0:00:02 > 0:00:04Nigel!
0:00:05 > 0:00:07- MONTY WHISTLES - Nigel!
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Good boy.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12What's up here?
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Good boy.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Hello! Welcome to Gardener's World.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Traditionally August is rather a flat time in the garden.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24People go away on holiday, and they feel they're not missing a lot.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26But I love August.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Not least because here in the Jewel Garden, the colours really
0:00:30 > 0:00:34stoke up and you get those intense reds and oranges and purples,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36all working together.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41And they can take the light and the heat of these days.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43As well as enjoying what the garden has to offer,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45I shall also be working in the pond,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48sorting it out and trying to get it as healthy as possible
0:00:48 > 0:00:52for the rest of summer and hopefully cooling off a bit.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Carol is at Glebe Cottage with advice on how to deal with
0:00:55 > 0:00:58some of the pests that have been a particular problem this summer.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I've got this wonderful collection of plants together that will
0:01:03 > 0:01:08withstand attack from slugs and snails and their rasping radulas.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Joe visits a garden in North Wales
0:01:12 > 0:01:15where you might expect there to be heavy rainfall.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20But in this particular case they discovered that they had much more water than they bargained for.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24But have made a virtue of it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Is this being fed?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30- This is being fed from the springs at the top there.- Oh, right!
0:01:30 > 0:01:32That's a natural spring? You sure that's not solar powered?
0:01:32 > 0:01:36- No, not solar powered. - It's gorgeous!
0:01:36 > 0:01:41And now's the time that I should be cutting the meadow grass on the cricket pitch.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46And on top of that, I'll be taking new plants from old for my strawberries.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The pond is only four-months-old
0:02:02 > 0:02:04but it's already got a nice settled feel.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Things are starting to happen.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07The purple loosestrife is looking great,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10the ligularias are doing better than ever.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12They absolutely love it.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16You can see in the pond itself, you have the water forget-me-nots,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18the primulas. So, all in all,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22I would say I am 99% satisfied with the pond
0:02:22 > 0:02:23and everything we've done here.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26The 1% that isn't quite working out
0:02:26 > 0:02:30is the algal growth on the surface.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32That's because water has lots of nutrients and in July
0:02:32 > 0:02:36and August when you've got higher sunshine and more of it,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38inevitably you get growth.
0:02:58 > 0:03:04All this algae is taking up a lot of the oxygen in the water.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07The oxygen that is needed for, not just plants,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but also animal life too, and bacterial life.
0:03:17 > 0:03:24We got silkweed, which is this sort of frothy, gunky,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26frankly unpleasant stuff.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31As well as that, we have this here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Duckweed.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36That can spread to form a complete mat over the water
0:03:36 > 0:03:39so you need to scoop that out or at least keep a really tight eye on it.
0:03:55 > 0:04:02This silk weed is wrapping itself around the waterlilies.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05It's a bit like goose grass in a border in the way that
0:04:05 > 0:04:10it gets in there and it weighs down on other plants.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Now that job's, done I can get on and put the oxygenators in.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19They're going to release oxygen
0:04:19 > 0:04:23which is going to improve the habitat,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26both for plants and for insects and animals
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and they are going to consume nutrients
0:04:28 > 0:04:31which will compete directly with the algae.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33So they should help keep the water clear.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I've got three different oxygenators here.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39This one is goldfish weed,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41which comes from southern Africa.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45And I've got two other natives, I've got hornwort.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49And then the spiked milfoil.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54You can very often buy them, like the goldfish weed here,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59in clumps with a little bit of lead wrapping them together.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02The lead means that they sink to the bottom.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Where this touches the bottom, it will root
0:05:04 > 0:05:06but it's also got aerial roots
0:05:06 > 0:05:09so if it doesn't get into mud of any kind, it'll still survive.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13The reason I brought the bucket of water is because it's a good idea to wash them.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18That gets rid of any risk of introducing either
0:05:18 > 0:05:22bits of weed or animals that you don't want in your own pond.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The planting of them couldn't be easier.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I'm going to get back in to plant some but, I tell you,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31all you have to do is this...
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Job done. Chuck it in the water.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44As I've got my waders on, I'm just going to get in to spread them around.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I like the hornwort because it's a native.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54I'm thinking of one plant or group per two feet.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58You don't have to be too accurate about this. Spread them about.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03You can buy these from either a specialist aquatic centre
0:06:03 > 0:06:08or a large garden centre should have its own aquatic department.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Woah, I nearly went then!
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Right, I think that will make a real difference
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and we should get some much clearer water as a result.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Now, the water in this garden is an event, a happening.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It either comes in on the flood
0:06:30 > 0:06:32or else we make a pond and celebrate it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34But Joe's been to visit a garden in North Wales
0:06:34 > 0:06:39where the water is absolutely an elemental part of the garden.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Nestled between mountains and sea,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Conwy is one of the wettest regions of Britain.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But here lives a gardener who not only has the local weather
0:06:52 > 0:06:56to contend with, he also lives in an area known locally as
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The Field Of The Seven Springs. You getting the idea?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04When Dafydd Lloyd-Borland moved into his house
0:07:04 > 0:07:06on a unique water-riven site
0:07:06 > 0:07:10he realised this mountainside location could be
0:07:10 > 0:07:12a great gardening opportunity.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16The river comes from the top of the field over here
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and then comes down into our garden
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and through into the neighbouring properties over here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23When you took over this plot, you knew the river was there?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27When we took over the plot we heard water, as we can today,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30but we couldn't see it. It was like a bit of a discovery.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33We had to creep through the brambles and remove a tree from the top there
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and eventually we found the stream that you can see here today.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39You thought, "Brilliant, I've got my own water and irrigation!"
0:07:39 > 0:07:42I thought it was a really great gardening opportunity
0:07:42 > 0:07:45that we've got all of this water. We could use it for planting.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52We've got about 20 springs in the garden which just appear.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55As we've been gardening, they just appear and we've had to
0:07:55 > 0:07:59divert them and put them into places of the garden where it's a bit drier.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03You're controlling the springs? So you are moving them around the garden? Away from the lawn areas?
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Away from the lawn areas and all the areas we want to keep dry, yes.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- How do you divert a spring? - Just dig a big hole.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Line it and put some stones in and then put a flexible tube in.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18You're actually creating an underground irrigation system all the way through here.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19- Underneath, yes.- OK!
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We're using some planting as well, we've been putting a lot of
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- willow trees and things like that to try and suck the water up as well.- Yes.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38You have a huge array of plants really,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41considering the diverse conditions that you've got here.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Some of them are really dry.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Phlomis, lavender, you've got a big eucalyptus tree over there.- Yes.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52That likes to grow in a desert, it likes bushfires on it and yet...
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- Have you diverted streams around it? - Well, it is quite dry there.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59We do well here because the lavender is at the top of the bank
0:08:59 > 0:09:04- so they like the arid conditions up there.- Yes, and phormiums as well.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- Fantastic, isn't it? - Where does it get really wet then?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Well, you can see here, we've got a slight problem here.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11SQUELCHING Oh, oh, I can hear it!
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- Yes, you can hear it underfoot here.- Oh!
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- This is one of our new springs now. - This is for 2012!
0:09:17 > 0:09:20This is the 2012 spring. You can see the water's coming through here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24We'll probably leave it for a month or so and see if it sorts itself out but if not,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26we'll have to dig a trench across here,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28try and work out where the water stops,
0:09:28 > 0:09:29and then put a drain down...
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- Divert it down towards these phormiums.- Towards those, yes.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Then where?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Then we've got another drain at the bottom of this bed
0:09:37 > 0:09:38which will take it around the side.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It's a lot of work, does it not wind you up after a while?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- Do you not think, can I not just have a normal garden? - I could swap gardens.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Yes, so you can garden rather than do underground plumbing.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Yes, it's like civil engineering, isn't it?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54But it's a thing we've got used to and I find that if we ignore it
0:09:54 > 0:09:57it causes more problems so we just get on with it and pop them in.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Pop them in, get on with it, move on.- That's right, yes.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Even though the springs are a continuing challenge,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07some of the planting is phenomenal.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Only a keen gardener who knows this site intimately could pull this off.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16What about this? Is this some... Is this being fed?
0:10:16 > 0:10:18This is being fed from the springs at the top there.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- You can actually see...- Oh, right, that's just a natural spring?
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- That's a natural spring.- Again!
0:10:22 > 0:10:24That just started working this morning, actually.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- You sure that's not solar powered? - No! Not at all, no!- It's gorgeous.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Don't tell me that's a natural spring.- No, that's a pump, yes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Got me there, Joe!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Here we have much wetter planting.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The ligularias and the ragged robin. Did you plant that in?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Planted that last year, it loves it there.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43That is doing really nicely.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Oh, it's a great array of plants. It's a lovely pond, though.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Yes, it fills up and goes out the far corner down the garden.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It just carries on over there and down and away
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- and it's become somebody else's problem.- That's right.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11We call this bit of ground the cricket pitch
0:11:11 > 0:11:14because a long time ago we used to play cricket on here occasionally.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17The chestnut tree behind me was where the stumps were
0:11:17 > 0:11:20so that's how long ago a ball was last bowled.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23But we have evolved a pattern of treating the grass
0:11:23 > 0:11:26of letting it grow and enjoying all that that entails.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30In spring there are crocus, narcissi, fritillaries,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34and in early summer they're followed by clovers, buttercups and grasses.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36All in all, this is nothing fancy,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39but it looks wonderful and the insects love it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43But, when it starts to look a bit tired
0:11:43 > 0:11:45we cut it right back and let it revert to lawn.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And to get the timing right, we let the seeds form
0:11:50 > 0:11:54so the seeds of the wildflowers, for example the clovers here,
0:11:54 > 0:11:59are now being shed and that means if I cut it,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02the seeds will remain and it will all come back next year.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05This is not strictly speaking a wildflower meadow,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08apart from anything else, soil like this is too rich.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11If you want to keep the flowers growing strongly
0:12:11 > 0:12:15in amongst grass, you need to stop the grass taking over.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Therefore, cut it, clear it all away,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23but by timing the cutting right, you can really enjoy what the grass has,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27plant some bulbs and flowers in spring before it grows too long
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and then remove the grass so it doesn't dominate too much.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34That way you can roll it on year-on-year.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I can now take the grass to the compost heap.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I'll add it by degrees because if you put it in one big wodge,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57it's actually quite slow to compost
0:12:57 > 0:12:59but it's really good for mixing with other things.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01If I left the grass clippings ungathered
0:13:01 > 0:13:04they would gradually feed nutrients back into the soil
0:13:04 > 0:13:09as they rotted down and this would result in lush grass growth
0:13:09 > 0:13:13at the expense of the wildflowers which thrive in a poorer soil.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Now, all of us, whatever our soil is like,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21have been plagued by slugs and snails this year.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22I've never known a year like it!
0:13:22 > 0:13:25And there are lots and lots of different opinions and methods
0:13:25 > 0:13:29of getting rid of them, but none of them seem to work completely.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34However, Carol has been looking at plants that do resist
0:13:34 > 0:13:37slug and snail attack more than others.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It's been one of the wettest late springs and early summers
0:13:52 > 0:13:55that any of us can possibly remember.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59And because it's been so wet,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02every gardener has had a problem with slugs
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and loads of you have written in to us.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08This letter's typical, from Amanda Livingstone.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12"I have the most horrendous snail and slug problem.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15"It seems they all live in my garden.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18"I can't grow certain crops because of this problem.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21"As fast as I remove them they reproduce
0:14:21 > 0:14:24"and multiply exponentially."
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I'll tell you what, they do exactly the same thing here.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Come and have a look at some of the damage they've caused me.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42I suppose this plant, hosta, is the classic plant
0:14:42 > 0:14:45that people mention when they're talking about slug damage.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49And it's because it's got these soft, fleshy,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54no doubt scrumptious, leaves that slugs just adore.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03This beautiful Japanese woodland Kirengeshoma palmata
0:15:03 > 0:15:08has the same big entire soft leaves as a hosta.
0:15:08 > 0:15:15It had! Now they've been reduced to this lace curtain effect.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18All that's been left behind is the veins that support
0:15:18 > 0:15:20the surface of the leaf.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24They are obviously unpalatable and not to the slugs' taste at all.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Anyway, why go for those
0:15:27 > 0:15:30when you have all that lovely soft leaf surface to munch on?
0:15:30 > 0:15:35But down here is something which seems to be totally impervious.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It is the Helleborus hydridus.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42And it's got these big tough strong robust leaves
0:15:42 > 0:15:47and the surface of them is extremely hard, impenetrable.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51The slugs obviously don't find it to their taste!
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Hellebores are in the family of Ranunculaceae - the buttercup family.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00And most of the families seem to be impervious to slug damage.
0:16:00 > 0:16:07You very seldom see slug holes on Aquilegias, Aconites - all manner of plants.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11And there are other families that slugs very seldom seem to attack.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15If you're planting a new bed or just trying to replace plants
0:16:15 > 0:16:20that have been badly damaged by slugs and snails it's commonsense
0:16:20 > 0:16:24really to take a look around your and other people's gardens
0:16:24 > 0:16:29to see which plants are going to be impervious to slug attack
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and are going to give you the best possible show for the longest time.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41Gardeners love roses but slugs don't - never touch them.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Astilbes too are members of the rose family.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54The leaves are quite hard and shiny but I suspect that Astilbes
0:16:54 > 0:16:58and lots of other herbaceous members of the rose family have
0:16:58 > 0:17:02sort of a medicinal quality to them, the aroma of their roots
0:17:02 > 0:17:08and possibly it permeates the whole plant - leaves, stems and flowers.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10So Astilbes aren't on the menu.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Geraniums are another big group of plants that they leave alone.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21I think the best idea is to put together a selection of plants
0:17:21 > 0:17:23that slugs and snails just don't like.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31I've got this wonderful collection of plants together
0:17:31 > 0:17:34and I'm going to use them to plant this new little bed.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39But also that they will withstand attack from slugs and snails
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and their rasping radulas!
0:17:42 > 0:17:46They're going to leave these plants alone and allow us to enjoy them.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51This lovely Agastache is called 'Blackadder'.
0:17:51 > 0:17:57It's a very very aromatic plant. It's got a slightly minty almost...
0:17:57 > 0:18:01It's indescribable this perfume but it really is strong.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02And that puts slugs off.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07This is Knautia.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10You don't really think of this as being a hairy plant but when
0:18:10 > 0:18:18you examine the stems and finger them it really is quite bristly.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And those pom-pom flowers are a total delight
0:18:21 > 0:18:25followed by seedheads and again very long flowering.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32And I'll emphasise the dark red crimson with these sedums.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Although it's got succulent leaves,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39you really don't get any damage at all on Sedums.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Possibly when they are just coming through in the spring but once
0:18:42 > 0:18:46that hard surface has been made, once it's there,
0:18:46 > 0:18:47slugs leave them alone.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52And the Penstemon I want to include is this one,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57called Penstemon heterophyllus 'Heavenly Blue'.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00And it has the most beautifully coloured flowers.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Penstemon are in the Scrophulariaceae family.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The same family as foxgloves,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10none of those groups of plants ever get eaten by slugs.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15It's the longest of the mallow family - lovely Sidalceas
0:19:15 > 0:19:18called 'Elsie Heugh'.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Hopefully, I've given you a few clues about the kind of plants
0:19:20 > 0:19:25you can choose, not only to make a really long display that
0:19:25 > 0:19:29goes on giving you joy and beauty for ages but also one that
0:19:29 > 0:19:34will last because it doesn't get consumed by slugs and snails.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39It's no hardship because there is such a lots of beautiful plants
0:19:39 > 0:19:41from which to choose.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58I think it's fair to say that our strawberry harvest this year
0:19:58 > 0:20:00has been mixed.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The plants are really healthy, they are growing well,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07they've produced lots and lots of fruit.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12The downside was the fruit tended to ripen unevenly.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15You'd see this lovely luscious red berry,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18lift it up and white underneath because there wasn't enough
0:20:18 > 0:20:23light or heat and also they rotted rather a lot
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and even at their best, the taste was a little insipid and watery.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29That's entirely down to the weather, nothing you can do about that.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30But these have done their stuff.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I need to plan the next year and thereafter.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37The key to growing strawberries is not to keep growing them
0:20:37 > 0:20:39on the same plot year after year.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41They reach their peak after three years
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and thereafter they accumulate viruses so you should ditch
0:20:44 > 0:20:48your plants after three years which means replacing them.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51The easiest way to do that is by taking runners.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56You can see that a really healthy plant like that,
0:20:56 > 0:21:02which is one-year-old, is now pushing out runners.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08Look at that. If you see, this long stem coming through,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10twining there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And you've got a new plantlet developing about two or three feet
0:21:13 > 0:21:16from the plant and another one there.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And potentially another.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22So, you could get three or four new plants and it's dead easy to do.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26You can either pin that down onto the ground, that will work well.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Nothing wrong with that at all.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29But then I would have to dig it up to move it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35What I prefer to do is prepare a gritty compost and gritty because
0:21:35 > 0:21:39the roots will have an easier run and they'll not stay in this for very long.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Like that.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43And then get the runner,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and always take the runner closest to the plant,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47that will have most vigour.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51And just put it on top of the surface of the compost
0:21:51 > 0:21:52and pin it down.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57And where it touches the soil, it really wants to produce roots.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00You don't have to add anything to it or do anything clever.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02And I would just scrape that and put it in.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It's important it remains connected to the parent,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10it's an umbilical cord because it hasn't got any roots of its own yet.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Leave it for about three to four weeks
0:22:12 > 0:22:17and if you see nice growth you can cut it separate from the parent
0:22:17 > 0:22:21take it away and you've got next year's first-year plant.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22And just to stress,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25you don't grow strawberries on the same plot year after year.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28But I'm making it sound complicated.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30You put them in the ground, they grow,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33you protect them from the birds, they produce fruit.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35It's not that difficult.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39We also grow alpine strawberries, wild strawberries
0:22:39 > 0:22:42that are native and they can become a bit of a weed so by
0:22:42 > 0:22:45running them underneath a hedge they are contained but they look good.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Also, the tiny little fruit are delicious like little
0:22:49 > 0:22:54strawberry jewels that you can add to a bowl of yoghurt, say.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58But to pick a decent bowlful really does take a long time.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02However, there is a variety that's specially been bred
0:23:02 > 0:23:07from wild strawberries called Four Seasons - Quattro Stagioni.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11And I sowed them 18 months ago and I've got really good sized plants,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13practically a hedge of them.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14And masses of fruit.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18They taste good, they are big enough to make picking relatively easy
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but still small and sweet and delicious.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23And, like the wild strawberry,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26they go on producing all summer right into autumn.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30They spread by seed, root extension and also a few runners.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33There is a possibility they could become invasive
0:23:33 > 0:23:34but I will watch and see.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Now, if you don't grow strawberries and don't want to grow them,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41here are some other things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Collecting your own seed is doubly satisfying.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Not only does it preserve your favourite plant from the garden
0:23:50 > 0:23:53but can also save you an awful lot of money.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Cut the seed heads off and put them into a paper bag or envelope
0:23:58 > 0:24:03where they can be stored in a cool dark place for weeks or even months.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09If you have flowers that you think are particularly special,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11it's worth marking them for future collection
0:24:11 > 0:24:16but bear in mind not all plants come true from seed.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24People can get obsessed with compost. And I should know.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26However, there is only real one secret
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and that is to turn it regularly -
0:24:29 > 0:24:30ideally, once a month.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34And this will let air in to feed the bacteria.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40And you can guarantee all your waste material will turn into good garden compost.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49As the summer fruiting raspberries come to the end of their season,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52the autumn fruiting ones start to produce fruit.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54And it's important to support the canes
0:24:54 > 0:24:58so you can reach the fruit and pick them easily.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01This doesn't have to be anything elaborate, just as long as it lasts
0:25:01 > 0:25:05into autumn and then it can be dismantled and the canes cut down.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Now that the birds have left their nests it's the perfect moment
0:25:14 > 0:25:16to give your hedge trim.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It doesn't matter what kind of hedge it is, it's important to give it
0:25:19 > 0:25:24a slight batter which is to say the bottom should be wider than the top.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Otherwise, the top growth will shade out the bottom
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and you get gaps in the base of the hedge.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Cut the sides first and then trim the top to whatever height you want.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And that should keep it looking neat for the rest of the summer.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Another thing to do regularly at this time of year
0:25:48 > 0:25:50if you have a pond is to top it up
0:25:50 > 0:25:53because it's surprising much you lose through evaporation
0:25:53 > 0:25:58and adding water moves it on, stops it being stagnant and adds oxygen.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00So generally, a really important good thing to do.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04And we have this enormous rainwater tank which for years
0:26:04 > 0:26:08we didn't know what to do with but it's proved ideal for filling
0:26:08 > 0:26:11the pond initially and keeping it topped up.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And it does mean that if we get a very wet period, at least we know
0:26:14 > 0:26:18we've got water to do it, even if we're followed by a drought.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21So, I want to connect this up to the pond.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31I am one of these people who can tangle up a hosepipe that has
0:26:31 > 0:26:32been perfectly sorted out.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37It still knots up. And I have to join three to make this happen.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Now I've lost the end! Where is it? Oh!
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Somewhere in there is an end. Or should be.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09You'd think, there are only two ends to a hosepipe!
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And one end is attached up there.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Blowed if I know where the other one has gone.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Ta-dah! We put that into the pond like that...
0:27:23 > 0:27:27And now I connect up at that end, run down here and see if
0:27:27 > 0:27:29the water comes out.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58It's not much of a flow but there's hardly any fall and it's enough.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03I can leave that on all night until it fills up and overflows
0:28:03 > 0:28:07gently and all the hostas and boggy plants will love that.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And the pond will be refreshed, that's the key thing.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15We get new water in and oxygen and that will help keep the weed at bay.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Talking of which, now that it's settled
0:28:18 > 0:28:21after sploshing around it is clearer, isn't it?
0:28:21 > 0:28:23That's not bad.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25And that's all we've got time for.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29But I will be back next Friday so I'll see you then. Bye-bye.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38Subtitles by Caite Petts and Craig Dunn for Red Bee Media