0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello, welcome back to a new series of Gardeners' World.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08I can feel spring flexing its muscles.
0:00:08 > 0:00:14The garden is just beginning to come alive and the sun is shining.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Now, this year, I shall be mainly gardening here
0:00:22 > 0:00:24in my own garden at Longmeadow.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29As well as some regular visits to her own home,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Carol will be travelling the country, looking at plants
0:00:32 > 0:00:37that originated abroad but that have made themselves at home here.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40This week, she is celebrating the brightest
0:00:40 > 0:00:42and purest display of the season.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47The very first snowdrop you see announces that winter
0:00:47 > 0:00:50is on its way out and spring is on its way in.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Joe begins this year with a four-week masterclass
0:00:54 > 0:00:56on planting design.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Each week, he will be exploring a different style,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03starting with the gentle romance of the cottage garden.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06And Rachel is in Cambridge,
0:01:06 > 0:01:11visiting one of the country's very best winter gardens.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13When you come here, I mean, it always looks beautiful,
0:01:13 > 0:01:18but you get this light and the whole place just fizzes.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The truth is, it's been a pretty difficult winter here at Longmeadow,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37because it's been so wet,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and that, coupled with the rain we had in the summer,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43meant that the ground has been absolutely saturated.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Floods have come and gone,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50and yet this brown water lapping through the plants,
0:01:50 > 0:01:55it leaves behind a sort of muddy smear on all the foliage,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58it snowed, and the long and the short of it is, there have been
0:01:58 > 0:02:02very few days when we could crack on with any real gardening.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09But we did have a chance and the time to make some rose beds.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And now they are finished. I think they look fantastic.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16More importantly, they will be really practical,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19because they've got good, strong, deep sides, and that means,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23if we do get another wet year, they will drain much better.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And hopefully, now we can grow vegetables that will have
0:02:26 > 0:02:29more topsoil, they will warm up quicker and have better drainage.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31So that's been exciting.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35That looks really good and I intend to make some more later in spring.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38There was one other job that we got done.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44We've made a brand-new path. What's not to like about a path?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Always an exciting thing in any garden.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50This one in particular is shaping up very nicely indeed.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53It has been made in dribs and drabs across the winter,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55on a dry day here and there.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Made out of brick, these are old bricks, a funny old mixture.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03But it has so far got exactly the right feel, I'm very happy with it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05So I just want to finish it off.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Of course, you can make a path out of any material, it can be lovely
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Yorkshire stone, concrete slabs, cobbles, bricks, whatever you like.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18But the technique remains very much the same, whatever you use.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23The first thing to do is dig out what amounts to a trench.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Underneath all the brick paths in this garden is a really good trench,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30about two, sometimes three foot deep, backfilled with hardcore,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34just to improve the drainage, take the water away.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38On top of that, a layer of this.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42This is scalpings.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45This establishes a base layer that you get roughly level,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49then you lay your material on top of it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Bang that down, nice and firm.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Now, if you are making any path, there is one system
0:04:02 > 0:04:05that I have used right across the garden that works well,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09which is to establish the edges and then infill.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12If you are making a straight path, you can do that using boards.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Put in and then infill with brick.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17If it is curved, it is much more difficult.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21To get the curve, cemented bricks, on edge,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24in a mix of sand and cement, three to one.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Normally, put both sides down at once and then infill.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32But I've got a funny old mixed bag of bricks - you can see,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36just taking two at random here, they are different colours,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40slightly different sizes and every single brick is an individual.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42So therefore, they have to be laid individually.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46What I have found helps is to cement in one side
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and then, working off it, working off the next and the next,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52you can then finish with your sand and cemented edge.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It can be a bit wonky, but you can soften that with planting.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And I do know that within a month or two you won't notice it
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and it will just look seamless.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05So, put some sand down, like that, using a trowel.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07You can use a dab of sand and cement, but personally
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I feel no need. Much easier to replace them
0:05:09 > 0:05:12if they get frost damage, too, if they are just on sand.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Put some more sand down.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Then the next brick will cover this gap, and therefore create a bond.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Not only will it look more pleasing to the eye,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26it will also be stronger.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31This is a much narrower brick with a bit of an angle on it.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37But, of course, old bricks give instant character.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Just like the rest of us, as we get old and a little bit crinkly
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and a little bit wobbly.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We may not be as beautiful as we once were,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48but we have perhaps got a little bit more character in us.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53And that's what I like from using recycled materials.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Having got the bricks laid, I'm infilling between them
0:06:06 > 0:06:09with a really coarse sand, and this will do two things.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13One, it will bind them together, stop them moving sideways,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and two, improve the drainage.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24There is a sense of preparing for spring to come,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27getting ready for the excitement of summer.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29But gardens can look really good now
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and there are plenty that you can go and visit to give you ideas.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Rachel has been to Cambridge
0:06:35 > 0:06:38to see one of the best winter gardens in the land.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The famous winter garden in Cambridge was
0:06:46 > 0:06:51one of the first of its kind, and its plants are all placed
0:06:51 > 0:06:54very carefully to make the most of that low winter sun.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This has always been a really important garden for me,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05because I discovered it when I was retraining in horticulture,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07quite some time ago now.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And I am now developing my own winter border,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12so I thought I'd get inspiration.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15And what can be better than starting with these fantastic daphnes?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18This is 'Jacqueline Postill', and the flowers,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22not only are they beautiful, but the perfume - you walk along here,
0:07:22 > 0:07:27it just fills the air, you don't even have to go to it to smell them.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32It's nice and compact, so you can grow it in a small garden.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34And it's a knockout.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Some 30 years ago,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41the gardeners here really studied how the sun
0:07:41 > 0:07:46moved across the garden, then they hollowed out a one-acre area
0:07:46 > 0:07:49to make a bowl that actually captured that light
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and made the best of it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The man currently in charge of all this winter colour is
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Dr Tim Upson, the curator at the Botanic Garden.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I think, when you're talking about colour in a winter garden,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10it's these dogwoods, this sort of epitomises how you can get
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- that strength of colour.- Absolutely.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And they are one of my favourites for the winter garden.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21OK, they might be common, but even on the darkest, dullest,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24grey winter day, there is some colour there, too.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26This is what I want, you see, when I do my winter border,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28this is what I want.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39When you come here, I mean, it always looks beautiful, but you get
0:08:39 > 0:08:43this light and the whole place just really fizzes, doesn't it?
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It does. Light is the most important thing in a winter garden.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53Particularly so when you can use it to backlight some of the subjects.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56One of my favourites is the Japanese wineberry here,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00planted so it's got those wonderful bristles on it, almost as if
0:09:00 > 0:09:05it's got this fuzzy furriness. Takes it to another plane, it really does.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Like sort of giant, furry spiders, almost.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10The way that those stems arch down.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16So, how else do you utilise that light so you get the maximum impact?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Well, it's no mistake that this wonderful paperbark maple,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Acer griseum, was planted where it is.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It's a great tree in its own right, that cinnamon-brown,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29flaking bark, but put the sun behind it and suddenly,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33that peeling bark is illuminated, it takes it to another dimension.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35It's just such a lovely shape as well
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and you really see that with the bare branches.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Beautiful tree, fantastic for a small space if you're looking for that.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49It just goes to show that, even in the coldest months,
0:09:49 > 0:09:54you can have a garden full of colour and texture and scent too.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58The fragrance of honeysuckle fills the air here.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's not the most beautiful shrub in the world,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03you wouldn't grow it for its looks.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06But I'd always give it garden space just for that perfume.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09You're absolutely quite right, the perfume on this can be sensational.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It is a robust plant.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Probably don't grow it in deep shade, though,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16because you won't get the flower.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18And then you don't get the bees.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25I think what you get from visiting a garden like this at this
0:10:25 > 0:10:29time of year is not only that you might fall in love with a plant
0:10:29 > 0:10:33you don't know, but it is also about how those plants are put together
0:10:33 > 0:10:37that inspires you, and you can adapt those ideas for your own garden.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41And if you were to plant just one of those winter flowering shrubs
0:10:41 > 0:10:44with their fragrant flowers and put it near to a path
0:10:44 > 0:10:48or by the back door, then every year you will get that perfume.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And this season is going to be one to relish.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Come here. Go on!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02There are quite a few flowers for winter months.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04If you want to see a list of them,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08plus gardens you can visit to see them in, then go to our website.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Come on, Nige! - HE WHISTLES
0:11:12 > 0:11:16At the beginning of March, just as spring takes over from winter,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20you have the perfect moment to prune those plants that
0:11:20 > 0:11:24produce their flowers on new wood. I'm talking about buddleias,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28late flowering clematis, plants that will give us a really good display.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But this applies to plants that you want for their foliage
0:11:31 > 0:11:33as much as their flowers.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I've got a number of elders in the Jewel Garden
0:11:36 > 0:11:39which we grow just to maximise the intensity of the leaves.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We don't worry about the flowers at all.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45This is a Sambucus 'Sutherland Gold.'
0:11:45 > 0:11:47And if I let it grow, the foliage will be fine,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51it will grow well, but by cutting it back we give it extra vigour.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now, I could take this right down to the ground here.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59And I would get really vigorous regrowth.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The problem with that in the middle of a border is that
0:12:02 > 0:12:05that new growth is shaded out by surrounding plants as they grow up.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09It has to compete for light and also, even if they grow well,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12you don't see them so well. So I want them at eye level.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13This is last year's growth
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and that is really what I want to repeat next year.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I think I'm going to take it down to about this level here.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So you can see I've got a bud there, just cut above it.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Go down in there...
0:12:34 > 0:12:39Right. That's very, very simple. That's going to do two things.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43It's going to stimulate lots of fresh, vigorous new growth.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47And in turn, that will give us fresh, vigorous colour,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49which is what I really want.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The second thing it will do is actually make for bigger leaves.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54So I've got purple hazel in the border, where
0:12:54 > 0:12:59we get great big purple foliage, as a result of cutting back hard.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So we're setting this up to perform really well.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04And that is really exciting.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08That's part of all the positive things that come from spring,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10rather than the tidying up jobs.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14But all this is about preparation, about making sure the garden
0:13:14 > 0:13:16looks as good as possible in the next few months.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18But Carol is in Oxfordshire,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22celebrating the very best of the moment.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23Come on, Nigel.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The very first snowdrop you see
0:13:42 > 0:13:45announces that winter is on its way out
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and spring is on its way in.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But you never talk about lone snowdrops.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56They always create these magnificent drifts, these huge,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01runny swathes, because there are always so many of them,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03they are the most sociable of plants.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05But turn up one flower,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08whether it's the double one, like this,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11or a simple single one,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and each flower is utterly fascinating.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Snowdrops are such a familiar sight,
0:14:19 > 0:14:20they're everywhere,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and we all tend to assume that they must be one of our own wild flowers,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26but they're not.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33Nobody really knows when the snowdrop arrived on our shores,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37but there are certainly records of it from Medieval times,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42growing in gardens and in monasteries and priories.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47It's always been associated with innocence and purity
0:14:47 > 0:14:49and for the feast of Candlemas,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53when the image of the Virgin Mary was taken down,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57in her stead was sprinkled handfuls of snowdrops.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02But snowdrops don't believe in staying where they're planted -
0:15:02 > 0:15:06it wasn't long before they left the confines of the churchyard,
0:15:06 > 0:15:07climbed over the wall
0:15:07 > 0:15:11and spread themselves out into the countryside.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19This is exactly the kind of place that snowdrops love.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Under the branches of the trees,
0:15:21 > 0:15:26they're relishing this rich, dark soil.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Really damp and moist under here and incredibly fertile.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33They exploit this particular window of opportunity,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36flowering and setting seed
0:15:36 > 0:15:39before the canopy of the trees fills in overhead.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45At first sight, this flower looks so dainty, so fragile,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47but not a bit of it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It's extremely robust.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54It's perfectly evolved to cope with the time of year that it flowers
0:15:54 > 0:15:58and the sort of situation it's going to find itself in.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00No matter how hard that wind blows,
0:16:00 > 0:16:06these flowers will dangle perfectly from this little pedestal,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09this fine, flexible stem, from which it's suspended.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And at the same time, within the flower,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17these three inner petals protect all the workings,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21all the stamen and the stigmas of the flowers.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And pollinating insects are lured in
0:16:24 > 0:16:27because it's two degrees warmer inside that bell
0:16:27 > 0:16:31and this beautiful perfume permeates the air.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Once they've received their nectar treat
0:16:34 > 0:16:35and the flower's pollinated,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38the stem gets thinner and more brittle
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and falls to the ground as the seed pod swells,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45or its seeds are carried away, distributed by ants.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49No wonder there are so many of them over such a wide area!
0:16:50 > 0:16:55In all this profusion, now and again nature creates rare variations,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58which are seized upon by snowdrop addicts -
0:16:58 > 0:17:01the galanthophiles.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05All over Britain at bulb auctions like these,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08true galanthophiles go to great lengths
0:17:08 > 0:17:11to secure their favourite snowdrops.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Real rarities can cost hundreds of pounds for a single bulb,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17like 'Elizabeth Harrison' here,
0:17:17 > 0:17:24auctioned last year for a record-breaking £725.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Luckily for the rest of us,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31there are plenty of fantastic snowdrops for our gardens
0:17:31 > 0:17:33that won't break the bank.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36This is Galanthus 'Atkinsii',
0:17:36 > 0:17:38it's one of the earliest to flower.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43It's tall, it's elegant, it's very self-possessed.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But this is what's possibly my favourite snowdrop,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49it's Galanthus 'S Arnott'.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Not only is it a treat for the eyes, but for the nose too,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57because it's got the most beautiful perfume.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01On warm sunny days when these flowers open up,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05this honeyed perfume drifts all over the garden.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Who could ask for anything more from a snowdrop?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21It really is difficult to resist snowdrops.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Cos some people become obsessed by them
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and love all the different varieties.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Mine, though, are just a local snowdrop.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I was given a wrap of newspaper
0:18:31 > 0:18:34with a little clump of snowdrops inside them.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38I planted them, then over the years I split them, they spread by seed,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and now is the best time to either buy them or get them from somebody.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47I've got these from a local specialist grower
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and it's a variety called 'Magnet'.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53They're over 100 years old and they're exceptionally big.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54Wonderful smell.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Now, with any snowdrop,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00what they like is light shade and quite moist conditions.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So, if you've got very free-draining soil
0:19:03 > 0:19:05it's a good idea to add a little bit of compost.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Now, this is actually a very wet spot,
0:19:08 > 0:19:09so there's no problem with that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16These will go in fine, there you are - perfect.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Just slotted into place and then let them dry out.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21And that's all you have to do.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Let them perform and then maybe next year
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I can divide them up and spread them about,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29because what you're trying to do when you plant anything
0:19:29 > 0:19:32is create a style and a character and a feel,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and this year Joe is doing a series of masterclasses
0:19:36 > 0:19:40on how to structure and plant your garden
0:19:40 > 0:19:42so you get exactly the effect you want.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And this week he's looking at cottage garden planting.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53From cottage, to formal, to contemporary -
0:19:53 > 0:19:56giving your garden a definite style
0:19:56 > 0:19:59is all about getting the right plants in the right combinations.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Over the next few weeks,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'm looking at great examples of different styles of gardens
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and identifying the key elements of their planting design
0:20:08 > 0:20:10that all help make them a success.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I'll show you a way to choose and arrange your plants
0:20:15 > 0:20:18to make sure your garden matches your vision.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21This week I'm starting with cottage gardens.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29This is a great example of cottage planting.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32We've got the height with the shrubs at the back
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and then the planting tiers down to the front here.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And all the plants are intermingled together,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41there's some clematis growing through the shrubs,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43we've got a mid-storey of roses and perennials,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and then this ground cover at the front here softening all the paving.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50There's not a bare patch of soil to be seen.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00You need plenty of height in a cottage garden.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05Trees and evergreen shrubs give the space permanent structure.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Another great way to introduce height and add a lovely romantic feel
0:21:08 > 0:21:13is by using climber-covered walls or archways and pergolas
0:21:13 > 0:21:16all draped in flowers and all intertwined.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Clematis, roses, honeysuckle,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and even better still if they have a scent.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33When it comes to foliage in this style
0:21:33 > 0:21:36we're really looking at plants that complement each other,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38not contrast with each other,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41so we're not looking for lots of variegated plants,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44purple foliage plants mixed in with greens.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Something like this,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49where lots of mid-greens just work their way together,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53creates a harmonious feel together which really sets off the blooms.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Colour choice is a personal thing,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08but the key to success in a garden like this
0:22:08 > 0:22:11is to choose a colour palette and stick with it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21All the plants here are from the cooler side of the spectrum,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24so we've got whites, pinks, blues and purples
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and that makes for a very romantic, indulgent feel.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32You can get colours into a border in so many different ways,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and I love this border, it's really well thought through.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38We've got the red cotoneaster berries,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and then moving onto this maple which is just turning red now
0:22:41 > 0:22:46and there's even red stems on the Viburnum davidii at the back there
0:22:46 > 0:22:49and then at the front here, Molinia 'Transparent'.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Again, there's a purply-reddish tinge to the seed heads.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55It's very subtle, but it's beautifully done.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It's important to think of a border as an all-year-round composition.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12These borders have lots of summer flowers
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and now as we turn into early autumn there's lots to come.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19We've still got really good foliage colour, plenty of berries
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and into winter good evergreen structure with the shrubs
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and some plants where the seed heads look fantastic
0:23:25 > 0:23:29right through the winter, such as the Acanthus and the Verbascum.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31So there we go, we've got 12 months covered.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35So using what I've seen as inspiration,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I'm going to design a small cottage bed.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So the first thing we're going to put in this planting scheme
0:23:41 > 0:23:43is a small tree.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I've decided to go for a hawthorn - Crataegus 'Prunifolia'.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There's one in this garden and it's fantastic.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So now I'm going to look for
0:23:51 > 0:23:53my mid-storey shrubs and taller perennials
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and I think I'll start with a nice rose,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57blooming at around eye level,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and then balancing that out on the other side with something evergreen.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I'm a big fan of Sarcococca.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07They're grown in dry shade, fantastic sweet scent in January.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11So now right at the front of the board, I want a bit of structure,
0:24:11 > 0:24:12and you can't beat a box ball,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15which will just hold that corner beautifully.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18So I've got plenty of structure in there, plenty of height,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and I'm going to think about climbers as a backdrop for the planting.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26So things like honeysuckle, clematis, climbing roses,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28would be absolutely perfect.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I think I could squeeze in another climber on the side,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34something like an evergreen, something like ivy is really good,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37it will be a backdrop to the rose in front of it
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and a good balance between deciduous and evergreen there.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43So, with that background texture in place,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I can move on to the mid-storey planting of perennials for colour.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51In the shade of the tree,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53the Japanese anemones,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55in this garden they look absolutely stunning.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And then in front, balancing out on the other side,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00something a little bit lower, something like Astrantia,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I would definitely go for one of the whites or pinks.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09And then I think three lovely blowsy peonies
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and under-plant those with a really good foliage plant,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14a good ground cover, such as Pulmonaria.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18And now working towards the front.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Hellebores are a must, great spring interest.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Something with a bit of a stronger colour, like a burgundy.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And then over to this side, something like Alchemilla mollis,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32lovely frothy flowers of Alchemilla mollis, self-seeds in all the gaps.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37Then there's a huge block of ground-cover geraniums.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40I've got a good combination of foliage towards the front.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And now thinking about seasonal interests,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46we can pack even more into our design by adding spring bulbs.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Some love purple Alliums,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and they could just be dotted pretty much all the way through.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And there you go - every plant in there's been chosen
0:25:56 > 0:25:58and it will really earn its keep.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00That will mingle together, it will fill out
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and that is a good scheme for a really classic look.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12But how can I plant things if that's there? Go on, out the way.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Now, if you want to see Joe's planting plans in more detail,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17you can see them on our website.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22Next week, he will be looking at contemporary planting designs.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Now, you may not be making a new garden, contemporary or otherwise,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31but here are some jobs that you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Summer fruiting raspberries
0:26:35 > 0:26:39produce their fruit on canes made the previous year.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43So they're pruned at the end of summer and then left.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Now is the perfect time to prune autumn-fruiting raspberries,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50because they produce their fruit on current season's growth.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Cut away all the top growth,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55right down to the ground.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Clear it away and then give it a good mulch.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00As the new growth comes through,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03that will provide the framework for this year's harvest.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12The beginning of March is the perfect moment
0:27:12 > 0:27:14to prune late-flowering clematis.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17These are the clematis, like the Viticella Group
0:27:17 > 0:27:21that produce a mass of small flowers in late summer and into autumn
0:27:21 > 0:27:23and, if you're not certain,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26just remember the rule - if it flowers before June, don't prune.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29When you do prune it, be ruthless.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Cut right down to the base, leaving just a few buds.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Remove all the top growth
0:27:34 > 0:27:38and then you will have a mass of new, vigorous shoots,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41that will be smothered in flower later in the year.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51There's no great hurry to sow seed, so don't panic,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54but if you are going to sow anything,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56chillies are something that should be done first,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because they're slow to germinate
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and the seedlings are slow to develop.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05Scatter the seed thinly on a seed tray of normal seed compost
0:28:05 > 0:28:07and then cover them lightly.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09And put them somewhere warm,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12because they do need a temperature of about 20 degrees
0:28:12 > 0:28:13in order to germinate.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Well, that's it for this week,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and I'll see you back here at Longmeadow next Friday.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Till then, bye-bye.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd