0:00:02 > 0:00:03Come on, Nige.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10The writing garden is beginning to take shape.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's only a year old but it's getting a touch of maturity,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14which is exciting.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18We've had really wet weather here at Longmeadow for the last two,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20three weeks.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And whilst that's a bit miserable for gardeners
0:00:23 > 0:00:27the garden has become really lush and that lushness is a
0:00:27 > 0:00:30beautiful green and the white is a kind of cloud
0:00:30 > 0:00:34that floats on top of the richness of the green.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38And you've got the Allium 'Everest', the wonderful white of the
0:00:38 > 0:00:42foxgloves and then in turn the roses will come through
0:00:42 > 0:00:46and the clematis but the constant factor is the green
0:00:46 > 0:00:48in all its different shades.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53The combination of this time of year and all the rain
0:00:53 > 0:00:57and, critically, the fact that my knee seems to be better,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59so I'm off crutches and I'm off a stick,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03means that there's lots to do and I can crack on with it.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08- Go on. - Where you going with this one, then?
0:01:08 > 0:01:10This week Joe goes behind the scenes at the world famous
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Glyndebourne Opera House.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Where the gardens have been designed to complement the music.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We try and cater for lots of moods so that
0:01:19 > 0:01:21when you come out of an opera like
0:01:21 > 0:01:24The Marriage Of Figaro or something and you're buzzing
0:01:24 > 0:01:28and you're excited you want an exuberant, exciting planting scheme.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Rhododendrons are looking at their best at this time of year.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Carol meets a man from a dynasty of growers
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and learns about the rhododendrons that have shaped today's
0:01:38 > 0:01:40popular varieties.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44There's 900 different species ranging from these great big trees
0:01:44 > 0:01:46to tiny little alpines.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48You could spend a whole lifetime and never see half of it.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53And I'll be working in my cottage garden where the aesthetic beauty
0:01:53 > 0:01:58of flowers sits easily with the very practical virtues of vegetables.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13The Jewel Garden, as the name suggests,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17is planted to create as intense and rich colours
0:02:17 > 0:02:19as we possibly can.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And, at the moment, the irises and the poppies and the delphiniums
0:02:23 > 0:02:26are working towards creating that effect
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and, in fact, it does go on building till August/September
0:02:29 > 0:02:32when it's at its absolute peak.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But the cottage garden has a very, very different feel.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47We've got growing - fruit... vegetables...
0:02:47 > 0:02:50shrubs, annuals, herbaceous perennials,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52all mixed up cheek by jowl.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And the Ruby chard looks great.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00We've eaten it all winter and now it's bolting and it's become a
0:03:00 > 0:03:03flower with a magnificent red stem.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Now this bed has had wallflowers in them.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08A really good, buttery yellow.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Wallflowers are, actually, a short-lived perennial
0:03:11 > 0:03:16but I grow them as a biennial and it tends to be the best way to grow it.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18And the biennial - you sow the seed one year
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and it will flower the following year.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24So, now is the perfect time to sow wallflower seeds.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And grow them on, plant them out in the autumn
0:03:27 > 0:03:28and they'll flower next spring.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31But they've gone and they need pulling out to make space.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34If I left them in the ground here they would go on living
0:03:34 > 0:03:38but they would get very lush and you'd have masses of foliage
0:03:38 > 0:03:40and not much, if any, flower at all,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42so it's a law of diminishing returns.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45So, by pulling them up, I've got the best of them
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and I'm creating space for other things.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Now, these are the plants I've been making space for.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I've grown these first three from seed and, in fact,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09this is just half the plants we got from one packet of seed each.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13So, very cheap, the most economic way to fill up a garden.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This is a yellow chard.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18This is a Purple Kale. Both edible, of course,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21but very, very decorative.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I've got a tray of Borage, herb.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29And I've bought a couple of packs of Cosmos.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32This is a pink mix and the delicate pink will work in with the roses.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37So, I've got a flower, herb, a winter vegetable
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and then a really dramatic bright-coloured vegetable
0:04:40 > 0:04:44which will work through from summer into winter.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And the total costs of these plants is somewhere between
0:04:47 > 0:04:51£10 and £20 and there's enough to do both these big beds.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Just got a few chard. They're quite brittle, the stems of chard.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01You have to be careful not to snap them.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04But they're good, healthy plants.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Now, these will only reach that sort of height when they bolt
0:05:07 > 0:05:10so to start with they'll be relatively low
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and their mature height will be no higher than the top
0:05:14 > 0:05:16of the hedgerow.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I love the way that the roots are yellow of this too.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And you can see that has, actually, got a little bit pot-bound
0:05:23 > 0:05:26so tease them out a little bit. Just by breaking them
0:05:26 > 0:05:28you stimulate
0:05:28 > 0:05:29fresh root growth.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33That's enough.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Chard is the perfect cottage garden plant
0:05:39 > 0:05:42because it's going to cope well with different conditions.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46You can harvest it from summer right through to the following spring.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51It looks lovely, it's good for you - what's not to like about chard?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Don't plant it too close together.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55The key to it is to let the roots grow
0:05:55 > 0:05:59because it will have quite a big, fleshy root
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and that's what keeps it going over winter.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08There they go, that'll be fine.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13If I put the Cosmos in - you buy them in these plastic plugs,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14you just push the bottom out.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Now, before planting that...
0:06:17 > 0:06:21you can see it's got a large bud on the top
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and then smaller side buds coming off.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28So, when you buy Cosmos like that
0:06:28 > 0:06:31just pinch out the top bud.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35That will encourage more side shoots and you'll get many,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36many more flowers.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So, we'll pop it in there.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's so wet the soil is really sticky.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49And finally a profusion of kale.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53See that is a beautiful plant, even if it wasn't edible, it'd be great.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56And this is really robust
0:06:56 > 0:07:01and will come into its own after the first frosts,
0:07:01 > 0:07:07when that tenderises it a bit, and it's a really, really good vegetable
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and will hold its own in here amongst the flowers all around it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So we've got this funny old mixture in the border
0:07:16 > 0:07:20but it's great for small gardens cos you can have a bit of
0:07:20 > 0:07:24everything that you fancy, and have the garden looking really beautiful.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Now, Joe is starting out on a new series of garden visits
0:07:30 > 0:07:32to prestigious places
0:07:32 > 0:07:36with gardens attached that play a very important role
0:07:36 > 0:07:40in the whole experience of their use and management.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45And his first visit is to the Opera House, Glyndebourne in Sussex,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47as they get ready for the new season.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Thousands of people flock to Glyndebourne every year to see
0:08:06 > 0:08:09some of the biggest names in opera, and with just three days to go
0:08:09 > 0:08:13till the opera season starts, there's a real sense of excitement here.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16But it's not just the singing they come here for.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The gardens are as much a part of the experience as the performances.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'Kevin Martin and his gardening team have worked their socks off
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'to get the grounds ready for the opening night.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37'Over the last few months, they've planted over 7,000 bulbs,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'produced 6,000 plants from seed,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44'and spread 50 tonnes of mulch
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'across the 20 acres of grounds which are separated into
0:08:47 > 0:08:49'several distinct gardens.'
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- Hello, Kevin.- Hi, Joe, welcome. - Yeah, thank you. Fantastic gardens,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59but it must be a real challenge gardening here because
0:08:59 > 0:09:01you've got such a range that you've got to deal with.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04It certainly is. It's, erm, it's just the areas are so varied,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06they're so different.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I mean, working in the jungle garden here, so we use large, big plants.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Some of the areas, we're using finer plants.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- And it's all to complement this amazing opera...- Absolutely.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- ..blasting out behind you. - As you can hear now, exactly, yeah,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22so that's another added bonus of working in this garden actually.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Yeah. D'you need a hand? - Yes, please, yeah, we'd love a hand.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26- More bananas?- More bananas.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Where are we going with this one, then?- Up through here, Joe.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- Through the jungle. - Through the jungle.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42With this singing in the background,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44does it inspire you to garden? How does it make you feel?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It's great, I think everyone has a piece of classical music they love,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and since working here I've sort of recognised a few more bits.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- In fact this is my favourite opera you can hear now.- Yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56So, yeah, it does inspire you and it's incredible to be
0:09:56 > 0:09:59working in a garden with live string music, really.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It's been an incredibly mild winter,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and this exotic garden here shows it, doesn't it?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09The greatest thing about having a mild winter at Glyndebourne
0:10:09 > 0:10:11is that we do get Echiums through the winter,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13which makes a big difference.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I mean, we do actually grow them in the greenhouse and plant them out,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and we'll get flowers probably a third of the size of that.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21But if they over winter, then they're just magical.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Lovely. Right, what's next?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Oh, yeah, these are lovely borders, eh?
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Yeah, very important, this one.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36A lot of people use this to enter the opera house, so we've got to
0:10:36 > 0:10:39make sure it's looking its best right the way through the season.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41So what do you want to do with these?
0:10:41 > 0:10:43We're going to do a bit of staking here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So with the volume of people involved,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50does it affect the plants you use?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54It does. We have to try and soften up the edges of the path using,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57you know, stuff that can cope with a bit of bashing.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Hardy geraniums, we can cut them back.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I find when we do cut them back,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04good drink of water and they're back again within a few weeks.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07We use the Nigella quite a lot as well which seeds everywhere.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09There's also a bit of drama here with the Eremurus,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12which again are an amazing plant.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15This time of year, do you feel a lot of pressure?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17The time they spend on the detail with the productions,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20you feel that you've got to compete with them, you know.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- You can't let the side down, that's for sure!- No, you can't.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- You happy with that? - I am, that's going to do us proud.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Yeah, that's going to come in nice as it grows through there.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35'Kevin and his team work very closely with John Hoyland,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39'the gardens' advisor and one of the masterminds behind their design.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- Gardens are looking great.- Thanks.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Have to say I love this exotic border here.- It's great.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48The idea behind this border was it's just before the foyer to the
0:11:48 > 0:11:53theatre so we just wanted to have something exuberant and exotic and a
0:11:53 > 0:11:57bit jungly, which just hints at the excitement that's going on in there.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59But there's a lot of different themed garden areas.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Why has it been designed like that?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04What we try and do is that we try and cater for lots of moods,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07so that when you come out for the long interval,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09cos there's an hour and a half's interval here,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12you might just be buzzing just because you're seeing
0:12:12 > 0:12:15something jolly and exciting like The Marriage of Figaro,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and you want an exuberant, exciting planting scheme.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22But then there's tragedy sometimes that you come out from,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and so you might just want a quiet walk through a shady woodland
0:12:26 > 0:12:28or around the lake or through a meadow.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30You might just want to be calm and quiet,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33so we try and create those different atmospheres.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42'And it's not just the audience who enjoy the gardens.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44'Whilst on breaks from rehearsals,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'the performers, backstage crew and musicians do too.'
0:12:48 > 0:12:52How important are the gardens to you two, as far as your performances?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Fantastic, wonderful.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56We're really de-stressed in the nicest possible way.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59You can take yourself off into a lovely walk...
0:12:59 > 0:13:00We go down by the lake...
0:13:00 > 0:13:02..and look at the lillies and the mayflies and the...
0:13:02 > 0:13:04..and get all artistic about it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I think they're rather an oasis of calm
0:13:10 > 0:13:14because we're working inside in a subterranean darkened space
0:13:14 > 0:13:17when we're in the pit, it's very cramped and it's very noisy.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And it's really nice to come outside and see the gardens
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and to smell the flowers and see the reflections in the water
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and just sort of normalise again.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34HARP GLISSANDOS
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Nearly done.- Nearly done. It's never, it'll never be completely done
0:13:47 > 0:13:50until the actual curtain goes up, but we're nearly there.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- There's a bit of dead-heading to do. - But you're pleased?
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I'm very pleased, yeah, another season up and running.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I think the garden looks fantastic.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58They've just got to work on the opera now.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Exactly, yeah. Well, we can hear it,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02there's a few tweaks they've got to do, but not many.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Well, I'm no opera buff but certainly that makes me
0:14:21 > 0:14:23want to go to Glyndebourne, even if it's just to see the garden.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25And if you want to find details
0:14:25 > 0:14:27about the opera season there, you can get it,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30as with any other details about today's programme, from our website.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Now the vegetable garden has enjoyed the wet weather.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The chard is bolting like it is down in the Cottage Garden
0:14:36 > 0:14:38but there's still plenty of leaves to eat
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and I'll take those out sometime over the next week or so.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Potatoes, this is Charlotte, the second early, looking fantastic.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Touch wood, I'll be harvesting those in about three weeks' time.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I've done a little experiment here with the broad beans.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Directly sown two different varieties.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58This is Witkiem and Eleonora Express.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00These were sown in April and you can see
0:15:00 > 0:15:03they're both well covered with flowers and they'll be developing
0:15:03 > 0:15:07pods in the next few days, ready to harvest by the end of the month.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13There are some Eleonora Express at this end of the bed, which I sowed
0:15:13 > 0:15:21in pots in January and they are now producing small pods like that.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Then I've got Aquadulce, which I sowed at the end of autumn.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30And these have got much larger pods.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31That's a really good sized one.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34So you can see the difference in size of the pods.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Now, traditionally, if you want early broad beans,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38you do sow them in autumn.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The problems I've had in the past is, if you've got frost and snow
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and mice, they can really suffer.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46But this year, because of the mild winter, they've done well.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And you can see the difference. If I open this pod,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52you've got a tiny, little bean in there, whereas
0:15:52 > 0:15:57if I open this one, that bean is as big as I would ever want it.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59There's the difference in size of bean.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05And you can't beat just broad beans, cooked, a little bit of oil,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09perhaps some lemon, perhaps a little bit of mint - absolutely delicious.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19These radishes mark the spot where I sowed rows of parsnips
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and radish and parsnip grow well together
0:16:21 > 0:16:26and you can see that the radishes are absolutely ready for harvest
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and growing well and the parsnips are coming up through.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33There's a parsnip. There's parsnips coming up there.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35And they coexist quite happily.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39And these, swish them under a tap and they'll be delicious.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And by picking them, of course, letting light,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45air and nutrients go to the parsnips, and then I'll sow
0:16:45 > 0:16:50more radish for more succession and probably another crop after that.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The trouble at the moment with all this wet is my heavy soil is too
0:16:54 > 0:17:00wet to sow direct but it's really good weather to do some planting.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I'm going to plant out some leeks that
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I sowed in plugs a few months ago.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Date on the... Yeah, 26th of February these went in.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13And you can sow them, as I often do, which is in clumps.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16You sow some seed into a plug and you put it on
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and it doesn't matter if it's one seed or five seeds.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24They then grow as a little group and you harvest them as a group.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Now, the spacing
0:17:27 > 0:17:32when they're planted like this can be about eight, nine inches apart.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And I'm not trying to plant them too deeply
0:17:35 > 0:17:39cos what I'm trying to produce are young leeks, whereas if you
0:17:39 > 0:17:42plant them individually in holes, they are sunk down and in fact only
0:17:42 > 0:17:46the tips stick out and that excludes light and you get a bigger, stronger
0:17:46 > 0:17:50leek and some will say it's sweeter but I intend to eat these young
0:17:50 > 0:17:54so it doesn't matter that they're growing up above ground level.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Over the last few months, Carol has been looking at
0:18:07 > 0:18:10the plants that have shaped and defined our gardens
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and the growers who have passionately developed them and,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17this week, she's gone up to Scotland,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19looking at beautiful rhododendrons.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Can you imagine our gardening landscape without rhododendrons?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Yet it was only a couple of centuries ago that they were
0:18:39 > 0:18:44seldom or never seen. And even when they became more popular,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48they were exclusively the preserve of the moneyed classes.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Now they've become one of Britain's favourite shrubs.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Ken Cox is the latest in a dynasty of plant hunters.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03For three generations, the Coxes have been growing
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and hybridising rhododendrons here at Glendoick.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The reason that we got into rhododendrons in the first
0:19:11 > 0:19:14place was that my grandfather was working in London and he met
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Reginald Farrer, who was the most famous plant hunter of the 1920s.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- My hero.- And Farrer asked my grandfather
0:19:20 > 0:19:22if he'd like to go plant hunting with him in Burma.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It doesn't get much more adventurous than that, does it?
0:19:25 > 0:19:28They were certainly going out into the unknown
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and they will have travelled through rhododendron forests out in Burma.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But what was more important was when he came back
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and looked at the valley here he thought that looked a bit like what
0:19:36 > 0:19:40he'd seen in Burma and so I'm pretty sure that without the combination of
0:19:40 > 0:19:44the seeds and the place to plant them we wouldn't be into rhododendrons
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and so Glendoick wouldn't be world-famous for rhododendrons.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But what is it about rhododendrons that YOU love?
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I think it's the diversity.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I think the fact that there's 900 different species
0:19:57 > 0:20:00ranging from these great, big trees to tiny, little alpines.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03You could spend a whole lifetime and never see half of it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And then, from those 900, people have bred another 28,000-odd hybrids.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12- And counting.- And counting. And so it is just a lifetime of interest.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14You'll never get bored of rhododendrons.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31I should say, "That's magnificent".
0:20:31 > 0:20:34This is what you think of when you think, "Rhododendron."
0:20:34 > 0:20:36I think it is absolutely that
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and it illustrates everything which is fantastic about rhododendrons,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and the problem, which is who's got a garden big enough to put that in?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Which rhododendron is it?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47This is a rhododendron called Sappho
0:20:47 > 0:20:48that was bred in the late 19th century
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and it was a real breakthrough to get this colour.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55There is no wild species that's got this enormous purple
0:20:55 > 0:20:57splotch in the middle of the flower.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And that's quite a feature on many rhododendrons now.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02But they never told anybody what the cross was
0:21:02 > 0:21:04cos they didn't want any of their rivals to make the cross
0:21:04 > 0:21:06so we still don't really know
0:21:06 > 0:21:08how on earth they managed to breed this thing.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28This is ravishing, isn't it?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31This is a truly revolutionary rhododendron, I suppose,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33called Rhododendron yakushimanum.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38It was introduced in the 1930s from Japan from this volcanic
0:21:38 > 0:21:41island called Yakushima And my grandfather was
0:21:41 > 0:21:44one of the first people to get this when it came back from Japan.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47And then, in the 1950s, people started hybridising with it
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and they found it produced a whole race of little,
0:21:49 > 0:21:54bun-like, low-growing hybrids perfect for small gardens.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57So it took rhododendrons away just from the aristocracy
0:21:57 > 0:22:02and their stately homes and put them into normal sized gardens.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It grows in really windswept, incredibly cold conditions.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07It's a fantastically hardy plant.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10You can grow it in Germany, you can grow it in North America.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13The most popular parent of rhododendron hybrids ever.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- And totally, totally beautiful. - It is lovely, isn't it?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The air is just filled with this intoxicating perfume.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34- This is what I call an azalea. - This is a deciduous azalea.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Deciduous azaleas are the hardiest members of the rhododendron family
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and they drop the leaves in the winter so they're brilliant
0:22:41 > 0:22:43if it's a bit windy. They are good at seaside,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45good at salt spray and all that kind of thing.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46They're tough old plants.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49They're really tough and they don't tend to flower until end of May,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and into June, so if you have a garden that suffers from late frosts,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55if you're in an inland river valley, they're a really good choice.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58So they continue the season and they're tough.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Most of the antecedents of these plants came from America.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05North America, yes. Up and down the East Coast, mainly.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06There were really only two other
0:23:06 > 0:23:08important species of deciduous azalea.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12luteum, a scented yellow one, that comes from Turkey.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14And then there's one from Japan, called molle.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So all those azaleas ended up back in Europe
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and then people started hybridising with them.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23And there is one challenge left, really, which is that the
0:23:23 > 0:23:25scented ones are all pale coloured.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28And there's very little in the bright oranges and reds
0:23:28 > 0:23:29and whatever that has any scent.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So what I'm working on - I'm not that far away -
0:23:32 > 0:23:39is to get scent into the really big orange and red azaleas.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I think when God invented azaleas he said it was either/or,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46- and I'm maybe trying to prove that wrong.- You want all three.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- You won't scent and fire and size. - At the same time.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51So, an azalea that has absolutely everything.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- That would be right.- I'm sure you will.- That's what we're working on.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Of course, the reason why I can't grow rhododendrons here,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13and, in fact, you couldn't possibly grow them on chalk or limestone,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17is they need ericaceous soil, a pH of around about six to five.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20But if you do want to grow them and you're on chalk, you can
0:24:20 > 0:24:24grow them, of course, in a container with ericaceous potting compost.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29You can see that the cricket pitch has changed from a great field
0:24:29 > 0:24:34of crocuses and narcissi to long grass.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36This is now a meadow.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39And it won't change much for the next month or so, then,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44as it dries back, we'll cut it and mow it and start that cycle again.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Now, you may not have any long grass in the garden
0:24:47 > 0:24:50but here are some jobs you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57'Now, if you've got nettles or comfrey growing in the garden,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02'here's an easy way to turn them into a very good plant feed.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04'Both of them are made in the same way.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'Gather up as many leaves and stems as you can
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'and cram them into a bucket.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12'Nettles are good for encouraging strong, leafy growth while
0:25:12 > 0:25:16'comfrey is ideal for developing healthy flowers and fruit.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19'Top the buckets with water and then put them
0:25:19 > 0:25:22'to one side to gently stew for three weeks, preferably well
0:25:22 > 0:25:27'out of the way because the comfrey will develop a truly vile aroma.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'Now the nights are growing warmer it is a good time to plant out
0:25:32 > 0:25:33'pumpkins and squashes
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'and if you haven't grown any from seed you can still buy young plants.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'Give them the richest soil you've got and a very sunny site,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43'spaced at least three feet apart.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46'And plant them at the centre of a shallow depression
0:25:46 > 0:25:48'because this will hold water and you should water them
0:25:48 > 0:25:52'well every week for the rest of the season.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58'Climbers like roses and clematis are starting to grow
0:25:58 > 0:26:00'vigorously now at the same time as they're flowering
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'and this can mean that the flowers can be hidden and flop down.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'So carefully untangle long new shoots
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'and tie them into support with soft twine.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12'This will both protect them
0:26:12 > 0:26:16'and also enable you to enjoy the flowers at their very best.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:27This part of the garden we call the dry garden because the soil
0:26:27 > 0:26:31is very thin and it's very sunny but, earlier this spring,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I dug all the plants out, gave the soil a bit of a revamp,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39some extra compost and more grit to make the drainage even better,
0:26:39 > 0:26:44divided the plants up and replanted, adding a few bits and pieces.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47And now it's started to own the space again.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Obviously, when you revamp a border, you keep adding to it over
0:26:58 > 0:27:01a period of months and, whilst I was at Chelsea,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I fell in love with this.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05This is Lysimachia beaujolais,
0:27:05 > 0:27:10and what I'm looking for is this beautiful burgundy, magenta colour
0:27:10 > 0:27:13which picks up with the Geranium phaeum...
0:27:15 > 0:27:18..and also the aquilegia we've got there.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20So this hint of plum
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and burgundy which we are adding into the borders.
0:27:23 > 0:27:29And I thought, if I could get this in something like that...
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It likes full sunshine, really good drainage,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34plus quite a lot of moisture.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Well, this part of the world, moisture is a given,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40the dry garden gives it could drainage plus good sunshine,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42so the perfect place for it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I've got a couple more.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I'll put this one in here.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57There. I think the foliage of those two will work well together.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02Now, although this is a gorgeous plant, it is short-lived.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04It's classed as a short-lived perennial,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07quite like a wallflower, best treated as a biannual.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And I've heard that you can collect the seed and sow them
0:28:10 > 0:28:13but we'll do that later on when the time comes.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15So this is a luxury, an indulgence.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It'll only perform for a year or, at most, two.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20But a really beautiful year or two.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Well, that's it for today.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I will be back here at Longmeadow
0:28:28 > 0:28:31at our normal time of 8.30 next Friday
0:28:31 > 0:28:33and I'll be joined by Joe and Carol
0:28:33 > 0:28:36from Gardeners' World live in Birmingham.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39So, until then, bye-bye.