BBC Gardeners' World

Join Frances Tophill as she takes over Premium, the exclusive subscriber-only area of GardenersWorld.com. She shares why gardening sustainably matters, how it can help save you time and money, and make your plants better able to cope with summer’s un

Pelargonium ‘Lord Bute’ and Achillea millefolium ‘Balvinrose’ If you’re a pelargonium enthusiast (and who isn’t?), then this one should be high up your wish list. Lord Bute was Prime Minister for a year in 1762. More importantly for us gardeners, he

With exceptional flavour, reliability and heavy cropping, these strawberries can be planted in containers and baskets – perfect if you have limited garden space. Ideal for making jams and desserts. You will receive 12 bare-roots of one of the followi

I enjoyed reading the recent debate piece about whether children’s play equipment belongs in the garden or not (Over The Fence, May issue) and wanted to share my thoughts. Children belong in the garden as much as gardeners, plants and wildlife do. We

When not filming Gardeners’ World I have spent the past few months travelling around the country filming gardens for my latest series, on British gardens. Having spent much of the past 20 years filming gardens in every other corner of the globe, it h

Add height, drama and sweet perfume to your garden with this double-flowering, compact lilac (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’). The pretty blooms first arrive in May, flush through summer, then reach a second crescendo of colour in September, all the while

A run of record-breaking weather has led climate scientists to declare that global warming has entered a new phase. March 2024 was the world’s warmest month since records began 175 years ago, while the 18 months to March 2024 were the wettest for Eng

During the early 19th century, Sir Walter Scott helped to pioneer the historical novel, often evoking themes of Gothic Romanticism. His house at Abbotsford, on the River Tweed in Roxburghshire, is no different. He described it as his ‘conundrum castl

This well-coordinated ensemble provides a vivid spectacle throughout late summer. Delicate yet vibrant crocosmia exudes exotic charm with its striking upright habit, strappy mid-green leaves and tall sprays of red, orange or yellow blooms – Orange Pe

Andrew Timothy O’Brien Online garden coach, blogger and podcaster Andrew Timothy O’Brien specialises in helping people across the world unlock the potential of their gardens. He is also author of To Stand and Stare. How to Garden While Doing Next to

The days stretch endlessly, the weather tries hard to be good, and your garden has that magical midsummer combination of overflowing abundance, still lit with the freshness and inner vitality of late spring. Summer stretches out ahead in an unbroken

Visit buysubscriptions.com/GWNP724 Call 03330 162123* and quote code GWNP724 Free UK delivery Money back guarantee Worldwide delivery Secure online payments † This offer is only open to new UK customers subscribing to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine by

A year ago, together with a band of like-minded helpers, we built a great big show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Perhaps ‘built’ is the wrong verb, ‘plant’ is what we did. The garden was all about the plants. It was meant to

Most of us have a patch of dusty earth – even those of us who garden on what is diplomatically called ‘stiff’ soil. It may be open to drying winds and baking sunshine and, as a result, it will be capable of being transformed into a dustbowl with rema

These slow-growing shrubs have leaves that are either soft and downy or rough and sticky – both features that will help them hold onto moisture. Their tissue-thin flowers of white, pink or mauve – often with maroon blotches – may only last for a day,

1 Incorporate one or two evergreen shrubs to offer structure – choisya (Mexican orange blossom) is good in full sun, while osmanthus will tolerate shade. Add drought-tolerant perennials, annuals – such as sun-loving eschscholzia – and bulbs to fill t

When Oliver and his partner Marcus moved to their north-east London flat six years ago, the 5m by 1.5m balcony was just used to store bikes. But Oliver soon set about turning it into a relaxing haven, surrounded by greenery. His passion for gardening

When it comes to colour in the garden lots of us tend to focus our attention on flowers and foliage. It’s the obvious choice. But, beyond their own colour, the thing that makes leaves and blooms really shine is the background they are placed against

Perhaps you’re like me, radar always poised to spot a unique bit of reclamation as a present for your garden? Or maybe you’re looking for hands-on inspiration and knowhow to transform rescued refuse into something beautiful or useful? Either way, the

◼ Wooden decorator’s step ladder◼ Scaffolding boards or similar planks◼ Wooden strips (batons) for extra shelf supports◼ Several old wooden drawers◼ Galvanised screws◼ Spirit level◼ Electric drill◼ Saw◼ Old compost or plastic bags for lining drawers◼

◼ Galvanised water tank◼ Scraper◼ Polyurethane pond sealant◼ Brush for sealant◼ Rubber bung or cork to block pipe holes◼ Marine silicone sealant◼ Spirit level◼ Rainwater◼ Clean bricks to position plants at the right depth◼ Peat-free potting compost 1

◼ Old logs or posts◼ Selection of low-growing succulents, alpines or small ferns◼ Cactus compost mix◼ Activated charcoal (optional)◼ Hammer and chisel, or drill with hole-cutter drill bit◼ Clamp (or extra help) to hold the log 1 Source some old logs

◼ Several old wooden posts or planks◼ Post mix, or cement and fine rubble◼ Protective gloves◼ Spade◼ Trowel◼ Spirit level 1 Source three to five old posts or planks of varying lengths and widths. Choose your location, beside a lawn or path where plan

Create an outdoor dining area by reusing old kitchen cabinets, worktops and tiles. Also factor in a way to protect it from the elements. Build a pergola from scaffolding poles, boards, acrow props and railway sleepers. Use videos to help with assembl

My journey into the world of gardening began with my grandfather in northern Italy. This inspiration led me to cultivate my very own natural oasis right in the heart of London. Together with my fiancé, we transformed our front yard into a flourishing

At the beginning of the season, or at the end of the season in the autumn, simply add a thin layer of compost to your soil. This helps prepare it to host plants by stopping weed germination. It’s especially effective for raised beds, combined with ot

Just three courgette plants will keep a family supplied through summer, but I often grow more. And there’s so much you can do with them – in muffins and fritters, or cooked with chilli and garlic and stirred through pasta – though I draw the line at

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is delighted to bring you the opportunity to join GW TV presenter Adam Frost for an exclusive event at Highgrove Gardens on Monday 9 September 2024. Greeted by the magazine team on your arrival at Highgrove in Gloucester

July has always been a favourite month because everything is full and bountiful. We can walk through our gardens, picking crops and eating them without a care in the world. In my main garden, flowers are in full bloom and, with my ‘hassle-free food’

Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima The speckled bush-cricket has short wings, long, thin antennae and a dark orange stripe on its back (the male has a thicker stripe than the female). The female has a long, curved ovipositor (egg-laying

Visit GardenersWorld.com/what-to-do-now for more advice on the best crops to sow and plant this month, and how to do it This delicious cherry can produce up to 5kg of super sweet fruit each year once fully established. Self-fertile and blooms with ic

PLUS Harvesting peas ◼ Controlling sciarid flies ◼ Sowing wallflowers ◼ Thinning out grapes ◼ Taking hypericum cuttings Sign up to our Newsletter for more helpful tips and advice for the month at GardenersWorld.com/newsletters PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; P

Keep young perennial plants growing strongly by repotting them now. They will soon fill their new pots and be ready to plant into the garden by the end of the month. Larger plants will make more impact in a border and be robust enough to survive dama

Tie in the long new shoots on rambling roses to save them from snapping in the wind and to make sure they cover their supports and flower next year. Wear gloves to protect your hands from thorns. Pull the stems down carefully to avoid snapping them a

If you’ve been Inspired by our lavenders feature on p16, then this trio of English lavenders is for you. Beautiful, fragrant, drought tolerant and bee-friendly, these lavenders are easy to grow in a sunny spot, in pots and borders. Rich blue-purple f

It seems we’ve never been keener on upcycling and recycling, and I count myself among those who trawl charity shops for bargains, buy and sell second-hand clothes and donate or swap things with others. I love giving items a second lease of life and t

Keep crops that bear fruit in production by continuing to feed them. The type of plant food you use will depend on how much time you have. Whichever method you choose, only feed plants that have been watered recently because an instant concentration

Attract more butterflies to your garden with a boost of flower power. Planting a wide range of different flowers will enrich the diversity of insect visitors and create a healthy ecosystem. They are easy to plant into borders and large containers. Be

These primroses, violas and pansies will bring a welcome splash of colour to the cooler months. Pot them on and place in a cool, shaded spot, then plant out in early autumn. Produces masses of large flowers in yellow, orange, lemon and white. Height

Hypericums are small shrubs that are covered in yellow flowers for much of the summer, attracting a host of pollinators. You can easily propagate them by taking semi-ripe cuttings now, from the new shoots. The cuttings should have soft growth at the

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine is delighted to bring you another exclusive event at Highclere Castle, the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, where you’ll be joined by Alan Titchmarsh and Lady Carnarvon. On arrival, a warm welcome from the magazine team awaits you,

Water sweetcorn if the soil dries out. Soak them at ground level and apply mulch afterwards to reduce surface evaporation. They don’t need as much water as some fruiting crops, but keep your eye on the cobs – when they start to swell, water again to

Multiple flower stems per bulb. A real magnet for pollinators. Height x Spread 55cm x 20cm Flowers May-Jun 3 bulbs £7.65 NOW £6.50 Unique double corona. Captivating perfume. H x S 40cm x 15cm F Apr 5 bulbs £9.75 NOW £8.29 Purple-to-blue petals with w

We’re in the middle of the summer pruning season. Neatening up early-summer shrubs and plants once they have finished flowering is a good task to do now so that the garden is ready for its late-summer show. It’s also time to cut back trained fruit tr

Bob is the author of dozens of gardening books, as well as a radio presenter and organic gardener. A keen fruit, vegetable and house-plant grower, Anne was formerly the glasshouse supervisor at RHS Garden Wisley. Matt trained at Kew and has been gard

1 It’s a good idea to __ summer bedding plants regularly (8)6 Apply tomato __ fortnightly to crops in pots and grow bags (4)7 Poisonous plant belonging to the nightshade family (7)8 Check brassica __ for the eggs of cabbage white butterflies (6)9 Tax

Offer ends 18 July 2024 Call 03330 162123* and quote code GWSP724 Visit buysubscriptions.com/GWSP724 †This offer is only open to new UK customers subscribing to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine by recurring payment. The closing date for this offer is 18

Do you have one of those smartphones that tells you how many steps you have taken in a day? If you leave it in the house and forget to carry it with you, do you feel as though your exercise has been wasted? Mad isn’t it? I am musing on this fact as I

Make the most of the summer garden with fun projects for all the family Add colour to your garden with this wonderful collection of spring-flowering bulbs. Perfect for borders and containers, it features varieties such as Iris Dutch Mix and Brodiaea