BBC Gardeners' World April 2021

Enjoy… Treat yourself to a copy of Monty’s latest book, The Complete Gardener – magazine readers save a hefty 25% on the cover price with our offer. See page 79 Learn… Take your lawn to the next level with our Lawn Care Masterclass, online on 16 April. Find out more at gardenersworld.com/ masterclass Discover… Give your pots a fresh look this spring with the help of our brand new, FREE Containers Masterclass, worth £15. Turn to page 184 Join us… Discover the gardens of the Cotswolds this September, on our bespoke reader holiday. Enjoy a private tour and dinner at Highgrove, where you’ll be joined by Adam Frost. See page 94 Apology We would like to apologise sincerely to Monty and Sarah Don for the suggestion in last month’s issue that their business suffered bankruptcy in the 1980s. We…

What did your garden mean to you last year? So much more, I suspect, than just a place to grow food and flowers – a refuge amidst the storm around us? As we all craved an escape into fresh air and nature, gardens became our haven, playground, safe place to share family time (when we could), and space to learn. We know how vital, in 2020, those connections were, from the 1,000-plus entries we read in our search for the most inspiring reader gardens. And now we’re inviting you to share your stories and achievements, as we launch our Gardens of the Year for 2021. Whether you’re beating the elements to carve out a coastal plot, creating a pocket haven in the city or simply cultivating nature in a once-barren space,…

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything”Shakespeare STAR OF THE MONTH Prunus ‘Kanzan’ Some of you may be more sceptical and pessimistic but, without further ado, here we have the indisputable proof that better times are on our doorsteps. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the essence of springtime in one wonderful sugar coated image. A great gossiping gathering of gloriously garish cherry blossom fluttering in the spring breeze like a thousand sprites dressed in candy floss. This is a great tree for a medium sized garden: the flowers are followed by fresh leaves which are a bronzy colour when young, and turn well in the autumn. Everybody needs a blossom for a pillow. Prune in summer if you need to maintain shape. Plant with lots of well rotted compost.…

‘Victoria’s Blush’ This vigorous variety has jaunty, rosy lilac flowers and loves a sunny spot. Height x Spread 15cm x 20cm ‘Etain’ One of the best for fragrance with lavender-blue-edged flowers and bright yellow lower petals. H x S 15cm x 20cm ‘Nora’ An unusual bicolour, with rosy purple upper petals, yellow lower petals and a lovely scent. H x S 15cm x 20cm ‘Rebecca’ The scented flowers, held on long stems, are pale cream with slightly frilly edges flecked with violet. H x S 15cm x 20cm ‘Butterpat’ Dainty yellow flowers on a compact, mat-forming plant. Loves the sun and a gravel mulch. H x S 15cm x 20cm Perennial violas What’s the difference between a viola and a pansy? Anyone? Frankly, it’s not entirely clear. Let’s start with the fact that all pansies are violas, but not all violas…

Language matters. The words we choose and use have meaning and significance, both explicitly and implicitly. The English language has been my craft, trade, pleasure and solace all my life. The richness of its range and possibilities is dazzling. One of its strengths is that it has constantly evolved and adapted to the life that it articulates. There is no definitive ‘right’ way to use words. Language flows and changes and adapts – and always has done. Celtic, Latin, Saxon, Viking, Norman and immigrant words from all over the world have made a very malleable, plastic language. Shakespeare made up more than 1,500 words that are still in use and although there are some changes we all might deplore (I have dozens, pedantic old buffer that I am) change is…

Priced out of the plot I was dismayed to read how a London council is proposing to put up allotment rents by 400 per cent (Have Your Say, March issue) While I do not live there myself, I share Eleanor Morgan’s view that poorer people will be priced out of being able to grow their own food or flowers. As a keen gardener with a small vegetable patch in my garden, I know the solace gardening can bring. When money was tough, this little hardworking piece of land provided us with fresh vegetables and fruit and taught my children (now adults) how food is produced, from seed to plate. With the UK Government pledging a better environment, surely they should be encouraging more people to grow their own (think of the food…