Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i BBC Gardeners' World

These tall, elegant grasses reach their peak at this time of year, with silky plumes swaying above a fountain of arching, rustling foliage that matures to various shades of soft yellow, beige and copper. There are many miscanthus to choose from, but just a quick warning about one of them – don’t be tempted to plant elephant grass in your garden. Although impressive, this hybrid is also known as Miscanthus x giganteus – and it is indeed gigantic. It will reach 3.5m tall in no time, will spread steadily but with determination, and is almost impossible to remove. It’s farmed as a biomass crop due to its rapid growth. But in gardens? No! And don’t be fooled by one of its trade names, eco grass. So, having banished elephant grass,…

Bird lovers are bracing themselves for another heartbreaking winter of bird losses as the world’s worst bird flu epidemic shows no signs of abating. The current wave of bird flu is now in its third year, and millions of birds have already died – more than in any previous single outbreak. Most fatalities have been water birds, which tend to gather in large colonies where disease spreads quickly. Scotland has lost nearly half its population of skuas, while this summer over 10 per cent of the UK’s black-headed seagulls died along with thousands of kittiwakes, terns and guillemots. The UK Government is now asking the public to report even single dead birds in an effort to track the disease more closely. “We know the devastating impact avian influenza can have,”…

Autumn shades with a twist Add some fizz to your outdoor space with these sherbet-inspired shades. The phormium creates a striking focal point with its fountain of foliage, while beneath it the heucheras and heucherellas provide winter-long foliage colour when flowers are scarce. For an extra pop of colour, add the gaultherias at the front, so their candy-coloured berries trail over the pot’s edge. The phormium is an excellent choice for a long-term pot display, allowing for rotation of seasonal bedding plants beneath it throughout the year. The heuchera and heucherella enjoy dappled shade, but watch out for vine weevils, as the grubs like to eat their roots. Gaultherias thrive in acidic compost and their showy flowers are great for pollinators. TOP TIPS WE USED ➊ Phormium cookianum ‘Flamingo’ x…

I produce leafmould in a couple of different ways. The first is using four sturdy posts driven into the ground in the shape of a square about one metre in each direction, with chicken wire wrapped around. The other way I do it is just at the back of borders by creating small piles of leaves. This doesn’t tend to make a very pure leafmould but you do end up with a handy material. Try to choose a spot that gets a decent bit of rainfall and ideally also a bit of shade in the summer months. Leaves are best kept moist but you don’t want them sodden, so avoid packing them down too tightly. If you don’t have the space for a leaf cage or room at the back…

Alan Titchmarsh This is very good. He’s really thought about the scale of the garden and also the texture created by the foliage. He’s brought the garden together very successfully. And I love the cheeky metal signs. Arit Anderson I love the views from both the balcony and bedroom, what a wonderful outlook to wake up to. He’s considered the views from both parts of his house. The fact that he’s managed to create a garden here is great. Ann-Marie Powell I would really like to spend a lot of time in this garden. I can just imagine waking up in the morning to that amazing view. How wonderful to have that outside your bedroom door every day, it’s remarkable. Sarah Mead Horticulturally, every single plant is in rude health,…

◼ Blackmoor Nurseries Order from September for delivery October onwards of fruit trees and soft fruit. blackmoor.co.uk ◼ Frank Matthews One of the largest tree growers in the UK. Order any time for delivery from late November. frankpmatthews.com/online-shop ◼ Hopes Grove Nurseries Specialists in hedging, with a diverse selection available. Pre-order at any time for delivery November onwards. hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk ◼ Hedging Plants Direct Has a wide range of popular shrubs for hedging. Pre-order at any time for delivery from November. hedgingplantsdirect.co.uk ◼ Farmer Gracy Stocks geraniums, rudbeckias, hostas and more as bare-root plants. Order at any time for delivery September onwards. farmergracy.co.uk ◼ Ashridge Trees Established online-only supplier with plenty of advice to accompany plant choice. Order at any time for delivery from late November. ashridgetrees.co.uk/trees ◼ Buckingham Nurseries Order…

As I reflect on this summer’s harvest, there have been problems, such as slow-ripening tomatoes, though thankfully there were successes too. Every year some crops grow better than normal while others do unexpectedly worse, but not worrying about it comes with experience. I can’t control everything all of the time, so instead, I take the lessons learned from the losses into next year. Growing a variety of different crops helps ensure that some will do well, which encourages us to carry on; for instance, my potato crop was affected by slugs, so next year I’ll try slug-resistant varieties; meanwhile, garlic ‘Picardy Wight’ and leek Tornado did so well that I haven’t had to buy any from the shop. But my salad leaves were the real winners. A couple of years…

STEP BY STEP Take cuttings of deutzia Make straight hardwood cuttings of shrubs such as deutzia (below), buddleia, cornus and weigela. They’ll root slowly in a cold frame over winter, put on growth in spring and can be potted on or planted out to flower the following year. 1 SELECT the thickest stems that have grown this year. Cut them close to ground level but cut just above a bud if cutting to the ground would damage a stem. 2 CUT lengths of stem 15-20cm long that are the thickness of a pencil, cutting just above a bud at the top and just below one at the bottom. 3 FILL a pot with gritty cuttings compost and firm it in just below the rim. Insert the cuttings by two thirds of their length,…

STEP BY STEP Grow prepared hyacinths in a vase Specially prepared hyacinth bulbs are available now, to be planted immediately. These carefully treated bulbs are primed for winter-flowering indoors and are good for impatient gardeners, producing fragrant blooms in 10-12 weeks, and you don’t even need any compost or soil in order to grow them. They are best grown in hyacinth vases, which are wider at the base than the top to help stop the plant toppling over as it grows. 1 TAKE your bulbs out of their packaging and check that they are firm and that there is no ‘give’ in them when you squeeze the bulb. 2 FILL the vase with water up to the narrow part of the vase so that the bottom of the bulb will…

Harvest self-blanching celery Lift your celery now before there’s a really hard frost or all the foliage starts to turn yellow. Harvest either by digging under a plant with a fork or, if several plants are close together in a row, by cutting the plant off at the root, which will cause less disturbance to the other plants. Scrape back some soil at the base, then use an old kitchen knife to cut down into the root, keeping all the stems attached at the base. Cover the rest of the crop with fleece until you need them. Remove old asparagus stems Once asparagus stems have turned from yellow to straw coloured, cut them right down to ground level. Try not to leave any stubs, as they’ll get in the way…

Although a few autumn stalwarts may still be in flower – chrysanthemums, nerines, cyclamen, hesperantha and some asters for instance – most gardens have gone to sleep. Sad as this may seem, it does mean that you can really start to get active. There’s plenty to be done – compost turning, mulching, cutting back, clearing, weeding, tackling big projects, moving plants, building and, yes, pruning anything that prefers to be cut back in the dormant season. This includes deciduous trees and shrubs, especially those that bleed sap at other times, like acers, along with many other plants – deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials for instance. I would just caution against making things too tidy now though. Leaving the garden undisturbed over winter can be very beneficial to wildlife. If you…

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Although I love all the issues of GW we produce through the year, the November edition, when we reveal the winners of our Gardens of the Year competition, is a particular favourite. It’s the culmination of months of work – from launching the competition in spring, to methodically reviewing the thousands of entries, then agonising over choosing the eight finalists and, finally, sitting round a table with our judges and thrashing it out to decide on our winners. Judging day happens surprisingly close to printing the November issue, so the hot debate is still fresh in my mind as I write this. We all had our favourite gardens – spaces that excited us and caused us to smile with joy – but we didn’t agree on everything, and our views…

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Making your own compost isn’t exactly rocket science, but it is important to get the mix correct. Aim for about half of the ingredients to be soft, green materials – grass clippings, annual weeds, nettles, fruit peelings and vegetable kitchen waste – to feed the microorganisms. The other half should be woody, brown material such as small prunings, wood chippings, paper, cardboard, straw or dead leaves. You’ll soon spot if you’ve overdone it in either direction – slimy and mushy means too much green, while dry and slow to rot down means too much brown. And don’t forget to turn the compost heap from time to time – I do mine once a month – to help aerate it and keep the composting process going at a decent pace. Another…

It’s time to reveal our Judges’ Choice winner from our 2023 Gardens of the Year competition. And that’s not all – next month, we’ll unveil the Highly Commended garden, and in January we’ll share who GW readers select as their People’s Choice, so vote now for your favourite at GardenersWorld.com/garden-competition Meet the judging panel Alan Titchmarsh TV presenter and GW Magazine regular, Alan has created and cared for countless beautiful gardens of all sizes and styles Arit Anderson Gardeners’ World TV presenter and garden designer, Arit is also a passionate supporter of sustainable gardening Ann-Marie Powell Garden designer and presenter, Ann-Marie spearheads the My Real Garden online community Sarah Mead Head Gardener at Yeo Valley Organic Farm in Blagdon, Sarah loves to bring fun and creative style into gardening…

◼ The winner of the Judges’ Choice award, Clive Johnson-Cooper, wins a holiday for two in South Tyrol. This beautiful region of northern Italy is shaped by the majestic Dolomite Mountains. The area is famed for its hiking trails and also its wine, which benefits from the mild climate and an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. The winner will be able to enjoy the Hotel Torgglerhof’s private vineyard, orchards and farm-to-table restaurant, specialising in regional flavours. The prize includes five nights’ half-board accommodation, car hire and return flights from the UK to Verona. PLUS … ◼ The Highly Commended entry will win a four-night self-catering staycation for two people in the tranquil Mendips. The lucky winner can relax at the secluded Will’s Barn, taking in the panoramic…

Growing plants to sell in pots is a relatively recent innovation. Up until around 60 years ago trees, shrubs and perennials were always grown in the field, lifted in autumn and sold while the plants were dormant. Plants grown and sold in this way are referred to as bare roots. In other words, there is little or no soil around the roots, which are wrapped to conserve moisture. A great range of hardy plants are still available as bare roots and many give better results than those grown in containers. Some plants just grow better in soil than they do in a container full of compost, and most produce a more extensive, open root system without the restrictions of a pot. Bare-root plants are also better value: the gardener is…

Prune roses to stop windrock Cut back the tall stems on your roses to stop them getting blown about by the wind, particularly if they were planted this year. Long stems being whipped back and forth risk root rock, which is when the roots are physically tugged by the movement of branches above. Prune the stems by a third and leave the plant with a shape that will look good through winter. This light pruning also removes the softest wood vulnerable to damage by persistent frosts. Put out winter food for birds Give the birds that visit your garden a helping hand through the challenging winter months by putting out more feeders with plenty of nutritious foodstuffs. Use shop-bought fat balls, or make your own with ingredients such as seeds,…

Loropetalum Ever Red is a variety of Chinese witch hazel that produces a spectacular firework display of flowers. Adding autumn and spring interest to your garden, it is slow growing and easy to maintain, making it perfect for containers on the patio. It also loves shade. Height x Spread 1.5m x 1.5m Flowers February-April ◼ One established plant in 15cm pot £15.99 ◼ Double up! Two established plants in 15cm pots £21.98 SAVE £10 (510306) GET THE LOOK Twin pack peat-free multi-purpose compost A peat-free option for general use. ◼ Two 40L bags £23.97 SAVE £13 PLUS FREE POSTAGE (100102) ‘Acorn’ round planter Lightweight, affordable style for any garden. ◼ One 25cm planter £5.99 (130340) ◼ Two 25cm planters £8.98 SAVE £3 0844 502 0050* Please add £6.99 P&P yougarden.com/RGW249 Terms & conditions:…

Root cuttings are a surefire way to propagate various plants that can otherwise be very difficult, including oriental poppies, eryngiums and verbascums. The technique couldn’t be more straightforward, and the cuttings need very little aftercare – once slotted into the compost, they can be virtually left to their own devices over winter in a cool location under cover. Take your cuttings between November and February, and you’ll have new plants in around 10 months. All you need is a well-established, healthy plant, secateurs, a knife, some compost and a pot or tray. So why not give it a try and propagate some of your favorite plants for free? How to take root cuttings Choose a strong, healthy plant growing in the ground or in a pot, and give it a…

This month 124 Gardeners’ Question Time The BBC Radio 4 experts answer this month’s pick of readers’ queries, including: ◼ How to tackle fungus gnats ◼ Whether to overwinter chilli plants ◼ Which trees to plant for privacy Vivipary explained In plants, vivipary happens when seeds germinate before they leave the parent plant. In autumn, it’s not uncommon to see the resulting seedlings when you look at an old brown seedhead and notice a fresh green shoot coming out of it. Warm, wet weather encourages germination, whether or not seeds have fallen to the soil. Many plants protect themselves from this inappropriate germination with hormones that discourage development until the seed is in suitable conditions to become a healthy seedling. For example, some seeds germinate after the fruit they are in…

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YOUR 2024 CALENDAR Don’t miss your beautiful wall calendar full of seasonal garden scenes Your calendar includes: ◼ Exclusive photos of plants and inspiring gardens ◼ Key gardening jobs for the month ◼ Essential gardening diary dates ◼ Space for your gardening notes MONTY shares how to get the most from your winter veg plot HOUSE PLANT essentials – how to choose and buy them wisely Get your vines in shape with FRANCES’ step-by-step guide…

One of the less heralded aspects of climate change is that leaves are falling later. I have photographs of Longmeadow carpeted in uncollected leaves in the second week of October, all of them frozen hard. But that hard frost is the key. We rarely get a frost in October at all now and if we do it is a milksop affair, too mild to freeze the leaves from the trees. But November comes and with it normal leaf-fall service is resumed, and down they all come – streaming, drifting, tumbling and, if there is a proper frost, clattering to the ground. Leaves convert starch from the roots into sugar to feed the tree, but cold nights stop it moving that sugar back to the roots, so it accumulates in the…

Martin Griffin is a horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley and cares for its topiary To use the word cliché when describing topiary feels like an insult to a versatile art form. It’s human nature to admire symmetry, straight lines, perfect shapes and a sense of structure. What’s great about topiary is using nature in place of a brick wall or metal sculpture to show what we can do with plants, capturing the attention of visitors who can appreciate the artistry behind them, as well as providing structure to our gardens. To some, topiary is a cliché because it has existed for many centuries, dating as far back as the Roman Empire, where it was used to create orbs, obelisks and animal figures. As a result, in this modern…

At Yeo Valley Organic, we’ve been using organic methods for over 25 years. We give our cows freedom to roam and forage our clover-rich pastures as much as British weather allows. Being organic means our farms are naturally buzzing with wildlife. From using our own natural fertilisers, homemade compost and homegrown clover, to avoiding pesticides, we farm with nature, keeping our land as a safe and flourishing habitat for all our little creatures. At Yeo we’re doers not talkers, from certifying our products with the Carbon Trust to switching our 1L packaging from a plastic milk bottle to a carton made only of renewable, plant-based materials; we’re committed to reducing our impact on the planet. By choosing deliciously fresh, Yeo Valley Organic milk to splash in your cuppa, you’re making…

This mix of hybrid alstroemerias produces exotic, lily-like blooms for a parade of colour over the summer months and into the autumn. Hardy, compact perennials, they are easy to grow and perfect for adding a bright splash of late-summer colour to cottage-garden borders and patio containers. Plus, these Peruvian lilies will continue to grow in your garden for years to come. Height x Spread 60cm x 50cm Flowers Jun-Oct ◼ 6 tubers £13.99£9.99 SAVE £4 (15977) ◼ 12 tubers £27.98 £19.98 SAVE £8 PLUS 6 FREE tubers WORTH £9.99 (KB1835) HELLEBORUS NIGER The snow-white, saucer-shaped flowers of the Christmas rose are flushed with green and pink, slowly deepening in colour as they age. Set against glossy foliage, the delicate blooms are some of the earliest to appear in the garden. Plant in shady borders…

Save tree seeds Now is the time to collect seeds from trees and shrubs to grow on as hedging plants or specimen trees. Most berries and nuts provide food for wildlife, so get to them before they all disappear. To harvest the seeds from berries, mash them in water to remove the flesh, and let the seeds sink to the bottom. Then simply dry them off. Some seeds, particularly of woody plants like this spindle (Euonymus europaeus), are triggered to germinate by winter temperatures. So when collected now, they need exposure to a period of cold – a process known as stratification. This is easy to do at home by putting them in a bag in the fridge. Another option is to sow them straight away and put the pot…

Make new angelica plants It’s easy to propagate angelica by division at this time of year. Angelica is a statuesque, architectural plant that can reach up to 2m tall, making an eye-catching feature in summer. It’s usually a biennial, but it can be kept going for a year or two longer by cutting back the flower stem before it goes to seed. Dividing the small shoots around the base after flowering is a simple way to make more plants to fill out borders. Cut the old flower stem down to a stump first, so you’re lifting just the clump of foliage. Pot up the divisions and place in a sheltered spot or cold frame over winter. They’ll have grown into strong young plants by late spring, ready for planting into…

Elevate your gardening year with this special 132-page edition. Inside, you’ll find essential monthly tasks, must-have plants for each season and expert advice designed to keep your garden flourishing throughout the year. ON SALE in selected supermarkets, WHSmith and local stores from 2 November (for a limited time only) BUY NOW online* at magsdirect.co.uk/gw-special-editions (Subscribers save 25% – just enter your subscriber number at the checkout) *Advertised price excludes P&P…