. There are touches
of pink from the tulip ‘Lady Jane’, which is
tinged pink on the outer petals but opens
pure white, and in the blossom of the apple
trees. As anyone who makes a white garden
or border soon discovers, there is no such
thing as pure white, but many shades of
off-white, and what is really being created is
a green garden with some white. (Incidentally,
for white flowers, cosmos ‘Purity’ is well
worth sowing now. It germinates quickly and
should flower from late July to the first frosts.)
The Mound has a lemon-yellow, white and
pale-blue colour theme, while our orchard
beds are based around lots of pinks, plums
and some blue. So we exercise colour-control
in most parts of the garden.
Having decided on your broad themes, you
then have the infinitely more painstaking

monty’s garden
June in the
Cottage Garden
is a pastel paradise of
romantic old roses, with
poppies, alliums and more
August in the September

Jewel Garden containers
is a treasure trove of offer a simple yet stunning
hot hues, plus a flash duet of French marigolds
of magenta phlox and Japanese blood grass

monty’s garden
job of finding the plant varieties that will

achieve the effect you have in your mind’s
eye. The truth is that, unless you are highly
knowledgeable and experienced, only trial
and error will sort this out for you. We
endlessly try things here, and either reject
them completely after a year or two or find
that, while they may not be quite working in
one place, by digging them up and moving
them over there, it all clicks. Everything in
the garden is always a work in progress. Richer colours are at
But if you are trying to get really good
colour into your borders this summer, you their best when the light
have to be realistic. It is getting a little late
for midsummer displays – although plants
Monty sows vibrant
orange Tithonia
drops a bit from early
by post will allow you to plug gaps. Far
better to focus on getting the effects you
‘Torch‘ now, to light
up his borders in late
August onwards
want later in the summer and buy yourself summer and autumn
a little time (and save a little money).
This will direct which colours you have
on your palette. The Cottage Garden, with
45 different varieties of old roses, along with
campanulas, foxgloves, cranesbills, lupins,
peonies, aquilegias, alliums, pinks, phlox,
delphiniums and clematis, is at its best in
June and July. For those two months, it froths
with gentle colour that spills and flows with
what is intended to be carefree abandon. But
by August most of the roses have done their
stuff and the rest of the borders are heavily
reliant on the annuals we use, such as the
pinks and whites, mauves and blues of sweet
peas, cosmos, cornflowers and verbenas.
Moving to richer colours – the oranges,
purples, burgundies, magenta, copper and
gold – these are at their best when the light
drops a bit from early August onwards.
This is when the Jewel Garden really takes
off, just as the Cottage Garden goes past
its best. Vibrant tender annuals, including Dahlia ‘David Howard’ Sunflower ‘Velvet Queen’
zinnias, petunias, verbenas, salvias,
cosmos, coreopsis and heliotropes, will give
you a dramatic colour display in August
through to October. You can sow seeds
directly where they are to flower, but for
more reliable results sow indoors in a
greenhouse or on a bright windowsill, to
give them the best, quickest start in life.
Fiery favourite
This is not the season for subtlety or pale
tones, and why I am a great fan of adding
orange to late-summer borders. I know there
are those who regard orange as impossibly
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: MARSHA ARNOLD; TORRIE CHUGG
brash and vulgar – but I am happy to be

vulgarly brash! Not only does orange look
good in itself, but it also enriches all the
blues and especially purples that are so
prevalent in late-summer borders.
In my defence, I would say I cast a pretty
wide net over what I class as orange, going
from egg-yolk yellow to caramel. Some of
my favourites include the sunflower ‘Velvet
Queen’, which takes orange to the brink of
brown – and can be sown direct now. The Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’
heleniums ‘Moerheim Beauty’ and ‘Rotgold’

monty’s garden
have lovely russet shuttlecock flowers,

Achillea ‘Feuerland’ starts out vermillion
then gradually fades to shades of amber,
bidens is an understorey plant for big
containers, while Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, with
its wonderful fiery flowers and great spears
of leaf, and the more modest but much
longer-lasting orange-flowered ‘Emily
McKenzie’, are always good. These are all
best started now as young plants.
And I always grow tender Tithonia
‘Torch’ from seed, whose daisy flowers
have sumptuously velvety petals of deep,
intense, unambiguous orange. It can be
temperamental at the seedling stage if
it is too wet, but once planted out it will
grow strongly. Sow under cover now and
plant out when about 10cm tall.
Annual intensity
Orange nasturtiums are quick and easy to
grow from seed, but can soon swamp a border
if you are not careful, especially if you have Londmeadow is a work
rich soil. But when controlled, or in poor in progress – Monty is
soil, they bring an incredible freshness. constantly adding and
Another annual that is very happy in poor moving plants to refine
soil is the California poppy (Eschscholzia), the colour balance, and
which has probably the most intense orange now’s the time to do it
flower of any plant on this planet.
If you are buying mature plants, then
add cannas such as ‘Wyoming’, which has
vermillion flowers and dark leaves, and
Grow annuals from seed now
‘Durban’, with orange flowers and You can start sowing However, I tend to raise as they become swamped
chocolate-coloured foliage. Dahlias, annuals directly outside annuals under cover, sowing by the burgeoning perennials
including ‘Chat Noir’, ‘David Howard’, from late April when the in seedtrays in March and around them.
‘Arabian Night’, ‘Grenadier’ and ‘Mexican soil is warming to the touch. April, then nurturing the You can still also sow
Star’ (a hybrid between a dahlia and Simply scatter seeds of seedlings in the greenhouse annuals in trays in late April,
chocolate cosmos), will flower valiantly this cosmos, cornflowers, orlaya, until they are large enough to with a little heat to speed
summer if you can find plants for sale. cerinthe and poached egg plant out. I do this because things up. You will then
But the important thing is to focus on plants (Limnanthes) in any our soil is so rich that have strong young plants
the overall colour scheme you are after. gaps in borders, and they annuals sown in mid-spring by the time the last frosts
To my mind, pink and orange – or indeed should germinate readily. don’t usually get a look-in, are over in late May.
pink and almost any strong colour – do not
sit well together. White is really hard to How to sow indoors
incorporate with strong colours, too, 1 2 Fill a seedtray with a mix of
without reducing them and losing the
purity of the white flowers. The ‘right’ blue
1 seed compost and perlite.
Scatter your seeds thinly
is a constant quest. The balance between
all the different greens and ‘colours’ – as if
2 over the surface.
Firm gently to bed the
green was not a colour – is an elusive but
vital part of creating a successful border.
3 seeds into the compost.
Cover with a thin layer
But you may disagree. There is no right
way, other than working out what suits
4 of vermiculite.
Stand the seedtray in water
you and your garden and working towards
that specific goal. Start now with some
5 to moisten the compost.
seeds, try things out and don’t be frightened

to make terrible mistakes. We all do! But
3 4 5
it might just turn out to be artistry. !
Monty on TV
For lots more from Monty
at Longmeadow, tune in to
Gardeners’ World every
Friday at 8.30pm.

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ENGINEERING FOR Life

Chelsea style
Best in show
With Chelsea Flower
Show on hold for a year,
Joe Swift looks back at
some innovative gardens
that changed the way we
think about gardening Joe has
presented
coverage from
The RHS Chelsea
Flower Show
for more than
20 years
GREEN APPEAL
The M&G Garden by
Andy Sturgeon, 2019
It’s easy to become obsessed with colour,
but do you have the discipline and
restraint to make something really special
without it? Andy Sturgeon’s Best in Show
2019 winner was a masterclass in using
only green plants. Sculptures made from
burnt timber and stratified rock ran
across the garden as a dramatic backdrop
for the stylised woodland and moisture-
loving planting. This approach brings out
PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM.
the subtle contrast in heights, textures

and forms of plants, and shows there are
masses of soothing greens to play with.
Are you brave enough to ditch colour?

THE HARTLEY
SPRINGTIME
EVENT
Hartley 6 Planthouse, Stockton-on-Tees
The Highgrow, Devon
Visit us at The RHS Flower Shows 2020 - Hampton Court Palace 7th - 12th July | Tatton Park 22nd - 26th July
Discover the secret of Hartley Botanic by calling 0800 783 8083 or visit www.hartley-botanic.co.uk
NOTHING ELSE IS A HARTLEY

The only aluminium Glasshouses and Greenhouses endorsed by the RHS
© The Royal Horticultural Society 2020. Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262 rhs.org.uk
Chelsea style
I don’t recall missing a single Chelsea

Flower Show in the past 30 years, so I was
as saddened as everyone else when it was,
understandably, cancelled because of the
coronavirus pandemic. Like most people,
I first attended as a visitor, but in 2001
I joined the team presenting television
coverage for the BBC, something that has
given me a unique insight into the world-
famous show. And, in 2012 I bit the bullet,
designed a Main Avenue show garden myself
and was very proud when I won a gold medal.
It’s fair to say my relationship with Chelsea
is a special one.
There’s so much we gardeners can learn
from Chelsea and while the show’s cancellation
leaves a huge gap, I wanted to celebrate
the landmark gardens that have changed
the way we do things. Chelsea show gardens
are seen as the ‘catwalk’ of garden design –
WAYS WITH REDEFINING
a selection of the entries are unashamedly
▲
experimental, and are viewed by some visitors
as inaccessible and elitist. But with imagination
and an open mind to new ideas, there’s always
WATER A CLASSIC
something to take away from them.
The M&G Garden The Laurent Perrier Garden
Designers often use Chelsea as a place by Sarah Price, 2018 by Dan Pearson, 2015
where they can explore new themes, topics, As sustainability awareness increases, Chelsea gardens often showcase projects
design devices, materials, plant palettes we need to choose plants that require less in the wider gardening world. Dan Pearson’s
and approaches. It may take a few years for water and feeding. Sarah Price’s Mediterranean garden, on the tricky triangle site, was a huge
ideas to filter through to real-life gardens Garden was stunning: a mixture of earthy, build, yet the team beautifully captured the
but, over time, many of us are influenced sustainable materials (earth walls/gravel/ spirit and essence of his work at Chatsworth.
by elements and features first spotted at reclaimed tiles) and drought-tolerant planting. The mature planting felt as if it had been there
the show. I’m very fortunate to be able to Plants like the succulent Senecio ficoides, for centuries, not weeks. It gave a taster of his
walk on all the gardens, take them in, see poppies, Euphorbia rigida and grasses, Chatsworth planting style, rock placement
them from all angles and talk to the designers. enhanced the sense of minimum intervention. and wooden bridges, proving that woodland
So here are some of my favourite and most This was a garden in harmony with climate greenery can often be more relaxing and
memorable from recent years. and nature – something we can all do at home. evocative than a brighter palette of plants.
PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM.

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Chelsea style
LOST IN SCENT
▲
A Perfumer’s Garden in Grasse
by James Basson, 2015
Some Chelsea gardens aren’t challenging – they’re just
fabulous places to be in, albeit temporarily! James Basson’s
ridiculously authentic garden felt as if a piece of France had
been lifted and dropped into Chelsea. It was inspired by the
perfume industry in Grasse and featured connected plants
such as Iris pallida, lavender, roses and jasmine – all
buzzing with wildlife. The scents ranged from light and
sweet, to powerful, emphasising the value of the hidden
layer of fragrance, which all gardens can benefit from.
▲ CONSERVATION
IS KEY
The M&G garden
by James Basson, 2017
This split visitors’ votes, but I thought it was
well conceived and executed, and conveyed
an important message. The design was
inspired by an abandoned Maltese limestone
quarry in which endemic plants, some under
threat, re-colonised and survived. It told a
story of survival of the fittest – something
to bear in mind when choosing plants for
our gardens’ specific conditions. I thought it
looked great, though perhaps it was tricky to
capture its full power and mood on television.
FRAMING THE VIEW

The Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden
by Joe Swift, 2012
Okay, so this one’s mine! In my 2012 garden I used five
large cedar wood frames of varying sizes as a key design
device. They divided the gardens into rooms – a classic
approach to break up a large garden – but they also lined
up to frame views from certain angles to draw the eye
into key areas. This is an easy technique to use at home –
simply adapt an existing arch or pergola, or get creative
and make a simple structure yourself.
PLANT PRESERVATION
▲
Resilience Garden by Sarah Eberle, 2019

This garden challenged many Chelsea visitors because
it emphasised the need to build resilient landscapes and
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM.
gardens under the threats of climate change, pests and

diseases. It was quite a scene, containing a huge and
diverse range of plants, a 6m high grain silo as a recycled
garden office and many potential trees of the future for
UK gardens, including gingko, Cryptomeria (Japanese
cedar) and the monkey puzzle tree. It presented the
important message that we all need to garden sustainably
and with a changing climate in mind.

Chelsea style
TO DINE FOR
The LG Eco-City Garden by
Hay-Joung Hwang, 2018
This was a very slick, aspirational outdoor
room and kitchen. The main area was sunken,
inviting you to step down to a generous,
comfortable seating area. The symmetrical
layout and formal hedging imposed a clear
framework to hang the plants on, while the
soft colour palette picked up the decor to MAKING SENSE
neatly tie the scheme together. Yes, this was The RHS Feel Good Garden
high-end and unachievable for many, but it
by Matt Keightley, 2018
demonstrated how we can use our gardens as
We’re increasingly aware of nature’s healing
an outdoor room and extension of our home.
power and every year the RHS has a garden
through which the public can walk and
WASTE NOT
▲
engage. This space was designed to live on
WANT NOT
after Chelsea and was relocated to an NHS
Mental Health Centre. I enjoyed seeing
Chelsea visitors use the garden; the tiered,
The Lemon Tree Trust Garden
organic shaped seating was always full, the
by Tom Massey, 2018 soft planting offering calm in the midst of
This was a beautiful and thought-provoking
a hectic show. It reminds us how gardens
garden inspired by the resilience, ingenuity
boost wellbeing – good to know in the
and resourcefulness of refugees living and
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM.
volatile year 2020 has become.

gardening in Domiz camp in Northern Iraq –
Tom designed it with their input. It included
fine examples of using recycled materials, such See more of Chelsea
as turning plastic bottles, tin cans and gaps in Despite Chelsea Flower Show 2020 being
concrete blocks into plant containers. Many cancelled, the RHS will be creating a
were space-saving ideas, too. For me it showed virtual show during the week of 18-23
the value of design and that even old bottles May. Check BBC TV listings for details.
can look great if grouped together artfully.

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Weed out
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In the UK, gardening is a hugely popular hobby
for all generations. There’s nothing quite like
the sense of accomplishment of seeing a flower
you have nurtured, growing and blooming
into something beautiful, or the satisfaction of
eating your own tasty home-grown produce.
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Whether you are the “potter about” type, or a given the range of actions necessary and
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Whilst discussing posture in gardening, our positions that cause discomfort or
independent Occupational Therapist, Julie puts unnecessary strain on your
Jennings Dip COT HCPC said: body, whilst remembering good
general posture advice.”
“When carrying out activities like gardening,
there is no such thing as a “perfect posture”,
A starting tip that Julie recommends is if you’re Another easy to follow tip is to vary your
going to be spending a while working in the posture. Whatever it is you are doing, try not
garden, you need to warm your body up – but to stay in the same position for too long. This
don’t panic! She doesn’t mean the full blown means you will limit the impact on any one
particular area of your body, which might have
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led to pain developing. A great practical way to
out with the smaller, lighter tasks before you
do this is to alternate your gardening tasks – set
move on to the bigger and more strenuous jobs. a 10-15 minute timer whilst weeding, then take a
If your body is more relaxed and nimble, then the small break, a stretch, a swig of water and then
larger strains aren’t going to have a damaging move on to tending to your hanging baskets, and
effect on your body. so on until you come round again to weeding.
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10
creative projects
mood-
boosting ways to
garden now
2
Stay positive and active during Plant up a
the coronavirus outbreak by container display
nurturing a love of plants, A pretty container display can
gardening and wildlife really help to lift the spirits.
Use mail-order plants or seeds,
or phone your local garden
centre or nursery to see if
they’ll deliver. Or even lift and
Staying at home or self-
divide a few perennial plants
isolating during the coronavirus
outbreak is challenging,
from your borders. Choose
especially for people who live annuals from seed for a quick,
on their own. But gardening can seasonal display, or perennial
help us turn this situation into a plants that will last for years.
positive – we can sow seeds or See gardenersworld.com/
plant seedlings now, and watch
plant-offers and gardeners
3
them develop and bloom over the
coming weeks and months. And world.com/pot-displays
the well-documented benefits of
gardening to our mental health
WORDS: KATE BRADBURY. PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM
and physical wellbeing are more

important now than ever.
We’re here for the duration
to offer moral support, practical
guidance and inspirational ideas.
To help get you started, we’ve
chosen 10 garden projects you can
get on with now. They’ll help you
to pass the time in a productive
and purposeful way, getting you
outdoors to enjoy the fresh air,
bird song and a bit of gentle
Install a water butt
If you’ve been meaning to
1
exercise – or even a full-on workout
with some major garden DIY. install a water butt for a while,
then now’s the time to do it.
You can buy complete kits
Build a raised bed online and simply follow
A raised bed makes growing veg instructions on installing it.
easier, particularly if you have heavy Wall-mounted water butts
soil. It can also be useful if you have are a great way to save space.
mobility issues. You can buy raised
It’s fairly easy to connect them
to a downpipe from your
bed kits or make your own using old
house, shed or greenhouse.
scaffolding planks. Then simply fill See gardenersworld.com/
with topsoil and start sowing. saving-water
See gardenersworld.com/raised-beds
Build a pond
Water will bring all kinds of
fascinating wildlife into your
garden – amphibians, aquatic
insects, birds and mammals.
Digging the pond will also
give you a workout, if you’re
missing your gym! Buy the
4
pond liner and pond plants
online or phone local garden
centres to see if they stock
them and will deliver. Aim for
a mix of oxygenating, floating
and submerged plants. It’s a
fun project and you’ll get
years of pleasure watching
all the wildlife it attracts.
See gardenersworld.
com/make-ponds
5 One of the best ways

to attract more wildlife
into your garden is
by adding a pond
6
Grow houseplants
If you don’t have a garden
or can’t get into the garden,
you can bring a touch of the
outdoors inside. Houseplants
not only lift our spirits, they
can also clean the air in our
homes. And there are so many
to choose from, to suit every
room in the house, and every
style of decor. You can buy
Clean the houseplants, pots, compost
greenhouse and decorative pebbles
A thorough, soapy scrub inside from many online retailers.
and out will bring more light to For more inspiration see our
the plants inside, as well as A-Z of houseplants on p67
getting rid of any lingering
GETTY/VSPN24, MIKE POWLES; JASON INGRAM
pests and pathogens. This is

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS;
a great, active job that could

help you work up a sweat, so
get your scrubbing brush,
sponge and hosepipe ready
and enjoy a mini-workout.
See gardenersworld.com/
clean-greenhouse

creative projects
Sow seeds 7
Feed the birds
This is a great way to
entertain yourself while
self-isolating at home.
Hang feeders in front of
a window where you sit
regularly, so you can
watch the birds’ antics
whenever you like.
8
Sowing seeds and watching You can buy feeders
the plants grow can help to and bird food online.
relieve stress and keep you Choose a reputable
mindful. Sow anything you supplier and avoid
fancy – annual herbs to use cheaper seed mixes
in cooking, flowers such as if possible, as these
cosmos and sunflowers to
are less likely to
attract garden birds.
brighten up the garden, or veg
Sunflower hearts
to use in nutritious meals. Use are a great all-round
a seed tray and propagator if choice, attracting a
you have one, or simply fill pots wide range of species.
with peat-free compost and See gardenersworld.
cover with a clear plastic bag. com/feed-birds
See gardenersworld.com/ Why not also take
sow-seeds the time to learn all
the different bird
species that visit your
9
feeders? Order a book
or use our garden bird
identifier at gardeners
world.com/bird-ID
Make a bee hotel
10
This will provide a handy
nesting place for solitary
bees such as red mason
bees, which are on the
wing from April to June,
and leafcutter bees,
which are flying from
June to August. Rather
than forming large nests
like honey bees, solitary Design a new border
bees lay individual eggs Have you always yearned for a prairie
in cells, stocked with border, woodland corner or gravel
nectar and pollen for the garden? Then now is the perfect time to
grubs to eat when they
redesign any areas that aren’t living up to
hatch. They don’t sting.
Fix the completed bee their potential. Plan the project carefully
hotel to a south-east before you start, choosing plants that
facing wall or fence, will suit your style and site. Then order
and keep watch for bee plants and any other resources online.
activity all summer. See gardenersworld.com/design-borders
For our step-by-step
guide to making a bee VISIT gardenersworld.com/coranavirus-
hotel, turn to p128. gardening íÓ Ì Óòí ËÓâ Óòí « â Ì Ì«
See gardenersworld. during self-isolation and related forum threads
com/bee-hotel
Now is the
time for us to
be aware of the
consequences
of our actions

Gardening for
changing times
Having championed environmentally-friendly
gardening for years, Carol Klein explains how your
garden can be a force for good in a changing world
PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE
Choosing drought-
tolerant plants, such
the striking sea
holly, conserves
precious water

Green roofs can
be created anywhere
you have a flat space
- from bin storage
to large sheds
L ots of us talk about ‘our’ gardens.

Not proprietorial perhaps, it’s
more a question of seeing their
significance purely on a personal scale.
What possible effect could what we do
within our own small plots have on the
summer. There are so many ways that we
gardeners can conserve water, from obvious
solutions such as installing water butts to
collect rain falling on our roofs to practising
the well-loved slogan of ‘right plant, right
place’. If we have free-draining soil and/or
bigger picture? How could our practices particularly dry areas within the garden,
influence biodiversity or climate change? planting alpines, seaside plants or those
Yet if you added all our gardens together that occur naturally on thin, dry soils
in the United Kingdom alone, they would (our highly coloured hybrid achilleas for
cover an area the size of Somerset. What we example are cultivated versions of yarrow,
do, how we garden, is not neutral, it either a wildflower that can exist on practically
has a positive or a negative effect on our no water) means we use less water.
planet, and there has never been a more Mulching to conserve moisture is
important time for us to make conscious paramount – home-made compost and
decisions about our actions. leaf mould, recycled materials, bark and
There can be few people now who, faced mushroom compost are all good. The most
with the facts and accurate information, efficient method is to grow plants close
How we garden is not neutral, it either has

a positive or a negative a�ect on our planet
deny that climate change is happening – together so they provide their own mulch,
and at an alarming rate. But what can we do with as little soil visible as possible, thereby
as gardeners, not just to make sure we don’t reducing evaporation. If you are watering,
contribute to the worsening effects of make sure that the moisture is directed
climate change, but also to improve the where it is most efficacious – at the roots.
situation in any way we can? Sprays and sprinklers are a no-no. So too
What we do in our gardens is often are lawns in my opinion. Lawns are a British
automatic, we’ve always done it like that. horticultural institution, but these are
Now is the time for us to be aware of the changing times and they feature on the
consequences of our actions and to change minus side of the environmentally friendly
or adjust them where they can be replaced balance sheet. Not only are fossil fuels and
by more environmentally friendly practices. electricity used to power the mowers that
keep them trim, but they are, arguably,
From deluge to drought mono-cultural wastelands when it comes to
Sometimes it can be a question of what we wildlife and take up valuable space that
don’t do. Wherever we can, we should seek could be used to grow a range of pollinator-
to conserve resources. Water is probably the friendly flowers, shrubs, trees or veg. To
most important, and most gardeners use keep the green sward verdant, many Hoeing will keep
lots of it. It seems ironic when so many gardeners apply numerous chemicals and weeds at bay and
people have had to contend with too much again this is a deficit on the balance sheet. ensure your crops
water through a winter and spring of floods, The biggest change any of us can are chemical free
yet some of us are bound to run short this implement, if we aren’t already doing so

carol’s eco-friendly garden
Choose plants to Save your own

suit your garden’s seeds and learn
conditions, like to propagate your
achilleas which plants – it’s fun,
thrive in dry soil free and easy
Carol’s environmentally friendly action plan

Take your garden back to nature with these changes that allow for more green things and fewer gadgets, plus a bounty of tasty produce
GROW MORE FROM SCRATCH box with a piece of recycled plastic over the and cities – the easier and more effective it
Learn to propagate your own plants, rather top. Cut out bonfires, and while you’re at it all becomes. Practices like companion planting
than rely on energy-intensive commercial machinery that uses fossil fuels, along with are more environmentally friendly than using
manufacturing. You’ll have new plants for free, patio heaters, fire pits and propane barbecues. poisons. Hand weeding is the most effective
and get to know your plants more intimately. All these heat the atmosphere and contribute weed control and allows us to see what’s really
directly to climate change. going on with our plants. Making compost is a
GROW VEG AND FRUIT top priority. If you’ve got a really tiny garden,
Discover how to grow vegetables because ENCOURAGE WILDLIFE look into local council composting services.
homegrown crops are fresh, packed with Your garden’s importance as a wildlife reserve Don’t use peat – it stores carbon and digging it
nutrients and carry no air miles or chemicals. for insects, small mammals and birds cannot be up releases that carbon (as does cutting down
PHOTOS: JONATHAN BUCKLEY; TORIE CHUGG; SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM

You know what’s on and in them, plus, it will overstressed. Leave areas wild, choose varieties trees). Leaf mould and compost are easy to
save you money. with ‘single’ flowers that pollinators can access make and part of the garden’s cycle.
easily. And because these are closer to the
CONSERVE RESOURCES species, they’re less prone to pests than BUILD WITH CARE
Save water wherever possible by collecting it overbred hybrids, and you can save your own Think carefully about the materials you choose
in a water butt, but also – when rain is forecast seeds. Plant native hedges, even just small for any hard landscaping, and recycle materials
during a dry period – by using buckets and ones, to provide shelter and food for wildlife. whenever possible. Avoid concrete, as cement
bowls placed on paths or patios to collect Plant trees or even just one – it will be both uses masses of energy to manufacture. Build
rain. Grow plants that don’t need extra heat – an immediate and long-term way of storing dry stone walls and add plants into the crevices.
houseplants can be cared for inside the house carbon from the air and releasing oxygen. If you park your car in the front garden, use
and moved outside in summer. Sow seeds permeable paving and leave lots of planting
and plant cuttings on kitchen windowsills – GO CHEMICAL FREE pockets to green up the space. Avoid paving the
no need for heated propagators or using heat Gardening and growing organically is vital to whole front garden, as that adds to water run-off,
in a greenhouse. If you haven’t got a greenhouse, the health of our planet. You don’t need to use contributing to flooding. Make the most of your
you can warm the soil with glass or recycled chemicals, they are counter-productive. It’s easy vertical spaces with climbers, wall shrubs and
plastic. A few years ago on Gardeners’ World, to establish a balance within your garden and green walls, and of horizontal spaces with green
we made a cold frame using a waxed banana the more of us that do it – especially in towns roofs – even on bike or bin storage shelters.

carol’s eco-friendly garden
When you do have

to water, direct
it at the roots,
where it will be
quickly absorbed
is to grow organically. But this is a whole

system, it cannot be partial. It has to be all
Growing organically is a way of maintaining
or nothing. It’s a way of creating and a sustainable scheme that follows nature
maintaining a sustainable scheme that
follows and emulates nature. our gardens. Organic gardeners feed the burden can offset your carbon footprint.
Because, especially when growing food, soil encouraging soil-borne organisms to All the materials used in its construction
we’re asking more of the soil than Mother break it down and allowing plants to take were recycled – London Stock bricks and
Nature would, we help it to work by adding what they need. reclaimed timber. The greenhouse/shed
more of the same constituents it produces We need to think creatively about demonstrated the making of compost in
itself. We can make compost and leaf mould, recycling in our gardens. Here at Glebe bins that released carbon dioxide and
we can use rainwater and natural liquid Cottage we have lots of plastic pots that heat – which helped to germinate seeds
feed, and encourage beneficial insects into have been left over from our nursery days. on the shelves above. Plants in the garden
the garden to help deal with pests. Such The great majority of them, and our were all easy and accommodating and the
methods promote strong and healthy seedtrays and module trays – most more beds were also self-contained. One of the
growth and enable us to grow intensively than 30 years old – have been used over main thrusts of the whole garden was that
without upsetting the natural balance. and over again and we will continue to everything could be grown from scratch.
use them, but we won’t be buying more. Both the structure and water storage
Cherish your soil Meanwhile, we are experimenting with absorbed heat during the day and released
Chemical gardeners use fertilisers to using recycled paper and cardboard to warmth during the night.
boost plant growth. They see the soil as make sectional trays and containers for If we are ever to slow down or even halt
somewhere that plants grow – somewhere propagating, which can be planted and climate change, we must all play a part and
that holds the fertiliser with which they are will rot down in the soil. My grandad used when it comes to making personal choices,
‘feeding’ the plant. However, prolonged to start his sweet peas and broad beans in gardeners can be at the forefront. !
use of chemicals results in the death of newspaper pots. There isn’t as much
micro-organisms, so that eventually the newspaper knocking around nowadays, but
soil becomes a barren place. there’s plenty of excess cardboard packing!
Carol on TV
Organic gardeners know that soil sustains Other packaging too can be utilised, the Catch up with Carol and the rest of the
life, and the natural process by which good old yogurt pot can come into its own. Gardeners’ World team every Friday
nature recycles materials to feed the soil, In 1999 we made a garden at the Chelsea from 8.30pm. The one-hour programmes
to produce the plant growth, to provide the Flower Show called 21 Century Street. It was throughout May are packed
material for recycling, is an ongoing process. an address. Its message was very simple – with inspiration and advice,
PHOTO: JASON INGRAM
It has worked for millions of years in nature that anyone can have a self-sustaining on sustainable gardening.
and for thousands of years adopted by us in garden that far from being an environmental
NEXT MONTH Carol shows you how to create summer containers with the wow factor

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A˜Z
New series
of
houseplants
Look out for a different wonder
of the houseplant world each
month in our new series, starting
with the mysterious airplant
WORDS MIRANDA JANATKA
PHOTOS SARAH CUTTLE AND JASON INGRAM
Airplants
A quirky addition to any home, these attractive, intriguing plants
are the ideal first foray into growing indoors. Compact and easy
to care for, they will adorn your rooms like little gems of living art.
Airplants come originally from Mexico and South America,
where they grow perched on tree branches, rather than in the
ground. With little or no roots, they absorb moisture and nutrients
through their leaves, so are grown without soil. This lets you get
creative with your displays, even if you like a minimalist look.

1
TOP TIP
Using rainwater if
possible, mist airplants
every few days to top up
their moisture levels.

A is for airplants
Airplants are kept alive by absorbing moisture and

nutrients through their leaves. The key is to water correctly and
position them in the right spot. Most like indirect light and need
air flowing between the leaves to deter rotting. Find somewhere
with bright but indirect light, at 10-30°C, and out of draughts.
Thinner leaved airplants will dry out more quickly than those with
thick leaves, so watch for brown tips or curling, which is a sign of
dehydration. Briefly immerse in water once a week in the warmer
months, shaking off excess moisture to prevent rotting. A healthy
airplant can produce brightly coloured flowers after a few years.
To encourage growth, add seaweed fertiliser to your mister,
using a quarter of the amount suggested for other houseplants.
New plants, known as offsets, will grow around the base and
can be gently pulled off for propagation.
K Position airplants in bright, indirect light. They like humidity,

but good ventilation, so bathrooms and kitchens are ideal.
K Soak them in water for a short period once a week, from
spring to autumn. Leave them to dry upside down to avoid rot.
K Mist airplants every few days between soakings, but allow
them to dry off thoroughly afterwards.
4 ways to style your airplants
3 1 ATTACH a hook to your wall.

Tie white thread around
the airplant’s roots, and hang
3 STYLE a small terrarium
with your airplant, adding
pebbles, a cork and string to
it from the hook. This allows create a coastal theme. Or
you to remove it regularly tailor it to suit your taste.
for watering.
2 HANG a small glass bowl

or jar inside a macramé
4 APPLY a dot of waterproof
glue to the back of the
plant and hold it against bark
pot holder. A clear container or driftwood until dry. The
will allow the plant to be seen whole display can then be
without getting damaged. immersed in water weekly.
Where to buy
PLANTS
K The Nunhead Gardener thenunheadgardener.com
K Hortology hortology.co.uk
K Crocus crocus.co.uk
ACCESSORIES
K Love Tilly’s lovetillys.co.uk
COMING UP Discover why the Boston

4 fern is an ideal foliage plant for your home

NEW SERIES
Can late
taste great?
Alan shows you why starting in May
is no barrier to growing delicious food
bursting with summer flavour
PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE

grow your own
Seeds sown now will

grow rapidly – before
you know it they’ll
have overtaken more
premature sowings
Alan sows spinach

direct into the
warmed soil of a
raised bed, for a crop
in about 12 weeks

grow your own
Runner beans sown now,

into warming soil, will be
at the top of their canes and
starting to flower in no time
W e’ve all done it: rushed

out on that first fine and
sunny day in March,
and sown absolutely everything. Phew!
Job done. And then we realise the folly of
our ways – either everything has come up
You might think late April-May is a bit late to
start sowing veg and herbs, I would disagree
and consequently higher soil temperatures
– make for a far greater success rate on the
appreciated, thanks to its freshness and
the fact that it’s on your plate due to the
in a rush and we’re overwhelmed by enough veg patch and allotment. It’s also a lot more wisdom of having sown it and the skill
lettuces to feed the county’s population comfortable to garden at this time of year. involved in growing it, even though in
of rabbits, or else the weather turns cold Seeds sown now will produce seedlings many cases the latter may be minimal.
and wet, and the seeds rot in their furrow. that grow far more rapidly than those Above all, you will have the satisfaction
So, although you might think late April-May committed to the earth a month or more (especially if you’re a gardener who prefers
is a bit late to make a start on sowing ago, and before you know it they will have to avoid chemical fertilisers and pesticides
vegetables and herbs, I would disagree. caught up and maybe even overtaken – and shouldn’t we all, these days?) of
PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE
After the wettest February on record those premature sowings. And oh! The knowing exactly what has gone into
and the usual vicissitudes of March, the satisfaction of growing your own will fill you producing your crop. A quick rinse under
weather is usually far more settled in late with virtuous self-satisfaction. Alright, so the tap is all that will be necessary for quick-
April and May, and the danger of frost has you’re unlikely to be entirely self-sufficient, growing salads, and vegetables that have to
almost passed. The warmer weather – but what you do grow will be hugely be cooked will reach the plate in a matter of

THE
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grow your own
GET GROWING
You don’t need much equipment to grow
veg successfully, but there are a few
things that make life easier...
RAISED BEDS
Not just for the aged! Raised beds (60-100cm
high) make cultivation easier when bending
becomes a problem, but they also allow you
to import decent soil when all you have is
stony clay. Drainage is improved, too, which
means you can often sow earlier than at Use twiggy
ground level. The sides can be made of sticks to stop
brick, stone or wooden sleepers. vigorous pea plants
from flopping over
CROP PROTECTION NETTING
Stretched over a crop, this stuff is great
for repelling carrot fly and cabbage white TWIGGY PEA STICKS
butterflies without having to use chemicals. Branches of hazel, cut when dormant, are the
most handsome – and effective – way to support
LABELS pea plants, and far less fiddly than canes and
When I was a boy we used to spear the seed string. Push them in at 30cm intervals along
packet at the end of the row, but it soon fell the row when the plants are 8-10cm high.
victim to rain and slug damage (they eat
Sow speedy cut-and-come-again salad leaves anything!), so invest in stout labels and a BAMBOO CANES
in pots, for handy pickings by your kitchen door marker pen that will last at least a season. Tall canes (2m in length) will last for several years
Write on the label the variety and the date as supports for runner beans, either grouped into
minutes rather than the days involved when sown – so you know when to give up hope… wigwams or arranged, tent-like, in a row. I also
they are shop-bought. And they do taste use a shorter one, laid on the soil and pressed
different: carrots are sweeter, radishes are GROWING BAGS gently into the surface, to make a shallow furrow
crisper, and beans are more tender for the Not just for tomatoes, but for salads, carrots, for small seeds such as lettuces and radishes.
narrowing of the gap between harvesting peppers and any crop that can be squeezed
and eating. It stands to reason: once a crop in, on a patio or balcony that is devoid of soil. A RAKE WITH A SMOOTH HANDLE
is pulled or picked, it stops growing and Portable and practical. Use them to enrich the Vital for backfilling seed drills and furrows. Use
the process of decay begins. Give me fresh- earth on the veg patch after one season’s use. it as a levelling tool rather than for breaking down
picked produce over shop-bought any day. soil (for which the back of a fork is better). Over-
CLOCHES raking will just bring more stones to the surface.
In good time Long polythene tunnels about 45cm high can
The trick – if there is a trick – lies in the be used to cover an entire row, or elegant A GARDEN LINE
timing of sowings. Not only choosing a steel and glass cloches can be popped over a This is a length of string with a stick at each end
moment when you reckon that crops will couple of plants at a time. Both will bring on – a simple guide to help you make a long straight
grow away without check (which is more seedlings earlier and protect those that are seed drill. Use the corner of a hoe when you
likely now that spring is well advanced), vulnerable to weather in the early stages, need a deeper drill than a cane would create, and
but also to avoid sowing too much at once. such as melons, cucumbers and courgettes. tread on the line ahead of the hoe to keep it taut.
And for goodness sake don’t sow a whole
row of lettuce or radishes unless you have
a family the size of the Larkins or keep
pigs or rabbits.
Crops like carrots and parsnips can
certainly be sown in long rows, as they’ll
keep in the soil until you need them. But
lettuces left too long will bolt and run to
seed, and radishes will become woody.
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM
It makes far more sense to sow quick-

maturing crops like these at the rate of a
1m row every ten days or so. That way you’ll
have a steady succession of crops, rather
than an embarrassing and wasteful glut.
When it comes to soil preparation, the
received wisdom is that all digging, forking
and manuring should be undertaken in Plant strawberries
winter, so that come the spring you can leap in growing bags
onto the ground and get cracking. Well this to keep the fruits
winter – thanks to all that rain – you’d have clean and away
been lucky to have got on to the ground at from slugs

grow your own
6 TO START NOW
Here are my six all-time favourites for sowing
now – they’re easy to grow and delicious to eat!
RUNNER BEANS canes linked with soft

Sow outdoors this month twine. As with beans,
at the foot of a tall wigwam beware of hungry mice
of canes and they’ll grow when sowing outside.
Space cabbages away happily. Although if
30-45cm apart, you have mice, it’s better SALADS A raised bed lets
as they can reach to sow them in small pots Sow lettuces and radishes you grow several
a substantial size of peat-free compost, in a in batches – a 1m row at a short rows of different
cold frame or greenhouse. time. Spring onions will crops in a small space
Plant them out in late May stand for longer, so you
when the first pair of can sow 2m rows. Young
leaves has expanded. carrots are also delicious all without bringing half of it back into the
– tender and sweet when kitchen when you returned to the house.
COURGETTES harvested at finger size. But don’t worry, you can still dig in organic
Another candidate for matter now – garden compost or farmyard
sowing under glass now, to CABBAGES manure – as long as it’s well rotted, for those
plant out at the end of May Sow summer cabbages on crops that insist upon it, such as potatoes
when the danger of frost a patch of ground that can and courgettes/marrows. It will help to
has passed. They like very act as a seedbed. When hold on to that moisture in a dry summer
rich soil and a sunny spot. the plants are 10cm tall, (which might be no more than a dream
Three or four plants is with four or five young right now, but you never know). If the
usually plenty to supply leaves, plant them out with ground is relatively clean and has been
a family with courgettes a dibber or a trowel at a manured in previous years, lightly fork it
and – if you forget to suitable spacing, usually over, rather than digging it, and work in
pick them – marrows. about 45cm apart. a generous sprinkling of blood, fish and
bonemeal – around three or four clenched
PEAS BASIL fistfuls to the square metre. That will satisfy
Sow peas 5cm apart in a This tasty herb is more most crops, salads and roots included.
flat-bottomed drill that’s reliably grown as a pot And if you don’t have a veg patch or
about 2cm deep and 10cm plant indoors on a bright allotment? Grow your vegetables and herbs
wide. They’ll come up as a windowsill (it likes warm, in a bespoke raised bed, in growing bags,
Sow peas in pots clustered plantation and Mediterranean weather). tubs and troughs on a patio, or even in
in a greenhouse, out can then be supported Sow thinly in 10cm plastic patches in a flower border. Green- and
of reach of hungry mice with twiggy sticks or pots every few weeks for purple-leaved lettuces are hugely decorative
corralled with metre-tall a succession of harvests. (even if you will have to steel yourself to
pick them) and leeks are surprisingly
architectural grown among flowers.
Runner beans up bamboo wigwams or
metal obelisks give height to a flower border
and have the edge over clematis when it
comes to versatility, and herbs will fit into
any sunny patch of free-draining soil.
If you’ve always put off growing veg,
and told yourself that it’s now too late
to bother this year, think again. I reckon
you’ll be glad you took the plunge. !
VISIT gardenersworld.com/fruit-veg
for lots more tips on growing your own
Catch up with Alan

On TV Look out for Alan’s new series,
Love Your Weekend, where he celebrates
Grow basil indoors
country matters, gardens and nature.
or in a warm, sunny,
Sundays, 9.30-11.30am
sheltered spot outside
from 19 April.
NEXT MONTH In part two, Alan shares more secrets for getting the most from late veg sowings

Spring
LQWRDF̼LRQ
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2
“You’re always waiting to see

what’s around the corner”
Simon Hall, our Gardens of the Year 2019 finalist, didn’t let a lack of
experience stop him turning one tricky plot into six amazing garden rooms
WORDS ADAM DUXBURY PHOTOS PAUL DEBOIS
1 Simon included a place

to sit and relax in each
of the six garden rooms
2 He started his garden with
no experience, but has learned
how to combine plants perfectly
over the years
3 Classic design tricks, such as
contrasting clipped formal
topiary and more naturalistic
planting, impressed our judges

gardens of the year
Tall, billowing, ornamental

grasses contrast with
rounded, neatly clipped
box, on opposite sides
of the winding path

gardens of the year
Before
!
Garden size 75m long x 5m wide
Many people have tricky plots,

and you wouldn’t have to go far
to find a garden that is narrow,
north facing or on a slope. But for
Simon Hall and his wife Dawn,
their Staffordshire garden
combined all three of these
challenges in one incredibly long
strip that was choked with
brambles and bindweed.
But the 75m length proved to be
the secret to this garden’s success.
A gradual incline means that by
the time you reach the top you’re
as high as the top of the house,
with wonderful views down the
garden and to the surrounding
countryside. Plus, the narrow
width allowed Simon to explore his
love of different garden styles by I like the contrast between the
having six distinct ‘rooms’, each
cleverly screened from the next.
billowy, loose borders and the tight
“I open the garden for Britain in clipped shrubs and structures
Bloom every year and people said
Gardens of the Year judge, Alan Titchmarsh
to me you should write to
Gardeners’ World Magazine and
! Simon has built all

of the structures in
the garden himself,
including this
contemporary wall
" The top of the garden
is where Simon and
his wife often sit,
as it has lovely
views back down
the garden and
across fields
"

gardens of the year
submit your garden for the

competition,” Simon says. We’re
glad he did, as his varied plot made
him a finalist in last year’s Gardens
of the Year Competition.
What was the garden like

when you first moved in?
When we bought it 28 years ago,
the garden was very overgrown.
It was a long, sloping strip of couch
grass, brambles and bindweed. We
didn’t have time to attend to it as
there was so much to do on the
house, which was derelict. I was
wondering how to at least keep the
brambles and weeds back, and it
so happened that a friend had
some pygmy goats. “This could
work,” I thought, so I got a couple
" and they kept the weeds at bay!
Did you have a grand plan

for the garden from day one?
No, it just evolved, and I did it room
by room. I partitioned it to stop
weeds growing back once the goats
had gone. I like many garden styles,
so I split the space up, so each area
could have a different design. The
ideas came to me as I went along.
What experience did you

have when you started out?
I had no knowledge or experience
of gardening before this, despite
the fact that I bought the house
specifically for the garden and its
views. The design part seemed to
come quite naturally to me and I
have since learned that the way
! Clever screening
using plants and
structures means
the garden reveals
itself slowly as you
walk through it
" There are many
different styles in
Simon’s garden,
including this
woodland area, with
Dicksonia antarctica
and other ferns

gardens of the year
I did it is similar to how a garden

designer would approach a long
thin garden of similar dimensions.
First, I split it into six areas
and through each one you’re led
across the width of the garden,
which makes the journey seem
longer and the garden appear
wider. Each area is hidden from
the previous one by planting or
structures, so all you see is a path
inviting you on to another
discovery. I do go to garden shows
and read gardening books and
magazines, so after a while it
starts to click. I don’t know the
names of all the plants, but I tend
to know where they should grow.
What are the six areas like?

They are all different and they
keep evolving, but a common
feature is that they all offer
somewhere to sit and relax. They
include my interpretation of a
tropical area, with tree ferns and
bamboo; a contemporary space !
with a large concrete wall and
‘picture frame’; a woodland area
of trees, hostas, ferns and a pond;
a formal area with box hedging, ! Even though the
yew, stone urns and a lion’s head garden is only 5m
water feature; a Mediterranean wide, by making
area, featuring herbs, lavender, paths that curve,
a grape vine and a fig tree; and Simon has created
a prairie area with grasses and the illusion that
grassland perennials. it is wider
" In a narrow garden,
How did you create all the containers can be
structures in your garden? used to fill out tricky
The hard landscaping uses recycled areas or add extra
stone dug up from the garden, colour where it’s
bricks from walls demolished in needed most
the house and paving thrown out
by neighbours, while the woodland
area has a seat made from an oak
beam from the house. I’d never
rendered a wall before, but I had
some blocks I’d rescued from a skip,
so I built a wall, got some render
and it turned out alright. I’d
encourage anyone to give it a go.
How do you and Dawn like

to use the garden?
Whenever the sun shines, we’re out
relaxing in it, and in summer I’m in "
it every day. Even though we’ve had
the garden more than 20 years, we
still find that as you walk through
it, because you can’t see what’s Enter this year’s
ahead of you, you’re always waiting Gardens of the Year by
to see what’s around the corner. turning to p86 or visiting
I don’t have a favourite part, but gardenersworld.com/
I often find myself up at the top, garden-competition
looking out at the view.

Have you created
an amazing garden?
We’d love to see it, so enter our competition and you could be a winner
Gardens of the Year 2020 is your

chance to share your gardening skills Jackie King’s colourful
front garden put her
and creativity, and be featured in this into our 2018 final
magazine. Whether you love growing
veg or have a passion for dahlias, no
matter how big or small your garden,
we want see your creations. Just make
sure you enter by 15 June 2020.
We’ll pick eight winners who
have created the most innovative,
beautiful and inspiring gardens, in the
opinions of our expert judges. Two
previous winners will help choose our
finalists, before our judging panel
awards the prizes. And now’s the
perfect time to get outside, take
some photos of your treasured
Gary McLaughlan impressed
garden and enter our Gardens the judges by how much he
of the Year competition 2020! achieved in a tiny space
What you could win

The eight winners will be awarded a
professional photoshoot of their garden,
receiving expert tips and advice from a
member of the team, and will be featured in
BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. They will
also receive tickets to Gardeners World Live
in 2021, where they will meet the GW team.
And thanks to our sponsor,
Inspired Villages, they will
8 great
receive a share of travel
prizes worth up to £10,000,
which can be redeemed
anytime during 2021, prizes
provided by Long Travel.
to win
How to enter
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; JOE WAINWRIGHT
Our competition is open to of your garden and tell us how ABOUT OUR SPONSOR choice of homes that can be
gardens of all shapes and sizes you created it. At Inspired Villages, your health adapted to your needs. Each
– from a balcony to a country 3 ENTER before 12 noon on and happiness is at the heart village has its own facilities
sprawl – so just give it a go! 15 June 2020. of everything we do, so including a spa, wellness centre,
If your garden is a winner, retirement can and should be bistro and games room, plus
1 GO TO gardenersworld. we will contact you in June to the best years of your life. There a range of activities such as
com/garden-competition arrange a date for photography, are villages in Cheshire, Devon, gardening, gastro
to enter. which must be completed by Hampshire, Warwickshire and evenings and
2 UPLOAD at least six photos mid-August. West Sussex, all offering a Zumba classes.
Enter by 12 noon on 15 June 2020 at gardenersworld.com/garden-competition

Wayne Amiel won our competiton
in 2018 with his tropical twist sponsored by
on a courtyard garden
How we choose
This year we’ve invited our two most recent
winners of Judges’ Choice to help us select the
eight finalists. Frank Bowdler, whose richly planted
garden really impressed our judges last year, and
Wayne Amiel, who blew everyone away with his Frank
oasis of tropical plants in 2018, will help us narrow
down our search for the 2020 Garden of the Year.
And then it’s down to our expert judging panel
to award each category, before it’s open to you,
the public, to choose our People’s Choice.
So if you’re thinking of entering this year,
Wayne
who better to ask for inspirational advice?
What will you be looking wins GOTY 2020! We need to

for in a winning garden? see more entries that reflect the
Frank: I’ll look at how they’ve incredible diversity of gardens and
composed and designed the gardeners and the many different
garden in the space available. approaches to gardening. There
Plant association and use of hard have been so many highlights for
landscaping are important, as me since I entered: the people
well as originality, individuality I’ve met, the lovely things the
and passion. And whether there judges said about my garden,
are any ideas I can nick, too! the thrill of seeing my garden
Wayne: I like all sorts of gardens, on the front of Gardeners’ World
but particularly those that reflect Magazine, and the incredible prize.
their owners and their love of
gardening. They don’t have to be Has winning changed your
fashionable or trendy – the best approach to gardening?
gardens are original and make Frank: The best thing about
full use of the horizontal and winning was knowing the garden
vertical space, the boundaries was liked by people in the know. It
and views. I have a soft spot for has encouraged me to help others
people who’ve overcome the and, because I won, people
challenges of a tricky site. actually ask for advice. I’ve been
given the opportunity to design
What advice would you give the local church garden, and this
anyone considering entering? has increased my enthusiasm for
Frank: I would encourage them my own garden and to carry on
to enter, as they may have brilliant improving and trying new things.
ideas to share, and may encourage Wayne: I’ve never really given a
others to start gardening or make hoot about people liking my style
improvements. It gives a huge of gardening! Some people think
sense of satisfaction and it looks unkempt, which isn’t
achievement – you don’t have to everyone’s cup of tea. But
be on telly to make a great garden. winning GOTY has given me
Wayne: I didn’t dream that I could so much more confidence with
ever win, so you never know, my gardening. It shows I must
it could be your garden that be doing something right.
About our prize supplier

For more than 30 years, Long Travel has been guiding curious
travellers to some of Europe’s most iconic regions. Creating
award-winning, bespoke experiences, each holiday is tailored
Frank Bowdler’s exuberant to the individual customer. With its extensive knowledge of
planting made him a top European destinations and emphasis on smaller boutique,
winner last year family-run hotels, Long Travel’s experts can help
to create your perfect escape.

NEW SERIES Container masterclass
Magic of colour
Love creating container displays but
want to take your creations to the next
level? Nick Bailey shows you how
Pots are often the colour monochromatic tones. In other
hotspots in our gardens, offering words, lighter and darker
unbridled displays and stand- version of the same colour.
out hues. So in the first of my Simple and elegant.
three-part series on container Another approach is to choose
planting, I’m focusing on colour three wedges that sit alongside
and some of the effects you can each other. This will create a
achieve by mixing and matching harmonious palette of tones
the right tones and hues. I will that are comfortable together,
outline a few key principles but more dynamic than a
that will help you effortlessly monochromatic scheme.
create well-designed displays. For something altogether
The place to start is with the more exciting, try pairing
colour wheel. This simple device colours on opposite sides of
(above right) allows you to the wheel, such as yellow and
compose colour palettes for purple, orange and blue, or red
your pots that are guaranteed and green. Putting these colours
to work. Look online for a together creates a phenomenon
colour wheel you can print off known as simultaneous contrast,
– choose one with multiple in other words the colours look
bands in lighter and darker brighter and more saturated
versions of the key colours. when paired with their opposite.
Selecting plants with flowers There are other approaches too,
that sit within one wedge of the and on the following pages I’ll
wheel gives you a palette of show you four of my favourites.
Simultaneous contrast
Why it works: This container that there are plenty of trailing
and its plants are undeniably plants to soften the edges.
dramatic. The high-impact look K Ensure the colour lasts by
is an example of simultaneous using reliable long-flowerers
contrast. The hot pink on its such as petunias and bacopa.
own would be eye-catching, but
paired with the mid-green leaves Nick used
something magical happens – 1 Oxalis triangularis
both colours look richer and 2 Petunia surfinia ‘Hot Pink’
more vivid. You can also try 3 Astrantia ‘Roma’
a mix of blue and orange, 4 Pot: Elho Green Basics Top
or yellow and purple. Planter, 23cm, £5.79, elho.com
Golden rules
K Make the pot part of the
scheme by matching it with
ALL PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE
one of the key flower colours

for a truly cohesive display.
K Get the proportions right by
ensuring taller plants are at least
half the height of the pot and

pots of colour
Combine two
opposites on the
colour wheel for a
high-impact but
elegant display
1
4

Penstemon ENDLESS BELL-SHAPED FLOWERS
FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER rare | unusual | exciting
£3
FROM
Thorn
A POT
INCREDIBLE
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Guaranteed
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Maurice Gibbs Stapleford Gem
P ENSTEMON HAVE BECOME incredibly popular and understandably so, as they have such an easy-going nature, long flowering period
and their strong stems make them perfect for natural flower arrangements, lasting for over seven days in a vase. You can even join the
International Penstemon Society whose members are known as Penstemaniacs. Trouble-free, unfussy on soil conditions in sun or part shade
and resistant to slugs and other garden pests. Flourishing in borders or containers where passing pollinating insects will jostle to feast
on the nectar you are providing in your garden. Hardy perennials spreading to around 45-60cm (18-24"), cuttings can easily
be taken to produce more plants or to rejuvenate after five years. Your order is covered by our No Quibble Guarantee and will
be confirmed together with a copy of our latest catalogue. Your 9cm pots will be delivered within 14 days.
ORDER ONLINE hayloft.co.uk • PHONE 0844 335 1088 – QUOTE GW0520

NAME & ADDRESS PLEASE SEND ITEM CODE PRICE QTY TOTAL
3 PLANTS (one of each) PTPEN03-GW0520 £12
6 PLANTS (two of each) PTPEN06-GW0520 £18
P&P (UK ONLY) £4.95
Postcode%%%%%%%%%%Tel TOTAL DUE
Please enter the last 3 digits of your
I enclose Cheque/PO made payable to Hayloft Plants Ltd or please debit my Mastercard/Visa/Maestro security code (CV2)
Card no. Expiry date Start date Issue no CV2
Send the coupon to: Hayloft Plants, FREEPOST RTGR-JAGJ-JETG, Pensham, Pershore WR10 3HB
GW0520
Thank you for your details which will be kept securely and will not be
shared with third parties. We may send Hayloft gardening catalogues in
EMAIL the future, if you prefer not to receive them, please call 01386 562999.
Order confirmation will be sent by email along with any future special offers and you may unsubscribe at any time. Occasionally the advertised delivery date may change, however, this will
be clearly stated on your order confirmation.
HAYLOFT PLANTS, MANOR FARM NURSERY, PENSHAM, PERSHORE, WORCESTERSHIRE WR10 3HB
pots of colour
Complementary Choose a sunny

shades of purple spot for this trio
stand out against of containers
the terracotta pot overflowing with
green succulents
!
"
$
!
# "
%
#
Harmonious Monochromatic
Why it works: Combining a scheme, you set up a dynamic Why it works: Here I simply ! To ensure the succulents thrive,
range of colours that sit within ‘simultaneous contrast’ (see p88). used lighter and darker version plant into free-draining compost
one quarter of the colour wheel ! As with any summer-long of green. It’s almost identical mixed with 20-30 per cent perlite
is arguably the simplest scheme planting, ensure consistent feeding to a harmonious scheme (left), or grit to provide sharp drainage.
to compose. The tones easily by mixing controlled-release except that in this example
harmonise with one another, fertiliser into the compost. I’ve chosen a neutral palette of Nick used
creating a cohesive scheme with near-identical colours, but have 1 A selection of succulents with
a calm and simple feel. Choose any Nick used focused the interest on the different textures and habits
wedge on the wheel and include 1 Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ various textures of the succulents. 2 Pot: glazed green cylinder pot*
the lighter and darker version of 2 Campanula carpatica ‘Blaue Clips’ The similar colours are subtle 3 Pot: verdigris metal bowl*
the key colour – here I chose 3 Lobelia erinus ‘Crystal Palace’ and easy on the eye, while the 4 Pot: RHS Antique Green Bowl,
purple, then paired it with a darker, 4 Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ textures, highlights and shadows 34cm, £17.99, rhsplants.co.uk
lighter and really light shade. 5 Pot: terracotta, 40cm – similar create the drama. * similar available from
available in most garden centres primrose.co.uk or amazon.co.uk
Golden rules Golden rules
! No matter which colours lead ! By unifying the pot colours in
your scheme, neutral foliage a particular palette, you’ll have
fillers, such as the dichondra linked the look together long
here, are vital to give a canvas before the plants arrive.
to the brighter hues. ! These foliage colours may be
! By picking a pot colour that similar, but the scheme remains
sits on the opposite side of the dynamic thanks to the wide range
colour wheel to the bulk of the of contrasting textures.

pots of colour
Water containers
Analogous
regularly and Why it works: A planting
generously, scheme of closely associated
especially in colours makes for a satisfying,
hot weather vibrant container display. By using
three colours that sit close to one
another on the colour wheel, you
set up a family of colours that
subtly complement each other.
Try it with red, orange and yellow,
as here, or blue, purple and pink,
or pink, purple and red.
Golden rules
! Avoid using plants that all have
the same sized flowers. Aim for
small, medium and large blooms
for contrast and interest.
! Three analogous colours is an
ideal number – enough to create
variety and dynamism, but not
so many that they don’t all sit
comfortably in the display.
! This scheme is held together
by the yellow-green alchemilla,
as it is halfway between the
foliage and flower colours,
linking them.
% Nick used
1 Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’
2 Dimorphotheca sinuata
3 Dahlia ‘Charlie Two’
4 Geum ‘Mrs J. Bradshaw’
$ 5 Alchemilla mollis
6 Pot: Chelsea Box, 32cm, £34.95,
thenunheadgardener.com
&
!
"
Discover more container

projects at gardenersworld.
com/how-to
# Nick on TV
Catch up with Nick and the
rest of the Gardeners’ World
team on Fridays from 8.30pm.
The one-hour programmes
throughout May are packed
with inspiration
and advice,
including more
container ideas.
NEXT MONTH Nick shows you how to work with size, shape and impact to create stunning container displays

The best years of your life
They say that things get better with age – and when it
comes to your quality of life, with Inspired Villages that
couldn’t be more true
O
ne of life’s greatest joys is having the time Inspired village. There are charming cafés and
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And what better way to enjoy your hard earned something to do. Whether you want to simply
freedom than by living in a community of like enjoy the sun in the garden, go for a walk in the
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An ambitious young furniture

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Daniel Fairburn, founder of On 6th April that Out & Out Original are a brand who
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sustainable designer furniture. sent us an image of the for that reason they’ll keep pushing the
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Out & Out Original is fast becoming on what was a lovely spring morning
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3
Fun projects
for children
Celebrate National Children’s

Gardening Week, 23-31 May,
by getting out in the garden. So
much of our time is spent inside,
that any opportunity to get
outdoors, as the weather
improves and the days lengthen,
is good for everyone’s wellbeing.
These three projects help kids
learn about growing herbs and
pollinator-friendly plants, and
will develop their creativity.
Each activity is designed for
children of primary school age
(some kids may need help with
scissors) and an adult should
be on hand to supervise use
of the food processor. Then all
that’s needed is a few simple
materials, plus a bucketful
of enthusiasm, and it’s time
to have some family fun.
Seed flower bombs

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM
You will need Add a twist to growing your own making this a wildlife-friendly activity
Coloured card wildflowers with these cheerful too. Learning to identify the different
Bowls papier-mâché seed bombs. Kids will insects that come to feed on the pollen
Food processor love to design their own brightly and nectar, such as small tortoiseshell
Wildflower seeds coloured, seed-filled shapes that they butterflies or buzzy bumblebees, will
Spoon can place in pots or the garden. help children to understand and value
Baking tray Once the mini-meadow develops, the important relationships between
it will attract a range of pollinators, plants and animals in the garden.

family projects
1
Step 1 Tear two different coloured
pieces of card into small pieces, soak in
separate bowls of water, then mix each
in a food processor to form a soft paste.
2
Step 2
Squeeze out any
Wind chime
excess water and add
wildflower seeds, mixing With just a little help from parents, kids
together gently with a can make a wind chime that’ll add to your
spoon. On a baking tray,
shape into flowers using
garden audio. Letting them choose their
favourite beads, wooden shapes and
1
one colour for the centre stones (even shells and large beans) will
and another for the encourage their creativity. Hang the chime
petals. Leave to dry. in a tree when it’s finished so that while Step 1 Thread a piece of string
they are playing in the garden, the children through the base of an upturned plant
can listen to the soothing sounds of the pot. Use a bead to secure it in place
stones and beads jingling in the breeze. and add a wooden shape to hang
below the wind chime.
You will need

5 pieces of coloured string
Ceramic plant pot
Beads/stones/shells 2
Painted wooden shape
Scissors
Yoghurt pot lid, about the
same diameter as the pot
Step 2 Cut four holes

around the edge of the yoghurt
pot lid, another four nearer the
centre and one in the middle.
Tie the stones and beads onto
four lengths of string, and hang
them from the lid’s inner four
holes to make chimes.
3 Step 3 Thread the central

string holding the pot through
the lid, then suspend the lid
Step 3 Plant in containers or above the pot, as shown above,
the ground. Water the seed flower and
grow your own mini wildflower meadow.
using the four lengths of string
fixed to the lid’s outer holes.
3
family projects
Perfect for
making
homemade
lemonade
Mini mint pots

Growing aromatic herbs is a great way
to get children interested in gardening. Step 1 Fill a pot with compost.
Mint is a perfect choice for kids with its Cut four stems of mint around 8cm long
tactile foliage and versatility in cooking.
As they cut the stems, encourage them
1 and remove lower leaves. Make holes
in the compost around the edge of
to rub the leaves and try to describe the the container with a pencil and place
scent – is it sweet, spicy or sharp? This the cuttings in the holes.
activity is quick and easy, but the stems
will take a few weeks to root, so in the
meantime we used the fresh leaves
we had removed from the cut stems
to jazz up our homemade lemonade.
2
You will need

Plant pot
Peat-free compost Step 2
Mint plant Water thoroughly,
Plastic bag cover with a plastic
Elastic band bag and secure with
an elastic band.
3
Step 3 Leave in a warm, light
place and keep compost moist.
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE
Once plants are established,

remove the plastic bag. Use VISIT gardenersworld.
leaves to add flavour to fruit com/kids-projects for more
salads and soft drinks. ideas for family fun to do now

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YOUR
PRUNING
MONTH
In this time of rapid growth it’s
time to cut back early spring-
Ó â Ì« ßÅ Ìíæ Ì æÓË
evergreens, says Arit Anderson
May is such a joyous month in the garden. It’s not
just the thrill of springtime flowers, but I love seeing the
leaves in their zenith. The vibrant greens haloed with the
energy of growth and abundance is magical. Optimism
fills the air as our confidence grows alongside the plants.
But with all this new vigour we have to turn our attention
to those plants that need to be pruned at this time.
Early spring-flowering shrubs that have finished
flowering are ideal to prune now. Next year’s flower
buds are produced on this year’s growth, so pruning will
stimulate those new spurs. And as evergreens get set to
burst into growth, they too will benefit from the removal
of dead, diseased and damaged stems.
At the end of May select a third of the new stems
of late summer flowering perennials and cut them back
by half. This activity will prolong the flowering season
by delaying blooms in the short term, but promote sides
shoots, encouraging more flowers to come later. It’s
often referred to as the ‘Chelsea Chop’ as it’s done at the
time the Chelsea Flower Show usually happens. Do check
for bird nests before setting out on any pruning tasks.
Prune the centre of

a mahonia shrub
to keep it open
and uncrowded
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM.
Arit on TV
Catch up with Arit, Monty and the rest of the
Gardeners’ World team every Friday
from 8.30pm. The one-hour
programmes throughout May are
packed with inspiration and advice.
your pruning month
Other plants to prune

We have already enjoyed the flowers of many shrubs and plants by May, and now we’re looking
forward to summer’s blooms. Here are a few plants to work on now:
BUXUS (box) is best pruned twice a year – the EARLY FLOWERING CLEMATIS (GROUP 1)
first time in May to keep its shape after its growth – usually the larger types, like Clematis montana –
spurt. Major rejuvenation should be in autumn. can be pruned lightly straight after flowering.
SPIREA ‘ARGUTA’ should be pruned quite CHAENOMELES (flowering quince) will benefit
soon after flowering. Cut flowered shoots from having any dead or damaged stems removed.
back to strong buds. Also shorten new growth back to six leaves.
Don’t prune these now

It can be very tempting to go through the garden
Prune cherry and clip and tidy plants that may have missed
laurel now their winter cut back. However, some plants really
shouldn’t be pruned now. These include:
MAY IS A GOOD MONTH to
prune this vigorous evergreen ACERS Normally only pruned for shaping,
shrub, as it gives new shoots but they must be dormant when pruned. They
time to ‘harden off’ before can bleed sap heavily at any other time.
winter. To reduce its height,
take stems down to a junction Sambucus nigra CRAB APPLES With mature specimens, only
or leaf node. Aim to bring light can be cut down remove branches when dormant (in winter).
and air into the bush, and to to the ground in
remove any winter damage. early spring SAMBUCUS To encourage exuberant displays
pruning needs to be done in early spring.
your pruning month
Lollipop topiary bay

Bay trees are popular, not only for evergreen will cope and benefit from the multiple cuttings
year-round structure, but for culinary use too. required to keep a good topiary shape.
In the right position in a border, left to grow Prune two to three times across the season,
naturally as a shrub, they can get quite big. up to August. It’s best to use secateurs, and you
But if topiarised, they’re perfect for a container. should aim for a lollipop, or standard,shape,
Pruning them now will stimulate growth. This making sure the rounded top is in proportion Trim a lollipop bay
is the emergent time for evergreens, and bay to the stem size. several times over
the summer, to keep
a neat, rounded top
Step by step
1 EXAMINE the plant, standing

back to give it a good look. Note
where it’s lost its shape and work
2 CUT back, starting from the
shoot tips. You will be able
to see if there has been any frost
3 REMOVE any suckers from
the trunk in order to keep
the stem clear. Pull them off
4 COLLECT up all the clippings
and take them to the compost
heap once you’re satisfied. Save
out where to make cuts. damage. If so, remove. by hand if you can. some leaves for cooking with.
Cut out any dead shoots Also prune this way…

You can prune out dead shoots at any time of Bay trees are not the only plants that can be
year. This keeps the plant healthy and promotes topiarised. Many evergreen plants, such as
growth. Make sure your secateurs are clean Osmanthus × burkwoodii for example, work well
and sharp, and cut back to healthy growth. with clear stems and shaped crowns. Make
Make your cut just above a leaf or sideshoot, sure the shrub has had time to establish first.
or back to the shoot’s base, without leaving TOP TIP ! Elaeagnus × ebbingei
any snags of dead growth behind. Remove any dead ! Osmanthus × burkwoodii
Don’t be tempted to cut out more than the leaves from your ! Ilex aquifolium (holly)
dead material before checking whether it’s the evergreens now ! Photinia glabra
right time of year to prune that particular plant. ! Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’ (privet)
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM
Topiary
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec VISIT gardenersworld.
Pruning com/pruning-training for
more info on pruning
Feeding
NEXT MONTH Arit Anderson shows how to remove dead wood from a tree

“What better way to spend a
relaxing day than surrounded by
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ourselves to indulge and revel in the
JDUGHQV DQG ODQGVFDSHV WKDW GHĆQH
who we are as a gardening nation?”
CHRIS BEARDSHAW
Award-winning garden designer
*T&Cs: Entrant must be UK residents aged 18 or over. The closing date for entries is midday on Monday 4 May 2020 and prizes will be delivered on or before 7 May. See full T&Cs at gardenday.co.uk/competition.
and broadcaster
Down tools for Garden Day

Be part of the nationwide Garden Day movement and relax in #GardenDayUK
the beauty and tranquillity of your garden on Sunday 10 May competition
A
s a gardener, your plant space can often patch, an allotment or the ultimate lawn, the Win a case of Babylonstoren Mouvèdre
feel like a safe haven from the uncertainties idea is simply to enjoy and appreciate our plant rosé to celebrate Garden Day with.
of the outside world. In fact, studies have VSDFHV ZKHUHYHU WKH\ PD\EHb To enter, simply:
shown that simply being in your garden is good for
the mind and body: it lowers the heart rate, calms Flower power 1 Take a picture of your favourite space
brain activity, and makes us feel more connected to Unleash your inner florist and try your hand at in the garden, where you will be relaxing
the world around us. Gardens relax us, de-stress us making a flower crown at home to wear on the day, on Garden Day
and ultimately make us happier. using fresh flowers and foliage from the garden. 2 Post it to your Instagram, Facebook or
Created by Candide, the app for plant lovers, They’re fun, easy to make and a great way to show Candide profile by midday on 4 May
Garden Day embraces the happiness effect of your support for the Garden Day movement. For 3 Tag @GardenDayUK and
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are invited to down tools, kick back and enjoy the visit gardenday.co.uk and follow @GardenDayUK
gardens they’ve lovingly nurtured. Mark Garden on Instagram and Facebook to find dates and times
Day at home by enjoying a cuppa in your favourite of live stream flower crown workshops.
VSRW D FKHHN\ JODVV RU WZR RU D GHOLFLRXV PHDO Share photos of your Garden Day celebrations
It doesn’t matter if you’re nurturing a flat full on social media with the hashtag #GardenDayUK
of houseplants or tending a balcony, a cutting and tag @GardenDayUK.
For more inspiration on how to join in on Garden Day, visit gardenday.co.uk

and download the free Candide app at Google Play or on the App store
Enjoy the sight and sound of moving water
and aquatic life day and night all year round
• Complete kit, including Inpond life support system
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• 3HUIHFWIRUðVKSODQWVDQGJDUGHQZLOGOLIH
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INCLUDES:IN
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^H[LYNHYKLUPUNJVTWHU`6]LYOHSMHJLU[\Y`VMÄZORLLWPUNHUK Available at all goo
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DESIGN ZV`V\JHUILHZZ\YLKVMHZ\JJLZZM\SJYLH[P]L^H[LYMLH[\YL and aquatic stores and online
ON TEST
As warmer weather nears For this trial we focused on free-standing How we judged
and we start thinking about hose reels that are portable and don’t need We used the following criteria to calculate
watering, Sue Fisher tests a wall mounting (although some do have this our scores, giving equal weight to each:
option). We tested complete kits, divided into
a selection of hose reels two groups: compact mini reels with 10m of ! Preparation & storage assessed ease
to find our best buys hose (idea for a balcony, patio or small garden); of assembly, weight and storage features.
and larger reels with 15-40m of hose. ! Handling & performance looked at ease
With a full watering can weighing up We found big differences in ease of use and of unwinding and rewinding, stability of the
to a whopping 7kg, a hose really takes the product quality, especially with the smaller reel, if the hose kinked or twisted, how well
heavy lifting out of watering plants, cleaning models, while the often sparse product details the connectors and accessories fitted and
the greenhouse or washing down the patio. on websites make our review extra-useful. worked, and ease of carrying.
But ease can soon turn to hassle if you’re The development of lighter, stronger and ! Quality & features focused on reel
struggling with unwinding, detangling and more durable materials, along with some durability, standard and type of hose, nozzle
storing a hose – which is why a hose reel kit is clever designs, mean it’s worth giving plenty and connectors, plus any special features.
invaluable. A reel neatly tames metres of hose of consideration before choosing the best ! Value for money in terms of RRP,
onto a compact spindle that’s easy to store. hose reel for you and your garden. hose length, accessories and warranty.

Hose reels explained ¡z¥z èFF ò
SCORE: 19/20
The reel – holds Carry handle – allows

the hose, which you to move easily
coils around it. around the garden Reel frame – may be
with your hose. metal or plastic and is BEST
usually flat or has feet, BUY
so that it can stand
securely when in use.
Hozelock Pico Reel

£33.69
Length 10m Weight 1.75kg Warranty 5 years
Light, compact and versatile, it is easy to carry
around and rewind. Drip-free storage with parking
port. The spray gun clicks easily between five
spray patterns and can adjust the flow rate too.
Spray nozzle –
adjusts the water Pros & cons
jet and can shut Fully assembled
off water flow. Versatile, connects both ends
Comfortable, easy to use, excellent spray gun
Long warranty
Feeder hose fiddly to tuck away
Preparation & storage ((((;

Handling & performance (((((
Quality & features (((((
Value for money (((((
SCORE: 11/20
Winding
handle – draws
the hose back
onto the reel.
Can be either
a crank handle
Tap fitting – Hose connectors or knob.
usually dual fit, – these connect the
for both inch reel to the feeder
and inch taps. hose, tap and nozzle. GF Patio Hose Reel
Some have a water- £23
stop connector. Length 10m Weight 2.1kg Warranty 2 years
Promising at first glance – fully assembled with
spray gun and connectors clipping upright, but
extremely hard to wind in – it bunched up and
needed pulling out/rewinding. Hose kinks too.
Compact reels Pros & cons

Many compact Neat, dry storage, and completely assembled
models are in a Non-drip storage Additional 1.5m feeder hose
case, which may – some have clips Extremely difficult to rewind
partly or fully to hold connectors Hose liable to kinking
enclose the hose, upright, or a parking Flimsy winding knob
and are very easy port for the feeder
to carry and store. hose/nozzle. Preparation & storage ((((;
Handling & performance ((;;;
Quality & features (((;;
Value for money ((;;;

hose reel kits ON TEST
SCORE: 14/20 SCORE: 14/20 SCORE: 17/20
Draper Mini Hose Reel Set Flopro Mini Hose Reel Gardena Terrace Hose Box
£18.78 £29.99 £64.99
Length 10m Weight 1.13kg Warranty Lifetime Length 10m Weight 1.75kg Warranty 1 year Length 10m Weight 5.2kg Warranty 5 years
Complete and ready to use. Described as a Versatile and compact, with enclosed reel. Fully Complete and ready to use. Described as a
‘reel’ but the hose is on a holder and comes assembled. Hose attaches either end, with clips ‘reel’ but the hose is on a holder, comes fully
completely off. It’s fiddly to straighten and re-coil. holding both ends upright. But the hose section off and is fiddly to straighten and re-coil.
Good twist-type spray nozzle. Can hang up. attached to reel was flattened, restricting flow. Good twist-type spray nozzle. Can hang up.
Pros & cons Pros & cons Pros & cons

Small and the lightest model Completely assembled Large diameter hose, sturdy enclosed reel
Versatile spray nozzle Connects either end, and ends clip upright Uncoils and rewinds very smoothly
Excellent warranty Neat and dry storage Long warranty
Time consuming to unwind/re-coil Hose pinched and kept narrowing Expensive for length
Flimsy handle/hanger Case not fully sturdy, and seam slightly split Lacks storage features
Preparation & storage (;;;; Preparation & storage ((((( Preparation & storage ((((;
Handling & performance ((((; Handling & performance ((((; Handling & performance (((((
Quality & features ((((( Quality & features ((;;; Quality & features (((((
Value for money ((((; Value for money (((;; Value for money (((;;
-¶¡á - bèFF ò ¥7z¥e

SCORE: 12/20 SCORE: 18/20 SCORE: 17/20
BEST
BUY
Claber Mini-Set Balcony Kärcher Compact Hose Box Claber Kiros Kit
£14.99 £46.99 £32.99
Length 10m Weight 1.5 kg Warranty 2 years Length 10m Weight 2.5kg Warranty 1 year Length 30m Weight 3.63kg Warranty 2 years
Light and small. Good quality hose and spray gun Compact, fully enclosed, very sturdy, supplied Durable yet light aluminium frame, smooth to
for price. But had to take it off holder, straighten fully assembled. Connects either end, non-drip unwind though reel did topple when pulling
and re-coil after use. Not ‘ready for immediate storage, very smooth to use, but feeder hose the last bit. Needed a little attention to avoid
use’ as stated: connectors were awkward to fit. slightly awkward to rewind. Additional 2m kinking when rewinding. Came with hose
feeder hose and bracket for wall mounting. connected to reel, but handle was hard to fit.
Pros & cons
Light and compact, and can hang up Pros & cons Pros & cons
Low price Sturdy, enclosed, with non-drip storage Less assembly than most
Sturdy pistol-type spray gun Versatile connection, additional feeder hose Light for its length, and long hose for price
Time consuming to straighten and re-coil Can be used with Kärcher pressure washer Handle fiddly to fit
Hard to assemble Feeder needs tucking under bracket Kinked occasionally
Preparation & storage (;;;; Preparation & storage ((((; Preparation & storage ((((;
Handling & performance ((((; Handling & performance ((((( Handling & performance ((((;
Quality & features ((((; Quality & features ((((( Quality & features ((((;
Value for money (((;; Value for money ((((; Value for money (((((

CLAIM A
BATTER
WORTH £74.99 (R PROMOTIONAL RETAILERS
WHO DELIVER DIRECT TO YOUR HOME...
hose reel kits ON TEST
-¶¡á-þ bèFF�òþ¥7z¥e
SCORE: 16/20 SCORE: 18/20
BEST
BUY
Our favourites
to suit your needs
BEST
BUY Best mini reel
Hozelock Pico
£33.69
Flopro Classic Hose Reel Hozelock Fast Reel This mini reel is
£39.99 £101.99 light, compact and
Length 20m Weight 4.2kg Warranty 2 years Length 40m Weight 9.7kg Warranty 5 years versatile. It’s very
Sturdy plastic frame, metal handles and parking Fully enclosed, very stable, with sturdy casing. easy to use and is
port on reel. Stable while unwinding, except last Hose self-layering and very quick to wind in. a good price for
couple of metres. Re-wound comfortably with Supplied assembled, with additional 2m ready- the features and
rotating handle. Hose hard to attach inside reel. cut feeder hose – just needs handle attaching. length of warranty.
Pros & cons Pros & cons

Two handles, very easy to carry Completely assembled, enclosed reel Best lightweight larger reel
Good quality hose, smooth to unroll/rewind Sturdy, stable, exceptionally easy to rewind Gardena Hose Reel 30
Capacity to hold more hose, and parking port Neat non-drip storage £34.99
Some awkward assembly Long warranty With a very light
Nozzle didn’t adjust easily Largest, heaviest and most expensive yet sturdy plastic
holder, this is easy
Preparation & storage !!!"" Preparation & storage !!!!! and comfortable
Handling & performance !!!!" Handling & performance !!!!! to carry. It remains
Quality & features !!!!! Quality & features !!!!! stable throughout
Value for money !!!!" Value for money !!!"" unrolling and
rewinding thanks
to its wide base
and low centre
of gravity.
SCORE: 17/20 SCORE: 18/20
Best larger reel

Hozelock Fast Reel
£101.99
BEST Comes in a sturdy
BUY box with automatic
self-layering of the
hose, making this
super-quick to
Hozelock 2-in-1 Hose Reel Gardena Hose Reel 30 unwind and wind
£46.99 £34.99 in, even though it’s
Length 25m Weight 5.1kg Warranty 5 years Length 20m Weight 3.7kg Warranty 5 years by far the longest
Sturdy frame with parking port. Hose pulls out Sturdy yet light, plastic reel. Comfortable to hose in the test.
easily, only tipping on the last couple of metres. carry with rolling handle. Pulls out smoothly
Rewinds comfortably with rotating crank and stable throughout. Space inside reel Best for storage
handle. Wall mounting option. Heavier than made hose easier to fit and the angled Kärcher Compact Hose Box
most. Fiddly to fit hose onto centre of reel. connector reduces kinking risk. £46.99
The hose is
Pros & cons Pros & cons enclosed within
Sturdy, and smooth to pull out/rewind Lightweight yet very stable frame a square box that
Long warranty Very easy to carry is smart and
Heavier than most Good twist-grip nozzle unobtrusive.
Not ‘ready assembled’ as described Long warranty The nozzle and
handle detach if
Preparation & storage !!!!" Preparation & storage !!!!" required, and this
Handling & performance !!!!" Handling & performance !!!!! can be easily
Quality & features !!!!! Quality & features !!!!" tucked away on a
Value for money !!!!" Value for money !!!!! shelf anywhere.

ON TEST hose reel kits
Easy-to-carry reels are useful if the plants

you’ll be watering are quite far apart
Mini hose reels

are easy to store
in a small shed or
cupboard when
not being used Measure from your tap to the furthest point you
need to water, to work out the right hose length
How to choose your hose reel kit

Consider the following points before choosing your hose reel:
! What size do you need? hose attached to the inside – potentially have a bracket for wall mounting (although
Measure the furthest point you need the hose awkward if you have stiff fingers or large if you want this feature, do also look at hoses
to reach, to work out the length you require, hands. Misleadingly, others were described specifically designed for this). All hoses should
but bear in mind that the nozzle will send water on websites as ‘ready assembled’. To fit be drained and stored under cover in winter
at least a couple of metres further than the connectors to the hose easily, dip the end to avoid frost damage.
hose itself. Most mini kits have narrower hoses in very hot water to soften it.
that take longer to deliver water, and most
aren’t compatible with a pressure washer. ! How easy is it to unwind and rewind? Where to buy
If you need more hose than the one supplied, To avoid frustration, try before you buy if you ! Claber claber.com/uk
look for larger reels that have the capacity can. In our test, some reels remained standing ! Draper drapertools.com
to accommodate additional hose. while the hose was pulled out, others were ! Flopro ĕÓßâÓЄòÂ��ÓË
less stable, which could be annoying. Ease of ! Gardena gardena.com/uk
! Can I carry it around if I need to? rewinding varied hugely. To make things easier, ! GF argos.co.uk
Some mini reels can have the hose connected open the nozzle before rewinding so the hose ! Hozelock hozelock.com
to either end, making it fully portable – rather is empty, and close it when finished to avoid ! Kärcher kaercher.com/uk
like an electric extension lead, but those that drips in storage. Reduce the effort of rewinding
can’t need to be kept close to the tap, so are a long hose by pulling in some slack first.
only useful in small spaces.
! Where do you want to keep your reel? FROM lawnmowers to spades,
! Will it need to be assembled? If the reel is kept anywhere that’s dry, non-drip �³æ�Óý â ËÓâ æí òĄ âÓòÌ�ЄòßæϚ
PHOTO: TIM SANDALL
Some reels come ready to use or need just a features are a definite plus, while enclosed reel ý³� Ó �òĄ âЕæ «ò³� æ �Ì� ³ÌЄ� ßí°
tiny amount of assembly, but others require bodies fully contain damp or dirty hoses. reviews from our expert Reviews team
a lot more. Several larger models in our test Colour may be a consideration: unobtrusive at gardenersworld.com/reviews
needed to be completely unwound and the can be good for hoses kept outdoors. Some reels

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Fresh
from the plot
This month, Rekha starts
planting out, enjoys the green
Rekha Mistry is a keen veg grower vibrancy of spring onions and
who loves to try exotic varieties and makes a punchy pancake
experiment with them in the kitchen.
She appeared in the 2015 BBC Two
series, Big Allotment Challenge M ay marks the start of what I like
to call my ‘big plant push’, when fruit
3 to start now and veg planting really begins � but
I’ll be growing flowers and herbs, too.
Kale ‘Nero di Toscana’ The
long, dark-green, wrinkly leaves
I’m always eager to plant out my
are a useful winter crop. young tomato plants that I sowed in
How to Avoid slugs by sowing February – I have to be a little cautious
seed in modules under cover.
as, even where I live in the south,
Transplant seedlings into 9cm
pots. Plant out in early summer, there can still be late frosts. I have
with the lowest leaves at ground already forked over the plot’s soil
level. Apply mulch around plants and added organic matter ready to
in early autumn. Start harvesting
after the first frost, picking the
receive them as well as other plants.
lower outer leaves first. I will also stake the tomato plants at
this early stage.
Radish ‘Cherry Belle’ A perfect Although daytime temperatures
salad crop that can be grown as
an inter-cropper with parsnips.
are rising, the nights can still be quite
How to Once parsnip seeds are chilly, so newly planted outdoor
sown, sow radish seeds in vegetables need a little protection.
between the rows, in drills 1cm
I cover them all with horticultural
deep. Cover with soil and water in.
PHOTOS: ALAMY; PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/NATIKKA; TIM SANDALL
Thin seedlings to 3cm apart and fleece every evening, for the first few
keep well-watered. Harvest in weeks after planting out.
three to six weeks from sowing. As soon as the tomato plants are in,
Use thinnings as salad greens.
my next job is to make organic plant
Japanese squash ‘Uchiki Kuri’ feed – comfrey tea is one of my
A creeping vine producing bright favourites. I pack and weigh down
orange, globe-shaped fruit. a bucket full of comfrey leaves and
How to Sow individual seeds
lengthways into 7cm pots filled
top up with rainwater, then secure
with multi-purpose compost. with a lid. I set this aside to brew for
Plant out in summer. Once in the next four weeks when it will be
flower, the plants will respond
ready to dilute and use as tomato feed.
well to a weekly organic feed.
Harvest in late Next to plant out are the runner
autumn. Fruits beans, which I grow against
will store beanpoles. Last to go in are
well for up
to three
the main potato varieties,
months. ‘King Edward’ and ‘Desiree’.
Summer harvest, here I come!
rekha’s kitchen garden
How I grow spring onions

These Welsh spring onions (Allium
fistulosum) are a perennial variety, with strong,
upright, green leaves. I also grow a variety with
red bulbs. They have supplied me with steady fresh
additions for my plot-to-plate meals and I also add
them to winter salad lunch bowls. Because they
love cool conditions, they are ideal for growing
over winter, as well as starting from new seed
in late winter for fresh early-summer growth.
Jobs around the allotment

Weeding is my main job on the plot at this time of
year, although I always need to deal with the arrival of
black bean aphids on my broad beans – I snap off
the soft tips to stop pests from sucking the sap and
spray plants with a mild washing-up liquid and
water solution to help minimise the pest.
My early potato varieties are showing good signs
of growth, so they need to be earthed up, leaving
10cm of leaf/stem uncovered. I’ll also be saving the
weekly lawn clippings to mulch around the potato
mounds. To protect my earlier carrot sowings, I will
create a 90cm-high barrier using Enviromesh to stop
carrot fly laying eggs at the base of the plants.

rekha’s kitchen garden
Spicy spring onion
and herb pancakes
YOU’LL NEED
! 65g chickpea flour
! 65g plain flour
! 35g chopped spring onions
(white and green parts)
! 30g mix of chopped parsley,
tarragon and fenugreek
! 65g yogurt
! 1tsp each of chopped chilli,
grated ginger and crushed garlic
! º tsp turmeric powder
! Ω tsp cumin powder
! Pinch of granulated sugar
(optional)
! 10ml sunflower oil (plus extra
for making pancakes)
! Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
1 Place all the ingredients,
in a bowl and stir well. Whisk in
enough water to make a pancake
batter of a pouring consistency.
2 Rest the batter for half an
hour. If it has thickened too
much, you may need to add
a little water at this stage.
3 Over a medium heat, pour
a ladle of batter into a lightly
oiled pan, tilting the pan to
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/HAKAN JANSSON

cover. When small bubbles form,
carefully flip and lower the
heat, allow the pancake to cook,
flipping over again if necessary.
Each pancake should take
around 5 minutes to cook.
4 Serve with a fresh slaw
– I made a Bramley apple
and carrot version.
Harvest fast-growing
Harvest now
radishes when still There is a certain garlicky aroma
small, crisp and attracting me to pick young and tender
full of flavour ramsons leaves (wild garlic) and
chives, another ready-to-harvest
herb that has a garlic flavour. These
are joined by crunchy and spicy
new-season radishes and cut-and-
come-again salad leaves. Young
pea shoots snipped off
add another flavour to this
green palette. It’s time to
dig out the last of the
winter leeks. I always
let a few plants go to
flower – bees and
hoverflies go crazy
over them and I get
to save the seeds.
NEXT MONTH Rekha harvests her first crop of broad beans and makes a Spanish tapas dish
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£10 veg challenge
Sow from May

onwards and you’ll
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fresh produce all
You
summer long could save
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Take the £10

veg challenge
Fancy growing £130 worth of delicious, healthy veg from less than
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; GETTY/LENA ZAJCHIKOVA,
a tenner’s worth of seeds? Nic Wilson explains how she did it

You don’t need a large space or garden I sowed nine different a small amount of liquid feed for ‘La Diva’ with their fresh taste
lots of experience to grow a range crops and ended up harvesting the crops that we grew in pots. and crunchy textures.
of tasty, organic vegetables this over £130 worth of veg from just When I set out to buy my seeds,
RYOJI YOSHIMOTO/AFLO
summer. For as little as £10, even one raised bed (1.2m x 3.5m) and I was surprised how easy it was to Hard to beet!
veg novices can grow produce a few containers. find an inspiring selection for less Perpetual spinach is very easy to
worth over 10 times that amount In addition to buying the seed than £10. I chose veg that we love grow. This beetroot relative is less
in the supermarket. Last year in packets, the only other cost was to eat as a family, including radish likely to bolt than true spinach and
our relatively small suburban a bag of peat-free compost and ‘Sparkler’ and mini cucumber provides harvests right through

I even have enough seeds
left in each packet to grow Regular weeding
and watering will
another harvest this year keep the plants
healthy and
cropping well
summer and autumn, and even us a fresh cut-and-come-again several days and slugs took veg from May to October for
into the following spring. leaves from June to October. advantage of the wet conditions to under £10. As well as being a
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; GETTY/LENA ZAJCHIKOVA,
Basil is an easy herb to grow on If you can’t find the varieties raze every single pea shoot to the cost-effective way to produce
a windowsill, in a greenhouse or I used, there are many others that ground. We re-sowed a couple of nutritious food for the family,
even a sunny spot in the garden. will work equally well, so don’t let weeks later, but the plants were it filled our garden and plates
It provided a seemingly endless that put you off. And you can slow to develop and the harvest with colour. We had purple beans,
supply of sweet tangy leaves. easily sow a wider range if you disappointing. Given our restricted golden summer squash and deep
In September, we picked the have a larger area, or fewer if space, I’d choose rocket, chives or red beetroot, all accompanied by
RYOJI YOSHIMOTO/AFLO
remaining foliage and made pesto you have less space. parsley instead of peas in future. lots of fresh salad leaves. And
for the freezer, so we could re-live I’d grow all the vegetables I even have enough seeds left
the taste of summer on cold again in a small plot except the Tasty savings over in each packet (except the
winter nights. The lettuce seed mangetout peas. After the first We thoroughly enjoyed the mangetout peas) to grow another
mix (13 baby-leaf varieties) gave sowing in early May, it rained for challenge of growing healthy delicious harvest again this year.

£10 veg challenge
Adding up Seed cost:

£9.48
the 9 harvests
Peat-free
compost: £8.99 Lettuce
Total savings ‘Misticanza di
Lattughe’
Radish ‘Sparkler’ after expenses: 2 rows in succession
4 rows in succession £105.19* Price: 95p for 1,200 seeds
– including two in beetroot Time to crop: 4-6 weeks
rows, as they grow so fast Yield: 2kg
they’re harvested before Saving: £36.40
the beets develop
Price: 50p for 460 seeds
Time to crop: 4 weeks
Yield: 900g
Saving: £7.20
Perpetual
spinach
2 rows
Price: 50p for230 seeds
Time to crop: 8-10 weeks
Yield: 2kg
Saving: £18.50
Cucumber
‘La Diva’
Beetroot 3 potted plants
‘Detroit’ in greenhouse
3 rows in succession Price: £1 for 10 seeds
Price: 50p for 275 seeds Time to crop: 3 months
Time to crop: Yield: 2kg
2-3 months Saving: £15.44
Yield: 3.85kg
Saving: £15.28
Basil ‘Pesto’
Dwarf French 12 potted plants
bean ‘Mistik’ in greenhouse
2 rows in succession Price: £1.49 for
Price: £1.99 for 100 seeds 150 seeds
Time to crop: 2-3 months Time to crop:
Yield: 1kg 3-4 weeks (baby leaves)
Saving: £10.22 Yield: 400g
Saving: £13.60
*TOTAL SAVING REACHED BY CHECKING PRICES FROM THREE LEADING
Mangetout
pea ‘Oregon Summer squash
SUPERMARKETS. PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT.
Sugar Pod’ ‘Sunbeam’

2 rows (seedlings all 3 plants
eaten by slugs), 2 further Price: £1.55 for 10 seeds
rows, also 2 trays for Time to crop: 3 months
pea shoots for salads Yield: 2.7kg
Price: £1 for 100 seeds Saving: £11.50
Time to crop: 2-3 months
Yield: 500g
Saving: £5

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£10 veg challenge
8 tips to
b oos t your har vest
# Sow regularly
Beetroot, beans,
radishes and lettuces
are best sown in small
batches at fortnightly
intervals. This provides
a continuous supply,
without too much at ! Cut and come again
any one time. To get the most from our
raised bed and pots,
I focused on crops that
produce plentiful harvests
relative to the amount of
space they require. Basil,
lettuces and peas grown
for their tasty shoots
can all be harvested as
cut-and-come-again
crops, which increases
the overall yield.
! Get your
watering right
Regular watering is vital
in order to get the best
harvests. Water thoroughly
every few days during dry
weather, in early mornings
or late evenings when the
evaporation rate is lower. " Water smarter
I made some crop choices Bury a small plant pot
based on their watering next to thirsty crops
needs – dwarf French such as cucumbers and
beans, for example, need summer squash, so you
less water than runner can water straight
beans and have cropped down to the roots.
well for us in the past.
# Feed for bigger veg
! Use space well With fruiting crops
I sowed radishes in the such as squash, you
beetroot rows as a ‘catch can boost harvests by
crop’ to make good use of feeding. I used a high
limited space. The radishes potash tomato feed, but
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALL
are ready to harvest after a home-made comfrey

just four weeks, before the feed would work too.
slower beetroot crop has
really started to develop. # Focus on varieties
When space is limited,
! Pick little and often take care to choose
The great thing about many varieties that are
of these crops is that the particularly prolific
more you pick, the more croppers. I chose both
they’ll produce. So keep beetroot ‘Detroit’ and
picking regularly to get the cucumber ‘La Diva’
maximum from your plants. for that reason.

£10 veg challenge
Get
started!
By early May, the soil should have
warmed up sufficiently for most
outdoor crops to be sown direct,
including perpetual spinach,
radishes, beetroot, peas and
lettuces. Basil, cucumbers and
summer squash should all be
sown indoors in trays or modules.
I sowed the dwarf beans in the
raised bed and luckily they weren’t
too badly damaged by slugs and
snails. In the past, we’ve had
young bean plants eaten before
they could get established, so I
usually sow some in pots too, as Radishes are very
a back-up. The seedlings can then quick and easy to
be planted out after a few weeks, grow – ready to eat
once their stems and leaves are just four weeks
more resistant to the odd nibble. after sowing
Step by step: direct sowing – for radishes, carrots, beetroot and more
1 CLEAR an area of ground about

30cm wide, then make a shallow
drill in the centre, about 1cm deep.
2 WATER along the drill before
sowing, to avoid creating a hard
crust on the soil above the seeds.
3 SOW thinly along the row. You
could also combine fast and slow
crops, such as radishes with beetroot.
4 DRAW soil back over the seeds
and keep moist to ensure good
germination and consistent growth.
Step by step: container sowing – for beans, cucumber, squash
Many popular veg seeds cost

as little as 50p per packet
GET plenty more advice on

1 FILL pots or trays with peat-free
compost. Recycled cardboard
pots or egg boxes are a good choice.
2 SOW two beans in each pot
at a depth of 4cm. Once they
germinate, remove the weaker one.
3 WATER well, then place in an
unheated propagator or cover
the pot with a clear plastic bag.
growing your own at gardeners
world.com/fruit-veg

Dramatisation of allergens disrupting the eye’s lipid layer, causing itchy eyes
Good day sunshine
Does hay fever make you want to hide inside during the
warmer months? Optrex can help you get back out enjoying What is hay fever?
your garden at its best Seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay
fever, affects millions of people every year.
Quick and easy
D
uring the spring and summer, it’s Symptoms can include a runny or blocked
natural to want to spend as much time Pollen can cause disruption to the lipid layer of nose, sneezing, and red, itchy and watery
outdoors as possible. The longer days, the tear film of the eye, resulting in itching and eyes, caused by the immune system’s over-
extra sunshine and balmier temperatures are all watering. By simply spraying Optrex ActiMist reaction to airborne dust and pollens that
incredibly uplifting, and as a gardener, you finally Double Action onto your closed eyes, the lipid are prevalent in the summer months.
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wonderful blooms and plentiful produce.
For the one in five people who get
on the go solution, and is especially
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How can I manage
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Optrex ActiMist Double smudge make up and can be Action spray and anti-histamine tablets,
Action spray can help. used with contact lenses. there are a few extra steps you can take
Optrex ActiMist Optrex ActiMist to help manage your symptoms:
Double Action helps give Double Action will help • Protect your eyes with sunglasses
fast and long lasting soothe your eyes and when outdoors.
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watery eyes caused by so what are you waiting don’t leave doors and windows open
pollen and dust, plus it can for? Give it a try and open in your home.
UK/O/0319/0008
be used in conjunction with your eyes up to all the joys • If driving, avoid opening the window.
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summer to the full. label before use. into fresh clothes.
For more information on hay fever and to discover the full Optrex
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May
Growing guide
Y �� °Óþí° æ Â Ą �âÓßæ��Ì ßâÓý³� � Å³�³ÓòæÌòíâ³í³ÓÌ�Å� Ì ĔíæòÌí³Åþ³Ìí â

Plant/sow Plant out Harvest
Key crops for May Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Beans – French and runner

Rich in vitamins A, C and K, green beans are a
good source of folate, low levels of which may Tips Sow or plant outdoors after the last frost. Beans will be ready to harvest after 12-16 weeks. Pick regularly
be linked to depression. to keep plants cropping. Sow 5cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 45cm between rows
Blackcurrants
With four times the level of vitamin C found in
oranges, currants supply protective antioxidants Tips Blackcurrants fruit on young wood, so prune out old stems in the dormant season. Water in dry spells.
that support immunity and help wounds heal. Plant 5cm lower than it was growing in the pot Final spacing 1.5m apart 1.8m between rows
Carrots
These roots are a good source of vitamin A,
in the form of beta-carotene. Harvest young, Tips Sow seeds sparsely to avoid thinning out seedlings later, as this can attract root fly. Try growing purple,
scrub rather than peel, and eat with the skin on. yellow and red varieties too. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 5-8cm apart 30cm between rows
Chard
Rich in iron, magnesium and potassium, these
mild leafy greens can be added to omelettes, Tips Protect young plants from slugs and wash off any aphids. Overwinter plants by covering with fleece
cheese dishes, salads, soups and stews. from autumn onwards. Sow 3cm deep Final spacing 20cm apart 45cm between rows
Parsnips
Packed with fibre, heart-friendly potassium and
folate, parsnips are also a useful source of Tips Sow your last batch in early May. Water regularly to keep the soil consistently moist, as this helps to
vitamin C. Add to stews, soups or mash. prevent the roots splitting. Sow 2cm deep Final spacing 10-14cm apart 30cm between rows
Potatoes –maincrop
With over half their protective polyphenols just
under the skin, potatoes are best enjoyed in their Tips Plant your last batch of maincrop potatoes this month. Choose an open, sunny spot, and dig in lots
jackets. They contain heart-friendly potassium too. of organic matter. Plant 8-15cm deep Final spacing 38cm apart 75cm between rows
Salad leaves
A summer essential, the darker the leaves the
richer in folate, vitamin K and carotenes. Serve Tips Cover the crop with fleece to deter flea beetles, which nibble holes in leaves. Start picking once the
with an oil dressing to optimise nutrient uptake. leaves reach 10cm long. Sow 1cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 15cm between rows
Squashes – winter
Full of complex carbs, including pectin, a soluble
fibre that may help manage cholesterol, blood Tips Sow indoors and plant out after the last frost. Keep the soil constantly moist, and feed regularly once
fats and sugars. Bake, roast, sauté or steam. the fruits start to swell. Sow 3cm deep Final spacing 90cm apart 90cm between rows
Sweetcorn
A perfect package of energising carbs, blood-
sugar balancing fibre and vitamin B3. Also Tips Sow indoors, or outside after the last frost. Plant in blocks, not rows, to aid wind pollination. Mulch
contains eye-protective lutein and zeaxanthin. the soil to hold in moisture. Sow 3cm deep Final spacing 45cm apart 45cm between rows
Turnips
Rich in compounds with a cancer-protective
effect, turnips are high in fibre and a useful Tips Keep well watered for quick growth, especially in dry weather. Harvest when small and tender, so
source of calcium, needed for muscle function. they never turn woody. Sow 2cm deep Final spacing 15cm apart 30cm between rows
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Your
wildlife
month
It’s the noisiest time of year. As well as the dawn
chorus reaching its peak in the first week of May,
you may also be woken by snuffling and grunting
hedgehogs at night. Mating is high on hedgehogs’
agenda this month, and competing males may fight
in a stag-like rut, which involves head-butting and
occasionally pushing the rolled-up rival male away.
Elsewhere in the garden, bees are buzzing and
flowers are blooming. Leaves are dotted with the
eggs of butterflies, moths, shield bugs, leaf miners
and other insects. Be careful not to remove aphids,
caterpillars and other garden ‘pests’ from leaves,
as these are all food for hungry mouths and beaks
further up the food chain. WORDS KATE BRADBURY
You may spot…

Grass snake (Natrix helvetica)
Non venomous and therefore
completely harmless, the grass
snake can grow to over a metre,
and is olive green in colour with a
yellow and black collar, paler belly
and dark spots down its sides.
Females are bigger than males.
Adults feed largely on fish and
amphibians, and are often found Spot returning barn swallows
in garden ponds in summer,
swimming across the surface in these birds return to our shores
search of prey. They’re also seen from Africa this month. Look
in long grass and compost heaps. out for their long forked tail
Juveniles eat small amphibians as they fly low over grassland
and invertebrates such as slugs. in search of insects.
Our only egg-laying snake, adults M Tree bumblebees, which
emerge from hibernation in March typically nest in bird boxes and
and April. Mating takes place from will have almost completed their
April to May, with the female laying lifecycle by now. Look out for Wildlife on TV
PHOTOS: GETTY/GARY CHALKER, ANDREW HOWE
up to 40 eggs in warm habitats gangs of males buzzing around Chris, Michaela, Iolo and
such as a compost heap or pile a nest, waiting for daughter Gillian return for Springwatch
of grass clippings. The pencil-sized queens to emerge. from the Cairngorms at
baby snakes hatch from their M Blue tits. Parents will be the end of this month.
eggs in August and September. frantically feeding their young, VÅòæ Ì Óòí °Ó ËßÓâí Ìí
now. Let weeds flourish at the gardens are for
Also lookout for… back of borders so moths can lay òâ Ì Å Å ª
M Barn swallows. Along with eggs on them and the tits can feed Ì Óòâ íÓ Ìæ
swifts and house martins, the caterpillars to their young. and cities.

wildlife
Mating takes place from April to May,

with the female laying up to 40 eggs

WILDLIFE PROJECT
How to make a bee hotel

Bee hotels are readily
available to buy, but it’s easy and
cost effective to make your own.
This bee hotel is built from
wooden pieces cut to size and
then screwed together like a bird
box. I simply filled the box with
cardboard tubes and bamboo
canes to complete the habitat.
By making a bee hotel, you can
create a habitat for a wide range
of solitary bee species. Red mason
bees are active from April to June,
and use mud to line their nests.
Leaf-cutter bees are active from
June to August, and use pieces
of rose, wisteria and birch leaves
to line their nests – sometimes
they use flower petals!
1 Measure the wood and cut to size. If you can’t get
16.5cm length tubes, use your tubes to work out the
box’s depth. It needs a 5mm overhang to keep off rain.
2 Use the sandpaper to thoroughly smooth any rough
edges. Wooden snags can harm bees and create gaps
where the pieces meet, which can let parasites in.
Most solitary bees nest in
cavities 8-12mm in diameter.
The greater the range of hole
sizes you can provide, the greater
the diversity of solitary bees
you will attract.
You will need

to make a bee hotel
Plank of wood cut to size
as follows: 4 pieces of
12cm x 17cm; 1 piece of
12cm x 25cm
Bamboo canes with a
3 4
mix of diameter holes Drill small holes in the wood before using the screws Drill a hole in the top centre of the largest piece and
to fix the pieces together. Make an open-ended box then fix it to the box to make a back. Again, make
Cardboard tubes, with the pieces fixed together as snugly as possible. sure the pieces fit together snugly. Sand down any snags.
16.5cm in length
with 8mm diameter
holes (available from
masonbees.co.uk)
Ruler and pencil
Saw
Drill and drill bits (5mm)
Screws (5mm)
Sandpaper
WORDS: KATE BRADBURY
VISIT gardenersworld.
com/plants/wildlife-homes-
to-make for more projects 5 Cut the bamboo to the same length as the cardboard
tubes. Cut each cane so that you have a node at one
end, as this creates a natural wall. Sand off any snags.
6 Arrange the tubes and canes in the box tightly; you
don’t want them moving around as this can knock
eggs off their pollen in the nest, potentially killing them.

build a bee hotel
Use a screw to fix the box

securely, at head height, to
a fence or wall in a sunny
spot – an east or south-
east position is ideal as full
sun in the morning is best

Your 13-page monthly planner
WHAT TO DO NOW | MAY

WHAT TO
DO NOW
50 things to do this month from the Gardeners’ World team
134
Hoe to
keep weeds
at bay
137
Prune lilac
after
flowering
147
Harvest
asparagus
spears
PHOTOS: MARSHA ARNOLD; SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM
151 144
Give your Take cactus
lawn a cuttings –
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MONTY’S MONTH
Monty plants

out seedlings
in May to enjoy
a harvest of
hearting
lettuces in
only a few
weeks time
Monty’s month
There is no downside to the month outside at 10pm, so plants are growing
of May, no qualification or balancing out strongly. One of the effects of this is
of pros and cons. It is the month of that the garden changes by the day,
flawless, untarnished beauty and while a moving, shifting Ĩrescendo rising
it changes as the weeks go by, it is only up to the peak of the year.
to get better from a point of perfection. The vegetable garden is limited in
Impossible? No, nothing is impossible May – winter’s harvest is finished and
in a garden in the month of May. summer has barely begun – but with
PHOTOS: MARSHA ARNOLD
The soil has warmed up and the a little planning, sowing seeds in
days are long – it’s light by five in the February and March, the fast-growing WATCH videos and get
tips at gardenersworld.com/
morning and, by the end of the month, salad leaves, like rocket and lettuces
seeds-bulbs
it will still be light enough to garden of all kinds, are at their very best.
Keep on top of weeds
Weeds grow faster in May than yourself time later. But the best weeds will then dry out on the
at any other time of year. This is way of keeping on top of weeds surface and because the soil is
particularly true of annual weeds – particularly in the vegetable beds dry there is less risk of the roots
that have evolved to get their or as here in the cut-flower beds remaining viable in damp soil. If
growing in quick, to flower, be where the seeds are sown in rows – there are a lot of them, they can
pollinated and set seed by the is to use a hoe and cut off the weed then be raked up at the end of the
end of June, so they can shed seedlings before they have a chance day and added to the compost heap.
their seed before they are to develop. Hoe lightly and often, and
crowded out by other plants. weeds will not become a problem WATCH videos and get
The solution is twofold. First of all, and, importantly, won’t set seed. more advice about weeds at
never let them seed and, if necessary, Hoeing is best done on dry days gardenersworld.com/weeds
cut off the flower heads to buy and ideally in the morning. The cut
Keep weeds
under control
by hoeing
frequently and,
ideally, as soon
as you see them

MONTY’S MONTH

Tulbaghia violacea’s star-shaped blooms last from May to September
Plant summer bulbs in pots

At Longmeadow, having heavy, a succession of pale-purple flowers
rich soil is a great advantage, but all summer, carried on long stems
it is slow to warm up in spring with fine glaucous foliage. To
and some plants really do not like keep them happy, they need
sitting in it over the winter months good drainage, so I add plenty
when it drains slowly, and is wet of grit to our coir-based potting
and cold. This means that plants compost, with some sieved
like the society garlic, tulbaghia, garden compost and leafmould
are best grown in pots or lifted in to improve nutrition and soil
autumn, potted up and kept dry. structure, and then they will look
But tulbaghia makes a superb after themselves with no extra
Space tulbaghias close together to get the best impact container plant, providing feeding and just a weekly water.
MAKING COMPOST Wait until your
The key to making a good garden compost

has completely
Don’t forget
compost heap is mixing green rotted before Harvest your mint
and brown garden waste. At using it regularly – it will help
keep the plants bushy
this time of year there tends
to be much more green (grass Prune citrus trees
clippings and leaves) than by removing inward
PHOTOS: MARSHA ARNOLD; GETTY/MARKSWALLOW; JASON INGRAM
brown (straw and shrub growing branches

prunings) so have some straw Plant out zinnia and
or cardboard nearby to add tithonia seedlings
carbon to the heap. You
must keep turning it, Sow basil in the
greenhouse, to enhance
about once every your tomato dishes
three weeks, too.
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projects to make now

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FLOWERS

STEP BY STEP Repot agapanthus plants
Repot agapanthus once the
ßÅ�ÌíЕæ âÓÓíæ °�ý ĔÅÅ � í°
original container. This
�ÓÓæíæ «âÓþí° �Ì� Ìæòâ æ
�ÓÌí³Ìò � ĕÓþ â³Ì«� % �³Ì«
�Ì� þ�í â³Ì« í°âÓò«° í° â æí
of the season, as the bulb is
� ý ÅÓß³Ì« ³íæ ĕÓþ â �ò�æϚ
also helps. Place it in a sunny
ßÓæ³í³ÓÌ �Ì� Ì¿ÓĄ í°
ĕÓþ âæªâÓË9òÅĄÓÌþ�â�æ�
1 POUR some loam-based potting

compost into the bottom of a
slightly larger terracotta pot.
1 2
2 REMOVE the plant from its pot

(you may need to cut it out) and
tease the roots out from the base to
help them grow into the new compost.
3 PLACE the plant into the centre

of the new pot with the top of
the rootball just below its rim.
4 ADD more compost around the

plant, firming it down as you go,
until you reach the level of the top of
the rootball and the plant is secure.
com/flowers for more
summer inspiration and tips
3 4
Once flowering
has finished,
Don’t forget
remove any lilac Direct sow annuals such
branches that as Ammi majus, nigella
are crossing and �Ì� Å³Ì�â³� Óòíæ³�
20
MINUTES
rubbing against
each other VÅ�Ìí Óòí ĄÓòâ ��°Å³�
plants into rich, well-
ßâ ß�â � æÓ³Å þ° Ì í°
TO SPARE risk of frost in your area
CHELSEA CHOP °�æ ß�ææ �
Cut back herbaceous
perennials such as ��° �� ªªÓ�³Åæ �Ì�
echinacea, helenium, íòÅ³ßæ íÓ ³ËßâÓý Ì ăí
aster and anthemis in year’s flowering
late May (around the time
the Chelsea Flower Show Put up supports for
is usually held) to get herbaceous perennials
more blooms, later in the �Ì� �³ ÌÌ³�Åæ � ªÓâ
flowering season. You can Prune lilac once flowering is over í° Ą «âÓþ íÓÓí�ÅÅ�Ì�
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; TIM SANDALL
WORDS: NIC WILSON; ROSIE YEOMANS
prune all the stems in a Prune your lilac now that the flowers to the framework and check for flop over
clump to delay flowering are over. Lilac trees and bushes crossing branches and any dieback,
for four to six weeks. should only be lightly pruned so keep then trim that out as well. Finally ³ý³� °Óæí�æ �æ í° Ą �â
Alternatively, cut back the ‘no more than a third’ rule in cut out suckers from the base and �ÓË³Ì« ³ÌíÓ «âÓþí°
around half of the clump mind. Less than a third is more keep doing that through the season.
now, so flowering takes realistic if you prune regularly. A dressing of general fertiliser and «³Ì ª �³Ì« �ÓÌí�³Ì âæ
place over a longer period. Start by cutting back all the spent some mulch now will keep it in þ³í°�þ ÂÅĄÅ³áò³�ª �
flowers. Now look through the foliage healthy growth.

GREENHOUSE
Sowing squash seed

Sow squash seeds in pots now so Fibrous pots allow roots to

that you will have the plants ready penetrate through them so they can
for planting out by early to mid June. be planted straight into the ground.
In sheltered gardens in southern Place the pots in a warm
parts of the UK you could take a propagator or heat source of
chance on sowing directly into the around 20°C until they have
soil but you need reliably warm germinated then grow on in
conditions for germination. good light conditions and give
Sow individually into 7cm pots them plenty of space for the
filled with multi-purpose compost. large leaves to develop.
Side shoots from fuchsias will

root very easily right now
Take fuchsia
cuttings
Choose a few strong fuchsia shoots
– about 10cm long – to make some
softwood cuttings. Trim off the base Don’t skimp on pot size for toms
of the cutting just below a bud then – the roots need plenty of space
remove all the leaves except the
pair just below the growing tip.
Remove the tip with your fingers. Plant up peppers
Insert into a pot of firmed compost,
water, then put into a covered and tomatoes
propagator to root. You can plant out tomatoes and
peppers into their final containers
ready for cropping now. The larger
the pots, the greater the potential
Don’t forget for a bumper harvest, as they
make it easier to water and feed
Open doors and the plants well.
windows on warm days These plants are hungry feeders
to increase ventilation so make sure the compost you use
and prevent plants is as rich as possible. Adding some
overheating, but close manure to the mix would be an
them at night excellent strategy but don’t allow
the young roots to be in direct
Continue pricking out contact with it, so mix it well into the
and potting on seedings compost before filling the pot. Add
and young plants to give stakes and tie the main stems into
their roots space to grow the supports, water thoroughly and
Push seeds into the soil lengthways down to a depth of 2.5cm look forward to some rapid growth.
Tie in stems of cucumber
and cordon tomato
plants to canes or Pinch shoots for
vertical wires
bigger melons
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM.
Put up shading to Pinch out some side shoots to train

avoid plants becoming your melon plants as they grow to
scorched and to lower reduce the fruit load and increase
temperatures during the chance of harvesting well-
WORDS: NIC WILSON; ROSIE YEOMANS.
the day formed fruits. When the main shoot

has grown to about 30cm, pinch out
the tip. This encourages side shoots
of which you select four strong
WATCH videos and get growing shoots, but pinch out any
tips at gardenersworld.com/ more that start to grow. Tie the side
greenhouse shoots onto a supporting frame and
pollinate flowers by hand. Reducing the number of melons ensures those you have are plumper

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BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (published by Immediate Media Co Ltd) would like to send you special offers and promotions. You can unsubscribe at any time – for details of how to do this, please see our privacy
policy, which can be viewed at immediate.co.uk/privacy-policy. Please tick here if you would like to receive these [ ]. BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is published by Immediate Media Co Ltd on behalf of BBC
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ALAN’S JOB OF THE MONTH
Planting clematis

They are among the most spectacular
climbers in the garden – up walls,
clambering through large shrubs
or spiralling up elegant obelisks
– where would we be without clematis?
And there are so many kinds – from
the rampant Clematis montana to the
herbaceous types that sit happily in beds
and borders, and the large-flowered
hybrids that cause onlookers to gasp at
their blooms. But my heart really belongs
to the hybrids of C. texensis and
C. viticella – the first with slashed goblet-
shaped flowers, and the second with
elegant pixie hats that have grace, as well
as a resistance to dreaded clematis wilt.
Late summer and autumn are decorated
by the yellow bells, followed by the
seedheads of C. orientalis and C. tangutica.
Planted now, they’ll romp away to flower
in summer, and some varieties will bloom
from spring until the start of autumn.
ALAN’S FAVOURITE CLEMATIS

C. viticella ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ Purple double blooms
C. ‘Étoile Rose’ Slashed bells of deep and pale pink
C. tangutica â³«°íЄĄ ÅÅÓþ þ�ăĄ � ÅÅæϚ í° Ì ĕòªªĄ æ �° ��æ
C. ‘Perle d’Azur’ ]ß �í��òÅ�âϚ þ³� Єª�� Ϛ ß�Å Є�Åò ĕÓþ âæ
Alan’s a fan of Clematis ‘Perle d’Azur’, in the foreground, with its mass of pale-blue blooms C. montana rubens A profusion of pink blooms in spring
STEP BY STEP How to plant clematis

PLANT clematis a little deeper SPRINKLE a general fertiliser, PLACE a couple of pieces of GIVE the plant a good soak
1 than it was in its container. All
2 such as blood, fish and
3 broken paving over the soil to
4 after planting and ensure it
types benefit from this – it helps to bonemeal, in the hole to offer prevent the earth drying too rapidly. has a support system around which
keep their roots cool and can also nourishment. Firm the soil, taking Most clematis like their heads in the its tendrils can curl. Attach stems
mitigate against clematis wilt. care not to fracture the stems. sun and their roots in cool earth. to the support with soft twine.

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BACK TO BASICS
Control pests

biologically
Encourage nature to work for you by using
bio controls to keep on top of pest
infestations. They come in the form of
insect predators, ground penetrating
microscopic nematodes and even fungal
infections. They are specific to each
problem so a nematode to kill slugs will
not work on vine weevil.
It is important to read the instructions
for each type very carefully because you
need the newly introduced organisms to
thrive and feed on your damaging pest.
They are most effective in glasshouses
and protected spaces.
Use of chemicals must be avoided so
there’s no danger of killing the beneficial
control organisms. In most cases, these
natural controls require tolerance of a low
level of pest damage to sustain a
population of feeding predators.
WHERE TO BUY
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Give your plants a thorough check every day to see if pests are starting to colonise !ß³ßß�«â ÌþÓÓ��ÓË 07907 288681
STEP BY STEP 4 ways to use biological controls

WORDS: ROSIE YEOMANS. PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; TIM SANDALL.
STIR nematode powder into USE packets of ladybird HANG sachets of Amblyseius RELEASE Phytoseiulus
1 a can of water and soak the
2 larvae in plants that are
3 mites to protect your house-
4 mites in vermiculite onto
soil with microscopic predators that infested with aphids. The larvae and greenhouse plants from thrips, infestations of red spider mite
will kill slugs below ground. One feed on the aphids until they mature many of which feed by sucking sap affecting plants such as aubergines.
application will work for six weeks. to boost the ladybird population. from leaves and flowers. Keep the temperature above 16°C.

TEST YOUR SKILLS
Cactus cuttings
Cut the fleshy stems from your cactus to

make cuttings. Easy to root at this time of
year, they need little extra equipment. Be
careful, though, as cactus spines have tiny
gripping barbs that make removing them
from your skin a painful process, so protect
yourself by using gloves or tools to hold
them. Some cactus enthusiasts make
coned sleeves from several layers of
newspaper to handle their cacti.
All cuttings from cactus and succulents
need a period of air-drying at the cut end to
prevent the base rotting when it is potted.
You may even see a few roots emerging
from the tissue around the cut before you
pot it. Water the cutting immediately after
potting and leave to dry for several weeks
until it shows signs of life. The buds on top
will break into growth and the cutting
should resist when you give it a gentle tug
with a gloved hand. Prickly pear cuttings will
root within a month and grow fast to catch
up with the original parent plant.
WATCH videos and get more advice

about cacti and succulents from
gardenersworld.com/cactus-succulent
Prickly pear segments will quickly produce new growth after potting
STEP BY STEP Taking cuttings from prickly pear cacti
WORDS: ROSIE YEOMANS

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM
HOLD the top section of USE the tongs to place the MAKE a compost mix from WATER the cutting with
1 stem on the prickly pear
2 cutting on a clean surface
3 John Innes No. 2 and an equal
4 tepid water, turning the pot
steady with a pair of kitchen and leave it for a few days to allow amount of grit to improve drainage. to soak the soil but not the cutting
tongs while cutting it off at the the base to dry out and harden or Fill a pot, then firm the base of the itself. Place it somewhere warm,
joint with the lower stem. callous over the cut. cutting into the compost. out of direct sunlight.

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‘Primadonna Deep Rose’
A large, long-lasting daisy.
F Jul-Sep H x S 85cm x 30cm 01386 426245 (quote code ROGW20-16)
" Eryngium planum
Electric-blue flowers that dry well. www.hayloft.co.uk/ROGW Please add P&P £4.95 rare | unusual | exciting
F Jul-Aug H x S 90cm x 45cm
Cut out order form and post orders to Gardeners’ World Code: ROGW20-16
Reader Offer, PO BOX 2020, Pershore, WR10 9BP
offer
CODE DESCRIPTION PRICE QTY TOTAL
Address YPM10 Hardy perennials collection x 10 (1 of each) £10.00

Postcode
Tel Email YPM30 Hardy perennials collection x 30 (3 of each)
£22.50
SAVE £7.50
I enclose a cheque (no cash, please) for £ made payable to
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FRUIT AND VEG
STEP BY STEP Trimming asparagus

spears below the soil
Sow climbing helps to control
beans asparagus pests
Grow climbing beans on poles

for a long season of picking
this summer. A few seeds
could be sown every two
weeks to provide a useful
succession of tender beans.
Give them sturdy supports
and plenty of water to crop
well into the autumn.
Harvest asparagus
Harvest asparagus spears below variety. The crowns are planted just two or three weeks to start with,
ground level with an old, sharp, about 10cm below the ground but in future years you can keep
kitchen knife. The spears emerge so spears are cut with no fear of cutting continuously until mid June.
from mid April, depending on your damage. Harvest new plants for Feed the plants well after harvesting.
SOW two seeds 5cm deep

1 next to each cane and take
out the weakest seedling after
they have germinated. 10
MINUTES
TO SPARE
Keep an eye out for
sideshoots forming in
the angle between the
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALL
main stem and leaf stems

Grow brassicas on firm ground, preparing the soil before planting on cordon tomatoes.
Allowing these sideshoots
to grow will affect the
Plant out brassicas vigour of the plant and
Plant brassicas into your veg plot deep enough to drop the young reduce the harvest, so it
now, selecting the varieties of plant in deeper than it had been is important to pinch out
cabbages, cauliflower and calabrese growing before. The buried stem will the shoots with your finger
SOAK the seed thoroughly that are best for harvesting in root readily to make a sturdy plant and thumb before they
2 using a watering can autumn. Prepare each plant by to support large leafy heads. Water develop. Cut any larger
and water again whenever pinching off the leaves low on the the plants in thoroughly and protect shoots out with secateurs.
the weather is dry. stem. Use a trowel to make a hole from butterflies and pigeons.

FRUIT AND VEG
STEP BY STEP Thin out rows of

Plant out your carrot seedlings

courgettes Thin carrots to avoid overcrowding,
leaving 10cm between plants. To
Prepare weed-free ground to reduce the risk of attracting carrot
plant courgettes, pumpkins fly, water the drill before and after
or squash at the end of May. thinning, and pinch them out rather
They need plenty of water than pulling, which releases more
and a rich soil to support the scent from leaves. Thinning in the
huge amount of growth. evening also helps prevent carrot fly
Space courgettes a metre problems. Don’t waste the thinnings
apart and give pumpkins and - they can be used raw in salads.
squash at least 2m2 each.
DIG a hole and water the soil

1 at the bottom. Mix in some Reduce the length of leafy new growth to get more fruit
compost combined with either Use your fingernails to pinch
fertiliser or manure. out individual carrot tops
Prune plums and cherries
Prune young plums and cherries now that the winter risk of silver leaf disease
attack is over. Cut back the side branches on wall-trained forms to keep the
fruit close to the main stem. For free-standing trees the aim is to form an
open centre, so in the first year cut back main shoots by a half to outward
Don’t forget
facing buds. In subsequent years, cut out branches growing into the centre. Stake peas as they grow
using prunings from the
garden as pea sticks, or
canes and netting
Make sure pollinating

insects have access to
greenhouses, cloches
PLACE the plant into the and polytunnels
2 centre and hold it just above
the ground level as you mound Start to harvest autumn-
up the soil around it. planted garlic, drying
well before storing
Continue to remove all

weeds as soon as they
appear on the plot
PHOTOS: MARSHA ARNOLD; SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS
Water acid-loving crops

Pinching out runners now will help your plants bear better fruit such as blueberries
and cranberries with
WORDS: NIC WILSON; ROSIE YEOMANS
collected rainwater
Remove strawberry runners
Cut away new strawberry runners select the strongest ones to keep
so that the main plant has energy for and transplant to harvest fruit from
3
PRESS the soil down next flower and fruit production. Cut the them next year. Plant these runners WATCH videos and get
to the stem to make a little runner stem right back to the plant. straight into a weed-free bed or pot tips at gardenersworld.com/
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AROUND THE GARDEN
Feed your

lawns
Now’s the time to feed your lawn to
keep your grass looking great
through the summer. Grass gradually
loses vigour as the mowing regime
increases. It’s worth weeding out
or treating any weeds first to avoid
feeding them as well.
Choose a spring or summer
fertiliser mix for lawns at this time
of year There are plenty of organic
options available. To avoid scorched
grass, use a granular form. Straight
fertilisers can be mixed with sand
or soil to help avoid scorch.
If this is your second feed this year,
a half-strength application will be
plenty to give grass a boost. Mow the
lawn first and ideally apply to dry
grass when there’s a chance of rain
later to water it in. It helps if the soil
underneath is moist, too. Find the
application rate, then weigh what’s
needed based on the size of your
lawn. Next, weigh just the amount for
a square metre and make a visual
assessment of it, so that you can
work across the lawn spreading
fertiliser by hand knowing you have
it about right. It’s a treatment with
instant effects – your grass should
turn a rich, healthy green within days.
com/lawn-care for more
info on getting tip-top turf
Divide lawn fertiliser into small batches, to help you spread it evenly over the whole lawn
Don’t forget
Beechgrove Thin shoots on rod and
!
spur grapevines to one
shoot per spur
WORDS: NIC WILSON; ROSIE YEOMANS. BEECHGROVE WORDS: MAIRI RATTRAY
Keep earthing up
Repot camellias
potatoes until the leaves
with an ericaceous
of adjacent plants touch
compost and
leafmould mix
Assess trees for fruit
thinning and support
VIEW FROM BEECHGROVE as fruits develop
Repot indoor camellias Prepare beds for direct

Potted camellias have provided our early spring conservatory colour sowing of hardy annuals
BEECHGROVE GARDEN for seven years and we repot them every three years. Pruning the roots and root crops
The show continues this month rejuvenates them and allows us to return them to the same pots. Use a fork
on Thursdays in Scotland and to tease out the fibrous rootball and remove roots by hand to assess what to Check bay, citrus and
Sundays nationwide – cut. Prune thicker, woody roots first, removing a third to allow room for future vines for scale insects –
check TV listings regrowth. Repot in the same container using a mix of ericaceous compost and control may be required
for full details leafmould. Then trim the top growth, water well and place in the shade.

AROUND THE GARDEN
STEP BY STEP Sow hardy annuals to fill gaps

Add colour to your late

summer garden with quick
ĕÓþ âæ� c° â ³æ ßÅ ÌíĄ Óª
time to sow hardy annuals
such as calendula and
Ì�æíòâí³òËæ� c° Ą þ³ÅÅ
be speedy to germinate,
requiring no extra heat, and
can be grown outside as soon
as they are large enough.
VISIT gardenersworld. 1
FILL a small container with
2
WATER the compost well and
3
SIEVE a light layer of compost
com/pots-containers peat-free multi-purpose firm it down, then space the over the seeds and firm the
for more infomation compost a couple of centimetres seeds out onto the moist surface. layer gently to ensure that the seed
from the top of the pot. Don’t forget to label your pot. has good contact.
Don’t forget
Sow new lawn seed
Keep topiary neat with LOOK OUT FOR

regular trimming Pond weed
Pull out rampant weeds
Plant out summer now before they clog up
bedding, once the risk the water. Blanket weed
of frost has passed is particularly invasive
so remove it by hand
Prune early-flowering regularly. Leave the weeds
clematis after blooms by the pond to allow any
have faded creatures to return to the
water. Weeds are worst in
Water plants in early nutrient-rich water. Large
morning or late evening aquatic plants like water
and collect rainwater lilies and marginals help to
where possible keep the levels down, too.
Clean bird feeders

to prevent disease
using a five per cent
disinfectant solution After pruning
out green
shoots from a
variegated plant,
give it an extra
feed to aid
recovery
TOP TIP
Allow some weeds to grow
Next Month
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; TIM SANDALL
in areas of the garden to Monty trims his perennials to

provide food for wildlife. make them flower for longer
Daisies provide a rich
source of nectar and pollen Prune out reverted foliage Make more streptocarpus
for insects, while nettles Prune out the green shoots that feed the plant more efficiently. plants by taking leaf cuttings
support more than 40 sometimes appear on variegated Check regularly and cut reverted
types of insects, including plants. Variegated plants are often shoots back to where they start Prevent codling moths
the caterpillars of the bred from mutated coloured shoots to avoid them taking over. damaging your apples
small tortoiseshell and on a normally green species, so can Examples of susceptible plants
ß ��Ó�Â�òíí âĕ³ æ� be unstable. Reverted foliage can be a are ceanothus, elaeagnus, euonymus, Discover the best methods
stress reaction as totally green shoots hollies, privet and weigela. for feeding your plants

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When ordering online please use order code TM_TS2539 to access our special offers. cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.
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I enclose a cheque/postal order made payable to ‘Thompson & Morgan’ for £ KA9820 Perennial Collection, 72 plug plants £71.88 £9.99 catalogue to you, giving you first sight of our new
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Your questions answered
This month
Q&A
156 Gardeners’ Question Time
The BBC Radio 4 experts answer this
month’s pick of readers’ queries, including:
! Best plants for a courtyard
! Pruning pyracantha
Edited by Emma Crawforth ! Mystery ßÅ�Ìíæ³� Ìí³Ĕ �
Growing bulbs
Bulbs, tubers and corms are designed for storage (to make it
easier, I’ll call them all bulbs for now). Plants with bulbs flee from
hard times by disappearing underground, avoiding summer drought
or winter cold by staying moist or warm in the soil. They produce
new leaves and flowers afterwards, when conditions improve.
These plants must make the most of their short growing season.
Take the bluebell, which flowers this month. This woodlander revels
in light shade from deciduous trees. In summer heat, the tree
canopy closes overhead and the bluebell’s top growth dies down,
after transferring sugars made by photosynthesis down into its bulb.
The leaves re-emerge in spring under bare branches to use the
sunshine available for photosynthesis, and a flower then grows.
So we must look after our bulbs while they’re in growth. Adding
balanced fertiliser when you plant them sets them up well, and
liquid feed is great for bulbs in pots when they’re in leaf, including
amaryllis (Hippeastrum) indoors and summer bulbs outside. It’ll soon
be time to plant autumn bulbs, such as nerines, colchicums and
sternbergias, so order yours now, while there’s the greatest choice.
Emma Crawforth, Gardening Editor
Q What should I
do with my spent
tulips in pots?
Annette Mullan, by email
A EMMA SAYS If you want to

keep them, deadhead then water
and feed (weekly with tomato
food while the leaves are still
green), to improve the display
next year. Lift the bulbs from their
container once the leaves are
yellow, to store dry until autumn.
PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/EDWIN DUKES
WATCH our video guide to brightening up a sunny

border at gardenersworld.com/sunny-border TOP TIP
Plan your autumn bulb
display now. These
Contact us
nerines will flower for
Email your questions to Q&A@gardenersworld.com weeks if planted in a
or write to us at the address on p22. sunny, free-draining spot
May 2020
Gardeners’ Question Time Our experts tackle your gardening problems, including a nibbled
° â Ì« °Ó íÓ ßâòÌ Å Å Ì ° ° Ì« Ó âæ íÓ «âÓ
Anne Christine Matthew

Swithinbank Walkden Wilson
A keen fruit, vegetable Garden writer Garden designer
and houseplant grower, Christine appears on Matthew was curator
Anne was formerly the BBC1’s The One Show. of RHS Hyde Hall and
glasshouse supervisor She is also a lecturer Harlow Carr, and often
at RHS Garden Wisley. and tour leader. appears on television.
Q What can I grow in a Q My pyracantha has

æÓòí° ª Ì« Óòâí â a bare centre – would
shrubs and ground cover, with pots
pruning remedy this?
Andy Rogers, County Durham
of seasonal bulbs slotted in too.
A ANNE SAYS You can grow a If possible, remove a few paving
Paul Stephens, Manchester
wide range of plants, even in a tiny slabs and use these soil pockets A MATTHEW SAYS Pyracantha
courtyard. Mediterranean plants, for climbers, to clothe the walls. is a resilient and versatile plant that
such as fragrant lavenders, will Growing plants in containers can can be pruned and shaped almost
love the sunny south- or west- be hard work, as they need regular like topiary. It looks especially good
facing aspects. Woodlanders, such watering and feeding, as well as trained as an espalier, when it can
as acers and hydrangeas, can go potting on, top-dressing or root be made into criss-cross shapes,
in the shade of a north-facing wall, pruning. If plants outgrow their squares – you name it. It can take
while tougher plants will cope pots, instead of moving them into a lot of pruning, everything from
against an east-facing wall. larger ones you can cut off 8cm of regular, monthly clipping through
Think in terms of natural plant root from around the rootball. This Fragrant star jasmine does well to a really hard cut back.
layers, with tall specimens creating will make room for fresh compost, against a warm, sheltered wall To encourage your plant to
a canopy for smaller understorey into which new roots can grow. regenerate from the centre, you
A CHRISTINE SAYS The fact must cut it back far enough that
Q&A that your courtyard is sheltered light can get in and stimulate new
TEAM
A shady corner of
by high walls and is south-facing leaf buds. The best time to do this
a courtyard is ideal
ANSWER
gives you the opportunity to is in spring, but check for nesting
for hydrangeas
grow plants that may not be birds first and delay if necessary.
and ferns in pots
small onsidered hardy in your part After pruning, water the plant well
gardens of the world. These include and add a general-purpose feed and
climbers such as star jasmine a deep mulch of organic matter.
PHOTOS: NEIL HEPWORTH; GETTY/J ANDERSON MOORE, PICTURELAKE; JASON INGRAM

(Trachelospermum jasminoides)
and T. asiaticum – both produce
creamy-white, fragrant flowers
in summer. Or try fan-training a
pineapple broom (Argyrocytisus
battandieri), which has yellow
pineapple-scented flowers.
Daphnes would also enjoy this
warm, sheltered site. These lovely
shrubs usually bear pink flowers
in spring and early summer, but
a winter-flowering daphne that
I would choose for its wonderful
scent and free-flowering habit is
D. bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’.
Just make sure the plants
are kept well fed and watered Pyracantha is easy to train and
throughout the growing season. prune into all kinds of shapes
May 2020
gardeners’ question time Q&A
Q Can you identify Q Why has my mimosa
this mystery plant?
Jane Crowhurst, by email
tree suddenly died?
reproductive age quickly, they make
A CHRISTINE SAYS Your photo
Kim Bull, by email
sure a new generation is produced.
shows the rosette of a verbascum. A MATTHEW SAYS Mimosas are However, your mimosa was only
It looks like it’s getting ready to the archetypal live fast, die young four years old, which is a very
flower, having made most of its plant. They can grow from tiny short life, even by mimosa
leafy growth last year. It will send saplings to as tall as a house in a standards. Its demise could be due
up a tall, attractive spike of few years. And then, before you to damp soil, given the high rainfall
probably yellow blooms. The plant know it, they’ve died. of past months. Or it could be a
may have come from bird seed Their short lifespan is partly due root disease such as phytophthora,
mix, or the seed may have blown to the harsh conditions in their or an intense frost. Still, whatever
in from a plant in a garden nearby. home range – thin, poor soil, high the cause, it would have only
temperatures and regular bush lasted another three or four years,
fires. By reaching maturity and until ‘old age’ claimed it.
It might be best to learn to love
your plant’s two different colours
Q My rhododendron’s
flowers have changed
colour – why?
Monica Clark, Isle of Man
A CHRISTINE SAYS This is

because your plant is made of two
Verbascums self-seed readily, and different rhododendrons grafted
make strikingly ornamental plants together. Flowering shoots must be Mimosa produces
coming up from the roots, below lovely yellow flowers
the graft point, and these are a new in early spring, but is
Q What is this exotic- colour. You could cut them out, but a short-lived tree
looking tree, which has it may leave your plant mis-shapen.
just started to Ó â
Valerie Marr, by email Q How can I get rid of Q What is eating my
A ANNE SAYS This is a Chusan
powdery mildew on hydrangea and leaving
or windmill palm (Trachycarpus my new pear tree? sticky black residue
fortunei). Native to temperate Alex Waters, Greater Manchester Josephine Brisbourne, by email
forests from northern Myanmar to
central China, it is hardy in the UK. A MATTHEW SAYS Powdery A ANNE SAYS Looking at your
Male and female flowers are mostly mildew is a group of widespread photo, I first suspected caterpillars,
found on separate plants, and as fungal diseases that have quite but there is little anecdotal
yours has yellow rather than narrow host groups. Pear trees are evidence that they cause much
greenish flowers, I think it is male. affected, both ornamental types, damage to hydrangeas. My next
such as your ‘Chanticleer’ pear, suspect is large snails, but if they
and varieties grown for their fruit. ate that many leaves, they would
Although mildew can be unsightly, leave dark poo behind. I suggest
it is usually just superficial, only you investigate by torchlight,
causing damage in extreme cases. looking under nearby shrubs and
Cutting out affected parts of Ornamental ‘Chanticleer’ pear on walls, where snails often hide.
the tree may just encourage other trees are ideal for small gardens
diseases to enter the wounds of More investigation
the weakened plant. It would also remove them – don’t compost is needed to find
compromise the lovely upright them. Then lay mulch over the soil the mystery leaf
shape of the tree – the very reason around the base of the tree, a muncher
for choosing this variety. metre wide if possible, to keep the
There are various chemical mildew spores ‘locked in’. If the
controls, but if you don’t want to centre of the tree’s canopy is
Chusan palms look exotic but are spray, then make sure you collect densely packed, thin it out a little
hardy and flower readily in the UK all the fallen leaves in autumn and to improve air circulation.
May 2020 157

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gardeners’ question time Q&A
Q Why hasn’t my potted Q Can I prune a monkey
puzzle’s lower branches?
peony flowered? Helen, by email
Josie McCausland, you to do it now, into a 50:50 mix A CHRISTINE SAYS Your large
Northern Ireland of John Innes No. 2 and soil-less monkey puzzle tree has branches
multipurpose compost, with plenty right down to the ground, which is
A ANNE SAYS Peonies in pots of added grit. Choose a new pot quite unusual. I would therefore
need extra care. Top-dress in with room below the tuberous recommend you do nothing to it.
spring by removing the top layer of rootstock for fresh root growth Over time, I’m sure the lower
compost and replacing with fresh. and 10cm all around for sideways branches will naturally start to
Also apply a controlled- or slow- expansion. Avoid burying the top drop off as the tree matures. If you
release fertiliser in spring and of the crown by more than 2.5cm, did remove them, you couldn’t
again in summer, or a fortnightly as deep planting deters flowering. In autumn, you can reduce a tree easily use the ground beneath it for
well-balanced feed, then a high- Reduce stress by placing it in peony’s height by up to a third other plants, as the soil would be
potash liquid feed while growing light shade, with a few hours of very dry and filled with tree roots.
and flowering. sun. And if there is any chance of
Q Should I prune tree
You should repot it too. Autumn moving it into a border, in fertile
is usually the best time, but I advise soil, then do take it. peonies and, if so, how?
Rachel Chapman, by email
Q&A
HOT A MATTHEW SAYS I’m jealous!
Tree peonies are among my
TOPIC favourite plants and, sad to say,
looking after can’t grow them on my soil. In
peonies general, tree peonies require little
in the way of pruning, but that
doesn’t mean they can’t be pruned
or that pruning is harmful to them.
While their large, sumptuous
blooms are a real treasure in late
spring and early summer, after
a number of years plants can Monkey puzzles are best left to
become very leggy. If that’s the grow naturally, rather than pruned
case with yours, then you can
reduce the overall height by up
to a third in autumn. You can also Q What is this pretty
remove between a quarter and plant in my daughter’s
a third of the oldest stems right
down at the base, again in autumn.
new garden?
Feed peonies in
pots in spring Afterwards, apply a mulch of John Kendrick, West Midlands
and summer to organic matter around the base,
encourage flowering and feed with a general-purpose A MATTHEW SAYS What a lovely
fertiliser in spring. plant to inherit! It’s a yellow tree
peony (Paeonia ludlowii, or P. lutea).
This shrubby peony reaches 1.5-2m
Q Can I grow a climber tall, but it can be lightly pruned if
required. It’s a fairly easy-going
in a pot in shade? plant, giving lots of pleasure
Tim, London without much hard work. Enjoy!
A ANNE SAYS Most climbers

PHOTOS: TORIE CHUGG; SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM
would be happy in a large

container, at least 60cm wide.
It must have plenty of drainage
holes and be raised slightly off
the ground so it can drain well,
especially in winter. Use loam-
based compost, such as John Innes
No. 3, and apply slow-release
fertiliser annually. Water regularly,
giving a good soaking each time.
Most honeysuckles prefer light Originally from China, Paeonia
shade, so are well worth a try. Fragrant honeysuckle is ideal for a shady fence, in a large pot or a border ludlowii flowers in late spring

Q What can I plant to
brighten up a sunny
rockery with little soil?
Elaine Farrimond, Bolton
A CHRISTINE SAYS Alpines are

the obvious choice, and most don’t
need a great depth of soil. It may
be useful to mix in some sharp
grit when planting to ensure the
drainage is good over the winter.
Removing old hellebore leaves Bear in mind that you may well
will let more light into the border need to water in dry weather if
there is very little soil.
Q Is it OK to cut back my If you plant a selection of the
hellebores now, to make following, you should have a
succession of flowers throughout
room for other plants? the year. My first choice would be
Jacky White, Cornwall any of the smaller spring-flowering
bulbs, such as dwarf daffodils,
A MATTHEW SAYS It’s a good scillas and crocuses. Then dwarf
idea to remove the old leaves of phloxes would provide summer Creeping Phlox subulata
hellebores, either after flowering interest. Cyclamens are also ideal, ‘McDaniel’s Cushion’
or, more typically, just before. It with C. hederifolium for late forms a carpet of
improves the look of the plant, as summer and autumn, and C. coum colour in early summer
the old leaves are rather unsightly, for mid-winter to early spring.
and helps to reduce the spread of
fungal diseases from old leaves to
new ones. It would also let more
light reach smaller plants nearby.
Q What are the droplets
falling from my cedar tree?
Q Which flowers can I Jan Wood, by email aphid attacks quickly swell to large
grow for my wedding A ANNE SAYS The shower of

numbers, then dwindle naturally
after a month or so. Hopefully your
inearlyMaynextyear? sticky ‘rain’ is the sugary honeydew tree has now weathered the worst.
Joyce Stark, Milton Keynes excreted by aphids feeding on the The best defence against future
leaf bases of your lovely cedar infestations is to make your garden
A ANNE SAYS Growing flowers (Cedrus deodara). They may well be as wildlife-friendly as possible. Aim
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/APHICHETC, MAKSIMS GRIGORJEVS, MIKROMAN6; JASON INGRAM
for a special occasion is always a the grey-brown cedar aphid, whose to attract a rich diversity of birds,
risk. So I suggest you regard home- numbers swell during May and ladybirds, hoverflies, parasitic
grown blooms as a bonus rather Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ wafts its June, or even the large cedar aphid, wasps, lacewings, flower bugs and
than a reliable main plan. Try late rich scent far and wide in summer which peaks in June and July. velvet mites, all of which feed on
tulips and Anemone coronaria I’m glad you haven’t reported aphids of various sorts. On the plus
cultivars, although these may need Q Would a willow yellowing or dropping of the side, conifers and their aphids
protection from harsh weather, as
well as biennials, including honesty
tree do well by the needle-like foliage, as both can
occur with bad infestations. Most
provide good foraging for birds
such as goldcrests and warblers.
and sweet rocket, sown this June. sea in Hayling Island?
Sandy Nicklin, by email Natural predators
A MATTHEW SAYS Willows are

such as ladybirds
will help to control
best described as moderately salt aphid infestations
spray tolerant, which means it’s
hard for me to wholeheartedly
recommend a willow for your
seaside garden. However, there
are some lovely trees that would
be ideal, such as the honey locust
(Gleditsia triacanthos) or, for
something a little smaller and
with wonderfully fragrant flowers,
Anemones and late tulips are Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’, which
ideal blooms for a May wedding has silvery, willow-like leaves.

Q&A
Q When and how
should I cut back my
overly tall lilac bush?
Linda Spraggon, by email
A ANNE SAYS As soon as your

lilac has flowered, prune out up to
a third of the older stems, cutting
above a node near the base or
above a sideshoot. This will prompt
it to make new growth that will
flower lower down, where you Prune vigorous lilac annually after
Photography: Robert Read WTML

can more easily enjoy the display. flowering to keep it down to size
)LJK LQJ
FOLPDWH FKDQJH
7UHHV RIIHU VR PDQ\ EHQH WV WR WKH HQYLURQPHQW
including capturing and storing carbon
rees are the ultimate carbon capturing
T Did you know,

Photinia’s white flowers open among its red new shoots in late spring
machines, using photosynthesis to absorb
Q Why has my Photinia ‘Red Robin’ flowered atmospheric carbon and lock it away for
centuries. In fact, the entire woodland ecosystem
a one hectare
for the first time in 18 years? has a part to play in this process including the
young wood
Jennie James, by email of white frothy flowers, set living wood, roots, leaves, deadwood, surrounding with mixed
among the red young foliage, soils, fungi and associated vegetation.
A CHRISTINE SAYS The is quite a sight. Beyond capturing carbon, trees help fight the native tree
weather influences flowering and It may be that your shrub effects of our changing climate in a variety of species can lock
I assume that the conditions last has also now reached an age ways, from preventing flooding and moderating
year were conducive to the wood when it will flower every year. city temperatures to reducing pollution and up 400+ tonnes
ripening, which has then Just take care not to prune off keeping soils nutrient rich. To help the UK of carbon in
stimulated flowering. The display the flowering wood. government reach its 2050 target of becoming
carbon neutral (removing as much carbon as trees, roots
we’re producing), at least 1.5 million hectares
and soil over
Catch up with of additional woodland is needed that’s around
the same land area as Yorkshire. a period of
Gardeners’ Question Time Enjoy a fascinating
The good news is, there is plenty of space left
crop of listeners’ questions and answers
for trees, and the Woodland Trust gets millions
100 years?
from the experts every week, on BBC Radio 4,
of trees in the ground every year, while also
Fridays at 3pm, repeated on Sundays at 2pm.
protecting the ones we already have. But there
Contact us
is still a lot to be done in the fight against climate
change. Help play your part by joining the charity
Email your questions to Q&A@gardenersworld.com from just £4 a month.
Write to Q&A, Gardeners’World Magazine, Vineyard House,
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VISIT gardenersworld.com/how-to for more pest and disease a month. Visit ZRRGODQGWUXVW RUJ XN *:
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May 2020
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Issue number 351
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ACROSS DOWN Editorial Review Board
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1 Start to __ tender plants 1 May is the month these Series Producer, Gardeners’ World Sharon Fisher
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20 Latin name meaning scented, BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING
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55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri, 8am–6pm, and Sat, 9am–1pm. For overseas subscriptions, call +44 (0) 1604 973731.

Marketplace Product Directory
The Sussex Trug Managing Dog Waste
The Sussex Trug is a traditional tool that is Doggie Dooley in-ground dog waste
probably more cherished than any other systems are the easy way to manage dog
item in the tool shed. It makes the perfect waste and keep gardens clean. Install the
gift that will be used for a lifetime to unit in the ground, then simply scoop dog
harvest the garden produce. waste into the unit and add water and
Hand made in Sussex, signed, dated, digester powder or tablets. Waste breaks
guaranteed for life and sent next day. down naturally using natural enzymes and
drains harmlessly away. Available as septic
A choice of five sizes with the popular
tank or leachbed options; sold worldwide
No.7 (Large) at just £43.90 +p&p.
since 1968. Totally safe for pets, plants,
Visit my website or phone ANYTIME lawns and children. £35 - £59.99.
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Visit our website for details.
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Gardening Trousers Appletree Bespoke

from Genus Timber Buildings
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Fabulous Fused Cherry Blossoms

Glass Fish Why not jazz up your look with a pair of
Christin Ranger’s delightful Cherry Blossom
Designed for the garden, individually
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plated details. Only £42 + PP.
Various colours available. Fish sold
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Visit our website for unique handmade
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Gift vouchers available.
01243 573411 01424 773091

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To advertise in the classified section call 020 7150 5155 Marketplace Travel Directory
Northumbria Coast Railtrail Tours
& Country Cottages Discover Germany’s beautiful Harz
Mountains on a unique escorted rail
Over 500 outstanding personally
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inspected holiday cottages throughout
and villages surrounded by a panoramic
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Cheviot Hills and National Park inland.
Visit our website to book or telephone
Visit a wealth of beautiful gardens
for more details on this or over
including Gertrude Jekyll’s Lindisfarne
130 different departures.
Castle Garden, Cragside, Howick Hall and
the spectacular Alnwick Gardens.
Contact us for your free 2020 brochure.
01665 830783 01538 382323

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Cruise the West The Alnwick Garden

Coast of Scotland The Alnwick Garden Cherry Orchard is
the largest Taihaku Cherry Orchard in the
Explore the idyllic, dramatic west coast of
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April and early May. In autumn it puts on
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Choice of over 12 cruise itineraries for 3,
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small cruise ships. All cabins en-suite the blossom is out.
and centrally heated. Whole boat charter
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Let us take you on a voyage of discovery.
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Guernsey Flower Holidays

Self Catering with Collett’s
Stay in traditional granite cottages or Walk with Collett’s Mountain Holidays
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SC/HB/BB. Fly-drive or use our
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01481 237491 01799 513331

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Abbey Country Sandybrook Lodges

Gardens Sandybrook Lodges are an ideal base
from which to explore the Peak District
A Norfolk based family run nursery with
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over 50 years’ experience specialising in
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some of the finest Spring flowers in the UK,
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To see our full range of acclaimed perfect place for a relaxing holiday
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Marketplace Garden
Perfect Moments in the Garden

The Juliana Grand Oasis is the
perfect choice for gardeners with big
greenhouse plans. There is plenty
of room for all the family’s growing
projects as well as a space to relax
and enjoy the view of the garden.
The Grand Oasis is the perfect

garden venue for the active family.
Juliana Grand Oasis
For a FREE brochure call 01242 662926

or email contact@greenhouses.com
Juliana Greenhouse Centre For more information please visit
2.4 Barnwood Point, Gloucester, GL4 3HX www.greenhouses.com
: 6 5 5 ' & '$ *5 ( +28 ( & / ) $0(

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For more information

Call: 01889 562 610
Visit: www.woodpeckerjoinery.co.uk

To advertise in the classified section call 020 7150 5155 Marketplace Garden

Marketplace Garden
LARGEST RANGE OF Ferryman
GREENHOUSES Polytunnels Ltd
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Quality Polytunnels from £399
Replacement Covers
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ION
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For expert advice call 01761 463102 Free Brochure and Advice
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With our roots in commercial growing build & design, you can Plaisters Green, North Somerset BS40 8BH
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British Manufactured
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Timeless designs and handmade in the
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For further information call 0800 3317742

or visit www.chelseasummerhouses.co.uk
Buy with 12 Months Interest FREE Credit

Example Cash Price £6500. Deposit £1625.
Pay balance of £4875 over 12 monthly
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GROW MORE AND EXTEND YOUR SEASON WITH THIS
• Toughened safety glass RANT
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• PREVENTS SLUGS AND SNAILS FROM ENTERING

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• PROTECTS AGAINST CABBAGE
Ref: GWC2018, FREEPOST Crick, Northampton NN6 7XS www.garden-products.co.uk
WHITE BUTTERFLIES/CATERPILLERS
• EASY TO ERECT • EASY WEEDING
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• ALLOWS AIR TO CIRCULATE AND AT THE
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A unique, innovative and organic solution to most of your problems
Fruit & Vegetable Cages • Cloches • Polytunnels • Garden Netting
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GARDEN ROOMS, OFFICES AND STUDIOS
GARDEN ROOMS
THE PERFECT WORK-LIFE
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SMART Garden Rooms are used as home offices, home gyms,
hobby rooms, art studios or simply as personal retreats where
you can escape from the stresses and strains of modern-day life.
British manufacturer SMART, is one of the leading UK garden

room suppliers, offering 7 unique ranges in over 60 sizes
along with a wide choice of optional extras and upgrades,
enabling you to create your perfect garden space.
Boasting full thermal insulation, double glazing and
professional installation in your garden, redefining
your living or working space has never been easier.
Prices start from as little as £7,944.
CONTACT US FOR A COPY OF OUR CATALOGUE OR A FREE NO OBLIGATION SITE CONSULTATION

0800 242 5559 • smartgardenoffices.co.uk

Marketplace Garden
maintenance free
Summerhouses
Gazebos &
• Epoxy coated aluminium frame
• Toughened tinted safety glass
(Summerhouse Only) www.silkyfox.co.uk www.okatsune.co.uk
� 5RRILVVODWHHIIHFWÀEUHJODVV Silky Fox Saws
• PVC decorative panels Foxley Estate Office
• Clean with a hosepipe and Mansel Lacy
soapy water Hereford HR4 7HQ
01543 252705 Tel. 01981 590224

Fax. 01981 590355
3.5m Victorian Gazebo
www.trimstyledecor.com enquiries@silkyfox.co.uk
Two Wests & Elliott Established since 1975
Quality Equipment for Greenhouse and Garden

We stock a massive range of products with many exclusive to us including Greenhouse Staging
Rootrainer Racks � Greenhouse Shelving � Seed Tray Racks � Grow Lights � Propagators � Thermostats
Cold Frames � Cloches � Mini Greenhouses � Plant Supports � Ve etable Ca es � *DUGHQ $UFKHV etc.
MANUFACTURED
IN THE UK
IN DERBYSHIRE
The Bayliss range of Autovents opens and closes greenhouse vents

automatically without the need for electricity by using the warmth of the sun
O 2 Year Guarantee O Credit Cards Accepted O Online Ordering O Free UK Delivery
Over the 45 years we’ve ave developed our own range
TXDOLW\SURGXFWV$OOPDGHE\KDQGWRWKHKLJKHVWVWDQGDUGVZHDOVRRIIHUDcustom build For a FREE brochure telephone or visit the contact us page
serviceZKHUHRXUVNLOOHGFUDIWVPHQFDQPDNHDspecial size or unique design for a perfect fit.
Shop online at www.twowests.co.uk or call 01246 451077 for a fre
De sign
01335 342981
www.baylissautovents.co.uk
Two Wests & Elliott (GW) Unit 4 Carrwood Road, Sheepbridge Ind Estate, Chesterfield S41 9RH Bayliss Precision Components Ltd, Airfield Ind Estate, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1HA
AS R A
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FO
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Here at mynewgazebo.co.uk we are one of the UKs leading manufacturers of quality steel
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Marketplace Garden
SEPTIC TANK OWNERS... REDUCES
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Discover MUCK MUNCHERS 6YKLY `V\Y _ 4VU[OS` ;YLH[TLU[
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CALL 01626 880 912 or visit muck-munchers.co.uk 100%
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SUPPLIERS AND GROWERS OF SEMI-MATURE & MATURE, ROOTBALL

& CONTAINERISED TREES, SHRUBS AND INSTANT HEDGING
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equipped vehicles.
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01386 750585
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sales@instanthedges.co.uk www.instanthedges.co.uk
Variety shown: Prunus Lusitanica Angustifolia (Portuguese Laurel)

Marketplace Lifestyle/ Nursery
CORNWALL MELROSE Gardening Courses
COTTAGES
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Made by Roberts & Sheppey (Melrose) Ltd. Est 1880
18G MULTI-PURPOSE
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Enquire at your supermarket
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The Horticultural
Correspondence
College
THE GARDEN
AT MISERDEN TAKING
BARE ROOT
ORDERS
NOW!
17th century garden, café and nursery

Breeders of exquisite
Winner of Historic Houses Garden of the Year
English Roses since 1961 Specialists of Roses Ancient & Modern.
Quality Norfolk Grown Roses. Tel: 01603 755135
01285 821 303 www.miserden.org Nr Stroud, Glos, GL6 7JA www.davidaustinroses.co.uk www.trevorwhiteroses.co.uk
St Mary’s Pla!, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent
The Walnut Tree Company

is the leading supplier of
quality Walnut timber,
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Almond, and Kentish Cobnut
trees. Alexander Hunt also
gives specialist advice for the
garden, orchard, forest and
Call: 01255 830181 amenities/landscape uses.
or visit: www.kenmuir.co.uk
walnu!rees.co.uk
to request your
FREE brochure telephone
01732 882 734
facebook
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twitter
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Please quote GW20MY website
walnuttrees.co.uk
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POT GROWN HEDGING - PLANT NOW

QUALITY PLANTS DIRECT FROM THE GROWER. INDEPENDENT TRIALS CONFIRM US AS THE BEST SUPPLIER.
WRITTEN GUARANTEE AND CULTURAL INSTRUCTIONS ACCOMPANY ALL ORDERS.
Per 10 Per 50 Per 10 Per 50
BEECH, GREEN 60/90cm - 2 litre pot £60 £288 LAUREL, COMMON 90/120cm - 4 litre pot £137 £660
BEECH, GREEN 100/125cm - 4 litre pot £118 £576 LAUREL, COMMON 100/120cm* 5 litre pot £178 £864
BEECH, GREEN 150/175cm* 7.5 litre pot £240 £1170 LAUREL, PORTUGAL 40/60cm - 2 litre pot £82 £384
BEECH, PURPLE 60/90cm - 2 litre pot £68 £318 LAUREL, PORTUGAL 60/90cm - 3 litre pot £106 £516
BEECH, PURPLE 125/150cm* 7.5 litre pot £226 £1104 LAVENDER, HIDCOTE 5/8cm - 9cm pot £30 £144
BOX, COMMON 30/40cm - 2 litre pot £72 £348 LAVENDER, HIDCOTE 10/15cm - 2 litre pot £59 £288
BOX, COMMON 50/60cm - 3 litre pot £142 £684 LEYLANDII, GREEN 80/100cm - 1 litre pot £53 £252
COTONEASTER LACTEUS 60/80cm - 2 litre pot £82 £384 LEYLANDII, GREEN 150/175cm* 7.5 litre pot £312 £1500
ELAEAGNUS EBBINGEII 40/60cm - 2 litre pot £78 £378 PHOTINIA RED ROBIN 60/80cm - 3 litre pot £106 £504
ESCALLONIA, RED 40/60cm - 2 litre pot £82 £384 PRIVET, GREEN 60/80cm - 2 litre pot £63 £300
GRISELINIA, LITTORALIS 60/90cm - 4 litre pot £130 £624 PRIVET, GOLD 60/80cm - 2 litre pot £70 £336
GRISELINIA, LITTORALIS 90/120cm* 7.5 litre pot £238 £1164 PYRACANTHA, ORANGE ) 40/60cm - 2 litre pot £62 £294
HELP YOUR GARDEN HOLLY, GREEN 60/80cm - 2 litre pot

HORNBEAM 60/90cm - 2 litre pot
HORNBEAM 100/125cm* 4 litre pot
HORNBEAM 150/175cm* 7.5 litre pot
£72
£58
£118
£234
£348
£276
£576
£1140
PYRACANTHA, RED OR YELLOW ) 60/90cm - 2 litre pot
QUICKTHORN (HAWTHORN) 60/90cm - 2 litre pot
THUJA PLICATA ATROVIRENS 60/80cm - 2 litre pot
THUJA PLICATA ATROVIRENS 125/150cm* 5 litre pot
£71
£58
£82
£202
£342
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WILDLIFE HORNBEAM 175/200cm* - 7.5 litre pot

LAUREL, COMMON 60/80cm - 3 litre pot
£282
£84
£1380
£408
YEW, ENGLISH 40/60cm - 2 litre pot
YEW, ENGLISH 60/80cm - 4 litre pot
CARRIAGE £11.95 FREE ON ORDERS OVER £72 INC VAT (UK Mainland only except Scottish Highlands & Islands
£82
£130
£384
£624
This collection of educational children’s books is designed to get children and items marked*) ALL PRICES & CHARGES INCLUDE VAT - TEL 01580 765600
interested in the wildlife in their own gardens and to encourage them to help. THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION, SEE OUR FULL RANGE OF OVER 1600 HEDGING OPTIONS AT
www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk

‘Liverpool Hope’
Every garden deserves a rose...
Gardening is
a wonderful
hobby, helping
to boost mental
health and spiritual well-
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than ever it is time
to get out into the
garden to discover
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at Peter Beales are
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We feel that every garden
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quality, carefully selected and hand
cultivated to the highest of standards
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Our inspirational catalogue ‘A Treasury
• M A I L O R D E R • F R E E C ATA L O G U E
of Roses’ is the most comprehensive
Attleborough Norfolk NR17 1AY catalogue you could wish for. To receive
01953 454707 your free copy please phone the nursery
or visit our website: www.classicroses.co.uk
www.classicroses.co.uk quoting GWOR20.

Marketplace Nursery
ECHIUM
PLANTS
Giant Tree Echiums
We stock over 150 and other varieties
available to buy online
varieties of Dahlia tubers www.echiumworld.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER £5 OFF
YOUR NEXT ORDER
WITH CODE GW2MAY
Valid on orders over £20 placed by 27 May 2020
Soil and Compost Remineraliser
www.peternyssen.com 07715 707009 jennifer@reminscotland.com
www.reminscotland.com
FLORAL FIREWORKS FOR THE GARDEN SINCE 1958 volcanicrockdust REMIN_rockdust
Summer Bulbs
1000+ different bare root hardy trees - shrubs -

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to get a 10% discount
sales@weasdale.com www.weasdale.com www.gardenbeauty.co.uk For a FREE Catalogue Tel: 01622 840229
ALSTROEMERIA & IRIS
Established 1984
Discover the Diversity

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of Hardy Geraniums! FREE plant offer
We stock up to 200 varieties NEW collection deals &
throughout the year
Free printed catalogue & emailed guide
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available upon request Free 2020 illustrated catalogue
01939 291475
Contact Gary: 01684 770 733
01323 833479 or 07500 600 205 Viv Marsh Postal Plants
GW 0520, Walford Heath
Gary@cranesbillnursery.com
Shrewsbury, SY4 2HT
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Mail order service to the UK and Europe www.postalplants.co.uk
Valid for
Enjoy houseplants,
10% discount annuals, perennials
code: GW10 and shrubs,
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Grow buckets of Cut Flowers this year!

Enjoy weeks of beautiful home-grown bouquets New and Exclusive to Woolmans
with our NEW & EXCLUSIVE 9cm potted
chrysanthemum collection, plus P&P is FREE!
It’s incredible to think that for less than the cost of a single florist
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on end - from late summer to late autumn. Each collection contains
nine top quality chrysanthemum varieties, chosen for their vase life,
diversity of colour and garden performance.
A best-selling mix of outdoor sprays and blooms, they’ll be delivered
from mid June as 9cm potted plants, that can be planted straight out
upon arrival and will establish quickly, coming into bloom from late
August. Once flowering, they can be cut for the vase or left to fill your
garden with a profusion of late season colour. Loved by florists, these
varieties are very easy to work with and last for ages without the petals
dropping. They are superb garden varieties too, blooming profusely in
the border without the need for a greenhouse to grow them.
B Excellent garden
performers, enjoy weeks of
late summer colour from
late August onwards
B Cut and come again blooms,

the more you pick the more
flowers you get FREE
B Chosen by florists for their
long vase life, the flowers
Supplied as mature 9cm potted plants, they
can be planted straight out upon arrival
P&P
worth £4.95
and will establish quickly, coming into
last up to 3 weeks once cut bloom from late August.
Pompon
Astro Bronze Migoli Yellow Anastasia Green Regal Mist Red Ja Dank Red Bronze Danielle Bronze Allouise Pink Pompon Purple
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE | Order online at woolmans.com/W2CXGW1

Or phone: 0845 658 9137* quoting W2CXGW1 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 7pm weekends.
*Calls cost 3p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge
Please post to: Woolmans W2CXGW1, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Suffolk CB8 7QB
Name (Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss)
Delivery Address
Postcode
Code Description Price Qty Total
Email Address 1 pack
If you would prefer not to receive news of special offers or promotions tick this box � We will only share your email address with our delivery partners.
Telephone 54615 Cut Flower Bloom and Spray Collection £29.95 each
9 x 9cm potted plants (1 of each variety)
(In case we or our delivery partners need to contact you about your order).
Remember to quote your promotional code W2CXGW1 Postage & Packing FREE
I enclose my cheque made payable to Woolmans. Or debit my VISA � Mastercard � at the checkout to SAVE £4.95 on the P&P
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out NOW!
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Don’t miss our BUMPER ISSUE including...
GARDENING GLOVES worth £3.99
AQUILEGIA SEEDS
worth £3.60
K Perfect for pollinators
SUBSCRIBERS we’ve 1000s of pairs of K Hardy perennial
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It’s never too late to Enjoy summer

get growing - just nights with ADAM’S
follow ALAN’S guide lighting guide
May 2020
QUICK projects Master gardening in
shade with MONTY’S
tips and pick of plants
STUCK INDOORS? It’s time to give

your home a boost with houseplants
FAMILY FUN Get the kids into the

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And finally...
Tales from
Titchmarsh
For many people, their garden is a place to sit back and watch
nature do its thing. But not for Alan – there’s far too much to do
And relax… You’re kidding, aren’t Don’t get me wrong – I do so every still. I can watch a two-hour TV drama,
you? It’s May and there are vegetables
It is a family day. A bit. I throw up the sash window but after that I am up and about. The
to sow, border plants to stake and joke that when of our bedroom and stick my head out, prospect of sitting in front of the box
pots to water, not to mention
seedlings to prick out, cuttings to take
I flop down on leaning on the windowsill to take in
the view of the garden and the church
from six o’clock until bedtime has
never appealed, even when the
and those blooming weeds that a bench and spire beyond to inhale the pure weather is foul. And in May, when
always grow faster than cultivated
plants. And you’re telling me to
admire the country air, to listen to the swifts when
they arrive, shrieking as they wheel
the lengthening days (and the current
coro-you-know-what) mean I can
RELAX! Are you mad? view, it will around the spire’s lofty heights. In the spend even more time in the garden,
Well, er… no. It’s just that I thought be a matter evening, I do the same when the I am never happier than when
you might need a teensy reminder of blackbird sings from the chestnut tree pottering, or mowing (a repetitive
why we do this – gardening, that is. of seconds – – the best music on earth (and that delight that allows my mind to wander)
Yes, we grow crops to feed ourselves, not minutes includes Mozart and Beethoven). But or snipping this or that. But seldom
but we are also in the beauty business I don’t seem to be able to stay there sitting still. Even with a yardarm drink
– trying to improve our surroundings so – before I am for more than a minute or two. I should in my hand, I can amble among the
that our lives are spiritually and visually up again really explain to myself that the joy of beds and borders, looking for things
enriched, and the best way of such moments will not pall if it is that need to be done. I need to perfect
experiencing that is to, er, relax. extended a little. It might even make the art of ambling among the beds and
Sorry, there I go again. me more in tune with my garden and borders appreciatively, not critically –
But I am not pretending that I find it the surrounding countryside than I not concentrating on what needs to be
any easier than you do. Oh, there are already am. And I do love that feeling done, but on what has been achieved
seats and benches all around my of peace that descends when the – that combination of man and nature
garden, but it is a family joke that when traffic quietens in the early evening that creates an earthly paradise. It is a
I flop down on one and admire the and the birds salute the fading day. state of affairs that will – as you might
view, it will be a matter of seconds – I walk around what I laughingly call guess – prove impossible.
not minutes – before I am up again and ‘the estate’ at least once a day. (I know The reason is simple: gardeners
attending to a pot that needs watering that four acres is larger than the are doers, not watchers. To many
or a weed that needs pulling up or… average garden, but to call it an estate naturalists, their pursuit is a spectator
well, the list goes on and on. Other is pushing it a bit.) At least three sport. Gardeners, on the other hand,
people make appointments to go to quarters of it is wildflower meadow, are interactive, proactive naturalists;
the gym, or to have a morning run, and and as I grow older I find that trees, we involve ourselves. Rather than just
perhaps I need to make a weekly meadows and a sheet of water that is looking at plants and animals, we do
commitment to do absolutely nothing home to dragonflies and moorhens is our bit to make their lives better, while
– for a full half hour or (and this is every bit as captivating as my garden enriching our own. And in its way this
pushing it) maybe even an hour. A time proper. Perhaps it is because nature is is our relaxation. It satisfies us that
to sit and stare at the garden, to in charge here, rather than me. Yes, I we have had a hand in beautifying the
admire what I’ve achieved over the mow the rides and cut the hay in late earth, even if these endeavours fall
PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE. ILLUSTRATION: CHRIS MADDEN/EYECANDYILLUSTRATION
past 18 years on this patch of summer, but for most of the year I short of perfection. Perhaps that is the
Hampshire earth. simply watch it grow as I stroll among key to relaxation: learning to accept
its botanical riches. Perhaps that will that making a garden is a journey, not a
count towards my goal of relaxation – destination. And that will continue to
relaxation on the move. be my excuse. I must sit down now and
I have never been good at sitting think it over…

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