Episode 28 Gardeners' World


Episode 28

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# Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

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# Jack Frost nipping at your nose

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# Although it's been said

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# Many times, many ways

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# Merry Christmas

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# To you. #

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Hello. Welcome to a Christmas Gardeners' World.

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Although the days are short and the weather sometimes truculent at this time of year,

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there is lots to do, both putting the garden to bed for the winter

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and also making sure that it's poised to begin next growing season

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at its very best.

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'And for the first time this year,

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'Joe and Rachel will join me at Longmeadow,

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'to give me a hand with some seasonal work.'

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THEY LAUGH

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'Carol will be coming along, too, a little later, but first,

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'she takes a winter walk at Dunham Massey in Cheshire.'

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A brisk walk in a beautiful garden can be invigorating

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and also fill your mind with all kinds of ideas for your own garden.

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And, as a Christmas treat, we're getting tips and advice

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about making our gardens more wildlife-friendly

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from poet and national treasure Pam Ayres.

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Whether our gardens are large or small,

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we do tend to share them with a lot of critters of all different types.

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So that became my great interest, to not just have nice flowers,

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but to have interesting things sitting on them.

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'Rachel will also find out how to create beautiful Christmas decorations,

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'simply by gathering seed heads, berries and evergreens from the garden.'

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And we'll all be looking back over our gardening year

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and picking out our favourite moments.

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-Here you go.

-I have been longing to see the Jewel Garden for years.

-Well...

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The truth is you've come at about the worst time, I have to say.

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I don't know. I still think it still looks good.

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-You've cleared a lot on this side.

-Actually, these three quarters have been cleared back

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pretty much as much as we'd expect to at this time of year

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-and we haven't started this side yet.

-So is this something I can help you with?

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-I'm rather hoping you would.

-Good.

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I think it's a question of just getting stuck in.

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-You can see what we're getting back to.

-What do you want to lose? Presumably the annuals?

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The annuals. If you start with those Cosmos. One of the first things I always do

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when clearing a border is take the annuals out, the tender annuals.

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We've got Cosmos, Tithonias, and they can be pulled up.

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They've done their stuff. That's it, that's over and can be chucked to one side.

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I'm just coming through now to a lovely clump of the Heleniums.

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This is obviously a perennial, which means the top growth is going to die down, anyway.

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Now, some of them, if they're slightly borderline tender,

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you might want to leave the top growth in through the worst of the winter

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and then cut it back in very early spring.

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And that will give extra protection to the roots.

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Just help nurse it through.

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This is one of those wonderful blue Salvia guaranitica.

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What I'm going to do, because it's not hardy, is to cut it right back

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so it's easier to dig up.

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All that top growth off and we can dig it up

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and keep it in a pot somewhere frost-free over the winter.

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The key thing about this process is not to be daunted by it.

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If you're in doubt, cut back, but don't rip out,

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because roots will produce a new plant in a herbaceous perennial, although they won't on an annual.

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And enjoy it - this is all part of the process of making a border work for you.

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'As well as clearing away old growth, it's now a good time to mulch.'

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'I like to use garden compost as this not only suppresses weeds

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'and retains moisture, but also returns valuable nutrients to the soil.'

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-Right. It's Christmas time, I've bought you a present.

-Ah, bonus. Fantastic stuff.

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Look at that. I have to say mulching is one of those satisfying jobs to do,

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because you know that it's working on so many levels.

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The main thing to remember is always to mulch on top of moist soil.

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Don't do it when it's very dry, because all it does is lock in that dryness.

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It's very hard for it to get wet afterwards.

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So you're just spreading it around.

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It'll improve the structure of the soil, as well,

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once it goes in, and it's a fantastic weed suppressant.

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Very hard for those weed seedlings to get going,

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for the seeds to germinate.

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When you come up to a shrub, or a tree,

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just leave a little bit of space.

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You can see round there the base of this holly.

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I won't take it right up to here.

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Just want to make sure there's no rotting right around the stem.

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And you want to aim for about three inches in depth.

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That would make a really good insulating blanket, as well, for bulbs.

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But if you can't get the full three inches, anything is better than nothing.

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And if you haven't got lots of garden compost,

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there are alternatives.

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You can use coco shell, there's straw,

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so lots of other ideas are on the website.

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One of the things I do like is the way everything we're cutting back

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goes on the compost heap and that gets used to go back in the soil.

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So a lot of this started life growing in these borders.

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It is, it's fantastic, that cycle.

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Talking of cycle, this is something we don't normally do around Christmas time.

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We normally leave it to late winter, February,

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as soon as we can get on the ground in February.

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It's only because we planted tulips that we've done it early.

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It's such a personal thing, when you do this and how much you cut back,

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because if you cut back too much, it can be detrimental for wildlife

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and somebody who is passionate about gardening for wildlife,

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and they need all the help they can around Christmas,

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is the poet - and I think a national treasure, I've loved her since I was a child - it's Pam Ayres.

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Come on.

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I suppose most people would know me for what I've written,

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for my poems and verses,

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but I've actually got another important interest.

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And that is in gardening for wildlife.

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Of course, I love my big, beautiful garden, but everybody's garden,

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whether it's large or small, will have a large quantity of critters of all different types in it.

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It seemed to me, after we came here in 1987,

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that it was a nice thing to plant a flower.

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But how much nicer if it was a flower that attracted a bumblebee

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or a moth, or a beautiful butterfly,

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or that fed the birds with its seeds?

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So that became my great interest, really, to not just have nice flowers,

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but to have interesting things sitting on them.

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One of my harmless pastimes when I'm clearing up the winter garden

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is I like to make little bug abodes.

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I've just cut down a polythene bottle.

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I've left the end entire, but I've cut off the bottle top.

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I've just packed it with hollow stems and I've got them from things like hogweed,

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daylily, cow parsley, dock leaves,

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bits of bark.

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Here's a bit of sow thistle growing up through my bay tree.

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That would do fine. It's completely hollow.

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I just pack it with little hollow stems like that.

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And the great thing is, if you attract insects into your garden,

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you will attract birds, because one feeds on the other. See?

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I'm just going to pop this down into some little comfy, dry corner

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and I'm sure that lots a very small persons will be pleased to find it there!

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One thing I really like about my garden

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is that whenever anyone comes to visit they always say,

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"What a lovely lavender walk."

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Actually, it's not lavender, it's Napeta,

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otherwise known as 'Catmint'.

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Which in my opinion is a much better bet than lavender.

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I like lavender, but it gets very woody.

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It ages very quickly, it seems to me, whereas this has got a long season.

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Like lavender, it's a good attractant for insects

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and when the flowers are finished blooming you just go over it with the shears

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and it all comes up again in these lovely pale green cushions and the leaves smell lovely and herby

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and it blooms all over again. so it's got a nice, long season.

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In my opinion, it knocks spots off lavender.

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DOG BARKS

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On many a flower shrub and tree

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Food for birds grows naturally

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On the Pyracantha, say

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As autumn shortens each new day

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See the show of berries start The red and green to lift the heart

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Then, when we have admired the spot Blackbirds come and scoff the lot.

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That's my Pyracantha anthem and I wrote it

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because I'm very, very fond of this shrub here.

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The Pyracantha or 'Firethorn'.

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I like it because it's cheap and cheerful.

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You can get it in all the garden centres.

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It doesn't mind a north wall. as it is here,

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and it's such good value,

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because you get lots of lovely, white, creamy flowers in the spring

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and lots of bees and interesting insects on that.

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Then, in the autumn, you get this fabulous show.

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This fabulous red and green contrast.

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One of the things we can all do in our gardens is put up a nest box for the birds.

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Now, this is an oak tree, and I have read recently that blue tits like to nest in oak trees,

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so I'm going to put this nest box up in this tree.

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This is a really good nest box. It's made of concrete and wood shavings.

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The concrete makes it hard, so predators and woodpeckers

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cannot get into it, they can't penetrate it.

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And the sawdust makes it cosy and warm for the baby birds.

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And I've got lots of these.

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I always ask for Father Christmas to bring me one. So up I go.

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And, of course, the important thing about putting up a nest box

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is the direction which it faces.

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You mustn't put it so that it's facing south, so the hole is facing south,

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because when there's a brood of babies in there and the sun is on it, they will just cook.

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And, also, consider the prevailing wind.

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If there's a direction that the rain always comes from,

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face it away from that,

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so that there's not rain washing into the babies.

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And I'm just going to hang it on that sturdy hook.

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I don't want it to wobble about. If I leave it like that it's going to wobble.

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So I've got some wire and the wire is threaded through a plastic pipe,

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so that it won't bite into the tree.

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It won't be one of those horrible things where you see the wire actually absorbed into the bark.

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So I'm just going to secure it with this piece of wire

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and I don't see any reason why lots of happy, healthy blue tits

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shouldn't hatch out and give me years of pleasure.

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The thing is, just these tiny things that I do, they're only small, like keep the bird bath clean

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and plant a vine or make a little bug house, or plant a Pyracantha,

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but I do believe that all creatures are important and precious

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and I think there should be room for all of us.

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So I think if everybody tried to do a little bit for them,

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it would amount to a very great deal.

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There are more tips and advice

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on caring for the wildlife in your garden on our website:

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I'm digging up my rhubarb.

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Now, there is some method in this,

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because this particular rhubarb

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has been here since 1993.

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And I have done nothing other than mulch it every year.

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And until about two years ago it didn't need anything.

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It was producing really good stems

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for that wonderful stewed rhubarb,

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rhubarb pie, rhubarb crumble,

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and it quite happily reappeared every year.

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But the last couple of years, the pickings have been slim.

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And this year it's been really bad.

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I'm going to refresh it by digging up the roots,

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cutting out the old portion,

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and replanting vigorous new sections

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to give it a new burst of life.

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This is a variety called Timperley Early.

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Which is very good, highly recommended.

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One of the fascinating things about rhubarb

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is that until the early 19th century

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no-one thought of eating the stems.

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Everyone grew it simply as medicine.

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And they powdered the roots.

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It was a purgative.

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And then it was one man in the 1820s and '30s

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who tried to get people attracted to eating these delicious stems

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and the way he did it was by making pies and selling the pies.

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Of course, people like pies.

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So they ate it, and said, "Oh, what's that? That's delicious!"

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It was rhubarb.

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And the Victorians took to it,

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then started to breed varieties,

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and never really looked back, since.

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And it's become a national favourite. There she goes.

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OK, let's have a look at this piece here.

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You can see that's a substantial affair.

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Like any herbaceous plant, it grows outwards.

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And the new growth is vigorous.

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The old growth produces much less stems, foliage, or flowers.

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So what we want to do is keep the new

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and discard the old.

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If I just divide that up, like that,

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a piece there, that just breaks up.

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Now, that I'll keep.

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Now I can go through the whole thing.

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Here we have stems. That's breaking itself up.

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That's clearly a nice small piece.

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And this, that old root, can go.

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So if I cut that back...

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..like that.

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And by cutting it up and replanting it

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you are provoking it into new vigour.

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You are giving it a new lease of life.

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Now, I've got three nicely chopped up bits of root

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with good healthy big buds on it,

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they need lots of space, lots of moisture,

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and lots of food to do their best.

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You simply make a hole and put that in

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so the bud is above the ground.

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Sticking proud, and there it goes.

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Now, obviously, if you don't have rhubarb in the first place,

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you can't divide it up to make new plants, you have to buy them.

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There are lots of different varieties you can get.

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I've got one here which is called Hawke's Champagne.

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And you can see, that's how you buy it.

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It looks like an unlikely candidate

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to give you that wonderful rosy fresh growth

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in February, March and April.

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But it will.

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And I've got another variety here which is called Victoria.

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And this was bred to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria herself.

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This bed here I won't pick next year.

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I'll just let it grow and then the leaves will feed back into the roots,

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we'll get a really good, vigorous roots system,

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and then in the second year we can start to harvest.

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At this time of year most gardens are closed to the public.

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But there are some still open.

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Carol has been to Dunham Massey, in Cheshire,

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which not only is open,

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but prides itself on looking really good at this time of year.

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It can be tempting, on a cold winter's morning,

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just to hibernate, to cuddle up indoors.

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But a brisk walk in a beautiful garden

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can be both invigorating and also fill your mind

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with all kinds of ideas for your own garden.

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Nestling in the fertile pasturelands of the Cheshire countryside

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is this moated magnificence.

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Dunham Massey.

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Within its 300 acres of parkland

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there are 30 acres of gardens

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which, since 1976, have been looked after by the National Trust.

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The whole place is full of magnificent plants,

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shrubs and trees.

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But perhaps the most iconic at this time of year

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is the holly.

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And there are some magnificent hollies here.

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It was a hugely important tree to our forebears,

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signifying that winter would not last forever,

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and that life went on through those darkest days.

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Of course, you can't have holly without having ivy too.

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They're the two most important plants of this time of year.

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There are still wasps and flies feasting here.

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But they'll be followed by juicy blackberries.

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Luscious food for all manner of birds.

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It's not just holly and ivy that celebrate the winter

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here at Dunham Massey.

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Around every corner there are all sorts of amazing surprises.

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Look at this Cardiocrinum giganteum.

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This is a giant Himalayan lily,

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the biggest member of its family.

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It takes a full seven years

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to come from seed into flower.

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And I've seen it before with a couple of these seed heads

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here and there,

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but never like this.

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It's a positive thicket.

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It's easy to assume that in a property like this

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the necessity to maintain the rich heritage of this place

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might stifle new ideas and developments.

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But not a bit of it.

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Here at Dunham Massey in this old area of parkland

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a new winter garden has been born.

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The project began in 2007.

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The Trust worked with renowned plantsman Roy Lancaster to draw up a plan.

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Four years on, and at Seven Acres,

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it's said to be the largest winter garden

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in the whole of the UK.

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This is such a fine example of group planting,

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using the same plants over and over again

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to establish this wonderful rhythm and fabulous integrity.

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Here, Betula utilis 'Doorenbos',

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with this wonderful white bark, is used.

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On this side of the path, the single stems.

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On the other, it's multi-stemmed, growing from the base.

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And these lovely white trunks

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contrast with the great oaks above,

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and the lovely crimson-barked Cornus underneath.

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It's the kind of thing

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that happens in every garden.

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You want all these different layers.

0:21:180:21:21

This has to be one of the lushest combinations I've ever seen.

0:21:230:21:27

The purple berries of this Callicarpa

0:21:270:21:29

gathered together in tight bunches,

0:21:290:21:33

contrasted against this soft, butter-yellow foliage

0:21:330:21:36

of the Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'.

0:21:360:21:39

And what's more, once these leaves fall to the ground

0:21:390:21:42

they'll reveal orange, flame-coloured twigs,

0:21:420:21:46

and with a bit of luck

0:21:460:21:47

the purple berries of the Callicarpa

0:21:470:21:49

will still be there.

0:21:490:21:51

The birds will feast on them last.

0:21:510:21:53

The area underneath trees is often problematic.

0:21:560:22:00

Especially such big trees as this huge beech.

0:22:000:22:04

The shade during the summer,

0:22:040:22:06

and all the year round these roots drain all the moisture out

0:22:060:22:10

and impoverish the soil.

0:22:100:22:11

But how about this for a wonderful solution?

0:22:110:22:15

And both its flowers and foliage

0:22:180:22:21

combine beautifully with these beech leaves.

0:22:210:22:25

And it's growing in just the right place.

0:22:250:22:28

This is how it naturally occurs where it comes from. Perfect.

0:22:280:22:32

Most of our gardens are a fraction of this size.

0:22:340:22:37

But there are a couple of inspiring planting ideas here

0:22:370:22:40

that will enhance any garden through the winter time.

0:22:400:22:44

Unusually, for a herbaceous plant,

0:22:460:22:48

our native Iris foetidissima

0:22:480:22:51

has seed pods that burst to reveal glossy orange berries,

0:22:510:22:54

often standing right through to the spring.

0:22:540:22:57

Evergreens are a vital part of the winter scene.

0:23:000:23:03

And the glossy foliage of Sarcococca 'Christmas Box'

0:23:030:23:07

enhance any planting.

0:23:070:23:10

But its true glory is revealed

0:23:100:23:13

when its buds open to tiny flowers,

0:23:130:23:15

exuding enchanting perfume that fills the whole garden.

0:23:150:23:19

There are many winter gardens and walks

0:23:220:23:24

to be had around the country, right now.

0:23:240:23:27

For more suggestions, go to our website:

0:23:270:23:31

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Ah! At last, eh?

0:23:510:23:54

-You can come and do some spreading!

-Yeah!

0:23:540:23:56

-Nice to see you!

-Nice to see your garden for the first time.

0:23:560:23:59

It's really interesting, seeing it.

0:23:590:24:01

Interesting is one of those words that covers a multitude of sins!

0:24:010:24:04

No! No! No! It draws you round.

0:24:040:24:06

It really does lead you round in different directions.

0:24:060:24:09

It's hard to get, unless you're actually here. To get the layout.

0:24:090:24:13

Yeah, the geography of it.

0:24:130:24:14

Just think of an open field, broken up into bits,

0:24:140:24:17

or runways, gangways here.

0:24:170:24:19

-But they work. They draw you through.

-That's the idea.

0:24:190:24:23

-It reveals itself slowly.

-That's the plan.

0:24:230:24:26

We've been busy.

0:24:260:24:28

Rachel's BEING busy.

0:24:280:24:29

-Of course.

-I'm getting it done.

0:24:290:24:32

Now you're here, I've allocated a job. When Joe comes,

0:24:320:24:34

this is going to happen.

0:24:340:24:36

You're happy to continue your work?

0:24:360:24:38

I'm perfectly happy. I'm enjoying this.

0:24:380:24:41

-All right. Before you get too comfortable, come with me.

-OK! I'm dreading this now!

0:24:410:24:45

What do you fancy?

0:24:470:24:49

Just a conventional spade.

0:24:490:24:53

There we go.

0:24:530:24:55

This is the spring garden.

0:25:000:25:02

And I've got a holly that I want to move, but it's a two-man job.

0:25:020:25:06

Here it is.

0:25:080:25:09

I planted it as part of the hedging,

0:25:090:25:12

it was just a loose holly, part of a job lot I bought. But it did have

0:25:120:25:16

a nice stem, and over the last few years I've been cutting off the lower branches

0:25:160:25:20

-and clipping the top vaguely.

-Nice shape, isn't it?

0:25:200:25:23

-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?

0:25:230:25:28

-But now you're here, we can do it!

-OK. I'll get round this side.

0:25:280:25:33

It's the perfect time of year to do this,

0:25:330:25:36

because the soil is moist and the plant is dormant,

0:25:360:25:39

so you can do this any time through the winter,

0:25:390:25:42

as long as it's not frozen solid.

0:25:420:25:44

But the first thing we're doing is digging a trench

0:25:530:25:57

all the way round the root ball. It's a way of root-pruning it

0:25:570:26:01

and getting the root to a manageable size

0:26:010:26:05

so we can actually lift it and put it into a pot.

0:26:050:26:07

The better we look after the roots when we're extracting it, the better it will transplant.

0:26:070:26:12

# Have a holly jolly Christmas

0:26:120:26:15

# It's the best time of the year... #

0:26:150:26:18

I'm glad to see you're sweating away as well, cos I certainly am!

0:26:210:26:25

-It's very mild for this time of year, isn't it?

-It is.

0:26:250:26:27

It's not the hard work or the unfitness, it's the weather.

0:26:270:26:31

THEY LAUGH

0:26:310:26:33

# By golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year. #

0:26:330:26:37

A nice, compact mass of roots, neatly cut all the way round

0:26:380:26:44

and underneath, is going to give the plant a fighting chance.

0:26:440:26:48

Oh, yeah, go on.

0:26:500:26:52

-If you do that...

-That's almost it, Monty.

0:26:520:26:57

-I'll lean it this way.

-I think that's almost there.

-There you go.

0:26:570:27:02

-That gone?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

0:27:020:27:04

Let's have a look. See, that's good, isn't it?

0:27:040:27:09

-Really nice root ball, lots of fibrous roots.

-We've got to get it into there.

0:27:090:27:13

Is it going to stay in that pot forever, is that the idea?

0:27:130:27:16

No, that's just to hold it until I find

0:27:160:27:20

a nice pot, then we can make a feature out of it.

0:27:200:27:23

My concerns are, we've got a nice root ball, we'd have to trim it back even further,

0:27:230:27:27

put it under more stress. With that lovely root ball, you don't want to lose it.

0:27:270:27:31

Um...OK, plan B.

0:27:310:27:34

If you find yourself, as we have here, with a really good root ball

0:27:340:27:37

on something that's been a lot of work to take out

0:27:370:27:40

and you value highly, there's no reason why you can't heel it in.

0:27:400:27:45

Put it somewhere - in a vegetable plot if need be -

0:27:450:27:47

until you find the right container, rather than destroy the root ball

0:27:470:27:51

just to fit a pot that you happen to have. And anyway,

0:27:510:27:54

that plastic pot is worth a fiftieth of what the plant's worth, isn't it?

0:27:540:27:58

-Yeah.

-One, two, three, go!

0:27:580:28:00

-Lovely job. Now, I've got bad news for you.

-What?

0:28:050:28:10

It's got a flat tyre? No! Oh, no!

0:28:100:28:14

Try it.

0:28:140:28:16

-It should be all right, it's got a bit of air in it. You got it?

-Yeah.

0:28:160:28:20

Oh!

0:28:200:28:22

It's not going to go through the gap in the hedge!

0:28:220:28:24

-Right.

-Here?

0:28:320:28:36

Now, obviously... Normally, if you're moving a tree,

0:28:360:28:40

you prepare the hole you're moving to before you even begin to dig it up.

0:28:400:28:45

But because we thought it was going in a pot, we haven't done that. So, more digging!

0:28:450:28:49

There we go.

0:28:560:28:58

And what will happen is, the roots, because they've been pruned,

0:28:580:29:01

will grow a fibrous extension, they won't grow out as they were before.

0:29:010:29:05

That's really good news. In fact, all nurseries do this to trees that they're selling -

0:29:050:29:10

root-prune them, dig them up and move them, get a nice, compact root ball as a result.

0:29:100:29:14

So this will do no harm at all to making it suitable for planting

0:29:140:29:17

into a container, when I get the container.

0:29:170:29:20

If I hold that, will you fill round it?

0:29:200:29:22

# Have a holly jolly Christmas

0:29:220:29:24

# It's the best time of the year

0:29:240:29:28

# I don't know if there'll be snow, but have yourself a cheer... #

0:29:300:29:34

Now, normally, you would prune evergreens in spring.

0:29:340:29:38

But because we've taken so much off its roots and it's pretty stressed out,

0:29:380:29:42

I'm reducing its top growth to balance out with the root ball.

0:29:420:29:45

Also, I'm starting to shape it up, because Monty's looking for a lovely lollipop shape.

0:29:450:29:49

Of course, all these trimmings that I've got

0:29:490:29:52

won't be wasted at this time of year,

0:29:520:29:54

they'll go into some lovely Christmas decorations.

0:29:540:29:57

But when I think of Christmas, I always think of a nice glass of wine.

0:29:570:30:01

But I never knew there was a guy just round the corner from me who was making his own.

0:30:010:30:06

I live in Hackney, east London,

0:30:080:30:09

not a wine region that immediately springs to mind.

0:30:090:30:13

-Good afternoon.

-Hi, Joe.

-Hi.

0:30:130:30:15

Now, I know this allotment,

0:30:150:30:17

but I've never known that there was a mini-vineyard in here.

0:30:170:30:20

It's my little vineyard in the city.

0:30:200:30:22

And it's harvest day today.

0:30:220:30:25

That's right.

0:30:250:30:26

I've got my secateurs, I'm here to help.

0:30:260:30:28

I've heard that if I help, I may get to taste the wine. Any chance?

0:30:280:30:32

There's a chance. If you work hard enough!

0:30:320:30:35

Even though our climate is relatively cool,

0:30:360:30:39

if you pick the right spot, your vines can flourish.

0:30:390:30:44

You can grow a pretty reliable crop from year to year and make wine.

0:30:450:30:49

Especially down here in the south-east of England.

0:30:490:30:53

It helps to pick a spot where you've got sunlight for most of the day.

0:30:530:30:57

Where the ground is semi-fertile.

0:30:570:31:00

The leaner the soil, the better the grape seems to grow.

0:31:000:31:05

It helps to have the sun fall on both sides of the line.

0:31:070:31:11

If you have a north-south orientation of your rows,

0:31:110:31:13

then you will have sun on both sides of the vine.

0:31:130:31:17

They're pretty good on most soils as well?

0:31:170:31:20

Yeah, they will grow in most soils as long as it's not too acidic.

0:31:200:31:25

Marko makes both red and white wines

0:31:250:31:27

from his Regent, Madeleine Angevine, Kuibyshevky and Pinot Noir grapes.

0:31:270:31:32

If you're thinking of planting vines yourself, be patient.

0:31:320:31:36

They can take up to three years to produce grapes for making wine.

0:31:360:31:40

The right time to harvest them is down to how sweet they are.

0:31:400:31:44

To see whether the grapes are ready to pick, we measure the sugar content.

0:31:460:31:50

-I have a little instrument called a refractometer.

-Oh, a gizmo!

0:31:500:31:54

I love little gizmos.

0:31:540:31:56

We just drop a little bit of juice onto the surface,

0:31:560:31:59

close it, and you take a look through there

0:31:590:32:03

and tell me what you see.

0:32:030:32:05

I see 15 dead. Right bang in the middle. Is that good?

0:32:050:32:10

That's good. That's 15% of sugar by volume in the berry,

0:32:100:32:14

which will give us 7.5% alcohol.

0:32:140:32:16

That's not that strong.

0:32:160:32:17

Can you boost it up a little bit?

0:32:170:32:19

I can. I can add sugar and raise it to 10%, 11%, 11.5%.

0:32:190:32:25

-Can I try one?

-Yes.

0:32:250:32:27

Delicious. Really sweet.

0:32:280:32:31

What grapes do best in our climate? Not particular varieties, more their characteristics.

0:32:390:32:44

First of all, we're looking for early-ripening grapes.

0:32:440:32:47

Those that'll ripen in September, the beginning of October.

0:32:470:32:53

Secondly, grapes that have open bunches like these Kuibyshevky

0:32:530:32:57

where the air can flow in-between the berries. It makes them less susceptible to disease.

0:32:570:33:02

-What about pruning?

-In winter, I cut the vine back pretty hard.

0:33:020:33:07

I pass through the vineyard during the summertime regularly

0:33:070:33:12

and I will do three or four prunings during the summer season.

0:33:120:33:16

When the actual bunches of grapes are formed, is the idea to try and let as much sunshine onto them as possible?

0:33:160:33:22

They do need some sunlight, but they also need shelter

0:33:220:33:25

because it will rain in the summertime so you leave the leaves on the vine overhead,

0:33:250:33:30

both against the rain and against birds.

0:33:300:33:33

That's a pretty serious harvest.

0:33:400:33:43

Yes, it's the best harvest I've had with the Madeleine Angevine.

0:33:430:33:47

What's the next stage with them?

0:33:470:33:50

We'll get them back to my place and we crush them.

0:33:500:33:53

There's not room enough for both of us in there.

0:34:000:34:03

Are you in? Yeah! I bet it feels good, yeah?

0:34:080:34:12

It feels great. Feet are the best things for crushing grapes

0:34:120:34:16

because they won't break the pips, which are bitter inside.

0:34:160:34:21

'Then Marko adds a mix of fermenting grapes to get the fermentation going.

0:34:220:34:26

'In two weeks, the grapes will be ready for filtering and bottling.

0:34:260:34:30

'That leaves just one job left to do - taste some of Hackney's finest.'

0:34:320:34:36

Let's try it.

0:34:390:34:40

That's really nice.

0:34:480:34:49

What a great day. Thank you very much.

0:34:490:34:51

-It's been a pleasure.

-Thank you.

0:34:510:34:53

I've always wanted to plant a small vineyard.

0:35:100:35:12

I never really thought I would have room, but that inspires me.

0:35:120:35:16

Watch this space, maybe next year we'll get some wines in. In fact,

0:35:160:35:20

now and up till the end of winter is a good time to plant any fruit,

0:35:200:35:24

whether it's a vine, a pear, a raspberry or whatever you like.

0:35:240:35:28

I'm going to plant another apple in my orchard.

0:35:280:35:31

Giving an apple tree is a brilliant Christmas present.

0:35:310:35:35

There are hundreds of varieties to choose from.

0:35:350:35:37

It can be a bit of a minefield - where do you begin?

0:35:370:35:41

How do you select out what's most appropriate,

0:35:410:35:43

either for yourself or as a present?

0:35:430:35:45

One of the ways is go and visit an orchard.

0:35:450:35:48

Even if it's got no fruit on, you can see the trees in their full magnificence.

0:35:480:35:53

We went down to Cornwall to Tresillian House

0:35:530:35:56

where John Harris, the head gardener, presides over a wonderful orchard

0:35:560:36:02

full of heritage varieties.

0:36:020:36:03

The question I get asked so many times is

0:36:050:36:08

what defines a heritage variety?

0:36:080:36:11

A heritage variety is something that has stood the test of time.

0:36:110:36:16

Everything in this orchard, 80-odd varieties,

0:36:210:36:23

all grown on their own rootstock.

0:36:230:36:26

Some already 14-15 foot high,

0:36:260:36:29

some no more than five or six foot.

0:36:290:36:32

The natural characteristics coming out

0:36:320:36:35

in every different variety we've got here.

0:36:350:36:40

It's not been grafted like your new ones now.

0:36:400:36:42

Every county throughout the country

0:36:420:36:46

have got their own local heritage varieties.

0:36:460:36:50

Here in Cornwall, most of them,

0:36:500:36:53

the biggest percentage, were grown to withstand the salt winds.

0:36:530:36:56

This little chap here, this is Tommy Knight.

0:36:560:37:00

Now, Tommy Knight was a miner back in the end of the 1700s.

0:37:010:37:07

Every time he got paid, Tommy would visit the local drinking house.

0:37:070:37:12

Tommy got home, his poor wife never had any money left.

0:37:120:37:17

And one night, she was so fed up with Tommy,

0:37:170:37:20

she kicked him out and he went up the end of the garden.

0:37:200:37:23

Tommy had this tree growing in his garden, but it had never had a name.

0:37:230:37:26

Next morning, she found her dearly beloved dead under the tree.

0:37:260:37:30

It was given the name Tommy Knight.

0:37:300:37:33

It's stood the test of time for over 200 years.

0:37:330:37:37

That makes it a heritage variety.

0:37:370:37:40

Here we have a wonderful apple, Cornish Gilliflower.

0:37:490:37:52

It is one of the finest apples you'll have for Christmas.

0:37:520:37:58

It's the apple of the aristocracy.

0:37:580:38:00

It's not the sort of apple that the working man would've had back then.

0:38:000:38:05

Only the aristocracy would have had eating apples on the table.

0:38:050:38:11

The working man, bless his heart, had to be content

0:38:110:38:15

with a general-purpose apple

0:38:150:38:17

that would have made him, the most important thing, a jug of cider,

0:38:170:38:21

apple pie or apple crumble or even a Cornish apple pasty.

0:38:210:38:25

Now, the secret of picking them

0:38:260:38:28

is to just come off in your fingers like that.

0:38:280:38:31

No more of this here tugging and pulling and twisting.

0:38:310:38:34

They're not ready. Let's see what the taste is like.

0:38:340:38:37

Oh, that is beautiful.

0:38:400:38:42

It's got a lovely, sort of crunchy,

0:38:420:38:45

juicy, almost tingeing on a pineapple.

0:38:450:38:50

But to think in a month or six weeks' time, what's good now

0:38:500:38:55

is going to be even better.

0:38:550:38:58

It's absolutely lovely, this one is.

0:38:580:39:01

The most important thing to keep heritage apples alive

0:39:120:39:16

is to propagate cuttings -

0:39:160:39:18

heel cuttings off your own tree - and this is the way I do it here.

0:39:180:39:23

I take a nice clean pair of secateurs

0:39:230:39:27

and a nice clean cut like that. Lovely clean cut.

0:39:270:39:30

There's no foliage left on

0:39:300:39:32

because you never take cuttings while the foliage is on.

0:39:320:39:35

Just nip off the leader tips

0:39:350:39:39

so you've got a cutting about 15 inches long.

0:39:390:39:43

That will be inserted 50% into the ground and 50% out.

0:39:430:39:48

Do not force that into the ground

0:39:480:39:50

because of damaging where you've taken the cutting.

0:39:500:39:54

As you ease the spade back,

0:39:540:39:57

you gently slide that down beside the blade, then take the spade out

0:39:570:40:01

and firm it with your foot.

0:40:010:40:04

That now will be in the ground, and in 12 months' time

0:40:040:40:08

that cutting will be rooted and you can lift it up

0:40:080:40:11

with a fork gently and give it to somebody.

0:40:110:40:14

You will then be passing on a wonderful heritage apple tree

0:40:140:40:18

for future generations to inherit.

0:40:180:40:21

I don't know about you,

0:40:330:40:34

but that makes me want to plant a heritage apple.

0:40:340:40:38

I've got one here called Pitmaston Pine Apple which is both old -

0:40:380:40:43

it was developed in the 1780s - and also local.

0:40:430:40:47

It comes from just south of Hereford.

0:40:470:40:50

I've dug a wide hole, but not very deep.

0:40:500:40:53

Just give the roots plenty of room to move out in

0:40:530:40:55

but don't dig a great big trench.

0:40:550:40:59

Just the depth of a spade.

0:40:590:41:01

When you've taken it out,

0:41:010:41:03

don't dig it over, but just loosen the soil

0:41:030:41:06

so that the roots can find their way down.

0:41:060:41:10

For that reason,

0:41:100:41:12

we don't add any manure or compost to the planting hole.

0:41:120:41:16

All that will do is encourage the roots to stay within

0:41:160:41:20

the confines of the hole you've dug.

0:41:200:41:22

Now, this is a bare root tree.

0:41:220:41:26

They arrive packed

0:41:260:41:27

but, as you see, the roots are bare, they're not in a pot.

0:41:270:41:30

This means that the root system tends to be more open.

0:41:300:41:35

They're cheaper, you get more choice, and they tend to grow better too.

0:41:350:41:39

I like buying them whenever I can.

0:41:390:41:41

However, it is important to keep them covered.

0:41:410:41:44

When they arrive, put them in a bucket of water, give them a soak

0:41:440:41:47

and, if you can't plant them straight away, heel them in.

0:41:470:41:50

Put them in a bit of ground - anywhere - so they're covered up.

0:41:500:41:55

This has got a root stock.

0:41:550:41:56

That's that bit there.

0:41:560:41:58

And then the variety is on top.

0:41:580:42:00

The Pitmaston Pine Apple is this section.

0:42:000:42:03

That determines how big it grows.

0:42:030:42:06

It could be a standard like this one will be,

0:42:060:42:08

and all the trees in the orchard are, or it could be an espalier.

0:42:080:42:12

It is important to stake any tree you plant for the first three years.

0:42:140:42:19

After three years, you need to remove that stake and let them establish.

0:42:190:42:24

The planting height is important.

0:42:240:42:27

The graft must be a couple of inches above the surface of the ground.

0:42:270:42:31

If that goes below,

0:42:310:42:32

that'll sucker, and it'll be the variety of the graft,

0:42:320:42:36

not the variety of the top.

0:42:360:42:37

What I'm doing is just getting the soil around the roots.

0:42:410:42:46

At this stage, gently but firmly

0:42:460:42:50

heel it in...with my shoes. Firm it in really well.

0:42:500:42:53

Whatever the time of year and whatever the weather, I'm going to give it a really good soak.

0:42:530:43:00

I'll just tie that up first.

0:43:000:43:04

Good tie, so that can move around - that will help develop the roots - but it can't move far.

0:43:080:43:12

Last job is to mulch it.

0:43:180:43:20

I'm using garden compost which will give it extra nourishment.

0:43:200:43:26

But to be honest, anything will do

0:43:260:43:29

because the main purpose of a mulch for a young growing tree is to suppress competition.

0:43:290:43:35

Nothing limits its growth more than grass right up around it.

0:43:350:43:39

Or weeds of any kind.

0:43:390:43:42

You may not have an apple tree this Christmas,

0:43:460:43:49

but I bet you have a Christmas tree.

0:43:490:43:51

For all of us, there are two key questions.

0:43:510:43:54

Which type do we choose?

0:43:540:43:56

And how do we get that to look as good as possible,

0:43:560:44:00

not just over Christmas, but right through to Twelfth Night?

0:44:000:44:03

We went to see Andrew Ingram,

0:44:030:44:05

who is Christmas tree grower of the year, to get his advice.

0:44:050:44:09

People get a great deal of pleasure from a real tree.

0:44:190:44:23

It has a natural scent,

0:44:230:44:25

it has a good shape, not necessarily absolutely symmetrical.

0:44:250:44:28

It's just the real thing. That's what we want.

0:44:310:44:34

This is a Nordmann fir planted in 1989.

0:44:390:44:41

This is the tree that is going to be standing outside 10 Downing Street.

0:44:410:44:46

The perfect tree is a combination of three things.

0:44:460:44:49

It's got to be the right shape, the correct shape, perfectly conical shape.

0:44:490:44:53

It's got to be the right density,

0:44:530:44:56

ie, not too thin, not too open, but not too heavy.

0:44:560:45:00

And the colour's got to be right. You don't want a sort of yellow tree.

0:45:000:45:03

It's got to be a vigorous green-blue colour.

0:45:030:45:07

This is the traditional English Christmas tree. It's a Norway spruce, it's a very beautiful tree.

0:45:130:45:19

We've been growing it in this country for something like 100 years as a commercial Christmas tree.

0:45:190:45:24

It is slightly spiky and can lose its needles.

0:45:240:45:28

But if you look after it it's a perfectly good tree.

0:45:280:45:32

It'll last you well into January.

0:45:320:45:33

This variety is a Nordmann Fir, or nordmanniana.

0:45:400:45:43

It's often referred to as the non-drop tree.

0:45:430:45:47

There is no such thing as a non-drop tree. It's a matter of degree.

0:45:470:45:51

It holds its needles better than the traditional spruces.

0:45:510:45:55

The needles are very soft, they're not spiky like the Norway spruce.

0:45:550:45:59

It's a very good tree.

0:45:590:46:01

This is a Serbian spruce, or Picea omorika,

0:46:040:46:08

and, as you can see, it's a very fine, very narrow tree.

0:46:080:46:12

It's got a lovely grey underside to the needles.

0:46:120:46:15

The other thing about it, it has cones.

0:46:150:46:17

These cones will normally hang on till well after Christmas.

0:46:170:46:21

So it combines everything that a fir tree should have.

0:46:210:46:25

A six-foot tree would probably be between 10 and 12 years old.

0:46:290:46:34

The first two to three years, all we want is the tree to grow naturally

0:46:340:46:38

and stay alive. We don't want to stress it in any way.

0:46:380:46:41

From then on, it will be worked on every year, at least once, perhaps twice.

0:46:410:46:44

This Nordmann Fir, if left to its own devices, would be up here somewhere.

0:46:490:46:53

If you see on this leader here, there are a certain number of buds.

0:46:530:46:57

If this leader had been allowed to grow there,

0:46:570:46:59

there would still be the same number of buds

0:46:590:47:02

and these would therefore be spread much more thinly up the stem

0:47:020:47:05

and we get a much thinner, poorer tree.

0:47:050:47:08

What we are trying to achieve is a tree...

0:47:080:47:11

evenly spaced, but with intermediates and plenty of bulk and body to it.

0:47:110:47:15

In order to achieve that, we put a growth regulant on the leader

0:47:150:47:19

at a critical time of the year, which stops it going at that point.

0:47:190:47:23

If you look very carefully, it's got five buds here.

0:47:230:47:27

The centre bud will go out a long way.

0:47:270:47:30

In order to stop that, we have got two or three ways of doing that.

0:47:300:47:35

We can bud rub, just literally nip that bud out.

0:47:350:47:39

Or we wait until that bud has started to grow in the spring

0:47:390:47:43

and we will then snap it. Literally, go round the tree snapping.

0:47:430:47:48

Or if it gets a little bit longer and it gets strong, we will use secateurs.

0:47:480:47:52

When you get your tree home, treat it like a cut flower.

0:47:590:48:03

Take off, if you can, half an inch off the base with a saw.

0:48:030:48:07

It is dehydration that causes a tree to drop its needles.

0:48:070:48:11

Nothing more nor less.

0:48:110:48:12

If you can keep the moisture inside a tree, it should hold its needles.

0:48:120:48:16

Take it home, stand it in a bucket of water.

0:48:160:48:19

Don't bring into the house any sooner than you really need.

0:48:190:48:22

If you just want to make sure you get a good tree, stand it in the garden

0:48:220:48:26

or put it in the garage, keep it cool and moist.

0:48:260:48:30

That's the key to keeping a tree. You can keep a tree almost indefinitely.

0:48:300:48:34

# I'm the happiest Christmas tree

0:48:340:48:37

# Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee

0:48:370:48:40

# Someone came and they found me and took me home with them. #

0:48:400:48:44

We do everything we possibly can

0:48:440:48:46

to make it a beautiful tree for people to take home.

0:48:460:48:49

After that, it's up to them how they decorate it

0:48:490:48:52

and make this beautiful object that's going to make their Christmas.

0:48:520:48:56

# ..I'm the happiest Christmas tree Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee

0:48:560:49:00

# Look how pretty they dressed me Oh, lucky, lucky me

0:49:000:49:04

# I got shiny bells that jingle

0:49:040:49:06

# And lights that tingle... #

0:49:060:49:08

-How are you getting on?

-Good, but it's a lot of ground to cover.

0:49:100:49:15

Come on, you're slowing down.

0:49:150:49:18

-I finally found a wheelbarrow without a puncture.

-I know.

0:49:180:49:21

I know, they're a bit short supply.

0:49:210:49:24

-It's easier than digging that holly out. That nearly killed me.

-You did a good job.

0:49:240:49:28

-I'll get another barrowload.

-Great.

0:49:280:49:31

Well, I think that's looking really good. Set up for next year.

0:49:360:49:41

There's still so much to see in this garden right now.

0:49:410:49:45

We've got these fantastic cardoons that Monty has left standing.

0:49:450:49:48

All the seedheads, the fennel...

0:49:480:49:51

These really are nature's treasures. They're perfect for cutting

0:49:510:49:55

and taking inside and decorating your home.

0:49:550:50:00

A few weeks ago, I went to Oxfordshire to meet Rachel Siegfried,

0:50:040:50:08

an organic cut-flower grower and florist, to get some tips

0:50:080:50:12

in the art of creating gorgeous Christmas decorations.

0:50:120:50:15

Lots of seedheads here.

0:50:210:50:22

What are you looking for ideally?

0:50:220:50:26

Definitely contrasts.

0:50:260:50:28

Something like these lily seedpods would be beautiful to use.

0:50:280:50:32

And then something quite light, like this,

0:50:320:50:35

or the papery seedheads of the nigella over there.

0:50:350:50:38

-Shall we cut a few things?

-Yes.

0:50:380:50:41

I feel like we need some colour.

0:50:460:50:48

We have got some berries in the orchard. Let's go and have a look.

0:50:480:50:52

These crab apples will be really useful.

0:50:540:50:56

They're lovely, aren't they? They look like rubies.

0:50:560:51:00

Yes, they're so shiny.

0:51:000:51:02

There is no comparison between that and something fake

0:51:020:51:05

that you've bought in a shop. Absolutely gorgeous.

0:51:050:51:10

And I think we've got some privet over here that can be used.

0:51:100:51:13

I can't think of a much nicer thing to do on a crisp winter day.

0:51:180:51:23

Yes! Especially when the sun's out.

0:51:230:51:25

It's not just the garden where buried treasure can be found.

0:51:250:51:29

The hedgerow too holds its bounty.

0:51:290:51:31

Old man's beard, we love using this.

0:51:310:51:34

You can either cut it in nice long lengths

0:51:340:51:38

which you can then weave through the wreath.

0:51:380:51:41

Or we can take off some of these shorter pieces and pop those in.

0:51:410:51:45

-Is this something you did as a child?

-Yes, it was.

0:51:450:51:49

It's a good memory for me.

0:51:490:51:51

When I was quite small, we used to always go out

0:51:510:51:54

and forage all our arrangements of holly and ivy and things like that.

0:51:540:51:59

I do this now with my children and they love it.

0:51:590:52:02

What else can we...?

0:52:020:52:04

-What about some ivy?

-That's a good idea. Another lovely native.

0:52:040:52:09

And this is great, a mature ivy with all the berries.

0:52:090:52:12

Yes, and it's really good to have something evergreen in the wreath.

0:52:120:52:16

That is definitely a picture in a basket.

0:52:160:52:19

-I'm dying to go back and make something.

-Yeah, let's go.

0:52:190:52:23

How are we going to turn this into a wreath? Where do we start?

0:52:310:52:35

We'll start with a wreath ring.

0:52:350:52:39

I just get them from any good garden centre.

0:52:390:52:42

We're going to moss it up. I've gathered a little bit of moss.

0:52:420:52:46

Just tear off some quite nice large pieces.

0:52:460:52:51

Something that size is a good start.

0:52:510:52:53

And you just wrap it around like that.

0:52:550:52:59

And then...

0:52:590:53:01

..with your wire like that, just start to drop it round,

0:53:020:53:06

nice and tight. Pull it as tight as you can.

0:53:060:53:09

How can you keep it looking nice and green?

0:53:090:53:14

A good thing to do is give it, perhaps, a soaking every week or so.

0:53:140:53:20

-How long would it last?

-I would hope this would give you a good month.

0:53:200:53:26

So now we've got our base.

0:53:260:53:28

Then you want to get a little bit of a purchase into the moss there.

0:53:280:53:34

Getting a good foundation to your wreath,

0:53:340:53:37

that's the bit that takes the time.

0:53:370:53:40

The next thing we want to do is choose our embellishments.

0:53:400:53:45

-That's good.

-All the lovely things we've been foraging.

0:53:450:53:48

I'm going to go for a red and white theme. Quite Christmassy.

0:53:480:53:54

The crab apples, I'm definitely going to be using some of those.

0:53:540:53:58

Oh, I must do this. Chinese lanterns.

0:53:580:54:01

They're real showstoppers, aren't they?

0:54:010:54:05

I'm going to start with this ivy.

0:54:050:54:08

Yours is more delicate, I think this is more chunky.

0:54:080:54:11

I feel the need for a little bit more white in mine.

0:54:110:54:15

To balance out the red.

0:54:150:54:17

When you use flowers like this, it's a part that you can keep refreshing.

0:54:170:54:21

The moment of truth. Where it all falls off.

0:54:230:54:26

Brilliant. I think I'm not going to put a bow on.

0:54:290:54:35

I think it might just work as it is.

0:54:350:54:38

Well, it's got so much on it already. It almost doesn't need it.

0:54:380:54:43

She said!

0:54:430:54:44

-They're not bad, are they?

-Not bad at all.

0:54:440:54:48

KNOCKING

0:54:520:54:54

# Zat you, Santa Claus?

0:54:540:54:56

# Gifts I'm preparing

0:55:040:55:06

# For some Christmas sharing

0:55:060:55:08

# But I pause because

0:55:080:55:10

# Hanging my stocking

0:55:120:55:14

# I can hear knocking

0:55:140:55:16

# Zat you, Santa Claus?

0:55:160:55:19

# Sure is dark out... #

0:55:190:55:22

-There we are.

-A few more of these.

0:55:220:55:25

-These originally grew in the walled garden.

-They look very good.

0:55:250:55:28

They're Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation'.

0:55:280:55:33

And, look, your holly prunings. Perfect.

0:55:330:55:36

Good. Carol!

0:55:360:55:39

-Hello!

-How are you? Nice to see you.

0:55:390:55:43

-Hello, Rachel.

-Oh, she's warm.

-Nice to see you.

0:55:430:55:47

Good timing. The work is done, the fire is lit.

0:55:470:55:51

-I think we deserve a drink.

-I've brought some Hackney wine with me.

0:55:510:55:55

They're not two words you associate, really, Hackney and wine.

0:55:550:55:59

-No, but honestly it's pretty good.

-There we go.

0:55:590:56:02

-Try that.

-Thank you very much.

-This smoke's getting in my eyes.

0:56:020:56:05

-Well, cheers.

-Cheers.

0:56:050:56:08

Cheers. Sorry, love. Can't miss you out.

0:56:110:56:14

Here's to Christmas and here's to the end of an interesting year.

0:56:140:56:18

It's been fun. I've had a good time, there's no question about it.

0:56:180:56:23

I've enjoyed it. It's been difficult, but what were your highlights?

0:56:230:56:28

Oh, Marqueyssac in France in the Dordogne.

0:56:280:56:33

I was on holiday. I never get up that early on holiday.

0:56:330:56:37

-But the light was incredible. The topiary pieces...

-It was worth it.

0:56:370:56:41

It was a real wow factor garden.

0:56:410:56:43

Beautiful. You just... sat and watched!

0:56:430:56:46

I saw that and I thought, I've got to go and see that.

0:56:460:56:49

Then there was Ken from Bournemouth -

0:56:490:56:52

-the dahlia king.

-Those dahlias - every one perfect!

0:56:520:56:55

-And that passion.

-That passion, not to say obsession.

0:56:550:56:58

Exactly. Nothing in his garden apart from dahlias - that's an obsession.

0:56:580:57:02

What was the highlight of your year?

0:57:020:57:04

I think just the usual things. Growing stuff that's new,

0:57:040:57:08

that's different, that you haven't seen before

0:57:080:57:11

and trying lots and lots of new experiments.

0:57:110:57:13

There was one plant that grew in my garden,

0:57:130:57:16

seeded itself, and I just thought it was out of this world.

0:57:160:57:21

And it was an aquilegia. There it was, this big splendiferous plant.

0:57:210:57:26

-So I've saved some seed and I brought some.

-Christmas pressie!

0:57:260:57:30

Thank you, Carol. Fantastic.

0:57:300:57:33

-What about you?

-I've done... Definitely going to Wisley.

0:57:330:57:38

I've been to Wisley several times during this series

0:57:380:57:40

and it's fantastic. I've met experts in different areas,

0:57:400:57:44

I've been doing pruning and all sorts of things.

0:57:440:57:47

That has been great. Also, I would say going to Roy Strong's garden.

0:57:470:57:51

-What a treat!

-It really was. And it's so much about the man himself.

0:57:510:57:56

You really feel very strongly it's his garden.

0:57:560:57:59

I think, for me, the highlight of this year was going to Giverny.

0:57:590:58:03

It was just wonderful. It was fantastic!

0:58:030:58:08

And I also went to Kirstenbosch which was wonderful.

0:58:080:58:12

Two big highlights.

0:58:120:58:14

But, certainly for me, it's what we do at home -

0:58:140:58:18

sowing your dahlia seeds, growing plants that turn out to be smashing.

0:58:180:58:21

-Just doing it.

-It is just doing it.

0:58:210:58:25

Well, we have got no more time to do anything.

0:58:250:58:28

This programme or this year.

0:58:280:58:29

But we'll be back at the beginning of next March. So until then,

0:58:290:58:33

have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year. Bye-bye.

0:58:330:58:37

ALL: Happy Christmas.

0:58:370:58:39

ALL: Cheers.

0:58:410:58:43

Here's to Gardeners' World.

0:58:430:58:46

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0:58:570:59:00

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0:59:000:59:04

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