0:00:12 > 0:00:14Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18You know there's an autumnal feel in the air.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20You can't kid yourself summer's here any longer.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23At least the weather's good because we've had horrible, wet,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25cold weather here at Longmeadow.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27And at this time of year when the weather's good,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30you need to take your opportunities. It's a busy month, October,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33a lot to do to make sure that the garden is ready
0:00:33 > 0:00:36to cope with a bad winter if need be
0:00:36 > 0:00:39and also so it performs as well as possible next spring.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I shall be planting up these herb cuttings that I took
0:00:43 > 0:00:46earlier in the summer into the greenhouse to use that space
0:00:46 > 0:00:49for its maximum potential over the winter months.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Carol is showing us how we can reinvigorate perennials
0:00:53 > 0:00:55and, at the same time, make new plants for free.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59It's such fun dividing plants.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02What's great about it is not only can you make enough for yourself,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06you can make plenty so that you can swap and share.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And Rachel is at RHS Rosemoor looking at plants
0:01:11 > 0:01:15that can give our gardens another dimensional at this time of year.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17You could be forgiven for thinking
0:01:17 > 0:01:20that the visual impact is the most important thing.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24But I promise you, the fragrance is the icing on the cake.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29And I'll also be planting up lots of bulbs into the grass here.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I grew tomatoes here in the summer and then they got blight.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Now, the soil hasn't been changed.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But the blight won't affect anything other than members
0:02:05 > 0:02:10of the solanaceae family, essentially tomatoes or potatoes, and these are herbs.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12But they won't be affected by that at all.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15And these are cuttings that I took in the summer.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19You can see, like this sage, they're coming on quite nicely. I potted them up
0:02:19 > 0:02:22and they've been sitting in pots for the last month or two.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And they'll be quite happy to sit over winter in a cold frame.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But if I put them in the greenhouse,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30it'll have the same effect as a cold frame but also
0:02:30 > 0:02:34they'll grow a little and it will just give a little bit of a supply
0:02:34 > 0:02:35over winter.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And then I can move them to the herb garden next May
0:02:38 > 0:02:41when I'm ready to plant out the tomatoes.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44The fact that the soil hasn't been changed, is slightly exhausted,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48is good for Mediterranean herbs - they don't like lush, rich conditions.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52What they want is a little bit of hardship as long as the drainage is good.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57And I'll plan them quite close, so this is a narrow-leaf sage.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59And if I just take that out...
0:02:59 > 0:03:03So if I just pop this out on the edge,
0:03:03 > 0:03:04put that there like that.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09I've got some thyme there, that I dug up from the ornamental vegetable garden,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13that were having a tough time of it because they were too shaded.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And thyme hates shade.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21So I'm going to plan those out too. And they will do much better.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Greenhouses are good places to grow Mediterranean herbs.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25And there it goes.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31I've got parsley here too. This is giant parsley, loose-leafed.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34This has been grown from seed, not taken from a cutting.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And this will grow quite well over winter
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and form quite a decent sized planet.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44And I suppose the point about this is that you're using...
0:03:44 > 0:03:49the protection that you've got, and use the greenhouse, fill it up.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Don't just see it as somewhere that is for summer plants.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57What the Mediterranean herbs really hate here at Longmeadow
0:03:57 > 0:04:00is a cold, wet winter. It's a real struggle for them to survive.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Of course, if you don't have a greenhouse, you can do it on a windowsill, in a pot.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Any protected environment you can stop getting too wet - that's the worst thing.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13And then a little bit of heat, even if it's just a pane of glass.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15And with a little bit of winter sun,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19they will grow and, actually at the same time, release that lovely,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22oily fragrance that makes Mediterranean herbs so special.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Talking of fragrance, in winter there isn't much to be found,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29but it's surprising how many plants have a delicious scent
0:04:29 > 0:04:30at this time of year.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34And Rachel has been to RHS Rosemoor in search of them.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42At Rosemoor, I'm following my nose to find the most perfumed plants
0:04:42 > 0:04:45for this time of year for every size of garden.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52In the hot garden here at Rosemoor, these late-season perennials
0:04:52 > 0:04:55are very much the star of the show, and right in the heart of the thing
0:04:55 > 0:04:59we've got this wonderful bergamot, the Monarda prarienacht.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's absolutely smothered in bees at the moment
0:05:02 > 0:05:06and given that we've had such an awful year for bees,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09it's been very wet, this in itself is a reason to plant it.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12The Monarda has very aromatic fragrance to the foliage,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15but when you see them in this setting,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17just surrounded by the heleniums and rudbeckias,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21all those wonderful purples and oranges and golds,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24well, you could be forgiven for thinking that the visual impact
0:05:24 > 0:05:26is the most important thing.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30But I promise you, the fragrance is the icing on the cake.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I always think of phlox is absolute cottage garden stalwarts,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but of course they're lovely in any border setting.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46This is a gorgeous white form, Paniculata 'Mount Fuji'
0:05:46 > 0:05:49but they also come in sort of sugared almond shades of mauve
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and pale blues. They're very fragrant
0:05:52 > 0:05:57and that fragrance is quite powdery. It's quite fresh and clean as well.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And it's obviously very attractive to all sorts of beneficial insects,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03including butterflies, bees and, above all, moths,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07who have a long proboscis that gets into the tubular part of the flower.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09But in this setting, surrounded by dazzling
0:06:09 > 0:06:12white flowers and silvery foliage,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14well, they positively sparkle.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22One of the most surprising fragrances you'll find wafting around
0:06:22 > 0:06:25in our autumn comes from the katsura tree.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30It's native to China and Japan where, in the wild, it can grow up to 200-feet tall
0:06:30 > 0:06:31with a massive girth of 80 foot.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35So you'll need a big garden to accommodate it.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38But its sweet scent, which comes from its delicate leaves,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40can fill an entire garden.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Those leaves, which are sort of heart-shaped,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48as they turn to these lovely colours of ochre and gold,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52well, the sugars within them break down and then you get this fragrance
0:06:52 > 0:06:57and it's like toffee apples wafting across the garden almost to get you.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's fantastic, and redolent of everything about autumn -
0:07:00 > 0:07:03bonfire nights, those lovely, crisp mornings.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07This really is a favourite fragrance at this time of year.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11There's room in most gardens for shrubby perennials,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and many have outstanding late summer scent too.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19The pineapple sage, Salvia elegans, is renowned for its flowers,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23but its foliage has the most intense and delicious fragrance.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28I think it's beautiful as a foliage plant and these leaves,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30which are so good to look at,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34they're also intensely, sweetly scented of pineapples.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39Plants that produce aromatic foliage, they usually do so as a deterrent
0:07:39 > 0:07:41to insects or to grazing animals
0:07:41 > 0:07:43as a way of saying keep off and don't eat me.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But I have to say, in a garden situation, spectacular.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The Victorians knew a thing or two about plants and they were big fans
0:07:53 > 0:07:58of heliotropes, which they used very often in their bedding schemes.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01This one is called Heliotropium arborescens 'Chatsworth'
0:08:01 > 0:08:06and it's a particularly good form with intense dark purple flowers
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and a good, lovely colour to the foliage and stems as well.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It's very sweet, perhaps even slightly cloying,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15and reminds me of cherry pie.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19I think here at the front of the border it's absolutely stunning.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26If you want the added dimension of late summer scent in the garden,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29these are plants both great and small
0:08:29 > 0:08:32to fill your senses throughout autumn.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46I guess that most gardeners think of yew as this monumental
0:08:46 > 0:08:51hedging material that will create a solid green backdrop
0:08:51 > 0:08:54to a border or along the boundary of a garden.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59But it can make a really good low hedge, and I'm thinking about
0:08:59 > 0:09:03using it to replace box if I lose all my box to box blight.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06And now is the perfect time of year
0:09:06 > 0:09:10to both plant yew and also to take cuttings.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13When you're looking for cut material for yews, you want leaders.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16You can see here is a good example.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Here we have a nice strong leader.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20That's a good 12 inches of growth this year.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22That'll make a healthy plant. There's another one there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26But all the way up the stem are one, two, three, four side shoots.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Those side shoots will provide cut material,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31but it'll never make a good upright plant.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35These are semi-ripe cuttings, which means it's this year's growth
0:09:35 > 0:09:37but it's starting to harden off.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It hasn't yet got brown and woody but it's not floppy.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43When you bend it, it returns to its shape.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48If you haven't got an unclipped yew hedge or access to one,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51sometimes it's worth just buying one healthy plant
0:09:51 > 0:09:53just for cutting material.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59Do as we always do with cuttings, pop it into a polythene bag
0:09:59 > 0:10:03so it doesn't lose too much moisture, although evergreens
0:10:03 > 0:10:07do lose their moisture much more slowly than deciduous plants.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16If you're taking any cuttings at all,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21it's worth preparing a compost with extra perlite or grit in it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26And this will make a freer root run so these delicate little roots
0:10:26 > 0:10:29have less obstruction and also the roots can rot
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and the base of the plant can rot before it roots
0:10:31 > 0:10:33if it sits in cold, wet water.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38And then there are two ways of taking cuttings from yew.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The first is conventional - you've got a good shoot there,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44strip off the bottom half of the leaves,
0:10:44 > 0:10:50cut that off, slightly damage it because that will stimulate growth.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And then slide it in against the edge of the pot.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57If that roots, it'll provide a nice, vigorous, upright plant.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00However, what you can do with yew
0:11:00 > 0:11:04is I can divide it up into stem cuttings.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08So if I cut there and there,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I've got three lengths.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I can strip the bottom off and I can put these in.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21And these will each root and make a cutting that's rather bushier.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25This is the perfect time of year to take any evergreen cutting
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and if you go to our website you'll see a list of evergreen plants
0:11:29 > 0:11:30that are perfect cutting material.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35Although you don't always propagate plants to make new ones -
0:11:35 > 0:11:37sometimes you have to do it for the health of the plant.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43And Carol is answering a question this week on how best to divide
0:11:43 > 0:11:45fibrous-rooted plants.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51We get lots of e-mails from all over Europe
0:11:51 > 0:11:56and of course we share a lot of the same gardening problems.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00We've had one from Judith Siegman in Germany who is wondering
0:12:00 > 0:12:05what on earth she can do to get her agapanthus to flower.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07She says, rather sadly,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11"I remember them flowering each and every year around my birthday.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13"Now there's just an odd flower.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17"I'm at my wits end to know what to do.
0:12:17 > 0:12:24"I really miss those masses of blue flowers that I remember so fondly."
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Well, you've also sent us some photos, Judy.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32And your agapanthus actually look really, really healthy.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37Masses of green leaves but, as you say, not a flower in sight.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Perhaps the answer is to try dividing some of these plants
0:12:41 > 0:12:46to get them to produce those lovely blue flowers you remember so well.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Well, as you can see,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I'm lucky enough to have this wonderful big pot of agapanthus.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Last year I divided one of my plants that had stopped flowering
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and was pot-bound, and I made four big chunks and three of them
0:13:06 > 0:13:10have actually flowered this time. So it's definitely worth a try.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The other little point you mentioned is that you keep your plants
0:13:13 > 0:13:15in a cellar over winter.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Now, because the praecox group are evergreen,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I think, really, being deprived of light for so long
0:13:22 > 0:13:26is also going to work against their flowering so, if you possibly can,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31still giving them the frost protection they need, give them more light too.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35This time of the year is the ideal time to divide plants with big,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38fleshy roots like agapanthus.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Hemerocallis are closely related and they too can be divided now.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47There are two times of year when division is a good idea.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49One is the autumn and one is the spring.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54I wouldn't dream of dividing these beautiful rudbeckias
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and these daisies, because they are just coming into their own.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59so it'd be cruel.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04I divide them in the spring, but there are several plants here
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and there are three clumps of one day lily,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09which really do need my attention.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19It's not just a question of making more plants and doing you a favour.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's almost like the plants themselves tell you
0:14:22 > 0:14:25when they want to be divided.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27When their performance, their flowering
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and perhaps their foliage is just not what it once was.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36It's time to step in, dig it up, and make it into lots of new plants
0:14:36 > 0:14:39and just discard those old woody centres.
0:14:39 > 0:14:45So you want to get the first fork right into the middle of the clump.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49You need a good aim and then with the second fork,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53really back-to-back, the two should be touching.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59And you can hear that sort of rending noise,
0:14:59 > 0:15:05and it seems so terribly cruel, but you're just being cruel to be kind.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09All this tatty foliage, you can pull it off,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12but I think then it's a good idea to just chop it.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And those roots are a bit long too.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17You'd never ever want to fold roots when you're replanting them,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20so I'll give them a quick haircut.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25So, I'm going to dig a hole, nice and deep.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29'These day lilies will over winter in my veggie bed,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31'before I plant them out in the spring.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'In the shady part of the garden,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'I want to make some more of one of my favourite woodland plants.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:47This is an Epimedium. This one's called Epimedium versicolor.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I always, always want more of it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52And now is the time to divide it.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Now, you can see here what I'm after is each piece has got to have
0:16:07 > 0:16:11one or two, at least, of these fat little pink buds.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Those are what's going to make flowers and new leaves.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20'By rinsing the roots, you can see the buds more clearly,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23'before putting the plants in pots.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:27In the spring, if they've got a really well-developed root system,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29you can plant them out.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32If not, just hang on for a bit and plant them later.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Well, this time of year, garden centres are full of plants
0:16:38 > 0:16:40and a lot of them are going cheap.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It's a great time to be planting new stuff out.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But it's an even better time to see
0:16:46 > 0:16:50if you can't get a few good divisions from each plant you buy.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Some things are still in full flow, like this gorgeous crimson Lobelia.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00But in this case, it's already making rosettes at the bottom.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05If I use these flower stems to just...
0:17:05 > 0:17:08push the whole thing apart...
0:17:08 > 0:17:10EXHALES DEEPLY
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Look at that. Two nice big chunks first of all
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and then I can pull these other pieces off too.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22It's such fun dividing plants.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25What's great about it is not only can you make enough for yourself,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29you can make plenty so that you can swap and share.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34And in the process, you're reinvigorating all those plants.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41FAINT CHIRPING
0:17:48 > 0:17:52We've all seen daffodils growing in grass where you get these
0:17:52 > 0:17:56incredible blazes of yellow and orange,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59almost looking like a huge flower border for a few weeks
0:17:59 > 0:18:02in March and April. And that's lovely.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04However, you can grow daffodils
0:18:04 > 0:18:07so that they grow in the grass like wildflowers
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and there is one native, or at least naturalised daffodil
0:18:11 > 0:18:14called Narcissus, pseudonarcissus,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19that actually grows in this part of the world on the edge of woods
0:18:19 > 0:18:22and you see these delicate flowers leaking out into the fields.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And they're like damp, fairly woodlandy conditions
0:18:25 > 0:18:30and an orchard is absolutely ideal, but they are slow to develop,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32so this is something you do for the long-term.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35They're not going to give you a big hit.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37But, if I plant them now, which is exactly the right time,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40there's a chance that about half of them will flower next year,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and then more and more will flower, and then they'll spread by seed.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47There is a technique to making them look natural.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And I've tried every way and I can guarantee that the only way
0:18:51 > 0:18:56to do it is just take a handful of bulbs and cast them to the winds...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02..and plant them exactly where they land and if they land in clumps
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and groups, it doesn't matter,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08because that's how they grow in the wild. Having done that,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11you then need the right tool for the job.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15With these tiny bulbs, if the ground is moist enough,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17a trowel will do the job,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19but remember, you want to plant twice their own depth.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22That's quite deep. With a bigger bulb,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26it's worth investing in a stand up bulb planter.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Helps your back and you just push down on it like that,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35take out a hole and what it does is create a core and it really,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39really saves a lot of time and effort, so I highly recommend these.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And with daffodils, you do want to get on with this,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46because they start growing now and the more time they have
0:19:46 > 0:19:50to grow in the ground, the more likely they are to produce a flower.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Just pop that in and pop that over the top.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It's a good idea if you're planting a lot of bulbs in grass
0:19:56 > 0:19:58to put a hose onto the area for an hour or two.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01You'll find the whole process is a lot easier.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06And also, after you've planted, if it's dry, water them well.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08They need moisture in autumn
0:20:08 > 0:20:10in order to produce their best flowers in spring.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22This is Narcissus poeticus.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It comes from sub-alpine meadows
0:20:24 > 0:20:27down as far south as Greece and on the Mediterranean,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30but essentially, this is damp, hilly ground and it's hardy.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33So this will grow anywhere in Britain,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and as long as it's reasonably damp and not too dry, it will thrive.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And what it gives you is that halfway house
0:20:39 > 0:20:43between the ephemeral quality of pseudonarcissus
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and the slightly overpowering muscularity
0:20:46 > 0:20:48of some of the daffodil hybrids.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And also if you look at it, it's a great big bulb.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53You can pretty much guarantee that this WILL flower next year.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So you're getting an immediate return and display.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I'm going to put some around these individual trees,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02in what will be a loose group,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and hopefully they will then mingle and merge
0:21:04 > 0:21:07with the pseudonarcissus as they in time spread.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Now obviously, I want these bulbs to look as natural as possible.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12But however hard you try,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17it never quite looks the same in a garden as it does in the wild.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21And perhaps the most incredible display of natural bulbs
0:21:21 > 0:21:22in the whole of Britain
0:21:22 > 0:21:26are the fritillaries at Cricklade Water Meadows.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'North Meadow is just such a stunning place.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46'One of those places you just have to see before you die, I think.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51'North Meadow holds 80% of the UK's population of fritillary,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53'Fritillaria meleagris,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'which are known locally as snake's head fritillaries.'
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Snake's head refers to the way they snake their way
0:22:01 > 0:22:06out of the grasses with this beautiful chequered pattern on them,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09almost with a viper-like face.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Here in front of me, we've got a lovely display
0:22:14 > 0:22:18of fritillaries in their different stages.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So if we look at this one here, it's not going to flower this year.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23It probably didn't build up enough korm last year
0:22:23 > 0:22:27but the plants can actually survive, the korms, 25 to 30 years.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Just behind it, one that's just snaked up out of the ground
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and there we can see it's going to be a purple flower
0:22:33 > 0:22:35by the brown on the stalk.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37This one, in flower beautifully,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40we can see the anthers inside where the bumblebees
0:22:40 > 0:22:43are going to go in and collect their pollen and do their work.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Just a little bit further over,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47a lovely example of a white fritillary.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51You can a see a green stem, that shows it will be that white,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52even when it's in bud.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56But look at these, where they have that viper-like face
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and that beautiful snake's head patterning.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09'North Meadow's 110 acres, but on all sides bounded by a river,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'so, the River Churn and the River Thames.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17'We don't know how long fritillaries have been in North Meadow.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19'We certainly know that they were noted
0:23:19 > 0:23:23'as being in the wild from 1736.'
0:23:23 > 0:23:27They were picked by their armfuls at one time, but no picking now.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29SHE LAUGHS
0:23:29 > 0:23:31'This is a standing hay crop.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34'It's grown until the end of June,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36'so there's no interference for fritillaries.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38'They're allowed to set their seed,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42'the seed falls to the ground well before the hay is taken.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47'Then the cattle come in and graze the land, nice and short
0:23:47 > 0:23:51'and the fritillaries at that point are underground, growing their next year's korm.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53'Then we may get some flooding which brings on
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'the fertility for all of the flowers here,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58'including the fritillaries.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01'In spring again, up they come and there's no cattle on here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06'Everything here is going to for success of fritillaries in flower.'
0:24:13 > 0:24:16'People come and especially on my guided walks
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'will ask me how they can grow fritillaries in their garden'.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24'The conditions that they grow best in are moist conditions,'
0:24:24 > 0:24:27but not on the edge of a pond, they're not marginal plants.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Some people think because it floods here, they need to be in water.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32That's not the case.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36So yes, they like their moisture but don't put them in too damp an area.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40If you've got a deciduous tree, an apple tree or something in your lawn,
0:24:40 > 0:24:45plant them around that. They'll get the early light levels,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49so they'll come up through the grasses, let themselves seed
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and hopefully you will have lots more fritillaries in time.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Just remember where they are,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56so you don't give that bit of lawn an early cut.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01I think a lot of gardens in Cricklade
0:25:01 > 0:25:03have their own little patch of fritillaries.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06They're very much woven into the fabric of the community here.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09We just love the time when the fritillaries,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12when the meadow gets that purple haze on it
0:25:12 > 0:25:14and you know the fritillaries are out.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I think those meadows are so beautiful
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and I'd really like to go and see them next spring.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47It will be nice to have a 100 acre water meadow
0:25:47 > 0:25:50filled with fritillaries, but most of us don't have that opportunity.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53If you've got a patch of damp, grassy ground
0:25:53 > 0:25:56then you can plant the bulbs straight in.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00But they also grow very well and look great in a spring border.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02But when you look at the border at this time of year,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06there's no space to plant them and even if there is a patch,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08you're not certain that it will look right,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11come next March and April.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17So, what I like to do is to plant the bulbs in pots.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Let them grow on and then plant out the young plants
0:26:21 > 0:26:24as the foliage appears next spring.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28You just need a normal compost, you don't need any extra drainage.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Put a bit in the bottom of the pot, then put one or two bulbs,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37about four times its own depth, they need to be planted quite deep.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And you don't need to keep the pot in any way protected.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44It's adapted to cold, wet weather.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46And then, you can deal with them in spring.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Now, even if you don't want to plant fritillaries,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54here are some things you can get on with this weekend.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'If you've got a decent apple crop this year and not everybody has,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04'then it's worth taking trouble to store them.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:07'And in general, any apple that ripens from mid October onwards
0:27:07 > 0:27:09'will store better than early ripeners.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13'The secret is to collect them very carefully, handle them gently
0:27:13 > 0:27:18'and then store them on racks so they're ventilated
0:27:18 > 0:27:19'and in the cool and dark.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'Make sure that no one fruit is touching another
0:27:22 > 0:27:26'and check them regularly to remove any that are damaged.'
0:27:28 > 0:27:32'It will soon be time to start collecting leaves
0:27:32 > 0:27:37'and I regard leaf mould as important as compost.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39'So to make room for this year's leaves,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42'it's a good idea to bag up last year's leaf mould.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'It can then be stored anywhere you like,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47'where it will quietly go on improving,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51'or else be sieved ready for use as potting compost straight away.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56'Pumpkins are not going to get any bigger from now on.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00'However, there is a chance for them to ripen, if we get some sunshine.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'So remove all foliage around the fruits
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'so that they're exposed to whatever sun we get.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09'And the more they ripen, the thicker their skins will be
0:28:09 > 0:28:13'and the thicker their skins, the better they keep.'
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Well, this tray of fritillaries can just go here
0:28:24 > 0:28:28where they won't get bashed, but they need no attention at all
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and when they're growing, I'll plant them next spring.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32That's it for this week.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I'll be back here at Longmeadow same time next Friday, so join me then.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Bye-bye.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd