Dig It

Over the past few years there has been a massive resurgence in growing flowers and vegetables from seed. Fuelled by the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis more of us are looking to raise plants from seed for our gardens, allotments, and containers. In this Dig It podcast Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with David Turner, the Marketing Services Manager at Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Limited to find out more about the history of Mr Fothergill’s, their unique innovations, seed terminologies, seed packeting, trial grounds and how we can get the best from growing plants from seeds.

Vegetable mentions: Broad bean ‘Aguadulce’, Carrot ‘Nantes’, Courgettes, Beetroot ‘Bolthardy’, Blight tolerant tomato varieties include ‘Cocktail Crush’, ‘Mountain Magic’, ‘Merrygold’, ‘Red Bodyguard’ Paoline’ and popular varieties ‘Moneymaker’, ‘Gardeners Delight’ and ‘Tigerella’,  Peppers, Runner bean ‘Enorma’, Squashes, Tomato 

Flower mentions: Dahlias, Sunflowers ‘Early Single’, Dwarf Sunflowers, ‘Evening Sun’, ‘Magic Roundabout’ and ‘Teddy bear’, Sweet Peas and Snowdrops. 

Product mentions: Garden tools brand Darlac include loppers, snips, secateurs, and shears and soil thermometer (both available in-store).

David’s desert island items: Darlac Hori Hori - the Multi-Purpose (dig, cut, chop) Trowel. Fast growing Radish and highly productive Runner beans.

Mr Fothergill’s website, FACEBOOK and Instagram

Buckingham Garden Centre’s range of Mr Fothergill’s Seeds

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

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The first blossom, bulbs are coming into their own and there’s a bit of welcome warmth to the sunshine -spring has officially sprung! Peter Brown and Chris Day delve into March with this month’s busy podcast, including what’s on, topical news, the Dig It top 5 and much more.

What’s on

Saturday 11th March is Orchid Day at the Garden Centre with Dig It’s favourite Orchid expert Manos Kanellos. The event runs from 11am until mid-afternoon.

TV garden designer and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost is out and about on a nationwide tour this spring entitled An evening with Adam Frost.

Sunday 19th March 10am-4pm: Rare Plant Fair at The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PD.

In the news

Floral soakaways are coming to towns and cities near you.

More than 574 new gardens opening for the first time are opening under the National Garden Scheme this year.

The government are cracking down on illegal plant importers.

Welsh leeks finally become officially Welsh.

The Newt gardens in Somerset are the official sponsors of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, have the national collection of all-counties apples in their unique designed parabola garden.

National Allotments Society report on 21st Century Allotments in new developments.

RSPB suggests stricter garden hygiene controls to help combat avian flu.

Publisher DC Thompson announces the closure of Grow Your Own magazine.

Bridgend Council fined for knotweed invasion in a landmark case.

Dig It top 5

Roses root-wrapped 1. Rose ‘Flower Carpet Pink’ 2. Rose ‘Margaret Merril’ 3. Rose ‘Flower Carpet White’, 4. Rose ‘Hopes and Dreams’ 5. Rose ‘Rambling Rector’.

Plant mentions: Shallots, Garlic and Onions, Broad beans, Kinder plants, Potatoes including ‘International Kidney’, Berried trees and shrubs for birds. Snowdrops, winter aconites and later English Bluebells ‘in the green’. Primroses, Bellis daisies and Violas. Sow Parsley, Chives, Coriander and Basil in warmth. Strawberries, including alpine types.

Product mentions: Baby Bio, Bloom Orchid Feed, Bonemeal, Fungus Fighter for Box Blight, Composters, RootGrow, Houseplant compost, Canada Green Lawn Seed, Lawn weed and feed and Jekka Herb seeds.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for the music

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The National Garden Scheme (NGS) open exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands raising money for charity through admission fees, tea and cake. Over the past 96 years the NGS has raised over 67 million pounds for charities. Dig It’s Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with the Chief Executive of the NGS, George Plumptre and discuss the huge impact opening over 3,500 gardens has had on the charities the NGS supports. We also delve into George’s favourite gardens, his passion for writing about cricket and gardens and we discover what cake Dame Mary Berry, the president of the NGS, baked for George on a special garden visit.

Plant mentions: Winter aconites, snowdrops, hardy cyclamen, viticella clematis and wildflower meadows.

Garden mentions: The Queen Mother’s private garden: Birkhall part of the Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire, The Royal Lodge on the Windsor Great Park Estate, Berkshire and Castle of Mey, Caithness in Scotland. Royal gardens at Frogmore House and Highgrove Gardens.

National Trust properties at Hidcote Manor Gardens in Gloucestershire and Hatchlands Park in Surrey. Arley Hall, Northwich, Cheshire, Ramster Gardens in Surrey, Hodnet Hall Gardens, Shropshire. Horatio Garden in Salisbury. Goodnestone Park in Kent.

Reports mentions: Gardens and health - The King’s fund 2016 report and Gardens and Coronavirus 2020 report

Desert Island plant and gardening luxury: Plumbago capensis and desalination plant with brass antique water sprinkler.

NGS beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Research, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, The Queen’s Nursing Institute, Parkinson’s UK, Horatio’s Garden, Maggie’s and Greenfingers. Support and training English Heritage, Perennial, Working for Gardeners Association, National Botanic Garden of Wales, Professional Gardeners’ Trust and Garden Museum.

George Plumptre’s books

The Garden Visitor’s handbook 2023 (The Yellow Book)

NGS Website with links to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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In this month’s Dig It podcast Peter Brown and Chris Day look at how the gradual change in seasons is beginning to affect what we plant, prune and plan ahead in our gardens.

Thursday 2nd February Chasing Plants talk with Dr Chris Thorogood in Oxford, 7-8pm. 

Saturday 4th February, 10am-4pm. Our Graft & Grow Event at the Garden Centre with The Mid Shires Orchard Group and grafters Andy Howard and Steve Oram from PTES

Saturday 4th February – Sunday 12th March  Houseplant Takeover at RHS Gardens, Wisley 

Thursday 16 February: Winter and Snowdrops Walk from 9.30am. Breakfast and a Guided Walk with Nick Hamilton at Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, created by his father Geoff. 

In the news

David Austin Roses retires three rose varieties.

Redesign of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother garden at Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. 

RHS partner garden numbers increase to 221, including Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Powis Castle and Bridgemere Show Gardens.

The Windlesham Trophy awarded to the HM Prison Thorn Cross for its creative gardening efforts. 

Petal patterns found to attract bees, the latest from Cambridge University.

New laws to help protect illegal landscape tree felling comes into force.

Scottish tea grower success in London.

Predictions of garden trends for 2023 from the RHS.  

Kew Science spotlights 10 species of plants and fungi that it has named as new to science in 2022.

NGS biggest ever charity donation in 2022.

Dig It Top 5 Potatoes: From 5 to the number 1 spot Potato ‘Arran Pilot’ (1st early), ‘Desiree’ (maincrop), ‘Rocket’ (1st early), ‘Charlotte’ (2nd early) and at number 1 ‘Kestrel’ (2nd early).

Plant mentions: Asparagus, Garlic, Onions, Grapes, Roses ‘Munstead Wood’, ‘A Shropshire Lad’ and ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’, Phormium, Cordyline australis, Camellia sinensis (tea), cooler houseplants such Kentia palm, Fatsia japonica and Spathiphyllum; Snowdrops, Raspberries (‘Heritage’, ‘Autumn Bliss’), Strawberries, date palm, hedging, ornamental trees and fruit trees.

Product mentions: Swimming pond pumps from Oase, Secateurs, fleece, Baby Bio, Miracle-Gro feed, Phostrogen Plant Food, compost bins, and water butts.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for the music.

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In this episode of Dig It, Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Charles Dowding, a leading champion of no-dig gardening. Not only does he have a huge following, but his advice is born out of more than 40 years of growing, analysing, comparing, and recommending. We learn about the process of his No Dig philosophy from soil preparation, weed control, plant nutrition and how this method could work for you.

No Dig pointers: Bed sizes: 1.2m (4ft) wide beds and any length to suite your garden size. Adding 1in of compost to the beds per year. Practise intercropping and successional plantings to maximise your cropping space. No crop rotation is necessary by having good, healthy soil. Do have weed-free pathways between your crops. Pathways between beds need to be around 40cm (16 inches) wide and again use cardboard and wood chip. Think about the orientation of your beds and if necessary, run them up and down if your site slopes. Be realistic - start small to stay in control so you can enjoy it and have fun growing. Making a bed in winter is usually best. Compost on clay soils work well with No Dig. Weeding ‘little and often’ is key to avoid weeds going to seed.

Plant mentions: Garlic, Broccoli, Beetroot, Brussel sprout ‘Evesham Special’, Onions, Carrots, Kale, Potato varieties ‘Nicola’ and ‘Charlotte’. Weeds - dandelions, chickweed, couch grass, bindweed, mare’s tail and groundsel.

Product mentions: A dibber or trowel, horticultural fleece or Enviromesh coverage, cardboard, mushroom compost, home compost, green waste compost, animal manures and wood chip. Hoes, compost bins (Dalek type) as well as home-made pallet compost. Coffee grounds, rock dust, charcoal and wood ash used sparingly make good compost additives.

Professor Elaine Ingham is an American microbiologist and soil biology researcher and founder of Soil Foodweb Inc. She is known as a leader in soil microbiology and research of the soil food web.

Dr Shewell-Cooper MBE, was a British organic gardener, a pioneer of no-dig gardening and a prolific writer of 37 gardening books!

Charles Dowding’s website, courses videos and books

Socials Twitter @charlesdowding Facebook @CharlesDowdingNoDig Instagram charles_dowding

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s plenty to chat about in the garden this January as Dig It’s Peter Brown and Chris Day look at the gardening stories making the headlines, the Dig It Top 5 as well as tackling those gardening tasks.

What’s on

Snowdrop gardens and snowdrop days https://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/seasonal/snowdrops.html

Monday 16th January: Small is Beautiful, a talk by Alys Fowler www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on

27-29th January RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch www.rspb.org.uk

Until 31st January: Winter Sculpture Exhibition at RHS Rosemoor www.rhs.org.uk

In the news

Welsh announce peat ban

Wentworth House in Yorkshire wins Historic Houses Association competition.

Plant Heritage, the conservation charity, has approached the Government in a bid to become part of the UKs commitment to conserving the country’s genetic diversity.

Charity Greenfingers opens its new children’s garden at St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle.

The 500-year-old ancient Waverley Abbey yew has been named tree of the year by the Woodland Trust.

Vertical farmed trees grown under lights could help solve shortfalls in UK tree-planting targets.

Restaurant fire hits Alton Garden Centre

The Garden Centre Association Christmas Display Winners announced

Clover lawns on TikTok become a massive hit with over 62 million views!

Defra letting down country over ‘plastic grass’ debate, claims The Lawn Association.

The National Allotment Society has unveiled a new service encouraging housing developers and local government to include space for allotments in new developments.

The Garden Media Guild awards for 2022 have been announced, including the Lifetime achievement award to rosarian Michael Marriott.

The Pantone colour of the year for 2023 is Viva Magenta!

Dig It Top 5 - bird food

No 1 spot Wild bird, followed by bird peanuts at no 2, Henry Bell Fat Balls at no 3 with Wild Bird Mix (3kg bags) at no 4 and 20kg large sacks of Wild Bird Mix in 5th position.

Plant mentions: Alfalfa, Apples, Brussel sprouts, Clover, Chamomile, Pears, Potatoes, micro greens, Hellebores, Rosa rugosa and Yew

Product mentions: Secateurs, garden gloves, rhubarb forcer, large dustbin or trug.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A passion for houseplants

In this episode of Dig It, Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Tony Le-Britton, passionate houseplant professional and owner of Not Another Jungle shop in Northampton. From humble beginnings growing houseplants in a greenhouse in the house (yes, really!) a childhood ambition fulfilled by appearing on the Gardeners’ World to developing his own special style and flair in helping everyone get connected with indoor plants through his social media channels and brand. Tony chats about his favourite plants, we get to grips with spider plants, top tips on growing indoors and more.

Plants mentioned: Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis), Aroids (members of the family Araceae and include many common houseplants like Aglaonemas, Monsteras, Philodendrons, Pothos and ZZ plants).  Spider plant (Chlorophytum). Avoid Dutch-grown colour sprayed succulents and cacti or plants pinned with dried flowers or stick on googly eyes. Newer forms of Monstera have become popular with much smaller leaves and those with variegated leaves like Monstera Thai Constellation. Variegated plants are favourites of Tony as many of them are rare. Stephania erecta. 

Products mentioned: LED lights, Sandwich bags, sphagnum moss and rooting hormone. Dale Foot wool-based seed peat-free compost. Not Another Jungle specialist Houseplant Super Food. Empathy RootGrow.

Tony’s desert island plant: Anything from the alocasia family as they produce big leaves which you can shelter under and you can eat the tubers!

Luminaries who have inspired Tony: Geoff Hamilton and Monty Don 

You can find Tony on Instagram TikTok and Facebook

Tony’s shop: Not Another Jungle, 9 George Row, Northampton NN1 1DF.

Not Another Jungle: Comprehensive Care for Extraordinary Houseplants, book is available to pre-order from Amazon. Publish date 6th April 2023.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 2022 in the Garden (short notes)

Dig It hosts Peter Brown and Chris Day delve into the stories affecting gardeners and the gardening trade, plus jobs to do in the garden.

In the news

The RHS move their gooseberry and rhubarb national collections from Wisley to Bridgewater, near Manchester.

The 5,000-year-old Newlands Corner Yews are highlighted as part of the Conservation Foundations 40th anniversary celebrations.

Bumblebees less likely to land on flowers sprayed with fertilisers, says Bristol University report. 

Blue Diamond acquires Van Hage Garden centres.

Hilliers grows to 22 garden centres with the acquisition of Rosebourne and increases tree production after buying a 200-acre farm in Liss, Hampshire.

Toxic Ricinus communis (castor oil) found growing in council flower beds in North Wales.

UK butterfly numbers drop to an all-time low says Butterfly Conservation

Celebrate the King’s Coronation on 6th May 2023 by planting red, white and blue flowers and bulbs.

Plant mentions: Bare-root hedging, Norway spruce and Nordmann fir, Poinsettia, lasagna planting red and white tulips and winter hardy pansies and violas, blue and white forget-me-nots and grape hyacinths. Yew and the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Poplars for pollarding and Hazel for withies. Scented Sarcococca and Daphne. The Ball Colegrave introduction Glimmer ™ mildew resistant double busy lizzies will be available next year.

Product mentions: Reservoir Christmas stands, Hang Scentsicles on your artificial Christmas tree to give a festive smell, Bird feeds and fat balls, horticultural fleece. Pot feet for lifting your pots. Greenhouse cleaners - Jeyes Fluid or Agralan Citrox.

Houseplant expert Jane Perrone shared her poinsettia thoughts on our podcast last year. 

Burnham Beeches is a National Nature Reserve famous for its ancient pollards; many are several hundred years old.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan’s down-to-earth world of gardening

Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with horticultural supremo Alan Down in this latest Dig It podcast.

Alan has been incredibly active in the gardening trade from early days in commercial growing in

Germany, developing skills in germinating tree seeds and in Somerset to setting up a very successful

garden centre and most recently taking on a new role - President of the Horticultural Trades

Association. Alan is an accomplished gardening writer and broadcaster, who also enjoys worldwide

travel, photography and even deer management!

Plant mentions Wildflowers, pot chrysanthemums, spray chrysanthemum, tomato, bedding plants,

Japanese maples, hellebores, hardy ferns, ornamental grasses, and native trees.

Alan’s desert island plant: Apple tree or a citrus lemon or lime if the island was in the tropics.

Product mentions and useful links

Two recommended peat-free composts Melcourt SylvaGrow Compost, Westland New Horizon

Compost

The popular gift vouchers from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) available from all Garden

Centres and Nurseries who are HTA members.

Hilliers Nurseries (container growing unit)

Edible Bus Stop Group

Cannington College

Pershore College

Royal Horticultural Society education

British Deer Society

International Plant Propagator’s Society

Luminaries: Sir Harold Hillier, Roy Lancaster, Stewart Chambers and Stewart Brookfield, head of

horticulture at Somerset College of Agriculture and Horticulture in the 1970s.

HTA toxic plants list https://hta.org.uk/potentiallyharmfulplants

You can follow Alan on these platforms

You can read Alan’s Blogs on gardening and travel on his website www.down-to-earth.co.uk

Gardening Candid app

Alan on Instagram @alanedown Twitter @AlanEDown Candide UK: @AlanGardenMaster

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mild weather continued into November but plenty of rain and wind brought the garden to a colourful if damp end to autumn. Peter Brown and Chris Day prepare for the bare-root planting season, delve into some of the popular news stories making the headlines, plus a look at some of those pressing jobs in the garden and with our beloved houseplants.

What’s on

Monday 7th November: Wilding Rural Enfield is an online talk by Ian Russell, principal engineer at Enfield Council’s Watercourse Team. Open 6-7pm. More details here

Thursday 17th November: Gardens in My Life is the title of the 2022 annual lecture of the National Garden Scheme given by garden designer Arabella Lennox-Boyd.

In the news

Amersham in Bloom crowned overall winner of this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom UK finals.

Are gardener’s losing their parliamentary voice, asks Matthew Appleby? Featured in Amateur Gardening magazine, 23rd October issue.

Garden Organic fighting for the future, plus their excellent Heritage Seed Library.

Our Houseplant department at the Garden Centre has received a fantastic makeover. Look out for Beautanic Lifestyle range of hydroculture plants from Javado.

Garden visiting remained as popular as ever this year with increased visitor numbers including Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (top spot), RHS Wisley, in the third spot and Trentham Gardens in fifth spot.

Do not forget to look for the spectacular magical illumination shows over the next couple of months at Waddesdon Manor, RHS Glow Gardens and the beautiful lakes and gardens at Leonardslee in West Sussex.

A reminder about checking for hedgehogs prior to lighting a bonfire in the garden, plus The British Hedgehog Preservation Society are encouraging schools and colleges to take part in their ‘Pick litter to help hogs’ campaign.

British Garden Centre group increases numbers to 62 with the acquisition of Mirfield Garden Centre in West Yorkshire.

Plants mentioned

Bare-root planting season begins, including native hedges, roses, ornamental and fruit trees.

Dahlia, Leylandii, Spotted Laurel, English Yew and Hollies. Plants suitable to take as hardwood cuttings include Willow, Dogwood and Hazel. Continue spring bulbs planting - Tulips, Narcissi and Crocus if you plan to create lasagna bulb displays

Sow a few Broad beans (varieties such as ‘Aquadulce’ and ‘Super Aquadulce’), pot up bare-root strawberries for an early crop and sow Sweet Peas for earlier flowering next summer.

Product mentions

RootGrow (Mycorrhizal friendly fungi). Potting or horticultural grit for soil improvement. Use a net over your pond to clear any leaves and use a wheatgerm feed for your fish. Plants that create aerial roots such as Monstera may need support so install a moss pole, which must be kept moist.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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