Episode 9 Gardeners' World


Episode 9

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 9. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Hello. Welcome to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

0:00:340:00:39

Now, for me, whatever the weather,

0:00:390:00:41

and it's certainly getting better by the hour,

0:00:410:00:44

Malvern is a celebration of spring.

0:00:440:00:46

It's a show that is packed with wonderful plants.

0:00:460:00:50

There are stimulating show gardens

0:00:500:00:53

and, of course, you can shop all day long.

0:00:530:00:56

We'll be taking you around the show

0:00:560:00:58

and also showing you behind the scenes.

0:00:580:01:01

I'll be seeking out some of the head-turners in the floral marquee

0:01:030:01:07

and hunting down some of the best plants that grace the stands.

0:01:070:01:12

And I'll be exploring the show gardens, and looking

0:01:130:01:16

at the unusual, yet achievable, design elements within them.

0:01:160:01:19

Malvern is my local show.

0:01:220:01:24

It's just down the road from Longmeadow.

0:01:240:01:26

And I've been coming here for years and every time,

0:01:260:01:29

I get the same thrill from the diversity of plants

0:01:290:01:32

that you find here.

0:01:320:01:33

They don't just cover spring in all its glory

0:01:330:01:36

but also take you into summer.

0:01:360:01:38

I've already been indulging in a spot of window shopping

0:01:450:01:48

for Longmeadow.

0:01:480:01:50

Yesterday I had a preview as the stands were going up

0:01:500:01:53

in the floral marquee.

0:01:530:01:55

Amongst all the incredible range of plants,

0:01:550:01:57

I was looking for something particular for my new greenhouse.

0:01:570:02:02

Over the winter at Longmeadow,

0:02:030:02:05

we stored a lot of tender flowering plants

0:02:050:02:08

in the top new wooden greenhouse

0:02:080:02:10

and it became a treat on a winter's day

0:02:100:02:12

to go in there and just bathe in the scent and colour.

0:02:120:02:17

Many of these have gone outside now that the weather has warmed up,

0:02:170:02:20

but I want to continue that theme of using the greenhouse

0:02:200:02:24

almost as a conservatory and look here at the show

0:02:240:02:27

for plants that need the protection

0:02:270:02:29

and will give me colour throughout the summer.

0:02:290:02:32

I really like this Streptocarpus 'White Butterfly'.

0:02:410:02:45

And yet I wasn't really convinced before

0:02:450:02:47

that I liked Streptocarpus at all.

0:02:470:02:49

But that's one of the great things about shows.

0:02:490:02:51

They broaden the possibilities.

0:02:510:02:54

You see a fabulously wide range of plants.

0:02:540:02:57

You know, looking at Black Panther,

0:02:570:02:59

I think I could include that in the greenhouse.

0:02:590:03:02

'Crystal Ice', you see, there's three.

0:03:020:03:05

I never thought I would have any before today.

0:03:050:03:07

One thing that I know I want is a climber.

0:03:090:03:13

Hello. That's beautiful.

0:03:130:03:15

-That's extraordinary.

-Yes.

0:03:150:03:17

-How tender is it?

-Quite tender.

0:03:170:03:19

-It's really best grown in the greenhouse.

-Oh, well. That's good.

0:03:190:03:22

And its flowering season is how long?

0:03:220:03:24

Normally starts about this time of year if the weather is warm enough

0:03:240:03:27

and will go through quite well until the middle of September.

0:03:270:03:30

And its winter regime - do you keep it dry or do you water it?

0:03:300:03:33

Keep it very much on the dry side. Almost droughted.

0:03:330:03:35

And then when it starts to warm up in the spring and the light levels

0:03:350:03:38

improve, then start watering... increase the watering.

0:03:380:03:41

You are recreating the situation it would have in the wilds of Zimbabwe.

0:03:410:03:45

-Zimbabwe is where it comes from?

-Yes, it's the national flower.

0:03:450:03:48

It's very nice. If I come back tomorrow night, can I pick up a plant?

0:03:480:03:52

-Of course you can. We'll have one here for you.

-Brilliant.

0:03:520:03:54

-Look forward to it.

-Thank you very much.

0:03:540:03:56

If I wanted to summon up memories of hot holidays,

0:04:040:04:08

I could do no better than to choose a bougainvillea for my greenhouse.

0:04:080:04:14

And certainly, set against a bright blue sky, they are fantastic.

0:04:140:04:20

I think against a grey Herefordshire sky,

0:04:200:04:24

they wouldn't work so well, so I'll probably pass on them.

0:04:240:04:28

However, if you are growing bougainvillea,

0:04:280:04:31

then here's a little tip.

0:04:310:04:33

Because when they get cold, they can drop all their foliage

0:04:330:04:36

and their bracts and look as though they have died.

0:04:360:04:38

But as long as they don't get too cold, don't discard the plant.

0:04:380:04:42

Because as they warm up, they'll regrow perfectly healthily.

0:04:420:04:46

Carnivorous plants are fascinating but I've never really grown them.

0:04:550:04:59

I do know, however, that this Drosera,

0:04:590:05:03

as well as being curiously fascinating to look at,

0:05:030:05:08

performs a very useful function in a greenhouse because it will

0:05:080:05:12

catch and consume things like whitefly that can be a pest.

0:05:120:05:16

A fly lands on it and then tries to get away

0:05:160:05:19

and you can see it's just...

0:05:190:05:21

Look at that.

0:05:210:05:22

And it'll gobble it up.

0:05:220:05:25

And I can see myself adding carnivorous plants as part of this new move.

0:05:250:05:30

What I want wanted to find in the show was a range of plants

0:05:300:05:34

that I haven't hitherto grown,

0:05:340:05:36

that can live permanently in the greenhouse, which will flower

0:05:360:05:40

and grow and perform in midsummer.

0:05:400:05:43

Therefore I am enlarging the whole range of possibilities of plants

0:05:430:05:47

that I've never really tried before.

0:05:470:05:49

There are not only new plants to discover,

0:05:550:05:57

but also once the show is open and all the gardens

0:05:570:06:00

are finished there are loads of new design ideas to explore.

0:06:000:06:05

One of the many good things about shows like Malvern is that

0:06:130:06:15

it gives younger designers

0:06:150:06:17

and designers with less experience the chance to cut their teeth.

0:06:170:06:21

One of the things that I particularly like about this

0:06:210:06:25

garden, called Shears And Chardonnay, is the split log wall

0:06:250:06:29

running round the back.

0:06:290:06:31

It doesn't matter how experienced you are.

0:06:310:06:34

To create any kind of show garden takes a huge amount of work

0:06:340:06:39

and a lot of skill.

0:06:390:06:41

A few weeks ago Joe met up with one of the designers to see

0:06:410:06:45

how their big idea was formed.

0:06:450:06:47

The beautiful picturesque Cotswolds

0:06:490:06:51

have inspired generations of artistic minds.

0:06:510:06:54

Laurie Lee, Gustav Holst and William Morris are just

0:06:540:06:58

a few who have created some of their finest works here.

0:06:580:07:01

The landscape is still working its magic today.

0:07:030:07:06

Mark Draper is a local contemporary garden designer who, when seeking

0:07:060:07:11

an idea for his Malvern garden this year, found it practically on his doorstep.

0:07:110:07:16

I do a lot of running in the Cotswolds and I was really

0:07:180:07:23

taken by the beauty of the natural wild flowers that you

0:07:230:07:26

see in the hedgerows.

0:07:260:07:28

That's my starting point this year.

0:07:280:07:31

Particularly with the cow parsley, I'm keen to use that.

0:07:310:07:35

It's lovely, very delicate in its form.

0:07:350:07:38

Feathery foliage, which is

0:07:380:07:40

great to soften the whole thing down really and give that sort of 3D

0:07:400:07:45

and bring it out from the lower canopy of the deadnettles and bluebells.

0:07:450:07:49

I'm going to try and get some of the red campion to give a bit

0:07:490:07:52

of ping, a bit of interest, and lift the colour palette.

0:07:520:07:56

Nature's got a lovely way of putting things together. It's beautiful.

0:07:560:08:00

Is this the sort of thing that you're going to create?

0:08:000:08:03

I didn't want to do the classic recreation of the hedgerow,

0:08:030:08:05

so this year I thought I'd try a different tangent

0:08:050:08:07

and come up with quite a modern contemporary feel to the

0:08:070:08:11

design itself, but then use wild flowers to create a soft

0:08:110:08:15

naturalistic type planting.

0:08:150:08:18

It's a real mesh between the two.

0:08:180:08:19

-This is your yard. This is where all the action is.

-Yes.

0:08:340:08:37

How are you going to turn this concept into a garden?

0:08:370:08:41

The bottom end of the garden, this is a more naturalistic end.

0:08:410:08:44

I've got a little mown grass path running through which then

0:08:440:08:48

bleeds out into the wildflower meadow.

0:08:480:08:50

The middle are of the garden is where I'm going to start to

0:08:500:08:53

introduce the varieties and then from that it goes more garden-esque.

0:08:530:08:57

And you've got a nursery here.

0:08:570:08:58

-Have you got some of the plants that you're going to use?

-Yes.

0:08:580:09:01

-You're growing them on?

-Yes.

-Shall we have a look?

-Sure.

0:09:010:09:03

Fantastic. It must be great having a nursery on-site, to be able to

0:09:030:09:07

monitor all your plants and see if they're going to flower in time?

0:09:070:09:11

Yes, what you see here is hopefully going to get used in the garden.

0:09:110:09:15

This is a variety of cow parsley. We saw the native one in the hedgerow.

0:09:150:09:19

This is a garden variety. It's got the purple-like foliage.

0:09:190:09:22

Then we have Brunnera, "Jack Frost".

0:09:220:09:25

This one flowers very similar to the forget-me-not.

0:09:250:09:29

I've got the forget-me-not in the wild part of the garden.

0:09:290:09:32

This one can be used as a substitute,

0:09:320:09:34

rather than having the forget-me-not, which is short lived.

0:09:340:09:37

-What about the Angelica? That is a stunning plant.

-Yes.

0:09:370:09:42

I've been nurturing it.

0:09:420:09:43

I have permission from my wife to dig them out of the garden

0:09:430:09:47

so I've got them in flower at the moment.

0:09:470:09:49

My only concern now is getting them to the showground in one piece.

0:09:490:09:52

-Drive carefully and slowly.

-Yes.

-Good luck. It's getting exciting.

-It is.

0:09:520:09:56

-It's quite close now.

-It is. Very close.

0:09:560:09:58

-Hey, this is looking good, isn't it?

-It is.

-This is fantastic.

0:10:050:10:08

-It's starting to look really nice now.

-Yes.

0:10:080:10:10

-This is wildflower meadow turf.

-Yes.

0:10:100:10:13

We've had it in here about six, seven weeks now.

0:10:130:10:16

It rolls out and there's not much to see straightaway.

0:10:160:10:19

There's three grass types.

0:10:190:10:20

There's about 20, 25 types of wildflower within it.

0:10:200:10:23

These meadow mats are the first plants to go to Mark's show garden.

0:10:280:10:32

They'll simply be laid like a carpet.

0:10:320:10:34

-Shall we go this way?

-Here we go.

0:10:340:10:36

I seem to remember you did pretty well in your last show garden at Malvern.

0:10:360:10:40

Two Golds and two Best In Shows.

0:10:400:10:42

OK.

0:10:420:10:44

-So this year?

-We're doing everything we can, so fingers crossed.

0:10:440:10:46

-The very best of luck. Better get these to the show.

-Thank you.

0:10:460:10:49

And I'll see you there.

0:10:490:10:51

So two Golds, two Best In Shows. Has Mark got the hat-trick? Wow.

0:11:070:11:12

This looks fantastic,

0:11:120:11:13

this planting, this wildflower meadow with the red campion.

0:11:130:11:17

I'd like to think I played a part in that - loading onto the van.

0:11:170:11:20

-Mark.

-Hi, Joe.

-How are you doing?

-Very good, thank you.

0:11:200:11:23

-The garden looks brilliant.

-Thank you very much.

-How did you do?

0:11:230:11:26

All right. Gold in Best In Show, so delighted. Good team effort.

0:11:260:11:29

That's the hat-trick in the bag?

0:11:290:11:31

It is, yeah. Three in a row. So, really, really pleased.

0:11:310:11:33

The whole concept came together, didn't it?

0:11:330:11:35

The idea of the wildflowers blending into more contemporary space.

0:11:350:11:38

Yeah, I've done what I wanted to do.

0:11:380:11:40

The wildflowers merging with cultivar species

0:11:400:11:42

into the more garden-esque planting.

0:11:420:11:43

It's really pulled together.

0:11:430:11:45

The whole thing's soft and flowing, so I'm delighted.

0:11:450:11:49

The plant quality is top notch, and the screens are really nice.

0:11:490:11:53

The Angelica looks good.

0:11:530:11:54

Yeah. They came up and flopped on me on the first day.

0:11:540:11:57

And then lots of water, they have perked up

0:11:570:11:59

and they look really great against the back wall. Delighted.

0:11:590:12:02

Are they getting plenty of rain now?

0:12:020:12:04

-Certainly are!

-Congratulations, well done.

-Thank you.

0:12:040:12:07

It is possible to bring a touch of show garden magic to your own garden.

0:12:120:12:16

There are ideas here for everyone.

0:12:160:12:18

A Fruity Story is the size of a small urban garden,

0:12:360:12:39

and it's got everything in it.

0:12:390:12:41

The seating area is at its core, and something that everyone wants.

0:12:420:12:47

What I particularly like about the design is that the planting

0:12:470:12:51

adds real depth,

0:12:510:12:53

incorporating a fabulous blend of ornamentals and edibles.

0:12:530:12:57

Salad leaves are used like bedding plants, bordering the path,

0:12:570:13:00

whereas fruit bushes act as the shrubs,

0:13:000:13:03

making it feel like somewhere to garden in

0:13:030:13:05

and not just an outdoor room.

0:13:050:13:07

The RHS love to see a lot of effort going into a garden.

0:13:140:13:16

They call it "endeavour," and on the judging sheet you get extra marks for it.

0:13:160:13:20

And this garden got a gold medal, unsurprisingly,

0:13:200:13:23

because it's an incredible amount of work.

0:13:230:13:26

It is based on a Balearic holiday home and it's a coastal garden.

0:13:260:13:30

So we see plants like Rosemaries and Callistemon that we are familiar with,

0:13:300:13:35

but then other plants like the Opuntias and Agaves

0:13:350:13:38

that wouldn't survive a British winter.

0:13:380:13:41

And this architectural palm holds this corner here and feels

0:13:410:13:44

like it's been planted forever, the way it's lying on its side, there.

0:13:440:13:48

The attention to detail is absolutely stunning,

0:13:480:13:51

and after all, this is a piece of theatre.

0:13:510:13:53

The garden looks great with the Malvern Hills behind.

0:13:530:13:56

It sits as if it's on an island,

0:13:560:13:58

and all this garden really needs is a bit of sunshine.

0:13:580:14:02

Joe, this garden doesn't read very easily. Talk me through it.

0:14:200:14:25

Well, it's meant to be awkward. It's meant to be an awkward journey,

0:14:250:14:28

which is why we've got this path

0:14:280:14:29

-with these steps that aren't really necessary.

-Jolly awkward!

0:14:290:14:33

And really sort of strange heights and distances apart, as well,

0:14:330:14:36

because it's for Parkinson's, this garden, so it's meant to be frustrating.

0:14:360:14:40

So does it simulate the experience of having Parkinson's?

0:14:400:14:43

Yes, yes. And you're not quite sure the journey you are on,

0:14:430:14:46

and there are dead ends, and that sense of awkwardness,

0:14:460:14:50

and that's what it's all about, really.

0:14:500:14:52

And then you come to this wall, this green wall.

0:14:520:14:55

Which looks a bit like a hedge, a bit like a lawn on its edge, a wall.

0:14:550:14:58

-Yeah. But actually...

-Yeah?

-It's a door.

0:14:580:15:01

-Ah!

-There is a doorway through here, and then behind it and other door,

0:15:010:15:04

so, again, that sense of frustration.

0:15:040:15:06

But as you come through here,

0:15:080:15:11

you're into a completely different space,

0:15:110:15:14

and you're into a squeeze space.

0:15:140:15:15

from a design point of view, I think it's really interesting, as well,

0:15:150:15:19

cos it draws the eye right down.

0:15:190:15:20

So, you know, it does play with squeezing space.

0:15:200:15:24

It's nice to have the height, isn't it? You can do this in a small garden.

0:15:240:15:27

You can get that sense of seclusion, and, as you say, vista.

0:15:270:15:32

-And there's another doorway.

-Another way out. Yeah.

0:15:320:15:35

Through here to another door,

0:15:350:15:38

-a double door.

-Yeah.

-And into this space over here.

0:15:380:15:42

The whole thing is quite demanding and almost stressful,

0:15:420:15:46

which, I guess, is deliberate.

0:15:460:15:48

But, you know, I do like, at the end of that long alleyway,

0:15:480:15:52

as you say, squeezing the space, is a calm centre.

0:15:520:15:57

I love the planting of the Dryopteris ferns and the Hostas.

0:15:570:16:00

Very ordinary, nothing special,

0:16:000:16:03

but it's a sort of still point

0:16:030:16:05

in this confusing, deliberately so, garden, isn't it?

0:16:050:16:08

Yeah. I think it works on many levels, this garden.

0:16:080:16:11

Do come along to Malvern if you possibly can.

0:16:170:16:20

The show has got so much to see and to inspire your own garden.

0:16:200:16:23

But if you can't and you're going to be spending

0:16:230:16:25

the weekend in your garden, here are some jobs to be getting on with.

0:16:250:16:29

Sometimes there are just no shortcuts in gardening,

0:16:310:16:34

and now is a perfect time to do some hand weeding in your borders.

0:16:340:16:38

This means getting right down

0:16:390:16:42

and individually pulling out the weeds don't want.

0:16:420:16:45

If you're not sure whether it is

0:16:450:16:47

a little treasure that is going on to delight you or a weed,

0:16:470:16:51

leave them both and come back later.

0:16:510:16:55

And if this seems a little tedious, then just give into it.

0:16:550:16:59

And personally, I find it very therapeutic.

0:16:590:17:02

It's important to support peas before they get all tangled up.

0:17:060:17:11

Traditionally, brushwood has been used,

0:17:110:17:13

but any twiggy prunings will do the job.

0:17:130:17:15

And failing that, netting works well,

0:17:150:17:19

as long as you have plenty of material

0:17:190:17:21

for the growing tendrils to entwine

0:17:210:17:24

and therefore support themselves.

0:17:240:17:26

Although tulips and daffodils are fading fast,

0:17:310:17:34

it's important to leave the foliage and stems

0:17:340:17:37

to wither back naturally over the next few weeks.

0:17:370:17:41

Gradually, energy will flow back down into the bulb

0:17:410:17:45

to produce next year's flower.

0:17:450:17:48

However, it is a good idea to snap off the seed heads.

0:17:480:17:51

This will mean that none of that energy

0:17:510:17:54

will be wasted in producing seeds.

0:17:540:17:56

One of the most exciting things about coming to Malvern

0:18:100:18:14

is seeing plants that are here for the very first time.

0:18:140:18:18

Debutantes. And this Lunaria annua 'Chedglow' is a perfect example.

0:18:180:18:25

It's a gorgeous dark-leaved Honesty, with these deep purple leaves

0:18:250:18:29

and stems combined with

0:18:290:18:31

these glorious, rich purple flowers.

0:18:310:18:34

It couldn't be better.

0:18:340:18:36

The lovely people on the stand tell me that it seeds true,

0:18:360:18:40

and like all forms of Lunaria annua,

0:18:400:18:42

in its first year, it will make a rosette.

0:18:420:18:46

In its second, a flowering plant.

0:18:460:18:48

It's a true biennial.

0:18:480:18:50

But once you've taken your seeds,

0:18:500:18:53

don't take those seed heads off the plants.

0:18:530:18:55

Just leave them there. These glorious, glistening moons

0:18:550:18:59

will adorn your garden all through the winter.

0:18:590:19:02

If you love Geums, and I certainly do,

0:19:100:19:13

then this is the stand for you.

0:19:130:19:15

There are all manner of different hybrids gathered together here,

0:19:150:19:19

but there's one of them that really stand out from the rest,

0:19:190:19:22

and it's brand-new.

0:19:220:19:24

It's called Roger's Rebellion.

0:19:240:19:25

And what makes it so different is the fact that its flowers are large,

0:19:250:19:30

they're upward-facing, and they're very frilly around the edges.

0:19:300:19:34

It's got gorgeous tapestry colours.

0:19:340:19:36

This is a plant that loves moisture.

0:19:360:19:38

It would have coped really well with the floods this year.

0:19:380:19:41

It's not just good new plants that we celebrate at Malvern.

0:19:490:19:53

There are so many marvellous old varieties too,

0:19:530:19:57

and on this stand, which mainly consists of penstemons,

0:19:570:20:00

the two ladies who are in charge here are on the lookout

0:20:000:20:04

to reintroduce lots of the old varieties of penstemon

0:20:040:20:08

that have been lost to cultivation.

0:20:080:20:11

This one is one called Evelyn. She dates from the 1930s.

0:20:110:20:15

She's got these glorious fine leaves and small, dainty flowers,

0:20:150:20:20

and that's always the sign

0:20:200:20:22

that a penstemon is going to be really hardy.

0:20:220:20:25

Malvern is a great place to buy penstemons too,

0:20:260:20:29

and whether they're old varieties or new,

0:20:290:20:31

it's the ideal time to take cuttings.

0:20:310:20:34

They'll have rooted in a few weeks.

0:20:340:20:35

It takes months of careful work and dedication

0:20:410:20:46

to bring these plants to the peak of perfection.

0:20:460:20:49

But it's not just nursery people who've been busy.

0:20:490:20:52

One garden has timed their opening

0:20:520:20:55

to coincide with the Malvern Spring festival,

0:20:550:20:58

and this year, the bluebells have obliged.

0:20:580:21:02

I saw the house in 1967. I bought it on the spot.

0:21:120:21:16

Angela hadn't even seen it, and I have to say, it was probably...

0:21:160:21:19

I can't say the best,

0:21:190:21:20

but certainly the second best decision I've ever made.

0:21:200:21:23

I knew this area well, and I knew all the woods we look over,

0:21:260:21:31

and I just thought, "This is it."

0:21:310:21:33

I have to say, probably,

0:21:340:21:36

-we didn't really think we would still be here in 45 years.

-No.

0:21:360:21:39

I wasn't a gardener, and my wife wasn't a gardener,

0:21:460:21:49

but she's been responsible for developing a garden ever since.

0:21:490:21:53

I just put a few trees in, thought, "That looks nice."

0:21:540:21:57

"I'll put more trees in."

0:21:570:21:58

And it just evolved. There's no grand plan.

0:21:580:22:01

The top part of the garden is what you might call the formal garden,

0:22:030:22:07

if this is a formal garden,

0:22:070:22:09

which is full of several colour-themed beds.

0:22:090:22:12

I like it to flow, my garden, if possible,

0:22:130:22:15

going on down into the wood,

0:22:150:22:17

getting less and less formal as it goes on.

0:22:170:22:20

I suppose ever since we've been here, my wife has changed enormously.

0:22:230:22:27

When she arrived, she was happy to sleep until lunchtime.

0:22:270:22:31

Now, she's up with the dawn,

0:22:310:22:34

and I frequently look out and see her in her nightie and bare feet,

0:22:340:22:37

walking around in the dew,

0:22:370:22:40

mumbling to herself, planning what she's going to plant in the borders.

0:22:400:22:44

It's early in the morning, in the spring, in June,

0:22:440:22:47

that I go out like that,

0:22:470:22:48

when the first roses come out down the bottom, the single roses,

0:22:480:22:52

and the ones with a wonderful scent.

0:22:520:22:54

The whole area is just under 30 acres, of which 20 is woodland.

0:22:560:23:02

We employed a man with a digger.

0:23:020:23:04

I'd put my stick on a great hazel, and up...he'd dig up this hazel

0:23:040:23:08

and, of course, where you did that, the next year,

0:23:080:23:10

there were all these wonderful bluebells,

0:23:100:23:13

and I think that, you know,

0:23:130:23:14

you didn't realise till you really cleared things

0:23:140:23:17

how wonderful the bluebells could be.

0:23:170:23:19

The bluebells have naturally increased,

0:23:330:23:37

but I do try and make other areas by collecting the seed,

0:23:370:23:42

and I go and throw that down in other places, which does work.

0:23:420:23:46

I think if you create the right situation,

0:23:460:23:49

that is what makes them increase.

0:23:490:23:51

You can't really do it by digging them up and putting them somewhere.

0:23:510:23:54

The bluebells are wonderful,

0:24:000:24:02

but they don't have that long a season,

0:24:020:24:04

so I planted all the trees that I like

0:24:040:24:07

and, of course, they enhance everything that you grow,

0:24:070:24:10

so it doesn't matter whether they're azaleas or rhododendrons.

0:24:100:24:14

The blue bluebells set off anything

0:24:140:24:16

that I think you can grow in the garden

0:24:160:24:18

and make the season last so much longer.

0:24:180:24:21

It's so exciting,

0:24:230:24:24

because they're really only there for two or three weeks.

0:24:240:24:27

I don't think anything can beat that carpet of flowers.

0:24:270:24:30

If you'd like to visit Angela and David's beautiful garden

0:24:340:24:37

and enjoy those gorgeous bluebells, they're open this weekend,

0:24:370:24:42

Saturday and Sunday afternoon, under the National Gardens Scheme.

0:24:420:24:46

Full details are on our website.

0:24:460:24:49

And it's only just a few miles away from the Showground.

0:24:490:24:52

The whole of the show is packed with plants.

0:24:560:24:59

And I'm on the lookout for stalwarts.

0:25:000:25:03

You know, the kind of thing that we all need in our gardens.

0:25:030:25:07

Plants that are really dependable.

0:25:070:25:09

And immediately, my eyes lighted

0:25:090:25:11

on this gorgeous polemonium.

0:25:110:25:14

I love that combination

0:25:140:25:15

of the blue flowers and the purple leaves,

0:25:150:25:17

and its wonderful scent.

0:25:170:25:20

Smells like new-mown hay.

0:25:200:25:22

It's the sort of plant that we all need.

0:25:220:25:24

Most of us have got shady corners,

0:25:320:25:34

and when you're looking for something

0:25:340:25:36

that's perfect for that sort of place

0:25:360:25:38

and will come up year after year, what better than a woodland plant?

0:25:380:25:42

And this is a beauty.

0:25:420:25:45

It's Anemone sylvestris, with its pure white flowers.

0:25:450:25:48

It's absolutely perfect.

0:25:480:25:50

Nearly all of us

0:25:530:25:55

have got different kinds of situations within our gardens.

0:25:550:25:58

Sometimes it's shade, might be an open border or, occasionally,

0:25:580:26:02

it's a hot, dry, sunny place, perhaps with poor soil.

0:26:020:26:06

I've got exactly that kind of place

0:26:060:26:08

at the end of a raised bed in my own garden,

0:26:080:26:11

and these Geranium cinereums are exactly the right sort of plants

0:26:110:26:15

for just that situation.

0:26:150:26:17

It's a high alpine,

0:26:170:26:18

and it'll put up with any amount of cold in the winter

0:26:180:26:22

and hot, baking sun in the summer.

0:26:220:26:24

We should be so lucky!

0:26:240:26:26

I love this particular colour. I've never seen anything like it before.

0:26:260:26:31

It's one called Melody, and I'm going to take three plants.

0:26:310:26:35

I love this thing. Hello.

0:26:560:26:58

-Fancy stumbling across you two on a beach like this!

-Monty!

0:26:580:27:01

-Yeah, on a beach, on a day like this.

-Oh, it's nice. It's good.

0:27:010:27:05

Now, tell me, what have you seen in particular that's caught your fancy?

0:27:050:27:09

Well, all sorts of new things,

0:27:090:27:10

cos there always are at Malvern, but this is my star of the show.

0:27:100:27:14

I think it's beautiful.

0:27:140:27:16

It's a little Geranium cinereum, and it's called Melody.

0:27:160:27:19

It's beautiful, isn't it? Amazing colour.

0:27:190:27:21

It took me ages to find a plant that would go with this bag!

0:27:210:27:24

THEY LAUGH

0:27:240:27:26

I was just so pleased to see Mark get Gold and Best in Show,

0:27:260:27:29

-so he's got a hat-trick now. Fantastic.

-Very impressive.

0:27:290:27:33

Well, I saw lots of nice things.

0:27:330:27:34

I've really enjoyed this year's show, but for me,

0:27:340:27:37

the biggest thing was branching out and buying plants

0:27:370:27:40

that I've never grown before,

0:27:400:27:42

that's going to expand experience and range and colour,

0:27:420:27:46

so a new beginning.

0:27:460:27:47

-You got your wallet out, then, Monty?

-Yes. And, in fact...

0:27:470:27:50

The serious point from that is,

0:27:500:27:52

is you can buy really exotic, interesting plants

0:27:520:27:54

and they're not that expensive.

0:27:540:27:56

Well, all the plants here are always reasonable,

0:27:560:27:59

and what's more, you always get such brilliant advice, don't you?

0:27:590:28:02

-I might have to get my wallet out, then.

-I think you will.

0:28:020:28:05

Well, that's it from us at Malvern, but you can come along.

0:28:050:28:09

If you go to our website, you'll get the details of the opening time,

0:28:090:28:12

and it's open till Sunday night.

0:28:120:28:14

And we'll be back at our normal time next week.

0:28:140:28:17

So, till then, bye-bye.

0:28:170:28:19

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS