:00:00. > :00:00.Gardeners' World has grown to a full hour, giving us even more
:00:00. > :00:17.time to celebrate the very best of British gardening.
:00:18. > :00:22.Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World. Now, if there's any one thing
:00:23. > :00:26.that defines this time of year, it's apples,
:00:27. > :00:31.the sight of them on trees, ranging from the slightly furred
:00:32. > :00:36.browny-green of the russets to brilliant red and even the
:00:37. > :00:39.dark purple of an apple like Spartan.
:00:40. > :00:43.But above all, for me, it's the smell,
:00:44. > :00:50.that cidery tang that is carried on the slightly damp autumnal breeze.
:00:51. > :00:53.It's the perfect marker of the season.
:00:54. > :00:59.And when you store them, it needs to be cool, dark and slightly humid.
:01:00. > :01:01.It's no good, say, in an airing cupboard.
:01:02. > :01:11.And then, to go to your apple store, take out one of these lovely fruits,
:01:12. > :01:21.cut it open, and all that autumnal, cidery tang comes flooding back.
:01:22. > :01:28.Frances continues to look at extreme gardening.
:01:29. > :01:31.This week, she's on the west coast of Scotland.
:01:32. > :01:36.This is the protection from the famous Highland midge.
:01:37. > :01:43.We visit a couple whose collection for acers sets their garden
:01:44. > :01:51.This is, I think, one of the brightest reds that you get,
:01:52. > :01:54.and the combination of the trees is magnificent.
:01:55. > :01:58.And Joe celebrates a rock garden of epic proportions.
:01:59. > :02:02.This is the rocking stone, and if you just very gently...
:02:03. > :02:06.try this end, it actually rocks perfectly. Oh, wow!
:02:07. > :02:08.It's nice to have a sense of fun and play in the garden.
:02:09. > :02:16.And I shall be planting elephant garlic,
:02:17. > :02:35.Whilst I love apples and try and eat them for as much of the year
:02:36. > :02:49.A good pear, exactly ripe, is a supreme, sensuous experience.
:02:50. > :02:55.It's lovely. But - and it's a big but - to get it exactly ripe needs
:02:56. > :02:59.a little bit of organisation. Now, I need to get a container here.
:03:00. > :03:05.Now, this is a variety called Concorde,
:03:06. > :03:09.and you can see it's got good fruit, they're in a good shape.
:03:10. > :03:15.And you just take a finger, put it on the point where the stalk
:03:16. > :03:22.meets the stem, the spur of the espalier, and just lift carefully.
:03:23. > :03:27.Now, that is not ready to come, so we'll leave it.
:03:28. > :03:32.Now, that one's come off neatly in my hand.
:03:33. > :03:37.and then you handle it, like apples, really carefully.
:03:38. > :03:43.So what I do is I pick them over the course of about two weeks,
:03:44. > :03:47.put them in the larder on a shelf so they're not touching,
:03:48. > :03:51.and then I'll take at any one time about half a dozen and put them
:03:52. > :03:56.on a sunny windowsill, and those will ripen in a matter of days.
:03:57. > :04:00.And you can tell if a pear is ripe by at the stalk end just press
:04:01. > :04:08.because it does most of its ripening from the inside out.
:04:09. > :04:15.A ripe pear is juicy in a way that almost no other fruit is.
:04:16. > :04:21.The late, great Christopher Lloyd said that the only way to truly
:04:22. > :04:29.enjoy a pear was to take all your clothes off and eat it in the bath.
:04:30. > :04:33.And now is a good time to be thinking of planting pear trees.
:04:34. > :04:37.Bare-root plants have the great advantage of being cheaper
:04:38. > :04:40.and a much better range of varieties to choose from.
:04:41. > :04:45.And all you need to do is buy a whip, which is a straight stem,
:04:46. > :04:48.and then put in some sort of support - and these are just simple
:04:49. > :04:52.bean sticks, but you could do something fancy with wires -
:04:53. > :04:58.and just start training the buds that grow to grow along the stem.
:04:59. > :05:01.At first, that seems like a long journey. It's going to take forever.
:05:02. > :05:06.In two or three years, you have espaliers,
:05:07. > :05:10.and in ten years they look as though they've been there forever.
:05:11. > :05:14.Anybody can grow pears - they couldn't be more domestic -
:05:15. > :05:18.any garden, anywhere, which of course is a great virtue.
:05:19. > :05:24.But Frances Tophill has been looking at gardens that are not anywhere,
:05:25. > :05:28.they're right out on the edge, taking horticulture to the extreme.
:05:29. > :05:32.And this week, she's gone to little Loch Broom
:05:33. > :05:56.Where I'm standing is on the same latitude
:05:57. > :06:06.some places with some pretty extreme and inhospitable weather.
:06:07. > :06:09.So you might think that any garden laying on the same latitude
:06:10. > :06:13.will struggle and feel uncomfortable being here.
:06:14. > :06:19.Not this one, created by Sue Pomeroy and Will Soos.
:06:20. > :06:23.And in a beautiful setting, as well, but you really are
:06:24. > :06:26.right on the edge here, so there must be some challenging conditions.
:06:27. > :06:31.Well, the wind, you get gales up to 50mph on a regular basis.
:06:32. > :06:34.That's our average norm, gusting up to 80mph,
:06:35. > :06:38.and sometimes recorded at 120mph. Really?
:06:39. > :06:40.So you can imagine it does cause a lot of problems.
:06:41. > :06:43.Everything has to be grown with that in mind.
:06:44. > :06:46.As well, of course, we have heavy rain. Yeah.
:06:47. > :06:50.Yeah, on average it's 80 inches a year.
:06:51. > :06:54.Wow! So that's sort of three times the national average of rainfall.
:06:55. > :07:00.And how we cope with that in our garden is by putting in
:07:01. > :07:03.a lot of rills and drainage around the edges of the flowerbeds.
:07:04. > :07:06.And if you notice, the garden's on a gentle slope,
:07:07. > :07:20.so it sort of takes the water, hopefully, away down into the sea.
:07:21. > :07:25.You can see we've created this very large raised bed here... Yes!
:07:26. > :07:31.It's very sandy and well drained, and it's full of these stones,
:07:32. > :07:37.as well. All these are from your own garden? Yes. Yes. There's loads!
:07:38. > :07:41.The idea of this bed was actually to build it as a South African bed.
:07:42. > :07:44.We've chosen the plants that can cope with extreme amounts of rain.
:07:45. > :07:48.And also, having the impoverished soil is very necessary for
:07:49. > :07:50.South African flora. They hate nutrients.
:07:51. > :07:53.You can find them up in the high mountains.
:07:54. > :07:55.So those obviously require still quite
:07:56. > :08:04.And it's really beautiful. Stunning. It's structurally amazing.
:08:05. > :08:08.'Despite the extra steps that Will and Sue have gone to with
:08:09. > :08:12.'their drainage, some plants still need special care.'
:08:13. > :08:16.So, Frances, we're digging out these succulents from this round
:08:17. > :08:19.bed here because they need a little bit more protection
:08:20. > :08:26.in the wintertime. They come from a hot area in South Africa, the Karoo.
:08:27. > :08:29.Right. But this aloe obviously is tender,
:08:30. > :08:32.but there's another one in the middle. Does that not come out?
:08:33. > :08:35.It's much bigger. We actually leave that one in, Frances.
:08:36. > :08:37.It's actually hardy. It's Aloe striatula,
:08:38. > :08:40.and it's been in position for about three to four years now. Really?
:08:41. > :08:44.And it's coped really, really well. That's so surprising, isn't it?
:08:45. > :08:48.You just actually pop it straight into this terracotta pot.
:08:49. > :08:51.It looks very loose... OK. ..and empty. We don't put soil in with it.
:08:52. > :08:55.No soil, no gravel! It's a storage vessel for the winter.
:08:56. > :08:58.And the only bit of watering we do is to actually water the
:08:59. > :09:01.outside of the terracotta pot, which absorbs the moisture... OK.
:09:02. > :09:03...and just keeps it going throughout the winter.
:09:04. > :09:06.That's all it needs, is that tiny bit of moisture.
:09:07. > :09:15.But we try to keep it as dry as possible.
:09:16. > :09:19.So, clearly, as well as the water, wind is a massive consideration.
:09:20. > :09:24.We've chosen grasses like the Molinia here,
:09:25. > :09:27.the Molinia Transparent, which actually acts as a fantastic prop
:09:28. > :09:30.because it's got a central root system.
:09:31. > :09:33.Herbaceous plants tend to have a spreading root system and grow
:09:34. > :09:35.around these grasses and grow up through grass.
:09:36. > :09:39.Oh, so it sort of acts like a stake, but a natural staking system.
:09:40. > :09:41.Absolutely, yes. Wow. A bit like an anchor.
:09:42. > :09:44.But the best thing about the grasses, of course,
:09:45. > :09:46.is we use their movement in the wind.
:09:47. > :09:49.The wind kind of enhances the grasses' movement.
:09:50. > :09:53.We also have this beautiful eupatorium which is really solid.
:09:54. > :09:56.We had an 80mph gale, actually, at the beginning of August. Really?
:09:57. > :10:09.You would never know, would you, from looking at it? No, not at all.
:10:10. > :10:12.I think we need to explain what's happening with our faces.
:10:13. > :10:19.Yes, this is the protection from the famous Highland midge. A-ha.
:10:20. > :10:22.This is what we have to wear for four months of the summer
:10:23. > :10:24.when they're out... They're really...
:10:25. > :10:27...because of the biting. They really itch, don't they? Yes.
:10:28. > :10:29.So, what are you doing with this watsonia?
:10:30. > :10:35.OK. This is the flower here on a healthy plant. Mm-hm.
:10:36. > :10:40.OK. That's quite a big clump there, isn't it? Yes.
:10:41. > :10:48.so these are ready for planting out now.
:10:49. > :10:50.So the reason that you can't just divide that and stick them
:10:51. > :10:53.back in the ground is what? Because they'd be weaker plants?
:10:54. > :10:57.Yeah, there's a tendency for them to rot off if you plant
:10:58. > :10:59.the divisions directly in the ground... OK.
:11:00. > :11:02...at this time of year. Then leave them in the pot for a year?
:11:03. > :11:13.Yes, till they get established and a good root system.
:11:14. > :11:16.don't give ourselves credit for what we do.
:11:17. > :11:18.And this is a prime example, where you take
:11:19. > :11:22.one kind of landscape, which is really quite barren - it's harsh.
:11:23. > :11:24.But if you put in a lot of hard work,
:11:25. > :11:35.you can turn it into something like this - completely different.
:11:36. > :11:40.Joe Swift has been visiting a range of rock gardens and this week,
:11:41. > :11:53.where the rockery is truly magnificent.
:11:54. > :11:55.Last time, we looked at how rockeries became popular
:11:56. > :11:58.with the Edwardians and Victorians as somewhere to display
:11:59. > :12:02.and cultivate alpines and other similar plants.
:12:03. > :12:09.But personally, I like a rockery where the rocks take centre stage.
:12:10. > :12:11.Over the last couple of years, designers have used rocks
:12:12. > :12:15.to structure and define their gardens, allowing them to give
:12:16. > :12:20.character to the space and help shape the planting.
:12:21. > :12:23.Now, as a garden designer, I find that really exciting
:12:24. > :12:28.where two garden designers, many years apart,
:12:29. > :12:38.have used rocks in dynamic but very different ways.
:12:39. > :12:40.Steve, I've got an admission to make -
:12:41. > :12:43.this is my first time ever at Chatsworth. Wow!
:12:44. > :12:46.Very disappointing! I should've been here years ago, I know. Yeah.
:12:47. > :12:52.Now, what is the idea behind this rockery, originally?
:12:53. > :12:54.So the rock garden was built by the sixth Duke of Devonshire and
:12:55. > :12:57.his head gardener, Joseph Paxton, and between them they had travelled
:12:58. > :13:00.across Europe and they had been building fantastic things
:13:01. > :13:03.here at Chatsworth and they were getting more and more ambitious,
:13:04. > :13:05.I suppose, so the rock garden was about bringing nature from
:13:06. > :13:08.the surrounding landscape in and turning it into
:13:09. > :13:10.a garden feature, but on a monumental scale.
:13:11. > :13:16.Is that one enormous rock? No. It does look like it, doesn't it?
:13:17. > :13:19.But, no, it's many rocks and they're stacked up on top of each other
:13:20. > :13:22.and almost cemented together, to create this wonderful stag.
:13:23. > :13:25.That's amazing! I mean, the craftsmanship behind that,
:13:26. > :13:28.and it does look like it's just a rocky outcrop.
:13:29. > :13:35.How did they lift these two or three-tonne boulders to do it?
:13:36. > :13:38.Yeah, phenomenal. And Paxton developed a steam-powered crane
:13:39. > :13:42.that he built on-site to lift the rocks into place.
:13:43. > :13:45.This is the rocking stone and if you just very gently...
:13:46. > :13:48.try this end, it actually rocks perfectly. Oh, wow!
:13:49. > :13:51.This was designed to be a spectacle, something to show off with,
:13:52. > :13:53.with the guests that were coming round the garden at that time.
:13:54. > :13:56.It's nice to have a sense of fun and play in the garden.
:13:57. > :14:06.Now, of course, more domestic-sized rockeries,
:14:07. > :14:09.some that I've looked at, are much smaller - well, smaller rocks -
:14:10. > :14:13.but also the approach to planting is completely different, as well,
:14:14. > :14:16.using lots of small alpines in amongst the rocks.
:14:17. > :14:23.But how has the planting evolved and what is the approach now to it?
:14:24. > :14:25.Originally, it was secondary to the rocks - the rocks were
:14:26. > :14:27.the main thing and the planting was quite natural,
:14:28. > :14:30.probably reflecting nature but with horticultural twist,
:14:31. > :14:32.but certainly low-key compared to the rocks.
:14:33. > :14:35.And over the years, the rockery's gone out of fashion.
:14:36. > :14:37.Some generations have liked it more than others.
:14:38. > :14:39.Particularly the ninth Duchess, we know,
:14:40. > :14:40.wasn't the biggest fan of the rockery.
:14:41. > :14:44.so she planted it as a woodland with trees -
:14:45. > :14:46.yew trees, actually. You can still see some today.
:14:47. > :14:49.In the '60s, the 11th Duke and Duchess cleared
:14:50. > :14:52.a lot of the woodland away and then they planted in more ornamentally
:14:53. > :14:54.with herbaceous plants but also with things like rambling roses.
:14:55. > :14:58.So what we've done in the last five and ten years is started
:14:59. > :15:00.to remove much of the vegetation, actually.
:15:01. > :15:02.We've selected the key plants we want to maintain -
:15:03. > :15:07.just to try and put it back to what we think the sixth Duke wanted.
:15:08. > :15:10.Do you think someone can take the essence of this
:15:11. > :15:13.and recreate it in their own garden? Yeah, absolutely.
:15:14. > :15:16.There's some lovely areas where we've got some very simple planting,
:15:17. > :15:19.whether they're shrubby or herbaceous, and just a few rocks,
:15:20. > :15:21.just to create a bit of a stack or a bit of a feature,
:15:22. > :15:24.and they just provide a foil to the planting.
:15:25. > :15:26.Of course, perhaps not on the scale of these rocks -
:15:27. > :15:28.not two or three tonnes - but on a smaller scale,
:15:29. > :15:33.Last year, one of our most successful
:15:34. > :15:37.contemporary garden designers used Paxton's Chatsworth garden
:15:38. > :15:40.as his inspiration at the Chelsea Flower Show.
:15:41. > :15:43.Dan Pearson used elements of Paxton's designs
:15:44. > :15:45.and rocks taken from Chatsworth itself
:15:46. > :15:50.to create a naturalistic rock formation around a water feature.
:15:51. > :15:54.The Chatsworth garden won best in show.
:15:55. > :15:57.Now, what did he take from here for his inspiration?
:15:58. > :15:59.He really loved the trout stream and it's a wonderful feature,
:16:00. > :16:01.created by the sixth Duke of Devonshire.
:16:02. > :16:04.He loved the planting that was already established along
:16:05. > :16:06.the trout stream but then put horticultural twist on it.
:16:07. > :16:09.That's what we've brought back and added back here, so we've now got
:16:10. > :16:11.an improved trout stream, thanks to the Chelsea Flower gardens.
:16:12. > :16:14.So we've got the lovely primulas, haven't we? They're looking great.
:16:15. > :16:17.It's called Inverewe, and Dan selected it because it represented
:16:18. > :16:19.the primulas we were already growing here.
:16:20. > :16:22.And, of course, we've got these rock formations which...
:16:23. > :16:25.Well, they are classic Chatsworth. They are.
:16:26. > :16:27.He's used them in a very different way.
:16:28. > :16:29.Down there is, like, a huge serious rockery.
:16:30. > :16:32.Here, they're just single sculptural features.
:16:33. > :16:35.here it's about the stream, about the planting,
:16:36. > :16:39.and so they're secondary or they're in the background, I suppose.
:16:40. > :16:42.There's nearly 3,500 plants dotted along the trout stream,
:16:43. > :16:45.which is a huge number, and you hardly know which ones
:16:46. > :16:48.have been here a long time and which ones have been introduced.
:16:49. > :16:52.I remember a very dark iris at Chelsea, an absolute beauty.
:16:53. > :16:55.A bit further down the stream, we've got Dark Aura
:16:56. > :16:58.and it has the inky stems and then the wonderful dark flowers
:16:59. > :17:00.and, yeah, one of the many things that have come back.
:17:01. > :17:07.The thing is that, you know, people think,
:17:08. > :17:11."they're like this currant bun effect."
:17:12. > :17:13.I'm trying to persuade them that, actually, they can be
:17:14. > :17:15.incorporated in gardens in so many different ways.
:17:16. > :17:19.You know, something like this - it sort of connects you with geology.
:17:20. > :17:21.It does, and the planting's fantastic here.
:17:22. > :17:24.We've got natural planting around it and ornamental planting behind.
:17:25. > :17:28.I feel like I'm preaching to the converted, frankly.
:17:29. > :17:41.you wouldn't want to work here, would you?
:17:42. > :17:46.I paid my only visit to Chatsworth a couple of years ago
:17:47. > :17:50.and was bowled over by that rockery. I just thought it was magnificent.
:17:51. > :17:53.Mind you, the whole gardens are extraordinary
:17:54. > :17:56.and, like hundreds of thousands of people do every year,
:17:57. > :18:05.if you can make a visit it's definitely a place to go to.
:18:06. > :18:09.I've got some plants growing here in the border in the cottage garden
:18:10. > :18:12.which, actually, will look really good by water
:18:13. > :18:14.and in amongst rocks, and I want to move them.
:18:15. > :18:24.and like cowslips, they have a tall stem - much taller than any cowslip.
:18:25. > :18:37.and they're not really working in the front.
:18:38. > :18:42.But I grew them all from seed, which I collected from the Damp Garden,
:18:43. > :18:47.and I want to return them now to the Damp Garden and break them up.
:18:48. > :18:52.Traditionally, you move and plant primulas in spring
:18:53. > :18:54.but the way the weather has changed,
:18:55. > :18:56.it means our autumns are getting warmer and warmer,
:18:57. > :19:08.so now is a really good time to move plants and to plant fresh ones.
:19:09. > :19:14.We'll pop that in there. Sorry, Nige!
:19:15. > :19:52.Hasn't yet hit that high tone of autumn glory,
:19:53. > :19:59.Now, the idea in here is to add primulas in amongst the hostas.
:20:00. > :20:02.I've cleared quite a lot of ferns. I've divided hostas.
:20:03. > :20:07.Cos when we initially planted this, there were many, many primulas,
:20:08. > :20:10.candelabra types, florindae, bulleyana.
:20:11. > :20:14.All these lovely flowers which are at their best May, June
:20:15. > :20:17.and into July and I want to recreate that.
:20:18. > :20:25.a mixture of leaf mould and garden compost.
:20:26. > :20:36.That gives it a really nice rich soil.
:20:37. > :20:40.I'm tempted, actually, to put in a sizable clump because...
:20:41. > :20:42.that will enable them to compete a bit better and if
:20:43. > :20:46.you think of the flowers growing up this tall...
:20:47. > :20:48.they need to be fairly muscular...
:20:49. > :21:14.If you're moving any plant, but obviously particularly
:21:15. > :21:18.a plant that thrives on moisture, give it a really good soak,
:21:19. > :21:26.And that will set it up for winter. The whole point of this is
:21:27. > :21:31.to have the roots growing strongly over the next month or so.
:21:32. > :21:36...it's in a good place, the roots are strong
:21:37. > :21:40.and can support the top growth. Now, that's a big clump,
:21:41. > :21:53.I think I'm going to put a smaller amount over on the other side.
:21:54. > :21:55.I've got a gap I've created in here,
:21:56. > :21:58.and in fact, I'm going to divide some up
:21:59. > :22:00.and spread them around. And obviously,
:22:01. > :22:03.when you divide any herbaceous plant,
:22:04. > :22:17...a clump like that, that's a really decent-sized one...
:22:18. > :22:20.The best way to break this up will be just to
:22:21. > :22:28.Then, being brave, just force it apart...
:22:29. > :22:33.And obviously I could break that up even more,
:22:34. > :22:38.As you can see, there's one, there's one, there's another.
:22:39. > :22:46.Each one of those would make a separate plant.
:22:47. > :22:48.And I'll water that well. And I've got another plant here,
:22:49. > :22:56.One of the very best colours in this garden is
:22:57. > :23:01.And these leaves, which are starting to turn now,
:23:02. > :23:04.will be a deep, rich chocolate purple
:23:05. > :23:10.And the moist dramatic autumn colour that I've got in the garden.
:23:11. > :23:15.However, not as dramatic as the autumn display in the garden
:23:16. > :23:20.of Ray and Michele Blundell in Staffordshire,
:23:21. > :23:25.where their collection of acers fills the autumn garden...
:23:26. > :23:42.We decided to buy this piece of ground
:23:43. > :23:45.and we decided to build a green oak-frame house.
:23:46. > :23:52."That sounds expensive. I think I could do that myself."
:23:53. > :23:56.And I got all the grotty jobs, didn't I? Yep!
:23:57. > :23:59.The garden was always in the back of our minds,
:24:00. > :24:02.so we asked the digger guy to level all the soil off
:24:03. > :24:06.and at the same time he dug out a pond for us
:24:07. > :24:11.and that was the start of the garden.
:24:12. > :24:17.When I was 13, I worked with my uncle, who was a landscape gardener,
:24:18. > :24:20.and he really was a big influence on my gardening life.
:24:21. > :24:23.The garden is about a third of an acre,
:24:24. > :24:26.so it gave us a lot of ideas to speculate with.
:24:27. > :24:31.Michele wanted to see particular trees and things from the house
:24:32. > :24:36.and so...we sat down with a piece of paper, sorted out
:24:37. > :24:40.the plants that we wanted, and Japanese maples figured
:24:41. > :24:43.largely in that because they were such wonderful things
:24:44. > :24:48.with colour in the spring, through the summer, into the autumn
:24:49. > :24:52.and then the coloured stems all the way through the winter.
:24:53. > :24:55.The tree behind me is the first acer that I bought.
:24:56. > :25:02.It's called "Eddisbury". It is a magnificent tree.
:25:03. > :25:08.but it also has red stems, and to complement that,
:25:09. > :25:12.we have another striking tree, which is
:25:13. > :25:17.called "Osakazuki". This is, I think, one of the brightest reds
:25:18. > :25:23.The one at the back of it is called "Westonbirt Orange".
:25:24. > :25:28.And the combination of the trees in this group,
:25:29. > :25:36.This section of the garden was from an idea that Michele
:25:37. > :25:39.saw at Trentham Gardens, a wonderful combination
:25:40. > :25:48.it's so ephemeral and it's a wonderful combination
:25:49. > :26:06.and lasts for a long time, from August through to the autumn.
:26:07. > :26:11.I lovingly placed all the pebbles around the pond.
:26:12. > :26:14.I love growing zantedschias from seed
:26:15. > :26:19.and created this bog garden earlier this year.
:26:20. > :26:23.This is where I over-winter my young acers.
:26:24. > :26:26.It's airy, it's light, but it doesn't have the
:26:27. > :26:29.rain falling onto the acers, which is what you need to protect against
:26:30. > :26:32.during the winter. They don't mind the cold,
:26:33. > :26:34.they're OK down to, I think, minus 18.
:26:35. > :26:38.But it does serve as a sort of a nursery over the winter
:26:39. > :26:52.This bed here I created to show what you can do with
:26:53. > :26:56.dwarf acers. This tree here, which is beautiful at this time of year,
:26:57. > :27:00.is called "Skeeter's Broom". It's about as tall as it will get,
:27:01. > :27:04.about two metres - this time of the year it's absolutely fantastic.
:27:05. > :27:07.If we move through here, this is a variety called
:27:08. > :27:11."Kiyohime". By contrast, a smaller...
:27:12. > :27:14.Also a dwarf variety, won't get more than about a metre high.
:27:15. > :27:19.I planted this about three years ago but the plants themselves,
:27:20. > :27:24.the trees were looked after for three years probably before that,
:27:25. > :27:28.from small pots, gradually growing them into larger pots,
:27:29. > :27:32.protected from the elements because they need time to
:27:33. > :27:35.grow accustomed to the conditions, the microclimate
:27:36. > :27:40.if you put them in in the autumn, they sit in the ground
:27:41. > :27:43.and they sulk, they don't like those conditions over winter.
:27:44. > :27:46.Whereas, if you plant them in the spring,
:27:47. > :27:49.give them a few months through the summer to establish themselves,
:27:50. > :27:53.then you get all the beauty of the new leaves and you find out if
:27:54. > :28:01.it likes it there. And in the autumn, this is what you get.
:28:02. > :28:03.The issue with collecting acers is that there are
:28:04. > :28:07.many thousands. You go further and further afield
:28:08. > :28:13.and this passion has taken me all round the country
:28:14. > :28:18.and into Europe...coming back with carloads of trees.
:28:19. > :28:23.I've now got about 120 different varieties of those thousands...
:28:24. > :28:25.And you have become quite obsessive about it... Yes.
:28:26. > :28:39.You can visit the garden on the sixth of November,
:28:40. > :28:43.And you get all the details on our website.
:28:44. > :28:46.Now, I have to say, I'm inspired to try acers again.
:28:47. > :28:48.I did try and grow some here...about 20 years ago,
:28:49. > :28:51.and the site was very windy and they didn't like that at all.
:28:52. > :28:54.But now there's more protection, I think it's time
:28:55. > :29:05.for another bash. So, next spring we will plant some acers.
:29:06. > :29:09.The colchicums are appearing here in the copse.
:29:10. > :29:12.They are called "Naked Ladies" because
:29:13. > :29:18.they appear white...untouched by sun, leafless...
:29:19. > :29:24.But with these lovely flowers, crocus-like flowers on top,
:29:25. > :29:27.looking as though they've arrived six months too early.
:29:28. > :29:34.And they can be planted round about late summer,
:29:35. > :29:37.so too late now for this year, and the great thing about
:29:38. > :29:40.planting them under a hedgerow or under a shade of trees
:29:41. > :29:43.is it does protect them from rain because rain can just
:29:44. > :29:57.Alan Powers spends a day in the gardens of the
:29:58. > :30:03.One of the best places to enjoy a herbaceous border
:30:04. > :30:06.is from right in the middle of it. That's it, yeah!
:30:07. > :30:10.you're in amongst the architecture of the plants,
:30:11. > :30:18...and Flo Headlam has gone to Birmingham to green grey Britain,
:30:19. > :30:22.and is adding colour to a concrete roof garden...
:30:23. > :30:27.I've chosen plants that are tough and that will survive, you know,
:30:28. > :30:31.with very little watering, so they're quite drought-tolerant.
:30:32. > :30:35...but first, we catch up with Adam Frost
:30:36. > :30:40.as he continues his transformation of his new garden in Lincolnshire -
:30:41. > :30:47.and we joined him a couple of weeks ago.
:30:48. > :30:49.It's one of my favourite times of the year -
:30:50. > :30:58.The lovely cool, damp mornings, the perfect conditions for planting out.
:30:59. > :31:01.The shrubs and herbaceous plants have arrived,
:31:02. > :31:06.so it's time to get them placed and get on with my front garden.
:31:07. > :31:10.Early in the morning, out planting, in September -
:31:11. > :31:15.you have to use your imagination a little bit.
:31:16. > :31:17.Some of it's looking a bit tired, you know,
:31:18. > :31:19.but you don't worry about, necessarily, what's on top -
:31:20. > :31:21.it's what's underneath, it's those roots.
:31:22. > :31:23.As long as those root systems are good,
:31:24. > :31:26.that's all you're worried about, this time of year.
:31:27. > :31:29.This is all edible, so everything that we're using in this space
:31:30. > :31:34.Things like Scottish lovage, we can use the leaves.
:31:35. > :31:37.Things like my gooseberry - I actually dug it up
:31:38. > :31:39.from the old garden, brought it with me,
:31:40. > :31:41.so it's suffered a little bit through the year,
:31:42. > :31:46.I've got thymes in here, I've got strawberries in here,
:31:47. > :31:49.and, actually, as I move away from this space,
:31:50. > :31:52.it'll be slightly more sort of international, I suppose.
:31:53. > :31:56.So, as I've got closer to the house, and where you would naturally walk,
:31:57. > :31:58.I've started to actually mix the gravels up,
:31:59. > :32:03.I've started to introduce a smaller gravel all the way through.
:32:04. > :32:07.I suppose just makes it look a little bit more inviting.
:32:08. > :32:17.Anyway, I'm going to get on planting these plants.
:32:18. > :32:20.Over the past month, the veg garden has really come on,
:32:21. > :32:24.and now it's time to get the picking paths finished,
:32:25. > :32:33.Obviously, on a day like this, what you've got to remember is,
:32:34. > :32:36.actually, everything's going to dry out really, really quickly.
:32:37. > :32:40.So, first of all, what I've done is made sure this mortar mix -
:32:41. > :32:43.which is sharp sand and cement, six to one -
:32:44. > :32:51.And then what I do, just got a little boat level,
:32:52. > :33:02.And all I do, really, now, is work my way back.
:33:03. > :33:04.I'm actually not pointing these bricks -
:33:05. > :33:06.you'll find, sometimes, you'll see the edge of bricks,
:33:07. > :33:09.and there's a pointing gap in between.
:33:10. > :33:11.They'll do a lovely job just as they are,
:33:12. > :33:15.so, I'm just what we call butting them up.
:33:16. > :33:23.You know, design-wise, the back wall, here,
:33:24. > :33:31.and I think that was a nice thing to work on and pick out those details.
:33:32. > :33:33.So, eventually, when the whole garden's put together,
:33:34. > :33:35.you'll get that idea that the wall actually really flows
:33:36. > :33:45.into the space, you know, and it'll have a real reason.
:33:46. > :33:50.I'm probably just going to tease some of these joints apart.
:33:51. > :33:53.What I've got to do, cos I've moved those,
:33:54. > :34:01.I've just got to make sure that I key them all back in.
:34:02. > :34:07.and I'm haunching along the edge of the bricks.
:34:08. > :34:22.This will help hold them firmly in place.
:34:23. > :34:25.The wisteria that I've completely and utterly fallen in love
:34:26. > :34:28.with has finished flowering for the second time,
:34:29. > :34:34.so I can now, finally, give it a prune.
:34:35. > :34:37.I think people worry quite a lot about pruning wisterias,
:34:38. > :34:39.and actually it's quite a simple process -
:34:40. > :34:43.and all I'm doing is looking for these wispy old shoots.
:34:44. > :34:45.Big old shoots - and what we're doing is,
:34:46. > :34:48.we're taking those back to about five leaves,
:34:49. > :34:53.so you count one, two, three, four, five, give that a little cut...
:34:54. > :34:58.One of the reasons that I do this is to clear round the windows
:34:59. > :35:03.I'll save the structural pruning until the winter,
:35:04. > :35:07.when I can clearly see the bare bones of the plant -
:35:08. > :35:09.and I'll also trim back the stems a bit harder,
:35:10. > :35:14.to encourage the plant to make lots of short flowering spurs.
:35:15. > :35:26.but, actually, I've just got an awful lot of it!
:35:27. > :35:31.My two girls, Abbie and Amber-Lily, are absolutely horse mad -
:35:32. > :35:34.but the upside to their costly obsession
:35:35. > :35:39.that I'm putting to really good use in the veg garden.
:35:40. > :35:54.knows that I do not like wasting anything,
:35:55. > :35:58.so, to be able to re-use this manure is fantastic -
:35:59. > :36:01.and that's one of the reasons I've constructed these hotbeds.
:36:02. > :36:03.This is not a new idea, you know, the Victorians were doing it -
:36:04. > :36:06.even the Romans understood the value of that stuff,
:36:07. > :36:11.which is, ultimately, pressure-treated timber.
:36:12. > :36:14.Set the first one up nice and level on a solid base...
:36:15. > :36:17...and what I've done is actually, each corner, I've overlapped,
:36:18. > :36:19.and that just gives it some strength.
:36:20. > :36:21.All I've got to do now, to finish this off,
:36:22. > :36:26.simple timber frame, nice glass on top,
:36:27. > :36:33.I'm filing the hotbeds to two-thirds deep
:36:34. > :36:38.with a mix of fresh manure and straw.
:36:39. > :36:41.The manure will break down and generate heat,
:36:42. > :36:43.and create a warm environment that I can use
:36:44. > :36:48.at the beginning and back end of the year to grow salad crops.
:36:49. > :36:51.But it'll also be great for growing heat-loving plants,
:36:52. > :36:56.After about four months, that heat will start to disappear,
:36:57. > :36:58.and you'll actually have to clear the whole thing out
:36:59. > :37:03.but, what you will have is this wonderful manure
:37:04. > :37:05.that can go straight onto the garden,
:37:06. > :37:22.so, actually, in reality, you know what? It's win-win.
:37:23. > :37:26.These climbing beans are called Blauhilde,
:37:27. > :37:31.and they're a really good colour, and delicious.
:37:32. > :37:34.They may look like dried-up old husks,
:37:35. > :37:39.but inside are perfectly good dried beans.
:37:40. > :37:42.Now, you love a pea, don't you, Nige?
:37:43. > :37:45.But these are beans, and they're dry, and you won't like these.
:37:46. > :37:51.So, when you have your baked beans, that's what these are,
:37:52. > :37:56.so I can just dry them for a few days,
:37:57. > :38:00.anything where the air can get through,
:38:01. > :38:02.and then put them in a jar with a screw-top,
:38:03. > :38:10.I'll pull up the bean sticks, and then take the beans off later,
:38:11. > :38:16.because I want this piece of ground to grow some elephant garlic.
:38:17. > :38:24...out like that, and I can strip it...
:38:25. > :38:39.It actually does very well in rich soil,
:38:40. > :38:43.as long as it doesn't get too waterlogged.
:38:44. > :38:47.However you grow it, garlic usually ends up looking like garlic -
:38:48. > :38:50.but that isn't true of all vegetables,
:38:51. > :38:52.particularly not root ones, and a couple of weeks ago,
:38:53. > :38:56.I asked you to send me any pictures of misshapen
:38:57. > :39:00.or even rude vegetables that you had grown in your garden.
:39:01. > :39:03.Well, we got some very rude ones indeed -
:39:04. > :39:48.And I hope you enjoyed that as much as we did.
:39:49. > :39:51.Now, elephant garlic, as the name suggests,
:39:52. > :40:03...so you can imagine there'll be four or five cloves in each bulb
:40:04. > :40:14.that one clove goes a long way, but even though they're bigger,
:40:15. > :40:20.they are actually milder than most garlic. Very, very good for you too.
:40:21. > :40:24.They seem to be fairly resistant to the diseases
:40:25. > :40:29.that a lot of alliums can get. I'm talking about rust, white rot...
:40:30. > :40:32.And white rot is a problem in this garden
:40:33. > :40:36.and I'm hoping that we won't have it in these borders here.
:40:37. > :40:40.That is a ball put there by a dog, and not a garlic.
:40:41. > :40:45.No point in looking at me like that. Go on. Good boy.
:40:46. > :40:50.That, however, is an elephant garlic that hasn't formed cloves
:40:51. > :40:54.and the reason for that, and it's quite common in garlic of all kinds,
:40:55. > :40:57.is because it didn't have enough cold weather in winter
:40:58. > :41:10.and I like to have it done by the end of October.
:41:11. > :41:14.Like all garlic, you need to bury it.
:41:15. > :41:16.The pointy end wants to be at least an inch,
:41:17. > :41:26.And as for spacing, a good nine inches or a foot apart.
:41:27. > :41:30.All I have to do is cover these over, label them and leave them.
:41:31. > :41:34.Keep them weeded, but leave them and they'll be ready to harvest
:41:35. > :41:40.The important thing is, give them a winter to get cold and that will
:41:41. > :41:45.vernalise them and then you get those nice, separate cloves.
:41:46. > :41:49.I've got the garden and beyond the garden are green fields,
:41:50. > :41:57.and as part of the RHS Greening Grey Britain campaign,
:41:58. > :42:03.Flo Headlam has been transforming grey gardens with a touch of colour.
:42:04. > :42:11.This week takes her to the West Midlands.
:42:12. > :42:16.This week, I'm amongst the rooftops in the city of Birmingham.
:42:17. > :42:19.Out cities are expanding, populations are growing
:42:20. > :42:25.I'm wondering, "Will there be spaces for gardens?"
:42:26. > :42:31.has come up with an eye-catching solution.
:42:32. > :42:34.Its magnificent roof terraces are essentially
:42:35. > :42:42.Taking inspiration from the library garden,
:42:43. > :42:45.I caught up with busy junior doctor Christian Lebee, to see if I could
:42:46. > :42:51.help him transform his stark, exposed, south-facing roof terrace.
:42:52. > :42:55.You've got this great space up here, this roof terrace, you know,
:42:56. > :42:59.looking out over all of this. Do you get much chance to come up here?
:43:00. > :43:01.I try my best to come up here as much as possible,
:43:02. > :43:04.but as you can see, it's a little bit dull, a little bit derelict.
:43:05. > :43:10.Yeah, yeah, we could do with some more greenery up here, I think.
:43:11. > :43:18.It's a really big space, so I think what I'm going to do is
:43:19. > :43:22.I'm just going to focus on one corner, so I've got four planters
:43:23. > :43:26.I'm going to put in here in this corner and they're really easy
:43:27. > :43:30.to make up and I'm going to show you how to do it.
:43:31. > :43:32.I've chosen flat-pack wooden containers
:43:33. > :43:35.because they're lightweight, they're easy to transport,
:43:36. > :43:38.especially if you have to bring them up to a roof terrace
:43:39. > :43:43.and you can put them together quite easily.
:43:44. > :43:53.I've put the ends together, now I'm going to put the long side on.
:43:54. > :44:00.It's almost done. I just need to put the feet on now.
:44:01. > :44:07.I've planted up a couple of them already,
:44:08. > :44:09.but I'll just show you what I'm going to do with this one.
:44:10. > :44:12.I've lined it with some geotextile material.
:44:13. > :44:16.The liner is permeable, so it will help keep the compost in place,
:44:17. > :44:19.but also reduce the amount of rot on the wood.
:44:20. > :44:22.Now I'm just going to fill it with compost, multipurpose.
:44:23. > :44:26.It's moisture-retentive. I'm also adding gravel
:44:27. > :44:30.cos that's going to help with my Mediterranean plants
:44:31. > :44:34.and with my alpine plants that like stony, free-draining soil.
:44:35. > :44:47.I'm going to just get my hands in and just turn it over and mix it in.
:44:48. > :44:49.I know Christian's a really busy guy,
:44:50. > :44:54.so I've chosen plants that are going to be tough and that will survive,
:44:55. > :44:57.you know, with very little watering, so they're quite drought-tolerant.
:44:58. > :45:02.which will be great for his kitchen garden.
:45:03. > :45:07.I've got some sage, some nice purple sage.
:45:08. > :45:10.I might just try that next to that one there.
:45:11. > :45:13.One of my favourites, Verbena bonariensis,
:45:14. > :45:17.great for attracting wildlife, and some great height as well.
:45:18. > :45:23.Again, you know, they love that dry, hot situation. Gorgeous.
:45:24. > :45:29.cos it's always good as part of your kitchen garden.
:45:30. > :45:33.Christian can just come up and grab a handful and go to the kitchen.
:45:34. > :45:37.And a beautiful hebe, which is evergreen, from New Zealand,
:45:38. > :45:41.I'm packing them quite tight, but, you know,
:45:42. > :45:54.These young plants are all going to need to be watered
:45:55. > :45:56.every two or three days until they establish,
:45:57. > :46:00.but once they mature, this particular mixture
:46:01. > :46:05.of herbs, alpines, grasses and exotics should all cope naturally
:46:06. > :46:14.They're all great plants for busy professionals.
:46:15. > :46:18.City centres are often warmer and milder than the countryside,
:46:19. > :46:20.so I'm chancing my arm with exotics -
:46:21. > :46:24.a Mediterranean olive tree, Mexican echeverias
:46:25. > :46:30.and a beautiful silver-leafed Astelia from New Zealand.
:46:31. > :46:33.They have the bonus of being evergreen too,
:46:34. > :46:40.perfect for balconies, terraces and window boxes -
:46:41. > :46:45.the ideal choice for greening grey, inner-city Britain.
:46:46. > :46:50.I think it's just what the doctor ordered.
:46:51. > :46:52.Yeah, I completely agree with you, it's really, really great.
:46:53. > :46:56.It's lovely. You said you wanted something for the kitchen,
:46:57. > :47:02.so we've got some thyme, oregano, we've got some sage, purple sage.
:47:03. > :47:04.My favourite is the Verbena bonariensis
:47:05. > :47:09.and then a wallflower here, so that gorgeous colour which really blends
:47:10. > :47:12.nicely with the thyme and with the herbs and with the grasses.
:47:13. > :47:15.Beautiful colours and they will just bring some wildlife
:47:16. > :47:18.into your little corner here. Lovely.
:47:19. > :47:20.I'm really excited to invite some friends over,
:47:21. > :47:23.enjoy the summer, enjoy the weather and enjoy these lovely plants. Cool.
:47:24. > :47:31.In the first of a new three-part series exploring the work
:47:32. > :47:35.of his fellow head gardeners, Alan Power has gone to meet James Cross
:47:36. > :47:43.and his working day begins with a very unusual task.
:47:44. > :47:47.The swans have been here since about 1870
:47:48. > :47:50.and it was one of the bishop's daughters in 1875 who taught them
:47:51. > :47:53.to ring a bell which was placed just outside the gatehouse here.
:47:54. > :47:55.So the swans ring the bell? Yes, they do. Do they?
:47:56. > :47:59.But the adults ring it, they teach the cygnets to ring it quite young,
:48:00. > :48:08.We think we're training them, but actually they've trained us
:48:09. > :48:12.to feed them every day, just by ringing the bell.
:48:13. > :48:16.And to be honest, I'm a bit jealous, it's a great way to start the day.
:48:17. > :48:18.I wish I had this going on in my own garden.
:48:19. > :48:24.I might be training swans when I go back.
:48:25. > :48:28.One of the most scenic areas of the gardens is outside the moat.
:48:29. > :48:31.The well's border runs alongside the reflection pool and is designed
:48:32. > :48:34.to incorporate the bishop's colours and complement the cathedral.
:48:35. > :48:37.Hello, Bishop Peter. Nice to see you.
:48:38. > :48:39.This is Alan, who's come to see me today. Alan, nice to see you.
:48:40. > :48:41.So what are you planning to do, then, today?
:48:42. > :48:43.We're going to deadhead these astrantias
:48:44. > :48:48.Take out some of the deadheads and encourage some new growth.
:48:49. > :48:50.Well, there's so many people coming through this year.
:48:51. > :48:54.The word's gone out, these gardens are beautiful, so we need to get
:48:55. > :48:58.them looking at their best for a long time and that's a tricky task.
:48:59. > :49:00.It's like polishing a border - you can look back at the end of the day
:49:01. > :49:03.and although it's a very subtle task, it makes a massive difference.
:49:04. > :49:05.I'm not going to keep you any longer. Alan, lovely to see you.
:49:06. > :49:14.You know, when you have deadheads on perennial plants, some of it
:49:15. > :49:18.looks messy, but actually some of it can be beautifully architectural
:49:19. > :49:20.and can form really a nice autumn colour,
:49:21. > :49:23.so it's important not to strip it out completely, isn't it? That's it.
:49:24. > :49:26.You have to be careful at choosing what you are going to take back.
:49:27. > :49:30.some of the Sanguisorbas will too, but it depends.
:49:31. > :49:34.I think this is one of my favourite roses, this Louis XIV,
:49:35. > :49:43.which is a particularly rich, deep, dark colour.
:49:44. > :49:48.James takes me on the tour of the garden to get a sense of scale.
:49:49. > :49:50.What size is the whole place put together?
:49:51. > :49:53.It's 14 acres altogether, so it's a big area to look after.
:49:54. > :49:56.And intensively gardened, isn't it? It is intensive, yeah. Yeah.
:49:57. > :49:58.Trying to keep it all neat and tidy and weed-free.
:49:59. > :50:00.How many have you got on the team here?
:50:01. > :50:03.We're fortunate here - I've got four gardeners here,
:50:04. > :50:06.but then we've also got lots of excellent volunteers as well,
:50:07. > :50:11.as to what we can actually achieve each day.
:50:12. > :50:15.And if we're very lucky, they'll bring in doughnuts for us as well.
:50:16. > :50:18.Well, that's important, cos there's no better motivational thing
:50:19. > :50:21.for a gardener than cake or doughnuts. That's it, at tea-time.
:50:22. > :50:24.And James, these hydrangeas, they're quite young, aren't they?
:50:25. > :50:28.that you've put in over the past couple of years?
:50:29. > :50:31.Yes, yeah. We put those in about three years ago,
:50:32. > :50:44.They're more natural, more relaxed out here in the outer gardens.
:50:45. > :50:47.It feels really different in here, James, doesn't it?
:50:48. > :50:50.Different styles. It's far more formal,
:50:51. > :50:53.more of an English Garden style here in the inner gardens.
:50:54. > :50:56.This hot border really is just about having fun. Yeah.
:50:57. > :50:59.It's about having as long a season as possible,
:51:00. > :51:03.So you're kind of using your own expertise,
:51:04. > :51:06.your own knowledge just to extend that season?
:51:07. > :51:09.That's it, yeah. Just, as I say, right through from May,
:51:10. > :51:12.right as far into the autumn as possible.
:51:13. > :51:14.So, James, how come these Rudbeckia?
:51:15. > :51:18.Well, these will fill out quite nicely in the next couple of months.
:51:19. > :51:20.Yeah. And they'll take over from some of the other plants,
:51:21. > :51:24.such as the Achillea just here, which is just starting to go over.
:51:25. > :51:29.Yeah. And as head gardeners, we're all thinking about the next season,
:51:30. > :51:32.and sometimes two or three seasons ahead.
:51:33. > :51:34.Yeah. You really want people to enjoy being able to see
:51:35. > :51:38.lots of things at as many times of the year as possible, really,
:51:39. > :51:41.and that's what we're doing. Giving people more to enjoy as well.
:51:42. > :51:44.I quite often say, you know, one of the best places
:51:45. > :51:47.to enjoy a herbaceous border is from right in the middle of it.
:51:48. > :51:52.you're in amongst the architecture of the plants,
:51:53. > :51:55.you can smell the scent, and actually,
:51:56. > :52:07.gives you a really good sense of what it's all about.
:52:08. > :52:11.On our kind of last walk on the way out,
:52:12. > :52:15.We've spent a lot of time looking down -
:52:16. > :52:18.looking at the soil, looking at the plants, looking at the colour -
:52:19. > :52:20.but actually, just looking around here,
:52:21. > :52:22.my head is just being pulled up to the trees.
:52:23. > :52:25.We're very fortunate here. This is a very different part of the garden.
:52:26. > :52:27.So we've got the gingko tree behind us,
:52:28. > :52:36.and lots of other ancient trees just on this south lawn here.
:52:37. > :52:38.It's been lovely to spend the day with you and pick your brains
:52:39. > :52:41.and learn something from you as a fellow head gardener,
:52:42. > :52:43.but also learn a bit more detail about your garden.
:52:44. > :52:46.It's been a really special day, so thank you very much.
:52:47. > :52:58.Thank you! Thanks for your help. Really appreciate it. Thank you.
:52:59. > :53:02.We have swans here, and they swim down the river,
:53:03. > :53:05.and when it floods, which it does three or four times a year,
:53:06. > :53:08.they swim across the fields and come to the garden gate.
:53:09. > :53:13.Well, I can't offer you swans this weekend,
:53:14. > :53:18.but I can give you some jobs, and here they are.
:53:19. > :53:22.Although red chillies look fabulous on the plant,
:53:23. > :53:24.it is important to pick them as soon as they're ripe.
:53:25. > :53:30.but also the red fruits inhibit the green fruits from ripening.
:53:31. > :53:34.Remove them, you'll get more ripe fruits,
:53:35. > :53:39.and indeed, more flowers and more fruits forming well into autumn.
:53:40. > :53:44.and if you're leaving pots out over winter,
:53:45. > :53:49.it's the combination of cold and wet that does most damage.
:53:50. > :53:52.Jack up your pots so that they are raised above ground
:53:53. > :54:05.that will give you more flowers that will last for longer
:54:06. > :54:16.Put them somewhere warm to germinate and keep them watered,
:54:17. > :54:19.and then, when the seedlings have emerged,
:54:20. > :54:22.they can go to a frost-free place like a cold frame
:54:23. > :54:34.I'm going to take a little bit of honey from my bees.
:54:35. > :54:43.they will certainly need reserves. In fact, if it's good over winter,
:54:44. > :54:45.they'll need reserves too, cos they'll be busy.
:54:46. > :54:49.what the weather will be like for the months coming,
:54:50. > :55:01.but we do know what it's going to be like this weekend.
:55:02. > :55:07.Good evening. There has been little significant rainfall for the gardens
:55:08. > :55:11.this week and there is very little to come into next. Through the
:55:12. > :55:16.weekend there will be a good deal of usable weather to get out there and
:55:17. > :55:20.tidy up the gardens. We will be chasing the cloud around. Where the
:55:21. > :55:26.cloud breaks and we get decent spells sunshine it will feel quite
:55:27. > :55:29.pleasant. Along the North Sea coasts of the easterly breeze driving in
:55:30. > :55:38.more cloud across Saturday and Sunday with a scattering of showers.
:55:39. > :55:41.With clearer skies, we could see the temperatures further north and west
:55:42. > :55:46.dipping away. So, yes, a chilly start but there will be some decent
:55:47. > :55:51.sunny spells in the story for the weekend. A scattering of showers
:55:52. > :55:55.coming in off the North Sea coasts. Temperatures are little subdued for
:55:56. > :56:04.this time And so they should have made
:56:05. > :56:13.a decent amount of honey. And if I take that off there -
:56:14. > :56:18.that's a spacer bar - and give a little puff of smoke
:56:19. > :56:26.in there... Now, this is the bar
:56:27. > :56:30.that I took before, and you can see they've made
:56:31. > :56:35.a complete new comb of honey. And I can just tap the bees off -
:56:36. > :56:42.there you go, off you get. Another little puff.
:56:43. > :56:59.I'm going to take two, because I've checked - there is
:57:00. > :57:03.masses of honey in there for them. So I'm very confident that
:57:04. > :57:09.whatever winter has to offer... ..they will have the resources
:57:10. > :57:13.to survive it. And I should stress that I don't do
:57:14. > :57:17.this alone. I have guidance. And I'm very much in the stages of
:57:18. > :57:22.learning - I'm a novice. And if you want to
:57:23. > :57:24.take up beekeeping then the first thing to do
:57:25. > :57:27.is join your local bee society leaving them relatively undisturbed
:57:28. > :57:40.and un-traumatised, I've got a reservoir there and this
:57:41. > :57:50.is a solution, a sugar solution, which they will only use if they
:57:51. > :57:55.need it to give them some reserves. Oh, it's dripping everywhere,
:57:56. > :57:58.how fabulous. And put the lid back on,
:57:59. > :58:02.and they can be left in peace. And I shan't look at them again,
:58:03. > :58:06.or touch them, There you are, and here I am,
:58:07. > :58:16.with my honey. There we are - look at that!
:58:17. > :58:19.That's honey! Well, I should get about five jars,
:58:20. > :58:23.from that, of honey made from the flowers
:58:24. > :58:27.in the garden, and I've left plenty for the bees to
:58:28. > :58:32.enjoy over the winter too. But I'll be back here
:58:33. > :58:39.same time next week.