0:00:04 > 0:00:06Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Now, this week we are at the Malvern Spring Show.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Malvern is my own local show - it's just down the road from Longmeadow -
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and of course it is set against this fabulous backdrop
0:00:15 > 0:00:17of the Malvern hills.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And today, and it doesn't always happen at Malvern,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21we are blessed with wonderful weather.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Now, helping me discover all that we can find here
0:00:27 > 0:00:29is Carol and also Adam Frost,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32the Chelsea gold medal-winning garden designer, and we will be
0:00:32 > 0:00:36distilling the essence of Malvern over the next half an hour
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and, hopefully, finding time for a bit of shopping too.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Now whilst, of course, it's lovely to have sunshine, you know,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58it doesn't matter what the weather is like at Malvern because
0:00:58 > 0:01:01it's so much a seasonal show.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06You see spring expressed gloriously in the show gardens and the stands,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09in the floral marquee with all the thousands of plants.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And I'll be going into those floral marquees
0:01:12 > 0:01:15later on looking for a very particular type of plant
0:01:15 > 0:01:19to be at its best as regards fragrance in the evening.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23I'm going to be looking at why plants have scent
0:01:23 > 0:01:28and with nursery people here gathering all their best
0:01:28 > 0:01:31wares together, I know I am bound to find something that is
0:01:31 > 0:01:34really going to tickle my nostrils.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38I'm going to spend my day looking for design ideas for small spaces
0:01:38 > 0:01:40and with so many show gardens here to see,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42there's got to be loads of ideas to take home.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54One of the perks and privileges of my job is I get to visit
0:01:54 > 0:01:57the floral marquee before it is open to the public
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and yet when it's ready for judging,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03so everything is looking and smelling perfect.
0:02:12 > 0:02:18Lilies are one of those iconic perfume flowers that will
0:02:18 > 0:02:21smell rich and delicious morning, noon and night.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25There is one called Zambesi here, which I like the look of,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and it has got wonderful perfume.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37I suspect that most of us don't grow Clematis primarily for fragrance
0:02:37 > 0:02:39but many do smell really good.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41This is Lunar Lass.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42It grows very slowly,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46so that's no good for a pergola or sprawling over a large area,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50but if you see it spilling down,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53it then becomes really interesting.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I really like it and think that might work well
0:02:56 > 0:02:58spilling over the wall on the mound.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Those are Phlox divaricata Clouds Of Perfume.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Good colour, very pretty flower and as the name suggests, good perfume.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17But it's one that stays on an even note throughout the day -
0:03:17 > 0:03:19it doesn't get better as we go along -
0:03:19 > 0:03:21so I'm going to pass on that.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23But if you wanted one by the back door to greet you
0:03:23 > 0:03:25in the morning, it would be ideal.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Right there is one of the muskiest, richest scents of all.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39That's Brugmansia, and though unfortunately, in recent years,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42although I've grown them perfectly successfully in the past,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45I've not been able to get my Brugmansia to flower.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Excuse me, hello.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Hello, Monty.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53I really like Brugmansia but they've stopped flowering for me.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58The best thing with the Brugmansia is they do like a lot of feed.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01They like a high-phostrogen feed, like a tomato feed,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04if you've got that, and plenty of it.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08The key, which I've been doing wrong, is really feed them.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Feed them every week if not twice a week.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And how poisonous are they?
0:04:13 > 0:04:19Extremely. All parts of the plant, if ingested, can cause issues.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- So you wear gloves.- You wear gloves.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24As long as you treat it with respect, then it will reward you
0:04:24 > 0:04:26with their beautiful flowers and incredible perfume.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I'm going to bear this very strongly in mind.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30- Excellent choice.- Thank you.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37As the gates open, people make a beeline to the show gardens
0:04:37 > 0:04:42and Carol is right there with them because she is a woman on a mission.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48So, welcome to Villaggio Verde, the garden of romance.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It really is the most breathtaking garden
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but it's not just that it takes your breath away,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59it fills your nostrils with all these gorgeous scents and perfumes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's just like being in the Mediterranean.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And over here, there are great banks of rosemary,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08a typical Mediterranean shrub.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It's the foliage here which is centred.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16It's really pungent when the sun is beating down from above.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19On the back of each of these leaves
0:05:19 > 0:05:22are tiny glands which contain essential oils.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25They have sort of exuded into the air
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and make this great cloud around the shrub.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32And that actually keeps the air cooler and protects the shrub.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35But not all plants do it in the same way.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38This gorgeous rose, Alba Garcia,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42has the most enchanting perfume.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It's rich and gorgeous.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The perfume is produced on their petals
0:05:47 > 0:05:52and it moves out in great plumes into the surrounding air.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Pollinating insects can sense it, smell it,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58so they move in,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00pulled into focus by this perfume,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04find its source and actually take the pollen
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and pollinate the flower.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It's a superb sort of relationship and a very successful one.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Unusually, this is a tulip with scent.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28It called Brown Sugar and it flings back its petals in full sun
0:06:28 > 0:06:31when its toffee perfume is at its strongest.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40But it isn't just a question of how plants emit their scent,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43it's very much a matter of when that happens.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46If you are a daytime flowerer, say a rose,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49then you want to bring in all those daytime pollinators -
0:06:49 > 0:06:51bees and hoverflies.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56But what if you've evolved to be pollinated by moths?
0:06:56 > 0:07:01In the case of this glorious Gladiolus tristis from South Africa,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03that's exactly what has happened.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08The two have evolved side by side and if I lean over now
0:07:08 > 0:07:13and sniff these gorgeous flowers, I can't smell a thing.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16But if I am still standing here as dusk descends,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21then this plant is going to emit these clouds of perfume
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and of course, all the moths will gather.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And if you want to grow this delightful plant yourself,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31it needs the shelter of a sunny wall.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34If you haven't got one, grow it in a pot
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and as it starts to burst into bloom, bring it outside on
0:07:38 > 0:07:44a hot summer's evening and you too can enjoy that delicious perfume.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Hello, Adam.- How are you?- I'm very well. Very nice to see you here.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I gather this is your first visit to Malvern.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It is, yeah, I'm normally in West London at Chelsea
0:08:09 > 0:08:10building my own garden. It's lovely.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And what do you feel about it as a show?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16You are a very experienced show hand now - what are you looking for
0:08:16 > 0:08:19when you are going round a garden?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21First of all, it's that sense of theatre,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24so it's that feeling as if you want to be drawn into the place,
0:08:24 > 0:08:25but then the detail.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28You know, I think ideas for small spaces,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30ideas that people can take home.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I mean, look at the Italian garden - I walked in that
0:08:32 > 0:08:36and had that sense of theatre. I got goose bumps, you know,
0:08:36 > 0:08:37so it was absolutely amazing.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But also, there's loads of ideas for small spaces.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You look at this garden - this garden, in a sense, has got it all.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45We play with levels - great for small spaces -
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and the boundaries. People don't think about their boundaries.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51They just think "I'll fence and I'll paint it,"
0:08:51 > 0:08:53but actually, if you think about it,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56there's as much surface around the garden as there is in the garden.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58What we have here, which I like, is the levels.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01You naturally sit here and the garden is happening at eye level.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Exactly. All of a sudden, if the wildlife come in,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05you get to view the wildlife in a different way.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- But also, the built-in seating. - Yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It's a great way of sort of... All right, it's a retaining wall,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12but if we had a table and chairs sat in the middle of here,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15we wouldn't get the amount of seating that we've got.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Well, I'm going off now to look for some scented plants,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- so hopefully they will be ready and I'll find some.- Good luck.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23You are going to go and keep on looking at gardens.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Yeah, all those ideas for small spaces.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- All right, I'll see you later. - See you later.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33What I really love about show gardens...
0:09:33 > 0:09:36You know I really could be sat just in someone's garden,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38not in a showground.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40On top of that, the amount of wonderful ideas
0:09:40 > 0:09:43you can take home for small spaces.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45I mean, this garden here, it could be a front garden,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49it could be a lovely path going up to a front door.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52You feel like we need acres for a meadow,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but this garden proves different -
0:09:54 > 0:09:56a lovely little meadow wraps round the edge
0:09:56 > 0:09:59of this near-perfect rock pool.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Then on top of that, when you look back,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04I've got this beautiful little water feature, drops into my pool,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and it will pull in masses of wildlife.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10So this really proves to me that you do not need a big garden
0:10:10 > 0:10:12to have a beautiful space.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22This is another cracking idea.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25You might look at it and just think, "Simple wall with a seat on top."
0:10:25 > 0:10:28But, actually, if you had just put a bench in here,
0:10:28 > 0:10:29you would have hidden all this wall.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And what I think's so clever,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34by actually building the bench in, you're leaving the wall exposed,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and more or less created a whole alpine garden
0:10:37 > 0:10:38in a really small space.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55One of the questions I get asked a lot
0:10:55 > 0:10:57is about plants for small spaces.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I think we look at our books and we look at large shrubs,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01we look at a medium shrubs,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03and we automatically sort of think we can't grow those.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04But do you know what?
0:11:04 > 0:11:08You can prune and manipulate an awful lot of our plants.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11You know, look at this wisteria. It's a prime example.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12It's been beautifully pruned.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15You would not think that you could grow a wisteria,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17necessarily, in a small space, but look at it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It would make a great focal point for any small space.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It looks beautiful.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It doesn't matter what kind of show garden you're making.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40You have to put incredible attention to detail.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43But the smaller the garden, the more you have to distil that down.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So literally every square inch becomes significant.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51And last year, Emily Sharpe won the People's Choice Award
0:11:51 > 0:11:55for best small garden, and also a Silver Gilt medal.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57And this year, she's back here again,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and a few weeks ago, Joe went to see how she's getting on.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Broughton Castle -
0:12:05 > 0:12:08a fortified manor house dating back to the 1300s,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11set in the Oxfordshire countryside...
0:12:12 > 0:12:14..and where Emily has found inspiration
0:12:14 > 0:12:16for her show garden this year.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20So, I was asked by a charity called UCARE
0:12:20 > 0:12:23to design a garden based on Broughton Castle.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Broughton Castle is home to
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Lord and Lady Saye and Sele, who are patrons of the charity,
0:12:29 > 0:12:30and so there was a link there
0:12:30 > 0:12:33between Broughton Castle and the charity.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37I wanted to include the architecture of the building,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38the gardens and the landscape,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41so you create a picture of what Broughton feels like.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It's got its own air and character,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46a very particular sense of place which makes it feel very special,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and I wanted to reflect that in the garden.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50You're trying to capture all this
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and put it in a relatively small show garden at Malvern.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- That's the plan, yes. - Sounds like a big job.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03The first thing Emily wants to show me about her design inspiration
0:13:03 > 0:13:07isn't anything in the gardens, but something inside the house.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11So, Joe, this is the oak-panelled drawing room.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And when I first visited Broughton Castle,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17this was the room that I loved the most, really.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I've taken most of the inspiration for the layout from the garden,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and, in particular, the actual pattern in the oak panelling.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So I've arranged the borders
0:13:28 > 0:13:30based on the shape of the panelling that we've got.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Do you often get inspiration from the inside of a house?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Not necessarily, but Broughton Castle is so special
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and I was so inspired by the building itself
0:13:39 > 0:13:40that when I came to this room,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and just with the light that's falling on it at this time of day,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46it just looked so beautiful, and immediately gave me an idea
0:13:46 > 0:13:48of how I could use the shapes within the garden.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Really beautiful.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56The roof is the perfect place
0:13:56 > 0:14:00to see where other key elements used in Emily's design came from.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09We've seen the inspiration from the inside.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13What in your garden relates to what we see here?
0:14:13 > 0:14:17So, I've taken inspiration from the box hedging in the Ladies Garden
0:14:17 > 0:14:19to define the oak panelling
0:14:19 > 0:14:22that we saw downstairs in the drawing room.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And I've also taken inspiration from the mature trees
0:14:24 > 0:14:27in both the gardens and in the parkland.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I've chosen some large, mature Cornus controversa,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32and those are the three trees within the garden,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35which will not only sort of give maturity
0:14:35 > 0:14:38so it feels like the show garden is older, perhaps, than it is,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40but will also enclose the space
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and make it feel like a private space for people to enjoy.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46The trees all work really nicely.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48They'll give that lovely dappled shape beneath,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49like a tonal contrast.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51But also, you've used a show garden trick
0:14:51 > 0:14:53of bringing them to the foreground
0:14:53 > 0:14:57so the visitors will look through the trees and see the trunk
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and it sort of creates that lovely depth of field.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I think it also balances out the structure
0:15:02 > 0:15:05of the upper space within the garden as well, by doing that,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08rather than having too much empty space in a sort of higher level.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12It was important to include water in the garden for me.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The moat is such a key part of the gardens here at Broughton
0:15:15 > 0:15:17that I wanted to bring that into the garden.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20And I've chosen to keep it in a sort of quite linear shape,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23as the moat actually is here.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- Well, you can't have a castle without a moat.- No!
0:15:28 > 0:15:30The gardens at Broughton Castle
0:15:30 > 0:15:33are designed to be at their best in summertime,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and not much is in flower just yet,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39so I want to see what Emily is using for her show garden
0:15:39 > 0:15:41in only a couple of weeks' time.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46The starting point
0:15:46 > 0:15:50has been the beautiful pink tulip, Tulipa Caresse.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51And then I've picked
0:15:51 > 0:15:55a colour palette that goes with the tulip
0:15:55 > 0:15:56so that we've got a nice, bright,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58uplifting set of colours in the garden
0:15:58 > 0:16:02that represents the aims and ideas of the charity.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The timing of plants for show gardens
0:16:05 > 0:16:06is the trickiest thing, isn't it?
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Especially this year.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10It's been so cold. The nights have been so cold.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Have you had a real problem getting hold of what you want?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's been very difficult.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I planned a palette of colours based on what I knew was flowering
0:16:17 > 0:16:19this time last year at the Malvern show.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21But this year, everything is so much behind.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23It's been a very cold spring, despite the warm winter.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Plants aren't as far along as I would like.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I'm going to have to compromise
0:16:27 > 0:16:29on what I originally wanted to put in the garden.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31What have we got exactly?
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The geranium was something that I wanted to have in the garden from the beginning.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37That's something that's been there through the choice of my colour palette.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40And I really like Samobor because of the markings on the leaves.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And, again, it's giving me that texture and colour
0:16:42 > 0:16:44within the foliage.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46And this orlaya.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48It's really good for me to be able
0:16:48 > 0:16:52to fill in with something that's got that nice, light, frothy foliage.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Originally, I didn't want to put so much white into the garden.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Again, I'm having to be flexible
0:16:56 > 0:16:58because of the growing conditions this year.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00And at the end, you just say,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03"Well, that's exactly how I wanted it in the first place,"
0:17:03 > 0:17:04and everybody's happy.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06They won't now be, because I'm on film
0:17:06 > 0:17:08saying that it was going to be different!
0:17:14 > 0:17:16So, last year, you got a Silver Gilt
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and a People's Choice Award as well, didn't you?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- I did, yes.- So, this year...
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- It's a privilege to design a show garden, so...- Oh, come on!
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I've heard that one before. How do you think you're going to do?
0:17:28 > 0:17:30It would be nice not to go backwards on last year's results,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33so to get a Silver Gilt would be fantastic,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35and I know that the charity would be happy with that.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38That's very diplomatic, that is. That is very diplomatic.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- How did you get on? - We were awarded a Silver Gilt.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49- Happy?- Yes, very happy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51With everything that we have put into it,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and all the weather problems,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55to achieve a Silver Gilt is really good.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Joe was trying to pull out of you whether you wanted that Gold.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It would have been wonderful to have a Gold,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02but I've learnt so much doing this.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04It's my first time doing a large show garden
0:18:04 > 0:18:07so, given that, I'm really, really chuffed.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Cool. Feedback from the judges?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Generally quite positive on the layout,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and points to work on were the planting.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So I need to just work a little bit harder
0:18:17 > 0:18:20on bringing the plants together and making it more cohesive.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Are you going to do it again?
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Not immediately, no. It's been such fun.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27I've done show gardens for two years in a row.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28I've promised my husband
0:18:28 > 0:18:31that I will keep away from them for a good few years,
0:18:31 > 0:18:32so we'll see what happens.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36But I'm not planning on jumping straight back in in the next...
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I've promised my wife and my family that I wouldn't go back to Chelsea,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41and there's a little bit of me thinking,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- "Am I sure I said the right thing?" - Yeah.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I think it will draw you back in, ultimately, but take that break,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49make the husband happy, and come back later.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53- And then bring him back in a few years' time.- Exactly.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02When you're surrounded by such horticultural excellence,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04it must be truly daunting
0:19:04 > 0:19:09to bring your plants here and put them on public display.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11For the very first time,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Stella Exley from Hare Spring Cottage Plants has done just that.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19She's brought her plants all the way from Sheffield
0:19:19 > 0:19:21at the foot of the Pennines.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I first saw camassia
0:19:38 > 0:19:40in a garden in South Devon
0:19:40 > 0:19:43probably about 17 years ago now,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and we actually went to view the property to buy it,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50but I was more interested in what I saw at the edge of this woodland.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56There were these bright blue, star-like flowers
0:19:56 > 0:19:58that just captivated me.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It just touched me and since then I've been hooked.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08And I suppose, looking back now, that's when my passion,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11some say obsession with camassia really started.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21What I really, really love about camassia is not just that
0:20:21 > 0:20:25stunning deep blue colour but I love the foliage.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28When the foliage first starts to appear in spring,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31the sap's not only rising in them but it rises in me too.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I get so excited every year.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It's just a visual feast for the eyes.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40They're absolutely incredible and they just take my breath away.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Camassia are very easy to grow.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52They're happy in virtually any environment -
0:20:52 > 0:20:54so from deep shade to full sun.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57You can grow them pretty much anywhere.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Nothing touches them. Slugs and snails don't eat them.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06They're incredibly easy to propagate.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11So even if you're a beginner you could easily learn to bulk up
0:21:11 > 0:21:14your own collection of camassia, so plants for free.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The weather doesn't bother them.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26So whether it's snow, whether it's a hailstorm,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28they're virtually bombproof.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Camassia could possibly be the perfect plant.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43I've realised it's not just about me and my love of them,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I want to share that with a much wider audience.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51My first opportunity to do that was
0:21:51 > 0:21:56when I met Chris Beardshaw last year and he asked me to grow 4,000
0:21:56 > 0:22:01individual pots of camassia for his garden at RHS Chelsea.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It was an enormous undertaking.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15After seven months of virtually not sleeping, rotating these
0:22:15 > 0:22:19beauties around, trying to get the best out of them, I did it.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Huge lorry appeared,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26got them loaded up and off they went.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And Chris Beardshaw won a gold medal
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and my camassia were one of the main feature plants in that garden.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40I was so proud and delighted to see them on such a worldwide stage.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Achieving that last year, I decided I wanted to challenge myself
0:22:47 > 0:22:51even further, and I thought, "I'm going to go solo.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56"And I'm going to fly solo and I'm going to apply to RHS Malvern
0:22:56 > 0:23:00"Spring Flower Show because that is perfect camassia flowering time."
0:23:04 > 0:23:07This time next week is judging for my exhibit.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08As you can see,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11some of them are just starting to show a little bit of flower.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15So what I need to be doing now is my twice a day,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19up and down the rows of camassia, checking those plump buds,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22checking which ones are going to make it for me.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Nudging them in or out of either the greenhouse,
0:23:25 > 0:23:26in and out of the woodland area.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Any bits of weeds I find, pull them out.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35And then I'm checking the flower spike, there it is.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I want lots to choose from so I've got a good variety
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and they all look perfect and sparkling for Malvern.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- Stella, you've done it. How did you get on?- I got a silver medal, Carol.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- I'm absolutely thrilled, delighted. - Over the moon.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01I really am over the moon.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05It's a lovely feeling but how did your camassias perform?
0:24:05 > 0:24:10The camassia performed, perhaps not quite as well as I wanted
0:24:10 > 0:24:14for judging but throughout the week they are going to look stunning.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16So the people who come at the weekend will get the full
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- benefit of these beautiful flowers. Well done.- I'm thrilled.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Utterly gorgeous.- Thank you. They are.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It's always lovely to come to a show, relax,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35enjoy a garden without having to do any work.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37But the work isn't going to go away.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So here are your jobs for the weekend.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Herbaceous perennials are growing very fast at the moment.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52And sooner or later they will need support.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56But it's important to put this into place before it's necessary.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It doesn't matter what you use, I'm using metal hoops but string
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and twine will do the job, as will brushwood.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07And whatever it is, put it in so that it doesn't hold
0:25:07 > 0:25:11the plant in a straitjacket but is gently propping it up.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20If you've kept tender plants like pelargoniums under
0:25:20 > 0:25:23cover in a greenhouse or a conservatory over winter
0:25:23 > 0:25:27they will need some acclimatisation before they go to their final
0:25:27 > 0:25:29position outside.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And this hardening-off process should last for at least a week.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Put them somewhere sunny and out of the wind and group them
0:25:37 > 0:25:40together, which provides more protection.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44And just in case we still have a frost, have some fleece handy
0:25:44 > 0:25:45to protect them overnight.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55If slugs weren't problem enough, pigeons can be real nuisance at this
0:25:55 > 0:26:00time of year, especially with young brassica plants like these cabbages.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01The best way to deter them
0:26:01 > 0:26:04is to provide a barrier in the shape of netting.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Put up a framework that is tall enough
0:26:07 > 0:26:10so they can't reach down through it and stretch netting across it,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13pegging or weighing it down firmly.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Here you are.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I don't know about you, I'm hot but happy.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Yes, and where better to sit than under an olive tree.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44We've all been shopping, what have you bought?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47It's a camassia and it's called Blue Heaven
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and I just fell for these very pale blue flowers.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54I just love the way that they mix with the green of the buds
0:26:54 > 0:26:59- and give this turquoise-y effect.- It is heavenly. And what have you got?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I've got an acer, Acer ariadne,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05inspired from a visit to Julian Dowle's garden.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's east meets west, I loved it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Acers I've always wanted to have in the garden
0:27:11 > 0:27:13but wind has always been the problem.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14You've had a problem with wind?
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I've had a terrible problem with wind with acers, only with acers.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22- They do need shelter.- They do.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25In nature, they are a semi sort of woodland tree
0:27:25 > 0:27:27so they like that dappled shade, quite sheltered,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30leaf mould round the bottom so this will go in a pot
0:27:30 > 0:27:34but it will be put in a cool place and hopefully she'll be happy.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I'm really intrigued, you've had a day...
0:27:36 > 0:27:38For your first day at Malvern, what do you think?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I've had a fantastic day, honestly. It's been amazing.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I've been able to walk round the show,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I've been able to buy something.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46And this is quite a special show, isn't it?
0:27:46 > 0:27:50It's my first visit but the atmosphere here is really,
0:27:50 > 0:27:51really lovely.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Carol, you've been here lots of times,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57lots and lots of times showing and seeing and telling us about it
0:27:57 > 0:27:58and all that sort of thing.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- 27 years. - Has it still got its allure?- Yeah.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- I came as a young girl, of course. - Yes.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05LAUGHTER
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Yes, it really has got its allure.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10There's nowhere like it really, at all.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12And this sort of weather is just perfection.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- Especially in a garden like this, eh?- It makes sense, doesn't it?
0:28:16 > 0:28:20It all comes together, nice sort of southern garden, heat baking down.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23And it looks as though the weather is going to stay good
0:28:23 > 0:28:25so if you want to come along, do.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27There's lots of room to park,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31lots of room to walk about and the show is open until Sunday night
0:28:31 > 0:28:34and if you go to our website, you'll get all the details.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36That's it from us from Malvern.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39But I'll be back at Longmeadow at the normal time next week
0:28:39 > 0:28:42so have a great weekend and I'll see you next Friday.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Bye-bye.