0:00:06 > 0:00:10Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Now, most plants start to die back around about October
0:00:14 > 0:00:15and by November,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18they've done almost everything they're going to do,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and by Christmas time, the garden has gone to bed.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25But a few plants are actually at their best in autumn.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28And almost all grasses fall into that category.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32And even in February, on a bright, frosty day,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35they can look absolutely magnificent.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37So you don't cut them back at all, you leave them
0:00:37 > 0:00:41to give you everything they've got to give right up till spring.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43But we've reached that point now.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Now is the time to cut all grasses back and give the new growth
0:00:46 > 0:00:50a chance to come through, and that's what I'm going to be doing today.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This week, we're paying the first of several visits
0:00:55 > 0:00:59to that jewel of British gardens, Sissinghurst in Kent.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This isn't just any garden, it's Sissinghurst,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04it's one of the major gardens
0:01:04 > 0:01:08that people have copied and tried to emulate across the world.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12In the second instalment of Joe's series exploring the garden tree,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14he looks at the best method
0:01:14 > 0:01:17of ensuring that they are perfectly planted.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- Look at that, perfect. Spot on. - And we start by filling it?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Yes, fill it in.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26It's important not to have any air gaps between the roots and the soil.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And Rachel revels in the delights of winter scent
0:01:29 > 0:01:32at RHS Rosemoor in Devon.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Oh, that fragrance is almost overpowering.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Some of the grasses form really dramatic sort of bamboo-like growth.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This is a miscanthus. Sacchariflorus.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57They all have different qualities.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00You've got the calamagrostis, which is terribly upright.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Deschampsia, which splays and is lighter and airier.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08There are two types of grasses - evergreen and deciduous.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13The evergreen has some green in it left over from last year.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17For example, this here, this Pheasant grass, is a mixture of
0:02:17 > 0:02:19brown and green, which means
0:02:19 > 0:02:22that it is evergreen and shouldn't be cut back.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I'll show you how to deal with those in a moment.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27But if you've got a miscanthus, or a calamagrostis, say,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32all the previous year's growth will be brown and that can be removed.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Cut right at the base of the plant.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40But if there is fresh green growth there,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42cut above that.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Because, of course, grasses don't grow from the top,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and if you cut them, they're going to have a cut line as they grow up.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Looking at a bed of grasses,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58to me is like feeling a beautiful fabric.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00It has that lovely quality.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And the second aspect is sound.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Grasses sound fantastic.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07They pick up the wind
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and you get this beautiful musical sound from them.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19That's the first pass of the deciduous grasses.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But the evergreen ones have a very different technique
0:03:22 > 0:03:24for clearing them out.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And they do need a tidy-up, you don't just leave them.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29So, all you're looking to do is put your hands in
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and just tease out the dead growth.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Now...
0:03:35 > 0:03:37See, there you are.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39You come out with a handful of dead growth
0:03:39 > 0:03:43but you haven't removed any of the green, live stuff.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45And go through them all.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Just tidying them up, really.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56If you've got Pheasant grass, like I have here, hands are good.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01If you're doing pampas grass, for example, which is an evergreen,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05use gloves because you can cut your hands to ribbons on grass.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Now, inevitably, you have a huge amount of material to clear up
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and may wonder what on earth to do with it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16But it will all compost.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20If you've got a shredder, that's brilliant, push it through that.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Otherwise, just get a pair of shears, clip it up,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26try and reduce the size of it, increase the surface area.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Don't be tempted just to chuck it away or even burn it. Use it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36The best way to get inspiration for your garden
0:04:36 > 0:04:38is to go and visit other gardens.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And certainly one of the most famous,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45most visited gardens in the UK is Sissinghurst in Kent.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Sissinghurst was the creation of the novelist and poet
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56And their original vision combined a strong structure
0:04:56 > 0:04:59with a carefree abundance of colour and planting.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01But over the years,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04particularly as the number of visitors has grown hugely,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09the garden gradually moved away from these guiding principles.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13However, the head gardener, Troy Scott Smith, is now setting out
0:05:13 > 0:05:17to reconnect the garden with the spirit of Vita and Harold.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I first came to Sissinghurst 25 years ago...
0:05:24 > 0:05:27as a young sort of novice gardener.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32And I do remember, today still, that very much haunting atmosphere.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34So much so that I knew I wanted to return.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I feel immensely privileged to be in a position of head gardener
0:05:38 > 0:05:42here at such a fascinating, interesting, delicate period of time.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Sissinghurst is a wonderful place,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47but it's different to Vita's Sissinghurst.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's just subtly lost its way, it's too precise.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54And we've tried to fit in too many plants
0:05:54 > 0:05:57to make it appeal to visitors for the whole year.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00You know, we're trying to make the garden suitable
0:06:00 > 0:06:02for up to 200,000 people,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05whilst also perpetuating Vita's garden
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and all the qualities and romance that has.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11This isn't just any garden, it's Sissinghurst,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14it's one of the major gardens in the world.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20We have to present Vita's garden in as true a sense as possible.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22You know, gardens do evolve.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But it needs to be for good reason.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It's a very tenuous position to be in, you know,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29this fine carelessness is very hard to achieve
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and it's almost always on the edge of tipping over into chaos.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Vita loved roses and, over the years, she amassed a collection
0:06:39 > 0:06:43of around 300 different types of roses here at Sissinghurst.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And she planted them in all kinds of ways.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49These wonderful dome structures, up pyramids and tripods,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51fruit trees and over walls,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54to really give a really immersive, emotional experience.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57In 2013, when I arrived back at Sissinghurst,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00there were only about 100 roses of Vita's collection.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And so, slowly, we're building up Vita's collection again.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is actually quite a unique part of Sissinghurst
0:07:14 > 0:07:18because it's the part that Harold, Vita's husband, planted
0:07:18 > 0:07:22and designed himself, and he called it "my life's work".
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Vita called it "Platform 5, Charing Cross",
0:07:25 > 0:07:26something very different.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30But actually, it's a planting based around the spring flowers
0:07:30 > 0:07:34they saw together on their travels to the Alps and to the Dolomites.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37What we have from Harold is 16 years' worth
0:07:37 > 0:07:39of quite detailed plans and notes
0:07:39 > 0:07:42about the planting that he carried out in these beds
0:07:42 > 0:07:43here in the spring garden.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48So, this is 1956, and we have a tulip here called Artist.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51We no longer grow that at Sissinghurst, so here,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53when we're replanting parts of this border,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57we're trying to source those same plants that Harold had growing here
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and planting them once again in the borders here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Sissinghurst is really a collaboration of Vita and Harold.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It was very much a joint enterprise.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Really, the garden was much more than just a place where
0:08:12 > 0:08:15they created a garden, it was really a love story for them both.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17When Vita and Harold bought Sissinghurst,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21the first thing they ever planted, even before they signed the deeds,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23was this rose here, Madame Alfred Carriere.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25It's a lovely, creamy white rose.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29And it's still here today, the same rose, 80 years later.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33So even though we're making quite a few changes at Sissinghurst,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I suspect this one will be staying.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52These are the first few roses we're planting this year,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55that we just brought over from our nursery.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58This is a rose called Tuscany Superb.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And it's a rose that we have had at Sissinghurst,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02but we've lost it recently.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04And it's one of Vita's...
0:09:04 > 0:09:07She has many, but it's one of Vita's favourite roses.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Primarily because of this lovely colour -
0:09:09 > 0:09:11this lovely, rich, dark maroon colour,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14which she really loved, particularly in this end of the rose garden.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18What we found is that, actually, throughout the garden,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20there are subtle changes in the planting
0:09:20 > 0:09:23which has caused just the overall tone to be different
0:09:23 > 0:09:25from Vita's garden of the '40s and '50s,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28you know, really as a consequence of trying to make the garden
0:09:28 > 0:09:30look good for a longer period.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33There's actually quite a lot going on in the rose garden, florally,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36so it flowers from March through to October.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Now, you might think that's a good thing,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42but actually it takes away something from Vita's garden.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Vita's presence in the garden was everything.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52A garden is an expression of a character, a personality,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and Vita put everything into the garden, I believe.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00So it's really not too far fetched to think that somehow
0:10:00 > 0:10:03she's still there, you know, within the garden, within the soil,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05within the leaves of the plants.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09So, one very special place at Sissinghurst,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and one I'm sure Vita and Harold would be very interested in,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14of course, is the White Garden.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16It's their last creation at Sissinghurst,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17one that they worked on very much together.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20And for me, it was one of the most underwhelming spaces.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It should be this really... highlight, this zenith
0:10:23 > 0:10:26to your day out at Sissinghurst.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31This arbour was designed and put in by Nigel Nicolson. Does it stay?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Should it go because it's not authentic to Vita?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36You know, that and many other questions
0:10:36 > 0:10:39we have to ponder constantly. We won't please everybody.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I'm gardening fairly instinctively,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45you know, what I feel the garden needs.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49And, yeah, I'll be judged in several years' time.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Come on, girl.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Good girl, that's it.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03We'll be following Troy's progress as he works to make the garden
0:11:03 > 0:11:06a little bit truer to Vita's vision.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And if you want to visit it,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10it's opened tomorrow for the first time this year.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13And if you haven't already visited it, it's a must.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14It's an absolute gem.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16And I know that it's influenced me hugely.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20You can see touches of Sissinghurst all over Longmeadow.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Come on, what have you got? What have you got?
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I've got a rose here that's got a bad case of the diagonals.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40And the reason that it's growing at this slant is because, right here
0:11:40 > 0:11:45where I'm standing, there used to be a large Sambucus, an elder.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49And this winter, I dug it up
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and moved it to another part of the Jewel Garden.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55So I want to train this poor rose and prune it
0:11:55 > 0:11:57so we get a decent shape back to it.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59It's a rose called William Shakespeare.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And it is what's called an English rose.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04And I'd say that if you're pruning
0:12:04 > 0:12:08any rose, relax, you're not going to kill it. Roses are tough.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11So I can afford to be ruthless.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17And if I get in there, I think I'll start by cutting just there.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18And take that out.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21It's a bit thorny.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26By pruning it hard, I'm stimulating new growth
0:12:26 > 0:12:28that I will then keep.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30So, really, this is not for the sake of the plant,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33but just to get a decent shape.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36If you can see a bud, or a shoot coming off sideways,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39cut above it, that's all you have to worry about.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Now, I've got two branches crossing here.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46They'll rub in the wind, they'll cause a wound
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and that's where you can get problems.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So one of these two has to go.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52And we'll take that there.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56That can come there. That can go there.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02From these stubs, hopefully a new framework will grow.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05It may take a year or two to get the effect I want,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09which is a large plant growing out evenly to fill the space.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13And the beauty of this rose, they start in June
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and the flowers will be produced right through till October.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Of course, I'll have to wait until summer before they appear.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22And wait for summer for their fragrance too,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24cos they do have a good scent.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27However, you can find fragrance in the garden at this time of year,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31albeit you do need to know what plants to look for.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And Rachel has been to RHS Rosemoor
0:13:34 > 0:13:38to find the very best of winter fragrance.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The winter garden is a beautiful place.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Full of detail, with textures,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52colours and sounds all vying for our attention.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59But there is something else here playing with our senses.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01You can't see it, hear it or touch it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05But it's all around us - and that's scent.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Here at Rosemoor, they have some really distinctive
0:14:22 > 0:14:24winter-flowering fragrant shrubs,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27many of which are perfect for small gardens.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Sometimes, that fragrance is so strong,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37it pulls you in across the garden.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And that's certainly the case with this sweet box.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It's one of my absolute favourite shrubs.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44I think it's very much underrated.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Not only does it look good,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48you've got this lovely, neat, evergreen foliage.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But then, at this time of year, these small flowers,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55they absolutely pump out this really strong perfume.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00For me, it's something like almost a cross between gardenia and honey,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03it really is that intense.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08The plant really invests heavily in producing lots of flowers
0:15:08 > 0:15:10to attract those pollinating insects.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11It's all about reproduction.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And you can see it's working,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16there's a lovely, sleepy bee just here,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18just enjoying all that fragrance
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and warming its back in the sunshine.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23And it works - because here's the result.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27These lovely black shiny berries appearing already.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36One of my favourite groups of winter flowering shrubs are the daphnes.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41This one is Jacqueline Postille. And it's quite popular, and justly so.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43It's well worth getting out an eyeglass
0:15:43 > 0:15:46because then you can really scrutinise the flowers close up
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and begin to understand how they produce that fragrance.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And they have a layer of epidermal cells, either over the petals,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56the sepals sometimes, the reproductive parts of the flower.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And they produce a volatile essential oil.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04And as that warms up in the winter sunshine, it evaporates,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and that vapour just then passes through the plant
0:16:06 > 0:16:10and out across the garden. It's really quite magical.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Where you get a slightly thicker layer of those cells,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15then you get an almost waxy appearance to the flower,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17as you have here in the daphnes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22And I can actually see those oils just glistening on the surface.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25That's absolutely fascinating.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34One of the most eye-catching shrubs
0:16:34 > 0:16:37in the winter garden is the witch hazel.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39They have the most unusual,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43beguiling flowers. Almost like strands of orange or lemon zest.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48And they have an earthy, really deep, dark note to their scent.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Almost like frankincense and myrrh.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59The scent comes from the volatile essential oils within the petals
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and also the rich, sticky nectar.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03And on a day like today,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06it's sufficiently warm for that to reach me just standing here.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09But on a cooler day, if you cup your hands around it
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and just breathe on it...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Oh, and then breathe in that fragrance, it's almost overpowering.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22In their native habitat, these are actually pollinated by fruit flies.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25And you can see why they are so attractive to that smell.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29You've got horizontal form, you've got the colour of the flowers
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and that fragrance. It's a plant with absolutely everything.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Seeing those witch hazels has really brought home to me
0:17:44 > 0:17:46the diversity of different fragrances
0:17:46 > 0:17:48you get in the winter garden.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50And also, that they're not just here for the benefit
0:17:50 > 0:17:55of the pollinators, because we can really enjoy them too.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10I think it is essential to garden for all the senses.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13And though everybody loves a delicious fragrance,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18probably most of us don't plant specifically for scent quite enough.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So this year, I'm going to make a real effort
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and I shall be planting on the Mound, exclusively,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27plants that give me the best fragrance
0:18:27 > 0:18:29for as long as possible throughout the year.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32So, starting in the spring, going right through into winter.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36And I'm going to make a start now by planting some lilies in pots.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40If you've got alkaline soil, it's probably a good idea to grow
0:18:40 > 0:18:44scented lilies in pots because they don't really like alkaline soil.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47And I find here that, growing them in pots,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and also with a slightly special compost,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52it's not essential, because they will grow,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56but if you can get either an ericaceous compost, bracken-based,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01or people have said that lilies do very well in a wool-based compost.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05What I've got here is a mixture made up from a leaf mould,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08which we make here, which I find lilies love,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11a bit of a proprietary compost, a bit of wool compost,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15a bit of garden compost, all mixed together, and that does the job.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17You need a nice big pot.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21You can buy specific lily pots which are splayed outwards.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Give them good drainage, so a crock.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30So half fill it with this compost and then we'll plant the lilies.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Now, this is Lilium regale,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34one of the most popular lilies of all
0:19:34 > 0:19:36because not only has it got
0:19:36 > 0:19:41these beautiful white flowers flush with a bit of pink,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but also the fragrance is exquisite.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And you plant them - I'm going to put three in a pot of this size
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- quite deep, about 4 to 6 inches deep.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Like that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57If being a gloriously beautiful flower,
0:19:57 > 0:20:02AND having one of the best fragrances in the whole
0:20:02 > 0:20:07of the floral encyclopaedia wasn't reason enough to grow Lilium regale,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11the fact that it's pretty resistant to lily beetle should clinch it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Put the pot outside, somewhere vaguely sheltered,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19but it doesn't need feeding, shouldn't need watering -
0:20:19 > 0:20:21rain will do the job - until it starts to grow.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Then, when it reaches about a foot or so height with the foliage,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29I will take this to its position on the Mound, it'll start to flower
0:20:29 > 0:20:33towards the middle of June and give me six weeks or so of glory.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Now, this is just one plant that I shall be growing amongst
0:20:37 > 0:20:40the scented collection on the Mound and I'll try and cover
0:20:40 > 0:20:44as many different types of plant as possible, including a tree,
0:20:44 > 0:20:49or even two, but choosing exactly the right tree for a small space
0:20:49 > 0:20:51that's going to do the job you want from it -
0:20:51 > 0:20:55with the right colours or form - can be quite a challenge.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Last week, Joe gave us a guide to the range of trees you could have
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and, this week, he gets expert advice
0:21:03 > 0:21:06on how best to plant your tree.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Today, I'm going behind the scenes at a tree nursery
0:21:17 > 0:21:21to discover how trees are cultivated and how to give your tree
0:21:21 > 0:21:23the very best start in life.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'By the time a tree is ready to sell,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28'it'll already be several years old.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'At this nursery just south of Bristol, Simon Scarth is responsible
0:21:32 > 0:21:37'for making trees grow healthily from saplings to specimens.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'I caught up with him in the field
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'where they nurture their younger trees.'
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Hi, Joe.- What a beautiful day! What a beautiful location!- It is!
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- A lovely day, isn't it? It's cracking out here.- Great spot.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48How old are the trees here?
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Um, well, these trees are going to be between three and five years old.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54What has to happen to them here? How do you look after them?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Well, we do a lot of pruning work, um, caning,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59making sure they get a good shape. A lot of the formative work
0:21:59 > 0:22:01you need to do to a tree in the younger years.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Once they've grown out in the field for a few years, what happens next?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Well, we'll dig them up, and we'll either plant them out somewhere else
0:22:08 > 0:22:11in the field or we'll take them back to our other site to be potted on.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14This is the part of the nursery where the trees are brought
0:22:14 > 0:22:16once we've dug them out of the field.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18And we bring them in here and heal them into the wood chip,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21to keep them moist, the roots moist and wet throughout the winter.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- So it's like a series of trenches? All these huge trenches?- Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- SOIL CRUNCHES - Wow!- We just heal them in woodchip,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- then out they come.- There it is. A very compact root ball, isn't it?
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Not a lot of roots on it!
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Yeah, well, transplanting it helps to stop it creating big,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38solid roots and have more of a mass of these more fibrous roots,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40which helps absorb more nutrients and water.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42And can you buy these trees bare-rooted here?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46You can buy them bare-rooted, yes. They're cheaper to buy bare-rooted.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49But you can only plant them between November and March, so if you wanted
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- to plant after that, you'd need a container-grown tree.- Yeah.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54And how much would something like this be bare-rooted?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Um, something like this, there's a 10-12cm girth, would be
0:22:57 > 0:23:00between £70 and £80, dependent on the species.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02So a bit cheaper than container-grown?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- Yeah, about 20-25% cheaper than the container-grown plants.- Right.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Now, if you can just hold that for me.- Sure.- I'll do a bit of pruning.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'Back at the barn, our first job is
0:23:16 > 0:23:19'to trim off some of the thicker roots.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:21So, would you do this to this bare-rooted tree
0:23:21 > 0:23:22if it was going straight in the ground?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Um, you'd still want to prune off any damaged roots, and maybe
0:23:25 > 0:23:28lightly prune any big roots to help encourage some root growth,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31but ultimately, you want to leave as much of it on as possible.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33'But for the trees that will stay on the nursery,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'it's important to make sure the roots have room to grow
0:23:36 > 0:23:40'in their new containers, that there are no air gaps around the roots,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43'and that the base of the trunk is not buried.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46'This all helps keep the plant healthy as it matures.'
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- In here?- Yeah, just pop him in that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54'After a minimum of six months, this tree will be ready for sale.'
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- That's good to go. - There you go. Happy as Larry!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00So, what are you looking for in a really healthy tree in a nursery?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Obviously, look at the foliage and make sure it's looking healthy.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06If it's in flower, that the flowers are looking healthy.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08But also make sure it's been pruned appropriately,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12so a cherry like this would be fairly evenly balanced.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15You don't want something with the whole top pruned off, cos that's
0:24:15 > 0:24:18probably happened to get it into transport somewhere along the lines.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19See, what I do with trees -
0:24:19 > 0:24:23I'm a bit of a nightmare in a nursery, ha! - is have a...
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Tap it out and just check that
0:24:25 > 0:24:29there's a nice balanced root system in there, it's not pot bound.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Yeah, you want to see a nice fibrous root system on the outside,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- without any too-big, strong roots going around.- Yeah.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42As you get bigger, the trees do obviously get more expensive.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Basically, you're buying time as well as availability.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49To get a large tree in most varieties isn't always possible.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51So, how old do you think this tree is?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53This tree will be somewhere between 20 and 25 years old,
0:24:53 > 0:24:58- I'd have thought.- So how much is this one?- This one's actually £680.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01OK. So, if you think it's 25 years old - 680 quid - well, that's...
0:25:01 > 0:25:03That's under 30 quid a year.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10'This tree was destined for a local hospice, so I went along to help.'
0:25:10 > 0:25:13If you put it in the middle here. We'll get it off and have a look
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- how it looks and then, you know, reposition it and go from there.- OK.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19'A big tree needs a big hole.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23'And what's most important is making sure the depth is correct.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'The level the tree has been growing at in its container is
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'the level you want the tree to sit in the ground.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Oh, look at that!- Perfect!- Spot on.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- Then it's all about filling it? - Yeah, and filling in.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38It's important not to have any air gaps between the roots and the soil?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40- They've got to be in contact with each other?- They have.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43It'd be the same, whether you're planting a 130-litre tree,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46like this, or a 10-litre pot you've got from your local garden centre.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- There's just a lot more digging with the big tree.- Yeah.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51- Ha-ha!- There's a lot more work the bigger the tree gets.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55'Lastly, you need to stake your tree.'
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It's all to do was stopping those roots, as they grow out.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03The new fibrous roots will snap off if the root ball's rocking,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06so you want to anchor that in the ground really firmly,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09so those routes can grow out and, you know, over time themselves,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12anchor the tree to the ground, then, after two years,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14you can take the stakes off and the tree should be fine.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19'After mulching and watering in, the tree is guaranteed a good start
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'and this one should grow happily at the hospice for many years.'
0:26:22 > 0:26:26So, this is Acer griseum. It's a tree for all seasons, really.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- WOMAN:- Hooray!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I think planting a tree is a significant act,
0:26:42 > 0:26:43not just in the life of a garden,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45but in the life of a human being too.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49It's always a really big connecting thing to do.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52But if you're not planting a tree,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55here are some other things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Buddlejas produce their flowers on growth made
0:27:03 > 0:27:07in the current spring and summer, so, if you don't prune them,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11the flowers just get higher and higher up the shrub.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Cut them back. If you're growing them in a border,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18leave a framework a foot or two tall. But if it's in open ground,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23you can take all the growth down to the bottom couple of buds.
0:27:29 > 0:27:35For many of us, our soil is still very cold and rather wet
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and it's too early to plant or sow much.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41However, you can speed up the process of drying out
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and warming up, by covering it.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Cloches are excellent. You can use polythene sheeting or garden fleece.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Simply pin it to the ground and that
0:27:51 > 0:27:55will help prepare the ground, so you can get to work sooner.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Now, that doesn't look very handsome,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03but it will help warm up the soil. If it rains, it doesn't matter.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06The water will go through, the fleece gets wet and then it will
0:28:06 > 0:28:08dry out, but what you're looking for is to get that soil warm.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Cloches, by the way, are much better.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12If you can get hold of cloches, they're fantastic.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17And as soon as the soil warms up, then we can grow masses of veg!
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And more than ever this year, because I have started
0:28:20 > 0:28:24to make a new area of the garden and expand the vegetables
0:28:24 > 0:28:28we grow here out, so we can grow twice as many vegetables!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Lots of different varieties and cook them and eat them
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and enjoy them as much as possible! But not today.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38In fact, not anything today, because we've run out of time.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40But I'll see you back here at Longmeadow next week.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Come on! HE CLICKS HIS TONGUE
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Come on!