0:00:07 > 0:00:10Go on. Come on. Come on, then.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Well, after the hot hurly-burly of Hampton Court,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20it's nice to be back into the cool of my Writing Garden
0:00:20 > 0:00:22which, of course, is mainly white.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27What is magnificent, and I've come home to, is this rose.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29It's called Wedding Day,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31it's a rambling rose that I planted two years ago.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The first year it didn't do anything.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Last year, I was very disappointed, it didn't flower at all
0:00:35 > 0:00:37but, boy, has it made up for it this year!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39An absolute treat.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45But I'm not quite sure about that yellow evening primrose
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and the pink opium poppy.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48In the right place,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52they're both lovely flowers that are more than welcome in the garden
0:00:52 > 0:00:54but here, in the white garden?
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I don't know, should I pull them?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Or just enjoy them while they last and then get rid of them?
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Not sure.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07This week, Carol is celebrating the formal planting combinations
0:01:07 > 0:01:11of Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Wow! Look at this.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Isn't it magnificent?
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And away from creating gold medal-winning show gardens,
0:01:21 > 0:01:26the designer Adam Frost tackles his own back yard.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I'm literally going to have hours of fun
0:01:28 > 0:01:30just simply playing with these plants.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46A few weeks ago, I laid this turf.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49And it's growing strongly
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and I reckon in about three/four days,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I can just lightly pass a mower over it,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59be able to walk on it in a week, but it's looking good.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Now, this whole area has been long meadow grass
0:02:02 > 0:02:05for the last 25 years or since we've been here
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and so these are brand-new borders and I want to get shrubs under here.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13This is a particular type of environment, it's quite shady.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15This is effectively woodland planting
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and I'm starting with this glorious hydrangea.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23This is Hydrangea macrophylla, Lanarth White.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26One of my favourite of them all.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30And these great big petals give it its display
0:02:30 > 0:02:32whereas, in fact, in the middle you've got the flowers
0:02:32 > 0:02:36which are tiny and they are actually blue
0:02:36 > 0:02:39which means they've been raised in acidic conditions.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Hydrangeas will respond to acidic soil by taking on a blue shade
0:02:44 > 0:02:50and to an alkaline soil, that's a pH over seven, with a pink shade.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And we are just slightly alkaline here
0:02:53 > 0:02:56so in this soil here, next year, they'll be pink.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I want these to be an accent plant on the corner.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I thought I would have them either side across here
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and these will grow to about five/six feet tall.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13As for planting them, easy-peasy,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16because the soil is prepared,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20it's been dug and garden compost added to it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Hydrangeas do best in light shade.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28By light shade, it means either dappled shade
0:03:28 > 0:03:30or shade that is only for part of the day.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38That's a little too deep, I want the surface of the soil in the pot
0:03:38 > 0:03:42to be the same height as the surface in the ground.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Traditionally you would plant this somewhere between October
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and March when it was dormant
0:03:48 > 0:03:52but it's fine to do it now as long as you give it a really good soak
0:03:52 > 0:03:55when you first plant it and you must keep them watered.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Often the situation when you're planting a young shrub
0:03:59 > 0:04:00with large flowers,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04the structure supporting it isn't yet woody enough to stop it
0:04:04 > 0:04:08flopping all over the place so that may well need support
0:04:08 > 0:04:12and then those big flowers will be held and poised
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and not drag the branches down.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20IT STARTS TO RAIN
0:04:21 > 0:04:26Well, before the rain really gets too heavy to garden in,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I'm going to put in a couple of viburnums.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31This is Viburnum plicatum, Summer Snowflake.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Now, Viburnum plicatum grows laterally,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38you get these lovely tiers of branches
0:04:38 > 0:04:42and the flowers sit on them in June and July,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45white flowers, actually quite similar to a hydrangea,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49but the thing that viburnum has which can beat any hydrangea
0:04:49 > 0:04:52is this incredible autumnal colour.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56The leaves turn almost a dark sort of plum colour
0:04:56 > 0:04:58so fabulous autumn foliage.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04And they are very, very tough, adaptable plants.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Perfect for this semi-shade,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09quite happy in the soil.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15And nothing could be simpler than just to pop that into the ground.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Firm it in well.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26And there you go. Now, what I am going to do,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29it may seem eccentric because it is raining quite steadily,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I'm still going to water them all in.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40What I'm trying to achieve with these shrubs is to create
0:05:40 > 0:05:46an informal planting style within these two parallel borders.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50But Carol has been to visit a garden that is distinctly formal
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and yet gloriously so.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56And this is Wollerton Old Hall, an RHS Partner Garden in Shropshire.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I'm looking at the exciting and inspiring ways
0:06:04 > 0:06:07gardeners are putting plants together.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12A few weeks ago I saw how plants could be successfully combined
0:06:12 > 0:06:15to achieve a wild and naturalistic effect.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19But if you want a bit more law and order in your garden,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22today I'm going to be looking at formal plant combinations.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32The garden at Wollerton Old Hall is a formal feast for the eyes.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36It's the creation of Lesley Jenkins, who, in 1982,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41bought back her childhood home and began to create a garden
0:06:41 > 0:06:44of interconnecting rooms around the property.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47This garden has lots of features
0:06:47 > 0:06:51that we all associate with formal planting.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55It's got clipped obelisks and these beautiful domes.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Although there are these straight lines
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and these tailored hedges throughout the garden,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04they are all there to allow us to appreciate
0:07:04 > 0:07:08the absolute, exquisite beauty of the planting.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16So, what do we mean by formal planting?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Andrew Humphris, the head gardener at Wollerton Old Hall,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23agrees that while the garden IS formal,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28they use the formality to create a visual rhythm around the garden.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- Hello, Andrew. What a lovely way to come into a garden.- Oh, hi, Carol.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Having catmint swishing around your ankles.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Oh, it's just such a gorgeous garden!
0:07:39 > 0:07:44But this whole idea of formality, I mean, what does it mean to you?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Well, I think you've got to have the structure of the hedges
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and the walls and that formality to set off the vibrant planting.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It's all about the height in the borders,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57the rhythm of the planting, it's to do with the repetition
0:07:57 > 0:08:00of things throughout the garden, which helps the garden flow.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06It's all to do with having a garden that is not a series of just
0:08:06 > 0:08:09individual rooms but trying to make the garden gel as a whole
0:08:09 > 0:08:10and to flow as a whole,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13having the taller things at the back mostly,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17although we do try and bring height forward as well, and just trying
0:08:17 > 0:08:21to get the planting looking good so that the plants look fantastic.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Every so often, you have to really squeeze between hedges, don't you?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- Is that deliberate?- It is.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Those narrow gaps, one is perspective
0:08:30 > 0:08:33so you're looking particularly from the main house right through
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and then you have a narrow gap
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- so that again is making it look further than it is.- Yes...
0:08:38 > 0:08:40And it's also hiding those hot colours
0:08:40 > 0:08:42cos the hot garden's behind that
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and we don't want to see those hot colours,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48that needs to be a surprise as you come out into that area.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Yeah, cos it's like being like that and then suddenly, there it is.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- Yeah, absolutely.- Yeah, it's a brilliant idea.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Wow! Look at this.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Isn't it magnificent?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11This planting is perfectly orchestrated.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15From one end it runs through the whole spectrum,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18yellow down there coming to here
0:09:18 > 0:09:21with these gorgeous lavenders and cool pinks.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Look at the border. It's taller at the back,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28it's shorter at the front with this straight edge of grass.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32You have to walk along here, this is the emphasis
0:09:32 > 0:09:38and then up into all these beautiful plants that you can truly appreciate
0:09:38 > 0:09:41just walking all the way along.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46How about that? Galega, such a straightforward plant.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Galega, His Majesty.
0:09:49 > 0:09:55With these long, beautiful sort of racemes of a veronicastrum.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58This one's called Pointed Finger.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00And mounds of achillea too.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But I'll tell you what, nothing's strayed,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05everything is controlled,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07everything is exactly as it should be
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and it is glorious!
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Well, one of the many garden rooms here is formality personified.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31You've got these beautifully matched symmetrical box,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36clipped absolutely perfectly into these big domes
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and then in the background,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42look at this, this rose, Francis Lester.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I mean, plant combinations don't always have to be about what's
0:10:45 > 0:10:48sitting in the border next to something else.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51This is a beautiful plant combination
0:10:51 > 0:10:54and just look at the rose, how symmetrically it's been trained
0:10:54 > 0:10:57so that it just meets in the centre.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59And just when you're thinking
0:10:59 > 0:11:03what an incredibly formal garden this is, what do you come across?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06This rectangle of meadow.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Perfectly mown edges
0:11:08 > 0:11:14but inside it's just an explosion of grasses, daisies and buttercups.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18It's utterly lovely and what's more it's funny
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and we need a lot more of that in our gardens,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23don't we, formal or not?
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Symmetry, a key feature of all formal gardens,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34could feel regimented but not in this garden.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Here subtle differences in the variety
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and placement of these delphiniums, for instance,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44make a formal planting a vibrant and fresh composition.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The formal layout of hedges, paths and structures
0:11:53 > 0:11:58form the stage on which the whole drama of this garden takes place
0:11:58 > 0:12:03and this theatre puts on one entrancing production after another.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I think you can tell from the way that Longmeadow's laid out
0:12:14 > 0:12:19that I love that combination of extreme formality
0:12:19 > 0:12:22with a loose, generous planting.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Now, having seen that, I want to go and see Wollerton Old Hall myself.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28MONTY WHISTLES
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Now, it's that time of year.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Round about my birthday,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I always harvest the first new potatoes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Potatoes come in three groups, first earlies, second earlies
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and main crop.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The big difference between them is that new potatoes,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59first and second earlies, taste best dug fresh from the ground
0:12:59 > 0:13:01but they don't store very well.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Now, this is a variety called Belle de Fontenay,
0:13:04 > 0:13:05one of my favourites,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07quite similar to Charlotte.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It's French obviously, as the name suggests,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and now's the time to harvest.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Also I want the bed to plant up this fennel.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Now, when you're using a fork, go gently, don't just dive in
0:13:18 > 0:13:21because you can guarantee you'll spear a spud or two.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23There we go.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26How about that?
0:13:26 > 0:13:27You don't want these to be too big.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Is that not beautiful?
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Immaculate, golden little pebbles of joy.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41People have often asked me how you know when to harvest potatoes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Well, there are a number of indicators.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46The first is that, in general,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50first earlies are not ready for about 80 days,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52second earlies 90-100 days
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and main crop for 120 days.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55That's after planting.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57But that's a very general thing
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and it depends on what the soil is like and what the weather is like.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03The second thing is if they've flowered,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05after flowering they will be ready.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11A variety like Belle de Fontenay can be left in the ground
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and just dug as you need them or you can harvest them all,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and if you do harvest them, keep them in a cool, dark place.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Potatoes are a really good crop for cleaning up a piece of ground.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29If you've got a new allotment, plant potatoes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31The roots get in, it suppresses the weeds
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and it's really good then for following with another crop.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's a good basketful of spuds.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42I'll put the horns, the top growth on the compost heap.
0:14:42 > 0:14:48And I plan to plant up this bed to use the space
0:14:48 > 0:14:50with a secondary crop.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52And I've chosen Florence fennel.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Florence fennel makes delicious,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58aniseed-y tasting fleshy bulbs,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01which are actually overlapping leaves.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I've been growing them here in pots.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06The roots are growing fine.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12But you can see that there's still plenty of room within the
0:15:12 > 0:15:17pots for them to grow and I'm just wondering if it might be better...
0:15:19 > 0:15:20..to leave these.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23If you plant it out and the soil that it has been
0:15:23 > 0:15:27potted into just falls away, then that's quite a shock to the system.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30What you want, ideally, is that when you take it out of the container,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33the roots just hold the soil in shape.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37I think good horticultural advice would be to leave these
0:15:37 > 0:15:41for at least three or four more days, if not another week.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42So that's what I'm going to do.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47And I'm very happy with my spuds.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Come on, you. Come on. Come on!
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Off you go.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07One of the bits of the garden that I like most at this time of year
0:16:07 > 0:16:09is here in the grass borders.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The thing about the grass borders in July, is that the grasses
0:16:12 > 0:16:14themselves are starting to take control.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17And the surrounding plants, which are packed in, work with them.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20What's extraordinary about this part of the garden is
0:16:20 > 0:16:22although there's so much energy and so much growth
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and there's a sense of real vigour, it's a very calm place to be.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And if I wanted to just sit and be quiet for a moment or two,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33this is where I come at this time of year.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38A few weeks ago, the garden designer Adam Frost went for us
0:16:38 > 0:16:41to Holt Farm to see the gravel garden there
0:16:41 > 0:16:45to get ideas for his OWN garden back at home.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49And now he's making a start on that project.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56I spend most of my life creating gardens for other people
0:16:56 > 0:16:58but this is really what I love.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Getting your hands into your own soil.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Having your own patch that you can work on and play with.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05It's absolutely fantastic.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09At home I've terraced out the garden
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and I've been busy planting the lower terraces.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15But there's an area at the top that catches the evening sun
0:17:15 > 0:17:17and it's perfect for a gravel garden.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26The key to this garden, I think, is the preparation.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I was worried about the clay soil and a lot of the plants that I've
0:17:29 > 0:17:31chosen want those really free-draining conditions.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35So, what I've done really is cover the whole area in compost
0:17:35 > 0:17:36and then gravel.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39As you dig over, you can really see that gravel
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and the compost going in, bringing life to the soil.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The next step is to firm down the soil.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Then using a fork or rake,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55get rid of any large stones and clods of earth.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I'm using a membrane to help suppress the weeds.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04But more importantly, to stop the surface gravel that I'll be
0:18:04 > 0:18:08mulching the beds with later mixing in with the soil.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Now, the fun bit. We're going to get stuck in to the plants.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17As you can see, I've got a little bit carried away.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I've got some fantastic plants to play with.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I think when you're choosing plants, it's not just about the colour.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26It's about whatever else they give you in the garden.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Maybe it's the form, the structure of the plant, the texture.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And plants I wouldn't get away with normally
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that need slightly drier conditions.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38For instance, things like lavender.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40The scent is fantastic, so wonderful grey foliage,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43but if you plant this somewhere where you are going to walk past,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45you're just going to brush, and...
0:18:45 > 0:18:48that scent is going to come up, which is absolutely beautiful.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Against things like sedum.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53A completely different leathery leaf
0:18:53 > 0:18:55with a great autumn flower,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58so this is going to give me wonderful autumn colour.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01And then look at things like the eryngium.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04The structure of this plant stands alone but if I plant this and
0:19:04 > 0:19:06it's poking through other plants,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09the spike is really going to stand out.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Look at that. It looks sort of tropical, in a sense.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Really spiky and different.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And we've got things like the stachys,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19the little lamb's ear, which is really soft in texture.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21This will scramble around the ground.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Great ground cover, this plant.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25And then colour.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Kniphofia, wow!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30They're just going to pop up all over the place,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32right through this gravel garden.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35These are the plants people react to instantly.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And stipa, oat grass.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I found this down at Holt Farm
0:19:39 > 0:19:41and it looked beautiful moving in the wind.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42And the light on this in the evening
0:19:42 > 0:19:44is absolutely stunning.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46As you can see, I've had a fantastic time.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51I'm literally going to have hours of fun just playing with these plants.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58When I'm laying this gravel garden out, what I'm trying to do is
0:19:58 > 0:20:00bleed the outer garden in.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06The first thing I've done is introduce the grasses.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09They all sit on the outside borders.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11After that, it's putting in key plants,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14so I've used the verbascum, which are big, tall, strong plants
0:20:14 > 0:20:16and really built the garden off that.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Don't be afraid to take stuff in, move it out, take stuff in,
0:20:26 > 0:20:27move it out.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Doesn't really matter if it takes two or three days to get this right.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32And eventually, you put them in the ground.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Because I'm using the membrane,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I can't dig out like you normally would
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and just keep placing it on the side cos I'll make a complete mess.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45So what I've got is a bucket here.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47I just keep feeding the soil in and out.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Gravel, that's for my grey leaf plants.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54On my clay soil, these might suffer a little bit,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56so all I'm literally doing
0:20:56 > 0:20:57is feeding a little bit in the hole
0:20:57 > 0:20:59and that will really help them drain away.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02These do not want to be sat in the water in the winter.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06And last, but not least on a day like today, a bucket of water.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08That's a bit like me, wilting at the moment.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Just give that a little soak like that, just before you've planted.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And that's all she needs. Drain her off a little bit.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Out she comes. And then...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25..in we go. Feed a little bit of soil back round there.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28End of the day when I've finished everything, this garden will
0:21:28 > 0:21:30get a really good watering in.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32And by tomorrow morning, everything will be bolt upright.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I really love doing this bit.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Just working the gravel in between the plants.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The gravel I've chosen really works with the local stonework.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55And this gravel literally comes from 15 miles down the road.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Cor, have I looked forward to that?!
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Probably not my best idea to create a gravel garden in a heatwave,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21but it's fantastic.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22This is just the beginning.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It will evolve and it will change but I really love it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I designed this to enjoy that sun going down at the end of the day and
0:22:29 > 0:22:33that's exactly what I have achieved, so I am so pleased with this.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Looking at Adam's gravel garden, he's got heavy clay soil
0:22:50 > 0:22:53just like mine and yet he's very confident that he can grow
0:22:53 > 0:22:57those plants that need free drainage.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59So it's a good inspiration for anyone to try.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04I have a letter which typifies a question
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I get asked an awful lot about.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10This is from Sue Braisby in Barnsley, and Sue says,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12"In April this year we espaliered an apple
0:23:12 > 0:23:15"and a pear against our garage wall and they've taken very well.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19"The apple has a central branch and then two tiers."
0:23:20 > 0:23:21"And they're each about five foot."
0:23:21 > 0:23:24She wants to know if she should cut back
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and if so, by how much or should she leave it alone?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30That is just one example of a lot of queries I get
0:23:30 > 0:23:35about pruning in general and summer pruning, in particular.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And if you are making an espalier or a cordon
0:23:39 > 0:23:42or a fan, you're going to need to do your really important pruning
0:23:42 > 0:23:45in summer rather than winter.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48When you prune in winter you encourage regrowth.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51When you prune in summer, you stop the growth.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56By playing those two factors off, you can shape a plant
0:23:56 > 0:23:57exactly as you want.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02These espalier pears are a quarter of a century old.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04They're getting less and less productive
0:24:04 > 0:24:10but you can see there's lots of new growth here which has grown
0:24:10 > 0:24:14since about April, none of which is bearing any fruit.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18So if you don't want that as part of the structure of the plant -
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and I don't cos they're espalier,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24we don't want them to grow out this way - then that's got to go.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The fruit itself is produced on spurs,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31so I'm going to prune back to old growth to create a spur.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Like that.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Doesn't matter what you are pruning.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45There is one law that always applies and that is prune back to something.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Don't just put your secateurs in and hack away.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54So, in this case we want to remove this and we come back
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and there we've got the beginnings of a spur,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00so I'm just going to prune above that leaf there,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02like that.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I do these every year and it does two things.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It retains the shape, it crisps them up
0:25:10 > 0:25:15and importantly lets light into the fruit so they can ripen better.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20This is the end of the espalier.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22That's the branch growing much too long.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I want to shorten it.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28If I pruned this in winter, there would be a mass of regrowth.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30By pruning it now, it will do the job.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So I'm going to take that off there. Bang!
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I hope that's helped you, Sue.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And anybody else who is trying to maintain established espaliers
0:25:51 > 0:25:53or create them.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And if you've got any other questions which would help you
0:25:56 > 0:25:58in your garden, please contact us.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59You can do so by e-mail and go
0:25:59 > 0:26:01to our website and get the address
0:26:01 > 0:26:03or go to our new Facebook page
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and contact us that way.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Now, even if you have no intention of espaliering anything,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13then here are some other things you can do this weekend.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Comfrey makes an ideal feed,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25especially for promoting roots,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27fruits and flowers.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Cut the plant, the leaves and the stems,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and pack it into a bucket.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Chop this up with a knife to increase the surface area
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and then fill the bucket with water.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Set it well out of the way
0:26:43 > 0:26:46because it smells pretty bad as it decomposes,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47but in three weeks' time
0:26:47 > 0:26:51you can strain it and use the concentrate to make a foliar feed.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Don't forget that in order to keep a regular supply of lettuce,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02it's important to sow small quantities
0:27:02 > 0:27:04regularly throughout the summer.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Whether you're sowing them
0:27:07 > 0:27:09in seed trays or directly into the soil,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11sprinkle them thinly, keep them
0:27:11 > 0:27:15watered, and they should be ready for harvest at the end of August.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Roses are still blooming well
0:27:21 > 0:27:23but you can extend their flowering period
0:27:23 > 0:27:26by deadheading regularly.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Ideally, daily.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31The important thing is not just to tidy up the plant but to prune it.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Use a pair of secateurs and cut back
0:27:34 > 0:27:37to the next leaf or flower bud.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This will stimulate regrowth and new buds.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I like deadheading. I like the meditative quality of it.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49And it is a really good thing to do
0:27:49 > 0:27:52because it does prolong the flowering an awful lot.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Something I've noticed while I was away at Hampton Court
0:27:56 > 0:27:59is on my return, the garden has shifted its palette.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Once you get into July, there's a richer, more velvety palette.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The plum colours, the magentas and purples.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12It's all to do with the way the garden constantly sings
0:28:12 > 0:28:15the song of every season.