Episode 1

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04Come on. Come on.

0:00:04 > 0:00:08Hello. Welcome back to a new series of Gardeners' World.

0:00:08 > 0:00:13Well, we've all shared a fairly long and wet winter

0:00:13 > 0:00:17but spring is here and everything is growing

0:00:17 > 0:00:22and flowering here at Longmeadow and getting better day by day.

0:00:22 > 0:00:26Nigel's here too. Come on, Nige. Come and say hello.

0:00:26 > 0:00:30And I've got another little helper who I'll introduce to you later on.

0:00:30 > 0:00:32Go on. There's a good boy.

0:00:34 > 0:00:37Last summer, we visited the Salutation Garden in Kent

0:00:37 > 0:00:41to see how they recovered from a disastrously wet winter.

0:00:43 > 0:00:47We lost about 15,000 plants and bulbs,

0:00:47 > 0:00:50years of hard work just disappeared.

0:00:50 > 0:00:53And Joe has been looking at garden trees

0:00:53 > 0:00:57and, in the first of three films, he discovers how to select

0:00:57 > 0:01:00the right one for your garden.

0:01:00 > 0:01:03In a way, they've got to work really, really hard

0:01:03 > 0:01:04to earn their space.

0:01:04 > 0:01:08If you can get flower, fruit, autumn colour, perhaps even bark,

0:01:08 > 0:01:11you'd be doing well, wouldn't you?

0:01:11 > 0:01:15And Carol has been to visit a garden halfway up a mountain in Wales,

0:01:15 > 0:01:18filled with spring flowers.

0:01:18 > 0:01:21I just think your garden is so magical.

0:01:21 > 0:01:23It's like an enchanted wood.

0:01:23 > 0:01:25We wanted to go for a painterly effect, especially

0:01:25 > 0:01:29in the spring or early spring when there isn't much colour around.

0:01:29 > 0:01:30It really brightens things up.

0:01:46 > 0:01:49The snowdrops in the Spring Garden are coming to an end.

0:01:49 > 0:01:52They were actually at their best about a week ago.

0:01:52 > 0:01:56Funnily enough, they weren't really unseasonable this year.

0:01:56 > 0:01:58A lot of stuff was early but the snowdrops

0:01:58 > 0:02:02flowered at the end of January and into February as normal.

0:02:02 > 0:02:05But whatever point they're at,

0:02:05 > 0:02:09now is the perfect moment to divide and spread them.

0:02:09 > 0:02:13Snowdrops spread by seed very well, but slowly.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16So the best way to do it is to lift them and divide them,

0:02:16 > 0:02:19either when they're flowering or just afterwards.

0:02:19 > 0:02:23For example, this clump here is perfect.

0:02:23 > 0:02:25So just dig up a clump.

0:02:25 > 0:02:26Be ruthless.

0:02:26 > 0:02:30I know it's hard because it takes a while to get them to establish

0:02:30 > 0:02:33and you feel you're destroying a precious display

0:02:33 > 0:02:36but a clump like that is perfect.

0:02:36 > 0:02:38It's got a good root system.

0:02:38 > 0:02:39Leave some soil on,

0:02:39 > 0:02:42not least because it stops it drying out,

0:02:42 > 0:02:44and get ready to move it.

0:02:44 > 0:02:46I'm going to take this clump, too.

0:02:46 > 0:02:50Actually, if I take this apart here,

0:02:50 > 0:02:53gently open it out...

0:02:54 > 0:03:00..put that in there, you can see that the individual plants

0:03:00 > 0:03:02are all in there,

0:03:02 > 0:03:06and you could plant out a little group like that.

0:03:06 > 0:03:09If you do this regularly, in about three or four years,

0:03:09 > 0:03:11you really start to bulk out

0:03:11 > 0:03:15and that's when you get the magnificent display

0:03:15 > 0:03:17of sheets of snowdrops.

0:03:17 > 0:03:21All the snowdrops in the Spring Garden came from a little clump

0:03:21 > 0:03:24not much bigger than that, 25 years ago,

0:03:24 > 0:03:28and they gradually spread. Partly by me dividing them, partly by seed.

0:03:28 > 0:03:32But I want to take these to establish a new colony

0:03:32 > 0:03:34in the writing garden.

0:03:36 > 0:03:38Come on.

0:03:50 > 0:03:54Here at Longmeadow, it has been incredibly wet,

0:03:54 > 0:03:55but it's also been warm

0:03:55 > 0:03:59and apparently we've all had the warmest winter since records

0:03:59 > 0:04:02began, which was 1659,

0:04:02 > 0:04:05so that's bound to affect our gardens.

0:04:05 > 0:04:08For example, this area was under water for weeks on end

0:04:08 > 0:04:10and the new rhubarb bed loved it.

0:04:10 > 0:04:13We've been picking rhubarb since the end of November.

0:04:13 > 0:04:17The wet weather has hindered the normal winter work.

0:04:17 > 0:04:19It hasn't stopped it altogether. These beds, eight of them,

0:04:19 > 0:04:22have been replanted with alliums rather than tulips

0:04:22 > 0:04:26and flowers are coming at all times, which are completely perplexing.

0:04:26 > 0:04:29For example, wallflowers normally flower April -

0:04:29 > 0:04:31starting to flower now at the end of February.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33And the beds that we have here,

0:04:33 > 0:04:37for ten years, have been filled with salad crops,

0:04:37 > 0:04:40and we've picked them in autumn and by Christmas normally,

0:04:40 > 0:04:42they'd done their thing, the weather has ravaged them.

0:04:42 > 0:04:45Not a bit of it this year. Chicory's still going strong,

0:04:45 > 0:04:48we've got lettuce without any protection

0:04:48 > 0:04:52and it has broken all the rules for normal winter weather.

0:04:54 > 0:04:56The biggest surprise this winter have been daffodils.

0:04:56 > 0:04:59Now, I know this has been common right across the country.

0:04:59 > 0:05:03For example, the daffodils here in the Long Walk are coming to an end.

0:05:03 > 0:05:06They were at their best at the end of January.

0:05:06 > 0:05:08I've known nothing like that in my life.

0:05:08 > 0:05:11I guess this is something we're just going to have to get used to,

0:05:11 > 0:05:13this kind of irregularity.

0:05:14 > 0:05:16The Dual Garden has had a quiet winter,

0:05:16 > 0:05:19but then it always does. It's been very easy.

0:05:19 > 0:05:22Things like the phormiums have needed no protection,

0:05:22 > 0:05:24and there have been a bit of irregular growth.

0:05:24 > 0:05:27For example, the clematis are just romping away.

0:05:27 > 0:05:30This one here, for example, is looking the same sort of growth

0:05:30 > 0:05:32that you would normally get in April.

0:05:32 > 0:05:35They still need pruning and I'll show you how to do that later.

0:05:35 > 0:05:40And this Euphorbia - this is Euphorbia wulfenii - has had these

0:05:40 > 0:05:44inflorescent signs for about a month now.

0:05:44 > 0:05:47Now how long they'll last, I don't know.

0:05:47 > 0:05:49They're lovely but they're slightly at the wrong time.

0:05:49 > 0:05:54The whole thing is all a little bit mixed up and out of kilter.

0:05:54 > 0:05:58However, Carol has been to see a garden in Carmarthenshire in Wales

0:05:58 > 0:06:03that always has to deal with quite tricky weather conditions,

0:06:03 > 0:06:08and this year, despite the winter we've had, it's looking fantastic.

0:06:15 > 0:06:16Winter.

0:06:16 > 0:06:19Moody, atmospheric.

0:06:22 > 0:06:23A colourless palette...

0:06:25 > 0:06:28..that can be wild.

0:06:28 > 0:06:31Beautiful but dark.

0:06:34 > 0:06:37And it's after these dreary days,

0:06:37 > 0:06:40you walk out one morning into the garden

0:06:40 > 0:06:45and realise that suddenly the whole place is alive with jewels,

0:06:45 > 0:06:49all this sparkling, scintillating colour.

0:06:54 > 0:06:59Julian and Fiona Wormald have created a beautiful garden

0:06:59 > 0:07:02full of early spring colour

0:07:02 > 0:07:04on an exposed hillside.

0:07:06 > 0:07:09I just think your garden is so magical.

0:07:09 > 0:07:11It's like an enchanted wood.

0:07:11 > 0:07:15- Oh, thank you.- And I just love the way you use your plants.

0:07:15 > 0:07:17We've tried to get in lots of flowers,

0:07:17 > 0:07:20particularly insect-friendly flowers,

0:07:20 > 0:07:23so we started off just trying a few crocus here.

0:07:23 > 0:07:27And I planted the Cream Beauty and they did very well,

0:07:27 > 0:07:31- so we thought we'd introduce some other colours.- Right.

0:07:31 > 0:07:35We wanted to go for a painterly effect, sort of impressionistic,

0:07:35 > 0:07:38especially in the spring or early spring when there isn't much colour

0:07:38 > 0:07:42around, certainly in the landscape, and it really brightens things up.

0:07:45 > 0:07:47We are 800 feet up.

0:07:47 > 0:07:51- It's pretty chilly. It's extreme. - And very high rainfall.- Yeah.

0:08:01 > 0:08:05I think that's one of the best displays of cyclamen I've ever seen.

0:08:05 > 0:08:07- Oh, thank you.- Those are all coum at the top, aren't they?- Yeah.

0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Which you think of growing in rocky places.- Yeah.

0:08:10 > 0:08:12- You know, in the sunshine.- Yeah.

0:08:12 > 0:08:15- But, of course, it is quite rocky underneath here. It's shale.- Is it?

0:08:15 > 0:08:17Yeah, and not very deep topsoil.

0:08:17 > 0:08:19- There's a little bit of leaf litter.- Right.

0:08:19 > 0:08:22We started off with them along the top of the bank but the seeds

0:08:22 > 0:08:24are spread by things like ants

0:08:24 > 0:08:27and then we move the little seedlings around as well.

0:08:27 > 0:08:30They're quite easy to find. They're just tiny, little, round leaves.

0:08:30 > 0:08:32We just put them anywhere we think they might look good.

0:08:32 > 0:08:34Certain parts of the garden we can't,

0:08:34 > 0:08:36but not to plant them too deeply.

0:08:36 > 0:08:38They've got to be put in near the surface.

0:08:38 > 0:08:40- That's quite important.- Yeah.

0:08:48 > 0:08:52For the greatest part, these plants are bulbs, corms, tubers.

0:08:52 > 0:08:57They have been growing invisibly under the surface of the soil

0:08:57 > 0:09:00for months and it's only when the temperatures rise

0:09:00 > 0:09:04that they begin to pop up their heads and make their show.

0:09:06 > 0:09:07Lots of blues, whites,

0:09:07 > 0:09:10purples, lavenders, yellows.

0:09:10 > 0:09:12All the colours that bees love.

0:09:12 > 0:09:16The great majority of these plants are short of stature.

0:09:16 > 0:09:20You need to be if you're not going to get blown this way and that.

0:09:20 > 0:09:22And most have tiny flowers.

0:09:22 > 0:09:25Big, blowsy petals would be a mistake.

0:09:25 > 0:09:27They'd just get thrashed to bits.

0:09:28 > 0:09:31The only exception to this is hellebores.

0:09:31 > 0:09:33They have big flowers,

0:09:33 > 0:09:37but those flowers are not composed of petals -

0:09:37 > 0:09:39they're sepals and they're tough

0:09:39 > 0:09:42and they can withstand these gale-force winds.

0:09:45 > 0:09:49Your hellebores look so pleased with themselves, don't they?

0:09:49 > 0:09:52- Oh, they do.- But there's no foliage.

0:09:52 > 0:09:53You've taken all the leaves off.

0:09:53 > 0:09:56We start taking the leaves off back in August

0:09:56 > 0:09:58when the first hederifolia,

0:09:58 > 0:10:01Cyclamen hederifolium flowers appear in other parts of the garden.

0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Yeah.- And gradually remove it until late September, early October,

0:10:05 > 0:10:06when we take all the foliage off.

0:10:06 > 0:10:09So is it solely to make sure that there's enough light

0:10:09 > 0:10:12- for the bulbs that are coming through?- Yeah, so it's tidy.

0:10:12 > 0:10:15I actually prefer to see the flowers without the leaves,

0:10:15 > 0:10:16you see them more clearly.

0:10:16 > 0:10:18Everything looks completely natural.

0:10:18 > 0:10:21That's what we've aimed for, we've always wanted a garden

0:10:21 > 0:10:23that sat well in the landscape and complemented the house.

0:10:34 > 0:10:38What must be so wonderful is waking up every morning,

0:10:38 > 0:10:41coming out here and spotting more and more

0:10:41 > 0:10:44of these beautiful little plants.

0:10:44 > 0:10:47Yeah - it's fantastic, and it changes every day,

0:10:47 > 0:10:49maybe even twice a day, this time of the year.

0:10:49 > 0:10:52Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

0:10:52 > 0:10:53It's a true inspiration.

0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Thank you very much for coming, it's been a real pleasure.- Yes.

0:11:07 > 0:11:10Although, of course, I agree that seeing the garden change

0:11:10 > 0:11:14day by day is one of the thrills of this time of year,

0:11:14 > 0:11:16there is still a bit of planning to be done.

0:11:16 > 0:11:19And what I am planning here in the writing garden

0:11:19 > 0:11:23is to have a swathe of snowdrops,

0:11:23 > 0:11:26running along either side of the path.

0:11:26 > 0:11:28Now, that will take a few years to come good,

0:11:28 > 0:11:31but if I start now, it will happen.

0:11:31 > 0:11:33That can even be broken down again, I think.

0:11:35 > 0:11:37So, small clumps, about that size,

0:11:37 > 0:11:43and then just plant them in the ground...so that...

0:11:45 > 0:11:49..they are replanted the same depth that they were dug up.

0:11:49 > 0:11:51The thing to remember with snowdrops

0:11:51 > 0:11:55is they're one of the few bulbs that like moisture,

0:11:55 > 0:11:57and after you've planted them,

0:11:57 > 0:11:59the one thing that you may have to do is water them.

0:11:59 > 0:12:01Don't let them dry out

0:12:01 > 0:12:04until the foliage has died right back.

0:12:04 > 0:12:07Now, if you don't have snowdrops to divide,

0:12:07 > 0:12:09of course, you can buy them.

0:12:09 > 0:12:10There is 100 in here.

0:12:10 > 0:12:12This costs about eight quid,

0:12:12 > 0:12:15so if you buy a couple of hundred for under £20,

0:12:15 > 0:12:20you can really set the garden up with a display of snowdrops

0:12:20 > 0:12:22that will multiply and give you stock

0:12:22 > 0:12:25from which you can then divide for future years.

0:12:26 > 0:12:28Now, nine years ago,

0:12:28 > 0:12:33I had the honour of opening a garden in Kent called the Salutation.

0:12:33 > 0:12:37It wasn't a new garden - it was designed by the great architect

0:12:37 > 0:12:41Sir Edwin Lutyens in the Edwardian era,

0:12:41 > 0:12:43but it had fallen into disarray and disrepair

0:12:43 > 0:12:46and had been restored and opened to the public.

0:12:46 > 0:12:50It was fantastic then, and it has got much better since.

0:12:50 > 0:12:54It's grown and prospered and thousands of people have visited it.

0:12:54 > 0:13:00But it has also had to face and cope with disaster.

0:13:09 > 0:13:12The garden is a very special place for me

0:13:12 > 0:13:15because of the Lutyens house at the heart of it,

0:13:15 > 0:13:18but also because the garden has very strong lines,

0:13:18 > 0:13:20being designed by an architect.

0:13:20 > 0:13:23But within that, it's become my plant playground.

0:13:34 > 0:13:39I became head gardener at the Salutation in 2005.

0:13:39 > 0:13:43When I arrived, the garden was virtually derelict.

0:13:43 > 0:13:46Most of the planting was missing from the garden by that point.

0:13:46 > 0:13:49It had been neglected for about 30 years

0:13:49 > 0:13:52and, for a town garden,

0:13:52 > 0:13:53it is a little over 3.5 acres,

0:13:53 > 0:13:56so it is quite a substantial size

0:13:56 > 0:13:59and really, you had to look through the mess and the chaos

0:13:59 > 0:14:01that was the garden.

0:14:01 > 0:14:06Edwin Lutyens, as an architect here at the Salutation,

0:14:06 > 0:14:10his work is evident because of his huge, oversized chimney stacks

0:14:10 > 0:14:14that he created, way out of scale with the rest of the building.

0:14:14 > 0:14:18The house is very symmetrical, very typical of his work,

0:14:18 > 0:14:21but also, it is the way that the house

0:14:21 > 0:14:25is nestled into the symmetrical design of the garden.

0:14:25 > 0:14:28We decided that, when we were going to restore the garden,

0:14:28 > 0:14:30we would, as much as possible,

0:14:30 > 0:14:34faithfully recreate Lutyens' original garden plan,

0:14:34 > 0:14:37but in terms of the planting within it,

0:14:37 > 0:14:39we felt that it wasn't appropriate

0:14:39 > 0:14:44to try and recreate the planting exactly as it was.

0:14:44 > 0:14:50Instead, the garden would be alive and not encapsulated in history.

0:14:54 > 0:14:57The restoration proper had finished

0:14:57 > 0:15:00and we were settling into gardening life.

0:15:01 > 0:15:04And in 2013, December 6th,

0:15:04 > 0:15:08there was a huge tidal surge that came down the English Channel

0:15:08 > 0:15:12and up the river next to us here, the River Stour,

0:15:12 > 0:15:14and flooded the gardens.

0:15:16 > 0:15:20At its deepest point, we were about five feet underwater.

0:15:21 > 0:15:24Because the garden is lower-lying than the river,

0:15:24 > 0:15:29it trapped about five million litres of mixed fresh and salt water

0:15:29 > 0:15:31in the garden that we had to set about,

0:15:31 > 0:15:34as quickly as we could, removing with pumps.

0:15:37 > 0:15:40The impact on the garden was devastating, really,

0:15:40 > 0:15:45and we lost about 15,000 plants and bulbs -

0:15:45 > 0:15:48years of hard work just disappeared.

0:15:50 > 0:15:53And there was a famous poem by a Frenchman, and he said

0:15:53 > 0:15:55that "in the depths of winter,

0:15:55 > 0:15:58"there lies in me an invincible summer."

0:15:58 > 0:16:02That really helped me through that...that flooding period.

0:16:08 > 0:16:13Since the flood, and our replanting, the area I am most proud of

0:16:13 > 0:16:18is the main mixed borders that run through the middle of the garden

0:16:18 > 0:16:21and frame the view up to the house.

0:16:21 > 0:16:26The flood has forced us to reinvent and redesign those borders

0:16:26 > 0:16:29and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

0:16:37 > 0:16:41So this is classic Lutyens - beautiful red brick path here,

0:16:41 > 0:16:46really deep, rich borders, full of a massive range of plants,

0:16:46 > 0:16:48typical of the period.

0:16:48 > 0:16:53We have a fantastic dahlia here, same colour as the canna behind it,

0:16:53 > 0:16:57but very different flower forms, working really well together.

0:17:01 > 0:17:03Dahlias are a plant that I am

0:17:03 > 0:17:07enormously fascinated and in love with.

0:17:07 > 0:17:12They are incorporated into every part of the planting arrangements

0:17:12 > 0:17:15through the borders in the gardens here.

0:17:18 > 0:17:23My biggest bit of advice for any gardener is perseverance

0:17:23 > 0:17:26because no matter how bad things seem,

0:17:26 > 0:17:31nature is an incredibly resilient and surprising creature.

0:17:44 > 0:17:49It's great to see the Salutation looking so good after my last visit,

0:17:49 > 0:17:50and I do know that,

0:17:50 > 0:17:53however disastrous a flood might seem,

0:17:53 > 0:17:55it's amazing the way that it recovers

0:17:55 > 0:17:59and within a few months, everything is blooming.

0:17:59 > 0:18:02Now, you may have noticed that there is an extra dog.

0:18:02 > 0:18:05Two Nigels - or, at least, a Nigel-and-a-half.

0:18:05 > 0:18:09This is Nellie, who is very keen on the biscuit I've got in my hand.

0:18:09 > 0:18:11There you go, Nell. There you are, Nigel.

0:18:11 > 0:18:13We will be seeing a little bit of her,

0:18:13 > 0:18:16but she is completely naughty, unlike Nigel,

0:18:16 > 0:18:19so, to a certain extent, you're a bit of a wild card,

0:18:19 > 0:18:20aren't you, Nell?

0:18:20 > 0:18:22Come on.

0:18:37 > 0:18:41This area is the copse - it used to just be grass

0:18:41 > 0:18:43and it is just beginning to come into life.

0:18:43 > 0:18:47The primroses are coming through to their best, so really,

0:18:47 > 0:18:50what I'm trying to do in the garden is mimic a little piece of woodland,

0:18:50 > 0:18:52which you can do on any scale.

0:18:52 > 0:18:55I bought a job-load of trees at a tree sale -

0:18:55 > 0:18:57by accident, really.

0:18:57 > 0:18:59I fell into it, spent much more money than I had planned,

0:18:59 > 0:19:02and ended up with a whole batch of trees to plant.

0:19:02 > 0:19:04Now, that was great, because it gave me a structure,

0:19:04 > 0:19:08but, of course, all these trees were small enough to carry in one hand,

0:19:08 > 0:19:12and fit in the boot of a car, and even things like this cherry -

0:19:12 > 0:19:15this is the wild cherry, or Gean, as it's known.

0:19:15 > 0:19:17It started out really small,

0:19:17 > 0:19:19and it is great to see them grow,

0:19:19 > 0:19:21to be in the garden long enough

0:19:21 > 0:19:23to see them develop into full-size trees,

0:19:23 > 0:19:26although I would say that the wild cherry is not perhaps

0:19:26 > 0:19:29the ideal tree if you have got a small garden,

0:19:29 > 0:19:33because they do have a habit of sucking up all the moisture

0:19:33 > 0:19:35and all the goodness from the ground.

0:19:35 > 0:19:37You can see there are hardly any primroses.

0:19:37 > 0:19:40So I'd look for a better tree for smaller gardens.

0:19:40 > 0:19:43But you will find them - there are lots and lots of trees,

0:19:43 > 0:19:45and even an oak tree...

0:19:45 > 0:19:48Be gentle, be gentle with her.

0:19:48 > 0:19:51..can work - this is an oak, Quercus robur,

0:19:51 > 0:19:52and it is a complete mistake

0:19:52 > 0:19:57to think that you can't plant an enormous oak or beech

0:19:57 > 0:20:00because you won't live to see it grow.

0:20:00 > 0:20:01Every stage of its growth,

0:20:01 > 0:20:04from a tiny little sapling

0:20:04 > 0:20:07to a monstrous 100 or 300-year-old tree,

0:20:07 > 0:20:09is fascinating.

0:20:09 > 0:20:11There is a tree out there for your garden,

0:20:11 > 0:20:13however big or small it might be,

0:20:13 > 0:20:18and Joe has been to a tree nursery to have a look at the selection.

0:20:18 > 0:20:23I believe that every garden should have at least one tree,

0:20:23 > 0:20:27but the range and variety of these marvellous plants is dazzling,

0:20:27 > 0:20:30so how do you know which one to pick?

0:20:32 > 0:20:36This tree nursery in Worcester is one of the largest in the country,

0:20:36 > 0:20:40and Nick Dunn is on hand to guide me through the choices.

0:20:40 > 0:20:43- Hello, Nick.- Good to see you. - Nice to meet you.

0:20:43 > 0:20:44What a fantastic nursery.

0:20:44 > 0:20:46You've got some amazing trees here.

0:20:46 > 0:20:49Say you know you want some trees in your garden,

0:20:49 > 0:20:52what are the first considerations to think about?

0:20:52 > 0:20:53Well, overall space -

0:20:53 > 0:20:56where can you allocate a tree to.

0:20:56 > 0:21:01Most trees that we grow for gardens specifically

0:21:01 > 0:21:04are small, they're not that vigorous, they can be pruned.

0:21:04 > 0:21:06There's a tree for every garden?

0:21:06 > 0:21:08There's a tree for every garden and every space.

0:21:08 > 0:21:11- Can I help? Can we get a little thing going here?- Lovely.

0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Thank you, Joe. - What about soil conditions?

0:21:14 > 0:21:17Most of our trees that we grow specifically for gardens

0:21:17 > 0:21:20can tolerate a very wide range of soil conditions...

0:21:20 > 0:21:25from somewhat acid to quite alkaline.

0:21:34 > 0:21:38Now, the average-size garden is about 14 metres by 14 metres,

0:21:38 > 0:21:41so not enormous, but you can get a few trees in there

0:21:41 > 0:21:44but, in a way, they've got to work really,

0:21:44 > 0:21:46really hard to earn their space.

0:21:46 > 0:21:48So what would you be looking for?

0:21:48 > 0:21:52If you can get two or three seasons' performance within that tree -

0:21:52 > 0:21:57flower, fruit, autumn colour on the leaf, perhaps even bark -

0:21:57 > 0:22:00you'd be doing well, wouldn't you?

0:22:00 > 0:22:03And there are some trees that'll function like that

0:22:03 > 0:22:06- and give you the choice.- So, what are these? Crab apple or something?

0:22:06 > 0:22:08If you look at these crab apples,

0:22:08 > 0:22:11the crab apple itself comes in various sizes,

0:22:11 > 0:22:13colours, persistency.

0:22:13 > 0:22:16Some will mature early, for making crab apple jelly,

0:22:16 > 0:22:19others will feed birds late into the winter.

0:22:19 > 0:22:20This is just one tree.

0:22:20 > 0:22:23And the flowers in spring are beautiful as well.

0:22:23 > 0:22:24Oh, fabulous.

0:22:26 > 0:22:29From flowers to foliage, trees have so much to offer

0:22:29 > 0:22:31and perhaps one of their best attributes

0:22:31 > 0:22:34is spectacular leaf colour

0:22:34 > 0:22:36that can change with the seasons.

0:22:36 > 0:22:38It's mid-September now

0:22:38 > 0:22:41and the autumn hues are starting to come through, aren't they?

0:22:41 > 0:22:44All those fabulous colours that we expect.

0:22:44 > 0:22:48- This is a nice one. What is that, a euonymus?- It is.

0:22:48 > 0:22:50It is Euonymus Red Cascade.

0:22:50 > 0:22:52It's got good fruit colour

0:22:52 > 0:22:55and a very interesting corky bark as well.

0:22:55 > 0:22:57So it's a multi-featured tree.

0:23:02 > 0:23:05What about silver birches? They're very popular, aren't they?

0:23:05 > 0:23:08They are. These are Jacquemontii utilis forms,

0:23:08 > 0:23:10turn white very quickly.

0:23:10 > 0:23:13And then, all winter, that bark in the garden,

0:23:13 > 0:23:16incredibly sculptural as a tree. Really beautiful,

0:23:16 > 0:23:19and a nice, delicate, light canopy over the top.

0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's a great feature tree, it's very dynamic.

0:23:22 > 0:23:24Winter needs cheering up,

0:23:24 > 0:23:28and it will always give you that fresh look outside the window.

0:23:31 > 0:23:34And if your garden is truly tiny,

0:23:34 > 0:23:36there's still a tree for you.

0:23:36 > 0:23:40We've got here a patio range of trees, of all sorts of ornamentals,

0:23:40 > 0:23:43and this is a great example of what you can do in pots.

0:23:43 > 0:23:47In 20 years' time, it may get up to about a metre,

0:23:47 > 0:23:51but it just shows you the variety of shapes and sizes

0:23:51 > 0:23:55and growth rates that we've got. Provided you look after them...

0:23:55 > 0:24:00OK. Because, in a container, every plant needs to be watered,

0:24:00 > 0:24:03- and fed as well, more than in the ground.- Exactly.

0:24:03 > 0:24:05People will often ask,

0:24:05 > 0:24:08"Do I pot them on? When do I put them into a bigger pot?"

0:24:08 > 0:24:11- Yeah.- And our suggestion would be every two years.

0:24:11 > 0:24:15If it's growing and extending growth, it's happy.

0:24:15 > 0:24:16If it's stopped growing,

0:24:16 > 0:24:19it still may flower and leaf up and so on

0:24:19 > 0:24:21but it won't be truly happy,

0:24:21 > 0:24:25so you've got to encourage a bit of extension growth every year.

0:24:28 > 0:24:31There's a huge variety of trees to choose from out there.

0:24:31 > 0:24:33Do a little research, make your choice,

0:24:33 > 0:24:35get excited about it

0:24:35 > 0:24:39and I'm sure your tree will reward you for many years to come.

0:24:45 > 0:24:50Well, next week, Joe is going to be looking at how to plant trees

0:24:50 > 0:24:54so that they thrive and grow as well as possible.

0:24:54 > 0:24:56Come on, you. Come on!

0:24:56 > 0:24:58HE WHISTLES

0:25:01 > 0:25:03At this time of year,

0:25:03 > 0:25:06this is one of the most dramatic plants in the garden.

0:25:06 > 0:25:09In fact, it's really not much more than a bramble,

0:25:09 > 0:25:13but it is one of the loveliest brambles that you can grow.

0:25:13 > 0:25:16It's called Rubus cockburnianus,

0:25:16 > 0:25:19and as well as this beautiful arching form

0:25:19 > 0:25:23with these plum colours shining through,

0:25:23 > 0:25:28it's covered with a kind of milky, dusty coating

0:25:28 > 0:25:32that makes it look ghostly as the light falls,

0:25:32 > 0:25:36and forms these beautiful arching shapes.

0:25:36 > 0:25:39Now, that's the good side of it, and it is lovely.

0:25:39 > 0:25:43The bad side of it is, it's incredibly prickly

0:25:43 > 0:25:45and very invasive,

0:25:45 > 0:25:47because wherever it touches the ground,

0:25:47 > 0:25:51it layers itself and throws up new shoots,

0:25:51 > 0:25:54and if you're not careful, it would easily take over.

0:25:54 > 0:25:57So, as the new leaves appear,

0:25:57 > 0:25:59which will be sort of end of March time,

0:25:59 > 0:26:02I'm going to cut this right back down to the ground

0:26:02 > 0:26:05and then you get new shoots and, in time, they'll get too big

0:26:05 > 0:26:09and they'll have to be cut back. Now, it's not time to cut that yet,

0:26:09 > 0:26:14but here are some jobs you CAN do this weekend.

0:26:16 > 0:26:21Autumn-fruiting raspberries should be cut down to the ground now,

0:26:21 > 0:26:23if you haven't done so already.

0:26:23 > 0:26:26They produce their fruit on new growth,

0:26:26 > 0:26:29which will start to appear in the next few weeks.

0:26:29 > 0:26:32They differ from summer-fruiting ones

0:26:32 > 0:26:35in that they don't start to make any fruit at all

0:26:35 > 0:26:38until the middle to end of summer,

0:26:38 > 0:26:43round about August, so if your raspberries produce fruit in June

0:26:43 > 0:26:46or early July, don't prune them now

0:26:46 > 0:26:50because they will be the summer variety.

0:26:51 > 0:26:54Although most clematis have put on

0:26:54 > 0:26:56a huge amount of growth already this year,

0:26:56 > 0:27:00if they are the late-flowering types like Clematis viticella

0:27:00 > 0:27:03and flower from July onwards,

0:27:03 > 0:27:05they should still be cut back hard.

0:27:05 > 0:27:08Reduce them to about a foot of growth

0:27:08 > 0:27:10or a couple of buds.

0:27:10 > 0:27:15This will stimulate fresh shoots that will carry this year's flowers.

0:27:19 > 0:27:23It's a good idea to sow chillies as soon as possible

0:27:23 > 0:27:26if you've got somewhere warm for them to germinate.

0:27:26 > 0:27:29Fill a seed tray with a peat-free compost,

0:27:29 > 0:27:32and sprinkle the seeds thinly onto it,

0:27:32 > 0:27:35cover them over and water them,

0:27:35 > 0:27:38and put them somewhere warm to germinate,

0:27:38 > 0:27:39at least 20 degrees.

0:27:39 > 0:27:41They may take a few weeks to appear

0:27:41 > 0:27:47but they do need a nice long time to establish good plants.

0:27:50 > 0:27:53Come on! Poor Nigel!

0:27:53 > 0:27:56Poor Nigel. He's a poor boy.

0:27:56 > 0:27:58Don't bully him. Come on, Nige.

0:28:00 > 0:28:03Right... The light's coming in. It's getting a little bit chilly,

0:28:03 > 0:28:06that's the end of this week's programme,

0:28:06 > 0:28:09but, don't forget, on Sunday, it's Mothering Sunday.

0:28:09 > 0:28:11I remember, when I was young,

0:28:11 > 0:28:13I used to go and pick primroses for my mother

0:28:13 > 0:28:17because I always associate primroses with this time of year.

0:28:17 > 0:28:18And the days are getting longer

0:28:18 > 0:28:20and the weather will get warmer.

0:28:20 > 0:28:23And I'll see you back here next week.

0:28:23 > 0:28:24Till then, bye-bye.

0:28:24 > 0:28:26Come on, Nellie, you naughty girl!

0:28:26 > 0:28:29Come on. Come now.

0:28:29 > 0:28:30Come now.

0:28:33 > 0:28:36Don't forget, I'll be back on Big Dreams Small Spaces

0:28:36 > 0:28:40this coming Thursday at 7pm on BBC Two.