0:00:09 > 0:00:11Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'm just digging over this plot of ground which has been empty
0:00:15 > 0:00:16for the last few weeks,
0:00:16 > 0:00:20because I lifted the brassica I had growing in here.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And with all the rain that we had in January and February
0:00:23 > 0:00:24it got very compacted.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It's amazing how rain will compact bare soil.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32And by turning it over, you're opening it out,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36you're letting air in and then you can just rake it over,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39maybe mulch it, and it's ready to sow.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44So, just give that compacted ground a nice turn.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53This week, Carol returns to our novice gardeners,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Dan and Dominique, to help them with the next stage
0:00:55 > 0:00:58of their year-long garden transformation,
0:00:58 > 0:00:59which is laying a lawn.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- Right, who's going to do what? - I'll go and get the turf.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I'll get the knife.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Yeah. And I'll watch.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Hydrangeas have long been out of fashion,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15but now seem to be making something of a resurgence,
0:01:15 > 0:01:16and Rachel visits Trebah,
0:01:16 > 0:01:21a Cornish valley garden with a stunning collection of hydrangeas.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22When you stand here,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the sheer scale of it all is absolutely breathtaking.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Now the grass borders have been freed from the bounds of box,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48they are actually looking better already.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52It's amazing how, if you remove a barrier,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55you just see so much more - even if it was quite a low one.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59But at this time of year they've finished their winter display.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Grasses are fabulous between October and the end of February,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05but once you get into March
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and April they do start to look a little bit tired.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12So, before I can think about how I'm going to develop them -
0:02:12 > 0:02:15plant some more grasses, plant some more companion plants -
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I need to do a bit of housekeeping.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And I've got a letter here from Barbara.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And if I put my glasses on I can see where you live, Barbara.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Right.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30You're in Lincolnshire.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Now, "Dear Monty, I made up a rhyme
0:02:32 > 0:02:34"to remind me if I should prune grasses.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37"Can you tell me if I'm on the right track?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40"'If it's green, keep it keen, if it's brown, cut it down.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:43"And by keeping it keen I mean I would only trim off any dead grass,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45"otherwise leave it alone,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48"and if it's brown or dead I should cut it right down.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49"But should I be careful of the new grass?
0:02:49 > 0:02:53"Please let me know, as there are so many grasses to keep track of."
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Well, there ARE lots of different grasses,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58which is a good thing, because it gives you lots of choice,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01but essentially there are only two ways of dealing with them,
0:03:01 > 0:03:02and you're spot on.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And the two different types of grasses are either deciduous -
0:03:06 > 0:03:08this is Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster',
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and it has strong, upright green growth,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and then these plumes of flower. But they're over now.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17So all of this last year's growth can be cut.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21And I could, if I'd done this about a month earlier,
0:03:21 > 0:03:22cut it right to the ground.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25As it is, I don't want to cut off the new growth,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26so I'll cut up about that high.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32But this plant, here - this is Stipa gigantea.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Has these wonderful tall oat heads
0:03:36 > 0:03:40that typically catch the sun as it slants across the sky.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42One of my favourite plants of all.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44And this is an evergreen grass,
0:03:44 > 0:03:49and you can see that you've got all last year's growth is still green.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Now, there is some dead in it, but rather than cut that out,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53what you do is what I'm doing now.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56You just put your hands in and pull it out.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58So you get handfuls...
0:03:58 > 0:04:02it comes away. And what doesn't come away, you leave in.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Combing through like that.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Whereas with the calamagrostis
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I need to get a little bit more drastic.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19So, we'll cut about there.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29But you can see I've left...
0:04:30 > 0:04:33..about a foot of new growth.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Now, this is a job to get on with,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40because if that new growth grows too high, you're going to be left
0:04:40 > 0:04:45with an ugly, awkward mixture of old and new tangled in together.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48So, if you're growing grasses and they need cutting back,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50do it this weekend.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01There's been a robin following me around the garden,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and he's perched there - he's REALLY singing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Can you hear him?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08ROBIN SINGS
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Now, all these grasses, whether they be evergreen or deciduous,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27are grown for border effect -
0:05:27 > 0:05:30they're individual, they're dramatic.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33They're plants that need special attention.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36But this week Carol has gone down to Gloucestershire to the new garden
0:05:36 > 0:05:40she's helping to create to use grass in rather a different way.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49This year I'm helping new homeowners Dan and Dominique
0:05:49 > 0:05:52create a practical family garden.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57They know what they want - a lawn for their daughter to play on,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00some flowers to enjoy and an area to entertain in.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Since my last visit, they've got really stuck in.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08They've been busy moving their rose beds,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10clearing perennial weeds,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13had a wall built and set out a new path.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Dan and Dom decided on this straight path
0:06:17 > 0:06:19to link the house to their parking,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and it had to be wide enough for a buggy.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27What we're doing today is going to make a vast difference.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Today, we're laying a lawn.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Can't believe how much this place has changed!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- So, this is the site of the lawn. - Yes.- Mm-hm.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40- This is it.- Yeah.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Last summer was so gorgeous, and actually we couldn't really...
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Spend much time outside. - ..get outside with her,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48so it'd be brilliant to be able to eat out here, have picnics out here.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- You've bought turf.- Mm-hm. - It arrived this morning.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I quite like the instant gratification of it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Yeah, knowing what we're... Knowing what's going down.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- Seeing it down at the end of the day.- Yeah.- Hopefully.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And it's a good time of year to do it,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- either autumn or spring are perfect times.- Mm.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, the first thing to do
0:07:08 > 0:07:10is to try and make sure that you've got a level surface.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12It won't do itself, come on.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Without preparing the ground properly,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19there's always the risk that the lawn could fail.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23It's best to dig over the area and firm it down.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Dan and Dom have already done that,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27so all that's needed is to rake it over,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32get rid of the last stones and bumps, before marking out with sand.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- Shall we lay some turf? - Absolutely, yeah.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Yeah.- That looks good.- Yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Just stack them beyond, or...? - Just start from that end.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47I'm a bit nervous!
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Right...
0:07:52 > 0:07:53The moment of truth.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We're lucky, cos we've got a path to work from.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58This is the edge you've got to worry about.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Forget about the other side, cos we can adjust that.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06Hey, look at that!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Yeah, and you want... if anything, slight overlap,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15but you must make sure that these are really butted up...
0:08:15 > 0:08:17next to one another.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Look at that! Can't see the seam.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So, let's use this straight line right the way along.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Newly laid turf is fragile, and shouldn't be walked over,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33so to protect it we're putting down a plank.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37There's our join, somewhere round here.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38Can't see it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So, we're going to do it just like your path.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46We're going to stagger these so you never get two joints in line,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- because then they tend to shrink away from each other.- Mm-hm.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Turf, please, maestro.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Using turf means the lawn can appear before our eyes.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Sowing grass seed is cheaper,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01but Dan and Dom want an established lawn quickly.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03It's looking all right.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It's wonderful, you've got a lawn!
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- I'm worried about this little bit, though.- Yep.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Because it's so tempting just to cut a tiny triangle and put it in,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15but then you'll have a small piece of turf with three edges -
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- it's going to dry, shrivel up. - Right.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So, I think we ought to cut right back into this one
0:09:20 > 0:09:25and get a whole new turf, roll it out and then trim back to our edge.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Right, who's going to do what?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- I'll go and get the turf. - I'll get the knife.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Yeah. And I'll watch.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34- Ready?- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40That's it. What a team.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Look!- Yeah!- Very good.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's great!
0:09:55 > 0:09:57We haven't quite finished yet.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Next we tamp down the turf,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02making sure all the roots are in close contact with the soil.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08We don't want the turf to dry out,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12so Dan and Dominique will continue to water it for the next few weeks,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14until it's established.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- I think it looks utterly fantastic. - It looks great.- Mm-hm
0:10:20 > 0:10:21It does, doesn't it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24But that's just the centrepiece.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26This is the next task ahead.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Yeah.- And a lovely one, too.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Hopefully we're going to grow
0:10:30 > 0:10:33all sorts of brilliant big, gorgeous plants in here.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- Yeah. Colour and texture and... - Various heights, up and down. Yeah.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Yeah?- Yeah.- But first of all we need to do something with the soil.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41So, fortunately...!
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I've brought you some bags of muck.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Well-rotted manure, garden compost or bags of organic material
0:10:49 > 0:10:51from the garden centre
0:10:51 > 0:10:56will help open up the structure of this heavy clay soil.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Incorporating compost or muck adds air and nutrients,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03giving all the wonderful range of bacteria and creatures
0:11:03 > 0:11:05that make soil healthy.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07The opportunity to thrive.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Well, what a smashing day.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15We've achieved such a lot,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and we've really got the garden off to a flying start.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22But it's a special day in other ways, too.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It's Dan's birthday, and I've got a bit of a surprise.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Hey! DAN LAUGHS
0:11:33 > 0:11:34Oh, wow!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36And what a wonderful way to celebrate -
0:11:36 > 0:11:38with their first garden party.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Dah!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42We can leave digging the rest of the garden for another day.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46But it'll need doing soon, because on my next visit we'll be shopping
0:11:46 > 0:11:49for beautiful, structural trees and shrubs
0:11:49 > 0:11:52to get the planting started in their borders.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- Cheers.- ALL: Cheers!
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Happy birthday.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Thank you.- Cheers!
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's impressive to see how much Dan and Dominique have already done,
0:12:11 > 0:12:12but at the rate they're going,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15they're going to have a really nice garden by summertime.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Now, I think this is a really nice area.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21In fact, it's one of my favourite areas at Longmeadow,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and to develop it and move it on I need to add plants.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27And one of the ways of doing that, of course, is dividing
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and moving around what's already here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Now, I'm going to split this calamagrostis.
0:12:35 > 0:12:41It is worth stressing that you should not move or divide grasses
0:12:41 > 0:12:42when it's cold.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So, if you're in any doubt, wait another month.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47I think the soil is warm enough,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49but this is the absolute earliest I would do it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Just cut down around the edge of the plant
0:12:53 > 0:12:57and don't divide them into too small pieces.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59And I'm just going to halve this.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02They will take much better if they're bigger.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Having cut round half of the outside,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I'm simply going to cut across it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And grasses don't have very extensive roots -
0:13:11 > 0:13:13or at least most of them don't -
0:13:13 > 0:13:15so you don't need to worry too much
0:13:15 > 0:13:18about taking out a great big root ball.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21So, I'm going to try and take that out in one chunk.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24There we go.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And I'm going to put it in the front of the border,
0:13:27 > 0:13:28where the hedge was.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Because I don't want the grasses just tiering up like a pyramid.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I want to have to look through some taller ones from the front.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Don't want it too deep.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Right, when you move any grass, or plant it for the first time,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56it is really important to give it a good soak.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02It's had a good drink,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I think it will grow perfectly well in its new home.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10But it's starting to rain, and the next phase of creating plants
0:14:10 > 0:14:14for this border is thankfully going to take place in the potting shed.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Grasses can be quite expensive to buy, but if you grow them from seed
0:14:22 > 0:14:27and raise your own plants, you can raise hundreds for not very much.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29This cost about £2.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Not a lot of seed, probably about 50 or 60.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39If all these germinated, I've got about £500 worth of plants in here.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I like grasses in their own right - I think they're very beautiful,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50I think they're very sensuous, I love the sound they make.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55But they also make a really good foil for a whole range of flowers
0:14:55 > 0:14:58that you might broadly call prairie planting,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and you can grow those from seed too.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And I'm going to be sowing some Verbena bonariensis
0:15:03 > 0:15:06on the basis that it's almost impossible to imagine a garden
0:15:06 > 0:15:08with too much Verbena bonariensis in.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And it's one of the archetypal plants that goes well with grasses.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14So, sprinkle them on the surface of compost.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I've mixed this compost myself, which has got plenty of drainage.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19That's quite important.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I suppose a slight warning of verbena,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25it is erratic in germination.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Sometimes some of them do,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and the rest don't seem to be doing, but they come later.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40I've also got rudbeckia in here, Rudbeckia laciniata.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Heleniums go really well with grasses.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Any umbellifer, any tall daisy flower looks fantastic with grasses,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51particularly towards the end of summer.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Where you have tiny seeds sprinkled on the surface of the compost,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00they're very prone to being spread by water.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02If you water them with a watering can
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the seeds just get scattered sideways.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So, it's a good idea to water from below,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and put the seed trays in to soak.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Leave them there for about 5-10 minutes.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The compost will absorb the moisture like blotting paper,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19and that's all the seeds need in order to germinate.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Now, grasses have become very trendy in the last 10-15 years,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27but Rachel's been to Cornwall to look at a plant
0:16:27 > 0:16:31which definitely has gone out of fashion in my lifetime.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34But perhaps it's making a comeback.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48For me, there are very few plants
0:16:48 > 0:16:51that conjure up such a sense of romance and nostalgia
0:16:51 > 0:16:53as the hydrangea.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Just these enormous blooms in pastel colours,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I remember them in every single suburban garden where I grew up.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02They're all about long, summer days.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09For so many years,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12it was the shrub gardeners all over Britain relied on to provide
0:17:12 > 0:17:16beautiful late summer blooms, but tastes changed
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and the hydrangea fell out of favour.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24These days, we're starting to rediscover it, but if you still
0:17:24 > 0:17:29need convincing then Trebah Gardens in Cornwall is the place to do it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Right at the heart of this subtropical paradise is this
0:17:40 > 0:17:43V-shaped valley, and, at the bottom,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46a slow-moving river that acts like a mirror for clouds
0:17:46 > 0:17:49of hydrangeas along the banks, and when you stand here
0:17:49 > 0:17:53the sheer scale of it all is absolutely breathtaking.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00The hydrangeas were planted at the height of the shrub's
0:18:00 > 0:18:05popularity back in the 1950 by the then-owners, the Martin family,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and they've been looked after by head gardener
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Darren Dickey for the last 20 years.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Why have you got so many hydrangeas?
0:18:14 > 0:18:19The hydrangeas were actually planted by the Martin family.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Originally planted for a display but also with a secondary interest,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25they actually planted them for cut flowers to send up to Covent Garden.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It was a way of generating a bit of extra income to help
0:18:28 > 0:18:30pay for the garden team that were maintaining the estate.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- So pretty much almost grown as a crop.- Pretty much, yeah.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They were harvested, sent up in flowerboxes on the trains.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Why are they so successful in coastal gardens?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I think the great thing about hydrangeas
0:18:40 > 0:18:42is they have a deciduous nature in the winter
0:18:42 > 0:18:44so when the worst of the winter weather comes in
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and you get the salt winds sort of blowing in from the coast
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and off the sea, obviously, those plants are in naked form,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53they don't need any protection,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55so they don't get scorched or damaged by the weather.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Once they start to come through in March and April,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02the weather is a little bit more benign and they tend to thrive.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11I think one of the things that many people find most fascinating
0:19:11 > 0:19:13about hydrangeas is the colour range
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and then how you achieve these different colours.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- Explain that a little bit. - Yeah, it's interesting.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22You'll see the hydrangeas at Trebah vary in different shades.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25The acidity of the soil is the main contributing factor
0:19:25 > 0:19:27to the colour of the hydrangeas.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The soil we have here has an acidity of about pH 6.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34So, obviously, you're going to get the good blue colours coming through
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but you'll also see a few variations from that.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38You'll see them running from blue through to pink,
0:19:38 > 0:19:39- even on the same bush.- Yes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43That's quite often where it's sort of picking up traces of alkalinity.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45How can you try and get a bluer hydrangea?
0:19:45 > 0:19:47That's something I'm often asked.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Yeah, I mean, you can get a bluing agent, which is
0:19:51 > 0:19:54basically aluminium sulphate, which you can add to the soil
0:19:54 > 0:19:57but the trouble with that is, obviously, it's going to leach
0:19:57 > 0:20:00out of the soil so you're going to have to maintain that every year.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Does it also help to start with either a really good pink or
0:20:03 > 0:20:06a really good blue if that's what you want to continue with?
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Well, that's a very good point actually, and we often say to people
0:20:09 > 0:20:11if they are looking to get the really good blues,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13if you start off with a really dark blue,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16particularly hydrangea 'Enziandom' which is a really good dark blue,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18you're on the right track.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Likewise, if you're going for the pinks,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24then start off with a good pink form which will then give you
0:20:24 > 0:20:26the best chance to actually maintain it.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Now, this one looks really very different from the ones we've
0:20:38 > 0:20:40been looking at down in the valley.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Yeah, this is Hydrangea aspera from the Villosa group of hydrangeas.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47It's rather nice, it has a more sort of lax form, lovely little
0:20:47 > 0:20:50soft, felty leaves which are very sort of tactile
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and these beautiful flowers which attract the insects.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54It's one of my favourites.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Hydrangeas did go through the doldrums a little bit, didn't they?
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Have you seen evidence here that they're regaining their popularity?
0:21:01 > 0:21:03I think there certainly are signs of that.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06We've seen that in our plant cells here that some of the more
0:21:06 > 0:21:09unusual cultivars have been coming on to the market.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Especially those with very deep colours, ones with coloured stems,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and some of the really deep pinks are becoming very fashionable.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It's hard to choose when you're in hydrangea heaven but this one,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34'Zorro', has really caught my eye.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36These inky black stems and then you've got
0:21:36 > 0:21:41the green of the foliage and rather horizontal, ultraviolet flowers.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It's such a stunning and striking combination and I'm
0:21:45 > 0:21:49so pleased that hydrangeas, once again, are gaining in popularity.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53They deserve to and there's definitely something for every garden.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08I get asked a lot about hydrangeas and the questions are always
0:22:08 > 0:22:11based around two things. One is when do I prune them?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And two is why aren't mine flowering?
0:22:14 > 0:22:15And the two are connected.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'Lacecap' and 'Mophead' hydrangeas, which are the most common,
0:22:19 > 0:22:24produce their flowers on older wood so you don't prune them hard.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28In fact, don't prune them at all until this time of year.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Leave the old flowers on, don't touch them over winter,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and then in April just dead-head them.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Cut back to a bud not more than an inch or two
0:22:39 > 0:22:43below the flower head and that's all you need do.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46If you've got a very overgrown plant,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49you can take out the bigger stems right down to the ground
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and then it will throw up new stems which won't produce flowers
0:22:52 > 0:22:54this year but it'll help reshape the plant.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So, that's the first type of hydrangea.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01There is another type, which needs pruning a little bit differently.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I have here a Hydrangea paniculata and this is different
0:23:07 > 0:23:10because it produces its flowers on new growth
0:23:10 > 0:23:14so these flowers from last year, and you can just see there were
0:23:14 > 0:23:19quite a few, all were developed on wood that grew last year.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So, if I leave it unpruned, it'll just get bigger and bigger
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and bigger and the flowers will keep growing and growing
0:23:24 > 0:23:29and growing at the top, so what I need to do is develop
0:23:29 > 0:23:31a framework from which new wood can come.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36So, I'm going to tip this back that far and this one back here
0:23:36 > 0:23:39so we want to take that off there.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43This can just come off there, and that's crossing
0:23:43 > 0:23:45so we'll remove that.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Now, what I would stress is that if you've got a hydrangea and
0:23:52 > 0:23:57you're not 100% certain what type or variety it is,
0:23:57 > 0:24:03just dead-head it now and don't prune it and you'll do no harm.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Watch it carefully and then
0:24:04 > 0:24:08if you see that all the flowers are produced on new growth that
0:24:08 > 0:24:12wasn't there until the spring and summer,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14then you can prune it harder next year.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Now, you may not grow hydrangeas
0:24:16 > 0:24:19but here are some other jobs you can be doing this weekend.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Some plants that are otherwise lovely have a habit
0:24:30 > 0:24:34of outgrowing their welcome, and Lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker'
0:24:34 > 0:24:37has done just that in the Jewel Garden.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I still want it but only up to a point.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Whilst you can still move around your borders without doing too
0:24:43 > 0:24:49much damage, get in and thin back any plants that are taking over.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Be ruthless, you'll be improving the overall look
0:24:52 > 0:24:55as well as creating space for other plants.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The foliage of elders look great in a border.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04This is Sambucus 'Sutherland Gold' but you can get elders with
0:25:04 > 0:25:07foliage ranging from deep purple to brilliant green.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11To get the best from them, you need to prune them back hard
0:25:11 > 0:25:13at this time of year.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Cut back to a knobbly stub of old growth
0:25:15 > 0:25:20and then the new shoots will bear especially vibrant new leaves.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24It's a good time to take fuchsia cuttings
0:25:24 > 0:25:28and, if you don't have a fuchsia, it's also a good time to buy one as
0:25:28 > 0:25:32the nurseries and garden centres now have the widest range of varieties.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Choose a strong new shoot without a flower bud.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Remove all but a couple of leaves
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and place it in a free-draining compost around the edge of a pot.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Put it somewhere warm but out of direct sunlight.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Water it and make sure it never fully dries out
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and it should root in a few weeks' time.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Now, I'm going to plant my first potatoes in here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21This is Charlotte, which is a second early, and that's because
0:26:21 > 0:26:25raised beds warm up much quicker than open ground so they're ready.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29I wouldn't put them quite yet in open ground
0:26:29 > 0:26:32because that's colder and the techniques are very different.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37For years I planted potatoes in the same way.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43I dug a deep, V-shaped trench, put compost along the bottom,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46spread out the spuds and then made a ridge over the top of them.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48That does take a lot of space.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52And if you're short of space raised beds work very well indeed.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55The reason why is you can plant them closer together
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and you don't need any space between the rows
0:26:58 > 0:27:04and all you have to do is just make a hole and pop the potato in.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06You can see that these are chitted.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12The sprouts are green and quite firm instead of the long,
0:27:12 > 0:27:13translucent sprouts you get
0:27:13 > 0:27:17when you leave potatoes in a cupboard at this time of year
0:27:17 > 0:27:19and, once those are planted and they go in the dark,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22they will grow with extra energy.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28I'll just pop them in about six inches under and space them
0:27:28 > 0:27:30as close as about a foot apart.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35The closer you space them together, the smaller the potatoes will be.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Now, for early potatoes, and this is Charlotte as I say,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40a second early, small potatoes don't matter.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43It's the taste you're going for. For a main crop,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46which you'll harvest in September, October or even November,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50bigger ones might be more practical so you give them more space.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Just cover them over...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57..and unless it's very cold,
0:27:57 > 0:28:02and I need to protect them with a bit of straw,
0:28:02 > 0:28:08if we have frosts in May, there's nothing else I need to do to these.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And the goal is that by my birthday,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15the beginning of July, I'll be able to harvest a delicious meal
0:28:15 > 0:28:19of new potatoes and, believe you me, no potatoes you ever eat
0:28:19 > 0:28:24are as good as those first ones you harvest from your own plot.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Well, that's it for this week.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31I'll be back here at Longmeadow at the same time next Friday
0:28:31 > 0:28:33so join me then.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Till then, bye-bye.