0:00:09 > 0:00:11Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Now, it was no great surprise that last week,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20people voted for the rose as the Golden Jubilee plant.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24The truth is that roses enter our hearts in a way
0:00:24 > 0:00:29that no other plant does and there are so many different kinds that
0:00:29 > 0:00:33there is bound to be at least one that will not just enhance
0:00:33 > 0:00:37your garden, but also enrich your entire life.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40They are just beautiful, joyous plants.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45One thing, particularly at this time of year, is do deadhead.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Deadhead daily if you can.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Cut back to a leaf and that will stimulate new growth
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and more flowers.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Now, yesterday was the summer solstice,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59which means if you want to be gloomy,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01the nights are going to draw in,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04but we do have at least another month or so of lovely,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08long evenings, so let's make the most of them.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16On tonight's programme, we meet the husband and wife team behind
0:01:16 > 0:01:20the spectacular 25-year-long restoration
0:01:20 > 0:01:23of West Dean Gardens in Sussex.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Nick Bailey learns about a beneficial predator in our gardens.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And we discover the therapeutic benefits
0:01:31 > 0:01:32of a church garden in Lewisham.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36And I shall be protecting soft fruit
0:01:36 > 0:01:39as well as planting some hardy geraniums.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07This is unusual for me, because I don't often plant trophy plants
0:02:07 > 0:02:12here at Longmeadow, most of everything you can see has been
0:02:12 > 0:02:14grown either from seed or cuttings
0:02:14 > 0:02:17or very young plants that we've grown on.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20But I think a tree fern deserves being the exception to that,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25because they are fabulous plants and worth the extra money,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29little bit of time and a little bit of trouble that they take.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I've also always wanted to have a tree fern here at Longmeadow
0:02:32 > 0:02:37ever since I visited a tree fern forest ten years ago in New Zealand.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It was a spiritual experience.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, I may not be able to recreate that exactly, but here at the back
0:02:49 > 0:02:54of the pond, with the shuttlecock ferns and the soft green light
0:02:54 > 0:02:59from the shade of the trees and the shrubs, I think it'll be at home.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It is worth stressing that tree fern forests
0:03:05 > 0:03:09are highly protected and you should only buy one if it has got
0:03:09 > 0:03:11a label like this on it,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14which is a guarantee that it is licensed,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18because only so many are licensed every year and can be exported.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21If it doesn't have the label, don't buy it.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Now, you need to understand that a tree fern is not a tree,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26it's a fern that looks like a tree,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31so the so-called trunk, which is this, actually is a mat of roots
0:03:31 > 0:03:37around bundles of rhizomes which are in columns and which feed the fern.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42So that it's important that this is feeding the plant,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46it has access to moisture and the so-called roots
0:03:46 > 0:03:48at the bottom just anchor it into place.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58There are a whole number of tree ferns you can buy,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00but Dicksonia antarctica
0:04:00 > 0:04:04is by far and away the hardiest and the easiest to grow.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07So, this is the one to opt for.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Actually, if you grow Meconopsis,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the lovely blue poppy, and it's happy,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15then tree ferns will be happy, too,
0:04:15 > 0:04:20because they both share that need to be moist, but not soaking wet.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24To be warm, but not hot.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27And to be cool, but not cold.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Dig a hole about six inches deep,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36because when you plant it, effectively,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38you're burying the stem
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and you want it to be as tall as possible,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43they grow really slowly, about an inch a year.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46So when you position it, put it where it looks good
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and that is what it's going to look like,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50probably for the rest of your life.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58You can see once you get down below the initial surface of the soil,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59it's pretty dry.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So, I'm going to add a little bit of goodness underneath there,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10as much as anything else, to create a root run.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15And that will be an ericaceous compost mix.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I've got some wool compost mixed up with leaf mould,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22which will give just the right start in life.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Ericaceous compost traditionally has always been
0:05:30 > 0:05:37provided by peat. But peat bogs are becoming increasingly rare
0:05:37 > 0:05:42and an awful lot of gardeners, like myself, now don't want to use peat,
0:05:42 > 0:05:43particularly if we don't have to.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45And there are very good alternatives.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48You can have wool compost, you can have bracken compost,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50you can have pine bark compost,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55they all give you an ericaceous environment for plants to grow in.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59You can see that that is a very shallow hole,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03but when you see the roots, you'll realise why. There we go.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07The roots on that are whiskery.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13So if I place it like that
0:06:13 > 0:06:19and then fill back around it and firm it in,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22hopefully that will be strong enough to stop at toppling.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And you may have to stake it if it's a bit windy,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29but on the other hand, you shouldn't plant it somewhere
0:06:29 > 0:06:30where it's very exposed to wind.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Firm that in.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39You do need to make sure that the drainage is good,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43it doesn't sit in a puddle. I think that's going to stay put.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Right, before we have the ground revealed and release the fronds
0:06:49 > 0:06:55to fall in what I hope will be a graceful and elegant arch,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57I'm going to water it.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And I won't water it like I would do most plants.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07When you water tree ferns, yes, you need to water them in
0:07:07 > 0:07:10to a certain extent, but equally important
0:07:10 > 0:07:12is to water the roots on the stem.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This will love being dripping wet.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20The water just falls down to the roots, that's plenty.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Whenever it's dry, if it hasn't rained for two or three days,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30come out and just give it a dousing like that.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Now, the big reveal.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Now you can see they've used horticultural fleece to tie it,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and this will need fleecing in winter,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52but we'll come to that in October.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54OK. There we are.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Dicksonia antarctica, hopefully making itself at home.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05A touch of the exotic that will transform any garden.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09But actually that's not what I want it to do here.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12I want it to blend in and perhaps I can get
0:08:12 > 0:08:16just a taste of that wonderful forest in New Zealand.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Now, obviously, we all get inspired when we visit places
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and see plants and we want a little bit of them at home.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26You don't have to go to New Zealand for that, of course,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29you can visit gardens here in the UK and there will always be
0:08:29 > 0:08:34something that will enrich your own gardening experience.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36But sometimes they do more than that.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Sometimes they change your whole world view
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and West Dean in Sussex is one of those.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Now, 25 years ago, it looked nothing like it does today.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51It has been transformed by Sarah Wain and Jim Buckland.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And last July, we went and paid them a visit.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07We returned to this country from Australia.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10We were managing a gardening centre in West London
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and this job came up and I just thought, well,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16that's got it all, really.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18And that's what we really want to do.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21And that was in 1991.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24When I first saw it, it looked sad.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- It looked sad, but with lots... - Lots of potential, yeah.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31You could see underneath that it had lots to offer,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34it just needed revitalising and bringing out.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36You could see how it would become...
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I fixated on broken this, heaps of rubbish everywhere
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and he just goes, "No, in five years' time,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46"this is going to look terrific".
0:09:49 > 0:09:53The major work initially was the walled garden.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55While the restoration of the glasshouses was going on,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58we were getting on with laying out the walled garden,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00preparing the beds, planting the fruit,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03a lot of research went on in the very early days
0:10:03 > 0:10:04as to what we were going to grow.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- It was very exciting, I have to say. - Fantastic.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Everything was changing all the time.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13What was fantastic about then was whatever we did
0:10:13 > 0:10:17was a big improvement on what was there. And it was all new.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19We didn't want it to be a museum,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22we wanted it to be a working walled kitchen garden.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25We wanted to put the life back into it that had been there
0:10:25 > 0:10:28at the turn of the 19th, 20th century and these places
0:10:28 > 0:10:32were great powerhouses and incredibly innovative in their day
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and we wanted to capture that and we wanted to make our mark.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The Harold Peto pergola was built in the early part
0:10:44 > 0:10:46of the 20th century.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50It was derelict when we came in as much as the '87 storm
0:10:50 > 0:10:53had really fixed it good and proper.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57And it was one of the first things that we restored
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and then planted it up with roses and Clematis and vines
0:11:00 > 0:11:05and used plants like Alchemilla and Hostas and ferns underneath
0:11:05 > 0:11:09to just make it very lush in summer months.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11After the walled garden,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14the pergola is the thing probably that sticks in people's minds,
0:11:14 > 0:11:15because it's very immediate.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And it's got that architectural structure.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27We started growing chillies at West Dean in the early 1990s.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Jim went on a study tour to America and he went
0:11:31 > 0:11:34to the Brooklyn chilli festival
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and came back and said, "Why don't we grow some chillies?"
0:11:37 > 0:11:42We eventually grew about 75 different varieties
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and we thought, "Oh, we must put on a little show."
0:11:44 > 0:11:47And it was just going to be a day affair,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49a bit like a little fete and Gardeners' World came
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and filmed our collection.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54So we got this amazing publicity.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58We were completely inundated with people and now
0:11:58 > 0:12:03it's a three-day show and we're celebrating 21 years this year.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07There's a lovely variety called Hungarian hot wax
0:12:07 > 0:12:12and you can grill it, stuff it, pickle it, use it as a fresh chilli,
0:12:12 > 0:12:16you could make chilli pastes out of it, it's very diverse
0:12:16 > 0:12:18in what it offers you.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20And it looks fantastic.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And although they're a culinary plant,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26they're also highly ornamental and easy to grow,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28which is a great thing.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30I would always say use fresh compost,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35it needs to be very free draining and we feed regularly,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40maybe twice weekly and make sure you take all the old leaf litter off
0:12:40 > 0:12:44all the time, because it can act as a sponge for fungal spores.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46And don't forget to harvest.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50If you let all the chillies just stay on the plant,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52the plant will think, "I've done my duty,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54"I don't need to produce any more."
0:12:54 > 0:12:56So by harvesting them,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59the plant will continue to flower and produce more fruit.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12We came up with this notion of an ornamental fruit garden.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14We've got around 100 varieties of apples,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17something like 45 varieties of pear, 25 varieties of plum,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21all grown in a very great diversity of ways.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24And the object is - A - to be productive,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27but perhaps for us more importantly to be beautiful.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Particularly the goblets and the four-winged pyramids
0:13:30 > 0:13:33really do capture people's imagination.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I think the other great thing about these, as well as being beautiful,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41they're very appropriate for contemporary modern small gardens.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44You know, trained fruit is a great way of getting fruit into a garden
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and by training them on the wall as espaliers or as cordons,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49even if it's only a very modest crop,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54at least you can go out there and pick one and nosh on it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56And they're beautiful.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03I've always felt that one of our objectives is for people
0:14:03 > 0:14:06to come here and leave here feeling better.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09On the whole, that certainly seems to be the case.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13But as we all know, a garden is a process, not an object,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17so it goes forward, it moves on, it's dynamic.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21So I'm proud to have sort of had the vision and have carried it out.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And been given the opportunity, we've been so well supported.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- We have. But it has been a love affair, hasn't it?- Yeah, yeah...
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- I would say. I mean... - And we don't have children.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Exactly. So this has been our baby
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and we've poured all the energy into this place.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I do urge you to go to West Dean
0:14:45 > 0:14:47at the earliest possible opportunity.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You can get all the details from our website.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And I love the hot borders in late summer.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And as a direct consequence decided to add much more orange
0:14:57 > 0:15:00to the Jewel Garden and there is bound to be something
0:15:00 > 0:15:04that you will see there and want to add to your own garden.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Come on, dogs.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Come on.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17This is the new fruit garden
0:15:17 > 0:15:21that was dug just this winter and spring.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Now, it's not done too badly, but it has suffered,
0:15:24 > 0:15:25as the whole garden has, really,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28from terrible weather we've had for the last few weeks.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30We've had really high winds,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34we've had heavy rain and the whole place is feeling rather bruised.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36But, nevertheless, the cordon apples,
0:15:36 > 0:15:37which are growing around the edge
0:15:37 > 0:15:41not doing too badly, they were hit by the late frost in April,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43so if you've got fewer apples than normal this year,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47don't worry, you're not alone, but my main concern is the currants.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51I've got blackcurrants growing along here and as they're beginning
0:15:51 > 0:15:53to ripen and you can see the fruit here is coming,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57the birds will have them before we can, so I need to net them.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Now, you need protection, but you don't need a fancy fruit cage,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06they're fine and I've had them in the past and they're great,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08but they are expensive and quite a fiddle to put up,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10you can do something much more temporary.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I'm just simply going to put in some posts,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17put a flowerpot on the top and then drape netting over
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and for the next month or so, that's all this will need.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24But the critical thing is to do it before the fruit ripen,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27because what happens, of course, is you say,
0:16:27 > 0:16:28"Oh, I'll do that this weekend."
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And the weekend comes and you go out there
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and the blackbirds have taken the lot.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35You do need to get on and do this quickly.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Blackcurrants grow really well on this rich clay loam.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47They are the only currant that needs as much food as you can give it.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Whereas gooseberries and redcurrants and white currants
0:16:51 > 0:16:54are much tougher and more adaptable than that,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56but if you're growing blackcurrants,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00give them sun and give them really rich soil.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Blackcurrants, of course, have a very distinctive taste
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and make a wonderful sauce,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11but, for me, they are indispensable
0:17:11 > 0:17:15as the true taste of summer when made into summer pudding.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Nothing could be simpler.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21You line a pudding basin with slightly stale white bread,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23then you boil up the blackcurrants,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27maybe some redcurrants, and a few raspberries.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Pour them into the basin. Seal it over with more bread,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33put it in the fridge for 24 hours.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Then you take it out,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40tip it onto a plate and the bread will be marbled with the juices,
0:17:40 > 0:17:46you slice into it and you get this flow of rich, dark, fruity juice.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51And eaten with single cream is just heaven.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53The taste of summer.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I want to just cut them to the same size,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03so if we go off the smallest one
0:18:03 > 0:18:04which is the height of my nose,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06useful measurement.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08So on this one...
0:18:21 > 0:18:27I bought these pots so I can put them on top like that...
0:18:28 > 0:18:31..to support the nets.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34There we go.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37That is all the easy bit.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Now you're going to watch one man struggle to put a net up
0:18:40 > 0:18:43on his own without becoming a terrible tangle.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Well, it's a bit Heath Robinson, but it'll do the job.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17One thing I would say is whatever you're using in the way of netting,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20try and keep it as taught as you can and that will stop birds getting
0:19:20 > 0:19:23tangled into it and then when we've harvested the currants,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25which will be in a few weeks' time,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28all this can be taken away.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33But by and large, you don't need to construct elaborate defences
0:19:33 > 0:19:36to protect your flowers or your crops.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40A healthy garden has an ecosystem which has a relationship
0:19:40 > 0:19:44between pests and predators that balances itself out.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49And Nick Bailey's been to Oxford to look at the intriguing
0:19:49 > 0:19:53relationship between one particular pest and its predator.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06A sign of pest activity can be this
0:20:06 > 0:20:09happening right at the base of the plant.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13What appears at first glance to be whitefly are in actual fact
0:20:13 > 0:20:17aphid exoskeletons, the discarded bodies or husks of aphids
0:20:17 > 0:20:19are happening further up in the plant.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22If we look higher up here, you can see the flower buds
0:20:22 > 0:20:26are absolutely smothered in active aphids sucking sap out of the plant
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and dripping honeydew all the way down these stems.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32These tiny savages have evolved to be extraordinarily successful.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36They can decimate a plant in no time at all.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38In fact, a single female left to her own devices
0:20:38 > 0:20:42can produce the equivalent of a metric tonne of aphids
0:20:42 > 0:20:44in just one season.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Tempting as it may be to introduce chemicals to deal with garden pests,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58those chemicals can actually be really damaging to the ecosystem
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and, in fact, your garden is already full of miniature combatants
0:21:02 > 0:21:04ready to take on the battle.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Dr Chris Jeffs of Oxford University
0:21:10 > 0:21:12has a biological solution to garden pests.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19As a horticulturalist, of course, I totally geek out about plants.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23But your interest in the outside world is a little bit different.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Well, everybody sees plants first thing,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27that's what smacks you in the eye,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30but when you look a bit closer, there's all these tiny little things
0:21:30 > 0:21:31that are darting around.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33And that's what really got me fascinated
0:21:33 > 0:21:36by the outdoor world is there is so much more going on
0:21:36 > 0:21:37than you think there is.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And your particular interest is in the parasitoid wasp.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Yeah, definitely, they're useful to everybody
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and that's the appeal to me.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46We're researching and we're studying
0:21:46 > 0:21:47something that is useful to everybody.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50So what's the most obvious way that they help gardeners?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53How they help gardeners? So everybody's probably
0:21:53 > 0:21:55had the greenfly and blackfly on their crops.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58These parasitoids get rid of those pest problems for you
0:21:58 > 0:22:00or reduce them.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And so the key to bringing in these parasitoids
0:22:03 > 0:22:07is about getting the right plants, so what would you recommend?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Well, this one, this one is exactly perfect, actually.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14So this is fennel and it's exactly what we're looking for
0:22:14 > 0:22:18for parasitoids. You've got lots of clusters of very small
0:22:18 > 0:22:22little flowers and they're like open little plates for parasitoids.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Because unlike bumblebees, they don't have the really long tongue
0:22:25 > 0:22:28to go down tubular flowers, these are tiny little things,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30so they really do need these open dishes of flowers to go for.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33And I guess that would work across all the Apiaceae species,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35so things like coriander or cow parsley
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- or any of the ornamental garden umbels.- Definitely.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47So this one's ideal.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50This is an Asteraceae, so these have oodles of nectar
0:22:50 > 0:22:52for parasitoids as well.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53So, really, it's ideal,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56because it's not just a beautiful garden ornamental,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59it's also nectar and a food source
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- for these super-useful parasitoid wasps.- Exactly.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So it's about being savvy with your garden.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06You're planting for us to look nice,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08but you're also giving some food to these wasps
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- and they can be useful to you as a result.- Fantastic.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Hey, James, you all right?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18I'm curious to see how parasitoid wasps can help us gardeners
0:23:18 > 0:23:19tackle the aphid menace,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23so we've set up a macro studio to see them in action.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27This is our first close-up of a parasitoid wasp.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I mean, this looks huge on the screen,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31what sort of size is this in reality?
0:23:31 > 0:23:32It's just a few millimetres.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34So you'd probably barely see it in the garden.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It's only when you know about them that you really start to notice them
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and that's what I like about them,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42it's this little hidden world that you have going on here.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- So can you see its antennae at the front?- Yeah.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So it's trying to sense the chemicals emitted by the aphids,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50so it's going through a few dead ones here,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53it's coming closer to one of the live...
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Oh, can you see, the aphid just kicked.- Oh, wow, it knows.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- Oh, wow!- It knows the wasp is there, that's it defending.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01So it's like - "Get away, get away, get away." It's kicking it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03And the wasp is just marauding around,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06it's just trying to find its first victim. The aphid...
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- Can you see...?- Oh, wow.- Its abdomen is right underneath it there.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The ovipositor, the sting that it lays its eggs with
0:24:13 > 0:24:15is coming right underneath it, look...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- That's amazing.- Got it... Did you see?- Wow.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- That was it then? Job done. - Yep, yep, it's so quick,
0:24:21 > 0:24:22they are so quick at what they do.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's going for another one now, another one.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Two.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Three...
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Oh, it's going for the kids...
0:24:30 > 0:24:34So once the egg has been deposited, how long is the life cycle?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37How long is it before the aphid's killed?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39About two to three weeks, just under a month,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43that kind of thing, from egg to emerging as a new wasp.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- That is the developing wasp. - Oh, my God, that is repulsive.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48It's repulsive, but useful.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Gruesome, but they're so effective at what they do, yeah?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54That's the wasp wriggling around inside...
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's huge. I mean, that's revolting.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58It's a living larder,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01it's basically eating it from the inside,
0:25:01 > 0:25:02whilst it's still alive.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Nothing can survive that, right? Being hollowed out from the inside?
0:25:05 > 0:25:09It's amazing that aphid's still moving. Extraordinary.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11How many could they attack in a day?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Well, each of them can lay 200 to 300 eggs
0:25:14 > 0:25:16over the course of their lifetime,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19so, if you're releasing them into your glasshouse
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and you've got 100 or 200 of them, that's big, big numbers.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- That's thousands and thousands of aphids being taken out.- Exactly.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Brilliant, it's such a good solution.- Oh, yeah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28It's such a good solution.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Well, that may look pretty brutal,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40but it's one wasp that we can all welcome to our gardens.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Well, umbellifers are great for attracting predatory wasps,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46but they're beautiful, too,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and I like to grow as many as possible.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52But none are better than this.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54This is Ammi majus.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56And I sow it in September,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58overwinter the plants in the cold frame,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00then plant them out in early April.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The only problem with them is that they are irresistible to rabbits.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06They are a member of the carrot family after all.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09But if they can avoid the rabbits,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12they grew up, good and tall, four, five feet tall
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and will flower this lovely, lacy inflorescence.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Perfect here in the Writing Garden.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Now, Flo Headlam has been visiting gardens that either used by
0:26:24 > 0:26:28or have meaning within a community.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And this week, she returns to Lewisham to a garden
0:26:31 > 0:26:36that's not only important to the community that it serves,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39but also has real meaning to Flo herself.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45I'm in Lewisham.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47I know it like the back of my hand, I grew up here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It's all really familiar, including this place - St Mary's Church.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58But it's round the back of the church
0:26:58 > 0:27:01where things get really interesting for gardeners like me.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Hello, everyone, thank you for coming again.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- Good morning, are we all well? - OTHERS:- Yes.- Yeah?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Earlier this year, I dug the first turf
0:27:11 > 0:27:14to help transform the churchyard into a therapeutic garden
0:27:14 > 0:27:16for the wider community.
0:27:16 > 0:27:22Today, I'm joining them for their fourth day building the garden.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Flo, it's great to have you back,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- we've got lots of work for you to do.- It's great to be back.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- I'm keen, I'm ready.- Good stuff. Right, let's get going.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Gardens like this can be a great place for people to socialise,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36but one regular to the church, Marion Watson,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40realised that this plot could be more than just a communal garden.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Tell me, where did the vision start?
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Ah, well, I've worshipped at St Mary's Church
0:27:45 > 0:27:47all my adult life.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52And I have walked through this churchyard virtually every day.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54And I've looked at this area,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58it was just rather forlorn and at the same time,
0:27:58 > 0:28:04in the church, we became very aware that people from the Ladywell Unit,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07now that's one of five mental health hospitals
0:28:07 > 0:28:12- which are part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.- OK.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16And people would come. And it's just next door, over the wall here.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20They would be coming into church and we sort of just knew
0:28:20 > 0:28:23there was probably something more, some other way we might be able
0:28:23 > 0:28:26to help and they said, "Gardening."
0:28:26 > 0:28:30So we designed it to be a therapeutic garden,
0:28:30 > 0:28:35where people can get a terrific sense of mental wellbeing
0:28:35 > 0:28:37through gardening.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46David Lloyd has had the challenge of designing a garden
0:28:46 > 0:28:48in an old churchyard.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53So what were the key elements in the design for this therapeutic garden?
0:28:53 > 0:28:57So we had to make it feel very safe and we had to make people
0:28:57 > 0:29:00feel kind of quite sort of enclosed once they'd got in.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05Another aspect was we wanted a bit of a flow through the garden
0:29:05 > 0:29:07to get the local community in.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09So we've made the woodland area very lush and very green
0:29:09 > 0:29:11and very inviting.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14And then it leads through to the perennial meadow area
0:29:14 > 0:29:17where we've done great big swathes of planting.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20And they lead naturally down into the wild flower meadow
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and that's quite interesting from a mental health recovery view.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28It acts as a bit of a metaphor where during winter, it's dry
0:29:28 > 0:29:29and it's dead and barren
0:29:29 > 0:29:32and then during spring, you get a bit of growth
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and by summer, you've got a blaze of colour.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38And it shows that even if things seem really bleak, there is hope.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55In one corner of the half-acre site,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58they are creating three raised vegetable beds
0:29:58 > 0:30:01which will be used for regular therapy sessions.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06David has introduced a sustainable way of creating compost,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08known as hugelkultur.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11The wood will rot down over quite a few years,
0:30:11 > 0:30:1410 years or so, and it's a little bit like compost.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17We're putting green stuff in to activate the wood
0:30:17 > 0:30:19and it'll rot down and then the plants will be able to
0:30:19 > 0:30:21- access the nutrients that release from it.- Brilliant.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24So actually all the cuttings and clippings that you've taken off
0:30:24 > 0:30:26from the garden, you can just recycle?
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Yeah, and these would have been waste otherwise.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31We had a big pile in. We were going to have to get a skip
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- to get them taken away. - Right.- So it does a really good
0:30:33 > 0:30:35dual-purpose where we can just dump it all in here,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37forget about it and it will fertilise our veg
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- for a couple of years to come. - Brilliant, so you can actually
0:30:40 > 0:30:42- do this at home?- Yeah, you can do it in any sort of raised bed.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- You can even do it straight into the ground, if you want.- Ah!
0:30:45 > 0:30:47And you can use wood chippings.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49So you probably wouldn't do it with an annual border,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52but you would do it with veg because you're going to be taking
0:30:52 > 0:30:53a lot of the nutrients out.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56It's just the high nutrient demand stuff that you need to do.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Ella Perkins has created the planting for the three
0:31:07 > 0:31:10perennial meadows with a sense of wellbeing in mind.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Where does the therapy come from in terms of the plants and the users?
0:31:15 > 0:31:18So, we've got a limited colour palette just to keep it calm.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We've got different textures as well, different scents.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24So we've got the geranium at the moment, which is really nice,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26and there's a couple of different geraniums.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28And later on when the grass is established,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31there'll be that sound element as well.
0:31:31 > 0:31:32And quite tactile, you know?
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Often you want to touch grasses when you see them.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Absolutely, yeah, run your fingers through it.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39So, over the seasons, the bed will change.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Now we've got the salvia flowering,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45next maybe the verbena will come and the echinops.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48So it evolves and shifts and changes.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- I guess like people's moods as well.- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- Very nice, very pleasing and very calming.- Yeah.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Ever since I was in hospital,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07it's been something that's really helped with recovery.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10It's meant that it really focuses me and makes me be here in the moment.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15You don't really understand until you're in it that the
0:32:15 > 0:32:18actual touching of the green leaves and the smelling of the flowers...
0:32:18 > 0:32:20We've a plant over there, a rose bush,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23that smells like old roses and Marilyn Monroe
0:32:23 > 0:32:26and it's just amazing!
0:32:26 > 0:32:27It gives you that sense...
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Some of the earth under your fingers when you go home -
0:32:30 > 0:32:33it just gives you that sense of being connected with something
0:32:33 > 0:32:37again and also, I suppose as you do it for longer,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40you actually make those connections and bonds with your fellow gardeners
0:32:40 > 0:32:43and I never thought I'd describe myself as a gardener.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45I don't know how that's happened!
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- What do you think of the garden? - It is beautiful.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Now I retire and my age - what I'll do in the future when it's
0:33:03 > 0:33:06finished, I'll just bring my packed lunch
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- and my drink and my book...- Yeah.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- ..and just come and sit and read and eat.- Yes.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- And enjoy my retirement.- Yes. - You alone.- You alone!
0:33:16 > 0:33:17We love it, all of us.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- As I said, we're one big community. - Yeah.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Yeah. And we look after each other. - Absolutely.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- It's important.- Yeah, we do. - it's important.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29I've had a great day working with this wonderful community.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32And what could be more therapeutic than that?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44There's no question that gardening is a great healer.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49It heals physically, mentally and also socially.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51It binds communities.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54And long may that last.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58Now, Carol is celebrating her plant of the month.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11The month of June sees our gardens awash with glorious perennials.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14It's really difficult to choose a favourite,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17but perhaps the star of the show is the geranium.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26The geranium family is large and varied.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Most come from the northern hemisphere,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33where they're found in almost every kind of habitat.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37The great majority of them are completely hardy.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41There are certain characteristics that all geraniums have in common.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45The most obvious, perhaps, is their leaves.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50They're always palmate, just like your hand, made up of five lobes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52And then there are the flowers -
0:34:52 > 0:34:55they all have five petals.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58And those petals are not joined at the base,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00they're completely separate.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03And the colour range within geraniums is right the way
0:35:03 > 0:35:06from white, to pinks, magentas, blues,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09but it doesn't contain any of those fiery colours.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Geraniums take their name from geranos,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16the Greek for a crane, and you can see why.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18If you look at the seed pod
0:35:18 > 0:35:21with this great extended rostrum here,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24it looks just like that bird's head.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29This is in fact a really clever device for distributing seed.
0:35:29 > 0:35:35And at its base, are clustered five seeds right the way round it.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Those seeds are green at the moment but eventually they ripen to brown.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44At this stage, this rostrum divides into five separate pieces
0:35:44 > 0:35:50and each one curls up with its seed contained within it, and it thrusts
0:35:50 > 0:35:55the seeds into the air, catapults them here and there and all around.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00So they come up as new plants. It's a really brilliant mechanism.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08Flowering from late spring through to autumn, hardy geraniums have got
0:36:08 > 0:36:12to be some of the most hard-working plants in our gardens.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13They're a doddle to grow,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17not usually fussy about where they put down roots,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21but it's worth adding organic matter when you're planting,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and perhaps some grit as well if your soil's on the heavy side.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29There are several different methods to make more geraniums.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Probably the easiest of them is from seed.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36There are a few geraniums that are sterile and just don't produce
0:36:36 > 0:36:40any seed, but the great majority do.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42And these are some that I collected from
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Geranium pratense, the meadow cranesbill.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48When you're collecting your seed, take your cue from Mother Nature.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Keep a watchful eye on them and when you see those seed pods
0:36:51 > 0:36:56starting to turn brown and the first ones beginning to catapult,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59here, there and everywhere, move in with your paper bags.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03You can actually put the paper bag over the top and tie it round with
0:37:03 > 0:37:06a bit of string and wait for them to explode in the bag.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09These have been stored since last year.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16But they last for quite a long time. They're quite big seeds.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19So if you've got a half seed tray like this,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22you can actually station sow them.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26You can see where each of those seeds is going and you can
0:37:26 > 0:37:28space them out properly.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31And I'm not going to push them down, press them in or anything.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35All I'm going to do is cover them with grit.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39And they should germinate in a matter of weeks.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40You don't need any extra heat,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44you don't need to put them in a propagator or anything,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48just on a greenhouse bench, or even just outside.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03There's another way of propagating some geraniums.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08This works particularly well for forms of Geranium sanguineum -
0:38:08 > 0:38:10the bloody cranesbill.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13These geraniums live often in very sandy soils
0:38:13 > 0:38:16just below the surface of the soil.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17Thick roots run around
0:38:17 > 0:38:22and you can exploit that by digging a few of them up,
0:38:22 > 0:38:27chopping them up in chunks and turning them into root cuttings.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30I've got a couple of nice, hefty pieces here.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35Now, you'd normally do this during the dormant season from, sort of,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38November right the way through to March,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40but it will work at any time of year.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43The thing is, you don't really want to disturb your plants but if
0:38:43 > 0:38:47I just take a couple of these pieces off like this, and if you
0:38:47 > 0:38:52look at this, it's got nodules all the way along the surface.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55And each one of those is capable of making
0:38:55 > 0:38:59a new shoot and producing new roots to keep it going.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03So you just chop it up in chunks, probably a couple of inches,
0:39:03 > 0:39:08five centimetres or so along and then you lay those chunks
0:39:08 > 0:39:13on top of a seed tray or a pot full of gritty compost,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16a bit of grit on the top of them to weight them down.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Although it looks like three little bits of root now,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22that's potentially three new geraniums.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29There's no more dependable or useful all rounder in the garden
0:39:29 > 0:39:31than a geranium.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35One of the most widely used of all cranesbills
0:39:35 > 0:39:38are forms of Geranium oxonianum.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Invariably, their flowers are some shade of mouthwatering pink.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50This cranesbill, Geranium Anne Thomson,
0:39:50 > 0:39:55spreads out to make a healthy mound, about a metre across.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Because it's a sterile hybrid, there's no reason
0:39:58 > 0:40:02for it to stop flowering and it produces its gorgeous
0:40:02 > 0:40:06magenta flowers, with distinctive black eyes, for months on end.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15There was a time when geraniums fell out of fashion,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19upstaged by the latest trendy plants.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22But you can't keep a good classic down.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27Geraniums are back and this is their time - June.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Well, now certainly is the time to see most geraniums at their best,
0:40:43 > 0:40:48but there is one here in the Jewel Garden which is past its best.
0:40:48 > 0:40:49This is Geranium phaeum.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52It's a British native, very good in shade.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56It's perfect moment is the end of May, the very beginning of June.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Now, it's rapidly setting to seed and if I cut it back hard,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03that will A, allow room to put other planting in -
0:41:03 > 0:41:06which I wouldn't be able to fit in amongst all the foliage -
0:41:06 > 0:41:09and B, give it a chance to regrow later in summer.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14It seems harsh, but you do need to cut right back to the ground.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27You can see it has got long stems and these can flock and spread.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35As Carol said, June is the month when most geraniums
0:41:35 > 0:41:38are at their best, and I've got a new one that I want to plant
0:41:38 > 0:41:43not here in the Jewel Garden, but to add to the Cottage Garden.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Coming, Nige? Yeah, good boy.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11I've done a bit of clearing in the Cottage Garden already,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14so I've got some space to add Geranium 'Rozanne'.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19Now, this was an accidental hybrid and its great virtue
0:42:19 > 0:42:24is these lovely flowers that go on and on from now
0:42:24 > 0:42:26right through to the autumn.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31And the colour is perfect for this soft mix that we've got here
0:42:31 > 0:42:32in the Cottage Garden.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34So, I'm going to put three of them,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38one in there and one there and one there, and they will form an
0:42:38 > 0:42:41understory which will match against the yellows and
0:42:41 > 0:42:43the pinks around them.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55One of the joys of hardy geraniums is that they are unbelievably
0:42:55 > 0:42:57easy to grow.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03They're just not too demanding, but give back a huge amount.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07And this will make a mound about three-foot high and three-foot wide.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15When you're buying plants like this from a garden centre,
0:43:15 > 0:43:19don't be seduced by the ones that are covered with flower,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22because that means they put out a lot of energy.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25It's just as good to have a plant like this, that doesn't have
0:43:25 > 0:43:27any flower on it, so when it grows in your garden,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31then it will produce the flowers for you.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Just look for a nice, strong plant.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37And again, don't be frightened to take it out of its pot and
0:43:37 > 0:43:38have a look at the roots.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39And this is a really nice plant.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42It got a good root system, it's not rootbound,
0:43:42 > 0:43:43plenty of top growth -
0:43:43 > 0:43:45an excellent plant.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52And, as we've seen, if it does get too big or too intrusive,
0:43:52 > 0:43:55geraniums will take any amount of cutting back.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59They want to be convenient,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01they want to do well for you.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Right, there is Rozanne in place.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08Give them a water and there's nothing else I'm going to
0:44:08 > 0:44:11have to do to these until the end of the season.
0:44:22 > 0:44:27Now, Rozanne is sterile, so it won't set seed, but, as Carol showed
0:44:27 > 0:44:30I'll be able to take root cuttings later on in the year.
0:44:30 > 0:44:35And, I always defer to Carol, because there is nobody that knows
0:44:35 > 0:44:37more about herbaceous perennials than she does.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39It's fantastic having her knowledge.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41And, on the other side of the coin,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45we've got the design knowledge of Joe and Adam.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49This week, Adam is visiting a private garden in London that's
0:44:49 > 0:44:54long and narrow, and deconstructing the secrets of its design
0:44:54 > 0:44:57so that we can apply them to our own gardens.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Do you know, as a garden designer I'm always looking for ideas
0:45:08 > 0:45:11and inspiration, and I say to people, "Do you know what?
0:45:11 > 0:45:14"It's all around you, you just have to look."
0:45:14 > 0:45:17It might be a piece of architecture or a piece of art,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20but the one thing I really love doing is looking around
0:45:20 > 0:45:23gardens that have been created by amateurs, because those are
0:45:23 > 0:45:26the ones that I think you see those sort of cracking design ideas in.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37The garden of this terrace house is a little bit of paradise in
0:45:37 > 0:45:40a really busy South London suburb.
0:45:40 > 0:45:41It's well planted,
0:45:41 > 0:45:45but also has this wonderful array of pots and architectural elements.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51It's the brainchild of antiques dealer Will Fisher.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55He moved here ten years ago and knew that designing the garden,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58which is just 25 feet wide and 125 feet long,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00would be a real challenge.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02So, give us an idea, actually, how it started?
0:46:02 > 0:46:05So I started off doing the landscaping, really.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07The pond was the foundation of it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09This was a sort of lost space, in a way, out here.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12And I wanted to just create something that made sense
0:46:12 > 0:46:13of this area.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15So, we started by digging this pond and the rest
0:46:15 > 0:46:16just sort of spread from here.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20You need a journey here, so how did you work it back towards the house?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23I think it started to make sense when the wall went in.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26You sort of got a feeling that it could be breaking it into
0:46:26 > 0:46:29distinctly different areas, like room settings.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33- Because, before, it was just like a very long landing strip.- Yeah.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35- Inspiration for borders...- Yeah.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39..because you've actually linked colours together really nicely.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- That was the first trip I ever did to a flower show...- Right.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45..which was a massive eye-opener and inspiration.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I, literally, didn't know what an allium was before going there.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Didn't know when the bulbs should go in, tried to buy them then,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54was told, "No, you can't buy them now, you've got to wait till..."
0:46:54 > 0:46:56You know, it was that sort of learning curve.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00And others, just going to garden centres and it being as simple as,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04"I like that, I like that, I like that," and trying to muddle them
0:47:04 > 0:47:07together, but knowing nothing about soil, nothing about how big
0:47:07 > 0:47:12they grew - just that I had a sort of vision in mind of colour scheme.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15So, where's your favourite place in the garden to be?
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- It has to be here.- Yeah?
0:47:17 > 0:47:18I absolutely love it.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Which, I know there's less plants, and things like the moss growing
0:47:21 > 0:47:23on there, it just...
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's a dream, you know. I mean, it really is.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39There are so many design ideas in this garden,
0:47:39 > 0:47:41and I really like Will's approach.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49The obvious thing would have been to plant buxus all the way down here,
0:47:49 > 0:47:53but this is sarcococca, which has got beautiful winter scent.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56And I always say to people, if you're going to plant winter scent,
0:47:56 > 0:47:58put it near the house, because you're not going to walk
0:47:58 > 0:48:01to the end of your garden in the middle of winter just to smell something.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03And I actually think the scent would hold in this area
0:48:03 > 0:48:05for so much of the winter.
0:48:05 > 0:48:06Just a great little idea.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12Do you know, when Will actually got here, he just had a long,
0:48:12 > 0:48:15thin garden and all he's done actually, in reality,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17is break it into a series of rectangles.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21So, you come up into the first space, it's nice, it's intimate.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22There's a big block of planting,
0:48:22 > 0:48:24so that instantly makes us feel comfortable.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27But then, there's a seat here.
0:48:27 > 0:48:31And what's nice is, actually, the moment I sit on the seat,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34I've got a fantastic stone trough, that I don't see coming up,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36planted with ferns and it's lovely.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38But, as I sit down, it feels secluded,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41because what's happened is the planting in this border
0:48:41 > 0:48:43has really brought it in and made it feel comfortable.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46The clever bit is the depth of the border.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49It's got fantastic structure and it's got life with the alliums
0:48:49 > 0:48:51and the cirsium.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53But it's the structural planting that interests me,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56because we start with the prunus. Clipped and tight.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59And then the holly sits in the background and it actually
0:48:59 > 0:49:00picks up the spire.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07Then, as I get up, and I go through,
0:49:07 > 0:49:09there's lovely little stepping stones,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11they lead me through into another space.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20At the moment, it's a nice piece of rectangular lawn, which is great.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22The kids play here at the moment, but, actually, with time,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25as the family evolves and changes, this area can change,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28and I think that's a really important and clever thing to do.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31But, all the time I'm in here, I'm getting that little glimpse,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34and I'm getting pulled through into the next room.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50Wow. This is something special.
0:49:50 > 0:49:55To be drawn to the end of your garden and arrive here is fantastic.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58It's a really brave piece of design, because you would not have
0:49:58 > 0:50:00thought of putting a water feature this big in this space.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07What he's done is used the landscape that sits outside
0:50:07 > 0:50:10the garden, we designers call it the borrowed landscape,
0:50:10 > 0:50:14and he's got this church, which is that fantastic focal point,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18but it's the way that he's connected this with that church.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23It's a simple, rendered block wall at the back of the garden,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26not that expensive to build, but the way that it's been detailed
0:50:26 > 0:50:28and painted, it connects with the church.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36And then, you look at the boundaries and he's gone big, he's gone bold.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39They're heavily planted, so that you can't see fences,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42you can't see walls, and it makes the whole place feel bigger.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46You don't quite know where this garden finishes.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59What I really like about this garden is, yeah,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02it deals well with space and it's a nice piece of design,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06but it's the antique detail that works all the way through.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09That adds a real charm and it reflects Will's personality.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12And, for me, that's what gardens should be about.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15They should be about you and your personality.
0:51:28 > 0:51:33I certainly believe in the very basic but incredibly
0:51:33 > 0:51:39effective trick of dividing long gardens into squares and rectangles.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Barriers across them always make them more interesting -
0:51:43 > 0:51:45and they seem bigger, too.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48But you need plenty of space if you're going to grow pumpkins
0:51:48 > 0:51:53and squashes. So, this year, I'm going to grow them up supports.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56I have tried that before and it sort of worked,
0:51:56 > 0:51:57but I think I can crack it this time.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01But, however grow them, whether you grow them laterally or vertically,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04they do need a really good start in life.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06These are greedy, hungry plants.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09They need warmth, they need water and they need food.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16Now, this soil is good, but not good enough.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18So, into that...
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Now, the compost is providing nourishment, but also,
0:52:33 > 0:52:37equally important, it will help the soil hold moisture -
0:52:37 > 0:52:40and that is absolutely vital.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44The first I'm going to put in is a variety called Musquee de Provence.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49Lovely, slightly glaucous-blue pumpkin.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55And it's quite small now, but it will get substantially bigger.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56Now, the last few years,
0:52:56 > 0:53:02pumpkins and squashes have suffered from lack of heat in July.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06Whereas courgettes, which are also members of the cucurbit family,
0:53:06 > 0:53:07have done really well.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Courgettes are much better if it's colder.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20I plant pumpkins and squashes in a saucer,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24so that when you water them, all the water focuses in on the roots.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26That means that they are going to get the drink
0:53:26 > 0:53:28that they absolutely need.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37You need to leave at least a yard between plants,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39because they need to spread.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43And, I'll put in good, strong supports in a week or so,
0:53:43 > 0:53:46but they'll be OK until they really start growing.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Now, it's hard to imagine,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54but there might be somebody out there who doesn't want to
0:53:54 > 0:53:58grow a pumpkin, so here are some other jobs you can do this weekend.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Morello cherries should be pruned now, before the fruit is ripe.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20This is because next year's crop will be produced
0:54:20 > 0:54:23on this year's shoots.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25So, prune away anything that you don't want,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28tying in those stems that you want to keep.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32What you should have left is a good framework,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34ready to carry next year's harvest.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45It's time to start planning for next year's display of wallflowers.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Sprinkle the seed thinly on a seed tray of compost,
0:54:49 > 0:54:53cover them with some grit and either water them from above,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55or soak them for about half an hour,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58and then they can be put to one side to germinate.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05When you have wet, warm weather,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09it's not at all uncommon for roses to become trapped within an
0:55:09 > 0:55:12outer shell of dried petals, and this is known as balling.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18You can often retrieve the situation by gently prising apart
0:55:18 > 0:55:21these outer petals to release the flower within.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25And don't worry if occasionally the whole thing falls off -
0:55:25 > 0:55:28just deadhead it and a new flower will grow in its place.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40This new area is being planted up with officinalis plants,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42and it's already acquiring a sort of sense of place
0:55:42 > 0:55:45and nice to come and sit and have a cup of tea out here -
0:55:45 > 0:55:49although I have to say, the weather has been a bit variable.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Not an awful lot of sitting outside has gone on,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55so let's see what is in store for us gardeners this weekend.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14I'm removing the thalictrum from the box hedges.
0:57:14 > 0:57:19Now, thalictrum is handsome plant, it's good lovely, glaucous leaves.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Sometimes has a chocolaty colour to the stem
0:57:23 > 0:57:26and topped with this lemon fluffy flower.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30You might think I would be extremely glad to have it.
0:57:30 > 0:57:31And in the right place, I am.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35I've got it elsewhere in the garden and it's a welcome visitor.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40But here, it's the wrong colour and it's too far in the front.
0:57:40 > 0:57:41It's forming a screen.
0:57:41 > 0:57:46And there is no question that the right plant in the wrong place
0:57:46 > 0:57:50can become simply the wrong plant, and has to go.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52However, I am cutting them back,
0:57:52 > 0:57:55and so they will return next year.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57But that's it for today.
0:57:57 > 0:58:03Now, next week, we are back on our normal day of Friday,
0:58:03 > 0:58:05but there's a new time of nine o'clock.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07So I'll see you back here at Longmeadow
0:58:07 > 0:58:08next Friday at 9pm.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11Until then, bye-bye.