EDITOR'S WELCOME
April is a big month for us as the Scotland Grows Show turns 2 at the end of the month and, with over 50 conversations with gardeners from around Scotland, it is one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do - nothing beats talking about plants and gardens!
You may be surprised that we decided to honour the humble dandelion on our front cover spot but they are such a fascinating plant with a long heritage of different uses. Scott Galloway dives into this further, while Janice Clyne offers her recipes on how to make the most of dandelions in the kitchen.
And it’s not just dandelions we want to surprise you with: Grass Roots Remedies takes a closer look at how to use cleavers in this issue, Karen Stewart-Russell tells us all about her experiment to grow Bere barley, and Dina Watt cooks up her usual storm with home-grown produce which might just whet your appetite to get growing more of your own.
Eli Appleby-Donald continues part 2 in her series on growing tomatoes and the information is invaluable whether you are a seasoned or new grower. Katie Reynolds suggests expert design ideas for countryside gardens, while Kelly Ireland tackles the boggiest bit of her garden.
Katrina Gelederbloem offers her experience of using heat mats and grow lights for seed sowing, Joanne Evans provides invaluable quick tips for getting the garden looking great if you are thinking of selling your house, and Jordan Trainer champions more of the best houseplants to make sure you bring the outdoors in.
We’ve got top tips for sowing sweet peas this month, and several of our columnists have sown sweet peas at the same time this year so we can monitor how they are growing in different parts of the country. You can keep up with our progress on Instagram, so do grow along with us and tell us how your sweet peas are faring across our Scotland Grows community.
Community growing features heavily in this issue as we celebrate The Caley Awards winners, uncover a hidden gardening gem in Glasgow’s southside, learn more about the thriving green spaces in Dundee, and encourage you to enter this year’s Pallet and Planter Challenge organised by Scottish Gardeners’ Forum.
There is also lots of news inside, from spring events across the country to more Scottish garden and group displays at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and a chance to grab some FREE tickets to this year’s Ideal Home Show Scotland in May, where you might just catch a very familiar face on stage talking about creating blooming gorgeous hanging baskets.
If April and May’s weather is perfect for planting, be sure to read our feature on plant labels before you go rushing off to buy plants which will not suit your space, and take inspiration from Rona Dodds’ seasonal plant picks. Most of all though, enjoy everything that spring in the garden offers, to bring us out of winter and into the light.
M.T. O’Donnell
Editor
P.S. Why not listen to the Scotland Grows Show when you are out in the garden, allotment, or greenhouse and tune in to what other gardeners around Scotland are up to? I promise it makes great company!
Got thoughts on how we should evolve Scotland Grows magazine? Reach out by email or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn! We would love to hear from you, and you can hear more from us on the Scotland Grows Show - it's another great way to dig deep into what's going on in Scottish gardening.