Beechgrove Garden - Episode Guide

With snowdrops flowering before Christmas and daffodils out in January, spring seems to have come early to Scotland. How quickly we forget the destruction of the gales in December. December 8th saw a record-breaking gust of 165 mph on Cairngorm summit. The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh are still reeling from the destruction that the gales left in their wake, meanwhile Cathedral Grove next to Dunkeld Cathedral lost many of its precious veteran trees.

The Beechgrove Garden is calm now and full of sprightly spring bulbs, but has had its fair share of damage. In this first programme of the 34th series, Jim McColl, Carole Baxter, George Anderson and Carolyn Spray are assessing the winter damage and the unaccustomed spring warmth's effect on the garden. Then it's time to don the gardening gloves and get gardening again.

Carole and Jim have been in Beechgrove throughout the winter and we uniquely begin with a glimpse of winter and winter work in the garden, from taking hardwood cuttings to forcing bulbs for early spring showing. Jim and Carole then follow on the tasks that they started in the winter. Jim very excitedly unveils the new propagation greenhouse at Beechgrove.

Jim has also been to visit Inverness Floral Hall and Gardens, who are hoping to become a 'Botanic Garden' this year under the influence of new head gardener Sarah Speakman. Jim finds out what it means to the garden and to Inverness to have this title and is impressed by the stunning temperate and tropical displays in this gem of a garden.

In the Beechgrove Garden, Jim and Carole are reviewing some of the trails that they began in the autumn. Did the winter flowering pansies do what they say on the tin and flower all winter? Did the newbies, the garvineas, make it through the winter at all? Did the dwarf narcissus that claimed to flower in February actually do so?

Jim and Carole were also in the garden on Valentine's Day in the second of the looks at Beechgrove in winter. On their special day, Jim was sowing sweet peas and starting off the previously dormant begonia tubers, and Carole was planting a bare root 'edible hedge'. Who says romance is dead?

Meanwhile, back in the garden in early April, Jim is taking cuttings from those same begonia tubers and nipping out the tops of the now sprouted sweet peas.

George is once again taking his precious bulbs to show at the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society's prestigious Spring Show in the hopes that this time he might win more medals than 'the wife'.

In the Beechgrove Garden, everyone is looking for an inside job as the garden is covered in an unexpected blanket of six inches of snow. Jim takes cover in the propagation house to prick out his brassica seedlings while George is putting in the work inside the fruit house to optimise the Beechgrove fruit production this year.

Lesley tackles another common garden design challenge and shares her 'Off the Peg' design solutions, this time for front gardens. Lesley 'clothes' a square blank canvas of gravel front garden to create something both pretty and practical that gives us all more than a little kerb appeal.

After George's runaway (almost) success with growing veg for showing last year, he is having another go. He and Lesley are starting off growing 'sweet candle' and 'purple haze' carrots that George hopes to end up with award-winning dimensions.

George is also visiting the fascinating Linn Botanic Garden Cove by Helensburgh, which contains extensive collections of temperate plants. Notable is the fern collection as well as carpets of wild garlic and bluebells in the wooded areas, and a bamboo garden with some three dozen species from four continents. It's a relatively small garden and despite being ravaged by three winter storms where 40 trees toppled, George finds that the garden is spectacular at this time of the year.

In the Beechgrove Garden, what is technically a flower that has not yet bloomed, a rich source of vitamin C and until a few hundred years ago women were not allowed to eat as it's said to be too powerful an aphrodisiac? This week, Carole is planting both Chinese and Jerusalem artichokes.

Jim is once again on the quest to find a viable alternative to using peat in the garden and trailing another range of new 'peat free' alternatives, growing a range of plug plants to see if the likes of old tyres, recycled waste or sheep shearings work as well as the traditional but too precious peat.

Lesley tackles another common garden design challenge and shares her 'off the peg' design solutions, this time for front gardens. This week Lesley explains what to do with a new build house front garden once the builders have gone.

Meanwhile, Carole is visiting the much older St Andrews Botanic Garden, which dates from the around the 1800s. Carole meets some of the people who are working to keep this historic, educational gem of a garden going, while having a look around the rock garden and the displays of rhododendrons.

Jim is in among a crowded Beechgrove border. These acid loving lovelies are enjoying the conditions so much that they are taking over and need a bit of taming. One of them is a huge juniper that is now straddling and obscuring the path, and Jim tries his hand at a little topiary that may turn into some drastic pruning.

Lesley is in the potager garden, a mini garden that aims to be both pretty and productive in a very tiny space. She is starting off edible flowers and salads, both in the potager borders and in the bite-sized barrel greenhouse.

Carolyn visits Lorna Sinclair in Edinburgh. Lorna has a tricky problem with Japanese knotweed, which is starting to invade her garden. Carolyn talks to plantlife expert Deborah Long to find out why it is such a problem and what can be done to eradicate it.

Japanese knotweed is a hugely invasive plant that was brought into Britain from Japan in the mid-19th century as it is very pretty, but has since spread all across the UK through water courses and railway lines. It is estimated that it has cost the Olympic site £70M to eradicate it. It's a headache for developers, landowners and house owners, and DEFRA has estimated that the cost of a national eradication programme could cost £1.56b. In the light of that, what can Carolyn do with Lorna's problem?

Carolyn also visits Angela Davey in Wormit in Fife. This is a one-acre Edwardian landscaped garden with panoramic views over the Tay. Special features include rhododendron walk, rockeries, informal woodland planting schemes using native and exotic plants, providing year-round interest. Original raised paths lead to a granite grotto with a waterfall pool, and the granite features again in the shape of raised vegetable beds made out of granite sets. A real gem of a garden.

The best sign of spring is when the Beechgrove Garden returns and Jim McColl, Carole Baxter, George Anderson, Chris Beardshaw and Brian Cunningham are all back in the garden dispensing sage advice to keep growing.

At this time of the year, we are normally bemoaning winter storms - so what do we have to talk about after one of the mildest winters on record? Jim and team look at the signs of spring and see if it really has come early this year. Jim also takes a look at the progress of the overwintered veg, while George has already set himself a challenge to produce a weekly salad.

Carole has been in search of early signs of spring as she takes an up close and personal look at the tiny world of snowdrops. She also visits Helen Rushton in Rothienorman to discover why these tiny beauties excite such passions.

Winter hasn't been too cruel this year, but Carole is still hoping to find out how hardy the plants are that she deliberately left in the ground last year to test their resilience.

Meanwhile, George takes a look at his winter stem border that's full of plants that have been shining out in the darker months. Undercover, the glasshouse is a hive of activity at this time and Jim is sowing for Scotland.

Chris continues to work on the pond area of the garden, planting a range of grasses on the banking but it's perhaps a little too early for the waders. Carole visits retired doctor and artist David Hawson, who has created a fascinating topiary garden in Monymusk.

Jim is planting a selection of swedes and turnips for later in the year. Meanwhile, Chris is attempting to create a rose garden at Beechgrove, but how will they cope with exposed Scottish conditions? Carole is in Ardersier for Vegetable Garden on a Budget, with recent research suggesting that a family of four could save roughly £1,500 a year growing their own vegetables. Mari Reid lives and gardens in Ardersier and has come up with a clever way of helping others to grow their own by using community-minded land or garden share.

Gardening magazine. Jim has set up a replica of his own greenhouse at home and this week he is adding some half-hardy plants with colour. Meanwhile, Carole is starting off her hanging baskets early and is trying 3-in-1 plug plants. Chris continues development of the new rose garden, which has been planted with every variety of rose - but how will they cope with exposed Scottish conditions? George visits Dr Tony Toft in his garden at Hermitage Gardens in Edinburgh, which is a showpiece display of unusual species mixed tastefully with specially commissioned pieces of art and sculpture.

Gardening magazine. Jim and Carole begin their tomato trials, while Brian Cunningham is back in Beechgrove continuing with the next phase of development for the alpine garden. Meanwhile, George is in Banchory visiting Sheila Harper. Sheila's garden boasts two old, unruly apple trees which George is attempting to bring back down to earth. Jim visits the inspirational Firpark School in Motherwell and finds that horticulture is at the very root of the school's success. Firpark has 150 pupils with a range of additional support needs, and pupils learn to take produce from fork to fork and from garden to bistro.

Gardening magazine. In this week's programme, Carole gives advice on how to properly care for houseplants. Meanwhile, Jim, George and Carole do their best to rescue some pot-bound camellias. Jim is back for another visit to Firpark School in Motherwell. Firpark has 150 pupils with a range of additional support needs, and pupils learn to take produce from fork to fork and from garden to bistro. And Carole visits Simon McPhun's deceptively informal cottage-style garden near Huntly.

Gardening magazine. In this week's programme, Jim, Carole and George are planting bedding in the Beechgrove Garden. Scotland's most popular bedding plant is the begonia, and Carole checks on the progress of her fertiliser observation using begonias as the test plant. Meanwhile, Brian Cunningham is in Newton Mearns helping Susan Bulleid with a problematic dry shady spot under a mature beech tree. Brian uses the beech and creates a new woodland garden fit for purpose. Carole visits Hamish and Sue MacIntosh in Balnabuel. The couple have carved their one-acre mixed garden out of a fissure of land to create many growing environments.

Gardening magazine. This week the Beechgrove team are at Gardening Scotland, Scotland's biggest gardening show. The show features the cream of British growers and some of the winning exhibits from the Chelsea Flower Show. The Beechgrove team focus on the Scottish talent and plants, and get a sneak preview of what's to come, as they sample the unique Gardening Scotland atmosphere.

Gardening magazine. Carole and George don waders and climb into the Beechgrove pond to clear the blanketweed, while Jim takes a flamethrower to the weeds. Brian and George plant up a new alpine wall with blue and white plants that will create 'sky' beyond the alpine 'mountains'. Carole visits Julia Young's unique garden in a quarry at Blebo Craigs, near Strathkinness, as Julia has a small rowing boat to weed and plant around the quarry.

2018 marks the Beechgrove Garden's ruby anniversary. This week there are sweet signs of spring as Jim, Carole, George and Chris are surrounded by April's peach and cherry blossom.

George revisits Sheila Harper's ancient apple trees in Banchory. After a severe prune last year, George returns with slightly less sharp secateurs to show how to deal with the old trees this year. Carole visits Rosie Nixon in Perth. Rosie is a passionate wildlife gardener and photographer who creatively uses her all-seasons organic garden as her own green studio.

Throughout the 2018 series, Jim and Carole will be digging in the abundant Beechgrove archive to root out hints and tips from the last 40 years.

Jim and Carole celebrate Beechgrove's ruby anniversary in true Beechgrove style as it's tattie time. Both Jim and Carole are planting a range of ruby or red potatoes, and they also dig up an archive tattie tip from the late George Barron.

Brian is back in Beechgrove revisiting his alpine garden and reviews the winter damage, as well as doing a bit of weeding and feeding.

Last year Carole met almost-nonagenarian garden hero Sandy Inkster in his immaculate and award-winning Cults garden. Carole will visit Sandy several times throughout the 2018 series but this time meets him on his allotment on the south side of Aberdeen.

Chris is adding to the rose garden at Beechgrove. Roses and clematis are a classic combination but you do have to choose carefully, Chris explains, as they have to be able to be pruned at the same time.

Jim is planting with Beechgrove's ruby anniversary in mind, sowing red veg from beetroot 'Bulls Blood', courgette 'Midnight' and lettuce 'Moonred' to spinach 'Red Kitten' and spicy mustard 'Red Giant'. Last year Jim began an observation choosing a range of trees for small gardens. This year he is adding to that with a range of fastigiate trees, which are perfect for a small garden as they don't create much shade and have a small footprint. And Brian, who is used to modest swathes of daffodils at Scone Palace, visits Grampian Growers near Montrose to find out how six million bunches of daffodils find their way from the fields of Angus to neat bunches ready to buy

In the Beechgrove Garden, after the success of the no-dig observation of last year, Jim is extending the trial into the polytunnel, comparing conventionally grown vegetables with easy-grow no-dig vegetable plots. Brian is in Armadale, helping Lesley Welsh and her two children to create a bespoke vegetable plot for the family. Lesley wants the children to be able to easily grow their own and take their own home-grown produce from fork to fork.Brian is also in Tranent, visiting Wattie Russell. Wattie was nominated as one of Scotland's Garden Heroes, and Brian visits to see why. Wattie's inspirational, but tightly packed, garden in Tranent is full of spring beauties with around 500 different pots of colour.

In the Beechgrove Garden, it's tomato time as Jim is growing a range of viewers' recommended favourite tomato varieties, using viewers' best methods for growing them.Carole visits young farmers James Reid and Rosa Bevan near Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, to see how they use permaculture techniques to grow veg in the most environmentally friendly way possible. And Carole is also in Garelochhead to take in the annual Scottish Rhododendron Society show, where she sees competitors showing off the best blooms from the vast range of vibrant varieties.

Jim McColl and George Anderson introduce ‘no-dig' techniques to the veg plot, Carole Baxter spring cleans, and Kirsty Wilson makes an easy Easter wreath.

Brian Cunningham and Carole Baxter explore undercover growing methods, and Carole and Rosa Bevan take a look at alternatives to plastic in the garden.

In this episode, the team make creative gardening use of the contents of our bins and answer viewer video gardening questions in a virtual Q&A.

Beechgrove continues with updates from the team's own Scottish gardens.

In this episode, in Joppa, George creates a plant support for his sweet peas out of prunings, while Brian revels in the torrent of tulips at Scone.

Beechgrove continues with personal garden diaries from the team's own patches of Scotland.

In this episode, Kirsty sows a rainbow veg plot in thanks to the NHS. Meanwhile, in Joppa, George is taking his recycling ideas ever higher by creating a cascade of colour with milk cartons.

Gardening magazine. In this episode, George is hankering after hostas, Kirsty harks back to the 70s to create an easy terrarium and Chris is dealing with a bad bout of box blight.

Gardening magazine. In this episode, George has a novel way of using old pots to create an easy rockery, while Brian builds a mini mountain feature with just stone and sand.

Gardening magazine. Carole and Brian deal with more of the viewers' home-grown questions. Carole identifies and deals with the garden Pest of the Week, while Brian is back at his compost heap.

Now that all risk of frost is past, it's bedding plant season for the Beechgrove team. Brian has sown and grown his own, while George has taken a pot-luck kerb-side delivery and gives a recipe for a rainbow of bedding colour in containers.

Beechgrove is all about pests and pretty things this week. In this episode, George shows how to detect and deal with garden pests, and Kirsty creates an indoor succulent tower.

Make the most of the growing season with the Beechgrove team. George shows how easy it is to fix a fallen fig, while Kirsty explores the unique Rain Garden at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Meanwhile, agony plant aunt Carole answers more homegrown questions from viewers.

Gardening magazine. George keeps an eye on his cuttings, while Kirsty deals with some prickly customers as she shows how to carefully propagate cacti.

It's the time of year when thoughts turn to strawberries and cream, and there is nothing better than having grown them yourself. In a fruity Beechgrove, Carole tastes the ultimate in no-fuss, easy-to-grow strawberries, while Chris shows how to summer prune figs and grapes.

Gardening magazine. Carole shows the difference between a bed of hardy annuals sown in a prepared bed alongside an unprepared bed.

Carole and Kirsty go exotic with bamboos and aeoniums. In contrast, Sophie gives an update from her Aberdeen allotment, while George discusses the art of getting watering right.

Beechgrove is back in bloom and storming in after Arwen and Barra ripped through trees across the north east of Scotland. In typical Beechgrove style, George, Carole, Bran and Calum are all together on home turf to see how to turn the damage into new developments.

The national flower of Ukraine is the sunflower, and as a mark of support, the team are growing a range of these positive plants at Beechgrove. We also visit a sunflower maze that, in 2021, was a cheerful church initiative in Elie to allow those who were not able to come to church to congregate. In 2022, it becomes a fitting symbol of hope for Ukraine.

In Beechgrove, Calum is designing and building a garden modest in size and modest in budget, but big on ideas and inspiration for everyone starting their own gardens.

There is a new crop of Beechgrowers for 2022, with six more budding gardeners making regular appearances throughout the series to share their personal gardening video diaries from their own homes, plots and gardens all over Scotland.

Meanwhile, George is in his allotment in sunny Joppa and, as ever, he has been busy over the winter building new more accessible raised beds and laying new paths ready for the season's growing.

Old watering cans, chimney pots and tin baths are the unlikely containers that Carole and Kirsty are using to create an edible container garden at Beechgrove.

Meanwhile, Calum has challenged the whole Beechgrove team to grow giant potatoes to see who can grow the biggest.

George and Calum each take their best selection of spring bulbs to compete in the Caley Spring Show at Saughton Park. It's Calum's first time for entering spring bulbs to the shows, and show veteran and multi-prize winner George has been mentoring him.

The Beechgrove team look ahead to a bumper crop of veggies across the coming season.

Brian and Carole sow the seed they saved from last season's heritage and contemporary varieties, and compare to this year's fresh seed. With the ground now warming up, George gets his carrots, spring onions and beetroot planted at the allotment in Joppa.

There is a report from an award-winning garden in Buckie from one of the growers Beechgrove is following across the summer, plus some handy hints on what you could be doing in your garden this weekend.

In this episode, Calum and Carole have something for almost every type of gardener. If you don't have access to a garden, or just want to maximise the space you have, we show you how to make the most of your windowsill by growing herbs and micro greens.

For those who do have a border to work with, Brian revisits some old favourites in the shape of gladiolus, fucshias and begonias, reminding us that there is nothing wrong with the traditional planting approach.

And if you need inspiration, there is a visit to a beautiful East Lothian garden, while, at Beechgrove, Calum takes the next step in building his new plot.

It's all about the hanging baskets of Beechgrove this week from the garden in Aberdeenshire as Carole Baxter sets up these fantastic garden features for a summer of colour. Carole will also have expert advice on how to get the best crop from this year's tomato plants, including a look at the possibility of ripening tomatoes outside in a Scottish garden.

The team are also busy on their own allotments: in Sunny Joppa George is planting more vegetables and Calum is planning his planting, while Kirsty is planting to hide a new fence. It's also time to catch up on this year's Beechgrowers, gardeners from Orkney to Dumfries, growing in poly tunnels, small gardens and allotments and this week we hear more of their plans for the summer to come.

At Beechrove Brian Cunningham and Carole Baxter carry on the major renovation project that was kicked off when the garden lost one of its feature trees earlier in the year. The hard landscaping has been done in the area where that conifer once was, now it's time to get planting.

It's No Mow May and Carole and Brian explain why putting the lawn mower aside for a couple of weeks is a great idea.

Brian plants out sweet peas and keen gardener Diana Yates introduces the first of her features from her garden in the Borders.

Everyone is learning at Beechgrove this week with Calum Clunie and Carole Baxter. Carole is taking plants out of their comfort zone and finding out what happens if you don't, or can't, follow the instructions on the label when you get home from the garden centre.

Calum is growing food for thought as he helps out a school in Aberdeenshire get to grips with their community garden. And at Beechgrove he's cracking on with the next stage of the renovation of his own plot there with the construction of new raised beds.

We find out how a father and daughter team from East Lothian are learning from each other as they garden together and Calum and Carole have a date with the Calendar border.

This episode is all about giving nature a helping hand, with a particular focus on gardening that brings wildlife to your growing area.

Carole Baxter demonstrates how you can do your bit for the environment, even if you only have room for a container for growing, by using plants such as lavender, borage and teasel.

There is also a visit to a garden near Oban that has been designed and planted to encourage a huge range of birds and insects to the plot.

George Anderson plants French and runner beans on his allotment in Joppa, and Calum Clunie is on his patch planting dahlias and sowing peas ready for exhibition time.

Carole Baxter and Brian Cunningham are at Beechgrove to provide some great garden advice. Carole is back in the 6x8 greenhouse to review the season's growing so far, including an update on the cordon tomatoes. Brian and Carole then continue with the revamp that began with the removal of a conifer from the top of the garden, finishing the job by planting between the branches of the alder banking they created earlier in the series.

Meanwhile, at his allotment in Joppa, George Anderson gets stuck into thinning out his seedlings, and there are updates from keen gardeners around the country, with the latest from the Beechgrowers.

Calum and Carole are back with a weekly update featuring great advice and top tips for gardeners across the country.

In this episode, they are at Beechgrove working in the vegetable plot as part of a series of features that sees a part of the garden redeveloped. Calum has already built a pallet deck and has his raised bed ready, now it's time for the first plants of his own plot go in.

Meanwhile, George tackles more viewer questions from his garden in Joppa, and Beechgrove visits Buckie for an update on Lizzie Schofield's award-winning garden.

Calum is at Beechgrove designing and building a garden modest in both size and budget, but big on ideas and inspiration for anyone starting their own garden.

George is at his allotment in Joppa and, as ever, he has been busy over the winter building more-accessible raised beds and laying new paths ready for the season's growing.

Brian and Carole are at Beechgrove to answer viewers' questions. Brian also checks up on the sweet peas he planted earlier in the series.

There is also a visit to Beechgrove's low-maintenance garden. As the name suggests, the garden doesn't need much in the way of looking after, but there may well be some small jobs required to keep the area looking its best.

Meanwhile, George is at his garden tending to the tomatoes and explaining his solar-powered irrigation system.

Calum and Carole are in the Bargain Border looking at how the area has been developed and planted on a low budget.

We visit this year's crop of Beechgrowers, and there is an update on Beechgrove's tomato plants. And Calum takes on the next stage of landscaping in his own garden.

George and Calum share more great advice from the Beechgrove garden, and Carole visits the magnificent gardens at Douneside House, where she meets some of the trainee horticulturalists based there.

George and Calum answer viewers' questions, and there is an update from Diana Yates and her garden in the Borders.

Brian Cunningham is joined at Beechgrove by Lizzie Schofield, whose garden in Buckie has featured earlier in the series. Lizzie demonstrates how to make a floral crown using clippings from Beechgrove's own willow arch and cut flowers, alongside stems from Lizzie's own garden.

Meanwhile, Carole Baxter visits a fantastic garden in Aboyne, and George Anderson provides as update on the courgettes he has planted directly onto his compost heap.

Carole Baxter and Calum Clunie are at Beechgrove working on the garden's vegetable plot and fruit growing areas. Calum also works work on his own Beechgrove garden area that he has redeveloped across the summer. With the end is in sight, Calum has an eye on saving money and recycling as he discovers a cheap and sustainable way of upcycling that will hopefully turn into great furniture for his plot.

Meanwhile, George is harvesting at his garden in Joppa, and there is a special report on a Glasgow garden project that is helping to support some of the city's Afghan community.

In this episode, Carole visits one of the gardeners we have been following across the series. Deborah Peterson has a medium-sized garden in Aberdeen, and so far we have seen her growing seeds she has salvaged from kitchen waste and creating a wildflower area on her lawn. Carole catches up with Deborah, advising for the rest of the growing season.

Meanwhile, Calum is back on his own allotment for an update on caring for dahlias and protecting roses, all of which he hopes will produce prize-winning blooms later in the year.

George has more from his garden, and there is the regular catch-up from the programme's Beechgrowers - gardeners from across Scotland coping with a variety of conditions.

Carole Baxter is joined at Beechgrove by Diana Yates. Beechgrove has been following Diana at her pretty and productive patch in West Linton, but this week she is visiting Beechgrove and shows Carole the age-old technique of braiding garlic.

Kirsty Wilson joins volunteers of a dog rehoming centre in West Calder to help revamp a garden that really has gone to the dogs. In this first stage of the project, Kirsty and the volunteers decide how to design a retirement garden for old dogs.

We also travel to Wishaw to visit the garden of Kimberly Light. Kimberley's small garden is full of plants that she has grown from seed and are to be used for cut flowers, which she then turns into creative arrangements for friends and family.

George and Calum are at Beechgrove to present more great gardening advice. Meanwhile, Kirsty gets on with creating a new garden for a dog rescue centre near Livingston, and the four-legged judges give their verdict.

George and Calum review the containers planted with wildlife in mind, a great way to give nature a helping hand, even if you only have a small space. Elsewhere, Carole finds out more about an ambitious project by the National Trust for Scotland that aims to catalogue the thousands of plant species in its gardens across Scotland.

It's time to check on the progress of Beechgrove's tomato crop. Earlier in the season, Carole Baxter was joined by tomato grower Camilla Fredriksen to plant a number of varieties both indoors and outdoors, and the pair return to Beechgrove to see how those plants have progressed.

Carole also reviews the containers containing the wildlife-friendly plants started earlier in the year, as well as starting off some plug plants that will help the pollinators next year.

And there is a visit to Pitmedden Garden in Aberdeenshire and its newly designed Great Garden parterre.

Carole and Brian are at Beechgorve reviewing some of the projects they started earlier in the year. On the vegetable plot, they examine the results of their experiment to compare heritage with contemporary seed varieties. And it's time for another big reveal as they as delve into the potatoes grown in containers, and discover which presenter has the biggest sunflower head.

Meanwhile, George is busy in Joppa, we meet father and daughter Joe and Erin in East Lothian and visit an amazing garden in Ayrshire.

Carole Baxter and Kirsty Wilson are once again hard at work at Beechgrove. Kirsty designed and planted a hot border back in April that would bring vibrant colour to the late summer and she is giving it the final once-over to assess whether it delivered.

Also reviewing the summer's performance, Carole and Kirsty check out the results of the quirky containers - how did the compost work out, and what can be planted in them next?

Meanwhile, George is joined in Joppa by Carole to check on how the tomatoes and decorative planting have measured up.

George Anderson and Calum Clunie are at Beechgrove. The pair will be checking out more of what the garden has produced this year. Carole Baxter is visiting an expert grower of chillies, she will be tasting the many varieties available, including some of the hottest, as well as finding out the tricks of trade in growing this popular kitchen favourite.

At the garden, Calum is in the final stages of work on his own patch of Beechgrove. He'll be sowing his lawn area and George will be planting some late fruit.

Brian and Carole offer lots of great advice for gardeners of all kinds and review this summer's output. The pair revisit the area between the alpine and heather borders that they worked on earlier in the year, and they check on the range of planting that was put in place to replace a diseased conifer that was removed earlier in the series.

George reviews his summer from his garden and allotment in Joppa, offering some great advice on what to do with used tomato growbags. There is also a visit to a Glasgow garden which is part of a UK-wide programme to create outdoor spaces to support patients at NHS spinal injury centres. And it's the last visit to the Beechgrove's Beechgrowers, gardeners from across Scotland who have been giving regular updates through the summer.

It's the last show of a fabulous growing season, and there's a team of gardeners on hand at Beechgrove to give more great advice and also to look back at how the Beechgrove garden, and their own gardens, have performed.

Carole Baxter, George Anderson, Calum Clunie and Kirsty Wilson are all on hand with more great tips. Calum is putting the finishing touches to his new garden at Beechgrove, Kirsty is planting bulbs for some great spring colour, George will have some great growing advice, and Carole will be revealing the results of the giant tattie competition.

There's a visit to East Lothian to find out how Diana Yates' garden, and some of the seeds and plants we saw her get started earlier in the season, have performed in this dry summer, and there will be handy hints covering lots of autumn and winter jobs that can get done before Beechgrove returns next year.

Beechgrove Garden is back and celebrating its 45th anniversary.

Across the series, the expert gardeners experiment with growing tomatoes on the windowsill, homegrown salads and vegetables, as well as the traditional Beechgrove Garden potato trials. All summer, the show will have advice and instruction for gardeners of all kinds, from beginner to expert.

There will also be a focus on some particular gardening areas, including a monthly Back to Basics guide, where the team give a masterclass on the key skills needed to be a great gardener.

Kirsty Wilson will be presenting a regular houseplant feature looking at care, selection and some on-trend planting styles for indoor growers, and there is also a focus on gardening for wildlife.

In the first episode, Carole Baxter, George Anderson and Diana Yates assess the state of the garden after a long, cold winter, and launch into the many jobs that need to be done at this time of year, including tips on seed-sowing and planting your own garlic supply. Meanwhile, Calum Clunie sends the first report from his allotment in Leven, and Brian Cunningham provides an update on his garden at Old Scone. There is also a list of top tips to save money in the garden - with household budgets feeling the pinch, how do you plant without spending too much?

Carole Baxter and Calum Clunie provide more gardening tips and advice from Beechgrove Garden. It's a busy time in the garden, with sowing and planting taking place for the approaching summer. The year's first early potatoes get started, and there is a trial of tomato plants suited to windowsill growing.

Calum checks on the progress of the variety of supermarket bulbs he bought last year, and Kirsty Wilson starts the first in her series by looking at the selection, care and display of houseplants. And George Anderson provides the first update from his allotment in Joppa.

It's time to make the bed, the vegetable bed, at Beechgrove Garden this week where there's top tips for making your garden as productive as possible, whether you've got a border, a balcony, or a window box.

Lizzie Schofield and Calum Clunie present another Beechgrove Garden to guide you through one of the busiest times of the year on the horticultural calendar as the days get longer and, hopefully, the weather a bit warmer. There's another great selection of Handy Hints, all the jobs you could be doing right now, and the team tackle a major project - clearing up winter storm damage, taking down a fence damaged in the high winds of January and coming up with a creative alternative.

We catch up with father and daughter gardeners Joe and Erin Armstrong in East Lothian and there's another great garden visit, with tips on how you can get the same look.

The season is speeding past and as we come to the end of April the warmer weather has woken the garden, meaning more jobs to tackle for Carole Baxter and Diana Yates at Beechgrove just outside Aberdeen. This week, the main tattie crop goes in the ground, ready for harvesting later in the year for a home-grown supply in months to come. Carole is planting Yellow Rattle plug plants on the lawn. This is a great plant to help encourage wildflowers, as it inhibits the growth of grass, thereby helping other species develop. Calum Clunie is updating us on developments at his own allotment in Leven in Fife, and Kirsty Wilson has another in her series on houseplant care. That, plus the weekly handy hints and great tips on jobs to tackle this week, all from Beechgrove Garden.

Ahead of the coronation weekend, there is a slight royal theme to the work going on at Beechgrove Garden. Carole Baxter and Calum Clunie will be planting delphiniums, reportedly one of the favourite flowers of HM King Charles III. Elsewhere in the garden, Carole starts to refresh the planting in the Garden for Wildlife with a selection of varieties known to help pollinators and other species. Calum replants some of his underperforming roses from the end of last year, and Brian Cunningham sends another report on the work he is doing at his garden in Perthshire. And there is the next in Beechgrove's Back to Basics skills guide.

Blooms, veggies and fruit all get the expert treatment from George Anderson and Calum Clunie.

George is trialling new blueberry bushes, and Calum is demonstrating even more garden produce to plant at home. One of Scotland's favourite flowers - the sweet pea - gets planted out, ready to bring colour and fragrance wherever they are cultivated.

Lizzie Schofield starts working with a family that has just moved into a new-build estate, with a new house and a new garden that needs to be turned from turf to terrific.

Beechgrove Garden is planning for a colourful summer, planting for pollinators and caring for dahlias. Kirsty Wilson and Lizzie Schofield will have the usual half hour of great gardening advice, including a follow-up on how the dahlia tubers planted in pots in April are coming on, and what to do if you want to get some free plants by taking dahlia cuttings.

Kirsty is sowing a bed around the viburnum that was moved last autumn, and this new area will be home to plants that are particularly good for pollinators. Calum Clunie will be sending an update from his allotment in Fife, and George Anderson is in Joppa. And it's the start of a garden renovation for a family who have recently moved into a new-build house.

Carole Baxter and Diana Yates are at the garden outside Aberdeen where they are continuing to mark the show's 45th anniversary by planting blue-themed varieties. This time, it's container planting. At the garden, they demonstrate how to produce homemade fertiliser using comfrey.

George Anderson has an update from his own garden in Joppa, and Beechgrove's head gardener, Scott Smith, has a back-to basics guide on how to spot when your seedlings are ready for potting on.

It's the jobs a lot of us will be tackling in the garden at this time of year as Lizzie and Callum dish out advice on bedding plants, hanging baskets and lawn care, all common gardening tasks at this time of year.

Bedding plants will be going out now that the frost risk is over, even in Aberdeen. Hanging baskets are a firm favourite, and Calum and Lizzie will be looking at both traditional and more contemporary planting ideas.

Meanwhile, Carole Baxter visits a beautiful garden in Aberdeen, and there is a chance to have a look at some amazing private gardens that are rarely open to the public.

Flaming June sees Beechgrove Garden burst into colour, with lots more jobs to be getting on with. In this episode, Carole is in the 8x6 greenhouse to assess progress so far, and Scott is in the picket garden taking away an ornamental arch and replacing it with a yew tree alternative. Brian Cunningham has the latest from his own garden in Old Scone, too.

There's a focus on productive gardening in small spaces this week at Beechgrove Garden, presented by Carole Baxter and Calum Clunie. Carole will is in the 6x8 greenhouse checking progress on the range of tomatoes chosen because they would grow well in the small space of a windowsill. Calum is on his own Beechgrove plot sowing a clover lawn. George Anderson is on his allotment in Sunny Joppa where he is planting out his pumpkins and there's a visit to an amateur gardener who has been inspired by her volunteer work at Cowden Japanese Garden.

Wildflowers and houseplants are at the heart of this week's Beechgrove Garden. Carole Baxter is out and about visiting the garden of a specialist in the sowing and cultivation of wildflowers, and Kirsty Wilson is back with the latest in her series on houseplant care. This week, she is upcycling a second-hand cabinet and turning it into a display case for your houseplants, complete with specialist lighting.

George Anderson and Calum Clunie are working at the Beechgrove Garden, where they will be checking on progress in the fruit cage, specifically the loganberries and tayberries that were planted last year. There is also work to be done in the vegetable plot. All that plus the week's usual handy hints.

Flaming June is almost over, and gardens in Scotland are definitely in top gear, so there is lots to do and review at Beechgrove Garden.

There is a visit to one of Scotland's top tourist attractions - Culzean Castle - to find out what they are growing in their famous walled garden. There is also some advice from one of the show's regulars, who now works as part of the garden team at the castle.

Carole Baxter visits another garden, this time in Huntly, while at Beechgrove Garden itself, there is more information for beginners in Back to Basics.

It's viewer question time this week at Beechgrove Garden as Carole Baxter and head gardener Scott Smith tackle some of the topical queries they have received. Carole is also back in the garden for wildlife, planting species that suit sunny conditions and that also give nature a helping hand.

Brian Cunningham has his eye on his favourite iris, and it's back to this summer's project of creating a garden for a new-build home.

There's nothing better than harvesting what you have planted yourself, and that's what Diana and Calum are doing at Beechgrove Garden in this episode.

Way back in November 2022, Diana planted a range of garlic varieties, and now is the time to lift them for drying and to store them for future use. Calum reviews the hanging baskets he planted up a few weeks ago ,and George has the latest from his own garden in Joppa. There is a visit to Nairn to find out more about a viewer's garden, and there are the usual top tips and handy hints for the week's activities in your own garden.

Last year, the Beechgrove team scavenged the local charity shops and tracked down a range of containers that were turned into fantastic planters. These upcycled boxes and hampers have been used again this year, and a range of salad crops were sown. In this episode, Carole and Kirsty harvest what has grown and also thin out the bamboo next to the pond, before planting up a hanging basket full of herbs.

Calum Clunie provides an update from his allotment in Leven, and George Anderson teaches more Back to Basics, which this week features a different way to propagate new plants. And father and daughter gardeners Erin and Joe Armstrong work and garden together at their plot in East Lothian.

Head gardener Scott Smith heads for the Picket Fence Garden to check on the roses. He will be looking at feeding, how to deal with diseases, explaining the differences in types of rose available, and sharing some propagation know-how. Lizzie Schofield joins him in the garden to revisits her perennial border.

George Anderson is on his allotment in Joppa, where he will be updating us on the sweet potatoes he planted last month. He also checkis out his pumpkin and sweetcorn, and the apple trees will be getting a summer prune.

It's a big day at Beechgrove Garden as George Anderson and Carole Baxter harvest the first of this year's potatoes. At the garden just outside Aberdeen, they pick blackcurrants and gooseberries as well as giving an update on summer lawn care.

There is a visit to a remarkable garden in Glasgow that is designed to assist people who have experienced spinal injury, and Brian Cunningham sends his latest update from Old Scone, where he is looking at ways to control garden pests and getting ready for some tree planting.

It's a tale of high summer and mid-winter at Beechgrove Garden this week. Kirsty is checking on her hot border, designed to be a riot of colour in high summer. Meanwhile, Calum is at his allotment in Leven, where he is planting potatoes to serve up for Christmas dinner. Back at Beechgrove, Scott demonstrates how to prune a rambling rose.

This week at Beechgrove Garden, there is preparation for the months to come as well as reaping the results of planting earlier in the year.

The windowsill tomatoes are in full fruit and have been ideal for anyone with only a windowsill to grow on, producing plenty for summer salads. Looking ahead, Calum is sowing a selection of tasty winter vegetables, while Carole is harvesting the blooms planted in the spring with a view to being dried and used for dried flower arrangements.

Elsewhere, there is a report from a community garden in the Cranhill area of Glasgow.

Carole Baxter presents the latest Back to Basics feature, and she's talking about the many bugs, blights and diseases that can attack plants: what they are, what damage they can do, and how best to stop them.

Diana Yates and Calum Clunie are also at the garden. Diana reviews her own 'vertical garden' area at Beechgrove that demonstrates planting ideas for those with small gardens and balconies.

Carole Baxter is checks in on Beechgrove's sweet peas, planted this year with a blue theme to mark the programme's sapphire anniversary. Lizzie Schofield joins Carole in the garden as she looks at propagating strawberries, and there is the weekly round-up of handy hints.

There is an update from Calum Clunie at his allotment in Leven, and Brian Cunningham is at Old Scone looking at plant names. And there is a visit to a fabulous garden in the south west of Scotland.

It's the first Beechgrove Garden of September, and although autumn is knocking on the garden gate, there is still lots to do for Kirsty Wilson and Calum Clunie.

Kirsty is dealing with the dahlias and showing us how to take hydrangea cuttings. Meanwhile, Calum is reviewing the clover lawn he sowed earlier in the year and catching up on the sweet corn planted in the polytunnel.

Carole has another instalment of Back to Basics, which this week features a look at plants that would suit a seaside location, and George Anderson is back on his allotment in Joppa.

All summer, Beechgrove Garden has had a focus on planting and gardening that is beneficial to wildlife. Pollinator-friendly plants have been spread around the whole garden, but there is one area with a particular focus on wildlife-friendly planting, and Carole is there to review its progress. She is joined by George Anderson, who will be tackling some important pruning. There is also a visit to Skye to find out more about a great community garden in Portree.

It's time to review the season's growing successes so George Anderson is looking over the plants and produce of 2023 in sunny Joppa. At Beechgrove, Diana Yates and head gardener Scott Smith are in the polytunnel and cutting the garden's extensive beech and yew hedges. There is a garden visit to an amazing plot on Skye and a tropical garden in Moray.

It's the last episode of Beechgrove Garden's summer series, so Carole Baxter and George Anderson are in a reflective mood as they look back at how the 2023 growing season has been. It was a hot, dry June, a damp August, followed by a bloom of hot weather in early September - so what has that done to the garden?

Carole and George dig up the crop of blue potatoes planted earlier in the year, there are bulbs going into the ground for spring 2024, and there is a back-to-basics demonstration of how to take hardwood cuttings.

There are end-of-term updates from Calum Clunie at his allotment in Fife, and Brian Cunningham goes over his herbaceous border at Old Scone.

Winter is over, spring is here, and the garden is slowly coming back to life - and with it comes a new series of Beechgrove Garden. All through the spring, summer and into autumn, the Beechgrove team will be bringing their expert advice and insight into what you should be doing in your garden each week. Whether you have a window box, a balcony or borders and raised beds, there will be something useful for you to learn about or get done.

In this episode, Carole Baxter and George Anderson are at Beechgrove to review how the wild, wet winter has affected the garden. If you are a beginner gardener, there is a Back to Basics look at what essential tools you need to get started. George and Carole are shifting the Beechgrove rhubarb, and Brian Cunningham is tackling the basics of gardening in a greenhouse. All that plus weekly handy hints and a visit to an allotment in Dundee.

It's the start of the gardening year, so stay with Beechgrove to keep you on track for the season to come.

It's tattie time at Beechgrove as George Anderson and Carole Baxter plant some blight resistant varieties in the garden just outside Aberdeen.

There's spring colour with a look at some of the many different daffodil varieties and classifications available, Carole and George will be highlighting the characteristics to look out for.

George is sowing broad beans and Calum Clunie is back for the first of his updates from his productive allotment in Leven.

It's one of the busiest times in the horticultural calendar and there's lots to be done at Beechgrove Garden just outside Aberdeen. Calum Clunie and Lizzie Schofield unwrap dahlias after a winter in the dark, and Lizzie is in the gravel garden splitting and separating crocosmia.

There's a visit to a beautiful spring garden in Argyll and tips on how to refresh any potted box hedge that is looking a bit brown and straggly. Plus all the usual hot tips and handy hints on what you should be doing in your own garden, balcony or window box right now.

As the days get longer, so does the to-do list at Beechgrove. Kirsty Wilson and Calum Clunie are busy tackling spring jobs, including a revamp of the roses in the picket fence garden.

The pair tackle creating a hugel bed, a sustainable method of growing that is based around planting on a specially created mound of composting materials.

If your gardening is on a smaller scale, Lizzie Schofield is in Buckie creating a perfect patio garden. Plus the usual handy hints for the week ahead and a great garden visit.

It's the start of May and George Anderson and Lizzie Schofield combine flowers and productive gardening by creating a mini potager plot at Beechgrove. They also kick off one of the big jobs of the year, a revamp of the herb garden.

Brian Cunningham gives the latest gardening updates from his plot in Old Scone and there's a visit to a garden in Dunfermline that has been an inspiration for local volunteers. All that plus topical tips, and Lizzie demonstrates how to save money by making plant supports from willow.

Gardening to give nature in your garden a helping hand is the focus of this episode.

Carole Baxter is joined by wildlife expert James Silvey to answer your questions on how, and what, to plant in order to attract wildlife to wherever you do your growing

There is also a visit to a community garden in Paisley that has gardeners from across the world helping out and benefiting from what they grow.

Carole is at Beechgrove planting out a new strawberry bed and looking at which tomato and cucumber varieties she will be growing in her 8x6 greenhouse.

The weather continues to warm, the days get longer and so the gardening season picks up pace with Lizzie Schofield and Calum Clunie attending to the jobs at Beechgrove Garden. Calum plants out a bed to produce cut flowers all summer long and Lizzie continues the work on revamping the herb garden. There are ideas on what to plant in a shaded area of woodland and the broad beans sown last month are planted out. There's a visit to a thriving community garden in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow, plus the week's round up of handy hints.

There has been so much rain this spring that many plots feel like a bog. Thankfully, Kirsty and Lizzie are in Beechgrove's own bog garden looking at plants that are specifically suited to extremely wet conditions. In a drier, warmer area of the garden, the pair are planting pumpkins and squash in the polytunnel.

One of the big projects at Beechgrove this year is the revamping of the herb garden. Lizzie selected the plants that were worth keeping a few weeks ago, and now she is working to improve the soil in that area.

Plus all the usual handy hints and a visit to a first-time allotment gardener, who receives some expert guidance.

There is more spring colour to enjoy in the garden, and Carole Baxter is looking at bedding plants, which are safe to plant out now that the risk of frost has hopefully gone.

Carole also has an update on the yellow rattle that was sown last year. Yellow rattle inhibits grass growth and is a great way to encourage and assist other wildflowers to progress in a grassy area.

It is also time to plant out the dahlias, and new Beechgrove expert Ruth Vichos is tackling pests in the greenhouse. There is a visit to East Lothian to visit the plot of father-and-daughter gardeners Erin and Joe Armstrong, while Brian Cunningham has the latest from his garden at Old Scone.

The flurry of planting and sowing in spring is over, and it's time to check in and enjoy the results of all that hard work at Beechgrove Garden.

After a cold, wet start to the season, some warmer weather means that there has been some growing progress as Calum Clunie and Lizzie Schofield find out when they check in on the garden's vegetable-producing areas.

Meanwhile, Lizzie revisits the new potager plot - an area of plants that are both decorative and edible - and also starts choosing varieties for the new herb garden she has been working on over the last few episodes.

There is more planting in the calendar border with shrubs chosen for their scent, plus the usual weekly tips and hints.

If you want to attract more bird life to your garden, deck or window box, then this episode has some top tips for you. Kirsty Wilson is discussing just what to sow and plant in order to attract birds to your area and give them a helping hand at the same time.

Lizzie Schofieid continues her work refreshing the perennials in the zig-zag garden, there is a look at the garden's loofahs, and Kirsty is planting on the hugulkultur bed, a sustainable way to create a fertile growing area that she and Calum built in April.

All that plus advice on growing delicious summer melons and autumn pumpkins.

It's all about alpines as Brian Cunningham and Carole Baxter offer tips on these plants, which, although found on mountain tops, also look great at Beechgrove Garden.

Brian and Carole also take another look at an area they were forced to replant two years ago because of disease - dwarf bamboo and decorative stumps from a fallen alder were used to create a new look for the space, and they're assessing how it's coming along and what to do next.

Carole is reporting on how the successional tattie planting is progressing, and she's also in the 8x6 domestic greenhouse, explaining what needs to be done right now to ensure the very best tomatoes and cucumbers.

It's all about the joy of going into your garden and picking something fresh and sweet this week at Beechgrove Garden as George Anderson and Calum Clunie are tending vines, fig plants and fruit bushes.

George is in the fruit house explaining how to get the most from your vine, and he will also be in the fruit cage planting new cultivars of gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant, as well as pruning Beechgrove's plum trees.

Calum is in the vegetable patch with the latest on this year's successional sowing. All that plus the week's handy hints.

In this episode, the Beechgrove team show how to create the scents and flavours of a herb garden even if you don't have much space.

Lizzie Schofield has been developing the programme's herb garden this year, and this week she discusses and sows the herbs that are ideal for container and window box cultivation, perfect if you don't have access to a larger area to plant in.

Horticultural lecturer Ruth Vichos joins the gardening team at Beechgrove and demonstrates how to expand your plant collection without spending a penny by taking softwood cuttings. There is also a great idea about what to do with your grass cuttings and what biennials to sow that will help the pollinators in your area.

It's the taste of summer, so Beechgrove Garden's own strawberry crop gets some attention - and maybe some picking - from George Anderson and Carole Baxter. The pair also work in the Garden for Wildlife, a plot specifically designed and planted with species that are beneficial to the local ecosystem, with George boosting the garden's collection of meconopsis.

Carole picks some of the fantastic salad crops that have been growing in her collection of quirky containers - proof that you don't need a lot of space to grow some of your own vegetables - and reveals the top cropping plant of the year so far.

The secateurs are out at Beechgrove Garden as Kirsty Wilson and Calum Clunie set about trimming, pruning and cutting to encourage new growth for the rest of the season and beyond.

Now is the time to prune the wisteria if you have one, and Kirsty demonstrates just how to go about it. She also talks about what you should be doing to the laburnum right now. Both Kirsty and Calum tidy up the garden's topiary, and Calum is in the flower bed cutting anything that is ready for the vase and tending to the varieties that will deliver scent and colour later in the season.

There is a check on the pumpkins that were planted in the newly created Hugelkulture bed, plus the week's handy hints.

It's time for summer fruit salads as George Anderson and Lizzie Schofield start cherry-picking the best of the summer produce. There was a cold and wet spring, followed by a cool start to the summer, so how has that affected this year's produce?

George is in the fruit cage, where he is pruning the loganberry and tayberry that he planted last year, and he and Lizzie pull the best of what has grown so far from the vegetable plot.

All that plus the latest from Calum Clunie's allotment in Leven and the usual handy hints.

A steady supply of tatties from Beechgrove Garden starts as Carole Baxter and Brian Cunningham dig into the first crop that were planted in containers earlier in the year. Planting continued at regular intervals through the spring, which means there will be a succession of potato production in the coming weeks.

Carole is in the seaside garden checking on the plants that got a heavy cutting back last year, and she also has advice on what to do with any hanging baskets and containers you might have. Brian demonstrates what to do with one of the most common and attractive garden shrubs right now. Plus all the usual handy hints.

Bamboo is a very popular plant and a great way to create structure in gardens or to provide a screen from neighbours. However, it can be a huge problem if it starts to spread. Lizzie Schofield and Ruth Vichos take a look at the different varieties available, how to plant it and, most importantly, how to stop it taking over. The pair also demonstrate just what to do with a drumstick primula in a garden's plant collection, and have a timely chat about a very common garden pest - slugs.

There is also an update from George Anderson's allotment as he reviews the impact the cold, wet, not-so-sunny growing season has had on his plot's output.

Plus all the usual handy hints.

Ponds, large or small, are a great way to encourage wildlife to your garden, and Kirsty Wilson and Calum Clunie get their waders on to suggest some great plants to add to your pond if you have one, or to introduce if you are creating a new water feature.

In the spring, Calum set himself the challenge of producing cut flowers every month of the growing season. In this episode, he checks in on what is available in August, while Kirsty demonstrates how to care for citrus plants.

Plus the usual handy hints and an update from George Anderson's garden in Joppa.

It's the time of year when all the hard work earlier in the season begins to pay off. Carole Baxter is in one of Beechgrove Garden's greenhouses to record how this year's crop of tomatoes is measuring up. Along with Ruth Vichos, another crop that will be checked is this year's planting of blight-resistant potatoes. It has been a damp summer, which can mean ideal conditions for the disease that can affect the potato plants - but will the varieties that are meant to be blight-resistant pay off this year?

At Old Scone, Brian Cunningham looks at some newly planted apple trees and has some practical training advice on when is best to buy bare-root plants.

Plus all the usual handy hints and great gardening advice.

It's time to check on this year's work and look ahead to the autumn and the 2025 season at Beechgrove Garden.

Lizzie Schofield and Calum Clunie try some of the rhubarb from the plant that they shifted in the spring to a spot that had better growing conditions, but did the move pay off?

Calum builds a hot bed, an area packed with manure to generate heat that will then be used to grow produce through the autumn when the temperatures drop.

Lizzie plants bulbs in the alpine garden's decorative dry river bed for spring colour next year, and there's the week's usual handy hints.

It's the first episode of September and, as we head into autumn, it's time to check in on some of the successes at Beechgrove Garden this season. Lizzie Schofield and Ruth Vichos lift the garden's carrot crop and, after weeks of growing, find out if it's a bumper harvest or if the dreaded carrot fly has done any damage.

Lizzie's big project this summer has been to rejuvenate Beechgrove's herb garden, so she will be back amongst the sage and thyme to make sure all her new planting has settled in. Meanwhile, Ruth explains that, even though summer is almost over, you can still have lots of interest on your doorstep with containers planted for autumn colour.

Lizzie looks even further ahead as she plants alliums that will produce plenty of colour in spring as well being a great help to the pollinators in your garden, and Calum has the latest from his allotment in Leven.

It's time to enjoy the best of late summer at Beechgrove as Carole Baxter assesses how the dahlias have delivered this year. They are great for cut flower collections, but has the weather affected the results? There is more garden colour from Kirsty Wilson as she looks ahead to the autumn and plants some late-flowering perennials. Kirsty also checks in on her attempt to grow melons in the polytunnel and takes a look at the pumpkins in the hugel bed, a method of growing based on planting on a mound of decomposing timber and other organic material.

It has been reported that there has been a drop in the number of butterflies and other pollinators in gardens across the UK this year, and Carole finds out if that really is the case and, if so, why it has happened and what gardeners can do to help.

It's every gardener's dream - weed-free growing! In this episode, George Anderson and Calum Clunie help cut down on those unwanted plant pests. The pair select varieties that provide great ground cover as they grow, and that ground cover will help limit the spread of weeds in future seasons.

Calum takes on the next stage of developing his hot be. A few weeks ago, he built the frame and filled it with organic matter that will be a natural source of heat, and this week he plants winter veg that will keep growing as the autumn temperatures drop. Calum also provides the last update of the season from his cut flower bed to find out what new blooms have appeared now that we are more than halfway through September.

Plus the latest from Brian Cunningham at Old Scone.

It's time to measure and enjoy the fruits of Beechgrove's efforts as George Anderson and Carole Baxter weigh up the season's successes.

Carole has the scales and calculator out as she assesses which of the tomato varieties has been the most productive. She has also been counting the cucumbers, which have been this season's bumper crop from the 8x6 greenhouse, and George checks on the trees suitable for small gardens that he planted earlier in the season.

Calum Clunie has the last of this year's updates from his allotment in Leven, and there is a report from a plot in Aberdeen that used to be a bowling green and is now a fantastic community garden.

It's spring, and Beechgrove Garden is for back another season of great growing advice. As usual, we have tips and handy hints to get the most from whatever you are cultivating this year - whether it's pot plants or veg borders, trees or tomatoes, there will be help at hand from the Beechgrove team.

In this episode, Carole Baxter and Brian Cunningham review how Beechgrove Garden has survived the winter - what damage did the storms cause, and what plants were lost to the cold snap in January.

Carole and Brian give advice on a topic they get asked about more than any other - what, how and when to prune? The pair have secateurs and loppers to hand and are ready to demonstrate everything you need to know about cutting back at this time of year.

This series sees the Beechgrove presenters competing to see who can produce the most successful vegetable plot, so before the challenge begins, Brian gives a beginner's guide to sowing and growing your own veg.

Sustainable gardening is an important consideration at Beechgrove, so Carole has a project that will help the local wildlife in your garden, and also give you something to do with the old branches and logs that you might have following a stormy winter.

George Anderson reports from his own garden in Joppa, and this episode sees him planting out a new border and giving his willow its annual 'haircut'. All that plus the usual handy hints - help from the Beechgrove Garden team is a great way to get your garden, containers, beds and borders producing and looking great across this year's season.

Brian and Lizzie launch a competition between Beechgrove presenters to see who can create the most successful vegetable plot of the season.

Lizzie plans and plants the veg border that she will have judged at the end of the series. She also revisits the potager garden that she planted last year. A potager garden is one that is both attractive and productive, and Lizzie reviews what worked last year and what needs to be done to the area this season.

Brian explains how to start and make your own compost, a great way to garden sustainably while also keeping costs down. Another way to help the ecosystem in your garden is to use fallen branches and cuttings to build a deadwood hedge. These hedges create a great habitat for many kinds of wildlife in your garden, from pollinators to hedgehogs, and Brian and Lizzie demonstrate how to make one on your own plot. The pair also start one of the year's big Beechgrove projects: a sitooterie. A sitooterie is somewhere to sit outside, and for many gardeners, creating a great area to enjoy a summer's evening is exactly what they want from their plot.

There is plenty of productive gardening at Beechgrove, with onions and tatties on the menu. George Anderson and Calum Clunie are potting the onions and shallots that Calum sowed in December, and Calum starts work on his plot for the Beechgrove veg-growing competition.

George starts his 'small space' garden for growers with big ambition, but little room to plan. There is a visit to Glasgow house with a stunning collection of house plants, plus tips and handy hints on indoor growing.

Calum reports from Kelso's Potato Day - a shopping opportunity to choose from dozens of varieties of tatties and select a variety that suits your own growing conditions and taste preferences.

Gardening for wildlife, vegetables and small spaces are all covered in this episode. Brian plants shrubs in the garden for wildlife, choosing varieties that will encourage and help pollinators.

Ruth starts her own vegetable plot that she will use as her entry in this year's presenter veg-growing competition. She also starts her vertical garden, ideal for anyone with just a small space in which to grow. Ruth also tackles this year's tomatoes in the 6x8 greenhouse, and she tests an automatic irrigation system that could be a great idea if you have to leave your precious plants to go on holiday this summer.

There are tips on what you should be doing with your dahlias right now, and Ruth sows lentils, which will be great for soup later in the year.

Gardeners are always looking ahead, and that's exactly what Kirsty and Brian are doing at Beechgrove.

Kirsty is getting ready to plant out the sweet peas that are currently growing under cover. To prepare for the time when the weather is warm enough to move them outside, she is filling containers and building an arch to support them as they mature. This year, Kirsty is cultivating a crop of chillies that were sown earlier in the year, and now it's time to prick out the smaller seedlings to make room for the stronger plants to develop.

Last year's growing season had so much wet weather that Brian is developing a new garden. This new plot will be a rain garden, and it will have plants that thrive in milder and wetter conditions. But before they go in, Brian is building ways to capture the rainfall and divert it to the new growing area.

Away from Beechgrove, Calum sends the first of his reports from his allotment in Leven, and there is a return trip to a fabulous garden and expert gardener in Dumfries and Galloway.

Gardening in a way that helps and reacts to the environment is the focus in this episode with Brian Cunningham and Lizzie Schofield.

Brian continues to develop the new rain garden, an area that is being created as a response to last year's wet summer conditions, and the pair get to work pruning. Lots of varieties in the garden flower early, so now is the time to cut them back to encourage new growth, and more colour, for next year.

Lizzie is also planting up hanging baskets, and there's a visit to a community garden in Dunfermline.

With the gardening season progressing and the weather warming up, there is more planting out that can be done. Calum and George are at Beechgrove taking advantage of the changing season to plant out this year's brassica crop. They also plant out some sweet peas, which are loved for their beautiful colours and scent.

Meanwhile, for those with limited garden space, George is looking at fruit trees that can be grown in containers. Carole visits a fantastic garden on a site that has been
occupied for over 700 years, while George and Calum show you how to grow more box hedge by propagating from existing stock, plus all the usual handy hints.

Two months since the first episode of the year, and as most gardeners know, the work doesn't stop once something is planted. With that in mind, Ruth and Brian keep on top of care and maintenance on projects that were started earlier in the series.

Ruth is back in her vertical garden, a stacking system that provides a great way to grow if you have limited space. She also explains when and what you should be feeding your container plants with as the season continues. There is a useful guide to planting a new tree, and Ruth has some handy hints when it comes to pest control.

In this episode, the focus is on scent and colour. Calum is at Beechgrove creating a gardening favourite: a lavender border. He lines either side of one of the garden's paths with lavender plants, which will bring colour, scent and many pollinators to the area. Meanwhile, Brian demonstrates a layering technique as a way of propagating new plants from existing stock.

There is a visit to a community garden in Fife, more instruction from Irene Berry in her Japanese-style garden in the Borders, plus all the usual handy hints.

‘Flaming' June has arrived, and Beechgrove enters a time of colour, scent and productivity. Lizzie Schofield explores these features as she revisits the herb garden she revitalised the previous summer.

Meanwhile, Ruth Vichos is in her 6x8 greenhouse checking the tomato plants. This year, Ruth is experimenting with a hydroponic system so that she can compare its yield with that of traditional growing methods. Ruth also checks on her vertical garden, an excellent solution for those with limited space, and there is a visit to a project in the Cairngorms that leverages the therapeutic benefits of gardening to support patients with dementia.

George and Calum are focused on caring for and maintaining the plants in your garden. As the potatoes grow, the pair explain why and how to earth up the stalks to keep them healthy and productive. In the fruit cage, George demonstrates how to give the gooseberries a light summer prune and also demonstrates an important June job for anyone who is growing apples. The French beans are now ready to plant outside after being sown and germinating in the greenhouse, and Calum will be looking at a variety of hostas and how to keep this garden favourite free of slugs and snails.

Brian is in the Calendar Border, an area designed to have something of interest every month of the year. It is, however, looking a bit bare, so Brian will be planting geraniums to provide ground cover underneath the taller shrubs.

Ruth will also be in her competition vegetable plot, taking part in the contest between presenters to create the most attractive and productive vegetable border.

Carole is visiting another great Scottish garden. This week she's at Ellon Castle in Aberdeenshire, and there will also be the week's handy hints.

It's still June, so there is no better time for Kirsty and Brian to visit Beechgrove Garden's June Border, part of the plot designed and planted to look its best this month, though this year it may need some attention to get it looking its best for this time next year.

Kirsty is in her competition vegetable bed as she works towards the grand finale in September, when the presenters' efforts will be judged by Carole for overall attractiveness and productivity. Brian is attending to one of the herbaceous borders, clearing some unwanted foxgloves and planting a range of hardy and half-hardy perennials.

There is an update from Calum's allotment in Leven, plus a special visit to Edinburgh Zoo to find out about the planting and gardening that takes place alongside the animal care.

It's July, and with a new month comes a new set of jobs to get stuck into at Beechgrove Garden, with harvesting on the agenda this week. On the shortest day of the year last year, Calum planted his shallots in pots and kept them in the greenhouse for the rest of the winter. They were planted out in spring and now, six months later, they are ready to be harvested and enjoyed.

April last year saw Calum planting the first early batch of potatoes, and now it's time to get them dug up and tasted.

After an excessively dry spell, followed by an extremely spell, the lawns at Beechgrove need a bit of attention, so a bit of lawn care is needed. And Brian looks at how areas of grass that are left to grow can encourage wildflowers and wildlife.

It's a productive time at Beechgrove Garden, with fruit and vegetables now ready to be picked, dug up and enjoyed. In the fruit cage, George is picking and tasting the first harvest of berries, and he's also in his small space garden, collecting a variety of salad produce. Lizzie is working on her competition area; the winner of this year's challenge is the presenter who cultivates the most attractive and productive plot, as judged by Carole. There is a visit to a garden in the heart of Glasgow city centre, some tips on how to propagate lavender plants, how to deal with unruly nasturtiums and the benefit of having some nettles in your garden.

There's something special about picking and enjoying home-grown produce, and that's exactly what Ruth is doing at Beechgrove Garden as she checks on the strawberry patch started by Carole last year.

Brian demonstrates the best way to go about pruning wisteria, and there's a check on how much damage this year's bugs and pests are doing in the garden.

Ruth is looking at the big nutritional benefits of growing microgreens, George reports from a fascinating royal garden, and there's a visit to a community plot in Granton in Edinburgh.

Trees and colourful borders get attention from Kirsty and Brian at Beechgrove Garden.

Two years ago, Kirsty created a hot border - an area of planting designed to be full of vibrant colour at the height of summer. In this epsiode, she reviews what has worked and replaces some of the varieties that are not doing so well.

Meanwhile, Brian has the saw and loppers out as he explains why this is the right time of year to give your trees a prune. He has also been to the shops to pick up a selection of plants typically available at your local supermarket, and he talks through how to look after the most common varieties.

Calum has another report from his allotment at Leven, plus all the usual handy hints.

Although we are well into summer, the focus at Beechgrove is on all the things you can still sow and plant to make the most of your plot.

Ruth is looking at the crops it's still not too late to sow if you want to get some home-grown produce from your garden. Lizzie is in the sitooterie area she has designed, where she is planting new varieties to help create the perfect spot to place your deck chair and enjoy the sunshine in your garden.

Meanwhile, Ruth is getting back to basics with an explanation of what softwood, semi-ripe and hardwood cuttings are, and the pair also look over everyone's competition plots to see who has the edge ahead of judging by Carole in September.

There is a visit to a beautiful private garden on Mull, as well as the usual handy hints for the week ahead.

There is a serious problem at Beechgrove Garden, and Calum and George discuss what it is, the potential impact on the garden and how to deal with it. The problem is club root, a common soil-based disease that attacks the roots of many crops grown at Beechgrove. Currently it is in one area of the garden, so the team looks at ways to limit the disease's impact and how to stop it spreading.

George also checks in on the main vegetable plot, gathering more produce for the kitchen. Planning ahead, Calum sows violas for autumn colour. There is another report from Colin Crosbie's plot just outside Dumfries and, as usual, the week's handy hints.

It's time to look ahead at Beechgrove Garden with a range of jobs that will deliver results into the next growing season.

Ruth and Brian are thinning and replanting the biennials they sowed in June. Ruth is collecting seeds from the flowers that have blossomed this summer and will be sowing them for future colour. She will also be sowing green manure, a crop that enriches the soil to help whatever is sown in 2026.

Brian has a masterclass on hedge-trimming, and there is a visit to a garden that was designed for the Chelsea Flower Show but is now taking root in Cumbernauld.

Kirsty and Brian are in the Beechgrove greenhouse to taste-test the chillies that they first featured at the start of May. The chillies are now ready to be harvested, having spent the last three months under glass - but how hot will they be?

The pair also check on the chrysanthemums and discuss how the feeding should be changed to promote flowering. Meanwhile, Kirsty gets her wellies on as she wades into the bog garden to clear out an area that has become overgrown, crowding out some varieties.

Next, Brian and Kirsty are looking at plant combinations - those plants that go well when paired in the garden. There is the latest from Calum's allotment, plus all the week's handy hints.

Tension is building as judging day approaches in the vegetable plot competition at Beechgrove. Carole will be picking a winner in a few weeks' time, so Lizzie is reviewing what she needs to do in her plot to combat the effects of the recent dry spell.

Lizzie will also have the secateurs out as she's demonstrating how to prune laburnum while Brian is doing the same with Beechgrove's apple trees. All that plus a demonstration of how to place and plant acers for maximum effect, and a visit to a tropical garden paradise in Carnoustie.

There's fruit, flowers and veg alongside some preparation for 2026 at Beechgrove Garden with Calum and George.

In the fruit cage, some of the blackcurrants are getting removed to make way for raspberries to be planted in spring next year.

Calum and George also visit the main veg plot to dig up this year's main potato crop and to check out how much damage the caterpillars have done to the brassicas after butterflies got through the protective netting.

Calum pots up his begonias, and George demonstrates how to train the small fruit trees he planted in containers earlier in the season.

Lizzie and Brian are at Beechgrove to continue work on a project launched at the beginning of the series: creating a new garden in memory of presenter Jim McColl, who passed away last year.

Jim loved heathers, and so the new plot will feature many varieties. However, before the heathers go in, there are acers - Jim's favourite tree - to be planted.

Meanwhile, Brian is in the low-maintenance garden, which was originally designed for those who have little time or energy for regular garden work. The garden also features a number of elements that make it a great example of garden design suitable for anyone with mobility issues.

Lizzie is planting up containers for autumn colour.

The team are at Beechgrove planning ahead, with Kirsty and Brian already preparing for a vibrant and fragrant 2026.

Kirsty begins by sowing sweet pea seeds, as an early sowing will allow them to germinate and establish quickly, resulting in early blooms. The pair also work in the new heather garden, where they add bulbs to brighten the spaces and bring seasonal colour.

They are also at the main pond to transfer water lilies from another part of the garden to enhance the display, and discussing the pros and cons of different kinds of mulch.

All of the Beechgrove team are back in the garden and looking ahead. With a packed programme of seasonal jobs and expert advice, they advise on how to prepare your garden for autumn and winter, and set the stage for a flying start to the 2026 season.

George, Carole, Brian, Lizzie, Calum, Kirsty and Ruth share their top tips; from planting tulips to leaving parts of the garden untouched to support wildlife through the colder months. Discover what to do with autumn leaves and other timely tasks to keep your garden thriving.
George is planting hyacinths, while Carole announces the winner of this year's vegetable plot competition — which presenter's Beechgrove plot will she judge to be the best looking and most productive?

In a heartfelt moment, the team complete the replanting of a special area of Beechgrove as a heather garden, in memory of their late colleague Jim McColl — a touching tribute to close the 2025 season.

The days are longer and the weather is a little warmer, so that means Beechgrove Garden is back with weekly updates and expert advice for gardeners of all abilities and experience.

Carole Baxter and Brian Cunningham are back at Beechgrove to kick off the season with a range of great jobs that can be done right now and that will make your own plot both productive and attractive. It's Easter weekend, one of the most popular times of the year to get out into the garden, so Carole is planting up an Easter container that will bring colour and joy to your garden, deck or doorstep for weeks to come.

It wouldn't be a series of Beechgrove Garden without a potato crop to plant and look forward to, so Brian and Carole will be planting a number of varieties. It has now been ten years since the garden's stem bank border was started, and Brian is back in there to start some much-needed maintenance-pruning, with planting to come, that will refresh that part of the garden. The stem bank border contains plants that are known for their attractive stems and range of colours that look best in winter.

Last year, some of the Beechgrove presenters took part in a competition to see who could plant the most productive border. This year, there is a new challenge, which Brian and Carole will be revealing.

And a trip to Edinburgh to catch up with what George Anderson is doing in his own garden in Joppa, and there are the week's usual handy hints.

Beechgrove Garden is looking ahead to summer days in the garden, with Lizzie Schofield back to work in the sitooterie area she started off last year as a place ideal for sitting out and enjoying the garden. This week, she prunes and plants in the same area to get it looking great for the good days ahead.

Brian Cunningham is back to basics with a beginners' guide to starting off a productive veg plot with some spring sowing, and he also looks at what makes a great homemade compost. Lizzie takes on the tomato plants this year at Beechgrove, and she is looking at what varieties she has picked for 2026. She is also the first of the team to start work on her competition garden, which is based on planting that appeals to one of the senses.

Brian is in the 6x8 greenhouse, and there is a trip to Dumfries for the latest from Colin Crosbie's garden. This week's handy hints are all about what you should be doing with your dahlias right now.

Calum Clunie kicks off his season at Beechgrove, demonstrating what can be grown from a container in just one season. He also starts a season of productive gardening, showing what can be produced for a family of four from a medium-sized vegetable garden.

Meanwhile, as summer approaches, Brian is looking at how to keep lawns looking great and tackling a patio space around Beechgrove's chiminea corner. There is a visit to a great new allotment in Perth, and there are all the usual handy hints.

There is a lot of productive gardening going on at Beechgrove as George Anderson and Ruth Vichos both work on projects that will bear fruit later in the year.

Ruth is focusing on growing for those with a small space, returning to the vertical garden that she started last year. Vertical gardening uses structures that allow plants to be stacked upwards - ideal for anyone with just a small plot or patio. She also shows how this method can still be very productive.

George is in his beloved fruit cage, where after a clear-out last year, he plants a bed of new raspberry varieties and propagates new growth from Beechgrove's existing fig tree.

There is a Back to Basics guide from Colin Crosbie's plot just outside Dumfries, and a review of Beechgrove's gravel and grass garden, which will be thinned and replanted over the course of this season.

There is lots of planting for the plate at Beechgrove Garden as Kirsty Wilson and Brian Cunningham start growing a wide variety of edible produce.

Kirsty is the first of the Beechgrove team to kick off work on her competition plot. Each presenter has been given a sense to appeal to in each of their competition borders, and Kirsty is planting things that will taste fantastic. She is also trying something new to Beechgrove: hops.

Meanwhile, Brian provides an update on the veg he sowed at the start of the series and is in his rain garden checking on what survived this year's wet weather. There are all the usual handy hints, and there is a visit to Calum Clunie's allotment in Leven.

Planting borders and planning for cut flowers are on Lizzie Schofield and Brian Cunningham's to-do list at the garden. Lizzie is direct sowing in the new cuttings area and Brian is in the zig-zag border, planting varieties that will grow tall, making them ideal for the back of a plot without requiring support or staking.

Brian kicks off this year's collection of plants being cultivated in the 6x8ft glasshouse. This is the most common-sized domestic greenhouse, so if you are lucky enough to have one, Brian has some great ideas for this season.

Lizzie is the first of the presenters to start work in her competition plot. The theme this year is planting that will appeal to one of the senses, and Lizzie has one of the most challenging: touch. Plus, there is a report on the alpine collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and all the usual handy hints.

It's time for some early summer colour as Carole Baxter makes the first of her visits to classic Scottish gardens. She visits Glenarn, which has a fabulous collection of rhododendrons looking their best right now.

Back at Beechgrove Garden, George Anderson and Calum Clunie are busy refreshing the grass and gravel plot and planting new varieties. Calum demonstrates how to take cuttings from a fuchsia, and there are some ideas on how to manage your plot if you are unlucky enough to have club root in your vegetable patch. And there are all the usual handy hints.

Kirsty Wilson and Brian Cuningham show how to help the pollinators in your garden and at Beechgrove as they focus on planting that will attract bees to your plot.

Even if you don't have a garden, Kirsty demonstrates how you can help the local ecosystem by sowing a meadow in a pot. She also discusses the best summer bulbs to plant now for fragrance and colour.

Brian is back in the vegetable plot for his summer-long guide to productive gardening for beginners, and there is a demonstration of how to prune spring-flowering shrubs. All that and the week's handy hints.

Some more unusual methods of growing are demonstrated at Beechgrove Garden. Ruth Vichos attempts to produce a mushroom crop and there's a report on some of Scotland's best bonsai, with everything you need to know to start that form of cultivation. Brian Cunningham is in the Seaside Garden at Beechgrove refreshing the planting with varieties that can withstand a coastal climate and Brian turns conifers into sculptures with topiary. Plus the week's handy hints.