0:00:03 > 0:00:05Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Now we've got four days of holidays thanks to the Diamond Jubilee,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and tonight's programme is full of ideas
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and inspiration on how best to spend them.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Most of us have a tricky corner within our garden.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24But this week, Carol is helping a gardener
0:00:24 > 0:00:27whose plants are more exposed to the elements than most.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33As with any difficult environment, it's a great idea to get out
0:00:33 > 0:00:39and see exactly how nature copes with similar sorts of places.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43The long weekend is a great opportunity for gardening,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47but it's also a good time to visit some gardens as well.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50We take a peek around the gardens of Feckenham in Worcestershire
0:00:50 > 0:00:51on its open weekend.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57And I'll be planting cauliflowers in my veg garden, as well as pots
0:00:57 > 0:01:00that will give me colour right through into autumn.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Now, this is a turning point in the year, really.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Once we reach June, I reckon that you can risk the weather,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20you can gamble with it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Although I have known frosts in June, they're pretty unlikely.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Of course that's tempting fate in a big way!
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But I think that now is the time
0:01:28 > 0:01:31when you can take plants that have been protected for months
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and put them out in the garden. I'm talking about tender things like cannas
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and I've got dahlias in here.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40We've got masses of plants, nearly all of them
0:01:40 > 0:01:43propagated here over the last four, five months.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Right.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Now, I've got some lovely new pots here for the dual garden.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00They're very simple but they're quite big,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and therefore the planting needs to be big to go with it.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05What I want to do today is to start planting them up.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08The thing with a big container, it doesn't matter
0:02:08 > 0:02:12if it's terracotta, an old sink, a bucket with a few holes in it,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16is that it can be a really dramatic centrepiece.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18The first thing you do with a pot
0:02:18 > 0:02:21is you've got to think about drainage.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Broken terracotta pots, the ideal thing.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31But anything will do, stones, broken bricks, polystyrene chips,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33they work perfectly well, and that enables you
0:02:33 > 0:02:36to move a pot around more easily so it's not so heavy.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40But if it's anywhere where the wind is going to blow it, you want a nice, solid, heavy base.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43So I'm going to put the crocks in the bottom.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Make sure that's sitting steady on the bricks.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56By the way, I've raised it up simply to get it to the same height as the hedge
0:02:56 > 0:02:59rather than because it needs it.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01It needs to be off the ground just a millimetre or two,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03as long as the water can drain away.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05A really big container,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09whether it's a terracotta pot or an old tin bath,
0:03:09 > 0:03:10it doesn't matter what it is,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13is going to be an important feature in your garden.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16You want it to last right through into autumn.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21It's really important that the compost you put in sustains it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I use a mixture that provides good drainage and nutrition
0:03:26 > 0:03:28as well as being moisture-retentive.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33It's made up of one third bought peat-free potting compost, one third home-made compost,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and the final third an equal mixture of leaf mould and grit.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40If you don't have these ingredients, you can use straight potting compost.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44But be prepared to feed your pot after about four weeks.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The centrepiece is going to be a canna.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Now, this is Canna "Wyoming".
0:03:50 > 0:03:55It's got these dark, dark leaves and will have an orange flower.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Cannas like the richest possible conditions you can give them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Lots of heat, lots of feed, lots of water.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Around that I'm also going to add dahlias.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I've got "Arabian Night" and "Bishop of Llandaff".
0:04:12 > 0:04:16"Arabian Night" has got this rich, intense red,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and "Bishop of Llandaff" famously with the yellow centre.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27I'm doing it in the round, because it is going to be looked at from every direction.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28That's got the big parts.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33I've got the big, central piece, and this canna can grow right up here.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36It's a big, dramatic plant, and the dahlias growing two, three times as big.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Now, I've got some chocolate cosmos.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44This is Cosmos atrosanguineus,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47which has the most fabulously chocolatey scent.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50And that will go in there.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Now I'm going to add a little bit of soil round that
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and then top it up with my last ingredient.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10What I'm going to use is straight compost on the top,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14because that will work in easier.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18My mixture is rather sticky - it's quite like a rich fruitcake.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21I've got a tray of petunias here.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I want to keep it vibrant, I don't want to be too solemn,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27but it is important that when you're planting any container
0:05:27 > 0:05:30is to choose a colour theme and stick to it.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33If you have lots of different colours going on,
0:05:33 > 0:05:34you end up with a mishmash.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I think these will help.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42And this, by the way, is "Surfinia"...Petunia "Burgundy".
0:05:42 > 0:05:45In you go there, my dear.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Don't fill the soil up too close to the top.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52You want to have room to water - a good two inches on a pot this big.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Goodness beneath it, sunshine above it,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03surrounded by glorious plants, going to be good.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Now, we all love visiting gardens.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08In fact, 15 million of us go and visit gardens every year,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10particularly at a bank holiday weekend.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's not just the great and the good gardens,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14however inspiring they might be.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Every kind of garden can be fascinating.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21We went along to the village of Feckenham in Worcestershire,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25where over a couple of days, over 30 gardens opened up to the public.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33I'm Catherine Fisher
0:06:33 > 0:06:37and I organise the Feckenham Flower and Garden Festival.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42I took it on nine years ago, and it is a huge event to organise,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44but I do enjoy it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Feckenham is a charming village.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53There's a variety of different buildings.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Village pub,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57the village green,
0:06:57 > 0:06:58the village shop,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00two churches,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02the cricket club...
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Pretty much everything is covered.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is a very pretty front garden.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The couple who live here spend a lot of time in their garden
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and they're great supporters of the festival.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24This was the butcher's, this was the farmhouse,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and this was the slaughterhouse, which is now converted into a home.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30My mum used to live there.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34This is the Old Black Boy,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39which is probably one of the highlights of the festival.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It's a stunning garden
0:07:42 > 0:07:44with this lovely courtyard
0:07:44 > 0:07:50and a beautiful informally planted country garden at the rear.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Oh, Betty, nice to see you. - Nice to see you.- How's the garden?
0:07:57 > 0:08:01This is what I call the camel, because of the way he looks.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It was originally an old apple tree which was dead,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08with a rose growing up it, and it was a shame to lose the rose,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12so we felled the apple tree and managed to keep the rose.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19They're an amazing group of people, these garden owners,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21they're so enthusiastic.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25So this is my living room, and I've put a temporary corridor in,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27borrowing scrims from the village hall.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I've had to protect my wooden floor,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33because there could be between 1,000 and 2,000 people
0:08:33 > 0:08:36walking through my house and my garden.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45This part of the garden gets no direct sunlight at all
0:08:45 > 0:08:47for six months of the year.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It's a question of finding anything that will grow,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and then I just let it go rampant.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56I've never liked yellow-leaved plants, but in a shady garden,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58they really make a difference.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It brings you a bit of light and sparkle where there wasn't any.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10We usually rent properties
0:09:10 > 0:09:12because we really can't afford to buy them where we'd like to live.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16What we do is, every time we need to move on,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19we take part of our herbaceous plants with us by dividing them
0:09:19 > 0:09:23and leave a garden behind and then use the plants
0:09:23 > 0:09:25that we've divided to make a new garden
0:09:25 > 0:09:27wherever we decide to live next.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37It's 12:10, and people have started arriving.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39In fact, some people arrived at 11:30,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41when we were still setting up,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46so it's slowly becoming quite busy here on the square.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51The gardens here are so special because they're all so different.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I think people coming to see them appreciate that
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and I think it's the backdrop and the age of the property
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and do the gardens look good with them
0:10:00 > 0:10:04which I think is the really special thing.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07There's wild gardens, there's very cultivated areas,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11there's lots of people who've got their little allotment sections,
0:10:11 > 0:10:12you know, something for everybody.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15This is my favourite way into the garden -
0:10:15 > 0:10:18it's a dear little cloister.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Don't know when it was built,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23but it's got very pretty shapes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29And then we go in.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I've always thought that circles are magical things.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The circles are everywhere in this garden.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38I've tried to make the yews circular,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I've made the trees as circular as I can.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44We put the circle into this paving,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47the pond, and then I suddenly had the idea
0:10:47 > 0:10:51that it would be fun to put circles into the lawn.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53It's like crop circles, almost!
0:10:53 > 0:10:55SHE LAUGHS
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's wonderful.
0:10:57 > 0:11:0037 gardens, but we're doing well,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02so I think we might actually cover them all.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04And an ice cream in the middle somewhere!
0:11:04 > 0:11:08You see people growing things, you think, "I could do that."
0:11:08 > 0:11:09That's what I like about it.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13There is a particularly lovely atmosphere around
0:11:13 > 0:11:15for the Flower and Garden Festival.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Everyone pulls together to make it a successful event.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21It's been fantastic.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And for a list of open gardens to visit over the next few weeks,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26go to our website...
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I like that kind of garden visiting.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36The expectations may be a little lower than visiting a grand garden,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39but the rewards are just as high, and it's a communal experience -
0:11:39 > 0:11:42you're dipping in and out of people's lives
0:11:42 > 0:11:46as well as their gardens - and you always learn something to take home.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55These are peonies.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Peonies are one of those plants that immediately make me feel nostalgic
0:12:00 > 0:12:02for a sort of Edwardian age.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Somewhere between a rose and a water lily - fantastic plants.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Not necessarily terribly fashionable, but they improve any garden.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14There are two types of peony - tree peonies and herbaceous peonies.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15I've got both here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The tree peony, which has a woody structure,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22which stays throughout its lifetime and can grow really quite big,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and herbaceous peonies, which, like all herbaceous plants,
0:12:25 > 0:12:26die back every winter
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and then grow their foliage and new flowers every spring.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I'm going to plant the tree peony first.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50I've chosen this corner to plant the tree peony for two reasons.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52One, because it's slightly shaded.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's a tall plant, it'll grow to about seven foot tall,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58so the white flowers will shine out of the shade.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Two, because it's sheltered from winds.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02One of the important things about tree peonies,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04which are fundamentally tough shrubs
0:13:04 > 0:13:07growing on mountain sides with fairly poor soil,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09is that they can be damaged by wind.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18These are tough plants, but there is one key thing to remember
0:13:18 > 0:13:21when you're planting a tree peony, and that is to plant it deep.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25You don't just plant it to the pot level, but I'm going to sink it
0:13:25 > 0:13:28another two, three or even four inches up the stem.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34I'm not adding anything to this, but if you've got very heavy soil,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37it's probably not a bad idea to add some grit to improve drainage,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40or if you've got exceptionally light soil,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45a little bit of compost added in just to improve moisture retention.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Right, I'll give that a good soak and then just mulch it
0:13:49 > 0:13:53to keep it weed-free and keep the moisture in, and that's it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The only thing I will do is dead-head it once the flowers finish.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00If you dead-head tree peonies, they grow much stronger,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and you'll get better flowers the next year.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12I've given the tree peony the protection it needs,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15but the herbaceous peonies can take a much more exposed site.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18In fact, they'll thrive in full sunlight.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Which we'll do here. I'll put one either side.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33This is a white peony called "Duchesse de Nemours" -
0:14:33 > 0:14:38fantastic double white flowers with really good fragrance.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42I'm going to pop it in here - rich soil, good drainage,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45lots of sun - and it should thrive.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Peonies respond to good soil.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58If your soil is anything less than pretty much ideal, add some compost.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Having said all that, I'm not going to, because I don't need to.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03They'll be fine in there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07There is one crucial difference with herbaceous peonies to tree peonies,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and that is the planting depth.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15You should not plant herbaceous peonies too deep.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They need to be planted shallow,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20or even proud of the soil, for two reasons.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22They're both to do with weather.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26They need sunshine, to encourage them to grow,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28but they also need cold in winter.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31That will trigger growth as they warm up.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35If you bury them too deep, that insulates them from the cold.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37So expose them to the elements,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and as long as they get sunshine, they'll do really well.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47The one thing about peonies that one often hears
0:15:47 > 0:15:48is that they fail to flower,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and the most common cause of that is because they've been moved.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Even as recently as three or four years,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56they really don't like being moved at all,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59so when you're choosing a position for a peony, think about it,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02plan it, put it in the ground and then leave it alone.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Other than that,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08they're really very easy plants to grow.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12There's always problems in the garden, but luckily,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Carol is there to sort them out
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and this week, she's gone to the seaside.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Our coastline is one of our greatest natural treasures.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30For plants, being so exposed to high winds and salt air
0:16:30 > 0:16:33can also make it a very inhospitable place.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40So when we received a letter from a viewer whose garden
0:16:40 > 0:16:43was finding life on the edge quite a struggle,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48we went along to see exactly what the problem was.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54I'm David Shaw.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57I'm the owner of Belle Tout Lighthouse here at Beachy Head.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03I bought it in 2008 and renovated and restored it.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05We've got a real problem here -
0:17:05 > 0:17:10we'd like to plant some nice plants and flowers that will survive.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13They're fairly extreme conditions up here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15The wind is fairly blustery today,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18but this is nothing compared with what it can be like.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20The salt air doesn't help.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25So what I would really appreciate is some help and advice
0:17:25 > 0:17:28in finding plants to get in the planters
0:17:28 > 0:17:32so that we can have some plants that look attractive
0:17:32 > 0:17:34but, the main thing is, will survive,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36which we've not managed to do so far.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46Well, David, those are what you'd call extreme conditions.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51But as with any difficult environment, it's a great idea
0:17:51 > 0:17:57to get out and see exactly how nature copes with similar sorts of places.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Here on this shingle beach, there are all manner of plants
0:18:01 > 0:18:06that don't just survive but absolutely thrive.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Here's a plant that's truly in its element.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24This is Crambe maritima, otherwise known as sea kale,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and it's got these glorious, tough, leathery kind of leaves.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33It just loves it here, and I think a plant like this
0:18:33 > 0:18:36would really thrive in Dave's sort of situation.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41There are other plants too, like bittersweet, a solanum.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46It's a nightshade and it survives here by being very low,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49almost prostrate, and popping its head up
0:18:49 > 0:18:51here and there through the pebbles.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55To give David some inspiration,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I'm visiting a garden in Selsey, West Sussex,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00that's as close to the sea as you can get!
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Yet its owner, Liz Shackleton,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08has learnt how to live in harmony with all that nature throws at her.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13So is this what you call a relatively calm day?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This is an extremely calm day!
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We get storms here, winds of 120 miles an hour,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and the sea breaking against the sea wall
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and just spraying over the house.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Liz moved in here just six years ago,
0:19:29 > 0:19:34when the garden was just a lawn of plantain and thrift.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38When I came, I came from Suffolk, and it was very different.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Failures were expensive and many and heartbreaking.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So you learn from them quite quickly?
0:19:45 > 0:19:49You learn quite quickly and you learn how to deal with the wind.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50The wind is the killer.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Liz has spent the last few years carefully observing
0:19:54 > 0:19:59what effect the wind, sun and sea here in Selsey have on her garden.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It just proves that with a bit of patience,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07persistence and a lot of luck, you can grow a garden almost anywhere.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Your Rosa rugosa seems to survive happily?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14After the first year, it seems to get its roots in
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and starts to grow and flower.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's a seaside rose, it comes from the seashore in Japan,
0:20:21 > 0:20:22so it's perfect.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Well, it's a delight here, the perfume, the flowers,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28the hips, the foliage...
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- What more could you want? - What more could you want, indeed?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- I love the sea campion. - That's my favourite.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I think it's so beautifully marked.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Very glaucous, quite thick leaves.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I bet these flowers just manage whatever the weather, don't they?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45They do, that's why they're there.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- And this erigeron?- Oh, wonderful!
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Even in the winter, you get this sort of moulded shape.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I love the way this helichrysum just makes these beautiful big mounds.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08They're fantastic and real stalwarts -
0:21:08 > 0:21:10they keep going through everything.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- And those marigolds are so vivid, aren't they?- They're great.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Very ordinary plant, but they work so well here,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and the oranges and yellows, which go fantastically
0:21:20 > 0:21:23with the greys and blues.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26One packet of seed goes a long way -
0:21:26 > 0:21:28as they flower and then die off,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32all the seed goes into the shingle, which is my seed bed.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35As the garden has matured,
0:21:35 > 0:21:42then you're getting smaller areas of microclimate and more shelter,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44because the plants are more established.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49You cannot plant a garden like this all at once.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52You have to wait for it to evolve.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01David, I'm sure you'll agree that
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Liz's garden is just packed with ideas and inspiration
0:22:06 > 0:22:09that will help both you and anybody else
0:22:09 > 0:22:12who has to contend with the same sort of harsh conditions
0:22:12 > 0:22:16in coastal gardens all around the UK.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21For a list of my choice of plants that will thrive
0:22:21 > 0:22:25in these extreme conditions, go to our website...
0:22:38 > 0:22:40I cleared the last leeks the other day, which has left room,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and that's really good, because it means I can get some brassicas out.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Now, we've all kinds of brassicas growing.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
0:22:49 > 0:22:50various types of cabbage,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and they will all grow well in these two plots,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56following on from the alliums, onions, leeks, garlic
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and then the spuds when I lift those round about July, August time.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Brassicas are hungry plants, so if you've got any,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14add a layer of compost and work it into the soil.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Right, that's the grown-up bit.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29This is where all assembled children present should come and give a hand.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Of course, this technique has been refined over the years.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39There is method behind this.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40What I'm doing is firming the soil,
0:23:40 > 0:23:45so that the roots will have a really firm anchor in the ground.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48All brassicas suffer from root rock if they move around,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50particularly cauliflowers, which I'm putting in here.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55If they are too lose, you'll get small cauliflower heads.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01So, good, firm ground is going to help in every possible way.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Now, planting brassica will inevitably involve some implement,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14because you shouldn't be able to use your fingers.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It is important to give them plenty of space.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20I think two foot apart is the minimum distance.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23These are purple cauliflower, "Violet Queen",
0:24:23 > 0:24:25so look good as well as tasting really good.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34In there, and then really firming down.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44I can feel rain in the air.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46I think there's going to be a downpour soon,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49but I want to net this before anything happens.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I never used to have to net brassicas,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54but we do have pigeon problems, and a net will keep them off.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And also, if the net's fine enough,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59it will keep off cabbage white butterflies and stop them
0:24:59 > 0:25:02laying their eggs, which in turn will stop the caterpillars
0:25:02 > 0:25:05hatching out and tearing a crop to shreds.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07A net is a good thing, and I can see the rain now.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26You need to keep it high enough
0:25:26 > 0:25:29to make sure the pigeons won't land on it and bend it down,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31and tight enough to make sure that
0:25:31 > 0:25:35songbirds don't land on it and get caught in the netting.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37And secure enough, particularly along the edges,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42to stop the butterflies getting in any nook and cranny,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45so I'll have to go round and fix it all the way round the bottom.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54That's not rain - it's hail!
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I'll finish that.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I think even the pigeons and the butterflies
0:25:58 > 0:26:00will take shelter in this.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03OK, I'm off.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07THUNDER RUMBLES
0:26:16 > 0:26:19That may look like a pretty poor showing of asparagus,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21but believe you me, it's a heck of a sight better
0:26:21 > 0:26:23than it was a few weeks ago.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I planted it last year
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and I tried a new technique of just direct planting,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30rather than putting them in a trench,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32which is the conventional way, and they came up fine.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And then this spring, absolutely nothing.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Not a tiny little showing well into April.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I was beginning to think I'd lost the entire crop
0:26:42 > 0:26:46and then I heard that everybody was having asparagus problems,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49that it was at least 10 days behind
0:26:49 > 0:26:53and a lot of people seeing no growth at all.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I have to say, I was delighted that it wasn't just me!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It's been a funny year for asparagus.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I've let it grow, let it get nice and strong,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and then next year, I'll begin the harvesting routine.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05So, nothing to do except keep it weeded.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10However, here are some things that you CAN be doing this weekend.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Now the nights are getting warmer,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16it's a good time to plant out tomatoes,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18either in an unheated greenhouse
0:27:18 > 0:27:21or in a very warm, sheltered spot outside.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Either way, plant tomatoes as deep as the first set of leaves.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29This will hold them steady and increase the root growth,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33and therefore the nutrient uptake, for the plant.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Either have a strong support system in place
0:27:36 > 0:27:40or leave room to put one in before the plants get too big.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Sawfly can strip redcurrants, white currants and gooseberries
0:27:48 > 0:27:50of all their leaves at this time of year.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52The best way to deter them
0:27:52 > 0:27:56is to keep the centre of the plants clean of all new shoots.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00This stops the flies laying their eggs and the grubs hatching out
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and munching their way through the plants.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Any climbing roses will have put on a lot of new growth,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12and this should be tied in.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Young plants need a framework established,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19and even mature plants should have new growth fixed in place
0:28:19 > 0:28:21while it's pliant and easy to handle
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and also before it breaks in any high wind.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Well, that's it for this week.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I've one last piece of advice -
0:28:32 > 0:28:34if you do nothing else this weekend in your garden,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37make sure you give yourself time
0:28:37 > 0:28:40just to stop and enjoy it for a minute or two.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41See you next week. Bye-bye.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd