0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello and welcome to the A-Z Of TV Gardening,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06where we sift through all your favourite gardening programmes
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and dig up a bumper crop of tips and advice
0:00:09 > 0:00:12from 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 all coming up a treat on the A-Z Of TV Gardening.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Everything we're looking at today begins with the letter B.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Here's what's coming up.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Carol Klein on the best way to plant brassicas.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50When you put a seed into its own special container,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54its own private home, you give it a flying start.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Mike Dilger finds out
0:00:56 > 0:00:59what the birds in your garden prefer to eat.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03On the menu are seeds, nuts and worms.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Ha-ha-ha!
0:01:06 > 0:01:08A gardener's nightmare -
0:01:08 > 0:01:12how Alice Fowler overcame losing most of her crop to hail.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16No. It's not, Iz.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20It's not typical weather, and it's not fair.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The berry on everyone's tip of the tongue...
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- Blueberry.- Blueberry. - Blueberries, yeah.- Blueberries.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- Blueberry.- Blueberry, of course!
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And Matt Baker is topping up on some beetroot wine.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It's lovely. That goes down very well.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You could easily drink a large quantity of that,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43without thinking about it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Just some of the treats we have in store.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51We start with a unique show of colour from a native flower,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54that usually arrives in April, after a burst of sunshine
0:01:54 > 0:01:56followed by showers.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Our first B is for bluebells
0:01:59 > 0:02:03and Mike Dilger has found one of the best displays in the country.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06There are lots of wildlife spectacles
0:02:06 > 0:02:08which we share with other countries,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11but there's one that is uniquely British.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's a spectacle that's on a scale and grandeur you will see
0:02:15 > 0:02:17nowhere else in the world.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I'm with Fraser Bradbury from the Forestry Commission.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22- Fraser, shall we show them? - I think we should.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Have a look at this.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29# Slow-ow, slow-ow me down
0:02:31 > 0:02:39# Slow-ow, slow-ow me down... #
0:02:39 > 0:02:42This is West Woods, near Marlborough in Wiltshire,
0:02:42 > 0:02:47repeatedly one of the very best bluebell bonanzas.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49There are bluebells for as far as the eye can see.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Front, left, back, forward - it is 100% blue, Fraser.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53You must be very proud.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I am very proud. It's a sea of blue and it's here
0:02:56 > 0:03:00because we manage these woodlands sympathetically for the bluebells.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- How many?- How many bluebells? I'm only halfway through counting.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I would say kind of, probably more than millions,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10we might be approaching billions.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13We've got maybe 300 hectares of bluebells here,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15so it's quite a large site.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It's one of those things, it's over so fleetingly, really.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22The great thing about West Woods is you can get different times
0:03:22 > 0:03:24when you come in, different aspects,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27so the bluebells are out in one area and won't be quite out in another,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30so you can walk through this wood and see bluebells beginning of May,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32middle of May, end of May.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Some liken this spectacle to a cathedral,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43with a wonderful carpet of flowers below.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Certainly visitors who come from near and far,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51are awed by the dazzling display.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Absolutely gobsmacking.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I came here with the Ramblers Association in Bath,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03about five years ago and ever since, I have been bringing friends back
0:04:03 > 0:04:06to show them, because everybody has their favourite bluebell wood,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09but I don't think anything matches this place.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14Never been before, but came because it was recommended. It's brilliant.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17This so expresses the English countryside for me
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and English woods, personally.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I love England, and bluebells are especially beautiful.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Although you shouldn't pick wildflowers,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I've been given special permission to pick one bluebell
0:04:29 > 0:04:34by the landowner to show you their amazing bulbs.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35If I have a look at it here
0:04:35 > 0:04:39and give it a good old squidge - urgh!
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Look how sticky it is.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44And this substance has been used down the generations
0:04:44 > 0:04:49for helping bind books, but they found this material also prevented
0:04:49 > 0:04:53the books from actually being eaten by things like moths
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and silverfish, because of its toxic properties.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Really amazing, isn't it? Look at that!
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Because it's poisonous,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08most foraging woodland animals wisely leave the bluebells alone.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16But there is one potentially serious threat - a foreign lookalike.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Don't these bluebells look gorgeous?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Well, they're not as lovely as they might seem,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29because they're imports from the continent and the problem is,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32they like mixing it with our native bluebells.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37I'm meeting Mark Spencer, who works for the Natural History Museum.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Isn't this the loveliest spot to sit? - Absolutely fabulous.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I mean, where else, indeed, nowhere else in the world,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46can you really come and see this kind of spectacle.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Particularly when you get low, you get the most incredible,
0:05:50 > 0:05:51vivid blue colour the whole way round.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It is stunning, a completely unique thing.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57The British landscape has really got something to go, "Wahey,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00"this is ours, it is British, and we love it."
0:06:00 > 0:06:01Is it likely to last?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04What is the problem with this Spanish invader?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Well, we need to find out, is there a problem?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11There have been concerns raised by conservationists, gardeners
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and whole parts of the British Society, that there may be
0:06:14 > 0:06:18a threat from the so-called Spanish bluebell, which is a plant
0:06:18 > 0:06:21which has been grown in British gardens for about 300 years.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But, increasingly, there are signs that it's moving out of gardens,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27partly as a throw out from people throwing away excess bulbs,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30sometimes it may be because it's just naturally seeding
0:06:30 > 0:06:34into the local environment, and people are concerned that
0:06:34 > 0:06:37it's hybridising with the native plant and this hybridisation
0:06:37 > 0:06:39may well affect the ability of our native plant
0:06:39 > 0:06:41to survive into the future.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45So, Mark, what is the difference between our native bluebells,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48which I have here, and the Spanish conquistadors which you have?
0:06:48 > 0:06:53The British plant has, classically, got a rather Gothic arch just here,
0:06:53 > 0:06:54on the flower spike.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56This one's wilting a bit, but the flower spike
0:06:56 > 0:06:59on the Spanish and hybrid tends to be more upright.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05The native plant, also, each individual flower is tubular,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08straight-sided, the petals.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Whereas the Spanish are much more wide and opened out.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Leaf width is also a really useful feature.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20You can see here, straight away, that this leaf is much wider than the native plant,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and also it tends to be a much more vigorous plant.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Often you find that these really are quite large,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28compared to these plants here.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But, rest assured, here at West Woods
0:07:32 > 0:07:35the British bluebell rules supreme.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Wasn't that beautiful? Thanks, Mike.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Now, every budding gardener should know the best way to prepare
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and plant our next B, which is for bulbs.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51So, let's join Monty Don for a look at all the basics.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The soil here in the nectar bar is surprisingly dry.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00When you think how wet summer was,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02you still think of the garden as sodden.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Here at Berryfields we're not - it's drying out fast.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I am just loosening it up, because I want to start bulb planting.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13It's something that, for spring bulbs at least, needs to take place in autumn,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and any time from now right until November for tulips is fine.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21But I'm going to start the process with camasses.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Now camasses have got wonderful racemes of flowers.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27They look like, in many ways, a great big scilla,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29but they grow about three foot tall.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Dramatic flowers in late spring, round about Whitsun, early June,
0:08:34 > 0:08:39same time as alliums, but plant them now because they do start growing in autumn.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44And you can see, they're a fairly big bulb, and when you're planting a bulb of any size,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48a good rule of thumb is to plant it twice its own depth.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53If you say that's its depth, you need twice that amount above it,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55so you're really looking at quite a deep hole,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and that way it'll last much longer,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02although in the first year it'll flower even if you just pushed it into the soil.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05These come from North America, from damp meadows,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08so they're great for fairly damp areas, like here around the pond,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09or in a normal border,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12because the rich soil will give them enough moisture.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17If you're buying these, they'll cost you about £1.50 each.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21That's really quite a lot of money to pay for a bulb, so look carefully.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Feel them, give them a squeeze - if they're not firm, don't buy them.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And when you have bought them, get them in the ground quickly.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30They're growing already, they may not look it,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34but they will only deteriorate, so don't leave them lying around in a shed.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Let's get these in the ground.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39A trowel will do fine, I've got my little object here
0:09:39 > 0:09:41which I got from India, which is great,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and that's good at making a hole,
0:09:43 > 0:09:49but if you're planting a lot, it's worth investing in a bulb planter.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53But what I would say is don't waste your money by buying something flimsy.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I've broken more of these than I care to recount
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and I finally ended up getting a really robust one,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01good, strong handle that can be replaced
0:10:01 > 0:10:07and a really well-made metal cutter, and you can sink that in the ground.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11And at this time of year, the ground can be hard, so it takes some effort,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13pull it out and you have a ready-made hole
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and the plug of soil that goes back on it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20But I also use this thing here. It's a giant dibber.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I bought it in a farm sale about 20 years ago, couldn't resist it
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and it's just a shaped piece of wood, a blunt end,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31a hole drilled through with a metal bar, and you use that
0:10:31 > 0:10:34for stamping on and giving your depth of planting.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37If you're planting hundreds on bulbs, believe you me,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40it makes life a lot easier.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42So, nice deep hole, pop it in,
0:10:42 > 0:10:47making sure, of course, that the roots are at the bottom,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51pointy end at the top, and just pop it in the ground like that.
0:10:51 > 0:10:57And I'll put a cluster of about four or five in here together.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01You don't need to worry too much about spacing with bulbs.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06They will grow well when planted nice and tight with each other.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11That can go in there, and then one more behind them.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18See, that soil is like rock underneath.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23And we'll plant that bulb there.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31I've put in North American bulbs into the nectar bar,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33but over here by the water's edge
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I'm going to plant a very British bulb.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40This is a native, loves damp meadows
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and looks pretty insignificant, it looks like a little chickpea, doesn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46But, actually, that will grow into one of my favourite bulbs of all -
0:11:46 > 0:11:49it's a snake's head fritillary.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53It grows about nine inches tall with a curved bell
0:11:53 > 0:11:57of chequered flower, a wonderful, smudgy chequerboard,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01of purples and mauves and dark chocolates.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Really exquisite, and that will flower in April.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06I'll plant that now.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Exactly the same sort of technique - a nice deep hole,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but here, it's pretty moist by the water's edge.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I'm just using a blade and not worrying too much
0:12:15 > 0:12:19about the upside-downside bit, just pushing it in.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25And the plan is to make a drift of them, so you get this sweep of bulbs
0:12:25 > 0:12:29and they will seed themselves in the grass.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35So, if we just get them established, we shouldn't need to plant too many more.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36And what they love is winter wet.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41You can see that soil is pretty wet now, because it's been flooded.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And it doesn't matter if they sit actually underwater,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48for a few weeks, even, in winter.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52By the same token, it doesn't matter if it's pretty dry in summer,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55because as long as it's wet enough for the grass to grow in summer
0:12:55 > 0:12:59then it's wet enough for the bulbs while they're dormant.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You just don't want to dry out completely.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04A lot of people often ask me about grass management.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The bulbs will look after themselves, but when do you cut the grass?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It's dead simple. Just think of it like a hay meadow.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17Leave it alone from mid-February, through to the end of June.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20If you do that, you give the fritillaries a chance to grow,
0:13:20 > 0:13:26and then set seed, and then you can cut the grass, rake it all up
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and keep it cut right into autumn
0:13:28 > 0:13:30without damaging the bulbs or next year's flowers.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Still to come, birds, berries and how to garden on a budget.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44But before then, let's move on from flowers and onto our next B,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45for brassicas.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50It's the name covering a whole host of glorious garden vegetables,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55and Carol Klein and Harry Wardle know just how to plant and protect them.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Brussel sprouts and kale see you through the winter months.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Early spring cabbage picks up the baton, followed by caulies,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05calabrese, broccoli and swede.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Brassicas really are veg for all seasons.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I grow most of my vegetable seeds directly into the soil.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27But there are some things that I love to start off in modules or pots.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31When you put a seed into its own special container,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35its own private home, you give it a flying start.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It can germinate and grow to be a little plant
0:14:38 > 0:14:39without any interruption at all.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43It doesn't have to bother about the weather, about weeds,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46it's under your control until you put it out.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53I always use a loam-based compost, but add grit to it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58This is some local stuff. It's really sharp
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and it helps the drainage immensely.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Seedlings don't like sitting around in water.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09If you want your baby plant to get quite big before you put it outside,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11then use something that's deeper.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15If you want to grow prize parsnips, you'd use really deep pots.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17You want the compost to be firm.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So that's ready to grow, now.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37One way to sow brassica seeds is in modules or trays.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44All brassica seed looks the same, be it cauliflower or swede.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48So one seed per module and water in.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50They'll germinate in eight to ten days
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and be ready to pot on or plant out in six to eight weeks.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59By growing your seedlings this way, they develop a healthy,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02established root system before they come into contact
0:16:02 > 0:16:05with the outside soil, which can be infected
0:16:05 > 0:16:11with a particularly brutal disease that attacks brassicas called club root.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18This is club root. Once it's in your soil, it's very hard to get rid of.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21A healthy root system should be white and fibrous.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Club root causes roots to swell,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26starving the plant of nutrients and water.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Leaves wilt and plants rarely produce anything worth eating.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Harry Wardle is a remarkable gardener
0:16:37 > 0:16:43and he's grown veg on his allotment near Manchester for over 25 years.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Despite numerous outbreaks of club root on the site,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Harry is determined to grow healthy greens.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51What a clever boy.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Good lad.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Good boy.
0:16:57 > 0:17:05'With the allotment site being under use non-stop since the 1930's,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'we have got club root build up.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13'Once you've got club root, you've got it for at least 20 years.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'It's really a slime mould.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'And there's only lime and perseverance, really,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22'that will cure it.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:28'My sight started deteriorating at the age of 18.'
0:17:30 > 0:17:35'And it turned out I was probably 36 when I lost my sight completely.'
0:17:42 > 0:17:48This is home-made compost, well riddled out.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53Now what I do, I sprinkle lime on to the compost,
0:17:53 > 0:17:59and also a handful of blood...
0:18:00 > 0:18:02..fish and bone.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06I add egg shells from home,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09which is extra calcium, a few of those in,
0:18:09 > 0:18:14mix it like a good pudding mix, mix it well together...
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'Working on 100 by 30 foot plot,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'if I were sighted it's a bit overpowering,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'but in my case all I work on is the little bit in front of me.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33'All the rest of it, it's all in the mind.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42'I always now dig rather a large hole and put my own mixture in,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'so the roots get well developed
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'before they will even meet the outside soil,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'so, with a bit of luck, they get a decent brassica
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'before club root strikes.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I know the distance between the plants,
0:18:59 > 0:19:05that anything that grows between shouldn't be there,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and obviously it's a weed and it comes up.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48The proof is in the pulling.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50STRAINED HEAVING
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Oh, beautiful! Right, I feel that now.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57That's the compost I put in, a lot of it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00See how it's lovely stuff, it breaks away?
0:20:00 > 0:20:05Fibrous roots, not a sign of club root at all.
0:20:05 > 0:20:12This cabbage is called Kilaxy and it's supposed to be club root resistant.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Whether it's a combination of what I've done
0:20:15 > 0:20:17and their breeding, I don't know,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but to me that's a beautiful root system.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Lovely, lovely.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Right, I would say that'll make a good dinner for two. Wonderful.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42All this whitefly that we suffer with
0:20:42 > 0:20:45can tend to live amongst all the debris,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48so what you do, really, is restrict them, to a degree.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Actually, blindness has its advantage - at least I can't see
0:20:51 > 0:20:54all these lot flying about, but I'm sure they're there.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'My interest in gardening, my love of gardening,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'goes back to a very, very early age
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'and even at my secondary modern school,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07'we used to have huge amounts of land
0:21:07 > 0:21:10'and we used to grow a lot of our own vegetables, really,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12'then, to eat at school dinners.'
0:21:24 > 0:21:25Good lad.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Yes, we know! We know!
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'People tend to dramatise
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'the freshness of veg and fruit
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'but I honestly believe it's not until
0:21:39 > 0:21:44'you actually taste something that has just been lifted out of the soil
0:21:44 > 0:21:51'and not stuck on a shelf for weeks and weeks that you do appreciate.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55'Colour, no, obviously, but the taste does mean an awful lot.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Now forward. Good boy.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Thanks, Harry. From brassicas we move on to our next subject.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13We're joining Alys Fowler this time
0:22:13 > 0:22:18as she looks at another vegetable - from planting it to eating it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20This B is for beetroot.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25It's April, and as well as my potatoes,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I've been sowing a range of vegetable seeds in trays.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31These are beetroot, and the great thing about beetroot is,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33there's no part you can't eat.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35It's a tough, corky little seed, though,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38so when you've placed it on the surface of the soil,
0:22:38 > 0:22:39you need to press it in gently
0:22:39 > 0:22:41to stop it floating away when you water.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Do that, and you'll have tiny shoots within a fortnight.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It germinates at fairly low-temperatures, it'll germinate
0:22:49 > 0:22:51at about eight degrees Celsius,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53so at this time of year it should be super-fast.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's been a busy time sowing seeds and planting out my first real crops,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and things were looking good.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03THUNDER RUMBLES
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Until the hailstones arrived.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Well, the hail has pretty much just destroyed all my work.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17And it looks like, thanks to the hail,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I'm not going to be eating anything until well into June.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24No, it's not, Iz.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27It's not typical weather and it's not fair.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Right, I say we all go in
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and have a cup of tea.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49But the trick to successful vegetable growing is to always have a back-up.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I've been growing extra seedlings on my windowsill,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and so three weeks after the hail I have a new batch to plant out.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01A way of making my edible garden look as good as it tastes
0:24:01 > 0:24:04is to plant my borders in drifts of colour and texture,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and that's exactly what I'm going to do with my beetroot.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12It's very easy to grow beetroot in modules.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Now, you quite often get clusters of them
0:24:15 > 0:24:19because the seed is actually a cluster of seeds,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23so I'll have to thin those out later on, but for now...
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I can just...
0:24:26 > 0:24:28..pop them in.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'Yes, the time will come when I will have to be brutal
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'because a cluster of seedlings huddled together in the soil
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'will eventually strangle each other
0:24:36 > 0:24:37'so I will have to take control,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41'thinning them out by pulling out and discarding the weaker shoots
0:24:41 > 0:24:44'to allow the strongest room to survive and thrive.'
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'I'm planting all my young vegetables in generous quantities of compost
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'because most soils, including mine, lack some nutrients.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58'It's a bit like packing your kids off to school with a lunchbox,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00'a ready-made meal giving them energy to grow.'
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I'm starting to harvest my beetroot in earnest now,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13which means I can make one of my favourite summer dishes,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16which is a cold Polish soup called chlodnik.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Now, you need to use baby beets and all their leaf,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and these are perfect.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25My little drift has worked out...
0:25:27 > 0:25:28..superbly.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'All the other ingredients I need are also growing in the garden.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36'I'm using two herbs - dill and French tarragon.'
0:25:42 > 0:25:45We don't nick it. Give it back!
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Every bit of the beetroot is cooked, including the leaves,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and once it's all softened, it's liquidised to a thick, soupy texture.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02The rest of my home-grown ingredients include radishes,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05cucumbers, Japanese bunching onions
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and some sorrel leaves.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11And once it's cool stir in a carton of yoghurt.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Well, I can't claim to the yoghurt, but apart from that this is my soup.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21I grew it from my garden.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24And now I'm going to eat it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Even the garnish was freshly laid this morning.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Whilst the bread is still warm.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53SHE LAUGHS
0:26:53 > 0:26:55You're rubbish at that trick!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Brilliant. Planting tips and a soup recipe.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04But it's not just food beetroot can be used for,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06as Matt Baker finds out.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14The dramatic sweep of the North Pennines belies a gentle side.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Away from its craggy hills and exposed moors,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21one locally-grown crop is used to produce something rather unusual.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Over here, they're making wine.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Not from grapes but from this - beetroot.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And it's provided a welcome new market
0:27:33 > 0:27:35for beetroot grower Neil Hodgson.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42It's been on the decline, but maybe this beetroot wine might...
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- Boost the sales.- Yeah, revive them.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Have you tried this wine, then?
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- No, I haven't.- Why not? - I'd have a go, but...
0:27:48 > 0:27:52"I'd have a go!" As if it's some kind of challenge!
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- OK, while I'm here, I'll give you a hand picking some.- Good idea.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57How many kilos have you got so far this week?
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- If this is the beginning... - This is the start.- Oh, right!
0:28:01 > 0:28:02Look at that one.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03That's a beauty.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07'Just a couple more,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11'then I'm taking these over to a man who makes wine from fruit and veg.'
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I've got a delivery of Neil's wine-making beetroot for you.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Oh, that's great.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20First thing we have to do
0:28:20 > 0:28:23is to wash them thoroughly, get all the soil off.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Right, so we can't use these, then.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- So we can't use those, but we have some that we did earlier.- Excellent.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And these now go into the mill to be chopped.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36MACHINE HUMS
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- Straight in?- Straight in.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39Oh, wow!
0:28:39 > 0:28:42It's a powerful machine, this!
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Yes, it chops very finely.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Right, and how long does this process take, then,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49to make a bottle of beetroot wine?
0:28:49 > 0:28:52It takes about a month fermenting,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and then about a month settling.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58And how many beetroot in one bottle of wine?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Probably about two or three beetroots.- OK.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Just one more for luck.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08There we go.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Right. Come this way.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Pour the beetroot in here.- OK.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Splashes everywhere, doesn't it?
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- Yes.- Is that all right? - Don't want it on your clothes.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Why did you think about making beetroot wine?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Well, we realised from our own veg patch
0:29:29 > 0:29:32that beetroot grows easily up here, so we thought,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35"Why not? It has a great colour, let's do something with it."
0:29:36 > 0:29:39But does it taste as good as it looks?
0:29:41 > 0:29:45It's lovely. That goes down very well. You could easily drink...
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- And especially warmed up. - ..a large quantity of that.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I'm thinking about it! That's lovely, actually.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Who would've thought that your beetroot, sugar, yeast and patience
0:29:58 > 0:29:59could be turned into wine?
0:29:59 > 0:30:03And saving pennies is exactly what we're discussing next.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Because B is for budget gardening,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and let's find some inspiration with Andy Sturgeon
0:30:09 > 0:30:11as we visit the Chelsea Flower Show.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20There are several great ideas in the Future Nature Garden.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23This path is made from recycled roofing slates put on edge
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and it gives it this fantastic texture.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31And this bench is just made from old roof joists.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35You could drag these out of a skip and it wouldn't cost you a penny.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40The whole garden is covered in this crushed builders' rubble and brick.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43It's got a little bit of compost mixed into it,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45so the plants here, which like free-draining conditions,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49are planted straight into it - there isn't even any soil underneath,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51but it's automatically a very attractive mulch.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Here's a neat idea that won't cost a penny
0:30:57 > 0:30:59because it quite literally grows on trees.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02These twigs have been stacked up inside the box
0:31:02 > 0:31:03to attract beneficial insects.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06It's a good idea, and it looks great.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09The boundaries of your garden are very important
0:31:09 > 0:31:11but they can cost a fortune.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Here's a really good way to deal with them in the 1984 garden.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16This is simply just stacked logs.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21And this is just a rough old concrete wall which has been painted
0:31:21 > 0:31:23and it's really cheered it up.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25And if you've got a bit of imagination and a few
0:31:25 > 0:31:29leftover tins of paint, you can even create your own free artwork.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35In the Eco Chic garden, which won the Urban Gardens' Best In Show,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37there's a simple idea here.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Fencing can be very expensive,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41but these are just ordinary scaffolding boards
0:31:41 > 0:31:45so it's a very cheap way to make something very sophisticated.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50How about this? James May's smarter than he looks
0:31:50 > 0:31:53because if you make your plants and flowers out of Plasticine
0:31:53 > 0:31:55if you get bored with them after a while
0:31:55 > 0:31:57you can roll them up and start again.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01This courtyard garden, Fenland Alchemist,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03also won Best In Show in its category,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and there are some great ideas here to save money,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09so it proves that you don't have to invest a lot of cash
0:32:09 > 0:32:11to make an outstanding garden.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14This thing I'm sitting on here - this is an old water tank from a loft
0:32:14 > 0:32:17cos these things are often redundant now with modern boilers,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19so there are a lot of them knocking around.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22And on the flooring here there's some old stone crazy paving,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25which you can pick up for just a few pounds.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Crazy paving isn't particularly fashionable at the moment,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31but it's all about how you use it because it looks great here,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35and you can save money by looking at things with fresh eyes.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I don't think there's a garden in the country
0:32:37 > 0:32:40that doesn't have at least a few bricks lying around in it,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and in this garden, Pottering In Cumbria,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44they've created this wonderful path
0:32:44 > 0:32:48out of bricks that don't even have to match and it still looks wonderful.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50It's simple but effective.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53So there you go.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Even amongst all the ostentation here in the heart of Chelsea,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00it shows there are still plenty of achievable, affordable
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and realistic ideas for your garden
0:33:02 > 0:33:06and it proves that good design doesn't have to break the bank.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Thanks, Andy.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Coming up later, B is for birds
0:33:12 > 0:33:15and Mike Dilger finds out what they prefer to eat.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19On the menu are seeds, nuts and worms.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Ha-ha-ha!
0:33:21 > 0:33:24But let's look at another type of food first
0:33:24 > 0:33:27because our next B is for berries.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31In botanical terms, a berry is a fruit with seeds.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36Rachel de Thame looks at one type that is proving very popular indeed.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Superfoods.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Well, the name is now so familiar
0:33:40 > 0:33:42that it is in the Oxford English dictionary.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46And it says, "A food considered especially nutritious
0:33:46 > 0:33:49"or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being."
0:33:49 > 0:33:53And certainly if you ask most people nowadays to name a superfood,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56there's one thing they'd pretty much be guaranteed to say.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57- Blueberry.- Blueberry.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- Blueberries, yeah.- Blueberries. - Blueberries?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03- Blueberry.- Blueberry, of course!
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Yes, the blueberry is on the tip of the tongue
0:34:07 > 0:34:09when it comes to superfoods
0:34:09 > 0:34:11and because of the recent popularity of blueberries,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14more and more gardeners are growing them
0:34:14 > 0:34:15and they're not difficult to grow.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Like rhododendrons and camellias,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21they prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4 to 5.5.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24If your soil isn't acidic, don't worry
0:34:24 > 0:34:26because blueberries grow very well in pots.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Choose a large pot and line the bottom with crocks,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and then a layer of lime-free gravel
0:34:33 > 0:34:35and fill the pot with ericaceous compost.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Blueberries are bog-loving plants. They need to be kept moist,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41so I'm adding some water-retaining granules.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44The tip here is to add water to the granules
0:34:44 > 0:34:46before you add it to the compost.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49To help keep the moisture in, add a good layer of mulch.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54Water with rainwater as the lime in tap water can dilute the acidity.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Then leave your blueberries in direct sun or light shade.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Oh, and you really should grow more than one plant
0:34:59 > 0:35:02of different varieties for a really good crop.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08It's fascinating what other fruit botanists class as a berry.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Tomatoes, watermelons and, amazingly, even bananas
0:35:11 > 0:35:14are all berries because they have seeds.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And staying on the subject, Rachel went to visit a blackcurrant farm
0:35:18 > 0:35:20to find out their planting secrets.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Edward Keene, a farmer from Gloucestershire,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26seems to have had them in his blood from the day he was born.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Well, I'm the third generation grower of blackcurrants.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35My father and his father started in the 1950s.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I'm not sure people ever did go off blackcurrants,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41but I think they have been forgotten
0:35:41 > 0:35:45and they are certainly becoming more popular as the health benefits,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49the vitamin C that they have and the large amounts of antioxidants
0:35:49 > 0:35:53that are contained within a berry become more widely known.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Our main market would be the drinks market
0:35:55 > 0:35:57and it all goes towards making cordial.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02'I've calculated that we're growing about 510,000 bushes on our farm'
0:36:02 > 0:36:05and I believe that they will make
0:36:05 > 0:36:08around about 25,500,000 bottles and cartons of cordial.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11The more traditional varieties of blackcurrants
0:36:11 > 0:36:15would have required a large amount of cold weather during the winter
0:36:15 > 0:36:17in order to put the bushes into dormancy.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23The newer varieties have actually been bred so that they don't require
0:36:23 > 0:36:27so many hours of winter chill during the winter time.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29They still require cold, but not to the extent
0:36:29 > 0:36:33that the older, more traditional varieties would have once required.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34We're growing six varieties here.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36They're all prefixed with the name Ben
0:36:36 > 0:36:38because they were developed in Scotland
0:36:38 > 0:36:40by the Scottish Crop Research Institute.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I would recommend one for the garden is Ben Hope,
0:36:43 > 0:36:47which has been developed specifically for pest and disease resistance
0:36:47 > 0:36:49and also produces a very good quality fruit.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51I shouldn't really be telling you this,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55but to establish a blackcurrant in the earth's actually very simple.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59You take a piece of maiden wood in the winter,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02it obviously hasn't got any leaves on it then,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06these are the buds from where the branch will reshoot next year
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and we simply push them into the ground.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13After the first year, we will cut the bush down to the ground.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15The second year, branches will regrow
0:37:15 > 0:37:19and in the third year, you'll have enough berries to make a pot of jam.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Providing you remove one or two branches each year
0:37:22 > 0:37:25from the middle of the bush, the older branches,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27keep an airflow through the bush,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30problems with botrytis and other diseases
0:37:30 > 0:37:32will not be a problem for you.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34In your garden, if you pick them,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37you've probably got about 24 hours before you have to deal with them,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40so you either need to eat them there and then, preserve them
0:37:40 > 0:37:43or pop them in your freezer for dealing with on another date.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45We know when the fruit is ready for harvest -
0:37:45 > 0:37:48we first of all look to see that all the berries are black.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53Secondly, we look to see if they actually come away from the sprigs.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54And finally...
0:37:55 > 0:37:57You taste them, and if they...
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Actually, that tastes not bad at all. That's good.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I'm not qualified to say what is a superfood and what isn't,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05but all I know is that they're full of great things
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and if you have a little of them a day, you'll be great.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11And we're staying with edible items,
0:38:11 > 0:38:16but this time focusing on food favoured by our feathered friends.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18This B is for birds.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Let's join Mike Dilger again,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22meeting a family in Derbyshire
0:38:22 > 0:38:25who want to know what their garden birds prefer for their tea.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- Hi, guys, how are you doing? - Hello there.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Steve, Olivia, Sarah and Louis?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Four out of four! What a lovely garden you have.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's gorgeous, isn't it?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- Why so many birdfeeders?- We live in such a lovely part of the country
0:38:38 > 0:38:39with such a diverse range of birds
0:38:39 > 0:38:41that I want to attract as many as I can.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Have you seen all your dad's feeders he's put out?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Do you know why he puts different types of food in the feeders?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Because there's different types of birds
0:38:49 > 0:38:51that like different kinds of food.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Exactly, spot on.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Olivia, have you seen any birds in your garden?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Um, blackbirds.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I reckon if we sit down and watch your dad's feeders,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03we're going to identify a whole load more.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05- Shall we do it?- Yeah.- Let's go!
0:39:07 > 0:39:10For the next 30 minutes, we're going to keep score
0:39:10 > 0:39:14on which birds come into the garden and what they prefer to eat.
0:39:14 > 0:39:19On the menu are seeds, nuts 'and worms.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Ha-ha-ha!
0:39:20 > 0:39:23'And the time starts...now.'
0:39:23 > 0:39:26You see the robin? He's looking for mealyworms, isn't he?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Nibble some worms!
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Oh, look! We've got a blue tit feeding.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31One blue tit feeding on the peanuts.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Look, there's a great tit!
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Another bird! There's a chaffinch.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40Look at the time now. It's 12:15. Look how many birds we've seen.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44'It's the shape of the bill that determines what a bird eats.'
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Blue tits have a strong, stubby beak ideal for pecking nuts.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Robin and blackbird beaks tend to be more pointy,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55so they can pick worms and grubs out of the ground.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Oh, look! There's another bird.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Can you see that? That's a bird called a coal tit.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02There's birds everywhere, it's ridiculous.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Look! I just saw something!
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Oh, there's a dunnock.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07BELL RINGS
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Right, guys, time up. That was very good. First of all, Louis,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13can you tell me how many different types of birds we've seen?
0:40:13 > 0:40:14You count the number of birds.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- Robin redbreast...- One.- Blackbird...
0:40:16 > 0:40:20'So, in just half an hour we saw seven different species of bird
0:40:20 > 0:40:24'and our survey said that seeds were the most popular food.'
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Give me five.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Give me five. Top birdwatching, guys.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36You don't need a pair of birdwatcher's binoculars
0:40:36 > 0:40:39to spot that Mike filmed at the height of the Christmas season.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44Whatever the time of year, lots of us like to keep the birds well fed.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It tempts our feathered friends to come back to our gardens
0:40:47 > 0:40:49year after year - or does it?
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Chris Packham might just be about to shatter some illusions.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00We all like to think that we know our garden birds really well.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Some people even go so far as to give them names
0:41:03 > 0:41:06but I've got to tell you that during the autumn and winter
0:41:06 > 0:41:08things aren't what they seem
0:41:08 > 0:41:10out there on your feeders and in the garden.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13You see, most of our garden bird species
0:41:13 > 0:41:17indulge in a bit of what we call chain migration,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21so if you think that you know all the birds in your garden personally,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23I'm afraid to say you're probably wrong.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Because if Barry the Blackbird was breeding in your hedge in the spring,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29he's not here now.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31He's more than likely in the South if you live in the North,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35or if you live in the South, he's nipped over to France and Spain.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38So who have you got in your garden if you've got a blackbird?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Well, it's more than likely Olaf,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42because in the wintertime in the UK
0:41:42 > 0:41:4524% of our blackbirds come from Norway,
0:41:45 > 0:41:4718% from Sweden,
0:41:47 > 0:41:4917% from Germany,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and 13% from Denmark.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Why do they do it?
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Well, they migrate for the same reasons
0:41:56 > 0:42:01that most other bird species do - hard weather and shortage of food.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03Now, the first thing to say is,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06OK, my garden's still packed full of food.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Why has Barry deserted me?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Well, it's the very simple reason that he's a bit of a southern softy.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14He can't take the weather here, needs to go somewhere
0:42:14 > 0:42:18where it equates closer to the conditions that he's grown up in
0:42:18 > 0:42:19in our spring and summer.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22And Olaf - well, Scandinavia at this time of year,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26I've got to say, weather-wise, can be pretty unpleasant for birds,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29and also there's a very short day length there,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31so even if there's plenty of food,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34there's not enough foraging time for Olaf to find it
0:42:34 > 0:42:37and as a consequence it's much better for him to come over to this country.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39And it's not just blackbirds.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41If you've got robins in your garden at the moment
0:42:41 > 0:42:43they're more than likely Belgian.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46The blue tits, the great tits - Swedish.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51So, if you really want to know the birds in your garden personally
0:42:51 > 0:42:53you're going to have to be multilingual.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56You're going to need to know lots of European names.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Sven, Helga,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Philippe, Juan...
0:43:01 > 0:43:03And on that bird-based bombshell,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06I think it's time we ended today's programme.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Do join us next time for another A to Z of TV Gardening.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Until then, goodbye.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd