0:00:03 > 0:00:05Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Now, it's a bank holiday weekend, which means three free days
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and, of course, you could join a traffic jam somewhere
0:00:13 > 0:00:17or you could stay at home, garden at your own pace,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21and go into next week refreshed and the garden looking fantastic.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I know what I'm going to be doing.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34This week Carol visits a modern plant hunter who's amassed
0:00:34 > 0:00:37a vast collection of plants in his Scottish garden.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41This 18th-century walled garden in the heart
0:00:41 > 0:00:47of the Scottish Borders is home to more than 4,000 different varieties
0:00:47 > 0:00:53of really special plants, gathered together from all over the world.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And we visit a couple who've made their allotment into more than just
0:00:59 > 0:01:05a fine collection of fruit and veg and it's become an entire garden.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Well, the allotment really is the centre of our life now.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11What else would two old retired layabouts be doing?
0:01:13 > 0:01:18And I shall be cutting some of my taller hedges, and also taking
0:01:18 > 0:01:22the tomato trial to the really important stage, which is tasting.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Just pop those in there just for a moment.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46In fact, the colour of this particular sweet pea
0:01:46 > 0:01:49is almost identical to this penstemon.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54This is Penstemon 'Blackbird' and you can see it's got that lovely
0:01:54 > 0:01:56purply, grape-ish hue
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and one of the special things about penstemons at this time of year
0:02:00 > 0:02:03is they give you a huge range of colour from the darkness
0:02:03 > 0:02:06of ones like 'Blackbird' to a pink, like this one,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08which is 'Macpenny's Pink' -
0:02:08 > 0:02:11got a little raspberry touch to the inside.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15And that range of colour flowering from July through to November
0:02:15 > 0:02:18is really the power of penstemons that will go on.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21If you keep deadheading them, they'll just produce more
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and more flowers till the first frost.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26They come from North America, they're not particularly hardy,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28but they are very floriferous.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I think there's no garden
0:02:30 > 0:02:33that can't find a home for some penstemons.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Now, when you buy them, obviously you're going
0:02:35 > 0:02:38to look for the flower colour and that's natural and you
0:02:38 > 0:02:40go to a nursery or a garden centre and you see something like this
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and you say, "Yeah, that will work well."
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But just consider the plant itself.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I've got another 'Blackbird' here,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50both bought from the same nursery, both the same price,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53whereas this is a much better plant, even though it hasn't got
0:02:53 > 0:02:57a single flower on it, partly because there's more of it
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and partly because this is also going to give me
0:02:59 > 0:03:01lots of material for cuttings.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Of course, the cuttings you take now will give a plant this big
0:03:05 > 0:03:07next year, so very, very cheap.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Get a potting compost mix and add something to lighten it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I've got some perlite here, but grit would do just as well.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Then put some into a small pot.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20At this point, you need sharp secateurs and also,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24if you're old and blind like me, you need glasses.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29What we're looking for is fresh, new growth and this is perfect here.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35So, if I cut about four or five inches long, take that,
0:03:35 > 0:03:40and that's another good one there. Take that.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Here's a shorter growth, but that doesn't matter.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Perfect, and that's left plenty of material for planting out,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51so I haven't damaged the plant or weakened it in any way.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52With a cutting like that,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56you have a lot of foliage and that's all losing moisture
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and because it doesn't have any roots it's not taking up
0:03:59 > 0:04:02any moisture, or at least hardly any from the base,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so what you need to do is get balance whereby it's not
0:04:05 > 0:04:07losing too much moisture,
0:04:07 > 0:04:13but it's also got enough leaves to feed it and so it can stay alive.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17So, what we need to do is just reduce some of these leaves
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and these can just pull of or cut off with a knife, you don't
0:04:20 > 0:04:25want to damage the stem, so just take that off there.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29In fact, I'm going to take off most of the leaves...
0:04:30 > 0:04:33..leaving a bare stem
0:04:33 > 0:04:38and I'm going to just push that down in the corner.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It's also important to do it quickly.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45If you can't take the cutting inside a shed from the parent plant,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48always have a polythene bag to pop them into
0:04:48 > 0:04:51because they're losing moisture by the second.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Now I'm burying these about two or three inches down.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56In fact, I'm pushing them
0:04:56 > 0:04:58down to more or less the bottom of the pot,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02but, essentially, you want at least an inch under the soil
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and if it can be two inches, so much the better.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25These will take a few weeks to root and you'll know they've rooted
0:05:25 > 0:05:28because you'll see new growth and then you can either leave them
0:05:28 > 0:05:32in the pots and they can spend the winter protected from the frost
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and be potted on in the spring.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Or if you've got a bit more space, as soon as they rooted,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41put them into individual pots and then store them
0:05:41 > 0:05:46in an old frame or greenhouse where they're reliably frost free
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and they will grow next spring into nice big plants.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Now this bed is getting pretty full, but I have got a little
0:06:03 > 0:06:07corner here which I can get one of these plants into at least.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I've got two, so there's
0:06:09 > 0:06:12'Macpenny's Pink' that I've taken my five cuttings from
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and also 'Thorn' which is paler, more delicate,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19which I think I'll plant in another bed.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So, we'll put 'Macpenny's Pink' in there.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26It doesn't matter what colour your penstemon is, or what species
0:06:26 > 0:06:29or variety, it will want drainage.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31They really do need good drainage,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36so unless you've got very light soil, then add some drainage to it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40I'm going to add a little bit of grit just to improve it,
0:06:40 > 0:06:41won't do any harm at all.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Dig that in the ground
0:06:47 > 0:06:52and that will help not just the plant to grow in the conditions that
0:06:52 > 0:06:58it likes best, but particularly it'll help it over winter.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03What they hate is sitting in wet, cold soil and here at Long Meadow
0:07:03 > 0:07:07it's guaranteed to be wet and cold for months on end in winter.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14And then just pop it in the ground.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16And just in you go.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Now other than watering it in once you've planted it,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25there's really nothing else to do.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Deadhead them as the flowers fade
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and they will go on flowering right into autumn.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Right, let's find a home for this.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Now I haven't taken cuttings from this yet, but if I plant it,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and let the roots establish, I'll get a new flush of growth which
0:07:43 > 0:07:47will provide me really good cutting material by the end of September.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Now its home could be here amongst the borders,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51it could be amongst the vegetables.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55The whole point of this cottage garden that I'm creating,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59it's very much work-in-progress, is to get that mix,
0:07:59 > 0:08:00let them all jumble in together -
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and as long as the feeling is right, it doesn't actually matter
0:08:03 > 0:08:08weather it's edible, floral, herbal, medicinal -
0:08:08 > 0:08:10it can all work in.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13We went to visit a couple in North London who've taken
0:08:13 > 0:08:17the spirit of the cottage garden and applied it to their allotment.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We've only been here about five years
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and we feel we've done a huge amount in that space of time.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Well, we're partners for the last 25-odd years
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and, erm, we only started gardening together...
0:08:47 > 0:08:49When we came here. ..when we came here.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Well, the allotment really is the centre of our life now.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57We enjoy the company of the other allotmenteers and...
0:08:59 > 0:09:02We celebrate our families' birthdays,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06and dinners, coffees, barbecues...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It's always great fun to come up and have the company
0:09:09 > 0:09:13and what else would two old retired layabouts be doing?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Keeps us very active and keeps us happy.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21We grow a huge range of fruit and veg, believe it or not.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25We have the usual things - cabbages and beans and onions
0:09:25 > 0:09:27and all the usual stuff that people grow -
0:09:27 > 0:09:29but we also like to experiment with things for fun
0:09:29 > 0:09:33and our favourite is shark-fin melon
0:09:33 > 0:09:36because it's a real heavyweight thug. It runs all over the place
0:09:36 > 0:09:41where nothing else will, produces huge gourds and looks fantastic.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45And then the rose obsession began.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49# I beg your pardon I never promised you a... #
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We're never going to get to James Galway up there.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56# Along with sunshine
0:09:56 > 0:09:59# There's got to be a little rain sometimes... #
0:09:59 > 0:10:01We're both very interested in roses,
0:10:01 > 0:10:06and here was a great opportunity to grow the roses we wanted.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Every rose smells of roses, but they all smell differently.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The history of the rose is wonderful, the romance of the stories
0:10:14 > 0:10:19behind the roses is wonderful, and they're rather beautiful, as well.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25We've got what we call an exotic border,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and it's full of huge plants in a very big border.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Things like Tetrapanax, and Paulownias.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We particularly like those,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39cos they're so different from everything else,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and it gives a lovely wild exotic feel to the allotment.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We've done a pond for wildlife.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I can tell you a story about the pond,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08cos I wasn't feeling too good one day and I went home at lunchtime
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and I came back the next day and we had a pond.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Serge dug one out while I was away.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17He's very good at building stuff, and things like that,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19which I'm rubbish at.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25The nice thing about it is we both seem to have a project going
0:11:25 > 0:11:27at any given time, and we just get on with it
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and leave each other alone to do it.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33So, we don't have too many arguments about what's what.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35He tells me what to do, and I do it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43That is so unfair, but true. It's true. Erm... No.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46# Keep young and beautiful
0:11:46 > 0:11:49# It's your duty to be beautiful
0:11:49 > 0:11:51# Keep young and beautiful
0:11:51 > 0:11:54# If you want to be loved
0:11:55 > 0:11:58# Don't fail to do your stuff
0:11:58 > 0:11:59# With a little powder... #
0:11:59 > 0:12:04It's fabulous, but that's disputed whether or not it's...
0:12:04 > 0:12:06# If you want to be loved!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08# Oobie-doo! Oh! #
0:12:12 > 0:12:15You can visit Serge and George's plot,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18because the Golf Course Allotments on Muswell Hill are open
0:12:18 > 0:12:21on September 1st, and if you want details
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and of other gardens open, then go to our website.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Hedges are a really important part of this garden.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45When we came here, there were none.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Just a couple of small scrubby trees, and that was it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52So, to plant hedges was to create protection
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and to divide the garden up into spaces and, in fact,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57it's not that big a garden.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00It's just having lots of different spaces makes it seems much bigger.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I framed views and created drama around the garden
0:13:05 > 0:13:09by contrasting low hedges with some very tall ones.
0:13:16 > 0:13:23Now, it follows that tall hedges are more hedge-cutting.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But the principles of cutting a hedge is exactly the same,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29whether it's that tall or 30-foot tall.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34With a tall hedge, the big thing to watch out for is at the top,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37which is going to grow faster cos it gets more sunlight
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and because you prune it, therefore it'll grow vigorously,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43will shade out the bottom.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44And you can very quickly
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and easily get bare patches in the bottom of the hedge.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50The only way around that is to have a batter,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and that means cutting it at a slope.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53So, the taller the hedge,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58the more important it is that it's wider at the bottom than the top.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01So, that's the main thing to bear in mind.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Right, let's get going.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Over 3,000 people per year are treated after accidents
0:14:12 > 0:14:13with hedge-trimmers.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17So, it's worth taking some trouble, particularly to protect your eyes.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27As you cut, work slowly forwards, going from the bottom upwards.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29And take your time.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37It's worth just keeping checking that you've got the batter,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and that the line is reasonably straight,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42cos obviously you can't see it when you're close up.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And just keep going back. Just go on until you're happy with it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47And not until you've got the sides exactly right
0:14:47 > 0:14:51do you take the top off, but if you've got a cypress hedge,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56something like that, don't cut into old wood, cos it won't regrow,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58so just leave a little bit of new growth.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Well, that's a start.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Although hedge-cutting is quite a big job
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and if it's a big hedge, it's an even bigger one, but it's worth it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29It looks good for nearly the whole year.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Now, our gardens are full of plants from all over the world.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35That's the joy of them.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39But plant hunting is not something that used to happen in the past.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Carol has been to meet a 21st-century plant hunter
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and his incredible collection of plants.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59When you step inside an ancient walled garden,
0:15:59 > 0:16:05you expect to be greeted by row upon row of carefully-tended vegetables.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07You expect the high brick walls to be festooned
0:16:07 > 0:16:13in every imaginable exotic fruit. But not here.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18This 18th-century walled garden in the heart of the Scottish borders
0:16:18 > 0:16:22is home to more than 4,000 different varieties
0:16:22 > 0:16:28of really special plants, gathered together from all over the world.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37You usually think about plant hunters
0:16:37 > 0:16:40as being people from the past.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43But I've come to meet a modern-day plant hunter.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Michael Wickenden has travelled the globe visiting five continents
0:16:49 > 0:16:53and 15 different countries to discover new and exotic plants.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59He's brought them here to Cally Gardens.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05So, how on earth did you start plant hunting?
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Did you just sit there one day and think, "Oh, I'm going to go off."
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Not quite. I'd been gardening and collecting plants
0:17:12 > 0:17:16and had already started the nursery. I'd sold some plants.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17I had some money at last,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and the first thing I wanted to do was go and see the plants
0:17:20 > 0:17:25in the wild, and perhaps collect some seed and get some new stuff.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28The thing about plant hunting is that it takes you to places
0:17:28 > 0:17:31that no tourist is ever going to go near.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I suppose it's travelling with a purpose,
0:17:34 > 0:17:35and that's the exciting thing.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44And this, it's a dianthus, isn't it?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Yes, it is, Carol. It's Dianthus amurensis
0:17:47 > 0:17:50from the Russian Far East.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54That was collected on my trip to Vladivostok in 1996.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It's a wonderful part of the world for plants,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02because very, very hardy plants there. The sea freezes in the winter.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Did you know what it was going to be like? No, I didn't.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I knew it was a dianthus,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11I didn't know what colour it was going to be and it was great,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15because it's a beautiful luminous mauve, and it flowers after
0:18:15 > 0:18:19the other dianthus - pinks, as people call them - have finished.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Yeah. There it is.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Dianthus amurensis 'Andrey.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Andrey Gonchorev was my Russian botanical guide.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28Right. So I named...
0:18:28 > 0:18:30On your trip to Vladivostok. Yeah.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35I named it after my guide, cos he was such a great chap.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Just over here next door, this is a poppy called Papaver triniifolium.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42There's the flowers. How pretty. Rather nice apricot flowers.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I've been keeping this
0:18:44 > 0:18:47because I'm hoping that in here
0:18:47 > 0:18:49there will be the seed. And there it is.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Oh, look at that. So, out of those...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54They're like little pepper pots, aren't they? They are, yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Out of that, lots and lots of seed. Wonderful.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59That's just what we do when we're plant hunting,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and that goes into a paper bag and then back home.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10This is something that we collected in the Eastern Himalayas,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and this is a kind of buckwheat.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16There's quite a lot to recommend it cos it flowers like this
0:19:16 > 0:19:20from some time in June, right through to the autumn.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Beautiful background for this Eryngium, isn't it?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25But I don't think I've seen this one before.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29This is, um, Eryngium serbicum from Serbia,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and we got that in an exchange.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Botanic Gardens Worldwide
0:19:33 > 0:19:38have a wonderful, non-commercial seed exchange system.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40It's still going strong, it's a bit less than it used to be,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43because of something called the Biodiversity Convention.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Since Michael first started plant-hunting,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50the laws on collecting from the wild
0:19:50 > 0:19:54to breed new plants have become much more stringent.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59He feels strongly that one aspect of the Biodiversity Convention,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03the current legislation that governs modern-day plant hunting,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06means that anyone starting out today
0:20:06 > 0:20:10simply wouldn't be able to develop a garden like this one.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I just like the feeling of connectedness
0:20:14 > 0:20:16with the rest of the world... Yes. ..through plants.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Because we are, aren't we? We are.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23You know, someone said that the world is an inhabited garden...
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Yes! ..which is a bit romantic, but I suppose you could see it that way.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31I bet you agree with that really! Deep down. Yes, yes.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40So, here's a plant I wanted to show you, Carol.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45This is Paris polyphylla, and there's a direct connection here with
0:20:45 > 0:20:51one of my great plant-hunting heroes, George Forrest. Yes.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Because he collected the first plant of this in 1915,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and then he brought it to the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and this is a seedling of it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05So, direct connection to 100 years ago, and George Forrest.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And doesn't it look wonderful with this Rodgersia?
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Well, this is a Rodgersia that I collected in the Himalayas,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14perhaps not so far from where George Forrest was.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16CAROL GASPS
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And this is in fruit, actually. What a beautiful planting idea.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Pure chance, pure chance. Like all the best combinations here.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Yeah, but two great plant hunters in this one combination.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28One great plant hunter and...
0:21:28 > 0:21:31You're not great until you've died, remember. Of course.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Please don't do that yet.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Aspiring. All right. Not quite yet. MICHAEL CHUCKLES
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I love the way Michael puts plants together.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46It's a real inspiration to all gardeners.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50But the point is that he really sort of exemplifies
0:21:50 > 0:21:53that whole spirit of plant exploration,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56bringing all these plants together
0:21:56 > 0:21:59so that we can use them in our gardens.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10SHEEP BLEATS
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Now, I've been doing an informal trial
0:22:21 > 0:22:24based upon an experience that I had last year
0:22:24 > 0:22:27of seeing tomatoes growing in terracotta pots
0:22:27 > 0:22:29with very little soil.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I had quite a lot of response, actually, from you,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34because a number of you have also tried to grow
0:22:34 > 0:22:37tomatoes in a terracotta pot half-filled with soil,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and, in general, the reaction has been surprise
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and indeed delight, that they've grown so well.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47But no-one has yet reported on how they taste.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52Now, I've got two Gardener's Delight plants growing in a grow bag,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56two growing in what I call normal-size plastic pots,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and then two growing in much smaller terracotta pots
0:22:59 > 0:23:02which are half full of the same compost.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04So, let's go for taste.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Now, obviously, this is subjective,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12but I promise to report accurately and faithfully what I taste.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15So, this is the grow bag.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18And, by the way, you can see that these are large, healthy plants
0:23:18 > 0:23:20with a really good crop.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30It's a good tomato.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's well-flavoured, round. The skin is quite tough.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Right, well, let's go on to the way that I often grow them,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48which is a largish plastic pot.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Very similar. No better, no worse. No difference between the two.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Therefore you have to say that if you're measuring just these two,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07the grow bag wins hands down,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10because there's more of them, and the taste is just as good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12So, finally, we come to the terracotta pots,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14which have got far fewer tomatoes.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I'm willing it on, I want it to be good.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26And it is good.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29But it's no better than the other two.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32So, I have to say that that at this stage if the year,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36and there's another month, at least, of tomato harvest ahead...
0:24:37 > 0:24:40..the grow bag is winning hands-down.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Which is not the result I either expected or wanted,
0:24:44 > 0:24:45but that's the truth.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51The tomato trial is my subjective, rather unscientific look
0:24:51 > 0:24:55at different methods of growing tomato plants in containers.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58In my old greenhouse, I'm still growing my main crop,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01planted directly into the ground.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04There's much more fruit, and we've been eating them all summer.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06And I can tell you, the taste...
0:25:08 > 0:25:10..is better. It's fantastic.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15You've got a little bit more acidity that adds a depth to the sweetness.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And there's more of a sort of growing aftertaste.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Now, I don't quite know why that is, but certainly, in my experience,
0:25:24 > 0:25:32to get the best from tomatoes, grow them in soil, in a bed, undercover.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48This is my asparagus bed.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And it's giving me causes for concern.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It's not doing terribly well.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59I planted it a couple of years ago in April 2011.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I did lots of grit, dug the whole bed,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and then planted the asparagus in a grid system.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It really didn't establish very well.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11We had a few spears this year, but nothing much.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And it's got nothing like the vigour that I would expect
0:26:14 > 0:26:18from an asparagus bed that is in its third year.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Now, what I want to know is,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22is this a result of the bad weather we've had,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25or something that's going wrong?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27So if any of you have been growing asparagus
0:26:27 > 0:26:28and have got problems with it,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31or even great success over the last couple of years,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I'd be really interested to hear.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Now, if you're not an asparagus grower,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37there's still lots you can do in the garden.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And here are some jobs for you to be getting on with this weekend.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's not uncommon for camellias, and rhododendrons and azaleas,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56to drop unopened buds in spring, before flowering.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And that's because they're too dry,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02so water them well now and for the next few months,
0:27:02 > 0:27:03especially if they're in pots,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and then the buds will form properly
0:27:06 > 0:27:08and should guarantee a good display next year.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Vine weevils can become a major problem for plants in pots.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20But if you apply nematodes now, it can help get rid of them.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Adult vine weevils cause typical notches on leaves,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27but the real damage is done by the larvae
0:27:27 > 0:27:30that feed on the roots of the plants in autumn, winter and spring.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Follow the instructions on the packet to dilute the nematode mix.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Don't treat the plants with notched leaves,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43but water the nematodes into all pots
0:27:43 > 0:27:45where plants are living permanently,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48as it is here that the eggs are laid.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53As we come now to the end of August, the time
0:27:53 > 0:27:59left for tomato plants to form and ripen new fruit is diminishing.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So, it's a good idea to "stop" them, or cut them off.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Use a knife or secateurs, and don't worry about losing some flowers,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08or even a few fruit.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14The result will be that the plant will focus its energy
0:28:14 > 0:28:17into swelling and ripening the existing fruit.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23There we are. Another job done.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25And that's it for this week.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We'll be back next week here at Long Meadow, of course,
0:28:27 > 0:28:32but have a really good bank holiday weekend, and I'll see you next week.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33Bye-bye.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd