0:00:02 > 0:00:03BIRDSONG
0:00:10 > 0:00:12ELECTRICAL WHIRRING
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25At this time of year, I like to just gently trim
0:00:25 > 0:00:29the edges of hedges, which is a hard thing to say!
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Easier to do, than say.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33And what it does is tighten the garden.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I am not hedge-cutting. It is too early for that.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38The birds are still nesting and I don't want to disturb them.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I am just getting these vertical lines crisp and straight
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and that could be where there is a path
0:00:43 > 0:00:48or a window in a hedge or a gap. And it is incredible how it pulls
0:00:48 > 0:00:50the garden together and tightens it all up.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00This week, we meet a man who will go to almost
0:01:00 > 0:01:05ANY lengths in pursuit of his dream of the perfect lawn.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08To cut the grass at 5mm
0:01:08 > 0:01:11and keep it looking good, you are constantly at it.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15It is, absolutely, his life.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And the garden designer Adam Frost goes looking for inspiration
0:01:18 > 0:01:23in a Somerset garden that has been created
0:01:23 > 0:01:25without a square inch of lawn.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Wow! I was not expecting that. With the water in the background,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33you honestly could be by the seaside.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52As part of making these new beds in what was the orchard
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and where we had compost heaps and leaf moulds, a big transformation.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02I am returfing the grass. I am standing now on what I want to be
0:02:02 > 0:02:06a grass path, with a border on one side, a border on the other,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09coming through and joining a grass path at the back.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15If this looks as though it's prepared as flower bed,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19that's a good sign. It is a terrible mistake to think
0:02:19 > 0:02:21that turf is going to cover up a multitude of sins.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24It does not cover up any. It actually reveals them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30You have got to prepare thoroughly. Dig the ground and then rotovate it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33At that point, you want to rake it smooth and get rid of all the stones
0:02:33 > 0:02:35that you possibly can.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And it goes without saying that you remove ALL weeds.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Dig them out, patiently. They will come back to bite you,
0:02:48 > 0:02:49if you leave them in the ground.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Right, I am going to budge you.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Come on!
0:02:54 > 0:02:55You go that way.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00Now, you can that it's shady. It's not heavy shade,
0:03:00 > 0:03:05but it certainly isn't the full open sunshine that grass likes best.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08But nowadays, whether it is seed or turf,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12if you go to a good dealer and explain what it is you want
0:03:12 > 0:03:15the grass for and where it is going to go, they should supply you with
0:03:15 > 0:03:18an appropriate type of grass.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19That is as important as the general quality.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The next thing to do is tread it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26There is no short cut to this,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30but to simply stomp.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And keep stomping until it's done.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41I can feel beneath my feet, in some places, it's hardly doing anything.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45but every now that then, I am sinking down. If you do not do this,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48it will sink down after you have laid the turf.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Now we have got a relatively level playing field, so to speak,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I can use the finest rake
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I have got and just...
0:04:10 > 0:04:11..scratch that smooth.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25OK, we are now ready for the easy bit, which is laying the turf.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30I would say, when you get your turf, it will come like this, in rolls.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33What you do want to do is use it as quickly as possible.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38If you can't use it within 24 hours, unroll it,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41because the problem comes from lack of light.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44This is a nice, tough, hard-wearing rye-grass.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Not suitable if you want a fine lawn, but perfectly good
0:04:48 > 0:04:51if you want ground where you are going to wheel wheelbarrows
0:04:51 > 0:04:55or children are going to play a lot of football and ride their bikes,
0:04:55 > 0:04:56but it will never be fine.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03There is always a question whether to use seed or turf.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08The advantages of seed are that it is considerably cheaper
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and very easy to prepare. You prepare the ground
0:05:11 > 0:05:14in exactly the same way and simply scatter seed, then press it in.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21However, it is slower to establish. The great advantage of turf is that,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26once it's down, it looks pretty good and you should be able to mow this
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and walk on it after about two to three weeks.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33I think turf is great for smaller areas, but if you are going to do
0:05:33 > 0:05:35a large area, seed tends to be much more economic.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41What I'm doing is with all this patting is two things.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45The first thing is making sure that the root's in contact with the soil,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47there are no air pockets or dips or hollows,
0:05:47 > 0:05:48it is right down on the ground -
0:05:48 > 0:05:51another reason for getting the ground level. The second thing
0:05:51 > 0:05:56is to push the edge, as tight as I possibly can,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58against the previous turf.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Butt these together...
0:06:02 > 0:06:04..really tight.
0:06:04 > 0:06:11And work along, so that they are absolutely packed together,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13so you can't see the joint, at all.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18It is always a good sign when you have to hunt for the join...
0:06:20 > 0:06:22..like a really good toupee!
0:06:26 > 0:06:31It is worth pointing out that you MUST have boards and you must try
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and avoid treading on the turf, because until it's got roots,
0:06:34 > 0:06:39when you tread on it, you are either going to form a divot or you are
0:06:39 > 0:06:42going to move it. You will know there are roots growing
0:06:42 > 0:06:43cos the grass will grow.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54It is not long enough to go right across, so I need to join
0:06:54 > 0:06:58two pieces together. Now, you never make a joint at the edge.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00If you have a small piece at the end, the small piece
0:07:00 > 0:07:04is going to dry out much quicker than the bigger piece
0:07:04 > 0:07:08it is attached to. So, if you have a thin piece, to make the width
0:07:08 > 0:07:14you need, always put it between two longer pieces.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17There we go. The small section in the middle
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and now we will really tamp this down hard.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30The bed curves round here...
0:07:31 > 0:07:37..so, I am starting to put my turf staggered out into steps
0:07:37 > 0:07:39into the curve.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43That means that I can cut the curve and I am going to waste
0:07:43 > 0:07:49slithers of turf. Again, this is why you always want to order at least
0:07:49 > 0:07:5410% more than you'll actually need, more than the measured area,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57cos there will be some wastage. But essentially, that is it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The next stage will be to cut the edges, give it a good soak
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and that is the job done. Now, I confess,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06I am not THAT worried about the quality of the grass.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09As long as it's flat and it's green and it can be cut regularly
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and looks nice, then I'm happy.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But we went to visit Stuart and Anne Grindle in Doncaster
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and, I think it is fair to say, that Stuart takes his lawn
0:08:18 > 0:08:20very seriously, indeed.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32We open the garden for the public every year.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35A little old lady came to me two years ago
0:08:35 > 0:08:40and said, "Mr Grindle, what is the hardest plant you will grow
0:08:40 > 0:08:45"in the garden?" And I said to her, "You're stood on it."
0:08:45 > 0:08:47There is more work goes in to the lawn
0:08:47 > 0:08:50than any other part of the garden.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55This is swishing,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00which is very important to take the dew off the garden in the morning.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It gets rid off any debris on the garden
0:09:05 > 0:09:07and, also, worm cast.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Because if you leave a worm cast on and mow over the worm cast,
0:09:12 > 0:09:13it will flatten it out
0:09:13 > 0:09:19and a 5ml worm cast then becomes 25ml
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and it will kill the grass underneath it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25BELL RINGS
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Come on, Mr Mowerman!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30There are three Gs in Stuart's life...
0:09:32 > 0:09:35..golf, gardening and grass.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Every day, he wants to be in it
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and working at it, for perfection.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48To cut the grass at 5mm
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and keep it looking good, you are constantly at it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57I'll cut the lawns every day. I cut it in two directions.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It gives a finer cut and a finer finish.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03And, also, it is good for the grass.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07To me, a lawn is like
0:10:07 > 0:10:11a fitted carpet in your lounge. If you go in your lounge
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and you have only got furniture with no carpet,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17it doesn't sound right, it doesn't look right.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Now, this is an important part of making the lawn look good.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I do this three times, four times a week,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30so that it gives a nice, neat edge.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33When you have cut the edge,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37you go round, rake the soil
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and then run your hand round it,
0:10:41 > 0:10:42to give it an equal depth.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52I have never allowed my son to play football on it or cycle on it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55If you have got children,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57you definitely don't want a lawn like I have got.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01A lot of work goes into it.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03A lot of time. A lot of money.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09But when people come and walk through that entrance there,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11they go, "Wow! I can't believe it."
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Scarifying is another important procedure to the lawn.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23If there is any coarse grass, it will rake that coarse grass,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25uplift it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Also, the one I use, it creates a drill.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Now, a drill is a groove which gets down to the soil.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34When I overseed,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38the seed then has got a purchase into the ground
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and doesn't sit too long on the top.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52These are the two seeds I overseed the lawn throughout the year.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56On this side is a very fine fescue.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59You could seed your lawn with that on its own
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and you would have a good lawn.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03This, at this side,
0:12:03 > 0:12:10is grass seed. This is a pure bent. Now, that really gives a fine finish
0:12:10 > 0:12:11to the lawn.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I will overseed with the bents,
0:12:16 > 0:12:21then, six weeks later, overseed with the fescues.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I have found that this gives a better result with the lawn.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32I know I might sound a bit of a geek, but in summer, it takes over.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35At the end of the day,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38it is, absolutely, his life.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's the be-all and end-all.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53You can go and see Stuart's lawn and even tread on it on August 8,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57when he has got an open day. All the details for that can be found
0:12:57 > 0:12:58on our website.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I shall not be treading on this for at least two weeks.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06As a rule of thumb, keep off it until it is long enough to mow.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And keep the grass rather longer than you intend to have it for
0:13:09 > 0:13:12the rest of the summer. That way, the roots will grow stronger
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and then, next year, you can mow it as much as you like.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23BIRDSONG
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I have got some chrysanths, bought as rooted cuttings in spring,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43potted them up. I have grown them on. They have gone from
0:13:43 > 0:13:47the greenhouse to cold frame and, now, they are ready to put outside.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I have to say, these are the first chrysanths
0:13:49 > 0:13:53I have had ANY part in growing for 50 years.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58And so, this both takes me back to my childhood, where we used to
0:13:58 > 0:13:59grow them in the greenhouse
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and treat them as completely tender plants.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04They were grown with huge care.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08And also, to an age which has all but gone -
0:14:08 > 0:14:10the age of the '50s and the '60s,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12where lots and lots of people grew chrysanths.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14So, they have gone very much out of fashion.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18And they are very easy plants to grow. This one is called
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Pennine Jude. Now, these are not particularly tender.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23I don't think they will
0:14:23 > 0:14:26take the full weight of a cold,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28long-weather winter, but...
0:14:29 > 0:14:33..they are probably tougher than I am giving them reckon for.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35What I want this to do is to grow into a nice, bushy plant,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38that will go on flowering into autumn.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I am planting them here as border plants,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50mixed in the general easy muddle f a border. I want them to
0:14:50 > 0:14:53meld in. So, they are fairly small
0:14:53 > 0:14:56at the moment. I am spacing them about a foot or so apart.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01I'll put another one in there and, hopefully, they will fill this area.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I have given them a really sunny spot.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08It is good soil, it is well drained and yet rich,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12but this is quite late to be planting out chrysanths.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Normally here at Longmeadow, sort of Chelsea or just after Chelsea,
0:15:16 > 0:15:17is about right.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22But we have had a really cold, dry spring and early summer here.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26So I have held back on planting out.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28But, actually, once they are up and running,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30they should be undemanding plants.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33The real purpose of growing these is to see
0:15:33 > 0:15:39if I can reconnect with chrysanths, to see if the fact that
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I haven't grown them for 50 years has been a mistake and an absence.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46But the only way you find these things out is if you try them.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Even if you resolutely do not want to grow chrysanths,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52here are some other things you could be doing this weekend.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Some hardy geranium varieties, like Geranium pratense
0:15:58 > 0:16:00or Geranium phaeum,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03have produced most of their flowers.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08If you cut them back hard, right to the ground now, that will stimulate
0:16:08 > 0:16:12new growth that will bear a new flush of flowers
0:16:12 > 0:16:14in about a month's time.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Planning ahead for next winter's veg harvest,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27now is the time to sow brassica like kale and cabbage.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Sprinkle the seeds on a seed tray, cover them over lightly
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and then sit them in a tray of water to soak up moisture.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39They can either be put in the greenhouse or will germinate
0:16:39 > 0:16:41perfectly well outside
0:16:41 > 0:16:42at this time of year.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Even though they may be showing signs of fresh
0:16:50 > 0:16:55and vigorous growth, steel yourself and pull up your wallflowers.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57They have done their stuff.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Take them to the compost heap, where they can be shredded
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and will add their goodness back into the soil.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I think it has been a good year for roses,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and I love roses of any kind.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26What has been good for them is the slightly cold spring,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30which has meant that they have come out slower and lasted longer.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It has been dry, so if they are prone to blackspot, that is
0:17:33 > 0:17:37less of a problem. And there has been enough sun to enjoy them.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I have got lots of roses in the garden, of different types,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44but these three were something of an experiment a couple of years ago.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I had never grown yellow roses before so I chose these three,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50which are Charles Darwin,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53The Pilgrim
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and Crown Princess Margareta.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59They all seem to work in well together, and what I like
0:17:59 > 0:18:03about them, these modern roses, is that they keep on flowering.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08At the moment, roses are absolutely my favourite thing in the garden.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12If you have a favourite plant in your garden,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14we would love to see it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18One of the ways you can do this is send it to our new Facebook page.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20It is called...
0:18:20 > 0:18:24If you go to it and press the "like" button,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26then you can send your photographs.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I look forward to seeing them all.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41The garden designer, Adam Frost, having won seven gold medals
0:18:41 > 0:18:44at Chelsea, is now turning to his own garden.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49He's gone to a gravel garden at Blagdon in Somerset
0:18:49 > 0:18:51looking for inspiration.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I have spent my life gardening, getting my hands dirty,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01planting things, watching them grow.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Building things with my father, gardening with my grandparents.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10It is in my blood.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13One of the best things about what I do is being outside
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and really watching the seasons unfold.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Every single year there is something different going on.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20But you know what, as a garden designer,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I spend most of my life creating gardens for other people.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25This year, I have decided to spend a little bit of time
0:19:25 > 0:19:26on me and my garden.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Back at home, I have terraced the garden out
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and there is an area at the top that I plan to create this
0:19:34 > 0:19:37wonderful gravel garden, because the sun sits there beautifully and it is
0:19:37 > 0:19:42somewhere I can really enjoy with the family through the summer months.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45So my hard landscape is finished and I've got this blank canvas.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48For me, this is the best bit, bringing it alive with plants.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50For that, though, you need inspiration.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53I tend to get that sometimes from the wider landscape
0:19:53 > 0:19:56but it is also great to go and see how other people have done it.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Wow, I was not expecting that.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05With the water in the background, you honestly could be by the seaside.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16This is Holt Farm in Somerset, and the reason I have come here is
0:20:16 > 0:20:19because the soil is clay-based, which is very similar to mine
0:20:19 > 0:20:21back home in Rutland.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26At the moment, this gravel garden is absolutely stonking.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31That is largely thanks to head gardener James Cox.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34It fascinates me that you're in Somerset, you're in a valley,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38you have a decent amount of rain down here. Why a gravel garden?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40That is a very good question, you know.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We really have had to react to the longer,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45- drier summers that we seem to have. - Oh, right.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47The plant collection that we did have in here,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50we used to struggle over the summer months.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54We are on predominantly clay soil here, which you wouldn't
0:20:54 > 0:20:57think of that as being the conditions for a gravel garden.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00But what we have done in here, and in all of the garden,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04we have added tonnes of organic matter over the last 15 to 20 years.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- Do you add gravel as well? - Yes, we have done.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It all aids with the drainage and made it possible to grow
0:21:09 > 0:21:12the type of plants that we need for those summer conditions.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So that proves, really, if you get the soil right you can
0:21:14 > 0:21:17literally create a gravel garden anywhere.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Yes, it seems to be working really well
0:21:18 > 0:21:20because the plant collection
0:21:20 > 0:21:25in here, that you find in a classic gravel garden with sandy
0:21:25 > 0:21:29conditions, are all doing very, very well and they are thriving.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So if I create my garden, you just give me
0:21:32 > 0:21:36one or two plants that I have got to have in my garden.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Key plants, I would say, silver-leaf foliage which really copes
0:21:39 > 0:21:42with bright sunlight and hot conditions.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Plants we have here are things like stachys,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46artemisias.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Those are going to be your mound formers and carpet formers.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51But you have got to set them off with other things.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Create a bit of drama and a bit of theatre in there.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Big tall uprights like verbascums, absolutely brilliant.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58They will seed as well
0:21:58 > 0:22:00so they will give you lots of free plants every summer.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Sisyrinchiums, again, great with them.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04As recommendations,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08I would say those plants are musts to have in your gravel garden.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- I tell you, it looks absolutely beautiful.- Thank you very much.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23I think one thing to remember, when you come to places like this
0:22:23 > 0:22:26that are vast, don't be put off by the scale and the size
0:22:26 > 0:22:29because there will be loads of little ideas in here that we can take home.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32My little gravel garden is little, so we are going to go around here
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and we are going to pick up a few ideas,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36like the grasses sitting in the gravel.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39The things that are starting to look self-seeded.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41What I love about this garden, in a way,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44is that it seems to have taken on a life of its own.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Things pop up in different places that maybe they're not meant to be.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50When we work our way down, you have got this wonderful bed here
0:22:50 > 0:22:52of stachys. With these little bits that are popping up,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54so you have things like the sisyrinchium
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and in the distance there, you can see what
0:22:56 > 0:22:58the digitalis are doing.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08What I love as well is the fact that, actually,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10there are lots of plants in here you recognise.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12There's the poppies, there's the geraniums,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15there's the salvias, things like that.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21One thing that ties this whole thing together is the colour of the gravel.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23They have been really clever here, in the sense that they have
0:23:23 > 0:23:26picked a colour that actually references the architecture
0:23:26 > 0:23:28of the building, the walls around the outside of the garden.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So that is an important thing, when you are choosing your gravel
0:23:31 > 0:23:34for your gravel garden, don't just choose any old gravel.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Away from the main garden, I have found this fantastic sort of...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It is like a gravel meadow.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52It is full of damselflies but also, it has got these wonderful
0:23:52 > 0:23:55stipa heads, the wonderful oat head that moves around.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59The sound in here is fantastic and I think that oat colour will
0:23:59 > 0:24:03go well with the gravel that I have got in mind for back at home.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10When you go to gardens, make sure you take pictures, make notes,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12even do some sketches,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16anything that helps you capture that information to take home.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Do you know, I love this little plant, Centranthus.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Some people think it is a weed but it grows anywhere.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26It will grow in walls
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and this is definitely one that will reappear up in my gravel garden.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35I have had a really lovely day and I have learnt a lot today.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38A few things that I am going to take away are the strength of these
0:24:38 > 0:24:41borders. They are not just a load of plants planted in gravel.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44There is a real structure to this garden.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46I am really looking forward to getting back
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and getting stuck into mine.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Come on, look, here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04Well, we will be visiting Adam at home in a few weeks' time
0:25:04 > 0:25:06to see how he's getting on.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21One of the many joys of this time of year is that the harvest
0:25:21 > 0:25:23really starts to increase and roll in.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28These broad beans were sown in February and I planted them
0:25:28 > 0:25:30out in April.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Although they are not very big plants, they're fairly stunted,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35they have got plenty of beans to harvest.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42Broad beans are much nicer when you pick them small.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45In fact, if you see, the beans are small and tender
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and you can eat these raw.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49They are sweet, whereas when they get bigger,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51they have a slightly bitter casing.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54When they get really big, you have to peel them.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59But the luxury of having a small broad bean, even if
0:25:59 > 0:26:04you just mix up a few in a pasta dish, is really good.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08That is one of my favourite ways to eat, this time of year,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11just taking from the garden, not complicating it,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14not making it too much of a big deal, just
0:26:14 > 0:26:16keeping it really simple.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24These peas are called calibra.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29They are a flat pod variety, so you cook them pod and all.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Just lightly blanch them in a bit of oil or butter.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40They are a real treat. It is like eating asparagus. Absolutely lovely.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47I've got a few nice baby beetroots here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50We'll just have a few of those.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52There we are. Aren't they lovely?
0:26:55 > 0:27:01Those are delicious at a roast or are spoiled and eaten whole.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07I like them hot. This is the Tuscan kale, cavolo nero.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12It is supposed to be really good for you and I know it is trendy to
0:27:12 > 0:27:18make into juices or whatever, but I love it just as a cooked vegetable.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22If you take the outer leaves, it encourages new growth.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26At this time of year it grows quicker than we can eat it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27There we go.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Right, we have done the main course, now for pudding.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I know at this time of year, especially with Wimbledon,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47strawberries are a great treat.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49But I tell you what,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52there isn't a strawberry in the land that you can buy that will
0:27:52 > 0:27:58taste as good as a home-grown strawberry eaten warm from the sun,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02grown in your own garden.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Mm.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07That taste and that smell takes you back to childhood,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09it takes you down to those special occasions
0:28:09 > 0:28:14but that satisfaction of growing something yourself
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and then enjoying it at the perfect moment of ripeness.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22It's one of the greatest pleasures of gardening.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Talking of Wimbledon, because of the tennis,
0:28:25 > 0:28:30next week we are on at the later time of 9.30.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34But I will be here, so join me. Till then, bye-bye.