0:00:04 > 0:00:08Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World, this Easter weekend.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Of course, Easter, for most of us, is the first time in the year
0:00:12 > 0:00:16when you get that combination of the chance of some decent weather
0:00:16 > 0:00:19and time - time in the garden to really get things done.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And for me,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24the personal connotations of Easter are to do with my childhood,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26because we always went to the woods to collect primroses
0:00:26 > 0:00:30to decorate the church. And I loved the woods then.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I loved the way they were bursting with flower.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36I've always tried to incorporate those woodland plants
0:00:36 > 0:00:38into any garden I've made.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43But none of the plants of my childhood were as spectacular
0:00:43 > 0:00:46as these amazing Imperial fritillaries.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50This week, Carol is returning
0:00:50 > 0:00:53to our budding gardeners Dan and Dominique
0:00:53 > 0:00:57to help them with the next stage of their garden transformation,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59which is choosing trees and shrubs for structure.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Isn't it exciting! First proper plant in your garden.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07- Yeah, and it looks great.- Yeah.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And Joe visits a remarkable quarry garden in Staffordshire
0:01:11 > 0:01:13that was badly hit by the storms this winter,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and is now racing to get ready in time
0:01:16 > 0:01:18to open to the public this Easter Sunday.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20I like my spade, what's left of it!
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Yeah, you've had that a while, haven't you?
0:01:22 > 0:01:24No, I just work on rock!
0:01:24 > 0:01:30And I shall be planting up a difficult east-facing wall,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32and also sowing my beans, which,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35as well as tasting good, will look good too.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46First, I'm going to refresh the Spring Garden.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50You may remember that last winter, I took out the hornbeam hedge
0:01:50 > 0:01:52that ran all the way along it.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54This has opened it out to the light -
0:01:54 > 0:01:56plants are now growing with more vigour -
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and also, obviously, opened it out to the eye.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03What was a closed wall, the back of the border, is now the front.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So that's what I want to start planting up initially.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12I'm going to put in these, Tiarella 'Iron Butterfly'.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It's a woodland plant from North America,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and has got these spikes
0:02:18 > 0:02:22of white flowers, touched with pink.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24They will grow perfectly well in the shade,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29and this will get much more shady when the limes come fully into leaf.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33But they do need a fairly rich soil. They do not like dry shade.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36That's no good. If you put them in dry shade,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40they'll just disappear. I've put a little group of three.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43So, let's dig out a block.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47I'm going to give them some leaf mould.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52The beauty of leaf mould is, it's not necessarily the nutrition,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54but it gives really good root run.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It's light, but it also holds moisture.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Just a couple of handfuls in underneath.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Of course, if you don't have leaf mould,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07then garden compost will do the job. Just take it out.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10That's a nice plant. Got a nice, fibrous root system.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17By choosing plants that come from woodlands,
0:03:17 > 0:03:22and putting them in what is essentially a woodland set-up,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24you know they're going to be at home.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27You know that once they've found their feet,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29which should happen very quickly,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31you can just leave them to get on with it.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I do think that's half the secret of any successful gardening,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39to choose the right plant for the right place.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42The second plant I'm going to put in is very different.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44This is Clematis alpina, 'Pamela Jackman'.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49The great thing about Clematis alpina is, it's tough.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51It will take temperatures down to -30 odd.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54It doesn't mind cold wind.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02This end of the spring garden used to be like a dark tunnel.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05If you can imagine, a hedge came down this line,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and by May, the light was all out of it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But now I've opened it out and there's more light.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14You can see back and down better, so I want an endpiece here.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I know from experience that once it gets going,
0:04:16 > 0:04:22it will climb up the tree and then the flowers will cascade down,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24so perfect. Right.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Take out as much soil as I can.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So I've got a nice, deep hole, and I'm going to put some compost in.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43It doesn't have to be your best garden compost.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Just get some organic matter in below the clematis.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52These early flowering clematis tend not to suffer from wilt,
0:04:52 > 0:04:57but as with all clematis, plant it deeper rather than shallow.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00You can plant it so that it's buried up to about that point,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03so if it does get wilt or damaged,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06it will regrow from the stem that is below the ground.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Put that down in there.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Pop that in.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Flowers appear at the end of March in the south,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20middle of April in the north
0:05:20 > 0:05:24and will carry on for about three weeks
0:05:24 > 0:05:27with this glorious spring bloom display.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I shall use the rest of the compost to mulch around this.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It's worth giving a clematis, especially a new one,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40a good soak at least once a month for the first year after planting.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43And of course, I'll water the tiarella too.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46To get inspiration for your garden,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49the best way is to go and visit other gardens.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51See what other people are doing.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55A lot of our best gardens open up either specially
0:05:55 > 0:05:59or as the beginning of their season at Easter time.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Joe has been to visit a garden in Staffordshire
0:06:02 > 0:06:05which is busily getting ready for its Easter opening.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Stonehill Quarry Garden opens to the public this Easter
0:06:13 > 0:06:14to raise money for charity.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20But it has been a real uphill struggle to get it ready in time.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24The recent storms wreaked havoc,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and there is still a mountain of work to do.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Undeterred, Caroline Raymont is soldiering on
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and trying to use this force of nature to her advantage.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So, Caroline, how bad were the winds ripping through here?
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Horrendous, and destructive. And I was really despondent about it.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51Caroline lost a number of trees. Some have been completely uprooted.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Others have had to be made safe, and some felled altogether.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59What are you going to do with these trees?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Well, the cedar's going to stay as a sculpture.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05This tree here is left for the visitors to see
0:07:05 > 0:07:08what it's like in a quarry garden and how much stone there is
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and how poor the soil is for anything else to grow.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15So are you behind this year in your gardening calendar?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Yes, I am, very much so.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I've got a lot of borders to do and clearing
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and digging holes to put the plants in.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Because your opening is imminent.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Yes, it is.- Do you need a hand? - Yes, please!
0:07:34 > 0:07:37When Caroline moved here with her late husband 23 years ago,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39there was virtually nothing here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Even now, it's a constant work in progress.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47This is just amazing.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It's magical. You'd never know it was here.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52No. It's wonderful.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54So this was a quarry, a stone quarry,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- and you've turned it into a garden?- Yes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02There are lots of well-known spring flowering plants here,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05such as primroses, hellebores...
0:08:07 > 0:08:09..and erythroniums.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12But there are also some more unusual ones.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18These woodland spring plants are really loving the conditions here.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20They are. I'm lucky about that,
0:08:20 > 0:08:25because not all people have got this leaf mould.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27You'll have plenty more by the time we finish this!
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Such as that plant,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31the Cardamine pentaphylla.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- It's a beauty, isn't it?- Yes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35And the little yellow anemone next to it,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38which is lipsiensis.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I like that. They're quite unusual, those two.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42What about that one?
0:08:42 > 0:08:46There's something under the tree over there, like a variegated leaf.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- It's really brightening up that shady spot.- It's Hacquetia.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- Hacquetia.- And the variegated one is called Thor.- Is it easy to grow?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Yes, it is. But again, in these conditions.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- And you love your trilliums.- Yes, I do.- What is it about them?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I think it's the structure, the mottled leaves on most of them,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10the colours, the way they're so upright and really quite regal.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Caroline looks after this impressive six-acre garden
0:09:17 > 0:09:18almost single-handedly.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It's a race against time for her to open on Sunday,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23so I'm more than happy to help.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Nothing goes to waste here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Caroline has even found a way to make use of her fallen trees.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- This is great. You're using the old birch logs.- Yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38And then backfilling it with soil behind.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42- Because of the lack of depth. - Yeah, because here is your rock.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46So they're like raised beds,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49but they work perfectly with the natural setting here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- Shall I start popping some hellebores in?- Yes, please.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58- It must be quite tough, gardening in these conditions.- It is.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04That's why I like my spade, what's left of it.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- Yeah, you've had that a while, haven't you?- No.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08I just work on rock!
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Right, I might need to get the pickaxe out.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33I have to say, a disused quarry
0:10:33 > 0:10:37is not the first place you would think of to make a garden in,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but Caroline has shown that with a lot of hard work,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43you can make something really special.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Well, Caroline, I hope I've been of some use.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The visitors to this garden will absolutely love it, I know.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I hope the sun shines! Bye.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07You can visit Caroline's garden this Sunday.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10For details, just go to our website.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11And of course,
0:11:11 > 0:11:16visiting any garden is always going to benefit your own in some way.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Right. This is an east-facing wall.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25East-facing walls are cold and fairly shady.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29They just get the morning sun, and that's it.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Not many fruits will like a shady wall,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35because they need sunshine to ripen.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But there's one that actively likes a north or east wall,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and that's a morello cherry,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44the sour cherry that you need to cook.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47And that's what I'm going to plant initially against this wall.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54I'm putting up these wires because I'm going to fan-train it.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00And the wires are for the canes that will support the fans to tie to.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I've put in strainers.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's important to use these, because it means you can tighten it.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08When you're planting against a wall,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10inevitably, there will be footings.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13That's concrete underneath the ground
0:12:13 > 0:12:15that will be wider than the wall.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18So always plant at least a couple of feet away from the wall.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20SPADE CLUNKS
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Doesn't sound good.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It seems to be a day for rock gardens.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Well, if Joe can use a pickaxe, so can I.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48That's not too bad.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Let's get the shovel.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I think that's enough. But the good thing is,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04that's subsoil, and the roots will go into it
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and the water will drain away.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09The cherry, by the way, is this.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Bought partially pretrained.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16It's a morello cherry, grafted onto a Colt rootstock.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And if you're going to have a fan-trained cherry
0:13:19 > 0:13:21as opposed to an open bush type,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24make sure it is on a Colt rootstock,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26because that stops it getting too big.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So if we take this over to the hole,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32you'll see that I will plant that
0:13:32 > 0:13:34roughly like that,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and then I'll train it back into the wires.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44But first of all, I need to prepare the planting hole.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Add a little bit of compost.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Not too much, otherwise it acts as a sponge for all the water.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55And just potting compost isn't going to be good enough. This is a tree.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59It's going to be n the ground for 10, 20, 30 years.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So add to peat-free potting compost garden soil if you've got it,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07garden compost, some leaf mould. I've added all three.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But really importantly, add some drainage.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14I've got grit in this. It must be free draining.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17That will settle.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19So I want to plant it at the back of the hole.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I don't want to go too far out, because there's a path,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24but that's about right.
0:14:24 > 0:14:31The reason why fruit is grown as a fan or a cordon
0:14:31 > 0:14:34or an espalier is because of the relationship
0:14:34 > 0:14:37between growth of the plant and production of fruit.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41You get maximum growth of the tree vertically.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43That's why you have a leader.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47So the leader is always the tallest, and it wants to grow on up.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You get the maximum fruit horizontally,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53which is why espaliers, for example,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56are a very good way of getting a lot of fruit in a small space.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01But if you want a plant to grow strong and healthily and have fruit,
0:15:01 > 0:15:06the answer is to go halfway between the two and go at 45 degrees.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And that's where a fan comes in, because all the branches
0:15:10 > 0:15:14are more or less trained at 45 degrees across a wall space.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Now, there is a little bit of pruning to do,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19because if I leave this central leader,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21that will go on up and up and up
0:15:21 > 0:15:25at the expense of the growth of the branches below it,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27cos it actively suppresses them.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I think I'm going to cut there.
0:15:30 > 0:15:37And that shoot and that shoot will become two more 45-degree fans.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39So, we cut like that.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42And remove it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Now, the wires are to support the canes.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52Not the plant.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58So, that's the basic structure of the support,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and you can see how you want these main stems to grow.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07And you tie in the plant to the fan supports.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10We're establishing a fruiting tree
0:16:10 > 0:16:14that will give us lovely sour cherries,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17which are great for jam or puddings,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20beautiful blossom, all on a shady, cold wall,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and this is where morellos are absolutely fantastic.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Well, there we are. That's another job done.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Now, Carol has been back to visit Dominique and Dan
0:16:32 > 0:16:35to help them in their year-long process
0:16:35 > 0:16:37of transforming their garden.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I'm helping a young family in Gloucestershire
0:16:43 > 0:16:46create their first family garden.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50They started with a blank canvas and they've got a plan.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Next to the house, they want a patio area for entertaining,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59a lawn to relax on, surrounded with beautiful flowers,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and a productive veg plot.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Since my last visit, when we laid the lawn,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09they've been busy improving their soil with well-rotted manure,
0:17:09 > 0:17:10preparing trellis,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and their neighbour has replaced a dilapidated boundary fence.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Now things get really exciting. It's time for plants.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Dom's local garden centre is a perfect place to start.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31The first plants to choose when planning any garden
0:17:31 > 0:17:33are plants for structure.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37They play an important role, giving year-round height,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39colour and interest.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43A backbone around which to build the rest of the garden.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48The most structural thing you can have in your garden is a tree.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50We've got a lot of fencing, haven't we?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53So, anything that pushes above it would be rather nice.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54And goes up to the sky.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The smaller your garden, the more important it is
0:17:57 > 0:17:59that you've got a tree that's really going to work for you.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- So, you want something that's great in the spring...- Yeah.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05..wonderful through the summer and into the autumn.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Preferably, you know, with blossom first, with fruit,
0:18:09 > 0:18:10with good autumn colour.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I mean, cherries are so very, very pretty in the spring.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17But there are a few trees that'll give you even more than that.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- How about these? These are both crab apples.- They look beautiful.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23But look what you're going to get later on.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26These gorgeous sort of red and yellow crab apples.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And this one has pure red fruit. Red Sentinel.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32And "sentinel" means it's quite an upright tree.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Which would work really well in our garden.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40So, look at your trees first of all. Just give them the old once-over.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43This is grafted onto a rootstock here.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46But just above it, look at that.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- OK.- There's damage.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51So, that's a bit of a no-no. Whereas something like this...
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I have to say, I really love the idea of the red fruit.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56So, what do you think about that? Has it got loads of buds on?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Looks great.- Masses and masses of buds. What do you think?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- That's the one. Let's go for it. - Yeah!- First plant.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Dom's got space for one more tree, so we're going for a rowan.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13It gives flowers, tons of berries and good autumn colour.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Another way of getting structure into your garden is shrubs.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- Something like this. I mean... - These look fantastic.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- The colours are great on them. - These are all forms of cornus.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28That's a form of our native one, Cornus alba.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32But this is called Midwinter Fire, and that's exactly what it does.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It glows right the way through the winter.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36You immediately go to that one
0:19:36 > 0:19:39because, actually, it seems to have an even spread out from the bottom.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Yeah, and don't be afraid, when you're buying something like this,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45to actually take it out of its pot...
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Oh, crikey. Right. - ..and inspect its roots,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51cos the roots are the most important part of the plant, really.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53And that's got good roots. It's not pot-bound.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56If it was pot-bound, you'd see a lot more roots around the edge, or...?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Yeah, you wouldn't see any soil.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And there's no moss or anything on the top.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- It's fresh, it's been looked after. - Brilliant.- It's thriving.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07When choosing plants in the garden centre,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10always go for the healthiest looking stock.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Check for strong, thick stems, plenty of new growth
0:20:15 > 0:20:17and disease-free leaves.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19And if it's a flowering plant,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23there should be loads of buds still waiting to open.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Now it's back to the garden to get planting.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Can we rotate it clockwise?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- Just about 45 degrees? A little bit more.- Yeah.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- How's that?- It's great, yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38When you're planting a tree,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41modern thinking is that you should make a shallow hole...
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It's called saucer planting.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47..that the top of your... you know, where this joins the soil
0:20:47 > 0:20:49stays at the same level right across the hole,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52but it encourages the roots then to go outwards,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54which is what you want from your tree.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Normally you might think about eking the roots out.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- But I think that these roots are just raring to go.- Right.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06And also, the less disturbance your tree gets, the better,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08especially when it's about to start flowering.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Oooh! Isn't it exciting?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Just a very gentle sort of heel in.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- Oh, very tentative! Absolutely. - I know. Nervous.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Normally when you put any tree in, you'd stake it,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32but I think this is such a sheltered corner...
0:21:32 > 0:21:33- We should be OK.- Yeah.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- So, first proper plant in your garden.- Yeah. And he looks great.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- Yeah. What a plant too! What's next? Come on.- Cornus.- Cornus.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Or dogwood, I would say. Cornus, I'm learning. Cornus.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Cornus, dogwood - both correct.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52We've set our three shrubs about two feet apart.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They'll give permanent height through the centre of this border.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Planting most shrubs, the idea there
0:21:59 > 0:22:01is always to get them level with the soil.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05But with cornus, it's a suckering shrub, and what you want it to do
0:22:05 > 0:22:08is produce lots and lots of those red stems.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10You give it a flying start, you plant it deep.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Now the structure is in place
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and we've watered everything really well,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22it's time to start thinking about flowers.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26To get Dom and Dan started, I've brought them one of my favourites,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Geranium psilostemon, from my own garden.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35This clump can be divided to create over a dozen plants.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40I've encouraged Dan and Dom to see what other perennials they can get
0:22:40 > 0:22:45from friends or neighbours and to heel them in to their nursery bed.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Next time I'm here,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49we can take stock of what they've gathered together
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and start planting those borders.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05One of my own favourite trees for a small garden
0:23:05 > 0:23:08is this cherry - Tai-haku.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It can be quite fickle in its flowering,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16because it's very easily damaged by heavy wind or heavy rain,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18but this year, it's fantastic.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It's looking as good as it ever has done.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It is lovely to have a bit of time to stop
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and just look at things at Easter.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29But there are jobs to be done,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and here are some you can be getting on with this Easter weekend.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41A few weeks ago, I recommended that you pot up your dahlias
0:23:41 > 0:23:44to encourage shoots for cutting material.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Well, now that material should be ready.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51Take a plant with plenty of shoots and choose just two or three,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54cutting them off as near to the tubers as you can.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57Strip off the lower leaves
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and pot them up in a free-draining compost.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Put them somewhere warm to root.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08And the parent can be put in a sheltered place to grow on
0:24:08 > 0:24:09until it's ready to plant out.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Hardy annuals can be sown directly where they are to grow.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24You can mark the spot by making them in crosses, circles or lines,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27or you can do as I'm doing with these poppies -
0:24:27 > 0:24:29just broadcast them in a border.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Spread them where you want,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35rake them in and let them grow up at random
0:24:35 > 0:24:39and surprise and hopefully delight you later in summer.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Late-flowering clematis
0:24:47 > 0:24:50are putting on a mass of new growth at this time of year
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and not necessarily attaching themselves securely.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So, tie them into the support with soft twine
0:24:57 > 0:25:01and till they get strong enough to attach and support themselves.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10BIRDSONG
0:25:12 > 0:25:17Good boy! This way. Here. Nige. Come on.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20No, no, I need the string. Nigel. I need it. Thank you.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26One of the jobs I really like at this time of the year
0:25:26 > 0:25:30is building a structure to support climbing beans.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33They need a really good wigwam or line
0:25:33 > 0:25:35that will take the weight of them.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38But it should look good too, and if you build it now,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41it's in place for when the beans are ready to need them,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43which won't be for another month or so.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46This year, I thought, because we're in the Cottage Garden,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I'd continue the rhythm of the wigwams
0:25:49 > 0:25:52right round the whole of the garden.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53So, some of them will have clematis,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56some of them will have climbing beans,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58some of them will have sweet peas.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01All decorative, some of them tasty.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02One goes in like that.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11This ground has been composted and rotovated, so it's really rich.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17But if your soil is a bit light, or it hasn't had much attention,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19you do need to enrich it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Beans are greedy, thirsty plants.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25You cannot give them too much organic material
0:26:25 > 0:26:26underneath the roots.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Let's get another one in.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Right, that's the structure done. Now the plants.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Come on.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10I'm going to sow into pots Blauhilde, a purple bean,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and it's really important that not only do they taste really good,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15but also, they look good.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And I will put three in a pot...
0:27:20 > 0:27:24intending to plant the whole pot...
0:27:24 > 0:27:29at the base of each of the supports.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32By sowing these in pots
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and keeping them protected from the worst of the cold,
0:27:35 > 0:27:40I'm ensuring that they will grow strongly and continue to grow.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42If I put them out in the soil now,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45even if we have mild weather at this point,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48there is a real risk that we have a cold snap,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and even if they germinate, they can stop growing at that point.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56These are equatorial plants. They want to grow in warm conditions.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57And when they stop growing,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00that's when the slugs and the snails get at them.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Those will germinate in the greenhouse
0:28:04 > 0:28:06and as soon as they're growing strongly,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I'll put them in the cold frame and then harden them off,
0:28:09 > 0:28:10and in about a month's time,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I'll plant out really strong plants
0:28:13 > 0:28:16at the base of each support of the wigwams.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27Well, that's it.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Have a really good Easter
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and I'll see you back here at Longmeadow
0:28:31 > 0:28:33at the same time next week.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Till then, bye-bye.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- HE WHISTLES - Come on.