:00:07. > :00:10.Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
:00:11. > :00:17.for really well made gardening tools and implements.
:00:18. > :00:20.At this time of year, of course, there's an awful lot of pruning
:00:21. > :00:24.going on so it's a chance, maybe this is a boy thing, I don't know,
:00:25. > :00:27.a chance to really relish good shears and secateurs
:00:28. > :00:34.If it's sharp, it will do the job so much better.
:00:35. > :00:38.If you look under a magnifying glass at a leaf or a stem
:00:39. > :00:42.that has been cut by a blunt tool of any kind,
:00:43. > :00:51.and that is much more liable to be infected
:00:52. > :00:55.and to let fungal spores in and also going to be much slower to heal,
:00:56. > :00:59.whereas a really clean cut will form a scar quickly
:01:00. > :01:02.and will heal, and the plant will recover.
:01:03. > :01:07.and, I have to be honest, I like the ritual of it.
:01:08. > :01:12.but however much you enjoy looking after your garden tools,
:01:13. > :01:15.and I do, a lot - it gives a lot of pleasure,
:01:16. > :01:18.it's a means to the end, not the end itself,
:01:19. > :01:23.which is, of course, all the pruning and shaping and the cutting
:01:24. > :01:29.On tonight's programme, Carol visits gardens
:01:30. > :01:33.created by not one but two of her gardening heroes,
:01:34. > :01:38.father and son Alan and Adrian Bloom.
:01:39. > :01:41.Flo Headlam and Joe Swift return to Wiltshire
:01:42. > :01:47.to see how the community garden there is developing...
:01:48. > :01:50...and the renowned plantswoman Helen Dillon
:01:51. > :01:55.I love this wonderful square you have,
:01:56. > :01:59.because then you have this wonderful wilderness around the side. Exactly.
:02:00. > :02:15.Sorry to refer to it as wilderness. I think it's beautiful.
:02:16. > :02:19.One of the rituals of the gardening year
:02:20. > :02:26.You cut them back and you cut them to an outward facing bud
:02:27. > :02:29.and you cut them at an angle, and then they will flower.
:02:30. > :02:35.because that really stems from the growing of hybrid teas,
:02:36. > :02:38.and their dominance in the late 19th and early 20th century -
:02:39. > :02:45.you can cut them any time, and you certainly can prune them back now -
:02:46. > :02:47.and if you've got shrub roses like I have,
:02:48. > :02:53.they grow like mad and they are literally blocking the way.
:02:54. > :03:00.So now, in September, is a good time to trim them back,
:03:01. > :03:03.and the way you do it is very simple because you just use shears.
:03:04. > :03:07.Forget about outward facing buds and slanting cuts
:03:08. > :03:24.in June and early July, but it's not going to flower again,
:03:25. > :03:27.so I just need to trim it back at this stage -
:03:28. > :03:36.If you're not sure whether your rose is a shrub one or not...
:03:37. > :03:41.The first one is that it looks like a shrub.
:03:42. > :03:43.It makes a shrubby shape with lots of new growth.
:03:44. > :03:48.The second is it tends, not always, to flower once,
:03:49. > :03:51.whereas hybrid teas will go on flowering all summer -
:03:52. > :03:54.and there are some modern shrub roses that will too,
:03:55. > :04:06.but by and large they tend to flower once or maybe twice.
:04:07. > :04:14.They can take an awful lot of hard treatment
:04:15. > :04:23...and that applies to treatment that nature might give them, too,
:04:24. > :04:27.because this year has been a bad one for black spot
:04:28. > :04:33.as well as covering the leaves with this chocolaty brown stain
:04:34. > :04:36.that can spread, it can totally defoliate a plant.
:04:37. > :04:42.but it certainly won't kill the plant.
:04:43. > :04:46.The worst thing is it looks unsightly.
:04:47. > :04:49.It's a fungal problem, and there's not a lot you can do about it
:04:50. > :04:56.particularly slightly later on in the summer,
:04:57. > :05:00.then I'm afraid black spot is almost inevitable...
:05:01. > :05:04...but what it does mean is that I will burn these trimmings
:05:05. > :05:07.just so we don't spread it any more than we have to.
:05:08. > :05:13.Right, I'm beginning to be able to see in here.
:05:14. > :05:17.That has done no harm at all to the rose,
:05:18. > :05:20.and for the first time for weeks has let me go down this path
:05:21. > :05:23.and has given me access to the border -
:05:24. > :05:27.and this is all part of a plan to add a little bit to the border.
:05:28. > :05:30.Borders like these, it doesn't matter what I'm growing in them,
:05:31. > :05:35.are symmetrical, they're formal, they're edged with box,
:05:36. > :05:38.they are of a particular style of gardening
:05:39. > :05:41.and one which has pretty much predominated
:05:42. > :05:53.and he and his father were responsible
:05:54. > :06:08.for a brand-new style of gardening that was incredibly influential.
:06:09. > :06:11.The plantswomen and men and garden designers
:06:12. > :06:15.who've shaped the way we garden and, in many cases, changed the way
:06:16. > :06:20.we think about our gardens are few and far between -
:06:21. > :06:23.but today we've got two for the price of one.
:06:24. > :06:45.Bressingham Gardens was the home of Alan Bloom until he died in 2005.
:06:46. > :06:49.His son Adrian started his own garden, Foggy Bottom,
:06:50. > :06:59.that makes them titans of the gardening world.
:07:00. > :07:04.Together, they have introduced more than 170 different plants
:07:05. > :07:07.and developed a form of garden design
:07:08. > :07:12.which we might never have used without them.
:07:13. > :07:15.Gardening is in the Bloom family's blood.
:07:16. > :07:20.Alan's father always took a keen interest in plants
:07:21. > :07:23.and when Alan was 20, he helped him start his first nursery
:07:24. > :07:31.In 1946, Alan bought Bressingham Hall and its six acres.
:07:32. > :07:36.This was where his new ideas began to take shape.
:07:37. > :07:41.Until the advent of Alan's ground-breaking ideas,
:07:42. > :07:46.in a very staid and static kind of way.
:07:47. > :07:51.There were grand herbaceous borders at all the British stately homes.
:07:52. > :07:56.Tall plants at the back, short ones at the front...
:07:57. > :07:59.but Alan could see something marvellous about these plants
:08:00. > :08:01.and think of wonderful ways to use them
:08:02. > :08:05.and want to introduce all sorts of marvellous new plants.
:08:06. > :08:20...but as well as sharing his excitement
:08:21. > :08:26.he also wanted to share an idea about how to grow them.
:08:27. > :08:34.instead of a static affair that you walked along
:08:35. > :08:40.With these, not only were the plants happy
:08:41. > :08:43.because they had light, air and sunshine,
:08:44. > :08:48.and they were designed for all seasons,
:08:49. > :08:52.right the way through from spring to late summer and autumn,
:08:53. > :08:58.and around every curb there was a new surprise.
:08:59. > :09:02.It was a novel idea that gripped the British gardener.
:09:03. > :09:05.Perennial island beds became the new vogue
:09:06. > :09:08.and they started popping up in gardens and parks
:09:09. > :09:12.putting Alan and Bressingham Nursery
:09:13. > :09:17.firmly on the gardening map of Britain.
:09:18. > :09:22.Alan's son Adrian remembers his father's all-consuming passion
:09:23. > :09:28.I mean, he was very, very innovative really, wasn't he?
:09:29. > :09:30.He was a true pioneer. Well, I think he was.
:09:31. > :09:33.Of course, the islands in front of the beds
:09:34. > :09:36.were just the first ones he did, so he was then determined
:09:37. > :09:40.to carry on and do all the rest of them, ending up with 48 islands
:09:41. > :09:43.and 4,500 different varieties of plant,
:09:44. > :09:47.so he was really determined and passionate about plants.
:09:48. > :09:50.I think that's what really comes across, isn't it?
:09:51. > :09:56.That passion for plants and wanting to share that with people. Exactly.
:09:57. > :09:59.As a young man, Adrian travelled widely.
:10:00. > :10:02.Then one day he got the call from his father
:10:03. > :10:06.to come back and join the family business.
:10:07. > :10:10.So you didn't just want to follow in your father's footsteps?
:10:11. > :10:15.and he was obviously an expert in the perennials
:10:16. > :10:19.and I obviously had to fight my corner
:10:20. > :10:22.and try and add something else to the business.
:10:23. > :10:28.Adrian developed a fascination for conifers
:10:29. > :10:35.Very soon they were to make their way into gardens
:10:36. > :10:42.I mean, this bed is a collection of conifers, really, isn't it?
:10:43. > :10:45.I've got various things in here that are waiting their turn
:10:46. > :10:50.One or two are more established, like this pine here.
:10:51. > :10:52.That's beautiful. Yes, it is nice, isn't it?
:10:53. > :11:01.Gradually, with many of these pines, I've pruned away the lower branches,
:11:02. > :11:03.lift it up, so you've got almost a canopy,
:11:04. > :11:07.but then you can plant underneath, you can get views through,
:11:08. > :11:12.But the wonderful thing is not just extolling their virtues
:11:13. > :11:15.but also the way in which you use them with other plants.
:11:16. > :11:17.They have year-round interest and colour,
:11:18. > :11:19.particularly important in winter time.
:11:20. > :11:30.I want to see a few of these examples.
:11:31. > :11:33.I love these little rivulets of festuca
:11:34. > :11:37.that you've got here and there. Actually, festuca works very well.
:11:38. > :11:39.Maybe not for many years but at the front of the border
:11:40. > :11:44.and it blends and mixes in and it looks a really good contrast.
:11:45. > :11:46.But despite all the interest in here,
:11:47. > :11:50.it's these conifers that really draw your eye into here.
:11:51. > :11:53.They're almost like statues, aren't they? Yes, they are.
:11:54. > :11:57.They're narrow, green, upright forms that are there winter and summer.
:11:58. > :12:00.They form an architectural continuity, if you like,
:12:01. > :12:03.if you want to use some highfalutin stuff here -
:12:04. > :12:06.but the plants can weave in and out of them.
:12:07. > :12:09.It's a mix of plants that really give me -
:12:10. > :12:11.and give what I think many gardeners would like -
:12:12. > :12:16.more pleasure through the seasons. Yes. Hear, hear.
:12:17. > :12:19.The Blooms have influenced our gardening in the past,
:12:20. > :12:23.in the present, and with so many members of the family
:12:24. > :12:29.involved in horticulture, they will continue to do so into the future.
:12:30. > :12:32.Without the Blooms and all they've given us,
:12:33. > :12:35.our gardens would be much poorer places.
:12:36. > :12:54.Well, my Irish yews here in the Cottage Garden are conifers.
:12:55. > :12:59.When I planted them about 22 or 23 years ago,
:13:00. > :13:01.they were about two to three foot tall.
:13:02. > :13:04.They've grown hugely over the years -
:13:05. > :13:11.this is Foggy Bottom's 50th anniversary
:13:12. > :13:14.and they are having a big celebration this weekend
:13:15. > :13:26.and you can get all the details for that on our website.
:13:27. > :13:38.and I can fill it with one of my favourite
:13:39. > :13:42.and very old-fashioned herbaceous perennials, and that's a phlox.
:13:43. > :13:45.I've got a couple here that are going to add shades of blue
:13:46. > :13:55.You can see they're not large versions, but they will bulk out.
:13:56. > :13:59.And it's Phlox paniculata, and you'll find that Phlox paniculata
:14:00. > :14:02.has, I think, all the best varieties -
:14:03. > :14:09.They are plants that as long as they get enough moisture
:14:10. > :14:16.If you've got very sandy soil, you need to add lots of compost,
:14:17. > :14:19.but if you got clay like I have, they're at home.
:14:20. > :14:25.So I'm going to plant a little group of three in the front here
:14:26. > :14:29.and then I've got a larger phlox, and this one is called Prospero.
:14:30. > :14:32.You can see it's got quite a delicate lavender colour -
:14:33. > :14:37.and remember, here in the Cottage Garden nothing is disallowed
:14:38. > :14:39.but there is a tendency, an inclination,
:14:40. > :14:45.Remember, these beds were vegetable beds for nearly 20 years.
:14:46. > :14:50.They are rich, they hold the moisture
:14:51. > :15:10.They won't mind anything that a British winter can throw at them.
:15:11. > :15:14.Buy some now, get them in between now and October,
:15:15. > :15:16.and you will have a really good display
:15:17. > :15:30.Now, remember, with phlox, the key thing is that they don't dry out.
:15:31. > :15:33.That doesn't mean to say that they like boggy conditions
:15:34. > :15:40.but it does mean that they like a regular supply of water.
:15:41. > :15:46.Phlox are never going to be the main stars in a border.
:15:47. > :15:49.There's a kind of very attractive modesty about them -
:15:50. > :15:54.but they are really good, reliable plants.
:15:55. > :15:56.They're not ephemeral, they don't get bashed,
:15:57. > :15:59.they hardly need staking or supporting,
:16:00. > :16:01.and they give colour at a time of year
:16:02. > :16:05.when all around them colour is falling away.
:16:06. > :16:08.So I certainly shall be looking to add more to this garden
:16:09. > :16:11.and I treasure the ones that I have -
:16:12. > :16:14.but they're not really likely to attract the kind of fanaticism
:16:15. > :16:18.that for some reason some plants seem to do...
:16:19. > :16:24.who are drawn to the point of obsession
:16:25. > :16:34.For this week's visit, she's headed up to Scotland.
:16:35. > :16:38.Most of us love gardening and we all have our favourite plants.
:16:39. > :16:42.They might be perennials or trees or evergreens,
:16:43. > :16:48.but for some of us, it might even be a humble vegetable.
:16:49. > :16:52.John Marshall is a Scottish gardener who has built his career
:16:53. > :16:56.on a plant that most of us eat almost every day.
:16:57. > :16:59.Empires have been built on it, armies have marched on it
:17:00. > :17:02.and nations have been brought to their knees by it.
:17:03. > :17:11.So we all know this is the potato and it's these, the stem tubers,
:17:12. > :17:14.that is the bit we eat. Yes, they're underground stems.
:17:15. > :17:19.They'll grow under the ground, and they'll suddenly start swelling,
:17:20. > :17:23.and over a period of time we get what we know as a tuber or potato.
:17:24. > :17:27.And they're from a huge family, the Solanaceae family,
:17:28. > :17:31.which stretches from a very poisonous Deadly Nightshade
:17:32. > :17:37.And how did this become such a staple part of the British diet,
:17:38. > :17:40.because it's not a native plant, is it? That's right.
:17:41. > :17:43.400 or 500 years ago it wasn't heard of -
:17:44. > :17:45.it wasn't even mentioned in the Bible -
:17:46. > :17:48.but the Europeans went looking for gold and silver
:17:49. > :17:54.that Sir Walter Raleigh brought them from Virginia,
:17:55. > :17:59.but that's largely been discredited by today's scientists. Really?
:18:00. > :18:02.They think they came in through the Canary Islands
:18:03. > :18:08.and spread out across Europe and came to Britain.
:18:09. > :18:18.And quickly they've become something we can't live without. That's right.
:18:19. > :18:24.These are the early potatoes, Sharpe's Express.
:18:25. > :18:27.They are an old variety bred in Lincoln
:18:28. > :18:31.and, actually, is a favourite in the Western Isles,
:18:32. > :18:41.and the salt spray from the Atlantic rollers and seaweed.
:18:42. > :18:44.That's what I think of when I'm eating them.
:18:45. > :18:51.If the growing conditions are right, you could get a crop within 60 days.
:18:52. > :18:55.And how long would a main crop take? The main crop might take 180 days.
:18:56. > :18:58.Growing potatoes has taken you all over the world, hasn't it?
:18:59. > :19:04.Some countries you wouldn't expect, like Saudi Arabia, a huge desert.
:19:05. > :19:09.The temperatures are really high, 45 degrees,
:19:10. > :19:14.They're using the pivot irrigation, bringing the water up
:19:15. > :19:18.and the pivot takes about a day to go around
:19:19. > :19:24.it would probably kill the crop because of the high temperatures.
:19:25. > :19:28.because they're such an important crop?
:19:29. > :19:32.The potato is probably the fourth most important crop in the world.
:19:33. > :19:37.We've got wheat, rice, maize and then potatoes.
:19:38. > :19:41.So what would be the ideal conditions to grow potatoes?
:19:42. > :19:45.You want to take a look at your garden and think about a rotation
:19:46. > :19:50.and planting your potatoes in sequence after other crops.
:19:51. > :19:53.So you'd never plant two potatoes year-on-year
:19:54. > :19:57.The next most important decision to make
:19:58. > :20:00.is to go to a garden centre and buy classified seed -
:20:01. > :20:04.seed that's passed the government health standards -
:20:05. > :20:08.and then earthing up is very important
:20:09. > :20:10.because you want to prevent greening.
:20:11. > :20:13.We've got this potato here, you can see there's green.
:20:14. > :20:17.If it's poking above the drill, it'll go green.
:20:18. > :20:24.My understanding is root vegetables need high phosphates...
:20:25. > :20:29.This is a stem, technically, so nitrogen or phosphates?
:20:30. > :20:33.You are quite correct. Phosphate. High phosphate. OK.
:20:34. > :20:35.So, although technically it's a stem,
:20:36. > :20:49.One question people always ask about growing potatoes is chitting them.
:20:50. > :20:52.Do you find the same thing? Yes, always.
:20:53. > :20:59.and it means you've got more flexibility with planting.
:21:00. > :21:02.You want to plant when the soil temperatures are 10 degrees
:21:03. > :21:06.and you've got a nice firm chit like that,
:21:07. > :21:12.Now, that's very important if blight's in the area. Yeah.
:21:13. > :21:14.Because your crop might be decimated.
:21:15. > :21:18.You've got ten days worth of growth in that potato.
:21:19. > :21:26.Plenty of light, so a greenhouse or porch is ideal -
:21:27. > :21:32.because that could spoil your chances of having a good crop.
:21:33. > :21:35.And if you didn't put that in the light, what would happen?
:21:36. > :21:39.If they don't get enough light, you could end up with this.
:21:40. > :21:42.All too often, people take their potatoes home
:21:43. > :21:47.and, as you can see, the tuber is completely shrivelled.
:21:48. > :21:50.I've often had things like this in the cupboard
:21:51. > :21:52.so if you don't eat your potatoes quickly enough,
:21:53. > :21:55.could you plant that if you bought it from a supermarket?
:21:56. > :22:00.You don't know where that potato was grown,
:22:01. > :22:03.you don't know the disease content, it's not classified seed.
:22:04. > :22:06.And I can see that when you do grow them correctly,
:22:07. > :22:09.you can have a huge range and the colours of these are incredible.
:22:10. > :22:12.Is that something that you're very passionate about? Yes.
:22:13. > :22:22.That's almost unnatural looking, isn't it?
:22:23. > :22:25.So would this taste different from a white potato?
:22:26. > :22:27.Every potato tastes slightly different
:22:28. > :22:30.but they don't taste purple, or they don't taste red.
:22:31. > :22:33.I'd love to try one. Would that be all right?
:22:34. > :22:44.Yes, you're certainly welcome. Fantastic.
:22:45. > :22:48.Well, I've never tasted one of these so I'm going to taste it now
:22:49. > :22:52.but I'm going to close my eyes and see if I can tell the difference.
:22:53. > :22:56.You hand it to me. Don't tell me which one it is. I won't.
:22:57. > :23:05.That tastes really nice. OK, next one.
:23:06. > :23:16.What do you think? Is that the purple one?
:23:17. > :23:24.I think that has a really amazing flavour, the white one, doesn't it?
:23:25. > :23:27.Really nice. Which one's that? That is Arran Pilot.
:23:28. > :23:30.That is so nice. Is that your favourite? Yes, it is.
:23:31. > :23:33.You just can't buy it now. It's the gardener's favourite.
:23:34. > :23:36.Arran Pilot, I'll be growing that one. That's amazing.
:23:37. > :23:45.Thank you so much for showing me these. It's been brilliant.
:23:46. > :23:58.It's a shame we don't grow a wide enough range of varieties, really,
:23:59. > :24:01.because there are so many delicious potatoes.
:24:02. > :24:05.I think one of the secrets of happiness as a gardener
:24:06. > :24:08.is to find your favourite potato variety
:24:09. > :24:11.and then grow it every year with relish.
:24:12. > :24:16.which is such a good all-round potato.
:24:17. > :24:19.I have not got any Charlotte left in the ground
:24:20. > :24:24.but I have got a few first earlies called Orla in this bed.
:24:25. > :24:28.Now, as a rule with first earlies, you dig them as you go,
:24:29. > :24:30.but I want to harvest these as one lot now
:24:31. > :24:34.because it's important that I use the bed at this time of year
:24:35. > :24:37.so something can get growing and established before winter -
:24:38. > :24:44.By the way, this dieback is not due to blight.
:24:45. > :24:47.This is just the tops naturally dying down.
:24:48. > :24:52.so these were ready at least a month if not six weeks ago.
:24:53. > :24:57.as anybody who's ever grown them knows,
:24:58. > :25:00.is to try and not spear them as you go.
:25:01. > :25:18...and normally I reckon to harvest my first potatoes
:25:19. > :25:23.and there's a kind of family tradition
:25:24. > :25:27.that we celebrate my birthday with the first new potatoes of the year
:25:28. > :25:37.This has not been a good year for potato blight.
:25:38. > :25:41.The blight is dependent upon very high humidity and high temperatures
:25:42. > :25:46.at the same time, and we've had that this August.
:25:47. > :25:50.If you've got it, you'll know it, because the first indications
:25:51. > :25:55.are a kind of brown stain, usually in amongst the foliage.
:25:56. > :25:58.Very quickly that becomes grey and black
:25:59. > :26:01.and the leaves rot and collapse in on themselves
:26:02. > :26:05.and the stain spreads until all of them are affected -
:26:06. > :26:10.and that will happen in a day, two days.
:26:11. > :26:15.It's not, though, a total disaster for your spuds.
:26:16. > :26:20.The thing to do is to remove all that blighted foliage,
:26:21. > :26:25.and if you can't burn it, bag it up to be taken away
:26:26. > :26:28.and then leave the potatoes in the ground.
:26:29. > :26:36.That gives a chance for the spores to die off on the surface.
:26:37. > :26:40.There are some with holes like that in.
:26:41. > :26:46.So, as soon as they're big enough to eat, or they stop growing,
:26:47. > :26:50.they can only get worse, because slugs will find them and eat them,
:26:51. > :26:52.so get them out of the ground and store them.
:26:53. > :26:54.The best way to store them is to dry them.
:26:55. > :26:58.If it was a really lovely day, what I would do is spread them out
:26:59. > :27:00.over the soil and leave them on the ground
:27:01. > :27:06.and that will dry them up and then take them indoors.
:27:07. > :27:09.There's just a hint there might be rain around
:27:10. > :27:11.so what I'll do is keep these in the basket,
:27:12. > :27:14.and this wild basket is good because there's air,
:27:15. > :27:17.and then when they're as dry as I think they're going to get,
:27:18. > :27:27.Potatoes should be stored somewhere cool and dark but frost-free,
:27:28. > :27:50.We go to quite a lot of trouble to store flower tubers and bulbs
:27:51. > :27:56.but we do sometimes lose labels or even get them mixed up,
:27:57. > :27:58.and that's happened here in the Cottage Garden,
:27:59. > :28:03.because these brilliant burgundy-coloured gladioli
:28:04. > :28:08.and we've got a pale lavender gladioli
:28:09. > :28:13.The labels got lost and these corms that looked identical
:28:14. > :28:16.went into the wrong part of the garden,
:28:17. > :28:18.so I must make sure that I label them this time
:28:19. > :28:21.so when they get dug up in a month or so,
:28:22. > :28:25.they can be stored and get in the right place next year.
:28:26. > :28:30.which is not the normal delphinium colour,
:28:31. > :28:41.and it's a good example how that when delphiniums of all colours
:28:42. > :28:44.have finished flowering in June or early July,
:28:45. > :28:52.they will regrow and, as often as not,
:28:53. > :28:57.flower just as well the second time around, well into September.
:28:58. > :29:00.Now, coming up on tonight's programme,
:29:01. > :29:05.the celebrated plantswoman Helen Dillon joins me here at Longmeadow.
:29:06. > :29:08.I think that's the story of what gardening is.
:29:09. > :29:13.The more you develop, the more you have to control what you've done.
:29:14. > :29:20.Adam Frost shares some design ideas for creating an exotic garden...
:29:21. > :29:25...but first, Flo and Joe go back to Potterne in Wiltshire
:29:26. > :29:29.to make their final visit to the community garden
:29:30. > :29:31.that has been developing there over the summer
:29:32. > :29:39.Potterne's a wonderful rural village with one thing missing -
:29:40. > :29:41.somewhere for neighbours just to meet up
:29:42. > :29:49.Hidden up this narrow lane is a large green space
:29:50. > :29:57.so, frankly, no-one wanted to spend any time there.
:29:58. > :30:00.A few had made efforts to make something of the garden,
:30:01. > :30:03.but they just didn't get the support they needed.
:30:04. > :30:07.But local youth worker Steve Dewar wanted to give it another big push.
:30:08. > :30:11.So, to help celebrate our 50th anniversary
:30:12. > :30:15.and regional news programme BBC Points West's 60th anniversary,
:30:16. > :30:17.Flo and I came along to share our knowledge
:30:18. > :30:30...but has Steve managed to capitalise on this burst of energy?
:30:31. > :30:34.Wow. This is really exciting. Oh, my gosh, it's changed so much.
:30:35. > :30:38.We've put more plants in, we've raised some of this space here.
:30:39. > :30:40.This is the mound, isn't it? It's a mound.
:30:41. > :30:43.You've mounded it all because of all the excavations, I guess.
:30:44. > :30:46.It's like a snake coming around the curve. The Potterne snake! Yeah -
:30:47. > :30:51.They've been filling the raised beds with winter veg
:30:52. > :30:55.and started planting an area for quiet contemplation -
:30:56. > :30:58.and the beds that were filled with wildlife attracting flowers
:30:59. > :31:02.have been extended with plants donated by neighbours.
:31:03. > :31:05.And then you just come in and you're really in the heart of the garden
:31:06. > :31:12.So when I was here last time we were talking about the decking.
:31:13. > :31:16.So we've got the decking in now, and this little rockery and stream.
:31:17. > :31:21.So we've got a slate stream just running through under the decking
:31:22. > :31:23.and we're going to build up the plants around that
:31:24. > :31:26.so, actually, you can walk in amongst the growth.
:31:27. > :31:28.Putting in some more rocks there and a slate path.
:31:29. > :31:31.Hang on, that wasn't on the drawing, that bit! No, we adapted it.
:31:32. > :31:34.You've started interpreting the whole thing!
:31:35. > :31:39.I love it. I feel like a proud teacher...
:31:40. > :31:43...and despite the ongoing downpour, volunteers have dropped in
:31:44. > :31:45.to plant up the snake mound with more wild flowers
:31:46. > :31:49.and sow native seeds to create a meadow effect...
:31:50. > :31:57.They just need one important thing - some more seating.
:31:58. > :32:02.Their award-winning design at Gardeners' World Live
:32:03. > :32:06.showed off their talents for turning recycled materials into furniture.
:32:07. > :32:11.I thought they could inspire this community to do the same.
:32:12. > :32:15.is good for community gardens, in particular?
:32:16. > :32:18.I think it's about bringing everyone together.
:32:19. > :32:20.I think lots of people can bring different materials
:32:21. > :32:22.that they maybe have lying around the house
:32:23. > :32:25.that they hadn't thought could be used in a garden before,
:32:26. > :32:27.and they can bring them down and everyone can join in.
:32:28. > :32:32.and lots of different people with different skill sets,
:32:33. > :32:35.you may not know how to do the whole bench but you may know how to do
:32:36. > :32:37.a bit and someone else can come and show you how to do another bit -
:32:38. > :32:39.and everyone gets that bit more knowledge.
:32:40. > :32:43.You've got one pretty much ready to go, it looks.
:32:44. > :32:46.Yes, so this one is an example that has already been done.
:32:47. > :32:50.So, this is just using scaffold boards.
:32:51. > :32:53.We went to the local scaffold company for them. These were free.
:32:54. > :32:56.Sometimes you might have to pay a few pounds for them.
:32:57. > :33:02.Once it's sanded down it's perfect for a bench.
:33:03. > :33:06.As Steve helps finish off a bench made out of old boards,
:33:07. > :33:10.Flo's catching up with local headteacher Mel and mum Lorraine
:33:11. > :33:15.who are already seeing the rewards of the garden.
:33:16. > :33:18.So have you seen changes in the children that have been coming here?
:33:19. > :33:23.It's not a great day today, but there's more children up here.
:33:24. > :33:27.There's a real cross generation of elderly, young...
:33:28. > :33:31.young, and we're all getting in there together.
:33:32. > :33:34.It feels more of like a hub, I think, now. Yes.
:33:35. > :33:37.Jake has been over here every single day at eight o'clock,
:33:38. > :33:39.with a spade at the gate, waiting to go.
:33:40. > :33:41.He absolutely loves it in here. So, it's good -
:33:42. > :33:44.and, of course, they'll bring their friends, won't they?
:33:45. > :33:46.So, it's sort of a place for the children to meet,
:33:47. > :33:51.be with their friends and get involved.
:33:52. > :33:53.For me, one of the best things is seeing how different groups
:33:54. > :33:57.are taking ownership of different parts of the garden,
:33:58. > :34:00.including Roz and Keith from the local gardening club
:34:01. > :34:02.who have been designing some planting schemes.
:34:03. > :34:06.The idea being, when the leaves are dying down the green is coming up
:34:07. > :34:09.and then someone can just come with some shears later in the year
:34:10. > :34:12.and cut it all down and we'll get a second flush,
:34:13. > :34:14.rather than having things that have got to be dealt with separately.
:34:15. > :34:19.What are you hoping this community garden brings to the local area?
:34:20. > :34:22.I think it will strengthen the community.
:34:23. > :34:25.Because I think there's nothing quite like knowing people
:34:26. > :34:28.and getting to know people in the village.
:34:29. > :34:35.Whereas, you know, if this wasn't here, I think it would be harder.
:34:36. > :34:38.Mid-afternoon and the upcycle seating is being positioned.
:34:39. > :34:45.Perfect time for a well-deserved cup of tea and cake
:34:46. > :34:50.to celebrate the end of the first phase.
:34:51. > :34:53.From me personally, thank you so much.
:34:54. > :34:58.My heart and my vision and my hope is that this place is used by anyone
:34:59. > :35:02.and everyone in the community and the surrounding areas, as well.
:35:03. > :35:10.I actually do get quite emotional looking at the garden
:35:11. > :35:14.and just seeing people around, because I know it's not always easy.
:35:15. > :35:18.It's not always easy to bring lots of different people together,
:35:19. > :35:22.but it just warms my heart when I see everybody digging in,
:35:23. > :35:27.everybody getting involved and everybody with that sense of purpose
:35:28. > :35:34."because this is where I live and this is what I want to do,"
:35:35. > :35:40.and, actually, this brings joy to my heart.
:35:41. > :35:43.It's not exactly as I imagined it at all. It's better.
:35:44. > :35:47.It feels just waiting to be inhabited by the local community -
:35:48. > :35:52.There are many more projects to do here,
:35:53. > :36:18.and this garden's got a great future ahead of it, I have no doubt.
:36:19. > :36:23.The great thing about any community garden is that it invents itself.
:36:24. > :36:27.There's no prototype, there's no right way, there's no wrong way.
:36:28. > :36:32.There's what any particular community wants to work for itself
:36:33. > :36:42.I hope that goes on to work and give pleasure for years to come.
:36:43. > :36:45.Now, these sweet peas were grown very specifically
:36:46. > :36:48.for my son's wedding, which was the end of July,
:36:49. > :36:51.and the idea being is they would reach
:36:52. > :36:57.but that doesn't mean to say that they can't go on flowering.
:36:58. > :37:04.and I see no reason why we shouldn't let them flower
:37:05. > :37:09.You will notice the stems are very much shorter,
:37:10. > :37:16.and they're much quicker to form pea pods.
:37:17. > :37:21.Once they form seeds, that severely restricts flower production.
:37:22. > :37:30.Pick any you have and keep them well watered.
:37:31. > :37:35.It's strange to think, of this quintessentially English flower,
:37:36. > :37:39.that in the 1670s and 1680s this was an exotic
:37:40. > :37:46.introduced as a wonderful and strange plant from Sicily -
:37:47. > :37:50.but I guess most plants when they're introduced seem unusual
:37:51. > :37:52.and most get absorbed into our gardens.
:37:53. > :37:58.However, some retain that sense of the strange and the exotic
:37:59. > :38:02.and spread that magic, whichever garden they are planted in.=,
:38:03. > :38:06.and Adam Frost has been to see one garden
:38:07. > :38:17.gives little clue to what lies beyond.
:38:18. > :38:20.Behind the door is a tropical paradise
:38:21. > :38:27.filled with lush exotic plants that bombard the senses.
:38:28. > :38:31.I'm hit by this wall of plant and its real height,
:38:32. > :38:34.which gives me a sort of room-like feel,
:38:35. > :38:39.and then the path starts to draw me up the garden.
:38:40. > :38:42.Then the planting comes together and creates this -
:38:43. > :38:50.and there's a focal point that I can see, which is a cauldron...
:38:51. > :38:55.and everything's got room to breathe again,
:38:56. > :38:58.and the sound of water, so I slow down,
:38:59. > :39:02.and there is a beautiful little pool that's tucked away...
:39:03. > :39:05...that runs across the garden and disappears,
:39:06. > :39:11.The two lawns are bridged by just a simple piece of stone.
:39:12. > :39:15.and a lot of gardens, you more or less know where to go,
:39:16. > :39:19.Do I go one way or do I go the other?
:39:20. > :39:22.Lovely little detail, here, is just a simple stone
:39:23. > :39:28.and a change of level which then starts to lead me into another area.
:39:29. > :39:33.that I suppose just says sit down and enjoy,
:39:34. > :39:39.that was going across the garden drops into this beautiful pool,
:39:40. > :39:43.and you remember that water is a fantastic reflective surface
:39:44. > :39:47.and I can sit here and enjoy the big shaped bold leaves just reflecting,
:39:48. > :39:53.with the dahlias even being picked up in there.
:39:54. > :39:57.It's the work of owner Steve Moody, and you would not believe
:39:58. > :40:02.that it's the first serious garden he has ever created.
:40:03. > :40:04.Steve, this really is a beautiful garden,
:40:05. > :40:06.but how long ago did you actually start?
:40:07. > :40:11.We moved in and there was literally nothing here.
:40:12. > :40:17.So I started by clearing it down completely and started from scratch.
:40:18. > :40:20.For me, it actually feels like we could be in the tropics -
:40:21. > :40:24.but give me an idea where that first piece of inspiration came from.
:40:25. > :40:27.That was probably from Christopher Lloyd's garden in Great Dixter,
:40:28. > :40:30.and from there, when I could see what you could grow,
:40:31. > :40:33.and the heights of things, that's where it all stems from, really.
:40:34. > :40:35.He more or less gave people permission to break the rules.
:40:36. > :40:40.Give me an idea of how you first went about setting the garden out.
:40:41. > :40:43.I drew it on paper first, but laid it all out,
:40:44. > :40:47.and I'd look from the upstairs window down at the garden
:40:48. > :40:50.and just tweak it slightly until I got the effect I wanted.
:40:51. > :40:53.So you literally laid the stone out in a shape,
:40:54. > :40:56.ran back upstairs and then ran back down and adjust a little bit.
:40:57. > :41:00.I'd move a stone an inch if I had to,
:41:01. > :41:06.It amazes me, really, because you're an amateur,
:41:07. > :41:08.but some of these planting combinations
:41:09. > :41:12.How did you first sort of start putting plants together?
:41:13. > :41:15.To keep your eye moving through the garden
:41:16. > :41:19.I try and keep the same colours, not necessarily the same shaped flowers.
:41:20. > :41:22.So you might have lots of reds going through and also leaf shape,
:41:23. > :41:26.getting big leaves with small leaves just so the bigger leaves stand out.
:41:27. > :41:29.If we had all big leaves, the big leaves wouldn't look as good.
:41:30. > :41:32.Do you know what, mate? I think the garden is not only peaceful,
:41:33. > :41:34.but, actually, it's exotic, it's exciting,
:41:35. > :41:36.it nails so many different atmospheres.
:41:37. > :41:44.What Steve's achieved as an amateur gardener is incredible.
:41:45. > :41:56.I think it's a subject that people find probably quite scary at times
:41:57. > :41:58.and even complicated - and you look at this garden
:41:59. > :42:01.and you just think, "Wow, I could not do that."
:42:02. > :42:04.When you really think about it, all it is is a series of layers,
:42:05. > :42:07.and all of a sudden people think about it as an English woodland.
:42:08. > :42:11.I know that sounds a little bit bizarre stood in the tropics,
:42:12. > :42:14.but if you think about an English woodland, and the layers,
:42:15. > :42:17.you've got that first upper storey, your big trees.
:42:18. > :42:21.That's the first level. After that, the saplings push up -
:42:22. > :42:24.that maybe could be the mid and small trees in your garden -
:42:25. > :42:27.and then, after that, you've got your bracken going through,
:42:28. > :42:29.and, for me, that's my herbaceous layer.
:42:30. > :42:31.Then you look at the snowdrops, the bluebells.
:42:32. > :42:37.That's exactly what Steve has actually done here,
:42:38. > :42:39.apart from he's used tropical-based plants.
:42:40. > :42:42.He's used his palms and even catalpa at the end, there,
:42:43. > :42:45.and they work their way all the way through the space
:42:46. > :42:51.After that, the next layer he's used bananas, he's used phormiums,
:42:52. > :42:55.and they start to work shrubs, and they bounce through, as well,
:42:56. > :42:59.and then we've got things like dahlias and crocosmia
:43:00. > :43:02.and the herbaceous plants that give those little pockets of colour
:43:03. > :43:06.Then you come down to the real detail,
:43:07. > :43:10.and, here, Steve's used some little begonias and nasturtiums
:43:11. > :43:15.and they're the things that just sort of catch your eye
:43:16. > :43:20.So, I suppose, really, in design - and especially planting design -
:43:21. > :43:24.Ultimately, it's about building up those layers,
:43:25. > :43:27.and you can do that over quite a long period of time.
:43:28. > :43:31.and then slowly build your garden up.
:43:32. > :43:34.That's how you end up with those sorts of spaces
:43:35. > :43:40.It may seem a little daunting to try and emulate this at home,
:43:41. > :43:45.you really can take inspiration from this garden
:43:46. > :43:51.Another thing I like is Steve's use of focal points.
:43:52. > :43:54.He's used small water features and bird baths
:43:55. > :43:58.and even little sculptures that sort of pull you from space to space.
:43:59. > :44:05.he's used wonderfully this structure.
:44:06. > :44:08.Cheap and cheerful, just wooden posts -
:44:09. > :44:12.but it helps create a real sort of intimate space.
:44:13. > :44:15.I really can see why this is calm. It's peaceful.
:44:16. > :44:21.He's used green. He's used leaf shape. He's used texture.
:44:22. > :44:28.It's a lovely space to spend 10 minutes.
:44:29. > :44:30.All in all, I think he really has created
:44:31. > :44:48.The key thing with any garden is to find the thing that inspires
:44:49. > :44:56.and in the end that's all that matters.
:44:57. > :44:59.As I say that, I realise that's not entirely true,
:45:00. > :45:03.because you always want other people to like your garden -
:45:04. > :45:08.and I've spent the last few days really rather anxiously going round
:45:09. > :45:12.fine-tuning and pruning and titivating the garden here,
:45:13. > :45:17.Helen Dillon is going to come to Longmeadow,
:45:18. > :45:24.Helen Dillon is an acclaimed plantswoman and writer
:45:25. > :45:30.who over 40 years created one of Ireland's most iconic gardens...
:45:31. > :45:32...and, having visited that in Dublin,
:45:33. > :45:36.I wanted now to extend a return invitation
:45:37. > :45:44.but I must admit, I am feeling a little nervous.
:45:45. > :45:47.Do you want to have a look around? Yes, please.
:45:48. > :45:53.This is the new bit we're making. The new herb garden.
:45:54. > :45:55.This is very nice. This is all doing well.
:45:56. > :46:01.And where did you get the lovely manure? That is mushroom compost.
:46:02. > :46:07.The reason I use that is because the yews and the box,
:46:08. > :46:09.it's just to give it a bit of alkalinity.
:46:10. > :46:12.Is that that very good rose which is difficult there? Is that that one?
:46:13. > :46:15.It's dead easy. It's Souvenir du Docteur Jamain.
:46:16. > :46:17.No, I find it terribly difficult. Do you? Why?
:46:18. > :46:19.Because it didn't think the soil was good enough.
:46:20. > :46:24...but it is just as Vita Sackville-West described it.
:46:25. > :46:37.The first thing we did was to make this path.
:46:38. > :46:41.This is my 40th birthday path, and the limes down here -
:46:42. > :46:50.which we put in, really, as an under story, have become the main story.
:46:51. > :46:53.The spring garden, of course, is empty now. I mean, it's sleeping.
:46:54. > :46:59.I know, but this is a cool, green interim now, which is lovely.
:47:00. > :47:04.And then in here we have what we call the cottage garden.
:47:05. > :47:10.And we call it this because it's become a mixed bag.
:47:11. > :47:13.We planted a lot of roses about three years ago.
:47:14. > :47:15.And you manage them without spraying? We never spray anything.
:47:16. > :47:17.For non-sprayed, I think they look very good.
:47:18. > :47:21.I'm very much of the school.... Of the green department.
:47:22. > :47:23.I'm of the green department. Quite right too.
:47:24. > :47:26.My philosophy is if a plant is healthy
:47:27. > :47:30.and the garden is healthy, i.e. it has a balanced ecosystem,
:47:31. > :47:46.I love the length and I love the way this points out the length.
:47:47. > :47:48.The planting here is based around the grasses,
:47:49. > :47:55.What is that? It's a tree dahlia. A tree dahlia. You lucky stinker!
:47:56. > :48:00.Even if they don't flower I think that's smashing.
:48:01. > :48:03.They are smashing. The problem is they are absolutely not hardy,
:48:04. > :48:06.and they're very big things to store. Obviously we cut them down.
:48:07. > :48:10.So you've got great big roots to dig up. Huge roots like that.
:48:11. > :48:13.You're dying to plant them just to get rid of them,
:48:14. > :48:16.but we daren't until mid May because, you know...
:48:17. > :48:21.Early May. We wait until early May...
:48:22. > :48:24.and I have to mention it, I love this wonderful square you have.
:48:25. > :48:31.These were four left-over trees that we had...
:48:32. > :48:35.They are lime, they're Tilia platyphyllos.
:48:36. > :48:39.Yeah, it works. Because then you can have this wonderful wilderness
:48:40. > :48:42.around the side. Exactly. Sorry to refer to it as wilderness.
:48:43. > :48:45.I think it's beautiful! It is a wilderness, you're absolutely right.
:48:46. > :48:57.and then you come into the Jewel Garden, which is all colour.
:48:58. > :49:01.There's no white in here at all. Just gorgeous.
:49:02. > :49:04.So things like the zinnias and tithonias and dahlias
:49:05. > :49:06.all come into their own. Wonderful! Wonderful!
:49:07. > :49:09.The other thing I have to remark on is the size of all your cannas.
:49:10. > :49:12.For instance, this buddleia, there was a storm
:49:13. > :49:15.and it was like a bomb had been dropped on it. It was just broken.
:49:16. > :49:18.but you see, I've got it in for buddleias, anyway,
:49:19. > :49:22.which is terribly mean to say, but buddleias all die badly,
:49:23. > :49:26.and I think dying badly is one of the greatest sins a plant can have.
:49:27. > :49:29.It's a very good point. Don't have plants that die badly.
:49:30. > :49:33.The Jewel Garden, I like looking across it, as much as anything.
:49:34. > :49:39.What we try and do, as I say, I like things like that crocosmia.
:49:40. > :49:47.Absolutely heavenly. This year the tithonias have done really well.
:49:48. > :49:51.They're terribly good. And dahlias are always happy in this garden.
:49:52. > :49:55.We never have trouble growing dahlias.
:49:56. > :49:58.We took down nine trees this winter to let a bit more light in.
:49:59. > :50:00.I think that's the story of what gardening is.
:50:01. > :50:05.the more you have to control what you've done. Yeah.
:50:06. > :50:20.I want to ask your advice, because I get the impression
:50:21. > :50:23.in Dublin, meconopsis grows like a weed. I want to tell you,
:50:24. > :50:26.meconopsis is a terrible struggle to grow in Dublin.
:50:27. > :50:29.Really? A terrible struggle, because it's too warm and too dry.
:50:30. > :50:31.You're cooler. But I'm slightly worried
:50:32. > :50:34.It looks as if they're rotting a bit, some of them.
:50:35. > :50:37.Did you get that as a plant or a seed? I grew them as seed,
:50:38. > :50:40.and they flowered beautifully for the last two years.
:50:41. > :50:43.Really well - but I want to keep them. I want to keep them going.
:50:44. > :50:45.Well, I think you're going to have to make a new area
:50:46. > :50:48.and move them on to a different area. Right.
:50:49. > :50:50.They want their space and they want the light.
:50:51. > :50:53.They don't want hot sun and that soil looks deliciously rich,
:50:54. > :50:56.just what they want, and it's not a hot garden.
:50:57. > :51:02.and this big bed was dug from grass two and a half years ago.
:51:03. > :51:05.Can we be boring for a moment about...?
:51:06. > :51:09.From grass two years ago means it's that lovely virgin soil.
:51:10. > :51:11.You get better growth that first year or two
:51:12. > :51:16.And people don't believe that, but I think that is the main magic.
:51:17. > :51:19.Yeah. I can remember two wonderful gardeners came to my garden
:51:20. > :51:24.and they looked at some gentians that were growing...
:51:25. > :51:28.They didn't bother to explain it to me,
:51:29. > :51:31.they just said, "Ah", they said, "virgin soil, virgin soil!"
:51:32. > :51:35.And I think these chaps like virgin soil.
:51:36. > :51:38.I can't understand, Monty, how you managed to do all this.
:51:39. > :51:42.Garden after garden after garden, each more exciting than the last,
:51:43. > :51:45.Well, I have help. Is that why you're rather slim?
:51:46. > :51:50.And we spend most of our lives out in the garden.
:51:51. > :52:01.It's lovely to walk around the garden with Helen,
:52:02. > :52:03.but it doesn't mean to say there aren't jobs to do,
:52:04. > :52:13.so here are your jobs for the weekend.
:52:14. > :52:17.to see if any fruit have got brown rot.
:52:18. > :52:23.and you can notice it because you get brown, rotten areas of fruit
:52:24. > :52:26.with very distinctive white pustules.
:52:27. > :52:29.Don't drop this on the floor, but bin or burn them
:52:30. > :52:32.as they can contaminate the rest of the fruit
:52:33. > :52:41.and even spread to next year's harvest.
:52:42. > :52:43.Unless you intend to collect the seed,
:52:44. > :52:50.by cutting them off right at the base.
:52:51. > :52:55.This will preserve the energy in the roots for next year's plants.
:52:56. > :52:58.When you're finished, give them one final feed of the year
:52:59. > :53:07.using a high-potash feed such as liquid seaweed or a tomato feed.
:53:08. > :53:14.and this is particularly true of apple mint,
:53:15. > :53:18.so remove most of the flower on the stems,
:53:19. > :53:21.leaving a few for use in the kitchen,
:53:22. > :53:40.and encourage fresh regrowth as you go into autumn.
:53:41. > :53:44.just in the last five years or so here at Longmeadow,
:53:45. > :53:51.and which we never used to have to deal with, are pigeons and rabbits -
:53:52. > :53:55.are particularly difficult with vegetables
:53:56. > :53:58.but they also damage flowering plants, too,
:53:59. > :54:01.whereas the rabbits, they cause havoc.
:54:02. > :54:03.They eat all our crocus, they eat the ammis
:54:04. > :54:08.and they really nibble trees and shrubs, and you can see here...
:54:09. > :54:11...this fruit tree that I've planted in spring
:54:12. > :54:14.has been chewed all the way up, and if they ring it,
:54:15. > :54:18.which is to say they ring, they eat right around the bark,
:54:19. > :54:23.So I'm going to have to resort to putting on tree guards,
:54:24. > :54:29.if you're planting young trees anywhere near where rabbits might be
:54:30. > :54:32.or if you know rabbits are around, put a tree guard on,
:54:33. > :54:41.but to do it, I'm going to have to cut off these lower branches.
:54:42. > :54:48.You only need a tree guard on young trees
:54:49. > :54:51.because that's what rabbits are attracted to,
:54:52. > :54:58.in which case they may be driven to nibbling at older trees,
:54:59. > :55:16.how good or bad the weather's going to be for us gardeners this weekend.
:55:17. > :55:23.It is more bad than good this weekend with low pressure in control
:55:24. > :55:25.F your beds and pots are looking sorry for themselves, nothing in the
:55:26. > :55:30.weather will change that this weekend. Wet at times though not all
:55:31. > :55:34.the time. A cool weekend ahead. A blustery weekend too. From the word
:55:35. > :55:37.go on Saturday morning, showers around western parts. They'll
:55:38. > :55:42.develop elsewhere as we go through the day. If you catch one, it could
:55:43. > :55:46.be heavy, possibly thundery with a risk of hail. Some bright or sunny
:55:47. > :55:50.spells around, but a lot of cloud during Saturday. The windiest
:55:51. > :55:55.weather in the west and south of the UK. Lots of western Scotland and
:55:56. > :55:59.Northern Ireland will see the showers easing later in the
:56:00. > :56:05.afternoon. A rash as cross England and Wales. Across eastern parts
:56:06. > :56:07.those showers should arrive as the afternoon goes on. Blustery across
:56:08. > :56:12.the coast of Wales and the south-west of England. The wind will
:56:13. > :56:16.ease for a time. On Saturday night, mainly dry and clear. Temperatures
:56:17. > :56:22.will drop away. Some rural spots into single figures. Perhaps
:56:23. > :56:26.sheltered glens in Scotland low single figures. More rain on Sunday
:56:27. > :56:33.spreading over Scotland and Northern Ireland. Edging eastwards across the
:56:34. > :56:37.rest of the day. Eastern England staying largely dry until late on. A
:56:38. > :56:39.risk of gales on the south-west on Sunday night into Monday. A weekend
:56:40. > :56:40.of low pressure. Changeable. created by not one but two
:56:41. > :56:45.of her gardening heroes, This is a Longmeadow special. This
:56:46. > :56:50.is lemon verbena tea. Hen's teeth! It's such a lovely colour that
:56:51. > :56:54.even if you don't like to drink it, I'm sure it's very good
:56:55. > :57:00.for you, as well. Yeah, I guess so,
:57:01. > :57:03.but it shouldn't be like medicine. Monty, I cannot tell you
:57:04. > :57:08.what a wonderful time I've had. It's been lovely having you here.
:57:09. > :57:11.I feel completely spoilt and it is such a treat.
:57:12. > :57:14.It's a thrilling garden. This little bit is probably less
:57:15. > :57:21.exciting. It's coming into... It's only young, isn't it?
:57:22. > :57:22.It's very young. and this is going to be
:57:23. > :57:28.our little Officinalis Garden, they were the chemist
:57:29. > :57:36.or they were the pharmacy. Officinalis sounds very grand, but
:57:37. > :57:42.as you know, it just means basic, you know? It just means... It just
:57:43. > :57:45.means very ordinary, the common one. Yeah. The common one.
:57:46. > :57:48.The common, basic, so, you know, and Rosmarinus officinalis
:57:49. > :57:53.is a basic rosemary, it's nothing fancy
:57:54. > :57:56.done to it at all, so it's all part of the herb theme
:57:57. > :57:59.that this will come into being, and I'm delighted
:58:00. > :58:01.you had a good time. It's been a great honour, and I have
:58:02. > :58:05.to say, quite scary. Oh, shut up! Shut up! I want to tell you it's
:58:06. > :58:09.a great honour for me to be here. and I'm afraid that's all
:58:10. > :58:17.we've got time for today. I'm afraid Helen won't,
:58:18. > :58:21.but I hope you come back soon, and you can join me
:58:22. > :58:23.here at Longmeadow at the same time next week -
:58:24. > :58:29.so from Helen and myself, bye-bye.