0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain has a long and proud gardening heritage.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And a passion for plants that goes back centuries.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12But all is not well in our once green and pleasant land.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Front gardens paved over.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Our lawns lack lustre.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And rare wild flowers on the brink of extinction.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21So we need you...
0:00:21 > 0:00:22..to help us...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24..in our campaign...
0:00:24 > 0:00:25..to help rediscover...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..our passion for gardening.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're going to give you the best gardening tips.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34And revealing British gardens that will quite simply
0:00:34 > 0:00:36take your breath away.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- It's time to plant... - ..and prune...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..and sharpen your shears.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Let the Great British Garden Revival Begin.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49MUSIC
0:01:26 > 0:01:27On tonight's show,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Alys Fowler is on the campaign trail for kitchen gardens.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34But first, I want to celebrate the herbaceous border.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39For me, the very essence of a British garden,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42its heart and soul, is best described by these.
0:01:42 > 0:01:49Herbaceous borders in full flow. Festooned with blooms and foliage.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53The sheer number of plants, the composition, the space required,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55not to mention the maintenance,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59means that these borders in recent years have fallen out of favour.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07But I firmly believe with a little understanding of the horticulture
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and consideration of the artistry involved,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14this symphony is achievable in any garden.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So join me, Chris Beardshaw, for my revival
0:02:17 > 0:02:19of the Great British herbaceous border.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25In my campaign, I'll be exploring the creativity
0:02:25 > 0:02:28involved in designing herbaceous borders.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32We can see the flow, the dynamics of movement through the border.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I'll be taking a closer look at one of the most versatile
0:02:35 > 0:02:37herbaceous perennials to place in the garden.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40If you're looking for something that's interesting,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43that's going to lengthen your season, asters are a must.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44As well as celebrating
0:02:44 > 0:02:48one of the most famous herbaceous borders in the country.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51And I'll be giving you tips on how to keep your plants healthy.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05To start my revival,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I've come to the extraordinary Arley Hall and Gardens in Cheshire,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12home to the Warburton family since the 15th century.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16The imposing house we see today
0:03:16 > 0:03:20was built by Rowland Egerton-Warburton in the 1840s.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24So what looks like an Elizabethan palace is actually early Victorian.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26While the house was being finished,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Rowland and his wife, Mary, began redesigning the formal gardens
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and I've come to see one particular feature that would change
0:03:34 > 0:03:37the landscape of British horticulture forever.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40And it's this.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43A garden of double herbaceous borders,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46originally crafted in the 1840s.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The oldest and earliest known example
0:03:49 > 0:03:52of horticulture of this style anywhere in the world.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56These borders are made up of herbaceous perennials.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Non woody, fleshy plants that erupt to life in spring,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03producing a chorus of colour.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But then retreat to below ground in winter
0:04:06 > 0:04:09to create a living barometer of the seasons.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Sourced by plant hunters from around the world,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15it was here at Arley these well travelled plants
0:04:15 > 0:04:18were given their first home in a formal garden.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Such was the drama created,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23it not only ignited the world of horticulture,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27it lies at the very heart of the British garden.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32These borders have been an important part of our gardens
0:04:32 > 0:04:37for generations but are perceived as labour intensive.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Sure they need to be controlled and orchestrated
0:04:40 > 0:04:41and in the late 20th century
0:04:41 > 0:04:44it seemed we simply fell out of love with them.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Unless we start replanting now,
0:04:46 > 0:04:51this essential component of our gardens will be lost forever.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54In order to convince you of the rewards and satisfaction
0:04:54 > 0:04:57in growing herbaceous perennials, I want to start my campaign
0:04:57 > 0:05:01by showing you a garden that is a true labour of love.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08This is the Manor House at Upton Grey in Hampshire.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11A spectacular private house and garden.
0:05:11 > 0:05:1330 years ago, this garden lay in ruins
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and the task of restoration fell to Rosamund Wallinger
0:05:17 > 0:05:19who bought the house in the mid '80s,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22knowing precious little about gardening.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25What was it like when you first came here?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29The garden was almost invisible.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31There were no borders in the rose lawn at all.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It was weeds. The garden had turned into a complete ruin.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Investigating the history of the house,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Rosamund soon discovered the jungle in her garden
0:05:41 > 0:05:45hid an important piece of our horticultural heritage.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It had been designed by one of Britain's
0:05:47 > 0:05:50most celebrated garden designers, Gertrude Jekyll.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52She was born at a time
0:05:52 > 0:05:54when plants were coming back from around the world.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57First introduced at Kew and then distributed through
0:05:57 > 0:06:02the great new nurseries that were springing up all over England.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06She was using new plant material in an artistic way.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11She called it painting the land with living things.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Using Jekyll's original plans,
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Rosamund slowly put this important Edwardian garden back together.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22As with many Jekyll gardens, the highlights of this garden
0:06:22 > 0:06:26are the carefully crafted and highly dramatic herbaceous borders.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28There's a wonderful sense of anticipation
0:06:28 > 0:06:30as you come up the step.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You're never given a full blown view of the border
0:06:33 > 0:06:35until, actually, you get to this point
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and suddenly it just opens up in front of you.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Yes, that's true.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's difficult when you look at this to imagine that there was a time
0:06:42 > 0:06:45when people didn't want to embrace herbaceous borders
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and yet they fell out of fashion so quickly.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Why do you think that was?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Well, we had two World Wars and labour was diminished.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Financially, a garden that was run by one or two people
0:06:57 > 0:07:00after having been run by eight or nine people
0:07:00 > 0:07:03was bound to have to economise on the difficult.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05But you need this contrast.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10You need the excitement of these amazing herbaceous plants
0:07:10 > 0:07:11at the end of the year
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and they make the whole garden season alive.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21To conduct this symphony of colour, Rosamund follows a score
0:07:21 > 0:07:24written over 100 years ago.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It's lovely to see the plants in her handwriting.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Even the way she has written it. - Yes, absolutely.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32So we can see not just the tiering but we can see the flow.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It was the ability to be able to not just appreciate the plant
0:07:35 > 0:07:40but to weave with that plant. It's a tapestry that she's created.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Yes. It's lovely looking at it through your eyes instead of mine
0:07:43 > 0:07:46who's the one who's sort of the digger.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50This garden is one of the most accurate
0:07:50 > 0:07:53and best preserved Jekyll designs in Britain.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57And central to its success are the herbaceous perennials,
0:07:57 > 0:07:58which makes Upton Grey
0:07:58 > 0:08:03a critical part of our heritage and a vital component of my revival.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Back at Arley Hall, the stunning herbaceous borders
0:08:12 > 0:08:16are an inspirational living work of art.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19There is a real sense that these borders are framed
0:08:19 > 0:08:22just as a masterpiece would be.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25The wall on one side, the hedge on the other.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28They serve to focus our attention
0:08:28 > 0:08:32on this wonderful indulgence of planting.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36But more than that, the structures provide shelter for the plants.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39They come from many climates around the world
0:08:39 > 0:08:44and they all revel a wonderful growing environment.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48To unlock the secrets of how these borders are composed,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52we simply need to take a closer look at the individual plants.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Laying out herbaceous borders starts at the back
0:09:02 > 0:09:05with the structure or framework.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06In this case, a wall,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10but a home that could easily be a fence or a hedge.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It provides the shelter, the protection,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15the back drop to the whole performance.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Then when we start thinking about plants,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19we start with the tall and robust.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Just look at that Rudbeckia.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Beautiful yellow umbrella-like flowers
0:09:26 > 0:09:30and boy does it achieve some vigour.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33A wonderful example of a clump forming plant
0:09:33 > 0:09:35essential for the back of the border.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Big rounded drifts are allowed to really prosper.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43As we come slightly further forwards,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46well, the plants get a little more delicate.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47For instance, this monkshood.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51The top of the flower is said to resemble the hood
0:09:51 > 0:09:53of a rather sinister looking monk.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56It's a wonderful plant to use because it has a different form.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It's upright. It's like a rocket disappearing off into the sky.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02It adds an energy and a vibrancy to the whole scheme.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06As we come further forwards, well, the plants tumble in size.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Plants like the crocosmia or montbretia
0:10:12 > 0:10:16with its sword-like leaves that squeak when they're wet.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20The shape of the leaf gives us a completely different texture.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23The orange flowers radiating out in low light levels.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24It's a great performer.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Very resilient and grows in almost any soil.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29And then right at the front, well,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31you use the plants which move and mingle.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36The socialites. Like the Jerusalem sage down here. The phlomis.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Yellow blooms in early summer.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Don't be in too much of a hurry to cut those off.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Once they've faded, these structural and architectural heads
0:10:44 > 0:10:47will persist right through the winter months.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's plants like this that will move and migrate.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55They allow the whole border to marry together.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58They are the glue between all of these other plants.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02The next consideration is colour.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Just look at the repetition of yellows
0:11:04 > 0:11:08down the full length of this herbaceous border.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Now it doesn't matter if your border is 200 metres or two metres long.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Just a simple repeat of a single colour
0:11:15 > 0:11:19will be enough to draw you into the depths of the border.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34If you're looking for a plant to extend the season
0:11:34 > 0:11:38through to the mists of autumn then there's one obvious candidate.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39The aster.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45This is the family-run Old Court Nursery in Worcestershire.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47The nursery holds the national collection
0:11:47 > 0:11:52for autumn flowering asters and they've amassed over 400 varieties,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55making this one of the largest collections of aster
0:11:55 > 0:11:57anywhere in the world.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I'm meeting mum Meriel and daughter Helen
0:12:00 > 0:12:03to find out about a plant that's often over looked.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The nursery has been here a considerable length of time.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Well, yes. It was started by Earnest Ballard in 1906
0:12:12 > 0:12:16and then my father-in-law came as manager in 1947
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and he bought it and carried on.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21What is it about the aster that really fascinates you?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Why did you want to revive its particular interest?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Because I think it's got such versatility.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30So, as a garden plant, if you're looking for something
0:12:30 > 0:12:33that's interesting, that's going to lengthen your season,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37it's the perfect plant. There's such a range to choose from.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The aster was once a garden favourite
0:12:40 > 0:12:43but in the mid 20th century, enthusiasm began to wane.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46If it weren't for the Picton family,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49diversity within the species could easily have been lost.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55To prove their validity, the Picton's showcase their asters
0:12:55 > 0:13:00in herbaceous borders that would grace any garden.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It's a lovely looking border, isn't it?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Yes, and you can see how they work
0:13:04 > 0:13:06in amongst all the other plants as well,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08which is how I like to see them.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10From the very low ones down here
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and then you work all the way through the border
0:13:12 > 0:13:13to the sort of mid height,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16all the way up to the very tallest ones that you can see.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19The aster can deliver colour in your garden from midsummer
0:13:19 > 0:13:22right up until the beginning of December.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23And by examining the flowers,
0:13:23 > 0:13:29another important attribute of this diverse plant reveals itself.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31We've got the petals around the outside edge
0:13:31 > 0:13:36but then each one of these little sections, if I break that apart,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41there's a single flower there just between my thumb nails.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43So they're fab for the insects.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Instead of having to visit many different flowers
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and use up all its energy, it can visit one
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and get multiple nectar sources so asters are a must.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54There isn't really anything that's going to beat them
0:13:54 > 0:13:56which is why I love them quite so much.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59There's an aster for every situation
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and even better than that, they ignite interest in a border
0:14:03 > 0:14:06at a time of the year when just about everything else
0:14:06 > 0:14:08in the herbaceous plant world
0:14:08 > 0:14:10is starting to breathe a sigh of relief.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13That's the point when asters get excitable.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Here at Arley Hall, herbaceous borders grow
0:14:20 > 0:14:24with such enthusiasm and vigour they need to be tamed.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27High maintenance is one of the reasons
0:14:27 > 0:14:32why spectacular borders like these began to fall from favour.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34But I believe the investment of time and effort
0:14:34 > 0:14:37on these beautiful plants can result in
0:14:37 > 0:14:41one of the most rewarding experiences in horticulture.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I'm working with Head Gardener Gordon Bailey
0:14:43 > 0:14:45for a spot of dead heading on the border
0:14:45 > 0:14:49just to see how much work goes into creating perfection.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Deadheading work on these astilbes is one of those tidying up tasks.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It's all about aesthetics really. Keeping it looking clean and tidy.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59It is.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02You don't want one plant distracting your eye from the plants around it.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's finished flowering but there are still others around
0:15:05 > 0:15:07that are in flower or are going to flower.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12When do you do your major prune back?
0:15:12 > 0:15:15When is it you reduce the canopy of the plants to ground?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18First decent frost and then we'll start cutting plants down.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21We start quite early because we like to get on the border.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Quite a bit of work is going to be done.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We've made notes through the year of what we want to move.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29What we want to divide. What we want to reduce in size.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31So we want to have plenty of time through the winter months
0:15:31 > 0:15:32to actually get that done.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36It strikes me that most people's opinions of borders like this
0:15:36 > 0:15:37would be they love the look
0:15:37 > 0:15:40but they're not quite so keen on the maintenance.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Do you find yourself overwhelmed by it?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I do enjoy working in the border. It is a participation sport really
0:15:47 > 0:15:50so you get in and you do,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53which is one of the things I love about being a gardener,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55is that you're always working with the plants.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00And the trick here really is to impose yourself on the garden.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02You're in charge. You're in control of the plants.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06They will perform but if you don't carry out the maintenance,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08- you're in danger of losing control. - Very much so.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11One of the things that will happen is the big thugs will take over
0:16:11 > 0:16:15and they'll run through and they'll swamp and strangle out the smaller
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and sometimes more delicate plants.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And very often they're the precious ones that you want to have,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23so it's got to be kept in its place.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27No one plant at any time has centre stage.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29It's all of the different plants working in combinations
0:16:29 > 0:16:32as they come and go throughout the season,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34leading right the way up to the very first frost,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37it will still look good and there'll still be plenty of colour in it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40What is it that you find particularly interesting
0:16:40 > 0:16:43about herbaceous borders? Why do you fall in love with them?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46I think it's the diversity of plants that you can use within the border
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and the combinations
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and the fact that the border changes throughout the growing season.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53So it's not just one hit.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55A plant will look good for a while, it will fade away
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and then something else comes in and takes its place.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But also there is that ability to move plants around
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and re-gig if you don't like the way things work.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09So it's a very interactive part of the garden
0:17:09 > 0:17:10and you never reach that point
0:17:10 > 0:17:14where you stand back and go, "That's it finished. We've done."
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- It's work in progress? - It's always work in progress.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19It never seems to come to an end.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Just one of the jobs Gordon and his team have to keep on top of
0:17:23 > 0:17:24is the weeding.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28In such a fertile space that promotes such vigorous growth,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32the weeds that break through can be pretty vigorous too.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It's worth remembering that not all herbaceous plants
0:17:40 > 0:17:42are good news in a herbaceous border.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45For instance, plants like this,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49the bind weed or convolvulus, are a perennial weed.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51They're rather lazy plants.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53They emerge out of the ground in early spring,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56climb their way around your prize specimens
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and then literally throttle them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Now it's very tempting to grab a hold of these and yank them out
0:18:01 > 0:18:03but in fact, that just helps the weed
0:18:03 > 0:18:05because they've got deep tapped roots
0:18:05 > 0:18:08which penetrate several metres in and across the ground
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and all that will do is just help them propagate.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16So to get rid of it, if you very carefully untwine it
0:18:16 > 0:18:19from the plant it's trying to strangle.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And you can see it's quite a long specimen.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Put a stake in the ground...
0:18:27 > 0:18:35..and then rewind your bindweed around the cane or stake.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40But the point is that you're isolating the weed
0:18:40 > 0:18:42from the plant it was inhabiting
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and then when it's dry,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48you can sneak up on it and treat it with a systemic herbicide.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51That's a herbicide which you apply to the foliage
0:18:51 > 0:18:53but then finds its way down the stem
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and kills right back to the heart of the plant
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and all of its root system.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02This is a great way of ensuring you treat the bindweed
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and the bindweed doesn't kill your prized specimen.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09And these are exactly the sort of plants you've got to get rid of
0:19:09 > 0:19:13from your garden before you start to plant your herbaceous border.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16If you don't get rid of them then there's only one victor
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and that's the perennial weeds.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26This is Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Here they maintain a border that was designed
0:19:29 > 0:19:33to teach horticultural students how to care for herbaceous perennials.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I'm meeting Nursery Manager Lizzy Glaser
0:19:36 > 0:19:39to find out more about this magical place.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43When the sun strikes the border it's just majestic.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Such a bold statement.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's a beautiful, beautiful border.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It's there to give real bursts of pleasure
0:19:50 > 0:19:54over three periods from May until the end of October.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And there's a real history to this border
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and we know that it has great integrity.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03It has because, of course, it was started by Miss Beatrix Havergal
0:20:03 > 0:20:07who took over the site here at Waterperry in 1932
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and set up her horticultural school for young ladies.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14And this was where she arrived with six students and two tutors
0:20:14 > 0:20:19to train future generations of very successful women gardeners.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I just wish I'd been one of them.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Today the gardens still runs courses
0:20:24 > 0:20:26but most visitors come to catch a glimpse
0:20:26 > 0:20:28of the 60-metre herbaceous border
0:20:28 > 0:20:32diligently kept to Miss Havergal's design.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36For people who perhaps haven't encountered herbaceous borders
0:20:36 > 0:20:38on this sort of scale and with this grandeur before,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41what advice do you give them about having a go?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43What confidence can you provide for them?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Have a go. It's really, really good fun.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49I didn't know anything eight years ago. I knew absolutely nothing.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I just was a lady that lunched and enjoyed looking round galleries.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I'm mad about this because somebody persuaded me to have a go
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and it's easy.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Do you think it's possible to have a British garden
0:21:01 > 0:21:03without a herbaceous border being present?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Would it have the same energy?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07No. Definitely not.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Everybody needs to have a tiny little bit of herbaceous border
0:21:10 > 0:21:12in their own garden.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Undoubtedly, Miss Havergal designed this border
0:21:15 > 0:21:18to excite her student's about a career in horticulture.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21To see if the border can still inspire,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26I've invited two non-gardening Oxford University students down
0:21:26 > 0:21:27for a little experiment.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31How do you react when you see gardens?
0:21:31 > 0:21:32What do gardens provoke in you?
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Fear.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Why? See, I think that's interesting.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41What's fearful, what could possibly be fearful about a green space?
0:21:41 > 0:21:42What's lurking in there?
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Erm...
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I just don't know anything about it and I feel like I should.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49What I want you to try and do
0:21:49 > 0:21:53is to draw and document with diagrams and words,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55however you see fit,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59the secrets to the composition of this border.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02We should be able to do that. Easily.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03We'll have a go.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And when I say easily I mean, not definitely easily.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07But we'll have a go.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14While Matt and Loren get to grips with this traditional border,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I explore another important piece of herbaceous design.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21I'm not the first person to try and reinvigorate
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and revitalise herbaceous borders.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27The last time it happened was in the 1970s.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31And in a break away from those long straight traditional borders,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33this is the response.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Island beds.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38They're using essentially the same plant material
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and arranging them in a very similar way
0:22:40 > 0:22:43but in a bed that you can walk all the way around.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It makes much better use of space.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48If you've got a small patch of garden
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and you really want to give it that expansive feel,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53it's an interesting choice.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57These may work in smaller spaces but for me,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02the traditional border is the most dramatic element of any garden.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I wonder if Matt and Loren will agree.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Structurally, I've seen more clearly the sort of frontal lobes
0:23:11 > 0:23:14of stuff that's about to come through
0:23:14 > 0:23:16and then the middle section of the flowering stuff
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and then the back, a pure mystery.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- Mystery behind the wall. - What do you mean by mystery?
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Erm, well, as in it feels like there's a lot of empty space there.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The mystery that you talk about is actually a service path.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's a path to allow you to get access to the back of the garden
0:23:35 > 0:23:38so that you can maintain and manage the plants.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And Loren, describe how you saw the border.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It seems to work as a flattened landscape.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49A lot of Claude Lorrain's paintings, he tends to manipulate space
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and guide the viewer very specifically
0:23:51 > 0:23:53into different parts of the painting.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55That's very apparent in this border as well,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59which perhaps is what a lot of gardening is about.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00I think you're absolutely right.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02What the designer is doing is playing with colour
0:24:02 > 0:24:05in exactly the same way as an artist is playing with colour.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Trying to get your eye to move in a very deliberate way
0:24:08 > 0:24:11to appreciate the space which is being created
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and when you consider that that's just the view today,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17you come back next week and it's a completely different view.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So it becomes this constant orchestration and choreography
0:24:20 > 0:24:24where one plant is coming to the fore and the next plant is receding
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and their performance changes day on day, year on year.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Next time I see a border,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I'll be looking a lot more at the composition which is good
0:24:34 > 0:24:37because before I just walked straight passed it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46More than a happy accident, these borders at Arley Hall
0:24:46 > 0:24:51are a wonderful example of painting with plants.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55It allows us to be drawn into the heart of the garden
0:24:55 > 0:25:00and gives us wonderful views out to the estate beyond.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04If you want to keep your herbaceous perennials vigorous, vibrant
0:25:04 > 0:25:08and healthy, there's one simple technique you'll need to master.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Plant division.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18One of the rewards of growing herbaceous perennials
0:25:18 > 0:25:21is the speed at which they establish themselves.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23In many cases, it's just two or three years
0:25:23 > 0:25:26before they've completely filled the space
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and that's very much the case with this achillea.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32It's called the pearl because of its tiny white flowers
0:25:32 > 0:25:34that persists right through the summer months.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And yet here, it's outspilt its space.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41That may sound like a problem but as with anything in gardening,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43it can be turned to your advantage
0:25:43 > 0:25:45because if we dig it up,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50and you can be fairly rough with the fork underneath,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52give it a bit of a tickle and what you're trying to do is
0:25:52 > 0:25:54to take out as much of the plant as possible.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58If I grab hold of it and take a chunk out...
0:26:00 > 0:26:01There we go.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And we can see these white stems here turning upwards
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and becoming green shoots,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13which will give us that wonderful burst of growth next spring.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Now this plant can be given a bit of a haircut.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21You would normally do this once the plant has started to slip
0:26:21 > 0:26:25into its winter or autumn dormancy.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28But it can be done as late as spring.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Even as late as the young shoots coming through.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34So a bit of a haircut and then,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37what you need is some fibrous root
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and some shoots and some stems.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and then you can divide the plant as much as you wish.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Now the traditional way of doing it,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50if I can find my other fork,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54is to get two forks, put them back-to-back
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and just prise the plant apart.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It looks quite rough but...
0:27:03 > 0:27:08..you can see that we've instantly got a second plant.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Plants can become a little bit lazy if you allow them
0:27:10 > 0:27:12to become too large in a garden.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15By constantly lifting and dividing,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17usually on a three to five-year cycle,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20what you do is encourage extra growth.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Extra flowers, more vigour and better performance.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25This is typical of the sort of thing
0:27:25 > 0:27:27that I started doing in horticulture.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30As a 13-year-old boy, I walked into a nursery
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and my very first job was lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38And there's something rather rewarding about the whole process
0:27:38 > 0:27:43because this whole clump can provide us with three or four new specimens.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Left outside, they're perfectly hardy
0:27:47 > 0:27:48and then next spring,
0:27:48 > 0:27:53they can bed planted out as part of your ongoing painting masterpiece.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I hope I've shown that herbaceous borders are an important
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and beautiful part of our garden heritage.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13You don't need a country estate or a huge garden to have one
0:28:13 > 0:28:15but what you will need are plants.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19A great place to pick up a spectacular herbaceous specimen
0:28:19 > 0:28:23for your garden is at one of the UK's many plant fairs.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Here you can get advice and meet growers like Martin Blow.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Growing herbaceous perennials is really important to us because
0:28:31 > 0:28:34we can grow the plants that perhaps the garden centres don't cover.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37The garden centres don't like growing tall plants quite often.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39They're difficult to manage.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Where as we can do it on a small scale.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43You can come out to a plant fair like this and get great advice.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46These people are passionate about the plants.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48They're really keen to preserve the old varieties
0:28:48 > 0:28:50and make them available to the public.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52- That one?- Yeah, that's lovely. - Lovely.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Thank you, so that's, er, six and five is 11.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59See, I'm glad you can do the maths because I can't.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02I think events like this are important
0:29:02 > 0:29:05because you get a mixture of specialist growers
0:29:05 > 0:29:08that you wouldn't normally perhaps go and see.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13There's so much choice. Plants that you've never seen before.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I mean, people might feel a bit daunted trying to do
0:29:15 > 0:29:19a herbaceous border in a small space but it's not too difficult.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21You can get some nice easy plants to do to start with.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Put them in the garden. If it goes wrong, it doesn't look right.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27You don't like it, then move them around. It doesn't matter.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30It's a chance to get outside and do some exercise.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32It's a chance to become artistic
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and it's also a chance to help wildlife as well.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It really is a good thing to do in your garden.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49Herbaceous perennials offer unabashed and unrivalled beauty
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and personality that fill the senses.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57And when arranged in herbaceous borders like this,
0:29:57 > 0:30:02they produce the most fantastic carnival atmosphere.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I hope you feel inspired to step outside
0:30:05 > 0:30:09and create your own personal horticultural master piece,
0:30:09 > 0:30:10the herbaceous border.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Stay with us for another garden revival.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21To me, there is nothing more rewarding or attractive
0:30:21 > 0:30:24than a kitchen garden full to the brim
0:30:24 > 0:30:26with lovely fresh organic produce.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31But the shocking truth is that we buy over 80%
0:30:31 > 0:30:33of our fruit and vegetables at the supermarket
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and 60% of them are imported.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40We're losing a huge array of our traditional British varieties.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44I want to revive our passion for kitchen gardens.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I'm not talking about the veg patch at the bottom of the garden
0:30:47 > 0:30:51or allotments, I'm talking about proper kitchen gardens.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Places of great ornamental beauty that provide us
0:30:54 > 0:30:56with food year round.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58So join me, Alys Fowler,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01for the Great British kitchen garden revival.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03On my campaign, I will be revealing the secrets
0:31:03 > 0:31:07of one of Britain's oldest traditional kitchen gardens
0:31:07 > 0:31:11that is fighting to keep our horticultural heritage alive.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14The kind of wealth of food at our finger tips in the UK
0:31:14 > 0:31:18is to match and rival anywhere else.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22I'll be showing you edible plants that take your breath away.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24One of my favourite hangover cures.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26When you say one of your favourite hangover cures,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28is it because it's going to be so shocking
0:31:28 > 0:31:30you forget you had a hangover?
0:31:30 > 0:31:33And up and down the country we'll be meeting people
0:31:33 > 0:31:37who are turning unused spaces into super productive kitchen gardens.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Plants are like kids, they want to be good.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43And veg wants to grow. They'll grow anywhere.
0:31:43 > 0:31:44They love it.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53I grew up in my mother's kitchen garden.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57In fact, my very first garden was underneath the fig tree.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59I learnt to hide between the asparagus beds.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03I ate my way around that space and played on top of the walls.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06For me, the kitchen garden is home.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09When I think of gardening I always think about food.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16So what better place to start my revival than here at a garden
0:32:16 > 0:32:20that supplies one of Britain's most famous restaurants
0:32:20 > 0:32:23with exciting seasonal food.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30These are the gardens of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
0:32:30 > 0:32:31in Oxfordshire.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Home to the acclaimed kitchen garden
0:32:34 > 0:32:36of two Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The cutting edge food here is made of fruit and vegetables
0:32:39 > 0:32:41grown in these beds.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44So this is the famous garden.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Restored 28 years ago when the restaurant first opened,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Head Gardener Anne-Marie Owens has been managing
0:32:50 > 0:32:54the organic kitchen gardens ever since.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56None of this is lip service?
0:32:56 > 0:32:59All of this is going to end up in the kitchen?
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Oh, absolutely.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03I mean, the whole point, we've only succeeded
0:33:03 > 0:33:05when these vegetables, herbs, are on the plates,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07so we're just like any other supplier.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10They're looking for top quality with everything that we do.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11Do the chef's just come down here
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and pick what they want or do you take it to the kitchen?
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Absolutely not. No. We harvest everything for them.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Chefs do two tours a week to have a look at everything
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and taste whilst we're down here so that menus can be altered.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28It sounds like you're so involved with each other.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32From start to finish, everything we do is a team effort
0:33:32 > 0:33:34from the thought process, the planning process,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36the preparation of the soil,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40the sowing, to the chef, his creation of the dish.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43It is lovely to come here and realise that flavour matters
0:33:43 > 0:33:45so much to a group of people
0:33:45 > 0:33:48because as a grower of food it's the thing that kind of,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52I get up in the morning and go to my garden with that exact desire.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55The reason why I do it is because I know I can get flavour here
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I can't get anywhere else.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Freshness is the absolute key.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00That's what we should all be striving for.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Even if you just put a little pot of something on the window sill
0:34:02 > 0:34:05you'll just notice the freshness.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08The grow your own movement maybe alive and kicking in the UK
0:34:08 > 0:34:10as recent demand for allotments shows
0:34:10 > 0:34:14but the traditional idea of a carefully planned kitchen garden
0:34:14 > 0:34:17providing an abundant supply of fresh fruit, vegetables
0:34:17 > 0:34:20and flowers all year round has died out.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28But around the UK, our great country estates are now working hard
0:34:28 > 0:34:30to bring this tradition back.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33At Tatton Park, an 18th century manor in Cheshire,
0:34:33 > 0:34:34they have recreated
0:34:34 > 0:34:37what is now one of the oldest kitchen gardens in Britain.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Head Gardener Simon Tetlow has been working
0:34:42 > 0:34:45on the revival of these gardens for 15 years.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Today, it's almost a complete recreation
0:34:47 > 0:34:50of how it was in Edwardian times.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53So what exactly would have been grown in a kitchen garden
0:34:53 > 0:34:55traditionally for the period?
0:34:55 > 0:34:58The easiest way of explaining, Alys, would be something like
0:34:58 > 0:35:01what we expect when we walk into a supermarket now.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03You now, there's ranks of fruit from all over the world,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05there's vegetables from all over the world.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07That same choice is what owners expected
0:35:07 > 0:35:10from these places 200 years ago.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13And how many people would it have expected to feed do you know?
0:35:13 > 0:35:14There'd be a family.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18You know, large family who had kind of requirements for banquets
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and the usual large social engagements.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22We know that the family sent food down
0:35:22 > 0:35:24to their London house at Grosvenor Square.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27So, there's a kind of demand for sort of high quality fresh produce,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29you know, 12 months of the year.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32But this wall garden wasn't just dumped here really, was it?
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- It was very much chosen? - Yeah, yeah, it was.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39You know, the books and the manuals for kitchen gardening tell you
0:35:39 > 0:35:40exactly where to lay your garden out.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Which angles to face the sun and which walls to set for certain
0:35:44 > 0:35:48crops like peaches and nectarines and this is almost textbook.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50You know there's a nice gentle slope to the west.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53There's a nice shelter belt in front of us there and its just that
0:35:53 > 0:35:58attention to detail that allows you to grow things here that you
0:35:58 > 0:36:01would have expect to grow somewhere like 80 miles south of Paris.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04But, you know, using the same principles of site and aspect
0:36:04 > 0:36:08and soil and use of cultivars, you know, you could be growing
0:36:08 > 0:36:10any of this at home quite easily.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12After the First World War,
0:36:12 > 0:36:16a smaller work force and an increase in mass production agriculture
0:36:16 > 0:36:21meant the excessive cost of kitchen gardens in our grand country estates
0:36:21 > 0:36:23was no longer worth maintaining.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Simon and his team are conserving our British fruit
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and vegetable heritage by planting traditional varieties
0:36:31 > 0:36:34that are no longer available in our supermarkets.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Including an array of beans, herbs,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41salads, beetroot, kales
0:36:41 > 0:36:46and an incredible 82 varieties of apple.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48The kind of key to growing,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50whether it's on a small scale or a large scale,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54is the use of variety and I think using varieties to grow things early,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58grow things late or to keep for storage.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01You know, beetroot isn't just a beetroot. There's ones that store,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03there's ones that are fresh for salads, ones for boiling.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Horticulture allows you to, kind of, play and experiment with
0:37:08 > 0:37:11your own cooking, what you like to cook and what you like to eat
0:37:11 > 0:37:12and not be dictated to.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I often think people are very disparaging about the British diet
0:37:15 > 0:37:18but actually what they're talking about is the post-war diet.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19And before that we ate
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- just as well as anybody on the Mediterranean, didn't we?- We did.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27The kind of wealth of food at our fingertips in the UK is to match
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and rival anywhere else and that is really what we're trying to do here,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32is to egg people on to have a go themselves
0:37:32 > 0:37:35and that's really what good gardening is about.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40This is grow your own on an epic scale
0:37:40 > 0:37:43but what we need to take away is not that you need huge space
0:37:43 > 0:37:46but that we need to grow varieties of vegetables
0:37:46 > 0:37:48because if we don't grow them they'll be lost.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00The expansive kitchen garden at Le Manoir covers almost two acres
0:38:00 > 0:38:05and is rammed with 90 types of fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables
0:38:05 > 0:38:08thanks to its clever design, gardening techniques
0:38:08 > 0:38:09and choice of varieties.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17The good news is I'm going to show you that even with a smaller plot,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20you can create a stylish and sustainable kitchen garden
0:38:20 > 0:38:22that is full of beauty and bounty.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30If you've always wanted a kitchen garden but don't know quite
0:38:30 > 0:38:34where to start the simplest design is to use four quadrants.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Now, in terms of garden history, this is the oldest design out there
0:38:38 > 0:38:40and there's a reason why it's a classic.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42It just works aesthetically.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46The tradition of dividing the space into four planting areas
0:38:46 > 0:38:47goes back centuries
0:38:47 > 0:38:51and has its origins in the earliest Persian gardens.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53The upper class Victorians embraced it as an aesthetic
0:38:53 > 0:38:57that showed off their wealth of exotic fruit, vegetables,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00plants and flowers from far flung places.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03And then how you edge these quadrants is up to you, so,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05if you wanted to be incredibly formal,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07you could do box edging
0:39:07 > 0:39:10or if you wanted something a bit more perfumed,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12you could choose dwarf lavenders.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15If you didn't want something so permanent,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17you could put parsley or chives.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19If you had a huge garden,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23you would then make each quadrant into a single vegetable group.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28So, all cabbage family. Roots such as parsnips and carrots.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31But because we have much smaller gardens, we're going to
0:39:31 > 0:39:35squish it in together but still keep it looking very attractive.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37So, you could be very clever with your space
0:39:37 > 0:39:42and create an archway so your beans could grow underneath the path
0:39:42 > 0:39:45with your beans hanging down so they're easy to pick.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48And then along the wall or fence,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51perhaps you could put some apples and pears.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54If you don't like apples, maybe you could grow a vine or a fig.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56It's really making the most of the space
0:39:56 > 0:39:59to keep the aesthetic kind of really tight.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02The idea is to make the beds look very similar.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Not necessarily with the same vegetables because that would
0:40:05 > 0:40:09limit how much you get to eat, but the aesthetic of the design.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It's a good idea to make sure you don't grow the same vegetables
0:40:12 > 0:40:15in the same place every year.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16Because what happens
0:40:16 > 0:40:20if you do this is you tend to get a build-up of pests and diseases.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Also, you don't have to be limited to just growing vegetables.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26It's really important to have flowers in your garden
0:40:26 > 0:40:29because they're going to attract all the beneficial insects
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and pollinators into the space.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36From experience, I would suggest that you always put your herbs
0:40:36 > 0:40:38as close to the kitchen as you possibly can,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41even if that means in pots around the back door
0:40:41 > 0:40:43because once you decide in the middle of a dish
0:40:43 > 0:40:45that it really would be so much better
0:40:45 > 0:40:48if you had a little winter savoury or some nice thyme,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51walking in your slippers through a wet path
0:40:51 > 0:40:54down to the bottom of the garden just never happens.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57But for me, one of the joys of having a garden like this
0:40:57 > 0:41:00is that it really changes the way you cook
0:41:00 > 0:41:03because instead of having this idea that you're going to make a certain
0:41:03 > 0:41:07sort of recipe one evening, you just walk through the garden and go,
0:41:07 > 0:41:08"Gosh those beets are really ready,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10"I know I'm going to work with them tonight."
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Or, "Look at the lovely fresh herbs I could be using."
0:41:13 > 0:41:16The garden lends as much inspiration to the kitchen
0:41:16 > 0:41:18as the kitchen does to the garden.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Whatever the space you have available,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29planning and planting a successful kitchen garden
0:41:29 > 0:41:32can bring immense pleasure and put food on your plates.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33You don't always need to buy
0:41:33 > 0:41:36the same variety of produce from the supermarket.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Instead, grow things seasonally and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45And, in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49people power has convinced the council to help make this happen.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51This used to be a disused tennis court
0:41:51 > 0:41:53but now its more a case of game, set and patch
0:41:53 > 0:41:57as it's been turned into kitchen gardens for more than 80 people
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and I'm really excited to see what's being done here.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04The council have installed 47 specially constructed
0:42:04 > 0:42:07raised wooden beds at this garden alone.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Terry Oliver is the man who was instrumental
0:42:11 > 0:42:14in championing this project four years ago.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15I'm really interested in the fact
0:42:15 > 0:42:17that you're not calling them allotments
0:42:17 > 0:42:19but calling them kitchen gardens.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Is there any reason behind that?
0:42:21 > 0:42:23I suppose the main reason is that we wanted them to look nice
0:42:23 > 0:42:27and with the community kitchen gardens,
0:42:27 > 0:42:28what we do is try and encourage
0:42:28 > 0:42:32the residents to grow a mixture of fruit, veg and flowers as well.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Because it's a very densely populated area,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36a lot of the gardens are overlooked.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38So it's important to make them look nice.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41The council really have invested quite a lot into the garden schemes.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45We've got 42 kitchen gardens across the whole borough now.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Nearly 1,000 people growing their own fruit and veg
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and the more gardens we put in, the more popular it is.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53It's an incredibly kind of progressive attitude
0:42:53 > 0:42:57for the council to take and it's just great to see.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01This beautiful productive kitchen garden
0:43:01 > 0:43:04has obviously had a huge effect on the local community
0:43:04 > 0:43:07and the people who come here every day, rain or shine.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I wonder what it means to you to have a space like this.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Well, it cuts the food bills for a start.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I mean it does actually, sometimes when, you know,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20you haven't got enough money for the week,
0:43:20 > 0:43:23you come and pick a bit of produce here and have a stir fry
0:43:23 > 0:43:24and it's fantastic.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26I didn't know anything about gardening.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29This was my first exploration into gardening
0:43:29 > 0:43:31because I live in a top floor flat
0:43:31 > 0:43:35and what's nice about these plants is that we quite often exchange.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- There's a lot of swapping, I'm sure. - Yes, so that's good.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41- This is my strawberry. - Strawberry patch.- Strawberry patch.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Oh, look, and you've still got strawberries. That's amazing.
0:43:44 > 0:43:45You always see in gardening books,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48get a wine box and grow strawberries in it
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and then all of a sudden you think, "Oh, wow, I can do that now!"
0:43:52 > 0:43:57We've made real friends through the garden and lasting friends
0:43:57 > 0:44:01and they're our neighbours and we've all lived around here
0:44:01 > 0:44:04for, you know, 25 years plus and we didn't know each other.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08I can't imagine life without it now. It's made an immense change.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12The gardening they're doing here is inspiring
0:44:12 > 0:44:14and I'm going to give them some of my own favourites
0:44:14 > 0:44:17to add to their bumper crop next year.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20For me, kitchen garden is all about embracing
0:44:20 > 0:44:21some kind of new things to grow each year,
0:44:21 > 0:44:23so I was wondering if I could persuade you
0:44:23 > 0:44:27to take on some new seeds. Some of them are quite familiar.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Some of them, hopefully, you haven't seen before.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Does anybody have a preference for something immediately
0:44:31 > 0:44:33that they want to have a go at?
0:44:33 > 0:44:35Yes. I'll have that one.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38OK. So that's pattypan, which is a summer squash,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40and if you don't keep on top of picking them,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42they go from this to flying saucers quite quickly.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- So, yeah. That's pattypan. - I'm looking forward to that.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47I think if you're in a really sunny position
0:44:47 > 0:44:49then you should try the white aubergines.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52- Have you grown aubergines before? - Er, no. No. No.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54They need good fertile soil.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56The sunniest spot you can give them
0:44:56 > 0:44:58and they need more water than you'd imagine.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02So this, this is an heirloom cucumber actually
0:45:02 > 0:45:05and it's called crystal apple, this one.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07We always thing cucumbers have to be long and green
0:45:07 > 0:45:10but actually they can be yellow and they can be short and dumpy.
0:45:10 > 0:45:11Right.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15And then this is a really fantastic and I guess maybe also
0:45:15 > 0:45:17it will be a good idea to collectively grow it,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19which is strawberry popcorn.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- You can open them up like that. - Oh, wow. Fantastic.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Yeah, and because this is, erm, isn't, you know,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28because you're not trying to eat it at sweetcorn stage,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32once they feel firm and hard, they're ready.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35And then you know you can chuck them off, put them in a frying pan
0:45:35 > 0:45:37and they'll pop.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39So they'll be good for a community party.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Not only are people in this borough now getting to eat fresh food
0:45:44 > 0:45:46from their own kitchen garden
0:45:46 > 0:45:48but they're also making their community stronger.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51But a thing to take away from this project
0:45:51 > 0:45:54is that you can do it absolutely anywhere.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Whether it's in the corner of your garden or in a disused plot.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02At Le Manoir, the menu is influenced
0:46:02 > 0:46:06by what's at the peak of its season in the kitchen garden.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10With the range of beetroots and other root vegetables at their best,
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Head Gardener Anne-Marie
0:46:12 > 0:46:16has had an order to harvest them for today's specially designed dishes.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19We've had a nice, sort of, early autumn rain.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21They've swollen beautifully.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23There's so many different varieties and colours to them
0:46:23 > 0:46:28I really would not be put off by the pickled beetroot
0:46:28 > 0:46:32that everybody seems to go for but to have them roasted.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Absolutely beautiful vegetables. Very sweet.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Sweet and delicious and you've got other varieties here, haven't you?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41We have. We've got the white here. That's a lovely one to...
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I think the white is so under used.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46I think its one of those ones which has really been forgotten
0:46:46 > 0:46:49that you can have this beetroot that doesn't stain everything,
0:46:49 > 0:46:50that is so super sweet.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53The thing about beets is not sowing them too early
0:46:53 > 0:46:56because if they get in very cold wet soil
0:46:56 > 0:46:59- they don't like that much, do they? - It's a relatively easy crop
0:46:59 > 0:47:01and I think instead of just sticking to one variety,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04get a few packets, mix them up and pull them out.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05It's a really good trick,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07if you've got a small space, to do exactly that
0:47:07 > 0:47:09and mix up the seeds.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Do the same, I often do that with radishes as well,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15so that in one row you get a pink, a red, a white.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16That's it.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- Do you think we have enough now? - I think we do.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22I feel like I could carry on pulling.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25The great thing is you can grow many different varieties of vegetables
0:47:25 > 0:47:27to cook with throughout the year.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Experiment with what you enjoy eating
0:47:30 > 0:47:33and always check the seed packets to learn the best time to plant.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38And with the final request for sage, I'm off to the kitchen
0:47:38 > 0:47:41to see this amazing produce turned into a two Michelin-starred
0:47:41 > 0:47:44autumn inspired heritage beetroot dish.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Development chef Adam Johnson has been working at the restaurant
0:47:50 > 0:47:53creating seasonal dishes with Raymond for nine years.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57So, tell me what are we going to cook?
0:47:57 > 0:48:00OK. So we're just going to finish off a dish now,
0:48:00 > 0:48:01an autumn vegetable dish,
0:48:01 > 0:48:03so all of the things we've picked in the garden.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Right, is this the first time you've worked at a restaurant
0:48:06 > 0:48:08where there is such a relationship with the garden?
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Yeah, this is a very unique place
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and the chef's here get more in tune with the seasons.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Everyone is used to seeing strawberries all year round
0:48:14 > 0:48:15and asparagus,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18so when you come here the gardeners are very in tune with the chefs.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21They're constantly saying, "Oh, we've got his coming up next.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22"We need to think of the menus."
0:48:22 > 0:48:25You're getting excited thinking of all the dishes we did last year
0:48:25 > 0:48:29and how we can improve it and looking forward to that season.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32This is when you get to do the chefy bit, isn't it?
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Yeah, no pressure. No-one's watching.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39We've just got a little bit of spinach and chard.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Again, the gardeners dictate what we have on the plate.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44If they say we're running out of spinach
0:48:44 > 0:48:48and we've got a load of chard coming on then, then we'll move onto that.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Now, here we've got a few beetroots.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54That looks like golden ball, one of the golden varieties.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Yep.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59And we've got these lovely ruby beetroots
0:48:59 > 0:49:03- which will get your fingers very mucky.- Yeah.
0:49:03 > 0:49:08So just to finish off, we've got a little bit of deep-fried sage leaves
0:49:08 > 0:49:13and then just a few little bits of parsnip as well.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15It's lovely.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18It's like a beautiful manifestation of what autumn is, isn't it?
0:49:18 > 0:49:21The colours, the flavours, everything.
0:49:21 > 0:49:22And I love the fact that there's
0:49:22 > 0:49:24lots of different varieties of beetroots here.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29Just kind of bringing home that idea that flavour is not one variety.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32I am one gardener who thinks entirely with her stomach.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39Happy?
0:49:41 > 0:49:43This is such a wonderful celebration of everything
0:49:43 > 0:49:45that is good about a kitchen garden.
0:49:45 > 0:49:51Fantastic soil, great varieties, Great growers and amazing chefs.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02A kitchen garden is not just for Michelin-starred chefs.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05We can all create a glorious space on a smaller scale
0:50:05 > 0:50:07and grow food all year long.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12I want to show you that with a bit of imagination,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15it's not just about the amazing range of British varieties
0:50:15 > 0:50:16of fruit and vegetables.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19There is also a whole world of edible plants we can grow
0:50:19 > 0:50:22that are decorative and delicious.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26I've come to meet Paul Barney, who,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29like the Victorian plant hunters before him,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31travels the world to bring unusual specimens back
0:50:31 > 0:50:35to his nursery in Berkshire so that people like you and me
0:50:35 > 0:50:38can buy them to plant in our kitchen gardens.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42So if you never thought to grow a sort of unusual edible
0:50:42 > 0:50:44that was going to come back year after year,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46what group would you start with?
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Well, I would start with the enormous range of the onion family
0:50:49 > 0:50:51and alliums generally.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55They are a fantastic big range and they really are very tasty
0:50:55 > 0:50:58and great for insects and really beautiful.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Now this, this is new to me. What is this?
0:51:00 > 0:51:03This is Allium hookeri 'Zorami', quite a mouthful.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06It's an allium I found in India in the markets
0:51:06 > 0:51:08and you can eat every single bit of it, pretty much.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10- Can I try a bit?- Of course.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Mmm.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Really crunchy. Great flavour.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18It's quite, erm, it's a little bit of garlic
0:51:18 > 0:51:20but quite a lot of chive in there, isn't it?
0:51:20 > 0:51:22I mean, that's one of those plants where you look at it
0:51:22 > 0:51:25and think, "My gosh, I get to eat that
0:51:25 > 0:51:27"as well as it looking that attractive in my garden."
0:51:27 > 0:51:30- That's a huge bonus really, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33Once you've started experimenting, the possibilities are endless.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37There are even edible plants with health benefits.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39So what's this lovely thing in a pot?
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Well this is a Schisandra chinensis.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44It's a vine from China and Japan.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46It's a really good liver tonic.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49I mean that's why the Chinese and Japanese rate it so highly.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52- Are these what I should be eating? - They are. You give those a try.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54One of my favourite hangover cures.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56And when you say your favourite hangover cures, is it because
0:51:56 > 0:52:00it's going to be so shocking that you forget you have a hangover?
0:52:00 > 0:52:03No, because you can feel it's doing so much good for your liver
0:52:03 > 0:52:06and it's so refreshing.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Mmm, oh, wow.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12- That's...- It zings you, zings you back into...
0:52:12 > 0:52:15Yeah, that's a bit of everything isn't it? A slight peppery note.
0:52:15 > 0:52:16A lot of citrus.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19THEY LAUGH
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Is this the sort of height it will grow to or does it grow much bigger?
0:52:22 > 0:52:23It's not a very big climber.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28It's a small climber which likes to be in part shady conditions,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31- so very handy for a small garden. - Very useful, yeah.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34So, basically, there should be one outside every pub in England.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36THEY LAUGH
0:52:36 > 0:52:39And Paul's also got the ultimate British plant
0:52:39 > 0:52:41for any novice kitchen gardener.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45No excuses. Anyone can grow the traditional Babington leek.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49How do you cook with them?
0:52:49 > 0:52:53Well, I use these like garlic but a lot milder.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57They give you a lot of good crunch to a stir fry.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I wish people would really embrace kitchen gardens
0:53:00 > 0:53:02for what they really can be,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04which is like an exciting sort of store cupboard of your garden
0:53:04 > 0:53:08and move beyond that idea of just growing potatoes onions and carrots.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10HE LAUGHS
0:53:14 > 0:53:17At Le Manoir, they use organic gardening techniques,
0:53:17 > 0:53:20growing both old and new varieties.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22What's more, there's a lot of ideas here
0:53:22 > 0:53:24that we can borrow for our own kitchen garden
0:53:24 > 0:53:26to keep them going all year round.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34At this time of year, the vegetable garden is often groaning
0:53:34 > 0:53:37but there's always other tricks to be had
0:53:37 > 0:53:41and these runner beans are a really good example.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Because they've become big, they've become stringy
0:53:44 > 0:53:46and nobody wants to eat them any more.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49However, if you furtle about you'll find
0:53:49 > 0:53:53there are these older, drier pods and when you open them up,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56you'll see that there's beautiful beans inside.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Now, this is a variety called Czar.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02What you want to do is take your beans indoors,
0:54:02 > 0:54:05put them on a baking tray somewhere light and airy
0:54:05 > 0:54:06where they can continue to dry out
0:54:06 > 0:54:09because what you want to be able to do is press it
0:54:09 > 0:54:14and no longer see your thumb nail imprint in the bean.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17That means that they're good to store and you just put them
0:54:17 > 0:54:19in a jam jar and they will store all winter long.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22So these are great in soups and stews
0:54:22 > 0:54:25and that way you get this whole extra crop of something
0:54:25 > 0:54:28that you didn't think you were going to get another meal off.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Now it's not just the runner beans that are desperate to set seed.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Many of the annual veg are now racing against the season
0:54:43 > 0:54:45before winter comes
0:54:45 > 0:54:47and two of my favourite in my kitchen garden
0:54:47 > 0:54:53is this purple orach and also this lovely Mexican tree spinach.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Now both of these are fantastic spinach substitutes.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00They grow into these massive tall, tall plants
0:55:00 > 0:55:04with thousands upon thousands upon thousands of seeds.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07However you don't have to waste all the seed.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10You collect it when it's gone this buff colour and its dry
0:55:10 > 0:55:12and then you can take this seed
0:55:12 > 0:55:14and sow it for micro greens over the winter.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20Now micro greens are just a fancy name for baby leaves.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24They are perfect for using as a garnish or for making a small salad.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27So here, I've got some sorrel,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30some French sorrel, so that nice lemony flavour.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33And then this here is a red radish,
0:55:33 > 0:55:38so it's going to have a slightly mustardy hot spicy flavour.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43Now the great thing about the orach or the Mexican tree spinach
0:55:43 > 0:55:48is you get so much free seed that you can have greens all winter long
0:55:48 > 0:55:50and all you need to do is get a seed tray,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53fill it with some good quality compost
0:55:53 > 0:55:56and then just liberally sow the seed across.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59You can get away with really packing them in.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Then you tempt them into the soil
0:56:03 > 0:56:06and then cover them up.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08You don't need to cover them too thickly.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10Just sort of anchor them into the soil.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Give them a good water.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14Leave it on a warm window sill
0:56:14 > 0:56:18and literally within days you'll see growth
0:56:18 > 0:56:21and then when they're about sort of five or ten centimetres or so high,
0:56:21 > 0:56:24take a pair of scissors, chop them off
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and there's a really fantastic super easy meal
0:56:28 > 0:56:31from something that was in your garden.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41I'm not alone on my mission
0:56:41 > 0:56:44to revive the Great British kitchen garden.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Six years ago, Mary Clear and her neighbours
0:56:46 > 0:56:48in Todmorden, West Yorkshire,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51decided to turn their whole town into one.
0:56:51 > 0:56:52They made it their mission
0:56:52 > 0:56:55to get the community excited about gardening
0:56:55 > 0:57:00with the added benefits of being able to eat locally grown produce.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02I don't have any horticultural background
0:57:02 > 0:57:04and I don't believe you need it.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07I believe that plants are like kids they want to be good.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09So what do they need? They need sunshine.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13They need muck and they need water and that's it, Bob's your uncle.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18We've got such a variety in this country of vegetables
0:57:18 > 0:57:20and I grow veg wherever I can,
0:57:20 > 0:57:25whether it's a tiny space, a big space, a roof,
0:57:25 > 0:57:27an empty bucket or someone's tin hat.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30You know, a veg wants to grow, they'll grow anywhere.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32They love it.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35She even managed to convince everyone from the local scouts
0:57:35 > 0:57:37to the community college to have a patch of green
0:57:37 > 0:57:39and grow some fruit and vegetables
0:57:39 > 0:57:43and the local bobbies to convert the beds outside the police station.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46People from different walks of life,
0:57:46 > 0:57:49they volunteer, they give up their own time to come here
0:57:49 > 0:57:51to plant these vegetables, tend them and harvest them.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55It's brought the police and the community closer together,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59breaking down barriers and we're proud to be part of it.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01I'm really passionate about growing vegetables
0:58:01 > 0:58:05because it crosses all the cultures, class, age, creed.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09Everybody knows something, a tiny bit, about vegetables.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13Every culture has got its own vegetable history and background
0:58:13 > 0:58:17and, not only that, you can cook them afterwards and celebrate.
0:58:18 > 0:58:24We have such a strong tradition of kitchen gardens in this country
0:58:24 > 0:58:29but it is a heritage that is seriously in danger of being lost.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32So my message is simple.
0:58:32 > 0:58:35Let us celebrate our kitchen gardens by growing more.
0:58:35 > 0:58:37More beautiful vegetables.
0:58:37 > 0:58:40More fresh herbs, more wonderful flowers.
0:58:40 > 0:58:44Let us have gardens that are good to eat and beautiful to look at.
0:58:44 > 0:58:48Let us have a Great British kitchen garden revival.