0:00:06 > 0:00:10Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14It's a beautiful day today, but last night we had a real storm
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and the leaves were sent flying off the trees.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19So it's a chance to pick them up,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21but I never mind doing this in autumn,
0:00:21 > 0:00:26because every leaf is potentially leaf mould,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and there's something about marking the season -
0:00:29 > 0:00:35the rituals of each season are part and parcel of their enjoyment.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37That will not make leaf mould.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Of course, this is our final programme in
0:00:44 > 0:00:46our 50th anniversary year.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47It's been a great year.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51We've had lots of good experiences, some great gardening,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and not bad weather either, really,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56but all good things must come to an end.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58However, before we finally go,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01we've got a full programme for you tonight.
0:01:08 > 0:01:15Adam savours the beauty of winter at Ellicar Gardens in Doncaster,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18the gardening writer Naomi Slade enjoys the spectacular
0:01:18 > 0:01:24snowdrop display at Welford Park in Berkshire,
0:01:24 > 0:01:29and we meet an inspirational 83-year-old gardener
0:01:29 > 0:01:32who's been encouraging children to discover their green fingers
0:01:32 > 0:01:34for more than half a century.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And with Halloween coming up next week, I shall be
0:01:39 > 0:01:44harvesting my pumpkins and getting the garden ready for winter.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Come on, you two. Come on.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06On a balmy October day like today,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10winter can seem pretty remote,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13but we all know that this could turn overnight,
0:02:13 > 0:02:20and frosts, storms and general winteriness will descend.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25It is inevitable, and some plants you do need to protect,
0:02:25 > 0:02:26like this Dicksonia.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29This is Dicksonia antarctica, the tree fern,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and the key thing is to know
0:02:32 > 0:02:33what it is that you're protecting.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38So, for example, the trunk here is fine,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and the fronds don't matter at all.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41These can all die back,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and you can cut them back and they'll be fine, too.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44By the way, a little tip -
0:02:44 > 0:02:48when you are cutting back fronds, don't cut them right to the base.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49Leave a stub.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52You can see these are all the old stubs of fronds
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and they become part of the trunk.
0:02:54 > 0:03:01The bit that you really need to look after is from there to there,
0:03:01 > 0:03:02and that's the growing point.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And the absolute crucial area is down in the crown.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09There's a kind of inverted cone in there,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13which, when you put your hand in, is really soft,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and if that gets filled with ice, it can kill the plant,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21so we need to keep it dry enough so it doesn't fill up with water
0:03:21 > 0:03:26and warm enough so what moisture there is in there doesn't freeze.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31So the answer is just to get a wodge of straw like that
0:03:31 > 0:03:33and put it in the middle,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38and that will both insulate it
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and also stop it getting too wet.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44There are two ways you can then deal with it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46What I have done before with Dicksonia is to
0:03:46 > 0:03:50fold the fronds over, so they form another kind of insulation,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54but, actually, what works better is to get some fleece,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and this is a particularly thick, heavy-duty fleece,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02which I've cut so it's going to cover a strip around the top.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08And if we put this round here like that, so it's like a scarf
0:04:08 > 0:04:14around that critical area, and then tie it with some string,
0:04:14 > 0:04:20that will mean the icy winds or very cold air temperature
0:04:20 > 0:04:22will not affect it.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Now, that should be enough for most weather,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30although you can get a piece of polythene
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and just fit it like a cap over the top,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and that will stop it getting too wet.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40I'm going to leave that for a bit, because one of the major problems is
0:04:40 > 0:04:43it tends to blow away and can be quite a problem to fix,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47but if the weather gets really wet and miserable,
0:04:47 > 0:04:48and looks like being cold,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50then a piece of polythene over the top of that,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52and if the straw gets too wet,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54take it out, replace it with dry straw,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and then cover that with polythene.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00But this will at least keep the cold out.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02That's enough protection to ensure that survives
0:05:02 > 0:05:05all but the most extreme weather.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Now, I do realise that there is a risk of treating winter
0:05:11 > 0:05:15as this terrible problem, this enemy that you have to overcome,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and in fact winter, particularly when the weather is cold and dry,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22can be magical and, earlier this year,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Adam went to Doncaster to visit a garden that has done
0:05:27 > 0:05:32all that it can to celebrate the beauty of the winter months.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43As gardeners, we relish the newness of spring.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We long for summer's days.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49We marvel at autumn colour.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50But here at Ellicar Garden,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54the first bite of frost is a cause for much celebration.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00The owners of this garden, Sarah Murch and her family,
0:06:00 > 0:06:01treasure the winter months.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Well, Sarah, what is it you really love about winter?
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I think, erm...
0:06:08 > 0:06:11You know, winter's really special because it's a really quiet
0:06:11 > 0:06:15time in the garden, and I think the light plays a big part.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17So, obviously, the sun's really low in the sky in winter
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and it rises over here, and, as you're walking through
0:06:20 > 0:06:22the garden in the morning, on a frosty morning,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26it's absolutely magical, seeing all the perennials in the grasses
0:06:26 > 0:06:29highlighted with the frost, and then the sun coming through.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31It's just really magical,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and it, sort of, turns everything a lovely rusty colour, so I think
0:06:33 > 0:06:38the colours red and orange are really accentuated in winter.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Explain to me what you feel actually a winter garden is.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I think it's everything stripped back
0:06:44 > 0:06:45so you see the structure in the garden.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Things like this pergola, that's excellent structure, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You get the frost on the beams.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And all the evergreens. I'm really into evergreens, you know,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56pines and all the lovely junipers,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and all the things like the euphorbias.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00They're all beautiful evergreens.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Do you know, what I really love about winter is actually
0:07:11 > 0:07:13the amount of change you get in one day?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15So, now the sun's come up and burnt the frost off,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17you've got moisture on the plants.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I mean, it looks stunning.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23But, be honest with me, did you set off to design a winter garden?
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I kind of did actually, because, if you think about it,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28you're looking at your garden for months in winter,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31so anything you can put in there that's just really
0:07:31 > 0:07:35beautiful for those winter months is really worth doing.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And I think the fact that we've got one or two quite nice trees
0:07:38 > 0:07:40like the birches with the lovely white bark,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and obviously these red willows that give you the winter colour...
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I mean, these look absolutely stunning,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- but, you know, people think, "Willow, massive big tree."- Mmm.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- "I couldn't grow that in a small garden."- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51But here you've pollarded them,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53but you've actually left them up so you can plant underneath.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Yeah, you can underplant them really nicely,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and obviously the bulbs are just starting to pop through now,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00so hopefully we'll get, like, a sea of aconites one day.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04And I know that these are really easy to take cuttings from.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I think you fancy one or two cuttings, don't you, Adam?
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Is that all right?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Basically all you have to do is, like when we were cutting them
0:08:10 > 0:08:15back in spring, is you chop them off at the framework
0:08:15 > 0:08:20and we would just, sort of, cut it off about here.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- So literally nine inches.- Yeah. - Push that in the ground.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- Stick it in the ground. - That much, shall we?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Probably about a couple of inches above the ground, and you could put
0:08:27 > 0:08:31that in a pot, just keep it somewhere cool and watered.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32A lot of these I've actually put in
0:08:32 > 0:08:34from a stick, literally from a cutting.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- So when cutting, you've put another one in the ground. - Yeah, cos I can't resist it.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- What do I do? I don't want to get rid of them all.- Yeah, exactly.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45You know, walking around the garden the way you've planted it,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47an awful lot of it seems really quite subtle,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48and I love the grasses and what they bring,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50you know, that life and the colour,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53but give us an idea on how you choose the herbaceous plants
0:08:53 > 0:08:55to go with the grasses.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Well, I'm quite fussy that I don't have anything that collapses
0:08:57 > 0:09:01in winter, so everything has to stay with a really nice structure
0:09:01 > 0:09:03through winter, like this Aster frikartii Monch,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06which, you know, has brilliant flowers all summer for butterflies
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and bees, and you've got this wonderful seedhead that
0:09:08 > 0:09:10the birds will eat in winter, so it's great food value.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13So in a way you're not just using it because it looks beautiful,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- you're choosing it for what else it brings to the party.- For wildlife.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18What I really love, and I actually think is really, really clever,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20are these Iris sibirica here,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- the way that actually you've worked them through the grasses.- Yeah.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Most people would think Iris sibirica looks great in May, June,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29but you've actually detailed the seed heads and they look stunning.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- The two colours together look beautiful.- Yeah, just woven through.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34They're one of my favourite plants as well.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36When it comes to cutting those back, what do you do?
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Well, I'm quite brutal.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- I would stamp on the Iris sibirica cos that breaks easily...- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42..and then the grasses would get pulled or cut back,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and then we just lay them down on the surface, because that creates
0:09:45 > 0:09:47a layer that the, you know, the amphibians will live under
0:09:47 > 0:09:48and the voles.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50And low-maintenance.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Real low-maintenance, and that's your mulch again
0:09:52 > 0:09:54which prevents your weeds and just feeds the soil again.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55Fantastic.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Wow. This is fantastic.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09Where did this idea come from?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Well, basically, we built it ourselves because we love
0:10:11 > 0:10:14wild swimming, so it's actually a natural swimming pool.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I think in winter, you know, that it's got these massive
0:10:16 > 0:10:20reflections all around it and it bounces light back, and the...
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Actually, the other word for these natural pools is a sky mirror,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26so they literally reflect the sky, which is quite incredible.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28So it can change the atmosphere or the mood.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.- Brilliant. - So it goes from dark and brooding
0:10:31 > 0:10:32to, you know, quite bright and light and...
0:10:32 > 0:10:34But great for wildlife?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Amazing for wildlife, so you get all the birds coming to
0:10:36 > 0:10:39bathe in the shallows, and literally all winter long you'll get
0:10:39 > 0:10:42different things coming in to have a bath and a drink.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51If you're going to create a winter garden, first of all,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52think about the structure.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Choose the right trees.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56One of my favourites is the Cornus mas,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58covered in tiny yellow buds,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01just waiting to burst into colour.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05For a splash of colour, maybe go for a simple classic like a hellebore,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07or even a snowdrop.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Scent is really important and powerful in a winter garden,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12so try maybe Sarcococca -
0:11:12 > 0:11:15planted near a doorway, every time you pass it,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I promise you, it'll brighten up your day.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- DOG BARKS - Oh, dear. Do you know what?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Your garden has shown me so much today about actually why we don't
0:11:25 > 0:11:29need to go back to our homes and our fireplaces right through the winter,
0:11:29 > 0:11:30but I'm really not sure about that.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33No, I think I'd probably join you on that.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- It really is a beautiful garden. - Oh, well, thank you.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Of course, what winter does is strip away all the floral flesh
0:11:52 > 0:11:56of a garden and reveals its bones,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and if you want your garden to look good all the year round,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01you must have a good structure.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03That is the secret.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15These large pots were full of cosmos all summer.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Well, I slightly overplanted them but they look good.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21But cosmos are always going to be hit by frost,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and they're very much a summer flower,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and I want these pots to work for me all the year round,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28not least cos they're really expensive.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30They're a big investment, a pot like this,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33so, to get your money's worth, use it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34Use it all the time.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38So I'm going to plant it up now to give me a display from the minute
0:12:38 > 0:12:42I plant it right through to the middle or even the end of next May,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44so I need a succession of plants,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and I'm going to start with a layer of tulips.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Now, I know the other day I did some tulips,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I did three layers in a row, but this will just be one layer
0:12:51 > 0:12:56that will come up through a shrub and also some grasses.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I've taken out the old compost.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Put it on the compost heap or spread it on the border.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03All the goodness is gone from it. Start again.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06And I've mixed up a 50/50 mix
0:13:06 > 0:13:09of grit and potting compost.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11So very, very good drainage.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14It's really important for tulips
0:13:14 > 0:13:16that they have very sharp drainage.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19As long as the drainage is below them,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22you can actually put a less well-drained mix above them
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and that will be relevant when we come to plant the shrub.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29The tulips I've putting in are a variety called Havran.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31They're a rich, dark purple.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32They're a triumph tulip
0:13:32 > 0:13:36so they have a nice, straight stem and a goblet shape.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Mid to late, so they will flower sort of the end of April,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41early May.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And, the intensity of the colour
0:13:44 > 0:13:46is exactly what I want for the Jewel Garden.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And, of course, there'll be other tulips in the borders, as well.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51So they're going to have to work with those.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Nice, big, fat bulbs.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57When you're buying your tulips, look for the biggest bulb as possible.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59The bigger the bulb the better.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The shrub is going to go in the middle.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09So I don't want to plant any bulbs directly beneath it
0:14:09 > 0:14:11but I can do it all around it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12OK, that's the tulips.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Now I'm going to cover these over with a slightly richer compost mix.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23The reason for that is that my central piece is this Cornus,
0:14:23 > 0:14:24or dogwood.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26This is Cornus alba Sibirica
0:14:26 > 0:14:30and I've chosen it, not for its foliage
0:14:30 > 0:14:32but for the red of the twigs.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37So dogwood likes slightly richer soil, a little bit more moisture.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So that will go over the top.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Pack around it with more compost.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Now I'm going to plant around the edge
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Ophiopogon.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Ophiopogon is this wonderful black grass.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Now these are plants that I lifted from the Jewel Garden
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and they've stayed in this tray all summer long.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10What they do best in
0:15:10 > 0:15:13is a little bit of shade and some good drainage
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and I can give them both of that here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23So that's going to be pretty much like this.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I know it can look as though there is going to be absolutely no
0:15:28 > 0:15:32room for the tulips to get through but they will push up through.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35They will work their way through any obstructions.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37So don't worry too much about that.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40I'll water that in well.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46What it gives us is a very stark, striking winter display.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51You've got the structure of these bare stems, bright red
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and getting redder as the weather gets colder.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56You've got the black foliage of the Ophiopogon
0:15:56 > 0:16:00and then growing up through it, these tulips and when the tulips
0:16:00 > 0:16:05are finished, I'll lift the whole lot, the dogwood can be replanted
0:16:05 > 0:16:09in a border in the garden, so getting double value for the shrub.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The Ophiopogon can either go into a border or back into pots
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and sit and wait for next year and then
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I'll have a summer planting that will be completely different.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Now, this Cornus looks great in winter but, of course,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26it's not designed for winter.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29It has its foliage and its flowers which come out in summer.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Some plants are exclusively performing in the winter months.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38And I guess the first, both in appearance and in most of our minds,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42is the humble, but exquisitely beautiful, snowdrop.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And last year the gardening writer Naomi Slade went to
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Welford Park in Berkshire
0:16:49 > 0:16:52when the snowdrops were at their fabulous best.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56I've always loved snowdrops.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I've always been fascinated by them.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Snowdrops are a herald,
0:17:01 > 0:17:02they're a herald of spring.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06They bring hope, they bring that anticipation.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09They are everything about renewal and rebirth
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and what's coming next in the garden
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and in life generally.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22What makes Welford Park so special for me,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25so impressive, is its impact,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27the drama of the place.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Each snowdrop is so small, so tiny
0:17:29 > 0:17:31but here they are in their legion
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and it's not just the snowdrops, there are these trees, too.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38There's repeated columns of black beech trees.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42They add that three-dimensional element, they add drama.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48All the flowers in this woodland are Galanthus nivalis.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The name comes from the Greek, gala, meaning milk
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and anthos, meaning flower, hence Galanthus
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and nivalis, which means of the snow.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00So what you have here is milk flower of the snow.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Its beautiful, dainty little drops here, you can
0:18:04 > 0:18:06see nice, even little drops
0:18:06 > 0:18:10over glaucous, green-blue grassy foliage.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15If we just give that a little pinch now you can see the little, green
0:18:15 > 0:18:18marking on the inner petals
0:18:18 > 0:18:21which is distinctive of this sort of snowdrop.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25The Galanthus nivalis is not alone.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27In fact there are 20 species
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and within those species at least 2,000 named varieties of snowdrop.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38Some people have the audacity to say that all snowdrops look the same.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I just don't think they're looking hard enough.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Over the last few years, snowdrops have become something of a cult.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49People travel all over the country to find the rarer varieties.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And new forms can change hands for astronomical prices.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Not all snowdrops are white and green.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03This is Wendy's Gold, which has a yellow ovary and
0:19:03 > 0:19:05yellow markings on the inner petal.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The pleated leaves are very, very distinctive.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12They are folded in the middle and at the sides, which makes them
0:19:12 > 0:19:15markedly different from the very common Galanthus nivalis.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18The yellows are highly collectable
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and some of them fetch very high prices.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24But, in this case, for a fairly modest sum of about £20
0:19:24 > 0:19:29you can get a bulb which is robust, distinctive and easy to grow.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44And then there's S Arnott, this wonderful beefy snowdrop here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47He stands up to a foot tall
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and he is well-known for this beautiful honey scent,
0:19:50 > 0:19:51which is particularly noticeable
0:19:51 > 0:19:54when the air warms and the petals open.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Snowdrops like undisturbed ground, good drainage and rich soil.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01As an early spring flower, they need good light
0:20:01 > 0:20:04when they're growing and they thrive beneath bare trees.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Snowdrops have a great trick for surviving in the cold.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13They create a natural antifreeze by accumulating sugars,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15salt and amino acids within their tissues.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This means they don't tend to freeze as it gets towards zero.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Even when the temperature drops well below zero, it becomes
0:20:23 > 0:20:25a managed process of freezing which means that the ice crystals don't
0:20:25 > 0:20:28disrupt the tissues and the plant can survive.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34And so to the snowdrop controversy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Many believe that snowdrops are either indigenous or
0:20:36 > 0:20:39they were brought to Britain by the Romans.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43The experts, however, say that the plant is most likely not a native.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45It doesn't behave like a wildflower
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and since it's not mentioned in literature until the 15th century,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50it was probably a late arrival.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58And, yet, snowdrops are often associated with churchyards
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and are often found in the grounds of ruined abbeys and priories.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Welford Park here is built on the site of a Norman monastery.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11In which case, they would have arrived with the Normans
0:21:11 > 0:21:121,000 years ago.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20One thing's for sure - the snowdrop remains a light in the cold woods
0:21:20 > 0:21:23telling us that winter will end soon.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34It's all right, Nigel, don't worry.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Just move that back a bit, there we go.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Looking at those snowdrops does make you realise just how fantastic
0:21:43 > 0:21:48they can look en masse. I love seeing those swathes of snowdrops.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52One little tip - if having seen that, you're tempted to rush out
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and buy some bulbs, just hold back.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Wait until February.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Go and see a really good display of snowdrops, choose the ones you like
0:22:01 > 0:22:05and then buy them either in flower or just after they have flowered.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08They are so much more likely to last and spread
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and then you can build up your collection.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I'm just putting these cloches on these salad crops.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It gives just a little bit of protection.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21I actually don't close the end of cloches but keep them open
0:22:21 > 0:22:24so there's good ventilation.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29But it undoubtedly extends the growing season and, obviously
0:22:29 > 0:22:33if the weather gets really cantankerous, it does help a lot.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I've had these cloches for years and years,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40they're a little bit bashed but they do really good service.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49Now, throughout this year we have been celebrating
0:22:49 > 0:22:52some of the giants of the gardening world.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55People like Roy Lancaster, Penelope Hobhouse,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Beth Chatto, who have influenced and guided the way
0:22:59 > 0:23:01that we've looked after our own gardens
0:23:01 > 0:23:04for the past three or four decades.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11But, right across the country, there are many, many unsung heroes,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16people who are guiding, mentoring, or just inspiring people to garden.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22And we went to Birmingham to meet Eunice McGhie, who at 83 is still
0:23:22 > 0:23:23doing extraordinary work.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32My love of gardening came from my parents in Jamaica.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36They dig the earth, they plant the vegetables
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and then they take it to the market and sold it,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42they got the money and they look after the family.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Because of the teaching that I get from home and my grandmother,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51I remember when she knocked on the door and she says,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53"You're going to England,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57"you obey the rules and live."
0:23:57 > 0:23:59That's what she said.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Until this day, I remember that.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Gardening has given me health.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Really good health.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It teaches me to be self-sufficient, to be hard-working
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and I'm telling you
0:24:18 > 0:24:22if I was not out here in this garden...
0:24:23 > 0:24:27..I would be sitting in an armchair or into a home, or something.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31What you plant, you eat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35You know, you breathe in the fresh air, your lungs get well.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38There is always goodness coming from it, really.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45I started in the 1960s to do community action work all by myself.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51A garden project was developed for educational
0:24:51 > 0:24:56and basic life skills, educational purposes
0:24:56 > 0:25:00to learn kids about gardening.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04So the first thing I did,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09I got the allotment and then I start writing to the schools around
0:25:09 > 0:25:13to see if they wanted the children to come along.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16That was it. They just came.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18They just came.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Hello. How are you?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Very nice to see you again. - Nice to see you. How are you?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29I'm fine, thank you.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Hello, hello. All right?
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The young people, their response was marvellous.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39They said, "I like this better than sitting around television"
0:25:39 > 0:25:43and, "Miss, how did you manage to know that we want this?"
0:25:43 > 0:25:45They were just so...
0:25:45 > 0:25:47They were on fire, man.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51They like the digging and the weeding. They loved it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53They loved it.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58The teachers themselves loved it and it was five days a week
0:25:58 > 0:26:00on the allotment
0:26:00 > 0:26:02for 10, 15 years.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Have a look at these. See how small they are?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And this, we put in here, like that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:15In 2014 I thought, do I let it go or do I continue?
0:26:15 > 0:26:20So, I decided to take it home, to take the work that
0:26:20 > 0:26:25I was doing in the allotment home, starting my own garden.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30And I did get the same response as I had through the allotments.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33So here we are.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36At 83, I'm still doing it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Now we're going to plant some onions.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42We have two onions here to plant,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and how do you think we should plant the onions, then?
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- Yeah?- You should plant the onion like...that.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56No, that's the wrong way of planting the onions!
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- The roots are here.- Ah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02This is the roots, and this is...
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Otherwise you wouldn't get an onion at the end of the crop.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09You know what I mean?
0:27:09 > 0:27:16Most of the children who come down to the garden project are shy
0:27:16 > 0:27:20when they are coming in, but of course, as time goes on,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24they change and they change for the better.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28So, this is how we would plant the onion, just in there,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and then we cover it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Come and get your onions!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Here you go.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43They're planting it, the seed grows, they are tasting it now,
0:27:43 > 0:27:48they know what it's all about, and when they go out on the street
0:27:48 > 0:27:52they keep on telling other children and bringing other people in.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Because they are having a good time.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59It's about mixing with each other, really.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05These children find that they could relate to me, they could talk to me,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07and I could help them
0:28:07 > 0:28:13to progress their education. Their parents now have found out that
0:28:13 > 0:28:17I'm the best thing that ever happened to them!
0:28:17 > 0:28:22No, you don't have to press the earth down with your hand.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25No, just put it in. See what I do.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I didn't use my hand to press the earth down, did I?
0:28:30 > 0:28:36They think I'm very tough and hard, but they will listen and hear,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and some of them even want gardening at their home, they go home
0:28:40 > 0:28:45and tell their parents about it and want to set up a garden at home.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Most of them, their lives have been changed.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55This is runner beans, and this is how you open the pod to get
0:28:55 > 0:28:58the runner beans out,
0:28:58 > 0:29:03and this is also the red kidney beans, right?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Here we go.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10You see the different colours on the runner beans?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12These are ready to cook.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I think Eunice is really amazing, she's always positive.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20And, like, she's fabulous.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23It has encouraged me to probably plant my own crops
0:29:23 > 0:29:24in my garden at home,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and help my little nephews and nieces plant.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31When she talks to me, I feel happy
0:29:31 > 0:29:35and I feel like I just want to do all the work that she has done.
0:29:37 > 0:29:43Over the years, I can tell you now, it's thousands
0:29:43 > 0:29:48and thousands of children that I have mentored,
0:29:48 > 0:29:54that make good of themselves through the horticultural garden project.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58As long as I live, I will be doing
0:29:58 > 0:30:02what I am doing now, continually.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Well, I have to say that Eunice is a really lovely lady,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and I'm sure there are lots of people out there who are doing
0:30:21 > 0:30:25the same kind of work, and if there are any that you know
0:30:25 > 0:30:29and you think that we should be paying a visit to, let us know.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32You can contact us on our website or Facebook page,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35and we would like to share the work they do
0:30:35 > 0:30:39and celebrate all those unsung heroes in our gardens.
0:30:39 > 0:30:45Now, I am mulching these borders on the mound with some leaf mould,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48and this unsieved leaf mould from last year,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50and it makes a really good mulch
0:30:50 > 0:30:54because, although it's not feeding aggressively, it's not adding
0:30:54 > 0:30:56a huge amount of goodness, it is
0:30:56 > 0:31:01improving the structure of the soil, and that is almost as important.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04If you mulch at this time of year, in autumn,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07it will work in over winter,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11it will protect it from very heavy rain, it will suppress any
0:31:11 > 0:31:16weeds that grow in mild periods, and by next spring, be ready to plant.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18And I like to mulch in areas where there are lots of bulbs.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20If you leave that till spring,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22you're having to mulch around the bulbs coming up,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26whereas if you do it in autumn, it will grow through the mulch.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Now, still to come on tonight's programme...
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Frances goes to Wells in Somerset,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37to help a viewer tackle his overgrown pond.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45But with Halloween approaching, it is appropriate
0:31:45 > 0:31:49that first of all we go to Hampshire
0:31:49 > 0:31:53to join a pair of brothers who have devoted much of their lives
0:31:53 > 0:31:58to growing the biggest and heaviest pumpkin in the world.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- I'm Ian Paton. - And I'm Stuart Paton.
0:32:09 > 0:32:15We are twin brothers and we grow flowers together for a living.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- We both love fishing, both love sailing.- Both like beer.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23But our real passion is really growing pumpkins.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29We were 13 when we first started growing pumpkins,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and I remember coming home from holiday - in fact we were
0:32:32 > 0:32:36the only kids who wanted to come home on holiday to see our pumpkin.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39That was about 45 years ago,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and we're still trying to be world champions.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44This year maybe is our chance.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55This, we call it the PRD house -
0:32:55 > 0:32:58which is pumpkin research and development.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03So we've spent an awful lot of time and quite a lot of money
0:33:03 > 0:33:06to try and get our world record.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Up here we've got shading that comes over.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12We don't want the plant to be suffering in the hot weather,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16so we actually have as well, on top of that, belt and braces,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19we have mist lines. It's not for watering the plant,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22it's just for cooling the air down.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25The real important one is this one here, which is
0:33:25 > 0:33:29absolutely enormous, and this is the one we're going to be lifting today.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Hopefully we're going to be the world champions,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36so we've grown the biggest pumpkin in the world this year.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39So, the next couple of years are the real big shows,
0:33:39 > 0:33:45and we'll be weighing ours at one of those big shows in Southampton,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48but there is a chance that we will beat the world record.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Who knows?
0:33:52 > 0:33:54At the end of the day, Stuart and I always say
0:33:54 > 0:33:59it's not a beauty contest, cos some pumpkins are indeed ugly.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Some of them are actually rather curvy and sort of curvylicious.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08But at the end of the day, it's only weight that matters.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I was looking at this earlier, and that is really thin there.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Yeah, just... Yes, leave it alone.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- But this is thick. - Solid up there.- Yeah.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24We can't do things by halves. It turns into our whole life.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Families don't see us, we're in there at five o'clock
0:34:27 > 0:34:30in the morning, we're in there all day if we get half a chance.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Pumpkin growers do call it a pumpkin sickness,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35something you need to see a doctor about, actually.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36It's a drug.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40It all begins with this -
0:34:40 > 0:34:42it's a giant pumpkin seed.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46It's a bit of a racehorse.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48And we'll plant that in April.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50And then we're off.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Our soil that we've got here is very, very deep soil,
0:34:54 > 0:34:55it's very deep soil,
0:34:55 > 0:35:00because we actually get a 1.5 tonne digger in here,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02and we double dig the soil,
0:35:02 > 0:35:07so we have 8x4 sheets of plywood, and we only walk on there.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Because the pumpkin roots are actually quite fine.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14We normally have a fan on the stems of the pumpkins,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17because as the stems grow and they get bigger,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20they split and they exude a little bit of sap.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24We like to just put a fan on, and that just dries the moisture up.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29We don't like this bit.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32There are bits where your heart's thumping, and this is one of them.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36We're going to half lift it and then we're going to
0:35:36 > 0:35:39drop it down again and make sure everything's straight.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Sorry, I've got my serious face on.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Ours wouldn't be the first one to break when we lift it.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57And it definitely wouldn't be the first one to find a mouse has
0:35:57 > 0:35:59decided to eat it from underneath.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- That is flat as a pancake, Stuart. - Absolutely solid.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11It's better than perfect.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20It's flat, mate. It's great.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23It means nothing(!)
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Our rivals are the ones chewing their fingernails, not us.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29We'll see, on Saturday.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Here we are, this is a big day today.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42This is a seriously big pumpkin, so we're really hoping
0:36:42 > 0:36:45it's a new PB and a British record, minimum.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49The British record we beat last year, that was 2,252 lb.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52And hopefully we're going to smash that one today.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55And now we're going to be like this all day until they weigh it
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and let us know if we did well or not.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04As it stands at the moment, the world record is 2,624 lbs...
0:37:05 > 0:37:07..and that came from Belgium.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09This was a seed from its mother.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13And this pumpkin is about the same size as it.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Our biggest rival's...
0:37:16 > 0:37:20..in California, at 2,363 lbs.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Anything over that, and we're happy.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I've been growing for 25 years -
0:37:27 > 0:37:28it's a hard hill to climb,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31to get to the mountaintop where the biggest pumpkin sits.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35We are looking at something very special. Once in a lifetime.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Right now we're... not feeling too bad.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Give us another 15 minutes and we'll be in pieces!
0:37:46 > 0:37:48This is the pumpkin that we're talking about,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52this is Ian and Stuart Paton's pumpkin - their entry for this year.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Going to check it's stable on the scales.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10So silence from the crowd.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17The world record is 2,624.6...
0:38:20 > 0:38:23A new record...
0:38:23 > 0:38:262,269.4.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29New UK record, guys, well done!
0:38:29 > 0:38:30WHOOPING AND CHEERING
0:38:31 > 0:38:33INDISTINCT COMMENT
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Never mind. Never mind.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Today our pumpkin's weighed 2,269,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47we'd have liked it to have been a bit more.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Looks like we're going to be second place in the world,
0:38:49 > 0:38:53and a new British record, so... Yeah, very happy.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55And our story isn't over yet!
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Won't be over till we're world champions, so...
0:38:59 > 0:39:01- Well, world record holders. - World record holders, yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- We're going to get it.- We'll get it! - Got to be positive, haven't you?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Well, it's a shame they didn't get the world record
0:39:14 > 0:39:17but it is very impressive. Although I think probably I'm happy
0:39:17 > 0:39:19with the way that MY pumpkins have grown here.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22And it's time to harvest them.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25It's been a good year for pumpkin growers -
0:39:25 > 0:39:27even if you just bunged 'em in the ground, any old seed,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29and just let them do their thing -
0:39:29 > 0:39:32because they are SO weather-sensitive.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34If we have a cold spell,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37just when they're starting to grow,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40then they stop. And you never catch up that time.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42And if it's too hot they don't like it,
0:39:42 > 0:39:43if it's too wet or it's too dry...
0:39:43 > 0:39:46But this year has been just right for them.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48So I'm going to harvest these
0:39:48 > 0:39:50and then leave them to ripen
0:39:50 > 0:39:52as long as the weather stays reasonably good.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Now, when you harvest a pumpkin,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57it is really important to keep the stem on.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00If you lose that, then there's a risk
0:40:00 > 0:40:02that they will rot from that point and they won't store.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05So, if I cut... Oh, it's gone anyway!
0:40:05 > 0:40:07So that's solved the problem.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10I was going to cut it, and it broke.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13This is Musquee de Provence.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17And you can see a touch of bluey on that. It's quite heavy.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20If I were those brothers, I'd be really worried
0:40:20 > 0:40:22that I was coming up on their tails -
0:40:22 > 0:40:24there's a world record waiting to happen.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32And I confess this is
0:40:32 > 0:40:34quite a small Turk's Turban.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But I like Turk's Turban.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39It looks great. It's a fantastic-looking pumpkin.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40And also it tastes good.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42It's a really good one to grow.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45And last but not least...
0:40:46 > 0:40:48..is this one here.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Which has grown
0:40:50 > 0:40:54where the supports have met,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56and so it'll be a funny shape.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57And by the way,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I'm really pleased with the way that these have grown vertically.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01And I'll certainly be doing it again -
0:41:01 > 0:41:04I'll keep these chestnut stakes for next year,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07I'll put them back up and we'll grow them upwards again.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11It's worked a treat. Right, I'm going to cut those like that...
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Well, I'll tell you what, that wins...
0:41:19 > 0:41:21..the funny-shaped pumpkin contest!
0:41:21 > 0:41:25These will store for between three and six months,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29depending on how hard the skin is and the storage conditions.
0:41:29 > 0:41:34It wants to be cool, and slightly moist but not too wet.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35And you'll know the problem is
0:41:35 > 0:41:37they start to rot and you get a slight leakage.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40But just check them. Just turn them over and check them,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and if you can have air flowing around them, so much the better.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44And of course, eat them!
0:41:49 > 0:41:51If you want to attract wildlife into your garden -
0:41:51 > 0:41:53and why wouldn't you? -
0:41:53 > 0:41:56then by far the best way to go about it is to make a pond.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57It doesn't matter how simple it is,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00it transforms things.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03However, you do need to tend them. You can't just leave them,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08because very quickly they can become a tangle of plants
0:42:08 > 0:42:11And Frances has been to Wells in Somerset,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13to visit the garden of Andrew Harris,
0:42:13 > 0:42:18who has found that his pond has become completely overgrown.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40So, Andy, why is it that you've asked for help with this pond?
0:42:40 > 0:42:41I can't seem to encourage anything
0:42:41 > 0:42:45- in the way of frogs or newts or dragonflies.- OK.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47- LAUGHING:- It's clearly quite kind of congested in here, isn't it?
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Yeah, it's rammed.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50- Yeah! - SHE LAUGHS
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Which is great, because the plants are doing really well.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54But I think if we get this all cleared, then
0:42:54 > 0:42:58we can see what we've got to work with and see how it can be improved.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- VOICEOVER:- Andrew's pond will have plenty of bugs and microorganisms.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06The problem is, there's just too much vegetation
0:43:06 > 0:43:09to attract the wildlife that Andrew loves.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12So he needs to create some clear water.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14This is the Iris pseudacorus, the yellow flag,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17which is actually quite an invasive species.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20And you can see why there - it's just taken over, hasn't it?
0:43:20 > 0:43:21Yes. Completely.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- Look, it's empty! - SHE LAUGHS
0:43:29 > 0:43:34- VOICEOVER:- When filling a pond, ideally use rainwater.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36Tap water CAN be used,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39but it needs to be left standing for a day or two,
0:43:39 > 0:43:41or treated with a dechlorinator.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47So now the pond is full, what are your thoughts on the flag iris?
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I think it's far too big for the pond, it's probably too tall,
0:43:50 > 0:43:54and the flowers aren't there much. They don't last very long.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56- Let's leave it out, then, shall we? - I think so, yeah.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00And this pickerel, I think, is one to keep.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03- Isn't it gorgeous?- Yeah, especially with the sunlight on it.
0:44:03 > 0:44:04- That's beautiful, isn't it?- Yes.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08The problem is, this is an invasive species, so you have to be careful.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10If you were anywhere near a watercourse,
0:44:10 > 0:44:11I would say don't plant it.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14But you're not, it's a contained pond and you have it in this trug,
0:44:14 > 0:44:16which will stop it spreading far.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19So what we need to do to get this looking its best
0:44:19 > 0:44:23- is chop down any of these that have snapped.- OK.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Because this plant's really, really high in cellulose,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29so all this leaf that's hanging in the water will break down
0:44:29 > 0:44:31and release all the sugars into the water.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Which encourages the growth of things like algae.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- So, as soon as they snap...- Yes. - ..chop them off.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40- And it's a really, really good plant for wildlife, actually.- Right.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42It's really good for bees and butterflies,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45and it's a fantastic thing for the dragonfly larvae to climb up
0:44:45 > 0:44:48and then launch from, so it's a really useful plant.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49Ah. That's what I'm looking for.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59OK.
0:44:59 > 0:45:00Are you happy with the position?
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Yeah, that's great. Looks really good there.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03Cool. All right then.
0:45:05 > 0:45:06What next?
0:45:10 > 0:45:14So this is a classic example of how congested a pond can get...
0:45:14 > 0:45:18- Yeah.- ..very quickly. I mean, look at all the stuff we've removed.
0:45:18 > 0:45:19Yeah, it's amazing.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22And actually you only want 50% of it to be covered with the foliage.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24So you have kind of optimal habitats
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- for all different kinds of animals, insects...- Yes.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30And you get the reflections coming off the water
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and that sort of thing, bouncing off the trees...
0:45:32 > 0:45:36Which I haven't had, it's been just like any other border, you know.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38- Exactly. I mean, it looked like a bog garden.- It did, yes.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42So what I think we should do is pot on some of these,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44and then just get rid of whatever's left over.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47So a waterlily, one marsh marigold,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49- and that's it.- OK.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51- So we're really streamlining.- Yeah.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54And to do that is really easy, you just need an aquatic compost.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58So it's very much like any other potting on you would do,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00only your container is absolutely full of holes
0:46:00 > 0:46:02so water can come and go easily,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05and the compost that you use is a specialist aquatic compost.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07And other than that,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09you just would do it in very much the same way
0:46:09 > 0:46:13- that you would do anything. - Yeah.- So this is the waterlily...
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Is that too much on there, do you think?
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Yeah, maybe half of that would be enough,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- but that'll quite quickly fill up. - Right.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22So I'm taking off the excessive roots
0:46:22 > 0:46:23so that they're not curling round...
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Yeah.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34- So if we put a good covering of gravel on the top...- Yeah.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38..that will really weigh it down as it goes in.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Cos the last thing you want is all this compost floating away,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45- in your pond!- Yeah.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48And bizarrely...even though they're going in water,
0:46:48 > 0:46:52- they need a really good soak before they do.- Right.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56It'll just help them to sink more quickly.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58And now you have to think about where you want them!
0:46:58 > 0:47:00SHE CHUCKLES
0:47:03 > 0:47:06- Shall we put the marsh marigold in first?- Right...
0:47:08 > 0:47:09There we go.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Great.
0:47:11 > 0:47:12Now the waterlily.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- VOICEOVER:- Andrew's waterlily is really quite large.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17So it WILL need regular dividing.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21Or he could think about replacing it with a smaller variety.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24And then obviously... the leaves float on the surface,
0:47:24 > 0:47:29which provides fantastic shelter for frogs and any amphibians -
0:47:29 > 0:47:31they can shade under there and also hide from predators
0:47:31 > 0:47:33and birds and things like that,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35so they're a really, really good thing for wildlife.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42- So now we've created a haven... - Yeah.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45..for wildlife to come into your pond, and your garden,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- we now need to allow them to get out of it again.- Oh, OK.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50So it's a really important step
0:47:50 > 0:47:53and just by putting a couple of rocks in, like this,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56it can come up here and then get out and come in any time it likes.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58- Yeah.- Perfect.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02So then it's just some smaller plants.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05And because these are in fabric pots,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08they'll fit into the nooks of the rocks quite well.
0:48:08 > 0:48:09This is an equisetum
0:48:09 > 0:48:13and it needs to be submerged, but not quite as deeply as the others.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15So that will be a good place for that.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18That's water mint, Mentha aquatica, which is really a fantastic plant
0:48:18 > 0:48:21because it floats on the surface, it's called rafting.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24The roots will hang down and really cleanse the water.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27And it really smells of mint.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29It does, it's a lovely, fresh, kind of spearminty smell.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33- It is. Is it edible?- It is edible, yeah, it's absolutely edible.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Look!
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- Oh, yeah. - No-one's going to believe us.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52- SHE LAUGHS - I know. There's a frog.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55It's amazing. If you build it...
0:48:55 > 0:48:58- ..they will come. - Well, let's hope so.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Fantastic.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Frances is right about this flag iris -
0:49:18 > 0:49:22it can become very invasive. I like it.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24I like the way that it gives such structure
0:49:24 > 0:49:26and the yellow flowers are fantastic,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29but you just need to thin them.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30I'm just putting that on the side,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33so all the little creatures can go back into the water.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36And this wildlife pond is full of life,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38although it is very overstocked.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42I've allowed it to become a complete tangle.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45It gets quite deep here, so I need to be careful.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50But my feeling is that as long as the wildlife is there,
0:49:50 > 0:49:53then you don't need to be too proscriptive.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55A certain element of it is what is working,
0:49:55 > 0:49:59both for you and the creatures that you want to share your garden with.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04One little tip I would give is put in a rotten log.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08I've had a log floating in here from the day we filled it up
0:50:08 > 0:50:13and it's used as a perch by frogs and birds,
0:50:13 > 0:50:17it attracts beetles and as it slowly biodegrades,
0:50:17 > 0:50:22it doesn't enrich the water in the same way that green material does.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24So it's working on lots of different levels.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Right, let's pull a little bit more out.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33And then I'll get rid of that and compost it later.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36Oh, there's Nigel's ball.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Now, where's the wildlife that is usually attached to that?
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Come on, Nige.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Good boy. Good boy.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02It's been a good year for veg.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06It's quite hard to pin down why that should be,
0:51:06 > 0:51:10but some things that can be quite tricky have done well.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13For example, these fennel very often bolt and go to seed
0:51:13 > 0:51:15before they make a decent heart.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19And whilst that's not the biggest fennel you'll get, it's very good.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23And we've had lots and lots of lettuce.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25The beetroot have come through well.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29You see, that's nice.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31And I like them when they're not too big.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37Our biggest problem has really been pigeons.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40But by netting all the brassica, that's solved it.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Courgettes, of course, but then everybody grows good courgettes.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47But I think, by and large, it's been luck rather than judgment
0:51:47 > 0:51:49that we've had good vegetable-growing weather
0:51:49 > 0:51:51when it mattered, which was June, July
0:51:51 > 0:51:54and then the end of September and October.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Earlier this year, I took some cuttings from my aeoniums.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13And there are a couple here. This has taken perfectly well.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16It did look a bit dodgy for a few weeks
0:52:16 > 0:52:17because you know with succulents,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20you have to let the wound callus and dry out,
0:52:20 > 0:52:22which is the opposite of most cuttings
0:52:22 > 0:52:25which you want to keep moist in order to form new roots.
0:52:25 > 0:52:30And the danger of a succulent is it will lose moisture
0:52:30 > 0:52:31and bleed to death.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35And so, to start with, you're going against all things
0:52:35 > 0:52:38that instinctively you feel you should be doing.
0:52:38 > 0:52:39Well, these have come through
0:52:39 > 0:52:41and this one is looking particularly healthy.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45And what's given me huge pleasure is that this aeonium stem -
0:52:45 > 0:52:48and I took a cutting off the top section -
0:52:48 > 0:52:52was a bare stick for weeks and weeks.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56And, just the other day, I noticed that there are buds forming.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57All the way up.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01So, by this time next year, that will be a cluster
0:53:01 > 0:53:03of lovely, dark aeonium rosettes.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Now, the succulents which spent a lot of the summer outside,
0:53:08 > 0:53:12and now indoors, they'll be kept cool, but not freezing cold.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14And pretty much bone dry all winter.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17And it's the same with some of the salvias and the citrus
0:53:17 > 0:53:20and the pelargoniums, gradually this greenhouse is filling up
0:53:20 > 0:53:24as a protection against the worst of the winter weather.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Now, I've got some jobs for you.
0:53:27 > 0:53:28Not just for this weekend,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32but ones that you can do over the coming weeks and months.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46It's time for a winter clean-up.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Give all your pots - terracotta and plastic - a really good scrub.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54And this will get rid of all traces of compost as well as making sure
0:53:54 > 0:53:57you have good plant hygiene ready for next spring.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00And then go through all your tools as well, cleaning them.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04And if they're not stainless steel, give them an oil
0:54:04 > 0:54:06so that they don't rust over winter.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Don't waste a single fallen leaf,
0:54:16 > 0:54:19as they all contribute to leaf mould.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22And a good way of reducing the volume is to mow them
0:54:22 > 0:54:24once you've collected them.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Spread the leaves out either on a piece of dry ground or a path
0:54:27 > 0:54:29and run the mower over them a few times,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33and this will reduce a large barrow load into one collector bag.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37And also mean they biodegrade quicker,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39as there'll be a bigger surface area.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45If you grow dahlias in pots
0:54:45 > 0:54:48or anywhere where the ground is wet and cold,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50it's a good idea to lift and store them.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54Cut off all top growth down to about four inches
0:54:54 > 0:54:57and remove all excess soil around the tubers.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Then store them, packed around with either sand,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05old compost, vermiculite,
0:55:05 > 0:55:10any material that will absorb some water, but not be too soggy.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14And store them somewhere cool and dark and frost-free.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16And check them occasionally to make sure
0:55:16 > 0:55:18they're neither too wet nor too dry.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32This rose is called Caroline Testout
0:55:32 > 0:55:34and it's been flowering with almost the same vigour
0:55:34 > 0:55:36as it did in early summer
0:55:36 > 0:55:38because the first half of October
0:55:38 > 0:55:42was so exceptionally warm and dry here at Longmeadow,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46and this is a south-facing wall, so it's had glorious weather.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Well, let's go and see if it's going to continue
0:55:48 > 0:55:52and what the weather holds in store for us gardeners this weekend.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Well, that's it for today.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10In fact, not just today, but for this year.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12And it's been a really special year.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Our 50th anniversary.
0:57:14 > 0:57:19And thank you all for helping us to celebrate it as we did.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23And of course, 50 gone, but 50 to come.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27And we're gearing ourselves up for a fresh start next spring.
0:57:27 > 0:57:32And don't forget, the clocks go back on Sunday morning,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36so enjoy tomorrow for all the light it can give you.
0:57:36 > 0:57:41And I will see you back here at Longmeadow next spring.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44So, from myself,
0:57:44 > 0:57:49Nigel, Nellie and all of us at Gardeners' World, bye-bye.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Come on, you two. Come on.
0:57:53 > 0:57:54Nige, this way.
0:57:54 > 0:57:55This way.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Good girl, come on.
0:57:58 > 0:57:59Come on.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01Good girl. Go on, off you go.