0:00:07 > 0:00:09Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11And we're almost at midsummer,
0:00:11 > 0:00:17when the whole garden is celebrating its existence in 100 different ways.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20But roses always leap to the fore.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23There is something about this moment in the season,
0:00:23 > 0:00:28when roses just calmly sail through and steal the show.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30I'm particularly happy with the climbing roses
0:00:30 > 0:00:31we've got here in the dry garden,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34because they were all over the shop last year.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And I cut them back hard, and pruned and rearranged.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And you can see this one here, this is Mme Gregoire Staechelin.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Lovely buxom, bosomy pink rose.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Now, I've had this rose for about ten years.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And further along the wall, I've got a couple of roses
0:00:49 > 0:00:51that I only planted three, four years ago,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53which are really taking off.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58This time four years ago, this was a bare wall.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00And I planted two roses.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06This lovely white one, with a slight flush of pink to its rumpled petals,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08is Madame Alfred Carriere.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And then next to it, New Dawn, with almost evergreen leaves.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16And what you have is a wall now clad with delight.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And the point is that if you've got a low wall,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22if you've got a fence or a trellis,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24plant a rose up it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26They will love it and so will you.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31This weekend is the Gardeners' World Live Show in Birmingham.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Now, this is a great opportunity to find inspiration
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and some fantastic plants.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And Carol is exploring the sights and scents on offer.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Everybody has pulled out all the stops.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Whilst Joe is discovering some of the best of the show gardens.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Overall, I think this garden has got a lot going for it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08This shuttlecock fern,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Matteuccia struthiopteris,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15is really loving its position by the pond.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And I'm really loving it, too. It looks fantastic.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21But...there's too much of it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And it's shading out the other plants
0:02:24 > 0:02:26that would also be at home here
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and would also add to the mix and look good.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And you can see that we've got a few primulas coming through here.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35But I did plant about 30 or 40 a couple of years ago.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39And hardly any have survived, because they've been overshadowed.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42They literally haven't been able to get a look in.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45So I want to reduce the number of ferns,
0:02:45 > 0:02:50but not lose the effect of these fabulous shuttlecock fronds.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52But one of the good things about ferns
0:02:52 > 0:02:56is ferns are something that can be moved in the middle of summer.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58So I'm going to move some of them now.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Now, you can see what looks like one large fern there, is, in fact,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09made out of a number of smaller ones.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13So we've got one, two, three, four plants in this space.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Like most ferns, Matteuccia has shallow roots.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And in fact, it spreads by stolons,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22which are surface, fleshy roots
0:03:22 > 0:03:25that go along and then they'll throw up another plant.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29So what I do need to do is get out as big a root ball as I can.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32It won't be a deep one,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35but I want to make sure that it's reasonably wide.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Now, that's quite tricky because they're crowded.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41But the bigger the root ball,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44the happier it will be when I transplant it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55That's the sort of thing you're looking for.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Nice bit of soil attached to it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It's a young plant. So there's not too many demands on it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And that will transplant well.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Pop that down.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12One of the many things that I love about the shuttlecock ferns
0:04:12 > 0:04:14is that, as they get mature after two or three years,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17they develop quite a little trunk.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19They're almost like a tree fern.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23And that gives them a really exotic appearance,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25as if the fronds weren't exotic enough.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27But they've got real character.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38That's a nice root ball, too.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You can just see that the trunky bit is starting to grow.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45And that will become about six inches tall on a mature one.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Now, the important thing is to plant them before they dry out.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52So I will dig some, move them, dig some, move them
0:04:52 > 0:04:54until I've finished.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Rather than taking them all out in one go.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Now, I've got some empty ground here
0:05:03 > 0:05:06that I want to add the ferns to.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You can't go wrong in shade with ferns.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18They will tolerate some sun.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20But they love shade.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25What I am going to do is add a little bit of compost and leaf mould
0:05:25 > 0:05:27to give it a bit of a start in life
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and also to ensure that the moisture is retained.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Organic matter will help that.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Just because they're ferns and they grow in all kinds of places,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40don't think that they won't benefit from a little bit of good treatment.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45And then the important thing...
0:05:45 > 0:05:47is not to plant them too deep.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51No deeper than the soil line that's there.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56And if you are in any doubt,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59better to go a little bit too shallow than too deep.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01That's perfect.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Now, as far as cutting back fronds goes,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11obviously remove any that are damaged and any that are flopping
0:06:11 > 0:06:15after a few days, so all you want left are nice upright fronds,
0:06:15 > 0:06:16and then give them a good soak.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Obviously, it is important that you water them in really well.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29You've got a lot of green fronds to support.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You're putting a huge strain on the roots if you don't water them.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Shuttlecock ferns like damp conditions.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Unlike many ferns, they don't thrive in very dry shade.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Shade is fine but it must be reasonably damp.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Now, this weekend we have Gardener's World live at the NEC in Birmingham.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55Carol has been along to see the highlights of this year's show.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06How about this for a real show stopper?
0:07:06 > 0:07:10It celebrates Birmingham's industrial heritage.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16The whole thing is overflowing with cascading flowers
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and brilliant colours and exuberant vegetables,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and just over the way is a floral marquee
0:07:23 > 0:07:26with more than 100 superb stands.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40At this year's show, for the very first time,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42they've got a rose festival.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47It's timed to coincide with the moment at which roses
0:07:47 > 0:07:49reach their very pinnacle.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Everybody has a favourite rose
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and here's one that means a lot to me.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58This is Rosa "New Dawn" and I can remember it
0:07:58 > 0:08:02in our back yard outside Manchester,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06climbing up a blackened fence on the way to the coalshed.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10It's got perfect buds and gorgeous flowers
0:08:10 > 0:08:11when they open up,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15and it's got strong growth and really glossy foliage.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19If you're going to choose one climbing rose, why not that one?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29When Rosa "Ballerina" came on the scene,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31it caused an absolute sensation.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It really evokes the '50s and '60s to me,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and people went mad for these flowers.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39This was like a wild rose,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42like Rosa canina or dog-rose,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45but they could have it in their own gardens.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Just look at this gorgeous creature.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54This is For Your Eyes Only, it was only released last year.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59For years and years, people have been trying to put
0:08:59 > 0:09:02this lovely dark centre into a single rose.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06It's inherited from a rough, weedy rose from the Middle East,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11called Rosa persica, and what a success story it is.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's got these gorgeous apricot flowers
0:09:13 > 0:09:17and I just love the way the colour fades on this.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20There's something very romantic, very poetic about it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Now, at one time, everybody used to grow their roses
0:09:23 > 0:09:27in splendid isolation in specially designated rose beds,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30but roses are sociable creatures
0:09:30 > 0:09:35and this stand really demonstrates what good neighbours they make.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38How about it in association with this acer?
0:09:38 > 0:09:42This is palmatum, it's got these very fine, fine leaves.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Looks gorgeous in amongst the blooms of the rose
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and then on into this catinus, which is just the opposite.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Big, solid, bronzey leaves,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54but picking up the colour from that rose,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56absolutely lovely.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This year, there are nearly as many stands here
0:10:07 > 0:10:10as there are in the Great Pavilion at Chelsea.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Everybody's pulled out all the stops.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18This display is a flamboyant floral festival
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and almost all the colour on it is provided
0:10:21 > 0:10:24by different sorts of bulbs and tubers.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29There are ixias, irises, dahlias and alliums.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33You can almost feel the heat and hear the music.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43There are some plants here that simply stop you in your tracks.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46You're gazing across a crowded room,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48or in this case, a crowded garden.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53And suddenly something takes your eye, it's irresistible.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56You can't look away.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59In this case, it is this gorgeous dahlia.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04It's called Christopher Taylor and I've fallen for him in a big way.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14The great thing about this year
0:11:14 > 0:11:17is there is something for absolutely everybody,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20even if you haven't got a garden!
0:11:20 > 0:11:24How about this for an exotic reptilian jungle?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Couldn't you just dive in there?
0:11:26 > 0:11:30But this is not T Rex, this is Begonia rex.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36It is a really simple house plant to look after and so effective.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40It likes moderation in all things, out of direct sun
0:11:40 > 0:11:42and just a modicum of water.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Give it an occasional liquid feed
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and you, too, could have this lovely display.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00We shall be returning to the NEC in Gardeners' World Live,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03when Joe has a look at the show gardens.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16A year ago, these orchard beds were newly dug and planted.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Well, of course, the plants were tiny,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and there wasn't much to look at -
0:12:20 > 0:12:23but a good tip, if you're making a new border,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26is to fill it full of annuals an biannuals
0:12:26 > 0:12:28around the more permanent planting.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33This gives you a really good display in the first and second year,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37and these foxgloves are biennials, so they were planted last year -
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and that buys you time for your shrubs and herbaceous perennials
0:12:41 > 0:12:43to get established, to grow a little bit,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and then they can take over and perform on a more permanent basis.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49And if you choose the plants carefully,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53it can be subtle, it can be dramatic, it can be colourful,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55it can be anything you want it to be.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59And if you want biennials in your garden for next year,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01now is the time to sow them.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Come on!
0:13:15 > 0:13:17There's a tendency to assume
0:13:17 > 0:13:20that if you want to grow plants from seed,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24you need potting compost and seed trays or plugs,
0:13:24 > 0:13:29and, ideally, a greenhouse or porch of some kind to store them in.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31It's not the case.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32When I was a child,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36an awful lot of seeds were grown on outdoor seedbeds.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39You do need a patch of ground that has been thoroughly weeded,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and raked as fine as you can.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46So, what you need to do is just rake off all stones
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and big knobbly bits of soil...
0:13:49 > 0:13:57and actually, this has been dug and had some compost added to it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01You do want really nice soil to get the seedlings off.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And the great advantage of raising seedlings in soil
0:14:05 > 0:14:10as opposed to potting compost is your own soil life and bacteria
0:14:10 > 0:14:12will be very particular,
0:14:12 > 0:14:19so that every single plant will be beautifully adapted to YOUR garden.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Now, biennials like foxgloves or wallflowers, sweet williams,
0:14:25 > 0:14:31that germinate from late spring to midsummer, grow small plants,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34they then overwinter, and the following spring,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38they start to grow again and become larger plants with flowers.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42These flowers then set seed, the parent plant dies back,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and the whole cycle starts again.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46I've prepared the ground.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I just need to make a narrow drill -
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and, in fact, I'm going to make two.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54There and there.
0:14:54 > 0:15:00You want a sunny spot, if you can, because seedlings need sun.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05If your soil is very free-draining, or if it's very dry,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09it's a good idea to water the ground before you put in seeds.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12This soil at Longmeadow is never very dry.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15There's always enough moisture in it.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18This is wallflower Primrose Bedder.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Lovely pale yellow flowers -
0:15:20 > 0:15:25and, of course, with the intensity of scent of all wallflowers.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29And, as with all seeds, sow thinly.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Wallflowers tend to be used for mass effect,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36so you need to have a good quantity -
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and it's so much cheaper to grow those from seed.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Right, we'll cover that over.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47That'll give me plenty of Primrose Bedder -
0:15:47 > 0:15:50but I also want to sow some more foxgloves.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53In fact, what I've got here are white foxgloves,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and if you collect the seed of your own white foxgloves,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00they don't always come true, so it's a good idea to sow fresh seed,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that are guaranteed to be white every year.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Foxglove seeds are minute -
0:16:06 > 0:16:10but the important thing is, don't bury them too deep.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Remember, these fall to the ground, they practically lie on the surface,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and if they're covered over,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19it's only through worm action and falling leaves
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and one thing and another,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25so you don't need a great big furrow to bury them in.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Just a line, a fingertip line, in the soil.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34And if I put them in my hand...
0:16:34 > 0:16:37they are absolutely like dust.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40A tiny pinch will be enough for a whole row.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50OK.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Next, water.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03And the beauty of these grown in a seedbed
0:17:03 > 0:17:06is they need no pricking out, they don't need potting on...
0:17:06 > 0:17:09They might need a bit of thinning,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13but other than keeping watered and weed-free,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16you need no kit whatsoever.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Now, whatever kind of garden you have
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and whatever plants you grow, you can always get inspiration
0:17:23 > 0:17:25from visiting flower shows and looking at show gardens
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and Joe is at Gardeners' World Live,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31picking the best of this year's batch of show gardens.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Now, there are some great design ideas in the show gardens
0:17:40 > 0:17:42at Gardeners' World Live this year,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but I know everyone's not going to rush off and redesign their garden
0:17:45 > 0:17:49from scratch, so I'm looking for details and ideas
0:17:49 > 0:17:51that you can incorporate into an existing garden.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Now, at first glance, this garden, Eat And Shelter,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05looks like a classic contemporary outdoor room.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So we've got our standing barbecue, of course.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It's pretty cool, that. And a pizza oven.
0:18:10 > 0:18:11What more do you want?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14But we have also got some wonderful details
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and the garden, as a whole, is really well-designed,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21so we've got these rusty structures which give a sense of security
0:18:21 > 0:18:25and privacy, which is the intention in a city garden.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30At the back here, we've got this larch-planked boundary,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32nice and chunky and rustic
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and screwed onto a wooden frame at the back.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37But on the other boundaries,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40we've got something altogether very different, much more detailed.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Now, this is a plastic resin and actually it is very long-lasting.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46But what I like about it is it's very dark.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Don't be scared to put black boundaries in your fence.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It shows off the planting nicely.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53But also, they've made space for these...
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Well, these sort of bug hotels that are also pieces of art.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01They are a habitat for loads of insects and overwintering bugs
0:19:01 > 0:19:02and they look great.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09But of course, a garden is all about the plants
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and the plants haven't been forgotten here.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13And I like the palette of colours
0:19:13 > 0:19:17so we've got things like the yellow verbascum and the orange geum
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and the wonderful eremurus at the front there.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23And they all look good against the dark backdrops in this garden.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Overall, I think this garden has got a lot going for it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The Urban Nature garden was awarded a silver merit.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It has two distinct areas,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and my favourite bit is towards the back where wild flower turf
0:19:42 > 0:19:45containing about 30 different species has been used
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and it shows that you can do something
0:19:47 > 0:19:49really valuable for wildlife,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51even in the tiniest of spaces.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57When designing with plants,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00think about how you can bring a scheme together.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Here on the Urban Retreat garden,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05purple is nicely woven throughout from the copper beech highlights
0:20:05 > 0:20:09in the hedge to the cotinus and the cercis.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11The plummy throw to the foxgloves
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and herbaceous plants all play their part too.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17This garden was awarded a silver merit.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23This garden's got some space-saving ideas.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27So, we've got a fold-up barbecue, we've got a table
0:20:27 > 0:20:30that lifts up into the pergola and leaves a free space
0:20:30 > 0:20:31underneath so you can do something
0:20:31 > 0:20:34like yoga or whatever you fancy underneath there.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Now, it's called The Green Connection.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40It got a silver merit award so the judges really liked it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Here, we've got a very simple design technique.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47We've got a fencing panel placed in the middle of the garden
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and it creates a false back to the whole space
0:20:50 > 0:20:54and actually what it does is hide the storage unit, but also create
0:20:54 > 0:20:59an area for sort of wildlife and for more lush, shady planting too.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02So here we've got a log stack and underneath the fence,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04there is a little gap left there
0:21:04 > 0:21:09so that hedgehogs can get through to the neighbour's garden next door
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and there's also a gate in the fence so I can get there too.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Very sociable around here!
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Now, I've saved best in show for last and this one,
0:21:19 > 0:21:24a gold medal and it's called Health For Life Community Garden.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27It's about people coming together and growing, well,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29lots of edibles together.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Now, what you can take home from this garden is lots.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34It's all about growing in raised beds
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and I'm always asked about raised beds. How high should they be?
0:21:37 > 0:21:39How wide should they be? What should they be made of?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Well, here, they are made of every single material,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45pretty much anything you can get your hands on.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Behind me, we've got this sort of rusty steel,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50old bit of steel with a timber frame on the top.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Beans and peas and sweetcorn growing in it
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and they're really manageable and easy to get into.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Accessibility is key with raised beds. I like this one.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01This is made of corrugated iron.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03If you're going to use a metal like this,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06make sure you line it with sheets of polystyrene. Really cheap.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Otherwise, the roots of the plants can bake a little bit.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Now, there is one over there
0:22:11 > 0:22:13which is pretty much the simplest of them all.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It's only about six inches high.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Raised beds don't need to be that deep.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Second-hand scaffold boards, bit of compost,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and your raised bed is ready to go.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I really like this garden and the eclectic mix of materials
0:22:28 > 0:22:33all thrown together, but it shows that you can garden anywhere.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43The show continues till Sunday night so if you want details about tickets
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and any other aspects of Gardeners' World Live, go to our website
0:22:46 > 0:22:49and you can find all the facts you need there
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and I shall be there on Sunday, as will Joe, so come and join us.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03My grapevine seems to be doing well.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07This was planted three years ago, outside the greenhouse,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and it comes through a hole in the brickwork there.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It comes up here,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18and then I've trained it to just have two leaders -
0:23:18 > 0:23:21one going this side of the glass, and one coming round over the door,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and going along that side.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27And from these two stems grow cordons,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31growing up about a foot to 18 inches apart.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36This particular grape is a variety called Black Hamburg,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40delicious, sweet, juicy, dessert grape.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44So you want every single piece of fruit to be a treat.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And that means going for quality.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51And you have to sacrifice some quantity for that, particularly with
0:23:51 > 0:23:55a young vine, and by young, I mean in the first half-dozen years or so.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Now, the first step is to take each cordon
0:24:01 > 0:24:05and limit the number of bunches from them.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10So, if I take this cordon here, I've got ten bunches coming from it,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and I think the absolute maximum I should be looking for is
0:24:14 > 0:24:16half a dozen per cordon.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I've got two on there and I only need one,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22so I'm going to take that off.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Seems harsh, but you have to do this.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34If you've got doubts about which ones to take off and how many,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and exactly where, you can phase it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39You can probably spread this over a week or two,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42thinning out the bunches as they grow, seeing which ones
0:24:42 > 0:24:46seem more viable. I could take those off, just looking at it, like that.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And I think I could take this one off.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Now, once you've thinned out the bunches, then,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02to really get good grapes, you need to thin out each individual bunch.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08And that is slow, laborious and pernickety.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12And not really my kind of thing, but it does help, it really does.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And you do need a pair of pointy scissors.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16These are hair-cutting scissors,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19used to cut my hair on the rare occasions when it happens.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21But they work well.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So, if you take a bunch like this, and also take your glasses
0:25:24 > 0:25:27so you can see what you're doing,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30what I need to do is thin the bunch.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And there's no way around it but just to do it individually,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and ideally every grape will be in an open space.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47Get inside the bunch, so you cut off the ones nearest the stem.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The more room each grape has,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53the bigger it will grow
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and the juicier it will be.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Now, nobody is going to sit and do this all day long,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03starting at one end and finish,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06unless they have the patience of a saint.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09But do this just for five minutes a day for, say, two weeks,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and you'd work your way through and that would really make a difference
0:26:13 > 0:26:17to the end product come August, September, October.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30Now, I know not everybody grows dessert grapes in a greenhouse
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and prunes them with a pair of hair-cutting scissors,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37but here are jobs that everybody CAN do this weekend.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Although it is too soon to cut hedges
0:26:44 > 0:26:48because there's a real risk of disturbing nesting birds,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52it's a good idea to crisp up the vertical faces of gaps
0:26:52 > 0:26:54in your hedges.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59This adds a sharpness and a freshness to the whole garden.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09It's important to remove side shoots from cordon tomatoes.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13These grow between the leaves and the main stem,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and they're extra vigorous, reduce ventilation
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and take energy away from the rest of the plant.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24You can either pinch them out with your fingers, if they're very small,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27or cut them with a sharp knife if they've grown a bit larger.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32However careful you are, especially if you go away,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35sometimes plants seem to dry out completely,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and when you water them, it just bounces off.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43It's time to put the whole thing in a bucket of water,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47weigh it down, and leave it until there are no more bubbles
0:27:47 > 0:27:49appearing on the surface.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54Take it out, drain it and then you can water it again as normal.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07At last, Nelly has deigned to join Nigel and I.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09We set out this morning into the garden,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12then she went and disappeared, and she's exhausted now.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16And the white garden is at its best at this time of year
0:28:16 > 0:28:18because it's fizzing and frothing
0:28:18 > 0:28:21with a kind of white electric energy.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25And, actually, it looks at its very best by moonlight,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28although on Monday, we've got less moonlight than any other time
0:28:28 > 0:28:31of the year cos it's the Summer Solstice, the longest day,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34which is a good place to end today's programme.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36We shan't be here next week,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39but I'll see you back here at Longmeadow in a fortnight's time.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Till then, bye-bye.