Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i BBC Gardeners' World

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All wrapped up Well done BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine! I smiled instantly when I saw my October issue arrive in a paper envelope, thinking how good to cut down on plastic. I also appreciate the fact that subscribers are first to see the latest issue of the magazine before it hits the shelves – and even the cover is kept secret by the envelope! Joanne Stringer, via the BBC Gardeners’ World Facebook group Absolutely delighted that you are now posting out Gardeners’ World Magazine in a paper wrapper instead of a plastic one. It is vital that the use of plastic is urgently addressed worldwide, so thank you. Our wonderful planet is being abused in many ways. I am in my eighties but recognise that much needs to change in…

Former lead singer of Catatonia, Cerys is a musician, broadcaster and author, as well as a keen gardener and forager What’s your garden like? Living in inner London, we have a tiny back garden full of pots. There’s also a communal garden that all the houses share, with a veg plot where everyone can help themselves to rhubarb, blackcurrants and tomatoes. What would 1990s party Cerys make of 2010s eco Cerys? I’ve always enjoyed gardening – I even had a regular gardening column in Time Out magazine in the 90s. But I was on tour a lot so my garden sometimes ran wild. Instead I’d write about my grandfather’s guerrilla gardening – he didn’t have his own garden, so he planted up verges and spare land with nasturtiums and beans.…

• I brush using a besom – a long whippy brush made from birch twigs that’s the perfect tool for leaf gathering – and rake leaves into long rows before mowing them. • If the ground is dry enough mowing up leaves is an excellent idea because it chops them as it collects so they rot down faster. In fact, I mow nearly all our leaves, very often gathering them in barrow loads and depositing them on a long brick path in the garden, setting the blades of the mower high, and ‘mowing’ the path, chopping and gathering up all the leaves as I go. • If you haven’t got enough room for a permanent large wire bay for leaves, the answer is to put the chopped-up leaves in a…

Apple Choose dwarf varieties grafted onto M26 (up to 3m tall) or MM106 (up to 4m tall) rootstock and they won’t require masses of food and water. Early croppers are best eaten straight from the tree, while later croppers will store and ripen through autumn and winter. Try Dessert: ‘Discovery’ (early), ‘Worcester Pearmain’ (mid-season), ‘Egremont Russet’ (late), ‘Fiesta’ (late) Cooking: ‘Reverend W. Wilks’ (early), ‘Arthur Turner’ (mid-season), ’Howgate Wonder’ (late) Grape Either over a pergola or – if you want to commit yourself – in the greenhouse, with the root planted outside in well-manured ground. The stems (rods) are taken through a hole in the side of the greenhouse and trained over the rafters. They need sun and shelter outdoors. Try Indoors: ‘Black Hamburgh’, ‘Muscat of Alexandria’ (the best but…

Meet the judging panel Alan Titchmarsh This famous gardener has an eye for great design Lucy Hall Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Kate Gould Known for her gold medal-winning RHS Chelsea gardens Diarmuid Gavin Garden designer and TV presenter with years of experience The prizes Thanks to sponsor Inspired Villages, our three top-rated entrants have each won a fantastic holiday for two! First Prize A 9-day trip to see beautiful Costa Rica, worth £4,600 Highly commended prizes Two breaks, each worth £2,500 – one to Spain and Bordeaux and one to the Norwegian fjords…

Powered tools make light work of many gardening jobs and in recent years, cordless ranges have been increasingly taking the place of petrol or corded models. There’s no need for fuel or an outdoor power source, and as well as the hedgetrimmers and strimmers you’d expect, cordless tool sets offer a host of accessories, from lawnmowers and loppers to tillers, chaimsaws and pressure washers. They use lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries, which charge quickly and hold their charge longer than traditional batteries. They don’t degrade in storage, which is crucial for gardening tools that are often used on an intermittent, rather than daily, basis. Battery tools are also light, quiet and quick to use, with no emissions, maintenance or servicing costs, or spills to worry about. The latest trend is for complete…

Best for small gardens Ryobi One+ Huge range of tools, batteries and chargers to choose from. Fast charging, and the tools are light, easy and have good features. Great value with a good length warranty. Best for the expert Stiga 500 Series Professional power and performance from large batteries, and a range of batteries and chargers to choose from. Tools have excellent features and are well thought out. Best for all round use Stihl Compact Cordless System Easy, quiet, well-balanced tools that all work hard and efficiently. All batteries are compatible with the charger. Great value once you have the base, battery and charger.…

Choose and plant a tree National Tree Week, which runs from 23 November to 1 December, is a reminder not only of the value of all kinds of trees, but also of the fact that this is a great time of year to plant them – both those that have been dug up from nursery rows and which, while dormant, can be planted ‘bare root’, and container grown ones. Trees offer our gardens stature to lift them off the ground, as well as catering for a host of wildlife from birds to much of the insect kingdom. Before you choose your tree, check that you have room for its ultimate height and spread, and remember, too, that dense trees cast shade. Avoid planting any tree nearer to a house than…

You know you are getting old when you start grumbling more often. The thing is, the older you get, the more things there are to grumble about. Now as grumblers go I would claim that I am a mere beginner. I have not practiced enough. At least, when I feel one coming on I confine myself to the house and the ears of my long-suffering wife. Or my friends. Grumbles are not generally something I feel I should inflict on an unsuspecting public, but today I must make an exception. A few weeks ago I heard a pronouncement from a Minister of State who was referring to what might happen after… sorry; this is a gardening magazine and I feel it indelicate to pen that compound word beginning with the…

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Euonymus is one of those invaluable shrubs that we find in almost every garden – but that, on the whole, no one really gets very excited about. But perhaps we should. These are tough, varied and, in a surprising variety of ways, very attractive shrubs, in two distinct groups. The evergreens, mainly Euonymus fortunei and E. japonicus, are simply indispensable. These are the ones we see so often. Always well behaved and available in groundcover, bushy or quietly climbing forms, they are small garden essentials for their variegated foliage and pink winter tints. Deciduous varieties, especially E. alatus and E. europaeus, are rather different. Maturing to a noticeably larger size, their foliage is also their main asset. But in this case it’s the autumn leaves that are so special –…

Polluting and damaging to wildlife? Or an efficient way to get rid of garden waste? When we made a base for bonfires at Veddw, I edged it with the words of William Blake: “The cut worm forgives the plow”, aware that there are gains and losses in making a garden – even a garden like Veddw, which is neither over-tidy nor unfriendly to woodlice or other benign creatures (rabbits are different). “We knew we needed bonfires to manage our large country garden” We knew we needed to have bonfires to manage a large country garden. Trees and shrubs get damaged and die, shed branches and almost inevitably outgrow their space – the results have to be dealt with. Even when I had a small London garden, the demise of a…

If you are new to greenhouses then things like watering, heating and shading can seem a bit daunting, but actually they are easy. You will quickly begin to get a good idea of when things need to be done by keeping an eye on the weather and watching what’s growing. Here are my foolproof tips: Ventilation When the weather warms up, ventilation is key to making sure that plants stay happy and healthy. Some plants such as chillies, tomatoes or melons, can take more heat, however too much can cause damage. Make sure you have a thermometer in your greenhouse to monitor temperatures – damage usually occurs when the heat rises to over 27°C. Roof windows are an ideal way to let hot air escape. Another option is side vents…

This contemporary container was designed to provide impact during autumn and would also look good deep into the winter months with a dusting of frost. The simple monochromatic scheme of greys, silvers and purple-black puts the emphasis on texture and contrasting leaf sizes and shapes, while the pansies add a subtle splash of colour. How long the pot would look good for depends on where you site it and how mild it is through winter. The senecio, the least-hardy plant, can cope with temperatures down to -5°C, so a protected spot should see it last well into midwinter. This is a pot for a sunny position but it could cope with being placed in shade for a few weeks to add interest. All the plants – except the pansies and…

Apple Apples grown on dwarfing rootstocks will do well in large pots and tubs, as long as they are well fed and watered. Choose a self-fertile variety grafted onto M9 (up to 2.4m) or the slightly more vigorous but still dwarfing M26 (3m). Bear in mind that they will have a relatively limited life, but can be regularly potted on in John Innes No.3. Try Dessert: ‘Braeburn’, ‘Discovery’, ‘James Grieve’ Cooking: ‘Golden Noble’, ‘Lane’s Prince Albert’ Blueberry These diminutive fruits are becoming more and more popular. Grow in lime-free ericaceous compost and be generous with food and water. Grow a couple of varieties to ensure effective pollination. They are happy in sun or dappled shade, they enjoy a high-nitrogen feed each spring. Water with rainwater in hard-water areas. Try ‘Bluecrop’,…

STEP BY STEP Protect plants from the cold Cover your most vulnerable plants to protect them from winter’s chill. Plants in pots are most vulnerable to root damage in a heavy frost, but cold can also penetrate the ground and damage tender fleshy roots in the borders. 1 WRAP sheets of hessian, old carpet or bubble wrap packaging around fragile terracotta pots and secure with string. 2 COVER tender plants with a fleece cloche for the winter. Fleece is ideal as it protects without causing heat build up in sunshine. Plant flowering shrubs Prepare the ground by removing weeds and fork plenty of organic matter into the base of the planting hole. Make sure the hole is twice as wide as the pot and the same depth. Firm the shrub…

STEP BY STEP Make more mint plants Old clumps of mint wear out quickly, so take cuttings from the roots to rejuvenate your supply. Put the trays on the greenhouse bench to root. When they’re rooted and growing next spring, discard the old clumps in the garden and plant out the fresh stock. 1 CUT and save the thickest of the runners from the clump you have dug up or knocked out of its pot. Discard the rest. 2 FILL a pot or tray with loam-based compost and lay each 4-5cm-long section on the surface giving them space to grow. 3 PIN them down by covering with a thick layer of compost and press the surface to give the layers contact before soaking. Winter greenhouse harvests Keep picking greens from…

Plant bare-root shrubs Dig out planting holes ready to plant shrubs that have been supplied from nurseries with bare roots. Soak the roots in water first then trim the roots back by one third to help stimulate growth. Fork some bone meal into the holes and take care to plant them back to the same depth they were on the nursery. Firm them in well, water and finish with a mulch of compost. Sales of bare-root deciduous shrubs start after leaf fall. It’s a cost-effective way to buy plants, perhaps for hedging or for a large planting project. STEP BY STEP Bird care Hang feeders to keep birds visiting your garden. Feeding now, when natural supplies of seeds and berries are low, builds up their strength for winter. They’ll nest…

What grows where (and what can grow where) is determined by climate – essentially water and temperature. Both are crucial, but in a cool, damp temperate climate like Britain’s, temperature is paramount. Anything that’s going to survive a UK winter outdoors must be hardy, but what exactly does that mean? Tropical plants, and many warm temperate and subtropical ones, too, suffer from chilling injury at temperatures between zero and about 10°C. Such plants are generally described as tender and cannot survive outdoors all year round in the UK. They may well be okay outside in the summer, but will always need bringing indoors over winter. At temperatures below zero, plants are at risk of frost or freezing injury, and plants that can survive such temperatures are usually called hardy. But…

Bob Flowerdew Bob is an organic gardener and a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Anne Swithinbank A keen fruit, vegetable and houseplant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Matthew Wilson Garden designer Matthew was curator of RHS Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr, and often appears on television. Q Should I remove my fig tree’s unripe fruits now? Monna Brown, by email A ANNE SAYS In warmer countries, fig trees crop twice a year, but this is rare in the UK, unless they’re under glass. By autumn, fig trees usually have two kinds of immature fruits. There are lots of hard green fruits of moderate size, which are destined to turn black and fall off. Near the tips you’ll also see tiny…

The sheer joy of creating a garden, and sharing it with friends and family, came through loud and clear from the hundreds of entries to this year’s Gardens of the Year competition. And we were touched by the many stories of how gardens are helping to heal and to bring us together – transforming spaces and creating life from, at times, the most unpromising start. With so much creativity on display, it wasn’t easy to reach our shortlist but, thanks to our brilliant and insightful judging panel, we are delighted to unveil this year’s top gardens from p59, packed with dozens of design ideas to steal. The value of greening up our cities is a theme – and if you’re unsure how to tackle an awkward space, or have a…

As a rule I actively avoid trends, fads and fashions. I am happy to be out of kilter with the way of the world and focus on my own thing. But on one thing I am more than happy to be firmly on message, and that is the burgeoning appreciation of wildflowers, and in particular wildflower meadows. Wildflower meadows have increasingly been made in gardens over the past quarter of a century, but always with caveats. The problem was usually one of misunderstanding what a meadow actually is and how it works and also just what a thug grass can be. You would hear of someone making a ‘meadow’ simply by not cutting their lawn or by scattering wildflower seed and then expecting an annual cornucopia to ensue. Even those…

1 SHARE FOOD A new app has been launched that seeks to cut down on food waste by allowing you to share your harvests. Log surplus bread, veg gluts and more on to the app and arrange a pick-up. Download from Google Play or the App Store. olioex.com 2 GARDEN OF THE YEAR Newby Hall & Gardens, near Ripon, has been named the nation’s favourite country garden by Historic Houses. It won over 5,000 votes. historichouses.org 3 DOG-PEE RESISTANT GRASS Dog owners can say good-bye to yellow patches in their lawns with new Tuffgrass Lawn Seed with Dog Patch Resistance, from Johnsons Lawn Seed. Featuring naturally tolerant grass varieties, it is available from January. 4 FAVOURITE CLEMATIS Clematis ‘Kingfisher’ has been voted the public’s favourite clematis in a People’s Choice…

1 Make a plan When we came to Glebe Cottage, there was no garden. We had rough areas, brambles, nettles, turning places for cars, cars that could no longer turn and old sheds. I optimistically drew plans, with curved beds and undulating grassy paths. None of these were ever put into practice and over the last 40 years the garden has evolved in a vernacular way. Nevertheless, creating a plan is essential because: • A plan that considers as many factors as possible before it is put into action is the one most likely to succeed. • Your garden will cost less if you follow a plan and will ensure that time is used efficiently, giving you more of that precious commodity to enjoy your plot. 2 Establish priorities It…

The best time to clean your greenhouse is when you have the fewest plants growing in there, which for most people is usually winter. Any remaining plants can temporarily be moved to a sheltered spot, so you don’t have to work around them. First, give the inside of the greenhouse a thorough brush down and sweep, getting into every nook and cranny. Aim to get rid of all the accumulated dirt and debris, as this can harbour pests and diseases. Also give all the benches, staging and shelving a thorough clean with disinfectant or detergent. Then wash the glazing, both inside and out, to improve light levels. Use a hose, or a bowl of warm soapy water and a sponge. Clear any algae and moss from the roof in particular.…

Apple If you have room for an orchard then you can grow apple trees on more vigorous rootstocks that will produce larger trees and a more generous crop. Rootstocks such as M25 will produce sturdy self-supporting trees up to 4.5m. Try Anything! My favourites are ‘Ashmead’s Kernel’ and ‘Egremont Russet’ (dessert), ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ (which often bears heavily every other year) and ‘Howgate Wonder’ (cooking) Cherry Great for growing as a tree, as long as you can get to the fruits before the birds. Morello cherries are a good choice for fan-training against a north wall. Those grafted on to Gisela 5 will make small trees (3m), Colt rootstock will produce a medium-sized tree (5m) and F12/1 will make the largest tree (6m). Try Cooking: ‘Morello’ (against a wall) Dessert: ‘…

Woody plants benefit from regular pruning for several reasons. It helps to limit their size and give them a good shape, maintain their health and vigorous growth, encourage flowering and better cropping, and allows you to train and shape specimens into decorative forms. But despite there being many reasons to practise good pruning, many gardeners are so intimidated that they end up with overgrown shrubs, trees and bushes that underperform. This can lead to reactive pruning – only cutting back plants when they outgrow their allocated space or obstruct the washing line, gate or car door! Instead, you need to be proactive with your plants, pruning them in advance of problems arising and cutting to produce desirable types of growth. Tell-tale signs that pruning has never been done on ornamental…

Fill gaps in your borders with winter-flowering plants for instant displays – there should be plenty in garden centres right now. It’s a stress-free time to plant now as neither moisture nor heat will be an issue. Soak the pots in a bucket of water before planting and tease the roots out before they go in the ground. Weed the area and make a planting hole. Add organic matter but no fertiliser until the spring. Firm well to avoid frost lift then water again and mulch. New plantings will be maintenance free for the rest of the winter.…

Harvesting hardy crops Crops that mature in late autumn and winter provide a welcome harvest once the summer gluts are over. Kale, Swiss chard and perpetual spinach can all be picked this month as hardy cut-and-come-again crops. This method gives high yields from just a few plants. As well as providing fresh leaves in winter, kale and chard add an ornamental touch to the vegetable patch. The last of the root crops – carrots, turnips and swedes – can be harvested before heavy frosts set in. Ease them out of the ground with a fork. To store, place in a shallow wooden box, cover with moist sand or a peat substitute and keep in a frost-free spot. Check them regularly, removing any that show signs of rot. Roots can also…

■ Remove overwintering begonia tubers drying in their pots, and check for vine weevil ■ Check forced hyacinths don’t get too dry, water if required, avoiding the top of the bulb ■ Insulate tree ferns, ensuring the crown is kept as dry as possible and fleece newly planted acers ■ Carry out thorough pond clearing, leaving debris on the side to allow wildlife to escape ■ Check staked trees and standards do not rub when windy, causing stem damage ■ Insulate outdoor taps by covering in recycled bubble wrap before freezing weather ■ Mend insecure fence panels so they won’t break in a gale ■ Finish lawn maintenance and keep mowing the lawn while it’s growing, but otherwise try to keep off it until spring ■ Clean pond filters and…

Year Planner 2020 Created to be your essential gardening companion, this month-by month planner comes complete with diary dates, spaces for notes and clear step-by-step instructions for key gardening tasks. Spread over 132 pages, this colourful guide will help you achieve your best ever results. Only £6.99 incl. P&P at magsdirect.co.uk/gwplanner19 Your Pruning Year Perfect your pruning technique with this 132-page comprehensive guide to pruning through the year – helping you make the right cuts to get the best from your plants. Includes which plants to prune when, step-by-step guides, troubleshooting, tools and techniques and much more. Only £6.99 incl. P&P at magsdirect.co.uk/gwpruningyr19 Complete Guide to Roses Discover roses for every location, including sun, shade, windy gardens, ground cover and more, plus find the perfect rose for your plot with…

• In response to low temperatures, hardy plants accumulate proteins that act like anti-freeze chemicals and increase their frost tolerance. • No plant can survive if its living protoplasm (cell contents) freezes, but in the hardiest plants, this can cool down and stay liquid in temperatures falling far below 0°C! • Plants that suffer chilling injury have cell membranes that cease to function properly at low temperatures. • Ice outside the living contents of the cell, in the cell wall, suck water out of the protoplasm, which therefore experiences drought. So plants that can survive freezing are often drought-tolerant too. • If the plant’s water-conducting xylem (transport tissue) freezes, air bubbles form, causing a blockage. Climbers have wide xylem cells where this is more likely to happen, so relatively few…

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