0:00:05 > 0:00:08Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Now, whilst the weather lasts,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13this stage of October is a fantastic time of year.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17It's so rich and fruity and ripe.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Everything just ready to be enjoyed at its peak.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26This week, I'm planting wallflowers,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29which although not the most glamorous of plants
0:00:29 > 0:00:32are guaranteed to provide a big hit of colour next spring.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Carol is at home, creating new plants from old
0:00:36 > 0:00:41by dividing perennials to stock her recently-made borders.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Any amount of time and effort that you invest now
0:00:44 > 0:00:48is going to be repaid tenfold in the spring.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53And Alan Power, head gardener at the National Trust Stourhead,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56takes us on a trip back to Northern Ireland
0:00:56 > 0:00:59and to the garden that has always inspired him.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09HE SNIFFS
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I'm picking quinces,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and quinces, I think, are one of the most romantic of all fruits,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19and certainly the best fragrance.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23If you just put one in a bowl, it will fill the room for weeks
0:01:23 > 0:01:27with just a hint of beautiful scent.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And, in fact, they have an ancient history.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32These were the fruit of good and evil.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35It was this that tempted Eve - not an apple.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37As a gardener, they're dead easy to grow.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41They make a small, sort of compact but rather untidy tree,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44That's part of their charm. You don't prune them.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47They tend to corkscrew off and grow irregularly.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49They store pretty well.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53The idea is to pick them before they fall and bruise.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56There we are. That's come away. Can you see there,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59it's got a little downy covering,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01just on here?
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And I love the story how, in the 17th century,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09a poultice was sold as a hair restorer,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and it was fundamentally just mashed-up quince.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17It's got lots of pectin in it, so it's really quite mucilaginous.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And then you just slap it on your bald pate
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and presumably, it's so that your hair
0:02:22 > 0:02:27will regrow these little baby hairs. And it may not do much
0:02:27 > 0:02:30for your baldness, but you would smell lovely.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38The best reason for growing quinces is that they taste delicious.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42You have to cook them, but they improve any apple dish,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44are great with roasted meat,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and the combination of quince jelly and cheese is sublime.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05There you go.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Now, obviously, the orchard is where the action is in October.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21We have apples falling every day. And what I do, in fact,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25is I put down crates underneath each tree and pick up the windfalls,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30so they don't get too eaten by the chickens and mice and slugs.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33But the point about windfalls is they can't be stored.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37They're good to eat and we eat them now. This is a Herefordshire Beefing apple.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41And you can see lots of windfalls. It's a very old-fashioned cooking apple.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43In fact, it was used for drying.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Whereas, if you want to store apples, then you'll really need to look after them.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Storing apples is one of those things that is a treat
0:03:51 > 0:03:55because when you get to Christmas time, to February and March,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57you can have an apple that you've grown,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01tasting perfect - in fact, they tend to get better as they store -
0:04:01 > 0:04:05so it's not just a question of growing your own, but also storing your own.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08They're dead easy to do. However...
0:04:08 > 0:04:10you mustn't store a bruised apple.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It's really a question of handling them with kid gloves.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18When they're ripe, and you've got an apple here... This is Blenheim Orange,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21which is a good cooker, although as it gets older, you can eat it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24If that's ripe, I'll know because it'll come away in my hand.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26So I just hold it like that and twist.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Now, that's not ripe.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30That is not ready for picking, so we'll leave it.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33That one there looks as though it should be.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38So we come here, just go up, and it's just come away in my hand.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Just hold it carefully, treasure it, and put it into a basket. Don't chuck it.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45It doesn't matter what it looks like - if it comes away, it's ready.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51And the whole point about growing apples is you're so limited in the supermarket
0:04:51 > 0:04:55in the varieties, but there are HUNDREDS of different apples that you can grow,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59a lot of them good. So, for example, in this orchard,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I've got quite a few that you only get in Herefordshire.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And so... I need a ladder! As well as an orchard,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09which is a lovely thing, you've got the romance of the apple.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12You store it carefully, and then when you eat it,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15you're ingesting part of the history of them.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Let's go over to this one.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Now, there are lots of ways of storing apples, but essentially,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42what you're looking for is somewhere cool and dark.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45We've got this shed. We store lots of things in it,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and it's fine for apples as long as it's not too cold,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and if it is, we have to come in and cover them.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56But I use these. These used to be my grandfather's, and I inherited them from my mother.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You can buy similar things, and make them.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01The beauty of them is that you get lots of air
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and ventilation, and they stack.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07You're looking for somewhere that is not too dry,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09so the fruit don't dry out.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14And just stack them in rows, and again, don't chuck them on.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17And also, they shouldn't be touching.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Just keep them apart. And the reason why I don't want them to touch
0:06:20 > 0:06:23is because if there is a bit of bruising or damage,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25that will spread from apple to apple,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30but if they're not touching, there's no danger of that.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Now, if you're thinking,
0:06:32 > 0:06:37"Why take so much trouble just over some apples?",
0:06:37 > 0:06:40well, the answer's simple - because they taste so good.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Your own apples, grown and stored carefully, are a delicious fruit.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50It's not just any old thing that you eat all the time. They're absolutely beautiful,
0:06:50 > 0:06:56and they'll stay good right through till next March or April.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00So I think they're worth taking any amount of trouble over.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Now, this is very much the season of harvesting
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and of looking forward,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and down at Glebe Cottage, Carol has been preparing for next spring
0:07:09 > 0:07:14by making new herbaceous plants from old.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33October has to be the most delicious time of the year.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This wonderful sort of quieting-down,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39where everything begins to mellow and all the colours soften.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43It's easy to just sink into the whole thing.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48But for gardeners, this is the beginning of the gardening year,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52and I'm going to get cracking with my brand-new beds.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57The plan is to stock them by propagating my existing plants.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Back in September, I began by collecting and sowing seed.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Now I'm into stage two and I've already placed some plants.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10A lot of the plants I want to use are in the garden already
0:08:10 > 0:08:15and now is THE perfect time to divide them.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Now, I've already taken plants from here and divided them,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27but the plant I want to deal with right now
0:08:27 > 0:08:30is this delightful Sanguisorba.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33These beautiful pink, fluffy heads
0:08:33 > 0:08:35are borne right into the autumn.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39How's this for a great big clump?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42In fact, it's even bigger than I'd imagined,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45so it's going to take me a few minutes to get that out of the ground!
0:08:47 > 0:08:51The plant is just beginning to go to sleep. Beginning its dormancy.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56So, I couldn't really do it at a better time of year.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Hope me wheelbarrow's up to this!
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Now for the important bit.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Well, the whole idea of these beds
0:09:12 > 0:09:16is that I'm employing sort of ribbon planting.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I'm going to let the same plant drift through from one bed to another
0:09:20 > 0:09:24so it gives the whole planting some sort of cohesion.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28And this Sanguisorba fits the bill.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39So, I really need to see this from above,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43because I'm going to use a spade to slice it up.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46And it looks so horribly brutal,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50but everywhere I'm cutting through one of these roots,
0:09:50 > 0:09:56it's going to persuade this plant to make lots of fibrous feeding roots,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01which is exactly what we need to establish those new divisions.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06The general rule of thumb with perennials is to divide them every three to four years.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Plants become congested and woody,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13the centres become less productive and there are fewer flowers.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18By lifting and dividing, and using only the healthy outer growth,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21plants are reinvigorated
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and, in return, we get more, more, more.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27This piece is ideal.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29We can see here these embryonic shoots
0:10:29 > 0:10:32which are just dying to burst forward,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35which is just what they'll do next spring.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40But over the winter, it's going to be making a fabulous root system,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45which is going to support it all the time it spends in here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48When I put this in here, I want to make sure
0:10:48 > 0:10:52that none of those roots are wrapped around.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56They should just rest gently in the hole.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Fill in the soil round about
0:10:59 > 0:11:02and have it just sticking up above the surface,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and that should be brilliant. It's going to give me
0:11:05 > 0:11:08the most lovely, pink, fluffy flowers all summer long.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10But, before that even thinks of flowering,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13there's something else over here that's going to have been
0:11:13 > 0:11:16at its very best, and I'm going to divide it now!
0:11:19 > 0:11:24This is Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Flore Pleno'.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28It's one of spring's delights, it flowers in late May
0:11:28 > 0:11:31with these wonderful little white pom-pom flowers.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36As soon as the canopy fills in overhead, it goes to sleep,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but underneath here, there are lots of wonderful roots.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Delve in and just loosen up all this soil.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Grab hold of the crown, shake it all off,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and then give it a wash.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Just washing it makes it easy to see these separate,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59individual little buds,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and each one of them is at the top of a spider of growth,
0:12:03 > 0:12:08and you can actually just pull them out like that.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12And every one will make a separate, individual plant.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Now, I'm going to plant them straightaway,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I don't want them to dry out.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28I'm going to make these holes nice and deep and put each one in.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33The great thing about dividing these plants like this -
0:12:33 > 0:12:38they're going to have all winter to make up and become brilliant,
0:12:38 > 0:12:43big specimens by the spring, so any amount of time and effort
0:12:43 > 0:12:48that you invest now is going to be repaid tenfold in the spring.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05The great thing about dividing plants now,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09or even planting new plants, is that the soil is still warm,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12so the roots grow for the next month or so,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and next spring, when the top grows,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17there's a decent root system to support it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I'm going to be planting into this piece of ground some wallflowers.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23I've got a great big box here.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I've got 100 plants, and that cost less than 30 quid,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30so they're relatively cheap and now is the time to plant them.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32And I love wallflowers,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34they're not particularly fashionable or trendy,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37it's old-fashioned bedding!
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But none the worse for that, because
0:13:40 > 0:13:44as well as having a range of fabulous colours in April,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47they also have really, really good scent,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49perhaps the best scent of any plant.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53The whole point of putting them into this part of the garden is that it's all green.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57It's deliberately green in summer - you've got the box, the acanthus -
0:13:57 > 0:14:00so the two make a perfect combination.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Now, this ground is just full of box roots,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04which normally would be a bad thing,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08because it'll make anything else growing in there struggle to compete.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Wallflowers, if you think of the name,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13will grow out of a wall. I've seen wallflowers growing
0:14:13 > 0:14:16out of a tower, just in the joints between the mortar.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19They like fairly alkaline conditions and poor soil,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and putting them in couldn't be easier.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24You just pull them out, and you buy them like this.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I've been soaking these for the last hour,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29but you can see they're on a root system,
0:14:29 > 0:14:30nice, healthy plant, squat,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32what you're looking for is not a tall one,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35lots of branches on it, and just pop them in.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38I'm going to pop them in fairly close together too,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40because then they'll support each other.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42That'll just go in there...
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Now, these are all Blood Red,
0:14:45 > 0:14:51because I want a dramatic hit of red against the green of the box.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Remember, these are biennials,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02so they will have been sown in May, grown on throughout summer
0:15:02 > 0:15:04to get a decent root system and structure,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and the roots will go on growing well
0:15:07 > 0:15:10right until the cold weather comes along.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And then the flowers will appear in spring,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and in the case of wallflowers, April -
0:15:15 > 0:15:18April is really their month - and by mid...to the end of May,
0:15:18 > 0:15:19they're completely finished.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Now, they will live as perennials,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24but they get very sprawly and they'll flower less and less.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Wallflowers are members of the brassica family and they're tough.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34And they need to be, especially here, because this is a cold garden and slow to warm up in spring.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It always amazes me how gardens further north can be ahead of ours in April and even May.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41That's certainly true of parts of Northern Ireland,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44where I've seen some amazing gardens with a wide range of plants.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47But none of them matches Mount Stewart, which is probably
0:15:47 > 0:15:51the most famous garden in the whole of Northern Ireland. And Alan Power,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54who's now head gardener at Stourhead,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57used to work there, and he's made a return visit.
0:16:10 > 0:16:1311 years ago, when I started as head gardener at Mount Stewart,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15the task was actually quite terrifying.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18There was such a new variety of plants for me to learn,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20such different soil conditions,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and a completely different climate to what I was used to.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27But all of these years later, I still love coming back to Mount Stewart,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29it's very much one of my favourite places.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The garden was designed by Lady Edith Londonderry,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and when she arrived at Mount Stewart in 1915,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45she set about creating a diverse garden that took advantage of the local climate.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the climate here may be damp,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53but it is temperate, surrounded by the sea.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57It has an island climate, and so despite its northerly latitude,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00the gardens here are filled with tropical and tender plants.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And this is the Italian garden.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08What I really love about the Italian garden is that you're bombarded with plants,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11and the narrow little pathways that run through these planted areas
0:17:11 > 0:17:15really invite you to explore, whereas if this was a deep,
0:17:15 > 0:17:16herbaceous border,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20you wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to get that close to the plants.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Lady Edith really knew what she wanted,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and her influence is still felt by the gardeners today.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Neil Porteous has just taken on the role of head gardener here,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33and has plans to revitalise
0:17:33 > 0:17:36the Italian garden using her original designs.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40She kept diaries and garden books,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and just where we are, in the west, the part here,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47there's this colour scheme of blood red
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and plum colours based around the central fountain
0:17:50 > 0:17:51like a sunburst,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55fading into mauves and purples and clear yellows.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59And will you be using exactly the plants that Lady Edith used?
0:17:59 > 0:18:04No, it's a chance for us really to use modern varieties, newly discovered things,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07plants that are really going to slow people down
0:18:07 > 0:18:11as they walk through, but keep to the colour scheme.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15One of the talking-points of the Italian garden was what to do with the hedges.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- What are your thoughts? - Well, we can't use box,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20because Lady Edith didn't like it in the garden at all.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- There's a challenge in itself. - At the moment, we have
0:18:23 > 0:18:29hebe and heather and berberis, and they're beautiful to see in flower.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32These things will only last for three or four years,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35then we'll replace them and try new things.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40The lovely thing about Mount Stewart is that, hopefully, every time you come, there'll be changes,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and you'll see it progressing.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52This is the Spanish garden.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56It's always been one of my favourite compartments at Mount Stewart.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59What really throws me about this compartment is the way
0:18:59 > 0:19:02the planting is overlaid next to this architectural design,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and it's a simple approach to the planting.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06You have the architectural plants,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08like the arundo donax in the background,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13the kirengeshoma just here, and the magnificent standard wisterias.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And then, moving forwards to the real draw, these wonderful red hot pokers,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20a very distinctive plant at Mount Stewart.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I used to sit in the Spanish garden,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24but it's very hard to sit still for long,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28because you have these magnificent leylandii arches,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and between each arch, there's this brilliant glimpse
0:19:30 > 0:19:33out into something very, very special.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I was too curious as to what I was going to see
0:19:36 > 0:19:38once I went through these arches.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51I love the less formal parts of the garden at Mount Stewart, as well.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52And this is one particular area
0:19:52 > 0:19:55that's extremely attractive at the moment.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You have this beautiful tree fern giving it a very...
0:19:58 > 0:19:59tropical, exotic feel,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03leading into these brilliant agapanthus and on to this astelia,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06which I struggle to grow in my garden at home in Wiltshire,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08but it's growing in really rough, tough conditions
0:20:08 > 0:20:12underneath this eucalyptus that's just spiralling up into the sky above.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And these plants have come from the other side of the planet
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and are surviving very happily.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Now, if the formal gardens at Mount Stewart aren't enough,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38then surely this is the icing on the cake.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39As you look across the lake,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42you can see that the skills that are used to create
0:20:42 > 0:20:44such magnificent formal gardens
0:20:44 > 0:20:47have been transferred out into the lake area.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Look across and you see repetition in the purples,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52in the distance, of the Japanese maples.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54You can see the lovely white stems of the birch trees
0:20:54 > 0:20:57right across the lake. Then, to the left,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00you can see the magnificent architectural leaves of the gunneras.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03And this amazing sight will bring me back to Mount Stewart
0:21:03 > 0:21:05time and time again.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29This year, I tried out some grafted tomatoes,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31along with the normal seed-raised ones.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34And I asked if any of you had done the same and, if you had,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37if you'd contact us to let us know how you got on.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Now, this wasn't a scientific test of any kind, just anecdotal evidence.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42And, of those of you that replied,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44two-thirds were very happy with them
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and we had responses that went along the lines of this one
0:21:47 > 0:21:49from Derek Johnson, which is pretty typical,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53saying you grew Conchita and Dasher, they went extremely well.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56"I cannot praise these plants too highly.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58"They're not the best flavour we've tasted,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00"but are saving a fortune not having to buy any."
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And then we have Ann and Steve Selby.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07"Grown grafted tomatoes, grown three plants.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08"And they've gone bonkers!
0:22:08 > 0:22:10"I eat so many tomatoes, I'm sick of them."
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Well, try freezing them. Make them into a sauce and keep them.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Of the one-third that weren't so happy, this is a pretty typical response.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21This is from Peter Dixon, who said that you found the grafted tomato -
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and you only grew one - grew like Topsy.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27"So much so, it pushed its way through the roof of the housing.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30"By mid-July, it was laden with large, green fruits.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33"Sadly, that's the way they stayed till late August.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36"Back to seed for me."
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I think the truth is that
0:22:38 > 0:22:40all tomatoes have had a really tough time this year.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44It's not been easy to grow a good, tasty tomato.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48So, on balance, all we can say is that, as a general experiment,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50it went pretty well.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54And most people were happy with the way they performed.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But, as I repeat, that's not a scientific test,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59it's simply anecdotal.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Anyway, the time has come
0:23:00 > 0:23:02for me to put an end to the performance of mine.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06These are still ripening, we've still got some fruits on them,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08but I know they won't ripen very much more.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12And I've got a bed here, which I could fill with parsley plants
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and use the warmth of late summer, early autumn,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19into getting them growing strongly and they'll carry me through winter,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22whereas if I keep the tomatoes in, I'll only get a handful more.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I'm going to plant my first garlic of the year now.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Now, garlic is normally planted between October and February,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05although I like to get it in by Christmas.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06And the reason for that is
0:24:06 > 0:24:10because garlic needs a period of cold weather.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13That triggers it into good growth, and very often if you plant late,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16you'll find that the cloves never divide.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21You end up with just one large bulb, instead of about a dozen,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24circled around like the segments of an orange,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26and that's a lack of cold weather, as often as not.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29So you can plant from any time from September onwards,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and I'll probably make three plantings - one now,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34one next month and one just before Christmas.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38They tend to do best on alkaline soil -
0:24:38 > 0:24:43limestone, well-drained, full sun, but they like plenty of water.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Now, I've got two varieties here - I've got Sprint,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49which I've grown many times before
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and is a good, reliable variety.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54And I've got another one, which I've never grown before,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57with a difficult name to pronounce, Vallelado - too many L's there -
0:24:57 > 0:25:02which has been developed especially for northern climes.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05This comes as separate bulbs.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06There.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Now, what you're looking for when you plant a garlic...
0:25:10 > 0:25:14If you're growing your own, I wouldn't keep seed for more than two years.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Get fresh stock every two or three years
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and that way, you'll avoid the build-up of viruses.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23And break it apart but don't plant really small cloves -
0:25:23 > 0:25:25there's no point.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30You'll get a better return from nice, big, juicy cloves.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Eat the small ones.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Planting them's dead easy.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38For all alliums, it's really important to keep them weed-free
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and well watered when they're growing,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43because the size of the bulb depends upon the health of the foliage.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And plant them about nine inches apart.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That might seem quite wide spacing,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51but you get a healthier bulb if they have room to grow.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56If I hold it up like that, you can see the bottom has a flat plate.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01That's the plate the roots come out of, and the top is vaguely pointy.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Pointy end up.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04That's the key to success.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And then don't plant them like onion sets,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09which stick out the ground, but like a daffodil,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11so its own depth down in the ground.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And I just use my finger - but any dibber would do -
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and just push it down in the soil.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Plate down, in they go.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Now, all I have to do is just rake this over to cover them up.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Don't need to water them in - there'll be plenty of water before winter is out.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37The time that garlic needs water is in spring, when it's growing.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39And these should start to appear
0:26:39 > 0:26:42some time in the next four to six weeks.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45So before the worst of the cold weather comes,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48there should be about six inches of growth above ground.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Right, that's a job I've meant to do for the last week or so,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57but here are a few more jobs that you can do at home this weekend.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01At this time of year, the weather can change direction overnight -
0:27:01 > 0:27:05you come down in the morning and find a precious crop
0:27:05 > 0:27:08either battered into submission or shrivelled up.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10This is where cloches come in.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Put them on young plants now and they will keep on growing
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and providing you with a harvest right into winter,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19whatever the weather.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24If your plants are mysteriously sickly,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26it could well be vine weevils causing the problem,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30and I know that once in a garden, they can be terribly difficult to get out.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32The larvae eat the roots of plants
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and the parent will eat the top growth.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38However, there is a nematode that attacks the larvae
0:27:38 > 0:27:41and now is the perfect time to apply it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44You buy it mixed in a clay suspension,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and following the instructions on the packet,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49dilute this down accordingly.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Then, water it on to the soil of the plant.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54The nematodes burrow inside their host
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and eat them from the inside out and will go on doing so
0:27:57 > 0:28:02until there are none left, at which point the nematodes themselves die.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And finally, probably the most important thing
0:28:08 > 0:28:10you can do this weekend...
0:28:10 > 0:28:11is to stop.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Whatever the weather's like at the start of October,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16you can guarantee it'll get worse.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22So if the sun does shine, and you have a chance, sit down.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Enjoy the garden while it lasts.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28And whatever the weather's like, I'll be back here next week.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30See you then. Bye-bye.
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