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