0:00:03 > 0:00:07Britain has some of the finest gardens anywhere in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10For me, it's about getting in amongst the wonderful plants
0:00:10 > 0:00:12that flourish in this country
0:00:12 > 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.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And that's to get up above it.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I love ballooning because you get to see the world below
0:00:33 > 0:00:36in a whole new light.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39From up here, you get a real sense of how the garden sits
0:00:39 > 0:00:43in the landscape, how the terrain and the climate have shaped it.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47And I want you to share that experience with me.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13I've been lucky enough to float across the skies of Britain,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15experiencing some truly breathtaking landscapes.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Phenomenal!
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Awesome! Absolutely awesome.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And this is no different.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Today, I'm off visiting Staffordshire.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37In the north, you've got hilly moorlands,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39but in the south, the famous Cannock Chase
0:01:39 > 0:01:42with its deciduous forests and its conifers
0:01:42 > 0:01:45making it a fascinating county.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Staffordshire is a landlocked county lying in the heart of England.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Its largest city, Stoke-on-Trent,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56is associated with the pottery industry.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01The county is also rich in iron and coal deposits.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And it's got some amazing gardens.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07This is my chance to experience Staffordshire
0:02:07 > 0:02:09from a whole new perspective.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Today I'm dropping in on two historic gardens,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17both of which are full of surprises.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20- Is that it?- That's it.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22It covers around three-quarters of an acre.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24That is massive!
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They've touched the hearts of generations
0:02:28 > 0:02:31of the people who have looked after them.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- My great-great-grandad worked here. - Your great-great-grandfather?- Yeah.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And of course, I'll be getting stuck in.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41And they stink!
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Eugh!
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And employing the help of a few friends.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Celebrate!
0:02:49 > 0:02:51THEY CHEER
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Lying in the middle of the UK,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Staffordshire experiences cool summers and mild winters,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06with over 31 inches of rain a year.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09The mainly clay soil is rich in nutrients
0:03:09 > 0:03:11and, when plenty of organic matter is added,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14it provides the perfect mix for growing plants.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And there's some fantastic examples in the first garden
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I'm dropping in on.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24In this little corner of Middle England,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27you've got a garden that travels the world.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It is so theatrical and reflects the passions
0:03:30 > 0:03:33of the Victorian plant collectors
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and I just can't wait to get down there.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39To the north of the county, near the border with Cheshire,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43sits Biddulph Grange, a grand Victorian house
0:03:43 > 0:03:47that was built on the proceeds of Staffordshire's industry.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Its gardens were the passion project of James Bateman,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57a dedicated plantsman and horticulturalist.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02And they're some of the most extraordinary in Britain!
0:04:13 > 0:04:16From 1842, the gardens here at Biddulph were designed
0:04:16 > 0:04:19as a showcase for Bateman's extensive plant collection
0:04:19 > 0:04:21from all over the world.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25He and his wife Maria had a passion for plants
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and the means to indulge it.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Biddulph Grange for me is a garden full of adventure and fun.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's a journey around the world.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42One minute, you're in Egypt, then you're in Italy, then you find yourself in China.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And it's all topped off with the most amazing plants.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49As a big kid, I just love the place.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55You peek through hidey-holes and you're transported
0:04:55 > 0:04:57to a different part of the globe.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03China comes to life before your eyes,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06with far Eastern exotic plants.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11In Egypt you experience high hedges of beech and yew.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15And as you stroll down the Wellingtonia walk,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19you're dwarfed by the colossal American trees.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25But I'm heading down the Dahlia Walk to meet up with the man tasked
0:05:25 > 0:05:28with managing this fascinating garden - Paul Walton.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- Hi, Paul.- Hi, Christine. - Nice to meet you.- Yes, likewise.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- What you doing here? - Just dahlias.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Had quite a lot of rain so we had a boost of growth.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39So we're just supporting them.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- Can I give you a hand at all?- Yeah.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Do you mind working on the back? - No, not at all.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- I'll just cut you a bit of string. - Yep. Great.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I mean, these are looking lovely, aren't they?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Yeah, they're fabulous. They've really come on.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55They're a really good show.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58The idea is to tie them up, not pull them too tight.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Cos they're known for doing this, aren't they?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Don't want to squeeze them in and they just don't look natural.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Regimental Sergeant Major - my busby's on top!
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Ridiculous.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12So how did you get your job here?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Well, when I left school, my sister worked in the tearoom
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and I used to come with my dad to pick her up.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Saw this fabulous garden, thought how great it would be to...
0:06:21 > 0:06:23..sort of mowing the lawns here at Biddulph.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Anyway, there's garden...and there was a two-year training scheme
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and I was lucky enough to get it and I've been here ever since,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31working my way up the ladder to where I am now.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33That's great. Right from the bottom, right the way up top.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Yeah. Loved every minute of it, yeah.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And seeing it for me, when I started,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39some of these hedges were quite low down and now
0:06:39 > 0:06:42they've come up, so seeing areas mature, yeah, it's just fabulous.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48James Bateman was one of the world's most respected orchidologists.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52He also shared the Victorian mania for dahlias,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57and to showcase them he carved out a sunken walk with yew hedges,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01dividing the terrace beds into a series of compartments.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07But what we see here today is not Bateman's original work.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Biddulph's splendour required huge amounts of money and commitment.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This proved an unsustainable passion for Bateman.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20So, in 1871, it was sold
0:07:20 > 0:07:22to Staffordshire industrialist Robert Heath.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Then, in 1921, the house and the estate was donated
0:07:28 > 0:07:30for use as a hospital.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35But the gardens became rundown and neglected,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and the dug-out terrace around the Dahlia Walk was filled in
0:07:39 > 0:07:41to make a lawn for patients.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47But in 1988, the National Trust acquired the gardens
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and embarked on an extensive restoration project,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53with the aim of returning Biddulph
0:07:53 > 0:07:55to the glory of its Victorian heyday.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03The Dahlia Walk was rediscovered after extensive excavations
0:08:03 > 0:08:08of the site, and the beds replanted with a range of vibrant colours
0:08:08 > 0:08:11similar to the ones used in Bateman's original design.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Dahlias have gone in and out of favour over the decades
0:08:18 > 0:08:22but they've always been a firm favourite with one little critter.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Walking along this border, what surprised me was
0:08:26 > 0:08:29there seems to be very, very little earwig damage.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30We've been ever so fortunate.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Ever since I've been here, we've never had any problem at all. - Really?
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We have a lot of visitors asking us,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37you know, "How do you stop the earwigs?"
0:08:37 > 0:08:39We've never had any problem. We've been so lucky.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43That's amazing, cos in my day, we used to get straw,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46we used to bung it in a pot at night -
0:08:46 > 0:08:48this was a job that we'd do last thing at night,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50first thing in the morning -
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and then you'd poke it on your canes.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And the earwigs would come up these, go up there to sleep,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and then in the morning, you take the whole thing off.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03And you could get 50 or 60 earwigs and it's a really good tip.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- This looks more... - Yeah, a terracotta pot as well.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Well, you know, there's something rather rustic...
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- Character there.- Yeah, quite.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Give you a bit of string.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16What makes Biddulph so special to you?
0:09:16 > 0:09:17It's like a family atmosphere here.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Working with colleagues, they're not just work, they're friends.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I just love it. I've seen the garden develop over the years.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I feel very fortunate that I manage such a fabulous garden.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30And it's like that with a lot of the team.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33You know, they're very passionate.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Cos these days, it's quite hard running a garden, isn't it?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Yeah. It can be. We are quite a small team.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And we have to prioritise work,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42but there's always jobs we could do with an extra hand with.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I've actually got a job now, Christine,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46if you wouldn't mind just giving us a hand.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- I don't mind that. Yeah.- Quick.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Nothing personal, but do you mind dressing up?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- What do you mean by that? - I'll show you.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Something tells me it might not be
0:09:59 > 0:10:02a pretty Victorian frock I'll be wearing!
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Although the team here is tasked
0:10:04 > 0:10:07with keeping the garden true to its Victorian past.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12The garden's Grade One listed status
0:10:12 > 0:10:14means it's of exceptional historic value.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Every plant, shrub and tree planted here
0:10:21 > 0:10:24is as close to Bateman's original design as possible.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30But now I've changed, I'm not sure I like where this is going.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Listen, when you said dressing up, I wasn't expecting this.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43So, I mean... Well, many a garden I've looked after...
0:10:43 > 0:10:46SHE LAUGHS
0:10:46 > 0:10:48So what in the blazes are we up to?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Today we're finning out some of the waterlilies
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and we really appreciate your help with this.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- If that's OK.- OK.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56You know, I'm not good in boats, don't you?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Oh, it will be all right. I'll only move a little bit.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02All right, you got some Kwells or something for me? Seasick pills?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I think I might need them. OK, then. Let's give it a go.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- I've got to get in here. - You get in the boat, yes.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And we'll try and keep you in the boat, eh?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Right, well, I'd prefer that, to be perfectly honest.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17- I'm not sure about this enormous... - SHE LAUGHS
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Eh! Whoa!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Hang on a minute.- There we go.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Right. OK.- Right. Good luck.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Eh, come on, bugalugs!
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Come on! If I'm in, you're in.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- I'm getting in now. - I should hope. Come on!
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- I'm in. - We're all in this mess together.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Now, hang on a minute - why haven't I got any oars?
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- You're in safe hands, safe hands. - You reckon?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Got no other options, have ya?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Come on, then. Let's get on with it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- Sort this one out. - Go on. Get on with it.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Come on, love. Get it in here.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56This one's a bit bigger, this one.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59It's a bit aromatic.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01God, look at it.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I mean, they stink. God!
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Eugh!
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I must admit, when I think of waterlilies,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11this is not the image that immediately springs to mind.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Waterlilies are a hugely popular water plant,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27with many elegant flower shapes and colours.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32With dwarves and large forms available,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36this versatile plant is an excellent choice for small water features,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38in formal ponds or large lakes.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43They thrive in calm, still water away from disturbances
0:12:43 > 0:12:45like waterfalls or fountains.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48They're best planted between late spring and late summer
0:12:48 > 0:12:50and will produce more flowers
0:12:50 > 0:12:53if planted in the sunniest open position of the water.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Flowers last three to four days and should be cut off
0:12:56 > 0:13:00below the water line, along with any old leaves,
0:13:00 > 0:13:01before they sink and rot.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Stop faffing about, lad.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- There we go.- Look, get it in here.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09SHE LAUGHS
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Eugh! I'm not sure if I like this.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Look!- Oh, look at this.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21My leg's underneath there. I can't get it back out.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I can tell you now, I wouldn't be mucking about
0:13:24 > 0:13:26in this boat without good reason.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30And it's because the white lilies are historically accurate,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32while the pink ones are a newer variety,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37not in keeping with the original garden, so they have to be cleared.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44The problem we have, we have to borrow a boat.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45Oh, no.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49If not, we're dragging to the bankside, back again.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- And it takes days. - So it is easier to do it like this.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Oh, yeah, we've very kindly been lent this boat.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56- We've only got it for today.- Right.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59We'll do what we can, but then it's next time we get one available.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- So you never clear it properly. - No, no.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Ideally, it just wants readying,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06cos we're only in here every couple of years.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Without constant managing, the newer pink lilies
0:14:09 > 0:14:12will continue to encroach into the lake,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15causing a real headache for Paul and his team.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18History is important, isn't it, really?
0:14:18 > 0:14:25And heritage is important but, I mean, this is seriously hard work.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Oh, it is hard work but whatever it takes, the brilliant team here,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31brilliant team of volunteers,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34we're working to that vision of restoring this garden
0:14:34 > 0:14:37back to how it was when James Bateman was here.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Some lovely fishing here as well so...need to take care of it.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- All the nibbly! - I can't swim in them, then.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51The team here is committed to returning the garden to its
0:14:51 > 0:14:52Victorian splendour.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56And just a stone's throw away, in Biddulph,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58is a group of volunteers
0:14:58 > 0:15:01who are moving on from their town's industrial past.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Like much of this part of Britain,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Biddulph once relied on local industry for its prosperity.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Mining, the railways, and its proximity to the Potteries
0:15:15 > 0:15:17put the town on the map in the 19th century.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The decline of those local industries hit the town hard.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But one local resident, Hilda Sheldon,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30has made it her mission to brighten up the place.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36The town found itself in a really, really bad way and a group of us
0:15:36 > 0:15:41got together to try and do something about the town's poor environment
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and to give the people a sense of pride in where they lived.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Over 20 years ago, Hilda set up Biddulph in Bloom.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52With a dedicated group of volunteers,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56she set to work revitalising the town through gardening and planting
0:15:56 > 0:16:00thousands of plants and trees, and maintaining local areas.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Today, they are out in force.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- You want six across.- Six across.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- And then if you do them about that far apart.- Yeah.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18One of the group's local volunteers, Harold Hancock,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21is in charge of nurturing some of the plants and shrubs
0:16:21 > 0:16:24that line the streets of Biddulph.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And where better to start than in his own back garden?
0:16:29 > 0:16:34This is where some of the pansies are.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39For the summer, we grow getting on for 19,000
0:16:39 > 0:16:44and for the winter, 11,000-12,000.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Up there, we have stub plants for next year's bedding
0:16:48 > 0:16:50so we're working 12 months ahead.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It's a lot growing in a very small area!
0:16:53 > 0:16:57So much so, he's had to commandeer his next-door neighbour's garden.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01We also do a few tomatoes for ourself.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It's a 12-month of the year job, gardening is,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09so it never stops.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13It sort of keeps me off the street and out of the pub. Great!
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And the other volunteers are also feeling the benefits.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24I haven't got a garden of my own so I use this as my garden
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and I've made a lot of friends since I've been here.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It's just made such a difference to everybody's lives,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35not just us who work on it,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36but just everybody.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42The dedication of the volunteers means this once depressed area
0:17:42 > 0:17:45is now known as the Garden Town of Staffordshire.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49And their hard work hasn't gone unnoticed.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Over the years, Biddulph in Bloom has won numerous awards.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Recently they won gold
0:17:54 > 0:17:57at the national RHS Britain in Bloom contest.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01People often say to me, you know,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04"I wouldn't have thought of coming to Biddulph before
0:18:04 > 0:18:06"cos it was always a miserable place
0:18:06 > 0:18:08"but what you do now is just marvellous."
0:18:10 > 0:18:14But there's no doubt about the driving force behind the charity.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Hilda is Biddulph in Bloom.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Where the heck she finds her energy from, I don't know,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23and she's a credit to Biddulph.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27For her services to Staffordshire, and her community work,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Hilda was awarded an MBE.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33It's very humbling.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38The community have really taken on board what we're trying to do
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and they are so supportive
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and that gives us the energy to keep carrying on.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52What a truly inspirational lady!
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Whether it's transforming your own garden, revitalising a town
0:18:56 > 0:18:58or restoring a Victorian masterpiece,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02it just goes to show what can be done with hard work and dedication.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08And there must be something in the water around here.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Local lass Helen Wilshaw is Biddulph Grange's visitor services manager,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and she's putting her heart and soul into the garden she grew up with.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22What does the garden actually mean to you?
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It's sort of part of my upbringing, you know.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- I've had ancestors that have worked here.- Really?- Yeah.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- My great-great grandad worked here. - Your great-great grandfather?
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Yeah. He was here.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Helen's connection to the garden goes back a century
0:19:38 > 0:19:40to when Robert Heath owned the estate.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44My great-great grandfather lived in a farm
0:19:44 > 0:19:46a bit further up from the grange
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and he used to come down and help out as well
0:19:49 > 0:19:55and in my great aunt's memoirs, she talks about him being there
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and knocking the snow off the tree branches
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and how he caught pneumonia he was working so hard one winter there,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03so there's quite a connection.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Helen was just six years old when she first came here.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I was taken up there for a hospital fete and it was quite different
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and you'd see the hospital just butting up to the garden.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21The patients were rolled out on their beds
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and I remember they were waving to us
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and then much later on when you heard about it coming up for sale,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30it was a little more derelict then.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33So to come back and work there and do this beautiful restoration
0:20:33 > 0:20:34is quite amazing.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And working in the garden is still a family affair.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44I have my father that volunteers every week there. My mum comes down.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I give her a ring and say, "Mum, we're busy. Come and give us help."
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Having grown up at the garden,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Helen knows how important the restoration of Biddulph is
0:20:53 > 0:20:55for the future generations to enjoy.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00There's almost a weight on my shoulders
0:21:00 > 0:21:03to make it be a special place for everybody.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05You know, it's a responsibility
0:21:05 > 0:21:09and from Biddulph, everybody's really got strong memories of it
0:21:09 > 0:21:11and I want it to be right for everybody.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18What about the water and those pink and white waterlilies?
0:21:18 > 0:21:19SHE LAUGHS
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The waterlilies. The ongoing waterlilies.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26- See, that's one of my pet subjects - the pink waterlilies.- Is it?- Yeah.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I'm a bit of a 'get rid of the pink and keep the white' girl, you know?
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Bateman would have had white lilies so true to keeping this garden
0:21:34 > 0:21:39within its time, within its era, I think we should have white lilies.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- So the pink - it's a horrible job but they've got to go.- I'll say.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Before they ask me to get in that boat again,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49I'm taking to the skies.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58From high above, you can see that Staffordshire's
0:21:58 > 0:22:00at the heart of the inland waterways network.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06It has more miles of canals than any other shire county.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12It's an enduring feature of the Industrial Revolution.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16During its heyday, the Trent and Mersey Canal
0:22:16 > 0:22:19saw almost one and a half million tonnes of freight carried
0:22:19 > 0:22:22along its route each year.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27And around the same time that the first canals were being built
0:22:27 > 0:22:29here in the 18th century,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33so began the transformation of the next garden I'm off to visit.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39About 35 miles south of Stoke is another very fascinating garden.
0:22:39 > 0:22:46Follies, yew trees and a garden that's really well worth visiting.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57In 1720, wealthy landowner Thomas Anson
0:22:57 > 0:22:59inherited the Shugborough Estate
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and spent the next 50 years turning the small manor house
0:23:03 > 0:23:05into an imposing country seat.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He knocked down everything that spoiled his view of the Trent Valley
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and annexed 1,000 acres of Cannock Chase to complete his dream.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Like Biddulph Grange, it's a Grade 1 listed estate,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21with formal gardens planted with English
0:23:21 > 0:23:24lavender, striking conical yellow yews
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and eight magnificent monuments, set in lush green parkland.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Head gardener Derek Higgott is charged with
0:23:34 > 0:23:36keeping the garden here spick and span.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- Hi, Derek.- Hi, Christine. - Nice to see you. Hi.- How are you?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I'm fine, thank you. Somebody told me you were planting clematis.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45- Thought I'd give you a hand.- Yes.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Hey, that's very good. - Are you a deep planter?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I like to plant about four or five inches deeper
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- than what they are in their pots. - OK, so let's get this out.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- So how long have you been here now? - I've been here seven years.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- I'm going into my eighth season. - Great.- Yes.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05- I came here when I was 16 on a YTS scheme.- Really?
0:24:05 > 0:24:06Yeah, and I came here just down
0:24:06 > 0:24:09in the garden for a couple of weeks and they wanted a job for me
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- but then I had to wait 30 years to come back.- 30!- Yeah.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16You're a persistent soul!
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- I'll be here till I retire here now. - Great.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21So we'll get this in here and then we'll...
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- I can't believe how nice this soil is.- Oh, it's beautiful.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28We add plenty of muck to it and leaf mould as well.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Just the stuff for growing clematis.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And with masses of spectacular flowers,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38no wonder it's one the most popular garden plants.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48This versatile plant has a wide range of colours and sizes,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and can be grown on walls and pergolas, in containers,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54or left to scramble through trees and shrubs.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It's best planted in the spring or early autumn,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and the many varieties will give you colour from winter to late summer.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Clematis enjoys sun or partial shade
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and needs moisture-retentive but well-drained soil to thrive.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15But a common problem is clematis wilt.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20To avoid this, plant deep - three to four inches deeper than normal.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22And here's another top tip.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27You can use something like an old tile.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Yeah.- Or a flat pot with the bottom taken off
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- and then if we feed that through there...- Yeah.
0:25:32 > 0:25:38- Now, that protects that stem. - Yes, can see that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40So it can't move about and that means that
0:25:40 > 0:25:43the plant will grow away, establish really well
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and you don't get clematis wilt.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- Good watering and hey, presto! - That's it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55The National Trust now owns these historic gardens,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58along with the magnificent house and 900 acres of parkland.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06But in 1842, the first Earl of Litchfield, Thomas William Anson,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09a gambling man and lover of extravagance,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11put the whole estate in jeopardy.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17It was reported that he was with some friends and they split
0:26:17 > 0:26:22an apple in half and it was full of maggots and they had a maggot race.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- A maggot race!- Yeah, and he waged 1,000 pound on it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31And his was losing so he blew on it after having alcohol
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and they say that it died on the table.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35And he gambled that much away
0:26:35 > 0:26:39that they had to sell the whole contents of the house.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- SHE LAUGHS - Based on the maggot.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42- Yeah.- OK.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I'm not sure too about that maggot story.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51But legend has it there's a beast that lurks here,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55which is said to be as wide as the Albert Hall.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01At first glance, this may seen like a very large bush,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06but on closer inspection, you'll see it's one enormous yew tree,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08with a single trunk at its very heart.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17- That is massive!- Covers around three-quarters of an acre.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18It's enormous!
0:27:18 > 0:27:21And it has its own ecosystem
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and there is a family of muntjac who live in there as well.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- I mean, how old is it?- Some people say 600. Some people say 300.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- But look at it! I mean, it's massive.- Yeah.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Wouldn't like the job of trimming that, would you?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I wouldn't want to trim that.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40These fascinating trees are incredibly long-lived
0:27:40 > 0:27:41and slow-growing.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46This one may seem quite old
0:27:46 > 0:27:50but it's a baby when you consider some yew trees are estimated to be
0:27:50 > 0:27:51over 3,000 years old.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They can grow up to 25 metres tall
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and although this one isn't that tall, it is extremely wide.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06But I want to know how wide
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and the only way I can truly get a sense of the scale
0:28:08 > 0:28:11of this mammoth tree is to enlist
0:28:11 > 0:28:13the help of the people of Staffordshire.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- You look a motley crew. - THEY LAUGH
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's lovely that you've all turned out
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and this is all about celebrating
0:28:32 > 0:28:37your county's biggest yew tree.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39And the only way we can do that
0:28:39 > 0:28:43is I want you all to fan out and hold hands.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47So, men, ladies, children - off you go!
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Go on, get round the back. Go on. Go on. Keep going!
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Keep stretching. Come on. We're nearly there.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03I think we're going to do it! Come on. Are we connected?
0:29:03 > 0:29:08Whoo! So I'm going to go around.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I'm going to count and see how many people surround this tree.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13So one, two, three, four...
0:29:13 > 0:29:18..31, 32, 33, 34...39...
0:29:18 > 0:29:24..60, 61, 62...67...100!
0:29:24 > 0:29:31101...58, 59, 160, 162...
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Come on. Come on. We can do it. We can do it.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38..163. We've done it!
0:29:38 > 0:29:40THEY CHEER
0:29:42 > 0:29:47163 people!
0:29:47 > 0:29:48THEY CHEER
0:29:48 > 0:29:54It's enormous! It's the widest tree in Staffordshire,
0:29:54 > 0:29:59in Britain and probably in Europe.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02THEY CHEER
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Thanks to the people of Staffordshire,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10I've got a whole new perspective on this magnificent yew tree.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13THEY CHEER
0:30:18 > 0:30:20As you float away from one living monument,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24there's another in the south of the county, near Burton-on-Trent.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28It's a source of pride not just to the people of Staffordshire,
0:30:28 > 0:30:29but to the whole country.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Located in the heart of the nation, sitting alongside the River Tame,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44stands the National Memorial Arboretum.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51It was opened in 2001
0:30:51 > 0:30:55and the 152-acre site has over 300 memorials,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58lasting tributes to those who've served their country
0:30:58 > 0:30:59and honouring the fallen.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08The assistant curator here is James Shallcross.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12There's many, many memorials - civilian and military -
0:31:12 > 0:31:16and they range from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute,
0:31:16 > 0:31:21the RNLI garden, through to the Basra Wall.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25The Royal Navy have a lovely memorial, blue-glass memorial,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27which was opened this year.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The beauty of it is just discovering them when you walk around.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38It's a young arboretum but there are already over 40,000 trees
0:31:38 > 0:31:41around the grounds, many of which have relevance
0:31:41 > 0:31:42to the memorials around them.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48The chestnuts that line the Police Memorial Avenue were chosen
0:31:48 > 0:31:50because the first truncheons were made
0:31:50 > 0:31:52from this extremely durable wood.
0:31:55 > 0:32:01The 2,535 trees in the Merchant Navy Convoy Wood
0:32:01 > 0:32:04represent vessels lost during World War II.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11The idea of having the memorials within the trees,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13it makes it a soft landscape.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16It's parkland, it's woodland, it's nature.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20It just gives that peace and contemplation
0:32:20 > 0:32:22which is really what the arboretum's about.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The centrepiece is the Armed Forces Memorial.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32On it are the names of over 16,000 service personnel
0:32:32 > 0:32:35who have been killed on duty since the end of the Second World War.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Stonemason Nick Hindle is responsible
0:32:42 > 0:32:44for adding the names to the wall.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50It's a fantastic place to work at. I'm extremely proud.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54It isn't just the names, you know?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56There's families and friends behind all these people
0:32:56 > 0:33:00and for them to come here and see their loved one on the wall,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02they must be very proud.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08Just these last few months, a lady came and watched me
0:33:08 > 0:33:12from marking on the name right to the last chisel mark
0:33:12 > 0:33:16and it's hard for me to do that but for that poor lady to stand there
0:33:16 > 0:33:19and watch that must've been the worst thing in the world.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23But I suppose that might have given her a little bit of comfort.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35In 1982, during the Falklands conflict,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Margaret Allen's husband Iain Boldy
0:33:38 > 0:33:40was killed on board the HMS Argonaut.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45It was very difficult at the time because he was not repatriated.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47He was actually buried at sea.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51All we got back was a story
0:33:51 > 0:33:56and there needed to be a place that we could go and be and reflect
0:33:56 > 0:34:00and spend time and this is what the National Memorial Arboretum offers.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05When I get to this place, I can feel him here.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09I know he's here and, you know, in spirit,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12and I know they're all together.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14And that is so comforting.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24For Carol Jones whose son Sergeant John Jones was killed in Iraq,
0:34:24 > 0:34:29the memorial offers the chance to meet people and share experiences.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35This place is a second home to me.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38I come here more than I go to the grave
0:34:38 > 0:34:40because I can sit here all day if I want to.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46I know most of the families with the names on the walls
0:34:46 > 0:34:51and I know most of the families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53We're all one big family.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Although the National Memorial Arboretum
0:35:04 > 0:35:06serves as a place of remembrance,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10it's also a great source of comfort for so many people.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16It's the most incredible place.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20It has this wonderful energy about it.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23It's not in the slightest bit mournful. It's happy.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29It's just got a special feel.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31It's so peaceful and the people that do the grounds
0:35:31 > 0:35:35and work for the arboretum, the volunteers,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39they do an amazing job and this is why it's like it is.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46I feel an affiliation to lots of the memorials and then also to be able to
0:35:46 > 0:35:50work with the trees and gardens, it is a great pleasure to be here.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Without this place, life would have been an awful lot more difficult,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58so I'm very grateful for it.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Taking this space and turning it into somewhere special for people to
0:36:06 > 0:36:09enjoy is what gardening is all about for me,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13and to see the comfort it brings here is truly heart-warming.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17So when people appreciate the work that goes on,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20it makes it all the more worthwhile.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28And back at Biddulph Grange, I'm finding out just how much
0:36:28 > 0:36:29they appreciate Helen Wilshaw.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35She's the gardens' visitor services manager with a family history here
0:36:35 > 0:36:36that goes back centuries.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Since visiting as a child, she's seen the gardens transformed.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46She will do anything she can to help you.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49You can call her any time of day and she'll be there.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50One minute she will be in the shop.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Another minute, she'll be in the restaurant,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56then she'll be in the garden showing people around.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Everything is important to her.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03She just talks herself and she helps us out with any problems
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and we're all great friends, actually.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09She's just the heart and soul of Biddulph Grange and if ever
0:37:09 > 0:37:12she did leave, I don't think that anyone could ever fill her shoes.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15She is the lady of Biddulph by a mile, yeah.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20For me, what makes this place so special is just how much everyone
0:37:20 > 0:37:25here shares the sense of magical adventure this garden creates.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33Well, gardening is about mischief and fun, but you two just exude it!
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- Yeah.- It's when he starts spending money and I say, "What you doing?"
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Spending money!- I'm not allowed to spend money unless Helen says.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43No, not at all. Yeah. I have to keep him under control.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47The thing I get from talking to both of you
0:37:47 > 0:37:50is A - a local sense of pride.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52- Oh, very much so.- Yeah, yeah.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Yeah, and that really comes across.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00But how much flipping hard work is involved in trying to bring this
0:38:00 > 0:38:04back true to Bateman and its history and everything else?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07The layout of the garden really is a big challenge.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09We've got no machinery in here at all.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Everything is carried in and out.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14So it is a hard garden to work
0:38:14 > 0:38:17- and we just want the garden to look the best all year around.- We do.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Yeah. I actually think you're doing a pretty magnificent job.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- It's really quite something. - Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30The garden is testament to just how dedicated the team is
0:38:30 > 0:38:34and having experienced firsthand how hard it is to conserve this garden,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I've come up with an idea of how to help.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Without the use of their own boat all year round, clearing those pesky
0:38:43 > 0:38:47pink waterlilies will be an endless task,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51so there's another little restoration project on the go.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56We've asked boat maker Roger Wilkinson to take this old wooden
0:38:56 > 0:38:59boat, which, to be fair, could do with a bit of TLC,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03and refurbish it to make it shipshape again.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07So whenever the Biddulph Grange team needs to get out on the lake,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- they'll have their very own boat. - It's a nice little dinghy.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14It's a little bit rough at the edges at the moment.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18We've got various holes and cracks in the planking.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21But I'm sure it will look lovely when I...
0:39:21 > 0:39:24..by the time I'm finished and it will be a nice surprise.
0:39:25 > 0:39:31So the basic thing is to get the boat square and back to its original shape
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and then I'll be basically coating the bottom of the boat
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and filling all the holes in.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Well, that's one little job done. Only another...
0:39:42 > 0:39:43..300 or more to go
0:39:43 > 0:39:47and then we can put this nice little boat on the water at Biddulph.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Hope it doesn't sink.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51You and me both, lad.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54So you'd best get on with it
0:39:54 > 0:39:56because I'm gathering together some of Helen's friends,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59family and colleagues to join in with the surprise.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03And of course, if you're going to launch a boat,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05you need a bit of bubbly.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13Hello!
0:40:13 > 0:40:15SHE LAUGHS
0:40:15 > 0:40:19- I know it's been a long day.- We thought we'd have refreshments.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20THEY LAUGH
0:40:20 > 0:40:26Helen, one of the things that's been quite touching today
0:40:26 > 0:40:31- is the love and warmth that people have expressed...- Right.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37Volunteers and this chap here, even though he did try to drown me.
0:40:37 > 0:40:43..have been expressing that you are the life and soul
0:40:43 > 0:40:45of Biddulph Gardens.
0:40:45 > 0:40:51And I just thought that it would be quite nice to acknowledge
0:40:51 > 0:40:52that amount of work.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- So...here you are. I'll have that. - You want that?
0:40:55 > 0:40:57THEY LAUGH
0:40:57 > 0:41:03But we just thought it would be quite nice to actually...
0:41:03 > 0:41:06..get you a more stable boat
0:41:06 > 0:41:12because I just can't believe that you lot dive in
0:41:12 > 0:41:17and not only is it Biddulph's boat,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20but actually this is Helen's Boat...
0:41:20 > 0:41:25- It's fantastic.- ..for a very, very special person.- Oh, thank you.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29So as a little thankyou for a lovely day, and it's been lovely,
0:41:29 > 0:41:34volunteers together, people, celebrate Helen's Boat.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36So here's to Helen's Boat.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Helen's Boat!
0:41:39 > 0:41:44- I'm really impressed.- Come on, lads. Let's get this boat in the water.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49And for a proper sendoff, we need a naming ceremony.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Well, I think I'm going to declare this Helen's Boat
0:41:55 > 0:41:59but it's Helen's Boat for lots of waterlilies.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01THEY CHEER
0:42:02 > 0:42:04And me.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06And now it's time for the maiden voyage.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10- Now, then, where are we off now, then?- Off you go.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I don't think you do it like that.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15THEY LAUGH
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Come here, woman!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30I do enjoy a good boat trip.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35But my preferred method of transport is up in the air.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42From high above the heart of England, the scars
0:42:42 > 0:42:45of Staffordshire's industrial heritage are clear to see.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51But everywhere I look, I see people breathing new life into the land.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56Reclaimed sites are turned into peaceful places of contemplation.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57Once industrial areas
0:42:57 > 0:43:01are transformed into beautiful garden towns.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And I'll leave here safe in the knowledge that
0:43:07 > 0:43:09the dedication of the people who restore
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and maintain these magnificent historic gardens means
0:43:12 > 0:43:17future generations will get to enjoy their magic as much as I have.