Beechgrove 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.