Daffodils and Blossom Trees & Shrubs Great British Garden Revival

There's no doubt that Britain is a nation of very proud gardeners.

Our love of flowers and plants goes back centuries.

But there's a problem. Not everything is rosy in our gardens.

Our iconic plants are under attack from foreign invaders.

Ancient woodlands are at risk of being lost for ever.

And our favourite flowers are disappearing right before our eyes.

So we need you, to help us, in our revival campaign.

We'll be inspiring you to dig deep and celebrate the best of British.

As we reveal the country's most stunning gardens.

And sharing our top gardening tips.

It's time to rediscover our passion for plants.

And breathe new life into our gardens.

The great British daffodil.

Could there be any louder fanfare for the onset of spring

than their golden trumpets and glowing yellow flowers?

This is what most of us think of as being a traditional daffodil.

In actual fact, they're quite modern hybrids.

But it's their popularity that has meant that some of our older

daffodils are in danger of being overlooked

and may disappear completely from our gardens.

I think that it's high time that we give the delightful

daffodil, in all its forms, a new lease of life.

So, join me, as I celebrate this wondrous plant.

On my revival, I'll be discovering some of our most historic

and endangered daffodil varieties.

I rather think it's a living museum.

I take to the streets of Falmouth to paint the town yellow with

some glorious heritage daffodils...

What do you think of mine?

I actually like yours better than I like mine.

..and show you how easy daffs are to grow, as well as creating

one of my very own.

What a treat. I never thought we'd be having children, Alan.

At our age. It's never too late to try.

This is Spetchley Park in Worcestershire,

and it's one of the few places in the country where you can see

heritage daffodils in abundance.

This is the way they ought to be seen.

Spetchley has a really special relationship with the daffodil.

It's part of its history.

Aren't they magnificent?

This daffodil is called Spetchley. It's unique to this place.

It was bred here by Rose Barclay, nee Rose Willmott,

sister of the daffodil fancier, power extraordinaire,

Ellen Willmott.

She's one of my gardening heroines.

She's considered to be one of the finest

horticulturalists of the late 19th century.

But her love for high-end gardening led to bankruptcy

and the sale of her family home.

But all was not lost.

She moved all her daffodils to her sister's garden here at Spetchley.

It makes me feel very special to think that I might be kneeling down

in the midst of the only clump of this daffodil in the entire world.

In order to ensure a future for all the wonderful varieties

of this flower, we need to bring them back to our gardens at home.

To understand the demise of the great British daffodil,

I'm heading to the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, where a thriving cut

flower industry once existed.

Daffodils were farmed, picked and packed in abundance here

until the First World War.

When a large part of the workforce were sent to the front,

the demise continued during the Second World War,

when flower growing fields were taken over for vital

food production, forcing farmers to dig up their daffs

and ditch them in the hedgerows.

Dr Frances Howard is a local daffodil expert.

We've seen so many of these wonderful daffodils just

tumbling down the banks.

Yes, it's exactly where they've been chucked out of the field.

In fact, I rather think it's a living museum.

It is, isn't it?

It tells you the story of what was grown

and also what happened to them.

What's this, Frances?

Well, that'll be a dappled "Bath's Flame".

There are various names for them.

There are "Bacon and Eggs" and "Bacon and Yolk",

and the heritage ones if you can see,

has got single thin papery petals set round like a windmill.

-Yes.

-A whirligig.

-With a bit of a twirl to them.

-Yes.

And they're light and they dance in the breeze

while if you look at the more recent ones... Yes, look.

Oh, yes, look at that. That's definitely a modern hybrid.

Ha-ha-ha.

It's got thick, over-lapping petals and it's a much more solid thing.

There's something sort of sturdy

and a bit coarse about it compared to these dainty things.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

-Aren't they wonderful, these daffodils?

-ALL: They are, yes.

You must have seen a few on your travels.

There's a lot on the path up there.

Have you noticed the difference between any of the daffodils

that have been chucked out?

Yes. Some are blousy and obviously for the market.

Those are exquisite.

-These beautiful dainty ones?

-Yeah.

Well, I'm so glad you said that

-cos that's what we're trying to do, persuade everybody.

-Brilliant.

So if you're growing daffodils in your own garden,

how about trying a few of these?

-Do you think you can get them?

-You definitely can get them, yes,

and the more demand there is, the more supply there'll be.

Well, I would grow those, yeah.

-Well, happy walking and happy daffodils.

-Thank you.

-Lovely to meet you, too.

-Bye.

-ALL: Bye.

Fancy a drink? Is there a bar down here or not?

Ha-ha!

Is that an offer?

The fact that these flowers have survived for so long here

in the hedgerows, demonstrates how low maintenance they are.

They really are such stalwart bulbs.

And there's really no excuse not to grow them.

Well, the daffodils in the hedgerow aren't the only

remnants of what's left of the industry here in the Tamar Valley.

Hiya, Roy. Is this where you packed your daffodils up?

This is where the daffodils used to get packed and bunched.

'Roy Clarke started working on daffodil farms at the age of 14

'and he's going to give me a glimpse into their intriguing past.'

All the family would bunch.

You'd get anybody out to bunch. Everybody done it.

You could walk down the road and your neighbour, he'd be doing the same, and his missus.

And wherever you went, that's what they'd do.

And what about stuff like this? What are these for?

When they were packed in the boxes, this stem stick would go in the box on the stems.

So if the stems were running that way, it would

-go across like that to keep them in place?

-Yep.

You'd have your ink pad and when you were going to send them

you'd give your box a couple of smacks like that where they was

going to, and then there'd be labels that you could tie on as well.

About where they were going?

And do you like daffodils?

-I do, yes.

-Have you got them in your garden?

I've got them in the hedges.

I don't need them in my garden.

And herein lies the problem.

We see daffodils in our parks and roundabouts and roadsides

but they've somehow lost their place in our gardens.

I think it's high time we brought them back.

A lot of the daffodils that we saw growing in the Tamar Valley

are represented here at Spetchley, too.

There's such a diversity and I want to introduce you to a few

of them in more detail and tempt you to grow them in your own gardens.

Now, I suppose to everybody this IS a daffodil.

It has outer petals.

It has a long, long trumpet

but in actual fact, this is just one of 25,000-plus daffodils.

There are so many varieties of daffodils, or as we should say,

narcissi, that they've been split into 13 different divisions.

The sort of factors that they took into consideration when

they were deciding on these divisions were things like,

was there a single flower to a stem

or were they multi-headed like these tazettas?

What sort of colour were they?

Were they, perhaps, species daffodils?

Things like this lovely little bulbocodium.

Wild daffodils or their very close relatives?

This is one of my favourite daffodils of all time,

called "Thalia".

It belongs to the triandrus section

and it usually has two or more flowers to each head.

It's the most beautiful daffodil when you see it growing outside.

It mixes and mingles with everything.

It never pushes itself forward

and yet at the same time you always notice it.

I love this, too. This is a jonquill.

Now, unlike some other daffodils which prefer damp heavy soil,

jonquills come from very sunny slopes

and they appreciate good drainage.

They've also got, and I'm sorry you can't enjoy this,

the most exquisite perfume.

Plant it in a sunny, sunny site and it will come back year after year.

Superb in pots, too.

In my campaign, I want to champion all the wonderful older breeds of daffodils

as well as the new and exciting varieties that are currently being created.

Now, daffodil breeders are a race apart.

They're always looking for a new colour, a new shape, a new form.

Just look at this as an example as the sort of thing that people try and do.

This is a split corona.

Instead of the cup or the trumpet just being entire,

it's all taken back in pieces and it lies flat against the petals.

It's one called "Maria Peer".

It was registered in 2006

so is right at the other end of the spectrum

to the older heritage varieties.

But old or new, these flowers could brighten up any garden,

pot or window box, so get planting.

Now, if you want to get hold of some bulbs

for some of these heritage varieties,

you're going to have to go to a specialist bulb merchant.

There are growers up and down the country

and you can even order online

but I wanted to come and meet one for myself.

What a magical place!

Well, it's a little bit like Ali Baba's cave, really.

All the golden oldies are here so you'll fit in perfectly well.

I'll fit in perfectly!

Alan Street is head nurseryman at Avon Bulbs, in Somerset.

-What?! Ah. Whoo.

-Look at this, Carol.

This is one of my favourite things ever in the world.

This is what they did 400 years ago.

Somebody found this in France but isn't that lovely?

It's known as the Queen Anne's double daffodil.

It's perfect.

It's got the six petals on each, er, in rows.

One on top of each other and that never sets seed

because that's sterile.

-So the only way you can do it is vegetatively just by dividing those bulbs?

-Yeah.

-And passing them around?

-By love.

Yeah. Do you want to pass a few this way?

Of course I will.

'The nursery has won 26 gold medals at Chelsea

'and daffodils have always played a major part.'

I mean, actually, Alan, you're one of the people who's

responsible for this resurgence and interest in this.

I mean, you really believe

that we should all be growing these lovely things.

Well, you can get interested in them if you love them

and I really do love these flowers.

I've been growing them for about 20-30 years now and I've been

showing them up in London at the other flower shows as well.

I mean, but when you look at them, no two flowers are exactly the same

-and I always say their perfection is their imperfection.

-Exactly.

Don't you think it's about time people really started growing

these things themselves?

I think when they look at them compared with the modern ones,

these older ones have a charm and a beauty and a grace, I think, which

when people really look at them they will fall in love with them.

They will and once you're smitten that's it, isn't it?

There's no way back then, Carol.

'Alan reckons that for true daffodil lovers there's no greater joy

'than creating a hybrid of your very own.

'So I'm about to try my hand at some daffodil hanky panky with

'the help of a glorious old Tipperary.'

Well, shall we try and get some pollen off it, Carol,

and cross it onto another heritage daffodil?

-What? Ooh.

-And make something new and wonderful?

Wow, what a treat. I never thought we'd be having children, Alan.

At our age. It's never too late to try.

-Right, shall we try and get some pollen off it?

-Yeah.

I've got a little cotton bud here.

-That looks ideal.

-I think there's a little bit of pollen on there.

Yeah, there is. It's definitely sort of yellow on the end.

And I thought we'd put it onto this other heritage one

here from the 19th century, and that one's called Lucipher.

One of my favourites. Just touch that one. The end.

There you go. There, and now it's a virgin flower.

It hasn't been, nothing's happened to it.

If you get that pollen on there.

-And I just dust this onto the stigma in the centre?

-Yeah.

And you'd mark this flower so you know that.

I would mark it. I've got a little hood we can put on it.

Do you want to put it on?

Ooh, yes, please.

Well, I can staple it up later.

That's it. That'll stop any insects coming on.

'After you've pollenated your flowers, you should have a ripened

'seed pod ready to sow by June.'

-Are they quite big seeds?

-They are.

They're black when they're ripe and they're quite easy to work with.

Do you sow them on the surface of some compost?

A little bit of grit on top of them.

It will germinate next spring when the daffodil leaves come up

but then it will be another three or four growing seasons at least before

they flower so we know what the children, the colour of their eyes.

We know our progeny and we can recognise them instantly.

-How wonderful.

-It'll be worth the wait, I'm sure.

'It's a surprisingly low tech way of playing a part in the future

'of the heritage daffodil, plus it's great fun.

'Why not have a go? Who knows what you could create?'

I'm daft about daffodils.

I always have been.

And I can remember buying bunches of them for my mum for Mother's Day

and the delight on her face.

And as a mum, my daughters when they

were really little, they used to bring me bunches of daffodils for Mother's Day.

But they weren't from the shop.

They used to go out into our garden and pick them and bring them inside.

I didn't mind. I just loved it.

That's the thing about daffodils.

They just make you happy.

And I'm going to show you how easy it is to plant your own

here, in the gardens at Spetchley Park.

When I plant bulbs, I don't like to plant them in lines.

I hate that sort of symmetry.

I think the whole idea is that you make them look as informal,

as natural, as if they've always been there.

And the best way to do that is to just get your bulbs...

Having already just loosened this soil.

I've done that with a big fork.

I literally, I don't even look, up in the air and it's very

tempting to move them and straighten them up and put them together

but don't, because this is the way you'll achieve the right effect.

Now, when it comes to planting them the wisdom is that always put twice

the depth of the bulb of soil above the bulb

and the major cause of daffodils not flowering is because they're planted to shallowly.

And then, obviously, you're going to plant them

with the base plate downwards.

And then into the hole... and really firm them in.

You want intimate contact between that bulb and the soil underneath.

I can hardly remember the first time I planted daffodil bulbs.

I must have been very, very small and it must have been with my mum.

She was a keen gardener

but she didn't get much time to garden

but the kind of results she got from doing such a simple thing

as planting these bulbs was so, so worthwhile.

I bet some of those bulbs are still there now.

The best time to plant your bulbs is September or early October -

ideal for daffodils,

and make sure when you buy your bulbs that you test them.

Make sure they're firm and robust and that they've got no roots

coming from the base and then you know that they're completely

dormant but they're full of all that hope and promise.

The daffodils here have been returning year after year

for nearly a century without any special treatment,

so if you choose these beautiful flowers to brighten up your garden,

maintaining them couldn't be easier.

Nothing could be more exquisite than a daffodil in its prime.

It's at this stage that you can pick them and take them indoors

into the kitchen, but don't mix them up with other flowers because

they contain a poison and the other flowers will die and shrivel away.

But when the daffodils themselves have started to

shrivel, it's really vital that you deadhead them.

A lot of people would do it by just nipping off the top like this,

but what I like to do is go right down to the bottom of the stem

and take it off.

That stops the plant expending all its energy producing seed.

Energy that's vital to the formation of those new bulbs and to swell

in the bulbs that are already there, and for that very same reason

don't tie your daffodil leaves up in knots

or be tempted to chop them down.

They're vital in supplying that source of food for your bulbs later on.

If your daffodils have got into congested clumps

and it's started to impair their flowering, then don't be scared,

just dig the whole lot up, divide them up and replant them

with a bit of good compost just a few inches apart.

This is Falmouth in the heart of daffodil growing country.

I want to take my revival campaign to the streets

but the first step is to get hold of some heritage varieties.

'Ron Scamp has been growing heritage daffodils here in Falmouth

'for over 40 years,

'and his beautiful blooms are sure to wow the locals.'

This is a lovely one, isn't it?

Yes. It's beautiful. It's "Bath's Flame",

the one I used to pick as a boy on my uncle's flower farm

in the Tamar Valley.

You are renowned to have the largest collection of daffodils

in the world, bar none,

so that's a sure sign you're pretty keen on them.

Well, yeah, we've got... Very nearly in this patch here

-there's very nearly 3,000 different named varieties...

-Wow.

..and we have two acres of unnamed seedlings that we've bred as well.

Whoa. New ones are very exciting, aren't they?

Yeah, I've been known to break into a run

when I've seen something really good, so...

But, yes, that is a very exciting time.

But on the other hand,

you're just as passionate about these old varieties.

They've got a soft spot in my heart.

I really do like the real old-fashioned ones.

I'd love everybody to see this. Can we pick some of these?

Of course, yes.

I know it sounds daft, but I'm not really sure how to do it.

If you're going to pick something for indoor decoration right away,

pick a flower that's fresh open.

Make sure that it's a nice, clean flower and not burnt or aged.

So, inspect it first.

Just finger and thumb.

That's it.

That's absolutely perfect.

'So, armed with some beautiful heritage daffodils,

'it's time to show the people of Falmouth what they're missing.

'In this Cornish seaside town,

'they've got a unique way of heralding the start of spring.'

It looks wonderful!

We organise a day called Paint The Town Yellow Day,

which really gets the community and businesses and schools together,

and we hand out daffodils, decorate shops...

-What better way to do it!

-Ah, I mean the daffodil...

What a symbolic flower, isn't it?

Well, the daffodil is so important to Falmouth and to Cornwall,

and we can think of no better flower that really symbolises

colour, vibrancy and, sort of, a uniting spirit

of bringing people together in the town.

Celebrating spring.

Do you want some daffodils?!

'So, along with my fellow daffodil enthusiasts,

'I'm taking to the streets in support of these fabulous flowers.'

I love your daffodil, Constable. What do you think of mine?

Well, I actually like yours better than I like mine.

-What do you think of them?

-They're gorgeous. They're really pretty.

'And my heritage daffs seem to be a firm favourite.'

That's "Maximus Superbus".

I do enjoy the ones with different colours in them.

These are the ones I used to know when I was a child.

-Aren't they beautiful?!

-Do you like them?

-Yes.

Oh, good.

They seem more intimate, more...

"More intimate." I like that!

But they're on the decrease and we want to persuade people...

-Oh, you can persuade me instantly.

-Yes?

Next time you're planting daffodils,

-how about trying a few of these heritage varieties?

-Lovely.

I've crocheted them, I've stitched them, I've cross-stitched them,

and I'm only going to have a wreath of daffodils on my coffin.

So you've got to die in spring.

I've got to die in spring, so I've missed this year!

-Would you support that whole idea...

-Definitely.

-..of us reintroducing these wonderful things?

-Oh, definitely.

-Definitely.

-And growing them?

-Yes, I'd be lost without my daffodils!

And I hope it's many, many years before you have them on your wreath!

'Our heritage daffodils have brightened up everyone's day.

'They're like little rays of sunshine.'

Daffodils?

I don't think even THESE would make her smile, would they?

'The aim of my campaign is to encourage you

'to grow your own heritage daffodils at home.

'So I'm back at Spetchley Park to show YOU

'how you can get the most from your daffodil bulbs.'

Now, you can make more daffodils by growing them from seed,

but it takes quite a long time.

Normally, we buy these dry bulbs,

but instead of just putting them straight into the ground,

there's a way you can make more.

This is a process called chipping.

It has to be one of the most simple ways

of making more bulbs, more plants, that there is.

It's cheap, it's easy and it's such good fun.

All you've got to do is take your dry bulb,

go to the base plate, which is the bit at the bottom of the bulb,

and remove any old roots,

and then just strip a bit of this tunic -

the outside layer -

cos daffodil bulbs are made up of layer upon layer,

just like an onion, of fleshy bits.

So when you've got a clean-looking bulb like that,

take a very, very sharp knife

and just go right across the top

of the nose of the bulb.

You chop its nose off.

Stand it upright,

and take your knife again

and go right through the centre.

Now, I'm chopping that down into four separate bits.

Now, the whole idea is that each piece you're going to make

has got a bit of that base plate,

but it's no good if I just leave it out in the fresh air.

What I've got to do is subject it

to darkness, warmth and moisture.

Take a plastic bag,

grab hold of some of this damp vermiculite.

It's just a sort of mineral rock,

completely inorganic.

It won't supply any kind of nutrient,

any food to this bulb at all.

Seal the bag up.

Put it into your airing cupboard

and wait for about four to six weeks.

You'll want to be looking in there every day

but resist the temptation.

When at last you see

on one of those pieces a new little bulb

forming at the base by this base plate,

that's the stage at which you can

put them into a tray of good compost.

They are going to grow for you.

It's a great way to make more daffodils,

especially when you've only got a few or they're very special.

So, of course, it's ideal for increasing your numbers

of heritage daffodils.

'The best time to do this is when your bulbs are dormant,

'without shoots or roots.

'And when your new bulbs are ready to plant, why not share them?

'Give a couple to a friend or a neighbour

'and get your gardens blooming!'

The Daffodil Society show is an annual event,

showcasing flowers from across the UK.

This year it's being held in Warwickshire,

and in the efforts to have the best blooms,

nothing is left to chance.

Well, the Daffodil Society has been going for over 100 years.

1898 was the start of it.

We want to encourage people to grow it, to enjoy it

and, in this case, today obviously we want people to show it.

Richard Gillings is a previous winner,

and, for him, today is the pinnacle of a whole year's work.

I'm feeling...buzzing.

The adrenaline is going, everything. I love it.

I love every minute of showing my daffodils.

But these daffodil fanciers are a competitive bunch!

-When are you bringing the decent ones out, Alan?

-When you've gone!

HE LAUGHS

It's touch and go...

so far. It's touch and go.

I wouldn't like to say. It's like our front room.

Not a lot in it!

In Richard's category, each competitor must show

nine different varieties,

and each variety vase must contain three brilliant blooms.

Perfect flowers are required,

and, to do that, you must grow many hundreds of flowers

and then you've got to present them all looking at the judge,

the flowers saying, "Pick me."

But will they pick Richard for the third year in a row,

or will his biggest rival take the crown?

This is now the time, the moment of truth.

I think he's just pipped me,

because I think my faults look more than his faults,

what I can see,

so I think he's just pipped me.

And Richard's fears are confirmed,

but he's remaining upbeat.

I'll be back next year all guns blazing,

and it'll take another good man to beat me.

And despite his loss,

he's sure you're on to a winner with daffodils.

People should grow daffodils because they're beautiful flowers

and they're easy to grow.

Buy yourself a few bulbs, put them in the garden,

and I can guarantee you'll have a lovely display next year,

but you're not going to beat me!

For too long, these flowers, with all their history,

have remained neglected.

It's time for us all to rally to the call

and join the great British daffodil revival.

'But perhaps one of our greatest daffodil lovers,

'William Wordsworth, should have the final word.'

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye,

Which is a bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Across the series, our revival team

are travelling the length and breadth of Britain

celebrating our gardens, flowers and plants

in all their glory,

with one important mission -

to champion our rich gardening heritage.

Next, Chris Beardshaw is on the blossom campaign trail.

From cherry blossom and magnolia to laburnum and wisteria.

For me, the blossoming of our trees and shrubs

provides the perfect vision of spring.

But blossom doesn't last long,

and, if that's not enough, we're felling and removing

many of our blossoming trees from landscapes and gardens.

I believe it's time for us to stop

and appreciate blossoming trees and shrubs in our gardens,

no matter how fleetingly they're present in our lives.

'On my revival campaign I'll find out how blossoming trees

'are being lost from our streets and gardens.'

It was quite upsetting to look out from my window

to the sound of chain saws.

'I take to my bike on the Blossom Trail in Worcestershire.'

If you have blossom, you're guaranteed fruit to eat.

It literally was life and death.

'And I'll be sharing my top planting tips

'on just how easy it is for all of us to embrace

'blossoming trees and shrubs in our gardens.'

This plant is perfect.

Evenly distributed.

That's going to get off to a great start.

To start my blossom revival campaign,

I'm at Bodnant Gardens near Colwyn Bay in north Wales.

It's an area known for the imposing Snowdonia landscape

and a garden famed for camellias and magnolias,

not to mention the ravishing 55-metre-long laburnum arch.

'With a phenomenal cascade of flowers

'and the spectacular displays of blossom

'that bring these gardens to life every spring,

'it's easy to see why people flock here.'

"Blossom" is a term that was originally used to define

a very specific group of plants,

namely those that generated fruit -

apples, pears, cherries and so on.

But today we use it much more broadly

to encompass flowering trees and shrubs from around the world

in all their kaleidoscopic colour.

Sadly, many of our blossoming trees and shrubs are becoming vulnerable.

They're being replaced in favour of plants that are perceived

as having lower maintenance and a longer season of interest.

'We're in danger of losing,

'not only the visual spectacle it provides every spring,

'but also the biodiversity that the blossom brings to our gardens,

'streets and cities.'

When we think of ornamental blossom trees in the street,

so often the picture that's conjured up is of apples and cherries,

with their fantastic pink, cerise and white petals

enlivening our neighbourhoods.

'But all is not well.

'Cherry blossom trees have shallow, vigorous roots

'and a reputation for causing damage to pavements and roads,

'so they're more likely to be removed

'and replaced with less problematic species,

'and that's even if they're even replaced at all.

'A recent report from Edinburgh Council

'shows around a 20% decline in street trees since the 1990s.

'Gail Bryden lives in Gardner's Crescent in Edinburgh.

'She's passionate about the mature cherry trees on the communal green,

'so when the council came to chop them down she decided to fight back.'

That's right. We used to have ten cherry trees within the Crescent

and now we're down to four and a half,

so it was quite upsetting a couple of months ago

to look out from my window to the sound of chain saws.

How do you go about stopping someone

cutting down, you know, the community's trees?

I came out, phoned the Evening News, the local paper,

who were here within about five minutes,

and from there on in the work stopped.

It was really upsetting, and, actually, some neighbours were in tears.

Erm, it's amazing, the outpouring of emotions towards these trees.

Is the battle won? Are the cherry trees going to stay?

We're in discussions at the moment, so it would be great if they can,

but by no means are they out of the danger just yet.

'Edinburgh Council say that the felling of the trees

'is part of an ongoing project to restore Gardner's Crescent

'to its former 19th-century glory.

'While further felling has been postponed,

'they do plan to replace the trees

'with a variety of blossomless species.'

And when you consider that for as long as we've been creating

sophisticated cities, as Edinburgh is,

we've been populating those cities with green space

and trees of the right scale and proportion.

So why cut down cherry trees like that in their prime

and end up with naked buildings and empty space like that?

It doesn't make any sense.

'When blossom trees are felled in our own areas, emotions can run high,

'but perhaps, as a society, we don't place enough value

'on the fleeting joy that blossom can bring.'

One country that really knows how to celebrate its blossom is Japan.

For centuries, people have picnicked under the sacred sakura,

or cherry tree, in a ritual known as hanami,

and, for me, there's much we could learn

from that ancient Japanese festival.

'Sayaka Kurata is from Edinburgh University's Japanese Society.'

At the hanami festival in Japan, what happens?

What happens in the hanami festival is two things.

One is appreciating the flowers,

and the second thing is the food.

Everyone's having picnic. Everyone enjoying themselves.

I always remember it as something I look forward to.

Every time the cherry blossom starts to bloom,

me and my friends get excited,

tell Mum and Dad, "We shall have to go to hanami

"because we only have two weeks."

It's a very limited time. So it's just something we can't miss.

What is it, do you think, about the blossom that makes it

so special to the Japanese culture and to the hanami festival?

It's to do with cherry blossom being the national flower,

but also it reflects the transience of life,

to how our life...is.

So hanami is seen as a celebration of beginning,

celebration of spring.

'As a society, what's important for us to take from hanami

'is that we must value and cherish our blossom trees.

'Keep a close eye on the blossom trees in YOUR area

'and get planting in your own gardens

'to safeguard the beauty of blossom for future generations,

'or we risk losing the joy it brings for ever.'

Growing up in rural Worcestershire, blossom, for me,

meant the commercial orchards of apples, damsons and cherries.

There was one group of plants that I just simply couldn't grow

in the grounds that I had, and that's the rhododendrons,

the camellias and the magnolias.

So I had to make a pilgrimage to places like this, to Bodnant,

to witness the arrival of spring,

and, I have to say, it's a pilgrimage that's well worth making.

Queen of the spring blossom is the magnolia,

a curious group of plants.

They evolved 75 million years ago,

long before specialised winged pollinating insects,

and this is amongst the finest of examples.

It's Magnolia sieboldii.

It sits glamorous,

defying anyone to not fall in love with it.

'Magnolias are native to the Americas, the Himalayas

'and East Asia,

'but in the wild, many species are under threat.

'So there's more reason than ever

'to plant these stunning icons of spring and summer

'and I'm going to show you how.'

Magnolias are woodland and woodland-edge dwellers

in their native habitat,

and that really is the secret to their success

when they're transferred to a garden.

Underneath the tree canopy here, surrounded by shrubbery,

is absolutely perfect for them.

It provides them with the necessary shelter from cold winds

but also a very rich soil.

The next thing to think about is which magnolia to go for.

Some are very large,

others are much more shrub-like.

This is Magnolia kobus,

which is a kind of halfway house.

But before you buy,

don't be afraid to knock the plant out of the pot,

because if this is healthy,

then you're sure of getting a healthy plant

that establishes and flowers well.

What we're looking for is these succulent roots around the root ball.

Not a woody array that's spiralling around.

Certainly not blackness within the roots, which indicates dying off.

This plant is perfect. Evenly distributed.

That's going to get off to a great start.

But before you plant, think about the hole that you're planting in.

Make it sufficiently large,

three or four times larger than the size of the pot.

Make sure the bottom is well dug over and loose.

As far as depth is concerned,

what we're looking for is a mark

just a little deeper

than the plant was growing in the pot in the nursery.

Put your spade across the surface, and you can see that's perfect.

'Next, add some organic matter or compost

'before filling with soil, firming it in as you go.'

If you don't firm it in,

what happens is that any breeze that's going by

will wag the top of the plant,

and that means the root ball will be moving around.

Now, those roots are trying to get out into the ground.

The more they move, the more they get severed and broken.

A secure plant allows those roots to migrate out

and then the plant establishes very well.

What's generally a good idea

is to give yourself a bit of a mound

around the plant,

and what you're looking for is a kind of doughnut structure.

And that means when it comes to watering the plant in,

which is key to establish it in the early weeks and months,

all the water is kept exactly where you need it -

right on top of that root ball.

And, as far as the timing of planting is concerned,

well, if you're buying a plant in a container,

it doesn't really matter what time of the year you are planting

as long as you keep it well watered.

And, finally, do you want it to branch out

or do you want it to go up as a standard tree?

If you want a standard tree,

you could go in to these buds at the side

and just knock them off with your thumb.

That will encourage upward growth.

But in this case, I definitely want

those really languid and lavish horizontal branches.

Magnolia kobus is a beautiful tree to have in the garden -

well worth planting,

guaranteed of spring blossom.

'The magnolia is undoubtedly one of the greatest

'of our ornamental blossom trees,

'but, of course, blossom didn't evolve purely for its looks.

'It has an important function - fruit production.

'Our orchards have traditionally been based in central and southern England,

'but there's evidence to suggest that long-term climate change

'could affect what we grow and where we can grow it,

'which could pose a threat to our blossoming orchards.

'Here in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders,

'a forward-thinking man is on a mission to secure the future

'of our heritage fruit trees and the blossom they produce.'

Hi, Alec. A gardener's work - never done!

No, I'm afraid not. There's always weeds.

'Alec West happened upon a house with a disused walled garden

'when house-hunting and fell in love with it.'

Garden's looking great, though, and what a wonderful time of year!

It's just an absolute riot of colour, isn't it?

-Lots of blossom.

-Yeah.

We looked around and found this place,

and I walked through that gate,

and it was just overgrown,

but I put my hand in the soil and I thought, "Wow!"

And then we found and counted 56 fruit trees.

All the apples were on the ground

and so you could see it was productive.

'Alec's spent the last 18 years reviving this abandoned garden

'and its forgotten fruits.

'He learned how to graft from heritage varieties

'onto modern root stocks and trained the fruit trees as cordons,

'a method that maximises productivity in a limited space.'

So, how brutal are you with them?

How relentless are you with the secateurs?

The tree is under stress because it's on at an angle,

so it's reducing the sap flow, therefore it says,

"I'm going to die. I've got to produce more young."

So it wants to produce a lot of flowers.

If you do it in the summer, it produces more growth,

because it's like...

it's wide awake and you chop its arm off and it goes, "Ow!"

And it puts up more growth.

When it's asleep, it doesn't realise.

When the sap starts to rise in the spring, the sap comes up -

nowhere to go. "Better get some fruit."

And this is the perfect way of growing trees in close proximity.

I mean, there's no better way of growing something like a pear tree

in a small garden in containers, in pots.

'Over the last 50 years, Scotland has seen a steady decline

'in its fruit tree numbers,

'and so Alec's vast collection of over 240 varieties

'of apples, pears, figs and apricots is of real value.

'And he has a unique way of getting around his garden to tend his crops.

'Alec's success in reviving near-extinct fruit varieties

'may well play a part in an uncertain climatic future.'

What do you see is the legacy of a garden like this?

I do believe that if global warming continues

as we expect it will,

that this area will once again become a big fruit-growing area.

Er, and if that's the case, people will be able to come to this garden

and say, "Well, this one works," or, "That one doesn't work."

In a way, it becomes a bit of a fruit museum, if you like.

I think that's very true. I think we need that total diversity.

The more we've got, the better.

So, hopefully, this little garden is a tree bank for this area.

A garden like this is a reminder of the importance of the work

of enthusiasts like Alec.

By planting fruit trees, you're helping save rare heritage varieties

from being lost for ever,

and you'll not only have beautiful blossom in spring

but rich fruits to enjoy later in the year.

In springtime it seems that at Bodnant Garden

everywhere you look is a riot of colour.

But there's one blossoming plant

the timing of which keeps gardeners and visitors alike guessing.

When in full bloom,

Bodnant's world-famous, 55-metre-long laburnum arch

produces a magnificent cascade of golden blooms.

But before the plants peak, gardener Fran Llewellyn

is going to tell me more about this glorious historic feature.

And this was something of a trendsetter when it was planted in the 1880s.

People were allowing laburnums to grow as trees

and no-one had contemplated the idea of strapping them to a structure.

So what was it that instigated that idea?

Well, pergola walkways were really very fashionable

in the 16th and 17th centuries,

and became fashionable again in the Victorian era,

and Henry Pochin was at the forefront of that.

It was his idea to design and plan this fantastic walkway.

Over the years the 48 laburnum trees

have been meticulously trained and shaped

to create this arch,

and it's no mean feat to keep it maintained.

Every winter two specialist gardeners spend five weeks untying each plant

before pruning and retraining new growth into the structure.

I mean, what's curious is that at this end of the archway,

the flowers are starting to come, but why is it just here

and not occurring further up?

This end of the arch gets more sunlight.

It's as simple as that.

So when we see the blossom appearing this end,

we know that we're on the countdown to the laburnum arch.

What do you think Pochin would have made of the display today?

Well, that's the fascinating thing.

I mean, he was a Victorian entrepreneur, a man of great vision,

so to have designed and planted this

when he wouldn't actually have seen what the end result was,

I think he'd be absolutely... he'd be delighted.

There's no doubt that Bodnant is a blossom sanctuary,

but, sadly, this isn't always the case in our own gardens.

But all is not lost.

We can help guarantee the future of blossom

by taking inspiration and planting some of the beauties thriving here.

Enkianthus is a plant that originates from the woodlands

of China and Japan.

It has a species name which tells you everything

you need to know about the shape of the flower.

It's Enkianthus campanulatus,

after campanology, the art of ringing bells.

Well, just look at the shape of the flowers.

A perfect pendant bell.

This is one of those plants that delivers

not just an initial hit of impressive colour during spring.

Come autumn, these leaves turn a fiery bronze.

Spectacular as it is, this shrub is actually very low maintenance

and grows well anywhere the blossoms are warmed by dappled sunlight.

Just ensure it's protected from the wind,

as this way the flowers will persist.

Blossom is not just about an aesthetic treat.

There are other senses to be titillated.

This is a dwarf lilac,

and the fragrance is just so exquisite.

It's sweet and elegant.

It's a shrub which is perfect for a small garden.

It will even tolerate being constrained

within a large container.

And, for me, the best way of exhibiting it is somewhere

where the warmth of the spring sunshine

can really excite the nectaries in the flower,

and also surrounded by other plants that will help to trap and ensnare

that sweet and delicious fragrance.

Nobody said blossom was subtle,

and it doesn't get more garish than this.

Rhododendron 'Amoena'.

Just for the briefest of moments

it is festooned in this wonderful array of blossom.

For a large and statuesque specimen tree,

well, I think it's impossible to beat the glories of this.

It has a common name of the "handkerchief tree",

which I think is a little bit miserly.

Much better to go for the Chinese common name,

which is the "dove tree" - the tree of peace.

The only problem is that, technically, this isn't a blossoming tree.

These white appendages are actually bracts, which is a modified leaf.

The true flower is there.

It's this spherical construction.

It's a tree to plant and be proud of,

perhaps not for you but for your grandchildren.

'Famous for its orchards bursting with blossoming fruit trees

'since medieval times,

'my home county of Worcestershire has developed its very own Blossom Trail.

'But with 60% of England's orchards disappearing since World War II,

'this area has seen a decline in its fruit production.

'I've teamed up with friend and local horticulturalist John Edgeley

'on our bikes to see what's left

'of this once beautiful blossoming landscape.'

It must have been an amazing sight when there was so much orchard.

I mean, the whole landscape must have just been white with flowers.

Yes, and around here, if you look at the old maps,

even in the 1950s it was just orchard still,

all the way from here to Evesham.

'A staggering 90% of the fruit we eat in the UK today is imported,

'which inevitably is bad news for the plight of our blossom.'

Now we're just coming into Bishampton village.

This is an old orchard on your right

and it's being threatened with planning at the moment.

But you can see there's some very old perry pears in the back there.

The lilac's really doing well at the moment. Really spectacular.

Yeah, stunning, isn't it? Yeah.

It really is difficult to overstress

the importance of blossom historically.

May Day, for instance, that wonderful pagan celebration of

the point at which the spring officially starts.

The importance was that if you have blossom,

then you're guaranteed fruit, fruit to eat,

and that means your life can continue.

It literally was life and death.

-New young orchard on our left just coming up.

-Oh, yes.

'Thanks to charitable and government initiatives,

'some old orchards ARE now being restored.'

We can come in for a drink now.

'But progress is slow, so we all need to do our bit

'to bring blossom back to the forefront,

'like Lucy Rollett, who's helping the cause

'by reviving the fruit-growing traditions of this area,

'making drinks using local produce, including blossom.'

We've just planted a really small little orchard,

an elderflower orchard,

and then we've moved on to plum drinks as well.

We make a yellow egg plum

because it's part of the Vale of Evesham's culture.

It's something that makes this place unique,

which is what our fruit and veg has to offer, I think,

and keep it going.

Well, after a few miles on the bike,

I can certainly give it my endorsement. It's fantastic.

Thank you. Safe journey home.

'You can support my campaign just by getting out there

'and appreciating the diversity of Britain's blossom.

'Be inspired to plant your own flowering fruit trees,

'which will not only give you blossom but great rewards come harvest time.

'Bodnant Garden is renowned

'for its scenic flowering trees and shrubs,

'but a fear of complicated pruning puts many of us off

'growing these blossoming plants in our own gardens.

'So I'm going to show you a foolproof technique

'to guarantee blossom year after year.'

In common with all woody plants,

spring blossoming plants will need an occasional prune

to keep them in check,

reshape them or encourage flowering.

Now, this one has finished its flowering flush,

so we're not going to lose any flowers,

and we can very clearly see that's this spring's growth.

It's green in colour. Then the wood changes to a much darker brown.

This is last summer's growth,

and the flower would have been carried right there.

Now, in order to get those flowers to perform next spring,

what we do is to trace back to a nice fresh shoot,

like this one, for instance.

Remember, we're trying to trim it back to contain it

whilst not losing the flowers.

So we can go in at this point and if I prune there...

this side shoot will suddenly produce extra growth this summer,

and it's on the end of that growth that next spring

we'll get fabulous blossom.

But if your evergreens have really got out of control,

well, don't worry, because, as you can see from this pruning cut,

a previous gardener has been much more radical.

You really can hit them hard.

Encourage plenty of fresh growth

and what we end up with is a plant that will last generations,

every spring producing the most glorious blossom displays.

In an award-winning communal garden

in Pimlico, central London,

a revival is already under way

for a vibrant blossoming shrub native to North America

that causes a stir every spring.

We're well known, really, for our ceanothus.

We've got a national collection of ceanothus,

some 65, 70 different creatures,

and most of them are in flower right now.

In 1980, local resident Roger Phillips MBE

transformed Eccleston Square's neglected green

into this magnificent garden,

and he's championed blossom ever since.

When I came to tackle the garden,

I experimented with all sorts of different things

and one of the most successful of the plants I planted was ceanothus.

I had planted about six, and from then on,

I went completely mad over ceanothus and they're everywhere.

What I love about ceanothus is the rich blue colours

and a lot of variation in the foliage as well.

They range from really quite dark purpley blues

to delicate Air Force blues.

I mean, actually, I think the white ones are terrific as well.

This is one called 'Millerton Point'.

The blue ones are better, I suppose.

I love the blue ones, but it's great to have a white one as well.

All of them are very happy in dry conditions -

as near as we can get in England to California is what it comes down to.

Yes, here we are in Pimlico,

or you could call it California, England!

'From Roger's infectious passion and enthusiasm for blossom

'to the dazzling array here at Bodnant,

'I hope you're inspired to get behind my blossom campaign.'

Blossoming trees and shrubs,

they mark the passing of the seasons,

and now is the time to seize the opportunity

to plant them throughout our gardens and landscapes.

By doing so, we're guaranteed a display to revel in.