0:00:03 > 0:00:05Gardeners' World is now an hour long
0:00:05 > 0:00:10so we can celebrate even more wonderful gardens and have more tips
0:00:10 > 0:00:14to keep your garden looking good throughout the whole year.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I always feel at this time of year
0:00:24 > 0:00:29that the garden can flick seasons almost in the blink of an eye.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31When the sun shines, the colours are radiant,
0:00:31 > 0:00:36and you can kid yourself that summer is still hanging on,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40but then you get a chill wind, a touch of frost,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and you realise that winter is just around the corner.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46But that's fine, that's what happens at this time of year,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49but it's not fine for a few of the plants.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Things like the banana, for example, the ensete.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55It's looking fantastic, better than it has done all summer,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57but one frost can kill that.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Things like dahlias and cannas, don't worry about those.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06If they get blackened by frost, all you do is lift them then,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and take them in.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11But that banana I shall be watching like a hawk,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14partly to enjoy it while it's in the garden
0:01:14 > 0:01:16and partly to protect it
0:01:16 > 0:01:21because the first forecast of frost, that is coming indoors.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25On tonight's programme,
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Frances Tophill visits a garden on a mountain in Wales.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Go on.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- Go on! Get in there! - There is no give!
0:01:35 > 0:01:36That is just rock!
0:01:38 > 0:01:40A neglected family garden in Birmingham
0:01:40 > 0:01:42gets the full Nick Bailey treatment.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Acers and figs can do really well in pots
0:01:46 > 0:01:49but neither of these plants are happy
0:01:49 > 0:01:51so I need to apply a remedy to both of them.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56Adam Frost begins renovating his rose pergola.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58I'm going to loop that from post to post.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01The roses will then come up and I will tie them in.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07And Rachel de Thame is coming back to see me here at Longmeadow
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and also give me a hand in the dry garden.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27These borders that I made last year have proved interesting,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32stimulating, but actually quite tricky, because they are more shady
0:02:32 > 0:02:37than you might think, so I've got a plant here which loves shade.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40You've got some dry shade -
0:02:40 > 0:02:44then Mahonia is one of the very good answers.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47I've got two here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52The first is Mahonia japonica.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55This is a really robust plant.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It will grow quite big, it will spread out,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04it will take any amount of cold
0:03:04 > 0:03:06and grow in deep shade and produce
0:03:06 > 0:03:08lovely yellow flowers
0:03:08 > 0:03:12that have good fragrance, and best of all it will do all that
0:03:12 > 0:03:15in the middle of winter, but it is quite big
0:03:15 > 0:03:17and it is very prickly,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21and I intend to put that at the back of the larger border over there.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24But I've got a slight variation on that theme
0:03:24 > 0:03:28This is Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Really good fragrance,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33lovely lemon flowers, evergreen.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The bees love it, it will grow in the shade, it's a good plant.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39I'm going to put this over here.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53They are very adaptable, they'll take most soils.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59If I pull that out, you can see that's what you can get
0:03:59 > 0:04:01below a topsoil.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05If you've got that hard layer below it, the water can sit on it,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and the roots of the plants grow down and reach it
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and effectively they are sitting in a puddle,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and there are very, very few plants that like that treatment,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15so we break that up and that'll be fine.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I like the fact the roots are yellow.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28A hint of the flower colour to come. That's a nice healthy plant.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34There we go.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36That can go in there.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42That's going to be a bit top-heavy so I'll just heel that in.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And of course, give it a really good drink.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Poor Nigel, Nellie. Poor Nigel.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Mahonias were named after Bernard McMahon,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08an Irishman who emigrated to Philadelphia in America
0:05:08 > 0:05:10in the 18th century. When he was there,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13he set up a nursery which became a kind of horticultural hub,
0:05:13 > 0:05:14a meeting place,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18where people brought plants that they had discovered and of course
0:05:18 > 0:05:22then they discussed them and sent them out around the whole world.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And I like the fact that Bernard McMahon is commemorated
0:05:27 > 0:05:30in my garden, and I know I'm going to like the flowers
0:05:30 > 0:05:34that will glow in the middle of winter, and the bees will enjoy
0:05:34 > 0:05:37the nectar at a time of year when there isn't much else.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41It's a really good plant for a dark, dry corner.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Now it's growing here at Longmeadow
0:05:45 > 0:05:47in what is a lowland garden,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51but Frances Tophill, in the last of her series
0:05:51 > 0:05:56on gardens in extreme places, has been to North Wales
0:05:56 > 0:05:59to visit a garden on top of a mountain.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Bryn y Llidiart,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09the gate to the hills.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15And the gate to a very beautiful but very exposed landscape.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22I'm 1,100 feet above sea level on the edge of the Berwyn mountains
0:06:22 > 0:06:26in the heart of Wales. Here, everything is open to the elements.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It's a pretty harsh place for sheep, for humans
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and for a garden.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40However harsh, remote and difficult the conditions are here,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42the owners, Christine and John Scott,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44have managed to create a wonderful garden.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I can see why you live here, that view is amazing,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49but there must be challenges
0:06:49 > 0:06:52that come with this kind of exposure.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yes. There's the weather.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Quite a lot of weather.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57And we are at 1,100 feet,
0:06:57 > 0:07:02so we get more wind than they do in the valley, and then we get snow.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Quite often we have a ring of snow around the tops of the hills
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- and the valley's green. - But we do have another problem.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Quite a big one.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Go on.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Go on! Get in there!
0:07:18 > 0:07:21There is no give! That is just rock.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24How many inches of soil is that?
0:07:24 > 0:07:28It's about two inches of soil and you're down onto the shale,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31so I think I'll give you the crowbar.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Have you ever dug a garden with a crowbar?- No, not yet.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- There we are.- Even that doesn't get through it, does it?- I know!
0:07:39 > 0:07:42So every single hole here you've done like that?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46So all the plants that have gone in here had to have a hole dug
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and the shale removed and some compost put back
0:07:49 > 0:07:53into the hole to give it a decent planting hole and a good start.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56That must have taken forever to get this done.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Well, I wanted a garden.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00You must have wanted it pretty bad!
0:08:14 > 0:08:16That verbena really is stunning
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and I can see with the seed heads of the Crocosmia
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and when that's in flower, it must be stunning.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26We leave the seed heads on because they are still attractive
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and then in the spring I take the Crocosmia up
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and put the new corms back in,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- and take about half away otherwise it just runs away.- Yes.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And the verbena, I keep a few seedlings
0:08:37 > 0:08:39so that I can plop them into the gaps.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- So it's quite a high maintenance, really, this bit?- It is, yes.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45It's quite high maintenance.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Hello.- Hello.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08There is a man who takes pride in his mowing, I'm guessing.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- It does look so nice when it's cut. - It looks lovely.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12I love the paths you've got.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Are they kind of designed or just how it naturally happens?
0:09:16 > 0:09:21Partly following the contours of the land, and partly to enable us
0:09:21 > 0:09:25to get to different parts of the garden, just walking on short grass.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42The natural landscape here very cleverly moves
0:09:42 > 0:09:44into Christine and John's garden.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Even this fence looks like it could be straight from a farm
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and there's very gnarled hedgerows everywhere,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but then you move into an area which is highly cultivated.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Actually, I think that what Christine and John have done
0:09:55 > 0:09:58is they have cultivated a lot of their land,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01but this is designed to look very well kept,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05and the rest of their garden is designed to look very natural
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and in keeping with the environment.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- Wow. What a view from your vegetable patch.- It's lovely.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25We do have a problem here, as you can see, with these raspberries.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- They do not look good. - They are not looking well.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31They have been in the ground two years
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and the first one to be affected was the one here.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38This is the summer fruiting and then the autumn fruiting have got it too
0:10:38 > 0:10:42and it looks as though whatever it is, it's moving up that way
0:10:42 > 0:10:43in a northerly direction.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49I think it looks like you might have something called cane blight
0:10:49 > 0:10:51in your raspberries.
0:10:51 > 0:10:57- Can you see those split bark, and the bases are very dark?- Right.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And if you see any black sooty spores on the dead material,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03then you know for sure that's what you've got.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07So I think what you need to do is to remove anything that's affected,
0:11:07 > 0:11:08- get rid of it, burn it.- Yes.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And then if you find you keep getting it,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13maybe move the raspberries to a slightly more sheltered spot.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Thank you very much. That's marvellous. Thank you.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- OK, sorry!- That's all right.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29This is gorgeous, isn't it?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It's marvellous and it's called Sorbus 'Copper Kettle'
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and it acts the part, doesn't it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:38It's beautiful, really lovely, but rather than spending all that
0:11:38 > 0:11:40money on buying one, you can just propagate them from a seed
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and hopefully, because there aren't any others around to contaminate
0:11:44 > 0:11:46this one, it should come true to seed.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's really easy, basically, you just take off any flesh.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54The very small seed is inside. There it is.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- It's the same colour as the berry. - Lovely, isn't it?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00If you get rid of all that flesh...
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- If I put that in your hand... - Do you have to freeze it?
0:12:03 > 0:12:09You don't have to freeze it, no, but if you put it into a sandy compost 50-50 and leave it
0:12:09 > 0:12:13outside all winter, the cold winter should vernalise it
0:12:13 > 0:12:16so it will germinate next spring.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- Right.- And, free trees.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Free trees! Good idea!
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- There we go.- Thank you. That's marvellous.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26You sow them, they'll grow up big.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29You can carry on with your lovely naturalistic planting.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Thank you very much for showing me around.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34I'll leave you to do the whole tree!
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- Thank you!- Pleasure.- Look at that.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46This garden demonstrates how amazingly clever Christine and John have been.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50They've created a space that sits so naturally within its environment
0:12:50 > 0:12:52without compromising at all on its beauty.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Throughout the summer, Nick Bailey has been out and about
0:13:01 > 0:13:04solving problems in viewers' gardens.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10And tonight he turns his attention to a neglected family garden.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Today, I'm in Kings Heath, a leafy suburb of Birmingham
0:13:18 > 0:13:21to look at a family garden whose owners have let it run
0:13:21 > 0:13:23a bit out of control.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I'm hoping I can bring it back in check
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and return it to its former glory.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40This bay tree is potentially quite beautiful but it has been
0:13:40 > 0:13:42a bit neglected at the base, so you can see there's lots of old
0:13:42 > 0:13:46pruning snags, lots of dead twigs and it needs a really good clean out
0:13:46 > 0:13:50but after that I can turn it into a beautiful, multi-stemmed form.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Further into the garden, there is a whole different set of challenges
0:13:54 > 0:13:57so there's a patio at the back which is bathed with sunshine.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02And there's some plants growing in containers that really aren't at their best.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04The soil isn't quite right for them,
0:14:04 > 0:14:05they're not quite in the right spot.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08So, a few subtle adjustments and we can sort that out.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13Finally, on the back wall, it's a real missed opportunity.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I'll put some trellis and long-season flowering climbers
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and really bring this patio back to life.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23So, I'm going to make a start on this bay tree.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27And you can see these old dead twigs and old snags.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29They are important to remove.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32They're an entry point for disease and they don't look
0:14:32 > 0:14:33very pretty, either.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36So, I'm going to start with getting rid of some of the heavier stems.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Also important as well, that you leave that collar around the base
0:14:42 > 0:14:46which means the plant has a good chance to seal up all of that wound
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and protect itself from future infection.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Do you know, there's a real bonus to pruning a bay tree.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04There's a wonderful smell that comes off it while you're doing it
0:15:04 > 0:15:09but if you harvest these stems, you can hang them for winter,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12put them in a glass house or the kitchen,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15they'll dry out beautifully and they're amazing in stews.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22If you've got a heavier stem to prune, something like this,
0:15:22 > 0:15:27it's worth making an initial cut to take the weight out of the stem.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31I'm going to use a small pruning saw, cut it about halfway up.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35The reason for doing that is that if you cut right at the base,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39your finished cut, you stand a chance that the branch will fall
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and cause a tear into the bark which will take years to repair.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52So we've created quite a few new wounds on the bay tree but
0:15:52 > 0:15:56contemporary thinking is that you shouldn't use a wound sealant.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00They say now that at best it does nothing,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04at worst it seals in potential fungal spores and the like.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Well, that is the bay all but complete.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And what's lovely is it's revealed the architectural lines of the plant
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and it's one of those instant payoff garden jobs
0:16:19 > 0:16:21so it looks great straightaway.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24You can do this with other prunus and laurels to give them those
0:16:24 > 0:16:27clean stems and canopy at the top.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Time to get on with the pots.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Now, acers and figs can do really well in pots but neither of
0:16:34 > 0:16:36these plants are happy.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39The acer is getting burnt by too much sunshine and wind and
0:16:39 > 0:16:41there's loads of weeds growing in it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44And the fig is not draining well at all
0:16:44 > 0:16:47so it's not growing happily and it's not enough sunlight.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50So I need to apply remedy to both of them.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59This marram grass is a clear sign the pot has got over-wet.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01It's bog grass, so we really need to get it out and get rid of
0:17:01 > 0:17:04the competition for the acer.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10I'm going to try and save as much of this compost as possible.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11So, shaking out the roots but
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I need to get all the roots of the marram out to stop it coming back.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I'm just going to take out any dead stems from this.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Now I'm going to use the power drill
0:17:26 > 0:17:29to give the acer the drainage it really needs.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I'm going to add some drainage material and I'm going to
0:17:34 > 0:17:38use broken up bricks and tiles. You don't need to use anything fancy.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Add some ericaceous compost and make sure the drainage is improved
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and then move it into a dappled shade position. Perfect.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48A great dappled shade enclave,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51out of the wind where this acer can now really thrive.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58And again with this pot, you can see there's masses of this liverwort
0:17:58 > 0:18:02which is an absolute indication it is far too wet for the fig.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05It's going to be great in a pot because they like root restriction,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08so as soon as we get that drainage into the bottom and it into the sun,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10it should start to crop.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16For the fig, I'm also going to add some extra drainage holes,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20some drainage material and move that into a blazing sun position.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Now the fig is going to love this warm sunny spot against the wall.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It will climb up slowly over the years with
0:18:27 > 0:18:30a bit of support and provide food for the whole family.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33But I've still got the rest of the wall to deal with.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36It needs some trellis and a bit of colour.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49This is a Solanum jasminoides that I'm using on the back wall,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51part of the potato and tomato family.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It flowers quite late in the year and will give a real burst of colour.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Wow, I think I'm all but done.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09So, to my right I have got the Solanum jasminoides
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and to my left I have Trachelospermum jasminoides -
0:19:12 > 0:19:15that will flower much earlier in the year and then at the bases
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I've used an ornamental Pennisetum Hameln
0:19:18 > 0:19:20which will fill the base of the pots
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and keep them looking perky right the way through into the autumn.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Job done!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37I think what that shows very clearly is that you don't have to do
0:19:37 > 0:19:40dramatic makeovers to transform a garden.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44A few deft touches can be all it needs.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But I think the dry garden at the moment needs something
0:19:51 > 0:19:55a little bit more than just deftness.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56It's work in progress,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00so there's no sense of it having gone wrong, but it has gone.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04It's moved, and not quite in the direction I want it to.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08What's happened, and what always happens at Longmeadow,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10is the thugs get very thuggish.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14So, what I want to do now is go through it,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18take out everything which is overpowering its neighbours and that
0:20:18 > 0:20:22will leave space for planting that will get the lightness and
0:20:22 > 0:20:26the sense of vertical space.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Then there's the Euphorbia.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Euphorbia cyparissias Fen's Ruby
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and I was warned, be careful what you wish for because it can
0:20:45 > 0:20:49spread alarmingly, so I'm going to take it out.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58This is Comfrey. It's not been planted, wrong place for it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Now fennel, I love.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22And actually it's got exactly the right feel for these borders,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26which is light and tall and there's air around it
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and these lovely umbellifer heads
0:21:29 > 0:21:32but not as a row along the edge.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35We want it sort of spaced out along the back
0:21:35 > 0:21:38so I'll be taking it out all the way along the edge of the path.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Doing this at this time of year means that when I replant,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48because the soil is still warm,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51there is a chance for the roots to get established and they will
0:21:51 > 0:21:53start growing as soon as it warms up next spring.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Whereas if I wait until next spring, if it's very wet,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58it could well be April before I can get in
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and the middle of April before I plant
0:22:01 > 0:22:03so if you can do this in autumn,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06definitely it will make life much easier next spring.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Well, I'll keep plugging away, clearing the border,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18creating space so that when Rachel arrives, there will be room
0:22:18 > 0:22:21for us to plant together, and it will be good to see her again.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23She was last here at Longmeadow
0:22:23 > 0:22:26when she helped me plant around the pond after we first made it
0:22:26 > 0:22:29so there will be really quite some dramatic changes to share with her.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32But not as big, I suspect,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35as Alan Parr found when he went back to Marks Hall
0:22:35 > 0:22:38where he began his working life.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I first visited Marks Hall as a student from Writtle College
0:22:48 > 0:22:50in the early '90s
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and I was lucky enough to work here shortly after that.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57It released a very personal passion in me for working within historic gardens.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The Arboretum and Gardens here at Marks Hall
0:23:00 > 0:23:03cover just over 100 acres.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It's split into geographical zones and is carefully managed to
0:23:06 > 0:23:09support a wide range of local and exotic species.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15And I'm back here today, almost 25 years later, to get stuck in
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and do some work with the head gardener.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Jonathan, how are you doing? - Good to see you.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22It's fantastic to be back.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25What's critical about this time of year at Marks Hall for you?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27We're looking forward into the winter.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30We have a new planting season coming up.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We're collecting seed and planting that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34In the winter, people say, "What you find to do?"
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and it is our busiest time!
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Marks Hall is never going to be a place that is over-manicured.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43A lot of it is about a landscape, a treescape.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Jonathan, the Honywood oak
0:23:44 > 0:23:47is the most iconic tree at Marks Hall, isn't it?
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It's a beautiful 700-year-old oak tree.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53The Honywood oaks, they were known nationally for their stature
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and, through the history of the estate,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57they were sadly cut down in the 1950s,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59and we have very few left.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01But the biggest still remains,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05and is sort of like a flagship for us to have it there.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07It is an iconic tree.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10If it sets a reasonable amount of seed, we'll collect that
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and plant it and grow them on and plant them out on the estate.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17We've got a few acorns on this side that will do nicely.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Yeah, there's quite a nice cluster over there, isn't there, as well?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And it's important, isn't it, to actually get them from the tree,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24so you know where they're coming from?
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Yes, this time of year, the ones that drop of early -
0:24:26 > 0:24:28if you gathered them on the ground -
0:24:28 > 0:24:32most of them, like this one, have been drilled by gall wasps,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- or have been chewed out by squirrels in some way.- Yeah.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37So picking them fresh, getting good quality seeds,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39this is the best way to do it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Yeah, there's some good-sized ones here.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55What we're trying to do is just replicate what happens in nature.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59So an oak tree will scatter all its acorns on the ground.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Most of them will just sit on their side on the ground.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- They will very quickly send down a taproot...- Yeah.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06..and sit there for the winter.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07And then, the following spring,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10they'll send up the leaves and start their growth.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13When we do it, we just plant them in a pot, very shallowly,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16on their side, and let nature take its course.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Monkey puzzle trees are now endangered in the wild.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29But, thanks to Victorian plant hunters,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32there's more diversity of this popular garden plant in the UK
0:25:32 > 0:25:34than anywhere else in the world.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Jonathan has chosen Gondwanaland zone of the Arboretum
0:25:40 > 0:25:42to plant a few more in.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44And these monkey puzzles,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47which are native to South America - Chile, Argentina -
0:25:47 > 0:25:50these are bridging the gap into Australia,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52because we've got our Wollemi pines over here,
0:25:52 > 0:25:53- and they're closely related.- Yeah.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55So we're just linking the two groups
0:25:55 > 0:25:57by scattering a few more trees in here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Such a sense of long-term thinking, isn't it?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08You know, investing in the future.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09You put a tree in a position,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12knowing it's going to be there for years.
0:26:12 > 0:26:18We're thinking so far ahead with the planting we're doing, and it's...
0:26:18 > 0:26:19A lot of the pleasure for me
0:26:19 > 0:26:22comes from being involved at this early stage.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24That southern beech was that height...
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- That's right. - ..when I popped it into the ground.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29It's just wonderful, isn't it? Putting a small tree in
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and seeing it becoming something so beautiful, like that.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40CROWS CAW
0:26:44 > 0:26:47There is a huge satisfaction
0:26:47 > 0:26:51from seeing a tree that you've planted as a sapling,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55or even a seed, grow into some kind of maturity.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01All the coppice hazels were seeds, hazelnuts,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03that I saw sprouting, potted up and planted out.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And all these trees, every one of them,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10I planted when they were small enough to pick up with one hand,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12and I've watched them grow.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18And, you know, it is as exciting to see them become trees
0:27:18 > 0:27:23as it is to see the most exotic flower open out into bloom.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Right, this can go on the compost heap, ready for shredding.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Now, coming up on the programme,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I shall be discovering how grapevines are thriving
0:27:46 > 0:27:48in deepest Herefordshire.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53And, in his quest to rekindle our love affair with rockeries,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Joe Swift visits a Chelsea gold medal-winning sculptor
0:27:57 > 0:27:59for inspiration.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06But, first, we rejoin Adam Frost in his new house and garden
0:28:06 > 0:28:08in Lincolnshire.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Where, over the last few weeks, he's been giving us a masterclass
0:28:12 > 0:28:16in how a top designer tackles a new plot.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19ADAM CLICKS HIS TONGUE
0:28:19 > 0:28:21(Good girl.)
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Islay are back in the walled garden,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27enjoying the early autumn colour in the long herbaceous borders.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31You know, we're at that time of year now,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34you walk around the garden, you get covered in cobwebs and...
0:28:34 > 0:28:37It's been lovely just watching it sort of come alive
0:28:37 > 0:28:38and change and evolve.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I can remember walking up to that pear tree,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46completely bare and just hoping that it was going to deliver.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50And it has - covered in pears, and they taste fantastic.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52The old clematis along there -
0:28:52 > 0:28:56beautiful yellow flowers turning into the seed heads.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And I love the little elements of surprises
0:28:58 > 0:29:00that this garden's given me.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02If you look at it now, things like verbena.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Love that sort of airiness that it gives to the top of planting.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Anemones in there, beautiful pinks.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Things like solidago, the goldenrod at the back there,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14is a plant I don't even use.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Nicotiana. I mean, that's self-seeded.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18So that's what I love as well,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20is that sometimes something just pops up
0:29:20 > 0:29:23where it's not necessarily meant to be,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26but it can drive an idea. It's inspired.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30These key colours - the mauves, the pinks, yellows and creams -
0:29:30 > 0:29:34are going to be my palette when I redesign the borders next year.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41But, right now, I want to make a start on renovating my rose pergola.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Do you know, I actually thought that mist was going to clear earlier,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50and it was going to burn off and it was going to be a beautiful day.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53And we've ended up... It's actually quite grey and chilly.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55I think this is the first time I've put a coat on in...
0:29:55 > 0:29:57probably a good month or so, really.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00What I've realised is I've got three decent roses.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03And, actually, three that have seen the test of time.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07What I want to do now is cut these down,
0:30:07 > 0:30:08I'm going to take them out.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14And my other roses are still flowering
0:30:14 > 0:30:16so, you know, we're in September,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19so we really want to be waiting until the back end of October,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23going into November, then I can give those a really good prune.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24And that's all about, you know,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27cutting out the dead, diseased and damaged
0:30:27 > 0:30:30and getting some real shape and vigorous growth into those plants.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34But, today, cut these back, and then I'm going to get inside
0:30:34 > 0:30:36and I'm going to start prepping my posts.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40RAIN PATTERS
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Well, it's grim out there now.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49So a good job, actually, to do in the rain -
0:30:49 > 0:30:53come in here and I want to get these posts prepped for the pergola.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Make sure you choose pressure-treated timber.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I'm using chunky four by four square posts
0:30:59 > 0:31:02that will really help support the weight of my roses.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So what I need to do is drill some holes near the top of my posts,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07and I'm going to literally loop...
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I'm going to loop that from post to post.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12The roses will then come up, and I'll tie them in.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14So, really simple.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17I'm going to measure 100 mil down, so about four inches,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19from the top of the post.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Make sure my hole...
0:31:22 > 0:31:24sits in the middle.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And I'm going to drill a hole all the way through.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29But what you've got to remember
0:31:29 > 0:31:32is always get the drill bit just slightly bigger than this rope
0:31:32 > 0:31:36because what'll happen is, when this gets wet, it will swell up.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Don't laugh. But...
0:31:41 > 0:31:42..have to be safe, don't you?
0:31:42 > 0:31:45And carefully... When you start off, just be very careful -
0:31:45 > 0:31:49the bigger the drill bit, the more it's going to bite into the timber.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54What I don't want to do, just so you understand,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56is I don't want to drill all the way through.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57I'm going to drill from both sides.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59The reason being, if I drill all the way through,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01what it'll do is it'll punch through the other side,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03so when you look at the timber from the top,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06it's going to have... One side's going to look absolutely shocking,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and the other side will have a lovely, clean cut to it.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14So we turn it over.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19See the hole on the other side.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22Back in, nice and upright.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30And there we go.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34But these probably are going to sit about two metres out of the ground -
0:32:34 > 0:32:37the loops come down, you'll still be able to get underneath.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41When I moved in,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44there were lots of projects that I wanted to get on with.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47But, by far, the biggest was my veg garden.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49I'm really nearly getting there.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51I'm chuffed to pieces with this area now.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54So you can see, all been painted grey, looking really good.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58I think, by the time this weathered steel cleans up,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02it's had a winter, and you get that real orange out of it next year,
0:33:02 > 0:33:03that will be a beautiful contrast.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And then I've got my hotbeds, nearly finished.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10My pad's in for my cooking area. Greenhouse space nearly in.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14And really today is all about just getting some gravel down.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18And what I've gone for is a gravel called self-binding gravel.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22It's sort of 12 mil gravel, so the larger particles are 12,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and it goes all the way down to what they call fines,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27which is dust.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And, as it goes down and it's compacted, it goes totally solid.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32And, actually, out of a tonne bag,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36you'd probably do about eight square metres of path from it.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39So it does work out quite cost-effective in the end.
0:33:39 > 0:33:40And it's pretty easy to put down.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43It's all about the work that you put underneath.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46So it's digging out, it's getting back to a hard foundation,
0:33:46 > 0:33:47and then putting hard-core in.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51The hard-core base must be well compacted,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and then you can spread the gravel on top.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58You're looking for a good layer of about 70 mil deep.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00And it's worth taking a little bit of time in,
0:34:00 > 0:34:01even if you go back over,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04before I start sort of putting that whacker plate on.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08The gravel needs to be very gently watered
0:34:08 > 0:34:12as the compacting plate glides over the surface.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Never, ever, do it with a hosepipe.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15You don't want to be spraying,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18because you'll wash the fines straight down.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20So...
0:34:20 > 0:34:22So I am nearly there.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It's so exciting to see how quickly my garden is evolving.
0:34:25 > 0:34:31I've transformed that sea of gravel out the front into a proper garden,
0:34:31 > 0:34:32with a breakfast terrace
0:34:32 > 0:34:35and the beginnings of an edible foraging border.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42I've loved discovering the orchard, the meadow, the herbaceous borders,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and my head's stuffed full of ideas for the next chapter of the garden.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48But the biggest transformation of all
0:34:48 > 0:34:50is the overgrown mess
0:34:50 > 0:34:52to the new veg garden.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56To think I'm actually going to start planting in my own veg garden,
0:34:56 > 0:34:57it's fantastic.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07In the last of his series looking at rockeries old and new,
0:35:07 > 0:35:12Joe Swift visits the sculptor of my own favourite exhibit
0:35:12 > 0:35:14at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I love rocks and stones in gardens, in their natural forms.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23But, of course, they can also be sculpted and carved
0:35:23 > 0:35:25into pieces of artwork.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Now, today, I've come to meet a designer who likes to use them
0:35:28 > 0:35:32as focal points in the garden to draw the eye into key areas.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Sometimes, in quite unexpected ways.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39This year, one garden at the Chelsea Flower Show
0:35:39 > 0:35:41created a huge talking point -
0:35:41 > 0:35:46a 44-ton cube of granite, designed by Martin Cook and Gary Breeze
0:35:46 > 0:35:50took rocks and gardens to a whole new level.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55So what is it about rock and stone that you love so much,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58and why do you want to incorporate them into gardens?
0:35:58 > 0:36:02It has such enormous strength and permanence about it.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07Mankind has always been fascinated by large pieces of rock,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10you know, Stonehenge and so on, and they have an awesome presence.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12What stone do you look for?
0:36:12 > 0:36:14I tend to use natural British stone,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17because it's indigenous to this country.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I have to know, when I'm spending hours carving a piece,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23that it's not going to fall apart after the first winter,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26so I use Welsh slate, Cumbrian slate, I use York stone,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- Portland stone, Purbeck stone... - And granite.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- Granite was for Chelsea.- A tough material, though.- Very tough.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Not one that you really want to carve into.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Oh, I like these stepping stones.
0:36:47 > 0:36:54"The book of life begins with a man and a woman in a garden.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57"It ends with Revelations."
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- LAUGHTER - Oscar Wilde.- Fantastic.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Yeah, what I like about it is,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- stepping stones, you see in any garden...- Yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07..but you've sort of added another layer of interest.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09It does make you slow down.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12You have to stop and you have to read it and, rather than
0:37:12 > 0:37:16charging around in our busy lives, it forces you to take your time.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18What happens if you go the other way?
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Well, you have to read it backwards.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21LAUGHTER
0:37:24 > 0:37:29This part has always been really abundant and beautiful.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Here, we had to set a tank into the ground here, and it was all dug up
0:37:33 > 0:37:39to let the gas tank in, and so we've just really put it back and just
0:37:39 > 0:37:42left it and I'd welcome the opportunity
0:37:42 > 0:37:44to do something really interesting.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46It's a sort of classic rockery, though, isn't it?
0:37:46 > 0:37:49You've got a lovely piece of stone here ready to go in, haven't you?
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Yeah, we have. Yeah, I've scooped that out
0:37:51 > 0:37:53to make a bit of a birdbath, which will be rather nice there,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56and then I've got another piece in the workshop that would be great
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- to set in down there and we can work around those.- Sure, sounds great.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01- Shall we go and get it, then?- Sure.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04You've got some nice, mature planting to set it into,
0:38:04 > 0:38:05- haven't you?- Yes.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07BARROW SQUEAKS
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Are you serious with your squeaky barrow?
0:38:09 > 0:38:10LAUGHTER
0:38:10 > 0:38:13You might be good with stone, but you know what? You need some oil!
0:38:13 > 0:38:14Oh, that barrow!
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Right, so what's the idea with this, then?
0:38:16 > 0:38:18So if we stand this in here,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- we'll have a dry run and see how it's going to look there.- OK.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26I think about there somewhere, Joe, would look quite good. So if I...
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- I'll jump up.- Yeah, OK. - So what do you think, Joe?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I think it looks great.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34I think it works really nicely with the ferns,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- even the hemerocallis and then the buddleia behind it.- Yeah.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Just putting this simple, contemporary piece in there
0:38:40 > 0:38:43- really changes the dynamic, I think.- Yeah.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46It'd be really nice to plant some ferns in the front,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49just to really nestle in at the bottom.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52- Is this all right? You don't mind me re-rockery-ing...- That's fine.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55- ..re-rockery-ing your rockery? - LAUGHTER
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- Are you sure?- Yeah, none of it was intended!
0:38:57 > 0:38:58LAUGHTER
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- Just, don't you think, around the bottom...?- Yeah.- You know.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07- You can do the standing back and having a look, now.- Fantastic.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- Together, we'll go a long way, mate.- We will.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13I think it'll have to be called Cook and Swift, though.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15No, Swift and Cook it is, it's got to be.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- Right, we better do the birdbath. - OK, then. Yeah.- Right.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23This is... Well, this is altogether a very different piece, isn't it?
0:39:23 > 0:39:25That is, yeah. It's a piece of the Hornton stone that was found here.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- How heavy is this, then? - It's pretty heavy, so...
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- Oh, God. I tell you what... - Yeah, you know what?
0:39:30 > 0:39:33I think we might leave that to younger men.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Boys, could you give us a lift with this?
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- The heavy-duty boys. - Stronger and younger than us.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41It's not going very far. Where do we want it, then?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Just if you can get it on that angle, there, lads,
0:39:44 > 0:39:45it would be great. So maybe...
0:39:45 > 0:39:48That's it, maybe bring your end round a bit, John.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50- That's probably looking good, actually.- You like it?
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- Yeah, that looks good. - I think that looks good.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Looks very nice, doesn't it?
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Yeah, it needs some planting around it, doesn't it?
0:39:56 > 0:39:57- Just to soften it in there.- Yeah.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- That coreopsis is perfect, really, isn't it?- You think? Yeah.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Because what I like about the stone is it's got that warmth about it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07- Yeah, yeah. - It's a really good colour,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11but with the hemerocallis and then that geranium's got that red in it,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14so I'm thinking, that goes in there...
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- Yep.- ..and that'll just soften as it grows and...
0:40:17 > 0:40:20It's beautiful, look at that - it looks really good.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- Yeah. Fantastic. - Right, I'll dig it in, then.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- It's quite a nice soil, actually. - Yeah, looks good, doesn't it?
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- Should be fine in there. - Yep. Great.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It's been in a pot, so it's quite upright,
0:40:34 > 0:40:39- but it will relax and sort of fill this gap here quite nicely.- Lovely.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- That'll look fantastic, won't it? - Yeah, really good combo.- Yeah.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47From here, I like the way you've got the sort of crisp edge
0:40:47 > 0:40:49- to the terrace...- Yeah.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54..and then that rock as a fulcrum leading you down to the steps.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56It works in lots of ways, design-wise.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00So have I persuaded you to include rockery in your garden?
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I'm not sure about a rockery, but definitely an element of stone.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I've got a slate terrace, but it's very crisp and clean,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10and I feel like I need to get in touch with a more natural form,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12and not too big a feature, quite subtle.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16- OK, so we won't have to crane it in. - We won't have to crane it in!
0:41:16 > 0:41:17- No, OK.- Certainly not.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22- But, yes, I would definitely want something rocky.- Great.
0:41:27 > 0:41:34I do think that stone in some form - whether it be used to look as
0:41:34 > 0:41:37natural as possible, like Paxton's incredible rockery at Chatsworth,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41or whether it is inscribed stone or sculpture -
0:41:41 > 0:41:45always adds an element to a garden and, if you travel the world,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48you will see stone used everywhere
0:41:48 > 0:41:51as something that can be really, truly creative,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55whatever your style or aspect of gardening might be.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Tomatoes still going well, here in this greenhouse and the other one,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08and the grapes are now absolutely at the point
0:42:08 > 0:42:10where they're all ripening fast.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15I confess, I didn't really know the optimum time to pick grapes
0:42:15 > 0:42:20until a few days ago when I went to visit a national collection
0:42:20 > 0:42:24of vines, not so very far from here, in a corner of Herefordshire.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35First things first, do you want a dessert grape or do you want
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- a wine grape?- Dessert.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42- Do you want a seedless variety or one with pips?- Oh!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Oh! I don't mind, is the answer... - OK.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47..but I do know that I want taste.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I want it to be delicious.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53I don't want to just be pleased because I've grown a grape,
0:42:53 > 0:42:58I want it to be the best grape that I have ever tasted in my life.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- No pressure.- No pressure(!) - LAUGHTER
0:43:03 > 0:43:07I have got a spot on a south-facing wall,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09and we do grow against it, already,
0:43:09 > 0:43:13a fig, a pear and a rose, and all three do fine.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Well, that's very good news, because if you can grow a rose,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18you can go a grape vine, and I'm sure,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21from the 478 different varieties we've got growing here,
0:43:21 > 0:43:23we'll find one for you, Monty.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25- Shall we go and look? - Thank you. Yeah. 478?
0:43:34 > 0:43:38I know a lot of people get a bit confused about pruning,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40so let's work through it very basically.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44- This is the vine that could be 100 years old...- Yep.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48..but clearly you've been pruning like mad up above it.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Tell me what you do for your winter pruning regime.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56Well, the aim of the winter pruning is to leave just enough buds
0:43:56 > 0:43:59to produce the new growth, which appears every year,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03- on which the fruit appears. - And just clarify that.- Yeah.
0:44:03 > 0:44:08So all grapes are only produced on the current season's growth.
0:44:08 > 0:44:09- Precisely.- Right.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Precisely, so that's our aim, so what we do, we can either...
0:44:12 > 0:44:15A couple of methods of doing it - the spur prune method,
0:44:15 > 0:44:17- where you can see the old spur here.- Yeah.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19In the winter, I would cut that off.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23- Now, it looks here as though this is permanent structure.- Yes.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25But these are not. That's only a year or two old,
0:44:25 > 0:44:26so what's going on there?
0:44:26 > 0:44:28That's a slightly different way of pruning
0:44:28 > 0:44:31known as cane replacement pruning, which is,
0:44:31 > 0:44:36as it says on the tin, you are replacing this with a new cane,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40so what I would do is, in the winter, chop that off there,
0:44:40 > 0:44:44leaving a space for dieback, and then tie this cane down
0:44:44 > 0:44:47and then that will be... This will look like that next year.
0:44:47 > 0:44:48But why would you do that?
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Why would you not just leave this as a permanent structure?
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Because a lot of varieties, particularly seedless varieties,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56fruit better when they're pruned in this way.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58So what's the latest you would happily prune here?
0:44:58 > 0:45:02I would happily prune... end of the first week of April.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- As late as that.- As late as that? Really?- As late as that, yes, yes.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17OK, that's winter and spring sorted. What about summer?
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Here we are, full growth. How do we manage this?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Well, one of the things you want to do is maximise the light and air
0:45:23 > 0:45:24through what's known as the canopy,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28which is everything that's growing here, so if we've got leaves here,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31what we want to be doing is taking off leaves
0:45:31 > 0:45:33round the fruiting zone -
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- and fruiting zone, I mean, is where the grapes are.- Right.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39And we want to remove all those leaves.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41And you do just pull them off?
0:45:41 > 0:45:44You do, they just crack off, and what you're looking to do
0:45:44 > 0:45:45- is to get an open enough canopy.- Yeah.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49The famous Australian viticulturist said you could place
0:45:49 > 0:45:52a naked female behind the canopy,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54look through, and once you've got a dappled nature,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56you can't quite tell the details,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58so it's that dappled nature of canopy.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01OK, so my coy mistress will be observed
0:46:01 > 0:46:03through the dappled light of a vine?
0:46:03 > 0:46:05You've got it. Isn't that romantic?
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Well, it could be. It could be very nice indeed.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08LAUGHTER
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Is there a critical element to the timing?
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- I would say, as soon as the fruit sets.- Right.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15So as soon as you've got what looks like little sort of
0:46:15 > 0:46:19pea-shaped berries, start taking off the leaves and start exposing them.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Do I need to cut the tops off at all?
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Cut the tops off as well, but make sure you've got at least five
0:46:24 > 0:46:28or six leaves from beyond the last bunch of grapes.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32Mistakes people make are to cut them off and not leave enough leaves
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- for the vine to feed. - OK.- So that's another thing to do.
0:46:41 > 0:46:47Now, how do you tell when a bunch of grapes is ready to be picked?
0:46:47 > 0:46:51Well, you observe the colour they turn to,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- so with the black grape, it'll turn black...- Yes.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56..and the final colour, and with a white grape,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59- it'll go slightly translucent and soft.- Right.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- Make a note of that date...- Yes.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04..and don't touch them for four to six weeks.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05You want them to be ripe.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10See, my guess is that most people, like me, pick them too soon.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Absolutely, and what they end up with? Sour grapes.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23So if I start with this one, it's...
0:47:23 > 0:47:24- What's it called?- Lakemont.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26- Lakemont.- A white seedless.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Mmm! That's a nice grape.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35- It's got some acidity...- Yep.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37..but it's also got floral tones.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Yes. And the next one, just have a taste. I won't say anything.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41What's this one called?
0:47:41 > 0:47:45- This one's called Interlaken. - OK.- Another white seedless.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Oh! SHE LAUGHS
0:47:47 > 0:47:48Oh!
0:47:50 > 0:47:51I thought that might...
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Describe what's going on.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00It's a hit of a really, really oversweet child's sweet.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04- Bubblegummy, strawberry flavour.- Yeah.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08- Strawberry...- Yeah.- ..but bad strawberry. Not in a good way.- No.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11- OK, what's this one? - This one's called Himrod.- Right.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- And you're not...?- I'm not, I'm not. I'm not going to... Yes, yeah.
0:48:14 > 0:48:15Disturb your palate.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22That's very different. I have absolutely no ambiguity at all.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25- I much prefer that one. - Lakemont it is, then.- Yes.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- Can I please have a Lakemont vine... - You may.- ..to plant against
0:48:28 > 0:48:30my south-facing wall? Brilliant.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33- You'll be successful. - Well, we've arrived.- Ta-da!
0:48:33 > 0:48:37- Gone down from 400 and... How many was it?- 478...- 478 to one.
0:48:37 > 0:48:38- ..to one.- Brilliant.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49It's been several years since Rachel visited Longmeadow
0:48:49 > 0:48:52and, today, she's made a welcome return.
0:48:54 > 0:48:59When you were last here, I think all of this was vegetables.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03It's amazing, you know, actually, in four years,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05that it looks so full, so mature.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13- This...this is the pond.- Ah, the pond. This is what I remember.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15- The pond what we did. - The pond what we did.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17- Do you remember? - Oh, we did a good job.- Yeah.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22- Transformed, Monty.- Quite a lot of the planting, actually, we did
0:49:22 > 0:49:25- is still there.- Yes, yes. - Although there's been a little bit
0:49:25 > 0:49:27- of rearrangement.- I see a lot of it.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29You remember the Candelabra primulas,
0:49:29 > 0:49:31which looked, in 2012, looked great.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36- And in 2013 didn't look bad.- Mm-hm. - But by 2015 had disappeared.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40And that was because I hadn't really allowed for the full growth
0:49:40 > 0:49:45of the hostas and they thrived at the expense of things
0:49:45 > 0:49:48- around them.- Yes. I think we did a good job.- We did.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Well, let's hope... OK, you've done a good job in the damp part,
0:49:51 > 0:49:53let's take you to the dry part and see if you can help me do
0:49:53 > 0:49:55a good job there.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03- Yeah.- Stunning colour.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08- Right.- Come on, you. - This is the dry garden.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10That, by the way, is a vine called Lakemont,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- which I planted just the other day. - Ah!
0:50:13 > 0:50:15- So that is going to come up over here...- Lovely.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18..and we'll have these beautiful, slightly acidic white grapes
0:50:18 > 0:50:20in a year or two.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24I've done a bit of clearing in here because this is
0:50:24 > 0:50:29- very free draining...- Mm-hm. - ..very sunny, but our high rainfall
0:50:29 > 0:50:33and rich soil means that the things that thrive become
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- thugs really quickly and take over. - Yeah.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38And what, of course, I want is, with any dry garden,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- you want it open. - You said dry garden.- Yeah.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43So I thought sedums, I knew you liked them already.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46- You've done your homework.- And I've got a couple of nice ones there,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- do you think?- They're fantastic and thank you so much.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51I've got some eremurus, which I want in and I think they
0:50:51 > 0:50:54should be planted first cos have a look at these.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57- Look at that.- They're like something from another planet.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- That is Joanna.- That's fantastic.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Isn't it an amazing plant?
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Now this is white and that's Charleston
0:51:04 > 0:51:07and that is a really good soft yellow.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Now, I know that if we start placing them...
0:51:10 > 0:51:12See, if that went somewhere in that space there.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15- So just there?- Yeah. - So we need to make sure...
0:51:15 > 0:51:18- Because they don't like being crowded.- Yeah,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21and also drainage, drainage, and then a bit more drainage.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26So what I'm going to do...
0:51:26 > 0:51:31I suggest, is put a layer of grit in so it sits on pure grit.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35- Yeah, so it just lifts it up... - Yeah.- ..slightly. Great.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36Chuck a bit in there.
0:51:41 > 0:51:42Do you know what, Monty, I have to say,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45I really like gardening with somebody.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47You know, my husband doesn't garden.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50It's just nice to bounce ideas back and forth with somebody
0:51:50 > 0:51:54who's equally plant besotted.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57Yeah. I think one of the great unsung joys of this garden
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- is it's been made by myself and Sarah.- Yes.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- And we've always done it together. - Yes, lovely thing.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Our whole relationship, for 37 years, has been a love of gardens.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09- Yeah.- It is important. It is...
0:52:09 > 0:52:13You know, when you go to allotments...
0:52:13 > 0:52:16- people chat and swap ideas... - Yeah.- ..and help each other out
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- and that matters.- Exactly.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22- Do you think we should mark them?- I think we should definitely mark them
0:52:22 > 0:52:24- because it's so easy to forget where that is.- OK.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28And, of course, not to plant where the roots are.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30- It does mean there's a lot of bare soil.- I know.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35- Something like sowing annuals, perhaps? Maybe bulbs.- Maybe...
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Nelly. She's making a friend out of you.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39There you are, you see. A new friend, Nelly.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Hello, you!
0:52:41 > 0:52:45- A large... Nel!- She does want the stake!
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- Now, look here...- Nelly, stop it.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48You and I are going to have
0:52:48 > 0:52:50- to learn to work together. - Stop it, stop it.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52If you're happy with where you've got the eremurus,
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- we can just then work...- Yeah. - ..the sedums in and around them.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Let's get another couple in there and then start working
0:52:57 > 0:52:58- on the sedums.- OK.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Monty, I'm just thinking, shall I leave a bit of space
0:53:04 > 0:53:06and then we could put some sedum between them?
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- Yeah, I agree, it's a good idea. - How does that work?
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- Thank you.- There we go.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19Tired, Nelly?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Now, sedums. You know, if you see those in the pot,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27- nice and upright...- Yeah, I mean, the thing is that they're just
0:53:27 > 0:53:29- water storage units, aren't they? - Yeah.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I mean, they're so beautifully adapted to storing water in here.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- Now, which one is that?- This is an absolutely gorgeous one,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Purple Emperor, which I think is one of my favourites.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40I mean, just that lovely dark colour. This reminds me, I think,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43of broccoli and this is like a purple sprouting
0:53:43 > 0:53:45- in its habit, it's airy and light.- Right.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48And that's the sort of more conventional lumpy broccoli.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50- Well, I like lumpy broccoli. - You like it!
0:53:50 > 0:53:52And this lumpy broccoli is called Autumn Joy,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54- so we'll stick with that.- OK. - If I...
0:53:54 > 0:53:57put them sort of fairly close to the edge
0:53:57 > 0:54:01- and in front of there. - That one can go there.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03It wants to be where it's going to not be shaded out.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06That is the key thing. I wonder if we could get...
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- Maybe another there? - Another one there.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11- That's going to get maximum sunlight.- Group them together.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14And the other thing I love about sedums is
0:54:14 > 0:54:18just how wonderful they are for attracting beneficial insects,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20- hoverflies, especially.- Yeah, yeah.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25And, you know, of course with hoverfly larvae feasting on aphids,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27that can only be a good thing.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29- As they age, they continue to look good.- Yeah.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- They're still adding something to the garden.- Yeah, exactly.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36Even when the flowers are brown, they've still got
0:54:36 > 0:54:38- that structural element.- Well, I leave them on all winter.- Yeah.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42I love the way it's giving contrast to the Euphorbia behind it.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49OK. That's the same old thing, isn't it? Right plant, right place.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Exactly. There's no getting away from it.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00It's also quite a good idea to check for vine weevil
0:55:00 > 0:55:03when you're just tipping it out of the pot.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Do you know, I've never knowingly had vine weevil here.- Mmm.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- Well, you don't want to introduce it with a new plant, do you?- No, no.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12It's not a bad idea to check.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14That looks nice.
0:55:14 > 0:55:15I think that's pretty good.
0:55:15 > 0:55:20Obviously, it's got to fill in, we've got to get some bulbs in...
0:55:20 > 0:55:23various other options and I want to fill some gaps,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25but having the eremurus there, those are the key plants
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- that everything else will... - Exactly, and they'll be spectacular
0:55:28 > 0:55:30- if they work.- Yeah. That's really good.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Well, I'll water these in, and there's one more thing.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35What's next, Rachel?
0:55:35 > 0:55:37I would say it's jobs for the weekend.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Chicory has two distinct phases of growth.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50The first throughout summer has masses of very bitter leaves,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54which develops a good strong root and then in autumn,
0:55:54 > 0:55:59the edible shoots appear. So strip away much of that summer growth
0:55:59 > 0:56:04to let these new shoots have plenty of light and air.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Celery and celeriac are not fully hardy
0:56:11 > 0:56:15but it's good to leave them in the ground as long as possible.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19And if you pack them with a layer of insulating straw,
0:56:19 > 0:56:23this will protect them from all but the hardest frosts.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Well, it's beginning to feel a little bit nippy here at Longmeadow,
0:56:32 > 0:56:36so I wonder what the weather's going to be like this weekend?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Let's find out.
0:59:01 > 0:59:04Nelly, stop it, not everybody likes that.
0:59:04 > 0:59:05I do. Well...
0:59:07 > 0:59:10Well, look, Rachel, it's very, very nice of you to come.
0:59:10 > 0:59:12I'm sorry that Nel has taken a shine to you in a big way.
0:59:12 > 0:59:14I'm taking her home with me.
0:59:14 > 0:59:16- I think you must come slightly more often.- Yes.
0:59:16 > 0:59:19- I think four years is probably a little too long.- Four years
0:59:19 > 0:59:21is too long and I can't believe how much you've done in that time.
0:59:21 > 0:59:24- Well, there's always more to do. You know what it's like.- Yes, I do.
0:59:24 > 0:59:26- There's always more to do. - I do.- But not tonight
0:59:26 > 0:59:30because that's it for today and we'll be back next week,
0:59:30 > 0:59:34but it's going to be the last of this series, so don't miss it.
0:59:34 > 0:59:37- Till then, bye-bye.- Bye.