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The BBC has been accused of sensationalising allotment disputes after a 55-minute fly-on-the-wall documentary that “dished the dirt” on plot battles.
BBC1’s Allotment Wars, filmed over seven months, attracted 2.49million viewers on 22 January.
It focused on allotment civil wars, prize vegetables being stolen and sheds ransacked, as well as the politics of people with “too much time on their hands”.
“We are…
Amateur Gardening video: AG editor, Tim Rumball, shows you how to take easy cactus cuttings without getting pricked!
In our latest video, AG gardening editor, Kris Collins, shows you how to plant a tree this side of the winter for a good start next spring
Gardening has been knocked off pole position as the nation’s favourite hobby, a survey claims.
Cooking is now the UK’s top pastime, according to a poll of 1,000 people by internet price comparison site Pricerunner.co.uk.
Inspired by TV cooking shows, the UK has turned into a nation of foodies, the probe suggested.
But gardening still fared well, taking second position. Nearly half (41…
Gardening can help people with cancer to manage depression and sadness, according to research.
A report by Macmillan Cancer Support and the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) found that four in five gardeners living with cancer believed that gardening can reduce stress and anxiety.
It also assisted in taking people’s minds off treatment.
Gardening helped cancer patients’ physical wellbeing: over half said it gave…
My boys are used to me dragging them away from their computers and out into the garden. And actually, my repeated attempts to get them gardening is helping them with their school studies and science projects.
Aged seven and ten, they are already studying plant biology at different levels, so not only are they curious about plant life cycles, their homework…
Growing veg can save you money – as long as you don’t mind working for free!
Seed firm DT Brown grew a crop of 16 varieties worth £262.54 at supermarket prices on a 16x30ft plot.
While the seed cost a £31.46, the firm did not include the cost of gardeners’ labour needed to grow the produce.
The most valuable harvest came from…
The BBC has defended Gardeners’ Question Time after it was savaged by a former panellist.
Professor Stefan Buczacki slammed Radio 4’s GQT as a “pathetic shadow of its former self” and claimed: “The magical chemistry between broadcasters has been lost.”
Stefan, who took part in 600 episodes “without a break” from 1981 to 1994, said: “The rot set in some years ago…
These South African Stunners make a stylish statement in pots, says Kris
1) Add a layer of crocks or similar to the bottom of your pot for good drainage – also set the pot on feet or bricks to keep water draining away adequately. Adding a handful of grit to your compost will also help.
2) Fill the container with a soil-based…
Don’t let summer heat stop you from planting out trees and shrubs, say Michelle Wheeler
1) When planting in grass, first strip off the turf, in a circle radiating out 20in (50cm) from the central position of where the tree or shrub is to be sited.
2) Dig the hole, making it the same depth as the container the plant is growing…
