The BEST episodes of Gardeners' World season 45
Every episode of Gardeners' World season 45, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Gardeners' World season 45!
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. The first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. Most of the episodes of the show are 30 minutes long, though there are many specials that last longer.
#1 - Episode 30
Season 45 - Episode 30 - Aired 10/26/2012
Now we are truly in the throes of autumn, Monty Don turns his attention to collecting fallen leaves. Monty regards these as a free harvest with which to make leafmould; he also shows what to plant now under the shade of trees for colour next year. We meet a gardener in Essex who fills her beds and borders with over 9,000 tulips which are all carefully colour co-ordinated and we find out her favourite combinations. Colour is also on Rachel de Thame's agenda when she travels to Suffolk to look at some of the best small trees and shrubs for autumn colour in the gardens at East Bergholt Place, drawing inspiration from owner and plantsman Rupert Eley. Carol Klein is at the Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Rosemoor in Devon where they grow a collection of one of our most iconic winter plants, holly, and she recommends the best varieties to grow for berries in our own gardens.
#2 - Episode 18
Season 45 - Episode 18 - Aired 8/10/2012
As the garden reaches an abundance of growth in August, it is the pond, hedges and edges of the garden which are the focus of attention. In the pond, the growth of algae is at its height, so Monty recommends some plants which will eventually improve the quality of the water and help to prevent this unwelcome growth. He also gets going on cutting the hedges and mowing areas of the garden where the grass has been left to grow, so that the wildflowers can seed themselves ready for next year's display. Joe visits a garden on a Welsh mountainside and finds out how the owner has risen to the challenging topography, frequent torrential downpours and often waterlogged site, and made a lush, colourful and verdant garden. And at Glebe Cottage, Carol answers viewers' queries about the proliferation of slugs and snails in our gardens this year. She recommends some plants we can add to our gardens which molluscs won't be so keen to munch on.
#3 - Episode 31
Season 45 - Episode 31 - Aired 11/2/2012
In the last of this year's series of Gardeners' World, Monty has plenty of advice on the jobs we can be doing now and over the winter in the garden. He also reviews some of the plants which have thrived and those which have not during this extraordinary summer. On Walney Island in Cumbria, Carol explores the diversity of wild plants which thrive in its maritime climate and discovers a very special hardy geranium which grows nowhere else in the world. Rachel travels to Swansea to meet passionate gardener Andrea Gordon, who, despite being blind from birth, has a garden overflowing with plants. And Joe meets 92-year-old Walter Partridge who not only produces an abundance of vegetables on his immaculate allotment in Grantham but is also the bee-keeper for the site.
#4 - Episode 24
Season 45 - Episode 24 - Aired 9/21/2012
In this special programme from the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens, Monty Don visits the RHS garden at Wisley in Surrey and Carol Klein visits Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire to get practical gardening advice from their experts and to find solutions to viewers' gardening dilemmas. At Wisley, Monty looks at the vegetable garden to find out how it has fared over the difficult gardening year of 2012 and discovers what the RHS gardeners have been growing to excite the taste buds. He also gets a few top tips from the RHS fruit experts on the best grapes to grow for eating and the best for producing wine here in the UK. At Harlow Carr, the northernmost garden of the RHS, Carol Klein discovers the plants which grow well in their harsher climate and along with the RHS experts, answers a few dilemmas from our northern viewers on choosing hardy plants for exposed conditions, what lawns need now to ensure a great sward in spring and how to propagate a favourite magnolia.
#5 - Episode 23
Season 45 - Episode 23 - Aired 9/14/2012
The last days of summer are when gardeners start planning for spring colour and it is a perfect time to choose and plant bulbs. At Longmeadow, Monty Don gives his recommendations. Carol Klein responds to another viewer's dilemma at Glebe Cottage in Devon and shows how best to propagate favourite plants during a house move. From taking cuttings to saving seed, she demonstrates which plants can quickly make a new garden feel like home. Joe Swift visits Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset, once the home of the Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, to see one of the best restorations of the Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll partnerships in the country. He takes a close look at how design and colour can evoke mood in a garden
#6 - Episode 22
Season 45 - Episode 22 - Aired 9/7/2012
For many gardeners, the beginning of September is the start of a new gardening season and, with this in mind, Monty Don recommends vegetables to sow now for winter cropping. He also plants out the rose cuttings he took last year and takes more from another of his favourite roses.
#7 - Episode 20
Season 45 - Episode 20 - Aired 8/24/2012
By the end of August, gardens are full of colour and produce. With a Bank Holiday to enjoy in his garden, Monty Don is busy showing us how to plan late summer colour in our flowerbeds. Carol Klein visits East Yorkshire, in search of the harebell, one of her favourite wild flowers. She also visits a fantastic historic garden to appreciate the harebell's cultivated cousin, the campanula. Rachel de Thame celebrates the success of her project with a group of army wives at a Didcot military base as they harvest the blooms from their cut flower garden for the regiment to enjoy at a celebration lunch. Monty is also sharing viewers' tips on how to overcome the onslaught of slugs and snails as well as showing us how to successfully reseed bare patches in the lawn.
#8 - Episode 19
Season 45 - Episode 19 - Aired 8/17/2012
Our gardens offer so much at this time of year - after all our work earlier in the year it is now rewarding us with beds full of blooms, vegetables and berries. However, there is still plenty to be getting on with to ensure the beauty continues right through to the autumn and Monty Don has plenty of timely gardening techniques to ensure the garden stays in tip top condition throughout the summer months. Monty harvests his organic vegetables and finds out how viewers across the UK have got on with their own potato crops. He also gets to grips with his rambling rose by pruning it in the hope of getting an even better display next year. Carol Klein looks at water lilies in the wild and visits a garden to see how breeding has enabled gardeners to grow sensational varieties in any size of pond. Roses are in full abundance at a small garden in Richmond, North Yorkshire, where the owners show us how to create a superb display in a small space.
#9 - Episode 17
Season 45 - Episode 17 - Aired 8/3/2012
It's August, the sunshine month, and Monty will be surrounding himself with summer's sweetest smells when he shows us what to plant for fragrance in his walled garden. Rachel too will be in search of intoxicating scent on a visit to RHS Harlow Carr, seeing fabulous displays of philadelphus, night scented stocks as well as reveling in the fantastic fragrance of their sweet pea collection. Carol returns to her native Lancashire and discovers aromatic roses thriving in the wild. She also seeks out some of the best-scented garden roses on a visit to Dutton Hall in the picturesque Ribble Valley, which has a collection of over 200 species. And back at Longmeadow, Monty will be in his herb garden cutting back marjorman, rosemary and thyme to ensure abundance for the rest of the summer, as well as sharing tips on how to propagate culinary herbs.
#10 - Episode 21
Season 45 - Episode 21 - Aired 8/31/2012
By the end of August, some perennial plants will be setting seed and, for gardeners on a budget, this is the time to collect, store and sow them to stock our gardens for free. Monty demystifies the process by showing us which seeds to sow now, which to save for later and which ones respond better to a bit of time spent...
#11 - Episode 29
Season 45 - Episode 29 - Aired 10/26/2012
With Halloween just round the corner, Monty Don is harvesting his pumpkins and showing how to store them for roasts, soups and stews in the coming months. Joe Swift visits a high-end garden in London to get some tips on how clever landscaping and the use of lighting can turn a small space into an outdoor room which can be used all year round. Carol Klein is in Wales to find out how the versatile willow can be used by the gardener to bring form and colour to winter borders. There are over 400 different kinds of willow and for millennia they have been used by man for everything from weaving to fuel. Back at Longmeadow, Monty is planting up his containers in preparation for next spring.
#12 - Episode 28
Season 45 - Episode 28 - Aired 10/19/2012
With the first frosts beginning to bite, Monty Don takes some practical steps to preserve and protect tender plants like cannas and shares tips on how to over-winter dahlias. Also, with an eye on next spring, Monty plants up containers with tulips and pansies as well as planting out wallflowers grown from seed. Now is also the perfect time to plant apple trees and Monty will be sharing advice on planting and training step-over apples. Carol Klein will be at Glebe Cottage demonstrating just how easy it is to make more of our favourite plants for free by taking cuttings from their roots. As well as giving an insight into which plants can be reproduced in this way, she'll also be giving us a practical guide on how to do this type of propagation. In the gardens of West Dean in Sussex, Joe discovers a fantastic collection of fruit which has been trained to take up the minimum of space but which yields maximum crops. He finds out not only how it is done but also how fruit grown in this way is ideal for smaller gardens
#13 - Episode 27
Season 45 - Episode 27 - Aired 10/12/2012
Monty Don plans for next year's flowers. He plants roses for spring and summer flowering and tidies up in the vegetable garden. Carol Klein looks at Britain's native wild clematis and also visits a clematis enthusiast in Lancashire who has grown the plants alongside some unusual partners. Carol gets his tips on how to display them at their best. Rachel de Thame travels to Bristol to meet a couple who have filled their tiny back garden with tender tropical plants. She finds out how they manage to protect their vast collection over the winter months.
#14 - Episode 26
Season 45 - Episode 26 - Aired 10/5/2012
At Longmeadow, Monty Don has plenty of advice for jobs to be getting on with in early autumn and has tips for planting bulbs in a variety of places in the garden. At Glebe Cottage, Carol Klein answers another gardener's dilemma when she shows the best way to divide and care for agapanthus, as well as giving her advice on dividing perennial plants. It is the start of one of the best seasons for planting and, from RHS Rosemoor, Rachel de Thame recommends autumn flowering plants for our gardens, which also have the benefit of adding scent. Plus, from earlier this year, a visit to the water meadows at Cricklade in Wiltshire to enjoy the spectacle of the fritillary meadows. Reserve manager Anita Barratt talks about these beautiful spring flowers, which can be planted in gardens right now.
#15 - Episode 25
Season 45 - Episode 25 - Aired 9/28/2012
Monty Don is back at Longmeadow making the most of the garden's glory now and preparing for the seasons to come. He demonstrates a quick and easy way to prune shrub roses and then plants up pots that will flower in time for Christmas. Grasses look their best at the end of summer and Carol Klein visits a garden in Somerset where they have been used to maximum effect on a sloping site with a range of soil conditions. Meanwhile, Monty meets a self-sufficient vegan gardener, finding out how he grows vegetables for maximum nutrition and flavour and picks up some tips on bottling and storing surplus crops.
#16 - Episode 16
Season 45 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/27/2012
Gardeners' World has something for those that are interested in the Olympics, something for those coming to London and something for those who are happy staying at home. Rachel de Thame gets a preview of the gardens in the Olympic Park and meets those who have battled the elements to make sure they are at the peak of perfection. Carol Klein discovers London's wild side, exploring a community garden in the centre of the city that provides a haven for both flora and fauna. Joe Swift walks the paths of power. On an exclusive visit to the historic garden at 10 Downing Street, he learns of the changes made by successive Prime Ministers. And Monty Don is busy at Longmeadow, sowing late summer salads, harvesting blackcurrants and advising us on how to feed our flowers to maximise longevity.
#17 - Episode 15
Season 45 - Episode 15 - Aired 7/20/2012
At Longmeadow, Monty Don reveals how the garden has changed over the last four weeks and gets to grips with a variety of jobs in the walled garden. He demonstrates how to cut back hardy biennials to encourage secondary growth, shows us how to thin out our borders as well as other seasonal tasks. If edibles are your passion he'll be giving tips on what you can sow, such as carrots and beans, as well as harvesting, cooking and tasting his early potatoes to find his favourite variety. Carol Klein celebrates the hardy geranium. She discovers how they thrive in a wild nature reserve in Somerset and visits East Lambrook Manor, a beautiful garden that is host to a stunning array of this cottage garden stalwart. And Rachel de Thame returns to the army barracks in Didcot where the community garden she's helping to create is beginning to bloom.
#18 - Episode 14
Season 45 - Episode 14 - Aired 6/22/2012
t is the summer solstice so the days are the longest of the year and the sun is at its highest. With the garden growing before our eyes, Monty Don is in his borders replacing plants like wallflowers that are past their best with other annuals that will give colour right through to autumn. Carol Klein will be answering a viewer's letter with advice on gardening to provide a habitat for wildlife. Joe Swift picks up design tips from Kelmarsh Hall, whose 18th century garden is the epitome of the effortless, relaxed, English country style. And in Monty's vegetable garden, the first fruit and summer vegetables are ready to harvest.
#19 - Episode 13
Season 45 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/15/2012
In this hour-long special, Monty Don, Carol Klein, Rachel de Thame and Joe Swift report from Gardeners' World Live at the NEC in Birmingham on the very best the show has to offer - from fabulous show gardens to stunning plants in the floral marquee. The team are also inviting the public to contribute spare plants to the Gardeners' World Living Wall, made up of plants for sun, for shade and plants that are wildlife friendly. As there is still plenty to be getting on with in the garden at this time of year, Monty also has ideas for seasonal jobs to do for viewers at home.
#20 - Episode 12
Season 45 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/8/2012
With the garden springing into life and new blooms opening each day, it gives Monty Don plenty of opportunity to get on top of all the seasonal jobs at Longmeadow and answer a few viewer questions along the way. With a postbag full of gardening dilemmas, Carol Klein helps out one viewer with propagation queries. There is also a look behind the scenes with Rachel de Thame as she races to get the royal barge planted up and pristine in time for the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
#21 - Episode 11
Season 45 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/1/2012
With warm weather and little risk of frost, Monty Don is planting out his tender annual plants into a container for colour and interest all summer long. He is also busy in the vegetable garden with tips and advice on how best to grow cauliflowers and protect them so that you get to eat them before the birds and caterpillars do. Carol Klein answers an unusual dilemma from a gardener that lives in a lighthouse and has particularly harsh, exposed growing conditions to deal with. Garden visiting is more popular than ever in Britain, particularly over the summer months. To kick the season off we go to the tranquil Worcestershire village of Feckenham where over 30 private gardens are getting ready to open their doors to the public.
#22 - Episode 10
Season 45 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/18/2012
Monty Don returns to Longmeadow with inspirational ideas and plants gathered at the Malvern Spring Show. He has tips and advice for planting ferns for dry places and then turns his attention to the pond where he shares ideas on different types of water lilies and how to plant them. Carol Klein delves into the quirky world of moisture-loving ferns, discovering them in the wild and admiring their variety when she visits a restored Victorian grotto in Wales. There is also a catch-up on the novice gardeners at Didcot army barracks, as they continue to develop their cut-flower garden.
#23 - Episode 9
Season 45 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/12/2012
The programme comes from the Malvern Spring show where Monty Don, Carol Klein and James Alexander Sinclair bring the very best that the show has to offer. From planting and design in the show gardens to new and exciting varieties in the floral marquee, they search out beautiful and innovative ideas to draw inspiration from.
#24 - Episode 8
Season 45 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/27/2012
With plenty of advice and tips on how and what to plant in a pond, Rachel de Thame joins Monty at Longmeadow to give a helping hand. Monty also gets up to date with all the seasonal jobs in the Jewel garden, from sowing his collected opium poppy seed to trying out a method of growing lilies in plunge pots for bold summer colour. Carol follows the trail of one of spring's brightest plants to an allotment in South Yorkshire and a man who has amassed a national collection of Euphorbias there. Joe visits Charles Rutherfoord, architect and chair of the Society of Garden Designers to talk to him about the unique design of his own small garden. And the confectionary colours of Primulas come under the spotlight when we go to the RHS garden at Harlow Carr to find out tips for their successful cultivation.
#25 - Episode 7
Season 45 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/20/2012
If you have a shady spot in your garden that is bereft of flowers, then Monty Don has some great suggestions of stalwarts which not only thrive in those tricky conditions but return year after year. On the veg plot, he also shares his tips on putting up a runner bean support. Carol Klein discovers our native lungwort, the pulmonaria, growing prolifically in the woodlands and verges of the New Forest, and meets a woman who has been growing them in her Hampshire garden for over 15 years. Joe Swift travels to an allotment site in West Yorkshire to visit a vegetable grower who, using the power of manure, is already harvesting an astonishingly early bounty of potatoes.And we meet a gardener whose Essex garden is full of summer colour, all down to his passion for lilies.