0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hello, there. Well, I'm standing in a very special place,
0:00:13 > 0:00:18right where the majestic, fast-flowing River Spey reaches its destination
0:00:18 > 0:00:22in the Moray Firth. One of Scotland's principal rivers
0:00:22 > 0:00:26with a catchment area of over 3,000 square kilometres,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31it fairly hammers its way down to the sea, dropping 12 feet in every mile,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35taking everything in front of it, and by the time it gets to the estuary
0:00:35 > 0:00:38it will get out there in its own fashion.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45The Muckle Spate of 1829 was an infamous flood
0:00:45 > 0:00:47which devastated much of the Strathspey and Speyside area
0:00:47 > 0:00:49including many of the bridges on the river.
0:00:49 > 0:00:55The flood tore a massive 400 metre-long hole through the protective shingle ridge
0:00:55 > 0:00:58creating a new mouth for the River Spey.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Flash flooding by the river and its tributaries still causes problems,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05there were flood warnings out just a few weeks ago,
0:01:05 > 0:01:11but on the other side of the coin, it carries with it lots of food for wildlife
0:01:11 > 0:01:17and this has created in this area the most wonderful flora and fauna.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20And the challenge for us at the new community garden is to
0:01:20 > 0:01:25create something which is in tune with this very special place.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48Isn't this wonderful, being able to indulge your passion of gardening
0:01:48 > 0:01:51with your second passion, which is fishing.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55This is one of the prime salmon rivers in Scotland.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02The Tugnet salmon netting station was built in 1783 and at its height,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04they were netting 1,000 salmon a day.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07That's some haul.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Salmon stocks declined so much
0:02:10 > 0:02:13that the netting was stopped in the 1990s.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19Since then, the wildlife on the river has improved dramatically.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I've always wanted to swim with dolphins, but I think this might be
0:02:31 > 0:02:33the closest I'm going to get,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and that's what this special place is all about, the wildlife.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43Here you can see otters, ospreys, seals and so much more, but most visitors come because it's reputed
0:02:43 > 0:02:50to be the best place in Europe to see my favourite and the most entertaining of creatures, dolphins.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The Tugnet salmon netting station
0:03:00 > 0:03:03gave over its buildings to be used as a unique wildlife centre.
0:03:03 > 0:03:09It's now managed by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, which is a global charity
0:03:09 > 0:03:14dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales and dolphins.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27Each year, the centre attracts no fewer than 60,000 visitors to this remote part of Scotland. Hello.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Welcome.- Hello.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Everyone wants to see the dolphins, and we really want to see some while we're here over the next few days,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37but actually we're here to be involved in the finishing stages
0:03:37 > 0:03:39of this unique community garden
0:03:39 > 0:03:42which wraps itself around all parts of the of wildlife centre.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I'm in the wildlife centre
0:03:56 > 0:04:01and Alice is the centre manager so, Alice, tell us the main functions of WDCS.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Well, we are here to protect the whales and dolphins around Scotland
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and particularly the whales and dolphins in the Moray Firth.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14And Spey Bay is a fantastic site for dolphins to come and feed,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17so it also makes it a great place for people to come and watch dolphins
0:04:17 > 0:04:20so we have a visitor centre here and an education programme
0:04:20 > 0:04:23to promote stewardship of the animals here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26But there is also loads of other wildlife to be found at Spey Bay
0:04:26 > 0:04:30so it's a great place for people to come and see ospreys and birds as well.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32So what's your motivation behind the garden?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Well, I think that Spey Bay is such a beautiful site, it's a beautiful, natural site,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41there's so much fantastic wildlife here and yet over the years we have been so busy
0:04:41 > 0:04:45focusing on the education and conservation work
0:04:45 > 0:04:50that we do we've perhaps let the buildings kind of... not look so good,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and what we'd really like to do is try and match the overall look of
0:04:54 > 0:04:58the visitor centre with the beautiful natural environment
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and try and make it a bit more appealing to visitors.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02And who has been involved?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Well, we've had a real variety of people involved.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10We've had local volunteers who have been working with us for several years now,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12and they've got really excited about the project, helped out a lot.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We've also had our residential volunteers
0:05:15 > 0:05:19who come here for a season to help with conservation and education work,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22but also we seem to have drawn in quite a few local people
0:05:22 > 0:05:25who haven't necessarily been involved with the centre before
0:05:25 > 0:05:29but have been pleased to finally see us doing something with the site
0:05:29 > 0:05:31and it's kind of snowballed as we've gone on.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The more we've done, the more people we seem to have gathered.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39Well, here we are in one of the most important areas of this garden, this courtyard,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and with me I've got Anne and Robert
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- who have been volunteers for how long now?- Just over a year.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Really? And it's not just all that easy.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48How far away do you live?
0:05:48 > 0:05:5052 miles.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- You're obviously committed to the job then, that's for sure.- Yes.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Yes, yes. And, Robert, you I think are to blame for us being here.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59It was your idea wasn't it?
0:05:59 > 0:06:00That's right, yes, it's true.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I mentioned Beechgrove to Alice...
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- Uh-huh, uh-huh.- And she...
0:06:05 > 0:06:06- And it's worked.- It's worked.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- I suppose it's a special place that could be made more special.- Yes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And you've been a volunteer for a year, do you find that there are more people becoming involved?
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Yes, there's a lot more people coming now and it's lovely, and the people
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- that are coming are really committed to making it work.- Yes, yes, yes.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And what's the common denominator?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- Gardening.- Gardening.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Yes!
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Now, Kirsty, this is quite a different project because you've been
0:06:33 > 0:06:36designing the garden for the Scottish Dolphin Centre.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Yes, and one of the first parts of the brief was to try and make this car park
0:06:40 > 0:06:44a little bit more inviting, because it's the entrance to the centre.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49So we started doing that by brightening it up, defining the edges, getting new signs.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52We've dealt with a horrible concrete wall.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55A lovely solution with the shells and the netting.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It's got all that nice sort of seashore feel to it as well.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02It has. I mean this is such a very, very different project for me
0:07:02 > 0:07:08because it's all the different aspects, the coastal aspect, the reserve, the estuary,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the inner courtyard, so lots of different planting to consider.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Because you've been working on lots of different areas and they've all been improved
0:07:15 > 0:07:16with the gardens around them.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Absolutely. Well, I mean the planting, here we had to deal with salt-laden winds.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24In the inner courtyard we've got some lovely, prettier planting
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and then, of course, the natural planting looking over the reserve.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30And I know it's very, very exposed
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- but it has a lovely peaceful feel to it.- Hasn't it just?
0:07:33 > 0:07:39I mean, the quality of light here is just...it's extremely calming.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- So you're nice and calm. - I am very calm. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Ali, you are the educational officer here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- That's right.- And this harbour garden existed a few years ago.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Yes. We started it in 2008 when sadly a member of staff died here and we wanted a memorial garden
0:07:54 > 0:07:57for her and for our other supporters as well
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and since then it's just been growing and evolving.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Well, you say "evolving" but I'd like to take you back...
0:08:02 > 0:08:05What was the space used for initially?
0:08:05 > 0:08:09When it was a salmon fishing station the men used to come in here to mend their fishing nets.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13You can see a big chimney over here and they used to light the fire in there to keep warm
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- while they were doing all their work.- They would need to keep warm, especially in the winter time.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22- Pretty cold in the winter, definitely.- The garden itself, the focal point has to be the tree stump.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Yes. It was found on Spey Bay beach, part of the driftwood there, and we brought it up - no mean feat,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and it's meant to be like a diving whale's tail,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34so to signify that. And it does look like that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36It does. It's absolutely superb.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38And what about the words on the logs here?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42A local poet wrote this for us and we put one word on each log,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44and when children come here they love to see what it has to say.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It's a very tactile garden, I think it's great fun.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The plants, of course, you've had to choose plants that are suitable for coastal locations.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Yes, of course, and over there
0:08:54 > 0:08:57we've got plants that grow in the Moray coastline and all the way along.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02We also have it as a wildlife garden, so we've got some wildflower seeds growing here
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and also a bug hotel at the end where lots of insects live.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09And then you're also growing a few vegetables and herbs?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Vegetables for the staff and volunteers who come and take their pick.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The children were really enjoying themselves today with the boats on the wall.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21Yes. We had some local school children in today and they helped make these boats for the wall
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and they also helped put driftwood up on the netting up here.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Well, you know what I like, Ali, is when you come through the new entrance now,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30you can just get a glimpse of that, it's really inviting.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Yes. It's a splash of colour and it's really good. Yes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39- Well, George, this must be one of the most unique features on the site.- Absolutely. Now,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44- reputed to be the largest ice house in the country...- Right.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50- ..covered with a turf roof which, of course, we think is a wonderful modern feature.- 21st Century.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- And all the business doing it, but...- 200 years old?- Absolutely.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Now, you've got a range of plants in here which have...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Well, it has its own kind of, this is a particular habitat.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- This is a wee plant, Ian, recognised by that spike.- I see it, yes. - We're used to seeing it flat.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Are these ones the flat ones on the lawn?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Yes. Look how that has adapted to the seaside.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- Very narrow ribbed leaves.- Yes.- In miniature, so to speak.- Absolutely.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16And look underneath, a stone drop just hanging on there.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21I think what they did was they just lifted the local turf and they put it on the roof.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- That's a wallflower stump. - There's another wallflower here. Look at that. See?
0:10:24 > 0:10:29There's one just starting out. Seedlings, seedlings all the way along here, a wee wallflower,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- and here's a hockspit, and then this one at the corner.- Yeah, yeah.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Look, forcing its way out from between the sheets of concrete.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39This would be quite thick and it's actually acting as an insulation layer, isn't it?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- Absolutely. Right. - And it's handsome.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- And then, see that?- Yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45- That's at ground level here, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Well, you come into the ice house, you see where it is, it's way above your head.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56It must have been some fish industry to support an ice house this size.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- Well, they were catching anything up to 1,000 fish a day.- What?
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And they needed the ice to keep them cool so they could send them off to the markets.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Right. Where did they get ice?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07See these channels? These were all fresh water channels.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Those froze in the winter, they cut the ice into huge blocks and it was all taken into this building here.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- And when the fish went, it would go by train?- Well, they built a special railway.- Really?
0:11:15 > 0:11:19And they have a bridge up there with this wonderful railway track.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22'This here is quite interesting.'
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- Does anyone know what this is? - I think we should.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- Do you think we should? - It's a type of boat, it's got quite a special name, it's called a coracle.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32So you can see a big saw on the back wall there,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36that would be two or three men that would be sawing the ice -
0:11:36 > 0:11:39they would chop the ice up and they would bring it into the ice house.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And because the walls are very, very thick and because two thirds of
0:11:42 > 0:11:47the ice house is underground, the ice would stay in that component for the whole of the winter.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- Is that the window that we can see from outside?- Yes.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- It's at ground level upstairs.- Yep.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Yes. So what they did is they were landed with this killer whale on the beach and they obviously had to
0:12:01 > 0:12:06dispose of it, and you've got an animal very, very large, and it's quite heavy
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and you don't know what to do, so they enlisted in
0:12:09 > 0:12:14local army, who decided that the best thing to do would be to blow it up.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18So they miscalculated the amount of explosives, but also forgot
0:12:18 > 0:12:21that when animals die you also have natural gases that build up as well.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So they put the explosives in the whale and blew it up
0:12:24 > 0:12:30and the whale ended up in a lot of people's back gardens.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32That's another way of putting down fish blood and bone!
0:12:32 > 0:12:37- Absolutely.- The gardens would have been good!
0:12:37 > 0:12:41You know, Kirsty, the ice house is just an amazing building.
0:12:41 > 0:12:47It's fascinating, isn't it? And it's actually the ice house that creates this sort of shelter down here.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49This is just a completely different world, Carole, isn't it?
0:12:49 > 0:12:54We've got the reserve, the estuary, and it's very sheltered.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It's peaceful, as you say, a beautiful environment to look at,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01so really we should utilise this area, shouldn't we?
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Absolutely. Well, people do come to picnic down here but there's nowhere for them to sit.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10So what we've decided is, in a way, Beechgrove is treating this as a bit of a problem corner.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16- OK.- We're going to bring in some benches and using locally-sourced whisky barrels...
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- Very appropriate. - So there's lots of work here.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I think we need a bit of muscle.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- Yes, we do.- And I think I know just the person.- George!
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Yes? What?
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Oh, Rob, that's great, more compost. We're going to do a bit of shovelling, get that in.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48- Okey-dokey.- Now, Rob, your role is project coordinator, is that right?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Yes. I've been basically put in charge of getting all the stuff for
0:13:53 > 0:13:58this project, like the wood, the compost, stones, all sorts.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04- And how has that been for you? Has it been quite easy to source things? - It's been easier than I expected.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08When I first started phoning up the local companies, I thought it would be really difficult,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12but they were dead keen to get involved, so it was a lot easier than I expected.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- And are you pleased with how it's coming together?- Yes, it's amazing.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19It's a really exciting stage. Everything is coming together now.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24I should explain what we are doing here. We are creating these three seating bays for you
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and we've got the 12 whisky barrels,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30so we've put the Formasol down on the bottom there to suppress any weeds,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- then we've got pebbles on top of that.- Yeah.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38We've put gravel and drainage holes in the whisky barrels because that's really important as well,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- and then a bit of topsoil and that compost that you've sourced as well.- Mmm-hmm.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47And then the next bit, for me, it's always the exciting bit, putting in the plants.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03- Kirsty, what do you think of the planting?- I think it looks absolutely fantastic.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06The colours, the textures, and the fact you managed to get the colours all the way through.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It looks really good.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Well, speaking about the textures, I think what is important is we've got to bear in mind the strong winds
0:15:13 > 0:15:14and the salt spray.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18So we've ended up with things like very narrow leaves, the pines, the grasses,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- they are fine in those kind of conditions.- Silvers.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Yes. Silver leaves, hairy leaves
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and fresh leaves as well, so things like the holly.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29We'll have a little bit of a surprise.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31We'll be putting in some allium bulbs.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- They'll look gorgeous. - Yes, and nice for that summer colour.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37That will signal the season change.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- Yes, absolutely.- Fantastic.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Well, that's it, that's the last allium in.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Now you know plants are just amazing survivors
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and they grow in all kinds of conditions.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55So our George has taken a wee wander down
0:15:55 > 0:15:58to the shingle beach to see what he can find.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10So you're a ranger here at Spey Bay
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and this is an absolutely fantastic landscape.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Yes, it's beautiful.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17How did this form?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Well, all of the shingle here came down from the Cairngorms
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- and was brought down by the Spey. - Right.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27And you can see there's tons of it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Well, hundreds, thousands of tons of these rounded stones.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- And the whole thing shifts all the time?- Yes, that's right.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38It goes down about eight-metres deep.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And depending on the river and the tides,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43it just moves around a lot.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44- So a really dynamic system.- Yes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Brings down all these stones which are really the geological guts,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50as it were, of the Cairngorms,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52but it brings down other things as well.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It brings down quite a lot of rubbish
0:16:55 > 0:16:57so we have beach cleans every month.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00But it brings down other things as well.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02That Japanese knotweed, that's awful.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- Yes.- What are you doing about that?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- Well, you can see we've got quite a lot of it on the beach.- Yes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12We're just starting to get a project together now to try
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and get land owners further upriver to help us eradicate it up there.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- Because that's where it's coming from?- Yes. - And it's a wonderful survivor
0:17:19 > 0:17:20because this is shingle,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- it's moving all the time and it's rooting into that.- Yes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25So it's one of these ones
0:17:25 > 0:17:28that obviously can manage to grow anywhere.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- Yes, it can.- Absolute survivor.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34There's other things which are interesting and there's a fellow here.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Look at this thing here. This is a mountain plant.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Now that possibly has been one seed from way up in the Cairngorms,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45dropped into a stream, come all the way down the Spey
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and then pitched up here on the shingle bank
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and because there's enough humus here it started to grow.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54That's a fantastic thing to see.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56But look at this. Look at these lupins.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That's a lupin which is actually from North America.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Now, it hasn't come all the way there, but that was growing away up at Newtonmore
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and it was used to stabilise the roadside verges
0:18:07 > 0:18:10when they did the cuttings in the roads.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12And there it is, one or two seeds down the river
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and then they've pitched up here. And now you've got to deal with it.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- Yes.- Which is unfortunate, but it's a great survivor.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- Yes, and it looks great in the spring time.- It does.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Now then, just to get a little bit of local knowledge
0:18:38 > 0:18:42on what's possible to grow in this windswept environment.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Carole took herself off about a mile down the road
0:18:45 > 0:18:47to the garden of Jim and Sheila Gordon.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Well, at least I've found one or two trees here.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53But literally the community garden is just down the road.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56And the garden I'm about to visit,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00well, it's won several awards and it's built on a river bed.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Sheila, I can't get over the range of plants
0:19:08 > 0:19:12that you've got in your garden, but how did you start it all?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Well, I was standing at the kitchen sink one day
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and I just said I would love to look out on a lovely garden
0:19:18 > 0:19:23and I want to look right down the middle and see plants either side.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And I've planted the golden plants that you can see because
0:19:26 > 0:19:29being in Scotland it's sometimes overcast, you know,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and this just looks like splashes of sunlight.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- Yes, golden plants are really important because as you say, they're cheerful.- Yes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39But I'd like to have a look round so can we go on a bit of a tour?
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Yes. Uh huh.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Jim laid all these paths you can see.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53So did you know exactly where you wanted to put them?
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Well, we were just standing up here one day
0:19:57 > 0:20:02- with just soil here and I just said to Jim, "I want a pond there."- Yes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05"And I want a chalet here." And Jim says, "Yes."
0:20:05 > 0:20:12"And a path coming up here towards the chalet, and grass here."
0:20:12 > 0:20:17I wanted shrubs there, grass either side, trees and shrubs there.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20You had such a vision and I feel you've got an artistic eye,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22there's no doubt about it.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24And water I think is quite important
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- to have in the garden, isn't it? - Yes, definitely.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Love the garden pond.
0:20:30 > 0:20:35- I love the pond but I also love the bridge. Was that Jim as well? - That was Jim as well, yes.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39- He's obviously very handy. - Seven people have stood on top of there.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55Sheila, this weeping birch is a real focal point in the garden.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- It's lovely.- Yes.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I just planted it and it just grew like this.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01But you've done a bit of pruning.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- You've shaped it. - Yes, I have shaped it, yes.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But a lot of people would say that plant is too big and they'd probably say,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13"Chop off the branch," or they've got to get rid of it, but you've utilised it, haven't you?
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Yes. I love tunnels.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Really important for you.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Oh, Sheila, more surprises here and I love this plant.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Globe thistle, isn't it?- Uh-huh. - And so healthy.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38And you've got so many of them. And the apple tree, as well.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39James Greaves.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- Yeah?- I didn't want to leave it at my last place
0:21:41 > 0:21:44so I tied a rope around it and was pulling it out
0:21:44 > 0:21:46with my Austin Mini Metro and Jim came and helped me dig it out
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and brought it down here. That was in the middle of July.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- So the wrong time of year.- Yes. - But it's perfectly happy here.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- Yes.- And I can understand why you've won
0:21:55 > 0:21:59the Spey Bay gardening competition a couple of times.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- It is stunning. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Well, one of the aims of this community garden was to highlight
0:22:27 > 0:22:29the car park for the Dolphin Centre,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and this beautiful sign has really helped.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38I love the blue, and this blue colour is picked up all over in the garden.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Now, to make sure the cars don't actually come into the car park
0:22:41 > 0:22:44in the wrong way there's sort of an inference of a whale here,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and that's acting as a barrier to the cars.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52And the surface is just like a beach, it's a beautiful sandy yellow.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And then as we progress round the car park,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00the newly refurbished entrance to the harbour garden has made that really welcoming.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And then there are a couple of seats where people can sit and sun themselves.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I thought if they've put benches here I should try them out,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and they're very nice, you can sit and look across the sea, look for dolphins, it's great.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13And this bit here's lovely.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Look, they've made these containers look like the fish boxes they used to keep the salmon in,
0:23:17 > 0:23:23which I think is lovely, some pebbles on top, and this area is all covered in shells.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- And in the wind it's got a lovely clinking, clanking noise. - Such a good idea.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And then mulched with all these shells here like this.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And you can tell how old the shell is by counting these ribs.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35OK, so one, two, three, four...
0:23:35 > 0:23:39We've got more of this nice blue colour here,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and it gets a nice sort of rhythm going through the whole centre.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48And the planting here in the car park has been done in quite a special way, hasn't it? You and I did it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52We did. We did it in blocks but kind of a wavy effect,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and then one or two gaps where we can put the pebbles,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58so we've got this seaside theme, which I think is quite important.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And the plants are all going to be good and thrive here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Well, the volunteers and the staff are planting them, but yes,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08they're going to survive because they're alpines, low-growing,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12which is important with this windy site. And the names of the plants, it's a giveaway.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17We've got armeria, sea thrift, and then actually silene sea campion.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- They should do well there. - It should be good.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23And then there is a new arch, and this leads to the shop area.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27More of this lovely blue being picked up on the furniture,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and then even the doors of the gift shop have got it as well.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33And then there's another attractive sign, I love the grain in that.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The planting around here has to be really appropriate,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40so the millstone has been done beautifully with these sempervivums.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43And we've really got a couple of problems here, haven't we?
0:24:43 > 0:24:48Yes. It's very windy, there's a real wind tunnel down here so we've got planters, containers,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and we've got benching, so it should be nice to sit out here in summer, but it is windy.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54So we're looking for plants that are very tough leaves
0:24:54 > 0:24:59or things that are nice and flat so the wind just whistles over them like these.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02This always looks like black shredded polythene to me, but there we go.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- I know you don't like them. - Whatever!
0:25:04 > 0:25:08I know. This edging is nice, isn't it, between the road.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Yes.- And that silver plant in there is quite significant.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Things with sort of furry leaves as well, so the salt can't get through.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17And you've got fleshy leaves here.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Alice is just finishing off the planting there with the children, which is excellent.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25And then we're top dressing with gravel.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Yes. Well, the other problem you can get by the seaside is the soil is quite sandy,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32so you need things that will tolerate the drought.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The wind is whistling, taking the moisture out, the soil is sandy,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39so things like cedar will take a bit of drought as well.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42In the last bed we've actually got some taller grasses at the back
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- just to have a sort of a full stop here and to finish it all off.- Yes.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- And despite it being windy, salty, look at that view.- I know.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54The thing about here that's great is everywhere you look there's a stunning view of the sea.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- We're done here.- All right.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Have a look.- What a transformation.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Absolutely brilliant in here now, isn't it?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03This is just like the shingle bank we were on the other day.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- Absolutely.- Great plants, appropriate plants in there.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10This is going to be different because this is all sort of a mosaic of plants,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14and great colour right through here. We built the ships in the windows.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- OK, we're painting an idyll.- Aye. What?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Because we're in this beautiful courtyard and you can see the people...
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- I feel a but coming on. - There is a but.- Right.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- Because these walls radiate heat when it's warm but...- Wind.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31They prevent wind from getting in so it comes in over the top and it swirls round.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33And the whole lot are going to get really battered.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So the plants have got to be quite low-growing.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41But let's just pick out the things that we are concentrating on, plants that are suitable.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Grey foliage, little hairs on the leaves.- Yes.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49- Glossy leaves, you've got a hebe over there which is glossy.- Yes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52And then the heuchera just keeps coming up.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Well, it does, but it's a coastal plant.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59- Yes. So ideally situated, just in the right place.- Yes.- Magic.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Well, I said at the beginning of the programme I really hoped we saw dolphins, and we did.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20We were standing on the beach and we saw them leaping through the waves,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and it was just such a thrill. But a bit closer at hand
0:27:22 > 0:27:27there are some beautiful wooden sculptures of dolphins leaping across the lawn.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30And what's brilliant is you know you've arrived at the Dolphin Centre
0:27:30 > 0:27:32because there are the beautiful three flags.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Sense of presence, of arrival, and the same thing with the screen prints on the windows.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41I think these are just magic. They've got whales and dolphins and jellyfish on.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I'd like to just thank all the helpers, the volunteers and the staff,
0:27:44 > 0:27:49and, Alice, as centre manager, I know that you've got lots of ideas for the future on this site.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I just love the ambience of this place.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53I think we've all felt it,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and I think you can definitely say it is a destination.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00So if you want to know any more about that destination
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and you want to know something
0:28:02 > 0:28:04about what we've done here in the community garden,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06go online and have a look at the fact sheet
0:28:06 > 0:28:10which has been written by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I thought you were going to say it's been written by the whale.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17But if you've been inspired by this community garden project
0:28:17 > 0:28:20or maybe the one in Glasgow by the Y People,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23why don't you apply for a community garden next year?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26All you need is a suitable piece of land, lots of helpers,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30lots of willing helpers, and all the information of how to apply.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32You'll find that on the website.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37Next week we're back in the garden for what is the penultimate programme of the series.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40But until then, from all of us here in Spey Bay...
0:28:40 > 0:28:43ALL: Bye!
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:55 > 0:28:58E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk