0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hello. Welcome to Gardeners' World.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Well, the winter madness of the weather seems to have gone
0:00:16 > 0:00:20and what's left behind is a slightly dazed garden,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24but nevertheless, one that is firmly in spring and we must
0:00:24 > 0:00:27get on with our spring jobs, and this is one of my favourites.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It's pruning back the pleached limes.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33The reason I'm pruning it back is to get back to the bare
0:00:33 > 0:00:38structure of the pleached branches, and in this case it is to create
0:00:38 > 0:00:41a cube, but I've also got them lining the cottage garden.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44By pruning them now, that will invigorate
0:00:44 > 0:00:48the plant to throw up new stems, which will provide a canopy,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52and also keep really good colour next winter.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55If you look at these branches here,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58you can see this is Tilia platyphyllos Rubra
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and the Rubra refers to these lovely red bark on the stems.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05That gives good, strong winter colour.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Although the limes are really important at Longmeadow, because
0:01:09 > 0:01:12we have got quite a lot of them, you can actually apply this
0:01:12 > 0:01:14pruning to a number of different plants
0:01:14 > 0:01:17like willow, like dogwood,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19but if you prune them back hard now,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22they will respond by throwing up vigorous new shoots
0:01:22 > 0:01:27across summer, and next winter those shoots will be really decorative.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Now, we've got lots going on today's programme,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33because not only am I cutting back, but I am also planting.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I've got a tree to plant, which is always a big moment in any garden.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46This week, Joe is planting up containers to introduce
0:01:46 > 0:01:51a welcome splash of colour to what can be a monochromatic March.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00And Carol is visiting a magnificent garden in North Wales
0:02:00 > 0:02:03to celebrate some extraordinary seasonal planting.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21In early December, we had two foot of snow in a day and it was wet,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24heavy snow and it lay on all the evergreens
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and these poor old grass borders were just smashed flat.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Normally in December, and even January,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33they are best thing in the garden, not this year.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Anyway, it's time to clear them up and clear away all the old
0:02:37 > 0:02:40growth, ready for the new growth to come through.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48A few weeks ago, I would have given anything to have felt
0:02:48 > 0:02:50a little bit too warm.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54There we go.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56The important thing at this stage,
0:02:56 > 0:02:57when you're clearing grasses,
0:02:57 > 0:03:03is just to remove the growth that is loose.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Don't yank at them because sometimes you can pull up the whole plant
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and sometimes you can damage them.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13But however much of a muddle it looks with all the grasses
0:03:13 > 0:03:17fallen and bashed, it is important to leave that
0:03:17 > 0:03:21over the winter months, because the last two years I have cleared this,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I've found hibernating hedgehogs in amongst the grasses and
0:03:24 > 0:03:27if it's not hedgehogs, it's great for birds
0:03:27 > 0:03:28and small mammals and insects.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It is really good winter cover.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Now that it's spring, obviously you can clear it away,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36but go steady as you go, because you'll never know what you'll find.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Can you see how the new grass is beginning to appear?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I'll cut that, I won't pull.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53What I want to avoid is cutting any of that back,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55because it grows from the base.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59So if you cut the top off, it looks artificially trimmed
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and we want to keep nice form as it grows up.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04We can come back to that to tidy up,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08but that's starting to see next year's shoots.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13This is a miscanthus.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Miscanthus sacchariflorus.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And it is really dramatic and tall.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23It's good for small gardens if you want drama in a limited space.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It needs cutting back and this is a secateurs job,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29because these are almost like bamboos, they're so thick.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40This is actually a good example, now I've cleared it.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43You can see how the plant is spreading out.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The growth is all around the outside
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and the middle is empty.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51That's how it spreads. It spreads out as a ring.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55What I could do is cut that in half
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and replant the other half
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and that will invigorate it, but not now.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02This is not the time to do it.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05It is fine for most herbaceous plants, but grasses
0:05:05 > 0:05:07that are transplanted into cold soil
0:05:07 > 0:05:10really run a high risk of dying.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So wait until you see new, fresh growth,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15which here at Longmeadow will be well into May,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and then that is the time to move it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22You only should cut back deciduous grasses.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Most grasses are deciduous, so that in itself is not a hugely
0:05:26 > 0:05:30difficult thing, but some, really good ones, are evergreen.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And this is a pheasant grass.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35You can see there is plenty of green in there
0:05:35 > 0:05:38although quite a lot of brown, too,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40and that's pretty common.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Some plants, as they get older, get browner and browner
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and the way to deal with these is completely different.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Don't cut them back.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51But using your fingers, and you may want to use gloves for this,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54just comb through them like that,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58pulling out any dead material that wants to come.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03And the living green will stay put.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09You just comb them out.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It's a bit like brushing Nigel.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Now the one thing that grasses cannot do for you until autumn,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24when their seed heads appear, is give you good colour,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and all of us crave colour in spring.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Now, it doesn't matter how small your garden is, or even if you
0:06:30 > 0:06:31have got no garden at all,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35you can have spring colour, and Joe shows us how.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49March is such an unpredictable month
0:06:49 > 0:06:55and as gardeners we are desperate for spring to...well, spring.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57And apart from a few evergreen shrubs,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01the garden is dominated by bare soil and twigs.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04What it really needs is a shot of colour to help separate
0:07:04 > 0:07:08the garden from winter into spring proper, cheat the seasons
0:07:08 > 0:07:11a little bit, and all you need is a pot...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14..and some creative planting.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23We have this lovely evergreen skimmia.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28It's in flower and it'll have lovely berries in the autumn, as well.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It's an acid loving plant, so I'm going to use ericaceous compost
0:07:31 > 0:07:34in here, which I think the other plants will be absolutely fine with.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's a really good plant for this time of year,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41nice, glossy foliage, and this is a really good shape.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Now, when you think about placing of it,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45you know, are you going to put it in the middle,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47is this pot going to be walked around
0:07:47 > 0:07:48and seen from every angle,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51or is it just going to be seen from one side?
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I'm thinking of placing this up against the wall
0:07:53 > 0:07:55so it will be placed towards the back
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and the other plants will fill in in front of it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I'm just going to turn it upside down,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03give it a good tap
0:08:03 > 0:08:05and there you go.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08That's going to sit at the back.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13In fact, do check, because a lot of plants have one good face,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15and make sure you have got the good face.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18This is a combination of gardening and flower arranging, really.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Now, the next plant is another shrubby plant,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26it is a euphorbia, and this one,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30martinii, has lovely, ladybird-red flowers
0:08:30 > 0:08:33right in the middle of those bracts
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and that will pick up nicely on the purple stems of the skimmia here.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39It is quite a small plant at the moment, which is nice,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42because it's also got a small pot.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Just slightly at a rakish angle.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I wanted something with a very different form to help break up
0:08:50 > 0:08:54the edges of the pot, so I went for this lovely, lime-green carex.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It has some flowers on it just coming through at the moment.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They're almost black.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01It's as if someone has gone along with a paintbrush
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and just added a little bit of detail.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It gives it nice definition.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Now for the colour, and to really add the icing on the cake,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I've got these polyanthus.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19You can get them in all sorts of colours.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Really garish colours, if that's your sort of thing, then go for it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I've picked just two.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27I went for this lovely velvety red
0:09:27 > 0:09:29which has a yellow centre,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and then this butter-yellow one.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34I've got some in flower, some in bud,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38so they will keep flowering for many weeks to come
0:09:38 > 0:09:39and you just pop those into a gap
0:09:39 > 0:09:41where you think they will look good.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47They sort of add that mid-level to the planting.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54On the lower level, I've gone for a variegated ivy to trail over
0:09:54 > 0:09:58the edges, which draws the eyes down the pot nicely
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and adds another layer of interest to the design.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Well, I'm pretty pleased. I think the combination of plants go together nicely.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12There is good texture and there's plenty of colour still to come.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It has got a certain energy about it which is just what
0:10:15 > 0:10:16we need at this time of year.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25If you want to go for a completely different colour scheme,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29obviously, choose what you want, but this is a cooler palette,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31but in a way it's the same approach, in that I've
0:10:31 > 0:10:35gone for an evergreen shrub as a fulcrum to the design.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39This is a Drimys lanceolata, which is a mountain pepper.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It's got this wonderful, evergreen foliage
0:10:42 > 0:10:43and these lovely, purple stems
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and it has got a beautiful,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48scented flower, a bit later in spring.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52I've got a grass, which is nice and feathery on one side.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56This is a nice, simple, green carex and the shots of colour in
0:10:56 > 0:10:59front come from this lovely primula
0:10:59 > 0:11:03with these rounded flowers, lovely, deep purple
0:11:03 > 0:11:08and with a dusting of snow, yes, doesn't it look pretty?
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Honestly, it's perfect.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14I said right at the beginning, unpredictable March,
0:11:14 > 0:11:15you saw it right here.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It doesn't mean you can't get some colour in your garden
0:11:18 > 0:11:20with your pots.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Right, you're coming with me.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Well, I love containers and we use them all year round at Longmeadow,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56but in spring, there is one tip that always works.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58That's to condense them.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Get all your pots and put them into one place.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Whereas, if you spread them out around the garden, they do tend
0:12:05 > 0:12:08to get lost in the brownness of March.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27This may look as though I'm just digging into sort of prepared soil,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29but there is a big story behind this,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31because we did have a tree here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34This is the end of the cricket pitch, the main focal point
0:12:34 > 0:12:39of the whole garden, and we had a horse chestnut which I planted about
0:12:39 > 0:12:4120-odd years ago and was growing well
0:12:41 > 0:12:43but then it got a bleeding canker.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47That resulted in it splitting, it became dangerous, so we cut it down.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49In fact, the stump is over there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52What I'm left with is a space to plant another tree,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54because I still need that focal point.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59The tree I'm going to plant this time is a hornbeam.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02This is in a plastic bag,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07but what I will do is re-use the bag,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and if you can, look for bare root trees wrapped in hessian,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11which they always used to be.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14However, the tree itself is fine
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and bare root trees are those that don't come in a pot.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19They haven't lived in a pot at all,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21this was in a field until a couple of days ago.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The advantage of bare root is that they are cheaper
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and you tend to have a much wider choice to choose from.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Now, this is a hornbeam,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32called Frans Fontaine.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The critical thing is not to let them dry out.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39I don't know if you can see these little fibrous roots here.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40These are the feeding roots.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44The big ones like this don't matter so much at all.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47If you let these dry out they can die.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49If I put this on there...
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Actually, that is pretty much perfect height.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56You notice, I haven't added any compost at the bottom of the hole.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I don't want the roots to stay in this hole.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I want them to grow out of it into the soil.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And also, I want this point here
0:14:04 > 0:14:08to be slightly higher than the surface.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Never plant in a saucer, because trees are more likely to
0:14:10 > 0:14:14drown than they are to suffer from drought.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17However, I will add a little mycorrhizal fungi,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21which just gives it a start.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The fungi lives off the sugars from the tree
0:14:25 > 0:14:30and the tree has much better access to the nutrients in the soil.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37There are two reasons really why I've chosen this hornbeam.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40One, because it's hornbeam, it will be very happy in clay,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44it will relate to the hornbeam hedges and that will work well.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Two, because it is a fastigiate type.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I looked up fastigiate because I knew it meant an upright tree,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51but I didn't know the source of the word.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Actually, it comes from the description of "like a gable".
0:14:55 > 0:14:58A tree that grows to a point, like the gable end of a house.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00It's a 17th-century word.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02It makes sense when you think about it,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05although generally it just means an upright growing tree.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And in a large garden, they make a good feature,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11but they are really good for a small garden.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13A real, proper, fully grown tree
0:15:13 > 0:15:15that doesn't take up too much space.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23A tree this size needs supporting for about three years.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26But if you're planting a tree that is five feet or less,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29it is better not to stake it,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32as it will establish secure roots more quickly.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34If you are using a stake,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37set it at 45 degrees to the tree,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40directed into the prevailing wind,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42which in this case is from the West,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44blowing straight down the cricket pitch,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and then tie it with a tree tie
0:15:46 > 0:15:50making sure that the stake and the tree can't rub.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53When you're done that,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56give it a really good soak and then it's time to mulch.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01The mulch is really important.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04This is garden compost, which is ideal.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07But it doesn't matter what you use so much as you use something
0:16:07 > 0:16:11that is thick, because the idea is not to feed the soil, particularly,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14but to suppress competitive weeds
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and grass and to keep the moisture in.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Now, this gives me instant structure and that's exciting but,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26of course, like the rest of the garden, I can't wait
0:16:26 > 0:16:30until the leaves start to appear and then it really will look good.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Now, most of our gardens improve dramatically as spring
0:16:35 > 0:16:40progresses, but Carol has been to North Wales to visit
0:16:40 > 0:16:42one of the country's great gardens
0:16:42 > 0:16:45that looks good all the year round.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58In the early part of the year, some people feel
0:16:58 > 0:17:03they have just got to put up with a dismal, gloomy garden.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06But here at Bodnant, the Winter Garden,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11they demonstrate just what a magical season this can be with colour,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16shape, structure and, from time to time, wafts of the most
0:17:16 > 0:17:18delicious perfumes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Although this is a big garden, there are lots of small cameos -
0:17:35 > 0:17:38beautiful sorts of associations
0:17:38 > 0:17:41which are very appropriate in a much smaller space.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Take this very simple combination of two plants.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49For a start, there's these big uprights of the Pinus mugo.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51This is Winter Gold.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53The clue is in its name.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55It's at its best during this season
0:17:55 > 0:18:00and it's rising up from this carpet of white heather.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03This is Erica carnea Springwood White.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07It opens all its flowers right the way through the winter
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and is an incredibly important source of pollen
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and nectar to any visiting insects.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It's simple, but it's beautiful
0:18:17 > 0:18:19and very, very easy to maintain.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Here, the combination is all about structure and texture.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37In the background, we have got these great columns,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39evergreen conifers,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and here springing out are these acers.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It is Acer conspicuum Phoenix.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's rising again
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and at my feet the most glorious repetition of colour.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54From hellebores right through to
0:18:54 > 0:18:56this little Leucothoe.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It's called Curly Red.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Then onto the big, plain, straightforward leaves
0:19:02 > 0:19:04of Bergenia Helen Dillon.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Absolute fabulous combination
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and something you could take any part of and do yourself.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26This garden is packed with all sorts of rarities and treasures,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30but also there are plants that we are all used to seeing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Take this one, you Euonymus fortunei Silver Queen.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38You see it in almost every sort of municipal planting scheme,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41which proves it's a really straightforward plant to grow.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45But at this time of year it's lifted to a whole different
0:19:45 > 0:19:48level by having these stems of this gorgeous cornus,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Flaviramea,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52just springing out through the top of it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It brings the whole thing to life.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And there are all manner of these different coloured cornus.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04There is one black one here, which is called Kesselringii
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and then there is Cornus alba Sibirica with bright red stems,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11a Midwinter Fire that is pale and orange.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15And in every case, you can find great plants to associate them with.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Scent is one of THE most alluring qualities of the Winter Garden.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Here, it's supplied by such plants as Daphne,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32sarcococca
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and hamamelis.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45But within the rest of the 80 acres, there are so many wonderful
0:20:45 > 0:20:49things, including some beautiful stand-alone specimens.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Like this beautiful Arbutus andrachnoides.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58It's a delight and its peeling bark has been
0:20:58 > 0:21:03rubbed by countless hands, so it has developed this fine polish.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It's truly sculptural.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And on the walls around about
0:21:08 > 0:21:10are all sorts of painterly touches.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Ribes laurifolium has to be one of the most beautiful things
0:21:16 > 0:21:19you could ever meet in the middle of winter.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21It's totally exquisite.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Bodnant is an inspirational garden.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41It's packed with creative ideas and exciting plant combinations.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44If your garden isn't looking quite as bright,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47now is the time to plan for next winter.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50All you need is a few simple ideas.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55Incorporate a dwarf conifer with a good shape or perhaps a shrub
0:21:55 > 0:21:57with highly coloured branches.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Surround them by evergreen ground cover and a big
0:22:00 > 0:22:02sprinkling of winter flowers
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and perhaps some early spring bulbs.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09That way, you'll ensure that your winter garden is superb
0:22:09 > 0:22:13and a fitting prelude for the season to come.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31One of the measures of a garden is how good it looks in winter.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35And Bodnant certainly looks good.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39I actually haven't been for about ten years or more,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and it is high time I made a return visit.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I last went in late spring and it was glorious,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48but having seen that, any time of year is going to be good.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52And these crocus have done me really well this winter.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57It is Crocus sieberi Tricolor and they flowered bravely
0:22:57 > 0:23:00through the ice and the snow and the wind and the rain,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and I'll certainly be planting more of them for next winter.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Now, this year, we are very keen to get out
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and help you out in your garden as best we can,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and the best way to contact us is via our Facebook page.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18So if you go to our Facebook page
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and present us with a gardening problem that you think
0:23:21 > 0:23:25we could help with, we may well come out and see you.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Last spring, I made this new soft fruit garden,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41and planted blackcurrants, redcurrants,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44cordon apples, pears and gooseberries.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And I wanted to plant raspberries,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50but by the time I got round to it, it was too late,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54so I've had to wait almost 12 months to complete the planting.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Now, I do think that raspberries are a fruit
0:23:59 > 0:24:01that should be at the top of everyone's list.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03They are absolutely delicious.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08So, what raspberries like is a cool, damp summer
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and a cool, mild winter.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13They don't like being too dry
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and they certainly don't like sitting in cold, wet soil.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18So I've added some compost.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21This will lighten it up, as well as feed it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24It is important to make sure you have got good drainage.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26If it is really heavy clay, it is
0:24:26 > 0:24:30probably worth investing in a bit of grit, which will lighten it up.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33These are long-lived plants. They will live for at least ten years.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Now, what I've got here is some bare root.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39They are all the same variety, it's Glen Ample.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44And it will produce its fruit from the middle of June to early August.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Then, when you are looking at buying canes,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52go for something with pencil-thick canes already.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55You will see the new shoots, which are appearing here,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58will carry next year's fruit.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02So, summer fruiting raspberries produce shoots one year
0:25:02 > 0:25:03and fruit the next.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06I can space these out.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10About two foot apart.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Which is about 60 centimetres in new money.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I don't want to put them in the ground too deep.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19So the point where the buds come from,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22that wants to be just about at soil level.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26The roots are fairly shallow.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28The woody root is not really important.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30What matters are these fibrous roots, which will become
0:25:30 > 0:25:33a mat as the plant grows.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Actually, that is going to influence how you weed them,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37because it means you can't hoe round them,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41you can't fork, but what you can do is mulch them really thickly.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44That will keep the weeds down and also keep those roots nice
0:25:44 > 0:25:45and cool, which is what they like.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Once you have got them in the ground,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51tie the canes to the bottom wire
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and this will stop them rocking in the wind and damaging the roots.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Then give them a good soak.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Now once you've watered them, the next stage, and this is
0:26:02 > 0:26:07important, is to mulch them and don't just use any old mulch.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11This is our Christmas tree, put through the shredder,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14but what's marvellous about this is it's ericaceous
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and that's what raspberries like.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20That will keep them weed free, it'll keep the moisture in
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and they'll be all the better for it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And basically, the one thing that is really important is do not use
0:26:25 > 0:26:28mushroom compost on raspberries, because it's alkaline.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Now, the one point I would stress that if you're going
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to plant some raspberries, do it this month,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40otherwise you have to wait until next February or March.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43But here are some jobs that you don't have to wait for,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45because you can do them this weekend.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53With any luck, the worst of the wintry weather is now past,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56but the soil will remain cold for a while yet.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00However, if you have some cloches, and failing that, fleece,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05cover an area of ground and this will gradually warm the soil
0:27:05 > 0:27:08so that when you are ready to sow, or plant out, everything will
0:27:08 > 0:27:10grow much faster.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Buddleias produce their flowers on new shoots
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and this means that now they can be pruned hard,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23right down to the bottom bud if you choose.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27This will stimulate fresh growth with a good crop of flowers
0:27:27 > 0:27:29later in the summer.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34If you want to grow sweet peas from seed, this is something you
0:27:34 > 0:27:39must get on with now to give the plants a chance to develop.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I'm using cardboard tubes filled with a coir-based compost
0:27:42 > 0:27:43and putting two seeds per tube.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Put them somewhere warm to germinate, keep them watered
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and then gradually harden them off
0:27:50 > 0:27:53before planting them out round about the beginning of May.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06This is the last of this lovely witch hazel.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09It's Hamamelis Pallida,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14and the yellow has all the freshness that is so good about spring.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18That's the last of today's programme, too. That's it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Don't forget that our competition, Every Space Counts,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25is still open until midnight next Thursday.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28You can get all the details on what are the requirements
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and how to enter from our website.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And I shall be back here, hopefully with spring
0:28:34 > 0:28:38just that little bit further on, next Friday at the same time.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Until then, bye-bye.