Two Good Gardeners

As the days get shorter and the nights colder, it's time to bite the bullet and protect your tender plants from the cold, wet and wind. Dan explains how to tackle different groups of plants, from annuals to evergreens, and Julia shares advice on keeping herbs, citrus, ginger, chillies and pineapples happy until spring.Your hosts anticipate the outcome of the Garden Media Guild Awards, where Two Good Gardeners has been shortlisted (see below if you want to know the result) and look forward to visiting their sponsor, Alitex, so record a special episode which will air before Christmas.Julia offers advice on growing garlic from shop-bought or own-grown cloves, and Dan reveals a new Christmas trend - including seeds in your Christmas cards.Dan's guide to overwintering tender plants: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/blogs/advice-inspiration/how-to-protect-tender-plants-over Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Events*our congratulations to Gardens Illustrated, who won the category for best podcast or radio broadcast.

In episode 4, Dan and Julia offer advice on filling your home with plants and flowers this Christmas, including how to force bulbs and buy and care for seasonal plants such as poinsettia and cyclamen. Julia explains how to grow a crop of spuds for your Christmas dinner, and Dan shares his favourite garden-inspired Christmas decorations. Julia champions the humble beetroot (pickling recipe below), and Dan is elated that others are finally joining his crusade to revive the much-maligned chrysanthemum.Julia's recipe for pickled beetroot, adapted from a recipe by Clodagh Mckenna Ingredients6 small beetroot 4 sprigs of thyme 160 ml white wine vinegar 150 ml cold water 110 g caster sugar ( Suggest adding 90 g, then taste if you want it sweeter, add the rest) ½ tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp black peppercorns ½ tsp sea salt MethodCook the beetroot in a saucepan covered with cold water for 30-40 mins or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Peel the beets and cut them into small wedges. Place in sterilized jars Put the thyme, vinegar, caster sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, sea salt and 150ml cold water in a saucepan and heat until all has dissolved. Pour this vinegar mixture over the beetroot and allow to cool completely. Seal and store in the fridge for up to one year. Dan's favourite chrysanthemums:'Dixter Orange' - very early, starting late June / early July and over by September - completely self-supporting and makes a terrific low hedge.'Percy Salter' - the colour of a well-baked custard cream, pretty and long-lasting.'EH Wilson' - produces delicate sprays of butter-yellow single flowers.'Breitner's Supreme' - lax form with white daisy-like blooms - use to flop over other plants.'Burnt Orange' - fiery orange quilled petals that are yellow inside.'Dulwich Pink' - neat and smothered with cranberry red flowers in November.Dan's Christmas decorations - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/christmasDan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnightStart planting tulip bulbs and indoor bulbs to be forced.Keep gutters clear of leaves and moss.Gather fallen leaves and store them in hessian bags to break down into leafmould.Clean bird feeders thoroughly before filling them with fresh seed.Sow sweet peas, broad beans, peas, radishes and rocket.Cut away the old stems of autumn-fruiting raspberries, blackberries and loganberries.Reduce excessive top growth to prevent wind damage.Plant up, tidy and wash greenhouses and clear benches.Continue to mow lawns but on dry days.Visit arboreta to enjoy the blazing autumn colours.Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

In a break from their standard format, Dan & Julia chat about how they began gardening, reminisce about their first gardens and recall the gardens and gardeners that inspired them.Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchMiddle-Sized Garden You Tube ChannelAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

As summer eases into autumn, our gardens reach a colourful crescendo. In this episode, Dan & Julia share their favourite flowers and crops for extending the season, taking inspiration from their gardens and visits to Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies, East Ruston Old Vicarage and Doddington Place.Julia offers advice on autumn sowing and shares her top of the crops - delicious, juicy figs. Dan describes his new range of flower bowls and explains how to keep dahlias healthy and blooming for as long as possible.Find Julia's favourite fig recipe here.Explore Dan's collection of flower bowls here.This fortnight's jobs to do in the garden:Order onion sets.Order tulip bulbs.Keep watering and feeding pots and containers.Harvest courgettes regularly.Remove leaves on grape vines and figs, allowing more sunlight to ripen the fruits.Sow salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or under cover.Take cuttings - it's an ideal time for figs, hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias and coleus.Order indoor bulbs for Christmas forcing.Remove shading or netting in greenhouses as the light starts to diminish.Keep looking for box moth caterpillars and spray or pick them off.Dan & Julia's top plants for early autumn colour:Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ Rudbeckia triloba' Prairie Glow'Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne' Helianthus' Monarch' Helianthus 'Velvet Queen' Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding Hearts’ Cosmos bipinnatus 'Double Click Cranberry' Ratibida columnifera ‘Red Midget’Eutrochium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) 'Riesenschirm'Althaea cannabina Aster x frikartii 'Mönch' Eurybia divaricataVernonia arkansana 'Mammuth' Anemone japonicaHydrangea "Annabelle"Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesAlitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

The gardens at Great Dixter are famed across the globe for their exuberance, colour and intimacy. Driven by a sense of adventure and a mission to help others get involved in horticulture, Fergus Garrett has built on the legacy of his friend and mentor, Christopher Lloyd, never allowing Dixter to stand still and delighting thousands of visitors every season.In mid-August 2023, Julia and I were lucky enough to grab half an hour with Fergus to get his tips on late summer colour, discover his desert island plants and understand what he looks for in a plant when choosing what to grow. We cover a lot of ground, and Fergus is as generous with his knowledge as his time. Make sure you listen right to the very end, as there are gems throughout!If you enjoy this episode, be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform and leave us a rating and review. We'll be back in September with a brand-new series!https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/https://www.dancoopergarden.com/https://www.parkers-patch.com/

In the final episode of this series, Dan and Julia share tips for adapting your garden to cope with hotter, drier summers. Julia offers advice on getting your plot holiday-ready, and Dan showcases a product that can act as a mulch, fertiliser and slug deterrent. This episode's drought-proof 'top of the crops' is the stately artichoke, and Dan chooses salvias as his sun-loving 'pick of the bunch'.Your hosts return in late summer / early autumn for Series 2 and would love to hear about any topics you'd like to be featured.Want to know more? Here are this episode's show notes:Dan's guide to creating a drought-tolerant gardenDan's guide to preparing your garden for the summer holidaysDan's guide to watering wiselyJulia's recommended artichoke varieties: 'Green Globe', 'Purple Globe', 'Romanesco'.Note that cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) are a close relative of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Cardoons are grown for their edible stalks rather than their flowers. The cardoon is much more cold-tolerant as well.Dan's recommended salvia varieties: 'Hot Lips' - red and white; 'Nachtvlinder' - inky purple; 'Royal Bumble - bright red; 'Trellisick Creamy Yellow'; 'Jemima's Gem' - cerise; 'Amistad' - purple; 'Blue Suede Shoes' - dusky pale blue; 'Amante' - pink.Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:Find someone to water your garden if you plan a holiday this month or next.Sow salad leaves, turnips, French beans, spring cabbages, chicory, kohlrabi, dill, coriander and parsley.Take Cuttings of hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias, penstemon, mint, thyme and sage.Plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as colchicums, autumn crocuses, cyclamen and nerines.Prune early spring flowering shrubs, rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, conifers, plums, cherries, damsons and wisteria.Harvest courgettes, calabrese, French beans, Swiss chard, lettuce, mint, parsley, radish, beetroot, carrots, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onion, garlic, onions, globe artichokes, strawberries, raspberries and loganberries.Pick sweet peas, roses, zinnias, cosmos, gladioli, dahlias, lilies, carnations and pinks.Buy reduced perennials in your local garden centre - trim back, plant out and water thoroughly to encourage lush new growth. Stock up on plant food. Enjoy a stroll around the garden or a moment on your balcony after sundown.Visit open gardens across the country, especially those with herbaceous borders. The RHS holds shows at Hampton Court and Tatton Park in Cheshire this month.Website links:Dan Cooper GardenParker's PatchAlitex Modern Victorian GreenhousesMiddleton Nurseries - salvia specialistsDyson's Nurseries - salvia specialists

Dan and Julia discuss how to spot and deal with common summertime pests, including cabbage white butterflies, red spider mites and asparagus beetles. Julia gets stuck into salads, explaining how to grow a succession of lush leaves throughout the year. Dan recalls happy memories of Dame Edna Everage and her wonderful gladies, sharing tips on how to grow these fabulous flowers without all the stiffness and formality they've become known for.Julia's Favourite Salad Leaves:Lettuce 'Black Seeded Simpson'.Lettuce (Little Gem) ‘Delight’.Lettuce 'Cocarde' - very attractive arrowhead leaf green-tinged red. Good for spring, summer and autumn growing.Lettuce 'Salad Bowl' - both green and red, RHS recommended.Lettuce 'Lollo Rosso'.Lettuce 'Butterhead'.Lettuce 'Winter Density' - good for cooler months.Wild rocket - hardy and the best flavour.Dan's Favourite Gladioli:G. papilio ‘Ruby’ - just delicious - the colour of crushed blackberries.G. communis subsp. byzantinus - Mediterranean but naturalised in the UK.G. murielae - the Abyssinian gladiolus - very late flowering and needs baking in a sunny spot, but the flowers are deliciously fragrant.G. ‘Sancerre’ - pure white.G. ‘Shaka Zulu' - deep, deep purple.The ‘Flevo’ varieties, such as G. 'Flevo Cool' and G. 'Flevo Laguna' are perfect for small gardens and growing in pots.Where you'll find us:Dan will be at Gilbert White’s House in Selborne near Petersfield for their 30th Annual Unusual Plants Fair on June 17th and 18th , ready to supply visitors with any last-minute Father’s Day Gifts. Alitex is hosting an open morning on 16th June 9 am - 4 pm, at Torberry Farm, near Petersfield. To book a visit, use this link.

Join us for our first-ever outside broadcast from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. We celebrate Alitex's Best Trade Stand award and discover how Julia was involved in making it happen. We share our show highlights and reveal some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver the world's most prestigious flower show.Please note that batteries for charging your phone can be hired for £3 for every 30 minutes, not every hour, as Dan states.Should we do more outside broadcasts? Would you like us to report from other RHS shows and garden events? We'd love to receive your feedback.Finally, leaving us a rating and a review will help us to reach other gardening enthusiasts like you. Happy gardening!