:00:00. > :00:13.and to what is, I think, the most thrilling weekend of the whole year.
:00:14. > :00:16.It's not because there's any particularly special event,
:00:17. > :00:20.but because we get this gift of an hour of extra light
:00:21. > :00:23.And as the days get longer, of course,
:00:24. > :00:28.the garden is responding by breaking into flower at every turn.
:00:29. > :00:31.Here in the copse, the primroses, like little stars,
:00:32. > :00:36.they're shining and growing in amongst the increasing green.
:00:37. > :00:45.And it's this that makes this such a magical time of year.
:00:46. > :00:50.Frances Tophill continues her Caribbean experience
:00:51. > :00:59.by visiting two gardens in Barbados, packed with colour.
:01:00. > :01:12.And Nick Bailey delves into the fascinating world of lichen.
:01:13. > :01:23.It is time to start planting the new area
:01:24. > :01:25.that is replacing where the box balls were,
:01:26. > :01:30.which have box hedges all the way round.
:01:31. > :01:33.And I want to enclose this area, but rather than hedge it,
:01:34. > :01:37.I'm going to continue the pleached limes.
:01:38. > :01:40.Pleaching is a method of training trees
:01:41. > :01:44.so that the branches grow sideways just in two dimensions
:01:45. > :01:48.to form a natural structure or hedge,
:01:49. > :01:52.To do this, most of the lateral branches are removed
:01:53. > :01:57.and there are a number of trees you can use,
:01:58. > :02:06.including hornbeam, apple or pear, but lime is the most common.
:02:07. > :02:09.I want to continue the line of existing limes
:02:10. > :02:13.into this new area, so I'm marking out the plot.
:02:14. > :02:17.whether it's bare root or in a container,
:02:18. > :02:25.what you're looking to dig is a fairly shallow but wide hole.
:02:26. > :02:31.It's a mistake to enrich the soil too much, because ultimately,
:02:32. > :02:33.you want your tree to grow out into whatever is there.
:02:34. > :02:37.And if you make a planting pocket full of the best compost,
:02:38. > :02:40.the roots will just stay in that planting pocket.
:02:41. > :02:47.Now, what I have here is Tilia cordata, small-leaved lime.
:02:48. > :02:53.and the advantage of bare root is that you have a wider choice,
:02:54. > :02:58.But we're getting right to the end of the bare root season.
:02:59. > :03:00.In fact, if you want to buy bare root trees,
:03:01. > :03:08.I need a structure to support the pleaching.
:03:09. > :03:16.and chestnut is perfect for any tree support or stake
:03:17. > :03:19.that's going to be in the ground for a long time,
:03:20. > :03:30.The reason why you plant bare root plants between October and March
:03:31. > :03:36.and it's not demanding anything of the roots.
:03:37. > :03:40.So when you plant it out, the roots can start to grow
:03:41. > :03:47.and that will ask the roots to do a lot of work.
:03:48. > :03:52.Containerised plants, you can plant at any time of year.
:03:53. > :03:56.Right. Now, this is the critical thing.
:03:57. > :04:02.Because the roots drying out is what we're worried about.
:04:03. > :04:05.Once you've got two trees in the ground,
:04:06. > :04:11.And remember that pleaching is simply a means of connecting
:04:12. > :04:18.or you can have it as a hedge up above ground,
:04:19. > :04:20.and it's a brilliant way of doing two things,
:04:21. > :04:24.one of getting trees into a small space, and two,
:04:25. > :04:30.of creating structure, but this, however modestly you do it,
:04:31. > :04:33.is part of a long, and I think glorious tradition
:04:34. > :04:40.Now, let's go from glorious European gardening
:04:41. > :04:46.because Frances Tophill spent her winter volunteering
:04:47. > :04:53.And this week, we join her as she's out and about
:04:54. > :05:07.Barbados. A beautiful Caribbean island.
:05:08. > :05:11.With the perfect climate for wonderful tropical plants...
:05:12. > :05:22...and some very passionate gardeners.
:05:23. > :05:24.I've been on Barbados for a few weeks now,
:05:25. > :05:31.and I'm really getting to know and love this beautiful place.
:05:32. > :05:33.While I was out exploring the island,
:05:34. > :05:36.I came across this verge of amazing blue flowers,
:05:37. > :05:39.which led onto a colourful hedge, so I followed the trail,
:05:40. > :05:42.and it brought me to an incredible looking garden.
:05:43. > :05:45.I couldn't resist, so I knocked on the door, and Merle, the owner,
:05:46. > :05:59.has invited me back to have a look around.
:06:00. > :06:03.Hello! Hi! Hello. Good afternoon. I've come to see the garden.
:06:04. > :06:18.40 years? Yes. So are there any favourite plants that you have here?
:06:19. > :06:22.In the UK, they would grow as bedding and they would die
:06:23. > :06:41.and she's filled her garden with plants that she's grown herself.
:06:42. > :06:57.So in the morning, it's white? White.
:06:58. > :07:01.And when is it red, in the evening? Yes. On one day? Yes, one day.
:07:02. > :07:17.That's amazing. So you're taking cuttings,
:07:18. > :07:22.basically, and you call that hatching?
:07:23. > :07:24.Propagating, yes, yes. I like "hatching" better.
:07:25. > :07:41.So that there has been growing just for one week
:07:42. > :07:43.and it's got a root that size? Yes, yes. That's amazing.
:07:44. > :07:51.So many plants. Oh, I love the poinsettias.
:07:52. > :07:53.The poinsettia. Is that grown for Christmas here as were?
:07:54. > :07:58.See, we have them in England. And they're this big,
:07:59. > :08:01.and then we throw them away! THEY LAUGH
:08:02. > :08:08.the rest of Merle's garden is full of tropical plants
:08:09. > :08:21.that most of us in the UK only ever see in florists, or grow indoors.
:08:22. > :08:25.During my time on Barbados, I've got a real sense that, like Merle,
:08:26. > :08:30.the Barbadians absolutely love their plants and their gardens.
:08:31. > :08:36.In the urban sprawl of Bridgetown is a suburb
:08:37. > :08:41.Barbados is famous for its legends of cricket
:08:42. > :08:44.and its prowess on the world athletic stage.
:08:45. > :08:47.But here on this suburban estate, there's another kind of
:08:48. > :08:55.world champion, and the clue is in the street name.
:08:56. > :09:00.Michael White grows thousands of orchids in his small back garden.
:09:01. > :09:06.And he has travelled the world showing them.
:09:07. > :09:09.So what is it about orchids that you love? Why orchids?
:09:10. > :09:13.The flowering aspect, the variation of colour, sizes.
:09:14. > :09:16.It's beautiful, and not only that, they de-stress you.
:09:17. > :09:20.These are referred to as semi-terete Vandas.
:09:21. > :09:26.As you can see, the leaves are a little closed in,
:09:27. > :09:28.and as we would say in the orchid world,
:09:29. > :09:31.the narrower the leaf, the more sun it can take.
:09:32. > :09:33.So these ones are outside for that reason?
:09:34. > :09:36.Yes, these are outside, the orchids. And how many do you have?
:09:37. > :09:44.Over 2,000. Wow. That's a real collection!
:09:45. > :09:46.Michael grows plenty of beautiful orchids that flourish
:09:47. > :09:51.in the blazing tropical sun, but some do need a little protection.
:09:52. > :09:54.They're crammed in, they? You have a lot!
:09:55. > :09:59.You can see the shade cloth to reduce the amount of light
:10:00. > :10:03.And there's such a variety of different coloured flowers
:10:04. > :10:07.And these ones, I love these, with the cupped petals.
:10:08. > :10:09.That's a nice colour. I love it also.
:10:10. > :10:13.Do you think it would be possible for UK growers to grow these?
:10:14. > :10:16.Yes, they can be grown, but under special conditions.
:10:17. > :10:20.and you have controlled temperatures in there,
:10:21. > :10:23.heaters that you can control the temperature.
:10:24. > :10:29.it's not growing in any sort of medium.
:10:30. > :10:33.No potting mix, nothing. It's just bare roots.
:10:34. > :10:36.So you need to spray your plants at least twice a day.
:10:37. > :10:41.And a quick way of knowing when you've thoroughly soaked your plant,
:10:42. > :10:46.this grey silvery colour of the root should turn green.
:10:47. > :10:47.You will find that you have more colour,
:10:48. > :11:05.Thank you so much for showing me. Oh, you're welcome.
:11:06. > :11:08.There is no plant more exotic than an orchid.
:11:09. > :11:11.It's lovely to see them growing in that environment.
:11:12. > :11:16.At this time of year, our daffodils and primulas and fritillaries
:11:17. > :11:32.Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable,
:11:33. > :11:35.albeit the fact they're a berry, that we grow,
:11:36. > :11:41.I don't here at Longmeadow because we get terrible blight.
:11:42. > :11:45.certainly now is the time to sow them.
:11:46. > :11:48.I've got some that I've sowed earlier.
:11:49. > :11:50.These are now ready for pricking out.
:11:51. > :11:53.But that's a pretty good example of how thick you need to sow them.
:11:54. > :12:01.You can use any compost and tomatoes will germinate.
:12:02. > :12:07.Seed compost has less nutrients and is slightly finer
:12:08. > :12:10.and rather easier especially for small seeds to grow in.
:12:11. > :12:12.But it's not something to get hung up about.
:12:13. > :12:18.A peat-free general-purpose compost will do the job perfectly well.
:12:19. > :12:26.and I'm going to grow Gardener's Delight
:12:27. > :12:30.and sprinkle them thinly on the surface.
:12:31. > :12:36.Quite tricky to sow these individually and avoid clumps
:12:37. > :12:38.but I don't think that matters terribly
:12:39. > :12:42.because you can thin them out when they're growing.
:12:43. > :12:46.And then I just press them in very lightly
:12:47. > :12:48.so they're making good contact with the surface.
:12:49. > :12:52.And then cover them over. You can cover them with grit,
:12:53. > :12:55.you can cover them with vermiculite or, easiest of all,
:12:56. > :12:59.is just to sieve a little bit of potting compost over the top.
:13:00. > :13:05.Gardener's Delight is a good doer because it's delicious,
:13:06. > :13:08.they make a lovely sauce, they're good roasted.
:13:09. > :13:12.And however you eat them, they explode with flavour.
:13:13. > :13:21.They're a really good, tasty tomato.
:13:22. > :13:31.to get them to germinate, they will need some heat.
:13:32. > :13:33.A windowsill above a radiator is fine.
:13:34. > :13:36.A porch, or if you've got a greenhouse with a heated mat,
:13:37. > :13:44.And then they will germinate in about ten days' to two weeks' time.
:13:45. > :13:59.Now I guess most of you are aware by now this is our jubilee year
:14:00. > :14:03.and one of the ways that we're celebrating those 50 years
:14:04. > :14:07.of Gardeners' World is for each of us presenters to make the case
:14:08. > :14:12.for the one plant that we think has had the most impact,
:14:13. > :14:16.not necessarily our favourite but the one that we feel
:14:17. > :14:18.has changed and affected the way that we have all gardened
:14:19. > :14:28.And now, this week, it's the turn of Rachel De Thame to make her case.
:14:29. > :14:35.It's also known as the Columbine or Granny's Bonnets.
:14:36. > :14:39.It's a very popular perennial, and when it first emerges in spring,
:14:40. > :14:46.you get this beautiful, fresh, rather frothy foliage at the base.
:14:47. > :14:50.It sends up long stems with lovely, spurred flowers
:14:51. > :14:53.in soft pastel shades of pink and mauve,
:14:54. > :14:56.with white and then darker purples as well.
:14:57. > :14:58.And they're rather promiscuous, so you never know quite
:14:59. > :15:02.what colour you're going to get when they self-seed.
:15:03. > :15:05.Now, I've chosen it because it represents a whole palette
:15:06. > :15:08.of plants that love shady conditions,
:15:09. > :15:11.and I think in the last 50 years we've really come on
:15:12. > :15:17.in terms of putting the right plant in the right place.
:15:18. > :15:20.So that's why I've chosen as my golden jubilee plant
:15:21. > :15:32.the Aquilegia vulgaris because I think it says that in a nutshell.
:15:33. > :15:37.Rachel has chosen a plant that thrives specifically in shady areas.
:15:38. > :15:43.Today I'm planting a clematis that also loves these shady conditions.
:15:44. > :15:46.I want to start planting up this wall.
:15:47. > :15:54.This wall, which is east-facing, does get some sun but it's cold.
:15:55. > :16:00.So these clematis have adapted to that. They're Clematis alpina.
:16:01. > :16:04.The first is one called Lemon Beauty.
:16:05. > :16:10.It will flower from April time to about the beginning of May.
:16:11. > :16:13.It's a spring flower and therefore it's a group one clematis
:16:14. > :16:18.which means that it flowers on last year's growth.
:16:19. > :16:21.So it should only be pruned very lightly if at all,
:16:22. > :16:23.and if you're going to do that, you'd prune it in spring.
:16:24. > :16:27.When you're growing any climber up a wall,
:16:28. > :16:30.get it well away from it, and then you can angle it back in.
:16:31. > :16:33.That does two things. It allows a decent root spread,
:16:34. > :16:35.and also ensures that there's some moisture.
:16:36. > :16:43.And the other one I'm going to plant is called White Columbine.
:16:44. > :16:47.This is also an alpina, lovely white flowers,
:16:48. > :16:51.and I'm going to pull this over on to this end about the same distance.
:16:52. > :16:54.And later on I'm going to plant a rose in the middle.
:16:55. > :16:57.A rose that will enjoy a shady wall but that's for another day.
:16:58. > :17:02.Now, the planting of any clematis is actually quite specific
:17:03. > :17:09.In essence what I'm doing is digging out a sump.
:17:10. > :17:12.And I'm going to backfill it with lots of compost.
:17:13. > :17:16.That's not so much as a feed but as a kind of reservoir
:17:17. > :17:21.so these deep roots can get down and if it's very dry
:17:22. > :17:25.they will be able to find some moisture.
:17:26. > :17:32.which is a fungus that helps make a connection
:17:33. > :17:38.between the roots of the plant and nutrients and moisture in the soil.
:17:39. > :17:46.Now simply backfill around it, like that.
:17:47. > :17:52.Firm it in gently, but this is not going to rock about very much.
:17:53. > :17:54.It'll need a cane taking it to the wall
:17:55. > :17:56.and obviously a support once it's on the wall.
:17:57. > :18:02.Clematis are not ideal on wires because they tend to flop over it.
:18:03. > :18:06.So either a trellis on the wall or some netting of some kind
:18:07. > :18:09.But in the end, like everything else,
:18:10. > :18:12.it's what's convenient and what you've got.
:18:13. > :18:24.These clematis should grow strongly this year
:18:25. > :18:28.and on that growth will develop flowers for next spring.
:18:29. > :18:34.they will cover up this part of the wall.
:18:35. > :18:39.Now, underneath them what is there already are some lichen.
:18:40. > :18:42.A lot of people are slightly confused whether they're a plant,
:18:43. > :18:46.whether they're an organism, beneficial or actively harmful.
:18:47. > :19:00.Nick Bailey has been on the trail of the joys of lichen.
:19:01. > :19:04.Look out of your window and they're absolutely everywhere.
:19:05. > :19:07.But very few people know much about the secret world of lichen.
:19:08. > :19:12.You'll find them in graveyards, in gardens, growing on old trees.
:19:13. > :19:14.And often people try to get rid of them or scrub them away.
:19:15. > :19:25.are they truly a friend or a foe to gardeners?
:19:26. > :19:29.A lichen is two organisms functioning as a single unit.
:19:30. > :19:33.It's a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and an alga.
:19:34. > :19:38.and can grow in the most extreme environments
:19:39. > :19:44.where few other living things can survive.
:19:45. > :19:49.and has been studying and identifying Britain's native lichens
:19:50. > :19:55.Most of us have got lichens in one form or another in our gardens.
:19:56. > :19:59.How many lichens are there globally, how many different species?
:20:00. > :20:03.30,000 different lichens in the world.
:20:04. > :20:07.In Britain, the latest count is something approaching 2,000 lichens.
:20:08. > :20:12.People often cite lichen growing on benches or stonework
:20:13. > :20:16.as a sign of clean air but that's not strictly true, is it?
:20:17. > :20:19.Yes and no. If you go to the west of Scotland,
:20:20. > :20:22.there will be a lot of spectacular bushy lichens.
:20:23. > :20:25.This area, we're sitting in the south Midlands,
:20:26. > :20:27.this area from the Industrial Revolution onwards
:20:28. > :20:31.was heavily affected by sulphur dioxide pollution.
:20:32. > :20:33.This bench would be covered in one particular lichen
:20:34. > :20:37.that actually thrived in the high sulphur dioxide levels.
:20:38. > :20:42.because the levels of sulphur dioxide have gone down.
:20:43. > :20:46.We're now in a new pollution regime with lots of nitrogen.
:20:47. > :20:49.That's why a lot of the twigs these days are covered in these
:20:50. > :20:54.spectacular yellow lichens. They favour a lot of nutrient enrichment.
:20:55. > :20:58.So lichens are an indicator of a certain type of air quality
:20:59. > :21:01.so they can say, this is really pure clean air or they can say,
:21:02. > :21:05.this is really nitrogenous air or this has got another toxin.
:21:06. > :21:08.The species of lichen will indicate the air type.
:21:09. > :21:10.Yes, they are very sensitive indicators, yes.
:21:11. > :21:12.I think they are beautiful things.
:21:13. > :21:17.They're a benefit to the environment.
:21:18. > :21:20.If this bench happened to just be a varnished bench with
:21:21. > :21:23.no lichens on them, there would be less biodiversity.
:21:24. > :21:27.It is not only the lichens themselves but if you started
:21:28. > :21:31.there would be all sorts of invertebrates underneath.
:21:32. > :21:35.So the birds are literally going in in the depth of winter
:21:36. > :21:39.and they can find those mites and grubs.
:21:40. > :21:42.Yes, they sometimes strip off the lobes to get at the
:21:43. > :21:45.various different invertebrates that specialise in living
:21:46. > :21:52.With an array of antique stone and mature trees,
:21:53. > :21:56.a graveyard is one of the best places to find lichen
:21:57. > :22:00.and answer a common gardening question.
:22:01. > :22:03.Gardeners tend to think that lichens are killing off a plant
:22:04. > :22:06.when they have these clusters across the surface but that's not
:22:07. > :22:08.the case, is it? I get asked this so many times.
:22:09. > :22:11.People have a shrub that looks sickly in their garden and it
:22:12. > :22:14.is covered in lichens and they think it is the lichens that are
:22:15. > :22:18.What's actually happening is the shrub is becoming sickly for
:22:19. > :22:22.another reason and the extra light coming in, because there
:22:23. > :22:26.aren't so many leaves on this side, is allowing the lichens to thrive.
:22:27. > :22:29.So it is in no way a parasite, it is not damaging the plant?
:22:30. > :22:33.No, there is no actual hyphae that are going into the bark.
:22:34. > :22:37.this is probably the one I have seen most commonly in gardens.
:22:38. > :22:40.Is it particularly common in the UK? It is very common.
:22:41. > :22:44.I guarantee any gardener in the country will have this in
:22:45. > :22:47.their garden. It is called Xanthoria parietina.
:22:48. > :22:51.you can see, is a pigment on the surface of the lichen.
:22:52. > :22:55.That has been shown to have active chemicals against
:22:56. > :22:59.Wow. So it is actually potentially a seriously useful medicine as well?
:23:00. > :23:10.Yes, that is being investigated actively at the moment.
:23:11. > :23:14.These are particularly interesting because here we have got
:23:15. > :23:17.a sandstone gravestone and we've got a limestone gravestone.
:23:18. > :23:21.It is exciting for a lichenologist because the communities are
:23:22. > :23:26.It is like being able to step from an acid moorland straight on
:23:27. > :23:32.There is not one lichen growing on that stone that grows on this
:23:33. > :23:39.the two yellowy-orangey forms look very similar to me.
:23:40. > :23:42.They look a similar colour but they are different species and I can
:23:43. > :23:46.We perform what we call spot tests so if I put
:23:47. > :23:50.a spot of chemical on this orange lichen, here,
:23:51. > :23:55.you'll see there's a colour change. It is a reddish, purple colour.
:23:56. > :24:00.Whereas if I try it on this lichen over here,
:24:01. > :24:04.you see there's perhaps a slight darkening
:24:05. > :24:08.I think it is fascinating that these two stones right beside each
:24:09. > :24:21.other represent two totally different ecosystems.
:24:22. > :24:24.I have been truly amazed by the qualities of lichen.
:24:25. > :24:26.They are incredibly diverse, they grow in all sorts of
:24:27. > :24:31.environments and they can adapt to all sorts of situations.
:24:32. > :24:34.By increasing biodiversity and providing food for birds and
:24:35. > :24:38.insects, these fascinating but often overlooked organisms can be
:24:39. > :24:51.I do so agree with Nick, I think lichen is wonderful.
:24:52. > :24:53.Even little splodges improve the character and texture
:24:54. > :24:57.and you can encourage it into the garden along with moss.
:24:58. > :25:01.This brick wall here, I painted with yoghurt.
:25:02. > :25:05.It looked a bit odd at first but moss and lichen have grown
:25:06. > :25:26.it's time to get stuck in with those jobs for the weekend.
:25:27. > :25:31.Because buddleja flower on new shoots, it is time to cut all last
:25:32. > :25:36.year's growth right back to a bud just above ground level.
:25:37. > :25:39.If they are in open space, this can be right down to the ground
:25:40. > :25:47.but in a border, it is a good idea to leave a foot or so of growth.
:25:48. > :25:52.As soon as your ground is dry enough to rake fine, sow some parsnips.
:25:53. > :25:54.Shallow drill about a foot apart and
:25:55. > :25:58.sow the flat seeds as thinly as you can.
:25:59. > :26:04.it is a good idea to add some radish seed to the same drill.
:26:05. > :26:07.These will germinate and grow quickly and can be harvested
:26:08. > :26:15.before they're competing with the parsnips for light or nutrition.
:26:16. > :26:17.If you bubble wrapped your greenhouse or
:26:18. > :26:22.now is the time to remove it because you want as much light as
:26:23. > :26:30.If you didn't use bubble wrap, give the glass a really good clean
:26:31. > :26:39.I have to say that I have been really enjoying the weather
:26:40. > :26:42.over the last few days but let's see if us gardeners are all
:26:43. > :26:55.going to have good weather this weekend.
:26:56. > :27:02.Hello. If you are hoping to get into the garden this weekend, perhaps to
:27:03. > :27:05.tidy things up ready for the new growing season all to do some
:27:06. > :27:09.reading, the good news is we will see a lot of settled weather and
:27:10. > :27:14.some warm sunshine. Not just dry, but sunny. Nine times can still be
:27:15. > :27:19.pretty chilly at this time of year, and that is how we will start
:27:20. > :27:24.Saturday morning. Temperatures in the towns and cities close to
:27:25. > :27:30.freezing, but higher -- lower in the countryside. As the getting out and
:27:31. > :27:34.about and in that gardening, it looks set fair for most. The far
:27:35. > :27:38.north of Scotland will have a bit more cloud than drizzly showers,
:27:39. > :27:42.though I'd lie winds in central regions, we could see CC - 18
:27:43. > :27:48.degrees. But there'll be a nagging chilly north-easterly wind. You may
:27:49. > :27:49.need a jumper rather than a T-shirt if you are heading out. A chilly
:27:50. > :27:50.star with And Nick Bailey delves into
:27:51. > :27:57.the fascinating world of lichen. You know, these daffodils were
:27:58. > :28:01.flowering at the beginning of Now at the end of March, they're
:28:02. > :28:07.coming into their best and It is better to wait for something
:28:08. > :28:14.to arrive to its season. This weekend,
:28:15. > :28:17.when the clocks are changing, it's Mothering Sunday so pick some
:28:18. > :28:21.flowers for your mother and if you are a mother,
:28:22. > :28:26.enjoy the day with its extra light. I'll see you back here at Longmeadow
:28:27. > :28:31.same time next week.