0:00:06 > 0:00:08This way, come on.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18It's been one of the coldest springs that any of us can remember,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22and the garden has kind of gone into a second hibernation.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27It's just poised, waiting, like all of us, for spring to happen.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30But one of the good things about this is it's bought us time.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33We've got that extra three weeks we wouldn't have otherwise had to
0:00:33 > 0:00:37get on with some of those jobs that probably we should have done by now.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42This week, Rachel indulges her passion for hepaticas,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45a plant that is in its prime right now.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49The only trouble with being somewhere like this
0:00:49 > 0:00:52is it makes you feel incredibly greedy!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55We visit a national collection of bamboos and see that,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57in their huge variety,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01there is a bamboo for every situation and every garden.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Kew's historic Temperate House is about to undergo a major
0:01:04 > 0:01:07reconstruction, and Carol has been along to find out how
0:01:07 > 0:01:10they're going about protecting their precious plant collection.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Over here's a melaleuca. It's from Australia.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I've certainly never seen it before.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26The last time I can remember a spring as cold as this
0:01:26 > 0:01:28was when I was seven, in 1962.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And then, in exactly the same way,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34winter just clung on and wouldn't shift.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And of course, compared to last year, when it was boiling hot
0:01:37 > 0:01:40at this time, it's a pretty big shock.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44So, for example, by now the damson blossom should be covering
0:01:44 > 0:01:49loads of hedgerows and trees in the garden - not a sign of it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54The cowslips, which are planted all the way along this path here,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57normally really getting going by now - none.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00And there was just a sense, and of course it was
0:02:00 > 0:02:03exceptionally hot last year, that spring was really limbering up.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Whereas now, nothing. Nothing at all.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09But of course, when it does happen, it's going to explode.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28This is the Writing Garden, and it's a new venture,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32but I had hoped to have quite a lot of it planted up by now.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But of course, absolutely nothing, haven't been able to touch it since I finished the path,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40because it's either been completely sodden or frozen.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44But I think that it's just dry enough that I can plant a couple
0:02:44 > 0:02:48of shrubs into here, and I've got a couple of hydrangeas here.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And hydrangeas are not a fashionable plant,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55they have a slightly dowdy image, but that's unfair,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59because hydrangeas can be fantastic plants, and I love
0:02:59 > 0:03:04in particular the lace caps, which have a wonderful grace and elegance.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06And I've got a couple here.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08The first is Hydrangea veitchii
0:03:08 > 0:03:11which grows about five foot six tall,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and the panicles of flower will just float through the leaves.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19So, if I place this over here, about like that...
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So, it'll add body to this corner of the garden.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28I'm putting them in part shade because hydrangeas like
0:03:28 > 0:03:31some sunshine, but also a little bit of shade
0:03:31 > 0:03:33and protection from the wind.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37These are very hardy. I have the other one here which is Hydrangea paniculata...
0:03:39 > 0:03:41..which is really tough,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and really strong and absolutely stunning,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and it's much more vigorous, so it will fill a bigger space.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51If I put this back here...
0:03:53 > 0:03:55This will fill this area, and you can see that,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58with a backdrop of these bright green leaves
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and then the lovely flowers,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02which have that combination of
0:04:02 > 0:04:07intensity and drama but lightness of touch, that's what I'm after.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09So, very exciting, we'll get that in the ground.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22A guide to the sort of conditions that hydrangeas like
0:04:22 > 0:04:25is in the name, the word "hydrangea".
0:04:25 > 0:04:29It's actually based on the Greek for water, "hydra".
0:04:29 > 0:04:33So, they like moisture. If you've very light soil, bulk it up
0:04:33 > 0:04:37with some moisture-retentive organic material.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41So, with a mulch, that's all I have to do.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49And it doesn't look like a lot now - you just wait.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16I'm giving this a mulch of leaf mould,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and this will do two things.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21This will both create a nice, fibrous loam
0:05:21 > 0:05:26as it breaks down into the soil and the surface roots will go into that,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and also keep the moisture in.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32And the thing to remember about these plants is that,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34despite their lightness and airiness,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37they do like rich feeding, lots of water, lots of feed,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and then they will flower as well as possible.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But, of course, nothing until July at the earliest,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and really they're at their best August-September time.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50But Rachel is revelling in a flower that is looking spectacular
0:05:50 > 0:05:54right now, because it just loves this cold weather.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02I believe that the plants you're introduced to when you're a child
0:06:02 > 0:06:05are often the ones you remain drawn to for life,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and when I was little I used to go to the nursery
0:06:08 > 0:06:13with my father at the weekend and we would buy alpines for the rockery.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Everyone had a rockery in the '60s and '70s,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and sometimes, if we were very lucky,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20we might find one of these - a hepatica.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Hepaticas are dainty little plants, closely related to buttercups.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31They thrive in woodland
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and are found on mountain slopes in Asia, North America and Europe,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38pushing their way up through the melting snows of spring.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45If you get up close to them, like this,
0:06:45 > 0:06:50you see all the myriad differences. Just look at this one.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Beautiful, pale pink
0:06:52 > 0:06:55and then that circlet that of stamens in a very rich, dark pink.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Absolutely wonderful.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59The only trouble with being somewhere like this
0:06:59 > 0:07:02is it makes you feel incredibly greedy!
0:07:06 > 0:07:08At his nursery in South Staffordshire,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11John Massey is so passionate about hepaticas
0:07:11 > 0:07:13he's built this alpine house
0:07:13 > 0:07:17especially for his ever-growing collection.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It's like being a kid in a sweet shop, isn't it?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It's just wherever you look, it's fantastic.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- I do sense a bit of an obsession here.- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- How many plants have you got in here? - Oh, I don't know!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35I'm terrible at that!
0:07:35 > 0:07:36- A lot.- Yes, there is a lot.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Now, I know that these are pretty much global, aren't they?
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Yeah, they're right through the northern temperate zones
0:07:43 > 0:07:47of Europe, Asia, and North America and Canada.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50They're all small, perennial woodland plants
0:07:50 > 0:07:54growing on sunny slopes, which is strange because most people
0:07:54 > 0:08:00think of them as needing shade, but they like to flower in the sun
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and as soon as they finish flowering they're under deciduous trees.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06So they're opportunist, they take that early spring sun
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and then when the leaf canopy fills in
0:08:08 > 0:08:10then they've got the shade in the summer?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Yeah, and they'll take it much drier then, as well.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21John's travelled the world in search of rare varieties of hepatica.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's his ambition to use his collection to breed more
0:08:24 > 0:08:28remarkable variations of this gorgeous plant.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32These are from America. They're really hairy.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- They are really hairy! - Aren't they?
0:08:34 > 0:08:37All the leaves you see on hepaticas are covered with fine hairs,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40as well, but this is acutiloba.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You've got two species in America.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- There's this... - Oh, we're off! Hang on!
0:08:46 > 0:08:50this is the other one, which is americana,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53which is much, much smaller.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54This is just stunning.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I love it when a plant draws you in.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00You've really got to look at this close up to appreciate it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04This-this is the beauty of them,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09and, to my mind, part of the charm of a hepatica is the simple beauty.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The more tender Asian varieties, including the japonicas,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20can be more of a challenge to grow, and are best grown in pots
0:09:20 > 0:09:26under glass where the temperature doesn't fall below -5 Celsius.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The Japanese are far more complex.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35You've got far more variation, stamen colour, petal fall,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and the hundreds and hundreds of different doubles.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It's a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Japanese,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46cos I can't resist them, but I know they're no good outside!
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I always tell myself, "No, we don't need any more."
0:09:49 > 0:09:53But as soon as you see a different one, "Oh! Must have it!"
0:09:55 > 0:09:58If you want to have a go at growing hepaticas at home
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and you haven't got a magnificent alpine house like this one,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04you could grow them in a pot in the garden.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And choose one of the European forms - nobilis -
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and then put it somewhere where the pot can get lots of bright sunshine
0:10:10 > 0:10:12in the spring when it's flowering,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and as the weather warms up towards the summer
0:10:14 > 0:10:16move it out and put it in the shade,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19just a quiet part of the garden where it won't be noticed.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And hopefully you'll have these for many years to come,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24a talking point, something to show off,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28perhaps a little bit challenging, but 100% worth it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I've got some plants here which I, too,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44want to pot up and then move around,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and this idea of having plants in pots
0:10:46 > 0:10:49that have their moment in the sun, so to speak,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and then can be pushed sideways to let something else come in,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56adds a real level of flexibility to the garden.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57These are gladioli.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01When I was a child, gladioli were grown - certainly my mother did -
0:11:01 > 0:11:05as cut flowers of astonishing sort of lipstick colours,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08bright pinks and mauves and yellows.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12But what I've got here are three varieties which should be
0:11:12 > 0:11:13brilliantly intense.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16There's White Prosperity, which I'll put in the Writing Garden,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and I've got Black Star, which is a really dark, dark colour,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and Plum Tart, which, as the name suggests,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27is a sort of pinky, plum-coloured, almost cerise.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So, these colours are vibrant and strong, but they're not going to do
0:11:30 > 0:11:35anything for a bit, but now is the time to plant summer-flowering bulbs
0:11:35 > 0:11:39like gladioli or lilies so that you can bring them in at their moment.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42But there's a problem here, because they do much better
0:11:42 > 0:11:45in terracotta pots, because they drain better.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Most of us don't have that many,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and you don't have them lying around unused for months on end.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54This one, for example, has tulips in - bit backward, because it's been so cold,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56but this will be occupied for another couple of months.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59So what I'm going to do is plant the gladioli
0:11:59 > 0:12:01into these pots here.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04These lattice pots are used for sub-aquatic plants.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07They can drain well, the roots can come out if they want,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10but you could do it just into a normal plastic pot.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And then, after the tulips are finished, they'll come out and can dry off,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and then I will plunge these into that pot,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21and when the gladioli are finished, next September or October,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24they can come out and the tulips can be planted.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Whatever you plant them in, it's important to have the right compost.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32These come from South Africa, and they are bone dry in winter,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and they get a little bit of summer rain,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37and what they really need is good drainage.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Similar, in fact, to the hepaticas.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So, add a bit of grit to the compost.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48And you can't really overdo this, so don't be coy about it.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And then put a layer in the bottom.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Now, when you're planting a bulb or corm,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00as a rule of thumb you're better to go too deep than too shallow,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04but you can't go wrong if you do it twice the depth of the bulb.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Now, these will need a bit of protection for the next month or so.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30By watering them, it'll trigger them into growth.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Of course, there are a whole range of plants that need much more protection than that.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Go to a botanical garden and that's where you see the incredible collections,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42and probably the most incredible of the lot is at Kew in London.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Fantastic garden.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45But the Temperate House there,
0:13:45 > 0:13:50with all the plants inside it, is going through a huge upheaval,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and Carol has been along to see how they're coping.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Gathered together here are plants from all over the world.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12All manner of the rarities and special plants.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Over here's a melaleuca. It's from Australia.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I've certainly never seen it before.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21And just across the path
0:14:21 > 0:14:26is a plant you'd have to go to the foothills of Kashmir to find.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28It's Cupressus cashmeriana
0:14:28 > 0:14:33with these most graceful, drooping branches.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35What a vital resource this is.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43It's 150 years since the Temperate House at Kew first opened its doors,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47and now it faces major reconstruction.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50The cracks are starting to show,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54not only jeopardising the fabric of the place itself
0:14:54 > 0:14:57but, perhaps even more critically,
0:14:57 > 0:15:02the collection of 1,500 different species that it houses.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09It falls to Temperate House manager David Cooke to look after
0:15:09 > 0:15:12the collection while work is going on.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15All this is coming out, the paths are coming out, the soil is coming
0:15:15 > 0:15:20out, all the venting, all the glass, a lot of the steelwork.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22That is all going to be renewed.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28- And the importance of these plants is what?- Beyond measure.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- It is a unique collection of plants. - A huge resource.- A huge resource.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38In total, there are 4,000 plants to be moved from the Temperate House
0:15:38 > 0:15:40during its restoration.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43But there are one or two monumental specimens
0:15:43 > 0:15:47that are going to have to stay exactly where they are.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50This is Livistona chinensis, what a fantastic palm.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I'm afraid we're going to leave this one in place,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56put a cover over it just to protect it.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00George V planted this. It's hugely important.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It's my job and the team's job to look after it for the future.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10While the George V palm isn't going anywhere,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12plenty of bigger specimens are on the move.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Gardeners are becoming really familiar with these tree ferns now.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22- They are.- Can't you just grow them from sections of the trunk?- You can.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Traditionally, you cut them off and sink them into the ground.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28But here, if I can lead you in carefully,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- it's a bit of an adventure. - Into the woods!- Into the woods.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34What we're trying to do here, these are air pots and we have
0:16:34 > 0:16:37just put a piece of hessian around there filled with our compost.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40This is all roots on the outside.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42They'll root into the compost then we'll get a saw,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46and cut off right at the base and then we've still got some height.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- This is quite an easy way of propagation.- It's beautiful,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53because it keeps the whole architecture of the trunk.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- You don't lose it.- It does.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Most important thing is this top bit here,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59needs to be kept moist all the time.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03What a clever way to actually move it. Brilliant.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Plants like this rhododendron are being moved.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13But, to ensure their survival, they're also being propagated.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Scott Taylor's going to explain more.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It's a beautiful species, this one.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22You can't really take cuttings, can you, from rhododendrons?
0:17:22 > 0:17:25They're difficult to take from cutting, typically we air layer them.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29And that gives us roots and we can get a second plant from them.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32So, is that the sort of thing you were looking for?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Something with a bit of bare stem and plenty of green on the top?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37That's a perfect little example there.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41- Go on, then, show us how it's done. - This is how you would do it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45You damage that outside layer and you expose the cambium layer.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You expose the cambium because that's where the roots will come from.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- And that's what we want? - That is what we want.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52So, do you treat it with anything?
0:17:52 > 0:17:55We use a bit of hormone rooting powder.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57I know some people are against it,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but it speeds it up just a little bit.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Use a little bit of moss, here.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05It has to be nice and moist
0:18:05 > 0:18:09because obviously the moisture's going to bring your roots out.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14So, we take that, wrap it around the stem, covering that cut.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18- And just make a little nest of it?- That's right.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Can I tie this on? - You certainly can.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27So, it's just to make sure that the moisture inside that plastic
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- is retained?- Exactly, so the moss doesn't dry out,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34- because they need that moisture to keep the roots growing.- Yeah.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39- I'm looking forward to seeing this in the renovated...- Oh, yes.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41..Temperate House at Kew.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51It could take as long a six years to complete this massive restoration.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55But it's worth it to secure the future
0:18:55 > 0:18:57of this magnificent collection.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Now, this is a first.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08These are snake's head fritillaries
0:19:08 > 0:19:11that I planted at the end of last summer,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and about three or four weeks ago, I dug them up,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18put them into a pot and put them in the greenhouse to force them.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20And it's worked a treat.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23None of the fritillaries are even beginning to flower outside
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and in a spring where practically nothing is flowering,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and everything is holding back,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32these are an injection of the light and the life
0:19:32 > 0:19:34that we all want from springtime.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Now I've got to find the best place to put them.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45That will be nice and sheltered from the wind and also,
0:19:45 > 0:19:46I'll see it every time I go by.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Now, you may not be forcing bulbs,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52but here are some other jobs you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00At this time of year when the weather's been cold, many of us
0:20:00 > 0:20:03have greenhouses and windowsills filled with plants and seedlings,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and there is a risk of fungal problems,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08particularly if it's not ventilated very well.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11One way to help avoid this is to make sure your pots
0:20:11 > 0:20:15and seed trays are really clean before you use them.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19All that's necessary is a good scrub under running water
0:20:19 > 0:20:23then leave them to dry off, and that will help avoid a lot of problems.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It's important to keep all tools that cut
0:20:28 > 0:20:30as sharp as possible.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33With secateurs, a good way to do this is to draw a line
0:20:33 > 0:20:37along the cutting edge and then gently remove that with a whetstone.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39That will create a burr,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42so turn it over and then gently
0:20:42 > 0:20:46rub along to remove the burr and leave a razor-sharp edge.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52If your soil has been as wet and cold as mine,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55you won't have been able to get your onion or shallot sets out.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57But it's not too late.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Get a plug tray and fill it with ordinary compost,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and then insert each set so it's half buried per plug.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Put them somewhere protected and these will grow quite quickly.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Then, when the ground is dry and warm enough,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15you can plant them out individually.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Now, I've got a bamboo for the damp garden.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It is enormous, this one,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40and this particular variety, Phyllostachys nigra henonis,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43is one of the tallest you can grow in this country.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Given a fair wind and the right circumstances,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48it will reach about eight metres tall.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51But there are so many bamboos that you can buy
0:21:51 > 0:21:55that there's bound to be one that will work in your garden.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And we went down to Cornwall to visit Mike Bell in his garden,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03where he has as many bamboos as he can possibly fit.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I'm not a great one for flowers.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Flowers, to me, are an addition to a plant.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Very beautiful in themselves, but they're fleeting.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24To me, a plant has to have inner qualities
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and a bamboo has got that.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Everybody thinks a bamboo nut is mad because they go around
0:22:38 > 0:22:43inspecting tiny little hairs and colours and nodes.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47The minute beauty of a bamboo is quite amazing.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53This is one of my favourites.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Ideal for most gardens, in that it doesn't grow too big.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's got a beautiful shape and tiny leaves, very elegant.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's a fairly new introduction, called Borinda nujuangensis.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09A small size for a bamboo, so it's suited to a small garden.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And it's elegant,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15so it's suitable for a specimen plant on a lawn or a front garden.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19It's an ideal substitute for a small tree.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Phyllostachys come from lowland China and they are used to,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31in the wild, high soil temperatures from the warm sun and longer summer.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35A useful thing for if you want big phyllostachys -
0:23:35 > 0:23:38but not other bamboos, just phyllostachys -
0:23:38 > 0:23:41is to stack your grass cuttings on them.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43This does three things -
0:23:43 > 0:23:46it provides nitrogen as the grass breaks down,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50it ferments, so it creates warmth which would normally
0:23:50 > 0:23:52be excessive for most plants and burn them,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57but for the rhizomes of the phyllostachys, it's ideal,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and it also acts as a mulch, so it retains moisture
0:24:00 > 0:24:03which is another quite basic requirement for bamboo.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06This is Sasa kurilensis.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11There are hundreds of Sasa species, and quite a few in cultivation.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14They're all extremely invasive.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I grow two or three of the less invasive sort,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19but even that's relative.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21This is a bit I prepared earlier.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25You can see how it just goes on and on and on and on.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28This will penetrate through pots or anything.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39A friend of mine had got a beautiful sasa in a pot in the front garden.
0:24:39 > 0:24:45He was very keen to show me how he'd mastered the sasa,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and I'd walked up through the road
0:24:47 > 0:24:52and I'd already seen that this plant had gone through the pot,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55through his paving in the front garden,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58it had gone under the foundations of a brick wall
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and under the slabs of a pavement
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and it was coming up in the tarmac of the road!
0:25:02 > 0:25:05It was only kept in check by the traffic going past!
0:25:05 > 0:25:10# Wild, go wild, go wild in the country
0:25:10 > 0:25:14# Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free... #
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The only plant I've regretted putting down here
0:25:17 > 0:25:22is Qiongzhuea tumidinoda, which is the most beautiful plant.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26We didn't really know its downside until it was well established.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31It just spreads everywhere, and it's a very difficult plant control.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34And I just fear for the future of it!
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Well, there we go.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I've drilled some drainage holes in this galvanised tank,
0:25:51 > 0:25:56which I'm going to plant my phyllostachys in. And...
0:25:58 > 0:26:02..the reason I've chosen a really strong container is
0:26:02 > 0:26:07because any bamboo can burst through almost anything,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10as we've seen, and certainly a plastic pot is out of the question.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Right. Next thing to do is
0:26:19 > 0:26:21to put some crocks in the bottom for drainage.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Now, I've made up a compost that has been reinforced
0:26:37 > 0:26:39with a bit of grit
0:26:39 > 0:26:43and sieved garden compost added to it,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45to give it a little bit of extra nourishment.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51If you're buying it, get a normal, peat-free potting compost
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and then buy the same quantity of soil improver
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and mix it all up together,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00because bamboos really will respond well to extra goodness
0:27:00 > 0:27:02and also water retention.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Right.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Let's untie this while I can get it down.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Now, when you're choosing a location for a bamboo,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14bear in mind that it does need shelter from the wind.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Of course, you want the wind to shift and shuffle through it,
0:27:18 > 0:27:24and get that lovely sliding sound as the leaves cross each other,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26but you don't want to scorch it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31You can see this has actually got a little bit scorched by cold winds.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34But it needs some sun, too.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37The more sun you have, the better the colour.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40So, if you've Phyllostachys nigra plain and you want those
0:27:40 > 0:27:45really lovely black stems, then it needs to be in the sunshine.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49In shade, they will always be slightly grey.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Now, if we take this out of the pot,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58you can see that there's a fairly dense root system there.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Quite a good idea, if you can,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05is to get your thumb in and just tease it out a bit.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Now, that's not to spread the roots that are there,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12but to stimulate fresh root growth. Just tease it into action.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Now, with any luck, we can get that in there...
0:28:18 > 0:28:21One of the reasons that I've chosen this,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24other than from the green that I want from the culms,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27is that it's exceptionally hardy.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29This is hardy down to about minus 25.
0:28:29 > 0:28:35It should be able to withstand our very cold, wet winters.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43And I can't stress that, if you are growing bamboos in a container,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47you are going to have to water it at least once a week.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49A really good soak. Because...
0:28:50 > 0:28:55..they will always react instantly to drying out.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57They don't like it at all.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Let's get back a bit and have a look from a distance.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I like the way it has a lean to it. It's got an elegance.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Not quite sure it's in the right place,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22but I'll live with it for a few days.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Now, I'll be back next week, but not here at Longmeadow,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29because we've got an RHS special and I'll be down at Wisley.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31So, I'll see you there, bye-bye.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Come on.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd