Alan Titchmarsh backs Bonica 82 rose for sandy soil; neighbor spray harms tomatoes

British gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh reports that the French‑bred rose ‘Bonica 82’, introduced by Meilland in 1982, thrives in light, acidic, sandy soils where many roses fail. He notes its strong growth, repeat flowering, and resistance awards from the RHS, Germany and the United States, and recommends enriching the soil with organic matter and mulching to retain moisture.

In France, home gardener Rachel experienced repeated tomato failures each summer despite good care. After a garden club visit, she discovered that her neighbour Frank regularly sprayed a pesticide behind a conifer hedge adjacent to her tomato beds. The spray, combined with the hedge’s low branches, was identified as the cause of the poor tomato performance, prompting her to adjust irrigation and protect the plants from the neighbour’s chemicals.