0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello, and welcome to The A To Z Of TV Gardening,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07where we sift through all your favourite TV gardening programmes
0:00:07 > 0:00:08and dig up a bumper crop of tips
0:00:08 > 0:00:11from the best experts in the business.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Flowers, trees, fruit and veg,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16letter by letter. They're all coming up a treat.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Everything we're looking at today beings with the letter P.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Here's what's coming up.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Carol Klein gets passionate about poppies.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47There's bound to be a poppy that not just suits you
0:00:47 > 0:00:49but thrills you.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is driven crazy by paving.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57In London, 12 square miles of British front garden
0:00:57 > 0:00:58no longer exists.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02That is the equivalent of 22 Hyde Parks.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06We've got the pick of perennials with Rachel De Thame.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08The great thing about container-grown perennials
0:01:08 > 0:01:11is you can grow them really at any time of year.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14The downside is that you've really got to keep on top of the watering.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18And Christine Walkden is at a heavyweight competition.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23And this is the biggest pumpkin ever grown in Britain.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Before all that, we're diving into a place that's bursting with life
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and also beautifully calm and tranquil.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Our first P is for ponds.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And Alys Fowler is visiting Snares Hill Cottage in Essex,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39but not just because of their gardens.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47This is the reason why I really came.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52This is just...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54fantastic!
0:01:54 > 0:01:58So, Liz, Peter, you're the proud owners of this wonderful garden
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and amazing swimming pool.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I suppose it's not really a swimming pool, is it?
0:02:03 > 0:02:04It's more of a swimming pond.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06That's right, yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And it has all the insects and the flowers
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and the wildlife you'd find in a pond.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18First thing in the morning,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20the birds are wonderful
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and we get kingfishers come down.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26They don't recognise you as an individual.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29You know, they're not frightened or scared at all. It's wonderful.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Why did you go for a natural pool and not one with chlorine?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I didn't want to spend time cleaning pools
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and putting chemicals in.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Friends that have had pools,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43they spend all their time throwing money at it
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and not swimming in the thing and enjoying it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59All the cleansing is done by the reed beds,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01that take all the phosphates
0:03:01 > 0:03:03that cause the algae in the water.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07And in the same way as...sort of septic tanks
0:03:07 > 0:03:10that work off reed beds. It's the same principle.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18In terms of maintenance,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21what do you have to do in terms of looking after the plants?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Just pull out the dead bits and things.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So when you're swimming round, you can do a bit of gardening
0:03:26 > 0:03:29at the same time as swimming. It's really lovely.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I love the fact that you can garden your own swimming pool!
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Yes!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35There's something really lovely about seeing
0:03:35 > 0:03:38water lilies at eye level, isn't it?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The biodiversity of this space is huge, isn't it?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And just by having a body of water, in terms of birds visiting
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- and all of that.- We use it a lot more than I thought we ever would.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59I thought it was going to be a five-minute wonder, but it's not.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's something that we use every day,
0:04:01 > 0:04:02when the weather permits!
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It is incredibly elegant and beautiful
0:04:10 > 0:04:11and most desirable.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I might have to get rid of all my garden now!
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Just have this.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And if that's left you craving your own pond,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30here's Mike Dilger and Miranda Krestovnikoff,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33showing how to build one from scratch.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44For me, ponds stir up memories of warm summer evenings,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47dragonflies dancing over mirrored water
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and frogs croaking to their loved ones.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But how can you create that dream in your garden...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58from this?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Well, we're going to show you how.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05We're here with the Sherlock family in their urban garden in Surrey.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06There's mum Amanda,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09with her two sons, James and George.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14As we've only got 24 hours, we thought we'd need some help,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18so we've brought in pond-digging guru Nigel and his team.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21So the first thing you need to do
0:05:21 > 0:05:24is to mark out the shape of the pond, so you know what you're dealing with.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Then you need to get digging. But it doesn't need to be that deep -
0:05:27 > 0:05:30probably just a couple of feet deep at the deepest point,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33because most of your pond creatures actually like it in the shallows.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38It's not just aquatic life -
0:05:38 > 0:05:41birds and mammals use ponds for bathing and feeding,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43so it's important you choose your spot well.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Your pond should have some sunny and shady areas,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50but not under any big trees,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53otherwise it might get clogged up with leaves in the autumn.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Right, guys. This is where we put action into words.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Or even words into action, Mike!
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Dig for Britain!
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Your waist is going to have to be at that level
0:06:11 > 0:06:13before we can even put the pond liner in.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It's hard to imagine this becoming a wildlife haven,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20so whilst Miranda keeps digging, I'm taking the boys off pond-dipping.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So this is a taste of things to come.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26A nice sweep along the edge... There we go.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Oh, look!- Oh, look at that!- Oh, wow!
0:06:33 > 0:06:35That is a tiny little water snail.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I think it's a ramshorn.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40You know, on rams - male sheep - their horns look just like that.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Look what we've got there.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43It jumped...
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Wow, look at all those water boatmen!
0:06:46 > 0:06:51The brilliant thing is, all these things don't have to be introduced into their pond -
0:06:51 > 0:06:53they'll make their own way there.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Give it six months, their pond will be teeming, just like this one.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58How are we doing?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00OK, enough dipping.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Let's get back to the digging.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Look at this!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- Oh, my goodness!- That is amazing.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Right, I need a volunteer.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Come here. Let's test how deep it is.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12- No!- Yes!
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Come on, let's get him in that hole.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17You've done it. Two foot depth. Brilliant.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It's time to put the matting down.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Then it's the liner.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25And finally, the most important ingredient.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30Rainwater is best, but with no water butt, the tap will have to do.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34With the pond slowly filling, we're done for the day.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38But it's straight back the next morning to make this muddy hole pretty.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42So, this is it. This is the final stage - adding the plants
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and making sure the edges are all nicely landscaped and smoothed,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49so the wildlife can actually get down to the water and take the plunge.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Mud, mud...- Glorious mud!
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Plants provide animals with a place to live,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58somewhere to feed, and even lay their eggs.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Marsh marigold and cuckoo flower
0:08:00 > 0:08:04are just some of the plants you can use to make your pond look beautiful.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07We're going to have birds, bees,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09butterflies, amphibians - the whole works.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11MIKE HUMS A FANFARE
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's all going to green up, the plants are going to grow,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and the animals are going to come in. And do you know what?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20The first animal that comes in here, we want to see that.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21- Will you film that for us?- Yes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22That'd be really fantastic.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Then we're going to come back a bit later in the summer.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27We certainly are. And we won't even recognise the pond.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31There we go. We've created an absolute disgusting mess.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Time for us to leave.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Bye!
0:08:33 > 0:08:36But now I'm back, three months later,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38to hopefully see a much prettier wildlife pond.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Hi, Amanda, hi, boys. How are you?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- How's the pond?- It's looking great,
0:08:43 > 0:08:44but we want it to be a surprise.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Oh, no!
0:08:45 > 0:08:47I can't believe it.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Right.- You're going to push me in! - No, no. Stop just there.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- OK. Can I take this off?- Yes.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Oh, my goodness me - look at that!
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It looks a lot bigger, doesn't it?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01It just... Oh, wow!
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Great.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I can already see the water just twitching.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08You've obviously got water boatmen and pond skaters
0:09:08 > 0:09:09and all sorts in there.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Now, George, we left you with a video camera. How did the filming go?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- It went OK.- Yeah? What did you film?
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Frogs, newts, dragonflies, damselflies...
0:09:19 > 0:09:21That's fantastic! Well done.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25We've just seen pond skaters.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The boys also found a water boatman,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31a real live frog
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and even a newt.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I called it tiny because it's "my newt".
0:09:38 > 0:09:42And Dad took a couple of photos of a roe deer coming along for a drink.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Lovely!
0:09:45 > 0:09:48And today the pond is alive with dragonflies.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52The two that are flying over there at the moment, do you know what they're doing?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- I think they're mating, aren't they? - They've just finished mating,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57and actually, the female, the one at the back,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01she's dipping down and touching the water with the end of her abdomen.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03She's actually laying her eggs in the water at the moment.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07So you, next year, will have dragonfly larvae living in the pond.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And they look like dragonflies underwater without wings.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Oh, something's just disappeared there.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16That was definitely a common frog, wasn't it?
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Ah, there he is!
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Oh!
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Frogs aren't the easiest critters to catch,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26so we've brought along a pole camera to get an underwater view.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30You have got to tell me what you can see. If you want me to go left a bit, right a bit...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33..then you just let me know.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Wow, look at these! Pretty cool.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38If you could shrink yourself into miniature
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and you could actually go for a scuba dive in your pond,
0:10:41 > 0:10:42this is what it would look like.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Tell me what you can see.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Um... Algae!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53There's that water boatman again,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55pulling himself along like an Olympic swimmer.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59And all sorts of other minibeasts, above and below the surface.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02There's a little snail there - can you see that?
0:11:02 > 0:11:03Glistening in the light there.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Now, snails are really good, because they'll eat up all this algae
0:11:07 > 0:11:08that you don't like in your pond.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11So when you're pulling it out, just check amongst it.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Any snails like that, pop them back in, cos they'll help clean that up.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16We're going to try and find...
0:11:16 > 0:11:17that frog.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Don't fall in!
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- There he is!- Yeah!- Yay!
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Up a bit, up a bit.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That's it - perfect.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- Got him?- Yeah.- Is he swimming around?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Yeah.- Fantastic.- Little bit left.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35That's it, that's it!
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- Got a good view?- Perfect, yeah. - Brilliant.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42And all this in just three months.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Amazing.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Over the last 100 years,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49our countryside's lost over 70% of all its ponds.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51So it doesn't matter how big you build yours -
0:11:51 > 0:11:54it'll become a real wildlife oasis for all sorts of different animals.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Wasn't that fantastic?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Still to come, the quest for Britain's biggest pumpkin,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09the best way to plant your potatoes,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and an amazing display of peonies.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But now we turn to a group of plants that come back year after year,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18regardless of what the weather throws at them.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20This P is for perennials.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23A really good bet when planting your borders.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27And that's exactly what Rachel De Thame is showing us next.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31The best thing about buying perennials in containers
0:12:31 > 0:12:34is that you can plant them pretty much at any time of year.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37You can also go to the garden centre quite regularly
0:12:37 > 0:12:39and see what's in flower when,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and then make some wonderful planting combinations.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44So I've got a beautiful selection here.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46I think these colours - they sort of clash,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48but they actually work really well together.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And I'm going to start, I think, with a helenium at the back -
0:12:52 > 0:12:54these wonderful, daisy-shaped flowers.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Get those in. They're a little bit taller,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59so I'm going to put them near the rose.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01And the main tip, really, is to make sure
0:13:01 > 0:13:04that the soil is really in good heart,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07so I've added plenty of garden compost here.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And you want to get the levels right as well,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12so you're planting it to the level it was in the pot.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Now, you can see, if I put it in there,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16it will be buried too deeply,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19so I'll just shove a bit of that soil...
0:13:19 > 0:13:20back in again.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Get rid of the pot.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And then nestle it in there.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And then you're just pushing it back...
0:13:31 > 0:13:34around the base of the plant again.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Firming it in.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Now, if you're planting a lot of perennials in one go,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43you can just sort of dig out
0:13:43 > 0:13:45a whole area,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48but I'm going to do these one by one.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's easy to get carried away when you're planting perennials,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57because they look fantastic
0:13:57 > 0:13:58when they're en masse,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00but do remember that most of them will bulk up quite quickly.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02So in a couple of years...
0:14:04 > 0:14:05..they'll fill the area.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Now, I think in front of the helenium,
0:14:08 > 0:14:09we're going to have a crocosmia.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Just fantastic.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Flowers and also really good foliage on this one.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So you get a good combination
0:14:17 > 0:14:19of different...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21shapes and textures.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Both in the flowers and the leaves.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28And then next to that...
0:14:30 > 0:14:31..an echinacea here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Here we are.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Isn't that beautiful?
0:14:38 > 0:14:39And the colour really picks up -
0:14:39 > 0:14:42you've got the pink and the orange in the one flower there.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45And just firm it in.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And there are perennials that will flower
0:14:48 > 0:14:51right the way through the season
0:14:51 > 0:14:55from spring, all the way through, well into the autumn.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59And these late-summer flowerers...
0:15:00 > 0:15:02..are absolutely brilliant for that.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Now, ideally, you'd plant perennials
0:15:06 > 0:15:08in spring,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11but the great thing about container-grown perennials
0:15:11 > 0:15:13is you can grow them really at any time of year.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17The downside is that you've really got to keep on top of the watering
0:15:17 > 0:15:21until they get established and the roots get down.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24But I'm pretty pleased with that.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Now, perennials, when they're grown en masse,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30look absolutely spectacular,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and they're also quite easy-going -
0:15:32 > 0:15:35they can be grown in a wide range of different soil conditions.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40And that's exactly what Kim and Stephen Rogers did in their garden in Yorkshire.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42They planted loads of perennials,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and they got really dramatic results,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47despite it being less than an ideal location.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53The garden's on the north-facing slope of Shibden Valley
0:15:53 > 0:15:55in the Pennines.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Quite a cold spot, open to north and northeasterly winds,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and we're on quite a heavy clay soil.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04We were inspired with this naturalistic-type planting,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06using wilder-looking plants
0:16:06 > 0:16:09that'll tolerate a lot on these heavy clay soils.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And it does suit the location as well, having a wilder look.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Tropical plants would just look ridiculous.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16We decided that grasses and perennials,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and the wilder perennials with the smaller flowers, worked much better.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25The main philosophy is this wilder look to the planting.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30And you don't achieve that by putting over-bred, large-flowered plants
0:16:30 > 0:16:33into them, that are getting shorter and shorter.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36They've got to still have the natural look about them.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's the depth of the planting as well. It's multi-dimensional
0:16:39 > 0:16:41when you're looking through plantings
0:16:41 > 0:16:43into other plants and other plants beyond.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47We'll vary the heights of the planting
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and bring some of the really tall plants to the front
0:16:49 > 0:16:52so you've got to peer round them to see plants behind.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Make it more interesting. Bring plants closer to people.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58About a third of this garden is grasses,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00a third, and there's no lawn.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It's all ornamental grasses.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But they don't self-seed - they just move lovely, like today.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I don't think there are any plants you need to avoid on a clay soil,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11but you've got to do the preparation.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Long-term, if you skimp on that first initial preparation
0:17:14 > 0:17:16and getting the soil right,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19then you're always going to be fighting that clay soil
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and there's nothing going to grow well
0:17:21 > 0:17:24in that sort of soil, so you've got to work on improving it
0:17:24 > 0:17:28either with sand and grit and organic matter.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30And even raising the beds.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31In a lot of the beds now,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34we would grow the more sort of Mediterranean-type things,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36like the sea hollies...
0:17:37 > 0:17:38..catmints, dianthus,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40stipas.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We've had to raise the beds up to get that drainage.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Well, I'm a woman, Stephen's a man, so we split the jobs up
0:17:53 > 0:17:56according to who's best
0:17:56 > 0:17:58at what they do, and who's stronger.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00He's good at making coffee.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I'm good at making tea.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Stephen's great at taking cuttings,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07cos he's really fast.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10We both sow seed. It's lonely if you're on your own, isn't it,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- so we tend to do a job together, don't we?- Yeah.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The garden we've created is one that we tried not to intervene too much
0:18:25 > 0:18:26throughout the year.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28We tend to cut back in April.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32You can see the whole of the garden then. It's like a fresh start.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35And we cut back, we weed, and then we mulch.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And then there's not a lot of intervention after that.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41We tend to try and leave it to its own devices.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43We let lots of things self-seed.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Some of the early summer-flowering plants, we tend to deadhead,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49so that it all comes together much later in the year,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51but apart from that, if we get ten minutes,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and we're not potting and we're not watering
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and we're not talking to people about plants,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59then we tend to have five minutes, ten minutes in the garden.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02And through the winter, we're quite happy to not have any colour.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04We just get all the very rich browns
0:19:04 > 0:19:06of the seed heads and the grasses,
0:19:06 > 0:19:11which we enjoy just as much, because you don't get it any other time of the year.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15And as the garden starts to rest,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17we have a little bit of a rest
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and start to think about the following year.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Amazing garden.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26On to our next subject.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28And we're encountering what could be
0:19:28 > 0:19:31the world's most important and popular vegetable.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33This P is for potatoes,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and here's Carol Klein on how to plant your spuds.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47There's a lot of mystique about chitting potatoes.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49All it really means
0:19:49 > 0:19:50is getting your seed potatoes
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and putting them in a nice, bright, frost-free place
0:19:54 > 0:19:56so they can develop their first little shoots.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Opinions are divided about whether or not it does any good,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02but I always chit my potatoes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Some people like to pop their potatoes in with a trowel.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18That's fine if you're on light, sandy soil.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20But on my heavy clay,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I like to dig a really deep trench.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Nice and wide and very, very deep,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29because potatoes are the tubers borne on the ends of roots
0:20:29 > 0:20:34and what they need is as big a root run as they possibly can get.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I make my trench about a spade deep
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and about two spades' width.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's the most wonderful work.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46It's deeply satisfying.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57When you've dug your trench, it's time to plant your potatoes.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59This is ideal.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It's been chitted, and it's got strong, stubby little roots.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06These are virus-free seed potatoes.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And never plant potatoes from the supermarket.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13These have been specially prepared, so they're much less likely
0:21:13 > 0:21:15to suffer from disease.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Just push them into the bottom of the trench.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm putting mine about six inches apart,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22because these are deep beds.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Here I can grow things really intensively.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Just nestle them into the soil.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Make sure they're comfy and feeling at home.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I'm putting in...
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Red Duke of York,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40which is a really good eating potato.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Because that's what we're after - flavour.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46And a lot of people say flavour's in your soil.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And we stay with vegetables,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03as we head to a festival where contestants are trying to beat a gardening world record.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05And if this isn't a heavyweight competition,
0:22:05 > 0:22:06I don't know what is.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This P is for pumpkins.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13And here, Christine Walkden joins the battle for the biggest.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22These are the real stars of the show.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23We're in the XPG Arena,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27which stands for Extreme Pumpkin Growers.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32And this is the biggest pumpkin ever grown in Britain.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35It weighs in 1,341.5 pounds -
0:22:35 > 0:22:38that's nearly 96 stone -
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and was grown buy father-and-son team
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Frank and Mark Baggs.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44How long, Frank, have you been growing pumpkins like this?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Well, we started in 2005.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49That's a relatively short time ago.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51So how quickly do these grow?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54At his peak, he did 177 pounds in his best week.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57177 pounds?
0:22:57 > 0:22:58That's incredible.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01That's the weight of the big man in just seven days.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03But impressive though this is,
0:23:03 > 0:23:08I've had a sneak preview of a monster growing in a nursery just up the road in Lymington,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11which could pose a serious threat to the British crown.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14The proud parents are twins Stuart and Ian Paton.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So how do you produce something like that?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Good seed.- Yeah.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22To grow anything over 1,000 pounds,
0:23:22 > 0:23:23really, you need to be inside
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and you need about 600 square feet per plant.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27You need about a tonne and a half
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- of good muck.- Tonne and a half? - Something like that.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Do you actually hold a record yourself?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- We've probably got a record for the most expensive seed.- Really?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Don't let our wives and girlfriends know that!
0:23:38 > 0:23:40How much do you pay for the seed?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42They're going to find out!
0:23:42 > 0:23:43Go on, spill the beans!
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- 850 dollars.- 850 dollars.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- Bargain!- So what is it? What's the turn-on?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It's just a laugh, really. It's just good fun.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Now, you say it's a laugh, but I saw a bigger pumpkin this year.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- The British champion. Are you nervous?- No, not at all,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02because it's probably 50/50 whether we beat it or not.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04But it's a win/win situation for us,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06because it's one of our seeds that they grew.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07We still want to beat them.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Well, first they'll have to get it to the show,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12and that's quite a challenge in itself.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Last year's rope is too small, boys. We need a bigger rope.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17# I like to move it, move it
0:24:17 > 0:24:19# I like to move it, move it
0:24:19 > 0:24:21# I like to move it, move it
0:24:21 > 0:24:23# You like to move it... #
0:24:23 > 0:24:25To you a little bit...
0:24:31 > 0:24:33# I like to move it, move it
0:24:33 > 0:24:34# I like to move it, move it... #
0:24:34 > 0:24:38It arrives safely, and Frank and Mark check out the opposition.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Look at this!
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- That's a beauty, isn't it?- It is.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- Do you think this is competition? - I hope he's lighter than ours.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Come on, you two!
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Now then, did you hear that?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52So what's your retort to these two?
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Unlucky!
0:24:55 > 0:24:57What's that knocking sound - is that your knees?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- It looks heavy to me.- Yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Well, I think this is a case of
0:25:01 > 0:25:04let the best pumpkin win.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05Definitely.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The tension mounts as all the pumpkins go on the scales.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10The tiddlers are no threat.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13But remember, Frank and Mark's British champion
0:25:13 > 0:25:16is already confirmed at 1,341 pounds.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18So who's the king of the pumpkins?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20It's the moment of truth.
0:25:27 > 0:25:311,457 pounds!
0:25:31 > 0:25:36And do you know what? Since then, they've grown some even bigger ones.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Now, if you'd like to grow pumpkins,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40but think space might be a problem,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Monty Don has a few tricks up his sleeve for you.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Right.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53There's a decent hole.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Now, I've been wondering for the last few weeks
0:25:55 > 0:25:58on where I was going to grow my pumpkins and squashes.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03They've been sitting in a cold frame for about a month longer than I would have liked them to have done,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08because it's been too cold, and there's no point in putting out pumpkin or squash
0:26:08 > 0:26:10if the temperature is cold. They just won't grow.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12But now it's warming up, I can get them out.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15But I haven't got any room for them to spread,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and then suddenly I thought, "I know - I could grow them up."
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I then thought about some bean sticks I had.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24They're lovely bits of wood - these are chestnut -
0:26:24 > 0:26:26but they just feel wrong for beans.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29But perfect for growing a pumpkin or a squash up.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33So, I've put four in a bed over there,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and I'm going to put another four in this bed.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I've started by digging a pit,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39which I will fill with compost,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41because...
0:26:41 > 0:26:44pumpkins and squashes are very greedy plants.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Bit of soil over the top.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So that's in position.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55And then I'll put up the structure.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58And I've got a bar here, so...
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Make a hole for them.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Now, if you think about it,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09a pumpkin can be a very heavy thing.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13So this is no good for pumpkins or squashes bigger than, say, a football.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14But perfect for acorn squashes
0:27:14 > 0:27:17or butternuts
0:27:17 > 0:27:19or any of the Japanese squashes
0:27:19 > 0:27:21that come in all shapes and sizes.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Some of them are really quite small.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Nevertheless,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28the support does want to be robust and strong.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30So...
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I've sharpened a stake...
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and just drive it in the hole.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Now, that is really robust,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51which it will need to be, because with any luck,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55we'll have three, four, maybe even five good-sized squashes on there.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Right, let's go and get one to plant.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Now, this is a squash called Blue Ballet,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and I've never grown it before.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22But anything with a decorative skin,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25anything that looks good, I think, is a great virtue in a pumpkin or a squash,
0:28:25 > 0:28:30because in the end, although they're delicious to eat, they're very decorative plants too.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Now, I will tie these trailing stems
0:28:42 > 0:28:46up the tripod, so instead of spreading along the ground,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48all that growth is being channelled up.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51And with any luck,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53it'll rise up, respond to it,
0:28:53 > 0:28:54and flourish.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56And that way,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00I get to grow a really big, sprawling plant
0:29:00 > 0:29:02in quite a confined, small space.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05But I would say, if you're going to do this,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08make sure the support is really firm.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Because come October, there will be a lot of weight on there.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Now from things that grow to things that stop growth completely.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18According to our next presenter, that is.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20We're looking at front gardens,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22and the phenomenon that is our next P...
0:29:22 > 0:29:23for paving.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26There's just too much of it, says Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31To me, the front garden is in many ways quintessentially British.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43But lately, it's become a bit of an endangered species.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I've always loved the fact that the British front garden
0:29:47 > 0:29:49evolved its own horticultural lingo -
0:29:49 > 0:29:51roses, hanging baskets,
0:29:51 > 0:29:55hedges trimmed with zero-tolerance geometry,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and then for all of those suburban individualists out there,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01there's pampas grass and perhaps a concrete donkey
0:30:01 > 0:30:04with geraniums in its panniers.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08But these days, I'm afraid our suburbs are under threat -
0:30:08 > 0:30:11threatened beneath a tidal wave
0:30:11 > 0:30:13of hard standing.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Over the last few years, more and more of us are paving over our green front gardens
0:30:21 > 0:30:25to provide space for cars, or simply because we can't be bothered
0:30:25 > 0:30:29to invest the time that looking after a living garden requires.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Have you any idea how many of Britain's front gardens
0:30:32 > 0:30:36now lie entombed underneath concrete or crazy paving?
0:30:36 > 0:30:40A quarter. And in fact, hide your face in shame, the northeast,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43because up there, that percentage goes up to a half.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47It's going to have serious environmental consequences.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49In London, 12 square miles
0:30:49 > 0:30:52of British front garden no longer exists.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56That is the equivalent of 22 Hyde Parks.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Non-permeable surfaces such as concrete and solid paving
0:31:00 > 0:31:02also increase flooding.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06And they contribute to what experts call the heat island effect.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10The suburban front garden.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It celebrated people's liberation from gardenless living
0:31:13 > 0:31:17in the flat-fronted slums of the cities after the First World War.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23Front gardens were part of a move to mass-produce a golden-hued British idyll.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26The way that our streets look
0:31:26 > 0:31:28does affect how we feel about ourselves.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Don't forget - the front garden was a statement of pride,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36of pride in your home, pride in who you were,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38pride in your community.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42What a lovely front garden. Can I come in and join you?
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- Yes, of course you could.- Thank you.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47It's not all doom and gloom.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51There are still some of us who really love our front gardens.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55I think that this is, without doubt, the best front garden in the road.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Do you take a lot of pride in the garden? Is it about pride?
0:31:58 > 0:32:00It's also pride in the garden,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and I think, when you have a bit of pride,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05it's quite nice,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08because people admire it.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11So is it for the people as they walk by, is it for your neighbours,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14or do you look out on it and think, "Wow! That's good"?
0:32:14 > 0:32:16It's for myself,
0:32:16 > 0:32:17which is more important,
0:32:17 > 0:32:18and my wife
0:32:18 > 0:32:23and also, when your neighbours have a look at it, they admire it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27I reckon it's not going to be long before you have coach parties stopping outside,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and they're all going to get out, take photographs
0:32:30 > 0:32:33and start asking Mrs Henry for a cup of tea.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45But there's something curious about the British front garden
0:32:45 > 0:32:47that's always interested me.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And that is...why don't you sit in them?
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I mean, what is it? Is there some kind of unwritten law?
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Is it bad etiquette to hang out outside your own home?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I think it's because traditionally,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02the front garden did the same job as the front room.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04It was about a space to be posh in.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09Traditionally, it was for us to put on our horticultural telephone voice,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11to show the rest of the street
0:33:11 > 0:33:13what good taste we had.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15And do you know what?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17I rather miss that.
0:33:17 > 0:33:18Why have a car park
0:33:18 > 0:33:21when you can have an outdoor front room, like this?
0:33:25 > 0:33:28But if you really don't have another place to park your car,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30why not add a few flowerpots to your driveway?
0:33:30 > 0:33:34If you do, you could fill them with our next pick -
0:33:34 > 0:33:36a flower that is just downright beautiful.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38P is for peonies
0:33:38 > 0:33:41and we're visiting a garden in Shropshire
0:33:41 > 0:33:43to see them at their very best.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Peonies go back generations.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52They were grown in monasteries for medicinal purposes,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56but these were the cottage peony that everyone will have seen.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59In the 19th century, the French took them on board
0:33:59 > 0:34:01and decided to start breeding them,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03so they developed them from a very simple plant
0:34:03 > 0:34:06into this glorious array we have today.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09They are just so over-the-top.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11They're so big and blowzy
0:34:11 > 0:34:12and beautiful.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22This is Largo. It's a Japanese peony,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25but it actually demonstrates how variable peonies can be.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Those are the outer guard petals.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29And these are
0:34:29 > 0:34:32the creamy petaloids.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35But it also, in some cases, has these inner petals,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38which don't occur in every plant,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41but they just add a different dimension
0:34:41 > 0:34:44to the overall blowzy floweriness of the plant.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48It's a most magnificent specimen for just focusing
0:34:48 > 0:34:50your attention in a border.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59A lot of people do tend to ask what is the difference
0:34:59 > 0:35:01between a tree peony and a herbaceous peony.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Tree peonies are essentially woody or shrubby peonies.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08And we have this wonderful upper growth,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10and then when you look underneath,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12you get a woody stem
0:35:12 > 0:35:15with new growth on the top.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17The woody stem doesn't die back in the winter,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19and that is simply the difference.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22When it comes to looking after all types of peony,
0:35:22 > 0:35:23there is no difference.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25They all need very well-drained soil.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28They like full sun, but can grow in semi-shade,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31as long as they have water in the spring
0:35:31 > 0:35:33to form the buds.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36They really can be left for 100 years and abandoned.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39They are very long-lived and very easy to grow once established.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49This is Laura Dessert.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51It's more traditional in style.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56It's a double, but again it has the white guard petals,
0:35:56 > 0:35:57much more papery,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01and the inner petaloids form a beautiful dome,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04which at first are incredibly yellow
0:36:04 > 0:36:08and then gradually fade to almost white.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11It's much smaller than the more modern ones
0:36:11 > 0:36:12and it's incredibly scented.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16It's long been thought that peonies are difficult to move.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17Rubbish!
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I have moved hundreds, if not thousands, of peonies
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and we have had absolutely no problem
0:36:23 > 0:36:25with them establishing themselves.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27They can take three years to flower,
0:36:27 > 0:36:28perhaps a little bit more,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30but you've got to plant them at the right depth,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and this is the most important thing with moving peonies.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36With a herbaceous peony,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39you must not plant them deeper than an inch below the soil.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42If you plant them any deeper, they can fail to flower.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Tree peonies need to be planted deeper,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47because they are most often grafted,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50and to form their own roots, they need deeper planting.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I always think, with these big, glamorous plants,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03whether it's a peony or an iris,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05that you wouldn't want them all year round.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07It'd be sort of...
0:37:07 > 0:37:09They'd become vulgar.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10You'd say, "Oh, it's another peony."
0:37:10 > 0:37:14So I love the fact that they have this burst of glory,
0:37:14 > 0:37:15a bit like a ballgown.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17You don't wear your ballgown all year.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19You just have it for that one great event,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21and that's what peonies are about.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Finally, one of the most beautiful and popular wild flowers
0:37:33 > 0:37:36that comes into its own in the summer months.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38This P is for poppies.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Here's Carol Klein.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44One family at its exuberant best right now
0:37:44 > 0:37:46is the poppy family -
0:37:46 > 0:37:47Papaveraceae.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Now, you don't need a great big space like this to grow
0:37:50 > 0:37:52a few of these field poppies,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Papaver rhoeas, in your garden.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Any little sunny corner will do.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59Sprinkle a few seeds,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02and up they'll come, year after year.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04These are poppies as nature intended them,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07but there are plenty of other poppies
0:38:07 > 0:38:10that have been cultivated and selected
0:38:10 > 0:38:12just for our indulgence.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Papaver orientale, or oriental poppies,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23with their big, blowzy blooms
0:38:23 > 0:38:26are familiar to most gardeners.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29They come in all sorts of colours and sizes,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32from pale and pretty to searing red.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35They exhibit many family characteristics,
0:38:35 > 0:38:40particularly apparent in their conspicuous flowers.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43They're as thin as silk and exotically coloured.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51If you garden in the shade,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54especially if you garden in one of the damper parts of the country,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58then you might well succeed with Meconopsis betonicifolia.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01This is a poppy from the high Himalayas,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04where it grows out on the hillsides,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06but is under constant cloud cover.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09So if you can emulate those conditions,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11you might have success with this.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Meconopsis "Slieve Donard"
0:39:12 > 0:39:16shares the characteristics of most members of the poppy family.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21Its petals seem almost composed of tissue paper.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25And they open in quick succession
0:39:25 > 0:39:26from bristly buds.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31And though they fall in just a short time to the ground below,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34whilst they're there, they're like nothing else.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38From the mountains of Afghanistan
0:39:38 > 0:39:42comes the most economically important part of the family.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Papaver somniferum.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47It's the source of morphine
0:39:47 > 0:39:48and opium,
0:39:48 > 0:39:53hence its Latin name - "somniferum" meaning "sleep-inducing".
0:39:54 > 0:39:56If you've got it in your garden,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58you won't have it in ones or twos,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00because it throws itself around.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Like this glorious frou-frou double,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08as pink and pretty as a ballerina's tutu.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13At first sight, this looks nothing like a poppy,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16but it is in the same family.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18It's Corydalis flexuosa,
0:40:18 > 0:40:23and it comes from wooded valleys in the centre of China.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26It loves the sort of conditions it gets there -
0:40:26 > 0:40:29damp, moist shade.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And if you're growing it in your garden,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33make sure that it doesn't dry out,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35because that will mean it keeps flowering
0:40:35 > 0:40:37right the way through the summer.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Easy to increase too from the base -
0:40:40 > 0:40:45you can move it around and soon have a beautiful drift of blue.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50But if red's your colour, your garden's sunny
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and you want a bit of instant drama,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55then how about Papaver commutatum,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57the ladybird poppy?
0:40:57 > 0:40:59It's from the Caucasus,
0:40:59 > 0:41:04but it brings to mind our ubiquitous field poppy.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07From ancient Egypt to Flanders fields,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10that poppy has come to signify rebirth,
0:41:10 > 0:41:15regenerating as it does year on year.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18But wherever you garden and whatever the conditions there,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20poppies are such a wondrous family,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23there's bound to be a poppy
0:41:23 > 0:41:24that not just suits you,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26but thrills you.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33But usually with poppies, it's the red ones we think of,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35and here's a film from 1999
0:41:35 > 0:41:39that explores the symbolism of the poppy.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48A rare sight now - a field of poppies.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Farming has changed its fortunes.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59A beautiful, silk-like flower,
0:41:59 > 0:42:03warming the wind, like a blown ruby.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09The daughters of the field
0:42:09 > 0:42:12that so magically appeared when land was ploughed.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Superstition once held that the picking of poppies
0:42:26 > 0:42:30would cause thunderstorms at an edgy time of year.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35The irony, then, of the explosion of poppies that appeared on the Somme
0:42:35 > 0:42:38just months after the carnage of 1916.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It is now the most poignant symbol of memory and war that we have.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Sad that modern agriculture has all but wiped out
0:42:56 > 0:42:59the splendour of fields full of poppies.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12And with that, we've reached the end of today's show.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Until the next A To Z Of TV Gardening, goodbye.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd