0:00:00 > 0:00:03Hello. Welcome to the A to Z of TV Gardening,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06where we sift through all your favourite TV gardening programmes
0:00:06 > 0:00:11and dig up a bumper crop of tips from 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 > 0:00:38Everything we're looking at today begins with the letter...
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So get ready for one of the most ancients plants on Earth -
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Carol Klein looks at the fantastic world of ferns.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50You really don't need anything else.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52You could make a garden out of ferns.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56A 12-year-old with a flair for flower arranging.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Tree ivy is really good because it wraps around the pots or around the flowers
0:01:01 > 0:01:06which can look really effective and really quite...pretty!
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Why colour choice is crucial when it comes to painting fences.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16The colour I'm using here is called Old English green.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19It's a soft, dusky green
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and the reason I'm using it is cos I want to widen the garden.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And Matt Baker is out foraging for food.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- That's quite, um... - It's minimal at this stage.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32It is, yeah! It's a starter!
0:01:33 > 0:01:36That's all to come. But we begin with a flower
0:01:36 > 0:01:39that's as easy to plant as it is to maintain.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Even though it tends to prefer warmer climates,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45there'll be plenty of you who have got at least one growing in your garden.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48We're looking at F for fuchsias.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54And we're meeting the De Beer family, as they prepare for the Gardeners' World live show.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09This nursery's been here for... Since my great-grandparents owned it in 1906.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Then that followed on with my parents
0:02:11 > 0:02:14having a farm shop here.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18My father specialised in the plant side of things
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and my mother did fruit and vegetables.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I've got early memories of helping out in the tunnels,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24helping make hanging baskets,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28so I've picked up a general knowledge of plants from my father.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And when we saw it for sale, it just seemed meant to be.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37'I come from an engineering background.'
0:02:37 > 0:02:42I am interested in plants and it's amazing, all the different varieties that are out there.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46My favourites at the moment are one called Blacky
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and the Devonshire Dumpling.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- It's got a very big flower. - And I like the Bow Bells.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's a basket variety with massive flowers.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's very nice.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57They're so popular
0:02:57 > 0:02:59because they're so versatile.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03They weather well. Fuchsias bounce back. Flowers come back.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05That's why I think they're so popular.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09But perhaps for a trendy garden that's in vogue at the moment,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11they don't feature so much.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22People are very passionate about the fuchsias.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It really surprised both Rachel and myself.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- It's like a bug, isn't it?- Yes.- Yes.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31They're fanatical, obsessive about them.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35One chap came and he took 20 standards and he was all excited.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38He was really... It was like he was on a high.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41This is the time of year when they come out
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and they are real fanatics!
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Luckily, we've got an expert on site, Mike,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and he's obviously guiding us on the plant growth.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00This is my 28th season of doing shows.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02So I've been doing it quite a while!
0:04:04 > 0:04:06There's four different varieties.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08There's over 12,000 different varieties.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11You've got your half-hardy uprights.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13You've got basket varieties.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18And then you have your hardy varieties which can be planted out and left.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19And you have the triphylla varieties,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22which are things like Thalia and Coralle,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25which have long orange flowers.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30Those are very tender. If you don't have a heated greenhouse, bring them into the house over winter.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31They look very nice.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37They're also one of the few varieties which will take full sun in the summer
0:04:37 > 0:04:39without scorching too much.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Once in flower, they'll flower right through until the frosts.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Going to the shows and seeing the display and the colour
0:04:53 > 0:04:55is very rewarding.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This year, we got a gold at Harrogate,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00a silver gilt at Malvern Springs
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and last week in Devon, we got another gold award.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Hopefully we can achieve a gold at the BBC Gardeners' World Live.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Well, Tim, what did you get?- We got a silver gilt that we're chuffed to bits with!
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- No wonder. Your stand looks absolutely amazing.- Thank you.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- There's 12,000 varieties of fuchsias?- That's correct.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Over 70 here. There must be one that's just made for me.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32There certainly is. Knowing that you live in Devon, we have a Devonshire Dumpling
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- and it's especially for you, Carol. - Thank you very much.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36What are you saying? Round and pink?
0:05:36 > 0:05:41- No, a very nice blossom like you, Carol!- Thank you very much and well done!- Thank you!
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Next, let's meet Ray Ayres, a trucker from Hertfordshire,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53with a passion for fuchsias and his own way of planting them.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I drive an eight-wheeler tipper truck,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02delivering tarmac, stone, things to ready-mix.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Plants and things.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I do a lot of muck-away and at the end of the day, you know you've done it.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09It's quite a stressful job,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13especially working round the London areas and places like that.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15There's a lot of waiting, traffic queues and that.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18At the end of the day, I'm pretty stressed up
0:06:18 > 0:06:20and ready to come home.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I can't wait to come home to the garden.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30I got interested in gardening through my parents.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32My father was an extremely good gardener
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and he had most of this garden down to vegetables.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40My mother had the front, which was flowers - fuchsias, roses.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42They looked after the garden very, very well
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and it was always nice to come home to.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Fuchsias, my mother used to call them her little ballerinas.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53I think ballet dancers look gorgeous with their little skirts and things.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And I love them.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57They're so different. Each one is different.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Acts differently, shows differently.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04They're a wonderful plant. I think more people should grow them.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09I've got 184 varieties at the moment.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Only about 96 are on show in the garden.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15The rest are parent plants.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I always buy fuchsias.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I just buy one of each type from a nursery.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I'm not anti garden centre. They've got their places.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26But I do wish people would go to the nurseries.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28The men who actually breed fuchsias.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32They've always got time to talk to you
0:07:32 > 0:07:33and tell you about the plant.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Especially if it's them who's bred it.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Fuchsias are so easy to grow.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42So undemanding.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48You really don't need posh greenhouses with automatic venting and things like that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Personally, I use bits of wood, two layers of bubble polythene -
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I call it double bubble -
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and that's all I've got.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And I grow 800 a year in those greenhouses of mine.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I play classical music for the plants.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03In winter, the fuchsias love it.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08You can peep in and see them swinging about to a nice piece of Baroque!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Their favourites are Handel and Vivaldi. They love it!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Right. One lorry tyre.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45Or two or three or four, however high you want to go, to make raised beds.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Hello, Mr Bob Flowerdew. I thought of this long before you.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52I'd like to see you try and turn one of these inside out!
0:08:52 > 0:08:58But the idea actually is, down on its side, like that,
0:08:58 > 0:08:59in place.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04This rim here, cut it out totally.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07My favourite is to use a jig saw.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Leave in the bottom as a water reservoir.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Little bit of ballast in the bottom for drainage.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Then fill it up with compost, top soil, whatever.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Then you're ready to plant.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27So this one is two tyres high.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29It's filled with compost.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33To make it look more attractive, put wood all round the outside of it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Inside, five busy Lizzies, and three triphyllas at the back.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Looks a treat.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47We've now got 148 containers around the garden, of different types.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Baskets, tyres, barrels.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Tin pots, all sorts.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54We use anything, practically, to put a fuchsia in.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57At the end of the day, it's the fuchsia you see, not what it's in.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04My wife, Christine, she does all the manly jobs about the garden!
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The lifting, the cleaning up.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Things that I'm disappearing into the greenhouse and can't get to,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15she's out here in the middle of winter, getting it ready for the next year.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I feel very guilty about it, but she loves it anyway.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20She's well trained!
0:10:22 > 0:10:26I take fuchsia cuttings of about an inch to an inch-and-a-half long.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I do them in August.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I don't listen to the fuchsia experts.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33They say take them a half inch long.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37But I get a bit fed up with listening to them going on about that
0:10:37 > 0:10:40so I do it my way because it works for me.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I'm using a three-inch pot to do these.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47You can get five in, as I've normally done over the last few years.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50This year I'll possibly only put four to a pot.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54I do use the gel as opposed to the powder
0:10:54 > 0:10:57because I have a much better success rate with the gel.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01I do stress, don't let the leaves touch one another.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Label.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Then a good dousing.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10If you realise how much joy there is in fuchsias,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14it really is good fun, and it keeps you out the pub on Sunday dinner times as well,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16so you get Brownie points!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Still to come, foxgloves, fig trees and flower arranging.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Before all that, let's find out
0:11:25 > 0:11:28about one of the most ancient plants on the planet.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31This F is for ferns.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And we're joining Carol Klein on a trip to South Wales.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41They evolved long before flowering plants,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and they have an entirely different method of reproduction.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46They don't set any seeds.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Instead of that, on the back of their fronds,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54they produce multiple spores, very, very fine spores,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56which are carried in the breeze, hither and thither.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Despite the fact that some are evergreen and some herbaceous,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04they all share one common feature.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And that is, each year on this marvellous cycle,
0:12:07 > 0:12:13they renew themselves by producing these brand new croziers.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17First of all, they're tightly furled, almost like fists.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21And then gradually they lengthen and extend
0:12:21 > 0:12:23until they become completely new fronds.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26You might say that they're all green,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30but those greens are so subtle and so various,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34and the forms of the fronds are so diverse.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36You really don't need anything else.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39You could make a garden out of ferns.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42And over a hundred years ago,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44that's just what people did.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46In a big way!
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Fern fever had gripped the country.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53Elaborate glass ferneries were built at grand Victorian residences.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56The one at Dewstow House in Monmouthshire
0:12:56 > 0:12:59fell into disrepair after the Second World War,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03and was buried under rubble for nearly 60 years,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07before its current owners decided to excavate
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and restore this lost fern wonderland.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Keeping a watchful eye on this treasure trove
0:13:13 > 0:13:16is head gardener, Peter Lane.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20It's magical!
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- It's fairyland, isn't it? - Beautiful, isn't it?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It really is. And it is a grotto, isn't it?
0:13:27 > 0:13:31You feel as though you're in this secret place
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and you've just discovered it.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- Basically, we knew that there was something here.- Yeah.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40So we started digging, found a pond,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42found a path, kept going,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46and one of the grottos was this, the Tufa Grotto.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Is this what it would have looked like originally?
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Up to the roof level you see now, it is original.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But with a few modifications to allow for new planting.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But it wouldn't have had a corrugated iron roof, would it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01No, there certainly wasn't.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05There were beams covering this grotto, with stalactites.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06All man-made.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11And a rather grand Victorian domed-glass roof over the top.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It must have been really impressive in its day.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The vast labyrinth of underground grottos here at Dewstow
0:14:20 > 0:14:25were started in 1895 and took over 15 years to carve out,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30creating the perfect environment for moisture-loving ferns.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38There are some ferns that are unforgettable,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40that stay with you.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46Athyrium niponicum pictum has an almost haunting presence.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Pictum means painted,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and this is the Japanese painted fern.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56Just one plant of this makes a complete cameo all on its own.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58It's a beautiful fern.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04These damp caverns perfectly recreate
0:15:04 > 0:15:10the woodland that ferns like this Woodwardia thrive in.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Peter has his own tried and tested method
0:15:12 > 0:15:14of propagating it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17You can see the bulb forming at the bottom there.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- And you can cut that off. - Just sever it across the stem?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Yeah, sever it and then pot it up.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27You would have been OK, I would have thought, but this is my favourite way of doing it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32Very complex equipment. Plastic bag with a load of compost in it!
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- And the piece of string!- Don't forget the piece of string!- No.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- Most important.- Shoe it in, then.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41And you just want it to be in contact
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- with that compost, yes? - That's it, yeah.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Will you do the string bit?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48There we go.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- Were you ever a boy scout? - I only know one knot.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53It was my granny's!
0:15:53 > 0:15:55SHE CHUCKLES
0:15:55 > 0:15:57So how long will you leave that in there?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I'll leave it for a minimum of six weeks.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Hopefully you'll see one of the new fronds start to unfurl
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and you'll know then that it's ready to cut off and pot up for next year.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08OK.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26I suppose it's easy to assume that all ferns are pretty similar.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29But when you start looking at them,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33you realise just how vastly diverse they are.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39And very often, you think of ferns as being these great big bold plants
0:16:39 > 0:16:43with large fronds much divided.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48But in contrast, some of them can be delicate and feminine.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Look at the filigree of this beautiful little maidenhair fern.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I think the point is that you don't need a grotto.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59You can grow ferns just about anywhere
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because they're so accommodating.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Even that grotty corner between the dustbin and the garage
0:17:07 > 0:17:11is a perfect place to decorate with ferns.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14And what wonderful ornamental plants they are.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Thanks, Carol. Now, get your wellies ready.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27We're moving on to F for foraging.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Here, Matt Baker meets a professional forager
0:17:30 > 0:17:34who's got the low-down on what you can and can't eat in the wild.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Forests like this one in Pembrokeshire
0:17:37 > 0:17:39have been used by people to gather up wild foods
0:17:39 > 0:17:42for thousands and thousands of years.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Today, I'm here to meet a man who is continuing this tradition
0:17:45 > 0:17:48by foraging for the best that Mother Nature has to offer.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Yun, how are you doing down there? - Doing very good, mate.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Nice to meet you.- You have two helpers here as well.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Who are these?- That's little Beau, the son of George,
0:17:56 > 0:17:57and George is around somewhere.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00So you are what's known as a professional forager.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- When did you start? - About 13 years ago.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08It began with some friends who were running a wild mushroom business
0:18:08 > 0:18:12and I realised through what they were doing that nobody specialised in wild vegetables
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and that's what I've worked on.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18So I'm guessing, Yun, that there's quite a bit to eat where we're standing?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Absolutely. I was in the middle of collecting some of this cleavers.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26And you stand still, and it didn't work.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- But it's the one that... - Sticky Jack!- Sticky Jack.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Mmm. That's quite, um... - It's minimal, at this stage.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It is, yes, it's a starter!
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Just over there, that white flower is meadowsweet.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Now, have a smell of that.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Oh, wow!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Now, that's a substitute for honey.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Yes, that is incredible.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00And if you taste it...
0:19:01 > 0:19:03..it'll remind you of an antiseptic cream.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Oh, yeah! Is this a full-time job for you now, then?
0:19:09 > 0:19:1113 years, 52 weeks a year,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15rain, snow, wind, storm, hurricane, I've been out in it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Who are you foraging for these days?
0:19:17 > 0:19:20From some of Gordon Ramsay's chefs like Stuart Gillies,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24The Dorchester, Claridges, anywhere I get time to give a call to
0:19:24 > 0:19:25and say, "Do you fancy using this stuff?"
0:19:25 > 0:19:32Also, I rely on them and their skills to come up with ideas and what to do with it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Because these are ingredients that haven't been used and aren't necessarily in a recipe book.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38So they really have to come up with some clever stuff.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42'Just yards away, we came up across another wild vegetable.'
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- Is that some there?- Just here.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47'The hairy bitter cress.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:51So how much would that be worth? How much would have a kilo be worth
0:19:51 > 0:19:53if you were to send it to a chef?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It isn't worth what you have to go through to get it, put it that way!
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I mean, you could pay £20, or something like that,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03but like I say, for me, it's not about the money.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06So it's basically getting into places like this that you love so much?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It's as simple as that.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Let me pull you out!
0:20:10 > 0:20:11I'm stuck!
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- Lovely stuff!- OK. We're off!
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Let's go and find some wood sorrel.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24So what area does wood sorrel thrive in?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Well, it likes the shade and cool of the forest.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30So we've found a shady spot here.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It likes a bit of water, but in the summer, that gets scarce.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So you won't find very large amounts of it.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Excuse the attention. Just looking around.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42There we have it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Down here.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Now, for me, this is the king,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48or queen, whatever you want to call it,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50this is the number one.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It contains oxalic acid, which means you don't want to eat too much of this.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- OK.- It is, officially, a poisonous plant.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00But if eaten in small quantity, no problem at all.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05The French make soup out of it, and I gave it to the Queen for her birthday dinner!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- So she ate it.- In a small dose!
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- So if she ate it, I'm sure we can! - Yes.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16It tastes really earthy and it kind of tastes like a woodland.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Now obviously, it's quite a dangerous thing to do
0:21:19 > 0:21:22to wander around and just pick things off the floor and eat them.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24What is your process?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Firstly, don't touch anything if you don't know about it.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30There's a story I tell about foxglove,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34which is digitalis and it's known as a heart drug.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35But it's a poisonous plant.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38You only have to touch that plant and your heart will speed up.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42And that story in its own right made me suddenly realise
0:21:42 > 0:21:44even touching a mushroom if you didn't know what it was
0:21:44 > 0:21:46or a plant you don't know, is not a good thing.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'When it comes to sourcing wild vegetables, Pembrokeshire is a fertile hunting ground,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57'offering a wide variety of environments.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'This is one of the county's estuaries.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:03So, here, sea beet. Beta Vulgaris.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Basically, it grows just above the tide line.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Very obvious. This it the tide line, brought up by the last spring tide.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And just above the tide line, you find the sea beet.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Basically, it's of the beet family, it's a spinach, a thick leaf.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It's a vegetable you'd cook. Try a little piece.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Ooh, that... Yeah. There's a lot to that, isn't there?
0:22:23 > 0:22:25It is. It's a fleshy, thick leaf,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27so chefs love it for cooking.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32'And on that note, Yun's going to cook up a simple dish
0:22:32 > 0:22:35'using this sea beet and the sea bass that I picked up from Fish Week.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:41A little selection of our stuff.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43A little bit of sea beet.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48The fish is really lovely. But I'll tell you what...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51..that sea beet in there as well...
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I'll get you a little glass of elderflower champagne.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Elderflower champagne as well?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The perfect summer's drink.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Yun, if I'd known, I'd have dressed up, man!
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Cheers. Here's to foraging!
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Our foraging expert mentioned a flower that can get your heart racing just through touch.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14We're looking at that very flower now
0:23:14 > 0:23:17as we've reached F for foxglove.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Let's meet the Baker family from Devon,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22who oversee the conservation of this great British bloom.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28One of the reasons I really love the foxgloves
0:23:28 > 0:23:30is because they are a natural plant.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33They're native to Britain and probably the most spectacular
0:23:33 > 0:23:35of our native flora.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I think the way we garden reflects foxgloves themselves.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40They're a very natural flower
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and essentially, we garden in a natural way.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47We don't go in for the business of extending day length
0:23:47 > 0:23:49with electric lights.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52We don't use lots of expensive heating.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55We've chosen a group of plants which respond well
0:23:55 > 0:23:57for the Chelsea week.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Foxgloves give a very good return for the amount of effort involved.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07You can sow this tiny little seed, and within three weeks, it's germinating.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Then you get this cabbagey rosette developing
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and that gives the energy to produce this huge flower spike,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15just nine, ten months later.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Foxgloves were granted National Collection status over 25 years ago.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25We're currently the only National Collection of foxgloves.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29It's a huge honour, and it means there's a huge amount of responsibility involved.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Foxgloves are not just the prettiest of plants one can grow in the garden,
0:24:40 > 0:24:41they're also some of the most useful.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Foxgloves, particularly our native sort, Digitalis Purpurea,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51is the plant that Dr Withering of the mid-18th century
0:24:51 > 0:24:54used to extract digoxin,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56which is used even today as a heart regulator.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's responsible for keeping an awful lot of people alive.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Mary, my wife and I, set up the botanic nursery 20 years ago
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and that was primarily to produce some of the less usual garden plants.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19We were aware that everybody loved foxgloves, the traditional British sorts,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23and it occurred to us that the other sorts, the other 20 species,
0:25:23 > 0:25:24would also find a ready market
0:25:24 > 0:25:27if we could make those available to the gardening public.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37In the world of foxgloves, we've essentially got two different sorts.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41There's the biennial sources, the ones that everyone's familiar with.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47Digitalis Purpurea, native to the hedgerows, forests and woods of Britain and northern Europe.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Purple by name, but not always purple in colour
0:25:49 > 0:25:53cos you can get this in whites, in apricots, and a rather good primrose yellow.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55So lots of diversity there.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Don't be put off by the fact that they're biennial.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00This flower spike will produce thousands of seeds,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03so once you've got foxgloves in your garden, you'll always have foxgloves.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05But we've also got the perennial sorts.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Digitalis Haywoodii from Portugal,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10with its silver leaves.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12We've got Digitalis Obscura,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and these were rescued from a golf course in Malaga.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18It only grows 15 to 18 inches high, from a permanent woody root stock.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19A lovely thing to have.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23These are the sorts of foxgloves that we want to bring to the public's attention.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Our job as a grower is to make these unusual plants available for everyone.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Having grown the native sorts, let's try some of the unusual ones too.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45If you want advice on how to plant foxgloves yourself,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47here's Monty Don.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I'm putting these foxgloves here in the walled garden.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05This is north facing, so it's fairly shady,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08although it gets light in the afternoon and early morning.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Foxgloves are woodland plants.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13This is a variety called Sutton's Apricot.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I'm always looking for apricot flowers
0:27:16 > 0:27:17because they're a tricky colour.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19That balance between orange and pink.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21When it's dead right, it's lovely.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But if often gets a bit muddy.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26However, these should be good and they exactly fit in
0:27:26 > 0:27:29with the palate of the wall garden which is all pastels and soft colours.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Planting them couldn't be easier. I'm planting a group here.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Just make a hole. There's a bit of allium coming up there.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40You can see that's got a good root system.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It's been grown in a compost with plenty of leaf mould added
0:27:44 > 0:27:49which replicates the whole woodland environment that they're happiest in.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And just pop that in.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Like that. Put one back here.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Now, these should flower next May and June.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And all winter, they'll just sit there.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08The whole point about biennials
0:28:08 > 0:28:12is that you sow the seed immediately after flowering,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15which in this case is May, June time.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20They develop foliage and good root system and then wait and bide their time over winter.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22The soil is now still warm
0:28:22 > 0:28:24so the roots are still growing.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26So next spring,
0:28:26 > 0:28:27when the light starts to increase
0:28:27 > 0:28:29and the soil warms up,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32they can grow vigorously from a head start.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36And these should be nice and tall, about three, four foot tall,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40lots of flowers and lots of seed and then the process will start again.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45Thanks, Monty!
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Now, if you're looking to create a beautiful garden,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51you'll also want what surrounds it to be equally good looking.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Which is why our next F is for fences.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Take it away, Joe Swift!
0:28:57 > 0:28:59I'm building a really simple structure here,
0:28:59 > 0:29:03but it's going to be in keeping with the garden as a whole.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It's going to have a post at each end, really simple.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09I'm going to fix it into this wall, rather than going into the ground,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12because the foundations of the wall make it hard to dig.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15There are going to be two rails running across it
0:29:15 > 0:29:20and then I've got some really nice cedar, planed cedar,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22which is a good timber for outdoor use,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26which will give a really nice finish along the front.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30In fact the rest of the fence around the garden and the bike store
0:29:30 > 0:29:32is going to be faced with the same timber
0:29:32 > 0:29:35to give it a designer cohesive look.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37So the first thing I have to do is dig a hole.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Now, I'm an absolute stickler for levels.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52On a fence like this, if you don't get it perfectly level,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54it's going to start showing.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57OK. Mark that off with your pencil.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00And then cut that nice and square.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10The next thing to do is concrete that post into the ground.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13There are some really good products on the market.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17They're designed specifically to concrete posts into the ground.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21But you mix them in dry and they go off really quickly
0:30:21 > 0:30:22which means they set really quickly
0:30:22 > 0:30:26so you can get going on the fence and don't have to wait overnight.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32What you do is fill about a third of the hole with water.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Make sure the post is nice and upright.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38The pour in the concrete around the post.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45And with the off-cuts, just do a little bit of tamping.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51And just before it all sets together,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55get your spirit level and just check that it's plumb.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58There you go. That is perfect.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02On the other side, I'm fixing a post to the wall
0:31:02 > 0:31:05so I don't have to break through the foundation of the wall itself.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I'm marking up this piece of four by two timber
0:31:11 > 0:31:13to make sure the screws go into bricks
0:31:13 > 0:31:15rather than into the mortar.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I'm pre-drilling some holes using a wooden bit.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I'm then changing my bit over to a masonry bit
0:31:25 > 0:31:27and marking where those holes hit the wall.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I'm then drilling decent-sized holes into the wall
0:31:30 > 0:31:32which can take a rawl plug and a screw.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37I'm then screwing the piece of timber into the wall
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and checking that it's nice and plumb.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Great. That's nice and solid.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Once the two posts are in, it's a case of measuring the gap between them
0:31:47 > 0:31:50and cutting the four by two timber to size.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54I'm using these special fixings to attach firstly to the crossbeams
0:31:54 > 0:31:58and then the crossbeams to the posts so they're nice and solid.
0:32:02 > 0:32:03OK. There we go.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06We've got a simple framework for the fence to go on.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Once you've got that framework with the posts and the rails going across,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13you can basically fix anything to that that you want.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16So depending on your budget, or what look you want,
0:32:16 > 0:32:21you can go for old boards, tanalised board, wide boards, thin boards.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23You can go for metal sheeting.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27You can buy those bamboo rolls and just clad that across the front.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29But I'm going for something special.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I'm going for this lovely cedar.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Now, it's important to get the spacing really accurate.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Make sure you get the same spacing all the way along.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43I'm going to use one of the screws to actually space it.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56To get that professional look, there's a couple of tips here.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01I've just clad the post at the end with a couple of pieces of cedar
0:33:01 > 0:33:02so you don't see the softwood.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06And also, just to run a top rail along the top
0:33:06 > 0:33:09which makes it look really nice and solid
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and chunky and well-finished.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Well, I think it looks the absolute business.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22One designer fence.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And that cedar smells so beautiful, too.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It will go silver over time,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30but if you want to keep the colour, use an external wood oil on it
0:33:30 > 0:33:33every year or so to bring the richness of the colour back again.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38But if you do want to paint your fence, what colour should you go for?
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Ready with some answers and his paintbrush is Alan Titchmarsh.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45The colour I'm using here is called Old English green.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47It's a soft, dusky green.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51The reason I'm using it is because I want to widen the garden.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54You can see the effect it has, this soft colour.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56It's already taking that fence out
0:33:56 > 0:33:58and into the shrubs and trees beyond.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01It's pushing out the narrow boundaries of the garden.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Now, if I were to paint that fence yellow,
0:34:03 > 0:34:08it would come straight in at me. It would be bright, but would make the garden appear smaller.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Really in your face.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12If I were to paint it bright blue,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14and I don't paint every fence I know bright blue,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17it would become much more foreground, much more important.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Here, it's beginning to disappear.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22If you want a fence that goes into the shadows,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24look at a watercolour painting.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29What colour are the shadows there? Soft, dusky lavender blue.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Here, this soft, dusky Old English green
0:34:32 > 0:34:36is the perfect background for my bright annual flowers.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Thanks, Alan.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Our next topic is a tree you might normally associate with warmer countries
0:34:43 > 0:34:45like Turkey and Greece.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48But it's actually perfectly happy growing here in the UK too.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51This F is for fig trees.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Here's Toby Buckland on how to treat them when winter approaches.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59The cold has caused the leaves on my fig tree to tumble to the ground.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02But I'm not worried because I think it will still fruit next year.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04All the signs are there.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Lots of embryonic fruits that I'm picking off.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Figs produce different flushes of fruits throughout the summer.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15It's always tempting to see these ones and think,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18"They're going to ripen over winter and give me an early crop."
0:35:18 > 0:35:20But the fact is, they won't.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24All they'll do is take the energy from the little figs that are close to the branches,
0:35:24 > 0:35:29these pea-sized ones, and stop them fruiting as prolifically and as well.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33So by picking them off now, you improve the health of your plant
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and the health of next year's harvest.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Next, we're joining James Wong
0:35:41 > 0:35:43who's also giving tips on how to grow figs
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and showing how they can be used for medicinal purposes.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52My favourite bit about the fig is its smell.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Having one in your garden on a hot summer's day
0:35:54 > 0:35:57it emits this rich, sweet fragrance
0:35:57 > 0:36:00that really reminds you of a Spanish holiday.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03It's believed they were used by the gladiators as a favourite training food,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06and also for the original Olympic athletes.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08In the UK, growing figs is relatively easy.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10They're hardy down to minus 15
0:36:10 > 0:36:15and they'll produce fruit that are pretty much the quality of stuff you'd find in posh supermarkets.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25Figs do best in a sunny, sheltered position
0:36:25 > 0:36:28and benefit from pruning in spring and summer.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33If you plant a tree in a pot, it will restrict its roots
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and you'll get even more fruit in late summer.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Figs have a high soluble fibre content
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and mild laxative properties.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I'm combining them with senna,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47which contains even stronger laxative compounds.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Figs work by drawing water into the intestine,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54which helps soften food in the gut
0:36:54 > 0:36:56and together with the senna,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58they produce a reliable but gentle laxative effect.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07I'm going to make a real medicine cabinet standby,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09syrup of figs. Everyone's heard of it.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11The really cool thing about it is
0:37:11 > 0:37:13the stuff that you pick up in your chemist
0:37:13 > 0:37:15has pretty much identical ingredients
0:37:15 > 0:37:18to something you can cook up on your stove at home.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22It's sugar, figs, senna and a couple of flavouring agents added in.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24So why not give it a go?
0:37:24 > 0:37:27The best thing is, while you're making it, you get to eat figs!
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Slice eight fresh figs into quarters.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Figs are actually an inverted flower.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39All these little seeds here, which are now fruit,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41were actually flowers at one point.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And the scar you get on the bottom of a fig
0:37:44 > 0:37:48is actually a little hole that a wasp enters when it's at its early stages
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and it flies around inside, or crawls around,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54pollinating those flowers and then popping out again.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58So it's a flower sort of wrapped around and inside itself.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I've got eight fresh figs quartered up here.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I'm going to team them up with another fruit,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06just to give them a tag team action effect.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08It's a fruit called senna.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13You can buy senna in health food shops.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17I'm using four handfuls because I'm making a large quantity.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21But you need about six pods per 10ml dose.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Soak them in 100ml of boiling water
0:38:24 > 0:38:26and leave to infuse.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30After about half an hour, when the mixture's cooled,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34you've got this glorious golden tea colour.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38And all you've got to do then is basically pop everything in a blender.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Strain the senna infusion onto the figs
0:38:42 > 0:38:43and blend until smooth.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Pop it on the heat, and add 100g of sugar.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55Cook for about 25 minutes.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Keep stirring to be sure it doesn't stick and burn.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03You're aiming for it to look a bit like cough syrup,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07thick and gloopy with this wonderful glossy shine to it.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09We're getting near there.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15The only thing with syrup of figs is it never really looks particularly fantastic.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18It actually looks a bit like its desired outcome!
0:39:18 > 0:39:21If you stick a bit of lemon juice in at the end,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23it can brighten up the colour.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25So I'm going to see if that works.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Take off the heat and add your lemon juice.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Stir and watch as the citric acid changes its colour.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37It's starting to get a sort of reddish-brown. Fantastic.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Almost a strawberry jam colour.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41And when you hold it up to the light,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44you can see it's almost gelatinous.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46And what that sort of gloopy stuff is
0:39:46 > 0:39:48is the soluble fibre.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51And that's what helps keep you regular.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55It looks good. But what does it taste like?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It tastes really good.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03If I do say so myself!
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Much better than the stuff you pick up in the chemist.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And it's just as easy to make as a smoothie.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11So there's really no reason why you shouldn't give it a go.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16It will keep in a bottle in the fridge for three to four weeks.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Take two teaspoons just before bed but don't exceed the dose.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24And you shouldn't take remedies containing senna if you're pregnant.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Thanks, James. Now, back to flowers.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Not a specific type this time.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34No, we're looking at how to make the best of the blooms that you've cut.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Our last F is for flower arranging.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Here's 12-year-old Beth Smallwood
0:40:40 > 0:40:41showing how it's done.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I love doing flower arranging because there are so many different colours.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52All the colours of the rainbow.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Reds, yellows, greens, purples, pinks.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59It's really great to use flowers as art and do it in 3D.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04I am 12 years old.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06I started flower arranging a couple of years ago
0:41:06 > 0:41:08when we had a flower show at our church.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11I saw one that really inspired me to start.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15I come about twice a month to do flower arranging with the other ladies.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18It's really fun being the youngest,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20because the older ladies help me with what I can do better.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23We both teach each other, really.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24I teach them some new ideas
0:41:24 > 0:41:26and they teach me some ideas as well.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32We get the flowers from local suppliers,
0:41:32 > 0:41:37but we mainly get our foliage here from our nature reserve near the church.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42I find foliage is really important to give structure and shape to the flower arrangement.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Tree ivy is really good because it wraps around the pots or around the flowers
0:41:47 > 0:41:52which can look really effective and really quite...pretty!
0:41:54 > 0:41:58My advice to anybody who's starting flower arranging, or thinking of starting,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00would be to get a really good pair of gloves.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Get a really good pair of scissors as well.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06And finally, I'd choose a really good vase.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12What I really love about the lilies is their petals
0:42:12 > 0:42:13and the way they curve at the end.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I also love the closed flowers
0:42:15 > 0:42:18because they look really nice in the arrangement.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21I just think they make you feel really happy when you see them.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27There are no rules in flower arranging, there's no right and wrong.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30It's just your imagination, what you think looks right.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33It's possible to do anything with flowers.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37What I really love about roses is the way they come in different colours.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39And I love the way the petals are bunched together.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42That makes them perfect for flower arranging.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- How are you getting on, Beth? - I've finished.- Well done.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47It's gorgeous, isn't it?
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I really enjoy just using my imagination and my creativity side.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53But also looking at it and thinking, "I've done that."
0:42:53 > 0:42:57And other people commenting on it and saying it looks really nice.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58It gives you a really good feeling.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Beautiful. And something anyone and everyone can try
0:43:05 > 0:43:08as Beth demonstrated so well there.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10That's all from us today.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Do join us next time for some more top tips
0:43:12 > 0:43:14on our A to Z of TV Gardening.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15Goodbye!
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd