0:00:02 > 0:00:06Our bees, butterflies and pollinating insects are dying out.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09This giant insect workforce pollinate our crops
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and if they disappear, most of our favourite foods will vanish too.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19It's a complex crisis, but poor nutrition is leaving our insect pollinators
0:00:19 > 0:00:23vulnerable to pesticides and parasites.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29I'm Sarah Raven, and in this series I'm on a campaign to wake people up
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and show everyone the simple steps we can take
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to stop this quiet catastrophe.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40The thing is, if we all make a conscious decision
0:00:40 > 0:00:43to plant pollen- and nectar-rich plants throughout the country,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47together we can get Britain buzzing again.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Last week, I tackled our countryside
0:01:11 > 0:01:14and showed how we can make our villages and farmland
0:01:14 > 0:01:18far more friendly for our butterflies, bees and pollinating insects.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21This week, my campaign moves to our towns,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24our gardens and our flower displays.
0:01:24 > 0:01:30They may seem much smaller in scale but, combined, they make up a massive network of green space,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33estimated at well over a million acres,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37and the potential to help our pollinators here is huge.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39We have a choice.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44Either we continue to watch the decline of our insects or we do something about it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48What I've been learning is that it's very easy to make a real difference.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52It's just a case of re-learning which are the simple flowers
0:01:52 > 0:01:55which are useful to our pollinating insects,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and planting them instead of the fancy blooms which aren't.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The big culprits are some of our favourite bedding plants,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08like double begonias, busy Lizzies
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and bedding geraniums, which we plant by the million each year
0:02:12 > 0:02:15in our gardens, our roundabouts and throughout our flower beds.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18They're colourful, cheap and easy fillers
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and may well be our favourites
0:02:21 > 0:02:24but I doubt our insect pollinators would agree.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Dr Jeff Ollerton has been researching the relationships
0:02:30 > 0:02:33between flowers and insects for over 20 years
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and he knows that not all flowers are equal.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40These are all really good examples
0:02:40 > 0:02:44of plants that I wouldn't put into a garden if I was interested
0:02:44 > 0:02:45in supporting pollinators
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and providing food for those pollinators.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50All of them are so highly bred,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53there's no nectar, there's no pollen available,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56or, if it is available, it's very, very difficult to access.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59With something like this, which is a member of the daisy family,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02something which should have a fairly simple blossom
0:03:02 > 0:03:06containing lots and lots of individual flowers.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12Here, all of these individual flowers have turned into showy petals,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15with little or no pollen available.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18To the gardener, they offer colour and impact
0:03:18 > 0:03:22but to the pollinators, they don't offer anything -
0:03:22 > 0:03:24no food, no nectar, no pollen.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35But the plants we put in our gardens and flower displays are more important now than ever
0:03:35 > 0:03:40as, over recent decades, our countryside has changed massively.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45We've lost 98% of our wildflower meadows,
0:03:45 > 0:03:46and there's much less food
0:03:46 > 0:03:50and natural habitat for pollinators and wildlife in general.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58But our bees and pollinating insects are crucial as they fertilise many of our crops.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Without them, our favourite foods could disappear
0:04:02 > 0:04:04from the supermarket shelves.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And so that's where our gardens and flower displays
0:04:07 > 0:04:08could become so vital.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13If we choose the right flowers, we could give our honey bees, butterflies
0:04:13 > 0:04:18and all the other pollinating insects the help they so desperately need.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24So, in our towns, where better to start my campaign than by challenging competitors
0:04:24 > 0:04:27in the biggest gardening competition in the land
0:04:27 > 0:04:31to think of our bees and butterflies first and their medals second?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42One of the most successful Britain In Bloom groups is Harrogate,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46whose bedding tradition goes back to Victorian times.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It's a town that takes its gardening very seriously
0:04:48 > 0:04:53and has a fierce reputation for excellence.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57It could be an uphill struggle to persuade the people who design these displays,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59which are so medal successful,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02to change anything in their choice of plants.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09I'm feeling quite nervous because Harrogate is such a key centre.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14If we can get them on side, because they're consistent winners of Britain In Bloom,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17then I feel lots of other towns will follow
0:05:17 > 0:05:20so they could be the flag bearers for the whole campaign.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- Good morning, everybody. - ALL:- Good morning.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24I'm Sarah Raven
0:05:24 > 0:05:29and I've come today to talk to you a little bit about a campaign
0:05:29 > 0:05:32that I am launching here, really.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We are in a crisis of biodiversity at the moment.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Every county throughout Britain are losing,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42particularly moths, bees and butterflies,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47and we've all got to do something about it as the custodians of our environment.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52And all of you, as gardeners, would be a real help in that.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55To encourage Britain In Bloom to change,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I'm going to need two plans of attack.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03Ultimately, I'll need to persuade those in charge of the competition at the Royal Horticultural Society
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but, first, I need the support of a Bloom community and get them to change.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11I've brought expert Dr Jeff Ollerton to provide some hard facts.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Good morning, everyone.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16As Sarah mentioned, a lot of our insects are declining.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21For example, something like 67% of our moth species have declined over the last 50 years,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25about 25% of our hoverfly species have declined,
0:06:25 > 0:06:31we've lost three bumblebee species, which have gone extinct,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and the trends are continuing downwards.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38The key to my campaign in Harrogate is to get the Bloom group
0:06:38 > 0:06:41to change the types of plants in their displays.
0:06:41 > 0:06:47For instance, rather than, perhaps, begonias, we move to single dahlias.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Can you maintain the quality by making the changes?
0:06:50 > 0:06:55The whole wildlife gardening thing has the reputation for being messy.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58That really, really, really, doesn't need to be the case.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01It still looks great, you can get the same colours that you want,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04you've just got something that's nectar rich and insect friendly.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I'm a little bit concerned about...
0:07:07 > 0:07:13how are you going to encourage people to pick the right sorts of plants, like at garden centres or nurseries,
0:07:13 > 0:07:18because people tend to go and pick what they fancy.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Mary Bond had hit on a key issue here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24How do gardeners really know what they should be planting?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It's something I'll need to look into,
0:07:27 > 0:07:33and Mary and fellow Bloom group member Caroline Bayliss could become important allies
0:07:33 > 0:07:36to drive the campaign forward in Harrogate.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41What we started doing on the website last year was taking a photograph and then doing the...
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Oh, the planting plan.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Again, listening to what you've been talking about today, I think that'd be a good opportunity
0:07:47 > 0:07:51for us to get it across to the public, because we can put an explanation.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55"If you plant such and such, you'll attract bees to the garden."
0:07:55 > 0:07:59- That could be quite useful. - Fantastic! Really good.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Mary's response is encouraging,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07but Britain In Bloom is now such an established gardening institution across the whole of the UK,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12I can tell it's not going to be easy to effect a sea change in attitudes.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The competition was set up by the Tourist Board in 1963
0:08:15 > 0:08:20to provide an incentive for passionate groups of volunteers to beautify their communities.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Floral wow factor and tidiness soon became the obsession
0:08:24 > 0:08:28as villages, towns and cities across the country joined in.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32In 2001, the RHS took the reins, and ever since has tried hard
0:08:32 > 0:08:34to shed the old-fashioned "blousy blooms" image
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and has done much to bring in greener initiatives
0:08:37 > 0:08:40such as composting and more naturalistic planting.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45But to win the competition, bright colours and bedding plants are still hugely important.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50I want to show everyone that there's a real opportunity here
0:08:50 > 0:08:53to help our bees and pollinators that's just being missed.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The summer bedding goes in, what, May 1st?
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- We start our summer bedding on 1st June.- 1st June, OK.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Being a bit further north, we have to leave it later, otherwise we get the late frosts and we lose it.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Patrick Kilburn is head of Harrogate's Park Department
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and the man who can make this all happen...or not.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17He's agreed to show me around the town, where the planting is treated like a military operation.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19If you did a questionnaire around Harrogate
0:09:19 > 0:09:22of what they feel most proud of in their town,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27do you think one would be the bedding schemes and the general kind of flora?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's more than saying, do I think? We actually know.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33We get a lot of feedback. Very positive comments from the public. That's what we're very proud of.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37The sense of civic pride in Harrogate is huge,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and winning gold in Britain In Bloom is pretty much expected,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44so any suggestions could really take Patrick out of his comfort zone.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47But Caroline from the Bloom committee
0:09:47 > 0:09:51is keen for me to see something optimistic for Harrogate pollinators.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Can we show you some of our crocus, please?
0:09:53 > 0:09:57This is something we're particularly known for... little bit over at the moment.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Yeah, I love a crocus.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Crocus are particularly good flowers for pollinators.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07They provide nectar and pollen when there's little else around
0:10:07 > 0:10:10early in the year for our bumblebee queens.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14This whole area is just a mass of purple and white crocus.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16It looks quite divine.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17If I can persuade Harrogate
0:10:17 > 0:10:21to increase these sorts of simple nectar- and pollen-rich flowers
0:10:21 > 0:10:23in their Bloom displays across the year,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I'll have really got Harrogate buzzing again.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Patrick's agreed to let me change two of the flower beds as a trial
0:10:34 > 0:10:36so my next stop is the council nurseries
0:10:36 > 0:10:39to meet the team that grow the plants for the displays.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41I need to convince them too
0:10:41 > 0:10:44as it will mean change to the types of plants
0:10:44 > 0:10:46they propagate in the future.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49We're looking mostly at these two beds here.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Originally it was going to be F1 geraniums and marigold edging.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I've got my scrapbook here which may help us.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59These are all single dahlias - Juliet and Bishop of Auckland.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Rudbeckias, which are fantastic.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06This is a cosmos called Antiquity, so we've got the aesthetic and the insect benefit.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- And then the cardinal lobelia. - Yes.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- Excellent. It's not too late for all that, is it? - No problem at all.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Looking across this sea of bedding plants,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19it's clear what I'm suggesting would mean a massive change.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Many of the varieties being grown in their millions would need to be replaced,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27but agreeing to trial a new range of plants as an experiment
0:11:27 > 0:11:31to fill a couple of prominent beds in the town is a great start.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33But I'm thinking about Mary's question.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38How do we know which flowers are best for our bees and insect pollinators?
0:11:38 > 0:11:44It's quite a grey area, so I've come to the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship gardens at Wisley
0:11:44 > 0:11:48to get some clear tips from RHS advisor Helen Bostock.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The great thing here, Helen, is that we got a really good
0:11:52 > 0:11:56combination of plants that you see in lots of people's gardens,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and I was just wondering if you could give me
0:11:58 > 0:12:02the guidelines of how I can tell, when I walk into a garden centre,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and there's tonnes of plants to choose from,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09how do you know which are good for pollinators and the ones that are useless?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13There's some really simple pointers that we can give to gardeners.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17The first thing is, look to see if the flower is single or double.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Generally speaking, single flowers, where you can see the pollen in the centre of the flower,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25it's nice and open, that tends to be better -
0:12:25 > 0:12:30it's more accessible for the nectar and the pollen for pollinating insects.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The second principle is the flower shape.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Try to get a range of shapes because they will all cater for different insects.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Out in front, we've got these superb achilleas here.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44This is a very flat, open flower structure.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49It's also a composite flower. There's a lot of flowers making up that one head.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Because it's open, short-turned insects, things like hoverflies,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58can easily get on there and get at the pollen and nectar.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03The last thing is to look at plants which have a succession of flower opening.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05The foxglove is a classic.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We can see down the bottom there are some of the old flowers that are faded,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13there's a cluster in the centre of flowers which are open and ready and available
0:13:13 > 0:13:16but we can also see if there's flowers to come.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19These flowers will go on for weeks.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Helen's three simple tips of a succession of flowers,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24a variety of flower shapes and single blooms
0:13:24 > 0:13:29are great to consider when putting any planting plan together for pollinators.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36And these are the exact rules that I want Harrogate to follow
0:13:36 > 0:13:40so I've decided to send them to see these principles used to full effect
0:13:40 > 0:13:44at the horticultural event of the year.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46It's the Chelsea Flower Show.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I want to prove to Patrick, Mary and Caroline
0:13:59 > 0:14:02that pollinator friendly planting can be as eye catching
0:14:02 > 0:14:06as their colourful bloom displays AND can win major medals too.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13I really hope they will be inspired by one young garden designer
0:14:13 > 0:14:18on his first outing to Chelsea with a biodiversity garden.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25In most people's gardens, when somebody is a plant-a-holic, they have a huge range of plants.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29By encouraging diversity, you're going to encourage insects into the garden.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Layering in the garden is really important,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35because different layers are appealing to different insects.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You'll get different bees coming in at slightly higher heights,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43some of the hoverflies and the smaller insects like ants will be lower down,
0:14:43 > 0:14:48and it's about creating a tapestry of layers that really weaves through the garden.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Everything we've tried to do is to make the garden have a soul
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and the soul really is the wildlife.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Can you tell us a bit about the colours you've got here, Paul?
0:14:58 > 0:15:02There's an interesting selection of purples and yellows.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04All of the colour choices in the garden came from research
0:15:04 > 0:15:07that was carried out in India and Sheffield
0:15:07 > 0:15:11as to what colour of plants insects that have never been introduced to colour,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15so, particularly excited by this kind of lilac, mauve, yellow,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19so that was our starting block for building colours into the garden.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24PATRICK: You've got a lot a lot of plants here. If you were going to suggest two or three as key plants
0:15:24 > 0:15:25for us to maybe trial or look at?
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Things like aquilegias, which are fabulous at this time of year
0:15:29 > 0:15:32because they're kind of singing at insects to take the nectar.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Bees really love things like alliums because all of the petals
0:15:36 > 0:15:40kind of relax open, giving the insects a really wide access.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The other thing is, make sure you've got successive planting,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47so things like this veronica, which will be flowering much later in the year
0:15:47 > 0:15:50can have things like early geraniums growing through.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53When the geraniums have gone over and it would look slightly untidy,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57the veronica will be pushing out all the foliage and will cover that,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00then it will come into flower, reducing the amount of maintenance.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04CAROLINE: Yes, we don't want to start looking untidy. That isn't Harrogate.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08PATRICK: My only concern is how it fits into some of the settings that we've got.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I thought the colour scheming was wonderful.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14That purple and yellow, particularly at this time of year,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18is really effective, and the touches of pink as well, I really like that.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23In parks' bedding, you do tend to have a bit more of the orange and the bright red,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26whereas those lovely pastel shades,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31- which, obviously, Mary and I absolutely love!- I'll be honest,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I'm not actually keen on the traditional Victorian bedding.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37You see some of this helps our arguments with Patrick.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Yes, he does listen, he does listen.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46Despite the difference in opinion on colour schemes, the fact that so many gardens at Chelsea
0:16:46 > 0:16:51have picked up on planting with pollinators in mind seems to have had a positive effect.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53So what are their conclusions to the day?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I was a bit of a sceptic at first,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01and the reason for that is that the bedding in the parks is fairly traditional,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03it's what Harrogate is renowned for,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and to start to move away from that is a risk,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09but what I've re-assured by, if you like, is the diversity.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12The colours are still there, the choice is still there,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and I think there's a real opportunity, I really do.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18This is the way gardens are going. Traditional bedding,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20people are not interested in that in the same way.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22You don't see traditional bedding here.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28I think one of the most exciting things is how far Patrick has already gone down this path.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- In fact probably quicker than the rest of us!- Yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I'm amazed at the difference a day at the Chelsea Flower Show can make,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39but will it last when we they all get back to Harrogate?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41I really hope so.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But, for me, it's time to make sure that I'm practising what I preach.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So back in my garden at Perch Hill,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01experienced garden naturalist Steve Head has come to help me assess my garden
0:18:01 > 0:18:05for its suitability for insect pollinators,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09and to award it an insect friendly score.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So, this is the walled bit of garden.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Oh, my, it's lovely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It's quite jungly, which is probably a good thing, isn't it?
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Oh, it's a wonderful thing. What's the point of having bare earth in the garden, I ask myself.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22It's not what it's there for.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26This actually already touches an awful lot of good points.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28You've got so much different structure in here.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30You've got the density of the bamboo,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32you've got the tall grasses,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34you've got the perennials.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38But, generally, there's a pretty good big biomass of plants in here.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There are possibly one of two things we could comment on, though.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43So, a downside?
0:18:43 > 0:18:44Well, not really a downside.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47You have to think hard about succession in the garden
0:18:47 > 0:18:52because it's very important that you try to get a nectar and pollen flow all through the year,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and quite a lot of your pollen and nectar-producing plants
0:18:55 > 0:18:57are beginning to go over now.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00But all you're trying to do is to make you garden attractive for wildlife.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04It doesn't mean that everything you put in it has to be absolutely perfect.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08It's got to look like a garden and be a pleasure to look at.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Then just tweak it to make sure it's good for wildlife as well.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- So marks out of ten - how am I doing, do you think?- Well,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I think you're well up above 5 or 6.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22- God, that's worse than I thought! - It's a lovely garden but it tends to be doing one thing.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Something I'll tell you that will give you an immediate plus to your marks
0:19:26 > 0:19:27- would be to put in some water.- Yeah.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Did you know that bees use several litres of water a day
0:19:30 > 0:19:33on a hot day like this to keep their hive cool?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36It takes 40,000 trips by a bee to get a litre of water.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40So if you put out an area out that the bees can take water from,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42in other words very, very shallow at the edges,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45then you'll be doing the pollinators an enormous service.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50My garden's got the potential to be great for wildlife
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and by adding water and more late-flowering plants like sedums,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55buddleias and Michaelmas daises,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I'll be able to give a better succession of nectar,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and score top points from Steve.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Back in Harrogate, I've asked expert pollination ecologist
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Dr Jeff Ollerton to join Mary Bond from Harrogate In Bloom
0:20:11 > 0:20:16to see how easy it is to find insect friendly plants at her local garden centre.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23We've got quite a nice selection of all the different plants,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26so it's a case of, how would you know where to start?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28We can obviously start with plant labels.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33- Well, does it tell you anything... at all?- Um...
0:20:33 > 0:20:35"Attractive green-grey foliage.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37"Plant in containers and garden borders."
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Other than that...
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Nothing about how good they are for pollinating insects.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- On a day like this, you can't use the insects to guide you.- No.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47If this was a nice sunny day,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49you can watch the insects visiting the flowers,
0:20:49 > 0:20:55and that would give you an indication of what they were fond of visiting and what they were ignoring.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05On a rainy day and with no clear information about bees or butterflies on the labels,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10it's near impossible to pick plants that are perfect for our pollinators,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12but Jeff has a trick up his sleeve
0:21:12 > 0:21:16and has brought a simple scientific device to measure the nectar.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It's a sugar refractometer.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20So, nectar is a sugar solution?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Nectar is mainly a sugar solution.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24There are a lot of other chemicals in there
0:21:24 > 0:21:28but it's predominantly a sugar solution.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So, this is the kit? This is going to measure the sugar content?
0:21:32 > 0:21:36And the volume of sugar being produced in the flowers.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It's the flowers which are the attraction,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40it's the nectar which is the main reward
0:21:40 > 0:21:44which keeps them coming back to the same type of flower,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and it's the pollen which is being picked up by the pollinators
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and spread between the different flowers,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and that's sexual reproduction in flowers.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56So, why do they like the nectar? Is it just because it tastes nice?
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Because it's energy for them?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- It's a source of energy. - It's a carbohydrate, yes.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04And for things like butterflies and bees,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08it's almost their sole source of carbohydrate.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13So, for our insects, visiting a flower that has no nectar reward
0:22:13 > 0:22:16is like turning up at a restaurant that's run out of food.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We use these glass microbe capillary tubes
0:22:19 > 0:22:21to measure the volume of nectar.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So how do you know where to put your capillary in there?
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Essentially, you've got to behave like a bee.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31- You can see where the open florets are.- Oh, I see. Like little tubes, aren't they?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35That explains why the bee sits there for a while and it just dots away.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Yep, goes around.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41So, now we'll pop that onto one of these sugar refractometers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Just a tiny spot, isn't it?
0:22:46 > 0:22:47It is, yes.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53OK, so that's about 35% sugar concentration.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Gosh, that's a lot.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It's an awful lot of energy for the plant to be investing in providing that reward
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- for its pollinators.- Yes.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06But as far as the plant's concerned, there's a lot riding on it.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So, a dahlia is a really good choice for a garden,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13- but that's presumably the single dahlia.- Yes, that's a single dahlia.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16We've got this one, which I would call the ornamental one
0:23:16 > 0:23:22- and what most people would regard as a dahlia.- A typical dahlia - double flowers and very highly bred.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26You're trying to find the same tubes. I can see where you're having the problem.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27They're not visible, are they?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30No, I can't get any nectar out of there at all.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- So that's a real contrast. - Yes, that's right.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39And, to be honest, that's as bold and colourful as this double, many-petalled one.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42That's the way nature has evolved it,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46whereas that's the way people have bred it.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48What about things like the begonia?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Something like that would be producing no nectar.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Once they've been as highly bred as that, there's nothing there at all.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Would you like to do it yourself in your own garden?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- Yeah, that'd be great. Excellent. Thank you.- Have some tubes...- OK.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09As Mary begins her own experiments in her garden, I'm about to meet someone
0:24:09 > 0:24:15who has been studying and assessing her own back garden in scientific detail for over 40 years.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20- Hello, there.- Hello.- Sorry about the welcoming committee!
0:24:20 > 0:24:24'Jennifer Owen is an entomologist who lives in Leicester.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28'I've come to find out more about her pretty but very average back garden
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'that proved just how valuable all our gardens could be for wildlife.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:33When we first moved into this house
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and started looking at the garden in 1972,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41we realised the garden had a lot of possibilities.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45I ran a trap called a malaise trap with a pitched roof
0:24:45 > 0:24:49made of netting, which captures flying insects,
0:24:49 > 0:24:54but I also hand-netted butterflies, sank pit-fall traps
0:24:54 > 0:24:58all around the garden to catch beetles and centipedes.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00A whole range of different things.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02And what did you find?
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Some small wasps which were new to the British Isles,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10and one or two which were new species to science.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16I've identified more than 400 species of beetle in this garden.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22- 400?!- But they're all visiting different things. - That's absolutely extraordinary.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26In over 40 years, Jennifer identified and recorded
0:25:26 > 0:25:30more than 8,000 different types of insect in her garden.
0:25:30 > 0:25:36Amazingly, that's about a third of the range of insect species we have in the UK.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41It proved once and for all that our gardens, planted in the right way,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44COULD become mini-nature reserves.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48No-one had done this sort of continuous operation for so long,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52particularly not in a suburban garden.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56So, it was the continuity of the record that was particularly interesting,
0:25:56 > 0:26:01because it was possible to see how butterflies, hoverflies and ladybirds and so on,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05gradually, over the years, the numbers have gone down and down.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11By the early '90s, Jennifer's study clearly highlighted the declines in our insects,
0:26:11 > 0:26:17and this came to the attention of the then presenter of Gardeners' World, Geoff Hamilton.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20This is the exciting bit...
0:26:21 > 0:26:25- Oh!- There! Like insect soup!
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- How on earth do you identify this lot?- It's largely a question of experience...
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Clearly, Jennifer had a profound influence on how he gardened,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38which, in turn, affected millions of viewers,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42who began to alter their attitude to plants and wildlife in their gardens.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But what I wanted to know after all this time was,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50what are Jennifer's simples rules on how to plant a garden for wildlife?
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Be sympathetic and relaxed about wildlife, not thinking,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- "It's got too many legs, I'll kill it." It doesn't do!- No.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Having met Jennifer, it's completely reinforced the message to me,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10which is, as gardeners, we can make a massive difference.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13We really can, and we can't ignore that fact, and actually,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17if we all do a little, we can have a big impact.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21It wouldn't be difficult for all of us to be more relaxed about gardening
0:27:21 > 0:27:25and choose less fussy flowers, and that would be brilliant for insects.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But on a wet and windy morning in Harrogate,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Mary and Caroline have volunteered
0:27:37 > 0:27:41to help plant out the summer bedding displays, including my two trial beds
0:27:41 > 0:27:47of nectar- and pollen-rich plants, in the most high-profile area of the town - West Park Stray.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- There we are.- Thank you.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- You want to start at the pointy end? - I will.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Caroline and Mary loved the subtle colours at Chelsea,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01but it was too late to change the colour scheme for this trial year,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04so it's Patrick's traditional yellow and red for now.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09Nervous, in case we get ticked off for not having done it quite right!
0:28:09 > 0:28:13They're professionals, and when ours start dying off
0:28:13 > 0:28:17before everybody else's, that'll be the grim moment.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Double begonias and pelargoniums have been swapped
0:28:20 > 0:28:24for insect friendly single red dahlias, rudbeckias and angelicas -
0:28:24 > 0:28:28not as radical a change as I'd hoped, but if it impresses the judges,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31then maybe more widespread changes will come.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36Will we pass, or would you like to dis-employ us immediately?!
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- Another two, shall I get you them? - Yes, thank you very much.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42One there and one there, yes.
0:28:48 > 0:28:54Fired up by the research I've gathered, I've decided to tackle the gardening industry next.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57I want to put to them the question that Mary first posed
0:28:57 > 0:29:01about how to choose the right plants for pollinators.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05I'm at the National Plant Show, a trade event
0:29:05 > 0:29:08that brings together nurseries, garden centres, growers and suppliers
0:29:08 > 0:29:11from across the country - a perfect opportunity
0:29:11 > 0:29:14to try and get the industry on board with my campaign.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Hello, everybody. Good afternoon, on this lovely day...
0:29:18 > 0:29:22'I've brought together an expert team - Dr Jeff Ollerton,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25'Helen Bostock from the RHS, and Doug Stewart,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29'a freelance marketing specialist in horticulture,
0:29:29 > 0:29:34'to help me convince players in the industry that what we need to make it easier for gardeners
0:29:34 > 0:29:38'is a simple labelling system.'
0:29:38 > 0:29:41There's increasing acknowledgement of the role both gardens
0:29:41 > 0:29:46and garden plants have in supporting these pollinating insects.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50But, as you might imagine, with over 70,000 plants in the RHS Plant Finder,
0:29:50 > 0:29:55gardeners need all the help they can get in choosing the right plants.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59When it was suggested that we did something as simple as put a logo
0:29:59 > 0:30:04that says you need to plant these if you want to help pollinating insects -
0:30:04 > 0:30:07it was one of those eureka moments - why haven't we done it?!
0:30:07 > 0:30:12I think it was one of the most exciting innovations for our industry in the last few years.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Thank you very much.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18It was very good - it was VERY good.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21As we keep finding, we push on a door and it opens wide.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24It's like people are waiting to be galvanised,
0:30:24 > 0:30:29and to give them some kind of structure of how to act, which is truly fantastic.
0:30:29 > 0:30:35It's clear the industry is open to the idea of a pollinator friendly label,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and it seems Harrogate's Britain In Bloom group are open to change, too,
0:30:38 > 0:30:44so it really feels like I'm getting somewhere now. In fact, there's no stopping Mary.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47She's one of my main campaign supporters in Harrogate,
0:30:47 > 0:30:52and is taking science into her garden by doing her own nectar testing
0:30:52 > 0:30:55to see what her garden flowers have on offer.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59When you start, you're poking these glass capillaries into the flower.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03You don't know if you're doing it right, or it hasn't got any nectar,
0:31:03 > 0:31:08or, what I deduced after the first 24 hours when I wasn't getting anything,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12is that the bees have got in there first and sucked the flowers dry.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15So, I found this in my cupboard upstairs -
0:31:15 > 0:31:18it might have had potpourri in it -
0:31:18 > 0:31:22this organza drawstring bag, which I put around it for 48 hours,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26which isolates it, lets the air circulate,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30and I can keep the bees off, giving me a good chance to test the nectar.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34With the bees no longer affecting her results,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Mary's been pushing the glass tubes into all sorts of different flowers
0:31:38 > 0:31:39and taking readings.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46We have an annual musk mallow that pops up - it really smells of honey.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50That was 71%. Then you've got these other ones in the 50s.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53The pink hebe round the corner, 66.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56So there's real variation. And just out of curiosity,
0:31:56 > 0:32:02to work out what the numbers mean, I was testing things in the house.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06A cup of tea with some milk and two sugars is 7%.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10The juice on the top of the raspberry jam, if you haven't stirred it,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15that's 63%, so if you imagine, the nectar in things like the hebe
0:32:15 > 0:32:18is sweeter than a jar of raspberry jam.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20That gives some indication of the scale.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32The insects are fantastic to study, if you like wildlife in your garden.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37You can actually get very close. Just a simple little digital camera,
0:32:37 > 0:32:42it's very easy to go in and get some really nice shots.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46It's a bit like being Kate Humble, doing Springwatch in your own garden.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Mary's home-grown experiment
0:32:48 > 0:32:52is giving her just the sort of encouragement I hoped it would.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57In my own garden, I've found out about two separate measures
0:32:57 > 0:33:00to improve its attractiveness to insects
0:33:01 > 0:33:03AND increase my pollinator friendly score.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07But I also want to discover more about what's already here,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11so Steve is going to teach me some simple sampling techniques.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Right, we're going to continue the really high-tech sampling techniques
0:33:15 > 0:33:18by using things known as yellow tray traps.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- I'm not sure I like those in my garden!- Well, you like sunflowers -
0:33:22 > 0:33:25what's the difference?!
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- You've got a piece of cane... - Mm-hmm.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32..one of those things to go on the end so you don't poke your eye out,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36and then glued onto that is an extremely sophisticated,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39£1.49 for 10, kids' party plate.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Then we push it into the ground, like that,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46and top it up with water, and just a tiny bit of detergent,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50which kills the surface tension, so any insect will hit it and go plop,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and it will stay in the water - very good for things like flies,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58and particularly hoverflies, which are really important pollinators,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02which are really hard to catch with a net, I don't know if you've tried.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Well, I've been seeing a few very small ones, and so I hope...
0:34:06 > 0:34:10So, it catches things which other techniques might not.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13And I think they look very aesthetic in the garden!
0:34:13 > 0:34:15We'll see what happens later.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23- Now, this is nice, Sarah. - Because of the long grass?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Yes, and this is a job for you - what do you think this is?
0:34:26 > 0:34:31I think you've been stealing from my washing line - it's a pillow case.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Absolutely, it is, and I've taken two coat hangers,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37and pulled them out to make a square,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41then taping them together, so they're good and strong,
0:34:41 > 0:34:45then binding them onto this broom handle using jubilee clips.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Then, finally, you put on a pillow case -
0:34:48 > 0:34:53I've just glued it on, but it might be better if you sewed it -
0:34:53 > 0:34:56and you've got a fully functional sweep net.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00This is quite strong, tougher than an ordinary butterfly net.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04I want you to walk through the grass and swish it to and fro,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07be quite swift, turning it over at each end,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10then we'll see what we've got in the long grass.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- Is that right? - Yep, plenty of energy, that's it.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25- It's good fun, this, I could get into it! Enough?- Let's see.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28We can always carry on... Oh, careful, that's it.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32You can fold it over like that, and then it seals the net.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- We'll see what we've got.- That's... - That's a little beetle.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- Trying to fly.- And a moth. Looks like a glorified large clothes moth.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Oh, yeah, I think it might be a thing called a snout moth, actually.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47which you find in grass - there it is.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- There's the moth.- Oh, and another.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54There's one flying off. Lots of grass seed and things in there.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59- There's a little ground beetle - can you see?- Yes. Gosh, there's lots!
0:35:59 > 0:36:03There's a lot in there, and it's a really simple technique.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09Most of us have got small areas around compost heaps or at the base of trees,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12where we could have an area of long grass.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Who'd have thought such a basic habitat could be so insect rich?
0:36:19 > 0:36:24- So, here we are.- Yes, with our... - Our strange yellow trays!
0:36:24 > 0:36:27- They've all caught stuff, haven't they?- Yes.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Of course the downside is that they drown.- Yeah.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35So I wouldn't want people who are just interested in seeing what they've got in the garden
0:36:35 > 0:36:40- to use this technique very often. - So, that is definitely a hoverfly, isn't it?- Yes, it is.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Very handsome, like a little wasp, almost,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46but you can see it's only got two wings.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50I'm pleased to see that, because one thing I'm really aware of
0:36:50 > 0:36:55- is that hoverflies and hard to notice, unlike bees and wasps.- Mmm.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58But they are fantastic pollinators, aren't they?
0:36:58 > 0:37:01With the decline of bees in some parts of the world,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- they're probably becoming more important.- How do we attract them in?
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- They like yellow?- Well, quite clearly, they like yellow, yes.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13But they feed from the same sort of plants as bees do,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16but they seem particularly besotted by the yellow ones.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23The humble hoverfly is such an important pollinator.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Even though it looks wasp-like, it's completely harmless.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Like all our pollinators, they need our help.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36We've got hundreds of species of these jewel-like insects in the UK.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39If you want lots of them in your garden,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42plant lots of single flowers with bright-yellow centres,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46as these are the ones they particularly love.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52After months of planning and planting,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Harrogate has been primped and preened ready for the judges.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00After visiting Chelsea and listening to my advice,
0:38:00 > 0:38:05some of the planting has at least been made more insect friendly in a couple of the flower beds.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08It's not exactly revolution here,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11but I'm hoping it's a step in the right direction.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16Right, we'll start at West Park beds, the biodiversity beds...
0:38:16 > 0:38:21It's an experiment, and I'm sensing everyone is a bit nervous
0:38:21 > 0:38:23about what they've signed up for.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Harrogate is trying to maintain its gold medal-winning status
0:38:27 > 0:38:32in the Champion of Champions category of Britain In Bloom.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36It can be altered to try to encourage nectar-rich plants,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40which encourage the hoverflies, bumblebees and other insects.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42- It's working, yes.- It is.
0:38:42 > 0:38:48To the untrained eye, the insect friendly planting doesn't look that different,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52but take a close-up look at the single dahlias, rudbeckias and angelica.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56- They are literally teeming with pollinators.- It's fascinating.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00What's very noticeable is the insect life that we've got,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04and when you walk further down, you'll see the lack of it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Two of my staff the other day said, "It's amazing!
0:39:07 > 0:39:11"We just walked up, and there's nothing until you get to these beds,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14"and then they're just covered." That was on a dull day.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18- Just look across it, you can see the difference it's making.- Wonderful.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26For people who had been a little wary, it was very cheering to hear their comments.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31Patrick seems almost evangelical about the benefits of the two pollinator friendly beds.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35I wonder if he thinks it's his trump card to win a gold?
0:39:35 > 0:39:39My two original supporters, however, seem a bit less sure.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44Mary feels it's definitely done its job, as far as the hoverflies
0:39:44 > 0:39:47and the bees, and everything, but she's a bit worried
0:39:47 > 0:39:51about whether it has the impact, colour-wise, cos it's a bit subdued...
0:39:51 > 0:39:56- It's not VERY subdued.- No - but for Harrogate...that's subdued.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57It's subdued, OK!
0:39:57 > 0:40:02I like this... I know Sarah's not going to like the double beg...
0:40:02 > 0:40:05But they give a wonderful impact, in terms of colour.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09If we'd have gone for the biodiversity bed right the way down,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12it would have been green through to the end of next month.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16'I really thought I'd won Mary over, but I think she's worried
0:40:16 > 0:40:19'that for the judges, it's all about colour and impact.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22'But I still think I can make the case for both,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26'with the pollinator-friendly planting schemes.'
0:40:26 > 0:40:29We are trying to win this thing, if at all possible!
0:40:29 > 0:40:33We'd like to get your message over, but we'd like gold, as well.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35'If the judging criteria was tweaked and Bloom groups
0:40:35 > 0:40:39'were encouraged to try a different range of pollinator-friendly plants
0:40:39 > 0:40:42'rather than the traditional bedding types,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47'Britain In Bloom could be the perfect launch pad to change the way the nation plants,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'so I need to tackle the RHS Bloom judges.'
0:40:52 > 0:40:57It just seems to me there isn't a real incentive
0:40:57 > 0:41:00for the bedding schemes, particularly, to move away
0:41:00 > 0:41:05from the more traditional doubles which have zero insect interest.
0:41:05 > 0:41:12And the RHS and the Britain In Bloom are the most perfectly positioned body to have impact,
0:41:12 > 0:41:18because you influence every bedding scheme throughout these islands.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22A lot of authorities are beginning to introduce more sustainable planting.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27A lot of that sustainable planting is very bee and wildlife-friendly.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30So there is some move. The other thing you must take into consideration
0:41:30 > 0:41:33is that a lot of the public like to see the wow factor
0:41:33 > 0:41:37that you really get from some of the current bedding plants.
0:41:37 > 0:41:44I agree, but I would still suggest that a well designed singles bed
0:41:44 > 0:41:47is going to have just the same wow factor.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52I just really, really passionately feel that if it's well designed and well thought out,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and to start the ball rolling down the hill,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59the RHS Britain In Bloom campaign is the perfect place to start.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02There's a possibility of something in that direction happening,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04no doubt about it. I couldn't believe
0:42:04 > 0:42:09the hoverflies and the bees that were there. You didn't put them there for us!
0:42:09 > 0:42:12No, I didn't come in with a net and release them!
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Or a beehive round the corner!
0:42:14 > 0:42:17But it was striking, it was imposing,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19so there are different angles to look at it,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21but I'm sure it will take off tomorrow,
0:42:21 > 0:42:27cos there'll be people thinking, "If that's gonna win 'em something, we must have a crack, as well!"
0:42:27 > 0:42:32From those reactions, at least one of the judges has been persuaded, but Harrogate will have to wait
0:42:32 > 0:42:35a few months for the awards ceremony in September
0:42:35 > 0:42:42to see if their strategy of sticking mainly with their Victorian bedding tradition was the right decision.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Back at Perch Hill, I'm continuing my own insect audit.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Steve set up a moth trap and left it overnight,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and now's it's time to discover what it's caught.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58This is one of the most exciting bits about being a garden naturalist
0:42:58 > 0:43:05because you walk up to this weird little Tardis box and you don't know what's going to be there.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08But you often see things around the outside... Ah!
0:43:08 > 0:43:10That looks like a stick.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14- And that's what it's trying to do. That's a buff tip moth.- No!
0:43:14 > 0:43:16- Is that really a moth? - It's a moth, absolutely.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Oh, my God, that's most extraordinary...
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Most fantastic camouflage you could ask for, really, isn't it?
0:43:22 > 0:43:25I think we might have something nice here, as well.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27This just unclips...
0:43:27 > 0:43:30And we've got some good stuff in here!
0:43:30 > 0:43:33We've got a large elephant hawk moth!
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- Oh, my God, that's beautiful! - Fantastic!
0:43:36 > 0:43:40Wow, that's just incredible! In a way, butterfly eat your heart out!
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's subtle, yet so exquisite.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45You'd think things that fly at night wouldn't be colourful like this,
0:43:45 > 0:43:46but many of them are.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50- And...we've got a poplar hawk moth! - Oh, my God,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52look at these beautiful things!
0:43:52 > 0:43:58- Absolutely wonderful.- Is that another hawk moth?- Yes.- I'm going to become a hawk moth obsessive.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00- A hawk-moth-ologist, yes! - Have I got 10 out of 10 now?
0:44:00 > 0:44:05Nobody ever gets 10 out of 10. You've got 9.5. THEY LAUGH
0:44:06 > 0:44:09The thing that the moth trap has made me realise is -
0:44:09 > 0:44:12just as Jennifer Owen's study proved -
0:44:12 > 0:44:17the potential to attract and support a great variety of pollinating insects in our gardens is huge.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30In Birmingham, it's the Britain In Bloom awards ceremony,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34and Harrogate are about to discover what medal they've won this year.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39Well, let's not keep the suspense any longer than necessary...
0:44:39 > 0:44:45'It's the moment of truth for Harrogate - have they got that all-important gold?'
0:44:45 > 0:44:48And now to Yorkshire, where Harrogate...
0:44:48 > 0:44:50have achieved a silver-gilt award.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53CHEERING
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Come on, Patrick, we've got to be honest, we don't go into these
0:45:04 > 0:45:05without wanting to win a gold,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08so silver-gilt is second best, isn't it?
0:45:08 > 0:45:10To not get what we've aimed for, which was the gold,
0:45:10 > 0:45:12is heart-wrenching. To coin a phrase,
0:45:12 > 0:45:16- gutted, that's the phrase I'd use, I really am disappointed.- Yeah.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20Disappointment for Harrogate with only a silver-gilt.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23So what's gone wrong for them this year?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26The champion of champions is about the very, very best,
0:45:26 > 0:45:30and when you're comparing the best with the best you actually nit pick,
0:45:30 > 0:45:34so it's a really, really tough campaign, in that sense.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36And although the bedding was very colourful,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38there was blandness about it.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40So it would seem that Harrogate's traditional bedding
0:45:41 > 0:45:44just isn't enough to achieve gold anymore,
0:45:44 > 0:45:49but did the pollinator-friendly flower beds have any impact on the judges?
0:45:49 > 0:45:52There was no doubt about it, when you filmed us
0:45:52 > 0:45:55and we stood there by all these hoverflies and bees,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57it was very, very impressive,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00and I think that that'll be a great message to a lot of people -
0:46:00 > 0:46:04I think they need to be a little bit more adventurous in what they do,
0:46:04 > 0:46:08and they don't want to keep putting the same thing in the beds all the way around.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13'So the judges' comments suggest that what's needed in Harrogate
0:46:13 > 0:46:18'is some innovation, and actually, my insect-friendly flower beds seem to have gone down well.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21'I just hope that the loss of their gold medal status
0:46:21 > 0:46:26'doesn't mean that Harrogate lose heart, and that they have the courage to change
0:46:26 > 0:46:29'and plant more nectar and pollen rich flower displays next year.'
0:46:38 > 0:46:41It's May, and year two of my campaign,
0:46:41 > 0:46:46and at home, I'm turning my most sheltered, south-facing garden at Perch Hill
0:46:46 > 0:46:49into a nectar rich oasis devoted to insect pollinators.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54There's already a gread backbone of plants in the garden,
0:46:54 > 0:47:01but I want to enhance it by adding flowers that bees and butterflies go crazy for.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04So today I'm planting Cirsium thistles, Echinaceas,
0:47:04 > 0:47:06single Dahlias, and blue Scabious,
0:47:06 > 0:47:11and throughout the year, I'll be putting in even more to ensure a rich and varied
0:47:11 > 0:47:14flow of pollen and nectar right into late autumn.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17I've been in discussion with the Royal Horticultural Society
0:47:17 > 0:47:19over the last year, and tried to persuade them to really look at
0:47:20 > 0:47:24pollinator-friendly plants and label them,
0:47:24 > 0:47:26and I've just heard that they are going to do it
0:47:26 > 0:47:30and they're going to launch it at the Chelsea Flower Show,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33and I'm going to go and help them launch it.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34So it is absolutely brilliant,
0:47:34 > 0:47:40you couldn't have a better place to get everybody - the press, the public - really interested.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43It's a very, very exciting result.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52A few weeks later, I'm at the Chelsea Flower Show,
0:47:52 > 0:47:57and it's the launch of our brand-new Perfect For Pollinators logo and label -
0:47:57 > 0:48:00a joint initiative supported
0:48:00 > 0:48:03by both the Horticultural Trades Association and the RHS.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Good morning, everybody. I'm Roger Williams,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11head of science at the RHS.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12Thanks for turning up
0:48:12 > 0:48:16for this launch of the RHS Perfect For Pollinators logo.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22The new logo will be used in nurseries and garden centres throughout the UK to draw
0:48:22 > 0:48:25attention to the best plants for pollinating insects,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29and if you scan the specially developed labels with a smart phone,
0:48:29 > 0:48:35you're linked, via the internet, to a season-by-season list of insect-friendly plants.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39If we could, in every single garden centre throughout the country,
0:48:39 > 0:48:45have plants labelled really clearly as to which are useful for insects,
0:48:45 > 0:48:49it could really help our insect populations, particularly the pollinator insects.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Getting the RHS involved
0:48:56 > 0:49:00was something I really wanted from the start.
0:49:00 > 0:49:05They have backed it in such a definite way, and the Horticultural Trade Association,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07and I feel really proud.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11It is really nice...releasing these butterflies at Chelsea.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17I've also been invited with Helen Bostock from the RHS
0:49:17 > 0:49:22to chat to Alan Titchmarsh about the label and logo on the TV coverage of Chelsea.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26If we look for this label - I shall wear it now -
0:49:26 > 0:49:29and go around my garden centre looking for things with this on,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32just to remember that there's something there,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34not only to feed ourselves and our eyes,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37but to feed the insects. You're confident we can make a difference?
0:49:37 > 0:49:41We really, as gardeners, can make a massive difference.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42We can get Britain buzzing again.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52That was a really important moment.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55If I'm trying to get the message out to lots of people,
0:49:55 > 0:49:59there's no better place to do it than at Chelsea with Alan Titchmarsh,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02who is broadcasting to maybe four million gardeners.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07The combination of that and launching the label this morning - fantastic.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20A few months after the excitement of Chelsea, I'm back in Harrogate.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25The disappointment of last year's medal result could have meant the end to my campaign.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27But it's immediately clear
0:50:27 > 0:50:30that they've not allowed judges' comments to dampen their spirit.
0:50:30 > 0:50:37We have embraced, if you like, the philosophy of what you have been trying to work with us on,
0:50:37 > 0:50:42trying to provide a more diverse environment within that town centre.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46That's what we've done, we've taken it forward from there.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I'm not bothered if the RHS or the judges like what we're doing,
0:50:49 > 0:50:52I'm more bothered whether the community like it
0:50:52 > 0:50:55and whether we will make that difference.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59It's the residents, it's the visitors, it's Harrogate that we are pleasing.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I was a bit sceptical when we started.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04I put my hand up to that, but we gave it a shot.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09The proof is in the pudding, if you like.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12We've shown that we can do good bedding displays,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16introduce a biodiverse area without losing the quality and the colour.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19I'd invite any local authorities to come along
0:51:19 > 0:51:22and see what we're doing, come and talk to us.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- We are going to carry on, no two ways about it. - That is so great.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29'Patrick's new approach is to blend nectar-rich plants
0:51:29 > 0:51:34'through the bedding displays on roundabouts and prominent areas throughout the town.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38'Around 30% of the beds feature nectar and pollen-rich plants
0:51:38 > 0:51:42'and clearly the change is being appreciated
0:51:42 > 0:51:45by all sorts of pollinating insects.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47'But even bigger changes
0:51:47 > 0:51:50'to Harrogate's traditional planting schemes
0:51:50 > 0:51:54'are being introduced in the famous Valley Gardens, starting with a project Mary has set up,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58'to get more nectar-rich flowers in gardens across the town.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:04This was a little project that I dreamt up over the winter.
0:52:04 > 0:52:10It was just to encourage people in Harrogate to put nectar-rich plants in their own back garden.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14I sent away for a kilogram of this meadow mix seed and decanted it all
0:52:14 > 0:52:17into these individual bags, nearly 2,000 of them...
0:52:17 > 0:52:23Packaged them all up and then we gave them out to local gardeners who gave them to their friends,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27and Patrick had agreed to put a sample of them here in the gardens.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31I thought it'd be quite nice to do a demonstration so people coming through
0:52:31 > 0:52:33could see it, and then it could continue in future years,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35people going, "We want some of that".
0:52:35 > 0:52:41So the equivalent of this is in loads and loads of back gardens throughout the town?
0:52:41 > 0:52:43That's right.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46'I'm really bowled over by the sheer amount of nectar
0:52:46 > 0:52:48and pollen-rich planting.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52'Many areas now feature displays of pollinator-friendly herbaceous perennials,
0:52:52 > 0:52:56'a clear change to what's gone before.
0:52:56 > 0:53:02'Even the ultra-traditional Dahlia border is proudly supporting my campaign
0:53:02 > 0:53:07'with the introduction of some single, nectar rich varieties.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10'And if Caroline Bayliss has her way,
0:53:10 > 0:53:15'it could mean a pollinator friendly future for all of Harrogate's planting schemes.'
0:53:15 > 0:53:1818 months isn't very long to change
0:53:18 > 0:53:22what has probably been going on here for the last 15 years.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24I think what we're doing is really exciting.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28Very lucky, because I happen to have become the Cabinet member for parks.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30That is just so brilliant.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35It's like we have got somebody in the campaign right on the centre.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37I'd like to think, yes.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39'This is an incredible result,
0:53:39 > 0:53:43'as Caroline's new role as cabinet member for parks on the town council
0:53:43 > 0:53:47'means that she can really influence the planting across the town.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52'But the flower bed that could become a template for the future
0:53:52 > 0:53:54'is one that Chelsea Flower Show designer
0:53:54 > 0:53:56'Paul Hervey-Brookes has designed for Harrogate.'
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Beautiful as the bedding here might be, it's not doing a lot for wildlife.
0:54:02 > 0:54:08Whereas, our new beds, helped by my Chelsea designer, are alive,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11as you can see, and I think, far more beautiful.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14It could be something to do with the colours.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18- Yes, softer colours.- Much softer.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20But there's no arguing that there's
0:54:20 > 0:54:22very little insect activity on that,
0:54:22 > 0:54:27whereas even from here, I can see butterflies and bees absolutely teeming.
0:54:27 > 0:54:32And there is an interpretation board which will explain to the public
0:54:32 > 0:54:35why we're doing this, so hopefully they will take those ideas home
0:54:35 > 0:54:38and put them in their own gardens.
0:54:43 > 0:54:48Harrogate's new planting really deserves a pollinator-friendly gold medal,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52but for my campaign to be truly effective I need Bloom groups
0:54:52 > 0:54:55across the country to take on board the same changes
0:54:55 > 0:54:57to their bedding schemes, and the RHS
0:54:57 > 0:55:01to really push the pollinator friendly planting agenda
0:55:01 > 0:55:03right to the fore of the competition.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08So I've invited Sue Biggs the Director General of the RHS,
0:55:08 > 0:55:11to Perch Hill to ask for her support.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Do you think there is a chance that pollinated plants might be
0:55:14 > 0:55:16higher up the RHS agenda,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18the Britain In Bloom agenda, really, next year?
0:55:18 > 0:55:23We're completely behind everything you're doing. It is really fantastic.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26As far as the judging next year is concerned,
0:55:26 > 0:55:31that's under review. This year's competition hasn't finished yet, but it's already under review,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33and absolutely, now, we have got this logo,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37we are pursuing this out, not only through the plant centres across the country,
0:55:37 > 0:55:39but also on our website.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Everybody can have a look at all the pollinator-friendly plants,
0:55:42 > 0:55:44and we would ask, as you would ask,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47that not only does everyone in the country plant more of these,
0:55:47 > 0:55:52but yes, we will be looking at the judging criteria next year for Britain In Bloom.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I feel that you could be doing even more in that department
0:55:55 > 0:55:58at getting that message out.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Yes, and we would love to invite you to come to National Gardening Week next year,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06because the we will be announcing lots of exciting changes
0:56:06 > 0:56:11that really will make sure that everybody throughout the country really does do more.
0:56:11 > 0:56:16Oh, really? So there's something you've got up your sleeve?
0:56:16 > 0:56:21Yes, but I can't tell you until next April when it's National Gardening Week. I will tell you then.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25It's exciting talk from the RHS director general,
0:56:25 > 0:56:26and with Sue's support,
0:56:26 > 0:56:31I'm confident that next year Britain In Bloom will be putting the needs of our pollinating insects
0:56:31 > 0:56:33right at the top of their agenda.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38The lessons I've learnt from experts along the way
0:56:38 > 0:56:43have also become a top priority in my own pollinator oasis.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46The nectar garden has been such a great addition to Perch Hill,
0:56:46 > 0:56:50it's become a haven for us but also a haven for the pollinators.
0:56:50 > 0:56:56As I'm sitting here, there's just incredible, lovely, buzzing tones.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Wherever you look around, every flower seems to be full with
0:56:59 > 0:57:02a honey bee or I hover fly or a bumble bee.
0:57:02 > 0:57:07It's coming to a real crescendo now with July and August in mind.
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Sitting amongst all these pollinating insects,
0:57:10 > 0:57:14it would be easy to assume that there isn't a problem,
0:57:14 > 0:57:18but both nationally and globally, as their natural habitats decrease,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21every garden and flower bed really counts.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26I feel so incredibly encouraged and proud at what Harrogate have done.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30It was just wonderful to see that a third of their bedding schemes
0:57:30 > 0:57:34now have nectar and pollen-rich plants within them.
0:57:37 > 0:57:41What I'm very excited by is that the RHS just have absolutely
0:57:41 > 0:57:47got behind the idea of trying to get the word out through horticultural trade
0:57:47 > 0:57:49to gardeners who are going to garden centres as to
0:57:49 > 0:57:54what to buy that is good for nectar and pollen, and what is not so good.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56I also feel really encouraged by meeting
0:57:56 > 0:57:58the director-general of the RHS.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02The Britain In Bloom marking scheme needs to be looked at.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04It is good already, it is green already,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07but it could have even better benefits for pollinators.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10I feel she has really got it.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13That is an absolute triumph.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16Next week, in the final programme of this series,
0:58:16 > 0:58:18I take my campaign into cities,
0:58:18 > 0:58:22to prove that nectar-rich planting is good for pollinators and people alike,
0:58:22 > 0:58:27and convincing those in charge of cities to play their part, too.
0:58:41 > 0:58:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd