It's the summer of dahlias Summer wouldn’t be the same without dahlias. We’ve put some tips together from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine so that you can grow beautiful pops of colour in your garden, with some dahlia garden inspiration from our previous shows. Dahlias come in many shapes and sizes and make beautiful additions of colour to the garden, whether in bedding, pots, or as cut flowers for indoors. Remember, the more you cut them, the more flowers they produce. What’s more, at the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, head over to the marquee and create your own dahlia bouquet with beautiful cut flowers. Find out more here. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE DAHLIA WORKSHOPS How to growPlant dahlias in fertile, moist soil that is well-drainedPlace in a sunny, sheltered spotIf growing from tubers, pot them up individually with the new shoot facing upwards and position it so it sits just below the soil surface. Water well.Keep tubers in a frost-free place and keep the compost moist. New shoots should appear five weeks after plants. Plant out in the garden in May when no more frosts are forecasted.  PlantingWhen planting out your tubers, you might need to remove some shoots. Leave about five remaining to encourage lots of flowers.Before planting outside, harden off the plants by putting them outside during the day and bringing them in at night for about a week.Grow your plants around 60cm apart, in holes around 30cm across.If planting in a pot, use containers 30cm wide and deep. CareWhen the plant is 20cm tall, encourage flowering side shoots by pinching out the main growing tip. Cut the main shoot down to the top pair of leaves. Deadhead to prolong flowering. For cut flowers, cut the flowers when they are fully open. PropagatingDahlia tubers can be divided in spring – press the tubers down onto a tray of shallow compost and leave them to start growth in a sunny room. Once shoots begin to grow, divide them using a knife so each section has at least one shoot and set of roots. Pot on the divisions. Take a look at the gallery below to see just some of the varieties of dahlias you could grow in your own garden. At the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, head over to the marquee and create your own dahlia bouquet with beautiful cut flowers. 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A recipe for your raspberry harvest Cheap and easy to grow, raspberries are a staple summer fruit. If you’ve already got lots to harvest, why not try the delicious Barbecued peach melba recipe as seen on the Big Kitchen at the BBC Good Food Show Summer this year as a sweet treat your next summer barbecue.  Did you see Carol Klein and Ainsley Harriott at the Show exploring the Show Gardens for grow your own and outdoor living ideas and inspiration, or on the stage sharing advice? Find out more about Ainsley’s raspberry recipe below.For tips on how to grow your own raspberries, click here to read our previous blog with advice from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.Remember, if you grow a variety of both summer-fruiting and autumn-fruiting raspberries, you’ll be able to enjoy the fruit from late June through to October.Plus, save the date for plenty more summer recipe and growing inspiration at BBC Gardeners’ World Live and the BBC Good Food Show Summer from 13-16 June 2024. /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ 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100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(--divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider--no-spacing{--divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider--bg-round{--divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-divider,.e-con>.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(--container-widget-width,100%);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)} Barbecued peach melba As seen on the Big Kitchen at the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2023. Recipe credit: Ainsley’s Good Mood Food, published by Ebury Press. Ingredients Serves 4300g fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve1-2 tbsp icing sugar1/2 lemon, zested and juicedSplash of raspberry gin, chambord or framboise liqueur (optional)4 ripe peaches, halved and stonedsmall knob of butter2 tbsp brown sugarrunny honey4-8 scoops vanilla ice cream3 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted Method Put the rasberries in a food processor or blender and blitz until well pureed. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing down on the solids to release the juice. Sift 1 tbsp icing sugar into the puree and whisk until fully combined. Stir through a squeeze of lemon juice to taste and adjust for sweetness if needed. Add a splash of raspberry gin, chambord or framboise liqueur if you like. Chill until ready to serve.Prepare four squares of foil and place two halves of peach on each one, cut-side up. Dot a little butter over each peach half, then top each one with 1/4 tbsp brown sugar, lemon zest, a drizzle of honey and a pinch of black pepper. Gather up the sides of the foil to create a parcel and scrunch to seal the packets.Put the peach parcels on the barbeque grill away from direct heat, or put in the dying embers. Cook for 10-15 mins, depending on the heat of your barbeque.Arrange the peaches in four serving bowls, pouring any over any cooking juices. Top with ice cream, drizzle with raspberry sauce and scatter the toasted almonds and extra fresh raspberries. It’s not always a day for a barbecue! If you fancy this sweet treat, why not try baking your peach parcels in the oven at 200/180C fan/gas 6 for 12-15 minutes. Delve into garden inspiration from the 2023 Show Gardens and Beautiful Borders Find out more about the BBC Good Food Show Summer

Explore the BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair: Your Ultimate Event Preview Whether you’re a green-thumb guru or just digging into gardening, the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair is your passport to a day of cultivating inspiration and sowing unforgettable memories. Discover more in our short video, and further details below, of the plantastic day out. Book your tickets today! /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-video .elementor-widget-container{overflow:hidden;transform:translateZ(0)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{height:100%;width:100%;display:flex;border:none;background-color:#000}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% / var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-open-inline .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;background-size:cover;background-position:50%}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{cursor:pointer;text-align:center}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay:hover .elementor-custom-embed-play i{opacity:1}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{display:block;width:100%;aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio);-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;-o-object-position:center center;object-position:center center}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% / var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .e-hosted-video .elementor-video{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-video,.e-con>.elementor-widget-video{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)} BOOK TICKETS NOW A flavour of the 2023 Fair: 🌿 Expert Insights: Uncover the secrets of gardening success with Gardeners’ World Magazine editors, Gardeners’ World presenters Frances Tophill (Fri), Arit Anderson (Sat), and Adam Frost (Sun), and more.🌷 Garden Inspiration: Ignite your garden-senses with ideas from the Beautiful Borders and Showcase gardens.🦋 Shop ‘til you drop: Shop for plants, gardening essentials and treats at the BBC Good Food Market.🍄 Plot to Plate: Embark on a culinary journey at the Let’s Grow Stage, and be inspired to cultivate your own delicious produce. 🌾 Family Delights: Grab an ice cream, explore the historic mansion, spark the kids’ imagination to grow their own food, and let off steam in the play area.🌻 Time Travel: Transport yourself to a bygone era with Capability Brown landscape tours, and explorations of Audley End’s historic mansion.🌿 Relax and Savour: Unwind by the bandstand with scrumptious street food and refreshments from the alfresco bar.🐾 Four-legged Friends Welcome: Dogs on leads are welcome to the outside areas of the Fair. Your path to extending the gardening season in style… Listen into what’s most loved about the Autumn Fair… BOOK TICKETS NOW Discover who's on when Be inspired by the garden designs

One-pan lemon sole with homegrown basil Grow your own  basil to add flavour to your summer cooking, with tips from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. Packed with flavour, we’ve got the perfect one-pan recipe to use your basil in, from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022.  In the warmer months, basil is the perfect addition to your windowsill or vegetable patch, and packs fantastic flavours for summer dishes. Read on below for tips on growing basil from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and to find out more about a delicious one-pan lemon sole recipe, using your basil, from the BBC Good Food Show Summer in 2022. Sowing  Sow basil seed from spring to summer so you have a continuous crop. Sow in containers for a lasting cropGrow in well-drained, fertile soil in a warm, sheltered positionStart seedlings off in pots on a warm, but not sunny windowsill. Pot on into individual pots when plants are big enough to handle.Help your basil acclimatise to conditions outdoors by standing them outside in a sheltered spot and bring them back in at night. Caring for basil Outdoors, basil needs protection from wind and frost. Always water with care, ideally before midday, and avoid splashing the leaves. Water sparingly – basil hates to sit in wet compost!Expect to pot up your basil a few times in the growing season as plants grow fast in containers.Basil is a half-hardy annual, so new plants will be needed each year.  Harvest Pick the leaves and tops of basil regularly throughout the summer to use fresh. You can be quite ruthless, so long as you leave at least three pairs of side shoots so your plants can regrow. Don’t wash the leaves until you’re ready to use them as they’ll turn slimy. One-pan lemon sole This recipe is from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022, as seen on the Italian Kitchen from Chris Baber.  Serves 4Ingredients2 tbsp olive oil2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced2 red onions, cut into 1cms slices3 peppers, thinly sliced4 tomatoes, quartered10 pitted black olives1 lemon, zested and juiced1 small bunch of basil leaves4 lemon sole fillets250ml white wineolive oil, to servecrusty bread, to servedrizzle of extra virgin MethodHeat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat up the olive oil in a large, non-stick ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic for 1 min and add the onions, peppers, tomatoes and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 mins until the veg begins to soften.Add the lemon zest, half the basil and wine. Bring to the boil, reduce the hear and simmer for 5 mins. Place the fish on top of the veg and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until the fish is cooked.Scatter over your remaining basil leaves and finish with lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices. Find out what's on at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2023 Find out more about the BBC Good Food Show Summer

Celebrate Barnsdale Gardens 40th Anniversary at BBC Gardeners World Live! The Barnsdale Gardens team will be continuing their 40th Anniversary celebrations at BBC Gardeners World Live this summer. The Barnsdale show piece will bring elements of the last 40 years together. Much of the display is still ‘top secret’, however, we can tell you that there will be an area highlighting the ‘Mediterranean Garden’ and ‘Cutting Garden’ from Barnsdale. These will include plants such as Pittosporum, Elymus, Stipa tenuissima, Hylotelephium, Dianella, Rosmarinus, Hebe and Eryngium because of their drought tolerance and suitability as cut flowers. Barnsdale Gardens will also be showcasing cottage garden plants such as roses (including the ‘Geoff Hamilton’), perennial Potentilla, Geum, x Heucherella, Anemanthele, Achillea, Philadelphus, Physocarpus, Stipa gigantea, Alchemilla, Geranium, Lychnis, Spiraea, Nepeta, Helenium and many more!On Saturday 17th June, Nick Hamilton will be presenting on the “Let’s Talk Plants” Stage in the Floral Marquee hosted by David Hurrion.There will also be a signing session by Nick of his book ‘The Right Genes’ on Saturday 17th June. This book tells the tale of growing up as the son of a visionary of sustainable gardening. Geoff Hamilton was a firm believer and pioneer in peat-free and organic gardening, this ethos continues at Barnsdale today. ‘The Right Genes’ is a witty, happy and joyful excursion into the weird and wonderful journey of the Hamilton family. It shows how the lives of a father and son can follow the same pattern and ultimately mirror each other. What's on at BBC Gardeners' World Live Discover what's on in the Floral Marquee

Find out more about the inspiration behind Sue Kent's Beautiful Border Sue Kent is an award-winning garden designer, TV presenter and RHS disability ambassador. You’ll be able to see her ‘My Escape’ Beautiful Border at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023. She first hit our screens in June 2020 as an amateur gardener when she featured on BBC Gardeners’ World, talking about the beautiful garden she has created at home in Swansea over the last 30 years. Sue’s upper body limb disability makes some gardening tasks challenging and she discussed adaptations she has made to make the most of her garden, like using her feet for weeding and planting. Sue’s home video proved such a hit that she is now a regular presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World.Sue has designed a headline Beautiful Border for BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023. Unique to BBC Gardeners’ Word Live, Beautiful Borders are compact 9m2 spaces, packed with imaginative design features, planting and materials, and provide inspiration for small gardens and challenging spaces.Sue Kent’s Beautiful Border, In the Pink, will be at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC from 15th-18th June 2023.You’ll find a bumper crop of twelve inspiring Beautiful Borders at the Autumn Fair this year, all themed ‘My Garden Escape’ Sue, the theme for this year’s Beautiful Borders at BBC Gardeners’ World Live is My Garden Escape. Your design pays tribute to three of your great loves: colour, scent and painting. Can you tell us more about it and about the ways that, for you, a garden is a haven to escape to?Pink is my favourite colour, scented flowers are my joy, and painting flowers is my escape. My Border will encapsulate all three of these things with bright pink flower colour fusing to white pink and many scented blooms. My Border will include glass art and an area for an artist to paint. I hope to include roses, perennials and annuals, possibly some grasses.A flower garden is a gift for the senses and becoming aware of scent, colour, texture and, in some cases, taste of a plant, together with the sound and sight of insect life that plants attract demands the attention and releases the mind. I like to pick flower heads to study and paint in detail. By doing this, I learn more of what their individual beauty can offer to a planting scheme. This creative process is fascinating and absorbing, and before I know it, the stresses of everyday life have disappeared.  Visitors to BBC Gardeners’ World Live come to the show with a keen eye for ideas and inspiration. Which elements of your Garden Escape Border do you think might attract visitors’ attention for their gardens at home? Colour affects our energies and emotions. By keeping to one colour in all its shades, I am creating a space for visitors to absorb and assess how that colour makes them feel. Pink always makes me very happy so if they’re looking for pink plants for a mixed border, my Border will be packed full of inspiring flower form, colour and scent. The Beautiful Borders competition is a great opportunity to gain first-hand experience of building a small show garden. What advice can you give any budding first-time designers out there that might be thinking of giving it a go next year? My advice is to be flexible on your plant choices with options available so that you can get the best plants in on the day. Plan on graph paper and make a sketch or painting for how you want it to look. If you’ve got the space, mock it up, and measure and measure again to get the proportions right. Before planting the border, put your glasses on and pimp your plants! Remember to include transportation and dismantling costs in your budget. For anyone keen to try designing a Beautiful Border, come and talk to me. I’ll be on my Border at various times every day during the show and will be doing a daily talk on the Let’s Talk Plants stage about my Border design and inspiration. You’re a keen veg grower with a strong history of veg growing in your family. What’s the appeal of growing your own food and what’s on the menu for the coming season? I’m an organic grower. I want my food free from pesticides and I want to know how it’s been grown. I also love to eat vegetables and the taste of fresh homegrown vegetables is second to none. As well as the usual suspects this year, I’m growing a lot of beans to dry so that I will have my own pulses through the winter months. I’m also trying hibiscus so that I can make my own hibiscus tea.  As a passionate advocate for inclusion and accessibility in the gardening world, what are some of the changes that you would you like to see in the coming years to broaden access to gardening to people living with disabilities? I am still researching this subject with the RHS but some of my initial thoughts are that I think there should be more journalism opportunities for people with disabilities in the garden publications to write about gardening. What suits them can often make gardening easier for others. At the garden shows, I’d like to see a quiet time set aside for people with physical disabilities, people with autism who don’t like crowds, and importantly, for wheelchair users, so they can get a good view of the gardens. Also trained volunteers to accompany people with visual impairment and provide descriptive input where necessary and the opportunity to touch the exhibits. On a personal level, I would like to work with tool manufacturers to improve designs of some of their tools and to create some new ones.  Find out more about Sue Kent here: www.suekent.com Find out what's on at the BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair Find out more about Sue Kent's In the Pink Beautiful Border

An interview with Lucy Hutchings Lucy Hutchings is a couture jewellery designer turned edible garden designer, homesteader and gardening influencer (@shegrowsveg) with a passion for GYO, and designing The Secret Homestead at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Lucy believes that the GYO movement needs a rebrand to encourage the Instagram generation to try their hand at growing their own food, and she’s here to help. With more than 167,000 Instagram followers, a sustainable gardening school, and an exciting edible Show Garden design for BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023, Lucy’s on a mission to get Great Britain growing. Lucy and her partner, Arctic adventurer and chef Mike Keen, have transformed a tumbledown wooden 1940s house in Suffolk, restoring both the house and its 1.5 acre site into Cedarwood Homestead, an oasis of fruit and veg and a hotbed of culinary experimentation. But don’t mention the Good Life!  Lucy Hutching’s Show Garden, The Secret Homestead, will be at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC from 15th-18th June 2023. Visit the We Grow Stage to see daily talks on all things grow your own. Find out more here. Lucy, the ethos you have created at Cedarwood is a wonderful fusion of you and your partner Mike’s careers in design, food and travel, and the hard graft of being self-sufficient. Will The Secret Homestead be a glimpse into what you’ve created in Suffolk – a mini Cedarwood perhaps? You will definitely see references to Cedarwood in The Secret Homestead garden and that was part of the reason I chose the name, to draw those parallels right from the beginning. Coming from a background in the fashion industry, the aesthetics of edible gardens have always been as important to me as their productivity. I don’t think they have to be purely utilitarian spaces, they can be beautiful, dreamy spaces too. That was the ethos I set out with when designing Cedarwood. Yes, we wanted to become more self-sufficient and live as sustainably as possible, but we also want to create a beautiful environment that we would enjoy spending time in.I approached the design of The Secret Homestead garden with the same goal in mind. I wanted the garden to at first appear purely ornamental, with dramatic black, purple and white foliage and pops of coral orange, hot pink and jet black from flowers and stems. On closer exploration you discover a mix of both conventional and lesser known edible plants proving that this garden does in fact offer an abundance of food as well as a feast for the eyes.  Just as the plants in the borders fulfil a dual purpose, so do the decorative elements of the garden, some of which are recreated exactly from what we built at Cedarwood. I have incorporated a wall sculpture mushroom garden, a mini version of our underground root cellar, complete with door painted by designer Lucy Tiffany, a sculpture come wildlife habitat I will be making myself. I will even be making jewel encrusted mosaic paving tiles inspired by the jewellery I used to create. Every part of the garden is beautiful and every part is useful. To get more people giving home growing a go, you’ve said that you think something has to change. What does next gen GYO look like for you? There has never been a better time for people to embrace growing food. It is real step in the right direction of a more sustainable life, reducing food miles, single use plastics and dependence on intensive farming. It also increases food security in a time of soaring food prices and shop shelves emptied by panic buying. All that before you consider the myriad mental and physical health benefits. Additionally, GYO is arguably the most accessible part of gardening, everyone can get excited about food, therefore everyone has the potential to get excited about growing some of it. GYO tends to be portrayed as having a fairly home spun and traditional image which is a lovely part of British heritage, Dig For Victory, the dungaree wearing allotmenteer, Tom and Barbara’s back garden Good Life. However, there are a huge number of people with whom this traditional vibe simply does not resonate at all.With that in mind, I think it’s time that GYO got a makeover or if not a makeover, at least have an alternative image presented that might appeal to a new audience, one that may not have considered it otherwise, after all only good can come from more people growing plants. If we are going to get more people growing food, we need to find a way to make edible gardens appeal to ornamental gardeners, house plant lovers, those with limited space who don’t want to have to choose between form and function, and let’s not forget the foodies. My aim is to try to break down the divide that so often seems to separate ornamental gardening with food growing and offer an entirely different view of what a food garden might look like. There are so many traditionally ornamental plants that also offer incredible and underutilized food crops as well as myriad highly ornamental forms of more conventional food crops. When you get rid of the idea of rectangular raised beds with rows of perfect cabbages, marrows and leeks, and start approaching edible planting just as you would an ornamental border, you can start to create some really exciting dual-purpose spaces For visitors to BBC Gardeners’ World Live that might be new to GYO, are there elements of The Secret Homestead that would be simple to try at home in the garden or for a small growing patch? I am approaching the creation of this garden in a very different way. I want to take the Gardeners’ World Live audience on this journey with me and show firstly just what goes into creating a beautiful garden for the show but mainly, by sharing this journey with me, I want people to see that it is possible to do a part or all of what I’m doing. I will be growing almost all the plants for the garden myself from seed and am sharing a weekly video diary on Instagram so that people can watch the progress of the plants, following their journey all the way from tiny seed to being planted up at the NEC in June. I will be building the sculptural elements of the garden myself and sharing how you can create something similar. I will even be building the garden myself including everything from laying slabs to planting semi mature trees. Yes it is going to be a huge amount of work, with many highs and lows, but this is what I love doing and I hope that by sharing my journey to BBC Gardeners’ World Live, I will get people just as excited as I am and hopefully give them the confidence to roll up their sleeves and create their own dream food garden. Heirloom veg varieties are one of your great loves, particularly tomatoes. Can you tell us more about the appeal of growing these old-fashioned veg, and will they be a feature of The Secret Homestead at BBC Gardeners’ World Live?As a general rule, if you are growing food, you are primarily doing it for the flavour. We all know nothing quite compares to the taste of a home grown tomato! Heritage crops have been grown for hundreds of years on the basis of how good they taste as opposed to modern hybrids which are generally designed to solve a problem such as disease resistance, early cropping or high yields. Yes, they can taste good but I’m yet to find a hybrid that tastes better than an heirloom variety. Hybrids will always have a place, especially in commercial food production, or for those living in parts of the country that offer a more challenging growing environment or short season. However, for the vast majority of people in the UK, heritage or heirloom varieties will perform equally well and offer advantages over and above their hybrid friends.Self-sufficiency does not just cover food, growing heritage and heirloom plants allows you to save seed. Sadly, you can’t save seed from hybrids (often referred to as F1s), it’s an unstable cross that will not be the same as the plant you saved it from and may grow to be something you really don’t like or does not perform well. Open pollinated heirlooms will grow true to the plant they were saved from. You are then in a situation where you can buy one packet of seed and then never have to buy it again, saving you money. It also presents the opportunity to swap and share with friends and the wider community so that others can grow a plant that you have really loved, and I think that is a really beautiful thing. Each heirloom comes with a history, a story, and when you start to grow one of these varieties you become part of that story. Plus, if we don’t grow these amazing plants, they will become extinct. You don’t generally associate the idea of extinction with the humble vegetable, but it is a real problem since the rise of the hybrid. This is why I have been proud to be an ambassador for the Heritage Seed Library for a number of years now. I want to help as many people as possible fall just as in love with heirloom varieties as I have. You’ll be hosting some fantastic talks from your show garden during BBC Gardeners’ World Live about the joys and the practicalities of growing your own food. You’ll be joined by a gang of gardening influencers that share your passion for GYO. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?I’m so excited about this part of the show and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. There is a whole new generation of gardeners that prefer to learn through knowledge sharing and personal experience on social media rather than traditional gardening book and print media. There is an incredible and very active global community of gardeners online that I feel privileged to be part of, with an absolute wealth of knowledge and experience they are hungry to share. It’s a bit like the world’s biggest gardening group but without the monthly village hall meetings. I’m really excited to be working with BBC Gardeners’ World Live to create this new area for talks right next to my show garden and give this community an in real life place to come together.   We will have a host of fascinating and well-respected people talking about subjects that possibly don’t get addressed as much at gardening shows, but that are hot topics of discussion online. We will be looking at everything from permaculture, mushroom growing and small space garden design, to foraging, no-dig, apothecary gardens and more. I will be hosting the stage and also talking myself so it should be a really exciting area to come, learn something new and chat to like-minded gardeners. In the current challenging economic times with food bills rising, is GYO a money-saver?We live in scary times at the moment, twice in recent history our food security has been threatened, with empty supermarket shelves in the pandemic and now with seemingly ever rising food prices. Growing some of your food can be really empowering and yes it can help to lower those grocery bills. It’s not going to be a complete solution to the problems we are facing but there is always a way to grow some sort of food, whether it be micros greens or window boxes full of salad and herbs. It is realistic, achievable and can be approached cheaply. Anything that people can grow for themselves increases their food security and puts them back in a little bit of control. Additionally, it is a genuine way to make life more sustainable which is another thing we are all looking for at the moment. Really there is no way to lose when embracing food growing, you just need to discover the way that fits best with your life, be realistic and find crops that work best for you. To find out more about Lucy, visit @shegrowsveg on Instagram, or visit https://shegrowsveg.com/ Sign up to the BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair newsletter Find garden inspiration from BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair 2022

Time to sow: Spring Onions! Grow your own spring onions for a quick and easy way to freshen up your home cooking, with tips from our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. Packed with flavour, we’ve got the perfect recipe to use them in, from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022.  This spring, make plans for your plot with spring onions. Perfect for salads, stir fries and much more, spring onions are an easy to grow, delicious crop to get growing, that take up a small space. Read below for garden know-how from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. What’s more, find out more about a tasty casarecce pasta with tomato sauce recipe, using your spring onions, from the BBC Good Food Show Summer in 2022. Sowing peas Sow your seeds straight into the ground in place that gets lots of sun and rich, well-drained soil. Clear any weeds, add a good fertiliser in advance. Before sowing, rake the soil to a fine texture.Seeds can be sown in drills 20mm deep and 10cm apart.You can also sow the seeds in trays and wait for seedlings to develop before planting out into the garden. When the seedlings begin to show, thin them out up to 5cm apart. Make sure they’re well-watered and don’t let the soil dry out. For harvests of spring onions through the year, sow a batch of seeds every few weeks from spring to autumn. Harvesting and storage You should be ready to harvest your spring onions eight weeks after sowing. Before pulling up the bulbs, fork the soil around the plants to ease up the soil.Once picked, eat your spring onions soon after being harvested for the best flavour. Casarecce pasta with tomato sauce recipe This recipe is from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022, as seen on the Italian Kitchen from Adam Bush, with a recipe from Olive Magazine. This recipe is vegan, and only takes 15 minutes to make. Serves 2Ingredients250g cherry tomatoes, halved3 spring onions, finely chopped4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil3 tbsp red wine vinegar4-5 dashes hot sauce200g casareccea few basil leaves, torn MethodMix together the cherry tomatoes, spring onions, olive oil, vinegar and hot sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.Bring to the boil a large pan of salted water. Once boiling, add the casarecce and cook until al dente. Add 1-2 tbsp of the cooking water to your bowl of mixed ingredients before draining the pasta.Drain the pasta and toss in with the sauce. Sprinkle over the torn basil and serve. Sign up to the BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair newsletter Find garden inspiration from BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair 2022

Grow your own peas and tuck into a delicious lasagne You’ll never go back to frozen peas! Try growing flavoursome home-grown peas to freshen up your recipes. Our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine are on hand with growing tips, and you won’t want to miss a delicious lasagne recipe for your peas from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022. Peas are a a great staple to add to your vegetable plot. Used in a great many recipes, you’ll be able to elevate your cooking with peas that pack a punch in flavour. Read below for garden know-how from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. Plus, a broken lasagne recipe using courgette, peas and mint from the BBC Good Food Show Summer in 2022. Sowing peas Between March and early June you can sow peas in a sunny, well-drained spot. Use plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure to improve the soil.Make a shallow trench using a hoe or spade, 22cm wide and 3cm deep. Sow the peas in two parallel lines, with seeds about 10cm apart.Next, cover the seeds with soil and water well. The seedlings should appear in one or two weeks. Planting out peas When planting out peas, put supports in place while they’re still young, for the pea shoots to wrap themselves aroungLarge twigs, known as pea sticks, can be used, or a row of netting. Harvesting and storage Harvest about three months after sowing. For the best flavour, pick and use straight away. You can keep peas for a week in the fridge, or if you have space, put in your freezer to keep for longer. Broken lasagne with courgette, pea and mint This recipe is from the BBC Good Food Show Summer 2022, as seen on the Italian Kitchen from Samuel Goldsmith, Food Copy Editor, BBC Good Food Magazine. Serves 4Ingredients240g dried lasagne sheets, broken into large pieces200g mangetout120g garden peas2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp1 courgette, sliced in half lengthways and cut into 1cm half moons1/4 tsp chilli flakes1 lemon, zested and juiced50g parmesan, grated plus extra to serve15g butter10g fresh mint, roughly chopped MethodBoil a a large pan of salted water, add the broken lasagne sheets and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until al dente. Add the mangetout and peas for the lasting 2 minutes and drain. Keep around 200ml of the pasta water.Next, place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, the courgettes, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and softened. Then, add chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.In a large bowl, mix the lemon zest and juice, parmesan, butter and remaining olive oil. Season with black pepper. Add the pasta, mangetout, peas and courgettes to the bowl, with 100ml of the pasta water and toss. Add more pasta water if the mixture looks dry. The butter and parmesan should melt into a silky sauce, coating the pasta.Stir in the mint and then serve up in four bowls, with a sprinkle of parmesan.  Find out what's on at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2023 Find out more about the BBC Good Food Show Summer

An interview with Paul Stone We caught up with Paul Stone, designer of the headline ‘A Garden Fit for a King’ Show Garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023 and The Theatre of Greens at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair 2023.Paul Stone is an award-winning garden designer based in Cornwall where he helped create the acclaimed Eden Project gardens. Paul has won awards at Chelsea and Hampton Court, and three Platinum Awards and Best in Show at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, including for The Nostalgia Garden, which celebrated BBC Gardeners’ World’s 50th Anniversary in 2017. Paul has designed the headline Show Garden for BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023, A Garden Fit for a King, which marks the Coronation of HM The King Charles III. The Show Garden is inspired by the gardens and Arboretum at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, and celebrates His Majesty’s passion for gardening and the environment.Paul Stone’s A Garden Fit for a King will be at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC from 15th-18th June 2023. Paul is also designing the Theatre of Greens at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair 2023. Play Video A Garden FIT FOR A KING The Theatre of greens The Interview Paul, this is no ordinary show garden you’re creating! Is this the most significant/ambitious design you’ve ever worked on and what can you tell us about it? At 15m x 15m, A Garden Fit for a King will larger than most Chelsea Main Avenue Show Gardens. However, this Show Garden’s ethos seeks to be all about plants and people living simply and harmoniously, side by side. As a result of this theme, the content is deliberately simplistic and designed to leave a low carbon footprint in its creation at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2023. The display is inspired by Highgrove’s gardening ambitions and projects but does not set out to copy any feature in the gardens there. Instead, I have mixed Highgrove elements into one scene that tells the story of an approach to gardening and living that is all about investment in the environment, the love of plants, and the resulting benefits to us all at so many levels. HRH The King is well-known for being a keen, hands-on gardener at Highgrove and a knowledgeable plantsman. To what extent has he been involved in or has inspired the Show Garden’s design and how will his ethos for organic, sustainable gardening be reflected? I’ve met the then Prince Charles on a number of occasions and his commitment and love of gardening is without question. I felt the biggest tribute I could give in celebration of his Coronation would be to concentrate and credit his specific contribution to his renovation of the Highgrove Gardens and the resulting impact on the gardening community. Back in 1980, the then Prince Charles voiced and demonstrated his passion for naturalist and environmentally-friendly gardening. Also, for using the land to the benefit of people, wildlife and plants at a time when sustainability was not on the agenda for most agricultural and horticultural projects and activities. He received a lot of criticism from many quarters with vested interests in land management. There was also an attempt to ridicule his open avocation that it was all round a good thing to talk to flowers, to hug and shake hands with a tree, and whisper good luck to a tree when you planted it. Any true gardener will recognize this connection with people and plants. History has shown that by standing up and speaking honestly about such things, HRH The King has made a brave and big contribution to education and public perception of how an individual has responsibility to themselves and the world around them. The standout feature of A Garden Fit for a King will be that everything in it has a connected purpose and design. Habitats for sun and shade, dry and damp, trees and wildflowers, all combining for a setting that is good for the soul but also for the living things that support and are supported within. I have heard HRH The King say that a very important thing about Highgrove, about what he does there and what I believe him to be recommending to us all – is to trust in Nature. It’s important to me that A Garden Fit for a King delivers this message. Woodland is another of The King’s passions and Highgrove’s own Arboretum is a haven for biodiversity. Can we expect to see trees feature prominently in your Show Garden? The Woodland ecosystem is another of the King’s passions. A Garden Fit for a King gives a nod to that with a range of classic native woodland trees on display including Cherry and Beech but is also inspired by the Highgrove Arboretum collection. It is a feature of the Highgrove Garden planting style that there is attention to detail with added value for ornamental interest and effect. At Highgrove, the Arboretum contains many non-native species and in our display, Magnolia and Japanese Maple are typical of what you will see at Highgrove, mixed into the planting matrix. My resource of trees is from Hillier specialist tree nursery and I assure some fine specimens will be on display in this garden! The Wildflower Meadow at Highgrove was created by HRH The King Charles III in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of HM The Queen’s Coronation. It features more than 70 plant varieties and we understand that some of those same plants will feature in A Garden Fit for a King. Can you tell us more?  The award winning wildflower meadows at Highgrove commemorating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary are recognised in our display. They are of course a fundamental element of sustainable, environmentally-friendly gardening. A Garden Fit for A King will have a carpet of annual and perennial wildflowers and grasses in profusion. Beneath the trees in dry shady areas, Campanula, Digitalis, Geranium and Lamium are included. In open sunny spots, Achillea, Knautia, and Hawkweed will be amongst the perennials. Most of these plants will come from British Wildflower Plants Ltd of Norfolk. The annuals Cornflower, Echium, Corn Marigold, Ox eye Daisy will be amongst many old favourites on display. The annuals are being grown in 500 trays and will be delivered to the NEC by specialist nursery Kernock Plants Ltd in Cornwall and delivered by articulated lorry one week before the show opens on 15th June. It’s all about pollination, bees, insects and regeneration of the land. Requiring no chemicals, fertilizer or insecticides, the land is enriched with its own cycle and enhanced by sympathetic maintenance that mostly involves cutting down vegetation once or twice a year and removing the arisings to maintain low soil fertility. Around the boggy Reed bed Withy, more specialist wildflowers like Hemp Agrimony and the reed Phragmites will appear in the function of sewage water filtration treatment, turning ammonia to nitrates just like at Highgrove. Centrally there is a winding grass lawn pathway and open space but this will also include species of wildflower that don’t mind being mown regularly like vetch, yarrow and Daisy. Made in Birmingham Garden designed by Paul Stone at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2018 HRH has been a vocal critic of modern architecture. Can you tell us why it was important to you to include a Bothy in your design? Just as in gardening, HRH The King has had his well-publicised views on architecture under scrutiny in the past. His spiritual crusade against huge blank impersonal buildings – “monstrous carbuncles”- has been another part of his contribution to public perception. In A Garden Fit for a King, I have included a simple traditional Bothy building within the landscape. This lovely garden feature is greatly inspired by the manufacturers’ website which states: “Designers and builders of special spaces for special places. A harmonious fusion between landscape and architecture drives our antecedent heritage style, whilst being super kind to the environment.” The Bothy is made entirely from natural stone and timber. Visitors will be able to go inside and see its fully-furnished bedroom, kitchen and lounge. This garden building is unique in that it is available to the public in pre-built kit form. It will be delivered to the show ready-made and craned into position! No on-site building, no waste and everything removed back to the showroom at the end of BBC Gardeners’ World Live. We hope it meets with HRH’s approval! The Archers inspired floral feature by Paul Stone at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2022 Paul, you are well-known for your inclusive approach when building gardens, often involving others from the gardening community. Are any particularly groups or organisations involved in the creation of this special Coronation garden? Alongside my specialist team, I am hoping that I will meet up again with some old friends and collaborators who have assisted me in the past and achieved great work and high award Show Gardens. Wildflower expert Paul Pulford from the charity Providence Road Homeless Association will be in charge of that part of the project. Paul has worked with me at two Chelsea Flower Shows and in 2016 at BBC Gardeners’ World Live when we planted a meadow in front of a narrow boat canal scene. He and I were both involved in the creation of the roof garden on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank London where today he continues to help other excluded people get benefit from gardening and horticulture with his London-based Grounded Ecotherapy gardening team. Also Liz Brace from Knowle who has assisted me on two gardens with help from her Flowers from the Farm connections. I am also hoping that the Solihull Mind gardening team that worked on my 2018 Show Garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Live will join the planting team this time round. BBC Gardeners’ World Live is special at enabling me to give opportunity to individuals who really get inspiration and personal wellbeing from contributing to the creation of such a project. What practical ideas or elements can visitors to BBC Gardeners’ World Live take home after visiting A Garden Fit for a King and replicate easily in their own gardens? Just as I find car maintenance unfathomable, I appreciate that gardening is a big challenge in its complexity. I am looking to inspire just by using beautiful plants in great combination. I want people to challenge what a ‘weed’ actually is and consider that any plant large or small can be an important contributor to an ecosystem. I would like people to experiment with wildflowers which are easy to establish and then learn how to maintain long term which is trickier. My suppliers, British Wild Flower Plants, Kernock Plants, Pictorial Meadows Ltd and Hillier Nurseries will be able to help on that. I would like people to consider that perfect mown grass lawns are not a great idea in these changing times and that there is an opportunity to contribute to the environment in most outdoor spaces – with a bottom line motto and belief – to trust in Nature – and invest in it. Some lucky people may wish to own the beautiful Bothy and the supplier, Bonnie Boltholes Ltd, would be delighted to help with that. Seeing plants working to a clear purpose like the reed bed filtration system may also inspire some and we will have a composting system on display. I hope that the combination of all the aspects and contents of the Show Garden will promote the idea of gardening without artificial, manmade products and will promote organic, sustainable research and practice. Make sure to see Paul Stone’s headline ‘A Garden Fit for a King’ at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, from 15-18 June at the NEC, Birmingham, and his ‘Theatre of Greens’ at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair from 28-30 April at Beaulieu, Hampshire.Find out more about Paul Stone here. Read more about A Garden Fit for a King FIND OUT MORE Discover The Theatre of Greens Find out more

Treat someone special this Mother’s Day If you’re looking for a gift for Sunday 19 March, we’ve cultivated a full list of treats to suit every style and budget. From smaller gardening accessories to big ticket items to make a statement, you’ll find have plenty to choose from.  This wish-list of gifts are all available online, from exhibitors you’ll be able to meet and buy from, across the BBC Gardeners’ World this year. Will you be shopping at BBC Gardeners’ World Live or the BBC Gardeners’ World Fairs in 2023? Please note that all gifts are subject to availability and delivery times of independent suppliers may vary.  The gift of a great day out! Tickets make a great gift for anyone with green fingers, a day to look forward to!   With the flagship BBC Gardeners’ World Live (Birmingham’s NEC, 15-18 June); the boutique BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair (Beaulieu in Hampshire, 28-30 April), and the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair (Audley End House & Garden in Essex, 1-3 September) which day out will you choose this year? Spring fair AUTUMN FAIR BBC GARDENERS' woRLD LIVE Leon Boots Co – Ultra Light Ankle Boots£39.99ULTRALIGHT ladies’ ankle boots – not just great for working out in the garden or walking dogs across the moors, these unique boots also make great everyday footwear, come rain or shine.With 6 lovely colours to choose from, you’ll find a style to suit. Stand G60: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Ecosure – Extra Large Classic Planter in Millstone£153Help her showcase this year’s blooms with a large planter that’s rotationally molded to ensure it’s strong, durable and can tolerate all weather conditions. A great choice for anyone who has a love for bare root plants such as fruit trees, roses and shrubs. Stand G140: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring FairStand E282: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Traditional Garden Growers – Natural Wool Pellets£9.99Improve your produce in a sustainable way by using wool pellets. Only needing a single application each year, they enhance the soil as they degrade and feed plants naturally. Easy to store and apply, this environmentally friendly option is made from 100% British wool and boast many benefits, including moisture retention, increased soil porosity, long acting fertiliser and slug deterrent.  Stand G130: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW QWiCKHOSE – Starter Set£39.99The unique wing-lock hose connector that won’t pop off! The Qwickhose Starter Set makes a fantastic gift for the enthusiastic gardener, with no breakable teeth making for an easy connection – simply push your hose on to the inner-tube, clamp the wings shut and secure with the nut. This starter set includes two award-winning, wing-lock connectors, one standard and one No-Flow, tap connector, nozzle spray end and a space saving wall mount to keep your accessories neat and tidy. Stand G98: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Arthur & Luna – Plantable Cards£2.50Show her how you feel with a card that’s both pretty and practical. Each card is embedded with up to 24 types of wildflower seeds and is made from post consumer cotton waste, meaning no trees are harmed in production. Simply tear, soak, plant and grow! For each order placed, Arthur & Luna also plant a tree on your behalf. Stand G112: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Acre Holt – Garden Wrap£260-275Made from thorn-proof tweed and leather, this wrap-around garden belt has pockets for string, seeds and secateurs, and even D-rings to hang your tools from. Totally unique, comfortable, made in Somerset and designed to last a lifetime. Personalise it with an initialled leather tag to order. Stand G12: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Lincolnshire Pond Plants – Damsel & Dragonfly pack£12.99Make any pond an even more enticing environment for damsel and dragonflies with pond emergent plants, including blue flag irises and water plantain. For those who prefer amphibians, there’s also a Frog & Newt seed pack! Stand FM28: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Hortiwool£39.99Hortiwool’s 100% compostable all-season, multi-use garden pads have many benefits around the garden, thanks to the natural properties of wool. Use them to line pots, planters, or hanging baskets for extra hydration, deter slugs, to add nutrition to soil, protect from frost and much more. Stand G172: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Hardy’s Plants – Paeonia lactiflora ‘Mothers Choice’£24‘Mother’s Choice’ Peony has stunning double cream blooms with a sensational pink flush and it exudes a delightful perfume. Superb for a cutting garden or for your flower beds and borders. Stand F13: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring FairStand FM12: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Rum & Reggae – Serious Honey Rum£29.95Let the wonders of British wildlife enter your drinks trolley as well as your garden. A smooth Caribbean rum infused with warming kitchen spices and a drizzle of premium woodland honey produced by rescued bees in the Exe Valley. Delicious over ice or with fresh apple juice and lemonade, best enjoyed outdoors with friends. Stand GF64: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW SeeHow£47.99Inside SeeHow you will find 140 beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of popular garden plants showing month-by-month how they grow and flower over the whole calendar-year. Play with flower choices and create a garden full of year-round colour.. Stand G16: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW The Seaside Jungle Co. – Air Plant Jellyfish£12-20A variety of Air Plants suspended from Urchin shells by a cotton thread. Air Plants love light spots without direct sun, an require a bathe in water once every two weeks. Available in three sizes, Medium £12 , Large £15 and Extra Large £20. Stand F31: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Olive & Olive – Large Adeline Galvanised Garden Tray£40Galvanised metal trays with contrasting metal handles with a gold finish. Versatile use both indoors and outdoors, available in three sizes (large size pictured) and great for those who love to entertain.For those who prefer a different look, Natural White Limed Rattan Trays are also available. Stand G108: BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair BUY NOW Rockart – British Bird Collection£19.50-25.99Hand-made sculptures made from steel wire and colourful beads to create a whole host of British Birds – including robin, blue tit, goldfinch, blackbird and thrush. Stand G32: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Plant Supports – Rustic Peony Cone £30.59 The Rustic Peony Cone provides protection and support for those taller peonies that produce huge and beautiful heads on slim and wind-vulnerable stems. 1m high in a natural rustic finish, the cones also add architectural interest over the winter months. Stand E224: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Glass Garden Art – White Echinacea£450A unique piece of handcrafted stained glass art. Wispy white semi-transparent glass combines with tranquil greens and rich gold cathedral glass to create a beautiful, contemporary focal point for any outside space. Set in a bespoke steel frame, it is fully weatherproof adding year round colour. Stand G164: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW Home & Garden Extras – Garden Pride Trug Trolley£39.99A carrier for water, compost, and garden tools, the trolley self-levels, ensuring the contents will always remain upright. Easier than a wheelbarrow with no lifting required, the frame folds flat when not in use, making for easy storage. The trolley also includes a 45-litre trug with measurements in both litres and gallons, making it suitable for mixing and pouring. Stand G144: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring FairStands E400 & E408: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW InColour Designs – Hand-Printed Glass Tealight Votives£39.99Add a touch of colour with hand-painted tealight votives. Available in a variety of designs, as well as round or tapered styles, all are supplied with a tealight candle.  Stand AC16: BBC Gardeners’ World Live BUY NOW Laces & Co – Super Snack Sized Gourmet Sweet Bags£3.50 A choice for those with a sweet tooth, after toiling in the garden! Packaged in compostable recyclable 4 polymer packaging and available in 3 flavours (Super Gummy, Super Fizzy, Super Vegan). With 6 colours to choose from, you’ll find a style to suit. Stand GF72: BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair BUY NOW More to discover at BBC Gardeners' World Live... Find more gardening inspiration See what's in store at the Fair