0:00:07 > 0:00:09Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Now, the bank holiday weekend does signal the end of formal summer.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18We're about to enter what can be the best season of the whole year.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20And because we've got a long weekend,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22we've got plenty of time
0:00:22 > 0:00:25to do those jobs that need to get done and finished
0:00:25 > 0:00:28so that we can get the garden all ready to make the most of it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33This week, Rachel makes a final visit to her novice gardeners
0:00:33 > 0:00:36to see the result of the communal beds that they built from scratch.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43Oh, my goodness, it looks beautiful.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I still can't believe this is the first year.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Carol is in East Yorkshire
0:00:49 > 0:00:52to find how the relatives of her favourite wild flower
0:00:52 > 0:00:53can light up any garden.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56It's wonderful mixed with other plants
0:00:56 > 0:01:01and the very best time to see it is in the evening
0:01:01 > 0:01:04as the sun goes down.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Slugs have been a major problem for all gardeners this year,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and in response to a deluge of letters,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I'll be sharing your tips on how to cope.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40You always think you'll remember what the garden looked like,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42but you don't.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It is really important to record it as much as possible.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Come a grey March day it'll be really hard
0:01:47 > 0:01:49to piece together the exact relationship
0:01:49 > 0:01:53of the colours and the textures of any border.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55At this time of year that's what it's all about,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58it's all about that interrelationship
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and balance and harmony of colour.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03And here in the Jewel Garden, of course, the colour is very intense
0:02:03 > 0:02:08so that you have an amazing dahlia, this 'Arabian Night'.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Against the intensity of the orange of the cosmos, 'Bright Lights'.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14Look at that.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19And I think that this trick of using a very bright colour
0:02:19 > 0:02:22with a very rich one works well.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28I think probably my favourite plant at the moment is Angelica gigas,
0:02:28 > 0:02:33which has got an incredible, slightly metallic
0:02:33 > 0:02:35burnished burgundy colour to it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41It's statuesque, it's an emperor of plants. An absolute joy.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55Nothing matters more at this time of year than simple deadheading.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It really is the key to keeping those colours coming.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Here, for example, on the dahlia,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04this is 'Bishop of Llandaff',
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I've got a bud that has finished.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08And the fact that it's pointy
0:03:08 > 0:03:12tells you that that's over and has done its stuff.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Whereas I've got another one, which is rounded,
0:03:15 > 0:03:16which is yet to flower.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21So that is the difference that you're looking for with dahlia buds.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22The round one you leave on
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and that will produce flowers in a day or two.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28But as soon as it gets a pointy end, cut it off.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And then you'll get new flowers coming through from that.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And this cosmos, keep deadheading it.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36The thing I like about deadheading,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39it's a job you can do for 10 minutes at the beginning of the day,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41you can do it at the end of the day,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44it gives you a chance to look round the garden,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45you're feeling pretty shattered,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47but you can do really important work
0:03:47 > 0:03:49just with a pair of secateurs.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Something like this crocosmia, no point in deadheading that,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01you won't get any more flower if you cut it back.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06But surprisingly, a buddleia will respond.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10And also, it's important to remove the ugliness of spent flowers,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13because that distracts the eye.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15So if you cut them off like that,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18you'll get new flowers forming
0:04:18 > 0:04:19and then you'll get more butterflies
0:04:19 > 0:04:24and that lovely rich cycle will just keep going.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34One of the things that gardeners debate hotly
0:04:34 > 0:04:36is the right time to sow sweet peas.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38There are some that swear by sowing them in autumn,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41others say there's no need - you sow them in spring.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I tended to belong to the latter group,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46but this year I thought I'd give it a go
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and try sowing some in autumn, some in spring,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and also some directly, and just see how they reacted.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55A very unscientific test, but interesting nevertheless.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58So what we have is, at the far end,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02we have some that I sowed into a compost mix in pots last October.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08In the middle, some that went into exactly the same mix this March,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and at this end, the same variety - they're all Monty Don sweet peas -
0:05:12 > 0:05:14were sown direct into the soil in May.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16You can see at a glance
0:05:16 > 0:05:17that the ones at the far end are bigger,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20there's more plant there.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22The ones in the middle are covered in flowers,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and these poor old direct-sown ones have had a tough time of it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28We haven't had a single flower off them.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29We're keeping a tally,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and the idea is to see what the result is across the whole year.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36And so far, the autumn-sown ones
0:05:36 > 0:05:41have produced twice as many flowers as the spring-sown ones.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43However, these are due for picking now
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and you can see that these have got a lot on, they're catching up.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51It will be interesting to see if the autumn-sown ones go over first
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and therefore what these lost at the beginning
0:05:53 > 0:05:55they catch up at the back end.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56But we'll wait and see.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Now, the reason that we grow sweet peas is partly the incredible scent.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06The fragrance now as I'm standing here is just wafting all around me.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10And also they do make perfect cut flowers.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And everybody can get that from the garden.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14You just sow some seed
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and you've got flowers that will fill the house all summer long.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Rachel has been establishing a cut-flower garden
0:06:19 > 0:06:21with a group of novice gardeners.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25This week, she's going along to celebrate their success.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29'In March I arrived at the barracks
0:06:29 > 0:06:31'of the British Army's bomb disposal squad,
0:06:31 > 0:06:32'the 11 EOD Regiment,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36'who are setting up a community garden
0:06:36 > 0:06:37'to enhance the well-being of the families
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'and military personnel on the base.'
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I'm just going to show you a few techniques.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45'I came along to give them a helping hand
0:06:45 > 0:06:48'to turn what was an overgrown site
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'into a space for cut flowers and vegetables.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I think you've got off to a really great start.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58'The wet weather helped everything to grow lush and vigorous,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00'but there were hiccups too, with dahlias searching for the light
0:07:00 > 0:07:03'and a few problem pests.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'It's now five months since they started
0:07:06 > 0:07:08'and I can't wait to see how it's looking.'
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Oh, my goodness, it looks beautiful.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I still can't believe this is the first year.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18This is the magnificence of sowing annuals,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21such a profusion of flowers blossoming
0:07:21 > 0:07:23just five months after they were sown.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I'm used to getting plants from the garden centre
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and just having them as small plants growing.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34But growing them from seed,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and having something so beautiful within a season is just lovely.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41It's a bit like magic, really!
0:07:42 > 0:07:44I think, just...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46It's full of colour and sunny...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and it worked.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54It's brought us together, which is really nice.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56It's a great way of meeting people in the community,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59especially because you do move around
0:07:59 > 0:08:01so you don't know where you're going,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and the people that you're going to be living with.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The garden is a constant feature in this environment
0:08:07 > 0:08:09where things often change.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Many of the wives who've been working on the garden
0:08:12 > 0:08:14are about to move on to another base.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Both Sarah and I are in the process of moving,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22so we're going on to other places.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26So we're... Yeah, I'm going to miss this and miss the garden.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Us ladies, we're quite hardened at saying goodbye to people,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34but I know we will all keep in touch.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37For me, if it hadn't been for the garden
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I probably wouldn't know them.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Today, the Army's welfare team
0:08:42 > 0:08:46are organising a special lunch to celebrate the success of the garden.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47And to decorate the tent,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51the wives want to use some of their home-grown flowers.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56To help arrange them to best effect,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58I've enlisted the help of local florist Jo Wise.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04- Ladies, just grab foliage. - Go for about five stems.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06And then you want to prep each stem
0:09:06 > 0:09:08by stripping off any leaves
0:09:08 > 0:09:11that are going to be beneath the water level.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12So just run down like that.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16That's going to stop them rotting under the water
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and increase the vase life.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22So this is quite a good shape and height to start off with.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25'Next, we add some bishop's weed, Ammi majus,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'This grew profusely in the garden
0:09:27 > 0:09:31'and their lace-cap flowers bring lightness and air to any arrangement.'
0:09:33 > 0:09:37That's lovely, it's already starting to look really pretty.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38With the garden flowers,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40it's nice to try and create different heights
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and create space around your arrangement.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- You don't want it too solid.- Yes.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'Then for some colour,
0:09:46 > 0:09:52'our ladies sowed an abundance of sweet peas, calendulas and larkspur.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54'There weren't many dahlias in flower yet,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'so Jo and I brought some from our own gardens
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'so that they could see what to expect.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- I love all this colour against the green...- It's a riot of colour.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04It's really zingy, yes.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I don't think there's another flower in the garden that has this saturation of colour.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- It's just so right.- You're right.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- And you can mix them all up and it still looks great. Yes.- Yes.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19OK, everybody, let's see what you've done. Hold them up.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Fantastic. They're really good. - Really good, yes.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25OK, let's go and put them in the tent.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33To buy something so spectacular would cost a small fortune,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37but with just 20 packets of seeds and bags of enthusiasm,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39our ladies have really done me proud.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41GENTLE APPLAUSE
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'When all the flowers were put together, they were so beautiful'
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and it's amazing to see we've managed to grow them in our garden.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55These beautiful flowers have created a bit of a stir on the camp
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and everyone is really thankful for the joy
0:10:58 > 0:11:01this garden has brought to the community.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04I'm going to light a candle to remind us
0:11:04 > 0:11:07that Jesus is the light of the world.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Thank you for this garden, the hope of transformation it has brought us.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14May our soldiers bring hope and transformation wherever they serve.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Amen.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'It's gobsmacking, really, to come from it being the car park
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'and to think that this is what it looks like now
0:11:29 > 0:11:32'and the vases of flowers on the tables.'
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's, yes, it sort of takes your breath away, really.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Cheers, everybody.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Yes, well done, everyone!
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'When I look around this garden'
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and remember what it was like back in March
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and how it's been utterly transformed with a few packets of seeds
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and some dahlias, nothing complicated,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but masses and masses of enthusiasm from the people involved,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56well, I find it incredibly moving
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and I think it's benefited everybody who's worked on it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Well, that was inspirational and it does show
0:12:12 > 0:12:16that a bunch of flowers picked from the garden is always lovely.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Not yet, no.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21DOG PANTING
0:12:21 > 0:12:22(Come on.)
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Now, we have a problem with this area of what should be grass,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36but really the grass that there is is pitiful.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41It's become a compacted muddy slick when it's wet
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and a sub concrete area when it's dry, not very often this summer.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49There are two reasons for this and first is the lack of light.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52You've got heavy shade from these trees,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55which of course is getting worse as the trees are growing.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Second problem is the compaction.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Grass needs light, drainage
0:13:04 > 0:13:07and water to grow successfully. Well, water, we've got.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The drainage we can do something about,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14so I want to repair this, but first of all, I've got to dig that up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And it's no good just turning over the top inch or so like that.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The important thing is to go really deep.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25MUSIC: "Baby Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Main problem here are tree roots.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I mean, our soil is wet, heavy, claggy stuff
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and it's been an exceptionally wet period, and yet,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01hardly any moisture in that at all.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It does show you how trees just suck the water from the soil,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06like a sponge.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08# Aww, I'm itchy
0:14:09 > 0:14:13# And I don't know where to scratch... #
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Now, I confess I thought...
0:14:30 > 0:14:33this would be a gentle dig over, with a fork.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37HE LAUGHS
0:14:37 > 0:14:42But, if you want good grass, you have to have good preparation.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Having raked out the worst of the lumps and bumps, the next step
0:15:00 > 0:15:03may seem counterintuitive but it's really important.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07And that is to tread it over, to get rid of any dips and hollows,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10because if the soil isn't level, the grass won't be level.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Now, having done that, rake it again,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25to get rid of any of the dips and hollows that your feet exposed.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And there certainly were some down this end.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38You can buy grass seed specifically for shady areas
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and if it's going to be used for walking on at all,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45make sure it's got some ryegrass in it, because ryegrass is tougher.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48That is thick enough.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It's sparse.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53If you think of sowing seeds in a seed tray,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56you don't fill the seed tray full of seed and then expect to get nice
0:15:56 > 0:15:59strong seedlings, and it's exactly the same with grass seed on soil.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03That's the great thing about sowing grass seed at this time of year.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It'll germinate and grow really fast.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Final thing to do is to rake it in, and so it's covered.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Once that's in and it's watered, that should start to grow.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23It is important with grass seed, as with turf, not to let it dry out.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25So, if it doesn't rain, water it every day.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I have to confess that this is a case of
0:16:33 > 0:16:35making the best of a bad situation.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The grass here will never be good. It may not even grow much.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42But if it is going to grow it will now,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and if it doesn't grow, well, I'll have to think of something else.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47And while I'm doing this,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52here are some other things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55If you don't use chemicals,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58keeping paths clean of weeds can be a bit of a job.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Every now and then there's nothing for it
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but to get down on your knees and hand-weed them.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07An old kitchen knife comes in useful at this point
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but whatever you use needs to be sharp.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And whilst there's no doubt that it is something of a chore,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14it's curiously satisfying.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Strawberries are tough plants but it does pay to give them
0:17:24 > 0:17:27a little bit of attention at this time of year,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30especially the summer-fruiting ones that have finished their work.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Give them a good weed.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38Remove any extra runners and then cut back all of the old foliage.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40This will let in light and air
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and gives the new leaves the chance to grow strongly.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Now, it is getting a bit late in the day
0:17:54 > 0:17:56but if you sow spring cabbages this weekend
0:17:56 > 0:17:59you should get a harvest at the end of next spring.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01You can raise these outside
0:18:01 > 0:18:03but I prefer to sow them under cover
0:18:03 > 0:18:07because then they're easier to protect from pigeons and slugs.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I put them into their final growing position
0:18:10 > 0:18:11at the beginning of October.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I'm sowing Spring Hero and some black kale.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Just one note, is that when you plant these out in October,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34don't be surprised if they don't seem to grow at all right through winter.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35They'll just sit there.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But...soon as the soil warms up in March or April
0:18:38 > 0:18:41they will start to grow and give you a really good harvest in May
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and possibly even June, just when you need it,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46because there's not much else that time of year.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The reason I raise seedlings in here is, as much as anything else,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52to keep them slug-free.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56About a month ago I asked for any slug and snail experiences you had
0:18:56 > 0:19:00in what is, by general agreement, a pretty bad year.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Well, of course I've had masses of response
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and lots of ideas of how to deal with them,
0:19:06 > 0:19:12ranging from copper barriers, salt, putting down beer traps.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17There we have a picture of slugs lapping at a tray of beer.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The totals have been amazing. We've got a letter from Marjorie Greenwood in Hampshire.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Marjorie has collected
0:19:24 > 0:19:2712,883 slugs.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32And I like the fact she's kept a total. "Am I obsessed?"
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Well, you just might be, Marjorie, I think.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Now, slugs and snails do exist in huge quantities
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and my recommendation is to try and control a limited area.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46You're never going to stop them in the garden at large.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50There's just too many of them, it's a battle you're going to lose.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53We keep the greenhouse, the cold frame and this standing-out area
0:19:53 > 0:19:55reasonably under control.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57So if I pick that up and look...
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Ooh, there we are. Have a look at that.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05There is one, two... two slugs nestling in there.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08So they're still there but at least I can see them and destroy them.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11So I'm going to put those down to one side.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14A really good ecosystem, wildlife...
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Hedgehogs love eating slugs, so do thrushes and blackbirds.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Beetles, toads. Encourage wildlife into the garden.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24If you can keep ducks, they're fantastic too.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Yep, more in there.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Of course, one of the weapons in the gardener's armoury
0:20:33 > 0:20:38is to grow plants that slugs and snails seem not to like.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And this week, Carol is looking at a plant that
0:20:41 > 0:20:45slugs and snails may not like but gardeners universally adore.
0:20:57 > 0:21:04This dainty, delicate, brilliant blue little flower. What a delight.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It's Campanula rotundifolia. The harebell.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10It's one of our commonest wild flowers
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and you find it in all sorts of places.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18And its looks actually belie the fact that it's incredibly robust.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22First of all, it has these very wiry sort of stems
0:21:22 > 0:21:25that support these little pleated buds.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30And as those buds begin to open this bell emerges
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and eventually folds over and dangles down.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37And the whole idea of that is that the pollen is protected,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40so even in a windswept place like this,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44they can still manage to get pollinated.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Not only is it successful in all these wild habitats
0:21:48 > 0:21:53but it's a brilliant garden plant, as indeed are all campanulas,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and there's such an enormous variety of them.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00There really is a campanula for every situation!
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I've come a few miles inland to Burton Agnes Hall.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's a beautiful 17th-century building
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and one of its more striking characteristics
0:22:24 > 0:22:28are these lovely brick walls which announce the entrance.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32And at their top, there's this enormous collection
0:22:32 > 0:22:35of Campanula rotundifolia,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and it was these self-seeded harebells
0:22:38 > 0:22:42which were the inspiration for the creation, within the walls,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47of one of the country's best national collections of campanulas.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The great thing about a national collection of any plant
0:22:58 > 0:23:01is that it gives ordinary gardeners an opportunity
0:23:01 > 0:23:04to go and see what's on offer.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06They can see the full range of campanulas
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and decide which ones suit them and their gardens.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Things like this Campanula isophylla that we're used to seeing
0:23:15 > 0:23:19usually in blue but this white form is lovely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23This is the kind of plant that once you put it into a wall,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27it'll find its own way, wending along every crack and crevice,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and coat the wall.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35But what drew me to this corner is this lovely little plant here.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It's got double white flowers and very dainty foliage
0:23:38 > 0:23:43and it's probably a form of Campanula cochlearifolia.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Perhaps the biggest use of bellflowers is in beds and borders.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57Usually we associate them with all those lovely pastel shades -
0:23:57 > 0:24:01pinks, blues, lavenders - but look what's happened here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04This enormous Campanula rapunculoides
0:24:04 > 0:24:07has seeded itself in the back of this group.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Great tall spires of bright blue
0:24:11 > 0:24:15combined with the brilliant red of Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and these huge yellow daisies.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Who would have thought of putting them together,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24but don't they make a stunning combination?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33The very first time I saved seed -
0:24:33 > 0:24:36or tried to save seed - from campanulas,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I watched these seed pods ripen,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and when I went to take one off it was empty.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47And that's because the seed actually disappears from three apertures
0:24:47 > 0:24:52right in the back of the seed pod, right at the stem end.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55So I'm not being fooled again. I'm going to take this one off now
0:24:55 > 0:25:00and just detach the whole thing with a pair of scissors.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Then you can shake it straight into a paper bag, collect it for later,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09sow some straight away if you want to or save it till the spring.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14And it'll yield literally scores of brand-new campanulas.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Head gardener Jeremy Palmer has nurtured the campanulas
0:25:19 > 0:25:23here at Burton Agnes Hall for the last 14 years,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26during which time he's seen the collection grow.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30How long has the national collection been here?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It was formed in 1990 and it was developed then,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36obviously with the interest in the harebell.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- Yes.- So we just kept it going
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- and we've got about 300 different varieties here now.- 300?!
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- That's phenomenal, isn't it?- It is.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Some of these campanulas are gigantic, aren't they?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48But what if you've got a tiny garden?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- Would you say there's a campanula for everywhere?- Oh, there is, yeah.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Even tall ones, like this lactiflora, will grow in a small garden.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It's just nice, tall, sturdy, and you can get away with it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02I mean, a plant like that, despite this huge volume,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04is actually quite small at the base, isn't it?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It is, yes, it's very misleading.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And they're really easy to look after as well.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- There's very little maintenance to a campanula.- And very little disease.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17There's hardly any disease at all. All pests, actually, that attack campanulas are very easy-going.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I feel really at home in here.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It's nice to be in the midst of a plant that's bigger than you.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30And it's difficult to imagine the relationship between
0:26:30 > 0:26:33this enormous Campanula lactiflora
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and that little tiny harebell that we saw on the cliffs.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40It's wonderful mixed with other plants
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and the very best time to see it,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46as with any blue or white flowers, is in the evening,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49as the sun goes down.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It's now time to prune summer-fruiting raspberries.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08The autumn-fruiting ones, and I've got them round the corner there,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12are just beginning to kick in and produce fruit, so it's a relay.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14These have done their stuff
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and if we remove the wood that produced the fruit,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21the new wood, which is this green growth here,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23can be tied in ready for next year.
0:27:23 > 0:27:29So the first thing to do is to get rid of all the brown stems
0:27:29 > 0:27:31that bore fruit this year.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35And we're left with potential stems for next year.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42I want to keep the strongest and make sure they're spaced out
0:27:42 > 0:27:46reasonably evenly, and no more than half a dozen per plant.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48So just work through them.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I can see, for example, that stem is no good, so we can take that out.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57That can come out.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Now, the really important thing is to tie them in securely,
0:28:03 > 0:28:04cos they're quite brittle.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07You can see that they're evenly spaced, they're nice and secure,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10they're not going to move in any direction.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I'll tie the tops and then when they're tied in,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15cut them off an inch or two above.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Cos otherwise they can act as sails
0:28:17 > 0:28:21and you find the stems sometimes snap, which is really frustrating.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24But once that's done, there's nothing else to do with them except
0:28:24 > 0:28:28give them a good mulch next spring and harvest the fruit next summer.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29Well, that's it for tonight.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Enjoy your bank holiday weekend and I'll see you next Friday. Bye-bye.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd