0:00:09 > 0:00:14Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World on a glorious September day.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18I'm planting here in the walled garden some Japanese anemones.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21They flower from July through to October
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and this variety, Honorine Jobert,
0:00:24 > 0:00:29is fabulous white flowers with these orange centres
0:00:29 > 0:00:31that are produced on and on for months.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35They grow in practically any soil. They grow in full sun or part shade.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Easy plant, big result.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Today I'm planting a variety of plants here at Longmeadow
0:00:43 > 0:00:47designed to attract as many insects as possible into the garden throughout the year.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Carol delights in the swathes of grasses
0:00:52 > 0:00:56and late-season perennials at Pensthorpe in Norfolk.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59This is wonderful! You're in the middle of it.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01You're part of the garden. You're experiencing it.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05You just feel part of the whole picture.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Joe has been exploring
0:01:10 > 0:01:14the magnificent gardens of Marqueyssac in the Dordogne.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17There's no English influence here.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- It's not English at Marqueyssac. - There's a bit of English style.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24- We like to use our pots as well. - Jardin a l'Anglaise. - Ah, jardin Anglaise, oui.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38I love the way that the fennel looks at this time of year.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40These are all self-sown.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43The original plant was probably put here 20 years ago now.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It seeds itself everywhere.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47We pull up some but leave as much as possible
0:01:47 > 0:01:49for precisely this effect,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52because at this time of year it's had a whole summer's growing.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56It's got height, it's got body, but also elegance.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58You can see through it
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and you get this incredible, zinging, green cloud of seed heads,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05forming and floating above the border.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10And the seeds as they ripen are a digestive, and I think taste delicious.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22These grass borders have come on really well
0:02:22 > 0:02:24in the last couple of months.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Just think that they were replanted in late spring, early summer.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30They're now coming into their own.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35I'm going to add some asters to them because they will work in perfectly
0:02:35 > 0:02:38with the feel of the planting I want to get here,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42which is tall, loose, small flowers,
0:02:42 > 0:02:48and to invite in as many insects and butterflies as I possibly can,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and no plant does it better than asters.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Bees need late-flowering plants
0:02:53 > 0:02:56so they can build up their nectar reserves for winter.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The first one that I'm planting is
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Aster umbellatus, or the flat topped aster.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05It's a particularly tall, woody variety, found in North America.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08You can see just by popping that in straightaway,
0:03:08 > 0:03:13these very small flowers which insects love and open daisy-like.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18If you have an open flower head, it means an insect can land on it
0:03:18 > 0:03:20and get at the nectar really easily,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24rather than one great gorgeous bloom that looks great to us
0:03:24 > 0:03:27but not so good for getting insects in.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31This group looks really handsome as it is.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33It works as soon as it's planted, which is a benefit
0:03:33 > 0:03:37because often you have to wait a year or two. And it will get better.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41But there are lots and lots of different asters to choose from.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42I've just got a couple more.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Next is Purple Dome.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49This is a New York or novae-belgii aster.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Although it likes full sun, like all the New York asters
0:03:53 > 0:03:55it can be prone to mildew if it gets too dry,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59so it is important that I keep the soil well nourished.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I'm also planting Little Carlow,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08which is taller, with lilac-blue petals and yellow centres,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and can be placed in dappled shade.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Both of these plants will flower and attract insects well into autumn.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Whilst asters are giving us good colour and wonderful food for insects in autumn,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I want to do some planting now for next spring, and that's aconites.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Aconites are among the first flowers at the end of January,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42beginning of February,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and I love those bright, little yellow flowers
0:04:45 > 0:04:49surrounded by a green ruff that open out in the sunshine.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54They're best planted in the green, which is to say as plants after they finish flowering.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The problem is that they look great as a great drift
0:04:58 > 0:05:02and if you want to buy hundreds of aconites or snowdrops,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06you're certainly looking at hundreds if not thousands of pounds.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08So it's beyond most of us.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12However, you can buy 100 bulbs or tubers just for £10,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15so it makes much more sense if you can make them grow
0:05:15 > 0:05:16to plant them as tubers now.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I've got some aconites in the spring garden and I want lots more.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I'm going to try and make a shortcut to that process
0:05:23 > 0:05:26by planting tubers into a container.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30You can see the tubers are these funny, little, chocolatey things.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33They're very dry. These are a plant that don't like to dry out.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37If you're going to grow them either in a container or in the ground,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39give them a good soak before doing so.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43I've got some here that have been soaking for the last day or so.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46That has made them swell up a little bit
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and there's much more chance of them growing now like that.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51So they're good and soaked.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56A little peat-free compost,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59a little bit of perlite in there to help drainage.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01So we've got those there.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Then once in the ground, they will spread really well by seed.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Then I can get that drift. That will build up over the years.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13But even one plant is good for insects.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And Carol has been to the Millennium Garden, Pensthorpe,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21which not only is wonderful at bringing in a wide range of insects,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25but also is right at the cutting edge of garden design.
0:06:30 > 0:06:36Pensthorpe Nature Reserve covers 600 acres of farmland and woodland.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40At its core, there are ponds and lakes, surrounded by gardens.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46But it's the Millennium Garden I've come especially to see.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51After 10 years of evolving,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55the garden has just been through a process of regeneration.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59The whole place has been completely replanted.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08It was designed by renowned plantsman and landscape designer
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Piet Oudolf in 1999.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12At over an acre and a half,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17it was the first major public garden Piet created here in the UK.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Usually when you're thinking about a garden on this sort of scale,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29you think about standing back and looking at it from afar.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But this is wonderful! You're in the middle of it,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35you're part of the garden, you're experiencing it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39It undulates, up and down and round and about.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42And you just feel part of the whole picture.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53There are two incredibly dainty plants here,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56this lovely Lythrum virgatum,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00which is a close cousin of a purple loosestrife.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And then in the front, this grass, called Sporobolus.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I think it's a complete delight.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Look at these lovely, twinkling, little inflorescences.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Imogen Checketts is head gardener here at Pensthorpe.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24She has the responsibility of taking care of all of it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28As well as looking after this vast place, Imogen,
0:08:28 > 0:08:34I gather you were very instrumental in bringing about these changes that have been made.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Well, we had to do something with the garden.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41When I first came here in 2007, it was in need of some attention.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Some things were going a bit rampant and spaces were appearing.
0:08:46 > 0:08:52We decided with the owners and myself that it needed rejuvenation, I guess.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55We decided to get in touch with Piet, who designed the garden,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and ask him to come back
0:08:57 > 0:08:59and consult with us and see what to do with it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01How much stuff went back in?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04About 70% of the original plants. We cleaned them up and put them back in.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Then about 30% of new stuff has gone in.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It must have completely different combinations.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Yes, it's completely livened up the garden.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16It's changed the way it looks and given it a new lease of life.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21When you look at it, it's become possibly a bit more romantic,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23a bit sort of softer.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- A bit more feminised? - Yes, a bit more feminised.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Let's have a look at some of them.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Look at this bold and beautiful Sedum. I love this.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49This is a good example of why we did the renovation.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We've got some plants at the back, this big Persicaria
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and the Panicum grass in front.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58They were two plants that were getting way too big for themselves
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- and taking over the whole bed. - Too big for their boots?- Yes!
0:10:01 > 0:10:05So we've added in these Echinaceas and the Sedums,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08so very popular with the butterflies and bees.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11That was one of the reasons people started prairie planting,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14cos it was supposed to be easy to maintain
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and you put things in and they get on with it themselves.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19If you put the right plants in, they do.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23They form a nice thick carpet of perennials.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25The grasses are very good for that as well.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And they are all strong growers. These are all good strong plants,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33you don't need to spend too much time fussing about with them.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38Well, there's no staking. There's no prissing with them at all.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40They're all close to the species
0:10:40 > 0:10:45- so they're pretty disease resistant, trouble-free?- Yes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48And most of them are plants from northern climes, aren't they?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Shorter day length actually induces them to flower.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It does. And this is their time to flower.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57The garden looks stunning at the moment,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59it's absolutely full of flower.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It just goes on and on through the autumn.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I think it's one of the nicest times of the year,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06the colours are just going over but the grasses are doing their thing.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10We leave all the seed heads on. We leave it up as long as possible
0:11:10 > 0:11:12so then the birds can benefit from the seed heads.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- When do you cut them down? - February usually.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It takes a couple of days, but just cut the whole lot with a strimmer.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- Straight through the lot?- Yes.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33The great majority of these plants would enhance any garden.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37They're easy, straightforward, robust, beautiful.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I grow this Agastache in my own garden.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44You can start it easily from seed. It epitomises a garden like this
0:11:44 > 0:11:49cos it's got this long season, it's wonderful for wildlife
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and it changes marvellously all the time.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Whatever you call this style of gardening,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00whether you refer to it as prairie gardening or naturalistic,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05there's absolutely no doubt that it's been the most influential
0:12:05 > 0:12:09style of gardening during the last 15 or 20 years.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Now, the Millennium Garden's just reopened
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and you know that this garden is going to provide
0:12:15 > 0:12:20not just a feast for our senses, but a feast for all those creatures
0:12:20 > 0:12:22who are lucky enough to live here.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35It certainly does look beautiful
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and I love the way those great drifts of grasses and species plants
0:12:39 > 0:12:42with their small flowers have such a big impact.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48Not just the way it looks too, it's the effect it has on the whole ecology of the garden.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52They do attract in masses of insects that feast on the pollen
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and the nectar that they produce.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57That's so important in our gardens.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Certainly, the key thing is that all of us gardeners can take part in this.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07We can plant something in our garden that's going to draw insects in.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And at this time of year, it's not too bad.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11There are lots of plants they love,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15but when you get very early in the year, it's much more tricky
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and there are far fewer flowers open
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and fewer insects so the combination of the two becomes more crucial.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I'm planting crocus here in the Dry Garden which is very good
0:13:25 > 0:13:27for pollinating insects,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30particularly in February when they open.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32This is Crocus tommasinianus,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34one of the first to open.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Like all crocus, the flowers will open out in the sunshine
0:13:37 > 0:13:42and then they're available for the few insects that are about.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44By the way, we have to change our mindset,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48that insects are part of the goodness of the garden,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50they're not a problem and that includes aphids.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Every insect has a role to play and we should be welcoming them into the garden.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Of course, it's not just for the insects, however important that is.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06They're beautiful. Crocus are part of that song
0:14:06 > 0:14:10that comes out at the beginning of the year and draws you in
0:14:10 > 0:14:14to the sort of slow movement from winter to spring.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15Now, they're very easy to plant.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19They need to go down about two or three times its own depth.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23They're little corms, flat, and if you get them in flat down
0:14:23 > 0:14:27about an inch or two down in there, they will flower.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Of course, not forgetting to go underneath plants like this Acanthus
0:14:32 > 0:14:36which will have died right back next February.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Now you can hear the stone, this is very stony ground,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43but that means good drainage and they'll like that.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47While I'm busy doing this, Joe is away sunning himself on holiday
0:14:47 > 0:14:51but he's found time to visit an amazing garden in the Dordogne
0:14:51 > 0:14:55which is about as different from this as could be imagined.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09It takes a lot to get me up this early, crack of dawn,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10when I'm on holiday,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13but what an incredible spot this is.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It's amazing looking over the River Dordogne,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18the mist is rising,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20the light is just perfect
0:15:20 > 0:15:24and look, we've got hot air balloons on cue.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26It's magical.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Marqueyssac is a 17th century castle in southwest France
0:15:34 > 0:15:38built on a ridge 130 metres above the valley floor.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Originally, it had very formal gardens. Then its design was changed
0:15:41 > 0:15:44by Julien de Cerval who planted thousands of box.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The gardens continued to thrive
0:15:47 > 0:15:50until just after the First World War
0:15:50 > 0:15:52when gradually they fell into disrepair,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55until Kleber Rossillon bought the land in 1996
0:15:55 > 0:16:00and in just one year restored the gardens to the masterpiece that you see today.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08So a year's restoration and an incredible amount of work obviously happened here to turn it into this.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11But what was it like originally, this area of the garden?
0:16:11 > 0:16:19Well, it be used to be mixed borders but the box grew very tall
0:16:19 > 0:16:23so I came with a chainsaw and cut everything
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and you had just a piece of wood that tall
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and from that, it grew with round shapes.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36The garden developed itself. I said, "Oh, that's nice".
0:16:36 > 0:16:43And after that I just told it, "Just do it more round, more round, more round". That's all.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04When de Cerval was laying out the space originally, what was he aiming for?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Was it a traditional French style, would you say?
0:17:07 > 0:17:13It was at that time the new style, which we call Napoleon III,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Napoleon trois.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20At that time, they designed the round layout of the paths.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Everything's always curved, there are very few straight lines.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Curves everywhere. And he had his ideas from Italy.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31You can see the influence there as you look back at that with the trees.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's so simple, isn't it? But again it's just a stunning view.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So there's no English influence here?
0:17:38 > 0:17:42It was called the English style, but it is not English. I don't think so.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Oh, there's a bit of English style here! We like to use our box.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46Jardin a l'Anglaise.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Ah, jardin a l'Anglaise, oui.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Were these yuccas here originally?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58They were here but the gardeners wanted me to cut them
0:17:58 > 0:18:01because they say that's not proper for a chateau,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04but my idea was to keep them cos the spikes contrast
0:18:04 > 0:18:08with the round shapes of the box... That's Marqueyssac.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Marqueyssac is a combination of the highly manicured and the completely untamed,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20surrounded by some of the most stunning views in France.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24The woodland covers the majority of the park with plenty of views
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and little corners to rest or take in the atmosphere
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and they're all linked together with the original box-lined alleys.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35I love this long tunnel here, again created out of box,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39but it's nice and cool when the sun beats down on you, isn't it?
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So how did this come about? Was this already here?
0:18:42 > 0:18:44It was the small box hedge
0:18:44 > 0:18:50that grew loose for 150 years so it became 20 ft tall.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52And you just tied them together at the top?
0:18:52 > 0:18:57And we just tried to bend them. It is quite difficult to bend them
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but we did it to make this arch.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I love this part of the garden, Kleber.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11It's putting the same elements but in a different order, in a way,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and creating a real feeling of space. It's stunning.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17We had to cut and prune the trees
0:19:17 > 0:19:22in order to have the light coming on the esplanade.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It's very different from the more busy box in the garden,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27it's got an identity all of its own.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Yes, in the park you have real different places
0:19:31 > 0:19:33with different atmospheres.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47This is much more contemporary, this part of the garden here.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Yes. It's in contrast with the round shapes of the bastion
0:19:51 > 0:19:55and these blocks, they have just tumbled over the box hedge.
0:19:55 > 0:20:02That's just blocks which I designed with my sugar cubes at breakfast.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07- So you designed this part of the garden?- Yes.- You're responsible?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I think it fits perfectly. There's so much box in this garden.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13How much clipping is there to do here?
0:20:13 > 0:20:17You must use machines to do it?
0:20:17 > 0:20:20No, it's just with the hand shears all over,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and it takes about, I would say,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25eight people three months, the whole park.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But around the castle, we do three or four times a year.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32What about the ones down on the side, because it also spills
0:20:32 > 0:20:36down the mountainside, so how does that get looked after?
0:20:36 > 0:20:41We have to clip the man on a rope...
0:20:41 > 0:20:45in order to ensure that they do not fall.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I was wondering how they maintained those.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Also, the whole garden is made up, predominantly, of box and of trees,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57but here I can see you've actually introduced some flowers.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Are you softening now? Are you going to put more flowers in?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We just have these plumbagos
0:21:03 > 0:21:08and naturally we have the cyclamen from Naples
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and these are the only flowers that we have.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12- That is it?- That is it.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17You look at the shapes more than look at the colour.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20It's an evergreen garden which we can visit
0:21:20 > 0:21:22at any time of the year,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24even in winter, it's very beautiful.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38I thought that looked fantastic and certainly I shall make my way to Marqueyssac as soon as I can.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41If you want to see it, it is open every single day of the year.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45What I love most about that was the way that a simple idea
0:21:45 > 0:21:47was taken and then carried to an extreme.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It wasn't really about box, it was about having a thought,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53a notion, and just making it fly.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56That elevates gardening above the humdrum
0:21:56 > 0:21:58into something truly creative.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02This is obviously very different but I hope there's creativity in it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I'm doing a very practical job at the moment
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and that's moving a large herbaceous perennial.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Normally, you think of doing that in November or around March time,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16but there are a couple of advantages of moving herbaceous plants now.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The first is the soil is warm, so the roots from their new home
0:22:20 > 0:22:23will start to grow immediately which means that next spring,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26there's a good root system to support the new growth.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The second advantage is because it's fully grown and in flower,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33you can see what it looks like in its new home.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37But the disadvantage is that it's very dry at this time of year.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41So having dug a hole, I'll now fill it full of water
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and let it soak away before moving the plant.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The plant I want to move is a lovely one.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19There's nothing wrong with it at all except that it's in the wrong place.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So by moving it now, I hope to keep its loveliness
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and give it the home that it should have and look best in.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Now it's this... this perennial helianthus.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This is Helianthus "Lemon Queen"
0:23:35 > 0:23:38with these beautiful tiny little sunflowers
0:23:38 > 0:23:40with a lovely lemon colour
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and it's the lemon colour that's the problem.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45This is the Jewel Garden. We want rich jewel colours in here.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49The walled garden is planted up in pastel shades and white
0:23:49 > 0:23:50so this would work perfectly there,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and to move it,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I do need to cut it back.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Let's cut the support off.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And get in there.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01These will make good cut flowers anyway.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Now what's surprising is how relatively small
0:24:33 > 0:24:37a root system is supporting such an enormous amount of top growth.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40That's a really good reason for doing it at this time of year,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44because if you move that in March, you'd have to be very experienced
0:24:44 > 0:24:48to judge exactly how much space it was going to fill.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Anyway, this means I don't have to split it,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it will go straight into the hole I've made.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00That's it there.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Firm that in gently.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Now, give that another really good soak. That's it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Leave all the growing to go on underground
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and then next March or April, that enormous above ground growth can begin.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Right, that's a good job done.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Here are another couple of slightly smaller jobs
0:25:22 > 0:25:25but just as important that you could do this weekend.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Now that the days are getting shorter and the nights cooler,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33tomatoes are taking longer to ripen. To speed this process up,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35remove all the remaining foliage
0:25:35 > 0:25:39so the plants' energy is solely directed towards the fruit.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43This might seem very dramatic but the plants won't suffer
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and it will definitely help any green tomatoes to ripen.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49At this time of year, bad weather will cause a lot of damage
0:25:49 > 0:25:51in your borders, especially to tall plants
0:25:51 > 0:25:55that aren't properly staked. So check all your staking now.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59If need be, add extra support or raise the stakes up.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Not only will this support the plants,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05it will also keep the garden looking spruce right into autumn.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Now a job I'll be doing if not this weekend certainly over the next week
0:26:12 > 0:26:15is repairing the bare patches in lawns
0:26:15 > 0:26:19which inevitably occur after a hard summer like this one.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21This is a good time of year to do it
0:26:21 > 0:26:25because the seed will germinate very quickly and start to grow
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and then by next spring when it warms up,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32it will very quickly become thick and ready for mowing.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33Move out the way, Nige.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37The first thing to do is just loosen it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The secret of all good grass is drainage.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45I'm going to add a little bit of sharp sand just for that reason,
0:26:45 > 0:26:46to improve the drainage.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Come out of the way, there's a good boy. Go and get an apple.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55This time of year, Nigel goes around hoovering up apples.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And eating a huge amount every day.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06So it's just mixed in lightly.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Rake it off.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14The next stage...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18..is to sow it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Much better to sow than use turf in this sort of instance
0:27:22 > 0:27:23because seed is really cheap
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and also, and this is the critical thing,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28you can choose what type of seed you use.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30This is actually a shady mix.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33It will grow well in the lee of this hedge.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Whatever type you use, just sow it thinly.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41That's perfectly OK.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Rake it in.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Right, I'll keep that moist and it'll germinate really fast and grow strongly
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and by next spring, you won't know that it's been repaired.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58This technique applies whether you're preparing a small worn area
0:27:58 > 0:28:01the size of a saucer on a path, or making a brand new lawn.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06Sowing seed in September is the quickest way to establish grass.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Now we've run out of time and we shan't be back next week
0:28:09 > 0:28:11because there's athletics on.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15But I'll be back here at Longmeadow at our normal time in a fortnight
0:28:15 > 0:28:16so I'll see you then. Bye bye.
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