BBC Gardeners' World

more from gardeners' word magazine

Learn... Boost your skills with our one-hour online Masterclass on pruning, coming up at midday, Friday, 2 October. Pay just £10 – book now at gardenersworld. com/masterclass Plan… Never miss another key planting, pruning or sowing date again with our month-by-month guide to your gardening year. Order our special-edition Year Planner 2021 direct from gardenersworld. com/year-planner– find out more on page 124. Save… Our award-winning app lets you read GW on the go. Save 50% at bit.ly/GW-digital. Find us in the Readly app on Apple or Google, or with a monthly subscription to Apple News+ Save even more... Subscribe in print today and receive a copy of Monty’s new book, My Garden World, worth £20. You’ll get each issue delivered to your door PLUS enjoy exclusive content and money-saving offers. See page 144. PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; JASON…

welcome

The crunch of leaves underfoot, dew-damp grass in glowing light, and a tang of woodsmoke and ripening compost tell us that the seasons have shifted. And while 1 January may be the start of a new year by the calendar, this step into October is the gardeners’ new year – as the natural cycle propels us forward. Now is the time to turn your dreams into reality, as autumn soil is warm and welcoming for new plants and bulbs – and this year’s results are still fresh in your mind. It’s been a spring and summer of gardening discoveries for millions of us, and we’re here to help you into the next phase for your garden – extending colour and harvests into autumn and winter, while setting you up for your…

we love october

“The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here’s to October...”AA Milne STAR OF THE MONTH Miscanthus nepalensis DANCING DUO With names like this we cannot help but be transported to a world of hot nights and sweaty dance halls. Sizzling orange, moody ‘Salsa’ and the tight-trousered tension of ‘Taupo Sunset’. Botanically, neither plant would suit a club, but it is October and we should be allowed to dream. Helenium autumnale ‘Salsa’ Deadhead to prolong flowering, but if you forget, don’t worry, as the seedheads look good in winter. H x S 50cm x 60cm Libertia ixioides ‘Taupo Sunset’ Evergreen foliage (although only in warm, very sheltered locations) and easy if given a sunny spot. Propagate by dividing clumps in spring. H x S 60cm x 50cm Verbena bonariensis Will self-seed in warmer parts of the…

expert's choice persicaria

You’d be forgiven for not knowing what a persicaria is. Botanists have been shuffling the names for years – please don’t make me list all the changes – but, even if the name is unfamiliar, you’ll recognise the plants. Those now brought together under Persicaria are an unexpectedly varied group. They include bold border perennials, rock garden plants and even one that shows itself off best in summer containers. And while many are grown for their spikes of usually pink or red summer and autumn flowers, some are grown for their leaves. Even the rock garden types are helpfully late flowering, creating a fresh look at a time when other alpines have long faded. Most, though, are hardy perennials that begin their contribution to the border in midsummer and continue well into…

the full monty

Covid-19 has changed hugely the way we film Gardeners’ World. I profoundly hope that this is temporary and that next year we can revert to something like the old normal. But I am certain that, whatever happens, we will continue to show the films that viewers make of their own gardens. These were a direct result of the virus. We could not get film crews easily out and about to visit gardens, if at all, so had a shortfall of filmed material. We also genuinely wanted to know how people were coping with lockdown and how they were using their gardens. But very quickly the results transcended these considerations. Instead of being a substitute for our own filmed material, these short films that viewers sent in took on a life of their…

have your say

HOT TOPIC Political plants Following on from the Black Lives Matter Movement and Monty’s statement (Full Monty, August issue) I wanted to show my support for “decolonising” the garden. Fully acknowledging and appreciating the chequered histories of our plants is key for a more inclusive and richer horticultural industry. Challenging assumed histories of plant discovery, names and acknowledging the richness of the cultures that originally cultivated them is how to empower BAME communities and rekindle a deep-rooted passion for gardening and horticulture. As a British-Indian Muslim woman, this is particularly important for me to connect with the plants in my garden. Monty’s statement was spot on; now is the time for action and to take decisive steps in diversifying horticulture and empowering BAME communities with the power and joy of growing. Black Lives…