0:00:13 > 0:00:15Hello and welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19By August, any pot, however rich the compost mix, will be
0:00:19 > 0:00:24feeling pretty exhausted if it's had to produce a really vibrant display.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Obviously you want that display to keep
0:00:26 > 0:00:28going on for as long as possible.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31So now is the time to start feeding all your containers.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35I'm giving these some comfrey that is home-made,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38but a general purpose tomato-feed would do the job,
0:00:38 > 0:00:39liquid seaweed,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43anything that isn't too high in nitrogen or got plenty of potash
0:00:43 > 0:00:47will keep the flower buds producing right on for the whole of August
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and well into September.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57This week, Carol returns to our first-time gardeners, Dan and
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Dominique, to show them how to keep their borders looking their best.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04And how to propagate favourite plants.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05It is thrilling, propagation,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08because you really get to know your plants much more intimately
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and it is lovely to see things that you've helped to create.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15And Rachel visits Coleton Fishacre in South Devon,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18where they've created a microclimate
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and can grow a fantastic array of exotic plants.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27- You're showing off here. You've got that!- A bird of paradise.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Yes, that's amazing! Very jealous.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34And I shall be doing some hedge cutting, and harvesting
0:01:34 > 0:01:38the ingredients from the garden to make a delicious ratatouille.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It sometimes worries me that I give the impression that gardening
0:01:53 > 0:01:55is just about jobs and work.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Whereas in fact the pleasure you get as a result of that work is
0:02:00 > 0:02:01far more important.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06And if ever there was a moment when you can just revel, it is August.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10The garden reaches a kind of state of ecstasy
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and the best thing to do is just go along with it.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16That's partly due to the year we've just had.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's fantastic for all the plants like the cannas and the dahlias
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and the nasturtiums, that love warm weather.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And just to walk round every morning looking for the new flowers and new
0:02:27 > 0:02:31colours, accepting them in, realising that they are transitory
0:02:31 > 0:02:35so therefore we really need to make the most of it, is to me
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the greatest fun in all gardening.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43I just noticed, talking of cannas, that this is australis.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47It has worked its way up through this weeping pear.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51So you have canna, weeping pear, and the clematis,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53all growing together.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57There you have a combination which I couldn't possibly have planned.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It's pure luck. And that's fabulous.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04All I have to do in the garden is relish it.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07On the other hand, it is worth starting to plan
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and think about next summer, now.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The reason why it's good to plan for next year now is
0:03:17 > 0:03:23because the garden has reached its fullness. It can't get any better.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28But if we want to recreate this next year, weather willing, then
0:03:28 > 0:03:32we really need to start to notice what is working and what isn't.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35So, for example, I am really happy with the way,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36here in the dual garden,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41the buddleia, the zinnia and the calendula are all combining.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45They are intensifying each other's existing richness.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48So you need to notice as well, what is not working.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50And there is a good example here.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55This is a gladioli, which was bought and planted as a Plum Tart.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01Now, Plum Tart should be lovely, burgundy, plum-coloured flowers.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06But that's not Plum Tart. I suspect I've been delivered the wrong corms.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09However, whatever the reason, it is
0:04:09 > 0:04:13not working as it is, and I need to think about moving it.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Now, the great garden writer and plantswoman, Vita Sackville-West,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20who of course made Sissinghurst,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24came up with this tip for finding the right home for plants next year.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28You cut a stem, in which case I'm going to go right down
0:04:28 > 0:04:34the bottom, and then you take the flower to where it might be at home.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Just keep trying lots of different places. That's no good.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43You can see, for example,
0:04:43 > 0:04:49that that colour combination just doesn't work at all.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Come, Nige.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Here in the cottage garden, the colour scheme is very different.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It is very random and eclectic,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04but there are a lot of soft pastels, as well as richer colours.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07You see, I think that is working much better.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15I've got a bit of string.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23As long as that holds for the rest of the day, that is plenty.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28And immediately, that looks much more at home to me.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Going round the garden, just making delicate adjustments by cutting
0:05:32 > 0:05:33flowers and moving them
0:05:33 > 0:05:39to a potential new home is a very good way of planning for next year.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But of course another great way is to get out, go and visit other
0:05:42 > 0:05:47gardens, get inspirations and ideas from what other people are doing.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49And there are thousands open at this time of year.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The RHS, for example, as well as their main gardens,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55have over 140 partner gardens.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58And Rachel went to one of them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03Coleton Fishacre in Devon, where they created a microclimate which
0:06:03 > 0:06:07has enabled them to grow an extraordinary range of plants.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21When Rupert and Lady Dorothy D'Oyly Carte
0:06:21 > 0:06:25were exploring the South Devon coast in their yacht in the 1920s
0:06:25 > 0:06:29they came across a cove with an unspoilt valley,
0:06:29 > 0:06:35fed by a stream with a blissfully warm climate and unparalleled views.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And they knew that they'd found the perfect spot
0:06:38 > 0:06:42to build a holiday home and create a brand-new garden.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46This is Coleton Fishacre.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Rupert D'Oyly Carte was the son of the theatre impresario
0:06:51 > 0:06:54behind the famed Gilbert and Sullivan operas,
0:06:54 > 0:07:00who also built and ran the Savoy Theatre, and iconic Savoy Hotel.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02He and his wife wanted to find somewhere
0:07:02 > 0:07:05to enjoy a slower pace of life.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09This is the wall of the old quarry from which they took the stone
0:07:09 > 0:07:12to build the house, but it's now just this amazing backdrop for all
0:07:12 > 0:07:15these azure blue agapanthus.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But this is just a tantalising glimpse of what is to come.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Whilst the house was being built,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32the D'Oyly Cartes set about creating their dream garden.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Because we are so close to the sea here,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37they knew they would have to provide some sort of protection
0:07:37 > 0:07:40from those salt-laden sea winds.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So they planted a shelter belt,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46these trees along here, the pines, the home oaks,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and by doing so, created a microclimate
0:07:49 > 0:07:55which was perfect for growing the tender and exotic plants they loved.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Senior gardener Martin Pepper has the enviable task
0:08:02 > 0:08:06of working in perhaps one of the most idyllic settings
0:08:06 > 0:08:07I have ever seen.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I do love the way you've got the house there,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15just sort of really nestling in all that greenery.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17How important, do you think, was making a garden
0:08:17 > 0:08:18to the D'Oyly Cartes,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21when they arrived and saw this plot of land?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23They were both keen gardeners.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26They kept plant records, and with some of their records
0:08:26 > 0:08:28we know what plants they liked.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29The phrase we latched onto,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32they were quite dynamic and experimental in their planting,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35so we feel we can follow that, to a certain extent.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Lady Dorothy liked pastel colours.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40And so we planted this up with a mixture
0:08:40 > 0:08:43of hardy and half-hardy annuals.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47And I think Lady Dorothy would have liked it very well.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51This dahlia is the one which has immediately caught my eye.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54That's Dahlia merckii and it's very graceful.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It does really complement the borders.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59And also lots of salvias in these parts.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02We do like to go with salvias. They last well into the end of season.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05This will still be giving good colour at the start of November.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07And I have to say, these soft pastels, these are exactly
0:09:07 > 0:09:11my type of colours, I feel very at home here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15But what about Rupert? Did he share his wife's taste?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17He liked hot and jazzy colours.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- Something completely different! - Something completely different.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Wow! You are quite right.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I mean, this is hot, hot, hot! Amazing!
0:09:31 > 0:09:35It's interesting this area was made to suit Rupert.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38To my eye, it is quite a masculine style of planting.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42You've got a lot of repetition, and big blocks of the same plant as well.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I think Rupert would have liked this,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47he tried to go for, as you say, the hot colours.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50They contrast so well against this bluey-grey stone.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52You've obviously got quite a lot of tender plants.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The cannas, dahlias, alstrolomerias, and so on.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58How do you manage them in this garden?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02We are very lucky, we just leave them in the ground for the winter.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I am very jealous.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09In fact, we have been known to lift the cannas, divide them
0:10:09 > 0:10:10and put them back in the autumn,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13whereas normally you would be bringing them out in May.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15We have tree ferns at the bottom of the garden and I see on
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Gardeners' World, you're carefully wrapping them up for the winter.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Yes.- I think, thank goodness we do not have to do that!
0:10:21 > 0:10:24In fact, we do get the odd seedling of tree ferns coming
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- up in the garden, it is that mild. - They're that happy.- Yes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29There are also some cacti down there.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Do you leave these out all year? Surely not.- Yes, we do.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33You have to remember,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36in the desert the night temperatures can fall quite a lot.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We don't get too hard a frost here
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- so I think that has a lot to do with it.- That magic of the South West.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Speaking of which, you are showing off here, you have got that.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Yes, rather pleased with that, that's a bird of paradise,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Strelitzia.- Yes.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- That is amazing. - You do know, it is plastic!
0:11:02 > 0:11:07By designing a garden, from the outset, to offer protection to a huge
0:11:07 > 0:11:11range of plants, there are some absolute treasures here,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15like this Tigridia, which is a member of the iris family.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It comes from Mexico.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And I have loved seeing a completely different palette of plants to
0:11:21 > 0:11:24those I grow in my own garden.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But the only danger with seeing gardens like this
0:11:27 > 0:11:30when you are on holiday, is you may not want to leave.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Of course, you can
0:11:41 > 0:11:45create a microclimate simply by planting a hedge in your garden.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47If you know your garden well,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and know where the winds blow or the cold corner or even
0:11:51 > 0:11:53the particular sunny spot, you can
0:11:53 > 0:11:57plant your hedges accordingly and create an area where plants
0:11:57 > 0:12:01would otherwise not thrive, and they will do very well for you.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04But, if you have got hedges, you must maintain them
0:12:04 > 0:12:08and now is the best time to trim the hedges.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10You want to leave it until well into July
0:12:10 > 0:12:13so that nesting birds can finish raising their broods,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and sometimes they can raise as many as three in a mild year.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19So don't be too soon for that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23When you are cutting hedges in summer, the idea is to trim them.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26You are not trying to dramatically reshape them.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30You can see that a trim hedge tightens everything up,
0:12:30 > 0:12:31it sharpens it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It is sort of like ironing a shirt, which you might say is rich,
0:12:34 > 0:12:35coming from me!
0:12:35 > 0:12:39But apparently, other people iron shirts and it looks smart.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42By cutting them back at this time,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45it keeps it crisp right through into winter.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48But the important thing is, just cut off the new growth.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51If you cut too hard, the hedge can look very bare
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and it doesn't regrow before next year.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57When you prune in winter, you can cut back as hard as you like,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00right into old wood. That will shape it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04The new growth will come from the point where you cut.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So essentially, you trim in the summer and cut in winter.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16One of the things that I have done in several places
0:13:16 > 0:13:20here at Longmeadow is to cut windows.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24The point of it is to see through something that adds to the
0:13:24 > 0:13:26garden, it's a borrowed view.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30So, the first thing to do is to recover the cleanness of the view
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and the outline by trimming it up.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38I would say, always, always wear goggles when you hedge cut.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44If you're surrounded by buildings, roads or whatever,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48what you can do is cut an alcove to put a seat in.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Or cut back to a fence and put a mirror in.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04It is important if you are cutting something fairly precise to keep
0:14:04 > 0:14:06standing back and having a look.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I can see I have got a wonky line there, I need to straighten it up.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11The point is,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13you are putting your attention onto making
0:14:13 > 0:14:16the hedge into something interesting and beautiful,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20rather than just seeing it as a backdrop for other plants.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33That's better. Now we have got a good view.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38If you have got a window in a hedge, one of the secrets is keep it small.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Don't be tempted to have a great panoramic view, cos
0:14:41 > 0:14:44if you want that then don't have a hedge there in the first place.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46A glimpse is enticing.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Throughout this year, Carol has been visiting Dan
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and Dom, to help them create a beautiful garden.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00She has been back to see them, not just to help them develop it
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and maintain it so it keeps looking good,
0:15:03 > 0:15:08but also show them how they can carry that forward into next year.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Dan and Dom have been enjoying their new garden to the full.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21They have created a place to relax, to grow food, entertain
0:15:21 > 0:15:26and have somewhere safe for their daughter to play.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Their hard work has really paid off.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32But looking to the future, to maintain their successful
0:15:32 > 0:15:35start, there is always going to be work to do.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Oh, I love these tours because everything has come on
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- so brilliantly. It looks wonderful. - It is looking great.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- What are you most pleased with? - It's tricky, there are quite a few.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50The sweet peas, I love, they just smell heavenly. They are great.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53The Cosmos has gone mad. It just keeps growing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Look at your Rudbeckia just coming out.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59I mean, look at the prospects in store, these Asters.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02And this, do you remember when we brought that from the garden centre?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05It was little and it has been in flower ever since.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07It is a perennial wallflower, Erysium 'Bowles's Mauve',
0:16:07 > 0:16:11so it does really do what it says on the packet.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12It keeps on going.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15You get to the stage where you think, "What am I going to do?"
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Yes, they are all slowly migrating up.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23It would be a good idea to take these out, I think. Just go for it.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26But at the same time, you can make some cuttings
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and make some new plants.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Take it right down as far as you can, material for your compost heap.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- OK, right.- Do that with a few of them and that will expose some
0:16:38 > 0:16:41of the shoots that are going to make the very best cuttings material.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Ideally, you always want a shoot that is not going to flower.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48That one there?
0:16:48 > 0:16:49That looks perfect.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Just use this plastic bag to help them
0:16:53 > 0:16:56retain as much moisture as possible.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03A bit of drainage and then this, it is
0:17:03 > 0:17:07any sort of multipurpose compost but preferably with lots of loam in it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10This looks like it has actually got some grit in it already.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Yes, that means everything is going to drain through really well.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Then the cutting. If you just strip the bottom leaves off.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20We are going to nip that bud out,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and even if it didn't have a bud there, I would still nip
0:17:23 > 0:17:27the top off, cos that will eventually make it branch out.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Just neaten that up and then push it in.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Up to the hilt.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41That looks the best one.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Now, last stage is to put some grit on the top.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49It is to keep weeds out and it is to stop these rotting.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55It wants one really good drenching now.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I think it is rather wonderful to have the prospect of all
0:18:01 > 0:18:05those new plans to fill your garden with next year.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08But meanwhile, there are a few problems that need dealing with
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- and there is no time like the present.- Weeds.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Yes, quite apart from aesthetics, the reason for getting
0:18:15 > 0:18:19rid of weeds is because they compete for resources.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21It is a great idea to stay on top of them, get rid of them
0:18:21 > 0:18:24when you can. There are two sorts of weeds, basically.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30Annual weeds - if it is something that you can easily scrag out
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and it seeds furiously, very quickly,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36it is almost certain to be an annual. But then, there are
0:18:36 > 0:18:41perennial weeds and they are the real baddies. Dandelions, docks.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Got those.- You've got them!
0:18:43 > 0:18:47With them, you really have to make sure you remove all the root.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50If you just look in a little patch like this,
0:18:50 > 0:18:56you have got bittercress down here that has already seeded.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- So that is an annual? - That is an annual, yes.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- This is an annual, very handsome one.- Yes, it is cute.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04This is a willowherb.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Here's a good example of a perennial weed, this is a creeping
0:19:07 > 0:19:11buttercup and it has already started to do what it says.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15So you want to get that out, get the crown of the plant out with
0:19:15 > 0:19:17a little fork or something.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36- Oh, yeah!- Yeah!
0:19:39 > 0:19:43- That is a goodly amount, isn't it? - Getting there, aren't we?
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Now all we need to do is put this on the compost.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Have you got a compost heap? - We have.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It's down the side of the shed.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54What is it doing there?!
0:19:54 > 0:19:57We thought it would be a good idea because it is on concrete.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59The compost has got to be sitting on the earth
0:19:59 > 0:20:03because there is going to be all this interaction with microbes,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08just moving backwards and forwards, worms too, all that activity.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12You're really going to have to move it. Single-handed!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20What do you think, a little to the left? No, it's fine!
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- We are in danger of using it there as well, which is quite good.- Yes.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I think all the stuff that was in it before can go in.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31That's great because it is always good to turn your compost heap.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I think the thing is, when people have tiny gardens and they have
0:20:34 > 0:20:39just got grass, it often turns into a sludgy mess.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41So it is a great idea if you're in that situation,
0:20:41 > 0:20:46to include lots of newspaper screwed up, pieces of cardboard,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49to introduce more oxygen and get the grass to rot down.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51I kind of feel there must be a load more
0:20:51 > 0:20:53stuff that we are currently not adding.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55- It gets the chicken stuff and it gets...- The grass clippings.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Any kind of vegetable waste and any kitchen waste,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02as long as it is on the vegetable side, all good stuff.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- All grist to the mill. - So you're doing more weeding.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I will go and sort out the compost. I know what I would rather be doing.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- Me too, come on.- Yes, me too!
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The summer garden is looking really good but next time,
0:21:16 > 0:21:21I am taking Dom and Dan to visit a garden that celebrates autumn
0:21:21 > 0:21:22in spectacular fashion.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28For inspiration, to get some autumn interest into their own garden.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Normally, by August, we would have cut all the box
0:21:52 > 0:21:56hedges in the garden and they would be looking trim and neat.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But for the first time in 20 years, we have left them uncut
0:22:00 > 0:22:05and that is because the box blight has spread.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08With the humid, hot weather that we have had over the last
0:22:08 > 0:22:12couple of months, it is ideal conditions for the fungus.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15So it is looking bad.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17However, if you have got box blight,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20the first thing is not to cut the hedges,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23because that leaves wounds and it weakens the plant,
0:22:23 > 0:22:28gives an entry point for the fungus and the plant can't resist.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30It also encourages a flush of new growth
0:22:30 > 0:22:35and it is new, fresh growth that is most liable to be hit by the blight.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38So leave it. It will look shaggy, but leave it uncut.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42This, by the way, is not a cure for box blight, it is
0:22:42 > 0:22:45just one way of combating it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47That is all pretty depressing,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50but here are some positive jobs that you can get on with this weekend.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59If, like me, you took lavender and rosemary cuttings earlier in
0:22:59 > 0:23:03the summer, they should have rooted and it is time to pot them on.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Lift them out of the pot and carefully break them
0:23:07 > 0:23:11apart without damaging the roots.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Pot each one into a very free-draining compost,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and you don't need too big a pot.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Water them, then put them somewhere sheltered where
0:23:22 > 0:23:25they can stay all winter, ready to plant out next spring.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34It is a good idea to take the tops out of any tomato cordons
0:23:34 > 0:23:36that have reached six foot tall.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41This will divert the plant's energies into growing
0:23:41 > 0:23:46and ripening existing fruit before the end of summer.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55It is time to sow salad crops for autumn and winter.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59If you don't have a greenhouse, sow them direct outside,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01keep them thinned and water them well.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05If you do have a greenhouse, sow them in a seed tray.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Grow them on under cover, prick them out so they are ready to be planted
0:24:10 > 0:24:15individually when the greenhouse has been emptied of tomatoes.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18What really matters is that you do this soon
0:24:18 > 0:24:23so the plants have a chance to grow strongly before the light fades
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and the weather gets colder.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Once you get to August, there is
0:24:40 > 0:24:44a tendency to have masses of lettuce and then it can all bolt
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and you suddenly find you don't have any at all.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The secret is just to have a constant supply, some you sow,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53some that are seedlings, some that are ready to be harvested
0:24:53 > 0:24:59so there is a gentle overlap, a relay sequence, rather than a glut.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01As well as sowing some,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05I have got some seedlings here that were sown about four weeks ago.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09You can still buy them, this is a salad bowl type.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I am planting these about nine inches apart,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14they are cut and come again variety.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18If it is a mild winter, in fact, they can stay in all winter
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and they will regrow again next spring.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31The irony of watering in the rain, but it is really
0:25:31 > 0:25:35important to keep lettuce watered at this time of year.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38If they get dry, they never recover.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42So even if it is raining, once you have planted them, water them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Right, they've had a good start in life
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and they should be ready to harvest in about two to three weeks' time.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02But I have got a good selection of vegetables that are perfect
0:26:02 > 0:26:03right now.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It has been a really good year for courgettes.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12I have got two types in here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16I have got a green one, called 'Black Beauty'.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20And a yellow or golden one, called 'Gold Rush'.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26To be honest, they taste pretty similar to me. But they look lovely.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29If you want to keep courgettes going, keep cutting them.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33That will provoke new flowers and therefore new fruits.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Leave them to develop. At this time of year,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39they will very quickly close down and you won't get any more.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Courgettes, the first ingredient.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The tomatoes have grown well this year
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and they have been ripening steadily for about the last month.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We have been eating them for the last three weeks.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01These are both Italian, beefsteak, ribbed tomatoes, lovely
0:27:01 > 0:27:03when eaten raw and very good when cooked.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08We have got 'Gardener's Delight', familiar cherry tomato.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Again, great raw, but I like to cook them too.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's nice and juicy. Very tasty.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22And genuinely nicer than any tomato I have ever bought.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45A few chillies, some garlic, now for some beans.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59This is a purple bean, called 'Blauhilde'. It looks lovely.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It cooks green, which is a pity, because it would be nice
0:28:02 > 0:28:03if it kept the colour.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08But it will be great as a final ingredient for ratatouille.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11You can have all sorts of things in it, but I like to have beans
0:28:11 > 0:28:16in it, definitely tomatoes, courgettes, a bit of garlic.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Well, that is a really colourful taste of summer.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27That's it for this week.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30We're not on next week, because there are athletics.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32In four months' time we have got a special
0:28:32 > 0:28:37programme from RHS Hyde Hall in Essex.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39So I will see you then. Bye-bye.