Episode 5 has a Chelsea Flower Show flavour. Dan & Julia debate the value of a ticket to the world's most prestigious horticultural event and explain how to administer the Chelsea chop to flowering perennials and herbs. Crisp, crunchy radishes are Julia's pick of the crop, and Dan breaks a self-imposed rule by celebrating deciduous azaleas, a plant that doesn't thrive in his chalky soil.

For Dan & Julia's complete guide to surviving Chelsea, click here.

For more advice on administering the Chelsea chop, click here, and you'll find the perfect pair of shears to do it with here.

Plants that respond well to the Chelsea Chop

1. Yarrow - Achillea 
2. Dyer's chamomile - Anthemis tinctoria 
3. Aster
4. Bell flower - Campanula
5. Coneflower - Echinacea 
6. Joe Pye weed - Eupatorium
7. Blanket flower - Gaillardia
8. Sneezeweed - Helenium 
9. Perennial sunflowers - Helianthus
10. Candytuft - Iberis
11. Shasta daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum
12. Purple loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
13. Bergamot - Monarda didyma
14. Catmint - Nepeta
15. Penstemon
16. Garden phlox - Phlox paniculata
17. Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia
18. Stonecrop - Sedum telephium (now Hylotelephium telephium)
19. Golden rod - Solidago
20. Culver's root - Veronicastrum
21. Chives - Allium schoenoprasum

Dan's favourite deciduous azaleas:

1. FIREBALL
2. GIBRALTAR
3. GOLD TOPAZ
4. IRENE KOSTER
5. KLONDYKE
6. STRAWBERRY ICE

Where you'll find us over the next fortnight:

Julia will be at Nomad Books in Fulham on Saturday, 13th May, running a workshop and signing copies of her book. You'll also find her on the Alitex stand (MA 336) on the Chelsea Flower Show's Main Avenue on and off between the 23rd and 28th of May.

Dan will be at Salthrop House, Wroughton, near Swindon, this Sunday, 14th May, 11 am - 4 pm and at the American Museum & Gardens in Bath on Sunday, 21st May, with Rare Plant Fairs. He takes his tea strong with milk, and no sugar, if you want to treat him to a cuppa!

Alitex will be at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival from 11th -14th May, showcasing the Mottisfont greenhouse from the National Trust range. Then, they will be at RHS Chelsea Flower Show with their 'Good Life' inspired exhibit, styled by our very own Julia!

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