0:00:11 > 0:00:13Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Now, I know we're coming to the end of August
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and the school holidays are coming to an end,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and summer is disappearing.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22But September's coming and I love September.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26It's one of my favourite months. You still have glorious weather,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29but cooler nights, and that lovely light
0:00:29 > 0:00:33which just makes everything seem as though it's lit from within.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But, here at Longmeadow, it is the driest month of the year.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Because it's so dry here, we have to water.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43And this is the harvest season.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45We want to keep things going for as long as possible.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49But it is important to water wisely.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Don't worry about brassica at this stage, or even root crops.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57But water plants like courgettes, or lettuce, or sweetcorn,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01where the moisture will actively benefit the condition
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and quality of the harvest. And, also, never sprinkle.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Water in a jet, if possible, with a watering can or a hosepipe
0:01:09 > 0:01:10at the roots,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14so all the water goes into the roots and then into the plant.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Finally, if you can, water in the morning or the evening.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25This week, we meet a gardener in Derbyshire who's been growing
0:01:25 > 0:01:29and showing gladioli all his life.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33The world of gladioli showing can get very competitive.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But those rivals are some of my best friends.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38And Carol is at Glebe Cottage,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42celebrating that late-summer jewel, the crocosmia.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47How could you resist growing something like that?
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Perfection.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I shall be taking cuttings from pelargoniums to make sure
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I have a decent supply for next year, and also I've come up
0:02:00 > 0:02:04with a solution to that age-old problem of dry shade.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17SHEEP BLEATS
0:02:22 > 0:02:27We tend to think of bulbs as something that belongs to spring.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And we're soon coming up to the time when we'll have to be planting our spring bulbs.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32But there are autumn bulbs, too.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Now, I've got here a bag of bulbs of colchicums
0:02:37 > 0:02:40which flower September time.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43This is Colchicum speciosum "Album".
0:02:43 > 0:02:47White flowers for the white garden, or Writing Garden.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The meadow saffron, which is Colchicum autumnale,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54is our native colchicum. SHEEP BLEATS
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And... Thank you very much, noises off.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59..and that grows in meadows
0:02:59 > 0:03:02but tends to be eliminated because it's poisonous to stock.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05If those lambs ate this, they really would be very unwell indeed.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10In fact, after you've handled colchicums, wash your hands.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Now, they're not a bulb at all. In fact, they're a corm
0:03:14 > 0:03:17but really singular because they've got this tail,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19or rudder, at the base.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And these are whoppers.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Speciosum "Album" is especially big and it's a good plant
0:03:25 > 0:03:30because not only has it lovely, white flowers, but it's robust.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And one of the problems with colchicums is that they tend
0:03:32 > 0:03:35to be really bashed about by weather.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37But if you want just one that's a bit more robust,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Colchicum speciosum "Album" is a good 'un.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44What they really like is sunshine.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They open out in the sun, so if you choose a site,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51whether it be grass or a border, make sure it does get plenty of sun.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Now, here in the Writing Garden, the sun is very bright
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and it comes through. It's slightly shaded by these apples,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58but I'm going to give these a bit of a prune in winter.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00So, if I plant these on this side,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I think they should perform really well.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Now, these corms are enormous.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But they do need to be buried deeply.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14At least four inches above the top, and six inches is better.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So, you need a spade, not a trowel.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19And they're quite expensive, but not ridiculous.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24They're about £1.50 to £2.00 or plus, each one.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27By planting these today, they will flower this autumn,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31so if you want to get some, get them in the ground quickly
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and then you can enjoy them this year.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37The soil needs to be rich and quite moist.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41So although they like sun, they don't like very dry soil.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43So if you've got very dry sandy soil,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45add some leaf mould or garden compost.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50But the cycle is very much a question of growth of foliage
0:04:50 > 0:04:53in spring and early summer that dies back to nothing,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and then the flowers emerge.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And because the flowers emerge without any foliage,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01their old-fashioned name was Naked Ladies.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02# There was Adam
0:05:02 > 0:05:04# Happy as a man could be
0:05:04 > 0:05:07# To leave God a-messing with that old apple tree
0:05:07 > 0:05:11# Ain't that just like a woman
0:05:11 > 0:05:14# Yes, that's just like a woman... #
0:05:16 > 0:05:20So, put the tail in the ground. Acts as an anchor.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24And that will go on growing for years and years.
0:05:27 > 0:05:33With many bulbs, a cluster or a group often looks much better.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37But with these colchicums, you do need to give them room.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I would allow at least 12 inches between them
0:05:40 > 0:05:41because they've fairly broad foliage.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43# Ain't that just like a woman
0:05:44 > 0:05:46# Ain't that just like a woman
0:05:46 > 0:05:48# Yes, that's just like a woman
0:05:48 > 0:05:51# They'll do it every time. #
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Well, I think these will thrive here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01The sunshine, there will be more
0:06:01 > 0:06:03when I've done my winter pruning, they're sheltered
0:06:03 > 0:06:05so they won't get too bashed by the wind and rain,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and, of course, they've got marvellous white flowers
0:06:08 > 0:06:12that will look great with the other white flowers in the Writing Garden.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And the great thing about colchicums is they are a marker of the season.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17They say "autumn".
0:06:17 > 0:06:21One of the celebrations of late summer, August, for me,
0:06:21 > 0:06:22are gladioli.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28They are a plant that I find works well by using the richness
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and the diversity of their colour range in borders,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32but we went to visit a grower
0:06:32 > 0:06:35who grows them on their own, by the hundred.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And he's a champion gladioli grower.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51It's having that colour and brightness in my life
0:06:51 > 0:06:53that gladiolis can provide that is the attraction.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59It's the little tiny ones that are an inch and a half across.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01There are big beauties that are eight inches across.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07Every colour you can imagine. Dark purples, dark red, pure white.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10You've got everything that you could really want.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I've been growing gladioli now for close on 30 years.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19The buzz for me is actually growing them to the best of my ability
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and to the best of the flower's ability.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I think the first large show I did, I went to Harrogate.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And then that's when things really started taking off.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34To be comfortable, they need a light, sandy soil, really.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38They also need quite a bit of water because one of the criteria
0:07:38 > 0:07:41we're looking for is the amount of buds on the actual flower spike.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45The perfect show-flower will have a nice proportion of open flowers
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and flowers in bud, and appears in a nice teardrop sort of shape.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52A little trick of the trade to sort of try and achieve that
0:07:52 > 0:07:55is you can actually get a little piece of cotton wool
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and just pop it behind the floret and position it
0:07:58 > 0:08:00so that it faces the right way.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03And to actually accentuate the size of the flower,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06you can actually pop some into the centre, there,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08do it very gently in the warmth of the day,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10not in the early hours of the morning,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13because the petals'll crack, and that'll be the flower ruined.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Just spreads the petals out,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19gets a good size onto the actual open floret.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Leave it for a couple of hours, take it out
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and then it'll actually stay in that new position
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and form part of what will hopefully be a championship bloom.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Years ago, we were always told that gladioli weren't hardy
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and you should dig them out every winter.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40For the show grower, that is still the case.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42They dig them out every winter
0:08:42 > 0:08:45but you can actually leave your gladioli in the ground
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and you might get one bad winter where they may get hit,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52but the rest of the time, they should come up, year after year.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55This one's Andy O This is a small flower variety.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It is a personal favourite. I've been growing it for about 20 years.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01It's not very widespread at all.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04One of the reasons for that is it's quite prone to diseases and viruses.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07And for every five you plant,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09you may end up losing two or three throughout the season.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12In a way, it's like a personal conservation project.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I like to keep it going. On top of that,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18it really riles one of my rivals when I've got this one.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28The world of gladioli showing can get very competitive.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31But those rivals are some of my best friends.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We meet up probably every weekend during the summer months.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40We like to see a good flower, whether it's our own or somebody else's.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Over a year, I grow 500 plants in the allotment,
0:09:44 > 0:09:49but I've also got a small stash on my next door neighbour's garden.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52A chap called Reg. Everybody should have a Reg.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55He's kind enough to let me grow my Primulinus types on his garden.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57They're little beauties, really.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01And they're probably the closest thing to what exists in the wild.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06I like them, A, because they're so different to the big blowsy ones,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10but they're a type of flower that really has disappeared
0:10:10 > 0:10:12out of commercial use now, and they've been kept going
0:10:12 > 0:10:17by hybridists, so I sort of half grow them just to keep them
0:10:17 > 0:10:20ticking over and keep them going so that they're still there.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28There's two secrets to growing gladioli
0:10:28 > 0:10:33successfully at a national level. One is TLC - tender loving care.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36You need to put the time and effort in.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And the second one is a very, very understanding family.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40They know it makes me happy,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and I suppose that rubs off on the rest of the family as well.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Seeing Nigel's gladioli in their rows
0:10:58 > 0:11:01with their intense colour reminds me - actually,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I'd forgotten this for years -
0:11:03 > 0:11:06that my mother used to grow gladioli as cut flowers.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And they were always grown in the vegetable garden,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11each with a single stake in rows
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and then cut in these sprays that used to be brought in. NIGEL WHINES
0:11:14 > 0:11:17What's the matter? Oh, the ball's in here. Sorry.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Well, it's over here, Nige. There. Good boy.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Now, gladioli must have sunshine.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28And one of the most common problems,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31the most common letters we get here is the lack of sun. Shade.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35What do you grow in deep shade? I've got a few letters here.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And these are just a small representation.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42"I've got a small patch of garden approximately 2ft by 3ft long
0:11:42 > 0:11:44"at the side of my house.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47"And it's in shade for most of the year, except in high summer.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49"I feel I'm not using it to full potential.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52"Can you tell me what to grow there?" And that's Jane Shephard.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55"I've got a spruce tree in my garden which has a protection order on it
0:11:55 > 0:12:00"and underneath is total shade. Can you help please?"
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Well, yes, I can.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Because we have exactly this problem here at Longmeadow.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12This area, which is called, rather grandly, the Lime Walk,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and that's simply because of the lime trees that I put in there.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19We had tulips here in spring, and then in summer,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22it was followed by... It tended to be bedding plants,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27but for the last three, four years, it's got shadier and shadier,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and nothing really thrives. I mean, you can see. This is it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33High summer. This is the display.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37I want to restore it so it looks really good.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40But to do that I've got to grow something
0:12:40 > 0:12:42that will thrive in dry shade.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Ferns are the answer.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49What I've decided to do is completely change
0:12:49 > 0:12:53the feel of this part of the garden. This is not something to do lightly.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I thought about this for ages.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58The Lime Walk is becoming Fern Alley.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02And I've chosen two particular ferns,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05so we have Dryopteris filix-mas
0:13:05 > 0:13:10and then the very similar but subtly different, Dryopteris affinis.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16In terms of growing, Affinis will tolerate more light.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Dryopteris filix-mas you can grow in almost total shade.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25And both will grow about twice the height of that.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29So, they'll get up to about 3ft tall.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And the reason why I've chosen this and the other Dryopteris is
0:13:33 > 0:13:35because they're so architectural.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38And with the fronds creating their shuttlecock shape...
0:13:40 > 0:13:43..and catching the light, this will look fantastic!
0:13:43 > 0:13:45This is an opportunity rather than a problem.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49The border is very narrow. The hedge has grown out,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53the lime trees have grown, the roots are sucking up all the moisture.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Of course, if you have only a small area, 2ft by 3ft,
0:13:57 > 0:13:58you could fill it with ferns.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42There's no need to feed it. No need to add any compost.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46If your soil is very heavy clay,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49then maybe adding a bit of leaf mould will help,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53just to lighten the root run and increase the drainage,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and remember to water them in,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and if they look particularly dry,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01until next spring, just give them another water.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05These plants are not evergreen,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08so that they will die back and get a bit ragged.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Ferns always get a bit beaten about by the weather
0:15:12 > 0:15:16but then they can be tidied up and of course the new fronds will appear
0:15:16 > 0:15:20in spring, and what I realised this is doing
0:15:20 > 0:15:23is it's changing part of this garden.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26It's becoming something else and I think that's exciting.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31And it's all part of the fact that ferns are not second-class citizens.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36They're strong, beautiful plants and should be celebrated as such.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38And of course, the perfect answer
0:15:38 > 0:15:42to what seems like a really tricky part of the garden.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Now, you might not be planting ferns this weekend
0:15:46 > 0:15:49but here are some other things you can do.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Unlike redcurrants, which are best pruned in spring,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03I like to prune blackcurrants immediately after fruiting
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and certainly by the end of summer.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08The idea is to prune out the oldest growth,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10cutting right down to the ground,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14which leaves more room for the first and second year shoots
0:16:14 > 0:16:17that will bear the most fruit next year.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Spring cabbage needs to be sown as soon as possible if it's to stand
0:16:27 > 0:16:30any chance of growing into healthy, young plants.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Sow them thinly into a seed tray or individual plugs,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and put them somewhere warm to germinate.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43They can then be potted on
0:16:43 > 0:16:47before transplanting to their final position later in October.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Another job that is small but well worth doing
0:17:00 > 0:17:02is to dead-head buddleias.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05This not only improves the appearance of the plant
0:17:05 > 0:17:09but also encourages a second flush of flowers which will provide
0:17:09 > 0:17:13an important source of nectar for bees and butterflies.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22The Jewel Garden really comes into its own at this time of year.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27At the end of summer, all the colours are richer and more intense.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29That's partly for the choice of plants,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32whether it be the dahlias and the cannas,
0:17:32 > 0:17:37buddleias and crocosmia, these all intrinsically have rich colours
0:17:37 > 0:17:39but it's also to do with the light,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43because the light at the end of August and throughout September
0:17:43 > 0:17:48is lower and it picks up the velvety richness of these tones,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and it is important when you're planning the colour scheme of a garden
0:17:52 > 0:17:56to think the light that hits it is going to affect it just as much
0:17:56 > 0:17:59as the choice of colour itself.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Talking about brightness and colour, there's scarcely a colour
0:18:04 > 0:18:09at any time of year in any kind of garden that is brighter
0:18:09 > 0:18:11than the crocosmia Lucifer.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Down at Glebe Cottage,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Carol is celebrating crocosmia in all its glory.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28As summer progresses, the garden develops.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Everything becomes richer, fuller, riper.
0:18:34 > 0:18:41The soft pastels of June and early July are replaced by fiery reds,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45sizzling oranges and brilliant yellows.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Crocosmias have arrived.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Crocosmias come from South Africa and they just remind us
0:18:55 > 0:19:00of the debt our gardens owe to plants gathered from all over the world.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05This is Crocosmia "Gerbe D'Or",
0:19:05 > 0:19:08sometimes called Coleton "Fishacre".
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Just look at these glowing golden flowers
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and these beautiful bronze leaves.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18If you rub the leaves, they smell of saffron
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and that's where crocosmias get their name.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24From "krokos", Greek for saffron.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29They have this wonderful wandering habit.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It's very gentle but it fits in perfectly
0:19:33 > 0:19:35with a naturalistic approach.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37They just want to be themselves
0:19:37 > 0:19:41but how could you resist growing something like that?
0:19:41 > 0:19:46That's "Emily McKenzie". Perfection.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Mark Walsh has been captivated by crocosmia for almost 15 years.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58He's been collecting, growing and hybridising new varieties
0:19:58 > 0:20:00at his nursery in Cornwall,
0:20:00 > 0:20:05and made frequent trips to see the species growing wild in South Africa.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10What did you feel like, the very first time you saw a crocosmia?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I had a shiver down my spine when I saw them.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15After growing them for so many years in my own garden
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and then finally going to see them in the wild, nothing better.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Have you brought any of them back with you?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Seed has been sent for me.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I go to photograph them and then later on of course the seed comes,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29so maybe a year or two later some seed will arrive,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33and a few years after that you'll get them into flower.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37There's one crocosmia in particular that's got a bit of a bad reputation though.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41You'll be talking about Montbretia, won't you, or the common name.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46It was bred back in late 19th century by a chap called Victor Lemoine
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and he's down in Nancy in France,
0:20:49 > 0:20:50and he brought together these two.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53This one is one called pottsii,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55with its pretty little tubular flowers,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58it doesn't even really look like a crocosmia. So dainty.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Beautiful. So somebody collected this and sent this to you?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Yes, they did, and then the cross was made with this one,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07which is a wide, different flower.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10This lives in the forests of South Africa.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So graceful. Is this aurea?
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Aurea, yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18What did each of them contribute to Montbretia?
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Well, this one is an incredibly vigorous plant
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and that's what brought the vigour into Montbretia,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26but this one brought the beautiful large flowers,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and it was a combination of the two that created what we know today.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33So as much as Montbretia is notorious,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I suppose the most famous crocosmia is Lucifer.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40It certainly is, and if you see any other crocosmia in somebody's garden
0:21:40 > 0:21:43then it's sure to be those bright fiery red flowers of Lucifer
0:21:43 > 0:21:45standing at the back of the border.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47So what are its parents?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50You know, they came from two different species in the wild.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53One of them is this one here, this is paniculata.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Sometimes it's golden or sometimes it's red, like this one here,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01but both of them always have these burnt ember-type buds and also
0:22:01 > 0:22:05these elegant flowers, very different to the others we've looked at,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and those flowers are shaped just the same shape as the beak of the
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Malachite Sunbird, which flutters around them and pollinates them.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13It's a wonderful sight to see.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17The other parent that created Lucifer was this one here - masoniorum.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Just look at the shape of the flowers.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23This time you've a long arching stem with up to 30 buds on there.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Just a gorgeous plant, ready to grow in the garden.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And all opening in succession from the base stem.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42If you really want your crocosmias to perform,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46then it's essential to carry out a very simple operation
0:22:46 > 0:22:48every couple of years.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Crocosmias make chains of corms.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The new one builds on top of the old one.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57You do this in March so there wouldn't be any shoots there,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02but the corms would be big and fat and raring to go.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Here are the old corms, probably two years old, three years old.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11On top of that, a new one was made that produced last year's flower
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and all you do is literally snap that top one off.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Dig your hole, make sure it's full of good compost, sink the corm in,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26cover it over, and plant them just a few inches apart,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30so you get this lovely, natural, flowing effect.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Crocosmias have evolved for thousands and thousands of years
0:23:34 > 0:23:36in their native South Africa,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41and they bring brilliant colour to the late summer border.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47Just when you think it's all over, they say "it's just getting going".
0:24:05 > 0:24:08This is the best time of year to take cuttings.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10That's because plants have put on new growth,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14so it's got lots of energy, they've hardened off enough
0:24:14 > 0:24:17so that they don't just wither and die within minutes,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21but they've got enough freshness in them to react
0:24:21 > 0:24:23if they're put in the right conditions to produce roots
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and what's good about taking cuttings now
0:24:26 > 0:24:28is that they will root and then you can store
0:24:28 > 0:24:34quite small plants over winter, ready for growing next spring.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Whereas on plants like pelargoniums,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41storing them in any quantity can take up a lot of space.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47The secret of taking pelargonium cuttings is to take your cutting
0:24:47 > 0:24:49as near to the growing tip as possible.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52There's no virtue... If you have this, this is Lady Plymouth,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55one of the scented leaf pelargoniums,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and just for your benefit, you'll have to believe me...
0:24:58 > 0:25:00That smells wonderfully fragrant.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Fantastic.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Lemony, musky - fabulous.
0:25:05 > 0:25:11And if I took a cutting, this is new material here, right down to there
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I'd have a big cutting but it wouldn't necessarily give me a bigger plant.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18What we're looking for is new, non-flowering growth,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22and as near to the top of the growth as possible.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26So if I just snip this off there.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Like that.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And if I left it like that, there's an awful lot of leaf
0:25:37 > 0:25:41and that's going to lose moisture, so I need to reduce
0:25:41 > 0:25:45the amount of leaf to give it a fighting chance until
0:25:45 > 0:25:50it's produced roots, which then can feed moisture back into the plant.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54So, as ever, with a sharp knife, I take that leaf off there...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59..and this one off here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04Now that's fine.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09We've got plenty of foliage to feed it, but not so much to stress it
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and strain it before it's got roots.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Now the compost mix for any cuttings wants to be very free draining.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20What I've mixed up here is some compost mixed with grit
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and vermiculite. Take a pencil.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28And pop that in the edge there, like that.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30And I would expect that to root.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36Now, if I take another cutting from here, like that.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43I'm just going to cut this below the leaf.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48In my experience - that will take easily.
0:26:48 > 0:26:54However, I have been told that to boost the striking rate and also
0:26:54 > 0:26:59the root growth of pelargonium cuttings, you can use vitamin C.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02And all you do is take a vitamin C tablet,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06the type of which you can buy almost anywhere.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Pop it in some water. So it dissolves.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And then dip your cutting into the water.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23What I'm going to do is do one whole pot of identical cuttings
0:27:23 > 0:27:26that have used vitamin C, and one pot that hasn't.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29We'll monitor and see which one grows better plants.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44This pot, they've been dipped in vitamin C.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48This pot, they haven't had anything at all. We'll see.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Now I shall water those but put them somewhere warm and dry
0:27:54 > 0:27:59because it's important to keep the roots moist when they form
0:27:59 > 0:28:01but the leaves dry,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05so don't put them in a polythene bag or a mist propagator.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Then, when you see new growth, we can think about pricking them out
0:28:08 > 0:28:10and growing them on.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14But that's it for this week, and we're not on air next week
0:28:14 > 0:28:16because there will be athletics instead.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19However, we are back in a fortnight's time,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21so I'll see you here at Long Meadow then. Bye-bye.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd