Two Good Gardeners

We've had some rough weather to start the winter, which is miserable enough for us, but spare a thought for the wild creatures in our garden that might have been unable to forage and find food. In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Clare Carhill, founder of A Little Bird Co., about caring for birds during winter, with some surprising information about the threat caused by cats. Later in the show, they share tips about how you can take care of other animal visitors, too.Jobs to do in the garden this fortnightMake sure brassicas and taller plants are securely supported.Firm back in plants that have rocked in the ground - use the heel of your boot and stake if necessary.Brussel sprouts should be ready to harvest; pick from the bottom upwards.Collect fallen debris and use any attractive foliage to decorate the house for Christmas.Take hardwood cuttings.Prune climbing roses.Remove the lower leaves from hellebores to see the flowers more clearly when they emerge.Do a health check on the greenhouse and house plants. Look for whiteflies and fungus gnats and treat them if necessary.Sow sweet peas through to January.Garlic should be planted on the shortest day, the 21st of December.Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesLettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copyA Little Bird Co.Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

To celebrate the season of plum puddings and cranberry sauce, Dan and Julia devote this episode to all things fruity. They reveal their favourite fruits and share tips on how to grow and use them. Dan describes one of his favourite tools for pruning fruit trees, and Julia delves deeper into the art of cultivating blueberries.Listen to the end to hear Dan & Julia's list of jobs to do in the garden over the next fortnight and to find out where they'll be popping up in the run-up to Christmas.Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:December is the last call for planting spring-flowering bulbs. It's a little late for everything other than tulips, but it's still worth getting bulbs in the ground or pots now rather than wasting them. Collect redundant bamboo canes and store them safely. Errant plant supports cause hundreds of accidents yearly, and the last thing anyone wants is to spend Christmas in A&E.During cold weather, put out high-energy food and ensure animals can access fresh water. Cleanliness is vital for the health of garden birds, so it's a good time to start cleaning out bird boxes in readiness for the spring.If it's grotty outside, or you haven't got the energy to move beyond the sofa, now's a great time to sort your seedbox, discarding any that are out of date (although they could still be worth trying) and making a note of new varieties you'd like to source. On fine, dry days, gather any remaining seed heads to provide decoration around the home or use them for making wreaths and garlands. Should it snow, shake the excess from trees and shrubs where the weight might cause branches to bend and break. Columnar (pillar-shaped) trees and topiary are particularly vulnerable. If you store tubers, fruit, and vegetables in a shed or garage, check them every fortnight to ensure there's no sign of mould, rot, or shrivelling. They should be firm to the touch with taught skin.If you planted potatoes in anticipation of fresh spuds at Christmas, you should be able to start lifting them now. Main crop potatoes still in the ground can be dug as needed, but don't forget they are there as they'll begin to sprout as soon as the weather warms up in spring.The wind is one of our greatest enemies. Firmly stake new trees and support or 'earth up' tall brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. Many of our greatest gardens put on spectacular light displays from now until early in the New Year. These events might not offer a complete escape from the madding crowd, but they highlight the magnificent structure of gardens we're used to seeing fully clothed. Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesLettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copyBrenton Roberts on InstagramProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, Dan & Julia change their usual format to focus on Christmas gifting. They chat to Lucy Hutchings, co-founder of She Grows Veg, about her take on the traditional advent calendar and ask what she'd like to find in her stocking on Christmas morning. Later in the show, your hosts receive festive voice memos from some of their horticultural friends and heroes, discovering what's on their wish lists.Our guests in this episode:Lucy Hutchings, Co-Founder She Grows Veg - https://shegrowsveg.com/Thordis Fridriksson, BBC Presenter and Podcaster - https://www.thordis.co.uk/, https://www.getgardeningnow.co.uk/talking-dirtyAlexandra Campbell, The Middle-Sized Garden - https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/Pat Marsh, Presenter, BBC Radio Kent, Sussex and Surrey - http://www.patmarsh.com/Steve Newland, Gardener and Allotment Holder - https://www.instagram.com/snewland97/Nelly Hall, Creative Director at Alitex! - https://www.instagram.com/nellyatalitex/Steve Edney, Gardener and co-owner of The No Name Nursery - https://www.thenonamenursery.co.uk/Alex Mitchell, aka The Edible Gardener, Writer and Flower Farmer - https://alex-mitchell.co.uk/Jamie Marsh, Allotmenteer, Writer and Podcaster - https://www.instagram.com/jamies_little_allotment/Michael Perry, aka Mr PlantGeek, Presenter and Horticulturalist - https://mrplantgeek.com/Phillipa Lepley - Couture Wedding Dress Designer - https://www.phillipalepley.com/Barbara Segall, Editor, Garden Writer and Horticulturalist - https://thegardenpost.com/about-barbara-segall/Charles Dowding - The God of No-Dig - https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/Jimi Blake - Plant nerd, Gardener and Custodian of Hunting Brook Gardens.https://www.huntingbrookgardens.com/Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesScilly FlowersMilli | ProustProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, Dan & Julia dispel the myth that winter gardens must be devoid of colour. Your hosts choose their favourite flowering and foliage plants to display in pots during the colder months, from shrubs to tiny bulbs. Dan reveals why the Japanese 'leisure knife' we call a Hori Hori has taken the gardening world by storm, and Julia explains how and when to plant onion sets - be quick, as time is running out! Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight:Mulch around plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They'll slowly decompose to make leaf mould, one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.If you've experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, removing and destroying any infected plant matter is essential. Cutting off this year's hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.Take a walk around the garden and inspect large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. Call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work if in doubt. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. Dan's Products of the Episode—Niwaki's Japanese Hori Horis—are available to buy at most of his events. Click here for details.Dan & Julia's Favourite Plants for Winter Containers:Iris reticulata 'George', 'Spot On', 'Katherine Hodgkin', 'Blue Note'Narcissus'  Rijnveld's Early Sensation'AconitesGalanthus nivalis (snowdrop)Helleborus niger and Helleborus x sahinii 'Winterbells'Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (dogwood_Sarcococca confusa (winter box)Skimmia japonicaEdgeworthia chrysantha (paper bush)Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Molesworth at Balmoral Cottage, the garden she and her husband, Donald, have been creating for 42 years. Charlotte describes the art of making a garden from scratch and on a shoestring, rarely buying plants. Most of the trees and shrubs she has trained into birds, crowns, pyramids, mounds and spirals have been grown from cuttings or seedlings grubbed up or given by friends.Charlotte also explains the legacy of 'Cherry' Ingram, the English country gentleman who found and reintroduced the Great White Cherry, Prunus 'Tai Haku', to Japan. Ingram once lived next door and led a particularly long and interesting life.'Cherry' Ingram - The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms - Naoko AbeListen carefully as Charlotte shares her wisdom and challenges Dan & Julia not to give up on beleaguered box.Jobs to do in your garden this fortnightCut back the old stems of summer fruiting raspberries and tie in the new green stems.Apply grease bands to the trunks of apple trees to deter winter moths.Apply a winter wash to other fruit tree trunks.Use a fork or spiked shoes to aerate the lawn to avoid water logging.Reuse the compost from spent grow bags to grow some winter salad leaves.Now is an excellent time to move plants, shrubs and trees,Harvest pumpkins in time for Halloween.Prune rambling and climbing roses now, removing old, tangled branches.Apply a final biological spray to box, to eradicate box moth caterpillars.Continue planting spring-flowering bulbs, and prepare to plant tulips from early November.Dan's Products of the Episode:Niwaki Mini ShearsJakoti Hand ShearsWebsite links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesEuropean Boxwood & Topiary SocietyProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, Dan & Julia consider the gardening chores we could do less to free up time for new projects or relaxation. Dan explains why anvil secateurs are better for some pruning jobs and Julia shares how to sustain your crop of annual herbs into the late autumn and early winter. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs to do in your garden this fortnight and reveal what will keep them out of mischief until the next episode.A few of Dan & Julia's time-saving measures:Not washing or sterilising pots.Not using crocks at the bottom of pots and containers.Not sowing seeds too early in the season.Using a mulch of bark, compost or grit to reduce watering time.Choosing shrubs that grow slowly and neatly and require little pruning.Selecting tried and tested plants that aren’t too fussy - an RHS Award of Garden Merit is a good sign that a plant won’t be too diva-ish!Jobs to do in your garden this fortnightClear out greenhouses and clean the glass to let more light in.Sow wildflower seeds.Lift and divide dahlias after the first frost unless left in the ground, in which case cover them with mulch.Compost or mulch empty beds - or still time to sow green manure.Cut back asparagus fern when turning yellow.Make a final cut to topiary and hedges before winter sets in - but it’s too late for most conifers now.Clean and sterilise bird feeders before refilling with high-energy seeds.Sow sweet peas and broad beans.Stake sunflowers if they’re still blooming.Reduce the height of any roses or perennials that might rock about in the wind.Dan's Products of the Episode:Original LÖWE anvil secateursWebsite links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

The Two Good Gardeners return for a new series with an episode devoted to autumn seed sowing. Dan and Julia reveal which varieties you can plant right now for fabulous flowers and delicious edibles next year before sharing a list of jobs you can do in your garden during the second half of September. Your hosts announce a new sponsor—Gold Leaf Gloves—and celebrate with a giveaway: visit their Instagram account @twogoodgardeners for details. Closing date: Friday, 27th September 2024.Julia's recommended crops for autumn sowing:Carrots 'Nantes', 'Autumn King' and 'Parabel'Broadbeans, 'Aquadulce' and 'The Sutton'Lettuce 'Oak Leaf', 'All Year Round', Winter Density'ParsleyPea 'Meteor'Radish 'Wintella', 'Sparkler'Spring Onion 'White Lisbon'Spinach 'Perpetual'Pak Choi 'Red Choi', 'Glacier', 'Cholo F1'Onion 'Red Baron', 'Electric', 'Snowball', 'Radar', 'Autumn Champion'Shallot 'Jermor'Dan's recommended flowers for autumn sowing:Ammi majusCornflowerCorncockleCalendulaChrysanthemum carinatumLinariaNigellaPoppy (corn and opium)PhaceliaAntirrhinumAnaethiumEschscholziaCerinthe major 'Purpurascens'ClarkiaGodetiaRequiring a cold spell - Rudbeckia, Monarda (bergamot), Orlaya, Echinacea, Eryngium (sea holly), Persicaria, Larkspur, Centaurea (Batchelors’ buttons)Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight1. Protect Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli from birds, bugs & butterflies2. Add compost to any beds you are clearing to improve soil structure and boost nutrients3. Order tulips, but don’t be tempted to plant them until November4. Plant narcissi, daffodils and alliums5. Order indoor bulbs for forcing6. Bring exotic/tender plants back into the greenhouse, conservatory or house when nighttime temperatures drop below 10ºC7. Switch summer feed to winter feed for all citrus trees8. Collect seeds from perennials9. Lift, divide and replant large clumps of herbaceous perennialsDan's Products of the Episode:Gold Leaf GlovesWebsite links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchGold Leaf GlovesProduced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, the last in series three, Dan & Julia explain how to transform your garden into a tropical paradise using bold foliage, bright flowers and exciting edibles. They share tips on creating the perfect environment for exotics and some of their favourite plants to grow. You'll discover that anything is possible! As always, your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight and share what they’re up to over the coming weeks.Two Good Gardeners will return for a fourth series in early autumn 2024.Tender Plants for Exotic Effect:Banana (Musa and Ensete)CannaOrnamental ginger (Hedychium)Castor oil plant (Ricinus)LantanaAngelAngels'pets (Brugmansia)Tree ferns (Dicksonia and Cyathea)Taro (Colocasia and Alocasia)Gloriosa lilyPapyrus (Cyperus)BegoniaColeus (Solenostemon)Persian shield (Strobilanthes)CaladiumChinese rice paper plant (Tetrapanax)Hardier Plants with Exotic Looks:AlstroemeriaAgapanthusBistort (Persicaria)FatsiaHostaIndian bean tree (Catalpa)Foxglove tree (Paulownia)Large-flowered clematisReeds and grasses (Arundo and Miscanthus)Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)RodgersiaOrnamental rhubarb (Rheum)WaterlilyTuberous and bulbous plants such as Amaryllis, Amarine, Dahlia, oriental and trumpet lilies, Gladiolus and NerineDan's Product of the Episode:Romney Marsh Wools Garden Kneeler CushionWebsite links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchJungle SeedsProduced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

In this episode, Dan and Julia share tips for keeping your garden in top condition while you take a well-deserved summer break. Your hosts advise on preparing lawns, vegetable plots, containers, greenhouses, and houseplants before your holiday. Dan chooses his favourite tools for trimming hedges and cutting back early-flowering perennials, and, inspired by Wimbledon, Julia shares a money-saving trick for propagating new strawberry plants.Dan & Julia's Pre-Holiday Checklist:Check your home weather forecast before departure and plan accordingly.Water everything thoroughly, especially container plants, camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and houseplants.Install a drip irrigation system or seeper hose - use a timer to save water and hassle.Cut and edge lawns - but not too short if hot weather is predicted.Weed everywhere.Guard against pest damage by laying traps, using nets and maintaining good ventilation.Support tall and heavily laden plants with canes or stakes.Pick open flowers, ripening fruit and vegetables - give them away or preserve them for later.Move outdoor pots into the shade and houseplants out of the full sunTop-up ponds and birdbaths and provide water for pollinating insectsSecure valuables in sheds or move them into a locked garageAnd remember, if your garden looks a little shaggy when you return, it will be superficial and can quickly be fixed.Dan's Product Picks:Niwaki ShearsNiwaki Mini ShearsJakoti Hand ShearsGrow Bag Trays for keeping houseplants moist while away.Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchProduced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local