0:00:17 > 0:00:21Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25At this time of year, it's only natural we should look back and take stock,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and make sure the things that worked really well this year
0:00:29 > 0:00:34get carried forward, and perhaps those things that were not so successful are not repeated.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38On top of that, there's lots to do to make sure the garden
0:00:38 > 0:00:41is looking at its best next spring.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46As well as looking back over the successes
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and failures of my Jewel Garden, I'm also planting tulips
0:00:49 > 0:00:51for the first big splash of colour next spring,
0:00:51 > 0:00:57and gathering up my favourite autumn harvest - fallen leaves.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Collect them now and you'll have a superb soil conditioner
0:01:01 > 0:01:04next year which money literally can't buy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Carol is at Glebe Cottage with tips on how to tame
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and prune an unruly rambling rose.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17All that growth has been made this year, and that's the growth that will flower next summer.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Joe is at the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23where the superb underlying structure guarantees it looks
0:01:23 > 0:01:25spectacular all the year round.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29This is gardening on a grand scale, but it's not grand gardening,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31and that's what I like.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33There's something for everybody here.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Now, I say I'm going to review the Jewel Garden,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55but it's still going strong.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01It's still pouring out flowers into the autumn days.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It has evolved across the year.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09You have to remember in March, this was a blank canvas.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Because the Jewel Garden had become very dominated by a few thuggish plants,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and more critically, overwhelmed with bindweed.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21The only way to deal with that was take everything out,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24which in itself was a big job, and dig through it inch by inch,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27removing every scrap of bindweed root.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30On the whole, that's been a success, but we had to replant.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34So to think that all this has been achieved in six months
0:02:34 > 0:02:37is something that makes me very pleased.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43One of the heroes has been sweet peas, but their day is done.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47They can't be expected to go on any more so I need to remove these to create a bit of space,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51so then I can start thinking about bulbs for next spring.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55This is Cupani, and there are no seeds on at all
0:02:55 > 0:02:58because we kept picking the flowers.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I'll just cut that off and this will all end up as compost.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14One of the strange things about this year,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and it has been quite a strange year in many ways, is what has
0:03:17 > 0:03:20done well and what hasn't done so well here in the Jewel Garden.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25For example, the Mexican and South American tender annuals like these zinnias,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30which have just been incredible all summer, and the salvia guaranitica,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35the cosmos and tithonia have all really been superb.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Couldn't have asked for more.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41But a plant I always grow with this bunch, a key Jewel Garden plant,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46leonotis leonurus, which comes from South Africa, has done nothing.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Completely hopeless.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I've dotted them around, none of them are more than a foot tall,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and they should be right up there with those lovely orange flowers.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00All I can guess is they didn't have heat at a crucial time.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It's not just the quantity of heat, it's the timing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05July and August were really cold here.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08These plants were able to weather that storm,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and when it got warmer in September, they came into their own,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15by which time it was too late for leonotis.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Take these out.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Another thing which I've noticed this year is that
0:04:25 > 0:04:31when we planted the shrubs in the Jewel Garden, in my mind,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35they were fairly substantial structural elements in the borders,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38but we put them in really small, and they've stayed small.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40They haven't thrived at all.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43That's partly cos it was cold, but also because the perennials
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and the annuals all around them have swamped them.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50The whole idea in the Jewel Garden is to let things spread,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54ramble, grow really strongly within a tight structure.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Joe has been to Northumberland, to a garden where structure is
0:04:58 > 0:05:04taken to another level, used in a dramatic way right through the year.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Alnwick is all about design on a grand scale.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22What sets it apart from other historic gardens
0:05:22 > 0:05:25is it's 100% contemporary.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It's got permanent structures throughout the garden
0:05:29 > 0:05:32holding it together, such as this wonderful hornbeam walkway.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's the proportions that are impressive.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38It's so tall, so wide, lets the light through.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41From outside, it's got that lovely domed top,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and this green architecture is a hallmark of Alnwick Gardens.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00This is the ornamental garden,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and it's one of the most exciting spaces here at Alnwick.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It's packed full of plants with some great combinations.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It's set within a very traditional walled garden,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14but what's interesting is everything here has a modern twist.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19There's a strong geometrical layout combining squares, rectangles,
0:06:19 > 0:06:24circles and triangles to form a structured framework.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27U buttresses planted against the old brick walls are a really nice touch,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31adding a simple rhythm and sense of solidity to the space.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36What really excites me about this garden is at first you
0:06:36 > 0:06:40look at it and it feels familiar, but then you look a bit deeper
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and the plants used here are really quite unexpected.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49For a start, these wonderful pleached crab apples defining this area here.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I've never seen crab apples pleached like this,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54but they're a brilliant choice, because they've got great
0:06:54 > 0:06:56autumn colour, look at them at the moment.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Wonderful fruits all over them, they look absolutely perfect.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Precision is key, cos they're the tallest element in the garden.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08The yew hedges are half the size of the crab apples and a cornus hedge,
0:07:08 > 0:07:14which I've never seen used formally before, that's half the size of the yew again.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Then within these spaces, you take a look,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and there's something being reinvented here.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22We see a traditional rose garden, standard roses,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24which normally has soil underneath.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28But here, it's been planted with blueberries,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31which creates an under-storey to the planting
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and you get berries all summer.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34But look at them now.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Fantastic autumn colour, extending the season of interest.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40The structure is familiar,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45but the plants in it feel fresh and right up to date.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01We often introduce water into our gardens
0:08:01 > 0:08:04for a sense of tranquillity and serenity.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Here, it's a completely different story.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11It's about drama, volume, and the wow-factor.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14The grand cascade is incredible.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It's a modern take on an Italian classical cascade.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It's sinuous, curvaceous in its lines,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24which echo beautifully in the hornbeam tunnels on either side,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27which have these views through the windows onto it too.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I could be a snob and say, "It's a little bit chunky
0:08:31 > 0:08:36"and the finishing is not that detailed and refined", but that's not what this is about.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's about fun, interacting with the space
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and bringing people of all ages to the garden.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And for that, it succeeds really well.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Either side of the cascade are two identical areas which uses slope very cleverly.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08I think they're my favourite areas, as the composition
0:09:08 > 0:09:12is incredibly pleasing and satisfying, relying on simple elements.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The two water features with the rill just connecting them
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and running between the two is brilliant.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24We've got the oaks all the way around the lower pond,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and they give a cathedral-like effect.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28They're incredibly tall,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and then there's this lovely beech clipped hedge.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It's very stylised and deep, but as the season turns,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37it'll go a lovely rusty brown.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42The changes are very subtle in this area. Lots of green and just water.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46The composition is satisfying, rewarding, balanced. I love it.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00The serpent garden is about sinuous curves.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Tall yew hedges enclosed modern stainless-steel water sculptures
0:10:04 > 0:10:08to enhance a sense of discovery at every turn.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11This is playful part of the garden.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21This is gardening on a grand scale. But it's not grand gardening.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24That's what I like about it, there's something for everybody here.
0:10:24 > 0:10:31High-end horticulture, bold design, a wow-factor. But it's fun.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Kids love this garden and are encouraged to run around.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40The wide appeal and the strong green architecture of this garden makes it accessible all year round.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Now, one part of this garden that changes all the year round
0:10:53 > 0:10:56is the lime walk. It was one of the first bits we made.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Then I pruned the limes in spring, which delays the growth
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and it means that right into May and even June
0:11:05 > 0:11:08there's still plenty of light coming into it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11That gives an opportunity to grow spring flowers,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and we've always had tulips in here.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I love tulips, I love everything about them.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21They're probably the most voluptuous of all flowers.
0:11:21 > 0:11:28Also they bring to spring that first flush of really intense colour.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33They have a silky vibrancy that almost no other flower has.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And certainly no other at that time of year.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40In fact, here in the lime walk, I'm planting white tulips.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Last year, I planted some Nicholas Heyek which is a new tulip on me
0:11:45 > 0:11:47lovely ivory, pale, pale yellow.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And some of that will stay in there,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52but I'm going to top up with White Triumphator,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55that's a tall simple tulip
0:11:55 > 0:11:58with perfect white flowers that lasts for weeks and weeks.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01So next year I get the mixture of the two.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Now tulips aren't cheap, so if you can buy them in bulk,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08they'll be a lot better value.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10What you're looking for, however you get them,
0:12:10 > 0:12:16is a nice healthy bulb, firm, no sign of mould and looking fresh.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22And...a tip to get them looking reasonably natural is to put
0:12:22 > 0:12:25the same number in each bay, but don't try and plant them
0:12:25 > 0:12:28uniformly, just squeeze them in between the plants.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33In this case it's the wallflowers.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37OK, now they're spaced out and I would do the whole lot,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41I'd lay them all out on the ground before I planted the first one.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Now there's a big debate about the best way to plant tulips.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47You can either treat them as annuals,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50in which case you might as well just bury them under the soil
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and they'll do fine and they'll like the top soil and feed well from it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Or you can treat them as a perennial,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59coming back year after year.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02That's tricky, you can only do that if you have really good drainage,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04if they get a good summer baking,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and even then it doesn't always work.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08But if you want them to come back year on year,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11you must plant them deep.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14That means at least four inches and, if possible,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16six inches under the ground.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23Now to do that, a bulb planter is a real help.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25This is perfect for tulips, the right size.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31So we take out a plug, and that's the start,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34but it's not really deep enough.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So I want to work that out, get in there,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and you can see already it's a bit of a fiddle.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And then get them in the ground.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46And that goes in and it's covered over.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Now, that's fine on sandy soil, not too difficult.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53But over the years I've come to the conclusion
0:13:53 > 0:13:56that it's best to treat tulips as an annual
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and if they flower again the following year, that's a bonus.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03That way you get a really good display every year
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and then you can top it up as the years go by.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Planting them is dead easy.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Simply with a trowel loosen the soil, pop them in, that's it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17And it does mean that you can get a lot in the ground pretty quickly.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Now, like all the jobs that we're doing in the garden at this time of year
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I shan't see the effects of this for months
0:14:30 > 0:14:35but it's guaranteed to make the garden look all the better next spring.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And that's exactly what Carol is doing down at Glebe cottage.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58The autumn winds are really beginning to bite now.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Some of the branches are already bare.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05But my rose beds are coming on a treat. I'm quite chuffed with them.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I've sown seeds, I've divided plants.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10I've planted so much down there
0:15:10 > 0:15:14but there are still loads of things to do.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20I took cuttings of this lovely, handsome Lamium orvala
0:15:20 > 0:15:24way back in April and now they've made fine, strong plants.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And this is going to be their final destination.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31I think they're going to look just the job in here alongside
0:15:31 > 0:15:35this Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It's a member of the lily family
0:15:38 > 0:15:40but people call it black grass.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42In amongst this other lamium,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46this is Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48It's flat, prostrate.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50You needn't take basal cuttings to propagate this,
0:15:50 > 0:15:55you can just push those little shoots down into the ground, gently,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57and they'll root all the way along the stem.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02This wonderful ground cover and a beautiful backdrop for this lamium,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06which is a big, statuesque, strong plant. Quite different.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11Now, they've made absolutely brilliant roots by now
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and this is the perfect time to put them in the soil.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15It's lovely and warm.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21This soil is so easy to plant into.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25And those roots will grow out, extend, and by the spring
0:16:25 > 0:16:28there'll be a whole load of new shoots coming out there.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And we should have quite a show, even next year.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But there's a plant over here in the background
0:16:35 > 0:16:41which I think is going to make a wonderful backdrop and set the scene for all of it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Let me introduce you to Rosa Veilchenblau.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I planted this rose, maybe ten or more years ago,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53and it used to grow along an old fence that was here.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The fence fell down, I've re-erected this new one.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58But, unfortunately, I neglected the rose
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and it did what was in its nature.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It's a rambler and it rambled all over the show
0:17:04 > 0:17:06with its enormous trusses
0:17:06 > 0:17:11of violet-blue flowers during June and July.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15It's absolutely beautiful with this fantastic orange scent.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And it's the perfect rose to make a backdrop.
0:17:17 > 0:17:23But if it's going to do that, first, I'm going to have to train it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Wiring is the best way, whether you've got a wall or a fence.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34It's really worth putting in the time to create a firm structure.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39On a fence like this, I need about four wires, about 18 inches apart.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43I'm using vine eyes, threaded with galvanised wire
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and, at the end, there are eye bolts to create tension.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53The very first thing you want to do when you're pruning any rose
0:17:53 > 0:17:57is to identify what it is you want to keep.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Then you know what wood you've got to get rid of and take away.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06In this case, I want four big, strong shoots on either side,
0:18:06 > 0:18:11to go along horizontally on the wires I've already put up there.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14So there's one, there's two
0:18:14 > 0:18:19and then there's two more whoppers over the top. Non-flowered shoots.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22All that growth has been made this year
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and that's the growth which will flower next summer.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29So I want to retain those and I want to start by chopping away
0:18:29 > 0:18:33any really dead old wood around the base of the plant.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I want too move on, so I identify anything that's already flowered.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Like this.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Cos this is never going to produce more flowers.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So I've got to get rid of that completely.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Working with roses can be fiddly and a bit hazardous.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58But this variety, thankfully, is just about thornless.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09I'm a bit vertically challenged for doing this!
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Now to tie in these new bits.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I'm just using soft twine
0:19:15 > 0:19:19and I always tie onto the wire first,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23do a double knot and then tie round the stem.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Some people use a figure of 8.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29The whole idea of doing that is to make sure you've got a buffer
0:19:29 > 0:19:35in-between the stem and the wire so that the stem doesn't get damaged.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39The whole reason for training horizontally is that
0:19:39 > 0:19:43all plants head for the sky. They all want to reach upwards.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47But what WE want to do is persuade this plant
0:19:47 > 0:19:54that it should spend its energy, not on making great tall, long growth,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57but on flowering all along its stem.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59You can take out the tips of these
0:19:59 > 0:20:02at the beginning of next year if you want to
0:20:02 > 0:20:06because that will get it to concentrate even more
0:20:06 > 0:20:08on producing flower.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18You know what? It looks pretty good, that!
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I hope I've given this rose the opportunity
0:20:21 > 0:20:24to operate at the peak of its performance next year.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30I'm expecting to see that whole fence dripping with glorious blossom.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32A perfect backdrop
0:20:32 > 0:20:35to what I hope is going to be the glory of these new raised beds.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Now, this lovely, powdery...
0:20:58 > 0:21:03sweet-smelling stuff is not compost, but leaf mould.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08I always feel that leaf mould is one of the unsung heroes of the garden.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13We all make compost, we know how to do it and we celebrate the fact.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16But not enough people make leaf mould.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20For a start, it's really good if you add it to potting compost.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Things like bulbs in containers love the loose root run it gives.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It makes a very good mulch, particularly for woodland plants.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30It's a soil improver.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34It just makes everything grow better because it enables the roots
0:21:34 > 0:21:38to get down in there and reach in and find all the nutrients.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And it's so easy to make. Much easier than garden compost.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45All you have to do is gather up your leaves and leave them for a year.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I tell you,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51that was growing on the trees 12 months ago.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17There's obviously the start process.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19It's just to collect up leaves.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24The big mistake is to think of leaves somehow as litter, or waste.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It's not. It's so, so valuable.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31And raking them up is dead easy.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Especially when they're dry like this.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38There is something rather therapeutic about it too.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I'll tell you another little tip,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47get two bits of wood, just rough bits of planking,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49and they make fantastic holders for leaves.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Even if you've just got a few leaves, small garden,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and not much space,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06you can still make really good leaf mould in a bin bag.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Just a normal black bag, like that, and put the leaves in it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Then, when it's about a quarter full,
0:23:21 > 0:23:26soak it, give them a real good wetting.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Because the leaf mould will make much, much quicker
0:23:29 > 0:23:31if the leaves are wet.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36If you get them wet and keep them wet, that's when they rot down really quickly.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41The fungus loves those wet conditions.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47So, soak the bottom quarter, add some more leaves...
0:23:49 > 0:23:53..give it another really good soak,
0:23:53 > 0:23:58and then about once a month, check it and soak it again, if need be.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03All the leaves should be moist and recognisably wet.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Then when it is full, and nice and wet,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13just give it some drainage holes.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Because you don't want the leaves to be sitting in a puddle,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18you just want them to be moist.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Now, that will drain out.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Put it behind a shed, in a corner,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and if you want to make leaf mould
0:24:24 > 0:24:26you can use as part of your potting compost,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30it needs to be left for a full year, kept wet.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33On the other hand, if you want to use it as a mulch,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and it makes a very good mulch
0:24:35 > 0:24:38around spring-flowering perennials, for example,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40next March, or April, just take it out the bag,
0:24:40 > 0:24:45the leaves will be half-decomposed, spread them on the border,
0:24:45 > 0:24:46and they work really well.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48The worms will drag them into the soil
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and that will improve the quality of the soil
0:24:51 > 0:24:53as well as suppressing weeds.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55All you have to do to make leaf mould.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11If you have a lot of leaves,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and plenty of space,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17then a leaf bay is the way to store them.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The easiest way to make it is with some posts and chicken-wire.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24This is because it lets the air in, and the combination of water and air
0:25:24 > 0:25:27will make the fungus work much faster.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32And this will fill up right to the brim.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35As it rots down the space will diminish, so don't worry
0:25:35 > 0:25:36if it's very full.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39That will go down to about half its volume.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41However, there is one more tip
0:25:41 > 0:25:43that will dramatically reduce
0:25:43 > 0:25:46the amount of space that your leaves take up.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59'If you can mow your leaves,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'you'll find that not only does it make it very easy to collect them
0:26:02 > 0:26:04'but it also chops them up,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'and this speeds up the decomposition process dramatically.'
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Collecting leaves is a job that rolls on for months.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21But here are some other ideas to think about
0:26:21 > 0:26:23right through winter.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Having gone to the trouble of protecting your greenhouse
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and bringing in tender plants
0:26:28 > 0:26:31check them every day.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Remove any dead material and make sure the plants are healthy.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Open the doors and vents if it is mild,
0:26:39 > 0:26:40and go steady on the watering.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43In fact, all Mediterranean and South African plants
0:26:43 > 0:26:46like to be positively dry over winter.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49If you do have plants you need to water, make sure they don't drip
0:26:49 > 0:26:52on others that need to be drier.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Valuable terracotta pots are easily damaged by cold weather.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02So before the frosts get too high, bring them in.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Give them a really good scrub to get rid of any lingering pests,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09virus, or disease,
0:27:09 > 0:27:10dry them carefully,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and then put them in a frost-free place,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15ready for when you need them next spring.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'If you've got some empty pieces of ground on your veg plot
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'it's a good idea to start to dig them now.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27'This can be done steadily across the winter,
0:27:27 > 0:27:32'and the main purpose is to break up any compaction.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37'Leave the soil roughly dug - frost and rain will break it down,
0:27:37 > 0:27:43'so that by next spring, it'll be surprisingly easy to prepare.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47'Root vegetables like parsnips and carrots,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49'can be left in the ground over winter.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53'But when the soil freezes hard they can be nigh-on impossible to dig up.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56'But by laying down a generous mulch now,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00'you'll help to both insulate the soil and the plant.'
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Well, that's it, not just for tonight's programme,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15but for this series.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Carol, Joe, Rachel and myself will be back
0:28:18 > 0:28:21for a Christmas special in December,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and I'll be back here for a new series at Long Meadow next March.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Don't forget that the clocks go back on Sunday morning,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30so less time for gardening than ever,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32but make the most of winter.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34See you again next spring. Till then, goodbye.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:47 > 0:28:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk