0:00:03 > 0:00:07Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World. Now, I've left Longmeadow today
0:00:07 > 0:00:10and come to RHS Garden Wisley where they're preparing
0:00:10 > 0:00:15for an anticipated 900,000 visitors this year.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Mind you, it has been as tough for them as it has been for all of us
0:00:17 > 0:00:19with this harsh spring weather.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Nevertheless, there's lots going on here both inside and out.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27And also this week -
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Carol is lending a hand to an RHS Britain in Bloom volunteer who
0:00:31 > 0:00:35is hoping to brighten up a former mining town with a community garden.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38- Wow! Look at this! - CAROL GIGGLES
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Oh, it's plant wonderland, isn't it?
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And Joe is in Wales visiting a garden filled with rare
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and exotic species.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Stunning piece of architecture
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and it's the home to some of the most endangered plants on our planet.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I shall be looking at the orchid collection here
0:00:58 > 0:01:01and learning the best way to repot them.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'll also be helping to sow some wild flower seed
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and getting inspiration for my own garden from the alpine house.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26I've come to this alpine house for two reasons really.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30The first is it's got the best colour in the whole of Wisley
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and even the great Wisley is slightly short of colour
0:01:33 > 0:01:37after the spring we've had, but this is just rich with it.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And also, more selfishly, because I don't know much about alpines
0:01:42 > 0:01:43and I want to grow more.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I want to really introduce them into Longmeadow,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50so to get inspiration and knowledge, this is the place to come.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And Colin Crosbie the curator of Wisley is here to give me
0:01:54 > 0:01:56expert advice on how to grow them.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Colin, I think it's fair to say that this has got more colour
0:02:01 > 0:02:05in this one house than the rest of Wisley put together at the moment.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07At the present moment it's just like a sweet shop,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12- it's overflowing with colour. - What defines an alpine?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It's one of those things that we all sort of think we know.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18A true alpine is something that grows high up
0:02:18 > 0:02:21in the mountains at high altitudes.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23A lot of people think alpines are difficult.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26They are not, they are so easy to grow and wonderful in the container.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28And why are they grown in pots in here?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Why don't you just plant them straight into the bed?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Well, we grow them in clay pots which are plunged into the sand
0:02:33 > 0:02:36because that again helps to keep the root system cool
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and in the summer months, we soak the sand with moisture
0:02:39 > 0:02:42so that the clay pot can take the moisture from the sand
0:02:42 > 0:02:44into the pot, whereas, during the winter months
0:02:44 > 0:02:46when you want the roots to be dry,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50the sand pulls the moisture through the clay pot out.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Would you say that some of these plants are easier to grow
0:02:53 > 0:02:55than others, or good for a beginner?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58There are some that are very easy to grow. For example, over here
0:02:58 > 0:03:01we've got some beautiful Saxifragas with lovely colour.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05As you can see there's a mass of tiny little pink flowers
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and then things such as Cyclamen coum -
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- very, very easy to grow outside. - And these will grow outside?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12These will grow outside perfectly well, especially
0:03:12 > 0:03:15when they're in a trough and you've got good drainage underneath them
0:03:15 > 0:03:17and you can maybe use some pieces of tiles
0:03:17 > 0:03:20or stones in there to add a little bit of architecture
0:03:20 > 0:03:22to your trough as well.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I tell you the ones that I really like, are the tulips.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30This one, humilis. That's SO pretty, isn't it?
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Such wonderful colours and outside these are actually great at the
0:03:33 > 0:03:37bottom of a sheltered south-facing wall where they get baked with the
0:03:37 > 0:03:42sun and there just so vibrant when you see the colours inside them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44And unlike a lot of tulips,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- they will go on and on and on, won't they?- These will keep flowering
0:03:47 > 0:03:50for year after year so you don't need to keep replanting them,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52but plant them fairly deep - sunny, south-facing wall,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55a bit of shelter because you don't want that cold wind
0:03:55 > 0:03:59battering them around and then you get this wonderful colour from them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01A lot of these can grow outside and stay outside
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and it's putting them in the right conditions,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and buy six, seven, eight of those and you've got a nice trough, or
0:04:07 > 0:04:09a big clay pot, and you've got
0:04:09 > 0:04:11your own little miniature alpine garden.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I'm making a list which is not really a shopping list, more of an
0:04:28 > 0:04:34inspirational list for plants that I would like to grow at Longmeadow.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35And there's no substitute
0:04:35 > 0:04:40when you're planning any kind of garden, be it a few pots on a
0:04:40 > 0:04:44windowsill or a great big herbaceous plot, to going out and seeing
0:04:44 > 0:04:48them growing, and building plant combinations of colour and texture
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and size that you can then take back to your own garden at home.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56And Joe has gone to visit a partner garden of the RHS
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and partner gardens allow entry free to RHS members
0:04:59 > 0:05:01at certain times of the year.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05The one he has gone to is the National Botanic Garden of Wales,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07which has an unusual glasshouse
0:05:07 > 0:05:10not only on the outside but also on the inside.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Just look around you, where is the cherry blossom?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Were at the magnolia blooms?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25For many of us, spring is unseasonably late,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28but I've come to somewhere where it is well under way.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Here at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, I've been promised
0:05:39 > 0:05:42wonders under this spectacular dome.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45And it's certainly delivers.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It's a stunning piece of architecture,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50a veritable Noah's Ark made of glass packed full of plants
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and it's the home of some of the most endangered plants on our planet.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01We all know about the threat to the rainforest but the plants here come
0:06:01 > 0:06:04from some of the driest, most arid places in the world.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08These Mediterranean plants are so rare
0:06:08 > 0:06:11you'll struggle to see them anywhere else on earth.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They are known as Mediterranean plants
0:06:14 > 0:06:17because of the climate they live in, but they actually come
0:06:17 > 0:06:21from as far afield as California, Australia and even South Africa.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Look at this, this is absolutely stunning. This is the King protea.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30The national flower of South Africa. It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I've been lucky enough to see it in its natural environment
0:06:34 > 0:06:36in Cape Town on Table Mountain.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39They grow in the fynbos, which literally translated means the
0:06:39 > 0:06:42fine bush, and it's a combination of flora that all
0:06:42 > 0:06:45thrive off each other and live in this wonderful ecosystem,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49but it's under threat through environmental change
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and also man-made influences too.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Out of the 370 protea species, 120 of them are endangered
0:06:56 > 0:07:00so it's just lovely to see it thriving away here.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Creating a specific habitat that allows these plants to thrive
0:07:06 > 0:07:09is no mean feat.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12This spectacular dome is the largest single span glass house
0:07:12 > 0:07:16in the world and was designed by Sir Norman Foster.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Covering 3,500 square metres, its rocky terraces
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and sandstone cliffs are contoured to reflect the natural environment.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Simon Goodenough is a horticultural curator here
0:07:37 > 0:07:41and is passionate about protecting endangered species.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44You've got some pretty rare plants here, haven't you?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47McCutcheon's Grevillea I hear is here somewhere.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Yeah, it's not a looker
0:07:48 > 0:07:52so you've probably walked straight past it and it's here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56It really is not going to win the beauty contest, is it?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Mind you, from a botanical point of view
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and as a curator of a botanic garden, it gets my juices going.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I think this is absolutely really sexy,
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- but we're not going to sell it to a lot of people.- How rare is it?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11In Western Australia there's ten of them in the wild, that's it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The only reason this was found is
0:08:13 > 0:08:15because somebody was deciding to drive a road through
0:08:15 > 0:08:17a part of Western Australia
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and quite by luck, a botanist took a look at it and said,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24"Guys, I don't think we've ever seen this before."
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Realised that it was a brand-new species to science.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31We've managed to grow it, we can actually propagate it
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and we've got probably more than there are in the wild.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37We are keepers of genetic material if you like.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41If ever there was a call to get material back, they know it is here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48I've been transported on holiday for a minute there.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Honestly, I am in the Canary Islands.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I love these Echiums, they are gorgeous
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and I can't quite imagine that they're particularly endangered.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Things like the Echiums
0:08:58 > 0:09:00are almost like weeds over there, aren't they?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Well, some of them are but a lot of them
0:09:02 > 0:09:04grow in very specific niches
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and those niches happen to be where we want to build hotels
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and plazas, and so where they would naturally have grown,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14they are being squeezed out, so it just needs somebody to decide
0:09:14 > 0:09:16they want to build a multiplex hotel
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- on the site of an endangered plant - end of story.- Right.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So it's all about keeping the habitat or growing them here,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27but we're also growing them in our gardens in the UK as well,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29when the winters aren't too cold.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32There are three or four species that we grow in the British Isles
0:09:32 > 0:09:36that are actually relatively easy to grow, and Echium pininana, the great
0:09:36 > 0:09:39tall architectural plant that has graced many a London garden
0:09:39 > 0:09:41where you've got the heat of the city, very easy to grow.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43More people should have a go at it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47I've always wanted to grow one actually. Maybe this is the year.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Well, yes, give it a go because it's helping to preserve
0:09:50 > 0:09:52the biodiversity of planet Earth.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53I will do my little bit then.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08The National Botanic Garden of Wales is fascinating.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13It's huge, there's lots to see and I really recommend paying it a visit.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14Of course, Wisley is pretty huge too.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19It is broken down into lots of smaller gardens
0:10:19 > 0:10:21and they're busy at work here despite the weather.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24In fact, they were saying to me that they reckon
0:10:24 > 0:10:26they are 20 days behind last year.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28However, preparation is under way
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and they're sowing wildflower meadows
0:10:31 > 0:10:35not just in the great open spaces they have here,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40but also in corners of the model gardens.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Now as part of next week's National Gardening Week,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44we're all being encouraged to grow wild flowers.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's a really good way to add colour
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and texture to any corner of your garden and also has the huge
0:10:50 > 0:10:55benefit of attracting lots of bees and other pollinating insects.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Matthew, hello. - Hello. How are you doing?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Now I gather you're making a meadow,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05albeit in really quite a small space.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07A very small space just to show what you can do on a small
0:11:07 > 0:11:10scale in a domestic garden.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14So having dug it over, what's the next step?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16We now need to tread, consolidate the soil.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Are you ready to get stuck in? - Yes, I've got my treading shoes on.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Perfect.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Now you're preparing this like a lawn, to get rid of bits
0:11:26 > 0:11:27and hollows. Why in fact?
0:11:27 > 0:11:31It's just we need a settled seed bed to be sowing these into.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35We don't want the soil settling once we've already put the seed down.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37I know that the received opinion is that you need poor soil
0:11:37 > 0:11:39for any kind of wild flower mix.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42There's a couple of schools of thought here.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I mean, the more fertile the soil is the more vigorous any grass
0:11:45 > 0:11:47will be that's within that meadow mix.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50If you've got very poor soils then the grass is going to be far less
0:11:50 > 0:11:52vigorous and it will be a happier combination between
0:11:52 > 0:11:54wild flowers and grasses.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It's a perennial mix we're putting in here with foxgloves,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00primulas, with some Galiums, that's known as bedstraw.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Is there any grass in the mix at all?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We're not going for grass in here. We've quite fertile soil in here
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and I dare say the grasses wouldn't look so in keeping in a border
0:12:08 > 0:12:09so we're going completely wild flower.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- So, presumably you want to rake that.- We do, yes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14We'll need to get this down to a fine tilth now.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18But just to take out any large stones or any twigs in here.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21How critical is the timing of this?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I mean, it's still cold but presumably the soil is warming up.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26What is really important this time of year is
0:12:26 > 0:12:28we've still got moisture in the soil.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30That moisture is there for the germination,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32will help the flowers establish.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34You could do this in the autumn
0:12:34 > 0:12:36if you've caught quite a free draining soil.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39If you've got a soil that is prone to waterlogging or quite cold,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42like a clay soil, now, spring, is the time to do it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47- To get on with this.- Yes.- Right, that tilth is now a thing of beauty.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- It's firm. Ready? - Yes, we're good to go.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55As it's a small area we're actually going to mix the seed with some sand.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58You should use a silver sand or a washed sand. You can
0:12:58 > 0:13:01see your sowing and just to help distribute the seed.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07And I'm literally going to simply sprinkle this in through the sand.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09People tend to sow too thickly, don't they?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Indeed and we're kind of working on
0:13:11 > 0:13:14around one gram per square metre here.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- Right. That's ready. - This is good to go.- OK.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20It doesn't take two to sew a little patch of seed like that. I'm going to watch.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It doesn't and it's actually a good point because even quite
0:13:23 > 0:13:26a large area, just casting by hand is actually one of the most
0:13:26 > 0:13:31effective ways and you simply just do a light sprinkling action.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32This is where the sand comes in.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35This is where the sand is so useful.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37You can see where you've gone a bit too thick or perhaps a little
0:13:37 > 0:13:43- too thin and you can easily go back. - Right.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- Do you leave or rake it? - Very, very light rake.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Just the finest rake.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54- And it is literally just a... - A tickle.- Tickle, that's the word.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Also it takes out my footprints which look absolutely hideous.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04- Just enough to settle the seed there.- And one last thing.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Water, and really just in the first few months while this is
0:14:07 > 0:14:11germinating, just to ensure the ground doesn't completely dry out.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13And with a little bit of warmth,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- these will be germinating in weeks, won't they?- They will.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21- We hope for that warmth. - I'd give anything for that warmth.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Now, you may not be making a meadow,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27but here are some other jobs that you can be getting on with at home
0:14:27 > 0:14:28this weekend.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Mop head hydrangeas benefit from having their dead flower heads
0:14:33 > 0:14:35left on over winter.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37This helps to protect them against frost damage
0:14:37 > 0:14:40but with the arrival of spring, it's time to remove them,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43cutting back to the first strong healthy pair of green buds
0:14:43 > 0:14:44lower down the stem.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Any thin, spindly stems should be pruned out too along with
0:14:49 > 0:14:53dead branches, of course, and this will help open up the shrub
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and improve its overall shape.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Apricots, nectarines and peaches all need pollinating
0:15:02 > 0:15:04if they're going to bear a good crop of fruit,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07but bees may not be active yet and if you grow them under glass,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10may have difficulty getting to the flowers.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14In both cases, pollinating them by hand is the answer.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Simply tickle each bloom with a soft brush
0:15:17 > 0:15:19so the pollen is spread from one flower to the next
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and if you can, it's best to do this in the middle of the day.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It's always a good idea to stake your herbaceous
0:15:30 > 0:15:32perennials before they need it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And at Wisley they have rather a nifty way of doing this.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Birch branches that they've gathered over
0:15:37 > 0:15:41the winter are stuck into the ground around each plant.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43These are then woven along the top by carefully bending
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and twisting the twigs together.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49The height of each support varies according to the plant concerned but
0:15:49 > 0:15:53if you aim for a foot or so off the plants final height, you'll be fine.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12I don't grow any orchids myself but when I was a child,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15my granny did and I can still see clearly in my mind's eye these
0:16:15 > 0:16:18extraordinary flowers up on the mantelpiece,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21arching down like exotic birds.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I know lots of people get given orchids and grow them
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and get the same sort of wonder and pleasure that I did when I was
0:16:29 > 0:16:35a child, but to come here and see so many altogether really is special.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Wisley's orchid collection is one of its star
0:16:40 > 0:16:44attractions at this time of year and I'm meeting Peter Jones to find
0:16:44 > 0:16:49out how best to look after this most exotic of houseplants.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Hello, Peter.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- Hello, Monty.- Peter, how many different orchids have you got here?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Well it's pretty hard to put a figure on it
0:16:57 > 0:17:00but we've got hundreds of orchids in our collection.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- It's pretty extensive. - It's extraordinary.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Now a lot of people will be given orchids.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Was the first thing you need to do and where do you put an orchid?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I suppose you need to think about your orchid selection,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13so, for example, if you had an orchid like a Phalaenopsis,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14which is given very commonly,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17that's an orchid which can take high temperatures
0:17:17 > 0:17:19so it's ideal for a warmer room like say a living room,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24and it also can tolerate lower light levels so it's ideal for say
0:17:24 > 0:17:26if you've got more of a shadier room as well.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28A lot of people will think this is an exotic plant,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32needs a lot of heat and will put it on a radiator.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Is that a good idea?- Oh, no.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The thing with most modern houses is that they're all central heated
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and it drives all the moisture out of the air and
0:17:40 > 0:17:43the majority of these orchids come from very humid environments,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45so they like moisture in the air.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48So somewhere like above a radiator is not going to be ideal for it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I know that a lot of people get anxious with orchids.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53They grow them fine and they do their stuff,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but after a bit they either outgrow the pot or they stop flowering.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And repotting an orchid can be quite a daunting task.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02We happen to be doing some at the moment,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04so if you want to come this way.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12This is a phalaenopsis, a moth orchid,
0:18:12 > 0:18:17which is perhaps one of the most commonly given houseplants in the UK.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21I see this is in a clear pot, why is that?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Orchids like phalaenopsis do quite like a bit of sunlight
0:18:24 > 0:18:28on their roots to help with their feeding. But you also notice though,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31we've got quite a few roots that are coming out of their pots.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34This is completely normal and it's nothing to worry about.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35This is something that they do.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39You have non-clear pots here for the cymbidiums -
0:18:39 > 0:18:40a different type of behaviour?
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Exactly. These will put out roots slightly on the surface,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48but they're not really requiring the light factor.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51How do you know that that is ready for potting on?
0:18:51 > 0:18:56I've got a good example here of one that shows how orchids with bulbs,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59these are called pseudo bulbs, how they grow.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02This bulb here was when the orchid was first potted.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It produces a new bulb every season.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07As you can see, it has moved across the pot
0:19:07 > 0:19:10from where it first started to the edge of the pot.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14This one here is one that is ready for potting.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16We'll start with the basics.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We want to get rid of this old flower spike.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22You can see this orchid here, it's been in its pot several years.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24We've got some pseudo bulbs here
0:19:24 > 0:19:28and it's got quite a lot of roots that are just coming out of the pot.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Do you just put that into a bigger pot?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34No. With this orchid, it's quite a small cymbidium,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37it's not very big. I'm actually just going to tidy it up
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and I'll put it straight back into the same pot that it came out of.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I'm going to be quite brutal with this orchid.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I'm going to take a third of the roots off the bottom.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48We can see... we tease them out slightly,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- we can literally go in... - And cut across.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56We've taken our third of our roots off
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and we'll just have a little tease around
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and see if there are any damaged and dead ones.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04We don't want to leave any dead ones in there that are going to rot.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06How would I know if they are dead?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08They would feel soft and as if they were rotten.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12I am going to start by putting a bit of compost in the bottom there.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16What I'm going to do is try and position this orchid
0:20:16 > 0:20:19so that we have got the old bulbs at one side of the pot
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and we've got the newer bulbs in the centre
0:20:22 > 0:20:25because that is where our new growing tip is going to form
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and it's going to walk towards the other side.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- Keeping it...- Bringing it back in.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34We've got a nice height there of the base of the bulb,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37just below the rim of the pot. We are going to backfill.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I'm taking the bark and I'm pushing it
0:20:39 > 0:20:42to just try to get it into the air gaps that may be inside the pot there
0:20:42 > 0:20:45so just give it a bit of a tap as well.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And how often would you reckon to do this?
0:20:47 > 0:20:49We normally say two to three years,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- or when the bulbs have started to reach the other side of the part.- OK.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Most of us come to Wisley
0:21:05 > 0:21:07to see incredible displays like these orchids
0:21:07 > 0:21:12and the most of plants and the biggest gardens.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15And we don't try to copy that at home, we just get inspiration.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16We take something from it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19But the RHS work is not just about Wisley
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and the grandest and the biggest and the best.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It does reach right out to grass roots level.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28And Carol has been up to Hartlepool to meet an RHS volunteer
0:21:28 > 0:21:32who is hoping to breathe new life into his neighbourhood
0:21:32 > 0:21:34by making a community garden.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46On the windswept north coast sits the small town of Easington Colliery.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It takes its name from the coal pit
0:21:49 > 0:21:54which, until 20 years ago, was the very centre of the community.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57But in 1993, the pit closed down
0:21:57 > 0:22:01and the whole locality felt a real sense of loss.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But one man is determined to galvanise local people
0:22:08 > 0:22:13into making their town a much more plant friendly and colourful place.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I've actually come to take some divisions of your rudbeckia.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18This is the right time of year to do it.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Michael Welsh is one of thousands of RHS Britain in Bloom volunteers.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Britain in Bloom is an RHS campaign
0:22:28 > 0:22:32that encourages communities to brighten up their surroundings.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35With the plants he collects from all over the neighbourhood,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Michael's aim is to create a large, community garden.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Thanks to the parish council,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46land has been provided for Michael to start his community garden
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and to provide a place for all those wonderful plants
0:22:50 > 0:22:53that have been donated and propagated by local people.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The community garden, apart from being the hub of the community,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00could actually be the heart of the community as well.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It spreads all over the place.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Especially if people do it in their own gardens.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11As Easington gets more colourful, I think people's lives will be...
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- Improved.- Yes, that's it.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I want to give whatever help I can to Michael's endeavours.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Quite a few of these are looking really healthy. Look at that hebe.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Very loose, sandy compost. Good roots, look at those.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30So they will need a few more weeks in here
0:23:30 > 0:23:33until those roots have developed a bit more before you pot them up.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Cuttings are a great way to make more plants,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41but Michael also has an abundance of seed that needs attending to.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Marigold seeds.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46The great thing about hardy annuals
0:23:46 > 0:23:50is that although you can sow them the autumn before, or in the spring,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- in a cold year like this... - Definitely, it has been that.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57If you sow them individually, they are soon going to catch up.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59By the autumn, you will have great big plants
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and they will have flowered all summer
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and you will be able to collect your seed.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It is a bit like an angler, when he catches his first fish,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07he is hooked for life.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It is the same with the garden.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- When you see your first seed sprout or...- Your first cutting.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Michael has got his work cut out.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20There's lots of pots in here destined for the community garden.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Wow! Look at this.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's a plant wonderland, isn't it?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It certainly is.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34This time last year, there wasn't one plant in this garden.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39Or the structure. It's all been done in the last nine months.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43It's high exposure, but it's full light.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46You've got lovely sandy soil by the look of it.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It's a really brilliant place to bring plants on and to have a garden.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52When people are giving you things,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55whether you have got a tiny garden or a huge great plot like you've got,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59I think the most important thing is to get them in the ground.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01You're making those divisions, splitting things up,
0:25:01 > 0:25:07growing your seedlings on, so I think a nursery bed is what is called for.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Before the community garden is fully developed,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14a nursery bed is the ideal place to put plants
0:25:14 > 0:25:16before they're ready to plant out.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Creating one here is as simple as turning over the soil
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and removing weeds.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28I've brought my own contribution that is just right for this location.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30This one is a Geranium oxonianum.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34It's got these lovely chocolatey splodged leaves.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37You could plant a piece that that straightaway.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Or you can make it even smaller.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43You trim the roots with fibrous stuff like this,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48just because it stimulates them to make fresh roots.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51In it goes. Nestle it in.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And that's just going to grow away.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04This is a very special plant.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It's my mum's white phlox
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and this has actually visited the North East in its life
0:26:10 > 0:26:13because we lived in Newcastle for a bit.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17It's exactly the right time to take basal cuttings.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- Have you ever done this?- I haven't actually done a basal one, no.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's a really good way of propagating stuff that you can't grow from seed
0:26:24 > 0:26:26and that doesn't come true from seed
0:26:26 > 0:26:31and where you want exactly the same plant. Because it's vegetative.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34You get clones of the original.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40All you do is slide your knife right down into the basal here.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44You do it by feel rather than sight.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47And you just want a nice, short shoot like that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Strip these bottom leaves off.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53And just dibble them round the side of a pot.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Good old watering, grit on the top if you've got it.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57I didn't bring any of that.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00They take a bit of time,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05but you'll be able to plant these cuttings out later on in the summer.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08As well as taking basal cuttings from this phlox,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13we can split it up into chunks to grow on in the new bed.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Finally, some stems of willow and cornus will root
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and provide colourful new plants.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23- This whole garden is going to be a resource.- Yes, it is.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's going to be the hub of all this wonderful activity.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- It's going to be the hub and the heart.- Yeah!
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Well, I do wish them every success in the world with that project
0:27:44 > 0:27:48because I know how a garden doesn't just bind people together,
0:27:48 > 0:27:49it lightens up everybody's life.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I can tell you what's lightening my life at the moment.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57It's this amazing river of daffodils. This is February Gold.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00It is dainty, it is charming
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and full of the light of spring.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05And even though Wisley is perishing
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and we have had a miserable, bleak few weeks,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11spring is coming. It is getting better.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Don't forget, this coming week is National Gardening week.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Lots of events all over the country.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19You can find details of those on our website.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I'll be back next week at home at Longmeadow.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Join me then. Bye-bye.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd