0:00:02 > 0:00:05# Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
0:00:05 > 0:00:09# Jack Frost nipping at your nose
0:00:12 > 0:00:14# Although it's been said
0:00:14 > 0:00:17# Many times, many ways
0:00:17 > 0:00:21# Merry Christmas
0:00:21 > 0:00:23# To you. #
0:00:27 > 0:00:32Hello. Welcome to a Christmas Gardeners' World.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Although the days are short and the weather sometimes truculent at this time of year,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40there is lots to do, both putting the garden to bed for the winter
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and also making sure that it's poised to begin next growing season
0:00:44 > 0:00:46at its very best.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48'And for the first time this year,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'Joe and Rachel will join me at Longmeadow,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'to give me a hand with some seasonal work.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55THEY LAUGH
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'Carol will be coming along, too, a little later, but first,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'she takes a winter walk at Dunham Massey in Cheshire.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:09A brisk walk in a beautiful garden can be invigorating
0:01:09 > 0:01:13and also fill your mind with all kinds of ideas for your own garden.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And, as a Christmas treat, we're getting tips and advice
0:01:17 > 0:01:20about making our gardens more wildlife-friendly
0:01:20 > 0:01:23from poet and national treasure Pam Ayres.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Whether our gardens are large or small,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30we do tend to share them with a lot of critters of all different types.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34So that became my great interest, to not just have nice flowers,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37but to have interesting things sitting on them.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'Rachel will also find out how to create beautiful Christmas decorations,
0:01:41 > 0:01:47'simply by gathering seed heads, berries and evergreens from the garden.'
0:01:49 > 0:01:51And we'll all be looking back over our gardening year
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and picking out our favourite moments.
0:02:06 > 0:02:13- Here you go.- I have been longing to see the Jewel Garden for years. - Well...
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The truth is you've come at about the worst time, I have to say.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I don't know. I still think it still looks good.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- You've cleared a lot on this side. - Actually, these three quarters have been cleared back
0:02:23 > 0:02:27pretty much as much as we'd expect to at this time of year
0:02:27 > 0:02:31- and we haven't started this side yet. - So is this something I can help you with?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- I'm rather hoping you would.- Good.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I think it's a question of just getting stuck in.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41- You can see what we're getting back to.- What do you want to lose? Presumably the annuals?
0:02:41 > 0:02:45The annuals. If you start with those Cosmos. One of the first things I always do
0:02:45 > 0:02:49when clearing a border is take the annuals out, the tender annuals.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52We've got Cosmos, Tithonias, and they can be pulled up.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58They've done their stuff. That's it, that's over and can be chucked to one side.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09I'm just coming through now to a lovely clump of the Heleniums.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15This is obviously a perennial, which means the top growth is going to die down, anyway.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Now, some of them, if they're slightly borderline tender,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23you might want to leave the top growth in through the worst of the winter
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and then cut it back in very early spring.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And that will give extra protection to the roots.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Just help nurse it through.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42This is one of those wonderful blue Salvia guaranitica.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46What I'm going to do, because it's not hardy, is to cut it right back
0:03:46 > 0:03:47so it's easier to dig up.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53All that top growth off and we can dig it up
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and keep it in a pot somewhere frost-free over the winter.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01The key thing about this process is not to be daunted by it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05If you're in doubt, cut back, but don't rip out,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10because roots will produce a new plant in a herbaceous perennial, although they won't on an annual.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15And enjoy it - this is all part of the process of making a border work for you.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21'As well as clearing away old growth, it's now a good time to mulch.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'I like to use garden compost as this not only suppresses weeds
0:04:25 > 0:04:29'and retains moisture, but also returns valuable nutrients to the soil.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:37- Right. It's Christmas time, I've bought you a present. - Ah, bonus. Fantastic stuff.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42Look at that. I have to say mulching is one of those satisfying jobs to do,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45because you know that it's working on so many levels.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49The main thing to remember is always to mulch on top of moist soil.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Don't do it when it's very dry, because all it does is lock in that dryness.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It's very hard for it to get wet afterwards.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59So you're just spreading it around.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It'll improve the structure of the soil, as well,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06once it goes in, and it's a fantastic weed suppressant.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Very hard for those weed seedlings to get going,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12for the seeds to germinate.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17When you come up to a shrub, or a tree,
0:05:17 > 0:05:18just leave a little bit of space.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22You can see round there the base of this holly.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I won't take it right up to here.
0:05:24 > 0:05:30Just want to make sure there's no rotting right around the stem.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34And you want to aim for about three inches in depth.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39That would make a really good insulating blanket, as well, for bulbs.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43But if you can't get the full three inches, anything is better than nothing.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And if you haven't got lots of garden compost,
0:05:46 > 0:05:47there are alternatives.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50You can use coco shell, there's straw,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54so lots of other ideas are on the website.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57One of the things I do like is the way everything we're cutting back
0:05:57 > 0:06:00goes on the compost heap and that gets used to go back in the soil.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So a lot of this started life growing in these borders.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06It is, it's fantastic, that cycle.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Talking of cycle, this is something we don't normally do around Christmas time.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We normally leave it to late winter, February,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15as soon as we can get on the ground in February.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19It's only because we planted tulips that we've done it early.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It's such a personal thing, when you do this and how much you cut back,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27because if you cut back too much, it can be detrimental for wildlife
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and somebody who is passionate about gardening for wildlife,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and they need all the help they can around Christmas,
0:06:33 > 0:06:39is the poet - and I think a national treasure, I've loved her since I was a child - it's Pam Ayres.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Come on.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I suppose most people would know me for what I've written,
0:06:52 > 0:06:53for my poems and verses,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56but I've actually got another important interest.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00And that is in gardening for wildlife.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Of course, I love my big, beautiful garden, but everybody's garden,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11whether it's large or small, will have a large quantity of critters of all different types in it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15It seemed to me, after we came here in 1987,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18that it was a nice thing to plant a flower.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21But how much nicer if it was a flower that attracted a bumblebee
0:07:21 > 0:07:23or a moth, or a beautiful butterfly,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25or that fed the birds with its seeds?
0:07:25 > 0:07:30So that became my great interest, really, to not just have nice flowers,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33but to have interesting things sitting on them.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46One of my harmless pastimes when I'm clearing up the winter garden
0:07:46 > 0:07:50is I like to make little bug abodes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I've just cut down a polythene bottle.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I've left the end entire, but I've cut off the bottle top.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02I've just packed it with hollow stems and I've got them from things like hogweed,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06daylily, cow parsley, dock leaves,
0:08:06 > 0:08:07bits of bark.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Here's a bit of sow thistle growing up through my bay tree.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13That would do fine. It's completely hollow.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19I just pack it with little hollow stems like that.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24And the great thing is, if you attract insects into your garden,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27you will attract birds, because one feeds on the other. See?
0:08:27 > 0:08:32I'm just going to pop this down into some little comfy, dry corner
0:08:32 > 0:08:38and I'm sure that lots a very small persons will be pleased to find it there!
0:08:48 > 0:08:51One thing I really like about my garden
0:08:51 > 0:08:54is that whenever anyone comes to visit they always say,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56"What a lovely lavender walk."
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Actually, it's not lavender, it's Napeta,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02otherwise known as 'Catmint'.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Which in my opinion is a much better bet than lavender.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I like lavender, but it gets very woody.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12It ages very quickly, it seems to me, whereas this has got a long season.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Like lavender, it's a good attractant for insects
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and when the flowers are finished blooming you just go over it with the shears
0:09:20 > 0:09:26and it all comes up again in these lovely pale green cushions and the leaves smell lovely and herby
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and it blooms all over again. so it's got a nice, long season.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33In my opinion, it knocks spots off lavender.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37DOG BARKS
0:09:39 > 0:09:43On many a flower shrub and tree
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Food for birds grows naturally
0:09:46 > 0:09:48On the Pyracantha, say
0:09:48 > 0:09:51As autumn shortens each new day
0:09:51 > 0:09:57See the show of berries start The red and green to lift the heart
0:09:57 > 0:10:04Then, when we have admired the spot Blackbirds come and scoff the lot.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07That's my Pyracantha anthem and I wrote it
0:10:07 > 0:10:09because I'm very, very fond of this shrub here.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11The Pyracantha or 'Firethorn'.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I like it because it's cheap and cheerful.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17You can get it in all the garden centres.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It doesn't mind a north wall. as it is here,
0:10:20 > 0:10:21and it's such good value,
0:10:21 > 0:10:26because you get lots of lovely, white, creamy flowers in the spring
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and lots of bees and interesting insects on that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Then, in the autumn, you get this fabulous show.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35This fabulous red and green contrast.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58One of the things we can all do in our gardens is put up a nest box for the birds.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Now, this is an oak tree, and I have read recently that blue tits like to nest in oak trees,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07so I'm going to put this nest box up in this tree.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11This is a really good nest box. It's made of concrete and wood shavings.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The concrete makes it hard, so predators and woodpeckers
0:11:15 > 0:11:18cannot get into it, they can't penetrate it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22And the sawdust makes it cosy and warm for the baby birds.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23And I've got lots of these.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28I always ask for Father Christmas to bring me one. So up I go.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And, of course, the important thing about putting up a nest box
0:11:31 > 0:11:33is the direction which it faces.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37You mustn't put it so that it's facing south, so the hole is facing south,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42because when there's a brood of babies in there and the sun is on it, they will just cook.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And, also, consider the prevailing wind.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48If there's a direction that the rain always comes from,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50face it away from that,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54so that there's not rain washing into the babies.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And I'm just going to hang it on that sturdy hook.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01I don't want it to wobble about. If I leave it like that it's going to wobble.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06So I've got some wire and the wire is threaded through a plastic pipe,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08so that it won't bite into the tree.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14It won't be one of those horrible things where you see the wire actually absorbed into the bark.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18So I'm just going to secure it with this piece of wire
0:12:18 > 0:12:22and I don't see any reason why lots of happy, healthy blue tits
0:12:22 > 0:12:25shouldn't hatch out and give me years of pleasure.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44The thing is, just these tiny things that I do, they're only small, like keep the bird bath clean
0:12:44 > 0:12:50and plant a vine or make a little bug house, or plant a Pyracantha,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54but I do believe that all creatures are important and precious
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and I think there should be room for all of us.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00So I think if everybody tried to do a little bit for them,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03it would amount to a very great deal.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07There are more tips and advice
0:13:07 > 0:13:11on caring for the wildlife in your garden on our website:
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I'm digging up my rhubarb.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Now, there is some method in this,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32because this particular rhubarb
0:13:32 > 0:13:36has been here since 1993.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40And I have done nothing other than mulch it every year.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44And until about two years ago it didn't need anything.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45It was producing really good stems
0:13:45 > 0:13:49for that wonderful stewed rhubarb,
0:13:49 > 0:13:50rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and it quite happily reappeared every year.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58But the last couple of years, the pickings have been slim.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And this year it's been really bad.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I'm going to refresh it by digging up the roots,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07cutting out the old portion,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and replanting vigorous new sections
0:14:09 > 0:14:11to give it a new burst of life.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14This is a variety called Timperley Early.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Which is very good, highly recommended.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23One of the fascinating things about rhubarb
0:14:23 > 0:14:26is that until the early 19th century
0:14:26 > 0:14:28no-one thought of eating the stems.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Everyone grew it simply as medicine.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34And they powdered the roots.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35It was a purgative.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And then it was one man in the 1820s and '30s
0:14:41 > 0:14:45who tried to get people attracted to eating these delicious stems
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and the way he did it was by making pies and selling the pies.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Of course, people like pies.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55So they ate it, and said, "Oh, what's that? That's delicious!"
0:14:55 > 0:14:57It was rhubarb.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58And the Victorians took to it,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01then started to breed varieties,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and never really looked back, since.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07And it's become a national favourite. There she goes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11OK, let's have a look at this piece here.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16You can see that's a substantial affair.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Like any herbaceous plant, it grows outwards.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23And the new growth is vigorous.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27The old growth produces much less stems, foliage, or flowers.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29So what we want to do is keep the new
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and discard the old.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33If I just divide that up, like that,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38a piece there, that just breaks up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Now, that I'll keep.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Now I can go through the whole thing.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Here we have stems. That's breaking itself up.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48That's clearly a nice small piece.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51And this, that old root, can go.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53So if I cut that back...
0:15:56 > 0:15:58..like that.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And by cutting it up and replanting it
0:16:01 > 0:16:03you are provoking it into new vigour.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06You are giving it a new lease of life.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25Now, I've got three nicely chopped up bits of root
0:16:25 > 0:16:27with good healthy big buds on it,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29they need lots of space, lots of moisture,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and lots of food to do their best.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33You simply make a hole and put that in
0:16:33 > 0:16:36so the bud is above the ground.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Sticking proud, and there it goes.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Now, obviously, if you don't have rhubarb in the first place,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46you can't divide it up to make new plants, you have to buy them.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48There are lots of different varieties you can get.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I've got one here which is called Hawke's Champagne.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And you can see, that's how you buy it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58It looks like an unlikely candidate
0:16:58 > 0:17:01to give you that wonderful rosy fresh growth
0:17:01 > 0:17:03in February, March and April.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04But it will.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07And I've got another variety here which is called Victoria.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And this was bred to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria herself.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15This bed here I won't pick next year.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20I'll just let it grow and then the leaves will feed back into the roots,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23we'll get a really good, vigorous roots system,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and then in the second year we can start to harvest.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29At this time of year most gardens are closed to the public.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31But there are some still open.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Carol has been to Dunham Massey, in Cheshire,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35which not only is open,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39but prides itself on looking really good at this time of year.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It can be tempting, on a cold winter's morning,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52just to hibernate, to cuddle up indoors.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56But a brisk walk in a beautiful garden
0:17:56 > 0:18:00can be both invigorating and also fill your mind
0:18:00 > 0:18:03with all kinds of ideas for your own garden.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Nestling in the fertile pasturelands of the Cheshire countryside
0:18:09 > 0:18:11is this moated magnificence.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Dunham Massey.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Within its 300 acres of parkland
0:18:16 > 0:18:18there are 30 acres of gardens
0:18:18 > 0:18:25which, since 1976, have been looked after by the National Trust.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28The whole place is full of magnificent plants,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30shrubs and trees.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33But perhaps the most iconic at this time of year
0:18:33 > 0:18:35is the holly.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39And there are some magnificent hollies here.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42It was a hugely important tree to our forebears,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44signifying that winter would not last forever,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and that life went on through those darkest days.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Of course, you can't have holly without having ivy too.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00They're the two most important plants of this time of year.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03There are still wasps and flies feasting here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08But they'll be followed by juicy blackberries.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Luscious food for all manner of birds.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24It's not just holly and ivy that celebrate the winter
0:19:24 > 0:19:26here at Dunham Massey.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Around every corner there are all sorts of amazing surprises.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34Look at this Cardiocrinum giganteum.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35This is a giant Himalayan lily,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38the biggest member of its family.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40It takes a full seven years
0:19:40 > 0:19:43to come from seed into flower.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47And I've seen it before with a couple of these seed heads
0:19:47 > 0:19:48here and there,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50but never like this.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52It's a positive thicket.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02It's easy to assume that in a property like this
0:20:02 > 0:20:07the necessity to maintain the rich heritage of this place
0:20:07 > 0:20:11might stifle new ideas and developments.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13But not a bit of it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Here at Dunham Massey in this old area of parkland
0:20:17 > 0:20:21a new winter garden has been born.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The project began in 2007.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The Trust worked with renowned plantsman Roy Lancaster to draw up a plan.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Four years on, and at Seven Acres,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38it's said to be the largest winter garden
0:20:38 > 0:20:39in the whole of the UK.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44This is such a fine example of group planting,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47using the same plants over and over again
0:20:47 > 0:20:53to establish this wonderful rhythm and fabulous integrity.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Here, Betula utilis 'Doorenbos',
0:20:56 > 0:20:58with this wonderful white bark, is used.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01On this side of the path, the single stems.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06On the other, it's multi-stemmed, growing from the base.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And these lovely white trunks
0:21:08 > 0:21:10contrast with the great oaks above,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15and the lovely crimson-barked Cornus underneath.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16It's the kind of thing
0:21:16 > 0:21:18that happens in every garden.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21You want all these different layers.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27This has to be one of the lushest combinations I've ever seen.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The purple berries of this Callicarpa
0:21:29 > 0:21:33gathered together in tight bunches,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36contrasted against this soft, butter-yellow foliage
0:21:36 > 0:21:39of the Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42And what's more, once these leaves fall to the ground
0:21:42 > 0:21:46they'll reveal orange, flame-coloured twigs,
0:21:46 > 0:21:47and with a bit of luck
0:21:47 > 0:21:49the purple berries of the Callicarpa
0:21:49 > 0:21:51will still be there.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53The birds will feast on them last.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The area underneath trees is often problematic.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Especially such big trees as this huge beech.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06The shade during the summer,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and all the year round these roots drain all the moisture out
0:22:10 > 0:22:11and impoverish the soil.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15But how about this for a wonderful solution?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21And both its flowers and foliage
0:22:21 > 0:22:25combine beautifully with these beech leaves.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28And it's growing in just the right place.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32This is how it naturally occurs where it comes from. Perfect.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Most of our gardens are a fraction of this size.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40But there are a couple of inspiring planting ideas here
0:22:40 > 0:22:44that will enhance any garden through the winter time.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Unusually, for a herbaceous plant,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51our native Iris foetidissima
0:22:51 > 0:22:54has seed pods that burst to reveal glossy orange berries,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57often standing right through to the spring.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Evergreens are a vital part of the winter scene.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07And the glossy foliage of Sarcococca 'Christmas Box'
0:23:07 > 0:23:10enhance any planting.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But its true glory is revealed
0:23:13 > 0:23:15when its buds open to tiny flowers,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19exuding enchanting perfume that fills the whole garden.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24There are many winter gardens and walks
0:23:24 > 0:23:27to be had around the country, right now.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31For more suggestions, go to our website:
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- Hello!- Hello!- Ah! At last, eh?
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- You can come and do some spreading!- Yeah!
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- Nice to see you!- Nice to see your garden for the first time.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's really interesting, seeing it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Interesting is one of those words that covers a multitude of sins!
0:24:04 > 0:24:06No! No! No! It draws you round.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It really does lead you round in different directions.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13It's hard to get, unless you're actually here. To get the layout.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14Yeah, the geography of it.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Just think of an open field, broken up into bits,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19or runways, gangways here.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- But they work. They draw you through.- That's the idea.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- It reveals itself slowly. - That's the plan.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28We've been busy.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Rachel's BEING busy.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- Of course.- I'm getting it done.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Now you're here, I've allocated a job. When Joe comes,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36this is going to happen.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38You're happy to continue your work?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I'm perfectly happy. I'm enjoying this.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- All right. Before you get too comfortable, come with me. - OK! I'm dreading this now!
0:24:47 > 0:24:49What do you fancy?
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Just a conventional spade.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55There we go.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02This is the spring garden.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And I've got a holly that I want to move, but it's a two-man job.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Here it is.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I planted it as part of the hedging,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16it was just a loose holly, part of a job lot I bought. But it did have
0:25:16 > 0:25:20a nice stem, and over the last few years I've been cutting off the lower branches
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- and clipping the top vaguely. - Nice shape, isn't it?
0:25:23 > 0:25:28- The idea being to get a lollipop, but I think it'd look great in a pot. - You don't like it where it is?
0:25:28 > 0:25:33- But now you're here, we can do it! - OK. I'll get round this side.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36It's the perfect time of year to do this,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39because the soil is moist and the plant is dormant,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42so you can do this any time through the winter,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44as long as it's not frozen solid.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57But the first thing we're doing is digging a trench
0:25:57 > 0:26:01all the way round the root ball. It's a way of root-pruning it
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and getting the root to a manageable size
0:26:05 > 0:26:07so we can actually lift it and put it into a pot.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12The better we look after the roots when we're extracting it, the better it will transplant.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15# Have a holly jolly Christmas
0:26:15 > 0:26:18# It's the best time of the year... #
0:26:21 > 0:26:25I'm glad to see you're sweating away as well, cos I certainly am!
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- It's very mild for this time of year, isn't it?- It is.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It's not the hard work or the unfitness, it's the weather.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33THEY LAUGH
0:26:33 > 0:26:37# By golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year. #
0:26:38 > 0:26:44A nice, compact mass of roots, neatly cut all the way round
0:26:44 > 0:26:48and underneath, is going to give the plant a fighting chance.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Oh, yeah, go on.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57- If you do that... - That's almost it, Monty.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02- I'll lean it this way.- I think that's almost there.- There you go.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04- That gone?- Yeah.- Brilliant. - Beautiful, isn't it?
0:27:04 > 0:27:09Let's have a look. See, that's good, isn't it?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13- Really nice root ball, lots of fibrous roots. - We've got to get it into there.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Is it going to stay in that pot forever, is that the idea?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20No, that's just to hold it until I find
0:27:20 > 0:27:23a nice pot, then we can make a feature out of it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27My concerns are, we've got a nice root ball, we'd have to trim it back even further,
0:27:27 > 0:27:31put it under more stress. With that lovely root ball, you don't want to lose it.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Um...OK, plan B.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37If you find yourself, as we have here, with a really good root ball
0:27:37 > 0:27:40on something that's been a lot of work to take out
0:27:40 > 0:27:45and you value highly, there's no reason why you can't heel it in.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Put it somewhere - in a vegetable plot if need be -
0:27:47 > 0:27:51until you find the right container, rather than destroy the root ball
0:27:51 > 0:27:54just to fit a pot that you happen to have. And anyway,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58that plastic pot is worth a fiftieth of what the plant's worth, isn't it?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- Yeah.- One, two, three, go!
0:28:05 > 0:28:10- Lovely job. Now, I've got bad news for you.- What?
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It's got a flat tyre? No! Oh, no!
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Try it.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20- It should be all right, it's got a bit of air in it. You got it?- Yeah.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Oh!
0:28:22 > 0:28:24It's not going to go through the gap in the hedge!
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Right.- Here?
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Now, obviously... Normally, if you're moving a tree,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45you prepare the hole you're moving to before you even begin to dig it up.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49But because we thought it was going in a pot, we haven't done that. So, more digging!
0:28:56 > 0:28:58There we go.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01And what will happen is, the roots, because they've been pruned,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05will grow a fibrous extension, they won't grow out as they were before.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10That's really good news. In fact, all nurseries do this to trees that they're selling -
0:29:10 > 0:29:14root-prune them, dig them up and move them, get a nice, compact root ball as a result.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17So this will do no harm at all to making it suitable for planting
0:29:17 > 0:29:20into a container, when I get the container.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22If I hold that, will you fill round it?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24# Have a holly jolly Christmas
0:29:24 > 0:29:28# It's the best time of the year
0:29:30 > 0:29:34# I don't know if there'll be snow, but have yourself a cheer... #
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Now, normally, you would prune evergreens in spring.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42But because we've taken so much off its roots and it's pretty stressed out,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45I'm reducing its top growth to balance out with the root ball.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Also, I'm starting to shape it up, because Monty's looking for a lovely lollipop shape.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Of course, all these trimmings that I've got
0:29:52 > 0:29:54won't be wasted at this time of year,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57they'll go into some lovely Christmas decorations.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01But when I think of Christmas, I always think of a nice glass of wine.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06But I never knew there was a guy just round the corner from me who was making his own.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09I live in Hackney, east London,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13not a wine region that immediately springs to mind.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15- Good afternoon.- Hi, Joe.- Hi.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Now, I know this allotment,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20but I've never known that there was a mini-vineyard in here.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22It's my little vineyard in the city.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And it's harvest day today.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26That's right.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I've got my secateurs, I'm here to help.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32I've heard that if I help, I may get to taste the wine. Any chance?
0:30:32 > 0:30:35There's a chance. If you work hard enough!
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Even though our climate is relatively cool,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44if you pick the right spot, your vines can flourish.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49You can grow a pretty reliable crop from year to year and make wine.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Especially down here in the south-east of England.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57It helps to pick a spot where you've got sunlight for most of the day.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Where the ground is semi-fertile.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05The leaner the soil, the better the grape seems to grow.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11It helps to have the sun fall on both sides of the line.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13If you have a north-south orientation of your rows,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17then you will have sun on both sides of the vine.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20They're pretty good on most soils as well?
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Yeah, they will grow in most soils as long as it's not too acidic.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Marko makes both red and white wines
0:31:27 > 0:31:32from his Regent, Madeleine Angevine, Kuibyshevky and Pinot Noir grapes.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36If you're thinking of planting vines yourself, be patient.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40They can take up to three years to produce grapes for making wine.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44The right time to harvest them is down to how sweet they are.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50To see whether the grapes are ready to pick, we measure the sugar content.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- I have a little instrument called a refractometer.- Oh, a gizmo!
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I love little gizmos.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59We just drop a little bit of juice onto the surface,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03close it, and you take a look through there
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and tell me what you see.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10I see 15 dead. Right bang in the middle. Is that good?
0:32:10 > 0:32:14That's good. That's 15% of sugar by volume in the berry,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16which will give us 7.5% alcohol.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17That's not that strong.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Can you boost it up a little bit?
0:32:19 > 0:32:25I can. I can add sugar and raise it to 10%, 11%, 11.5%.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27- Can I try one?- Yes.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Delicious. Really sweet.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44What grapes do best in our climate? Not particular varieties, more their characteristics.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47First of all, we're looking for early-ripening grapes.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53Those that'll ripen in September, the beginning of October.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Secondly, grapes that have open bunches like these Kuibyshevky
0:32:57 > 0:33:02where the air can flow in-between the berries. It makes them less susceptible to disease.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07- What about pruning?- In winter, I cut the vine back pretty hard.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12I pass through the vineyard during the summertime regularly
0:33:12 > 0:33:16and I will do three or four prunings during the summer season.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22When the actual bunches of grapes are formed, is the idea to try and let as much sunshine onto them as possible?
0:33:22 > 0:33:25They do need some sunlight, but they also need shelter
0:33:25 > 0:33:30because it will rain in the summertime so you leave the leaves on the vine overhead,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33both against the rain and against birds.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43That's a pretty serious harvest.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Yes, it's the best harvest I've had with the Madeleine Angevine.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50What's the next stage with them?
0:33:50 > 0:33:53We'll get them back to my place and we crush them.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03There's not room enough for both of us in there.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Are you in? Yeah! I bet it feels good, yeah?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16It feels great. Feet are the best things for crushing grapes
0:34:16 > 0:34:21because they won't break the pips, which are bitter inside.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26'Then Marko adds a mix of fermenting grapes to get the fermentation going.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30'In two weeks, the grapes will be ready for filtering and bottling.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36'That leaves just one job left to do - taste some of Hackney's finest.'
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Let's try it.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49That's really nice.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51What a great day. Thank you very much.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53- It's been a pleasure.- Thank you.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12I've always wanted to plant a small vineyard.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16I never really thought I would have room, but that inspires me.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Watch this space, maybe next year we'll get some wines in. In fact,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24now and up till the end of winter is a good time to plant any fruit,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28whether it's a vine, a pear, a raspberry or whatever you like.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31I'm going to plant another apple in my orchard.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Giving an apple tree is a brilliant Christmas present.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37There are hundreds of varieties to choose from.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41It can be a bit of a minefield - where do you begin?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43How do you select out what's most appropriate,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45either for yourself or as a present?
0:35:45 > 0:35:48One of the ways is go and visit an orchard.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53Even if it's got no fruit on, you can see the trees in their full magnificence.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56We went down to Cornwall to Tresillian House
0:35:56 > 0:36:02where John Harris, the head gardener, presides over a wonderful orchard
0:36:02 > 0:36:03full of heritage varieties.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08The question I get asked so many times is
0:36:08 > 0:36:11what defines a heritage variety?
0:36:11 > 0:36:16A heritage variety is something that has stood the test of time.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Everything in this orchard, 80-odd varieties,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26all grown on their own rootstock.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Some already 14-15 foot high,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32some no more than five or six foot.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35The natural characteristics coming out
0:36:35 > 0:36:40in every different variety we've got here.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42It's not been grafted like your new ones now.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Every county throughout the country
0:36:46 > 0:36:50have got their own local heritage varieties.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Here in Cornwall, most of them,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56the biggest percentage, were grown to withstand the salt winds.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00This little chap here, this is Tommy Knight.
0:37:01 > 0:37:07Now, Tommy Knight was a miner back in the end of the 1700s.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12Every time he got paid, Tommy would visit the local drinking house.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17Tommy got home, his poor wife never had any money left.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20And one night, she was so fed up with Tommy,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23she kicked him out and he went up the end of the garden.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Tommy had this tree growing in his garden, but it had never had a name.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Next morning, she found her dearly beloved dead under the tree.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33It was given the name Tommy Knight.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37It's stood the test of time for over 200 years.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40That makes it a heritage variety.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Here we have a wonderful apple, Cornish Gilliflower.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58It is one of the finest apples you'll have for Christmas.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00It's the apple of the aristocracy.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05It's not the sort of apple that the working man would've had back then.
0:38:05 > 0:38:11Only the aristocracy would have had eating apples on the table.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15The working man, bless his heart, had to be content
0:38:15 > 0:38:17with a general-purpose apple
0:38:17 > 0:38:21that would have made him, the most important thing, a jug of cider,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25apple pie or apple crumble or even a Cornish apple pasty.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Now, the secret of picking them
0:38:28 > 0:38:31is to just come off in your fingers like that.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34No more of this here tugging and pulling and twisting.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37They're not ready. Let's see what the taste is like.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Oh, that is beautiful.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45It's got a lovely, sort of crunchy,
0:38:45 > 0:38:50juicy, almost tingeing on a pineapple.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55But to think in a month or six weeks' time, what's good now
0:38:55 > 0:38:58is going to be even better.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01It's absolutely lovely, this one is.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16The most important thing to keep heritage apples alive
0:39:16 > 0:39:18is to propagate cuttings -
0:39:18 > 0:39:23heel cuttings off your own tree - and this is the way I do it here.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27I take a nice clean pair of secateurs
0:39:27 > 0:39:30and a nice clean cut like that. Lovely clean cut.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32There's no foliage left on
0:39:32 > 0:39:35because you never take cuttings while the foliage is on.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Just nip off the leader tips
0:39:39 > 0:39:43so you've got a cutting about 15 inches long.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48That will be inserted 50% into the ground and 50% out.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Do not force that into the ground
0:39:50 > 0:39:54because of damaging where you've taken the cutting.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57As you ease the spade back,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01you gently slide that down beside the blade, then take the spade out
0:40:01 > 0:40:04and firm it with your foot.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08That now will be in the ground, and in 12 months' time
0:40:08 > 0:40:11that cutting will be rooted and you can lift it up
0:40:11 > 0:40:14with a fork gently and give it to somebody.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18You will then be passing on a wonderful heritage apple tree
0:40:18 > 0:40:21for future generations to inherit.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34I don't know about you,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38but that makes me want to plant a heritage apple.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43I've got one here called Pitmaston Pine Apple which is both old -
0:40:43 > 0:40:47it was developed in the 1780s - and also local.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50It comes from just south of Hereford.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I've dug a wide hole, but not very deep.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Just give the roots plenty of room to move out in
0:40:55 > 0:40:59but don't dig a great big trench.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Just the depth of a spade.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03When you've taken it out,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06don't dig it over, but just loosen the soil
0:41:06 > 0:41:10so that the roots can find their way down.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12For that reason,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16we don't add any manure or compost to the planting hole.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20All that will do is encourage the roots to stay within
0:41:20 > 0:41:22the confines of the hole you've dug.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26Now, this is a bare root tree.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27They arrive packed
0:41:27 > 0:41:30but, as you see, the roots are bare, they're not in a pot.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35This means that the root system tends to be more open.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39They're cheaper, you get more choice, and they tend to grow better too.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I like buying them whenever I can.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44However, it is important to keep them covered.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47When they arrive, put them in a bucket of water, give them a soak
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and, if you can't plant them straight away, heel them in.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55Put them in a bit of ground - anywhere - so they're covered up.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56This has got a root stock.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58That's that bit there.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00And then the variety is on top.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03The Pitmaston Pine Apple is this section.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06That determines how big it grows.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08It could be a standard like this one will be,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12and all the trees in the orchard are, or it could be an espalier.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19It is important to stake any tree you plant for the first three years.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24After three years, you need to remove that stake and let them establish.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27The planting height is important.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31The graft must be a couple of inches above the surface of the ground.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32If that goes below,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36that'll sucker, and it'll be the variety of the graft,
0:42:36 > 0:42:37not the variety of the top.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46What I'm doing is just getting the soil around the roots.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50At this stage, gently but firmly
0:42:50 > 0:42:53heel it in...with my shoes. Firm it in really well.
0:42:53 > 0:43:00Whatever the time of year and whatever the weather, I'm going to give it a really good soak.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I'll just tie that up first.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Good tie, so that can move around - that will help develop the roots - but it can't move far.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Last job is to mulch it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:26I'm using garden compost which will give it extra nourishment.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29But to be honest, anything will do
0:43:29 > 0:43:35because the main purpose of a mulch for a young growing tree is to suppress competition.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39Nothing limits its growth more than grass right up around it.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Or weeds of any kind.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49You may not have an apple tree this Christmas,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51but I bet you have a Christmas tree.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54For all of us, there are two key questions.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56Which type do we choose?
0:43:56 > 0:44:00And how do we get that to look as good as possible,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03not just over Christmas, but right through to Twelfth Night?
0:44:03 > 0:44:05We went to see Andrew Ingram,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09who is Christmas tree grower of the year, to get his advice.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23People get a great deal of pleasure from a real tree.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25It has a natural scent,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28it has a good shape, not necessarily absolutely symmetrical.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34It's just the real thing. That's what we want.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41This is a Nordmann fir planted in 1989.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46This is the tree that is going to be standing outside 10 Downing Street.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49The perfect tree is a combination of three things.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53It's got to be the right shape, the correct shape, perfectly conical shape.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56It's got to be the right density,
0:44:56 > 0:45:00ie, not too thin, not too open, but not too heavy.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03And the colour's got to be right. You don't want a sort of yellow tree.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07It's got to be a vigorous green-blue colour.
0:45:13 > 0:45:19This is the traditional English Christmas tree. It's a Norway spruce, it's a very beautiful tree.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24We've been growing it in this country for something like 100 years as a commercial Christmas tree.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28It is slightly spiky and can lose its needles.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32But if you look after it it's a perfectly good tree.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33It'll last you well into January.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43This variety is a Nordmann Fir, or nordmanniana.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47It's often referred to as the non-drop tree.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51There is no such thing as a non-drop tree. It's a matter of degree.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55It holds its needles better than the traditional spruces.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59The needles are very soft, they're not spiky like the Norway spruce.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01It's a very good tree.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08This is a Serbian spruce, or Picea omorika,
0:46:08 > 0:46:12and, as you can see, it's a very fine, very narrow tree.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15It's got a lovely grey underside to the needles.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17The other thing about it, it has cones.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21These cones will normally hang on till well after Christmas.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25So it combines everything that a fir tree should have.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34A six-foot tree would probably be between 10 and 12 years old.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38The first two to three years, all we want is the tree to grow naturally
0:46:38 > 0:46:41and stay alive. We don't want to stress it in any way.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44From then on, it will be worked on every year, at least once, perhaps twice.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53This Nordmann Fir, if left to its own devices, would be up here somewhere.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57If you see on this leader here, there are a certain number of buds.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59If this leader had been allowed to grow there,
0:46:59 > 0:47:02there would still be the same number of buds
0:47:02 > 0:47:05and these would therefore be spread much more thinly up the stem
0:47:05 > 0:47:08and we get a much thinner, poorer tree.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11What we are trying to achieve is a tree...
0:47:11 > 0:47:15evenly spaced, but with intermediates and plenty of bulk and body to it.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19In order to achieve that, we put a growth regulant on the leader
0:47:19 > 0:47:23at a critical time of the year, which stops it going at that point.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27If you look very carefully, it's got five buds here.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30The centre bud will go out a long way.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35In order to stop that, we have got two or three ways of doing that.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39We can bud rub, just literally nip that bud out.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Or we wait until that bud has started to grow in the spring
0:47:43 > 0:47:48and we will then snap it. Literally, go round the tree snapping.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52Or if it gets a little bit longer and it gets strong, we will use secateurs.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03When you get your tree home, treat it like a cut flower.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Take off, if you can, half an inch off the base with a saw.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11It is dehydration that causes a tree to drop its needles.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12Nothing more nor less.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16If you can keep the moisture inside a tree, it should hold its needles.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Take it home, stand it in a bucket of water.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Don't bring into the house any sooner than you really need.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26If you just want to make sure you get a good tree, stand it in the garden
0:48:26 > 0:48:30or put it in the garage, keep it cool and moist.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34That's the key to keeping a tree. You can keep a tree almost indefinitely.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37# I'm the happiest Christmas tree
0:48:37 > 0:48:40# Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee
0:48:40 > 0:48:44# Someone came and they found me and took me home with them. #
0:48:44 > 0:48:46We do everything we possibly can
0:48:46 > 0:48:49to make it a beautiful tree for people to take home.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52After that, it's up to them how they decorate it
0:48:52 > 0:48:56and make this beautiful object that's going to make their Christmas.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00# ..I'm the happiest Christmas tree Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee
0:49:00 > 0:49:04# Look how pretty they dressed me Oh, lucky, lucky me
0:49:04 > 0:49:06# I got shiny bells that jingle
0:49:06 > 0:49:08# And lights that tingle... #
0:49:10 > 0:49:15- How are you getting on?- Good, but it's a lot of ground to cover.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Come on, you're slowing down.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21- I finally found a wheelbarrow without a puncture.- I know.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24I know, they're a bit short supply.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28- It's easier than digging that holly out. That nearly killed me. - You did a good job.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31- I'll get another barrowload.- Great.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41Well, I think that's looking really good. Set up for next year.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45There's still so much to see in this garden right now.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48We've got these fantastic cardoons that Monty has left standing.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51All the seedheads, the fennel...
0:49:51 > 0:49:55These really are nature's treasures. They're perfect for cutting
0:49:55 > 0:50:00and taking inside and decorating your home.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08A few weeks ago, I went to Oxfordshire to meet Rachel Siegfried,
0:50:08 > 0:50:12an organic cut-flower grower and florist, to get some tips
0:50:12 > 0:50:15in the art of creating gorgeous Christmas decorations.
0:50:21 > 0:50:22Lots of seedheads here.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26What are you looking for ideally?
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Definitely contrasts.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Something like these lily seedpods would be beautiful to use.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35And then something quite light, like this,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38or the papery seedheads of the nigella over there.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- Shall we cut a few things?- Yes.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48I feel like we need some colour.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52We have got some berries in the orchard. Let's go and have a look.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56These crab apples will be really useful.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00They're lovely, aren't they? They look like rubies.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Yes, they're so shiny.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05There is no comparison between that and something fake
0:51:05 > 0:51:10that you've bought in a shop. Absolutely gorgeous.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13And I think we've got some privet over here that can be used.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23I can't think of a much nicer thing to do on a crisp winter day.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Yes! Especially when the sun's out.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29It's not just the garden where buried treasure can be found.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31The hedgerow too holds its bounty.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Old man's beard, we love using this.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38You can either cut it in nice long lengths
0:51:38 > 0:51:41which you can then weave through the wreath.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Or we can take off some of these shorter pieces and pop those in.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49- Is this something you did as a child?- Yes, it was.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51It's a good memory for me.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54When I was quite small, we used to always go out
0:51:54 > 0:51:59and forage all our arrangements of holly and ivy and things like that.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02I do this now with my children and they love it.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04What else can we...?
0:52:04 > 0:52:09- What about some ivy?- That's a good idea. Another lovely native.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12And this is great, a mature ivy with all the berries.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16Yes, and it's really good to have something evergreen in the wreath.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19That is definitely a picture in a basket.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23- I'm dying to go back and make something.- Yeah, let's go.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35How are we going to turn this into a wreath? Where do we start?
0:52:35 > 0:52:39We'll start with a wreath ring.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42I just get them from any good garden centre.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46We're going to moss it up. I've gathered a little bit of moss.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51Just tear off some quite nice large pieces.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Something that size is a good start.
0:52:55 > 0:52:59And you just wrap it around like that.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01And then...
0:53:02 > 0:53:06..with your wire like that, just start to drop it round,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09nice and tight. Pull it as tight as you can.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14How can you keep it looking nice and green?
0:53:14 > 0:53:20A good thing to do is give it, perhaps, a soaking every week or so.
0:53:20 > 0:53:26- How long would it last?- I would hope this would give you a good month.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28So now we've got our base.
0:53:28 > 0:53:34Then you want to get a little bit of a purchase into the moss there.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Getting a good foundation to your wreath,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40that's the bit that takes the time.
0:53:40 > 0:53:45The next thing we want to do is choose our embellishments.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- That's good.- All the lovely things we've been foraging.
0:53:48 > 0:53:54I'm going to go for a red and white theme. Quite Christmassy.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58The crab apples, I'm definitely going to be using some of those.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01Oh, I must do this. Chinese lanterns.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05They're real showstoppers, aren't they?
0:54:05 > 0:54:08I'm going to start with this ivy.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Yours is more delicate, I think this is more chunky.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15I feel the need for a little bit more white in mine.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17To balance out the red.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21When you use flowers like this, it's a part that you can keep refreshing.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26The moment of truth. Where it all falls off.
0:54:29 > 0:54:35Brilliant. I think I'm not going to put a bow on.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38I think it might just work as it is.
0:54:38 > 0:54:43Well, it's got so much on it already. It almost doesn't need it.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44She said!
0:54:44 > 0:54:48- They're not bad, are they? - Not bad at all.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54KNOCKING
0:54:54 > 0:54:56# Zat you, Santa Claus?
0:55:04 > 0:55:06# Gifts I'm preparing
0:55:06 > 0:55:08# For some Christmas sharing
0:55:08 > 0:55:10# But I pause because
0:55:12 > 0:55:14# Hanging my stocking
0:55:14 > 0:55:16# I can hear knocking
0:55:16 > 0:55:19# Zat you, Santa Claus?
0:55:19 > 0:55:22# Sure is dark out... #
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- There we are.- A few more of these.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- These originally grew in the walled garden.- They look very good.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33They're Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation'.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36And, look, your holly prunings. Perfect.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39Good. Carol!
0:55:39 > 0:55:43- Hello!- How are you? Nice to see you.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47- Hello, Rachel.- Oh, she's warm. - Nice to see you.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51Good timing. The work is done, the fire is lit.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55- I think we deserve a drink.- I've brought some Hackney wine with me.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59They're not two words you associate, really, Hackney and wine.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02- No, but honestly it's pretty good. - There we go.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05- Try that.- Thank you very much. - This smoke's getting in my eyes.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08- Well, cheers.- Cheers.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Cheers. Sorry, love. Can't miss you out.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Here's to Christmas and here's to the end of an interesting year.
0:56:18 > 0:56:23It's been fun. I've had a good time, there's no question about it.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28I've enjoyed it. It's been difficult, but what were your highlights?
0:56:28 > 0:56:33Oh, Marqueyssac in France in the Dordogne.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37I was on holiday. I never get up that early on holiday.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41- But the light was incredible. The topiary pieces...- It was worth it.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43It was a real wow factor garden.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46Beautiful. You just... sat and watched!
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I saw that and I thought, I've got to go and see that.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Then there was Ken from Bournemouth -
0:56:52 > 0:56:55- the dahlia king. - Those dahlias - every one perfect!
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- And that passion.- That passion, not to say obsession.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Exactly. Nothing in his garden apart from dahlias - that's an obsession.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04What was the highlight of your year?
0:57:04 > 0:57:08I think just the usual things. Growing stuff that's new,
0:57:08 > 0:57:11that's different, that you haven't seen before
0:57:11 > 0:57:13and trying lots and lots of new experiments.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16There was one plant that grew in my garden,
0:57:16 > 0:57:21seeded itself, and I just thought it was out of this world.
0:57:21 > 0:57:26And it was an aquilegia. There it was, this big splendiferous plant.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30- So I've saved some seed and I brought some.- Christmas pressie!
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Thank you, Carol. Fantastic.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38- What about you?- I've done... Definitely going to Wisley.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40I've been to Wisley several times during this series
0:57:40 > 0:57:44and it's fantastic. I've met experts in different areas,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47I've been doing pruning and all sorts of things.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51That has been great. Also, I would say going to Roy Strong's garden.
0:57:51 > 0:57:56- What a treat!- It really was. And it's so much about the man himself.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59You really feel very strongly it's his garden.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03I think, for me, the highlight of this year was going to Giverny.
0:58:03 > 0:58:08It was just wonderful. It was fantastic!
0:58:08 > 0:58:12And I also went to Kirstenbosch which was wonderful.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Two big highlights.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18But, certainly for me, it's what we do at home -
0:58:18 > 0:58:21sowing your dahlia seeds, growing plants that turn out to be smashing.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25- Just doing it.- It is just doing it.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Well, we have got no more time to do anything.
0:58:28 > 0:58:29This programme or this year.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33But we'll be back at the beginning of next March. So until then,
0:58:33 > 0:58:37have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year. Bye-bye.
0:58:37 > 0:58:39ALL: Happy Christmas.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43ALL: Cheers.
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Here's to Gardeners' World.
0:58:57 > 0:59:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:59:00 > 0:59:04E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk