0:00:02 > 0:00:06There's no doubt that Britain is a nation of very proud gardeners.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Our love of flowers and plants goes back centuries.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11But there's a problem.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Not everything is rosy in our gardens.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Our iconic plants are under attack from foreign invaders.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Ancient woodlands are at risk of being lost forever.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And our favourite flowers are disappearing right before our eyes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31So we need you to help us in our revival campaign.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35We'll be inspiring you to dig deep
0:00:35 > 0:00:37and celebrate the best of British.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40As we reveal the country's most stunning gardens.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And sharing our top gardening tips.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It's time to rediscover our passion for plants.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53And bring new life into our gardens.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28The rhododendron, with its large exuberant flower clusters
0:01:28 > 0:01:30and intriguing foliage,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33is, for me, the king of shrubs.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35It was once a favourite in our parks and gardens.
0:01:36 > 0:01:43But their lurid, pastel colours, that were so popular in 1970s suburbia,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47have now fallen deeply out of garden fashion.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Some of them also have a reputation for being a garden bully
0:01:50 > 0:01:55and have been slowly but surely blacklisted by gardeners.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00But to dismiss a whole genus of plants for the crimes of just a few?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I mean, it's absolutely insane!
0:02:03 > 0:02:07And I think it's time to give this colourful beauty another chance.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13To rediscover the love for this plant, I'll be putting on a lab coat
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and bringing some ancient Victorian rhododendrons back from the dead.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Wow! A whole forest of rhododendrons just from one, tiny flower bud?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24See species of rhododendrons
0:02:24 > 0:02:27that have been saved from the edge of extinction.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This garden owes a lot of its present gorgeousness
0:02:30 > 0:02:32to having been lost.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34And share my tips on how to recreate
0:02:34 > 0:02:37the magic of the Himalayas at home.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Can you imagine what our cities would look like
0:02:39 > 0:02:42if we planted prehistoric craziness like this?
0:03:01 > 0:03:05This is the magnificent Harewood House, just outside Leeds.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It has acres of award-winning gardens
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and over 100 different varieties of rhododendron.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Rhododendron means "rose tree" in Ancient Greek
0:03:17 > 0:03:18and with really good reason,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22because they give you all the things of the best garden trees -
0:03:22 > 0:03:26the structure and the form - as well as the colour and drama of roses.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And for those reasons, rhododendrons and azaleas
0:03:29 > 0:03:32dominated British garden design for decades.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Species in the genus Rhododendron
0:03:35 > 0:03:38are native to Asia, North America, Europe and Australia,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42with the greatest diversity found in the Himalayas.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45It was first introduced to Britain in the 1650s
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and their popularity gathered pace,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50reaching an all-time high in the 1970s.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But, sadly, there came a day
0:03:52 > 0:03:55when we all fell out of love with the rhododendron.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00But I have seen the light.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03If you pick the right varieties, everything changes
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and even super-flouncy ones like this,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08if you just train them right as a standard, elegant tree
0:04:08 > 0:04:11with a straight-up trunk, rather than a low hummock,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14they can suddenly become all kinds of exotic and wild.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17To get my campaign under way,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I've come to The Lost Gardens Of Heligan in Cornwall,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22where an almost forgotten collection
0:04:22 > 0:04:24of rare and wonderful rhododendrons
0:04:24 > 0:04:28have been rescued from the brink of extinction.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And there are all sorts of amazing varieties.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Here we have Rhododendron falconeri.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38And unbelievably, this was raised from seed
0:04:38 > 0:04:43from one of the original collections made by Joseph Hooker in the 1850s
0:04:43 > 0:04:46from his first expedition to Darjeeling in India.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
0:04:48 > 0:04:51was one of the most prolific British botanists and explorers
0:04:51 > 0:04:53of the Victorian era.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56He gathered 45 new species of rhododendrons
0:04:56 > 0:04:59on his expedition to India and the Himalayas
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and many of them found a home right here at Heligan.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04But, at the beginning of the last century,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08the grounds were tenanted out and the rhododendrons ran wild.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Ivy and brambles took hold.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14In fact, the gardens of Heligan were lost for 80 years.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21In 1990, a massive project began to restore this lost collection
0:05:21 > 0:05:23to its former glory.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Tim Smit was one of the men who headed up the restoration.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29Tim, look at this.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33You couldn't draw, as a landscape artist, a more perfect picture.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Well, you've got to imagine this place
0:05:35 > 0:05:37with 2,000 self-seeded sycamore and ash trees.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Well over 60 feet high, most of them.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42It was completely dark and dank.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The only reason these mature specimens had survived
0:05:45 > 0:05:47is that they were so tall they were still photosynthesising.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It's like a million miles away from that 1970s suburban kind of look.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52That's absolutely right.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53And the really nice thing here is
0:05:53 > 0:05:56that most gardens with a lot of rhododendrons,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58you get this kind of blousy Barbara Cartland effect,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01whereas here, with all the jungle around it,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03they're set like jewels in a kind of an essay of green,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05of all the different leaf shapes and whatever.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But it's green, green, green, green and then...bang!
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Ironically, this garden owes a lot of its present gorgeousness
0:06:12 > 0:06:14to having been lost.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It's rare heritage specimens like the ones here
0:06:19 > 0:06:21that I want to see revived in our back gardens.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But there's one variety that you need to be aware of.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27This little fellow might look mild-mannered
0:06:27 > 0:06:31but it's a rhododendron hybrid, superponticum.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34In other words, public enemy number one for many conservationists.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Introduced to our gardens in the 18th century,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42it's often described as a real Frankenstein's monster of a plant.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44With toxic roots and lots of seeds,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47it spreads quickly, allowing nothing else to survive.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Head gardener Mike Friend
0:06:49 > 0:06:52attempted to clear it from the Heligan collection four years ago.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56But removing the super-invasive eco-vandal is a never-ending battle.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- Let's get rid of this, Mike. - Right. OK. I'll pass you a shovel.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Excellent. You must have some kind of Pavlov dog association with them.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05You see it and you panic.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07So, what a lot of people do with superponticum
0:07:07 > 0:07:09is they just cut them back to ground,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11but that doesn't kill the plant at all.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13In fact, it can improve its vigour.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Yeah. Yeah, it's kind of like giving you a haircut.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Sometimes it encourages more growth.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22But we've actually found that we've chopped it down to ground level,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- ..waited for regrowth...- Yeah.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25sprayed it off,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and it still comes back, even after spraying, so...
0:07:29 > 0:07:32And the really ironic thing is that, by spraying it with herbicide,
0:07:32 > 0:07:33you're potentially killing off
0:07:33 > 0:07:36the very plants you're trying to get to grow back, the natives,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and not the thing that you're spraying.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Right.- There you go.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- That's incredible how shallow-rooted they are.- Yeah.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47When people want to chop them down,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51that is probably easier than chopping them down and so much more effective.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53There's so little root on that compared to top growth.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Yeah, it's...
0:07:54 > 0:07:57If you can get them at this size, all the better, really.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Good stuff. Well, that's one less. - All right.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04A couple of hundred thousand more and we'll have done it!
0:08:06 > 0:08:10While there's no denying that superponticum is a pest,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14dismissing all rhododendrons because of one very specific hybrid
0:08:14 > 0:08:16is, in my mind, utterly ridiculous.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21I think you just need to get on board and love rhododendrons.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38I'm back at Harewood House
0:08:38 > 0:08:43to meet modern-day plant hunter, head gardener Trevor Nicholson,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46whose passion for the rhododendron is second to none.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Trevor, you've been all over the world
0:08:52 > 0:08:55hunting out these things in some pretty inaccessible places.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56What drives you?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I just love rhododendrons.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00The variety.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I love growing them from seed and from cuttings
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and I like people to enjoy them, really. They're such a lovely plant.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09What are we planting here? I don't recognise this one.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Erm...well, we're not quite sure yet.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13We think it's Rhododendron triflorum.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16They came from Arunachal Pradesh,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19which is next to Bhutan in the Himalayas
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and they came from an exhibition there in 2011.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Wow! So, these were previously potentially unknown...
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- That's right, yeah. - ..just three years ago?- Yeah, yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33One of the characteristics of the species that we think it is...
0:09:35 > 0:09:36..it's very aromatic.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Hey, what's that?
0:09:39 > 0:09:43And the... It's used in incense in the Far East.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45That is so familiar.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Kind of myrtle, eucalyptus.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Maybe, like, with a hint of blueberry in all at the same time.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56So, you've got evergreen. You've got low-maintenance.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59You've got flowering. You've got, potentially, new to science.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And on top of that, you've got aromatic.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I mean, really, asking more from a plant would just be greedy.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Trevor's rhododendrons are truly spectacular
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and if you want them in your garden, there are some basic conditions
0:10:11 > 0:10:12that they will need to thrive.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Rhododendrons come from regions in the world with slightly acidic soil
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and they have specially adapted roots
0:10:23 > 0:10:26that allow them to get hold of nutrients in those environments.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28All you need to do, though, really, is figure out,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31first of all, what kind of soil you're starting with
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and then there are all types of tips and tricks to get around it.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39To do this, you need to pick up a soil pH testing kit.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42First thing you need to do is take a sample of your soil
0:10:42 > 0:10:45from about a trowel's depth under the ground,
0:10:45 > 0:10:46just to get a representative sample.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Pop it on a windowsill overnight, just to dry it out a little bit.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51And here's a little bit I've got earlier.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I'm going to put a tiny pinch in this little vial.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58The next thing...
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It will come with this barium sulphate
0:11:00 > 0:11:06and what that does is it effectively gets rid of any of the larger solids,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08so makes them fall to the bottom.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10This is the magic bit.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11This is your pH tester,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17which acts exactly like a litmus test,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19just like you did at school.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Except, in my case, without being poked by a Bunsen burner.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Right, give it a quick shake... And that's all you need to do.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Within a few minutes, that will change colour
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and give you an indication.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32The soil pH testing kit will come with a colour chart
0:11:32 > 0:11:35to help you determine the soil's acidity.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37This is seven, so that's pH neutral.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40And anything below that, you can easily grow rhododendrons in.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And that's, really, probably, I don't know...
0:11:43 > 0:11:456.5, 6-ish,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49which is only just, just slightly acidic.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50And if you think about it,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53if a garden like this with world-class rhododendrons
0:11:53 > 0:11:55can be created just off-neutral,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58really, they're not that fussy at all.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02But, if your soil is alkaline, don't worry, I have a solution.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07In a pot, you can control the alkalinity of your soil.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09All you need to do is make sure you go for this stuff
0:12:09 > 0:12:12called ericaceous compost.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14It's basically a compost without lime added,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17which means it's slightly on the acid side.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Any garden centre will sell it
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and they'll have a big picture of a rhododendron
0:12:21 > 0:12:23splashed all over the outside.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24You cannot miss it.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Pop the little fellow in.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Pat some of this compost down.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Water it thoroughly.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32And in any garden,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36this beautiful dwarf 'Lemon Dream' is going to look fantastic.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41So there is no excuse to not have rhododendrons in your garden.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Rhododendrons have not only had it rough
0:12:50 > 0:12:52in the popularity polls in recent years.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Back in the early '90s, a disease known as sudden oak death
0:12:56 > 0:12:58swept across North America and Europe,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02threatening the survival of many rare species of the plant.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05But, fortunately, science has come to the rescue.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12I'm trying to extract a bud from this ancient Rhododendron decorum
0:13:12 > 0:13:14to take to a lab and get it cloned.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22For the next part of my revival, I'm in Cornwall,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24visiting the Duchy College in Rosewarne
0:13:24 > 0:13:28to meet Ros Smith, who's an expert at micro propagation,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30a technique used to create multiple plants
0:13:30 > 0:13:32from the smallest pieces of plant tissue.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Ros...- Ah!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I've got you a bud from Heligan.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Set up in 2004 to counter the effects of sudden oak death,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44the project has developed some very interesting propagating techniques.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47We first started off with what you'd normally use for propagating,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49which would be shoots,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52but found there's just so much contamination there.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54We ended up with pots full of mould,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55rather than pots full of growing plants.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59So, we looked on the internet and read journals
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and found you could use the floral tissue.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05So, we started with this and tweaked it a little bit
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and we found it works very well.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10It all starts with a closed flower bud,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13washed multiple times to get rid of any nasties.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Once sterile, it's carefully dissected
0:14:16 > 0:14:19to reveal the crucial part of the floral tissue.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's actually the little flower stalk that we use
0:14:22 > 0:14:27and that regenerates shoots, which can then be grown on.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Tension...
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Yeah. I'd never make a surgeon. Look at that.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Talk about cack-handed. So, do you reckon I could get a job?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Well...a bit more practice needed.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's a very polite answer right there!
0:14:39 > 0:14:43How many plants could we potentially get from this tiny, little floret?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Well, we say ten from each. We might have 60.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Wow!
0:14:48 > 0:14:51A whole forest of rhododendrons, just from one tiny flower bud?
0:14:52 > 0:14:54It really is mind-blowing stuff
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and vital work, if we're going to help save our ancient rhododendrons
0:14:58 > 0:14:59for future generations.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And it's all down to a nutrient-rich jelly,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04which encourages the buds to shoot.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- So, where do these go now? A sunny windowsill?- No.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09They go into a growth room,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11where the controlled conditions and the environment
0:15:11 > 0:15:13is ideal for them to just continue growing.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17You have a growth chamber? It's like being on a space shuttle!
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Here, the tiny buds are left to grow
0:15:21 > 0:15:24in a constant temperature of 22 degrees Celsius
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and 16 hours of fluorescent light,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30before being potted on into rooting gel and then compost.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32So, here's my little sample.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And this, over here, is what it could look like
0:15:34 > 0:15:36in as little as three months.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Right here, you see these tiny, little pinheads
0:15:39 > 0:15:41of cress-like growth underneath the gel.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Six months later, we've got this.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46But it's not until two years later
0:15:46 > 0:15:48that you have, not quite mature,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50but definitely established, little plants,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53potentially hundreds of them that you could pot up.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Which is exactly what Ros has done
0:15:56 > 0:15:59in a living library of all her rescued plants
0:15:59 > 0:16:03that will, hopefully, ensure their survival for years to come.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05What is it you most enjoy about your work?
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I think it's the fact that sometimes
0:16:07 > 0:16:09you've saved something from extinction
0:16:09 > 0:16:12in the garden where it originally was.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We've had material sent where the plant has fallen down
0:16:15 > 0:16:17or where it's been put on a bonfire.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20We've just had a little shoot sent through the post
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and that's all that they have left of it
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and they didn't realise how important it was
0:16:24 > 0:16:25until it was on the bonfire
0:16:25 > 0:16:27and we've managed to save it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29It is miraculous and you work in a living ark.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- It doesn't get any better than that. - No, it's wonderful.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37Ros and her team have successfully cloned over 500 rare plants,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41the majority of which are fabulous rhododendrons,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43making her a true champion of my revival.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I'm back at Harewood House to show you
0:16:53 > 0:16:55that you don't necessarily need a high-tech lab
0:16:55 > 0:16:58if you want to try your hand at a bit of propagation.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03I want to show that anyone can propagate and grow
0:17:03 > 0:17:05their own crop of rhododendrons and cuttings,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07giving you plants for free.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14The best way to propagate rhododendrons in my book
0:17:14 > 0:17:16is semi-ripe cuttings.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18That may sound really technical.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It just refers to the type of growth you're going to use.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Semi-ripe growth is this new growth that's along here.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26Green and firm.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Nicely established.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Not woody, like this.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31This is ripe growth
0:17:31 > 0:17:32and this is semi-ripe growth.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34All you do now is pop it in a bag,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37just to maintain the moisture in it to stop it wilting,
0:17:37 > 0:17:38and you're good to go.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43First thing you need to do to spark your little cutting into growth
0:17:43 > 0:17:48is to fill a little pot with a bit of cutting compost.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Now, for a rhododendron, what I'd like
0:17:50 > 0:17:54is maybe a 50-50 mix of ericaceous compost,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56the perfect thing for acid-loving plants like rhododendron,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58mixed with this stuff.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01These little white granules. This is perlite.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02It's a volcanic mineral.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07And what it does is two exactly opposite things pretty amazingly.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09It allows the compost to retain water
0:18:09 > 0:18:11but, at the same time, keeps it really well-drained
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and that drainage is essential
0:18:13 > 0:18:17to stop the bases of your little cuttings from rotting off.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18So, speaking of little cuttings...
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I'm going to take off the semi-ripe wood,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26which is this green, new but yet firm stem.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I'm going to take off some of the leaves here.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Leaves are the bits of the plant that breathe
0:18:31 > 0:18:35and when they breathe, they lose moisture from the plant itself.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39And it looks brutal, but will actually help them out a little bit.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Now all I'm going to do here is scrape off,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46almost like peeling the bark -
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and under here, it's called the cambium layer -
0:18:49 > 0:18:50just away on one side.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55This damages the plant ever so slightly
0:18:55 > 0:19:00and exposes the part where they root just that little bit more.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02And then...
0:19:02 > 0:19:03..a little bit of HRT.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Now, this stuff is hormone rooting powder.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Dip the stem into the powder
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and it will help encourage the cutting to grow roots.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Then create a hole in your compost, ready for your cutting.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17I'm going to pop it in right up to its neck,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20where the compost meets the edge of the pot.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And the reason is, at the edge is where the drainage is at its best.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29The worst thing that can happen is this sits in heavy, wet, cold soil
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and bacterial and fungal infections cause them to rot.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34That's one. I'm going to pop in another four
0:19:34 > 0:19:35and then we're good to go.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46All I'm going to do now is completely saturate the pot.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50You want to get it as wet as possible.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Now all you've got to do is pop a plastic bag, a clear plastic bag,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56over the top and pop it on a windowsill.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Preferably a north-facing one that doesn't get too much bright sunlight,
0:20:00 > 0:20:01indoors, in a cool room.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And within as little as two months,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06what you'll start to notice is these tips here
0:20:06 > 0:20:08will start to produce new leaves
0:20:08 > 0:20:10and that's a sign you've got healthy root growth underneath.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13You take them out and you pot them up individually.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17You'll have effectively made four clones of the same plant.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18And within two or three years,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20you'll have a handsome, young specimen like this
0:20:20 > 0:20:22ready to go out in the garden.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25And the only thing it will have cost you is patience.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Some people think that all rhododendrons
0:20:33 > 0:20:35are big and over-bearing.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37But that's not actually the case.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I want to show you that you can grow them, no matter how small your garden.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Rhododendrons and azaleas, a member of the rhododendron family,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48come in all shapes and sizes.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Here at Trewithen Nurseries in Cornwall,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52they grow all manner of dwarf varieties.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57And manager Luke Hazelton has some of his favourites to show me.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59- Hey there, Luke.- Hello, James.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01What have you got in store for me?
0:21:01 > 0:21:03I'm looking for smaller dwarf rhododendrons.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I've got some nice varieties here.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Erm...some nice azaleas.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08It's incredible to think
0:21:08 > 0:21:12that this miniature bonsai Barbara Cartlandy type
0:21:12 > 0:21:17is in any way related to this tropical monster that...
0:21:17 > 0:21:19I don't know, either in a jungle
0:21:19 > 0:21:22or in a fancy five-star hotel in South-East Asia,
0:21:22 > 0:21:23could possibly be related.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I mean, it just shows you the variation of what you can go for.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It just shows you the complete range that we have.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It's surprising with the rhododendrons and azaleas
0:21:31 > 0:21:32on how far you can go.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Colour ranges, sizes and even scent, as well.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37What I love about them is,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39in particular in some of the older species types,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43is that they've got these kind of bronzes and dark, motley greens.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I mean, it looks very traditionally English
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and, at the same time, unbelievably exotic.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And I can't think of a single plant that does that.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52With so much choice out there,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55there's no excuse not to grow rhododendrons at home.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59So, I'm taking to the road with an army of Luke's dwarf rhododendrons
0:21:59 > 0:22:03to change people's perceptions of this misunderstood plant.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Well, we've got our own little rhododendron forest here
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and let's hope it'll start changing some minds.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Some say there's nothing more Cornish than a cream tea.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17So what better place to promote my rhododendrons
0:22:17 > 0:22:19than a bustling Truro tea room?
0:22:19 > 0:22:20We're here. Wish me luck.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27It's time to see if these little guys will win over the people of Cornwall.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30For one day and one day only,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I'm taking over this Cornish tea house
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and turning it into The Rhodo's Return.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Helping me set up is owner Joan Pollard,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41who's been serving afternoon tea here for 18 years.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Are you a fan of rhododendrons? - Yes, I am. I've got quite a few.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46And what kind of rhododendrons?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Big ones and small ones, like that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- Excellent. So a multiple rhododendron collection.- Yes, multiple.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Who wants a miserable spider plant
0:22:57 > 0:22:59when you can have year-round structure?
0:22:59 > 0:23:00You've got colour at the end of it.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And you've got scent on some of the indoor ones, as well.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Definitely. Yes.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05I didn't realise, actually,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08how much scent there was on all these different rhododendrons.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Out of all the ones we've got here, which one's your favourite?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I've got more than one. I like that one and that one and that one!
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Now, let's see what the afternoon tea lovers of Truro think.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Are you a rhododendron fan?
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Well, I must confess, I'm not all that knowledgeable.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26A sheltered position, acid soil, even moisture.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28You're fine.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- Have you got a garden? - I've got a balcony.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Can I grow a rhododendron on a balcony?- You absolutely can, yeah.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- You've converted me. We need to track down some plants.- Excellent!
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Recently, there's been some press about certain rhododendrons
0:23:44 > 0:23:46not being particularly good.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There are hundreds of rhododendron varieties
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and there is one that's invasive.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54If you don't like rhododendrons, frankly, you don't like life.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55There's just... It's so...
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It's like saying you don't like dessert.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Deal? You're going to plant a rhododendron?- Yeah.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Fantastic. Another one sold.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06We're going to the garden centre now on the way home.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Cheers to The Rhododendron Return.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Exactly! Exactly!
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Now, I'm really pleased with that response.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20And the thing is with rhododendrons, there are so many,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22hundreds of varieties.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I guarantee there is one for you,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26no matter your site, no matter your style.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This garden is like a slice of the Himalayas
0:24:44 > 0:24:47that's just been dropped into Yorkshire,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50with this dazzling colour palette of plants
0:24:50 > 0:24:52that have been collected from seed
0:24:52 > 0:24:53by modern-day plant hunters.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55And they've got orchids,
0:24:55 > 0:24:56they've got cobra lilies,
0:24:56 > 0:24:57they've got primulas
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and 50 different kinds of rhododendrons.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02In a word, it is spectacular.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I'm going to show you some Himalayan heroes
0:25:05 > 0:25:07that you can grow at home,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09starting with my favourite rhododendron.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Rhododendrons have got to be the hardest-working of all garden plants.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Like this little fella. He's been crammed in.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Clinging on to life in the middle of rocks and with almost no soil,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and he's still perfectly happy.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And even once the flowers are long withered,
0:25:26 > 0:25:27I mean, they've dropped off ages ago,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31the remnants of them are almost as beautiful as any exotic flower.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Still got loads of colour and fantastic new growth.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Like a yeti's hand.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43This is my undisputed favourite.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Rhododendron sinogrande, meaning "giant Chinese".
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And the "giant" bit comes from the leaves.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51They can be 60cm, two foot long,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53right throughout the year.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55They're evergreen, with a beautiful underside.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57It's got flowers, as well.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58And once those are gone,
0:25:58 > 0:25:59right from the inside here,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03you have a flush of new growth that's silvery and powdery.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Like little lambs' ears coming out of the top of it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07It forms a massive tree.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Can you imagine what our cities would look like
0:26:09 > 0:26:11if we ditched boring old staples
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and planted prehistoric craziness like this?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17And if you have the right soil for rhododendrons,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19there are loads of other Himalayan gems
0:26:19 > 0:26:21that will look awesome in your garden.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Walking through a field of this incredible Primula pulverulenta
0:26:26 > 0:26:28is like some kind of enchanted meadow.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32It's called Primula pulverulenta because of this farina.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36It's this dusty, white substance that covers the stems.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39It absolutely loves boggy, wet conditions,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41making it perfect for the UK.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Anywhere near a pond or a water feature,
0:26:44 > 0:26:45or even in a damp meadow like this,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and it will self-seed itself all over the place.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Or how about the spectacular Himalayan blue poppy,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59which is easier to grow from plants rather than seeds
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and loves cool, damp conditions.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Just look at this... Eremurus.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08The Himalayan foxtail lily,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11with these beautiful, white stars.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And you can see why it gets the name foxtail.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15It's hard to believe
0:27:15 > 0:27:16you can grow it in the UK.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18And all you need to do is you get a bulb in the autumn,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22you pop it into the ground in a well-drained site in a sunny position
0:27:22 > 0:27:25and every June you're rewarded with a five-foot spike
0:27:25 > 0:27:27of unbridled exotica.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Himalayan plants, especially rhododendrons,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34will offer you an unparalleled diversity of interest
0:27:34 > 0:27:36right throughout the year.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38And despite their exotic origins
0:27:38 > 0:27:41are perfectly happy to thrive right here in the UK.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And this couple's home in Staffordshire
0:27:44 > 0:27:47is a shining example of just that.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Phil and Diana Berry have spent the last 12 years
0:27:50 > 0:27:52transforming their north-facing garden
0:27:52 > 0:27:54into a Himalayan paradise
0:27:54 > 0:27:57with the help of over 70 rhododendron varieties.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02We have er...a passion for our rhododendrons here.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06There's usually a rhododendron, whichever direction you look in.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07When we first moved here
0:28:07 > 0:28:11it was, basically, a field with the established trees.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14And we'd sort of been around different places
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and identified rhododendrons that we really liked.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Like azalea 'Gibraltar', that's dazzling orange when in full bloom.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Or 'Morning Cloud', that starts off bright pink
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and then gradually fades to creamy white.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29People tend to think of rhododendrons and azaleas
0:28:29 > 0:28:34as being in big stately homes, in great big areas.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And we've just packed them into a relatively small area
0:28:37 > 0:28:38and they work just as well.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41So, you can have them in a really tiny garden.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45They're so lovely, because you get...
0:28:45 > 0:28:47The buds are one colour
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and then they open out and the flowers are a different colour
0:28:49 > 0:28:51and then they fade to a different colour.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54And then you've got all the different types of flowers.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57You can have little, tiny, really delicate ones
0:28:57 > 0:28:59and big, blousy look-at-me ones.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03We just love our rhododendrons and the beauty that they give us.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Whether you're an exotic plant junkie like me
0:29:13 > 0:29:15or someone who's into powder puffs and frills,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19I promise you the shear diversity of rhododendrons
0:29:19 > 0:29:21means that, no matter who you are,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23what your taste or what your garden,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25there is a rhododendron for you.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Across the series, our revival team
0:29:37 > 0:29:41are travelling the length and breadth of Britain,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43celebrating our gardens,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45flowers and plants
0:29:45 > 0:29:46in all their glory,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48with one important mission...
0:29:48 > 0:29:50to champion our rich gardening heritage.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Next, Christine Walkden is on the campaign trail for carnations.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10I'm a passionate flower lover.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14The colours, the forms, the scent
0:30:14 > 0:30:16are the great joys of gardening.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19But of all the flowers in the garden,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22there's one having a really rough ride.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24And this is it...
0:30:25 > 0:30:27The Dianthus or carnation.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31To many of us, the carnation is nothing more
0:30:31 > 0:30:36than a cheap garage flower, unworthy of a place in our garden.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39But that is all about to change.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48On my revival, I'll be whiffing some delightfully-scented blooms.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Get your nostrils in there!
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Turning some of London's city boys into real gentlemen.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- Pick your colour. - I'm going to go cream.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01And showing you some simple ways
0:31:01 > 0:31:03to grow carnations in your garden.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06The joy you'll get seeing these grow
0:31:06 > 0:31:09will go on for years and years.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28This wonderful parterre
0:31:28 > 0:31:31is the centrepiece of the gardens here
0:31:31 > 0:31:33at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37And it's home to some great Dianthus.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42The hardy border carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45The plant we know best is a key feature
0:31:45 > 0:31:47for this marvellous parterre.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Carnations, pinks and sweet Williams.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Just a few of the common names for Dianthus
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and my favourites are the old-fashioned pinks.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09But what seriously sets me on fire are the alpine Dianthus species.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The first time I saw Dianthus
0:32:16 > 0:32:18was in the Picos de Europa,
0:32:18 > 0:32:19the Spanish mountains,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22and I was walking in this beautiful valley
0:32:22 > 0:32:24and me nose started twitching.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26I could smell this sweet aroma
0:32:26 > 0:32:28and I couldn't see anything.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29And I just looked down
0:32:29 > 0:32:33and there was a carpet of Dianthus monspeliensis
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and that's when I fell in love with Dianthus.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41But, for many of us,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46a bunch of carnations are about as romantic as a night in with a curry.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50But I want to show you why I believe the carnation
0:32:50 > 0:32:53should come back into our hearts and our gardens.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59So I'm taking my revival to the streets of London.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03Covent Garden, the spiritual home of these lovely flowers.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04But what I want to know is,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07what do the public really think of these beauties?
0:33:09 > 0:33:11- Do you recognise these?- I do not.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- You don't, at all? - Could you please tell me?
0:33:13 > 0:33:14This is a carnation.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Do you think they're still as popular now
0:33:16 > 0:33:18as they were in the past?
0:33:18 > 0:33:20In the gardens, I don't see them very often.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Do you think they're still in fashion?
0:33:22 > 0:33:23Not so much now, I don't think.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25I think they're quite '80s.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29I do sort of think of it as an older person's flower arrangement.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- Did you have them at your wedding? - Absolutely not!
0:33:31 > 0:33:34I think they're '70s filler flowers.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Do you think they've suffered a bit of an image crisis
0:33:36 > 0:33:37over the last few years?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Yeah, I reckon they have.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41I reckon roses have taken over.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45They're still in the consciousness of the public and that's great.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48But they're suffering from a bit of an image problem.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I'm going to go and try and change that.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54So I'm heading to what some would consider
0:33:54 > 0:33:58to be one of the most influential gardens in modern British gardening.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Gravetye Manor, in Sussex,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08the home of William Robinson
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and the home of naturalistic planting.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15William Robinson was a famous British botanist and gardener.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19He bought Gravetye Manor back in 1884
0:34:19 > 0:34:21and made his mark on the garden.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Now this is megally exciting for a horticulturalist.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31To come to the home of the originator
0:34:31 > 0:34:33of naturalistic planting.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38William Robinson perfected the drift-like styles.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40And just look at it!
0:34:40 > 0:34:43It looks like an artist has taken a palette knife
0:34:43 > 0:34:46and spread the colours over the garden.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Robinson's influential style made use of traditional flowers
0:34:50 > 0:34:53planted in an informal way.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56And he was particularly passionate about carnations.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03Twigs Way is a garden historian, who's been researching the carnation
0:35:03 > 0:35:07and knows all too well how Robinson championed this wonderful flower.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13He was the father of the English flower garden
0:35:13 > 0:35:16and he was trying to guide people back
0:35:16 > 0:35:19to the beauties of the hardy flower border.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22So, away from those bedding plants
0:35:22 > 0:35:25that they'd been in love with during the Victorian period.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28And what about his love affair with carnations and Dianthus?
0:35:28 > 0:35:31He refers to them as one of his favourite plants,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34the best plants for the garden.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37It was the carnation that he felt, you know, linked us
0:35:37 > 0:35:41back to those cottage gardens that he loved.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And do you think that he would have stuck his nostrils
0:35:44 > 0:35:49right in there and taken on that fragrance and clove-like richness?
0:35:49 > 0:35:52He was the sort of man that would have got down on his hands and knees
0:35:52 > 0:35:54and actually taken up that scent.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55- We don't do that enough now! - We don't.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58We should get down on our hands and knees and whiff!
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I think whiffing is very important, but people have stopped whiffing.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08William Robinson was actually on his own 19th century carnation revival,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10reigniting the British love for the flower
0:36:10 > 0:36:13that was prolific back in the 18th century.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16And there are some lovely examples here today.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19It's a beautiful walled garden.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- Yeah, well, there! Straight away. - Yeah.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22There's some here.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27You see, Twigs, these are my favourites.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30My heart bleeds when I see these little ones.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32There's so much...
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Delicate. A whiff...
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- Get your nostrils in there!- OK.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41God, they do, don't they? They're just so nice.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41There's a subtlety of the fringe petals.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45You know, to me, this is where my love affair comes from.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48My love affair is with the names.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Those traditional names
0:36:50 > 0:36:52that come through from the 17th century.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54So, we have things like Lustie Gallant
0:36:54 > 0:36:56and Ruffling Robin,
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Tuggie's Princess.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It's not just that you're looking at a green heap of foliage.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02There's history. There's romance. No.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05I mean, one of the most famous, of course, is Mrs Sinkins.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10And I planted Mrs Sinkins in my garden just a couple of weeks ago
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and, boy, is she flowering her heart out already.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23William Robinson's naturalistic planting ethos
0:37:23 > 0:37:25brought the carnation back to our gardens.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28But the flower's popularity had already peaked
0:37:28 > 0:37:30back in the late 1700s,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33when it was incorporated into a very different style of garden.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37These formal gardens at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire
0:37:37 > 0:37:40didn't always look like this.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43This space, previously, was laid to lawn
0:37:43 > 0:37:45but, in the mid-1990s,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47the area was carefully restored,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51utilising the original 18th century plans.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Neil Cook has been the head gardener here for over 20 years
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and has been responsible for the 18th century restoration.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04So, Neil, how did this great parterre come about?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Well, really, as a restoration idea for the property
0:38:07 > 0:38:10to try and attract more visitors to help us with our conservation.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13But it's very particular in its type, isn't it?
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Because you don't normally see this sparse planting.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19No, no. This is what attracted us to it because it was unique.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22I'm amazed at how much bare soil there is here.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24It's part of what they used to do at that period.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26You wanted to see the plant on its own.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Nothing should be as of nature, is one of the sayings.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And what are the type of carnations, in particular,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34have you used in this planting?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- We've got, in the parterre, we've got hardy border mix.- Yeah.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40So, they're up now and they're ready to flower.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42And we've also got the sweet Williams,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44which are, obviously, not a carnation
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- but they're, obviously, doing the business for us now.- Yeah.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Also, we've got some in urns in other places in the garden.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50They're very important to us.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Are you a slave to history? - No, certainly not.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55All this garden is about showing off to your peers,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58how wealthy you are and how knowledgeable you are.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01So, to have the latest, newest varieties is all part of that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04And we grow in the urns, around the side here, a modern variety.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07The level of maintenance with this is huge.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09How many volunteers have you got?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- In the gardens, we've got nearly 80. - 80?!
0:39:12 > 0:39:16We do. And we need every single one of them.
0:39:16 > 0:39:1780?!
0:39:17 > 0:39:19The maintenance here has really got to be spot on.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So, Neil, would you like to see more carnations in here
0:39:22 > 0:39:24and in the garden generally?
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I mean, I want to bring back the carnation. Are you with me?
0:39:27 > 0:39:29I'm certainly with you on that.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32The scent, no-one can deny, is one of the best scents in horticulture.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36I would want that sweet aroma drifting on the wind.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42This beautiful parterre is very much in the spirit of the 1700s,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45displaying not only older varieties,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47but showcasing the new and exciting.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51There are a lot of new Dianthus on offer.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Here are a few just to whet your appetite...
0:39:55 > 0:39:59This is 'Green Trick', with its full pom-pom-like bloom.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01It's great for borders and containers
0:40:01 > 0:40:03and lasts for ages in a vase.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05And why not choose 'Memories',
0:40:05 > 0:40:08which was a runner-up in the Plant Of The Year Award at Chelsea
0:40:08 > 0:40:10a few years back.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14It's beautifully scented and it's a repeat flowerer.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And what's not to love about Dianthus 'EverLast'?
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Available in colours like burgundy, blush and lilac
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and with an ability to keep flowering until late summer.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34For the next part of my revival,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I'm visiting a legendary nursery
0:40:36 > 0:40:40that has been renowned for carnations since 1910.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43It's now run by Emma Sumner-Wilson,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46who took on the carnation crown in 2000.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Oh, Emma. You see, Allwood's, that's a name that I grew up with.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52It is.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And it was synonymous with excellent and beautiful blooms.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59That's right. Carnations were their speciality.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02They bred a huge range of different ones.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07We've got nearly 100, 150 different varieties of carnations.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Pinks, as well. We've got about 200-300 different varieties of those.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Some of those are pre-1800s.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14The ones that we have,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17we're very passionate about keeping alive and keep going,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21because, without them, that's a huge chunk of history gone.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24And what I like, I mean, just ruffling through old names
0:41:24 > 0:41:28that, you know, have been part of my life all my life.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Yes. Yes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32And here they are, still alive on this nursery, for people to buy.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33I mean, it's fantastic.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35They make very interesting reading.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I mean, that's the Edward Allwood that we still grow today.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43The Edward Allwood carnation was created
0:41:43 > 0:41:47and named after the original owner of the nursery, back in 1950.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50So, I'm on this revival.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54I want everybody to grow carnations and pinks and species.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55How do we do it?
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Well, the actual growing of them is incredibly easy.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01It's more a choice of what kind of carnation you want to grow,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03because there's more than one choice.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06You can either have a garden carnation or a greenhouse carnation.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10The greenhouse carnations are the easiest. They flower longer.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Some of them are scented, especially the older varieties.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15They have a lovely scent.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18And the colours can be absolutely stunning,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21that you will not find in your florist shop.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23If you want a garden carnation,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25slightly more care and attention required.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27They like a particular kind of soil.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Flowers, amazing.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32But they only have one crop of flower each year and that is it.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36So don't be expecting bunches and bunches for your vase.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39It won't happen. You need the greenhouse variety for that.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41So a bit of homework before you buy
0:42:41 > 0:42:42will solve a lot of problems.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Definitely. Definitely. But you'll be well rewarded with the flowers.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47They are stunning.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51All these carnations are propagated form cuttings
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and when they're firmly rooted,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56they're ready to post to the very lucky carnation-loving customer.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So, we get a nice rooted plant, as you can see. Well-rooted.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Put it in the bag
0:43:03 > 0:43:05and then we put that round,
0:43:05 > 0:43:08so the customer knows what plant he's got.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12- So, that's all ready to go now. - Great.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- Carnation revival, here it comes! - That's it.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Fold that over.
0:43:18 > 0:43:19And then...
0:43:19 > 0:43:21So, I'm going to send this person
0:43:21 > 0:43:23- a special message...- Excellent!
0:43:23 > 0:43:25..about enjoying the revival.
0:43:30 > 0:43:31Fantastic.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34- That will entertain somebody. - Definitely will!
0:43:38 > 0:43:40When it comes to Dianthus,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43I just can't get enough of the alpine varieties,
0:43:44 > 0:43:45with their beautiful scents
0:43:45 > 0:43:49and their vibrant colours that explode from rocky mountain slopes.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54I'm back at Hanbury Hall to show you my wonderful technique
0:43:54 > 0:43:59for recreating the Alps on a small scale in your garden.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07One of my favourite ways of growing Dianthus
0:44:07 > 0:44:10is to use the alpine species in a sink
0:44:11 > 0:44:15because what I want to do is replicate a piece of landscape
0:44:15 > 0:44:17out in the mountains.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19These plants need sharp drainage,
0:44:19 > 0:44:23so I'm using compost with as much as 50% grit.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26I'm then going to position rocks to make that strata
0:44:26 > 0:44:28to look like the Pyrenees or the Alps.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32I'm then going to drop my plants in and then dress the surface
0:44:32 > 0:44:35to make it look like it's growing through scree.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37So, as natural as possible.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39I'm using here various pieces of rock
0:44:39 > 0:44:44to just try and create a visual perception of a ridge,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46of mountains.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48And I'm going to create some planting pockets,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51because I want to raise the surface slightly
0:44:51 > 0:44:56so it looks like it's actually got a bit of texture and a bit of height.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58So, I'm going to just play around.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02And then, at this stage,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04I start looking at my plants.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08And these are alpine species and cultivars of alpine species.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12And I will just get a flavour of what I want to achieve.
0:45:12 > 0:45:18And if I don't like it, you then can actually change this.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20And you can move them around to...
0:45:20 > 0:45:21You see? I don't like that.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I'm going to, perhaps, do something...
0:45:24 > 0:45:25Yeah.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27So, once I'm happy with my plants,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31I can then start thinking about popping them in.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34Things like Dianthus alpinus 'Albus'.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37A very beautiful, tight, compact grower.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39And the longer this is in the sink,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41the tighter this mound gets
0:45:41 > 0:45:43and the more floriferous it becomes.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46A plant like 'Whatfield Joy'.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49A delicate, beautiful, little alpine.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51And that's going to sit in there,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53looking like its just erupting from the rocks.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56And the colours of the foliage vary
0:45:56 > 0:45:59from a nice, little olive-green
0:45:59 > 0:46:00to the silvers and the greys.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03So, not only will this sink look good when it's in flower,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06but it will, actually, look very good in the winter,
0:46:06 > 0:46:08when those flowers have gone.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Because you've got the contrast of different foliage.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12So, I'm just going to take them out.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16These plants should have been watered the night before
0:46:16 > 0:46:18so the root balls are nicely moist.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23And once I've positioned where I basically want them,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26then I'm going to put in a little bit more compost
0:46:26 > 0:46:27around those plants.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30When you're doing the corners,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33make sure you bring the plant forward
0:46:33 > 0:46:35so there's compost going into the corner.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40So often, we find the actual corner is fresh air
0:46:40 > 0:46:43because you haven't trickled compost in there.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47That can allow that side of the plant to dry out and then it dies.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Just firm those plants in when you're happy with the position.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57And then, here comes the scree.
0:47:00 > 0:47:05And what you're aiming to do is to trickle those pieces of stone
0:47:05 > 0:47:07under the neck of the plant.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09That means the water will drain away,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11but it also makes the plant look like
0:47:11 > 0:47:14it's erupted and grown through that dressing.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20For me, the beauty of alpine Dianthus can be appreciated
0:47:20 > 0:47:23in this habitat of the mountains.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26The joy you'll get seeing these grow
0:47:26 > 0:47:28will go on for years and years.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Growing carnations will bring fabulous colour,
0:47:41 > 0:47:43form and scent to your garden.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45But they can also work wonders for the home,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47arranged beautifully in a vase.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Despite the fact that the carnation
0:47:52 > 0:47:54is one of the most suitable of cut flowers,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57it's in that role that its popularity has declined.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59McQueens in London
0:47:59 > 0:48:03is working with some amazingly beautiful cut flowers,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05but I wonder what they make of carnations.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08I love flowers.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Doesn't matter whether in the garden or in the vase.
0:48:10 > 0:48:11Look at this...
0:48:11 > 0:48:15I mean, wouldn't you just die to get that?
0:48:15 > 0:48:16Lovely flowers.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Alchemillas, clematis, peonies, roses.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21But where's my carnations?
0:48:23 > 0:48:25There's not one. Now, that's a shame.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29Duncan McCabe has been a florist for 23 years
0:48:29 > 0:48:31and I'm hoping that he has some tips
0:48:31 > 0:48:33to help me with my carnation revival.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38- We're not actually a carnation shop, really.- OK.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41We're not really known for that sort of flower.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- Why?- Well, carnations have a bit of a bad press, really,
0:48:44 > 0:48:48because, when I first started doing flowers years and years ago,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- you could buy them in a yucky pink...- Yeah.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52..a yucky yellow.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54And those are the kind of colours that you see
0:48:54 > 0:48:57- in a greengrocer or in a garage forecourt.- Yeah.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59But, actually, if you take a closer look
0:48:59 > 0:49:00to some of these newer varieties,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02they can be really interesting.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Well, I'm very pleased to see that Duncan has some lovely carnations
0:49:06 > 0:49:09and I can't wait to see how he'll use them.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12That doesn't look like a carnation.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15That looks like a hydrangea head. How do you do that?
0:49:15 > 0:49:18- You're going to have a go at putting this together.- Oh, yes?
0:49:18 > 0:49:20- Grab some of those carnations over there.- OK.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23We need to just remove some of these leaves.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25They're just going to get in the way.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28So, is it still the old rule that, if you have foliage in the water,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31you've got contamination and then the flowers don't last as long?
0:49:31 > 0:49:34- It starts to degrade and you get this build-up of bacteria.- OK.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36It just prematurely ages them.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38So, to keep all the foliage out of the water
0:49:38 > 0:49:39is quite an important thing to do.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- OK, so this is a very simple technique.- Right.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45- The idea is to try and spiral the flowers.- OK.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48So they're all going in one direction.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54You're doing brilliantly there, Christine. I'm very impressed.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58One of the most important things is to perhaps avoid
0:49:58 > 0:50:00- cutting at the node area.- OK.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01If you cut actually on the node,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04it's difficult for water to get up to the flower.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06You'll probably get carnations to last as long as weeks.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10You just need to keep the water really clean.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12If I can do that,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14any of you can do that.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Because it was simple.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Duncan's modern carnation twist is spot on
0:50:21 > 0:50:23and he has one more trick up his sleeve,
0:50:23 > 0:50:27which may help to revive an old, but fabulous gentleman's tradition.
0:50:28 > 0:50:29Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32It's time to take to the streets with some of these little beauties.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Madam, do you believe that the carnation
0:50:35 > 0:50:38makes a man look elegant and stylish?
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Certainly. Especially if they look like that.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43How often do you wear a buttonhole?
0:50:43 > 0:50:44Never.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Come on, gentlemen. I want you to pick your colour.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48No, I'm going to go cream.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Look how this colour would pick up your nice shirt.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Yeah. I think that would look beautiful.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I will give you a buttonhole so you can enjoy it later on.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00- Look how elegant you look!- Yeah.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03CHEERING
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Yes, we think that there should be a revival.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Especially in new colours like this.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- It would work, wouldn't it? - I think it would but...
0:51:16 > 0:51:18It would make somebody look at you.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21An absolute brilliant tradition to bring back to Hackney.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23I'm amazed at this.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Yeah, it would turn heads.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28- And that's all you want to do in the office.- Absolutely. Indeed.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30So, are you with me on my revival?
0:51:30 > 0:51:33- Do you think we should all be wearing more carnations?- Absolutely!
0:51:33 > 0:51:34I agree!
0:51:34 > 0:51:35Wa-hey!
0:51:37 > 0:51:38Yay...!
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Of course, you can pick up your buttonhole from the florist,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47but why not try starting from scratch?
0:51:47 > 0:51:51I'm back at Hanbury Hall to show you how easy it is to grow your own.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02All Dianthus can be propagated from cuttings
0:52:02 > 0:52:04but, if you want an awful lot of plants,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07the best thing to do is sow from seed.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11And you can do that by collecting the flower head
0:52:11 > 0:52:12once it's started fading.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16Leave the flowers to dry out on the plant before cutting,
0:52:16 > 0:52:18then place them in a paper bag.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22And then, hang this somewhere cool and dry.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25After about a month, open it up.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Empty the contents of that bag out
0:52:30 > 0:52:33and you'll see that you've got seed
0:52:33 > 0:52:36that's already come out of the capsules.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38And when I'm talking about a capsule,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41I'm talking about these individual heads,
0:52:41 > 0:52:46inside which will be hundreds and hundreds of seeds.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Separate your seeds and pop them into a paper envelope for storage.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Remember to label it with a date
0:52:55 > 0:52:59and the seeds should be kept cold, dark and dry.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04I love sowing seeds because it's the most magical bit of gardening.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07But Dianthus seeds need specific requirements
0:53:07 > 0:53:11and one of them is the compost should, ideally, be
0:53:11 > 0:53:12a soil-based compost.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16So, I'm going to use a John Innes seed and cutting compost.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Dianthus in the wild don't have a lot of food
0:53:19 > 0:53:22and the more food you put in the compost,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24the less the seeds will germinate.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29So, a good-quality, low-nutrient compost.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31And I scoop this up
0:53:31 > 0:53:35and allow it to fall into the corners of the seed tray,
0:53:35 > 0:53:39because what I don't want is air pockets in this seed tray.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43Because the seeds need intimate contact with the soil
0:53:43 > 0:53:45to allow them to absorb moisture.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I'm going to over-fill the seed tray
0:53:48 > 0:53:52and then I'm just going to strike it level with a board.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55And just straight across the top,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57to get it roughly level.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00And then, I'm going to firm it
0:54:00 > 0:54:04so it's round about a quarter of an inch deep.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06If you don't do that,
0:54:06 > 0:54:10the seeds will germinate very quickly on the high end,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12but will then dry out.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14And if you've got it too deep at the other end,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17you bury the seeds and they pop their clogs.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Once you've got the seed pan filled, I then use grit.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24And this is sharp horticultural grit
0:54:24 > 0:54:28and I'm just going to pour this over the surface of that compost.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Now, this isn't what people would normally do,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36but this is my top tip for you.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39And then, I'm just going to level that off.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43And then, I sow the seeds on top of here.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Now, to make sure that you sow the seeds evenly,
0:54:46 > 0:54:49just run up and down the seed tray
0:54:49 > 0:54:51as if you are sprinkling salt on your dinner.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55If you get to one end of the seed tray
0:54:55 > 0:54:57and you've still got some seed left,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00turn the tray
0:55:00 > 0:55:02and go up and down
0:55:02 > 0:55:03in the other direction.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05That just makes it easier
0:55:05 > 0:55:07to distribute the seed evenly.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12If you've got a bit of seed left at the end,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14just sprinkle it over.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16And now there's a clever trick.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19Get yourself a washing-up bowl
0:55:19 > 0:55:24and fill it to the same depth as your seed tray.
0:55:25 > 0:55:26So, whatever depth you're using,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29fill it so the water will just come up
0:55:29 > 0:55:31to the level of the surface of your tray.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Then, I'm going to lower
0:55:35 > 0:55:38this very gently into that water.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43And you're going to leave it there for about an hour.
0:55:44 > 0:55:50Once its properly soaked, then you need to extract it.
0:55:50 > 0:55:51And this is the clever bit,
0:55:51 > 0:55:53because what you want to do
0:55:53 > 0:55:56is to have the water draining
0:55:56 > 0:56:00and taking the seed down into that gravel
0:56:00 > 0:56:03in exactly the same way
0:56:03 > 0:56:05that happens in Mother Nature.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08And then, just place it somewhere to drain.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13That can then be positioned in a cold frame
0:56:13 > 0:56:15or at the base of a north wall.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Make sure it's kept moist.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Remember to label it and wait for the magic.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34In the heart of the Suffolk countryside lives Jim Marshall,
0:56:34 > 0:56:38a man who is truly passionate about carnations.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39I love all Dianthus.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43It's a very wide genus but, really, there's only one
0:56:43 > 0:56:45and that's the one that I love and that's the Malmaison.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50And up until a few years ago, I was the only person who grew them.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53We brought them back virtually from extinction.
0:56:54 > 0:56:59Jim now officially owns the national collection of Malmaison carnations.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02You'll see that they're quite short
0:57:02 > 0:57:08but they're blousy, lovely, large flowers and heavenly-scented.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And that would make a lovely buttonhole or a corsage.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Oh, wonderful!
0:57:16 > 0:57:17Fantastic!
0:57:18 > 0:57:22I'm so lucky that we've been able to bring them back into cultivation.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26But my prize one is this one.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29James Muir, called after my grandfather,
0:57:29 > 0:57:32and we launched it at Hampton Court last year.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37We should all be reviving British cut flower
0:57:37 > 0:57:41and the aristocrat of the cut flower is, of course, this one,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43the Malmaison carnations,
0:57:43 > 0:57:47because of its scent, because of its opulence,
0:57:47 > 0:57:48because of its shape.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51Everything about it is over the top and I love them.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55They're completely over the top and they're my flower!
0:58:04 > 0:58:08I think carnations are one of the most under-rated plants
0:58:08 > 0:58:09grown in our gardens.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13Their delicacy and fragrance wins me over every time.
0:58:14 > 0:58:19I think we should rekindle our love affair with carnations once again.