Pennod 17 Garddio a Mwy

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-Welcome to Garddio A Mwy.

-I'm on the River Wnion...

-..to meet fishermen

-who take an interest in gardening.

-Iwan prepares

-the greenhouse for winter.

-Sioned starts planting

-her new border.

-Garden specialist Awen Jones

-advises on popular house plants.

-Welcome to Garddio A Mwy.

-Today is a big day.

-I'm planting

-the first plants in the new border.

-Last week...

-..I planted

-three silver birch trees.

-There are two large stumps, too.

-I'm planting

-the surrounding plants today.

-I'm going to the garden centre

-to see what they have.

-To save money, I'll take cuttings

-from the plants I already have...

-..and from friends' gardens.

-But it's important

-to treat yourself.

-I'm also supporting

-local businesses.

-It's mid-October.

-There are plenty of plants

-to choose from this time of year.

-The lovely autumnal colours...

-..makes it a pleasure

-to visit a garden centre.

-Look at this.

-Isn't it wonderful?

-What an amazing colour.

-It's the Ozakazuki acer.

-It's fantastic.

-I'd love to take it home with me.

-I can't.

-Designing a new border requires

-some sort of self-discipline!

-I've sketched

-what I want in the border.

-I want to know

-where the plants are going...

-..what to put on the edges...

-..and behind them...

-..and what will provide

-height and interest.

-Always remember to consider

-the flower's shape.

-You need contrast between

-neighbouring plants.

-This is my wish list of plants.

-I might be disappointed

-that not everything is here.

-But I might

-find a better alternative.

-I'll have a look around.

-This white anemone will contrast

-with the grass.

-I'm so glad it's here.

-The Pennisetum is so nice,

-I'll take both of them.

-The Echinacea yellow spider

-is lovely.

-But the one I like is Green Envy.

-I'd better pay for these

-and go home to Pont Y Twr.

-This isn't proper gardening.

-But it's an important job

-all gardeners have to tackle.

-I'm sanding the wood,

-giving it a coat of paint...

-..so the exterior

-is ready for winter.

-But I'm not just paying attention

-to the exterior.

-The weather has turned colder.

-Look at the condensation

-inside the greenhouse.

-That's a sign autumn has arrived.

-But the growing season hasn't ended.

-The tomatoes in my greenhouse...

-..are not ripening

-as quickly I'd like.

-We have green peppers, too.

-There are plenty of small ones.

-There's plenty of life in it.

-Here's an aubergine.

-There's a big one here.

-I've been late picking it.

-There is more life to come.

-There are six flowers.

-Extending the season

-a little longer...

-..will provide more vegetables.

-How do we do that?

-I'll show you.

-I'm lining the inside

-of the greenhouse.

-You can use polycarbonate sheets.

-They're effective

-and easy to put up.

-But they're expensive.

-I'm using the old favourite...

-..bubble wrap.

-It doesn't take long.

-I've already done

-half the greenhouse.

-I do this because

-the temperature drops at night.

-For these plants to mature...

-..the temperature at night shouldn't

-fall below six degrees Celsius.

-That's the important threshold.

-I've transformed the greenhouse.

-It's like something

-from the Barbarella set.

-Another thing I want to do...

-..is bring the water butt

-into the greenhouse.

-The water warms up during the day.

-At night, it slowly releases heat.

-It's a very good idea.

-But I can't save my two melons.

-The problem is, I came out at night

-with a head torch to prune.

-I cut the melons' roots.

-I should remove them,

-but I don't have the heart.

-Next, Meinir discusses one of

-Britain's worst invasive plants.

-I'm glad we don't have it

-in the Pont Y Twr garden.

-Japanese knotweed is a big threat...

-..to buildings and habitats.

-It grows strongly

-and spreads quickly.

-I'm meeting Arwel and Gethin...

-..who are tackling

-the problem in Meirionnydd.

-As we're spraying weed killer,

-protective clothing is needed.

-They must spray annually

-for a minimum of three years.

-How did it arrive?

-It's said that it's been here

-since 1850.

-It came from the Far East

-to Kew Gardens.

-It spread from there.

-Let's go for it.

-As you can see,

-it covers the ground.

-There is no growth under it.

-It goes into rivers.

-Nothing can bind the mud

-so we lose the riverbank.

-We lose a lot of ground

-because of it.

-I've seen pictures of it

-growing through concrete.

-It is so strong,

-people can't believe what it can do.

-If you have this at home...

-..what should you do?

-The best thing is

-to let people know about it.

-Tell us about it

-if you're within the National Park.

-There are people, like me,

-who don't believe in spraying.

-But this leaves us no choice.

-There is no other viable way,

-other than spraying.

-Cutting it with a strimmer

-runs the risk of spreading it.

-Only a tiny part is needed to catch

-and create a new plant.

-The other way is to dig it up

-and burn it at a special site.

-Liverpool is the closest to us.

-Japanese knotweed

-grows incredibly quickly...

-..as anyone who has it

-in their garden would know.

-It can grow 2.1 metres in weeks

-in spring and is hard to destroy.

-It spreads underground.

-It has a rhizome,

-an underground stem.

-From this,

-it takes root and grows shoots.

-It can regrow from rhizome that's

-less than one centimetre long.

-Dolgellau Angling Association

-and the National Park...

-..are working together

-to get rid of knotweed.

-They've paid for training

-on how to spray the weed killer.

-They do it in their own time.

-We came together earlier this year.

-Contractors do the high ground.

-The Rotary Club has joined in.

-Prince Albert Angling Society

-from England is also taking part.

-They have fishing rights on

-the Wnion and Mawddach Rivers.

-It's a community effort.

-We're all together.

-Why is Japanese knotweed

-a problem to fishermen?

-It prevents access to the riverbank.

-Fishermen trample on it...

-..and pieces come off.

-And then it spreads.

-It goes downriver

-and takes root again.

-It suffocates everything under it.

-In winter,

-soil washes into the rivers.

-It can cause problems for fish.

-They bury eggs in gravel.

-The soil covers it, suffocates

-the eggs and they can't hatch.

-It's quite a problem.

-It's quite a problem.

-

-Yes, all along the river.

-The battle against Japanese knotweed

-won't be won overnight.

-But with perseverance

-and hard work...

-..it is possible.

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-When planting a new border,

-as I mentioned...

-..planning is important.

-But when you bring

-the plants home...

-..some things might change.

-It's a good idea

-to put plants in their place.

-I'll start with the grass.

-They'll provide height and interest.

-You'll see their heads

-in the breeze.

-That looks very pretty.

-They go half a metre apart.

-I'm planting them in clusters.

-Every plant will be in clusters

-of three, five or seven.

-Putting them here and there

-looks rather untidy.

-They look more natural together.

-I've done that

-in a few other places.

-The sedums were

-three plants originally.

-Over the years,

-it's become one big plant.

-I also did that with hebes.

-I planted five small ones.

-In the last two years, they've

-filled out and look like one plant.

-I hope to achieve

-a natural look here too.

-Next, the pink anemone

-goes over there.

-I'm putting them here...

-..because I like seeing

-the wood behind them.

-One more.

-I'm putting this special

-Echinacea behind the bench.

-Echinacea really likes the sun.

-This corner gets a lot of sun in the

-morning, a little in the afternoon.

-It's over there

-by the end of the afternoon.

-I hope this area suits them.

-This is only the first step.

-It's surprising how many plants

-you need to fill a border.

-But that's not the aim.

-I hope these plants

-will grow to fill this corner.

-I'll divide a lot of the garden's

-plants to put round the edges.

-Now, the rest of the plants!

-I've started the work.

-These are garden plants, of course.

-But houseplants

-also give a lot of pleasure.

-Awen Jones gives us some advice,

-beginning with orchids.

-To make sure an orchid

-thrives in your house...

-..look out for a few things.

-Make sure the leaves

-are green and healthy.

-If the lower leaves look yellow

-and have brown or black marks...

-..they've had a serious

-watering problem at one point.

-Leave it in the shop.

-Then look at the buds.

-They should be green and healthy...

-..and look soundly

-attached to the stem.

-You'll know you'll have a good

-display for weeks, if not months.

-Watering depends

-on how warm the house is.

-Once a week is usually enough.

-My tip is look at the roots.

-If the roots are a silvery colour,

-they need water.

-Then you'll see them turning green.

-Wait for them to turn a little

-silvery before watering again.

-You can water it

-as you do with houseplants.

-Or soak it in water

-and let it drain on one side.

-Don't use give it

-ordinary houseplant food.

-It's too strong.

-Use orchid food.

-They're found everywhere now.

-Two plant groups that

-don't receive the right care...

-..are cactus and carnivorous plants.

-First, the cactus.

-Remember they're living plants.

-Although they don't

-seem to need much water...

-..they do need watering to thrive.

-From spring to autumn, water

-them and give them cactus food.

-But ignore them in winter.

-In spring,

-they'll have lovely flowers.

-Now, my favourites...

-..carnivorous plants.

-They're very popular.

-The best known is the Venus flytrap.

-There are a few tricks

-to keep them healthy.

-Make sure they're in a saucer...

-..with at least one or two

-centimetres of rainwater.

-Don't give them any plant food.

-If you can, catch fresh insects,

-the fresher the better.

-You might have to wiggle them

-to make the trap shut.

-But they appreciate it.

-The Sarracenia

-is increasing in popularity.

-I'm very fond of them.

-They have tall, graceful trumpets.

-This is how they catch insects.

-You often see dew on the trap's lip.

-That attracts insects.

-They get a bit drunk and go in.

-They're eaten in the trap.

-Treat these in a similar way.

-They're dying back now,

-to preserve strength in the pot.

-It's one of my favourites.

-It has a marvellous range

-of colour and types.

-It's one of nature's marvels.

-I can't help really liking them!

-Seeing grapes grow

-in the sunshine is very enjoyable.

-I never thought I'd pick

-fresh grapes in the garden.

-They're not ripe.

-That's the problem in Wales.

-The growing season

-isn't quite long enough.

-They've grown well.

-But they need three or four

-more weeks to ripen.

-I'll remove these.

-They'll go in the polytunnel I hope,

-if Sioned lets me.

-But blackcurrants

-certainly don't need warmth.

-They're very easy to grow,

-full of Vitamin C...

-..and the fruits freeze very well.

-This time of year, you think

-of either planting blackcurrants...

-..or pruning your plants.

-Early winter is the time.

-How do we prune blackcurrants?

-We talked about summer raspberries

-fruiting on two-year-old canes.

-Blackcurrants are just the same.

-I'm going to remove the branches

-that bore fruit this year.

-It's easy to tell which ones

-they are. Look at these two.

-The leaves on this branch

-have wilted.

-The bark's colour is slightly

-different and darker.

-And this makes it obvious.

-You'll see where

-blackcurrants grew this year.

-I know which branch

-bore fruit this year.

-I'll follow it down the stem...

-..until I reach another branch,

-which is clearly new.

-This will bear fruit next year.

-I'll get rid of the other one.

-Cut at an angle,

-quite close to the other one.

-And that's it.

-Once all the old wood has gone,

-I'll have a better picture...

-..of the branches

-that will bear fruit next year.

-I want to take cuttings.

-It's very easy with blackcurrants.

-You use this year's growth for this.

-I won't cut too much,

-or I won't have any fruit next year.

-I'm sure this bush is big enough

-to spare five or six plants.

-If you've never taken cuttings,

-I really recommend it.

-Blackcurrants are one of the easiest

-plants for taking cuttings.

-Take between eight to twelve

-inches of the new growth.

-Remove the leaves...

-..and the top ones too.

-There are plenty

-of buds on the stem.

-I don't want them all...

-..so I remove most of them.

-I'll leave two or three on the end.

-Cut off the growth at the end.

-I'm left with three buds.

-Now, all I do is plant it

-in cutting compost.

-I've mixed it with plenty of sand,

-so the soil is very light.

-We don't want the young stems

-sitting in wet soil.

-They'd rot,

-because they have no roots.

-But the roots soon grow.

-In they go.

-Water them well.

-These will go

-in the greenhouse over winter.

-They'll be ready

-to plant out next spring.

-That's it for another week.

-Thanks joining us again.

-We had our first frost today.

-Keep an eye on the weather forecast.

-Put tender plants

-in the greenhouse...

-..or put fleece

-round any still in the garden.

-Until next week,

-enjoy the gardening.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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