0:00:06 > 0:00:08Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10This is the Writing Garden,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13which I started to make about a year ago exactly.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Of course, this means that the way that it looks now is fresh and new.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20It hasn't done a full 12-month cycle,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23so to see these white daffodils, a variety called Thalia,
0:00:23 > 0:00:28come through and looking really good is a thrill.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30The soil here is very heavy,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and after last winter it's also very wet.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Mushroom compost is exceptionally good at lightening heavy soil.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It's got lime in it and it breaks down the clay.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Any kind of mulch will keep in moisture,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45so what's in the ground will then work its way to the plants
0:00:45 > 0:00:50rather than evaporating, and also it's the best way to suppress weeds.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53So if you haven't mulched your borders, I would advise that this
0:00:53 > 0:00:56is the single most important thing to be getting on with now.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Auriculas are spring showstoppers.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08This week, we meet a collector with a passion
0:01:08 > 0:01:11for these floral prima donnas.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14If you look at them, they're all little faces looking at you.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16They are the stars.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18From the elegantly dainty
0:01:18 > 0:01:19to big and blowsy,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Camellias come in many forms and Carol meets a world authority.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It's not really a job. It's a way of life.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29You wake up in the morning and you look out and you think,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31- "Wow, spring's on its way." - Yeah, exactly.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38I'll be starting to restock and rejuvenate my dry garden
0:01:38 > 0:01:41with tips on how to select and place plants to maximum effect.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59At this time of year, the acid green of Euphorbias is the richest,
0:01:59 > 0:02:04brightest colour in the garden, such a signal to me of April.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07This is Euphorbia characias wulfenii,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11one of the biggest, and has got these fantastic columns of bracts.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13These are not the flowers, they're bracts.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19The flowers are tiny in there. Euphorbias, we'll take as cuttings.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Now, as you've got new growth coming through, is a good time to do it.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28But wear gloves because as soon as you cut into them,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30they exude latex.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35That latex is toxic and your skin will react with them.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Just be a little bit careful.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40This is probably the only time you'll ever see me
0:02:40 > 0:02:43wearing gloves for gardening.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But euphorbias are a special case.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48OK. Now I'm protected.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51What I'm looking for are nice, healthy new shoots.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I'm just going to take a couple.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm not taking too much of next year's growth.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Can you see? As soon as you cut it, it's got a milky latex.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It's that that irritates.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07That's what the gloves are all about.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Not the plant itself. I'll take one more from here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Always when you're taking cuttings, use a polythene bag.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23Essentially, this is surgery. You're transplanting the plants.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24So you're cutting it off.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27The minute you cut it, that plant starts to die.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Everything you can do to delay the dying
0:03:31 > 0:03:35will increase the chance of new roots coming and living.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49Taking euphorbia cuttings is just like any other cutting, really,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52with one slight exception. We have a shoot there.
0:03:52 > 0:03:58You can see latex is smearing itself around. We remove the lower leaves.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Where there are leaves, you have water leaving the plant.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08We want just enough, but no more. That will do.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Then, make a clean cut with a sharp knife
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and dip the end in some ground charcoal.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17This isn't essential, but it does help seal the wound
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and stop the cutting losing vital moisture.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26For any cuttings, always use a very freely drained compost.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Doesn't matter what type.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Push it down the edge, or in this case the corner.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38The reason for that is that against the sides it dries out less quickly.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Pop that in like that.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50As soon as they're in the pot, water them,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54put them somewhere warm but not in direct blazing sunshine.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Then, in about two to four weeks you'll see signs of new growth,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59which means they've got roots.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02When mine are growing, I'll show you how to pot them on.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Euphorbias are dramatic and wonderful,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11but they're border plants. They mix in the hurly-burly of the garden.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But some plants stand aloof and alone,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and even demand their own theatre.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21At this time of year, none are more special than auriculas.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I am a freelance writer.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37My garden is a great joy to me, so I'm devoting more time
0:05:37 > 0:05:40to the smaller things which give a lot of pleasure.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43The auriculas are a perfect example.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I love them because they are in fact living antiques.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53They have been bred to get them more and more refined
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and more and more different.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Some are very velvety, some are full of the farina,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03the lovely dust which makes them silver.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06This is one that has been bred by someone fairly recently,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10quite unusual. A new type of auricula.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15They do require quite a lot of fussing, but that is relaxing,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17that is part of the fun of having them -
0:06:17 > 0:06:19they're almost more like having pets.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30These are the ones that are coming into flower.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35But to see them in their full glory, let's go to the auricula theatre.
0:06:42 > 0:06:49There's a reference by John Evelyn in about 1690 or even earlier
0:06:49 > 0:06:54where he describes auriculas being shown theatrically.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58The need was there to cover, so the rain didn't wash them
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and make them splodgy.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04If you look at them, they're all little faces looking at you.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05They are the stars.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20This is one of my favourites. It's called Mrs Cairn's Blue.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's a border, which means it's one of the country cousins,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26it's not one of the very posh ones.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29But I love it for the colour. I also love it because it's quite rare.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39That's a good example of a double. It's a nice acid yellow.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41It's called Forest Sunlight.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47This is one of the much more traditional ones
0:07:47 > 0:07:50that were beloved of growers throughout history.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52It's White Wings.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54This one is particularly interesting
0:07:54 > 0:07:57because it's what they call a hose in hose.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01In other words, you're getting two flower formations.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It's an Elizabethan term, and that came from the stockings
0:08:05 > 0:08:10that they used to wear, which were one pair tucked into another pair.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16All these plants are extremely artificial
0:08:16 > 0:08:22and are arrived at by a grower just selecting what he wants.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25So if he wants stripes, he will find one that is a bit striped,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28then keep that and breed it with another one that's a bit striped
0:08:28 > 0:08:29and so on and so forth.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46All I really want to do is to tell people they're not difficult.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51They're very suitable if you've got a tiny place or just a backyard.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54They look fantastic if they're displayed en masse.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56People are a little bit scared of them
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and they think they're going to be difficult
0:08:58 > 0:08:59and they're going to kill them.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02They're quite tough. They're Alpine plants, after all.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Auriculas are absolutely sublime.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13If you build a collection like Patricia's,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15they become a performance in their own right,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18quite separate from whatever else you may be doing in the garden.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21She says they're not difficult to grow, and they're not,
0:09:21 > 0:09:22but they are particular.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24There are certain things you do need to know.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27If you buy them, you'll probably get them like this in a plastic pot.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31They both look and perform much better in a terracotta pot.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34If you're going to the trouble of growing auriculas,
0:09:34 > 0:09:35get a terracotta pot.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36They're beautiful.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43Then get a loam-based compost and add grit or sharp sand.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The result is perfect for them.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Then gently take them out of the plastic pot, like that.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Put them into a small pot. Don't try and pot them up too much.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00I just need a little bit of compost underneath it. Pop that in.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02That'll be fine.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06That's all you have to do.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09You can see what Patricia referred to as the farination,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14which simply means the rather flowery, waxy quality
0:10:14 > 0:10:18that you get on some auriculas. This is highly prized.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22If you put that out in the rain or you water it from above,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25that can wash off, so just water around the roots.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28It can take a little bit of rain, but protect it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31In summer, don't let auriculas get too hot.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Whatever happens, don't let them dry out completely.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39They will reward you with these completely unique flowers.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42There is nothing else that has that sense
0:10:42 > 0:10:47of delightful man-made artificiality in the garden.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Come on.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I know, it's good, isn't it?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I've been experimenting quite a lot recently with soil blocks.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I've used them for years, but then I stopped.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I've come back to them because it would be nice to do without
0:11:11 > 0:11:14the paraphernalia, of all the plastic of raising seeds.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16That's where soil blocks come in.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Soil blocks are made using a soil blocker. You can buy these online.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26This one costs about 15 quid. A pretty useful all-round size.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30To use it, you have to make your own compost, but that's not complex
0:11:30 > 0:11:33because bought compost can be part of it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37If you buy a peat-free compost, that can make up 50% of the result.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Then you have a bit of soil from your garden, but you need a binder.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44This is where coir comes in. This is a block of coir.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46This is how you buy it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49You soak it in water and it ends up looking like this.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54It breaks down and it's a fairly friable, loose growing medium.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I've worked out a recipe which is fundamentally half coir
0:12:00 > 0:12:03plus some soil from the garden, a bit of leaf mould
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and a bit of garden compost.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09On our website, you can get the actual recipe that I use.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Mix it up. It's sieved, it's well mixed.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16This is where it really differs from using plugs or seed trays,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19because then we make that into mud.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21So I'll water it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29You have to experiment with this to see how much water to add.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34I mix it up so that it's wet enough
0:12:34 > 0:12:38that when I squeeze it in my hand, water actually runs out.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Yeah, there's water running out.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45What I'm left with is holding together reasonably well.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49So wet the blocker.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Hold it and push it really firmly
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and twist it around into your compost mud.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Lift it, and hopefully they'll come out clean.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04This doesn't have to be in a seed tray,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it could just be on a flat piece of wood.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11You can see that there's a divot in each one,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13designed so you can just pop your seed in
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and it won't roll off or roll away.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Perfect arrangement.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I'm going to put the next row a little bit apart from it,
0:13:20 > 0:13:25because one of the great virtues of soil blocks
0:13:25 > 0:13:28is that the roots air prune.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31As they reach the edge of the block, they stop growing
0:13:31 > 0:13:36and will spread, and you'll get a nice, solid, fibrous root ball.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Whereas if you have plugs, this is slightly unfair
0:13:40 > 0:13:41because this is a very old one,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44but it's a good example to see how they get root bound.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Any plant grown in a plastic container will reach
0:13:47 > 0:13:51the end of the container and then go round or up or sideways,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and it never recovers from that.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It might grow, it might work, but it never performs properly.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Whereas when you have a soil block and the roots are all contained
0:14:00 > 0:14:04within the block, you plant it out and it grows away much quicker.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I still use plugs, I still use all kinds of different compost,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11but it all adds to the variety of your garden.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Talking of variety of the garden,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Carol is continuing her series looking at the iconic plants
0:14:17 > 0:14:18that have made our gardens,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and the people that have given their lives
0:14:21 > 0:14:24to developing particular plants.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Set in a valley that tumbles down to the sea,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38historical Abbotsbury Gardens are a sub-tropical paradise.
0:14:39 > 0:14:45Within its 20 acres, it nurtures some exquisite specimen camellias.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53Camellias are familiar shrubs, and yet there's something special,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56something mysterious, something Eastern about them.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00hardly surprising since they come from the Far East.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04For several months in the year, they wait in the wings,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08this dark presence, but first thing in the spring
0:15:08 > 0:15:10they step into the spotlight,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14covered in this myriad of beautiful flowers,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16some of them great big rosettes,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19some of them tiny, dainty butterflies.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22They really do take centre stage.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Jennifer Trehane, specialist camellia grower and world expert
0:15:31 > 0:15:34has been visiting the gardens at Abbotsbury
0:15:34 > 0:15:37for over 40 years to admire their collection.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43You think of camellias being shrubs,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- but a lot of these are trees, aren't they?- Absolutely.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48This is how they grow if you don't actually prune them
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and keep them down to shape.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53But they've been at Abbotsbury for a long time, haven't they?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Yes, these were all planted here in the 19th century.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- This particular one...- Which is beautiful.- You love it, don't you?
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Yeah, I really do.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06This is Alba Plena, one of the first two japonica varieties to be
0:16:06 > 0:16:11brought into Britain on a tea clipper. They came in in the 1790s.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14It's still available now, actually. Stood the test of time.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Didn't your father have quite a lot to do with popularising them?
0:16:18 > 0:16:20My father was absolutely key.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24He collected 1,000 different varieties from all over the world
0:16:24 > 0:16:26and tried and tested them first.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28That was very important to see how well
0:16:28 > 0:16:31they performed in the British Isles.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33You've continued that work.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34Well, I've tried.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Because I love my job, it's not really a job, it's a way of life.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- They really do just light up the place.- They do.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43And you wake up in the morning, and I look out and you think,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- "Wow, spring's on its way." - Yeah, exactly.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59One of the things I think is most endearing about camellias is
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- the way their flower forms vary. - Absolutely.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I just love these formal doubles with their regular flower
0:17:05 > 0:17:07petals packed in together and beautiful.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10They almost look as though they've been drawn, don't they?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Yes, they do.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And they made wonderful buttonholes for the Victorian gentleman.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25You could hardly get anything more different than this, could you?
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Isn't it beautiful? So simple. It's a single form flower, Carol.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34It's only got eight petals or less. It has that wonderful simplicity.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35I just love them.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46This is different again, isn't it?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Yes, it's a completely different flower form.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51It's an anemone form camellia.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52And you can see why
0:17:52 > 0:17:57because it has this very tight centre of petaloid stamens.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59And this wonderful ring of true petals around it.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03- It's almost like it can't make its mind up.- It is.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04But it's very lovely.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08This is only one of several different flower forms. There are plenty more.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Jennifer, you're at the hub, the very centre of the camellia world.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Which way do you think camellias are going? What are the coming trends?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I think there's a great movement away from the bigger flowered,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40brightly coloured exotic looking camellias to the more delicate,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43miniature camellias that are more garden-worthy.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47They fit into the modern garden because they are compact growers.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50They're upright and disease-resistant.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55So this has got loads of buds on it. And it's full of flower.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's been flowering since December.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Jennifer, you're such a leading authority on camellias,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06people must ask you loads of questions about them.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08What are the most common ones?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12One of the most common ones is, "My camellia's got yellow leaves.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13"It looks tired and sick.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15"What can I do about it?"
0:19:15 > 0:19:18If it's in the springtime, it probably needs feeding.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22And then people, think, "I'll dash out with the feed now, immediately."
0:19:22 > 0:19:24No.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Wait for the young leaves to start forming
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and then you know that that's an optimum point to give
0:19:29 > 0:19:31it its breakfast, if you like, after the winter.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Of course, another question I get asked is,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36"Is there trouble at the roots?"
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Is your camellia in a wet position? Are the roots drowning?
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Maybe you've planted it in soil that's a little on the alkaline side,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47because camellias do like to be in a slightly acidic soil.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50So it could be that it's in the wrong site.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54And the other thing is "My plant has got too big. It's out of control".
0:19:54 > 0:19:56What can I do about that?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58The obvious thing to do is to prune it.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01The time to prune is just before growth starts,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04when the plant is still just dormant.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06They're tough. They like being pruned.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09They're stimulated by pruning. So it's very easy to do.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15But meanwhile, when you've tackled all these problems,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18what's your advice about what to do with them this weekend?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I think this weekend, I would be enjoying them.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I would be looking at the blooms, as I do, out of my kitchen window
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and say, "Isn't spring a wonderful season?"
0:20:28 > 0:20:33You've got all these various flowers, colours, shapes, sizes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36All within the one genus, the camellia.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47I've got some kale here. There we are.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49That's that.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Well, if you want to take Jennifer's advice and go
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and enjoy camellias, there are lots of different places you can.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59If you look on our website you'll have addresses
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and opening times of the various gardens,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03including Abbotsbury.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06But if you want to be busy this weekend,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08here's some jobs you can be getting on with.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19'Shallots are delicious and now is the best time to plant them as sets.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'Prepare the ground by forking it over and add a little compost.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28'Then place each set with the roots facing down so half of it is buried.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29'This will then multiply
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'and produce a bunch of new shallots for harvesting in summer.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39'Space the sets about six to nine inches apart in rows or a grid.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40'And then keep them weeded.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50'It's now time to sow sunflowers.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'You can use pots, modules or, as I am, soil blocks.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59'Plant two seeds per unit and put them somewhere warm.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'When they've germinated, remove the weaker of the two seedlings.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13'Many young seedlings, like these tomatoes I sowed a month ago,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15'are now ready to be pricked out.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18'Hold them by a leaf and carefully lift them,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20'keeping as much root attached as possible.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26'Plant them onto a module or seed tray, leaving
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'plenty of room for the roots to develop.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'They will then grow strongly
0:22:32 > 0:22:34'and be ready to pot on in a few weeks' time.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:48This is...
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's a semi-tender clematis from New Zealand
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and I planted it last spring
0:22:54 > 0:22:57hoping it would survive our winters but to be honest, a bit worried
0:22:57 > 0:22:58because it can be very cold here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03And although it was so wet last winter, it was incredibly mild
0:23:03 > 0:23:07so it's loved it, grown really well. It's flowering gloriously.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It's very happy and, I think, very beautiful.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21This is the dry garden,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25so called because it's got sun for most of the day
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and also, the soil drains really fast.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And two weeks ago, I began taking all the plants out.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37All these plants came out of just these two bits of ground.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And it's been dug over, weeded as best as we can.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42And it's now ready for replanting.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Before I replant, I'm going to give this a little bit of refreshment.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I'm adding compost. Not very much.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58A thin layer to add bacteria and fungi to the soil.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04Because that life provides the means for the plants to take up
0:24:04 > 0:24:05the nutrients.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Half an inch thick and that's all you need.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Having put compost on, I'm adding grit.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21The compost is refreshing the soil. It's not acting as a mulch.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22But the grit is improving drainage.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Spread the gravel evenly over the whole area
0:24:27 > 0:24:28so it's on top of the compost.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Finally, I need to work it all in.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35You can use anything to do it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38You could rotivate it if it's a big area, you could use a fork,
0:24:38 > 0:24:39but I love using this tool.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42This is a cultivator. I remember my grandfather had one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46I don't get to use it very often, so I jumped at the chance.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Of course, it's designed to cultivate deeply
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and churn the soil over and mix it all up.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Right, having gone to all the trouble of preparing the soil,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00now it's important not to walk on it.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03So let's put a plank or two back down
0:25:04 > 0:25:08so we can get on with the creative bit,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10which is starting to place the plants.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13This is why it's worth putting plants in pots,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16because it gives you the chance to move them around, take your time
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and the other tip is, don't plant anything
0:25:20 > 0:25:23until you've got everything out because you've going to alter
0:25:23 > 0:25:26things as you go along. Putting one thing down will affect another.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And you know this grows four foot tall and that's only four inches,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32so it needs to be in front and so on and so forth.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Take your time. I'm going to start with the iris...
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Which are looking perfectly healthy and I hope these will flower.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42They don't want to be too far back,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45so we'll keep these fairly near the front.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Because although the flowers are quite tall,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50it is important they get sunshine.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I don't want them blocked by too much.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Don't dot them
0:25:57 > 0:26:00unless that's specifically an effect that you want.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02They'll be much more effective in groups
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and if that means just one group, so be it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09I like to do odd numbers because it looks slightly more natural.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Sedums are designed to cope with nice stony, well-drained conditions.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18And here they grow much shorter, but healthy and upright.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I shall be putting back most of the plants I've taken out.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25But I've bought a few new ones.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28And I want to get them in position so I can work around them.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32These are three very different plants.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37I've got a biennial, which is Verbascum olympicum. Really tall.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Loves tough conditions and has wonderful felted, woolly foliage.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I've got a perennial. This is an achillea,
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Achillea moonshine,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48which is really my favourite achillea
0:26:48 > 0:26:53because it has a slight luminous, white glow to the yellow flowers.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And I've got a cistus. This is Cistus ladanifer...
0:26:58 > 0:27:02A shrub which loves baking sun
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and has got white flowers
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and slightly sticky foliage.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Now, the cistus wants to go fairly near the front...
0:27:16 > 0:27:17And getting all the sun.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The heat will radiate off the walls too, so somewhere around there.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25The verbascum, on the other hand, is really tall,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27so it wants to go nearer the back.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31This could go...
0:27:33 > 0:27:37..right back there. And it will grow six foot tall. Be really dramatic.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42The achillea is quite delicate.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Its effect is luminous, but subtle.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48So let's put this...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55..about there for the moment.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59This is going to take time. It's not a job to be rushed.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Only going to do it maybe once more in my lifetime.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04So I want to make sure it's right.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07And not until I'm really happy with any of them
0:28:07 > 0:28:08will I plant any of them.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It will happen over the next few days, anyway.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12That's it for this week.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Next week is Easter and, of course, it's the first chance
0:28:15 > 0:28:19most of us have to spend some real time out in our gardens.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Join me here in my garden at Longmeadow at the same time
0:28:24 > 0:28:25next Friday.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Until then, bye-bye.