0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Now, at this time of year, the short-day plants
0:00:16 > 0:00:19are holding the colour in the garden together.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Long-day plants, which grow and work with the growing light
0:00:22 > 0:00:25at the beginning of the year are really dripping away.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28But if the plant is promoted by heat,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31such as dahlias or cannas or marigolds,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34then there's no reason why they won't go on flowering
0:00:34 > 0:00:36until the first frost comes.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40But if they go to seed, then that will stop them,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43so it is really, really important to deadhead as much as possible.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47With dahlias, which I think really carry colour
0:00:47 > 0:00:50better than anything else at this time of year,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52you can see the difference -
0:00:52 > 0:00:54this is a bud that's not yet open,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and it's fundamentally spherical,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and this a flower that has finished,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and it's more or less conical.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04If it's pointy and long, you can cut it off.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07When you cut, don't just cut near the head,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09but right down at a leaf,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and that will promote more growth.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14So, if you do nothing else in the garden,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16just wander around deadheading.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It's a lovely job because apart from anything else,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22you get to see your garden up close and personal.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27This week, Carol is flying high into a tree canopy
0:01:27 > 0:01:32to discover why our historic trees are precious homes for wildlife.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Ooh, it's a whole different world!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf gives me
0:01:40 > 0:01:44an exclusive look around his brand-new garden
0:01:44 > 0:01:46that he's created in Somerset.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Why don't you take one of each you like
0:01:49 > 0:01:51and just create something beautiful?
0:01:51 > 0:01:56And later in the programme, I shall be giving Nigel a good prune!
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Eh, Nige?
0:02:07 > 0:02:09All right.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Come on.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19Come on, Nige!
0:02:19 > 0:02:21HE WHISTLES
0:02:23 > 0:02:26I'm going to plant a couple of crab apples
0:02:26 > 0:02:28here in the cottage garden.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A cottage garden, of course, can take anything,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35anything that looks beautiful and is edible is allowed in.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Crab apples do all that.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40They have lovely blossom quite early, in April,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and then the foliage is good, they make neat trees,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48never too big, often the leaves will turn a good colour in autumn,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and of course they have beautiful fruit.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Beautiful to look at, primarily,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55but crab apple jelly is delicious,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and some varieties make really, really good crab apple jelly.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I've chosen two varieties.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The first is 'Comtesse de Paris',
0:03:05 > 0:03:07which will grow four metres tall,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10not too big, ideal for a small garden,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and the fruits last, so you've got that decoration hanging
0:03:14 > 0:03:18like baubles right up to the end of the year,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and there aren't that many crabs that have good yellow fruits.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And it has wonderful pure-white blossom in spring,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26so what's not to like about it?
0:03:26 > 0:03:31The other one, 'Evereste', has more orangey fruits,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34makes a fairly round head when it's mature,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37but also has white blossom.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41The important thing is that crab apples are tough,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45they're hardy and there's practically no soil or situation
0:03:45 > 0:03:47that they can't grow in,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50so almost every garden can accommodate one.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Come on, mush. Out the way.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02As for planting them,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06what I'm doing is, I'm digging a much wider hole than the pot,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10plenty of room for the roots to spread,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12because with any tree,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15you want the roots to go outwards, not down.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The further they go out, the stronger the tree will be
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and the healthier it will be.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Well...
0:04:25 > 0:04:29So just tease the roots. Don't try and untangle them.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Just break them, and that will stimulate fresh growth.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Pop that in the hole.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Now, notice I haven't added any compost or goodness
0:04:39 > 0:04:43into the planting hole. There are two reasons for this.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47The first is that we want this tree to grow out into the soil
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and if you put compost in the hole, it won't want to leave.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Why would it? The sooner those roots get out into the surrounding soil,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57whatever it's like, the healthier and the stronger
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and the better it will grow. The second reason is,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03is if you fill a planting hole with compost or manure,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06it acts as a sponge, and there's a real risk of waterlogging.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Once you've got your height and your position,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11it will need staking.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Move the tree completely out the way...
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Stake doesn't need to be tall.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19It can be as short as two or three feet,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23because what you're trying to do is support the bottom of the trunk
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and let the top move around as much as it wants to.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The more it moves, the stronger it will get.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And now we can start to put the earth around it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40At this stage, really firm it in well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43This is very, very important,
0:05:43 > 0:05:48that you make sure that those roots are firmly in the ground,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and because I've planted it slightly proud of the surface,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54effectively, you're making a bit of a cone
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and that's what you want. That's the perfect profile
0:05:57 > 0:06:00for any tree-planting.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Next stage is to tie it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You can buy tree ties of various forms.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07This is the type that I tend to use.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10You make a figure of eight so that the tree doesn't rub
0:06:10 > 0:06:12against the support.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16OK. That's planted - now give it a really good drink.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28The final stage is to give it a generous mulch.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36Now, this variety, 'Evereste', has peachy-coloured crab apples
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and I'll put it in the same position in this border behind me.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Between them, I think they'll add colour, shape
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and of course fruit to the cottage garden.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50The other thing which they do is that they are fabulous pollinators.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53They attract lots and lots of insects,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55so they're good for really any garden.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59But the one thing that neither of these two varieties will do
0:06:59 > 0:07:01is grow into a large tree.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Now, that might be a blessing if you've got a small garden,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08but there is something magnificent about any huge tree,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11particularly, actually, if it's growing in a city.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17And as part of her journey exploring the wildlife that we share
0:07:17 > 0:07:20our gardens with, Carol has visited Bristol,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and a garden that contains a spectacular copper beech.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Until 50 years ago,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33our city streets and gardens were full of big trees
0:07:33 > 0:07:37but, sadly, they've begun to meet their demise.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43And that has emphasised what a hugely important resource they are,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47for both the communities here and the wildlife who inhabit
0:07:47 > 0:07:49our cities and gardens.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Since he was a young boy, James Aldred has been
0:07:55 > 0:07:58obsessed with trees.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00This love has taken him all around the world,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03from the Amazon to Asia,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05exploring the canopies that tower above us.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Isn't it true to say, James, that without trees,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10we wouldn't be here, would we?
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- They're the kind of lungs of the world, aren't they?- Yes,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and if you could strip away all of the wood and you could see the water
0:08:18 > 0:08:20that's been carried up via capillary action,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22you'd see a fountain of water here,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and that has a massively cooling effect on the urban environment.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But it all starts down here. This wonderful leaf litter,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33which many people think is a nuisance, is actually a huge benefit
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- for all those creatures.- Oh, yeah.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38For a start, all the things that snuffle around in there.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Absolutely. They're all there for a reason.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44They're all eating these lovely invertebrates, like this,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and the woodlouse needs moisture to breathe.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It breathes through gills, essentially,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and this leaf litter locks that moisture into the ground
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and provides a microclimate and a very important habitat.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I suppose one of the most important creatures in that kind of chain
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- is the earthworm, isn't it? - Absolutely.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Charles Darwin had nothing but praise for our humble little earthworm.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Worms play a huge role in breaking down fallen leaves.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Some of them live on the soil's surface,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18feeding on the decomposing leaf litter.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Others live in vertical burrows in the soil,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26but they come up to the surface at night to feed on fallen leaves,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28which they drag down.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The burrowing and feeding of all worms improves the soil,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35mixing the layers, making it more aerated,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38providing excellent conditions for roots to grow,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41benefitting our gardens immensely.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Just so I can truly experience what our tree has to offer
0:09:46 > 0:09:51this city's wildlife, James, a professional tree-climber
0:09:51 > 0:09:53as well as an expert on trees,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58is taking me up in the branches of this rather large garden beech.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It's just so fascinating, isn't it,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03to be up here and see what's actually going on.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08- I think this is pretty squirrel-ish. - Yes.- We're in Squirrel-ville here.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10All of this is quite deliberately placed,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and there's a whole load of beech mast which has been stashed in there.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15But this is the best bit.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- This is the point where a big branch has come down at some stage.- Yes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Correct. So, it's come out of here, like a socket,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and the tree now is busy trying to cover it up.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28All of this is the broken-down remains of wood
0:10:28 > 0:10:31mixed with leaves. It's the perfect hanging basket!
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Right, let's see how deep it goes.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35HE LAUGHS
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- It's right down there. - That's the bottom.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42So, that's right up from the bottom. Look at all that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44That's where the wood is breaking down,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- being turned into soil.- Really, really squelchy, isn't it?- Yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- It smells pretty funky, as well! - It does, doesn't it?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- It must be heaven in the sky... - It is.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- ..for all those little insects. - It is.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Within here, we have a lot of the same things that we have
0:11:00 > 0:11:02down at ground level, maybe not the worms,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05but certainly all the woodlice and earwigs,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07but you've probably got nematodes, all sorts.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10But all food for the birds who live in the tree, too.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Tree-creepers love it, especially old pollarded beeches like this,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17because it's lovely old, wrinkled, elephantine-style skin,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21so they can get right in here and pull all the little beasties out.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23The only way a holly, for example, gets here,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26to be seeded in this sort of soil,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29is via a bird, so it would have eaten one of the berries
0:11:29 > 0:11:31off one of these bushes down here,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- would have come up here, roosted... - And wipes its beak.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38This is fascinating, but can we go a bit higher
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- and see what's happening up there? - We certainly can.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44As you go up, it just changes, doesn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48All of the little cracks, crevices, all the breakout cavities,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51all of the dead wood, it's a wonderful habitat.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54And as far as the bluetits are concerned,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56there are all manner of caterpillars and aphids,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59because bluetits LOVE those, don't they?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And it's all so perfectly timed, isn't it?
0:12:02 > 0:12:06You don't see the bluetits nesting until those caterpillars are out.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10- You don't see the caterpillars until the beech leaves are out.- Exactly.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13They're very important urban corridors, really,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16the canopy of trees, really. Things can get through,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20across between gardens, between large inner-urban green spaces.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- Let's keep on going.- Yes.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29So, this is a great perspective.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32This is one of the things I love doing with a pollarded beech.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35At this sort of height, if you now look down...
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Oh, wow!
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Isn't that fantastic?- It's beautiful.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50I think, when you're up here, you begin to get some idea
0:12:50 > 0:12:53of just what it must be like to be one of the creatures
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- who lives up here. - I know. It is an island in the sky
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and its only real connection to down there
0:12:59 > 0:13:01is obviously the tree trunk
0:13:01 > 0:13:04but really, in terms of most of the habitat,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it's here inside this bubble, inside this canopy,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and of course, it's a lovely way for them to feel safe
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- whilst they're surveying what's going on below.- Right.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17And by getting up high, they'll use these as perches to sing from -
0:13:17 > 0:13:19thrushes, blackbirds...
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Anything with leaves is doing wonderful things for your gardens,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25whether it's a beech, a silver birch, a poplar, an oak,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28whatever it is, it's all good.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Not only is it providing infinite variety of wonderful food
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and shelter for wildlife,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38but for us all, it just makes you feel better, doesn't it?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- It does.- Thank goodness for trees! - Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04We saw in the beech that Carol was looking at
0:14:04 > 0:14:08how you got a nice, neat callous where a branch has snapped off.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11The damage that's caused to this apple
0:14:11 > 0:14:13won't heal quite so easily.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It's a variety called 'Arthur Turner',
0:14:16 > 0:14:18it's an early cooker, a big apple
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and it's slightly prone to breaking and has broken badly
0:14:21 > 0:14:25because the apple harvest has been so huge and so early.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31This has left a very jagged edge, huge surface area,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34pointing upwards, so the rain can get in.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36That will bring fungus, disease
0:14:36 > 0:14:41and all kinds of problems may ensue, so I need to sort it out.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45First thing to do, is to cut back to the clean wood
0:14:45 > 0:14:50and make the cut at an angle, so that any rainwater drains off it,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52so we'll just cut like that.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03That piece of wood with its ripped and torn surface,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05all the way around, has taken off.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08However, this branch is ripping off
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and that does need to come down, so I'm going to try and clean that up
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and see if I can leave a clean wound that will heal itself.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It's not the cleanest wound,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27because there is a hole in there, that is
0:15:27 > 0:15:30a possible source of problems, but I would say,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33when you have wounds like this, don't paint them.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Leave them exposed to the air and let them callous
0:15:37 > 0:15:38and heal naturally
0:15:38 > 0:15:44because the dangers of trapping in any fungus, disease or even
0:15:44 > 0:15:49just moisture is far greater than the danger of an exposed wound.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55Actually, while I'm up here, I am going to cut off below this wound.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07HENS CLUCK
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Right, I must tidy all this up,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20but the first thing I'm going to do is pick up some windfalls.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23They'll last for a week or two at the most,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25but, essentially, you want to use them up
0:16:25 > 0:16:31as quickly as you can and Arthur Turner is a really good
0:16:31 > 0:16:35breakfast apple, stewed apple for breakfast is
0:16:35 > 0:16:39one of life's great delights, mix in a little bit of yoghurt,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42maybe a spoonful of honey - fantastic!
0:16:42 > 0:16:47Now, even if you're not gathering Arthur Turner windfalls
0:16:47 > 0:16:51for breakfast, here are some other things you can be doing.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57If you sow spinach seeds now, it will give you
0:16:57 > 0:17:01a harvest of baby leaves this autumn and more mature leaves next spring.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Sprinkle the seeds thinly in shallow drills.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Draw the soil back over them and water them in well,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14then cover them with a cloche or fleece
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and they should germinate in the next week or two.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Now is a good time to take penstemon cuttings as an insurance
0:17:24 > 0:17:26against winter losses.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Choose nice strong stems that don't have a flowering bud
0:17:30 > 0:17:33and cut them to about six to nine inches long.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Put the cuttings straight into a polythene bag
0:17:36 > 0:17:41until you're ready to pot them up, then strip off the lower leaves
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and make a clean cut just below a leaf node.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Pop them around the edge of a pot using a free draining compost,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54put them somewhere warm and then give them a water.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Mist them daily so they don't dry out.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Unlike apples, pears should be harvested before they ripen.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Hold the still-firm fruit and gently raise it to the horizontal.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15If it comes away in your hand, it's ready.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Handle it very gently and store in a cool, dark place, then bring out
0:18:20 > 0:18:25a few at a time to a sunny spot on a windowsill to ripen more quickly
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and, as soon as they are ripe, eat them immediately.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The garden might be gently declining,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42but grasses are coming to their very best now
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and they last easily till Christmas, looking good,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and one of my favourites is Miscanthus,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Miscanthus Malepartus, with its purple plumes of flower
0:18:51 > 0:18:56which then change colour to gold as we go further into autumn
0:18:56 > 0:19:00and one of the first people to bring grasses into use
0:19:00 > 0:19:04as a border plants was Piet Oudolf.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07He's now one of the most famous garden designers in the world
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and the Gallery Hauser & Wirth has commissioned him
0:19:11 > 0:19:14to create a garden for their new gallery down in Bruton
0:19:14 > 0:19:20in Somerset and, a week or so ago, I went down for an exclusive look.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36When I walked in here, I saw this big, open site
0:19:36 > 0:19:41which initially looks like one giant border. What led you to this?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44I put out a make of the field, a field of perennials,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48so it's not really a border, it is
0:19:48 > 0:19:52perennials that don't grow very tall, so wherever you are, you can
0:19:52 > 0:19:57overlook the area and see everything in a different perspective.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59'It's easy to see Pete's overall idea
0:19:59 > 0:20:01'when you look at the original plan
0:20:01 > 0:20:05'for the garden, which is a work of art in itself.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:09We see that we obviously divided it up in one, two,
0:20:09 > 0:20:14- three, four different ideas.- Right.
0:20:14 > 0:20:20This is a planting which has some basic planting of where plants
0:20:20 > 0:20:22emerge from, we call that a matrix.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28So matrix is where you have one dominant plant or group of plants...
0:20:28 > 0:20:33Yes, or sort of basic plants where all the other plants or groups
0:20:33 > 0:20:39- emerge from.- OK. Whereas these are in...- I call that a block plant.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Block planting.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44I put lists together on the side with names that
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I can possibly use in that sort of particular idea.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It's like taking a corner and pick a plant and put it...
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I start here with this one plant and just put it everywhere,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56next plant, plant, plant, plant.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Next plant...- Right, right.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'This garden is still very young, but even after just a few months
0:21:03 > 0:21:08'the real thing is every bit as striking as Pete's plan.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Now this, I guess, is matrix planting,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17so dominating is this grass which, to be honest, I don't recognise.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18What is this grass?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22It's Sporobolus, a North American grass, which is a prairie grass.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It's very durable, very reliable
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and it's recently introduced in the UK.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32And what about maintenance? Is it high maintenance?
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Everything we see here, whether it's the block planting or this,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39has a lower level of maintenance when it is grown in.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42If the soil is good enough, you look at the plants,
0:21:42 > 0:21:48they look healthy, I wouldn't use compost or mushroom compost,
0:21:48 > 0:21:53I would use a neutral mulch, like pine bark, very small fraction,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57not too thick, but the good thing is these plants will cover ground.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- There's not much space for mulch.- OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03At what point do you cut it all back?
0:22:03 > 0:22:05People ask me, "When do I have to cut back?"
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I say, "When you're bored with the plants you see."
0:22:21 > 0:22:25This is one of your block planting beds.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28There we have a great block of helenium.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I love it because after flowering, it still looks good.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35The seed heads, they stay for over the winter,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37so it's all about the dynamics too, you know.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's about when they start to flower
0:22:39 > 0:22:43and after flowering into the winter, so it's all about the seasons.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44What goes on in here in spring?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Because it won't look anything like this, will it?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50No, we're going to put bulbs in, not too much,
0:22:50 > 0:22:56but a lot - eremurus, camassia, allium, crocus,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and a lot else we put in, but we do that in masses.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04If I have a small back garden, but I like this style of planting,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07what's the smallest scale it will work on?
0:23:07 > 0:23:12Do I need clumps of five or three? How much can I take it down?
0:23:12 > 0:23:18- You can take it down to single plants.- Really?- Yeah, really.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Gardening doesn't have to do with scale, it has the do with, you know,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23how you put things together.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Let's say you have a small garden, you love all the plants here,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29why don't you take one of each you like
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and just create something beautiful with it? I can do it, you know.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37In this scale, I can do a lot wrong.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41On a smaller scale, you're happy to potter around with your plant
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and next year say, "OK, it was in the wrong place and we put it there now."
0:23:45 > 0:23:47That's gardening.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51That is how I started, you know, if you don't do things wrong,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53it will never go right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Come on, then. Come on.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15You can go and see Pete's garden and I do recommend you do.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I thought it was stunning and it's only going to get better.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It's free but opening times do vary,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23so give the Gallery Hauser & Wirth a ring
0:24:23 > 0:24:26or you can go to our website and get all the details
0:24:26 > 0:24:30and if you get there before October 5th,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31do go into the gallery
0:24:31 > 0:24:36and see the exhibition of Pete's drawings, not just of that garden,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41but other great gardens he's done also - really, really inspiring.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Now, Pete hasn't included any topiary here at all in his garden
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and Nigel is extremely upset about that
0:24:47 > 0:24:50because he's got a great interest in this...
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Now I've had a letter...
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Hope it doesn't get too soggy in the rain.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57..from Martin in Cardiff
0:24:57 > 0:25:01and Martin says, "Dear Monty, "around this time last year,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04"Monty revealed plans to create box topiary of Nigel in the garden.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07"My children Owen and Menna..." Hello, Owen and Menna.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09"..watch Gardeners' World with me
0:25:09 > 0:25:11"every other Friday when they come to stay and almost without fail
0:25:11 > 0:25:14"ask whether the statue of Nigel will be on this week.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16"Do you have an update on its progress
0:25:16 > 0:25:19"and are there any plans to show it before the end of the series?"
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Well, the statue of Nigel, the great statue of Nigel,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25not made out of box, made out of yew
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and there is a really significant difference, not least that it
0:25:28 > 0:25:31won't get box blight like every other bit of box in this garden.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Here's the model, so we've got the head, we've got a nice long back...
0:25:36 > 0:25:40..and...Nigel posing. Good boy.
0:25:40 > 0:25:47So, you've got a back along there, the head will come up and then go
0:25:47 > 0:25:53along, so at this stage, I can start cutting quite a lot of it away.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So the first thing is to take this off and, like any plant,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00yew wants to establish a leader and where you have a leader,
0:26:00 > 0:26:06like this one, it suppresses the growth of the shoots below it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09So, by cutting off that leader, I'll make these grow more strongly.
0:26:11 > 0:26:18That is now the top of Nigel's head and his jaws and mouth
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and nose will come from these three here,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23so I'm going to have to train those in, which means...
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And we've got a little bit... We've got ears and things to go there,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I won't need that, so that can come back.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32And I won't need that, and I won't need that.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36The point that I'm trying to do is to create a woody framework...
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- NIGEL WHINES - What? Oh!
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I can tell you something the topiary will have to have
0:26:41 > 0:26:42and that's a ball.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45It will either have to be a ball just in front of him with him
0:26:45 > 0:26:48fixated on it or else in his mouth. Which would you prefer?
0:26:48 > 0:26:49In your mouth, I guess.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52So, if that's the head coming up there, we can take this back,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55we can take this back.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Now if we've got the head, that means the chest is coming down
0:26:58 > 0:27:02so we can cut that back, and that back and this.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04OK, let's tie that in.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Essentially, I'm making Nigel's spine.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15There, that can get tied in too.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Now, at this stage,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19it obviously doesn't look any more like Nigel
0:27:19 > 0:27:21than it did half an hour ago,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but we're beginning to get the sense of a framework
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and that really is the secret of nice, strong topiary -
0:27:28 > 0:27:31cut it and shape it and build it up as you go.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Yew can be put on the compost heap, it will compost down.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Of course, not all fruits have to justify their place
0:28:02 > 0:28:04in the garden by their produce.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The banana that I put in after seeing it at Hampton Court
0:28:08 > 0:28:13has been fabulous from the day I planted it, really looks good,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15but I'll never get a banana from it.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18In fact, it won't overwinter, so when the weather gets colder,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21I'll be lifting it and taking it in,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24but that's all we've got time for this week
0:28:24 > 0:28:29and next week we're back to the more familiar time of 9.30,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33so I'll see you then, back here at Longmeadow.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Till then, bye-bye.