| Your garden's the star | How would you like Maggie Philbin and Colin Evans to come and visit your garden on a Wednesday morning? Each week, Colin broadcasts his gardening phone-in between 9am and 10am from a listener's garden. It could be yours! Simply call us on 0845 900 1041 or email colin.evans@bbc.co.uk |
March is on its way out and with it goes some of the most depressing weather for many years. The forecasters promise us some warmer skies for April so then we can really get going in the garden. The spring bulbs are about two weeks behind but will catch up once the conditions turn warmer and already colour from the early flowering shrubs is filling our gardens. If you live in the Thames Water area then make the most of the rains we have had over the past few days because once we are into April a hose pipe ban will be in place, still we gardeners can rise rise to the occasion whatever is thrown at us, so don't despair. PLANT OF THE WEEK: Magnolia x Loebneri 'Leonard Messel' is a magnificent variety of one of my favourite flowering trees. The large bright pink flowers are borne on naked stems and will cover the tree from April through to May. This tree will prefer a more acid soil but will tolerate a more neutral soil providing plenty of ericacious compost is dug in a time of planting and then fed with an ericasious liquid feed during the growing season. TOPICAL TIPS: 1:ÌýÌý Install rainwater butts to collect precious water and make sure all
unwanted debris, especially weeds and old plants that will absorb moisture from the soil, are removed. Cover borders with a mulch of either compost or forest bark. This helps to preserve moisture and keep the weeds down. 2:ÌýÌý On warmer days ventilate greenhouses to give them a good airing and
wash down the glass with a weak solution of household bleach and water or a specially manufactured solution from the garden centre. Make sure also that those tight little corners are cleaned as these are perfect places for harmful pests and diseases to thrive before they attack your plants. 3:ÌýÌýÌý Give all spring flowering bulbs a good feed of granular fertilizer
to give them a good boost while they are using up energy to make flowers. The feeding now will nourish them and help to prepare good flowering next year. Also bulbs need to be kept moist at this time so don't let them dry out. Don't forget The Chelsea Flower Show from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th May in the grounds of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3. All tickets must be booked in advance. Ticket hotline number is 0870 906 3780. Happy Gardening. colin.evans@bbc.co.uk | 
