0:00:05 > 0:00:06Come on.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Hello, and welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13This is the Writing Garden,
0:00:13 > 0:00:18and the Writing Garden is planted fundamentally with white flowers.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I say fundamentally because some are touched with pink,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and that's deliberate,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27the idea being to pick up the white and the pink of the apple blossom
0:00:27 > 0:00:28as and when it comes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Having said that, there are some rogue plants.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34It's amazing how often you plant something or sow something
0:00:34 > 0:00:38and another plant altogether appears -
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and there's nothing you can do about it,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42and occasionally you make a mistake.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45So, for example, we've got this lovely white daffodil,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49thalia, which is creamy, touched with a little bit of lemony yellow,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52which is fine - but then bright yellow daffodils,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55which I certainly didn't intend to put in here,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57popping up occasionally.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58The only thing to do is pick 'em.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I've got a pink hyacinth - should be white -
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and these rogues will make perfectly good plants elsewhere.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I'll move them in a few weeks' time, but, for the moment,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I'll let the flowers come, pick them, put them in a vase
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and they'll be fine - but not here in the Writing Garden.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19There's not too much purification needed,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23and it's always so exciting to see this growth coming through -
0:01:23 > 0:01:27after a barren winter, flowers are appearing every day,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and what is also exciting to appear are my bees,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and it's time to see how they're getting on.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38This week, Carol is visiting a garden
0:01:38 > 0:01:42filled with flowers that thrive in shade...
0:01:42 > 0:01:46This time of year, a woodland garden is just a thing of beauty.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50It's very natural, it does its own thing, really.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53..and Frances Tophill begins a new series of films
0:01:53 > 0:01:57trialling some of our most popular vegetables.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We're going to learn from this which are the highest yielding
0:02:00 > 0:02:04and, really importantly, which tastes the best.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22There is bee activity.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25For quite long periods of the winter, there was nothing -
0:02:25 > 0:02:26no sign of them at all -
0:02:26 > 0:02:31but the sun is coming out, there are flowers and they've got pollen,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and they're starting to get busy.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37And whilst it's too early to open them out completely,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39it's worth just checking them,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and I'm going to give them a little bit of fondant,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45that's sugar and water mixed, because it can get cold.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49We could have a burst of really bleak weather,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and that's an insurance against bad weather -
0:02:51 > 0:02:55and if they don't need it, well, no harm is done.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57So, I'm going to protect myself a little,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00just in case they get irritated at my presence.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09This is the fondant, which you can buy from bee suppliers,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and fundamentally it's icing sugar mixed up into a paste, and
0:03:13 > 0:03:19that's perfect for them - it will give them all the energy they need.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21So, I'll take the top off...
0:03:23 > 0:03:25..like that.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Now, this is a top-bar hive, so that the combs run downwards,
0:03:32 > 0:03:38and if I just take this off first, which is the stopper,
0:03:38 > 0:03:44then there should be a couple of empty ones there, and that...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46There we go.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52And there are the combs, and I just slip that in like that...
0:03:55 > 0:03:59..put these empty bars back on top...
0:03:59 > 0:04:05And they build their combs that hang down from the bars...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10..and that will happen over the next few weeks
0:04:10 > 0:04:13as they get more and more pollen from the plants...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18..but at least they've got a nice bit of fondant
0:04:18 > 0:04:21to tide them over a lean period.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Put the top back on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25There we are...
0:04:26 > 0:04:28..and just leave them to get on with it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Well, I do hope that the sun stays out
0:04:37 > 0:04:39and they don't need that fondant.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41But, of course, some of us
0:04:41 > 0:04:46have gardens where it doesn't matter how sunny it is, it's in shade,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and I get a lot of letters, people saying,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52"My garden is in total shade, what can I do about this problem?"
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Well, it needn't BE a problem,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and Carol has been to visit a garden not very far from here
0:04:58 > 0:05:00which is in shade,
0:05:00 > 0:05:06but which is a glorious example of what you can make of that situation.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Whether it's a border illuminated through a profusion of leaves
0:05:13 > 0:05:15or a damp oasis in the shadow of the wall,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19we all have shady spots in our gardens -
0:05:19 > 0:05:22yet with a little thought and imagination,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26we can turn them into the most magical of places.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Over the last 15 years, through trial and experiment,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Stuart Donachie has learnt just what to grow in shade.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39I know people are always talking about enchanted woodland,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41but this really is magical, Stuart!
0:05:41 > 0:05:44This time of year, a woodland garden is just a thing of beauty.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48It's very natural, it does its own thing, really.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49You know, all these anemones,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52they're wild anemones which are coming up round here.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Yeah, and woodruff.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Yeah, sweet woodruff just beginning to come out.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59So, this is all native, is it, Stuart?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02They're almost all native - I garden very lightly in here,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and I've only introduced the odd plant into it.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But all these plants exploit this opportunity, don't they?
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Yeah, at this time of year,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- there's very little cover from the leaves above.- Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It's a deciduous woodland - the plants grow, they burgeon.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22They just take real opportunity of all this wonderful moisture,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24which is unusual in this part of the garden,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- which, in the summer, is very, very dry.- Very dry.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30But they've all evolved in different ways to cope with that
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- sort of situation.- They have, yes.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33The wood anemones,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35you've got these little rhizomes that creep everywhere -
0:06:35 > 0:06:38but it's not just native plants you've got in here -
0:06:38 > 0:06:39look at that!
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- Look at that!- That is lovely.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It is a lovely trillium - that's an American woodlander.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49They like it as now - they get a bit of moisture in spring,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and then they can be baked all summer.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It's growing away fantastically here.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Because there's the same kind of temperate woodland, isn't there?
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Yes, it is the same.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Right the way over from the Far East through the Middle East right
0:07:02 > 0:07:04the way through Europe and across to the States.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07People think of them as acid lovers, as well,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10but so many of them will actually grow in neutral conditions.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18This used to be the most tremendously wet border,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- and you can hear from the ducks... - QUACKING
0:07:21 > 0:07:24..and if you look over there, I put this pond in,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and the pond has got a great sausage of clay along one side of it,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and then the pond is carved out of it, and all of a sudden,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32all the water stopped coming here,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and it dried the border up tremendously,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and so, yet again, a new opportunity
0:07:37 > 0:07:40to try out a different kind of shade-loving plant.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- So, you had to rethink your planting here.- Yeah, totally.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I ended up planting lots of things like the epimediums,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- which you have here on the left... - Yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50..and just plants which absolutely love
0:07:50 > 0:07:53being sort of on that slightly drier side of shade.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56The ferny leaves of this dicentra,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I mean, that just looks so splendid,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and yet it's a plant that anybody could grow.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Oh, it runs like crazy and the foliage is so fantastic.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06And doesn't it look good with this brunnera?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Now, that's a superb plant.- Oh... - Don't you think?
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Well, they will grow in the shadiest spots, in the driest of spots,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and they will perform for you almost all year,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21because you have this fantastic foliage which persists after
0:08:21 > 0:08:24the beautiful sort of forget-me-not flowers go.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Yes. It becomes a foliage plant.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Look at this honesty that's just seeded itself through here.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Oh, it's very good value,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- the variegated one with the white flower.- Yeah.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Even when the flower goes, the foliage,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38with that variegation, it really still pops out at you.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- And what about this? What's this? - HE CHUCKLES
0:08:41 > 0:08:42- It's a scopolia... - SHE GASPS
0:08:42 > 0:08:45..which has wonderful architecture at this time of year,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47because it's getting a bit of moisture,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49which enables it to put on much more leaf,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and then you get these wonderful bell flowers.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It's got that kind of vaguely sort of dangerous look, hasn't it?
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It does, doesn't it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05This area, you'll see, is a very, very different area,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08where you start seeing much bigger leaves,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12cos this is very wet, damp shade in here, and particularly down here,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16in the water, you can grow some really very big leaf things,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18like the skunk cabbage down here. Um...
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- This lysichiton.- Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22So, how deep does the water get here?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Ah!- I mean, is it always this really nice trickle?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- If we get quite a lot of rain... - Yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31..then it can come up to two or three feet.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- All the plants which are here have got very thick, fleshy roots.- Yeah.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Some of them have got things, like lysichiton,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- they just go straight down forever. - Yeah, right down,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- and hostas have big roots, don't they?- Hostas, as well.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46And so they take the water, belting through,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and they remain firmly anchored.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- Very few ferns really love their feet in the wet...- Oh, yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54..but matteuccia does, as well, doesn't it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:55Oh, it does -
0:09:55 > 0:09:57the shuttlecock fern is beautiful.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Most people think of euphorbia as something which only grows
0:10:00 > 0:10:02in sun and dry, and there's a euphorbia here,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04which is Euphorbia palustris...
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Which means "living by a stream". - Yeah.- Yeah!
0:10:07 > 0:10:08It needs water.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13And as well as all these glorious big clumps of things,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- you've got some very, very special stuff, too, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- Look at that!- It's a podophyllum. Who couldn't love that foliage?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I mean, just look at the big, shiny leaves.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26And it's spreading, isn't it, here and there?
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Yeah, it runs. It's got a very fleshy rootstock,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and it goes through all the really moist soil,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and then pops up, as you can see, in the middle of the path.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Here, there, and everywhere. Very convenient places.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Shade just is full of opportunities to grow unusual and peculiar things
0:10:40 > 0:10:42as well as some of the more common things.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45People always think of it as being a problem.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46But, in actual fact,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50some of the most beautiful plants in the world come from shady places.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Absolutely.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53And whatever kind of shade you have,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56there is something beautiful to grow in it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24One of the features of this garden
0:11:24 > 0:11:27is that the shade has changed really quite a lot
0:11:27 > 0:11:29in the last five years or so.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Trees I planted 25 years ago
0:11:31 > 0:11:34cast no shade at all for the first ten years,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39and then, gradually, as they've grown, that shade has grown
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and, suddenly, you've an area that was in full sun
0:11:42 > 0:11:43is now very shady.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And so I've had to adapt the planting.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50And in this part of the garden, I've made these new beds last year,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and I'm gradually planting them up.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It's worth pointing out I'm making a new path.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57You can see - still very much in the process of being made.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I had meant to have it all finished by now.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02But there have been delays. That's the way life goes.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04But you can see the stage we're at.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08And this will have pavers on edge running down,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and what I want is a fairly low-key path
0:12:12 > 0:12:14just so we can take a wheelbarrow up and down
0:12:14 > 0:12:16without causing mud between the borders.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And I'll get that done sometime over the next few weeks.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22We'll come back to it before I finish it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23But planting and shade.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I've got a couple of plants here
0:12:25 > 0:12:28which are perfect for shady positions.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33This border was, this time last year, part of our compost heaps.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So it's very young. It's just at the stage of being planted.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38But you can see the ferns are looking good.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41This is Helleborus foetidus, one of our native hellebores.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And primroses coming in here.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45And it's starting to get a feel.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So I want to build the tapestry.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Not every plant can be a star.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52And I've got two.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54We've got tiarella and tellima.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59This is Tellima grandiflora Forest Frost.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Tellima is a saxifrage, comes from North America
0:13:03 > 0:13:08and likes cool, light shade with a fairly rich soil.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And you get these leaves which are coloured
0:13:11 > 0:13:14but, also, the flower spikes, they rise up
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and you have little bells on racemes.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20They're subtle, delicate, but really charming.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22And most importantly,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25they form part of the drift and the tapestry
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and the flow of shady planting.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34They go really well with ferns and hellebores.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So we'll place that there.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41We want to build up drift. Put that into there.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48As well as a couple of tellimas, I've got here a tiarella.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Tiarella Spring Symphony,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55with these white spikes of flower rising up.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And tiarellas also like
0:13:58 > 0:14:02cool, rich positions, shade of woodland.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Not too dry. That is really important.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And not too hot. They don't like blazing hot sun.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09So this will be perfect.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This is Tiarella Pink Skyrocket.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And the name implies
0:14:14 > 0:14:17that there is a touch of pink to go with it
0:14:17 > 0:14:20which, of course, will pick up with the pink of the apple blossom.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25These tiarellas spread by stolons, rather like strawberries,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28with runners, along the surface off the ground.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29And they will spread quite well.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32This, I think, can come down here, actually.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45These are plants that will do very well planted in amongst shrubs.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47They'll like the shade, they'll like the companion.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49They're an understory.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53But they have a kind of charm, a sweetness.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56They're not intense, they're not dramatic.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59But they seduce you. They pull you in.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Now they're planted, these almost disappear into the mulch.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22But they will grow very quickly.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And the tellima and the tiarella will start to flower
0:15:25 > 0:15:27in the end of April, and May,
0:15:27 > 0:15:32and although they'll never sing their song from the rooftops,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35they are really charming, and I love them.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And also very, very good plants
0:15:38 > 0:15:42for what might be seen as a tricky situation.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Now, later on in today's programme,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I will be starting to lay out my new veg plot.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50What I'm looking for there is to extend the range of veg,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54grow some heritage varieties, things that look good and taste delicious.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56But when you start to grow veg,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59it is quite tricky to know what varieties to grow
0:15:59 > 0:16:00and which do the best.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And Frances Tophill is starting a trial,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06which we'll follow through throughout the year,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11looking at those varieties which taste best
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and have the best harvest.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17This veg trial is so exciting,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19because we're growing four of the most easy vegetables.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Cucumbers, tomatoes,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23sweetcorn and climbing French beans.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27And we're going to learn from this which are the highest yielding
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and, really importantly, which taste the best.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I would encourage everyone to try growing veg.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34It's a brilliant thing to do.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39And, also, the taste of them is so much better than anything you buy.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I've seen this first-hand in my work at a charitable trust in Devon
0:16:42 > 0:16:44which runs a market garden.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's just such a rewarding process for anybody,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51however good you are and however experienced you are.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57To start our trial, I've come to my local RHS garden here in Devon -
0:16:57 > 0:16:58Rosemoor.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02We'll also be running the trial at RHS Harlow Carr in Yorkshire,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05which means we can compare how our vegetables perform
0:17:05 > 0:17:07in different climactic conditions.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11With the four veg we have, there are three varieties of each,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13which means they may have a slightly different flavour,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15they may look slightly different.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And, today, I'm just going to be planting one of each.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20But for the rest of them, do check out the website.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24So, if I start with cucumbers. It really is an easy seed to grow.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I've got a 9cm pot, which you can pick up anywhere.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29The compost that we're using to grow this
0:17:29 > 0:17:30is a specialist seed compost,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34which means, essentially, it's very low in nutrient.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Seeds don't actually need nutrients.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38What they need is moisture and somewhere to put their roots.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40As well as that, we have perlite mixed in,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45which helps to retain moisture and helps to drain the pot.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And just firm that down.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Now, cucumber is a plant that tends to romp away as the year goes on,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53so don't sow too many
0:17:53 > 0:17:55unless you have a huge space to grow them in.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So this is going in the pot upright.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59We don't want it sitting flat,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02because it might well rot in the water.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03So, pointing up.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05This particular variety is called Marketmore.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09And the claim is that it's a brilliant variety
0:18:09 > 0:18:12for growing anywhere in the UK outdoors.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15We'll see if that's the case here in Devon and in Yorkshire
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and whatever our wonderful British summertime
0:18:18 > 0:18:20has to throw at these seeds.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36All seeds need water. They will not germinate without it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So you have to make sure you keep them moist all of the time.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Here at Rosemoor, we're growing our cucumbers in a polytunnel.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49But still they will need to go into something called a propagator,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51which just gives them a bit of extra protection.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54as it's quite early, we still have a few frosts every now and again,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58so it stops these seedlings from getting damaged by the weather.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Now, in a glasshouse, you wouldn't have to worry about that
0:19:01 > 0:19:02because the glass protects them.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But the great thing about this is, if you have neither a polytunnel
0:19:05 > 0:19:07nor a glasshouse, as many of us don't,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09this can go straight on your windowsill.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22The next seed to sow in our veg trial,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24although technically it's a fruit, is a tomato.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26We've gone for Tumbler F1.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31F1 just means "first generation", so the parents of this tomato
0:19:31 > 0:19:34will guarantee every single offspring
0:19:34 > 0:19:36will be just like it looks on the packet.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Although we're growing this one
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and the other two that are on our website,
0:19:40 > 0:19:41you can grow any ones you want.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44There are hundreds of varieties of all these veg out there.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It would be great if you grow them alongside the ones we're doing
0:19:47 > 0:19:48and tell us if they taste better.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Same size - 9cm pot.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53I'm just firming that down.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56That just guarantees there's no big air pockets in the soil.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58These seeds are much smaller than the cucumber.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00And generally as a rule,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02the smaller the seed, the nearer the surface it will go.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05So these I'm going to put right on the surface of the compost.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Unlike all our other veg,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12these tomatoes are actually going to go in hanging baskets.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14You need to be careful when you're choosing your varieties
0:20:14 > 0:20:17that they cope with a container situation,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20so these are tumblers, they'll hang down beautifully.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23On top of this,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27I'm covering the surface with something called vermiculite,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29which will just hold these seeds down,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31stop them blowing away...
0:20:32 > 0:20:34..but won't cause any damage.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49As with cucumbers, tomatoes are a little bit more tender
0:20:49 > 0:20:53in their early stage of life, so I'm going to put them in a propagator
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and this one has the added bonus of being electric,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58so plug this in and it'll get bottom heat,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01which just gives tomatoes the kick-start that they really need.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Our third veg is sweetcorn.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23This is Swift F1, said to be a tender and extra-sweet variety.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29I'm sowing these seeds into separate pots at a depth of half an inch.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Because sweetcorn is a wind-pollinated plant, as a rule,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35the more you sow, the more likelihood you have of pollination.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We'll be growing 16 of each variety.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42These will go directly into the polytunnel here,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but you can grow them uncovered on a sunny windowsill.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54So our veg trials are under way
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and if you want to join in, don't delay,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59check out the varieties we're using on the website,
0:21:59 > 0:22:00order your seeds, and get sowing.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02"And what about the French beans?" I hear you cry.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Well, actually, I'm going to sow them direct into the ground,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08which I'm just adding a bit of compost to now.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13That will be in May time, when the last risk of frost is gone.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17In the meantime, I've just got to prepare my beds.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Come along.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Come on.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Come on. HE WHISTLES
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Well, certainly, I can't imagine gardening without growing veg
0:22:44 > 0:22:45and I love it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I've been doing it for absolutely ages,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50but every year, it gets more exciting and this year,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52it's about to get even more exciting yet,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56because although we've got a perfectly good vegetable garden
0:22:56 > 0:22:58with raised beds, I'm expanding.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Coming out into this plot here - this was our nursery beds,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05so we've got a nice, big space,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08which I can fill with veg, and not just any old veg -
0:23:08 > 0:23:14what I want to get back to is that sense of delight and excitement
0:23:14 > 0:23:17about special vegetables, heritage varieties.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Vegetables that I don't normally grow, perhaps.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Things like okra, purple carrots,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25lovely purple-podded peas.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Try things out,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and things that are especially delicious.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32It doesn't matter what kind of vegetables you're growing,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35where you're growing them or how you're growing them,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38there are certain things you need to consider before you start.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The first thing is - what is the sun doing?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Here, it's rising over there
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and it's setting over there, which means that that is south,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51so this side of the garden is the sunniest bit,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56which is why I've dug along here and don't intend to have a path,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59because I want to use this for maximum sunshine.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Most vegetables do best in full sun.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Some really need it - squashes, sweetcorn,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08courgettes, if you're growing plants like basil,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11it must have as much sun as possible.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Conversely,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16it means that this end is going to be in shade for some of the day,
0:24:16 > 0:24:21and that'll be fine for spinach, for lettuce, gooseberries, redcurrants.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They will cope and actually be fine in a bit of shade.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28So already, the sun is starting to dictate the layout of the garden.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30First thing to do is mark out the path.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37A good idea to have a good ball of twine.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39This is hop twine,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42which was used round this part of the world for tying up hops.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Less and less now, but is lovely stuff.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Get some canes and mark it all out
0:24:47 > 0:24:50before you plant, dig or sow anything.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Get the structure exactly as you want it,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56so if we start here,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58push that in and I want the path in the middle to be quite wide.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It must be wide enough to take a barrow,
0:25:01 > 0:25:02so it's going to be five foot.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Two, three... Well, that's four foot,
0:25:05 > 0:25:06so if we go to the edge there...
0:25:09 > 0:25:11..three, four...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17There.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The whole of Longmeadow was laid out in this way.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I want to mark out three square beds on either side.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35That means I can have a tripart rotation.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39When I've got it all strung out, I can see how it looks
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and then I'll fine-tune it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44All this before I sow a seed.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Plan it out, work out what you want from your vegetable garden,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50how it's going to look, how it's going to be part of your life.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52And in a week or two,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54we'll be sowing seed, planting plants,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and the journey has begun.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Now, I guess some of you don't grow vegetables
0:25:59 > 0:26:00and can't be persuaded to,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03but I bet here are some jobs that you will want to do this weekend.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12As daffodil flowers fade, they develop seed heads.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14If they're grown in long grass, they should be left,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17as this is a good way for them to spread.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20But if they're in a container or a border,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23cut off these seed heads, leaving the stem.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27This will enable all the energy to go into the bulb
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and, therefore, next year's flowers.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35If you're growing fruit in a container,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38or trained in any shape against a wall,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41it's a good idea to mulch them thickly,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45now as they're forming their flowers.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Use good compost if you can
0:26:46 > 0:26:50and as well as feeding them, this will keep in the moisture
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and suppress competition from weeds.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Although it's been rather too cold to sow directly outside,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03seedlings raised under cover have now developed true leaves,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06which means they can be pricked out.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Holding them by the leaf, not the stem,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11ease them out of the compost with a pencil
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and transplant them into plugs or small pots.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18They can then grow on until they're ready to plant out.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30The spring garden is moving into its next phase.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The crocus and the snowdrops have gone, daffodils are finishing,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36tulips will be coming through soon.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38The smell of the imperial fritillaries,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40although they're not flowering,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42is really strong.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44There's a new flower, a scilla.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Nigel, can you come here a minute? Just lend me that.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Its name is really tricky.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It's...mischtschenkoana
0:27:52 > 0:27:55or something like that.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57It scrambles your mouth just to try and say it,
0:27:57 > 0:27:58but, boy, is it lovely?!
0:27:58 > 0:28:02It's got these icy blue flowers that appear out of the ground,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05almost without a stem of any kind.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I'm going to sow more for next year, they look fantastic.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10That's it for this week.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14We are off air next week, because there is some sporting event,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17but we shall be back in a fortnight's time,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20so enjoy your gardening without us
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and I'll see you here at Longmeadow in two weeks' time.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Until then, bye-bye.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Come on.