0:00:08 > 0:00:11Hello. Welcome to Gardener's World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13About half an hour ago I thought I would come out,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16it was drizzling a bit and chilly, but I will get some planting done
0:00:16 > 0:00:20because I have a lot of young plants that I want to get into borders.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24The drizzle has now returned to sleet which is turning to snow.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26The forecast is terrible.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29We will battle on, and if it gets too bad I have a potting shed
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and lots to do in the greenhouse and seeds to sow as well.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36And tonight's programme is packed with stuff.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41This week, I will be showing you how to use perennials grown from seed
0:00:41 > 0:00:43to enrich your borders.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Growing any plan from seed is the cheapest
0:00:45 > 0:00:49and most satisfying way of raising plants.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53And Carol shows us how to grow them perfectly every time.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56There is no real mystique to sowing seeds,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00but you always must bear in mind four important factors.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Compost, light, temperature and water.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10Rachel returns to Didcot to visit the army wives and lends them a hand and making their cut flower garden.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That is amazing after five days.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This is an Aquilegia, 'Lime Sorbet', which I have not grown before,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37but have seen pictures of and really want it,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41so I bought a pack of seeds last year and sowed them.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43They will be just right, the colour scheme is white with
0:01:43 > 0:01:45touches of green for the Wall Garden.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The Wall Garden is the first bit of the garden we made,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and the colour scheme here is distinctly soft.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56We have whites, pinks, lemon yellows,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59all the colours that we don't have in the Jewel Garden.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And so anything I am adding to it wants to fit within that scheme,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and I think these Aquilegias will do well.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The important thing is that I grew them from seed,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11this is a perennial plant, it will last and self seed itself
0:02:11 > 0:02:12very freely.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But it is very, very easy to grow perennials from seed
0:02:16 > 0:02:20just as weather you grow annuals or vegetables.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Anybody can do it.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25You don't need a greenhouse, just a windowsill will do fine.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28And the range of plants you can get from the seed is much,
0:02:28 > 0:02:33much greater than anything you can buy as a plant.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38So, immediately you get into the practice of sowing from seed,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42the whole repertoire increases hugely and also the number of plants.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Look at these, three trays of plants, all planned for the Wall Garden.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Sown last year. We have two different types of Verbascum and one type of Aquilegia.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52That is three packets of seed.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Probably not all of three packets, total cost no more than £10.
0:02:56 > 0:03:03I have got myself 60 plants for 10 quid. That is really good value.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Talking of Verbascums, I have two types.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10I have Polarsummer, which is very apt for a freezing cold April day
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and one I haven't grown before called 'Spica'.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18I love Verbascums or Mulleins but they are not ideally
0:03:18 > 0:03:21suited to our soil, which is rich and heavy.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25They grow best on rather poor, free-draining soil.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29If you have a piece of ground where other plants are straining a bit,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Verbascums are ideal
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and will give you a dramatic and beautiful display.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41If you didn't sow any seeds yourself last year, there are still lots of
0:03:41 > 0:03:43small pot grown perennials available now.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Amongst my own favourites are Geums,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Oriental poppies, and Anchusa,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52all of which will provide vivid colour later in the season.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59I am using these Aquilegias to create a sort of rhythm and ripple
0:03:59 > 0:04:03running right around this Wall Garden.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It is great that I have plenty to do that.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But last summer, we went to visit a grower who is growing
0:04:11 > 0:04:17flowers from seed on a scale that is unimaginable for most gardeners.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Brian Herrick has been developing the gardens
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and sustainable farmland at Barcroft Hall in Somerset for the last 10 years.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33In 2010, an opportunity arose to diversify his range of crops even further.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37This was an area of land that we had recently acquired
0:04:37 > 0:04:40which was in a bit of a state.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45After we cultivated it, we were just about put in some normal arable crops,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47but it demanded more than that
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and what we have then decided to do, my wife and I, was to put it out to wildflowers.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The plan was to create a wildflower meadow that people could come and visit.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01A variety of annuals from around the world were planted in huge swathes.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Never our intention was just to have indigenous flowers,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10we wanted to show the diversity.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I work very closely with a butterfly expert
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and together we chose the right species of plants to put in,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21not only to give the right colour and attraction to insect life,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but also for the longevity of the plants and to make sure that we
0:05:24 > 0:05:27had the right plants coming up at the right time.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Weeks into the flowering
0:05:28 > 0:05:31it just looks like an impressionist painting.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And now it has gone into a different phase entirely.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37We are seeing more yellows and whites
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and splatterings of blue coming through.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44And there is an annual wild flower, we are seeing its birth and death.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53If you're a purist gardener, you would think,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55"I would never put that colour with that colour."
0:05:55 > 0:05:58But it really does work and everyone has really enjoyed it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00There are favourites of different people here.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03There are favourites of the children,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05they are looking at a lower level and looking
0:06:05 > 0:06:08at the Rose mallows here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And they love the Corncockles and the Camomile,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13and they certainly love the Cornflowers.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Adults have a different taste altogether.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18They are more into the poppies,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20and the little red Scarlet flax over here,
0:06:20 > 0:06:21which is my favourite.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25And the Cape daisy, which we have here.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26It is not just flowers here,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28we really wanted that connection
0:06:28 > 0:06:30between farming and what we have done here,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32we didn't want to be seen just as the flower farmer
0:06:32 > 0:06:35so whilst all this was going on and we were sowing all this
0:06:35 > 0:06:37we also came out with bags of barley,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41our bags of wheat and we swathed the wheat and the barley around here.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And it really does work well because you can see here
0:06:44 > 0:06:46there is barley here and it is looking lovely within the flowers.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Lots of people have asked us, how do we do it on a smaller scale?
0:06:54 > 0:06:55You can easily do it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59You're either going to sow it in an area that is already grassed
0:06:59 > 0:07:02or sow it on an area that is already cultivated.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Either way it's got to be clean.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06We either clear the grass or the weeds away.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10There are several methods for doing that.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15The first and easiest method would be to use proprietary herbicide with a sprayer.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Or you can use black plastic to cover the grass,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20or indeed newspaper with a mulch on top,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25and when the lights does not get to the grass, the grass will die and you can cultivate it later on.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31If you do not want to cover it with black plastic or newspaper
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and do not want to spray it, there's only one method
0:07:33 > 0:07:38and that is to use good old elbow grease and dig off the turf.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It is March-April time, and we will cultivate
0:07:42 > 0:07:46the soil as best we can and get it down to a lovely fine till
0:07:46 > 0:07:49ready for the broadcasting and distribution of the seed.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53We will broadcast it at a density of around three or four grams
0:07:53 > 0:07:54per square metre.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57After we have done all that we will roller it in hard or
0:07:57 > 0:07:59stamp it down with our feet and then
0:07:59 > 0:08:02we just wait for the flowers to appear.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I think that next year we will fundamentally do it the same if we can.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15We have learned a lot.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Everyone likes particular flowers and have said,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19"We would like some more poppies" and things like that.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23So what we are trying to do is to do what our visitors have asked us to do.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And I think more poppies, certainly.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Since making that film, Brian is making another 'Field of Dreams'
0:08:43 > 0:08:47in Japan as part of the Tsunami recovery process,
0:08:47 > 0:08:55to inspire and fill people with the beauty and peace that the field in Somerset has done.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58What I have noticed from that is that it was a marginal piece of land,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01it was a piece that was really not very good.
0:09:01 > 0:09:08It shows that you can turn a corner that you don't know what to do with into something really beautiful.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10That is what I intend to do here.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This is what we call 'The Mound', it is where we have heaped
0:09:13 > 0:09:20all of our subsoil and rubbish from paths and the pond excavations that have come here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23And I am going to pull this up this summer,
0:09:23 > 0:09:30make it circular and then plant the banks, that should be pretty steep, with wildflowers.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And I can start sowing those wildflowers now.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and the really good bit is that I can sow them indoors.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54I am soaked. That weighs a ton, it is so wet.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58The seed I gathered for The Mount is rather different
0:09:58 > 0:10:02to the Field of Dreams, which is this carpet of colour.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05The Mound obviously has a slope, so therefore it has drier
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and wetter parts, and also a different orientation.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12One side will be quite shady because it is north facing, or south facing,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16east facing and so on, so it needs to be a mix, which will include
0:10:16 > 0:10:18plants like Primroses,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21which will be great for the shadier, wetter part at the bottom.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Cowslips, which will do better near the top of The Mound,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27where the drainage is better and it gets more sunshine.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28But we have things like Red Clover
0:10:28 > 0:10:31which is a grassland flower,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Ragged robin which you get on the edges of the fields
0:10:33 > 0:10:36around here and so on and so forth.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37We can add to that.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40There is an initial investment in buying the seed,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43but it is nothing compared to the cost of buying plant
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and once you have then you can collect seed from them.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Here are envelopes of seeds that we have collected last year,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53so for example, we have Digitalis from the back of the Wall Garden,
0:10:53 > 0:10:59that's Foxgloves. And you can see here that if I take one of the seed heads
0:10:59 > 0:11:04and break it open, the seeds in there are tiny!
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Minute little seeds.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12I think that what is so extraordinary about this is these titchy little
0:11:12 > 0:11:18brown seeds will give rise to a three or four foot tall spiral of flower.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21By sowing the seed, you, the gardener,
0:11:21 > 0:11:27become part of that magic and rhythm of growth and regrowth and reseeding.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31That is thrilling. That really is the big thrill of gardening.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I take a seed tray and use my basic seed mix, which is a peat free
0:11:35 > 0:11:40potting compost mixed with quite a lot of vermiculite and a little bit of leaf mould
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and then just scatter the seed thinly.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48The rule of thumb is that it is better to be too thin than too thick.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53And that is pretty much it for these. After all, these want to grow.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59They grow well in the wild, but it can be a little daunting if you are starting out.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01This week, Carol is giving us
0:12:01 > 0:12:06the low-down on how to get your seeds to work every time.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19My garden is full of plants that I have grown from seed,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and occasionally, you come across something that you
0:12:22 > 0:12:24grew from seed but it has reached maturity,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27like this Trillium chloropetalum.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It is such a picture.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34But sowing seed is not always a straightforward process.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36We have received loads of e-mails
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and letters from people whose seeds are far from flourishing.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46We went to see one of our viewers to find out exactly what her problems were.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54My name is Margaret Scott, we have lived here for 15-20 years.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58I enjoy nothing better than to potter in the garden all day long.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01My problem is that I would like some help with my seeds.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06With the propagator, do I leave these vents open or closed?
0:13:06 > 0:13:11When should I take the lid off? Why has this compost gone green?
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Why are those seeds not germinating?
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Which compost do I choose at a garden centre? Do I use a special one? That is my problem.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25There is no real mystique to sowing seeds,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29but you have always got to bear in mind four important factors.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Compost, light, temperature and water.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36The first thing to consider is compost.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39What are you actually going to sow your seeds in?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It can be a little daunting when you turn up at the garden centre
0:13:41 > 0:13:45and there are so many to choose from.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48What you're after is one that calls itself a seed compost.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52The point about it is that it is going to be fine.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54That is what your seeds need.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It is going to be free draining and absolutely sterile.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03When you fill up your seed tray, really fill it up.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09You want the seeds as they develop to have that whole depth of soil to put down the little roots.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13And then just firm the whole thing down
0:14:13 > 0:14:17so it is flush or just under the level of the side of your container.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Seeds come in all sort of shapes and sizes
0:14:21 > 0:14:24but the great majority of them are fairly fine.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Occasionally, you will get something that is big.
0:14:27 > 0:14:34Things like sweet peas, beans, or stuff like this Calendula.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38This is an Indian Prince that I saved from the garden last year
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and each individual seed is quite a size.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45With them it is worth giving them their own module space.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51One seed, just sewing them like that but with these fine seeds,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54the process is quite different.
0:14:54 > 0:15:00This is a Larkspur Kingsized Scarlet, and when I'm sowing seed like this, fine seed,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I go around the edge of the tray first of all.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10The whole idea of doing this is, A, the seed is evenly distributed
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and B, you do not sow too many.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It pays to be sparing with your seed.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I am just going to cover it with grit now.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23People say, well, don't you have to put compost on there first?
0:15:23 > 0:15:30Perhaps in the case of things like tomatoes, it is worth spreading a very fine layer of sifted compost
0:15:30 > 0:15:35so the seeds just disappear, but even then,
0:15:35 > 0:15:41afterwards, I use grit. I am just going to cover the surface of the tray.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I prefer using grit because it is heavier
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and there's no build-up of algae on top of it.
0:15:48 > 0:15:55Margaret was using vermiculite. It doesn't really matter.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57People say, "You have just said you don't cover the seed!"
0:15:57 > 0:16:04But plenty of light can still get through all of the individual little stones here.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05The next stage is to water them.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Pour around an inch or two of water into the bottom of the container
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and then gently place in your seed trays, allowing the water to
0:16:16 > 0:16:20slowly soak the compost but not wash the seeds away.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26This is the sort of propagator that Margaret has.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31I find them very useful for people with limited space who want
0:16:31 > 0:16:34to get things going really quickly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Margaret is very concerned about when and whether
0:16:36 > 0:16:39to actually use these vents and open them up.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43They are not very big, they do not let a lot of air in there.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49I think a better idea if you are getting condensation in there is to take the whole thing off, shake it,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54get rid of all that moisture and then return it if necessary.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56What is happening, when you keep this lid on,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59there is lots of moisture in there.
0:16:59 > 0:17:05You're cutting down on the lights but also creating very turgid sort of conditions in there.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I think that is the problem with this greening of the compost
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and the vermiculite.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I think that Margaret should be a bit brave
0:17:13 > 0:17:17and take this lid off when she sees the seeds have germinated.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Once the first leaves start appearing, you are ready to
0:17:23 > 0:17:27prick out your seedlings into modules or a pot and grow them on for a bit
0:17:27 > 0:17:29until they are ready to stand on their own two feet.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Margaret, I hope that gives you a few ideas about what could
0:17:35 > 0:17:38have been going wrong and how to put it right.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43The very best of success to you in the future with your seed sowing efforts.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46It is lovely growing things from seed, it is wonderful to see
0:17:46 > 0:17:52that those tiny seeds germinate and grow into great big strong plants.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55But the best thing of all is when you bring your grown-up plant
0:17:55 > 0:18:00out into the garden and take it for a walk and find the perfect
0:18:00 > 0:18:05spot to put it in for it to join your garden community.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21I am pruning this honeysuckle,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23which is one of the jobs you can do in the rain.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27And didn't the weather look nice down in Carol's garden?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Not like it is here, because I know you can't see cold on television
0:18:30 > 0:18:32but believe you me, it is freezing.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34However, I will get this done, this will warm me up.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39This is Lonicera Fragrantissima, 'Winter flowering honeysuckle.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:44Absolutely delicious little white flowers with beautiful fragrance.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46And now is the time to prune it,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49because it flowers on wood made the previous year.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53I.e, wood that will grow from this spring and summer onwards.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57There is no point in trying to make it look too fancy, I just want
0:18:57 > 0:19:01to remove some of the oldest wood and that will generate new growth
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and we will get a fresh flush of flowers.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07You can see that last year, I cut part of this right back down to
0:19:07 > 0:19:11the ground there, but it has thrown up these new shoots.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15So you can just cut them right off and that will reshape it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It will always be a fairly scrubby plant, so I will take out
0:19:18 > 0:19:22part of it, thin it a bit and then take stock of when I have done that.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28After removing any crossing or deadwood,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31you can rejuvenate the plant by pruning up to
0:19:31 > 0:19:35a third of the oldest stems, cutting them right at the base.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Other early flowering shrubs such as Flowering currants
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and Forsythia are precisely can be treated in the same way.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51This can all be shredded and added to the compost heap.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Last week, Rachel went to Didcot to meet a group of army wives
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and help them set up a cut flower garden that they can
0:19:58 > 0:20:01make from seed which will come to fruition in just a year.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04She has gone back to see how they are getting on.
0:20:07 > 0:20:14The 11 EOD regiment is the British Army's specialist counterterrorist bomb disposal unit.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18The work they do is highly controlled and specialised.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22As part of the regiment's welfare, the Army has set up
0:20:22 > 0:20:28a community garden for families and military personnel at the barracks in Didcot Oxfordshire,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and I am back to check on progress.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I am looking forward to seeing what has been happening here.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37It is only five days since I was last year.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40These raised beds, they have definitely topped them up a bit more,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43but I think they need a bit more compost,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45so we will sort that later on.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50There were greenhouses... They have moved. They have been shifting things about. Let's have a look.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57After five days, I do not think you would expect to see much happening.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00We have a little bit here on the Cosmos,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02just starting to come through.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08The Statis, lots of little shoots there. And the Zinnias.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13We definitely have leaves there. And they are sowing seeds inside so we'll have a look at those
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and see how they are coming along.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19'The majority of the work is being done by the Army wives.'
0:21:20 > 0:21:23This is where the party is happening!
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I thought you would be gardening in this lovely weather.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30It is nice to see you all, I thought I would come and see how you are getting on with the seeds.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I know you have sown some here. Sasha, you were in charge.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- Let me see what you have done so far. - Oh, OK,- How it is getting on.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41These ones have been left inside.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Right, oh yes. That is remarkable.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48In five days to have gotten all that...
0:21:48 > 0:21:52And here, lots and lots of them. They are leaning towards the light.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55One day of dealing with that is just simply on a daily basis,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59turn them around and that will force them to straighten themselves up again.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Are these sweet peas in here? They normally take a bit longer.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04From what I can see...
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Oh, no. You have, you have, you have!
0:22:07 > 0:22:09No. One, two...
0:22:09 > 0:22:13- That's amazing after five days. - Thank you.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17The beds have been filled with a good quality mix of soil and compost,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19but they aren't ready for seeds yet.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22The mix is still full of air and needs consolidating
0:22:22 > 0:22:24before any seeds get sown.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29- Can you do that?- Yes.- Yes, I think you can. So hop up on here.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33And in the corners.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39That's looking good, but I think what we're going to do now is make
0:22:39 > 0:22:40what we call a fine till,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43which is just a nicely prepared seedbed on the top.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45So if you just take a rake through it,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47you're just evening up the surface.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Really good weather today, as well, for it. Whoopsie! For sowing seed.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Carry on filling up the other beds,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and we'll do exactly the same thing all the way round.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59OK, Rachel, you're not going anywhere.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Now, you were really keen on growing the sweet peas last week.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Yeah, that's right, yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- And we've got masses, haven't we? - We do.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So what I thought was maybe in the middle of these raised beds,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11we could put some sort of support and grow them
0:23:11 > 0:23:13up there in the middle, get some nice height.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- That would be lovely. - They'll look pretty.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19About that far apart, something like that.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23'It's as easy as using hazel poles
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'and garden twine to create supports for the sweet peas and climbers.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'We have seeds germinating indoors,
0:23:30 > 0:23:35'but I also want to show how to sow seeds directly into the soil.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I think probably what we'll do here is just divide
0:23:37 > 0:23:41these spaces into the four quadrants, if you like.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And put something different into each one.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47'There's nothing easier than making seed drills
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'in the surface of the soil with your fingertip.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Now, the reason we're going to sow these in rows is that
0:23:54 > 0:23:57when the seedlings come up, you'll be able to tell
0:23:57 > 0:24:00which ones are seedlings, hopefully, and which ones are weeds.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02I'm just going to take a tiny pinch in my fingers
0:24:02 > 0:24:06and just try and very thinly spread it along each row.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10'But enough talking and more doing.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14'And it seems that the garden has already had a positive effect
0:24:14 > 0:24:15'on the families.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I've just started doing some more gardening.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20I think doing this one has inspired me a bit.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I love doing this. It's therapeutic.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I'm a bit of a haphazard gardener, I just throw it in,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31so I'm getting some good tips here.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Give the sweet peas a little water as well,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37just by the base of the hazel.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Good luck. I think you're off to a great start, and I'll see you soon.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- Bye!- Bye!
0:24:53 > 0:24:58I tell you what, it won't be long before that is a MASS of colour and
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Rachel will go back in a few weeks to see how they're getting along.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Now, these veg in the greenhouse are getting along really well,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07as they always do at this time of year.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It's really the best way to grow salad crops,
0:25:10 > 0:25:15in this very lean period before the outdoor stuff has got going.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21There's good spinach and rocket and lettuce and corn salad,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and the radish that I sowed direct is also shaping up nicely.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It needs a bit of thinning.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It doesn't have to be too radical, because you can eat the things...
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Pull that up.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33In fact, you can eat that. Or keep them.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And just work down the row, thinning them a little.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Now, whether you grow flowers or prefer to grow veg,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46here are some jobs you can get on with this weekend.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53If you sowed your sweet peas last autumn or early in the year,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56the chances are that by now they've become strong
0:25:56 > 0:25:58but rather straggly plants.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It's a good idea to pinch out the leading shoots,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03just above a pair of leaves.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07This will encourage them to become strong, bushy plants that will
0:26:07 > 0:26:10grow much more vigorously after they've been planted.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I spotted my first lily beetle the other day,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22which was on a giant fritillary.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26They will munch fritillaries to shreds just as readily as any lily.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29They're bright red, so thankfully easy to see,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32because the only way to get rid of them is to look for them,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34hand-pick them and then destroy them.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Your carefully sown young seedlings can be destroyed overnight
0:26:44 > 0:26:48by a greedy slug or snail, so it's important to regularly check
0:26:48 > 0:26:53beneath seed trays, plugs and pots to remove any that you find.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05With all this seed sowing,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08inevitably, you're building up a backlog of seedlings,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and it is important
0:27:10 > 0:27:13to keep them moving, and that means pricking them out
0:27:13 > 0:27:15and making sure that they grow in slightly richer compost
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and also have more room.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20You know the time to prick them out
0:27:20 > 0:27:23is when they develop a true leaf, and you can see here on this cosmos -
0:27:23 > 0:27:27this is cosmos "Bright Lights" - that the true leaf has appeared.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29These are the seed leaves,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32but the true leaf is characteristic of the mature plant.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35It looks like a cosmos leaf.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Then I know that there are roots underneath.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Now, always when you handle a seedling, you hold it by a leaf
0:27:42 > 0:27:44and not by the stem.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49There we go. It's got really quite substantial roots on it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51As long as the plant itself.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56I'm going to prick those into plugs rather than individual pots,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because they'll grow perfectly well in a plug
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and then can be potted on later.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05And this is not a seed compost.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07It's got a little bit of added goodness,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11a bit of garden compost so that the plant grows a bit stronger.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16If I take that and then just work it in.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20This is a perfect rainy day job, quietly working through this.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24It looks like it's going to rain for the rest of today.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25But whatever it's like,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27rain or shine,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I'll be back here next week, so I'll see you then.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Bye-bye.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd