0:00:07 > 0:00:09Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Last week, we got the lining in, with Joe's help,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16attached a hosepipe up and started to fill the pond.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It's full now and it's ready for the next phase, which will be
0:00:20 > 0:00:22hiding those edges and starting the planting.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25That can happen in the fullness of time. There is no hurry.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Anyway, we've got a lot going on today.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31'Carol is looking at primroses growing in the wild.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'She's gone to southern Ireland to meet a man devoted
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'to saving heritage varieties.'
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Prima rosa, the first rose of spring.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42As soon as you see it, you anticipate the year ahead.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47'Joe continues his design masterclass
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'and this week looking at the role of verticals in the garden.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Once you've got your garden layout, the next thing to do
0:00:53 > 0:00:58is think about how to break up all that space, especially at eye level.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02I shall be planting clematis and making plants for free by taking cuttings.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Now is the perfect moment to take basal cuttings.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I know that cuttings can intimidate people.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29Somehow it feels like an advanced level of horticulture, but it isn't.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31It's dead easy and everyone should try it
0:01:31 > 0:01:33because you've got nothing to lose and masses to gain.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Free plants and most of them work.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39You don't have to worry about it. It just happens.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44Basal cuttings are perfect for plants like delphiniums, lamiums,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48lupins, all producing new shoots now. You can see on this delphinium
0:01:48 > 0:01:52you've got this lovely new, vigorous growth.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54If I took a cutting there, it wouldn't root
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and as it gets bigger, those stems are hollow and they won't produce roots.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Down at the base of the plant, that's the word, basal,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05it's ideal for taking cuttings. Scrape it away, use a sharp knife.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Get in there and just cut below the soil, like that.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Pop it in there, seal it over
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and that will keep before you go and put it into a rooting medium.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20We can only just spare one growth on that one
0:02:20 > 0:02:22but I've got a group of three here.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I could spare that one there.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Just by taking one or two shoots from each clump,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'm not reducing the display because, after all,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36delphiniums in full glory in midsummer, fantastic!
0:02:36 > 0:02:38I don't want to lose that.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I'm just adding to the stock and gradually it will build up,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44you can never have too many delphiniums, in this life.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47I'll take one more from that and then we'll go and pot them up.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56I have to stress that the sooner you can get the cutting into soil,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58the more likely it is to take.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Don't hang about. Keep it in the bag and straight to the compost.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The compost wants to have really good drainage.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I'm going to add some perlite.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Just mix it up, and grit would do the job, just as well.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Take a pot...
0:03:16 > 0:03:18There's the cut material.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21If I stuck that in the pot like that,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25there's so much foliage that's losing moisture
0:03:25 > 0:03:29that it would flop and then die before the root could grow.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I need to cut it back a little bit.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35You need to leave some foliage, which will feed the roots,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but not too much.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41With basal cuttings, you don't want to cut the end off,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that's where the roots are going to grow from.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47That can go on to a bench and if you keep it misted,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49it should root fine.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51If you haven't got a heated bench,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and you're out all day and putting it on a windowsill,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56it's a good idea to protect it, to stop it drying out.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00The simplest way is to put a polythene bag over the top.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01There you are, like that.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06If you haven't got any plants in the garden to take cuttings from,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09when you buy a plant that's nice and healthy,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11before you plant it out, look and see
0:04:11 > 0:04:14if there's anywhere you can take cuttings from.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You can see on this one,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19that would make nice cut material.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Before putting it out, I just cut away underneath
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and I've got myself, potentially, an extra plant
0:04:26 > 0:04:29which next year will be as big as that.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Have a look at this.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Here's a clump of primroses.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Just a foot or so away, a cowslip, a bit early.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Between them, they have hybridised to produce this,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09which has got primrose flowers but a cowslip long stem.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Primulas, of all kinds, do hybridise very easily
0:05:12 > 0:05:17and Carol has been to southern Ireland, both to see and celebrate
0:05:17 > 0:05:19primroses growing in the wild, so to speak,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and also to visit a gardener who's used that hybridisation
0:05:23 > 0:05:25both to make lots of new varieties
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and rescue old ones which otherwise would have been lost forever.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41The primrose. The Prima rosa, the first rose of spring.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45It's full of hope and promise.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Ever since I was little, until the very first primrose,
0:05:48 > 0:05:54I've just been in love with the plant. It's a picture of perfection.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05This is just such a typical site to find primrose growing in the wild.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It's a tremendously successful plant,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10it loves banks like this,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14or verges or ditches... the edge of woodland.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19One of the reasons for its success is this very wonderful evolution
0:06:19 > 0:06:23where you get two distinctive forms of flowers.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Superficially, they all look the same
0:06:25 > 0:06:28but when you look into their insides,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32you find that on some plants the centre is what's called pin-eyed,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36it just looks like a pin sticking out of the flower.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40That's the stigma which receives the pollen from these other plants,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44which are thrum-eyed
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and that means there's a ring of fluffy anthers
0:06:48 > 0:06:51that contain all the pollen.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54The pollen can be taken from here,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57delivered to the stigma on the pin-eyed plant
0:06:57 > 0:06:59and pollination takes place.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05Perhaps, the most astonishing thing about this beautiful,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08simple little plant is that it has spawned a whole proliferation
0:07:08 > 0:07:13of polyanthus and primulas that we all use in our gardens.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'Cultivars of Primula vulgaris
0:07:22 > 0:07:24'have been cherished since Elizabethan times.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29'From the late 19th century, a few women in Ireland began to take
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'a special interest in them, nurturing them
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'and passing divisions to friends and neighbours.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'When the commercial plant industry adopted the primrose,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44'its priority was to produce brightly coloured flowers for bedding.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49'The little Irish hand-me-down primulas fell by the wayside.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53'Retired dentist Joe Kennedy took up their cause
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'and for the last 35 years he's been breeding new varieties
0:07:56 > 0:08:01'that have much in common with the old Irish primulas.'
0:08:01 > 0:08:05So, Joe, how did you come across these old varieties
0:08:05 > 0:08:08of primroses in the first place?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I used to go around to various gardening clubs
0:08:11 > 0:08:12giving talks on primroses, mostly,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and there were wonderful ladies there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I won't call them old ladies, but they were lovely.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- Ladies of mature years?- Perhaps.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Anyway, they would love to get me to come to their garden
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and they were so proud to take me down into their garden
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and see these lovely little gems that they had.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Those little gems had come from their granny or from 1900,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42that sort of vintage.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47If I could start breeding and try and preserve this longevity
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and that started me trying to do that.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58What is so striking about your plants is that
0:08:58 > 0:09:02they still have the same quality and charm and prettiness
0:09:02 > 0:09:04of some of those old varieties.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- This is very striking. - This is very like the wild primrose.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13If you look, there are two flowers, the sepals have turned into petals.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Another development of that, further,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18is the Jack in the green,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20where the sepal becomes leaf-like.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Then, a further development from that,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25you've got colour in the sepals.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30A lot of your plants, Joe, have got these dark leaves.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- They are just a foil for those pale flowers.- It is, yes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I'm hoping to develop a whole range of dark leaf types,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42along with others to use. There are other little ones.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45There's one down there.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47This little beauty.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51This is one called Kinlough Beauty, which is of the same era.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53It is so dainty.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Polyanthus, really, that's what they call them,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59being upon a leg like that.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02This is not reminiscent of those big garish polyanthus that you see?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05No, it's a much more delicate... and at the bottom of the garden
0:10:05 > 0:10:09it's lovely to have a few little ones like this, you know.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Nowadays people are content to put things in their garden
0:10:20 > 0:10:25and turf them out two years later, but that's not real gardening.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27That's not what gardening is about, is it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:28It's the person that has the little gems
0:10:28 > 0:10:32and they're so proud of them and they love them.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And nurturing them and bringing them on and swapping them and exchanging.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But you must have plants that have longevity,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41otherwise you're wasting your time.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I think people more and more are recognising
0:10:44 > 0:10:48the qualities of some of these lovely, old varieties.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50I think it will develop, it will develop
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and people are working more in gardens now than they were
0:10:53 > 0:10:55ten or 15 years ago, I can see that.
0:10:55 > 0:11:01People are beginning to find the joy in producing something
0:11:01 > 0:11:03and keeping it and loving it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- Yeah, and passing it on. - And passing it on.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Through the work of Joe and other devoted growers,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14these old varieties are enjoying a renaissance
0:11:14 > 0:11:18and both they and new cultivars, with same charm,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22are becoming available in specialist nurseries.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37I'm planting three clematis along the wall.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40If you remember I planted some roses here
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and the idea is that the clematis will grow amongst the roses
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and we'll have this wonderful smothering of flowers.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50I've chosen the clematis carefully to match in with roses
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and also to give some succession.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56The first one down there is Clematis paniculata.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58This is a lovely, evergreen clematis from New Zealand,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01smothered with white flowers in May.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Down that end, I've got a Viticella clematis,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'Alba Luxurians', which has got white flowers
0:12:07 > 0:12:09with a little green twist to them.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Here I'm planting a clematis called 'John Huxtable'.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16All clematis, and there are hundreds to choose from,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18are divided into three groups.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Group 1 are the small, early-flowering types
0:12:21 > 0:12:23like Alpina and Armandii.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Group 2 are the large-flowering, mid-seasoned varieties
0:12:25 > 0:12:28like 'Nelly Moser' and 'The President'.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Group 3 are the mid-to-late season,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34which include the mass flowers of Viticellas.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Whatever one you choose, they all need planting in the same way.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Whereas with the roses, I more or less just made a hole
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and popped them in the ground, clematis must be planted deep.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55At least twice the depth of the pot the clematis comes in.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The hole wants to be two feet deep.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01That's so that the roots can go down
0:13:01 > 0:13:03into really good compost or manure
0:13:03 > 0:13:06because they like feeding and they like moisture.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I always feel that when you're planting anything, really,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but particularly a long-lasting plant like clematis,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22the really important point is choosing which one to grow.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25As ever, the best thing to do is to go along to the garden
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and see them growing, see how they look in situ.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31We went along last summer to Bolam, in Northumberland,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36where Heather Russell has a fabulous collection of Viticella clematis.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I've been growing Viticella clematis for nearly 20 years.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51They are so hardy, floriferous, so easy to grow
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and give you late summer colour.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57They are such a good addition to any garden.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09This is 'Abundance' and you can see where they get their name.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13I bought this because I had just found out about Viticellas.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15The Viticella clematis
0:14:15 > 0:14:20are much hardier than the large, early-flowered varieties.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I had lost a lot of those in the early days
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and I'd given up on clematis. I thought those were clematis.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32It's only reading an article about these wonderful things
0:14:32 > 0:14:36that I thought, "Those sound much better," so I tried them.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39I bought every one I could see because they did turn out
0:14:39 > 0:14:40to be so good.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You will get a very good display
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and a very long life with Viticella
0:14:52 > 0:14:54if you plant them right in the first place.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57They do need food. You have to mulch them
0:14:57 > 0:15:00so you can maintain the moisture in the ground
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and make sure that they are well supported.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08But after that, it's just sitting back and enjoying them.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Every winter, I cut all the Viticellas down to the ground,
0:15:12 > 0:15:13it couldn't be easier.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18And in the spring, they start to throw new shoots up from the ground,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23and all of this, from here upwards, is this year's growth,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26which is amazing, actually, when you come to think about it.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Viticella species is a little bell, and a lot of the group have inherited
0:15:33 > 0:15:37that bell shape, but they are crossed with different clematis.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42So you have quite a wide variety of size and shape within the group.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Lots of Viticellas have unknown parentage.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55This one, I bought as a growing seedling of a white campaniflora,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00but when it flowered, it was actually this beautiful, inky purple bell
0:16:00 > 0:16:04with a silver back, and it's so floriferous and healthy
0:16:04 > 0:16:07that I feel very fortunate to have it.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10And I've called it Bolam bell - it's not registered
0:16:10 > 0:16:14but it's just delicious, really, and it produces so much seed -
0:16:14 > 0:16:17bucketfuls of seed, actually.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Most clematis produce a little bit of seed, but this is prolific,
0:16:21 > 0:16:27and it drops to the ground and seedlings will be growing in the gravel like mustard and cress.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29It's lovely to be able to put the fork in
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and to give them away to garden visitors, so they can be growing clematis
0:16:33 > 0:16:37and hopefully Bolam bell-type things in their garden.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Some of my favourites: 'Emilia Plater' is lovely,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50she has soft blue, crepey flowers, lots of them,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52and over a very long period.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56And 'Kermesina' is long-flowering,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01she has a red flower with a white centre, which really lights it up.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07And I suppose, one that is everybody's favourite is 'Huldene',
0:17:07 > 0:17:10she is white with mauve bars to the back -
0:17:10 > 0:17:13a very well-formed flower and a good doer.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24I just can't imagine the garden now without Clematis viticella.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28They are so colourful and they are such a fabulous backdrop
0:17:28 > 0:17:31that the garden would be less without them.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Heather's garden is open to the public by appointment,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and for more information, go to our website:
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I will be putting plenty of this compost underneath.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50This is actually not finished compost,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53this is from the second-to-last heap, as I want it to be bulky.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57And if you haven't got compost you could use paper,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01you could use straw, anything that will hold moisture,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04because clematis are thirsty and greedy,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07but compost or manure is ideal.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16If I take this out the pot, I want the soil level to be about there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19That will protect it against wilt.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22In fact, this is a group three clematis
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and they tend not to suffer from wilt, but group two do.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29If you've got a group two clematis - and those are all the named varieties,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31the hybrids that we are all so familiar with -
0:18:31 > 0:18:35plant them deep and if they get wilt, they'll grow back from the base.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Soil around the roots.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51The next phase is to give it a really good soak.
0:19:02 > 0:19:10Except for group one clematis - and group one are all the clematis that flower in spring -
0:19:10 > 0:19:12you should prune them back after you've planted,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and that will encourage good, new growth from the base.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19So we've got a nice, strong plant, which will help fill that wall.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25It's set now, and the final thing is to really mulch it,
0:19:25 > 0:19:26and don't stint on this.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Give clematis a thick mulch,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33because the one thing that guarantees good clematis is food.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48All this work is geared at making the wall look good,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50getting plenty of upright colour.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54That was a terrible weakness at Longmeadow when we came, because there was nothing.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57It was this great open, empty expanse
0:19:57 > 0:20:00and since then I've tried to get as much upright growth
0:20:00 > 0:20:02as I possibly can into the garden.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06And this week, Joe continues his design masterclass, looking at
0:20:06 > 0:20:10the different ways we can use those vertical elements in our gardens.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Once you've got your garden layout, the next thing to do is think about the vertical elements
0:20:22 > 0:20:27in the garden, how to break up all that space, especially at eye level.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Because otherwise you see the whole garden at once, and there's nothing more dull.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You want to create interest and be drawn through it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42With this formal layout, I will look at imposing more formality
0:20:42 > 0:20:46onto the garden, and maybe putting some trellising across here,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48so the view is funnelled straight down the middle,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and you also enter different rooms as you move through.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54On this informal layout,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58we're looking to maybe screen off the back area, create some seclusion,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01a sense of privacy towards the back, and then balance it out,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05so as you move through it, you want to see what's around that corner.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09On this garden, I can see very informal planting,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11just helping to break up the areas.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14If you put a tree over there, and there, and there,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18the balance of the planting to the hard landscaping is coming together.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21You see the elements breaking the space vertically,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and that is really important in any good garden design.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30There are plenty of ways to introduce vertical elements into the garden.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Depending on what you use, these can add rhythm, screening,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39or something to simply draw the eye, all adding to the garden design.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45There's a whole range of structures or plants to use to achieve a variety of effects.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49This garden has been designed using hedges to break up the vertical space.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54The Cornus behind me is above my eye level so I can't see over it,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57so I'm intrigued as to what's behind there.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03Whereas this box hedge does a really important job of breaking up a large expanse of lawn.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07But also, the height is key, because I can see most of the garden beyond,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09which makes me want to go and explore further.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17This beech hedge has been grown intentionally tall,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20to create a sense of seclusion and privacy behind it.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25It also creates a beautiful backdrop for this wonderful bench.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So when choosing vertical elements in your garden, think about
0:22:28 > 0:22:32what you're trying to achieve, and that will determine their height.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41When it comes to taller planting in your garden,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43there are quite a few considerations.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Something like this bamboo is absolutely perfect,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50it has a really strong vertical element, wonderful yellow stems
0:22:50 > 0:22:54that have been cleaned up, so you can partially see through them.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But what's great about bamboos is they haven't got too much spread,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00so they don't cast too much shade in the garden.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06The right vertical element in the right place can create a desire to
0:23:06 > 0:23:12explore areas of the garden, guiding you or your eye through the space.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16It doesn't have to block a view completely - an archway, obelisk
0:23:16 > 0:23:19or something that is partially see-through works really well.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21And customise structures -
0:23:21 > 0:23:27vintage finds and reclaimed objects make wonderful features.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30This structure cuts into the garden to divide up the garden space,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but as you come round and into it, you see it is actually a very
0:23:34 > 0:23:38generous, wide arch, and it funnels you through, it draws the eye in.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And then you realise it is actually L-shaped and it draws you
0:23:42 > 0:23:46around this corner, so I'm now running parallel to the garden wall.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There's this lovely pot at the end,
0:23:49 > 0:23:54and the whole thing takes me through to the next part of the garden.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58In all these gardens, the verticals are used to great effect.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00They hide secrets to be discovered,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03give rhythm to the space and physically guide you around,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06creating interesting gardens full of discovery.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It's about using all three dimensions.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14We've looked at the layout of a garden, how to introduce height,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18but, of course, a really good garden needs plenty of movement.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23So next time we're going to look at how to achieve that through focus and flow.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33I've tried to use verticals in every possible way in this garden,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and one of the things I've noticed is that
0:24:35 > 0:24:41if you make the entrance between two hedges as narrow as possible,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44that makes the vertical side seem taller, and it gets a kind of energy
0:24:44 > 0:24:47going upwards, and it works well in a garden of any size.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Talking about energy going upwards,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53last October I started an experiment with sweet peas.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57The idea is to find out the best time to sow them.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02I sowed a batch in October in pots which have been overwintering in the cold frames.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I shall sow another batch now, also into pots,
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and around the end of April, beginning of May, depending on the weather,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I shall also sow some seed directly into the soil.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I will grow the three batches side-by-side,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18the same piece of soil, the same seeds,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21under the same conditions, and we will just see which fares better.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I keep sowing sweet peas as simple as possible.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Just normal, peat-free potting compost, I don't soak them,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38I don't nick them, I just get them in and if they're kept watered,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40they'll germinate perfectly well.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45I use three-inch pots, which I find are very suitable
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and I put three seeds per pot.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50The idea is you plant the pot out in its entirety,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53rather than separating the seedlings.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So if one or two don't germinate, I still plant it out as is.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03These should germinate by the end of the week
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and grow quite fast at this time of year,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09so I'd expect to plant them out around about the middle of May,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12having hardened off and grown into nice, bushy plants.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Right, just give these some water...
0:26:21 > 0:26:22..and let them get on with it.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35That's a job done. Now, here are a few other jobs to do this weekend.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Any container plants, whether kept outside or indoors over winter,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48should be showing signs of new growth,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52so it's time to give them a little bit of encouragement.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Scrape away the top layer of compost in the container and replace it with fresh.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Make sure it's well watered,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and this will give it a boost to support all that fresh growth.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's important to keep seedlings moving on,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12otherwise they can very quickly outgrow their container.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15So prick out seedlings as soon as they have a true leaf,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18to give them more room for better root growth.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25With water shortages about, it's very important that we all collect as much rainwater as we can.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28You'll be surprised how much comes off even a small roof.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Use any kind of container and attach it to a downpipe,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and as long as you can dip into it to get the water out,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39it really doesn't matter what you use.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Inevitably at this time of year, if you've been sowing seeds
0:27:46 > 0:27:50since the New Year, you get this build-up of seedlings,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and yet it's still a bit early to plant a lot of them out.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56For example, these artichokes were sown in mid-January,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and they're developing nice little plants, but I don't want to
0:27:59 > 0:28:02put them into the garden for at least another month yet.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06This is where cold frames come in handy, because they can be stored
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and gradually hardened off by opening and closing them,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11and still protected at the same time.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13In fact, cold frames are so useful
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and not really given the credit they deserve, I don't think.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19You can raise plants in them, you can store them,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22you can harden them off, and it doesn't matter how big they are,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I bet you find you use every inch of them all the time.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29That's it for this week. We'll be back next week, of course,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32when it's Easter weekend, and more time in the garden.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34So until then, bye-bye.