0:00:06 > 0:00:09Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Now, even though the weather isn't brilliant,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14there's no doubt, it does feel like the holiday season.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Nevertheless, there are lots of jobs to do,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19and there's no doubt
0:00:19 > 0:00:22that summer is gently slipping away.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25So it's important to relish every second of it.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31This week, Carol goes to Dorset
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to revel in the sheer artistry of water lilies.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It's these beautiful flowers
0:00:38 > 0:00:43which inspired some of the most celebrated paintings in the world.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48And we have another masterpiece.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51This one is a walled garden in North Yorkshire.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52It's a perfect example
0:00:52 > 0:00:57of how to create a grand display in a small space.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Any art, and gardening's an art,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01then I think that's what it's about, blowing people's minds
0:01:01 > 0:01:03or blowing them out of their seats.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18That's a very gentle weed.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I confess that this wall has been pretty much neglected
0:01:22 > 0:01:24since I planted it in March.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It's a wall that I hadn't used for 20 years, and it's a pity
0:01:27 > 0:01:30because it's a west-facing wall, very handsome,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and the perfect background for a whole range of plants,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37particularly because west-facing walls, as well as being quite warm,
0:01:37 > 0:01:38tend to be wetter than others,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and dryness at the feet of a wall is a problem,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44so if you're planting against the base of a wall,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46do remember to water. Now, what I've looked for here
0:01:46 > 0:01:48was to get a combination of plants
0:01:48 > 0:01:52that would give me flowers from spring right through to autumn,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and I've used roses and clematis to that effect
0:01:55 > 0:01:57so we've got a clematis here, Alba luxurians,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59little delicate flowers,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01slightly tinged with mauve,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04which are lovely, and coming into their own
0:02:04 > 0:02:05and they'll go on flowering
0:02:05 > 0:02:08for another month or so. There's a rose, New Dawn,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12which is a really good old favourite, and rightly so.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13You have this lovely flower
0:02:13 > 0:02:17which will go on from June into October or even November
0:02:17 > 0:02:19and almost evergreen leaves.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21In time, that will cover the whole of that area
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and work with the clematis.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Another clematis here, which is John Huxtable,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28rather larger flowers.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31That's been going now for about three weeks.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Another rose here,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Madame Alfred Carriere, which does its best stuff earlier in the season
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and is delicate, but got a sort of fulsome body
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and that will work in along this area
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and finally, Clematis paniculata. I've not grown it before.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49This is a froth of white flowers. It's a little on the tender side
0:02:49 > 0:02:51but I'm hoping it will come up here into the tree.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55So the combination of the plants should work well
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and where they are now,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01after this slightly chilly, wet summer, is actually fine.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04They're doing exactly what I would hope they would.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Thank you very much. I need that.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23You can't have it.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Now this is a rose that really does need some action,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32and it needs it now.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It's a rambler, called Paul's Himalayan Musk.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39If I get in there, I can show you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43The reason I'm wearing a thick coat and I've got these big gauntlets
0:03:43 > 0:03:45is because it's awfully prickly
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and these tendrils have a habit of snagging you
0:03:47 > 0:03:49and then it's difficult to get out.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53You can see this. This is very typical rambler growth.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59There's probably about four foot of it that's all grown this year
0:03:59 > 0:04:00and it's arching and loose
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and brilliant for scrambling up trees and old buildings,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and that's where ramblers look their best,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11whereas a climber's growth tends to be a bit more structured.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13You establish a framework
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and then the new shoots will be more upright.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So rambler - lots of small flowers,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23produce once, usually in July, and then that's it,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26whereas climbers tend to have bigger flowers
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and many of them will go on flowering all summer.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The other really big difference,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33which is why you need to prune ramblers now,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36is that ramblers produce their flowers
0:04:36 > 0:04:38on the previous season's wood,
0:04:38 > 0:04:43so this shoot here will bear next year's flowers,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45whereas climbers
0:04:45 > 0:04:49tend to produce their flowers on the current season's wood
0:04:49 > 0:04:53so you could prune a climber as late as May and still have flowers.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Prune a rambler any later than August
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and you may be cutting off next year's flowers.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01However, having said that,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I don't want to be spiked every time I come in the border!
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I need to restrain this thing.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Ow! 'Ramblers will flower perfectly well without any pruning at all,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14'but they do get out of hand.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19'Pruning as soon as they've finished flowering allows the new growth...
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Ow! '..which will produce next year's flowers time to ripen.'
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Look at that. This is all this year's growth
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and if you've got a pergola or old fence,
0:05:29 > 0:05:34I suggest looking at a climber before a rambler.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They're more easily constrained
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and in fact, they're better for it
0:05:38 > 0:05:41but if you've got a rambler - and they are glorious -
0:05:41 > 0:05:43now is the time to prune it, if you're going to.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45It doesn't need it,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49but you may well want to stop it spiking you every time you pass.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Do it this weekend. Get on with it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Now, if you're not pruning this weekend
0:05:54 > 0:05:56and you fancy a day off from the garden,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59then visiting another garden is the next best thing.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02And the RHS, as well as having its major gardens,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04has 147 partner gardens.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07In fact, it's got another 23 abroad too.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And we went along to North Yorkshire to visit one of them,
0:06:10 > 0:06:17which is a town garden that unfolds to reveal a vast array of treasures.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33The site is so perfect.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35The terraces, the steps,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37the river in the background,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39the landscape beyond.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41People might think, "Well,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44"it's about a third of an acre. That's not a very big garden."
0:06:44 > 0:06:47But in fact, we've probably got as much stuff in the garden,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50as much interest, as many gardens which are ten acres.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59I would say the real signature mark of the garden
0:06:59 > 0:07:01is the intensity of planting.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Every little nook and cranny has got something in it.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Like many people, we overfilled the space
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and we've spent probably the last 30 years taking things out.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Heartbreaking as it is, we've had to get rid of a...
0:07:14 > 0:07:16We've been taking things out,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18but didn't you buy 23 new hostas this winter?
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Yes, I did.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21THEY LAUGH
0:07:21 > 0:07:22That's my passion!
0:07:28 > 0:07:34I tends to be the decider of plants to buy and where to put them,
0:07:34 > 0:07:35so a sort of designer
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and I really enjoy that.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I can move a plant around or a pot around
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and it doesn't seem quite right, and he'll come out and say,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48"five inches to the left" or "six inches back,"
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and it looks spot on, damn it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51So he's got that designer's eye.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56One of the great things we're blessed with is walls and paving
0:07:56 > 0:07:58which was taken out from what were the kitchens below
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and put out into the garden,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04so you've got this sort of very hard stone, York stone, gravel,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08high walls, and all those textures of green and shapes
0:08:08 > 0:08:10which is just a joy.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Austin's the doer.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Once they're in, he looks after them.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23He's very much a sort of tender of plants.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27This is Comtesse de Bouchaud
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and it's going around these lovely campanulas
0:08:30 > 0:08:34which are standing up beautifully this morning
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and the clematis is finding its own way up a natural support there, look,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40which is rather fun.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44And the great thing about this technique
0:08:44 > 0:08:47is that instead of it being on artificial trellis work,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50it's just falling around naturally
0:08:50 > 0:08:52and it will flower all over this area.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56This kind of slightly anarchic approach
0:08:56 > 0:08:59would irritate lots of people, I think, enormously.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06To keep it looking natural
0:09:06 > 0:09:10is a complete artifice, and you've got to really...
0:09:10 > 0:09:13There's a lot of work, a lot of work.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14You don't want it to look perfect
0:09:14 > 0:09:17but you don't want it to be running all over you and on top of you.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22We're maybe rather old-fashioned.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Our style is almost an Edwardian style
0:09:26 > 0:09:28of just exuberance and roses
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and very full and crazy...
0:09:31 > 0:09:35The top roses for me would be, I think, Maigold,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37which is on the balcony of the garden.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's actually planted at ground level
0:09:39 > 0:09:42but it's right up onto the balcony.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46It's disease-free, almost, the flowers are beautiful in the bud,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48it's beautiful when it opens.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Secondly, I would have to say
0:09:53 > 0:09:57probably the centrepiece of the garden is Rosa helenae,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59which is a Himalayan climber.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's huge and it almost dominates the gardens.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And the scent fills the garden.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- The scent fills the garden completely.- Early July,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09first half of July.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Because of the walls and because of the aspect, which is south-southeast,
0:10:14 > 0:10:19the perfume of the garden on a warm still day
0:10:19 > 0:10:20is just mind-blowing.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26We've often, you know, thought, "Let's have a 20-acre garden."
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And now, I think, "Thank God we have got a third of an acre."
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But I called this a glorified window box.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I don't really want 15 more acres
0:10:35 > 0:10:38whilst he's doing his Sudoku and I'm working on the garden.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Several years ago, a nun came to the door
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and said, "Is this your garden?"
0:10:46 > 0:10:49"Yes." "Oh! It's just wonderful.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53"I feel anointed all over with holy oils."
0:10:53 > 0:10:55I said, "Time to go back to the convent, sister."
0:10:57 > 0:11:01But it hopefully gives people that sense of uplift.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Yeah, she'd been wowed. She'd been completely wowed,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08which is really what I said we were trying to do with people,
0:11:08 > 0:11:09is to blow them away.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I think that's a really good example
0:11:18 > 0:11:23of how a relatively small space has an energy and an intensity
0:11:23 > 0:11:26because it's packed with plants
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and you just can't achieve that in a big garden.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Do go along and see it for yourself.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It's open every day from now to October
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and you can get all the details from our website.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Talk to any vegetable grower
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and the first thing they'll tell you is what a hard year it's been,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49how difficult it's been with this weather
0:11:49 > 0:11:52but the truth is, you deal with the weather you're given.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55There's nothing you can do about it. However, the runner beans
0:11:55 > 0:11:57have loved the weather.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Runner beans like warm, wet weather
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and whilst it hasn't been hot, it hasn't been particularly cold,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07and the wet is exactly their cup of tea.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10This is a variety called White Lady,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and due for picking. Now, I'm not interested
0:12:13 > 0:12:16in growing a vegetable that's bigger than anyone else.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19What I'm really concerned with is that it tastes good,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21so I don't mind picking runner beans when they're quite small
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and if you keep picking them, rather like sweet peas,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29they will keep producing more of these lovely beans.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35These were plants raised indoors and planted out
0:12:35 > 0:12:36and it's interesting that
0:12:36 > 0:12:40they are considerably ahead of the ones that I planted direct.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48Another crop that has benefited from the cool, wet weather
0:12:48 > 0:12:49is celery.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Celery really likes it wet, and this is a self-blanching variety.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55It's still got plenty of growth in it
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but no reason why we can't start harvesting it now.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02And the easiest way to do that is with a knife
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and just cut it right across.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Now, the plants are still quite small,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09so you're not going to get the great stems that you can buy...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14..but really delicious when cooked
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and the fragrance of the celery is really intense,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21and I think delicious too. That'll be good.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26And those should go on growing quite happily into autumn,
0:13:26 > 0:13:27just like the runner beans.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32And if it dries out a lot, then it is important to keep watering them.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44You can see these tomato leaves are all rolled up like that,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and it's much worse nearer the door.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50And as you come down the greenhouse, you get less and less of it
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and that's because it's caused by temperature fluctuations.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The difference between the cold of the nights and the hot of the day,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00which obviously is going to be worse near the open door,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02will cause the leaves to roll up.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It won't affect the crop, so don't worry if you've got it.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07What is worth doing is pinching out the top.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11As you can see, the tops of these have been cut off
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and that will stop new trusses forming
0:14:13 > 0:14:19and allow the existing trusses of fruit a better chance of ripening.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21But we've been picking them for three weeks,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23and they're very good, not been bad at all.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25This is a new variety on me.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26It's Merveille des Marches
0:14:26 > 0:14:28and it's absolutely delicious.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I'd definitely grow this again. We've probably picked
0:14:31 > 0:14:35about 30-odd fruits. They're not huge.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39They've got that lovely warm tomatoey smell
0:14:39 > 0:14:42that you can only get from a greenhouse.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And it's the warmth that gives them taste. It's not been a hot summer
0:14:45 > 0:14:48but the taste is still good. The sugars are fairly concentrated.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52With any luck, these tomatoes will go on ripening steadily
0:14:52 > 0:14:53over the next month or two.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The only thing to really watch out for is blight
0:14:56 > 0:14:59because all my potatoes have got blighted
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and tomatoes, of course, are close cousins of potatoes
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and can be hit by blight. However, very unlikely inside the greenhouse.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Talking of potatoes, I asked you
0:15:09 > 0:15:13if you'd had any experiences with growing first earlies.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Remember, I did a taste test a month or so ago
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and I've had a mass of replies. Here are just a few of them.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24And it does seem that there were lots of very varied experiences
0:15:24 > 0:15:26across different parts of the country
0:15:26 > 0:15:29but one or two common threads came through, and those of you
0:15:29 > 0:15:31that grew Winston, just as I did,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35also found that they grew absolutely enormous for first early potatoes
0:15:35 > 0:15:39but not many are as big as this one,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41from Andy from Gislingham in Suffolk -
0:15:41 > 0:15:46a potato looking to be about half the size of Andy himself.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51But the general theme that comes through this very mixed response
0:15:51 > 0:15:56is that one - Arran Pilot did particularly well as a first early,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and two - that those of you who grew Charlotte,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02which is a second early, loved it.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Now, I've got one more thing I want to harvest.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10DISTANT THUNDER
0:16:10 > 0:16:12RAIN PATTERS
0:16:20 > 0:16:24This is a small variety of cucumber called La Diva
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and it proves to be a perfect size.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28I grow cucumbers in pots
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and have done so for the last few years with great success,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34there's really no trouble at all. The secret of cucumbers
0:16:34 > 0:16:37is they like as much warmth as you can give them
0:16:37 > 0:16:41and as much moisture and richness as well.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44These are large pots that I've had for years and years
0:16:44 > 0:16:49and they are half filled with garden compost, half with potting compost.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52And I water these at least once a day
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and if it's at all warm, twice a day,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56a really good soak, and they thrive.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And by the way, I like hot cucumber too.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01You just cut it into four,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04fry it in a bit of butter for a few minutes
0:17:04 > 0:17:07so it's just a little bit crispy on the outside,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and some cream, salt and pepper,
0:17:09 > 0:17:14some chopped parsley or mint or whatever herbs you've got to hand,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16and it's absolutely delicious.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37A couple of weeks ago, I cleared the silkweed from the pond
0:17:37 > 0:17:39and put in some oxygenators
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and I'm pleased with the way that it's reacted.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46There's a little bit of weed back, but that's because I left some in.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50I just didn't manage to get it all out, but believe you me,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52if it hadn't had any oxygenators in,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I reckon that would have blanketed the whole area
0:17:55 > 0:17:59because once it starts spreading, it really grows fast,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02so that's a result. I'm very pleased with that.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Another really good thing
0:18:03 > 0:18:07is that the water lilies have produced a bud.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Now, that's pretty exceptional in the first year. Normally,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15you'd expect that to happen in year two or even year three sometimes,
0:18:15 > 0:18:16so I can't wait to see that open.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Not very dramatic, just one small flower,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22but it's all part of the excitement of the pond
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and if you do want to see dramatic water lilies
0:18:26 > 0:18:28or dramatic plants of any kind,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30you need to go and see a national collection
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and Carol has been down to Dorset
0:18:33 > 0:18:36to see a national collection of water lilies.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47So far in this series,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I've been looking at wild flowers
0:18:49 > 0:18:52who've got their roots firmly in the ground,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54terrestrial plants.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57But today, I want to look at something
0:18:57 > 0:19:02which occupies an entirely different element - that of water.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It's the water lilies - Nymphaeacea.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10They take their name from the Greek word nymphae, a water nymph,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11a mythological creature
0:19:11 > 0:19:16who lived in rivers, streams, ponds, lakes,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and it's these beautiful flowers
0:19:19 > 0:19:24which inspired some of the most celebrated paintings in the world -
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Claude Monet's Les Nympheas, The Water Lilies.
0:19:28 > 0:19:34Of course, his water lilies were in his pools and ponds at Giverny.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36They were cultivated varieties,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40but those lilies, and all our water lilies,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43have their roots firmly in the wild.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52You'd hardly believe
0:19:52 > 0:19:56that this exotic-looking plant is indigenous to the British Isles.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02It's one of only a couple of species that we have as wild flowers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It's an extremely vigorous plant.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07When it's left to its own devices,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11it will just take over any stretch of water it can find
0:20:11 > 0:20:17and cover it with these great green pads and these exotic white flowers.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Think of water lilies and you imagine a whole array of colours
0:20:27 > 0:20:29that goes far beyond yellow and white.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34this is down to the life's work of one passionate Frenchman.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Joseph Marliac devoted his life to the water lily.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Using wild species as his starting point,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47he developed and hybridised over 110 new cultivars
0:20:47 > 0:20:50in a kaleidoscopic range of colour.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Here at Bennett's Water Garden,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Jonathan Bennett knows all about
0:20:55 > 0:20:58how this incredible colour range was developed.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02So what did he start off with, then?
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- I believe he started off with the wild white Alba water lily.- Yeah.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And he also imported the Mexicana yellow from South America.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Right.- I think that was the magic ingredient,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18because the plants he got together were capable of producing seed
0:21:18 > 0:21:20in the climate that he brought them together in,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24which was in the South of France, lovely warm climate.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Look at that! Isn't this beautiful?- Yeah.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- And you must love them too, Jonathan.- Yes, I mean,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I've been working with them for so many years now.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41If you have to throw the plant away because it's in the wrong place,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44it's a weed, you still have to save the flower and pop it in water
0:21:44 > 0:21:46cos it'll carry on opening for a few more days.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It's such a beautiful thing. There you go.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- It's a beautiful colour, isn't it? - Such perfection.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02What are their roots like?
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- Apart from being ugly!- Yeah, they're chunks of rhizome down there,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09then they have the fine roots that spread right out through the mud.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12In this situation, they'd be spreading miles away from the plant.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- Bringing the food.- That's it. - And dragged up
0:22:14 > 0:22:15any nutrient from the base.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- What about the leaves? They make a contribution too.- Oh, yeah.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20They're the food factory of the plant
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and I think the unique thing with the aquatics
0:22:22 > 0:22:25is that they're actually taking air down to the roots.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27There's not much air down in the mud
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and the stems have these little...
0:22:30 > 0:22:31- Tubes.- Tubes, that's it.- Yeah.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33So it's not just photosynthesis.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- It's dragging some air in there as well.- So which one is this?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- This is a Marliac one too?- It is.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Yeah, this one's called Hermine
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and it's an almost brilliant white and it's grown for the...
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Well, I think the unique thing is about the star shape of the flowers
0:22:47 > 0:22:49and those lovely apple-green leaves.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Something tells me this is a special favourite of yours.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Yeah, I've got this one in my garden pond at home.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- Ah, well, that's a really good recommendation.- Yeah, it is.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- When you've got the pick of how many?- About 180 varieties.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- Oh, is that all?- That's right, yeah.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- This is Escarboucle. - Escarboucle? What a lovely name.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Just difficult to say.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's a slow grower,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and it doesn't produce many side shoots
0:23:19 > 0:23:22so therefore, it won't fill a pond up so quickly.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Joseph Marliac's breeding programme continued apace
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but he needed somewhere broad of platform
0:23:35 > 0:23:37to exhibit what he'd achieved so far.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39The opportunity arose
0:23:39 > 0:23:43when towards the end of the century, in 1889,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46the World Fair was held in Paris
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and he took his water lilies there
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and showed them off to huge public acclaim.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56One of the people who saw them there was the painter Claude Monet.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58He fell in love with them!
0:23:58 > 0:24:02He wanted to grow them, but more than that, he wanted to paint them.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09But imagine what those paintings of Giverny would have been like
0:24:09 > 0:24:11if it hadn't been for the work of Joseph Marliac
0:24:11 > 0:24:17in creating this wonderful range of beautiful colours and forms.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20In fact, they might well have contained
0:24:20 > 0:24:24only white and yellow wild water lilies.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35HEN CLUCKS
0:24:40 > 0:24:42When I planted these water lilies,
0:24:42 > 0:24:47I set them up on layers of bricks
0:24:47 > 0:24:49because the idea is
0:24:49 > 0:24:52to have the water lily foliage just sitting on the surface
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and if you have deep water and a short plant,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56that obviously won't happen.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58You put them on the bottom and it's completely submerged,
0:24:58 > 0:25:04so by jacking it up, that gives it a chance to get the maximum light
0:25:04 > 0:25:06and then as they grow, you can lower them down.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Now, if I lift this one up here,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11you can see that it's well clear of the water.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15I could drop that by about six inches.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And as long as one or two of the leaves are floating on the surface,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21the others can be below the water level.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Now, the base of the pond
0:25:24 > 0:25:27is sloping, and it's quite slippery
0:25:27 > 0:25:30so I don't want to go falling over,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33which I'm sure would provide good entertainment,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36but not the desired effect. Let's move that to one side.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I'll set it down there
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and then grovel around under the water for bricks.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I put the bricks inside a plastic container
0:25:48 > 0:25:52so that they wouldn't fall over and damage the liner.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53There are two.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58Right, two more.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Right.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21See, that leaf is floating on the surface, as is that one
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and just about that one,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25so that's perfect.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Still one brick to take out, and it will be sitting on the bottom
0:26:29 > 0:26:31and I don't have to do that this year.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33This can stay all winter, if need be
0:26:33 > 0:26:35if they don't grow any more.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38But that now will encourage it to grow more
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and get more established and to spread out.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Now, I'm going to move that one as well, but if you don't have a pond,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48here are some jobs you can still be getting on with this weekend.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Cabbage white butterflies find all members
0:26:56 > 0:26:58of the brassica family irresistible.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00They lay their eggs on the leaves
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and then the caterpillars emerge and munch their way through the crop.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Now, I deal with this by checking the plants daily,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13removing any eggs or caterpillars,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16which start out tiny but grow very fast.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Then they can be dealt with according to your fancy.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29It's been a funny old year for sweet peas,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30but they are still flowering.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33However, they are setting seed too,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35so remove any seed pods as soon as you see them
0:27:35 > 0:27:40and to stimulate new blooms, cut all the flowers every ten days.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42This might be a bit ruthless,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but it will provoke new flowering and delay seed formation.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54It's surprising how much moisture
0:27:54 > 0:27:57a full-grown plant can lose in a container at this time of year,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59particularly if it's in a terracotta pot
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and if you're planning to go away, it's a good idea
0:28:02 > 0:28:05either to get someone to come in and water them for you
0:28:05 > 0:28:07or to move them to a shady place.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And gathering them together in a group
0:28:13 > 0:28:15will also help conserve moisture
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Well, that's it for this week
0:28:29 > 0:28:33but I'll see you at the same time next Friday. Bye-bye.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd