Dig It - Discussions on Gardening Topics

May in the Garden 2025 short notes v2It’s May and as the saying goes, “N'er cast a clout till May is out”. A proverb which reminds us about the fickle British weather and its ability to bathe us in warmth one day and bring chilly winds the next! Peter Brown and Chris Day discuss what gardening tasks need to be done in one of the busiest months in the gardening calendar, plus a round-up of events and topical news stories.What’s on2 - 4th May: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire. 2 May - 10th August: Unearthed: The Power of Gardening, British Library, London.8 - 11th May: RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire. 20 – 24th May: RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London.24 May - 1st June National Children’s Gardening Week.30 – 31st May: Scone Palace Garden Fair, Perthshire, Scotland.NewsChelsea 2025 gardens showcasing climate resilience.Monty Don’s dog, Ned assists in creating first dog friendly Chelsea Garden.Frank P Matthews to debut at Chesea Flower Show showcasing Malus.England’s non-woodland trees freely mapped for first time.Ancient oak tree cut down by Toby Carvery.National Trust steps in to save rare Black Poplar trees.Mixed fortunes of UK gardens visitor numbers in 2024 revealed.Biddulph Grange Stumpery renovation completed.A call for action over declining hoverfly numbers from The Wildlife Trust and RHS.Horticultural Trade Association supports Urban Green Spaces Bill.2025 Ballot open for 10 Downing Street Garden which will be open to the public for one day.Rising costs lead to Shrewsbury Flower Show cancellation.Westland Horticulture acquires Bulldog Products.Huw Richards and Gardena search for Britain’s best plot in new competition.Survey conducted by Stihl highlights common garden mistakes Peter A. Cox of Glendoick, a pioneering figure in the world of horticulture and rhododendron cultivation, has died.Lawns overlooked in new builds.Wildlife gardens see a ‘change for the better’ say Wildflower Gardening Forum.DIG IT Top 5 Top Fragrant Plants5th spot Lonicera Gold Flame, 4th Lavandula Hidcote, 3rd Rose Lilac Bouquet, 2nd Trachelospermum jasminoides and Lavandula stoechas at the number 1 spot.Plants mentioned: Polyanthus and Primulas – perfect for division, Swede, Beetroot, Carrots, Autumn Cabbage, autumn / winter Cauliflowers, Broccoli, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Lettuce and Spring Onions. French and Runner beans, Sweetcorn, Courgettes, and Pumpkins. Blueberries, Cranberries and Strawberries. Sweet Peppers, Chillies, Aubergines, Melons, and Cucumbers. Summer bedding and Seasonal plants. Aquatic oxygenators, marginals, and waterlilies. Pop-in / Drop-In Speedplanters.Products mentioned: Bug Hotel, Horticultural fleece, Dutch Hoe, Ericaceous fertilisers, Garden Netting, Evergreen 4-in 1 Lawn Food, Lawn seed, Hanging baskets, and Melcourt Peat-Free Tub and Basket Compost.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

In this edition of DIG IT Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Stuart Lowen, the Marketing Manager at Ball Colegrave, a leader in all areas of floriculture excellence. Stuart gives us the latest news from the seasonal plant industry, hanging basket advice, plus new bedding plants to look out for this summer.The Blue Flag winner in 2024 was Lantana Passion Fruit, a trailing spreading variety with a long flowering season of fruity, coloured flowers.The Tree of Life display at Ball featured Petunia Bee’s Knees.Mad About Mangave ® Praying Hands, a unique foliage plant, similar to an artichoke that grows up like a teardrop.Plants mentioned and to look out for this summer include; Antirrhinum Snap in Black Pink. Begonia Hula, Begonia Megawatt, Begonia Angel Wings, Trumpet Flower, Bidens Bee Happy, Coleus King Jr Rose, Coleus canina (Scaredy cat), Cosmos Cherry Chocolate (bright cherry pink flowers with the chocolate fragrance, Calibrachoas, Dahlia Gardenetta range of varieties, Geranium Moonflair (ivy leaf), Impatien Beacon ® Raspberry Sundae Mixed (highly resistant to downy mildew), Impatien Glimmer ® Pink, Mandevilla Tropica Jade Red, Osteospermum Akila Hawaii Sunset Mixed, Pansy Cool Wave (trailing pansy), Petunia Fanfare Heartbreaker, Petunia Surfinia and Sunflower PetiSol.Kitchen Buddies, a range of compact growing vegetable plants including Cucumber Quick Snack, Pepper Hot Banana, Sweet Corn Pot of Gold and Tomato Tumbling Tom Yellow.Product mentions: Control-release fertiliser, Miracle-Gro and a high potash fertiliser such as Tomato Food. Water-retaining granules such as Swell-Gel. Popular Speedplanters, Pop-In/ Drop-Ins, popular for instant colourful results.The late Peter Seabrook created an amazing garden at RHS Hyde Hall in Essex called Floral Fantasia, the garden is designed to showcase and celebrate the spectacular potential of seasonal plants. The garden acts as a bridge between the growing industry and the general public. Peter’s legacy lives on in this garden which you can visit to see the latest innovations, including this summer, Begonia Trials. 2025 is the Year of the Begonia.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

After one of the driest March’s in years, our gardens are certainly providing some amazing tree blossom, shrub and bulb colour. DIG IT’s Peter Brown and Chris Day delve into the latest news, events and gardening advice for the month ahead.5th April: The Forde Abbey Spring Plant and Gardening Fair at Forde Abbey and Gardens in Somerset.5th - 6th April: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show at Royal Cornwall Show Ground near Wadebridge.5th - 6th April: Great Dixter Annual Plant Fair at Great Dixter Garden, Rye in East Sussex. Until 6th April: Sounds of Blossom at Kew Gardens in collaboration with the Royal College of Music.13th April: Plant Fair and Talks at the Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London.24 - 27th April: Harrogate Spring Flower Show at the Great Yorkshire Showground.27th April: Ramster Garden Spring Plant Fair, Chiddingfold in Surrey.NewsNew National Forest to see 20m trees planted in England by 2050.Kew gets new and revamped features this year, plus the Waterlily House reopens.European Tree of the Year 2024: Beech tree in Poland wins.Alan Titchmarsh launches YouTube channel.Weed like to be better gardeners says OnePoll Research.Dog Trust warning to dog owners as several spring flowers can be toxic.RHS community garden survey launched.The hunt is on for rare and disappearing daffodils.2024: The worst year for bumblebees recorded.Blenheim celebrates with oak saplings.Exbury Gardens celebrates 70th anniversary of public opening.Bowood House and Garden opens for the first time.Lee Connelly named Ambassador for National Children’s Gardening Week 2025.Historic uniforms worn by Chelsea Pensioners repurposed and included in a new Garden at Chelsea Flower Show next month.Hillier Nurseries is now 100% peat-free.Fewer slugs expected this spring, says RHS.New groundcover Hydrangea Blush ® launched.DIG IT Top 5 Miracle Gro Lawn Care Products:1st Complete 4 in 1, 14kg A lawn treatment product that kills weeds and moss, creating a thicker, greener and healthier lawn.2nd Patch Magic Bag contains a special binder which helps keep seed from washing away. It grows 2x thicker than ordinary grass, 1.5kg3rd Complete 4 in 1, 80 sqm.4th Miracle Gro Evergreen, 360 sqm.5th Miracle Gro Evergreen, 80 sqm.Plants mentioned: Calibrachoa in the Kinder range, Sedum, Rudbeckia, root-wrapped Roses, Sweet peas, Primroses, Polyanthus, Ranunculus, Brussel sprouts, Runner and Climbing Beans, Dahlia, Gladioli, Lilies, including the variety Stargazer, wildflower seeds, Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Rosemary, Snake Plant and Money Plant (Crassula).Products: Slug Gone, Composted Bark Chippings, Root-trainers, Horticultural Fleece, Terrocotta pot, and create your own Easter Hunt in the garden!Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

In this edition of DIG IT, Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Jonathon Jones OBE on all aspects of trees from the famous Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall. Jonathon discusses how a revolutionary new app – Tremap is changing the way we can record, map and share details of  trees worldwide using GPS on our smart phones.Plants mentioned: Araucaria Araucana (monkey puzzle tree), Camellia sinensis (tea), Casuarina equisetifolia (She-oak or whistling tree), Grevillea robusta, Griselinia littoralis, Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), Magnolia campbelli (the flamingo of the flower world), Montrey Cupressus, Olea (Olive tree), Lagerstroemia indica (myrtle tree), Podocarpus, Poplars, Plymouth Pears, Salix (Willow), Sycamore gap tree, Tilia (lime), and Wollemi nobilis (Dinosaur tree).Products: RootGrow, mycorrhizal fungi.Places mentioned: Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Exeter University, Cornwall Space Cluster, Heathrow Airport (mapping Black Poplar), The Nare Hotel, Strybing Arboretum and San Francisco Botanical Garden.People: David Noble (discovered the Wollemi in 1994 along with Michael Casteleyn and Tony Zimmerman), Richard Maxwell (Business development at Tremap), Humprey Repton (garden designer) and Robert Fortune (plant explorer).Desert Island tree: Custard fruit tree (Annona squamosa).The tallest Rhododendron in the UK is at Tregothnan, closely followed by a specimen at South Lodge in Horsham, Surrey – 2m difference in height.To find out more about the Tregothnan estate, the April charity weekend and Tea.You can download the Tremap app for Free on the two main app stores Android and Apple Store or go to www.tremap.com for more details. Some 16 million trees have already been mapped on the App.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

March in the Garden 2025 SHORT NOTESSpring is in the air! DIG IT’s Peter Brown and Chris Day guide us through the month of March looking at events far and wide to visit, including the US and Australia, the latest news stories and the jobs to be getting on with in the garden.What’s on1st March: The Alpine Society’s Early Spring Show at Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford, Essex. 1 - 9th March: Philadelphia Flower Show, Pennsylvania Convention Centre, US. 15th March: Orchid and Terrarium Workshop Day at Buckingham Garden Centre with Manos Kanellos. 16th March: Rare Plants Fair at The Bishop's Palace, Wells, Somerset.17 - 23rd March: Hever Castle's Dazzling Daffodils, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent. 21st March Garden Re-Leaf Day 2025 The annual Greenfingers Charity flagship fundraising event. 26 - 30th March: Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Australia. 29th March: Rare Plants Fair at Evenley Wood Gardens, Brackley, Northants. NewsBritain's bestselling non-fiction writer Dr David Hessayon has died aged 96 - after selling 67 million gardening guidebooks worldwide. RHS reports a 21% surge in applications across its School of Horticulture programmePeat-free education collaboration launches a new concise peat-free guide.TV personality Fiona Bruce will be joining the National Garden Scheme (NGS) as an ambassador.Storm Eowyn topples more than 10,000 National Trust trees.Petition for a total ban on neonicotinoid puts pressure on government.National Trust announce 10-year green plan.Beloved Barnsdale Gardens established 40 years ago by horticulturist and star broadcaster Geoff Hamilton, faces closure if 67-acre solar farm is built.Hillier’s woodland themed garden to be created at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair.Jekka McVicar launches her 10th thyme variety, Thymus Jekka’s Bee Happy.Johnsons new Cutting Flower seed range now in Garden Centres.2025 Sweet Pea season at Eaton Walled Gardens.Best houseplants for productivity.Coffee and cocoa prices doubled due to extreme weather.New heritage pear Cornishgold ™ launched.Alan Titchmarsh gets nod in latest BAFTA winning Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl film.DIG IT Top 5 Our top selling Dahlia varieties from last year were No 5 Thomas Edison, No 4 Topmix Yellow, No 3 Anne Joy, No 2 joint Collerette Kelsey, Lady Liberty, Red Hot Chilli, Vera Frost and Xanthe and No 1 White Perfection.People mentioned: Jekka McVicar, Jessica Naish, and Nick Hamilton.Products mentioned: Premier Christmas decorations, Rotavator, Cloche, Potato growing bags, Peat free composts, Root Trainers and Bird nesting boxes.Plant mentions: Apricot, Peas, Beans, Artichoke, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Courgettes, Pumpkins, Squash, Seed Potatoes, Carrots, Fennel (Bronze), Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), Quickthorn, Blackthorn, Rhubarb varieties - Champagne, Timperley Early and Stockbridge Arrow, plastic dustbins as Rhubarb forcers, Hazel and Birch for pea sticks, Sweet Peas, Strawberries, Raspberries, Chinese money plant (Crassula), Monstera, Sansevieria, Boston fern, Prayer plants, Spathiphyllum, Lilies, Dahlias, Freesia and GladioliOur thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

After a chilly January in the UK, the days are starting to lengthen and there’s signs of life as bulbs are pushing through the soil. DIG IT’s Peter Brown and Chris Day discuss news, events and gardening tasks for the gardening month ahead.What’s onSaturday 1st February Buckingham Garden Centre’s Grow & Grow Day, 10am-4pm. Saturday 1st February to Sunday 2nd March: Peruvian Orchid Spectacular at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. The Plant Fair Roadshows are back in full swing with the first event of the year on Sunday 2nd February at Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent, on Sunday 2nd February.Running until 13th April: Soil - The World at Our Feet Exhibition at the Embankment Galleries, South Wing, Somerset House in London.Saturday 15th February – Sunday 23rd February: Exhibited during Eco-Week at Hever Castle & Gardens, Earth Photo will be featuring work by some of the best photographers from around the world.Thursday 20th February: Monty Don in conversation with Sophie Raworth online or in person at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London, SW7 2AR. 7pm. 20th - 22nd February: Shepton Snowdrop Festival, Somerset. Free event.Discover snowdrops across the UK. NewsBritain's oldest RHS Garden is calling for compensation from the Government as it faces a ‘catastrophic' £11m loss - thanks to roadworks.Home to 100-year-old specimens, the 60-acre Coton Orchard, the largest traditional orchard in Cambridgeshire and 8th largest in the country is at risk of becoming a new bus lane. Two plant collections - Amelanchier and Witch hazel National collections have been accredited at National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.Monty Don’s new British Gardens series airs on the BBC.Sarah Dyke MP’s Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill has been pushed back to a later date. Kew Gardens and partner scientists have identified more than 170 new species in 2024New Year’s Honours for garden industry figures including Gill Hodgson founder of Flowers From the Farm and Alan Titchmarsh, CBEScotland consults on its peat-free future.Latest Thompson & Morgan survey suggests garden expenditure is set to increase in 2025.More crystal ball gazing from the RHS with its gardening predictions.Eden Project appoints 'horticultural showman’ Peter Jones.Kew build two advanced glasshouses to help in major restoration projects.David Domoney becomes new brand ambassador for Keder Greenhouses.Guiness World Records searches for world’s oldest glasshouse.Forest England biodiversity study reveals DNA secrets.Butterflies heading north says NatureScot.RSPB suspends sale of flat bird feeders.Suttons given the Royal Warrant of Approval.Plants mentioned: Broad bean The Sutton, New Fothergill’s Oh Sow Simple range, Seed Potatoes, Pea Meteor, Sweet Peas, Carnivorous plants (Venus flytraps), Carrot Amsterdam Forcing, Asparagus crowns, root-wrapped roses, celebration roses, strawberry runners and raspberry canes can be established now, Lilies, Dahlias, Begonia corms and Hosta. Hardwood cuttings Buddleja, Dogwoods, Forsythia, Philadelphus (Mock Orange), Roses and Salix (Willows).Products mentioned: Westland New Horizon Compost, Melcourt SylvaGrow Composts, horticultural fleece, Haxnicks jackets, raised beds and water butts. Dig It Top 5: Our Top selling Fothergills flower seeds of last year. No5 ‘RHS Flowers for Insects Mix’, No4 Sunflower ‘Giant Single’, No3 Sweet Pea ‘Old Spice Mixed’, 2nd place Poppy ‘Victoria Cross’ and at No1 ‘RHS Flowers for Wildlife Bright Mix’.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supply the music.