0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to the A To Z Of TV Gardening,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08where we sift through gardening programmes and dig up a bumper crop
0:00:08 > 0:00:11of tips and advice from the best experts in the business.
0:00:11 > 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 To Z Of TV Gardening.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Everything we're looking at today begins with the letter B.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'Here's what's coming up.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'A gardener's nightmare -
0:00:45 > 0:00:49'how Alys Fowler overcame losing most of her crop to hail.'
0:00:49 > 0:00:52No. It's not.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56It's not typical weather and it's not fair.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'The berry on everyone's tip of the tongue.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:02- Blueberry.- Blueberries. - Blueberries, yeah.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07- Blueberries.- Blueberries? - Blueberries.- Blueberry, of course.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'And Matt Baker is topping up on some beetroot wine.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That goes down very well.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18You could easily drink a large quantity of that!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20I'm thinking about it!
0:01:20 > 0:01:23'Just some of the treats we have in store.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:27We start with a unique show of colour from a native flower
0:01:27 > 0:01:29that usually arrives in April
0:01:29 > 0:01:32after a burst of sunshine followed by showers.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35'Our first B is for bluebells
0:01:35 > 0:01:40'and Mike Dilger has found one of the best displays in the country.'
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Now, there are lots of wildlife spectacles
0:01:43 > 0:01:45which we share with other countries,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48but there's one that is uniquely British.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53It's a spectacle on a scale you will see nowhere else in the world.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'm with Fraser Bradbury from the Forestry Commission.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01- Fraser, shall we show them? - I think we should.- Look at this.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06# Slow, uh-huh-huh, slow me down
0:02:07 > 0:02:15# Slow, uh-huh-huh, slow me down...
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'This is West Woods, near Marlborough in Wiltshire,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22'reputedly one of the very best bluebell bonanzas.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:25There are bluebells for as far as the eye can see -
0:02:25 > 0:02:29front, left, back, forward. It is 100 per cent blue, Fraser.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- You must be very proud. - I am, it's a sea of blue
0:02:32 > 0:02:36and it's here because we manage these woodlands for the bluebells.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- How many? - How many bluebells?!
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I'm only halfway through counting!
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I would say probably millions, we might even be approaching billions.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, we've got maybe 300 hectares of bluebells here,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51so it's quite a large site.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55And it's over so fleetingly, isn't it?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57The great thing about West Woods
0:02:57 > 0:02:59is different times you get different aspects,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03so the bluebells will be out in one area but not in another,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06so you can walk through this wood and see bluebells beginning of May,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09middle May, end of May.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16'Some liken the spectacle to a cathedral
0:03:16 > 0:03:19'with a wonderful carpet of flowers below.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'Certainly visitors, who come from near and far,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28'are awed by the dazzling display.'
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Absolutely gob-smacking.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I came here with the Ramblers Association in Bath
0:03:35 > 0:03:37about five years ago
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and, ever since, I've been bringing friends back to show them
0:03:40 > 0:03:43because everybody has their favourite bluebell wood,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46but nothing matches this place.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50We came because it was recommended and it's brilliant.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It so express the English countryside, for me,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and English woods personally.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I love England and bluebells are especially beautiful.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Although you shouldn't pick wild flowers,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07I've been given persmission to pick one bluebell by the landowner
0:04:07 > 0:04:10to show you their amazing bulbs.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13If I have a look at it and give it a good old squidge -
0:04:13 > 0:04:15urghh! -
0:04:15 > 0:04:17look how sticky it is!
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And this substance has been used down the generations
0:04:20 > 0:04:22for helping bind books.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26But they found this material also prevented the books
0:04:26 > 0:04:28from actually being eaten
0:04:28 > 0:04:31by things like moths and silverfish
0:04:31 > 0:04:33because of its toxic properties.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Really amazing - look at that!
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'Because it's poisonous, most foraging woodland animals
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'wisely leave the bluebells alone.'
0:04:46 > 0:04:50'But there is one potentially serious threat -
0:04:50 > 0:04:53'a foreign lookalike.'
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Don't these bluebells look gorgeous?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Well, they're not as lovely as they might seem
0:05:02 > 0:05:05because they're imports from the Continent
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and the problem is they like mixing it with our native bluebells.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14I'm meeting Mark Spencer, who works for the Natural History Museum.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Isn't this a lovely spot to sit?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Absolutely fabulous.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Nowhere else in the world can you come and see this kind of spectacle.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Particularly when you get low, you get this vivid blue colour,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- the whole way round.- It is stunning. It is a completely unique thing -
0:05:30 > 0:05:33the British landscape has got something
0:05:33 > 0:05:36to go "Wahey, this is ours, it's British and we love it."
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Is it likely to last? What is the problem with the Spanish invader?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Well, we need to find out - is there a problem?
0:05:43 > 0:05:47There's been concerns raised by conservationists, gardeners
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and whole parts of society
0:05:50 > 0:05:53that there may be a threat from the so-called Spanish bluebell,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57which has been growing in British gardens for about 300 years,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00but there are signs that it is moving out of gardens,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04partly from people throwing away excess bulbs,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08sometimes it's just naturally seeding into the local environment.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12People are concerned that it's hybridising with the native plant
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and this hybridisation may affect the ability of our native plant
0:06:15 > 0:06:18to survive into the future.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So what is the difference between our native bluebells
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and the Spanish conquistadors, which you have?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29The British plant has classically a sort of Gothic arch just here,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31on the flower spike.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34This one's wilting, but the flower spike on the Spanish
0:06:34 > 0:06:36tends to be more upright.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41The native plant - each individual flower is tubular,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44straight-sided, the petals,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48whereas the Spanish, they're much more wide and opened out.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Leaf width is also a useful feature.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54You can see that this leaf is much, much wider...
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Oh, yes. - ..than the native plant
0:06:57 > 0:06:59and it tends to be more vigorous.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Often you find that these are quite large
0:07:02 > 0:07:05compared to these plants here.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08'But, rest assured, here at West Woods,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'the British bluebell rules supreme.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:16'Wasn't that beautiful? Thanks, Mike.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:19'Now we're joining Alys Fowler this time.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'This B is for beetroot.'
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'It's April and, as well as my potatoes,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30'I've been sowing a range of vegetable seeds in trays.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:34'These are beetroot - and there's no part of beetroot you can't eat.'
0:07:34 > 0:07:39'It's a touch, corky little seed, so when you've placed it on the soil,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43'you need to press it in to stop it floating away when you water.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:47'Do that and you'll have tiny shoots within a fortnight.'
0:07:47 > 0:07:52It germinates at low temperatures - about eight degrees Celsius -
0:07:52 > 0:07:54so, at this time of year,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56it should be super fast.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59'It's been a busy time,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'sowing seeds and planting out my first real crops
0:08:02 > 0:08:04'and things were looking good...'
0:08:04 > 0:08:08CRACK OF THUNDER '..until the hailstones arrived.'
0:08:10 > 0:08:15Well, the hail has pretty much just destroyed all my work.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19It looks like, thanks to the hail,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23I'm not going to be eating anything until well into June.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25No, it's not.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29It's not typical weather and it's not fair.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Right, I say we all go in
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and have a cup of tea.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'But the trick to successful vegetable growing
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'is to always have a backup.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:54'I've been growing extra seedlings on my windowsill,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58'so, three weeks after the hail, I have a new batch to plant out.'
0:09:00 > 0:09:03'A way of making my edible garden look as good as it tastes
0:09:03 > 0:09:06'is to plant my borders in drifts of colour and texture
0:09:06 > 0:09:10'and that's what I'm going to do with my beetroot.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:13It's easy to grow beetroot in modules.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Now, you quite often get clusters of them
0:09:17 > 0:09:20because the seed is actually a cluster of seeds.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So I'll thin those out later on,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25but, for now,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27I can just
0:09:27 > 0:09:29pop them in.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'Yes, the time will come when I will have to be brutal
0:09:32 > 0:09:37'because a cluster of seedlings in the soil will strangle each other,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'so I will have to take control,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'pulling out and discarding the weaker shoots
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'to allow the strongest room to survive and thrive.'
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'I'm planting all my vegetables in generous quantities of compost
0:09:52 > 0:09:56'because most soils, including mine, lack some nutrients.'
0:09:56 > 0:09:59'It's like sending your kids to school with a lunch box -
0:09:59 > 0:10:03'a ready-made meal, giving them energy to grow.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:12I'm starting to harvest my beetroot in earnest now,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15so I can make one of my favourite summer dishes,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18which is a cold Polish soup called chlodnik.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Now, you need to use baby beets and all their leaves.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24And these are perfect.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27My little drift has worked out...
0:10:27 > 0:10:29superbly.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33'All the other ingredients also grow in the garden.'
0:10:33 > 0:10:37'I'm using two herbs - dill and French tarragon.'
0:10:43 > 0:10:46You don't like it.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Give it back!
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'Every bit of the beetroot is cooked, including the leaves.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:58'Once it's softened, it's liquidised to a thick, soupy texture.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:03'The rest of my home-grown ingredients include radishes,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07'cucumbers, Japanese bunching onions
0:11:07 > 0:11:09'and some sorrel leaves.'
0:11:09 > 0:11:13'And once it's cool, stir in a carton of yoghurt.'
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Well, I can't claim to the yoghurt,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20but, apart from that, this is my soup.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I grew it from my garden
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and now I'm going to eat it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38'Even the garnish was freshly laid this morning.'
0:11:42 > 0:11:44'Whilst the bread is still warm.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:54SHE GIGGLES
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You're rubbish at that trick!
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'Brilliant - planting tips and a soup recipe.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'But it's not just food beetroot can be used for,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09'as Matt Baker finds out.'
0:12:11 > 0:12:16'The dramatic sweep of the north Pennines belies a gentle side.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:19'Away from its craggy hills and exposed moors,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'one locally grown crop is used to produce something rather unusual.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Over here, they're making wine.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Not from grapes, but from this - beetroot.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36'It's provided a welcome new market for beetroot grower Neil Hodgson.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- It's been on the decline, but this beetroot wine might...- Boost sales.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Have you tried this wine, then?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- No, I haven't. - Why not?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- I would have a go, but... - "Have a go"! As if it's a challenge!
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- Well, I'll give you a hand picking some.- Good idea.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00How many kilos have you got this week? This is the beginning?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- This is the start!- Oh, right!
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Look at that one. It's a beauty.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09'Just a couple more,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13'then I'm taking these to a man who makes wine from fruit and veg.'
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- I've got Neil's wine-making beetroot for you.- Oh, that's great.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23First thing we have to do is wash them thoroughly,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- get the soil off. - So we can't use these.- No.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- But we have some that we did earlier.- Excellent.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And these now go into the mill to be chopped.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37MACHINE HUMS
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- Straight in?- Straight in, yep.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- MACHINE RATTLES - Wow. Powerful machine, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yes, it chops very finely.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50So how long does this process take, to make a bottle of beetroot wine?
0:13:50 > 0:13:53It takes about a month fermenting
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and then about a month settling.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00And how many beetroot in one bottle of wine?
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- Probably about two or three. - OK.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Just one more for luck.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07MACHINE RATTLES
0:14:09 > 0:14:11There we go.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- Right, come this way.- Thank you.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Pour the beetroots in here.- OK.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It splashes everywhere, doesn't it?
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Yes, don't want it on your clothes.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- Why did you think of making beetroot wine?- We realised from our veg patch
0:14:30 > 0:14:34that beetroot grows easily up here, so we thought "Why not?"
0:14:34 > 0:14:37"It has a great colour, let's do something with it."
0:14:37 > 0:14:40'But does it taste as good as it looks?'
0:14:42 > 0:14:45That goes down very well.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48You could easily drink a large quantity of that!
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I'm thinking about it! That's lovely, actually.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Who would've thought that your beetroot, sugar, yeast and patience
0:14:59 > 0:15:01could be turned into wine?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And saving pennies is what we're discussing next.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10'B is for budget gardening and we find inspiration with Andy Sturgeon
0:15:10 > 0:15:14'as we visit the Chelsea Flower Show.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:21There are great ideas in the Future Nature garden.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25This path is made from recycled roofing slates put on edge
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and it gives it this fantastic texture.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33This bench is made from old roof joists.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36You could drag these out of a skip and it wouldn't cost you a penny.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42The whole garden is covered in crushed builders' rubble and brick.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47It has compost in it so the plants, which like free draining conditions,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50are planted straight into it. There's no soil underneath.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54But it's automatically a very attractive mulch.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Here's an idea that won't cost a penny because it grows on trees.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05These twigs are stacked in the box to attract beneficial insects.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08It's a good idea and it looks great.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Boundaries of a garden are important, but can cost a fortune.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Here's a good way to deal with them in the 1984 garden.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18This is just stacked logs.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22This is just a concrete wall
0:16:22 > 0:16:25which has been painted and it's really cheered it up.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28If you've got a few leftover tins of paint,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31you can even create your own free artwork.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36In the Eco Chic garden, which won the Urban Gardens' Best In Show,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39there's a very simple idea here.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Fencing can be expensive, but these are scaffolding boards,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47so it's a very cheap way to make something very sophisticated.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51How about this? James May's smarter than he looks -
0:16:51 > 0:16:56make your plants out of Plasticine, then, if you get bored of them,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59you can just roll them all up, start again.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05This courtyard garden also won Best In Show in its category
0:17:05 > 0:17:07and has great ideas to save money.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12It proves you don't have to invest much to make an outstanding garden.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15This thing is an old water tank from a loft.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19They're often redundant now with modern boilers,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21so there are a lot knocking around.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24On the flooring is some old stone crazy paving,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27which you can get for a few pounds.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Crazy paving isn't fashionable, but it's all about how you use it
0:17:31 > 0:17:33because it looks great here.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You can save money by looking at things with fresh eyes.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42There's not a garden in the country without a few bricks lying around
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and in this garden, Pottering In Cumbria, they've created this path
0:17:46 > 0:17:49out of bricks that don't even match and it still looks wonderful.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51It's simple but effective.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58So, even amongst all the ostentation here in the heart of Chelsea,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02it shows there are lots of achieveable and affordable ideas
0:18:02 > 0:18:04for your garden
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and it proves that good design doesn't have to break the bank.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'Thanks, Andy.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:14'Our next B is for berries.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'In botanical terms, a berry is "a fruit with seeds".'
0:18:18 > 0:18:23'Rachel De Thame looks at one type that's proving very popular indeed.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Superfoods.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The name is now so familiar that it is in the Oxford English Dictionary
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and it says "a food considered especially nutritious
0:18:33 > 0:18:37"or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being."
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And if you ask most people nowadays to name a superfood,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44there's one thing they'd pretty much be guaranteed to say.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Blueberry.- Blueberries. - Blueberries, yeah.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51- Blueberries.- Blueberries? - Blueberries.- Blueberry, of course.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57'The blueberry is on the tip of the tongue when it comes to superfoods.'
0:18:57 > 0:19:01'Because of their recent popularity, more gardeners are growing them
0:19:01 > 0:19:03'and they're not difficult to grow.'
0:19:03 > 0:19:05'Like rhododendrons and chamilias,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09'they prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4 to 5.5.'
0:19:09 > 0:19:14'If your soil isn't acidic, blueberries grow very well in pots.'
0:19:15 > 0:19:18'Choose a large pot and line the bottom with crocks,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20'then a layer of lime-free gravel
0:19:20 > 0:19:23'and fill with ericacious compost.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:26'Blueberries are bog-loving plants - they need to be kept moist -
0:19:26 > 0:19:29'so I'm adding water-retaining granules.'
0:19:29 > 0:19:34'Add water to the granules before you add it to the compost.'
0:19:34 > 0:19:37'To help keep the moisture in, add a good layer of mulch.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:41'Water with rainwater as the lime in tap water can dilute the acidity.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:44'Then leave it in direct sun or light shade.'
0:19:44 > 0:19:48'And you should grow more than one plant of different varieties
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'for a really good crop.'
0:19:50 > 0:19:55It's fascinating which other fruit botanists class as a berry.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Tomatoes, water melons and even bananas are all berries
0:19:59 > 0:20:02because they have seeds.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06'Our next B is for birds.'
0:20:06 > 0:20:11'Whatever the time of year, lots of us like to keep the birds well fed -
0:20:11 > 0:20:15'it tempts our feathered friends to come back year after year -
0:20:15 > 0:20:17'or does it?'
0:20:17 > 0:20:21'Chris Packham might just be about to shatter some illusions.'
0:20:21 > 0:20:25We all like to think that we know our garden birds really well.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Some people even go so far as to give them names.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But, during the autumn and winter,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36things aren't what they seem on your feeders and in the garden.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Most of our garden-bird species
0:20:39 > 0:20:43indulge in a bit of what we call "chain migration".
0:20:43 > 0:20:47So if you think you know all the birds in your garden personally,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49you're probably wrong
0:20:49 > 0:20:51because if Barry the blackbird
0:20:51 > 0:20:54was breeding in your hedge in the spring, he's not here now.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57He's more than likely in the south if you live in the north
0:20:57 > 0:21:01or, if you live in the south, he's gone to France and Spain.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04So who have you got in your garden if you've got a blackbird?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Well, it's more than likely Olaf, because, in the winter in the UK,
0:21:08 > 0:21:1124 per cent of our blackbirds come from Norway,
0:21:11 > 0:21:1518 per cent from Sweden, 17 per cent from Germany
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and 13 per cent from Denmark.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Why do they do it?
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Well, they migrate for the same reasons most other bird species do -
0:21:24 > 0:21:27hard weather and shortage of food.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32The first thing to say is "My garden's still packed full of food -
0:21:32 > 0:21:34"Why has Barry deserted me?"
0:21:34 > 0:21:39It's because he's a southern softie, he can't take the weather here,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42he needs to go somewhere where it equates closer to the conditions
0:21:42 > 0:21:45that he's grown up in in our spring and summer.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49And Olaf? Well, Scandinavia at this time of year weather-wise
0:21:49 > 0:21:52can be pretty unpleasant for birds.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56And the days are short there, so even if there's plenty of food,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00there's not enough foraging time for Olaf to find it.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03So it's much better for him to come over to this country.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07And it's not just blackbirds. If you've got robins in your garden,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09they're more than likely Belgian.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12The blue tits, the great tits - Swedish.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17So if you really want to know the birds in your garden personally,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19you'll have to be multilingual.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22You'll need to know lots of European names.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Sven, Helga,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Philippe, Juan...
0:22:27 > 0:22:32On that bird-based bombshell, it's time we ended today's programme.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Join us next time for another A To Z Of TV Gardening.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Until then, goodbye.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd