Blog

Wow, August, here we are already. This is the moment when so many of us take off on our summer holidays, or these days so many of us stay put for our summer holidays!

I’m going to be taking time off to explore some areas of the UK that I’ve not been to before - taking in inspirational gardens, parkland and the flora and fauna of the British Isles along the way.

Have a great summer everyone!

At BBC Gardeners' World Live this year we were joined by the Bat Conservation Trust for their seventh consecutive year at the Show!

Their Moonlight Garden, designed to give inspiration and tips for encouraging bats into our gardens, was awarded the prestigious 'Best Indoor Feature' Award. So we thought we'd delve into this subject a little more, with tips and advice you can continue to use at home...

Antonio Carluccio's Fragole al limone (Strawberries with lemon juice)

Strawberries are certainly a great British favourite for the veg patch, but how about trying something a bit more exotic this year?  With a bit of dedication, a fresh home grown tangy lemon can be yours!

BBC Gardeners’ World Live resident expert Matt Biggs shares his growing tips, paired with this fantastic recipe from Antonio Carluccio, to get your tastebuds tingling!

All that hard work in the veg patch is now paying off. Top chefs see the importance of home-grown ingredients and at the Show this year you may have seen superstars including Mary Berry, James Martin and Michel Roux Jr sharing inspiring recipes live on stage.

I’ve selected some of my favourites, paired them with growing tips from our wealth of gardening experts and hope to keep you inspired to grow and cook your own, all year round.

James Martin's Pea & watercress soup with croutons

July is a pea-lovers dream as plants literally drip with pods, and replenish almost as fast as you can pick them. Try this recipe as demo'd by James Martin on stage and featured in your souvenir Show Guide. 

As well as succulent peas, this recipe also uses shallots, garlic and parsley from your veg patch.

The most eagerly anticipated four days in the Gardeners’ World calendar are over – but a legacy of inspiration lives on! Stay tuned on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as we keep the ideas flowing.

Read on for a recap of the Best In Show winners, some of our favourite moments, the chance to watch it on iPlayer and much more. 

And save the date - next year's Show takes place 14 – 17 June 2018.

The Garden Journey is over, and what a journey it's been!

We've been following Claudia de Yong as she's brought the Wyevale Garden Centres' Show Garden 'Romance in the Ruins' to life at BBC Gardeners' World Live... 

BBC Gardeners' World Live might be over for another year, but there's plenty more inspiration to be had in the region!

Here's a pick of what we've found for you...from orchestral manoeuvres in a car park to a family day out at Barnsdale Gardens....

Today is judgement day - in just hours, the Show Garden Assessors start their tour of the Show Gardens.

With the finish line in site, we catch up one more time with Claudia de Yong, designer of the Wyevale Garden Centres 'Romance in the Ruins' Garden at BBC Gardeners' World Live.

Sophie Godwin's Charred courgette, runner beans & ricotta

The 2017 Souvenir Showguide has just arrived (get a sneak preview here) making it all the more real that doors open in a matter of hours! Flicking through the pages there's this fantastic recipe that's just too good not to share with you.

This recipe will use courgettes, runner beans and edible flowers from your veg patch.

We can all be 'Living in Sync' with wildlife in our gardens.

We've been chatting with the team who are bringing the Artemis Landscapes 'Living In Sync' Garden to life at BBC Gardeners' World Live to discover more... 

What flower show would be complete without fabulous floristry?

Here at BBC Gardeners’ World Live we're proud to be working with the team at the British Floristry Association to give visitors a generous dose of floral magic from top professional florists!