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 lacklustre.
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 > 0:00:23To help us.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24In our campaign.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25To help rediscover.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Our 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 > 0:00:37take your breath away.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It's time to plant.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40And prune.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42And sharpen your shears.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Let the Great British Garden Revival begin.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30On tonight's show, James Wong is up on the roof for his garden revival.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34But first, I champion a Great British gardening tradition
0:01:34 > 0:01:35close to my heart.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43What an amazing place.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47You can't help but be impressed by this really imposing garden.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I know I certainly am.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53This is some of the very best topiary anywhere in the world
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and these are extraordinary living sculptures.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Topiary is our great tradition of trimming and shaping plants,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06from clipped hedges to fantastic sculptures.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Topiary used to be grown right across the country,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13showing off our Great British flair for individuality
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and that sense of personal style.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20But today, it's all too often the preserve of stately homes
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and formal gardens. The amateur enthusiast's craft is on the wane.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29I say it's time to reverse that trend.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33So sharpen your shears, shape up your garden and join me,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Rachel De Thame, in the Great British topiary revival.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41To help kick-start this revival across the nation,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I'll be unlocking the secrets of topiary's glittering past.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49- Quite bling.- Oh, yeah, very bling. Tudor was bling.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51I meet the man that's making contemporary topiary
0:02:51 > 0:02:53accessible to all of us.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57It's like painting by numbers but with hedges.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02And I'll show you just how easy it is to make your own creations.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04This is going to be something that is going to be in your garden,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07potentially, for certainly for as long as you are.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16What better place for me to start my revival
0:03:16 > 0:03:19then here at Levens Hall in Cumbria,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23where you can find not only some of the best but some of the very oldest
0:03:23 > 0:03:25topiary anywhere in the world.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31There's something here for everyone,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33from the formal and geometric
0:03:33 > 0:03:35to the quirky and unusual.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38In fact, topiary in all its many forms
0:03:38 > 0:03:42gives a garden real identity, and I love it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48But topiary has seen its ups and downs,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and many gardeners today see it as a specialist art
0:03:51 > 0:03:53beyond their capabilities.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59If I'm going to revive our passion for topiary,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I need to delve into its chequered past and find out exactly
0:04:03 > 0:04:05why it fell out of favour.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13The grand historic gardens in Hatfield House in Hertfordshire
0:04:13 > 0:04:16provide an incredible insight into topiary fashion
0:04:16 > 0:04:18right back to Tudor times.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Famed as the playground for the young Elizabeth I,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I too visited these fantastic gardens as a child
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and these visits played a formative part in my love of topiary today.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Wow. Just look at this. It's brilliant, isn't it?
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Twigs Way is a garden historian who shares my passion.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Every time I come here it's the same reaction.- I know.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45The light today is fantastic for picking up
0:04:45 > 0:04:48all of the different foliage textures.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- You know, we've got the hawthorn. - Bay.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53And then of course the very reliable box.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Take me back to the very beginning,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I mean, even the origin of the word "topiary".
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It comes from the Greek "topos",
0:05:00 > 0:05:02which most people still know through the word "topography",
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and then it becomes
0:05:05 > 0:05:09applied through the medieval period as a term to clipping and shaping.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Why was it through the medieval period
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and into the Tudor period that it became so popular?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Well, the Tudors didn't have many flowers to choose from
0:05:17 > 0:05:22because they hadn't had this huge array of imported plants.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25You know, if I was stood here in 1500,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I would be really pushed in autumn to actually fill out my garden.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34So, what more splendid than to have intertwining patterns
0:05:34 > 0:05:36and different foliage textures?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39You could be bringing me out here to walk on Boxing Day,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43you know, I could still say, "Wow, that's amazing."
0:05:43 > 0:05:45So what kind of specific features
0:05:45 > 0:05:49might we expect to see in a topiarised Tudor garden?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Well, we'd have the standard clipping.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Some cones and balls, maybe,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59but actually quite a lot of flamboyant heraldic features.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02You know, a fox being chased by a load of hounds, I'd expect to see,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and I would love to see it in real life.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07A man with a sword on horseback.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Quite bling?- Oh, yeah, very bling. - They went for it.- Tudor was bling.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15This verdant craze for clipping and shaping
0:06:15 > 0:06:19continued for well over 100 years until it fell out of fashion
0:06:19 > 0:06:23in the mid 18th century, when garden trends changed dramatically
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and a desire for naturalistic planting and less formal landscapes
0:06:27 > 0:06:30wiped topiary from estates across the land.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Even here at Hatfield, the Tudor-style topiary you see today
0:06:36 > 0:06:39was only re-established in the 1980s.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42So, we've seen this sort of remarkable way
0:06:42 > 0:06:44that topiary has been used for hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Why is it still relevant today? Why should we be planting it?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52As you look at this now, if somebody hadn't planted this,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54we wouldn't have the chance to enjoy it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57You know, these will eventually, unfortunately, die.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59We've got to start that planting now
0:06:59 > 0:07:03so future generations can enjoy what we're enjoying.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05You know, you don't have to create U buttresses.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09You can create shapes and figures and scenarios.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- You can have, you know, bunny rabbits jumping across the lawn.- Why not?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Isn't that great? Well, yes, it's fantastic.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20So just take a corner of your garden and have fun.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Fashions come and go but fortunately topiary never fell out of favour
0:07:36 > 0:07:39with the owners here at Levens Hall.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Known as the "judge's wig", this is one of my favourite pieces here.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It's got a lovely organic shape across the top,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58and then you have the opportunity to get inside, which is extraordinary.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00And you can see all these wonderful, rather sinuous stems
0:08:00 > 0:08:02going down to the ground.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06This is native English yew and really ancient.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13And it also illustrates how the green growing bit here
0:08:13 > 0:08:17is really only just a covering a few centimetres thick.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I think it's extraordinary.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25These vast, ancient shapes have been clipped and preened
0:08:25 > 0:08:28by generations of head gardeners, and I'm very excited to be meeting
0:08:28 > 0:08:34the latest incumbent, Chris Crowder, who's been here 26 years.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36One of the things that I love about topiary
0:08:36 > 0:08:38is that it's very touchy-feely.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I mean, you can't resist running your hand over it
0:08:41 > 0:08:43but what is it that you like?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I love the size of, particularly in this garden, some of the shapes
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and because I've done them every year
0:08:48 > 0:08:52I feel that I'm involved with them. I know them very intimately.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- A personal relationship with each piece of topiary.- Absolutely.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And have you got any personal favourites
0:08:57 > 0:08:59among the topiary pieces in the garden?
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Although I do like the big ones,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02it's some of the ones that are more person-sized,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04about six foot high.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06The ones where you can just walk up to without all the apparatus
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and just clip them round. They're almost like people.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Are there any you don't like?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14As they get old, sometimes they get a bit saggy and loose,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I suppose like all of us.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20They can be difficult to treat because you have to try
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and hold them up with a bit of wire and things like that
0:09:23 > 0:09:24and it's not very satisfactory.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- So you prefer them young and firm? - That's much better.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It takes Chris and his team six months of the year
0:09:34 > 0:09:39to restore their 100 shrubs and trees to their full shapely glory.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Many are so colossal that they can only be accessed
0:09:42 > 0:09:43using special equipment.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Luckily, Chris is going to let me loose
0:09:47 > 0:09:51and clip some a little closer to the ground.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Well, I'm very excited and somewhat apprehensive
0:09:53 > 0:09:56because you're going to let me loose on Levens Hall's famous topiary.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Absolutely. They're a matching pair.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00That's what we're aiming for at the end -
0:10:00 > 0:10:02two cones looking the same.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- And box we're starting with here? - It is, yes.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The smaller pieces around the garden, they're made of box.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09You can grow up to about six foot high, two metres, with box.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Any bigger than that, we're straight into a yew.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But they're both tight-leaved evergreen and they will take a clip.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18And what about when to do this? Is there an ideal time during the year?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The best time is after it's got through that first flush of growth
0:10:21 > 0:10:25in the summer. If you clip it then, it's got time to fill out again
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and you may have enough time to clip it once or twice more.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31And every time you clip it, that's the action that produces more buds
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and makes a thicker surface for next time.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I think I'm quite old school because I do like to use hand tools,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40things like the shears and secateurs, but what do you prefer?
0:10:40 > 0:10:44These are much more, in a way, satisfyingly hand crafty.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46At home, hand shears are fine, or even smaller tools,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- depending on the size of the topiary, really.- Yes.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I suppose the main thing is that they should be sharp
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and also, we carry one of these water squirters.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58If you just run that down the blades every so often
0:10:58 > 0:10:59it just stops them getting gummed up
0:10:59 > 0:11:02because, after a while, they get that green residue on them
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and it just keeps them moving quite nicely.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07What about standing back? Because I do that quite a lot
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- while I'm cutting. - That is really important.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12If you do keep walking away from it, you will see
0:11:12 > 0:11:14where you're going wrong.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17We use a cane as well, certainly on these flat-shaped pieces.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18Because what we think of as flat,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21if you actually start putting that straight edge against it,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23you can see we may have taken a little too much off here and there.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Ooh. Ooh, yes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Right, Chris. What do you think?
0:11:27 > 0:11:31I mean, it's not as tightly clipped as yours but I feel a little caution
0:11:31 > 0:11:33in someone else's garden is a good thing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35We can always go around it after you've left and finish it off.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Thank you.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39If you get into brown stuff, though, you know you've gone too far.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Yes, definitely. Then I'll leave very quickly.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- Fantastic. It didn't take us long either, did it?- No. No.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Another 100-odd to do, if you've got the time.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Today, topiary is mainly associated with grand country houses,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02but throughout history it's had a place in domestic gardens too,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and never more so than in the Edwardian era.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And it wasn't just lovingly tended clipped hedges.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12In typically British style, it was quite common to see teapots
0:12:12 > 0:12:15or cake stand topiary towering over people's cottages.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23In some ways, I really wish that I'd been around to see that.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26That really was the heyday for topiary.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And because I travel now so much for work, I'm very aware that,
0:12:29 > 0:12:34unless it's a big stately home, I hardly ever see topiary
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and that's something that I really believe should change.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42So I've come to Kent to see a garden that celebrates
0:12:42 > 0:12:47the art of topiary in spectacular, creative style.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Charlotte Molesworth has spent the last 30 years creating this oasis
0:12:51 > 0:12:55of amazing forms and undulations.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Wow, Charlotte. This is extraordinary.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Such an ambitious piece. It's enormous.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02How on earth do you do that?
0:13:02 > 0:13:07Well, this plant always had this very strong central trunk,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10so I knew that I was going to tier it,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14but I can't think why I left so many strong trunks at the top.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17But I obviously didn't have the heart to cut them off
0:13:17 > 0:13:22- so I bowed them over and created these sort of strange...- Yes.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25By simply bending it back down and tying it in.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I think it's fantastic. It reminds me of a chess piece.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- The king.- Of course.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33And then the next bit here, a more organic shape.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36A wonderful bird on the top. Is that... It's a peacock?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39He's a sort of fantasy, really.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42All the birds are sort of fantasy-ful.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44The base was one of the first things I actually clipped
0:13:44 > 0:13:47when we started the garden, because I knew
0:13:47 > 0:13:50that whatever was going to be on top,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55which I had no idea what it was going to be, had to sit on a plinth.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It feels wonderful. I mean, it's sort of...
0:13:58 > 0:14:00You do want to hug it.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It's so tactile. It's wonderful. Like a giant cushion.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08What is it about topiary that inspires you?
0:14:08 > 0:14:13My mother had a lovely garden and she used topiary in her garden,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and I really believe you slightly garden with your mother's garden
0:14:16 > 0:14:20in your heart. I mean, it is so versatile, really,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22that you can be adventurous.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- You get hooked on it.- Yes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27'Despite my passion for topiary, I've never attempted anything
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'as figurative as this. But with Charlotte as my muse,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'now seems like a jolly good time to try my hand.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37So you've found our victim.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41I have. Now, this is a pretty woolly old thing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It has got lots of options and always, before you cut,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50look at all the possibilities and all the sort of potential that it has.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It sort of has a bit of a tail-ish bit here, maybe?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I mean, do we feel a bird?
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'The first task is to create a plinth for our bird to nest on.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:04You're very purposeful. You're very definite about it.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Yes, I think one needs to be.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08'We might have formed the base
0:15:08 > 0:15:11'but I have no idea how we're going to make a bird out of the rest
0:15:11 > 0:15:15'of this mess, but Charlotte's well up for the challenge.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Now for the exciting part.
0:15:17 > 0:15:24We have to find a head and I think this, Rachel, is a good candidate,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28but it's too thin on its own, so let's put that...
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- and do you think almost a third?- Yes.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33So, if we tie those three.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36So you're tying that up? Tying these three pieces together.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'With our bird's head identified, Charlotte's given me
0:15:39 > 0:15:41'the daunting task of giving its body plumage
0:15:41 > 0:15:44'a drastic but shapely trim.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:47It does feel so final but here goes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- Great.- Right and here.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Get rid of it.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- And that one off there. - Off. Off, off, off.- Yeah.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- What about this little chap here? - Off, off, off. But marry up
0:15:57 > 0:16:00the two sides, get them a little bit more symmetrical. Marvellous.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I'll get that last little one at the back.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05What I think we'll do now, to give people cheer,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- is give it its marvellous-looking tail.- Yes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14'Sticks and string are Charlotte's low-tech tools of the trade.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'We're using them to unite and shape our young flexible tail branches
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'into a wonderful fan. Over time the wood of the young tail branches will
0:16:22 > 0:16:26'harden into its newly moulded shape and the sticks can be removed.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- What do you think? - I think it's jolly good.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Obviously it needs a little imagination now.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44And years to grow and time to grow.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yes, but you know it was so much fun as well.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Good. I'm glad.- I enormously enjoyed that.- I enjoyed it too.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Topiary can make a huge impact on any garden,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59whether it's for your own private appeal or one like Levens Hall,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01that attracts visitors from far and wide.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Many of the ancient pieces here have evolved into huge and weird
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and wonderful shapes,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12but there are younger examples throughout the formal gardens.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16This gorgeous yew spiral is a newcomer.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20In fact, it's only 15 years old and already looks magnificent.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And although this spiral shape looks complicated,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25in fact, it's not that difficult to do.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I'm feeling so inspired by my visit to Levens Hall that I think
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I'm going to do something to this poor unsuspecting box cone.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I'm going to do a spiral
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and they're actually remarkably straightforward to do,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44she says with confidence!
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I'm just going to start with some string.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Right, and now I'm going to use this to create the spiral shape
0:17:49 > 0:17:52that I'm going to follow when I start cutting.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55So, I've just got to get it on a diagonal.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Now I'm trying to keep these broader as you go down.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00So here, a little bit tighter towards the top
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and then broadening out lower down.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Ideally, you don't want to go right the way down to the bottom
0:18:06 > 0:18:08of the plant. You want a sort of tyre shape
0:18:08 > 0:18:10around the base of the cone.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I'm going to tie that off.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15When you're sure that it looks all right, the only thing to do
0:18:15 > 0:18:17is really just to go for it.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I'm just using sort of really heavy-duty sort of kitchen scissors
0:18:23 > 0:18:26just because they give me that little bit of control.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31And all I want to do initially is to sort of mark off where that line is.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Now, this isn't really a job to be rushed
0:18:35 > 0:18:38because this is going to be something that is going to be
0:18:38 > 0:18:41in your garden, potentially, for certainly as long as you are.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Now, by this stage you should be starting to see the outline.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48You know, where the indentation is
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and which parts are going to be the fat parts around the spiral.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56The next step is to remove the string and to begin cutting
0:18:56 > 0:18:59a little deeper to increase the definition of the spiral.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05If you take too much away, because the stems are all growing upright,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08you lose all the growth above so I'm still going to work fairly gingerly.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Right, OK.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I'm going to now get the hand shears
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and just sort of shape it, generally.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26So, you're sort of rounding off these corners, you know,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30because at the moment you've got a harsh line top and bottom
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and I just want to round those through.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42You know, I could go on tweaking this probably all night long.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44However, I think that's pretty good.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Definitely the shape's there, the spiral's there.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49So I'm pretty pleased with that.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And it's so much fun.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03I hope I've shown you that topiary is an enjoyable and easy way
0:20:03 > 0:20:06to add a touch of class to your garden the whole year through.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10But if you're not convinced, there are a few shortcuts.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I've come to Bury St Edmonds to meet artist Steve Manning.
0:20:15 > 0:20:1814 years ago, he turned his hand to topiary
0:20:18 > 0:20:21but his methods are anything but traditional.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Using welded-metal wire frames,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Steve trains his plants to fill them.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The resulting detail is so intricate
0:20:34 > 0:20:37even the experts would struggle to match it.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41I'm absolutely intrigued by this idea of a wire topiary frame
0:20:41 > 0:20:44because I've never done it before, so what have we got here?
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Well, it's the Pied Piper of Pakenham being followed by a line of children.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51They were some of the first frames that we ever made.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52They were grown in yew.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They've been made in galvanised steel wire, like fencing wire.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It will eventually get so dense that the frame will hide in there
0:20:59 > 0:21:01totally, in the end.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The first thing that strikes me is the level of detail you can get.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06I mean, you can see I can hold hands.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08You can see the thumb's there.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Well, that's the good thing with the frames.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13If I can put the detail in the frames then at least you've got a chance
0:21:13 > 0:21:15of achieving that detail at the end of it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17They're extraordinary, and nice well-behaved children
0:21:17 > 0:21:20when they're made of yew. Not like mine!
0:21:21 > 0:21:25'Steve's frames will not bring instant topiary to your garden.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'This rearing unicorn is one of his tallest pieces.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30'It's already been growing for 12 years
0:21:30 > 0:21:34'and will take another six before the yew completely fills the frame.'
0:21:36 > 0:21:38These are extraordinary.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I absolutely love them. And this time made of box?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46But surely this must be several plants along here?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Er, yes, it was. We started with ten plants in that one.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52One in each leg and then the rest went up the body,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and this one we put eight plants in it.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57So that one has still got a little bit of growing in to do there.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59That's right, it's still growing out but you've got to remember,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02we're growing out from this point here to grow the head.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05So that's a long way that that box plant has got to grow
0:22:05 > 0:22:06in that direction.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Is that tricky, to get it to grow that far horizontally without
0:22:10 > 0:22:12trying to grow upwards?
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Well, what we would do is tie the plant to the underneath of the frame
0:22:16 > 0:22:18because most plants will tend to try and grow upwards.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So if you let it go along too high,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25you'll end up with a bit of space underneath that you'll never fill.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28The beauty with the frame is that anybody can go out there and cut it.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31You don't have to be an artist to achieve the shape.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33You've just got to go out there with the shears
0:22:33 > 0:22:34and keep to the shape of the frame.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37You know, it's like painting by numbers, but with hedges.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I think I've always been a bit of a purest when it comes to topiary.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45I haven't wanted to use a frame before, always done it by eye.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48But having seen what I've seen today,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I've been so impressed I am going to give it a go.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53And when you get that instant impact in the garden,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56right from the off, there's no excuse not to try.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Large scale bespoke topiary frames aren't cheap but don't despair.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05I've invited some garden enthusiasts to a local nursery
0:23:05 > 0:23:09to try their hand at some cheaper and smaller-scale alternatives.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13So we've got these.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17You buy them flat and then they become three dimensional.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21If I just hand those around, you can sort of see how they work.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24What have you got? A duck? And...geese?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- And a dove.- I think that's a chicken.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28It's a chicken, yes.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Yes, I think it's a chicken.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'Growing your mini topiary animal in a pot makes it infinitely mobile
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'so if you move house, your topiary pet can go with you.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:42So if you put that round.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43Let's try and do it.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Let's try and see how... If you squash it...
0:23:47 > 0:23:51'First you have to manoeuvre your frame over your mini box plant.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54'A frame like this one costs around £10.'
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Now, you've got one of these cage types. Let's see how that works.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Shall we try and ease that...?
0:23:59 > 0:24:02If you push the...top of the box in.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Ah, there we go.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08'And then all you have to do is give it a quick haircut.'
0:24:08 > 0:24:09So what's the general consensus?
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Do we feel like this is something you'd like to take up?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It's something that you don't consider doing in a small garden
0:24:16 > 0:24:19because you always think it's something that belongs
0:24:19 > 0:24:21in a stately home garden.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23And so to be able to achieve something as quickly
0:24:23 > 0:24:26as we have done today, it's incredible.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Well, I'm absolutely delighted to hear
0:24:28 > 0:24:32that I've got five new converts. Excellent. No stopping you now.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37You see? That's what I believe about topiary.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41It's just one of those things that once you start -
0:24:41 > 0:24:42and you have to just start -
0:24:42 > 0:24:46don't think about it, don't over-analyse it, just get in,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49start clipping and you find out that it's enormous fun.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It's rewarding, it's easy to do
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and I guarantee that once you do start, you won't look back.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Here at Levens Hall, all of these unique topiaries
0:25:01 > 0:25:03would have been grown from cuttings.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07It's an incredibly simple skill to acquire and will allow you to grow
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and clip a whole menagerie of shapes and figures for next to nothing.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Now, if you're clipping boxes from mid to late summer, it's also
0:25:18 > 0:25:21a perfect time to collect cuttings for propagation,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and box is incredibly forgiving.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27So that you just snip off some of these nice long shoots.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Just take them a little way back into there
0:25:29 > 0:25:32so you've got a little bit of the old wood there,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35but otherwise they're semi ripe. Just take those off.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And ideally you'd do this...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40First thing in the morning is always great
0:25:40 > 0:25:42because the plant's taken up lots of moisture overnight.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48And these will all make new little box plants.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Now, that's a nice little pile of cuttings there.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Now, the thing with box is that it's generally incredibly easy
0:25:57 > 0:26:01to grow, so instead of putting it in a pot and growing it in a greenhouse
0:26:01 > 0:26:05or in a cold frame, I'm going to do it here, straight into the ground.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Now, these are semi-ripe cuttings, which means all of this growth
0:26:08 > 0:26:12has come this year and you can see the tips, they're still very soft.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15But then here, along the stem, well, that's got a bit of bend in it
0:26:15 > 0:26:17but it's semi ripe and then here, at the very end,
0:26:17 > 0:26:22this little bit is last year's wood and it's become quite tough.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24So I'm just going to snip off a bit of that at the end
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and you do that just underneath a pair of leaves.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32And then I'm just going to strip all of these lower leaves from the stem.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36You want to expose a good sort of half to two-thirds of the stem
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and that's so that these new little plants don't get stressed by having
0:26:39 > 0:26:43too much leafage on there that they have to support.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I do love this idea of getting plants for free, and I know that
0:26:47 > 0:26:50with something like box, you've got to wait a little while.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54They're not the fastest-growing plant but you'd be surprised.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56You'll forget about them and then a couple of years later think,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00"Oh, my goodness, I did that and didn't pay anything for it."
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Now, we've forked over this bit of ground and also weeded it
0:27:02 > 0:27:04to make sure there's nothing
0:27:04 > 0:27:06competing with the new little plants.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08And then I'm just using a pencil as a dibber, really.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Just sort of waggling that around to give a bit of space and then
0:27:11 > 0:27:16just dropping the cutting in and firming it back round.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20I'm just going to do that in a row right the way along here.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Now I'm putting these in about five or six inches apart,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29which is just about close enough to give a dense little hedge
0:27:29 > 0:27:32but also, if I decide to dig something up and replant it
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and move it somewhere else or pot it up, then I can get in there,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39it's enough space between them to do that.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And then just make sure that they stay moist,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44that they don't really dry out.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48My father used to say, "Throw a stick in the ground and it'll grow."
0:27:48 > 0:27:51And in the case of box cuttings, it really is true.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55It will take about two years for these cuttings to fully establish
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and grow into small bushy plants.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00But then, within a few more years, you could have your very own
0:28:00 > 0:28:04little Levens Hall right on your doorstep. Imagine that!
0:28:10 > 0:28:15As we've seen, topiary knows no bounds and, armed with his shears,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18one man is causing quite a stir on the streets of north London.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25After years of giving his mature privet hedge the bog standard
0:28:25 > 0:28:26short back and sides,
0:28:26 > 0:28:32Tim Bush was challenged to weald his shears to a more artistic effect.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I got into topiary about four years ago following a request
0:28:35 > 0:28:38from my wife to make a cat in the front garden,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42which is this hedge, and I decided a cat was far too complicated.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44So I started cutting a tube shape
0:28:44 > 0:28:48and then realised that maybe a steam train could come from the tube.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Four years later, this is the end result of that.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55The steam train gave Tim the confidence to attempt the cats
0:28:55 > 0:28:57his wife so desperately wanted -
0:28:57 > 0:29:00in the neighbours' hedge across the road.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04And after that, commissions rolled in.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07At the moment, I'm working on a herd of elephants in Finsbury Park.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11I remember the first time I walked by after Tim had cut these bushes
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and all of a sudden, I stopped and I went,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17"Wait a minute, those are elephants over there across the street!"
0:29:17 > 0:29:21I think they're great. They give you a smile every time you walk by.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23It cheers up the whole neighbourhood.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27May all overgrown hedges be turned into topiary, I say.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30And with the proceeds from Tim's clipping talents pouring in,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34it's not just the neighbours who treasure his work.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Instead of just cutting for fun, I cut for charity
0:29:36 > 0:29:39so at the moment I'm cutting them for the Home Farm Trust,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41a charity which supports people like my sister
0:29:41 > 0:29:42who has got learning difficulties.
0:29:42 > 0:29:48We're up to £1,200 and I have a target of £5,000, ultimately,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52which is enough to inspire me to carry on for a little bit longer
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and do a few more hedges around the neighbourhood.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I hope I've convinced you of the wonders of topiary,
0:30:07 > 0:30:12that this great art and historic form of gardening is in real danger
0:30:12 > 0:30:16of being lost and I strongly believe that it should have a place
0:30:16 > 0:30:21in our gardens today and in the future. So get clipping.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25It's time for the Great British topiary revival to begin.
0:30:28 > 0:30:34Next, someone else who is passionate about the garden revival campaign.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Like most of us Brits, I live in the city
0:30:37 > 0:30:40where access to green spaces is increasingly limited.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43But I believe human beings need access to nature.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's vital for our wellbeing.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48There's masses of urban space out there
0:30:48 > 0:30:51just waiting to be transformed into brilliant new gardens.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53You just have to look up.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55The idea to create gardens on the tops of buildings
0:30:55 > 0:30:59is a modernist dream from over a century ago.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02But roof gardens were way ahead of their time and fell into
0:31:02 > 0:31:06decline following their heyday in the first half of the 20th century.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Even though they're rooted in our past,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I believe they are the gardens of the future.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15So join me, James Wong, up on the roof, to utilise the space that could
0:31:15 > 0:31:21make our lives cleaner, greener and bust the stress of modern living.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26Now is the time for the Great British roof garden revival.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29On my campaign, I'll be exploring one of Britain's
0:31:29 > 0:31:31most incredible roof gardens.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34If I was to pick one plant that I was to say there is absolutely no way
0:31:34 > 0:31:37you could ever grow it on a roof, it would be an oak tree,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and these have been here for three-quarters of a century.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44I meet one woman who's lifted almost an entire garden into the sky.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46I'm so jealous of this.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I like it a little bit too much.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50And if you want to know where to start
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and what plants work well in a roof garden, I'll be revealing all.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55It's an antidepressant in a plant.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Some of our most incredible gardens
0:32:06 > 0:32:09can be found in totally unexpected places.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Here I am in the centre of London with three roof gardens
0:32:12 > 0:32:16right in front of me, and that right there is Cannon Street,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18one of our busiest stations,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21with the River Thames and the London skyline wrapping around me.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27But sadly, Britain's roof gardens are few and far between.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30So I'm basing my revival campaign right here
0:32:30 > 0:32:34in the centre of London on the top of Japanese investment bank Nomura,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37which features a stunning roof garden.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42It's a surprising green oasis in the heart of the city's financial hub,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46with vegetables growing alongside beautiful beds of ornamental grasses,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and it's the perfect example of what more of our city buildings
0:32:49 > 0:32:50could look like.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51I grew up in Singapore,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55one of the most densely populated cities on the planet,
0:32:55 > 0:33:01and building gardens in the sky there is a standard part of urban planning.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03They don't see them as frivolous decoration, of course.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07They see them as genuine solutions to 21st-century problems.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11They can mop up pollution. They can cool over-heated cities.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16But to appreciate why NOW is the time for roof gardens to undergo
0:33:16 > 0:33:20a revival, I need to delve into their history.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Britain's roof gardens began in the 1920s,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25when department store Selfridges set a trend
0:33:25 > 0:33:30with a flamboyant pleasure garden. It was THE place to be seen.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Other department stores followed, and when Derry and Toms store
0:33:34 > 0:33:36opened on Kensington High Street in 1933,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39the decadent Kensington roof garden was born
0:33:39 > 0:33:42and became an icon of its time.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46And look at this. I've been transported to the Med.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49It's amazing to believe that this Spanish garden is just
0:33:49 > 0:33:51one of three different gardens -
0:33:51 > 0:33:53there's a woodland garden with its very own river,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55there's a Tudor-themed garden,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59all floating 100 foot above the bustling streets of London.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01It's a horticultural miracle.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06To discover more about what makes these gardens so enchanting,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10head gardener David Lewis sheds some light on their history.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15People think about green roofs as this really cutting-edge idea
0:34:15 > 0:34:18but almost 100 years ago, this was a proper garden,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21with trees and fountains and turrets and all sorts of things.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Absolutely. The department stores love them.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25So Selfridges built theirs, as you say, 100 years ago,
0:34:25 > 0:34:30and then Derry and Toms really wanted something more spectacular,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32more special, so they created this.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35So it's an acre-and-a-half of proper gardens on top of their roof.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37This is a competition. You get department stores
0:34:37 > 0:34:40all over the country competing to outdo each other.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Yes, it was a novelty to draw people to a commercial enterprise.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48It took them two years to build this and I'm sure every bit of soil
0:34:48 > 0:34:50was carried up a staircase on someone's back.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53At practically the size of a football pitch,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57there's an abundance of magnificent gardens to discover.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59But it's not only flora up here.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02There are also ducks and, unbelievably, pink flamingos
0:35:02 > 0:35:07that have inhabited these exquisite grounds for the past 35 years.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11There are 125 trees on this rooftop,
0:35:11 > 0:35:1552 of which are situated in the spectacular woodland area.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19What I can't believe is the size of everything, and the maturity.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21How did they get the trees up here in the first place?
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Well, they winched 70 trees up the side of the building by hand,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- as far as we know. - I'd loved to have seen that.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- I know, and at night.- Oak trees.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33If I was to pick one plant that I'd say there's absolutely no way
0:35:33 > 0:35:35you could ever grow on a roof, it would be an oak tree
0:35:35 > 0:35:38and these have been here for three-quarters of a century.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40You've got to remember they were much smaller than this, though.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43You couldn't plant a tree this size into 18 inches of soil.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- That's all you've got?- That's all we've got everywhere.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48I find that incredible. 18 inches is what,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- like the height of my knee, in terms of a pot?- Yeah.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53They planted small and allowed to grow, but the great thing is,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56their roots accommodate themselves so they've just gone outwards.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59That's a really good tip, to start small. Some quick-growing stuff
0:35:59 > 0:36:02could get there really quickly. Something like a eucalyptus or...
0:36:02 > 0:36:03Yeah, yeah. Certainly in a pot.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- And you would get the same effect in five years.- Yes. Exactly.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10During the Blitz, many of London's roof gardens were destroyed
0:36:10 > 0:36:13so how come much of this one survived?
0:36:13 > 0:36:15It's been under threat in several ways.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18A couple of bombs dropped on the building during the war.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22One demolished the town and Spanish garden.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25The other one landed, didn't go off. So they picked it up,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28put it in front of the tower and took a postcard of it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Talk about a hardy war spirit. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37In the '30s, when these gardens were built, it was considered
0:36:37 > 0:36:39the model of things to come.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43The future wouldn't be about smog-clad Victorian cities.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46It would be about flying cars and cantilevered sky gardens
0:36:46 > 0:36:49hanging off every tower block would be commonplace.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52But that wasn't to be.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Sadly, roof gardens have disappeared over the years.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58The Adelaide House building in London Bridge is another
0:36:58 > 0:37:00classic example of this decline.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04This, believe it or not, was once a pleasure ground
0:37:04 > 0:37:07for stressed-out City office workers.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10It had rolling lawns of soft Cumberland turf
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and a flashy 18-hole putting green.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17It was cutting edge, it was forward thinking. It was right up there.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Now look at it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22The urban oasis became a victim of development.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25In the 1970s, an additional floor was added to the building
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and its garden and putting green were lost for ever.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Although this Utopian ideal may be long forgotten about up on this
0:37:32 > 0:37:36roof today, it may have an effect that its founder had never imagined.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Cities in the UK can be warmer than the surrounding countryside
0:37:40 > 0:37:42by up to 6 to 8 degrees.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46That's because bricks and mortar can work like a giant storage heater,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49absorbing and retaining heat from the sun.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52It's a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56But gardens built on roofs absorb this heat instead,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58helping to keep the buildings cool.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01So come on, Britain, this is not just about aesthetics.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Imagine the potential here.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06A garden on every urban roof could help cool
0:38:06 > 0:38:08and shade the centre of our cities.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11It could help absorb water, reduce flooding,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13provide a haven for wildlife.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15But ultimately it could look
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and feel a whole lot more inspiring than this.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Even though some roof gardens haven't lasted the test of time,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29here in the capital, this one on top of an investment bank
0:38:29 > 0:38:32is paving the way for a revival.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34But there are some practicalities you've got to consider first.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Roof gardens come in all shapes and sizes
0:38:40 > 0:38:43but there are two factors that almost all of them have in common,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and the most important in my mind is root space.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49You're either probably going to be growing your plants in pots
0:38:49 > 0:38:52or really shallow beds like this because roofs can only take
0:38:52 > 0:38:55so much weight, so they don't have the luxury of roots
0:38:55 > 0:38:57spreading all over the place.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59And the second one is wind.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01We're up, effectively, on a man-made cliff face
0:39:01 > 0:39:05and that could mean an almost constant battering by the wind.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08You'd think those two factors would mean that you can't have
0:39:08 > 0:39:10fantastically verdant plant growth.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12But it couldn't be any further from the case
0:39:12 > 0:39:14if you picked the right plants.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Up in the front here we've got what looks cute and adorable
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and very cottage like.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23This erigeron is from Mexico and it naturalises all over the UK
0:39:23 > 0:39:26in cracks and little walls, just like a buddleia.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30If it will grow in that kind of super minimum root space,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32this is pure luxury for it.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38This gaura may look delicate with these beautiful white petals,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42but it comes from really arid areas of the southwest United States and
0:39:42 > 0:39:47may even self seed its way through your beds, creating a lovely drift.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Anything with a thick leaf, and we're talking this phormium, for example,
0:39:54 > 0:39:55we're talking this cordyline,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59they may look lush and tropical but the second you touch their leaves,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02you'll realise these guys, they have been used as fibre plants.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They will handle anything that a blizzard can throw at them.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Almost anything, if you're not a plant geek,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13with the words "maritimum" or "littoralis"
0:40:13 > 0:40:16in the Latin name basically means "grows by the seaside".
0:40:16 > 0:40:18They'll grow brilliantly up here.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20They get that extra heat that the building really kicks out
0:40:20 > 0:40:22and they'll absolutely love it.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Think roof gardens are an inhospitable environment?
0:40:28 > 0:40:29Then think again.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32This little Mediterranean plant, lavender, has made a break for it.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35These flowers have seeded throughout here.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Look at it, it's thriving in gravel.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42No watering, no fertiliser, no care. Looking pretty.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Right plant, right place, and 90% of your job is done.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Get your kit sorted and I'll make a sky gardener out of anyone.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Let's talk containers,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01cos that's how the vast majority of people will be getting started.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05You need them to be light and you need them to be non-porous.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08If you think about clay or terracotta,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10not only are they incredibly heavy but they're porous.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15They contain tiny air spaces which allows water to dry out of the side
0:41:15 > 0:41:19of them, meaning you have to get out there with a hose so much more often.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Something like this.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25Incredibly light, false bottom so you don't have to fill it up all the way.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Cheap and easy to get hold of.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29I'd go for things like aluminium, zinc
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and lightweight polymers like this.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35To reduce the weight even further, I'm going to fill up
0:41:35 > 0:41:38up to 50% of the pot with this stuff.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40It's expanded clay,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and it basically looks like one of those chocolate breakfast cereals
0:41:43 > 0:41:45and has about the same weight to it.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Fills up a lot of space and absorbs water.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52So great drainage, but also holds onto that little bit of moisture.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I'm just pouring in regular potting compost
0:41:56 > 0:41:58you can get at any garden centre.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02I'm going to pop in this lovely phormium.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Phormiums are perfect for roof gardens.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08They're tough, low-maintenance
0:42:08 > 0:42:11and, planted like this, won't need a lot of watering.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14People say to me all the time,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17"They've only got a small roof garden."
0:42:17 > 0:42:19"I can only grow stuff in pots."
0:42:19 > 0:42:20"I can't have a proper garden."
0:42:20 > 0:42:22We live in the 21st century.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25You can grow your own way.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Why be grounded when you can live elevated?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33I'm almost done here but there's one super geeky tip
0:42:33 > 0:42:35that I have to share with you.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It's an idea I picked up in Latin America.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40It looks a little bit like an Indiana Jones relic,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42so you may be wondering why I'm using it.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44This guy is called an olla.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49It's any kind of unglazed terracotta vase-type contraption.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52You're going to bury it up to its neck in compost,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54you fill it with water
0:42:54 > 0:42:57and, amazingly, it will give it to your plants only when they need it.
0:42:57 > 0:43:02When the soil is dry, water will seep out of this and into the compost.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04It's low-tech genius.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07What I'm going to do now...
0:43:07 > 0:43:09a bit of a top dress.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13Fancy word for some pebbles going over the surface.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17This gives a really neat sort of finished look,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20but also insulates the water on the inside,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22preventing evaporation from the soil surface.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24It means you need to water less.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29With these simple tips, you'll be spend less time watering
0:43:29 > 0:43:31and more time enjoying your roof garden.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44One person who has really mastered planting on high
0:43:44 > 0:43:47is Bahamian-born artist Lynn Parotti.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Just over two years ago, Lynn moved from a house with a garden
0:43:50 > 0:43:53into a roof-top apartment in west London.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57She not only moved her paintings but also dug up her plants -
0:43:57 > 0:44:01some were craned in and others carried up six flights of stairs.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04Against all odds, she successfully relocated them
0:44:04 > 0:44:06into their new environment.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Look at this. I'm so jealous of this.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11I like it a little bit too much.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14And so many people in a new-build property like this would
0:44:14 > 0:44:17probably stick a table and chair out so you can really see the view,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20but wouldn't go to town on the planting because that's work.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21No, that's not me.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23That's not me, because my plants mean a lot to me.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25They all have a history.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27I can show you plants that my dad bought for me
0:44:27 > 0:44:28when he was last visiting from the Bahamas.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I just have to make sure they're healthy and living.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33In fact, I'm quite annoyed at the moment
0:44:33 > 0:44:34because there's this black beetle
0:44:34 > 0:44:36which has attacked a few of the leaves.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38I knew you would take it so personally if you were a gardener.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40What is he doing?!
0:44:40 > 0:44:42I love that idea that if you're a really obsessive plant person,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44it's not a choice.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46It's not like you could've put plants here or you couldn't.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47You have to have them here.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Life wouldn't be worth living otherwise.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Can you imagine this terrace with just a seating area?
0:44:53 > 0:44:55'This is a roof garden to die for.'
0:44:56 > 0:45:00Lynn's transformed it from a bare roof to something that's not only
0:45:00 > 0:45:02satisfying her passion for plants
0:45:02 > 0:45:05but also benefits the environment and wildlife,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and in doing this, she's learnt some tips along the way.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11It's quite a different skill set, quite different circumstances -
0:45:11 > 0:45:13growing on a roof than growing anywhere else.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15It is, indeed, but drainage, drainage, drainage
0:45:15 > 0:45:18is one of the most important, you know, sort of dogma.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22The second thing is, I find that one must never let
0:45:22 > 0:45:23the containers dry out, because if you do
0:45:23 > 0:45:27then you're really struggling to re-saturate again.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32Insufficient drainage could lead to root rot or drowned plants...
0:45:32 > 0:45:36so it's important to strike the right balance when watering,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38which is something that Lynn has a clever solution for.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42I do have an irrigation system for most of the pots.
0:45:42 > 0:45:43Very, very important.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45You can set the timer if it gets really, really hot
0:45:45 > 0:45:47or you can turn it off if it's raining.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50The sheer variety of plants
0:45:50 > 0:45:53that Lynn has growing up here is incredible,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56from a bounty of fruit and veg to magnificent flowers.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59There doesn't seem to be much she can't grow.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Do you miss ground-floor gardening?
0:46:01 > 0:46:04No, not really, because one of the benefits of this garden,
0:46:04 > 0:46:09a definite change, is you can really control specific soil requirements
0:46:09 > 0:46:11for things like these tomatoes.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14That's such a bonus, because that means you can choose your soil type.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17You're not stuck with clay or acid or alkaline.
0:46:17 > 0:46:18- You get a bed of each.- Exactly.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22That's one of the reasons why I find this sort of gardening a bit easier.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24- Easier than growing on the ground? - Easier,
0:46:24 > 0:46:25because you can actually really control
0:46:25 > 0:46:28what you're going to plant, precisely where,
0:46:28 > 0:46:29and off we go.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31I have a bumper crop of tomatoes.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34If you're considering roof gardening,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37it's worth seeking professional advice from an architect
0:46:37 > 0:46:40or structural engineer before you plant anything substantial
0:46:40 > 0:46:41on your roof or balcony.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45There's this general assumption that roof gardens
0:46:45 > 0:46:50are a real second-rate citizen compared to regular, proper gardens.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53People think about them as this huge project
0:46:53 > 0:46:55that you've got to put together that's going to cost loads of money
0:46:55 > 0:46:57and never really look right.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58Never really look mature.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01This garden completely blows that out the water.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04It doesn't cost any more than your average decked garden,
0:47:04 > 0:47:06it just happens to be floating in the sky.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09It looks great and probably is a lot less work.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Why doesn't every rooftop have one of these?
0:47:14 > 0:47:15Back on Nomura's rooftop,
0:47:15 > 0:47:19there's a wonderful display of ornamental grasses.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Using these beautiful plants is a fantastic way
0:47:21 > 0:47:24to start your very own rooftop garden.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winning grasses expert Neil Lucas
0:47:28 > 0:47:29is going to explain how.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32I don't think I've ever seen healthier grasses
0:47:32 > 0:47:35growing right up here. Look at the amount of soil they're in.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36There's almost nothing to them.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Virtually nothing, which of course is one of the defining things
0:47:39 > 0:47:40of a roof garden, isn't it?
0:47:40 > 0:47:42There's only soil about that depth
0:47:42 > 0:47:44and yet these things are looking fantastic.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47People think that on roof gardens you've got to have everything
0:47:47 > 0:47:50in tiny pots so it's all stunted and miserable looking.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53They're not proper plants, whereas this oat grass
0:47:53 > 0:47:55is significantly taller than me,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57they look like a mature garden.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01Absolutely. It's got that feeling of space, of enclosure.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03And grasses, they take an empty flat space
0:48:03 > 0:48:05and turn it into something exciting.
0:48:05 > 0:48:06What makes them so great for roof gardens?
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Um, well, I think it's their adaptability, James, to be honest.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12They come from... If you think steppes, prairies,
0:48:12 > 0:48:14big open places where there's lots of wind -
0:48:14 > 0:48:16often there's very little soil, very little water,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19and so grasses have become used over thousands of years
0:48:19 > 0:48:21to adapting to difficult situations.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23The secret is to choose plants that grow
0:48:23 > 0:48:24in the kind of conditions you've got.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26That's what the guys have done here.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30They've chosen the fountain grasses, the golden oat grasses and
0:48:30 > 0:48:33they're absolutely loving these open and frequently windy conditions.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38Golden oat grass is great value.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Its architectural foliage can reach up to two metres high
0:48:41 > 0:48:45and the soft, feathery flowers are magnificent in June.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46There's so much variation here.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49I think people think about grasses as lawn, full stop.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52Well, actually, our lawns are made up of this kind of grass.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55This is a stoloniferous type, i.e., it runs.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56And these are the stolons.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59The underground stems that kind of pop up where you least expect it.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Yeah, and they will run along
0:49:01 > 0:49:03and they will gradually send up another plant.
0:49:03 > 0:49:04They're great for gardens,
0:49:04 > 0:49:06- and if you look behind you there. - Which one?
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Any one of those. That one.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10That's the bronze edge there.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Can you see the difference in the root system?
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Totally. This is straight up and down,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17and this is spreading out and trying to colonise wherever it can go.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Exactly, whereas this is forming a clump.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22So however long the plant stays in the ground,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24it only ever makes a clump.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27So for roof gardens, it's generally the clump-formers that you want,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29and there are hundreds of them to choose from.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31And colour as well. They're not all green.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34We've got this crazy kind of fibrotic
0:49:34 > 0:49:35ginger, freckled stuff here.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38We've got this very elegant almost bamboo-like one.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39The Japanese blood grass.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41It looks like feathers of some kind of subtropical bird...
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Beautiful colours, aren't they? Absolutely fabulous.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Grasses work so well with other plants.
0:49:47 > 0:49:48If you look at this,
0:49:48 > 0:49:49I mean, the flowers that we have here -
0:49:49 > 0:49:53the golden oat grass and the pennisetum, fantastic flower.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57That is wow factor flower that lasts all the way through the year.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00Plant roses, you get a fantastic display in June
0:50:00 > 0:50:02and general black-spotted miserableness
0:50:02 > 0:50:04- for the rest of the year. - You've noticed, yes.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07This guy, right into December, these flower heads will stay on there.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Even covered in a frost, they still look beautiful.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14Pennisetum's beautiful brush-like flowers just go on and on,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16as undemanding as they are impressive.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23With the population growing,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25open spaces are being sacrificed for development
0:50:25 > 0:50:29and in many UK cities there just isn't enough green space
0:50:29 > 0:50:30for people to enjoy.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33I believe that everyone should have the right to have access to
0:50:33 > 0:50:36green space and, thankfully, I'm not alone.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Here in Birmingham, a cutting-edge new library has been built
0:50:39 > 0:50:43and sitting atop is a brand-new roof garden.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46The building is a fusion of modern architectural style
0:50:46 > 0:50:48and garden landscaping,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50right in the city centre.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53One of the library's senior managers, Sara Raoul,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56explains how the garden benefits the community.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Where did the idea for creating a garden up in the sky here
0:50:59 > 0:51:00first come about?
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Well, as we were developing the vision for the new library,
0:51:02 > 0:51:04we realised we had a great opportunity here
0:51:04 > 0:51:07to create some really beautiful green, open space.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10And Birmingham, when you look out, actually doesn't have that
0:51:10 > 0:51:13much green space in its centre, so this must be really valuable.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15It is, absolutely. Of course, being in the library,
0:51:15 > 0:51:17it's the place that all the community can come in
0:51:17 > 0:51:19and really enjoy the space.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Come and relax out here with a book maybe and a cup of tea.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23Is this just aesthetic?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Is it like a giant window box that just looks pretty or does it
0:51:26 > 0:51:27have other functions?
0:51:27 > 0:51:28No, not at all.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30We started off from the point of view of thinking
0:51:30 > 0:51:32we just wanted some really beautiful planting,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35and then of course we realised the opportunities that we had
0:51:35 > 0:51:38if we started to introduce fruit, vegetables and herbs, for example.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41We very much like to see some of the food that we're growing out here
0:51:41 > 0:51:45on the terrace find its way into the dishes that we serve in our cafe.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47That's a really sort of excellent example
0:51:47 > 0:51:50of how the library is a very sustainable building as well.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56The roof terrace also helps offset the library's carbon emissions
0:51:56 > 0:52:00and attract wildlife, so everyone's a winner,
0:52:00 > 0:52:02especially the city-dwelling local volunteers
0:52:02 > 0:52:05who help maintain it.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Like Jean, who misses growing veg in her own back garden.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10I've had various gardens all through my life,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13and now, of course, I've just got a little balcony.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15The chance to do a bit more gardening
0:52:15 > 0:52:16on a bigger scale really appeals.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21And Jim, who left his rural home and gardening hobby behind
0:52:21 > 0:52:23for city life.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25I never actually felt quite all right without a garden.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27I really wanted to...
0:52:27 > 0:52:29I regretted the fact that I didn't have a nice terrace,
0:52:29 > 0:52:34like some of the other flats in the development, and all of that.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37We all have the right to enjoy green, open spaces
0:52:37 > 0:52:42whether in the country or the city, and it's easily done.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44These volunteers are living proof.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46What can I help you out over here with?
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Right, curly kale, that's what we're planting here,
0:52:49 > 0:52:51- and cabbages there.- Excellent.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56So what do you think about the future of roof gardens?
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Oh, I think it's a great resource. It's fantastic.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01In many ways, parts of these gardens, on these terraces,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03they're just like public parks,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05it's just that they're using this space.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07But just look round the city - they're everywhere.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12We can see acres of empty rooftops just waiting to be developed.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14I guess it could totally change how we think of cities, Jim.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18I think it might. Yes, and for the better.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22There'll now be an added interest in the roof garden,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25in the tops and what's going on up on top of the building,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27not just what it looks like from the street.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32With around 4,000 community groups
0:53:32 > 0:53:35involved in urban green spaces across the UK,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Jean and Jim aren't the only volunteers
0:53:37 > 0:53:40championing the revival of rooftop gardens.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42So what do you think roof gardens like this
0:53:42 > 0:53:44offer a city like Birmingham?
0:53:45 > 0:53:46Erm, well, it beautifies it.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Without something like this on the skyline,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50it's going to look pretty grey.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53But if this could inspire other buildings
0:53:53 > 0:53:56to do the same thing, then that would be wonderful.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59I think it's a matter of giving to the community.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04The garden is obviously giving beauty to the library also, so...
0:54:04 > 0:54:07I love the fact that you can be a gardening geek
0:54:07 > 0:54:08even if you don't have a garden
0:54:08 > 0:54:10by doing volunteering like this.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16In the grand scheme of pulling off a giant shiny new building like this,
0:54:16 > 0:54:19this roof garden really wasn't that hard to do
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and wasn't even that expensive to do.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27These gardens offer so much value to so many people, and cost so little.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29It's incredible why it isn't mandatory.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I mean, look at this garden
0:54:31 > 0:54:35and then let's have a look at the alternative.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37If green space is lacking in your life,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40there may well be a community roof garden for you to enjoy,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43or you could even start one of your very own.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51When night falls, it doesn't mean that gardens can't be enjoyed.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53This roof garden in the heart of the capital
0:54:53 > 0:54:56has become a truly sensory experience.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57If you're a city slicker,
0:54:57 > 0:55:02simply stepping out onto your roof terrace on an evening after work
0:55:02 > 0:55:04is enough to make you feel like your blood pressure
0:55:04 > 0:55:06has just dropped a couple of points.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08It's the ultimate stress relief.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11If you're working hard and doing overtime,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14I don't see any reason why your plants shouldn't be doing it too.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16They don't need to look good in the middle of the day
0:55:16 > 0:55:18when you're not around.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21They need to look their best shining out in twilight,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24and for that, you can't beat anything
0:55:24 > 0:55:27with really pale, white or silvery colours.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30The brilliant thing about things with paler colours
0:55:30 > 0:55:32is they're usually the very things
0:55:32 > 0:55:35that are scented, particularly at night.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40I've got a really special find here - Cestrum nocturnum,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44designed for moths and liked by humans.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Plants like these have evolved to attract nocturnal pollinators,
0:55:47 > 0:55:51like moths and bats, with their intoxicating scent.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Incredibly delicate orange-flower fragrance.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57It's an antidepressant in a plant.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02You're going right at the front of the border.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03The brilliant thing is,
0:56:03 > 0:56:06you don't actually just have to go for a pale palette of white
0:56:06 > 0:56:08on its own.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12Just that little hint of colour, like this pale pink tulbaghia,
0:56:12 > 0:56:14what they call society garlic,
0:56:14 > 0:56:18and this really light blue agapanthus here -
0:56:18 > 0:56:21really set off that white to stop it looking flat,
0:56:21 > 0:56:24and make it appear like you've strung up fairy lights
0:56:24 > 0:56:25all over your garden.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27I love texture as well in a garden,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30and these flowering heads of pennisetum
0:56:30 > 0:56:32and this miscanthus over here
0:56:32 > 0:56:35are so textural that you've just got to run your hands through them.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Look incredible as they slowly move in the wind.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Cestrum nocturnum grows very fast
0:56:43 > 0:56:46and blooms on and off throughout the warmer months of the year.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50A roof garden enjoyed in the evenings would be lost without it.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57I'm pleased to report that it's not only me
0:56:57 > 0:57:00who recognises the immense contribution that roof gardens
0:57:00 > 0:57:02can make to our lives.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06There are others out there championing gardens in the sky.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Gillian Edwards from northwest London
0:57:08 > 0:57:10is one of those champions.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15I think it's really important, if we can,
0:57:15 > 0:57:20to have access to some kind of greenery, some kind of nature.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22Coming back after work and being able to sit out here
0:57:22 > 0:57:26and look after my vegetables and pick my flowers
0:57:26 > 0:57:31and just get involved with the earth in some way keeps me sane.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I'm really proud of this.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35This is my first ever squash that I've grown.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38Gillian's used nearly every inch of her terrace
0:57:38 > 0:57:40and hasn't been defeated
0:57:40 > 0:57:42by the structural restrictions of the building.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44One of the limitations or the challenges
0:57:44 > 0:57:46of growing anything on this roof
0:57:46 > 0:57:51is that I'm not allowed to have pots right on the asphalt itself,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53because that would damage the roof.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56So what I've had to do is build shelves all the way around,
0:57:56 > 0:57:59so everything is growing six inches off the ground.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02Here, we've got the first of the tomatoes.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04These ones actually self-seeded from last year
0:58:04 > 0:58:06and they just obviously wanted to grow,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08so I just thought I'll let them grow.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10In containers you can only grow things
0:58:10 > 0:58:12which have relatively small roots,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15so next year, more of the salad crops, more beans,
0:58:15 > 0:58:19masses of lettuce again, because it makes a great gift.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21It's a lovely way to be able to share your produce.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29Imagine this view if every building out there
0:58:29 > 0:58:31was topped with its own roof garden.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34Even if you've only got a couple of square metres to play with,
0:58:34 > 0:58:36just popping some plants out there,
0:58:36 > 0:58:40it's so simple to do and can genuinely change your life.
0:58:40 > 0:58:43Now is the time for a roof garden revival.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd