0:00:13 > 0:00:16Hello and welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'm trying to just tighten up the borders.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23There's a tendency for the early flowering plants
0:00:23 > 0:00:25to lean and sprawl and push others,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28which are struggling to come through, out of the way.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32So, for example, this Iris sibirica, which has finished flowering,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34but the foliage still looks good,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38is spreading out and crushing a kniphofia here,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42and the Ann Folkard geranium, which is twining its way through
0:00:42 > 0:00:45this William Shakespeare rose, and of course the sunflowers,
0:00:45 > 0:00:50which in time will stand proud and tall but for the moment
0:00:50 > 0:00:52are struggling a bit for competition,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54so they need staking now.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But the key thing and what all the staking is part of
0:00:58 > 0:01:02is keeping the display going without break.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04There is a definite shift at this time of year.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08You have the freshness and exuberance of early summer
0:01:08 > 0:01:12which has now reached a slight plateau and then will build
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and swell towards late summer and early autumn
0:01:16 > 0:01:19with all the velvety, rich, voluptuous colours
0:01:19 > 0:01:22that we reach here at Longmeadow,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25as a crescendo in the Jewel Garden.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31On today's programme...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Adam Frost discovers a garden in Littlehampton
0:01:34 > 0:01:36full of design ideas and inspiration.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40We witness a very rare moment in horticulture -
0:01:40 > 0:01:43the flowering of the Titan Arum.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And Mark Lane is in Oldham visiting a garden designed
0:01:46 > 0:01:50to offer respite to those dealing with cancer.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Whilst it's obviously lovely to have a big vegetable plot
0:02:13 > 0:02:18or an allotment, a lot of people don't have access to those things
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and if you're a beginner it can be a bit daunting anyway,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25but you can grow good vegetables on a small scale in a container,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and the container doesn't have to be fancy.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Absolutely anything that will hold soil and not disintegrate
0:02:32 > 0:02:35when it's watered will do the job.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I've got an old wine box here.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Any kind of wooden box will do as long as it has
0:02:41 > 0:02:44plenty of drainage in the bottom.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Wood absorbs water
0:02:46 > 0:02:49so if you don't have drainage it can get really soggy.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Probably better, if you can get hold of them,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55are some galvanised old washbasins.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Now this has rotted through, perfect for drainage,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and - even better - it's got a rim,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and that raises it up off the ground so the water can genuinely run away.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Absolutely ideal for a whole range of vegetables.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15If you're going to grow roots,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and by roots I mean carrots, turnips, swede,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23I'd say that is the minimum depth.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Whatever container you use,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29you do want the best compost you possibly can.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Vegetables are hungry plants, they grow fast, they need nurturing.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39You can use a normal peat-free potting compost
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and that will do OK but if you can beef it up a bit with
0:03:42 > 0:03:46a bit of garden compost or soil improver, so much the better.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Just fill them up...
0:03:52 > 0:03:56At this time of year, you want to sow things that will either
0:03:56 > 0:04:02grow very fast or be quite happy to be harvested as we go into autumn.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07So I'm going to go for baby carrots that will be ideal,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09beginning of October, end of September.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13This is a variety called Paris Market 5.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16I've got a lettuce mix of Red And Green Salad Bowl
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and these are "cut and come again" so you can cut them
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and they will regrow and, as long as it doesn't get too cold,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24those can be harvested into November.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27And the other one is mesclun.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Now, you buy this as a mix.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31It's got some chicory, a bit of rocket, a bit of lettuce.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's a little bit spicy, it's delicious to eat.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And, again, with a pair of scissors or a knife,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39you just cut through it and it will regrow.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Ideal for containers.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Let's start with the carrot. I'm not going to try and sow in rows.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I'm just going to broadcast the seed over the area.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52So sprinkle it not too thickly
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and as evenly as you can, which is actually quite tricky.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And I'm not going to try and cover them over, I'm just going to
0:04:58 > 0:05:02put my hands over it very lightly like this, half cover the seed.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05And that's the job done.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I'm going to grow the mesclun in the box
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and I probably won't need all the seed for this
0:05:13 > 0:05:16because if these are too close together
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I'll end up with lots of very small leaves and no really healthy plants.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I don't need to cover those over. They're tiny seeds.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Just give it a label.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And the last one will be the lettuce.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36That's plenty.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I'm going to put a couple of bricks underneath the box
0:05:46 > 0:05:48just to ensure that it drains well.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51There we go.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57At this stage, you just need to damp the seeds
0:05:57 > 0:05:58but as the plants start to grow
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and you see the new growth coming up, do keep them well watered.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06But what I would say is, if you want to do this, get on with it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07It's getting late in the season.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10This is something to do this weekend
0:06:10 > 0:06:12if you're going to do it at all.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Now there's a real pleasure in seeing these grow.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17There's even bigger pleasure in eating them
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and sharing them with your family and friends.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And you can do it just with one little container.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26But if you start to build up the containers
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and you have three, four or many more then that becomes
0:06:29 > 0:06:34a garden design, but it takes an expert eye to analyse that.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38And Adam Frost has been looking at private gardens
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and then taking them to pieces and explaining how
0:06:40 > 0:06:44they're put together so that we can gain and learn from it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49This week he's visiting a garden in Littlehampton in Sussex.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57One of the things that I love about my job is I get to see
0:06:57 > 0:06:59so many different gardens.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Sometimes you're sort of instantly drawn to them,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05whereas others can be a little bit more challenging to understand.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07But, you know, as a designer, I think there's
0:07:07 > 0:07:10something to be had out of every single one of them.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I've come to a coastal garden in Sussex
0:07:19 > 0:07:21that has been carefully crafted
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and designed to transform a typical rectangular plot,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28154 feet long and 49 feet wide,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and there's a lot of things to discover.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38The planting in this garden is actually only two years old
0:07:38 > 0:07:42so it's going to take a bit more time to really romp away.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44But what you can see straight away is actually
0:07:44 > 0:07:46the importance of repeated pattern,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50not only in the layout of the garden but in the planting,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54and that's a trick you can use in any size garden.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Former architect Derek Harnden and his wife Helen
0:07:58 > 0:08:02worked with a garden designer to create this garden.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08You know what really fascinates me when someone takes on a new garden
0:08:08 > 0:08:10is actually where they get that inspiration from,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13where the design sort of comes from and how it's driven.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Helen likes circles,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I like textures,
0:08:18 > 0:08:23and I like links between one aspect and another.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27So we've got intrigue where one is not quite sure what's happening
0:08:27 > 0:08:32around the corner and the wall was something I felt was quite
0:08:32 > 0:08:35a necessary aspect to break the long garden
0:08:35 > 0:08:38into at least two spaces.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46The wall incorporates a moon gate, a traditional architectural element
0:08:46 > 0:08:50found in Chinese gardens that acts as a passageway.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55So we've got the circle as an element of the design
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that is picked up in a number of other elements within the garden.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I think as a designer as well, what fascinates me
0:09:02 > 0:09:04is your choice of materials.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I come from Lancashire and I quite like dry-stone walls
0:09:07 > 0:09:11so that was one of the elements I felt was an important aspect
0:09:11 > 0:09:12of the hard landscaping.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14So that's lovely, isn't it?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Cos not only does it start to give a sense of rhythm
0:09:16 > 0:09:20but that choice of materials has been partly driven by memory.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- Yes, there's a part of me, really, yes.- Time gone by, yeah.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25In a way, the garden reflects us.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Derek and Helen's vision has led to a garden
0:09:29 > 0:09:31that is full of great design.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35You know, when you're designing your garden,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37this view from the kitchen window can be so important
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and they've done that really well here.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42You look down the end and they've got the wall but they've left
0:09:42 > 0:09:43a tiny little gap which sort of
0:09:43 > 0:09:45pulls your attention all the way down.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48They've even got stepping stones across the pond.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50But you don't have to use a big wall.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52It could just be a hedge with a gap,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54even maybe a strong focal point,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58but something that makes the most of that view and pulls your attention.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Great little design tip.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Plants are also key to bringing harmony to a garden.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09You know, so many of us
0:10:09 > 0:10:12when we're choosing our herbaceous plants are pulled by the beauty
0:10:12 > 0:10:16of that flower, but I always sort of want to question the plants
0:10:16 > 0:10:18and say, what else are you going to bring to the party?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20You look at these alliums, they've gone over
0:10:20 > 0:10:23but they're still adding fantastic structure to this border
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and the brown sits beautifully against that wall.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36You know, when it comes to choosing trees for your garden,
0:10:36 > 0:10:37it's incredibly important.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I don't know over the years how many gardens I've been in
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and the tree's been too big for that space,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46but here, these amelanchiers, which are a lovely little garden tree,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50beautiful flower, berry, and then autumn colour,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52they're really going to change the atmosphere of this space,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56and I suppose what I mean by that, at the moment I've got a huge sky
0:10:56 > 0:10:59above me but as they get up and their canopies join
0:10:59 > 0:11:03they will make this sort of cool space with dappled shade and just
0:11:03 > 0:11:07change the mood a little bit before you then move into the next space.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17You know, sometimes design is ultimately just solving
0:11:17 > 0:11:20a problem, and here the side of the building needed covering,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and these are just gutters that run all the way along,
0:11:24 > 0:11:25which you could do at home.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28You might have a small vertical space that looks unsightly
0:11:28 > 0:11:29and wants covering.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Gutters go all the way up. Plant it with alpines, with herbs,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and as these grow down in time it'll just blanket the wall.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48This garden works well for Derek and his wife.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Socially, they've got great spaces to use.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54On top of that, they bring water into the garden
0:11:54 > 0:11:57which helps bring wildlife in. It plays with rhythm.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02In the planting, there's repeated colour and texture and structure.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03But then also shape,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and that's used quite effectively.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08You've got the moon gate that's repeated in the lawn
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and then it works again in this hobbit house.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And that helps bring the whole thing together.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16You know, it'll be really interesting
0:12:16 > 0:12:19as the planting gets away and really pushes on
0:12:19 > 0:12:21to see how this garden comes together
0:12:21 > 0:12:22in the next couple of years.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The garden is open under the National Garden Scheme
0:12:36 > 0:12:39in September so if you go to our website you'll get all the details
0:12:39 > 0:12:41of opening and how to get there.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45I do know how powerful an opening in a garden or at the edge of a garden
0:12:45 > 0:12:48can be, whether it be circular or a slit,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52because here in the Long Walk the hedge at the end was closed
0:12:52 > 0:12:56for years and then I cut a narrow slit into it
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and suddenly it was transformed.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Immediately you felt that it went somewhere further
0:13:01 > 0:13:03even though you couldn't get there.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09What I've learned with this long, narrow strip of garden
0:13:09 > 0:13:13is that it's a perfect sort of decompression chamber
0:13:13 > 0:13:15between the busyness of the Cottage Garden on one side
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and the intensity of the Jewel Garden on the other.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23And the planting is rhythmic and repetitive and very simple,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25so you have the Alchemilla mollis at ground level,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28spilling over onto the path,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31you have the structure of the box cones
0:13:31 > 0:13:34which are a variety called Handsworthensis,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and then the acanthus,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38the Acanthus spinosus,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41with these tall, really dramatic flowers,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and the rhythm of that and the repetition of it
0:13:43 > 0:13:48leads you down to this little sliver of light
0:13:48 > 0:13:49and the world beyond.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55There are some plants that will not be moulded by design,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58they dominate under all circumstances.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Perhaps none more so than the Titan Arum.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08We went to Cambridge University Botanic Garden
0:14:08 > 0:14:11to witness the rare moment as it came into flower.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15We've had this Titan Arum
0:14:15 > 0:14:17for nearly 30 years
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and it last flowered in 2004.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Finally we saw a bud come up in late May and that was really exciting
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and so we waited and waited and waited
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and come 13 June we finally were able to confirm that
0:14:29 > 0:14:32what we were looking at was a flower bud and not a leaf.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34From that day onwards, we've been measuring it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38When we were finally able to confirm it was going to flower, we put this
0:14:38 > 0:14:42out via social media, local radio, and we got an amazing response.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47They were really excited to get in there, smell it,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51see the flower for themselves, and by the end of the night we were all
0:14:51 > 0:14:55exhausted after talking to everyone from the local area, but equally
0:14:55 > 0:14:58we were all so pleased with the reaction that came with the plant.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Thank you very much. Cheers. Hi there. How are we doing?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04So the large Titan Arum is in the Arum family.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06We might be familiar with that
0:15:06 > 0:15:07with Lords And Ladies or Jack In The Pulpit
0:15:07 > 0:15:10that you'll find in your local hedgerow,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11but this is from the tropics.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15It's actually from an island down in Indonesia, Sumatra,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18where it's found in lowland rainforest.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27So what we're actually looking at is a large leaflike structure
0:15:27 > 0:15:29around a column, known as a spathe,
0:15:29 > 0:15:34and at the bottom of that column are the male and female flowers.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It can be anywhere from as small as ours at 1.36 metres,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41right up to a massive three metres.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46So the regular question we get is what is that actual big structure
0:15:46 > 0:15:50in the very centre of the flower spike, essentially?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Well, what it is there for, it's there to produce a horrendous scent
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and it's also there to produce heat.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You can see that the heat is actually produced
0:16:00 > 0:16:02at the very tip of the structure
0:16:02 > 0:16:06and then this slowly moves down the structure over the night.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09This allows the plant to really pump that noxious scent
0:16:09 > 0:16:11throughout the rainforest environment.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15This plant acts as a carrion mimic,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18so it is essentially pretending to be rotting meat,
0:16:18 > 0:16:19and it pumps this smell out
0:16:19 > 0:16:21right throughout the rainforest environment,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23which attracts in carrion beetles.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28They arrive in, hopefully they're carrying pollen,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31so pollinate the female flowers,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34hang around for the next couple of days with that scent present,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and then once the male flowers have produced their pollen,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42the scent will disappear and the beetles will disappear also
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and hopefully find another flower.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Once the last visitor had left at around midnight,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51it was our job, really, to get in there
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and actually pollinate the plant.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Fortunate for us, the Eden Project flowered theirs last week
0:16:58 > 0:17:02so we had pollen couriered from Cornwall right up to Cambridge.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We just cut out the final part of the window here,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12so you gently work the brush into the pollen
0:17:12 > 0:17:18and now what we do is we slowly work over each of those stigmas there,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23very much like you'd expect carrion beetles to do in the wild,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28getting pollen onto each one, maximising what we've got,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and hopefully we'll get lots and lots of seed.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34This is incredible.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Post this event and post getting all the pollen out,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45we'll have a really good idea of when it's pollinated
0:17:45 > 0:17:47because this structure will continue to grow.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53So we'll see this large pedestal structure, here, elongate
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and we'll also see the fruits really start to develop
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and they'll develop into big, red, fleshy fruits.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The smell is absolutely horrendous.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04It really is.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07And I can really understand why the carrion beetles actually
0:18:07 > 0:18:08come into this inflorescence.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Equally, I wouldn't want to spend
0:18:10 > 0:18:12more than a couple of minutes doing this.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15It's really, really sickening.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20On the second night, the male flowers mature
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and then the flower withers and collapses,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25so now it's a waiting game.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28And over the next two to three weeks we'll stand with bated breath
0:18:28 > 0:18:31to see whether the pollination was successful,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and that's it for seven to ten years.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It's too early to say yet whether the pollination has taken,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55but if it does there will be a new generation of Titan Arum
0:18:55 > 0:18:59which in ten years' time will have their moment of glory
0:18:59 > 0:19:02when they stink the place out,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04attract crowds of admiration as they do so,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08and hopefully another generation will follow on after that.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15But plants don't have to be unusual or exceptional to be magical.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Take for example this crocosmia. This is Crocosmia Lucifer,
0:19:18 > 0:19:24grown in 100,000 gardens across the land, and yet
0:19:24 > 0:19:26is anything more beautiful
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and extraordinary in our gardens than this?
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Come on, dogs.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The grapes here in the wooden greenhouse are in their fourth year
0:19:47 > 0:19:49but this year I'm trying to make
0:19:49 > 0:19:51the best of it I possibly can.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54The first thing to do is to keep the blackbirds out.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55You can see here,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59this bunch was attacked by a blackbird just yesterday.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01So I've put up a screen.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04It's a very fine mesh so it lets light in,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07you can see it but it's not too intrusive.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12And in fact it serves to keep wasps out as well.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It's pretty much a predator-free zone.
0:20:15 > 0:20:21Now, the grapes themselves have been pruned really hard this year.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23I took off half the cordons.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27We've got the rods going along and the cordons coming up and then
0:20:27 > 0:20:31as the bunches of grapes appeared I removed half of those, too.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Now I'm going to remove half of the grapes in each bunch.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The idea being that each grape is really delicious
0:20:39 > 0:20:42because these are dessert grapes,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45the Black Hamburg,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and, to that end, you need to purchase these, long scissors,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53which can be sold either to thin your grapes
0:20:53 > 0:20:55or to prune your nasal hairs.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Or so I am told, because I only use them for grapes.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But they do the job pretty well.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The secret is to cut on the inside,
0:21:05 > 0:21:06not the outside.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It's those inner ones that you want to remove,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and that lets in light and air
0:21:12 > 0:21:16and gives them a chance to swell and reduces competition.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22This seems drastic,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26but I promise you it will result in a much better harvest.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32That is actually shaping up well.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35That's how they should all be.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Space around each individual grape.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Now...
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Mark Lane has been to Oldham
0:21:44 > 0:21:46and he went there to visit a Maggie's Centre,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50which is created for the relief and solace
0:21:50 > 0:21:52of those suffering from cancer,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57and he spoke to one of the designers who had himself been through
0:21:57 > 0:22:01the experience of having and recovering from cancer
0:22:01 > 0:22:03so knows only too well
0:22:03 > 0:22:08what is needed to create a garden that will be a real help.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Gardens can be an oasis for many of us
0:22:17 > 0:22:21but if you're actually recovering from illness, as I well know,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26gardens can offer respite and an immeasurable sense of wellbeing.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I've come to really unusual place
0:22:30 > 0:22:34where the restorative power of a garden is at its heart.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Unlike many gardens that are designed after the building goes up,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48this 200-square-metre garden has been specially designed
0:22:48 > 0:22:50to intertwine with the building.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It's absolutely stunning.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02The architects for the whole design
0:23:02 > 0:23:05worked with garden designer Rupert Muldoon
0:23:05 > 0:23:08to create this indoor/outdoor space.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14This is like a secret garden sunken below street level
0:23:14 > 0:23:18with this magnificent building floating above us.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20What was this space beforehand?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22This space used to be the old mortuary
0:23:22 > 0:23:24which was taken away,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26a great big pile of rubble was left
0:23:26 > 0:23:27and when we came to clear the site
0:23:27 > 0:23:31we really discovered it really was quite a slope,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33so you drop from the building
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and then you flow down into the garden
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and we wanted to create something very natural
0:23:39 > 0:23:41which was a contrast to the building.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It reminds me of a Japanese rock garden.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Was that the intention, or was there a more local inspiration?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It was very much more local.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56So when you enter the building, it opens up this huge view
0:23:56 > 0:24:00of the landscape beyond and you look down over the roofs of Oldham
0:24:00 > 0:24:04to the Pennines beyond, and you watch the weather moving in,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and I think one of the strong feelings
0:24:07 > 0:24:11was to capture a bit of that and bring it down here.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15We used rocks, birch, pine.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19These are things that you do get up in the Pennines.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23But the placement of things could be considered Japanese, in a way.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- You have a rock, you've got a tree, you got a pool of water.- Yeah.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- There is a certain sense of balance. - There's the elements.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30And the elements. Exactly.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38This building is quite dominant
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and it does actually dictate many aspects of the garden.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46How on earth did you sort of start to think about this space
0:24:46 > 0:24:48in relation to the structure?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Strangely enough, there's no direct sunlight into this part
0:24:52 > 0:24:55of the garden, and because of the overhang of the building
0:24:55 > 0:24:59we knew that we were going to have to deal with a lot of dry space,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and we've used pheasant tail grass
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and it goes a wonderful orange in autumn
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and then it's fresh green again in spring
0:25:07 > 0:25:09so it has a very seasonal, wild look to it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12And of course it will also self-seed, won't it?
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Amongst the gravel.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16It can get everywhere, and then behind us,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20this bank is planted up with real shade-loving plants,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22ferns, Hostas, Pachysandra,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26lots of mind-your-own-business, which I'm hoping will percolate
0:25:26 > 0:25:29into the rocks, green it up,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33form a lawn, and then the whole garden almost pivots around
0:25:33 > 0:25:35this one tree, which is a real focal point,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and it's a focal point within the building.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40The moment you fling open the doors,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43you see this tree waving in front of you.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44It really brings the outside in,
0:25:44 > 0:25:49and then down here it's the sort of centrepiece for the whole garden.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51It's a multi-stem birch.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55It will go a gorgeous yellow in autumn
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and the sticks will rattle against the glass in winter.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Hopefully it becomes something people will know about,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I think it's already being referred to as the tree of life.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09But you've used these different sort of grades of gravel
0:26:09 > 0:26:12for all these pathways, which sort of blur and blend.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Obviously being in a wheelchair, it's a little bit difficult,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20and I know as a garden designer, it's something we have to tackle
0:26:20 > 0:26:23in order to make gardens accessible for all.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Gravel was chosen actually because it was quite cheap.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29It's a very natural material. It binds the garden together.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33And how we resolve how a wheelchair passes through gravel,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35we still need to do that.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Would you ever consider something as hard as concrete?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Yes, it could be concrete with aggregate in it
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and then washed over, so you get the aggregate,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47so you still get that lovely sense of it being a loose path.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51But this will be a totally accessible garden.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03We are now just on the edge of this building
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and there's a really different feel to this part of the garden.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12- Can you explain what's going on in this area?- Yes, there's more light.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15We've been able to plant the trees that soar up high
0:27:15 > 0:27:19and it's allowed us to plant an ornamental woodland,
0:27:19 > 0:27:24and you'll also see here small birch that's been used to form
0:27:24 > 0:27:26a sort of successional planting,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29so once these are matured, they can take over
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and it forms that natural rhythm that you might have in a woodland.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37There's White Swan, iris siberica, which will spread and form clumps,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41or the white Digitalis which hopefully will self-seed.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It works so well - different plants,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47but still ties the whole garden together.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Being in this sort of space, it just makes you feel much better,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- and it's restorative. That's so important, isn't it?- It is.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It's very important,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and particularly if you're living with cancer.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Having had cancer myself,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11I realised gardens and being outside made me feel well again.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Just to be here in this place, not thinking about anything else,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19having that moment of calm and peace, I think is very important.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27This garden, it invites you to spend some time here,
0:28:27 > 0:28:32to sit and reflect, enlivened with a sense of renewal
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and a nudge towards new possibilities.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51There is no question that gardens do heal,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54and a garden eases mind and body.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59But you can have plants that are very specific for healing.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01This is a new herb garden we've made,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and of course throughout the ages herbs have been used
0:29:04 > 0:29:07as much for medicine as they have for cooking,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10and the herb garden is taking shape,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14and I'm really pleased by the way that it's created something new,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18something useful, and there's no question about it,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20it feels like a good place.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's exciting.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Now, still to come on tonight's programme.
0:29:27 > 0:29:33Nick Bailey shows how to transform a patio into a fragrant twilight zone.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38And I went to Ireland, to visit the garden
0:29:38 > 0:29:41of the plantsman and plant hunter Jimi Blake.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48But first, Carol reveals her plant of the month.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Our plant of the month for July is very special.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The Egyptians used it in their cosmetics,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03and in the process of mummification.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The Romans bathed in it and cooked with it,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and thousands of years later, we're still using it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16It's such a special plant, it's even got a colour named after it.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18It is lavender.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Lavenders belong to the family Lamiaceae,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36after the Latin for lips.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40That's because each of their flowers has a lip,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43which is a kind of landing stage for insects,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47who land, dip in their proboscis to extract that delicious nectar,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51and then take off again ready for the next flower.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54The leaves too are very distinctive.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58They're entire, and almost always extremely narrow,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and even though the flowers are scented,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04it's the leaves which are really fragrant.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Now, you can grow lavender from seed, but in that case,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14all your plants are going to be different.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18But if you want to make sure - for instance, you're growing a hedge
0:31:18 > 0:31:20and you want everything to be identical,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23then you must grow them vegetatively.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24In other words, take cuttings.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29So first things first, fill your pot up
0:31:29 > 0:31:33with nice, crunchy compost.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38So this is a mixture of sterilised loam, multipurpose,
0:31:38 > 0:31:39and a big load of grit.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43You can hardly have too much grit cos, of course,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46lavenders love really excellent drainage.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48Get your material, then.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54And I'm just taking them away from the plant with a little heel.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00Now, with each of your cuttings, first of all I'm going to
0:32:00 > 0:32:04nip out the top and just remove these basal leaves
0:32:04 > 0:32:07so the stem which is under the compost
0:32:07 > 0:32:09won't have any leaves at all.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Now, if you want to, you can actually
0:32:11 > 0:32:14take these sort of cuttings straight into the ground,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17just as you would preparing box for a box hedge.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20But these cuttings will take,
0:32:20 > 0:32:25oh, maybe five weeks or so at this time of year.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27And the best time to take your cuttings is
0:32:27 > 0:32:30when the plants are growing strongly,
0:32:30 > 0:32:31so now is ideal.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37And then just top the thing off with grit.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42So they really feel like they're sitting at home
0:32:42 > 0:32:45on some Provencal hillside.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Water them at once really well and within about five weeks
0:32:50 > 0:32:53they should've rooted and you can knock them all out of the pot
0:32:53 > 0:32:57and gently transplant them into their own pots.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00By next spring, they should have made really good,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03bushy plants and you can get ahead with planting them out.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Lavender is easy to grow.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15You don't need to enrich soil.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18If your soil is acid, add some garden lime.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23It hates soggy conditions.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Always plant it in full sun.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26It'll sulk in the shade.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36There are many lavender groups.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40The most popular group is Lavandula angustifolia,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42or Old English Lavender,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and it'll never be damaged by frost.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50This group contains some garden classics, like Hidcote or Folgate.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Lavandula stoechas is the lavender
0:33:55 > 0:33:58with little sterile bracts that pop up
0:33:58 > 0:34:02like rabbits' ears at the top of the column of flower.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06They're not fully hardy but make excellent candidates for pots.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09You can then bring them under cover for the winter.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16One of the main delights of growing lavender in your garden is
0:34:16 > 0:34:21that you can cut it and dry it and enjoy it all year round.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Don't do it on a damp day.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29Wait for a hot, sunny day and then follow the rule of thumb.
0:34:29 > 0:34:35There's a very simple rule, which says one open, one over
0:34:35 > 0:34:40and one yet to come within the same spike of flowers.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Having done that, collect your stems together.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50Tie them very loosely and hang them upside down in a dry, cool place.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57All lavenders are fragrant, but they affect us in different ways.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01The angustifolia group will help us to relax,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04whereas the intermedia group are stimulants,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08so don't put them under your pillow if you want a good night's sleep.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15They really are one of the most wonderful plants you could grow
0:35:15 > 0:35:17and it's good all the year round,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21but it's at its wondrous best during July.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27What have you got? Have you got a ball?
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Lavender here at Longmeadow is a real test.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38On our Herefordshire clay and, particularly, in our long, wet,
0:35:38 > 0:35:44cold winters, lavender barely survives, let alone thrives.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46However, I was determined to grow it. I love it.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50And so I planted it here on the mound behind the wall.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I put hardcore down and then masses of grit.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57All of that was to ensure good drainage.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Now it's really happy.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04It's blooming, it's growing strongly, the bees love it.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08And I got sent this the other day from Pamela Peplo
0:36:08 > 0:36:10in Perranporth in Cornwall
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and it's a lavender bag
0:36:12 > 0:36:16and there's "Gardeners' World at 50," myself, Nigel, Nellie,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20the bees, my spade, tennis balls, they're all there on the back.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Thank you very much indeed, Pamela.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Now, a few weeks ago I went over to Ireland.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34I went to visit the garden of Jimi Blake at Hunting Brook.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Now, Jimi has a growing reputation as a plantsman,
0:36:37 > 0:36:42as plant hunter and also the creator of an extraordinary garden,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44and I wanted to see it for myself.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55You know, it's really nice to get out from Longmeadow occasionally.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59I can come and visit a garden of any kind,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I'm bound to see something that I haven't seen before.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Hunting Brook stands 1,000 feet above sea level
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and combines prairie planting, perennials
0:37:11 > 0:37:13and woodland in an exotic mix.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19It is the unique and eclectic vision of Jimi Blake,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22who owns one of Ireland's biggest private collection of plants.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33Jimi...
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I thought I'd seen just about everything there was to see
0:37:36 > 0:37:40in a garden, but I've never seen a gardener bouncing their way
0:37:40 > 0:37:45to good planting. What's the rationale behind this?
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Well, I move this around the garden and I put it in a certain area
0:37:49 > 0:37:53and then when I'm bouncing I can really see what needs to be done.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55And it just fires me up.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Well, listen, if you're feeling suitably fired up,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01there's 20 acres to go and have a look,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03will you show me round?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11The first thing anybody sees
0:38:11 > 0:38:14when they come here is just this hit of colour.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Is this something you plan and construct?
0:38:18 > 0:38:21There's no planning on paper.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23It evolves in my head, I suppose.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25I just love, love this madness of colour.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I love purples and reds and oranges mixed together.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32That red there of that Lychnis is just so iridescent.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's Lychnis Gardeners' World.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- Well, you'd think I would know that, wouldn't you? But there we go.- Yeah.
0:38:37 > 0:38:43THEY CHUCKLE But the energy here is really high.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Yeah, I just need excitement all the time.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49I'd get completely bored if I was just maintaining a garden.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52The big thing for me is that contrasting foliage together.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Yeah, I mean, you've got bronze fennel with the banana.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- Which one's that? - That's tiger stripes.- Right.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02And then sweeping through, drifts of perennials through it.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05So what's your latest love?
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Well, the salvias, definitely. Thalictrums.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12That's Thalictrum delavayi decorum.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- Decorum.- It's just the most incredible Thalictrum.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Thousands of flowers on it. It's nice to have one this year
0:39:19 > 0:39:22but how about having 500 through the whole thing?
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Get a good blast and bring cerise through it and...
0:39:25 > 0:39:26I like your style.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Jimi, in a garden that is so full of intense colour,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42you've got an awful lot of texture going on.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45A lot of textual differences. I mean, what are you trying to do?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47I just love that mix of old-fashioned perennial, like
0:39:47 > 0:39:50your geranium, mixed with these kind of wacky-looking leaves
0:39:50 > 0:39:52of the Pseudopanax crassifolius.
0:39:52 > 0:39:53Yeah.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57For me, the kind of crazier-looking, the better.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01And that mix of exotic brought into it.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Is it hard to make these exotics work,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06let alone looking after them so they're happy?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- Does it always pan out? - It doesn't always pan out.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11You know, I keep them up in the tunnels for the winter
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and try and get them through the winter, but I'm always
0:40:15 > 0:40:19looking for plants that will give me the exotic look but are hardy.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21I don't get too upset. If a plant dies, it dies.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26If it doesn't work, it's... You have to come up with a new idea.
0:40:36 > 0:40:42We're sitting here surrounded by this beautiful meadow.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It truly is a joy. Tell me about it. Tell me about how you made it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Well, what I was trying to do was connect the garden to the valley
0:40:50 > 0:40:52and it's a complete experiment,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55what will grow and what'll just die out.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02But the planting is not conventional wildflower meadow planting.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05There are a lot of perennials in here, aren't there?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08In a way, it's like plants that seeded out of the garden
0:41:08 > 0:41:10into this part of the meadow.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I think it looks fantastic.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Aside from creating a beautiful garden,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Jimi has a much deeper connection to his garden.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26You can't help but notice in the garden there are prayer flags,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29you know, there are places for meditation or one thing and another.
0:41:29 > 0:41:37To what extent is the garden a source of spiritual solace?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40For me, that's... It's the key.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46I certainly felt here that, especially in the valley there,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48that things didn't really come together for me
0:41:48 > 0:41:51until you're really connected with the land.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54So rather than the gardener, however experienced,
0:41:54 > 0:41:59- however good at the job, imposing themselves on the landscape...- Mm.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- ..you're listening to it as much as it listens to you.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04And it doesn't matter what size piece of land.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07You know, if you're gardening on a tiny, tiny piece of land,
0:42:07 > 0:42:09you're still gardening on part of the earth.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Even if you just sit quietly on the ground,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- you're connecting with that land.- Mm.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16You don't have to have 20 acres.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26When I visit a garden, I try and see some aspect behind the scenes,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28compost heap or potting shed.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31In this case, this tunnel is fascinating
0:42:31 > 0:42:34cos if you come in here and have a look you'll see that
0:42:34 > 0:42:38not only is it full of plants, but they're all different.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43This is just a mass of little treasures waiting for space
0:42:43 > 0:42:46to appear in the garden for them to come through.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50And you have a feeling that Jimi can't resist them.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53He's absolutely in love with plants,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56and for all the bouncing and the meditation,
0:42:56 > 0:43:00this is a plantsman, a plantsman to his very core.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08First impressions of this garden may lead you to think that this is
0:43:08 > 0:43:13charmingly eccentric, but actually I think that's very superficial.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18Because scratch the surface and what you find is a garden
0:43:18 > 0:43:23made in a long and distinguished tradition of plantsmen and women.
0:43:25 > 0:43:31And that makes a garden that is endlessly beguiling, and however
0:43:31 > 0:43:34many times you visited it you would always find something new.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48I learned a lot of things in Jimi's garden.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Came back full of enthusiasm.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53There are lots of things that I can apply here to Longmeadow.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56And one of them was his propagation technique.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01Jimi uses plants in the hundreds if he likes them.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04And you've either got to have loads of money to go and buy the plants
0:44:04 > 0:44:05or you've got to propagate them.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09But Jimi said that he divides his plants, by and large -
0:44:09 > 0:44:12herbaceous perennials at any rate - in summer, when they're growing.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Now, you will read in the books this is a job to do in spring or
0:44:15 > 0:44:19in autumn. He does it in high summer when they're in flower
0:44:19 > 0:44:22and that way they have lots of vigour and he grows them on.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24So I'm going to try that with an Astrantia here.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29I'm not going to dig up the whole plant.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31I'm going to leave half of it in the ground
0:44:31 > 0:44:35and use the other half as stock material.
0:44:35 > 0:44:36So I'm going to slice through it.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40Dig that out.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45I've got a good wodge of plant,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49which I will divide into as many different sections as possible.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Come on. HE WHISTLES
0:45:09 > 0:45:13The first thing to do is cut all the top growth off.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16So I'll just cut along the bottom like this.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And actually what I'm going to be left with are cut flowers.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23And I will keep them for that.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27That can go into a bucket of water.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Taken for the house for later.
0:45:32 > 0:45:39So what we have here are plants that are growing really strongly.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41I need to divide them up.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45I'm going to use this weeding knife cos they're quite strong roots.
0:45:47 > 0:45:54In theory, each one of these, there, there, there and there,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57is a new plant, and that's the sort of division I'm going for.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00I want lots and lots of small plants.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03It's always better, if you can, to tease roots out.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05See, there, that's a good one.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Two, three.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Now, this is a tip that Jimi gave me -
0:46:14 > 0:46:17do not use normal potting compost.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Use a seed compost.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21This is low in nutrients.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26So what I have here is coir, vermiculite and leaf mould -
0:46:26 > 0:46:30it's nice and loose and it doesn't have much nutrition.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35And the thinking behind that is that this has a lot of vigour.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38If we give it a rich compost, there'll be a spurt of growth
0:46:38 > 0:46:41but there won't be the root formation to support it.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47Now, I have to say this is Jimi's idea, not mine. I'm trying it out.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52But if my garden ends up looking like his, then I will be very happy.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00I don't need to protect these from anything other than
0:47:00 > 0:47:04too much sunshine. A little bit of shade is good
0:47:04 > 0:47:06and I certainly need to keep them well-watered.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09But if they grow and survive, I would expect them
0:47:09 > 0:47:13to be showing signs of new growth within a week or so
0:47:13 > 0:47:17and be ready to plant out by early October.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21By this time next year, we'll have 18 nice, strong new plants.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25And it's cost me practically nothing.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29If it works, this is a brilliant way to propagate.
0:47:41 > 0:47:42I'll keep those watered,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45keep them out of the full glare of midday sun
0:47:45 > 0:47:48and I expect to see those growing in a few weeks' time.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52Now, an awful lot of plants want as much sun as you can give them,
0:47:52 > 0:47:54but there are a whole range of plants
0:47:54 > 0:47:57that have evolved to operate at night.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03And Nick Bailey creates a garden which is at its very best
0:48:03 > 0:48:06as the sun gently slips away.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21With our increasingly busy lifestyles we're often away from
0:48:21 > 0:48:25our gardens between nine and five, when they're looking at their best.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28So how about creating a twilight garden?
0:48:28 > 0:48:30A garden that comes alive at night.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34By selecting the right plants, it's possible to have
0:48:34 > 0:48:39both beautiful colour and incredible scent that comes alive at dusk.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Patios are great places to create a twilight space and I'm going to
0:48:46 > 0:48:50show you how to transform a drab seating area like this one.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Now, ideally you would go for a south or west-facing wall.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58And the reason for that is that it retains heat,
0:48:58 > 0:49:02so plants that flower in the evening will release their scent
0:49:02 > 0:49:04even more with the heat coming out of the wall.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11To transform this concrete void, I need to fill it with plants
0:49:11 > 0:49:15and this includes using the walls, so I'm erecting a trellis
0:49:15 > 0:49:17for scented climbers to clamber up.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20They've been painted lilac, which glows under the moonlight
0:49:20 > 0:49:23and is one of the last colours to disappear at dusk.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30I'm also putting up ornamental lanterns to provide a gentle light
0:49:30 > 0:49:34in the evening and make this area the perfect spot to sit and unwind.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Most patios tend to be bereft of soil,
0:49:42 > 0:49:44so I've brought in these large planters.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49Now, when they arrive, you'll often find there's polystyrene packaging.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Don't throw it away - it's really useful.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53Instead of using crocks in the bottom of planters,
0:49:53 > 0:49:55this stays free-draining
0:49:55 > 0:49:57and it makes the planters much lighter as well.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I've chosen two beautiful climbers to flank this back wall.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19One of them's evergreen - this is Trachelospermum jasminoides.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Has incredible, long runner flower,
0:50:21 > 0:50:22beautiful, sweet scent.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26And then to accompany it I've gone for a lonicera, a honeysuckle.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29The two of these together are going to be fantastic
0:50:29 > 0:50:31and I'm going to repeat them in the other planter.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37And the lovely thing about these two plants is their flower tones
0:50:37 > 0:50:40are pale as well, so they'll also glow out at night.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Now, for the midsection or the mid layer of the planter
0:50:47 > 0:50:51I'm going to use a tobacco plant or Nicotiana.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54It's a classic night-scented plant.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55It has a really long corolla,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57so it's the moths that it's trying to draw in at night.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59But it's also got that beautifully pale tone,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02which will glow out in the moonlight and at dusk.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09I want to add some real interest to the front of the planter as well.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12These little ivies, Hedera helix,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14have just that little sparkle of a white variegation
0:51:14 > 0:51:18around the edge, so at night they'll illuminate beautifully.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23And to go alongside them I'm going to use this bacopa.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25This is a fantastic, pale lilac.
0:51:26 > 0:51:27All I need to do now
0:51:27 > 0:51:30is repeat exactly the same thing in the other planter.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42I don't want to limit the evening scent and colour to the terrace,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45I want to extend it out into the rest of the garden
0:51:45 > 0:51:47and so I'm going to use a range of plants
0:51:47 > 0:51:49through the bed in front of me here.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54Now, all-important, of course, for this twilight terrace is ensuring
0:51:54 > 0:51:58lots of evening scent, and this is one of the classic ways to do it.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01This is Oenothera, or evening primrose.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03It's a little bit keen today. It's already come into flower.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05But it often opens up just at dusk
0:52:05 > 0:52:08and starts emanating that beautiful scent.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Now, if you really want to crank up the scent even more,
0:52:11 > 0:52:14there are two plants from South America that are well worth growing.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17There's Brugmansia, commonly known as the angel's trumpet,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20has huge, huge white flowers,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23and marvel of Peru, or Mirabilis jalapa.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30I'm just going to add the finishing touches to the terrace.
0:52:30 > 0:52:31This is Leucophyta brownii.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35It comes from Australia so it's going to love the heat.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38I'm also going to use this gardenia.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Now, this is the house plant version. In other words,
0:52:41 > 0:52:44it's tender but will grow very happily through the summer.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50And the final little addition is this Lobelia erinus.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52It's the common bedding lobelia.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56But these blue tones will also shine out at dusk.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06Creating a twilight garden will enable you to experience one of the
0:53:06 > 0:53:11best parts of the day in a haven which comes to life at dusk.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14So whether you're entertaining family or friends
0:53:14 > 0:53:18or just by yourself, this mix of heady, scented blooms
0:53:18 > 0:53:23and flowers that glow at night will turn your evening experiences
0:53:23 > 0:53:26into a magical moonlit paradise.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40The evening light here in the Jewel Garden
0:53:40 > 0:53:43is absolutely the best light of the day.
0:53:43 > 0:53:44And there's lots to enjoy.
0:53:45 > 0:53:50I don't think I've ever seen this clematis, which is Perle d'Azur,
0:53:50 > 0:53:51look so good.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54It's just smothered in flower and it's very healthy,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56there's not a hint of powdery mildew,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59which is what you get when it's very hot and dry.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Don't be tempted to feed them when they're in flower.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05They don't need it then. Feed them when they're growing in spring
0:54:05 > 0:54:06or even after they've flowered,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09but when they're flowering, leave them alone.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12And that will encourage the flowering to continue.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17Now, it's been a good hot, dry summer, by and large.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21So let's see what the weather has in store this weekend.
0:55:14 > 0:55:19It is important to keep taking the side shoots out of your tomatoes.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23This keeps all the energy into making good fruit.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28And where the tomatoes reach the top of the glass,
0:55:28 > 0:55:33then just cut it off so it's not pushing against the glass.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37It's the fruit down below that you want to ripen and be really good.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Now, you may not grow tomatoes, but don't think you're going to
0:55:40 > 0:55:43get away with it, because here are some jobs you can do this weekend.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53If you've sown wallflowers for next spring,
0:55:53 > 0:55:56it is important to keep them moving on,
0:55:56 > 0:56:00so now prick them out into individual plugs.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Keep as much root attached as possible.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Water them and put them
0:56:05 > 0:56:07somewhere sheltered that they don't need any protection.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10But don't let them get scorched or dry out too much.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19If you sow Florence fennel directly into the soil now,
0:56:19 > 0:56:22you can be harvesting them in September and October,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25but this is a job that you want to do this weekend.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Sow them in rows, spreading the seed as thinly as possible.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Cover them over and water them and then as the seedlings appear
0:56:33 > 0:56:36they can be thinned to about nine-inch spacing.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46It's easy to overlook blackcurrants and they can become overripe.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52So, keep harvesting them now over the next week or two
0:56:52 > 0:56:56and make sure that you gather every last berry,
0:56:56 > 0:56:58because, as everyone knows,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00you can't have summer pudding without blackcurrants.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09It's easy to feel as though the garden or your allotment
0:57:09 > 0:57:13is getting on top of you. Well, don't let that happen.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16Enjoy the luxuriant growth.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20Here in the grass borders, the flowers and the grasses entwine
0:57:20 > 0:57:23and entangle to form a joyful jungle.
0:57:24 > 0:57:31Let summer overwhelm you with delight and make the most of it.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I'm afraid there's no more time today.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38Next week we are back on Fridays at nine o'clock.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40But if you can't wait till then, you can catch me and the team
0:57:40 > 0:57:47tomorrow night at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park on BBC TWO at 7.30.
0:57:47 > 0:57:48Till then, bye-bye.
0:57:51 > 0:57:52Come on.