0:00:12 > 0:00:15Hello there, and welcome to Beechgrove. Another bonny day.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18By jingo, we've had our share of rain recently,
0:00:18 > 0:00:19so this is a great relief.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Now then, children.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Here we have a problem that happens in many suburban gardens,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26in particular where space is tight.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28We've got a tree that's spoiling this lovely avalanche.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32You plant things in the space underneath, think they'll be OK,
0:00:32 > 0:00:33and it grows.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35What we really need to do is lift the crown.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36We've done this already,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39But every now and then, you've got to have a look at it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Explain that technical phrase.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Lifting the crown is taking off some of the branches off the main trunk
0:00:45 > 0:00:47so that we're letting more light in.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- Once it is cut off, you can't put it back.- That is true.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51So you've got to keep looking.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Don't take it all off at once.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56We need to have a go at this, taking off some of the weight to start.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58I'll hold this.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I'll cut that with the loppers.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03That immediately springs up and takes it away.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Your wee plant's got plenty of space now.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06But that's rather untidy.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I think we could afford to take the whole thing off.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I'll just undercut that.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12And I'll hold on to this.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Why are you undercutting?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Because if I don't, it'll tear,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21and the whole thing looks horrible, right down...
0:01:21 > 0:01:22Here we go. A nice, sharp saw.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25That's good. Look at that. Excellent.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26- Now...- Stand back?
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Stand back, have a look.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30You see, that's better for this.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- Absolutely.- The sun's through, but that's horrible.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Have you got your loppers?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- Whack that one off.- I'll do that.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I can't handle the loppers, they're too expensive.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42So we can just take a bit off like that, which is quite easy.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Better still. Now, behind you, I'm facing Deutzia,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49a cracker of a shrub, and you can't see the form of it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's being spoilt. So, George?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I think if we took this branch off there.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56This is small enough to take off with a one inch.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Can you hold that, while I hold on to the...?
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Just take the weight, that's it.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Let's just pause a moment.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06You're getting anxious, Mr McColl.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I am, because you guys get trigger-happy.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10I think we need a bit off here.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12And this one here.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14I'm going to stay out of the way.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Look at that. Can I take this off?
0:02:18 > 0:02:19Um, yes.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- Good.- Underneath.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Now...
0:02:24 > 0:02:27You need to have another inch, George.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28The second layer up.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30You've got to be joking!
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Stop, you too. Stop!
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Oh, come on.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39God, Sweeney Todd's got nothing on you.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40It's brilliant.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43They'll be nothing left for the next time. Look at this!
0:02:43 > 0:02:44It's amazing what's come off, though,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and yet there's still a whole tree here, Jim. It's a good shape still.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I want to be sure that there is a whole tree!
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Meanwhile, in the rest of the programme...
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm in the Cairngorms, where last month,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58the temperatures were down to minus five.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Come and see what you can do
0:03:01 > 0:03:04even when it's as cold as that.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08And my challenge this week lies in the heart of the Buchan countryside,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10very arable, very windswept,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12small cottage, big garden.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19George, I'm really excited because at last we've got honey berries.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23And I planted these plants back in 2009.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26You need two for cross-pollination. So, a wee taste.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Don't get too excited, because...
0:03:28 > 0:03:30You're taking the big ones first.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Yes, obviously.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Now, I think that's quite nice.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38That's off this plant here.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40You're kind of pulling a face.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44It's mediocre. I wouldn't really cross the street for it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47It is meant to be the replacement to the blueberry.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It's like blueberry taste.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It doesn't need acidic conditions. It's very hardy, from Siberia.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- And this other one?- The little one?
0:03:57 > 0:03:58That is disgusting.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01The trouble is, though, you need the two plants.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I hope that's the cross-pollinated and we don't need to eat it.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08But, look, that one is the worst tasting, but it's actually
0:04:08 > 0:04:11the best foliage plant. Look at the stems on that.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14So you're going to do a bit of propagation. I'll leave you to it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Thank you very much.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19No spitting out!
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Now, if we're taking semi-ripe wood cuttings of this,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25what we've got to do is select ripe shoots
0:04:25 > 0:04:28where the growth on the end is slowing down.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30That's what you're after with semi-ripe wood cuttings.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Three or four leaves long,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37trim it off with a sharp knife, just below a leaf, a leaf joint.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Trim off the leaves. It's as simple as that.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Then dip that in some hormone,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46shake off the excess,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and put it down the side of a pot
0:04:49 > 0:04:52where you've filled the pot with a compost of peat-sand mix
0:04:52 > 0:04:54or a cutting compost,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and some sharp sand on the top.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00The sharp sand runs down the side of the cutting and it aids rooting.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Make sure they're watered, put a poly bag over them,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07and then either on a windowsill, somewhere semi-shaded,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and they'll be rooted by the spring.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Well, from George taking semi-ripe cuttings,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15I'm going to look at a different type of propagation,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and that's with houseplants. I've got three houseplants to look at.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21First of all, the peace lily.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23There's a lovely spathe.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I find this one flowers even in the wintertime.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Then we've got the Aspidistra, or the cast-iron plant,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and I think that common name gives a little bit away,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34that really it is very hardy,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37doesn't mind being in a shady place in the home,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41and really is quite happy with a little bit of neglect.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45And then the last one I've got here is Billbergia.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48You might not be so familiar with this one, but it's a bromeliad.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51So, what do they have in common when it comes to propagation?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53All of them can just be divided.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Let's start again, back with the peace lily.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59If we take a closer look,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02you can see there are almost like rosettes here,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and if I make sure that when I divide it,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I take a whole rosette, I'm going to end up
0:06:09 > 0:06:11with probably four or five plants.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Then if we have a look at the cast-iron plant,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20if you look down here, you can see these are basically rhizomes,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and as long as I divide it by taking a couple of leaves,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27then I'm going to increase my stock.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30There I reckon, again, I could have at least half a dozen plants.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I want to leave these two alone,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34because there's nothing wrong with them at the moment.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Indeed, the cast-iron plant is quite happy if it's a little root-bound.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43But the Billbergia, I think this has suffered a little bit of neglect,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and I really do want to try and divide it up.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52Although this is rather pot-bound, once I can pull this out,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57I'm hoping that I'm going to be able to get maybe three plants from this.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01So, some of these rosettes have completely died.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03This is where perhaps you need the bread knife.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06We can cut through here.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11That crunchy noise is the fact I've got gravel in the bottom.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20So, there we go. I would pull away some of the dead foliage,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and if I wanted to, I can divide that again.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25You know me, I like value for money!
0:07:28 > 0:07:33We would end up with two plants like that. I can just pot those on,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38and I can take one home and give some to some of my friends as well.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Martina Monroe lives and gardens in the Buchan countryside,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and she's looking for a few ideas to pep up her vegetable growing.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Martina, there's a difference now from March,
0:07:54 > 0:07:59when we first visited to look at this garden. A bit of colour.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Considerable difference, isn't there?- Aye, a bit of colour here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Did you plant most of this yourself?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08I did. Nature helped me as well, as you can see.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Yes, it is kind of higgledy-piggledy, in some terms.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16That's a nice thing there, that perennial wallflower.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- Yes, and it's very hardy, too.- Perfect.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20There are some new varieties about,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24so if you're keen on it, you should look at the catalogues.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Why did you write to Beechgrove?
0:08:28 > 0:08:34Because the vegetable patch that I have is too small for me now,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and I wanted another area where I could do that.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38We talked about it in March.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40You were talking about that top corner of the garden.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Yes, and I thought that part of the garden isn't very productive.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It's not doing very much, and that's why I thought...
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Whilst it would get shelter from the wind,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53I thought the stuff would be very shaded, because it's a secluded spot.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58- It is.- Since, I felt it was a bit too far from the back door,
0:08:58 > 0:09:03and that maybe you'd appreciate a little potager-style by there,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05so you could pop out the back door,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10pick some parsley, back into the soup, absolutely fresh down here.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13That's a very good idea, and a practical suggestion.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14It's kind of in your face.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18You can't ignore it. If it's needing weeding, then you've got to.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20True. It would be an incentive to look after it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22That's very realistic.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26We're going to use some boxes to make a little potager style,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and because of that, we can pop them about,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and when you're happy with the shape,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33- we can get stuck in.- Lovely.- OK?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Leave a wee path in the middle. That's it. Whoa.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Quite like that idea.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50Second thought, of course, is to use this pot as one edge of it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- What do you think?- I like that, too,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59because that's quite economical in terms of the space it's using up.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04The final one is to have them all in a row.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12I don't think that's quite as inspiring or as ornamental.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I'd like to seem them from here, if that's not awkward.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18She reminds me of my granny buying a hat.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- You think that's as good an idea? - It's your garden, madam, not mine.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28We could also have the hooks the other way.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I think that would be better, honestly.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- I like that. - You happy with that?- Yes.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53I'm back in.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02This stuff's pretty weedy, and if you're keeping it as a lawn,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04you might want to try killing the weeds.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10The thing to do is store it as turf, because upside down like that,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13fill that with some rubbish there, and we'll get it up quite high.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Leave that for a year, 18 months, and then come and chop it down.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21The most wonderful lawn for topping the pots
0:11:21 > 0:11:24or topping up these boxes, or whatever.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Don't throw it away!
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Having finally decided on the location of the beds,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43we got the dust stripped off, we've got them filled with compost,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48a proprietary multi-purpose compost, a simple way to do it.
0:11:48 > 0:11:54I've made a selection of plants which you might disagree with,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56so when we've gone, you can please yourself.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59But this is how I thought it out.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02This one here, I thought, maybe herbs and one or two perennials,
0:12:02 > 0:12:03the shrubby-type herbs,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07including an old favourite, rhubarb.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12I've even got some mint here.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17Because some of them can be very invasive, we've got this.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Oh, what a good idea. - So we bury the pot
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and leave the rim just proud of the surface, put the mint in there,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- and it prevents it from spreading. You've got to watch it.- Very clever.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30So, there's a selection like that,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33then we've got some vegetables for this season,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37the Brassicas and a few leeks for the far away one there,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38then we've got strawberry.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42The bonus is there's quite a few fruits on them. There's Elsanta.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Would I need to put straw in with the strawberries?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It helps to keep the strawberries off the ground and clean.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52There's one left, of course, in my pocket here.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56There's still time to be sowing things like radish and lettuce,
0:12:56 > 0:13:02and I've got some swedes here. But again, it's up to you.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- You can choose. - Thank you, that's lovely.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I think we should start setting them out.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14They're not going to get out of this.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15It's Italian rocket.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32That's the job done. Are you happy with it?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I'm absolutely delighted, Jim. It's a great inspiration to me.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I shall look forward to seeing how the plants fare,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42and also look forward to growing new crops as well.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Yes. The rest of them will be your choice.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- This is an indication of what can be done.- Yes.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- It's not intimidating, because they're quite small units.- Yes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54And I should say that you're helping the environment,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59because these are made from recycled plastic.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- You know the covers for the silage rows?- Yes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05All collected, and that's what this is made out of.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08That's wonderful. It is very good indeed. It's lovely.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Huge thank you indeed. I am delighted. Absolutely delighted.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24To accommodate the change in level between the Silver Garden
0:14:24 > 0:14:28and the trial ground, we've created this double-walled bed here,
0:14:28 > 0:14:33tried Euonymus Emerald Gaiety in it as a wee hedge, it didn't work,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35pulled them out, and we're going to put lavenders in.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40They like good drainage, so we're giving this border a doing,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42both sides of the steps.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45First of all, some compost, in it goes,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50really upping the amount of organic matter that's here, and then,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53remembering that drainage thing, gravel.
0:14:53 > 0:15:00It helps to open up the soil. Fork that in like so.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02And we're ready to plant.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05George, here's the prepared soil, so loads of grit in it,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09plenty of good drainage in that. It's important.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Then landscape fabric on the top. - That's going to keep down the weeds,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16keep down the maintenance, then we've got gravel on top of that.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- That's going to be nice and ornamental.- It shouldn't get too wet even here.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25And now the lavenders. This is the French lavender. I think it's a really pretty flower.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28This is a wonderful flower. I love the scent.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- And these rabbit ears which stick up...- They're gorgeous but I don't know how hardy that is.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I've had trouble with things that aren't hardy
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- so I'm not going to say too much. - Then we move on to Lavender dentata "Devonshire Compact".
0:15:39 > 0:15:42If it does what it says on the tin it will fill the space and look superb.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Then we've got the more familiar lavender, the English lavender.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50This is the one everybody has in their garden and it should be familiar to everybody.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- That one along there...- Silver Mist.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59- Beautiful thing, wonderful shape and form.- Four varieties. Hopefully these will do well.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02We've got gaps because we're going to put some obelisks in
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and have a bit of height and something to climb.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I was going to ask about that. What colour are we putting there?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- Probably purple if Lesley has her way.- We'll wait and see.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17I haven't been in the secret garden for a while yet and you've been pushing the boat out, have you not?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20I have. I was trying Southern Hemisphere plants in here
0:16:20 > 0:16:24just to see if we could go along with climate change as we thought.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- Like that at the back there? That's deid.- Disaster, isn't it? That was Berberidopsis
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and that is dead. But they're small plants and I think that had something to do with it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Maybe not established before the bad weather.- Absolutely.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38That was supposed to be special too.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41They're still special, just. It's Watsonia. That will be fine.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45That will look good against the stained glass. It'll be fine.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- You heard it first here. Aye, aye. - Just have faith, my boy.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51And there's a big gap over here.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- Are we still in the Southern Hemisphere?- Yes. That's New Zealand.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57There was a New Zealand thing in there too. That's surprising.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00That's Ozothamnus and that's OK.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05The Corokia which ce-roaked it! If you'll excuse the expression.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I think we've just been lucky over the last 30 years.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13I knew Corokia, back in early '60s, in Berkshire.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And these fancy plants have been creeping further north,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- and we're getting bolder and bolder. - We've been lulled by the nursery men.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And we've had some 'deidies' in this corner.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28This was completely dead, great planting opportunity.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31What I've decided to do here, we'll have a ground cover
0:17:31 > 0:17:34which will be formed by putting in forget-me-nots.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38I've got forget-me-not seed which I'll put in right at the end,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40but we've got stuff to plant before that.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45- That would be broadcast. - Just scattered, let the stuff come through. Got some ferns here.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49This is a wee bit of a Victorian stumpery. It's not very large,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52but you and I are of an age where we can remember these things.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57- Aye, don't remind me! - So ferns against the stumps, I'll put these in in just a second.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Once I can find my... Here we are. These, that's the Cobra Lily.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06That is a cracker. The Arisaemas, I've seen in a lot of gardens.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10They seem to do well, I reckon they will do quite well here.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15- If that comes up through the forget-me-not, I think it'll look splendid.- OK.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Now, to keep the blue theme going,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19there's also some Meconopsis,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- I've got Meconopsis betonicifolia at the front there.- Yes.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28- We'll have a fair bit of variety in it.- You'll get some ground cover as well from that.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Is it a Heucherella or a Tiarella? - That's Heucherella.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- Really?- It is indeed. - Which is a cross between the two.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Aye, well, interspecific hybrid, and that will give a light bounce out of the corner there.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Next to a fuchsia. Now, how did that manage to survive that winter?
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Never be dogmatic, because once you say that...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Aye, did you mention the Hostas? - I hoped you would ask about them.
0:18:51 > 0:18:59These are little Mouse Ear Hostas, this is "Blue Mouse Ears", this one.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02There's "Frosted Mouse Ears" as well and "Holy Mouse Ears".
0:19:02 > 0:19:07And what we've got are ones which are supposed to be slug-resistant.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12So if we put them in here, which is slug corner.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17- Slug territory without a doubt. - I think we will prove it right or wrong, won't we?- Absolutely.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20They will come through the ground cover of forget-me-nots.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23The thing that's interesting, the forget-me-nots are up,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26they'll do their own thing, be blooming in the spring.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29And they'll go away and just lift them. The seeds left another year.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- Time alone will tell.- We will see.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43This week, I'm in the Cairngorms, outside Nethy Bridge,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48where Chris Jamieson has created a garden out of virtually nothing.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Tell me, what was the site like when you arrived?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Well, it was just natural.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Just grass, a few violets.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Right.- The trees were here,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the silver birches and rowans were here.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The house wasn't a house, it was a ruin.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- It was the height of the bottom of the windowsill. - What had it been before?
0:20:16 > 0:20:21It had been a mill. And there was even a tree growing out of what's now the kitchen.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26My goodness! How did you have the courage to take on a site like that,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31- all those years ago? - It was nothing to do with courage.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34We were young, we wanted a house, we liked the site
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- and you didn't think about it. - I suppose that's right.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- It's on a slope, had you been used to gardening?- Yes. My parents have a house on a slope,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- so there was rockeries. - So they knew what to do.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Did they come and holiday? - Yes, they came and helped.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Now, how many years?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54We've been here 35 years, but we've also brought up two girls.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- It's not constant. - It wasn't constant, no.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01The whole thing now, you see, just looks as though it has always been here.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05It's all melted into the countryside and looks superb.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10But what really gets me is this wonderful collection of plants you have got.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14You've got some great primulas. There's that little one down there, Primula wilsonii.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- What's this one?- Alpicola. - Look at it, two different colours.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And vialii and a Dodecatheon.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24These are superb. So a great collection of primulas.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27But it does have a down side...
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- Oh! - ..because somewhere along the line,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35without me knowing, I must have introduced New Zealand flatworm.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41And in three years, I have been collecting over 7,000.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- Not funny.- You're a sad person! - Yes, yes.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Counting them as well. It's the only thing to do, collect them,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51nothing else keeps them under control.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53They eat the earthworms, of course,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and because you have been using compost and things like that,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I suspect that's why you have lot of earthworms. There's lots for them to feed on.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17- This is my other problem, George. - This is a Hamamelis.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Now, what did you buy this as?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Hamamelis mollis "Pallida". - That's this one at the bottom.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27And of course, that's grafted on to Hamamelis virginiana.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29That's what we've got growing here.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32So the suckers have come from the base of that
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and overtopped Hamamelis mollis "Pallida".
0:22:35 > 0:22:38What you can do, because this one flowers in the autumn,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40that one flowers in the winter.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45So that's a great thing for up here. Just take off one of those suckers,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and leave the rest of it so you have got an autumn-flowering plant
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and a winter-flowering plant.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54And go and buy another plant of Hamamelis mollis "Pallida".
0:22:54 > 0:22:56That won't be difficult!
0:23:06 > 0:23:10This year, for the first time, Chris opened her garden
0:23:10 > 0:23:12under Scotland's garden scheme,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16along with her friend and neighbour Helen Blyth.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26So what a contrast this is. We've seen a garden on a slope,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and now we're surrounded by trees, this is a woodland garden.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And everything here loves the shade of the woodland conditions.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36This Meconopsis is just a cracker.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41- What is that one?- Betonicifolia. - That is a Cedrus one.- It is indeed.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43The colour on that is just magnificent.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45It's lovely with the sun shining through it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Then this dusky cranesbill, with all the bees on it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- The "Mourning Widow", apparently. - Is it? Oh my goodness, poor soul.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57Further over, we have a plant with this milk chocolate-coloured flower,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01this thing Bupleurum. I think it's Bupleurum lancifolium.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- That is just superb. - It is, it's a lovely plant.
0:24:03 > 0:24:09It's not terribly brilliant but to see the sun shining through it,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- it's almost opaque.- Is it? - Yes, it's lovely.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Then the Morina next to it, this thistly-looking thing.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21- That is a wonderfully statuesque plant.- It is, very structural.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Although that normally grows in dry conditions,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26it's loving that with the sun pouring in on it.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- Yes, it's quite successful there. - 0h, it is successful.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- You've also got some interesting trees and shrubs for me to look at. - Oh, yes.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41When I walked over to this,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I thought this was going to be Acer griseum,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47the Paperbark Maple that comes from Japan.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- Of course, it's not. - No, it's a birch.- It is.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Look at that. It is a birch.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I think it's possibly Betula utilis,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59one of those ones which is... it's a diverse group.
0:24:59 > 0:25:05Wonderful bark, and when the sun shines through that, it is absolutely magic.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07And it comes into its own in the wintertime.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12- It's an orange glow. It's beautiful. - Now this one does the same.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But this is a white one. This is Betula utilis as well,
0:25:15 > 0:25:20although on your list, it'll possibly be something different.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- Jacquemontii.- That's right. Betula jacquemontii is the same thing.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28This one has wonderful pure white stems. What I really like about it
0:25:28 > 0:25:31is the way in which when you get branches joining the trunk,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35you get these wonderful narrow bits. It almost looks like elephant hide.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I think that is a magical feature in the plant.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43You have got a garden which has got spring colour,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- I'm sure you've got bulbs, we've not seen them.- Absolutely.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51We've got summer colour with the herbaceous. We've got winter colour with these stems.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54And then in between, autumn colour, which I'm sure was planned as well.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Well, yes indeed.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And you've always got variety.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03That makes the garden come alive, and it's a splendid place to be.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15If you don't like using insecticides in the greenhouse
0:26:15 > 0:26:17but want to control whitefly,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19think about using these yellow sticky traps.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22All you have to do is hang them up in amongst the plants
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and hopefully, that will trap the whitefly.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Since we pruned this fig earlier in the season,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30it's made an enormous amount of growth.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34What I'm going to have to do to encourage the figs to develop
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and to get a crop for next year is to spur prune it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41I'm going to count four leaves beyond the well developed figs,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and prune it off there.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48That will encourage those ones to grow and ripen this year.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Then there will be small figs which will develop,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and they will be the crop for next year.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Well, they say thyme, it is a precious thing. Isn't it?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- Isn't it wonderful as well?- Super. - It's flowering its head off.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Lesley and myself revamped this garden a few weeks ago. We did pull out a lot,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- but obviously we've left enough. - Thank goodness! Absolutely.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15But this here vegetable display is a bit alien to this part of the garden.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Maybe so, but it's a great demonstration of what you can have in your garden.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24There is some turnips, that is Tokyo Cross, it is only about eight weeks.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- And that's just the thinnings.- Yeah.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Then we've got Salad Bowl lettuce, this wonderful purple one,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33then this one here, which is the kale.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- Look at the purple stem. Gorgeous. - Really good on a plate.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Absolutely lovely. The important thing about that little turnip
0:27:40 > 0:27:44is not to let it get too big because they are really sweet,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46just mouth-sized bite at the moment.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51- I thought you'd ask whether that's the championship vegetables! - I was hoping he wouldn't!
0:27:51 > 0:27:57- They are not.- I won't embarrass him. - We need a bigger table for that.- Aye!
0:27:57 > 0:28:00If you'd like any more information about this week's programme -
0:28:00 > 0:28:03the plants Jim and George were putting in the Secret Garden,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06or the propagation items, it is all in the fact sheet
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and the easiest way to access that is on line.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Next week, Carole and I are ploutering in the bog.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16We are going to plant some carnivorous plants. That should be interesting.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Yes, I just hope it's a unisex bog. Moving swiftly on!
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I'm going to be sowing biennials and overwintering veg.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27And I believe you and I will be looking at some trials.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- Yeah, we're going to be busy!- Indeed.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34- So until we see you again next time, it's bye-bye.- Bye!- Bye!
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:48 > 0:28:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk