0:00:07 > 0:00:10Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Now, Easter is the biggest weekend in the gardeners' calendar.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It's the first holiday of the year and the chance
0:00:17 > 0:00:19either to tackle a big project,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23or just potter happily around the garden.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32This week, Carol's in Lincolnshire to celebrate the glorious daffodil.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36From the native Lent lily to the hundreds of garden varieties.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40It announces the spring. It trumpets it.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45It's a clarion call to feel happy and to just enjoy the season.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Gathering a bunch of home-grown flowers is one of gardening's
0:00:48 > 0:00:52greatest treats and Rachel is helping a group of novice gardeners
0:00:52 > 0:00:56raise their own cup flowers from seed.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59And Joe concludes his series of design masterclasses
0:00:59 > 0:01:02by showing how the careful use of focal points
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and feature plants can enhance even the smallest garden.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17For many of us, Easter is the first weekend of the year
0:01:17 > 0:01:19that we really get to grips with our vegetable garden.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This veg plot was made last year with the aim of growing
0:01:24 > 0:01:26enough produce to support an average family -
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and I think it did really well -
0:01:28 > 0:01:32but, hopefully, in its second year, it'll do even better.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38One of the long standing Easter jobs is the planting of potatoes.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41In fact, I've already put in a couple of rows
0:01:41 > 0:01:44of very early ones and I'm going to fill this bed
0:01:44 > 0:01:46just with first early potatoes,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48with lots of varieties, as a kind of test.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Last year, my first earlies were really disappointing.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I had red Duke of York, which is beautiful potato.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59It's a pinky, red oval shape. It grew pretty well
0:01:59 > 0:02:01so I harvested it on my birthday,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03as I always do with the first new potatoes,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and boiled them up and went to eat them and they were not good.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09They broke up as soon as they were ready to eat
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and the taste was very poor. That was true of the whole batch.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I thought it was just me, but then I had lots of letters -
0:02:16 > 0:02:18people saying exactly the same experience -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and I found out it was down to the cold weather
0:02:21 > 0:02:23we had in May, June and July
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and that altered the structure of the potato.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29So they grew OK, but it was this breaking up on boiling
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and this very, very bland taste.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Nothing we can do about the weather,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35but we can grow them as well as possible.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Planting potatoes is dead easy.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I start by drawing a deep drill,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and a mattock is the ideal tool for this,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and add a few inches of compost along the bottom of it,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53then place the seed tubers about 18 inches apart.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56See, these are chitted so they've got nice knobbles
0:02:56 > 0:03:01and you can just rub off any surplus chits.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07So you've got one nice, strong and knobbly shoot at the top.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11'Then draw the soil back over the planted potatoes.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13'The rows do need to be far enough apart to allow room
0:03:13 > 0:03:17'for earthing up later on when the new foliage appears.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19'This will protect them from any late frost
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'as well as ensuring the emerging tubers aren't exposed to light.'
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Normally, I grow just a couple of varieties of new potatoes,
0:03:27 > 0:03:32but this year, I thought I'd try five or six different types
0:03:32 > 0:03:35just for the taste. After all, this about food not gardening.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38The gardening is all leading to the plate.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42And because last year's taste was so disappointing,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45I thought I'd do a little taste test.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I've got three varieties I have grown before
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and three I haven't.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I'm planting Duke of York,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Swift, Winston, International Kidney,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Sharpe's Express and Foremost.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04For more information about each variety, check our website.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Right, that's done. Now, of course, Easter varies in time,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13so you can plant your potatoes any time from the middle of March
0:04:13 > 0:04:17to the end of April, but the one flower you can guarantee
0:04:17 > 0:04:20to be out at Easter time, in some form or other, is the daffodil.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32As we approach Easter, once again a familiar friend returns
0:04:32 > 0:04:34to our gardens.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38It's the true harbinger of spring - the daffodil.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And here at Doddington Hall in Lincolnshire
0:04:41 > 0:04:45they're not just blooming, they're absolutely flourishing.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53This must be a most optimistic wild flower.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57It announces the spring. It trumpets it.
0:04:57 > 0:05:03It's a clarion call to feel happy and to just enjoy the season.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Narcissus pseudonarcissus - the Lent lily
0:05:07 > 0:05:11because of the time of year when it first appears.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17It just epitomises spring and it's such a tough, robust little flower,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20yet it looks so delicate and dainty.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24From this bulb buried deep in the ground,
0:05:24 > 0:05:29up thrusts these shoots with these straight little leaves
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and then the flower - this big, bright yellow trumpet.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36And it makes these great dancing colonies
0:05:36 > 0:05:38that just waft in the breeze.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Doddington is the ancestral home of Antony Jarvis.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Ever since they were first introduced over 150 years ago,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57daffodils have become an integral part of the landscape.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04I really haven't seen such a magnificent array of daffodils.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06These chestnuts are just...
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They are. People don't believe them when they see them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I've never seen anything like them.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16They're so alien and strange that people don't even recognise them
0:06:16 > 0:06:17as being sweet chestnut.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20But they make the perfect foil for the daffodils?
0:06:20 > 0:06:21They do, yes.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- Can you always remember there being daffodils here?- Oh, yes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27That's one of the things that got me going as a child.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I'd go out - as a toddler, really, -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and nobody'd mind you picking daffodils because there were so many
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and I'd discover there were different ones and I'd come back
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and see how many different ones I could find
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and I'm still doing it now with a little bit more method.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46So, these have been planted since, what, Victorian times?
0:06:46 > 0:06:50I'd say yes. Erm, which is when it all started.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55I think they started, probably, by digging up their own or other people's
0:06:55 > 0:06:58wild ones and bringing them in and that's what we've got in the wild garden.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01One of the nice things about here is, whatever else we've got,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06we've got this background, always, of the seeded wild ones.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11The fact that they reproduce by seeding and don't clump up.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So you're saying that Narcissus pseudonarcissus,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18our wildy one, increases by seed.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21That's why you should see them in a wood or a meadow in Devon,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24they are spread out and spotted.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27You'll see another area where somebody's planted daffs 20 years ago
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and they're big clumps.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32When you glimpse across here, you can see these great clumps
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- of just one variety. - Well, that's what I've tried to do.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39That's why we've got the pale Dove Wings there,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41which are quite modern, very beautiful.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Then beyond are the stronger yellows
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and I'm hoping, eventually, to get more of these sort of
0:07:46 > 0:07:48patches of colour.
0:07:48 > 0:07:55So it's segregating them and making a bolder, more integrated statement.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Yes, which matches the pattern of the gardener.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07So that each cultivar can be enjoyed for its unique characteristics,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12Antony has embarked on a mission to segregate the many varieties
0:08:12 > 0:08:15of daffodils growing here at Doddington.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Over the last 25 years, he estimates that he's moved
0:08:19 > 0:08:25or planted at least 150,000 bulbs.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The thing is, you've got a thick turf and if you simply dig in
0:08:28 > 0:08:32- and heave out...- Lever.- ..you can't get them out through the turf
0:08:32 > 0:08:34and if you try, you'll break them off.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38What you need to do is just make a little cut alongside the plant -
0:08:38 > 0:08:41as close as you dare without cutting the stem...
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- And without cutting the bulb. - Yes. You just chop in a bit
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and then you try and go right down under and haul up.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52As they come up, you just take it firmly and gently ease it out.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- And hope that...- And it comes out with the roots on.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59And then, with these, what would you do?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Immediately go and transplant them?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05We can simply move them into the patch where they belong.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And just go in nice and deep,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13pull back, just slip the thing in and tread it down
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- and that's it.- Just tuck them in and tread then down.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And tomorrow, they'll be standing up as though nothing has happened.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The daffodil growing heritage has been kept
0:09:24 > 0:09:26well and truly alive here at Doddington,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31but for me, the real treat is being able to wonder amongst
0:09:31 > 0:09:34the carpets of Lent lilies in the wild garden.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37What an inspiring sight.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43Could you be anything but happy when you see this beautiful host?
0:09:43 > 0:09:49And when you look at those flowers, their simplicity, their innocence,
0:09:49 > 0:09:55their beauty just reminds you that wild flowers have a grace
0:09:55 > 0:09:56and a quality
0:09:56 > 0:10:01that none of their over-bred cultivars could ever aspire to.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Aren't we lucky to have the wild daffodil as part of our heritage?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12If you're planning a garden visit this bank holiday weekend,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15then go to our website for a list of other gardens
0:10:15 > 0:10:17that are going to be looking wondrous.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27We've had a number of messages this week concerning daffodils
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and problems that have arisen from them.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32In fact, Sally Hallam, Maureen Cann
0:10:32 > 0:10:37and Nina Tidy have all written in to say they've planted daffodils
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but they've come up with lots of foliage but without flowers.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Actually, this is a problem I've got here,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44although it's not such a problem for me,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49because we planted masses of little pseudonarcissus to complete the ones that we've had for years
0:10:49 > 0:10:54here in the cricket pitch, and very, very, very few have come up.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56But I know why that is.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58It's because they often don't flower in the first year,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02and also, it was really dry last September and October.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04So these poor little bulbs were going into dry ground
0:11:04 > 0:11:05and were desiccated.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09So the first lesson is to give them a good soak,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12particularly around September-October time.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13And that will help.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Also, be patient, give them another year or two,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and then they will flower.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22But if you've got daffodils that HAVE been flowering regularly,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and then suddenly don't, it's probably because they're congested
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and they're exhausting their food supplies,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31so the best thing to do is divide them, and if you divide them
0:11:31 > 0:11:33and move them up,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35they're much more likely to flower better the following year.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And give them a feed of liquid seaweed.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40With a bit of luck, I think they should flower fine.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I certainly hope that these do next year.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Now, you may not grow daffodils at all, but it's Easter weekend,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and there is masses to do.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50If you have a large clump of primroses,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54now is the perfect time to dig it up,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58to divide it whilst it's still in flower or just finished flowering.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Pull it apart into separate plants which can be spaced out
0:12:01 > 0:12:04about six inches to a foot apart.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The roots will immediately establish and grow well,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10ready for a fabulous display next spring.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19At this time of year, although the grass is growing quickly,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22there are places that can seem more mud than grass,
0:12:22 > 0:12:23particularly on our paths.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The problem is compaction.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And the best way to deal with it is to work a fork into the ground,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33loosening it and letting air in and allowing the roots to grow free.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And in a week or two, the grass will green up
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and it will look perfect again.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46If you sow some peas now and again in a month's time
0:12:46 > 0:12:50and even perhaps a few weeks after that, you should have a good supply
0:12:50 > 0:12:54from late spring right through till late summer.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58I like to sow a double row, and I use a board to space them apart,
0:12:58 > 0:13:03putting each pea about two or three inches apart from each other.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Leave plenty of room between the rows, as after all,
0:13:07 > 0:13:12you need to be able to walk down them harvesting your delicious peas.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I never get bored of this sowing of seed year after year,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23but of course the structure of the garden has taken ages to make.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26There are a lot of people who never get that opportunity,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30even though they have gardens, because they have to move on regularly.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And Rachel has been to see one such group,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and shown them how they can make a garden
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and make it look beautiful in just a year.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47'I've come to 11 EOD Regiment's barracks in Didcot, Oxfordshire
0:13:47 > 0:13:49'to help them with an exciting new project.'
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Good morning.- Good morning. Can I help you?- Yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- I've come to do some gardening.- Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:5911 EOD is the British Army's specialist counter-terrorist
0:13:59 > 0:14:01bomb disposal unit.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06The work they do is highly controlled and specialised.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12The regiment's men and women are deployed around the world,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and even when they're at home, they're on call 24 hours a day.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So when it comes to family life at the barracks,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22they try to live as normally as possible.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- Thank you. Here's your pass. - Brilliant. Thank you.- OK. Thank you.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29'As part of the regiment's welfare, the army has set up
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'a community-based gardening initiative to enhance life on the barracks.'
0:14:34 > 0:14:36They've got lots of outdoor space,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39but they can't really make gardens here,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41because they don't live here permanently,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and also, they have to return the grounds
0:14:43 > 0:14:46in exactly the same state in which they found them when they leave.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51'A large house on the barracks has been converted into a child-friendly community centre,
0:14:51 > 0:14:57'where the soldiers and their families can meet and make friends.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'It's also home to something completely new. A communal garden.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06There's so much potential here, really is a lot of room.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07We can do a lot with this.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Hello, everybody!
0:15:09 > 0:15:12'These army wives are novice gardeners.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'They want to fill their new garden with flowers.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'It's my job to help them get started by showing them
0:15:18 > 0:15:20'how to grow their own from seed.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:25- Bring your wheelbarrow!- See what you like the look of. You like that one?
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Sweet peas, they're fantastic and have a wonderful fragrance
0:15:31 > 0:15:32and children love them too.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So why have you chosen those? What do you like about them?
0:15:35 > 0:15:36Just the colours, really.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- So you like them bright?- Yeah.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Always have a little bit of white in there as well.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Although you want to have really nice, bright, rich colours,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47you need that white just to sort of really give
0:15:47 > 0:15:49that little bit of sparkle as well.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'While I'm finding out what they want to grow, outside,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'an army of contractors are building raised beds with one
0:15:57 > 0:16:02'of the driving forces behind the project, welfare warrant officer Mike Pearce.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:07I hope that Rachel can spur the families on to bigger and better things.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09This is good therapy for families.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13My dream would be to have one of these areas in every base.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16'The existing soil is very poor,
0:16:16 > 0:16:21'so the new raised beds are being filled with good-quality compost and topsoil.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23'But this is no instant makeover,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27'as the army wives have to grow the majority of the plants from seed.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29'And they're starting from scratch.'
0:16:29 > 0:16:32So basically you just want to fill the trays with compost.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Big handfuls of it. This is a multi-purpose compost,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39peat-free, but it's also specially for seeds.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45'We got started on the garden by sowing seeds in different containers, trays, tubes and modules.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49'Broadcast sowing is the simplest way to sow seed,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52'which is evenly spaced over the surface of the compost.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:57All we need to do is put a very thin layer of compost on the top,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and you can get sieves that will do that,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02but actually, I tend to just take a handful and just kind of
0:17:02 > 0:17:08use my hands to drizzle it on like that, so you get a good dusting.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12And then most importantly, write a label.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'I've always found that a great way to water seed trays is to soak them
0:17:16 > 0:17:17'in a few centimetres of water.'
0:17:17 > 0:17:21And that'll be enough just to give it a good watering
0:17:21 > 0:17:23without dislodging the seeds.
0:17:23 > 0:17:29'Up next are modules as a great way to reduce root disturbance.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:32So what you want to do is aim to get maybe two or three maximum
0:17:32 > 0:17:35in each little module, try and space them out
0:17:35 > 0:17:37so they're not right on top of each other.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39'Finally, the sweet peas.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'Biodegradable tubes are the perfect choice for them.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'They can be planted directly in the soil once the plants have grown
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'so that their deep roots are undisturbed.'
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- Have you chosen what you want to sow?- Yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I've chosen the flame, cos that's what my little boy wanted,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58but I quite like the idea of having Winston Churchill ones.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Well, it seems very apt to have that. Why don't you do half and half, then?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Tip them out into your hand so you can have a look.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08And I would just push one into the centre of each.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Gosh, Amy, your nails are so beautiful for gardening!
0:18:11 > 0:18:16'While we've been busy sowing seeds, the plot has been taking shape,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21'and all this activity has created a bit of a stir on the barracks.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'And it's not long before others can't resist joining in.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:30They won't grow yet!
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Oh! Ah!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36THEY LAUGH
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Well, I can assure you it happens to the best of us,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and Rachel will be following the progress of the flower garden over the next few months.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Now, in the damp garden, our new pond is ready for its next phase.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57Now, I can't be clumsy with this, because, A, they're very heavy,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and, B, I don't want to puncture the liner.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03But what I am doing is hiding it and protecting it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Because we've got it into place, tucked it all in,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10the reflections are fantastic, the water's had a chance to settle down,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and now the next thing to do is get on with planting,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16but I can't plant until I've got stone in place.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Now, I've had this pile of stone accumulating over the last 20 years.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36Some of it we dug up,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40some of it were left over from little building projects.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42They're heavy, they're awkward,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but they're exactly what I want in style
0:19:45 > 0:19:48because although we've got this very formal shape,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the planting will be informal and I want the stones to be that link
0:19:51 > 0:19:54between the formal water and the informal edges.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Of course there'll be lots of planting in the water too,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00so it should all blend and merge together
0:20:00 > 0:20:03whilst retaining a real sense of structure.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06And eventually, I don't want to see the liner at all
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and want to know that it's protected and going to stay in place.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13So let's put that in there. That's it.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I don't really want them all the same height but, of course,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23plants will soften that because I can plant in-between them.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Just come out a bit.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32There's a very shallow shelf here, if I put my hand in,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and, of course, that's where I'll put marginal plants in pots,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38so this will soften and break it up and hide it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:47The key thing is to be really happy with each stone before you move on,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50then you can plant and, of course, that is very flexible
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and that's where you really start to play.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But the structure is vital
0:20:55 > 0:20:59and Joe, in the last of his design masterclass, looks at the way
0:20:59 > 0:21:03a structure not only has to work in a fixed, stationary way,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07but also it's got to have flow and movement through it.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So far we've looked at boundaries, layout,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18landscaping and vertical elements.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24The next thing to think about is focus and flow, drawing the eye
0:21:24 > 0:21:28into key areas in the garden and how the different areas relate
0:21:28 > 0:21:31to each other and feel relatively seamless as you move through them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40So, with this very formal layout, it's pretty obvious here, really,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43because the eye is being drawn right up the middle of the garden
0:21:43 > 0:21:47so you've got to see something at the end, the eye can't be disappointed.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Nice and formal and then as you enter this middle area,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55again maybe a feature on either side, adding a bit of ornamentation,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59but just helping the whole design to sit comfortably together there.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03With this informal layout, I like the idea that the eye is drawn
0:22:03 > 0:22:08diagonally across the space, the long view of the garden maximising it.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And with the plants, we're also looking to create a simple rhythm
0:22:11 > 0:22:13using plants quite graphically,
0:22:13 > 0:22:18so here I can see maybe three box balls and then echoed down there.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Structural planting that's going to help the garden flow together.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Here, a trio of olive trees is repeated throughout the garden,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31linking together its different areas.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Repetition throughout a garden is an important part of the design.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's relaxing to the eye and it helps pull the spaces together.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47One element of flow to consider is to try and create the garden
0:22:47 > 0:22:51where you don't actually end up going down a dead end and turning back.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54This garden is really successful in that respect, because there's
0:22:54 > 0:22:57movement all the way through it.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00As you come down from the terrace, you come through the path
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and then round to the area where I'm sitting now,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05but then rather than having me go back that way,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08there's a way around another path that leads you
0:23:08 > 0:23:12back round to the lawn and back up to the terrace,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14so the route through the garden becomes a journey
0:23:14 > 0:23:18and you get rewarded at every turn.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23Those rewards, like sculptures and features, can be a real treat,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26especially when the garden design draws you to a special spot
0:23:26 > 0:23:27to find them.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32As I walk down this path towards the gap in the hedge,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I get a glimpse of something shiny.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36I can't quite see what it is
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and then I enter this circular outdoor room
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and I'm not disappointed because there's this wonderful modern sculpture.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Without it, this space would feel so empty,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49but it's pulled me physically close up to it.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54When it comes to features and plants, I find that opting for simple
0:23:54 > 0:23:57rather than complicated choices will help stop
0:23:57 > 0:24:00the garden from looking cluttered and confused.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Also, the number you choose can have a strong influence on the effect
0:24:04 > 0:24:06you're trying to create.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09When you're buying plants or ornaments for your garden,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12think about the quantities that you're buying.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16If you buy two, then you have quite a static composition because your eye
0:24:16 > 0:24:20just bounces between the two and it's perfect for say framing a doorway,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23adding a sense of formality to the garden.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26But the minute that you bring a third one in,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30you've instantly created some movement between them.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The eye constantly moves rather than just bobbing between two,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36so the odd numbers will lend themselves to a more flowing,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41naturalistic style, whereas, if you use even numbers,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45it's going to create a more static, formal, symmetrical design.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50These garden designs are effective because every choice
0:24:50 > 0:24:55about every feature has been made with the bigger picture in mind.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Garden furniture, of course it's somewhere to sit,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00but it can also be much more than that.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05It can become a sculptural element in your garden that draws your eye
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and just looks fabulous.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I love this wave-shaped bench.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15Just because it's a finishing touch, don't make it an afterthought.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18For me, gardens work best when there's a definite colour scheme
0:25:18 > 0:25:22that extends to all the elements of the garden from the planting to pots,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and the hard landscaping to the furniture.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Careful garden styling will hold your space together
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and will go a long way to creating a garden that is a great success.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Before we began to dig the pond,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46we lifted all the plants from the damp garden and potted them up.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Now they're all starting to put on vigorous new growth
0:25:48 > 0:25:51so I'm keen to get them back into the ground.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53This is a hosta
0:25:53 > 0:25:59and you can see that it's bursting out with these foliage spikes
0:25:59 > 0:26:03that will then unfurl into great fat leaves and now is
0:26:03 > 0:26:07the perfect moment to chop it up and divide it to make new plants.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12To do this I need to take it out of the pot
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and I don't want to damage the foliage, so this is a bit tricky.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20There you are. There's the plant.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23If I pop that on there...
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Now, I could make as many as half a dozen really substantial
0:26:27 > 0:26:32plants out of this because, in theory, each one of these will make
0:26:32 > 0:26:35a new plant as long as they've got a bit of root attached.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38However, I think I'm just going to divide it into two because I want
0:26:38 > 0:26:44nice big plants, so I'm going to cut a line down there like a cake.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The key to dividing hostas is to be brave.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52It's a fairly corky, solid chunk of root in there
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and if you go too tentatively, you can actually damage it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59So choose your line with a sharp spade and then go for it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07That's it, and there you are.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11You can see it's sliced through the roots
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and that will be a healthy plant and because it is divided,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17it'll actually grow stronger and with more vigour.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23So...I've got one there and another there.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Now, if your soil is at all light, it's really worth enriching it
0:27:28 > 0:27:30with compost when planting hostas.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35What they like is rich, damp soil and the drier they are,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39or the drier the soil is, the more shade they need.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41If it's nice, damp soil, they can be in full sun.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49That can go like that.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And this one...in here.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07If you can imagine that they'll come up with these great leaves
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I'll want to just arch down over the stone,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14so it'll soften up all these rather regulated edges.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18I can work round the pond creating that effect just with the plants we've got.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20We shouldn't need to buy any at all really for the outside.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24As for the stone, I'm going to spend the rest of this long weekend
0:28:24 > 0:28:27carefully doing it, taking my time,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31just satisfying myself that it looks spot on and dead right
0:28:31 > 0:28:32and then in a couple of weeks,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36we can start planting the pond itself, which will be good.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Whatever you're doing, enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend
0:28:39 > 0:28:40and I'll see you back here at Longmeadow
0:28:40 > 0:28:43at the same time next week. Bye-bye.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd