0:00:09 > 0:00:11Come on. You can come up here.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Hup! Right.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19I've been planting bulbs here at Longmeadow
0:00:19 > 0:00:23since the beginning of September, all over the garden.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28But here amongst the trees by the copse, I've got a problem.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32It's been really dry here for the last few weeks, which is fantastic,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36absolutely lovely and it means the garden has looked glorious.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41But the combination of no rain and the trees sucking up all
0:00:41 > 0:00:45available moisture means the ground is really hard and dry.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Something I've done before and it worked really well
0:00:48 > 0:00:49and I'm going to try again now
0:00:49 > 0:00:52is to simply place the bulbs on the surface of the ground.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54You can see that's really dry and hard.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56DULL TAPPING
0:00:56 > 0:00:58I'm never going to be able to dig down and make individual holes,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00but I've got some chionodoxa,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04and this is a lovely little blue starry flower.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07It comes from the mountains of northern Turkey,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10grows up in the snowline and will flower - whatever the weather -
0:01:10 > 0:01:11early March.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14So simply by placing them on the ground,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16a little clump there like that,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and then cover them over with some leaf mould. Like that.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28And there, we should have a clump of beautiful blue flowers in March.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29We'll have to see.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35This week, we have the last of Carol's series
0:01:35 > 0:01:37on the botany of our gardens.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I'm focusing on flowers.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43They're the reproductive parts of plants
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and have developed extraordinary strategies
0:01:47 > 0:01:49to attract pollinating insects.
0:01:50 > 0:01:56And we see how RHS Wisley goes about turning fallen leaves
0:01:56 > 0:01:57into lovely leaf mould.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And I shall be checking up on my bees and preparing the garden for winter.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But first, I'm going to look back over this year
0:02:17 > 0:02:22and as well as preparing for winter, it's worth looking back, taking stock
0:02:22 > 0:02:26of what worked, what didn't work so well, so that next year,
0:02:26 > 0:02:27we can learn from it.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35I loved the way in spring you got that zingy green from the euphorbias.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And then the alliums come through after the tulips.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40This is about sort of May time.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And you start to get real colour.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45That worked really well this year.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And another thing I'm very happy with are these four pots.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54This year - an experiment.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57We got the phormiums and I wasn't certain if it was going to work.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Well, I think it has.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I really like them and I'll use them again next year.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I like this sort of chocolate colour and the way that
0:03:03 > 0:03:07the bidens froth in and through the foliage.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10And the chocolate cosmos and the nasturtiums,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12although I think the nasturtiums next year
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I'm going to go for a darker, richer colour.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Now, these will need some protection.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19If you're growing phormiums, I would lift them,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21put them in a plastic pot and put them in a shed or a greenhouse,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and if you can't put them somewhere like that,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26be prepared to wrap a bit of fleece around them
0:03:26 > 0:03:29if the temperature drops much below minus five.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Although spring was good,
0:03:31 > 0:03:37we had a very cold, dry May and June here at Longmeadow.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40In fact, it was the driest I could remember in 20 years.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Having said that, the dahlias haven't minded at all.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46These are tender plants. They come from Mexico.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48And yet, they've loved it!
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Been absolutely great, so you never quite know what's going to work.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Another plant which has loved it this year
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and would look really fantastic were the clematis.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01The clematis have been as good as I've ever known them.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18The cottage garden is deliberately a holy mishmash
0:04:18 > 0:04:23and nearly always there's something that's performing well.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28And I think this was the best year for roses that I can ever remember.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They were absolutely wonderful,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and as far as I can gather, that's true of most of us.
0:04:33 > 0:04:372015 was the summer of the rose.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39And, by the way, just in the last few days,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43this lovely little gentian is flowering in there.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But I've got some evening primrose here. This is an apricot,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Apricot Delight.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Grown from seed, biannual.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It's not too late to plant evening primrose, foxgloves, wallflowers...
0:04:55 > 0:04:57You can still be planting now for next spring.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And, of course, the beauty of this time of year is,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04as things are going over, there's a little bit more space.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Pop them in the ground.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08They will not grow at all over winter,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13but they'll be fully ready to take advantage of the weather
0:05:13 > 0:05:16as it starts to change next March and April.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Now, obviously, what we want from these are the flowers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And although they've got an interesting foliage,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29it's that display that we will hunger for in the middle of winter.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31But flowers don't exist just for us.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And in the last of her series on the botany of plants,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Carol is looking at flowers.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50For centuries, we've been seeking to unravel the mysteries of plants,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52to unlock their secrets,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55enabling us to have a better understanding of how they grow.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01As gardeners, we play a small but important role in maintaining
0:06:01 > 0:06:05the diversity of plant life on our planet.
0:06:05 > 0:06:11Yeah, we grow plants because they're beautiful and for our enjoyment,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but if we learn more about their botany,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17it can help us all become much better gardeners.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Over the last four weeks, I've looked at how seeds germinate,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27how roots get food from the soil,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30how stems transport food and water
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and how leaves miraculously supply us with oxygen.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39This week, I'm focusing on flowers.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Flowers might enchant gardeners,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49but our enjoyment is incidental to their purpose.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51They're the reproductive parts of plants,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and have developed extraordinary strategies
0:06:55 > 0:06:57to attract pollinating insects.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06The colours and forms of flowers are seemingly endless.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09But they don't get that way completely by accident -
0:07:09 > 0:07:10far from it.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13They have partners in pollination.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16They've evolved with their insect partners
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so that the two co-exist and are mutually dependant.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23They've got a symbiotic relationship.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Take this evening primrose.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30It's got this long... What looks like a stem, but it's not.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34It's actually a tube and at the base of that is the nectar.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And what can access this nectar? Only moths.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40It's absolutely brilliant.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And to understand properly exactly what's going on in those flowers,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49I want to cut one of these open and expose all its parts.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54And so you can see exactly what's going on inside.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58You can see here the anthers, the pollen-bearing parts,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00the male part of the flower.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05And then in the centre, there's this stigma, which is the female bit.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Of course, the pollen has to cross from one onto the other,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13but very, very few flowers actually self-pollinate.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19What's needed is another factor - an insect, the wind, an animal -
0:08:19 > 0:08:24to move that pollen from the anthers onto the stigma
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and make pollination happen.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Once pollination has taken place,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32then that pollen will go into the ovary,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and once that's happened, those seeds can develop
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and spread themselves far and wide.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44The beautiful borders at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
0:08:44 > 0:08:47are crammed with flowers that insects love.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50There are great big dials of daisies,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and petals with arrows and stripes,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56directing insects towards their nectar.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01When you stroll along a delightful flower border like this,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03it looks as though all the bees
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and pollinating insects are just visiting flowers randomly,
0:09:07 > 0:09:13but in actual fact, so many flowers have really intriguing strategies
0:09:13 > 0:09:15to make sure that they get pollinated.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Look at this antirrhinum.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21This looks like pollen on the lip of this flower.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25In actual fact, if you touch it, there's nothing there.
0:09:25 > 0:09:31So the bee is lured in and as it opens up this flower, it's touched
0:09:31 > 0:09:36all over its back by the pollen on these anthers, the top anthers.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41And at the same time the flower has actually let some of the pollen drop
0:09:41 > 0:09:44to the base here, onto the lip.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46That's called secondary presentation.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49So if the first one doesn't get you, the second one will.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52What a clever strategy.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56And the net is contained in this bit, which is called the gibba.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It's a sort of extension of a flower
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and all that delicious liquid is contained in there.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07So, the bee gets its nectar and the flower gets pollinated.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09What a perfect relationship.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Every species has its own unique pollen
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and images from modern microscopes show how some are spiky,
0:10:18 > 0:10:23helping it to cling to insects and some has air pockets,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26enabling it to be carried on the wind.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Sometimes in your greenhouse your tomatoes just don't set.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Some people try and move pollen around from flower to flower
0:10:35 > 0:10:39with a little paintbrush, but it doesn't always work.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42What you need is a bit of buzz pollination.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46You want to simulate the vibration of a bee's wings
0:10:46 > 0:10:49that will get the flower to release its pollen.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Enter my secret weapon.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53An electric toothbrush.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57I'm going to try it on this flower. And...
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Whoo!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Lo and behold, it works.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16I suppose we take it for granted that we can move around freely,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20but for plants it's a totally different proposition.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24They have to stay in one place, but they've developed extraordinary
0:11:24 > 0:11:29strategies to help them to survive wherever they find themselves.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33You always get the feeling that nature's indomitable,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37she's just waiting in the wings for the opportunity to thrive.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52There's no doubt that if you know how plants act and behave,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55the botany of them, it's such a help in knowing how to grow them
0:11:55 > 0:11:58so that they look as good as possible.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Now, looking after rhubarb is not that tricky
0:12:01 > 0:12:03at this time of year.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Obviously there's no more to harvest, it's dying back.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And you can just leave it so all the stems
0:12:08 > 0:12:13and the foliage dies right back and then clear them up, or strip away
0:12:13 > 0:12:17the leaves and the stems that have fallen below 45 degrees.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Just pull them, you don't need to cut them. Just pull them from the crown.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And then give them a good feed.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Ideally well-rotted manure or garden compost,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32as thickly as you can, but don't cover the crowns because
0:12:32 > 0:12:36if you suppress those they can rot and then you won't get any next year.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Now, that's it. That's all you have to do
0:12:39 > 0:12:43if your rhubarb is fairly young, sort of up to five years old,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45but if it's a bit older than that you can refresh it
0:12:45 > 0:12:49and rejuvenate it now, at this time of year.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51All you have to do is dig up a crown.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04And what you need to do is divide it so that your new shoots just have
0:13:04 > 0:13:09one section, so I can get two or even three plants from that.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Like that.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Now, these plants are over 20 years old,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16but I have split them fairly regularly.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19So, I'm going to replant one there
0:13:19 > 0:13:21and that one can get moved to a new site.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33A bit of compost in there.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44And plant it so that these crowns are above the level of the soil.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49There we go.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Give that a really good soak.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And don't harvest it next year.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Let the divided crowns establish and then in two years' time
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and for the following three or four years, they will be ultra productive.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I'll tell you what, the Nigel topiary, it's early days,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12but it's beginning to happen.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I think by the time we come to next July, August,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20when he gets his next trim, you won't be able to tell the difference...
0:14:20 > 0:14:21perhaps.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Come on. I still know it's you.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I think it's fair to say that the vegetable garden
0:14:49 > 0:14:51has had a very mixed year.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53What's done well has done very well.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And what's done badly has been a disaster.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Now, on the good side of things, it's been a great year for carrots.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02They're so big in there I can't pull it out with my hand.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05But you can see that the carrots have grown perfectly well.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10And on there, no sign of carrot fly at all, which is always a good thing.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11Brassica growing well.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I mean, we've got far too much of this black kale.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Haven't been able to eat half of it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:23In fact, all the leaves - celery, rocket, chicory, lettuce,
0:15:23 > 0:15:24has loved this year.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Beetroot, chard and spinach have done really well.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29That's the good news.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Bad news is, any of the crops that needed heat - squashes, pumpkins,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36French beans have been REALLY bad.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Funnily enough, the courgettes here were fine.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42We've had lots of courgettes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45But if you're growing courgettes and you're trying to eke them out
0:15:45 > 0:15:47and get a few more, I'm afraid it's over.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51So, what I'm going to do here is just harvest the few that we've got
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and then clear all these away.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Let's take this to the compost heap.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21The first place for compost in this garden is this area here,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24which is a sort of collection bay.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And the idea is that all week whatever we're got goes into here,
0:16:27 > 0:16:32a real old mixture, and then the end of the week
0:16:32 > 0:16:34it gets chopped up as much as possible.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Some things can be mowed, others go through a shredder.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40They then go into here where it slowly builds up
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and starts turning into compost and the bacteria works on it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And then that's turned and then turned again.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50And by the time it reaches the end bay, you've got a lovely, dark,
0:16:50 > 0:16:57sweet-smelling compost which is the absolute secret of a healthy garden.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01But of course, at this time of year it's not just compost we're making,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05it's that time where you want to collect every leaf you can
0:17:05 > 0:17:07to make leaf mould.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And we went to RHS Wisley to see how they make their leaf mould.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Autumn is such a wonderful time of the year.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29There are so many rich, vibrant colours.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31It's great to get outside, to go for a walk,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to smell those lovely, musky scents which fill the air.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Autumn really is truly a magical, magical season.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Behind all this magic there's a lot of actions
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and reactions which are taking place.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59During the summer the leaves of the tree are bright green in colour
0:17:59 > 0:18:02as it is photosynthesising and producing energy.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06However, we come into the autumn with the change in temperature
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and light levels, and the tree starts to shut down.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13And as it does so a layer of cells start to form between the leaf
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and the stem.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18As this happens, the green pigment starts to break down
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and disappear and it reveals these wonderful reds and yellows,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25colours which are hidden behind it.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29And then ultimately the layer of cells becomes complete
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and the leaf gets shed and falls to the ground.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56For many people when the leaves end up on the ground
0:18:56 > 0:18:58they become a pesky problem.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01But for me, the really critical ingredient is
0:19:01 > 0:19:04we start the wonderful process of producing leaf mould.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13This stuff is absolutely wonderful.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15You can't buy it in your garden centre.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It's great for the health of your garden.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21At home, you can use a rake to rake the leaves up,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24you can use a lawnmower which chops them up.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Here at Wisley, we use a vacuum
0:19:25 > 0:19:28just because of the volume we've got to collect.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The production of leaf mould is a natural process.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45In the woodland, we leave the leaves on the bed.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47But in more formal parts of the garden,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50where the leaves would look untidy, and might spoil the lawns,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52we gather them up, we take them off-site,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and we process them behind the scenes when no-one sees.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Here at Wisley, our composting site is huge. We recycle all the material
0:20:06 > 0:20:11from the garden, and it comes back in. We keep our leaf mould separate.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16To break it down, it's more fungi that break down the leaves.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Whereas with garden compost,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21it's more the bacterial action which causes it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23We put it through a shredding machine,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and then put it into long rows which are turned two or three times.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29During dry periods, it may get watered.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31At Wisley, it takes us
0:20:31 > 0:20:34about six months to produce good-quality leaf mould.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38In your garden at home, it'll take between one and two years.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45This stuff is absolutely wonderful.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50It smells great, but it's really light and friable.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53When you compare it with garden compost, which is heavier,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56high in nitrogen, this we use as a mulch in some
0:20:56 > 0:20:59parts of the garden and we add it to the vegetable garden.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02However, with this wonderful material,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05we use it as a mulch around some of our choice trees and shrubs.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08If we're creating planting pockets
0:21:08 > 0:21:10for our wonderful woodland perennials,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13we incorporate this into the soil because it activates
0:21:13 > 0:21:17all the bacteria and fungi necessary for healthy plant growth.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22And, then, when it's really rotted down, we add it to potting compost.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Oh, let's look after this wonderful material.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38When you're out in your garden
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and enjoying the wonderful autumn colour, remember,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43gather up the leaves, produce your own leaf mould,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and your garden and its plants will love you for it.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I do agree with Colin. This is just wonderful stuff.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03And you can't buy it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06You have to make it from your leaves, so treasure every leaf.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10One tip is that I always leave any leaves on the ground
0:22:10 > 0:22:13when they're dry and the sun is shining, and they're looking great.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It seems vandalism to collect them up because, sooner or later,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18they will get wet. And, actually, they're much easier to collect up
0:22:18 > 0:22:21when they're a bit wet.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27It feels quite a long time ago that I dug this new asparagus bed.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Put lots of grit in, planted the asparagus.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33This was an investment for 20 years.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And, now, if you're growing asparagus, as they yellow off,
0:22:36 > 0:22:37it's time to cut them back.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45Future crops really repay the investment of some good compost.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50And the way to apply that compost is as a mulch.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Put it on as thickly as you can spare.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00And, if you don't grow asparagus, here are some other things
0:23:00 > 0:23:03you can be doing to get the garden ready for winter.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It's now time to go through the seeds
0:23:07 > 0:23:10that you collected throughout the summer.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Check that they're still in good condition and then you can start
0:23:14 > 0:23:18to sieve them, to separate the actual seeds from the pods or the chaff.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21They can be stored either in paper bags or envelopes,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24or glass jars with a sealed top.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Label them clearly, and put them somewhere cool and dark to store
0:23:29 > 0:23:31until they're ready to use.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35We've already had a few frosts, and we're bound to get more,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38so it's time to protect plants
0:23:38 > 0:23:40like agapanthus and eucomis.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45Evergreen agapanthus are much less hardy than the deciduous ones,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48which can be kept outside if it's not too cold.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Both agapanthus and eucomis,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56as well as being kept above freezing, should be kept dry all winter.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Ideally, we would all clean and oil our tools every time we use them.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But life is not like that.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10However, now we come to winter, it is worth spending time rubbing down
0:24:10 > 0:24:13metal tools with wire wool,
0:24:13 > 0:24:14particularly those used for cutting,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19oiling them and sharpening them, putting them away, ready for action.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Whereas the bottom greenhouse,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34as we call it, is almost entirely for propagation,
0:24:34 > 0:24:39this greenhouse is half conservatory, really, and it's not done badly.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40But we will fill all this,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44the whole thing will be full of plants stored over winter.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Of course, the greenhouse also houses the vine.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52We planted this a few years ago, and it's grown really well.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54We had a fantastic crop of grapes.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57We thinned them. There were lots of bunches.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59And then a blackbird got in one weekend
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and stripped all the ripe fruit.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05There were plenty of green ones left - they slowly ripened,
0:25:05 > 0:25:06and then the wasps came.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And we had literally thousands of wasps,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and it was almost impossible to get in here,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and they just took the whole lot.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16However, the plant is fine, we've got a decent structure,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and I will prune this round about Christmas, New Year time.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22The grapes are produced on new growth,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25so prune right back to the structure.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Whatever you leave behind will not bear fruit,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32so it just wants to be literally the bare framework.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39At times this summer,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43it's felt like the wasps reached plague proportions -
0:25:43 > 0:25:47but there's no evidence that there were more wasps than normal,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and actually, they do do quite a lot of good.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53They eat a lot of aphids and other pests,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and if we didn't have them, our gardens would certainly suffer.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01This area has been a new development all year,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04really quite big beds and it's slowly come on -
0:26:04 > 0:26:06it's been quite tricky, cos there's a big area to do,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09but I'm pleased with the way it's developed,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and it will go on developing with more planting next year.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14But in the orchard,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17a really big new venture have been the bees -
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and I want to see how they've been getting on.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30What I have here is a top-bar hive,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32which is really for natural beekeeping,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37so the idea is as much to encourage bees into the garden
0:26:37 > 0:26:40as it is to get honey - but I can get both.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43But at this time of year, what I really want to check
0:26:43 > 0:26:45is to see that the bees have a good supply of honey
0:26:45 > 0:26:47to see them through the winter,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and then next spring, if there's any left,
0:26:50 > 0:26:51I can take our share.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So, the first thing to do is to take the top off the hive...
0:26:57 > 0:26:59..and they won't like me fiddling around,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02so I'm going to keep really calm.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Now, if I lift this up carefully... Ooh, it's heavy.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12..and there we are. There's a natural comb, glistening with honey.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Isn't that fantastic?
0:27:14 > 0:27:19And that's what they will feed on for the winter.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Down you go.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Let's keep really calm - I'm sorry to disturb you, guys.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Natural beekeeping allows the honey to overwinter with the bees
0:27:29 > 0:27:31as their supply.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35What I'm looking for is a balance of lots of bees to pollinate my garden,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and perhaps a good supply, but not all the honey that they produce,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41which I'll take in spring.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Well, the bees were getting a little bit angry and flustered by that,
0:27:50 > 0:27:51but I'll leave them in peace now.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55What about you? Are you angry and flustered?
0:27:55 > 0:27:56Not really his style, I don't think.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00That's it for today, and I'm afraid that's it for this year.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03The end of another gardening season - of course there are jobs
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and things to do over winter,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08but there's a real sense of the days drawing in -
0:28:08 > 0:28:10yes, I know what you want.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12"Oh, dear! Not the end of Gardeners' World?!"
0:28:12 > 0:28:16No, I'll be back here with Nigel next spring,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19so have a lovely Christmas and New Year, and I'll see you then.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Bye-bye.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54They're here because they want this title. I'm really excited.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57The knives are sharpened and the heat is on. It can only mean one thing.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59I've never, ever seen that!
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Britain's best chefs are back in town.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05They're here because they want this title. I'm really excited.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Let's see what they can do.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11MasterChef: The Professionals starts cooking...