Episode 22

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0:00:12 > 0:00:14Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.

0:00:14 > 0:00:17One of the things you can normally rely upon in September

0:00:17 > 0:00:19is that the quality of light

0:00:19 > 0:00:22will get better and better over the next few weeks.

0:00:22 > 0:00:26As it gets thinner, it becomes more elegant somehow.

0:00:26 > 0:00:29You've still got the energy and the brightness of high summer,

0:00:29 > 0:00:33but there's a kind of crystalline purity that goes with it

0:00:33 > 0:00:35and I love that.

0:00:35 > 0:00:39Today, I will be splitting and moving herbaceous perennials,

0:00:39 > 0:00:43getting them in the best shape and position for next spring.

0:00:43 > 0:00:48Carol will be revelling in the enormous family of daisies

0:00:48 > 0:00:50and choosing her favourites.

0:00:50 > 0:00:52The daisy family offers us

0:00:52 > 0:00:58some of the best and the most beautiful plants for our gardens.

0:00:58 > 0:01:01And garden designer James Alexander Sinclair

0:01:01 > 0:01:04has been down to visit a new garden in Cornwall

0:01:04 > 0:01:07that's ambitious and expansive

0:01:07 > 0:01:11both in its planting and also in the artwork it's got in the garden.

0:01:11 > 0:01:15If you like plants, my goodness, you can come here and be happy for hours.

0:01:15 > 0:01:18If you like art, there's enough to keep you going

0:01:18 > 0:01:22and if all you really want is a wonderful walk in a Cornish garden,

0:01:22 > 0:01:25then this is a jolly good place to be.

0:01:25 > 0:01:27And I'll also be in the veg garden,

0:01:27 > 0:01:30where I'll be planting and sewing crops that I'll harvest next spring.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42Now, come and have a look at this...

0:01:43 > 0:01:47..because, just this morning,

0:01:47 > 0:01:51the first flower of Nymphaea 'Chromatella' -

0:01:51 > 0:01:54this yellow water lily that I've put in

0:01:54 > 0:01:55and it's been there all summer,

0:01:55 > 0:01:58quietly growing and not doing much to be honest

0:01:58 > 0:02:02and now, bit of sunshine, it's come into its own.

0:02:02 > 0:02:04It's everything I wanted from it.

0:02:04 > 0:02:08It's got a radiant form, but it's delicate, it's subtle,

0:02:08 > 0:02:10it's got that primrose yellow

0:02:10 > 0:02:15which works in beautifully with the rest of the colour scheme here.

0:02:15 > 0:02:17So, I'm completely thrilled about it.

0:02:17 > 0:02:22That Chromatella exceeds everything I expected. Lovely.

0:02:26 > 0:02:27This is the spring garden

0:02:27 > 0:02:30and for much of the summer, it's dormant

0:02:30 > 0:02:33and you know, I don't come in here for weeks on end.

0:02:33 > 0:02:36But round about mid-August, it starts to regrow

0:02:36 > 0:02:40and its life cycle picks up, and it sort of gathers up its energy

0:02:40 > 0:02:42to produce its best from January through till May.

0:02:42 > 0:02:45And it's exciting, seeing familiar friends.

0:02:49 > 0:02:51Slightly bonkers too, because obviously,

0:02:51 > 0:02:54having a rose going right across the path,

0:02:54 > 0:02:59this is Rosa 'Cantabrigiensis', lovely primrose little flowers.

0:02:59 > 0:03:02But I like it. I could cut it back but I don't want to.

0:03:02 > 0:03:05I like the way it's sort of leaning and slouching across.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08And this euphorbia, it's got beautiful foliage,

0:03:08 > 0:03:09really soft and fresh.

0:03:09 > 0:03:11And of course it needs cutting back,

0:03:11 > 0:03:13but I'll delay that - I'll step over it.

0:03:15 > 0:03:19However, there ARE things I can do now and it would be sensible to do.

0:03:20 > 0:03:24The most important is to divide and split

0:03:24 > 0:03:27and replant some of the herbaceous perennials.

0:03:27 > 0:03:31This will give them time to grow strongly,

0:03:31 > 0:03:33so that when they hit their flowering period

0:03:33 > 0:03:38next February, March and April, they'll be in a really good state.

0:03:39 > 0:03:42This is Tiarella, foam flower,

0:03:42 > 0:03:46and it's a really good groundcover plant, but also pretty.

0:03:46 > 0:03:51It likes light shade, fairly moist woodland conditions.

0:03:53 > 0:03:55See, that makes a very nice clump.

0:03:55 > 0:03:57But if I did break it down,

0:03:57 > 0:04:00all I do is with my hands, just pull it apart.

0:04:02 > 0:04:06It pulls apart quite easily - just tease the roots out.

0:04:06 > 0:04:09There's a good clump, that could be planted separately.

0:04:09 > 0:04:12If I really wanted to propagate it,

0:04:12 > 0:04:14each one of these will make a new plant.

0:04:16 > 0:04:19I want to put a clump of Tiarella over here.

0:04:21 > 0:04:26All these spring plants love a nice cool root run.

0:04:26 > 0:04:29A lot of them, like the Tiarella, are essentially woodland plants.

0:04:31 > 0:04:32Woods are filled with leaf mould -

0:04:32 > 0:04:35as the leaves fall, that builds up the woodland floor.

0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's the environment that they thrive in.

0:04:38 > 0:04:42This is a perfect chance where you use leaf mould, not compost.

0:04:42 > 0:04:46By the way, that is made from last autumn's leaves.

0:04:48 > 0:04:50Just add that in there...

0:04:52 > 0:04:55That's a nice little clump. I don't need to divide that up any more.

0:04:55 > 0:04:58I can just pop that in, like that.

0:05:00 > 0:05:03Little bit more leaf mould round it...

0:05:03 > 0:05:08make it feel at home. And then I will water that in in a minute.

0:05:14 > 0:05:17This is Pulmonaria, or lungwort.

0:05:17 > 0:05:21And it was called lungwort because of the bludges on the leaves.

0:05:21 > 0:05:23People thought it looked like lungs.

0:05:23 > 0:05:26This one has got little blue flowers

0:05:26 > 0:05:28that flower and flower from, if you're lucky,

0:05:28 > 0:05:32February right through into mid-April.

0:05:32 > 0:05:37And very, very easily divided up to make new divisions.

0:05:38 > 0:05:41There we are, that's a good example.

0:05:41 > 0:05:44There are the roots, one, two, three, four shoots on there.

0:05:44 > 0:05:46I could divide those up, but I don't want to,

0:05:46 > 0:05:48that makes a nice little clump.

0:05:50 > 0:05:54I've got a Pulmonaria growing over here,

0:05:54 > 0:05:57so I'll put another clump between that and the Tiarella.

0:05:57 > 0:06:01That will just balance the planting either side of the path.

0:06:01 > 0:06:03Everything about the spring garden

0:06:03 > 0:06:07is about compaction and intensity - from when the first colour appears,

0:06:07 > 0:06:10with the aconites and the snowdrops at the end of January,

0:06:10 > 0:06:13to when it disappears at the sort of end of May.

0:06:13 > 0:06:17It's really crammed in, and you want that kind of intensity,

0:06:17 > 0:06:21because there's not much else in the garden at that time of year.

0:06:21 > 0:06:24However, the garden designer James Alexander Sinclair

0:06:24 > 0:06:27has been down to visit a new garden in Cornwall

0:06:27 > 0:06:30that's ambitious and expansive,

0:06:30 > 0:06:34both in its planting and also in the artwork that it's got in the garden.

0:06:37 > 0:06:41When you imagine Cornish gardens, what do you think of?

0:06:41 > 0:06:43You think of fresh sea air,

0:06:43 > 0:06:47mild winters, a bit of bracing breeziness.

0:06:47 > 0:06:50You also think of rhododendrons and camellias,

0:06:50 > 0:06:53all laid out in lush spring valleys.

0:06:53 > 0:06:57Well, I'm here to see a new garden near Penzance called Tremenheere.

0:06:57 > 0:07:01This garden, apparently, takes that idea and twists it around a bit,

0:07:01 > 0:07:04and gives it a bit of attitude, injects some very fine art

0:07:04 > 0:07:06and comes up with...

0:07:06 > 0:07:08Well, we'll see.

0:07:11 > 0:07:14Tremenheere is an 11-acre sculpture garden

0:07:14 > 0:07:18set in a deep gorge that provides two distinct microclimates.

0:07:18 > 0:07:20I'm starting at the bottom,

0:07:20 > 0:07:23where lush green planting sweeps the valley floor.

0:07:25 > 0:07:27Well, I'm not sure what I was expecting,

0:07:27 > 0:07:29but I wasn't really expecting this.

0:07:29 > 0:07:32I thought it would be a bit of natural woodland,

0:07:32 > 0:07:34but this is much more.

0:07:34 > 0:07:36This is enchanting. This is...

0:07:36 > 0:07:39It's a magic jungle in the making.

0:07:47 > 0:07:50It was originally an overgrown, bramble-infested site,

0:07:50 > 0:07:53but one man single-handedly decided to transform it.

0:07:55 > 0:07:58GP Dr Neil Armstrong bought the site 15 years ago

0:07:58 > 0:08:01when he began to tame the wild.

0:08:01 > 0:08:03Well, the land came up for sale and it's so wonderful,

0:08:03 > 0:08:08it was irresistible really.

0:08:09 > 0:08:12I'd been looking for something as a project

0:08:12 > 0:08:16and this sort of hobby has obviously grown completely out of control!

0:08:16 > 0:08:19It's fine, it's just grown quietly.

0:08:19 > 0:08:22What I see it as, I see you've sort of taken the natural woodland

0:08:22 > 0:08:24and you've augmented it

0:08:24 > 0:08:27- and put other things in there that you wouldn't normally find.- Yeah.

0:08:27 > 0:08:29There is, obviously, this friction and frisson

0:08:29 > 0:08:32between the natural habitat, the native trees,

0:08:32 > 0:08:35and the slightly more exotic planting

0:08:35 > 0:08:37that we've found ourselves in here.

0:08:37 > 0:08:40Which is more your speciality and what excites you?

0:08:40 > 0:08:45I am interested in it and the integration is quite a challenge.

0:08:45 > 0:08:48Keeping verdancy and keeping it reasonably simple

0:08:48 > 0:08:51and natural-looking has been a recurring theme, really.

0:08:51 > 0:08:53I like to think of it

0:08:53 > 0:08:56as a contemplative or a sort of wild retreat

0:08:56 > 0:08:59with which I can restore myself after my day's work,

0:08:59 > 0:09:02and I decided to go for it, really.

0:09:15 > 0:09:18At the top of the valley, above the lush vegetation

0:09:18 > 0:09:21and shady woodland, the garden changes dramatically.

0:09:21 > 0:09:26Mass planting of Restios sweep the natural camber of this landscape.

0:09:27 > 0:09:31This is Mediterranean, South African, Mexican,

0:09:31 > 0:09:34anything you like, as long as it likes sun and lots of air.

0:09:34 > 0:09:38- So this is really, really hot? - Yeah.- And dry?

0:09:38 > 0:09:41Good drainage, excellent drainage, hungry soils, quick draining,

0:09:41 > 0:09:45quick to heat up and it provides me with an opportunity

0:09:45 > 0:09:49to grow more structural, architectural plants en masse.

0:09:49 > 0:09:52So, we've got lots of wind whistling around

0:09:52 > 0:09:54and these grasses provide quite a bit of drama and movement.

0:09:54 > 0:09:56The most important thing I try

0:09:56 > 0:09:58to remain true to

0:09:58 > 0:10:00is the concept that the planting, the landscape and, importantly,

0:10:00 > 0:10:04the artwork, all harmonise with each other and complement each other.

0:10:04 > 0:10:07Was that your idea right from the beginning?

0:10:07 > 0:10:10When you first saw this valley, did you think, "This is what I want to make"?

0:10:10 > 0:10:12To create a giant, exotic, subtropical planting

0:10:12 > 0:10:15could appear an indulgence.

0:10:15 > 0:10:18- A glorious and wonderful indulgence. - Possibly, it is.

0:10:18 > 0:10:20But lacking a house -

0:10:20 > 0:10:22a big house, formal drive -

0:10:22 > 0:10:23fantastically liberating.

0:10:23 > 0:10:25But the lack of focus

0:10:25 > 0:10:27is quite important to address.

0:10:27 > 0:10:32And a major work by James Turrell has arrived on this landscape,

0:10:32 > 0:10:35as pretty much the centrepiece of this garden,

0:10:35 > 0:10:37in terms of the artwork.

0:10:40 > 0:10:44'You cannot view this garden without acknowledging the remarkable collection of art.

0:10:44 > 0:10:46'A James Turrell skyspace,

0:10:46 > 0:10:47'currently a work in progress,

0:10:47 > 0:10:49'allows you to view the Cornish sky

0:10:49 > 0:10:51'in all its magnificence.'

0:10:51 > 0:10:56You come here when you're not weeding, and just sit here and gaze at the clouds?

0:10:56 > 0:10:59It would be quite an indulgence, but I do, occasionally.

0:10:59 > 0:11:00JAMES LAUGHS

0:11:03 > 0:11:06'There's also work by renowned artist David Nash

0:11:06 > 0:11:09'and, scattered in nooks and crannies around the garden,

0:11:09 > 0:11:14'tiny sculptures which you may be lucky enough to spot.'

0:11:14 > 0:11:18If you like plants, my goodness, you can come here and be happy for hours.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20If you like art, there's enough to keep you going.

0:11:20 > 0:11:21If all you really want

0:11:21 > 0:11:24is a wonderful walk in a Cornish garden,

0:11:24 > 0:11:26this is a jolly good place to be.

0:11:34 > 0:11:35Now, the garden is open

0:11:35 > 0:11:38on the 15th and 16th of September.

0:11:38 > 0:11:41There are details on our website.

0:11:41 > 0:11:42I have to say

0:11:42 > 0:11:44it does look fantastic.

0:11:44 > 0:11:48Probably less artistic and romantic

0:11:48 > 0:11:49is my veg garden here.

0:11:49 > 0:11:52But it's doing fine,

0:11:52 > 0:11:53and I'm now

0:11:53 > 0:11:56giving a little bit of compost to this patch,

0:11:56 > 0:12:00because I shall plant it up with some kale.

0:12:00 > 0:12:04That will be harvested at the back end of winter,

0:12:04 > 0:12:07but the end of winter, next spring.

0:12:07 > 0:12:09I'm trying to keep the succession going.

0:12:09 > 0:12:10And legumes,

0:12:10 > 0:12:12which is what beans are,

0:12:12 > 0:12:14are best followed by the brassica family,

0:12:14 > 0:12:17which is what all cabbages are.

0:12:17 > 0:12:21Look at the amount of worms in this compost!

0:12:21 > 0:12:22Look at that.

0:12:22 > 0:12:26Masses and masses and masses of them.

0:12:26 > 0:12:28Just a top dressing of compost, like that,

0:12:28 > 0:12:31which I will rake in.

0:12:39 > 0:12:41Brassicas like a nice, firm soil.

0:12:41 > 0:12:44I normally never tread on anything I've raked and prepared.

0:12:44 > 0:12:48But by just treading over it relatively lightly - you don't have to stamp,

0:12:48 > 0:12:50you firm it down, so when the roots get in,

0:12:50 > 0:12:52they're held nice and secure.

0:12:52 > 0:12:55Because these will be quite big plants.

0:12:55 > 0:12:58Then the winter winds can blow over and rock and damage,

0:12:58 > 0:13:01and that will not only potentially knock them over,

0:13:01 > 0:13:04but also affect the way they grow.

0:13:04 > 0:13:07Just firm that over.

0:13:08 > 0:13:11I shall be planting this out. This is a new one for me.

0:13:11 > 0:13:14For years, I've grown an Italian kale called Cavolo Nero.

0:13:14 > 0:13:17Or "black kale".

0:13:17 > 0:13:20This is called Jagallo Nero.

0:13:20 > 0:13:23The only difference, as far as I can see,

0:13:23 > 0:13:27is it has these much more finely serrated leaves,

0:13:27 > 0:13:29which will be decorative, and look good.

0:13:29 > 0:13:32I gather the taste is very good, too.

0:13:32 > 0:13:33Now, I set these out -

0:13:33 > 0:13:35two foot apart.

0:13:35 > 0:13:38Probably get four in a row.

0:13:38 > 0:13:39Kale is

0:13:39 > 0:13:42one of those brassicas that the more you pick it,

0:13:42 > 0:13:44the more fresh leaves come.

0:13:44 > 0:13:46So you can afford to have a really big plant

0:13:46 > 0:13:48and go back and back to it.

0:13:48 > 0:13:50You'll probably get four or five pickings from it

0:13:50 > 0:13:52throughout the course of the growing season.

0:13:52 > 0:13:55Which, in the case of these,

0:13:55 > 0:13:57will be about November through till May.

0:13:57 > 0:13:59I sowed these from seed,

0:13:59 > 0:14:02and it was in June - the 26th of June, actually.

0:14:02 > 0:14:05So, two months to raise them to plants of this size.

0:14:05 > 0:14:07So if you sow your seed now, it'll be too late.

0:14:07 > 0:14:09However, you can buy young plants,

0:14:09 > 0:14:11and those can go straight out.

0:14:11 > 0:14:15A kale is a substantial tough plant.

0:14:15 > 0:14:18This is red kale, and you can see this is growing well, and will get bigger yet.

0:14:18 > 0:14:20The great advantage of its toughness

0:14:20 > 0:14:22is it will withstand cold weather.

0:14:22 > 0:14:24In fact, it's often improved by it,

0:14:24 > 0:14:26and will stand prolonged cooking.

0:14:26 > 0:14:29A really useful, delicious plant.

0:14:29 > 0:14:31But a much tenderer one

0:14:31 > 0:14:33is spinach, which is meltingly soft.

0:14:33 > 0:14:36One tends to think of that as a spring or early summer plant,

0:14:36 > 0:14:38but if you sow spinach now,

0:14:38 > 0:14:40you'll get a picking from the young leaves

0:14:40 > 0:14:42at the middle to end of autumn,

0:14:42 > 0:14:44and that will overwinter,

0:14:44 > 0:14:47and you'll get a fresh flush of leaves in spring.

0:14:47 > 0:14:50Last year I did it, and we had a really good harvest,

0:14:50 > 0:14:53from March, right through to the end of May.

0:14:53 > 0:14:57I'm sowing a variety called Giant Winter.

0:14:57 > 0:15:01A little bit coarser than some of the spring varieties,

0:15:01 > 0:15:04but a bit tougher, too.

0:15:04 > 0:15:06Sow in a shallow drill,

0:15:06 > 0:15:09ideally about an inch or two inches apart,

0:15:09 > 0:15:12but it's better to be too thin than too thick.

0:15:12 > 0:15:15Right, just mark the rows...

0:15:17 > 0:15:19Before the rain kicks in.

0:15:19 > 0:15:21That timing is good,

0:15:21 > 0:15:24because those two little jobs are done.

0:15:24 > 0:15:28My third piece of preparation for next spring's vegetables

0:15:28 > 0:15:30is under the cover of the potting shed.

0:15:38 > 0:15:41It seems that rain didn't develop - it's been an odd day.

0:15:41 > 0:15:42Showers, coming and going.

0:15:42 > 0:15:45This is what I want to show you.

0:15:45 > 0:15:47This is the spring cabbage

0:15:47 > 0:15:50that I suggested sowing a fortnight ago.

0:15:50 > 0:15:53They're just ready for pricking out.

0:15:53 > 0:15:54If I prick these out now,

0:15:54 > 0:15:56that'll move them on quickly,

0:15:56 > 0:15:58and we'll get the maximum opportunity of growth

0:15:58 > 0:16:00before winter comes.

0:16:06 > 0:16:09MONTY WHISTLES

0:16:10 > 0:16:12As a rule, seedlings are ready to be pricked out

0:16:12 > 0:16:15when they've got some true leaves,

0:16:15 > 0:16:17because every seedling

0:16:17 > 0:16:19has a pair of leaves

0:16:19 > 0:16:21that are withheld within the seed itself.

0:16:21 > 0:16:23But then when roots develop,

0:16:23 > 0:16:25they develop leaves of the mature plant.

0:16:25 > 0:16:29The guide is, really, that they look like the mature plant.

0:16:29 > 0:16:31I could put these out into plugs, and often do,

0:16:31 > 0:16:35but actually, I'll fill a seed tray, like this,

0:16:35 > 0:16:36and put them out into that.

0:16:36 > 0:16:38Partly because you can get more in,

0:16:38 > 0:16:42and also, there's a little bit more room

0:16:42 > 0:16:44for root growth.

0:16:44 > 0:16:46I really do want to give these

0:16:46 > 0:16:48every possible chance.

0:16:51 > 0:16:53There we go.

0:16:54 > 0:16:56Never hold a seedling

0:16:56 > 0:16:59by its stem, but always a leaf.

0:16:59 > 0:17:01And just get in under, and you can see

0:17:01 > 0:17:03it's got a root system.

0:17:03 > 0:17:05And, if we go to a corner and start,

0:17:05 > 0:17:07pop it in.

0:17:07 > 0:17:10Of course, I shan't eat these

0:17:10 > 0:17:11till next spring.

0:17:11 > 0:17:15Almost everything I'm doing at the moment in the garden is about preparing and planning

0:17:15 > 0:17:16for next year.

0:17:16 > 0:17:19But Carol is visiting a garden in Sussex.

0:17:19 > 0:17:22And celebrating a flower of the moment.

0:17:30 > 0:17:33Dog daisy, moon daisy, ox-eye daisy.

0:17:33 > 0:17:38This daisy has as many names as there are counties in the UK.

0:17:38 > 0:17:43That's because it's so widely distributed.

0:17:43 > 0:17:45It really is ubiquitous.

0:17:45 > 0:17:49It's such a familiar, lovely plant.

0:17:49 > 0:17:51Such a simple flower.

0:17:51 > 0:17:55The kind of flower that we all think of as a flower and we all draw first of all.

0:17:55 > 0:18:01It's a real success story and belongs to one of the flowering plant families

0:18:01 > 0:18:05that's the most successful of all -

0:18:05 > 0:18:06Asteraceae.

0:18:06 > 0:18:12There are more than 22,750 species,

0:18:12 > 0:18:17and it inhabits every corner, with the exception of Antarctica.

0:18:18 > 0:18:23It's hardly surprising, with that incredible number of species,

0:18:23 > 0:18:28that the daisy family offers us some of the best and the most beautiful

0:18:28 > 0:18:31plants for our gardens.

0:18:33 > 0:18:35Asters,

0:18:35 > 0:18:36heleniums,

0:18:36 > 0:18:38echinacea,

0:18:38 > 0:18:40rudbeckia and dahlias

0:18:40 > 0:18:42are all familiar garden plants.

0:18:42 > 0:18:44And they're all daisies.

0:18:49 > 0:18:51It was just 12 years ago

0:18:51 > 0:18:53that Graham Gough found this site

0:18:53 > 0:18:56to start a nursery and establish

0:18:56 > 0:18:58a beautiful garden.

0:18:58 > 0:19:01Although it has its challenges,

0:19:01 > 0:19:04it also has several enormous advantages -

0:19:04 > 0:19:05not least amongst them

0:19:05 > 0:19:08the fact that the view is incredible.

0:19:08 > 0:19:11It faces the South Downs, and this means

0:19:11 > 0:19:14that the whole place is bathed

0:19:14 > 0:19:16in wonderful light,

0:19:16 > 0:19:18enabling Graham to grow all those plants

0:19:18 > 0:19:20he's madly passionate about,

0:19:20 > 0:19:24including a multitude of daisies.

0:19:26 > 0:19:30Daisies are a very important part of a gardener's vocabulary.

0:19:30 > 0:19:33You'd be unwise to turn your back on them, really,

0:19:33 > 0:19:36and when you think of the colours that they embrace,

0:19:36 > 0:19:39the height that they embrace, the richness of tone

0:19:39 > 0:19:43that you get within them is almost unmatched, I would say.

0:19:48 > 0:19:54Just look at that big, vivid splash of orange - isn't that beautiful?

0:19:54 > 0:19:56Yeah, it's looking absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

0:19:56 > 0:19:59That's of course one of the Sneezeweeds,

0:19:59 > 0:20:02and it's one called Sahin's Early Flowerer,

0:20:02 > 0:20:06and I think one of the best - even the Royal Horticultural Society

0:20:06 > 0:20:11decided to award this plant its highest award, an AGM.

0:20:11 > 0:20:14And what's so lovely - look at the tonal range through it.

0:20:14 > 0:20:18I like the way it's this big plateau,

0:20:18 > 0:20:21- and I love the way those petals just hang down.- It is!

0:20:21 > 0:20:24I always think they're like velvet doorknobs.

0:20:24 > 0:20:27Oh, that's very eloquently put, I must admit.

0:20:27 > 0:20:30What's that very quiet little aster in the background?

0:20:30 > 0:20:34That's one of the American asters, that's Aster umbellatus,

0:20:34 > 0:20:38and I find it an absolutely charming little plant.

0:20:38 > 0:20:40It actually put itself there, self sown.

0:20:40 > 0:20:44It goes to prove, doesn't it, that it's not just these big,

0:20:44 > 0:20:46obvious daisies that make a garden?

0:20:54 > 0:21:00Graham's planting, his use of daisies, is an education.

0:21:00 > 0:21:02It's so accomplished,

0:21:02 > 0:21:06but it's so easy to achieve and to kind of emulate.

0:21:06 > 0:21:08If you've got loads of space,

0:21:08 > 0:21:11you can go for some of these big prairie plants.

0:21:11 > 0:21:16Lots of the daisies we use in our gardens are from the North American prairies.

0:21:16 > 0:21:21Look at that great mass of Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' in the background.

0:21:21 > 0:21:25It's a backdrop to this whole border.

0:21:25 > 0:21:29It's such a straightforward plant, if you've got room for it.

0:21:29 > 0:21:34And Heleniums, too - another accommodating, straightforward plant.

0:21:34 > 0:21:36This time they come from one central crown,

0:21:36 > 0:21:40and in early spring you can just dig the whole thing up,

0:21:40 > 0:21:43use old flower stems and pull them apart

0:21:43 > 0:21:45and you'll get individual rosettes.

0:21:45 > 0:21:50I love Heleniums, cos every one of them is different.

0:21:59 > 0:22:04So many of these prairie plants are just things we can all use.

0:22:04 > 0:22:08But there's a plant down here that's from a different part of the Americas.

0:22:11 > 0:22:15From Mexico, dahlias are daisies, too.

0:22:15 > 0:22:18Look - the centre's just the same,

0:22:18 > 0:22:23and here are these ray florets around, drawing in those insects.

0:22:23 > 0:22:26Well, lots of us can accommodate dahlias,

0:22:26 > 0:22:29but perhaps not some of these prairie plants,

0:22:29 > 0:22:33but there are so many daisies that are just absolutely

0:22:33 > 0:22:36the bees knees when it comes to small gardens.

0:22:38 > 0:22:41There are lots of smaller versions of rudbeckias

0:22:41 > 0:22:45and other prairie plants that'll do the trick in a small space,

0:22:45 > 0:22:49but I think this has to be the perfect example.

0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's a cultivar - a hybrid between

0:22:51 > 0:22:54a European and an Asian species.

0:22:54 > 0:22:56This is Aster x frikartii 'Monch'.

0:22:56 > 0:23:02Each of these multi-branching stems sort of clears the rest of them,

0:23:02 > 0:23:05so always you can see it in its full beauty.

0:23:05 > 0:23:09It hardly suffers from any disease or trouble of any kind.

0:23:09 > 0:23:14It is the perfect plant, and it personifies

0:23:14 > 0:23:17what wonderfully useful plants daisies are.

0:23:29 > 0:23:32A year ago, I took some hardwood rose cuttings.

0:23:32 > 0:23:37Now, the whole point about hardwood cuttings is they do take a while to develop.

0:23:37 > 0:23:38A number of you did so at the same time,

0:23:38 > 0:23:41and it's interesting to see how you've got on.

0:23:41 > 0:23:45And Martin Lock has done incredibly well.

0:23:45 > 0:23:50Look at that - those roses are from cuttings taken just last September.

0:23:50 > 0:23:54And then another letter, which perhaps applies to a more common experience,

0:23:54 > 0:23:56which is that, "We took our cuttings,

0:23:56 > 0:23:59"we have a number that have rooted or are in leaf,

0:23:59 > 0:24:03"but what do we do with them now - do we pot them on, or do we leave them?"

0:24:03 > 0:24:07Well, I would say it depends on what you intend to do with the plants that have struck.

0:24:07 > 0:24:11If you're going to plant out this autumn -

0:24:11 > 0:24:14and November is a good time, when the leaves have died back and they're dormant -

0:24:14 > 0:24:17I would leave them where they are, don't disturb the roots.

0:24:17 > 0:24:20But, if you're not sure, or you think you'll plant them out

0:24:20 > 0:24:24next spring or even later, lift them and pot them up,

0:24:24 > 0:24:25and that's what I'm going to do.

0:24:27 > 0:24:30Right, just lift that up, try not to tread on the lettuce...

0:24:37 > 0:24:41There we are, we've got a good root system in that.

0:24:41 > 0:24:44You can see a really nice root system growing off it.

0:24:44 > 0:24:49I don't want to disturb it too much, so I'll gently put that in there.

0:24:53 > 0:24:55Now, you do need to act quite fast,

0:24:55 > 0:24:59because these delicate little roots will be drying out quickly.

0:24:59 > 0:25:02I've got a compost mix which has got good drainage.

0:25:02 > 0:25:05They're not going to stay in these pots for very long -

0:25:05 > 0:25:09six months at the most - but there's plenty of nutrition.

0:25:09 > 0:25:13I'll pop that in, disturbing those roots as little as possible...

0:25:16 > 0:25:18..and then potting around them.

0:25:25 > 0:25:29Remember, when you're moving anything,

0:25:29 > 0:25:32it's the fragile little hair roots that do the feeding,

0:25:32 > 0:25:35and they're the ones that dry out quickest,

0:25:35 > 0:25:38so either be prepared to stop them drying out

0:25:38 > 0:25:42by covering them instantly, or else be quick.

0:25:42 > 0:25:46And it is exciting to think that you can develop a new rose plant

0:25:46 > 0:25:49from cuttings taken just last September.

0:25:49 > 0:25:53Well, it is a good time if you are to take hardwood cuttings,

0:25:53 > 0:25:56but here are some other things you can do this weekend.

0:25:59 > 0:26:04Now is a good time to divide any large primulas.

0:26:04 > 0:26:06Lift the plant and divide it into different sections,

0:26:06 > 0:26:12each of which will make a new plant which you can set out about 6-9 inches apart.

0:26:12 > 0:26:14Water them in well, and cut the leaves back

0:26:14 > 0:26:17to give the roots chance to develop,

0:26:17 > 0:26:19and then they will all flower next year.

0:26:22 > 0:26:27Hardy annuals, like Nigella, marigolds, cornflowers, are tough,

0:26:27 > 0:26:31and can be sown now for an extra early display next year.

0:26:31 > 0:26:34You can either do this direct in a border where they're to grow -

0:26:34 > 0:26:38but remember not to mulch over the top of them - or in a pot.

0:26:38 > 0:26:41Fill it with normal potting compost, sprinkle the seed

0:26:41 > 0:26:46lightly on the surface, and then put them in a sheltered place outside.

0:26:48 > 0:26:52Camellias are now forming their flower buds for next spring.

0:26:52 > 0:26:58If they get dehydrated, it's quite common for the buds to fall off before they open,

0:26:58 > 0:27:01particularly if they're exposed to cold weather.

0:27:01 > 0:27:04So, give your camellia a good soak

0:27:04 > 0:27:08and repeat this every week for the next five or six weeks

0:27:08 > 0:27:12to make sure the flower buds are fully hydrated.

0:27:20 > 0:27:23I'm a real fan of species roses.

0:27:23 > 0:27:28They are so easy to grow, they're tough, they grow in almost any condition,

0:27:28 > 0:27:31they have a wonderful set of flowers, and also,

0:27:31 > 0:27:34many of them - like this one, Rosa moyesii - fabulous hips.

0:27:34 > 0:27:39So, now, September, is the perfect time to take rose hardwood cuttings.

0:27:39 > 0:27:42You want to look for a green shoot,

0:27:42 > 0:27:45it doesn't want to be brown and woody,

0:27:45 > 0:27:49about the thickness of a pencil, and cut one off like this.

0:27:49 > 0:27:52So, if I cut it just below a leaf node,

0:27:52 > 0:27:55that's where leaves come out, and I cut it straight across,

0:27:55 > 0:27:59and then you want them to be about nine inches long, so I'll cut one off there.

0:28:01 > 0:28:02I'll come back to that.

0:28:02 > 0:28:04And, so you know the top is the top -

0:28:04 > 0:28:07and believe you me, it's easy to forget -

0:28:07 > 0:28:08cut it at an angle.

0:28:08 > 0:28:10So, that's the top, that's the bottom,

0:28:10 > 0:28:13and that's the sort of size we're looking for.

0:28:13 > 0:28:18And a tip to improve rooting is to damage the leaf nodes.

0:28:18 > 0:28:21So, you can either nick them with a pair of secateurs,

0:28:21 > 0:28:26you could bruise them, but if I just give those a nick like that

0:28:26 > 0:28:30it'll provoke roots from that point, so if they're buried

0:28:30 > 0:28:34I'll get roots all the way up and, hopefully, a healthier plant.

0:28:34 > 0:28:37I'm going to take a number of these, but I'll be back next week.

0:28:37 > 0:28:39Don't forget, next week we're back to our normal time of 8:30pm.

0:28:39 > 0:28:41So, I'll see you then, bye-bye.

0:28:43 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd