0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07The thing I love most about gardens in August
0:00:07 > 0:00:09is they have a lushness
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and a ripeness that you never get at any other time of year.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17This is great for gardeners, but it's also wonderful for wildlife.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21And as part of the BBC's Summer of Wildlife, in today's programme
0:00:21 > 0:00:25we'll be particularly looking at the ways that we can celebrate
0:00:25 > 0:00:28all the different wildlife in our gardens, and also the ways
0:00:28 > 0:00:33we can attract as much as possible into every back yard.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45This week, we visit the home of the naturalist and cameraman Simon King.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I've always had a passion for the natural world.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51I can't remember not being fascinated by other living things.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And he shares the secrets
0:00:53 > 0:00:57of the amazing diversity of wildlife in his garden.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Do you hear someone in the background there?
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I'll tell you about who's making that sound in a minute.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05And Carol celebrates the pea family,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09which plays a vital role in the countryside and gardens.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14These brilliant little yellow flowers are bird's-foot trefoil.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18It's so-called because of these wonderful seed heads,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22which are arranged just like a bird's foot.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And we'll be visiting a small suburban garden
0:01:26 > 0:01:30which is a haven for bees and butterflies.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And I'll be looking at something which is at the heart
0:01:33 > 0:01:36of every good garden, and certainly close to my heart.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37And that's compost.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Well, here we are, well into August,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and my hostas haven't even been nibbled.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54That's nothing to do with my skill as a gardener.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57All I do is try and grow healthy plants and give them the conditions
0:01:57 > 0:01:59that they'll thrive in. But it has a lot to do
0:01:59 > 0:02:03with the balance of wildlife here at Longmeadow.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Because yes, we have slugs and snails,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09but we also have lots of thrushes, and blackbirds, and hedgehogs,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14and toads, and frogs, and beetles- all of which eat slugs and snails,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16which eat the hostas.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21You have prey and you have predators.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26You have a whole ecology that looks after itself.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Nothing gets out of control.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Everything is in a state of subtle balance.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40And I think that if you can get a balanced garden,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44then you'll have a beautiful, healthy garden as well.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53There are over 22,000 insects in the UK,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58and less than 1% of those cause any harm in the garden at all.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Your lovely garden actually depends on having
0:03:02 > 0:03:05a really rich range of wildlife.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08Now, as amateur gardeners,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11we get a huge amount of pleasure from wildlife.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But the professional wildlife film-maker Simon King,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17who's been right across the globe
0:03:17 > 0:03:22and seen and filmed almost every creature, is also a gardener.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25And we went along to see what his garden looked like.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I've always had a passion for the natural world.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I can't remember not being fascinated by other living things.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And I've had the great good fortune to indulge it
0:03:46 > 0:03:50in my career as a naturalist and wildlife film-maker.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But people say, "Where is your favourite place?"
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And certainly way near the top of the list is home.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00When we first moved, it was represented by three meadows,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and they are cut in half, if you like, by a brook.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09And that really was the foundation stone for the decision to move here.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Straightaway, I rigged cameras to see what was living on my doorstep.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19And it wasn't long before dippers, kingfishers,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21even otters made an appearance.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33This is the most formal part of my garden,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and I can't take any credit for it whatsoever. I inherited this.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It's beautifully planted with a succession of perennials,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and there is almost always some flower.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43HARSH CHIRRUPING BIRD CALL
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Can you hear someone in the background there?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I'll tell you who's making that sound in a minute.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51But there is always something in flower and, as you can see,
0:04:51 > 0:04:52there's varieties of foxglove,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54I particularly love those, the digitalis,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57which are great nectar plants for bumblebees
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and other nectar-loving insects.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02And over time, I shall adjust this bed a little bit
0:05:02 > 0:05:05to make sure that everything in here
0:05:05 > 0:05:09has a strong nectar value for bees and for other pollinating creatures.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11The sound that I mentioned earlier?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Well, that comes from a kestrel nest. Would you believe it?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16We've got kestrels nesting IN the house.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18And it was the chicks you could hear calling just then.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21So I'm going to leave them alone and go round the back.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I'm now at the back of the house,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and this is the other more formal bit of the garden.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36But it's really dominated by this magnificent weeping willow tree,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and clearly I didn't plant that one. It's been around a long time.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41What a beauty!
0:05:41 > 0:05:46And on that tree, come over here and have a look, one of our nest boxes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48We've got nest boxes all over the garden.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Probably just about spot it, looks a bit like a tree.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54In that nest box are tree wasps.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Now, everybody gets freaky about wasps.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Why? They're fabulous creatures, they're magnificent.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01One of the best pest controllers can have in the garden.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Because those little fellows are buzzing around picking
0:06:04 > 0:06:06caterpillars off leaves, coming back, feeding the larvae.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They're doing the job for you. You don't have to get out with sprays,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11they're doing it. Come on down here.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Lots of flowers here, some of which we have put in,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18some of which we haven't.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Actually what I tend to do here is just toss wild flower seed
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and every now and again all sorts of surprises pop up.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41You know, it really doesn't matter how big your garden is -
0:06:41 > 0:06:46having some standing water completely changes the profile
0:06:46 > 0:06:49of natural players that you're likely to see.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Even the smallest pond will attract life.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Now, I've inherited this pond. It's got some management issues.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59In this instance, it's water soldier.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It is a native plant, and remarkably vigorous.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06So it's time to get muddy and wet.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12My aim here is to open up areas of the pond, because there
0:07:12 > 0:07:17are some dragonfly and damselfly that prefer open water to lay their eggs.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22I'm not going to clear it all because the plants are useful
0:07:22 > 0:07:24both as a food source and as a resting place
0:07:24 > 0:07:27for all kinds of insects and other mini-beasts.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Wow. Wow! Everything!
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Water boatmen.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38People go pond dipping with their kids - so they should -
0:07:38 > 0:07:42but it's good fun! You can do it when you're grown-up!
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Brilliant.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49And a baby newt! You can see that this one sweep is full of life.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I mean, heaving with life.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53So the best thing you can do,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56when you are going to do a little bit of pond management and clearance,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00is to first of all, do it slowly. Don't get in and just hammer it,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03because nothing has a chance to get out of your way.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07And anything you do take out, put it on the edge.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Just touching the water.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It looks manky, smells a bit, but it gives quite a lot of life -
0:08:11 > 0:08:15the snails, the newt larvae and others - a chance
0:08:15 > 0:08:19to make their way back down into the pond after you've done the work.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Water is of course essential for wildlife.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26But I'm also lucky enough to have large areas of grassland.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And that attracts even more creatures.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33If you're thinking, "It's all right for him, he's got a meadow,"
0:08:33 > 0:08:35you don't have to have a big patch of ground.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38You can do this sort of thing on a really small garden.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And in amongst those grasses are wild flowers.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's got so much richness, and as it matures,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47you've got things like skipper butterflies
0:08:47 > 0:08:49that depend on this sort of habitat.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53And as far as birds are concerned, perhaps one of the most
0:08:53 > 0:08:56beautiful birds in Britain, certainly for me, barn owls too,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and they hunt here.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The reason - because of the long grass meadow.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07What you do right here in the British Isles, in your own back yard,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10does make a difference to the health of the natural world
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and we're all stewards of that land and everything that we do to
0:09:13 > 0:09:18help the health of living things on our own back yard is good.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's good for us, it's good for the future,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22and it's definitely good for our kids.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36I love Simon's garden and particularly love the way that
0:09:36 > 0:09:41it's so natural and, of course, has such amazing wildlife.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46But you don't have to do have a wild garden to have wildlife.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51In fact, any border full of plants from all over the world can be
0:09:51 > 0:09:55a really, really rich source of food for wildlife
0:09:55 > 0:09:56and therefore encourage it in.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59At this time of year, as we go into August, September,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01there's a new range of plants,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04many of which come from North America but
0:10:04 > 0:10:09flower later and add a fresh burst of colour and of food for insects.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12One of my favourite of all of these are heleniums.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Now, heleniums are essentially glorified daisies.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Now, if you think of their prairie homeland,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23that gives you an idea of what heleniums like
0:10:23 > 0:10:25as regards position. So, sun basically.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29They can take some shade, but not too much.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38They also like a fairly rich, moist soil. They need good drainage.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40If you can afford it, get three or even five,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and the idea is that they will grow together.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50You can see that these are slightly pot-bound -
0:10:50 > 0:10:53the roots have outgrown the pot they're in.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Where you get this situation, just break them a little.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We're not trying to untangle them, you'll never do it anyway.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04By breaking them, you're stimulating the roots to grow afresh -
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and when they grow afresh they are going to grow out into the soil.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So, it's just waking them up, really.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16I like planting in August. Now, you can buy the finished
0:11:16 > 0:11:19plant from a garden centre or nursery and put it in the ground.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The reason I like it is because you can see what it looks like.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You can see the colour, you can see the height, and as long as you
0:11:25 > 0:11:30really water it in well and keep it watered, it'll be fine.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35One real problem of planting this time of year, especially
0:11:35 > 0:11:38if you are a clumsy oaf like me, is collateral damage.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41You're in the middle of a border, and every move is snapping
0:11:41 > 0:11:46a flower head off here, crushing a plant there,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48but I try.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I try to do as little damage as I can.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Let's give these a drink.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00One of the reasons why these are particularly good for insects
0:12:00 > 0:12:04at this time of year is because they've got nice open flowers.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And that means that they're easy to get at, it's as simple as that.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And in fact, that's true of all members of the Asteraceae family.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The rudbeckias, asters, all the daisy family,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22have got nice open flowers, brilliant for insects...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26as well as looking lovely in the garden.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29# I'm a little prairie plant
0:12:29 > 0:12:31# Growing wild at every hour
0:12:31 > 0:12:34# Nobody cares to cultivate me
0:12:34 > 0:12:37# So I'm as wild as wild can be. #
0:12:43 > 0:12:45I've been talking about the Asteraceae family,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47which largely comes from North America,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51but Carol is looking at the legume family, the peas,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55which have a really important role to play, not just in our gardens,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57but out in the countryside, too.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17This is Pilsdon Pen, it's one of the highest points in Dorset.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22We're almost 277 metres above sea level.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26It used to be the site of an Iron Age fort.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27That's all gone now
0:13:27 > 0:13:31and all that remains is close-cropped grassland,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34full of wild flowers. And in amongst them
0:13:34 > 0:13:39is a tiny little flower which is really worthy of closer inspection.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49These brilliant little yellow flowers are bird's-foot trefoil.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53It's so-called because of these wonderful seed heads
0:13:53 > 0:13:58which are three pods arranged just like a bird's foot,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and those pods tell you straightaway which family they belong to.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It's a pea.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09On its roots it has special nodules which free up nitrogen and make it
0:14:09 > 0:14:15available to itself and other plants, so the whole place is enriched.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19And these brilliant yellow pea flowers are an incredibly rich source
0:14:19 > 0:14:24of nectar for all the pollinating insects that are buzzing around here.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27They love it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The pea family is diverse.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40It includes lots of plants that, at first sight, look very different.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44From elegant wisteria
0:14:44 > 0:14:47to spiny, evergreen gorse
0:14:47 > 0:14:50that provides nectar for insects and dense,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53thorny cover for nesting birds.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01In our gardens,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05probably the most celebrated member of the family is the sweet pea.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Here at Forde Abbey in Dorset, the walled garden is filled with these
0:15:13 > 0:15:16wonderful flowers.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20At first sight, this magnificent plant bears very little
0:15:20 > 0:15:23resemblance to our bird's-foot trefoil.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28This is tall and magnificent but once you look at an individual
0:15:28 > 0:15:32flower, you can see the resemblance straightaway. It's a pea.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37And this is one of the first sweet peas that was ever grown.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40This is Lathyrus 'Matucana'.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It's scent that draws bees to the pea flower,
0:15:45 > 0:15:50whether it's our showy garden varieties or the bird's-foot trefoil.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55The weight of the bee opens up the flower to reveal a nectar treat.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02The display at Forde Abbey is masterminded by Alice Kennard.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07What a wonderful show!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I want a proper sniff because that's
0:16:09 > 0:16:12the whole point about sweet peas, isn't it?
0:16:12 > 0:16:18- It's lovely.- Oh, just so beautiful, they really are. They're fabulous.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- A wonderful scent, yes. - Isn't that the best bit?
0:16:21 > 0:16:26How many sweet peas have you got? They're all over the place!
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Well, I try and plant about 70.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30How long have you been doing it, though?
0:16:30 > 0:16:34This is our third year. We've always grown a line of sweet peas.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36I thought "Right, we'll go big time."
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Yes, go for it!- Go for it!
0:16:38 > 0:16:41So, what do you think is your favourite one?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43The Black Knight is lovely, it's good, it's reliable.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- That's this one here? - Yes.- It is lovely.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48It is, and that lovely dark colour.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Colour is one thing, but for me, just like the bees,
0:16:54 > 0:16:59it's the scent of the sweet pea that is its biggest lure.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00And I don't think I'm alone.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04What is it, do you think, that you love about sweet peas best?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The scent. The diversity
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and that reaction you get from the public when they just go,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12"Oh, lovely."
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- It is that. And we all do it, don't we?- You can't help it, can you?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17No, you can't help it.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Now, you can't have a wildlife special without including compost.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Compost is probably the richest source of wildlife that any
0:17:40 > 0:17:43garden could have as some of it is quite visible.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Now, if I lift this up...
0:17:45 > 0:17:48It's a bit tight. There we go.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52If I disturb that, I'm sure we'll find a few little brandlings,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54which are the worms.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56There we are.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You see, these little fellows - there will be
0:17:59 > 0:18:02tens of thousands in this heap,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06munching their way slowly through it and digesting it.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And the little scurrying creatures are woodlice,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17there are beetles, I've got a spider running up my ear.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20But the more you look, the more you see,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23but the REALLY interesting wildlife in a compost heap,
0:18:23 > 0:18:24however hard you look,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26you'll never see with the naked eye,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and that's what we want to
0:18:28 > 0:18:33nurture and the best way of doing that is to make really good compost.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Now, this is how I make my compost.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40It works every time.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45You can apply this principle to any garden of any size,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47whether you are making your compost
0:18:47 > 0:18:49in a small container or great big bays.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The first stage is to gather the material.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55This is a holding bay, this is not a compost heap.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It is, if you like, an assembly point and it could be a bucket,
0:18:59 > 0:19:00a bay, anything you like.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06What we are looking for is a combination of dry material,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08like these dried stems,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and green material, like this cabbage leaf.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Now actually the green is high in nitrogen
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and the brown is high in carbon.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20So you mix your material up, it could be from the kitchen,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22it could be from the garden.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27The only thing I never include is cooked material, meat or fat,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29because that attracts rodents.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32When we've got that, it then gets shredded.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Now, if you've got a shredder, that's great.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37But you can bash it, you can chop it, you can mow it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Anything you can do to break it up is a good idea.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42It's got a bigger surface area apart from anything else.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Now, this is the working compost heap. If I get up in there...
0:19:48 > 0:19:52..you will see that we've got box cuttings, we've got all sorts.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54And if I open it out...
0:19:54 > 0:19:58you might be able to see a bit of smoke, that is hot,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00that's really hot in there.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Wow. It is like a fire. I can heat my hands on it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And that's because it's starting to work,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09it's starting to make into compost.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13And that heat is not so much the rotting process,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18it's actually being produced by millions and millions of creatures,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20digesting it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It's the energy coming from the digestive system
0:20:22 > 0:20:28of bacteria by the trillion, of fungi, of nematodes and then
0:20:28 > 0:20:33worms and beetles and slugs all eating it and digesting it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Now, when this is full, in order to keep that energy going,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40it needs oxygen and a certain amount of water.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42It's very important not to let it get too dry.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46And the best way of getting oxygen into it is to turn it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Now, there are different ways of turning it.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53You can just chuck it out and chuck it back in.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57But what we do is put it on to the next heap which is here.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01But you will need a minimum of two bays, or two dustbins, or two bags,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05or whatever you make your compost in if you want to turn it.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Once you've turned it, you don't add any fresh material,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10that's finished.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Actually, what we have here now, and this is about four months old,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16is very usable as a mulch.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Normally, I would turn the compost three, maybe four times,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24to get to the end result. But it varies.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27No two compost mixes are ever the same.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And finally, you turn from there into here,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33this has been turned and is now empty ready for that come in.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39And your final product is here, and this is now finished compost.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And one of the definitions of finished compost for me
0:21:43 > 0:21:45is does it feel good?
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Does it smell good?
0:21:47 > 0:21:51If the answer to both those questions is "no", it's not ready.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It needs more time and either needs turning again or just left.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57But if it is nice to handle and feels pleasant,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00it feels like a woodland floor, then that's ready.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And what I'm holding there is life.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06It's trillions of animals that I'm going to feed into my soil
0:22:06 > 0:22:08to make it alive.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Now, I hope I've inspired you to make compost.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15But even if I haven't,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18here are some other things that you can be doing this weekend.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Tomatoes are growing strongly, both as plants
0:22:24 > 0:22:29and also setting fruits, but fungal problems can emerge at this time
0:22:29 > 0:22:32of year and the best defence is good ventilation.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36So strip off the lower leaves, at least up to the first truss,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and I like to go up to the second truss.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43This will let air flow between the plants
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and also more light will ripen the fruit quicker.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53My early pea and bean crops are coming to an end,
0:22:53 > 0:22:54so it's time to clear them away
0:22:54 > 0:22:58so I can use the ground for another crop before winter.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00These beans are going, leaving as much of the roots
0:23:00 > 0:23:04in the ground as possible, raking it over lightly so I don't
0:23:04 > 0:23:08disturb the roots which are adding extra nitrogen to the soil.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12And sowing a mixed salad leaf crop which will be ready to harvest
0:23:12 > 0:23:14in about six weeks' time.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20To keep your dahlias flowering as vigorously
0:23:20 > 0:23:21and as long as possible,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24you need to deadhead them often.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Don't just take the flower head off, but take the flowering stem,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31right back to a leaf node and cut it there,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and that will encourage fresh shoots.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And if you are confused about what to cut off, a bud is round
0:23:38 > 0:23:42and firm, whereas a spent flower head is always conical.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Dahlias are lovely
0:23:47 > 0:23:51but they are not really the most wildlife-friendly plant.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56But we went to visit a small urban garden, packed with plants,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59that attract in a fabulous array of wildlife.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10I'm Jane, I come from
0:24:10 > 0:24:13a long family of enthusiastic gardeners.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I'm Rob Hopkins and I love nature conservation.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22I think gardening, for me, reflects that interest.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30A garden is so many things, it's a place to relax,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32it's a place to enjoy wildlife as well.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36You can get close to wildlife.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And also, that sensory experience, it's hearing and smelling.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43We are benefiting, hopefully local wildlife is, too.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- We arrived in 1992.- Was that 21 years ago?- Yes.- Quite a while ago.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Then the garden was very different.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59It was simply an oblong of mossy grass with a big eight by six shed
0:24:59 > 0:25:01in the middle of it. About where we are sitting actually!
0:25:01 > 0:25:04We had two small children at that point.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08That wasn't how we wanted a garden to be, so over time it has evolved
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and, gradually, all the grass has gone over the years
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and we've just got flower borders.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The borders provide a lot of protection for wildlife.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Because there's a lot of leaves and foliage, if they want to
0:25:20 > 0:25:24creep around the garden they can do that undetected by predators.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Most people find the idea of getting rid of your grass in the garden
0:25:31 > 0:25:35quite shocking really, but then when they see how you can do it
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and how you can have such fun with having more space in a small
0:25:38 > 0:25:40garden if you don't have grass, and you don't have to mow it,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43they can come round to the idea.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45By accident, we've chosen a lot of plants
0:25:45 > 0:25:48which are good for pollinating insects.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50The Knautia macedonica that is out at the moment,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52it is just stunning.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57The richness of the red, it is like velour, it's gorgeous.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And this spiraea is quite good. It's only just come out recently
0:26:00 > 0:26:04but you get quite a few bumblebees on that as well.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05It's trial and error.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07A lot of plants that you grow and you think, "Oh, gosh,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09"look at all the bees on that!"
0:26:09 > 0:26:12And you think, "I must grow that next year,"
0:26:12 > 0:26:14or you see somebody else's gardens so you bring it back.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I think Rob has opened my eyes more to the wildlife aspect.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Having colour through a longer period of the year
0:26:21 > 0:26:23as possible is important.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Not just a rush of colour in the middle of the summer,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29it's from February into the autumn that there is colour of some sort.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34With not having enough room in the garden and loving climbing
0:26:34 > 0:26:38plants, particularly clematis and roses, you've got to go vertical.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40There's no point just having one,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43then you want to have another that covers the season
0:26:43 > 0:26:47when that one isn't out, so you end up with a bit of a vertical forest.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50In nature conservation, it's great to have things of different heights
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and different structures, not all of uniform heights.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55You'll get things flitting in and out and feeding.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04I think the ponds have been a very big influence in the garden.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06People see you can bring wildlife into your garden
0:27:06 > 0:27:09simply by having a pond. It doesn't have to be a big one.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12We made the big pond when my son was about 12 and he was very into fish.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16He helped us dig it out and line it and it was really exciting actually.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19When you see the see the first frog or frogspawn or newt and,
0:27:19 > 0:27:20you think, "Oh!
0:27:20 > 0:27:23"I had a part to play in that," and it really feels like an honour
0:27:23 > 0:27:26that they've come into your pond and are going to live there.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Generally, friends and neighbours, when they come to the garden,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42are surprised to see, I think, so many plants in a small space,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46particularly with just the little narrow path in-between.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48It's just a different way of gardening to what
0:27:48 > 0:27:50a lot of people are used to.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53But they, on the whole, really seem to like it
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and sometimes they take ideas back from the garden and reproduce them
0:27:56 > 0:28:00in their own garden, so that's the best form of flattery, really.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It'll hopefully demonstrate you can have a lovely garden which plays
0:28:03 > 0:28:06a huge part in looking after our native wildlife,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08which is nice to look at and is relatively low maintenance.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14BIRDSONG
0:28:14 > 0:28:16COWS MOO
0:28:26 > 0:28:27Well, that's it for this week.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32I hope that we've inspired you to bring in as much wildlife
0:28:32 > 0:28:36of every kind into your garden as you possibly can.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37And above all,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40I hope that we've encouraged you to enjoy it.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43So until next week, bye-bye.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55This episode of Gardener's World was part of the BBC's
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Summer of Wildlife.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01And to find out more, you can visit the Summer of Wildlife website:
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd