0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain has a long and proud gardening heritage.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09And a passion for plants that goes back centuries.
0:00:09 > 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 > 0:00:17Our lawns lacklustre.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And rare wild flowers on the brink of extinction.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22So we need you...
0:00:22 > 0:00:23To help us...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25In our campaign...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- To help rediscover... - Our passion for gardening.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31We're going to give you the best gardening tips.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35And revealing British gardens that will quite simply
0:00:35 > 0:00:36take your breath away.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39It's time to plant.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40And prune.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42And sharpen your shears.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Let the Great British Garden Revival begin.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29On tonight's show, Chris Beardshaw is on the campaign trail
0:01:29 > 0:01:31for the stumpery.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36But first, I want water and wildlife to return to our gardens.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48As a child, I loved messing about with water. I still do.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I used to take the blanket weed out
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and hang it round the garden to make a fairy garden.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57As well as being great fun, ponds can look beautiful and, of course,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01they're a really amazing habitat for some of our most treasured wildlife.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Unfortunately, over the last century, we've lost over half
0:02:06 > 0:02:09a million of our natural ponds due to our demand for water, which
0:02:09 > 0:02:14has lowered the water table, pollution, and also redevelopment.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18I'm Charlie Dimmock, and I want us to celebrate water and wildlife
0:02:18 > 0:02:22in our gardens, so join me in the Great British Pond Revival.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26I'm going to be discovering how important ponds
0:02:26 > 0:02:28could be for our wildlife.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31If you add a small pond, no matter how small, you're going to add
0:02:31 > 0:02:33a brand new eco-system into your back garden.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Taking the plunge with a new style of water gardening, and there is
0:02:38 > 0:02:43something really special about being up close with the wildlife.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49And, step by step, I'll show you how to build your very own mini-wildlife
0:02:49 > 0:02:54pond, from the design, through every stage of the build, to planting up.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And once it starts flowering, it will just keep on going.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I'll be hosting my revival at the Brackenhurst Campus
0:03:10 > 0:03:12of Nottingham Trent University.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17It's home to the school of animal, rural and environmental sciences.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21What makes it so special is its amazing networks of small lakes
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and ponds, which are managed in a naturalistic way
0:03:25 > 0:03:27to maximise their wildlife potential.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32What a perfect setting for my revival.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37My first job was at a garden centre that specialised in ponds
0:03:37 > 0:03:38and pond plants.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I was amazed at the moods that ponds go through.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44You get fabulous reflections, the colour,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48very seasonal, and there's always something of interest, even in
0:03:48 > 0:03:50the winter.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54And, for me, water lilies are the most glamorous plant going.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00But a pond has so much more to offer than just its natural beauty.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I'm meeting the university's ecologist, Dr Richard Yarnell,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07to get an expert opinion on their importance.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Now Richard, here at Brackenhurst
0:04:09 > 0:04:11you've got lots of ponds and wildlife.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15It's fantastic, but why are you so passionate about it?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I think it started when I was a child.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20We had a pond in our back garden and I would come home at lunchtime and
0:04:20 > 0:04:24gaze into it and see what was going on in that different world to ours.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Now if you just put a small garden pond in,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32is it really going to make much difference environmentally?
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Yeah, it will make a huge difference.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37The ponds in the wider countryside have been declining over the
0:04:37 > 0:04:40last sort of 50 years, and there's been a big effort
0:04:40 > 0:04:41to recreate these habitats.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So if you add a small pond, no matter how small,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47you're going to add a brand new eco-system into your back garden.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50There are species that are much maligned in the UK,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52so it will make a huge difference in the conservation
0:04:52 > 0:04:55efforts of freshwater species in this country.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58So what type of things would we get in your average garden pond, then?
0:04:58 > 0:05:02You've got things like water beetles, dragonfly larvae,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06frogs and the great crested newt, my favourite.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- So it's definitely worth putting a garden pond in?- Yes, absolutely.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Since 1945, it's estimated that one million of our rural ponds
0:05:18 > 0:05:21have disappeared, and some of our native amphibians have suffered
0:05:21 > 0:05:23large declines in numbers.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26But we can all help to improve their plight.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The main aim of my revival is to get as many of you as possible to
0:05:34 > 0:05:37put a pond in your back garden.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40But first things first. Whereabouts in the back garden?
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Location is key.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45A pond needs lots of light to make the plants grow, to make
0:05:45 > 0:05:47the pond clear and pure.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50So, avoid overhanging trees that are going to shade the pond
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and also, because the leaves will come off and silt the pond
0:05:53 > 0:05:56so, go for a nice, open site.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Now, if you're not mad on digging, I've got a fantastic idea
0:06:00 > 0:06:02that makes life nice and easy.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08So the cheat is, we're going to put the pond half in the ground
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and half out of the ground,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13so that's going to half the digging, which is always a good thing.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15So I've got a plan here.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Basically, we're going to use sleepers to surround the pond
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and then it means the bit that you have to dig out is
0:06:22 > 0:06:24only the very deep bit in the centre,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and then at one end of the pond we're going to have a bog garden.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32That way there's going to be a nice lot of hidey holes for the wildlife,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and they'll be able to get in and out easily.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now people get into a bit of a tizz about putting ponds in.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38It's very straightforward.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41As long as the pond is set level
0:06:41 > 0:06:45and it holds on to the water, you can't really go wrong.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48So it's definitely essential to have one of these.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51So, with a spirit level to hand,
0:06:51 > 0:06:56mark out where the pond is going to go, using the sleepers as a guide.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Ideally, this sort of job requires at least two pairs of hands for all
0:06:59 > 0:07:01the lifting and digging.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And I've got Paul from the university's
0:07:03 > 0:07:06horticultural department to lend a hand.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Now if you're putting a pond in for wildlife, you don't want to go
0:07:12 > 0:07:15any smaller than about a metre square.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17So we're about a metre by a metre and a half.
0:07:18 > 0:07:24Now, this bit is a bit faffy, I have to say, but spend the time doing it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28It's all about preparation, and make sure it's level.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31If you get these sleepers level now, then it'll be fine.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Our fascination with water goes back centuries.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45From small ponds and watering holes to quench livestock on farms,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49to village wells and ponds where the community would congregate,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54ponds were part of both our lives and that of the wildlife round us.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57On the estates of grand stately homes, wealthy owners would
0:07:57 > 0:08:01entertain and promenade their guests around their water features.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05The size of your lakes and how elaborate your fountains were became
0:08:05 > 0:08:09more about status, money and grandeur than anything else.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14When the first garden centres arrived on the scene in
0:08:14 > 0:08:18the 1950s, they made ponds and water features accessible to everyone.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Come the 1970s and '80s, water gardening began to appear
0:08:22 > 0:08:25more heavily in our back gardens.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29But like the grand estate lakes, it was more a case of one-upmanship.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Sort of keeping up with the Joneses.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38During this time, all sorts of wonderful, interesting new
0:08:38 > 0:08:39products were developed
0:08:39 > 0:08:42specifically for the water gardening market.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47From submersible pond plants to decoy herons that don't work.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Exotic floating plants,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54butyl liners and, of course, the iconic kidney-shaped,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58pre-formed fibreglass pond that either came in stone or lagoon blue.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But after reaching the height of popularity in the '90s, a new
0:09:04 > 0:09:08millennium dawned and the water gardening bubble finally burst.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Ponds began to fall right out of gardening fashion.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I used to work at a centre very similar to this, where a family
0:09:17 > 0:09:22would come in just for a day out and would go home with the basics
0:09:22 > 0:09:23to start up a pond.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And over the next six weeks, they'd be in and out
0:09:26 > 0:09:29to get the pond set up and I think that's what we really need to do.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Inspire people again.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35But for me, it's time to refocus our attitudes
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and encourage a new era, and let the wildlife encourage us all
0:09:39 > 0:09:41to have a pond in our gardens again.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49The gardens at Brackenhurst were designed
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and built in the popular style of Edwin Lutyens.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56In the 1920s, fountains, rills and water features were popular
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and the sunken Italianate gardens
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and rose gardens featured beautiful formal ponds.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'But most impressive is the more naturalistic woodland area
0:10:06 > 0:10:07'with its ornate bridge and boat house
0:10:07 > 0:10:13'and one of the first large dew ponds to be built in the country in 1928.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18'A pond on this scale is a little grand for the average back garden
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'but my small pond has the same wildlife values at heart.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:28There we go.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32So that's the sleepers fixed together and they're level.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35We've dug out the pond in the centre.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38So that's 60cm from where our water level is
0:10:38 > 0:10:40to the bottom of the pond
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and we've now just got to line the pond with sand
0:10:43 > 0:10:45so that it beds the liner.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'A soft surface is essential to prevent punctures from the stones
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'in the underlying soil.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'So it's important to use a good layer of sand,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'or specialist horticultural felt, before placing the liner on top.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Right then, Paul,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04let's get this liner going.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'I would always recommend using a butyl liner
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'because you can get it to fit any shape, or size, of pond.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13'You need to know three key measurements.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16'The maximum width, length and depth,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21'so that your supplier can calculate the total area of liner that you'll need.'
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I have to say, Paul, this bit is always a real fiddle, isn't it?
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- It is.- I try and get the folds really neat.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31There's plenty of overhang.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Don't be tempted to cut the liner until you've filled the pond.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It's amazing how much more it will actually sink in.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Ideally you'd fill the pond with rainwater
0:11:42 > 0:11:46but the likelihood of you having that much rainwater around
0:11:46 > 0:11:49is limited, so we're going to have to use tap water.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Now if you spray the water in you get rid of
0:11:52 > 0:11:54half of the chlorine straight away.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It will take quite a while to fill up
0:11:57 > 0:11:59but once you've got some water in there you can
0:11:59 > 0:12:02pull against the weight of the water to neaten up the liner.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06'You're never going to get rid of every fold with a liner
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'but you really won't notice when the pond is fully planted up.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13'The good thing about the folds is that they are great
0:12:13 > 0:12:16'little hiding places for aquatic wildlife.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:30'My pond will work perfectly in any small garden
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'but if you're lucky enough to have a much bigger space to play with,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38'then that opens up some very exciting watery opportunities.'
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Look at this for a beautiful pond.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Who wouldn't want it in your back garden?
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Fabulous planting and beautiful reflections
0:12:47 > 0:12:50with lots and lots of wildlife.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Just the perfect place to chill out and relax.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58But there's more to this pond than meets the eye.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Wooh!
0:13:00 > 0:13:02SHE LAUGHS
0:13:02 > 0:13:04So what do you think of that?
0:13:04 > 0:13:05A swimming pond.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I think I've got to have one. Look fantastic, great for wildlife
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and entertainment!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'This inspirational, private pond belongs to a lucky family
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'that live near Doncaster and mum and dad, Sarah and Will,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'took the plunge to build it just three years ago.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:26This is just fabulous.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It looks like it's been here forever.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33What made you go, "OK, we're going to put a swimming pond in
0:13:33 > 0:13:35"rather than a traditional swimming pool?"
0:13:35 > 0:13:38First off, we started doing some wild swimming holidays.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42We went to Northumberland and swam in the streams and things there
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and the water was so fresh and lovely on your skin
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and then Sarah had heard about natural pools
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and then we decided to build one.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And what do the children think about it because
0:13:53 > 0:13:56some people will go, "Oh! I don't want to swim in a pond with all the bugs and that."
0:13:56 > 0:13:59We're quite a hardy family.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02No, but we've had quite squeamish children in here to begin with
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and I just think it's so lovely and clear
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and the wildlife does stay to the regeneration areas.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10So you've got a big sort of clear area.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12We've got a lovely clear area to swim in, which is lovely.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16It has, actually, given us a place to chill out as a family.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19What's the main question you get asked about it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Probably water temperature.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24The water is a lot warmer than you think and that's because
0:14:24 > 0:14:28of the shallow areas, all the planted areas, the stones.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30They all thermally warm the water.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34It's much warmer than a non-heated conventional pool.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'It's incredible how clear the pond really is
0:14:37 > 0:14:41'and it's all because the water is circulated through the planted areas
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'which provide a natural filtration system.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:49The water flows from this swimming area over the submerged wall,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52down through the filter grip, where it's filtered and purified
0:14:52 > 0:14:57- and then it's returned back through the millstones and the jets.- OK.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00The other zone is the deep water regeneration areas
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and they are basically planted up with oxygenators
0:15:03 > 0:15:05which work also really hard.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07They absorb nutrients from the water as they grow
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and they give off oxygen. They're doing two jobs, really.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Keeps it all going?- Yeah.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Is there a ratio that you have to have of water to plants?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Yeah, we have a 50/50.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21So we have an area of swimming zone which is equal
0:15:21 > 0:15:23to the regeneration zones.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28- OK, so that's very similar to a normal garden pond. - Yeah, same principle.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32In that you want half the area covered with plants
0:15:32 > 0:15:36- to keep it clear and balanced. - Yeah, exactly the same principle really, isn't it?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'Not only is this swimming pond a great opportunity to exercise
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'and relax, it provides an amazing habitat for all sorts
0:15:44 > 0:15:45'of pond wildlife and
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'Kevin Widdowson, a local education officer
0:15:48 > 0:15:50'from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'has come along to discover what's in the water.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- So, Kevin, what have you found? - Hello.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01We've just completed a bit of a pond dip
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and what we've got in this little section here,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06we've found some damselfly nymph.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- They're the ones that have got the fluffy tails at the ends?- Yes.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13That's one very good way of identifying them is by their tail.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17We've also really excitingly found this dragonfly nymph over here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21I just love them, they look so prehistoric, I have to say.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- Yeah, they've got definite alien-like qualities.- Yeah.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25But what we're also looking at in here is
0:16:25 > 0:16:28we've got some of the greater water boatman.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I mean, this is a fantastic swimming pond
0:16:31 > 0:16:34but would you find this in your average back garden pond?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Absolutely, this is entirely indicative
0:16:37 > 0:16:40of the typical wildlife that you would hope to find
0:16:40 > 0:16:42in a well-maintained, well-established pond.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It may take, if you're just establishing a pond,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47a couple of years to see this happen.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- But you don't need to introduce them, do you?- No, not at all.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- That's what we don't want, but they will find it. - They will find it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58'The swimming pond feels like a very modern
0:16:58 > 0:17:01'and unique way of including water in your garden.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Well, after talking about it,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I think it's time that I should really give it a go.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09Wooh!
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'I just love how the children have become so connected with the water.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'Just like I was at such an early age
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'but, for the gardener, they also offer a habitat
0:17:20 > 0:17:22'for a plethora of beneficial wildlife,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'from frogs keeping slug populations down,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28to dragonflies feeding on aphids and gnats.'
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Now, I have to say, I was always in two minds about swimming ponds.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I'd read all the blurb
0:17:37 > 0:17:39but I was never quite sure that it was actually
0:17:39 > 0:17:42as low maintenance as they said,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46but I've been converted and there is something really special
0:17:46 > 0:17:50about being up close with the wildlife.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59'The planting in and around the ponds at Brackenhurst
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'feature all sorts of plants.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05'From water soldiers to purple loosestrife
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'and, using natives like these in a rural setting
0:18:09 > 0:18:13'helps to blend a water feature into the greater landscape.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17'And with my pond almost full, it's time to turn to the bog garden
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'which will help connect your pond and its wildlife
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'to the surrounding plants in your garden.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Now this might seem an odd time to start planting,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30seeing as we've not trimmed the liner up, or fully filled the pond.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The reason for doing this is the bog garden.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36If I waited until the pond was totally full, the water level
0:18:36 > 0:18:40would be up here and then, digging the hole, I'd stir up all the soil
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and it would roll into the pond and make the pond look all muddy.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46We've got some lovely bog plants here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50This one's Lobelia cardinalis, 'Sparkling Ruby'.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54It's got these every pretty magenta coloured flowers.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56I have got some natives as well.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Myosotis palustris which is a forget-me-not.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02A really lovely plant because that one will trail over the edge
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and into the water.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06And this one is a real favourite of mine.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08It's a double kingcup, Caltha palustris 'Plena'.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The thing I like about this is it flowers in the spring
0:19:11 > 0:19:12and then again in the autumn
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and makes a lovely dome shape.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'Many bog garden plants flower in early spring time
0:19:19 > 0:19:21'so they provide a welcome source of pollen and nectar
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'to both bees and other pollinating insects.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28'Frogs and toads also thrive in the wet soil
0:19:28 > 0:19:31'and it provides lots of opportunities for insects and birds
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'to land and have a quick drink.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Right, that's the last plant in.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Now it's a case of just gently filling the pond right up
0:19:43 > 0:19:46before trimming the liner back and putting the capping timber on.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52'When you're ready to trim the liner, leave at least 10cm overlap
0:19:52 > 0:19:54'before you make your final cut
0:19:54 > 0:19:58'and then cap the liner around the top edge of the pond.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:01This timber edging overhangs,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04so it makes it look nice and neat and it covers up
0:20:04 > 0:20:05the edge of the liner.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12'Because this is a raised pond, I've designed an area to
0:20:12 > 0:20:15'help our wildlife to get in and out
0:20:15 > 0:20:17'using short lengths of birch branches
0:20:17 > 0:20:20'and utilising some of the topsoil from the original hole.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:26All the little gaps that are between the bits of log
0:20:26 > 0:20:29are great for beetles,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31hidey holes for frogs and newts.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34It just gives them a bit of insulation
0:20:34 > 0:20:37when they're hibernating over the winter time.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'A few plants on top of the logs will add an extra leafy canopy
0:20:42 > 0:20:44'for wildlife to take shelter under.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47'I'm using low-growing grasses and sedges
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'which will provide an excellent habitat for newts and water beetles
0:20:50 > 0:20:53'and some ferns and heuchera, with larger leaves,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55'for frogs to hide underneath.'
0:20:58 > 0:21:02'A healthy pond relies on the right combination of plants
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'to keep the water clear and the pond in balance.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10'Oxygenators are the plants that grow fully submerged
0:21:10 > 0:21:11'under the surface
0:21:11 > 0:21:13'and marginals grow with their feet firmly
0:21:13 > 0:21:15'in the wet around the edges.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19'I'm visiting a business that specialises in growing them.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Merton Hall Ponds is a fantastic oasis of wildlife
0:21:23 > 0:21:29and it also provides lots of lovely native plants for conservation work.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'One of our biggest issues for our natural ponds and waterways
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'has been the invasion of non-native foreign species.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40'These plants have caused havoc with our delicate, native ecosystems.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'I'm meeting Ash Girdler, who is one of the people trying
0:21:45 > 0:21:47'to turn the tide on invasive, foreign plants.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The government, through DEFRA, have had
0:21:52 > 0:21:55a big drive in recent years to reduce the number
0:21:55 > 0:21:58of non-native species
0:21:58 > 0:22:00because, as you know, they can be so invasive.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04You only need one of those plants to get into the environment...
0:22:04 > 0:22:07And that's where the problem comes is that, come the spring,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10everybody's encouraged to clean their pond out
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and they think, what shall we do with this?
0:22:12 > 0:22:16It's a living thing, so they run it down to the local pond,
0:22:16 > 0:22:21tip it in and, all of a sudden, we've got a non-native species in the wild.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26- That's happened all over the UK and it still is a major problem.- Ah-ha.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29But here there are no non-native species.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33We've always, as a business, concentrated on restoring
0:22:33 > 0:22:37lakes and building lakes and rivers.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39So we use all of these stock ponds to actually
0:22:39 > 0:22:42harvest bare root plants.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So taking a plant, pulling it up out of the pond,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49without putting it into soil, or a pot, and actually taking it straight
0:22:49 > 0:22:51to site to restore lakes and rivers.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55'Out in our countryside, these native plants play a vital role
0:22:55 > 0:22:58'in keeping our natural watercourses clean
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'and they help to reduce the levels of pollutants.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'One of Ash's most high profile regeneration projects
0:23:04 > 0:23:08'was to supply British species to the Lee River Valley
0:23:08 > 0:23:11'during the building of the 2012 Olympic Park.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14'This once-polluted site is now home to one of our nation's
0:23:14 > 0:23:18'biggest wildlife friendly parklands.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21'Marginal plants help to remove excess nutrients as they grow
0:23:21 > 0:23:25'and deep-water aquatics help to add oxygen
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'so, together, they keep the water clean and healthy.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The important thing is plants, at the end of the day,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35are the basis of all ecologies.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38They're important for habitat and to give you that crystal clear water.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41And that's what everybody wants, isn't it?
0:23:41 > 0:23:42You don't have to have pumps,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44you don't have to have filters,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46you can just do it with plants.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54'At Brackenhurst, British native marginal plants
0:23:54 > 0:23:57'and deep water aquatics have been planted, and encouraged,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'throughout the ponds and water features across the garden.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'You can find all sorts of aquatics at your local garden centre
0:24:06 > 0:24:08'but be sure to seek advice.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So these are our marginal plants.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Marginal means that they like to be right in the water
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and even have the water up and over the planting baskets.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Now I'm going to use a mixture of marginals.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Some native, some non-native
0:24:29 > 0:24:31because I want to get a little bit more colour in there.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I've got Pontaderia which has got lovely heart-shaped glossy leaves
0:24:35 > 0:24:40and powder blue flowers, that go through most of the summer.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Then this is a native, purple loosestrife,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and it's probably one of our most ornamental of natives,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50which will bring lots of insects in to pollinate,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53which will help in the garden in general.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Now I like to have quite a lot of marginals in my pond.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00It makes it look more lived-in and it's great habitat for the wildlife.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03When you plant them up, you put them in baskets
0:25:03 > 0:25:06that have got a very fine mesh on them.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09You can use garden soil as long as there is not lots of manure in it,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13or chemicals, or you can buy aquatic soil.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Put a good layer of gravel on the top.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18That'll stop any of the soil coming out
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and a good tip is, before you put them in the pond,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24give them a water, because that gets any of the loose dust out.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29This one's a Scirpus zebrinus, zebra grass but it is good fun.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33'Marginals and aquatics are like herbaceous plants
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'in that they will need to be divided periodically.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Clear away excess 'and damaged foliage
0:25:39 > 0:25:41'and repot in fresh aquatic soil.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44'Before adding pond plant material to the compost heap,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47'leave it on the side of the pond for a few hours,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51'to allow any wildlife the chance to escape back into the water.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Last, but not least, are the deep water group of plants.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Now these ones are the ones that do all the hard work
0:26:00 > 0:26:01and help balance the pond.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06So we've got oxygenators which, as it says, puts oxygen into the pond
0:26:06 > 0:26:11and they're happy to go right down the very bottom.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14This one's Elodea crispa.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19And maintenance-wise, during the summer time
0:26:19 > 0:26:22you will need to thin through the oxygenators,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25so that you have about half the base of the pond covered
0:26:25 > 0:26:29and you can't have a pond as far, as I'm concerned,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31without a water lily.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33This one is Chromatella.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37It's a free flowering, yellow water lily
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and the leaves are slightly mottled, especially in the spring.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Now don't worry if you put it in and the leaves are under the surface.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51As long as they're not more than about 20 or 30cm below the surface
0:26:51 > 0:26:54because they will come up within about three or four days.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58And once it starts flowering, it will just keep on going.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'Within a few days, this pond could have birds drinking
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'and bathing, pond skaters and water beetles
0:27:08 > 0:27:12'and the beginnings of a natural, healthy ecosystem.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19'But, across the country, there are passionate people already
0:27:19 > 0:27:21'reviving our great British ponds.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28'In Swanland, in East Yorkshire, the community has come together
0:27:28 > 0:27:32'to breath new life into their village pond.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37'The villagers get together for a big annual clear out
0:27:37 > 0:27:39'and cutting back of vegetation
0:27:39 > 0:27:44'and are advised by a local environmental expert, Hugh Roberts.'
0:27:44 > 0:27:48We've been working with the community to encourage them
0:27:48 > 0:27:50to look at their local pond.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Whether it be a large school pond, or a village, pond or a farm pond,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55or even their own back garden private ponds,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58to look at what needs to be done just to help to restore them,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02to improve them. This pond behind us, in the early '70s
0:28:02 > 0:28:05was cleared out and, from then on, they've had all sorts of problems.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Blanket weed problems...
0:28:07 > 0:28:09The water was green with the algal blooms
0:28:09 > 0:28:11because there was no plants to take up the nutrients.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'So four years ago, with the help of a grant,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17'the villagers replanted the pond with a variety of aquatic plants.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22'The reeds help to filter and trap the toxins from the surface water
0:28:22 > 0:28:23'that comes off the road.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27'And cutting back the plants regularly encourages them to grow
0:28:27 > 0:28:31'and use up excess nutrients, keeping the water clear
0:28:31 > 0:28:35'and preventing algal blooms from appearing in the summer months.'
0:28:35 > 0:28:39I moved here about 16 years ago now and the pond was, actually,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42one of the reasons why we decided this is where we wanted to live.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46We volunteered to come out here because we want to improve the pond
0:28:46 > 0:28:50and it's good fun being out here and it's just that community spirit.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54We've got retired people. We've got schoolchildren.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56We've got Duke of Edinburgh students.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59We've had policeman help us in the past
0:28:59 > 0:29:03and, year on year, more and more people are volunteering to help
0:29:03 > 0:29:07because they are now getting the pleasure of seeing the pond
0:29:07 > 0:29:09when it looks really good in the summer
0:29:09 > 0:29:11because it's for everyone, is this.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14The pond is, sort of, in the centre of the village
0:29:14 > 0:29:17and there's quite a lot happens here because it's on the main street
0:29:17 > 0:29:21so if the pond looks nice, then it makes the village looks nice.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26It also encourages more wildlife to sort of grow and prosper.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- Flourish.- Yeah, flourish.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Of the million and a half or so ponds we might have
0:29:31 > 0:29:35in the country, there's 60% of them
0:29:35 > 0:29:37that are in a poor, struggling condition.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Whether it be a big village pond like this, or a little garden pond,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45it's providing that habitat for the wildlife that needs ponds.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49So a little bit of work might just be enough to turn them round.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Visually ponds are beautiful
0:29:54 > 0:29:57and are great for us to enjoy but they give us so much more.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Water attracts wildlife which, in turn, leads to a healthier garden
0:30:02 > 0:30:07because a lot of that wildlife is predatory on those nasty bugs
0:30:07 > 0:30:09that eat our plants.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11So, go on, give my revival a go
0:30:11 > 0:30:14and put a pond in your garden.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19'Next, Chris Beardshaw is on the campaign trail for the stumpery.'
0:30:24 > 0:30:28This is one of the most wonderful of all natural garden features.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32It's a series of rotting tree stumps,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36all gently and carefully meshed and jigsawed together
0:30:36 > 0:30:38to create a sculpture.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39This is a stumpery.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45A key feature of the 19th century garden.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48They have their roots, so to speak,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51in the Victorian era of fern collecting.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55'Our national obsession with ferns began in the mid-1800s
0:30:55 > 0:31:01'and grew into what is referred to pteridomania, or fern madness.'
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Like so many fashions, ferns eventually fell out of favour
0:31:05 > 0:31:09and with them went stumperies that rotted away
0:31:09 > 0:31:10into horticultural history.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14However, I think stumperies deserve a revival so join me,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Chris Beardshaw, on the great British stumpery revival.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25'I'm basing myself at a spectacular garden to discuss a right royal stumpery.'
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Once the stumps were in place, His Royal Highness
0:31:28 > 0:31:30placed out the plants how he wanted it because it is his garden
0:31:30 > 0:31:32and he enjoys it so much.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37'I'll be delving into the sinister side of early garden design.'
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I would imagine, as a Victorian lady walking through here,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43you would feel quite scared of it, really.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47'And showing you how to make your own stumpery, with a twist.'
0:31:49 > 0:31:53The longer it takes to rot, the more of the oyster mushrooms
0:31:53 > 0:31:56you would be able to harvest.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17For me there's no better place to start my revival than here.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21The gardens of Highgrove Estate,
0:32:21 > 0:32:22home to their Royal Highnesses,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30'Highgrove Gardens are amongst the most prestigious in the country.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'Enveloping the house are a series of interlinking spaces,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38'each with a unique style and character.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41'I'm here to take delight in perhaps one of the most unusual
0:32:41 > 0:32:43'and unexpected areas,
0:32:43 > 0:32:46'the imposing magical stumpery.'
0:32:46 > 0:32:49This is where the peace and serenity begins.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57'Created by His Royal Highness, it embodies his personal interest
0:32:57 > 0:33:00'and enthusiasm for environmentalism
0:33:00 > 0:33:02'and, in common with all the gardens here,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05'it works with nature, not against it.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'This contemporary stumpery demonstrates the organic principles
0:33:08 > 0:33:13'that inform the way this garden is managed on a daily basis.'
0:33:13 > 0:33:17As a four or five-year-old nothing was better, at this time of year,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21than rummaging around in a base of stumps.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Excavating the leaf litter, looking for the fruits of that season.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27In this case, beech mast.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32'My early memories served as an inspiration to study horticulture
0:33:32 > 0:33:34'and it's exhilarating to witness
0:33:34 > 0:33:39'the consequences of this ambitious stumpery on the garden.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45'So I want to return to the roots of the stumpery
0:33:45 > 0:33:49'from emergence and development of the idea, to the circumstances
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'that led to our dwindling passion for them.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire was the family home
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'of the Batemans in the 19th Century.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06'The gardens here are an amazing insight into the dedication,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09obsessiveness and shear prowess of the Victorians.'
0:34:12 > 0:34:15But it also demonstrates the extraordinary lengths
0:34:15 > 0:34:17the Victorians were prepared to go to in pursuit
0:34:17 > 0:34:20of their horticultural passions
0:34:20 > 0:34:25because, by 1871, the Batemans had squandered their family fortune
0:34:25 > 0:34:28pursuing their particular delights.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39One of the most curious, but also wonderful features of Biddulph...
0:34:41 > 0:34:43..is this...the stumpery.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Stumperies may have only have persisted in the world of gardening
0:34:58 > 0:35:01for what amounts to the blink of an eye
0:35:01 > 0:35:06but what warrants revival is their wonderful ability to contrast
0:35:06 > 0:35:08with a broad, open landscape
0:35:08 > 0:35:12and draw us in to the minutiae of nature.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16'National Trust gardener Leslie Hirst
0:35:16 > 0:35:20'explains how the meeting of minds help create this unique,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'and thought-provoking, garden art.'
0:35:23 > 0:35:24Stumperies were born as a concept.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27They were born here by Bateman at Biddulph
0:35:27 > 0:35:30but what initiated that whole process?
0:35:30 > 0:35:32How did he arrive at this rather peculiar creation?
0:35:32 > 0:35:35He had a collaborator.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Edward Cooke was a marine artist, originally.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Really interested in landscapes and seascapes
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and the way things interlock.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Bateman wanted somewhere to house his plants, his ferns,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52and we suspected that it was Cooke that came along
0:35:52 > 0:35:54and said the ideal setting for them
0:35:54 > 0:35:57is very like a natural, woodland setting.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00There has to be tree trunks, tree stumps.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04There has to be these little pockets to show off these delicate plants.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07So it's a collaboration between the two characters.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15'Although no records exist, it's thought that the stumps
0:36:15 > 0:36:18'came from the land that was originally cleared to make way
0:36:18 > 0:36:20'for the gardens at Biddulph.'
0:36:20 > 0:36:23These shapes are all new and they're all quite daunting
0:36:23 > 0:36:28and I would imagine 150, 160 years ago as a Victorian lady
0:36:28 > 0:36:32walking through here, you would feel quite surrounded by it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Quite scared of it really. It's not a gentle place at all.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40It's exactly that, that Cooke and Bateman must have been excited about,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43that artistic grotesque nature,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45very much fits in with Victorian society.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48The idea that they wanted to celebrate the kind of Gothic,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52the daunting, the dark, the shady side of life and this is perfect.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Everything that's growing in amongst them looks like it should be there.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04It's a whole world in a little, tiny area.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05It is because you can go from...
0:37:05 > 0:37:09These are sort of Himalayan peaks, these great monoliths here
0:37:09 > 0:37:12but then down into the river valleys with the ferns and the oxalis,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16they're spilling out. I mean, it's the most beautiful arrangement.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19If you wanted to create one piece of garden
0:37:19 > 0:37:22that showed the whole world, that's it.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24There it is in two square feet.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30'Bateman's eclectic and expensive garden creations eventually
0:37:30 > 0:37:32'forced him to sell the estate.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'The gardens fell derelict and the stumpery,
0:37:34 > 0:37:39'like so many fashions of its time, almost rotted away into history.'
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Why do you think stumperies fell out of fashion?
0:37:45 > 0:37:49It was in its heyday and then, suddenly, they disappeared.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I think it is related to the mood of the time.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54The fact that they're no longer...
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Gardeners are wanting flamboyance and party and brightness
0:37:58 > 0:38:01and joviality and this certainly isn't that.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05It's also the fact that if you commit to creating
0:38:05 > 0:38:08something like this, you have to maintain it.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11It's an environment that is very easily
0:38:11 > 0:38:13swamped by overpowering plants.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It's a lot of work to try and keep this looking the way it does.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Quite where Bateman and Cooke got the concept of the stumpery from
0:38:26 > 0:38:30is perhaps uncertain but they may well have been feasting off
0:38:30 > 0:38:35of the 18th century ideal of housing a hermit in the landscape,
0:38:35 > 0:38:41a man who sat unwashed, unshaven and unkempt in silence
0:38:41 > 0:38:46and years after his placement, the landed gentry would come along
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and rescue, or enlighten, the hermit.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Whatever the origins of creations like this, there's no doubt
0:38:53 > 0:38:56it houses a unique band of plants.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Back at Highgrove, I've asked head gardener, Debs Goodenough,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06to share some of the trade secrets of the Royal stumpery.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16How did the stumpery rise here at Highgrove?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Well, His Royal Highness really likes ferns and hostas
0:39:19 > 0:39:22and hellebores and he wanted a place to display them.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25So he brought in two designers and they suggested
0:39:25 > 0:39:28that he plant them amongst stumps
0:39:28 > 0:39:31in the Victorian style of a stumpery
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and he really, really liked the idea because he loves recycling
0:39:34 > 0:39:37and it was a case of recycling something that is often considered
0:39:37 > 0:39:42a waste product in a very, very sort of decorative interesting style.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47'When it comes to choosing which type of tree stumps to use,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'Debs is clear about the right form.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Most of these are hard wood,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55and sweet chestnut and oak are the best.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57We have a few soft woods in here
0:39:57 > 0:40:01but they do tend to rot away much more quickly.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05'The best way to source old tree stumps is by talking to
0:40:05 > 0:40:08'a local farmer, tree surgeon or landowner,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11'any of which should point you in the right direction.'
0:40:11 > 0:40:16The sweet chestnuts and oak have this fabulous, sort of, faces
0:40:16 > 0:40:18and when you're creating the stumpery you're actually
0:40:18 > 0:40:21turning them around and getting their best face forward.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23His Royal Highness is really involved in that stage.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26He'll have a look at the stumps and he'll say I want that bit
0:40:26 > 0:40:30this way around, and facing this section of the path,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and then once the stumps were in place,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35His Royal Highness placed out all the plants how he wanted it
0:40:35 > 0:40:38because it is his garden and he enjoys it so much.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44'A stumpery makes creative use of what's often seen as waste product.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49'It also provides habitats for incredible diversity of wildlife.'
0:40:49 > 0:40:54These cracks and crevices are ideal for frogs and toads to reside in.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57We've got some lovely grass snakes in here too.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00They'll be taking the slugs and snails and reducing the damage.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02We've also got stones in here and the sound that I love
0:41:02 > 0:41:07is the thrushes in the spring knocking the snails to bits.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11You know, feeding their young and helping protect our hostas.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14But as the hosta collection dies back for winter,
0:41:14 > 0:41:19Debs is already thinking ahead to spring by planting bulbs.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21This is the winter aconite which is one of my favourites.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Such a cheery, optimistic little character.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Buttercup yellow, isn't it?- You don't have to worry about which way they go up either.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31One of the things I like about them is that they're pretty much rodent resistant.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36- They're members of the buttercup family, so they're toxic to a lot of animals.- Absolutely.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And they really don't get nibbled away.
0:41:43 > 0:41:49There's something rather wonderful about planting bulbs in a stumpery
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- on a day when you've got stumpery weather.- I'm so pleased you're here today.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56It really does show the stumps to their best.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Aconites are amongst the first flowers to appear in spring,
0:42:00 > 0:42:06their golden yellow blooms seemingly revelling in frost and snow alike.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11And in terms of managing it, do you find it a challenge or does it tend to look after itself?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Er...it does take management.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16It's not one you can just plant and walk away from,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19but it is one just to come and check up and enjoy it
0:42:19 > 0:42:21and just keep a watchful eye.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37One of the star specimens of the stumpery is the fern,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41a much undervalued group of plants shrouded in mystery.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46Amongst the 12,000 or more species of ferns that reside around the world,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50there's not a single species that has any flowers.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54This obvious lack of flower displaying the sexual parts of the plant
0:42:54 > 0:42:59or fruit and seeds fascinated Victorians.
0:42:59 > 0:43:05In fact, one piece of folklore says, if you were to stride over the frond of a fern on Midsummer's Eve,
0:43:05 > 0:43:08you'd be rendered invisible.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Ferns still fascinate and intrigue many today.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18For Dick Heywood, it's about discovering varieties from all over the globe
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and testing them out in his garden in North Wales.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27What I love about...walking around a garden like this
0:43:27 > 0:43:29is the fact that you are genuinely travelling the globe.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33Every step and every twist and turn it's a new country,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35a new continent, a new environment.
0:43:37 > 0:43:38Well, I've been very lucky in this.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43I've been able to go to Indonesia, to Taiwan, Chile, South Africa.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47And in all these places, I always come back with something and some of it survives.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Not all of it, but some of it.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51Dick's fascination for global ferns
0:43:51 > 0:43:55has steered him towards varieties that really thrive here in the UK.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Now this is...how ferns should be grown,
0:43:59 > 0:44:04in this sort of jungle-like expression. It's the most beautiful way of growing them.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08I just love jungles and I've always wanted to have...have one of my own.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12- And which fern are we looking at here?- Blechnum chilense.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15It's a native of Chile and it grows so abundantly there
0:44:15 > 0:44:18that I've seen diggers getting it out of the ditches. It just blocks everything.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23- And...clearly very happy here in North Wales, too?- Yes, it is, yes.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26I put in two small plants and it's just gone...gone mad.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29And this is evergreen? This isn't going to die back in the winter,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33this is going to stand and be a really dominant plant throughout the winter months?
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- That's right. yes. That's absolutely right.- It's a real beauty.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45Do you think you will ever tire of ferns? Is there a point where you think, "This is enough"?
0:44:45 > 0:44:50No. I don't know how long I've got, but however long I've got, I shall always find ferns fascinating, yes.
0:44:53 > 0:44:59You know, it's almost impossible to tire of ferns, such is their aesthetic diversity.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02From the wonderful ferny fronds of davillia
0:45:02 > 0:45:05through to the stag's horn fern.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08No matter what catastrophe has descended the globe,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12the ferns have been able to ride through it. And it's that quality,
0:45:12 > 0:45:16the ability to survive and thrive, that makes them such great garden plants.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19No matter what conditions you've got in the garden,
0:45:19 > 0:45:22the ferns will provide a solution. And one solution is a stumpery.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Ferns are clearly at the heart of Prince Charles's stumpery.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35These architectural, moisture-loving plants
0:45:35 > 0:45:38are the perfect partner for the stumpery.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42Together they provide a habitat for a plethora of beneficial garden guests,
0:45:42 > 0:45:46like frogs and toads, that prey on slugs and snails.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49At the edge of a woodland clearing,
0:45:49 > 0:45:54I'm going to show how to create a mini-stumpery to seat a fabulous fern collection.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04I'm going for a slight twist on the classic stumpery.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07Instead of using traditional gnarled root stumps,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09I've chosen timber offcuts and logs,
0:46:09 > 0:46:14which I've part buried in the ground and back-filled with compost, ready for planting.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Once you've got the basic shape and you're happy with how the logs are arranged,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23you can start to plant it out.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27The real...prima donna in a stumpery is the ferns.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33I'm starting by planting this good old British native.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35This is the hart's tongue fern.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40It's one of the most resilient and certainly one of the most versatile.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It will grow in very...chalky soils.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47It will also tolerate extreme drought, which is fairly unusual for ferns.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52And they're also wonderful at being able to squeeze into little crevices.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56You may see them hanging off the side of buildings,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59railway cuttings and even bridges.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03I also want to introduce some wonderfully exotic ferns.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06This one aptly named "the painted fern".
0:47:06 > 0:47:09It's a really rather delicate little thing.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12And a painted surface to the upper area,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16this sort of purple flushed with white, almost like an intricate watercolour painting.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Because it's a little more delicate, it doesn't grow quite as large.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22It's worth putting somewhere... where you can see it
0:47:22 > 0:47:26and where it's protected by...the construction of your stumpery.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Finally for its sheer soft and feminine qualities,
0:47:31 > 0:47:35I'm going to plant an old favourite, the maidenhair fern.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Droplets of dew and moisture
0:47:37 > 0:47:41sit on the ends of these divisions in the frond.
0:47:41 > 0:47:46It is the most fantastic... It looks as though it's encrusted in diamonds.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51Sufficiently glamorous for the most prestigious of gardens.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56So one of the things we've got here,
0:47:56 > 0:48:01because stumperies are really worth...having a look at, is a seat.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05A stumpery seat...made out of waste material,
0:48:05 > 0:48:09surrounded by the lushness and verdant nature of ferns.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12What better way of spending an afternoon in the garden
0:48:12 > 0:48:15amongst these most beautiful of plants?
0:48:24 > 0:48:26Fungi are another group of organisms
0:48:26 > 0:48:30that thrive in the moist conditions of the stumpery.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34And so I joined a group of fungal foragers in North Wales
0:48:34 > 0:48:38in nature's natural stumpery, the forest.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41This is the perfect time of year to get out into the countryside
0:48:41 > 0:48:46and join an organised walk looking specifically at fungi.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49But I'm interested in the role that fungi play
0:48:49 > 0:48:52in the breaking down of timber and stumps,
0:48:52 > 0:48:57how that revitalises the eco-system and how the soil comes to life.
0:48:58 > 0:49:04Leading our autumnal foray today is local fungi fanatic, Kaynan Jones.
0:49:04 > 0:49:05Don't pick things up.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09If you see something interesting give us a shout, cos they may be rare species.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Don't eat anything. OK? LAUGHTER
0:49:11 > 0:49:15- This way?- Yes, we'll head up. Let's have a look and see if we can find anything.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22While the rest of the group head off, I'm catching up with ecologist and botanist Ray Woods
0:49:22 > 0:49:25to dispel the myths surrounding fungi in our gardens.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Fungi have been saddled with a bad image.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34It's often believed they're the cause of death to many of our garden plants,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- but this is far from the truth. - That's right.
0:49:37 > 0:49:42Out of 12,000 species of fungi we think occur in Britain, probably more,
0:49:42 > 0:49:46probably only a handful are pathogenic, they'll kill a host species.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50It's not in the interests of most fungi to instantly kill the host that it's being dependant on.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Much better to live in cooperation with it.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56And only things like honey fungus and silver leaf and so on,
0:49:56 > 0:49:59these are the ones that the gardener needs to be aware of.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02The vast majority of fungi are beneficial.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04They're the building blocks of life
0:50:04 > 0:50:08and emerge in all manner of wonderful shapes, sizes and colours.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Look at this gorgeous little amethyst-coloured toadstool.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14You couldn't wish for more than to wake up one morning,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17go out in the garden and see these wonderful amethyst deceivers
0:50:17 > 0:50:19living on your log in the front garden.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22And what's delightful is that the piece there that we see
0:50:22 > 0:50:25is only a fraction of the organism itself.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28It is literally just erupting to the surface to scatter spores,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32- but there's much more going on under the surface.- This is just the fruit body
0:50:32 > 0:50:35and underneath that are tiny, fine feeding strands.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37In the area that we're sitting on now,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40if we were to stretch out all the fungus-feeding strands,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43they would stretch for the best part of 250-300 miles.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49These vast networks help feed our plants and trees
0:50:49 > 0:50:50with nutrients and water.
0:50:50 > 0:50:56And not only that, occasionally we find their fruiting bodies quite appealing too.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59These are the famous chanterelle.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04There is something called the "false chanterelle," which some people have gastric problems if they eat them.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08One way to identify them is to actually smell them,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10cos they've got a faint smell of apricots.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14Just fried in butter with a bit of scrambled egg for breakfast,
0:51:14 > 0:51:15you can't beat it.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Of course some fungi are extremely poisonous to humans
0:51:20 > 0:51:24and so guided walks with an expert is the best way to forage.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29As more and more fungi get to work on the fallen dead wood,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32so the cycle of life begins again.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36And even a young...beech has started the rejuvenation process,
0:51:36 > 0:51:40they're rooting into what must be
0:51:40 > 0:51:42pretty new organic matter through there.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- Just enough to hold on to that young beech.- Yes, and benefiting
0:51:45 > 0:51:48from a relationship with some of the fungi that its parents enjoyed as well.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53Surprisingly, it's not only trees and plants that depend on fungi.
0:51:53 > 0:51:58Almost all the insects that live in wood need the fungi as well as the wood.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01The fungi will break the wood down and the beetles eat the wood.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Even the furniture beetle, the woodworm of your home,
0:52:03 > 0:52:07probably eating away grandmother's finest chest at the very moment we're talking,
0:52:07 > 0:52:11even that's dependant on fungi, it's got little yeast-like fungi in its gut.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14It couldn't survive on its own without the help of fungi,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17cos the fungi are breaking down the little bits of wood it rasps
0:52:17 > 0:52:19and providing it with the vitamins that the wood alone can't provide.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24What's incredible about it, even just a few square metres like this,
0:52:24 > 0:52:29- it's not just the complexity of life but it's the interdependence of those individuals.- Yes.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34No-one can exist in isolation. And maybe that's the mistake we make in our gardens,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38we try and isolate and celebrate one where, actually, we should be celebrating a collection,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41THE collection in fact.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44You can pack in the diversity perhaps better with a lump of wood
0:52:44 > 0:52:47than with any other habitat in the garden.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49You would just be amazed of what makes use of them.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52You've got your own botanic garden and your own private little zoo,
0:52:52 > 0:52:56something you can treasure and will give you enjoyment...for years to come.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00So evidence that the stumpery is vital
0:53:00 > 0:53:03and no question then that it should be revived.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09A mature ash tree like this will have taken several generations to grow
0:53:09 > 0:53:14and when it's ripped life and limb out of the ground by a passing gale,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17there's a real sense that that's the end, total devastation.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21But a woodland walk with the right people convinces you
0:53:21 > 0:53:25that it's not the end, this is just the start.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27TRAIN WHISTLE
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Here at Highgrove, it's no surprise
0:53:36 > 0:53:39that there is an abundance of log piles behind the scenes.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43This garden is managed entirely organically
0:53:43 > 0:53:45and wood plays an essential part.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52But I'm going to show how the stumpery can in fact become a productive larder.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05For me one of the exciting things about stumperies
0:54:05 > 0:54:08is that they're not just aesthetically beautiful,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12but they're also potentially hugely productive.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15So, for instance, when you consider
0:54:15 > 0:54:18these rather wonderful oyster mushrooms,
0:54:18 > 0:54:23these are just the sort of things that you can grow in your stumpery.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25To be sure you're growing an edible mushroom,
0:54:25 > 0:54:29you can buy these rather convenient pre-inoculated timber dowels
0:54:29 > 0:54:32from specialist mail order mushroom growers.
0:54:32 > 0:54:40And these have been moistened and then placed in the mycelium of the oyster mushroom.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45The mycelium is...in the world of fungi, it's the equivalent to a plant's roots.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48So first you will need a freshly cut log,
0:54:48 > 0:54:51which you could get from a local tree surgeon.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55You use something like beech, oak or this ash log
0:54:55 > 0:54:58for the very simple reason that this is a very resilient wood,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00it takes a long time to rot down.
0:55:00 > 0:55:07The longer it takes to rot, well, the more of the oyster mushrooms you're going to be able to harvest.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12Now, getting the dowels in, well, that involves just a little bit of drilling.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16You're looking for holes which are about the same diameter as the dowel
0:55:16 > 0:55:22and make them about 4in, 10cm or so, apart in a diamond formation.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- DRILL WHIRS - This shape just maximises the space
0:55:25 > 0:55:28and allows the mushrooms to grow freely.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31And you could do it so that the whole log
0:55:31 > 0:55:33is covered in this lattice of holes.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37Take a piece of dowel...
0:55:37 > 0:55:39give it a tap.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Once you've got all the dowels inserted,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46wrap the log in a plastic bag to hold in moisture.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Place the bag somewhere dark and cool,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51under a hedge, behind a shed or amongst your new stumpery.
0:55:52 > 0:55:57Then what happens is the mycelium will spend about six months
0:55:57 > 0:56:02starting to push through, to digest and find its way through this wood.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04And you'll know it's happening,
0:56:04 > 0:56:09because they will produce very dark stains on the cut end of that timber.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14That's the time when you can take the log out of that protective polythene bag
0:56:14 > 0:56:16and put it out into your stumpery.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21In about six months' time after that, so about 12 months after you put the dowels in,
0:56:21 > 0:56:25you'll start to see the oyster mushrooms emerging.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28And when you harvest, cut with a knife, don't be tempted to pull.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32If you pull you'll be ripping the roots, the mycelium, out of the timber.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36And enjoy...because this will keep providing a great harvest
0:56:36 > 0:56:40until the log has completely rotted away and that can take several years.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55A stumpery perfectly combines art, gardening and environment,
0:56:55 > 0:57:00providing an inspiring stage for the unusual and exotic.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Grenville Johnson from Bristol
0:57:02 > 0:57:06built his courtyard stumpery after a visit to Highgrove.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10It's very much a magical place and I was so inspired by that
0:57:10 > 0:57:14that I wanted to come back and replicate something on a much smaller scale
0:57:14 > 0:57:17here in my garden in Bristol.
0:57:17 > 0:57:23Now, I created the stumpery here using a collection of gnarled branches and the hollow tree stumps.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25And they're almost like antlers.
0:57:25 > 0:57:30You can actually join them together to make bizarre and surreal shapes with them.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34You can make it so that if you have lighting and up-light it at night,
0:57:34 > 0:57:39you can make a spectacular feature that really has the wow factor as well.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43Grenville is also a huge fan of his ferns.
0:57:43 > 0:57:47They provide a beautiful green and verdant backdrop to a garden.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49They're also magical.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53To see them after it's been raining really is a delight.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56And, of course, they provide beautiful patterns at night.
0:57:56 > 0:57:57My piece de resistance
0:57:57 > 0:58:00is to have classical music playing in the garden,
0:58:00 > 0:58:02so I've installed two outdoor speakers.
0:58:02 > 0:58:07And I can relax with a glass of wine and hear my favourite classical pieces being played
0:58:07 > 0:58:13while the water cascades from the stumpery, from the grotto into the wildlife pond below.
0:58:31 > 0:58:36A stumpery is so much more than just a random collection of rotting timbers,
0:58:36 > 0:58:38it is a world in miniature,
0:58:38 > 0:58:40every part is alive.
0:58:42 > 0:58:44So help me to salvage stumperies
0:58:44 > 0:58:47from the compost heap of horticulture
0:58:47 > 0:58:50and join the great British stumpery revival.