0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Now, this is a time of year that traditionally is
0:00:16 > 0:00:18regarded as quite difficult horticulturally.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It's a kind of in-between stage.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Summer has begun to fade
0:00:24 > 0:00:27but autumn hasn't yet warmed up into its rich colours.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I don't think this is true at all.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30I like this time of year
0:00:30 > 0:00:34because there is a kind of ripeness and fullness
0:00:34 > 0:00:39and if it is not always accompanied by every flower that you want,
0:00:39 > 0:00:44there is still a sense of the season still holding treasures to come.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45And I like that.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50This week, Joe visits a walled garden in Northumberland
0:00:50 > 0:00:55that has been brought back to life by the former MP, Chris Mullin.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I used to sit in the select committee, which I chaired,
0:00:58 > 0:00:59doodling plans.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00THEY LAUGH
0:01:00 > 0:01:02You can say that now!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I can say it now, I couldn't admit that before.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09And Alan Power visits a new place in Stratford-upon-Avon
0:01:09 > 0:01:14where a team have been transforming the garden of Shakespeare's home.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16It's been over six years since work started
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and I can tell you the excitement and the upheaval
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that surrounds preparations for its reopening
0:01:21 > 0:01:24really wouldn't go amiss in one of his great plays.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28And, of course, this time of year, it's holidays
0:01:28 > 0:01:29and that's great for us,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31but not so good for our gardens whilst we're away
0:01:31 > 0:01:33so I'll be looking at ways of making sure that when
0:01:33 > 0:01:37you come back, your garden is looking as good as it possibly can.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The vegetable garden is coming on well
0:02:03 > 0:02:09but the new one has a real vigour and that comes from fresh soil.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12And the courgettes, they loved it!
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Really good courgette year, I've never seen them so healthy
0:02:15 > 0:02:17and, of course, a mass of fruits.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And everybody can get a glut of courgettes
0:02:20 > 0:02:23but the secret is to eat them small
0:02:23 > 0:02:25rather than becoming great marrows.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29A, you can use up the amount of fruits much easier
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and B, they're much nicer to eat.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36The squashes and the pumpkins have not had such a good time.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38That doesn't bode well.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We should be, by now, starting to get some decent-sized fruits
0:02:41 > 0:02:45so they can grow and ripen and they hated June and July.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It really didn't do them any good
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and I don't think there's enough time left to do well.
0:02:49 > 0:02:56However, this bed, which has celery and celeriac, is doing fine.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00We've got a green celery who's self-blanching,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04which means that you don't have to earth it up to block out the light.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09So you never get that perfect white stems and stalks
0:03:09 > 0:03:11but you do get delicious celery taste.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14I'm looking for a knife because I'm going to cut one...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and taste it.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Now, it's not quite ready,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I'd normally leave it for another few weeks,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24but there's no reason why we can't give it a go.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Cut it off and you can see these very green stems.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And they're not fully blanched and the way they blanch is
0:03:32 > 0:03:35the other plants around it block out the light
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and that will make them sweeter. But if I just taste one...
0:03:40 > 0:03:42This is the first celery taste of the year.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I read somewhere that you use more energy eating celery
0:03:50 > 0:03:52than it gives you back, but it's lovely.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Slightly bitter,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56but that's because it hasn't blanched enough.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58But really good.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59And, of course, distinctive taste,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01nothing else replicates that exactly.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Although celeriac, which we've got growing here -
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and it looks like celery but we don't eat the tops -
0:04:09 > 0:04:12what you eat is the base there.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16But we want to grow into the size of about a tennis ball.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18You can get them much bigger,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20you can buy them from the shops melon-sized
0:04:20 > 0:04:22but tennis ball-sized is good, they're hardy,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24down to about minus five.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27So we tend to harvest these between October and Christmas
0:04:27 > 0:04:31but the key to them at this time of year is to keep them watered.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Don't let them dry out.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Celery or celeriac will start to bolt.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And the celery,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which I'm finding hard to chew and talk at the same time,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42will go to seed.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47So give them a really good soak, at least once a week.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Another plant that is related to celery and celeriac
0:05:02 > 0:05:05but is a lot less common is this.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12This is skirret and I planted this in spring as a kind of experiment.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You see these white umbellifer flowers, they look fantastic
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and I'd love to have them in the writing garden.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21And skirret is a perennial so it will flower every year
0:05:21 > 0:05:26and then die back and it's the roots that we harvest
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and these are succulent and very sweet.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And whilst not many people eat them today,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34back in Elizabethan times,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36they were very common because sweetness
0:05:36 > 0:05:40was really prized in anything, be it parsnips, skirret
0:05:40 > 0:05:44or honey because sugar was expensive and hard to get.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Now, talking about Elizabethan times,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51it is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth
0:05:51 > 0:05:56and the garden at his home, the only house he ever owned,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59in Stratford-upon-Avon is being restored.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Alan Power went along to see how they were getting on.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16It's been over six years since work started rebuilding
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Shakespeare's garden here at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and I can tell you the excitement and the upheaval that surrounds
0:06:22 > 0:06:25preparations for its reopening really wouldn't go amiss
0:06:25 > 0:06:27in one of his great plays.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Shakespeare was 33 years of age when he returned from London
0:06:33 > 0:06:36in 1597 as a successful playwright.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40He bought New Place for his family for the huge sum of £120.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42At the time, it was the largest house in Stratford
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and a fitting symbol for his wealth and status.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The house itself was here on Chapel Street
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and the reason there's a big empty space where the building used to be
0:06:53 > 0:06:56is that 150 years after Shakespeare died,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59it was demolished by the then owner.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02The Reverend Francis Gastrell, who lived here,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04was apparently so sick of Shakespeare enthusiasts
0:07:04 > 0:07:07knocking on the door, wanting to have a look around
0:07:07 > 0:07:09that he simply knocked the place down.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Over the years, several attempts have been made to recreate
0:07:14 > 0:07:18the garden as it might have been in Shakespeare's time.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Some mulberry trees are said to have come from cuttings
0:07:20 > 0:07:23planted by Shakespeare himself.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26There's an Elizabethan-style knot garden
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and the Edwardians planted yew hedges and an herbaceous border
0:07:30 > 0:07:31to evoke the Bard's presence.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Shakespeare wrote some of his most famous plays
0:07:35 > 0:07:38during the 19 years that he lived here,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41including Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Now, although the documentary evidence for how the garden looked
0:07:43 > 0:07:47at the time is quite vague, there are plenty of clues and hints
0:07:47 > 0:07:50to Shakespeare's interest and passion for nature
0:07:50 > 0:07:52throughout his works.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00"Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03"Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07"With sweet musk roses and with eglantine."
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Wow, so the knot garden looks amazing, Glyn.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Is this the kind of thing that Shakespeare would've seen
0:08:14 > 0:08:16and would've had in his garden at the time?
0:08:16 > 0:08:19We know Shakespeare was gardening here because it says so in
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- the deeds.- Yeah.- But quite what that garden looked like,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- we're not sure.- OK.- He would have certainly had orchards here,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28he would've been able to walk all the way down to the river,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30he would've been growing fruit, he would've been...
0:08:30 > 0:08:33There would've been pigs here, there would've been cattle,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- we know he was brewing beer here. - Yeah.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38He was gardening here. With him living in London,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- he would've wanted a grand house here in Stratford...- Yeah.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- ..with a garden. - A space to really enjoy his home.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Yeah, yeah, absolutely.- And with such a deep level of history here,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Glyn, why did you choose these particular plants for this space?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55We've gone for a range of plants that would've historically been
0:08:55 > 0:08:56- used in knot gardens.- OK.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- But we're also introducing a range of modern plants.- Right.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03One of the main contemporary plants we've had to go for
0:09:03 > 0:09:05is this Euonymus, the Japanese Euonymus.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- I was just going to ask about that. - Yeah, as you know, Alan,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- the country's been ravaged by the old box blight...- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13..and this is a really good replacement.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- It's a bit of a grower, though, isn't it?- It is, yes.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17- You spotted that.- Yeah.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It's a really strong form and the effect you're getting from it
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- is perfect for the knot garden. - Yeah.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Right plant, right place.- Yeah.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26So, Glyn, what about within the knot themselves?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29We've got a lot of herbs. We've got fantastic lavender,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32angustifoliums which you've got to smell when you walk by,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33- haven't you?- I know, it's fantastic.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- We've got thymes...- Yep. - ..we've got oregano,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39we've got santolinas, we've got wormwoods,
0:09:39 > 0:09:40- the artemisias.- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And then within the beds that are still to be planted,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46we're going to be growing edible flowers.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I think it's great working with herbs and looking right back
0:09:49 > 0:09:53into history and seeing actually functional plants that we used
0:09:53 > 0:09:57for cooking, put them together and arrange them in gardens like this...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Indeed.- ..and suddenly your herb garden became a pleasure area.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Yeah. And, of course, people hadn't been travelling that much then
0:10:03 > 0:10:05so this was the range of plants that they had at their disposal
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and what better way to use them in a garden?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14'The biggest change is at the front of the site where the footprint of
0:10:14 > 0:10:16'the original house has been incorporated into
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'an ultra-modern streamlined design.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22'There's been a frenzy of activity here as plants arrived
0:10:22 > 0:10:24'from all corners of the world.'
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Glyn, there's a real contemporary feel to this space, isn't there?
0:10:27 > 0:10:31You just have to cast your eye along this bed at the plants
0:10:31 > 0:10:32that literally, as we're here,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34are just getting their roots into the soil.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36From the lobelias, the heucheras,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the lazuli in the distance,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- very different style of planting... - Yeah.- ..very informally arranged.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Why is this space so different to the others?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Shakespeare wasn't afraid to push boundaries.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51He was changing theatre and literature and so that's why
0:10:51 > 0:10:54we decided to do something contemporary.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00But every single piece of this site has a reflection to the way
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Shakespeare was occupying the house here and the land and his life.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09So each of the garden rooms kind of blend seamlessly,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12almost like they're like a different act within a play.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Although they are totally different periods in gardening history,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- they will kind of blend seamlessly...- Yeah.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21..into one garden.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And actually that approach that you've just described
0:11:24 > 0:11:27is quite theatrical, isn't it? It's like stepping into a theatre.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- Absolutely.- You really are surrounded by it.- Absolutely.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32He based his whole life around the theatre
0:11:32 > 0:11:34so it should be flamboyant, it should be gregarious,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39it should be just billowing with artistic quality and flair.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01The garden is not open yet but will be soon
0:12:01 > 0:12:02so if you go to our website,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05we can let you know exactly when it's open,
0:12:05 > 0:12:06you can go and visit it for yourself.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Now, there's one thing you won't see there
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and certainly you wouldn't have seen in the garden
0:12:10 > 0:12:12when Shakespeare was alive - tomatoes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16They did come over from America around the same time as potatoes
0:12:16 > 0:12:19but they were regarded as potentially poisonous
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and viewed with great suspicion
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and they finally filtered into our diet much later.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And, of course, now, we all grow tomatoes.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30But if you're going on holiday, there's a real chance,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32particularly if you go away for two weeks,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35that you could ruin all of the good work that's led up to this moment.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39And the thing about tomatoes, from now on, it's all about the fruit.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The plant has grown.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44We've done everything we can to ensure a nice, healthy plant.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47All your attention should be to maximising the quantity
0:12:47 > 0:12:48and the quality of the fruit.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So there are a number of things you want to do before you go away.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56First of all, remove any leaves that are obscuring ripening fruit.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59We want air and ventilation and the plant will be fine.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02As long as it's got some foliage, it'll be perfectly OK.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03You won't damage it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12The second thing is to make sure you take out all and any side shoots
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and these, of course, are the shoots that grow between
0:13:14 > 0:13:17the stem and a leaf and you just go like that.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Now, if it doesn't want to come, use a knife
0:13:20 > 0:13:22because there's a risk of tearing.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25And cut it off, like that, so don't damage the plant.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30And then check it to make sure that everything is nice and secure
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and you see this one here is bending down.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Now, if I didn't tie that in, I'm away for ten days, two weeks,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that will grow up and could potentially fall and break
0:13:39 > 0:13:40and we'd lose fruit.
0:13:40 > 0:13:46So just go around and tie them up so they're supported.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52If you can get someone to come in and water them,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54say once a week while you're away, that's great.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57If you can't, give them a good soak before you go,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01leave the doors wide open so they don't get too hot
0:14:01 > 0:14:03and there's plenty of ventilation.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Now, it's a good idea to feed them regularly at this time of year,
0:14:06 > 0:14:07basic tomato feed is fine.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We're looking to feed the fruit, not the plant so much.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15We don't want a bigger plant, we want more flowers and more fruit.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16Now, comfrey feed is great
0:14:16 > 0:14:19but something I do quite often is, I don't even make it into a feed,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21you pick leaves
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and you simply place them round the base of the plant,
0:14:24 > 0:14:30like that, as a kind of leafy mulch and that does two things.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It suppresses weeds and keeps the moisture in
0:14:35 > 0:14:40and also very quickly breaks down and feeds potassium into the roots
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and that goes into developing really good fruits.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And, finally, and perhaps most importantly,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49pick all ripe tomatoes.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Eat them if you can
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and if you can't, give them to someone who will enjoy them.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04They're good this year.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I'm sowing some salad rocket now
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and I shall be sowing, this weekend, some lettuce
0:15:38 > 0:15:42but not just any old lettuce, varieties that will overwinter,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45like Marvel of Four Seasons and Corn Salad
0:15:45 > 0:15:47is very good too at this time of year.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And if you sow now, and it is something you do want to get on
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and do as soon as you can,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54these will germinate very quickly at this time of year
0:15:54 > 0:16:00and then you can plant them out and they will give you salad in autumn,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03into winter if it's mild, and if it's cold you can protect them
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and then they will start growing again in early spring.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08And it's a very good way of keeping a continuity
0:16:08 > 0:16:10of fresh green leaves growing.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13And just sprinkle the seed thinly onto a seed tray.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18You can do this direct into soil but there is a risk of slugs and snails
0:16:18 > 0:16:21eating the seedlings so I like to protect them a little bit.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24You don't need to cover them with soil,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26just press them down in so there's contact.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Label it, water it and don't let it dry out.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And those will grow really fast this time of year and you will have
0:16:37 > 0:16:40nice, young plants ready to plant out from the seed tray
0:16:40 > 0:16:44into the garden in about four, five weeks' time
0:16:44 > 0:16:46and that will give you a crop right through, if you're lucky,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48until Christmas.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Now, I've always loved the idea of a walled vegetable garden.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There's marvellous Victorian gardens with greenhouses
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and cold frames and peaches and apricots growing on the walls
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and rows of perfect vegetables.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And Joe has been to visit one
0:17:04 > 0:17:08belonging to a politician, Chris Mullin,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12who was a successful MP and wrote brilliantly about politics
0:17:12 > 0:17:18but all that time hankered after a walled garden of his very own.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Now, behind this stone arch is a walled garden.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27They're magical, romantic places
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and the microclimate within means that you can grow
0:17:30 > 0:17:32a wide range of plants too.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34They are every gardener's dream.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43This particular gardener is Chris Mullin.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48After a busy career as an author, journalist and politician,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52he's now found the perfect antidote to that fast-paced life
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and he's agreed to give me the grand tour of his garden
0:17:55 > 0:17:57in all its current glory.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02So where did you get your passion for walled gardens from?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Well, we used to go on holiday in Northumberland
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and I noticed a lot of abandoned walled gardens around
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and I like the tranquillity and I like the challenge,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14perhaps bringing it back to life again.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17We've some wild flower borders,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- you can see there's a sort of central aisle up there...- Yeah.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23..and we've dotted fruit trees around there,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25all of which are doing reasonably well.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28The trouble with the wild flower garden is that it tends to
0:18:28 > 0:18:29get overwhelmed by the grass.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Cos the thing about wild flower meadows is that garden soil
0:18:33 > 0:18:36tends to be very rich, you know, if it's quite a rich, clay soil
0:18:36 > 0:18:38and they actually like a really poor soil.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42So that's why the grasses tend to take over.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So there's different ways of dealing with it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47First of all, when you mow, you've got to make sure to take away
0:18:47 > 0:18:50all those mowing clippings, never feed it.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52And also you can introduce yellow rattle,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- have you heard of yellow rattle? - Yeah, we've got yellow rattle.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58You get explosions of its seeding and then over two or three years,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01it will hopefully take over and wipe out some of the grasses.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I like the combination of the wild flowers and the fruit trees,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08it gives that a real sort of orchard feel.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I collected a lot of poppy seed from last year
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and I scattered that liberally around here
0:19:15 > 0:19:17but can you see a single poppy? Not one.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20But there they are, look. They all came up in the vegetable patch.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- You scattered them here? - I scattered them here
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and they decided to come up there.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26- They look like you've planted them in rows!- They do, yes.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- THEY LAUGH - They're doing beautifully well.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30They're doing wonderfully.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32So we're now into your...
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- The vegetable garden. - Your vegetable garden, yes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37There's 11 vegetable plots.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Pink fir apple potatoes, I've got several lots of those.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I grew some in the vegetable beds but I also grew some in the
0:19:43 > 0:19:46clay soil all round the edges just for the purpose of breaking up
0:19:46 > 0:19:49the soil and that has had a good effect.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- These roses... - Aren't they wonderful?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Wow, they're really stunning, aren't they?
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Oh!
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Oh, wow, they're fruity. Very fruity.- Yes.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01No doubt about it.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And then we've got fruit trees espaliered round the walls.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This is a green grade. It doesn't have many on it this year.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08It had a huge crop last year,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11there's another one on the other side that's got a reasonable crop.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'It's when we get to the top of the walled garden
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'that I can truly appreciate the thought behind the design.'
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- It's very formal, isn't it?- Yes.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The layout, it's symmetrically the way...
0:20:22 > 0:20:24You can see the picture now,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- it should be viewed from this end rather than that end.- Mm-hm.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And you've got the roses on either side.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33And a little terrace here where we can have lunch occasionally.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36The only problem is that tree, I don't know what's called.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Yeah, that's a black cherry plum, the Prunus cerasifera nigra.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Well, my view is it's in the wrong place
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and it needs to go.
0:20:45 > 0:20:51- Unfortunately, Mrs Mullin has vetoed its removal.- Right, OK.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54But if you were to say on camera that you agree with me
0:20:54 > 0:20:57that it should be removed, I think that will carry weight.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Oh, right. OK.- So what's your view?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02You could raise the crown,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- really clean up the bottom stems... - Underneath?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Yeah, right up to, you know, 15 foot maybe...- Yep.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09..and then just keep lifting the crown
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- and you'll get a view through it. - Personally, if it was up to me,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I'd bring it down because it's also draining the energy out of the soil
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- and that flower bed...- Yeah. - ..and the moisture.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- It's a bit more work, then, to do. - That's all right, that's fine.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23I can cope with that.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- Now, here we go, this is sort of a...- Herbaceous border.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34This is a herbaceous border.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37And the soil is much better here and the old lady who lived here
0:21:37 > 0:21:39before who really did know about gardening,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42much more than I do, had been cultivating it for a long time.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I suppose one nice thing about a garden is to have different rooms
0:21:45 > 0:21:47that just when you think you've seen a lot,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49you come to something that you haven't seen before
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and I guess that's what happens here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57'To give me a sense of the scale of the project he undertook,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00'Chris wants to share some of his photos of the restoration.'
0:22:04 > 0:22:07This is what it looked like when we first moved here.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12A fir tree forest, just make out the outline of the wall at the back.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- There's me digging. - Ah, there you are.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16See, they put in vegetable beds.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Seriously muddy mess there! - What a mess, eh?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- This is the terrace where we're sitting now.- Yeah.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24And that's where the lawn goes down the centre.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Then we put in the wiggly path, go through the wild flower area
0:22:28 > 0:22:30which runs along here and along here.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34And that, I think, six months between this and this.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- So you've got a lovely, lush green lawn.- Yeah.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Major process, that six months. - Big step forward for mankind, yeah.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42JOE LAUGHS
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- These just go to show in three years that, you know...- Yes.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46..you turned that into this
0:22:46 > 0:22:49which is a huge step forward for you and your garden.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51What would you say was the most challenging part
0:22:51 > 0:22:53of making this garden?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I won't say any of the challenges have been overwhelming,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58these are the best years of my life.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And is this the garden that you always imagined?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04I used to sit in the select committee which I chaired,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- doodling plans. - THEY LAUGH
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- You can say that now!- I can say it now, I couldn't admit that before.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I looked at many abandoned walled gardens
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and they were either unaffordable or geographically so remote
0:23:17 > 0:23:21that my wife, quite sensibly as it turned out, vetoed.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24And in the end, it's worked out brilliantly.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Well, it's a lovely story and it's a fantastic garden.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29- Lovely to meet you. - Thank you very much.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Good boy. Good boy.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51That transformation from a muddy field
0:23:51 > 0:23:54where you have to desperately try and dig some sense into it
0:23:54 > 0:23:57to a lovely garden is always amazing.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59But you know here in the jewel garden
0:23:59 > 0:24:02there's a real transformation, even from May.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05In May, before the annuals open, it always feels like there's
0:24:05 > 0:24:07an orchestra tuning up, you can see what's going to happen
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and you're expecting it but it certainly isn't there yet.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And now, in August,
0:24:12 > 0:24:18it's as though a full symphony orchestra hits maximum stride
0:24:18 > 0:24:19and this is its month
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and that will carry on into September and it's full
0:24:23 > 0:24:28and it's rich and it's voluptuous and that's what is intended
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and that's what it delivers.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34And one of the plants that never fails me is this buddleja.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36It's Buddleja weyeriana,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40it's got these orange flowers and they will go on flowering,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43long past the davidii buddlejas have finished
0:24:43 > 0:24:47right up till Christmas, if it doesn't get too cold.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49And, of course, the butterflies love it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51And I often feel, at this time of year,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53when there is a little bit more time to look around,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55that's what you should be.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58You should be like a butterfly, float round the garden,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00let your eyes alight on plants,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04drink deep from them and then move on.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And then when you've finished being a butterfly,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12you can be busy because here are some jobs for this weekend.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Collecting your own seed is good fun and can save you a lot of money.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Use brown paper bags or envelopes
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and label them clearly before you put the seed in.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Plants like foxgloves simply need shaking into the bag.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Don't worry if there's extra chaff in it
0:25:36 > 0:25:38because that can be easily sieved out
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and either store the seed in a cool, dry place
0:25:41 > 0:25:44or else sow it immediately and the seeds will germinate
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and produce young plants which can be then overwintered
0:25:47 > 0:25:49before growing on next spring.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55The pea season has come to an end and any peas left in the pod
0:25:55 > 0:25:57will be rapidly drying out.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So pull them all up, peas and all,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02and take them to the compost heap.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05But the ground is ideal for brassicas
0:26:05 > 0:26:07because they take advantage of the nitrogen
0:26:07 > 0:26:09that the peas leave in the soil.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Summer fruiting raspberries are coming to an end
0:26:14 > 0:26:17but autumn fruiting ones are replacing them
0:26:17 > 0:26:19and as well as producing lots of fruit,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20there is masses of new growth.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Now, this can sprawl everywhere
0:26:23 > 0:26:25so it's a good idea to support it
0:26:25 > 0:26:28to make it easier to pick the berries.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It's only temporary so as long as you use canes
0:26:31 > 0:26:33that can be banged in firmly,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37you can wrap string around, adding layers as you need them
0:26:37 > 0:26:40just to hold them in place till the end of this season.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56The mound is now looking good and smelling good.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Of course, the sweet peas are wafting
0:26:59 > 0:27:01their slightly fruity perfume
0:27:01 > 0:27:06but added to it now is the Nicotiana sylvestris.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And this tobacco plant, with its dreadlocked white flowers,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14soaks up the heat during the day and then releases this oily,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17musky, rich fragrance
0:27:17 > 0:27:21that I love and to sit here in the evenings,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26bathed in the scent is becoming a fantastic experience
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and that's new to the garden.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30And it does show that if you've got a new border
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and your major plants are still very small,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35put in a mass of annuals
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and a nice vigorous one like the nicotiana
0:27:39 > 0:27:42and it can look good from the first year and then next year,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44the key plants, like the roses, like the peonies,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46will get stronger and they will take over.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Although at this time of year some pots,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56particularly if they're packed with plants, can be like a sponge,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58need watering every day, in principle,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02it's much better to give a pot a really good soak
0:28:02 > 0:28:06once or twice a week rather than a sprinkle every day.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07But whatever happens,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10do keep on top of them and if you're going away,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13try and get a friend or neighbour to come in
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and water all of your pots for you.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Now, whether you're going away or not,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21I shall be here at Longmeadow the same time next week
0:28:21 > 0:28:23so I'll see you then.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24Till then, bye-bye.