0:00:15 > 0:00:18Hello and welcome to Beechgrove.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20In my usual way, I was rehearsing my words this morning
0:00:20 > 0:00:22when I left home,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and was about to say, "And welcome to Beechgrove in flaming June".
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Because this morning, it was chucking it down with rain,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and the temperature was Baltic.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34But, here we are. And that's the kind of spring and summer we've had.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Despite that, out tomato crop in here is looking very nice indeed.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39To recap,
0:00:39 > 0:00:44we have eight rows of tomatoes - all the one variety, Shirley.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47The difference is each row
0:00:47 > 0:00:49has a different compost, from a grow bag.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52In order to even it all out,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54we tipped the compost out the grow bag,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and into pots. They're all in the same-sized pots.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59The only thing different is the actual compost itself.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Very little to choose between them,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03except the one behind me here.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It's beginning to fall behind - there's no question about it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07The foliage is not so lush.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09It's a little bit yellow.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11And they're shorter in size.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Here, not a lot of difference.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15A wee bit difference in height, but the plants are looking good,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17because the team have been working hard at it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I've not been threatening them, or anything.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But they have been working hard.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Good ventilation in the day,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25to mitigate these very high temperatures.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27A decent temperature at night.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29As a result, there's no leaf rolling,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31which we get questions about.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34It's just the big swing in temperature between day and night.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35We managed to avoid that.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37The plants are growing nicely.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39The trusses are about to set.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Here's the truss on this one, here.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43The team have kept it damped-down,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46because - although these are self-pollinating -
0:01:46 > 0:01:50you have to get the pollen itself to ripen and burst,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54to do the business of getting the fertilisation of the flower.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56And to do that by keeping humidity going.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59In with the hose pipe, and watering in-between the rows,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03so there's a nice bit of humidity in the atmosphere.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Of course, as you're going around, you're shaking the plants, as well.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And the strings. And that helps to budge the pollen,
0:02:09 > 0:02:10under the right conditions.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I'm looking for a really good crop.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14We start to feed them soon.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Of course, just doing a little flick round, like that,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21to keep them going up the way, and removing all the side shoots.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Let's go up to one of the tunnels,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25where we're looking at some bush tomatoes.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We change the subject to bush tomatoes,
0:02:32 > 0:02:33in a poly tunnel.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36This pair, Jane and Ben, have made such a fantastic job
0:02:36 > 0:02:38of these tomatoes down the road,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40I've employed them to do this lot, as well.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44I always regarded bush tomatoes as an outdoor crop.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Therefore, in Scotland, they're a bit dodgy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48You do get fruit,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50but the skin's very leathery.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52All right for chutney and sauces, and so on.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56The chance was to fit into this tunnel in a rotation.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00You'll remember this is where we had the over-wintered veg -
0:03:00 > 0:03:02the brassicas and all the rest - cleared.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Cultivated the ground, treating the tomatoes just like an ordinary
0:03:05 > 0:03:07outdoor vegetable crop.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09The ground's been cultivated.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11A little bit of Growmore fertiliser on,
0:03:11 > 0:03:12and ready to plant.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We have eight varieties of bush tomatoes - four either side.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17There's not much to see at the moment.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19We'll talk about the individual varieties
0:03:19 > 0:03:21when they start to produce their fruits.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23They're a funny sort of bunch,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25because they don't train up strings up to a great height.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28They tend to finish up like an upside-down triangle.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31So they get bushier and bushier and bushier.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I want to see how well they perform under these conditions.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37We're going to support them using a net.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Let them work their way through the net, and hold them up.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42That saves an awful lot of work.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Jane, I notice you're taking
0:03:43 > 0:03:45the card off these plants.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Have you always done that?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Yeah, I just feel it helps to get the roots away.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And you've been able to get it off
0:03:53 > 0:03:54without actually damaging...
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I quite agree with you.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I have used these in the past,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00but I think that's by far, in a way,
0:04:00 > 0:04:01the best way to do it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Time alone will tell, Jane.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Meanwhile - in the rest of the programme...
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I'm in the lovely coastal village of Johnshaven.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I'm here to revisit the community garden,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16to see how it's progressed - and also help them
0:04:16 > 0:04:18with a few wee problems.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23And I'm in the Borders.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25In a riot of colour and scent.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Lesley, this is all about vertical gardening.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I know you know about it already.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- You've done some of this before. - SHE LAUGHS
0:04:35 > 0:04:36It's such good use of space.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38For a small footprint,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40you can get high rise growing - lots more plants.
0:04:40 > 0:04:4220 centimetres, we're speaking about.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Then, I've got 16 plants.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Four different varieties of basil, we're growing in this.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49These are the tiers,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and these three, you have to fill the compost
0:04:51 > 0:04:53right up to the neck, there.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Plant the plant on its edge,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and this is the fiddly bit - I might need help with this.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00This sort of stacks up.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04You have to get the rings, without damaging the stems.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05You have to get them through.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07You have to push that out.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09See how fiddly it is, but once it's put together,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12it is going to be quite stable.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13We're doing this outside,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15but basil needs to be in a greenhouse, doesn't it?
0:05:15 > 0:05:20These plants have suffered quite a bit with the weather conditions.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22That's the one that will go on the top.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Then you water from the top.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26A little tip.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I would always water basil in the morning.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- It doesn't like to go to bed wet. - THEY LAUGH
0:05:30 > 0:05:31When that water comes through,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33if there's any nutrients in there,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35you can use this pipette.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Otherwise, a watering can, at the top.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Lots of different sorts, as well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Here, we're using four different varieties,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45but we've actually got nine that we're trying out.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47And successional sowing - I think that's so important.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Hopefully, the weather conditions now
0:05:49 > 0:05:52should mean they will germinate and grow quite well.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54This is a lime basil,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so you imagine it has that gorgeous Mediterranean flavour.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59This one, I've got lemon.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01There's also cinnamon,
0:06:01 > 0:06:02there's Siam Queen.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Hopefully, we will try these later.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06With Jim's tomatoes?
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Yeah. You're good with recipes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09THEY LAUGH
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Then, what we'd have to do is lightly cover that
0:06:11 > 0:06:13with a little bit of compost.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Do you think they would go with aubergines, as well?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18That could be an interesting, "creative" recipe.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19THEY LAUGH
0:06:19 > 0:06:22These need potting on. This is a variety called Amethyst.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- Hopefully, we can just get that in there.- That's lovely.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29These are aubergines with very small fruits.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Mini fruits.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Quite different and ornamental, aren't they?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34We have Ivory, which tells you it is white.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Some are stripy, some are the typical black aubergines,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40or dark maroon.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42They like fairly warm temperatures, as well.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Steady temperatures, around 15 to 18 degrees centigrade.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48So, some recipes of aubergine and basil.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50OK. That will be a challenge!
0:06:50 > 0:06:52THEY LAUGH
0:06:57 > 0:07:01We always like to keep in touch with our community garden project.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04So it's great to hear from Vera Fillingham, from Johnshaven -
0:07:04 > 0:07:08a project were involved with in 2002.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'Johnshaven is 25 miles south of Aberdeen,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13'and we helped them transform a disused railway line
0:07:13 > 0:07:16'into a well-used communal space.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I can't believe it is ten years since I've been here.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It is such a transformation.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Vera, you wrote to us. You must be pleased with the results?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Absolutely thrilled, really.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32But one of two things have got a bit out of hand!
0:07:32 > 0:07:34SHE LAUGHS
0:07:34 > 0:07:36The plants were specifically chosen for seaside location,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and they're thriving.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Really thriving!
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Two banks - so, in other words, they've smothered the ground.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Which is exactly what we want them to do.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49But, Joyce, there were one or two problems after we left?
0:07:49 > 0:07:51There was, actually.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It was due to the topsoil.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55There was quite a lot of weeds in it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57We tried to overcome it
0:07:57 > 0:07:59by putting membrane down.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01And cut around the plants that we had put in.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Did you have to do a bit of weeding first,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- then put down the landscape fabric? - Yes.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08That must have been fiddly, as the plants were there already?
0:08:08 > 0:08:09It was hard work.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11THEY LAUGH
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Well worth it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15You put the bark down, as well.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- And that's rather attractive. - It is, yes.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20You were saying, though, some of the plants
0:08:20 > 0:08:23in particular are rather invasive.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24As you can see,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the cotoneaster has just gone berserk!
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's a real bully!
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It's doing its stuff,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34but I think it's something you have to keep at.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- so we have to do quite a bit of pruning.- Absolutely.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Rachel - you're fairly new to the gardening group?
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Yes, that's right.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51So you're looking for a bit of advice here?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54The cotoneaster - this is a bit of a thug.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57You can grab quite a clump of this.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- Normally when you're pruning, you might take one branch.- Yes, I would.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03But just cut through it, like this.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And it doesn't matter where you cut - you can just chop away?
0:09:07 > 0:09:08This will respond.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11What we have to try and do
0:09:11 > 0:09:13is just get it back a bit.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Then next year,
0:09:16 > 0:09:17you have to try and stay on top of that.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Maisie, we've found the right spot here, haven't we?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Oh yes, it's lovely.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Do you come down here quite often?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Not so much now,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32but I did come every fortnight when we had our garden day.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35So the group comes every fortnight to maintain it?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38They do as much as they can.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I think it's absolutely brilliant.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Sadly, the lady that instigated this, Berit...
0:09:42 > 0:09:44..Berit Jarvis.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46..she passed away a few years ago.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Yes, five years ago.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And we have a tree planted in her memory.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52That's a lovely amelanchier.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54It's looking beautiful just now.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Yes, that's lovely. It's really come on.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59This is our New Zealand flax,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01which you can see has taken over a bit
0:10:01 > 0:10:03in the last ten years. What's the proper name for it?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Phormium tenax,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08but the common name is quite easy to remember.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- It is a little bit invasive, isn't it?- It is.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's coming over the bench, where people like to sit.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Although I think it's a lovely architectural plant, don't you?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Beautiful against the blue sky up there.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Already I've taken some of the older foliage,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26but you can see some of that - for example, this.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Although I'm cutting it there,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I'll do another one.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33You can trace it right back
0:10:33 > 0:10:34into the centre.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38You might have to do that in two stages.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It's the same principle for the cordyline.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44You can cut the older foliage at the base.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- Then you get this lovely, clear stem.- OK.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48It ends up like a tree, or a palm.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49Is it from the same family?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51That's a good question!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- I don't know! - SHE LAUGHS
0:10:57 > 0:11:00I've found compost corner, here in Johnshaven.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Rebecca, you're in charge of this project.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Tell us how the scheme works.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09We started two years ago on our own,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11as a community compost project, here in Johnshaven.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14If people in the village want to become part of the scheme,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16they pay £12 for a membership a year.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19We collect their garden waste 18 times,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20every two weeks on a Saturday.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Bring it along here,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and it goes through the compost site.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27What you see in the back is the end product, being sieved.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29We have a trailer full every two weeks,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32from the community garden, and the whole village.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It's a superb way of recycling.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Here's that lovely compost being used in the planter.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And this isn't just about the community garden.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48This is about the greater community.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Because Vera and Joyce are busy planting up these.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55A beautiful range of plants - where do they come from?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56They come from the council.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58How many are you ordering?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00We think about 1,500.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Gosh, that's a lot! They actually give you the plants?
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Yes, they do.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- But you have the work to do? - That's right!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Where else are you planting up, Joyce?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Altogether, we have six of these planters,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14along the harbour area.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The small boat there, as well,
0:12:16 > 0:12:17that we put plants in.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Anywhere, really, where the public can see and appreciate them.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24There must be a really colourful display, which is great,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27but obviously, you still have to maintain a lot of this.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29What about the watering?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Down here, it's not too bad. We do have a tap,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35and we can fill up with water and do this.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But it is difficult at the top of the road. We have a boat there,
0:12:38 > 0:12:39which is filled with flowers.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Joyce goes out there
0:12:41 > 0:12:44with a water carrier.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45THEY LAUGH
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Absolutely brilliant. I think it is a wonderful job you do here.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Thank you!
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- What will we do next - petunias? - I think so.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00While we were planting at the harbour,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02you've been working really hard -
0:13:02 > 0:13:04clearing some of that cotoneaster.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I think the phormiums look great, don't they?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10But I have found one other little job for you.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Jim planted that eucalyptus,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15which in ten years has got to some size.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16But I see right next to it,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18you have a sycamore seedling.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21That could get absolutely huge, and I'm sorry,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23I think you should take that out.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26That's another job.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Also, we have a seat donated.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29And I hope you like it.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Very much.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It reminded me of railway sleepers. It's Douglas fir.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35You don't need to treat it at all.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36And it's comfortable.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38You deserve that rest!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40I think you've done a tremendous job.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Not only now, but over the ten years.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44It really is an inspiration.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48It's great to see a community garden succeed like this.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59We've had a very full postbag.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I will try and answer some of the questions,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03here in the Garden for Life.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05First of all, a lady in Stonehaven
0:14:05 > 0:14:06has got an invasive weed in her pond.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08What you can do with weeds
0:14:08 > 0:14:11is just skim them off the surface, or spin them,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and leave the debris there at the side
0:14:13 > 0:14:15for the wildlife to escape.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16If it's on a very large scale,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19you need to use a chemical treatment that's OK for wildlife and fish.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I had another question about creating privacy.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23I'm not sure if this is physically
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to stop people coming into the garden.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28In that case, you can use something evergreen like holly,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30which is spikey as a deterrent, as well.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Or privet, here - which is a good evergreen.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35In the Garden for Life, we did a massive, radical prune
0:14:35 > 0:14:36in the spring,
0:14:36 > 0:14:37to get it back into shape.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Things have responded so well.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It was just the right time - they were wanting to grow.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44This Salix is bursting away.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47We did have a bit of negative comment about our timing
0:14:47 > 0:14:49might have been wrong for nesting birds.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51We were very careful. We kept our eyes open.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Had there been any distress sign from birds,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55we'd have left that shrub alone.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Also, here in the Garden for Life,
0:14:57 > 0:14:58we cut back the conifer -
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to give us more light here.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03We had a question about, "Can I put shredded leylandii prunings
0:15:03 > 0:15:05"onto a compost heap?"
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Yes, you can.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08But just a little bit at a time.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10You need to keep the layers of different material.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Another question - about a hanging basket,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and, "If I feed it, will I just get lush growth?"
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They're using slow-release fertiliser.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20The answer is, this is perfect.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Use it once a season.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It has a wonderful balance
0:15:23 > 0:15:25of all the things that make leaves and flowers,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28so your basket will look beautiful.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30We get lots of questions about hydrangeas,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32mainly not flowering.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Quite often, it is related to pruning.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Here is one from Jackie and Gordon King, in Falkirk.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Moved into a new house,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41a gift of two hydrangeas - a pink one, a blue one.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Flowered well, the first year.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Pruned, and they haven't flowered since.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48They've been pruned, produced plenty foliage - they would -
0:15:48 > 0:15:53but they've never flowered, because you are cutting off the wood that would flower.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54Let me try and explain.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57This is a Hydrangea hortensia, or macrophylla -
0:15:57 > 0:15:59the mop-headed hydrangea.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Here it is, ready to burst into flower
0:16:02 > 0:16:04in the next few weeks.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07These stems were made last year.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10And the little dormant bud
0:16:10 > 0:16:14rested over the winter in the head of the plant.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Now it's coming out to flower.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18During the rest of the summer,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20another set of new shoots
0:16:20 > 0:16:22will come from below.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25From the angles of the foliage.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26They will be non-flowering,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29because they're the ones that will produce a bud in the top
0:16:29 > 0:16:31that stays over the winter and flowers next year.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34If you give your plants a real pruning,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36you are liable to cut off
0:16:36 > 0:16:39the new shoots that will flower the following year.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It is almost into the second year
0:16:41 > 0:16:42before you see flowers on the shoots.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45This is the species Hydrangea paniculata.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Flowers later in the summer.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50White, with maybe a tinge of pink in it.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Flat-topped,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55and this shoot that has started to grow this spring,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57will flower later in the summer.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59So it flowers in its first year.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04If you want to prune it at all, you do so in the spring, in April,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07cutting the shoots back - because the new growth will flower.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Have you got the difference? I hope so.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12At Gardening Scotland, a couple of weeks ago,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I think one of the most popular questions, for me,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17was about acers getting damaged.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Here's really good example of an acer in a pot.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22It is actually kept by the potting shed,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and just on the edge here,
0:17:25 > 0:17:26you can see a bit of damage.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I think that is just cold winds.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31We have to remember
0:17:31 > 0:17:33that we had that amazing March.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34It was really, really warm.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37So a lot of plants put on real spurt of growth.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38And then, that cold weather.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40That's why it got hammered.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Whereas, further back,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43it is maybe a bit more sheltered
0:17:43 > 0:17:44and it looks fine.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47The same goes for the cornus here, behind.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Cornus controversa.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Doesn't this look rather sad now?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It's the same story about putting on a spurt of growth.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56But this is frost damage.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Because it is in a sheltered situation.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And it will recover. There is lots of new growth on it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05And the other question is all about a pest, I'm afraid.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06I have a couple of examples.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10This was a hosta leaf that was given to me at Gardening Scotland.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13You see those little notches out of the leaf.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15This rhododendron in the garden - look at that one here,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17with the notches out of it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19The pest is vine weevil.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21A couple of ways you can think about controlling it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23One - using a nematode.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25You can just spray that onto the ground.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Or, if you have something in a container,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30you could think about a systemic insecticide.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Today, I'm in the Scottish Borders,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46down near Newtown St Boswells.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48This is the Mertoun estate,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50home of the seventh Duke and Duchess of Sutherland.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Quite a modest little house, isn't it(?)
0:18:52 > 0:18:56But the garden is an absolute stoater.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Rupert Norris, you're the head gardener here.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- How long have you been here? - Three-and-a-half years.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And previously?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I studied at Auchincruive, and I grew up in the Shetlands.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22What a difference - the Shetlands down to the Borders!
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Absolutely - day and night.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I absolutely love it here.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This wonderful arrangement of plants you have here
0:19:27 > 0:19:30must have been so exciting when you arrived.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Oh, it's like a treasure box.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's wonderful!
0:19:33 > 0:19:35These azaleas - these are imported here, aren't they?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Yes, they are, indeed.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It was Alfred Breed, and his father.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Alfred Breed was my predecessor, who was a huge plantsman.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45He grew these on, he collected the seed.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Some of these ones we see here
0:19:46 > 0:19:48are the oldest on the estate.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51As we walk through the estate, we'll see some of the younger varieties.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Splendid.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07Look at that!
0:20:07 > 0:20:09That's astonishing,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13cos normally we see this as a plant with wonderfully polished bark.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Prunus serrula, isn't it?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Gosh! Normally, it is just little bits of bark,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19but look at that!
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Jut a mass, a great beard of the bark hanging off it.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Paper-thin, too,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27and you can see right through it.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29That's a cracker!
0:20:29 > 0:20:33So, 26 acres of arboretum and garden,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35it's an awful lot to look after.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36A huge amount to look after.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Naturally, there's areas we don't look at - we let nature take over.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Here, for example.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46We have the forget-me-nots, the red campion,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and the cow parsley.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It's just magic, isn't it?
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Beautiful - real signs of spring.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57We've come from the formal area at the front -
0:20:57 > 0:20:59or the informal, wonderful ornamental bit,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01down through the woodlands,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03but this is where the heart of the garden was, wasn't it?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Away from the main house, the walled garden.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08The place where it all happens.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10This is the epicentre.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15We don't know exactly how old the walled garden is.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But we can guarantee it has been here for at least 200 years.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- So, a fair bit of establishment? - Yes.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33So, these are the seedlings from the plants we saw earlier?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35They are indeed.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38These are the seedlings, collected from the plants on the lawns.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Alfred Breed, he grew them own, he planted them out.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44He would then select the best colours.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45He would opt for the darker colours,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47they would make their way down to the lawns,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and be planted out in great big beds - big displays.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Here you've got dark colours, we've got light colours,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55we've got early-flowering.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57We've got yellows, we've got pale forms.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Absolutely what you'd expect from a great batch of seedlings.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02That's right!
0:22:02 > 0:22:03How long from when you save the seed
0:22:03 > 0:22:06till you get the final plant to plant out?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Some of the young plants towards the front of this border
0:22:09 > 0:22:10are four years old.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Some towards the back of the border are ten years old.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15You are possibly looking at ten years,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17before you have a plant suitable to go out.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- You have to have patience to be a gardener?- Absolutely.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Now, I like that.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Poached egg plant, all the way along there.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Limnanthes douglasii.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31That is so attractive for bees and hover flies.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34They'll go into the glasshouse and pollinate your peaches,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36nectarines and things, out to the strawberries,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38off to the peas and beans.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40A wonderful place
0:22:40 > 0:22:43to get the insects into, to do all that work for us.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45BEE BUZZES
0:22:45 > 0:22:48You can certainly see the insects have done their business here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51They've come in off the poached egg plant, into the peach.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53A fantastic fruit set - look at that!
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- They will be thinned out to about a hand span apart?- They are.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Once it is finished, what will you do then?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01We'll cut the old piece of wood out,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03that has sat fruit this year.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05It will replaced by one of these two pieces down here.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07If there is space, they'll both be tied in.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09So, again, a strict form of pruning.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And the plant never gets any bigger?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14No - we try to keep it within its bunds.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Strict pruning is so essential, isn't it - just for space?
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Absolutely.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Wonderful pruning systems to be seen in the glasshouse.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Now we're outside - nearly at the end of the tour.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35There are wonderful pruning systems out here.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38There's the apples and the cherries on the wall behind us.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40There's these quince. Espaliered quince.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Where did you learn to do that?
0:23:42 > 0:23:43That was an experiment.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I had a go at training them as an espalier,
0:23:47 > 0:23:48and it worked!
0:23:48 > 0:23:51They are covered in blossom, they fruit well.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56It completely goes against what you would traditionally do.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58They'd be grown as a bush, as a goblet.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00But it's working well.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03That means we can grow them as espaliers.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05We've confined them in this space.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07We have all this other space to grow veg and everything else in.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10There's some fantastic crops here.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11And nothing goes to waste.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14it's all used within the estate.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16You have such a wonderful garden here.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It's south-facing, it's gobbling up the sun.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20It is absolutely splendid.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And what have I got to do?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Leave you here, and go back to smoky Edinburgh.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- So, you look after the garden. - Will do.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Last year, I heard tell of an organic solution
0:24:42 > 0:24:44to the control of moss on lawns.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It's the bane of everybody's life.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Especially in high rainfall areas.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52How can you get rid of it, once and for all?
0:24:52 > 0:24:55We tried the stuff last year,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and, about two hours after we applied it, we had torrential rain,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and it washed the stuff through - it didn't work.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02But people who saw it happen tried it around Scotland,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and it did work.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09This extraordinary material was put on about three weeks ago here.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12These two bits that I am standing in
0:25:12 > 0:25:14were left untreated.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17This is what the whole lawn was like.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18These two bits, however,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20were treated with this material.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24And I think it is plain to see that the moss is beginning to disappear.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I say "beginning to disappear",
0:25:26 > 0:25:29because the way of working is quite extraordinary.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30It is organic fertiliser.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It is very high in potassium.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34And what happens is,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37the moss gorges itself
0:25:37 > 0:25:39on the potassium, and it dies out.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41The bacteria in the mix
0:25:41 > 0:25:43then feeds on the dead tissue.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45So it doesn't disappear overnight.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It gradually disappears, over several days.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And I can tell you,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53it has made a very significant difference.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55That's the moss sorted.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Now we can perhaps begin to work on this area of grass,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and make a real, nice lawn of it.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I would start that using a fertiliser,
0:26:04 > 0:26:05on its own.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08There are a wide range of these fertilisers for lawns.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12You can put liquid ones and granular ones - it is your choice.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Then you would start to work on the weeds.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17We have clover here, we have buttercups,
0:26:17 > 0:26:18and all the rest of it.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21If we want to get rid of that, we use a selective herbicide
0:26:21 > 0:26:25that will take out the broad-leaved plants.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Then we will be motoring towards getting a nice bit of grass.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33We get lost of questions asking for identification of plants.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35This glossy green leaf often foxes people.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It's the leaves from the autumn-flowering crocus.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39Either white or purple,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42those little flowers that come up from bare ground.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45This is what it produces in the spring and summer.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47This sends food right back to the bulb.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51These will die down before the flowers reappear.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I was just thinking as I was doing that about moss and weeds.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Once you have them all clear,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59the next thing that becomes apparent
0:26:59 > 0:27:01are the course grasses.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04if you have a nice, fine lawn with this stuff coming up through it,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06how do you get rid of that?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08That is Yorkshire fog.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It is a natural grass that will come up,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12but it is a clump-forming grass.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It doesn't spread too far.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16The best way to get rid of bits of it
0:27:16 > 0:27:18is to take the knife to it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Be nasty to it.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Really chop it up, cut it, like so.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Because it don't like being shorn.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29The other thing you can do is rake before you start to mow.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32That lifts the leaves up.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Then you chop them off.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35Discourage it, in other words.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37It is not welcome.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39These layered bulb pots
0:27:39 > 0:27:42have given us colour for three-and-half months of the year.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44They really are a great success story.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46I want to see what happens next year.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49What I want to do is now just feed them with a tomato fertiliser
0:27:49 > 0:27:52until the foliage dies down.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Then we will wait and see what happens for next year.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It is a good time to look at our pelargoniums -
0:27:59 > 0:28:01our regal pelargoniums.
0:28:01 > 0:28:02They're looking great, Jim.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05A beautiful display here, and we have all picked one.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07This one is cherry picotee.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- And I have Turkish coffee. - Big blooms.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And this one is Lord Bute. I love the bi-coloured petal.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15I just actually bought this.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- How honest of you! - THEY LAUGH
0:28:17 > 0:28:18You might have nicked a cutting!
0:28:18 > 0:28:21If you would like more information, maybe about the pelargoniums,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24or perhaps about the lawn, it is all in the factsheet.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26The easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31Don't forget you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Next week, Mr Anderson's back.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34He and I are getting a bit fruity.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36THEY LAUGH
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Till then, bye-bye.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38ALL: Goodbye!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd