Dig It

How to be a better wildlife gardener

In this podcast Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with gardening expert and nature lover Martin Fish. Topics covered include invaluable advice on developing a wildlife friendly garden, lawn meadows, managing wildlife and how best to achieve the right balance of potential pests and wildlife, his thoughts, and observations on the new trends in re-wilding and his take on ‘No Mow May’.

We also discover how Martin started in horticulture, his nursery growing days and career moves into TV, local radio, writing and judging at major flower shows. Martin shares his love and passion for gardening and gives his views on the right mix of plants, habitats and the key considerations you should follow to help achieve a good wildlife balance in the garden.

Plants mentioned

Clematis macropetala ‘Stolwijk Gold’ (and Goldfinches).

Wildlife lawn plants for pollinators including Daisies, Buttercups, Primroses (in verges) and Clover.

Children plants; English Marigolds (Calendula), Cosmos, Sunflowers, Strawberries and fruiting plants.

Butterflies and Moths plants: Verbena bonariensis, Night-scented stocks, Nicotiana (Tobacco plant) and clumps of perennial stinging nettles.

Range of plants that provide year-round wildlife interest include Crocus, Hellebores, Snowdrops, blossom on Apples, Pears, Plums, hardy annuals, single flowered Dahlias, Foxgloves and hardy groundcover Geraniums.

Products mentioned

Compost bin, lawn rake, strimmer and rotary mower. Pre-formed liner, butyl liner or even a large washing bowl buried to the rim will draw the wildlife in. Bird feeds, drinkers and nesting boxes. Hedgehog houses and feeds. Swan food. If you have to control pests and diseases, opt for organic plant-based insecticides and fungicides and use them sparingly.

Animals mentioned

Robins, Goldfinches. Blackbirds, Greenfinches, Blue Tits, Sparrow, House Martins, Swifts, Yellow Hammers. Hedgehogs, Rabbits, Butterflies, Bees, Frogs, Newts, Damselflies and Lacewings.

Useful websites: Re-wilding and No Mow May

RHS Plant for pollinators pdf

The Wildlife Trust

RSPB

RHS Wildlife

Martin’s cast away plant and tool: Apple tree and the variety ‘Sunset’, plus a pair of trusted secateurs to maintain the tree!

Martin Fish website

Martin’s Pots and Trowels YouTube Channel

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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Dig It hosts Peter Brown and Chris Day tackle the merry month of May with a look at some of the topical national horticultural news stories, including the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, plus there’s gardening tasks galore to be getting on with as well as developing your flower gardens.

What’s on this month

No Mow May

Wednesday 11th at 4pm and Saturday 14th May at 3pm FREE Masterclass Growing Perfect Perennials.

Thursday 12th May World Topiary Day. Share your creations at hashtag #WorldTopiaryDay. Blenheim Maze

Friday 20th May World Bee Day. The purpose of World Bee Day is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 24-28th May. Look out for Malvern Garden Buildings Plant Studio display at the show as well as Jamie Butterworth’s ‘The Place2Be - Securing Tomorrow’ Garden which offers a safe space where children and adults can take time to relax and talk – a garden that helps facilitate and stimulate conversation, plus a wide palette of plants including hedgerow plantings and native plants.

Dig It Top Five: Our best-selling packet vegetable seeds so far this year is Carrot ‘Autumn King 2’, Beetroot ‘Boltardy’ in second place; Tomato ‘Gardeners’ Delight’ in third, Chard ‘Bright Lights’ in fourth and another Carrot this time ‘Nantes 5’ in fifth place.

Products and plants mentioned

We are loving the new All Ways range of sprayers from Defenders which can be used upside down and sideways, delivering continuous water flow without leaks and spills. Available at the Garden Centre.

New high street ‘garden shops’ are opening including Dobbies (dubbed ‘Little Dobbies’, including two in London) and a rare houseplant shop in Northampton called Not Another Jungle. Visit @NotAnotherJungle on Instagram for more details.

New research into best combinations of hedges is underway at the RHS. Different types of hedging options including the edible hedge and soft hue collection can be found on our hedging website.

Lawn feeds such as Miracle-Gro Evergreen Water Soluble Lawn Food.

Ready planted ‘Pop-in’ (drop in) Kinder planters for baskets and containers available at the Garden Centre.

Sow tender vegetables including Runner (varieties Enorma and Red Rum), French beans, Sweet Corn, Courgette, Cucumbers and Marrows. Use cut-back 2-litre plastic bottle as a small cloche.

Chris’s trial of compost includes peat-based compost Jack’s Magic, Homebase Peat-free, New Horizon Peat-free and Aldi Peat-free. Always sieve to make more workable for pricking out and potting.

Bulb feeding opt for Tomato food, Phostrogen or granular Blood, Fish and Bone.

Plant support systems including bamboo canes, hazel sticks and the Poppy Forge range.

Verbena ‘Showboat’ in red, white and blue colours for our vertical living wall.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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From peeking over hedgerows to see flowers from a different viewpoint and scrumping apples on a horse, leading nursery expert Rosemary Hardy’s love of plants and gardening blossomed from a very young age. Rosemary chats to Peter Brown and Chris Day about the development of the nursery from a walled garden just down the road to their current beautifully nurtured 13-acre Hampshire Nursery in Freefolk.

Painting with plants is Rosemary’s mantra and we find out about the fascinating perennial flower scene as well discovering the philosophy of right plants, right place. Rosemary shares her wealth of plant knowledge and tells us about when things don’t quite go to plan at the flower shows.

We learn about the best size of plants to plant in the garden, tips to get your cottage garden plants established and find out more about the process of creating those Gold winning displays at the famous Royal Horticultural Society’s shows.

First time gardener perennials: Go for strong plants such as Alchemilla, Centranthus, Coreopsis, hardy Geranium, Geum, Lamium, Leucanthemum, Nepeta such as ‘Six Hills Giant’, Persicaria and Rudbeckia.

Light shade perennials include Aquilegia, Bergenia, Veronica and Veronicastrum.

Perennials with roses: Asters (Michealmas daisies), Astrantia, Gaura (now called Oenothera) and Campanula, especially the carpeting types.

Best plants to get young gardeners going: Sweet peas (watching the tendrils twine, quick growing and wonderful scent), consider fast growing annual seeds like Cornflowers and Nasturtium, members of the daisy family and for growing involvement Geum rivale, which is easily propagated.

You Tube video most asked question – Will this grow in a pot!

Rosemary’s favourites include Cirsium, Oenothera lindheimeri Rosyjane (PBR), Anemone ‘Frilly Knickers’, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ (PBR) and Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’ (Macgeu001’PBR)

Desert Island plant: Fagus sylvatica, a beautiful native green beech which changes beautifully through the seasons.

Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, Priory Lane, Freefolk, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7FA Tel: 01256 896533.

Website: https://www.hardysplants.co.uk

Rosemary Hardy Gardening YouTube Channel

Hardy’s show dates and events

We stock a wide range of herbaceous perennials at the Garden Centre and through our website

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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

April is a busy month in the garden and after a relatively mild and dry March there’s plenty to be getting on with. Dig It hosts Peter Brown and Chris Day look at some of the topical news stories including the new listings of poisonous plants (potentially toxic to humans and our pets) from the HTA, the peat-free debate continues, the seaside town of Morecambe receives a 12-acre wildflower meadow as part of The Eden Project’s National Wildflower Centre, plus events and those essential gardening tasks to be getting on with.

What’s on this month

4 - 10th April Community Garden Week 2022 celebrates the amazing community and school gardens across the UK.

Wednesday 13th at 4pm and Saturday 16th April, 3pm FREE Masterclass Creative Pots and Hanging Baskets.

Easter Weekend Good Friday 15th – Easter Monday 18th April. Please note the Garden Centre is closed on Easter Sunday.

Saturday 23rd April Celebrate National Asparagus Day

Royal Horticultural Society Flower Shows 2022 begins with the Malvern Spring Festival 5-8th May.

Dig It Top Five: Summer Bulbs At number one Agapanthus Blue followed by single colours of Cascading Begonias – Yellow (2), Red (3), Orange (4) and Pink (5).

Products and plants mentioned

Asparagus pre-pack in varieties available at the Garden Centre.

Weber BBQs

Horticultural fleece and make sure you have garden ties, twine, and raffia to keep climbers tidy.

Rhododendron ponticum and the lime tolerant form Rhododendron Inkarho.

Slug control products – including copper tape and Slug Gone and don’t forget to ask the for used coffee grounds from the Restaurant.

Dalefoot Wool Compost, Westland New Horizon Peat-Free and Homebase Peat Free multi-Purpose Compost trial.

Feeding outdoor plants Growmore, Blood, Fish and Bone and Vitax Q4. Available online and in-store.

Lawn Fertiliser Evergreen Complete 4-in-1 Lawn Fertiliser. Don’t forget our Dig It podcast from last month with lawn expert David Hedges-Gower for more information.

Seeds to sow Aubergines, Beans (French and Runners), Peppers, Sweetcorn and Tomatoes. Padron Chilli Pepper - Pimento De Padron from Seeds of Italy.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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

In this episode we talk to David Hedges-Gower, the UK's leading lawn expert. who has more than 36 years of lawn and turf experience. Dig It hosts Peter Brown and Chris Day learn how our lawns have evolved over the years, share practical advice on sowing and growing a new lawn from seed, the types of lawn seed available, the importance of feeding, aeration, scarification and irrigation, the process of overseeding, lawn troubleshooting, plus a look at those essential tasks to keep your lawn looking healthy throughout the year.

Products mentioned:

Luxury Grass seed available from the Garden Centre or online.

True Garden Range The range has three tailored products: True Grass for lawns, True Bloom for flower beds, pots, and hanging baskets and True Yield for the vegetable plots, fruit trees and bushes. Formulated using composted food waste, these products will not only keep your plants happy and healthy but also your soils.

Ultimate Mowing Guide a free guide to all the aspects of mowers and mowing.

David’s desert island luxury item would be a hollow fine fork aerator perfect for resolving compacted soils and lawns on that green oasis!

Useful links

The Lawn Association including membership and online learning

David’s website

David’s book: Modern Lawn Care: The Complete Guide to a Happy and Healthy Lawn

Chafer grubs

If you’d like to ask a gardening question or comment on the podcast, contact us here

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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

March in the Garden

As we celebrate our first year of Dig It, Peter Brown and Chris Day look at some of the topical news stories including changes in the garden centre world, a university led community gardening study and a new autumn plant fair.

In the podcast we prepare the greenhouse for spring, start plants from seed indoors and out, share hints on spring bulbs and how to help our hedgehogs.

In the news

GCA winners of awards

New GC Chairman Tammy Woodhouse from Millbrook Garden Centre

Cherry Lane Garden Centre new acquisitions at Retford and Gainsborough

Notcutts Garden Centre in Woodbridge celebrates 125th anniversary with launch of refurbished site

British Garden Centres announce their latest acquisition Timmermans Garden Centre.

Gardeners World’s New Autumn Fair at Audley End House and Garden, 2-4th September

Community Urbans Gardens report

What’s on this month

March 14th – 20th Compost Week UK Check our recent podcast on Composting

Wednesday 16th March, 4pm FREE Masterclass Plants for Smaller Spaces

March 20th Spring Equinox

Ten spring gardens to visit this month

Dig It Top 5 … best-selling potatoes so far this year:

1.‘Desiree’ (maincrop - mc)

2.‘Picasso’ (early mc)

3.‘King Edward’ (mc)

4.‘Setanta’ (organic mc)

5.‘Sarpo Mira’ (organic mc)

Products mentioned

Keter Deco Composter with base (340-litre), £59.99. Available in-store

Hozelock Rotating Barrel Composter

Kinder plug plants are available in-store

Agralan Citrox and Milton sterilant for greenhouse cleaning

Hedgehog food and hedgehog house.

Jobs to do

Sow hardy annual flowers

Apply Phostrogen or Sulphate of Potash to boost spring bulbs

Use specialist houseplant product such as orchids, cacti or citrus plants composts

Useful Links

Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital

New Malvern Garden Buildings at their Buckingham site.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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

Home Composting with Rod Weston

In this podcast Peter and Chris chat with Rod Weston, a composting expert and pioneer in spreading the message of the value of composting techniques to amateur and professional gardeners. Rod explains the composting process from start to finish and the best approach to ensure great composting results. Rod discusses options for composting where space is limited, and we are guided on some of the best compost equipment on the market. Rod also highlights some of the common pitfalls in the composting process as well as plenty of tips on how to the best garden compost. In the podcast we also look at the wider issues surrounding bagged compost products, and how Buckingham Garden Centre tackles composting and the benefits compost brings to the garden.

Product mentions

Garotta Compost Maker, 3.5kg,

Rigid Plastic type bins available at the Garden Centre Deco Composter with base 340-litre,

Ecomax Composer Bin 220-litre (dalek type),

Construct your own wood pallet compost bin

Rotating tumbler or tombola composting barrels

A wheeled portable compost tumbler from Mantis – a range of sizes available.

Waste cooked food composters are available for the home and commercial premises. Three popular brands are Jora composters sold in the UK under the name Joraform Compost Tumblers, The Green Johanna Hot Composter and the Ridan Food Waste Composting System.

Small space composter - ideal for cooked food is the Bokashi system and indoor wormery. Wormeries and tiger worms available here

Rod’s recommended peat-free compost is Dalefoot Wool Compost Available in-store.

Rod’s desert island essentials: A trusted spade and machete to tackle the unexpected!

Useful links

Address of Rod’s demonstration site address can be found on his website www.carryoncomposting.com

The RHS guide to composting and mulches provides good additional information.

Our special thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy

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February in the Garden show notes

Peter and Chris look at some news stories of the moment. We delve into some of the plants and gardening tasks requiring attention this month and as the gardening season starts in earnest. Peter and Chris select some suggested events for you, including the Garden Centre’s Graft and Grow Day on Saturday 5th February.

News stories discussed

National Garden Scheme raises over three million pounds for charities in 2021.

The Ripple Africa Christmas tree campaign means over 20 thousand trees were planted in 2021. Learn more about the work carried out by Ripple Africa in our recent podcast

The sad passing of gardening personality and friend of the garden trade Peter Seabrook.

The Newt Hotel, will sponsor the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show for the next 4 years. The BBC continues its exclusive coverage of the RHS Flower Shows for the next three years.

We are delighted to announce that Tiggywinkles is the Garden Centre’s charity of the year for 2022.

What’s on this month

Kew Gardens’ Orchid Festival returns Saturday 5th February 2022.

Check out some of the best Snowdrop venues around the UK.

Saturday 5th February (10am-4pm) Graft and Grow Day at the Garden Centre including the Scion Swap exchange with Mid Shires Orchard Group. Our Best Dressed Potato Competition is open to children and schools to find Buckinghamshire's Best Dressed Spud!

Wednesday 16th February at 4pm. FREE Masterclass on Vegetable Growing For Beginners  

Products and plants mentioned

Snowdrops, Sweet Box Japanese maples and Witch Hazel shrubs and a large selection of Summer bulbs.Seed potatoes, Rhubarb plants, Shallots and Garlic, Broad beans and Carrot Early Nantes. Purple Carrot Purple Sun. Bare-root hedging, ornamental and fruit trees. Bio- Bean Coffee Logs

Houseplant Aloe vera and our recent houseplant podcast with Jane Perrone.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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

Exploring the Heritage Seed Library

Chris and Peter discover how the Garden Organic’s Seed Heritage Library is helping to ensure older, traditional seed varieties are maintained for future generations. We chat with Catrina Fenton, who is the Head of the Heritage Seed Library on it’s history, the fascinating processes of open pollination, seed capture, the work of the seed guardians and the workings of the library today in conserving and helping to protect varieties for the future.

Seed variety mentions:

190 varieties of Tomato are listed including ‘Golden Yellow Queen’, a thin-skinned variety with amazing flavour.

Broad (field) bean ‘Martock’ (Medieval variety).

Tomato ‘Histon Cropper’

Recommendations: Kale ‘Ragged Jacks’, a pre-1885 heirloom variety, known in Europe for centuries

Pea ‘Robinson’

Tomato ‘Marianna's Peace’. Named for Marianne Worschech Tibbetts (1927-2013).

Cabbage ‘Green Wonder’, germinated from seed stock 29 years old.

Catrina’s desert island castaway seed: Dudi, a bottle gourd, an heirloom variety named after Mo Sayed. This variety grows huge and could be used as a carrying vessel or even to create a craft to escape the mystical island!

Useful links

The Seed Heritage Library is a registered charity and conservation organisation. Around 800 vegetable varieties are listed with over 7,000 members.

The Seed Heritage Library is always on the lookout for ex-commercial (maybe pre-dates the 1970s) as well as more recent varieties that have been dropped from commerce.

Seed saving advice

About Lawrence Hills, founder of Garden Organics

Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables published by Faber & Faber in 1971. It rapidly became a bible for gardeners, self-sufficiency enthusiasts and commercial organic growers.

Gene editing

Millennium Seed Bank

The UK Plant Genetic Resources Group (UKPGRG) serves as the technical forum to discuss and implement the conservation and use of plant genetic resources in the UK

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for the music.

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

January in the Garden

In this episode Peter Brown and Chris Day welcome 2022 and the promise of a new gardening year! We chat to Andrew Peck, MD of Malvern Garden Buildings and discuss the massive rise of interest in outdoor rooms whether for business (home offices) or for pleasure. Andrew chats about the evolution of garden buildings from the humble shed (and who doesn’t love their sheds!) to more sophisticated buildings such as the Breeze House. In today’s everchanging world with home working becoming more popular as well as having the flexibility of an additional covered space in the garden for entertaining or hobbies or simply the perfect escape into the garden through these challenging times.

Peter and Chris look at some topical news stories, including a chat about the way Garden Centres are evolving from traditional plant-based companies to becoming more diverse in the products and services they offer to the customer.

News stories discussed

Baby Bio are launching an organic version of their famous houseplant fertiliser. It will be coming to our store over the next few weeks.

The changing face of Garden Centres from introducing large Food Halls such as Sainsbury’s into Dobbies Garden Centres. Elsewhere Country House Group under the guidance of Garden Centre legend Nicholas Marshall are developing and building a network of around 30-40 plant centres, estate farm shops, restaurants and children’s play areas at some of the finest historic country houses and estates in the UK.

What’s on this month

5th - 21st January Big Schools Birdwatch 2022

10th - 16th January Houseplant Week UK 2022 Share your photos and videos on social media using the hashtag – #HouseplantWeekUK Catch up with our chat with top Houseplant podcaster Jane Perrone from last month and you still have the chance to win one of two David Domoney’s signed houseplant books too!

Wednesday 19th January 2022 at 4pm. FREE Masterclass talk on Celebrating Climbers at the Garden Centre

Friday 21st January Squirrel Appreciation Day. Appreciate your squirrels in whatever way you can! However, from the gardener’s point of view the grey ones can cause problems.

A reminder that our Dig It competition to win one of two signed copies of David Domoney’s book, My House Plant Changed My Life is still open! To enter head over to our podcast pages on our website

Winter wash apples and pear trees to kill overwintering pests and diseases. A good organic pesticide for doing this would be Vitax Winter Tree Wash. Available in store.

Tackle moss and algae affected paths and drives with Path Magic or Algon Path Patio & Decking Cleaner – both products are available in store. A pressure washer is another good option for removing moss.

Plant a new hedge and where possible select well-priced bare-root plants, which have been grown in a field instead of pots so you’re also reducing both peat and plastic use.

Malvern Garden Buildings have 11 UK Show Sites around the UK.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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