Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i BBC Gardeners' World

Neonicotinoids return The Wildlife Trusts is threatening the Government with legal action over its decision to authorise the temporary emergency use of the neonicotinoid pesticide thiamethoxam on sugar beet this year, aimed at preventing crop losses from an aphid-borne virus. Due to the harm they do to pollinators, thiamethoxam, and two other neonicotinoids, have been banned in the EU since 2018. The Government had pledged to continue the ban post-Brexit, but now says the threat of losing up to a quarter of the year’s sugar-beet crop justifies their “exceptional” use, “tightly controlled” to minimise risk to pollinators. Environmental campaigners, including Greta Thunberg, have condemned the move. The Wildlife Trusts has written to Environment Secretary Geroge Eustice, saying it will push for a judicial review, unless the Government “can prove it…

Spring is nearly upon us, which means the new series of Gardeners’ World is about to start. Monty and the regular team of presenters will be back to inspire, inform, entertain and share their love of gardening – and we also welcome back to our screens you, our viewers. Last year, Covid-19 scuppered some of our plans, but it didn’t prevent the show airing every Friday evening, and that’s the plan this year too. In the short term, remote cameras will again return to Longmeadow and the presenters may well be dusting off the various self-filming techniques acquired last year! With many of us spending more time at home in 2020, gardening really came into its own. The programme attracted record viewing figures and introduced the joys of gardening to…

Longmeadow and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine are roughly the same age – both sharing a 30th birthday this year. We bought this house and garden in autumn 1991, and because building work took up all of 1992, I did not start planting in earnest until April 1993. “The biggest problem we had in making this elaborate garden was not lack of ambition, enthusiasm, confidence or energy – we were stony broke” I had spent all of the previous year designing the garden and clearing the land that – other than being grazed by a bad-tempered horse that was stabled in what is now the potting shed – was a field of tussocky grass containing a hazel tree in what is now the Spring Garden, and a single hawthorn, where we…

Normal garden compost, that any gardener can make from any back garden or allotment, is the best thing to nurture your soil. Think of compost like sourdough starter. When you apply a 2.5cm (1in) mulch – 5cm (2in) at most – you are not ‘feeding’ the soil as such, but recharging it. Adding compost made largely from plants grown in your own soil will add an intense dose of bacteria and fungi back into the ground, and stimulate the dynamic that is already there – even in soil that seems unpromising. Life is already in the soil. It knows what to do.…

“Most importantly, try to remember that plants want to grow – it’s up to us not to get in the way” As far as other folk were concerned, I left school at 15 to become a gardener because I wasn’t terribly bright. Well, I might have been a bit of a late developer, but the reason I left school to become a gardener was because it seemed to me that looking after a patch of earth was the most joyful and important thing anyone could do. In the intervening half century and more – through my apprenticeship in a nursery, studentship and employment at Kew Gardens, garden making, writing and broadcasting about this all-consuming passion – I have never stopped learning. Here, I’m sharing the most important things I’ve learned…

Sowing seeds is the most fun you can have with your wellies on. First, there’s the suspense-filled wait, followed by the fist-pump of excitement as the first nub of green appears, popping up above the compost. Every emerging seedling puts a smile on your face that lasts the rest of the day: seeds are little miracles of hope, every unfurling shoot a new beginning, and confirmation that this year, things will be better. They’re also the easiest and cheapest way to stock your veg garden. Buy a pack of seeds for a couple of quid and you hold in your hand not just this year’s harvests, but often next year’s, too. This month, as the annual seed sowing frenzy begins, I’ll be sharing with you all the little tricks and…

March is always an exciting month. For a start, the weather does not ever pussyfoot about. The chances are that it will be cold, wet, snowy, frosty, stormy, sunny and balmy – and often all on the same day! Despite this, March is the month when the garden really comes alive after winter. Whatever the weather does, spring cannot be denied. March birdsong is the best of the year and the bulbs, from the latest snowdrops to the earliest tulips and a dozen species in between, are all bursting into flower. It is also the month when I finish all my winter pruning. Roses, buddleias, sambucus, all the late-flowering clematis, cornus, willows, fuchsias, hydrangeas – the mopheads and lacecaps lightly, Hydrangea paniculata boldly – all can be cut back now…

Has gardening changed you? Yes, it’s central to life. I’m conscious that I’m so lucky to have greenery around me – without it I think my brain would explode. It helps me balance. I’m naturally a depressive – I’m not a cup-half-full person. I’m someone who tends to feel problems very close-up and gardening is such a help, it’s one of life’s great therapies. Describe your garden to us I have a tiny garden in London, where we spend some time as my wife (Anita Dobson) doesn’t like being anywhere she can’t wear high heels. Then I have my garden in Surrey, which we use to release wildlife, such as hedgehogs and foxes, that have been found orphaned or injured. We’ve maximised its friendliness to wildlife with natural planting and…

Viewers’ videos were a huge hit with the Gardeners’ World audience last year. Throughout the series, gardeners from all corners of the UK – and beyond – captured their gardening adventures on film and generously shared them. These films felt especially vital during lockdown, as they were real evidence of the feeling that ‘we’re all in this together’. They gave us an insight into people’s horticultural projects and achievements, and appealed to our innate sense of curiosity. And we’re keen to feature more of them. If you’d like to send us a film of what you’ve been getting up to in your garden, find details of how to upload your video at bbc.co.uk/gardenersworld…

COTTAGE GARDEN “The same shot across what is now the Cottage Garden. The first was in the summer of 1992 after I had cleared the rough ground and the second in 2008 when it was still our main vegetable garden.” ORCHARD BEDS “The first picture shows how the orchard was for the first quarter of a century that we’ve been here. But the orchard beds are now coming into their fifth year and are very much part of the garden.”…

Looking back over the past 30 years, it’s clear to see how GW’s front covers reflect their times. We’ve seen lawns, house plants, makeovers and more all enjoy our coveted cover spot, but one thing has never changed – our covers have always led the way on the big gardening topics of the time. When reaching any big birthday, it’s always fun to look back, but we know it’s how we act now that counts. So our our 30th birthday cover puts the spotlight on the plight of pollinators. As we call on gardeners to help these vital creatures, the picture is bigger than gardening in the here and now – it’s time to take responsibility for the future. INDOOR GARDENING 1992 We celebrate cactus on our cover – this…

We’ve brought together a panel of experts on gardening for pollinators. They’re all passionate about pollinators and committed to helping them thrive. As we continue our campaign over the next few months we’ll be drawing on their expertise to help us keep up with the latest scientific thinking. We’ll also be asking them each to make a pledge to help pollinators. Kate Bradbury Our Wildlife Editor is an award-winning garden writer and wildlife gardener. She has written four wildlife gardening books and recently transformed her garden as part of the Garden Watch campaign for BBC Springwatch and Gardeners’ World. She says: “Gardening for bees and other pollinators not only improves the biodiversity of the nation, it also makes our gardens more interesting.” Dr Trevor Dines The botanical specialist for the…

“To really make a difference and benefit our pollinators, we need your help” I’m excited to be unveiling our 30th anniversary campaign to you. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our birthday than to encourage the nation to look after our declining pollinators. We’re going to write about how to help pollinators in every issue of the magazine this spring and summer, but to really make a difference and benefit our pollinators, we need your help. To find out more about what you’re already doing, we’ve put together a quick survey you can fill in. We want to discover what the nation’s gardeners are doing now to make a difference at this crucial time. We’d love you to take part – just go to bit.ly/pollinators-feb We’re all…

Backhouse Rossie Estate, Fife This walled garden is a daffodil lovers’ paradise. The collection is organised botanically and by growing requirements. Learn about the history of breeding and story behind the Backhouse family cultivars; the forebears of many of the modern favourites. Book backhouserossie.co.uk – book online and bring 2 for 1 card Open 19-21 March and 26-28 March, 10am-2pm. Then opening 1 April to Sep, Wed-Sun, 10am-4pm Chippenham Park Gardens, Cambridgeshire Enjoy a range of early, mid and late daffodils at their most picturesque, stretching around the lakes, ancient canals and walled garden. Enjoy take away homemade soup, hot dogs, coffee and cakes. Book No need to book; cash only £5 adult, £3 child, bring 2 for 1 card Open 1 March-2 April, 10am-4pm, last entry 3pm Osborne House,…

A large container, bursting with vibrant summer flowers, is a surefire way of adding spectacle to any garden. Start now and you can look forward to a display that will be in full bloom by early summer and will continue for months; for a fraction of the price of creating the same container in a couple of months time. Growing your own plants using tubers, seeds and plug plants is not only satisfying but offers huge savings compared with buying fully grown plants later in the year. Plus, you’re likely to end up with more plants than you need, giving you bonus flowers for other parts of the garden. These showy blooms are easy to grow and can be brought to life on a windowsill indoors, if you lack a…

VISIT gardenersworld.com/what-to-do-now for more advice on the best crops to sow and plant this month, and how to do it. ANY 3 CHILLI PEPPER PLANTS FOR £13.50 Chilli pepper plants are perfect for growing in a sunny spot on the patio or in a greenhouse. With a huge range of varieties available, chillies are attractive and the fruits can be used to liven up a huge range of dishes! www.suttons.co.uk/GWreaderoffers and enter code SR0221AA Plus £4.99 p&p Terms and conditions: Offer closes 31/03/2021. Items despatched from April 2021 onwards. All offers subject to availability. We reserve the right to substitute varieties if necessary. Regretfully we are unable to ship live plants to the following postcode areas: HS, IV41-IV56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3. £4.99 P&P payable.…

■ What are you cleaning? Think about what you need to clean, how often and how dirty it will get. The higher the pressure that a washer produces, the more power it has to shift stubborn dirt. Pressure is measured in bars, so the higher the bar number, the heavier duty the washer, but the size of the motor, measured in watts, plus the water flow rate, also indicate high performance. However, although a more powerful machine can lift heavy dirt quickly, a cheaper, lighter-duty washer will still do the job, it will just take longer. A low power and flow rate are ideal for cleaning delicate surfaces like decking, fencing and block paving, so a smaller machine would suffice. Otherwise, choose a gentle nozzle on a more powerful washer…

“If you take the trouble to watch your garden grow – I mean really watch it, and learn from it – it can change your outlook on life” It’s been a while… and I must confess that I’ve rather enjoyed occupying this little attic room at the back of the magazine. The view is ever changing and much has happened since I penned my first ‘Tales’ back in 1991. How did I come to be here? Well, having written about gardening for a living since the early 1970s, I took to the BBC Radio 4 airwaves in 1977 with You and Yours and Today before presenting television programmes from 1979. I covered the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for 30 years, and in 1991, having been an established member of the…

“One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the spring”Aldo Leopold I know I might be pushing it, given the way that this month can easily turn nasty, but I think we can tentatively begin to greet the spring. To celebrate I have decided to introduce this column using the medium of dance. This is quite a tricky thing to do in print, but I think it is important – we are emerging from a long and generally miserable winter without much joy and I, for one, am looking forward to feeling a little bit of movement in my hips and some rhythm in my feet. Let us all chassé together into springtime. STAR OF THE MONTH Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’…

Growing up green I agree with Dr Rangan Chatterjee in Clippings (Jan issue) that gardening should be mandatory in schools. On my first day at secondary school in 1959, I had a rural science lesson in which I was asked to dig up potatoes. Unfortunately I spiked a few with the fork and I can still see the teacher’s face. I learned a lesson in life I never forgot. And my love of gardening grew – it’s so therapeutic. Chris Cook, by email I very much enjoyed Tales from Titchmarsh (January issue) on encouraging schools to get children involved in growing plants and to cherish the natural world. I, like Alan, took rural studies at school – we had greenhouses, potting sheds and veg plots. Our teacher had a passion…

During three lockdowns as a grandparent, I was asked by mums and other grandparents if I knew of any projects to keep children occupied and interested in garden wildlife. As I keep every copy of my GW subscription, I remembered the Family Fun pages, which I shared with them. The children were delighted making the fat cupcakes, bug houses, bird houses and sowing projects that I found in my favourite magazine. Helen Thompson, by email As a recent fan of GW (thanks Mum for the subscription), I wanted to tell you about how your magazine has brought smiles to not just me, but also my friends and colleagues during lockdown. Your packet of free tomato seeds last year got sown in whatever pots I had to hand. I would rush…

1 GREEN-FINGERED GEORDIES Newcastle has the most allotments per person of any UK city, with 23 per 100,000 people – a total of 66 sites. Find out which cities came second and third at bit.ly/EcoCitieswebsite 2 FOR SCOTLAND Discover which wildlife-friendly projects are happening near you in Scotland, and add your own efforts to an online map bit.ly/BuglifeBline 3 OF MUSIC 48% of Brits play music to encourage their plants to grow*, with Lewis Capaldi currently the most popular choice. Find out more: bit.ly/musicforplants 4 GROW YOURSELF HAPPY Wellbeing gardening boxes with seeds and craft activities, designed by an occupational therapist, are available for delivery, £44.99, see bit.ly/POPgardensbox 5 BE A COVER STAR Enter your best British wildlife photo by 12 March for a chance to have it featured as…

ORCHARD AND PATHS Where the hens roam and apples fall every autumn, the grass of the orchard was scratched up last year to make a seed bed for wildflowers. We repeated this along grassy paths, too. Yellow rattle should suppress dominant grasses and each year will bring new waves of flowers, as annuals come and go, and perennials establish themselves. NEW GREENHOUSE The biggest change over winter was building our huge new greenhouse, bought second-hand and storm-damaged from a nursery. It replaces one we took down to make space for the Paradise Garden. I will grow as wide a range of greenhouse crops as I can, and overwinter citrus here. Surrounding the greenhouse are new raised beds, primarily for growing on cuttings and perennials from seed, but also for asparagus…

For most of my life I have believed that ‘improving’ the soil was the holy grail of gardening. Lick your soil into shape and your garden will inevitably become better, too. I also believed that soil had moral as well as practical qualities, and was a kind of qualitative measure of the gardener. Good, rich soil exemplified the work of a good, hard-working gardener. But over the past few years I have changed my view on this. It is not completely wrong, of course, but it is only part of the truth and research over the past 25 years has made us realise two things. The first is that soil is a very much more complex material than we had imagined. Its relationship to plants is dependent upon a chain…

“Gardens are no longer seen as separate from Nature but are right at the heart of our understanding of, and interaction with, the natural world in all its forms, from climate change to the use of chemicals and peat, as well as the fascinating wildlife to be enjoyed in every garden.” Powerful words from the nation’s head gardener, Monty Don, as he reflects on the most important changes in gardening of the past 30 years. His sentiments are echoed by Adam Pasco, launch editor of the magazine back in 1991, who tells us: “It is exciting to see new and younger gardeners appreciate the wildlife we share our gardens with. They are growing more naturally, and organically, with an increasing appetite to grow food for their family.” GW’s resident pest…

“Diversity of flowers is crucial, as different sizes and shapes suit different pollinators” Wildflower meadows are stunning. Nothing else we create packs quite such a floral punch or brings so many benefits for wildlife. But what actually is a meadow? To a farmer’s son like me, a genuine meadow will always be an expanse of grassland with a breathtaking abundance of native wildflowers. The sheer joy of these meadows is the bright palette of wildflowers softened by the muted tones of the grasses. Today, though, the term ‘meadow’ has broadened in horticulture to include any dense mixed planting of annual flowers, often from various parts of the world. They are effectively meadows without the grass, and without the ‘wild’. These annual or ‘pictorial’ meadows produce concentrated swathes of flowers in…

“Not every plant needs to be an all-singing, all-dancing razzmatazz. Quiet subjects will offset flamboyancy and help create a splendid spectacle” With day length increasing and the soil beginning to warm up, spring is the perfect time to add new plants to our gardens, to give us something fresh and interesting to look forward to in 2021. If the plants we choose are attractive over as long a period as possible – especially if they flower for weeks on end – then they are of extra value. The smaller the growing space, the more important it is that plants contribute for months. In a bigger garden, there may be plenty of room to accommodate ‘shooting stars’ such as peonies and iris, which have spectacular flowers that, sadly, last only for…

■ Check before you travel Opening details for gardens listed in our 2 for 1 Entry Guide have changed since publication, so contact the garden before you plan your visit. Note that some gardens have additional restrictions in place and a few have temporarily suspended use of the 2 for 1 Entry Card. For more ideas of where to go, visit gardenersworld. com/2-for-1-gardens ■ The 2020 2 for 1 Entry Card is valid until 9 April 2021. It is still available to buy at bit.ly/GWMay20 Please ensure the garden you plan to visit is accepting the card prior to purchase. ■ Don’t miss our 2021 Gardens to Visit Card and Guide – available with the May issue, on sale 15 April 2021.…

The spring season really begins to unfurl in March. Daffodils are fully flowering and shoots are breaking through the warming soil. Slugs and snails that have been hibernating are beginning to emerge, so protecting young shoots from them will be paramount – as well as giving everything a good mulch and sowing seeds indoors. It’s also a period of watching and waiting. At some point this month you can really get underway with spring tasks, but some jobs will have to wait, for example, soil may still be waterlogged, so will become compacted when walked on. Equally, the nights will still be too cold for planting any of your tender plants outside. The birds have now built their nests and, with emerging insects and flowers, there is food aplenty, so…

Water seedlings carefully When watering seedlings, group similar types together – while they are growing away fast now, they don’t all need the same amount of water nor do they grow at the same rate. Seedlings can damp off or rot when they are crowded or the compost surface stays too wet, so check what they need by feeling the compost. Use a watering can with a fine rose for control and keep the can full in the greenhouse so that the water is the same temperature as the seedlings. VISIT gardenersworld. com/seeds-bulbs for more advice on caring for seedlings Don’t forget Look for slugs and snails, particularly if your greenhouse is unheated. Rehome or dispose of them Use prunings from pelargoniums to make more plants for free from…