0:00:04 > 0:00:07Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11And now we've reached September, the garden enters a few weeks
0:00:11 > 0:00:13of grace,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16because we have that combination of low light,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18which has real delicacy,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22and then rich, intense colours in the borders.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24And for those few weeks,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28the garden just glows, like at no other time of the year.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34At Longmeadow this week, I've got tips on how to ensure
0:00:34 > 0:00:39a superb crop, next year, from your raspberries and strawberries.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Carol is at Glebe Cottage, where she's increasing her stocks
0:00:44 > 0:00:47of exotic bulbs for free.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And Rachel has a privileged tour from the art historian,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Sir Roy Strong,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57around the garden that he spent 40 years creating.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02They who plant a garden plant happiness.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And can anyone ask for more?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Of course, it's not just that we have rich colours
0:01:17 > 0:01:19at this time of year, it's the combination of richness
0:01:19 > 0:01:22that makes it so exciting.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27So you have the red and yellow of the Dahlia "Bishop of Llandaff"
0:01:27 > 0:01:29against the Cupani sweet peas.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Sweet peas, by the way, have just gone on and on this year.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And then fabulous sunflowers, all through the garden.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40"Velvet Queen", which is brown, shot through with touches of orange,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and orange all over the garden,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44particularly the Tiftonias, which I love.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48From an almost blank canvas in March,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52the Jewel Garden is now overflowing and vibrant with colour.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Now we've got to September,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07it's the perfect time to prune summer-fruiting raspberries.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And summer-fruiting raspberries grow in a different pattern
0:02:11 > 0:02:13to autumn-fruiting ones.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And the real difference is that summer-fruiting ones
0:02:16 > 0:02:19produce their fruit on canes that were grown the previous year.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21So here, these brown canes,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24they were the fruit that provided this year's crop,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26whereas the green canes
0:02:26 > 0:02:28will provide next year's.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Whereas autumn-fruiting ones,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33which I've got in a little row behind,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37all carry their fruit on the current season's growth.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41First thing to do
0:02:41 > 0:02:43is to untie these
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and then cut them down to the ground.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Once I've cut back the old growth,
0:02:54 > 0:02:55then I need to thin the new canes,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58leaving the strongest stems
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and retaining about five or six per plant.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The next stage is to tie them in.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Obviously, I could use lots of individual pieces of string,
0:03:10 > 0:03:15but I've found over the years that it's easier and more successful
0:03:15 > 0:03:20to use the longest piece you can and keep it looping round.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23And that stays strong and tight, whereas individual knots,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26especially if you've got clumsy fingers like mine,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29is more work and certainly no more successful.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32So, when they're all tied in, that's it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37They're now ready for next year and they look neat and tidy.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39However, I've got one more soft fruit job to do,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42but that's down in the ornamental veg garden.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54If you remember, a few weeks ago,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I pegged down strawberry runners to make new plants.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Well, now they should be ready for separating from the parent
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and planting out.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Nice and warm, so they'll grow.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And if you do it in September, they get a chance
0:04:08 > 0:04:12to get a decent root system before they go into autumn.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17This is a variety called "Gariguette",
0:04:17 > 0:04:19which has rather a long strawberry,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21very sweet and quite early.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Now, in theory, we've made lots and lots of new plants.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27And you can see, here is the runner,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30so it's attached to the parent plant.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33And hopefully, it's developed its own root system.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35But once I cut it, it's on its own.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So, we cut that off there.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42This is the moment of truth...
0:04:42 > 0:04:44There we are, good root system.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Hurrah!
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Was slightly worried about that!
0:04:48 > 0:04:50So I'll take about three or four.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Now, I've prepared a piece of ground just on the other side of the path,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13because I want to plant these in a new bed.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17And the reason you do that with strawberry runners is to stop
0:05:17 > 0:05:19the build-up of viral problems in the soil.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Strawberries are very prone to viral problems,
0:05:22 > 0:05:23especially as they get older.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25I'm going to have a couple of rows here,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27but if I put one there,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29there's a temptation to try and fit the lot in -
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they look nice and small -
0:05:31 > 0:05:32and, say, put them that far apart.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34That's too close together,
0:05:34 > 0:05:35much too close together.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38In fact, twice that spacing.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40That's about right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42These will develop into decent-sized plants.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44They'll stay here for three years.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48And also, strawberry will grow, it will have fruit around it,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50it wants light and air,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and it wants its roots
0:05:52 > 0:05:54to have access to lots of soil and goodness.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56So, be generous with space,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and it will repay you with generosity of fruit.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Other than that, dead easy -
0:06:00 > 0:06:01just bung 'em in the ground.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I've got enough plants to give myself
0:06:29 > 0:06:31two or three more rows, here.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32And that builds up
0:06:32 > 0:06:35the succession of strawberries.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38In fact, they won't be at their best next year but the year after.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's in their second year that strawberry plants
0:06:41 > 0:06:44are at their most productive and healthiest.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47But it's all part of the investment into the future.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51However, Carol is looking at plants that are at their very best
0:06:51 > 0:06:53at this time of year.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Plants that wait till now to do their thing
0:07:01 > 0:07:03are particularly welcome,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07especially if they're really vibrant and beautiful
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and add that touch of colour to this time of year.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Many of the plants that grace our late-summer gardens
0:07:13 > 0:07:16are from South Africa.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I suppose one of the most familiar are Crocosmias.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23They mix and mingle so beautifully with other perennials
0:07:23 > 0:07:25and with grasses, too.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Now, one of the best, and certainly the earliest of Crocosmias,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31is "Lucifer".
0:07:31 > 0:07:35And you just can't beat these vibrant red flowers.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38These flowers will last for weeks and weeks,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and even when they've fallen, they leave behind them
0:07:41 > 0:07:44this really beautiful, architectural structure.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47The whole plant is very graceful.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56There's a vast range of Crocosmias in all sorts of colours
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and with very different forms.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00This one's "Dakar".
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I picked it up in Ireland a couple of years ago,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05so it's really new to me,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08but I think it's got a great future.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11This one's "Honey Angels".
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I love its beautiful heads of yellow flowers.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18And for bringing glamour to our late-summer garden,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22it's not just Crocosmias that we've got to thank South Africa for.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Perhaps one of the most exotic and certainly one of the strangest
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and most bizarre of all the South African bulbous plants
0:08:35 > 0:08:37are Eucomis.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39This is one of my favourites.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44It's Eucomis vandermerwei and it's quite an unusual one.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48But it does show some of the distinctive features of this genus.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Lots of them have spotted leaves and spotted stems.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57On the top, there's invariably this little tuft of leaves.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00You can see it distinctly on this one.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02And that gives it its common name
0:09:02 > 0:09:04of "Pineapple Lily".
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Now, I love this one, here.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It's called "Sparkling Burgundy",
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and no wonder -
0:09:11 > 0:09:13it's such a handsome plant.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14And if you look down here,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17you can see from the top, almost a timeline.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20You get these tightly closed buds,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and then gradually, as you travel down this stem,
0:09:23 > 0:09:24they open up,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28until you arrive at these very open, starry flowers,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30full of pollen,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33waiting to lure in all those pollinating insects.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35And then lower down,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37as these flowers mature,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40you can see they've already been pollinated
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and you can spot in the centre
0:09:42 > 0:09:45these embryonic seed pods that have already formed.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Well, I can't resist sowing seeds,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51so I've tried this from seed several times
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and got some lovely plants.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Some of them are much like their parents.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Others are...distinctly different,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01like this bright green one.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05But if you want to propagate this and get exactly the same plant,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07you need to do it vegetatively,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09as a clone.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10And one way of doing this -
0:10:10 > 0:10:15it's not always successful, but it's well worth a try -
0:10:15 > 0:10:17is to take leaf cuttings,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20chopping one of these fully-grown leaves up, into sections,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and plunging them at their base
0:10:22 > 0:10:25into sharp, gritted compost.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26The edge that goes in
0:10:26 > 0:10:30is the one that's nearest the base of the plant.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Eventually you should get bulbils forming
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and then you can pot them on
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and have some more of these beautiful, beautiful flowers.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01This Agapanthus has to be one of the plants that's most revered
0:11:01 > 0:11:03and most loved.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06And there are all sorts of myths about Agapanthus,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09that they're difficult to grow, that they're not hardy.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11In actual fact,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14they're divided into two main groups -
0:11:14 > 0:11:16the praecox, or Africanus ones,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18are instantly recognisable
0:11:18 > 0:11:20by these great, big flowers.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22But more immediately so
0:11:22 > 0:11:26by the broad, evergreen leaves.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28They're not a bit hardy.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29On the other hand,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32the major group of these beautiful plants
0:11:32 > 0:11:36are these lovely campanulatus hybrids.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42And they survived last winter's extreme conditions remarkably well,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44because they're deciduous for a start,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47so they hide under the ground during the coldest of the weather.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And they're also from high up in the mountains in South Africa,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54so they experience much the same sort of conditions.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And they come in every shade of different blue,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01from deep indigo through these lovely mid-blues
0:12:01 > 0:12:03to these very pale -
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I think, exquisite -
0:12:05 > 0:12:07flowers here.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09And they don't need any special care at all -
0:12:09 > 0:12:12just good, fertile soil in the beginning.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16And the great thing about them is that you can make your own.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18They're so simple to grow from seed.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25As the flowers fade, seed pods swell.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Eventually, they can be removed from the plants
0:12:27 > 0:12:29when they're dry and brown
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and beginning to split apart.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Remove the black, tadpole-like seeds
0:12:34 > 0:12:36from the husks.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40After filling trays with good, gritty seed compost,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44firm down, then spread the seed finely on the surface.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Cover with a layer of grit,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48label,
0:12:48 > 0:12:49water them
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and put them in a sunny, sheltered position.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54And in a couple of years,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56you should have a batch of plants like these,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58beginning to come into flower
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and to produce seed.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The cycle continues!
0:13:12 > 0:13:15When Agapanthus have finished flowering, don't neglect them,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19don't push them aside on the basis that they've done their stuff,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22they're tough and they don't need any more attention.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24The important thing
0:13:24 > 0:13:26is to nourish these new shoots here
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that are coming up - and those will bear the flowers -
0:13:29 > 0:13:31by watering and feeding them.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34In fact, a lot of people complain that their Agapanthus go blind,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37they don't produce flowers, and, as often as not,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41it's because they are too dry in the preceding autumn.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44They must be watered right up until winter.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46So, once a week, give them a good soak
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and give them a feed.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Something like comfrey or seaweed that's high potash,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53every three weeks,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and that will give you better flowers, next year.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15It has been a very, very dry spell.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20It's been dry, really, since last winter. But particularly the summer.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The ground here at Longmeadow is like dust.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Nevertheless, things that you would expect at this time of year
0:14:27 > 0:14:30to be needing a lot of moisture are doing all right.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33For instance, the squashes, which I planted on tripods.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37The key thing is, I think, with these, as with one or two other things,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42is that they've had lots and lots of organic material underneath them.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46And that's held what moisture they have been able to have.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50That's certainly the case with celery and celeriac.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56Water, it hasn't had, but compost, it's had by the barrel-load.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I think I put three or four barrel-loads onto this bed
0:14:59 > 0:15:02before planting these out, and it's repaid, because they are healthy.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07They're looking and tasting good. Celery, we've been eating for the last few weeks.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08In fact, if I cut one,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13you can see that they're hearting up quite nicely.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15There we are.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Now, this is a self-blanching variety which is called Daybreak.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Self-blanching celery doesn't need to be buried.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's planted on the surface of the soil in blocks,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and each one will shield the light from its neighbour.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29And around the edge,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32the hedge acts as a barrier to light and that keeps them nice and sweet.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37And that will be finished within a month or so.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42It's not particularly hardy. A sharp frost will reduce it to rags.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46But celeriac is hardier and it's delicious. I love celeriac.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50It's got that celery taste, it's earthy, it's rooty.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53You can mash it, you can puree it, you can mix it with potato,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57you can roast it, you can have it with stews, makes a fabulous soup.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02A really, really good vegetable. If I dig one up now...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10They're not ready to eat yet, they haven't swollen up.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14And there's another six weeks or so for that to go on growing.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Now, if I cut the leaves off and cut the roots off...
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Oh, it smells good. That's all I'm left with.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Practically nothing.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So we've got to swell that out. Which means I need to water.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Water a lot.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The more you can get water in, and that lovely, rich soil
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and the compost I've put in will hold the water, and they'll swell out.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Absolute heaven.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41One of the ways of helping them grow is to strip the leaves off,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44gradually over the next month.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48So if we leave just enough to keep the plant healthy
0:16:48 > 0:16:51but let the light and air in, and also space,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53so the water can get to the soil
0:16:53 > 0:16:57where the roots will take it up, and then it will swell up.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02I'll repeat this process in a couple of weeks' time.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03If we left a mass of foliage,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07we'd find that the resulting celeriac would be smaller.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11By the time we come to harvest them, there will just be
0:17:11 > 0:17:13a little tussock of leaf sticking out the top.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19The last traces of it. And all the goodness will be in the basal plate.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Now, I'll take these to the compost heap,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and that's a good little job done.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28But even if you don't grow celeriac,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32here are some other jobs that you can do this weekend.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40At this time of year, many plants are starting to produce seeds.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's a good idea to go round the garden regularly
0:17:43 > 0:17:45and collect them as they ripen
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and before they fall to the ground.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Put them in a paper bag or envelope.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Label it clearly and store it in a cool, dark place
0:17:53 > 0:17:55for sowing when you are ready.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08If you notice unripe fruit on the ground that looks like this,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10then it's a sure sign of brown rot,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12with affects pears, apples and plums.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17This is a fungal problem that will spread unless you take action.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21So don't leave any lying on the ground, but bin or burn them.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Then check over the tree to make sure there are no more.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Sow some spinach seeds this weekend
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and you should be able to enjoy the crop right through till Christmas.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46First, I always add a little compost before any sowing.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Rake it in
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and then draw a narrow drill in which I sow the seeds,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53spacing them widely apart.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Cover it over and water it well.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The seeds should now germinate very quickly
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and grow fast in the warm autumn soil.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Just cutting out a few of the remaining dead pieces
0:19:11 > 0:19:14in these box hedges in the Jewel Garden.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16If you remember, they were drastically hit by the cold
0:19:16 > 0:19:22last winter and they looked awful as we came into this spring.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Now, that was because we cut them very late.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27We've been doing that for years,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31so that all winter they'd look really crisp and sharp.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32But it was too fine a thing.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We cut these the end of October, early November,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and then the cold weather came in December, and poor things just got slaughtered.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Anyway, this June I cut off about a foot of the top of the box,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46cut out as much of the dead growth as I could,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50so in some cases, there were great big holes in the middle of the plants.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52And then waited.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Well, they've regrown with incredible vigour.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58They're healthy, strong and vibrant.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01That means there's no hint of box blight.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06What I would say is, don't cut your box hedges after September.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Get them done this month and then leave them.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12And I shan't be cutting these until next June.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15But I am very confident that in a year or so,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18these will look as though they've never had any problems at all.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26When I first moved to Herefordshire in the 1980s,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I didn't know anybody else making a garden.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But then I heard that Sir Roy Strong was making a large garden just south of Hereford.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Roy Strong was an incredibly iconic figure back in the 1980s.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40He was director of the V&A,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and his wife was a famous stage designer.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So, with the arrogance of youth, I rang him up
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and said, "I'm making a garden - can I come and see yours?"
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And very kindly, he and his wife invited me down
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and showed me The Laskett, his garden.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57He gave me a piece of advice, which I've always remembered.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02If you're making a garden from scratch, get the structure in first.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04He was a great influence on me.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I've never been back since, but Rachel went the other day
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to see what it was looking like in its maturity.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Roy, the first thing that strikes you about the garden is the structure.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26All these evergreens, the hedging, it's really very strong.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Well, I've always been mad about topiary.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I loved it, I love it, like stroking a pussycat or something.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36I just think they're wonderful. When I started it in the '70s, it was out of fashion.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Yes, it was, it was all island beds and rockeries.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41That's right, all that kind of stuff.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47- A lot of this is yew, but you've also got these clipped Amelanchier. - They began as small trees here,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49they got too large, so what do you do?
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Get the shears out and make it into a nice dome.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Fantastically pretty flowers in spring.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Leaves brilliant scarlet in the autumn, good value.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Although you've got this formal structure,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02very symmetrical,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I can see things have self-seeded everywhere.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- You've got a Verbascum there and Stachys...- I think that's marvellous.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It gives a relaxed quality, which offsets
0:22:11 > 0:22:17this very strict, cut, geometric feeling.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And do remember, you'll probably find all of these hedges
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and things which look so geometric are all slightly off.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29- All the greatest formal gardens, in fact...- Are a bit wonky.- Yes.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Except in Germany.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46'Apart from creating a remarkable garden, Sir Roy and his late wife
0:22:46 > 0:22:49'have kept a hugely detailed archive of their garden.'
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I think there is.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54So this is a record of the development of four acres
0:22:54 > 0:22:56over 30, 40 years?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59This gives you an idea of what it was like at the start.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- Where's this?- That's the yew garden, unbelievably.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Here we are, that is the beds cut.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09That is the yew beginning to grow.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12You look very dapper.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Which part is this? - The winding serpentine wall.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It'd only been in a year or so.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25It's at its apogee now.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30Full of flowering plants and grasses, lovely,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33brilliant colour of the Crocosmia "Lucifer".
0:23:33 > 0:23:37The Lythrum behind, you've got Astrantia, you've got Nepeta.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42I used to say, flowers in a garden are a sign of complete failure.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I'm afraid it doesn't work any more!
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- Grasses, which I've fallen in love with, much to my surprise. - Did you not like them before?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51No. I thought, oh, those grasses!
0:23:51 > 0:23:52But now I'm keen on them.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00All the bills were kept.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This is the serpentine, the first planting,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06this is all the shrubs planted either side of the winding walk.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- You kept all these.- 1980.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- What date is that?- I can't believe that many people have made a garden
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and kept this sort of archive.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17I would like to lay claim to the fact that
0:24:17 > 0:24:18I think it is utterly unique.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I think the beauty of the garden is you turn a corner,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- and there is another view drawing you in.- I'm mad about vistas.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35This garden is about vistas, and also, ornaments help vistas.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That urn could be a mile away.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40And there's an excitement, you want to go to it.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44We're standing at the point... this was the great other cross -
0:24:44 > 0:24:47it used to go the whole way back to the rose garden and orchard,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51and this way, you end up in what we call the Ashton Arbour.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56There is a piece of the old Palace of Westminster, which burned down in 1834.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But these are repro ornaments. With ordinary house paint.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05- Really? That's just painted on stone? - That is just painted on the stone.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08They look incredibly impressive and very, very expensive.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10But you say with a bit of ingenuity,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14you can make something appear perhaps what it isn't.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Gardening is the art of fudging it, isn't it?
0:25:17 > 0:25:19But you've got to have a focal point.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It is wonderful how the eye is then drawn
0:25:22 > 0:25:25right the way down across the length of the garden.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29If you took the statue away from that, you wouldn't be drawn into it.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36That's the beech line avenue. I mean, that's how it started.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Now, this is something to behold.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Well, it's one of, I suppose, the theatrical big set-pieces.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48And it evolved over 30 years.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52What I love is you see in the gaps there above the hedge,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56you get these glimpses of colour, very tantalising.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58But within this, it's so green and calming.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02And cool, and then all that excitement which you can't get to,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and you're thinking, what goes on in there?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08You'll see, there's a little entrance in the back.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12People suddenly come through that arch, and wham, does it hit them!
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- All that.- All that is there. And it's totally unexpected.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Well, this, Rachel, as you can see, is the rose garden.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24There are a few roses, and in particular, this rather lovely rose
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- called Valentine in the middle, which is a repeat flower. - It is a lovely shell pink.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31What I like about this part of the garden,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35this strong structure and the arch. What is the inscription on the top?
0:26:35 > 0:26:40- It says Conditor Horti Felicitatis Auctor.- Which means?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43They who plant a garden plant happiness.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And can anyone ask for more? I don't think so.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Well, you can't argue that the fact that if you make a garden,
0:26:59 > 0:27:00you create happiness.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Doesn't matter if you've got four acres or four square yards.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07The pleasure you get back is always greater than the work you put in.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Fascinating that he's kept all those records.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16And I would say that, whatever type of garden you've got, take pictures.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21In this day and age of digital cameras, it's dead easy.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24It's a really good idea to take lots of photographs of the garden
0:27:24 > 0:27:27as it is now, whilst it's in full song.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Then next spring, when planning planting,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32you'll be able to remember exactly what works
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and what wasn't quite so successful,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37so that the garden will look even better.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39You see how this Cosmos...
0:27:39 > 0:27:42This magenta colour is picking up the colour
0:27:42 > 0:27:45of the Geranium "Ann Folkhard" and the Knautia.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48And click, you've got it.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05As you take pictures on a regular basis,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08you build up a history of the garden
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and also accumulate a really useful tool,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14so that next year, you can make it look even better.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I don't know about next year, but I'll be here next week.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Join me here at Longmeadow at the same time. See you then, bye-bye.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:37 > 0:28:39E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk