0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello and welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07This week, we're all on the road visiting all four
0:00:07 > 0:00:10RHS gardens up and down the country.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13We'll be looking for inspiration from their wonderful displays,
0:00:13 > 0:00:18as well as garnering all sorts of tips
0:00:18 > 0:00:21to bring back to our own gardens,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23whatever their soil and climatic conditions.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27All four gardens are vastly different from each other,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30but nonetheless, the gardeners at each of them
0:00:30 > 0:00:33not only produce wonderful, inspiring displays
0:00:33 > 0:00:40but also lead the way - they're at the very cutting edge of horticulture.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45I'm here at RHS Wisley in Surrey - it's the flagship RHS garden.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Joe will be at Harlow Carr, the most northerly RHS garden,
0:00:50 > 0:00:57discovering tips on propagation and getting inspirational ideas from the borders.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59I love this combination here.
0:00:59 > 0:01:05Verbena hastata rosea and a wonderful pink aster that looks absolutely stunning.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11Rachel heads east to Hyde Hall in Essex, one of the driest parts of the UK.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And here they've created a dry garden, specifically to explore
0:01:15 > 0:01:19the huge diversity of plants that can thrive in the low rainfall.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And Monty is in the south-west, at Rosemoor, getting inspiration
0:01:23 > 0:01:28for vibrant plant combinations in their iconic hot borders.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Most gardens at this time of year are thinning out and getting a bit weak.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39This feels positively volcanic - the whole place is on the boil.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The soil here at Wisley is light and free-draining.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It's sandy and acid.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02In the summer, it can be extremely hot here -
0:02:02 > 0:02:06occasionally they've recorded the highest temperatures in the country.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11And you'd expect, it being Surrey, it would experience fairly mild winters.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Not a bit of it.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Sometimes it's extremely cold here because it's low-lying.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22This is a vast garden, and it's constantly evolving and going forward.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And also self-sustaining -
0:02:25 > 0:02:28lots of the plans in the beds and borders here,
0:02:28 > 0:02:29they grow themselves.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35And to that end they've got a specially dedicated seed collection team.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And those seeds are sent not only all over the world,
0:02:38 > 0:02:46but also, through a special seed distribution scheme, to RHS members.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49In any case, I just can't help collecting seed
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and growing new plants from it.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It's in my blood and when you've done it once, you can't help it.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01I've had permission to take some seed from this lovely Centaurea.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06It's a perennial cornflower, and I've never seen it before.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I'd love this lovely
0:03:08 > 0:03:12big, wild plant in my garden.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18It's packed, not only with flowers, but also with ripe seed.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23At this stage and on a dry day, it's absolutely perfect
0:03:23 > 0:03:29and I'm going to stuff a few of these heads into a paper bag and save them for later.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33A lot of the seeds will drop out,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37but what happens at that stage?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Let's try that one, see if I can show you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:46All this light fluffy stuff which are the little parachutes
0:03:46 > 0:03:49designed to take that seed away, they're just beginning to fly
0:03:49 > 0:03:51so you can tell that seed is ready.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57If you just go into the centre, you can see all the fluff
0:03:57 > 0:04:02and amongst it, all these pale seeds.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08What I'll do eventually is a bit of winnowing
0:04:08 > 0:04:12so all the fluff just takes off, all those little parachutes
0:04:12 > 0:04:17fly away and left in my hand are those precious seeds.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21So, into there they'll go. I'm really looking forward to growing this.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Growing from seed is a great way to propagate.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28But it's by no means the only method and Joe has been up north
0:04:28 > 0:04:34to Harlow Carr to find out about a different way of growing new plants.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Harlow Carr sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It's the most northerly RHS garden
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and the weather here is really changeable.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I haven't been to Harlow Carr for too many years
0:04:52 > 0:04:53and this is the weather
0:04:53 > 0:04:58it has to contend with, really strong winds and tons of rain.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Looks like it's going to brighten up in a minute,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04but I have to say the garden has changed considerably,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06it looks absolutely stunning.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09These late summer perennials mixing with grass is wonderful.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I love this combination here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Verbena hastata rosea in the foreground is finishing flowering
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and the wonderful pink aster, novae-angliae,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and the majestic Stipa gigantea at the back doing its thing.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27It's been doing it for months. It still looks absolutely stunning.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29But what's so important about this garden is scale.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33There's many large trees and perennial planting
0:05:33 > 0:05:36but it's the shrubs doing an important job of tying
0:05:36 > 0:05:41those two elements together and also helping to see the garden right through the winter.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49At 700 ft above sea level, winters can be harsh
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and to ensure plants can be replaced if lost due to a cold snap,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55the best thing to do is to take cuttings.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Andrew Willocks has worked here for 16 years and plays a key part
0:06:00 > 0:06:03in the maintenance and development of the site.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I've got a couple of these Hebe sutherlandii in my garden and I've been fortunate,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11they're still OK, but a lot of people have lost hebes over the last couple of winters.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15We're quite lucky with hebes
0:06:15 > 0:06:18because on this particular variety, there's loads and loads
0:06:18 > 0:06:22of ideal material there and I've just taken a cutting with a small heel.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25You're only taking a tiny little piece of wood?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Yes, they're fairly easy to do in that respect.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- Into the plastic bag is to keep the moisture in and stop it drying out? - Yeah, yeah.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36And it's not just evergreen shrubs that can be propagated in this way,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41there's a range of plants that you can take cuttings from at this time of year.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Here we have Viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn'.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's really bendy.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51That's what semi-ripe is, isn't it?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54At the base it's just starting to harden,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57that's a typical good example of semi-ripe cutting.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01This is a deciduous shrub as opposed to the evergreen ones.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04You want to get some of the older... it's all this year's growth,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07but you want the earlier growth, as it were.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11The softer growth, we tend to reduce that at the top.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13So you're taking that off at the top?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Hopefully get a decent plant from that for the following year.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- You can take a decent shrub out of that in no time. - Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30OK.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32You've got the cutting material?
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Yes, first thing we have to do is make sure the knife is as sterile as possible.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Shall we have the Hebe first?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Yeah, sure.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Just tidy up the heel at the base.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It's important the heel at the base of the cutting
0:07:46 > 0:07:50because it's the most dramatic or dividing tissue which is important
0:07:50 > 0:07:53in the initiating root development from the base of the cutting.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So that's where it's all going to grow from?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Yeah. - What compost have you got here?
0:07:58 > 0:08:05It's just a 50/50 propagation mix of perlite and multi-purpose compost.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07You've wetted it first?
0:08:07 > 0:08:12And you just pop that in there and that's it, simple as that?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15On to the misting unit or under a prop cover.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Hang on, misting units, most people at home don't have misting units and prop covers.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26You can use one of these propagation tops on a standard tray, preferably on a windowsill
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and that should provide the perfect humid conditions for cuttings.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35How about the Viburnum? It's a slightly different technique, isn't it?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38The trouble with this, it's got quite a large leaves on it
0:08:38 > 0:08:41so the plant will naturally lose a lot of water through transpiration
0:08:41 > 0:08:47but to reduce the transpiration rate we cut the leaves in half, like that.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51The semi-ripe wood will develop quicker than a hardwood cutting?
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It will do, yes.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58The main thing is to make sure the conditions don't get too cold at night,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00otherwise rooting will be held back.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19It's been great coming back to Harlow Carr and seeing the fabulous gardens.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's interesting to see how they're preparing for winter.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Because the last two winters have been so harsh,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28so many gardeners have lost a lot of plants.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31And taking cuttings is just so easy that it guarantees you can keep
0:09:31 > 0:09:36the same plants in your garden next year.
0:09:48 > 0:09:55Last winter was so vicious that I lost all my Penstemons,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58every single one of them, stone dead.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03This particular one has special significance for me.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04It's 'Hewell Pink Bedder',
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and it was the very first Penstemon that I ever grew.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13I just love it, and I know that it's a good garden plant,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17because it's received the Award of Garden Merit from the RHS,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21a true sign of its garden-worthiness.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Here at Wisley,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25there are four borders
0:10:25 > 0:10:28which are devoted to growing just such award-winning plants.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Curator Colin Crosbie created the borders
0:10:40 > 0:10:43to highlight the best AGM plants
0:10:43 > 0:10:46from trials the RHS is running.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57So these are your new Award of Garden Merit borders.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They're looking brilliant.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Certainly are. Really good, and just planted in April this year.
0:11:03 > 0:11:09- This year?- This year. - So what are the kind of criteria
0:11:09 > 0:11:11that these plants have got to fulfil?
0:11:11 > 0:11:15These plants have been tested for various criteria.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18One, they stand up to the weather conditions.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Two, they have a long flowering period,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and three, they're resistant to pests and diseases.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Those are the main criteria for gardeners at home.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30So that's what you're telling people
0:11:30 > 0:11:32when you put this little emblem on, a cup, an AGM.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35You see it on a pack of bulbs.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39We've got some in the wheelbarrow there. There's the logo.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42That's what you're looking for
0:11:42 > 0:11:46in garden centres and nurseries throughout the country.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So when you buy a plant that's been awarded this AGM,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53you know immediately that that plant is going to do well for you?
0:11:53 > 0:11:59They're plants that will perform and be reliable and good in the garden.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01It's not every plant that's been tested,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03but there must have been a lot.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05How long has it been going?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07It's been going for over 70 years.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09We've tested annuals,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12we've tested perennials, trees, shrubs, fruit trees,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14vegetables, the whole range.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17So there's a great range of plants that have got that award.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22In these borders, they're mainly perennials, aren't they?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And what beautiful perennials they are too.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And I see quite new plants like this lovely Geranium 'Rozanne',
0:12:28 > 0:12:30which is one of my favourites.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Geranium 'Rozanne' is wonderful.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35But behind it, look at the blue Campanula.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39'Pritchard's Variety'. That's been around for a number of years.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42So new plants get tested, and old plants too.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I've been growing it a long time.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48And the colour scheme that you've got here, the blues, the yellows,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52we're going to add a little hydrangea
0:12:52 > 0:12:55that's got creamy yellow flowers as well.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So are you going to change these borders, or keep them the same?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01They'll evolve all the time because as new trials happen,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04we'll take some out and bring new plants in.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05We'll always be evolving
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and adding bulbs to give a spring interest as well.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09This is a real beaut.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13In this case, why would this have been awarded?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16This got the Award of Garden Merit following trials in 2008.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Big, big flower heads on it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But the stem supports the flower head.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23It lasts a long time,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and the flower fades to the most beautiful pink as well.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28And the perfect time to plant it too.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30This is a great time in gardens,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34because the soil is warm. Whether you're planting perennials,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37trees and shrubs, the roots will grow out and establish,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and you'll get better results in your garden next year.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I think people are quite shy of autumn planting,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45because now that everything's containerised,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49you always tend to think about spring planting and early summer.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- But it's just the job now, isn't it? - Just the job,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and even better doing it at this time of year for many plants.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I've just got to get a hole dug here.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I'm rather envious, you know.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02It's lovely soil.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- It's warm, it's moist. - It's beautiful.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08If you could knock that out of the container for me?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- There you are.- Brilliant. I'm going to tease the roots a little
0:14:14 > 0:14:16to help them establish.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19There we go.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22If you could just hold that a second for me.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Certainly. I'm not used to being the apprentice!
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I've got to put some mycorrhizae,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- which are beneficial fungi, on the roots.- Got to be in contact
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- with those roots for it to work. - They must touch the roots.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39These just help the plant to establish.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Make sure it's facing the right way, so you get the best side.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Yes. I always believe in that, showing people your best side.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50It's important, isn't it?
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Very important.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Do you think I'd get an Award of Garden Merit?
0:14:54 > 0:14:58You'd get an Award of Garden Merit and a gold medal at the same time.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21The great thing about the AGM is that it highlights to gardeners
0:15:21 > 0:15:23plants of special excellence.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Most of them are very tolerant.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29But what happens if you garden in extreme conditions?
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Rachel's been to Hyde Hall
0:15:31 > 0:15:38in Essex to find out how they cope with a dry and very exposed site,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and to take a look at an exciting new project.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Believe it or not, if you take an average rainfall,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02there are places in the UK that are drier than Beirut or Jerusalem.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09With just 600mm of rain per annum,
0:16:09 > 0:16:15Hyde Hall in Essex is the arid sibling in the family of RHS gardens.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24So this is the ideal place to look at gardening in parched conditions.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Here, they've created a dry garden specifically to explore
0:16:28 > 0:16:30the huge diversity of plants
0:16:30 > 0:16:33that can thrive in low rainfall.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Ian LeGros is the curator here at Hyde Hall,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and the dry garden is just one area he's responsible for.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48This is fantastic, the view over there. It's great.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Ian, talk me through the main characteristics
0:16:53 > 0:16:55of drought-tolerant plants?
0:16:55 > 0:16:59A lot of them have very small leaves and a small surface area,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01so they're not losing lots of water.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Some of the plants have bigger leaves with a thick,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09waxy cuticle to them, which helps them hold on to moisture.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Other plants tend to grow quite low to the ground.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14If you look around here,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17there aren't many trees or very tall shrubs.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Things like the juniper over there
0:17:19 > 0:17:23have thick, resinous sap as well as needle-like leaves.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Then you have plants like the Euphorbia,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28which has a number of characteristics.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31You've got the silver foliage to reflect the harmful rays of the sun.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36Very thick sap, and it's able to store a bit of water.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40So just in the dry garden, you can see a number of adaptations
0:17:40 > 0:17:44which make them very good at living off our rainfall in Essex.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48So does that mean you never have to irrigate this garden?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51We only water plants here if they've been new introductions
0:17:51 > 0:17:54or a bit of replanting. With the new section we're making,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58we will irrigate that through watering cans or hosepipes.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01We won't use sprinklers or anything like that.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07After its first season, it'll be alone, waiting for the rain to come.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- They're on their own. - They're on their own.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So the dry garden's been such a success
0:18:11 > 0:18:13- that you're making it bigger?- We are.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15We've doubled in size.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- It's enormous.- It's half the size of a football pitch,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I suppose, this new section.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- It's going to be impressive. - Hopefully.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Seeing it at this stage is fascinating
0:18:36 > 0:18:38because you go right from the beginning
0:18:38 > 0:18:40with the boulders here.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42What else do you do to the soil?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The soil, we've mixed in about 50% sand and grit.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It really adds to the drainage.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55That also overlies some rubble that we've put in.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Yes, you can see in the bottom of the hole,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59it's a little bit more wet.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03This has got a lot of grit in it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06If you live in a part of the country where the rainfall's much higher,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08can you still do this sort of dry garden?
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I think you could.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12You might have to work harder at the drainage
0:19:12 > 0:19:14to improve it and build the soil up.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But there's a great selection of plants.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21We grow them very hard here, so they will accept more rainfall.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But the key is getting the drainage right for the winter months.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's the winter wet that they really dislike.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Yeah. They can put up with the cold temperature and the wet,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34but not both together over that prolonged three-month period.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36So you've already got some of the key plants,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39you've got the Cupressus over there
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and the beautiful Stipa gigantea, which will look marvellous.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Look at this sedum.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Yeah, the pink flowers and foliage go really well together.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Sedum's one of those plants that will
0:19:50 > 0:19:52very much hold on to water.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59If you want to try some plants for dry gardens,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03here are a few that really caught my eye today at Hyde Hall.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09The coral coloured blooms of Zauschneria californica
0:20:09 > 0:20:12smother the plant
0:20:12 > 0:20:15from the height of summer to the first weeks of winter.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17For one of the best blue flowers
0:20:17 > 0:20:21at this time of year, you can't beat Ceratostigma plumbaginoides.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Resist the temptation to treat the plant too well, as it looks best
0:20:25 > 0:20:27when it's grown hard in poor soil.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Perovskia 'Blue Spire' is a tough little plant
0:20:31 > 0:20:34with beautifully serrated grey leaves
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and spires of mauve blue flowers.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Don't be too quick with the secateurs,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42as the stems bleach to a stunning white in winter.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46That is the first few in out of 20,000.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So we might be here for a few hours.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51A few hours, I would have thought so, yeah.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03On the other side of the country, Monty's been to another RHS garden,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07where the conditions and climate couldn't be more different.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24I'm in north Devon at Rosemoor, the RHS's West Country garden.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Conditions here are mild.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The seasons are long, and it's very wet.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33This means that there's a wide range of plants here,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and they all grow well and lushly.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48The soil here at Rosemoor is a heavy, acidic loam,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50which fundamentally means clay.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53That's hard work for the gardeners, but it holds the moisture.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And it's exceptionally good for roses,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58even this late on in the year.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07About 20 years ago, I stayed for a weekend near here.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11I remember thinking "I must go into Rosemoor", but I never did.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13So this is my first visit,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and I want to see as much as possible.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But the part that I especially want to see on this trip
0:22:19 > 0:22:20is the hot garden.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I like the way the path is curving round,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41so it feels it's flowing through.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44The whole feeling is like being in the middle of a border.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48And what's particularly good, which adds to the sensation of heat,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50is these great big clumps,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54these enormous swathes of heleniums.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Anybody can pop some reds, purples and oranges in the ground
0:22:58 > 0:23:02and call it hot planting. But this is more. It's got energy.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06It's got a kind of subterranean richness,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08whereas most gardens at this time of year
0:23:08 > 0:23:10are thinning out and getting a bit weak.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This feels positively volcanic.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The whole place is on the boil.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32I love the way that the garden is full of subtleties as well as power.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This Kniphofia, 'Bees' Sunset' which I've not come across before
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and shall definitely get for my own garden,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42looks fantastic next to the Pleioblastus
0:23:42 > 0:23:45with these stripes of green and yellow.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48That's really subtle and rich and strong and will endure,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51that's the key thing. It is not just a one-hit wonder.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53You could look at that for days, and enjoy it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' is a familiar plant.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Lots of us have it, but it looks fabulous here.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It's none the worse for being well known.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But this is even better.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23This is Coreopsis 'Schnittgold'.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27It may not be a beautiful name, but it's a fabulous plant.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30You've got this rich, intense buttercup yellow,
0:24:30 > 0:24:36borne on these tall, curving stems. They've woven it through the garden.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I'll definitely be growing this in the Jewel Garden next year.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The great thing about going to visit a wonderful garden
0:24:52 > 0:24:56is that it doesn't matter if the soil is different from your own
0:24:56 > 0:24:58or the climate is completely different,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02because there is bound to be something there, a plant combination,
0:25:02 > 0:25:03a new way of doing things,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07that you can take back home and apply to your own garden.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And that's exactly what I shall be doing now
0:25:10 > 0:25:12when I get back to Long Meadow.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32One idea that I'm totally blown away by
0:25:32 > 0:25:37is this lovely combination of Malus hupehensis
0:25:37 > 0:25:41with Clematis tangutica climbing up into its branches.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46Lovely, pale yellow flowers and these rich red berries.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's a quandary for a lot of people how to support that clematis,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50but you couldn't do better
0:25:50 > 0:25:54than this lovely, natural sort of association.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58It's certainly going to inspire me.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Well, that's something for next year,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02but there are plenty of practical jobs
0:26:02 > 0:26:05that you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Now the evenings are getting colder, it's a good idea
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to lift and store your pumpkin crop.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Only choose sound fruit with no sign of rotting.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Cut the pumpkin from the parent plant
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and ensure you have a good length of stem
0:26:20 > 0:26:25so that if any rotting does occur, it won't die back into the fruit.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Then place the harvested fruit in a warm, dry position
0:26:28 > 0:26:30such as a shed or windowsill,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and enjoy throughout the autumn and winter.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Now that the birds have flown the nest,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40it's an ideal time to clean out nesting boxes.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Any debris left inside can harbour parasites, so a good clean
0:26:43 > 0:26:45will make the boxes great places
0:26:45 > 0:26:50to roost and set up home next year.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Gooseberries are the first soft fruit
0:26:52 > 0:26:55you take hardwood cuttings from.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Select a healthy shoot 30 to 45 centimetres long.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Tidy up the base by cutting just below a bud.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Remove the soft tip by cutting at an angle, just above a bud.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Strip off the foliage, but leave the top two leaves.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Snip off all the thorns to make your cutting easier to handle.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Make a slit in prepared soil with a spade,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and push the cutting in to half its length,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and you should have roots by April.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31In itself, dead-heading is not a big job, but it's probably
0:27:31 > 0:27:34the most important thing you can do at this time of year.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36If you can cut back faded blooms
0:27:36 > 0:27:38every couple of days,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42your garden will be full of colour right through to the first frost.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59What a treasure trove Wisley is.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Not just of seeds, but in common with all the RHS gardens,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07it's just so packed full of brilliant ideas and inspiration.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Next week, we're on at the earlier time of eight.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Monty will be back in Long Meadow.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16But meanwhile, get out there, collect some seeds
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and above all, enjoy your gardening.
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