0:00:34 > 0:00:39Hello. Welcome to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Now, for me, whatever the weather,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and it's certainly getting better by the hour,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Malvern is a celebration of spring.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It's a show that is packed with wonderful plants.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53There are stimulating show gardens
0:00:53 > 0:00:56and, of course, you can shop all day long.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58We'll be taking you around the show
0:00:58 > 0:01:01and also showing you behind the scenes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I'll be seeking out some of the head-turners in the floral marquee
0:01:07 > 0:01:12and hunting down some of the best plants that grace the stands.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And I'll be exploring the show gardens, and looking
0:01:16 > 0:01:19at the unusual, yet achievable, design elements within them.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Malvern is my local show.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It's just down the road from Longmeadow.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And I've been coming here for years and every time,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I get the same thrill from the diversity of plants
0:01:32 > 0:01:33that you find here.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36They don't just cover spring in all its glory
0:01:36 > 0:01:38but also take you into summer.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I've already been indulging in a spot of window shopping
0:01:48 > 0:01:50for Longmeadow.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Yesterday I had a preview as the stands were going up
0:01:53 > 0:01:55in the floral marquee.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Amongst all the incredible range of plants,
0:01:57 > 0:02:02I was looking for something particular for my new greenhouse.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Over the winter at Longmeadow,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08we stored a lot of tender flowering plants
0:02:08 > 0:02:10in the top new wooden greenhouse
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and it became a treat on a winter's day
0:02:12 > 0:02:17to go in there and just bathe in the scent and colour.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Many of these have gone outside now that the weather has warmed up,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24but I want to continue that theme of using the greenhouse
0:02:24 > 0:02:27almost as a conservatory and look here at the show
0:02:27 > 0:02:29for plants that need the protection
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and will give me colour throughout the summer.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I really like this Streptocarpus 'White Butterfly'.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47And yet I wasn't really convinced before
0:02:47 > 0:02:49that I liked Streptocarpus at all.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51But that's one of the great things about shows.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54They broaden the possibilities.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57You see a fabulously wide range of plants.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59You know, looking at Black Panther,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I think I could include that in the greenhouse.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05'Crystal Ice', you see, there's three.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I never thought I would have any before today.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13One thing that I know I want is a climber.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Hello. That's beautiful.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- That's extraordinary.- Yes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- How tender is it?- Quite tender.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- It's really best grown in the greenhouse.- Oh, well. That's good.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24And its flowering season is how long?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Normally starts about this time of year if the weather is warm enough
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and will go through quite well until the middle of September.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33And its winter regime - do you keep it dry or do you water it?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Keep it very much on the dry side. Almost droughted.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And then when it starts to warm up in the spring and the light levels
0:03:38 > 0:03:41improve, then start watering... increase the watering.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45You are recreating the situation it would have in the wilds of Zimbabwe.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- Zimbabwe is where it comes from? - Yes, it's the national flower.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It's very nice. If I come back tomorrow night, can I pick up a plant?
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- Of course you can. We'll have one here for you.- Brilliant.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- Look forward to it. - Thank you very much.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08If I wanted to summon up memories of hot holidays,
0:04:08 > 0:04:14I could do no better than to choose a bougainvillea for my greenhouse.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20And certainly, set against a bright blue sky, they are fantastic.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24I think against a grey Herefordshire sky,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28they wouldn't work so well, so I'll probably pass on them.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31However, if you are growing bougainvillea,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33then here's a little tip.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Because when they get cold, they can drop all their foliage
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and their bracts and look as though they have died.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42But as long as they don't get too cold, don't discard the plant.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Because as they warm up, they'll regrow perfectly healthily.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Carnivorous plants are fascinating but I've never really grown them.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03I do know, however, that this Drosera,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08as well as being curiously fascinating to look at,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12performs a very useful function in a greenhouse because it will
0:05:12 > 0:05:16catch and consume things like whitefly that can be a pest.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19A fly lands on it and then tries to get away
0:05:19 > 0:05:21and you can see it's just...
0:05:21 > 0:05:22Look at that.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And it'll gobble it up.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30And I can see myself adding carnivorous plants as part of this new move.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34What I want wanted to find in the show was a range of plants
0:05:34 > 0:05:36that I haven't hitherto grown,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40that can live permanently in the greenhouse, which will flower
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and grow and perform in midsummer.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Therefore I am enlarging the whole range of possibilities of plants
0:05:47 > 0:05:49that I've never really tried before.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57There are not only new plants to discover,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00but also once the show is open and all the gardens
0:06:00 > 0:06:05are finished there are loads of new design ideas to explore.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15One of the many good things about shows like Malvern is that
0:06:15 > 0:06:17it gives younger designers
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and designers with less experience the chance to cut their teeth.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25One of the things that I particularly like about this
0:06:25 > 0:06:29garden, called Shears And Chardonnay, is the split log wall
0:06:29 > 0:06:31running round the back.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It doesn't matter how experienced you are.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39To create any kind of show garden takes a huge amount of work
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and a lot of skill.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45A few weeks ago Joe met up with one of the designers to see
0:06:45 > 0:06:47how their big idea was formed.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51The beautiful picturesque Cotswolds
0:06:51 > 0:06:54have inspired generations of artistic minds.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Laurie Lee, Gustav Holst and William Morris are just
0:06:58 > 0:07:01a few who have created some of their finest works here.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The landscape is still working its magic today.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Mark Draper is a local contemporary garden designer who, when seeking
0:07:11 > 0:07:16an idea for his Malvern garden this year, found it practically on his doorstep.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23I do a lot of running in the Cotswolds and I was really
0:07:23 > 0:07:26taken by the beauty of the natural wild flowers that you
0:07:26 > 0:07:28see in the hedgerows.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31That's my starting point this year.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Particularly with the cow parsley, I'm keen to use that.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It's lovely, very delicate in its form.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Feathery foliage, which is
0:07:40 > 0:07:45great to soften the whole thing down really and give that sort of 3D
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and bring it out from the lower canopy of the deadnettles and bluebells.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I'm going to try and get some of the red campion to give a bit
0:07:52 > 0:07:56of ping, a bit of interest, and lift the colour palette.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Nature's got a lovely way of putting things together. It's beautiful.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Is this the sort of thing that you're going to create?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05I didn't want to do the classic recreation of the hedgerow,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07so this year I thought I'd try a different tangent
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and come up with quite a modern contemporary feel to the
0:08:11 > 0:08:15design itself, but then use wild flowers to create a soft
0:08:15 > 0:08:18naturalistic type planting.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19It's a real mesh between the two.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- This is your yard. This is where all the action is.- Yes.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41How are you going to turn this concept into a garden?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44The bottom end of the garden, this is a more naturalistic end.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48I've got a little mown grass path running through which then
0:08:48 > 0:08:50bleeds out into the wildflower meadow.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53The middle are of the garden is where I'm going to start to
0:08:53 > 0:08:57introduce the varieties and then from that it goes more garden-esque.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58And you've got a nursery here.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- Have you got some of the plants that you're going to use?- Yes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- You're growing them on?- Yes. - Shall we have a look?- Sure.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Fantastic. It must be great having a nursery on-site, to be able to
0:09:07 > 0:09:11monitor all your plants and see if they're going to flower in time?
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Yes, what you see here is hopefully going to get used in the garden.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19This is a variety of cow parsley. We saw the native one in the hedgerow.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22This is a garden variety. It's got the purple-like foliage.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Then we have Brunnera, "Jack Frost".
0:09:25 > 0:09:29This one flowers very similar to the forget-me-not.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I've got the forget-me-not in the wild part of the garden.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34This one can be used as a substitute,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37rather than having the forget-me-not, which is short lived.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- What about the Angelica? That is a stunning plant.- Yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43I've been nurturing it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47I have permission from my wife to dig them out of the garden
0:09:47 > 0:09:49so I've got them in flower at the moment.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52My only concern now is getting them to the showground in one piece.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- Drive carefully and slowly.- Yes.- Good luck. It's getting exciting.- It is.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- It's quite close now. - It is. Very close.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- Hey, this is looking good, isn't it? - It is.- This is fantastic.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- It's starting to look really nice now.- Yes.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- This is wildflower meadow turf. - Yes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16We've had it in here about six, seven weeks now.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19It rolls out and there's not much to see straightaway.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20There's three grass types.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23There's about 20, 25 types of wildflower within it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32These meadow mats are the first plants to go to Mark's show garden.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34They'll simply be laid like a carpet.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- Shall we go this way?- Here we go.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40I seem to remember you did pretty well in your last show garden at Malvern.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Two Golds and two Best In Shows.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44OK.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- So this year?- We're doing everything we can, so fingers crossed.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- The very best of luck. Better get these to the show.- Thank you.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51And I'll see you there.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12So two Golds, two Best In Shows. Has Mark got the hat-trick? Wow.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13This looks fantastic,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17this planting, this wildflower meadow with the red campion.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I'd like to think I played a part in that - loading onto the van.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Mark.- Hi, Joe.- How are you doing? - Very good, thank you.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- The garden looks brilliant. - Thank you very much.- How did you do?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29All right. Gold in Best In Show, so delighted. Good team effort.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31That's the hat-trick in the bag?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It is, yeah. Three in a row. So, really, really pleased.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35The whole concept came together, didn't it?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The idea of the wildflowers blending into more contemporary space.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Yeah, I've done what I wanted to do.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42The wildflowers merging with cultivar species
0:11:42 > 0:11:43into the more garden-esque planting.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45It's really pulled together.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49The whole thing's soft and flowing, so I'm delighted.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The plant quality is top notch, and the screens are really nice.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54The Angelica looks good.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Yeah. They came up and flopped on me on the first day.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59And then lots of water, they have perked up
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and they look really great against the back wall. Delighted.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Are they getting plenty of rain now?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Certainly are!- Congratulations, well done.- Thank you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16It is possible to bring a touch of show garden magic to your own garden.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18There are ideas here for everyone.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39A Fruity Story is the size of a small urban garden,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and it's got everything in it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47The seating area is at its core, and something that everyone wants.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51What I particularly like about the design is that the planting
0:12:51 > 0:12:53adds real depth,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57incorporating a fabulous blend of ornamentals and edibles.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Salad leaves are used like bedding plants, bordering the path,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03whereas fruit bushes act as the shrubs,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05making it feel like somewhere to garden in
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and not just an outdoor room.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16The RHS love to see a lot of effort going into a garden.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20They call it "endeavour," and on the judging sheet you get extra marks for it.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And this garden got a gold medal, unsurprisingly,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26because it's an incredible amount of work.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It is based on a Balearic holiday home and it's a coastal garden.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35So we see plants like Rosemaries and Callistemon that we are familiar with,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38but then other plants like the Opuntias and Agaves
0:13:38 > 0:13:41that wouldn't survive a British winter.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And this architectural palm holds this corner here and feels
0:13:44 > 0:13:48like it's been planted forever, the way it's lying on its side, there.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The attention to detail is absolutely stunning,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and after all, this is a piece of theatre.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56The garden looks great with the Malvern Hills behind.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It sits as if it's on an island,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and all this garden really needs is a bit of sunshine.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Joe, this garden doesn't read very easily. Talk me through it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Well, it's meant to be awkward. It's meant to be an awkward journey,
0:14:28 > 0:14:29which is why we've got this path
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- with these steps that aren't really necessary.- Jolly awkward!
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And really sort of strange heights and distances apart, as well,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40because it's for Parkinson's, this garden, so it's meant to be frustrating.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43So does it simulate the experience of having Parkinson's?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Yes, yes. And you're not quite sure the journey you are on,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and there are dead ends, and that sense of awkwardness,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and that's what it's all about, really.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And then you come to this wall, this green wall.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Which looks a bit like a hedge, a bit like a lawn on its edge, a wall.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- Yeah. But actually...- Yeah? - It's a door.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Ah!- There is a doorway through here, and then behind it and other door,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06so, again, that sense of frustration.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11But as you come through here,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14you're into a completely different space,
0:15:14 > 0:15:15and you're into a squeeze space.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19from a design point of view, I think it's really interesting, as well,
0:15:19 > 0:15:20cos it draws the eye right down.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24So, you know, it does play with squeezing space.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's nice to have the height, isn't it? You can do this in a small garden.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32You can get that sense of seclusion, and, as you say, vista.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- And there's another doorway. - Another way out. Yeah.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Through here to another door,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- a double door.- Yeah.- And into this space over here.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46The whole thing is quite demanding and almost stressful,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48which, I guess, is deliberate.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52But, you know, I do like, at the end of that long alleyway,
0:15:52 > 0:15:57as you say, squeezing the space, is a calm centre.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I love the planting of the Dryopteris ferns and the Hostas.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Very ordinary, nothing special,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05but it's a sort of still point
0:16:05 > 0:16:08in this confusing, deliberately so, garden, isn't it?
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Yeah. I think it works on many levels, this garden.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Do come along to Malvern if you possibly can.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The show has got so much to see and to inspire your own garden.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25But if you can't and you're going to be spending
0:16:25 > 0:16:29the weekend in your garden, here are some jobs to be getting on with.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Sometimes there are just no shortcuts in gardening,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and now is a perfect time to do some hand weeding in your borders.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42This means getting right down
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and individually pulling out the weeds don't want.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47If you're not sure whether it is
0:16:47 > 0:16:51a little treasure that is going on to delight you or a weed,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55leave them both and come back later.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59And if this seems a little tedious, then just give into it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And personally, I find it very therapeutic.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11It's important to support peas before they get all tangled up.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Traditionally, brushwood has been used,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15but any twiggy prunings will do the job.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19And failing that, netting works well,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21as long as you have plenty of material
0:17:21 > 0:17:24for the growing tendrils to entwine
0:17:24 > 0:17:26and therefore support themselves.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Although tulips and daffodils are fading fast,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37it's important to leave the foliage and stems
0:17:37 > 0:17:41to wither back naturally over the next few weeks.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Gradually, energy will flow back down into the bulb
0:17:45 > 0:17:48to produce next year's flower.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51However, it is a good idea to snap off the seed heads.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54This will mean that none of that energy
0:17:54 > 0:17:56will be wasted in producing seeds.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14One of the most exciting things about coming to Malvern
0:18:14 > 0:18:18is seeing plants that are here for the very first time.
0:18:18 > 0:18:25Debutantes. And this Lunaria annua 'Chedglow' is a perfect example.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29It's a gorgeous dark-leaved Honesty, with these deep purple leaves
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and stems combined with
0:18:31 > 0:18:34these glorious, rich purple flowers.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It couldn't be better.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40The lovely people on the stand tell me that it seeds true,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and like all forms of Lunaria annua,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46in its first year, it will make a rosette.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48In its second, a flowering plant.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50It's a true biennial.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53But once you've taken your seeds,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55don't take those seed heads off the plants.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Just leave them there. These glorious, glistening moons
0:18:59 > 0:19:02will adorn your garden all through the winter.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13If you love Geums, and I certainly do,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15then this is the stand for you.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19There are all manner of different hybrids gathered together here,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22but there's one of them that really stand out from the rest,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and it's brand-new.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25It's called Roger's Rebellion.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30And what makes it so different is the fact that its flowers are large,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34they're upward-facing, and they're very frilly around the edges.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's got gorgeous tapestry colours.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38This is a plant that loves moisture.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It would have coped really well with the floods this year.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53It's not just good new plants that we celebrate at Malvern.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57There are so many marvellous old varieties too,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00and on this stand, which mainly consists of penstemons,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04the two ladies who are in charge here are on the lookout
0:20:04 > 0:20:08to reintroduce lots of the old varieties of penstemon
0:20:08 > 0:20:11that have been lost to cultivation.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15This one is one called Evelyn. She dates from the 1930s.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20She's got these glorious fine leaves and small, dainty flowers,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and that's always the sign
0:20:22 > 0:20:25that a penstemon is going to be really hardy.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Malvern is a great place to buy penstemons too,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and whether they're old varieties or new,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34it's the ideal time to take cuttings.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35They'll have rooted in a few weeks.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46It takes months of careful work and dedication
0:20:46 > 0:20:49to bring these plants to the peak of perfection.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52But it's not just nursery people who've been busy.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55One garden has timed their opening
0:20:55 > 0:20:58to coincide with the Malvern Spring festival,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and this year, the bluebells have obliged.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16I saw the house in 1967. I bought it on the spot.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Angela hadn't even seen it, and I have to say, it was probably...
0:21:19 > 0:21:20I can't say the best,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23but certainly the second best decision I've ever made.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31I knew this area well, and I knew all the woods we look over,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and I just thought, "This is it."
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I have to say, probably,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- we didn't really think we would still be here in 45 years.- No.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I wasn't a gardener, and my wife wasn't a gardener,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53but she's been responsible for developing a garden ever since.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I just put a few trees in, thought, "That looks nice."
0:21:57 > 0:21:58"I'll put more trees in."
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And it just evolved. There's no grand plan.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07The top part of the garden is what you might call the formal garden,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09if this is a formal garden,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12which is full of several colour-themed beds.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I like it to flow, my garden, if possible,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17going on down into the wood,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20getting less and less formal as it goes on.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I suppose ever since we've been here, my wife has changed enormously.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31When she arrived, she was happy to sleep until lunchtime.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Now, she's up with the dawn,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and I frequently look out and see her in her nightie and bare feet,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40walking around in the dew,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44mumbling to herself, planning what she's going to plant in the borders.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It's early in the morning, in the spring, in June,
0:22:47 > 0:22:48that I go out like that,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52when the first roses come out down the bottom, the single roses,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and the ones with a wonderful scent.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02The whole area is just under 30 acres, of which 20 is woodland.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04We employed a man with a digger.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I'd put my stick on a great hazel, and up...he'd dig up this hazel
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and, of course, where you did that, the next year,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13there were all these wonderful bluebells,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14and I think that, you know,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17you didn't realise till you really cleared things
0:23:17 > 0:23:19how wonderful the bluebells could be.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37The bluebells have naturally increased,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42but I do try and make other areas by collecting the seed,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and I go and throw that down in other places, which does work.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I think if you create the right situation,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51that is what makes them increase.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54You can't really do it by digging them up and putting them somewhere.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02The bluebells are wonderful,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04but they don't have that long a season,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07so I planted all the trees that I like
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and, of course, they enhance everything that you grow,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14so it doesn't matter whether they're azaleas or rhododendrons.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16The blue bluebells set off anything
0:24:16 > 0:24:18that I think you can grow in the garden
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and make the season last so much longer.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24It's so exciting,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27because they're really only there for two or three weeks.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I don't think anything can beat that carpet of flowers.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37If you'd like to visit Angela and David's beautiful garden
0:24:37 > 0:24:42and enjoy those gorgeous bluebells, they're open this weekend,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Saturday and Sunday afternoon, under the National Gardens Scheme.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Full details are on our website.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52And it's only just a few miles away from the Showground.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59The whole of the show is packed with plants.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03And I'm on the lookout for stalwarts.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07You know, the kind of thing that we all need in our gardens.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Plants that are really dependable.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11And immediately, my eyes lighted
0:25:11 > 0:25:14on this gorgeous polemonium.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15I love that combination
0:25:15 > 0:25:17of the blue flowers and the purple leaves,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and its wonderful scent.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Smells like new-mown hay.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24It's the sort of plant that we all need.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Most of us have got shady corners,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and when you're looking for something
0:25:36 > 0:25:38that's perfect for that sort of place
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and will come up year after year, what better than a woodland plant?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45And this is a beauty.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It's Anemone sylvestris, with its pure white flowers.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50It's absolutely perfect.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Nearly all of us
0:25:55 > 0:25:58have got different kinds of situations within our gardens.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Sometimes it's shade, might be an open border or, occasionally,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06it's a hot, dry, sunny place, perhaps with poor soil.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I've got exactly that kind of place
0:26:08 > 0:26:11at the end of a raised bed in my own garden,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and these Geranium cinereums are exactly the right sort of plants
0:26:15 > 0:26:17for just that situation.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18It's a high alpine,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and it'll put up with any amount of cold in the winter
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and hot, baking sun in the summer.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26We should be so lucky!
0:26:26 > 0:26:31I love this particular colour. I've never seen anything like it before.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35It's one called Melody, and I'm going to take three plants.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I love this thing. Hello.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Fancy stumbling across you two on a beach like this!- Monty!
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Yeah, on a beach, on a day like this.- Oh, it's nice. It's good.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Now, tell me, what have you seen in particular that's caught your fancy?
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Well, all sorts of new things,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14cos there always are at Malvern, but this is my star of the show.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I think it's beautiful.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19It's a little Geranium cinereum, and it's called Melody.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21It's beautiful, isn't it? Amazing colour.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24It took me ages to find a plant that would go with this bag!
0:27:24 > 0:27:26THEY LAUGH
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I was just so pleased to see Mark get Gold and Best in Show,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- so he's got a hat-trick now. Fantastic.- Very impressive.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Well, I saw lots of nice things.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I've really enjoyed this year's show, but for me,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40the biggest thing was branching out and buying plants
0:27:40 > 0:27:42that I've never grown before,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46that's going to expand experience and range and colour,
0:27:46 > 0:27:47so a new beginning.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- You got your wallet out, then, Monty? - Yes. And, in fact...
0:27:50 > 0:27:52The serious point from that is,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54is you can buy really exotic, interesting plants
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and they're not that expensive.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Well, all the plants here are always reasonable,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and what's more, you always get such brilliant advice, don't you?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- I might have to get my wallet out, then.- I think you will.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Well, that's it from us at Malvern, but you can come along.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12If you go to our website, you'll get the details of the opening time,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and it's open till Sunday night.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And we'll be back at our normal time next week.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19So, till then, bye-bye.