That's the way the compost crumbles!

In this fortnight's episode, Dan & Julia talk tomatoes, chat about compost and wax lyrical about wallflowers. Dan introduces his new Dutch planting trowel, similar to the traditional tool cherished by Monty Don, and Julia explains how to grow ginger from supermarket-bought roots. Your hosts look forward to an action-packed coronation weekend and the crowning of King Charles III, one of the nation's most celebrated garden makers.

Julia's jobs to do in the next two weeks:

1. Earth up potatoes as shoots emerge to protect them from frost and boost the crop.
2. Harden off and plant out sweet peas and other hardy annuals.
3. Sow pumpkins, sweet corn, courgettes, French beans and runner beans indoors.
4. Sow sunflowers inside or out.
5. Prune Forsythia and Ribes after flowering.
6. Remember not to clear away daffodil foliage. Let it die down naturally to boost the bulbs.
7. Repot houseplants now they're starting to grow again.
8. Feed lawns with a nitrogen-rich feed to replace nutrients that have leached away over winter.
9. Continue sowing tender herbs such as basil, coriander and dill. Sow salads and radishes at regular intervals.
10. Check lilies and fritillaries for lily beetles - clumps of black gunge where leaves should be are a telltale sign they've been at work.
11. Start using slug and snail protection as soon as vulnerable plants emerge from the ground.
12. Protect fruit blossoms from late frosts using specially designed fruit sleeves.

Plant List

Julia's tomatoes:

1. San Marzano Plum
2. Black Cherry
3. Green Zebra
4. Yellow Submarine
5. Barry's Crazy Cherry
6. Black Russian
7. Feo De Riogordo
8. Gardeners' Delight

Dan's wallflowers:

1. Fire King
2. Vulcan
3. Cloth of Gold
4. Cottage Fragrance' (mixture)
5. 'Persian Carpet' (mixture)

Useful Links

• Dan's Signature Dutch trowel
• Saltwood Castle open garden and plant fair on April 29th
• Hatfield House plant fair on April 30th
• One Garden Brighton - Julia's book signing on May 1st
• Borde Hill plant fair on May 7th

Websites

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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