:00:15. > :00:19.It is July. High summer and time for the Royal Horticultural Society
:00:19. > :00:23.Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Now in its 22nd year. As well as
:00:23. > :00:28.all the incredible flowers that you could possibly grow, this year
:00:28. > :00:34.there is a real emphasis on edible plants and a celebration of the
:00:34. > :00:40.wildlife that we can bring in our gardens. It is not only the Hampton
:00:40. > :00:44.Show Gardens that are a feast for the eyes. There are some dazzling
:00:44. > :00:49.summer displays for the visitors to enjoy.
:00:49. > :00:52.Hampton Court is the largest Show. Tonight, Rachel, Joe and myself
:00:52. > :00:57.will be giving you a pre-view of the highlights. Coming up, Joe and
:00:57. > :01:03.I look at the medal contenders in the large show gardens. We shall be
:01:03. > :01:08.looking at the inspiration behind the gardens which is a category
:01:08. > :01:18.unique to Hampton Court. Rachel catches a glimpse of the new
:01:18. > :01:27.
:01:27. > :01:30.Hello. Welcome to the 2011 Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court
:01:30. > :01:35.Palace Flower Show. It is set in the grounds of this fabulous palace
:01:35. > :01:39.surrounded by 750 acres of beautiful park. The show opens
:01:39. > :01:42.tomorrow and remains open until Sunday. The three of us had a
:01:42. > :01:47.chance to have a quick peek around and what struck me initially was
:01:47. > :01:54.the show gardens themselves are of high quality, the finish is good.
:01:54. > :01:59.They look really good. The con accept actual gardens which I am
:01:59. > :02:03.interested in. This is where art and gardening crosses over and
:02:03. > :02:07.there is nine this year and they look good.
:02:07. > :02:12.It is not just deseen, it is plants and I have been in the floral
:02:13. > :02:18.marquee. It is a sea of of blooms. It is a sight worth seeing.
:02:18. > :02:22.I'm sure there will be lots of gold medals inside the floral marquee.
:02:22. > :02:28.Outside last year only one of the maujor show gardens -- major show
:02:28. > :02:38.gardens was awarded gold. Joe and I have been around to see how the
:02:38. > :02:44.
:02:44. > :02:48.This garden is called the The Stockman's Retreat. It is by Chris
:02:48. > :02:52.beard shaw. As you walk past and look through, you gaze through a
:02:52. > :02:56.look through, you gaze through a perfect mixed border. All the
:02:56. > :03:00.levels vary, the colours harmonising and looking through it,
:03:00. > :03:04.you see this charming little little cottage. You need to come round to
:03:04. > :03:08.the side and have a look because there is a winding track. The thing
:03:08. > :03:12.you just glimpse as you are on a walk and what strikes me about it
:03:12. > :03:15.is the degree of skill and sophistication that goes into
:03:15. > :03:18.making show gardens now and particularly to make it look as
:03:18. > :03:23.though it is completely natural. There are weeds growing between the
:03:23. > :03:26.stones. The dry stone wall is tumbling down. There is an
:03:26. > :03:31.incredible skill in making it look as though nothing has happened.
:03:31. > :03:41.There is so much going on here if you just walk by, you will only get
:03:41. > :03:47.
:03:47. > :03:52.highlighting peace one day which is a charity that does international
:03:52. > :03:57.work about bringing harmony to the hole world. -- whole world. I love
:03:57. > :04:01.the way they have got the theme and run with it. In the planting it has
:04:01. > :04:06.been separated out by the steel circles and initially they are
:04:06. > :04:10.separate, but they start mingling together. The largest rounded
:04:10. > :04:20.border at the front incorporates the plants in the garden and shows
:04:20. > :04:21.
:04:21. > :04:29.the whole is greater than some of its past. These birch are wonderful.
:04:29. > :04:38.It is the perfect choice of plants creating a canopy. It is a
:04:39. > :04:45.fantastic effort from some first try to impress you with their
:04:45. > :04:50.beauty. And And others that have a powerful message. This garden does
:04:50. > :04:55.both. Its message is powerful and strong which is that we should grow
:04:55. > :05:00.more apples. But also it is beautiful. It really shows how the
:05:00. > :05:05.fruit and apple trees in particular can combine to make a lovely garden.
:05:05. > :05:11.I like the way that it flows from the edge where you have this mixed
:05:11. > :05:15.hedge and the long grass and the apple trees and then you move into
:05:15. > :05:21.the central area which is sophisticated. There is a lot going
:05:21. > :05:31.on. You never feel overwhelmed by the design or the message. It just
:05:31. > :05:41.
:05:41. > :05:44.has a strong Japanese theme. Low maintenance plants are used.
:05:44. > :05:48.Japanese gardens take their inspiration from the natural world
:05:48. > :05:52.beyond and they are recreated on a microscale. Here we have rocks and
:05:52. > :05:57.a path, but the gravel that has been used to fill the voids in
:05:57. > :06:01.between, but this is a resin bonded gravel. It let's the water through,
:06:01. > :06:06.but it stays in one shape so you can walk on it. At the back of the
:06:06. > :06:10.garden, we have Bruce's bauble with a cherry blossom motif. It is a
:06:10. > :06:15.garden pod really, but the idea is that we have got a world within a
:06:15. > :06:19.world. So here is a computer connected up to the internet and it
:06:19. > :06:24.will take you into cyberspace. Remember tonight's programme is
:06:24. > :06:26.just a sneak pre-view of what we are offering at this year's show.
:06:26. > :06:30.Because there will be two programmes on Thursday and Friday
:06:30. > :06:38.this week. In those, we will be taking a closer look at the gardens
:06:38. > :06:44.here, large, small, the conceptual and those dedicated to our greatest
:06:44. > :06:52.poets. In 2009 one designer got visitors here talking about her
:06:52. > :07:00.small sustainable garden entitled Oak Tree Lying In State. She is
:07:00. > :07:04.back with a strong environmental message. Fiona is working with the
:07:04. > :07:12.WWF. Together they aim to highlight the importance of water
:07:12. > :07:17.conservation and specifically our natural chalk streams which meant a
:07:17. > :07:20.trip for Fiona to the river in trip for Fiona to the river in
:07:20. > :07:23.Hampshire. Chalk streams are a habitat found
:07:23. > :07:28.in the south of England and cher characterised which very clear
:07:28. > :07:38.water. Water that's been filtered through aqua fers over a long
:07:38. > :07:44.
:07:44. > :07:48.period. When the water re-emerges, it is very clear, clean, pure and
:07:48. > :07:58.pure, but a lot of water is taken out to supply domestic housing and
:07:58. > :08:08.out to supply domestic housing and industry. There is not enough water
:08:08. > :08:09.
:08:09. > :08:14.in in aquifers for both. The habitat that we are creating at
:08:14. > :08:21.Hampton Court will evoke the spirit of English countryside. We are
:08:21. > :08:27.including an area of meadow and meadows are a thing that were part
:08:27. > :08:32.afchalk stream -- of a chalk stream habitat. This is a typical chalk
:08:32. > :08:40.stream meadow and what I'm really looking for that I can re-create in
:08:40. > :08:44.the show garden is the way that the plants sway and group together. So
:08:44. > :08:51.clearly here we have got a nice group of irises and then it moves
:08:51. > :08:59.into meadow sweet and much finer leaves of sedge and back into
:08:59. > :09:05.irises and it is feeling that texture and light and shade that I
:09:05. > :09:11.want to create in the garden. One of the characteristics of this part
:09:11. > :09:14.are the grasses. They are almost like big hair, quite fun. We were
:09:14. > :09:19.here a few weeks ago digging up some. It was a real mission to dig
:09:19. > :09:22.them. It took about seven people to dig up one. We have promised to
:09:22. > :09:32.replace them and they are growing on nicely so they will be in the
:09:32. > :09:32.
:09:32. > :09:38.show garden. In order to create a believable
:09:38. > :09:46.chalk stream feeling, the two elements that we need to be
:09:46. > :09:54.achieving are clarity of the water, and flow and within that these
:09:54. > :10:04.bright emerald green sculptural plants within the water.
:10:04. > :10:10.These water plants are just amazing. The water stalwart, the cushiony
:10:10. > :10:16.plates formed by them. The water parsnip is more on the bottom and
:10:16. > :10:20.the water crowfoot is long and willowy and me andering and waving
:10:20. > :10:26.through the water. It is just beautiful.
:10:26. > :10:33.I will be very happy if the garden, when it is finished, looks
:10:33. > :10:39.believable. Even if it has a few percent of the beauty and serenity
:10:39. > :10:49.and inspiration that one feels from going to a real chalk stream. I
:10:49. > :10:50.
:10:50. > :10:55.will feel as if I've really I must say Fiona, you have achieved
:10:55. > :10:59.a wonderful naturalistic garden. Are you pleased with it? I'm very
:10:59. > :11:02.pleased. Tell me about the metal spheres?
:11:02. > :11:06.are taking the spheres away from the stream and they are
:11:06. > :11:16.representing water droplets. So the way they come out of the
:11:16. > :11:23.stream, they are getting bigger and bigger and making the scale of the
:11:23. > :11:28.problem more evident. What about the scale? I have used
:11:28. > :11:30.the biggest grass I can find. You are attracting so much wildlife
:11:30. > :11:36.You are attracting so much wildlife into this garden.
:11:36. > :11:40.It is full, isn't it? It is lovely to see the bees and the crane flies
:11:40. > :11:45.and dragonflies. Let's go to the stream. You wanted
:11:46. > :11:52.it to be quite rapid, didn't you? We are now travelling at 15 litres
:11:52. > :11:54.a second. It makes you realise how much water there is in a real
:11:54. > :11:58.stream. I know you have won a gold medal
:11:58. > :12:07.before. Do you feel under pressure to achieve that with this garden?
:12:07. > :12:12.Yes. I know we are taking a risk because we are leaving much more
:12:13. > :12:15.decayed foliage in. I would rather do that and make it feel more
:12:15. > :12:20.naturalistic. Well, I think you have got the
:12:20. > :12:24.balance just about right. Rose you are from the WWF, how bad
:12:25. > :12:30.is the problem that we are trying to highlight? The chalk streams are
:12:30. > :12:33.a unique. There are only 200 in the a unique. There are only 200 in the
:12:33. > :12:38.whole world and most are in England. They are a key source of our water
:12:38. > :12:41.supply and what we are hoping this garden will do is inspire people to
:12:41. > :12:46.think about where water comes from and make that connection between
:12:46. > :12:49.the water that they use at home, in their gardens and the water in the
:12:49. > :12:52.natural environment at chalk stream. Gardeners will be torn because they
:12:53. > :12:57.want to help with conservation, but they need to water their gardens.
:12:57. > :13:01.So what can we do to help? Well, it is really important that gardeners
:13:01. > :13:05.use water wisely and make sure every drop counts. Simple things
:13:05. > :13:10.like making the most of rainwater and making sure they use the right
:13:10. > :13:14.amount of water on the right plants at the right times. Gardens are
:13:14. > :13:19.really special environments too. It is a really great way that people
:13:19. > :13:22.can enjoy nature in their back yard. I am so glad you said that. Best of
:13:22. > :13:28.luck with the garden. I think it is wonderful.
:13:28. > :13:33.One of the most interesting compeubts at the show -- exhibits
:13:33. > :13:37.is the Edible Garden. It is more than just one garden. You can argue
:13:37. > :13:41.it is more than edible plants. The it is more than edible plants. The
:13:41. > :13:46.scale is enormous. There are lots of different sections from a hop
:13:46. > :13:50.yard, an orchard and pond and I like the way connections are made
:13:51. > :13:57.beyond the growing plants. We have a cider press to take the fruits of
:13:57. > :14:01.the orchard. We see baskets made from willow that's grown. There is
:14:01. > :14:04.conventional gardening in it too. We have got flowers mingled in with
:14:04. > :14:09.vegetables, but at the same time it challenges our ideas of what is
:14:09. > :14:12.possible to grow in the garden. So a lavender field with olives.
:14:12. > :14:18.Perhaps this is what we could be doing in our gardens with climate
:14:18. > :14:22.change. The same with the vineyard. I particularly liked the way that
:14:22. > :14:27.it breaks the boundaries of what we might be doing in our back gardens
:14:27. > :14:30.and includes all kinds of aspects of British life. Really good and
:14:30. > :14:35.stimulating. Now, coming up on tonight's programme:
:14:35. > :14:45.Rachel is in the floral marquee checking out exciting new additions.
:14:45. > :14:47.
:14:47. > :14:56.My eye has been caught by this. We will meet one person who is
:14:56. > :14:59.making their first show garden despite wait waiting to give give
:14:59. > :15:09.birth to twins. If you have any comments, you can
:15:09. > :15:17.
:15:17. > :15:21.Hampton Court has the largest of the floral marquees, there are 9272
:15:21. > :15:25.exhibitors. Each showing their own form of seasonal colour, but for
:15:25. > :15:34.one, who is here at Hampton Court just for the second time, well,
:15:34. > :15:39.that colour has to come in the shape of hemara callis.
:15:39. > :15:44.I've always been keen on plants, since I was a child. I had an
:15:44. > :15:50.allotment with my grandfather. We would grow vegetables and exhibit
:15:50. > :15:54.at the local flower shows. We dug out pictures from the loft recently,
:15:54. > :15:58.they go back to those days. In my previous life I worked for a
:15:58. > :16:03.supermarket. I would travel the world looking after quality issues,
:16:03. > :16:07.flowers, looking at perhaps roses and carnations in Kenya. I envied
:16:07. > :16:12.the grocers that I would visit. I thought it was a wonderful way of
:16:12. > :16:16.life, having a nursery attached to where I live -- to where they lived
:16:17. > :16:21.and no commute. I really wanted to do that. This is the lifestyle I
:16:21. > :16:25.used to dream about. My family are involved. They work at the bottom
:16:25. > :16:35.of the garden. It's the dream lifestyle.
:16:35. > :16:35.
:16:35. > :16:39.I always liked hemma callis. I started out with orange, then
:16:39. > :16:43.yellow, then red. My mission really is to communicate
:16:43. > :16:48.to gardeners what wonderful flowers they are. There is a huge range of
:16:49. > :16:55.colours, size of flowers and extended flowering period. The main
:16:55. > :17:00.flowering start in -- starts in June and goes on into August. A lot
:17:00. > :17:05.of the new plants have a rebloom habit. It sends up another spike
:17:05. > :17:10.with further flowers and possibly beyond that. It could flower into
:17:10. > :17:14.the frost. The netting is an idea that I picked up from grocers I
:17:14. > :17:19.visited in Kenya. It provides a bit of protection from the wind, from
:17:19. > :17:23.the sun it keeps the plants cleaner. These flowers are really difficult
:17:23. > :17:26.to get just right for the show. It depends on the weather. If you move
:17:26. > :17:31.them, the floors are inclined to close, they don't look as good as
:17:31. > :17:35.they do at home it is a matter of growing numbers and selecting the
:17:35. > :17:41.correct plants on the day. This is a variety I'm hoping to have at
:17:42. > :17:45.Hampton Court, it is called Shadows of the Pyramids. It has a beautiful
:17:46. > :17:55.colour, a beautiful form. I think it is improved on the old-fashioned
:17:56. > :17:57.
:17:57. > :18:00.varieties. Hemmracallis are not affected by
:18:00. > :18:06.diseases. They are a member of the lily
:18:06. > :18:11.families, but without the problems. One of the recent pests that
:18:11. > :18:16.arrived in this country is Gordon Brownish. If you see bugs that are
:18:16. > :18:21.swollen, slap them off and put them in a bag and put them in the
:18:21. > :18:26.rubbish. Not on the come post heap. They will hatch out and come back
:18:26. > :18:31.against next year. Last year I displayed the flowers at Hampton
:18:31. > :18:35.Court for a silver guilt. The challenge this year is to go a bit
:18:35. > :18:42.better. I have a bigger site, I have more plants, I'll be trying
:18:42. > :18:47.that bit harder. Paul, lots of good colour, but
:18:47. > :18:51.these are such a tricky plant to show? They are great garden plants.
:18:51. > :18:58.If you start to move them, it could be difficult. You put them in a van
:18:58. > :19:02.to move them, they tend to sulk! Now, some see them as a traditional
:19:02. > :19:07.plant and don't know how to ease them in a contemporary setting or
:19:07. > :19:10.update them, what do you say to that? A lot of people know the old
:19:10. > :19:13.fashioned orange and yellow varieties, but there are many
:19:13. > :19:23.improvements that have become available. A lot of the new
:19:23. > :19:23.
:19:23. > :19:27.varieties such as the All American Chief or SaboyenneBur have a
:19:27. > :19:31.tremendous range of colours, beautiful eyes and edges. It really
:19:31. > :19:35.helps to get the gardener to understand the modern vierts.
:19:35. > :19:40.are some beauties. All American Chief. I like that.
:19:40. > :19:45.So this is more about showing your passion for the flower and getting
:19:45. > :19:50.people involved? It is, to bring to the gardener's attention the
:19:50. > :19:55.wonders of the flower today. Of course, these wonderful flowers
:19:55. > :20:00.are not the only midsummer bloom that flower at this time of year.
:20:00. > :20:10.Here, you are bowled over by the flowers at peak. Before the show
:20:10. > :20:13.
:20:13. > :20:17.opened Rachel had a good look impossible to miss. Look at these
:20:17. > :20:21.Dallas. Such a variety of shape and of course colour. They must be one
:20:21. > :20:27.of the star performers in the midand the late season garden. I
:20:28. > :20:32.grow them in a mixed border, but I have a small bed packed in my
:20:32. > :20:37.kitchen garden so many to cut for the house.
:20:38. > :20:45.I have found something a little different here on the Lockyear
:20:45. > :20:53.Stand. These are all spiky members of the
:20:53. > :20:59.salanium family. You can see the spiky stems coming around. The
:20:59. > :21:05.common name is purple Devil. That speaks volumes. This is from Africa,
:21:05. > :21:09.it is Snake Apple. Although they are from the same family as the
:21:09. > :21:14.potatoes and the tomatoes, I would not recommend eating these fruits,
:21:14. > :21:20.they are toxic. If you fancy having a go at these they grow well from
:21:20. > :21:25.seed. Put them on a pot and keep them in a patio. They then must be
:21:25. > :21:35.moved, they are not hardy. When you do move them, watch out for the
:21:35. > :21:35.
:21:35. > :21:42.spikes! Here there is a wonderful display of midand late season
:21:42. > :21:50.flowers like the value via. The akila, but my eye is caught by this
:21:50. > :21:55.inQana. It is a combination of apricot flowers and the fowlians --
:21:55. > :22:02.fowliage that is unusual. It does best in a warm shelter position. It
:22:02. > :22:10.likes a nice open, gritty soil. Harvest Garden Plants are showing
:22:10. > :22:16.this double echinacea. It is called Hot Papaya. Here there are two
:22:16. > :22:22.species of echinaceas. There is Para docks, it comes from
:22:22. > :22:30.Texas, it is long with a long tap root to search out the moisture,
:22:30. > :22:35.and this one is the purpurea. The root system there is more fibrous.
:22:35. > :22:42.This is what this one has inherited. This is the first with the orange
:22:42. > :22:48.colouring to have that character International Cricket Council.
:22:48. > :22:54.-- character cystic. It looks beautiful here against the
:22:54. > :22:58.dahlia. Hampton Court has become known for
:22:59. > :23:02.its conceptual gardens. These are the designs that challenge our
:23:02. > :23:06.traditional notion of a garden. There are nine this year. The most
:23:06. > :23:09.ever shown at Hampton Court. For one of the new designers it has not
:23:09. > :23:15.one of the new designers it has not been with out challenges.
:23:15. > :23:21.Anoushka Feiler found out days after the Hampton Court had
:23:21. > :23:27.accepted the design, that she was expecting twins. In Anoushka's case
:23:27. > :23:34.her dad was the first port of call. I chose to do the Concept Garden
:23:34. > :23:37.category. I think it is a very exciting area of garden design.
:23:37. > :23:41.MUSIC:: Skies skies -- Excuse Me While I Kiss The Sky.
:23:41. > :23:45.Excuse Me While I Kiss The Sky is a fantastic quote from Jimi Hendrix
:23:45. > :23:49.that encapsulate what I want the garden to feel like.
:23:49. > :23:55.What I wanted to create was a space that people come into that allows a
:23:55. > :23:59.sense of being able to see things from a different perspective.
:23:59. > :24:03.The concept design really allows you to make a statement beyond the
:24:03. > :24:09.norm. You can just go bonkers as you like.
:24:09. > :24:18.I think that is a really freeing prince yipl.
:24:18. > :24:24.The concept be -- principal. The -- principle.
:24:24. > :24:29.The concept is to have a mirror around the garden. The affect is to
:24:29. > :24:34.have that of a sky reflecting all the way around the boundary. I went
:24:34. > :24:39.to a set designer e, they came back with a fantastic quote of �25,000.
:24:39. > :24:44.Awhich point I thought I would not be able to do this. I thought I
:24:44. > :24:48.would give my old dad a call and see ewhat he thinks about this
:24:48. > :24:52.problem! Anoushka phoned mow one Sunday morning.
:24:52. > :24:56.I knew straight away what she was after, but I had to play hard to
:24:56. > :25:01.get. He is wonderfully talented with his
:25:01. > :25:06.hands. He loves working with wood and loves unique projects. I was
:25:06. > :25:12.hoping that I might persuade him. She seemed to think that I would
:25:12. > :25:16.not really want to be involved in it, but deep down I would have been
:25:16. > :25:23.desperately cross if I wasn't shal It was really about trying towork
:25:23. > :25:26.out what she wanted and to work out the best way that I could do it.
:25:26. > :25:30.I had two different areas for planting.
:25:30. > :25:36.The first area is the ground level planting.
:25:36. > :25:44.That is a sea of agapanthus. They have lovely blue heads.
:25:44. > :25:52.The other plants I'm using are the plants for the jupsierddown garden.
:25:53. > :25:58.The planting there d -- the upside down planting.
:25:58. > :26:04.It did prove a little tricky. I have chosen plants that are
:26:04. > :26:08.tolerant to part shade. I went for hostas and ferns. I love the
:26:08. > :26:14.fantastic colour variation in the greens and I wanted to create a
:26:14. > :26:19.large text tuerl ceiling which have hints of blue so I then picked on a
:26:19. > :26:29.few different varieties such as a Campanula to bring out the blue and
:26:29. > :26:35.tie it into the rest of the garden. I found out the same week that I
:26:35. > :26:41.was doing Hampton Court that I was also pregnant with twins, so I will
:26:41. > :26:49.be about four weeks off full term with the twins.
:26:49. > :26:53.Hopefully, even if I hang myself upside down, I will still be there!
:26:53. > :26:57.Well, you are here! All three of you at the show! Of course, you
:26:57. > :27:00.must have had a lot of help with the build? My friends and family
:27:01. > :27:05.have been hands on deck for the last two weeks. I couldn't have
:27:05. > :27:10.done it without them. What about the title of the garden?
:27:10. > :27:14.Excuse Me While I Kiss The Sky, it is a Jimi Hendrix quote. I used the
:27:14. > :27:18.metaphor the sky is the limit as inspiration for the garden. Every
:27:18. > :27:22.element is about seeing the sky and if you want to have a big idea you
:27:22. > :27:25.really have to reach for the sky and go for it.
:27:25. > :27:30.The idea of having plants hanging down, where did that come from?
:27:30. > :27:37.Well, I was on a trip to Venice. I went into a room and I was handed
:27:37. > :27:46.a mirror. When I looked into the mirror I saw this wonderful ceel of
:27:46. > :27:50.reconnaissance paintings, it was -- I saw this wonderful ceiling of
:27:50. > :27:56.renaissance paintings. I thought it was such a wonderful experience. I
:27:56. > :28:00.wanted to have it in my garden. I love the colour, the way it is
:28:00. > :28:05.reflected? When it is sunshine and cloud you get to see the movement
:28:05. > :28:08.right the way through the garden as you walk around it. That gives a
:28:08. > :28:11.lovely dynamism. So no view is ever the same.
:28:11. > :28:19.Well, Excuse Me While I Kiss The Sky is the idea, what a bufl garden.
:28:19. > :28:23.Congratulations. -- what a beautiful garden. I hope
:28:23. > :28:27.tonight's preview has whetted your appetite to come down here and see
:28:27. > :28:32.the show for yourself. We shall be here on Thursday and Friday. We
:28:32. > :28:37.will be joined by Alys Fowler, hunting out plant stories and
:28:37. > :28:43.talking to obsessive plant collectors. We have an interview