There's only one thing better than receiving emails, letters and phone calls from readers and that's meeting them in person.
There's only one thing better than receiving emails, letters and phone calls from readers and that's meeting them in person. And with Gardeners' World Live starting tomorrow (Wednesday 15 June, 2011) and running until Sunday I'm looking forward to meeting hundreds of you in person.
Staying at a hotel close to the shows venue at Birmingham's NEC for the next six days I find it hard to travel light, especially when I have so many plants and props to take with me for our theatre shows. Thanks goodness my car has a big boot and I can remove the rear row of seats to fit it pots of tomatoes and crops, summer bedding, compost, plant supports and much more.
That's the joy of this show – bringing the pages of Gardeners' World magazine to life to both entertain and inform our many visitors. I'll be joined on stage by David Hurrion, and we're combining topics from his problem solving section in the magazine and my What To Do Now pages in a show we're calling 'Action Plan for June'. And we have a few surprise guests joining us too.
Fighting pests is one theme we'll cover, as many people are hesitant about using pesticides around the garden, particularly on things they're going to eat. One way to combat greenfly and aphids is to encourage beneficial predators into your plot, but what if pests are running riot and there are no ladybirds in sight? Biological pest control companies provide a useful option by selling adult ladybirds to release onto your pest ridden plants, and we'll have some of stage to show the audience how to use them.
Everyone wants easy and reliable tips and advice, and David and I will be squeezing in bucket loads during the show. How about using the side shoots pinched off your cordon tomatoes to raise new plants. Just let them grow to about 7-10cm long before cutting off and rooting in a glass of water. Pot them up, and you've got smashing young plants that will start flowering and fruiting in just a few weeks.
And when it comes to fertilisers, many people are totally confused by the array on offer. We'll be taken the mystery out of plant nutrition, and explain what you need to use to grow the healthiest, most productive plants.
If you're coming to Gardeners' World Live do join us at our Magazine Theatre, or come to the Grow Your Own feature garden, where I'll be showing how to create a productive patio. It will be lovely to see you.
Now I've just got one more problem to solve. The plants and props are tightly packed into my car but there's no space left for my suitcase! Where did I put the roof rack?
