BBC Gardeners' World Magazine November 2022 [LG22]

Save £££s...

Subscribe now to enjoy a fantastic gift bundle worth up to £167!

Your gifts include a pair of Niwaki Sentei secateurs, worth £39, as well as mini tools, gloves and more – plus the convenience of home delivery – saving £££s on the shop price! See page 26

Welcome

The energy we pour into our gardens is always rewarded. Whether creating a private sanctuary, an entertaining space or a holiday-at-home destination, your nurturing of that patch of ground beyond the back door will repay you in kind. Making a garden you love should be a very personal journey. Perhaps you do it to connect with wildlife; or to turn off the noise of modern life and tune in to nature; or to create an edible larder, a haven for raising kids, or just a space to sit and be...

Realising dreams is the thread that connects each of our creative finalists in this year’s Gardens of the Year Competition, that starts inside from page 49. All eight are regular gardeners who’ve made extraordinary spaces through energy and hard work, of course, but also by discovering a little bit more about themselves than before.

Plan ahead…

Year Planner –a month-by-month guide to help you make 2023 your best-ever gardening year. Available online and at selected supermarkets, and WHSmith – see page 47

Listen out…

for Dame Judi Dench who shares her passion for trees in our autumn podcast season. Tune in to Apple or Spotify podcasts to hear her in full, or via GardenersWorld.com/ podcast

Our panel of judges, who brim with years of garden-making experience, loved all eight finalists but were blown away by the winning garden – which they agreed is a garden for our times. Now it’s over to you to have your say, by voting for your favourite in the People’s Choice, which is open for entries until 16 November. Find out how on page 68, and we’ll share the winner next month. Could it be you in these pages next year? Great gardens start with a dream – where will yours take you? We can’t wait to see!

Look out for your 2023 Calendar next month, full of glorious images, plus space for notes and key tasks in the garden. On sale 17 November

PS ... we’ve an amazing subscription offer for you, to help you get more from your garden in 2023. You’ll receive a gift pack worth up to £167, with easy home delivery and 14 FREE packs of seed! Turn to p26

Lucy Hall, Editor @lucyhall_GW

of the Year finalist Vicky Ward’s garden in Polperro, Cornwall, by Jason Ingram

“Welcome sweet November, the season of senses and my favourite month of all”

Gregory Lenz

November We love

The pumpkins of Halloween are now just sadly decomposing memories on doorsteps across the land, and the spirit of Christmas (though looming and quite apparent in our supermarket aisles) is not yet at full volume. This is a restful month where the first cold spells will come to dislodge the last of the autumn colour, and we can tuck it neatly away to make compost and leafmould for next season. It is still warm enough for comfortable gardening, yet the weeds have stopped growing and our lawns have settled into winter. Enjoy the quiet – it won’t last long!

WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR

STAR OF THE MONTH

Cornus kousa

We all know and love dogwoods for their spectacular bracts earlier in the season. In old films you can sometimes see behatted and bustled ladies bidding farewell to departing troops/children/lovers by waving their delicately laced handkerchiefs as the train pulls out or the carriage rattles away. That is what a cornus in fower looks like – a futter of white as the spring breezes blow. At this time of year, the naturally hanging leaves begin to gather a touch of burgundy and soon they will fall, their job done until next year.

The tree tends to look thirsty in summer because of the droopy leaves. Shelter from winds and do not overwater.

Height x Spread 7m x 5m

PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE, THANKS TO RHS GARDEN WISLEY

OLD YELLER

If you were a European settler in America, trundling your covered wagons around the untamed wilderness, then you would be familiar with the Kentucky yellowwood. It would not have been much use to you (unless you were a bee or using your spare moments for woodturning), but it has evolved into a very useful garden tree with scented flowers in spring and a cracking organic-egg-yolk yellow leaf colour in autumn.

Cladrastis kentukea

Any soil, as long as it does not sit soggily in heavy clay. Needs full sun. H x S 10m x 8m

GOLDEN GIRLS

Some plants are real value for money and this is one of them. Golden-yellow, four-petalled flowers, like the helmets of marching soldiers from a far-off empire, appear not only in spring but also flower again come the autumn. Then we have the pleasure of a silky tangle of seeds to carry us into the winter. Perfect for scrambling up a tree or along a large trellis.

Clematis tangutica

Not the right climber for smaller gardens! Propagate from summer cuttings or by layering. H x S 6m x 4m

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE, THANKS TO RHS GARDEN WISLEY; JASON INGRAM, THANKS TO RHS GARDEN ROSEMOOR

RED ALERT

Those of you who are up on their botanical Latin will notice something spookily familiar about the name of this plant. The hydrangea part is pretty simple, but the quercifolia bit tells us something – quercus is the Latin for oak and folia for leaves, so this is a hydrangea with oak-like leaves. Very lovely oak-like leaves if I might say so, as they turn this sensational deep red in autumn.

Hydrangea quercifolia

Happy in part shade in a border or woodland fringe. Take soft cuttings in spring or, if you forget, harder cuttings in winter.

H x S 2m x 2m

CUTTING EDGE

If you live in one of the milder parts of the country, then this a treat for the exotic garden. If the winter is kind and your garden sheltered, it will throw up a red flower in early summer as a reward. But these are just a bonus as the main attraction is the glorious glaucous blue, finely pleated foliage that will add a touch of the tropics to any planting.

Melianthus major Evergreen shrub sometimes grown as a perennial. Mulch in winter as protection.

H x S 3m x 2m

WINTER ROMANCE

Most camellias that you bump into are the Japanese ones that flower (superlatively) in the spring. This one is sometimes overlooked, which is a mistake as it flowers (also superlatively) before Christmas. It also has the same gloriously glossy-green leaves, but is a little smaller, so is good in front gardens. A few of these scented flowers floating in a bowl of water will bring a little romance to your winter.

Camellia sasanqua ’Crimson King’ Need an acid soil if you are to get the best from them, otherwise they are quite unfussy. Will cope in a pot.

H x S 2.5m x 2.5m

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM, THANKS TO SIR HAROLD HILLIER GARDEN AND WOLFGANG BOPP

woodlandtrust.org.uk

The Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham NG31 6LL. 0330 333 3300.

The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 294344) and in Scotland (No. SC038885). A non-profit making company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No.1982873.

The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark. Image: Adam Burton/WTML CP00409 03/22

Carex muskingumensis

Expert’s choice

Carex

When a plant with brown evergreen leaves and no flowers started appearing in nurseries, there were two reactions from gardeners. There was, “Wow, that’s interesting” and there was, “It’s dead!”

Well, with its coppery brown thread-like foliage up to 90cm long it was definitely interesting – there really wasn’t another plant like it – and it definitely wasn’t dead. In fact, it was very easy to propagate and before long nurseries across the country were stocking a plant that some gardeners still refused to have in their gardens.

This was Carex comans bronze-leaved (it still doesn’t have a proper name) although the leaves are really more coppery than true bronze. Enthusiasm for it developed as grasses and grass-like plants became fashionable and a few gardeners, needing to prove that they were ahead of the rest of us, smugly announced that they had the original greenleaved form, which, frankly, is not that special.

Now we grow well over 100 different sedges, and Carex comans bronze-leaved is still popular. However, varieties with wider, variegated or brightly coloured, foliage are now the real stars. Look for the Evercolor Series, developed in Ireland, with nine neat, well-behaved ground-covering varieties. These are very definitely interesting, and definitely not dead.

■ Position Best in full sun in moist soil.

■ Planting Plant densely for the best weedsuppressing ground cover. Those with longer foliage can trail from raised beds.

■ Care All are good in containers, either as specimens or mixed, but ensure they never dry out. Lift, split and replant the clumps if they become thin in the centre, but assess each plant each year as some rarely need dividing.

■ Where to buy ashwoodnurseries.com 01384 401996; crocus.co.uk 01344 578 000; knollgardens. co.uk 01202 873931.

VISIT GardenersWorld.com/ carex to discover more varieties of carex and how to grow them

Carex elata ‘Aurea’ Arching, sunny yellow growth, with upright flower stems from late spring. Enjoys damp. H x S 70cm x 50cm

It divides opinion, but this versatile sedge is ready to add interest to any garden, says Graham Rice

snowball tree

Viburnum roseum (snowball tree) Buy any fragrant springflowering shrub opposite and receive a free snowball tree worth £11. Viburnum roseum produces clusters of buds that open to form white globe-like flowerheads loved by pollinators. Red berries follow to provide food for birds and the maple-shaped foliage will change colour to purple before falling.

Height x Spread 5m x 5m Flowers May-June

Fragrant spring-flowering shrubs

Add beauty and fragrance to your spring garden with these gorgeous shrubs. All are compact in size, so perfect for small gardens and planting in containers on a patio.

Peat-free compost plus free plant food

Give your plants the very best start with this peat-free compost, made from sustainable materials combined with essential plant nutrients. Plus, receive a free sachet of water-soluble plant food, formulated for healthy, diseaseresistant growth and extra flower power. 40L bag of compost plus free 50g sachet of plant food £14

◼ Forsythia ‘Mini Gold’

Butter-yellow blooms in March and April release a sweet fragrance. In autumn, the foliage changes to shades of red, orange and yellow. An early source of nectar for pollinators. H x S 1.5m x 1.2m F Mar-Apr 1 plant in 9cm pot £16

◼ Philadelphus ‘Little White Love’

Large, double, highly fragrant blooms smother the neat foliage through May and June. Perfume is reminiscent of a citrus orange tree. Ideal for pots, borders and as fragrant hedging. H x S 90cm x 90m F May-Jul 1 plant in 9cm pot £17

◼ Coronilla glauca

Evergreen foliage is smothered with rounded heads of yellow, pea-shaped blooms that form crowns and release a sweet, lemony fragrance. Perfectly suited to windy and coastal gardens. H x S 1m x 1m F Feb-Apr 1 plant in 9cm pot £18

The Full Monty

Recent rains may have filled our water butts, but it’s not enough – it’s time to rethink how we garden given pressures on our water supply, says Monty

It is raining here, raining hard. The water butts are overflowing and the puddles straddling half the garden paths. The ground is skiddy with mud. Three months ago, when we were desperate for water, this would have been an idyllic picture but now it is very wet and not in a good way. The other day, I was reading a politician of some hue saying that he didn’t know what all the climate change fuss was about – that we have just as much rainfall now as we had 100 years ago, and people were making a fuss back then. It demeans everyone to have to take this sort of remark seriously but given that politicians are in positions of power, if not responsibility, let me highlight a few things – not least because we gardeners feel this so acutely.

The first is that there are a lot more people in the UK now than there were 100 years ago – about 25 million, or an increase of over 50 per cent. The second thing is that a disastrous amount of trapped and distributed rainwater –to the tune of just under three billion litres every single day – leaks in England and Wales before it can be used. But much more significant than

butts, such as they may be, are now overflowing. However this is not just down to the large quantity of rain that has fallen in the past couple of days but also the limited quantity of water that each container will hold. The whole water-saving model that has been the norm in gardens for the past 100 years or more no longer works.

We do not actually have water butts here at Longmeadow as such, but use cattle troughs, which have the great advantage of being slim and open so you can fill cans by dipping – which is 10 times quicker than filling them from a tap. At present we have nine, all catching water from the greenhouses. This is a lot of water catchment but even this gives us barely enough water to irrigate all our containers for a normal week or about three very hot days. Then, when we need the water most, they do not refill until it rains when we only need to water inside the greenhouses. Clearly, we need to think beyond this. If only we could store more of this winter rain, then it would make a significant difference.

even this is that we are increasingly getting our water at the wrong time. If our springs and summers are becoming drier, it does not matter how much rain you have in winter if you cannot store it. Then if, as last winter, we have a dry winter too, we are in real trouble.

This is obviously a national problem that involves more reservoirs, more maintenance of pipework and better management of how we use our water. However, it also applies on a micro level in each and every garden. Traditionally garden water butts have served two primary purposes. The first is to provide a source of water for filling watering cans and the second is to provide a source of rainwater for plants such as citrus or ericaceous plants that suffer from the lime that is often very prevalent in tap water. But very few gardens use water butts as their primary source of water, especially those with space for a border or two and perhaps some vegetables. I suspect that most people’s water

On the Greek island of Hydra, where I have been helping create a garden over the past six or seven years, every household has a large cistern beneath the back yard. Historically this was to collect rainwater in winter, which was then used for washing, cooking, watering herbs and even drinking in the long, very dry, very hot summer months. Increasingly I am thinking that this is the kind of scale of water collection that we need on a domestic level if we are to keep our gardens sufficiently watered. When we came to Longmeadow, we put in a septic tank under what is now the Spring Garden. If I was to start again, while the digger was at work, I would also put in an equally big water tank underground and feed the house gutters into it.

I realise that this is only one side of the equation. Growing plants that need less water has to be the other. Reducing the demand for water is just as effective as increasing the supply. We must rethink our whole concept of what is a viable British summer garden. But, as I watch the rain lash the windows and hear it gurgle and swirl around the drains, I wish I could hang on to some of it to draw upon next summer.

If only we could store more winter rain, it would make a significant difference

PHOTO: JASON INGRAM

CATCH UP on any episodes of Gardeners’ World that you missed – or replay your favourites – on BBC iPlayer. You can also listen to Monty’s latest podcast, on garden design, at GardenersWorld.com/podcast

The view from your side of the fence

say

HOT TOPIC

Sensational seeds

Thank you for the free cosmos seeds (June issue). I’ve just won 1st prize and ‘Best in Show’ at my local gardening club show with these beautiful flowers (right). I received numerous enquiries from members – even the show judge – as to what they are called and where one can obtain the seeds. The flowers didn’t come into bloom until late August, but that was my good fortune as they were at their best for the show on 3 September.

Pauline Last, by email

The ‘Roma’ tomato seeds that came with your magazine (March issue) have been a great success. They have grown and fruited very well, both in our greenhouse and outside. We have been, and still are, enjoying them very much roasted and in a farmhouse brunch. I am also going to freeze some and put them in ice cube holders ready to add to winter casseroles, so many thanks for them. I am very much hoping that if free seeds are planned for next year ‘Roma’ tomatoes will be

on the list. It was lovely to watch them grow and even better to eat them.

Daphne Askew, Cambridge

SUBSCRIBERS See p26-27 to discover which free seeds we’ll be giving away next year

Start ‘em young

Growing vegetables has recently become a great pastime in our home. Being a regular viewer of Gardeners’ World, I took it upon myself to encourage my two young sons (aged 2 and 4 years) into the world of self-sufficiency.

We experienced a feeling of great triumph while watching our vegetables flourish, followed by notable excitement to try our homegrown goods. We especially enjoyed what has been a wonderful way to bond as a small family!

Kind regards from what now feels like a family of intermediate vegetable growers!  Linda, Henry (4) and Leo (2), by email

I have just enjoyed reading of another reader’s excitement at seeing a hummingbird hawk moth (Have your say, October issue). My husband and I love seeing these beautiful moths every year in Turkey where, flitting about among their glorious foliage, I fell in love with them.

Sitting outside in our garden one evening this summer something whizzed past our heads and landed among the ‘Hot Lips’ salvia – a hummingbird hawk moth! I was absolutely overjoyed. It visited the salvia every day for weeks and I, like your reader, caught it on camera. It has retreated now that the weather has cooled, but this sighting has made my summer. We haven’t travelled for two years, but this little visitor more than made up for it.

Flying visit Falling in love with autumn

Hayley Keating, by email

WE SAY: According to the British Trust for Ornithology, there was a fourfold increase in hummingbird hawk moth sightings in UK gardens for 2022 – a record year – and rising temperatures may see even more. Find out more at bit.ly/BTO-hummingbird-hawkmoth

In your magazine’s 2020 We Love October, I was captivated by James Alexander-Sinclair’s masterpiece that began “October is a galleon sailing”, and I gleefully sent it to my autumndespising friends and found that even their hearts softened towards it.

Fast forward to 2022 and I find myself falling out of an aeroplane with James while girding my loins for the inevitable winter to come. Please could someone buy James a pumpkin latte and a string of fairy lights as a matter of urgency? While 2022 has undoubtedly been a difficult gardening year, the simple joys of autumn are just a quick walk outside and a deep inhale away. Autumn-ho!

Ruth Witherall, by email

Henry and Leo’s grow-your-own success

Our free Cosmos ‘Sea Shells’ seeds proved to be a winner for Pauline

Just my cup of tea

I’d like to thank Alan for his wonderful article on tea breaks in the garden (September issue). I am absolutely with you there! I thoroughly enjoy an elevenses break while doing the weeding.

My eldest daughter used to bring me a cuppa when I was out planting bulbs in the cold and it warmed up my freezing hands! Now my daughter has a family, garden and house of her own, and does her own bulb planting. Sometimes I help with plants when visiting. I live in north Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) about one and a half hours from the Danish border, where we often get high winds and rain. I always enjoy your articles.

Andrea Carle, by email

Croaking wet

I went to water my plants the other day and couldn’t work out why nothing was coming out when I tipped my watering can... until I looked in the spout.

I’ve now made a little pond for my froggy friend. He’s keeping the bugs down, so it’s the least I can do.

Gavin Risbridger, by email

As the weather gets colder, frogs may find shelter in odd places

The writer of each published letter will receive two Gardeners’ World Guide 132-page special editions, worth £16.98, delivered to their home.

For more details about the Guide Series, go to bit.ly/GWGBUN21

Clippings

The peat ban spotlight switches to growers

Campaigners say the battle to remove peat from compost isn’t over yet, despite the Government confirming it will be illegal to sell bagged compost that contains peat after 2024.

While the Government has declared a ban on peat for amateur gardeners, it dropped a proposed deadline of 2028 to remove peat from professional horticulture, meaning growers can still produce plants in peat-based compost. A ban at some point is still on the table, and the Government says it “continues to work closely with the horticulture industry” to help them make the switch.

Nursery growers get through over a million cubic metres of compost a year – and over half (51.7 per cent) is peat. Fewer than one in 10 of the UK’s 1,800 garden centres and nurseries have taken the plunge and gone peat-free, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying, says Horticultural Trades Association president James Barnes. He says, though growers are making progress towards becoming peat-free, a shortage of

substitutes such as wood fibre and composted bark is delaying the process: “The fundamental issue is that there just won’t be enough peatfree compost to supply the nation.”

Like many growers, Suffolk-based Mr Fothergill’s is trialling peat-free composts before taking the plunge. This year it grew tomatoes and petunias in both peat-free and peat-based compost. Technical manager David Fryer says those grown peat-free needed more feeding, but it hasn’t put him off.

“We know peat isn’t sustainable,” he says.

“We expect to be peatfree within two years.”

Dr Anton Rosenfeld of Garden Organic says it’s too little, too late: “It’s like doing your homework on the bus.” He says gardeners can avoid buying plants grown in peat-based compost by raising them from seedlings and cuttings at home instead, and looking out for peat-free nurseries. “There are pockets of encouragement – and more places are switching to peat-free all the time,” he adds.

Our roundup of

month’s latest gardening news and views

Wanted: ladybird detectives

We don’t know enough about our ladybirds, a report has identified – and scientists want gardeners to help them find out more.

“We’re concerned because ladybirds perform such important functions in ecosystems and in gardens,” says report co-author Professor Helen Roy, of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

■ Report sightings at bit.ly/lb-rep

Plant a tree for Queen Elizabeth

The Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting initiative, originally celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, will now run until March 2023, after King Charles said he wanted to give people the chance to plant trees in memory of his late mother.

Each memorial tree will join a million already planted, all recorded on an online map which stretches from Penzance in Cornwall to the Shetland Islands in Scotland.

“Planting trees for royalty goes back a long way,” says Tony Kirkham, former head of Kew’s arboretum. He says, where space allows, longlived trees like English oak make the most fitting tributes.

■ Record your own tree at queens greencanopy.org

■ Read Alan Titchmarsh’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth from p42

Grange Park Primary pupils plant a tree with Sophie, Countess of Wessex

the

Growers use over a million cubic metres of compost a year, of which just over half is peat

Grower Mr Fothergill’s plant trials programme has expanded to include tests of peat-free compost

Alcohol can help plants in drought, find scientists

Plants get through drought better if exposed to alcohol, researchers at the Riken Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan have found. Watering plants with diluted ethanol prompted them to close their breathing pores, so they lost less water through their leaves.

RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter says more research is needed – plus, vodka is expensive: “It would be cheaper to buy more and bigger water butts,” he says.

NT unveils ruin garden

The Great Hall at Nymans, Sussex, is the theatrical backdrop for the new Garden in the Ruins, full of ferns, magnolias and eucryphias. The building was destroyed by fire in 1947, but has now been remade into an intimate, calming space for visitors.

■ nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans

While recent research suggests alcohol can help plants survive drought, it’s cheaper to buy more water butts

Scheme turns old compost sacks into furniture

Recycling facilities for used compost sacks are to be rolled out in garden centres nationally. It’s hoped the scheme, set up by Miracle-Gro and Veolia in partnership with Dobbies Garden Centres, will turn about 40 million sacks into garden furniture, plastic film and new bags.

bit.ly/recycle-sacks

Energy prices drive small growers online

Small, specialist nurseries faced with quadrupling energy bills and rising fuel costs are turning away from traditional sales benches and flower shows to sell online instead.

Steven Fletcher, of fern specialists Fernatix, says he no longer goes to flower shows because of fuel costs, and because it’s easier to sell online. “I rely on mail order,” he says.

Many nursery owners are simply taking retirement. Ursula Key-Davis and her sibling co-owners are retiring and closing pelargonium nursery Fibrex. “Everything’s stacking up so it’s the

right time to go,” she says. She has rehomed the nursery’s two National Collections – but worries similar closures might mean rare plants become less available. “Where are people going to get these things once we’re gone?” Meanwhile a new wave of small-scale growers is bypassing traditional selling altogether. Harriet Thompson, of Harriet’s Plants, relies solely on social media to market the peat-free house plants grown in her Staffordshire greenhouse. “I don’t have a shop front,” she says. “So I don’t have to pay rent, or high electricity costs. It’s great.”

Steven Fletcher of fern nursery Fernatix has found that online sales are outstripping those made face-to-face

My gardening world Pam Ayres

A regular on radio and TV, writer Pam Ayres is known for her warm, insightful poems about everyday life. She’s a keen wildlife gardener and her latest book, Who Are You Calling Vermin?, defends grey squirrels, moles and dung beetles. She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, theatre producer Dudley Russell.

What’s your gardening style?

I grow wholesome food for us to eat, and I garden for wildlife. I try not to plant anything unless it produces nectar, or berries, or blossom. I’ve got lots of seats – there’s nothing I like more than just sitting quietly and seeing what’s around. I was sitting by one of the borders and saw what I thought was a Catherine wheel, all coiled up – then it uncoiled and travelled away and it was a tiny grass snake. If I hadn’t been sitting there quietly I wouldn’t have seen it.

What can gardeners do to attract wildlife into the garden?

I’ve got a huge pile of what most people would look upon as a bonfire – a great big pile of sticks and prunings. I’ve got it enclosed in hazel hurdles but I will never set fire to it because it’s full of insects, and the hedgehogs go in there, and little voles too – I call it a ‘non-fire’.

Where do you get your lifelong love of gardening from?

My dad. I was born in 1947 in a council house, one of six children. All the houses had a long garden, and every evening the dads were out

Ex-GW garden at risk

Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, where presenter Geoff Hamilton filmed GW in the 1980s and 1990s, could close if plans to build a solar farm next door go ahead, Geoff’s son Nick Hamilton has warned. The 200-acre farm would power 14,400 homes. But Nick, who’s run Barnsdale since Geoff’s death in 1996, says the tall panels will dominate the garden.

“It has great potential to close us down,” he says. ”We’re not anti-alternative energy – it’s the right thing, but in the wrong place.”

Developer Econergy says it’s considering screening and moving panels further away from the garden’s boundary in response to Nick’s concerns. “It is our intention to minimise the impact on the community,” said a spokesperson.

there growing food – they weren’t doing it for pleasure, they had to feed their families. My dad was a marvellous gardener – you’d have a great patch of potatoes, rows of runner beans and a big block of broad beans.

Your new book isn’t afraid to tackle some thorny issues to do with our attitudes to the countryside. Would you say you’re a campaigner?

I’m not a tub-thumper, but the reason I feel so passionate about what’s happening in the countryside is that I have seen the decline.

Just after the war, you took it for granted that the cuckoo would come in the spring, and swifts and swallows would come in their thousands, and there would be frogs and toads in the garden, and water voles in the brooks. And all this has just gone. So in a tiny way I’m trying to arrest the decline where I can.

■ Pam Ayres’ new book, Who Are You Calling Vermin? (£12.99, Ebury Spotlight) is now available to buy.

Bus stops for bees, please

Apprentices from the Eden Project in Cornwall have turned bus shelters into feeding stations for pollinators. Each ‘Buzz Stop’ has troughs of wildflowers and vertical ‘moon gardens’ for moths. “They’re like transport cafés for insects,” says the Eden Project’s Community Programmes Manager, Juliet Rose.

■ For more on the Eden Project’s wildflower planting projects, visit bit.ly/eden-wild

COASTAL PARK ‘FAVOURITE’

Penrhos Coastal Park in northwest Wales has been named the UK’s favourite park following a public vote. The spectacular 200-acre site near Holyhead features historic buildings and its own beach. kehoecountryside. com/penrhos-coastal-park

GO RAMBLING FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

Take a walk in the country or at your local park and raise money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Pick up your guide to this year’s BBC Countryfile Ramble at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

POISONOUS COLLECTION

A gardener who fell in love with highly poisonous monkshoods (Aconitum) after a chance seedling sprang up in her Hertfordshire garden now has a new National Collection of 40 varieties, open to visitors by appointment. plantheritage.org

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE

Kew’s newly redeveloped sustainable kitchen garden has finished its first harvest. Book your visit and check out the Edible Science team blog at bit.ly/kg-kew

ANT INVASION

After counting for some time, scientists totted up how many ants there are on Earth: 20 quadrillion. Each one is a key player in ecosystems, say researchers. bit.ly/howmanyants

PHOTOS: CHANNEL 5; EDEN PROJECT; FIELDS IN TRUST; STEVE HAMILTON; RBG KEW/JEFF EDEN

Pam Ayres is passionate about wildlife

Apprentices have created ‘Buzz Stops’ in St Blazey, Treverbyn and Roche, Cornwall

WILL YOU PROFIT FROM PATIENCE?

As an Investment Trust that’s been trusted for generations since 1888, we know a few things about long-term investing.

Our research shows that impulsive investors could be missing out on significant potential growth (we call this the ‘Impatience Tax’).

In comparison we found that patient investors could have benefitted from added growth (up to 141%) based on analysis of past performance. All the more reason to see patience as a value, not just a virtue.*

Find out how you too could profit from patience.

alliancetrust.co.uk/patience

*The Profit from Patience Report, Alliance Trust, September 2022 alliancetrust.co.uk/patience

Alliance Trust PLC. TWIM is authorised

regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Alliance Trust PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is registered in Scotland No SC1731. Registered office: River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee DD1 3JT. Alliance Trust PLC is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and gives no financial or investment advice.

2 for 1 entry

A walk in the park

One of the UK’s grandest parkland estates, Lyme Park is 50 minutes from central Manchester. Its 1,400 acres offer countless breathtaking views. Walk to nearby Bowstones, where on a clear day you can see seven counties. Look out for stags in the deer park and discover the estate’s many enchanting follies.

Lyme Park is probably most recognisable as the location for that scene, in the BBC’s 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice – the one where Mr Darcy takes a dip in the lake (although in the depths of November, we certainly wouldn’t recommend it).

Open All year, daily. Card valid for the whole property – check website for house times. Card not valid on bank holiday weekends. nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme

City escapes

Part-medieval palace and part1930s manor house, Greenwich’s Eltham Palace and Gardens has been home to countless historical figures – from a young Henry VIII to the eccentric Courtauld family and their pet lemur, Jongy.

Visit Eltham Palace to witness a merging of the centuries – the solemn majesty of the medieval Great Hall giving way to the Great Gatsby-esque luxury of its Art Deco extension. In the gardens, the moat reflects the changing colours of every passing season. Open Days and times vary – check before visiting. Card valid for the whole property. Card not valid in school holidays or on event days. english-heritage.org.uk/eltham

There’s still much to see with the 2 for 1 Entry Card as autumn begins to set in – this month we discover days out just a stone’s throw from major city centres

Open All year, daily. 50% single visitor discount applies. Card not valid on bank holidays. nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

Botanical Brum

Another urban, tropical oasis, Birmingham Botanical Gardens is worth visiting at any time of year. While the glasshouses offer year-round colour, there’s also plenty to see outside in November. The white and pink-tinged flowers of Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ are blooming, while huge dawn redwoods shimmer with a flamecoloured glow. Return from late May for the butterfly house, using the May 2023 issue’s 2 for 1 Entry Card. Open Days and times vary –check before visiting. birmingham botanicalgardens.org.uk

Register for our 2 for 1 newsletter at GardenersWorld.com/gardens

more garden recommendations and updates

SAVE £13 We November SAVE £13.50 s SAVE £7.50

Kew, what a scorcher!

On a chilly day in London, there’s no better way to escape the weather than by experiencing the tropical splendour of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens Explore the climate-controlled Princess of Wales Conservatory, moving between arid zones, filled with cacti, to steamy tropics bursting with exotic orchids, giant waterlilies, and carnivorous

pitcher plants. Take in the vast Temperate House, with 1,500 species from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific. Finally, if you’re still feeling the chill, warm up by visiting the Botanical Brasserie, the Orangery or the Pavilion Bar and Grill. Open All year, days and times vary – check website before visiting. kew.org

■ Use your 2 for 1 Entry Card from the May issue to visit gardens listed in the guide and in our directory Missed the May issue or need additional 2 for 1 cards? You can buy copies of the May issue at GardenersWorld.com/gardens

Before you set off

NEXT MONTH Join us on a seasonal tour of our most festive 2 for 1 gardens

PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE

If summer has left you with a few gaps, now is a great time to get planting while the soil is warm and there’s moisture in the air

Savour the season

Autumn’s not a time to tidy up and put your garden to bed for winter, says Adam. Embrace the season and revive your planting to bring interest for months to come

After taking on a new garden this year and dealing with the dry, hot summer, autumn has never felt more welcome. For me, this has always been a time of celebration, and a time to take a moment and enjoy the season. Misty mornings, dew-covered cobwebs and the lowering of the light in the sky, which in itself can be used to spot or back-light plants, start to drive a change in the atmosphere outside your back door. Autumn can be a fast-changing season, with plants starting to decay at varying rhythms. Something magical starts to happen, and I love that change of pace – rich leaf colour, ageing seedheads and still a good show of flowers.

So why do so many people see autumn as a time to tidy up and put the garden to bed for winter? There’s so much still to enjoy and, best of all, autumn is a great time to look at your garden and start to understand the structure and form of your planting.

When it comes to planting design, I tend to look at my gardens in layers, from the upper canopy of larger trees through to the medium-to-small trees, then down to shrubs, perennials and bulbs. This not only helps me provide the garden with a good backbone but also gives me the opportunity to develop real seasonal interest. So, within each layer of planting, I want to understand what each group brings to the party, particularly as the season draws to a close.

For autumn I like to develop the diversity of textures, leaf types and foliage colours. The shapes of flowers and seedheads are also important, as are plants that will hold great form as we move into the winter months. I want the plants in my garden to work hard, not just to be enjoyed for the beauty of their sometimes-fleeting flowers.

Added to that, the garden is not just for me – it’s also for the wildlife I share it with. How we maintain our gardens can play a large part in this, and if we are a little too tidy, we can miss out on some wonderful moments. One of my best memories from last year was watching on as the goldfinches pillaged the seedheads I had left in the garden.

A lot of our late-summer flowering plants will carry great seedheads into the winter. Grasses can provide softer colours that play wonderfully with light. Shrubs and trees provide intense, rich leaf colours from crimson to gold as the season moves on. Frost, winter sun and wind can all help dictate the mood of your garden, and the relationship between the elements and our plants is key to any good planting scheme.

If, like me, summer has left you with a few gaps, now is a great time to get planting while the soil is still warm and there is moisture in the air. Have you places that lack autumn interest? If so, read on to discover my favourite plants to give your garden a boost now and in the winter months to come.

Adam’s pick of autumn performers

Now’s a great time to plant any of Adam’s top choices for a late-season display in years to come

Deschampsia cespitosa

A native grass that forms hairy mounds of darkgreen foliage. Flowers are cloud-like and the plant works in sun or semi-shade. It colours beautifully as the season moves on, with both flower and leaves turning a soft beige. It works really well with herbaceous planting, and does like a little moisture in summer to look its best. Height x spread 1.2m x 75cm

Eryngium yuccifolium

A good one for dry gardens – it loves mine! This is what I would call a dramatic plant that holds good architectural presence. The flowers sit a metre or so high above the sword-like foliage. The thistle-like flowers are a greenishwhite and will hold themselves well into winter and look great worked in with ornamental grasses. H x S 1.2m x 1m

Hydrangea quercifolia

A striking plant that has become a bit of a go-to. It’s rounded in form and carries large oak-shaped leaves that turn a deep, rich red. I also love the bark, which is tan in colour and slowly sheds as the plant ages. Its creamy white flowers appear from early summer, turning pink through to a deep red as autumn arrives. H x S 1.5m x 2m

Molinia caerulea ‘Moorhexe’

A hard-working, compact grass that is narrow and upright, so works well in a smaller place. It flowers through the summer months, then in late autumn the leaves turn to rusty red. This plant really does flower its heart out. I have used it in full sun or part shade and it does not seem overly fussy. Just make sure the drainage is reasonable. H x S 40cm x 20cm

Symphyotrichum

turbinellum

This plant produces a mass of smallish flowers which bees and butterflies flock to – but what I really love is the near-black stems. It will work on most soils, and in sun or part shade. It will flower well into autumn and works well with rudbeckias and taller grasses – a great one for a little late joy. H x S 1.2m x 60cm

Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’

For me this is one of the best sedums. An upright perennial with large, fleshy purpleflushed leaves, carried on deep-red stems. From late summer it’s covered with clusters of pale pink flowers that hold well into late autumn. As winter arrives the whole plant can brown but will still hold up well, providing a strong form through the year-end. H x S 75 x 30cm

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’

A clump-forming perennial grass with striking, blue-green leaf colour, which takes on tones of purple, burgundy and red in late summer, and then forms stiff clumps that continue through winter. Tiny purplish-red flowers at the end of wiry stems from late summer into autumn. Loves a sunny spot. H x S 90cm x 30cm

Phlomis russeliana

A plant that has good presence all year round. It has wonderful, gradually spreading clumps of large, soft, heart-shaped leaves and spikes of rich, yellow flowers. Tough and long-lived with a really strong form, this plant comes into its own in the winter, when the spent flower spikes are covered in frost. Happiest in a sunny spot. H x S 90cm x 75cm

Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’

This little plant puts on a good performance and it’s shorter than other eupatoriums. The fluffy, mauve flowers are held on purple stems that put on a show into autumn. As the seedheads dry they offer lovely winter interest. Goes well with grasses, veronicastrum and echinacea, and grows in sun or part shade. H x S 1m x 80cm

Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’

This anemone gives an autumn border a boost like late summer sun. It has simple, opencupped, white flowers that can hold a tinge of pink on the underside. It makes a great autumn focal point in a large container or border, and is happy in either full sun or partial shade. H x S 1.2m x 1.2m

Cotinus ‘Grace’

Known as the smoke bush. A large shrub that has deep-purple, oval-shaped leaves which act as a great foil for other planting. Smoke-like flowers appear in the summer months, then in autumn the leaves turn an incredible mix of oranges and reds. It’s a tough plant and responds well to being cut back hard every four to five years. H x S 6m x 3m

Amelanchier lamarckii

A beautiful and versatile little tree that has a lot to offer. In spring, star-shaped flowers erupt along with soft, coppery-pink leaves which evolve over summer. Flowers turn to fruits that become purple-black as they ripen, then as autumn arrives the leaves turn yellow then later a dark red. Tolerates a wide range of soil types. H x S 10m x 6m

Euonymus europaeus

‘Red Cascade’

A native of European hedgerows that provides a colourful show through the year. Small, yellow flowers lead on to bright pinky-red ornamental fruits that peel apart to reveal orange seeds. But for me it really comes into its own in autumn, when its green leaves turn spectacular shades of yellow and red. H x S 3m x 2.5m

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

A medium-sized tree with small, heart-shaped leaves that are flushed pink when young but turn a deep, bright green in summer; in autumn they turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. The best bit is that on autumn days the leaves release a sweet, candy-floss smell that holds in the air – kids love it. Can be grown as a single- or multi-stem tree. H x S 10m x 4m

Autumn is the perfect time to plant and divide perennials – still-warm soil and increased rainfall helps roots establish

Catch up with Adam

See the 2022 series of Gardeners’ World on the BBC iPlayer, and listen to Adam on the podcast at GardenersWorld.com/ podcast/adam

VISIT GardenersWorld.com/ autumn-options to discover more ideas for autumn colour

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; GETTY/IVA VAGNEROVA; JASON INGRAM

Remarkable Renovations

Transform your existing staircase in 48 hours with a Neville Johnson renovation. No building work, mess or fuss.

Nature’s finest

From botanical gardens to the exquisite Norwegian Fjords, you can explore paradises all around the world with P&O Cruises

Relax in tranquil Olden, Norway

With P&O Cruises, you can sail to 70 countries and up to 200 destinations, including some of the world’s most stunning locations, which is great news if you’re a keen gardener. After all, part of the thrill of going on holiday for you will be discovering new exotic species and admiring the best plant collections on the planet.

Experience new horizons

With the varied itineraries offered by P&O Cruises, the world truly is your oyster. Here are just a few of the incredible destinations you can visit, and the unforgettable horticultural wonders waiting for you at each one...

Barcelona – If you’re stopping in Barcelona, make time to investigate Parc Güell with its famous panoramic views of the city. At more than 17 hectares, you’ll find a wide variety of plant species here, including Aleppo pines, olive trees, carob trees, magnolias, wisteria and aromatic plants, such as rosemary and lavender, along with the architect Gaudí’s fascinating house, which is open for you to explore.

Valencia – Spain is Europe’s largest orange producer and two-thirds of the country’s harvest comes from Valencia, so the Orange Orchard Experience here is a must. Visiting Carcaixent on the picturesque Orange Blossom Coast, you’ll stroll through one of the region’s most impressive orchards, with ancient trees that bear white blossom in the spring and groan under the weight of up to 500 fragrant oranges each in the autumn. In this peaceful setting, you can enjoy tasting a variety of produce, including orange liqueur and tangy marmalade.

Martinique – You’ll be spoiled for natural beauty in the Caribbean with its pristine whitesand beaches and aquamarine waters, but for something more cultivated, head to Martinique’s famous Clément Plantation House. Here you’ll find a historic rum distillery (where you can learn about its history and sample rum) and an open-air contemporary art gallery, but the real gem is the stunning botanical garden. It features

a collection of more than 300 tropical plants and includes a palm grove with 30 different species, a sugar cane field and a sculpture garden.

St Kitts – A cruise that stops in St Kitts will give you the chance to immerse yourself in Caribbean cuisine with a cooking lesson at Fairview Great House, a 300-year-old former colonial residence. But don’t miss the chance to take a stroll through the lush botanical gardens afterwards. Overlooking the sparkling Caribbean Sea, this tropical oasis is picture perfect – just keep an eye out for the vervet monkeys, which love to eat from the gardens’ multitude of fruit trees.

Norwegian Fjords – You’ll get up close to majestic mountains and waterfalls, and take in breathtaking locations such as Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in this tranquil region of Norway, but you’ll find a visit to the charming village of Nordfjordeid from Olden equally rewarding. You can stroll along the banks of the river and relax in Saga Park, which features a beach with fantastic views across the fjord, while the restful Viking Park is home to the Viking King’s grave, which dates back to 876.

Win an epic 7-night Norwegian Fjords holiday!

If you’re itching to get away on an exciting holiday, you’ll want to enter this competition. You could win one of three Balcony cabins for two on a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. Plus, you’ll receive £400 on-board spending money per cabin!*

Enter now at bit.ly/po-cruises-gwo or scan the QR code below

On-board delights

And the memorable experiences don’t just lie ashore with P&O Cruises – especially with its two newest ships. Arvia, which is joining the fleet in December, sails to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and Iona, the most recent addition, sails to the Norwegian Fjords and parts of Europe. Both ships are powered by liquified natural gas and offer world-class facilities that will take your cruise holiday to a whole new level.

Arvia features an impressive 12 restaurants, including Green & Co, which serves exquisitely crafted plant-based dishes, as well as sushi courtesy of Mizuhana. Iona, meanwhile, is home to the world’s first gin distillery at sea, built in collaboration with the award-winning Salcombe Distilling Co.

If you want to indulge your culinary passions further, you can even take a Food Hero cruise and enjoy live cooking demos with a star-studded line-up of chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Norwegian favourite Kjartan Skjelde. For a spot of pampering, you should visit the spa for a treatment or two. Then come the evening, you can look forward to a variety of entertainment from thrilling world-class acrobatic displays to musical performances.

To discover more unforgettable holidays with P&O Cruises, visit bit.ly/po-cruises-gwo or scan the QR code

* Terms and conditions Promoter is Carnival plc trading as P&O Cruises. Entrants must be UK residents (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 and over. Closing at 11.59pm on 4 January 2023. For full T&Cs, visit bit.ly/po-cruises-gwo

“With the varied itineraries offered by P&O Cruises, the world truly is your oyster.”

Take in the lush beauty of the Caribbean

Spend any time at all beyond the obligatory St Mark’s Square and you will catch glimpses of plants and possible gardens

A spectacular view down the Grand Canal towards Santa Maria della Salute from the gardens of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection

My search for hidden Venice

It may be defined by its relationship with water, but the iconic Italian city is also home to some of Europe’s elusive gardens – escape with Monty as he takes a journey to discover its secluded treasures

PHOTOS DERRY MOORE

To go to Venice in search of gardens might seem to be founded more in hope than expectation. No city is more beautiful or more romantic, but few would stake its claim to fame on horticulture. There are some public gardens, but space is so short and so hard won that gardens might seem an impossible luxury for most. But spend any time at all beyond the obligatory visit to St Mark’s Square and you will catch glimpses of plants in passing and snatches of possible gardens through gateways and doors. There is wisteria reflected in the water as it falls in swags over a wall, a magnolia hedged between two buildings, or ivy capping a wall in green billows. The signs are elusive and enigmatic, with little clue as to the scale or content of any gardens within – but it is evidence that they are there.

Gardens are essentially rooted in earth and Venice is nothing if not a city of water. However, the two do combine and at times gloriously so. There are few better ways to start a day than stepping from one’s hotel straight into a boat and setting off down the back canals and opening out onto the Grand Canal early on a spring morning to visit gardens. No journey in any city in the world is more beautiful and the gardens are all integrally bound into this beauty rather than being exceptional.

Making gardens

Some of this is to do with the way that Venice’s existence depends upon the same contract with nature that every gardener deals with. It is a bargain whereby mankind manipulates and controls the natural world to make something beautiful and useful, but on licence – and that licence can be withdrawn by weather, negligence or misjudgement at any moment.

Every church, campanile, palazzo and fondamenta has had to be stolen from the waters and built on millions of wooden piles driven into the mud of the lagoon. Venice itself is actually made up of scores of islands, most of them tiny and interlaced with canals and bridges, as well as the thirty-odd inhabited larger islands in the lagoon. Despite the longevity of its medieval buildings and the incredible labour and engineering skill necessary to make them, there is the constant threat of the sea reclaiming its own. The city is slowly sinking and the waters slowly rising. It does not bode well. Every now and then an exceptional acqua alta sweeps away any sense of a firm footing. Despite having lasted with glory for over a thousand years it is a fragile, anxious relationship. This, of course, adds to the romanticism and gothic drama of Venice, worn by time and tide, dressed in fading finery as it slowly succumbs to the sea.

Historically gardens originated, as did the campi, from open fields and pieces of land where vegetables could be raised. As the campi were paved over the gardens remained, and other than on the Giudecca and the outlying

The bell tower of St Mark’s looms above Giardini Reali, a calm retreat in central Venice

The garden of Palazzo Cappello Malipiero makes a big statement on the Grand Canal, as roses spill over its balustrade

Standing at the edge of Palazzo

Behind closed doors

Most of the palazzos on the Grand Canal rise directly out of the water with no more than a landing stage to moor up against. Very few have gardens visible from the water, but as our barge took us daily up and down the Grand Canal one garden shone out, a cut above any other, by virtue of having swags of white and pink roses spilling and billowing down to the water over a stone balustrade. In a city of water, stone and brick this was a touch of softness that trees or shrubs could not emulate. With each pass, the desire to go and see the rest of the garden tantalisingly glimpsed between the balusters as we sped by became more urgent.

The garden belongs to Palazzo Cappello Malipiero and is private. Too private, it seemed, to be visited or photographed, let alone filmed by the film crew I had with me. Every day

we passed it and every day it looked lovelier. So we asked nicely, pulled strings, asked again, but all to no avail. Then, the day before we were due to leave, word came that we could visit for half an hour that afternoon. So plans were hastily rearranged and at the allotted time we duly presented ourselves at the side entrance on Salizzada Malipiero.

The palazzo itself and its neighbouring buildings form a tight frame of ochre walls but it is the fourth wall, the view across the canal to the palazzos on the other side, that transforms it.

The width of the canal creates room enough to give them balance and remove any sense of being overlooked and overwhelmed whilst retaining proportion and intimacy. It is the most perfect urban setting that any garden might have on this earth.

Cappello Malipiero, visitors have the perfect view of the Grand Canal

Despite the longevity of its medieval buildings there is the constant threat of the sea reclaiming its own

islands – which had the space for larger gardens that could grow a range of vegetables and fruit, as well as small vineyards – they were confined increasingly to small pieces of private pleasure grounds for the wealthy. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries gardens were frequently enlarged by buying up and then pulling down adjacent buildings. This trend was radically reversed in the twentieth century when formerly large gardens and parks were eaten up by new developments such as the railway station and Piazzale Roma, and houses for those working on the projects.

Just as the artificiality and tenuous existence of the city is suited to garden making, so too is the introverted, rather secretive nature of Venetians throughout the ages. In every sense of the word no city state is more insular or inward-looking. Their gardens are hidden and very private partly due to the crowded, condensed nature of the buildings but not least because that suits the Venetian cast of mind.

Whilst there is an inherent secrecy and tribal loyalty to all things Venetian – city over and above country, church and any other Italian region – Venice is also a place of carnival and opera and this is also reflected in their gardens. The idea of a garden as a place where one can enjoy gardening is rarely the primary consideration. They are made as a show, a theatre often designed to be looked down on as though from a box in the opera house. The performance comes partly from the planting and the statues but they are really the setting for people, inhabiting the garden like a stage, who make it come alive. But for all the outward show, it is a private play, probably in Venetian dialect, intended only for the select, trusted few.

Gardens always tell you as much about the people that made and care for them as their plants, and the mysterious nature of Venetian gardens tells us much about Venice. However often you visit – and I have been coming to Venice for over 40 years and [photographer] Derry over 60 – its beauty never wanes. It is freshly life-enhancing every single time. But that is only ever part of Venice’s story. The sweeping, magisterial views of the Grand Canal, St Mark’s Square or across the basin to San Giorgio Maggiore are counterbalanced by the sense that there is always something round the corner, unseen, unknown and perhaps unknowable. However often you visit, it remains the most elusive of cities. □

Retreat in the city

On a hot late-summer afternoon the Giardini Reali is a deliciously cool, calm respite right at the centre of Venice’s tourist frenzy. The planting, dominated by shades of cream and green, is restrained in colour at this time of year, and yet fulsome and generous in volume.

This makes the limited space – just over one acre – seem much bigger. This takes great confidence and shows a real sureness of touch.

Plants spill and flow out of the borders onto the immaculate white gravel paths and yet hold their shape, leaning on each other with easy and restrained familiarity rather than the slightly lurching, toppling growth of many a late-summer border.

• This feature is an extract from Venetian Gardens, the new hardback book by Monty and photographer Derry Moore (BBC Books, £40). With extensive full colour photography throughout, Venetian Gardens will give readers fresh new insight into one of the world’s most beloved historic cities – you won’t see Venice the same way again. Place your order now at bit.ly/Venetian-Gardens

Watch Monty in Venice

Follow Monty’s travels to Venice, where he visited its gardens and explored the region for his 2022 three-part series Adriatic Gardens, via the BBC iPlayer at bbc.in/3e3P84j

EXTRACTED FROM VENETIAN GARDENS BY MONTY DON AND DERRY MOORE, BBC BOOKS, £40. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DERRY MOORE

NEXT MONTH Monty relishes homegrown fruit – plus how to ensure a great harvest next year

Venice is a place of carnival and opera and this is also reflected in their gardens

A private roof garden hideaway filled with cacti and other sun-loving plants

Pomegranates thrive in these sheltered conditions and are a focal point at the Giardini Reali This palm tree in Pa

OUR QUEEN REMEMBERED

Alan enjoyed many encounters with HM The Queen, who shared his love of plants – and humour

My encounters with The Queen over the years were many and varied: we planted a palm tree together to celebrate the centenary of the opening to the public of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight –once the home of Queen Victoria, and given to the nation after her death by King Edward VII. I say ‘we’ and, indeed, Her Majesty did throw a couple of spadefuls of earth in the direction of the plant, but she was then very happy to hand over the implement and let me complete the operation, smiling wryly and indicating with a raise of her arm my expertise to the surrounding spectators, who broke into a round of applause.

Our very first encounter was slightly more nerve-wracking. I had designed a ‘Country Kitchen Garden’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 1985 and on the day of the royal visit – the Monday of Chelsea week – I stood nervously by my plot wearing, for some reason I now cannot fathom, a maroon- and black-striped blazer I had found in a junk shop, a white shirt, yellow bow tie and white trousers. I thought it unlikely that Her Majesty would be shown my modest garden, replete with flower borders, a miniature orchard underplanted with

thou ht it unli ely that er aje ty would mi ta en... or the fi t t e

t i nl y a e j t l be hown my mode t arden. wa i e ... time found myself on the eceivin end o a f s m le

I thought it unlikely that Her Majesty would mistaken... For the first that famous smile

Reflecting on The Queen’s lifelong love of the natural world, Alan Titchmarsh remembers his gardening encounters with our late sovereign

LISTEN

com/podcast

Queen Elizabeth II opened The Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, to celebrate the garden’s bicentennial year in 2007

to more of Alan’s encounters with the Queen in our new free podcast, on Apple, Spotify and at GardenersWorld.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

LEFT: Queen Elizabeth II and Alan planting a palm tree at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, in 2004; The Queen and Prince Philip survey the grounds of Sandringham House, Norfolk; Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, with their parents King George VI and the then Queen Elizabeth explore a rockery at the Royal Lodge, Windsor; The Queen toured this year’s Chelsea Flower Show by golf buggy; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, explaining the garden she helped design for the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show; Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle with a beloved corgi

Surprise number one: The Queen used the Latin name for holly. Then her gaze turned towards my vegetables. “Your onions are rather small,” she remarked. I found myself at a loss for an excuse. I need not have worried. After a pause, she added, “I like them small; when they’re large they taste of nothing at all.”

wildflowers, a rill fed by water spilling out of an old village pump and vegetables in neat rows either side of a brick path. I was mistaken. Just as I assumed she would be whisked past my creation, the president of the society ushered The Queen across the wide expanse of tarmac and told her my name. For the first time I found myself on the receiving end of that famous smile and led Her Majesty forward to examine my handiwork. She seemed genuinely interested and mentioned my “clipped ilex”.

Over the next thirty-odd years my encounters with the sovereign might have kept me on my mettle but they were never less than enjoyable. I had the pleasure of sitting next to her at lunch on a couple of occasions and found her conversation to be relaxed, surprisingly opinionated and well laced with humour. During her lifetime I adhered to the maxim that private conversations with Her Majesty remained private. Only now does it seem appropriate to reflect on some of her likes and dislikes.

She loved primroses, lily of the valley and other modest blooms – something that spoke volumes about her personality

Prince Philip’s gardening projects, for instance, did not always meet with her approval. I remember her describing the ‘water feature’ he was creating among trees to the south west of Balmoral Castle as “not my sort of gardening”.

“What sort of gardening is that ma’am?” I enquired.

“The sort that uses a bulldozer” she replied.

The Queen’s preference was for posies rather than bouquets. When in residence during the week at Buckingham Palace, the gardeners would send up a fresh posy of flowers for her desk every Monday on her return from Windsor Castle. She loved primroses, lily of the valley and other modest blooms far more than elaborate exotics – something that speaks volumes about her personality.

Having addressed the Sandringham Women’s Institute

Annual General Meeting in January 2000, I asked Her Majesty if she found her Norfolk garden rather dull in winter. She indicated otherwise. “I like the witch hazels,” she said, “though they are now so tall I have to jump up to smell them”, at which point she did a little jump in the air to demonstrate.

On my return home I ordered half a dozen young plants to be dispatched to Sandringham and received a letter of thanks for my trouble.

On her accession in 1952, The Queen appointed Prince Philip as the Ranger of Windsor Great Park, and relied upon him to take charge of new plantings there, and on the other royal estates at Balmoral and Sandringham. After the publication of my book Royal Gardeners in 2003, I sent a copy to the palace –and received thanks and a long letter in reply from Prince Philip

explaining those projects he had undertaken that I had somehow omitted to mention, among them an oak avenue in the Home Park at Windsor, the redesigning of the East Terrace at the castle, and the extension of the Lime Avenue at Sandringham to mark The Queen’s Coronation along with an avenue of copper beeches. A few years on, in 2014, I sent Her Majesty a copy of my next royal book, The Queen’s Houses –imagining that, on receipt, most books, including my own, were flipped through and then passed on. But when we next met, The Queen said, “I’m reading your book.”

“Which one?” I asked.

“The one about my houses,” she replied. “I’m reading about Sandringham. I didn’t know all that. Fascinating.” I blush to repeat the compliment, but it perfectly illustrates The Queen’s kindness and her willingness to put every one she met at ease.

The garden at Buckingham Palace, grand though it is, is very much an outdoor ‘function room’. The estates at Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral are more extensive and, along with The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, readily demonstrate the commitment of Queen Elizabeth II and her consort Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to the greening of the planet. I feel privileged to have met them both and enjoyed, at first hand, their company, their conversation, their good humour and their devotion to the landscape they loved. •

The Queen’s life in gardening

We highlight a few significant moments from Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong involvement in horticulture

■ 1937 Aged 11, plants her first tree, a yew, in the grounds of her childhood home at Glamis Castle in Scotland to mark her father’s Coronation.

■ 1940 Tends fruit and vegetables in a ‘Dig for Victory’ allotment at Windsor Castle with her sister Princess Margaret (left).

■ 1953 The coronation bouquet included lily of the valley, orchids, stephanotis and carnations (right).

■ 1955 First visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as Queen.

■ 2000 Presents GW’s Alan Titchmarsh with an MBE, famously telling him, “You’ve given a lot of ladies a lot of pleasure”.

■ 2009 The Queen presents Prince Charles with the Victoria Medal of Honour (left), the highest award given by the RHS.

■ 2009 Buckingham Palace establishes the Yard Bed, which produces fresh fruit and veg for the Palace kitchens.

■ 2018 Talks trees with Sir David Attenborough for ITV’s The Queen’s Green Planet

■ 2021 Plants the first tree (right) for The Queen’s Green Canopy, a nationwide treeplanting initiative to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

■ 2022 The Queen’s funeral wreath included myrtle from the plant that provided a sprig for her wedding bouquet, plus rosemary for remembrance and oak for strength (right).

I feel privileged to have met The Queen and Prince Philip, and enjoyed their company and their devotion to the landscape they loved

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles at Frogmore House, Windsor, in 2021

The Ripley 3 Seater Power Recliner Sofa, shown in Sorrento Duck Egg

Gardens of the Year 2022

Finally, it’s time to reveal the Judges’ Choice winner from our 2022 Gardens of the Year competition. Next month, we’ll unveil the Highly Commended garden and in January we’ll show you who GW readers have picked for the People’s Choice award –vote for your favourite garden 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

Arit Anderson Gardeners’ World TV presenter Arit is a passionate supporter of sustainable gardening

Ann-Marie Powell Garden designer and presenter Ann-Marie spearheads the My Real Garden online community

Plus previous winners

This year we invited our 2021 winners to cast their votes on the finalists:

PHOTOS:

SARAH CUTTLE; OLIVER DIXON; NEIL HEPWORTH; JASON INGRAM

WORDS ADAM DUXBURY

PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS

“As soon as I walk down here, I just feel like I’ve gone on holiday”

Nicola House has transformed her 32-metre garden into a restful idyll that’s a million miles from the cares of everyday life

➊

In 2018 Nicola set out to turn her overgrown plot into a very special garden for her and her two children. It was in that year that Nicola became a single mum and realised that a garden full of beautiful plants, vegetables and wildlife would be a boon for both her and her kids.

Nicola’s son has complex special needs and going on family holidays can be a challenge. But after four years of hard work, they now have a holiday-at-home sanctuary where friends, neighbours and family are welcome, and every opportunity is taken to spend time outdoors. Nicola’s philosophy is to let the wildflowers and wildlife appear where they like as her garden continues to evolve – right alongside her love of gardening.

What was the garden like when you first moved in? We moved here in 2015 and it was February so I remember there weren’t many plants. The top third

was all gravel and in the middle there were 18 one-metre-square veg beds that were completely rotten. The willow tree covered the whole garden, and the neighbour’s too. It was full of wildflowers, but it was also covered in old carpet and weedsuppressant fabric. It was quite like a beach garden but there was no soil anywhere except for in the veg beds. Then, when spring came, it just sort of exploded into a horrendous, overgrown mess and I couldn’t do anything with it at first!

Did you have a love for gardening before?

Before creating the garden here I can’t say I was ever massively into gardening. I had a typical garden previously but I love being outside more than anything. I didn’t want to move here at first. We had left our old home because the owners sold it and then we went and lived in a bell tent for five months. When I first

Garden plan

Seating area

tree

beds

Seating area

Before

Apple

Willow Pond Hut

NGarden retreat Veg

Pool House

At 32 metres long and nine metres wide, Nicola’s plot is a large, open garden with heavy clay soil and views across fields to the rear

walked through the door I was crestfallen but I looked out the window and my heart leapt because I saw the garden. It was a ‘wow’ moment because of that millionpound view that just goes on forever.

I was nervous about having neighbours as I’d never really had them before. But fortunately, I have the best neighbours in the world. At one point the wind kept blowing our fence down and in the end we said ‘let’s just leave it open’. And now their dog comes round, their kids come round – I think that’s something people have lost, that connection with their neighbours.

How did you make the garden?

I tried to do bits and bobs for the first few years and I spent a lot of time pulling up grass because, although it was gravel underneath, the grass just kept poking up everywhere.

The kids just played in here like it was a wilderness. But then in 2018

➌

➊ Nicola takes a relaxed approach to planting, mixing ornamentals, wildflowers, veg and herbs

➋ Recycling is key in this garden and almost every structure has been donated, upcycled or repurposed

➌ Fun treasures – like this old bike covered in leafy growth –await discovery

There’s sustainable perennials, fruit and veg, loads of colour – I love it. It looks a bit wild and not like a conventional garden, and I love it for that Nadine Mitschunas, Judges’ Choice 2021

I got divorced and I didn’t know what to do with the garden, but I knew I wanted to make it better. So I hired a man with a digger for a day and he just scraped everything off into a pile. Then I dug the centre section and turned it over so the clay soil could crack and open up over winter. The grass returned to cover it in the spring and that year I also met my now-partner. He realised I needed some help, so he came over and worked his way around, helping me with more of the clearing.

How did you choose the plants in this garden?

There are lots of plants that I’ve always loved but a big starting point was what would benefit wildlife, too. I let the wildflowers grow in amongst the other plants. The verbena pops up everywhere and there are wild

➊

➊ Nicola experiments with container planting such as these recycled pots featuring echinops and salvias

➋ There are several seating areas to take advantage of sun and shade throughout the day

➌ The family’s cosy shed is a place to eat, sleep and work

➍ Recycled pavers lead the way down the garden, flanked by vegetable beds and flower borders

sweet peas, mullein, thistles and feverfew, too. A good piece of advice I learned was to look closely at the wildflowers that grow in your area and then try growing the cultivated versions of those plants. I tame things but I love embracing all the natural plants. You do have to keep on top of it, though, or the wild stuff takes over.

How do you enjoy the garden?

We can’t really go on holidays with my son because he’s got complex special needs and is too challenging for everyone else. So we can recreate that feeling of being on holiday by

coming down to the shed. It’s great in winter when we can light a fire and eat all our meals and sleep down here. Every meal I can, I eat outside and as soon as I walk down here, I just feel I’ve gone on holiday.

My daughter has her friends round and the boy next door comes over and they will all go in the pool. You can sit in any of the chairs dotted around and watch things happening or catch the light at different times of the day.

It’s central to my wellbeing. Everyone has their own sob story but when I’m in the garden, there is no sob story.

It is 100 per cent my happy place.

This garden looks very ‘at one’ with nature. I love how she has used recycling to save money and yet still be so creative

Thomas Jose, People’s Choice winner, 2021

Thoughts from the experts

House’s

Alan Titchmarsh

To achieve views like this, Nicola’s got an innate talent and an eye. It looks like she’s created her garden without being constrained by what others think and she clearly has a natural flair for it. I can imagine the whole garden must hum with birds, bees and butterflies.

All of us on the judging panel could see Nicola’s passion in every part of her garden –this is gardening with real heart and soul.

Arit Anderson

It’s just so joyful and it looks effortless because you can tell she’s enjoyed the process.

It could be daunting to approach a space that big but even though she didn’t garden that much before, she knows what’s needed for the kids. Everyone’s talking about plant diversity but here’s a gardener who’s just doing it.

It really feels of the now, for the environment, sustainability and mental wellbeing.

This year’s top prize

The winner of the Judges’ Choice award will receive a holiday, courtesy of Pure Michigan and Visit Detroit, worth over £6,000.

The state of Michigan, in the Great Lakes region of the American Midwest, home to the City of Detroit, beautiful countryside, iconic gardens and open roads, is a true American adventure.

Pure Michigan and Visit

Detroit are delighted to offer a seven-night prize, consisting of flights, car hire and accommodation.

The lucky winners will spend two nights in Detroit visiting Ford House and Belle Isle, and five nights in Michigan, including the famous Mackinac Island, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Holland.

◼ Return flights ◼ Seven nights in three- or four-star hotels

wildlife-friendly garden

Judges’

garden

I love everything about this garden and Nicola clearly has real individualism.

I think the way that the garden bursts out into next door is great and it feels like there are no constraints.

It’s certainly a garden I would like to hang out in. I like how sustainable it all is and I just love all the recycling – very little money has been spent here but the garden still looks wonderful and has so much soul.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Inspired Villages offers stylish apartments to support you as you age, with on-site teams for maintenance and cleaning. Residents have leisure facilities like swimming pools, restaurants and cinemas in the vibrant village centre.

“If you ‘right size’ to one of our villages, you are no longer burdened with worries of maintaining a large home or security,” says James Cobb, Director at Inspired Villages. inspiredvillages.co.uk

The winners of the Highly Commended and People’s Choice awards will each receive a power tool bundle courtesy of Worx, worth £2,000.

This comprises a Landroid robot mower and a range of tools from the PowerShare battery range (includes blowers, grass trimmers, push mowers, hedge trimmers, shrub shears,

garden sprayers and portable pressure cleaners, subject to stock availability).

With the versatile Worx PowerShare range, you can do all your jobs around the garden with just one charger and a couple of batteries. And with its awardwinning Landroid robotic mower taking care of your lawn, there’s more time for you to get on

with other jobs in the garden. Do it better. Do it with Worx.

Plus… All eight finalists have been awarded a professional photoshoot of their garden and be featured in Gardeners’ World Magazine in 2022-23.

Two winners get a Worx Landroid mower and PowerShare tools

Ann-Marie Powell

Our judges loved Nicola

relaxed,

and unanimously agreed it should be the 2022

Choice. Here, they reveal what they loved most about this winning

Our winner can take a relaxing carriage ride on Mackinac Island

Meet our other finalists

Our 2022 competition proved to be another bumper year, as people shared their cherished gardens from across the UK. Next month we’ll reveal our Highly Commended garden, and we’ll also share pictures and stories of each finalist in full through 2023.

Vote for your favourite at GardenersWorld.com/garden-competition

Although only a moderately-sized plot, Anthony’s tropical paradise is a triumph of plantsmanship and engineering. It features an impressive array of dense jungle planting and smart seating and decking all designed and built by Anthony himself. This garden is a real jewel which Anthony and his family enjoy all year round.

This family loves to spend time in their garden all day long and into the night

Anthony Manning, Nottinghamshire

The wooden decking and covered areas have all been constructed by Anthony

Tropical planting takes centre stage in this sheltered garden

Ian Rayer-Smith, Shropshire

A converted chapel is the backdrop to this charming country garden which Ian and his partner have been working on since 2010. Despite having no gardening experience, the pair set about creating a stylish plot that blends Italian and formal English styles with relaxed planting schemes. The judges loved the welcoming ambience they have both achieved.

PHOTOS: NEIL HEPWORTH

There are plenty of places in which to relax and unwind

Ian’s plot mixes charming English and Italian garden styles

Formal topiary and a central stone urn are balanced with more informal planting

Dr John Butcher & Dr Sarah Berry, Shropshire

This couple have worked very hard over the past three years to transform an uninspiring plot into a garden that’s bursting with plants and filled with distinct zones waiting to be explored. Although it’s only a modest size they have incorporated several seating areas, green roofs and a greenhouse, and even open for the National Garden Scheme.

It might be small but there’s still space for a pizza oven, potting station and green roof

The side passage has been filled with tropical plants

to the arrival of the fluffy scented flowers. The fragrant blooms cover the foliage throughout the winter and spring, adding a splash of colour at a notoriously colourless time of the year. The foliage is dense and you can, if desired, train and shape Loropetalum against a wall, trellis or obelisk. Alternatively, plant 'en masse' to use as a low screen or hedge. Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in sun or part shade. Height and spread of up to 100-150cm. Hardy perennials. Your order will be confirmed along with a copy of our latest catalogue. Your 9cm plants will be delivered in October and are covered by our No Quibble Guarantee.

Ruby Snow

Kyla La Grange, London

Stepping into Kyla and her partner’s house and walking through to their small urban garden is like entering an oasis of calm. Our judges loved how the tropical planting merged with woodland plants towards the rear, creating a garden sanctuary anyone would feel happy to while away the hours in.

Kyla and her partner have created a striking garden view from within their home

There is something to discover around each corner of this tiny plot

Kyla loves to sit and surround herself with plants and wildlife visitors

PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS

It’s all in the details

Getting your teeth up to 100% clean is easy thanks to TePe Interdental Brushes’ expert design. They can reach the 40% that your regular toothbrush misses.

We make quality dental products for everyday life. That’s why 94% of UK dental hygienists recommend us*. Find out the details at tepe.com

*Source: A survey of 201 dental hygienists in the UK, Ipsos (2019)

Matthew’s unusual garden is a small courtyard space on the lower floor to the rear of his home. He wanted to create a serene and green space to step into, and our judges were impressed with how many features he’d managed to pack in: his pleached trees offer privacy, while a water feature and dining area create a relaxing environment.

Steps lead up from the basement garden to a terrace filled with plants

Texture

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM

Matthew Symonds, Bristol

is key in this shady spot, with contrasting foliage providing yearround interest

No space goes to waste in Matthew’s tiny garden

Ross Lee Harrison, Suffolk

This young gardener fell in love with plants recently after he went from being homeless to living in his own place with a modest garden that he’s worked hard to transform.

Drawing on Eastern influences, Ross wanted to create a place where friends could hang out and he could develop his passion for planting and landscaping.

Enjoying the garden with his friends is important to Ross, so he’s created plenty of seating areas

Wildlife has somewhere to visit, too, with this moss-covered log pile

An Eastern influence can be seen in the use of statues and the planting of bamboos and waving grasses

PHOTOS: NEIL HEPWORTH

Vicky Ward & Maxine Stringer, Cornwall

Vicky and her partner Maxine submitted one of the most unusual entries we’ve seen to date in the Gardens of the Year competition. Their plot perches just above the sea on a coastal path in Cornwall. Over several years they have been slowly clearing the bramble-choked garden by hand, creating 10 distinct zones where they can relax and experiment with plants.

One of Vicky and Maxine’s first tasks was to create a sheltered spot in which to sit

The latest addition is an Italian-inspired cooking area

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM

Cast

vote

Matthew Symonds

Ian Rayer-Smith

Ross Lee Harrison

Dr John Butcher & Dr Sarah Berry

Vicky Ward & Maxine Stringer

Kyla La Grange

Nicola House

Anthony Manning

Babs and Vic and (right) have both pledged gifts in

A brighter future

[;u;är;ub;m1bm]|_;;@;1|vo=1-m1;uCuv|κ_-m7Τ(b1-m7-0v7;1b7;7|orѴ;7];-]b[|oCancer Research UK in their Wills

Life hasnít always been easy for Vic and Babs. When they met, the pair had both lost their spouses to cancer, and Vic had also been diagnosed with the disease twice himself. After marrying in 2013, their shared experiences motivated them to become committed supporters of Cancer Research UK. They have even pledged gifts in their Wills ñ a life-saving legacy to help beat cancer for future generations.

ìFor many people, the word ëcancerí still has that dread factor,î says Babs. ìWhen my late husband was ill, I used to pray that someone would find the missing piece of the puzzle to cure him. The more money that Cancer Research UK receives from legacies, the more research they can do to find those missing puzzle pieces and save lives. These days, there are so many brilliant new treatments, and itís so exciting to play a part in furthering that research.î

Making a difference

One in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime¹. But survival in the UK has doubled in the last 40 years, and this is thanks, in part, to scientific advancements. Vic knows all too well the power these advancements can have, having undergone radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer, and later receiving treatment for basal cell skin cancer on his face and scalp. Cancer Research UK played a key role in the development of radiotherapy, and has made vital contributions to finding new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat skin cancer.

Vicís experience, coupled with the loss of his late wife to bowel cancer, prompted Vic to pledge a gift in his Will to Cancer Research UK. ìBeing invited on lab tours and seeing the research is very motivational,î he says. ìItís so exciting to hear about new initiatives, such as the potential of a ëbreath testí to detect cancer. It feels like thereís so much happening in the field and I hope for a day when no one has to fear cancer.î

Gifts in Wills enable Cancer Research UK to plan long-term research projects, which will lead to new treatments that will help beat cancer for future generations.

Currently, gifts in Wills fund a third of Cancer Research UKís life-saving work, supporting vital research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through the efforts of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.

Today, two in four people survive their cancer for at least 10 years, but Cancer Research UK wants to accelerate this progress so that three in four people will survive their disease by 2034. If you would like to support the research that will make this happen, find out more about how you can play your part with a gift in your Will.

1Ahmad AS et al. British Journal of Cancer, 2015. Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247).

To find out more about the power of leaving a legacy, visit cruk.org/legacy

their Wills to Cancer Research UK

Discover the gardens and castles of North Wales

Our tailor-made tour of North Wales’ finest gardens and castles has been designed to give you a full experience of this glorious coastal region. You’ll be staying at the four-star Llandudno Bay Hotel, located just a stone’s throw from the beach and overlooking the picturesque promenade, with

Conwy and the beautiful Snowdonia National Park nearby.

◼ DAY 1 Make your own way to the hotel, where you meet our Tour Manager and enjoy a relaxing evening.

◼ DAY 2 We head to Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens, one of North Wales’ best-kept secrets on the

beautiful island of Anglesey. On arrival we relax over tea or coffee and enjoy a talk by the owner, followed by a guided garden tour, including an area opened exclusively for our visit, followed by an included lunch. Then it’s off to Penrhyn Castle, to explore the luxurious Victorian interior and beautiful gardens.

◼ DAY 3 We start at Gwydir Castle with a tour taking in 500 years of history, followed by an included cream tea. Then we head to Bodnant Garden, where you are free to explore at your own pace. Encompassing 250 years of horticultural history, this 80-acre garden is home to wildflower meadows, woodland, riverside gardens and five Italianate terraces.

◼ DAY 4 We visit Bodrhyddan Hall for a guided tour of the house, then a morning coffee and tour led by the head gardener, followed by

an included light lunch. We then head off to Brynbella Gardens where you’ll join the owner for a guided tour, followed by free time to explore further. We then return to the hotel by coach for dinner.

◼ DAY 5 After breakfast you are free to check out and depart at your leisure.

Please note, there is walking involved in this tour, as well as getting on and off coaches, so you must be fairly fit.

Bodrhyddan Hall

Llandudno Bay Hotel

Gwydir Castle

EXCLUSIVE TOUR FOR GW READERS

HOLIDAY INCLUDES

◼ Four nights’ half-board accommodation with evening meals at the 4-star Llandudno Bay Hotel, Llandudno

Coach transfers for excursions

Experienced tour manager

GARDEN TOURS

Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens on Anglesey, with tea/coffee, talk by the owner, guided tour and light lunch

Penrhyn Castle and gardens ◼

Gwydir Castle and gardens, guided tour with the owner and cream tea/bara brith

Bodnant Garden ◼ Bodrhyddan Hall with guided tour of the house, tea/coffee, head-gardener tour and lunch ◼

Brynbella Gardens with guided tour

Bodnant Garden Penrhyn Castle

Plas Cadnant

warming wonders Pot up these

PHOTOS JASON INGRAM

The exuberant floweriness of summer may be well behind us but there’s much still to appreciate in our gardens, even as flowers continue to dwindle and leaf fall quickens. Containers offer an easy, effective and affordable way of bringing the finest of any season into focus, cheering up even very restricted spaces.

In the low-slung sunlight of bright autumnal days, seasonally tinted leaves are illuminated like stained glass, while back-lit blooms turn thrillingly translucent, and feathery grasses are haloed mesmerisingly. Each of our pots is planted to take advantage of this engaging extra

Grasses, in all their variety, are hard to beat for long-lasting autumn attraction and even in their straw-like winter guise they add structure and texture, as well as subtle colour.

Japanese forest grass excels in pots, its swishy, arching leaves turning yellow and gold before going shades of umber and ochre as they wither. Provided they don’t get too dry or overheated, ferns are also one hundred per cent reliable in pots.

We’ve nestled a feathery soft shield fern to contrast against the Japanese forest grass, with sprawling plumbago completing the trio. In addition to their striking blue flowers which often linger late in the year, the small, rounded leaves of the latter turn vermillion, scarlet and ruby-red.

dimension and look their best sited where they can fully catch the light.

Although much more understated than their summer counterparts, these still striking and colourful planting combinations are designed to carry us gently toward winter and to maintain some interest through the coolest months.

We’ve chosen plants carefully so that, with the exception of the violas, all should live on for years, whether in pots or in the ground. And ours is only a small selection of the many plants with autumn appeal: there are lots of grasses, evergreens and late-flowering perennials to choose from.

Made to last, the colourful and highly textured lava-glaze pot adds loads of aesthetic appeal and is worth every penny. Having spent the summer residing in a spot away from the very fiercest sunshine, this arrangement performed even better the following year, although it will eventually need dismantling. In spring, pull or cut away old forest grass leaves and fern fronds to reveal fresh shoots.

We used

➊ Ceratostigma griffithii (Griffith’s plumbago) x 1

❷ Hakonechloa macra (Japanese forest grass) x 1

➌ Polystichum setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’ (soft shield fern) x 1

➍ 36cm Oceanstone glazed vase (£59.99, crocus.co.uk)

Swish and sway

As summer and autumn meld, the green blades of graceful anemanthele turn shades of russet, bronze and copper, achieving a shimmering presence that continues long into winter.

This is a potful that is at its most potent out in an open spot where the grass will sway animatedly whenever the wind blows, and tumbling euphorbia adds extra flow. The elegant flowers of hesperantha spear up from grasslike clumps in late summer and continue for many weeks, here rising informally from among the autumn-tinted grass to create a naturalistic feel.

Simple glazed earthenware containers in neutral shades are, unlike brightly coloured or heavily patterned options, timeless in their appeal and complement the widest variety of plants and planting schemes. They are also generally very robust so are a wise purchase. They perfectly show off foliage plants such as the anemanthele and euphorbia here. Separate the individual plants in spring and plant out or pot on.

Hesperantha will flower when many other plants are shutting up shop for autumn and winter

winter containers

Golden glow

Because we tucked this planting into a sheltered corner last winter, it was just as fresh and impactful the following April as in the October it was first potted up.

Terracotta is a perfect choice of material here, bumping up the warm glow that emanates from this cosy plant selection.

While the violas become more shy to bloom as temperatures drop, they greet the warmth of spring with a colourful flourish. Help them along by snipping off any yellowing leaves and faded flowers. Also consider the bright petals as an interesting cold-season salad garnish, or have a go at crystallising them as edible decorations for cakes and puddings.

Flanked by diminutive thymes, the attention-grabbing centrepiece, here is a clump of richly coloured variegated libertia, a grass-like evergreen perennial with narrow leaves arranged in fans. Thymes are old faithfuls for containers, with the bushy ‘Silver Posie’ being among the finest. An occasional light trim and snipping a sprig or two for the kitchen will help keep them in their prime.

We used

➊ Libertia ixioides ‘Goldfinger’ (Chilean iris) x 1

❷ Thymus ‘Silver Posie’ (thyme) x 2

❸ Thymus ‘Archer’s Gold’ (thyme) x 2

❹ Viola ‘Sorbet Honeybee’ x 5

❺ 30cm classic, flared square terracotta container by Mims Pottery (around £25 from garden centres)

Maximise the violas’ flowers by putting this pot in a sunny spot

Blueberries and bugle

Among the easiest to grow of all fruits and offering triple appeal, blueberries can make first-class container plants. Clusters of tiny, white spring flowers are followed by the highly nutritious summer berries, which this year we picked and devoured as soon as they were ripe in order to beat the blackbirds. As autumn creeps in the leaves turn fiery hues and seem to remain on the plants much longer than many other colouring leaves.

Although many varieties of blueberry are self-fertile – ideal if you are short on space – they tend to crop better if you plant more than one and should be potted using an ericaceous compost. At just 60cm high and wide, ‘Northcountry’ is a reliable, compact variety that can live its entire existence in a container.

Whilst in the longer term the blueberry will be happier without competition from other plants, it will be fine initially with a few shallowrooted companions tickling around its feet. This combination of bugles fits the bill well, as do autumnflowering cyclamen, both of which can be shifted to the garden or other pots come spring.

We used

Vaccinium ‘Northcountry’ (blueberry) x 1

Ajuga reptans ‘Braunherz’ (bugle) x 2

Cyclamen hederifolium Silver-leaved Group x 2

Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow‘ (bugle) x 3

34cm terracotta pot (around £24 from garden centres)

Cyclamen foliage provides interest even when the flowers are scarce

winter containers

How to plant your seasonal pot

Keep your containers looking good all winter

◼ With a bit of care, our autumn pots, as well as most other planted containers, can be successfully brought through winter to be in the best shape possible as spring arrives. A quality frost-proof pot capable of surviving an unpredictable British winter, as well as withstanding impacts, without cracking is a wise starting point. The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ is appropriate and so, although not cheap, a well-made pot is an investment that should last a lifetime.

1

Half-fill your pot with a good quality, peatfree multi-purpose compost. Raise the pot on bricks or pot feet, and ensure the holes at the bottom of the container are sufficient to allow water to drain away easily.

2

Position the largest plant first: in this case a libertia in the centre of the pot. Carefully tap it from its nursery pot, and tease out the roots if they are congested. Once it’s in place, add a little more compost around the roots.

◼ If your pots aren’t frost-proof, or you are not sure, it makes sense either to move them to as sheltered a place as possible, or to use sacking or bubble wrap to insulate them during very cold periods. Better still, do both. Although many plants will survive short periods in compost that is frozen solid, wrapping the pots will also help prevent such stress. Lay horticultural fleece over the tops of plants liable to frost damage but try not to leave it on longer than necessary as this restricts air circulation. If you have several pots, try huddling them tightly together in a community so that they offer some protection to each other.

◼ Plants need much less water in winter than in other seasons, and compost dries out much more slowly, but don’t assume watering to be unnecessary. It’s best to check at least weekly. During prolonged dry periods, unseasonably warm or especially windy conditions containers can still dry out: evergreens, particularly, will continue to draw moisture to replace that lost through their leaves.

Conversely, plants that are waterlogged will quickly look sad and are more difficult to revive than those that have dried out a little, so it is better to err on the side of caution to avoid over-watering. Try not to water at all if especially low temperatures are forecast. Raising pots off the ground, whether on bricks, blocks of wood or purpose-made pot feet will also help ensure the compost drains properly.

◼ General maintenance jobs such as deadheading and removing dying or damaged leaves can be done much less frequently in winter, but still remember to do so at regular intervals.

◼

4

Water thoroughly to settle the compost around the roots. Although pots need less water in autumn and winter they may still dry out, so check at least once a week. Regularly pick off faded flowers and damaged leaves.

Finally, when planting pots for autumn and winter, consider extending their period of interest by dropping in a few spring bulbs at planting time. The average pot won’t need many – perhaps a few dwarf irises, grape hyacinths or miniature narcissi.

3Plant the thymes to tumble over each corner of the pot, and in-fill with violas, planting densely for instant effect. Fill in between the plants with compost and firm gently with your fingers.

House plants going big!

Large house plants are arguably far easier to grow successfully than smaller ones; for example, the much greater volume of compost in the container will result in an improved ability to retain moisture over time, which means that forgetful gardeners won’t be punished so harshly for leaving these plants unattended for long periods. Secondly, larger leaves will capture more light energy that can then be reinvested in varying departments of the plant, such as the roots and new leaves.

So, read on as I highlight here the dos and don’ts of growing statement plants in the home, along with my top 10 picks to look out for should you wish to go big.

Bare necessities

The desire to have a large statement plant in your home will usually stem from one of two thoughts: there may be a certain empty space in a room that needs filling up, or you may just want a bit of greenery added somewhere in your home.

Choosing a suitable house plant species is relatively simple, but start off by studying the characteristics of the space in your home. For example, the amount of sunlight or indirect light the plant will receive once in place is by far the most critical aspect to success, and this is where you should aim to replicate the lighting of its natural habitat.

Once you have met your house plant’s light needs, the rest of its care requirements will be far easier to manage. I’ve found that if the plant is happy where it lives in your home, its tolerance of our forgetfulness is much better when it comes to watering or fertilising. Try not to get overwhelmed by the complexities of caring for the newest member of your

house-plant collection; as long as you fulfil two important objectives – its light and water requirements – everything else will feel like a walk in the park.

My best tip for knowing when to water your house plant is to gently lift the container to feel its weight, and to look at the texture of the compost itself. If you’ve selected a leafy or tropicallooking species, ensure the compost’s top quarter is dry before any watering, whereas plants that prefer arid locations such as yuccas will ideally need to be entirely dry before they are given another drink.

You can either use a soil moisture meter, available in shops or online, or simply place your index finger several centimetres into the compost to check. I only ever water my large plants if the soil feels dry to the touch and the pot is light when picked up.

My overall message is to never panic when purchasing a sizeable house plant with a top-end price tag. As long as you know where in the home to grow it and when to water it, success will be just around the corner.

Joe Bagley’s Viewer Video featured on Gardeners’ World and he was a presenter at Gardeners’ World Live this summer.

For more of Joe’s house-plant expertise, visit ukhouseplants.com

Huge indoor plants have never been more popular. House-plant

expert

Joe Bagley shares his advice on buying, growing and caring for these green giants

The amount of sunlight or indirect light the plant will receive is the most critical aspect to success

With its large, lush leaves, the Swiss cheese plant makes a striking addition to any room

❼ ❽ ❻

10 large house plants to grow now

❶ Howea forsteriana

Kentia palms offer an architectural grandeur, reaching heights of up to 2m. Their foliage provides a wealth of contrast against any wall colour. Situate in a room with bright, indirect light, make sure it has evenly moist soil and apply a house-plant fertiliser with every third watering.

❷ Beaucarnea recurvata

A sun-dweller, this slow-growing plant is a great option for rooms that receive copious amounts of sunlight each day. Well equipped for conservatories or south-facing rooms, follow the phrase ‘drenches between droughts’ to avoid over-watering. Only water this plant once the soil’s entirety becomes dry.

❸ Rhaphidophora tetrasperma

An easy-natured, versatile species that can grow either as a trailing plant (from a shelf) or pinned up against a trellis/coir pole for height. Its leaves resemble a smaller version of the popular Swiss cheese plant and can grow up to 4m indoors. Maintain moist soil, allowing the top 7.5cm to dry out between room-temperature drinks of water.

❹ Monstera deliciosa

The internationally popular Swiss cheese plant is a regular go-to for those who have a shady corner in their room. Due to their horizontal leaves directly facing far-away windows, they can capture light where other specimens may struggle. If in a low-light setting, remember

to water less often to avoid root rot and rinse the leaves in the shower from time to time.

❺ Philodendron xanadu

When pruned every other year, this is a great alternative for those who like a bush-like shape. While preferring a sunless location, these 1m-high beauties can tolerate a room that has a few hours of early morning sun when kept evenly moist. Feed it once every three to four waterings to promote its large, glossy leaves.

❻ Dieffenbachia seguine

This jungle-like variety will live for many decades in the right care. Water once every 10-14 days and give it a regular nitrogen feed to maintain

its light-green and golden variegations. Specimens can be bought at around 50cm but will reliably grow into monsters in years to come!

❼ Yucca elephantipes

Another sun-loving species, the trusty yucca is often planted as a duo at differing heights in a single pot. This clean-cut, slow-growing specimen will add around 10cm of growth per year. To avoid over-watering, only water the compost once the pot feels light when lifted.

❽ Musa ‘Ae Ae’

Many banana varieties will grow in bay windows or conservatories. The variegated ‘Ae Ae’ can reach a height of 1.8m with a spread of just over 1m. Provide overhead lighting (to promote balanced growth), water the soil thoroughly

every 10 days and give it a nitrogen-rich feed every third watering.

❾ Hibiscus sinensis

Few garden plants will grow well indoors, however many pot-grown outdoor specimens will do well in semi-shaded conservatories. Hibiscus can reach up to 1.2m (unpruned) and will become a surprisingly reliable house plant with a weekly watering.

❿ Dracaena fragrans Compacta Group

Ideal for minimalists. Allow the soil to half dry out between waterings and place it in a well-lit location to power its striking, compact figure. Grow it to 1m-2.5m from a windowsill that offers morning or late-evening sunlight.

Tips for giant house plants

■ Right plant, right place. Have a look at the lighting conditions around the desired location for your new plant. If the plant is situated more than 2.5m from the window or light source, you may have to look for larger-leafed/tropical-looking specimens, such as a monstera or philodendron. Sunny locations where a chocolate bar could melt will require sun-loving plants such as the ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) or a yucca.

■ In darker areas of the home (for example, room corners or smallwindowed cottages), take care not to water too often. Raise the plant’s nursery/ coir pot higher so that the top lip is level with the decorative pot. This will be highly beneficial for the health of your soil, as it will also be exposed to the natural lighting, which in turn will dry the soil quicker (thus reducing the risk of soilborne issues such as root rot).

■ Keep leafy greens looking great by gently rinsing the foliage under the shower to remove dust and replicate the rainfall of their natural habitats. This is best carried out on those plants that will grow in dark rooms to improve their light-capturing efficiency.

■ Regular feeding is essential for healthy and reliable growth. Give your plants a feed once every third or fourth watering by mixing the recommended amount with a litre of water.

■ Mature plants can make fantastic family heirlooms. Once your plant becomes too large to keep in its current location, take stem cuttings to root in either water or soil. This is a fantastic opportunity to give them as gifts to friends or family – or even to encourage the younger generations to become horticulturalists!

WATCH videos and get tips at GardenersWorld.com/house-plants for more on growing house plants

■ For more tips, order the 132-page Your Happy House Plants Guide at magsdirect.co.uk/ gwghp22 (RRP £7.99 plus £2.25 postage to UK mainland)

Growıng Greener Time for new ground rules

ILLUSTRATIONS ELIN BROKENSHAW

All life on Earth depends on the soil beneath our feet but for years soil has been overlooked, with little real understanding of its fundamental role.

The soil is one of the most diverse environments on the planet, so it’s important that we look after it. This is one of the most effective ways in which we can help our world.

When asked to imagine an abundant ecosystem, we may think of jungles or rain forests, but did you know that an estimated one quarter of all biodiversity is in the soil? This means the soil food web is very complex. Go into your garden or park and scoop up a teaspoon of healthy soil: you’ll be holding more organisms than there are people on the planet. Whether it’s bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, fungi or algae, most soil life is invisible to the human eye and requires powerful microscopes to see it.

Greener facts

• It can take 500 years to form just 2cm of topsoil

• Around 90 per cent of plants have mycorrhizal associations, helping them to access nutrients

An extensive subterranean web of soil fungi, flora and fauna connects trees and other plants via their roots. It’s being called the Wood Wide Web, and is thought to be around 500 million years old. It helps plants keep healthy by increasing access to nutrients and water, and also allows communication between them. Caring for the soil helps to keep this network thriving.

Protecting the soil creates a better environment for all wildlife and helps increase biodiversity. Many creatures rely on soil life as part of their diet and to feed their young. Soil is also home to many insects and other creatures at the larval stage, throughout their life, or for hibernating in.

Healthy soil retains more nutrients for longer, leading to more abundant plant growth. Allowed to thrive, soil organisms can recycle nutrients more efficiently, breaking them down and making them accessible to plants. Not digging the soil protects mycorrhizal fungi, which work with plant roots, increasing their access to nutrients and moisture. Avoiding digging also helps to protect the soil’s structure,

thereby reducing soil erosion and increasing water retention. It also helps to minimise flood risk, because the tiny channels created by soil life are left undisturbed, allowing them to reduce compaction and making it easier for large amounts of rainwater to percolate through the soil.

Soil stores carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, generally through the photosynthesis of plants, which helps to offset the risks from climate change. Recent research found that soil globally has the potential to remove up to 5.5bn tonnes of greenhouse gasses

The soil beneath our feet is home to billions of unseen life forms that just love to make plants happy. Stephanie Hafferty shows how we can all give them a helping hand by protecting our soil

Healthy soil retains more nutrients for longer, leading to more abundant plant growth

Stephanie Hafferty is a no-dig gardener and co-author with Charles Dowding of No Dig Organic Home and (Permanent Publications, 2017)

Greener facts

• Organic farms have 20% more organic matter in their soil on average, thanks to the use of compost, crop rotation and nitrogen-fixing crops

• 33 per cent of the Earth’s soils are now degraded, and this could rise to over 90 per cent by 2050

from the atmosphere each year. Safely locked into the soil, it can stay there for centuries. This is great news for reducing climate change.

And even those without gardens can still connect with the soil beneath our feet by choosing peat-free compost and plants grown without peat for window ledge or balcony containers. This is important because, while all soils store carbon, peatlands contain over 33 per cent of the world’s soil carbon, although they only occupy three per cent of the global land area. So they need to be left alone to do that job.

As gardeners, we can all work together to help support soil and our environment, to benefit our gardens and the planet, whatever we grow.

Soil life: all about team work

Professor Duncan Cameron is Co-director of the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield, investigating plant-microbe interactions in soil. Here he outlines how these work in gardens

Soil-dwelling organisms make soil stable and healthy, enabling us to grow food in it.

The tiny mineral particles in soil are stuck together to give it stability using glues

(produced by soil fauna and flora) made of carbon compounds. If exposed to oxygen, these compounds break down – so digging, which introduces air to the soil, harms these glues as well as resulting in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

There is currently more carbon in the planet’s soil than its atmosphere and we should keep it there by using no-dig methods.

Underground organisms, which make nutrients used by plants, feed on mycorrhizal fungi associated with plant roots. Up to 10 per cent of the sugar in a plant feeds its mycorrhiza, moving carbon into the soil and providing food for these organisms. This ecosystem is disrupted by artificial feeds, which bypass the process, meaning plants stop giving sugar to their mycorrhizas and other soil organisms starve.

How to look after your soil

Don’t dig it

One of the simplest and most effective things we can all do is to use no-dig methods. When soil is dug, carbon is released as carbon dioxide. Not digging locks this carbon in the ground. No-dig keeps the soil ecosystem healthy and intact, creates a better environment for plants and results in bigger harvests.

Top tip No-dig gardening is simple: rather than digging annually, spread a minimum of 1-2cm of compost on the surface as a mulch and leave it for the soil life to incorporate naturally.

Get mulching

An organic mulch is a layer of organic material spread on the surface of the soil, at any time of year. Autumn mulches are great for protecting the soil against winter weather and summer mulches help to conserve moisture. By the natural process of decomposition, mulches feed the soil. They also keep down weeds. Top tip Use homemade compost, woodchip, leaves, comfrey or straw to mulch your garden for free. Grass clippings are great for mulching potatoes in a dry summer, giving larger yields.

Sow green manures

Green manures are a living mulch, helping to increase biodiversity, reduce weeds and protect the soil. The seeds are widely available to gardeners. Sprinkle them in gaps and between established plants (such as brassicas) from spring to early autumn. Phacelia, mustards and crimson clover produce flowers to feed bees and other pollinators. Top tip Choose green manures that are killed off by frost or that can be hoed off easily, so you can sow and plant in the beds afterwards.

Pack in the plants

Planting densely is another way to keep soil covered. Flower borders, trees and fruit bushes can benefit from ground cover, supporting a wide range of insects, small mammals and birds. In the veg garden, plant crops that won’t compete too much with each other close together, or use green manures.

Top tip Plant smaller edibles such as lettuce, spinach, spring onions or beetroot between larger plants such as brassicas. This is called intercropping and it increases yields.

Never waste your waste

A compost heap is the heart of the garden. The ultimate in garden recycling, creating compost is free and helps to reduce waste. Choosing a composter that works best for you, add roughly half and half greens (such as kitchen scraps and herbaceous growth) and browns (such as cardboard and twigs).

Top tip Produce more compost by asking around your neighbourhood for unwanted compostables to add such as grass clippings, rabbit or poultry bedding and cardboard.

Feed your soil naturally

Chemical fertilisers harm the ecosystem below ground, killing soil life. Growing organically is great for soil and plant health. Not digging and instead feeding the soil with organic mulches can mean that no other feeds are needed for healthy plants and abundant crops.

Top tip Make feeds for container-grown plants using comfrey and nettles: soak cut-up stems and leaves in a bucket of water for two weeks, strain and use. Grown in a corner of the garden, the plants support a wide range of wildlife, too.

A few simple methods can help boost the life in your soil to make your plants more vigorous, your garden healthier and local wildlife happier

Water responsibly

Over-watering not only wastes a precious resource but can lead to soil erosion and loss of nutrients. Water carefully around the plant’s stems, thoroughly rather than frequently, to encourage deep rooting. If possible, water early in the morning to reduce evaporation. Undug, mulched soil will naturally hold onto more moisture, reducing the need to water.

Top tip Collect water using your compost heap. Just fix a sheet of plastic over it, angled so that rainwater pours into a water butt.

Diverse life, happy soil

As with other ecosystems, biodiversity brings health to the soil. Soil organisms carry out various services: they fix nitrogen, mine phosphorous, glue particles together and reduce pests or pathogens. Losing species from the soil means these functions are compromised and the soil is less able to cope with extreme conditions such as drought or flooding. When we gardeners interfere with soil we disrupt this balance and damage it.

Growıng Greener

DOING YOUR BIT NOW

Weed little and often

Large weeds cause soil disturbance when they’re pulled out, so it’s better to get them when they’re small. Also, weedy soil in the vegetable garden can reduce harvests and encourage pests such as slugs. Wildflowers have their place in a healthy ecosystem, so dedicate a corner of the garden to them, or grow them in a large container.

Top tip Regular hoeing of veg beds helps to keep the soil free of weeds. Keep your hoe sharp and clean so the job is always easy.

Good soil is key for good growing and essential for the best results – and we all have a part to play in making sure that our soil is healthy and productive. Looking after the life beneath our feet by gardening carefully is the responsibility of gardeners and brings the rewards of good harvests and beautiful plants.

GardenersWorld.com/growing-greener

NEXT ISSUE IN GROWING GREENER

Branch out Trees cool our cities, soak up pollution, sequester carbon, house wildlife and can provide sustainable food – and there’s one suitable for even the smallest plot.

LISTEN to Arit Anderson talking about how we can all make a big difference by gardening more sustainably at GardenersWorld. com/podcast PLUS hear Prof. Duncan Cameron describe the secret world of soil and explain the benefits of regular mulching for happier crops.

HAVE YOU made changes, inspired by the Growing Greener series? Just email letters@gardenersworld.com. And look out for our research in the December issue, where you’ll have a chance to win a £50 John Lewis e-gift card by taking part.

ILLUSTRATIONS: ELIN BROKENSHAW. PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; GETTY/CJP/FANTAIL; JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALL

Your wildlife month

November is a dreary, damp month in the garden, with occasional bouts of sunshine to gladden the heart. A few butterflies, including red admirals, small tortoiseshells and peacocks, are still on the wing –you may spot them feeding on late-flowering plants such as Michaelmas daisies. Birds such as finches and blackbirds may have all but vanished from your garden. This is normal, as road verges and hedges are bursting with berries, while trees offer a bounty of seeds and nuts. So don’t worry if you haven’t seen many birds lately and be thankful they have food to eat in the wild. While they’re gone, clean your feeders, bird tables and baths to ensure they’re safe when things get busier in a few weeks. WORDS

You may spot…

Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris

The fieldfare is a large thrush with a chestnut-brown back and creamyyellow breast streaked with black. It has a black tail, dark wings and a grey rump and head. Like our resident song and mistle thrushes, it has a very upright stance and moves purposefully with bold hops.

A social bird, the fieldfare arrives in October from Russia and eastern Europe, and is rarely seen alone. It sometimes forms huge flocks, often with redwings. It spends most of its time in orchards, eating windfall apples, and in hedgerows and berrying trees in the wild. In snowy conditions or a particularly cold winter, it will venture into gardens.

It breeds in continental Europe and Scandinavia (very occasionally in Scotland), typically in woodland and scrub, and sometimes in small colonies. Up to six eggs are laid and the chicks are fed by both parents. It eats molluscs, insects and earthworms in summer, and berries and seeds in winter.

On sunny days you may still see hoverflies such as Eristalis tenax

Also be on the lookout for…

◾ Hoverflies, some of which may still be on the wing on sunny days.

◾ Bats, especially pipistrelles, a common garden species, which may still fly on mild nights before entering hibernation properly.

◾ Blue tits, which join with great tits and smaller birds such as goldcrests, in ‘roving groups’ in search of food.

And don’t miss...

National Tree Week, from Sunday 27 Nov to Monday 5 Dec. Look out for local tree-planting events at bit.ly/tree-action-week

The

Autumn heralds the arrival of fieldfares, flying in to feast on berries and fruit through our relatively mild British winter

KATE BRADBURY

fieldfare spends most of its time in orchards or hedgerows and berrying trees in the wild. In particularly cold winters it will venture into gardens

Fresh from the plot

With the arrival of chilly weather, this season’s crops are all but over… with the exception of Rekha’s precious saffron harvest – perfect for her deliciously warming cardamom loaf

There’s no doubt about it: we’re now definitely into November. I’m wrapping the scarf around my neck just that little bit tighter and there’s a woolly hat snuggled securely around my ears, but when it comes to gardening, the gloves are off!

I love the feeling of soil moving through my bare hands. It’s not really that cold, once I get into the rhythm of digging and turning the last patch of soil where the squashes grew. I’ve been putting off the job of washing out plant pots, but it will have to be done over the coming month before the water supply to the allotment

Now is a good time to clean pots: it’s one less job to do in the rush of next spring

How I grow Saffron

It’s humbling to learn how the flower of a small corm produces the most expensive spice in the world – and that I can grow it here!

Only Crocus sativus, an autumnflowering crocus, produces the high-quality spice, saffron. Although they grow well outdoors in the ground, the soil on my plot is heavy clay, and we have colonies of squirrels that do not leave any crocus alone, so I prefer using terracotta pots in the greenhouse.

I picked up my corms in late August and planted them in a very gritty, free-draining, loam-based compost. Then, I just watered them and left the pots in the greenhouse to do their thing. I don’t water them very much after that.

Through September and October green blade-like leaves appear from each corm. As the outdoor temperatures drop, this triggers two or three flowers to start forming in the centre of each

plant. As soon as the flower opens, I pick up my tweezers and pluck the precious red stigmas out, laying them on a paper towel in the warmth of the kitchen to dry out completely, and later storing them in a small jam jar. When you open the lid after a few days, there’s a sweet, spicy aroma – a pleasant fragrance that I always enjoy.

By spring the plants die back. I simply take the dormant corms out and store them in the shed away from direct sunlight, ready for planting again in late August.

ALSO TRY

Although there aren’t different species of saffron-producing crocus to grow apart from Crocus sativus, I have come across a white saffron crocus, which I am yet to get hold of and grow, called Crocus sativus ‘Albus’. These produce silky white petals, in contrast to the usual lilac-purple colour.

site is shut off over winter. I stack and store them in the shed and whilst I’m in there, give the inside of the shed a good tidy up, too.

The big oak tree has finally dropped all its leaves, and I stow a few barrow-loads of them into my make-do-and-mend leafmould pen. The cold rain, frost and even snow will help to break it all down. Another task ticked off.

Soon, I can down tools and allow the plot to rest over its hibernation period. As for what I plan to do… rest assured, my fingers and thumbs won’t be idle all winter, with all those seed catalogues to flick through!

ABOVE Once completely dried, saffron is best kept in an air-tight glass jar RIGHT Planting into a leaky wheelbarrow makes it easy to move your crop

TOP TIP

Saffron crocus can be planted outside, but they need free-draining conditions so make sure any container, like my old wheelbarrow, has holes in the base.

Saffron and cardamom loaf

Perfectly warming, serve this sweet treat with black tea

SERVES 12

■ 150g caster sugar

■ 200g yoghurt

■ 6 eggs

■ 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

■ 100g plain flower

■ 1 tsp baking powder

■ 200g ground almonds

■ 1/2 tsp rose water

■ 1 tsp saffron and 50ml milk, brought to the boil and simmered for 15 mins

■ 1/2 tsp nutmeg

■ 75g mix of crushed pistachios, almonds and cardamom seeds

FOR THE SYRUP

■ 2 tbsp water

■ 125g caster sugar

■ 1/4 tsp rose water

■ A few strands of saffron

1 Whisk sugar, yoghurt and eggs.

2 Fold in cardamom, flour, baking powder and ground almonds.

3 Stir in rose water, saffron milk and two thirds of the crushed nut mixture.

4 Pour into a greased, lined 30 x 20cm tin and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, then make a few holes in the surface.

5 Make syrup by melting sugar in the water. Add saffron and rose water.

6 Spoon syrup over cake and sprinkle with nut mix. Cool before eating.

November’s allotment plan

SOW

• Broad beans can be sown direct in mild areas. Otherwise start them in 9cm pots in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.

• Peas sown in the greenhouse can provide an early harvest of pods next year – or you can just enjoy the fresh shoots in salads.

• Spinach seeds can be sown in troughs in the greenhouse, for a burst of tender green leaves in the depths of winter.

HARVEST

• Pick winter lettuce and oriental greens grown in the greenhouse. Pick outer leaves of lettuce and cut top growth from greens so that plants will continue to produce new growth.

• Tease out leeks as and when needed. Cut away and discard the roots.

• Keep bringing in turnips – those harvested after the frosts arrive will be even sweeter. You can also use the leafy tops as a cooked spinach substitute.

JOBS

• Rake up and save fallen leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs to make leafmould. Stuff them into old compost bags and then

carefully stab a few holes for air and water to pass through. Alternatively make a leafmould pen by hammering four stakes into the ground and wrapping chicken wire around it to create an enclosure.

• Remove saucers from underneath pots of perennial herbs. This helps to keep the roots from becoming too wet, and makes terracotta pots less likely to crack.

• Remove yellow and decaying leaves from Brussels sprouts and other brassica plants. Plant debris can cause moulds to spread.

• Prune soft fruit shrubs from now up to late winter, removing some of the older stems low down.

NEXT MONTH Serve up Rekha’s spicy smashed turnips for your festive feast

Now’s the time to tackle your smartphone

Are you missing out on everything you could do with it? With these helpful books, there’s nothing to fear about usingsmartphones.

Findoutmore...

Modern mobile phones – smartphones as they’re called – can do so much more than just make phone calls.

From browsing the web wherever you are, checking train times, acting as a sat-nav... And best of all they can make it so easy to keep in touch with family and friends – in so many ways, from sharing photos to making video calls.

But using them isn’t always as easy as you’d want – and that’s putting it mildly!

Do the manufacturers do it on purpose?

Sometimes it can seem like the manufacturers deliberately make them complicated – and how you do things is often hidden away. It might be easy once you know, but until you’ve been shown the easy way, it can drive you mad.

In fact only yesterday I was talking to someone whose Mum had got a new all-singing-alldancing phone – but she couldn’t work out how to answer a phone call on it! She’s not daft – it’s just that it’s different from what she’d used before and the phone didn’t come with a manual telling her what to do.

Whether you have similar problems or you’re trying to do something slightly more advanced, the thing is, it can be easy to use them... once you know how. But until you’ve been shown, it can be like talking a different language. That’s why we’ve published these books: iPhones One Step at a Time, Android Smartphones One Step at a Time and Doro Smartphones One Step at a Time.

Plain English... and that’s not all They explain how to use the phone, in plain simple language with pictures of the screen showing you exactly where to tap or slide your fingers. No jargon!

What’s covered?

I can’t list it all here. But amongst other things, you’ll discover:

• The basics of controlling it – swiping, tapping, opening apps & so on.

• Send emails from your phone.

• Most phones have a good camera so you can take photos: here’s how to use it properly (and for videos).

• Video phone calls – a great way to keep up with family who live a long way away

• Share photos with friends around the world – quickly and easily.

• See updates, photos & videos from friends & family – as soon as they “post” them.

• Browse the web at home or out and about.

• Instant messaging and how to use it.

• Make it easier to read the screen.

• How to use it as a sat-nav... in the car or even on foot.

• Choosing and downloading apps.

• And obviously, you can make phone calls and send and receive text messages. (“Voicemail” is covered, too)

All explained nice and simply. (Find out more in the free information pack – read on...)

What one reader had to say:

“Thanks for a fantastic smart phone book. Very pleasant staff as usual.

I think this book should be sold with every smart phone. I have learnt so much from it, the info you get with the phone is non-existent. Smart phones are quite complex, and your books speak in plain English.”

Only half the story

That’sonlyhalfthestorybutIdon’thaveroomto

for iPhones and Android smartphones like Samsungs, and DORO (not sure what phone you have? Best send off for the free info pack)

explain here. I’ve put together full information on the books – who they’re for, what they cover and so on.

What’s more the books also come with a free gift – no room to explain that here either.

Don’t

buy now, do this instead

The books aren’t available in the shops or on Amazon – only direct from the publisher. Send off now to get a completely free, no-obligation information pack. It’ll explain what the books cover, who they’re suitable for and so on –showing you just how it could help you.

Just call 01229 777606 and talk to Jade, Alicia, Karen, Steph or Shanice. You can call us weekdays 8am - 5.30pm or Saturdays 9am - 3pm.

Or email GW1022@helpfulbooks.co.uk or post the coupon to The Helpful Book Company, 13B Devonshire Road Estate, Millom, Cumbria LA18 4JS today to get your full Smartphone infopack – we’ll put it in the post to you straight away (and we’ll keep your details private).

Even if you don’t know what type of smartphone you have, the information pack will show you how to tell.

Best order your Smartphone infopack now and soon you could be getting so much more from your phone – with much less hassle.

01229

Suitable

Key crops for November

Apples

Rich in protective polyphenols and fibre, apples help manage cholesterol and support heart health. Storing well, they lose little polyphenol.

Broad beans

High in fibre, starchy carbs and protein, with low levels of the healthier polyunsaturated fat, broad beans are a sound nutritional choice.

Calabrese

A useful source of sulphoraphane, which supports the liver and helps detoxify environmental pollutants, like cigarette smoke.

Garlic

Rich in beneficial plant compounds, garlic supports blood flow and helps to manage blood pressure and support heart health.

Gooseberries

Loaded with protective antioxidants like vitamin C and quercetin, gooseberries may minimise the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Onions

Rich in fibre, including a non-digestible variety that supports gut health, enhances digestion and strengthens immunity. Enjoy raw or cooked.

Peas

Heart-friendly, containing potassium, magnesium and folate, peas are also a source of plant protein. Freeze a glut straight after picking.

Plums

Fresh or dried, plums improve bone health and may slow the bone loss experienced during midlife. Cut into segments, dehydrate at a low temp.

Raspberries

Among one of the best food sources for fibre as well as ‘good-for-you’ anthocyanins, these make a perfect breakfast bowl berry.

Rhubarb

Supports

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Tips Bare-root trees tend to be cheaper than pot-grown and are available from November to March. Plant them straightaway. Plant at previous level Final spacing 1.8m apart 3m between rows

Tips Choose hardy varieties to sow now. Broad beans prefer heavier soil, but will still crop well in lighter soil if watered regularly while in flower. Sow 8cm deep Final spacing 23cm apart 45cm between rows

Tips In mild areas, the last of this year’s crop will be ready to harvest. Protect with fleece if frost is likely. Sow 2cm deep Final spacing 30cm apart 45cm between rows

Tips Plant garlic cloves in a warm, sunny spot, ideally in light, free-draining soil. To cope with heavier soil, plant on a ridge. Plant 10cm deep Final spacing 18cm apart 30cm between rows

Tips Plant bare-root or pot-grown gooseberries now, in sun or light shade, in soil enriched with well-rotted compost or manure. Plant at previous level Final spacing 1.5m apart 1.5m between rows

Tips Onions are easy to grow from sets (immature bulbs) planted now or in spring. Keep weed free, as they don’t like competition. Plant with tip showing Final spacing 10cm apart 30cm between rows

Tips Sow hardy varieties now under cloches or keep in a greenhouse until spring. Indoor sowing helps to protect seeds from mice. Sow 5cm deep Final spacing 5cm apart equal to height of plants

Tips Plant plum trees in a warm, sheltered location to help protect the early spring blossom from frosts and spring gales. Plant at previous level Final spacing 3-5m apart 3-5m between rows

Tips Buy cheaper bare-root plants now. Choose both summer- and autumn-fruiting varieties for harvests over a longer period. Plant 8cm deep Final spacing 35-40cm apart 2m between rows

WARMER IN WINTER

“There is no doubt that the conservatory is much warmer than previously, and no, the room is not darker either!”

David Birch, Chichester

NO MOULD OR CONDENSATION

“This is the best thing we have done in this house. Used to run with condensation and now zero.”

Karen Thomas, Chippenham

COOLER IN SUMMER

“You could have fried an egg on the table in there in the summer, I now look upon the conservatory as a new room. It is quiet, restful and cosy.”

Carol Doyle, Surrey

REDUCES ENERGY BILLS

“I’ve already turned the underfloor heating down. Lovely job guys, thank you!”

Anne Bird, Bristol

QUIETER IN BAD WEATHER

“For

Mr & Mrs Bailey-Webb, Warsash

Space

Cordon Fruit Trees

Vertical Cordon Fruit Trees

These space-saving columnar trees are attractive as well as fruitful and are perfect for smaller gardens. They can be spaced as close as 2-3ft apart and are also ideal planted in pots on a sunny patio or balcony. Cordons are 4ft tall on despatch and will grow to 6-8ft.

APPLE ELLISON’S ORANGE - A wonderful Cox-like apple which is easy to grow and suitable for the north. The crisp, red flushed fruits are intensely rich and aromatic. Highly disease resistant SF APC031 Usually £26.95 NOW £24.25

APPLE FIESTA - A crisp, juicy red flushed apple with a rich, aromatic Cox-like flavour. Easier to grow than Cox and suitable for the north. Heavy cropping. Stores well. Requires a pollinator (e.g. Ellison’s Orange or Katy).

APC007 Usually £26.95 NOW £24.25

APPLE KATY - Raised from a cross betweeen two favourite British apples - James Grieve and Woreceser Pearmain. Sweet and very juicy with a refreshing flavour. Very disease resistant and suitable for cooler areas. Requires a pollinator (e.g. Ellison’s Orange or Fiesta).

APC045 Usually £26.95 NOW £24.25

PEAR CONCORDE - Excellent late pear suitable for most locations. Large fruits with smooth, juicy flesh & rich, sweet flavour. Crops heavily and reliably from an early age. Stores very well. SF

RASPBERRY JOAN J - An outstanding spine-free, autumn fruiting, primocane raspberry. Superb flavour and stunning berry size make this variety second to none for picking and eating. The berries are 30% larger than Autumn Bliss and freeze exceptionally well. The canes are short and sturdy and may not require supporting in sheltered gardens. Season: late JulyOct. Plant canes 40cm (16in) apart.

RSP008 6 Canes Usually £19.50 NOW £17.55

PEC001 Usually £26.95 NOW £24.25

PLUM VICTORIA - The UK’s best known plum. Pinkish red fruit with sweet, yellow, juicy flesh. A very popular dessert variety but also excellent cooked. Heavy cropping. Can be grown in the north. SF

PLC003 Usually £26.95 NOW £24.25

CHERRY SUMMER SUN - This dark red dessert cherry is an excellent choice for the north and more exposed areas, cropping well even in poor summers. Large, sweet fruits. Excellent flavour. SF

CHC003 Usually £28.95 NOW £26.05

Monty’s month

Whichever way you look at it, November is a miserable month. However, climate change has meant that the best autumnal colour now comes in early November rather than October, and the hard frosts that could be relied upon  to appear and last for days have now become much less likely. This means that there is still some colour in the borders and the vegetable garden enters a new phase with a new range of harvests.

One of the most colourful crops growing at this time of year is ruby chard, with its

crimson stalks and crinkled deepburgundy – almost chocolate – leaves. Chard is a member of the beet family and one of the most durable and useful vegetables there is. Although I primarily grow the green-leafed and white-stemmed Swiss chard, I also grow ruby chard for its colour and distinct taste. It has a slightly sweeter edge than its white-stemmed cousin and makes a superb risotto, staining the dish pink, with the stems adding a slightly nutty taste and texture to the creamy rice.

The leaves of chard can be added to salads, while the ribs are a colourful addition to a risotto

WATCH Monty’s video on growing celeriac at Gardeners World.com/celeriac

WHAT TO DO NOW

Plant amaryllis in pots

Although they keep fairly well and, with the right regime, will flower for successive years, amaryllis always flower best in their first year, so I always plant some fresh bulbs every autumn. These are unlikely to flower by Christmas – they need to be planted a month earlier for that –but will add brilliant colour as house plants in January and February.

The bulbs are huge and should sit no more than half-submerged, their roots down in the soil, but the bulb itself mostly exposed to the air. The

compost should be gritty with excellent drainage and substantial enough to balance the eventual twoor even three-foot tall, stout flower stem topped by the huge trumpet blooms – which is why I like alpine pots that are far less likely to topple over. However, they flower best when constricted, so if you can fit more than one bulb in a pot – three tends to work better than two – do so, otherwise use a pot that has no more than an inch of compost around the bulb.

Water and place the bulbs somewhere warm and light. A greenhouse is ideal but a bright windowsill works well. They should flower about six to eight weeks after potting up. The flowers will last longer if placed out of direct light and somewhere cool rather than above a radiator.

WATCH videos and get tips on growing amaryllis at GardenersWorld.com/amaryllis

Amaryllis will grow best in a restricted space, so try to grow several bulbs in a pot of free-draining compost

BEETROOT

I grow two beetroot crops a year, one sown in early spring for a summer harvest and a second, sown in July, that will stay in the ground all winter. They grow very fast and are ready to harvest from October onwards. They survive cold weather well (beetroot stays perfectly hardy down to at least -10°C) and will send up fresh leaves in early spring that are ideal for salads at a time of year when there is little else that is fresh.

Take hardwood cuttings

Hardwood cuttings can be taken throughout winter but immediately after leaf fall is the best time. It is the best way to propagate new currant bushes, especially blackcurrants because they can be pruned harder and provide more good cutting material. Cut straight stems of this season’s growth and subdivide these into 6-9 inch lengths, cutting the top at an angle and the bottom straight so you do not put them in upside down.

Start harvesting beetroot roots when they grow to the size of a golf ball

Strip off any remaining foliage and place the cuttings around the edge of a pot or in a slit trench in the ground, being sure to bury at least half their depth and ideally three quarters. Label, water and then be patient! Hardwood cuttings will not root for at least six months and should not be disturbed for a full year, when they can be divided and potted on individually or planted out where they are to mature.

Don’t forget

• Keep stored apples frost-free, insulating them with a blanket or some fleece if necessary

• Begin harvesting parsnips after they have been exposed to frost

• Keep turning the compost heap to improve air circulation and mix up the ingredients well

VISIT GardenersWorld. com/november-jobs for more seasonal tasks and advice

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM; STEPHEN MARWOOD

Make a straight cut, just below a bud, before inserting it into your pot

Start off by removing the lower leaves of your blackcurrant cutting

This fast, efficient solution transforms your conservatory into a comfortable year-round living space. Exclusive to Conservatory Insulations, the UK market leader, this Conservaheat layered foil quilt system comprises technology developed by NASA for the Space Shuttle programme The outer foil of our quilt incorporates a unique True Aluminium Foil, specifically designed for conservatories. The benefit for you is it helps maximise heat retention. Suitable for all roof styles, it is a cost-effective solution which insulates your conservatory for a fraction of the cost of a new tiled roof. With this proven energy-saving product you and your family can relax in complete comfort all year round.

STEP BY STEP

Lift borderline hardy perennials

Lift plants that are borderline tender and might not make it through winter without protection. Tender salvias, like the popular ‘Amistad’, are typical of this group, which can overwinter but may succumb to the cold, especially if the soil is heavy or gets waterlogged.

REDUCE the plant’s size to encourage sturdy growth next year. Trim to a third of its height, making cuts above healthy buds.

Fill window boxes with tulips

Plant tulip bulbs 5-10cm deep with the pointed ends facing up

PUSH a spade into the ground at an angle to reach below the main roots. Gently lift out the whole plant, holding the rootball intact.

Look forward to luxurious colour next spring by planting tulip bulbs in your window boxes now. Choose short cultivars, such as the multi-headed Tulipa praestans ‘Shogun’, so that they

Plant pansies

Plant pansies in borders now for instant colour that will last through winter, well into next year. Choose a place at the front of the border that is easily seen as you walk through the garden or from a window when you’re keeping warm inside.

make sturdy plants with maximum impact in front of the window.

Part-fill the box with a peat-free compost and place the bulbs facing nose-up, 5-10cm apart depending

on the size of the bulb. Use your fingertips to protect the base as you press them into the loose compost, then cover with another layer of compost before watering.

Don’t forget

• Plant bare-root roses when the soil is damp but not waterlogged

PLACE in a pot large enough for the rootball and firm in with peat-free multi-purpose compost. Water in and place in a sheltered spot.

Water the plants in the tray, then press them out of each cell and place onto the ground in their planting positions. Use a trowel to make the hole and firm them in. Soak the plants using a watering can to settle them in.

Carefully remove the pansies from the tray and tease out the roots

• Mulch alpines and succulents with a 1cm layer of grit or limestone chippings

• Plant lilies in pots of peat-free multipurpose compost

THE WORLD’S WARMEST BASELAYER

WHAT MAKES IT SO GOOD?

1. It’s five times warmer than a standard baselayer

That is quite a claim, but it’s a fact. Tested at the iconic Boken Institute in Osaka, the Heatrub Ultimate baselayer recorded a Heat Retention Rating of 0.78; a standard baselayer would have a rating of between 0.1 to 0.14. And for reference, a jumper would typically have a rating of 0.3. The Ultimate performs best in a temperature range of -10° Celsius thru 10° Celsius –so even in the coldest of conditions in your garden, it will keep you toasty warm.

2. Instant warmth for the garden and inside the home Gardeners will enjoy the warmth of the Ultimate baselayer when they’re outside, but they’ll also be able to turn down the heating and save money when inside the home as it’s twice as warm as a regular jumper. Five separate fabrics - along with a patented knitting process - create instant warmth as soon as you pull it on, and because the product doesn’t need to be super tight to work, it’s incredibly soft and comfortable – like a heated baselayer blanket for the garden and inside the home

3. Fewer layers, greater warmth and freedom to move

The Ultimate is the ideal product for people who dislike traditional tight baselayers. Over the years, you may well have ‘layered up’ in order to combat the effects of cold weather. This is where we are changing the game. The Heatrub Ultimate is so good at keeping you warm, you won’t need multiple additional layers, giving you greater freedom to stretch, move and work on your garden more easily. In short, fewer layers yet greater warmth.

4. Heating from top to toe Innovative ‘Heat Threads’ positioned on the inside of the garment gently rub against your skin as you move, which creates positive warmth across your body, and also means this instant heat is retained. The Heatrub Ultimate Leggings and Heatrub Ultimate Socks are made from the same material and work in exactly the same way. For milder conditions, the Heatrub Move baselayer is twice as warm as a standard model and works best between -5° and 12° Celsius.

Five times warmer than a standard baselayer

No need for multiple additional layers –a game-changer

Instant heat the moment you put it on

Check brassica netting is secure

Ensure your brassicas are still well protected against pigeons by giving your netting a once-over. Make sure the structure holding the netting up is secured against stormy winter weather and look particularly closely at any netting at ground level to make sure it is safely pegged down.

Canes laid down along the edge are a good way of holding down the netting, and are easy to take off for access. Whatever system you use, make sure it’s easy to lift the netting without snagging it.

Make sure there are no gaps where birds could get trapped

WATCH

Mulch to replenish bare soil

Give any bare soil a boost for next season by top-dressing it with a layer of mulch. First remove weeds and rake the ground level. Ideally the soil should be moist, so after a wet spell

is ideal. Then spread a 5cm layer of garden compost or well rotted manure over the surface.

Lay landscape fabric or cardboard over the top and weigh it down.

VIEW FROM BEECHGROVE Plant a bare-root fruit tree

Bare-root season is now under way as many plants enter full dormancy, and apple trees are classic candidates for this cost-effective form of planting.

Soak the roots well, then prepare the planting area by clearing weeds and digging the soil over. On grassed areas, give the trunk some space by clearing a 100cm-wide circle.

Spread a layer of mulch over areas of bare soil to improve fertility

BEECHGROVE ON TV

The series is off air until spring next year, but the garden is tended over winter. Catch any missed episodes on BBC iPlayer.

Use a cane laid over the hole to help you plant at the right depth

Fan the roots out so they all fit comfortably into the friable soil in the hole, then back-fill and firm in. Make sure not to plant too deep: look out for the ‘nursery mark’, an area slightly darker than the rest of the trunk, which indicates where the previous soil level was. Stake the tree and protect from rabbits with a tree guard. We find they favour gnawing apple trees above all others.

When you take this off in spring, the worms and beetles will have done their work to give you a perfect tilth and you’ll be able to pick off the slugs taking refuge on the covers.

Don’t forget

• Secure lids on water butts to stop wildlife from falling in

• Place protective wire mesh around spring bedding, especially wallflowers, if rabbits are a problem

• Gather leaves regularly to avoid unmanageable build-ups of debris

• Order seed and plant catalogues so you can browse for next year’s varieties over the Christmas period

Beechgrove •

Our mulching guide at GardenersWorld. com/mulch–soil

At various RHS shows this year, the Henchman team was reminded just how many falls happen in the garden when people aren’t using a suitable ladder.

The latest figures from the charity No Falls Foundation estimate between 105,000 and 420,000 falls from height happen in the home and garden each year.* Henchman’s missionistopreventfallsfromheight,forthelasttwodecades Henchman has been designing and manufacturing ladders that are purposefully designed for the garden.

With its no wobble design, adjustable legs for uneven ground, and integrated standing platform, the Henchman Tripod ladder is the correct tool for the job. It will give you the stability to keep the top of your hedge trimmed and your trees pruned to perfection. Once you have a Henchman in your toolkit, you can tackle other jobs with ease.

One of the main pieces of feedback we hear is “I wish I’d bought this sooner”, so don’t wait, invest in your safety today.

STEP BY STEP

Plant garlic

Make good use of cropping space in winter by planting garlic cloves now. It also takes advantage of the cold winter period, which helps to speed up bulb development, with bulbs maturing by early June. There are many varieties available, so it’s well worth experimenting by planting out several different types.

SPLIT the bulb and check that all the cloves are firm and plump. Discard any with soft tissue that are showing signs of rot.

LOOK OUT FOR whitefly on kale

Lift a few outer leaves on your kale plants to check the undersides for brassica whitefly: patches of white down and a cloud of tiny flies are sure signs. Wash off what you can with a spray of water, then cut off and compost the worst-affected leaves to remove large numbers. Be sure to wash harvested leaves thoroughly before you eat them.

Store horseradish

PREPARE a planting area that gets lots of sun and drains well. Firm the soil, then space each clove along the row, 15cm apart.

Dig horseradish roots up to store for the winter. Discard the really thin ones because they dry out too quickly, and don’t save the very large, woody roots either because they are too fibrous to use.

Brush the soil off them and make sure they’re not damaged. Keep the shoots at the top intact. Fill a box with shredded paper, sand or similar packing material.

Lay the roots so that they’re not touching and cover them completely to block out the light. Keep them somewhere cool and dark, and they’ll last for two to three months.

MAKE a hole and put the clove in, with the pointed tip about 2-3cm below ground. Plant closer to the surface on heavy soils.

Gather the last windfall apples

Pick up the last of the windfall apples from under your trees. Make sure you pick up every last one, even the early ones that have rotted by now, because any remaining fruit can harbour disease and be a source of infections for next year. Leave the damaged ones in another part of the garden for the birds and other creatures to feed on over winter. Be careful as you pick them up that you don’t upset any wasps and end up with a sting.

Windfalls won’t store, but may be usable for juicing or eating now

VISIT GardenersWorld. com/plant-garlic for more advice on growing garlic

A layer of shredded paper helps to maintain consistent moisture levels

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE

WHAT TO DO NOW

10 MINUTES TO SPARE

Check stored potatoes for signs of rot and remove any tubers that are rotten so they don’t spoil any more of the crop. Make sure the place where they are stored is not too warm – 5-10°C is an ideal temperature range.

Service secateurs

Clean and sharpen your pruning tools, ready for fruit-tree pruning season in the next month or two. Use some resin remover to clean the dark stains on the blade. Disassemble secateurs if possible before honing the blade on a sharpening tool.

Once they are reassembled, oil all the moving parts and wrap the secateurs in a rag to mop up any oil on the handles and protect the metal parts from moisture.

Harvested on a regular basis, winter leaves can keep you supplied for most of the cold season

Continue snipping off salad leaves

Oil keeps moving parts working smoothly and repels water

Harvest parsley

Cut parsley back to the base so that no leafless stems are left to rot. Discard any that are yellowing and keep the foliage for the kitchen.

Parsley is hardy and, if grown in large enough amounts, will keep you supplied all winter. Like other soft evergreen winter crops, you will see that new shoots can emerge in warmer spells. Covering with fleece protects the quality of the shoots, but you’ll still get a crop without it.

VISIT GardenersWorld. com/parsley-crop for more advice on growing parsley

Keep harvesting salad leaves such as cut-and-come-again lettuce, rocket, mustard and mizuna. Make sure you have plenty of salad for the

kitchen in the weeks to come by harvesting only the outer leaves. These plants will grow gently, growing from the centre to keep

you supplied with more leaves. Protect them with fleece or cloches if you want to keep harvesting quality leaves right into the winter.

QUICK

SOLUTIONS

Plant rhubarb crowns now. Choose an open site in full sun if possible, with good soil that holds onto moisture but doesn’t get waterlogged. The growing point should be 3cm below ground or at ground level if the soil is heavy.

Cut down to the base, as unwanted stems stop airflow and invite rot

At Premier Care, our extensive range of stylish easy-access showers and walk-in baths have been designed to give people with increasing mobility issues the confidence to bathe safely and securely in style and comfort. Our all-inclusive service means we take care of everything, from design through to expert installation by one of our skilled teams. We even clean up after ourselves. All you need do is enjoy your new bathroom.

■ A complete service that will transform your bathroom and your life.

■ Peace of mind - helping tens of thousands of people for over 30 years.

Harvest the last of your chillies

Snip off the last of the chilli harvest from plants still growing under glass. Use them straight away or preserve by drying, freezing or bottling.

If you want to try overwintering the whole plant to get fruit earlier next year, trim the softest shoots and any damaged growth back, and give the plant some space and light.

Plants will need some warmth to survive winter – the lightest possible windowsill or a heated greenhouse with clean glass are ideal. Water sparingly through winter and keep an eye on them for disease, removing any infected growth straight away.

STEP BY STEP Sow next year’s early sweet peas

You can enjoy sweet pea blooms that bit earlier than with spring sowings if you start now. Sweet peas will germinate easily in about a fortnight at this time of year. Make sure newly sown pots are protected from mice and don’t keep them too wet or the seeds will rot. You’ll need to keep the young seedlings in a cold greenhouse or cold frame over winter and if they get too leggy, pinch them back early next spring.

TOP TIP

Create a cheerful display with early crocuses, planting corms in pots of compost topped with grit, then place in a cold garage, shed or cold frame. After 10-12 weeks of cold, place them somewhere warmer such as a greenhouse or by a window in a cool room, and they should flower shortly after.

FILL pots with peat-free multipurpose compost, firm the surface and place two or three seeds in each pot, leaving enough space up to the rim to cover with a layer of compost.

1

1

2

USE a sieve to prepare some finer compost. Pour the compost over the seed then level it out so that seed is covered by a 2cm layer once it’s firmed down.

3WRITE a label before you sow so that it is ready to put straight into the pot to avoid any mix-ups over winter, particularly if you are growing several different varieties.

4

PLACE the labelled pots into a tray of tepid water for long enough for the compost to soak right through to the top. You’ll know it’s ready by the change in colour of the compost’s surface.

VISIT GardenersWorld. com/sweet-peas-now for more on sowing sweet peas

WORDS: ROSIE YEOMANS. PHOTOS: PAUL DEBOIS; JASON INGRAM

Pick any remaining chillies, then trim the plants and keep warm over winter

Protect with fleece on cold nights

If a harsh frost is predicted, be ready to put some light horticultural fleece or micro-netting over borderline hardy plants and cuttings in the greenhouse. Cuttings are particularly

vulnerable to damage from dramatic temperature drops, even if they have some basal heat from below. Just a light covering helps to keep cold air from scorching soft, new growth.

Fleece is very light and can be draped straight over plants without damaging them. Just remember to take it off in morning and replace it at night until the risk is over.

Inspect cuttings for grey mould

Grey mould can be particularly bad in humid, heated propagators and it spreads quickly, so it’s vital to keep a look-out for it. You’ll see the telltale signs of drooping leaves and grey, fuzzy growth on soft plant tissue. A daily pick-through will keep it from getting a serious foot-hold with your cuttings.

Gently lift out the affected growth. If you are able to space the cuttings out more, that will help too. Remove mouldy tissue from the greenhouse to prevent further spread.

Cleaning and sorting pots now gives you a head-start next spring

Sort plant pots

Wash and tidy your store of pots by putting them into stacks of the same size and shape. Stacked pots take up much less space than having them in a heap. Doing this also gives you a chance to sort them out and see if you need to get more of a particular size for next year, or if you could pass on those you don’t need to others.

Harvest coriander

Continue snipping off leaves from coriander plants for use in the kitchen. The plant should stay in growth for some time yet, although the colder the temperature gets, the less re-growth you’ll have. Leaving a fair number of leaves on the plant will help it to recover.

If you would rather call it a day and harvest all your coriander leaves now, chop them very finely, carefully add them to ice cube trays and top up with water. Then freeze them for use in curries, soups and stews throughout the winter.

VISIT GardenersWorld. com/coriander-tips for more advice on growing coriander

Coriander harvested now can be frozen for use all winter long

Remove

Don’t forget

• Give succulents and cacti as much light as possible, turning them around weekly to ensure even growth

• Take root cuttings of mint plants, keeping them on the bench in the greenhouse

• Look out daily for signs of slug and snail damage

• Open greenhouse vents for an hour or two in the middle of the day

Keep fleece handy, so it’s easy to cover any plants that aren’t fully hardy whenever harsh frosts are forecast

cuttings with grey mould immediately to minimise spread

Paperwhite narcissus

For the festive season. A musthave, classic flower for indoors.

Height x Spread 40cm x 10cm

Flowers Dec-Jan 5 bulbs £4.75 ◼

Amaryllis ‘Double Dream’

Add to your seasonal cheer indoors. Strong, sturdy flowers.

H x S 60cm x 25cm F Dec-Feb 1 bulb £9.90

◼ Amaryllis ‘Carmen’

Rich, velvety red. An essential for the home in winter.

H x S 60cm x 25cm F Dec-Feb 1 bulb £8.90 ◼ Spring crocus – mixed colour selection

Naturalistic style for borders and pots. Pops up every spring.

H x S 10cm x 5cm F Feb-Mar 10 bulbs £2.90

◼ Allium ‘Purple Sensation’

Long-lasting, impressive blooms. Classic Dutch garlic.

proportioned, peony-like blooms.

H x S 35cm x 15cm F Apr-May

10 bulbs £5.90

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Lutea’

H x S 90cm x 20cm F May-June 10 bulbs £4.50 ◼

Yellow crown imperial. Comes back every year. Majestic.

H x S 85cm x 20cm F Apr-May

3 bulbs £11.85 ◼

Tulipa ‘Orange Princess’

Scented tulip. Generously

◼ Nectaroscordum siculum Clusters of exotic cream-andpurple bells. Sicilian honey garlic. H x S 90cm x 10cm F May-June 5 bulbs £3.25 ◼ Tulipa ‘Queen of Night’

The black tulip. Single, late flowers. H x S 60cm x 10cm F Apr-May 10 bulbs £4.95

Spring crocus – mixed colours

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Lutea’

Amaryllis ‘Double Dream’

Paperwhite narcissus Amaryllis ‘Carmen’

Don’t forget

• Leave seedheads on perennials to provide food for birds

• Check any tree ties on stakes in case they need loosening or tightening

• Keep squirrels off bulbs in pots by using peggeddown chicken wire

• Plant bare-root hedging, after clearing the area of weeds and adding some organic matter

Take fallen leaves out of lavender

Pick all autumn leaves and summer weeds out of lavender plants to get some air into the middle and prevent them from rotting at the base.

This gives lavender plants the best chance of shooting from low down to maintain a compact shape. Gather a handful of outer stems with one hand and reach right into the shrub with the other to clear away the debris.

Store bamboo canes away for next year

Help to extend the life span of your cane supports by storing them away from winter weather for next spring. Take off all the ties and keep them to re-use next year if they’re suitable. Then pull out the canes, pulling off old plant debris and adding it to the compost heap.

Remove old bergenia leaves

Smarten up bergenias by cutting out any tatty, discoloured leaves. Use secateurs to cut them right back to the fleshy stems that sit on the soil surface. This leaves a fresh, glossy canopy to enjoy through winter and opens up space for flower shoots to come up early in spring.

While you’re doing this job, take the opportunity to catch any snails lurking underneath – it’s one of their favourite winter hide-outs. This will help to reduce the numbers feeding on fresh, young shoots next spring.

Tidy up fronds of deciduous ferns

Make room for next year’s early spring growth by cutting back spent fronds on deciduous ferns.

Most of the fronds will be brown by now, so trim them right back. Avoid cutting right into the centre, where next year’s fronds will be curled in tight, ready to unfurl.

Clear all the debris away to help get air to the crown through winter. If it’s a tender species, you can use the old fronds to layer over the crown as frost protection.

Brush off any soil and make sure the canes are dry before tying them into bundles. Store them somewhere cool and dry such as a shed or garage.

If you have to leave them outside, they’ll stay driest when stacked off the ground horizontally, under a rain-proof tarpaulin.

Removing old fronds allows you to see the new ones unfurl in spring

Bergenias hold onto leaves for a long time, so remove any tatty growth

Next month

• Start a new onion crop from seed in a greenhouse or on a sunny window sill

• Lift, divide and mulch rhubarb plants to increase future cropping

• Take root cuttings from perennial plants such as Japanese anemones and oriental poppies

• Plant bare-root trees if soil conditions are not too wet

Remove fallen leaves to let in air and stop lavenders getting soggy

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

By November the garden is well and truly into its dormant season. The days are short, though some of the sturdiest and most resilient short-day flowers like chrysanthemums may still be clinging on. You may also have the last of the autumn hips and berries on roses, rowans, hawthorns and blackthorns. And although these can all be pruned now, it’s best to wait for wildlife to finish off the fruits before you start.

This period of dormancy gives us gardeners licence to be bolder with our actions and to re-jig and tidy our gardens without too much fear of damaging most plants. We can dig things up, move them around and cut back most large shrubs and trees that need bringing into check a little. I would always recommend a little care with these big projects and consideration for hibernating wildlife. If you can bear to delay until the end of winter, then do so. Some fruiting trees and shrubs can be tackled now, including blackcurrants, gooseberries and mulberries, but avoid pruning any Prunus, such as cherries and plums, to reduce the risk of silver leaf disease

k s v r lea di e se

Cut back sideshoots of rambling roses to encourage branching, so you get more flowers next summer

Watch any episodes of Gardeners’ World you may have missed or re-watch your favourites – the whole 2022 series is available on BBC iPlayer.

Catch up with Frances

Frances Tophill shows you how to prune rambling roses, to keep them under control and fowering well

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM; TIM SANDALL

WEST DEAN GARDENS, W SUSSEX

Removing tangled stems

Rambler roses often form a tangle of thorny stems if they’re not pruned annually. To remove longer stems, cut them off at the base then into smaller sections that are easier to untangle. Any remaining hips can be placed on bird tables or displayed indoors in vases.

Other plants to prune now

While shrubs and trees are dormant, you can get started on winter pruning, especially on plants that bleed a lot of sap if pruned in late winter.

ACERS These bleed excessively if pruned in summer. They shouldn’t need much pruning, but if required, do it now while they’re dormant.

Don’t prune these now

Prune Leyland cypress in spring and summer –it may need up to three cuts to control its vigour

✗ LEYLAND CYPRESS HEDGES If pruned during winter, evergreens such as this can suffer ill health or even die. They should generally be pruned no later than September.

✗ LAVENDER Delicate Mediterranean and tender shrubs are susceptible to frost damage if pruned late in the year.

✗ PRUNUS Plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and even the seemingly indestructible blackthorn are vulnerable to silver leaf disease. This is more prevalent in winter and can enter via pruning cuts.

✗ SHRUB ROSES These are best pruned at the end of winter, although you can reduce their height a little now to avoid wind-rock.

BLACKCURRANTS These fruit best on young wood, so prune out up to one-third of the oldest stems to encourage new shoots.

MULBERRIES Prune before January to avoid bleeding. With young trees, remove any branches on the lower part of the trunk, to lift the canopy.

HAZELS, SWEET CHESTNUTS AND WILLOWS To coppice these, cut right back to a stump or thin out the stems by one-third to one-fifth.

Pruning rambling roses

Although rambling roses can be pruned in late summer, after their show of flowers has finished, there are two reasons why it’s best to wait a little longer.

Firstly, rosehips can be a valuable food source for birds – mistle thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfares all have strong enough beaks

Step by step

to handle them. Rosehips are full of goodness and useful to us too, for coughs and colds if cooked into a syrup.

The other reason is that if your rambler needs regenerative pruning, then the dormant season is the time to do it – between November and February.

1

IDENTIFY old, woody stems and cut them right down to the ground using loppers. Untie them from their support and remove them. Wear sturdy, thorn-proof gloves.

Top tip

If you want to do a job really well, then you should consider every element of that job. The kind of ties you use, for example. Ties tend to be a one-time thing, hard to reuse after years sitting attached to a wire, so think about choosing biodegradable or plastic-free options. The knot and method of tying is also really important. Don’t restrict the stem’s growth with a knot that’s too tight, will tighten over time or will rub and damage the stem. I find a figure-of-eight knot works really well.

Rambling rose

SHORTEN the sideshoots sprouting from the remaining younger main stems, cutting back to 2-3 buds to encourage more flowering laterals. This will encourage branching.

Also prune this way…

Many woody plants that are grown as climbers, but have no way of clinging on for themselves, will occasionally need to be pruned and re-tied in a similar way. This helps to maintain an attractive framework, while shortening the sideshoots improves vigour and flowering. Prune after flowering if they bloom on the previous year’s growth or in late winter/early spring if they flower on the current year’s growth. Examples are camellias, ceanothus, chaenomeles, garrya and pyracantha. NEXT

TIE any remaining loose stems into the support. Some of these can be trained in later to create a new framework and take over from the older stems. ◼ Keep all your plants in great shape with the GW Guide: Your Pruning Year Only £7.99 in shops or from magsdirect.co.uk/GWGPruning

Ramblers usually flower once a year, in early summer

MONTH Frances shows you how to prune grapevines

Spread the stems evenly and use plastic-free ties

While most other plants slumber, watch as your Helleborus blooms peek out through soft Christmas snow.

Once known for its supposed medicinal qualities, this fully hardy perennial is now praised for its tolerance of drought and neglect.

Deer and rabbit resistant these winter beauties thrive in moist but well-drained soil in part shade. H&S: 35cm.

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 7 days.

Q

Garden lichens

Lichens are extraordinary organisms arising from a mutually beneficial relationship between fungi and algae. They can survive extreme conditions – some lichens live on bare rock and are the first colonisers of inhospitable places. In our gardens we’re most likely to see lichens on tree trunks or the stems of shrubs, especially in wetter areas like the far west of the UK. Here they tend to resemble a grey-green covering: crusty, scaly or woolly.

Because they are slow-growing, lichens are often found on old plants, which may not be in the best of health. Gardeners can conclude the lichen caused their shrub to decline, when it is simply losing vigour due to old age. I find the sight of lichen on an old branch very beautiful and atmospheric. Brushing it off is one solution if you don’t think it’s attractive, but this could damage your plant, particularly if it’s fragile. Some lichens, especially the woolly or frond-like ones, indicate the air is clean where they are growing, so having them in the garden is cause for celebration.

Editor

This month 124 Gardeners’ Question Time The BBC Radio 4 experts answer this month’s pick of readers’ queries, including:

how to speed up composting

wildlife-friendly plants for shade

encouraging potted cannas to fower

TOP TIP

Old trees and shrubs hosting lichen colonies benefit from an organic mulch spread around their feet to pep them up by improving the soil.

Emma Crawforth, Gardening

&A

Your questions

GQT Gardeners’ Question Time

Bob Flowerdew

Bob is an organic gardener and has designed his garden to produce lots of veg, fruit and cut flowers.

C e n

h

Garden writer

Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader.

Q What will grow in pots at our coastal holiday home?

A CHRISTINE SAYS Sea air and weeks without being tended to are quite a challenge for any plant in a pot, so you are going to need larger containers than you think, remembering that small ones dry out very quickly.

Use a soil-based compost. Place the containers on pot feet so they can drain over wet periods, and ensure they have drainage holes.

Erigeron glaucus grows up to 40cm tall, producing large,

pale-purple, daisy-like flowers above grey foliage. Normally it is evergreen and should cope with this planting position. Griselinia littoralis ‘Variegata’ is an evergreen shrub with thick, waxy, variegated leaves and should cope planted in nothing smaller than a 45cm pot.

Also take a look at the wide range of escallonias now on offer. Their flowers can be white, red or pink, contrasting with dark evergreen foliage. They vary a lot in ultimate size, so check the label to find one that’s right for you.

Matt Biggs

Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years.

Q When do I harvest from conservatorygrown chillies?

J Pike, by email

A BOB SAYS Most chillies change colour as they ripen, usually going red or purple, though some – such as habaneros – may go orange. They can be picked to use fresh even before the colour changes but they will be more flavoured and process better when left longer, and for drying this is certainly so.

Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ will grow well in a large pot in full sun

MATT SAYS Mediterranean plants and grasses will survive in free-draining compost.

Try lavenders like pink ‘Little Lottie’, paler ‘Hidcote Pink’ or late, white ‘Heavenly Angel’

Herbs will also thrive, including sage, bay, thyme and also oregano ‘Kent Beauty’, whose trailing stems are covered with pale, rounded leaves and tubular, pink flowers surrounded by overlapping, deep rose-pink bracts in summer.

Fortunately the plants can be perennial if kept warm and bright throughout winter so you don’t need to pick fruits until required. However they may be affected by mould, so it’s better to pick and process most of them.

Drying chillies is easy: tie them along a thread and hang somewhere warm and dry, then put in a sealed jar in a dark cupboard You can also freeze chillies in a bag, or you can pickle chillies by cooking them in a sugary, vinegary mix (which if you like can then be liquidised into a hot sauce) or by simply immersing them in vinegar.

Chillies dry well tied on a thread and then hung up somewhere warm Erigeron glaucus, or beach aster, thrives in salty, windy coastal sites

For grasses, Eragrostis curvula ‘Totnes Burgundy’ has long, trailing leaves that turn a deep burgundyred as they mature – it definitely needs a tall pot. Pennisetum thunbergii ‘Red Buttons’ has bright red, button-like flowers, floating above mounds of green foliage from midsummer. And the semi-evergreen Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ forms spiky mounds of fine blue leaves.

Carole Lambourne, Staffs

A CHRISTINE SAYS Firstly, improve the soil that you presently have by adding as much organic matter as possible: ideally, wellrotted compost or animal manure. This will act as a sponge, retaining water that plants can access during dry spells.

Consider mulching the beds in the winter or early spring, once sufficient rain has fallen to penetrate the soil to some depth. This could be an organic material such as a decorative bark or something inorganic such as a coloured glass or stone.

If you use an organic material it will need topping up each year. Remember to keep it away from the stems of plants as it can cause rotting if in contact with the stems.

Michelle West, by email

gardeners’ question time

A MATT SAYS Clematis would serve you well. Either grow one that’s slightly larger than the roof, then give it a haircut when needed, or use smaller hybrids and cut them back each year.

Clematis viticella ‘Abundance’ is fast-growing with lots of deep pinkpurple flowers from midsummer to

early autumn. Clematis x jouiniana, a hybrid of a herbaceous clematis and our native old man’s beard, is a scrambler with frothy trusses of white flowers in late summer and early autumn; the variety ‘Praecox’ has pale blue flowers.

Just remember that the fallen leaves of any deciduous climber will need removing periodically to stop a build-up damaging the roof.

Q Do our too-slow compost heaps need a roof on top?

Kevin and Karen, by email

A BOB SAYS First, slow compost is not bad in itself – but is perhaps indicative of a cool heap. I’d make your piles higher if possible – I pack mine above shoulder-height. Heat rises, so bigger heaps really cook.

Next, more variety of materials helps, and extra material also adds to the depth more quickly. Scavenge more garden waste, even consider soliciting neighbours’ contributions, and – as I’m infamous for – human urine is a brilliant, free, compost stimulant. If not pee, then add more water – if it’s too dry it will be slow.

Plastic sheet is sufficient to keep in moisture but several layers of it, or some bubble wrap, would be better at retaining heat. A roof would just get in the way.

Ian Tomisson, by email

A MATT SAYS Growing the same plant year after year in the same spot leads to nutrient deficiency and sometimes pest or disease problems, so improve the soil by mulching with well-rotted organic matter. Brassicas need a good, firm planting bed so make sure that the soil is well firmed by shuffling along the surface on your heels, first one way and then again at a 90-degree angle, and finish off with a rake.

Being brassicas, wallflowers are susceptible to club root – and if they were infected, this would

Nerines spread happily when in sunny, free-draining conditions

Q My nerine’s flled its pot. What should I do?

Glynis Brown, by email

A CHRISTINE SAYS Nerines do best when left undisturbed, but if they become overcrowded like yours then knock them out of the pot in spring or early summer while they are dormant and divide the bulbs up individually.

Retain the smaller ones, potting these up and growing them on, as these will go on to flower once they reach a suitable size, normally in two to three years. Replant the larger bulbs into a free-draining hot border for them to do well.

If in the south, plant with the tips of the bulbs just below the surface of the soil, but if in colder parts of the UK plant slightly deeper to give some protection. Discard any that are diseased or damaged.

remain in the soil for several years, affecting any brassicas growing there during that time.

You could also grow wallflowers in pots of peat-free multi-purpose compost mixed in with some soilbased John Innes-type compost to give it some extra body, or you could plant the mauve-flowered perennial variety Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’, which can flower almost all year round. Another perennial wallflower, ‘Winter Orchid’, has coppery-orange flowers that age to purple. Both are an excellent source of nectar for pollinators over a long season.

Q I want to replace my dry lawn with plants. How should I do it?

Adding organic matter makes soil more moisture-retentive

Q What climbers would be best for us to grow over the roof of our garden office?

Clematis viticella ‘Abundance’ grows to three metres in height

Sally Bevan, Essex

Intersperse woody and green layers for quicker composting

Q If wallfowers are brassicas, should I avoid growing them in the same spot each year?

Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ lasts several years and is easy to grow

Rachbellact, by email

A BOB SAYS Any open container will accumulate rainwater over the year. I suggest inexpensive plastic dustbins with wide openings and a tight lid to keep out debris.

Leave these open only during very wet weather and put their lids back on the rest of the time. If you want the water even cleaner, you can tie muslin or nylon net over the open tops to filter the rain.

A CHRISTINE SAYS These are made from polythene tubing. Select the length required to cover your bed with, then insert 30cm canes into the ground at intervals that cover the bed and on each side of the bed.

Push the end of the tubing onto each of the canes to secure them and then cover the bent tubes with either netting or fleece.

Brown, by email

A BOB SAYS Ants are a food source for a vast range of other creatures, especially woodpeckers, and they also interact with many of our garden ‘friends and foes’, sometimes quite inadvertently to our benefit.

They’re necessary for some other critters such as the large blue butterfly, Phengaris arion, which apparently lodges in their nests, and they also process plant and animal material into fertile soil.

Rose, by email

A MATT SAYS Cyclamen hederifolium, with white and pink flowers and leaves patterned with silver, would flourish in these conditions; hardy geraniums, too.

Geranium x cantabrigiense ’St Ola’ has bright white flowers in spring and early summer, topping a carpet of evergreen leaves that become red-tinted in winter. Geranium phaeum comes in several forms like whiteflowered ‘Album’, and ‘Lily Lovell’ with lilac-purple flowers.

The white flowers and silvery leaves of Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’ form a good ground cover, and sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) has starry, white spring flowers. The hart’s tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) grows well in dry shade, and Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Linearis Polydactyla’ has unusual crested fronds.

Sheila Richmond, by email

A CHRISTINE SAYS Leave the tree in its pot outside for as long as possible. Give the rootball a good soaking a few days before bringing the tree inside.

Position it away from any heatsources, and place the pot in a saucer that holds enough water to keep the roots damp. Exercise extreme care if you are planning to put electric lights on the tree.

Q What do I plant for wildlife in a shaded, clay

A BOB SAYS If there is some moisture in your clay, I‘d most strongly recommend heavilyfruiting and early-flowering shrubs, especially amelanchiers, ribes, mahonias, sambucus and hollies, and under this herbaceous plants such as brunneras, pulmonarias, alkanets and Alchemilla mollis

However, if it’s very dry the choice narrows considerably, though of course ivy may well succeed on the fence if watered

Q&A HOT TOPIC Plants for shade

while establishing. I also find that Iris foetidissima, stinking iris, does surprisingly well in dry shade.

Little known but excellent for its early flowering is a comfrey, but not the rampant ‘liquid feed’ sort: Symphytum orientale is compact, with attractive winter foliage and early, bee-friendly white flowers, and it tolerates the most extreme dry shade, once established. And if you’ve the space to let them ramble, brambles are superb for wildlife, though difficult to confine.

David

Philip

David Preston, West Midlands

border?

Q Do ants do anything to improve our gardens?

Q What can I plant in the dry shade of a large silver birch tree?

Margaret Castle, by email

Q How can I make a protective cage like this for plants?

Iris foetidissima has attractive flowers and, later, striking red fruits

PHOTOS: TORIE CHUGG; GETTY/LOUISE HEUSINKVELD); JASON INGRAM

Q How can I catch rain with no downpipe?

Q How doIbring a live Xmas tree indoors?

Daph, by email

A MATT SAYS Water them moderately during the growing season, and not at all when dormant. Also apply a balanced liquid fertiliser two or three times when they are in growth.

Before bringing them indoors treat them with nematodes for vine weevil, then overwinter them in a bright, cool, frost-free place.

Kevin

Campbell, by email

A CHRISTINE SAYS Place your pot in a sheltered position and ensure it doesn’t get too wet. If you have a greenhouse or a porch I would put the plant in there. When it comes into growth in spring, feed it weekly with halfstrength tomato food – it contains potash and should encourage the plant to flower. Ensure the pot is placed in a sunny site.

Chambers, by email

A BOB SAYS Almost certainly any shoots from below the base of the stem will be from the rootstock and need removing. It could be that these are pushing up because the top of the plant is not happy.

Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’ is native to the southern United States, so needs a really warm position to thrive.

Make a di�ference

Trees are crucial for our environment. That’s why the Woodland Trust goes above and beyond to protect woods, plant trees and create havens for wildlife across the nation.

Since 1972, the charity has planted more than 55 million trees and every year it creates thousands of acres of new woodland, plus it’s saved more than 1,000 ancient woods from destruction since 1999. These are all significant achievements, but there’s still so much more work to do – and you can help.

By becoming a member from just £4 a month, you can help the Woodland Trust’s crucial efforts to continue, and you’ll feel good knowing you’re playing your part in helping our wildlife and creating a greener world for future generations.

Embrace the season

Now the summer heat is over, and autumn is well and truly here, why not get out into the woods? It’s

a great time to crunch your way through colourful leaves and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the new season. When you join the Woodland Trust, you’ll be sent a directory of more than 1,000 woods you can visit free of charge, so there’ll certainly be no shortage for you to explore.

Your membership...

Helps more than 1,000 woods grow and thrive, keeping them open for everyone to enjoy all year round

Creates more homes for wildlife, including woodpeckers and dormice, by restoring their natural woodland homes

Contributes towards the planting of new native trees, such as oak, beech, birch and alder Stands up for woodland under threat from development, so it’s protected and kept safe for future generations to enjoy

Jo

Q Should I remove my wisteria’s suckers?

Q My aeonium, indoors now, looks poorly. Help!

Q My potted canna never flowers. Why?

Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’ climbs

metres

PHOTO: JASON INGRAM

ACROSS

1 Put netting over these plot staples to deter pigeons (9)

7 One of many names for Reseda luteola (4)

8 Start pruning __ trees when dormant to promote fruiting (5)

9 Time to sow a green manure crop such as winter __ (3)

10 __back is a common symptom of disease in plants (3)

11 Immature buds on a potato (4)

12 __ lily is an alternative name for Lilium regale (5)

13 Paphiopedilum, or __ orchid, makes an exotic houseplant (7)

15 Pulsatilla vulgaris is better known as __flower (6)

17 Fungus gnats, greenhouse pests, are also called __ flies (7)

20 Finish planting these popular spring bulbs this month (6)

22 Genus of tropical evergreen shrubs with flaming blooms (5)

23 The horse chestnut genus (8)

24 Dry outer covering of a fruit or seed (4)

DOWN

1 Gather up and bin rose leaves affected by this fungal disease (5,4)

2 Replenish gravel mulch around these rockery plants to protect against damp soil (7)

3 Save ripe __ from crops such as beans to sow next year (5)

4 Type of grass grown to produce edible grain (6)

5 Common name for Lathyrus odoratus (5,3)

6 Cosy protection for early sowings of peas, for example (6)

13 Term for a stalkless leaf directly attached to a plant stem (7)

14 Colourful name for Quercus rubra (3,3)

16 This large, yellow fruit is ideal for winter jams and jellies (6) 18 Hedera hibernica is commonly called __ ivy (5) 19 Lift and pot up chicory __ to force in the dark (5) 21 Genus of spiny evergreen shrubs with bright yellow, pealike blooms all year round (4)

will be charged at your standard phone provider rate. Post

Subscription enquiries: BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, dsb.net Ltd, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF

General enquiries: BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, Immediate Media Co Ltd, 2nd Floor, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT

Voted by professional gardeners as THE bestever trailing pansy, ‘Cool Wave’ will flower profusely from late autumn right through to May – even flowering again in autumn next year!

The colour selection of blooms is vast and best of all, they keep on coming in ‘waves’ for up to 9 months each year! Completely hardy, it will withstand even the worst British winter, cascading over the sides of hanging baskets and planters and providing a splash of zingy colour almost all year round! Smothered in big, traditional pansy flowers, this vigorous trailer is set to make its mark on gardens everywhere – a real breeding breakthrough for supreme performance in your hanging baskets. Trails to 40cm.

9 MONTHS OF COLOUR Aug through to May 9 MONTHS OF COLOUR – to Totally hardy… survives even Totally hardy… survives even the worst of British winter! worst

THE Hanging Basket Pansy... THE Basket Pansy... cascading waves of colour waves of colour Beautiful blooms with vast colour selection blooms vast colour

£14.99

Cold Feet?

Try camel wool socks made from the wool of the two humped camels which live in the cold, snowy deserts of Asia.

In Spring the camels are combed to harvest their moulting Winter coats. The wool is then graded and spun into warm, soft, practical garments.

Our organic pure camel wool socks are ethically made in Mongolia.

We also stock a range of camel wool-mix socks in a range of colours.

Fabulous Fused Glass Fish

Designed for the garden, individually handmade for you on the Sussex Coast. Various colours available. Fish sold singularly or in shoals. £35 each, or three for £100, five for £160 or seven for £210. Fabulous in the snow.

Visit our website for unique handmade gifts for the garden and home. Gift vouchers available.

01243 573411

cozycamels.co.uk

Potter and Mooch

Looking for something completely unique? We have the perfect Christmas gift. Earrings designed for a single piercing due to the small bar that runs up the back of the lobe. Each pair is handmade in England on either 925 Sterling Silver, 14ct Rose or Yellow Gold-Filled wires.

Hypo-allergenic and Nickel free.

Loved by all ages. From £24 per pair.

BUY 1 PAIR GET A 2nd WITH 30% OFF. Online or mail order.

Prices start at £6.99 + P & P. 01903 331744 potterandmooch.co.uk

Devenick Designs

‘Hagrid’ the Royal Stag garden sculpture is part of our Thinimals® collection.

Standing at 1.7m tall. This contemporary design captures the bold stature of this solitary animal. Made in Steel, the sculpture is suited to formal or informal styles of garden.

Visit our website to view our beautiful designs or contact us for more information.

devenickdesigns.co.uk

Comfort with Style –Leather Mules

A small family business offering high quality leather mules in three styles (one suitable for a wider foot) and seven colours. Perfect for indoor and outdoor wear. An arch support is an integral feature helping to create additional comfort. We offer sizes 2-14 (35-49).

Prices £55.00 and £60.00 with £3.50 P&P (2nd class) or £5.50 P&P (1st class).

01364 652733 themulecompany.co.uk

ongley-snookdesigns.com

Perfect for Everyone this Christmas

Waterproof, lightweight and easy to slip on/off. Ideal for a trip to the allotments or to wear whilst out in the garden! Over 25 designs available online for Ladies or Men. For our full range which include Wellies and Chelsea Boots visit us online. Something for everyone on your list!

01202 232357 backdoorshoes.co.uk

Pure Organic Vanilla Extract

Gorilla Vanilla is made in the UK using Organic Vanilla Beans specially grown by select farmers in Uganda - the land of mountain gorillas. This organically grown vanilla is pollinated, harvested and cured to give a distinctively rich flavour for your baking, desserts and more.

Gorilla Vanilla is produced by Foodie Flavours Ltd, known for their extensive range of high strength natural flavourings.

foodieflavours.com

The Sussex Trug

A Sussex Trug is a traditional gardening accessory, usually the most cherished of all gardening tools.

The perfect gift to be used for a lifetime and appreciated by every gardener. Hand made in Sussex, signed, dated, stamped and sent next day from order. A choice of five sizes and two designs with the very popular No.7 just £49.90 +p&p

Visit my website to view, or phone ANYTIME to order or more info.

01323 440452 trugmakers.co.uk

Cream Pearl on Sterling Silver

Oketor Haytor Welstor

Marketplace Christmas Gifts

Coloured by Nature

Millions of years in the making genuine gemstones will gift you a lifetime of pleasure. Discover a world of natural beauty at Christin Ranger Jewellery. Pictured are the sterling silver blue topaz and peridot earrings £79, pendant £69. Free UK Shipping.

Enjoy the set and save 15% using code SET22.

“Exquisitely high quality and beautifully designed. Excellent value too.” Anne M. Verified Buyer

01424 773091

christinranger.com

Birdbaths, Planters & Garden Ornaments

Chilstone hand craft beautiful birdbaths, planters and garden ornaments in Kent.

We make a wide range of gifts for garden lovers. Our fine cast stone can be engraved with a personal message to create an extra special present to last for years to come. Gift vouchers are also available. See our website or request a brochure for inspiration.

01892 740866 chilstone.com

Harris Dryboot

Over 65 years in production and still the UK’s favourite waterproof ankle boot. Washable and quick drying with a padded cotton lining for cool all-day comfort. The Harris Dryboot has a reinforced underarch shank for heavy digging or rough terrain walking and a deep waterproof gusset for easy access and removal. Made in Malaysia from high quality natural rubber. Suitable for vegans. Only £81.99 plus p&p. The perfect Christmas gift.

07974 977112 thedrybootcompany.com

Anne Cotterill

Christmas Cards

Beautiful floral greetings cards to buy from home. These high quality Christmas, birthday and blank cards are all from the original flower paintings of Anne Cotterill. Vibrant and colourful, they are the perfect choice for any gardener or flower-lover. Contact Mill House Fine Art Publishing for a free mail order catalogue or visit our website to order online.

01297 553100 millhousefineart.com

Seed Storage Boxes

These beautiful seed storage boxes come in 3 delightful colours, complete with hinged lids, metal handles and secure closures. It is slightly larger than others on the market so if you collect large numbers of seeds this is the tin for you. The internal compartments and depth allow you to organise your seeds, labels and mini potting tools all in one place.

A beautiful and practical gift for any gardener. Available in French Grey, Vintage Cream or Midnight Black Size H16 x W22 x L16cm. Only £22.99

01285 760 505

gardening-naturally.com

Give the Gift of Theatre this Christmas

Theatre Tokens are Gift Cards and eGifts with no expiry date that can be used at more than 270 theatres nationwide, including all of London’s West End. Treat someone to a show at their local theatre, or a trip to London’s theatreland. Know a mega fan?

Just a £5 Token is enough for a seat, upgrade on their next visit.

Remember this pressie idea when a surprise guest arrives on Christmas Day and send an eGift in seconds.

TheatreTokens.com

Save Knees with OneLeg

OneLeg is a functional, ergonomic stool designed for use in the garden or anywhere around the home or workplace where you need to work at low levels. The stool with its rounded base is a useful aid, proven to help those who have good general mobility, but may suffer with lower back issues or who find kneeling difficult or painful.

0800 195 4252

Oneleg.co.uk

Perilla Alpaca

for Gardeners

Socks

Treat your feet to gorgeous 75% baby alpaca socks. There are eight ranges to choose from including the thick walking socks (shown). Alpaca fibre has higher insulating properties, repels odour and bacteria but gently wicks away moisture keeping feet feeling fresh all day.

Great palette of colours and bespoke gift box options available.

01886 853 615

Perilla.co.uk

Marketplace Christmas Gifts

Seaside Escapes with Coastal Cottages

Ornately Lanterns –Happy Home Décor!

Add glowing colour to your garden with stunning hand painted glass suncatchers and candle lamps! These unique stained glass pieces are individually handmade for your home & garden: windowsills, fireplaces, patio and conservatory. Combining a range of radiant colours which look wonderful come rain or shine – we associate happiness with colour and warmth, so these are perfect pieces of joy!

ornatelylanterns@gmail.com ornatelylanterns.com

Bespoke Collectable Sculpture

Ruth Moilliet Sculpture produce highly finished metal sculptures inspired by the plant kingdom. Clients can choose from an existing portfolio or commission a bespoke piece. Smaller works are available to buy, follow the purchase link on the website and start your collection!

Featured artwork - Allium Stems - an affordable addition to any home or garden, available in 5 colours, making an ideal Christmas gift.

sculpture@ruthmoilliet.com ruthmoilliet.com

Trimstyle Decor

We have been manufacturing and distributing MAINTENANCE FREE gazebos and summerhouses since 2006. Whether you choose ‘Victorian’ or ‘Contemporary’ style, they will compliment and become an eye catching feature in any garden. Our all glass summerhouse, with sliding windows and doors, gives you a panoramic 360 degree view of your garden.

*Aluminium frame *Fibreglass slate effect roof. *Solid PVC decorative panels. *Toughened safety glass (summerhouse only).

01543 252705 trimstyledecor.com

Commission a Beloved Pet Sculpture

Sculptor Barry Sykes can make a life-sized portrait sculpture of your much loved pets or favourite creatures. From tiny birds to roaming lions, he will use your ideas to craft a bespoke likeness in dense layers of galvanised wire mesh. Ideally suited outside in all weathers or a design feature indoors. Still just time for Christmas orders! Call or visit us online to see more.

Book Christmas & New Years holidays. Gift vouchers available. Special offer: £30 deposit for 2023 bookings. Autumn/winter short breaks also available. 07951 039663 animalsinwire.co.uk

Beautiful Garden Urn

Leander’s beautiful Garden Urn in rusted iron makes a special present for the keen gardener.

It can be used in a large pot with a combination of annuals, or in the border to support a patio rose. It also makes a stunning centrepiece for a festive floral arrangement.

For this and many other useful designs for supporting plants visit our website.

01773 550495 leanderplantsupports.co.uk

Thomas Smith’s Sussex Trugs

Sussex Trugs are timeless gardening baskets used all around the world. Smith’s are the original makers dating back to 1829 and our Trugs are all guaranteed for five years. Ideal present for gardeners of all ages.

Red Lion Hall, New Road, Magham Down, Herstmonceux, Sussex, BN27 1PN. 01323 871640

sales@sussextrugs.com sussextrugs.com

Tuttabankem

Tuttabankem offer a range of elegant silk velvet and cruising cotton kaftans, tops and pure cotton nighties – the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.

Pictured is our gorgeous Genoa Silk Velvet Top – throw on and look fabulous! Telephone us for a free catalogue.

01572 717332 tuttabankem.com

Multiple Options Available

Daylight clarity at the flick of a switch

at the

Unlike ordinary a Serious to the make up of natural so it’s much kinder on the eye Over 100 engineered work together help Hand built Y ar War an y

Unlike ordinary reading lights, a Serious Light uses Daylight Wavelength Technology™ to carefully replicate the make-up of natural light so it’s much kinder on the eye. Over 100 carefully engineered parts work together to help transform your reading comfort. The result is incredible clarity Text that’s so crisp and clear you’ll find yourself being able to read for hours with ease

Available as Floor or Table Models. Choice of bases, four stunning finishes, cordless and height adjustable options. for any Serious Light

YOURS FREE Compact Light

Lightweight and powerful, the perfect companion for any Serious Light. To claim your free Compact Light, quote LA14 when ordering any Serious Light, while stocks last.

The superior thermal properties of its soft ‘micro-fleece’ makes this Hoggs of Fife shirt as warm as toast. Light and less bulky than a jumper it won’t weigh you down. Its wicking properties take moisture away from your body and help keep you dry. Soft against your skin yet comfortable over a t-shirt. In a quick dry, easy-care fabric it is practical too, with a 7 button front, zipped breast pocket, cuff adjuster and long shirt tail to keep the draft out Perfect as an overshirt. All this and FREE Delivery. Order today and keep warm in our best selling fleece shirt

Pheasant

Titchmarsh Tales from

Assumptions. We are all guilty of them. After a summer that was reputedly the driest since 1976 you could be forgiven, if you take note of the daily news bulletins, for thinking that every year from now on will be hotter and drier than the last. It will not. The reason I am so confident? Weather.

Our worries about global warming and climate change are well founded, but there will still be variations year on year in what the sky throws at us and how the sun parches our land. The general trend may be for a rise in temperatures and sea levels, but within that rise there will be peaks and troughs – always have been, always will be. But this realistic approach seems to have been lost in the shrill and sensationalist tenor of the news today.

Perhaps it is something to do with growing older, but I find myself becoming more sanguine with the years: not in any way denying that our contributions to climate change need to be reined in, but in taking a

pragmatic view of how that might best be improved by each individual, rather than collectively running around like a chicken with its head cut off and waiting for Armageddon.

As gardeners we have a responsibility to our own patch of earth – however small. That bee, which visits the flowers you so generously contribute to the greening of the earth, is unaware of the bigger picture. But that bee is your direct contact with the landscape, the green planet, the environment – call it what you will. If every single person grew a flower or two, on doorstep, balcony, garden and estate, imagine the difference we could make. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But it is, nevertheless, a practical way of creating change and one which salves the conscience of each and every one of us; knowing that the little bit of difference we make, when joined on to all the other little bits, makes something huge and effective. But there will still be weather. There will be good years and bad years for potatoes and tomatoes. Your sweet peas might go over early as mine did this year, but they are just as likely, in the next few years, to be well watered almost every day. Weather. Am I trying to see a rosy picture where such does not exist? Not at all. Just trying to redress the balance of endless pessimism and open the eyes of those who see only doom and gloom to the positive ways in which we can help to ameliorate our lot. The world seems so angry of late – often with good reason. But if we come this way only once, surely we have a duty to make the best of it; to show our children and grandchildren the wonders and joys of nature, as well as instilling in them the need to take care of it. This year the large blue butterfly had its best year in 150 years. Declared extinct in 1979, numbers have multiplied thanks to the work of

scientists and conservation bodies who have cooperated to create hospitable sites for their survival. That is a national triumph, but there are smaller ones we can achieve at home.

We need countryside, farm headlands and hedgerows that are home to native species of plants and flowers, trees and shrubs, but don’t be cajoled into turning your tiny garden into a wilderness. Insects, birds and mammals are less interested in the country of origin of the flowers in your garden. If your ‘exotic’ bedding plants and perennials provide shelter and sustenance they will show their gratitude by visiting you. When ‘gardening’ – and by ‘gardening’ I mean cultivating plants from around the world in a way that we find uplifting and that ensures the survival of an ever-enlarging gene pool –becomes a dirty word, and we are all expected to leave our patch of earth to be colonised by only those species which naturally occur in that particular environment, our patches of earth will become poorer, not richer.

Biodiversity on a small scale occurs only as a result of the intervention of us humans. I see no reason why we should apologise for that. Far more important is our willingness to employ an organic approach, which is hospitable to those creatures – and plants – that will find our patch of earth to their liking. We can then work hand in hand with nature in creating a garden that plays its part in brightening our lives and ensuring the survival of wildlife. There will still be the weather to contend with, but then gardeners have always loved a challenge.

As climate crisis fills the news, gardeners should be optimistic about the small ways they can make a big difference, says Alan

If every single person grew a flower or two, on doorstep, balcony, garden and estate, imagine the difference we could make

in the MadewithPride Cotswolds

The