0:00:06 > 0:00:10Hello, welcome back to Gardeners' World.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Now, it might be spring by name
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but it's certainly not by nature today here at Longmeadow.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18We have had a smattering of snow, we have got more forecast
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and there is an icy wind cutting in from the east.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24It is distinctly chilly.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28I'd planned to show you the spring garden in all its glory because
0:00:28 > 0:00:31it's been good so far this year. It's still got snowdrops, crocuses
0:00:31 > 0:00:33coming through, daffodils,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38hellebores, these early perennials starting to kick into flower
0:00:38 > 0:00:42but today they have been bent by cold and a bit of snow.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44They are beginning to reassert themselves
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and if you find at this time of year you get a batch of bad weather,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49which we do get, do not worry.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52The plants will recover with extraordinary speed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54They may look as though they have died
0:00:54 > 0:01:00but a bit of sunshine and they will be as good as new within a day.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01We have been busy over winter.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03We have made some changes and I will show you those.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05We have got more planned and, of course,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09lots to be getting on with, so it's great to be back.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16On tonight's programme we visit a garden in Wolverhampton with
0:01:16 > 0:01:19a surprise around every corner.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24A smallish, suburban garden doesn't have to be boring.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26You just feel as if you are in another world.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And Adam Frost shows how, with a bit of imagination
0:01:32 > 0:01:36and some clever design, you can make every space count.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I think it is just one mistake that so many people make.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43They start building their garden before they have really measured it.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Longmeadow has had a robust winter.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58We have had a lot of weather, including a very heavy
0:01:58 > 0:02:01fall of snow in December.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04In one day we had about two foot of snow
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and the effect was literally to crush things.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09The grass borders, which can look the best thing in the whole
0:02:09 > 0:02:12garden all winter, were just flattened.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13All this damage was done in one day.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And now they are ready to be cleared and, as soon as the weather
0:02:16 > 0:02:19gets a bit better, that is going to be one of the first jobs.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Come on.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Well, the fickleness of March weather is certainly living up to its name.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29We have got a blizzard, we have got sunshine,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32who knows what we will get next.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34But before Christmas, as well as heavy snow,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36we had a really cold night.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40It got down to -14 here at Longmeadow.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And the effects were pretty lethal to some of these herbs.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47The bays, for example, did not like it at all.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48They are actually not dead.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51The top is but at the base you can see there is green growth.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It means that these have lost their structural value.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I will dig them up and see if we can salvage them, but replace them
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and probably with more of these Irish yews.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I put these in in autumn to create a brand-new avenue
0:03:05 > 0:03:08here in the herb garden and I think it is looking great
0:03:08 > 0:03:10and I'm really excited about it.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14There is another change which is even more dramatic.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The real big change is here.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Now, for nearly 20 years we have had a greenhouse here
0:03:29 > 0:03:30and it has done us proud.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34We have grown tomatoes every summer, salad crops in the winter
0:03:34 > 0:03:38and it has worked fine but gradually it started falling apart
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and by the end of last year it was positively dangerous.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45So that has been taken away and this space, which now reveals
0:03:45 > 0:03:51quite a big area, is going to become my new Paradise garden.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55I spent a lot of last year travelling around filming
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Paradise gardens and it made a big impression.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01What I want to make here is my own Paradise garden.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05It will involve formal water,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07a building, a rill,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10borders, hedges, hard surfaces
0:04:10 > 0:04:15and that will all unveil itself as we progress throughout the year.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It is this year's big project.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I really love starting a new project.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31And with some inspiration,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35and a bit of imagination, really you can achieve anything.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37We certainly discovered that last August
0:04:37 > 0:04:39when we visited a garden in Wolverhampton.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44Originally, this had been an unremarkable suburban back garden.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But now it's been transformed.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56We call it the gardeners' surprises
0:04:56 > 0:05:01because the idea is that as you go round the garden
0:05:01 > 0:05:06you come around a corner and go, "Oh, I wasn't expecting that."
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We first moved here in 1990.
0:05:15 > 0:05:21The garden was just lawn and conifers and nothing else, really.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24We wanted it to be a garden
0:05:24 > 0:05:25where you couldn't see it all in one go.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31We wanted to try and divide it up and so it gradually evolved.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33There wasn't a plan, was there?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I'm the creative director and I'm particularly
0:05:39 > 0:05:44interested in the different uses of plants but also the myths
0:05:44 > 0:05:49that exist about the plants in the countries that they came from.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52My role is more mundane in that someone has to do
0:05:52 > 0:05:55all of the maintenance and the propagation.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58When we have agreed that we need a structure in the garden,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I'm the one that builds it.
0:06:00 > 0:06:06A lot of the enclosure of the garden is actually coming from borrowed
0:06:06 > 0:06:08trees in neighbouring gardens
0:06:08 > 0:06:11which helps give it its special atmosphere.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The two issues with the trees is dryness
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and light for growing plants underneath them.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21One of the obvious things to do was to put some
0:06:21 > 0:06:23structures in where we couldn't grow anything.
0:06:24 > 0:06:30I've been to Japan a couple of times and was inspired by their gardening.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35I built this Japanese teahouse and we have picked a range of plants
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and arranged them that gives a Japanese flavour to it.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44With the different types of bamboo we've got three or four acres here
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and we have bought some features such as the dragon.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01This is the Indian ink plant. It comes from North America.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03It is also called pokeweed.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It has spikes of white flowers and then it has these
0:07:06 > 0:07:11wonderful red berries that go black over time.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14It does this in one season.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's quite good-tempered, part shade.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It's not especially bothered about moisture
0:07:21 > 0:07:27and it was used by the Native Americans to make war paint
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and dyes for textiles
0:07:29 > 0:07:33but it was also used by the early settlers in America
0:07:33 > 0:07:37to make ink and there is a story that the
0:07:37 > 0:07:40American Declaration of Independence
0:07:40 > 0:07:43was actually written in ink made from this plant.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52This is another interesting group of plants, agaves.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58They come from Mexico and middle America and they grow in the desert.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00They can make agave syrup
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and they can also produce sisal to make textiles with.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09We have all sorts of interesting comments from visitors
0:08:09 > 0:08:11to the garden.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Some of them I find wandering around in the middle of the garden
0:08:14 > 0:08:16saying, "I'm lost, where am I?"
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Which is really what we are trying to achieve,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22that people are in another world.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25The folly, which looks like the corner of a monastery,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27somebody said to me,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31"Oh, I didn't know there was a ruined monastery in Wolverhampton."
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I said, "Well, there isn't."
0:08:35 > 0:08:40The inspiration for the summer house came from Castle Corfe where we
0:08:40 > 0:08:43liked the arts and crafts effect that was created.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It has been built with reclaimed stone and reclaimed doors
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and windows from a very old summerhouse that stood here
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and hopefully gives a very warm feeling
0:08:54 > 0:08:57when you can sit here on a late afternoon with the sun and have a
0:08:57 > 0:09:01view of the summerhouse border and the mock folly at the bottom.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12This is the 1939 brick air raid shelter which, as you can see,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15we have turned into a shell grotto.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20The themes are designed by Anne and represent fire, earth,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23air and water and day and night.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27The time it took to do this was probably seven years.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32It was one of those things where you start off with a good idea and then
0:09:32 > 0:09:35much later you suddenly think, "Why on Earth did we get into this?"
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But you can't get out of it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47A smallish suburban garden doesn't have to be boring.
0:09:47 > 0:09:54We are only 1.5 miles away from the town centre but you just feel as
0:09:54 > 0:10:00if you are in another world because of the way it wraps around you.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02That is what a garden needs to be,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05it needs to take you to another place.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I think that does show that if you have got some imagination,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and a little bit of drive,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24you can do anything in your garden, just go for it.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Now, I'm feeding the birds, I love feeding the birds
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and I love watching them, so we have them on a table here
0:10:28 > 0:10:31outside the kitchen window, but it is important when
0:10:31 > 0:10:36the weather is like this, if you can, to provide them with some food.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We use old logs of wood that has got crevices
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and that means the bigger birds will not be able to hog it all and
0:10:42 > 0:10:46tits and finches can get in there and work in all the cracks.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50A little bit of cover so if it snows or rains hard you've got some
0:10:50 > 0:10:53dry food and, again, put a few sticks and twigs down.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55They can get under it, they can stand on it,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57it makes it more interesting.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58You do need to include some water.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02That obviously has frozen overnight so you need to check that, and
0:11:02 > 0:11:04a shallow dish, not a deep one
0:11:04 > 0:11:07so they can get in, small birds, and can drink
0:11:07 > 0:11:13and if you have got it, an old dustbin lid is ideal as a bird bath.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19We deliberately do not cut back that brambly shrub on the wall
0:11:19 > 0:11:21because that gives cover to the small birds.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24If you have got a shrub, put a feeding station right in amongst it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25The pigeons can't get there.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The sparrowhawks can't fly in and also it is
0:11:28 > 0:11:29trickier for the squirrels.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Talking of squirrels, fat and suet is really important.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36We hang it up in cages so they can't get it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42One final note, it is cold, it is a busy time for birds, they're
0:11:42 > 0:11:46using a lot of energy, so if you start to feed them, continue right
0:11:46 > 0:11:50through until we reach good weather, which will be the end of this month,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53at least, because they use a lot of calories coming up to find the food.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57If there is none there, then it is wasted energy.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00But I think the return and the pleasure from watching these
0:12:00 > 0:12:04little birds is as good as a gorgeous flower bed.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11In you come, come in the warmth.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Come on, in you come.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Oh, it's nice to get in out of the cold.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22One of the things that has really horrified me, looking at the
0:12:22 > 0:12:24garden over this winter, is the amount of plastic
0:12:24 > 0:12:26that we are using here.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29We have plastic pots, we have plastic seed trays,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32almost everything I buy is wrapped in plastic
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and I think that is not acceptable any more.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38So, personally, I want to do something about it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I'm taking stock of the plastic I'm using in the garden,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43with the idea of cutting down.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Now, I do stress I have got no answers.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I'm not sure how to do this.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'm going to try lots of different things and share them
0:12:51 > 0:12:54with you and if they work, great, if they don't work
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I will be honest about it and we'll have to try something else.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01The first thing is to take the plastic you've got
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and do an audit on it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05For example, these plugs, which are very useful
0:13:05 > 0:13:09and we use all the time, are very flimsy.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12That means that we use them a few times
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and then they rip and they tear and we chuck them away.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17What I'm going to do is use them till they drop
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and then replace them
0:13:19 > 0:13:24either with a nonplastic type of plug, or something much more robust.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I think that's the sort of thing,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30whereas this seed tray is really robust.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I don't know when I bought this, probably four or five years ago.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35It's probably good for another three or four years.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40If you are buying plastic, buy good, solid stuff
0:13:40 > 0:13:43because the best way to recycle is to re-use.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Use it and use it and use it again.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47That's number one.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Number two is to look for alternatives.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I have got various pots here.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Pots made out of coir,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55this is the outside of coconut.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59You can get pots made out of miscanthus.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Miscanthus is a grass,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04they claim to biodegrade and go on the compost heap.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08You can get kits to make pots out of newspaper.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12You can use toilet rolls. There are all kinds of different ways
0:14:12 > 0:14:14but today I'm going to start doing the obvious alternative
0:14:14 > 0:14:17to plastic which is to use terracotta.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20There is no reason why you can't sow in terracotta pots.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22If you look after them you can use them and re-use them.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It is important to sow tomatoes
0:14:26 > 0:14:28and chillies, in particular, as early as you can.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31If you haven't sown any, and you want to grow them,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34this is something that you really want to get on with this weekend.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37If you are growing them outside there is not quite so much hurry.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I'll take my gloves off. That's how daring I'm feeling.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45OK, the thing about these pots that I've got, and I've had
0:14:45 > 0:14:47these for a number of years and recycle them, is
0:14:47 > 0:14:49that they have a big hole in the bottom.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I do need to cover that over, otherwise the seed compost
0:14:51 > 0:14:53falls through it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57And seed compost, by the way, tends to be lower in nutrients.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It is a good growing medium
0:14:59 > 0:15:02but it's deliberately not too rich
0:15:02 > 0:15:05because we want these seeds to grow at their own pace.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09We do not want to force them on and then we can pot them on later.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14This is pepper called Long Red Marconi.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Not many seeds in there.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17I will just put them into my hand.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19That's plenty.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I'm going to see if I have got my glasses
0:15:21 > 0:15:24because the truth is I can't see the seeds in my hand.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I can feel them but I can't see them.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32I really do not want these to be touching if I can help it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Because if you cram the seedlings too close together
0:15:35 > 0:15:41they will from day one grow without the strength that you want.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I will just put one more in there and that is it.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Cover those over lightly...
0:15:47 > 0:15:50..with just a little sprinkle of compost, and you could do it
0:15:50 > 0:15:53with just vermiculite or grit, if you have got it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I will water that.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58With these peppers, they do need heat.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Ideally, they need about 23 to 26 degrees.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05If you have got a heated mat with a thermostat then you can set it,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08otherwise on a windowsill, above a radiator.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12A little tip if you're growing chillies or peppers, is water them
0:16:12 > 0:16:14with warm water.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Cold water cools them down and they do need heat.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Now, as well as looking at alternatives to plastic
0:16:21 > 0:16:25throughout this series, we are also very keen to maximise
0:16:25 > 0:16:28the potential of every space in the garden,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32it doesn't matter how small it is, every bit of space counts.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36And a few weeks ago Adam Frost went to visit a small back garden in
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Bristol to demonstrate that you can transform even the smallest garden.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Do you know, for me, designing a garden is one of the most exciting things you can do.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52But I get that some people find it a little bit frustrating, maybe even
0:16:52 > 0:16:56daunting, especially when you're working with a really small space.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58But, for me, just with a little bit of thought,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02it's amazing what you can get out of even the tiniest of gardens.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Small gardens can be quite tricky but hopefully I'm going to
0:17:07 > 0:17:11show you it is possible to make every space count.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Right, my tiny, little garden.- That is a bit tight, isn't it, that step?
0:17:16 > 0:17:21- That step is a problem.- It is. - It really is.- Yeah, it's, um...
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- It's quite a small space. - It's tiny.- It is, isn't it?
0:17:24 > 0:17:28What is it that gets you down and makes you feel sort of a little
0:17:28 > 0:17:31bit grumpy about the whole thing, I suppose?
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I think the walls are very oppressive.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- I feel they are coming in on me. - Yeah.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It is dark, it is miserable and it just looks horrible.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42The floor, the deck, is awful. It's uneven.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- It looks a bit uneven, doesn't it? - And is quite dangerous, I think.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And I've tried this bed, I've tried to grow flowers
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and pretty things and it just doesn't respond to my kindness.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- I want it to feel happy.- Happy.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So you want it to put a smile on your face.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04At just three metres by six metres, Sue's garden is compact.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08But I'm sure we can bring new life into this dark, pokey old space.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The first thing we need to do is get measured up.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16This might seem like an awful lot of work for a small space
0:18:16 > 0:18:19but I think it is one mistake that so people make,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23they start building their garden before they've really measured it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26So making sure you have got everything on a piece of paper
0:18:26 > 0:18:29is a great way of understanding that space.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35The next thing you want to worry about is where the sun comes up
0:18:35 > 0:18:37and where the sun goes down.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I mean, if the back of your house faces north
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and it doesn't get a lot of light right through those winter
0:18:42 > 0:18:45months, and I put you a smooth surface out the back there,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48it's going to become really slippery and dangerous.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52You know, light levels really affect that whole design process.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I really love the curved wall
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and I'm going to use that shape on the ground to create an upper
0:19:02 > 0:19:06level, so the step outside the back door feels more comfortable.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10It will also help bring the wall down into the garden.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12This will then give me
0:19:12 > 0:19:16a lower usable level where I can put some seeds in.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I'm taking out half the raised bed to give more functional space.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I'm using three main materials -
0:19:25 > 0:19:28brick to link the surface area to the walls,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31light textured paving on the upper level,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35not only to make the area feel brighter but also to make it
0:19:35 > 0:19:37safer to move around.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Lastly on the lower level, I'm going to use gravel,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44which will not only provide textural interest
0:19:44 > 0:19:47but also help the area drain.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51As soon as the landscapers are finished,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53we can get on with the planting.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I've bought you some goodies.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Wow, they look fantastic.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01A garden for me is never, ever really a garden
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- until we get those plants in. - Oh, they are beautiful.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- Are you going to help me? - Yes, please.- Let's get stuck in.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12The first thing I want to do is add some interest to the wall
0:20:12 > 0:20:13with this beautiful climber
0:20:13 > 0:20:17that works really well in shady conditions.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18So we start with the hydrangea.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21This will leaf up well, lovely white flower.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- It will self cling to the wall. - Oh, that's brilliant.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26But also I think it will wrap around your water feature.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- You know, so even in winter this will look good...- Yes.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33..against that wall. I think, while I'm putting the gardens together,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37all I'm trying to do is slowly build them up in layers.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- I have got you a whole array. - They look beautiful.- Yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We have worked a lot of compost and organic matter into your soil
0:20:43 > 0:20:47so it is good, moist but shady, semi-shady conditions.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48The ferns are going to be brilliant.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50That gives you that lovely sort of texture.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54- Wonderful colour, too, isn't it? - It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Here we go, look. I know you like your pink.- I do.- All right.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01If you look at your hellebore there, bring this euphorbia across.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- Look, that pink tinge. - Isn't that...it matches perfectly.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It is those little bits of detail,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09so as that sits in, and they have just a little bit
0:21:09 > 0:21:12of a relationship, just that little bit of tone picks up really nicely.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14They look gorgeous.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16So everything you have got in here will grow in that
0:21:16 > 0:21:21sort of shady or semi-shady conditions. They come up every year.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- So they don't need replanting? - That's it.- Wonderful.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26All I do want you to do is every year maybe put a bit
0:21:26 > 0:21:30of compost back on top, some sort of food, to keep things growing.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31And this plant here.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Doesn't look much at the moment but this astrantia here,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38beautiful white flowers.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- Look like paper.- Wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45That's lovely, and it will keep flowering and flowering.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47So, really, all we have to do now is just get them in.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52When you are choosing plants for a small space,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56don't just think flower, think about leaf shape,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58habit and texture.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01You can even go big and bold if you want to.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05But don't use plants that are too heavy as they will block out light.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Go for light and airy plants.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11If your space is dark, choosing flowers
0:22:11 > 0:22:16and foliage that are light in colour will really help lift your garden.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Just make sure whatever you decide to grow will be
0:22:18 > 0:22:20happy in the conditions you have.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Once all the plants are in, it's just the finishing touches.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28The last one on there.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- That's amazing.- There you go.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36Thank you, it looks beautiful. It's my happy garden.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37It is, and I love today,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40you've smiled so much, but take yourself back, you were scared
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- to come out because you were worried about slipping over.- Yes.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It was dark, it was dingy.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It proves, doesn't it, even if you've got the tiniest of space,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51just with a little bit of thought, you can
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- create a really lovely, little garden.- Absolutely amazing.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56You have done a wonderful job. Thank you.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- I hope you enjoy it.- I will!
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Good.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Well, that does show what you can do,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14it doesn't matter how small the space is,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18and this year we do want to celebrate small gardens.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20We are running a competition.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25We would love to hear from you if you have a small garden,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28no more than 36 square metres, that's six by six.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Send us four pictures, not hard copies. They must be uploaded.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36They can be on the same day, or taken across the seasons
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and show the innovation and the design.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40We are looking for creativity.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44And, of course, it must be your work, not something you've paid for.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Then we will choose what we think are the five best gardens,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50come and film them,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54show them on the programme so you can all have a vote and then
0:23:54 > 0:23:58we will announce the winner of the competition on Gardeners' World Live.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01All those details are available on our website.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05What we are really after is to prove
0:24:05 > 0:24:09that no matter how small, every space counts.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Well, although this weather does limit what you do in the garden,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23there's no point in trying to plant or do
0:24:23 > 0:24:26anything like that, there is no reason why you can't prune.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30And pruning in cold, frosty weather will do no harm
0:24:30 > 0:24:31to the plants at all.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34So you could do apples, you can do clematis, you can
0:24:34 > 0:24:37do buddleia and you can do roses.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38Now is a good time,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41any time in March is a great time to prune roses.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Now, these shrub roses,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46what you're looking for is to create a good shape.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48This is a rose called Complicata.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50And you can see that it has become
0:24:50 > 0:24:52entangled, nice and healthy,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56it has been pruned back in autumn but I want to thin it out.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59When you are reducing the tangle, what you want to think of is
0:24:59 > 0:25:04creating a shape where every branch, every stem has space around it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06And the real thing to remember
0:25:06 > 0:25:11when pruning roses is the weaker the growth, the harder you cut it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13That is counter intuitive.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16But you will stimulate nice, strong growth by cutting back hard.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19So I'm going to get right in down the bottom, which is
0:25:19 > 0:25:20why I have brought the loppers.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25You see, I think that central one, which looks nice and strong
0:25:25 > 0:25:28but actually is crowding the middle, that could come out.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Any shoots that are damaged,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33you want to cut back below the damage
0:25:33 > 0:25:34and any that are crossing,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and they will rub against each other and that will cause an open
0:25:37 > 0:25:41wound, which will be much more prone to fungal or virus infection.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44They need to be cut back.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Come on, out you come.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Next step is to remove the weaker growth.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54And, in fact, I'm going to take that off right back there.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00We've got this which is crossing, so that can come off there.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02But this is not a fine art
0:26:02 > 0:26:06and I don't ever spend more than about ten minutes on any one plant.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12So don't feel that there is an absolute correct way to do this.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17But don't be frightened of it. You're not going to do any harm.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19These are tough plants.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Now, if you haven't got roses and you don't feel like pruning,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25or it is to cold, don't worry, whatever the weather, I've got
0:26:25 > 0:26:27some jobs for you this weekend.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38If you grow rhubarb, it is a good idea to force some
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and the time to do this is now,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43before you have seen anything other than the first sign of a bud.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The important thing is to exclude all light
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and it really doesn't matter what you use to do this.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Leave the cover on for about four weeks
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and then you will have extra succulent, sweet shoots.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Now that we are in March, it is
0:27:02 > 0:27:07time to prune late flowering clematis like this viticella
0:27:07 > 0:27:10because they produce all their flowers on new growth.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13This means you can cut them right back to the ground
0:27:13 > 0:27:15but if you grow them in a border, like I do,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I've found that it's a good idea to leave a foot or two of growth
0:27:18 > 0:27:21so that the new shoots begin their life without
0:27:21 > 0:27:23the competition of surrounding growth.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32More house plants are killed by over watering than anything else.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Now, a good way to avoid this is to put a saucer underneath each pot
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and never water more than once a week.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43When that saucer fills up, immediately discard the residue.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47However, it is a good idea to mist house plants at least once a day
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and a good tip is to use rainwater, rather than tap water.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Well, it's certainly been a chilly start to our gardening year.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08But come snow, wind,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12rain or shine we'll be back here at Longmeadow next week.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14So until then, bye-bye.