Gardeners’ World & Alan Titchmarsh Gardening Club 2025

I agree GW is really for those that have a small mansion with 100 acres of land. And it does not address the "ordinary" garden / gardener. I much prefer Beechgrove Garden it is much more down to earth, so to speak. And deals with the nuts and bolts of home gardening.

 

Forgot to mention Beechgrove . 7pm tonight. Repeated Sunday morning at 6.15am.

"Brian and Lizzie launch a competition between Beechgrove presenters to see who can create the most successful vegetable plot of the season.

Lizzie plans and plants the veg border that she will have judged at the end of the series. She also revisits the potager garden that she planted last year. A potager garden is one that is both attractive and productive, and Lizzie reviews what worked last year and what needs to be done to the area this season.

Brian explains how to start and make your own compost, a great way to garden sustainably while also keeping costs down. Another way to help the ecosystem in your garden is to use fallen branches and cuttings to build a deadwood hedge. These hedges create a great habitat for many kinds of wildlife in your garden, from pollinators to hedgehogs, and Brian and Lizzie demonstrate how to make one on your own plot. The pair also start one of the year’s big Beechgrove projects: a sitooterie. A sitooterie is somewhere to sit outside, and for many gardeners, creating a great area to enjoy a summer’s evening is exactly what they want from their plot. "

 

Well we haven't and we love it.

 

Caught up with GW last night. Must admit that I do enjoy Adam presenting it, and I appreciated the trip around his garden layout as a reminder.
Although it's still probably bigger than your average plot, I find it more relatable than Longmeadow (not Monty bashing !).

The magnolias were beautiful, Advolly's visit to Painshill very interesting, and Adam's new puppy very cute.

My only slight disappointment was the chap with the crocosmias. I was hoping for more insider information on getting a really good display, but it seemed to be more a list of various varieties and their different flowering habits. I didn't know they could be grown in hanging baskets. Don't think he mentioned which variety that was ?

 

I caught up with it yesterday @AnniD and thoroughly enjoyed it. i agree about Adam's garden being relatable. It's divided into separate areas depending on aspect and function yet still feels comfortable and open with plenty of variety and vistas.

All those hedges in Monty's plot give me a feeling of being squished and hidden away. I'm all for shelter belts and nooks and crannies but his layout makes me feel somewhat trapped.

Agree too about crocosmia man - some lovely plants but not a lot of practical info. I'm surprised Rachel didn't find any of the lovely yellow magnolias to show us. Maybe they don't grow them yet but they are magnificent.

 

I enjoyed last week's episode (I like Adam, and Ash the handsome black cat).

Rachel mentioned that the yellow magnolias flower later so they were still in bud (and I think showed one).

 

Thanks @JennyJB. I shall have to watch it again then and no distractions form OH or Possum. I have a wee Butterflies I'm bringing on.

 

GW 8pm tonight.
"Easter is a busy weekend for gardeners, and Monty continues the big revamp of his Jewel Garden at Longmeadow. He shows how to get the most out of plants, including dividing and sowing seeds to provide colour and interest well into summer. He and Ned also reveal their plans for their first ever RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden.

This year, Carol Klein will be sharing her own inspiring tips and inspiration to guarantee colour and interest in beds, borders and containers through the seasons, starting with spring.

Plus, there’s a gardener in Carmarthenshire who shares his love of daffodils, both old and new. "

Beechgrove 7pm.
"There is plenty of productive gardening at Beechgrove, with onions and tatties on the menu. George Anderson and Calum Clunie are potting the onions and shallots that Calum sowed in December, and Calum starts work on his plot for the Beechgrove veg-growing competition.

George starts his 'small space' garden for growers with big ambition, but little room to plan. There is a visit to Glasgow house with a stunning collection of house plants, plus tips and handy hints on indoor growing.

Calum reports from Kelso’s Potato Day - a shopping opportunity to choose from dozens of varieties of tatties and select a variety that suits your own growing conditions and taste preferences"

 

Generally speaking I enjoyed GW .

It was nice to see Carol Klein again, I was wondering how she was getting on following her recent health issues. I'm looking forward to future episodes of her "series", there seem to be some lovely colour combinations coming up.

I was interested in Monty's comments regarding hostas in pots versus those in the ground.
The vast majority of my garden gets full sun from around mid Spring until mid Autumn so all my hostas are grown in pots alongside the pergola to make the most of any shade. The slug and snail damage seems dependent on the amount of wet weather, and they only get watered when I remember, which can be as little as twice a year.

I was envious of the ease in which he divided that hosta immediately after digging it up. This from a woman who only last week attacked a considerably smaller plant with a spade, followed by 2 forks back to back and then a pruning saw, before finally admitting defeat and asking her OH for help .

I found the article on Monty's Chelsea garden very interesting as both a gardener and a dog lover.
Anything about Chelsea (or any other flower show) "behind the scenes" keeps me entertained, but I couldn't help feeling that it was taking up space in probably the one GW episode of the year which should really be concentrating on practical tasks.

 

As a gardener and dog lover, I'm not convinced that a dog could provide guidance on the design of a dog friendly garden, unless it contains lots of treats and squeaky toys .

 

@AnniD, I keep my potted hosta in a large saucer of water all the time and just top it up when it dries out.

You need to get a big enough saucer so there's a good two inches or more between the pot and the edge of the saucer - slugs and snails can't swim!!

 

@Plantminded I'd be more concerned about being both a dog lover and a plant lover. It's all very well designing a garden dogs can enjoy but keeping them off beds of plants the owners also love is another matter.

 

Very true @Obelix-Vendée. I’m a dog lover but not a dog owner. My brother’s Labrador is not interested in my garden when she visits, just the kitchen .

 

I don't think there have been many comments on Mr T's Gardening Club ?

I caught up with 2 episodes this afternoon and found it very much like a magazine. Several interesting articles, others not so much. I quite like the different "vibe" compared to Gardeners' World.

 

I saw a programme the other day which I actually found interesting, it was partly a gardening programme and probably partly cooking and animal rearing.

It was a few years old and I think it was a series at the time.

Not sure what it was called but it had a bloke called Markus Wareing doing it, I found it quite interesting and a change from all the other gardening formats that seem to be boring these days.