Pennod 8 Garddio a Mwy

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-Welcome back to Pont y Twr.

-I'm getting rid of this ragwort...

-..because when I cut the grass

-in the orchard to make hay...

-..I want it to be free

-from poisonous weeds.

-It's one of those countless jobs

-that come up at this time of year.

-While I'm busy doing them...

-..Sioned rejuvenates

-a garden in Caernarfon.

-Meinir joins designer Helen Scutt

-in a striking garden near Harlech.

-And plants with unlikely virtues

-in Eirlys Rhiannon's garden.

-All this and more on Garddio A Mwy.

-I don't know about you,

-but I find this time of year...

-..after the remarkable growth

-of the last few weeks...

-..that list of five-minute jobs...

-..increases at a rate of knots.

-But if you feel as if you're losing

-control of the garden, fear not.

-The secret, for any good gardener,

-is little and often.

-Take this apple tree, for example.

-It has been growing full pelt

-over this past month.

-It needs a bit of attention...

-..to ensure

-good-quality fruit this year...

-..and a good shape

-for the tree next year.

-A lot of the new growth

-has taken place here...

-..at the top of the tree,

-where I can't reach the apples...

-..and where it hides the sunlight

-from the heart of the tree.

-To ensure healthy fruit...

-..you need good air circulation...

-..and plenty of light

-reaching the fruit as well.

-I'm going to prune a lot

-of this young, new, vertical growth.

-It isn't needed.

-Growth like this...

-..is going to go.

-I pruned this tree back

-fairly hard...

-..when we moved here

-four or five years ago.

-Since then,

-the tree has responded well.

-Too well, almost.

-If I continue

-to prune it in winter...

-..when most people

-prune their fruit trees...

-..it will continue with this

-fresh new growth year on year.

-But I don't want that,

-which is why I'm pruning in summer.

-This ensures that all the energy...

-..goes into those branches

-that produce fruit...

-..and to the correct part

-of the tree.

-Strawberries are among

-the greediest plants in the garden.

-They sap nutrients

-from the soil...

-..and to get over that problem,

-they tend to go walkabout.

-Plants clearly can't walk,

-but they throw out these runners.

-As these runners grow,

-and look for fresh new soil...

-..they start to form roots.

-This is a natural process,

-but we can help...

-..by making sure that they take root

-where we want them to.

-To make things easier

-for myself next year...

-..I'll anchor it into this pot.

-It's a simple process.

-I sink this pot into the soil.

-Terracotta pots are better

-because they conduct the moisture.

-The runner sits on top of the pot,

-like so.

-I'll just insert a tent peg...

-..to hold it in place...

-..over the coming weeks.

-Once it has taken root...

-..I'll cut the runner

-closer to where it has come from...

-..and I'll have a new plant...

-..ready to plant out next year.

-Even though they're so nice,

-all the soft fruit I have here...

-..are fairly run of the mill.

-But that isn't true of Eirlys

-Rhiannon's garden in Cardiff.

-She practises permaculture.

-This is a collection

-of ground plants.

-I've chosen them in order to reflect

-the principles of permaculture.

-I want to fill this spot

-with ground-covering plants...

-..so that, in the long term,

-there won't be any visible soil.

-Secondly, all of the plants

-produce a crop of some sort.

-That's another pillar

-of permaculture.

-That every plant produces something.

-They must suit where they are grown.

-Every element has more than one use.

-These are ideal examples.

-The first one I'm planting...

-..is sweet cicely.

-I chose this one

-because the leaves...

-..taste of anise, like liquorice.

-If you add the leaves to rhubarb...

-..you only have to use

-half the amount of sugar.

-Another good thing about it...

-..is that pollinating insects are

-very fond of its flowers in spring.

-I chose the Hosta...

-..because it produces

-a small crop in the spring.

-You harvest the new shoots,

-which aren't unlike asparagus.

-There we are.

-Hostas are renowned...

-..as a favourite

-for slugs and snails.

-That's why I'm planting my Hosta

-right by the back door.

-I can come out every night...

-..and make sure that I remove any

-from these lovely leaves.

-The next plant

-is this Japanese celery.

-I've never had much success

-growing parsley...

-..so, instead,

-I'm trying this plant.

-It's a perennial plant.

-That means I only have

-to do the planting once...

-..but I'll get a crop

-over and over again.

-That's another principle

-of permaculture.

-The least work

-for the greatest effect.

-This is known as Japanese ginger.

-It's hardy,

-and should survive any cold winter.

-Here it comes now.

-Oh! That looks so interesting.

-What we have here

-is a rhizome root system.

-It was hard to get out

-because it filled the entire pot.

-It's so dense that I'll have

-to loosen some of the roots...

-..to ensure that the plant

-starts to grow out of this clump.

-I'm sure now that this will grow

-across the soil as I want it to.

-Right, that's it.

-I've done the work this year.

-Now, I'll have crops

-for years to come.

-Town centre gardens

-don't mean the same to everyone.

-There are no lawns and borders.

-Just a few pots, perhaps, or a chair

-to sit on by the front door.

-Or a backyard,

-which is where I'm headed today.

-The Georgian houses

-near the harbour in Caernarfon...

-..are an important part of the

-town's architectural character.

-They may be attractive and large,

-but the gardens are quite small.

-My challenge today is to make

-the most of those limitations.

-It's pretty, Nia.

-You've got a lot of plants and pots.

-What do you feel it needs?

-It's a nice place,

-especially in summer.

-It's a sheltered spot.

-People who visit say

-I should do something with it.

-When it comes to gardening,

-I have no imagination.

-I just need someone

-to set me on the right path...

-..then I can follow on from that.

-I did plant rosemary

-behind this monstrosity here.

-That's the only gardening I do.

-Pruning that blinking thing

-every fortnight.

-I don't know what it is.

-A bit of rain and it explodes.

-Do you want to keep it?

-Do you want to keep it?

-

-That big thing? No, not at all.

-That can go.

-Maybe you can save the rosemary...

-..unless it's given up

-on trying to live with that.

-You need

-as much light as possible...

-..in any small space that doesn't

-see any sun for much of the day.

-So, this ivy has to go.

-Next, a coat of white paint...

-..and hiding the bare concrete

-around the borders.

-I can see a difference already.

-Do you like it?

-Yes, it's so much lighter.

-It's made a big difference.

-I'm glad you came out.

-Will you help me put this in place?

-It's amazing what you can do

-with an old pallet.

-All I've done

-is paint it and install shelves.

-They're perfect to hold herbs

-that can be used in the kitchen.

-I thought that an olive tree

-would look nice there.

-It's lovely.

-It's fairly simple to care for.

-It just needs plenty of water.

-Don't let the soil dry out.

-Lots of water.

-I know they usually grow

-in a warm climate...

-..but don't let the soil dry out.

-After the break, more plants

-will join the olive tree...

-..to complete the transformation

-of Nia's garden.

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-I've begun to transform Nia Davies

-Williams' garden in Caernarfon...

-..by clearing, painting,

-installing a new timber border...

-..and two wall trellises.

-Now for the planting.

-I'll start at this end

-with this Achillea.

-I really like

-this lemony yellow colour.

-What's nice about it, if you like

-having flowers in the house...

-..you can cut them and dry them

-and the flowers will stay yellow...

-..which is nice.

-This will die down

-and grow back again next year.

-Next, the catmint,

-which is a lovely colour.

-As these flowers die,

-they'll turn brown.

-The leaves will also turn brown.

-You cut this back...

-..but you might see a second flush

-of flowers this year.

-As you see the plant

-getting increasingly bigger...

-..you can literally

-divide it in two with a spade.

-Give it to someone as a gift

-or fill more pots in your garden.

-Then there's the Clematis as well.

-This is dying off now...

-..but you can see the shape

-and colour of the flower.

-I like the combination of yellow

-and purple against the white wall.

-Yes, it's nice and fresh.

-And that's tied in place.

-It looks nice, doesn't it?

-It looks nice, doesn't it?

-

-Yes, fantastic.

-I can't believe

-who much you've done.

-Your job now is to water them.

-Lots of watering.

-They're new plants

-and it has been so warm...

-..so, they'll be really thirsty.

-I'll let you get on with it.

-Thank you very much.

-I'm very happy

-with the transformation.

-It looks fresh and modern...

-..and has been given

-a new lease of life.

-I hope I've given you some ideas

-if you have a similar space.

-For more details about the design

-or the plants I used...

-..visit our website.

-I'm still doing those little jobs

-that must be done in the garden.

-Pottering, you could say.

-One of the tricks with gardening...

-..is ensuring a continuous supply

-of produce through the season.

-With fast-growing crops like lettuce

-and some herbs like basil...

-..you need to sow seeds

-every two weeks or so.

-I'll cover this in cling film

-just to retain that moisture.

-I'll keep this

-in the greenhouse at night.

-..but it can go out

-with the ones I sowed two weeks ago.

-It's the end of the season

-for beans here at Pont y Twr.

-These were planted last autumn.

-They've given me a good crop.

-I haven't picked them

-as often as I should have.

-If you pick them regularly,

-they'll produce more and more beans.

-But if you don't,

-the plants start to wither...

-..and the leaves turn yellow.

-I won't get much more

-out of these now.

-I've got plenty of plants

-waiting to take up this space...

-..in the sunshine, on centre stage.

-I'll create a space today...

-..and move the brassicas

-from the preparatory beds next week.

-They'll grow here

-for the rest of the season.

-Now, the reason I'm cutting these

-rather than uprooting them...

-..is that beans

-are leguminous plants.

-That means that they draw nitrogen

-out of the air around us...

-..and feed it into the soil.

-Not many plants can do that,

-so it's a very special trick.

-I'll show you what I mean.

-These little white nodules

-we see on the roots...

-..draw the nitrogen out of the air

-and feed it into the soil.

-Those nodules

-contain special bacteria.

-If I leave them in the soil...

-..the nitrogen and bacteria

-will work a bit longer...

-..which will benefit the brassicas.

-I'm now ready

-to plant the brassicas next week.

-Tips From The Nursery

-This is Trinidad Scorpion,

-one of the world's hottest chillies.

-These are the buds.

-These are extremely hot,

-2 million Scovilles.

-Grow it in the greenhouse

-in well-drained soil.

-Don't let it stand in water.

-Feed it fertilizer once a week.

-One containing potash,

-to encourage flowers.

-Over the summer,

-hundreds of gardens across Wales...

-..will open their doors,

-or rather their gates...

-..for public open days.

-It's always a pleasure

-to walk around a pretty garden.

-But they're also great places...

-..to find inspiration

-for your own garden.

-Today, I'm at Llyn Rhaeadr garden

-in Harlech...

-..which is on a slope,

-and on a rock face in places.

-It's full of variety,

-with wooded wild corners...

-..more formal beds, a waterfall...

-..and a pond

-that lots of birds call home.

-Garden designer

-Helen Scutt joins me...

-..to explain

-some of the design ideas.

-Helen, what's your first impression

-of this garden?

-Everything I'd expect to see

-near water, and on a slope, is here.

-Pieris, Camellias,

-Acers, Rhododendrons.

-But there are enough wild plants

-that it all looks natural.

-If you went to the Himalayas

-to see Rhododendrons in the wild...

-..they'd look like this,

-with other wild flowers mixed in.

-I like how they've let things seed,

-like foxgloves and Erigeron.

-It isn't just wild flowers.

-There are other flowers as well,

-like geraniums and Erigeron.

-The Erigeron is a very useful plant,

-Erigeron karvinskianus.

-What makes it a useful plant?

-It'll grow anywhere.

-If you plant it in one place,

-it'll seed itself everywhere.

-It'll also flower

-from the middle of May...

-..through until the frosts come,

-in November.

-What about the geraniums?

-They're useful as well,

-because they spread in the same way.

-Plants like that are handy.

-If there's space,

-they'll seed and grow there...

-..which then means

-that weeds won't grow there.

-Plants grow where they want to grow

-rather than where you plant them.

-I think you have to let them do so.

-We're almost

-at the top of the garden.

-This rock facing us is lovely.

-That's as pretty

-as anything else in the garden.

-And the bench.

-I've never seen one like that.

-Nor me.

-Gosh, that's a real case

-of using what you have to hand.

-Is that an idea you could use?

-Maybe, if there were spare stones...

-..but there aren't many

-in the Tywi valley!

-This garden is all about water.

-Yes, and even though

-that isn't natural...

-..it looks fantastic.

-Isn't this nice?

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

-

-Aren't we lucky?

-What will you take home with you

-from this garden?

-The fact that nature

-can work so well...

-..with plants that you buy

-from a garden centre.

-And how nice water is.

-You forget, don't you?

-I also noticed

-all the different Rhododendrons.

-They're something I always think

-about not planting, but some are OK.

-I'm forever planting Rhododendrons.

-You just need to choose

-the right ones for your garden.

-Rhododendron Ponticum

-has had a lot of bad press...

-..because it has taken over

-large swathes of Wales.

-But Rhododendron Yakushimanum

-stays small...

-..and there are evergreen Azaleas.

-Even large Rhododendrons can be OK,

-but not too big for a small garden.

-You have to do the research

-before buying a Rhododendron.

-With a view like this,

-do you know what we need?

-A cuppa.

-A cuppa.

-

-A cuppa would be lovely now.

-Helen had some fine ideas there.

-We'll have to invite her

-to Pont y Twr sometime.

-That's it for another week.

-I hope you can join us

-again next week.

-Until then, enjoy the gardening.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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