0:00:02 > 0:00:06There's no doubt that Britain is a nation of very proud gardeners.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Our love of flowers and plants goes back centuries.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15But there's a problem. Not 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 > 0:00:27And our favourite flowers are disappearing right before our eyes.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33So we need you to help us in our revival campaign.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37We'll be inspiring you to dig deep and celebrate the best of British.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42As we reveal the country's most stunning gardens.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And 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.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35There's one flower that can give you almost every colour under the sun.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39It takes its name from the Greek for rainbow
0:01:39 > 0:01:43and with over 300 varieties and thousands of cultivars,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47it's one of the most diverse garden plants we have.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It's one of my absolute favourites
0:01:50 > 0:01:53but it's not getting the attention it deserves.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57British gardeners were once the pioneers of cultivating
0:01:57 > 0:02:01the glorious iris but today collections are diminishing
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and the range of irises available is in decline.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08If we only grow the same familiar varieties and don't seek out
0:02:08 > 0:02:13those which are a little bit more unusual we risk losing them forever.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22On my revival, I'll uncover one woman's mission to save
0:02:22 > 0:02:25a unique collection of heritage irises.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It's this one. It's just beginning to open.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I'll be getting creative with some floral art.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I'm feeling slightly terrified.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Very out of my depth!
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And showing you how to choose the right iris for your garden.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41And they're quite variable in flower
0:02:41 > 0:02:44but they often have these rather large flattened flowers.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47In fact, that's about the largest iris flower I've seen.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06The sheer variety of types and colours of iris are what's
0:03:06 > 0:03:09really captured my imagination about these wonderful plants
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and I've come here to Marwood Hill Gardens just outside Barnstaple
0:03:13 > 0:03:17in North Devon where they have a national collection of Japanese iris
0:03:17 > 0:03:21including this beautiful ensata called moonlight waves.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The Japanese iris or iris ensata is renowned for its stunning
0:03:27 > 0:03:31purple colours and its delicate elegant appearance.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Irises are so exquisite, it's really worth taking the time to
0:03:36 > 0:03:38look at how that flower is composed.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Every single part, it comes in threes.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So you've got the falls here which are these large rounded petals -
0:03:44 > 0:03:46in fact, they're sepals -
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and then here in the middle, we've got the standards.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Now in a bearded iris, these tend to stick upright
0:03:51 > 0:03:54but here they're quite small and lay flatter.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And then you've got these style arms, again in threes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It really is a thing of great beauty.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Irises are basically split into two groups -
0:04:05 > 0:04:07the bearded and the beardless.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11An iris beard comes in the form of tufts of fine hairs
0:04:11 > 0:04:14that can be found on the lower petal of the flower
0:04:14 > 0:04:18and bearded irises are the more common plant that we're used
0:04:18 > 0:04:21to seeing in beds and borders in the UK.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I became familiar with irises really from a very young age
0:04:24 > 0:04:28because my father used to grow those little reticulata irises
0:04:28 > 0:04:33in our rock garden and then as I got older, I discovered the whole full
0:04:33 > 0:04:36range of irises, and for me,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39they have that really sort of languid quality -
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The way the flower's shaped, that real elegance,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44the beauty of the foliage
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and I now cannot imagine having a garden without irises.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I think we should all be growing many more of the rare
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and interesting varieties
0:04:55 > 0:04:59because if we don't, they could be lost from our gardens completely.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09To get my revival campaign under way, I'm heading to Gloucestershire
0:05:09 > 0:05:12to visit a lady whose passion for irises is renowned.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It's lovely to meet you, too
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and I've been so excited to come and see your irises.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17I can't tell you.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Anne Milner owns the National Collection of Bliss Irises,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23all of which are varieties of bearded iris that were
0:05:23 > 0:05:29cultivated by early 20th century iris enthusiast Arthur Bliss.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32What was it about irises particularly that grabbed you initially?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Well, I didn't know anything about irises at all
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and I was doing some family history research with my cousin, who offered
0:05:39 > 0:05:42me a couple of her irises that she said came from Uncle Arthur.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47I had no idea who Uncle Arthur was and we did some research on both
0:05:47 > 0:05:51him and his irises and gradually built the collection from there.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54And it turns out to have been Arthur Bliss, doesn't it -
0:05:54 > 0:05:56who is incredibly important in terms of...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Yes. In the development of irises in the 1920s.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Arthur Bliss became famous for breeding around 170 different
0:06:05 > 0:06:08varieties of bearded iris and Anne has some family artefacts
0:06:08 > 0:06:12that she's inherited from her great uncle.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So this is a very handsome group. Who have we got here?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Well, this is Arthur with a couple of his brothers
0:06:17 > 0:06:18and sister with his mother.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21He was the eldest son.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Now who's this gorgeous baby in a wonderful bonnet?
0:06:25 > 0:06:26This is his niece, Phyllis.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And when she was about ten, used to help him in the garden.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Wonderful. And in fact this letter says "My dear Phyllis".
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And this is a letter to her as an adult.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37He was giving her a book on genetics.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41He was explaining that he uses genetics to breed his irises,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45which is something that other people weren't really doing at that time.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Recognition for Arthur's work all began when the owner of a large
0:06:48 > 0:06:52nursery took an interest in one particular Bliss iris.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55He saw an iris that Arthur hadn't particularly
0:06:55 > 0:07:00thought of as very special, which was called Dominion, which has
0:07:00 > 0:07:04very rich velvety falls and is a very special iris because of that.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09It is a very beautifully shaped iris and is a very good breeder.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So have you got any Dominion in the garden?
0:07:11 > 0:07:15I do have Dominion but the rain last night destroyed the two flowers which were left
0:07:15 > 0:07:20but there is one bud which I'm hoping will come out sometime today.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Only needs one bud! Let's go and see.- Absolutely.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Anne has made it her mission to recover as many Bliss irises as
0:07:28 > 0:07:34she can find and they're all cared for in her gorgeous garden borders.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36So where is this elusive Dominion?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39This one's Dominion and look - it's just beginning to come out.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41You can see the richness of the velvety falls.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44It's really sort of inky black, isn't it? It's a beautiful colour.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45It's so intense.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, you can see why that was so eye-catching at the time.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Now how many irises did Bliss develop?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- About 170. - And you've got how many here?
0:07:53 > 0:07:55And I've got about 40 here. 35-40, something like that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- And you've been collecting for how long?- 20 years.- Whoo!
0:07:58 > 0:08:00So that's about one and a half, two a year.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02So it's quite slow, isn't it?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Very slow. Actually finding one that has been in a garden
0:08:05 > 0:08:09since that time with its name attached is very, very hard.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14So Anne certainly has her work cut out but she still seems
0:08:14 > 0:08:19incredibly committed to preserving Great Uncle Arthur's irises.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22With so many new varieties on offer, why is it important, do you think,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24we keep growing these old irises?
0:08:24 > 0:08:28I think it's because a lot of people still like the traditional shapes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30They grow very well in traditional gardens.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33They stand up well to disease, on the whole.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Is there anything that you don't yet have that would really,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38that you'd really love to acquire?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The one that I would really love to have would be Phyllis Bliss
0:08:41 > 0:08:44because that was named for his little niece.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And she always asked him to name an iris after her.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49So that one would be the icing on the cake?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Yes, it would be. It would absolutely be the icing on the cake.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Bearded irises may be the most common garden irises
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but here at Marwood Hill Gardens, it's the beardless Japanese
0:09:03 > 0:09:06irises that are blooming today.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10There are so many fabulous irises that you can plant at home,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12so here's a few of my favourites.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26The Japanese have been breeding iris ensata for many centuries.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28It's called the Japanese iris, although it's also
0:09:28 > 0:09:32found in China and Siberia and they're quite variable in flower
0:09:32 > 0:09:35but they often have these rather large flattened flowers.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38In fact, that's about the largest iris flower I've seen.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41And it's got these drooping standards
0:09:41 > 0:09:44so you get this very soft effect.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Although you also can find them looking like this which is
0:09:48 > 0:09:51obviously much closer to the original species and again,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53it's got these beautifully drooping falls
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and then the standards are tiny.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58They just stick up here like little ears.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02And you can see that bright golden yellow signal just directing
0:10:02 > 0:10:06pollinating insects just right up to the nectar there.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11So they like to have their feet nice and damp in consistently damp
0:10:11 > 0:10:15soil that's nice and rich as well, but not in the water itself.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Not in still water.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20The most important thing to remember is that it has to be acidic soil
0:10:20 > 0:10:23if you really want them to thrive.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31If you're new to irises,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34then I recommend you start with an iris sibirica.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37They're absolutely beautiful to start with.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42They make incredibly good garden plants and they're just not fussy.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45So although they like quite moist soil, they'll also grow
0:10:45 > 0:10:46just in a normal border.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I mean, I grow mine on London clay. They're perfectly happy.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And they also just give so much. You have these lovely flowers.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Almost like butterflies. They just flutter on the top.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Now this one - which is not actually that typical of iris sibirica -
0:11:01 > 0:11:04has these wonderful sort of wavy edges to the falls
0:11:04 > 0:11:08and that beautiful signal there in the middle of the flower.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11And these flowers appear any time from sort of end of May right
0:11:11 > 0:11:14through to the middle of June and then of course when it
0:11:14 > 0:11:18finishes flowering and you often get maybe ten of them on this sort of
0:11:18 > 0:11:22branching stems, then you've got the foliage and it makes this big clump
0:11:22 > 0:11:27of very elegant slender leaves which are beautiful in their own right.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Iris pseudacorus is one of our two native irises in the UK.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's called the yellow flag iris and it has these beautiful -
0:11:39 > 0:11:42quite small but really, they make an impact -
0:11:42 > 0:11:45these strong yellow flowers.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47In fact, it flowers a little bit earlier than the ensatas
0:11:47 > 0:11:50that are elsewhere in this part of the garden
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and you can see this one's just beginning to go over.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Now this is one that likes really damp soil.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59In fact, it will even grow in shallow water at the edge of a large
0:11:59 > 0:12:03pond or perhaps down by a stream.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I think it's a magnificent iris but it's not one for the faint-hearted.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25When I was retraining in horticulture,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28my tutor was very keen on me drawing the flowers
0:12:28 > 0:12:32because he said it's the way that you really look at them and get to know them.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34And I want everyone to fall in love with irises,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36to appreciate their exquisite beauty,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39so what better way than setting up an iris art school?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'This class is run by botanical artists Christine Grey-Wilson
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'and Isobel Bartholomew here at the beautiful Redgrave
0:12:48 > 0:12:53'and Lopham Nature Reserve in Diss. Irises were the inspiration for impressionists such artists as
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh
0:12:56 > 0:13:00'and today it's my turn with some expert tutorage, of course.'
0:13:00 > 0:13:04You've got your three curved fall petals here.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06There's a little anther in there too.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Now, in this one, these standards here are absolutely huge.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11The fall here has lovely colours.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And it's got a sort of thick-piled carpet.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'm feeling slightly terrified. Very out of my depth.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25Just plot it out so it's kind of that much by that much.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Plonk it on there and see how you fit it on.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Go from sort of there down so you sort of start there.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34OK, back to the drawing board. Basically.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36'Well, if at first you don't succeed...'
0:13:36 > 0:13:39You think you know what it looks like and so you just think,
0:13:39 > 0:13:45"Well, there's a fall here and one here," but actually you really
0:13:45 > 0:13:51do have to keep looking at it so you don't miss anything.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55'This is turning out to be pretty tough.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'I wonder how my classmates are faring with their flowers.'
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Have you done this before loads of times?
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- Never.- Oh, please tell me you have! You'll make me feel much better.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Do you grow them?
0:14:06 > 0:14:07I do, yes.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09And did you know that they flower,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11that different varieties flower throughout the year,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15so you can be enjoying something similar to that all year round?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18That would be good because most of mine
0:14:18 > 0:14:20seem to flower at a similar time so they're there
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and then they're gone and you're left with the leaves.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26The iris is wonderful.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Because it's almost like a ballet dancer, you know, it's got poise
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and elegance and, you know, it's got a lot about it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- Are you actually enjoying it?- I am, it's very therapeutic, actually.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Well, there you are. That's the main thing.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39'Well, back to task.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41'It's time for me to add some colour.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's a lot more difficult than I thought.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49But, you know, it's sort of coming, and actually the veining helps to really
0:14:49 > 0:14:54bring those falls to life.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'I think that I'm just about finished though it's far from being a Monet.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06You've done beautifully.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- You've got lovely graded washes, which are not always easy.- I have?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11You should be proud of it.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12- Well, it's a start.- Yes.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- It's a good start.- Yes.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18'I'm keen to see Christine's work to know how an expert paints an iris.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:21What do you feel about irises, particularly?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I mean, obviously you must draw all sorts of flowers
0:15:24 > 0:15:25but what do you feel?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I'm very, very fond of irises.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28They have tremendous movement
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and this extraordinary sort of dancing quality to them.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33And the fact that they're not out for very long.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I tend to agree with you.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It makes them something extra special to look forward to.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Yes, definitely, yes.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43For me, I don't think anything quite beats the beauty of that
0:15:43 > 0:15:47flower in your garden, but I have to say doing this has made me
0:15:47 > 0:15:53really look at it and enjoy it on a completely different level.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02With some irises flowering only for a short time, the answer is to
0:16:02 > 0:16:06plant them in combination with other things so you extend that season
0:16:06 > 0:16:11of interest, and here at Marwood Hill Gardens they combine their beautiful
0:16:11 > 0:16:17Japanese irises with perennials like these lovely astilbes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And if you'd like to have your own Japanese iris
0:16:20 > 0:16:23display in your garden I've got some must-have planting tips
0:16:23 > 0:16:27that will create the most wonderful summer display.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I've found a great spot here to plant up some of these
0:16:39 > 0:16:41beautiful Japanese iris.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Just down here by the stream, and this soil has already been
0:16:45 > 0:16:52prepped because Iris ensata likes really nice rich soil.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's quite a greedy feeder.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58So it's got plenty of well-rotted manure in there
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and you can also continue to feed them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05You can mulch, as well, to make sure they get all the nutrients
0:17:05 > 0:17:07they need.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Now, there's already a beautiful back drop of these rodgersias,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15these great, big leaves and plumes of flowers, which I think
0:17:15 > 0:17:21is stunning and I want to pick up on that with some astilbe.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26There's one in here already and I'm going to add another couple to that.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31There's one, and another one here,
0:17:31 > 0:17:37and again those plume-like flowers will really be a good contrast
0:17:37 > 0:17:39to the leaves of the iris,
0:17:39 > 0:17:45which have that really strong vertical accent.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50And the trick when you're combining plants like this is to make
0:17:50 > 0:17:52sure that they all like similar conditions.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56So these astilbes go in.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00That one there.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Let's settle it in.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10So we're now going to have a really nice clump of that here.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14So now I'm going to see where I'm going to position the iris to
0:18:14 > 0:18:16look good with that.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22I've got three in here. This one, lovely one here - Moonlight Wave.
0:18:22 > 0:18:29Beautiful. That sort of lovely fresh colouring. And we've got this one.
0:18:29 > 0:18:35Crested Surf, and we'll see if I've got room for one more.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Rolling Seas. There's a definite nautical theme developing here.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44We're just a couple of miles from the sea so that's very appropriate.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47So I think I'm going to put that white back there with
0:18:47 > 0:18:52the rodgersias behind, and we'll have maybe this lovely
0:18:52 > 0:18:56sort of powder blue there, and then I'm going to put the other one,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01a sort of softer colour, I think just in the front here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And then always step back and have a look before you do anything
0:19:07 > 0:19:08too much and go too far.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Yep, happy with that.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14'Once you've decided where they're going to go, aim to plant the irises
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'to a similar depth to what they were in their pots
0:19:17 > 0:19:21'and then firm the soil around the root ball as you go.'
0:19:21 > 0:19:26I like that but I think I'm also going to dock through some primulas.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Those gorgeous candelabra primulas over here. There we are.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Absolutely stunning.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I love the way that you get these
0:19:37 > 0:19:40sort of whirls of flowers going up the stem.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44There we go, and that will sort of perk up as it settles in.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'When combining plants together you can be creative with
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'the use of form and colour.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'It's really up to you.'
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And it's very important to water even in this damp soil
0:19:56 > 0:20:00because you're just settling that soil around the roots.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Making sure there are no gaps in there.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Yeah. Done.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16'And when those irises begin to bulk up this bed will look spectacular.'
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Next on my revival I'm on my way to Gloucestershire to discover
0:20:27 > 0:20:31how many varieties are readily available to you and me.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35'Simon Burbage is the manager here at Lechlade Gardening Centre.'
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Simon.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Hello.- Yes, just the man I'm looking for.- How are you?
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Very well indeed, thank you. I've come to look at the irises.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- Right.- You've actually got a really good variety of irises here.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49You've got foetidissima. You've got something variegated. Braithwaite.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52That's actually one of my absolute favourites but I often go to
0:20:52 > 0:20:56a garden centre and there are three, maybe four different varieties. Now, why is that?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59The reason why, to be perfectly honest, is supply and demand.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Erm, we're obviously a garden centre
0:21:01 > 0:21:04with thousands of different types of plants.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We can't obviously sell every single variety
0:21:07 > 0:21:10so we tend to pick a dozen of the best.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11Get them in when they're flowering.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14So they need to be in flower to sell.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17That's very interesting. So you're talking about having a sales
0:21:17 > 0:21:19period for an iris of about three or four weeks.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- At the most.- And do you have customers that come in
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and say, "I'd like this variety and this variety and this variety?"
0:21:25 > 0:21:27We absolutely do, yeah, we do.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Unfortunately it's very difficult for us to get hold of them
0:21:30 > 0:21:32because again we have to cater for the masses,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34so specific customer orders are a bit tricky.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41So where does the modern gardener go
0:21:41 > 0:21:44if they want to find more unusual irises?
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Well, to the internet, of course, which has spawned
0:21:48 > 0:21:51quite a cottage industry.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55'Clare Kneen is an iris enthusiast who's managed to turn her
0:21:55 > 0:21:59'horticultural hobby into a thriving online business that offers
0:21:59 > 0:22:03'some of the rarer more elusive varieties of iris.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Well, I've always liked irises.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08They were in the garden when I grew up and then
0:22:08 > 0:22:11when I had my own house I've had irises in the garden ever
0:22:11 > 0:22:14since and I just got more and more and more.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- It's easy, isn't it?- Very easy. - They draw you in, don't they?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20How was it that you then sort of progressed from there,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22from just being a lover of irises to
0:22:22 > 0:22:25sort of properly collecting them and then selling them?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Well, as you know, bearded irises you need to dig them
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and split them to get them to flower well and I ended up with
0:22:30 > 0:22:34so many I had to find somewhere else for the irises,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and then I used to sell them for charity, and then
0:22:36 > 0:22:41I decided that I had so many I could make some money for myself.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43So what do you think of my revival,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46this campaign to not only to get people to grow more irises
0:22:46 > 0:22:49but just for them to be more available?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I think everyone should be growing irises in their garden
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and you can have an iris in flower all the way through the year
0:22:54 > 0:22:57if you pick a selection of different irises.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'Clare grows the bulk of her irises in a field close to her own
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'garden, and because the majority have now finished flowering,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06'there's plenty of work to be done.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Anything that's being sold needs to be dug up and sent out, and
0:23:11 > 0:23:15anything else that I want to move needs to be moved at the same time.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19That's got plenty of shoots on it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23That's got shoots, so although this rhizome is old, that's going to give me more new plants.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So do you know how many different irises you've got now?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29The last time I counted I got to 200 and stopped.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32How many years has it taken you to get that collection together?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Oh, I've been growing them for 15 years.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Plans for lots more?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Plans for more, yes. I keep seeing new ones that I love.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45It's great to know that there are people like Clare out there
0:23:45 > 0:23:49who share my love for irises and are ensuring that the whole
0:23:49 > 0:23:53range are thriving and available to all of us.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05There are more than 150 different irises
0:24:05 > 0:24:08here at Marwood Hill Gardens and it's wonderful to be able to
0:24:08 > 0:24:14compare and contrast them, which really makes you hungry for more.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18And if you're going to join my iris revival
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and grow them at home, one of the key plant care tips to ensure you
0:24:22 > 0:24:26get the best from many irises is division.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Now, ideally you would divide bearded irises
0:24:35 > 0:24:37every three-to-five years,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and it's important because if you don't they just become these
0:24:41 > 0:24:44really congested clumps and they don't flower terribly well.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46You get the sort of flower round the edge
0:24:46 > 0:24:48but in the middle there's not very much happening.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50I don't want to damage the rhizomes
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and I don't want to damage too much of the root.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59But I think that will sort of start to come away now.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Now, I'm just going to shake off as much of the soil as I can.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13I'm just looking to find the sort of bits of rhizome that are still
0:25:13 > 0:25:15productive that I want to keep.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19You've got all the old rhizomes here in the middle and then
0:25:19 > 0:25:24the newer ones are always down like sort of satellites at the end.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26So you just simply now divide them.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Now, you can do it in various ways.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31You can use a sharp knife. You can use secateurs.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33You can also sometimes just snap the pieces off.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34So I'm going to look here.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38This is where the root is on this bit. In fact it's starting to fall apart.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Now I'm just going to cut a bit more of that off. I don't think we need all that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47And just tidy this bit up here and do the same with all these sections.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51So I'm only looking for the bits here that have some root on them.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52There we are.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56So we've now got several pieces and this, you discard.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00You can compost it, and then I'm also going to cut down the leaves because
0:26:00 > 0:26:04when we replant it you don't want them to be rocking about on the soil
0:26:04 > 0:26:07because you don't plant these deeply. The wind can catch these and
0:26:07 > 0:26:11you get wind rock so I'm just going to cut them down to about six inches
0:26:11 > 0:26:14or so and traditionally that's done in a sort of mitre shape.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Some people like to trim the roots a little bit just to tidy them up.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19I don't always bother
0:26:19 > 0:26:23but that's exactly what you're looking for to replant.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Right now, the best thing is if you can go ahead,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I'll just take those bits off, and replant these straight away.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36And I've got the perfect spot for these beauties.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44A rhizome is effectively a modified stem and it's a storage organ
0:26:44 > 0:26:49for all the nutrients that's needed to produce the new flowers.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So place the rhizome there.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So just try and get the heights right so it's going to just
0:26:54 > 0:26:59sit proud of the soil and just put those roots down around it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03These need a really good baking by the sun in order to flower well.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08So again I just scoop out a little bit higher in the middle
0:27:08 > 0:27:12so it sits proud and that rhizome goes on there.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Again just lift it up a bit. Cover the roots.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Firm it in but make sure the soil doesn't cover
0:27:21 > 0:27:23the top of the rhizome.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Right, four down, a few more to go.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40When it comes to ensata irises there's one man in Hampshire
0:27:40 > 0:27:43who's gone to great lengths to bring a little bit of East Asia
0:27:43 > 0:27:45to his own garden.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I'm besotted by Japan and their gardening tradition
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and I like very, very much these ensata irises.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55These rather fine blooms that come up rather
0:27:55 > 0:27:58mysteriously in a range of different colours
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and last a very short period of time.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Really, maybe three days each flower. It's very ephemeral somehow.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09Rupert Nabarro first visited Japan over 20 years ago and has since
0:28:09 > 0:28:14striven to grow ensata irises along the river banks here at Bere Mill.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Rupert's garden is also home to many other iris varieties that
0:28:18 > 0:28:21flower at different stages throughout the season,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23creating interest all summer long.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I particularly like these beardless Japanese ones
0:28:27 > 0:28:29but that's not the end of the story.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31There's an enormous variety which cover a wide
0:28:31 > 0:28:34range of times of year, different sizes and colours
0:28:34 > 0:28:39and I would just encourage people to go for it themselves.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41It's incredibly rewarding.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54For me, nothing else quite has the magic that an iris
0:28:54 > 0:28:56brings to a garden.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00The range of different types, and I feel that we really don't
0:29:00 > 0:29:03want to lose any of those for future generations.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05So if you've been inspired,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and you've never grown irises before, I suggest that this year you
0:29:08 > 0:29:11seek out perhaps some of the more unusual ones and plant them,
0:29:11 > 0:29:16and I guarantee it will be the start of a lifelong passion.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Across the series our revival team are travelling the length
0:29:25 > 0:29:28and breadth of Britain celebrating our gardens,
0:29:28 > 0:29:35flowers and plants in all their glory with one important mission -
0:29:35 > 0:29:39to champion our rich gardening heritage.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Next, Toby Buckland wants to get us all growing grasses.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59When most of us think about grass in our gardens we think
0:29:59 > 0:30:03about pushing a mower or pulling unwanted weeds out from the borders.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06We rarely think of grasses as a way of giving colour
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and structure to our gardens but we should, and we can.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16'Once popularised by the Victorians, grasses soon fell by the wayside
0:30:16 > 0:30:22'but it's time to get us all growing them again.'
0:30:22 > 0:30:28Ornamental grasses will give your garden a wow factor and with
0:30:28 > 0:30:32none of the watering or maintenance the less robust plants demand.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35And contrary to popular belief, the grass on the other side
0:30:35 > 0:30:38doesn't have to be greener.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45On my revival campaign, the botanical names of grasses prove
0:30:45 > 0:30:47a bit of a mouthful.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53Helictotrichon sempervirens. Yeah, saphirsprudel.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'So I lead the public in a rebranding exercise.' Yeah, yeah.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Toby's tufted, I think we'll put a line through.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01SHE LAUGHS
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'And I'll give you my top tips on how to create dramatic displays
0:31:04 > 0:31:07'using grasses.'
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Do you know what? I think that's looking pretty good.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I've come to Scampston Hall near Malton in North Yorkshire to
0:31:31 > 0:31:35start my revival because it's gorgeous and demonstrates perfectly
0:31:35 > 0:31:42what can be achieved with ornamental grasses in a contemporary garden.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Grasses make up some 20% of the garden design
0:31:47 > 0:31:49and in these borders they work really hard.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Not only providing elegance and line but also colour and texture.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00When I was a trainee gardener it was shrubs, shrubs, shrubs
0:32:00 > 0:32:01and more shrubs.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04All function and no fun, so when I heard about ornamental
0:32:04 > 0:32:07grasses it was like a breath of fresh air.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I just couldn't get enough of them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13I scoured nurseries for new plants, visited botanic gardens to try
0:32:13 > 0:32:16and get a handle on their unfamiliar names.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Now when I'm setting out a garden, I mean, I wouldn't,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I couldn't, be without ornamental grasses.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28They are the most beautiful and versatile of plants
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and I want everyone to celebrate them in their gardens.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Not many grasses have managed to make a name for themselves
0:32:39 > 0:32:43part from perhaps bamboo and the once revered pampas grass.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47The pampas grass was a 1970s sensation.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50This was a grass that had everything.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52It was shrubby and evergreen, low-maintenance,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56and compared to the ubiquitous privet, groovy.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59If you had a pampas in your garden you'd made it
0:32:59 > 0:33:03but this wasn't the first time these plants had been a fashion statement.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08A century earlier, the Victorians were particularly taken with the big showy varieties.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13I think it's time grasses came back into fashion again.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16I'm really excited to be visiting Kew Gardens, where they
0:33:16 > 0:33:21share my passion for grasses and house a historic collection.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Records of those grasses can be found here at the herbarium.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31'I've asked taxonomist Maria Voronstova to show me
0:33:31 > 0:33:35'some of the celebrities of the grass world.'
0:33:35 > 0:33:39This is really amazing. Have a look at this.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42This is a Darwin specimen.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46My God. "C Darwin, 1833."
0:33:46 > 0:33:50He wrote this. This is actually his handwriting. South America.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52HMS Beagle.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55It's the first time this species was collected and discovered
0:33:55 > 0:33:57and described.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Agrostis magellanica.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01So how does it work? So, taxonomic record-keeping,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03what is it about?
0:34:03 > 0:34:06So people go out there and they collect plants.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Then taxonomists study those plants,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11create a classification system,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14and that creates the basic record of Earth's diversity.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19This knowledge is then used by scientists, horticulturalists,
0:34:19 > 0:34:20conservationists.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22We're still discovering new species today.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Any new modern ones you can show me?
0:34:24 > 0:34:25SHE LAUGHS
0:34:25 > 0:34:28So here's an amazing little grass from Madagascar.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30OK.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33It's called Andropogon itremoensis and I'm proud to say that
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I've named it.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38I pressed it to make the herbarium specimen.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40This is the notes I made in the field.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43In the beginning I didn't realise there was anything special about
0:34:43 > 0:34:46it, and after a few weeks of research I realised that this species didn't
0:34:46 > 0:34:49have a scientific name and it would actually be really amazing if it
0:34:49 > 0:34:52was ever brought into horticulture and grown in a botanic garden.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55People don't understand grasses.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58They think they're all homogenous but they are quite different.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59Yours is very delicate.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Charles, he obviously had an eye for the fluffy and...
0:35:03 > 0:35:04THEY LAUGH
0:35:04 > 0:35:06And the ornamental.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09But anything that is recognisable as a garden grass?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11We have everything in the collection pretty much,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13so everybody knows pampas.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Oh, there's no mistaking that. Look at that.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Cortaderia selloana is the Latin name.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25These are the earliest collections from Brazil.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30So, this one was given to Kew in 1894 and collected a lot earlier
0:35:30 > 0:35:35than that and this set, basically the first-ever scientific
0:35:35 > 0:35:38record of this plant and where it grew.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42I think if people knew more about diversity they would break away from
0:35:42 > 0:35:47the usual things that everyone has in their gardens and go for...this!
0:35:49 > 0:35:53'As well as the dried specimens there is also a wonderful living
0:35:53 > 0:35:59'collection looked after by botanical horticulturalist Michelle Cleave.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01'The Victorians loved them
0:36:01 > 0:36:05'and there's been a grass garden here since the 19th century, so I want
0:36:05 > 0:36:08'to get to the bottom of why they're no longer popular in our gardens.'
0:36:08 > 0:36:12The Victorians loved naturalistic gardening, didn't they?
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Was that an antithesis of the industrialisation of the Victorian world?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Yes, it certainly was, I think.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23They really did champion gardening in a different way. Using natives.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Using plants from different places like North America and Europe,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and much more free-flowing movement.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Why do you think grasses fell out of fashion in the post-Victorian era?
0:36:34 > 0:36:37I think maybe the ones that they used perhaps were a little bit
0:36:37 > 0:36:44thuggish and as fashion being what it is, other things came into play.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49'The collection is incredible, with grasses popular with
0:36:49 > 0:36:53'the Victorians planted alongside more modern varieties.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56'Some 550 in total.' This is a Victorian favourite?
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Yes, it is. And it's Phalaris arundinacea.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Gardener's Garters.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Why is it called that?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I guess maybe linking in with the other common name, Ribbon Grass.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Maybe the ribbons on the garters to hold up the stockings.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Foxtail Barley from North America.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Beautiful, long, purple, pink awns, just fabulous in the wind.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19It really is like a barley, isn't it?
0:37:19 > 0:37:23And I think that's been around since the Victorian times as well.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26This was one of my mum's favourite grasses, this one.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27The Quaking Grass.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30This is very naturalistic. Would the Victorians have used this?
0:37:30 > 0:37:32I don't think so. Maybe not flamboyant enough.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34THEY LAUGH
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Do you think my campaign's worthwhile?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Yeah, I think they certainly shouldn't be part of any sort of fashion.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46They should be a main staple of our palette of plants that we grow.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51'Seeing the history of grasses laid out in front of me is
0:37:51 > 0:37:53'so inspiring and makes me
0:37:53 > 0:37:57'even more determined to get everyone to fall in love with them again.'
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I can't help but think that if more of us embraced this wonderful
0:38:00 > 0:38:04group of plants, our gardens could be so much better.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16There are so many different grasses out there with different shapes,
0:38:16 > 0:38:21sizes and colours and suitable for all sorts of growing conditions.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26Here are some ideal for planting at home.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Not all plants look good in the rain and gardeners certainly don't.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41However, there are exceptions and this is one of them.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Stipa Gigantea gold fontaene. It's got two heights.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47The foliage forms a clump that comes up to your knee
0:38:47 > 0:38:50and the flowers get up to 2½ metres.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55This is eight, ten feet tall. This is a grass for sun and space.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00But look at that, even in the rain it sparkles beautifully.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06That's better.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Now, there is a grass for every part of the garden and every situation.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14For shade, one of my favourites is the hakone grass.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Great for pots, but plant it in the ground
0:39:19 > 0:39:23and it lives for absolutely ages, turning into a bean bag-sized
0:39:23 > 0:39:27boulder, covered in this lovely yellow foliage.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31It deciduously bounces back again in the spring.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33But you can see from the range of grasses here there's all
0:39:33 > 0:39:37sorts of different colours, and what I love about the blood grass
0:39:37 > 0:39:41is this colouring of the leaves. It needs sun to bring it out,
0:39:41 > 0:39:49so the brighter the light this is in, the darker those leaves will be.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Festuca 'Elijah Blue', and its foliage, as you can see, is this
0:39:53 > 0:39:58sort of aqua blue and it really shimmers in the sunshine.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01A lovely little plant for a bright spot. Great in gravel gardens.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Forms sort of cushions of foliage that are evergreen
0:40:05 > 0:40:07so it looks good all year round.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10If you're after something tropical-looking
0:40:10 > 0:40:12and fabulous at the back of the border,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14zebra grass is the one.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19It has these striped markings on its foliage. Wonderful in drifts,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22brilliant as a clump on its own, as a specimen plant
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and like all miscanthus, it has hollow stems so insects can
0:40:26 > 0:40:29overwinter inside them and that means it's good for wildlife, too.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Grasses can create such an impact,
0:40:37 > 0:40:42particularly when they're planted en masse like here at Scampston Hall.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Although set between the original 18th-century walls,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48today's grass garden is a more modern addition.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51I met with head gardener Paul Smith to find out more.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Do you know, I've never been in a garden that I've wanted to
0:40:54 > 0:40:56dive into so much.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01And it was Piet Oudolf, the grass grower and trail blazer, that designed this?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03He did, yes.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04So this is one of, you know
0:41:04 > 0:41:07it's almost a real signature piece of design for him.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14World-renowned designer Piet Oudolf made this drifts-of-grass area the centrepiece of the garden.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16It's made up of only two elements -
0:41:16 > 0:41:20a lawn and swathes of purple moor grass.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24This is molinia caerulea, a deciduous grass that grows tall with
0:41:24 > 0:41:27closely packed stems, creating lots of movement as it
0:41:27 > 0:41:29catches in the breeze.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- Now this is a native grass, isn't it? - It's North Yorkshire.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Would you have planted it if it was grown in Lancashire, Paul?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36That's the big question.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Well, probably but we wouldn't make a big thing of it!
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Tell me about the season of interest because how much colour
0:41:42 > 0:41:44and interest is this molinia going to give you?
0:41:44 > 0:41:47The grass is going to start growing about the middle of June
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and of course it will change as the season goes on
0:41:50 > 0:41:55and it has a real purple sheen to this and the whole thing will
0:41:55 > 0:41:58go oaty-brown colour and it runs right through till
0:41:58 > 0:42:01the middle of February so when everything else is bedded out
0:42:01 > 0:42:05in a traditional garden, we've got all that winter interest as well.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I mean, this just shows how creative you can be with grasses
0:42:08 > 0:42:10and I think more people could grow them
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and experiment with grasses in their gardens.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15You can nearly get 12 months out of the year in ornamental grasses
0:42:15 > 0:42:18so that alone is a reason for growing them.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Part of the problem with grasses is the perception is that
0:42:28 > 0:42:32they're boring and the long Latin names aren't very inviting, either.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35So to gauge public opinion of these wonderful plants,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39I'm seeing if they have any takers at a car-boot sale.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42You don't want those flowers, mate. You want grasses.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Grasses are where it's at.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48I ask a neighbouring car-booter for some selling tips.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52What do you think my chances are of selling grasses here, then?
0:42:52 > 0:42:53Very remote.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58Ten years ago, they were very, very popular but nowadays anything
0:42:58 > 0:43:01with a bit of colour, like that colour there - people love that.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Do you shout at people as they're coming past and beckon them in,
0:43:04 > 0:43:06or do you let the products do the talking?
0:43:06 > 0:43:07No. Products do the talking.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- OK. But mine aren't saying much. That's my problem, is it?- Yeah!
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Colour is all very well but what people don't realise is that
0:43:15 > 0:43:18ornamental grasses can also give you colour and -
0:43:18 > 0:43:23if you select the right combination - they'll perform all year round.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27I'll have to work that into my sales pitch. Here goes.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32Madam! Excuse me. Can I interest you in any grasses?
0:43:32 > 0:43:35This is evergreen. Stay with you all year round, this one.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Five quid. Yeah, all right, then.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41And you are my first customer. Thank you!
0:43:41 > 0:43:44We're up and running over here now.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Ah! It's great to get my first sale
0:43:46 > 0:43:48but the Latin names are proving problematic.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53Helictotrichon sempervirens.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Yeah...saphirsprudel.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59They just aren't catchy and don't grab people's attention.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03This used to be called stipa arundinacea. That's its Latin name.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06Then it's changed its name to oryzopsis
0:44:06 > 0:44:10and then it went to um...anemanthele which is a horrendous Latin name.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14But as the market gets busier, I do engage more people.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15I'd like one of those, actually.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Oh, yeah - lovely and this is a winner.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19I'll give you both of those for seven quid.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21That's very nice of you.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25And soon I'm on a roll.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27These are great for shade.
0:44:27 > 0:44:28I think we'll have one.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- Come on, five quid. - All right, then.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Get it in the ground.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36I'm thrilled that people have started to take
0:44:36 > 0:44:38an interest in grasses but it wasn't easy
0:44:38 > 0:44:42and the tricky Latin names are a bit of stumbling block.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44So I've hatched another plan.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51I'm hitting the airwaves at BBC Radio Gloucestershire,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55inviting the public to come up with inspirational common names.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Their Latin names are so rubbish.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Deschampsia cespitosa.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03Sounds like a disease.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Well, it's a tropical disorder, isn't it? That's not it.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10But this one's even worse. Anemanthele lessoniana.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12OK, so this is where you guys come in.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16If you can come up with a common name that Toby can then
0:45:16 > 0:45:19brand about and just change the face of these grasses,
0:45:19 > 0:45:20do get in contact now.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Jethro from Cirencester has already phoned in to say
0:45:23 > 0:45:26he likes the name the "whisky grass" because it grows half cut!
0:45:26 > 0:45:28But the whisky grass, actually...
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Well, it is in fact a grass that does turn bronze in the Autumn.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34- LISTENER:- 'I think he said it was from New Zealand
0:45:34 > 0:45:38- 'and it was pretty easy to grow.' - Yep. 'And- I thought, why don't we call it the Easy Kiwi.'
0:45:38 > 0:45:40The Easy Kiwi.
0:45:40 > 0:45:46A few of the names I've had in for the Deschampsia, um...spiky tufticus.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48That says exactly how it grows
0:45:48 > 0:45:51because it is a tufty little number, this one.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56Positive reaction from the listeners is brilliant
0:45:56 > 0:45:58and there are some great ideas coming in.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- How about "whispering grass"? - Ooh, I like that.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- "Perennial chillax".- Ooh!
0:46:04 > 0:46:05Chillax is a great word.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07That is very good.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10But some suggestions are frankly better than others.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12"Toby's tufted" - I think I'll put a line through.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Ha-ha-ha!
0:46:14 > 0:46:16I'll put a line firmly through that one.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18- I like "champagne grass".- Oh, now!
0:46:18 > 0:46:22I just...I love champagne. Malcolm in Stroud, hello to you.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25"Paradise grass" because there is nothing better than lying
0:46:25 > 0:46:28out in the garden on a summer's day.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Toby, best of luck with this. Thank you for coming in today.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32That's Toby Buckland there.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Well, that went well. We've got some runners and riders there.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40I like "spiky tufticus" and also "champagne grass" for that one.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45But the name I like the most for the old Anemanthele lessoniana is
0:46:45 > 0:46:47"whisky grass".
0:46:47 > 0:46:52Yep, from now henceforth, I shall call this the whisky grass.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Time will tell if my new names catch on
0:46:56 > 0:46:59but it seems that people are really on board with my campaign.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Grasses are used so creatively at Scampston Hall,
0:47:09 > 0:47:13they're like living sculptures giving rhythm to the borders,
0:47:13 > 0:47:15or they're mingled in with other flowers.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20But if you want a border where grass is top of the bill,
0:47:20 > 0:47:22I've got something for you.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35If you dot a few grasses in amongst your existing plants,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37you can make any garden seem more fresh and modern.
0:47:37 > 0:47:43But if you increase proportion to say 50 or 75% grasses,
0:47:43 > 0:47:45you get something completely different.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49It always pays to set out your plants first.
0:47:49 > 0:47:54Always put the big specimens into position to give you
0:47:54 > 0:47:56the shape you're after -
0:47:56 > 0:48:00create the backbone, if you like and this is a real cracker.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03It's called miscanthus malepartus. It's a feather grass.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07They're good for specimens as well as grown in drifts.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Now this one is topped with almost tickle-stick-like flowers.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13They have a blackcurrant red tint to them
0:48:13 > 0:48:17when they first open but dry to a sparkling silver.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21It goes at the back.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Next up, I've got one of my favourite grasses.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29It's called panicum heavy metal.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31That gunmetal grey is really cracking
0:48:31 > 0:48:34and they have these dark purple flowers.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37It comes up to shoulder high
0:48:37 > 0:48:41and is just the job for planting down the middle of a border.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45For maximum impact, use fewer varieties but repeat them
0:48:45 > 0:48:47down the length of the space.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Now with really big grasses like the miscanthus, you can either
0:48:51 > 0:48:54plant them singly or maybe three to a metre.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58As they get smaller down to waist height, you go to about five a metre
0:48:58 > 0:49:01and the little tiddlers that just come up to your shins,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05you get 5-7 every square metre of ground.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09If you're after a specimen grass, you can't beat calamagrostis.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13This one is called acutiflora overdam.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16It has a lovely yellow tint to the foliage
0:49:16 > 0:49:19and it's called season grass giving colour and interest through autumn.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21It grows to shoulder height
0:49:21 > 0:49:25so just the job right in the middle of the heavy metal panicums.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30To tie it all together, I've tried Deschampsia cespitosa or
0:49:30 > 0:49:32should I say champagne grass.
0:49:32 > 0:49:38And for the edges, a carexal sedge called frosted curls.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41So botanically they're not strictly grasses,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44however, they behave and look like them.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47If you're the type of gardener that hates mowing the lawn
0:49:47 > 0:49:49and going round with the edging shears,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52let this grass grow long up into the leaves of the carex
0:49:52 > 0:49:56and then occasionally come and mow the whole lot down.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59You know what? I think that's looking pretty good.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03And once you're happy with the layout, get the grasses planted
0:50:03 > 0:50:06and add a few flowers as a finishing touch.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11I've always liked yarrows or achilleas.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16They tend to flop but the grasses act like supports for them.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19Everyone loves echinaceas and finally because I love them
0:50:19 > 0:50:25so much, a couple of sedums just fills out the front of the border.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26And when you stand back
0:50:26 > 0:50:29and look at this you think - ooh, there's quite a few flowers in there
0:50:29 > 0:50:31but that's because the grasses haven't really got going.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34Now this is a border that is mostly grasses,
0:50:34 > 0:50:39and because it's mostly grasses it has an incredibly long season
0:50:39 > 0:50:43and to all intents and purposes, it will look after itself.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59There are a staggering 10,000 species of grass found all over
0:50:59 > 0:51:03the globe, so no-one can say there isn't a grass for them.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06If you're after something a little more exotic,
0:51:06 > 0:51:11this is the place to come. The home of a modern-day plant hunter.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14Nick Macer travels the world in search of unusual
0:51:14 > 0:51:17and striking plants and grasses, then grows them here
0:51:17 > 0:51:20at his nursery garden in Gloucestershire.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- Hello, Nick.- Hello, Toby.
0:51:23 > 0:51:24Tell me about your plant hunting?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Yeah, yeah. It's something I do every year.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30I used to do a lot of Mexico but recently China, Vietnam
0:51:30 > 0:51:33and the last couple of years, I've been in north-east India.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Are grasses a big part of what you do?
0:51:35 > 0:51:38Is it something you're always on the lookout for?
0:51:38 > 0:51:39I'm on the lookout for everything, frankly
0:51:39 > 0:51:42and there's always an interesting grass to be found.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44This whole place has a really exotic look to it and I can't help
0:51:44 > 0:51:48but think it's this sort of softness, the abundance that grasses give.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51I think grasses go with everything.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55They are a lovely linear contrast to all sorts of other form
0:51:55 > 0:51:58and I wouldn't be without them.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Nick gives me a tour of his nursery and shows me
0:52:00 > 0:52:03some of his more exotic grasses.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06- That's actually eragrostis curvula. - Ooh!
0:52:06 > 0:52:08That was collected in South Africa.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11When these come out they are like... well, it's like mist, in fact.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13It's incredibly fine.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15And then this billows out to the point where you can't
0:52:15 > 0:52:17actually get though here.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24This is chionochloa rubra, the red tussock grass from New Zealand.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26It covers many of the mountains.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28With a bit of winter cold, they can go really orange.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Orange-tinted.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Ooh, I like the look of this. Is this miscanthus nepalensis?
0:52:37 > 0:52:39It is, yeah.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41We grew it on from seed we collected in North Vietnam,
0:52:41 > 0:52:43right on the Chinese border.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48I don't think I've ever seen a grass present such a strong gold colour.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Nick's nursery is fascinating.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Each wild grass is unique with natural variations not
0:52:54 > 0:52:58seen in grasses that have been propagated or cloned commercially.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00Because I grow the green one and this is lovely.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03This is just a sort of natural mutation. A natural thing?
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's the great thing about going to the wild.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08That is one of the most important points
0:53:08 > 0:53:13because the amount of genetic difference out in the wild is huge.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15Plants you buy in your average garden centre,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18so many of them are micro-propagated nowadays.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20If a plant is divided over and over,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24- you may get one clone in cultivation.- Yeah.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26But you're bringing in seed variation
0:53:26 > 0:53:30and every plant has got its own characteristic. Yeah.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34So right there is a good reason for people to grow grasses
0:53:34 > 0:53:37and to get grasses that have been brought in by plant hunters.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42It's fantastic to see these exotic plants thriving on British soil.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45It just goes to show how adaptable grasses are
0:53:45 > 0:53:48and what natural variety there is out there.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56There's one particular grass that's loved and loathed in equal measure
0:53:56 > 0:54:01but many people don't even know that it's a member of the grass family -
0:54:01 > 0:54:02bamboo.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05As with all grasses, there are many varieties, from ground huggers
0:54:05 > 0:54:09to towering tree-like specimens
0:54:09 > 0:54:12and I'm going to show you how to get the best out of it in your garden.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Basically, there are two types of bamboos -
0:54:23 > 0:54:25there are those that have clump-forming roots that stay
0:54:25 > 0:54:30relatively tame and then there are the runners that spread
0:54:30 > 0:54:35almost endlessly and they do that on these roots and along them the buds
0:54:35 > 0:54:40break and come up as new "culms" - is the technical word -
0:54:40 > 0:54:45or bamboo canes and a plant like this can spread two, three, four, five metres
0:54:45 > 0:54:47in a single season.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51If you're going to have a running bamboo, you need to contain
0:54:51 > 0:54:53the roots and you do it with this stuff.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Plastic root barrier.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01Lots of different types of this stuff but essentially it is
0:55:01 > 0:55:07a 75cm-deep piece of plastic that you bury down into the soil.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11It doesn't need a base, because bamboo doesn't root deeply.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Make sure the edges overlap by a couple of feet
0:55:13 > 0:55:16and tape them together so the roots can't get between.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22Now the bamboo I've got here is a really lovely thing.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24It's a phyllostachys aurea.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30What I always do is just set the bamboo a little bit deeper
0:55:30 > 0:55:31than it was in its pot.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Just the bottom couple of inches.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I find that they tend to like that.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38It keeps the root ball a bit moist.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39Add a bit more compost.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Because if you feed them, you get just magnificently tall canes
0:55:46 > 0:55:49and they come up nice and thick as well.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53And the final job, once you've given the plant a good water-in,
0:55:53 > 0:55:56is to trim down the plastic.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00Leave it a few centimetres proud of the soil surface,
0:56:00 > 0:56:05because the roots grow along sideways and then go up and over.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08But if you leave the plastic high, there's less likelihood
0:56:08 > 0:56:11that that will happen and if they do, well, it's not the end of the world.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Just go along with a pair of secateurs and snip them off
0:56:14 > 0:56:16to keep them confined. Like any new plant,
0:56:16 > 0:56:19it's going to need to be kept watered, particularly in
0:56:19 > 0:56:23its first year and one thing to make bamboo look more elegant is a bit of pruning.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Now in early spring before the new shoots starts to grow,
0:56:26 > 0:56:32trim out any old tired culms as close to the ground as you can possibly go.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34You make the plant more airy
0:56:34 > 0:56:38and you get more rustle as the culms move around in the breeze.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39So there you have it.
0:56:39 > 0:56:44A bamboo plant that is contained and won't take over your garden.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Someone who shares my passion for grasses is David Matzdorf,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02who's found a creative and striking way of growing them
0:57:02 > 0:57:05at his eco-friendly home in North London.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08So I've got two gardens.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11The front garden here, which is a bit of a tropical rainforest
0:57:11 > 0:57:13impression and then once you get on the roof, it's a bit
0:57:13 > 0:57:16more like a sort of Mexican hillside style.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20I've discovered that the only place really sunny enough to get
0:57:20 > 0:57:23other smaller grasses to thrive is up on the green roof.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28I grow a wild variety of stuff up here
0:57:28 > 0:57:31but the grasses have a texture all of their own.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33Some of them have been very successful, some of them
0:57:33 > 0:57:35have been way too successful.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37I optimistically thought that the shallow soil
0:57:37 > 0:57:41and the shade conditions would control this very invasive
0:57:41 > 0:57:44grass which is Phalaris arundinacea picta.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46Clearly it didn't. It's gone mad.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51If you choose grasses which have nicely textured flowers,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53some have different coloured leaves,
0:57:53 > 0:57:55you can get some really good contrast effects.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00I'd love to coach more people to do green roofs on their houses, sheds, garages.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04There are all sorts of really significant ecological benefits
0:58:04 > 0:58:05but also, it's really nice up here.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07It's like having a different kind of garden.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15I hope my revival has got you thinking about grasses
0:58:15 > 0:58:17in a new light.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20We have after all been growing them in the UK for hundreds of years
0:58:20 > 0:58:24and all the time, new varieties and creative ways of using them
0:58:24 > 0:58:26have been developed.
0:58:26 > 0:58:28They're not just the plant of the now -
0:58:28 > 0:58:31grasses are the plant of the future.