0:00:02 > 0:00:03CHIRPING
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Nige, come on. Nelly-belly.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World
0:00:11 > 0:00:13on a lovely May day.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15One of the interesting things about this year
0:00:15 > 0:00:19is that it has been so late and so cold
0:00:19 > 0:00:22that things have been delayed and concertinaed together,
0:00:22 > 0:00:27so most of the blossom here in the orchard has arrived all together.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30There is a real chance that all these trees
0:00:30 > 0:00:34will pollinate each other, and we should get a really good apple crop.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Now, I won't be doing anything with the apples today,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39but I will be working in the grass borders,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41moving grasses around now they are growing.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I will also be replacing the pots in the Jewel Garden.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'm going from phormiums to fuchsias.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52This week, Carol continues her series
0:00:52 > 0:00:55on selecting the right plant for the right place.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59She is off to the Yorkshire Dales to see plants
0:00:59 > 0:01:02that thrive in exposed and tricky situations.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It is a little encrusted saxifrage.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Did you ever see a better example of a right plant in the right place?
0:01:11 > 0:01:13And Zephaniah Lindo goes to South Wales
0:01:13 > 0:01:17to see the national collection of Primula auriculas.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Oh, wow.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21They are amazing, Pat.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Look at those. Look at the colours. They are stunning.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37At last...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39here at Longmeadow, anyway,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41we are getting some warmer weather coupled with wet,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43which means everything is growing.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48But grasses are always one of the last things to get going in spring.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's really important that you don't move them
0:01:51 > 0:01:53or divide them in any way
0:01:53 > 0:01:55until they are growing strongly.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58What I want to move are the pheasant grass.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Now pheasant grass, for years, has been known as Stipa Arundinacea,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07but it has had its name changed to Anemanthele lessoniana,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12but horticulturally, it behaves exactly like all the Stipas.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17So these here, this little growth, have seeded themselves last year.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19They are a lovely plant, I want them,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21but not here, so I'm going to move them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Now, they have got fairly shallow roots,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32so, if I just get the spade in and ease them out...
0:02:33 > 0:02:36There we go, I can hear the roots going.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40That is a very healthy young plant that I can transplant.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46There you go.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50That is another nice one. That's a cracker.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52That's a seedling from last year.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56While it's up here, I'll just weed it a little bit.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I'm going to place these before I plant any.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Let's take a decent-size chunk.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10These ones here are clearly on the way out
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and they won't be here next year.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I think I'm going to plant one close to them,
0:03:15 > 0:03:16essentially to replace them.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I might just pop that there for the moment.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26There is a gap in there.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29How about that?
0:03:31 > 0:03:37What I've got to be in mind is that these don't get much bigger.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I don't want them to be completely swamped.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43I just need to dig a shallow hole,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46but a little bit deeper than I need,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49because I want to put some grit in underneath it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57You can't really overdo the drainage
0:03:57 > 0:04:01when you're dealing with Stipas of any kind.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04They do like it, and also full sun, of course.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08There we go. Put some soil back in around it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Hopefully that will hardly know it has moved.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Oh, look, there's a frog. A little frog.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Can you see? I hadn't expected that.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25It's so exciting to feel the whole garden is being used
0:04:25 > 0:04:27by all kinds of creatures -
0:04:27 > 0:04:29that it's their garden as much as ours.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The Cottage Garden is awash with blue,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46it's a froth of blue,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48floating and shimmering above all else.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Of course, this comes from the forget-me-nots, the Myosotis.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54They seed themselves everywhere.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56At their peak, they dominate the garden
0:04:56 > 0:04:58without in any way overwhelming it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01They have this lovely light touch.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04They will die back and they will seed themselves everywhere,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06so be ruthless if you've got it.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I would say three quarters of all our forget-me-not plants
0:05:09 > 0:05:10go on to the compost heap,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13but what's left is enough to spread for next year.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You can get the seedlings and replant them.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Last week, Carol looked at plants that find places
0:05:19 > 0:05:21in awkward corners and will seed themselves.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23She said, you know, they'll be happy if they do that.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26This week, she's gone to North Yorkshire
0:05:26 > 0:05:29to Parcevall Hall where she looks at plants that have adapted
0:05:29 > 0:05:32to thrive in exposed and demanding conditions.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39For any plant to thrive and flourish in our gardens,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41it needs the right conditions -
0:05:41 > 0:05:45a happy plant is the right plant grown in the right place.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Here in the Yorkshire Dales,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55we are looking at plants and how they cope out in the wild.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58They can give us a clue as to the type of plants
0:05:58 > 0:06:00we can grow in our own gardens,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03with exposed areas where there is nothing
0:06:03 > 0:06:06between them and the elements.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The great majority of the plants around here are ground-hugging.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Of course, it's no accident,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16because if you're sticking up in this kind of wind,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18you get blown to bits.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20In the case of this dainty little saxifrage,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24it's got tiny fine leaves.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27The more slender the leaves are, the less it's going to transpire.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29The less moisture it's going to lose.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It needs to hang on to every drop
0:06:32 > 0:06:35because there's not a lot of it about.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Its flowers point upwards -
0:06:37 > 0:06:39that's to ensure that any pollinating insects
0:06:39 > 0:06:43that are getting whizzed by the wind see it,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46home in on it and pollinate it.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Welcome to Windy Corner. Just look at my hair.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01You can tell what it is like here
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and what these plants have to put up with.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07When they're a little taller, like this grass,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10then they allow the wind just to pass through them.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14But here is one little plant that does something quite different.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16This is a fern.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It is Asplenium trichomanes,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20the maidenhair spleenwort.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22It's got nothing in common
0:07:22 > 0:07:27with all of those big, gorgeous soft ferns you find in woodland.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31It's actually really stiff. These stems stand up for themselves.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35The pin eye, the tiny little leaflets all the way up it,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38are really minute, they are hard.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Almost sort of brittle.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It finds its home in these cracks and crevices,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48and it stands up there not just in the wind in the summer
0:07:48 > 0:07:50but right the way through the winter.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52You can grow this little fern at home.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Of course, it will put up with any amount of exposure.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02If these plants are happy growing here
0:08:02 > 0:08:05then we should be able to grow plants with similar characteristics
0:08:05 > 0:08:07in exposed areas in our gardens.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15Here at Parcevall Hall is this glorious courtyard garden.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Up there is Rhodiola rosea, roseroot.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It has got succulent leaves and each one of those leaves
0:08:22 > 0:08:27acts as a tiny reservoir for when droughty conditions persist.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's very easy to propagate.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31You can just snap a piece off,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35take the bottom leaves off and shove it in some gritty compost.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37It will take rooters - easy as pie.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41This is Iberis sempervirens,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45otherwise known to most of us gardeners as candytuft.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50It's a sprawling plant from the mountainsides of southern Europe.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54It makes these great big mats that cover the rocks.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58As it's doing so, it keeps the back of the plant cool,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00but it also allows these flowers to open.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02They are composite flowers -
0:09:02 > 0:09:05they are made up of lots of little flowers.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09It's got tough leathery leaves and it's evergreen too.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Just here on this corner - I nearly sat on it,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16which is just as well because it's a true cushion plant -
0:09:16 > 0:09:18is a little encrusted saxifrage.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Did you ever see a better example of a right plant in the right place?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28There are so many plants we can choose from
0:09:28 > 0:09:32when it comes to the exposed areas in our own gardens.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The rock rose, Helianthemum nummularium,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40is a native plant that occurs all over the British Isles.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It's been widely hybridised
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and is available in a kaleidoscope of colours.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49At the end of the season, it's a good idea to trim it back.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Mossy saxifrages are easy to grow.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56They thrive even in dappled shade.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59There are numerous cultivars with jewel-like flowers
0:09:59 > 0:10:01that adorn our gardens.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Up on the hillside, there were hawthorns
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and other trees shaped by the wind.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13I think it's such a lovely idea to have a shrub or two
0:10:13 > 0:10:15in amongst the low-growing plants.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19This is Salix Boydii. It's a willow.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It's as soft as can be.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Both the top and the underside of the leaves
0:10:24 > 0:10:26are coated in tiny hairs,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28which means that the cuticle of the leaf
0:10:28 > 0:10:31is protected from hot sun.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's also got this glorious habit -
0:10:33 > 0:10:38its branches move around and allow the wind to pass through it.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It's easy to grow and it will last for years and years.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I think it's just gorgeous...
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and in common with all these plants here.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51They are all the right plants for the right place.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59If you want to visit Parcevall Hall,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02it is open all summer.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03As I was walking down,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Nelly was walking off with one of the supports for these fuchsias.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Nell, can I have my stick back, please?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Nelly, come on. Bring it here. There's a good girl.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Thank you very much indeed. No, I need it.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18I put the fuchsias in to replace the phormiums
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and to give us a fresh summer display
0:11:20 > 0:11:23in the four large pots here in the centre of the Jewel Garden.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I'm going to try a new combination this year.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Although these fuchsias are not new plants,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I planted these three years ago.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32They've been here in the Jewel Garden,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33I've had them in the Cottage Garden,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35so I'm recycling them.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But before I can do that, I need to take out the phormiums.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Right.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46There we go. Come on, you. There we are.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51So that's the plant.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54What I'm going to do is put it in a bag...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57which acts as a pot.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03Now, never plant into old compost
0:12:03 > 0:12:06if you want the best of plants.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08The nutrients are used up.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11To give the best opportunity for the best display,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13you need fresh compost.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So I'm going to at least half empty that
0:12:15 > 0:12:17and put some new in.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But I am going to use it to keep this happy
0:12:20 > 0:12:24for the next few weeks until I find the right place for it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This can be put to one side
0:12:36 > 0:12:39until I am ready to give it a new home,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41that will be completely happy.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This can be planted out.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46This is fuchsia called voodoo.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50This has been growing in the greenhouse all winter.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54That's about the right sort of depth to put it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Of course, the first fuchsias had very small flowers.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It really wasn't until the 1920s and '30s,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04when American hybrids came in,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08you got these large flowering hybrids.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13Now, of course, there are hundreds of different fuchsias you can grow.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15OK, let's take this out.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26There we are. Lovely.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I'm going to put a strong support in here,
0:13:30 > 0:13:36because I've learnt the hard way that these need good support.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It's hit the drainage at the bottom,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41so if I put that in there like that...
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Temporarily, we shall just tie that in so it's reasonably upright.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Does that look upright to you?
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I'll do a proper tie later.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57I'm just going to loosen the soil off around the edge
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and add in some fresh compost
0:14:00 > 0:14:03which is based much more around leaf mould.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Fuchsias like a nice loose root run,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and yet which holds some moisture.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I have prepared some here.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16This is a mixture of 50% our normal potting compost
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and 50% sieved leaf mould.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24That should provide fuchsia heaven for the rest of the summer.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33What I'm trying this year as an experiment, I'm adding in a grass.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37This is Imperata cylindrica, Rubra. Blood grass.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40As it grows, you have these blood-red tips.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Of course, the idea is to pick up the colours of the fuchsia
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and around it form a kind of fringe of grass.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49They are happiest with really good drainage.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I am going to put four per-pot.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54I might well add something else in there later,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56but I'm not quite sure what.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00These will grow and get denser,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03but, for the moment, we'll leave that in place.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I love auriculas, but I have always grown them in pots -
0:15:11 > 0:15:14not particularly successfully. I admire those that do
0:15:14 > 0:15:19and have those extraordinary auricula theatres.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Zephaniah Lindo has been to Wales to meet someone
0:15:22 > 0:15:24who is passionate about auriculas
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and also considers different ways of growing them.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I'm a lecturer in horticulture, so my job is teaching others,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37but I'm always keen to learn new things too.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I've been growing plants now for a number of years.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46One of my absolute favourites is the Primula auricula.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48They add such a splash of colour in the garden.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51At this time of year, they are at their absolute peak.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56This would have to be anywhere but my garden, though.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I've had limited success with auriculas,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01so I've come for some advice from Pat Fisher.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03She's the holder of the plant heritage national
0:16:03 > 0:16:05collection of border auricula.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I really do need a little bit of assistance here
0:16:09 > 0:16:13to get my reputation back as a horticulturalist.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15These do sometimes have a bit of a reputation
0:16:15 > 0:16:18for being a bit tricky or a bit difficult to grow.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20What's your experience with these?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The ones that you see here are the garden or border auriculas.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25They're growing in a little raised bed.
0:16:25 > 0:16:32- They like free draining material, grit to allow that drainage.- OK.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33I don't need to look after them
0:16:33 > 0:16:35other than do a slug count now and again.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38They don't mind cold, they don't mind sun,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41as long as they are not sitting in it all day.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Where did you grow them?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- I was growing them in pots and containers.- Right.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49If you're growing them in pots, they need a little bit of extra care.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Germinating them is pretty straightforward.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56It's when they are potted on that things start to get particular.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01Every auricula grower has their own recipe, and Pat is no exception.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Although some ancient concoctions were rather more eccentric.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10There was a very famous recipe using bull's blood
0:17:10 > 0:17:15and baker's sugar scum, goose dung...
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Yellow soil they used to gather from the fields.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23Mix it all together. It was a weird concoction.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Apparently it did grow very good auriculas.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28And add a certain fragrance as well, I should imagine.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Yes, I'm sure, yes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I generally use an ordinary multipurpose compost.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I use ordinary compost.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42John Innes number two, equal amounts.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And some grit.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Equal amounts of all? - Yes. One, one, and one.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- And that's it? As simple as that? - I have a secret ingredient.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Ah! Here we go. There's always a secret...
0:17:57 > 0:17:59As you know, there's a big secret to growing auriculas.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Go on.- I can pop it in now if you turn away, please.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04OK. I'll turn away.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- So...- Have you done it? - I've done it, yes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12'With the secret ingredient in, everything is given a good mix.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:16This is probably why my ones didn't work.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18You didn't have a secret recipe, did you?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I didn't have the secret ingredient.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23What you have got to remember is they are Alpine plants,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so they will need to stay cool.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Of course, putting them in a pot will make the roots warm up
0:18:30 > 0:18:33quicker than they would in the soil.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38I have areas around the garden where they are out of the sun,
0:18:38 > 0:18:39they're north facing,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44and also they get plenty of air and plenty of light.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48This is the main pavilion where we keep all of the auriculas.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Oh, wow.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52They're amazing, Pat.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Look at those. Look at the colours. They're stunning.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59This is what I love about them. There are so many varieties.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Of course, the beauty of the bees crossing them is you never know
0:19:02 > 0:19:06what you're going to get, because they don't come through to seed.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08But if you want to breed your own,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11you crossbreed, you hand-pollinate your own
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and you develop your own plant, which is lovely.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20When the seed is sown and when they come into maturity
0:19:20 > 0:19:21and give you that first flower,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and you don't know what you're going to get...
0:19:24 > 0:19:26- This one is interesting. - This is one of mine.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28This is called Patti's girl.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30How did you come up for another name for that, then?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Well, we all give them a greenhouse name.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34We know what we would like to call it,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37but that has to go on a show bench.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39The judges will look across the bench,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and if that plant gets a first, second, or third,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45you then name it and that becomes its name
0:19:45 > 0:19:49in a classified directory of names of auriculas.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Somebody calls their plants all the names of stations,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- underground stations in London. - Right.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I have one here which is known as Trim The Velvet.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's bred by Cheryl down in Cornwall.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04She said it reminds her of pinking shears
0:20:04 > 0:20:06that cut round purple velvet cloth.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10You can see where it gets its name, definitely.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11They are so amazing.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15They are an absolute wonderful plant to play with.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21You know what? It's made me think that I should give it another go.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Really try and give it the attention that it so deserves,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27because if I can come out with results half as good as this,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29I will be extremely pleased.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Thank you.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33'In case you're wondering,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35'the secret of Pat's success is good old-fashioned
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'fish, blood and bone.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:48The coppice here is full of primroses in March
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and early April, but I have never thought of growing auriculas -
0:20:52 > 0:20:54which after all are a branch of the Primula family -
0:20:54 > 0:20:56in anything but a pot.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Maybe it's time to try them in a border too.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Last week, I started planting up the mound,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16ready to create a scented garden.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I'm going to put in, behind the lavender hedge that
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I planted last autumn, some irises.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Irises do have scent, or at least some of them do,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27but that is not really what they are doing.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31These are there because this is a perfect opportunity to
0:21:31 > 0:21:36grow them where they like to grow best. I love them. They are great.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But they need to conditions that are very hard for me to give them.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45Irises love full sun and really good drainage.
0:21:45 > 0:21:52Between the pears and the lavender is the perfect place for irises.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57As you can see, I've put down some grit to improve the drainage.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I'm just working that very lightly in,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02so that they won't sit in water.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06OK.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This is an iris called Bel Azur.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12As the name suggests, it's blue. A pale blue.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15In the pot, they are slightly buried.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18But if I take it out of the pot...
0:22:18 > 0:22:24like that, you can see, if I move the compost away a little bit,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27that there is the rhizome.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It looks like a ginger.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32For this to produce flowers next year, it must bake.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36That is absolutely critical when you're growing irises.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39This must have a summer of as much heat
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and direct sunlight as we can possibly give it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46And it follows from that, it must be above the soil.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47If I...
0:22:49 > 0:22:52..make a hole to plant it in...
0:22:53 > 0:22:56That's about the right height.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59If in doubt, make it higher rather than lower.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06You can see that I've got the rhizomes pointing at the sun.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10We don't want them hidden by the foliage of the iris itself.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Then we can pull the grit back round it...
0:23:14 > 0:23:16..and that's fine.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20If you can get that right with good drainage, irises are easy.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22They are really easy to grow and they will perform
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and produce these beautiful, spectacular plants.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Right, now to plant the roses.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33I've got three roses for this top scented area.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36They're all albas.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Albas all tend to have fabulous scent.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The old roses, they're tough.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46They have slightly bluey-grey foliage, but they are easy to grow.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50They grow in almost any soil in any condition.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53They do have fabulous fragrance, so it's a no-brainer, really.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56They have got to be part of the garden.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Whatever rose you're planting, I think there's one thing you need to
0:24:00 > 0:24:05bear in mind, and it's the exact opposite of planting the irises.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07You do want to give roses a bit of depth.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15Now this is the pot. You can see that's quite deep.
0:24:15 > 0:24:22That's on purpose, because roses are grown on a graft.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24In other words, the roots belong to one rose
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and the top section another.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Before I plant it,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33I want to add a little of mycorrhizal fungi,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37which is mixed up into charcoal. This is biochar.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40You can buy this with the fungi already in it.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I'm just going to sprinkle it on the bottom of the hole there.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50That goes in there.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's important to have the point
0:24:52 > 0:24:57where the graft meets the top section buried below the soil level.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It doesn't matter what rows you're planting.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Bury slightly deeper than it is in the pot
0:25:04 > 0:25:08so that the various stems appear as though they are growing
0:25:08 > 0:25:12from the ground rather than from a central graft.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Right, we've planted that like that, it's nice and deep.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20With all roses, give them a really generous soak when you plant them.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40So that is Rosa Alba semiplena -
0:25:40 > 0:25:44one of the very best roses for a wonderful fragrance.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Beautiful white flowers, and tough.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51They'll grow for almost everybody almost anywhere.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54But if you're not planning on growing roses this weekend,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57here are some other things you can be doing.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59The weather is warming up,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and aquatic plants are starting to grow vigorously,
0:26:03 > 0:26:04but so too is algae.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08It's important to regularly skim this off your pond.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Don't get rid of this completely, but put it on the side of the water
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and let tadpoles and frogs,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20beetles and newts crawl back into the water.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24After a couple of days, then you can add it to the compost heap.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27If you have sown cabbages or any other Brassicas from seed,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31plant them out as soon as there is a decent root ball
0:26:31 > 0:26:35with roots showing clearly on the outside of the potting compost.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Plant them deeper than they were in the pot and firm them
0:26:40 > 0:26:42in really well so there is a good anchor
0:26:42 > 0:26:45to hold a full-grown cabbage or cauliflower head.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Water them in and leave them to grow.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Broad beans need supporting now, not as individual plants,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59but by wrapping twine or strong string between canes
0:26:59 > 0:27:04or sticks spaced out along the row.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Keep this string taught,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and that will hold the growing beans upright and make them
0:27:09 > 0:27:13easier to pick as well as stopping them flopping all over the place.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21As the broad beans grow, you just add extra layers of string
0:27:21 > 0:27:25so that they are not individually supported but they don't flop,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and you can get at them to pick them.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30It has been cold and the vegetable garden has been late,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31but it's happening.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It's coming. My radishes are starting to grow.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I haven't picked any yet, so this is a first.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42I think that the real good thing about growing your own
0:27:42 > 0:27:45is that suddenly you feel food is something
0:27:45 > 0:27:48that is elemental and personal.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50There is that deep satisfaction.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54You have some radish and then you just pick some rocket,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57which I have growing around the potatoes here.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Nell, come here.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06Well, rocket, radish, hot and spicy, a little bit of olive oil,
0:28:06 > 0:28:12some lemon juice and that will be a lovely salad. That's it for today.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16We shan't be back here at Longmeadow next week, because it's Chelsea.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19But myself and the whole team will be there.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Join us at Chelsea,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24and then we'll be back here at Longmeadow the week after that.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Come on, Nelly. Come on, you come here. You can take this for me.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Good girl. Take the basket. Good girl. Off we go. Come on.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Come on, Nell.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Come on. There's a good girl.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Good girl. What a good dog.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Good girl. Come on.