0:00:02 > 0:00:03BIRD TWEETS
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Now, it's bank holiday weekend, which is
0:00:13 > 0:00:16always a good time to get some real gardening done.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20But it's also time to get out of the garden and go
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and visit places to see what other people are doing.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25And I've left Longmeadow
0:00:25 > 0:00:30and come to Essex to visit the RHS's garden at Hyde Hall.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37The garden is set on a windy hillside among 360 acres
0:00:37 > 0:00:39of former farmland.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Like my own garden at Longmeadow, the soil here is heavy clay,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47but unlike Longmeadow, this is a very dry place.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51In fact, Essex has one of the lowest rainfalls in England.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Despite the challenges that these conditions impose,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57the planting style here is varied,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01from semiformal rose walks to colourful borders,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05as well as their best-known feature - the Dry Garden.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10This is the first time I've been to Hyde Hall,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and I made a beeline for these borders.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They're long borders, buttressed by yew,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and within each buttress is a different colour scheme.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22And what's great about this is not only can you see
0:01:22 > 0:01:26how individual plants work at representing the colour you want,
0:01:26 > 0:01:31whether it be a lemon yellow or a pure white or a rich purple,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33but also how they work together,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35how to build up a palette.
0:01:35 > 0:01:41And this kind of combination of inspiration and instruction,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46as well as a nice day out, is just perfect when you visit a garden.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Also this week, we're marking the 50th anniversary of
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Britain in Bloom by meeting a couple in Dorset
0:01:53 > 0:01:55whose extraordinary front garden
0:01:55 > 0:01:59never fails to make a big impression on judges and visitors alike.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03A couple came and he said, "We come every year to see your garden
0:02:03 > 0:02:06"and we've told our friends, and they come.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09So I said, "Oh, I think I'll have a collection box!"
0:02:09 > 0:02:14And Carol takes a closer look at the insects that live in our beds
0:02:14 > 0:02:19and borders, and finds out about the good that they do for our gardens.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21This is called the black clock.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It's very common. It's a fantastic predator.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They are great little pest controllers, really.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The gardens at Hyde Hall began in 1955,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44when Helen and Dick Robinson bought
0:02:44 > 0:02:48what was then a working arable farm...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52..and began converting the land closest to the farmhouse
0:02:52 > 0:02:56into what became a large and glorious garden.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05In 1993, the Robinsons donated Hyde Hall to the RHS.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Now, the Robinsons were compulsive plant collectors,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and this area is known as the Robinson Garden, with a wide,
0:03:15 > 0:03:20even eclectic range of plants that reflects their abiding passion.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Another part of Hyde Hall that I have long wanted to see is
0:03:29 > 0:03:31the Dry Garden.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Of course, I do have a dry garden at Longmeadow but it's small
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and not at all typical of the rest of the garden.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39But this is ENORMOUS.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And it's a given - they can't change it.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45It's on top of a hill, it's completely exposed,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and a really good example of how you can turn a situation which
0:03:49 > 0:03:53might seem to be a problem into a distinct virtue.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59'Gardens of this size need a guiding vision,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'and this is provided by the curator, Ian Le Gros,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04'who has worked here man and boy.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- I know that this is a very dry place...- Yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14..but making a dry garden like this wasn't just
0:04:14 > 0:04:17a question of bunging in plants that are vaguely suitable, was it?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19No, there's a little bit more to it than that.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Ideally, south, south-westerly facing aspect,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27- and also we have to make sure that you get the winter wet away.- Right.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So there's a lot of...
0:04:29 > 0:04:32a drainage pipe along the pathways, the rocks,
0:04:32 > 0:04:33and underneath is hard core.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36And then there's about 400 millimetres of topsoil that
0:04:36 > 0:04:39we've mixed with sharp sand and grit to about 50%.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And do you ever water it?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The only time you'll find us watering it is if we replace something,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47renewed something, any sort of new plantings.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Then it's watered for about six to eight weeks till it's established
0:04:50 > 0:04:52and then, after that, it's pretty well on its own.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The mulching helps, with the stones.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Yeah, I noticed you're mulching with pebbles,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- which keeps it nice and cool underneath.- It does, yeah.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Almost becomes self-irrigating.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02On the bottom of the stones, the moisture builds up
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and then it falls back into the soil.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- You have a wide range of plants that are thriving.- Yeah, we do, we do.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10What is your favourite at this time of year?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Not only this time of year, but it's been flowering for absolute ages -
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Salvia uliginosa. It has just been flowering like that
0:05:16 > 0:05:18for about two to three months already
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and will keep going right into the autumn.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Lovely. Lovely, lovely plant.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28And what is it you'd say characterises Hyde Hall? What...?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Because every good garden has a special feel,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34something that sort of turns the key to its door.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Yeah, for me, it's always been the atmosphere of Hyde Hall.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It sits on this sort of strange clay hillock in what is reportedly
0:05:41 > 0:05:42sort of flat Essex.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46But it isn't - a lovely, rolling landscape going out.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49And it's a garden that can talk to its landscape.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- And some of the views...- What do you mean by "talk to its landscape"?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It's the way even the Dry Garden goes from quite extensive
0:05:54 > 0:05:57level changes in the early part, but in this latter part,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00it just gently rolls out, which is significant of the hills you can see
0:06:00 > 0:06:02rolling off into the distance there.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And do you think that people coming here are getting that sense of,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- "I'd love to do this, I'm going to have a go."- I do hope so.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Yeah, you do see loads of people asking the gardeners questions
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and hopefully they are sort of inspired enough to go home to try
0:06:15 > 0:06:18to reach a level of success and enjoy the journey.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28It is not just through its gardens that the RHS offers
0:06:28 > 0:06:30encouragement to garden lovers.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38It's also involved in projects that bring inspiration closer to home.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43This is the 50th anniversary of Britain in Bloom, which the
0:06:43 > 0:06:46RHS has been very closely allied to.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51And there, you get communities and individuals working together,
0:06:51 > 0:06:56from small villages to large cities, even to front gardens.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59We went down to Bournemouth to meet Margaret,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03whose front garden is a bit special.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12My theme for this year is the Red Arrows.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18I've chosen it because this year is their 50th display season
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and they come every year to Bournemouth.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23And so I thought, "Why not?"
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I've chosen these colours because, obviously, red white and blue...
0:07:30 > 0:07:35The red is for the Arrows. This is representing the plane.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40And the white and blue are the stream they throw out in the sky.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And, at the bottom, I tried to make the rings.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48My hubby made the flags to make it look more like a plane.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51But, obviously, I wear them out watering them,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and he has to replace them!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57If you have a theme, it's more fun.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04It all started with the Olympic Games. It was such an obvious thing.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Once you've done it once, then people going past say,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10"Well, what are you going to do next year?"
0:08:10 > 0:08:14The part I suppose I play with Margaret in the garden is...
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I do not do flowers. I'm just not into flowers.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20They're lovely, but I don't have the patience for that.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22But what I do do is what I would call
0:08:22 > 0:08:24the mechanical side of gardening.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29I made the Red Arrows.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I did start off thinking I'd make an aeroplane
0:08:32 > 0:08:36but it was a little bit impractical with the size of garden,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40so I came up with the idea that if we just produce a Red Arrow,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42a 4ft-long Red Arrow...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I obviously fitted them in the baskets
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and then Margaret went off and has filled them up with plants.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56I've chosen flowers that are going to last for the season, if I can.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I mean, it's been hard this year because it's very hot,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02but New Guineas seem to stand up to the weather
0:09:02 > 0:09:05cos we're near the sea and we get the wind.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08That is the busy Lizzie family, but these seem to be hardier.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And then petunias. These are surfinias,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14they trail and they give a nice show.
0:09:14 > 0:09:22And then I like begonias because, also, they last. And I love fuchsias.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27The headache is when to order the plants and how many,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29cos I always like to have some spares.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But I'm not mean with them - I pack 'em in!
0:09:34 > 0:09:38They need de-heading every day.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42And this time of year, cos they've now grown, it could take...
0:09:42 > 0:09:45don't know, an hour-and-a-half, at least.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Even if I'm going out, I come out the door, Chris says, "Come on!"
0:09:49 > 0:09:52And I say, "Well, just a minute!" and I pick it off.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54It's a habit, I suppose.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Because when I look at them, I look and think,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00"Oh, dear, that's got to come off."
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Do I think Margaret's obsessed with gardening? Er, yes!
0:10:03 > 0:10:08But she does love the gardening. I mean, she spends hours and hours.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Most people would be bored out of their minds,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15but Margaret goes out there and she's picking the deadheads off
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and she's out there watering till it's dark.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21You know, I yell out the door, "Margaret!" trying to find
0:10:21 > 0:10:25where she is, and she's hidden somewhere down the garden.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27But she loves it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I've got a fan club. I know it sounds silly.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40There's about six couples that come down here,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44and actually, last week, a couple came and he said,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47"We come every year to see your garden and we've told our friends,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49"and they come."
0:10:49 > 0:10:52So I said, "Oh, I think I'll have a collection box!"
0:10:54 > 0:10:58When we know the judges are going to come, Margaret's on tenterhooks.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Every morning, we're out in the garden -
0:11:01 > 0:11:04"Oh, look, this bit's fallen off! Oh, look, that bit's fallen off!"
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And she says, "Oh, it doesn't look very nice.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11"This doesn't look so nice!" But it is a tense time for Margaret.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14She really gets a bit wound up with the plants.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's all good fun. I enjoy it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25I've won lots of awards for my garden, but the one I'm most proud of
0:11:25 > 0:11:31is the best garden for the whole of the South, Southeast of England.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34That's from Poole right the way down past Brighton.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38I have had that two years running, and keep your fingers crossed...
0:11:38 > 0:11:40There's no such thing as second!
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I'm afraid that all that colour and
0:11:52 > 0:11:56all that enthusiasm will just have to wait a little longer.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59The regional results are in September
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and the national judgment made in October.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Whatever colours you have in your garden,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09you need green to bind it all together,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14to act as the link and, of course, grass and lawns do this
0:12:14 > 0:12:17practically better than anything else.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24So far, we've had no Nigel on the programme but we can rectify that
0:12:24 > 0:12:28because Nigel Downs is part of the team that looks after
0:12:28 > 0:12:31the immaculate grass here at Hyde Hall.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- Nigel, hi.- Hello.- Nice to see you.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- I have to say, the lawns are superlative.- Thank you very much.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37That's not accidental, is it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- A lot of work goes into it.- An awful lot of work goes into it, yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Particularly in the autumn and in the spring, where we do the aeration
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- and top dressing. - Do you do it all like this, by hand?
0:12:47 > 0:12:52The smaller areas like this, which is a pinch point for people that
0:12:52 > 0:12:53walk through the garden,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55it tends to get worn out very quickly,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57so these areas we would do by hand,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01but the bigger areas we would do with a tractor-mounted unit.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07This is heavy clay. How do you grow good grass...
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- on heavy ground?- The secret, really, is to provide good drainage.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15We go deep as we can.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's quite important to heave back the fork rather than just push
0:13:17 > 0:13:19it in and wiggle it out of the holes
0:13:19 > 0:13:22because that tends to break the compaction up.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- Right. Compaction's a big enemy, isn't it?- It is, yes.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29If we don't relieve the compaction regularly every year,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32it can destroy the root structure.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35A lot of people say, "How do I get rid of moss?"
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Moss you'll get if you've got poor drainage or if you
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- particularly have a lawn which is in a shady area.- What's the next stage?
0:13:42 > 0:13:46The next stage is, we will spread a top dressing.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Most garden centres will sell lawn top dressing already mixed,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53but alternatively, and probably a cheaper option, is to go to
0:13:53 > 0:13:56a topsoil supplier, get a sandy topsoil
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and perhaps some washed sand and mix the two together.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I think the key to this is, a lot of us know about this
0:14:02 > 0:14:06but it's the detail of how thick, for example.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10What we try and avoid is to actually smother the grass.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13You need to be able to then work this into the holes that you've
0:14:13 > 0:14:14already created.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17We use this implement here which is called a lute.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And if you hold it flat to the...
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and gently work it across.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25And you see it start filling up the voids
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and filling up the small undulations in the ground.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- Can you buy these easily? - You can get them.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Most of the big garden centres, if they don't stock them...
0:14:34 > 0:14:37So if you go into your garden centre, "Can I have a lute?",
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- you're not going to come out like a wandering minstrel?- No, no.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44I'll tell you what, I thought I'd used most tools in the
0:14:44 > 0:14:47garden in my time but I've never used a lute before.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49So, is that it? Is that going to repair the damage?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53We will use this implement, which is a rubber rake, or you could just
0:14:53 > 0:14:56use a normal broom. It would do the same job.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Now you can see the grass leaf coming through the actual top dressing.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02That's looking nice, isn't it?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I'm often asked, as I'm sure you are,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08"What is the secret of the perfect lawn?"
0:15:09 > 0:15:14I think the secret, I'd say aeration, aeration, aeration.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Get some air into the soil.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- Brilliant. Thank you very much indeed.- Thank you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Now, here's another secret on how best to enjoy good grass.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Take your shoes and socks off.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30When you've done that,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34here are some other things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Here at Hyde Hall's Rose Walk, the long,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48arching new growth of ramblers and climbers can wave around in
0:15:48 > 0:15:53the wind and get damaged as well as possibly scratching any passers-by.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58If you have any of these in your garden, tie them in loosely for now
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and use them to create the plant's structure.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Don't be tempted to remove them,
0:16:03 > 0:16:08as this is the growth that will provide the best flowers next year.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Sunflower heads can be left over winter in our herbaceous borders,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18but others can rot, and this detracts from the display.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So tidy up perennials by removing spent flowers
0:16:20 > 0:16:23which are looking particularly tatty.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Cut the stems right back to the base where they join the main plant.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32This will promote strong, bushy new growth
0:16:32 > 0:16:35which may even produce flowers before winter.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The wisteria here grows in a large pergola,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and now is a good time to cut back this year's new lateral growth.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Reduce it to five or six buds.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50This will reduce the weight of the plant and prevent damage
0:16:50 > 0:16:53but, most critically, it will encourage the plant to form
0:16:53 > 0:16:57new flower buds which will be your display next year.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Hi, Ian. Hi, Christine.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Is that the end of your pruning, or do you have another bash at it?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We'll come again in January or February
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- and actually reduce those growths back to about two to three buds.- Why?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Just to create lots of nice big,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16fat buds for nice flowering spurs for May and June.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22So better to have fewer fat buds than lots of smaller ones,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25or maybe growth that has no buds at all?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28A bit like fruit pruning where you're reducing down to
0:17:28 > 0:17:31a couple of buds to produce a bigger fruit, maybe,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35so you reduce the number of flower buds down to two or three
0:17:35 > 0:17:38to have fewer but bigger flower heads.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- Great. I'll let you tidy up. - Thank you.- Thanks a lot.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54As part of her series looking at wildlife in our gardens
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and how to attract it, Carol has been to RHS Wisley
0:17:58 > 0:18:03and looked at the long borders to see the interesting
0:18:03 > 0:18:08and actually really important forms of wildlife that they contain.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16The borders in our gardens offer colour and joy year after year.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20They also provide an important habitat.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25They offer homes, food and hunting grounds,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29or sometimes just a place to rest
0:18:29 > 0:18:32for all manner of insects.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34But who are the creatures amongst our flowers?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And are they friend or foe?
0:18:38 > 0:18:43RHS Wisley has some of the most famous flower borders in the world.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Andrew Salisbury is the senior etymologist here,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and he's been specialising in the insects that visit our
0:18:50 > 0:18:53gardens for 16 years.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I love the fact that we're in this garden
0:19:01 > 0:19:05because it's very much like a lot of our gardens at home.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Just the variety of plants we grow here provides a wide
0:19:08 > 0:19:11range of habitats for insects. There are a few pests
0:19:11 > 0:19:14but they make up a tiny proportion of the species that are out there.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The pests are a vital part of the base of the food chain
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and you get a greater balance of predators and parasites
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and, overall, probably less damage.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- So pests have their place? - Pests do indeed.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26They're important in that chain.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33You can divide the garden into three different layers.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35The ground level, and in the soil where you get
0:19:35 > 0:19:38things like ground beetles and some species of spider.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Then you can move up into the middle layer,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42the main greenery layer, where you get herbivores.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Again, you get lots of predators including some different
0:19:45 > 0:19:47types of spider.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49And eventually you get the top layer, where you get to see
0:19:49 > 0:19:50the pretty things -
0:19:50 > 0:19:53the bumblebees and the other flying insect visitors in the flowers.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- I suppose those are the insects we're most aware of...- Yes.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00..but not necessarily the only interesting ones.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02No, you could start really with the ground layer
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and actually I've set some pitfall traps,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and we'll see what we've caught.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14If we just lift this out... See how simply that comes out of the ground?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16What we see are things that wander around.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Look at all the movement in there. Spider.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23The ones you get on the soil surface are ambush predators or hunters,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25rather than those which catch insects in a web.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- What else is there? - There's some woodlice here.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Woodlice often get blamed for damaging plants
0:20:31 > 0:20:35but actually they are fantastic detritivores,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39which are animals that feed away on decomposing organic matter.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41They're wonderful recyclers.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43The most obvious things in here are these beetles.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45These big ground beetles.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And this one here is one of the few with a common name.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49This is called the black clock.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It's very common and it's a fantastic predator in gardens.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They've been shown that they will feed on vine weevil eggs,
0:20:55 > 0:21:00larvae, the pupae and even each other.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So they are great little pest controllers, really.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06These black beetles, you very seldom see them.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08You're not aware of them, are you?
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Not really, but one predatory beetle most people are familiar
0:21:11 > 0:21:14with are the red and black ladybirds.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Ladybirds are incredibly important predators of greenfly and blackfly.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22It's the adult beetles that overwinter.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25As soon as it warms up in the spring, they start to emerge,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27they mate, they lay eggs.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Those eggs hatch into little alligator-like larvae.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Those larvae are voracious predators.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Before pupating, usually attached to a piece of leaf,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40then the adults emerge
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and when they first emerge from a pupa, they're always yellow
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and it takes them a few days
0:21:46 > 0:21:49to gain the red and black colouration we're all used to.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Ladybirds are mainly found in the middle layer, where their prey
0:21:56 > 0:21:58also are the aphids.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- So on the stems and leaves of plants?- Yeah.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04And there is an awful lot of other life there which is very
0:22:04 > 0:22:06difficult to find.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09But fortunately we have something called a suction sampler -
0:22:09 > 0:22:12a device which basically sucks the insects off the plants.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13- Doesn't hurt them? - Doesn't hurt them.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It deposits them in a bottle in one piece. They're perfectly alive.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They can be identified and released later.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27There we go. So, what can we see?
0:22:27 > 0:22:31We have the young stage or nymph of one of our predatory bugs.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34These things wander around and they have sucking mouth parts
0:22:34 > 0:22:38- and they grab their prey and suck the life out of it.- Bleugh!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41What's that very beautiful, iridescent thing?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43There we have a shield bug nymph,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47one of about 20 species and most of them are plant feeders.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52With these herbivorous insects, are they fussy about what they feed on?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Do they have to be native plants?
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Some insects are very fussy, others feed on a wide range.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00But there are others which are more or less specific
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and feed largely on native plants.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05The elephant hawk-moth is an interesting one.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Its host plant, as a caterpillar, are willowherbs
0:23:08 > 0:23:12but in gardens they have come to like fuchsias, which is a completely
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- non-native plant to the UK. - Comes from South America.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17And the caterpillars thrive on it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23In late summer, early autumn, when fully grown, these caterpillars
0:23:23 > 0:23:25will drop down to the ground and find a place to pupate.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27They can wander some distance from the host plant
0:23:27 > 0:23:29before they go into the soil.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And they spend the winter as a pupa,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33emerging as the adult moths in spring.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36They will then feed on nectar and pollen from flowers before
0:23:36 > 0:23:39they mate and lay their eggs on suitable host plants.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41These eggs hatch into the caterpillars
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and the life cycle begins again.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Through its development, the hawk-moth actually lives in all
0:23:48 > 0:23:50three layers, doesn't it?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Sometimes in the ground, sometimes on the middle layer
0:23:52 > 0:23:54but when we notice it most...
0:23:55 > 0:23:59It visits flowers and is one of the pollenating insects.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04It's this top layer that's so important, isn't it,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- to all sorts of pollinating insects. - It is.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Just the sheer range of flowers we have up there attracts different things.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13The honeybees, the bumblebees, solitary bees, the hoverflies.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And all those beautiful butterflies.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18And the greater variety of flowers we have,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21the more of these insects we'll see.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26A mixed border really is exactly that.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The mixture of plants provides a wide variety of habitats for a huge
0:24:30 > 0:24:32range of insects.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Not only is it full of fantastic-looking plants
0:24:34 > 0:24:36but it is brimming with insect life.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It's interesting that, until a few years ago, it was generally thought
0:24:50 > 0:24:54that native plants were the key to getting insects into your borders.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But research has shown recently it doesn't make much difference.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01As Andrew was saying there at Wisley, it's variety that counts.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Lots and lots of different types of plants.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Of course, not just decorative ones too.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Insects love edible plants and we need insects to pollinate them.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20So I'm finishing my visit with a look at Hyde Hall's vegetable plots,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and one crop has really caught my eye.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26It's under the stewardship of Matthew Oliver.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31How many different varieties of pumpkin
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and squash have you got here?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36We've got about 70 varieties in total,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40of pumpkin, squash and the ornamental gourds, as well.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43That's really, really impressive.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And, of course, they look fantastic here. What's the regime?
0:25:46 > 0:25:50They're grown on mounds that are made of garden compost that we
0:25:50 > 0:25:51produce on site.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54A nice mounded slope, south-facing, as well,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58so they get the heat of the sun all day, which they love.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02- That's what they need.- I like the gourds coming up over the pergola.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06They look great, and some of them are edible, some are decorative.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- Do they get the same treatment? - Yeah.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Grow them pretty much the same way.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12The only thing we have to do different with them
0:26:12 > 0:26:15is try and train them up and guide them up the posts,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19but once they reach the top they're on their own and off they go.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Do you have a favourite variety?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23For eating, quite conventional,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I prefer the butternut squash variety.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28We grow ones like "Barbara Butternut".
0:26:28 > 0:26:29I prefer those for eating.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32And "Crown Prince", that's better for eating.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34But I do like growing the big ones, just for the challenge.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They're the most impressive ones.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41But you're a bloke, you can't resist it, you see? It's a male thing.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I am so impressed with your melons. Look at them.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53This has been a fantastic success this year.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The first time we've grown them like this.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Obviously, you're growing them through plastic.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- What's underneath the plastic? - Same principle as with the pumpkin.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05This is garden compost put into a mound,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and covering the mound with the black plastic just keeps that soil
0:27:08 > 0:27:14a couple of degrees warmer. It's a challenge to grow these outside.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18- It's good. It's really good. - And they are pretty flavoursome,
0:27:18 > 0:27:19I've got to say.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I do believe you, but there's nothing like tasting for yourself
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- to be sure, so can I taste one? - You certainly can.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- There's some ready for picking now. - What variety is this?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30These are "Outdoor Wonder",
0:27:30 > 0:27:32which are a galia-type melon.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35It's cutting nicely.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39This is the first time I've grown them so it is all new to me.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40There you go.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Let's just take a piece out and taste.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Mm!
0:27:51 > 0:27:53That's really good.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55And, more importantly,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58it makes me determined to grow melons outdoors next year.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05That is wonderful. Thank you very much indeed.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Well, that's it for today.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Of course, the best thing about visiting any garden,
0:28:16 > 0:28:21whether it be a magnificent one on a huge scale like RHS Hyde Hall
0:28:21 > 0:28:25or just a small garden that happens to be open once a year,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29is that you get ideas that you can take home.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And that's exactly what I shall be doing now,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36going back to Longmeadow, and I'll see you there next week.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37So until then, bye-bye.