Dig It - Discussions on Gardening Topics

In this month’s DIG IT Peter Brown discusses the latest news in the world of gardening, what’s on’s and as the winter kicks in, Chris and Peter look at those gardening tasks to keep your garden looking its best this month and beyond.Places to visit:Winter Flowers Week at the Garden Museum, LondonNational Memorial Arboretum mile long light trailAlnwick Castle lights showCambridge University Botanic Garden Light showKew Gardens Lights ShowPlants Mentioned:The Welsh Bramley - Gabalfa Apple, RosePerfumy Silueta Rose bred by Kordes Rosen wins several categories in Rochfords International Rose TrialsThe Woodland Trust Highlights the plight of our Native trees and encourages planting more.Collections of Hamamelis, Amelanchier and Eucalyptus held at the National Memorial Arboretum and Ventnor Botanic Gardens gain National Plant Collection status.Skippinish Oak wins the Woodland Trusts tree of the year competitionLace Bug pest spotted in LondonGarden Organic searches for comfreyA new Palm Tahina Spectablis arrives at the Eden project60 000 snowdrops planted at the National Trust property Montacute House in SomersetJane Steward champions the medlar and tries to raise its profile In the news:Cruser SB Neonicotinoid Thiamethoxam has been licensed for use on Sugar Beet in the UK despite being banned in the EU.British Horticulture will have to bear increased costs on imports due to the Common User ChargeInverary Castle wins Prestigious Gardens AwardHaig Hall in Wigan undergoes restorationBath wins prestigious RHS Britian in Bloom award for the second time, Wrexham won a Gold award for the City and Forres in Scotland also won the town award.Defra’s latest Data indicates a fall in Bird speciesGreen Allotments offer a chance to win an Allotment site to try and help increase the number of allotments in the UKThe National Gardens Scheme announce gardens to visit in the New YearGreenfingers charity has a new president who takes over from Sue AllenAllett mowers announce the 2024 winner for the Creative Stripes competition We announce our support of Ripple Africa again this festive period. Our special thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of DIG IT we are delighted to welcome back Jekka McVicar, top organic herb grower, consultant, and Royal Horticultural Society Judge. Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Jekka on issues affecting herbs, best growing practices, composts, tea infusions, plus we delve into Jekka’s latest fabulous book, 100 Herbs To Grow.Plant mentions: Coriander, Basil, Bulbine frutescens (burn jelly plant), Lemon Verbena, Mints including Peppermint and Mentha spicata (Spearmint), Murraya koenigii (Curry tree), Nasturtium, Oregano, Rosemary, Horse Radish, Silybum marianum, Szechuan (Sichuan) Pepper, Rosemary, Thymes, Wild Rocket, Nasturtiums, Wild Strawberries and Winter Savory.People and product mentions: Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Borage (the gnome), Charles Dowding, Marcus Waring and garden designer Sarah Eberle. Radio 4’s Just a Minute. Horticultural grit, RocketGro Peat-Free Herbs and Alpine Compost, horse manure, Jekka’s own peat-free compost mix contains bark, loam, peat-free compost, plus mycorrhizal fungi. Working in some loam can help the composts porosity. Use grit rather than bark for herb mulching. Seaweed feeds are generally best for herbs. Westland Epsom salts will help keep the foliage green and healthy. Growth Technology SG Invigorator. Black plastic for horsetail and general weed suppression.Problem pests: Leaf-hoppers, rosemary beetle and thrips.Tea Infusions: Lemon verbena or lemon grass (with a gin and tonic works a treat). Citrus trilogy, a perfect mood lifter orange blossom, lime leaves and lemongrass and rosemary. Garlic leaf tea for keeping slugs away on your seedlings.Sore throat - sage tea (gargle) for coughs and cold, sprig of hyssop and thyme in hot water with some honey. For Indigestion, try fennel leaf tea which also helps reduce cholesterol.Jekka McVicar and Charles Dowding in conversation on YouTubeJekka’s castaway luxury: A propagating kit with a snip, sharpened chop stick, a pair of long tweezers and a wet stone.To find out more about Jekka’s story, the specialist herb farm containing over 400 culinary and medicinal herbs from all around the world and online shop. Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month on DIG IT Peter Brown and Chris Day discuss the latest news in the world of gardening, what’s on’s and as the winter kicks in, a look at those gardening tasks to keep your garden looking its best this month and beyond.Friday 8th November Final Gardeners’ World programme of the season.15th November RHS Glow 2024 Rosemoor. 20th November RHS Glow 2024 Harlow Carr Garden22nd November RHS Glow at RHS Wisley and at RHS Hyde Hall26th November NGS Annual Lecture ‘Gardening for the future with Fergus Garret, Garden Museum, London. Fergus reveals how vital biodiversity can thrive in anybody’s cultivated garden patch, using evidence gathered from the world-famous garden he looks after. Go in person or available live streamed.Plant mentions: Lotus (water lily), Sea buckthorn, Magnolia, Dianthus, Violas, Wisteria, Picea, Pinus, dog friendly plants, sunflowers including the variety ‘Teddy Bear’, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus, Alliums, Snowdrops, planting of bare-root hedging, shrubs and trees, Philadelphus, Dogwood, Hazel, Raspberry canes, Strawberry runners, garlic, Padron peppers, Wild service tree (sweets and beer tree), Microgreens, Cress and Amaryllis.Product mentions: Sainsbury’s peat-free mushrooms, electric heron fence for ponds, Woughton Orchard in Milton Keynes, lawn blower, secateurs, loppers, composted bark, autumn lawn food, grease bands for fruit trees, cloches, horticultural fleece and clay pebbles in saucer, NewsRBG Kew scientists crack down on illegal sale of ornamental plants.Edimentals see rise in popularity.Sainsbury’s becomes first UK supermarket to introduce peat-free mushroomsNick Hamilton’s new book, The Right Jeans is published.The new Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture GroupLibDem MP Sarah Dyke seeks to speed up ban on peat farming with 10-minute billRoger Ward from Golden Grove Nurseries champions the use of slow growing and compact forms of conifers in new build gardensMonty Don to design a dog-friendly garden at Chelsea 2025 in conjunction with the RHS and BBC Radio 2.National Trust appoints Sheila Das as Head of Gardens and Parks.Will Armitage appointed as the new HTA President.Beechgrove Garden presenter Jim McColl dies aged 89.Capability Brown’s Berrington Hall gets a floral makeover including a wisteria walk.Climate revamp for Great Fountain Garden at Hampton Court Palace.RHS issues call for urban planners to take garden provision more seriously.Otters raiding garden ponds becomes a problem in Cumbria.The Orchard Project celebrates 15 years restoring 700 public orchards.Sunflower trials at RHS Hyde Hall’s Floral Fantasia.North Wales bid to bring back rare ‘sweets and beer’ tree.DIG IT Top 5: Top selling Herbs of the yearNo5 Coriander, No4 Curly Parsley, No3 Chives, No2 Common Rosemary and at the top spot Garden Mint (spear mint).Our special thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of DIG IT Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Jonathon Jones, OBE and managing director of Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall, home of the amazing Garden, Camellias, magnificent trees and a Tea plantation stretching 29 miles long!People mentioned: Tea expert Chris Bond, authors Peter Blake and John Shepherd. The Ken Thomas Charitable Trust, a bursary opportunity set up for agriculturists to help fund their trips. Lord and Lady Falmouth, Plant hunter William Lobb, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (Wardian Case inventor), Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, Tremap Partners, Conifer Conservation, Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, Country Life magazine tea column. London Tea Auction and Sarah Raven.Plants mentioned: Camellia sinensis (tea), Camellia japonica, early flowering Camellia sasanqua, Growing salads out of seasons under home-made cloches, Japanese Musa (Banana), Magnolias, Eucryphia is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees with several species native to Chile. Giant Redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Rhododendrons, Black Poplars (Populus nigra) and the recording breaking tallest Rhododendron.Places mentioned: Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Darjeeling, North India, Cornwall Garden Society (they also have a bursary scheme), Eden Project, Jonathon’s scholarship to travel to Japan and it’s great gardens, Falmouth University Japanese Gardens, Myerscough College and the Smithsonian Institution.Tremap® is an easy-to-use free app on your phone which allows people to map and locate trees and shrubs anywhere in the world. It also means that Botanic gardens, parks, large and small private gardens don’t necessarily need to label their rare plants as this can be done virtually. Search ‘Tremap’ on your favourite APP store.Jonathon’s castaway essential: A tried and trusted garden spade!Tregothnan Estate, including Tea, Experiences, Holiday Cottages and Discover.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.