Gardeners World episode 1 2012 : Gardeners’ World returns for the start of the gardening year with Monty Don in the garden at his Hertfordshire home, Longmeadow. As the charge towards spring gathers pace, Monty, along with Carol Klein, Joe Swift and Rachel de Thame, are preparing for the season ahead. They’ll have a host of practical tips to help you grow better and will be seeking out the most inspiring gardens in the UK to visit.

This week, as well as revealing the changes to his garden that have taken place over winter, Monty shows us how to plant bare-rooted raspberries in his renovated fruit garden and gets his secateurs out to chop back his buddleja and clematis.

Gardeners World episode 1 2012

As the soil warms up and activity increases in all our gardens, Monty recommends jobs for the weekend to ensure that all our seeds, seedlings and plants get off to the best possible start. Carol Klein visits an ancient woodland site in Essex where wild species of hellebores are thriving and meets an enthusiast who is using the native plant’s characteristics to help produce the next generation of garden hellebore.

Joe Swift starts his guide to terrific garden design by studying the one thing every garden has in common – boundaries, and Rachel de Thame visits the world-renowned garden of Sir Harold Hillier in Hampshire to luxuriate in the sight and scent of late winter flowering shrubs.

How to grow hellebores

When choosing a hellebore, most gardeners first think about the flower colour they’d like and then how much care they want to lavish on the plant (many require very little looking after thankfully!). There are many different types of hellebore offering a range of flower colours from white and yellow to pink and purples. All colours can come with degree of decorative spotting inside the flower. The choices available to gardeners can then be divided into the following groups, which need similar growing condition and care.

Plant from autumn to spring as the plants become available. You can buy flowering plants ready for planting from late autumn in 9cm (3½in) or larger containers. It is best to avoid planting during the dry summer months.

How to grow raspberries

Raspberries are popular garden fruits that are easy to grow. Try growing both summer and autumn-fruiting varieties: just a few plants will reward you with plenty of fruit from midsummer until mid autumn. If you end up with a glut, raspberries also freeze well, and make wonderful jams, sauces and cooked desserts.

Raspberries thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile, slightly acidic soils, which are well-drained and weed free. They dislike soggy soils and shallow chalky soils. For best results, plant in a sunny position (although they will tolerate part shade). Ideally, site your rows running north to south, so that they do not shade each other.