0:00:08 > 0:00:10Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World
0:00:10 > 0:00:15on a beautiful, bright, frosty morning here at Longmeadow.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19These spring frosts can catch some early-flowering plants unawares
0:00:19 > 0:00:23but they make this gardener's heart sing.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Suddenly you feel full of life, full of light and full of energy,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and there's quite a lot to do in the garden.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31I've just cleared this bed of kale.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32I sowed it last March.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36We started picking it when the leaves were young in May
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and we've in eating it ever since, so a whole year has passed.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44You can see, if I pick up a stalk, that...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46just a little sprouty bit at the top
0:00:46 > 0:00:49but all the way up, these leaves came through.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50And the great thing about this kale,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54which is Cavolo nero black Tuscan kale, is that it's sweet,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57it cooks like spinach, you can use it in soups and stews,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59it makes fantastic pasta sauce.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Time now for it to go to the compost heap and I can clear that bed.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Now, in today's programme,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06as well as working here in the vegetable garden,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I'm planting an Amelanchier, I'll be working in the Jewel Garden
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and sowing some vegetable seeds
0:01:11 > 0:01:13ready for planting out when the ground warms up.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Right, these can be shredded.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25This week, in his last of three films looking at the garden tree,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Joe is learning how best to prune.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Oh, yeah, that makes a big difference, actually.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And to show us house plants as we've never seen them before,
0:01:33 > 0:01:39Nick Bailey goes to the Barbican to visit a conservatory of giants.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This has got to be the classic icon of '70s interiors,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44the Swiss cheese plant.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Here you can see the specimen is probably 25 metres tall.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And last summer we visited a garden in Oxfordshire
0:01:50 > 0:01:52that is crammed with clematis.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Like most people, what attracted me to clematis was the large flowers
0:01:57 > 0:02:00but the more you grow them, the more you come to realise
0:02:00 > 0:02:03it's the small flowers that are more beautiful
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and so much more diverse.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22You stay outside, you two.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26This book, The Vegetable Garden Displayed, published by the RHS
0:02:26 > 0:02:30originally in 1941 as part of the Dig For Victory campaign,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33really fired my enthusiasm for gardening.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I'd gardened since I was seven but it was a chore,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39it was a household duty, and I learned a lot
0:02:39 > 0:02:41but I didn't learn how to love it.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45And it wasn't until I got a copy of this book, I was 17,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and I looked at the pictures and one of them was a celery trench,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and I just thought it was a thing of incredible beauty.
0:02:53 > 0:02:59The whole business of growing things was as good as the end result,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and from that obviously you get food you love and so it goes,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and I never really looked back,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07so celery has a special place in my heart and I'm going to sow some now.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Now, there are two types of celery.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12The celery in The Vegetable Garden Displayed, if you like,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15is the old-fashioned type, which is trench celery,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17which isn't self-blanching, and I will grow that,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21but today I'm going to grow some self-blanching celery
0:03:21 > 0:03:23and that can be grown on the level ground.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26You sow it in a block or a grid
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and you can harvest it from September onwards.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I've got some seed compost
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and I'm going to sow a variety called Tall Utah.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Celery seeds are tiny
0:03:39 > 0:03:43and the seedlings, when they emerge, are tiny too.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48And I will then prick them out into plugs and grow them on.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Now, what I'm going to do is
0:03:51 > 0:03:56press them into the compost like that,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and that's to stop them moving around when I water them.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Water them lightly. Importantly, put them somewhere warm.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Celery needs heat to germinate.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Start them now, grow them on, prick them out, harden them off
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and they'll be ready to plant outside around early May.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Now, this greenhouse is heated but only to stop it being cold
0:04:17 > 0:04:20rather than to make it actively warm.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23One of the things that surprised me this year is that
0:04:23 > 0:04:24the Amaryllis have loved it.
0:04:24 > 0:04:30There is something about coming to a greenhouse on a grey, wet day
0:04:30 > 0:04:35and finding plants that are exotic and lift your spirits.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But if you don't have your own, you can go and visit other people's
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and Nick Bailey, the head gardener at Chelsea Physic Garden,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46has gone to visit a spectacular greenhouse in a surprising location.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57This is a stark, stark place, full of concrete.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01It's brutalist architecture at its best, or its worst,
0:05:01 > 0:05:02depending on your opinion,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06but at its centre is a living, breathing organic heart.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12The Barbican was built as part of a utopian vision to transform
0:05:12 > 0:05:16an area of London left devastated by bombing in the Second World War.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19On the outside, it's a harsh-looking vision,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23but hidden within is something unexpected and very special.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Wow. This is the Barbican Conservatory
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and what an extraordinary space it is. It's a vast, vast glasshouse.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37In fact, it's the second biggest in London
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and we're totally surrounded by concrete and buildings and city
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and noise, and then suddenly you step into this amazing green space.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50This place is dripping with plants from all over the world,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52from the deserts to the tropics,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55yet most are available from your local garden centre.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58They're house plants, but maybe not as we know them.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04You might not recognise this straightaway
0:06:04 > 0:06:06but this is Ficus benjamina.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's one of the plants you always find in offices or tucked away
0:06:09 > 0:06:11at the back of a lounge.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Now, ordinarily in the home, they would maybe grow to about six foot.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15This is growing to its full size,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20the same size it would grow in the tropics, so 20, 20-plus metres,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22but at home you can keep it down to about six foot,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24nice sort of tight, tight column.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27About the only thing it objects to is a cold draught,
0:06:27 > 0:06:28so you need to be careful of that,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30otherwise it will keep performing for you.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42This has got to be one of the house plants
0:06:42 > 0:06:44that virtually everybody knows.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It's commonly called money plant or the jade plant
0:06:47 > 0:06:51but its botanic name is Crassula ovata. It comes from South Africa
0:06:51 > 0:06:53and it grows in really hot, dry conditions,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56so if you want to grow it well at home,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58go for a really sort of hot, sunny windowsill.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It will absolutely love it there.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Small windowsill plants are fairly unlikely to flower,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but once they get to sort of above about two foot or so,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I mean, this one is at six foot already,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10they'll start to produce these flowers.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12What's really nice is, they come in the low season,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15so during winter and early spring, when things are a bit sad
0:07:15 > 0:07:18in the garden, this is looking amazing on the windowsill.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29This has got to be the classic icon of '70s interiors,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the Swiss cheese plant or Monstera deliciosa,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and that name is really pertinent.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's the delicious monster, so monstrous leaves,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and deliciosa references its fruit
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and it produces these conical fruits
0:07:41 > 0:07:44which have an almost sort of custard apple,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46so very, very sweet flavour to them.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47You can get it to fruit at home.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Here you can see the specimen is probably 25 metres tall
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and it has such, such dramatic architectural foliage.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56I think, bring the '70s back,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58we need some Monsteras back in our life!
0:08:00 > 0:08:05Nurtured in our homes, these amazing plants totally transform any space
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and the great thing is that they can be multiplied
0:08:07 > 0:08:09to be shared with loved ones.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13You just need to propagate them, which may sound difficult
0:08:13 > 0:08:15but it's actually really simple.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20This trailing purple Tradescantia
0:08:20 > 0:08:23is a perfect, perfect candidate for propagation.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24It's a really unusual plant
0:08:24 > 0:08:27inasmuch as it's native to the tropical Americas
0:08:27 > 0:08:29and it's totally unknown in the wild now,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33so you can only get it from garden centres or sharing with friends,
0:08:33 > 0:08:34so the way to take the cutting
0:08:34 > 0:08:37is to look for some good, active growth,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38so that might be long trailing growth
0:08:38 > 0:08:40or it might be growth up at the top here,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and then count down the nodes where the leaves break out,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45so one, two, three, four,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and we're going to make a cut just at the bottom there.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And it's important to make sure that your knife
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and the tile that you're using are as sterile as possible.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57That will get rid of any nasty bacterial or fungal problems
0:08:57 > 0:08:59that you could introduce to your cuttings.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Now, with the Tradescantia,
0:09:00 > 0:09:06what we want to do is just remove these initial lower leaves
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and then look at this top section,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11so we've got some fairly bulky leaves at the top,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13so I'm going to slice those away,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and all that does is just to reduce the transpiration,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18so it reduces the water loss from the plant.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23You can use a basic, basic all-purpose compost mix,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26just make yourself a small hole down the side,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28slot your cutting into there,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31so it wants to be pushing up against the side of the pot.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Firm it in.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Best thing then, you can water it from overhead,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39but much better if you can just put it in a tray of water,
0:09:39 > 0:09:40allow it to soak some water up.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43In a matter of weeks it will have rooted through.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Cuttings really aren't that hard to do and what can go wrong?
0:09:51 > 0:09:52Hidden from plain view,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55secret gardens like the Barbican Conservatory
0:09:55 > 0:09:59offer two precious commodities - solace and inspiration.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Nelly!
0:10:06 > 0:10:09And if you'd like to visit the Barbican Conservatory,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11look on our website for opening hours.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I long ago learned to live with the fact that
0:10:17 > 0:10:20there are a whole range of plants that just will not grow
0:10:20 > 0:10:22outside here at Longmeadow.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27However, I've got a plant here that should be very happy here,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29and it's a shrub.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Now, this is an Amelanchier.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's Amelanchier ballerina.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Now, you can see that this has got multi-stems
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and I think a useful definition is
0:10:40 > 0:10:44a tree fundamentally wants to grow on a single stem
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and a shrub is multi-stemmed.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49I'm planting it at the back of the border,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but I don't want it to compete with the apple trees,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54so I'll keep it pruned
0:10:54 > 0:10:59so that it's mainly below the height of the lowest branches.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I'm not going to add any compost or manure to the planting hole
0:11:05 > 0:11:08because there's a temptation for the roots to stay within the hole
0:11:08 > 0:11:10where the goodness is.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13You want it to grow out into the soil as quickly as possible,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but I am going to add some biochar.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Now, biochar is a soil improver that you can buy at garden centres.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23It's a mixture of charcoal, mycorrhizal fungi
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and some wormcasts.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Charcoal holds nutrients and releases it to plants.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Now, I just need to sprinkle it over the planting hole
0:11:35 > 0:11:38so that the roots will come into contact with it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41I'll take the plant out of the pot...
0:11:42 > 0:11:44..and I'll turn it as I want it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Now, Amelanchier ballerina has white flowers in the spring
0:11:50 > 0:11:53that will pick up off the blossom of the trees around them
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and the foliage has really good autumn colour, so lots going for it.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It's going to add lots to the border and,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02above all, the structure.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04And I want to be able to see the shape of the stem,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07so I can prune it accordingly as it grows.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Now, talking of pruning,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Joe, on his third and final look at the garden tree,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17goes and gets expert advice on how best to prune them.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Trees are nature's great survivors.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Left to their own devices, they'll grow happily for many years,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29but in your garden, trees often need pruning,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33so when do they need a snip or more drastic surgery?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37One man in the know is arboriculturist Jamie Saunders.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39These are beautiful trees, aren't they?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- Huge line of these copper beech. - Yeah.- So what's going on?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44What are you doing to them?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47We're crown-thinning the trees by about 20%,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49so that's going to remove
0:12:49 > 0:12:52approximately one fifth of the branches, the secondary branches,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55to allow more light to come through to the house and the gardens below,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57to reduce wind resistance
0:12:57 > 0:12:59so that they suffer less damage in winter storms.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00They're very, very dense.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03They haven't been pruned for about 20 years, apparently.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Trees don't get pruned in nature, so why do we need to
0:13:05 > 0:13:07prune them in a garden situation?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It's different because you have to maintain a safe environment
0:13:10 > 0:13:13if you're going to be living in and around these trees.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16You might have underplanting that needs more light and nutrients,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20so you have to balance the needs of both.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Larger trees may be protected by the local council,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27so it's worth consulting a tree surgeon to check what you can do,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31but you don't always need to call in an expert for tree work.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34There's pruning you can do on your own to ensure
0:13:34 > 0:13:36your trees fulfil their potential.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Now, this is much more a manageable size for the average gardener.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41How old do you reckon this tree might be?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Probably five or six years old in total
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and probably been in the ground about two years now.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48OK, but there's lots that we can do now to make sure that this grows
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- into a really good shape. - Absolutely. It should be done now.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's the ideal time to do it, to just open up
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and give it a good structure.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- I think we'll take off these lowest three here, actually.- OK.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- And that one? - And that one as well, on that side,
0:14:03 > 0:14:04- do you want to do that?- Yeah, sure.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09'These cuts create a good, clean trunk with an even and balanced
0:14:09 > 0:14:10'crown of branches above it.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Right, what's happening in here?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16It's quite congested in the middle of the tree, isn't it?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It is there, and you've got this one, two and three branches
0:14:19 > 0:14:23all growing in the same direction there, too close together, really,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25so it's just a case of spacing those out, and I would suggest
0:14:25 > 0:14:27it's this centre one that goes here
0:14:27 > 0:14:30cos it will get rid of this slightly crossing branch we have here anyway,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33so I'll just lean in there and take that one out now.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I think that looks great and really nicely balanced.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- It's sort of standing up proud now, isn't it?- It does, it's really nice.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45So how often do you need to do this sort of pruning?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Is it annually, every five years?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I would say check it every year,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52just to make sure there isn't anything untoward, but generally
0:14:52 > 0:14:55every two or three years, it may need some very minor pruning.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'Just like a human, if you cut a tree, its wound can heal,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'but it's important to get the cuts right.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06This is a really lovely ash, isn't it? A great canopy to it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- It's delicate at the moment.- Yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Now, say you wanted to take this branch off, because it's quite low
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and it's going out at quite a low angle as well,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16where exactly should you cut?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18So, firstly, you need to take the weight off the branch,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20so cut it and leave a stub at first,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and then once you've got the stub you can be quite precise
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and you cut it just in front of that collar there
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and that will allow the tree to seal up the wound
0:15:27 > 0:15:28as quickly as possible
0:15:28 > 0:15:31because otherwise it's always going to be an open wound,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33an entry point for decay fungi to get into the rest of the tree.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37'One way to transform a young tree is to give it a crown lift,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'which can help create space under the branches
0:15:40 > 0:15:42'for mowing or for underplanting.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Right, so how high do you want to go with this?
0:15:45 > 0:15:47How much do you want to take off the bottom?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I think these four here - one, two, three, four -
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and that's really going to be about one-third of the total height,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and that's a good rule of thumb for crown lifting,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56one third exposed stem, two thirds crown.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Now, autumn is definitely the best time with birches, isn't it?
0:15:59 > 0:16:03It is, yeah. In the spring is actually a bad time to prune them
0:16:03 > 0:16:06because the sap is rising and they'll bleed profusely if you do it then.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Yeah, OK. So you're going to get that one off?- This one here, yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10OK.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12'It's lovely to reveal the stem of a silver birch,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15'but they respond best if they are pruned while young.'
0:16:15 > 0:16:19There you go. Let's have a little look at that, then.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Oh, yeah. That makes a big difference, actually.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- You were right.- Looks great, doesn't it?- You were definitely right.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28'And just as transformed
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'was the copper beech that Jamie's team had been pruning.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- That looks so much better, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36It really has made a huge difference.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I mean, the trunk lights up and now you can see the branches
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- within the tree and the whole shape of it.- Yeah.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And the view has opened up completely.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Don't be afraid to prune your trees.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Obviously if they're this big, you've got to call the experts in,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56but smaller trees in your garden, you can get your secateurs out,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00your pruning saw out and you can shape their future.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19I remember on my one and only trip to Japan, though I hope not my last,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23being astounded by the extent of the pruning that went on with the trees.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27I never once in two weeks saw a tree in a park, a street,
0:17:27 > 0:17:32let alone a garden, that wasn't pruned to the point of manicuring.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36It was a real insight into what you CAN do, if you want to,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38with almost any kind of tree.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44Now, far from trees, I want to sow some climbers, annual climbers.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Most of us grow sweet peas, which work very well,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50but these are tender, so if I sow them now,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I won't be able to plant them outside until after the last frost,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56which here is round about early to mid-May
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and I've got some Cobaea here, Cobaea scandens,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01which won't even start flowering until late summer.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Last time I grew them, which was two years ago,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06the flowers appeared in September,
0:18:06 > 0:18:07but they were fantastic
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and they went on flowering until the first frosts,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12which were in November.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15You need to sow the seed now into pots,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19so I've got purple here, which I will grow again,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22probably in a pot in the Jewel Garden,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and the seeds are fairly large,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and I'm going to grow two to a pot,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30so just push them in on their side.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Whichever seedling grows strongest,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37I'll leave, and then take out the other
0:18:37 > 0:18:41and I'll probably plant three or four plants to a large pot.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I'm using a seed compost
0:18:44 > 0:18:47but they are going to be in the pot for quite a long time,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49so you may want to enrich it a bit.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51A general-purpose compost will actually do fine.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56Cobaea likes rich soil, plenty of moisture, good drainage
0:18:56 > 0:19:00but they are greedy, hungry feeders and they respond to warmth,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04so when you position them, put them somewhere sunny and sheltered.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I'll water those, put them somewhere warm
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and I won't plant these out until early June.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15These will climb and do their stuff
0:19:15 > 0:19:17just for a relatively short season
0:19:17 > 0:19:19but, of course, we've grow Clematis
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and expect them to reappear year after year.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26And most of us have some in our gardens and really enjoy them,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30but very, very few people on this planet
0:19:30 > 0:19:34will either love Clematis as much as Mike Brown does,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37or grow as many in their garden.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50I was in the RAF for 30 years
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and '67 was when we bought our first house,
0:19:54 > 0:19:55and I remember going straight out
0:19:55 > 0:20:00and buying Jackmanii, which I still grow, cos it's a wonderful Clematis.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05And then slowly, as we moved around, I gradually increased.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10But until about 15, 20 years ago, I never got above 40
0:20:10 > 0:20:14but now, I don't know, 300 or 400, I suppose.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Come on, Harry.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Like most people, what attracted me to Clematis was the large flowers
0:20:34 > 0:20:37because they are so showy.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40But the more you grow them, the more you come to realise
0:20:40 > 0:20:44it's the small flowers that are more beautiful and so much more diverse.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48This Clematis is called Paul Farges.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It's one of very few garden Clematis
0:20:52 > 0:20:56that's got Vitalba - Old Man's Beard - as a parent.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Most of them would be much too rampant to grow in the garden,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02so you get infested. This one is a sterile hybrid.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It will hide anything.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07This will flower for three and half, four months
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and there's no work to do at the end.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12All you do is chop it back to about 10 or 12 inches.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Here, we've got a couple of interesting Clematis, really.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20They're both Viticellas, but very different.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25This one is called Betty Corning
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and it's one of the best scented Clematis there are,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and it's one of very few where you don't actually need the sunshine.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Provided you've got 20 degrees C, you will get a lovely scent.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The other one has two names - original name was Flore Plena,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46but it disappeared from cultivation for many generations.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Eventually, it was discovered again and was brought onto the market
0:21:50 > 0:21:54about the same time as they got the ship, the Mary Rose,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57so it's come back on the market as "Mary Rose".
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Because this area is south-facing, we put pipes in the ground.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03These are about 11 inches deep.
0:22:03 > 0:22:09These are at an angle, so the water goes down to the root and below.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13What you must never do is just water the surface of the soil
0:22:13 > 0:22:15because the roots come up for it
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and now it's a surface rooted plant
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and, as you get a long, hot, dry period,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23you tend to lose the Clematis through lack of moisture.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I believe that Texensis is the "in" Clematis.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34There's a lovely, diverse colour range,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36but they're nearly all an urn shape.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Gorgeous shape, really.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Most of them are totally hardy.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45This lovely pink Clematis is called Etoile Rose
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and it contains Texensis,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52and it also contains Viticella, but being a complex hybrid,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54it contains other Clematis as well.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58And I find anything with Texensis in it is beautiful.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Most of the cultivars are susceptible to powdery mildew,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09but you can minimise it by keeping the root area clear,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13so the air can get through it, and never, ever watering foliage.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Small-flowered Clematis are not difficult,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22they are beautiful, and they don't wilt.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25They get better and better every year.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36ROBIN SINGS
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Well, I absolutely agree with Mike,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42that the late flowering Clematis are my favourite, because they may
0:23:42 > 0:23:46start a little bit late, but they go on flowering well into winter.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I haven't got any Clematis here in the grass borders.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Cut them back, so they need a little bit of weeding and mulching.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57But we've found two treasures in here.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01One, over there, has now walked away, but the other is still here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03It's a hedgehog, hibernating.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Now, I don't know if you can see - I don't want to disturb it.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11There you are. I'm sorry, old chap. I'm sorry, just breathe.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It's found a little nesting place,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16tucked up against a couple of agrostis there,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20pulled the leaves around it and that is secure and safe.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Now, it's really important that we look after our hedgehogs in gardens
0:24:24 > 0:24:27because they are disappearing tragically fast
0:24:27 > 0:24:28from the countryside,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31so gardens are becoming their most important habitat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35And they are the gardener's friend because hedgehogs devour slugs,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and all of us suffer from slugs and snails.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43In fact, you can find a list of what we suffer most from, from the RHS.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Today, they've published a list of the top ten enquiries
0:24:46 > 0:24:49over the last year of pests and diseases.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Now, top actually was the caterpillar -
0:24:52 > 0:24:55the box caterpillar, rather than slugs and snails.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57My guess is that's because it's a new problem -
0:24:57 > 0:24:59people didn't know what to do about it.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03You've got slugs and snails coming second, then you've got aphids
0:25:03 > 0:25:05and the usual list of stuff.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07But you can go to the website and you can see it.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11But what I would say is high-tech is not the answer.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13If you want to make your garden healthy,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16a pile of leaves, sticks, dry grasses...
0:25:16 > 0:25:17This time of year it's great
0:25:17 > 0:25:19because you're clearing back winter stuff.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Make a pile in the corner of the garden -
0:25:22 > 0:25:26that is brilliant at harbouring predators.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It could range to be as big as a hedgehog,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30it could be as small as an insect,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32but that will keep your garden healthy
0:25:32 > 0:25:34as much as anything else you can do.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Come on.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I'm nearly finished mulching this garden.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58This is mushroom compost.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00You'd better take that. Go on.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04And it works really well on our heavy clay
0:26:04 > 0:26:07because it breaks the soil down.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12You can use anything, really, that's going to work into the soil -
0:26:12 > 0:26:16mushroom compost, well-rotted manure,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18garden compost, bark -
0:26:18 > 0:26:21they all do the same sort of job.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22When you're mulching,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26it really matters that you put it on thickly - at least two inches.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30And if you've got more, you can go up to four or five inches, even,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and it's going to do three things.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35The first is it will suppress weeds.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It will stop annual weeds germinating
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and perennial weeds will be weaker as they grow through
0:26:41 > 0:26:42and easier to weed.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The second is it will keep moisture in the ground.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50And finally, not least, it improves the soil structure.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54So, I'd say, of almost anything else you can do in the garden,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58mulching is probably the most important, certainly in spring.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Now, I suspect those of you who haven't yet mulched your gardens
0:27:02 > 0:27:04were bound to be doing it this weekend,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08but here are some other things you can do as well.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11If you get perennial weeds, like bindweed or cooch grass
0:27:11 > 0:27:15into a border, they can be really difficult to eradicate,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18especially if they're growing in amongst your plants.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It's almost impossible to get them out.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24However, it is worth trying by lifting the plant,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28removing what weeds you can see and as much soil as you can,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and then washing the roots clear of all dirt.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37That way you can really see what is weed root and what is plant root.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40When you feel you've removed every scrap of weed,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43you can replant the herbaceous perennial.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50If you haven't done so already, it's time to prune climbing roses.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Tie in any structural growth so it's good and horizontal
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and from these grow the upright side shoots.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Reduce them back to a bud or two - this will stimulate new growth
0:28:02 > 0:28:06and it's that new growth that will carry this year's display.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16The crocuses in the wild garden are loving the sunshine.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19They've only just appeared in the last day or two.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22They're just making the most of this glorious weather.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And there's going to be more sunshine from Sunday,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27because it's the Spring Equinox,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30when daylight gets longer than night.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So, not only are the days getting longer, they're getting brighter.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36I'll see you back here at Longmeadow next Friday.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Till then, bye bye. Come on.