February '24 in the Garden

Dig It - Discussions on Gardening Topics

It’s February and the garden is starting to awake. In this edition of Dig It Peter Brown and Chris Day bring us the latest events, plants and people making the headlines as well as some topical advice on getting the best from your garden this month.

What’s on

1st - 29th February: Snowdrop season at Waterperry Gardens featuring over 60 different snowdrop varieties. Gardens open 10am - 5pm.

3rd February: Graft and Grow Day at Buckingham Garden Centre and held in conjunction with The Mid-Shires Orchard Group, 10am - 4pm. Scion wood swap, fruit tree grafting demos, rootstocks, and fruit trees to buy and much more.

3rd February - 10th March: Explore RHS Wisley's glasshouses for their annual Houseplant Takeover with the theme 'Plants Before Time'.

8th February - 1 May: Danger and Desire: The Seductive Power of Orchids. Exhibition at RHS Wisley.

Saturday 10th February: ‘Golden and Delicious - Edwardian Gardens’ A lecture by Caroline Holmes. Writtle University College, Writtle. 11.30am - 13.30pm.

Top selling potatoes in 2023 1st Charlotte (2nd early) 2nd Desire (main) 3rd Kestrel (2nd) 4th Cara (main) 5th Arran Piot (1st).

Plant mentions: Arbutus unedo, Betula (Himalayan birch), Broad beans, Dogwoods including ‘Midwinter Fire’ (Cornus) Hardy orchids, Fargesia (clump forming bamboo), Hedera (ivy), Mahonia, Mentha (mint), bedding Geraniums, Garlic, Sweet peas, Lettuce, Chinese money plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica Braided and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis).

People, places and product mentions: Ashridge Forest, Gertrude Jekyll, Edwardian Garden style, Georgian Parks and Gardens Round-Up weedkiller, Kathy Brown’s Garden featured on BBC Gardeners’ World, Landscape weed-suppressing fabric, Melcourt peat-free composts, houseplants fill one of the Malvern Garden Buildings at the Garden Centre, Nest boxes, Tim Chafor, Composted Bark and Hot Bin Composting.

News

Dormice under threat from wetter weather and climate change.

Bamboo is the new Japanese knotweed.

Kew experts predict horticultural trends

Grapes in, apples out – RHS predicts garden trends as climate changes

Bumper year for British wine growers as output almost doubles.

Dutch growers benefit from increased energy subsidies.

The Dutch Flower Association acknowledges peat-free growing medium for the first time.

First skatepark incorporated into a Chelsea Flower Show garden sparks debate

A Tasmanian garden wins the world’s ugliest lawn competition (video)

DEFRA launches Forest of the National competition with the overall winner receiving £10m to fund their project.

The RHS launches an AI chatbot called Chatbotanist to provide advice for members through their phone or PC

Oldest fungal plant named after children’s book author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter.

Biochar start-up Earthly Biochar has come up with a government-funded project that’s setting out to help save Britain's ash trees.

New Mr Fothergill’s wildlife seed mix launched by BBC Children in Need.

New findings suggest flowers are evolving to self-pollinate

2023 was a record year for the National Garden Scheme

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music

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