0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain has a long and proud gardening heritage...
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And a passion for plants that goes back centuries...
0:00:08 > 0:00:12But all is not well in our once green and pleasant land.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Front gardens paved over...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Our lawns lack lustre...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And rare wild flowers on the brink of extinction.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21So we need you...
0:00:21 > 0:00:22To 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 > 0:00:33And reveal the British gardens
0:00:33 > 0:00:37that will quite simply take 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 > 0:01:27On tonight's show,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Christine Walkden gets behind ornamental bedding,
0:01:30 > 0:01:35but first I want to return fruit trees to all of our gardens.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41For me one of life's great pleasures
0:01:41 > 0:01:44is picking fruit from a tree and eating it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:51Not just apples but pears, plums, damsons, medlars, cherries and more!
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Britain is most brilliantly suited
0:01:53 > 0:01:56for growing the most amazing range of fruit trees,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and yet we've turned our backs on wonderful old varieties
0:01:59 > 0:02:01like this Crawley Beauty
0:02:01 > 0:02:05in favour of less tasty varieties from further afield.
0:02:06 > 0:02:1190% of all the fruit that we eat in this country is imported,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and as a gardener with a passion for home-grown produce,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I find that statistic so worrying,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19because not only are we losing our orchards,
0:02:19 > 0:02:24but we're in very real danger of losing our fruit-growing heritage.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29I think it's time that we put home-grown fruit back on the menu,
0:02:29 > 0:02:34so join me, Toby Buckland, for the Great British fruit tree revival.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40I want to find out why some fruit tree varieties are facing extinction.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45Just 100 years ago, there were 500, 600 varieties of pear.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I'll be tasting some of the rare and wonderful fruits that have almost been forgotten.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- That set my teeth on edge. - There you go.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57And I'll show you how easy it is to plant these wonderful trees at home.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59That is all there is to it.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This is West Dean Gardens in the heart of West Sussex.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20A fabulous magical place with, what's to my mind,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25the finest collection of fruit trees anywhere in the country.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Built in 1804, this kitchen garden
0:03:30 > 0:03:35is home to over 200 varieties of apples, pears and plums,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39many of which line the mile-long garden wall.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42One of my earliest memories is of sneaking under the fence
0:03:42 > 0:03:46into next door's neglected garden with my brother and sister
0:03:46 > 0:03:48to steal the apples. When we first went in there,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I didn't know there were any fruit trees growing,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52but my sister explained it all.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I must've been short because I couldn't reach up to the branches.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59But I felt so excited, and it wasn't just the thrill of the mischief,
0:03:59 > 0:04:00although I've always liked that,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04it was this feeling of wealth and sheer abundance.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It was like we had struck upon an edible treasure trove,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13and, you know, to this day when the fruit comes to ripen in my garden,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16I still get that feeling of excitement
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and that thrill of having food for free.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Sadly, we seem to have lost sight of these simple pleasures,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27much to the peril of our fabulous native fruit trees.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I say it's time we reverse this trend
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and put these wonderful fruit trees into our own gardens.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41To begin my campaign, I'm heading out
0:04:41 > 0:04:45to discover why Great British orchards are rapidly disappearing.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Time was when orchards were dotted right across the country,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and you could mark what time of year it was by what was going on in them,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56whether it was pruning in winter,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59the blossom billowing on the trees in the spring
0:04:59 > 0:05:03or the fruit swelling to fruition in the autumn.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05And now they've nearly all gone,
0:05:05 > 0:05:10and it's such a shame that the trees have been lost.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15In fact, the National Trust say that 60% of England's orchards
0:05:15 > 0:05:17have disappeared since the 1950s.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19By the end of the century,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22we could lose small, traditional orchards altogether.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Derek Tolman has spent the past 25 years
0:05:25 > 0:05:27preserving our fruit-tree heritage
0:05:27 > 0:05:30by hunting out the rare and almost forgotten.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Toby. Nice to see you. - And you as well.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36He has an old orchard in Buckinghamshire to show me,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39containing some very interesting specimens,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43but en route, he's spotted something by the roadside.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Is this the sort of thing you do, Derek?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Drive along, see little parcels of neglected land,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and then just spot the fruit tree.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Well, sometimes you can just find them travelling around
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and that's always great. But often people come to us and say,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57"I've got these interesting old trees,"
0:05:57 > 0:06:00or, "I've got an old orchard. Can you tell us a bit more about it?"
0:06:00 > 0:06:02So we're only too happy to go and poke around
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- and scrump an apple here and there. - Fruit snooping!- Fruit snooping.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- What is it, then?- I don't know. Try one. I've not tried it yet.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I don't think it's fully ripe, but we shall see.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It's quite dry, isn't it?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16There's a certain amount of sweetness.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- It's very sweet. I think this is a cider sweet. A cider apple.- Yeah.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22It's gone very brown. There's a lot of tannin in this one.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24That would normally cause it, but mine hasn't.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I think you must be using the wrong toothpaste.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30On arriving at the orchard,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Derek is keen to show me one fruit tree on the verge of extinction
0:06:33 > 0:06:36that desperately needed his help.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38What's the story with this old cherry, then?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41This old cherry... Well, this is the epitome of what we do.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44We come along and we find a tree which is either dead or dying,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48take a bit of a cutting off it, the last bit you can find that's alive.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And you take it back, produce a new tree,
0:06:51 > 0:06:52and we bring one back for the owner,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55replant it and go through a whole other life cycle.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- And this rare plant then survives. - It survives, yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Neglected orchards like this one
0:07:01 > 0:07:05would be doomed without Derek's passion and commitment.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07You'll see the spaces around.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09A lot of trees would have originally been in here,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12but we're down to just a few cherries, just a few pears,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16one apple over there. That's it. They dwindle.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- Year by year, they disappear. - So this is an old pear tree?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Yeah, it's a lovely old pear. It's in fantastic condition.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Still fruiting?- Still fruiting.- So is this a variety that isn't seen
0:07:25 > 0:07:28in contemporary catalogues, nursery catalogues and the like?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Nursery catalogues have very, very few pears.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Just 100 years ago,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37there were maybe 500, 600 varieties of pear that were known.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But why are these old trees that survive here in this orchard
0:07:40 > 0:07:42good for gardens and gardeners?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44You've got an ornamental tree.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47They all have fantastic blossom in the spring. They give you food.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49They take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51What more could you want?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It shocks me to think that there are fruit tree varieties out there,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58like these pears, that are in danger of being lost for ever,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and I'm starting to comprehend
0:08:00 > 0:08:02the scale of the task that Derek is undertaking.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06That's amazing. How many different types of fruit have you got here?
0:08:06 > 0:08:11I think something in the region of just over 1,500.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13But it's going up all the time. They keep coming in.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15We can't stop ourselves.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17To give new life to an old tree,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Derek uses an ancient technique called grafting.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22There's so much jargon around this, but it is simple, isn't it?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's just joining two bits of wood together.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28All you need is a shoot from the tree you want to reproduce
0:08:28 > 0:08:31and a living root system of a similar variety.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Right, take it away, Derek.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37First, Derek prepares the new cutting to be grafted.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Always angle the blade as I'm doing here.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Keep your fingers well away.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43The secret is to get a complete plain cut,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46so it's not actually got a scallop in the middle.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50The next bit is to prepare the root stock to receive the scion
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and to attempt to cut a mirror image.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Squeeze them together with your thumb and then tape them up.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02This technique will result in new growth on the recently joined stem.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Using this simple method,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Derek has ensured the survival of many almost forgotten fruits.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11So with 1,500 varieties of fruit tree under your belt
0:09:11 > 0:09:16that you know what they are, how many left are there to discover?
0:09:16 > 0:09:21I honestly believe somewhere between 10,000 still to discover
0:09:21 > 0:09:24or 100,000 still to discover. It could be more.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Every time you go somewhere, you find something new.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30There are just so many interesting old trees out there.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But you're going to go out and gather as many as you can?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35We'll gather as many as we can while we have breath,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and just gather them in like Noah. Make sure they survive.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46To think there are more varieties of fruit trees
0:09:46 > 0:09:49growing in dying orchards than there are in cultivation,
0:09:49 > 0:09:54and they'll be lost unless we start growing them in our own gardens.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07You don't need a massive orchard to grow your own fruit trees,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11because as well as being productive they are adaptable.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16And here against the brickwork of the gardens of West Dean in West Sussex, we've got a plum tree.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17Now, it's Victoria.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19You might recognise it,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23but it's not in its usual guise because it's been trained as a fan,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26hardly taking up any space at all against the brickwork.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28And I'm going to show you
0:10:28 > 0:10:32another training method that's ideal for smaller gardens.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Now I've got a Conference Pear here
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and I'm going to grow this as a cordon.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Now a cordon is a tree that you train on an angle,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51and that means it can fit into the tightest of spaces,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52like against the brickwork here.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55You can grow most fruit trees in this way,
0:10:55 > 0:11:00but it's important that you select the right root stock.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Now, there are different types of root stock,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and, just to explain, your fruit trees are in two parts.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07You've got the subterranean part, the roots,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and then you've got the shoots that carry the fruit,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and you can see where the root stock and the varietal wood or scion wood meet.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17There's a slight line and a change of colour.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19You get different forms of root stocks
0:11:19 > 0:11:21from dwarf, which are very small,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24semi dwarf, which are a little bit bigger,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27right up to vigorous that make massive orchard trees,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and if you're going to train any tree as a cordon,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31always go for semi dwarf.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Now the reason I mention the root stock
0:11:33 > 0:11:36is that it's so important when you plant
0:11:36 > 0:11:40that the join between the root stock at the base
0:11:40 > 0:11:42is above the ground level,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46because if the top gets down into the ground and roots away,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48the tree will be incredibly vigorous.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Plant your tree,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54firm soil over the roots and give it a good drink to settle it in.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Now, it's at 45 degrees, and this is the clever bit.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Because you want your tree to grow,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and in a way, by angling the branch at this angle,
0:12:03 > 0:12:08you're tricking it into thinking the wood is older than it is
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and that it's ready to bear flowers and then fruit.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13To prepare your tree for a tight space like this,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15give it a bit of a prune.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17This will encourage growth in the right direction
0:12:17 > 0:12:22and ensure it produces fruit-bearing buds from bottom to top.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25All that remains is to tie the tree in.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28You make a loose loop of it around the tree,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32just so the string acts as a little soft bumper
0:12:32 > 0:12:36between the bamboo and the fruit tree.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37And that is all there is to it.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49And after a few years, this is what you get.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Now, all you need to do to keep your trees in check
0:12:51 > 0:12:53is to whip off the summer growth
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and then take out the tops when they reach the height you want,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58like over the top of your fence or wall.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01But look at the amount of fruit you get.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03See, by having the trees trained on their sides,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07they are far more productive and they fruit right down to the base,
0:13:07 > 0:13:08and best of all,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12if they're planted just 70cm apart, look how many you can pack in!
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I'm on my way to the Kent countryside to a place
0:13:24 > 0:13:28where fruit trees are getting the love and care they deserve.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34Behind these walls are one of Britain's largest collections of fruit - over 900 and counting.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Now, I know 600 of them are apples,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39but I'm keen to see what make up the other 300.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Keepers Nursery is very much a family business
0:13:44 > 0:13:46run by Hamid, Sima and their son Karim.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51Originally from Iran, the Habibi family's passion and hard work
0:13:51 > 0:13:53has seen this 20-acre plot blossom
0:13:53 > 0:13:56from a disused hop farm into a luscious commercial orchard
0:13:56 > 0:14:01that is now home to fruit varieties from all over the world.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04So what is it about growing fruit that you love so much?
0:14:04 > 0:14:10Well, it's very much part of our tradition as Iranians.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I mean, you know, Sima and I were children in Iran as we grew up.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17You know, we had, everybody had fruit trees in their gardens,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20so it was very much of the part of the tradition.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I love the fact it's not only that you've brought old varieties back
0:14:24 > 0:14:25or you've got an eye for the new,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29but you're also bringing in types of trees and varieties from,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32well, Persia of old, aren't you, really?
0:14:32 > 0:14:37Yes, and fruit that people don't really know much in this country,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41like medlars or certain types of quinces that people don't know.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's amazing how ignorant as a nation we've become really
0:14:45 > 0:14:50about the types of fruit and the world of variety there is within it.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58The Habibis' orchard is an explosion of colour with row after row of different fruits.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01But don't be put off by the grand scale.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05You can start your own orchard with just one tree.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08With over 900 different varieties of fruit, I mean,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12how do you help people get started and what are your recommendations?
0:15:12 > 0:15:18I think the most important thing is to have something that you like.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- There's no point in growing something that you don't like.- OK.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22- So get a wish list?- Get a wish list.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Many of the trees are dripping with ready-to-pick ripe fruit,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and here's one of my favourites.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31- Now, this is a plum.- Yeah.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- Which variety is this? - This is President.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36President. Oh, a lovely purple President. Look at that!
0:15:36 > 0:15:39So what's the difference between a plum and a gage?
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Well, there's no difference in the species, but it's more the fruit,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47it's the type of fruit. Gages are lovely to eat straight off the tree.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50They don't last all that long and you will find that they'll be there
0:15:50 > 0:15:53for about a week...but that week will be very memorable.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Every summer, you'll remember your tree's just there,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and you won't tell your father about the fruit,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00because you just want to eat it yourself.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- Are you talking in general or are you talking in specifics?- Well...
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But that's why you should plant your own tree, you know,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10because you'll have that treat every summer.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Karim makes a great point.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Plant a fruit tree in your garden,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and you get something delicious to look forward to every year,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and I'm keen to taste some of the more rare varieties
0:16:21 > 0:16:24that the Habibis are growing in the Garden of England.
0:16:24 > 0:16:30Here we have a kind of quince which you would probably be familiar with.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31There you go.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The core is almost sort of like trying to go into granite.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Blimey, crikey!
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- It is...- Oh. That's set my teeth on edge.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- There you go. You try some. - I haven't had one yet this year.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43You don't want to eat too much of this.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46I mean, this is one of the Iranian varieties called Isfahan.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Much sweeter and also a much finer... finer flesh.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Mmm! That's more apple-y altogether, isn't it?
0:16:54 > 0:16:59But here we have a fruit that is a connoisseur's fruit variety,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01but even with this,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04there's new types and varieties coming in from overseas
0:17:04 > 0:17:07that are just fantastic and must-grow trees.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11You know, we're learning all the time. But doesn't it just go to show
0:17:11 > 0:17:13that there's a fruit tree for every garden?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Well, yes, I think every garden should have a fruit tree,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18or at least one fruit tree.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36We've been growing figs on these shores since 1550,
0:17:36 > 0:17:43and this beauty growing here in the greenhouses of West Dean Gardens is 100 years old.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46In the sheltered environment of this greenhouse,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48it produces two crops a year,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and the greenhouse is of course the place to grow them if you have a cold garden.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55But it's not always necessary because, if you can provide
0:17:55 > 0:17:58a bit of shelter and sun and a variety like Brown Turkey,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03you could be having fresh figs with your breakfast right through the summer.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11And figs are just one of the fruits you may be surprised to learn grow here in the UK.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17With warm and sunny conditions and a south-facing wall to train them against, you can even raise peaches.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21The key is to know the best way to train and care for your tree.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24All the fruit trees here are carefully maintained
0:18:24 > 0:18:28under the watchful eye of garden manager, Jim Buckland.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And, no, we're not related.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I'm joining Jim to show you how easy it is
0:18:33 > 0:18:38to keep fruit trees small and manageable using the espalier training method.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42So, Jim, what have we got here, then?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Well, it's an espalier apple. Blenheim orange. Well established.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Been here for probably 10 or 15 years
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- and now we're just keeping it under control by summer pruning.- OK.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The term espalier refers to the method
0:18:55 > 0:18:59of pruning and training to a strong horizontal branch framework,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01maximising the fruit yield.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So this is the point which we cut back to in June, back here.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09It's now put on this extension growth and we want to go back harder.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12We're going to cut back to one bud above the basal cluster.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- That's your...- One bud above the basal cluster.- That's your mantra.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18One bud above the basal cluster, which is that point there.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Off it comes.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22So I'm getting my head round your method here.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24In early summer you're cutting back,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26you're cutting back the shaggy growth,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and then again you're cutting back when that re-grows
0:19:29 > 0:19:30back to one bud for winter.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Yeah, and it's good until next year. - Well, let's get stuck in!
0:19:37 > 0:19:41It must be a pleasant job, sort of idling the hours away out here, Jim.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Is that how you feel?- I never feel like I'm idling the hours away, Toby.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But, um... Yeah, it is. It's a fantastic job.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I think it's the most rewarding part of horticulture,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and of course the great thing about it is, with these trained cordons,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57you can grow fruit even if you've only got a very small back garden,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01whereas you couldn't grow a traditional orchard tree,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03so these are fantastic.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05So do you think a lot of gardeners are missing a trick
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- and missing out on the fruit they could be having?- I absolutely do,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12because I think they think it's too difficult. There is a craft to it
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and you do need to learn that, but it's not complicated
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and it's fantastically rewarding when you get it right.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Yeah, you pick me up when you like, Jim. I can tell you're itching to.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25You're looking at my cuts. They're not short enough.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Well, I think that's probably the most common mistake
0:20:27 > 0:20:30is that people don't clip their trees hard enough,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and the wonderful thing about plants is you can hack pieces off them
0:20:33 > 0:20:35and, if you get it wrong, they'll grow another limb.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37So the secret is...have a go.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Gardening is a craft. It's learnt by doing.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42If you don't do it, you'll never learn it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44This method is an ideal way
0:20:44 > 0:20:49to incorporate small fruit trees into a garden with limited space.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And espalier training can also be used on larger trees
0:20:52 > 0:20:55to keep their fruit in easy reach for picking.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Crab apples. They're my favourite small garden tree.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09They're so versatile and they have wonderful autumn tints to the foliage.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13In the spring, the blooms are clustered tightly together,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and that means they carry more blossom than any other fruit,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18but still they get a bad name,
0:21:18 > 0:21:23and that's because so many gardeners leave the berries to fall on the pavement or the drive
0:21:23 > 0:21:31where they need sweeping up, and that is such a waste because these wee little apples are delicious.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36And I'm not alone in my love for this fruit.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Ginny Knox and Caroline Willson spent their youth together
0:21:39 > 0:21:42foraging for crab apples to make their own jellies.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Now they've turned their childhood hobby into a full-time business.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- Hi there.- Nice to see you...and come and help you with your picking.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53So what are we working on here?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55This is a John Downie crab apple.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57A lovely old one.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58But what do you use this for?
0:21:58 > 0:22:04Jelly is the most absolutely lovely thing to make, and John Downies are very traditionally used for jelly.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07So crab-apple jelly. Chilli jelly. Mint jelly.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11So what got you started on picking crab apples?
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Were you scrumpers when you were little girls?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Were you jumping over the fence and...?
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Well, we used to go and... Never scrumping, obviously, never, no, no.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22We used to make crab-apple jelly together with our mums.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- That's almost a forgotten art, really, and you've sort of brought that back.- It is.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31There are so many traditional recipes made from, you know, indigenous fruits,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and one of the things we really love is that it links us back to our heritage, culinary heritage.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39You can imagine our ancestors 500 or 1,000 years ago doing pretty much this.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42So how do I pick them? Is there anything I should or shouldn't do?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Well, you should avoid the mouldy ones obviously,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and also try not to throw them into the basket because they bruise really easily.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Right. OK, that's a good tip.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Quite a few are falling on my head!
0:22:55 > 0:22:58They're very ripe actually at this time.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59LAUGHTER
0:22:59 > 0:23:01What have I done?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Now I'm conscious I might bruise them as they go in the basket.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- Oh, yeah, be very gentle. - You'll be in deep trouble.- Oh, dear.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Having collected a bounty of these almost forgotten favourites it's time to head back to the house.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Ooh, you've got quite a mini orchard there.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Yeah, we have actually.
0:23:19 > 0:23:25We planted a few things like quince, medlar, crab apple, greengage, things like that.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- All things you'd recommend for a small garden?- Definitely.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Pretty trees. You can keep them to quite a small size and, of course, the fruits are great to cook.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It just goes to show that you can easily start a small orchard at home.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Ginny and Caroline are using theirs to create all sorts of culinary delights.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43What's this one?
0:23:43 > 0:23:44That's actually a crab-apple cheese.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- A crab-apple cheese? - Yeah, a yellow one.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- It doesn't have cheese in it.- No.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Why is it called a cheese? Is it just the texture?
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- It's just an old-fashioned English word for a fruit preserve that doesn't have pieces in it.- Mmm.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Yeah, it sort of has a meatiness to it, if you know what I mean.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's quite solid. I'm not saying that... But you know what I mean?
0:24:03 > 0:24:09Well, it's a fruit puree as opposed to the... Jellies are the fruit juice that has been set.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12This is the whole fruit which has been turned into a puree and then set.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14They're incredibly versatile, that's the thing,
0:24:14 > 0:24:20and you cook it up, flavour it and you use different varieties of fruit to get the colours.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21- Is that how it works?- That's right.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24So the yellow ones are great for some products,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26like you can see with the apple cheese that you've got there.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- Golden Hornet, those ones, yeah? - Those are Golden Hornet, yeah.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Are they easy to make?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Well, time-consuming.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- So it's a labour of love in a way. - It is a labour of love but I think well worth it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Well, anyone that cooks or anyone that bakes...
0:24:39 > 0:24:43you get a house that smells delicious depending on what you're doing...
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Well, they do, and to be honest as well, Toby,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48it really warms your heart, doesn't it, when you open the cupboards
0:24:48 > 0:24:53and you've got all these beautiful preserves in them and they're not things that you can go out and buy.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55They're just flavours that only you and your friends can have.
0:24:55 > 0:25:01And that's the thing, I suppose, as these trees become less well known for what they can do for you,
0:25:01 > 0:25:07these preserves are, wow, like you say, becoming a bit more like hen's teeth.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- I'll tell you what, I do make a chilli jam.- Do you?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And it's no surprise... it's nothing like as good as yours.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Don't be put off if chilli jelly isn't your cup of tea.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25There are many delicious things you can make from your own fruit trees, so go on, get planting!
0:25:34 > 0:25:36When you get lots of fruit forming on your trees
0:25:36 > 0:25:38there's always that question, what on earth do you do with it?
0:25:38 > 0:25:43You'll want to keep as much of it as you can for use right though the winter and beyond.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47In order to make your bumper crop last as long as possible,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50it's important to store them in the right environment.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55This is the apple store here at West Dean where the fruits are kept in the traditional way.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58And the fruit sits on these slatted shelves
0:25:58 > 0:26:05that allow the apples to sit there in shrivel-free suspended animation for month after month.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08But you don't need a building like this to keep fruit from your own garden.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I'm going to show you how you can do it at home.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18The best way to store apples is in a box.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Ideally one that you can move around and one you can stack one on top of the other.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27And these fruit trays are brilliant for the job because they've got slats in the bottom,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31like a traditional apple store to let air circulate around the fruit.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37So all I do is set the fruits out in my trays with a whisker of space between them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Again just to let the air circulate around the apples.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42And this is a good keeping variety.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43It's called Red Devil.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It's an old English type, and I can tell it's a good keeper because of when it's picked.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52You see, the later an apple ripens, the longer it keeps into winter.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Apples like this Red Devil can be stored in a cool dry place
0:26:55 > 0:26:58like a shed or a garage for around two months.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Others such as Bramleys will store as long as five months.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Now, early varieties like Discovery that come into fruit in July,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13well, they only last a few weeks when they're kept in store.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15You have to do something different with them.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20So you've either got to eat them up straightaway or, as I do, stick them in the freezer.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26Now, when an apple freezes what happens is the cells within the walls, they start to shatter.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29They certainly do as it defrosts, and that means it will yield its juice,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33so all you've got to do is stick this in a blender and out the juice will flow.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So you might not be able to keep them as apples,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39but they'll give you a supply of something lovely to drink right through the winter.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve fruit.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Berries and cherries should be frozen straight after picking,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50but apples, pears and plums should be allowed to ripen before they go in the freezer.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00You don't have to live in the countryside to enjoy the benefits of fantastic fruit trees.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04A Birmingham-based organisation called Urban Harvest collects fruit
0:28:04 > 0:28:09that would otherwise be wasted from across the city and puts it to good use.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12A lot of the fruit that we pick is in the public spaces around us.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Birmingham's very fortunate, we've got a lot of green public spaces.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19There's a number of fruit trees in this particular park,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and every year we see all the fruit goes to waste,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24so we thought this year we'd come and pick it and put it to good use,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28take it to children's centres, give it out through food banks and make sure that it's not wasted.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34The team also helps garden owners who can't pick their own to make the most of their fruit trees.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37The actual fact is that we're here.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41We're picking the fruit for people who don't particularly want to pick it themselves,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45and we get an enjoyment taking it off the trees, believe it or not.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50I'm really enjoying it. Everyone's really nice.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52It's good to get involved in the community
0:28:52 > 0:28:56and learn lots about fruit picking and the environment at the same time.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59I think we've got used to the idea that we get fruit from the supermarkets now,
0:28:59 > 0:29:04and people have stopped going out and making use of what's around them
0:29:04 > 0:29:08which is actually free and hasn't flown in from New Zealand, South Africa,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11causing food miles and damage to the environment.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Well, I hope you've been inspired to plant a fruit tree of your own,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21because there's so many types and so many varieties.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25In fact, choosing between them is about the hardest thing about growing fruit.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30Not only will you have a garden filled with blossom in the spring and fruit in the autumn,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34you'll also be a custodian of our fruit-growing heritage.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38So go on. Get planting. What's stopping you?
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Next, Christine Walkden is on another Garden Revival campaign.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52These eye-catching displays were the gardening bling of yesteryear.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55It's a tradition that crashed out of gardening fashion.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00High cost, high maintenance and a decadence that simply ran out of steam.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02I'm Christine Walkden,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06and I want you to get behind my revival of ornamental bedding.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11On my campaign, I meet the passionate people who are working hard to keep this heritage alive...
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Unfortunately, now it's almost becoming a bit of a dying art.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19..discover how experts are developing new types of plant...
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Bedding is changing. Your choices are much wider than they used to be.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28..and I'll be showing you just how easy it is to create your own stunning display.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Nothing is set in concrete when it's in compost.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49A 16th-century-style French chateau
0:30:49 > 0:30:54is not what you'd expect to find in Buckinghamshire, but this is Waddesdon Manor,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59home to the Rothschild family, pioneers of Victorian flamboyant bedding.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Following the trend of the Victorian upper classes,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05the Rothschilds used the garden to showcase their wealth,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09creating a range of ornamental beds with exotic plants and flowers,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12the most decadent of which were the carpet beds,
0:31:12 > 0:31:18special designs of thousands of tightly knitted foliage with the blooms removed.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23My first memories of bedding was the colour and the vibrancy of it all and we see it here -
0:31:23 > 0:31:28begonias, ageratums, the sparkle of silver in the helichrysum.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Plants creating a lovely vibrant display.
0:31:32 > 0:31:38But these ornate beds were considered too showy and expensive to maintain
0:31:38 > 0:31:41during the First World War and many were grassed over.
0:31:42 > 0:31:4720 years ago, the current Lord Rothschild restored them to their former glory.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51So what better place to base my British bedding revival?
0:31:52 > 0:31:56The most unusual beds here are the 3D carpet birds,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59made up of several types of alternanthera and sedums,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03which are looked after by head gardener, Paul Farnell.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06They're really lovely those birds, aren't they?
0:32:06 > 0:32:09They are indeed. They've been here quite a while.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- How long?- Well, it goes back to 1910, actually.
0:32:12 > 0:32:18The Rothschilds pioneered this sort of 3D bedding, so we've had sort of birds around and about since then.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23And how much time and care do they need to really make sure they look fantastic?
0:32:23 > 0:32:25It's very time-consuming, actually.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27We had a blacksmith put together the framework.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29It's got an internal watering system.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It takes four people a couple of days to plant the whole thing,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and then once a week there's always a little bit of gapping up to do.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38There's always a little bit of trimming to do.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40The Victorians wouldn't let them flower at all.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42They would absolutely shave them.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45I mean, they were just into stunning foliage contrasts.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Indeed, indeed.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And how many plants would you need for something like this?
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Oh, I'd guess we've got somewhere in the region of 10,000, I would think, just to do this little bit.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Blimey! It's a lot. A lot of labour and a lot of time.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01It is, and that's probably one of the reasons why you don't see it very often these days,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03because, you know, it is labour intensive,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05relatively expensive.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08- Could you just give them a little bit of a trim-up with the shears for me, please?- I can do that for you.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11All I'm doing is keeping them to the same height.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14That's what I was taught. Is that something that you like?
0:33:14 > 0:33:16- That's right.- Bits are going on your bed, I'm afraid.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18We'll vac them up later on.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19That I think, that's perfect, yes.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23It is a piece of gardening that if we didn't do it, it would get lost.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28Good 3D bedding and good carpet bedding is an absolute art form.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29Well, I'm glad it continues.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33It takes me back to my childhood and I think if we lost it, it would be a great sadness.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37It would be a great shame if we lost these skills and... no doubt about that.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44The Victorians didn't just use ornamental and carpet beds to show off personal wealth.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47As the trend for taking holidays grew,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51seaside resorts also realised that these blowsy bedding displays
0:33:51 > 0:33:53could draw in the crowds.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57The famous Eastbourne Parade Carpet Gardens were born in the 1890s.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Tourists came from far and wide to admire the designs.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Although similar gardens up and down the country have disappeared,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07here, they're desperately holding on to the tradition.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09So is it really worth it?
0:34:09 > 0:34:11I personally love bedding.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14But I'm here to find out what the public really think of it,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17to test the temperature of the nation.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19So what do you think of displays like this?
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Well, I think it's absolutely wonderful.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I mean, it just adds so much, the colour, the vibrancy.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31- We're just used to it being there. It would be weird if it wasn't.- It would look wrong if it wasn't there.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32It's part of Eastbourne.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36It's a tourist attraction and I think it's just fabulous.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39How would you feel if it was to totally disappear? Would you miss it?
0:34:39 > 0:34:41- Yeah. Would you?- I would.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It's part of my heritage, isn't it?
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- It's nice to have something green along here.- It is, it's lovely.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50So there you have it. The Great British public still love it.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54But it's no longer on the same scale as in Victorian times.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59Back then, they had almost 40 gardeners working on the beds throughout the town.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04These days only 10% of the ornamental beds remain,
0:35:04 > 0:35:11including the famous carpets which contain over 40,000 plants and have eight dedicated members of staff.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Darren Pillar has worked here for 22 years.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20So what do you really think makes this prom so special in Eastbourne?
0:35:20 > 0:35:24It's kept its heritage and we're part of history.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28They did it because it brought in tourists, and they just continue to do so.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31People come from miles away just to see this and the residents love it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35- You know, the tourists love it. - So it's not just the tourists?
0:35:35 > 0:35:38You think there's a sense of civic pride here in Eastbourne because of these beds?
0:35:38 > 0:35:42- Absolutely, there is.- So how have things changed over the years?
0:35:42 > 0:35:46They have changed a lot. We incorporate a lot more sustainable planting now.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Beds that were bedding are now either grass beds
0:35:49 > 0:35:53or they've got herbaceous plants in or beds for the bees.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55But we've managed to keep the Carpet Gardens as is
0:35:55 > 0:35:57and as was back in the day many years ago.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01It's hard work, isn't it, that sort of thing?
0:36:01 > 0:36:02It really is hard work.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04With carpet bedding, the process is intense.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06It's clipping daily.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10It's weeding all the time. It's watering non-stop...as you can see.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13It may take a lot of effort keeping the beds looking this good,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17but the people here take such pride in their work.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22I'm involved with history, so although we get input in designs and use new plants,
0:36:22 > 0:36:27we're still maintaining that piece of history that's known UK wide,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and it's lovely to be a part of it,
0:36:29 > 0:36:33and unfortunately now it's almost becoming a bit of a dying art.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37But the thing is, anyone who is involved with horticulture and gardening
0:36:37 > 0:36:40I'd will them to get into it because it's absolutely fabulous.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Anyone can have a go.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47I would say start small with your initials or your house number and gradually work your way up.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- So this is something that the man in the street can do, isn't it? - Oh, most definitely.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03The gardens at Waddesdon Manor are truly inspiring,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07but beautiful bedding doesn't have to be on this grand scale.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09We can all recreate a bit of history.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17I want to show you with modern and sustainable planting how easy it is to bring back the glamour, the glory,
0:37:17 > 0:37:21the fun and excitement of ornamental bedding to your own garden.
0:37:24 > 0:37:30What I want to do is show you just how easy it is to make a carpet bedding scheme at home for yourself.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Start off with a tray. Now I'm just using a wooden tray.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36The key thing is that it's got some drainage,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41because if it fills up with water, they'll drown. And I'm just using a general-purpose compost here.
0:37:41 > 0:37:48Nothing that flash. And you fill it up to around an inch, an inch and a half from the top of the tray,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52so that, when your plants sit in, they're more or less level with the top of the tray.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55And all you're really looking for is compact plants
0:37:55 > 0:37:59that are going to give you a contrast of colour, texture and habit.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Pick what you like and put them together and see if it works for you.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05This is your display.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10Things like the campanulas that will flower eventually, but, if you clip them, they won't.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14This plant has got a very, very special meaning to me,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18because this is the very plant that got me into gardening.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21At school, Miss Sinfield, our headmistress came in
0:38:21 > 0:38:25and she said could some of the children take the plants home for Blackburn Wakes Week?
0:38:25 > 0:38:30I grabbed three, went home and my dad said, "We're going on holiday, what are you going to do?"
0:38:30 > 0:38:34I have no idea where I read this, saw it, but I went into the backyard into our shed...
0:38:34 > 0:38:37tin bath that we used to bath in as kids.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42I filled it up with water, put some bricks in and plonked three of them on there.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Total darkness, we hadn't got any windows in the shed.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49Went away for a fortnight's holiday, and I kept thinking, "They'll be dead. They'll be dead."
0:38:49 > 0:38:58Came back and three Campanula isophylla, White Icicles, were in full bloom
0:38:58 > 0:39:04and that was the moment that I wanted to be a gardener.
0:39:04 > 0:39:10Never been able to repeat it since, but that plant has resulted in a life of love.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17So, once I've selected the plants, all I'm going to do is then place them out.
0:39:17 > 0:39:23What I'm going to do is plant a row of these lovely green sempervivums on one side.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29I'm then going to come in along the edges, two rows of those.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32I'm going to contrast it with a little luecanthemum,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36a nice silver foliage plant that you can either keep the flowers on or whip them off.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42And then I've got a really common little alpine that you'll see for sale as a sea thrift.
0:39:44 > 0:39:51When you come to plant, make sure the plants are watered the night before you actually plant them.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54That helps to keep the compost altogether when you knock it out of the pot.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59It also means that when you water this, you're not going to have all the water that you're pouring on
0:39:59 > 0:40:03just rush into the root ball and have dry patches.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06It also makes it easier to slip the plant out of the pot.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Then comes the exciting bit about planting.
0:40:11 > 0:40:17A lot of people worry about planting, but literally turn the pot over, smack its bottom and pull it out.
0:40:17 > 0:40:23All I'm going to do is make a shallow depression in this tray and then pop my plant into place,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27and then you just repeat that down this side,
0:40:27 > 0:40:32and you'll see all of a sudden the magic of carpet bedding being created.
0:40:42 > 0:40:49When you're taking the plant out, make sure that you take off any dead or dying foliage,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51because that can encourage the stem to rot
0:40:51 > 0:40:55and if the roots are dangling out of the bottom of the pot, don't worry.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57We prune the top of the plant to encourage growth.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00We prune the roots for exactly the same thing,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03so you're going to get good root growth.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10If the roots are running around the bottom of the pot and the root ball, just tease them out.
0:41:10 > 0:41:16That will ensure that the roots establish into that compost very, very quickly.
0:41:16 > 0:41:22Don't pack them too tight, because if that happens, instead of growing sidewards, they'll grow up.
0:41:22 > 0:41:28What you're really after achieving is the blending together of the plants so it looks like a Persian carpet.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33All growing together beautifully, but without being overcrowded.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35And if you get to this stage and you don't like it,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38take it all out and start again.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41You know, nothing is set in concrete when it's in compost.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It can all be taken out and put back again.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50This is something I don't use very often, but actually it's called a make-up brush.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Don't try and get the compost off with water,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56because it can often go very muddy and it can stain your plants.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58It's far easier to use a make-up brush.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Plants like this are very low maintenance.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Just water them and keep them tidy with a bit of clipping in the summer months,
0:42:09 > 0:42:15and if you pick perennials like these you'll get to enjoy your beds year after year.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And once I've watered that... hey, presto!
0:42:19 > 0:42:23I now just wait for it to go whoosh and grow.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27What's really nice about planting in something like a tray
0:42:27 > 0:42:30is you can shift it to your balcony, to your patio...
0:42:30 > 0:42:36You can have it lined out on the beautiful table where you're going to have dinner as a centrepiece.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39You can do so much with plants that you put in a tray.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49There are lots of plants that we can use to create an ornamental display,
0:42:49 > 0:42:55and at Thompson and Morgan, one of the largest suppliers of seeds and plants in the UK,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59they cultivate new varieties that are cheaper and easier to grow.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04Crucial work, as they've had to help one of our classic bedding plants in crisis.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Just a few years ago our bestselling annual bedding plant,
0:43:08 > 0:43:12the Busy Lizzie, was struck down and destroyed by an epidemic disease.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17In fact, the disease was so bad that this stalwart of British bedding,
0:43:17 > 0:43:24which sold almost 35 million plants a year, has now been removed from garden centres nationwide.
0:43:24 > 0:43:30Michael Perry is the product development manager who is helping the Busy Lizzie reinvent itself.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32So, Michael, what was the actual problem?
0:43:32 > 0:43:36There was a problem with downy mildew which is an airborne disease,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40and most of the Busy Lizzies from walleriana origin, so the type that you see here...
0:43:40 > 0:43:42So the common standard?
0:43:42 > 0:43:45The common Busy Lizzie that we've known for years and years
0:43:45 > 0:43:47was absolutely susceptible to it so they all died out.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50And they didn't look very good either, did they, in the process?
0:43:50 > 0:43:51No, not at all.
0:43:51 > 0:43:57So literally plants melted and they completely were unrecoverable.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59There is no treatment for it at the moment.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01What you need to do is grow resistant varieties.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03That's the only way.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06Right, and where has that breeding work taken us?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Well, the breeding work has taken us to what we see here
0:44:08 > 0:44:13which is Busy Lizzie Divine which has completely different genetics to the usual Busy Lizzie,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16but it's bred on so it's bigger, better,
0:44:16 > 0:44:22more resilient to all sorts of different weather conditions from hot, dry, wet or cold.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25It really is almost a Super Busy Lizzie. Great alternative.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29And is it as good in shade, in the sunshine as the traditional Busy Lizzie?
0:44:29 > 0:44:33Absolutely, because the brilliant thing about traditional Busy Lizzies is that they love shade,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37and there aren't many plants you can grow in the shade, but this loves sun as well as shade.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40There are all sorts of different innovations apart from that,
0:44:40 > 0:44:44like the perennials that you can grow in bedding, different foliage plants. I've got loads to show you.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48This is really bedding heaven.
0:44:48 > 0:44:54These fantastic trowel beds are home to over 500 new types of plants that have been especially cultivated,
0:44:54 > 0:45:00and I'm about to get a sneak preview of the perfect plants for my revival
0:45:00 > 0:45:03that we can all use for our own ornamental displays.
0:45:03 > 0:45:08We use these trial grounds to grow out all of our products to check that it's growing true to type,
0:45:08 > 0:45:13and to look a new varieties against older existing ones to see if they are indeed an improvement.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18So what about the traditional plants, are they still selling or are you seeing a gradual transition?
0:45:18 > 0:45:23They tend to still sell because people recognise the names and they know they'll work in their gardens,
0:45:23 > 0:45:28but we really want people to move towards newer varieties that perhaps perform better in gardens
0:45:28 > 0:45:30or have better disease resistance.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32So this is a great example of that.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37This marigold is so much bigger than that traditional one, so you get more plant for your money.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40It stops the weeds coming through, so it's a natural weed suppressant,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43and also it mulches the ground so you'll need to water your soil a lot less.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45And because you're covering the ground naturally,
0:45:45 > 0:45:49you haven't got that bare soil that you've got to keep maintaining all the time.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54That's truly amazing, and it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work they do here.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Michael's arranged for me to see how different our familiar favourites are
0:45:58 > 0:46:02to the next generation of bedding beauties.
0:46:02 > 0:46:08So, Michael, we've got our very own mechanised conveyor catwalk, but what are the movers and the shakers?
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Well, first of all we've got some begonias to show you.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14The traditional bedding begonia.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Yes, so this is the traditional Begonia semperflorens, it's Organdy,
0:46:18 > 0:46:22but the blooms never fully open and it's quite stunted and not that weatherproof.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- Now look at this biggie! - This is Begonia Lotto.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28Much bigger, more landscaped-style growth, big clear flowers,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32leaves like water-lily pads and perfect for any weather.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34So we've got an annual antirrhinum,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36a plant that dies down to ground every year.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Absolutely, so traditional snapdragons.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Lovely and pretty, but don't flower for long.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45A good alternative is the perennial hardy penstemon.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Flowering for five to six months and really, really tough and resilient in the garden.
0:46:49 > 0:46:54Coleus, I mean, a plant that many of us have grown as children and as we've got older.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57A traditional foliage plant in Victorian times,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01but now we have perilla which is very similar, nice colours but also edible.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03- Good for stir fries or salads.- OK.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07- Ah, now alstroemeria.- Now these are some new kids on the block.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10This is Alstroemeria Indian Summer, also known as Peruvian Lily.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14Flowers for five to six months and lovely bronze foliage.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Ooh, and Gerberas.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Gerberas, this is very exciting.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19Brand-new breed.
0:47:19 > 0:47:20These are hardy down to minus 10,
0:47:20 > 0:47:25- and they'll come back every year with these lovely big florist-quality flowers.- Right.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30- So a revival is really taking place? - Absolutely. Bedding is changing.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Your choices are much wider than they used to be.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37This is how we can bring British bedding back to life with new varieties
0:47:37 > 0:47:43that are more sustainable and easy to look after, and find more cost-effective ways of planting.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48It's time to move on, try some new favourites and revitalise your beds.
0:47:54 > 0:48:01Each year Waddesdon Manor creates a special carpet bed to breathe new life into this Victorian tradition.
0:48:01 > 0:48:06This year's, by artist Philippa Lawrence, was inspired by a piece of 17th-century lace
0:48:06 > 0:48:10and is made of almost 30,000 plants.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15The high number of plants needed to create a display like that often put people off,
0:48:15 > 0:48:20but you can save yourself lots of cash by taking your own cuttings.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32This is one of the most popular bedding plants, the Pelargonium, commonly called the geraniums.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34They've got a long flowering season,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36they're very easy to grow,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39they're reliable, they're a really flipping good plant.
0:48:40 > 0:48:46I'm going to cut it off just above a pair of leaves, so that I don't leave a stump.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51A good tip to stop them wilting is to take a plastic bag and just drop them in.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54If it's a hot day, these will dry out very quickly,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58and the aim is to keep as much water in that plant as possible.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08If you've got a lot of geranium cuttings, stick them in the fridge just to keep them cool,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10that will stop them from wilting.
0:49:10 > 0:49:16I'm going to drop a bit of drainage material in a clay pot so that the hole doesn't bung up,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19and then I'm going to take some seed and cutting compost,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23and I like to handle it gently, so I don't destroy the structure.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Allow it just to fall in, so you've not got air pockets,
0:49:27 > 0:49:32and then I'm just going to bring it up to around about half an inch to an inch,
0:49:32 > 0:49:33and then we're just going to level it.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36And then I'm going to start taking the cuttings.
0:49:37 > 0:49:44What I'm looking for is current season's growth which is known as a soft-wood cutting.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46The stem should be firm and healthy.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49The leaves should be nice and healthy,
0:49:49 > 0:49:54and a lot of people don't like taking geranium cuttings with flowers on.
0:49:54 > 0:50:00I find it makes no difference whatsoever, but these need to be removed.
0:50:00 > 0:50:05I need a cutting, when it's finally prepared, to be around 2-3 inches in length,
0:50:05 > 0:50:11and all I simply do is a straight cut beneath a pair of leaves.
0:50:11 > 0:50:18Trim them off, and then I'm just going to pull the flowers and the leaves off.
0:50:20 > 0:50:26I'm aiming to get between three to five leaves on my cutting.
0:50:26 > 0:50:32If you take off too many, you actually haven't enough leaves for the plant to photosynthesise,
0:50:32 > 0:50:33make its own food.
0:50:33 > 0:50:38If you leave too many on, it will lose water very quickly and can wilt.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43Once I've prepared that cutting, you can either use a dibber to make a hole,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46but I don't like these... I've got my own dibber.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I'm going to make a hole towards the outside of the pot,
0:50:49 > 0:50:55because you get an exchange of oxygen through that wall and that will help rooting.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58A lot of people will use hormone rooting powder.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02I don't like it, but what I do like using is vitamin-C tablets.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07Drop it in a mug full of water, dip your cutting in for about a minute.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11That vitamin C won't half improve your rooting rate,
0:51:11 > 0:51:18and then place that cutting so that it's around an inch down in the compost.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22And then I will just prepare the others in exactly the same way.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27You can probably fit about six cuttings in a pot this size,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30and you want to space them about two inches apart.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33And then two methods of watering.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36I actually prefer to water overhead.
0:51:36 > 0:51:43Some people will put it into a tray and allow the plant to soak up water.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47The other thing that I differ on is a lot of people would put a plastic bag over here,
0:51:47 > 0:51:52I find that that creates too much humidity and then the cuttings rot.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55I just keep an eye on this pot to make sure it doesn't dry out.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57If it's dry, it needs a drink.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02If you're doing them in the autumn, leave them in that pot to overwinter,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05and then in the spring when they start to grow, then pot them up.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09If you're doing it in the spring, you can pot up straightaway.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14So once you see the young shoot growing away, that means they're ready for potting.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34The Victorians were great control freaks and everything had to be clipped to perfection.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Now that level of perfectionism may not be necessary today,
0:52:37 > 0:52:43but the love of bedding is alive and well and still growing in Woking.
0:52:44 > 0:52:50This ornamental bedding paradise on a corner of a street in Surrey was created by Pam Grey.
0:52:50 > 0:52:56For 20 years, she's planned, planted and pruned these colourful eye-catching beds
0:52:56 > 0:53:00which have been the talk of the town and the daily highlight for her postman.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02When you see other gardens compared to this one,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04yes, it definitely does put a spring in my step.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11If Pam is the brains, then devoted husband Barry is the brawn.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14My role is anything to do with hard work...
0:53:16 > 0:53:17..and do as I'm told.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20She's a terror for buying plants.
0:53:20 > 0:53:21She's on a red card.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24She's not allowed to bring no more home and so forth.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26But she's a good lass. I wouldn't swap her.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Pam is in the middle of preparing her cuttings for next year, just like I've shown you...
0:53:31 > 0:53:34a job she prefers to do by herself.
0:53:34 > 0:53:42Barry and myself disagree about putting cuttings in fungicide and using hormone rooting powder.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45I don't usually bother. I just put them straight into the compost,
0:53:45 > 0:53:51and I did an experiment one year without telling him, and mine were better than his.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55Oh, what's this? Are you having a go at me already?
0:53:55 > 0:53:58These ornamental bedding cuttings are crucial to Pam's success,
0:53:58 > 0:54:02and are really an inexpensive way of creating her magical beds.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05So when did it all start for you? What got you into it?
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Barry built my first greenhouse about 35 years ago, I think it was,
0:54:10 > 0:54:15and I just started to get interested in that, and it's grown and grown every year.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18I just love it, and I think people enjoy it as well.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21One lady walked passed the garden the other day when I was watering,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24and she said, "Your garden is just like a big bunch of flowers!"
0:54:24 > 0:54:27And isn't that a lovely thing to have been said?
0:54:27 > 0:54:30- I said, "Oh, thank you very much." - Yeah. Yeah.
0:54:30 > 0:54:31What's your favourite plant?
0:54:31 > 0:54:33I can't answer that one.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34- Really?- No.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36I have to have Marguerites.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37I have to have Cosmos.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39I have to have Salvias.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43- But you obviously enjoy propagating as well?- I do.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46It's quite relaxing, so...
0:54:46 > 0:54:49So how many cuttings are you likely to take over winter?
0:54:49 > 0:54:53- Probably about 30 trays.- Right.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56It must take you forever just to pot all this stuff up.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00It takes a while, but then I find that relaxing too. OTT, I know.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03I mean, people could do it on a smaller scale, couldn't they?
0:55:03 > 0:55:08They don't have to go mad like we do, but I think it's worth it.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12It certainly is, and most of this started from cuttings.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15What an inspiration Pam is.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19Talk about cramming an awful lot into a small area. It's fantastic!
0:55:19 > 0:55:22- There's no weeding to do.- Well, they haven't got the chance!- No.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26- And do you think this is achievable by a beginner?- Definitely.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- A small section would be quite easy, really.- Right.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33It's just a case of thinking of your colours and your textures...
0:55:33 > 0:55:35- And just sticking them in!- Yeah. - Yeah.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38If I fancy growing a different plant, I can.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40- Yeah. - Different colours, combinations.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43- I just get a kick out of it. - And doesn't it look great?
0:55:43 > 0:55:50Now, tell me, do you garden in this front garden for yourself or for everybody?
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Everybody, but mostly for myself.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54- Is that right?- Yeah, yeah.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56- Because it is true.- Yeah.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58It's that simple.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Choose a couple of plants that take your fancy and start experimenting with your own bedding.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10The possibilities for ornamental bedding are endless.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13We just need to get out there and get planting,
0:56:13 > 0:56:19and luckily, in Bournemouth, tastes are changing and a revival is already under way.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21It's ornamental but it's also edible,
0:56:21 > 0:56:27and I think that kind of unusual factor with the public gives that extra edge to what we do here.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Bournemouth Council nursery manager, Chris Evans has always been passionate about edible plants,
0:56:31 > 0:56:35so he decided that it was time to get the community behind them.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37The public response has been fantastic.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Wouldn't it be great if it could inspire people to grow edible plants
0:56:40 > 0:56:43in any patch of land they could possibly find?
0:56:43 > 0:56:45It doesn't cost much.
0:56:45 > 0:56:51It really is such a fantastic feeling to go and eat the plants that you've grown.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54In this amazing 100% edible bed,
0:56:54 > 0:56:58Chris and his team have planted everything from ornamental chillies
0:56:58 > 0:57:05to peppery nasturtiums, crunchy chard, delicious dahlias and marigolds.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Perfect for tarting up your salads.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09What's your kind of opinion on this?
0:57:09 > 0:57:12It looks lovely, and if you can eat it, it's a bonus.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15It is surprising to see edible flowers in a flower bed.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18We noticed that some of it was edible as we walked past,
0:57:18 > 0:57:20because we saw the chard and realised that was,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23- but we didn't realise it all was, did we?- No.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29- What do you think?- Nasty. - Not really sure.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Give it to Mummy.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33Quite nice, but very bitter.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36You're not a big salad eater anyway, are you?
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Ah! Sorry, that's just right in the back of my throat now.
0:57:39 > 0:57:40Have you got a drink?
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Oh, that's quite nice.
0:57:42 > 0:57:43Weird.
0:57:43 > 0:57:48Very, very, very, very... I can't stop saying yummy.
0:57:48 > 0:57:49- You like that?- Yeah.
0:57:49 > 0:57:55Slightly mixed reviews on taste, but with a little bit of imagination anything is possible.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58Whether it's this that inspires you
0:57:58 > 0:58:02or the magnificent and more traditional displays that take your fancy,
0:58:02 > 0:58:07there is no limit to what you can do with ornamental bedding.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10So I hope you're now as excited about bedding as I am.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14So let's roll out the carpet for the Great British bedding revival.