0:00:13 > 0:00:16Hello and welcome to Beechgrove Garden.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19We've got a bit of cloud today, a bit of relief from that sun
0:00:19 > 0:00:23which has been taking it out of us over the last several days.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24I'm in the fruit cage.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27We haven't been here for a while and what a change there is.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29So I'm here, there's fruit-picking to be done
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and there's a lot of pruning to be done because to grow them
0:00:32 > 0:00:36in this fashion like these redcurrants growing as a cordon,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39control is the important thing, and what I want to do
0:00:39 > 0:00:41is to get rid of all of this growth
0:00:41 > 0:00:44that's coming out from the side like so.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Because that's putting the goodness
0:00:46 > 0:00:49back into the base of the shoots where next year's fruit
0:00:49 > 0:00:51will come from.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54So basically it also makes picking a lot easier
0:00:54 > 0:00:55if you can get at the stuff.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Not only have we wonderful redcurrants,
0:00:58 > 0:01:03but believe it or not, opal, this plum, is cropping its head off.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Just look at that.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I'm going to have to spend a bit of time thinning that fruit,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12but these are looking really good at the moment under this canopy here.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Gooseberries - here we have again the cordon gooseberries
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and what a pleasure it is to pick them
0:01:17 > 0:01:20without getting your hands jagged, because they also are pruned
0:01:20 > 0:01:24the same as the redcurrants putting the good back into the plant.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25It's all about control, as I say.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Now, last year at this time our cordon pears
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and apples were looking really bad.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I wouldn't have given tuppence for them.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It was two minds - do we start all over again?
0:01:38 > 0:01:41What a difference a year makes, as they say.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Look at the quality of growth on here now.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I think these are going to be really profitable
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and productive over the coming years.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51There's not a lot of fruit on, just an odd apple here and there.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Pears are not so far forward, but it's the quality of the growth
0:01:54 > 0:01:55I'm really excited about,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and there's a bud there that's going to be a fruit
0:01:58 > 0:02:00next year just in that little rosette.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We don't have a pest and disease programme as such in the garden
0:02:04 > 0:02:09because all of the fruit here, bushes, trees, the whole lot,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13are actually sprayed every fortnight with garlic.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The one flaw, and there always is one, isn't there,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20is the black cherry aphid which refuses to be washed away.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Look at that, it's a real stinker.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26But fortunately I'm going to be cutting the ends off these branches,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and that is going to get consigned to the bonfire
0:02:29 > 0:02:31without a shadow of doubt.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32There's lots for me to do here.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I'll be pruning, pruning, pruning here all day I think.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37In the meantime in the rest of the programme...
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Surrounded by purple flowers and purple pots,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44can you guess whose garden I'm visiting this week?
0:02:48 > 0:02:51And I've no idea what young Mr Beardshaw means when he says,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55"treat them mean and keep them keen."
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Something about planting a herbaceous border.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59We'll see soon enough.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Well, then, sweet peas is the subject now for a wee while
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and I'm looking at the cordon sweet peas.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Single stems growing up a cane, side shoots all removed
0:03:12 > 0:03:14so that we've only got the flowers coming off the main stem.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18As a result we get these long straight stems and...
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Wonderful, wonderful perfume from these gorgeous flowers.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24There's all sorts of ways of growing them, but this is the way
0:03:24 > 0:03:26if you're going to grow them from cut flowers
0:03:26 > 0:03:27and they've been cropping regularly.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Now, I've got something interesting to show you.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Sweet peas at this end have been grown on this trench
0:03:32 > 0:03:35for about three, four years, and the blighters
0:03:35 > 0:03:38are only about waist high. That's not good.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40From here down first time sweet peas in,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43the plants are about two metres high. What's the difference?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Well, you could say are we beginning to get sweet pea sickness in here?
0:03:46 > 0:03:47No, I don't think so.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50That looks like drought in the bottom leaves there to me,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and at the other end of course I think the soil is much deeper,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and that's why we're getting so much better quality growth.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59But that's only one way of growing them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It's now Carole's turn because she's got all sorts of things.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03It's like a veritable forest.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Well, Jim is totally right about this forest of sweet peas.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I am so delighted with the results.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Here we're just letting them scramble.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16This is our trials plot and Jim was talking about the soil
0:04:16 > 0:04:17with the cordons.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The trial plots, we've had loads of organic matter put in it
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and I think that's why they've done particularly well.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Just four varieties I'm growing,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28they come from the scented Chelsea collection.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Beautiful perfume and I have to say they are one of my favourite
0:04:31 > 0:04:33cut flowers.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35The four varieties - we've got a white one here
0:04:35 > 0:04:39called White Frills, the lavender, that's Karen Louise
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and the blue one here I think is gorgeous,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45it's called Blue Velvet, and finally the mahogany one
0:04:45 > 0:04:47is Beaujolais.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50So the structures that I'm using, as I say they are scrambling
0:04:50 > 0:04:52so you don't have to take out the side shoots,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55you don't have to take off the tendrils,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57all you need to do is maybe a little bit of tying in.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00This first structure here, this was the most expensive.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It's wire mesh and it came out at £53.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The gardeners found a little bit of tying in,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10but the good news was that the sweet peas didn't actually
0:05:10 > 0:05:12go through the mesh itself.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Then we move onto the plastic mesh.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21and again very little tying in and they didn't go into the centre.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23That one was costing £28.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27This one was the cheapest, which is the pea and bean netting.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Only £8, but because those are fairly large holes
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that had to have quite a bit of tying in from the inside
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and the outside as well.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And then finally we had the bamboo canes just on their own,
0:05:40 > 0:05:46a tepee style. That was £16 and lots of tying in with that.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49So basically at the end of the day, and I remember Chris
0:05:49 > 0:05:52looking at this one and thought that this would be the favourite,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57well, I would say it is the best one. £28, the garden mesh.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59That is a structure that you could leave there
0:05:59 > 0:06:01just like the cordons.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Of course if you really have a tiny garden, well,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09then think about growing them in pots. These are the dwarf varieties.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Some, I have to say, are a little bit disappointing.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Things like "Snoopea," and we've had to stake them,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17but the cupid varieties are really beautiful,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19and that one, mahogany, that's a favourite.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Here on the cusp of the wild meadows down on the lower slopes
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and the more ornamental garden on the higher slopes,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33it's a rather strange ridge of ground.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37We rather grandly titled this The Entrance Garden
0:06:37 > 0:06:40because it's really the entrance to the ornamental section.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44However, our original plans, which were to revitalise this back
0:06:44 > 0:06:49just before Easter, were scuppered given a flurry of snow.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51In fact the whole ground was just white.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53The ground hasn't been cultivated since,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55but there are some pretty things coming through.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Well, that's it. It was dug over and we allowed it to just rest
0:06:58 > 0:07:02for a while as the ground dried out and we had our attentions distracted
0:07:02 > 0:07:04by other things.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08What's come through is a really rather random mix of annuals
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- and perennials. - I've got some lovely things here,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12some lovely poppies.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I love this purple, and just behind you
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- is a gorgeous little Echium. - Oh, yeah.- Right behind you there.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And an ornamental geranium, as well, coming through.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22These poppies are just gorgeous, aren't they?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24They're well worth hanging onto, actually,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26because they'll fit in really nicely with the theme.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29The idea is to try and embrace the informality of the meadow
0:07:29 > 0:07:34with the floral and bountiful nature of the herbaceous borders up there,
0:07:34 > 0:07:40picking up the low-maintenance aspect with the really high floral reward
0:07:40 > 0:07:41at that end of the garden.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43So a gentle weed through,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45saving some of these more interesting species
0:07:45 > 0:07:48before applying organic matter and then we'll start to look
0:07:48 > 0:07:49at the plants.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06On a hot day like this it's nice to walk away from all the hard work
0:08:06 > 0:08:08at that end of the garden, but I do have an excuse,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13and that's to try and explore and interrogate how the native meadow
0:08:13 > 0:08:15is so robust.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18How it works, how each of the individual plants knits together.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20There's a great example down here.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22A little bit of open ground and then we've got prunella,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26a sprawling scandent plant that's weaving its way through.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29It's very mercurial, very opportunistic,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32just finding a space, flourishing briefly and then moving on.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35That's joined by explosive plants.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Things like the Leucanthemum, the oxeye daisy, just popping up
0:08:38 > 0:08:41like little fireworks here and there. And they are then joined by
0:08:41 > 0:08:43the clump-forming plants,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46best characterised by this seedling of knapweed here.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And if you let it flourish, well, this is what happens.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53You get a good robust colony gradually growing in size,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and then the next step on is really to go for something like this
0:08:56 > 0:08:59where you end up with a huge colony.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02It's got so large and geriatric it collapses,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and then you get open space in the centre,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06so you're almost back to stage one.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And look, little tiny buttercups starting to squeeze in.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11It's this cyclical nature of the meadow,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14the robust cycle that we want to really encapsulate
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and use up in this part of the garden.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Up here alongside the stream the perennials
0:09:33 > 0:09:37are doing what they do best - filling the garden full of bloom.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40There are some disadvantages to growing some of them
0:09:40 > 0:09:43in very rich soils that you find in herbaceous borders.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The Crambe and Anthriscus here are great examples of that.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48If you overfeed them
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and over-water them they become a little bit too pampered.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55They become a bit lax and the whole plant just collapses in a heap.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58You have to stake and tie and then prune them back hard.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01So what we want to try and achieve in the new Entrance Garden
0:10:01 > 0:10:04is the floral bounty, but with none of this
0:10:04 > 0:10:06rather lax floppy nature.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Once the site is cleared of weeds we can dig in organic matter,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and it's important that this is home-made garden compost
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which is generally very low in nutrients,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23as opposed to artificial fertilisers or farmyard manure,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26which is very high in nutrients.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27We want that low nutrient status
0:10:27 > 0:10:29because we want to grow our plants hard,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32but we also want the benefits of the organic matter
0:10:32 > 0:10:35breaking open the soil structure and making the roots of the plants
0:10:35 > 0:10:37much more efficient.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48These are the clump-forming plants that we're just extracting
0:10:48 > 0:10:50from the cold frames here.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53They're the individuals which are very similar to the knapweed
0:10:53 > 0:10:54in our native meadow.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59They form really dense colonies that gradually spread and expand.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So all of these will go in the garden first and form
0:11:01 > 0:11:05the framework, and there's a few more in this cold frame.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10From Japan the Hemerocallis, great for slightly more damp sites.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Eupatorium and veronicastrum, which creates a wonderful colony
0:11:14 > 0:11:15of fluted flowers.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Very elegant, fluffy, late summer flowerers.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And then we put the explosive plants in,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26which are best represented by things like Allium sphaerocephalon,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30which will seed and move around in those spaces.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And Eryngium eburneum - once this gets going
0:11:33 > 0:11:36it'll produce six-to-eight-foot-high spires,
0:11:36 > 0:11:41and these wonderful green flowers on that the wasps
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and bees go absolutely crazy for.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And then at the opposite end we've got the ground covering.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52These are the mercurial plants, the ones that really mould and flow.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Gaura "Rosyjane," Nepeta, Persicaria,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Astrantia and the most wonderful little geranium.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00This one is "Rozanne"
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and we're relying on these to knit the whole scheme together.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06They are the glue between all of the other elements.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Once all the plants are in you really get a sense of how they're being
0:12:28 > 0:12:33used and the role that each plant is performing within the overall matrix.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So for instance the clump-forming plants like Monarda here
0:12:36 > 0:12:40are used in batches of threes to reinforce the idea
0:12:40 > 0:12:42that it's one solid clump.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Occasionally there's a little outlier, a single plant standing
0:12:45 > 0:12:49by itself showing almost a juvenile, it's subservient to the major clump.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53That's one of the ways that we can make the scheme appear really
0:12:53 > 0:12:54quite naturalistic.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57In terms of mercurial plants, well, our geranium here as an example,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59is just spilling underneath the canopy
0:12:59 > 0:13:01of some of the taller specimens.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It'll move down like a little blue river coming through
0:13:04 > 0:13:08the centre of the scheme. And then the explosive plants.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Well, Eryngium eburneum here is dotted throughout the bank
0:13:11 > 0:13:13up towards the Spiraea.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16It's as if the seeds from a parent have just been scattered in the wind
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and they're germinating wherever they fall.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The idea behind this style of gardening
0:13:22 > 0:13:23is it's incredibly informal.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26There's no formulaic system to it.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29You literally just put the plants wherever you feel is appropriate
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and allow it to become very naturalistic.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33We're planting very densely.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Remember, it's low fertility so the plants will be grown very hard
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and mean, but because they're so close together they'll
0:13:39 > 0:13:43all become very self-supporting. The idea overall?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Well, we reduce the amount of inputs the gardener places in
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and increase the amount of delights we can take out.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Well, we've just seen Chris in the Herbaceous Border,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and across the path we have the Calendar Border.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And this is all about shrubs that give you interest for 12 months
0:14:08 > 0:14:13of the year. This shrub is a real beauty, it gives this autumn colour.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15It's Parrotia persica.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18But we need to do a little bit of pruning.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22It's almost forming like a natural archway along this path
0:14:22 > 0:14:26which goes right through into the vegetable patch area.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30All I want to do is prune away one or two of the branches.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33So starting off with this one, and you go right to the main stem,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and I think I'll take this one off as well.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It's a good idea sometimes to just stand back,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42have a look before you take something off
0:14:42 > 0:14:43because there's no going back,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and I think I would take this one off as well.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47And that makes quite a difference.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51But working back this branch,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I think we need to go back to a side shoot,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55so I'll take the loppers...
0:14:55 > 0:15:00and I'm just going to snip it in there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And then over on this side
0:15:05 > 0:15:09we have another slight problem with the lovely white stems here
0:15:09 > 0:15:11of the Betula jacquemontii.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13It's just this small branch,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and it's a really good time to be pruning back at the moment.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19So that clears that area, but I've one or two others
0:15:19 > 0:15:22to look at further up the Calendar Border.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Now, up here we've a summer flowering shrub.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31It's a Deutzia and a really good specimen,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and it's just about finished flowering, but look,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36there's one or two blossoms to look at.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Beautiful pale pink.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41And my decision here is what shall I do,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45because it's a large specimen and it's growing into the oak tree.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I've really got two choices - do I think about pruning this back
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and keeping it fairly compact? Or do I lift the canopy of the oak
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and let in a bit more light?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Well, my choice would be to lift the canopy of the oak.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01That means taking off one or two of these big branches,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04in particular this one here.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Now, I'm not going to do it at the moment because
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I really need a pruning saw and it would take me quite a while,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12but if you were doing something like this at home
0:16:12 > 0:16:16what I suggest first of all is you take off quite a bit of the branch,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19make a cut underneath and then you cut that off.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22The reason for that is then it doesn't rip too much of the bark.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Then that last bit,
0:16:24 > 0:16:30then you can go in there and cut it off right to the main trunk itself.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I'm sure there's one or two other branches as you go around,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I think we need to take them out as well,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37especially because there's a rose at the back there
0:16:37 > 0:16:39and it's starting to look fairly leggy.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44And then back on the path, well, this is a lovely plant.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45I really like it.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49It's a Salix lanata of the willow family, lovely soft hairy leaves,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51but you can see this is encroaching on the path,
0:16:51 > 0:16:57so I'm back with the secateurs and just again cut back...
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Stand back.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02And you know, I think this is going to take me
0:17:02 > 0:17:05quite a few minutes to do.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Well, we get lots and lots of questions about how to prune
0:17:08 > 0:17:12flowering shrubs and I've got two good examples right here
0:17:12 > 0:17:16which show the sort of thing that you have to look for.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It's a rule that I've used for years and years.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22It's a very simple rule and so it can be bent.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's not absolutely cast iron. This is it, simply.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Here we've got Weigela "Florida Variegata."
0:17:28 > 0:17:32It's flowering on old wood that was made last year,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and so the time to prune it if you're going to prune it at all
0:17:34 > 0:17:37is immediately after it's finished flowering.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Now, the season is such that it's still flowering,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43but you can see it's coming end of its flowering season,
0:17:43 > 0:17:48and I would want to prune it now, OK?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Now this one here is one of the Spiraeas and it's very, very obvious
0:17:52 > 0:17:56that the flowers that are appearing right on the end of the growth.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59This flowers in the second half of the season,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01like roses for example.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04So that's simple, you prune it in the spring
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and you can cut it down as far as you like.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08It's the new growth that will produce these flowers
0:18:08 > 0:18:11in the second half of the season. It can't be simpler than that.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Although there is a bit of an overlap.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15Now to get to the business with this one,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and a bit of justification for it is simple.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22If I take out one of the oldest branches
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I will be taking out some of the flowering wood
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and leaving some, but wait till you see the difference it makes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Because it's actually quite important. If I get down in here...
0:18:40 > 0:18:41Now, out it comes.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And from below that cut we'll get some new growth,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50but just look at the new growth that's already apparent.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54And that is the growth that will produce the flowers next year.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58So you can actually overhaul your bush over time.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01There's no need to allow it to get away too big for its boots.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And there's how you do it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07There's a bit of a hole there at the moment but that will soon fill in.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Keep it simple. Prune these now, prune that in the spring.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15One more point - when I was over here at the Spiraea
0:19:15 > 0:19:19I realised that there's something amiss with our pea tree.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This is one of these weeping Caragana arborescens.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24You can see the little pods on it there.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Look at these shoots there. They're definitely not weeping.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Suckers from the base of that trunk will get in there
0:19:32 > 0:19:34when there's a bit of time and space and get these out.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Another form of pruning.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It's pretty obvious where I am this week with the Forth Bridges
0:19:40 > 0:19:41just behind me there.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I'm about to visit a very special gardening friend of mine,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and many of you will recognise her straight away.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's the one and only, that lovely Lesley Watson.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Well, it's a little bit unusual
0:20:06 > 0:20:08because the house is in the middle of the plot here
0:20:08 > 0:20:13so we've actually got garden on all sides - north, south, east, west.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Starting on the north, which, even though it's shady,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18this is one of my favourite beds.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Well, it's lovely and bright, Lesley, because you've got
0:20:20 > 0:20:23so many sort of golden foliage plants, which is wonderful.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24It looks as if the sun's shining.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Some of my favourites are in here because it has hellebores in the spring.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31That Centaurea is just singing out, isn't it?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33But you know with the golden foliage, I particularly like
0:20:33 > 0:20:38the Dicentra there just behind the slate sculpture, which is quite a feature.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39It is.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41We both love art and we like collecting things,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44so we see something we like and we think, "Well, will that fit in?
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- "Yeah, we'll find a place for it." - You'll find a space.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Lesley, you've been a presenter on Beechgrove Garden for 16 years,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and I think one of your specialisms was garden design.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55So do you practise what you preach?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58You know, this is actually kind of scary doing this.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I'm opening up my heart to you
0:21:00 > 0:21:04because this garden is a very special place for Dougal and I.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05And...yeah, I hope so,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08but you know, you're going to have to be the judge of that.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Well, I feel privileged. So, let's head south.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This is completely different round the back of the house.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It's obviously really sunny and very sheltered with the hedging.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39So this is where we choose to sit and eat and entertain.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It's quite a long run of the garden here.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So what we did was just to make it feel more like a room
0:21:44 > 0:21:48we just put up one pergola rail and also painted it black,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50because the inside of the windows in the house are all black.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52It's a design feature that we're bringing through
0:21:52 > 0:21:54into the garden.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56That's really clever because it feels like another room,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and yet it's not a solid barrier.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- Yeah.- I've also noticed lots of glass in the garden.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I saw some blue flowers and purple, your favourite colour.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I just love glass. I think what people maybe don't realise
0:22:06 > 0:22:08is it's completely frost proof.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It's not wind proof, if it blows over it breaks,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13but it's just lovely to get that colour coming through.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15So the magenta of the basket there coming through
0:22:15 > 0:22:17onto the tea lights and everything.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And some of the plants at the moment are looking magnificent.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- This is Ceanothus. - This is "Concha," isn't it beautiful?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It needs a trim back once it's finished flowering.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27A lot of people lost this plant in the bad winters,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29but it's thrived here.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Yeah, we're a bit experimental round this side of the house
0:22:31 > 0:22:33because it is sunny and quite warm.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- This is my real triumph. - That's amazing.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38This is an Echium.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And it's just loved by bees.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45It came through the winter, it had a nasty skirmish with the wind
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and got blown over, but Dougal put a stake in and it's...
0:22:47 > 0:22:49OK, so that's the second year of flowering
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and then what happens is it actually dies.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- Yes, but I'm hoping I get some little seedlings.- I'm sure you will.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The surface here is gravel as well, so we can play petanque or boules here.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- Oh, can we have a game? - No, you're too competitive.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Oh, well, let's head east instead.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Well, completely different flavour to this part of the garden
0:23:26 > 0:23:29because everything's edible here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Oh, this is lovely to see, Lesley, because part of Beechgrove
0:23:32 > 0:23:35as well is potager gardening, pretty and productive.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Well, that's right, and I used this to try things out and if it
0:23:38 > 0:23:41worked here then I'd quite often replicate them up at Beechgrove.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42So, what sort of things?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44The living willow arch that we've come through,
0:23:44 > 0:23:45we had one up at Beechgrove.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48The mint here in a pot, which I have tulips underneath.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- We created one of those. - That's lovely.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52What do you think the variety of potato is?
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I expect it's Charlotte.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Yeah, it is. My onions here, I have best success with an autumn planting.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01They're looking really healthy. Oh, look at this.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Purple pot, purple Clematis. That's you, Lesley, all over.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06And then I've got nice little lavender hedges here
0:24:06 > 0:24:08which just frame the beds.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And you know, it feels a lot warmer in this part of the garden today.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12It is, it's quite sheltered.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15You know, there's always somewhere you can get out of the wind,
0:24:15 > 0:24:16and there's a seat here too.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19That's the most important bit of equipment for a gardener.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And coming round to the last bit which is the west garden,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and of course this gets the evening sun. It's a lovely place to sit.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This is very special because this is my leaving present
0:24:44 > 0:24:47from Beechgrove and it combines my love of glass and Clematis.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49- And a bit of purple. It's beautiful.- Yes.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51It looks lovely when you look out from the conservatory
0:24:51 > 0:24:53into the garden as well.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We do that with a lot of parts of the garden,
0:24:55 > 0:24:56that's one of the ways we design.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Check what is the view like from the window.- That's really nice.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I mean, how many hours do you spend in the garden?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Well, we all... Dougal and I garden a lot,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and Jacqueline comes in and helps us once a week, which is invaluable.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12In fact, she's just replanted this bed over here
0:25:12 > 0:25:15which was nine years old and just needed a bit of a revamp.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17And it's a different kind of colour
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and a lot of the plants are good for the wildlife.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22They are. They are very important to us
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and we try not to spray. But in fact a lot of the garden
0:25:25 > 0:25:27has only been planted for about seven years
0:25:27 > 0:25:31because when we extended the house it had huge implications on the garden.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33That's incredible because it looks so well-established.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37It's an absolute inspiration, and roughly a third of an acre?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Yeah, it is, about a third.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I've really enjoyed it, Lesley. Brilliant.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43Can I come and see your garden, then?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45With cameras?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I was going to say you can come, but not the cameras.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Time for a snifter. Cheers.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Not quite. It's feeding time for plants and containers.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Quite important at this time of the year that you choose a feed
0:26:08 > 0:26:09that has high potash.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13It's all about flavour and it's all about colour if it's flowers.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Regardless of whether it's petunias in the basket or tomatoes,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19peppers, cucumbers or whatever. Feeding regularly.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21So a measured quantity into a measured amount of water
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and give it a good stir and you're ready to...
0:26:24 > 0:26:28But be warned, in this kind of weather don't feed plants
0:26:28 > 0:26:30that are dry at the roots because you may very well
0:26:30 > 0:26:32scorch the roots and do damage.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35So be sure, even if you have to pre-water,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37then get the feed on, but don't forget to do it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Well, I just want to take the chance to have a look at this
0:26:41 > 0:26:43variegated Acer again.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46You might remember six weeks ago there was lots of reversion
0:26:46 > 0:26:49on this. In other words, lots of green.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51But I'm really pleased because I think we're winning the battle.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56However, we need to keep going over it, keep taking out the green
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and we'll end up with this beautiful variegated plant.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03We like to recycle as much of the garden waste as possible.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05We have two compost bins.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08This one's still being filled for this year, this one is last year.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12What we're making use of is the top space by growing a courgette.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Jim, what do you think of the gravel garden?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I think it's absolutely stunning.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22One of the reasons is that I don't know how to use grasses,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I say it all the time.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- Just look at this wavy hair grass, it's absolutely gorgeous.- It is.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I mean, I think this little island works particularly well
0:27:31 > 0:27:33with the mix like the Euphorbias there.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Yeah, what are you doing about weeds?
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I know, now this is something we did explain, because we didn't
0:27:38 > 0:27:40put the fabric down because it's on a slope,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and also it means things can naturalise.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45But I think we're going to have to treat them
0:27:45 > 0:27:47with a spot of weedkiller, aren't we?
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Yes. Get the paint brush out.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50You can paint it on or you can spray it on.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Paint it on there, for example. - Yes.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Look at this. - Brilliant, isn't it?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58We should have a stall on the market, shouldn't we?
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Is that the first of the redcurrants?
0:27:59 > 0:28:02That's the first of them, yes, and the last of that cherry
0:28:02 > 0:28:04from indoors, but the outdoor ones are ready.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Oh, right, great, and strawberries,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08I can never have enough strawberries. I love them.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- It's looking stunning. - What about this, the mangetout?
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Yeah, I shall try that later. Not sure about it.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18All the information for this week's programme of course
0:28:18 > 0:28:19is in the fact sheet.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Well, we'll be back in harness next week
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and Chris will be with us and he's going to do a really hard look
0:28:24 > 0:28:28at the new Royal Horticulture Society hardiness charts.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- Bit confusing. - Well, yes.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- See you next time. - Bye.- Bye.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd