0:00:05 > 0:00:08Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Now, the writing garden which, of course,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12is mainly white, as it is all year -
0:00:12 > 0:00:16although, in fact, there are the odd dastardly dash of pink
0:00:16 > 0:00:20of foxglove and poppy that have sneaked in -
0:00:20 > 0:00:23is dominated by big plants at this time of year.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27You've got the onopordums, these giant ghostly thistles,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31all silver prickles, just sort of triffid-like.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Spectacular plants.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37But the stars here in July are the rambling roses.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41This is one called Wedding Day, which is a great froth of white
0:00:41 > 0:00:43with touches of yellow at the centre,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and over the writing shed is one called Felicite Perpetue.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52It only flowers for about ten days in July and then it's gone.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56So it's a brief show, but it's glorious while it lasts.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57And also, we have a plant
0:00:57 > 0:01:00which I'm particularly getting a lot of pleasure from,
0:01:00 > 0:01:01which is a bit unusual.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We tend to think of hydrangeas as being slightly clumpy plants,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09blue or bright pink,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13but these white panicles, born on new growth,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16belong to Hydrangea paniculata,
0:01:16 > 0:01:22and the way that it's light and airy against the dark green background,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I think, is pitch perfect.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31This week, Rachel is visiting a superb production
0:01:31 > 0:01:34by Cameron Mackintosh which is his garden,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Stavordale, in Somerset.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42- What on earth is that?- Ah, that... - A horse.- ..is from Carousel.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44And I wanted to see it galloping through the trees.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46It's a fabulous beast.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52And most of us think of hostas as plants with large, lush leaves
0:01:52 > 0:01:55that are irresistible to slugs and snails.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57But this week, we visit a man
0:01:57 > 0:02:00who has the national collection of small and miniature hostas.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04They're just sweet, and when they start to flower, they look...
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Oh, they look like jewels.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09They look like little wonderful sweets that you want to take home.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And I shall be giving a masterclass on wildlife gardening
0:02:13 > 0:02:15as well as choosing plants for dry shade.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35Last year, I made this garden with a clear brief in mind.
0:02:35 > 0:02:36It had to be good
0:02:36 > 0:02:40for as wide and varied a range of wildlife as possible,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42but also be a garden.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43That's quite a tricky brief
0:02:43 > 0:02:46because, inevitably, you have to make compromises.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48But I think it can be done.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And that does mean knowing what you want
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and then apportioning areas to it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So, for example, here, I've got a patch of nettles.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Now, to most gardeners, these are weeds.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But to certain butterflies,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06they are the perfect place to lay their eggs, so really important.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You need a pond in a wildlife garden.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Now, this little pond is the ideal place
0:03:14 > 0:03:18for frogs and grass snakes and newts,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21so I would leave it exactly as it is.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I don't want to clear it out, I don't want to tidy it up,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28but I do want to share and celebrate the animals that are enjoying it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30However, this border was planted
0:03:30 > 0:03:33to attract bees and pollinating insects,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and it does look a mess and it does need clearing up.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42This is comfrey. Big plant, the bees love it.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46But the flowers are over now, it's flopping everywhere,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47doesn't look good,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50not much else is getting a benefit from it, so cut it back hard.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57And, of course, comfrey is ideal on the compost heap...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00..and the compost itself is great for wildlife,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02even though you can't see it,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04because it's nurturing bacteria and fungi.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14You can see straight away there's a bit of space.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Now, what has spread this year is the annual geranium,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Geranium dissectum,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25which looks nice in spring.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28This time of year, I think we can just pull it up.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Right.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I've created bare soil, which I don't want.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35I want to fill this up.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41When you're planting for bees in particular, but insects in general,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46the key is to keep a supply of pollen going
0:04:46 > 0:04:48for as long as possible.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And if you want to know more about creating an environment
0:04:51 > 0:04:54for pollinating insects in particular,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58there is a government initiative called Pollinator Awareness Week,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00and if you want to know more details, you can go to our website
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and you can follow the links to find out how you can do your bit
0:05:04 > 0:05:07to get pollinating insects into your garden.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10But, essentially, it's covering what I'm doing now,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12which is to create cover
0:05:12 > 0:05:17and also flowering plants that insects can have access to
0:05:17 > 0:05:19for as long a period as possible.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I'm going to add three new plants to this border.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25The first is an echinops.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28All insects, but particularly bees, just love echinops.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33These round, blue heads can be smothered in bees,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35just gorging themselves on it.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37This is Taplow Blue.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40So I'm going to pop this in the back here.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Let's position that like that.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I've got some cerinthe, which I've grown from seed.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49This is Cerinthe purpurascens.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And, again, fabulous for bees.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Not nearly as big as the echinops, but look at that colour.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02A good, strong colour, lovely glaucous leaves.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06So we can put a group in there which will work with the sedums.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Sedums are brilliant.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Late summer, autumnal flowering plants for bees.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14One of the very, very best.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18And, finally, I've got this gorgeous Achillea - Terracotta.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22It's a broad flower head, insects love it,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and the colour is superb.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29So, we'll pop that in like that. Get the sun.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And I've got a couple of others,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34but just let's get those in the ground.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44This kind of succession planting is easy to plan
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and it means bees in particular
0:06:47 > 0:06:51will have a steady supply of pollen.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56You will also have a steady supply of beautiful plants.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Now, a plant that I do want to add to this border,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02certainly next to the pond, are hostas.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06But the great big hostas I've got down by the other pond
0:07:06 > 0:07:08in the damp garden wouldn't be right at all.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10I need something smaller and more delicate.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And we went to see Jonathan Hogarth,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16who holds the national collection of small hostas
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and, in fact, showed at Chelsea for the first time this year
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and won a Silver Gilt.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Hostas come in all different sizes,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31but the particular type that really take my fancy
0:07:31 > 0:07:34are the small and the miniature ones.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37They're just sweet, and when they start to flower, they look...
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Oh, they look like jewels.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42They look like little wonderful sweets that you want to take home.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44There's always that one plant you can't resist
0:07:44 > 0:07:46when you're out shopping.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49You think, "Oh, that's nice, I think I like that," so you buy it,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51which is out of control, yeah, OK!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57When I got the collection,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59it was something that was suggested to me
0:07:59 > 0:08:03that we should split the plants up, so that should anything happen
0:08:03 > 0:08:06in one area where the plants were displayed,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10that the other area would still save that particular plant.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14By splitting the plants, that's when the problems started.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19I took a good-sized plant that was about six years old, and I split it,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and both plants died.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23They'd lost that spark to live.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Once you got to a point where you were splitting them,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28they were just too small.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I needed to find an answer, and quick, really quick.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40This is the kit. It's not that expensive.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44It takes a penny a day to run it, but the results are wonderful.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The plastic cover, when it comes off, reveals a tray.
0:08:48 > 0:08:54Underneath is the water pump. It's got six little sprayers on it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55What this does is,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59it creates a moist atmosphere underneath and dry at the top.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02This promotes the roots to start growing,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and that is how the whole system works.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08There's no secret. It's just tap water.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Right, well, the first step would be to cut the flowers off.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14What you're doing is, you're sending the information now
0:09:14 > 0:09:19to the plant that it's time to make roots,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21rather than the flowers.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Hold the plant with your fingers and tip it out this way.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36And I will then just simply gently tease out the root system.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Each one of these can, in fact, become a separate plant.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42The genetic information that you need
0:09:42 > 0:09:45for this plant to be this colour and this particular type
0:09:45 > 0:09:47is, in fact, stored in here,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50so it's important to grab quite a bit of it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Over probably the next two weeks,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58buds will actually start to burst out here, which are root buds,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and from there, that will then start to produce the plant.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Here's your cutting.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I'm now going to put that into there,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and I'm going to put it up to its little collar of the top
0:10:12 > 0:10:14so the top is now going to sit into the water
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and the damp atmosphere there.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18The top is going to stay dry.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21And you leave it there for two to three weeks.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So this one is now two weeks old.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The roots are starting to grow again.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The existing roots - there were three there originally -
0:10:35 > 0:10:38they were half that size when it went in before.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42The fact is that that is ready to pot on.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44What I'm going to do is, first of all, take the pot,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and I'm going to put a little bit of soil into it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And then I'm going to take the magic ingredient - the micro riser.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Now, the micro riser is a fungus.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The fungus grows in the wild,
0:10:56 > 0:11:01and it will then extend the plant's capability of absorbing nutrients.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I'm going to add some grit on the top
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and make it more difficult for vine weevil
0:11:09 > 0:11:12to lay its eggs into my nice new plant, and that is it.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14There is nothing else to it.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Well, that's 251, so that's 251 reasons
0:11:33 > 0:11:38to actually prove that you can take cuttings from small hostas,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and here they all are.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I've never tried taking cuttings from hostas.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I always propagate them by division.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04But I will now, because I love them.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Now, my hostas tend not to be eaten by slugs and snails,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and I put it down to the fact
0:12:11 > 0:12:16that if you have a healthy plant growing in good soil,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20it's much more resistant to any attack.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Whereas if you have a hosta growing in a pot or in poor soil
0:12:23 > 0:12:27or erratically watered, that's the one they're going to go for.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Come on.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Well...if the most common question I'm asked about
0:12:50 > 0:12:53is how to deal with slugs,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57close behind it comes how to deal with dry shade.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I've got an area here in the spring garden
0:13:00 > 0:13:05which exactly fits that description, and I've got three plants
0:13:05 > 0:13:09which actually make a lovely, delicate composition together
0:13:09 > 0:13:11which will thrive in dry shade.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16The first, with these white flowers, is called Gillenia trifoliata.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It comes from America, grows in woodland,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21not prone to any pests or diseases.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And these beautiful, floaty white flowers.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28There's a fern - Dryopteris filix-mas.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30A lot of ferns need moisture,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34but dryopteris will be quite happy in dry,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39and almost all ferns love dark, shady corners.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42And finally, this is Epimedium sulphureum.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45And this has little yellow flowers
0:13:45 > 0:13:49that are held above the foliage in spring.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51So I've got a couple of dryopteris,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56and I'm going to put these right back in there,
0:13:56 > 0:14:02and I think we can come back here where there's almost no light.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06But I want the gillenia to have a bit more of a prominent position.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10So if I put that like that, and I put a group of them...
0:14:33 > 0:14:37White works really well in dark shade.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And when you have delicate white like this, with this pale foliage,
0:14:41 > 0:14:47I think it's a perfect combination that shines out of the dark,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49but in a subtle, rather alluring way.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00OK, plants put in.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06Now, even if you have a plant that positively thrives in dry shade,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09when you put it in the ground, give it a good soak
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and don't let it dry out until you see it actively growing.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Well, I think those have had a good start
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and they will thrive in this situation
0:15:23 > 0:15:25where a lot of plants will struggle.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32Now, Cameron Mackintosh is one of the most successful
0:15:32 > 0:15:35theatrical producers in history,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39but you may not know that he and his partner, Michael,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44also have a superb garden, and Rachel went and paid him a visit.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Oh, my goodness.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05This is incredible.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06Absolutely incredible.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15That's Wedding Day rose just coming into bloom.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18This looks like it's been here forever.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19- Has it?- That was the idea.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I mean, I always dreamt that I wanted to have a folly
0:16:23 > 0:16:26because there are a lot in this area, and I also wanted,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30because of the Roman connection in this area, to have some mosaics.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So do these mosaics have meaning? Because I've spotted cats.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- Oh, you're very good! - Is that relevant?- It is.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39You have to tell me if you see any other shows.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41That looks like a candelabra. Yes.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43What show of mine has a candelabra in it?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- Phantom.- Very good.- Yes!
0:16:45 > 0:16:50MUSIC: The Phantom Of The Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- What on earth is that? - Ah!- What is that?
0:16:58 > 0:17:04- That is...- A horse?- ..Bob Crowley's brilliant horse from Carousel,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and when the show run ended, it was outside the Shaftesbury Theatre.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I couldn't bear to throw it away, so I said,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12"I know exactly where I want to put it."
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I remembered these trees and I wanted to see it
0:17:15 > 0:17:17galloping through the trees. It's a fabulous beast.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- Magnificent.- It's great.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Cameron, you're going to miss your train if you're not careful.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- And I can't take the horse? - No, you can't.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26No. Goodness me. Well, we're carrying on, aren't we?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Absolutely. - We've got loads more to see.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- All right, I'm going to go. Bye-bye. Lovely to see you.- Bye-bye.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33It's quite a statement, isn't it?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36We've got an even bigger statement over there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It's the elephant from the Les Mis movie.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42MUSIC: I Dreamed A Dream by Anne Hathaway
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Of course, you're so fortunate
0:17:48 > 0:17:51because you've got this incredible setting for the garden.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Tell me about the building itself.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Well, a medieval priory church that obviously stopped
0:17:55 > 0:17:59being a working priory due to the dissolution of the monasteries,
0:17:59 > 0:18:04then a farm for 500 years, and then an architect called TE Collcutt
0:18:04 > 0:18:07was commissioned to turn it into a gentleman's residence around 1900,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10whose other claim to fame was building the Palace Theatre
0:18:10 > 0:18:12in the West End, where Les Miserables ran for 15 years.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14So it was meant to be, you were meant to find this house.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I think we were. And also, the previous owner,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Georgia Langton and her husband, she's a garden designer,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24so she took a very ordinary garden and put all the structure in there,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28all the block shapes, the yew, all the topiary,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31the Portuguese laurels, and it's that structure that we have taken on
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and developed and filled in and enjoyed.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34And what structures.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38I mean, this is like a coco de mer, or perhaps a peach.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- No, we call it the bums. - You just go straight there.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- Yeah, I'm afraid so.- Well, you know, I couldn't possibly comment.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52MUSIC CONTINUES
0:18:55 > 0:18:57How hands-on are you?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Well, look at the scars, fingernails, the knees.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02It's not exactly an opening-night outfit, is it?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And I've got my secateurs here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- That's proof indeed. - Ready to go.- Proof indeed.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Look at this. This, to me, shows such a masterful use of colour.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13It's interesting, because I never draw any plans.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I just get the plants and I find what feels right.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19For example, this Scabiosa Blue Butterfly,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22that was in the nursery bed till last week
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and I just thought that colour worked really well
0:19:24 > 0:19:27with the variegated Miscanthus Morning Light.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32The general tone along here is much calmer and softer.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35For example this Geranium Blue Cloud, which I love,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39when it comes up, you see the cut leaf rather pale,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and that's when the stick supports go in, because it really...
0:19:43 > 0:19:45We're only in June now.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47You can imagine, by the end of the summer, it's up to here,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and then it is a blue cloud as opposed to a complete blue flop
0:19:50 > 0:19:52if you don't put the supports in.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06MUSIC: One Day More by The Cast of Les Miserables
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Oh, my goodness.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Lovely...moisture-loving planting.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I mean, this rather mad cacophony of colours, but it works.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Absolutely. We're really lucky, cos it's such a heavy clay soil here
0:20:24 > 0:20:26that the pond stays as it is, and then I just dig down,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29remove the clay, put in good soil, compost,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32moisture comes up and the plants absolutely love it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Look at all of them here, all the different Candelabra primulas,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38the persicarias, iris, the zantedeschia.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And that survives. Those can be quite tender,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44but because it's really deeply planted, it does survive.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55This is one of my favourite views of the garden, through the gate,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58down the rill to the bench at the end.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I love this, Michael, this sort of froth and effervescence
0:21:03 > 0:21:05of the grasses and the wild flowers there.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08But actually, this feels like quite a formal space otherwise.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11It does, because we have the crocuses coming through here,
0:21:11 > 0:21:12and once they've finished flowering,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14we let the grass all grow up and the roses bloom.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17This is Rosa Complicata, and it floats above it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- There's a support in there. - Yes.- It's quite clever.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27One of the wonderful things is the emotional impact I feel
0:21:27 > 0:21:30in this garden seems to be reflected in the visitors as well.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- Yes.- They feel something when they come through here.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36And I just think that's the most magical thing about this garden.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It's infectious.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48The geometry of these box hedges, this is absolutely immaculate.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This area does have a very special atmosphere.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It's funny you should say that, because 22 years ago,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58this is the first part of the garden I saw properly
0:21:58 > 0:21:59and I virtually burst into tears.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And the wonderful thing is that 22 years later,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I think, "Wow, I live here!"
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I can well believe it. And, look, thank you so much
0:22:08 > 0:22:11for showing me around. I feel like a very lucky girl.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13- Come back.- I will!
0:22:24 > 0:22:29Well, I was lucky enough to visit Stavordale in early autumn
0:22:29 > 0:22:34and it looked fantastic and it's lovely to see it again in midsummer.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36A really special garden.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Now, Stavordale has a fabulous structure,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41not least from the building and grounds.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43When we came here to Longmeadow, there was nothing,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46it was just a bare field, so all the structure has to be built up.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50One tends to think of structure as being horizontal, hedges,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but think vertically as well as horizontally
0:22:53 > 0:22:56when you're planning your garden for structure.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Here in the Cottage Garden, these Irish yews are really,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01really important, and they've become
0:23:01 > 0:23:05a vital part of the garden's structure.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Now, you may not be planning to do anything vertical at all.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11In fact, you could try and be as horizontal as you possibly can be,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14but not until you've done these jobs for the weekend.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20If you grow chillies, you'll have good-sized plants by now
0:23:20 > 0:23:24and they'll be starting to produce fruits.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28To get maximum performance, they will need feeding.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31A basic tomato feed is ideal, and liquid seaweed,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and give them this once a week.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36This will encourage lots of flowers
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and therefore fruits for months to come.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Although it's still a little too early to cut hedges,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48because of the risk of disturbing young birds,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51it's not too soon to clip topiary, whatever shape it is.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55By cutting it now, you're effectively summer-pruning,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and this will hold the shape crisp for the next few months,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and then it can have another light trim before winter.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07To get the very best from your sweetpeas,
0:24:07 > 0:24:12it's a good idea to pick all the blooms every nine or ten days.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17This will result in really good performance in your borders.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18It'll delay them going to seed
0:24:18 > 0:24:23and also give you wonderful bunches of flowers to decorate the house.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Sometimes in the vegetable garden you just have to cut your losses.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42This is a lettuce called Little Gem.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47Delicious, sweet little lettuce, but you can see that these have bolted.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50By bolting, it means it's setting seed,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and if I strip these outer leaves off like that,
0:24:53 > 0:24:58you can see quite clearly a stem is underneath there.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Now, as soon as it does that, the lettuce becomes bitter,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and the reason why things tend to bolt
0:25:04 > 0:25:06is because they become stressed,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09usually by too much or too little water.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It could be too much or too little heat.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13However, not all plants have to be ditched.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14I've got some chard here.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20This is ruby chard, which I put in a few months ago.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It's grown very well, but you can see that there
0:25:23 > 0:25:25has developed a stem, and we want the leaves,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and behind it there is another stem. In fact, a lot of them are bolting.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And if you cut it back, fresh leaves will grow.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36It won't necessarily bolt again, so the thing to do
0:25:36 > 0:25:40is get in there, cut nice and low and cut the stem off.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43These leaves will not be bitter,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46they'll be perfectly edible, so you can keep those,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50but if we get there, cut that out...
0:25:51 > 0:25:54..we can harvest it and stop it bolting.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Now, whilst I can salvage that...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00..the thing to do with this lettuce
0:26:00 > 0:26:03is pull it up and put it on the compost
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and plant something else in the space.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22What I'm going to plant in there is a few Florence fennel.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I've grown these from seed,
0:26:24 > 0:26:29and Florence fennel you grow for the fleshy base of the leaves,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34which should be really nice and big and juicy.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Now, I sowed these on 18th April.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45It's not too late, though, to sow seeds now.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Florence fennel will grow fast. They respond to heat.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Sow them direct where they're to grow or in plugs or seed trays,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55grow them on and you'll be harvesting them in late September
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and October, and they can be very good at that time of year.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02To stop these bolting, I need to keep the water supply continuous,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06so just steady water. I don't flood them every now and then
0:27:06 > 0:27:10and let them dry out, but just make sure that the growth is unbroken.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23If I get my watering right and we get a bit of heat,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25those should be ready to harvest round about the end of August,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29early September. Now, a harvest that will come much sooner than that...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Hello! Where have you come from?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Do you want a pea? Dogs love peas.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39I've got blauwschokker, the purple-podded peas that I sowed...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44..and you've got the wonderful, chocolaty, purple pod.
0:27:44 > 0:27:52If you open it up like that, inside, a neat row of green peas.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53And...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58..peas from the pod are so sweet.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00That's why you grow peas.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03And I'll tell you what, Nelly, because you're good,
0:28:03 > 0:28:04you can have one. Good girl.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09That's it for today. I'll be back here at Longmeadow
0:28:09 > 0:28:13at the same time next Wednesday but, until then, bye-bye.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Come on. Good dogs. Come on, then!