:00:00. > :00:07.We've revelled in the prestige of Chelsea and basked
:00:08. > :00:11.in the grandeur of Hampton Court, but we have one final floral
:00:12. > :00:18.We've headed to Tatton Park in Cheshire for the Great
:00:19. > :00:54.Hello and welcome to the Royal Horticultural Society's Flower Show,
:00:55. > :00:56.Tatton Park, an event supported by Bruntwood properties
:00:57. > :01:03.It's setting within a 1000 acre deer park couldn't be more glorious.
:01:04. > :01:07.Now in its 18th year, Tatton really has established itself
:01:08. > :01:13.as the premier garden event in the North of England.
:01:14. > :01:23.It has gone from strength to strength. I came to the first show
:01:24. > :01:27.and came to most of them since. I did not know what to expect of what
:01:28. > :01:31.became apparent immediately was a sense of identity and place. It was
:01:32. > :01:36.unlike any other show and that is really important. It's fun, it's
:01:37. > :01:41.relaxed, you see the garden spaces to enjoy and bring a picnic and
:01:42. > :01:48.enjoy the fabulous weather. Since Tuesday, the sun hasn't stopped
:01:49. > :01:51.shining. Although Hampton Court was a few weeks ago, there is a
:01:52. > :01:56.different palette, different plants, fabulous fruit and veg. Masses,
:01:57. > :01:58.horticulture and, to look at. It feels like it is kicking off the
:01:59. > :01:59.holiday season. We've lots for you to enjoy coming
:02:00. > :02:02.up on tonight's programme. Rachel de Thame and Toby Buckland
:02:03. > :02:05.will be taking a look at the much loved Back to Back garden category
:02:06. > :02:08.and revealing some of these Danny Clarke will be
:02:09. > :02:15.joining me to review this Seven humble sheds transformed
:02:16. > :02:18.into the ultimate escapes And our own plant perfectionist
:02:19. > :02:23.Carol Klein will be choosing her stand out hardy plants
:02:24. > :02:31.in the floral marquee. But as always the show gardens
:02:32. > :02:34.here at Tatton attract a lot of attention and this year
:02:35. > :02:36.there are six diverse Earlier, Rachel and I went to take a
:02:37. > :02:52.look at some of them. This is natural visions by Jackie
:02:53. > :02:57.Knight, Stone used in lots of different ways but what I like about
:02:58. > :03:01.it, it is cohesive. It is the same stone from the same quarry
:03:02. > :03:06.throughout. Slate Terrace here, Slate dry stonewalling. What this
:03:07. > :03:11.garden makes you what to do is get off the patio and get onto the rocks
:03:12. > :03:16.again mountain goat. It creates a nice movement through it. It really
:03:17. > :03:20.connects you to the stone itself. Water is a key element in a garden
:03:21. > :03:25.but the sound is absolutely critical to get it right.
:03:26. > :03:32.Here, Jackie has got it spot on, it sounds like a babbling brook, it is
:03:33. > :03:34.totally just right and it brings a lovely cooling presents on a hot day
:03:35. > :03:42.like this. These plants associate with water,
:03:43. > :03:47.lush and green, they like their roots permanently wet. They can be
:03:48. > :03:51.grown as marginals on the edge of a pond even in those water baskets.
:03:52. > :03:57.Plants like this, huge architectural leaves. This one will try and take
:03:58. > :04:02.over the world eventually. And then there is the lovely Iris over there
:04:03. > :04:07.and one of my favourites, the stately arum lily. It combines
:04:08. > :04:10.really nicely with these large rocks within this planting. This bit works
:04:11. > :04:26.beautifully. This is the through the looking
:04:27. > :04:29.glass designed by Pip Probert, a large and very intriguingly designed
:04:30. > :04:33.space, these large metal frames dominate the garden, some of them
:04:34. > :04:36.are filled with glass and you can see straight through them but they
:04:37. > :04:43.block some of the sound. Others framed the view beautifully.
:04:44. > :04:48.There is wonderful use of hard landscaping, I love these large
:04:49. > :04:53.pebbles which are then reflected in smaller gravels along the winding
:04:54. > :04:56.path. The whole thing is softened beautifully by the planting in a
:04:57. > :05:03.very romantic palette of pinks and mauve colours, Verbena, that lovely
:05:04. > :05:11.Echinacea over there. It is then heightened with white. I love this
:05:12. > :05:15.sparkle of the Agapanthus. It is also strong on foliage interest,
:05:16. > :05:25.love the tree ferns. And these beautiful umbrella trees.
:05:26. > :05:32.This is the rainbow garden by Alan Nugent. When you first see this
:05:33. > :05:37.garden, you think, wow, that is full of impact. You think this is not the
:05:38. > :05:41.sort of thing I would do in my garden but that is the whole point.
:05:42. > :05:45.This is not meant to be a private garden, this is actually a community
:05:46. > :05:50.space. It is about education as well.
:05:51. > :05:58.Richard of your day battle in vain, I am not just mumbling to myself, it
:05:59. > :06:02.is a way of remembering the colours of the rainbow, which is exactly
:06:03. > :06:06.what this garden is based on. Reid, Crook is Mia.
:06:07. > :06:15.Fantastic red Dahlia next to the zanys, that is in the hot spicy
:06:16. > :06:21.colour, Orange. Yellows... You get the idea. But I think my favourite
:06:22. > :06:28.bit and the bit that works best as far as planting is this Verbena.
:06:29. > :06:33.This is a designer's dream, everyone loves it. It is nice and upright,
:06:34. > :06:37.sturdy stems, doesn't need staking out all. Throughout the whole
:06:38. > :06:40.summer, right into the autumn sometimes, you get these fabulous
:06:41. > :06:46.purple flowers. Bees and butterflies adore it.
:06:47. > :06:53.At the back of the garden, we have this vast terrace. It feels a bit
:06:54. > :06:57.municipal. Even for what this garden is trying to achieve. I would have
:06:58. > :07:01.liked to have seen it a bit smaller and more in scale with regard
:07:02. > :07:05.itself. But when you find out this garden is going to go to a school,
:07:06. > :07:10.after the show, and this area is going to be in outdoor learning
:07:11. > :07:16.place, it is interactive. Like garden classroom. It all makes
:07:17. > :07:18.sense. -- like a garden. As folk up in the north-west is all too
:07:19. > :07:21.aware... The climate
:07:22. > :07:23.in this part of the world But that's no barrier to producing
:07:24. > :07:27.competition standard exhibits. Up here, when the growing gets
:07:28. > :07:29.tough, the tough get growing. Carol Klein has been to find out
:07:30. > :07:32.just what makes a plant hardy and pick her hero plants that have
:07:33. > :07:49.made it into the floral marquee. Ask gardeners are always going on
:07:50. > :07:53.about hardy plants. But what do we mean by a hardy plant? A hardy plant
:07:54. > :08:00.is one that will withstand really low winter temperatures. But on top
:08:01. > :08:04.of that, there are other factors that impinge. Some plants, if they
:08:05. > :08:08.are really well-drained, will withstand very, very low
:08:09. > :08:12.temperatures. But put them in boggy, heavy soil and they will collapse
:08:13. > :08:16.just like that at the first sign of frost.
:08:17. > :08:22.Age is also a factor. A young plant can withstand far less cold men and
:08:23. > :08:27.older, established specimen that has got its roots truly and firmly into
:08:28. > :08:32.the soil surrounding it -- far less than in older.
:08:33. > :08:38.He Lemi's have to be amongst the hardiest of all hardy plants. No
:08:39. > :08:44.wonder, they have come from the banished prairies of North America
:08:45. > :08:50.they put up with extreme cold and hot temperatures during the summer.
:08:51. > :08:54.This has endeared them not only to growers here but hybrid growers in
:08:55. > :09:00.Germany where they have a similar sort of climate. You can depend on
:09:01. > :09:06.them what the weather. Their flowers are very distinctive with these of
:09:07. > :09:10.velvet doorknob middles, like a tutu of petals that sticks out of the
:09:11. > :09:14.side. These are members of the daisy family, the middle is made up of
:09:15. > :09:24.lots and lots of tiny little flowers. To prolong their flowering,
:09:25. > :09:30.when the first flowers are finished, take a sharp pair of scissors and
:09:31. > :09:34.cut back the stem to where the next bug is emerging, that way you can
:09:35. > :09:35.have flowers right the way through to the end of September or sometimes
:09:36. > :09:48.October -- next bud. You don't have to be ordinary to be
:09:49. > :09:54.hardy. Here is a great example, these at first sight, don't even
:09:55. > :09:58.look related. But they are both members of the Rose family. You have
:09:59. > :10:05.got tiny bubbles will stop this one is called Tanna, but when it comes
:10:06. > :10:08.to lilac squirrel comic stands out so wonderfully with these flowers
:10:09. > :10:18.like a feather boa. It would be great to be used on its own.
:10:19. > :10:28.Margery Fish is the Tuwai end of hardy plants. If in doubt, plant a
:10:29. > :10:34.germanium. They really are amongst the most hardy of all plants. What's
:10:35. > :10:38.more, they are germanium buzz for every kind of situation. Whether it
:10:39. > :10:44.is shade or false -- there are geraniums. This one is fairly new on
:10:45. > :10:48.the scene and loves to feel the sun, Rozanne. Such an easy plants to
:10:49. > :10:51.grow, ideal if you are just beginning to garden. -- such an easy
:10:52. > :10:52.plant. You can't help but admire
:10:53. > :10:55.the dedication of all the exhibitors Some of these small,
:10:56. > :10:58.independent growers face huge We paid a visit to one such
:10:59. > :11:01.nurserywoman in Dumfriesshire, and discovered that whilst her
:11:02. > :11:04.location may be remote, she's closer to realising her
:11:05. > :11:25.dream of securing a gold I'm Helen Knowles, I live at Upper
:11:26. > :11:29.Millstead in beautiful Dumfries Galloway with my mother and
:11:30. > :11:32.wonderful husband Michael, they both help me out in the nursery where I
:11:33. > :11:39.grow hardy perennials that will thrive in this part of the world.
:11:40. > :11:47.We share the farm with a flock of Pedigree Shetland sheep. We've got
:11:48. > :11:51.three alpacas who are hopefully going to have their first baby
:11:52. > :11:58.alpaca round about the time of the Tatton Flower Show. It adds to the
:11:59. > :12:04.pressure. We've also got hens. Six springer spaniel 's, a Labrador and
:12:05. > :12:08.two cats, Thomas and Timmy. And we have bees. They do a lot of
:12:09. > :12:13.pollinating in the garden for me and supply some fantastic honey. They
:12:14. > :12:17.take priority. All of our water comes from a spring on the Hill.
:12:18. > :12:20.That is the biggest concern, especially with a dry summer like
:12:21. > :12:24.this one, that water is in short supply. Animals and the plants come
:12:25. > :12:32.first and we are very much at the bottom of the pecking order, here.
:12:33. > :12:38.We are about 600 feet above sea level and the main issues regarding
:12:39. > :12:41.this particular part of the world, the incredibly high rainfall. On
:12:42. > :12:47.average over the last few years you are looking about 5-6 feet of rain,
:12:48. > :12:50.huge amount of water. Added to that, we have boulder clay and that water
:12:51. > :12:55.doesn't drain away particular quickly. In the winter months, the
:12:56. > :13:00.plants can sit in cold, waterlogged soil because we get quite
:13:01. > :13:04.low-temperature 's, minus 10--15d. That is not unusual. They have to be
:13:05. > :13:07.extremely hardy. We tend to find that plants from that belt of
:13:08. > :13:10.temperate woodlands across the northern hemisphere and in
:13:11. > :13:14.particular the Himalayan regions thrive here because they can cope
:13:15. > :13:22.with the tough conditions that we experience.
:13:23. > :13:29.These plants seem to love the conditions that we have in the
:13:30. > :13:35.garden. We will not be taking these Tatton because they will be over,
:13:36. > :13:40.the flowers are only starting now. These should be just about right for
:13:41. > :13:47.the show, they are starting to show colour. Gordon Himalayan cowslip.
:13:48. > :13:51.Fragrant flowers. I am also hoping that some of these should be in
:13:52. > :13:56.flower. This one is fire, which has really rich red flower spikes on it.
:13:57. > :14:06.Absolutely stunning when it is in full bloom. Beautiful, beautiful
:14:07. > :14:09.deep red flowers, so deep. They are almost black. These plants are just
:14:10. > :14:16.perfect at the moment, they are full of bugs. Another few weeks they will
:14:17. > :14:18.be spectacular -- full of buds. They should be just a mass of flowers,
:14:19. > :14:26.come Tatton. There is a certain element of luck
:14:27. > :14:29.and we are at the mercy of the elements. Quite often, I have to
:14:30. > :14:33.move plants from one place to another into some of the poly
:14:34. > :14:36.tunnels to get them a bit warm and bring them into flower. But then we
:14:37. > :14:40.get a warm spell of weather and they come onto quickly so we need to put
:14:41. > :14:44.them somewhere cooler. I need to put them in the shade tunnel where it is
:14:45. > :14:48.lower in temperature, it is exhausting but it is hard work and
:14:49. > :14:55.it is means I can put together a display of plants at their peak.
:14:56. > :15:03.This is the biggest of the tunnels, and it's probably where I spend most
:15:04. > :15:08.of my time getting plants growing, propagating them and growing them
:15:09. > :15:14.on, getting them ready for shows. We have been doing the RHS shows for
:15:15. > :15:20.three years now, and I've had eight medals so far, everyone has been a
:15:21. > :15:24.silver gilt, so we are consistent, but it would be fantastic to get the
:15:25. > :15:31.elusive RHS Gold medal. Fingers crossed for Tatton.
:15:32. > :15:38.Here we are, exhibits looking fantastic. How has it been getting
:15:39. > :15:42.here and put the exhibits together? Everything has come on perfect. The
:15:43. > :15:48.space looks fantastic. I'm very pleased with it and the visitors
:15:49. > :15:52.love it. These are extreme plants that can cope with drought and
:15:53. > :15:59.plenty of water, lots of cold weather, clay soil. These are real
:16:00. > :16:04.doers. That lovely Primula is looking good, coming into flour.
:16:05. > :16:15.It's perfect. Different shades as well. The actual species is much
:16:16. > :16:19.taller and has a pure yellow flower. But thanks to the honeybees we are
:16:20. > :16:27.getting some gorgeous colours. The big question, what medal did you
:16:28. > :16:35.get? Another silver gilt. It tend now. Probably a record. -- it's ten
:16:36. > :16:40.now. I have set myself the challenge of the RHS Gold medal. I have no
:16:41. > :16:47.doubt you will get it. Lovely to meet you, Helen.
:16:48. > :16:50.The return to Tatton last year of the Back to Back garden
:16:51. > :16:53.category was such a triumph that they're making a welcome appearance
:16:54. > :17:14.Say back to back gardens to anyone born in the North West and they will
:17:15. > :17:15.know what you mean. They separate the terraced streets of the old
:17:16. > :17:18.industrial North. These gardens are just six metres
:17:19. > :17:21.by four metres in size. They may have been built over 150
:17:22. > :17:25.years ago but just up the road in Liverpool these backyards
:17:26. > :17:27.still exist in their thousands. Earlier, we went to explore some
:17:28. > :17:30.of the Back to Back gardens and found them bursting with ideas
:17:31. > :18:02.to transform the smallest It always strikes me just how
:18:03. > :18:08.diverse the back to backs are. All the same proportion. It's down to
:18:09. > :18:12.the inspiration. I normally start writing a list of names around day
:18:13. > :18:17.four or five of the show a year ahead. That will go away for a few
:18:18. > :18:31.months. It will be looked at, then something will stick, and this year
:18:32. > :18:37.it was Spears, spheres and glaciers. We have all the perennial grasses.
:18:38. > :18:44.-- Grassi ears. You're quite known for this coastal kind of planting.
:18:45. > :18:48.I'm quite known for floaty planting, I don't really give a block
:18:49. > :18:56.planting. I like naturalistic. There isn't sheets of colour, it's
:18:57. > :19:00.different bedding. It's more than the sum of its parts. I would much
:19:01. > :19:06.rather people picked out colours and danced across the whole garden so it
:19:07. > :19:10.links one side to the other. Another innovation is the changing levels.
:19:11. > :19:14.You have done it before. I have, I like to bring the garden up to a
:19:15. > :19:18.higher plane. It's unique for me. It gives the judge is a different
:19:19. > :19:22.perspective, and the public looking in get a different perspective so
:19:23. > :19:26.hopefully I stand out from the competition. It's a beautiful
:19:27. > :19:37.garden. You have created something very special. Thank you.
:19:38. > :19:43.The Adlington Hall garden was inspired by a poem found inscribed
:19:44. > :19:49.on one of the buildings in the grounds of Adlington hall, repeated
:19:50. > :19:53.here in this classical niche. The garden is also a homage to
:19:54. > :20:01.18th-century English landscape gardening, very natural, and shady
:20:02. > :20:06.plants like ivy and ferns and this wonderful moss carpet either side of
:20:07. > :20:13.the path. It's predominantly a very verdant garden but there are
:20:14. > :20:18.pinpoints of colour. I also like the way that a lot of the flowers are
:20:19. > :20:23.still in bud, so you get the sense of something to look forward to. For
:20:24. > :20:37.a very small garden, it's certainly got a very big and must --
:20:38. > :20:43.atmosphere. The green retreat immediately caught my eye, it has
:20:44. > :20:49.such quality and the planting is so fit for purpose. A mosaic of
:20:50. > :20:55.different foliage types, all suited to that shade. A golden grass from
:20:56. > :21:08.Japan, simple but so effective. From a stepping stone path, the
:21:09. > :21:11.garden opens out to a circular deck. Circle is always a good trick for
:21:12. > :21:20.making any space seem larger. This garden really has a Tardis like
:21:21. > :21:24.effect. In part it's the colour, gold in the border, cinnamon to
:21:25. > :21:31.offset, the steelwork and the wattle fencing. Wattle of will Owen creates
:21:32. > :21:42.a busy boundary, and that recedes when you look at it. -- of Will
:21:43. > :21:48.uniquely here at Tatton it addresses the main problem that small space
:21:49. > :21:54.gardening always has, the shade cast by neighbouring boundaries. This
:21:55. > :21:58.design could easily be cut and pasted into any back to back, not
:21:59. > :22:08.just in the north-west, but anywhere in the country.
:22:09. > :22:15.This is brilliant fun, isn't it? I'm intrigued by your garden, Michael.
:22:16. > :22:23.Every time I walk past, the water is a different level. The garden is
:22:24. > :22:31.called Hi Tied, and trying to replicate the six Hours cycle in one
:22:32. > :22:39.hour. It's about people adapting to nature. I suspect it's probably not
:22:40. > :22:43.as simple a design as it looks. I referred to be billed as an iceberg.
:22:44. > :22:48.A lot of hidden technology including a tank under the surface that feeds
:22:49. > :22:54.the water so we have this lovely ebb and flow. That's samphire on the
:22:55. > :23:03.water, we had permission to take it from Northern Ireland. We had to get
:23:04. > :23:10.permission to highlight the conservation of these plans in
:23:11. > :23:15.County Antrim. Tell me about the colours. Predominantly orange and
:23:16. > :23:26.blue. We decided to use the apricots Queen, together with the purple
:23:27. > :23:32.cloud, the African lilies. It's really lovely. I could sit here with
:23:33. > :23:43.my feet in this cooling water all day. So could I!
:23:44. > :23:52.This is where I make a beeline to when I come to town. A summer fruit
:23:53. > :24:03.and vegetable village, which I absolutely love. The atmosphere is
:24:04. > :24:09.charming, slightly eccentric, very British, but the competition is
:24:10. > :24:13.rabid. People have been working all year for these precious prizes. They
:24:14. > :24:18.don't give medals in the tent, prizes, first, second and third. The
:24:19. > :24:25.criteria will change from group to group. With the cucumber, uniformity
:24:26. > :24:31.matters. A pair of identical cucumbers. The categories have to be
:24:32. > :24:32.understood and aimed for. From the minute the seed is sown, this here
:24:33. > :24:47.today is the goal. This is my favourite exhibit in the
:24:48. > :24:57.marquee, Prosser believe my favourite at the Tatton show. --
:24:58. > :25:00.possibly my favourite. These are created most entirely for show, the
:25:01. > :25:08.immaculate straightness of runner beans. The regimented cucumbers like
:25:09. > :25:11.twins or reflections in a mirror. Shallots shown in sand, always, I
:25:12. > :25:21.don't know why. They are the work of the grower. Ageing, how did you get
:25:22. > :25:27.on? It's not been a good growing year at all, but I have found fruit.
:25:28. > :25:35.-- Adrian. You have first prize across the you! Does it matter that
:25:36. > :25:40.you win, how competitive are you? It's all about winning, as Nigel
:25:41. > :25:45.Mansell once said. Oh yes. Winning first and eating second? Definitely.
:25:46. > :25:48.Thank you very much and congratulations.
:25:49. > :25:51.This year here at Tatton there's one couple that truly exemplifies
:25:52. > :25:54.the focussed dedication required to grow, and show, competition
:25:55. > :26:00.We went to visit this self-sufficient couple
:26:01. > :26:02.from suburban Leicestershire, and discovered that they really
:26:03. > :26:21.I'm Graham Wagg staff. We have been married for 49 years this October.
:26:22. > :26:28.We have been seriously gardening with vegetables about 43 years. We
:26:29. > :26:31.are passionate about it, really. We are passionate because we like to
:26:32. > :26:36.know what we are eating. It's good to be able to go down to the garden,
:26:37. > :26:41.pick what you want, and bring it into the kitchen. It couldn't be any
:26:42. > :26:45.faster, unless you ran up the path. It's all about healthy eating,
:26:46. > :26:49.keeping yourself fit. It's better than sitting and watching episode
:26:50. > :26:53.after episode of television. It's better than watching Jeremy Kyle, we
:26:54. > :27:06.like to be out here. You can't say that! We grow more or less
:27:07. > :27:14.everything. Carrots. Leaks. Turnips. Radish, potatoes. Some strawberries.
:27:15. > :27:19.And I've got to pick them again. It's all right, when I pick them I
:27:20. > :27:25.come out in a rash! Although it's not a huge plot... It's very
:27:26. > :27:31.productive. People are quite amazed when they come to see. It's all
:27:32. > :27:44.about planning. Success and also in. The milkmen used to call us Tom and
:27:45. > :27:49.Barbara from The Good Life. Quite accessible about the garden, but not
:27:50. > :27:55.to the extreme. He likes everything to be just so. He's a bit untidy, he
:27:56. > :27:59.leaves things lying around, dirty pots and things. But as but as far
:28:00. > :28:05.as the fruit and veg goes, he's meticulous with growing. In front of
:28:06. > :28:11.us we have a selection of the stuff that we are hoping to take to
:28:12. > :28:16.Tatton. Little turnips. These are just bigger than a golf ball and we
:28:17. > :28:22.need them like a tennis ball size. Spring onions. Another three weeks
:28:23. > :28:28.on them and they should be right. Fennel over here. Looking nice and
:28:29. > :28:33.healthy. We are hopeful. The weather controls a lot of what you are
:28:34. > :28:36.growing, but if it wasn't up to it, we wouldn't exhibit that particular
:28:37. > :28:42.part of the exhibit, for the simple reason that it's a prestigious show,
:28:43. > :28:49.you have a name to keep up, if you like, so we tend to make sure we
:28:50. > :28:53.take good quality stuff. These are hopefully our carrots for Tatton
:28:54. > :28:59.Park. The variety is called sweet candle, stunt rooted variety. Grown
:29:00. > :29:04.under fleece so no sign of carrot fly. There's nothing worse than when
:29:05. > :29:08.you are about to eat your carrots and there are two little flies
:29:09. > :29:16.looking at you. Not nice. We have a bit of a dilemma with the rhubarb
:29:17. > :29:20.for Tatton. This variety is a heavy stick but hasn't quite got the
:29:21. > :29:30.colour. We have another variety appear, which is a new one, called
:29:31. > :29:35.Hol Steiner read. It's only a young plant, has only been there about 18
:29:36. > :29:40.months. I'm nervous with the dilemma of whether to take this all go for
:29:41. > :29:41.the heavier stick. At the moment, this one is winning, a beautiful
:29:42. > :29:56.colour. We will see how we go. We are looking for what to Tatton.
:29:57. > :30:02.We got seven firsts last year. Reid cards and you can't go any higher
:30:03. > :30:06.than a red card. We are aiming to beat that, if possible. Most things
:30:07. > :30:10.look good but we won't be terribly upset, just try again next year. We
:30:11. > :30:14.can still beat them. Of course you can. Gooners breeze, plums. You
:30:15. > :30:31.forgot the peaches. -- gooseberrys. Jane and Graham, did you bring
:30:32. > :30:36.peaches to the show? Not this year, they are having a year off. How have
:30:37. > :30:41.you done for prizes? You had a target you were trying to beat, how
:30:42. > :30:48.have you done? Seven firsts last year. This year we brought 21
:30:49. > :30:55.exhibits. We have 11 firsts, seven seconds and three third places. That
:30:56. > :31:00.is a good year, isn't it? I am standing right in front of a plate
:31:01. > :31:03.of the most perfect turnips and a first prize. What is it about those
:31:04. > :31:12.that earned them that price? The quality. -- first prize.
:31:13. > :31:20.It is called Snowball, the variety is snowball. It is as near as you
:31:21. > :31:27.can get to a snowball. Uniformity of the three. Fresh and green. I heard
:31:28. > :31:30.that he accidentally grew a giant turnip, what happened? It wasn't
:31:31. > :31:39.this Mariah T. It was a different righty. -- this variety. We tried to
:31:40. > :31:45.propagate but it went wrong. It was 18 LB. That is a big turnip. I am so
:31:46. > :31:49.impressed with what you have achieved. And the way you do it is
:31:50. > :31:54.brilliant. Once you start growing vegetables, it is obsessive. You get
:31:55. > :31:59.hooked. You can eat your mistakes. Exactly. That is brilliant, very
:32:00. > :32:05.well done. Thank you. Families visiting Tatton this year
:32:06. > :32:08.are in for a real treat when they see this show garden,
:32:09. > :32:10.the Big Friendly Garden. Inspired by the children's book
:32:11. > :32:13.The BFG by Roald Dahl, it's just one of many tributes
:32:14. > :32:30.to mark what would have been The giant catches good dreams to
:32:31. > :32:33.blow into the bedrooms of sleeping children.
:32:34. > :32:39.Here in the garden we have a cave. In each of these jars if they
:32:40. > :32:52.captured dream. What interests me is the garden. No flowers at all.
:32:53. > :32:59.Plants like firms, tree ferns and this wonderful cicade dinosaur
:33:00. > :33:04.fodder, even a BFG might have munched on it if you got hungry. It
:33:05. > :33:12.links in with Tatton Park itself. That Victorian feel with the
:33:13. > :33:15.stumpery and firms going to -- growing together with moss between
:33:16. > :33:20.them. The judges really liked a garden like this, it was given a
:33:21. > :33:21.silvergilt medal and the crowds were loving this fun addition to the
:33:22. > :33:24.show. Still to come tonight,
:33:25. > :33:26.Monty meets the new kids on the horticultural block vying
:33:27. > :33:29.to become the next big thing in the world of garden design,
:33:30. > :33:32.and we'll be taking a look at garden sheds, but as you've
:33:33. > :33:38.never seen them before! Whilst the BFG garden is firmly
:33:39. > :33:44.based on a fictional setting, one of this year's Back to Back
:33:45. > :33:46.designs could also have been inspired by another literary
:33:47. > :33:49.classic, The Lord of the Rings. We went to Biddulph Grange Garden
:33:50. > :33:52.in Staffordshire to discover the inspiration behind
:33:53. > :33:53.The English Stumpery Garden which on first appearances
:33:54. > :34:21.wouldn't look out of place It's very alien looking you just
:34:22. > :34:23.come through the tunnel and you are hit by these spikes coming at you,
:34:24. > :34:44.it can be I am Paul Whalton. This was greeted by James Bacon in
:34:45. > :34:47.the 1840s and it is a theme garden would unusual areas. -- it was
:34:48. > :34:52.created. This is one of them, this is the stumpery. Jury in the
:34:53. > :34:58.Victorian period, visitors coming here must have thought he had gone
:34:59. > :35:04.mass -- during the Victorian period. It is the oldest stumpery in
:35:05. > :35:09.Britain. -- he had gone mad. Massive oak stumps placed on top of one
:35:10. > :35:16.another creating this valley. We would like to let the mosque and
:35:17. > :35:23.fungi, the stumps. We let the firms naturally spread. We like it to look
:35:24. > :35:29.quite natural. It is quite daunting as you walk through. You don't see
:35:30. > :35:40.it until it is right on you, very well hidden and cleverly designed.
:35:41. > :35:45.It is one of my favourite areas. A lot of the older stumps of rotted
:35:46. > :35:49.away. About 15 years ago. We start of the main restoration of it. It is
:35:50. > :35:57.quite a big area. Still some restoration work to do. This bottom
:35:58. > :35:59.part of the stumpery is the final part that needs restoring, we want
:36:00. > :36:05.to complete this later on in the year but we have the stumps on site,
:36:06. > :36:09.we thought it would be fabulous to use them in the RHS Tatton show
:36:10. > :36:12.garden. It was designed by Mary Moxham, one of our garden volunteers
:36:13. > :36:19.and it is nice to share the stumpery with all of the visitors at Tatton.
:36:20. > :36:23.In trying to recreate the stumpery into a Back to Back garden, we have
:36:24. > :36:28.limited space. We can't do exactly the same job as visible here. At the
:36:29. > :36:31.most important feature of the stumpery is that it is a
:36:32. > :36:35.walk-through and by having an open path in the Back to Back we are
:36:36. > :36:41.encouraging someone to walk through and take the journey to the other
:36:42. > :36:46.side. The stumpery is a shaded area of the garden, the soil can be quite
:36:47. > :36:47.dry and it can be moisture retentive at times. We have to have plants
:36:48. > :36:58.that can meet those needs. We have this lovely dwarf still be
:36:59. > :37:01.which will hopefully still be in colour by the time of the show. --
:37:02. > :37:11.dwarf still be. The also have these lovely bushie
:37:12. > :37:16.firms, several firms we are going to use, different shapes, different
:37:17. > :37:22.habits, different colours. Most of these have a dainty flower in lilac
:37:23. > :37:26.and white. It is important to remember the stumps are the crowd
:37:27. > :37:32.pleaser, the feature of the garden in themselves.
:37:33. > :37:39.We felt it made sense to start the build-up here on site. Some of the
:37:40. > :37:42.stumps are really heavy and we want to make sure they are lined up quite
:37:43. > :37:47.well along the path edge creating and planting pockets we need. And it
:37:48. > :37:51.will be a lot easier when we get them on site. We are currently doing
:37:52. > :38:00.that, they are putting everything in place. Everything is going to plan
:38:01. > :38:04.at the moment. Something we haven't talked about today is our surprise
:38:05. > :38:09.feature in the garden, it is top secret. It is very special, very
:38:10. > :38:14.unusual, quirky, Victorian. It will go just here in the corner. You will
:38:15. > :38:15.have to wait for the garden to be completed before you can find out
:38:16. > :38:32.what it is. Mary is not at the show today but
:38:33. > :38:36.Leslie, you were part of the build all the way through. What was that
:38:37. > :38:42.surprise that she was hinting at? It was the upside-down tree. I thought
:38:43. > :38:47.it might be. It is extraordinary. Why? In our original plans from the
:38:48. > :38:52.1850s from when the garden was produced, there were upside-down
:38:53. > :38:56.trees. Obviously, dead tree. But it is acting as a wonderful host for
:38:57. > :39:00.the climber. It is supporting a climber and showing part of a plant
:39:01. > :39:05.that maybe Victorian people wouldn't generally have understood or scene.
:39:06. > :39:09.I love the way the plant is nestling in comedy firms look at home and you
:39:10. > :39:13.have some flower as well. Yes, we want a simpler hour in here. It is
:39:14. > :39:17.not all about the ferns will stop addictively white because it stands
:39:18. > :39:22.out well but the Japanese are encroaching from all over, they are
:39:23. > :39:26.in the stumpery naturally anyway, we would use those. The little white
:39:27. > :39:30.geraniums at the front, they so bright. They sparkle. They are
:39:31. > :39:34.really lovely. I find it astonishing you have achieved this in a space of
:39:35. > :39:38.a Back to Back garden and it has made me think you could make your
:39:39. > :39:42.whole garden like this. You could if you really wanted to. A couple of
:39:43. > :39:45.stumps, half a dozen ferns and if the snowdrops and you have your own
:39:46. > :39:50.miniature stumpery. You have convinced me and a silver medal for
:39:51. > :39:55.your first garden here, brilliant. Thank you.
:39:56. > :39:58.Over in the Floral Marquee, there are over 70 specialist
:39:59. > :40:01.nurseries displaying the very best of their chosen plant groups.
:40:02. > :40:03.Toby Buckland has put his investigative hat on,
:40:04. > :40:05.to find out more about the plants and people
:40:06. > :40:25.You know, it's been such a difficult year for growers and I should know
:40:26. > :40:30.because I am one. Summer has taken an age to ignite. But now it's got
:40:31. > :40:34.going, there are upside is because something always good comes of a
:40:35. > :40:38.difficult season. This year is the fact that early summer blooms like
:40:39. > :40:42.Lupins are still putting on a good show right next to late-season
:40:43. > :40:48.flowers like these. That remains in the rural marquee, the displays are
:40:49. > :40:54.I sucking it might -- Floral Marquee. They are brilliant. Every
:40:55. > :40:58.flower has been chosen because it is beneficial for the bees because it
:40:59. > :41:00.either provide nectar or pollen. Lavender rubs shoulders with flat
:41:01. > :41:07.landing pad plates of acutely. As well as being beautiful, like
:41:08. > :41:09.many of the stands in the Floral Marquee at Tatton it also has a
:41:10. > :41:19.sense of wholesomeness. This is another example of what I am
:41:20. > :41:24.talking about, a display that is towering with colour and not one
:41:25. > :41:25.with just personality, but a display that is personal to the nursery
:41:26. > :41:36.woman who has created it. Stella, you created a display that
:41:37. > :41:40.has a lot of heart to my eye. I think it happens, Toby. It certainly
:41:41. > :41:45.has got a lot of personal treasures, personal family treasures. There are
:41:46. > :41:51.lots of artefacts that I had brought from my own gardens at home and my
:41:52. > :41:57.own nursery. My grandfather was the one that inspired me to get into
:41:58. > :42:03.horticulture. As I look back now. I wanted to celebrate that. The first
:42:04. > :42:07.time I am here at RHS Tatton I want to celebrate that sort of family
:42:08. > :42:10.coming together. I am sure your grandfather, if he could have seen
:42:11. > :42:16.this, would have been so proud of you. Thank you, I wish he was alive
:42:17. > :42:20.to see it. But there is more than a celebration of tradition here, the
:42:21. > :42:24.RHS is doing something new. It has given one grower more space to tell
:42:25. > :42:29.the whole story. And bring the master grower to the fore.
:42:30. > :42:36.Is tell their wonderful story, this pictorial board of photographs in
:42:37. > :42:40.the background. -- it tells a wonderful. It paints a picture of
:42:41. > :42:44.where you grow and the plants you know. The idea is where we come
:42:45. > :42:48.from, it is all very well doing a display of herbs and everybody sees
:42:49. > :42:52.the display but actually, this illustrates how we operate and what
:42:53. > :42:55.we are, who we are. And how we go about our business. One thing I
:42:56. > :43:00.noticed about the photos, your potting bench looks very clean to
:43:01. > :43:02.me, like you gave it a good brush down for this snap. I always have a
:43:03. > :43:14.policy of work clean. LAUGHTER Detail of the tent at Tatton this
:43:15. > :43:15.year? One of care, colour and extraordinary attention to detail --
:43:16. > :43:25.the story of the tent. It's not just the garden designs
:43:26. > :43:28.and plant exhibits that attract over 80,000 visitors to RHS Tatton Park,
:43:29. > :43:31.an event supported by One of the highlights for many
:43:32. > :43:38.are the Garden Hideaways, or as we call them "sheds
:43:39. > :43:44.on steroids". Over 21 million Brits own a shed,
:43:45. > :43:47.but most of us are guilty So it's time for a
:43:48. > :43:55.rethink and designers have come to Tatton
:43:56. > :43:57.to transform the simple shed Earlier, Danny Clarke and I took
:43:58. > :44:14.a closer look at this year's seven This is a conceptual shed, this
:44:15. > :44:19.represents what's going on in the minds. It is all to do with mental
:44:20. > :44:23.health within the military. You get the impression, by looking at this,
:44:24. > :44:28.it's all jumbled up. I appreciate what some of these guys must be
:44:29. > :44:34.going through. To contrast that, outside, you've got the Cardenas of
:44:35. > :44:42.this love -- lovely planting, it works very well. This one is so much
:44:43. > :44:46.more than just a shed. It tells a story of the Bridgewater Canal in
:44:47. > :44:49.Salford and how it was a catalyst for the industrial revolution. Now
:44:50. > :44:58.the areas all the bad well-being and leisure. We have got a swing.
:44:59. > :45:07.And there is a shared as well, complete with Woodburn and a place
:45:08. > :45:15.to store tools. I love it! -- there is a shed as well. This is the
:45:16. > :45:21.library, I feel really at home here, a nice and cosy feel. You never get
:45:22. > :45:22.bored in a place like this. Always something to take your attention.
:45:23. > :45:36.Absolutely wonderful. I'm calling this the wedding shed.
:45:37. > :45:40.It's all about planning for the big day, including what flowers you are
:45:41. > :45:46.going to have. It's promoting British flowers, which is fantastic.
:45:47. > :45:50.Inside you have mood boards and ideas for colour themes, round two
:45:51. > :46:00.seed sowing and cutting gardens on the other side, to the big day
:46:01. > :46:05.itself. This is my kind of shed. It has a small bed in it! I think these
:46:06. > :46:13.lights are really funky and cool. The only thing with this one is,
:46:14. > :46:19.it's of a a bit of a mission to get out of it. I love the copper
:46:20. > :46:22.cladding, it works really well. It picks up the gorgeous planting here,
:46:23. > :46:35.and the colours tie in beautifully. This is a coward themed party shed,
:46:36. > :46:40.of course! What else?!. The kids will love it but I'm not sure I
:46:41. > :46:54.would like this in my garden. Enough, I'm not going to milk this,
:46:55. > :46:55.moo-ving on. I love this, it's conceptual, installation artwork,
:46:56. > :47:03.perfectly executed with all the tools on the outside and the garden
:47:04. > :47:08.on the inside. The first thing that hits you is the scent. There's even
:47:09. > :47:15.a bird's nesting there. A tree growing out of the top. Love it. We
:47:16. > :47:16.will choose our favourite shed and reveal our results at the end of the
:47:17. > :47:22.programme. Tatton is renowned as a hotbed
:47:23. > :47:25.for burgeoning horticultural talent and this year sees the launch
:47:26. > :47:27.of a completion that's set The RHS Young Planting Designer
:47:28. > :47:31.and Young Landscape Contractor Competition challenges six
:47:32. > :47:32.of the brightest new faces from the worlds of landscaping
:47:33. > :47:35.and planting to work together Monty met up with the Director
:47:36. > :47:40.General of the RHS, Sue Biggs, to learn more about this
:47:41. > :47:49.innovative competition. Can you explain this new
:47:50. > :47:53.competition? It's a very exciting new competition where we have
:47:54. > :47:57.brought together three landscapers, three plants designers, and they
:47:58. > :48:04.have been given a brief. Each garden has to have a common feature, like
:48:05. > :48:09.water features, pathways. They each have a different theme, one coastal,
:48:10. > :48:21.one countryside and one urban. I would love to see for myself. This
:48:22. > :48:27.is the seaside take on the brief by Lydia Mackay and Ewan Sewell. I
:48:28. > :48:33.really like the way it has space. It's not crammed with plans or hard
:48:34. > :48:40.landscaping in an attempt to try to get in as much as possible. The
:48:41. > :48:45.whole thing has room to breathe. The planting is allowed to stand and
:48:46. > :48:51.express itself with complete assurance that it can do the job.
:48:52. > :48:57.The agapanthus framed as it is like this, you don't need to add to that.
:48:58. > :49:05.I like the use of colours like greys and blues, the oranges picking out
:49:06. > :49:13.the orange of the planting. The plans picked to cope with the salt
:49:14. > :49:16.and sea spray and the sun. It captures a place and essence
:49:17. > :49:23.extremely well. It works extremely well.
:49:24. > :49:30.This is the town version of the brief with a construction by Matthew
:49:31. > :49:37.Beesley and planting by Katie Maude. The basic premise of almost all town
:49:38. > :49:42.Gardens is that they have to cope with shade. The planting is based
:49:43. > :49:48.around shade for much of the day at different aspects. In a town garden
:49:49. > :49:55.you need a sense of retreat from all the hustle and bustle of urban life.
:49:56. > :50:00.The other thing is, you need privacy. A green hedge blocking the
:50:01. > :50:04.neighbours works well. I really like the way the water gently runs down.
:50:05. > :50:11.If it was too noisy it would be busy. We want a retreat with peace
:50:12. > :50:15.and calm. There's probably a bit too much chocolatey colour for my taste.
:50:16. > :50:22.I like that touches on the stems of the hydrangea, but that is
:50:23. > :50:27.subjective. I love the seeded roof and the sense of maximising the
:50:28. > :50:36.opportunity to get peace and retreat from a busy life.
:50:37. > :50:45.This is the countryside version of the brief with the planting done by
:50:46. > :50:52.Lizzi Mills with construction by Sam Hunt. It takes, by and large, a very
:50:53. > :50:58.conventional idea and view of a country garden. But there are bits
:50:59. > :51:03.and pieces as you look that challenge that and make you think
:51:04. > :51:08.again. For example, the water feature, and they all have to have a
:51:09. > :51:14.water feature, it could be a roof or wall. However, as a show garden,
:51:15. > :51:19.it's not telling me anything new. This is like The Cotswolds country
:51:20. > :51:24.garden, and my feeling is most people would love a garden like
:51:25. > :51:30.this. But I love the way the living wall is tackled, I think that's
:51:31. > :51:36.really good, looking great. The hard landscaping is beautifully done,
:51:37. > :51:40.Little touches like the sacking of the cushions, it's great. Overall,
:51:41. > :51:49.the garden doesn't challenge much, but it pleases at great deal.
:51:50. > :52:03.I think it's time to know who won. I'm delighted to announce the winner
:52:04. > :52:12.of the young landscape award is Ewan Sewell.
:52:13. > :52:19.This is for the winner of the young planting designer of the year award
:52:20. > :52:30.for 2016... And that goes to Katie Maude.
:52:31. > :52:37.Two of you have won. It's worth pointing out that everyone a few,
:52:38. > :52:38.all six of you have won a gold medal. Congratulations to all of
:52:39. > :52:50.you. From young designers to a show
:52:51. > :52:54.garden designed for young people. I'm here on the Ace Kids,
:52:55. > :52:57.Spectrum of Genius garden, one of this year's evolution gardens
:52:58. > :53:00.created with the needs of children I'm here with the designer,
:53:01. > :53:11.Shea O'Neill. And her son Owen joins us as well.
:53:12. > :53:22.Beautiful garden, what's your inspiration for the design? It's
:53:23. > :53:30.based on a painting by Mondrian. He was reputed to have autism. We have
:53:31. > :53:36.lovely things like lemon, your sugar substitute, and they make gorgeous
:53:37. > :53:44.cups of tea to calm a child's stomach with anxiety. And we have
:53:45. > :53:51.the rarest apple tree in the world. What about some of the design
:53:52. > :53:56.features? I've learned so much from my children about how to adapt to
:53:57. > :54:02.sensory art. Owen is sensitive to light so we have areas of light and
:54:03. > :54:06.shade. What helps with a meltdown in autistic children is helping them to
:54:07. > :54:12.control their environment. We have a lovely cocoon behind you helping
:54:13. > :54:17.children to sway and rock. Do you have a favourite part, Owen? I like
:54:18. > :54:22.the structure at the back, the way it lets light through, and the
:54:23. > :54:26.message it has about neuro typical and neuro diverse people with
:54:27. > :54:31.autism. It's beautifully made. It really is, you can thank my mother
:54:32. > :54:38.up for that, she made it. She's pretty clever! Thank you for showing
:54:39. > :54:41.me around and congratulations on your silver medal. Thank you, I just
:54:42. > :54:44.loved it. Every year growers and societies
:54:45. > :54:47.come to Tatton to champion plant groups that are embedded
:54:48. > :54:50.in British gardening folklore. Carol has been to visit some floral
:54:51. > :54:55.fanatics in the Plant Ssocieties Carol has been to visit some floral
:54:56. > :54:58.fanatics in the Plant Societies and Heritage Marquee to find out why
:54:59. > :55:15.they're such devotees of some very At Tatton, it's not just plants, but
:55:16. > :55:25.plant societies that are here in rich abundance. How, plant societies
:55:26. > :55:30.thrive particularly up north? Perhaps it has something to do with
:55:31. > :55:36.the fact that in northern industrial city 's gardens were small or
:55:37. > :55:42.nonexistent, so big spill over onto allotments. It's in places like that
:55:43. > :55:46.where a whole community spirit of sharing plants and information,
:55:47. > :55:47.sharing the enthusiasm and passion, dispelling the myth that it's grim
:55:48. > :55:59.up North. This delectable stand was put
:56:00. > :56:05.together by the national sweet pea society. They are all amateurs and
:56:06. > :56:09.they have come to Tatton to dry to draw other people in to tell the
:56:10. > :56:14.history of the planned they adore. The essence of summer, and this
:56:15. > :56:24.stand shows how passionate people can become about them.
:56:25. > :56:31.Lots of societies celebrate just one planned. These are the societies
:56:32. > :56:37.that perhaps attract the true obsessions. The British national
:56:38. > :56:42.Carnation Society is no exception. People have to absolutely adore
:56:43. > :56:46.these lads to grow them to such perfection. There are all sorts of
:56:47. > :56:53.ways people get obsessed, fall for these flowers in the first place.
:56:54. > :56:58.Brian over there has a story typical of the people who belong to these
:56:59. > :57:03.societies. He used to be a devotee of chrysanthemums. One night his
:57:04. > :57:08.friend walked into the pub wearing a Carnation in his buttonhole. He
:57:09. > :57:14.dumped the chrysanthemums and took up with the carnations, love at
:57:15. > :57:15.first sight, typical of the kind of enthusiasm and total obsession
:57:16. > :57:25.people devote to these plants. Earlier, we cast our discerning eyes
:57:26. > :57:28.over this year's garden hideaways and I can now announce
:57:29. > :57:37.which is our favourite this year. I would just like to say that they
:57:38. > :57:50.were all fantastic, great effort, run wonderful sheds. And Carolyn is
:57:51. > :57:57.our favourite with the outside in shed. We thought it was so
:57:58. > :58:03.imaginative. And when you look inside, it's a gem. This feels very
:58:04. > :58:07.special. We thought it had something really special about it. A really
:58:08. > :58:13.brilliant idea, putting the tools on the outside and the garden on the
:58:14. > :58:17.inside, and the attention to detail. Congratulations and enjoy our
:58:18. > :58:27.special prize. A round of applause, please! APPLAUSE
:58:28. > :58:39.They were great fun. I love sheds. We have four or five at Longmeadow.
:58:40. > :58:41.They are a focal point, a place to go to. And if you need inspiration
:58:42. > :58:45.just come here. That brings us to the end
:58:46. > :58:48.of tonight's programme but we'll be back tomorrow on BBC2 at 7pm
:58:49. > :58:50.with more highlights We'll be meeting the next generation
:58:51. > :58:54.of garden design stars who are battling it out to become
:58:55. > :58:58.the RHS Young Designer