Show Notes
In this Episode David and Peter chat about seed swaps, snow drops and our top 5 houseplants. Events and Places to Visit: 18th Bletchley Seed swap is happening on 14 February 2026 - 10-2pm Address: Freeman Memorial Methodist Church Hall, Buckingham Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 5HH just £1 entry Gatton Park Snowdrop Open Day Sunday 01 February 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm. The Park and gardens are open to view a spectacular display of snowdrops. Heralds of spring and a sure sign that warmer weather is on the way. Gardens open 12 noon – 5pm Online booking: £7 adult, children free. On the day: £9 adult, children free, subject to availability Hole Park Snowdrop & Plant Fair Sunday, February 1st at Hole Park Gardens, Benenden Road, Rolvenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 4JA. From 11:00 am. Entry Cost: £8 per Adult and £2.50 per child (aged 5-17 years). Under 5’s enter free of charge. Tickets include entry to Hole Park Gardens. With more than a dozen dedicated growers and nurseries from across the South East. Hole Park's garden team will also be on hand to answer your gardening queries and the Coach House Tea Room will be open for refreshments.
The Bishop's Palace Snowdrop Month Daily from Sunday, February 1st, throughout February. Address: The Bishop's Palace & Gardens, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PD. From 10am to 4pm daily. Entry Cost: Standard admission is £15 for adults, £7 for children (5-17 years), under 5s free. This ticket is valid for 12 months. Explore 14 acres of RHS partner gardens with extensive snowdrop displays and winter borders using a printed guide. Colesbourne Snowdrops daily from Sunday, February 1st, until March 1st. Colesbourne Park, Colesbourne, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 9NP. Experience the stunning and historic snowdrop collection at Colesbourne, known as "England's greatest snowdrop garden". Colesbourne Gardens is the premier place to see snowdrops in bloom. The collection is probably the most varied of any garden on display, with over three hundred varieties.
Early Spring Show, Iris & Cyclamen at RHS Garden Wisley On Saturday, February 14th RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB between 10am–3.30pm, which is free for RHS members,you can discover some of the best early spring flowering iris and cyclamen. Visitors can enjoy rare collections and competition classes as well as a photographic exhibition, unusual plants for sale and friendly experts available to answer your questions.
Come and get the new range of Heritage seeds from Franchi this season, not in yet but will be released for sale shortly, ready for this years growing season. Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition provides a unique platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills and ambition. The competition is open to anyone across the UK and Ireland.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme unveils 457 garden openings for 2026
Having just finished houseplant week we wanted to share with you some varieties that we do well with. The Houseplants we discuss are our mini Showbox Houseplants, a range of mini mixed houseplants, all are tough, easy to care for, and cheap so make great starter plants. Phalaenopsis Orchids a wonderful flowering plant often used as a great, long-lasting, colourful gift. Dragon trees or Dracaena the low care houseplant that seems to do well without much water, best kept in a bright position out of direct sun and cold draughts. Fittonia is a delicate looking Houseplant which we discuss which has a great colourful foliage that likes a damp soil and does well in dappled light. Tradescantias are another plant first bought to England in the 17th Century, from South America, it’s easy to propagate, care for and if cut back regularly will make a nice, compact and colourful foliage plant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Dig It
In this episode we suggest a couple of places to visit, some RHS partner gardens are open. Prebooking may be required so check with the gardens first. There is the Guided Swiss Garden Tour near Biggleswade and the Arley Arboretum and Gardens in Arley. Hozelock have launched a new range of tools with handles that can be changed to be longer or shorter to suit your preference and task at hand, the range cover hand tools and larger digging tools with a new spade which is meant to be an improvement on the traditional design. They have also have redesigned the hose connector and have hopefully fixed the more common issues, so it now has a lock on it, the hose grip has been reversed so it should be better at stopping the hose blowing off and the likely hood of leaks has been reduced. With these improvements Hozelock have once again innovated and improved a classic part so hopefully we will waste less water from dripping hoses and have less issues with them blowing off. It’s giant vegetable time, at the Malvern show on Friday the 25th to Sunday the 27th September. Gladys the Atlantic Giant pumpkin which weighs about 540kg is hopefully going to make it there from where it grew in Essex. A new Apple has been discovered in Luton. It is a cross between the James Grieve and a Newton Wonder. It’s Apple Day the weekend of 26th , 27th September at the Garden Centre, with fantastic displays of Apples, Support from Mid Shires Orchards and Jerry Edwards. If you have an apple that you don’t know what variety it is bring it for Jerry and he will hopefully identify it for you. We also chat about No Dig, and whether we can leave vegetable roots in the ground to rot down and whether double digging is now a thing of the past. Bill recommends pruning and tidying up your roses to stop wind rock from the winter winds. If you are going to plant any bare rooted plants this winter it’s time to get out and prepare the ground. Get the ground loosened up by digging the area, add some well-rotted manure or compost to the ground, clear any weeds or unwanted plants from the area, and then cover with landscape fabric to stop any new plant growth before you plant. Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music
In this episode Peter chats with Chris Collins from Garden Organic. Chris is currently the Head of Horticulture at Garden Organic and he tells us a little about what is going on in their 50th anniversary year. We learn why heritage seeds do so well in the United Kingdom and why organic gardening and working with nature can help you get a better yield from your crops. Chris tells us more about composting and bokashi. Composting is not just about heaping up your grass cutting in a pile, you need to work within certain parameters to make great compost. Using a Bokashi for your kitchen waste can generate a fertilizer tea and then compostable material, it is a Japanese technique that will allow you to reduce your food waste contributions to the council waste streams. We also learn a little about soil health, smells, and what certain plants growing in an area can point towards. Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for the music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever drunk the sap of a Tilia cordata or eaten a wild Garlic flower? In this episode learn about some unusual berries and plants and flowers you can eat. There are flowers to try which can make great colourful additions to the salad bowl or maybe pop in an ice cube. This episode it full of edibles that we have come across from historical resources and websites like the RHS edible flowers page. The plants and flowers mentioned may not be suitable for everyone so do your own research and check with a professional before eating. Thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for the music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair 11-13 September is at English Heritage’s Audley End House and Garden, Saffron Waldon, Essex Harrogate Autumn Flower Show Newby Hall and Gardens, 18th -20th September RHS Malvern Autumn Garden Show a celebration of gardening and food. 25th – 27th September Buckingham Gaden Centre’s Apple day on the 26th and 27th of September with Mid shires Orchards and Apple identification with Chairman of the RHS’s Fruit Group Jerry Edwards. Kew Gardens has a waterlily with leaves so big they can support the weight of a fully grown man. A notifiable issue with Sweet Chestnuts, they are getting movement controls imposed in the South as the disease spreads, so if you notice any weeping areas on their bark then it may be worth contacting Defra. Bulbs are now in stock in Garden Centres so If you are thinking of planting Snowdrops, Crocus, Daffodils, Bluebells or any of the other spring and early summer flowering bulbs it’s time to get into the Garden Centre and stock up. In this episode we also give you some tips on planting bulbs and how to prepare them in pots so if you want to bring them in when flowering they won’t go into shock and how to do a lasagna planting. Bill also shares how to get successive flowering and what to do with them so you can get them to flower for a few years to come. We also learn a little of the commercial flower markets in Holland, how the flower industry works and the interesting way Dutch auctions work. Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode Bill and Peter talk about the small amount of rain we have had! We then move on and discuss some gardening tales and myths. From ideas about companion planting which some think put off pests to slugs not being deterred by egg shells or copper strips. What is true and what is an AI myth or what just doesn’t work? Send us your comments and thoughts to [email protected] Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.