0:00:04 > 0:00:07Britain has some of the finest gardens anywhere in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11For me, it's about getting in amongst the wonderful plants
0:00:11 > 0:00:13that flourish in this country
0:00:13 > 0:00:15and sharing the passion of the people who tend them.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20However, there is another way to enjoy a garden.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And that's to get up above it.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I love ballooning because you can get to see the world below
0:00:33 > 0:00:35in a whole new light.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37From up here, you get a real sense
0:00:37 > 0:00:40of how the garden sits in the landscape,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43how the terrain and the climate has shaped it
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and I want you to share that experience with me.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Today, we're heading up, up and away
0:01:09 > 0:01:13into the skies above one of the country's most beautiful counties.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I'm taking a flight above glorious Gloucestershire.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Look at the view!
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Awesome, absolutely awesome.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Beautifully undulating.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Absolutely spectacular.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Gloucestershire lies in the west of England
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and borders Wales at its furthest edge.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50In the west is the hilly Forest of Dean
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and of course the spectacular Wye Valley
0:01:53 > 0:01:57And over in the east, the beautiful Cotswold Hills.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The Cotswolds are famous for picturesque towns and villages,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07houses of honey-coloured stone and rolling farmland.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Beautiful colours in the landscape.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The soil, the different colours of the cereal crops,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18the beautifully well-maintained hedges. They've been clipping.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23This is my chance to enjoy glorious Gloucestershire gardens
0:02:23 > 0:02:25from 360 degrees.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Today, I'm dropping in on two gardens
0:02:30 > 0:02:34created by passionate amateurs 100 years ago
0:02:34 > 0:02:37that are still influencing designers to this day.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I'll be getting stuck in with the people who keep them in shape.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46- Go on, keep up with me.- I am trying.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I'll be coming face to face with a garden giant.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Blimey, O'Riley. Crikey, look at it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54And I'll be finding out
0:02:54 > 0:02:59how volunteers can make a difference to gardens and to people.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06From up here, you can see how the gardens of the Cotswolds
0:03:06 > 0:03:08are shaped by the landscape around them.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14It's the climate, the gentle topography and high rainfall
0:03:14 > 0:03:17that makes this county the ideal setting
0:03:17 > 0:03:20for a very spectacular garden.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Hidcote Manor Garden
0:03:27 > 0:03:30is one of the most inspirational gardens in the country
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and is famous throughout the world as an Arts and Craft masterpiece.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It was first created in 1907
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and sits in the very north of Gloucestershire.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46It covers ten acres perched on the edge of the Cotswold Hills
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and appears like an island in the farming landscape.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54From up here, its innovative design is obvious.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59When you see Hidcote Manor Gardens from above,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01you can see why it works.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07It's a collection of garden rooms, each interlaced with each other.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10They create a sense of adventure and intrigue
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and when you're in there, you get so excited about the plants
0:04:14 > 0:04:18and the features that you want to go off and see what's next door.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Two long corridors run through the garden,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27one roughly east to west and the other north to south.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32They link together a series of garden rooms.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Each is a different size
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and features a different planting scheme.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The secret of Hidcote is that it's a magical combination.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46It has a formal garden layout with tall clipped hedges
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and ordered pathways,
0:04:48 > 0:04:53but it's all planted up with informal exuberance.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57This was truly revolutionary when the garden was first laid out,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01but today, it's a style we think of as typically English.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08What's remarkable is that Hidcote was created by an American
0:05:08 > 0:05:10with no formal gardening training at all.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16His name was Lawrence Johnston, and I'll be finding out more about him
0:05:16 > 0:05:18as I explore this wonderful garden.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Hidcote is very special to me.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28I trained not far from here so it's one of the first gardens
0:05:28 > 0:05:30I got to know really well as a student.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34How lucky were we to have this place on our doorstep?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I first started as a gardener
0:05:38 > 0:05:41by coming here to learn about the plants.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Lawrence Johnston created beautiful pictures,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47created magical planting schemes
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and as a young gardener, I was keen to understand those.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Year after year, I continue to return
0:05:53 > 0:05:57because it's that excellence that excites.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Andrew Hunt is currently working as the head gardener,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13known here at Hidcote as the Garden Curator.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I'm meeting him in his favourite garden room,
0:06:17 > 0:06:22the Pillar Garden, named for its tall topiary yews.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26- Hi, Andrew.- Morning, Christine. - What are you up to?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I'm just taking some fuchsia cuttings from this lovely fuchsia
0:06:29 > 0:06:30that we have in front of us.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- It's beautiful, isn't it? - It is, very nice.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- The red stems are spectacular. - It's doing really well here.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- Yeah. Can I give you a hand? - Yeah, certainly.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38- Give you a little bag.- Terrific.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40You've not been at the garden very long, have you?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44I haven't, no, I started here at Hidcote in the middle of February.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Right. And how are you finding it? - Really interesting.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48My background, I come from
0:06:48 > 0:06:52a very formal decorative side of horticulture
0:06:52 > 0:06:55and getting experience in different gardens is fantastic.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It's the best way to learn, on the ground, working with the team,
0:06:58 > 0:06:59working with the plants.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01You don't learn to garden by going to college.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- You don't.- You learn to garden by gardening.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Here's a tip for you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Right, you know how you're sticking your cuttings in that bag?
0:07:12 > 0:07:13If you keep them like that
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and you throw them on the potting bench like we do,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17you're going to damage half of them.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- OK.- Here you are. Here's a little tip for you, take-home tip.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- Blow your bag up.- Right.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26So now you keep the cuttings more turgid
0:07:26 > 0:07:28because the atmosphere develops in the bag
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and also, you don't get as much physical damage
0:07:31 > 0:07:35because they're surrounded now by a lot of hot air.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Yeah. That's the good thing with gardening,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39you learn something new every day.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Every single day and that's what's exciting about it.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43It is, yeah.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50When Lawrence Johnston first began work on his garden in 1907,
0:07:50 > 0:07:56one of the original rooms he planned and planted was the fuchsia garden
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and now Hidcote is famous for them.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The first fuchsia in England arrived from South America in 1788
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and throughout the following century,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14plantsmen began breeding the different varieties we know today.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19A hardy variety will happily live outside all year round
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and will give a blast of colour to the garden
0:08:22 > 0:08:24from summer right through to autumn.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Out of fashion for a long time,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30fuchsias are now rightly regaining their place in our gardens.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34The cuttings which Andrew and I are taking
0:08:34 > 0:08:37will eventually find a home somewhere
0:08:37 > 0:08:39in one of Hidcote's lovely borders.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42So, what's your take on the garden?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45What is floating your boat, Andrew? Come on.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Come on, what is it?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I think it's the plant collection,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53but it's also the uniqueness of the garden and the planting style.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55When I was training, it was to plant small stuff at the front
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and then the medium and the tall stuff.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Here, that goes out the window. - Yeah, but what happens then...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03And the amateur reads that ten foot, eight foot,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06six foot, four foot, two foot and you've got step, step, step
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- and you never get that beautiful billowing gentleness.- No.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And the other problem with that is you can see them all.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14The aim of a good border
0:09:14 > 0:09:17should be that you stand at one side and you can't see everything.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19That sense of adventure,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21that sense of 'what is round there?'
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Yeah, and I think that's why Hidcote is unique
0:09:23 > 0:09:26because it's a sense of exploration.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28There's little glimpses and views
0:09:28 > 0:09:30that make you go through the garden.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33And that's the essence associated with the garden rooms.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34It is, yeah, absolutely.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Yeah, so do you believe they work?- Yes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I think they do and I think that's the nice thing
0:09:39 > 0:09:41that each garden room is completely different.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Every time you go round the corner, it's, "Wow,"
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and it does take your breath away and there's just...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It's just a very cleverly-designed garden.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55There are 28 different garden rooms at Hidcote.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58There's no set order to explore them in.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03The idea is you wander at will and let the garden reveal itself.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12The Bathing Pool Garden has formal lines and a statue centrepiece.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Mrs Winthrop's Garden is named
0:10:16 > 0:10:18in memory of Lawrence Johnston's mother.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22The Red Borders showcase flowers and foliage
0:10:22 > 0:10:26of every shade from deep bronze to almost purple.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And the Stilt Garden features hornbeam trees
0:10:31 > 0:10:33trimmed so neatly into shape.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Lawrence Johnston began his transformation of Hidcote here,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42in the Old Garden.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43And then, as now,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48one of the main features was the huge philadelphus, or mock oranges.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Your philadelphuses are looking absolutely glorious.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Most of them are, Christine, but apart from this one.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Ah, OK. Right, then.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- A bit sorry for himself. - It does. How old is this?
0:11:01 > 0:11:02He's probably a good ten years old.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Right, well, he needs a good haircut, doesn't he?- He does.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Yeah, we need to get in there and chop it down and revitalise it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Absolutely.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11So I'm going to drop this
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and I'm going to drop it right down to the ground.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- Go on, then.- Is that all right? - That's fine. Chop away.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Let's have a... If you grab stuff, so we...
0:11:21 > 0:11:24This is very satisfying, you know.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- Go on, keep up with me.- I am trying.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Usually, philadelphus needs pruning straight after flowering
0:11:33 > 0:11:35to remove all of the flowering stems,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37leaving the younger ones.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43This one is so bare that it's going to be cut down really hard
0:11:43 > 0:11:46to encourage some new growth from the base.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It's traditional to do this in the winter
0:11:49 > 0:11:53but this one needs urgent attention, so we're tackling it now.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I mean, it's one of those jobs
0:11:55 > 0:11:58that people are frightened of doing, isn't it? Cos it does look drastic.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00It does, yeah, yeah. But you have to be brutal.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04I personally enjoy this sort of work. This is what gardening's all about.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09And bringing back, you know, something that's horrible and tatty
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and, you know, just lost all its beauty.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I mean it's a nonsense, just hack it back, mate.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17This is exactly
0:12:17 > 0:12:19what Lawrence Johnston would have done, wouldn't he?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Absolutely, yeah, and that's the essence of the garden here
0:12:22 > 0:12:24and certainly this part of the garden, the Old Garden,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26is the gentleman's back garden.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Today, Andrew has a team of around a dozen full-time gardeners
0:12:31 > 0:12:33keeping on top of jobs like this.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39But when Lawrence Johnston first started his work at Hidcote in 1907,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42he had no professional gardeners at all.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45The garden wasn't yet the masterpiece we see today.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Originally, when they bought the property, it was just this.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50This was the garden that came with the property
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and the rest of the garden that people see today was farmland.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Lawrence Johnston's mother wanted her son
0:12:56 > 0:13:01to become a gentleman farmer but he had other ideas.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The creation of the garden had become his focus.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09As he went travelling and sort of got more into horticulture,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13saw plants, saw seeds and cuttings,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16liked it, brought it back here and created his own garden.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Lawrence Johnston's growing passion for gardening
0:13:20 > 0:13:22coincided with the British craze for plant hunting.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Expeditions travelled the globe to gather exotic specimens
0:13:26 > 0:13:29for the great gardens of the country.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36One of the most famous plant hunters was EH Wilson,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39who was born in Chipping Campden, just down the road from Hidcote.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43He made so many trips to the Far East
0:13:43 > 0:13:45that he got the nickname Chinese Wilson.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Wilson worked at Kew Gardens before becoming a plant hunter in 1899.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57His first adventure was to travel to China
0:13:57 > 0:14:01in search of a fabled specimen called the handkerchief tree.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Armed with just a rough map,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Wilson travelled across the country for ten days.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09On reaching his destination,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12he discovered that the tree he'd travelled so far to find
0:14:12 > 0:14:15had just been cut down for timber to build a house with.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Undeterred, he carried on looking
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and eventually found another tree bearing seeds,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25which he collected and carried home.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29The handkerchief tree was just one of 1,200 different plants
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Wilson brought back from the Far East,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33some of which now bear his name.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37They include trees, shrubs and flowers.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43In Wilson's home town, Chipping Campden,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46a memorial garden was planted in 1976
0:14:46 > 0:14:49to celebrate the centenary of his birth.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It contains a magnificent collection of plants
0:14:52 > 0:14:54that he brought home from abroad,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and it's a fitting tribute to a man whose adventurous spirit
0:14:58 > 0:15:01changed the look of plants in all our gardens.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Meanwhile, back at Hidcote, Lawrence Johnston
0:15:05 > 0:15:08was organising plant-collecting trips of his own.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10He visited Africa and China
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and collected trees and shrubs for his garden,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16many of which still flourish here today.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24Eventually, Lawrence Johnston decided to give his garden,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26his life's work, to the nation.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32In 1948, he bequest the property to the National Trust
0:15:32 > 0:15:37and it was the first garden that the Trust took on
0:15:37 > 0:15:39purely for its garden merit.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Really? So it wasn't the house that ticked the boxes
0:15:42 > 0:15:43on this occasion?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Yeah, it was the garden that sort of inspired the Trust to take it on.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49His last years he spent in France, in the south of France.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52He visited Hidcote once before he died
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and his body was brought back here
0:15:55 > 0:15:57and he's buried in the local churchyard.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59OK, well, that's a nice link, isn't it?
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- Right, come on, let's get this down. - Just keep going.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- Doesn't take us long, does it? - It doesn't take us long.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Not a big job. You're doing a good job. Do you want a full-time job?
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Oh, would you take me on?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15There are some jobs at Hidcote that Andrew and his team
0:16:15 > 0:16:17need to keep on top of year round.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It takes the gardeners four days a week,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23ten months a year, just to keep the hedges
0:16:23 > 0:16:25looking this neat and tidy.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Mind you, there are four and a half miles of them!
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Before electric hedge trimmers,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37gardeners in great houses would have done this entirely by hand.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44But they might have had access to some newfangled gadgets to help.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48These multi-bladed hedge shears would have come in useful
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and Lawrence Johnston might even have invested
0:16:50 > 0:16:54in one of these two-man trimmers to get the job done more quickly.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59In times past, there was no end of gadgets
0:16:59 > 0:17:01available to the average gardener.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Some of them might seem a bit odd to modern eyes.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07I've even used one of these in my greenhouse.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's a cucumber straightener,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13perfect for anyone who can't bear a curvy cue.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16You pop the tiny fruit in one end and lo and behold,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18it grows as straight as you like.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21But I think this is practical.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22It's a pot brush...
0:17:24 > 0:17:28..especially for washing out terracotta pots throughout the year.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Functional and moneysaving, my kind of gadget.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Job's a good 'un.- That is wonderful.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Now, you see, a lot of people would stand and look at that and say,
0:17:41 > 0:17:42- "You've killed it."- Yeah.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And, you know, by the end of the summer,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46the growth's going to be this high
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and next year, it's going to be this high
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and the following year, it's going to be absolutely glorious.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52We'll go and have a cup of tea
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- and then we'll clear this rubbish.- Good idea.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Getting stuck into a job like this is great fun
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and it doesn't matter whether it's on a grand estate
0:18:03 > 0:18:04or in your own back garden.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Just up the road from Hidcote,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11a project called The Butterfly Garden
0:18:11 > 0:18:15is encouraging a love of gardening in people of all ages and abilities.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21It's the brainchild of garden centre owner Chris Evans.
0:18:23 > 0:18:2712 years ago, a visit from a group of kids with learning difficulties
0:18:27 > 0:18:30inspired him to start teaching gardening
0:18:30 > 0:18:33to anyone who wanted to learn.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36He set aside some unused land for the project
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and watched it grow and grow.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44I have students who are 12 and 13 and my oldest is currently 75.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46They attend for free,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49they can attend when they want to
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and what I do when students arrive on a daily basis is saying,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55you say, "All of these things are going on
0:18:55 > 0:18:57"and it doesn't matter which bit you do."
0:18:57 > 0:19:01As the project's expanded, the students can also learn
0:19:01 > 0:19:04other skills, like woodworking.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06And everyone gets involved in fundraising
0:19:06 > 0:19:09by recycling old video tapes.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Hey, don't do that.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15But the heart of the project is still its garden.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20What we're up to today, we have an area that is a wildlife area
0:19:20 > 0:19:22but out in the middle, we set up a desert,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24which is covered in weed and debris
0:19:24 > 0:19:27which periodically, we pull back to the surface,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29so we're resurrecting a desert.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So anything that you see as a weed,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33we're going to have out of here,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35then we'll make a hole in there
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and then Troy can dig out to get that big yucca in.
0:19:39 > 0:19:45I enjoy coming here. It's just getting better by the minute.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I can see there's a lot of activities going on.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52What do you reckon? Is that a good position? Higher, lower?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Bring it this way a bit.- Up?- Yeah.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56It is a joy.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Those people continue to come and continue to support
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and every day, there will be something different that's going on.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Chris has now recruited dozens of volunteers to the project,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11who seem to get as much out of it as the students do.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16It's the best place on earth and people are so friendly
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and people fit in and people are very encouraged when they come.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Some people are quite nervous.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24They just naturally settle in and make friends
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and just participate in anything.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32What motivates me is seeing individuals thrive.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36You know, they love the place and they feel very secure and safe here
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and they work jolly hard and it's not an onerous thing
0:20:39 > 0:20:41to be a volunteer here.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It makes me feel like, you know, part of a team,
0:20:46 > 0:20:47makes you work good, feel good
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and it just makes you really happy inside.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54OK, I think the hole's big enough. You ready?
0:20:54 > 0:20:58And in May 2014, the work of The Butterfly Garden
0:20:58 > 0:21:00received royal recognition.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05There was real excitement on the site at the turn of the year,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08when it was announced that, as a site,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10we had won the British Empire Medal,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12we were awarded the British Empire Medal
0:21:12 > 0:21:15in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20It was a very emotional day and at the end of the day,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25exhausted because the students were just full of the whole experience.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30It was amazing and certainly a great way to start the year.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- That's teamwork for you.- Well done.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40It's where it is today as a result of the huge numbers
0:21:40 > 0:21:44that are attending both in support and as the regular students.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I reflect every day and think, "I can't believe my luck."
0:21:47 > 0:21:49You guys.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Without his team of helpers,
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Chris would never have got
0:21:54 > 0:21:56The Butterfly Garden project off the ground.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00But volunteers are also vital
0:22:00 > 0:22:04to the running of a well-established garden like Hidcote.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07There are nearly 100 of them there
0:22:07 > 0:22:10helping to look after the 150,000 visitors
0:22:10 > 0:22:13who come through the gate every year.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I've come to meet one of the most dedicated, Sue Croft.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- You see the lime arbour over there? - Yes.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25I just love coming down the arbour and standing there by the wall there,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27just looking down on this piece of the garden.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30It's just leaving the formality of the garden
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and then into this jungle of beauty.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Absolutely.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Sue's connection with Hidcote came about more by accident
0:22:38 > 0:22:41than design.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44A friend and I visited a summer afternoon.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49While I was at Hidcote, I saw, in the ladies' loos,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52an advert wanting volunteers
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and I was looking to learn more about the garden
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and its history and the structure.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02You realise that it is an amazing place
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and because I'm wowed by it,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I try and enthuse visitors.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10If they come and they want to listen to a talk,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I try and give them information about the garden,
0:23:13 > 0:23:18so it's really passing on your enjoyment to other people.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Sue's a retired PE teacher.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Like Lawrence Johnston, she's had no professional gardening training.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29She's picked it up as she's gone along,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31starting when she was a child.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34My father grew quite a lot of fruit and vegetables
0:23:34 > 0:23:38so the interest in gardening has just been inherited.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40But I know that I'm no different
0:23:40 > 0:23:42to hundreds and thousands of other people.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It's a very healthy pursuit, it gets you outside,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51it gets you motivated to go and visit lovely gardens.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53She loves the place so much
0:23:53 > 0:23:57she's even creating a mini Hidcote in her own back garden.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00When you see what's in the garden,
0:24:00 > 0:24:05you're inspired to try little bits of it yourself.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10So it definitely does have an effect
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and I think that's why people take the mickey and say,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17"Oh, she's got little bits of Hidcote in her garden."
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Sue spends every Tuesday working as a garden guide.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24She's really got the Hidcote bug.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- It gets almost like a drug.- Right.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30If you miss a week, you think,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33"Oh, it's Tuesday, I should be at Hidcote."
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Her enthusiasm must be infectious.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39While Sue looks after the crowds of human visitors,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43her husband, Bill, looks after a different sort of swarm,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Hidcote's own bee hives.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Do you both come together?
0:24:47 > 0:24:48- No, no.- Why not?
0:24:48 > 0:24:53Well, I was here first, I discovered Hidcote first.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So he comes on a Wednesday and I come on a Tuesday
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and he'll tell me things that have happened on a Wednesday
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and I can tell him things that happened on a Tuesday.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05But I think it's nice to have your, you know,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08to have an individual interests and meet new people.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Well, I always say to visitors,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12you really need to visit Hidcote three times a year
0:25:12 > 0:25:15to see the garden through the seasons.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20- There's no problems with access now. - Free to roam.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22It's very obvious that both you and Bill
0:25:22 > 0:25:25get a tremendous amount out of this garden.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Mm, we do, we do, but for me, the pleasure is being in the garden
0:25:29 > 0:25:30and the visitors.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33For Bill, it's being with the bees in this garden
0:25:33 > 0:25:35and the visitors as well.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41I'm going to leave Sue behind, looking after Hidcote's visitors
0:25:41 > 0:25:45while I take a trip to another glorious Gloucestershire garden.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51And I don't have far to go to get a look at this one from above.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01After the First World War, a family moved in next door to Hidcote
0:26:01 > 0:26:03to make their home in a lovely house called Kiftsgate Court.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Not only does this garden share the same soil and aspect as Hidcote,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13but it too was the creation of passionate amateurs.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Back in 1918, the lady of the house was called Heather Muir.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Like many rich women of the time, she enthusiastically took up
0:26:24 > 0:26:28the newly fashionable hobby of gardening.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34In time, her daughter Diany inherited the house
0:26:34 > 0:26:38and now her daughter Anne has taken up the reins.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44Anne, three generations of ladies have made this beautiful garden,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46but how did your grandmother start?
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I don't think she really ever intended to make a garden,
0:26:48 > 0:26:53but my grandparents bought the house in 1918 and luckily for her,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Lawrence Johnston at Hidcote had moved there ten years previously
0:26:57 > 0:26:59so he had started creating his garden there
0:26:59 > 0:27:02and they became friends because they were neighbours
0:27:02 > 0:27:04and I think he must have said to her,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05"Come on now, you've got a lovely house,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07"you've got to start making a garden."
0:27:07 > 0:27:09So that's what she did.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12When Anne's grandmother moved here,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Kiftsgate had one small formal garden right by the house,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19a very similar set-up to the original layout of Hidcote.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24She began clearing the woody hillside for a new garden
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and commissioned the lovely summerhouse
0:27:26 > 0:27:29to enjoy the stunning new views.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34In the '50s, Heather's daughter, Diany,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37carried on expanding and improving the garden.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42During her time in charge, Kiftsgate first opened to the public.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Now, around 20,000 people a year come to enjoy its fabulous vistas,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51shady corners and colourful planting.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57But what most people want to see is the famous Kiftsgate rose,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01a rambler rose that thinks it owns the place.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Blimey O'Riley!
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- Crikey, look at it! - Yes, it is a monster.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Gosh! And that's one plant?
0:28:10 > 0:28:16Yes, that's just one plant, planted by my grandmother in the 1940s.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18One of those big mistakes.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19I don't think it is
0:28:19 > 0:28:22because this is how you see them growing in the wild.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I mean, they shoot up trees and then cascade like bubbling champagne.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30I think it's glorious and what, 60, 70 foot high?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Well, it's right at the top of the trees.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Yes, I mean it just grows and grows.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Roses that grow upwards are either climbers or ramblers.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Climbing roses are usually repeat-flowering,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49so should give you fragrant displays throughout the summer.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Most ramblers only flower once a year but be warned,
0:28:56 > 0:29:01as Kiftsgate rose shows, they can get very big indeed!
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- God, I think we should trim its whiskers.- Yes.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Anne and her husband Johnny
0:29:11 > 0:29:14took over running Kiftsgate in the 1990s.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18What sort of a mark do you think you've left on this garden?
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Well, it's always difficult when you inherit a garden
0:29:21 > 0:29:24because you're sort of looking after what's gone before you,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28but Johnny and I put in a new water garden 14 years ago,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30where the old tennis court was
0:29:30 > 0:29:34and that was fun because we were able to sort of create something new,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36and each generation has done that.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38I mean, my grandmother obviously planted all the hedges
0:29:38 > 0:29:40and created the original garden
0:29:40 > 0:29:43and then Mum put in the semi-circular swimming pool in the lower garden
0:29:43 > 0:29:47and commissioned two of the statues by Simon Verity,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49so I think each generation does add to it
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and that's always... It's lovely with the continuity.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54It works well.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Gardens grow and change year round
0:29:58 > 0:30:01but they also change with the gardeners who look after them.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06From grandmother to mother to daughter,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Kiftsgate has carried on evolving over the last hundred years.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11So what of the future?
0:30:11 > 0:30:14I mean, do you have children that you can pass the garden on to?
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Well, who knows? I mean at the moment, they're not that interested.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Although they're sort of in their sort of late 20s,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22they're all working and abroad and in London,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25but we weren't interested, Johnny and I, really,
0:30:25 > 0:30:26although I grew up here.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I think it's something that you grow into, gardening,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and until you've got your own, you don't really get the bug.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35So I'm ever-hopeful, but if it doesn't happen,
0:30:35 > 0:30:36you know, I'm quite philosophical.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40It's given us tremendous pleasure, so we'll just have to wait and see.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42What I find fascinating, Anne, though,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45is that three generations of gardeners with no training
0:30:45 > 0:30:47have created this
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and that's such an inspiration for people
0:30:50 > 0:30:53and it just shows that, you know, with some passion and enthusiasm
0:30:53 > 0:30:58and a bit of knowledge, you can create, I mean, a masterpiece.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00A bit of hard work's involved but having said that,
0:31:00 > 0:31:01you've got to love it.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I think love it and when you're creating something,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06even thugs that look elegant,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08I think there's something very special about that
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- so just keep up the good work. - Thank you.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I think neighbour Lawrence Johnston would be quite moved
0:31:16 > 0:31:18to know that his encouraging words
0:31:18 > 0:31:21led to the creation of this very special place.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25It's a garden that's already been 100 years in the making
0:31:25 > 0:31:30and I hope Kiftsgate will carry on evolving for years to come.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Both Kiftsgate and Hidcote are the creations of amateurs,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39but they're also labours of love.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Neither Lawrence Johnston nor Anne's grandmother
0:31:43 > 0:31:45were natives of Gloucestershire,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47but they arrived as horticultural virgins
0:31:47 > 0:31:52and created two beautiful, distinctive and uplifting gardens.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57There's something just so inspirational
0:31:57 > 0:31:59about the countryside of the Cotswolds.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05You can see it's a mainly rural landscape
0:32:05 > 0:32:08with stone-built villages dotted around.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11You've got lots of glorious gardens and houses.
0:32:11 > 0:32:17It's also an area that has inspired some of the country's finest minds.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Among the most famous
0:32:21 > 0:32:24were the geniuses of the Arts and Crafts movement,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27whose ideas inspired the creation of Hidcote.
0:32:30 > 0:32:31Arts and Crafts flourished
0:32:31 > 0:32:35at the end of the 19th and the turn of the 20th centuries.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39It promoted traditional craftsmanship and natural materials
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and harked back to the romance of medieval times.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48In 1878, one of the key figures in the movement,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50the artist William Morris,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54made his home in the Cotswolds at Kelmscott Manor
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and found the inspiration for many of his designs
0:32:56 > 0:32:58in its beautiful garden.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03The Cotswold countryside
0:33:03 > 0:33:05also inspired another important figure in the movement,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08the designer CR Ashbee.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13In 1902, he moved to the town of Chipping Campden
0:33:13 > 0:33:17and set up a branch of his Guild and School of Handicrafts.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22He encouraged some of his London apprentices
0:33:22 > 0:33:24to move here from the East End
0:33:24 > 0:33:26to enjoy a healthy new life in the country,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30where they could make and sell Arts and Crafts metalwork and furniture.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36He established a workshop for jewellers, blacksmiths
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and cabinet-makers in a disused silk mill in the town
0:33:40 > 0:33:44and set about teaching traditional crafts to the new arrivals.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Mary Greensted is an expert
0:33:50 > 0:33:53on the wonderful collection of Arts and Crafts treasures
0:33:53 > 0:33:55at the Court Barn museum.
0:33:58 > 0:34:04When Ashbee moved to Chipping Campden in 1902,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08he was already a very established designer in London
0:34:08 > 0:34:13but you certainly do get more use of floral motifs,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17particularly in the enamelwork, like this pendant.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Here you can see, you've got this lovely pansy design,
0:34:20 > 0:34:25with this beautiful emerald green background to it
0:34:25 > 0:34:30and you definitely get more of these naturalistic designs
0:34:30 > 0:34:33after the move to Chipping Campden.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46This wonderful object,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49it's a presentation cup and this is really interesting.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55It was made in the year that the guild moved to Chipping Campden.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58You've got this lovely enamelwork,
0:34:58 > 0:35:03which almost suggests a field of wild flowers
0:35:03 > 0:35:08or sort of lilies and greenery on a pond
0:35:08 > 0:35:12and these sort of romantic suggestions of nature
0:35:12 > 0:35:15are what Ashbee was really good at.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Ashbee's Guild of Handicrafts only lasted for five years.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Competitors began mass-producing very similar objects
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and the project eventually went bankrupt.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37But this setback wasn't the end of craftsmanship in Chipping Campden.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42The Old Silk Mill is still home to the family of silversmiths,
0:35:42 > 0:35:47descendants of one of Ashbee's original apprentices, George Hart.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52And they're keeping the Arts and Crafts style alive to this day.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57This cup was made by Derek Elliott
0:35:57 > 0:36:01who works in the Silk Mill in Sheep Street
0:36:01 > 0:36:06and it has lots of echoes of Ashbee.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Derek has used the pink here,
0:36:09 > 0:36:14which was Ashbee's symbol for the Guild of Handicraft,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17but also these lovely sort of flower shapes,
0:36:17 > 0:36:23flower and leaf shapes, just suggesting the Cotswold countryside.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28So this is a lovely piece for Hart silversmiths to have made
0:36:28 > 0:36:33for Court Barn to show that continuation of the craft tradition,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36right up until the present day.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40The artistic tradition has now been flourishing in Chipping Campden
0:36:40 > 0:36:41for over 100 years.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46On the ground floor of Ashbee's Silk Mill
0:36:46 > 0:36:49is the art gallery run as a cooperative.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53The lovely ceramics on sale here
0:36:53 > 0:36:56are the work of local potter Emma Clegg.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02She's another artist who's found inspiration
0:37:02 > 0:37:04in the Gloucestershire countryside.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09You can't help but be influenced by your surroundings.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12The flowers that I use on my pieces
0:37:12 > 0:37:16are really an echo of what I see when I'm out walking my dog, Molly.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18In the spring, I'll use lots of buds.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20In the summer, I'll use lots of flowers
0:37:20 > 0:37:21with sort of full-blown petals
0:37:21 > 0:37:25and in the winter, I tend to use a lot of berries.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32I think creative people are instinctively drawn to this area.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Whether it's consciously or subconsciously,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37there's an awful lot of us.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Now, there's one part of Hidcote garden that I saw from the air
0:37:46 > 0:37:50that I've been itching to take a closer look at
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and that's the famous Long Walk.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Andrew and Sue are going to show me
0:37:55 > 0:37:59just why it's such a key part to the garden's design.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Hidcote's an interesting garden because, you know,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06we tend to think of it as garden rooms,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09but this Long Walk is also a part of Hidcote, isn't it,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11and what puts its stamp on it?
0:38:11 > 0:38:15It is and it's absolutely lovely cos you get a lovely view vista
0:38:15 > 0:38:17looking out into the Cotswold countryside
0:38:17 > 0:38:21and it's a very clever way of linking the garden rooms with each other.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I always advise visitors to go
0:38:23 > 0:38:27and, when they come out of the manor, they've got their map
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and they're too busy jostling with it to find it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I say, "Forget that, look at that view,"
0:38:32 > 0:38:36and they look through the gardens to the Gates of Heaven
0:38:36 > 0:38:38and the Vale of Evesham and I say,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40"That's what you should be focusing on
0:38:40 > 0:38:43"and just appreciate how clever Lawrence was,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46"incorporating the landscape into his garden."
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Every one of Hidcote's visitors benefits from the hard work
0:38:51 > 0:38:56of its trained gardeners and its devoted volunteers.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59It's been a privilege to meet some of them today
0:38:59 > 0:39:03and to take a look at this wonderful place from their perspective.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Certainly the work that every volunteer does is so valuable,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10it's just amazing. The garden wouldn't...the property
0:39:10 > 0:39:11wouldn't look as good as it does today
0:39:11 > 0:39:14if it wasn't for people like Sue that come
0:39:14 > 0:39:16and dedicate their time to the garden.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I want to leave behind a permanent thank you to recognise
0:39:22 > 0:39:25the difference that Sue and her fellow volunteers make
0:39:25 > 0:39:27to one of my favourite gardens.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33For the past few weeks, Emma, who we met earlier,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36has been working on a secret project for me.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39She's been creating a tribute to the volunteers,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42which I'm going to present to them today.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I was absolutely delighted to be asked to make a piece for Hidcote.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48It's just the most beautiful setting,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51the gardens are just amazing
0:39:51 > 0:39:54and I was very, very honoured indeed.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I'm going to ask Sue to accept the tribute
0:39:57 > 0:40:00on behalf of all of her colleagues.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I've been volunteering for a few years.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06The volunteers at Hidcote are extremely important
0:40:06 > 0:40:08to just managing this garden.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12It doesn't matter what season you come, it is sensational.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16To keep it a surprise, I've tempted Sue to join me
0:40:16 > 0:40:18with something as English as Hidcote,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20a traditional cream tea.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- So do you like scones and things? - Yes.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Look at this. See, scones, tea, cakes.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It's not just scones and tea that I've brought you for
0:40:34 > 0:40:37because there's also another little surprise
0:40:37 > 0:40:40because what we'd like to do is celebrate the time,
0:40:40 > 0:40:45the passion, the enthusiasm you've brought to the garden as a volunteer
0:40:45 > 0:40:49and just an acknowledgement of the contribution
0:40:49 > 0:40:51that volunteers give to this garden,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54but to gardens all around the country.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58So we'd like to just leave a little gesture
0:40:58 > 0:41:01- and a little thank you, wouldn't we, Andrew?- Absolutely.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Isn't that beautiful?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Emma created a work of art
0:41:11 > 0:41:14inspired by the profusion of flowers at Hidcote.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18She even picked foliage to use as moulds for the china leaves.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It's a wonderful tribute to the enthusiastic amateurs
0:41:23 > 0:41:26who give up their time to look after this marvellous garden
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and who keep founder Lawrence Johnston's vision alive.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36"Hidcote, a beautiful place with a fascinating story."
0:41:36 > 0:41:39That's lovely and I love the wood as well. That's gorgeous.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42There you are, so a little thank you for everything
0:41:42 > 0:41:45you and all the other volunteers do.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47So well done you. Give us a kiss.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Lovely. Oh thank you very much.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Well, I can't speak for all volunteers
0:41:52 > 0:41:55anywhere, everywhere, but for the volunteers at Hidcote,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57you know, nearly 100 of us,
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I would like to thank you for this lovely gift
0:41:59 > 0:42:01which we will all treasure.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02A great pleasure.
0:42:03 > 0:42:09I've had an absolutely glorious time here at Hidcote, as I always do,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12but what's nice is I've had the opportunity of meeting
0:42:12 > 0:42:15the guides and the other people that contribute
0:42:15 > 0:42:17to what makes Hidcote very, very special.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Thanks very much for having me.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37I've always known that you don't need formal training
0:42:37 > 0:42:38to make a garden blossom.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42One thing unites Lawrence Johnston's Hidcote,
0:42:42 > 0:42:47Anne's neighbouring Kiftsgate and Chris's Butterfly Garden -
0:42:47 > 0:42:52all three have grown from the passion of some amazing people.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57As I take to the air, I'll get one last look at the glorious Cotswolds,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01the inspiration behind some very special places
0:43:01 > 0:43:04in the loveliest of counties.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08I've had a lovely day in Gloucestershire.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12A gentle county, a gentle tribute and, for me,
0:43:12 > 0:43:13I can go home very happy.