BBC Gardeners World Magazine Sample Issue

MY NEW WORLD

Follow Monty’s travels as he explores the gardens of America

February 2020

VEG FROM SEED

LOOKING SHARP

Revealed! Alan’s cacti obsession – is it time you joined the club?

Sow now and save £££s on tasty veg with Carol’s simple guide

THE UK’S NO.1 GARDENING MAGAZINE

Grow your own

PROTEIN

Homegrown & healthy 5 winter remedies from your garden

Expert guide to

hellebores ON T E ST

Border spades

SAVE OUR HEDGEHOGS Simple projects to help them NOW

PLUS are you doing enough for garden wildlife?

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Welcome

Discover more from Gardeners’ World Magazine Our award-winning app

Has there ever been a better time to be a gardener? We have more plant choices than ever, more gardens open for inspiration, more opportunities to swap ideas online and social media… and more knowledge than ever before of how vital it is that we garden. Vital to all of us – not just for our wellbeing but for our environment.

Keep up to date while you’re on the move with our digital edition, made for iPhone and iPad. Get extra content plus videos from Monty and the team, plus access to our subscriber-only, online Secret Garden. Pay from £4.99 an issue in the App Store. See: bit.ly/GW-digital

Highgrove events Explore the private garden of HRH The Prince of Wales, and be entertained by talks from top gardeners, in the Talking Gardens festival this April. Go to highgrovegardens. com/talkinggardens

PHOTOS: JASON INGRAM, ANDREW BUTLER/HIGHGROVE. EDITOR’S PORTRAIT BY SARAH CUTTLE, TAKEN AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL ROOF GARDEN, SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON (OPEN MAY-SEPT: SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.UK)

New Year, new skills Boost your gardening skills through our Masterclasses in March. Choose from seed sowing or pruning, at Savill Gardens, Windsor. Places cost £75: book at gardeners world.com/savill-garden

Caribbean dream The gardens of the Caribbean should be on every gardener’s bucket list – so turn dream into reality with our bespoke, 14-night cruise in Feb-Mar 2021.

Discover more on p78.

The more we learn about the climate emergency, the clearer it is that tackling the biggest problems starts with the smallest actions – affirmed by David Attenborough, no less, when he called on us all to garden more for the sake of the planet (see Clippings).

To highlight this, our key theme this month is gardening for wildlife.

Everything we do in our gardens can either harm or bene it the creatures with whom we’re lucky enough to share the space, from the smallest insect, spider or woodlouse up. The key to making your space bene icial is to observe, go slowly and tread lightly but never stop gardening because, with care, it is a force for good. As a starter, see our garden wildlife report, from p80, and its recommended actions.

Share with us what you’re doing in your garden to bene it wildlife and we’ll publish the best over the coming months. And together we can make this a year of change, turning small, individual steps into collectively big results. We’re gardeners – we’ve got the power!

Ways to contact us SUBSCRIPTIONS – 03330 162123 Including new subscription orders or queries, missing covermount gifts and magazine slipcase orders.

Email gardeners.world@buysubscriptions.com Phone line open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm.

GARDENERS’ WORLD OFFERS – 020 7150 5780 Email offers@gardenersworld.com MAGAZINE EDITORIAL – 020 7150 5770 Email magazine@gardenersworld.com or letters for publication to: letters@gardenersworld.com. Phone line open in office hours, Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm.

Monty will share tales from Longmeadow and more in our event at Kings Place, London

Lucy Hall, Editor

@lucyhall_GW

PS Don’t miss our exclusive reader event in London with Monty on 21 May, where he’ll reveal the story of Longmeadow and life away from the cameras. Tickets are very limited – turn to p65.

Keep up to date with us at facebook.com/GWmagazine January 2020

pinterest.com/gwmag

twitter.com/gwmag

instagram.com/gardenersworldmag gardenersworld.com

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Contents

February 2020

WE LOVE...

We love February 6 Expert’s choice: primroses 14 Full Monty 19 Have your say: readers’ letters 20 Over the fence 22 Clippings: news and views 24

DO IT NOW Carol’s guide to sowing veg from seed 30 Herbal remedies for winter health 36 Celebrate hellebores 44 Alan’s cactus revival 72 What to prune this month 100

BE INSPIRED Miniature flowering jewels in pots 52 Monty reveals the gardens of America 58 We visit a beautiful prairie-style plot 66 Grow your own protein 96 On test: spades 105

WILDLIFE We reveal garden wildlife winners and losers, plus how you can lend a hand 80 Save our hedgehogs 90

80

Wildlife special Wi p Discover the state of our nation’s garden wildlife

Q&A Gardeners’ Question Time 132

LAST WORDS Crossword 136 Next month 153 Tales from Titchmarsh 154

ON TE ST

105

We put spades through their paces

30

Carol on sowing veg seed

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Monty’s American adventure

February 2020

On e cover

offers

58 30 72 96 36

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Crocosmia attracts pollinators from summer to late autumn

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FREE 85 wildlife-friendly bulbs, worth over £50, plus other offers 16

105 90

SUBSCRIBER COMPETITION Win a European river cruise, worth £6,000 23 Cover photo: A young hedgehog, photographed by Klein & Hubert/naturepl.com

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 12 issues for just £44.99 28 OFFER 20% on begonias 48 READER EVENT Hear Monty in conversation as he reveals secrets about life in his TV garden 65 TRAVEL Explore Caribbean gardens 78 HOLIDAYS Tours of Madeira, plus Lake Garda, Venice and Verona 89 SAVE up to £40 on snowdrops 104

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OFFER Savings on forsythia 129

Alan extols the virtues of cactus

SUBSCRIBE and save 29% 152

YOUR PLANNER Expert hellebore growers reveal the secrets to these gorgeous flowers

50 THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH

52 36

Frances reveals how to create your own herbal remedies

February 2020

90

Petite and pretty container displays

Save our hedgehogs

Monty’s month 115 Flowers 118 Back to basics 120 Greenhouse 121 Alan’s job of the month 123 Fruit and veg 124 Around the garden 127

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PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; GETTY/TSEKHMISTER, ED RESCHKE; JASON INGRAM.

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We love February for tantalising glimmers of springg 6

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February 2020

We

February

Traditionally, this month is about cleansing (after the Latin word februum, which means puri ication).

Having survived the excesses of Christmas and the perennially disappointing bun ight that is New Year, we are girding ourselves for spring. Breathing in lungfuls of ice-cold air, we are sitting in front of ires and (possibly) still sticking to our resolution to always take the stairs (instead of lifts) and go regularly to yoga classes. In the garden, it is a time of preparation: attending to the last bits of tidying up, making sure all our tools are sharp and enjoying the irst bulbs of spring.

Words by James Alexander-Sinclair

I love all the plants we have on these pages, but it is particularly satisfying when we choose one that I have in my garden. It is quite a new plot and, as a result, I have been doing a lot of plant shopping and moving things around. I am sure that designers should be more methodical and organised, but in my own garden I keep changing my mind. However, one of the unchanged shrubs is this beautiful witch hazel. Scent, zippy colour and great leaves (especially in the autumn) have earned it a permanent place in my sunny border.

Easy to grow, as long as it is not too exposed. Propagation is by grafting, so not suitable for beginners. Scented.

Height x Spread 4m x 3.5m

February 2020

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PHOTO: SARAH CUTTLE, TAKEN AT RHS WISLEY, SURREY

STAR OF THE MONTH Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’

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HEAVEN SCENT “Wintertime and the smellin’ is easy” may not rattle off the tongue as easily as the irst line of Summertime from Porgy and Bess, but it is undoubtedly true that winter- lowering shrubs have the best scents. Roses are all well and good, but there is something extra special about catching the smell of a sarcococca on a mizzly, dank February day – guaranteed to put a spring in your step.

Sarcococca confusa This is sweet box, a really useful, small, evergreen shrub for borders or pots in a bit of shade.

Take cuttings in late summer. H x S 2m x 1m

CREEPING BEAUTY This is a low, ground-covering variety and very useful it is, too – I have it growing under some birch trees, where the ground is so dry and rooty that almost everything else takes one look and refuses to grow. Not so the ever-obliging creeping Oregon grape.

I would be lying if I told you that it was an exciting plant, but it does the job, so I forgive all shortcomings.

Mahonia repens Excellent source of early-season food for insects. Leaves take on a hint of purple over winter. Scented flowers. H x S 50cm x 100cm

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February 2020

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February

COLOUR POTS Greenhouses are not just for tomatoes.

If you are lucky enough to have a bit of glass, then getting bulbs to do their thing a little earlier than usual is a good idea. In this combination, the white and blue muscari with the purple and yellow of the iris provide a pretty display for a window ledge or as a table decoration.

Iris histrioides ‘George’ Scented flowers. Good in pots or free-draining borders. Sow seed in containers or separate groups in autumn. H x S 12cm x 8cm

PHOTOS: TORIE CHUGG; JASON INGRAM

Muscari azureum and M. aucheri ‘White Magic’ Known as grape hyacinth, as the flowers are like bunches of fruit. Merrily self-seeds, so propagation is easy. Divide clumps when dormant.

H x S 15cm x 10cm

February 2020

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February

WILLOWY WANDERINGS Usually when we talk about good winter stems our attention is drawn to the screaming scarlets, yelling yellows and roaring ‘rufousness’ of dogwoods. We must not, however, forget the willows. While not quite as flashy, they still perform during the lean months and, unlike dogwoods, can be woven into hurdles, baskets or (probably) hats. They also grow incredibly fast, so create an excellent quick screen particularly on damp ground.

Salix alba Easily grown from cuttings – push a pencil-sized bit of stem into the ground and it will root very quickly. Coppice each spring. H x S 20m x 8m (if allowed to grow into a tree)

DON’T BE SCILLA PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE, SALIX AT WAKEHURST, WEST SUSSEX; GETTY/SKYMOON13

This scilla has an alluring name: it is difficult to track down its exact etymology – the internet only offers us a Ukrainian footballer called Andriy Mischenko. Instead, let us imagine that it was named after a concubine with cerulean eyes. An impoverished botanist from the Caucasus fell in love with her and named this scilla after her. Sadly, a jealous prince discovered this affair and both botanist and his lover met a nasty end.

Scilla mischtschenkoana Excellent for the edges of borders, in pots or among gravelly rock gardens. Sow seed in pots in a cold frame. H x S 15cm x 10cm

February 2020

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February

HOW MOORISH Plants have provided a vast amount of inspiration to all sorts of artists, so anybody who has walked a moor will be unsurprised that there are a lot of songs about heather, such as Bull in the Heather by Sonic Youth and Purple Heather by Rod Stewart (and Van Morrison). Do not, however, be misled by Leonard Cohen’s Dear Heather, which I suspect is more to do with a person than a plant.

Erica carnea ‘Springwood Pink’ Thrives in acid soil, so in many gardens will need to be grown in containers. Very long-flowering season (January to April). H x S 15cm x 30cm

SMALL BUT ZIPPY One of my favourite early irises. This little group (we have another representative this month in Iris histrioides ‘George’ a couple of pages back, cavorting with a muscari) gives a wonderful start to the year. It has splashes of blue and is perfect for containers or the edges of borders. This one looks as if someone has licked a fountain pen at the lowers and dotted every petal with ink spots.

PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON INGRAM

Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ Needs good drainage and a sunny position. Looks good, as here, combined with other small bulbs, such as crocus or Narcissus ‘February Silver’.

H x S 12cm x 8cm

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February 2020

PHOTOS: TORIE CHUGG; SARAH CUTTLE; GETTY/ODILON DIMIER; JASON INGRAM

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Primula ‘Francisca’

Primula ‘Belarina Valentine’

Pale-green, ruffled flowers, each with a golden heart, held in clusters for a long period. H x S 20cm x 20cm

Fully double and rich-red flowers each set in a ruff of green bracts. A recent British-bred primula. H x S 20cm x 30cm

Primula veris

Primula vulgaris

The wild cowslip has up to 20 small, slightly nodding, yellow flowers on an upright stem. H x S 25cm x 25cm

Pale-yellow blooms on arching stems.

Can flower in December but plants may hide in hot summers. H x S 20cm x 35cm

Primroses Jan Feb

M Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Flowering Propagate

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February 2020

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February

E xpe ’s c h oi c e

Primroses

Available in all shapes and colours, the primrose is a sign that spring is on its way, says Graham Rice The primrose is the iconic spring wildflower that grows across Britain and Ireland – everyone knows and loves it. Hedgerows, woodland, north-facing banks – the primrose thrives anywhere that’s shady and moist. It’s by far the most widespread of our five native primula species and, along with the cowslip, is a parent of the garden polyanthus.

The cowslip’s preference for more light and betterdrained soils brings an adaptability to the polyanthus and its many cultivated relations, which now come in vast variety – some garish and brash, some subtle and sophisticated, some tough and long-lasting, and some more fleeting. They extend from the gold and silver-laced types, with the bright, wiry edging of their petals – long grown as show plants in the same way as auriculas – to the latest fully double varieties in rich, sultry hues and pretty pastels.

Although many double-flowered varieties produce no pollen and set no seed, most blooms are purposebuilt to cross pollinate. The result can be unpredictable offspring in many colours and forms. Cemeteries often provide a rich range, with wild primroses in shady corners crossing with a rainbow of polyanthus brought in to decorate graves. But the cool simplicity of the wild primrose still takes some beating.

P Position Check the sun and soil needs of each type as their requirements vary.

P All are frost hardy, but not generally long-lived.

P Look out for self-sown seedlings and pull out any in colours you dislike.

P Self-sown plants may turn up in odd places as the seeds are distributed by ants.

P Propagate good forms by lifting, dividing and replanting immediately after flowering.

P Fatten up by feeding occasionally with tomato feed during and after flowering.

P Where to buy barnhaven.com, 0033 296 356841; dorsetperennials.co.uk, 01963 210643; plant-world-seeds.com, 01803 872939.

Primula Gold-laced Group Usually in polyanthus form, each deep-red to dark-chocolate flower is edged in a fine wire of gold. Beautiful in a clay pot. H x S 25cm x 30cm

February 2020

PLANT DIRECTORY Choose varieties of primulas to suit you and your garden by using our plant finder at gardeners world.com/plant-finder gardenersworld.com

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