Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i BBC Gardeners' World

While spring is at its glorious peak right now – and I adore the colour, vibrancy and new life the season has to offer – I also love how it’s a time to look ahead to summer. I don’t want to wish the year away, but I do find it exciting to imagine the long days and warmer temperatures that are on the horizon. The good times in the garden are coming up! Best of all, there are plenty of things we can do in the garden now that will create results come summer. Whether it’s starting off veggies, adding new plants to borders or sowing flowers, so much of what we do now will make our gardens all the better in the not-too-distant future. And that’s the bit I…

My garden and I are now entering our 35th year together and although we have had our ups and downs, by and large we are growing old disgracefully together. I know every inch and fold of it and how it appears in all seasons and all weathers, in sickness and in health. We know our weaknesses and accept them because we love each other – at least I love Longmeadow and feel enriched by what I receive in return, call it what you may. But I confess that I am not horticulturally monogamous and these liaisons have only enriched my intimacy with Longmeadow. The first began 20 years ago when we bought our little farm just over the border in Wales. It is a landscape as different as might be…

Springtime spectacular There are few better places to celebrate the arrival of spring than Doddington Hall Garden, Lincolnshire, with its spring bulb pageant. Established in the 1950s, this long-standing tradition heralds the changing seasons, with over 150,000 bulbs. The bold display of bright-yellow daffodils and vivid-purple anemones dominates the Wild Garden, but look closely and you’ll find snake’s head fritillaries and white wood anemones carpeting the floor. Be sure to salute the four topiary unicorns guarding the house. OFFER Garden: 2 for 1 £9.50. Offer not valid 26 Jul-7 Sep nor during the Christmas opening. doddingtonhall.com Kitchen pink Renovations have been ongoing at Gordon Castle Walled Garden, Morayshire, for over 12 years, and at 200 years old it’s one of Britain’s oldest and largest working kitchen gardens. Visit now to…

at Beaulieu, Hampshire 2 - 4 May 2025 BOOK NOW TO SAVE 10%! Join us to celebrate everything we love about spring plants and gardens! As well as getting ideas from the Showcase Gardens and Beautiful Borders, you can shop ‘til you drop for seasonal plants and garden essentials, head to the Hillier’s shop to get your hands on their newest plant introduction and visit the Artisan Market for gorgeous gifts. Also, the Plant Crèche team will be on hand so you can enjoy your day bag free! It’s going to be a great day out. See you there! Talk all things spring From growing veggies to budget savvy projects, host Adam Kirtland gets to the heart of spring gardening at the revitalised In Conversation With Stage. Plus, the NEW…

ASHLEY EDWARDS BARBARA SEGALL BECKY SEARLE HAFSAH HAFEJI JAMIE WALTON POLLYANNA WILKINSON As a gardener in the public realm, It’s often assumed that gardening was always part of my life. Yet, I grew up without a garden at home and horticulture wasn’t on the school curriculum, so I had no real exposure to gardening throughout my formative years. The idea of planting a seed and watching it grow was entirely foreign to me, as was the prospect of becoming a content creator. My first real experience of gardening came by accident and not until my early 20s. On a whim, I took on a friend’s overgrown back garden, learning through trial and error. But it wasn’t until I discovered the complexity of soil that everything clicked. That led me into a…

This month, subscribers receive FREE sunflower ‘Hallo’ and spring onion ‘White Lisbon’ seeds. This sunflower is a classic hardy annual with large flowers loved by bees and butterflies, and ‘White Lisbon’ is a reliable spring onion for a steady supply through the growing season. Sunflowers are the perfect flower to grow with children, adding fun and colour to your borders. Spring onions are a tasty summer salad bowl staple and growing your own ensures you’ve always got a fresh and tasty supply. Sowalong together Listen to our Sowalong podcasts, where Alan Titchmarsh, Adam Frost and the Gardeners’ World team share tips and tricks for growing all your free seeds, and many more of your favourite flowers, veg and herbs. Find new bite-sized Sowalong episodes every Saturday until the end of…

Wisteria ‘Amethyst Falls’ is a compact variety of the much-loved favourite that’s perfect for planting in a large container on a sunny patio. Highly fragranced panicles of lilac, pea-like blooms cascade down from its stems from May to July. Unlike most varieties of wisteria, ‘Amethyst Falls’ will reliably flower within a few years, so you will be able to experience its beauty and perfume quickly. Height x Spread 5m x 3m Flowers May-Jul ◼ 1 plant in 10.5cm pot £15 (K24719) ◼ 3 plants in 10.5cm pots £24 SAVE £21 (K17118) SAVER COLLECTION Fragrant phlox It’s no wonder phlox has been a firm favourite in gardens for many years. Masses of blooms form gigantic flowerheads in summer, producing a sumptuously sweet perfume, and it also attracts bees and butterflies. Plus it’s low…

DOUBLE UP FOR 1P Coronilla valentina ‘Citrina’ is a compact evergreen shrub with bright green leaves and an abundance of lemon yellow, pea-like blooms. Flowering from December through to mid spring, and sometimes again in the summertime, coronilla’s sweetly scented blooms will brighten borders and pots on dull winter days. For the best displays, plant it in a sunny, sheltered spot, near a south-facing fence or wall. Height x Spread 90cm x 90cm Flowers Dec-Apr ◼ 1 plant in 9cm pot £14.99 £9.99 SAVE £5 (74420) ◼ 2 plants in 9cm pots £29.98 £10 DOUBLE UP FOR 1P SAVE £19.98 (KB6227) MORE SAVER COLLECTIONS Daphne × transatlantica Eternal Fragrance With a compact habit, this elegant shrub is perfect for containers near an entrance, where you can appreciate its sweet fragrance. H x…

STEP BY STEP Divide peace lilies Divide clump-forming house plants such as peace lilies into several new plants when the pot is flled to the edge of the rim. Now is the perfect time to divide house plants because they’re in growth and will immediately root out into the new compost. The addition of new compost to root out into will keep them healthy. 1 PREPARE to split the plant apart by holding the rootball firmly in both hands and pressing your thumbs down into the surface of the compost. 2 PRISE the rootball apart, into several pieces. A fist-sized division will be big enough to have instant impact in a new pot. Always separate the plants at the roots rather than pulling at the foliage. 3 SELECT a pot…

✔ Transplant seedlings If you started sowing early, some of your seedlings will be ready to start pricking out. Fill individual pots with peat-free potting compost and, using a thin stick, create a hole in the middle to receive the root. Hold the seedling by a seed leaf if possible and carefully ease it out of the seed tray, using the stick as a lever under the roots, and transplant it into its new home. If the seedlings are long and leggy, plant them deep. Gently water in. ✔ Thin out radishes This crop grows so quickly, and if the plants run out of space they will struggle to swell their bright spheres properly. While I hate to discard anything that I’ve sown, thinning out each row of radishes will…

FREE DELIVERY WORTH £4.95 Included in this collection: ◼ Trachelospermum jasminoides Star of Toscana This long-flowering star jasmine has pale-yellow flowers with a dark-yellow centre and an exotic fragrance. In winter, the glossy green foliage takes on attractive deep-bronze tones. Height x Spread 9m x 6m Flowers Jun-Aug ◼ T. jasminoides The species star jasmine is a robust and prolific climber, with star-shaped flowers that will fill your garden with fragrance throughout summer. It is perfect for covering a boundary and looks good year round, with evergreen foliage that turns bronze-red in winter. H x S 9m x 3m F Jun-Aug ◼ T. asiaticum ‘Pink Showers’ T. asiaticum is a hardy jasmine species, producing magnificent displays of candy-pink, star-shaped flowers with an irresistible fragrance. H x S 4m x 3m…

Step by step By changing one letter each time to make a new word, can you transform BIRD into NEST in five steps or less? Secret six Use each letter in the grid once to answer all the clues The plot thickens Here are six veggies to sow in April. We’ve swapped the letters for numbers. Can you crack the code? Find the flowers Can you find these ten bloomers which are popular for bouquets and displays? EASTER LILY DAFFODIL DAISY FREESIA HYACINTH HYDRANGEA IRIS LILAC PEONY TULIP Border blues Here are four plants famed for their blue beauty – but they’ve got a bit muddled. Can you match the correct genus and species to each picture? PLATYCODON ERINUS _________________ DELPHINIUM TABERNAEMONTANA ___________________________ AMSONIA GRANDIFLORUM _____________________ LOBELIA GRANDIFLORUS ____________________ PUZZLE…

Shilpa Reddy left a career in medicine to launch her floral design company in 2017. She now teaches the art of arranging blooms creatively and sustainably. @shilpareddyflowers TOP TIP Add a splash of bleach to your vase water to keep blooms fresh and your water clear. Spring has sprung! This means that now is the perfect time to start planning how to best display flowers and foliage from your garden. Why not try your hand at flower arranging? It’s easier than you might think. Right now, budding branches and early-flowering bulbs are bursting with life, offering instant inspiration. Forget complicated techniques and floral foam – embrace simple, sustainable methods like using willow branches, pebbles, or even just a vase filled with water. From simple posies to dramatic displays, let your…

The crisis is daunting, but thinking globally and acting locally is a way to do something meaningful. Phoebe Barnard, Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington’s Center for Environmental Politics, suggests: “In these times of spiralling risk, distrust and system breakdown, one of the best safeguards for biodiversity and ecosystems are schemes that support local conservation.” This applies to what we do in our gardens, where making the right decisions about the plants and materials we use can help lower emissions and reduce the valuable resources we use in them. “The more carbon and water we store, the more we prevent disaster, one garden at a time,” says wildlife expert, author and GW Wildlife Editor Kate Bradbury. “We can prevent flooding and fire in one go by digging a pond,…

Keep rosemary productive Rosemary is a staple herb found in many gardens and not only is it versatile for use in cooking, but it also has lilac flowers that are attractive to bees. Left unpruned, rosemary becomes woody with age and produces less of the soft shoots we covet for cooking. Older woody stems are also more likely to suffer from winter wind rock and can snap under the weight of snow. Regular pruning keeps your rosemary tidy and productive for years to come. If your rosemary is already looking past it, you can take cuttings which will become good-sized bushy plants in three to five years. Alternatively, buy a plant at your local garden centre. STEP BY STEP Prune rosemary 1 CHECK carefully before you prune as rosemary will not…

STEP BY STEP Split catmint clumps to make more plants for free Lift and divide low-growing catmint that is several years old. The loose, sprawling habit of this plant’s many varieties means that as the clumps mature they can creep right to the edge of the border. Plant new divisions further back, with plenty of space between the border edge and the plant. Cut them back in midsummer after the first flush of flowers, to keep the stems short and stimulate more flowers. 1 LOOK for congested clumps that have grown out so much that the stems are sprawling over the edge of the border. Dig around the plant and lift it out. Work on a sheet if you are lifting it next to a gravel path. 2 EXAMINE the…

NEW EPISODES! Listen to gardening inspiration from some of the UK’s most loved and well-respected gardening experts in the award-winning BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast. Enjoy growing advice throughout the year with our Conversations series. Join Monty Don, Frances Tophill, Adam Frost, Arit Anderson, Carol Klein and more for friendly gardening chat and informative discussion with the magazine team, perfect for everyone who enjoys gardening. Also hear Alan Titchmarsh solve your gardening problems in a new series Ask Alan, where he’ll answer questions on plants for tricky places, offer solutions for unhappy plants, give garden design ideas, examine how to cope with weeds, pests and diseases, give tips on pruning, roses, and more. With new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday, and bonus episodes on Saturday, subscribe now, wherever you get…

Sow courgettes Courgettes are a very easy crop to sow from seed and just a few seeds can provide enough plants to keep you well supplied with courgettes throughout summer. Sow more seeds, though, and you can have spare young plants that will make great gifts for friends and neighbours. It is also useful to have extra plants waiting in the wings in case young plants are damaged by slugs and snails, which was a big problem last year because of the very wet spring and early summer. To reduce the risk of young plants being damaged, grow them on in pots until the plants are mature, if possible, then plant out in the garden when the first flowers start to appear. If you have plenty of seeds, keep a…

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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 NEW! VEGETABLE PLUG RANGE Cucumber ‘Quick Snack’ Sweet, bite-sized fruits. Ideal for snacking and salads. (380151) Sweetcorn ‘Pot Of Gold’ Compact, pollinator-friendly – perfect for smaller spaces. (380181) Lettuce Buddies Mix Packed with a range of flavours. Perfect for fresh salads. (380160) ANY VARIETY: 12 plug plants £19.98 £12.98 SAVE £7 yougarden.com/RGW294 Call 0844 502 0050* quote RGW294 Scan QR code to buy and for more great deals SAVE £7 + FREE delivery Free P&P on all veg and herb plugs. Please note: If you add other items to your order then this may include a postage surcharge. Orders despatched from mid-April. Offer closes 31/05/25. Subject to availability. We reserve the right…

Join the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team for an inspiring day out on Friday 15 August 2025 and immerse yourself in the wonder and delight that is Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel. Discover the gardens, which play a pivotal role in informing the menus, and then enjoy a hands-on bird of prey demonstration. This is followed by a champagne reception and a delicious two Michelin star lunch. You’ll explore the 11 gardens in the company of one of Le Manoir’s senior garden team, and try your hand at flying hawks in the beautiful grounds, learning about these magnificent birds of prey under the guidance of expert handlers. After the activities, join us for a champagne reception followed by a four-course, two-Michelin starred tasting menu, using produce from Raymond…

Aquilegias (columbines) are probably the most promiscuous plants we grow. Most varieties will hybridise with each other and self-sown seedlings will pop up all over the place, producing flowers in an unpredictable range of colours. I once had a friend who loved aquilegias. In fact, he held the Plant Heritage National Collection. To keep the many varieties in his collection true to type, he grew them in large pots and, as flowering time approached, used a sack barrow to wheel the plants from his garden to other gardens around his village – one garden, one plant. When they’d set seed, he moved them back. The idea was to keep each variety separate to prevent bees cross-pollinating the flowers, which results in blooms in unpredictable colours, whatever the label says. In…

Fuchsia trees BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE Fuchsias are versatile shrubs, perfect for borders or containers. These reliable plants, loved for their iconic bell-shaped flowers, give a boost to our summer gardens year after year. Their blooms are often bi-coloured, and come in vibrant shades including pink, red and purple, as well as white. Feed well for flowers right until the first frosts and water new plants regularly especially those in pots. ■ One 60-65cm tree in 17cm pot £19.99 Buy one, get one free SAVE £19.99 (450098) ■ PLUS FREE 100g Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser, worth £4.99 (100085) MORE SAVINGS… Twin pack of peat-free compost Peat-free, multipurpose compost, with free delivery. ■ Two 40L bags (80L total) £23.97 SAVE £13 (100102) Silver ‘Tulipa’ square planter Two silver ‘Tulipa’ planters for the…

Dos & don’ts ✓ Do avoid digging wherever possible to retain stored carbon and allow networks of mycorrhizal fungi to develop. ✓ Do add some perennial crops, which require fewer resources and are more able to withstand challenging weather conditions. ✓ Do reuse pots or source them second-hand. ✓ Do mulch your bed with garden compost to retain moisture, improve soil structure and boost soil microorganisms. ✓ Do make your own nettle and comfrey fertiliser instead of buying fertilisers that use fossil fuels in their production. ✓ Do let a few vegetable plants flower to provide food for pollinating insects. ✓ Do choose vegetables that suit the soil and aspect of your plot so they grow well and produce bumper crops. ✓ Do collect rainwater and use it efficiently. ✗…

If you’ve been inspired by our dahlia feature on page 67, then boost your displays for less with this fantastic offer. Whether your garden is traditional or contemporary, you’ll find varieties to suit all styles, and ensure that every border and pot is overflowing with vibrant blooms. Choose from Farmer Gracy’s entire range of dahlias and enjoy an extra 10% saving on sale prices! CHOOSE FROM OVER 260 DAHLIAS ◼ Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ Peachy pink tones, strong stems and long-lasting flower power. Height x Spread 85cm x 40cm Flowers Jul-Oct 1 bare root £4.75 £3.63 ◼ D. ‘Seniors Hope’ Stylish blend of dusky, antique purple and rich, velvety red. H x S 1m x 40cm F Jul-Oct 1 bare root £4.75 £3.63 ◼ D. ‘Jowey Winnie’ Attractive blend of dusky pink and…

Make more chrysanthemums Take cuttings of hardy chrysanthemums to flower later this year. They’re easy to root at this time of year, and the flowers will give you vibrant late-summer and autumn colour in the borders for years to come. They have an impressively long vase life when cut for the house, too. Chrysanthemums are one of the first perennials to send up new shoots in spring and these are perfect for making cuttings. Select healthy shoots, around 10cm long. Keep the cuttings out of direct light and make sure not to overwater, as they develop best when the compost is just moist. The cuttings will root in three to four weeks’ time, so be ready to pot on in early summer and plant out a few weeks after that.…

Move tender veg to bigger pots Tender vegetables that need a long growing season in order to fruit well, such as aubergines, peppers and chillies, are best transplanted to bigger pots promptly to give their roots more room so the plants can develop as quickly as possible. Move them into a new pot no more than half as wide and deep as the previous pot, and keep them in warm, well-lit conditions for the rest of the month. Use peat-free multi-purpose compost at this stage, as the plants won’t stay in the pots for too long and won’t exhaust all the nutrients. The plants should be ready to pot on next month, using an equal mix of peat-free multi-purpose and soil-based John Innes compost in 30cm-wide pots. Add a half-strength…

Harden off plants in cold frames When they are ready, move tender annuals into cold frames to harden them off in readiness for planting in the garden next month. This process acclimatises plants raised under cover to conditions outside. If you don’t have a cold frame, find a sheltered spot out of the wind and direct sunlight, then use fleece to cover them at night. If the temperature drops dramatically, bring them back in for the night. In a frame you can close the lid at night for a few days, then begin to leave it completely open before planting. 20 MINUTES TO SPARE Save money on winter bedding plants by starting some pansies from seed now. Fill a modular tray with peat-free multipurpose compost. Firm it down gently and water…

Put up bean supports Choose a sunny, sheltered site on the veg patch to put up your supports. You’ll need poles around 2m tall, depending on your reach. Bear in mind 30cm of the cane will need to be pushed into the ground to keep it steady. Cut poles to the right height or buy canes. Prepare the ground with organic matter, then create teepee shapes or ranked lines. Bean crops are heavy so the support needs to be braced with ties and cross struts to stop it tipping over in windy weather DON’T FORGET □ Harvest fresh shoots of rosemary □ Feed blackberries, blackcurrants and hybrid fruits with a high nitrogen fertiliser □ Harvest thick, sturdy stems of rhubarb, pulling them off at the base □ Protect plum blossom…

SAVE OVER 50% Alstroemeria, known as Peruvian liles, are easy to grow, bringing vibrant colour to borders and pots throughout summer. Alstroemeria Butterfly Hybrids has bright pink and purple flowers that provide valuable nectar for butterflies. They look striking in the garden and make excellent cut flowers. Height x Spread 60cm x 40cm Flowers Jun-Nov ◼ 3 postiplugs £12.99 £7.99 SAVE £5 (KB7781) ◼ 6 postiplugs £25.98 £9.99 SAVE £15.99 (KB7782) ◼ 12 postiplugs £51.96 £16.99 SAVE £34.97 (KF4304) MORE SAVER COLLECTIONS Begonia Organdy Mix A colourful bedding mix that’s easy to grow. H x S 20cm x 20cm F Jul-Oct ◼ 24 plugs £23.97 £9.99 SAVE £13.98 (KB7840) ◼ 48 plugs £47.94 £14.99 SAVE £32.95 (KB7842) Pelargonium Jackpot Mix Weather tolerant and long flowering pelargoniums. H x S 40cm x 35cm F Jun-Oct ◼ 36 plugs…

FIND MORE FOR LESS! Gardening is so beneficial for the mind and body, and whether you’ve got acres to tend, a compact plot or a city balcony, we’ll help you create your perfect sanctuary at great prices. With our trusted partners, you can view a huge range of plants, bulbs, trees, gifts and much more. What are you waiting for… start saving today! PLUS so much more! Visit GardenersWorld.com/offersor scan the QR code and find everything you need at your fingertips PLUS Sign up to our offers email, bringing discounts direct to your inbox – never miss an offer again! Terms & conditions: Restrictions and postage costs apply. Please see individual offers for full details.…

When we think of summer containers, our first thoughts are usually towards bright colour, but let’s take a moment to consider growing herbs. In just one container, you can grow enough herbs to add flavour to a variety of dishes and create a focal point. The world of herbs is vast, and not all of them require hot, dry Mediterranean conditions. There are several, such as parsley and sweet woodruff, which will grow well in shade and have the potential to brighten those darker corners in the garden. It’s easy to buy ready-to-go plants from a garden centre or a supermarket to create your fantastic displays, but don’t forget many herbs can also be grown from seed. This makes herbs more affordable, and you'll have seedlings left over for friends,…

Pippa Greenwood One of the top experts on pests and diseases, Pippa gardens using organic methods. Kirsty Wilson Kirsty is Head of Gardens at Balmoral Castle and is a presenter on BBC’s Beechgrove Garden. Matt Biggs Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years. Q Which are your top five plants for wildlife? Viv Gelder, Cardiff A KIRSTY SAYS There are so many to choose from and the best options will depend on your conditions, but these are my favourites. First, our native teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) – its flowers are loved by bumblebees and the seedheads attract goldfinches. It’s a tall, architectural plant and provides visual interest in winter. Then there’s ivy, perfect for a shady spot, with year-round foliage. Its autumn flowers attract…