:00:21. > :00:35.Hello and welcome to the heart of the Cheshire countryside
:00:36. > :00:39.for the Royal Horticultural Society's Flower Show, Tatton Park.
:00:40. > :00:42.It may be the final stop on our flower show journey this summer,
:00:43. > :00:45.but there's still plenty of gardening inspiration
:00:46. > :01:02.Tatton doesn't get the plaudits of Chelsea, but then nothing does. But
:01:03. > :01:07.it has its own atmosphere. There is a charm about the show. I love it. I
:01:08. > :01:11.think it's got a strong identity that has changed over the years and,
:01:12. > :01:15.for me, is bringing through young designers and young plants people
:01:16. > :01:20.and they are cutting their teeth, and it's a great thing. I like the
:01:21. > :01:25.way we are not in the Home Counties but in the north of England, it's
:01:26. > :01:29.proud, it belongs here and that gives its character. So far, so good
:01:30. > :01:35.with the weather. It's always a changeable feast. Over the next half
:01:36. > :01:38.an hour, Carol Klein celebrates the late summer blooms in the Floral
:01:39. > :01:41.Marquee and shares her tips for growing and maintaining those
:01:42. > :01:46.chameleons of colour, hydrangeas. Youth is centre stage at Tatton
:01:47. > :01:49.once again, as young designers and landscapers
:01:50. > :01:51.are challenged to work together to create their first
:01:52. > :01:53.ever show gardens. I'll be reviewing their efforts
:01:54. > :01:56.and revealing the winners in this innovative competition later
:01:57. > :01:58.in the show. It's harvest time at Tatton,
:01:59. > :02:01.as champion growers from across the UK bring their prize
:02:02. > :02:04.produce to the competitive arena that is the Summer Fruit
:02:05. > :02:20.and Vegetable Pavilion. We've got all this for you to enjoy
:02:21. > :02:29.from the RHS flower show Tatton Park, an event supplied by Bruntwood
:02:30. > :02:34.Properties. To share your thoughts, you can do so on Facebook or you can
:02:35. > :02:37.tweet. First, let's turn to the show gardens, and there are three
:02:38. > :02:46.categories, each of which highlights the skills of established as well as
:02:47. > :02:49.new designers. Earlier, Monty, Arit and myself went to take a look at
:02:50. > :02:59.some of the impressive designs in each category.
:03:00. > :03:08.There are six large show gardens this year. Because these are the big
:03:09. > :03:15.set pieces. Each one has its own style and its own story. And this
:03:16. > :03:22.one is the Gabriel Ash Greenhouse Garden, denied by Lilly Gomm. As far
:03:23. > :03:25.as the planting goes, you will immediately notice the tree ferns,
:03:26. > :03:31.which are very present. This is a shady end of the garden, which tree
:03:32. > :03:37.ferns and the like would absolutely love. You have what is fundamentally
:03:38. > :03:46.a green and slightly purplish touch to the colour. The planting moves
:03:47. > :03:52.either side of a large dark pool. You have this black empty space,
:03:53. > :03:57.which gives a feeling of generosity to the garden. It compliments the
:03:58. > :04:05.intensity of the planting. Which is growing in colour, so you've got all
:04:06. > :04:14.of these, you got dahlias, rising to a crescendo with bananas either side
:04:15. > :04:19.of the greenhouse. The garden culminates here in the greenhouse,
:04:20. > :04:25.and it's lovely. It's part conservatory, part potting shed. It
:04:26. > :04:30.just a really good garden space. My guess that most of us would dream of
:04:31. > :04:36.having a greenhouse like this. But there's a poignancy here. Lilly
:04:37. > :04:42.Gomm, the designer, who is young, told me that she sees no chance of
:04:43. > :04:49.owning a house and a garden in which to put a greenhouse. And, for her,
:04:50. > :05:14.like the rest of us, when the show ends, the dream will disappear.
:05:15. > :05:21.This is the Live Garden, one of three conceptual creations in the
:05:22. > :05:24.Future Spaces category. These designs leap ahead in time to
:05:25. > :05:33.promote innovative and exciting possibilities of how we may live in
:05:34. > :05:38.cities in decades to come. Dan, a very ambitious garden with three
:05:39. > :05:42.levels. What was the inspiration? We were thinking that gardens in the
:05:43. > :05:46.future would need to make use of space, so we decided to embark on a
:05:47. > :05:50.rather large adventure of digging up 200 tonnes of soil to create a
:05:51. > :05:57.basement room. We've got the ground level and you got in at the tier for
:05:58. > :06:01.sunbathing and relaxing. -- an upper tier. There are a lot of details
:06:02. > :06:06.which don't come to light straightaway. This table is
:06:07. > :06:09.foldaway, which gives you more space in the communal area. You have some
:06:10. > :06:16.loungers on the top deck to catch some reason. Another detail is there
:06:17. > :06:20.is a light wall in the basement which helps you create different
:06:21. > :06:24.atmospheres and moods because you can change the colours accordingly.
:06:25. > :06:30.The planting, there is a lot of it, but it seems to be in different
:06:31. > :06:34.zones. What is going on with that? We tried to create different
:06:35. > :06:36.atmospheres in different levels, so in the basement there are cool
:06:37. > :06:43.colours and large leaves. In the middle level, there are different
:06:44. > :06:46.colours and foliage, texture and form, representing the eclectic mix
:06:47. > :06:51.and meeting point of the garden. At the top, there are lots of warm
:06:52. > :06:54.colours, which is a beacon for the garden, attracting insects and
:06:55. > :06:58.birds. You have managed to pack a locked into the garden, and I think
:06:59. > :07:07.there is so much for the future we can look at. Well done. Thank you.
:07:08. > :07:10.The size of gardens can vary greatly across the RHS flower show
:07:11. > :07:12.season, but none come smaller or more compact than the final
:07:13. > :07:15.category of gardens here at Tatton - the Back-to-Backs.
:07:16. > :07:18.Inspired by the tiny backyards commonplace across the terraced
:07:19. > :07:24.streets of the north of England, designers have a space measuring
:07:25. > :07:30.just six metres by four metres to work their horticultural magic.
:07:31. > :07:38.So they really test a designer. Small, compact, Bijou, whatever, it
:07:39. > :07:40.doesn't mean there are not great ideas here for you to take home and
:07:41. > :07:54.use in your own space. This design has taken his
:07:55. > :07:59.inspiration from a much yards are garden -- much larger garden. How'd
:08:00. > :08:03.you get a large garden into a small one? You don't, but you can distil
:08:04. > :08:09.those ideas and create something special. James has used a simple
:08:10. > :08:13.technique, putting the paving on a diagonal, which gets rid of the
:08:14. > :08:16.rectangular feel of the space. The borders start breaking into the
:08:17. > :08:19.middle, which makes it much more interesting and helps lead you
:08:20. > :08:28.through with this herbaceous planting either side. This arbour,
:08:29. > :08:30.nicely shaded and surrounded by wonderfully scented plants, like the
:08:31. > :08:39.star jasmine, sweet peas and lavenders. What is nice about this
:08:40. > :08:44.garden for me is that Sam Youd, James's dad, was the head gardener
:08:45. > :08:46.here for many years, and this is his first ever show garden, so it's nice
:08:47. > :08:59.to keep the family connection with Tatton Park itself. This garden is
:09:00. > :09:02.called Relaxation, Meditation and it was conceived after one of the
:09:03. > :09:08.designers, Paul, had been meditating for three years, not solid, he's got
:09:09. > :09:13.gardens to make! The idea is it is in retreat space where you can do
:09:14. > :09:18.some yoga and completely chill out. I think the water feature is a
:09:19. > :09:23.triumph, breaking up that already nicely, and the sound is just right.
:09:24. > :09:26.It could detract from the noise of traffic or noisy neighbours, the
:09:27. > :09:30.planting is generally soft. I think the ponytail grass links the beds
:09:31. > :09:37.nicely together. For me, there is one no-no in the planting, and that
:09:38. > :09:42.is under planting the bamboos with lavender. For me, that doesn't work,
:09:43. > :09:44.but I'm nit-picking now and getting stressed out. I need to relax, chill
:09:45. > :10:00.out and let it wash right over me. If you want a change from the show
:10:01. > :10:03.gardens, you have the Floral Marquee and, at Tatton, it is huge and
:10:04. > :10:08.packed with plants, all at their best, and with a wider variety than
:10:09. > :10:13.at any other time of the year. But there is a direct connection to the
:10:14. > :10:16.gardens, and Carol has been in there, looking at the plant is that
:10:17. > :10:28.the designers of the garden have chosen their planting schemes.
:10:29. > :10:35.I love Tatton, that time of year when all of these late flowering
:10:36. > :10:39.perennials really reach their peak. The whole thing is celebratory, and
:10:40. > :10:43.nothing more so than these North American daisies, plants of the
:10:44. > :10:52.prairies. I suppose the most typical one is this one. Heleniums are
:10:53. > :10:54.gorgeous, I love the way they have got these velvet doorknob centres
:10:55. > :11:00.which become bright yellow. This one is called Mardi Gras, and it
:11:01. > :11:05.certainly reminds you of the carnival. I love the way it used
:11:06. > :11:10.here, with the soft grasses. Outside in the gardens, designers can really
:11:11. > :11:23.show us how to use these plants in our own gardens on a bigger scale.
:11:24. > :11:31.Here, heleniums are used in a quite different way. Big splashes of
:11:32. > :11:38.orange amongst this very green, vernal background. It knits
:11:39. > :11:41.beautifully, but they draw your eye. I love the idea they've been used
:11:42. > :11:47.alongside perennials and other plants to create this lovely, dreamy
:11:48. > :11:52.effect. Any meadow has to have grass at its heart, and here this one
:11:53. > :12:07.melds all of the planting together. Grasses again in this delightful
:12:08. > :12:13.garden. This time, miscanthus. And loads more heleniums, but they are
:12:14. > :12:21.nearly all in bud, and here they form a perfect skirt around these.
:12:22. > :12:30.It is really wild, this. You can grab it from seed easily, and don't
:12:31. > :12:36.these rigid stems really set it off? Especially against the soft tassles.
:12:37. > :12:44.This one has got a soft, gentle, informal sort of look, but there are
:12:45. > :12:52.some cannas which reach truly he-man proportions.
:12:53. > :13:02.Now, that's what you call a magnificent canna. This one is dark,
:13:03. > :13:06.dramatic, almost dangerous. This wonderful present in the border. It
:13:07. > :13:13.makes all that growth in one year. And don't you think it's orange
:13:14. > :13:16.flowers look just like those silk handkerchiefs produced from a
:13:17. > :13:28.magician's sleeve. The whole plant is magical.
:13:29. > :13:32.Providing they've got ample organic matter underneath their roots, these
:13:33. > :13:39.will thrive just about anywhere. I love the way they are used in this
:13:40. > :13:43.Mediterranean setting. You are almost there, on one of those
:13:44. > :13:49.sunbaked slopes. And the combination between these orange and yellow
:13:50. > :13:55.gorgeous flowers with all of this grey foliage is a real winner. The
:13:56. > :13:59.way these plants are used, both in the marquee and out here in the
:14:00. > :14:04.gardens, is so inspiring. It gives you so many ideas about how to make
:14:05. > :14:11.your late summer borders come to light.
:14:12. > :14:17.The Floral Marquee and Carol Klein, a marriage made in heaven. Inside
:14:18. > :14:19.this marquee, a special event is held every year, and one that Tatton
:14:20. > :14:23.Park is very proud to present. It's the glorious summer fruit
:14:24. > :14:25.and vegetable competition, which plays host to some
:14:26. > :14:43.of the most perfectly presented It all seems very sedate in here,
:14:44. > :14:44.but actually the rivalry matches anything you'll find on a football
:14:45. > :14:46.field. Passionate growers from across
:14:47. > :14:48.the country harvest their seasonal crops and bring them to Tatton
:14:49. > :15:01.to take home coveted prizes. Ideally, first prize. The judges are
:15:02. > :15:05.experienced and they will go through all of these wonderful plates,
:15:06. > :15:11.looking for nothing but perfection. Just look at these shall nots. They
:15:12. > :15:14.so nicely laid out with bits of raffia tying the tops. My eye is
:15:15. > :15:28.drawn to this one, and I picked a good one, because it won first
:15:29. > :15:34.prize. I can see why. These cabbages are enormous, they're ridiculous,
:15:35. > :15:42.they would feed a family for weeks! In this category, horticultural
:15:43. > :15:47.societies come together and put out six different plates of fruit, and
:15:48. > :15:53.they're absolutely stunning. Somebody has had a gooseberry! You
:15:54. > :16:01.can't come and eat the fruit! I'm here with the undeniable queen of
:16:02. > :16:04.potatoes. She not only won first in three categories, but also won the
:16:05. > :16:09.best plate of vegetables in the whole show. Lovely to see you again.
:16:10. > :16:15.I have got a social media question from Tim, he says, what went wrong
:16:16. > :16:19.with his potatoes underneath? It could be the food all the nutrients,
:16:20. > :16:23.too much nitrogen will cause lots of leaf. As far as the small potatoes
:16:24. > :16:27.are concerned, it might just be that we have had a very dry seasons so
:16:28. > :16:32.perhaps they needed a bit more water. Fantastic. Congratulations,
:16:33. > :16:36.beautiful displays, I have to say. So, it's not just a lovely fruit and
:16:37. > :16:48.vegetables here, you can also talk to the expert growers and get some
:16:49. > :16:53.fabulous advice. I have got a photograph of myself aged four
:16:54. > :16:58.kneeling in the strawberry beds, stealing those forbidden fruit. And
:16:59. > :17:01.I can remember to this day the smell of the warm earth and the
:17:02. > :17:09.strawberries. However fragile and fleeting those memories are, they do
:17:10. > :17:16.persist, and there's one garden here at Tatton called Remember Me, which
:17:17. > :17:20.uses that to provoke and stimulate the memories of those suffering from
:17:21. > :17:35.dementia. Toby has been along to have a look. This Remember Me garden
:17:36. > :17:41.is so much more than a garden. It is a working space that tells a story.
:17:42. > :17:46.The borders are filled with what you might call granny's favourites,
:17:47. > :17:50.nasturtium, rubbing shoulders with parsley and African marigolds. At
:17:51. > :17:56.the way they are planted together is quite clever. This side of the
:17:57. > :18:02.garden, they're quite coherent, but as you move through the space, the
:18:03. > :18:07.garden becomes a bit more, well, bitty, representing the journey that
:18:08. > :18:12.a dementia sufferer has from initial diagnosis, right through to 24-hour
:18:13. > :18:17.bed care. And that's where these hospital beds come in, they're
:18:18. > :18:22.filled with herbs, includingft, known to help you sleep easier at
:18:23. > :18:26.night. Dementia Gardens need to have a circular design, because if you
:18:27. > :18:30.suffer from the disease, it is important that you find your way
:18:31. > :18:33.back to where you have come from. Any disparity can looked like a
:18:34. > :18:38.chasm, so the colour is very important, if your eyesight is
:18:39. > :18:42.diminishing, as dementia takes hold. But the real genius lies in tackling
:18:43. > :18:47.such an important issue so sensitively. This isn't elected, it
:18:48. > :18:58.is a conversation point, and that's exactly what the best show gardens
:18:59. > :19:03.should be. Hydrangeas are applied that remind me of the past. But the
:19:04. > :19:13.wheel has turned and they're now the height of fashion. Harold Klein has
:19:14. > :19:15.been to find out why. -- Carol. Hydrangeas, you can't ignore them,
:19:16. > :19:22.they charmed you with the volume of their flowers and the soft and
:19:23. > :19:26.beautiful colours. You can grow hydrangeas almost anywhere, up the
:19:27. > :19:32.wall, in your borders, or even if you haven't got a garden, in a pot.
:19:33. > :19:36.As for their colour, in some gardens they're pink, in sum, they're blue.
:19:37. > :19:41.If your soil is on the acid side, they will be blue. If it is on the
:19:42. > :19:45.alkaline side, they will be pink. But don't try and change it, just go
:19:46. > :19:50.with what you've got. Or better still, grow a white one! If there is
:19:51. > :19:56.anything you want to know about hydrangeas, the bloke you've got to
:19:57. > :20:00.go and see is Paul. Hydrangeas used to be thought of as sort of
:20:01. > :20:04.old-fashioned, but you've revolutionised it? Not particularly
:20:05. > :20:07.me, but the breeders have put a lot of work in to bring them up to
:20:08. > :20:12.datelook at that one, it's beautiful. Also, the big, soft
:20:13. > :20:20.flowers, as opposed to something like this, the tight bouquet, what
:20:21. > :20:24.about this one? This one has the semi double flower, it is an
:20:25. > :20:30.absolute cracker. Some of these are famous for having green flowers?
:20:31. > :20:35.Yeah. This one does get a little bit unruly, to say the least, and it can
:20:36. > :20:39.grow from nothing to 6ft in a year! We have got a couple of questions on
:20:40. > :20:44.social media. This one wants to know the best time to take a hydrangea
:20:45. > :20:50.cutting? You can take soft cuttings during the growing season. You would
:20:51. > :20:59.take it in late September, early October. Next question - why might
:21:00. > :21:04.the hydrangeas not be flowering? They are healthy but they have got
:21:05. > :21:09.no flowers? First of all, the key is in the pruning. If you remove too
:21:10. > :21:12.much of the stem, then inadvertently you are taking of the flower buds
:21:13. > :21:17.and throwing them away. Secondly, it could be positioned. They like
:21:18. > :21:20.dappled shade, if you have them into much shade, they might not flower.
:21:21. > :21:26.Number three is actually feeding them far too much. Too much
:21:27. > :21:30.nitrogen? Exactly. You get a big, glorious plant, very little or no
:21:31. > :21:36.flower. Thanks so much, Paul. Glorious, really beautiful. Thank
:21:37. > :21:43.you very much indeed, I'm very proud. Thank you.
:21:44. > :21:46.Over recent years, Tatton has built a reputation as a launch pad
:21:47. > :21:48.for new horticultural talent, a place for young people
:21:49. > :21:50.starting out in the industry to showcase their potential.
:21:51. > :21:53.This status has been solidified with the addition of the RHS
:21:54. > :21:55.Young Planting Designer and Landscape Contractor Competition,
:21:56. > :22:02.Once again, six debutants from the worlds of landscaping
:22:03. > :22:05.and planting have been set the challenge of working
:22:06. > :22:13.together in pairs to build their first show gardens.
:22:14. > :22:20.Earlier, Monty went to take a look at the three finished gardens.
:22:21. > :22:31.This one is Let 'em Grow, an urban retreat by Karl Crowe and Guilio
:22:32. > :22:37.Passarelli. It is almost unlike any front garden you have ever seen. It
:22:38. > :22:41.is packed with plants, immediately making you feel lush and cool. This
:22:42. > :22:47.is a space that is defying the modern urban world and creating its
:22:48. > :22:54.own little space, however small it might be. With a seat halfway down,
:22:55. > :22:59.you look up onto a meadow, there's a little greenhouse which you can also
:23:00. > :23:03.use as a conservatory. It is really full of stuff, and I would almost
:23:04. > :23:08.say slightly too busy in one respect. The paving is a little bit
:23:09. > :23:12.distracting, it's like a busy carpet in a room with lots of other things.
:23:13. > :23:16.If that had been a bit simpler, I would say this would come together
:23:17. > :23:30.in a really extraordinary way. As it is, it's a very special garden. This
:23:31. > :23:37.garden is called Range Rearrange. It Is Another Retreat but this time, it
:23:38. > :23:44.is a rural one. I like the way that it takes a theme and sticks with it.
:23:45. > :23:48.That theme is using flowers as cut flowers to dry, pressed through the
:23:49. > :23:53.glass. The process of trying them is incorporated into the design, and I
:23:54. > :24:01.like the way that the landscaping picks up the faded tones and
:24:02. > :24:07.textures of the dried flowers. And the idea that even with flowers, you
:24:08. > :24:14.can recycle them, there is a use for them after their life within the
:24:15. > :24:15.border. And it goes to show that, as ever, a simple idea done well always
:24:16. > :24:37.makes a good garden. This garden is called Chaos To
:24:38. > :24:40.Coastline. It is made by Ben Poulter and Elliot Hood. I like the way it
:24:41. > :24:47.captures the simplicity of the coast, the planting is simple, you
:24:48. > :24:51.have got wonderful agapanthus, some lavender, and what is particularly
:24:52. > :24:57.good, I like the way that the hard landscaping is very confident. The
:24:58. > :25:00.one thing I think probably is a mistake is this living wall, it
:25:01. > :25:05.doesn't need it, the grasses along the back would have done fine. But
:25:06. > :25:08.that is a minor quibble. There is also a feature which all the best
:25:09. > :25:13.beaches have, which is a shower. Not only does it look very stylish and
:25:14. > :25:18.condiments the rest of the garden, it also actually works! So, if
:25:19. > :25:27.you're feeling rather too hot here in Tatton, this is the place to come
:25:28. > :25:33.and cool off. Sue, we are just in the second year of this landscape
:25:34. > :25:36.plant Association, and it feels like it belongs here at Tatton. It really
:25:37. > :25:43.does, doesn't it? It's brilliant. There is so much about, youth, in
:25:44. > :25:47.horticulture. Everybody you see here is 28 or under. And these three
:25:48. > :25:50.beautiful gardens, they're so talented. Also the fact that they
:25:51. > :25:56.haven't worked together, they don't know each other, quite daunting?
:25:57. > :26:00.Very much so, but we have deliberately done that, to combine
:26:01. > :26:02.two skills, the planting designer and the landscape, because in the
:26:03. > :26:09.future, they will have to work with people they don't know. That is part
:26:10. > :26:15.of the challenge. And this is the place where certainly the likes of
:26:16. > :26:18.myself come to see what's going on? We very deliberately made this the
:26:19. > :26:22.personality for Tatton park, to have this where people could come and be
:26:23. > :26:26.inspired by Jim people who got such talent, and many of them have gone
:26:27. > :26:30.on to design in other, larger shows, for example, at Chelsea. Do you see
:26:31. > :26:36.it as a hierarchy, that people work their way up to Chelsea, or is it
:26:37. > :26:41.enough just to do really well here, because it's Tatton Park and this is
:26:42. > :26:44.where the best young design is? I think for young designers,
:26:45. > :26:47.absolutely. There is nowhere else in this country, from the two
:26:48. > :26:51.competitions we ran for young designers, there is nowhere like
:26:52. > :26:54.this. If you are a young designer, Tatton Park is the show to come to.
:26:55. > :27:00.The time has come when we have to announce the winner of the landscape
:27:01. > :27:06.and the planting. We do indeed. So, here we are, and we're going to
:27:07. > :27:14.start first of all with the RHS Young Landscaper 2017. And it's
:27:15. > :27:25.going to Elliot Hood! Congratulations! Beautiful garden!
:27:26. > :27:31.Congratulations! It was a tough one to choose? Very tough, I'm glad I'm
:27:32. > :27:37.not a judge. Now, equally important... We are delighted to
:27:38. > :27:44.announce that the Young Planting Designer Of The Year goes to Ben
:27:45. > :27:52.Poulter. Many, many congratulations! A beautiful garden. Over the moon,
:27:53. > :27:54.don't know what to say, to be honest. It's been a wicked
:27:55. > :27:58.experience working with them, absolute pleasure. From doing a
:27:59. > :28:03.small, little design, working with Elliott on it, and creating
:28:04. > :28:11.something absolutely incredible. I'm very, very lucky that I've met a
:28:12. > :28:16.good contractor. You know, Joe, I find the quality of the work done by
:28:17. > :28:19.the young designers here at Tatton Park gets better and better, and
:28:20. > :28:23.it's really exciting, it bodes well for the future. It is, it's
:28:24. > :28:26.exciting, the next generation of landscapers and designers working
:28:27. > :28:29.together. You can see it here right now, and it's giving the show its
:28:30. > :28:33.identity, too. Which brings us to tomorrow.
:28:34. > :28:35.Well, that's all we have time for tonight from Tatton Park,
:28:36. > :28:38.but we'll be back tomorrow at 7:30pm on BBC Two, when we'll be putting
:28:39. > :28:41.the spotlight on the new kids on the horticultural block,
:28:42. > :28:43.in the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition.
:28:44. > :28:45.Carol will be investigating why cacti and succulents have
:28:46. > :29:23.become "the" house plants of the flower show season.
:29:24. > :29:27.The BBC Proms celebrates the extraordinary film music