0:00:09 > 0:00:11Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The vegetable garden is going through
0:00:15 > 0:00:17that slight in-between phase,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20when the early crops like peas and broad beans and the first lettuces
0:00:20 > 0:00:25are going over, but later crops, like pumpkins and sweetcorn,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27haven't really hit their stride yet.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31So you get these odd bits of ground that are left open.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I've harvested some lettuce here.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I haven't got plants ready to put in for next winter,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37but I don't want to waste it,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and this is where green manure can be really useful.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Green manure is simply a crop of some kind
0:00:44 > 0:00:47that you grow solely to enrich the ground.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51At this time of year there are some very quick ones
0:00:51 > 0:00:53that you can turn round in a couple of months,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55like red clover that I'm going to put in here.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And very easy to sow, you just rake the ground over
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and sprinkle the seeds on.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Clover seeds are small.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06There you go.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Spread them like that
0:01:11 > 0:01:12and then rake them in.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16And that...is all you have to do.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And that piece of ground is looked after and will be enriched
0:01:21 > 0:01:23for the next couple of months
0:01:23 > 0:01:26until I want to use it for a crop of my choice.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32On tonight's programme...
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Rachel discovers the secret life of plants and how they use scent
0:01:36 > 0:01:38in extraordinary ways.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46We visit a national collection of wisteria in Cumbria.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And Nick Bailey offers some tips
0:01:48 > 0:01:51on transforming a neglected front garden.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57And we'll also be visiting the man who saved the dahlia.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59And I make a return trip to Dublin
0:01:59 > 0:02:02to revisit one of my gardening heroes.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It's that time of year when you need to think about summer pruning.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Summer-pruning fruit is one thing,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and we'll come to that in a few weeks' time.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32But certain spring-flowering shrubs need pruning about now, too.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35There are two types of spring-flowering shrubs -
0:02:35 > 0:02:38those that produce their flowers on new wood
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and those that produce their flowers on old wood.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44So buddleias produce their flowers on new wood,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47which means you can cut them back as hard as you like in early spring.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49And then there are others,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52like philadelphus or lilac, that produce their flowers
0:02:52 > 0:02:56on growth that was made the previous summer.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I've got a couple of philadelphus here in the orchard beds.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00You can see how this one
0:03:00 > 0:03:03has got all its flowers at a lower level,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06because those are from spurs
0:03:06 > 0:03:08from wood grown last year.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10And this year's growth, the new growth,
0:03:10 > 0:03:11has got no flowers at all.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But, hopefully, this will carry with the spurs that come off it
0:03:15 > 0:03:17in next year's flowers.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And so I'll have them up here and they'll be glorious.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So I don't need to prune that at all.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26However, the matching philadelphus on this side
0:03:26 > 0:03:29is in front of an amelanchier,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and I don't want it to hide the amelanchier.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33What I'm looking for is a lower shrub,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35still covered with flowers,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but just at a different height
0:03:37 > 0:03:38and I can prune it accordingly.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43In fact, there's an awful lot of growth down at the base,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46which is spreading across, covering that geranium,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47and I want to clear that away,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50I want a bit of free air round the bottom.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55When you're pruning to reshape,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58you can cut back to the base of a shoot.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02That will stimulate regrowth that will not bear any flowers next year.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And if you want a clue to timing,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08when the last few flowers are fading,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that's the very best time to cut.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14OK, that's a better shape.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Now I'm just going to tip it back a little bit...
0:04:18 > 0:04:22So, if I remove some of this new growth,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25that should create side shoots to give me flowering.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29And you can see I'm never pruning in the middle between two leaves.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30Just above a leaf.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Because otherwise, this would just die back.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38And any tissue that dies back is much more prone to infection.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44I think that's going to create a shape that will suit this particular
0:04:44 > 0:04:48position really well and give me some flowers next year.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Of course, we grow flowering shrubs
0:04:51 > 0:04:53because the flowers are beautiful
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and they're really good as part of a border.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00But also, lots of them have fabulous scent.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02And the mock orange, for example,
0:05:02 > 0:05:08can fill the evening air with a musky, rich fragrance.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13But that fragrance is not designed for our delectation.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Rachel has been to discover how plants communicate
0:05:17 > 0:05:23and how understanding this process can help us do our bit
0:05:23 > 0:05:24for native plants and insects.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37Healthy populations of native plants and wildlife are key to the success
0:05:37 > 0:05:39of our native ecosystem.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But what determines how they thrive?
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Well, the answer can be found right here in a back garden in Kent.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51This meadow of 100 species of native plants,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56and 1,000 trees, was planted by Dr Mike Copland,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01who studies insects and their relationship with the environment.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It's extraordinary and very beautiful.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06So why did you want to create this
0:06:06 > 0:06:08rather than a more conventional garden?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I felt that Kent didn't have enough wildlife areas
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and I'd like to try to achieve something of my own
0:06:15 > 0:06:17which would have lots of insects in it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21One of the things we wanted to do was to look at
0:06:21 > 0:06:24what was already growing in this little area of Kent,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26in a ten-kilometre square.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30That would be the starting point for the sort of species we could have.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The more I look around me, the more I can see,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35the more variety of plants
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and the fact that it's teeming with life.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41What exactly have you got growing here?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Well, things like the meadowsweet here,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45which is in bloom at the moment.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And this is a white period.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52And then we're going to go into yellows and the purples,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55from the knapweeds and thistles and so on.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58So...there's a change every couple of weeks.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's like being in a different meadow.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05- An ever-changing scene.- Yes. And different insects to go with it.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The meadow is doing so well because of the way native insects are
0:07:09 > 0:07:11attracted to the native plants -
0:07:11 > 0:07:13an invisible way of communicating
0:07:13 > 0:07:18that's vital for the health of the ecosystem here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Every plant in the world is giving off some kind of scents
0:07:22 > 0:07:24which are made up...
0:07:24 > 0:07:27A complex scent is made up of lots of volatile molecules,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29which are evaporating into the air
0:07:29 > 0:07:33and are picked up by insects which are passing by,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35who then turn their attention,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38if it's the right volatile for them.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40They're unique for every plant.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42They've certainly been heading towards this nettle.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- Yes, indeed.- Humble though it is.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45What's on there?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, if we look on the underneath of these leaves here,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50we'll see a number of the aphids.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54And on some of the leaves, we'll see some little predators, as well.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Plants use volatiles to attract predators,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00rallying the troops to bring aphids under control.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03But although unwanted by many gardeners,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06aphids can bring benefits.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09In the case of aphids, they're sucking the plant's sap
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and they're dribbling out some of that sticky honeydew
0:08:12 > 0:08:15onto the leaf's surfaces.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Now, these almost can be viewed as sort of the garages
0:08:19 > 0:08:23which fuel the flight of all the other insects in this habitat.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So, if you're looking at the most important plants,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30they're the ones that support a good population of aphids.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33So, at this moment, all these plants in this meadow
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- are giving off their own specific... - Yes, yes.- ..volatile.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41So, each of the 100 species have all got their own conversation going on
0:08:41 > 0:08:42with a group of insects
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and pulling them in in one way or another.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48I'll certainly never look at a nettle in the same way again.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Mike has a device that will show insects being drawn
0:08:56 > 0:08:58to these invisible volatiles.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Pollen beetles are placed in a Perspex arena
0:09:03 > 0:09:07into which clean air is sucked via four tubes at each corner.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But the air flowing into the top right corner
0:09:10 > 0:09:13takes a detour via a jar of meadowsweet.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So, will the pollen beetle sense the volatiles
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and head in the right direction?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Now, it must be said that we are outside
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- and normally this will be done in a lab.- Right.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26But you can get an idea
0:09:26 > 0:09:28as to how this is working, really.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Give a little bit of time for the air to come in from that bottle.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36And then we should start to see the beetles appear
0:09:36 > 0:09:38to be making a choice which accumulates them
0:09:38 > 0:09:40in that sector of the arena.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44So, how are they sensing the volatiles?
0:09:44 > 0:09:45They're definitely going that way!
0:09:45 > 0:09:47They are, yeah.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49They have a little sensilla on their antenna
0:09:49 > 0:09:52which are responding to these volatiles
0:09:52 > 0:09:55which make up the scent given off by the flower.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And so, when they detect that scent
0:09:57 > 0:10:00they'll move towards it.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Instead of walking in straight lines and walking quite quickly,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07they'll begin to turn and spend more time in that area.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And they're sort of intensively looking for that plant.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13They know that it's there and they're looking for it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15How extraordinary.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26So how important is it really for all of us
0:10:26 > 0:10:29to draw in native insects?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Well, I think it is important,
0:10:31 > 0:10:32because I think, otherwise,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35we're at risk of losing some of them.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Gardens like this have a valuable role to play,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41although you might see a butterfly, or something like that,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45heading towards some non-native sort of yellow flower, or something,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49but it won't be the right kind of chemicals in that nectar
0:10:49 > 0:10:51for it to produce its offspring.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55They really need to be provided with the native flowers.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59What should people be growing if they want something
0:10:59 > 0:11:02that's attractive, ornamental, as well as being obviously a native?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05We've got Bird's foot trefoil there,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07which is a food plant of some of the blue butterflies.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I would definitely plant some of the inula over there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It is the food plant
0:11:12 > 0:11:14for quite a few moth species.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16If you want to grow wild flowers,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20try to scrape off the topsoil to a depth of two to three inches
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and then replant seed into that.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26You end up with that soil being able to support
0:11:26 > 0:11:29a great many species of our wild flowers.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33And mowing it for the first year or so, just like a lawn,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36but it won't kill the plants - they'll all be there,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but they'll have a chance of getting their roots in and well established.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Within five years, you should have something quite interesting.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45You are really tuned in to the detail.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48You spot the insects straight away. And you're sort of...
0:11:48 > 0:11:50You're focusing on that and I wonder if that's something perhaps
0:11:50 > 0:11:52we've all lost a little bit.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Yeah, I think so. I would like to see kids
0:11:55 > 0:11:57encouraged to do things with insects.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And there's a trend, I think, in the last 20 years for,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04"No, don't pick flowers and don't collect insects."
0:12:04 > 0:12:05You know, because we lose them.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Well, no, you gain people who are going to protect them in the future.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13So I think we want to have more people being interested in insects
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and understanding the huge diversity we have here.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I do think that whole area is so fascinating,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35because of course, it's not just about pollination.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Plants communicate with each other
0:12:37 > 0:12:42and, it seems, over really mind-bogglingly distances, too.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Well, certainly, I don't know a lot about how scent is produced,
0:12:47 > 0:12:53but I do know that I absolutely love the fragrance of sweet peas.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And I can't really have too many of them under normal circumstances,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and of course, this year, my son is getting married at the end of July
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and we're growing sweet peas for the wedding.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05You can see they're all-white. This is White Supreme.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So I'm trying to manage the picking of them
0:13:08 > 0:13:14so that we have peak sweet pea at the end of July.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16And there are two ways you can manage them.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18You can either pick regularly,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and that will give you a regular but limited supply.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Or you can do what we tend to do,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29which is to pick as many as you can,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33preferably all of them, about every ten days.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And that stimulates them to a massive re-flowering.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41So for the wedding, what I want to do now is clear all our sweet peas.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46And then I can do one more pick and hopefully we'll fill the place with
0:13:46 > 0:13:48that fabulous fragrance.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Finally, what I do when I pick sweet peas
0:13:52 > 0:13:58is carry a bucket of water with you, stick the sweet peas in as you go
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and then when the bucket is full, you put it somewhere cool
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and that means you don't have to deal with them,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07ie cut them to size and put them in vases, until it suits you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09You can do it much later in the day.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20I always try and have a succession of climbers in the garden,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22so now sweet peas are doing really well
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and the rambling roses are just finishing
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and then the late-flowering clematis will follow on later.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And preceding all of these were the wisteria.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Now, I've got two very young plants that I planted on the mound.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40But back in May, we went up to Cumbria to visit Fiona Butcher,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45who has a national collection of wonderful wisteria.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51What's not to love?
0:14:51 > 0:14:57They have scent, big, long droopy flowers, romance...
0:14:57 > 0:14:59They've got everything.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02There's nothing not to like!
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Opposite my mother-in-law's,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10there was a derelict cottage and it was entirely purple.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The whole thing. The wisteria grew up the side,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15up the front of the house, over the roof
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and down the other side and it was just purple.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20It was fantastic.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24And that was it. I was just in love.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25End of story.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I thought, "I'm going to have to have one of these in the garden."
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I've got a national plant collection
0:15:34 > 0:15:37of around 40 different varieties and species of wisteria.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42My favourites are the double-flowered
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Wisteria floribunda 'Yae-kokuryu'.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50And also Wisteria floribunda 'Kuchi-beni'.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55And Wisteria floribunda 'Lawrence'.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59And, and, and!
0:15:59 > 0:16:01And...
0:16:01 > 0:16:03All of them, at the right time.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Pruning is everything.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Any new green tendrils, cut them off.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Because otherwise, you end up with a straggly plant.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21If you cut them, they produce lots of flowers on short bracks,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23which is what you want.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Wisteria will take over the world unless you prune them.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The garden is... It's not tiny, but it's not massive,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33especially in terms of wisteria.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37So my aim has always been to have smaller plants.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49I first saw a photograph of a bonsai wisteria in a bonsai book.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52And I just thought, "I'm going to have to have that."
0:16:52 > 0:16:54By some means. So that was...
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And then, I read more about air layering
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and it kind of progressed from there.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Air layering is a method of propagation
0:17:05 > 0:17:10whereby you're basically making a mature flowering plant
0:17:10 > 0:17:11from an existing branch.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15First of all, you cut round the bark with a knife,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18about an inch in length along the branch.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Cut the outside of the bark off so you've got the inside bark showing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Then you coat that in rooting powder,
0:17:25 > 0:17:26or rooting hormone.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Wrap it in moss and tie it up with string,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34so you've got, like, a little moss parcel.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38You need to make sure that the moss is not too wet and not too dry.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42And it needs to be sphagnum moss
0:17:42 > 0:17:44because it encourages the small roots to grow,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46which are the feeder roots,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48which are the important part of the plant.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Air layering is better for producing a flowering plant quickly.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58You've got, basically, a mature flowering plant
0:17:58 > 0:18:00within two or three years.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05Then you tie, very tightly, some clear plastic round it,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07which keeps the moisture locked in,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and then you cover it with either silver foil or black plastic to stop
0:18:11 > 0:18:15light getting in, so that it will grow roots.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19You do it in June or July, just after flowering's finished.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And that's it. Leave it for ten months and... Ta-da!
0:18:24 > 0:18:25You have a plant.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29I couldn't believe it when it worked, the first time,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I could not believe it. I was like, "Yes!"
0:18:32 > 0:18:35And that excitement when you see all the flower buds
0:18:35 > 0:18:39on something that you've created is just amazing.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48This is Wisteria sinensis.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Air layering taken in 2000 from the original purple house wisteria,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55as it shall now be known.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's got nice structure, nice, clean line.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Trunk quite thick at the bottom after all this time.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05And it's been that shape ever since it was air layered.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11This is a good example of the real variety and difference
0:19:11 > 0:19:13between the types of wisteria.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15All of them can be used for bonsai.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Probably shorter-racemed ones
0:19:18 > 0:19:20are better for flowering.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24As you can see, they look like small trees already,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27because I've chosen part of the plant to air layer it from,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31it's got treelike structure instead of being, for instance,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34long and straight, like this grafted plant and like this one.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41You can change the angle of planting to get more of a bonsai effect,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45so I might lean it over to the left, or lean it over to the right to get
0:19:45 > 0:19:48more of a...a more bonsai feel to it.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Any wisteria in a pot will not grow as vigorously
0:19:53 > 0:19:55as one that's in the ground.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58So pruning just as and when, really.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Every two years, you need to repot them.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03And sometimes it's a bit more often than that
0:20:03 > 0:20:05if the plant's particularly vigorous.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08You need to reduce the roots by half,
0:20:08 > 0:20:09try and make them quite flat,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11so you haven't got a root ball at the bottom.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14They need to sit flat.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17And then re-pot it back in the same pot.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Discovering air layering made me much more confident
0:20:27 > 0:20:29about growing wisteria in a small space,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32generally being able to have lots more wisteria
0:20:32 > 0:20:34than would otherwise be possible.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Erm, I think, as with anything,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39experience gives you more confidence
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and you learn things that you can't do
0:20:42 > 0:20:43and things that you can.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46They might not work for everybody, but for me, it's just great.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10I do think that that is the key to really enjoying gardening
0:21:10 > 0:21:13as much as possible, which is to try.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Just try things out.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It may not work, but you'll learn something,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19even if it's how not to do it,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22which can often be the most useful bit of knowledge you need.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26And sooner or later, you'll find that things will work.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30And then, all kinds of possibilities come to the fore,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and that's so exciting.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And I do think, certainly for myself,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38that it's the creative aspect of making a garden,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40of producing new plants,
0:21:40 > 0:21:45of reordering it, reshaping it, that is the most fulfilling.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50And last autumn, I went to visit Helen Dillon in Dublin.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Now, Helen is the doyenne of Irish gardening
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and her garden at Sandford Road in Ranelagh,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59in the outskirts of Dublin, is probably the most famous
0:21:59 > 0:22:02that has been created in Ireland in the last 50 years.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07But last year, she suddenly decided it was time to move.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09So a few weeks ago,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14I went back to Dublin to see Helen and her new garden.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21Well, this is the right place.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25I'm in Monkstown, I'm by the sea and her new garden...
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Oh.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28This is quite a surprise,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30because if it wasn't for the glimpse
0:22:30 > 0:22:33of some rather wonderful plants down the end,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36it would be hard to credit that this is the new home.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37It is so different.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- Hello.- Hi.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Well, this is something.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47It's probably a bit different.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It's very... It's certainly very, very different.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51But it's looking incredible.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It's a huge, exciting improvement.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Instead of going on and on and on and maintaining...
0:22:58 > 0:23:00It's not fun just maintaining.
0:23:00 > 0:23:06- No.- I got rid of a lot of old memories, bad memories,
0:23:06 > 0:23:07plants I've gone off.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I managed to throw all my problems out of the window...
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- That's fantastic. - ..and come here.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- That's fantastic. - Open the window and chuck 'em out.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21The garden that Helen left behind
0:23:21 > 0:23:25was a rich tapestry made up of unusual and exotic plants,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27collected over a lifetime.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31But moving to somewhere new
0:23:31 > 0:23:35has given her the chance to create a garden from scratch.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38BEEPING
0:23:38 > 0:23:40We're sitting in a building site,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and yet the garden is clearly coming into being.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46It's the creation, as opposed to the maintenance.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47Exactly.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I love the thought that I've got all that space out the front.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53And the empty palette - wonderful. What am I going to do with it?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57So, have you deliberately downsized?
0:23:57 > 0:23:58You know I hate that word.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- I said it to tease you. - It's just, it's just...
0:24:01 > 0:24:04To me, it's "the giving up on everything" word.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I'm not giving up.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08OK, the size has changed.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10But the me hasn't changed.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14When I first gardened in that Sandford Road house,
0:24:14 > 0:24:1747 years ago or so, I couldn't take anything out,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Because it seemed sacrilege.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Now I've got tougher.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23But the plants I love, I love a lot.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It's terrible to see one's editing and deciding the whole time,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and one's giving marks to plants.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32But there are some plants I might have got a tiny bit bored with.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- Has that ever happened to you, Monty?- All the time.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36And I don't feel any guilt about that at all.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It just has to go out. Or I say, "I've grown that for 30 years,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41"do I have to go on growing it?" Answer, no.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45In the ten months leading up to the move,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Helen gradually potted up her chosen few
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and looked after them on site.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Where did you keep all these plants?
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- Originally, I sort of corralled them up the far end...- Yes.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57..with wild netting round.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01But really, I needed something more like, er,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Trump's wall around Mexico.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Because builders, I mean, I'm not sure they understand plants,
0:25:06 > 0:25:07to tell the truth.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I'm not sure they see plants.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11But how well do you understand building work?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14That is beautifully said, dear boy. Beautifully said.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15THEY LAUGH
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Do not put plant in front of builder's foot,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- that's what I'm saying.- Yeah.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Cos builder's foot doesn't see plant.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26But the plants are soon to be bedded into new borders.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30We've talked about editing.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32What about the things you just had to bring,
0:25:32 > 0:25:33you could not live without?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Well, actually, that's not looking good because it's been moved,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38but that is a spectacularly good
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and wonderful clematis.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- That's a particularly nice, particularly nice musifolia.- Right.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Musifolia. That's my favourite one.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53- You don't like cannas... - I do like cannas. I do, I grow them.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56That is stupendous.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- Oh, I love that.- You've got that in a dustbin, have you?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02It's in a dustbin so I can move it in and out. But it has to go in.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04And I don't think...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It says it'll only stand two degrees of frost.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Max. So I wouldn't risk it, because having waited five years
0:26:10 > 0:26:12for it to flower, I wouldn't risk it...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15So you wait five years to put up that flower spike and then it dies?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Yeah. But that flower spike
0:26:17 > 0:26:19has been looking interesting for three or four months.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- OK.- Definitely interesting.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28Lots of these plants here are exotic, special, rare...
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- Gosh, you're very good. - ..if not rarefied.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32And that's fabulous, and that's fantastic,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and you are associated with it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36But they don't have to be, they don't have to be like that.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- Do they have to be? - No, they don't...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- What is it you're looking for? - Why do I love that little daisy?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- That everybody loves?- The original? - The original one.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Why do I love it? It's a lovely plant.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- You tell me. Why do you love it? - It's absolutely sweet,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53it never stops flowering, it's no trouble, it looks after itself,
0:26:53 > 0:26:54it puts itself somewhere pretty
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and you can come along and say, "How sweet", and walk on.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58You don't have to do anything,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00it plants itself on the top of the wall and flowers away.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01What more can you want?
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Lots of alstroemerias.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Well, I think they're such good plants.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09And people sneer at them and say they're common and things,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11but they're terrific plants.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15If you get really good, really pretty colour,
0:27:15 > 0:27:16and you get a really tall one,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19people will buy these small little pea ones.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21The little pea ones all fall over and never look good,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23but these, the bigger, the better.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I guess you have to deadhead madly, do you?
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Well, I do. What I do is I yank it out.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28You see that's had the top off anyway?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I just pull it out by the root.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Yank from the base... I'm not going to it there.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35But this is weak, it is never going to flower,
0:27:35 > 0:27:36so I might as well pull it out.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's only cluttering up the place. Look. Cluttering up the place.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41This one's cluttering up the place.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Want all that out. Cos it's not doing any good,
0:27:43 > 0:27:44it's just blocking the others.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49Most people will be terrified of damaging the plant.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52One has got to be tough and bossy over plants,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55because otherwise you sit there, looking at a miserable thing,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and you think, "Oh, I wish it would look a bit better."
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Or else you don't see it.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Most people, if they don't like the plant, they don't see it, it's not annoying them.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05You have to make yourself look and say, "Do I like that plant?"
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And the answer with that pink one is I do like it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I imagine it must be quite difficult for you to be tough and bossy.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16That, I think, is a slightly edgy, slightly edgy air to that comment.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19MONTY LAUGHS
0:28:19 > 0:28:23I find this ongoing conversation with Helen
0:28:23 > 0:28:27both fascinating and a little bit disturbing,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31because I've often thought about what it would be like
0:28:31 > 0:28:32to leave Longmeadow.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Because I'm coming to that time of life where I'm starting to think
0:28:36 > 0:28:38about the future and how I'm going to manage.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Helen has just moved forward and she's left the old behind,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47and it was clearly tough.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50And I like the idea of not saying "farewell",
0:28:50 > 0:28:52with a sort of heavy heart,
0:28:52 > 0:28:53but "fare forward".
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Instead of mourning the past, building on it.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01And at any age, that is exhilarating.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18I think the best measure of inspiration is how much it makes
0:29:18 > 0:29:21you want to do something as a result of seeing it.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26And I came back from my trip to Dublin with loads of new ideas
0:29:26 > 0:29:28here at Longmeadow.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32And I shall certainly be going back as soon as Helen will have me,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35to see how her ideas are developing.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Now, coming up on the programme, we pay a visit to the man
0:29:44 > 0:29:47who saved a whole raft of old dahlia varieties
0:29:47 > 0:29:51so that we can now enjoy them in our gardens.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53And Joe visits Dungeness
0:29:53 > 0:29:57to see a garden made in about the most extreme conditions
0:29:57 > 0:29:59that can be imagined.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04But first, Nick Bailey shows us how to make a neglected front garden
0:30:04 > 0:30:06into a welcoming space.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Front gardens are the first thing that people see
0:30:15 > 0:30:17when they come to our property,
0:30:17 > 0:30:22yet so many of us only invest our time and energy in our back gardens,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26meaning that the front gardens are little more than a transition space,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29and this front garden typifies that.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33This garden lacks structure and seasonal interest -
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and the plants are not well maintained.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38The path isn't wide enough for the wheelie bin,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40and the bin itself is really ugly,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42and the pots don't sit well together.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48But with a bit of DIY know-how, and some clever planting,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52I can turn the space into a desirable front garden
0:30:52 > 0:30:55with year-round interest that will welcome people to the home.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59There's good reason why we should invest in our front gardens.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01First, like a book cover,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04it'll become more inviting and attract insects and songbirds
0:31:04 > 0:31:06to the front door.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10Second, a well-tended front garden can add value to your property
0:31:10 > 0:31:12and increase its kerb appeal.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15And third, you'll be doing your bit to help with the issue of flooding,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18something that the RHS, with its Greening Grey Britain campaign,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21is especially concerned about addressing.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25With this front garden, I want to start from a blank canvas,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28which means clearing the existing plants,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32then I'm going to reduce the size of the bed to make an accessible path
0:31:32 > 0:31:33for the wheelie bin.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41To really bring this garden back to life,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I'm going to use a whole new palette of plants.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46And the idea with this particular range
0:31:46 > 0:31:51is it will give interest to this front garden 365 days of the year.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55One of the key plants that I'm putting in is this rose.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56It's a flower carpet rose.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Ground-covering, goes from June to round about November time.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Really good value and it just keeps delivering.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Some people tend to think that fuchsias
0:32:09 > 0:32:11can be a bit bold and brassy.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13I think this one is actually really elegant.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It's a fuchsia magellanica,
0:32:15 > 0:32:16and it's a form called Hawkshead.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18It has these white, very simple
0:32:18 > 0:32:21and elegant pendulous flowers.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28This is anemanthele.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It used to be called stipa arundinacea.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It's a fantastic grass, and it self-seeds around,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35which is one of the reasons I've chosen it.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37What I really like about it is, come autumn time,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40it takes on brilliant, burnished orange tones,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44and so it will really stand out and help extend that season of interest.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Astrantias are brilliant border doers.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Long season of interest
0:32:56 > 0:32:58and those beautiful lime and white tones
0:32:58 > 0:33:01will tie in with the rest of the planting.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08You'll probably recognise this as Alchemilla mollis.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10It's incredibly easy to look after.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Plant it and leave it. It gently seeds around.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14And then in early summer time,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18again, this beautiful citrus lime tone to the flowers,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20which helps to bring the whole scheme together.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24This is Asarum europaeum.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It's a little woodland European native,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and it likes to grow in half-shade or dappled light.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32So it's going to be perfect
0:33:32 > 0:33:35scattered through the plants in the front of this border.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41I've planted this border more densely than usual for two reasons.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45One, it means the garden will look great this year, and two,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47I've chosen so many self-seeding plants
0:33:47 > 0:33:50that if they get wiped out by some of the larger shrubs,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53they'll slowly find their own spots and thrive.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59This planting scheme costs around £260.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02But you don't have to buy them all in one go.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05And since your front garden will look fantastic for years to come,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08these plants are a worthwhile investment.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14With the flowerbed complete,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18it's time to turn my attention to the new housing for the wheelie bin,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21which will also have its own green roof.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25I bought this off-the-peg wheelie store that the bin can tuck away in.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Now, at the moment, its colour's a bit bright,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30so I'm going to paint it a black so it helps it to disappear.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32And then I'm going to give it a green roof.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I'm just going to use a basic horticultural grit,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38which will help the compost grain
0:34:38 > 0:34:41and make sure the plants establish well.
0:34:41 > 0:34:42Now it's ready for the compost.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And it's worth firming the compost in well, to all corners.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Don't be tempted to pat it.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Use your fingertips, that will just work it down nicely
0:34:56 > 0:34:58without overly compacting it.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I can't resist getting a plant for free,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07especially things like this ophiopogon.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10You'll often find that you can split them before you even plant them.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13You can see that what's growing in here is two
0:35:13 > 0:35:15separate little plantlets,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18and there's one complete with roots, ready to go.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20There's one more, and actually,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22there's a bonus on the side here as well.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25And so that's three plants for the price of one.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29As alternatives, you can also plant ferns
0:35:29 > 0:35:31or mat-forming species of sedum.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Well, that's the wheelie bin all but camouflaged
0:35:42 > 0:35:43and integrated into the garden.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45And with its green roof,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48it has just a bit of eco-credentials because, of course,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50it provides a habitat for wildlife,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53absorbs pollutants and produces oxygen.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55And with the range of plants in the front garden here,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58family and visitors are going to be guaranteed
0:35:58 > 0:36:01a warm welcome to this property.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11WATER GUSHES
0:36:15 > 0:36:18The RHS campaign to improve our front gardens,
0:36:18 > 0:36:19Greening Grey Britain,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22has been going strong and will continue to the end of this year,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24so if you want to get involved and take part,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27you can go to our website and get all the details.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Now, this is a really good pot, it's designed for bulbs,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32and I had tulips in it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35But if you've got a big, expensive pot like this,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37you want to use it as much as possible.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39So I'm going to plant some more bulbs,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41but this time, they're autumn-flowering.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45I've got two sorts, although they're very closely related.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48The first is an amarine,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51a cross between amaryllis and nerine.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56And the whole point of an amarine is it combines, just like the name,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58the two qualities of both bulbs.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02You have the vigour of an amaryllis
0:37:02 > 0:37:04and the elegance of a nerine.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Well, so I am told,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08because I've never grown it before.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10And this is Amarine Emanuelle,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and Emmanuelle is a pale pink.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16If you do want to plant this yourself,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18you do need to go and buy it this weekend and get on with it,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21because it's running a little bit tight on time
0:37:21 > 0:37:24to hit the peak flowering in early autumn.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29But the method is the same whether you do it in May or July.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31You need a pot and some crocks
0:37:31 > 0:37:33in the bottom,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36cos drainage is absolutely essential.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39I've already mixed up a gritty compost mix.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Now, I often refer to a gritty mix.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47Essentially, what that means is you buy a normal peat-free compost and
0:37:47 > 0:37:51then buy a bag of grit and mix them in equal volume.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55And that does well for almost all bulbs.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58So you end up with a mix that, when you rub it together,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00just falls through your hands.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04And if in doubt, better to make it more gritty than less,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07cos what you don't want is water retention,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09you want the water to pass almost straight through it.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12So put it in, and these bulbs,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15unlike many, should be planted shallowly.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19You want the surface of these above soil level.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So...that's about right.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25These are bulbs that do best as they bulk out,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28so you can plant them quite closely together.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29And if you're planting them in the ground,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33if you've got very well-drained soil, you don't want to move them.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Let them become a tightly bound mass of bulb
0:38:37 > 0:38:40and they do want as much sun as you can give them.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46I just put the compost around them rather than over them,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50so that their snouts are appearing above the soil.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54I don't want to bury them completely.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56And I'm going to dress them with a bit of grit.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01We put grit on the top to stop splashing.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03When you water it,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05you can get the compost splashing up onto the foliage
0:39:05 > 0:39:07and even the flowers, sometimes.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10But also, it means you don't get capping,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13which is when the surface of the compost dries out
0:39:13 > 0:39:16and you water it and it bounces off.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18And...it looks nice.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19I've also got some nerines,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23which I'm going to put into these smaller pots.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25So, the same idea, same compost.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Not planted too deep.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30And we can put three in each.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32I'll do the two pots.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36This is Nerine flexuosa "Alba".
0:39:36 > 0:39:40White, spidery, elegant flowers.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42It's very tricky to grow here,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44on our clay, with our wet climate,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47which is why I'm going to put them into a pot,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49but if you've got sandy soil or it's chalky, free-draining,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52south-facing aspect, there's no reason why
0:39:52 > 0:39:53you can't grow them outside.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01That is killing a number of birds with one stone.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04For a start, I'm reusing pots,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06I'm getting maximum benefit from them.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Secondly, I'm growing something
0:40:08 > 0:40:12that I've struggled to grow successfully in our wet clay.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13And thirdly, this is a new plant -
0:40:13 > 0:40:15certainly the amarine is, anyway -
0:40:15 > 0:40:20which should give me a really good display come September and October,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23when things are beginning to thin out a little.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Of course something that will still be going strong, I expect,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30in September, will be the dahlias.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I grow lots of dahlias, I love them.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37But many of these dahlia varieties that we now take for granted
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and happily grow in our gardens
0:40:39 > 0:40:43would not be available if it wasn't for the work of one man,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47David Brown, who, for nearly 70 years,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50has been collecting and propagating
0:40:50 > 0:40:54dahlia varieties which would have otherwise disappeared.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Last summer, we went to visit him.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I love dahlias because they're so versatile.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16They give you a tremendous range of colour, size of flower,
0:41:16 > 0:41:17shape of flower.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20It just is such a wonderful,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24colourful flower for the garden,
0:41:24 > 0:41:29and flowers from July right the way until the first frost.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33And what more could you ask for?
0:41:35 > 0:41:40I was born into a dahlia nursery in Maidenhead, Berkshire,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43which was run by my grandfather,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and then by my father, John Brown.
0:41:46 > 0:41:52And I suppose from about the age of ten, in about 1947,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56I began to take note of the different dahlias
0:41:56 > 0:41:58that my father grew.
0:41:58 > 0:42:04And I used to help my father prepare them for cutting, for shows,
0:42:04 > 0:42:10and was very proud when stands were awarded gold medals or trophies.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16When I came out of the Army in '59,
0:42:16 > 0:42:20my father had sold the nursery,
0:42:20 > 0:42:25but I still maintained my interest in dahlias
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and was a member of the National Dahlia Society.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31I suddenly realised a lot of the dahlias
0:42:31 > 0:42:34that my father had grown had disappeared,
0:42:34 > 0:42:39and the classified directory issued by the National Dahlia Society
0:42:39 > 0:42:43in 1982 showed 700 varieties.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46And in 1966,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49it showed 4,000 varieties.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53So I felt that it was necessary
0:42:53 > 0:42:56to start collecting some of these old dahlias.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58This was the start of my collection,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and by 1987,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05I had amassed nearly 2,000 different cultivars.
0:43:07 > 0:43:12It was fun, really, in those days, collecting these old dahlias.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14If I was driving along,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18I would run up a garden path quite often
0:43:18 > 0:43:23and ask the garden owner if I could have a tuber of a dahlia
0:43:23 > 0:43:25that was growing in their garden.
0:43:25 > 0:43:31And it was quite easy once I started to build up this collection.
0:43:33 > 0:43:41In 1996, the NCCPG, now Plant Heritage,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43came and inspected the collection
0:43:43 > 0:43:48and it was registered as a national collection in the UK.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50As far as I know,
0:43:50 > 0:43:55it's the only national dahlia collection in existence.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Unfortunately, I became unwell,
0:43:58 > 0:44:03and Winchester Growers, who were bulb suppliers,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07came forward and purchased the collection
0:44:07 > 0:44:11and it is looking very good at this moment.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25Good clean stock is the first criteria to a good dahlia growing.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29They like well-drained soil.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33Most important, I think, is to keep them well watered
0:44:33 > 0:44:35throughout the growing season.
0:44:35 > 0:44:41You need to give them a slow-acting fertiliser,
0:44:41 > 0:44:47and I also give them a foliar feed throughout the season to keep them
0:44:47 > 0:44:50vigorous and strong and healthy.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Another important thing with dahlias
0:44:52 > 0:44:55is to keep them deadheaded so that
0:44:55 > 0:44:58you encourage more flowers, more growth.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01If you live in a frost area,
0:45:01 > 0:45:04you should lift your dahlias,
0:45:04 > 0:45:05clean off the soil
0:45:05 > 0:45:09and store them in a frost-free, dry area.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13I love the old dahlias,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16they have a special part in my dahlia world
0:45:16 > 0:45:20because people have grown them for many, many years
0:45:20 > 0:45:22and they were always evolving.
0:45:22 > 0:45:27I mean, I found a dahlia called Union Jack in a garden
0:45:27 > 0:45:34in the 1980s that had been raised in 1883.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37You know, it's just part of our dahlia history
0:45:37 > 0:45:41and it's most important that we don't lose sight of this.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48I think more people now are growing dahlias just for the garden
0:45:48 > 0:45:53and cut flower, rather than exhibiting.
0:45:53 > 0:45:59I'm hoping that dahlias will maintain their rise in popularity.
0:46:02 > 0:46:08So I'm just happy to be part of the dahlia scene
0:46:08 > 0:46:11and have been for the last 70 or so years.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Well, if it wasn't for people like David,
0:46:24 > 0:46:28our gardens would be much, much less interesting places.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31We certainly need and should celebrate our plant heroes,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35and he's absolutely right about the need to deadhead dahlias.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40Dahlias are a plant that respond beautifully to regular deadheading.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44And if you do that, they will go on flowering until the first frost.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48And it can be a little confusing if you're not used to growing dahlias.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Which is a bud about to open
0:46:51 > 0:46:53and which is a flower that has just finished?
0:46:53 > 0:46:55But here's the clue.
0:46:55 > 0:47:00If you look at this, it's a tight, round cushion.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03A ball, and that is a bud.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05So don't cut that off.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10Whereas that has finished, because it's long and tubular.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12That means that it's finished flowering.
0:47:12 > 0:47:13And when you do cut,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17always go right back down the length of the stem
0:47:17 > 0:47:21to the next leaf or shoot.
0:47:21 > 0:47:26Although sandy soil and light shade may be perfection for dahlias,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28the truth is they are very adaptable -
0:47:28 > 0:47:32they certainly thrive on the heavy clay here at Longmeadow.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37But there are certain gardens that are so extreme
0:47:37 > 0:47:41that only a very small selection of plants will survive,
0:47:41 > 0:47:42let alone thrive,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45and Joe has been down to Dungeness in Kent
0:47:45 > 0:47:48to see a garden that exactly fits that bill.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12Dungeness has one of the largest natural shingle beaches in Europe,
0:48:12 > 0:48:16which is extremely free-draining, nutrient-poor
0:48:16 > 0:48:18and the winds rip right through here.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22So it's a very inhospitable place to grow plants.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25So I'm intrigued to see an award-winning garden
0:48:25 > 0:48:27that's positively thrived here.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36The garden is in a group of recently converted industrial buildings
0:48:36 > 0:48:39and it's been designed by Emily Erlam.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48So, Emily, what did you set out to achieve with this garden?
0:48:48 > 0:48:51This garden is very much part of a wider landscape,
0:48:51 > 0:48:56so we needed to create almost an installation,
0:48:56 > 0:48:58but we wanted to make something really intimate,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01that felt like a garden for the people who live here.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06But it is a very weird industrial landscape.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08You got the lighthouse,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10you've got all these telegraph poles all over the place.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13It feels quite random, the whole area.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16There's a real theme of found objects around here,
0:49:16 > 0:49:18so people bring things from the beach
0:49:18 > 0:49:19or create their own sculptures.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22So, in a way, the garden has created a backdrop
0:49:22 > 0:49:27for these elements of Dungeness to carry on existing in this space.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28It really is a very large plot,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31but you've just gardened this area near the house.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34And the rest of it, you've left to grow wild.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Was that a conscious decision, to have the two areas?
0:49:37 > 0:49:39Well, actually, it was a requirement.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so this area here,
0:49:43 > 0:49:45we weren't allowed to garden.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47In fact, you can't even walk on it.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50It represents what the area of Dungeness would be like
0:49:50 > 0:49:52if no-one was walking around on the shingle.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- Wow.- And so the plants that grow there are a community
0:49:56 > 0:49:58that are undisturbed.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59OK.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01It's very dry here in Dungeness.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03These plants have been chosen
0:50:03 > 0:50:06because they should survive in a very arid environment.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11Things like the achillea, the persicaria,
0:50:11 > 0:50:12the santolina.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14There's yellow horned poppies
0:50:14 > 0:50:16that grow naturally around here,
0:50:16 > 0:50:18and are very iconic around here.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20And also the viper's bugloss,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22which is this blue, purpley plant.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24And it grows everywhere, and so we picked up
0:50:24 > 0:50:27the purple and yellow and we've brought it in the garden.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43So you've very much gone with the gravel theme with Dungeness.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46It's got a lot of gravel around here.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Well, some gravel was here obviously already.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51You have to only use the local gravel,
0:50:51 > 0:50:53so you can't bring gravel from other places.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56But you can't take it from the beach, you have to buy it in.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59You have to buy it in, yes, and so we took it from the local quarry.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02And we made a dry riverbed-type thing.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07So where the landforms come down, we create natural paths.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09And so the other material is timber,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12which you used for decking and the furniture,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14that lovely bleached-out effect.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17There's lots of boats around and they are all made
0:51:17 > 0:51:20of these shipboard decking,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23and it's a bit like the boardwalk-type deck at the beach.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27But we wanted to keep it very natural so it felt like it tied in
0:51:27 > 0:51:28with what's around.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40The planting looks lovely from here -
0:51:40 > 0:51:43I mean, really melds together beautifully
0:51:43 > 0:51:46and work so well with the building and the environment.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49The elaeagnus over there is a sort of a bit of a hedge.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Were you ever tempted to put more of it in
0:51:51 > 0:51:53to create a microclimate inside
0:51:53 > 0:51:55so you can grow a wider variety of plants?
0:51:55 > 0:51:58The elaeagnus Quicksilver has been really happy here,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01and it does stop the wind coming through.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04But the real wind, to be honest, comes from the sea,
0:52:04 > 0:52:05which comes straight across the garden.
0:52:05 > 0:52:11So there wasn't an awful lot we could do to cut off the wind.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13The blue amsonia, I've never grown it,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15but it's a real stunner,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17it works so well with the yellows.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19I love this plant, I think it's really good.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22There's different forms, short forms and tall forms,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24and it does take a while to get going,
0:52:24 > 0:52:25it's a bit sluggish.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28But once it does, it's a real doer, it will grow in many places,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31it will grow in shade, and it seems to love it here,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33it's really enjoying itself.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35And of course there's sea kale all around us,
0:52:35 > 0:52:39but have you planted it or have you just let it self-seed in a garden?
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Well, it's protected, and we have introduced a couple more because,
0:52:42 > 0:52:44actually, it's a really great plant.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47And those seed pods are really ornamental.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50As soon as you put that plant next to an ornamental plant,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53it does feel like it's very comfortable in a garden setting.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56I bet very few people grow it in their gardens.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Yes, I think they should, actually.
0:52:58 > 0:52:59It's got so many seasons to it,
0:52:59 > 0:53:04it starts off with this deep purpley-red leaf that emerges,
0:53:04 > 0:53:05then you get the glaucus leaf colour
0:53:05 > 0:53:07and the flowers and then the seed pods,
0:53:07 > 0:53:09and it has structure all through the winter.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10It's a fabulous plant.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13OK. I guess that would be one concern about this garden,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15is what this looks like the rest of the year?
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Is there enough structure in this garden?
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Yes, it really does keep its structure,
0:53:19 > 0:53:23I think because the rainfall here is low, so the plants,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25the thing that kills the plants is damp roots
0:53:25 > 0:53:28and so the structure here stays for a long time.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30It's got another life of its own in the winter.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41I think a lot of us have preconceptions
0:53:41 > 0:53:44about what a garden is, what we want from a space
0:53:44 > 0:53:45and how it might perform,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48and if you turn up somewhere like this, well,
0:53:48 > 0:53:49you're going to get into trouble
0:53:49 > 0:53:53because you have to let the conditions dictate the garden.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55So if you're making a garden yourself,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57look for clues around you,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00think about how you can relate to the wider landscape
0:54:00 > 0:54:03and bring them into the space too.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06And that way, you could create a unique garden,
0:54:06 > 0:54:10like Emily has, for a very special place like this.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25I guess the nearest Longmeadow remotely gets to Dungeness
0:54:25 > 0:54:28is here in the dry garden, but it is pretty remote,
0:54:28 > 0:54:30because Dungeness is a unique place.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34I went for the first time last November.
0:54:35 > 0:54:40That November day was cold, bright and clear.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44So let's see what this weekend's weather
0:54:44 > 0:54:47holds in store for us gardeners.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Well, I'm sure you'll be able to get out there
0:56:07 > 0:56:09and fit in a few jobs.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13So here are some ideas of things you can be getting on with this weekend.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26As soon as your delphiniums have finished flowering,
0:56:26 > 0:56:28cut them hard back,
0:56:28 > 0:56:30right to the ground.
0:56:30 > 0:56:35And this will encourage fresh growth that should carry new flowers
0:56:35 > 0:56:37later in summer.
0:56:43 > 0:56:48I think no summer fruit is better than a delicious raspberry.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50But they don't ripen at the same time.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54So it's important to go through them every few days,
0:56:54 > 0:56:56harvesting those that are ready
0:56:56 > 0:57:00rather than waiting for them all to ripen together.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11If, like me, you started growing some potatoes in a bag last March,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14they should now be ready to harvest.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18Take off the top growth, tip all the compost out
0:57:18 > 0:57:22into a barrow or a container and rummage through it,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25gathering up your golden harvest.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30I always harvest the first new potatoes,
0:57:30 > 0:57:32and this is a variety called Orla,
0:57:32 > 0:57:33round about my birthday.
0:57:33 > 0:57:34A little bit late this year.
0:57:34 > 0:57:41However, I will eat these tonight and celebrate, if not my birthday,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43then summer in all its glory.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46But no more time to do so today.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51But we will be back next Wednesday at nine o'clock.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53I will see you then. Bye-bye.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58That is not a potato, Nige.