0:00:06 > 0:00:08The garden definitely enters a new season in July
0:00:08 > 0:00:13and it's conventional wisdom that late July and August
0:00:13 > 0:00:18can be quite tricky, but that's not true here at Longmeadow at all.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23It's the summer holidays and you get this flush of wonderful, rich colour.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26The tawny shades, oranges, browns and deep purples
0:00:26 > 0:00:30and plum colours, which can last right into autumn.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33They say August is a tricky time - well, here it isn't.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37In tonight's programme, I'll be showing you
0:00:37 > 0:00:43how to extend the colour of sweet peas for as long as possible
0:00:43 > 0:00:46into late summer.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It's also time to summer-prune apples and pears,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52so I'll be sharing my tips on how to do that.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Plus, if you've got primulas, now is the perfect time to propagate them.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Gardening on a steep slope can be tricky,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04but Carol meets a man who relishes the challenge of a hillside.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08You turn round and say, "No, how can that possibly garden?"
0:01:08 > 0:01:13And slugs may devour your hostas, but you can do something about it,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17as Rachel finds out when she drops in on a couple of "hostaholics".
0:01:17 > 0:01:20There's more here!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24I do feel like I've stepped into another world.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34I sowed our sweet peas in March and planted them out in May.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38They were a bit slow to start because we had a dry, early spring
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and a cold, middle and late spring, but they've done well.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46I want them to go on doing well for as long as possible.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49The way to do that is to keep picking them,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52because sweet peas, once the weather gets warmer
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and the days get shorter, want to start producing seed.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59There's an urgent need to get seed before next year
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and we want to delay that process.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04What we found through trial and error is,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07if you pick the whole lot every ten days,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12that maximises the flowers and minimises the seeds.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15When you're cutting back,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19make sure that you go right back for as long a stem as possible.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Don't leave any stubs.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26But I will leave these buds here and here
0:02:26 > 0:02:30and they will flower on into the border for continuity.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34It's not as though you just get a shock of flowers every ten days.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Now, I know that it might seem a bit unlikely,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42but one of my own real personal pleasures of gardening
0:02:42 > 0:02:44is picking flowers.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47I really like cutting flowers for the house.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53I can't stress too much how, if it's hot and dry and you don't pick them,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55how quickly they'll set seed.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59You need to keep on top of a picking regime every nine or ten days
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and also give them a good soak.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Every time you pick them, give them a bucket of water
0:03:04 > 0:03:08and with any luck, they should go on giving you lovely flowers
0:03:08 > 0:03:12right into September, as well as lots of cut flowers for the house.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26This part of the damp garden has no visible flowers at the moment.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27But there are a couple of things
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I'm watching like a hawk and treasuring.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The first are these Meconopsis sheldonii.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I really want to make them work,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38because they've got the most amazing blue flower in spring.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I've tried in the past and failed.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The secret is to keep them damp all summer,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46not sopping, but don't let them dry out.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Luckily, we've had lots of rain in the last few months,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51but they need watering once a week
0:03:51 > 0:03:57with a shower and they're looking healthy and they should be good.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08This is Primula bulleyana
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and now is a perfect time to propagate it,
0:04:11 > 0:04:17both by seed from the green seed, and also by division, by splitting it.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Where the flowers have formed these tiers,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24wonderful, orange, intense flowers that last for ages,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28they've left groups of seed heads.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I'll just cut off those stems.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Those will go to the potting shed
0:04:37 > 0:04:42but before that, I'm going to divide the plant, dig the whole thing up.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It came out very easily.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49There we go.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51There we go.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54You can see that's divided through.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I could divide that again.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Pull that apart - there we are.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Two nice plants from that.
0:05:03 > 0:05:10They're all being cut off because they've done their job.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12That, we can replant. By taking leaves off,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14we're taking stress off the roots
0:05:14 > 0:05:18which have been traumatised, hacked about, dug up.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Put it in the ground, give it a really good soak and keep it moist.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25New leaf will grow and there'll be a new vigour to the plant
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and that will flower enthusiastically next spring.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32These go really well with hostas
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and share exactly the same growing conditions
0:05:35 > 0:05:38of damp soil, but taking sun or shade.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I've got lots of hostas here and would like to get more,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44but I'd never call myself a "hostaholic".
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Rachel has been to visit a couple in Hampshire
0:05:47 > 0:05:52to whom the word "hostaholic" really doesn't do sufficient justice.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Wow, this is unlike any garden I've ever been to before.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12It's so lush, there's so much foliage,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15hostas everywhere.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18It's absolutely extraordinary.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24There's only just room to walk through.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I do feel like I've stepped into another world.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34This incredible collection, christened "the hanging hostas of Hampshire",
0:06:34 > 0:06:41is the creation of June Colley and her partner John. When did you first get hooked on hostas?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I started growing hostas in 1995.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I was looking for a perennial for the shade.
0:06:48 > 0:06:55I saw this at a car-boot sale and it grew very well in my backyard.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Then I started to look for other hostas in the local nursery.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02So now I have about 1,300 varieties.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07They've gone up the walls of the house
0:07:07 > 0:07:12and vertically into the trees and made pagodas with the hostas.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's often said that hosta people are "hostaholics".
0:07:15 > 0:07:21We can always find ways to find room for a few more.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26The garden is divided into different spaces.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29There's an artificial
0:07:29 > 0:07:34but very convincing stream running through lush, naturalistic planting.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Contrasting with this is the cool formality of the Islamic garden.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49There are variegated hostas, blues, yellows and miniatures.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And all expertly arranged.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Do you both tend to agree about what goes where, how you arrange things?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03No, I'm the one who decides where they should go.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Quite right, there's got to be a boss in the garden.
0:08:05 > 0:08:12- That's certainly true.- I always look for the colours, the size and shape.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18June's very creative and she can set out the hostas and arrange them.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20That's why we have them in pots,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23because she can move them about for a pleasing display.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37It's amazing. Wherever you look there are hostas.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Just growing them up here in the pots on the wall, that's fantastic.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Well, it's a custom in the Tropics to hang plants
0:08:44 > 0:08:49and also, at this level, you can appreciate the foliage even more.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57So what would you describe as the ideal growing conditions for hostas?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- What do they really need to thrive? - Dappled shade.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03They like to have maybe four hours of sun.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07We use potting compost, humus.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12We use grit to give the roots the best chance of growing.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16And we feed the plant with slow-release fertiliser
0:09:16 > 0:09:20to give it a boost to grow roots in the autumn
0:09:20 > 0:09:24and produce their shoots for the next year.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28You can't sit here and not admire the fact that it's pristine.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The leaves are all beautiful, I can't see any holes,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34any damage anywhere.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36This is the million-dollar question.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38What do you do about slugs and snails?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The most important thing is garden cleanliness.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44In the autumn, we clear up all the debris
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and that gets rid of a lot of eggs
0:09:46 > 0:09:49which are likely to hatch in the spring.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51And then, usually around February time,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53we use the blue slug pellet
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and we distribute that like seeds around the garden
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and that kills off the first generation of slugs and snails
0:10:00 > 0:10:02that may be emerging.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04And then, when the leaves have emerged,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and the slugs and snails might be on the leaves,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08we use a garlic spray.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It irritates their nervous system
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and they go off into someone else's garden.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It doesn't kill them, but it does kill slug eggs in the soil.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20John's recipe for garlic spray is as follows.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Crush one bulb of garlic and add it to a litre of water.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Boil it for five minutes
0:10:28 > 0:10:33and, when it's cooled, sieve it, bottle it and put it in the fridge.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Then add one tablespoonful per litre of water and spray.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46This garden is very deceptive but in the best way.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49It's not a big garden, but it looks enormous.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54That's because they've divided up the space so you don't see everything immediately.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58You have to work your way through the paths and sometimes it's really quite narrow.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02And then each space has a very individual feel.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06It's beautiful. The best thing of all is, if this was the entirety of your garden,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10this small space here, just look how beautiful it can be.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I've been increasing my stock of candelabra primulas.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24I've lifted, divided and replanted a batch,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26but I'm also going to propagate more from green seed.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Right, just water in the last of these primula divisions.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36There we go. And now I'll go and sow the seed.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Whoops. Dropped my glasses. Always doing that.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49OK, these seeds, being green, will germinate much quicker
0:11:49 > 0:11:52than if they're left to dry.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55And it's a fairly straightforward process. Take a small container.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I actually have a home-made mix which I use.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Leaf mould, a little bit of garden compost, some vermiculite,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06but you can use any peat-free compost, but just thin it down.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10It doesn't need a lot of nutrition because these will be pricked out
0:12:10 > 0:12:13as soon as they're big enough to handle. Right. Here we go.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18Now, we're so used to thinking of seed as this dry thing
0:12:18 > 0:12:22that we harvest and we store and we dry out.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26It's quite novel to go for green seed. There we are.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Now, we take that out and it looks like a little green raspberry.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34And the paler parts, each one is a separate seed,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36so if I gently break that apart...
0:12:39 > 0:12:42..and just drop them on the surface of the compost,
0:12:42 > 0:12:43that's all I need to do.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51It is amazing to think that each one of these is going to make
0:12:51 > 0:12:54a new plant.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Now, don't cover it, because primula seeds
0:12:57 > 0:13:02are stimulated into germination by light.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05If you're going to put these somewhere where it's windy
0:13:05 > 0:13:07or you think it's going to be disturbed,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10you could put a thin cover on your vermiculite, but best not.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Best to just leave it open.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14And because the seeds are a bit sticky,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17they're not dry at all or light, like dried seeds,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19they should just stay put.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25The next step is just to sit that in some water so the soil can get moist
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and then put it somewhere where the air is moist.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30An easy way of doing that is to put a sheet of glass over it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33So water it, then put glass over the top.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Light can get in, but moisture can't evaporate out.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Or, I've got a mist propagator, that's perfect.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Put it under there and then the air is kept moist all the time.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Failing that, use a polythene bag. But it must be clear.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47You need light on those seeds.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51And they should germinate in three to four weeks
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and then we can prick 'em out.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Although the herbs are now in their heyday,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21it is worth thinking about next year already.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Because if we have a winter like the last couple,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26we're bound to lose herbs in the process,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30particularly the Mediterranean ones like rosemary and sage and lavender.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I've got some lavender here. This is Lavandula stoechas,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37which is really not very hardy at all. Although it's in pots
0:14:37 > 0:14:38and can be taken in,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42it's worth taking steps now to ensure I have plenty of back-up.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43The best way to do that is from cuttings.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48What I'm looking for are nice, straight, healthy stems
0:14:48 > 0:14:50without any flower buds.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Now, if I took just the soft ends,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58that would root very readily, but it would also die very fast.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02However, if I take some older growth, wood that's grown this year
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but has had a few months to harden off,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07it'll die off much slower
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and therefore have more time to produce roots,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14so that's what I'm looking for. So, I'm going to cut back to there
0:15:14 > 0:15:18and then I'll take another couple from this plant.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25Right, now, the crucial thing if you're taking any cutting at all
0:15:25 > 0:15:29is have a polythene bag in your pocket and put them straight in.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Because essentially those are dying
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and by sealing them in a polythene bag, we're delaying their death,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40which buys us time to prepare them so they can make roots.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42As it is, I'm going to do that right now.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49Right, this is just normal potting compost
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and I've got some extra grit which I'm going to add into it.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57You could take the cutting in pure grit if you had to,
0:15:57 > 0:15:58so don't stint on it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Wherever you have a heel,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08which is a slither that attaches to another stem,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10you tend to get much better rooting.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So it's a good idea to keep that.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Now, when we have a long cutting like this without a heel,
0:16:20 > 0:16:21I'm going to cut that back.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Do you see here that there are leaves coming from there and there?
0:16:26 > 0:16:30So if I just cut across there,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34sharp knife, and then take a few more leaves out...
0:16:34 > 0:16:40I always used to make my cuttings by just sticking them into the compost.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42But actually, recently, I've been putting them
0:16:42 > 0:16:45between the pot and the compost, and they take much better.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48You just slide it down nearer to the pot like that.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And the reason for that is because they're kept a bit warmer
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and the drainage is a bit sharper.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Now, Mediterranean shrubs don't want to be too wet.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Unlike some cuttings which need to be kept permanently wet,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07these are fine if you put them in a bright,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09but not glaringly bright, place.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13A sort of shade for half the day is fine. And mist them.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Once, twice, three times a day if you remember.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20But if they turn brown at the tips, that means they are too wet,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24so dry them off a bit. And then when you see fresh, new growth,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26you'll know they've got a root system
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and you can pot them up individually and keep them over winter.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32They won't grow a lot between now and next spring,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but once next spring comes, they'll grow away strongly
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and you'll have half a dozen healthy, new plants.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57Now, we've had quite a few e-mails, letters and pictures
0:17:57 > 0:17:59about the problems of gardening on a slope.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02This one's from Carmen Odell who says,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04"I've got a very steeply-sloping garden
0:18:04 > 0:18:07"and I've recently removed a tree." She sent pictures of this.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09"I'm a single mum.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12"I've got lots of enthusiasm, but not much time and money.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15"I'd like to grow some veg, but not only have I got a sloping shape
0:18:15 > 0:18:18"but awful soil and I greatly welcome some advice."
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Another one, "Our garden has
0:18:21 > 0:18:24"a north-sloping, exposed windy site with clay soil."
0:18:24 > 0:18:29This can all be a bit daunting. I do know that.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33But Carol has been to visit a very steep garden
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that is just packed full of ideas and inspiration.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42This is the pretty Welsh village of Drefelin,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46nestled deep in a landscape more suited to four legs than two.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But, for some people, their desire to garden knows no bounds.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Steve Harwood lives here with his young family,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57and over the last seven years,
0:18:57 > 0:19:02he's transformed an almost vertical slice of Welsh hillside
0:19:02 > 0:19:05into a plant-rich and family-friendly garden.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Most people would just take one look at this
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and head in the opposite direction.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20You'd turn round and you'd say, "No! How can that possibly garden?"
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- What did you think when you got here?- We scrambled up to the garden.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Right. Right up to the top? - Yeah. We saw the vista,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29just so excited and we started bouncing up and down on the spot.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31SHE LAUGHS
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I just fell in love with the whole atmosphere of the place.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41The views, the river at the bottom of the hill...
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It's just such a peaceful place
0:19:43 > 0:19:48and I didn't consider really the issues of a hill garden.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53It looks wonderful, though. It looks so inviting, you know?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I just want to climb up in there.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- Can we have a look? - Yeah, of course we can.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14The actual landscaping must have been pretty hard work, wasn't it?
0:20:14 > 0:20:18The hard landscaping was just real hard slog for the first three years.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It takes you time to get access,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24so as you are working your way up the garden,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28you form ideas in your head about what you're going to do
0:20:28 > 0:20:30in that area once you've got to it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33If you try to take on a hill garden and think,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36"I'm going to try and do it all at once,"
0:20:36 > 0:20:38it would just be so overwhelming.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40If you tackle it in small projects at a time,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42it just becomes so much easier.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Yeah. Well, you're certainly succeeding, aren't you?
0:20:44 > 0:20:49And everywhere you walk, you've got these new vistas, these little ways through.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53And it leads you on, doesn't it, right up the slope.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Up we come.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Once you'd got access and made your steps,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02you started to create these terraces.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04So how did you do it? Pickaxe, yeah?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Pickaxe and shovel. I dug all the soil on this side,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10moved it across to this side to level it.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So that triangle there went over to the other side.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17You've created a level and got rid of all the soil at the same time.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21You don't have to carry it down the slope or up it or anything, it's just to the other side.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26Obviously, all the stone I dig out goes into walls and rockeries.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28You've got to reuse and recycle these days.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32That's what you call local materials, isn't it?
0:21:35 > 0:21:39There are seven terraces in all. No mean feat.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And the clever thing about them is the way they've been planted.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Each one has its own character.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Even though this is a south-facing slope,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55by adding shrubs and smaller trees and vertical structures,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Steve's created a range of growing conditions.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05From hot, sunny spots, perfect for growing vegetables,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10to both damp and even dry shade.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Everywhere you look there are these secret little places, aren't there?
0:22:16 > 0:22:21- This is so pretty. - Yeah, this is my rose walk.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Not many people would have it on the level with the roof.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- What came first, the veranda? - Yeah, the veranda came first.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31And I bet you can smell these roses from the veranda.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34The scent of some of these roses is just amazing.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40A really brilliant use of a bit of difficult space. Well done.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Plenty of ideas, eh?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49At every stage, you've got a different view.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- You'd never get that in a flat garden.- That's right.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58And on each area of the garden, I've put seats so you can actually enjoy that view.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I'm trying to encourage this area to be a glade
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and plant lots of nectar-loving plants in this particular area
0:23:05 > 0:23:08to get the butterflies in and the bees.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11And you're succeeding, too.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Right at the top of the garden,
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Steve has made use of existing trees to create a shady woodland.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I've planted a couple of trees at the front edge to enclose it a bit more.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31It is more protected now for the Acers, which don't like to be in the strong winds.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Having a young family means this garden isn't just about plants.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42I'll tell you what though, they're not going to be able to play football up here, are they?!
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It's not a garden for football, it's not a garden for cricket.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49It's a garden for using your imagination
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and making up games and hiding.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57The way Steve's risen to the challenge is truly inspiring.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I've put the tree-house in.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05The kids, as they get older, they can go up there with their friends and have sleepovers.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10I've got a few more ideas that I want to do up there.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I'm summer-pruning these pears. It's a job that I do every year,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35any time from midsummer to the middle of August.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36And it's very simple.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39But I know that some people feel very anxious about pruning.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42It comes with all kinds of problems
0:24:42 > 0:24:45of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48In fact, we've had a couple of e-mails, which I've got here,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50on exactly that subject.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55One is from Doreen Hamilton. And another from Beryl Woolesden.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58You've got a gift of two pear trees, four apple trees and a plum tree.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02"My dilemma is, they're coming up to their first summer pruning
0:25:02 > 0:25:06"and I'm very unsure what to do, as I don't wish to damage the trees."
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And it's a refrain I often hear.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12"I don't want to harm trees that are growing perfectly well,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14"yet I do want to prune them."
0:25:14 > 0:25:17So the first thing to sort out is that apples and pears
0:25:17 > 0:25:21have a very different regime from plums and gages.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The basic rule of plums and gages is, don't prune unless you have to.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28However, for apples and pears,
0:25:28 > 0:25:34what we tend to do is prune in summer for training and restricting.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50I've done this dozens of times, so I'm doing it with complete confidence.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I know what I'm doing and I know that it's very easy.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57But if it's your first time and you're feeling a bit daunted,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59just take it steady. Go slowly.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Take a piece of new growth like that and you can see it's new
0:26:02 > 0:26:04cos you can bend it around.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Follow it back down to old growth, and the old growth,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12that's two years old and that's one year old and that's this year.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Then come back up the new growth and leave two, three,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17even four leaves.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Now, obviously the anxiety is cutting off a fruiting spur,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24especially if you're not quite sure what it should look like.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28We've got some examples here. You can see there's one,
0:26:28 > 0:26:29the fruit coming off.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35If you follow this branch along, it's encrusted with lichen.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Good and old and probably riddled with canker.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40You've got a spur coming off it.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45That wood there is two or three years old. That's probably three, that's two.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And there's fruit on the end it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50This, that I've pruned back, is this year's.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51And if I leave it,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54that may well develop fruit next year or the year after.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Now, I'm going to pootle along and do this nice and slowly.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01But even if you don't have fruit trees at home,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05here are some jobs that you can get on with this weekend.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09If you have a variegated tree or shrub, like this holly,
0:27:09 > 0:27:14it's not at all uncommon to see strong, all-green shoots
0:27:14 > 0:27:16at this time of year.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21This is because they're reverting to the basic green that the plant has been bred from.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24You should cut these off as soon as you see them
0:27:24 > 0:27:27because they grow much stronger than the rest of the plant,
0:27:27 > 0:27:33and if you're not careful, you can lose your variegation altogether.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40It's time now to clear the first crop of beans and peas
0:27:40 > 0:27:42to make room for future plants.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Lift them all, picking any pods you want to use for cooking,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and take the haulms to the compost heap.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08These espaliers are all riddled with canker, and that's not good.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11But it's never got desperate and I think one of the reasons is
0:28:11 > 0:28:15that I prune them really hard every summer,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18so they're constantly exposed to light and air
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and the fungus never gets a chance to develop.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Anyway, I shan't take them out. They'll see me out.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27And it's the end of tonight's programme,
0:28:27 > 0:28:28but we'll be back next week
0:28:28 > 0:28:31for a 60-minute programme starting at 8pm.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34so join me at Longmeadow then. Bye-bye.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:43 > 0:28:46E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk