See Alan Titchmarsh's garden, explore Chelsea Flower show and find tips from Charles Dowding as gardening goes virtual

With gardening proving popular during lockdown, Hannah Stephenson looks at how to explorer the best virtual gardens and where to find podcasts and expert advice.
The RHS is running a School Gardening club for children. Photo: Luke MacGregor/RHS/PA.The RHS is running a School Gardening club for children. Photo: Luke MacGregor/RHS/PA.
The RHS is running a School Gardening club for children. Photo: Luke MacGregor/RHS/PA.

If you’re yearning for all the gardening shows that have been cancelled, you can still be inspired by exploring gorgeous virtual gardens now and throughout the summer, from the comfort of your armchair.

The first ever ‘virtual’ RHS Chelsea Flower Show is being held through the RHS website, which will host an abundance of free, inspiring content from the great and the good of the gardening world, from May 18-23.

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Plus, a plethora of famous TV gardening faces are getting involved in a number of different virtual platforms too, as are other gardening organisations. Here’s what to look out for.

BBC Gardeners' World presenter Arit Anderson, who is supporting Garden Day.  Picture: James Baily Photography/PA.BBC Gardeners' World presenter Arit Anderson, who is supporting Garden Day.  Picture: James Baily Photography/PA.
BBC Gardeners' World presenter Arit Anderson, who is supporting Garden Day. Picture: James Baily Photography/PA.

You can get a glimpse of gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh’s Hampshire garden through the National Garden Scheme (NGS), which is sharing advice and videos from many of those who would have otherwise opened their gardens to the public this year to raise money for the NGS.

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The ‘virtual garden visits’ sees owners introduce their garden, explain the highs and lows of its creation, and reveal their favourite plants.

Every Thursday, the NGS will release a new collection of virtual garden visits, mirroring how new gardens open every week for the scheme in normal times.

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They are asking people to donate to their ‘Help Support Our Nurses’ appeal – website donations are making up for loss of income while the gardens are closed.

Meanwhile, leading gardening personalities, including Chris Beardshaw, Arit Anderson and Michael Perry aka Mr Plant Geek, are proudly wearing flower crowns for this year’s virtual celebrations in support of Garden Day 2020 on May 10.

There’s still just time to get involved – visit the website to download a toolkit with hints and tips on how to celebrate and people can share what they get up to on social media, using #GardenDayUK.

There’s also a plethora of free podcasts to listen to – all delving into the wonderful world of horticulture.

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The Plant Based Podcast puts the spotlight firmly on plants, with influential hosts Perry and Ellen Mary.

On The Ledge podcast with indoor plant expert Jane Perrone, covers a fresh topic each episode with special guests. Gardening doesn’t mean you have to be outdoors – use Perrone’s advice to bring the outside in.

Elsewhere, people can stay up-to-date with gardening tricks and trends across social media.

Irish favourite Diarmuid Gavin and his gardening pal Paul Smyth are hosting a gardening chat and entertainment on Instagram Live, weekdays at 7pm and weekends 11am.

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And Charles Dowding is offering advice on his YouTube channel about how to make the most from crops. Topics include easy soil preparation using the no-dig method, best sowing dates, how to be weed free, and protect your crops from pests.

Expert grower Huw Richards is also sharing his top tips on YouTube, adding new videos each week designed to help hardeners harvest the best organic produce.

And if you’ve always dreamed of being a flower farmer, Flowers From The Farm is the place to go on social media, featuring different flower growers from across the UK’s network each week, as well as inspirational bouquets to stir creativity.

Finally, if to help keep gardening on the home-schooling agenda, there’s a daily RHS School Gardening club. It provides a wealth of activities for families to get together, play and dig, as well as growing plants and connecting with nature. There’s also weekly lockdown challenges.

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