0:00:04 > 0:00:07Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10The primroses have been fabulous this year -
0:00:10 > 0:00:12I think as good as I can ever remember them.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Of course, the rain we had over winter did them a lot of good.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19They like the damp as long as the drainage is reasonably good.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25I always come back to primroses as my favourite flower of all,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29not just because of their simplicity and elegance
0:00:29 > 0:00:32but because they are so full of hope.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Then if you couple that with the clocks changing this weekend,
0:00:35 > 0:00:40for me, this is the high point of the year.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45This week we have got plenty to enjoy -
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Carol meets a daffodil breeder who has spent 40 years rescuing
0:00:49 > 0:00:55heritage varieties but has also bred hundreds of new varieties...
0:00:55 > 0:01:01The real fashions at the moment are multi-head ones, different colours -
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the more modern ones, there are stunning shapes and colours.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..we visit a dahlia enthusiast
0:01:08 > 0:01:13who's been growing show-stopping displays since he was a boy...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16You can grow little ones which are no bigger than two inches
0:01:16 > 0:01:20across, right up to the giants which are dinner plate size.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They just have that wow factor.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26..and Joe has been in Lancashire, finding out how to make
0:01:26 > 0:01:31a stunning garden from an inhospitable rock face.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37There is a magical staging about a rock garden that you will never
0:01:37 > 0:01:39achieve with anything else.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Come on.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57I guess this is a situation that a lot of us
0:01:57 > 0:02:01have had to deal with, which is a honeysuckle that has not been
0:02:01 > 0:02:03trained well from the outset
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and has become a completely entangled mess.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Honeysuckle is a woodland plant and they want to scramble and twine.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14We have a number in the Spring Garden, growing up
0:02:14 > 0:02:18trees and through shrubs that are completely happy.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20So you can't change the nature of the plant.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22But if you get a situation like this,
0:02:22 > 0:02:27where it is definitely past any kind of reasonable training,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31you have to take radical action and you can do with honeysuckle.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36This particular honeysuckle is Lonicera periclymenum 'Belgica'.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41It has got pink and white flowers that appear in June, July.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43All this top growth where it comes up
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and then arches over itself like the crest of a wave.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50In fact, in this case, climbing up into the Portuguese laurel.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54It is a sign that it has got past a controllable point.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57What we want is just two dimensions only,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00growing up the wall along the wires.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04It should be pruned immediately after flowering.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07By pruning it now, there is a real risk that we may lose
0:03:07 > 0:03:10most of the flowers for this year, so that is just a warning.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11There is a nest in here.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14This is last year's so I am not destroying anybody's home, and
0:03:14 > 0:03:18this is a blackbird that produced its young quite happily in there.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22I am afraid it is time for it to go so it can come down. There we are.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Lined with mud so we'll put that on there.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Now, let's get in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Of course, that isn't just going to pull away neatly.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43What I need to do is cut away more and take it out piecemeal.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I suppose the crucial thing to stress is - don't be
0:03:49 > 0:03:52frightened by a job like this, you are not going to harm the plant.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54You can apply it not just to honeysuckle
0:03:54 > 0:03:56but some of the clematis,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01like Clematis montana that can get really tangled, a mass of growth.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06But with the early flowering clematis, wait until after
0:04:06 > 0:04:09it's flowered because it will be flowering in a month's time.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Wait till it has flowered and then, as soon as it has done,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13you can apply this operation to it.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It is important when you have done a major prune like this
0:04:34 > 0:04:35to give it a really good drink.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41Honeysuckle like damp-ish feet, they don't like to get too dry.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Then mulch it so it gets a bit of a feed.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50It will start growing again and very quickly re-establish itself.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11We planted these pseudonarcissi about 15 years ago
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and they were very slow to develop.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I remember there was an original 50 bulbs and just two or three flowers.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Gradually they have built up over the years
0:05:19 > 0:05:21and now they are getting established.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I know that in about 20, 30 years'
0:05:24 > 0:05:29time, this will be a sheet of these lovely delicate yellow flowers.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Carol is continuing to look at the iconic plants of our gardens
0:05:34 > 0:05:38and the people who have devoted their lives to developing them
0:05:38 > 0:05:41by a visit to a daffodil grower in Cornwall.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55Cornwall is a rugged county, renowned for its floral landscape.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01But in spring, the ground is set alight with a gorgeous,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04brilliant yellow of a million million daffodils.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Born into a dynasty of daffodil growers, Ron Scamp has dedicated
0:06:15 > 0:06:2140 years of his life preserving and promoting its blazing beauties.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23It is because of Ron's pre-eminent work
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and his enduring passion that gardeners now have access to
0:06:27 > 0:06:31an extraordinary kaleidoscope of colours and forms.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37I have been involved in daffodils for almost all my life.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43It started when I was a very young boy, when we lived on the farm.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Like many children in Cornwall,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Ron's childhood was filled with daffodils.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Flower forms dotted the coastline and it was during this time
0:06:55 > 0:06:59he developed a deep passion for heritage varieties.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06During the war years, all of these farms, the flower farms,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09they were ordered to remove daffodils from their fields
0:07:09 > 0:07:11so they could grow vegetables.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12They couldn't sell them
0:07:12 > 0:07:16so they got deposited in hedges and banks and places like that.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20A great deal were lost or still remain in the hedges.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24These things that were almost on the point of extinction have been
0:07:24 > 0:07:27brought back now by you and people like you.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Some of these old ones, they really have a soft spot in my heart.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- There is something very special, isn't there...- Absolutely, yes.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34..about heritage varieties?
0:07:34 > 0:07:35Indeed.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49This is one of these heritage varieties and it is beautiful.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Yes, this is Bath's Flame and it is one that I used to pick as a lad.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58What is it about the quality of the flower that is so very special?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01The clump is gorgeous, elegant, isn't it?
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It has got that lovely bright colour and, of course, it has got those
0:08:04 > 0:08:07beautiful petals that wave about in the wind.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to grow this.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I mean, you have got that eye, haven't you?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16You have got that discernment.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I have got that passion, shall we say?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22I would like to think that I saved it from extinction.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26It is a very beautiful thing to pass on to future generations.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It is indeed, and we have to keep it going.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Ron has helped save scores of heritage daffodils from being
0:08:36 > 0:08:39lost for ever. But his work does not stop there.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43He is also at the forefront of breeding new varieties
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and he is recognised internationally for introducing
0:08:46 > 0:08:51some of the very best modern hybrids into our gardens.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59That is what you call a splendiferous daffodil,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04- isn't that lovely?- Yes, it is gorgeous. This is Gallipoli Dawn.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- This is your trial field, isn't it?- That's right.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09This is where we plant out all our unnamed seedlings.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12So every one of the plants in here is from crosses that you have made?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14That's right,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18they are all crosses and going back almost 20 years, some of them.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- As long as that?- Yes, yes.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23It takes four to five years from seed to the first flower
0:09:23 > 0:09:27and then five to 10 years trialling it to make sure that it is going
0:09:27 > 0:09:30to be a good sound variety for your garden.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Because, I suppose, it's all very well if they look beautiful,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36but what you want is more than that, isn't it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It's what we look for in a new variety.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It's good foliage, a good grower,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43the flowers need to be above the foliage,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46so that you can see the flowers nicely
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and have a good, long life.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49What do you start off with?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Do you say, "Oh, I like that and I like that."
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Or do you have this idea in your head of what you want to create?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58You have an idea, and that's why you use selective parents.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00But, as the man said,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03"You dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
0:10:03 > 0:10:05SHE LAUGHS
0:10:09 > 0:10:13You're quite on the cutting edge of daffodil breeding, aren't you?
0:10:13 > 0:10:14What's the fashion?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Which direction are these daffodils going in?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The real fashions and the hopes at the moment are multi-head ones,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25different colours, white and red, white and pinks.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Also, the split coronas.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32Some of the more modern ones, there are stunning shapes and colours.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34There's a lot of things to come.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I bet there'll be quite a few Ron Scamp daffodils.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Well, I hope so.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I always say it's 40% research,
0:10:42 > 0:10:4560% inspiration.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46And a lot of luck.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03These are cabbages that
0:11:03 > 0:11:05either have started to bolt
0:11:05 > 0:11:07and never got eaten
0:11:07 > 0:11:12or never really developed a head and now it's too late to eat them.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18So, time to clear them and create space for another set of crops.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21And here are some other jobs
0:11:21 > 0:11:23that you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29'It's a good time now to prune figs.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34'All this year's crop is already present as tiny pea-sized
0:11:34 > 0:11:36'fruit on the shoots.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38'So, if you remove all this growth,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40'you won't get any figs this year.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46'However, take out any crowded or crossing branches and try to create
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'a shape that is as flat against a wall or fence as you can
0:11:49 > 0:11:53'and this will mean that as much light and air
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'will get to the plant as possible.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:04'Once your amaryllis has finished flowering, don't throw them away,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'as, with the right care, they'll flower again next year.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11'Cut off the spent flower heads to stop the energy going into seeds.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13'You can leave the stem on,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15'although I prefer to remove it,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'simply because it looks better.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'But, let the leaves fully develop and don't remove them.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'Water it weekly and give it a general-purpose feed every
0:12:27 > 0:12:31'week or two and then, when the risk of frost has completely gone,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'you can stand it outside in a sheltered spot.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41'If you've stored your dahlias over winter,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'it's time to take them out and check them over.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'Make sure none of the tubers are rotten or have dried out and,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'if they have, discard them.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54'Pot up the good tubers,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58'so the crowns are just proud of the surface of the soil.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00'Water them and put them somewhere warm
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'and this will encourage new shoots
0:13:02 > 0:13:04'which can then be used for cuttings.'
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Now, you may not be storing any dahlias, but it's still
0:13:15 > 0:13:19a good time to buy them and check them out, using the same criteria.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22First of all, you must be able to see the tubers.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24You can't see them, don't buy them.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26The second thing is, feel them.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Give them a squeeze.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They should feel firm.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35If they feel at all dried up or squidgy, don't buy them.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37I adore dahlias.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41They're a plant that grab people and dominate their lives and I think
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Darren Everest in Kent would be proud to be included in that number.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Dahlias give you that splash of colour
0:13:56 > 0:13:59when the rest of the garden is starting to look a bit tired.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The dahlias come to life and they give you those flowers
0:14:02 > 0:14:04right from middle of July,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06right up to the first frosts.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I love the variation in size.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16You can grow little ones, which are no bigger than two inches across,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19right up to the giants, which are dinner plate size.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21And all the colours,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24a mixture of colours, that you could possibly wish for.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26They've just got that wow factor.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37My earliest recollection of dahlias was when I used to
0:14:37 > 0:14:39walk down my grandad's garden
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and I saw rows of dahlias growing,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46lovely colours, and that's what sort of first got me interested in them.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50I started growing them when I was about 11 or 12 and then,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52more seriously, from 15,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I was showing at the National Show in the novice classes.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I just enjoy growing them.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00This variety is called Kenora Sunset.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02It's one of my favourites.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06You can guess why it's called Kenora Sunset. The blend of red
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and yellow is, I think, really quite stunning.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11When you're exhibiting dahlias, you normally have to put
0:15:11 > 0:15:16three in a vase and they should all be exactly the same and matching.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It's quite difficult to match, because, obviously, they've got
0:15:19 > 0:15:23the different colours, and between each bloom there are differences.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26So, when it comes to showing it, quite often the judges will
0:15:26 > 0:15:28go for a plain white or yellow,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30as opposed to a bi-coloured,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34whereas, I think, to match three of these is far more of an achievement.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I treat the dahlia world of exhibiting
0:15:45 > 0:15:47in the same way as I look at the football leagues.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50You've got the Premier division of the top growers,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53the same as the Man United's and the Chelsea's of the world.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56I like to put myself a bit further down the table,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58where you get the odd victory against them.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00You do quite well in the other classes,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03but I wouldn't want to be the best grower
0:16:03 > 0:16:07in the country, because, when you just win the odd trophy,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09the satisfaction of winning is
0:16:09 > 0:16:11greater than if you was winning all the time.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Really, what a dahlia needs is plenty of water,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20early on in the season,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23some high nitrogen feed for a few weeks
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and then a balanced feed and then,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29just as the flowers are starting to come out, a high potash feed.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The main pest is an earwig and I have a cunning little trick
0:16:38 > 0:16:42to stop that on all my flowers, which is petroleum jelly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Just get a little bit on your finger
0:16:44 > 0:16:47then just rub it up and down the stem
0:16:47 > 0:16:49for about four inches,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54or 10cm, just below the flower.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56And that will stop the earwigs
0:16:56 > 0:16:57from climbing up the stem
0:16:57 > 0:17:01and chomping on your prize-winning flowers.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07'This year, I've got 660 plants.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09'All my spare time, certainly at this time of year,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'is spent up at the allotment.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'You know, probably, on average, three hours a day.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16'You need to spend the time with them to get them
0:17:16 > 0:17:18'to a really good standard.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'My wife is exceptionally supportive.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22'Even my children come up and help.'
0:17:22 > 0:17:27It's very difficult, letting other people, even my own children,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30touch my flowers, because they are precious to me.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32But, over time, I'm hoping that at least one will take up
0:17:32 > 0:17:36the challenge, cos there aren't the growers there any more.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37'And that's a real shame.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41'I'm all for trying to get people to start growing them.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:44If one of the three take it up, then I've done a good job.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56To see Darren's allotment filled with dahlias is
0:17:56 > 0:17:58a very old-fashioned English sight. It's beautiful.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Of course, they're beautiful in a border, too.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Talking of borders, the other day, I took the box hedging that
0:18:04 > 0:18:08surrounded the grass borders out and burnt it,
0:18:08 > 0:18:09because it had box blight.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We all felt pretty glum about it.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15But the borders are better.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Light has got in, you can see the grasses thoroughly.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I think it looks much better without the hedge around it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25So, next week, I will be going over the borders,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28removing some of the dead material, splitting plants
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and adding some more plants to fill the space where the hedges were.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35So, what was a pretty sad day, in fact,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39has evolved into an exciting opportunity.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Now, I've got another major task.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49This corner is a suntrap and has very free-draining soil,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53so it makes an ideal space for a dry garden.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57And, at its best, it can and has looked fantastic.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02But, in recent years, some of the plants have become unruly
0:19:02 > 0:19:03and have taken over.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08All the gems that love this extreme drainage
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and baking sun have got crowded out.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15And what I'm going to do is what you can do in any border
0:19:15 > 0:19:18in any situation, not just a dry border,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22is to take everything out that can reasonably be removed,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25take out all the weeds, refresh the soil,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and then put back all the plants that I want to keep
0:19:28 > 0:19:32and then see where the gaps are and think about adding other things.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36One of the biggest bugs is Acanthus mollis.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41For a few years, this would grow and then get knocked back in winter.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It tended to be really hit by frosts in February and March,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46but we haven't had that this year.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50So the best thing to do is to cut off all this top growth.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53The roots, however, need to be extracted
0:19:53 > 0:19:56because every single scrap will grow back.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09This is getting a little wet. And I think it's time for a cup of tea.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15And while I'm doing that, you can see Glenn Shapiro's stunning
0:20:15 > 0:20:20dry garden in Lancashire that Joe visited last summer.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31For many years, rock gardens have been a popular feature.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35But what do you do if your garden is made of nothing but rock?
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Well, I'm here to meet a gardener whose pioneering spirit has created
0:20:40 > 0:20:43something really special out of solid stone.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Here in Silverdale, North Lancashire, hard limestone
0:20:48 > 0:20:50has created a unique craggy landscape,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53so gardening here isn't for the faint-hearted.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56But that didn't deter Glenn Shapiro and her husband
0:20:56 > 0:20:59when they moved here 32 years ago.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I remember him saying the disadvantage is there isn't a garden
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and there isn't even anywhere to put a garden.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I just smiled quietly to myself.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13You could see the potential, even though
0:21:13 > 0:21:15it was absolutely covered in scrub?
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Oh, without a doubt. It was just a really exciting challenge.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Limestone rock is just the most beautiful rock for a rock garden.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29- Shall we go and explore? - Yes, I'd love to show you.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37There is a magical staging about a rock garden
0:21:37 > 0:21:41that you will never achieve with anything else.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It's very, very sculptural, very three-dimensional.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I was a sculptor originally
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and that's the way I like to think of it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- The way you move through the space and see things in 3-D?- Absolutely.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00You've got very thin soil, and actually in a lot of the garden
0:22:00 > 0:22:02you've no soil at all, just pure rock.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05How easy is it to establish plants?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07If someone at home has the same conditions,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09how do you get them going in the first place?
0:22:09 > 0:22:14I build up soil in the fissures between the rocks.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20And that's a good place to get your taller shrubs and dwarf pines
0:22:20 > 0:22:21and things going.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26And then there are what we call runnels, the narrower bits,
0:22:26 > 0:22:31where the water is draining into the fissures.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So you can get slightly larger plants, maybe dianthus
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and things going in those quite nicely.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- They're almost like little containers.- Yes.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44They're like little pots, so you are gauging the plant you can put in
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- by the size of the hole, is that right?- Yes, yes.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And then when it comes to no soil,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54there's things like silver saxifrages.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Often just a bit of wet moss in a crack is enough to start them.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03They form a little carpet, so you can break bits off.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And I'll have a little spell of going around
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and sticking them in here, there and everywhere.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13They just look so natural in a garden like this, they are ideal.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17These eryngiums at the moment are stunning.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I love the colour of them and the way they reflect the light.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24This particularly dry area suits them very well.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26What strikes me is the range of plants you've got here.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30People would see a garden like this and see the limitations
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and think, "I can only grow a few things." But you've really
0:23:32 > 0:23:36extended that palette out to create an all-year-round garden.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Yes, definitely.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Well, I am busy in it all the year round,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43so let's have it looking good.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- I know the garden doesn't finish here. Shall we keep moving?- Yes.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04What a lovely spot this is, isn't it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08It's like a destination point after a mini-climb, I guess.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10It's almost like a garden in reverse
0:24:10 > 0:24:13because up here you've got a traditional lawn and a pond
0:24:13 > 0:24:14and a very different feel.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18You don't see the rockery at all from the top.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20This is the sort of ha-ha effect.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24And then as you look over, it's a complete surprise again.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It feels as though you'd never know it was there from here at all.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I think it's just lovely to work
0:24:30 > 0:24:33with the materials you've got on site.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36What would your advice be to someone who's got, let's face it,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40a pretty difficult spot to make a garden in?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Go with the landscape you've got.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47Make sure that it fits into the surrounding area
0:24:47 > 0:24:49and sits happily within it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And go for the plants that are happy in that terrain.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- Don't fight it. - Very good advice, I'd say.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00And you've created an absolutely stunning garden here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I couldn't agree more with Glenn Shapiro.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21The best gardening advice of all is go with the conditions.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Plant what wants to grow
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and you're almost certain to make a decent garden out of it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And of course that's more than a decent garden, it's wonderful.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31You can see it, it's part of the National Gardens Scheme,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and if you go to our website, you will find all the details.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36The rain has backed off,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40I've a feeling it might come back a bit, so I'm pushing on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Well, let's start with the hardys first.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49So, the plan is to dig out the central core of this acanthus.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Take as much root as I can.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And you can see that just slicing through, you've got these
0:26:00 > 0:26:07very fleshy roots, and every little bit will create a new plant.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Which is why I can be quite cavalier about chucking some of this away.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I want to move on just to another plant.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I've got some bearded iris here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23And they've been divided and moved, they are very healthy, but...
0:26:23 > 0:26:25There is couch grass in amongst them.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28And while I'm revamping a border like this,
0:26:28 > 0:26:33it's tempting to leave the iris, but I need to remove the couch grass.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Now is the time to do it.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I'm being quite gentle because I don't want to damage the roots.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The less I can disturb them and the less I damage them, the better.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Now, you can see, look at all that couch grass in there.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58That's all got to come out.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And couch is one of those weeds, like bindweed,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04like ground elder, that once it gets into a border,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08it can only spread, you are never going to contain it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11I've just got a handful of couch grass just from this one here.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Don't put this on the compost heap.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16If you can't have a bonfire, bag it up and let the council deal with it.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19And I can pot that up.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23But when you lift a plant out temporarily, you want to do so
0:27:23 > 0:27:27as an entity, so, for example, if you take this sedum here,
0:27:27 > 0:27:32which I can dig up and keep a nice root ball on it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36A bit of tansy interwoven in it, which I will gently tease out.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41If you can keep a root ball right round it -
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and we are giving this a little weed while we're about it,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47just taking out the tansy out of the roots.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54It doesn't really matter what compost you use.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It's rough and ready, but that will be good for replanting
0:27:59 > 0:28:05for a couple of weeks and it will hardly notice that it's been moved.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Make sure that it's watered and in reasonable shade
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and that can sit until you are ready to replant it.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17When I've refreshed the soil, I'll be putting back
0:28:17 > 0:28:20the plants I've taken out and also adding in plants
0:28:20 > 0:28:23because here in the dry garden,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26it's really important only to put in plants
0:28:26 > 0:28:30that will relish baking sun and really sharp drainage.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33And of course there are plenty that will do that
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and I'll come back to that in a couple of weeks' time.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37That's it for this week.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Next Friday, we are back to our normal time of 8.30.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Until then, bye-bye.