After the driest spring in over 60 years, our gardens have been amazing these past months. In this edition of DIG IT, Peter Brown and Chris Day guide us through the month of June looking at the events, topical gardening news and tasks to keep our gardens colourful and productive.

What’s on

Saturday 7th June Royal Windsor Flower Show, Windsor Great Park, Windsor.

7th - 8th June London Open Gardens, Multiple locations, London.

12 - 15th June BBC Gardeners’ World Live, NEC, Birmingham.

20 - 22nd June Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Blenheim, Oxfordshire.

News

The two men who felled a tree at Sycamore Gap convicted of criminal damage.

Eden Project Morecambe set to open in 2028.

Good news for UK horticulture as most routine border checks on plant shipments to and from the EU will be dropped in new trade deal.

Alan Titchmarsh becomes President of the National Garden Scheme as Dame Mary Berry steps down after 10 years in the role.

National Garden Scheme charity funds over 100 gardens.

Anne-Marie Powell’s 2025 award-winning Octavia Hill Chelsea Garden finds a permanent home at Bridgemere Show Gardens in Nantwich, Cheshire.

CHELSEA NEWS HEADLINES

Monty Don’s RHS / BBC RADIO 2 Dog Garden got tails wagging at show.

Taylors Bulbs make it 32 Gold medals at Chelsea.

Cosmos King and friend of the podcast Jonathan Sheppard collects Gold for his National Collection of Cosmos display.

Frank P Matthews awarded Silver Guilt for Malus and trained fruit display.

Cha No Niwa, Japanese Tea Garden collects top awards including the People’s Award for best show garden.

In the Malvern Houseplant Studio category, a gold was awarded to Babylon Beats by James Whiting of Plants by There and The Little Botanical reimagines the Hanging Gardens of Babylon through a 1980s lens.

Winner of the RHS Plant of the Year 2025 goes to Philadelphus Petit Perfume Pink.

The King’s Rose is officially unveiled with proceeds going to The King’s Foundation.

The National Trust creates its first ornamental forest garden at the Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire.

Communities to gather in the Great Big Green Week to help beat climate change.

Tribute garden to late Queen Elizabeth II takes shape at London’s Regent’s Park.

Can you help passionate Cornish Peony gardener – Caroline Stone - and her quest to find rare types of Paeonia lactifolora, bred since the 1800s by Kelway’s Nursery in Langport, Somerset? If you think you can help Caroline, contact her at www.glebegarden.co.uk

DIG IT Top 5 Summer bedders in pots: 5th Dahlietta, 4th Osteospermums, 3rd Ivy Leaf Pelargoniums, 2nd Regal Pelargoniums and at the No1 spot Zonal Pelargoniums.

Plants mentioned: Runner beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Lettuce. Forsythia, Philadelphus, Weigela, Deciduous Viburnum, Delphiniums, Lupins, Monstera, Roses, Tulips, Seasonal bedding plants, Paeonies, Petunias, and Speedplanters. Sow now Foxgloves, Poppies, Wallflowers, Sweet William, and Forget Me Nots. Encourage pollinators into the garden by planting Lavender, Aster, Coneflowers Cosmos, and Sunflowers.

Products mentioned: Dutch hoe, Westland All Purpose Boost Plant Feed, Tomorite, Evergreen 4-in-1 Complete Lawn Feed, Greenhouse shading, Poppyforge plant supports, garden canes, Hozelock multi-gun, Hydrangea Colourant, houseplant compost, and pots for houseplant re-potting.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

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