0:00:02 > 0:00:04COW MOOS
0:00:04 > 0:00:07LAWNMOWER WHIRS
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15You know, you can study horticulture for years,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17you can become as experienced as you like,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21but you very rarely will make anything more pleasing
0:00:21 > 0:00:24than a mown path through long grass, particularly at this time of year.
0:00:24 > 0:00:31I love that contrast. It's a beautifully simple, elegant line.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39This week, Carol returns to help our budding gardeners,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Dan and Dominique, create a cottage garden border from scratch.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- What do you want this border to be? - Colour, and just craziness.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Everything, you know, full, cram-packed would be brilliant.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Sophie Raworth will be at Chelsea Flower Show with me
0:00:54 > 0:00:55for the first time this year,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58and she takes us around the garden that she grew up in.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01This is what I love and it makes me feel very at home.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04So, the alliums, I've got, Hydrangea 'Annabelles',
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I've got climbing roses, euphorbia.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- You're coming on!- Coming on.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11You've got it all and I'm trying to keep up with you, Mum.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And I shall be planting up my sweet peas.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And talking of sweet,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I'll also be sowing sweet corn
0:01:21 > 0:01:24for a harvest later on in summer.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I love the change at this time of year
0:01:37 > 0:01:40as the coppice goes into the next phase.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44And you've had all the early flowers and now this.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49It does prove to me that that combination of trees,
0:01:49 > 0:01:54shrubs and flowers is perfect for gardening.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55You can do it anywhere.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00And they just work well together in this dappled light.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04As you move further into the copse, the planting changes.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Bit more shady, and actually a little damper, too.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So, primroses, violets, the wood anemones,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15and bluebells make this intense tapestry of a border.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17And most of it has finished now.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And as the leaves get thicker, they'll go dormant.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24And this is the perfect moment to divide primroses.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28After they finish flowering,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31primroses develop this really vibrant foliage,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33which feeds back into the roots.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38So, if you dig it up now and replant it, you'll capture all that growth.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Right, so we just dig around...
0:02:42 > 0:02:46with a trowel, taking out this clump.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48They don't mind that. Here we are, that's perfect.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56You can see that we've got plenty of material to divide there.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59And a good root system.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00And I chop it, initially...
0:03:02 > 0:03:04..in there, like that. There we go.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Already I've got myself a couple of plants but if I...
0:03:12 > 0:03:16put that down, I can now break it up
0:03:16 > 0:03:18into a whole number of plants.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23But if you buy a big, healthy primrose, that can be a fiver.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So, if you go to a garden centre now, go to the reduced section -
0:03:26 > 0:03:30cos they've finished flowering - buy the biggest plant you possibly can,
0:03:30 > 0:03:31and divide it up.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33You can be quite tough about this.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37There we are. And I could take it down even further, if I wanted to.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41We'll pull - there we go - even more.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44And this way you can start to build your own stock,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46because in two years' time,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48that will develop a clump
0:03:48 > 0:03:51as big as the original one that I've taken out.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53And that then can be lifted and divided.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58And very quickly you can go from buying one large primrose,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00to having literally hundreds.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I've got a good spot here.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14It's a bare patch where there was a pile of wood.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16And you can see it's at the base of a tree,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18but it's got sunlight coming in,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and to establish a clump to fill an area like this,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24you want to plant four or five separate plants
0:04:24 > 0:04:27about six inches to a foot apart and they will fill in the gaps.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Those leaves are a little bit wonky and bashed,
0:04:32 > 0:04:38so what I'll do is quite happily take these right back, like that.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40That won't do it any harm at all.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44And we'll get new leaves growing from the base.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47We'll plant this one in here. Just like that.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59With a good soak, these will grow almost instantly.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03And spread the established theme of this area of the garden.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04There's nothing new going on here.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09I'm just tinkering with it to keep it alive and keep it moving.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12This is very different to what Carole has been doing
0:05:12 > 0:05:14with our first-time gardeners Dominique and Dan.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17She's been visiting them regularly throughout this year
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and will continue to do so right through the growing season
0:05:21 > 0:05:24as they start to create their garden.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27This week she's helping them to plant up a cottage garden border.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Spring has definitely sprung in Gloucestershire.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37And Dan and Dom have been making the most of it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40At the beginning of the year they created
0:05:40 > 0:05:43a plan of their dream family garden.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And after loads of hard work it's starting to take shape.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48The structural plants Dom
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and I planted this Easter are settling well.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54And since then they've been busy collecting perennial
0:05:54 > 0:05:56plants from neighbours and friends.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59They've laid some more lawn and after much discussion,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01we've also come up with a low-cost
0:06:01 > 0:06:05but high-impact solution for the patch of earth we're yet to tackle
0:06:05 > 0:06:06next to the lawn.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11It really is beginning to look like a garden, isn't it?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Look at that blossom.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15That's marvellous. And I love this grass.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I think it's great how we have a continuous sweep coming round.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20It brings the two sides together
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and then that gives the opportunity to have a continuous border, as well.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- What do you want this border to be? - Colour and everything just full.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Cram packed would be brilliant.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34So what you're after really is what people call a cottage garden.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37One of the great things about cottage gardening is you grab
0:06:37 > 0:06:40stuff from everywhere, you beg borrow and steal
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and you've been doing just that, haven't you?
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- We have. We've collected a few little bits.- Shall we have a look?
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Yeah, come see.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- I think this looks splendid. All this stuff you've been given.- Yeah.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01I think you've got a marvellous selection. I really do.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04You've got astilbe, meadowsweet, fabulous
0:07:04 > 0:07:09sedum which is going to be one of your best autumnal wildlife plants.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Butterflies love it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16You've got daylily over there. What shall we start with?
0:07:16 > 0:07:17This is rudbeckia.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21You've got quite a nice lot of that
0:07:21 > 0:07:25so we ought to be able to do something rather exciting with that.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29- What else do you like?- I really like this one.- It's a thalictrum.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's probably one called aquilegiifolium.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It will end up being really tall.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Let's have that phlox, don't you think?- Yeah.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42That's such a cottagey garden thing, isn't it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Phlox delivery, fantastic.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Just the job.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52- Do we have a little holding area down here?- In the middle.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55First things first.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58If we started with the rudbeckia because it's such a stalwart.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Big daisies with a black centre.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03One of its common names is black-eyed Susan.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Why don't we start this as a big swathe over here?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11You don't just want a plant in one place even if it's a swathe.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14You want to repeat it somewhere else.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16So you establish this whole sort of rhythm.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Continue it around then?- Yeah, I think so. Somewhere over there.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25If you plant them a few inches apart but we break these clumps up a bit.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28You'll find by the end of the summer, hopefully,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30you'll have a great big chunk of yellow.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35This thalictrum sustained slight injury over here.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I'm not going to take sole responsibility for that but maybe.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I think the whole thing about tall plants is everybody wants to
0:08:42 > 0:08:43put them at the back.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46And have this sort of staggered look.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I think we ought to have them right at the front here.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Somewhere like this.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Because then you create these little recesses, you know?
0:08:54 > 0:08:56These little secret places.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01About 18 inches to a foot apart, something like that.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Two phlox, one each. I think she gave you the smaller one.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- I think so.- I'm no fool.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Maybe if they come up here you can have one either side.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So you establish the link between one side
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and the other. You can buy a few more from the garden centre.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Just so you establish this kind of rhythm.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Come on. There's more plants. Tools and plants, thank you very much.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We're setting all the plants out on the soil to make sure
0:09:32 > 0:09:36the design will work before we start getting them planted.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39By autumn these plants will have established themselves.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41And be ripe for propagation.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Allowing Don and Dom to fill up the rest of their borders.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49- Give them a good old soak. Are you pleased?- Looks amazing.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Until then we've come up with a beautiful,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57cost-effective solution to create big impact this summer.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01What about this area now?
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- We've got these guys. The mini meadow.- The mini meadow.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Instead of being a wild flower mix, which would be great
0:10:10 > 0:10:15if you had poor, dry soil. It's a mix of annual flowers.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19That will give you the same billowy, soft, romantic effect
0:10:19 > 0:10:22but will love growing in this kind of soil.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Right now is the time to sow it and I think you ought to use this
0:10:26 > 0:10:32time-honoured method so putting some of your seed into dry sand.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33For two reasons.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36A, you can see exactly where you've sown
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and B, it distributes the seed more evenly.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Yeah, lovely.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51With this area now set up for summer,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54it's time to turn our attention to the veg plot.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Because next time I'm here we're going to fill them
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and create a plot that should keep them in veg throughout the year.
0:11:17 > 0:11:23It's nice to see people catch the enthusiasm that gardening gives you.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25They're getting the bug.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29These are streptocarpus I bought at Malvern.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Now, I've never grown these before.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33So I thought I'd give them a go.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I've seen them growing in the wild in the Drakensberg
0:11:36 > 0:11:38mountains in South Africa.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43And I've seen them growing in rocky wooded ravines with the mountain
0:11:43 > 0:11:47streams pouring down and the streptocarpus growing on the banks.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50So they like shade, they like warmth,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53they like it moist but not wet.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54They can be quite tricky.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59One thing that is not right is to grow them in a hot, dry greenhouse.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So if I grow them in here,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I will put them underneath the staging.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04And when you water them,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07you don't want to water directly onto the leaves
0:12:07 > 0:12:09but either just into the compost or underneath.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And they want to be fairly pot-bound.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13If you put them into too big a pot
0:12:13 > 0:12:15you'll just get masses of leaves and no flower.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17This is a variety called Crystal Ice,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21which flowers more than most varieties and will go on flowering.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25As long as you keep deadheading it, new flowers will be produced.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Now, I want to make new plants
0:12:27 > 0:12:30because you can take cuttings from them quite easily.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33And you do it by taking leaf cuttings.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34And this plant here -
0:12:34 > 0:12:36the leaves are strong, standing well
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and that's perfect cutting material.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Leaf cuttings, like root cuttings, need a well-drained compost.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53So I'm going to use a seed mix which has got lots of vermiculite in it
0:12:53 > 0:12:58and I'm going to do the cuttings in three different ways.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02As much as anything else to compare how they get on.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06The easiest way to take a leaf cutting from these
0:13:06 > 0:13:09is simply to take a single leaf,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11that one will do.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14We'll cut that off at the base, like that.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18And just cut about two thirds down
0:13:18 > 0:13:21with a sharp knife
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and stick it in compost.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25And leave it like that.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The second way to take cuttings from these
0:13:31 > 0:13:32is slightly more complex
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and slightly more risky.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38So we will take another cutting.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Let's take this big one here, like that.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47And cut it into sections across the leaf.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Now, it's important you remember which way up they are
0:13:50 > 0:13:53because they have to go into the compost the right way up,
0:13:53 > 0:13:54so to speak.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Put that in, like that.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02And what this will do is encourage new little plants
0:14:02 > 0:14:04to grow from the base.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06That will give us more plants from one leaf
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but it's going to be a greater risk
0:14:09 > 0:14:13of the plants not surviving the cutting process.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15The even riskier way to do it,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19but if it works much more successful, is this.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22We will take another whole leaf.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26And I wouldn't want to take any more leaves than this from this plant.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27And then, putting it on the ground,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I'm going to cut out that main rib.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And to do this you do need a very sharp knife.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35You don't want to tear it.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44Now, these can be put in on their side, along the cut edge.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47If that works, and there's about a 50% chance,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50we will get new plants growing all the way along the length,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53which can then be cut free and potted on.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Whichever method you use,
0:15:00 > 0:15:05you do need to put it somewhere warm but not exposed to too much sun,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07otherwise it will scorch.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09And then water the soil well.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11And you'll know that it's taken
0:15:11 > 0:15:14because you'll start to see the new growth.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Right, if those cuttings take,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20the young plants should be flowering within 21 weeks.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22So if you can get it to happen,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24it's a great way of producing new plants.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And we are producing new plants every day, now,
0:15:27 > 0:15:28and by the end of the year
0:15:28 > 0:15:32we will have got thousands out of this one small greenhouse.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34That takes quite a lot of organisation
0:15:34 > 0:15:37but it's a very cheap way of making the garden look fantastic.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40However, one thing is for sure,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43you can't just grow plants in the protection of a greenhouse
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and then take them and put them straight out into the garden.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49And it is a good idea
0:15:49 > 0:15:52if you're growing anything in the greenhouse
0:15:52 > 0:15:53that is intended to go in the garden
0:15:53 > 0:15:55to harden it off gradually.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And that means for at least a week and preferably by degrees.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So pretty good protection and then a little bit more exposed
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and finally, when it's ready to go out,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07it's properly acclimatised.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09And this applies if you buy plants, too.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11If you go to a flower show or a garden centre
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and you see a marvellous plant,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16the chances are that it's been mollycoddled and protected
0:16:16 > 0:16:17so it DOES look marvellous.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21So a really good piece of advice is to,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25when you buy a new plant, put it somewhere fairly protected -
0:16:25 > 0:16:28out of the wind, out of the worst of the sunshine -
0:16:28 > 0:16:32let it sit for a week, then plant it out.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33Now, I've got sweet peas here,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36which have gone from seed to cold frames
0:16:36 > 0:16:38to this standing bed
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and now are completely ready to be planted out.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Sweet peas like rich soil, plenty of moisture.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So before you plant, it's a good idea
0:16:55 > 0:17:00to put lots of compost or soil improver beneath the wigwam,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02if you're planting them on a wigwam,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05or on a line if you're planting them against a fence.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07And they don't need unbroken sunlight.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11As long as they get sun for half the day that's absolutely fine.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I plant a pot at a time.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18So I've sown three seeds, three plants have grown.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Knock it out of the pot
0:17:19 > 0:17:24and the whole thing goes at the base of a support.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And when these are planted they will need a good soak
0:17:27 > 0:17:29and they need to be soaked regularly.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33So if it hasn't rained, these should be watered weekly.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34Do not let them dry out.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Sweet peas are common garden plants, I suppose.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43They're absolutely lovely and none the worse
0:17:43 > 0:17:46for being in millions of gardens across the country.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Now, next week is Chelsea Flower Show.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And for anyone exhibiting, it's the absolute peak of the year
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and for every gardener it's one of the major highlights.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I'll be there along with Joe and Carol and Rachel
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and, for the first time, Sophie Raworth.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Now, Sophie was brought up in Twickenham
0:18:05 > 0:18:06in a beautiful garden.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20This is where I grew up.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23We came here when I was six years old and my parents still live here.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And I come here all the time.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32My parents have always been really keen gardeners,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34as were their parents, my grandparents.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36And gardening and plants and horticulture
0:18:36 > 0:18:40has always been so central to my family, to my parents.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45And it's just something that has run through the generations, I suppose.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57When my parents bought this house back in the 1970s
0:18:57 > 0:18:59it needed a huge amount doing to it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01And there was a beautiful space here but very little in it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05And they could see the possibilities that this garden held.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12This is my favourite part of the garden.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16So much of my childhood happened here, on this lawn.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I mean, everything from revising for my O-levels
0:19:19 > 0:19:20lying on the lawn, here...
0:19:20 > 0:19:23We had my childhood birthday parties here.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24When we were kids,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26my sister and I used to have tea out here with my mum.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27It was a wonderful space
0:19:27 > 0:19:30that was created by my parents for our family.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It's looking amazing, Mum.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Just doing a bit of staking.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38People often say, "It's your mother's garden."
0:19:38 > 0:19:40But actually it's not at all.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42My dad is the absolute backbone to it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44He did the beautiful lawns and he planted all the hedges
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and my mum is in charge of the plants and flowers.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Flowers at the moment I really love are the, I mean,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54that poppy, there - 'Medallion' - is fantastic.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And I think the plant has got at least 20 buds on it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And the tulips have been wonderful, 'Spring Green'.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Look at those camassias there, they're beautiful.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06And also, there, there's the white hesperis.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Now, that is a lovely scented plant and that's gorgeous.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- And the roses, of course, which are about to come out.- Yes.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14This garden when the roses come out is spectacular.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16My garden is, compared to this, miniature.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19But the flowers that I have in my garden, I have to say,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- I've slightly copied my parents. I mean...- Oh, you do. You do!
0:20:22 > 0:20:26You go and see a garden and you get ideas from other gardens.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28And also this is what I've grown up with
0:20:28 > 0:20:30so this is what I love and it makes me feel very at home.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33So the alliums... I've got Hydrangea Annabelles,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I've got climbing roses. Euphorbia...
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- Oh, well, you're coming on! - I'm coming on, you know!
0:20:38 > 0:20:41You've got it all. I'm trying to keep up with you, Mum.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51This is the knot garden, but it is one of the parts of the garden
0:20:51 > 0:20:54that has changed the most over the years. When we first moved here,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57when I was six, we had a Wendy house and a swing.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00They weren't very pretty, though, so I'm afraid we burned
0:21:00 > 0:21:02- the Wendy house and the swing was got rid of.- Yes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04We weren't very pleased about that.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09No. Then, I kept bees. I had two huge hives here.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And we used to produce over 200 pounds of honey.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13And we took it very seriously.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Mum and I used to go to bee-keeping classes, in Twickenham.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Yes. And there was a film made about us on Nationwide and there is
0:21:21 > 0:21:24a very funny shot of Sophie standing there with long, lank hair.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26That was my first appearance on television,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29on Nationwide, with Mum and her bees, looking very gawky,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31standing right here, in this garden.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41This wisteria is fantastic. It's the first thing you see when you walk
0:21:41 > 0:21:44into the gates here and it was here
0:21:44 > 0:21:48when we moved here in the 1970s. It is very much my dad's thing.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It has grown up and it's come down again,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54because Dad cuts it back. It used to reach the top of the house.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Wisteria grows like mad.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I have to prune it at least three times, sometimes, four times a year,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02in order to keep it trim.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And the last pruning, which was maybe in January, February,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09where you cut it back to two buds and that, sort of, makes it flower.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11That's the most important thing.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15But the thing that my dad is most proud of is this -
0:22:15 > 0:22:18the cotoneaster, 'Queen of Carpets', understep planting,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22which Dad reckons is probably the longest in the country?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- Is that right?- I think it is right.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27It is 20 metres. Two lots of ten metres
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and it is the most prostrate cotoneaster that there is,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I believe. There is hardly...
0:22:33 > 0:22:36It lies absolutely flat and it's gone along
0:22:36 > 0:22:39the Yorkstone gaps that we have here.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42That is your mission, isn't it, to cover the whole sunken garden?!
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The added bonus is that it has
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- a pretty white flower. - And red berries in the autumn.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's got a hole here, Dad. I'm worried about the hole.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- I've just seen that, yes. - LAUGHTER
0:22:57 > 0:23:00It is just something I have grown up with, I have a really strong
0:23:00 > 0:23:03affinity to and it is a, sort of, family passion and something that
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Mum and Dad have very much passed on to me. I'm really excited to be part
0:23:07 > 0:23:09of the Chelsea team this year. I have been there many times
0:23:09 > 0:23:10as a visitor,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13but I have never spent a substantial amount of time there.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I am really looking forward to talking to all the garden designers
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and the plant growers and taking away tips and ideas for my own garden.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28BIRDSONG
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I have been to Richard
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and Jenny Raworth's garden and it is staggering.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40And you could go and see it, too, because it is open, under the
0:23:40 > 0:23:43National Gardens Scheme and all the details of that and anything else
0:23:43 > 0:23:44today can be found on our website.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49Now, how about this? This is Viburnum plicatum mariesii.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54It is a fairly common shrub, but uncommonly beautiful,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and this is its supreme moment. As well as this fabulous
0:23:57 > 0:24:00flower, in spring,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04they have some of the best autumn coloured-foliage that you could
0:24:04 > 0:24:05possibly find.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10Now, you may not have a Viburnum plicatum, but here are some jobs
0:24:10 > 0:24:12that we can all be doing this weekend.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Although you should not be cutting hedges at this time of year,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23because it will disturb nesting birds, it is a good time
0:24:23 > 0:24:27to lightly trim the vertical ends of hedges.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It is only a small job, but it has a really big impact
0:24:31 > 0:24:34on tidying up the garden.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Just as trimming the vertical ends of a hedge tidies things up, so does
0:24:43 > 0:24:46keeping the edges of grass neat.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49If there is already an established edge,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52you can just trim it with edging shears, although they must be
0:24:52 > 0:24:56really sharp. If, however, you have got matted growth,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58use a board
0:24:58 > 0:25:02and cut into the growth, to establish a neat line.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Then, in future, you can just trim it with the shears.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14If you grow strawberries, your fruit will be forming and even ripening,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18so now is a good moment to mulch them.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Straw is traditionally used, but anything that keeps the fruit clean
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and dry will do the job.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And while you are about it,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31it's a good idea to cloche some of the plants.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35This will encourage them to ripen earlier and spread your harvest,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40but keep the ends of the cloches open, to ensure good ventilation.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47BIRDSONG
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I am sowing some sweet corn. Sweet corn is one of these vegetables
0:25:58 > 0:26:03that is tender and it is no good sowing it in cold conditions.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07If it does grow, it won't grow very well and we can't
0:26:07 > 0:26:13reliably reckon on warm conditions for another few weeks yet.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16So, I am going to raise it in the greenhouse.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23These will be ready to pot on, as soon as they start growing and get
0:26:23 > 0:26:26a decent root system. By the time I have harded them off,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29they should be about a foot or so high. By that time,
0:26:29 > 0:26:35it will be, ooh, the middle of June, the nights will be warm
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and they will grow fast. And they will be ready to harvest
0:26:39 > 0:26:42round about August time or even September.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48And home-grown sweet corn is just SO much sweeter than anything
0:26:48 > 0:26:51you can buy. It's a fantastic treat.
0:26:51 > 0:26:58A buttery cob, with the juices smeared over your face is good fun.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06That can go into the greenhouse.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Now, I'll water that in and I've put it on the heated bench,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21because sweet corn needs heat to germinate. And it is great to have
0:27:21 > 0:27:24that facility. In fact, I have got a letter here from
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Sharon Camp, asking me what warming bench I have got
0:27:29 > 0:27:35and how does it work. I can tell you, Sharon, I bought that bench for
0:27:35 > 0:27:39about £700, 16 years ago. It is, essentially, just a deep tray
0:27:39 > 0:27:40filled with grit,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43with cable, like an electric blanket, running through it.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47It is quite an investment, but it is about the best thing
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I have EVER bought in this garden, because it's saved me
0:27:50 > 0:27:54tens of thousands of pounds, really. And the secret of successful
0:27:54 > 0:27:59propagation is controlling light, water and heat.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Now, a much cheaper way to do that is to get a heated mat.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08I've got one under here. For about £100, you can get a decent size
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and it gives you that gentle heat underneath.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14You'll find that your seeds will germinate quicker
0:28:14 > 0:28:19and, better, cuttings will take better and you'll very, very quickly
0:28:19 > 0:28:20make that money back.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25I would say it's well worth the investment of some kind of gentle
0:28:25 > 0:28:28bottom heat for propagation.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Well, that is it for today. I shan't be here next week,
0:28:36 > 0:28:37because I will be at Chelsea.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Chelsea programmes begin on Sunday night.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43But I will be back in a fortnight's time, so I will see you here
0:28:43 > 0:28:44at Longmeadow, then.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45Bye-bye.