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 > 0:00:22To help us.
0:00:22 > 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.
0:01:26 > 0:01:32'On tonight's show, Toby Buckland launches his herb garden revival,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35'but first, I celebrate the rock garden.'
0:01:41 > 0:01:46The British have always been great explorers.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And some of the mountains and high places
0:01:48 > 0:01:51that they've come across in the course of their expeditions
0:01:51 > 0:01:55have inspired a uniquely British style of gardening.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57The rock garden.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06All of us who grow alpines owe a huge debt of gratitude
0:02:06 > 0:02:11to all those intrepid plant explorers who've combed the world
0:02:11 > 0:02:16and climbed mountain ranges to bring back these wonderful plants.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21From piercing blue gentians to exotic Turk's cap lilies
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and dainty colchicums.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26These mountain-dwelling plants are as tough as old boots.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28They're an absolute pleasure to grow
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and I want to see more gardens full of them.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36I'm Carol Klein, and I want to share with you the splendour
0:02:36 > 0:02:41of rock gardens and the exquisite plants that live amongst the rocks.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Welcome to my Great British Rock Garden Revival.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55'To re-ignite a passion for this style of gardening,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'I'll be visiting some of the country's finest rock gardens,
0:02:59 > 0:03:00'and meeting their creators.'
0:03:00 > 0:03:04It's all a huge learning curve and just so much fun, isn't it?
0:03:04 > 0:03:07And to bring the mountains down into your own back garden.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08What could be better?
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Yeah, I often I feel I'm the luckiest person in the world.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'I'll be showing you how to get to grips with creating
0:03:14 > 0:03:16'your very own miniature rock garden.'
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Sometimes you feel as though you're being a bit brutal with things,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21but don't forget, these are toughies.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24They're used to that sort of treatment.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'And I'll be on a trip down memory lane with one community
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'and their precious rock garden.'
0:03:29 > 0:03:34- It was just a sad, locked-up, old weedy garden.- It's not any more!
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- No!- And it's all down to you lot.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Well, with a little bit of help from our friends. Yes!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
0:03:47 > 0:03:51is the very pinnacle of rock gardening.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56People come here from all over the world to find out how it's done.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's a real centre of excellence.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04'Rock gardens, Alpine rockeries, whatever you call them.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08'For me, the plants that they display are fascinating
0:04:08 > 0:04:09'and intrinsically beautiful.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11'And they're all here, so...'
0:04:11 > 0:04:17..Where better to host my Great British Rock Garden Revival!
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I think I must've inherited this love of mountainous places
0:04:30 > 0:04:32from my mum.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35She liked nothing better than to be standing on the top
0:04:35 > 0:04:39of some high peak, breathing in all that oxygen.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45There's something about rocks, mountains. Something primordial.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48There's nothing between you and the Earth.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52It's basic, it's fundamental. It's wonderful.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Rock gardens were first built on large estates by wealthy aristocrats
0:04:59 > 0:05:04who would have funded and built these gardens around the late 19th century.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09But it was the very success of these gardens that led eventually
0:05:09 > 0:05:11to their decline.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The Yorkshire Dales, a stunningly dramatic landscape,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20carved by glaciers
0:05:20 > 0:05:24and now criss-crossed by dry-stone walls.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29It was also a wonderful place to source local limestone.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32And build incredible rock gardens like this.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36This is Aysgarth. It's an Edwardian rock garden.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Oh, boy!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Aysgarth Rock Garden was built in 1906
0:05:45 > 0:05:49by Alpine specialist James Backhouse.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And it demonstrates the sheer commitment needed to build
0:05:52 > 0:05:55these spectacular gardens.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58And if you just close your eyes and listen to the water,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03and then open them and see all this, with the trees in the background,
0:06:03 > 0:06:04you're up a mountain!
0:06:05 > 0:06:09But creating such illusions wasn't the focus for everyone.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Reginald Farrer, THE leading light in rock gardening
0:06:12 > 0:06:14in the early part of the 20th century,
0:06:14 > 0:06:19centred his attention onto the plants rather than the rocks.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25What I love about Farrer is the way he writes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30I would love to have met him, but this is the next best thing.
0:06:30 > 0:06:36"Yet more superb is Gentiana farreri, which sends out many flopping..."
0:06:36 > 0:06:39"..Very narrow foliage and ending each in a single,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41"huge upturned trumpet..."
0:06:41 > 0:06:45"It thrives also with singular vigour in a cool, rich..."
0:06:45 > 0:06:48"..Whose glare of splendour is almost painful to the eye
0:06:48 > 0:06:50"in August and September."
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Don't you just want one?
0:06:53 > 0:06:57I'm meeting Nicola Schulman, Reginald Farrer's biographer,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00to find out more about this fascinating man
0:07:00 > 0:07:03who brought rock gardening into the hearts and minds
0:07:03 > 0:07:05of the British people.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I find Farrer incredibly inspiring,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12but what specifically do you think Farrer brought to rock gardening?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16His interests were individually beautiful,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18rare Alpine novelties.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20He felt he was rather like them.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23He was very difficult and touchy, and they were difficult and touchy
0:07:23 > 0:07:26and had to be given a huge amount of care all the time.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30No, it's true. And he writes about them as though he and they
0:07:30 > 0:07:33have a kind of soul camaraderie.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38But it was the close observation of a cave that triggered
0:07:38 > 0:07:40a greater understanding of rock gardens
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and the plants that grew in them.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Reginald used to go down into the caves,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and he could see this inside, what actually goes on underneath,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53he could see what was happening with the drainage.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55And along with his knowledge of the plants,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Farrer was critical of the way some rock gardens were being built.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03He had this sort of idea that people were placing rocks
0:08:03 > 0:08:07without paying any attention to what a rock was actually doing in nature.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11He did ultimately, probably, contribute to the demise
0:08:11 > 0:08:12of the rock garden.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17What Farrer disliked was the fact that form should go before content.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22He was scandalised by the fact that these ostentatious monuments,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25which is what a lot of rock gardens had become,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29should be more important than the plants that were growing there.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35He was the plants' champion and the gradual dissemination of his ideas
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and their sort of osmosis into popular society
0:08:38 > 0:08:42meant everybody could have a go at rock gardening
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and everybody could love those beautiful plants.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53Over the decades, this popularity of rock gardens grew exponentially.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Scaled-down versions became fashionable in every suburban garden.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01But familiarity breeds contempt.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And it was their prevalence that led to their demise.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Farrer even influenced the way that they laid out the rock garden
0:09:15 > 0:09:17here at Edinburgh Botanics.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25When you take a look at the rock garden here, you can begin to see
0:09:25 > 0:09:29that there are a few essential rules to follow before building your own.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39First of all, if you've got limited space, find your sunniest spot.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44These are plants which are used to living out in exposed places,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48battered by the wind in full sun.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Secondly, choose your rock carefully.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Try and get it from a local building supplies or from a local quarry
0:09:55 > 0:09:58if you're lucky enough to have such a thing close by.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Create it so that your rocks all run the same sort of way.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Nothing sticks up awkwardly.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10And within it, try and create all sorts of different niches.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12The plants that grow up on the mountains,
0:10:12 > 0:10:17some of them grow between the rocks, some of them grow up on plateaus.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19For instance, this geranium over here
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and this lovely campanula just tumble down together
0:10:23 > 0:10:25right the way through the rock.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30But this zaluzianskya is sitting on its own little platform.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34It's a beautiful South African Alpine. Scented at night.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36A delightful thing.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Occasionally, you'll get something like this.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43A little rhodiola. This is a little rose root.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45It's got succulent leaves
0:10:45 > 0:10:49and it'll find its way wending all the way down the hillside,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and upwards, too.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Here it is on top of this plateau,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56just mixing and mingling with saxifrages
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and all manner of other plants.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03So, as many different planting habitats as you can possible create
0:11:03 > 0:11:06will give you the maximum interest.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10What great fun experimenting and seeing what you can grow
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and how well you can create your own little mountain scene.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Rock gardens celebrated a resurgence in the 1970s,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31coinciding with a craze for ponds and water features.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The rock garden became the solution to the excavated waste
0:11:35 > 0:11:38when a pond was being dug out.
0:11:39 > 0:11:46Nurseryman and world-class gardener, my mate John Massey did just that.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50He's keen to share with me his passion for rock gardens.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- When you dug the pool, did you just move all the soil to the side?- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00All the soil formed the base of the rockery.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- So it didn't have far to go?- No, it didn't have far to go!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Everybody thinks of rock gardens as being very static things,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09they stay in one place, but yours moves, doesn't it?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Yeah, it keeps evolving, cos we're always trying to create
0:12:13 > 0:12:16the right situation to grow a certain plant in.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19That to me is what gardening's about.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24John has a mind-boggling plethora of plants in his rock garden,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29ranging from delightful cushion alpines, unusual herbaceous plants,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31to striking shrubs.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36These are all plants that typically grow in mountainous regions.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38There's always something of interest,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and there's always something to look forward to.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44As well as dainty alpines, John's not afraid to use
0:12:44 > 0:12:48one group of plants that have had a bad reputation in the past.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52So it wouldn't be wrong to say you're quite keen on conifers, would it?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I love them!
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And do you think every rock garden should have a conifer?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Yeah, I do. I love the pines
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and a lot of the dwarf pines will change colour.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07In the winter they'll go bright yellow.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11But as long as you keep cleaning them out, pruning, and you can lift
0:13:11 > 0:13:14the canopy and grow other alpines underneath,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17like the Hepaticas over there, or the cyclamen.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I often think that gardening's a bit like life.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23There's no short cuts.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It's all a huge learning curve and just so much fun, isn't it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31- So much fun!- Yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And to bring the mountains down into your own back garden.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36What could be better?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Yeah, I often feel I'm the luckiest person in the world.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43No, that's me. THEY LAUGH
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Though people talk about rock gardens being at their height in spring.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Your garden really disputes that, doesn't it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:04I think with a little careful choice of plants you can have interest
0:14:04 > 0:14:05all through the year.
0:14:05 > 0:14:11One of John's must-haves for the rock garden is cyclamen.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Little cyclamen here.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16That's intaminatum, one of the smallest cyclamen.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It's sown itself there.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22The other great autumn-flowering one is hederifolium,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25which should be in every gardener's top ten plants.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- Easy and straightforward. - Yeah, no hassle.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Flowers first, beautiful foliage afterwards.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36And I often find people go for the darker colours,
0:14:36 > 0:14:41but to my mind, in the winter there is so much bare soil around,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44it's the paler colours that really stand out.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46That lovely foliage is cyclamen coum,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50see the little river that kind of echoes the water.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55It's superb to get this fabulous foliage,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58often with the Christmas tree design on,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01in sort of, end of September, October
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and then start flowering in December through to March.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Right into the New Year.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11What are your top tips for actually making sure
0:15:11 > 0:15:15that your alpines go on flowering and you get the most out of them?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19One of the most important things is deadheading.
0:15:19 > 0:15:27I find it so therapeutic, and like with the erodiums and the geraniums,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30if you don't then they stop flowering,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32because there is so much seed production.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35What about weeds? I can't see any!
0:15:35 > 0:15:41I'm sure I can find some, but the main thing is, if you don't have
0:15:41 > 0:15:45weeds, you don't have weed seeds. So it's just regular maintenance.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47- Stitch in time sort of thing?- That's it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52As if it wasn't enough for John to show us
0:15:52 > 0:15:57how to make the perfect rock garden, he always goes one step further.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02How about this for an idea? This is a sort of rock garden of succulents.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06All these plants are tender, but they are carried out in the spring,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10left to do their thing during summer and right into the autumn,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and then dug up and carried off to their winter home.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It's so cutting edge and up to the minute,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and it's the sort of thing that anyone could do.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Here at Edinburgh Botanic Garden, I'm going to
0:16:31 > 0:16:35show you how to create your own rock garden, however small your garden is.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43If you haven't got room for a great big rock garden,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45this is a really good alternative
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and it brings that whole sense of the mountains into your garden.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54The prerequisite of growing any alpine successfully is good drainage.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55This is what I'm going to use.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Crocks, they're just broken plant pots,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01but instead of putting them in that way round,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03it's really important to put them with the curve upwards,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06because that means the water will drain away
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and the holes don't get clogged with soil.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'Once you've capped the drainage holes,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16'add chunky gravel to about half the level of your container.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'This will guarantee sharp drainage
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'and stop any roots from sitting in water.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'Then put some mesh over the top to stop the compost
0:17:25 > 0:17:28'washing through and clogging the drainage holes.'
0:17:28 > 0:17:34It's half loam-based compost and half this lovely stuff -
0:17:34 > 0:17:38fine, little chips. The loam will really retain moisture
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and keep the plants going for ages and ages.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45'Carefully fill your container to the top.'
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Just firm everything in.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56This is where the rock gardening part starts.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02You can buy stone from the local builder's merchants for a few pounds
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and select rocks that offer an angular shape.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Have a look at them and see where you're going to be able to create
0:18:09 > 0:18:15the crevices and little places where plants can grow and settle in.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18I'm going to put those two like that.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I'm already creating this sort of crevice in here.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Ooh, it's such good fun, this.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Now for the very best bit, the plants themselves.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Here's a really showy one, this is a little Lewisia.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37They come from America and grow on the side, they grow like that.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39But they also like to be north-facing.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44I might even have to move me rocks just a tiny bit to push it in.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It's fine them feeling tucked in,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51as though they've squeezed themselves into the rocks.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Sometimes you feel you're being brutal with things, but don't forget,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00they're toughies, and they're used to that sort of treatment.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03When you pick some plants up, you can tell exactly
0:19:03 > 0:19:06what they're going to do. This is a parmelia, and you can tell
0:19:06 > 0:19:11it's anxious to hang out over the edge.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I'm going to take a few of the roots off.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17A lot of people are going to accuse me of extreme brutality,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20ripping the roots off this plant,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25but in actual fact it doesn't put the plant backwards at all,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29it just encourages it to make lots more of these fine feeding roots.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33That will help the plant to grow and settle into its new home.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37'So that's my north-facing and rambling cliff-hangers sorted out.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41'Now I need something for the crevice I've created.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:42Fairy foxgloves.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47It will seed all over and you can take out what you don't want,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52but you see this growing in walls with practically no soil at all.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57So I think it would be fairly perfect to grow in here.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Right in between the rocks. Push it in. Give it a shove.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05If you want to make it look even more established,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09maybe try...a couple of them.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14Put this one with the flower in. Loads of tiny little pink flowers.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16'Once you're happy with your planting,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20'add a top dressing of coarse grit or fine gravel.'
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The whole point of the grit is,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25apart from making everything look beautiful,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28is that it helps retain moisture.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34It helps suppress weed seedlings too, but most importantly, it provides all
0:20:34 > 0:20:37the alpines with really sharp drainage,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40especially around their crowns, which is where it's most important.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45What a lovely thing to do, to create this little bit
0:20:45 > 0:20:48of the mountainside in your own back garden.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55It's so easy and simple. And such, such special plants.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08An alpine trough is just one way you can bring
0:21:08 > 0:21:11a flavour of the mountains into your garden.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But I went along to Bolton to see how one community have brought
0:21:15 > 0:21:18back their beloved rockery from the brink of ruin.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22Moss Bank Park Rock Garden,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26once hailed as the jewel in the crown of Bolton,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29is being restored by community volunteers
0:21:29 > 0:21:31headed by founder David Butcher.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- It was famous, this rock garden, wasn't it?- Oh, yeah, very much so.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Not just in Bolton, but...- No.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- ..it was held up as an example. - Absolutely.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I used to come with my mum on the bus.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- Bring sandwiches and make a full day of it.- Did you?- Yes.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51It was THE place.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57We used to come with my sisters, and my grandpa used to come
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and sit on the bench puffing his pipe.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I used to come and play when I were a kid.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It was more of an adventure.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10Yeah, of course, cos it's like going into a different world, isn't it?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I played in here myself, I even used to bring my girlfriend
0:22:13 > 0:22:15here when I was a bit younger.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17LAUGHING: You can't tell us about that, you know.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18It's confidential, that.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25In the early nineties, Moss Bank Park Rock Garden lost its funding
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and fell into disrepair.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31It closed its gates. It became a target for vandals.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- How did you feel?- Oh, it was heartbreaking, it really was.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38It was a jungle here.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40You just couldn't get along the paths at all.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44My husband was so disgusted he went down to the authorities
0:22:44 > 0:22:48and he said, "If you're not doing anything with it, can I buy it?"
0:22:51 > 0:22:53So did that prompt them?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I think that it gave just a little bit of a nudge.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Back in 2010, funding was given to start reviving this classic rockery.
0:23:02 > 0:23:10It was to be put firmly back on the map, for every generation to enjoy.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- And it's all down to you lot?- With a little help from our friends, yes.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22You are doing all this in the hope it's going to become
0:23:22 > 0:23:25what it was to you when you were kids?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Yes. My daughter over there, she came in one day and said,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31"The rock garden's closed, Dad."
0:23:31 > 0:23:37You feel guilty that they've not got the same opportunity that you had.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- Do your family come visit? - Oh, yes, the granddaughters.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45- "The secret places", they call it. - The secret places?
0:23:45 > 0:23:49"They can't find us, Gran, they can't find us!"
0:23:49 > 0:23:52We didn't realise there was rock underneath here.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55So are you discovering new rocks and new ways?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57LAUGHTER Marvellous, isn't it?
0:23:57 > 0:24:02The rocks are the special thing. The limestone rock is beautiful.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And it gives it a completely different character
0:24:04 > 0:24:05from the rest of the town.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The people of Bolton appreciate what we're doing
0:24:08 > 0:24:10and they're in favour of it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It really is, as I said, a magical place.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18BIRDSONG
0:24:19 > 0:24:23It's so wonderful to see what these people have done
0:24:23 > 0:24:28with their enthusiasm to return this rock garden to its former glory.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32It's an inspiration to all the people all over the country who have
0:24:32 > 0:24:36got those fun recollections of what the rock gardens
0:24:36 > 0:24:38in their local parks used to be.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44Not just a wonderful place, but a fantastic part of the community.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52At Edinburgh Botanics, their purpose-built Alpine House is
0:24:52 > 0:24:58a showcase for all manner of rare and delicate alpines.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01One of the most rewarding groups to grow are bulbs,
0:25:01 > 0:25:06especially successful when you grow them in pots.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Some of the most spectacular of alpine plants are bulbs.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17They occur all over the world in mountainous regions
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and we are very familiar with a lot of them.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Some of the species bulbs
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- that just means the bulbs as nature intended them, the way
0:25:26 > 0:25:31they occur in nature - really add to this lovely feeling of the mountains.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Species bulbs can be more difficult to track down.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39If you can't find them at your local garden centre,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42try specialist growers online.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Always buy them in season when the bulbs are fresh.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51Look at the difference between an alpine tulip and the
0:25:51 > 0:25:57sort of thing we are used to growing in big pots for very vibrant display.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Just as there is this difference, this disparity between the size
0:26:01 > 0:26:05of the bulbs, so there is in the flowers that are produced from them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10The flowers from alpine bulbs are always dainty, delicate,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12so very, very special.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16There's no hand of man plays any part in them.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The great thing about growing anything in a pot is that it's
0:26:19 > 0:26:24a moveable feast and you can take it to where you can see it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Believe you me, when you see some of the exquisite flowers
0:26:29 > 0:26:34from these alpine bulbs, you really do want to be as close as possible.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'I'm planting a tulip called pulchella violecea.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'When the petals of its purple flowers open,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44'they have a black star deep at their base.'
0:26:44 > 0:26:49They do what all tulips do and remain closed while the sun's not shining.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52As soon as it does - roomph, you can see right into the centre of them.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55These beautiful, big, starry flowers.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00'Add a few crocks to the bottom of a terracotta pot
0:27:00 > 0:27:06'and fill it three-quarters full using a 50/50 loam and grit compost.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10'Then start adding your bulbs - pointy end upwards!'
0:27:10 > 0:27:15I'm going to put those in in one layer, but lots of them.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17You can't put too many in, frankly.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21And this pot will be bursting with colour.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24'Cover the bulbs with compost and
0:27:24 > 0:27:29'dress the pot with sharp grit to aid drainage and finish the look.'
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Then just water it well once, and put it outside.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Rock gardens are important in other cultures too.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54In Japan, they play a significant role, and have done so for centuries.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Helen Goodchild from Somerset has veered away
0:27:57 > 0:28:00from the traditional rock garden we are used to.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03For her, rocks predominate.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07In my garden, rocks are an absolutely essential element.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12I realised the full possibilities that rocks could play in a garden
0:28:12 > 0:28:17the first time I went to Japan. Their gardens can be tiny,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20but they aim to recreate a miniature landscape.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26In my garden, I've got rocks that represent the side of a valley.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29There are purple rocks, which represent water.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And either side there are the azaleas,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34which represent large areas of trees.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40For me, it's a very peaceful haven that I can come out to.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46It's been the thing I've heard most from visitors to my garden,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50they find it a complete contrast to the world outside.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Now I'm delighted, because my grandchildren,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57who are three and four, adore my garden.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Oh, jump in the water! Spuh-lash!
0:29:00 > 0:29:03They are able to creep underneath parts which
0:29:03 > 0:29:05I'm too big for and they see it at their level.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11I'm hoping they find it as magical as I would like it to be for them.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13That looks very comfortable, Angelie, is it?
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I think people would benefit greatly if they tried
0:29:18 > 0:29:20maybe a few rocks in their gardens
0:29:20 > 0:29:25and see the added beauty that they would give to the plants.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29And if they wished to try to make a rockery it could be just a tiny
0:29:29 > 0:29:34space and it could be a little world within the rest of their garden.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39By now, I hope you agree that the rockery deserves a place
0:29:39 > 0:29:41back in our great British gardens.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46I've shown you some of my personal favourite places and plants.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Rock gardens and alpine plants are disappearing fast.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53We just can't let this happen.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59So, why not make room for a rock garden on your patch?
0:30:01 > 0:30:05And join me in my Great British Rock Garden Revival.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16Next, Toby Buckland is on another garden revival campaign.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20For me, there is nothing more satisfying than a garden
0:30:20 > 0:30:23filled with plants that you can really use.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25And aromatics like this
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Greek basil and rosemary have been used throughout history in medicine,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32to stimulate the senses and, of course, in food.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35But there's a very real danger that our knowledge
0:30:35 > 0:30:39and understanding of these plants is being lost.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43And I think it's high time we reversed the tide.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47I'm Toby Buckland and I truly believe the moment has arrived for us
0:30:47 > 0:30:51to start the great British Herb Garden Revival.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54To get my revival under way,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59I want to find out just how indispensible herbs used to be.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Many people will think - "Oh, you are growing weeds!"
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Nothing was a weed in Tudor times.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05A herb was a useful plant.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09I'll meet a woman whose garden is absolutely chocka with amazing herbs.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Most of us have never even tasted them.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15This is a real rock'n'roll one. Cinnamon basil.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17It's got a peachy sweetness.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19The tiny flower adds such zing.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22And I'll be showing you how to grow
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and make the most of your own fresh herbs,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27whether you have a garden or not.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Of course, the beauty of a herb garden is as soon as they're planted
0:31:31 > 0:31:33you can start picking them.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41As a professional gardener I've spent a lot of time in walled gardens
0:31:41 > 0:31:43like this and I have to say, I love them.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47This is the Chelsea Physic Garden.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Just around the corner from the site of the Chelsea Flower Show,
0:31:51 > 0:31:57this was London's first botanic garden, established in 1673
0:31:57 > 0:32:02to train apprentices in medicinal plants, or herbs to you and me.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05I can't think of a more fitting place to start my revival.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11My earliest gardening memory is of herbs, parsley.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13My mum and had a patch outside the house
0:32:13 > 0:32:18and when I was five I ripped it all up and gave it to the neighbours.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20My parents went nuts.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21But looking back,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25I guess it was my first lesson about these wonderful plants.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30It taught me that herbs are valuable. Herbs are plants of the people.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Their seeds, leaves, roots and flowers can provide us
0:32:33 > 0:32:36with pretty much all of life's essentials.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40So much so that these amazing plants were once
0:32:40 > 0:32:42ESSENTIAL to our daily lives.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Although there are many that you would still recognise today,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49hundreds have fallen by the wayside and largely been forgotten.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Of course, these days, if you have an ailment you go to the chemist and buy
0:32:56 > 0:33:01a cure, but time was you went to your garden and looked to your plants.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Now, this might look like a collection of garnishes
0:33:05 > 0:33:09but it's so much more, because it's an ancient medicine cabinet.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12For example, parsley was a cure for bad breath.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14You nibble on a bit...
0:33:14 > 0:33:15HE EXHALES
0:33:15 > 0:33:17..fresher than a daisy.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22Mint, on the other hand, is a cure for flatulence. Not that I need it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Mm, and I certainly don't now.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28And rosemary, if ever you've had a hangover,
0:33:28 > 0:33:29this is the plant for you.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33It might not help you find your dignity, but a little sprig
0:33:33 > 0:33:37popped into a cup of hot water might just help you find your feet.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43All this knowledge and more was second-nature to our ancestors
0:33:43 > 0:33:47and to find out just how important herbs were in their lives
0:33:47 > 0:33:52I've come to the beautifully-restored Tudor gardens of Cressing Temple in Essex to meet
0:33:52 > 0:33:57Rebecca Ashbey, a gardener with a passion for the past.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Herbs have been growing on these shores for thousands of years, haven't they?
0:34:00 > 0:34:02They have. We were an island
0:34:02 > 0:34:07and after the Ice Age there were 200/250 native herbs left.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11But then they were added to by all the invaders,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Romans and Normans in particular.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- And they left their plants?- They left their plants. And how fantastic tha was.
0:34:17 > 0:34:18So, rich pickings?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Absolutely.- Every one of the herbs they left they had a use for?
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Definitely.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28They used herbs for colouring food, for colouring inks and manuscript.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Sage was used to darken the hair. The list is endless.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35The way to think of it is all the shops on the high street.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Of course, there were no shops on the high street where you could get this sort of thing
0:34:39 > 0:34:41so you had to grow it.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Of course, herbs were also used in cooking, but the Tudors were either
0:34:45 > 0:34:49less picky or perhaps better informed than we are now.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Many people would think - "Oh, you are growing weeds!"
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Well, we do grow weeds, as they would be regarded today,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58but nothing was a weed in Tudor times.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00A herb was a useful plant.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Plantain, nettles, dandelions, all of these were
0:35:04 > 0:35:10valued as highly nutritious and flavourful additions to the Tudors' main diet of pottage,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13a cauldron of starchy, stodgy stew.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17In would have gone all the herbs that they grew.
0:35:17 > 0:35:23Leafy vegetables, root vegetables stems, to flowers even, to pretty-up the pottage.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28That would have been boiled all-day long, which then needed flavour,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31so strong-flavoured herbs would have been added to...
0:35:31 > 0:35:34- Bring it back to life! - Give it a bit of zest.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- The herbs coming to the rescue like the cavalry?- Absolutely.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39At the end of an appalling culinary mistake.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Herbs were grown by everyone. Rich and poor.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Many like dandelions and nettles could be picked in the wild
0:35:49 > 0:35:53and if a herb wasn't good for the pot, it might be elsewhere.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57These are the strewing herbs.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Strewing means to scatter and that was a traditional thing done
0:36:01 > 0:36:05throughout the Tudor period and beyond to scent the room.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- I can imagine the lavender would make a room smell very sweet.- It would
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- and as it was trodden upon as you entered the room...- Yeah...
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Along with all the others cos it wouldn't have just been lavender
0:36:14 > 0:36:17it would have been santolina and teucrium and sage
0:36:17 > 0:36:19and a multitude of others
0:36:19 > 0:36:23you can just imagine how that would have freshened-up what would have been, possibly, a rather
0:36:23 > 0:36:25stinky place to begin with.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27If you were wealthy you might have had a strewing lady.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31- Oh, a strewing lady!- Yes, absolutely, like me, for instance.- Yeah.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Someone who would go and cut the herbs on a daily basis
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and lay them in the house.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38But was there any other reason for strewing.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39It wasn't simply about the scent?
0:36:39 > 0:36:44The essential oils in all of the plants are disinfectants, so they would
0:36:44 > 0:36:46so they would have been to fumigate the house.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49And if you were living with lice and fleas and bugs and so on
0:36:49 > 0:36:52that would have been the way to get rid of them.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54What you have really brought to life, Rebecca, is how
0:36:54 > 0:36:57herbs were once the part of EVERY day.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59People's understanding was it was fundamental.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03It was absolutely fundamental to every aspect of their lives.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06If they didn't grow plants and if they didn't learn how to
0:37:06 > 0:37:09use them, then there were many things they couldn't do.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Since the heady days of the Tudor herb gardens our connection
0:37:15 > 0:37:19with herbs and their many uses has gradually been eroded.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23To find out why, I've come to Blists Hill in Shropshire
0:37:23 > 0:37:26a perfect replica of a Victorian town.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Curator Katy Brown is taking me to the
0:37:29 > 0:37:32latest addition to the Victorian high street.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40- Oh, wow, this is a shop of treasures. - It is. Welcome to the pharmacy.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- So, this is set...- In- 1900. In 1900.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Right at the end of Victoria's reign.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47And there isn't a herb in sight?
0:37:47 > 0:37:50No, it's all been put into these bottles
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and you now have extracts, so the herbs
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- as we know them are not in a big bunch, tied up anywhere, are they? - No.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Medicines at this time were still largely herb based, but as the
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Industrial Revolution grew and people moved from the country to the cities,
0:38:06 > 0:38:11their gardens and home-grown medicinal herbs were left behind.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14By the end of Victoria's reign the pharmacists had monopolised
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- the dispensing of medicines.- I see.
0:38:16 > 0:38:22So people in the early 20th century had given up on growing herbs for medicine themselves?
0:38:22 > 0:38:25They are not growing them, no, they are being mass produced somewhere
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- and shipped in from huge drug warehouses.- So, I suppose
0:38:28 > 0:38:32this is the start of our disconnect from herbs that were common knowledge
0:38:32 > 0:38:33of what they did?
0:38:33 > 0:38:36It is really. If you haven't got the space
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and the knowledge isn't being passed down, people aren't growing
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and making the medicines themselves they have to go to a third party
0:38:42 > 0:38:45to then get that knowledge and it's been removed from the public.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54Industrialisation and the medical progress it's brought has been wonderful,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57but it's such a shame that we have lost touch with herbs.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02Plants that were core to our lives and so important to us.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04That's something I want to change.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09The Chelsea Physic Garden has been growing its collection of apothecary
0:39:09 > 0:39:13plants and herbs for over 300 years,
0:39:13 > 0:39:18but many of those with medicinal properties are also delicious in the kitchen.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24As part of my revival I want to show you how to combine some culinary classics
0:39:24 > 0:39:29with some lesser-known aromatics to create a home-grown
0:39:29 > 0:39:32self-contained herb garden to be proud of.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Herbs, they're the most accommodating of plants.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Happy in the soil in the garden, or in containers,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45even unusual ones like my customised wheelbarrow.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48In fact, they'll grow in any type of pot,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50and the only thing you need to know is that you've got to have
0:39:50 > 0:39:53a drainage hole in the bottom to allow excess moisture to escape.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57And also, if you're planting them in the soil, dig in a bit of this stuff,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00it's horticultural grit, it just speeds up drainage.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03So the roots don't sit wet in winter.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08You do that and give them some sun and your herbs will love you for it.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11And when it comes to planting herbs, there's basically two types.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14There are those like sage and rosemary that are perennial
0:40:14 > 0:40:16and that means
0:40:16 > 0:40:19they will come back year after year or stay as evergreens in your borders
0:40:19 > 0:40:21and it's these you want to
0:40:21 > 0:40:25plant first, because they'll give your garden its shape or its character.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Now, one of my favourites is this sage.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Purple sage, it's been used since Elizabethan times.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Lovely in salads when it's young and fresh.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39Then I've got some winter savoury. This is a cracking herb for stews.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It will form a nice green dome through summer.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Top with flowers that the bees just love.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Now, Rosemary does turn into quite a big plant.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48A really beautiful thing.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52If you like bacon, you've got to have rosemary in your garden.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54There are not many gardeners that grow this one.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59It's called sorrel and its leaves have a flavour of a sort of tangy vinaigrette
0:40:59 > 0:41:02and in between the perennial herbs,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05I'm going to put the summer holidaymakers.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Herbs that are sun-loving and short-lived.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12This is one of my absolute favourites, it's Greek basil.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18They are the most incredibly strong and tasty basil leaves you can get.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Next up is a bit of parsley.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23No herb garden would be complete without some of this.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26In Britain we have always liked the curly and that's
0:41:26 > 0:41:28because in days of yore
0:41:28 > 0:41:32when gardeners and cooks would go out into the hedgerows to gather their herbs,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36you couldn't mistake it for fool's parsley or hedgerow hemlock
0:41:36 > 0:41:40which, of course, is a poison and finally,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44one of the most interesting basils around, Red Rubin.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Now, this is a herb that will not only make your food taste good,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49but make it look good as well.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Of course, the beauty of a herb garden is that unlike
0:41:53 > 0:41:54a vegetable garden or
0:41:54 > 0:41:59a cut-flower garden, herbs as soon as they're planted you can start
0:41:59 > 0:42:01picking them and using them in the kitchen.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03It's as simple as that.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15There is so much more to culinary herbs than the usual suspects
0:42:15 > 0:42:19in pots and plastic on our supermarket shelves.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I've come to Gloucestershire to meet up with Jekka McVicar,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24widely revered as the
0:42:24 > 0:42:29queen of culinary herbs, by chefs and gardeners alike, including me.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Well, this looks great, Jekka. Just looks stunning.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Every day -
0:42:33 > 0:42:37- and I've been in this industry a long time - I still get hugely excited.- Yeah.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39It's infectious, your excitement. It is.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40SHE CHUCKLES
0:42:40 > 0:42:43But Herbs, they are easy to grow, yes?
0:42:43 > 0:42:47And they're so rewarding, because they can transform a meal into a feast.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51You can make oils from them and make teas from them.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56It's the whole holistic aspect of them and they're brilliant for bees
0:42:56 > 0:42:58and butterflies and all the pollinating insects.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01And one of the great treats for me is coming round here and having a nibble of a few.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06- Particularly the unusual ones. - Let me show you, actually, I really want to show you down here.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Lead on, Jekka.
0:43:08 > 0:43:13Jekka grows more than 650 varieties in her herboretum but she has
0:43:13 > 0:43:18not stopped looking for the next big culinary stars to add to her herb family.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23This is where my new babies are. Just try this, this is from Bolivia. What do you reckon?
0:43:23 > 0:43:25It's like everything I love about coriander
0:43:25 > 0:43:27and everything I like about basil rolled into one.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- It's a combination, isn't it? - This is Bolivian coriander.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32It's a member of the Asteraceae family.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34I never thought a daisy would taste so good.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38And look at this, this is a real rock'n'roll one.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Smell this. That's cinnamon basil.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44It's got a peachy sweetness. Almost like nectarine. Cos of the sugars in there.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46That flower packs a punch.
0:43:46 > 0:43:53People don't realise a tiny flower adds such zing and this one here is African blue.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57- Oh.- What I love about this - it's a perennial and you can grow this
0:43:57 > 0:44:01all-year round and raise it from cuttings, but if you're
0:44:01 > 0:44:06a mum like me and you see something wilting you'll always water it.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Quite often it doesn't need water and basil can really -
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- you've got to think of the most cantankerous man you know...- Yeah!
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- ..and never send him to bed wet, because you know he'll sulk.- Yeah!
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Water in the morning, never at night.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25Jekka's energy doesn't stop at searching out the new.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29She also champions old favourites that have disappeared
0:44:29 > 0:44:30from the culinary radar,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34and makes it her business to know each and every one's
0:44:34 > 0:44:37most intimate secrets.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40This little group here, this is the savouries.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45This is native herb of Sardinia. It's really peppery and pungent.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48It does have a hotness to it. That is really lovely.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51This one here is summer savoury, a great herb
0:44:51 > 0:44:55and you put it with beans and stews and casseroles.
0:44:55 > 0:44:56It stops flatulence.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58I thought it was used cos it has quite a peppery flavour.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02It does but it also makes it digestible.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05And that is the hidden factor of fresh herbs.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08If this was dried you wouldn't get all those essential oils
0:45:08 > 0:45:10that make it to aid your digestion.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- The only way you can have this is by growing your own?- Yes.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- Another must-have herb. - Another must-have herb.
0:45:16 > 0:45:17We'll put that with the other 500.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19THEY LAUGH
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Sorry, my collection will only get bigger.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29At the Physic Garden, Jekka's passion and knowledge of herbs
0:45:29 > 0:45:34is very much shared. With over 1,000 varieties, these gardens have
0:45:34 > 0:45:38one of the most comprehensive collections of herbs in Britain.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43But there's more to herbs than simply knowing names and uses.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45My revival would be pretty short-lived
0:45:45 > 0:45:48if you don't know how to look after them.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54If there's one technique that'll keep your perennial herbs -
0:45:54 > 0:45:57those are the ones that come back year after year -
0:45:57 > 0:45:58in tip-top condition, it's pruning.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Now, with the woody types like sages, rosemary, and lavender, the time
0:46:02 > 0:46:06to do that is in spring, just as soon as they come into growth.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09And that way you have fresh leaves right through the summer.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11But with herbaceous types, like this mint,
0:46:11 > 0:46:15plants that die down to the roots for winter,
0:46:15 > 0:46:16don't spare the secateurs.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19The time to prune is in summer.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23You see, what mint does - and oregano - is run up to flower,
0:46:23 > 0:46:27and although it looks incredibly beautiful in your herb garden,
0:46:27 > 0:46:29the leaves, once the plants are in bloom,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32get a bit tough and lose their flavour.
0:46:32 > 0:46:37So, the thing to do is get in among the plants and treat them mean.
0:46:37 > 0:46:43Cut them really hard back, just above the soil level.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47It might look harsh, but it will do this plant the world of good,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51because it will encourage it to put all of its energy into producing
0:46:51 > 0:46:54a crop of fresh leaves from the base.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58This is apple mint and like the rest of its family, it's easy to grow.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00In fact, it's almost irrepressible,
0:47:00 > 0:47:02so much so its spreading roots
0:47:02 > 0:47:06are best contained in a sunken terracotta pot.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Keep it locked away in its own private penitentiary
0:47:09 > 0:47:14and it will stay nice and tame and give you summer-long pickings
0:47:14 > 0:47:17and this plant will bounce back in no time.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Within a few weeks, these little embryonic buds that just have
0:47:20 > 0:47:22a few leaves on them will be fresh and succulent
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and ideal for storing through the winter,
0:47:25 > 0:47:29when the rest of the mint in the garden has died down to the ground.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37My favourite way of storing mint for winter is to keep it in honey.
0:47:37 > 0:47:38All you do is take an empty jar
0:47:38 > 0:47:42and then snip up the best leaves of your mint into it.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47Next, pour over honey, stopping just short of the brim.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Because the honey is full of sugar, it keeps the mint nice and green
0:47:53 > 0:47:59and the best place for this is in a dark, cool cupboard,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01with the lid firmly on.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Freezing is another way of keeping your herbs for winter.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07You've probably heard of the old ice cube trick.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Basically, you get herbs like this lemon balm
0:48:11 > 0:48:16and you snip up leaves into the cube trays, like so.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Then pour water over the top.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23But actually what works better is olive oil.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27Partly because the oil keeps the leaves nice and fresh
0:48:27 > 0:48:29and they don't go brown on the tips.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34Also, there's nothing like adding butter or oil to mashed potatoes
0:48:34 > 0:48:37and putting them on top of a pie and they make sauces so much more creamy.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Here's some that are frozen. You can see they've got a buttery colour.
0:48:43 > 0:48:44In here I've got a bit of basil,
0:48:44 > 0:48:48which I wouldn't be able to get in winter, and some rosemary,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51saving me the job of running down the bottom of the garden.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58If growing your own flavour-filled herbs that can last right through
0:48:58 > 0:49:01the winter months hasn't whet your appetite,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05I need to show you that the wonderful plants packed with fragrance
0:49:05 > 0:49:09and essential oils are there for you to exploit in different ways.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14At first glance, few would think this beautiful field of flowers
0:49:14 > 0:49:20is a herb garden, but a herb, after all, is any plant which has a use.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Echinacea, long known as a cold remedy, is one of the plants
0:49:24 > 0:49:28that botanist Dr Paul Richards grows to make medicinal tinctures
0:49:28 > 0:49:30and skincare products.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Bees and butterflies absolutely love it.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36This year it's been growing spectacularly
0:49:36 > 0:49:38and we have seen more butterflies
0:49:38 > 0:49:40this year on it than I've seen for many years.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43- A healing plant for nature as well? - Absolutely.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48To prove you don't need complicated equipment to harness
0:49:48 > 0:49:51the medicinal power of the plants,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54we have invited a group of local gardeners to make a simple skin cell
0:49:54 > 0:49:57from a flower we can grow at home.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01But first they have to help harvest the raw materials for the job.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Here's the crop of Calendula.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06As you can see, we have picked them all by hand. And it's really good
0:50:06 > 0:50:09we've got loads of you to pick it cos it's going to take us all day.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11THEY LAUGH
0:50:12 > 0:50:17Calendula is a hardy annual, perhaps better known as the pot marigold.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20Its vibrant flowers aren't just beautiful, they contain
0:50:20 > 0:50:25essential oils used by Paul in cosmetic products.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28- Who would have thought that these flowers are so sticky?- I know.
0:50:28 > 0:50:33- Do you think it's good for the skin as well?- Oh, yeah.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Have you ever considered hand creams and salves?
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Have you ever thought about making your own?
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I think you probably need large quantities of things,
0:50:41 > 0:50:43which a lot of people aren't going to have access to.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47- But you do. You have your own herb garden?- I have.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Are you quite excited about making an oil from Calendula?
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Well, it will be interesting to see what the process is.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56- Is it reproducible at home? - All will be revealed.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59In the meantime, get picking, you're falling behind.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04We have got your flowers.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06What do you do with it next?
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Before processing, the Calendula flowers
0:51:08 > 0:51:12need to be dried for three to four days in a dark, warm place,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14like an airing cupboard.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- So, once you've got them dry what's next?- Got a small jar here.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Pack them in reasonably tightly, but don't fill the whole jar
0:51:22 > 0:51:24because you've got to have room for oil.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27You can use any vegetable oil but I would recommend sunflower oil.
0:51:27 > 0:51:33Pour it in quite gradually so it slowly goes between the flowers.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Again, you don't go higher than the bottom of the neck.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40When you've put this in your airing cupboard, the oil will expand.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Every day you go through a ritual of giving it a bit of,
0:51:44 > 0:51:46"Go and shake the Calendula."
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Then in about two or three weeks, you strain that off,
0:51:49 > 0:51:53you'll have a beautiful golden oil and you can use that as a salve
0:51:53 > 0:51:55for the hands or any angry skin.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Calendula's a very powerful anti-inflammatory
0:51:58 > 0:52:01- and a healing herb.- It sounds just the job for us gardeners.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03- Yeah, ideal.- And look at the colour.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Yeah, this is one that we've done before
0:52:06 > 0:52:09and you can see it's just a beautiful golden colour.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13One of the reservations that some of the team have was
0:52:13 > 0:52:17the number of flower heads you would need to produce
0:52:17 > 0:52:19a jar of oil as useful like that.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22I was afraid you would ask me this question.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24I had it do a few quick calculations today
0:52:24 > 0:52:28and we worked out it's roughly 70 heads in that jar.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33- Ten plants would give you that.- No problem.- Would you give this a shot?
0:52:33 > 0:52:35ALL: Yes.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39To see it done without any special equipment,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41it seems to be really good.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44A good reason for having a go yourself.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47I can see myself putting it in some nice bottles and wrapping it up
0:52:47 > 0:52:50and giving it for Christmas presents.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Hopefully you're starting to see benefits
0:52:57 > 0:53:00of having your own herb garden.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Once you discover your favourites, you'll want to make sure
0:53:03 > 0:53:06you keep a steady supply of fresh herbs year after year.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11The team here at Chelsea are dedicated to looking after
0:53:11 > 0:53:14their unique collection of herbs and I'm with head gardener
0:53:14 > 0:53:20Nick Bailey to help with a vital end-of-summer job - seed collecting.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25I guess with some herbs, the rule of thumb is you either want
0:53:25 > 0:53:29to collect seeds to perpetuate them or to stop them spreading?
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Absolutely, yeah. We don't want them running all over the garden.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Any spares we can use and something like lovage is delicious.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39- Great in the cooking pot. - You must have a love of herbs.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42There's no way you would have gone for a job here at the Botanic Gardens
0:53:42 > 0:53:46- unless it fascinated you?- They're extraordinary and the more you learn
0:53:46 > 0:53:48the more you realise you don't know,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52so whether it's edible or medicinal plants or plants used in perfumes,
0:53:52 > 0:53:55it's extraordinary the range and ways that we use them.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Let's face it, many of them are lookers.
0:53:58 > 0:53:59Lovage, for example, it's great.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02From a standing start, in spring, nothing out of the ground,
0:54:02 > 0:54:06and this big explosion of growth and glorious seed heads.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Today's a perfect day for collecting seed.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13Absolutely. The key thing is to find the perfect moment,
0:54:13 > 0:54:14just before they drop,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17but when they're at the perfect stage of ripeness.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20That is what we are looking for. Just allowed to dry down.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23- It's as simple as that. - As simple as that.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Whenever you collect seeds from the garden, always make sure you label up
0:54:32 > 0:54:36your packets, so you remember what they are when it comes to sewing.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41And when it comes to sewing, herbs like lovage, well, they are used
0:54:41 > 0:54:45in soups and casseroles, largely northern European cuisine.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48They're hardy and you can sew them in the soil in autumn
0:54:48 > 0:54:51to come up over winter or to come up in the spring.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55Whereas herbs that are a bit more exotic, like the coriander
0:54:55 > 0:54:57I have in this packet, they're from India,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01so they'll going to enjoy a much warmer soil.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05That doesn't mean you can't sew it. You can sew this one all year round.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09That's because you can get it started on a window sill indoors.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13All I've got here is some good potting compost.
0:55:13 > 0:55:14It's got a bit of moisture in.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18My tip is for telling whether it's got the right amount is if it forms
0:55:18 > 0:55:22a nice ball, like that. It won't do that if it's dry. This is ideal.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27We scatter it onto the surface of your compost.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32The seed itself will tell you whether it needs covering with compost.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Tiny seed, about the size of a grain of sand will find its way down
0:55:36 > 0:55:38between the particles within the compost,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42but larger seeds like the coriander, that will always sprout best
0:55:42 > 0:55:44if it's just covered.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Now, you could use a sieve if you've got one,
0:55:47 > 0:55:49or just another pot with some compost in it.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52A little shake over the top
0:55:52 > 0:55:55until the tops of the seeds are just out of sight.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00The key to success is giving your seeds the right amount of water.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Use one of these misters, just to make sure it stays hydrated.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Do that every time you notice the compost surface dry out.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10And on a warm window sill indoors
0:56:10 > 0:56:12these should be up within a fortnight.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16But if it's summer, wait for the roots to show through the bottom,
0:56:16 > 0:56:18because that tells you that they can be planted
0:56:18 > 0:56:20straight out into your herb garden.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Herb gardens have so much to offer everyone,
0:56:30 > 0:56:33as one community group in Edinburgh has discovered.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38A short stroll from the city centre's bustling streets
0:56:38 > 0:56:40is Greyfriars Kirkyard
0:56:40 > 0:56:42and here, growing amidst the grave stones,
0:56:42 > 0:56:47are over 200 medicinal and culinary herbs.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49This labour of love began five years ago,
0:56:49 > 0:56:53when the Grass Market Community Project enlisted some of the city's
0:56:53 > 0:56:59most unlikely gardeners to help to create this wonderful haven of herbs.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03The Reverend Dr Richard Frazer is one of the team.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06There's been a long tradition here of walking alongside
0:57:06 > 0:57:08some of the most vulnerable people in our community,
0:57:08 > 0:57:12people who have maybe had periods of homelessness
0:57:12 > 0:57:14and mental health problems.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18So, part of the vision with the herb garden here was to get them involved
0:57:18 > 0:57:21in looking after the place and giving people a sense of ownership.
0:57:22 > 0:57:28I like working in the herb garden because it helps me to relax.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I think it makes me feel happy.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34I think it's a lot of work, but at least we get on with it
0:57:34 > 0:57:38and don't just stand about doing nothing and get on with the work.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42It can be surprisingly easy to grow herbs,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46because they are often like weeds and grow all over the place.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50Sometimes it's actually quite difficult to stop them growing.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54One of the most beneficial things you can do with your life
0:57:54 > 0:57:57is to get out into your garden and cultivate.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00We now have an army of people who look after the churchyard,
0:58:00 > 0:58:04adding a bit of biodiversity into this little green lung
0:58:04 > 0:58:07in the centre of the city. It's a great thing.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13The variety of herbs and the hundreds of uses is so exciting.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15I hope you've been inspired.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19It's time we put the herb garden back where it belongs -
0:58:19 > 0:58:22in our own gardens.