0:00:02 > 0:00:04That's a nice one. Would you like that?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Now, I'd just like to thank everybody who has sent cards
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and get-well wishes for Nigel.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's completely gone to his head, he is now an insufferable prima donna
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and only contacts me through his agent
0:00:23 > 0:00:27but he is getting MUCH better, thank you very much.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30To the extent that he is able to eat apples, aren't you? Want an apple?
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Hang on a sec. Wait there.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Oh, go on!
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Good boy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Now, this is the last programme of the year, I'm afraid,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41but we've still got lots on!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I shall be in the Jewel Garden,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46tidying it up ready for winter, looking back over the highs
0:00:46 > 0:00:47and some of the lows of the year,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and also planting for spring in the damp garden.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Rachel is visiting a blind gardener in Swansea
0:00:54 > 0:00:57who, although she has never seen a plant in her life,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01has still made an extraordinary garden.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03'I love plants, they speak to me.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'They say something about the world and life,'
0:01:06 > 0:01:11and it just makes you feel richer and better to be among them.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Joe is visiting an exceptional gardener too.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18He's up in Lincolnshire growing fabulous veg on his allotment
0:01:18 > 0:01:20at the age of 92.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And Carol is in Cumbria
0:01:23 > 0:01:26in search of one of the rarest plants in the British Isles.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31Look at it, it's perfectly at peace.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33It's in its home, it's...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35the flower I've come to see.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49At this time of year it's always a trade-off
0:01:49 > 0:01:54between hanging on to what's good for as long as possible
0:01:54 > 0:01:56and then just accepting that some things
0:01:56 > 0:01:57are just not going to get better,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59so they're going to look worse and worse,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01so the thing to do is to clear them out of the way,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and there's a number of virtues in doing that.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Not only does it look better
0:02:05 > 0:02:07but also it gives things around them a better chance.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09A good example is in here.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13You can see how this Cosmos, if I step through there, has fallen.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Now, the Cosmos have done really well this year
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and they're still flowering strongly but it's a downward process.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Things are not going to get better.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It's an annual so what we can say is, "Right, you come out."
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Just pull it out, to the compost heap with it, that's it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Its job is done.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31So that goes in the barrow.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35This Lysimachia, which is not an annual but it's falling everywhere,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39it's all wet and sodden, and it gets slimy and horrible.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42So the thing to do is to cut that back.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48And I think this is a job that wants to be done, really,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51spread over two or three, or even four weeks.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Just come in there and work through, taking layers off as you go.
0:02:56 > 0:03:03So...don't feel you need to get it all done perfectly first time round.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05All the Buddlejas have done well.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07That Buddleja, there, it's a weyeriana hybrid,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10has gone on flowering and flowering and here we are, it's still going.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Certainly not going to cut that back in a hurry!
0:03:14 > 0:03:15I wouldn't cut back this Euphorbia
0:03:15 > 0:03:18cos I love the way that the moisture sits on it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22When the light hits it you get these dancing diamonds above it
0:03:22 > 0:03:25but the Tithonia, in there, has had it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30I'm afraid that is now grey and sad but it doesn't matter
0:03:30 > 0:03:32because it's been brilliant this year.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The Tithonia have been superb.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40And, of course, if you are intending to put bulbs into your borders,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and I am, I want to put more tulips in,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45then you need to clear at this time of year.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46You can't leave it until next spring
0:03:46 > 0:03:50because otherwise there's not space to plant
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and you can't see where you want them.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Of course, the Jewel Garden doesn't really get going at all
0:03:56 > 0:03:58until April, and this year
0:03:58 > 0:03:59the wallflowers and the tulips
0:03:59 > 0:04:02looked fantastic.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03You get that first
0:04:03 > 0:04:05intense colour of the year.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Then you go into high summer,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13these plants come muscling in
0:04:13 > 0:04:14with a burst of colour
0:04:14 > 0:04:16and I thought the Jewel Garden
0:04:16 > 0:04:18actually looked good this year.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20I always said it would take two to three years
0:04:20 > 0:04:22to reach fruition, and it's getting there.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24And a lot of people have said it's been a bad year for gardens.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I don't think it has. I think it's been a bad year for GARDENERS.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It's been pretty miserable,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31but plants, on the whole, have liked it.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33There have been some exceptions but, on the whole,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35they haven't done badly at all.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Of course, in the end, the Jewel Garden is all about colour.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00It's about creating the palette and then managing it to maximum effect
0:05:00 > 0:05:04for as long as possible, right through the season, and it's tricky.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05However experienced you are
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and however good you are at seeing colours, and using them,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10it's quite demanding.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Well, if it's tricky for us, with good eyesight,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16imagine what gardening is like if you're blind.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And Rachel has been down to Swansea to meet Andrea Gordon,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22who has been blind from birth
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and has yet made a wonderful garden from a blank canvas.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Well, we're surrounded, here, by this wonderful, leafy gorgeousness.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The plants are just, they're clearly very happy here.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39What was the starting point of this garden?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Well, you see that little Acer, there?
0:05:42 > 0:05:47That was, when I bought it, it was £2 in Woolies,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51probably about ten years ago. It was about this high, in a little box.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Well, it's enormous now.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And then, tell me about the pond that's just in front of it.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00I wanted a pond that I wouldn't accidentally walk into
0:06:00 > 0:06:05so it's got raised-up sides, to warn me that it's there,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07and you can sit on the side
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and dangle your fingers in the water, and feed the fish.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12And the shape is just a regular
0:06:12 > 0:06:15shape, like a lot of the shapes in this garden.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Quite straight lines to help me to navigate around it, really.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Now, don't tell me you dug that all by yourself?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25No, no, my husband, Andrew, has the credit for digging that.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Before it was filled with water he dropped me in the middle
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and I know, because, from personal experience,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33it's, kind of, this deep in the centre.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Right, what about the planting that's just here to the side,
0:06:36 > 0:06:37slightly, of the Acer?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41In front of me, here, there is a bed with lots of conifers
0:06:41 > 0:06:42that I like to have for the winter
0:06:42 > 0:06:45because it means there's always something going on
0:06:45 > 0:06:47and then around, to my right,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52all the Astilbes, which love that slightly damp, heavy ground, there,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57and have that same feathery feel to their leaves as the Acer.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03This is great, isn't it?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Where has the passion for gardening come from?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I was sent away to boarding school when I was five
0:07:13 > 0:07:18and I gained a lot of comfort and solace from being outside,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and walking through trees,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and touching the plants in the grounds always made me feel
0:07:24 > 0:07:26that I was close to home.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I love plants, they speak to me.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33They say something about the world and life,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and it just makes you feel richer and better to be among them.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39What is it that draws you to a plant?
0:07:39 > 0:07:45Mostly the texture and the overall shape of the plant.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Sometimes the fragrance but with the rosemaries, they're a lovely shape
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and they have a beautiful fragrance
0:07:52 > 0:07:56but the roses, of course, have their own loveliness
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and when they are in flower, and there are some buds here,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and actually getting this close to them,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04I can anticipate when they are going to come into flower,
0:08:04 > 0:08:05and come and look for them.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08What is it about roses that you love particularly?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I love the shape of the flowers but I love the feel
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and I love the idea of planting something
0:08:14 > 0:08:19that is really no more than a bundle of twigs in the autumn,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and then something incredible happens
0:08:21 > 0:08:26where the next time you come there are all lovely soft leaves,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and eventually such stunningly lovely flowers,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33and the fact I can plant it and that bit of magic happens.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35What does the garden mean to you?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38It's my little world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40It's...
0:08:40 > 0:08:46I know every, every little bit of it intimately well.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48I picture it in my mind.
0:08:48 > 0:08:54I can be indoors and I see every little plant.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It gives me something else to think about,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59other than some of the restrictions I have in my life,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and it's something positive and creative,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and it gives me joy, and it's where I come to play.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I think that what is really important,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23whether you are sighted or not, is that intimacy with your garden.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Knowing every inch of it is just as valuable
0:09:27 > 0:09:29as any amount of horticultural technique.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I have to pinch myself sometimes,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39to think that we dug out the hole for the pond in February,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Joe helped me line it in March
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and then we planted it up throughout April.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And by the end of May it was looking pretty established,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51and by midsummer it looked as though it had been here for years.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54And it just shows that it is not difficult
0:09:54 > 0:09:58to add a pond to the garden and gain so much so quickly.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Of course, it's changing daily now.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12By New Year, this will be devoid of leaves.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16It'll be a bleaker, bonier place,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19so I want to plant now to give it a bit of energy
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and a bit of life amongst that bleakness
0:10:22 > 0:10:24next February and March.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28I'll give it that energy by using bark.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42This is a dogwood.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Cornus alba 'Sibirica'.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49It has the most fantastic red sheen to its bark,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53especially when it's young.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57These new shoots look at their very best
0:10:57 > 0:11:00in the first few months of the year -
0:11:00 > 0:11:02January, February and March -
0:11:02 > 0:11:04which is when there is so little that is here.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06I'll be able to see them because
0:11:06 > 0:11:08all this cover will be gone.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13That time of year, there is nothing blocking the sightline to it
0:11:13 > 0:11:16or the light to it - that's facing south.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20This will be flooded with light and these red stems will shine through.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23At this point, I just want to get this in the ground.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Cornus are very adaptable.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Tend to think of them as needing wet conditions
0:11:29 > 0:11:32but particularly Cornus alba will grow almost anywhere.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It does better in sunlight, though.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Don't give it too much shade.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38This is a big plant, which...
0:11:39 > 0:11:42..can just be popped in.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47The name dogwood has nothing to do with dogs.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It's a corruption of a Scandinavian word, "dag",
0:11:51 > 0:11:55and refers to a skewer or spike.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00These stems are quite hard, given how young they are,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04and they used to be used for skewers.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Occasionally, even arrows,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09and that has come down to us as dogwood.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15This is a fairly mature plant so you can see
0:12:15 > 0:12:20that its got a pretty compact root ball.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22When you've got roots like this,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24it's not a bad idea to break them up a bit.
0:12:24 > 0:12:31Stimulate them to grow away from this very compact mat.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39I'm going to use a bit of mycorrhiza fungi.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43There is no question that it does help the relationship
0:12:43 > 0:12:45between the roots and the soil.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It speeds up that interactivity.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51If you are going to use it, it is essential
0:12:51 > 0:12:56that there is a direct contract from the mycorrhizae to the roots.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Don't just sprinkle it loosely.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Either do it where you know the roots are going to touch
0:13:01 > 0:13:03or directly onto the roots.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06And then into the hole too.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08That can go in there like that.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Then just backfill.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Firm that in.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Give that a really good soak,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22even though the ground is quite wet.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29To have this looking at its very best,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32it will need regular, dramatic pruning.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35That means either cutting all the plant or half of it
0:13:35 > 0:13:39right down to the ground every year.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42That will stimulate new growth and it's the new growth
0:13:42 > 0:13:45that has this fantastic colour.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50Also, it means that I'll have lots of material to take cuttings.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53My plan is to spread it round the back behind the pond
0:13:53 > 0:13:56so when you come in here in March,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00you'll see this blaze of red rippling around
0:14:00 > 0:14:01the curve behind the pond.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03It should look fantastic.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07That's a Cornus alba. I've got another one
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I want to plant over there.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13This is Cornus 'Flaviramea'.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It has wonderful olive-green,
0:14:16 > 0:14:22yellow stems that intensify with colour in early spring, and makes
0:14:22 > 0:14:25a good combination with the red stems of the Cornus alba 'Sibirica'.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It's a dogwood that prefers damper conditions
0:14:31 > 0:14:33so if you've got a wettish spot,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35it's the ideal plant.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43This bit of the garden gets very wet.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46When the flood comes in, it comes in here first of all
0:14:46 > 0:14:49but this particular dogwood won't mind at all.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51It's really good for a damp patch.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Carol has been to see an area which couldn't be more difficult.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58She's visiting the coastline of Cumbria,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01where you have fantastic sand dunes, which are wind blasted
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and very often dry.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08And yet, there's a range of plants that thrive there.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19During the past year, I've been lucky enough
0:15:19 > 0:15:24to wander around the British Isles, discovering all sorts of
0:15:24 > 0:15:26wonderful wild flowers
0:15:26 > 0:15:28growing in their natural habitats.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39But today, I've come to a place which perhaps epitomises
0:15:39 > 0:15:43all that is so special about these wild flowers
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and the places they grow.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48This is Walney Island,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51a place I've always longed to visit.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I wanted to come and see for myself
0:15:54 > 0:15:57the rich diversity of the flora
0:15:57 > 0:15:58and the beautiful habitats
0:15:58 > 0:16:00in which they grow.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02But it's a special quest for me too
0:16:02 > 0:16:06as I'm hoping to come face to face
0:16:06 > 0:16:09with a flower which has achieved
0:16:09 > 0:16:12almost mythical status, as far as I'm concerned.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17But before I search for the flower that makes this place
0:16:17 > 0:16:20so special, I want to take a closer look
0:16:20 > 0:16:22at the plant that binds
0:16:22 > 0:16:24this entire island together.
0:16:24 > 0:16:30This is a typical sight on one edge of Walney Island.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It's this plant, Marram grass.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It binds the sand together
0:16:35 > 0:16:38and creates these wonderful sand dunes.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41This is the root of the Marram grass.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45It's strong, robust. They invade the sand
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and everywhere along these leaf nodes,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50it's got the capability of making a new shoot.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Sometimes, after a storm, it can be completely covered,
0:16:55 > 0:16:56buried, feet deep.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57But it's undaunted.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01It just thrusts these new shoots up
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and keeps on going.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Look at the leaves. When it's raining,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08they open up, flatten themselves
0:17:08 > 0:17:12so they can drink in any rainwater that's available.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15But when it's hot and dry or very windy,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19They roll themselves up so they reduce their surface
0:17:19 > 0:17:21to the very minimum.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's perfectly adapted to living in pure sand.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30This is my first visit to Cumbria's Walney Island.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34But for Steve Benn, he gets to see it just about every day.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37He's the manager of the North Walney Reserve,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40which helps to conserve the island.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42What's it like working here?
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It's fabulous. I love it.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Mum and Dad used to bring me over here for weekends on sunny days.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50We appreciated the fact we could run around
0:17:50 > 0:17:51with just a pair of shorts on.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54We didn't appreciate what the habitats were,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57what the flowers and the birds and the insects were that were here.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Because of that, the need to protect it.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01That's where I come in.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Exactly! And you get a job. - I get a job!- And what a job!
0:18:04 > 0:18:06A fantastic job.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10These special habitats, it's not just one or two of them,
0:18:10 > 0:18:11it's a whole series.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14If you took a cross section, east to west,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16you've got marine environment,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19intertidal environment, the shingle environment,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22your dune grassland, your heathland...
0:18:22 > 0:18:24It's just rich, isn't it?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And it's in a relatively small area.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32With so many habitats to explore,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I want to see the wild flowers this place has to offer.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39We begin our search in the dunes.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Look at this for an absolute beauty.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50It is so dainty and delicate and so very pretty.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- Dune pansy.- Dune pansy.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I've only ever seen it in books.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- Is that right? Well, there you go. - Isn't it special?
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Plants here have to be really hardy. Real tough.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- This has to be the showiest one here.- Gorgeous.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Probably one of the showiest on the island.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- Glaucium flavium. The horned poppy. - Yep.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20So called because of these seed pods.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23That's something you've just taught me - I wasn't aware of that.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27When it goes brown and the whole thing is ripe,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30it splits asunder and all these seeds
0:19:30 > 0:19:32fly all over the place.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- Fabulous dispersal mechanism.- Yes.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38And perfect adaptation, like all these other plants too.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45My dad always said - a brilliant gardener - he always said,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49"Come here, look at it, appreciate it
0:19:49 > 0:19:50"and leave it for the next person."
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I love that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I couldn't agree more with that philosophy.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59My first glimpse of this island has been memorable.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04Before leaving, I want to find the flower I've longed to see,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06growing in its real, wild home.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Here, amongst the sand dunes on this steep slope,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16carpeted with beautiful flowers of Geranium sanguineum.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20But just over here, look what I've found!
0:20:22 > 0:20:24The flower I've come to see.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It's Geranium sanguineum lancastriense.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31It grows only on Walney Island.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Look at it. It's perfectly at peace.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's in its home.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40I love gardening.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44I love putting plants together and seeing flowers in my garden.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But when you come out into the wild,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and you see flowers growing,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54as they're supposed to be, in their very own
0:20:54 > 0:20:57natural surroundings,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59there's something much more moving
0:20:59 > 0:21:00about it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It's a much deeper experience.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21It's just six weeks till Christmas.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It was six weeks ago to the day
0:21:24 > 0:21:27that I planted those paper-white daffodils,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30which are just coming into flower.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32But if you buy some paper-white daffodil bulbs
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and pot them up, put them somewhere warm,
0:21:34 > 0:21:40give them a bit of water, I bet you that they are flowering for you
0:21:40 > 0:21:41on Christmas Day.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Even if you don't want to plant daffodils,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47here are some things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57If you've got a cold frame or a greenhouse,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59it's a good idea to give it a thorough clean
0:21:59 > 0:22:00before winter sets in.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02All you need is warm water and detergent,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and some elbow grease.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07This will get of pests and diseases that are lingering
0:22:07 > 0:22:11and, most important of all, let in maximum winter light.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12WATER SPLASHES
0:22:18 > 0:22:21As you put the garden to bed for winter, don't neglect
0:22:21 > 0:22:22to look after your tools.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Now is a good time to sharpen your secateurs ready for winter pruning.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29A tip is to take a felt pen
0:22:29 > 0:22:34and mark a line along the edge of a the cutting blade.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Using an oilstone and working round and round,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39remove that mark.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Turn the blade over and, keeping the oilstone flat
0:22:43 > 0:22:45on the blade's surface,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47work again to remove any burr
0:22:47 > 0:22:49that is being turned over.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51What should be left is a razor-sharp edge.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00If you've got a spare piece of ground in your vegetable garden,
0:23:00 > 0:23:01dig it over.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Use a spade, not a fork
0:23:03 > 0:23:04and leave it just as it falls.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08The weather will work at it over the winter, breaking it down.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11By next spring, you should just have to rake it over
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and you'll have a fine tilth ready for use.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19For more jobs you can do, not just this weekend,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22but throughout the winter, go to our website:
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The great thing about growing vegetables
0:23:30 > 0:23:34is not only does it produce delicious food
0:23:34 > 0:23:37but it's good for you, it makes you feel good, it's enjoyable.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It's never too late to start.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43As Joe has found out, it's also never too late to stop.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Anyone who has had an allotment knows it takes dedication
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and a lot of hard work to keep it going.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03But that doesn't put some people off - oh, no.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06A local lad from Grantham, Lincolnshire
0:24:06 > 0:24:11has kept his plot going for over 40 years.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18War veteran Walter Partridge is 92 years young.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22From lunch time till dusk, you'll find this champion grower
0:24:22 > 0:24:26tending his full-size double-allotment every day.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The produce is impressive.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32When did you first start gardening?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35When I was a boy, seven, eight years old,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38my father had a little garden for me.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I say a little garden -
0:24:41 > 0:24:42two square metres!
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Something like that.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47When I came out the Army and got married, I thought,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49"Hmm. May as well have a go."
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Your plot is immaculate. It's full of produce.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's nice and tidy. Pretty much weed-free.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's not so good as it should be.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00You know what it's been like this year.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02All your years of experience, over 40 years on this allotment,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07what would be your top tips if someone takes over a new plot?
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Make compost deep. Crop rotation very important.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13What crop rotation do you use here?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Potatoes, brassicas,
0:25:16 > 0:25:17roots
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and odd'n'sods!
0:25:19 > 0:25:20JOE LAUGHS
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I like that!
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Potatoes, brassicas, roots, odds'n'sods!
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Everybody got that?!
0:25:33 > 0:25:34This is where I keep my tomatoes.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36I love your greenhouse.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38It's an improvised one.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40You don't say?!
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Full of character, just like you are!
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- Will you try one?- Which one is this, Gardener's Delight?- Yeah.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- A good tomato, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Hmm. Ooh!
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Good flavour, aren't they?
0:25:54 > 0:25:55That is good flavour.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Your leeks are looking fantastic. - They're not bad.- Not bad at all.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I'm jealous of your soil. You've been working it for over 40 years
0:26:06 > 0:26:08so it must be pretty good stuff by now.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09- Yes.- Did you put a load of muck
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- on there?- Everywhere I'll dig it in.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14What are your top tips with your Brussels?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Firm ground wherever possible.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Somebody once said to me, I don't know whether it's right,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24the best brussels he ever grew, he made a hole with the crowbar.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26They do like firm ground.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Really firm them in.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31You've got to be pleased with these. It's been a good year for runners.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- What variety is this?- Enorma. - Enorma.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37That row there is White Lady.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- Do you want to pick some? - Shall I help you?
0:26:39 > 0:26:41You can do if you find some.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43There's millions of them!
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I know you say crop rotation
0:26:45 > 0:26:49but it doesn't hurt beans to grow them in the same place every year.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54When they're finished, they do put nitrogen back in the soil,
0:26:54 > 0:26:55from the roots.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They really are gorgeous. You've shown me your beans.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Now you want to look at the bees?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Yeah. Now can you show me the bees? Lovely.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Are they down the other end?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Down at the bottom.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- How lively are these bees? - Very lively.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Very lively? Is it safe?
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Not really safe, but...
0:27:20 > 0:27:24You've got five hives. How much honey do you get from them?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Average about 40 pound per hive.
0:27:26 > 0:27:2940 pound per hive? That's a lot of honey.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Are they great for the allotment? Do they help pollinate the plants?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34You should know - you're a gardener!
0:27:34 > 0:27:39They do the allotment as much good as they do me with pollinating.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41BEES BUZZ
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I'll never complain of feeling a bit creaky again!
0:27:54 > 0:27:57I've got years of gardening ahead of me!
0:27:57 > 0:28:01These grass borders will be allowed to gradually decline
0:28:01 > 0:28:02across the winter.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03I shan't cut them back.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06That's partly because they look lovely as they fade away.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11one of the best things in winter but also because it gives good cover
0:28:11 > 0:28:14for insects, small mammals and birds.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Also because we encourage them in.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18I feed them all winter.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21If you're going to feed birds, remember one thing.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Once you start to put the food out, you've got to continue
0:28:24 > 0:28:27right through to spring, otherwise they fly in,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29use a lot of energy, there's nothing there for them
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and that can't be replaced.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34That's it for this year.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I'll see you back here next spring.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Until then, have a really good Christmas and New Year. Bye-bye.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd