0:00:06 > 0:00:08Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13We've got a beautiful day today, so I want to use every minute of it.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17I shall begin by planting out some roses to scramble up
0:00:17 > 0:00:20the apple trees, and also some clematis to give me colour,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23from early in spring right through into autumn.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Carol will also be looking at clematis,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29from the climbers in the hedgerows
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to the fantastic choice available for the gardener.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Whether you like to meet your clematis on a country walk
0:00:35 > 0:00:38or you want to grow the most ornamental and decorative species
0:00:38 > 0:00:41in your garden, every single clematis
0:00:41 > 0:00:44has got something very special to offer.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Wow!
0:00:47 > 0:00:51And Rachel is visiting a Bristol couple, who don't let their
0:00:51 > 0:00:54small garden stop them from having big ideas.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I've been longing to see this garden cos I've heard so much about it.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59How big is it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:03We're just 15 feet by 31. But we're about a mile high.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05And I'll also be planting my garlic.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Now this is what I've always called the writing garden,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30but it hasn't been much of a garden because it's just been long grass.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I decided that I wanted to plant it up.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37What I love about this is in May, when you have the apple blossom
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and you have the cow parsley and it has a lightness
0:01:39 > 0:01:44and a frothiness, and it's just a magical week or so,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47but I wanted more than that and the grass is pretty rough
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and it lost its magic quite quickly.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55So we've dug it up, added lots of compost, rotivated it in,
0:01:55 > 0:01:56and now it's ready for planting,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01and the first plant that I'm going to put into this white, light,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03frothy garden is a rose.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It's a rambler rose called Wedding Day.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It has white flowers, masses of them,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and will scramble right up into this tree,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13which is an apple tree called a Herefordshire Beefing,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and I'm going to plant it on this side,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19so it climbs up and sprawls through.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Now, Wedding Day is very good for slightly shaded areas,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26poor soil and climbing into trees, so this is perfect.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29You can see I'm quite a long way from the tree.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Planting any climber, you want to get away from
0:02:31 > 0:02:33the thing that it's climbing up
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and with a tree, of course it's sharing the same space as the roots,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39so I'd say a good metre away
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and because it's pot-grown, very simple,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45just dig a hole.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48This has had lots of compost added to it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53The advantage of planting at this time of year is that
0:02:53 > 0:02:55it gives the roots a chance to grow away,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58so when the top growth begins next spring,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01the roots are that much bigger and more established.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06But you can plant roses any time between now and next March.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11When you plant any rose,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15plant it deeper than the level it's in the pot,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19so I like to plant them so that they're a good inch deeper
0:03:19 > 0:03:21and this means you've got less chance of suckers
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and also sometimes with roses, they can rock and damage the roots
0:03:25 > 0:03:28before the roots have got out and established,
0:03:28 > 0:03:29so plant them good and deep.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33You can see that's angled towards the tree.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37I'll put a longer cane in and tie it to the tree there,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40so it can climb up that and then it will work its way in.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The next rose I'm going to put in is a lot smaller.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49It's also white, it's called Sander's White.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It has the most fantastic fragrance, so I've chosen it to be near
0:03:53 > 0:03:57the writing hut and it's ideal if you've got a smaller garden
0:03:57 > 0:03:58or a smaller tree like this one.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The rose I'm putting in will only grow to about ten foot - perfect.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06It's got the most wonderful white flowers that smell divine.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Everybody loves roses. There are lots to choose from.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32I suppose the other climber which people always love in their garden
0:04:32 > 0:04:34are clematis, and Carol's been to seek clematis both growing
0:04:34 > 0:04:39in the wild, and also a wonderful collection up in Lancashire.
0:04:50 > 0:04:56If you're out on a country winter walk, along hedgerows and byways,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00you're almost certain at some stage to come across the great, big
0:05:00 > 0:05:03fluffy heads of Clematis vitalba.
0:05:03 > 0:05:10It can grow to about 40 feet, but it never ever does that on its own.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14It invariably uses a host up which to climb.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18One of its country names is "old man's beard".
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Old man in this case probably alludes to the devil because it can
0:05:23 > 0:05:29be a devilish plant, strangulating the host it's decided to climb up.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Clematis vitalba.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40It's an incredibly vigorous, you could almost say virile, plant,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44but its flowers are in complete contrast.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48They have this wonderful fragility, this kind of delicacy.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53From these lovely pearl-like buds open up these dainty flowers.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Not far away from the rambling grounds of Bank Hall
0:05:59 > 0:06:05is an immaculate garden, home to a national collection of clematis.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's been lovingly created by Richard and Irene Hodgson.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13The clematis are shown to their best advantage,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17yet there's not a wall nor a fence in sight.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23In the wild, they do go through host trees, through shrubs,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26so we sort of grow them through roses, through shrubs.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30We don't like to see them tied up like a sack of potatoes.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32They sort of scramble and more often than not they end up
0:06:32 > 0:06:35where we don't intend them to go.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38They start off here and they'll end up over there.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40You seem to allow them to be themselves.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43You've got to give them plenty of space, plenty of headroom
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and they'll reward you with plenty of flowers.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57What is it about viticellas in particular that you admire?
0:06:57 > 0:07:01We love them because they are compatible with all the other plants
0:07:01 > 0:07:03that we grow in the garden here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10We now have 99 different cultivars and species in the collection.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14There are clematis in the garden that I've never seen before, Richard.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Where do you get them all from?
0:07:15 > 0:07:20We get them mostly from the benefits of the worldwide web and the www,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and I'm on there virtually every evening of my life sleuthing,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27as I call it, which is where we source different clematis
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and seeds from friends more or less around the world.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35With the viticellas, the first year you plant them, you look after them,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38you feed them, you water them, and they don't do anything.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But the second year, they make a lot more new growth,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43they make a bigger root system so you get more stems,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and then the third year, they more or less explode.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50I think the thing that mystifies most people about clematis is,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52when do you prune them?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Basically, anything that flowers before June, we do not prune.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Quite simple to remember.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So the montanas, the large flowered hybrids, you don't prune them.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04The later flowering ones like these viticellas that you see here,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06prune them hard back in February.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11I tell everybody to prune them back to the floor on February 14th.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12- That's Valentine's Day.- Correct.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15You do what is called the Valentine's Day Massacre.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18You go round the garden and you prune all the clematis down to
0:08:18 > 0:08:20the floor, and that's your pruning finished for the year.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- It's so simple, it's unbelievable. - It is, isn't it!- Yeah.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36Not only is Richard a past master at gathering his clematis
0:08:36 > 0:08:38from every corner of the world,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42but he's also an absolute impresario when it comes to
0:08:42 > 0:08:47putting them together and finding the exact right place to plant them.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51This is the clematis that they call the "orange peel clematis".
0:08:51 > 0:08:54You can really feel that lovely waxy texture.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Witness these beautiful silken seedheads.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01But as if that wasn't good enough,
0:09:01 > 0:09:06he's also included this lovely clematis viticella.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09This is one called Kiev.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13But isn't that just an inspired combination?
0:09:13 > 0:09:19These big flat purple flowers with the drooping gorgeous tangutica.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Purple and yellow together again is a winning combination.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29This clematis viticella - Etoile Violette.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34This time it's chosen as its host this Potentilla fruticosa.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39It's a ubiquitous shrub but it somehow ups the ante
0:09:39 > 0:09:42to have this lovely clematis growing through it,
0:09:42 > 0:09:47and could you have planned a more fitting combination
0:09:47 > 0:09:51than that of these citric yellow Potentilla petals
0:09:51 > 0:09:55just licking up the yellow of the anthers and the deep purple clematis?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It's perfect.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Whether you like to meet your clematis on a country walk
0:10:03 > 0:10:07or you want to grow the most ornamental and decorative species
0:10:07 > 0:10:10in your garden, there's absolutely no doubt
0:10:10 > 0:10:16that every single clematis has got something very special to offer.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28I certainly shall be planting clematis here in the writing garden,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and I'll start with a clematis that is for spring.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I love Clematis alpina.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37They're tough, they're beautiful,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and I've got one here which is Albiflora, which is white,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44which will fit in with the whole theme of the writing garden,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46which is white, beautiful flowers.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51Now, unlike roses, which actually adapt very well to almost any soil,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56clematis do noticeably better in certain conditions.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01What they like is water-retentive, quite loose soil
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and the best way to achieve that
0:11:04 > 0:11:07is to put lots of organic matter beneath them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Now this is very water-retentive clay.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Nevertheless, I'm going to dig out a decent size hole
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and put in a good load of compost.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Right. That's the size of pot.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And that's the size of hole - about four times as big.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36And that means I can get plenty of compost in.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I'm using quite a coarse compost.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Anything you put in the bottom wants to be quite loose and rough,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45straw-y compost, half-made compost absolutely ideal
0:11:45 > 0:11:47because it holds the moisture better.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03So we'll pop back like that.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12The next stage is to give it a frame.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17A good strong support because when this gets going,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19it's a tower of flower.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24You can't really mulch them too much.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Keep the roots cool and moist
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and the top growth will be really healthy and happy.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34That's the first one.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Now the other clematis I'm going to plant is this one.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It's Clematis flammula.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41As well as having beautiful, delicate,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44star-like flowers, it smells of honey.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Really fragrant and lovely,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50and it will follow on from the Sander's White rose,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54so we'll get the continuity of white frothy flower
0:12:54 > 0:12:58and fragrance, just outside the hut - exactly what I want.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Right, give that a really good soak.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Mulch it and let it get on with it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Although they look quite healthy now,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35in fact I've had a terrible year for courgettes.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38This is how they should've been two months ago.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Given that we're in the middle of October, it's downhill all the way.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44There are young plants coming through,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48but unless it's blazing hot for the next week or two, it's a write-off,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and I need this piece of ground cos I want to put my garlic in,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55so with reluctance, I'm going to remove the whole lot,
0:13:55 > 0:13:56and just put it down to a bad year.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Now, they should come up reasonably easily.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25When you're planting garlic,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29break open the bulbs and just plant the outside cloves.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34And really, the bigger the clove, the better the garlic will be.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36And when you're putting them in the ground,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38use a dibber or your finger, and bury them.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41This is not like onion sets where you have the top sticking out.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And space them about four inches apart.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Now, the sooner you get garlic in in the autumn,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the bigger the head will be.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The middle of September is not too early,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and I definitely like to have all garlic planted by Christmas.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04All garlic needs at least a month in the ground
0:15:04 > 0:15:06below ten degrees centigrade
0:15:06 > 0:15:09in order to form a head with separate cloves.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Not a problem for the average British winter,
0:15:12 > 0:15:13but the earlier you get it in,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15the more chance there is of that happening.
0:15:15 > 0:15:21Now, the next garlic I'm going to plant is an absolute whopper.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Elephant garlic is enormous, like a large onion,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and that is a single clove,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and although it's so big, it's actually milder in flavour
0:15:31 > 0:15:33than normal garlic. In fact, it's not garlic at all.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It's much more closely related to the leek,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and the taste is somewhere between leek and garlic.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44It's subtle, delicious and I think more people should grow it,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and it's very easy to grow - in exactly the same way as garlic.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50In the ground, nice and deep,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52but a little bit wider apart,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55so I would say a good nine inches for each of these.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I learnt a good recipe the other day from Richard Sandford,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05who I went to visit in his garden in Berkshire.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12He's vegan, and he told me that he makes a drink from roasted tomatoes,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15raw elephant garlic - a whole clove like that -
0:16:15 > 0:16:18all whizzed up together, and it sounds to me delicious,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21like a combination of a Virgin Mary and gazpacho.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I'm now mulching with compost.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30It improves soil and improves the garlic.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40You can see that this pumpkin has already been touched by frost,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and it's now time to start thinking about protecting tender plants.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47If you can, bring them in under cover.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Things like the citrus that I've got round here,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52and pelargoniums that I've got in the courtyard,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I want to put in the greenhouse, but before I can do that,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I've got to make some room.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Of course, at this time of year,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10you're having to create space by losing something.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13You're not going to lose your chillies, because those will
0:17:13 > 0:17:16go on producing fresh fruit right up until Christmas,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18but on things like tomatoes...
0:17:18 > 0:17:21These are a few tomatoes that I had in pots that DIDN'T get blight.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23They've done quite well but it's over,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26so what I would suggest is if you've got some tomato plants,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29harvest the ripe or nearly-ripe ones
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and put them on a windowsill, and they'll ripen fine.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35The green ones, which are never going to get red in here,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40put them in a dark drawer and they will slowly ripen. Chuck a banana in and they'll ripen even quicker.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45If you've got some cucumbers, or even melons, as I have here,
0:17:45 > 0:17:50well, they can come in and they can ripen on a windowsill, too.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52So, let's get on with it.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Now, I'm making compromises so I can accommodate
0:18:10 > 0:18:12my various tender plants,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16but Rachel's been to see a couple in Bristol who've managed
0:18:16 > 0:18:23to create an incredible exotic jungle in a tiny garden.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I've come to the outskirts of Bristol to visit a garden
0:18:31 > 0:18:34with a massive reputation.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I've heard that it instantly transports you
0:18:37 > 0:18:38to a far more exotic place.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Right, now, I've got an address.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45So I think... Ah, I don't think I'm going to need the address.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Look at this. Spilling out onto the street!
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'This urban jungle is the creation of Jen and Gary Ellington.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:55What an entrance.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Hello?
0:18:58 > 0:18:59I'll just go through.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01'For the last six years,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'they've been creating this little pocket of paradise.'
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Wow!
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- You must be Gary.- I sure am.- Hello, there. Really nice to meet you.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22- Lovely to meet you. And Jen? Hello! - Hello, Rachel. How are you?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I must say, I've been longing to see this garden
0:19:24 > 0:19:26because I've heard so much about it.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28How big is it? It's really hard to tell.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30We're quite small on the ground.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34We're just 15ft by 31ft, but we're about a mile high.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It is a small space but it feels enormous.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41I'm just wondering how on earth you manage to actually tend these plans.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Are you contortionists?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46How do you get through there?
0:19:46 > 0:19:50We've got two bridges which look ornamental,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53but they are there for a purpose,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and that is how we actually get to the other side of the garden.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- That's how YOU do it.- Yes.- How do YOU do it, then?- I tend to fall in.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06But I have long sticks, sticks with grabby bits on the end,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08which is very useful,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12because things need poking or just jungle-taming, really.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Do you have quite distinct roles?
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Do you do one thing and then Jen is in charge of another part of it?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Yes, well, basically, I do all the woodwork, the maintenance,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26- the painting and the heave-ho. - All the hard work.- Oh, yes!
0:20:26 > 0:20:32While Jen does the designing of the actual garden. She's very good at it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Sometimes it's like I always say to her, "Where's that going to go?
0:20:35 > 0:20:36"That can't go in there!"
0:20:36 > 0:20:40And she says, "That's not a problem," and then she makes me fit it in
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and then I look around and it's fitted and looks beautiful.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48- So would you say she slightly gets the last word?- Um... Oh, yes.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Thank you!
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I'm really intrigued about the style of the garden,
0:20:55 > 0:21:00the fact that you've gone for this wonderfully exotic tropical feel.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Is that both of you, or has that come from one of you?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I was lucky enough to spend lots of time in the Caribbean,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and I lived in Africa for several years,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13so these are the plants I was used to growing.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I like the British plants very much as well,
0:21:17 > 0:21:22but I just love all of the big, bold, vivid colours
0:21:22 > 0:21:26and the shapes of the leaves, the rate of growth.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It always amazes me, every year.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Everywhere you look, you've got these wonderful fossils
0:21:33 > 0:21:37on the pathways, and lots of different textures and shapes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You know, the mulch with the shells and the pebbles.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I used shells and things because I find
0:21:42 > 0:21:44that they're very useful for catching water,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- which keeps the humidity up for the plants.- Ah! Very clever.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It really helps, so apart from looking pretty,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53because these are shells I've collected on my travels...
0:21:53 > 0:21:57As I'm looking at them I'm remembering beautiful days.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Although the garden looks exotic, many plants like Fatsia japonica
0:22:02 > 0:22:06will thrive outside all year round in the British climate.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10These are planted directly in the ground, but the tender
0:22:10 > 0:22:14plants are put in pots so they can be moved and brought indoors,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18and these are stacked one on top of the other to make use of all
0:22:18 > 0:22:20the vertical space in the garden.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24You've got a lot of quite tender plants in here.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27How do you cope with them over winter, because it is not as if
0:22:27 > 0:22:30you've got a huge greenhouse you can move them into, so what do you do?
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Well, we roll the red bananas, the Abyssinians, into the house,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39and then we tip them upright, pull the leaves down so they're
0:22:39 > 0:22:44splaying over, and that's where we usually have our Christmas dinner.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Wow.- Oh, yes.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Well, we do do the fairy lights occasionally as well, yeah,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53which does look... It sounds awful but looks really super.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I have to say, I think it's the most magical place.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- It has a real sense of the two of you.- Oh, yes.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I'll never speak to somebody again with a small garden who says,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09"I've got a tiny space so I can't do anything with it, you know..."
0:23:09 > 0:23:14Oh, I don't allow that here. I don't want to hear any more of that.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- No, you're not. You're just not using your vertical space.- Yes.- Yes.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- When you can't go out, go up. - That's very true.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Funnily enough, I met Jen and Gary at a talk I gave
0:23:31 > 0:23:34a couple of weeks ago, so it's lovely to see their garden.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It's tempting to put a plant like this indoors,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50because it looks lovely, but resist the temptation.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Citrus don't like British houses in midwinter.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59It's too dark, it's too warm and it's too dry.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01A greenhouse is ideal, particularly if it's heated
0:24:01 > 0:24:04so it doesn't get frosty, and if you do want it indoors,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06bring it in for a week or two over Christmas
0:24:06 > 0:24:09but then take it back to the greenhouse.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Another Mediterranean plant that I'm anxious not to lose
0:24:36 > 0:24:39through cold are my scented-leaf pelargoniums.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44These are plants that will keep going for years and years
0:24:44 > 0:24:46if you look after them.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51So it's worth taking a little bit of preventative action.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56See, I'd be very sad to leave a plant like this Lady Plymouth.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Beautiful, and this will...
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Oh, fantastic scent.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Now, unlike citrus, these can go indoors.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20If you've got a sunny windowsill,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22this is perfect, and makes a lovely house plant.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26This has finished flowering, so I'm going to reduce this by half.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Then I can put it below the bench,
0:25:33 > 0:25:34where it'll get enough light.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37The important thing with these is
0:25:37 > 0:25:40cut back on the water, you cut back on the heat,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and if need be, you cut back on the light, to reduce the growth.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Now, you may not have pelargoniums. You may not have citrus.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51You may not have a greenhouse.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56But here are some jobs you CAN be getting on with this weekend.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It's been a hard season for asparagus.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Whatever your asparagus is like,
0:26:02 > 0:26:08cut back all top growth now to stop any risk of root damage,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and then cover the ground with as thick a layer of compost
0:26:11 > 0:26:13as you can spare,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and the more generous you are with this,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18the better the results will be next spring.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Check any cuttings you've taken in the last month or two.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25If they've rooted, you'll see signs of root at the base of the pot,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27and fresh growth.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Pinch them back to encourage nice bushy plants,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and pot them on individually, and place them somewhere protected
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and you'll have nice, strong plants for next spring.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Pears are a treat but it's been a bad year for them,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44so doubly important to look after those you have.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Check them for ripeness by lifting each fruit to the horizontal,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49and if it's ready, it'll come away in your hand.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52If not, gently lower it again.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Once they're picked, store them in a cool, dark place, like apples.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00You can increase ripening by putting some on a sunny windowsill.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Check these daily, and when they're ready, cancel everything,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07because they have to be eaten straight away.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20One of the stars in the Jewel Garden at this time of year
0:27:20 > 0:27:22is the monkshood, the aconitum.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28It's subtle and it's slightly muted, but such a reliable performer.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30The slugs and snails won't touch it,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33so you know it is going to produce that blue, and after all,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36that's the rarest colour in the whole garden at this time of year.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50When I made the pond here,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I knew the quinces would reflect in the water,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and also, quinces traditionally were grown by the edge of the water.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00However, I'd not really thought how I was going to harvest the fruit,
0:28:00 > 0:28:05and this is a first for me - to go quince-picking in waders.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11'Quinces make anything that you cook them with taste better.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12'They're fabulous with meat,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16'and if you add just one quince to an apple dish - apple pie,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'apple crumble, stewed apple - there's a kind of depth
0:28:20 > 0:28:24'of fruity fragrance that really is like nothing else.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Much smaller harvest than last year,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32but every single one will be treasured.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34The best fruit there is.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35And that's it for this week,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38but, of course, I'll be back at the same time next Friday,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40so I'll see you then. Bye-bye.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd