0:00:05 > 0:00:06Hello. We're nearly through winter.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Beginning of next week, we've got the vernal equinox
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and, officially, that's the beginning of spring.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16From now on in, things just get better and better. And we've got a lot to do.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24I shall be planting pots full of glorious summer bulbs
0:00:24 > 0:00:28and also lifting and dividing perennials in the Jewel Garden.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33Carol is catching the first flushes of spring colour in a spectacular Cornish garden.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Oh! Got it. Look at that.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41And Rachel goes behind the scenes and lends a helping hand
0:00:41 > 0:00:46in a garden that once belonged to one of our greatest children's writers.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I'm lifting an Acanthus spinosus here as part of our revamp
0:01:01 > 0:01:04of the Jewel Garden, cos we're trying to sort the plants out.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07You see, I've got under there, cut under the roots,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09but they've got really fleshy roots.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10And Acanthus spinosus,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13which is a spiny version of the bear's breeches,
0:01:13 > 0:01:19has great zigzag leaves which are very spiky,
0:01:19 > 0:01:20and wonderfully rich and lustrous.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And then it throws up flowers
0:01:22 > 0:01:26with a slightly sinister purplish hood over it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30But Acanthus can become quite invasive.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33It's got these fleshy roots which, if they break off...
0:01:33 > 0:01:37If I left that in the ground, it's a bit like bindweed, it will grow back.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42I'm going to take all the bits of Acanthus out and move them to another part of the garden.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47The Jewel Garden, it is the heart and the soul of Long Meadow.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52And it's called the Jewel Garden partly because my wife Sarah and I used to be jewellers
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and that sort of connects to our lives,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and partly because we wanted a garden that was really rich,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59had lots and lots of rich, strong colours.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04So there's no whites, no pastels, no pinks, in this part of the garden.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Of course, dividing herbaceous perennials is part of the upkeep
0:02:08 > 0:02:10of any herbaceous border.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Some plants like Acanthus you chop with a spade.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Other plants divide much easier. I've got over here...somewhere...
0:02:19 > 0:02:21..a geranium.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26Now, geraniums have a different root system. If I take that out ...
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We did have hundreds and hundreds of pots. All the plants came out.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37You can see that... that divides up very readily.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I can make lots of plants from this.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It's like getting a piece of string and sorting it out. There we are.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46We've got new bits. Put them on the ground.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Now, straight away, I've got three, four, five good plants there.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And I can either replant them in a group
0:02:53 > 0:02:56which would give them new energy, vigour and much better flowering,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00or I can move them to other parts of the garden, or I can give them to friends.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But there's no waste here at all. And it's so cheap.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06You buy one plant and over the years,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08you end up with hundreds and hundreds,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10plus really vigorous flowering.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I have noticed, as I have been working through the Jewel Garden
0:03:15 > 0:03:20over the last few weeks and months, that we've lost a lot.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24We've lost a lot to the cold. It was minus 18 here at Christmas time
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and that's uncharted territory.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31I guess that a lot of people around the country will find that precious plants haven't survived,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35even in places where you would think winters are mild,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36like Cornwall, for example.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Carol paid a visit to Glendurgan Garden, beautiful garden down there,
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Falmouth, to see how they have come through winter.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Glendurgan Garden is a beautiful Cornish valley garden
0:03:59 > 0:04:02that runs down to the Helford River.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09It's placed perfectly to take full advantage of the warmth the Gulf Stream brings,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14which means that all sorts of exotic and special plants really thrive here.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20But this year, even the might of the Gulf Stream couldn't fend off
0:04:20 > 0:04:23the effects of this past harsh winter.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27However, things are beginning to wake up.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29There are splashes of colour here and there.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The rhodies are just beginning to peep through.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But lots of the colour comes from these glorious camellias.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38This is a real beauty.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41It's called Winton and its elegant branches
0:04:41 > 0:04:44are just sprinkled with these sugar-pink flowers.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But perhaps this is more the sort of thing that springs to mind
0:04:48 > 0:04:51when you are talking about camellias.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54This lovely thing is called Inspiration.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Aren't those flowers perfection?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But it's not really camellias that I'm here to see.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's something even more special than them.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Well, I think they're really special.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It's magnolias.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15And assistant head gardener Ned Lomax is lucky enough to spend his working day
0:05:15 > 0:05:20with some of the most fantastic specimens.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Just look at this.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Whoo-hoo!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It is magnificent, isn't it?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- Yes, beautiful, beautiful. - It's huge.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33You just have no idea of the scale of it until you stand underneath it.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Which magnolia is it, Ned?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36This one is campbellii 'Alba'.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- From the Himalayas?- That's right.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- How old is it? - Not as old as you might think.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43This was planted in the mid '60s.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45It's a decent size, won't get bigger.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- And what you're interested in is this flower production, isn't it?- Exactly.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52They're so lovely up there, but it's a shame I can't actually see one...
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Well, if I can reach, I can get you one down.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Can you? It was thinking of climbing up the tree, but...
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- How's your catching, Carol?- Oh!
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Are you ready?- Yeah.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Oh! Got it. Look at that.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- It's heavy. - It's a beautiful one, isn't it?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- Of course, beetles pollinate it, don't they?- That's right.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Cos they were around magnolias long before bees were ever on the planet.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Millions of years they've been around, yes.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Well, I love to see it like that, but in the distance, perfect.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- It's beautiful. - You can really appreciate it.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30We're a couple of weeks behind the rest of the plants flowering in the garden.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Usually, this would be out in full flower by now. But, as you can see, it's getting there.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- Another week or so. - Yeah. Which one is it, Ned?
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- This is a long one. It's a Magnolia sargentiana robusta 'Alba'.- Right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- "Robusta", cos it really is strong.- It is robust.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It's not the sort of plant that you can really imagine in...
0:06:49 > 0:06:55- No, not many people have space for it, I think. - No, they wouldn't, would they?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But we've got two magnolias at Glebe Cottage -
0:06:58 > 0:07:00stellata and then Leonard Messel.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And the great thing about them both is that, you know,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- they flower from being young plants.- That's right.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And also they are on a scale that most people could...
0:07:10 > 0:07:15Yeah, exactly. They will fit in most gardens and you won't have to wait a lifetime for results.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17The flower bud will take nine months to develop.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21This bud has to go all the way through the coldest part of winter.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25This furry cover sort of protects it. As soon as you get the sun on it,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27the bud will swell and the casing will drop away.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- These just peel back.- They do.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32They are like little mice.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34They're just lovely.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50We're lower down in the valley. It's quite protected on all sides
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and it's got its own little micro-climate.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Quite cool, damp conditions.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57This is where we have chosen to make our New Zealand garden -
0:07:57 > 0:08:00temperate New Zealand plants really love the wet conditions here.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06Usually, this is very leafy and green and there's a lot of overhead cover, but, particularly this year,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10where we have had the hard winter, some of the tree ferns are looking brown.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Quite a lot have lost all their fronds
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and they look dead. This is something we get asked a lot by visitors.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18"Is my tree dead because it's lost its fronds?"
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- How do you tell? - There is a simple test.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22If you can get your hand up into the crown -
0:08:22 > 0:08:26this is the growing point where all the new fronds will come from.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Have a good feel around in there.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Yeah.- There are hairy tarantula legs there ready to unfurl.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- They're solid, like knuckles. - Curled up for winter. Once we get warm weather,
0:08:35 > 0:08:40those will unfurl, push all this leaf out of the way and then we'll get a new shoot of growth on there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Right, so for people whose fronds have gone...
0:08:44 > 0:08:46What should you do if you've lost your fronds?
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Don't panic - they are a lot hardier than people give them credit for.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But if you reach in and it's mushy?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Then it's not quite so hopeful. - Get a new one.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- Still, leave it, give it a chance, but start saving up for a new one.- Right.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04'Despite being damaged in the recent cold,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08'ferns obviously love it in this part of Glendurgan,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12'which is why Ned is expanding the collection.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14'And guess who's doing the digging?'
0:09:14 > 0:09:20You've got all sorts of different tree ferns in your new Zealand garden.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Yes, that's right. We've got the Dicksonia antarctica, which is what
0:09:24 > 0:09:27most people will be familiar with. That's the hardiest one -
0:09:27 > 0:09:31perhaps the only one you'd want to try much outside the south-west.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37- Right.- We also have Dicksonia squarrosa, which is this skinnier black one behind us.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Again, that's slightly more tender...
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- Black and brown at the moment!- Those should be OK. They should come back,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48they're in a sheltered position. This one is more tender still, but really quite spectacular.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- This is a Cyathea dealbata, the silver tree fern.- Oh, look at that.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54That is just so beautiful, isn't it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58This is the fern that's on the All Blacks rugby kit.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Right.- An emblem of New Zealand.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Right, so in the right place!
0:10:03 > 0:10:04I should think so, yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06But it's really tender, is it?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It is. It needs the best conditions you can possibly give it, really.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14It likes to be cool and damp but this one really will need protection through the winter.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19If you can get it somewhere with a little bit of evergreen overhead cover and just wrap it up -
0:10:19 > 0:10:24make sure you protect the crown of the fern in the winter - then it's worth a go.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27If you can get it to survive, it does look absolutely fantastic.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29I think that's well and truly planted.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Do you know, that's the very first tree fern I have ever planted.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34First of many, I hope.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing it up here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42- Give it a few years. - Well, I'm pleased I did it. Thanks, Ned.- Thank you.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Other fantastic gardens around the country
0:10:47 > 0:10:50that are thriving in their own micro-climates
0:10:50 > 0:10:54are the Logan Botanic Gardens in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57nestled in the warmth of the Gulf Stream.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02This garden is arguably the most tropical landscape in Scotland.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08The Portmeirion sub-tropical gardens in Gwynedd, Wales,
0:11:08 > 0:11:14hold over 5,000 species, which thrive in this protected coastal gem.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And Abbey Gardens at Tresco, Isles of Scilly,
0:11:18 > 0:11:24provides the perfect climate for the most tender of Mediterranean plants to flourish.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And for more gardens that are in their prime right now,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29go to our website.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46I've visited all those gardens and they are superb,
0:11:46 > 0:11:51although when I went to Glendurgan, the magnolias were absolutely at their best.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54But I couldn't grow half the plants that they grow there.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57That fern wouldn't stand a chance in this garden,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00so it is important to grow what will be happy where you are.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02The Acanthus will be fine here.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I'm not going to enrich the soil at all
0:12:04 > 0:12:09because Acanthus flower much better if the soil
0:12:09 > 0:12:13is not too well nourished.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15In fact, my soil is plenty rich enough, but the trees,
0:12:15 > 0:12:21this lime here, and the box, will be taking some goodness from it, so we should get better flowers.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26The idea in this part of the garden, which is called the Long Walk, is to have greenness.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It should be like a cool green corridor.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32So we have the green of the Acanthus, the green of the box
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and then the flowers will arch over.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Now, Acanthus can be divided in two ways.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43The easiest way - which I shall be doing mainly,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47cos I need about 40 plants to go all the way down here
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and get the mass effect I want -
0:12:49 > 0:12:54is simply to split it with a spade. And if I put that down there,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56you can see that I could just chop.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Be brave, because it's a fairly fleshy thing.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Like that.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05We've got a nice growing point, we've got lots of fleshy roots,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07another growing point there.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09That will make a vigorous young plant.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It has cost me absolutely nothing.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The other way is with a pair of secateurs or a knife.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18You can see here I've got a bit of broken-off root.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And that will make a root cutting.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24So that's the bottom and that's broken off from the plant.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Get it the right way up and when you take your root cuttings...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I can probably get two out of that.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33If I just cut the bottom at an angle...
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and cut the top straight...
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The reason why I cut the top flat and the bottom at an angle
0:13:40 > 0:13:44is precisely so that I know which is the bottom and which is the top,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47because it can be easy to put in your cuttings upside down.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51So all I have to do with these
0:13:51 > 0:13:56is put them vertically into a pot of compost, get four or five or six around the outside of the pot,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and put it in a warm place, water it, let that grow.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03That will grow into a new plant and then each one can be potted up.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08It won't make a substantial flowering plant for perhaps two, three or even four years.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11But that's fine. I'm gardening for the long term.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15So put that to one side and start planting up the bigger clumps.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20We've grown all sorts of things on this piece of ground,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23from sweet peas to pumpkins to cardunes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25The acanthus will be a new development.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Over the years, you build up memories of the garden
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and that informs what you do in the future.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I remember practically week by week
0:14:33 > 0:14:37what I've grown here over the last 20 years. So it should work well.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Rachel has been on the road again.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43She's gone to Buckinghamshire to help out in a garden,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and it's a garden that used to belong
0:14:45 > 0:14:48to one of my favourite authors when I was a small child.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54"You enter through a funny old lychgate.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Rachel!- You must be Jacky. Hello.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Welcome to Old Thatch.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I'm so excited to be standing in a garden
0:15:12 > 0:15:16that belonged to one of Britain's best loved children's authors.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Enid Blyton, herself.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24Yes, Enid Blyton lived here from 1929 to 1938.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And she loved the cottage, she loved the grounds,
0:15:27 > 0:15:34and when we moved in about 16 years ago, the gardens were derelict.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39So, what was in this space we're walking through when you moved here?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42When we moved in, this was all lawn
0:15:42 > 0:15:47with a beautiful old yew hedge, which we still have.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And Enid Blyton does write about
0:15:51 > 0:15:54the wrens darting in and out to the nest,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57nest feeding the young and then leaving,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and they still do that these days.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06This is very impressive, the lavender.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Masses of it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And it looks as though when you've cut it back,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13which you've obviously done hard,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16but not going into the old wood here,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19you've left the seed heads so it self-seeds into the gravel.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- That's right, yes. - You've got babies everywhere.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26It's working a treat. What does it look like in the summer?
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Well, as you know, plants don't necessarily come true from seed
0:16:30 > 0:16:34so we have a beautiful array of colours
0:16:34 > 0:16:39from the palest blue through the traditional lavender,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and even into the darkest blue at the other end.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Just beautiful.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Of course, when you think of Enid Blyton,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53you think of her very famous books - so, Famous Five, Noddy.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But what else? Did she write much about this garden?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Oh, Enid Blyton wrote constantly.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04She published a series of books called the Old Thatch series.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07So, lots and lots of writing about the garden.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15These are a really good size, these beds. All herbaceous and mixed.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Jacky, I love the way you've left this top growth over the winter,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22because had you cut this back in autumn,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24there would be nothing to look at.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Look at that lovely phlomis, the shape.- Yes, beautiful.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30I like this, the Iris sibirica.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33I can see you've started cutting back a bit
0:17:33 > 0:17:35so you've got the grasses gone there.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37What do you think about the echinops?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Do you think it's still earning its keep?
0:17:39 > 0:17:43No, the echinops has probably suffered a bit from the wind.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45So I think it needs a bit of TLC.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I'm glad you say that.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50There's lovely new growth coming from the base.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Shall we chop this off?- Yes!
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I'll go and get the barrow.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03What do you think, shall we get in and go for that one?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Yes, good idea.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13This is very cathartic, don't you think?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39This is a really lovely length, this rose arbour.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- You can get lots of plants on it. - And most of these are ramblers.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- Yes, they are. - We have Albertine,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48which is a beautiful, beautiful soft baby pink
0:18:48 > 0:18:50and really full flower.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53We also have American Pillar, a single flower
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and it's red, with a pale base to the petal.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00That spreads and spreads and flowers for a long period of time.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04We have a stem here, but it doesn't look happy at all.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06What do you think, Rachel?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I see what you mean. For a lower stem, it's a bit feeble.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12You know what we could do,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17on the other side, you've got this lovely, nice, young stem.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19That's pretty vigorous.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21You've got two, so we could take those down
0:19:21 > 0:19:25and tie them along this way to replace this, take this one off.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27- OK. Let's do it!- Happy to do that?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34The lower we can take it down, the better,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37because we'll encourage all the energy
0:19:37 > 0:19:40that normally goes into growing straight up
0:19:40 > 0:19:43into breaking the buds all the way along here,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46so we'll get lovely flowers from each of these.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Do you think we should tie another one along here?
0:19:49 > 0:19:51That would really hold it down.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53That's a good idea.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- Very good.- That'll be good.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- That was an excellent day. - It certainly was.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14If I had bit more time, I'd quickly clip your Viburnum tinus,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16these lollipops.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I can see a problem on these leaves.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The holes there. I'd say that's viburnum beetle.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25That's interesting, because that's, at the moment,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29number one on the RHS list of pests people are asking questions about.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Knocked slugs and snails right off the number one spot, so...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It doesn't look very nice now,
0:20:36 > 0:20:42but once the larvae hatch, in April, May, that almost turns to lace.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45If it were me, I'd probably spray it with an organic spray
0:20:45 > 0:20:48but also it will help when you do the trimming,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51because you'll cut off a lot of that as well.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Yes, good.- And clear it all away.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56On a brighter note, I have got something,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- a little going-home present. - How lovely!
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Enjoy it.- Thank you very much. Wonderful day!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09if you want to visit Enid Blyton's garden,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11it is open to the public from 14th May.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Before you go, check our website for times and details of opening.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29I loved those broad box hedges, they looked fantastic.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33What we're all doing, whether in an herbaceous border
0:21:33 > 0:21:39or in the potting shed, is preparing for a good show in the summer.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45I'm making up a mix for planting lilies into pots.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48This compost mix is a bark-based compost,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and I have added lots of leaf mould to it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They prefer an ericaceous soil or compost.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Leaf mould will be fine. Neutral is OK.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01If you don't use peat, which I don't,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04leaf mould is a really good substitute.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05If you haven't got leaf mould,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09add some vermiculite to a bark-based compost. That's perfect.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And the lily I'm going to put in the pots...
0:22:12 > 0:22:16is this. Isn't that magnificent?
0:22:16 > 0:22:17This is Lilium regale,
0:22:17 > 0:22:22which has huge great white trumpets with a sort of bruised interior.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24That's quite expensive, about a fiver.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28So we want to look after it and make sure we grow it as well as possible.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But it will last a long time. It's a good investment.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I've put crocks in the bottom of these pots
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and just put some compost in the bottom,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42and I can't over-emphasise the importance
0:22:42 > 0:22:45of having light, loose compost.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Lilies are woodland plants.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50They like a cool root run.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Place these carefully in, not damaging them.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Quite deep in the pot
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and no more than three in a pot that size, I don't think.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03And these will grow through and flower at their best in July.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09One of my favourite summer flowering bulbs are foxtail lilies
0:23:09 > 0:23:10or eremurus.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14They don't look like bulbs at all but like mad spiders or octopus.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19They come from high grassland in the mountainous areas of South Africa.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22What they love is really good drainage
0:23:22 > 0:23:23and lots of summer sunshine.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28So I'm adding plenty of horticultural grit to my compost mix,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30it doesn't matter what compost you use
0:23:30 > 0:23:32as long as it's really well drained.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Plenty of crocks in the bottom of a big pot.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40A layer of compost and then carefully spread these roots out.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Cover it with more grit
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and put it somewhere where it can quietly grow.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I'll place it in bright sunshine
0:23:49 > 0:23:51to get the maximum effect of the flowers.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Finally, I've got another South African bulb, this is eucomis,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01which has got a spectacular, green, pineapple-like flower.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04It's a bit tender, not as tender as we used to think,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08but it won't take a really cold, wet spring spell.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13So I'm going to bring it on in a pot and plant it in June in the garden.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I'm using a potting mix with plenty of vermiculite in it,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19but if you're going to grow them in pots permanently,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23use the same mix as you have for eremurus.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27This is the perfect time to be planting up summer bulbs.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32But here are some other ideas for jobs you can get on with right now.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36It may not officially be spring yet,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40but the weeds have already started to grow vigorously.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Now is the time to get on top of them before they get on top of you.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48Especially before they start to swamp your precious seedlings.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51If, like me, you have wet ground,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56it can take a long time for it to dry out enough to be ready for sowing.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But if you put cloches down, it'll be ready for action much sooner.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02If you haven't got any cloches,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05a piece of clear plastic is a good substitute.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09If you've got a cold greenhouse, it won't be ready
0:25:09 > 0:25:12for planting tomatoes in for another couple of months.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16You can use that time by broadcasting in the beds a salad mix.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19There will give you a harvest which can be cleared
0:25:19 > 0:25:21to make room for the tomatoes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42A job that I must finish this weekend
0:25:42 > 0:25:44is the pruning of my soft fruit.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49This area has been through various changes but it's always been edible.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53I had vegetables for a while and moved the soft fruit into it,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55so those plants are already quite old.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I did start the other day, pruning back these redcurrants
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and you can see the sort of shape I'm looking for.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05This is a good example, because it's on a leg.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10That gets ventilation around it and it helps control sawfly.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12They don't like wind.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15And so it's open, nothing growing inwards,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I've tipped it back, a nice, strong structure,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19and we'll get good new growth.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I can make these look like that.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24To start with,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27just prune away the middle.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Because the big problem of redcurrants,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35white currants and gooseberries
0:26:35 > 0:26:37is sawfly and mould.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42And both of them are best dealt with by good ventilation.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Look at this.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45That is dead.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47We need to take that off.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Get right in there.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Now, what we have is an open disshape
0:27:00 > 0:27:05with these ribs, these strong structural branches splaying out.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10When you're happy it's nice and open and evenly spaced ribs around it,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and you've removed anything that's crossing or dead or rubbing,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16you can start to reduce it.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Because this is a very old plant I'll cut this back hard,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21because that will rejuvenate it.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26If it was a young one and healthy, I'd cut it back by about a third.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Gradually, it would get bigger and bigger.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32This is going to have the chop.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35We'll take this back like that.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36Like that.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41You can see I'm leaving a little bit of new wood everywhere.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44As long as you cut to something, ie. a bud,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47it doesn't matter terribly,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50because this fruits on...
0:27:50 > 0:27:51older wood.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56We probably won't have a lot of fruit this year,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00but we'll have some. We've got enough bushes to see us through.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08There we are.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It's not a thing of beauty, but it'll work.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12It's rejuvenated, it's open,
0:28:12 > 0:28:13nice, strong framework,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17and the new growth will grow amazingly vigorously off that,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19because it's got a good root system.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- So, I've got, what... - HE COUNTS
0:28:21 > 0:28:2312 more to do.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Lots to keep me occupied this weekend, along with everything else.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I hope you have a really good weekend in your own garden.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33I'll see you back at here Long Meadow next Friday. Bye-bye.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:29:00 > 0:29:03E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk