0:00:09 > 0:00:12Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16We had a really big storm the other day
0:00:16 > 0:00:18that really bashed the garden.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It wasn't so much the wind that did the damage, actually, it was rain.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Just the sheer weight and quantity of the rain that fell
0:00:24 > 0:00:28for about 15 minutes just smashed a lot of the plants,
0:00:28 > 0:00:29including this buddleia.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32This is one called Sungold. It's very vigorous,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36which means the new shoots are soft and sappy
0:00:36 > 0:00:38and they bent, buckled...
0:00:38 > 0:00:41However, having said that, I can repair it as best I can.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45We've still got other buddleias, the butterflies are loving them,
0:00:45 > 0:00:50and you just have to be flexible and take the weather as it comes
0:00:50 > 0:00:52and celebrate the good
0:00:52 > 0:00:56along with the occasional flurry of tempest and storm.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01On today's programme,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Nick Bailey shows how to transform a shady alleyway
0:01:05 > 0:01:07into a vibrant space...
0:01:08 > 0:01:12..we meet a plantswoman who is passionate about pelargoniums...
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..and Joe Swift visits a steeply sloping plot,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20which has been turned into a magnificent garden.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I've got some really beautiful bearded iris
0:01:44 > 0:01:46in this corner of the Jewel Garden.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50They are a rich blue purple.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55However, the flowers are diminishing rapidly,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58this year there were just two blooms,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and the reason for that is very clear - it's too shady,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06and bearded iris only flourish if they get maximum sunshine.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09So I've decided to dig them all up,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11divide them and replant them
0:02:11 > 0:02:15along with a few others that I've bought specially
0:02:15 > 0:02:17in a brand-new iris bed.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26Bearded iris have a rhizome that sits, ideally, above the soil level,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and it's that that needs the hot sun.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32The more that that is baked in the summer,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35the better the flowers will be the following year.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38So I need to dig it up,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41but also preserve the roots which are underneath...
0:02:46 > 0:02:49..and the perfect time to buy iris and plant them,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52or lift them up, move them, divide them, is now.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Good boy. Go on.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15This is the new iris border, and you can see the difference.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17This is bathed in sunshine.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19That's a south facing wall,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24it's protected from wind and it gets really hot and baked,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27which is just perfect for bearded iris.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32It's poor soil, and I've added grit to make the drainage better -
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and I'm going to put a layer of compost on top of that
0:03:35 > 0:03:37just to add some goodness for the roots.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43The compost stimulates the soil, it acts as an activator,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45so you don't need a huge amount.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Basically, we're adding bacteria and fungus to the soil
0:03:47 > 0:03:51rather than any substantial amount of organic matter.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56So, we'll work that in...
0:04:00 > 0:04:03..rake that over, and we're ready to go.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Now, I'm going to position them first.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10We might divide them up later.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So, if we put that there at the back...
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Now, along with these,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I've got the new ones.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26So we've got Iris Sultan's Palace,
0:04:26 > 0:04:27which I've never grown before,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but looks to be a glorious rich brown,
0:04:30 > 0:04:35and I've chosen a series of browns, caramels, oranges and burgundy
0:04:35 > 0:04:37to go with the rich purple.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Quechee is another brown
0:04:39 > 0:04:41that we've got here...
0:04:43 > 0:04:47..and, finally, to go in here...
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I've got Action Front,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53which is more of a sort of mahogany red.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Before I plant anything,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I want to divide one or two of these clumps.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Now, this, you can see,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03is a good, solid mat of rhizome,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07and you can happily cut across the rhizomes.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I'm actually going to cut through there
0:05:11 > 0:05:12and across here...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and that will break apart.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17This, I think, we can divide again.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Like that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22So, these are three good plants -
0:05:22 > 0:05:24and because they've been divided,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26they will grow with new vigour,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and that will mean we get better flowers -
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and all irises should be divided
0:05:30 > 0:05:32about every three or four years,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34because they do lose that vigour.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They'll keep growing more leaves,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38but you'll get fewer and fewer flowers.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Now, I want to plant these,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41because the sun is quite strong
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and the roots are starting to dry out
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and that will do them no good at all.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48It's straightforward if you just follow one rule,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52which is that you want some rhizome above the soil,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55because, as I say, it's this that bakes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I want the rhizome to be facing the sun...
0:06:11 > 0:06:13..and you can see, these are sold bare root.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15The rhizome's been cut,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17but what is left behind is nice and firm,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and the foliage has been cut right back -
0:06:20 > 0:06:25and if you are dividing or planting irises,
0:06:25 > 0:06:26it's a good idea to cut them back
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and I will cut all these,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31because otherwise they're very top-heavy and it's like a sail.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33If the wind picks up, it simply rips them out the ground.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38However, you don't need to cut irises back
0:06:38 > 0:06:40if you're not moving them,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42because the more foliage they have,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44the more that will feed into the rhizome
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and increase the chances of flowering next year.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56BIRD CHIRPS
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I know. You're noisy, aren't you?
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Off you go.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Now, in their new position, with lots of sunshine,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I'll expect these to do really well -
0:07:16 > 0:07:20but, of course, sun is not something that we all have at our disposal
0:07:20 > 0:07:22in our gardens.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27However, Nick Bailey shows that even a shady side return
0:07:27 > 0:07:30can be made into a beautiful garden.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Millions of us that live in Victorian terraces have one.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Gloomy, narrow spaces, overlooked by our neighbours.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46More often than not,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49they tend to become neglected corners of the garden,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52where slugs, snails and rubbish accumulates.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57What I'm talking about is the pesky side return,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01which is a real challenge, even for the keenest of gardeners.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Fortunately, with good design and the right plants,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11these spaces can be lifted out of the doldrums.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14In the absence of beds and borders,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16pots are a quick and cost-effective way
0:08:16 > 0:08:19to introduce a range of new plants to an area like this one.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I've specifically chosen square pots,
0:08:25 > 0:08:26because they tessellate together.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30In other words, they sit directly next to each other in a grid
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and don't waste space, like round pots would.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Ferns thrive in deep shade conditions.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40This one has been growing really well in this area,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42so I'm going to make use of it
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and transfer it into one of these new pots.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Now, the fern makes a lovely dome shape on the side, here,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55but I want to compliment and contrast that
0:08:55 > 0:08:58with something taller and more upright.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05This is Fargesia Red Panda,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and it's the perfect bamboo for a pot,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10because it's a clumper rather than a spreader,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12so it stays nice and narrow...
0:09:15 > 0:09:19..and it's also evergreen, so it's brilliant for a shady side return.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21It will keep the interest going year-round.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25To dress the base of the bamboo,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I want to introduce some all-important colour.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30So I'm going to use New Guinea Impatiens
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and they're brilliant,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34because they thrive in the shade...
0:09:35 > 0:09:37..and then, to add some zest,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I'm going to use Heuchera Lime Marmalade.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It's got that wonderful citrusy tone to it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46It will really lift the area and contrast against the pink.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52To get the effect I want in a plant,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54rather than plant them perfectly upright,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57just giving them a tiny little tilt,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00which will get them to lean over the edge of the pot.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I'm also using two other plants,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11which will thrive in the shade.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14One is a woodland grass called Luzula nivea
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and it'll love growing in that side return,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and then, I'm using a bedding classic -
0:10:20 > 0:10:22it's Begonia semperflorens.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Those white flowers will glow out of the shade.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Now, it's just an annual, so it'll grow for about six months,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30but can be replaced in the winter
0:10:30 > 0:10:32with pansies or primulas.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The plants tie well together to the rest of the collection,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38so the fine leaves on this grass
0:10:38 > 0:10:42pick up the bamboo nicely and then the succulent foliage
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and white tones here correlate and tie in with the impatiens.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05I want to make the most of the vertical growing space.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09So I'm going to be using a popular climber, a clematis.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It's Prince Charles.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13It's a tried and tested plant
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I've used again and again in this situation
0:11:16 > 0:11:17and it's perfect.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22It has pale blue flowers that are virtually luminescent in the shade.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You just need to cut it down to six inches
0:11:25 > 0:11:27in February - and that's it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Clematis can suffer from a disease known as wilt
0:11:32 > 0:11:36and one of the ways to address that is to plant them slightly deeper,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40so most plants that you put into the soil,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42or into a planter,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44you would aim to get their finished soil level
0:11:44 > 0:11:47the same as the top of the pot.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51With this, I'm going to aim to get it several inches deeper
0:11:51 > 0:11:55and that will prevent some of the potential problems with wilt.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Now, there's one extra climber
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I want to introduce to the wall here.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05This is Trachelospermum jasminoides
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and it's one of my go-to climbers,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11because it will thrive in sun, or in shade.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17The best thing about it is it's deliciously scented and evergreen.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24And we're done.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30The next thing I'm going to do is to plant the top of this
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and the other container with the same scheme
0:12:33 > 0:12:34as the pots at the back...
0:12:37 > 0:12:39..and I'm also going to repeat that planting
0:12:39 > 0:12:41with these containers on the side,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and that will help with the rhythm and repetition of the area
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and unify the whole lot and bring it together.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00The climbing plants on the walls
0:13:00 > 0:13:03are really going to help make use of the vertical space,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06but I'm going to be using hanging baskets, as well.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Now, the trick to planting up a hanging basket
0:13:10 > 0:13:12is to secure it,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14so I'm just using a bin here - but a pot, or anything else,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16will do the job.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Ordinary multipurpose compost,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and the plant I'm going to use in here is a trailing begonia.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Be very careful handling them.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29They're quite liable to snap -
0:13:29 > 0:13:33but these will be flowering all the way through to the first frosts.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35I'm also going to introduce an ivy.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38This is a variegated form of Hedera helix
0:13:38 > 0:13:39and it's evergreen,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43so it'll help bring life and energy to the space year-round.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00Introducing these colourful pots has not only unified this space,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02but brought a touch of elegance.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Now the combination of evergreen plants and colourful annuals
0:14:06 > 0:14:09will ensure that there's interest year-round,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and so what was once a sad, shady side return
0:14:12 > 0:14:15has been given a fresh new lease of life.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Well, I'm prepared to forgive Nick for using begonias,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34because it still looks pretty good -
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and shade is not a problem.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39You mustn't see it as something to overcome or get around.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It can be a real advantage,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44because there are lots of plants that need shade to thrive.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46I mean, take hydrangeas.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48More and more people are growing them,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50they've done really well in the last few years.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53The only thing I would say is they don't like to dry out too much.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55So if the leaves are flopping
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and it's generally looking a bit dejected,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00almost certainly it needs some water.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Other than that, give it light, dappled shade
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and it'll be very happy.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08However, there's one plant that absolutely will not thrive in shade
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and that is the pelargonium.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13They come, of course, from the Cape district of South Africa
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and the British summer can never be too hot or too sunny for them -
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and we went to Cramden Nurseries in Northamptonshire
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and met Emily Mitchell,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28who has taken part in a recent RHS trial of pelargoniums.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37I love growing pelargoniums.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38They're just so full of colour.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43They make you think of summer and they really just lift your heart
0:15:43 > 0:15:44and give you so much happiness.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Cramden Nursery was set up back in 1954 by my dad.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59He was very much into growing young plants
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and he grew a whole range of different types of young plants.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Then he heard about this, this "new crop", pelargoniums.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10So he just grew a few varieties in the first year,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14they grew well, and, even better, they sold well -
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and he just made the decision, alongside Mum,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18that, "Let's just grow pelargoniums,"
0:16:18 > 0:16:19and that's what they did.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Alongside Dad, I worked here
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and slowly took over the running of the nursery.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Very sadly, last year he became very ill and very quickly passed away.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41It's only just been a year since he's gone, but he's everywhere.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45He's in the greenhouses talking to me, so we'll miss him deeply,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47but he's here around us.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56There are many different types of pelargoniums.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58The most popular one that we grow here on the nursery
0:16:58 > 0:17:00are your zonal type pelargoniums.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02These are our bread and butter.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04We grow thousands of these a year.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08A zonal pelargonium is often what people know as a geranium.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11They have nice, big round flowers,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13they are perfect in pots.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Then you have ivy leaf pelargoniums.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17These are all about trailing.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20Then you have angel pelargoniums.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22These are really sweet, dainty little flowers,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25ever so tiny and they've got small leaves, as well.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27So although their flowers are a lot smaller than the zonal types
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and the ivy types, they make up in having loads of them,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33so there's absolutely masses of flowers.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Decorative pelargoniums have larger flowers than the angels,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and they tend to grow slightly larger.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43They have lots of different colours, but then they come in bi-colours -
0:17:43 > 0:17:45and some of the reds are really rich and deep.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49They're almost pushing on blacks, they're really, really showy.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54We have a really nice selection of tall growing pelargoniums here
0:17:54 > 0:17:56on the nursery and they're actually called antiks
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and these have been bred to grow tall...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03..and then we have an amazing range of scented leaf pelargoniums,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06so we have a citronella, which has a wonderful lemon scent...
0:18:07 > 0:18:09..then Attar Of Roses.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Attar of Roses is the real traditional
0:18:11 > 0:18:13rose-scented leaf pelargonium.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23This is one of my favourite varieties.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25This is Candy Flowers Violet.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Just look at that amazing violet flower, so bright and colourful.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32She's a decorative pelargonium, so she likes to be in a pot.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34She can go anywhere in your garden,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36but she really likes a good sunny position.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38As you can see, if you look closer,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41there's loads and loads of buds all over this plant,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43so it's just going to flower all summer long for you.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Last year, the RHS decided to do a trial on pelargoniums
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and they wanted to trial them,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58how different varieties coped in the borders
0:18:58 > 0:19:00and how different varieties coped in pots.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05We provided them with some rooted cuttings in April
0:19:05 > 0:19:07and across the board, all the different growers
0:19:07 > 0:19:11that were providing them with plants sent them all down on the same week.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Once the plants were established in their beds, or their pots,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18they had a team of judges that went round,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20on almost a monthly basis,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22to assess how the plants were growing.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27So, the judges were predominantly looking for flower size,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30how many buds that were being produced,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and the shape of the plant.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The public were also able to look round these RHS trial beds
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and they were encouraged to vote for the variety they liked the best.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42In the container section of the trial,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44our flower Fairy White Splash came third.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I think the public voted for this in the trial
0:19:46 > 0:19:49because it's got such an eye-catching flower.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52You've got a silvery white edge
0:19:52 > 0:19:54with this beautiful pink centre
0:19:54 > 0:19:58against lovely fresh green, nicely shaped leaves.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04In the bedding section of the trial, excitedly for us, Abelina,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07one of our varieties, came third as well.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It also received, this year, a gardeners Award Of Merit
0:20:10 > 0:20:12from the RHS judges -
0:20:12 > 0:20:14and I'm not really surprised at all.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18It's a beautiful variety, it's got such a deep, dark red flower,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22against this wonderful deep green foliage which is really attractive.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25I think the combination of both of these colours work really well.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's a good, strong growing plant
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and produces lots of buds and flowers
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and the flowers hold their size really well.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Pelargoniums are a wonderful family to grow
0:20:38 > 0:20:41so I cannot imagine doing anything else.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58One of the things that any of us who grow pelargoniums
0:20:58 > 0:21:01has to face sooner or later is that they cease to look perfect.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06You buy one, like this, which is compact,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09the flowers are blooming beautifully,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10the foliage is healthy,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and it's a good shape...
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and then, after a year or so - not necessarily the same type -
0:21:15 > 0:21:18they look much more like this one here.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21And that's cos it hasn't been pruned ruthlessly enough.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23There are two times to prune pelargoniums.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27The first is when you put them away in winter, round about October time,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and they should be cut back to about half,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34and then, in spring, as soon as you see some new growth,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I would take it right down, almost to the ground,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and then you will get nice, thick regrowth.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Pruning is the key.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47This is a really good time to take pelargonium cuttings.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I've got this really good specimen of Lady Plymouth.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Lady Plymouth is a scented-leaf pelargonium.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58It smells deliciously of spearmint -
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and you can get roses,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03you can get tangerine, you can get chocolate.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07There are lots of different scented-leaf pelargoniums...
0:22:09 > 0:22:10..and I'm going to experiment,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14trying taking cuttings in a normal cutting mix,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18which is essentially a seed compost with added grit to it,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23but also, I'm going to try and take cuttings in pure perlite.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28Now, perlite is added to potting compost,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31particularly by nurseries and professional growers.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So, it's very light. It's an organic material,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and its great property is it absorbs water,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41then slowly releases it, but also improves drainage.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45The downside of it is it does have a lot of dust
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and it can be an irritant.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50However, just pour some water into it.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Mix it up and all the dust will be absorbed.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05OK, so, we will take one pot
0:23:05 > 0:23:08of conventional cutting mix
0:23:08 > 0:23:13and one pot of plain perlite, like that.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Now, when you're looking for cutting material...
0:23:17 > 0:23:20..you don't want any shoot that's got flowers,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23because all the energy has gone into the flowers.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25This is better, so I'm going to take that off.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Now, you can either take it off at the heel
0:23:27 > 0:23:30or you can just snip it off, like that.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33So, we've got one potential cutting there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35We'll take that off there.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Cut there. OK.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Now, if I just thrust that into perlite,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45the chances of it striking wouldn't be terribly high.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47The thing to remember
0:23:47 > 0:23:53is cuttings are simply a race between the existing material dying
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and new roots forming.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Now, what's going to cause it to die more than anything else
0:23:58 > 0:24:02is the transpiration of moisture from the tissue.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07So, the more leaves it has, the more likely it is to die.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10But if I take off those leaves there...
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and it is essential to have a really sharp knife
0:24:13 > 0:24:16because if it's not sharp, it drags at it
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and can bruise and damage the material you want to keep.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23I'm left with a stem with just a few little leaves -
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and the reason why you leave some leaves
0:24:26 > 0:24:30is because that will feed into and help root formation.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33So, everything about a cutting is just balancing -
0:24:33 > 0:24:38and I'm going to cut the end at that node, nice and clean,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and the cleaner the cut, the more likely roots will form.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Again, a good reason for a sharp knife.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46So, we'll just pop this into the perlite, like that.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Right. That's the perlite selection.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Let's do the normal cut material.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Now, the key to pelargoniums
0:25:15 > 0:25:20is they want their bottoms moist and their heads dry,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24whereas, for a lot of cuttings, they want moist air around them -
0:25:24 > 0:25:27but if I was to put these in a mist propagator
0:25:27 > 0:25:30or wrap them in a polythene bag,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33these would rot before they would root.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I'm going to put these in the greenhouse.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Put them somewhere warm.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43A windowsill is fine, but not outside.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47And those should root within ten days to two weeks.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Now, of course, cuttings are a really good way to propagate,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55especially at this time of year,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59but, obviously, you've got seed, as well, and division -
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and I tried an experiment a couple of weeks ago.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07I divided some astrantia that was in full flower and doing well,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and this is against the rules because, normally,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13you're advised to divide herbaceous perennials,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16like astrantias, in spring or in autumn -
0:26:16 > 0:26:20but I'd cut it down, broke it into as many pieces as possible,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and I'd potted each piece into a very weak seed mix.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Well, two weeks later, we can see how it's doing.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35How about that?
0:26:38 > 0:26:4518 little plants looking healthy, vigorous, and, it seems to me,
0:26:45 > 0:26:51going to grow away and provide 18 big plants by next spring.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53On the evidence so far,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58this is a very good way to increase your plant stock.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00The choice of plants that you want to increase
0:27:00 > 0:27:02is going to be partly a matter of taste,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06but also a recognition of what will grow well
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and look good in your particular plot.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11There's no point in going against that.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14In fact, half the skill of good gardening
0:27:14 > 0:27:16is to make the most of what you are given -
0:27:16 > 0:27:20but, sometimes, what you're given can be pretty demanding,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24as Joe found when he visited a garden in Bristol
0:27:24 > 0:27:27created on a very steep slope.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Along these cobbled streets in the heart of Bristol,
0:27:35 > 0:27:40these tall Georgian houses obscure a steep hill on the other side.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And along them, there are a row of gardens,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and each of them have their own design challenges.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Karena Batstone has been designing gardens for over 20 years,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56working on projects of all shapes and sizes
0:27:56 > 0:27:59for well-known names and major corporate clients,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but her own has been a particular challenge.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Karena, it's a fabulous garden. A fabulous house, too.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- How long have you been here? - Thank you.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- We've been here about 24 years.- OK.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So, I can't really believe it, but, yeah!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17And how have you gone about designing this garden?
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Well, when we arrived, there was this little terrace area on the top,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24and steep stairs down,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and then a long sloping lawn with a magnolia in the middle.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33And I'd just quite recently done a garden design course,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I was a garden designer,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39and so I knew about terracing, cut and fill,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41and that's what I decided to do.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44It looks great. From this window, it's beautifully framed, as well.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46It makes you go want to go out there, Karena.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- Can we go and have a look?- Let's go!
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- Let's go. It's an exploring garden. Let's go and explore.- Come on.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03So, from out here, you can see how steep the garden is.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- It's really pretty steep down there. - Yes, don't lean back.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08No, I'm not going to lean back.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Yes, my vertigo is starting to kick in a little bit!
0:29:11 > 0:29:13But it's really beautifully designed -
0:29:13 > 0:29:17and your eye is drawn towards the seating area at the bottom, as well.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20There's obviously a destination point in this garden,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- which is important from a design point of view.- Yes.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30I didn't have much room to have a great depth of planting bed...
0:29:30 > 0:29:35- Yeah.- ..and as you can see, the beds are actually really skinny,
0:29:35 > 0:29:40but I've tried to layer and create the depth that way.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43And, I mean, the two silver birches, they add that height.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Yes.- Very important, the height. You need height.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Otherwise, you really feel like you're looking down on everything.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50You need things that are tall.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05So, we're significantly down a level here, aren't we?
0:30:05 > 0:30:07I mean, you know, a few metres down,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10and it's very different, this garden.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12There's lovely, dappled shade here.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15What was your dream for this area?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18If we weren't a family with children,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21I might have terraced it in more terraces, as it were,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and had maybe more transitional spaces -
0:30:25 > 0:30:27but because the garden isn't that long,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32it could only take two levels for us to make it really usable.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Repetition is always a good thing. It sort of unifies a space.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40So, although I've got the planting there,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43which is very layered and kind of romantic,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46there are lots of areas in the garden
0:30:46 > 0:30:49where I've got a solid block of one thing.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So, here, we're another few steps down
0:31:05 > 0:31:06and we're on the bottom level...
0:31:06 > 0:31:09and, again, somewhere comfortable to sit.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12We get the afternoon sunshine.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14When the rest of the garden has lost it,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17there's still a pool around here and it draws you down here.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- So, yeah.- Yeah, just by placing this bench at this angle,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23we are now looking up the garden and up towards the house,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and it's a completely different view.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Behind us, we've got this mirrored Perspex,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- which is, you know, very, very contemporary...- Yes.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- ..but it's a brilliant end to the garden.- Mm.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36I mean, you can see it from the house,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39but down here, it just expands the space, doesn't it?
0:31:39 > 0:31:42That bit of sunshine I was talking about,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45that reflects in the mirror and back into the garden,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and then, at night, when we have it uplit -
0:31:48 > 0:31:52the bamboos uplit - it looks like they're double the width.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Yeah, it's a very clever...
0:31:53 > 0:31:56- I mean, it's a very clever little trick, isn't it?- Yes.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00It's all smoke and mirrors, literally! But it works.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10Now, Karena planned this garden meticulously 22 years ago
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and she did a fantastic job
0:32:12 > 0:32:17because the structure is exactly the same as it was back then,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20how it all functions and those nice, versatile, large spaces -
0:32:20 > 0:32:22but what's gone into the garden,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25the plants, the furniture and even the surfaces,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28well, they've changed, sometimes many times over,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30because her life has changed.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34So, the planning stages really early on,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36well, they've really paid off.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42If you're dealing with a sloping garden
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and you want to create level areas, you have to terrace it,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48which means putting in retaining walls and also steps.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Now, these existing steps, I really like,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54because rather than running into the garden and eating up that space,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58they're running perpendicular to the house, so they're quite economic -
0:32:58 > 0:33:01but you end up over on one side of the garden,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and if the next set of steps is on that side, too,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05it would feel a little bit lopsided,
0:33:05 > 0:33:09but Karena's put the next set of steps diagonally opposite,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12right over here, which means you HAVE to move through the garden.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15It gives a lovely flow to the space,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18and then you naturally go down into the next area.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20It works a treat.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Now, Karena obviously doesn't do bright, clashing colours
0:33:26 > 0:33:28in a garden -
0:33:28 > 0:33:31here, she's created something very different,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34but she's been disciplined about the plants she puts in.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37There are a few key plants that are doing a job here.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40The bamboos, the hazel,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44and the silver birches are really holding the structure together,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47but it just doesn't feel at all fussy.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55This is a big, sloping garden. It's a very, very tricky site,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58and this design really works for me on lots of levels.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Sure, aesthetically, it's absolutely beautiful,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03it's got some great plants in it, too,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06but the most important thing is it's a practical garden,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10and it's a garden to be lived in and to escape the city.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Do you think that you took the right approach with this garden,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19and that it's a success from your point of view?
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Yes, I do. I'm very happy with it.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25I've allowed it to be used in so many different ways,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28and I think that is a joy, too.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Thanks for sharing it with me.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32I have to say, I think it's a fabulous garden.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Beautiful garden. I could just sit here all day...
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- Good.- ..chatting about gardens and garden design.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- Lovely.- What could be better?
0:34:54 > 0:34:57I can see Joe happy to spend the day
0:34:57 > 0:34:59just sitting chatting about gardening.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Of course, one of the things about a steeply sloping garden like that
0:35:02 > 0:35:04is you've got a view from the top
0:35:04 > 0:35:06and you've got interest from the bottom.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08When we came here to Longmeadow,
0:35:08 > 0:35:12this was an open, absolutely dead-flat site,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16and it's taken quite a few years to build up spaces
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that you either can't see or can only glimpse through openings
0:35:19 > 0:35:24to create the kind of interest that a slope automatically gives you.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Now, this buddleia is really good here in the Writing Garden,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32until it goes over and then it looks dirty brown -
0:35:32 > 0:35:36and once plants start to fade in a white garden,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40you've got to deadhead them, because they sully the whole effect -
0:35:40 > 0:35:43but all the best white plants
0:35:43 > 0:35:47invariably are touches of white against lots of green,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51and with the light on them are absolutely beautiful.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Now, still to come on tonight's programme...
0:35:56 > 0:36:00..we visit Dorset to see a picturesque coastal garden
0:36:00 > 0:36:03that has a distinctly Mediterranean feel.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09But last autumn, Carol went to Yorkshire
0:36:09 > 0:36:13to visit a nursery with a very distinctive style.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Just beyond the post-industrial landscape of Halifax
0:36:19 > 0:36:23is the nursery and garden of Dove Cottage.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24It's a garden that's been designed
0:36:24 > 0:36:27to have interest throughout the year,
0:36:27 > 0:36:31but in summer and autumn, it's at its very best,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35and last September, I couldn't wait to pay a visit.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38This very special place
0:36:38 > 0:36:41is set behind this oak door and this yew hedge.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42Come on.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Oh, wow!
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Just look at the eupatorium! Huge, great banks of plants.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58This gorgeous rudbeckia.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01They almost form a tunnel -
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and yet this path is luring you along,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08willing you to explore the rest of the garden.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15This third-of-an-acre plot tumbles down a steep slope.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20It's been terraced and filled with perennials.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26It's autumn, and the plants that predominate are the grasses,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29and things that you looked at for their flowers earlier in the year
0:37:29 > 0:37:34are now seed heads, and so magnificent, so magical.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39Patrinia over there. This great lime-green plateau of seeds -
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and in the midst of all this glorious, mellow colour,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45there are surprises. Look at this!
0:37:45 > 0:37:50This is Actaea Queen of Sheba and I have never seen it before.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53In this variety, these racemes just...
0:37:53 > 0:37:57They're pendulous. They just sway gently backwards and forwards.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00It's tremendously elegant.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02In amongst this
0:38:02 > 0:38:06lovely molinia is this tiny little sanguisorba.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08These crimson bobbles.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Every time you look, there's something else.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13It's deeper and deeper.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16It's just like being in the midst of a meadow.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18You forget where you are completely -
0:38:18 > 0:38:23and it's a paradise that's been created over the last 20 years
0:38:23 > 0:38:27by a husband-and-wife team, Kim and Stephen Rogers.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36You know, when you come into this garden,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39it all just looks so natural.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Almost looks like it made itself, but it didn't, did it?
0:38:43 > 0:38:48No, no, it's taken 20 years, almost, of practising and planting
0:38:48 > 0:38:52and replanting and selecting plants to get to what we've got now.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55But that's the sort of feel that you wanted to create, isn't it?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58It is. Yeah, it is. It is. That much wilder look to the garden,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00with grasses and perennials mixed.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It's started to get wilder as we've gone along.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04I think that's how you start gardening.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06It might be all very controlled at first,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08but then, as we've got more and more into it,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12- we want to go wilder and wilder. - So, is it wild enough for you, Kim?
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Yeah.- Because you don't stake, do you?- No.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16We had a very wet year one year,
0:39:16 > 0:39:21- and it was just too wet to go out and stake in the evenings...- Yeah.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22..and we kept leaving it and leaving it,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24- and in the end, it didn't happen...- Yeah.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28..and it's liberating, not to have to stake -
0:39:28 > 0:39:30and we don't mind if plants fall over.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33So, the garden envelops you, doesn't it?
0:39:33 > 0:39:36- You're surrounded by it. - Completely surrounded by plants.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Lots of tall plants - and not all pushed to the back of the borders.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44Brought right up close to people because you see them, then.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Sometimes, things can be stuck at the back of big borders
0:39:47 > 0:39:49and you just see the top -
0:39:49 > 0:39:53and you'll look through some very tall, wiry plants
0:39:53 > 0:39:56and then see something beyond that creates a good combination
0:39:56 > 0:39:58and then even beyond that.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00So, it's all about mixing and mingling
0:40:00 > 0:40:02your plants together, isn't it?
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Yeah, that's at the heart of the garden,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and it's getting the views through plants,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09through other plants and then out into the landscape beyond -
0:40:09 > 0:40:11and it all seems to fit very well together.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15- It fits wonderfully with the Halifax hills, doesn't it?- It does.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29All around the garden, there are splashes of vivid colour
0:40:29 > 0:40:33amongst all the tawny, russet tones,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36but you come into this part of the garden
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and, suddenly, there's an explosion.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It's pure fireworks,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45and it's all created by these gorgeous prairie daisies,
0:40:45 > 0:40:50Helianthus Perennial Sunflowers, making this vivid splash of colour
0:40:50 > 0:40:52which just lifts your spirits.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56It really does give you a feeling of euphoria.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00This is Miscanthus nepalensis, and I want it.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I've got to grow it!
0:41:02 > 0:41:05In some places, once plants had flowered,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08they'd be chopped to the ground, but not here.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10They're allowed to do their thing -
0:41:10 > 0:41:14to change, to seed, to gradually decay
0:41:14 > 0:41:16because, for Kim and Stephen,
0:41:16 > 0:41:21it's not just the way that plants live that they appreciate.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23It's the way they die, too.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Oh, look at that.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43It's ages since anybody gave me flowers!
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Normally, wouldn't you cut stuff down in the spring?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51We would. We'd normally leave it all till March,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54but this year, we're wanting to do two new beds.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- Right.- And these beds have lost a little bit of shape and interest.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- I have to start now...- Yeah.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03..because my energy levels aren't just as much as they were.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- Go on.- So, I need all the autumn now to carefully lift all these plants,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10prepare the soil, which I might even incorporate
0:42:10 > 0:42:12quite a lot of grit and gravel into this bed.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- So, grit and gravel as opposed to lots of compost?- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18So, under normal circumstances,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22you'd leave all your perennials and grasses through to the spring?
0:42:22 > 0:42:25We would, because it'll still feel like a garden through the winter
0:42:25 > 0:42:27with all the seed heads and the grasses.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29It's a shame cos there's some lovely seed heads
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- on this eupatorium at the moment... - Oh, no!
0:42:31 > 0:42:34..but if I don't start now, I won't get it finished for spring.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38It was wonderful to visit Stephen and Kim's
0:42:38 > 0:42:41beautiful garden last autumn.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44I'll be back in a few weeks' time
0:42:44 > 0:42:48to see to see how different it looks in all its summer glory.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04That combination of grasses and perennials
0:43:04 > 0:43:06in a lovely, loose mix
0:43:06 > 0:43:09is something that I admire very much
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and have tried to recreate here in the grass borders -
0:43:12 > 0:43:16and at Tatton, I saw some marvellous thalictrums.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19There was one in particular which I knew I wanted to add to the border.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20It's called Splendide,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24and splendide it certainly is!
0:43:24 > 0:43:28This is only half or a third grown. It will reach 2m tall,
0:43:28 > 0:43:33and has got these lovely lilac bobbles of flower.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36It's sterile, which means that you can't gather seed from it
0:43:36 > 0:43:38and propagate that way, but you could divide it -
0:43:38 > 0:43:40and because there is no seed,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43it means the flowers last a lot longer.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Now, the idea is, with these borders,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49that you look through onto plants.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52You don't plant great big clumps and drifts of colour,
0:43:52 > 0:43:57but a series of upright touches...
0:43:59 > 0:44:03..and look, at my feet, can you see this little robin?
0:44:03 > 0:44:04Have you come to see me?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08There you go.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Right. Having positioned them, let's have a look.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Yeah, I like that.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19What we want to do is keep the spirit of these borders,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22which is all about these tall, vertical lines,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and nothing should be too dominant.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27I'm going to get those into the ground.
0:44:34 > 0:44:35Right.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37In we go.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Now, these will need a really good soak as they go in,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46but I want to add first another plant.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52This is Sanguisorba Cangshan Cranberry,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54and it will start to flower in a few weeks' time.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57These will stay flowering into October.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00They grow a couple of metres tall and you can see by their shape,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02they're perfect for this type of gardening.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Both these plants do like moist conditions,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19so they're not to be grown in either blazing sunshine
0:45:19 > 0:45:22or very thin, free-draining soil -
0:45:22 > 0:45:25but you could try them out at this time of year.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28By planting in flower or about to come into flower,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31you will know by October if it's working,
0:45:31 > 0:45:33and if it's not, you can dig them up and move them
0:45:33 > 0:45:36and no harm will be done whatsoever.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51If it stays very dry...
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Nellie, you are a silly girl! What have you got?
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Oh, look at this present you've brought me!
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Are you going to help me with the planting? Are you?
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Oh! Can I just do this, please?
0:46:04 > 0:46:05Thank you. Bye.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Right, as we were...
0:46:10 > 0:46:13If it's really dry, I will have to keep these watered,
0:46:13 > 0:46:15but once they've had a winter in the ground,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17they need never be watered again -
0:46:17 > 0:46:22and the key thing is to make a plant feel at home,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24don't try and force it to grow where it doesn't want to be -
0:46:24 > 0:46:27and one of the features here at Longmeadow
0:46:27 > 0:46:29is we are completely landlocked.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31It's wet and it's cold
0:46:31 > 0:46:33and we're about as far from the sea as you can get -
0:46:33 > 0:46:36but we went to the Dorset coast
0:46:36 > 0:46:40to see a garden made overlooking the sea
0:46:40 > 0:46:45with all the advantages and the disadvantages that that entails.
0:46:49 > 0:46:5318 years ago, we arrived on a November day
0:46:53 > 0:46:56and it was blowing a gale...
0:46:57 > 0:47:03..and we couldn't get into the wood because the wood was so overgrown.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05There was a lot to do, so it was quite daunting,
0:47:05 > 0:47:09but we just felt this was heaven.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15My vision, when we got here, was that
0:47:15 > 0:47:16we wouldn't have a garden at all.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19I gave all my gardening tools away and I wasn't going to garden,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22and it was all going to be absolutely wonderful nature
0:47:22 > 0:47:24and perfect as it was -
0:47:24 > 0:47:27but then my husband started cutting some trees down
0:47:27 > 0:47:30and then there was a gap, so I thought,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32"Well, we've got to do something now,"
0:47:32 > 0:47:34and so I learned to be a tree surgeon
0:47:34 > 0:47:38because I was slightly worried about how he was cutting a tree down
0:47:38 > 0:47:41and I felt that wasn't quite the way you should cut a tree down.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47I think people are more amazed
0:47:47 > 0:47:51by the fact that we grow anything on this site.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53The garden's on a 30-degree slope
0:47:53 > 0:47:58and we range from 100ft above sea level
0:47:58 > 0:48:01to 300ft above sea level, which we garden.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04If it says gale force 11 in Portland Bill,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06we get gale force 11 here.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10It's very brackish, salt air.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13The garden has heavy, heavy clay,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16so that's really difficult to garden in the first place.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19I couldn't put my spade in to start with, it was just so heavy.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23So, we had to change the soil in order to work it.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27You get very good at actually remembering your tools, as well,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29going from the bottom to the top...
0:48:30 > 0:48:33..and I just thought, "Perhaps we'd better put some steps in,"
0:48:33 > 0:48:35so we put in some stairway to heaven,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39which is 64 steps that go up to a terrace,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43and I planted a hornbeam little house up there
0:48:43 > 0:48:44and then I have sculpted it
0:48:44 > 0:48:47to make it look like it's all being blown by the wind.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56If somebody asked me about my garden,
0:48:56 > 0:49:00I would say it is Mediterranean.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02I've tried to make a Mediterranean feel,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06but it's also a shaded Mediterranean garden, which is unusual.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11My formative years after school were spent in Italy,
0:49:11 > 0:49:16so my passion for Italian gardens has always been there
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and so wanting to create an Italianate garden,
0:49:20 > 0:49:22it's been a dream fulfilled.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27They have a lot of structure
0:49:27 > 0:49:30and they have a matrix of different textures
0:49:30 > 0:49:32and different plants, as well...
0:49:34 > 0:49:39..and I like scented flowers, and I've got silver leaves.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41I've put in a lot of myrtle...
0:49:43 > 0:49:44..the acanthus...
0:49:46 > 0:49:48..yuccas...
0:49:49 > 0:49:52..and a lot of yew, as well.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57People do liken it to the Bay of Sorrento and Napoli,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59and with my neighbour's pine tree,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02it helps to create the Mediterranean view.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09My favourite part of the garden is usually what's out
0:50:09 > 0:50:11and working at the time.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Sitting on the terrace here when the sun's shining
0:50:14 > 0:50:17and I'm entertaining, I just absolutely adore being here
0:50:17 > 0:50:19cos there's nowhere better.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24I planted, in 2008, these hornbeams,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28which I knew liked the clay, so I planted feathered trees,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32and then I've been crown raising them,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35which is persuading them to go up and over the top,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38and training the branch's laterals in,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41so that we now have a living pergola.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45From the design point of view,
0:50:45 > 0:50:47I've designed from the window looking out.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51There's blue campanula over there. It's really simple -
0:50:51 > 0:50:54but the campanula with a wonderful shuttlecock fern
0:50:54 > 0:50:56and the structure behind -
0:50:56 > 0:50:59the whole thing makes up the pattern.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I enjoy having fun with the shapes, really.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08This is the yew area, and I've got lots of different shapes here.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Some are organic, some archaic, some are mounds,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14I've got balls, but this particular one
0:51:14 > 0:51:18is going to be a chicken, and its beak is just being formed.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20So, I'm hoping,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22in a few years' time, it'll be a really good beak.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31When the sun is shining and there aren't any clouds in the sky,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34you just think, "Wow!"
0:51:34 > 0:51:37It is so amazing -
0:51:37 > 0:51:41and, in fact, we don't really need to go to the Mediterranean, luckily,
0:51:41 > 0:51:44cos we get light and sun and sea.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46To me, it's paradise.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Well, I share that love of Italian gardens,
0:52:02 > 0:52:09but I don't share the force 11 gales with the salt-laden wind -
0:52:09 > 0:52:13but every garden does have to deal with difficult weather conditions
0:52:13 > 0:52:15at some time or other -
0:52:15 > 0:52:18and this summer, it has been very dry,
0:52:18 > 0:52:21and by and large, you can water the garden and cope with that,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24but young trees, in particular,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27especially if they're fairly large, like these limes that I planted,
0:52:27 > 0:52:29need a lot of water in the first year.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31That means a lot of watering -
0:52:31 > 0:52:34and if you don't have time, or if you're going away for a while,
0:52:34 > 0:52:36that's a problem, as well as the fact that
0:52:36 > 0:52:40if you've got very hard ground, you water and it just bounces off,
0:52:40 > 0:52:42and runs away and doesn't reach the roots.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46Well, I've noticed, over the last few years, these things.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48This is a tree hydration bag.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51You simply wrap it round the tree,
0:52:51 > 0:52:56like a sort of wine cooler or a tea cosy,
0:52:56 > 0:52:57and it zips up...
0:52:59 > 0:53:02..and then, if I fill that up there...
0:53:04 > 0:53:07..and it slowly percolates out of the bag,
0:53:07 > 0:53:09over about five to ten hours, and you do that once a week...
0:53:11 > 0:53:13..and the bag holds quite a lot of water,
0:53:13 > 0:53:17and it shows you the sort of amount that is needed by every young tree -
0:53:17 > 0:53:22and I'm enjoying the irony of filling a bag to water a tree
0:53:22 > 0:53:25whilst I'm getting soaked in the pouring rain.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27That's British gardening for you!
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Well, as I finish the watering,
0:53:34 > 0:53:38as the rain starts to beat down here at Longmeadow,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41let's see what the weather's going to be like this weekend.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Now we're at peak holiday season,
0:55:11 > 0:55:15there's one little thing that is worth doing before you go away,
0:55:15 > 0:55:16and that is to pick sweet peas.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19That might seem barmy cos you're not going to see them,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23but pick them and give them to your neighbours, family, friends,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and strip every flower that you can.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29One, it will stop them going to seed whilst you're away,
0:55:29 > 0:55:30and this is particularly true
0:55:30 > 0:55:32if you're going away for a couple of weeks,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34and two, it will extend the season.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36So, when you get back, there will be another flush,
0:55:36 > 0:55:40and you pick those straightaway and fill the house full of flowers,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42and then you can go, if you're lucky,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45right through into September or even October -
0:55:45 > 0:55:47but leave them, and it's hot,
0:55:47 > 0:55:50you'll come back and there'll just be a load of seed pods...
0:55:52 > 0:55:54..and if you're not going away,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56don't think you've been let off the hook,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59cos you'll have lots more time to do some jobs this weekend.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19If you've harvested your garlic and it's thoroughly dried off,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21it's now time to store it.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Cut off the tops, clean off any loose skin or dirt,
0:56:26 > 0:56:29trim the roots, but don't cut off the basal plate,
0:56:29 > 0:56:33and then they can be stored in a basket in a cool, dry place,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36where they will keep, ready for use, for months.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44When your lavender finishes flowering,
0:56:44 > 0:56:47it's a good idea to trim the flower stalks off,
0:56:47 > 0:56:51and this will stop energy going into seed,
0:56:51 > 0:56:55rather than into the roots... and whilst you're about it,
0:56:55 > 0:56:58you can shape any plants as you will -
0:56:58 > 0:57:01but trim lightly because if you cut into old wood,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04they often do not regenerate.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13If you're going away on holiday and have lots of pots,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15particularly if they're terracotta pots,
0:57:15 > 0:57:17group them tightly together in the shade.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21This will mean they will dry out much less
0:57:21 > 0:57:23and be much healthier when you return.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32You're hot, aren't you? You're a hot, panty girl.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37I don't often, I have to confess,
0:57:37 > 0:57:40just sit and enjoy the garden without doing anything.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43I always see things I want to do - and, anyway, I like gardening,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I like doing things and that's how I relax -
0:57:46 > 0:57:49but, sometimes, you do just have to stop...
0:57:51 > 0:57:55..and smell the flowers and watch the light -
0:57:55 > 0:57:58and now is the best time of year to do it.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02So, however you enjoy your gardens, make the most of them,
0:58:02 > 0:58:05and I'll see you back here at Longmeadow next week.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Till then, bye-bye.