Dig It - Discussions on Gardening Topics

In this episode David and Peter chat about the recent rain and the problems this has caused across England including Monmouth.It's National Tree Week this week so get out and plant a tree! This event is organised by the National Tree Council and it's partners.Oxford University Parks Arboretum Explorer Map Launch and Tree Planting, Thursday, November 27 @ 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm, Join Oxford University Parks and Professor Martin Maiden, Professor of Molecular Epidemiology and Head of Biology in celebrating the launch of it's new online Arboretum Explorer Map by planting a tree. Following the planting ceremony, Sam Prior, the University Arboricultural Manager will do a guided walk introducing some of the more interesting trees throughout the parks.Do you want to learn how to weave words with the willows, then head outside and join a group from Crofters Café, Cambridge, CB2 1RB. Book tickets in advance for a guided walk. Or maybe you want to grow a willow tree or a hedge Buckingham Nurseries has lots of different varieties for you to plant.Aquifers across the country have started filling up again, Yorkshire still has a hosepipe ban and the Environmant Agency is concerned there may be another shortage next year as we have not had as much rainfall as usual.Frances Tophill designs her first Chelsea show garden for The King's Foundation's Curious Garden exhibit, joining her from the King's foundation will be Sir David Beckham, and from the RHS and King's Foundation Alan Titchmarsh CBE. A large part of the Charity's work is learning to live within nature and learn from it. It also offers courses from it's Headquarters in Dumfries House, Scotland.A rare orchid has been brought back from the brink of extinction and we discuss dividing Strawberries and it's nearly time for planting.Follow us @buckingham-nurseries find our website at hedging.co.uk and our special thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

In this episode Pauline and Peter talk about Hedging.Our Hedging business, was started by John Brown on a small plot of Land in Harrow on the Hill, but due to a lack of space the business was moved to our present location by his son Richard back in 1970. With a vast range of Hedging, Fruit and Ornamental trees on offer and being one of the oldest Mail Order specialists in the country in this episode we learn a little more about the changes that have happened over the last 75 years and reasons why Buckingham Nurseries and Garden Centre is one of the best places to get your new hedge from. We sell most of our hedging plants in the winter when the plants are dormant. We also sell pot grown hedging which is available all year round. Before getting your hedge, it is best to prepare the soil in advance. Dig the area your hedge is going to go in before your new plants arrive, incorporate some well rotted manure or slow release fertilizer like Bonemeal, or Vitax. If drainage is an issue incorporate some grit. Once the plants arrive, plant them with Mycorrhizal fungi like Rootgrow, keep watered if needed for the first year or two to help them establish. Keep the weeds down with Landscape fabric. If you are wondering what hedges will do best for you, have a walk around your neighbourhood and see what hedges are doing well in your local area as the likelihood is you will have a similar soil type to your neighbours, so what they can grow well hopefully you will be able to do to.We also discuss some of the different types of hedges we sell from Native hedging to Peter’s pet hates Rosa rugosa, and Berberis as they are painful to pack but great for creating a very secure, impenetrable hedge great for deterring burglars and trespassers who you don’t want on your land.Pauline gives us some help and guidance on how to plant a hedge, care for it, from the moment it arrives to getting it established over the first couple of years, growth rates and how often you might need to cut it. Pauline also explains how the business has evolved from simple lists of plants being advertised in National Papers to more modern methods like our website and more recent advertising campaigns through the likes of YouTube and social media. Over the years our shop has gone from a simple shed with tools, fertilizers and a small range of sundries through to today’s large modern shop, including our very popular Restaurant, with all the different departments from Houseplants,  Cookshop and Foodhall, Giftware, Christmas and all the other departments that make up a modern destination Garden Centre worth a visit.

In this episode of Dig it we chat about RHS Chelsea 2026 and some of the show gardens planned for next year. The Philadelphia flower show 2026 celebrates 250 years of American independence at it's 197th show. Urban farming and Food insecurity is discussed in an article in the Guardian by David Farrier, that provides some interesting facts about where we are now and how, with a growing population, we will need to grow significantly more food than we currently are and how this might happen.As Autumn gets colder and Winter is nearing, we need to think about expanding our range of bird feeders and what we are feeding our garden birds to help the weaker species get food at our feeding stations and we hear recomendations from Honeyfields recent article in GTN.

In this Episode Peter and David discuss the upcoming RHS Glow Gardens, and Blenheim and Waddesdon winter lit gardens. We discuss some jobs for the week and what you can plant.

In this episode David tells uu about cropping his Christmas potatoes, Peter discovers what his compost heap has been up to and we go through a few jobs.The Garden Museum in London has a new exhibition on showing works by Rory McEwan one of the 20th century’s most celebrated botanical artists. We discuss the National Memorial Arboretum in StaffordshireWe discuss compost heaps and how long they take to turn garden matter into compost, David reminds us to collect leaves we suggest cleaning patio slabs to get rid of slippy algae build ups and if you are thinking of planting a hedge or some bare root plants we suggest to get the ground prepared now ready for winter planting.

This week, join us for a deep dive into all things autumn, from the vibrant colours of the season in the Forest of Dean and Winkworth Arboretum to historic harvests and innovative allotments. Discover the origin of the Bramley apple at Nottingham’s Workhouse and Infirmary, where children's yoga adds a modern twist to the Apple Day celebrations. We'll explore the story of Buckland Abbey's reported bumper crop, see how allotments are becoming more accessible and biodiverse, and hear about the distinctive Fly Agaric mushrooms. Plus, we've got your essential gardening jobs for October, from mulching your beds to clearing leaves for leaf mould.