0:00:09 > 0:00:12Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16We've had a week of incessant heavy, heavy rain.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But it's been warm.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23And the wet and the warmth has made everything just rush away.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The beans have reached the top of the poles.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29The lettuces are bolting, the chard is ready.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31It's wonderful.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35I'm really pleased to see the arrival of the purple-podded peas,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38these lovely deep purple, almost chocolaty pods,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and very quickly the peas themselves will be swelling
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and we'll be harvesting and eating those.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Now, in today's programme, as well as my veg,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I'm going to be celebrating and troubleshooting my roses.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52I'm also planting clematis.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Not your standard climbing type, but a herbaceous clematis that will
0:00:57 > 0:01:01ramble along the ground and up through neighbouring plants.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Come on. come on.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Carol is back with her series on choosing the right plant
0:01:11 > 0:01:15for the right place. This week she's looking at plants that thrive
0:01:15 > 0:01:19in wet and damp conditions.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21This is water crowfoot,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25surely one of our most beautiful native water plants.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And we're off to Norfolk to see a wonderful collection
0:01:29 > 0:01:32of tall bearded irises.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We've got blues, we've got whites, we've got peaches. And if you want
0:01:35 > 0:01:38something orange at the front of your garden,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40have a blast and shock people.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54The clematis have been fabulous this year.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58They were last year, too, and it's because we've had wet winters
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and clematis love lots of water and lots of food.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04As long as they've got a nice loose root run
0:02:04 > 0:02:07you can hardly feed or water them too much.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Of course, what they bring at this time of year
0:02:10 > 0:02:12is an incredible intensity.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15These great big flowers of these Group 2 clematis.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And next to the orange of the Kniphofia there,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19perfect for the dual garden
0:02:19 > 0:02:23where we want as intense colour as we possibly can get.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28These Group 2 clematis start flowering around the end of May,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and carry on for another few weeks.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Group 1 clematis are the armandii, montana, alpina,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40which do their flowering in April and May. However, if it flowers
0:02:40 > 0:02:45in July you have a different type of clematis altogether.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55The late flowering group, like Clematis viticella or this one here,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57which is Julia Correvon,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01have smaller flowers and they appear at the end of June and the beginning
0:03:01 > 0:03:06of July and will go on flowering right into autumn.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11So we're now at that point where the large flowering group and the later
0:03:11 > 0:03:14small flowering ones briefly pass, like ships in the night.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19But there is yet another type of clematis which I'm going to plant.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I've got here a clematis to plant under the pear tree
0:03:31 > 0:03:33in the orchard beds,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37called Clematis jouiniana Praecox.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41One of its parents is old man's beard, our native clematis.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45And it's smothered with small white flowers
0:03:45 > 0:03:47touched with a little shade of blue.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Now, this doesn't climb to great heights,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53it's never going to work particularly successfully climbing
0:03:53 > 0:03:57up a tripod or cloaking a wall, but it scrambles.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It can scramble along the ground, it can go over a tree stump,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04it can hide a manhole cover.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It's really good for working its way in,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11under and amongst shrubs in a border.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Big leaves, and these will turn a good golden colour in autumn.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So a really good plant but an interesting one and an addition
0:04:18 > 0:04:21to the armoury of clematis you can grow in your garden.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26You do need to give it rich soil and dig a bigger hole than you might
0:04:26 > 0:04:29normally for other plants.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38And you can see we've got quite a deep pot.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Clematis roots grow good and deep so you need a deep hole.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45And in the bottom of the hole...
0:04:47 > 0:04:50..I'm going to add some compost.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I've added biochar to the compost, too.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56And this is really, as much as anything else,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59to retain moisture and create a nice open root run.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01We are going to put that in the bottom.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Take that out.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Typically yellow clematis roots, but a good root system.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14That will go in there like that and the soil back in.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20And, with all clematis, give them a really good soak.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24A bucket of water when you plant it and if it's at all dry,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and bearing in mind this is under a tree,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29it is going to get dry quite quickly.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32For the first year or so give it another bucket of water
0:05:32 > 0:05:35every few weeks. Don't let it dry out.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Now, although clematis do need plenty of water,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41they won't thrive in boggy conditions.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46However, there are plants that have adapted to grow only in bogs
0:05:46 > 0:05:50or in running water or even in a pond or a lake.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54And Carol has been to discover the very best of them.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01For any plan to thrive and flourish in our gardens
0:06:01 > 0:06:03it needs the right conditions.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07A happy plant is the right plant growing in the right place.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15There is one place in our garden that needs a unique type of plant,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and that place is water.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Whether it's a crashing waterfall, a bubbling stream
0:06:25 > 0:06:27or a tranquil millpond,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31water brings a magical dimension to any space.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35This is water crowfoot,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39surely one of our most beautiful native water plants.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41It has a very fine roots.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46They are just there as anchors to stop the whole thing drifting away.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52It gathers its food and oxygen through its stems and its leaves.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56If you look at these stems they're completely floppy.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It's got no structure at all
0:06:58 > 0:07:02because it derives all its support from the water
0:07:02 > 0:07:07and they can wave around in the water, however fast it's moving.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11And the only bits of the plant which is above the water are these
0:07:11 > 0:07:16beautiful white flowers, held on what are stiff stands,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19unlike the rest of the plant.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21They've got to hold those flowers up
0:07:21 > 0:07:26so any pollinating insect that's passing by can stop, do its work,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30the plant can set seed, and the water carries that seed
0:07:30 > 0:07:34right down the stream, making bigger and bigger colonies.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43In the midst of this wondrous meadow
0:07:43 > 0:07:47is a particularly damp piece of ground
0:07:47 > 0:07:52and in it is one of our most iconic native wetland plants.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55It's Iris pseudacorus.
0:07:55 > 0:08:01When I get in here I can actually hear the ground squelching.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- GROUND SQUELCHES - There it goes.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05And that's exactly what this plant loves.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10The iris has stiff stems that hold its flowers well above
0:08:10 > 0:08:14the surrounding foliage and well above the water to make sure
0:08:14 > 0:08:16that they can be pollinated.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19If you were to plant a germanica iris,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23one of those big, blousy bearded ones in here, it would die.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Its tubers, its rhizomes would actually absorb water
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and the whole thing would rot.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34On the other hand, with this iris it has rhizomes too,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38but they are impervious to water and from them extend big, thick,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42white feeding roots which sink themselves into the mud and bring up
0:08:42 > 0:08:44nutrients and water.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50All these plants which grow here in the wild
0:08:50 > 0:08:53have similar characteristics to water-loving plants
0:08:53 > 0:08:56we can grow in our own gardens.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Here at Westernbury Mill Water Gardens they've created bog gardens,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05meandering streams and a glorious pond.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14This beautiful area is divided into small, shallow ponds,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18but around the edges are marginals
0:09:18 > 0:09:22of every description living in shallow mud, really.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27One of the most spectacular are these Asiatic primulas.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29We often call them candelabra primulas
0:09:29 > 0:09:32because of the way in which they grow,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35with whirls of flowers right up the stem.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Often plants that live by water have large leaves,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45like this great glorious Rodgersia.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Because the soil is constantly moist
0:09:47 > 0:09:51that means they can maintain those leaves, they never wilt.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55But, at the same time, it can also mean that that soil is waterlogged,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59it becomes anaerobic - there is no oxygen in there.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02But the plant has a really clever way of dealing with this.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06In its internal structures are big air spaces
0:10:06 > 0:10:10where it can store oxygen and air for when it's really needed.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So what happens if you haven't got a damp patch in your garden
0:10:15 > 0:10:19but you absolutely must grow these beautiful plants?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Well, the solution is simple.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Just excavate an area, line it with compost bags,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28puncture them with your garden fork, return the soil,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33water well and go ahead and plant all these delightful bog plants.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41The leaves of some plants float on the water.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The classic example is the water lily.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Its leaves have air chambers, providing buoyancy.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51They are big, taking advantage of full sun.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56Buds are formed underwater but push up to the surface where the petals
0:10:56 > 0:11:01open into the beautiful flowers we all recognise.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10All these plants, with handsome, bold foliage
0:11:10 > 0:11:13have enormous ornamental value in the garden,
0:11:13 > 0:11:18and none more so than this giant Gunnera manicata.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22And it, like all these wonderful water plants we've seen today,
0:11:22 > 0:11:27are brilliant examples of the right plant in the right place.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41There's no doubt about it that a plant in the right place
0:11:41 > 0:11:44will be happy, and plants here in the Cottage Garden
0:11:44 > 0:11:46are zinging with happiness.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Now, at this time of year it's important that pollinators
0:11:50 > 0:11:53can go around and pollinate our plants and look after themselves.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And to that end the RHS and the University of Bristol are doing
0:11:56 > 0:11:59a survey and they'd like you to take part.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03We want to know what plants you use to attract pollinators.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07And if we can tap in to all the experience and knowledge
0:12:07 > 0:12:09of the millions of gardens across the country,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14the plan is to come up with a list of the best pollinating plants
0:12:14 > 0:12:17that we can use in our gardens and that will be published later on
0:12:17 > 0:12:19in the year. But go to our website,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and if you want to take part all the details are there.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The roses in the Cottage Garden are really taking hold.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37This is a new thing. This was a vegetable garden only four years ago
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and some of the first shrubs to be planted were these two beds.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42And there were six roses
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and they are French roses from a certain periods.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Now, this one is called Chapeau de Napoleon.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51You get these mossy growths growing up the top that look a bit like
0:12:51 > 0:12:56a Napoleonic hat. Sometimes you can see this referred to as cristata,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58ie, crested rose,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and it's got beautiful pink flowers.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Now, in the rain that we had,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07a lot of these are rotting and you can see that the outer petals rot
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and the thing never really properly develops.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12And sometimes it can look pretty bad.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15But if you keep deadheading, you still get a really good display,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17it doesn't affect the flowers that haven't yet opened.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20However, there are certain varieties that suffer more than others.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And here's one called Souvenir de la Malmaison.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Absolutely lovely flower, given the right conditions.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It doesn't like it too wet.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33You can see we've got these rotten flower heads that are
0:13:33 > 0:13:36a direct result of the rain,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41and Souvenir de la Malmaison is very susceptible to fungal attack.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And you can see there is already some black spot showing on this.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Black spot tends to occur after flowering,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and get much worse and can totally defoliated the plant.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54It doesn't tend to affect the flowers, but it'll weaken the plant
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and therefore you will get fewer flowers next year. The best way
0:13:57 > 0:14:01to treat it is to gather up all the foliage and burn them.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Don't leave them on the ground cos then the spores fall on the ground
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and they'll reinfect the plants next year.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09But, next to it, Empress Josephine,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12completely happy, completely healthy,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14growing in exactly the same soil.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18By the way, the best thing you can do for any rose for its health
0:14:18 > 0:14:20is to feed it, give it rich soil,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22a really good thick mulch every spring.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26And if it's ailing you could give it a liquid feed of the seaweed
0:14:26 > 0:14:30or comfrey would do the job perfectly well. Further along...
0:14:32 > 0:14:34..this is called Agatha.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39Agatha is an old rose and it's got beautiful pink flowers.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40All these roses flower once.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44They're not going to give you endless colour throughout the year.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46This is like Christmas and your birthday.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50It comes but once a year but does last for weeks.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53However, you'll notice what I've got here is a problem that I bet
0:14:53 > 0:14:56lots of you have had to face this year, which is balling.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And this occurs when you get a mass of petals,
0:14:59 > 0:15:04particularly in these old roses, and the outside gets wet and rots
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and it forms a kind of shell,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08particularly if there's bright sunshine.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11That crisps it up and you can't open it.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13You can sometimes tease it open.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Just break the outer shell a bit, like that.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Tease it back. Sometimes that's enough to let it open.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23There we go. See, it's opening in front of us now. Quite often
0:15:23 > 0:15:25when you do this and the whole thing comes apart in your hands,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29but we'll just give it a go. It's worth certainly, every few days,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32to deadhead as much as possible so, when you deadhead,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37go from the flower right back to the next point.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Don't just cut the head off,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44but go right back either to a leaf or the next flower side shoot.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55There is a Damask grows here and this is called Kazanlik.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And what I love about it is it makes brilliant potpourri.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So these ancient plants have been throughout history,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and here they are, in our gardens.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08We are continuing that lineage and that history through colour
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and scent and delight.
0:16:10 > 0:16:16And last but not least an alba called Cuisse de Nymphe.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Or the Victorians called it Maiden's Blush,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21which magically manages to both sanitise it
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and make it seems a bit rude. What's she blushing about? We don't know.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28But it is the most beautiful rose.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33Wonderful fragrance, beautiful, clear pink flower.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38This glaucous leaf and, like all albas, really healthy.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Now, it's possible, but remote,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44that you don't grow roses and you won't have to deadhead them,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48but here are some other things to do this weekend.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54It's very common at this time of year for broad beans to be attacked
0:16:54 > 0:16:58by black fly. But you can cure this and prevent it happening
0:16:58 > 0:17:01by cutting off the tops of each plant.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05This deprives the fly of succulent fresh growth
0:17:05 > 0:17:09without in any way harming your harvest of beans.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15Warm, wet weather makes brick and stone paths very slippery,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18particularly if they are in shade. A good way of dealing with this
0:17:18 > 0:17:23without using chemicals is to get some sharp sand and brush it
0:17:23 > 0:17:25thoroughly into the surface.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29This absorbs moisture and acts as a scourer,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32removing the algae which is making the path slippery.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I've planted a line of bearded iris
0:17:42 > 0:17:45called Bel Azur behind this lavender hedge
0:17:45 > 0:17:47about a month or so ago.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Bearded iris do need dividing every few years.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54These are too small. We'll wait a little while.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59But I have got the one that is absolutely perfect for division
0:17:59 > 0:18:01down here in a pot.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08This is an intermediate bearded iris.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Unknown. It came from a garden and the friend who has provided it
0:18:12 > 0:18:16for me inherited it. Lovely rich, purple flowers.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And you can see it if I lift this up, and this is part of a clump,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24you've got a clump of lots of foliage,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28one flower stem and quite a few rhizomes.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32And the rhizomes are these bits here
0:18:32 > 0:18:34that look like a Pink Fir Apple potato
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and the roots are hanging down.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And the idea is to break up
0:18:40 > 0:18:44so that you've got at least one of these
0:18:44 > 0:18:46growing points attached to a rhizome.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49If I put it out onto the table you can see...
0:18:49 > 0:18:53I've got in there. This wants to come away.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57So I'm actually just going to pull that gently away
0:18:57 > 0:19:01with as much root as I can. There we go.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07So I've got the rhizome there, root down below, and some foliage.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I plan to that at that level
0:19:10 > 0:19:14so the rhizome is sitting on top of the soil and the roots
0:19:14 > 0:19:19are down in the soil with really good drainage and maximum sunshine.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The hotter and the sunnier, the better it will flower.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And what you can do to help it get established is just cut it across
0:19:27 > 0:19:30like that and that will do two things.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34One, it will relieve the stress of the roots cos there is less foliage
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and, two, it will stop it acting like a sail, and until it gets
0:19:37 > 0:19:41new roots and gets established, its less likely to blow over.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Now, when fully grown this intermediate iris will reach
0:19:50 > 0:19:52two to three feet tall. And it will be magnificent.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57But they do get bigger. You can get tall group irises
0:19:57 > 0:20:02and Simon Dodsworth has a huge collection in Norfolk.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And we went to see him.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Tall bearded irises, as their names would suggest,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15are irises that really are tall.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19These are 35 inches to 45 inches high.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23It has a beard, as distinct from other irises,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25that don't have beards.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Iris, after which the flower is named,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34was the goddess of the rainbow and we've got a range of colours here.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37We've got blues, white, peaches.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And, if you like magenta, go for magenta.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42If you want something orange at the front of your garden,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44have a blast and shock people.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Irises have an amazing perfume, which you notice,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55particularly in the evenings, when it's nice and hot and warm.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00We've got lemons, we've got passion fruit, we've got loads of others,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04even some sort of really terrific chocolaty smell.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Between the middle of May and the middle of June,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09you have something sensational in your garden.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13This collection of irises is rare,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16it's very much the thoroughbreds of the iris world
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and they were all grown by my father over a sort of 40 to 45 year period.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26During that period, my father won 12 Dykes medals.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30And the Dykes medal is the Oscar of the iris hybridiser's world.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And, in the medal's 90-year history,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35nobody had previously won it more than four times.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40So this makes him unquestionably the most celebrated 20th-century
0:21:40 > 0:21:43hybridiser of British tall bearded irises.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53This is a picture of my old man in his iris garden.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Really nice, actually.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58He looks relaxed on a hot summer's day.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01There's a lovely picture of a greenhouse.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It looks rather beaten up and worse for wear.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07He spent loads of time there,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11particularly on foul, wet weather days.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15As children, we'd always known that the iris collection was important,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19but, quite clearly, we'd not realised how important it was.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26My father was very particular about people he named his irises after.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29He only named irises after the ladies in his life.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The chaps, he obviously didn't think we were good enough.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49This is Eileen Louise, named after my father's mother, my grandmother.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Somebody he was really fond of.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Really special iris.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57It's got everything that a perfect iris should have. Just look at it.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02It's got a crown flower and two flowers flowering on two branches
0:23:02 > 0:23:05that are evenly spaced down the stem.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09That allows the flowers to flower openly, away from the stem,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and to be seen as individuals.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15He wanted you to enjoy each flower.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19That was the whole ethos behind my father's hybridising programme.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24It's got terrific toughness, substance to the petals.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26It's a cracker.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Over his 45 years,
0:23:31 > 0:23:36he produced close on 40,000 to 50,000 seedlings.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39And yet he only registered 50 varieties.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43This means that, actually, he was a real stickler for perfection.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45The irises have got to be just right.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48They've got to have this form and they've got to have the structure.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57They are very easy to grow.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03They are hugely tolerant of extremes of heat and extremes of cold.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Relatively few pests, but, basically, they are hardy,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12they are tough and they are very difficult to kill.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16This time of the year, they seem to take up most of my time.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20I think my wife would probably kill me if I actually explained
0:24:20 > 0:24:23precisely how much time I spend on them.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I have my father looking over my shoulder most of the time.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32He's observing whether or not
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I'm looking after his irises appropriately,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38whether they are presented properly and whether or not they are getting
0:24:38 > 0:24:40the care and attention they deserve.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's an extraordinary thing.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52I feel very privileged to have been presented with the challenge
0:24:52 > 0:24:56of taking this legacy on.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We've got this extraordinary collection.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06My father was still hybridising actively into his 80s
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and producing fabulous things.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14At a time when many people are looking back in their lives,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16he was constantly looking forwards.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And he had something to look forward to.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22That's what's really good about gardeners.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26That's a lesson I will learn and I've learned from him.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And it's something I will cherish.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Well, the bearded iris season is coming to an end.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43And so is the elderflower season, so, if I don't hurry up,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47I won't have any flowers to make elderflower cordial, which I love.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49And it's really easy to make.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And, I guess, if you live in the South, you haven't got any left.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54And if you live north of, say, Manchester,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56you'll have weeks of this left.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And this is the wild elder - Sambucus nigra.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Now, I've got enough here to steep
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and soak and make some cordial.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26For as long as I can remember,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29we've made elderflower cordial.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34And what you start with is these elderflowers.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37You just shake them to get rid of any insects.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And you want 20 good flower heads.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And what we are essentially making is a syrup.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And we want to soak that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50But first we want to add some lemon.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54And you great zest of six unwaxed lemons.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58And it's important they are unwaxed, cos you are going to grate them in.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I don't quite know why I've chosen to use this tiny little grater,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03but there you go.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04I thought it was rather sweet.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08In fact, it would have been much easier to use a bigger one.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Elderflower cordial is one of the most refreshing drinks
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I think you can have on a hot day.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Then, when you've done that, slice the lemons up.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22And add them to the mixture.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And you also need to add 50g of citric acid.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And then, last but not least, sugar.
0:27:32 > 0:27:341.8 kilos of sugar.
0:27:38 > 0:27:45And then, finally, add 1.5 litres of boiling water.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55And then leave it for at least 24 hours.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59We cover it with a cloth, just to keep any insects out.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Put it somewhere cool and then you need to decant it.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It will keep for about three months in sealed bottles.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10But you can freeze it. And one tip that we do is to freeze it
0:28:10 > 0:28:15in ice cubes. And you take out one cube of elderflower cordial -
0:28:15 > 0:28:17remember, this is very intense -
0:28:17 > 0:28:22and you put one cube in a glass, top it up with water and, as it melts,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25it cools the water. And you have a delicious elderflower drink.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29But, however you use it, it's delicious.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32That's it for today. I will be back next week at Longmeadow.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35But, until then, bye-bye.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Come on.