0:00:10 > 0:00:12Hello, welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14I love cow parsley,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19and around about the middle of May, it is one of the great glories,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21not just of this garden but of the English countryside.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25But it is also a bit of a thug.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27It's become a weed here, in the spring garden,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30and whilst I don't want to get rid of it,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I do want to slightly thin it out
0:00:32 > 0:00:35because other plants struggle to compete with it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Mind you, you'd be pushed to find anything
0:00:38 > 0:00:41that would swamp the crown imperials.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45These are the kings of the garden this Easter.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50But you don't have to look very far for delight at this time of year.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54The garden is just filling with glory.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Mind you, it's filling with work, too.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01And that's just as well because we have a full hour
0:01:01 > 0:01:05in which to relish the garden this Easter time.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07On tonight's programme,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Nick Bailey has got all you need to know
0:01:10 > 0:01:13to get your lawn looking immaculate for the season ahead.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17We pay our first visit to Adam Frost's garden,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and he is focusing his attentions
0:01:19 > 0:01:22on creating a large herbaceous border.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And Carol Klein visits Waterperry Gardens
0:01:26 > 0:01:29to learn more about one of her horticultural heroines,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Beatrix Havergal.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And, of course, we've got lots more to come from Longmeadow.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Come on!
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The new fruit garden is now fully structured.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12I've cleared the turf of this square area in order to grow as many
0:02:12 > 0:02:17different fruits as I can to create a kind of fruity garden that will be
0:02:17 > 0:02:20ornamental but really productive
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and also to grow fruit in a limited space.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27So, I've got cordons of apples and pears
0:02:27 > 0:02:30growing on the low fence all the way around the outside,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and that makes a kind of fruity hedge.
0:02:32 > 0:02:38Now, I've got the structure for climbing plants -
0:02:38 > 0:02:40blackberries, tayberries, loganberries.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I can start planting those.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44In terms of the structure,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47it wants to be at least six foot high, so if you are using posts,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51these are 8ft posts which are two foot in the ground.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52They are also chestnut.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53In practical terms,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56chestnut rots very slowly in the wet,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59but you can use metal if that's what you want,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and you can certainly grow them up against a fence
0:03:02 > 0:03:05as long as it's nice and strong and six foot tall.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07But I have used these wires
0:03:07 > 0:03:12because you do need strong support for these plants.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17So it's 12-gauge galvanised wire with strainers at both ends,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21which means you can tighten it because wire inevitably slackens.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Right, I'm going to start with a tayberry.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Tayberry is a cross between blackberry and raspberry
0:03:30 > 0:03:33which was made in 1979.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35And they're an improved version of the loganberry
0:03:35 > 0:03:38so that they are big fruit, they're juicy,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42they have the vigour of a blackberry but a lot of raspberry about them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44And the fruits, of course, are bright red.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But I will only plant one to each bay.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56About eight to ten foot apart is right,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58to let the plant grow vigorously.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02And that will fill the whole of that bay, ready for fruiting.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05And planting them is easier with my jacket off.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13The ground has been dug...
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and some compost rotavated into it,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18but what you do want is quite good drainage.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So if you've got wet, heavy soil,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23you may need to add some grit or sharp sand
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and any organic matter is going to help.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30I have got some mycorrhizae because that will help them get away.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34We add a little bit onto the roots like that,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37a little bit in the bottom of the hole to get them away.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44That little plant will grow new shoots from the base.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47We won't get any fruit this year.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52The shoots that grow from this will give us fruit next summer.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54So I'm just going to have to be patient with that!
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Tayberries are not easy to get from a supermarket
0:04:58 > 0:05:00because they're not really grown very much commercially.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03And they're ideal for growing at home.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06And I think they're absolutely at their best as a jam.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17That's tayberries. Let's move on to loganberries.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Loganberries were an accidental hybrid,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and it was the raspberry and the blackberry
0:05:28 > 0:05:31that produced the loganberry.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36They're large, deep-red fruit produced in July and August.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Not as good as a really good raspberry to eat fresh,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45but when cooked in any form - stewed, crumble, jam -
0:05:45 > 0:05:47they are delicious.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51They don't need full sun.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55You can grow these on an east or even a north fence or wall,
0:05:55 > 0:05:56if you want to.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Now this, like the tayberry,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04will all be set for a good harvest in 2018.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17There are a surprising number of cultivated blackberry varieties,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and the advantage of growing them is
0:06:20 > 0:06:23the varieties tend to be much less prickly,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27the fruits are bigger and they're earlier, too.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30You can have blackberries at the same time as raspberries
0:06:30 > 0:06:31and tayberries and loganberries.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35That's really easy. Just two more things that must be done.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39The first is to give each plant a really good water.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Right for that.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49And then, do mulch them.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57A really generous mulch will suppress the weeds,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00keep the roots cool as they grow
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and gradually will be worked into the soil
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and that will help soil structure.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Now, this is a project which has taken quite a time
0:07:08 > 0:07:13to get going and will take a year or more to come to fruition,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15in every sense of the word.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But Nick Bailey is starting a series
0:07:18 > 0:07:22of weekend projects that everybody can do,
0:07:22 > 0:07:27and he sets out with how to make the most of our lawns.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42This east-facing garden has got a 20 by 20 metre lawn,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44but after a winter of neglect,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46it's starting to look distinctly lacklustre.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49There are all sorts of problems going on in this turf.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54There are weeds, there's moss, there's bare patches,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57there are crumbled edges to the borders.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00There are all sorts of problems that need sorting out.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05One of the first things you can do to bring your lawn back to life
0:08:05 > 0:08:07in the spring is to give it a good trim.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Now, the turf will potentially have got quite long over the winter time
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and if you give it a really short cut at the start of the season,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21that's going to hamper its chances to rejuvenate and become lush again.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24So, the best thing to do is just lift up the level
0:08:24 > 0:08:27of the cutting deck a couple of notches.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Now, regular mowing will take out most of the nasty annual weeds
0:08:52 > 0:08:55that you get in the lawn, but there are certain perennial weeds
0:08:55 > 0:08:57that the mower isn't going to eradicate.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59There's two different ways of dealing with them.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Some people choose to use a weedkiller
0:09:01 > 0:09:03specifically for the lawn,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I would always rather remove them by hand.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Now, the key thing with these perennial weeds,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11such as thistles, plantain and dandelions,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14is that lots of them have a really long tap root,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and it's really important to get that out
0:09:16 > 0:09:18if you don't want them to re-occur in the lawn.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Moss is one of the most common problems you tend to find in lawns.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The lucky thing is, it doesn't have great roots
0:09:36 > 0:09:38so it's quite easy to rake out.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Now, that's about a square metre of lawn I've gone through
0:09:41 > 0:09:42that was really quite infested.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So with that gone,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and some of the old thatch and dead pieces of grass in there,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50the lawn is going to be a happier, healthier place.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02This is a typical sort of problem that you'll find
0:10:02 > 0:10:06in any garden that's got overhanging trees or shaded areas.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09What's happening is the turf is being deprived
0:10:09 > 0:10:11both of light and of moisture,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and so it's died out over the winter.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The easy solution to this is to prep up the ground again,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20open it up with a rake, fresh seed into there,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23so just a shade mix will work really well.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Now, usually with sowing grass,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27you'd probably rake the seed back in,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30but I don't want to disturb the old roots or the ground any more,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33so what I am going to do is to use some ordinary garden soil
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and just do a very light sprinkling across the surface,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and that's going to help in two ways.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43First of all, it will reduce the chances of birds coming down
0:10:43 > 0:10:47to eat your new seed. And secondly,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50it means there's a bit of additional moisture, which will help them
0:10:50 > 0:10:52to germinate and establish.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Repairing damage to the edge of a bed like this
0:11:08 > 0:11:10is notoriously difficult.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13So, there is a tried and tested technique
0:11:13 > 0:11:15that's virtually guaranteed to work.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20What I'm doing is cutting out a standard piece of turf,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23much bigger than the actual piece of damage,
0:11:23 > 0:11:24and then here's the trick.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28All you need to do is simply flick the piece of turf round.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37What you're left with is a gap at the back here,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40which was the original hole or the dead patch.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44It's a lot easier to contend with when it's back into the lawn.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46And so you can just scavenge a bit of soil from the bed...
0:11:48 > 0:11:52..and then I'm just going to use a standard rye-grass,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55sprinkle over those gaps,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and then all you need to do is keep it well watered
0:11:57 > 0:12:00over the first few weeks and it will quickly establish,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and we've got a lovely, fresh, solid edge to your bed.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19The good old garden fork works brilliantly to aerate a lawn.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22What it does, if you work in rows across the lawn
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and gently open it up, is it means that water,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28air and nutrients get down to the grass roots
0:12:28 > 0:12:32and the whole lawn will appreciate it and grow so much better.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42As well as running repairs at this time of year,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44it's worth giving your lawn a feed.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It will help prevent it from getting pests, diseases
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and it also helps knock back some of the weeds
0:12:49 > 0:12:53cos the grass is so much lusher and so much stronger.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The best time to try and do this is just before rain is predicted
0:12:58 > 0:13:00or when the ground is really wet,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02and then the fertiliser will work into the soil
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and make sure you have a really lush lawn, come summer.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14We might not all be huge fans of lawns, but taking a few hours
0:13:14 > 0:13:17at this time of year to feed, weed and repair
0:13:17 > 0:13:20will virtually guarantee that you'll have a lush patch
0:13:20 > 0:13:22that you can lie out on in summer,
0:13:22 > 0:13:23and that's got to be worth it!
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Regular viewers will know we don't really have a lawn at Longmeadow.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46I've either let the grass grow long or cut into it increasingly
0:13:46 > 0:13:49to make gardens, like I have for the fruit garden.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52And the long grass is looked after in a very particular way
0:13:52 > 0:13:56because it's ideal for growing spring-flowering bulbs in.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59The bulbs go in and start flowering in February
0:13:59 > 0:14:02with the first crocus through to now with fritillaries,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and in between we have an awful lot of narcissi.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08They are allowed to die back naturally.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Now, in the case of crocus, that's at least six weeks.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Essentially, we don't cut the grass till July, and then we mow it
0:14:14 > 0:14:18like a lawn. And by the way, this used to be a mown lawn for years,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21so it's very easy to then have long grass,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23and I like that mix of long grass,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27flowers and then short grass for the second half of summer.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And at this time of year, I do get a lot of letters about lawns
0:14:31 > 0:14:33and problems that go with them,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and that is matched almost as much by letters about hydrangeas
0:14:37 > 0:14:42and the problems that may seem to appear with them.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45However, my guess is that Roger Butler doesn't see
0:14:45 > 0:14:50ANY problems with hydrangeas at all because he adores them!
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Well, I started growing plants when I was eight.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04My aunt grew chrysanthemums
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and dahlias, and I quite liked them, and I started growing them myself.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And since then, I've moved on to growing trees and then shrubs,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and hydrangeas has become a speciality.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The interest in them commercially
0:15:24 > 0:15:27sort of exploded about eight, ten years ago, and for five years,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29we've been expanding our range
0:15:29 > 0:15:33and growing more and more different types,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and I think we've picked a winner.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They're not Granny's plants any more.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46So many ladies have them in their bridal bouquets these days,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and then they become and have a sentimental value to them
0:15:49 > 0:15:51for the rest of their lives.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59They give such a wide range of colour.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02You know, they start flowering naturally in the spring
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and you've got colour right the way through till the autumn,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and you can cut and dry the flowers,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11so they have a real long life span in the garden.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The bunch of hydrangeas that I've just cut
0:16:18 > 0:16:19feature some mopheads,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23which is this type of hydrangea,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and two lacecaps and one double flowered variety.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32This one here is a mature flower, of a variety called Berlin.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33The next one here is Glam Rock,
0:16:33 > 0:16:38which was the plant of the year a few years ago. In America,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41they call it pistachio, which I think is quite appropriate.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47I've got a small-petalled variety which is Ayesha - again, a mophead.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51This is Rotkehlchen, a German variety, lacecap,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54very nice, reliable, quite easy grower.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58In England, lacecaps sell better than mopheads,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and on the Continent, they struggle to sell the lacecaps
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and everyone wants a mophead.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07But I like them all! I'm sorry!
0:17:07 > 0:17:11You're going to struggle to pin me down to one variety.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Well, the unusual thing is
0:17:24 > 0:17:28that the soil decides the colour of the plant,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and these two plants here are the same variety.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33They're Magical Revolution.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37And the only difference between these two plants
0:17:37 > 0:17:39is the compost that they're grown in.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43This pink plant has been grown in an alkaline soil
0:17:43 > 0:17:46whereas the blue one is grown in an acid soil
0:17:46 > 0:17:49with added aluminium sulphate.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Of course, if you grow it in a container,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54it's easy to control the soil pH.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56And if you plant them in your garden,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00it's pretty much potluck what colour they'll be in the coming years.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03They'll probably stay blue or pink for the first year,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05but as the soil affects them,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09they'll go to whatever the soil type allows.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Your best bet if you want a hydrangea that stays the same colour
0:18:15 > 0:18:17is to plant a white one because the acidity
0:18:17 > 0:18:20or alkalinity of the soil doesn't affect the colour.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35The word hydrangea comes from Greek, and it comes from two words,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39one of them for water and the other one for vessel or container.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43So, it's giving you a clue - they need quite a lot of water.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45If you want to grow the very best plants,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49they need to be in slight shade, in a very organic compost,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and they're quite hungry. They need quite a lot of feed.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Hydrangeas don't grow very well on very alkaline soils,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01but if you have got a slightly alkaline soil,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04sometimes you'll find the leaves go yellow,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08starting at the veins and spreading through the whole leaf.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11This can be rectified by watering them with liquid seaweed.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Paniculatas are fine in full sun.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22They will grow virtually on most soils.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Some of them grow to ten, 12 feet.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31When all the plants are looking nice,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I feel very satisfied with what everybody here has achieved.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I love my plants and I grow a lot of plants.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43My wife sometimes says to me that I won't sell some of the plants
0:19:43 > 0:19:47on the nursery because I like them so much, and she's right!
0:19:47 > 0:19:49She is absolutely right.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05I will confess that I am a fairly recent convert to hydrangeas.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I was sort of brought up with them
0:20:07 > 0:20:10with my grandfather, who always called them hortensias,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and they are really good plants
0:20:13 > 0:20:16for adding texture and colour and flower to shade.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19They're woodland plants, but to get the best from them,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21you do need to prune them right.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Well, the thing to remember - there are two types of hydrangea.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26There are those that flower on new wood
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and those that flower on older wood.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30And the ones that flower on new wood,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33like this one, which is Hydrangea paniculata,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35can be pruned really hard just like a buddleia.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And that will encourage new growth and extra big flowers,
0:20:39 > 0:20:40and the flowers tend to be
0:20:40 > 0:20:44a bit more pointy than the more familiar, round, mophead type,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46which flower on older wood.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I'll show you how to do those in a minute.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53But with the new wood, you can really be rough and tough with them.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55So, I'm going to cut this right back...
0:20:57 > 0:20:59..to there and there.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04But you can see, it's being pretty radical.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And that, we'll cut like that.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So, I have reduced it to a fraction of its height.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17That will stimulate new growth,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20which will have lots of vigour and extra big flowers.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23The next group, which is much more common,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25is actually much easier still to prune.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Nothing in the garden matches this pear.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45This is a Perry pear. And when it's fully grown and covered in flower
0:21:45 > 0:21:47on an April day, with a blue sky,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50really, it matches anything in the world.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02The second kind of hydrangea, and by far the most common,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04are the lacecaps and mopheads.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I've got a couple here. They're very young plants.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07This one is...
0:22:10 > 0:22:11..which is a lacecap.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And we have...
0:22:15 > 0:22:18..which is a mophead. You treat them both the same.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22They've got these very familiar caps of open flowers.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Leave those on over winter.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Don't touch them. Don't prune them until you see the foliage appear,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and for most of us that's sort of the end of March,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33early April, depending where you live.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And then all you do is cut back
0:22:36 > 0:22:39the old flower heads and stems,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44take those back to the next really healthy pair of leaves.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Like that.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Then go around and even it out, removing any broken stems,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53any that are crossing, any that are crowded or have died,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and then you can reduce it by no more than a third,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00usually about a fifth, so just cut it back a little bit.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04And that'll do. It's a young plant.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I want it to grow nice and big. So it's really simple.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09If in doubt, leave it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13If you're not sure whether it flowers on new wood or old wood,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14do nothing.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Have a look, make a note and then next year you can get it right.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Now, I know that all this pruning advice can seem confusing.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25In fact, the whole business of learning to garden
0:23:25 > 0:23:27can seem like a mountain to climb.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29But all of us have to learn from someone,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and if there is an inspirational teacher,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35someone who really fires you with enthusiasm
0:23:35 > 0:23:36and a passion for gardening,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40then it's all much more fun and much easier.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44And Carol Klein has been revisiting garden heroes,
0:23:44 > 0:23:50and this week she is looking at the life of Beatrix Havergal,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52who inspired and informed
0:23:52 > 0:23:55a whole generation of women gardeners.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Beatrix Havergal was born in 1901 in Norfolk.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Daughter of a clergyman,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13she was thrust into a world about to be torn apart
0:24:13 > 0:24:16by the First World War.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21She loved music, but her first passion was horticulture -
0:24:21 > 0:24:25not an easy career to pursue for a woman in those days.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Beatrix started gardening with the Women's War Agricultural Committee.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41By 1920, she had passed her horticultural exams with honours.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45For Beatrix, education meant freedom.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51In 1932, she established the School of Horticulture for Ladies
0:24:51 > 0:24:53here, at Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58The school was sat in eight acres of landscaped gardens,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01but Beatrix's mission was to teach women
0:25:01 > 0:25:05not only the craft of gardening with flowers, shrubs and trees,
0:25:05 > 0:25:11but also how to cultivate fruit and vegetables and to tend the land.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Mary Spiller was one of her students
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and came back to teach and manage alongside Beatrix.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23So, Mary, you knew Beatrix very well.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25What was she really like?
0:25:25 > 0:25:26Well, she was wonderful, really.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Very formidable to look at - broad shoulders,
0:25:29 > 0:25:34tall and quite imposing and talked the whole time.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38And I know of one farmer who said he wanted something,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40they said, "Well, tell her."
0:25:40 > 0:25:42"Oh, I wouldn't dare!" he said.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46But, you know, she was really sweet inside,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51really quite sentimental, and she would help her students.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54I know there were several occasions when she helped to pay their fees
0:25:54 > 0:25:58cos they couldn't afford it and things like that.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01And she was always interested in what you were doing.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- But you had to do it well.- Yes.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06You were expected to achieve.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09She was a great one for perfection, wasn't she?
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Absolute perfection.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Everything had to be right.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Every line had to be straight.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Planting an acre of Brussels sprouts in the west field,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22not only were the... The rows had to be straight...
0:26:23 > 0:26:26..the squares had to be straight,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the diagonals had to be straight, too.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31So they were on a complete matrix.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Absolutely. But you see, it was sense
0:26:34 > 0:26:39because if you were hoeing with a mechanical hoe,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41if the rows were crooked, you'd cut them off,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- but it seemed a bit fussy at the time!- Yes, I'm sure.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50The herbaceous border that Beatrix created was used as a place to learn
0:26:50 > 0:26:51by her students.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58It's still one of the most admired borders in the country.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01So what kind of tasks were you expected to perform
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- in this long border? - There was never a plan to it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06It would change each year.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10So, in the... Either in the autumn or the spring,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14she would go through the border with students
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and you'd take a section,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and each section was a sort of repetition of the one before,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23but different. You'd have different combinations in them.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25So, you'd go through it doing any...
0:27:27 > 0:27:28..lifting, replanting,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32moving that needed, so it changed a little bit each year.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34And what about staking?
0:27:34 > 0:27:40We staked nearly everything with pea sticks which we cut from hazels,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and you had to put those around and weave them over the top
0:27:43 > 0:27:47so that the plants grew up through them and looked natural.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50And if there were what she called elbows,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54- that was the bit sticking out that you could see...- Right.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56..she'd pull it out and put it on the path.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- CAROL GASPS - So you'd know it was badly staked.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00"You've got to go back and do that bit again."
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Beatrix, or Miss H as she preferred her students to call her,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10had three guiding principles.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14They were order, knowledge and skill.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16As far as order went,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20she wanted to make sure that everybody grew everything
0:28:20 > 0:28:22in straight lines.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24And as far as knowledge was concerned,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26that was all about plants -
0:28:26 > 0:28:29what they were, what they were called, how high they grew,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33when they flowered, exactly how to look after them.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38And when it came to skill, the most important of the lot,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41it was the craft of gardening - how to edge a lawn,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45how to propagate plants, how to water.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49She'd have them going along the rows tapping all these clay pots
0:28:49 > 0:28:53to see which ones needed water and which didn't.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55With the equipment she gave them -
0:28:55 > 0:28:58all this order, knowledge and skill -
0:28:58 > 0:29:00they were able to go out into the world
0:29:00 > 0:29:03knowing everything they needed to know about gardening
0:29:03 > 0:29:05and with the attitude that
0:29:05 > 0:29:08they'd go on learning for the rest of their lives.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11What does Waterperry mean to you?
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Well, it means a very great deal to me.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20It means a great deal of happiness, I spent many happy years here.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23It gave me confidence,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25it gave me a life, really,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27somewhere where I felt confident.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30It was a very, very happy life here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34What has she given women gardeners?
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Oh, she really emancipated them.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39She gave them a huge amount.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44You see, the Parks Committee would not accept women gardeners,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and she gradually persuaded them.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51And in the end, her Waterperry diploma was accepted by them
0:29:51 > 0:29:55as a qualification. So, really, she changed the whole aspect
0:29:55 > 0:29:57of women gardening.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03We didn't really feel we were women in a man's world.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05We were equal to them.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08You knew you could do it, and that was it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11So, her contribution has been immense?
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Absolutely immense, yes. Yes.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I don't think I can think of anybody else offhand
0:30:17 > 0:30:21who gave that sort of contribution to women in gardening.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I don't know if Beatrix Havergal
0:30:35 > 0:30:38would approve of the distinct wonkiness
0:30:38 > 0:30:40of my bean sticks.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43And did you know Mary Spiller
0:30:43 > 0:30:48was the first woman presenter of Gardeners' World?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50And I am firmly of the belief
0:30:50 > 0:30:54that women are naturally better gardeners than men.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Now, if anybody has inspired you and is your gardening hero,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03we'd like to hear their story.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07And you can contact us via Twitter or e-mail, Facebook...
0:31:07 > 0:31:08You can put pen to paper.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16There we go. That will support the beans.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Now, there's still masses to come on today's programme.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21We've got Frances Tophill's plant that she thinks
0:31:21 > 0:31:24is the most influential in the last 50 years.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27We pay our first visit to Adam Frost.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30He's, of course, been developing his new garden,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and this year he's putting his efforts
0:31:33 > 0:31:35into a large herbaceous border.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42And, of course, Easter is the time above all else when garden centres
0:31:42 > 0:31:46open their doors and people flock to them by the millions.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51And Flo Headlam pays a visit to a garden centre with a difference.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I've come to Hulme, an area near Manchester City centre,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03to visit a garden centre like no other, and the clue is in the name.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12The garden centre is surrounded by raised beds for vegetables,
0:32:12 > 0:32:16a wildlife pond, and gardens where people can just wander.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20But what makes it special is that the whole place
0:32:20 > 0:32:23is tended by volunteers from the community,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25led by a few staff like Mark Frith.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28This is a wonderful oasis.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I walked through the front gate and I'm like, "Wow!"
0:32:31 > 0:32:32It's taken my breath away.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34How did it come about?
0:32:34 > 0:32:36It started way back in 1998.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38A small group of local residents
0:32:38 > 0:32:41wanted a green space to call their own,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and they were lucky enough to develop a group of volunteers
0:32:45 > 0:32:49to come together and take over this small piece of land.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51And since then, 17 years have passed
0:32:51 > 0:32:53and we've just expanded and grown so much,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56to nearly two acres of land now.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58We are a not-for-profit organisation.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02All the profits from the garden centre are ploughed back in
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- to keeping the garden centre open seven days a week.- OK.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07So, who comes to the garden centre?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- Who uses it?- So, we have people from all different walks of life,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13all the way through students to a retired professor
0:33:13 > 0:33:16who is one of our longest standard volunteers.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18We work with people with learning difficulties,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20physical and mental health disabilities,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22and they're learning new skills,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26so we teach them the basics of horticulture, like sowing seeds,
0:33:26 > 0:33:27- pricking out, potting on.- Uh-huh.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33These tomatoes that we've got here is a variety called Micro Tom.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- Right.- So, perfect for growing on balconies
0:33:36 > 0:33:37or windowsills.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40We've got a lot of students that have moved into the area now,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43and they always want to have little things to play around with at home,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47so growing tomatoes is perfect because you get the edible crop
0:33:47 > 0:33:48- at the end of it.- Mm.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52We just have to tell them they've got to pollinate the flowers as well
0:33:52 > 0:33:54because you don't have insects in your flat to pollinate them.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56You have to do that yourself,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58so a little paintbrush going into the flowers
0:33:58 > 0:34:01and pollinating them around so you end up with your tomatoes.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- That's perfect.- That's mine! - Exactly.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Sustainability is the motto here.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10They recycle everything,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13turning pallets into bird boxes and containers.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16And when they have decayed, they turn them into compost.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20This is a place where people can come and wonder and sit,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24but here it gives you an idea of what you can do,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26as low-cost gardening.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28They've got some anemones here,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30beautiful spring flowers.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Over here, in a recycled sink,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37we've got some thyme, we've got some forget-me-nots.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40It's just a place you can come and go, "Oh, do you know what?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43"I could do this on a smaller scale in my garden."
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Their core ethos is about gardening organically
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and encouraging wildlife.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Today, it's strawberry planting time
0:34:56 > 0:34:58and I'm helping volunteer Victoria
0:34:58 > 0:35:00to get the plants into their raised beds.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04How long have you been coming to the centre?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- Two years.- And what do you like doing here?
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Planting, woodwork...
0:35:12 > 0:35:14I like using the power tools more.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Oh, do you? What's your favourite power tool?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19- I like tools.- The drill! - Yeah. Me too.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24Into our planting hole, we're going to put some seaweed pellets,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27which is a good fertiliser,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and then this powder is rock dust,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and that is to help with lush growth.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37What other fruit and veg have you grown and taken home?
0:35:37 > 0:35:42- At the moment, I've got mint, honeysuckle, cabbage.- Yeah.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Now, I can come home from gardening, and if I'm still in the mood,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48I can go out and do my garden.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51What sort of gardening skills have you learnt coming here?
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Different types of plants and when to plant them.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57So you get lots of skills from coming here?
0:35:57 > 0:36:01- It's grown my confidence as well in talking to people.- Mm.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Brilliant.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09So, you're local and you come here to shop?
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- Yes, I do.- OK. So, what are we looking at today?
0:36:12 > 0:36:16We're just looking at some plants for some planters that I have.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18All right. What do you fancy today?
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I fancy something like that.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24- What do you think? - Alpines will work fine, actually.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I mean, they like, you know, they like kind of free-draining soil
0:36:26 > 0:36:29so I'd put a lot of grit in with the compost.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32I would take these anemones. They're so beautiful, I would.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- Think of anything else? - I'm thinking possibly...
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Maybe something for height. What do you think?
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Yes, maybe take two of these.- Yeah?
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- It's more dramatic when you plant in bigger groups.- Yeah, yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:44Anything else?
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- What about this? What are they? - Aubrieta, beautiful.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Those two colours together would sit really nicely.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52I appreciate your help, thank you.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00What I love about this place is that all this creativity,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04all this energy, comes from the local community,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and that sense of "This is for us,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11"we put into it, we gain from it" is just right across the board.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I've had a wonderful time here today with you and the volunteers.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19This is a fantastic place.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22And I've brought something for you. I've brought some Jamaican thyme.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- Fantastic. - It's from my mum's garden.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27She gave it to me and I'm bringing something to you, for you to share.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Fantastic. And in the nature of sharing...
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- here's some prunings that we did last year.- Oh, wow.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- Oh, cool.- So this is a winter-flowering honeysuckle we did.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- So here's a collection for you to take away and share.- Brilliant.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42- Thank you so much.- You're welcome. - Wow, that's a lot. Thank you.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Garden centres, and especially at this time of year,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05can tap into that incredible power of gardening
0:38:05 > 0:38:09to heal, to nurture, to foster a community spirit,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12whether it's just one or two people gardening together
0:38:12 > 0:38:16or a community at large. It really does work.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Now, coming into this propagating greenhouse at this time of year
0:38:22 > 0:38:25is dipping into the brain and the heart of the garden.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29This is where everything is happening.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Seeds are germinating,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33seedlings are coming through and then pricked out
0:38:33 > 0:38:35and put into plugs and pots and grown on.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38We've got overwintering plants ready to go outside.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42And for a few weeks, it just really is all concentrated in here.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43Mind you, we have to move things on.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46So, for example, these tomatoes are almost at the point
0:38:46 > 0:38:48where they are ready to go out.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Did you know? Tomatoes are our most popular vegetable.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Perhaps one of the most significant plants
0:38:53 > 0:38:55that we do grow in our gardens.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58You'll have an opinion on that, but this week it's the turn of
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Frances Tophill to express her opinion on what she thinks
0:39:02 > 0:39:05is the plant that has had the greatest impact on our gardens
0:39:05 > 0:39:07over the last 50 years.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I would like to champion chillies.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13It's a great representative
0:39:13 > 0:39:17of our ever-expanding gardening and culinary repertoire.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22In the last half-century, travel has not only expanded our horizons,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25but it has widened the range of food that we love to grow.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30We have taken the humble chilli to our hearts in Britain,
0:39:30 > 0:39:31and who can blame us?
0:39:31 > 0:39:36With a vast array of colours and varying strengths, they can be huge,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40they can be tiny, but nonetheless fiery,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42and they are so easy to grow, too.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Either from seed or as potted plants,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46they can grace our windowsills in winter
0:39:46 > 0:39:48and our veg patches in summer.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50And you don't even need a garden to grow them,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54which for me as a gardener with a very small garden, is a great asset!
0:39:55 > 0:39:59They have stood at the helm, charging into our kitchens,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02our gardens and into our hearts.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05And that's why chillies are my choice for the Golden Jubilee plant.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Now, you might agree with Frances that the chilli represents
0:40:13 > 0:40:17the biggest changes in our lifestyle and gardening over the last 50 years
0:40:17 > 0:40:19or you might not. That is up to you to decide,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21and you will get your chance
0:40:21 > 0:40:24when all ten presenters have made their case,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and then we will be giving you a chance to vote,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31but that will come later on in the year.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Chillies take a long time to germinate and grow.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38However, there are a whole batch of tender vegetables that grow fast
0:40:38 > 0:40:40as long as they get enough heat.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44So, if you sow them now, over the next month, grow them on,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48protect them, and then, when they are big enough, plant them out
0:40:48 > 0:40:51round about June, at some stage, depending on where you live,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53the nights will be warm enough for them to grow quickly,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and then you'll get a good harvest.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00I'm going to grow some climbing beans and also some courgettes.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Courgettes can be planted out round about the middle
0:41:03 > 0:41:06to the end of May, so start them now.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07First is Gold Rush.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Lovely bright yellow fruits,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14quite easy to grow as long as it has rich soil, plenty of water.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18If you sow them directly into pots, you don't need to prick them out,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21you just take them out of the pot, pop them in the ground.
0:41:21 > 0:41:27Fairly large seeds, and what I like to do is sow two per pot,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31put them on their edge, push them in like that,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34and then I weed out the one that grows least strongly.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38You'll find that three or four courgette plants
0:41:38 > 0:41:41will give you as many courgettes as a family can eat.
0:41:42 > 0:41:49What I have done is add to the seed mix some sieved garden compost.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53These are essentially strong, lusty plants
0:41:53 > 0:41:55that want to grow fast and big.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57So, everything you can do to encourage that
0:41:57 > 0:41:59will give you a better result.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04As well as courgettes, I want to sow some climbing beans,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08which eventually, obviously, will be planted out onto the supports
0:42:08 > 0:42:09that I put up earlier.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11I'm using root trainers.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13The advantage is they allow for a deep root.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I'm going to put that in there.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17I have two different varieties.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33I've got a familiar variety I always grow called Blauhilde.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37They have these lovely purple pods.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42And I'm going to sow one bean for each root trainer.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Drop them on like that.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48Cover them over.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Label them.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53That can go in there.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58And this is a variety called Neckargold,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01which has golden yellow pods.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So, we've got the purple on one side,
0:43:04 > 0:43:05gold on the other.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08These are plants that look terrific.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10You could certainly grow them in the border
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and they would hold their own with any flower.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We'll pop these in here.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24So, now we've started the process of sowing tender vegetables,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27which will continue right through into June
0:43:27 > 0:43:31and it is much better to be a little bit late
0:43:31 > 0:43:37than too early with these because a cold spell in early summer
0:43:37 > 0:43:39really is difficult to recover from.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43So, they'll need water, heat to make them germinate,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47and then we can gradually encourage them to grow
0:43:47 > 0:43:50as big and strong as possible before planting them out.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14Last year, we watched as Adam Frost created his new garden.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19We are going back for the first time this year as he is about to embark
0:44:19 > 0:44:24on creating a brand-new and very ambitious border.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Do you know, we've been here nearly 12 months,
0:44:41 > 0:44:42and it's been fantastic.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44What a 12 months it's been!
0:44:44 > 0:44:48You might remember the last time you saw me, I was in the barn,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50it was pouring with rain and I was drilling these posts,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52and now they're in.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55So all I've got to do, really, is fix this rope...
0:44:56 > 0:44:59..and then I can start thinking about the roses I'm going to plant.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06Veg garden is done, that is now crying out for veggies.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10And front garden. Actually, there's a bit of furniture out there now.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12That breakfast terrace, we can go out there
0:45:12 > 0:45:13and enjoy a cup of tea in the morning.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Do you know, there are areas in this garden we've put
0:45:24 > 0:45:27so much work into - veg garden, front garden -
0:45:27 > 0:45:30but I keep getting drawn back to this space in this woodland.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34I really feel like I've benefited from someone else's work.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37All I did was literally cleared out the weeds. And then, actually,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40after Christmas, snowdrops appeared, aconites appeared.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43And all of a sudden, I was out the other morning with the dog,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46and popping up in here were these beautiful little tulips.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50I think they are Tulipa sylvestris.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52This area is really, really stunning,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55but this spring I really want to concentrate on
0:45:55 > 0:45:59transforming my herbaceous borders to make them just as beautiful.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15So I've got these fantastic borders,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18lovely, big, south-facing border and my west-facing border.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22At some point, these are going to be absolutely rammed full of wonderful
0:46:22 > 0:46:23herbaceous plants.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27Now, the problem is here, though, it's full of bindweed.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Which you know, as a gardener,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32it's one of the most depressing weeds you can have.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35It grows through things, up things, tangles itself around.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38You only need the tiniest little bit, you know,
0:46:38 > 0:46:39and it will just spread itself around.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41So, I am going to work my way through.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I'm going to clear all of the border,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46and I'm going to cover the border then with black plastic
0:46:46 > 0:46:48and then I'm going to mulch on top of it.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50You reduce the light and it dies.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53What I don't want to do is I don't want to lose the herbaceous plants
0:46:53 > 0:46:57that are in here, so the plan is to start lifting things.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59I'm going to put them in pots,
0:46:59 > 0:47:00put them to one side,
0:47:00 > 0:47:02keep them there for the season
0:47:02 > 0:47:04and make sure none of that bindweed
0:47:04 > 0:47:08is in that plant before I reintroduce it back into the garden.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Geraniums are probably actually
0:47:13 > 0:47:17one of my favourite herbaceous plants, and so easy to divide.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20All I've got to do is literally chop through.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Check it through for bindweed.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25So that's going to be a good clump of geranium.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Tap it down, make sure there's no air pockets.
0:47:32 > 0:47:33Let's get these across.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39And then, what I'm going to do is I'm going to cover
0:47:39 > 0:47:41the whole area in black plastic.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43But if you haven't got black plastic, some old carpet,
0:47:43 > 0:47:46something like that, anything that's just going to stop that light
0:47:46 > 0:47:47getting to those roots.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05I'm obviously just breaking this down in sections, you know,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08as this is a big old job, but if you've got a small garden,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11covering it up with this plastic is ideal, really,
0:48:11 > 0:48:13but obviously it's not going to look great,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15so I've put mulch on, but you could use bark,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17you could even use gravel.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20And maybe even arrange, you know, a few pots. Job done!
0:48:34 > 0:48:38I'm lucky that this border's got absolutely no bindweed whatsoever.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41So, I can get on and I can start planting it,
0:48:41 > 0:48:42but just to take you back,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46October, November time, I stripped off all the turf
0:48:46 > 0:48:48and then single dug it, introduced manure
0:48:48 > 0:48:50and now I've let it just have the winter
0:48:50 > 0:48:51just to work its way in,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54which will give me a really, really good base.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And then after that, added some manure over the top,
0:48:57 > 0:48:58just a light covering,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00and that'll go in as I'm planting this season
0:49:00 > 0:49:02and the worms will pull that in,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05give the plants a real good sort of start.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09So all I've got to do is finish off a little bit of the timber edging.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11And I've gone for timber, really, because it's cheap.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14It's pressure treated so it's going to last a long time,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17but realistically, it's going to be covered up by the plants
0:49:17 > 0:49:21and all I am trying to do is stop this soil ending up on this gravel.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26There you go. That's that done.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28And now for the fun bit.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31I'm going to actually start to design
0:49:31 > 0:49:32and actually create this border.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35So, to give you an idea, the first thing actually I do
0:49:35 > 0:49:37is pick out all the plants
0:49:37 > 0:49:39that I want to use in this border -
0:49:39 > 0:49:41so the colours I want, the textures I want -
0:49:41 > 0:49:43and I build them up in a mood board.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Collect all the images, keep them in one place.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51And then we measure the border up and we end up with a scale plan.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56After that, the first thing I do is start to actually add...
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Where am I going to have sort of structure through this border?
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I want you to realise that actually it's all about sort of
0:50:03 > 0:50:05a sense of rhythm, I suppose, with a long border.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09You need to get these sort of layers of interest that move you along,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and that really doesn't matter whether it's a massive border
0:50:12 > 0:50:14or a small border. If you've got a smaller garden,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18it might be those points of interest move around the garden.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21But where am I going to get my inspiration from?
0:50:21 > 0:50:23What is this border really going to be about?
0:50:26 > 0:50:29And my visit to Papworth was fantastic.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31And I was walking along herbaceous borders,
0:50:31 > 0:50:33and all of a sudden, I saw this yucca,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36and I saw this phormium, and they were like the "Wow!"
0:50:36 > 0:50:38They stood out.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41But I want to do something different here and I want the whole garden
0:50:41 > 0:50:44to have this feeling of food that runs all the way through,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46so in a sense, my yuccas, my phormiums,
0:50:46 > 0:50:48are going to become edibles.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51So although it's going to be a stunning herbaceous border -
0:50:51 > 0:50:53hopefully it will be - it's going to have these edibles.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56So, you're going to be out walking the herbaceous border...
0:50:56 > 0:50:57It's going to change through the seasons
0:50:57 > 0:50:59and you're going to pick from it
0:50:59 > 0:51:01and actually then start to use it in the house.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07But today, what I want to do is actually get the planting
0:51:07 > 0:51:09in the back of this border.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12I'm going to add some vines and I'm going to add some more fruit.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18I'm going to add a few of those along there,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20maybe a couple of apples to go with those pears,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22and I'll leave a little pathway,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25so hopefully I'll be able to actually get in here
0:51:25 > 0:51:27and harvest this back-end of the year.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46Well, boy, do I share Adam's pain about bindweed.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50Here, in the Jewel Garden, we got bindweed quite badly,
0:51:50 > 0:51:55and six years ago, we took out every single plant and dug it over
0:51:55 > 0:51:59inch by inch, taking out every last spaghetti-like thread
0:51:59 > 0:52:01of bindweed root.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04You really, really do have to attack it
0:52:04 > 0:52:08because bindweed is not the gardener's friend.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15However, once you've got your bindweed-free borders planted up
0:52:15 > 0:52:20and herbaceous plants growing lustrely, they will need support.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Lots of things you can use -
0:52:22 > 0:52:24you can use strings, you can use canes,
0:52:24 > 0:52:25you can use pea sticks -
0:52:25 > 0:52:27but here at Longmeadow,
0:52:27 > 0:52:31we tend to use metal supports, and we make them ourselves.
0:52:31 > 0:52:37We buy 6mm steel rod, which you can get from a steel factor,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and if that sounds like some obscure supplier, it's not.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43They are all over the country, look them up.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45These are 2.5m lengths,
0:52:45 > 0:52:49and the cost of this is going to be about £1.50.
0:52:49 > 0:52:54You then need a circular, solid surface.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Now, a tree trunk does this really well.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58You can use an upturned flowerpot.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01I'm going to use this ball here.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Line it up so it is roughly in the centre
0:53:04 > 0:53:06and just bend it round like that.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10So, you have got a hoop.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12That's the first dimension.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17Put them on a hard surface with a board over the top.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Stand on it so you have your weight over it and then pull up the legs.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28Hey presto! You've got a plant support.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30And you push the legs into the ground
0:53:30 > 0:53:34and then you can lift them up a little bit as the plant grows.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38These tend to last... Well, I've got some that we made 20 years ago.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40They are not going to rot.
0:53:40 > 0:53:41Right, let's go and use it.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Whatever you are using to support,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53the key is to hold the plant up but not to constrain it.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56It shouldn't look as though you've done anything at all.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58So, with things like this cardoon,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00which can be pretty floppy,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02push them into the ground like that
0:54:02 > 0:54:05and try and do it so the plant looks natural.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08It doesn't want to look corseted or constrained.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Just gently supported.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14The time to support a plant is before it needs it.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Now, the weather is glorious today here at Longmeadow,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20it really couldn't be better.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24But it can turn on a sixpence, and if it does,
0:54:24 > 0:54:27plants get bashed however carefully you support them,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30so let's see what the weather has in store for us gardeners
0:54:30 > 0:54:32this Easter weekend.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11Well, whatever the weather is like and wherever you live,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14there will be some jobs that you will be able to do this weekend.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24For most of us, daffodils are coming to an end.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26And they are busy forming seed heads.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29But this takes energy away from the bulb
0:55:29 > 0:55:31and next year's flowers.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34So, snap off these seed heads.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38However, leave the stem and the foliage to die back naturally.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44It can feel as though the weeds are growing faster than anything else
0:55:44 > 0:55:46in your garden at this time of year.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50And as well as mulching and hoeing,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53the best way to cope with them in a border is to hand weed.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Get in there on your hands and knees and deal with them individually.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01As well as getting you up close and personal with your plants,
0:56:01 > 0:56:05time spent doing this now will save you a lot of trouble
0:56:05 > 0:56:07later in the summer.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13The new shoots of dahlias make ideal cutting material.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Choose a shoot that is about four to six inches long
0:56:16 > 0:56:18and cut it with a sharp knife
0:56:18 > 0:56:21as close to the tuber as you can.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24Strip off any excess foliage
0:56:24 > 0:56:29and put it carefully into a very gritty compost mix.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Water it and put it somewhere warm and don't let it dry out.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35And it should form roots in a few weeks' time.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46So often, the blossom of the Taihaku cherry
0:56:46 > 0:56:49just gets to a point where it is looking really good
0:56:49 > 0:56:52and then it rains or there's wind
0:56:52 > 0:56:54and the petals are scattered
0:56:54 > 0:56:58all over the water and we never appreciate it in all its glory.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59But not this year.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01This year, I've never seen it look so good,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04and we've got wonderful weather to enjoy it in.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09But I'm afraid whatever the weather, there's no more time today.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12But I will see you back here at Longmeadow next time.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Until then, bye-bye.