MyGardenFinder.com

We know we were very far from being alone in our shock at Monty Don’s departure from Gardeners’ World, and particularly the reason for it - so we absolutely loved a recent post on the show’s blog that showed how a dedicated plantsman never really leaves a garden he’s nurtured.

On the face of it, Rosemary Edwards is writing about sweet peas. But only on the face of it.

The scent of Monty lingers in the garden - his Sweet Peas are in flower and they truly smell divine. In fact the formal garden has never been so packed with presenters - Alan Titchmarsh in one corner, Percy Thrower in another and Monty’s brand new edition in the third.

Alys has even managed to grow Geoff Hamilton’s lovely mauve Sweet Pea in the fourth - despite the fact we had been warned it’s become unstable. Personally I had never heard of an unstable sweet pea before until grower Roger Parsons explained it meant the flower keeps reverting in colour to one of its parent plants - in Geoff’s case pink.

In truth there are various different shades of Geoff in our formal garden - but we don’t care - we still love him.

Monty Don’s gentle, passionate style of presenting could make the most unpromising of subjects into compelling television and if his self-styled ‘gardening leave’ becomes permanent retirement he will be a temendous loss to broadcasting.

In many ways he is the mirror image of Gordon Ramsay - quiet and gentlemanly where the Scottish chef is noisy and profane.

Very different at first sight, they are nevertheless similar in possessing a charisma born of their great experience, a devotion to their subject matter, and a committed enthusiasm for passing on their knowledge to the lay person. Both carry the story of their work (and their working conditions) in the lines on their faces, and both make the best sort of television - entertaining, instructive, and very, very watchable.

Carol Klein, who stepped up as acting lead presenter of Gardeners World when Monty stood down, has many of those qualities too and it was no surprise to see how good a job she did in the role.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Toby Buckland, who will take over the job from this autumn, has some tremendous acts to follow. But he’s not the first new presenter of the show about whom that has been said.

We reckon he’ll cope. Good, well managed, TV programmes - like good, well-managed gardens - usually bounce back, blending new ideas with the legacy of what came before.

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Turfing specialists Rolawn are celebrating more success at the Chelsea Flower Show as, once again, many of the medal-winning gardens used their turf and topsoil.

This year, 16 prize-winning gardens used their Medallion turf and Blended Loam topsoil - including nine gold medal winners.

These include Adam Frost’s ‘A Welcome Sight’, chosen as the overall best urban garden.

Sales and marketing director Cedric McMillan said the company was proud of the part it had played in the winning gardens and was delighted with the success achieved by the designers.

He said: “The fact that so many industry-leading garden designers choose Rolawn is an accolade in itself as we are very aware of the extraordinarily high standards expected.”

The award-winning gardens included:

Show Gardens

• BUPA Garden - Gold
• A Cadogan Garden - Gold
• I Dream, I Seek My Garden - Gold
• The Savills Garden - Gold
• The Largest Room in the House - Silver-Gilt Flora
• From Life to Life, A Garden for George - Silver-Gilt Flora
• The Reflective Garden - Silver-Gilt Flora
• The Oceanico Garden - Bronze Flora

Urban Gardens

• A Welcome Sight - Gold & Best Urban Garden
• The L K Bennett Garden - Silver Flora
• Tokyo City Garden - Bronze Flora

Great Pavilion

• Bloms Bulbs - Gold
• Hillier Nurseries - Gold
• R. Harkness & Co - Gold
• Blackmore & Langdon - Gold
• Burncoose Nurseries - Silver-Gilt Flora

• If you fancy following in the winning designers’ footsteps, Rolawn are offering 12 per cent off all purchases over £150 if you use the discount code rolawn107 when you buy from their website.

Been thinking about growing your own veg this year? Well, you’re in good time to start - and there’ll be plenty of help and advice available from the RHS.

Its Grow Your Own Veg team has developed a special website section where you can decide what to grow, find out when to sow and even brush up on your gardening techniques.

There’s a monthly guide alongside tips on how to keep your plot flourishing. You can sign up for a free newsletter or take part in a veg growing survey. Or, if a problem’s a bit too knotty for you to tackle alone, there’s a forum for seeking advice

There are also regional events that you can attend to pick up tips and advice in person.

There’s nothing as tasty and satisfying as cooking with your own home-grown veg - good luck!

Interested in learning more about attracting wildlife to your garden? Then you’ll love a new project launched by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Following its Big Garden Birdwatch event in January it has set up a Homes for Wildlife campaign.

It says that if you own a garden, or even just a window box, you can take simple, practical steps that will benefit many of our most important birds, mammals and insects. The UK’s largest nature reserve is in your hands…

Sign up to the project (for which you don’t need to be a member) and you’ll get a personalised garden audit that tells you about the most important improvements you can make.

There are straightforward factsheets that you can print out and keep and an advice list that will remind you of simple steps you can take to make your garden more wildlife-friendly.

To learn more about Homes for Wildlife, just click here. Or follow this link to learn more about RSPB membership.

Have you been noticing differences in your garden thanks to wetter summers, warmer winters, stronger winds or other altered growing conditions that are affecting the way your flowers, fruit and veg are developing?

If this is a topic that interests you, then visit the Royal Horticultural Society website, where there’s a section that addresses your concerns and asks about your experiences. Here’s how it’s introduced:

Gardening in a changing climate

The impacts of a changing climate are now firmly at the top of the scientific, political and environmental agendas. But while the big global problems of climate change are addressed in the corridors of power, what are the ramifications for UK horticulture and gardening?

We are considering what our changing climate is likely to mean in terms of what we grow and how we grow it. But it is clear that our gardens will become an increasingly important resource - for ourselves and wildlife. Much still needs to be understood and while no-one yet has all the answers, garden-making and growing plants can be a potent force for good. Read on here…

Visit these pages and you can get advice, discuss the topic with other gardeners via a bulletin board, take a short survey or find out more about the weather. Whatever your interest, there should be something helpful here.

Find out more about climate- and weather-related RHS events >>

Find out about the effects of a changing climate on wildlife >>

Here are the latest articles we’ve added to MyGardenFinder. Take a look, and let us know what you think - and what you’d like to see in the future:

Ten great gardens to visit in the UK

Here are our ten top tips for a great horticultural day out, all around England and in Wales and Scotland too.

A guide to plant health from Jersey Plants Direct

In order to help you get the very best from your plants this retailer has published a guide to plant health, as well as dealing with common pests and diseases - one of several topics on which it provides hints and tips.

Check out our full in-depth section here >>

The next big thing on the RSPB calendar is The Big Garden Birdwatch on January 26-27 2008.

Now’s your chance to be part of one of the most popular RSPB promotions of the year. The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s biggest bird survey and the organisation’s single biggest event.

Last year more than 400,000 people took part by counting the birds in their garden for an hour. It is really simple to do so you don’t have to be an expert and it gives the RSPB a vital snapshot of the UK’s birds each winter.

Over a period of an hour, participants are asked to record the highest number of each bird species seen in their garden (not flying over) at any one time. Then all you do is note them on the counting sheet provided and send it in.

The RSPB’s scientists can then use the information and patterns in bird numbers to help prioritise its conservation work.

Spending just one enjoyable hour watching birds in the garden, getting the kids involved and re-engaging with nature is a fantastic way to participate in a bit of practical conservation.

To take part, simply click here to find all the help and advice you need. Or, if you’d like to join the RSPB, click here.

We’re always trying to find ways to improve MyGardenFinder and make it more useful to readers. As a result we’ve added a new in-depth section where we can collect gardening tips and advice. You’ll find the link in the site header and you can read the following articles:

Ten sources of gardening weather advice

If you’re dying to get out in the garden and get a few jobs done, the most important thing to know about is what kind of weather to expect. And, when it comes to protecting tender plants from frost, or your vegetable crops from drought, a good weather forecast is essential. Here’s our guide to sources of weather information and advice on the web, from next weekend’s forecast to coping with the effects of climate change… Read full article here

Ten great reads for gardeners

Looking for some horticultural reads, either for yourself or for loved ones? Lay aside those seed catalogues and take a look at this lot. There’s bound to be something on the list that will suit your needs perfectly… Read full article here

MyGardenFinder’s MyGardenFinder monthly jobs list

We publish each installment of our monthly guide to maintaining your garden in this blog - but for convenience they’re all collected on this page. Make sure you’ve read the latest…

We’re keen to hear about anything you’d like to see featured in this section so, if you’ve got any suggestions, do leave a comment on this post.

Looking for some great ideas on how to make your garden inspirational this year? Or maybe you need advice on a particular issue, like growing vegetables, pruning hedges or looking after your mower.

If so then it’s very possible that the Royal Horticultural Society is organising just the event for you.

Its programme includes workshops, lectures and tours hosted by gardens, nurseries, gardening societies and horticultural colleges around the country, all with a reduced ticket price for RHS members.

To get more information about what’s going on in your area, visit its regional events page where you can download leaflets for different areas of the country.

Got your eyes on March yet?

It may be a few months off, but it’ll be a big occasion for everyone interested in homes and interior design - it sees the 100th anniversary of the Ideal Homes show.

Organisers are promising something special - and plans so far revealed include a dream home and guest house, an inspirational eco house and a packed program in the Kitchen Theatre - with plenty on the subject of gardens and outdoor living, too.

Visitors will also be able to check out Century Street – billed as a fantastic look at the past 100 years of the Ideal Home Show and the changing attitudes to home design and living.

The first ever Ideal Home Exhibition was held at the Olympia exhibition centre, in West London, during 1908 and it has been associated with the Daily Mail newspaper since its foundation.

The first ever show included areas dedicated to food, cookery, interiors and furniture as well as tips on actually building your ‘ideal home’.

In 1922 a village of ‘ideal homes’ was constructed in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, and then sold off after the show closed - it still exists today, and now goes by the name of Meadow Green.

Visitors who want to catch this year’s event are encouraged to book their tickets promptly, and there are some special deals available for those doing so before Christmas.

The 100th event takes place from March 14 to April 6 2008 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.

For more information visit the show website here >>