0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to The A-Z of TV Gardening,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07where we sift through all your favourite garden programmes
0:00:07 > 0:00:09and dig up a bumper crop off tips
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and advice from the best experts in the business.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Flowers, trees, fruit and veg, letter-by-letter,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19they're coming up a treat on The A-Z of TV Gardening.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Everything we're looking at today begins with the letter...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41'..O.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45'Here's what's coming up. We go out searching for rare wild orchids.'
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- They're like the plant equivalent of diamonds.- A girl's best friend.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- A guy's best friend, too, because I like them.- Know your onions.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Monty Don on getting them all year round.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The theory is, you store your main crop now and they will last you
0:00:59 > 0:01:04through to about April or May, and these follow on in succession.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09And organic planting - the history of how it went mainstream.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And when I've said, "Stop spraying," nobody has believed me.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16That's all to come, but first we look at a flower that is
0:01:16 > 0:01:18so common these days, you wouldn't dream
0:01:18 > 0:01:21it was once on the brink of extinction.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23O is for orchids.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'And Carol Klein is going back to school to learn the dos
0:01:26 > 0:01:30'and don'ts of growing them.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:35Writhlington School, it's an ordinary school with an extraordinary secret.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Through the gates and up past the bike sheds,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40is an enormous old greenhouse.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Inside, there's always a myriad of activity.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48'Pupils and orchids everywhere. And it's all down to their physics teacher.'
0:01:48 > 0:01:52When I was at school, people weren't growing orchids.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57It wasn't on the national curriculum, was it? How did it all come about?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59It's been going here a long time.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02This is my 19th year at the school
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and orchids have become a really big part of what we do.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09If you arrived at school now, aged 11, you could volunteer
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and come along to greenhouse club and then get stuck in.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Once you'd shown an interest, you get a group
0:02:14 > 0:02:18of your own plants to look after and get ready for shows and propagate.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23So, girls, what are these you're growing?
0:02:23 > 0:02:24These are the hardy orchids,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and they are ones that can grow in English weather so they don't
0:02:28 > 0:02:31have to be in hot temperatures and you just put them out in your conservatory.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36- So they're great orchids to start with, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- This is a Masdevallia. - And it's growing on a lump of wood.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Yes, what we do is, in cool, wet conditions,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49we get the plant and put the roots in the bark of the wood.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51And that's all it needs.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Just a bit of bark. Couldn't be easier, could it?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- Yeah.- I think this is one of the most beautiful orchids we've seen in here.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Yes, it's called a Bulbophyllum picturatum
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and it smells like rotten fish.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Eurgh! Why?
0:03:06 > 0:03:11- Because it attracts flies and insects.- And they pollinate it?
0:03:11 > 0:03:17Yeah, and also what is unique about it is a little part inside moves.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21- If you want to blow on it, it will move.- Come on, let's have a go.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23One, two, three.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29- Oh, look! It's quivering, isn't it?- Yes, it's really nice.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33# We don't need no education... #
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- Can I join you, please?- Yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I have an exam later on,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43so I want the low-down on the simplest way of growing orchids.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46If I'm growing them for the first time, what do I have to remember?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Not to over-water. Water two to three times a week with rainwater only.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55- Right, brilliant.- Don't over-pot your orchid. They prefer to be pot-bound.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Right. So keep your pots small. Fantastic.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Don't choose the wrong compost.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Orchids grow on trees,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07so the main component of any orchid compost should be air.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- So, what else?- Don't be impatient with your orchid as, unlike tomato plants,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14they do grow very slowly and it could take a couple of years before they fully flower.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17You also have to try to keep your orchid in the right
0:04:17 > 0:04:19temperature zone, around ten to 15 degrees.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I have learnt loads about orchids, but now it's time for the big test.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38OK, today were going to do an exam on the dos
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and don'ts of orchid growing. Question number one.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44What is the main component of any orchid compost?
0:04:44 > 0:04:50Right, then, which of these pots would be best to pot this plant in?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Which of these would be the worst ingredient to use
0:04:53 > 0:04:59as our compost? We have a bit of perlite, soil or bark.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01No conferring.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06So, assuming it's a Cymbidium, what would be the best temperature to keep it at?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Last question, question number five.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I want two examples of something you shouldn't do to your orchid.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17If you could put down your pen or pencil. The test is finished.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Carol, we will be revealing your results at Gardeners' World Live
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but in the meantime, we have a book we want you to take away.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It's our orchid book we've written, The Dos and Don'ts of Orchid Growing.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30So get swatting.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- So, Luke, how did I get on?- Well, you got five out of five.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Whoo! I'm no good at exams!
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Except for question four where you put two answers down,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50so you cheated a little bit, but...
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- It always pays to hedge your bets. - It does, yeah.- That's fantastic!
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- And all down to this little book. - Yeah.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01It's so packed with information, it's terrific.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- And to having a very good teacher, too.- Aw, thank you.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06We'll continue in the subject of orchids
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and head to Lullingstone Castle in Kent to meet Tom Hart Dyke, a man
0:06:10 > 0:06:14so passionate about these flowers that it's almost cost them his life.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19This is the World Garden,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and this is where I have quite a good selection of hardy orchids
0:06:21 > 0:06:24from all over the world, and the idea of the World Garden
0:06:24 > 0:06:26is to show you where things originally come from
0:06:26 > 0:06:29in the miniature landmasses here, and who introduced them.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35For Tom, studying them in the wild is the best way to learn how to
0:06:35 > 0:06:37cultivate the orchid.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42They are the largest family of flowering plants on our planet.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Every single continent, you have the orchid family on, except Antarctica.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Some grow under ice within the Arctic Circle.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54It's the variety of flower colour, their exotic look, their rarity,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57the challenging places that they actually grow,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and when you do find them, it is fantastic.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05And this one here is actually a hybrid originally from Table Mountain in South Africa.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09It's a Disa, or Disa uniflora.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It's a real sod of an orchid to grow.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It requires rainwater.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17The hard water here, with all the chalk in it, would kill it.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20A sort of acidic, slightly peaty mix.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I've never flowered this before.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25It's been two or three years, waiting for it to flower,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and it's only come out in the last couple of days.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33The secret of his success is following in the footsteps of the Victorian plant hunters.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37But Tom's quest to see orchids in the wild has led him
0:07:37 > 0:07:42to some of the most dangerous places in the world.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46On a journey into the Colombian jungle, he was kidnapped,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50beaten and held under threat of execution for nine months.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53His parents presumed him dead.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58For the Victorians, it was a lucrative trade that led them to take risks.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02But for Tom, it's something more fundamental.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07I have green blood cells. My heart is pumping chlorophyll around me.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It becomes an addiction, trying to find things in the wild.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16Here we have one of my most exciting orchids, Encyclia pentotis.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18But it's no ordinary orchid.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21This is one of the family I was looking for whilst being in
0:08:21 > 0:08:26captivity and whilst I was travelling in that area after being kidnapped.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Tom had never had much success flowering this variety
0:08:31 > 0:08:35until he'd made that ill-fated trip to its natural habitat in Colombia.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You can read all the books you want,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39you simply can't beat seeing things in the wild.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I've flowered this more in the last five or six years than
0:08:42 > 0:08:46I ever have before, because I've seen the perfect drainage that they need.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51In comes the rain, batters the shrubs with pouring, torrential rain.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Then within ten minutes, there was not a cloud in the sky.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It's blue skies, and the sun bearing down on those plants
0:08:57 > 0:09:00dries it literally to a crisp within half an hour.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04So, in cultivation, let them dry out between the watering.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06It's hugely helpful.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10While many tropical orchids may be fussy plants
0:09:10 > 0:09:13to nurture indoors, there are over 50 native varieties that grow
0:09:13 > 0:09:16wild here and enjoy our climate.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20So it's not surprising that Tom grows some of his most prized
0:09:20 > 0:09:22orchids in the coldest part of his garden.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It's here, for me, this is
0:09:26 > 0:09:30most exciting hardy orchid that we have growing at Lullingstone.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33This is from two plants, four years ago.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35They are amazing how they've spread.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41Bletilla striata, known also as the Hyacinth orchid, or the Windowsill orchid,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44which is a misleading name because they are hardy,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48outdoor orchids, here in the more purple form, with the deep
0:09:48 > 0:09:51purpley-pink centres and creamer upper part of the lip,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53or "labellum" here.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Very attractive. And this from, in more of a white-ish,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Alba form, as you can see with a lovely, pink, purplish
0:10:00 > 0:10:04lip at the end, are really, really easy to grow.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08In pots, on the patio, rockeries, they're excellent.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13What I would say is not direct, all-day, baking sunshine.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15A bit of light shade.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It's a woodland plant, after all, from Japan.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23So hardy orchids can be just as exciting as their tropical cousins.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28We'll come back to orchids later on.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32But now we move on to a style of planting that is so common these days
0:10:32 > 0:10:37that we forget it was once considered highly controversial.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Our next O is for organic planting.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And we're looking back at how it was first approached on Gardeners' World
0:10:43 > 0:10:48by Geoff Hamilton through the eyes of his fellow presenters.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I think perhaps Geoff went through that crisis of conscience
0:10:51 > 0:10:54that all gardeners of our relative age went through,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58who were brought up on chemicals and control-freakish gardening, if
0:10:58 > 0:11:02you like. When anything appeared that was untoward, you wiped it out.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07I think he saw organics as a personal journey.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11He wasn't evangelical about it, and for quite a long time,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13he would give you both options. "If you're organic, you do this.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16"If you're not organic, you use that chemical."
0:11:16 > 0:11:18But it was something that evolved.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25I think that the control plot, first of all,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29whether you feed organically or chemically,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32you really have to give your plants something. Those really are pathetic.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I've had the odd spot of trouble with my melons.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41I am trying out an organic growing bag and comparing it with
0:11:41 > 0:11:46an inorganic one that I've used successfully for many years now.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We can't use slug pellets because it's an organic plot,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52so I'll try a new method.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55This is very coarse bark.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01This is the organic herbicide, the good old hoe.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04And the organic plot, it speaks for itself.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It certainly is a viable alternative.
0:12:10 > 0:12:17I actually personally discouraged Geoff being too organic,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22but in most cases, the presenter's views were what you got.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24So all in all,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28I am convinced that organic gardening is a viable alternative.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35I think that he realised that he needed to change.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39And he took you with him as a viewer, and that was very powerful,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42because you trusted him. You didn't quite know where you were going,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44but you were quite happy for him to take you there.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It took five years of trials, all shared with Gardeners' World
0:12:48 > 0:12:52viewers before Geoff stopped using chemicals altogether at Barnsdale,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57convinced that organic gardening was the way forward.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01When I've said, "Stop spraying," nobody's believed me.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Well, here is the proof of the pudding.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08This is my honeysuckle and it's thriving without a sign of
0:13:08 > 0:13:13greenfly or blackfly, and it has never been sprayed with anything at all.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17My theory is that if you spray indiscriminately, then you kill
0:13:17 > 0:13:20the things that eat the greenfly and the blackfly too
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and just build up troubles for yourself.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25There was a huge backlash from the chemical companies who felt
0:13:25 > 0:13:31they were no longer being adequately represented on a Friday night on the flagship gardening programme.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33They were, and still are,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36an enormous section of the commercial horticulture industry,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41and they felt that they'd... not only had they lost a voice on a Friday night,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45but they were actually now being criticised.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50So what? He had much higher aims, much higher views.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56He cared more about the planet and the plants in your garden.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And we stay with Carol Klein as she helps Russell
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and Jo Ash to go organic.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03To find out how,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06they're visiting a pioneering centre of green gardeners.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10In 1973, in the mountains of Mid-Wales,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13a small community of people got together,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18all joined by a single desire to create a sustainable future.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Their home had begun life as a disused quarry near the
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Welsh village of Machynlleth.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29But as they worked to find new ways of solving environmental issues
0:14:29 > 0:14:32affecting the planet, the community soon had a new name -
0:14:32 > 0:14:35the Centre for Alternative Technology.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Initially, there wasn't much support for these eco pioneers,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44but slowly, their financial aid grew, as did the number of volunteers.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48'Today, CAT is Europe's leading eco-centre.'
0:14:48 > 0:14:53So I suppose everybody who came here was a pioneer?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- Did you feel like that? - Yes, we did, actually.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59In those days, we really did. It had that air about it.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01We were going to change the world.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And do you think you HAVE changed the world?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06There are so many people who come to visit now
0:15:06 > 0:15:09who are interested in these sort of ideas, aren't they?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12It's true and there's windmills erupting all over the place
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and solar panels, they're seeing the importance of that.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Not using chemicals for the gardening.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23I mean, organic gardening at one time was thought of as something
0:15:23 > 0:15:26daft that people with sandals did.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The locals regarded as "the BLEEP and wind place."
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Cos we used human manure in those days.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35We're not allowed to use it now.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'But it's how they garden at CAT now that I want Jo and Russell to see.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'I've brought them here to experience sustainable gardening
0:15:44 > 0:15:46'practices in their purest form,
0:15:46 > 0:15:51'in the hope they can take a taste of those techniques home to Devon.'
0:15:51 > 0:15:52You just don't expect it, do you,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55a place like this in the middle of a quarry?
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- I know, it's wonderful, isn't it? - It's cracking.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We brought our soil along with us, as well,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03so perhaps we can get that tested. And see where that's at.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Everywhere you look, it's full of intriguing ideas, isn't it?
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Little pockets of things here and there. I can't wait to investigate.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21- If you want to take out two level spoons of that.- OK.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- That's it.- Brilliant.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Then we just top it up with this water here, which is
0:16:26 > 0:16:31deionised water, and this is just a little tablet that you crush,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34you put in there and crush it down.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38What will happen is, we wait a minute.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41The colour of the water will change.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46So, the soil we have in our garden, if we live fairly close to the sea,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49do you think it might potentially have a certain amount of sand in it?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It depends where you are.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53The rocks out in the coast is a type of sedimentary mud
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and sandstone mix.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57You'll probably have a sandy soil,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01which means it's quite free-draining but in the summertime,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05you're more likely to suffer from drought problems.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08If you look at this, if you hold up to the light.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Try and figure out which of the colours is most like that.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- It has a bluey tinge.- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Certainly not yellow.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- It's not that blue. - It's not blue, no.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- So, something around 6.57, which is fairly neutral.- Neutral, yeah.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23You can get away with pretty much anything,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25as long as they're not acid-loving.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It's 6.5, so it's slightly acidic,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- so you have a good range you can plant in there.- OK.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32You don't have to worry too much.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Recycling will be an important part of gardening for Jo and Russell
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and while they're here, they want to learn as much as possible about it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Top of their list is composting.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Composting doesn't really begin in the garden so much as in the kitchen.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50With the kitchen scraps from CATS' point of view,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53that's what we're always trying to get people to do is start
0:17:53 > 0:17:54composting their kitchen scraps
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and their cardboard, so it doesn't go off to a landfill site
0:17:57 > 0:18:01and instead get used as compost and gets put in your own garden
0:18:01 > 0:18:05to feed your plants, to get the nutrients back in your soil.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Is their a limit to how much cardboard you can put in?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10There's a good ratio to have, which is
0:18:10 > 0:18:15two parts of green stuff to every one part of what we call "browns," which is
0:18:15 > 0:18:20the cardboard and more woody waste and stuff like that from the garden.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Leafmould is great for adding bulk to the soil
0:18:24 > 0:18:30and it can be used as a mulch as well to suppress weeds and things like that.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Basically, just put all the leaves into one bin
0:18:33 > 0:18:40and leave them to themselves to get on with the process of decomposition.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44So the wormery is great for a small garden.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48You could even have it on a balcony if you wanted to, or a small backyard.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50And that's it? It's tiny, actually, isn't it?
0:18:50 > 0:18:56It is quite small, isn't it? This is a commercial wormery.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's very easy to get hold of and it comes as a kit.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03There's three different levels to your average wormery that allows
0:19:03 > 0:19:05you to fill up one layer.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10When that's full, you put another empty container on and the worms, once they've finished
0:19:10 > 0:19:15composting one level of waste, they go up into the next.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17They all have holes in them.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20You can see underneath, this is the more composted waste,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24so the worms are really doing their job on this one.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29The kind of worms that work in this bin are not earthworms,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33because earthworms like to burrow into deeper soils
0:19:33 > 0:19:35when it gets too warm or too cold.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37These are called Tiger worms
0:19:37 > 0:19:40but again, you can get these quite easily from a supplier.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45- Then there's a liquid given off, isn't there?- There is, that's right.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49One of the things people don't realise is that the way
0:19:49 > 0:19:55plants take up the nutrients from compost or soil is through liquid.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58They don't eat the compost, they take it up through the roots in liquid,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02so what you get from out of here is a liquid that you can
0:20:02 > 0:20:06use as organic fertiliser.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'Let's hope Russell and Jo found that helpful.'
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Still to come, we look at the best way to plant olive trees
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and find out how you can turn your garden into an ornamental one.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22But first, let's learn the basics of an eye-watering crop.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'This O is for onions, and here's Monty Don.'
0:20:31 > 0:20:33(Put that to one side.)
0:20:33 > 0:20:36First of all, I think I need to rake that over.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39If you remember, we had potatoes in here which I lifted.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43These were Charlotte and they were good, but when I lifted the potatoes,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I added compost, forked it over,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and although it's rather dry, that's good soil.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Over-wintering onions are sometimes called Japanese onions.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56A lot of them are Japanese varieties.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I have a couple of varieties I have grown before, are reliable
0:21:00 > 0:21:05and I like the taste of. And taste is always the important thing.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I have two varieties. There's a white onion called Radar.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Good enough, but quite delicate taste. Which I like very much.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And also Electric Red.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Red onions add colour,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21the add glamour and also they tend to be slightly sweeter.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24The best thing to do is just dib holes
0:21:24 > 0:21:27about four or five inches apart.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Obviously, the wider apart they are, the bigger the bulb.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33I don't like onions too big.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I think a tennis ball is perfectly big enough.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Let's do a row along there.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46These will be ready for harvesting about June, early July,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49so just a month or six weeks ahead of main crop.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55But the theory is that you store your main crop now and they will
0:21:55 > 0:21:59last you through to about April, and then these follow on in succession.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03There's very little else to do but you need to keep an eye on them
0:22:03 > 0:22:08because birds tend to come along, see this thing wiggling up and they pull at it.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12It's quite common to come down in the morning and find them
0:22:12 > 0:22:14scattered around, and that is birds.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18The best way to counter that is to cover them with fleece
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and weigh them down until you see good green shoots, which means
0:22:21 > 0:22:24the roots have grown and anchored into the soil.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It doesn't always happen, so I won't fleece them straight away.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Now you dib a hole to put it in
0:22:30 > 0:22:34because there is a basswood plate that the roots grow from and
0:22:34 > 0:22:38if you just ram it into the soil and almost screw it into the ground,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41there's a real danger of damaging that and therefore affecting root growth.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I actually quite often use my finger instead of a dib.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Though you could argue my fingers were made for dibbing.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Now I'm watering these in, just to make sure that the soil,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57which is very dry, firms around the bulbs.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I'm using a rose, rather than a direct jet,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03which would just knock the bulbs out of the holes.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Right, that's a job done.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13If you've planted more than you need,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Toby Buckland will show you the way on the skill of onion storing.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I've had a really good year for onions and now is the time to store them.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The key thing when it comes to storing these bulbs
0:23:26 > 0:23:27is to dry them first,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31so these been sitting under glass to make their skins
0:23:31 > 0:23:34go papery-dry and rustly.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39What they like is good, airy conditions. That just keeps them fresh
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and keeps the rot away. Give them that and they'll last well beyond Christmas.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47My favourite thing is to string them up.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50They look so ornamental when they're put on strings
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and there are also easy to harvest from.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57On the bottom, I'm doing a hangman's noose.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I've got the standing piece of line
0:23:59 > 0:24:03and I wrap the end round it a couple of times
0:24:03 > 0:24:09and then just tie a couple of... I believe they're called granny knots,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12in on the end. So I've got my loop at the base and I've got my onions.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18This one is called Stuttgarter. It's is quite a flat onion, a flat bulb.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23I like it cos it's got a very mild flavour. It's a good keeper, too.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I also grew some Mammoth Improved but what makes these
0:24:26 > 0:24:28so lovely is that they're sweet.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Those go into that loop at the base, just get wrapped round
0:24:32 > 0:24:37once or twice. I'll have a big 'un... Bung that in there.
0:24:39 > 0:24:45What I'm doing is making a solid base
0:24:45 > 0:24:47at the bottom of the string.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51I've got those three onions there, they're hard to hold onto,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56but by sliding the knot down, it just pinches them in place.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59If you do this and they fall away, it doesn't really matter.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Just reload the loop
0:25:00 > 0:25:05and it'll start to tighten on itself as you wind on more onions.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Go with the Stuttgarter next. Look at that - this is the type of onion you don't want to keep.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14You see it's got that little bit of brown or blacking at the base.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16That means it's starting to rot.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19That, if it was left, could spread to the rest of my onion string.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23If I cut it open, you'll see.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Just in the base there, the rot's already going into the flesh,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30making it soft.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32This one, and any others like it,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34will be buried deep in the compost heap,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35but certainly not kept.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Next onion, nice and firm, good and rustly.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Then the name of the game is just to keep adding onions,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47working your way around the string,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51or the cord, right the way up to its top.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Sling it on, slide it down.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59The place to keep them is somewhere cool like a shed,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02nice and dry, though, where the temperatures are even.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Simple. Thanks, Toby.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Next, a tree that we normally associate with warmer countries,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26but is now so widely grown that its fruits are one of the most
0:26:26 > 0:26:29extensively cultivated crops in the world.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34O is for olive trees and we're joining Mark McDonald
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and wife, Emma, as they prepare for their first
0:26:36 > 0:26:39appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52A lot of people buy olives to remind them of their holidays.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54It's as simple as that.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58There are still a lot of people who believe they won't grow here.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02The nursery started in 2004
0:27:02 > 0:27:04and this was a totally bare-field site.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11It was Emma and I and my father, who has retired,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14but said he would give us 3½ years.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Then Emma's father came on board. He retired about three years ago.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It's very much family.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23We hand-pick all of our stock.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I've done about 50 or 60 trips to Spain now,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30so I sort of know exactly what I want and where I'll find it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33We are always looking for specific things.
0:27:33 > 0:27:39This last trip, I was trying to find certain trees that met certain criteria for the show.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44We go to more northern regions and inland regions of Spain
0:27:44 > 0:27:46because it gets cold in the winter.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48So when they come here it's no shock to plants.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Mark's the one that makes things happen
0:27:56 > 0:28:00but I just tend to just work out if it's really going to be possible
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and sort of cross-question him and, "Do you think we can do that?"
0:28:03 > 0:28:05And Mark's sort of, "Yes, we'll do it."
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Emma's background is more garden design and seeing the whole thing,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10the layout of it, which I can't picture at all.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Yeah, I like putting them together with other plants
0:28:13 > 0:28:18and making it all knit together and making it look more in keeping.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Basically, we've gone for two raised beds each side.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27Cos it's quite a big space and we thought a variation in heights
0:28:27 > 0:28:31would work quite nicely and it would just elevate the two main big trees
0:28:31 > 0:28:36up above the crowns of the smaller trees in the middle.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39And also the gnarled trees do work really well,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42if you can slightly look up to them.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Chelsea is very important for us.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50The biggest problem we have is the size of root ball.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And then the weight of the plant.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Basically, we've got two trees, and they're on the corners,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59so hopefully people will get nice and close
0:28:59 > 0:29:01and will be able to touch the bark if they want to.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06The trees we have on site in the UK already that we've had over the winter
0:29:06 > 0:29:08won't be in flower at Chelsea.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10I'd like them to be in flower,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14but they wouldn't be in flower in the UK normally at that time,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18so we're leaving the delivery from Spain for another few weeks
0:29:18 > 0:29:22to try and bring them on more, so they'll be in flower in May.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25The risk is they'll come on too much and they'll have flowered and gone over.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29In which case, you probably wouldn't be able to use them.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31They were just be full of...
0:29:31 > 0:29:32..blossom that's gone over.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Well, Mark, they're not quite in flower, are they?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39They're just coming into flower right now.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Yeah, another week to ten days and they'd have been just been perfect, but there we go.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45But olives don't need to be in flower,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48they're a fantastic plant, evergreen foliage, lovely, silvery colour.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51I use them all over London, brilliant on roof terraces.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55This is your first time at Chelsea. You're trying to get the point across that there's different
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- varieties available, really. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00There's hundreds of varieties available.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03We're trying to show some varieties that will do well in the UK
0:30:03 > 0:30:05with good potential for fruiting.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07So you're sort of trialling them, really? Pioneering?
0:30:07 > 0:30:11It's a bit of grand word but, yeah, OK, I'll take that.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15But you want people to benefit from your trialling in a way to get better fruit.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18What do you do with the fruit of an olive?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21I tried it straight off the tree once. It was so bitter.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Yeah, you need to cure the fruit in saltwater to remove the bitterness.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29We did try with unlimited fruit last year, making oil,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31which was a complete disaster.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35After a couple of days, I had enough for about two salads.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37It's ornamental use, mainly?
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Ornamental use, but we use the fruit we produce, as fruit.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42At the moment, we're just using it for ourselves.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- How long in saltwater till you can eat one? - It's about three or four weeks.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I need to change the water every few days.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50There's different methods of curing.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53The Greeks, the Spanish and the Italians all do it in a different way.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56I didn't know there were so many varieties available. Fantastic.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01- You've got a bronze. Your first time at Chelsea. Congratulations, well done.- Thank you.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Olive trees are often used to add a touch of decoration to
0:31:06 > 0:31:09a garden, which is what we're looking at in our next subject.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12This O is for ornamental gardens.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16And we're getting advice from Harlow Carr's senior supervisor,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Alison Mundie, on how to create one.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Here at Harlow Carr,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29we treat the vegetable area the same as anywhere else in the garden.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32It's got to be very decorative, but it's also got to be productive.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35And choose the varieties with that in mind.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Vegetables should be a feast for the eyes as well as the table.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59I'm really passionate about vegetables. I'd really like people to grow them as well.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02But not feel that they have to got to get into these great allotment
0:32:02 > 0:32:04situations or have a great, complicated time of it.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Just choose a bit of bare earth that you've got and you can grow just about anything.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16We use a lot of pots in the garden.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19It's a great opportunity to use spaces that are occurring
0:32:19 > 0:32:23naturally throughout your herbaceous border or shrubberies throughout the year,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26so we've actually got pots we've sowed with vegetables,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29salads, and then, as these are harvested or go over,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31we can have some more waiting to go in.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Some of the pots, we'll just sit on the surface and some of them
0:32:36 > 0:32:40we'll put a little further back and sink them slightly so they get the
0:32:40 > 0:32:44benefits of keeping the roots cool and you don't have to do so much watering.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47In this bed, we've chosen a combination of plants to give
0:32:47 > 0:32:48some height in the kitchen garden.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53The amaranth over here is a relation to the Love Lies Bleeding amaranth.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57This is a grain plant. We've never grown it up here before
0:32:57 > 0:33:00so we'll be interested to see what happens with that.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Sunflowers, of course, are great for the wildlife.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05They attract lots of bees, hover flies, and later on,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08when the seeds form, you get a crop, of course,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11of sunflower seeds that you can eat yourself.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14At the front here, we've got a beautifully coloured runner bean.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I think this combination works really well as a whole.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Flowers are a great thing to have in the vegetable garden, of course.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28As well as looking attractive, they bring in lots of wildlife, and several are edible.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30For example, the Borage flowers, the Nasturtium,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and also Calendulas, or pot marigolds.
0:33:38 > 0:33:44And, for more inspiration, let's join Joe Swift on a visit to Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51This is the ornamental garden
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and it's one of the most exciting spaces here at Alnwick.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57It's packed full of plants with some great combinations.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00It's set within a very traditional walled garden,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04but what's interesting is everything here has a modern twist.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08There is a strong geometrical layout, combining squares,
0:34:08 > 0:34:13rectangles, circles and triangles to form a structured framework.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16New buttresses planted against the old brick walls are really nice
0:34:16 > 0:34:21touch, adding a simple rhythm and a sense of solidity to the space.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27What really excites me about this garden is that when you first look at it,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30it feels so familiar, then you look a little bit deeper
0:34:30 > 0:34:34and the plants they use here are really quite unexpected.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37For a start, we've got these wonderful pleached crab apples.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39that are defining this area here.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I've never seen crab apples pleached like this.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43But they are a brilliant choice
0:34:43 > 0:34:45because they've got great, autumn colour
0:34:45 > 0:34:46and look at them at the moment -
0:34:46 > 0:34:48they've got wonderful fruit all over them.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50They look absolutely perfect.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And precision is key, because they are the tallest element in the garden.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Then we have the yew hedges, exactly half the size
0:34:56 > 0:35:00of the crab apples, and then a Cornish hedge, which I have never seen
0:35:00 > 0:35:03so formally before, that's exactly half the size of the yew again.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Then, within these defined spaces, you take a close look,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and again, there's something being reinvented here.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11We see a traditional rose garden,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14standard roses, which has normally just got soil underneath.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17A bit boring, but here it's been planted with blueberries,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20which creates an understory to the planting
0:35:20 > 0:35:24but also you get blueberries all summer long. But look at them now.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Fantastic autumn colour, extending the season of interest,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30so yes, the structure feels pretty familiar
0:35:30 > 0:35:34but the plants that have gone into it feel fresh and right up to date.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42We're almost at the end of today's programme and, as promised,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44we're returning to the subject of orchids.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48So, here's Mike Dilger, who is in Kent,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51looking for Britain's rarest wild specimens.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55The Kent Downs are an area of outstanding natural beauty
0:35:55 > 0:36:00and support a wealth of plants, including a number of rarities.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03And it's on this chalk downlands I'm hoping to track down
0:36:03 > 0:36:07some of our most glamorous and mysterious wild plants.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Queendown Warren is a pristine downland valley,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17which in summer is full of flowers and insects.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22What am I after? Orchids - the femme fatale of the plant world,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and Kent is a great place to look for them,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29not just for the sheer numbers, but for some of the rarest, too.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Alison Wright of the Kent Wildlife Trust,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38what is it about orchids that people love so much?
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- They're wonderful, aren't they? - They are amazing.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I think it's just that they are rare, they are usual,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45they have fascinating habits.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47They are just like the plant equivalent of diamonds.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- A girl's best friend.- Oh, yes. - A guy's best friend, too, cos I like them.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54And they're just diverse. Look at how many species we've got here.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57We have Fragrant orchids, just over there we have a Pyramidal.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Just coming into flower,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00so it's showing its pyramid shape that gives it its name.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Because they can flower anything from late spring,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05right the way through to late summer,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08so it is a good time now - in the middle of June is great, isn't it?
0:37:08 > 0:37:10The best time is now, when you have so many out in the flower.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13But you can see them right the way through the spring and summer season.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Wonderful.
0:37:18 > 0:37:25Now, I reckon this orchid is at the top of everybody's must-see list...
0:37:25 > 0:37:27It's the Bee orchid, of course.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32You can see how the lip perfectly resembles a bee.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35It also smells like a female bee, so that attract bees to come in
0:37:35 > 0:37:40to take away these little pollen sacs.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44But this one's a virgin because the pollen sacs are still stuck there.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Ironically, it doesn't even need to attract a bee,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52as the orchid is perfectly capable of self-pollination.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00'Now this one isn't so colourful but believe me, it's a real treasure.'
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Alison, what a cracking little orchid.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I know, the are amazing, aren't they?
0:38:05 > 0:38:09It's called the Man orchid for a very obvious reason, isn't it?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Yeah, if you take a close look at each one, you can
0:38:12 > 0:38:15see that right at the very top, you have a little bonnet, like a head
0:38:15 > 0:38:19and below that, two arms and two legs just like a little stick person.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22- How rare is this orchid? - This is an extremely rare orchid.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25It's really restricted to the Southeast.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Wow, why has declined so much?
0:38:26 > 0:38:30- Is it was always quite uncommon, but now it's rare, isn't it?- Yes, it is.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33It needs chalk. We've had so much loss of chalk downlands.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34And since the Second World War,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- they think up to 90% has been lost. - Really?
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Added to that, it doesn't just like normal chalk downland,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42it likes a little bit of scrub.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44You can see all the long grass that we're in here,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46just to keep it a little bit damper than most.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48So it has really specific needs.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50The thing I love most of all is,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53you look it up, and they're like men here.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55But you look right at the top, they're like little boys
0:38:55 > 0:38:58coming out. This should be called "man and boy orchid."
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Next stop is Park Gate Down, a diminutive reserve
0:39:06 > 0:39:10south of Canterbury that's jam-packed with orchids.
0:39:10 > 0:39:16Ian Rickards, reserve warden of this site, I have never seen so many orchids.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19The Kent Wildlife Trust must be very proud.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It's one of our real key sites, it's absolutely fantastic.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24We've got tens of thousands of orchids on here.
0:39:24 > 0:39:30I reckon I'm within three or four metres of about 200 orchid spikes.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31Flipping sensational.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34The density is wonderful, isn't it? And also the variety,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37the number of different orchid species is just stunning.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Why is the site so good?
0:39:39 > 0:39:41It's a combination of lots of different things. One,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44it's an ancient, unimproved grass. It's never been farmed intensively.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46The only farming that's gone on here is grazing
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and that's happened for hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- It's never been ploughed, has never been fertilised?- No.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56On most orchid sites, grazing is crucial. When do you do it and what do you use?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58We do it generally from as soon as the flowers have all finished,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00which is kind of September/October,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02then we bring on our livestock grazers,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05which are Konik ponies or Highland cattle, these old, really tough breeds,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08which can come in and graze this site hard for three or four months.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11And that's it, that's the management done for the year.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13It's pretty straightforward.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15It's a botanical ticker's paradise.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Let's wander off and see what we can see.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Check out this beautiful show-off.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30This is the Greater Butterfly orchid.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Now, this usually smells...
0:40:33 > 0:40:36but only in the evening. It has a lovely smell.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40And that's because this is pollinated by moths,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43so that's why it smells strongly in the evening.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46So I think the Greater Butterfly or Lesser Butterfly
0:40:46 > 0:40:47is a bit of rubbish name, really.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50This should be called the "greater moth orchid."
0:40:52 > 0:40:56'Now here's the real star that I've come to see.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01'Once again, close up, the individual flowers have a quirky
0:41:01 > 0:41:03'resemblance to something else.'
0:41:04 > 0:41:09This is the creme de la creme of orchids.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It's a Monkey orchid and it's incredibly rare, isn't it, Ian?
0:41:12 > 0:41:16It's a real spectacle, cos there's only three sites where it exists.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18But if you look at the individual flowers themselves,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21that's where they get the name "monkey" from, isn't it?
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Yeah, they've got arms, legs, they've even got a little tail.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28A little hooded head. They're perfectly named, really. Absolutely perfect.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Just wonderful. When you look at orchids, you really have to go down in your hands
0:41:32 > 0:41:35and knees. Obviously, in this field, there are orchids everywhere.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38We've had to lie down incredibly carefully
0:41:38 > 0:41:40so we don't squash any of these orchids around us.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43It's not just this wonderful Monkey orchid, there's
0:41:43 > 0:41:46an orchid in front of you, there, as well, Ian.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47We have the Common Spotted here.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49There's a Tway Blade here,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53there's a patch of Fragrant orchids right by our arms, which we're being very careful with.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It's just a massive diversity of orchids in this field,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57it's wonderful.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02- I have to say these are all surrounding the star attraction. - Yes, yes. Definitely.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11I'm at the Royal St George's golf course on the East Kent coast,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15near Sandwich and this is one of the most difficult and well-known
0:42:15 > 0:42:18golf courses in the whole of the world but I'm not here to practice
0:42:18 > 0:42:22my swing or my putting, I'm here for the last part of my orchid quest.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30'So far, I've seen 11 different orchids in just two locations
0:42:30 > 0:42:34'and now I'm leaving the fairway and greens for the rough.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38'To track down an orchid that loves golf courses
0:42:38 > 0:42:40'in southern England, the Lizard.'
0:42:40 > 0:42:43What a beautiful orchid to end on!
0:42:43 > 0:42:46I'm with Pete Forrest, again from Kent Wildlife Trust,
0:42:46 > 0:42:51they get everywhere. Why are they so common on golf courses, Pete?
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Well, the Lizard orchid is at the edge of its range
0:42:54 > 0:42:58here in Britain. It's really down to climate, and this sandy soil here,
0:42:58 > 0:43:03which you often get on golf courses, is hotter and helps them out.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Well, it's called a Lizard orchid for a very obvious reason.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Yeah, if you look carefully, you have the tail
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and the two hind legs of a lizard sort of disappearing into the flower.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Well, that's the theory anyway.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Well, there we go - my 12th and final orchid.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23What a day I've had! And what a beauty to end on!
0:43:23 > 0:43:27If you're a golfer in Kent and a rubbish one like me,
0:43:27 > 0:43:29and bash the ball into the rough,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32have a look for one of these as well as your golf ball.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34This is much better, what a gem.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36I couldn't agree more.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40A real gem there. Well, that's all from us for today.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Hope you join us next time on The A-Z of TV Gardening. Goodbye.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd