0:00:02 > 0:00:04Come on! Don't chase the chickens.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Come on.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Come on!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Come on.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Don't worry.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16This is not a programme about keeping pigs.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It IS Gardeners' World.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20You're at the right place and the right time.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23These were given to me by my son for a birthday present a month ago.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27The idea being they would eat the windfalls in the orchard.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31But, so far, they've just ripped the orchard to shreds.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But they've given us a lot of pleasure.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Now, I love the way that this time of year is just filled
0:00:42 > 0:00:44with rich and sumptuous colour. In tonight's programme,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I shall actually be trying to carry that forward baton on
0:00:47 > 0:00:52by planting bulbs for colour, both this autumn and next spring.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54Carol is out and about,
0:00:54 > 0:00:59in search of a garden which promises ideas for all-year-round interest.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Ooh! The tinkling of water and the singing of birds!
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Isn't it beautiful?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And Joe discovers a child-friendly garden
0:01:11 > 0:01:15that mixes traditional planting with innovative design.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The next room couldn't be more different.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It's about contrast, it's about texture,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23but, above all, it's about colour.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37BIRDS TWITTER
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Although I'm planning for keeping the colour going into autumn,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46you can't overlook the highlights
0:01:46 > 0:01:48of what's happening in the garden right now.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Colour is just bursting out in every area.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55But I like the unexpected colour here in the damp garden
0:01:55 > 0:01:59because it's such a lush place. It's dominated by green.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Even though it's been doing this for years and years now, I forget.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I forget every year how much colour there is in August.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08And it's coming from these heleniums.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12This is Helenium 'Kanaria' that I've put all over here.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14The lilies. The Lilium henryi.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Then the combination of the two colours is picked up
0:02:17 > 0:02:18in the Ligularia 'Desdemona'.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21They've got these wonderful purpley, big, fat leaves
0:02:21 > 0:02:26with these egg-yolk yellow daisies just bursting out from them.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31And it is important just every day, as the year is only edging away,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34just to relish everything it has to offer.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Now, the bulb-planting season is almost on us.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Although, to be truthful, I tend not to plant spring bulbs till September
0:02:50 > 0:02:54because somehow it feels like it's encroaching into summer too much.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57However, autumn-flowering bulbs should be got in the ground
0:02:57 > 0:02:59as soon as possible.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01And to have bulbs that look spring-like
0:03:01 > 0:03:06flowering in September and October adds a real seasonal touch.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10And autumn-flowering crocus and colchicums are the two best-known.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I've got colchicums here. Two types.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I've got Colchicum autumnale,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19which is a corm, and grows really well in grass.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Put it in the ground now,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25and that will produce flowers in about September or October.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And I've also got Colchicum speciosum 'Album'.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Both of them white, both of them really good flowers.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38And the cycle is that you plant now, in August.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42They will produce flowers, September or October, but no leaves.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46The flowers will then die back and the leaves will appear in spring.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49They'll appear, they'll grow large, feed the corm
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and then totally vanish by midsummer.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55And then the flowers will come through in autumn,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and so the cycle goes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00The flowers last for about two or three weeks if the weather is good,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and the plant will last for years and years.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So what I put in now is an investment.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Now, this is a little bit of an experiment, but I'm going to plant
0:04:10 > 0:04:15a row of speciosum along here, just under the lee of the hedge.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Because so often with a hedge, you have a very dry area
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and I think the colchicums flowering under here will look great -
0:04:22 > 0:04:27the white flowers against the rich green of the yew.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Now, what they like is really good drainage.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31So I've got some leaf mould -
0:04:31 > 0:04:35this is not compost, this is just simply leaves collected up last year
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and rotted down, and I'm going to add that to the soil
0:04:37 > 0:04:39and then just fork it lightly in.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And leaf mould is better than compost
0:04:42 > 0:04:46because it provides a lighter soil.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50It tends to be very good for spring-flowering plants
0:04:50 > 0:04:52or bulbs in general.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53There we go.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Well, you can hear that that's very stony,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and obviously, the roots of the yew are in there,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08which, for most plants, would be bad news,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13but actually, in this wet garden, I think is a good thing
0:05:13 > 0:05:17because it means that the corms will be nice and dry
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and that IS important.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22They do not like sitting in damp, wet soil.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26OK, let's get them in the ground.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28As far as spacing, the leaves grow quite big,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31so they want to be at least six inches apart.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Now, I'm trying to plant these as close to the edge as possible,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38partly so they're away from the hedge and also
0:05:38 > 0:05:40so that they'll get reflected heat from the stone
0:05:40 > 0:05:45and they can just spill over if they fall, and that should look nice, I think.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Get that down in there.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51All I have to do is just cover those over.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53As I say, I am going to bank that up.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I'm going to build up the soil with leaf mould. And then that's it.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Nothing more to do at all,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02except for wait for them to flower and admire them when they do.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I've decided to put these Colchicums,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Colchicum autumnale, "Album",
0:06:37 > 0:06:41in an informal group in this part of the copse.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's very shaded at the moment and very dry,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46but in spring, there's lots of light in here.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49In fact, it's covered with crocuses in March.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51And that's the important thing,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55because the leaves will get light in spring when they need it
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and then in high summer, when it's fully shaded, they die back anyway.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02The flowers will come through in the shade and they won't mind it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03It's dry, it's well drained.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The only problem is the ground is like rock.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09There we go.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15And then you just pop them in the hole like that.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Carol has been to visit a garden in Staffordshire,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and it's called the Secret Garden.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The only problem is, it's so secret,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27she had some trouble finding her way in.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It's a very well kept secret!
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I seem to have been walking for ages and ages.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Still no sign of the garden.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44These must be the privies.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Oh!
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Oh!
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The tinkling of water, and the singing of birds!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Isn't it beautiful?!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Ah! There's another little garden over here!
0:08:05 > 0:08:08There's so many different ways to go.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09Which one shall I choose?
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Over 30 years, Derek Higgott has created a garden
0:08:17 > 0:08:19that's full of all sorts!
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It's not just a surprise when you eventually find it,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29but the element of surprise continues as you journey round.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Immaculate grass paths surround island beds.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38And here and there, ornate roofs of summer houses appear
0:08:38 > 0:08:40through mature conifers.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The whole garden's full of structures, statues
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and above all, plants.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52When Derek started the garden here,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55it coincided with a height of popularity.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The whole concept of island beds.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01He took that idea on board,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05but he individualised it - he made it his own.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Lots of gardeners pay lip service
0:09:07 > 0:09:11to having a garden that's good all the year round,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14but Derek actually does it.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16What's your soil like? Is it heavy?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18It's very good loam.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20There used to be a pig farm at one time here,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22so it's about this deep heavy loam
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and it's sandstone in places, and gravel in other places.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26- Heavy loam?- Yeah.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Heavy muck! - Really good stuff!
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I keep adding to it as well!
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I love the way round each corner there's a completely different view.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37And not just one view!
0:09:37 > 0:09:40You can go up, you can go down here.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Oh, look. I love this!
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I love the way you use these plants that just ramble everywhere
0:09:48 > 0:09:53- and let them get on with it. - But it's a good doer.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55And your gorgeous golden hop.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I wouldn't be without that. A really good doer as well.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05This garden looks so good, it's no surprise to learn Derek is a professional gardener,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08working at nearby Shugborough Hall.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12But he's not elitist in any way when it comes down to plants.
0:10:13 > 0:10:20I adore the way that nasturtium just wanders right in through this cornus!
0:10:20 > 0:10:25A really posh plant and quite a common, ordinary, you know...
0:10:25 > 0:10:29But it's lovely, the way they mingle! It really is.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35Tucked away in a corner is another extraordinary structure.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38It's Derek's completely esoteric bothy.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41So this garden can be enjoyed
0:10:41 > 0:10:45come rain, or shine, or even snow.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49This is a proper tree house!
0:10:49 > 0:10:53It is. It's got trees even growing through it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55That's a Siberian spruce there.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Over here I've got a twin trunked silver birch.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Look at that. And one going through as well!
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Did you just see the trees and think, "I've got to build a building round them?"
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Yeah, cos they can't grow much here.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13But it's lovely in the winter, cos next door I've got a wood burner as well.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's a lovely place to sit and share it with your friends.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Well, it's all so original too. It's so you, isn't it?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It is, yeah. Recyclable.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24But the whole place.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26A place to put me lanterns as well.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28It's lovely. It really is.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35The planting means that there's plenty to enjoy,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38even in the depths of winter.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Conifers are a vital element.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Derek has dozens of them, many combined with climbers
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and they provide colour, structure and interest all year round.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The colours and forms and textures of them are so different.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58I like this, though. It's got this nice lumpy quality to it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It was getting too lumpy and after seeing you on television,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04to prune your box, I come out with the torch
0:12:04 > 0:12:08and I looked at it and thought, "Shall I get out the candles and do it now?"
0:12:08 > 0:12:10but I waited until daylight!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Conifers really come into their own during the winter.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Oh, they do.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18They've got such structure and they're all so different too.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Oh yeah. Different shapes, sizes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23You've got the horizontal and then that vertical.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- Look at that. Reaching for the sky. - It's beautiful!
0:12:27 > 0:12:31But they're not very fashionable and yet you seem to be able to use them,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and that whole idea of island beds,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37in a completely different, novel sort of way.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Everything comes back in fashion, doesn't it, some time or t'other,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42so don't throw them boots away!
0:12:42 > 0:12:44LAUGHTER
0:13:00 > 0:13:04That style of gardening, of course, was exactly what I grew up with.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07My parents had a garden very similar to that.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It does seem to me terribly old-fashioned, but he's right -
0:13:10 > 0:13:14if you wait long enough, everything comes back into fashion sooner or later.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16If you want to go and see it, you can,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but you need to do so by appointment, so contact him,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21before the end of this month,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and you can get all the details from our website.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I felt it start to rain, and I thought it would pass,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29but actually it's kicking in,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32so I'm going to quickly get these Cyclamen into the spring garden.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37Cyclamen hederifolium is one of those plants
0:13:37 > 0:13:41that seems completely out of place but in the best possible way
0:13:41 > 0:13:44because it's a very delicate affair.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48You can see this is a pink Cyclamen hederifolium,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51which just rises up from the foliage
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and rather modestly bows down.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I've got a few white ones here in the ground.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59I've got a couple, so I'll add some pink and some white to it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01They're very easy to plant
0:14:01 > 0:14:03because although they are a tuber,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05you don't have to plant them very deep,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07just fork over.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Even though it's pouring with rain, the ground is like dust.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16One of the great things about Cyclamen
0:14:16 > 0:14:19is that they're quite happy in dry shade.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's very hard to find enough plants to fill that.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So they're doing a useful job
0:14:24 > 0:14:29as well as exactly what I want in this garden at this time of year.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32When you buy them, they can seem very minimal indeed.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38That is not a lot to account for itself - but they will spread
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and the tubers spread out and they'll spread by seed.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43And just pop that in the ground.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45And don't plant it too deep...
0:14:47 > 0:14:50..but plant it the same depth that it is in the pot.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And as they grow, the tubers will rise up a bit
0:14:54 > 0:14:56so they need a regular mulch.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00And that will cover them up and that will spread out into a clump
0:15:00 > 0:15:04so if I put another one about six inches apart from it...
0:15:05 > 0:15:08This is Cyclamen hederifolium Alba.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13Pop that in.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Just keep the labels so I know it's there.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19I've got some mulch.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I'll add a little bit of leaf mould to that.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23There we go.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27I've got more to do and I want to spread them round
0:15:27 > 0:15:29but I'll pick away at that over the next few days.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32But I also, while I'm here, want to plant for next spring.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36So these will flower August through into September
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and keep going for about three or four weeks.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43But I want to put in a bulb that won't start flowering
0:15:43 > 0:15:47until next April but when it does, it's a good'un.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Now, these are bulbs which will really dominate the spring garden
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and I know that because we've already got them.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01These are Crown Imperial fritillaries.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03We have a stand just in there
0:16:03 > 0:16:09and they are Fritillaria imperialis Rubra.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11They're orange and they're fabulous
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and what I've got here are Lutea Maxima
0:16:14 > 0:16:19and they're yellow and, of course, the yellow fits in with the whole spring theme.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21The great thing about fritillaries
0:16:21 > 0:16:25is that they need to be planted truly deep.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28One often pays lip service to deep planting with bulbs
0:16:28 > 0:16:30but these really do need to go down.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32They're whoppers.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Almost the size of a baking apple.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37And they've got a curious hole in them,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39which dictates how you plant them.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43It comes from Kashmir and likes really good drainage
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and is distinctly exotic.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It grows up with this great pineapple head
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and then the flowers droop down.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But getting it in the ground, this is classic summer gardening!
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Pouring with rain, getting a little bit chilly
0:16:59 > 0:17:02but the ground's so hard and dry I can't dig in to it!
0:17:05 > 0:17:09I want to get these down at least six inches
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and actually more like about eight.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15There we go.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20It's like a little post hole but that's right for this.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And then the key for planting these Crown Imperials
0:17:23 > 0:17:25is you plant them on their side.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Don't plonk them down because the moisture can get in
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and rot them in the hole.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34You just pop them in on edge.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37And the plant will come out and right itself.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41So roots coming out that side, the hole on that side.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Pop it in the ground.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46And that's it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48And then fill that back in.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I've got really wet and it might ease off
0:17:54 > 0:17:56but I might pop in and change I think.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That's one of the great beauties of working from home.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01You can just go in and out.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Occasionally you come across a garden that's not attached
0:18:04 > 0:18:06to any kind of building at all.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08That's the situation that Joe found himself in
0:18:08 > 0:18:12when he went to visit Marks Hall in Essex.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25This photo of Marks Hall was taken in 1898
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and the bridge is still there
0:18:28 > 0:18:30but the house up on the hill,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32well, that's gone.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37This place is called Marks Hall but there's no house here whatsoever.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38What's the history of this place?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There had been a house here for 1,000 years.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46In 1897 it was bought by a gentleman called Thomas Phillips Price
0:18:46 > 0:18:50and he wanted to leave it to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
0:18:50 > 0:18:54to preserve it all but after his death there was 60 years of neglect
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and it's only more recently that it's been resurrected
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and new life has been breathed into it so that his wishes come true.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04But there's no house.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06The house got demolished in 1951
0:19:06 > 0:19:09and things changed at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
0:19:09 > 0:19:14so they didn't take Marks Hall on so it's a private trust
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and we're working hard to create a new garden here.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Ten acres of the estate has been dedicated to plants on the southern hemisphere.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30We've got eucalyptus.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Five different varieties were planted en masse.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35There's over 200 trees in total.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And then these pampas grasses
0:19:37 > 0:19:42just shooting through this long, meadow-type grass.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I have to say, this whole place is really quite surreal.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47I can't believe I'm in Essex.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51One of the parts of the estate that had survived
0:19:51 > 0:19:53were the walls of this garden.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Now, the obvious choice would have been to recreate a kitchen garden,
0:19:57 > 0:19:58but instead the decision was taken
0:19:58 > 0:20:02to create something altogether different.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07In 2003, this garden, designed by Brita von Schoenaich,
0:20:07 > 0:20:08provided just that.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I've come in through the entrance there and I'm within the walled garden
0:20:17 > 0:20:19but I can't actually see what's going on because this hedge
0:20:19 > 0:20:23has been cleverly designed into the space so I have to keep walking past it,
0:20:23 > 0:20:29and the sense of expectation really rises until I get here,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and then I get that view
0:20:31 > 0:20:35of the whole garden, that long border all the way down.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36I get a real sense of scale.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41And then there's these divisions cutting across and it draws me in.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Alongside the long border is a series of five rooms
0:20:48 > 0:20:51that lead from one to the other and the first is not what you would expect.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54You'd expect to see something quite ornate and intricate
0:20:54 > 0:20:58but it's really playful - it's a nice, wide open space.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00And I love this piece of land art.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It's as if a giant boot's come in here, whacked into the ground
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and displaced this soil.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07And all it is is turf
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and then this simple path that leads you round to the next room,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15but the path sort of bleeds out into the lawn itself.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24The next room couldn't be more different.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It's about contrast, it's about texture,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29but above all, it's about colour.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36There are some really fab planting combinations,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39such as the red buds of the Origanum Herrenhausen
0:21:39 > 0:21:43against the silver foliage of the Anaphalis Summer Snow.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46And the blue Agapanthus at the back add height and create
0:21:46 > 0:21:49a beautiful backdrop to the trio.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The middle room's called The Linear Garden
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and it's much larger than the other spaces.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Everything's planted in straight lines and laid out on a grid here.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02It's got a very sort of European courtyard feel - plenty of space.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08The structure comes from the graphite box balls and the box cubes
0:22:08 > 0:22:12over there. It all comes together. I really like this space.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18This next one encapsulates part of the design that runs through
0:22:18 > 0:22:21the whole garden, really, because I've got a choice of ways to go.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I could go right down the middle and have planting on either side
0:22:24 > 0:22:27but just imagine for a minute you're a kid.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Well...
0:22:31 > 0:22:34There's another route through the garden, which is encouraging kids
0:22:34 > 0:22:37to walk through and get onto this wall, and the wall undulates
0:22:37 > 0:22:40up and down and moves around the garden
0:22:40 > 0:22:42in a completely different route.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47And what I like about it is it's encouraging kids to come and play and interact with this space.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Well, after all that excitement
0:22:53 > 0:22:58and all that colour, it's nice to enter another cool, calm green space,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01which echoes the first room in a way - the nice symmetry to it.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And this has got another landform - really simple shape,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and slate on edge in the middle. It works beautifully well.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12And just as you think you're coming to the end of the journey,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15there's one more surprise in store.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Marks Hall is open all year round
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and certainly when I'm next in Essex
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I'm going to try to have a look at something really interesting.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I don't know how interesting you find cucumbers
0:23:43 > 0:23:46but these are the ones that I planted a couple of months ago.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We've been eating cucumbers for weeks now.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51They're not prize plants or prize fruits,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53but they're really delicious and that's what it's all about.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57And they do grow perfectly well in pots.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58These are not huge pots.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02I've put plenty of compost in so they've got good feed.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And they love the heat and moisture
0:24:04 > 0:24:07of this propagating end of the greenhouse.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's a fairly small enclosed space.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13It's not heated at this time of year but it does get very muggy
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and the hotter and the damper it is, the more they thrive.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21The only thing to remember is don't forget to give them some ventilation,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23because although they want that heat and moisture,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27if it gets too airless, then you're going to start getting problems with mould
0:24:27 > 0:24:32and particularly mosaic virus, which you'll notice by the yellowing and the mottling of the leaves.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Cucumbers are prone to that.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38So I give those a weekly seaweed feed. Comfrey would do just as well.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42They're both high in phosphates, which is what they want.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Whether you grow cucumbers or not, there are plenty of other things
0:24:45 > 0:24:48to get on with in the garden this weekend.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Now is also a good moment to give your tomatoes a late summer boost
0:24:54 > 0:24:57of feed to maximise fruit.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Again, I use comfrey fertiliser.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03One part comfrey to ten parts water.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10When lavender has finished flowering,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13it's the best time to cut it back.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And don't just snip off the seedheads but cut back hard,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19although try to avoid cutting into old wood where possible.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22This will maintain a tight, compact plant,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25that won't be broken up by bad weather
0:25:25 > 0:25:30and which will retain its shape and grow back strongly next year.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Red and white currants are pruned in early spring
0:25:35 > 0:25:38but now is the perfect time to prune blackcurrants -
0:25:38 > 0:25:41immediately after harvesting.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44They produce their best fruit on second- and third-year growth,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46so the easiest way to do it
0:25:46 > 0:25:50is to remove a third of each plant every year,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53taking out the oldest wood every time.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55That way, the plant renews itself every three years
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and remains at maximum productivity.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Now, here's at first what looks like a dramatic problem
0:26:09 > 0:26:11with my potatoes.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14These are lettuces, that I sowed between the rows and they're great
0:26:14 > 0:26:17but I'll remove those out the way -
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and I'll give them to the pigs, who love them -
0:26:20 > 0:26:22so I can show you the potatoes more clearly.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Now, you can see here that the potato leaves are covered
0:26:28 > 0:26:33with these brown marks, and they're rather dry, crispy stains
0:26:33 > 0:26:36that will reduce the foliage completely
0:26:36 > 0:26:39to shreds and brown tatters.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41This is a kind of potato blight
0:26:41 > 0:26:43but it's not THE potato blight.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Another name for it is "target spot" or "early potato blight"
0:26:47 > 0:26:51and it's a different fungus from the main enemy.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54They tend to attack potatoes that are either very dry or getting old.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57In the case of these, a bit of both.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They're reaching harvest age and it has been very dry and I haven't watered them.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03This is a variety called Sante
0:27:03 > 0:27:07which a lot of organic growers grow because it's pretty resistant to blight.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And it means that the potato itself won't suffer.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15The leaves don't look good and obviously that affects the growth, but the potatoes are fine.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16If I pull one up, or dig it up,
0:27:16 > 0:27:21I think we'll see that there's a perfectly healthy crop there.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22These potatoes are good.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27We have lots of small ones because it's been so dry
0:27:27 > 0:27:31it hasn't developed as well as it might. But that will store fine
0:27:31 > 0:27:32and it's perfectly healthy.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36So target spot, or early blight, is not a disaster.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40However, I will clear away all this foliage, dig up the potatoes -
0:27:40 > 0:27:44that clears a bed for me and then I can move on.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Just one word of warning - this time of year, real potato blight
0:27:48 > 0:27:51is very likely, particularly in this part of the world,
0:27:51 > 0:27:56and you can tell the difference because that tends to start as a sort of chocolatey brown stain,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00and then spread in a circular way, and it collapses the foliage,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02so it's soggy and rotten,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05whereas this crisps it up when it's brown,
0:28:05 > 0:28:06and it's very, very different.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And if you're foliage turns soggy and rotten,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12clear it and get the potatoes out,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16because you don't want the spores to infect the tubers themselves.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19OK, that's it for this week. I've got lots to do this weekend.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I hope you've a really good weekend yourself
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and I'll see you back here at Longmeadow next Friday. Bye-bye.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:48 > 0:28:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk