Gardeners World 2023 episode 18

Gardeners World 2023 episode 18: Monty Don starts off the episode by harvesting potatoes and other root vegetables from his vegetable garden. The potato crop has done particularly well this year. After harvesting, Monty sows seeds for vegetables like carrots, beets, and lettuce that will grow into the autumn months. He also demonstrates how to get free plants by taking cuttings from existing plants in your garden – a great money-saving tip.

Later in the episode, Adam Frost visits a couple in the Yorkshire Wolds who have spent decades cultivating a beautiful garden on the exposed chalk hills. They have expertly carved out separate garden ‘rooms’ and skillfully combined planting to deal with the challenging growing conditions. There is a formal rose garden as well as informal, wildflower-filled spaces that attract bees and butterflies. They reflect on the continual evolution of their garden over 30 years.

Meanwhile, garden designer Sue Kent is busy sprucing up her own garden in late summer to extend color and interest into the autumn. She uses techniques like planting winter-flowering pansies, adding late perennials like asters and sedums, and incorporating ornamental grasses and berry-laden shrubs. Her tips will help any gardener transition their space from summer to autumn.

The episode also visits keen gardeners in Cornwall battling the windswept conditions on a cliff edge. They have created sheltered microclimates and focused on wind-resistant plants. And we meet a gardener in Sussex who has implemented an enviable outdoor living space in his backyard. From a fully equipped outdoor kitchen to a hot tub, fire pit, and dining area, he demonstrates taking outdoor living to the next level.

Interspersed throughout are short video clips sent in by BBC viewers of their own gardens around the UK, adding a wide range of color and diversity. It’s an inspirational episode packed with tips and ideas for gardens of all sizes heading into the autumn season.

Gardeners World 2023 episode 18

Bring Your Garden to Life This Autumn

Autumn is a time of change in the garden. Summer flowers fade, leaves turn golden, and the landscape transforms before our eyes. Though the long sunny days of summer are behind us, savvy gardeners know that autumn is not the end, but rather the start of an exciting new chapter. There are still ample opportunities to bring color, texture, wildlife, and beauty into our outdoor spaces.

In this latest episode of Gardeners’ World, Monty Don, Adam Frost, Sue Kent, and special guests share their tips and tricks for sprucing up our gardens this fall. From boosting biodiversity to adding visual interest, you’ll discover new plants to try and creative ways to prepare your garden for the cooler months ahead.

Grow a Bounty of Tasty Autumn Veg

As summer produce winds down, autumn offers up its own bounty of fresh flavors. Monty Don shows us that it’s not too late to sow vegetable seeds for a fall harvest. Bush beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, swiss chard, and turnips are all great options for fall veggie gardens.

By using cold frames and cloches to protect seedlings, you can stretch the growing season well into late autumn. Monty sows hardy greens like lettuce and spinach in the open ground, knowing they can withstand light frosts. As the weather cools he’ll cover them with fleece for added protection. “You want the soil to still be warm enough for seeds to germinate, at least 10-12°C,” he advises.

The key is choosing quick-maturing vegetable varieties that can be harvested before winter truly sets in. Once established, many autumn veggies are quite cold-hardy. With some strategic planning, you can be eating fresh from the garden long after summer produce has expired. Don’t let your vegetable beds go bare! Seize the autumn days by sowing nutrient-rich greens, brassicas, peas, and root veggies this fall.

Take Advantage of Free Plants Through Cuttings

Why spend money buying new plants when you can increase your stock for free? Monty Don demonstrates how to take cuttings from perennials like lavender, penstemon, pelargoniums and herbs. “This is a brilliant way to generate new plants completely free of charge. Cuttings enable you to clone reliably easy-to-propagate plants,” he explains.

The key is using healthy parent plants and sterilized equipment. Take 3-4 inch shoot cuttings from the tips of vigorous growth. Remove the lower leaves and place the stems in potting mix or water. Rooting hormone can help speed up the process. Keep the cuttings warm, moist and out of direct sun until new roots form. In just 4-6 weeks your cuttings will have transformed into rooted plantlets ready to be potted up!

Hardy perennials like lavender are especially easy. “Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and you’ll have new plants in no time. It’s really satisfying being able to multiply your plants for free,” Monty remarks. Why buy when you can DIY propagate? Take cuttings this autumn to expand your garden at zero cost.

Discover the Windswept Allure of the Yorkshire Wolds

In a remote corner of Yorkshire, chalk hills known as the Yorkshire Wolds offer a unique gardening environment. This area was once underwater ocean, and you can still find fossilized coral, sea urchins, and mollusks in the alkaline soil. Over centuries, the Yorkshire Wolds have been transformed into a patchwork of farms, villages, and sheltered valleys. These rolling hills experience extreme exposure to wind, rain, and frost coming off the North Sea.

Yet as Adam Frost discovers, gardens here also benefit from mild winters and fast-draining soils. He meets Roger and Bridget Appleton, who have spent decades cultivating a garden amidst the Wolds’ challenges. They’ve constructed sandstone walls as windbreaks and experimented with hardy plants that thrive on the thin alkaline soil. Drought-tolerant lavenders, hebes, grasses and sedums flourish here along with rosemary, osteospermums and other coastal favorites.

The Appletons have learned through experience which plants suit their unique microclimate. Their garden offers inspiration to gardeners dealing with exposed sites, dry soils, or coastal conditions. With resilience and ingenuity, beautiful gardens can take root even in challenging environments. Facing the winds and winter weather, the Yorkshire Wolds reveal how gardens can not just survive, but thrive under extreme conditions.

Get Creative with Late Summer/Autumn Garden Design

As summer wanes into autumn, it’s the perfect time to review your garden’s design. Sue Kent explains how a few simple changes can boost your garden’s visual appeal for the coming months. To revitalize fading summer displays, she suggests interplanting dahlias, echinacea, rudbeckia, sedums and grasses. These stalwarts will keep the color going strong well into autumn. Leave seed heads on plants like coneflowers and verbena to provide food and shelter for birds over winter.

Sue also recommends enriching borders with autumn bloomers like asters. Shorter days trigger them to flower, creating drifts of dainty color. For injuries or dieback on shrubs, she shows how to clip them into new shapes and sizes. “Autumn is definitely the time for reshaping and replacing. Be bold and try something new!” she encourages. With a bit of renovation, our gardens can take on a whole new life this fall.

Thrive in Windy, Coastal Conditions

Penzance on England’s southern coast offers a case study in gardening with sea winds. Sheltered inlets allow palms, echiums, and other exotic plants to thrive. But on exposed cliffs, the wind is relentless. This poses unique challenges for the gardeners at Morrab Gardens. They select tough plants that can withstand salt, wind, and driving rain coming off the sea.

Hardy succulents like aeoniums and echeverias are natural choices. These low-maintenance gems add sculptural beauty without needing much water or soil. Penstemons, osteospermums, lavenders and other Mediterranean plants also adapt well to coastal conditions. Morrab’s gardeners use gravel mulch and natural stone walls to create windbreaks and protect tender plants.

By understanding their site’s microclimate, they tailor plant choices for maximum hardiness. Even finicky plants like bananas and bird of paradise can flourish in sheltered spots. For gardens exposed to coastal or windy environments, Morrab Gardens demonstrates creative solutions like smart plant choices, hardscaping, and strategic placement. With resilience and adaptation, gardens can thrive where winds blow and waves crash.

Take Your Garden’s Potential to New Heights

From rooftop lounges to living walls, some gardensreally rise to the occasion. Tanya Batson lives in Sussex and has transformed her entire property into an outdoor haven. Her front yard features an edible Mexican garden. The back garden has been sectioned into an entertainers’ courtyard, scented pergola walkway, fire pit lounge, and dining patio.

Tanya removed old walls to open up sight lines and create a feeling of spaciousness. She turned dry, grassy spaces into lush, usable outdoor “rooms.” Decking, paving, gravel, and rocks provide visual interest underfoot. Plantings range from airy grasses to vibrant perennials like dahlias, asters, crocosmias and verbena bonariensis. Tanya used changes in height, color and texture to delineate each themed zone.

She tells the Gardeners’ World team: “I’ve tried to introduce surprise elements and focal points so there’s always something new to draw the eye.” Her inventive garden demonstrates the potential to maximize outdoor living areas. Whether going vertical or compartmentalizing horizontal spaces, creative design can help you get the most out of your own garden.

Conclusion: An Autumn of Possibility

Even as summer’s last days fade away, autumn offers plentiful opportunities to gardeners willing to adapt. We can sow fall veggies, take plant cuttings, reimagine garden design, and learn from other’s challenges and creative solutions. Though the weather may turn cold and trees go bare, our gardens can continue to thrive with some planning.

Hardy plants, winter interest, wildlife habitats, and delicious fall harvests are all within reach. Gardens are resilient, living things. With care and vision, we can extend their beauty long after summer has passed. Autumn invites us to see our gardens with fresh eyes. As the seasons change, let us nurture not just our plants, but also our own adaptability, creativity and hope.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are some good vegetables to plant in autumn?
Beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach and turnips are all great choices for fall vegetable gardens. Focus on quick-maturing varieties that can be harvested before winter.

How do I prepare my garden for colder weather?
Clear out spent summer annuals, prune back tender perennials, and move any potted plants to sheltered areas. Adding mulch helps insulate plant roots. Consider using cold frames, cloches or hoop tunnels to protect fall crops from frost.

When is the best time to take cuttings from plants?
Take cuttings from healthy, established plants during the summer and early autumn when they are actively growing. Use young stem tips around 3-6 inches long.

What types of gardens suit coastal or windy climates?
Choose hardier plants like lavender, rosemary, sedum, succulents and ornamental grasses. Windbreaks, gravel/stone mulching, raised beds and sheltered microclimates also help protect tender plants.

How can I add visual interest to my garden in autumn?
Try interplanting with late bloomers like asters, chrysanthemums and sedums which shine in fall. Leave seed heads on plants for birds. Rearrange pots or art for a fresh look.