0:00:14 > 0:00:16Well, hello there. Welcome to Beechgrove.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Fine morning -
0:00:17 > 0:00:20bit of a spit in the wind, so we better crack on.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It's hedge clipping time for us,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and we always start here with the Silver lime,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28so-called because the back of the leaf is beautifully silvered
0:00:28 > 0:00:31and we've got it at the back of our Silver Garden.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But the problem we have at the moment is this border here,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37which was originally planted when the garden was created,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and we used Euonymus "Emerald Gaiety"
0:00:40 > 0:00:41to make a little hedge.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Except that the blighter wouldn't come up the way -
0:00:43 > 0:00:45it kept spreading out.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46So that was thrown away.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48In came the lavenders
0:00:48 > 0:00:50and obelisks with clematis -
0:00:50 > 0:00:53two hard winters, gone.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56So here we are, third time lucky - a brand-new set-up.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59A nice little hedge again - my colleagues are busy at it.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03We packed catmint, holly and this nice lonicera.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Yeah - this is Silver Beauty.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07We've not tried that one before, have we?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09It's going to work this time.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Tell us about the soil, because it was lacking a bit.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- It was. It's been improved a bit, hasn't it?- We've put grit in.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We've learned our lesson as far as the lavenders were concerned
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that the wet winters just did for the roots,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23so there's extra grit been put in there.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And a big dose of our own compost, actually, buried right down there.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And we've raised the level a little bit as well.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30That'll make a big difference.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32We do have a problem already, don't we,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35with the variegated lonicera - a bit of a reversion.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It's going back to what it would originally be, Jim.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You know, you could go in there with secateurs and just cut this off,
0:01:41 > 0:01:42but I don't want to.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45What I'll do is break that out, and that way,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48we'll take all the buds that are in the bottom.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's a bit like a sucker, isn't it? Just rip it off.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I reckon that's a wee bit of legitimate vandalism.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58- Difficult to say, but easy to do. - Legitimate vandalism.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01How will we grow the hollies? That's Silver Queen...a column?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Well, I mean, we did have obelisks before.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07- We'll have obelisk. Big triangles. - Ooh, big triangles.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It's very amenable to clipping and shaping.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13- Yeah. Third time lucky?- Yeah.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Hedging, I shall be talking about again later.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Meanwhile, in the rest of the programme...
0:02:17 > 0:02:19- I'll let you guys get on with it. - Thank you.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I'm in a real plant collector's garden this week.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27There's loads of flowers, but as you can see,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29lots of lush foliage too.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35And you've built your house on a hill,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37water on three sides,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40lots of exposure, salt spray...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42How do you garden in that?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Well, then, it's this time again - bulb planting.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50You're thinking about Christmas, Jim.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53No! I mean, all bulbs can be planted for troughs and what have you,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55but for prepared bulbs, Christmas,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58there's a very specific timescale, isn't there?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00There is, with hyacinths in particular.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02And you do say prepared -
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- you've really got to make sure you get the prepared ones.- Exactly.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07They look the same as the unprepared ones, don't they?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09They'll be treated so that they'll flower early.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12But you have to follow a particular pattern, haven't you?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15You've got to get them planted by the last week of September...
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18..and they have to be ready to bring into the house
0:03:18 > 0:03:20the first week of December,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22so some of them need ten weeks to do that,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24some of them might do it in less.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26That's a point, isn't it?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28When it comes to varieties of hyacinth,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30one variety in a bowl we wouldn't mix them up?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32I wouldn't choose to mix them anyway,
0:03:32 > 0:03:33but some people like a mixture.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35They'll react at different times,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37so you may get them at different heights.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38The other point I'd like to make, of course,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43is when you do come to lift them out at the beginning of December,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46you must be able to feel the flower in the neck,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47it must be through the neck.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50You can usually see it. There's, like, a bulge, isn't there?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53If you actually take them into the warmth too quickly,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55the leaves will come up and leave the flower behind,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and that's quite often a problem.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59But first and foremost - yes.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I'm using a bowl without drainage, so I have to use bulb fibre,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06because it's got charcoal in it and a bit of eggshell to keep it sweet.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It looks a bit different from the stuff that we've seen before.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It looks pretty yuck, I have to say.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15But the other point is that people will say, "It's got to be wet." Yes.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17"How wet?" I say, "That's how wet."
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Then spacing -
0:04:19 > 0:04:23well, I reckon you should have a finger's distance between them
0:04:23 > 0:04:24in a bowl.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26So not touching, but you see the noses.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28They should be just coming through the top of the pot.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Now, I'm doing it slightly differently -
0:04:30 > 0:04:32maybe it's slightly cheating, in a way.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35But I'm putting them into pots and using ordinary compost.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38The same as you, though - you can just see that dripping out.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44Then it means that after they've been forced for that period of time,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46when you bring them out, you can then plant them into a bowl
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and make sure they're all at the even growth rate.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52The other point, of course, is these pots have drainage.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They do. So ordinary compost is fine.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Ordinary compost is fine.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58In fact, it's probably better than this gunge!
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And then it comes to covering them up.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03So we've used this for the last couple of years,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05it's really quite successful.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's the raised bed, a layer of sand.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13So I plunge the pot in there - you could cover that with sand,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15but what I'm going to do is cover it
0:05:15 > 0:05:17with two or three inches of leaf mould,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and then you can quite easily check it.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23These are going into a poly bag and into the garage,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25the coldest corner of the garage,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27cos that's the other bit about the programme -
0:05:27 > 0:05:29these bulbs will not perform properly
0:05:29 > 0:05:31unless they're kept at low temperature,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- and I mean about seven degrees centigrade.- Frost-free.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Frost-free, but low temperature, to get the roots to fill the pot.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41There we go, that's just about ready. It'll go into its...
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I think Santa will be here if we don't get on.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47THEY LAUGH
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Do you know, gardening can be quite a stressful occupation,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and one of the things I use to de-stress is to go fishing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02And this is one of my favourite locations.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03This is Coldingham Loch.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08But I'm here to see Alison and Krishna Ramcharran,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10who are in that house up there.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13They're surrounded by water, at least on three sides,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and they have problems with wind.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17HE CHUCKLES
0:06:24 > 0:06:27What possessed you to build a house in this windy spot?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Well, we saw the wee barn,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and it was a sudden rush of blood to the head, I tell you.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33We just had to buy the plot and build.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35We did, fell in love with it.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36So, you've built the house.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39We have, and we've tried to make it as environmental as possible.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41We've got geothermal underfloor heating,
0:06:41 > 0:06:42we've got double glazing,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45we've got solar panels on the roof for the hot water
0:06:45 > 0:06:46and lots and lots of insulation,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48so we're really nice and toasty on the inside.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49And then you step outside.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51THEY LAUGH
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- It is windy.- Blown away. - It's windy all the time.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I mean, the wind comes from over my shoulder,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57it's blowing on your face at the moment.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Whooshing right down this hill. - Absolutely.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03You can't garden if you've got "huge wind problems", as they say.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04THEY LAUGH
0:07:04 > 0:07:06And that's what we've got here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So what we'll have to do is create a bit of a shelter belt,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and we'll do that with a fence and some Netlon,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13which is an artificial shelter belt,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16then we'll plant on the inside of that
0:07:16 > 0:07:18with one or two native and non-native species -
0:07:18 > 0:07:22things which we know will resist the salt spray, which you get,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26cos that's the North Sea, and also will look after this wind.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28But your leg's crook.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Yes, it is.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31I did it playing tennis,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33not deliberately to get out of any of the work, but...
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Well, we'll find a job for you anyway.- Thank you.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Can you manage?- I can.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Right, Calum, what's the score?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Well, we're putting the two end posts in first.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46One up there, line between them, and then a couple more in-between
0:07:46 > 0:07:47and then we'll run the wire across it.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Do you want me to dig the post holes for the middle?- If you like, aye.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Oh, I see - hard, is it?- It is, aye.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Oh!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- It's not soft, Calum. - No, it's not, no.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Look at that, eh? Spot-on.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- Right, Calum. I think we need some help here.- I think so.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Would you all like to come up, just for a second,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26so they can explain what's going to go on?
0:08:28 > 0:08:36Now...the idea is that we're going to establish a hedge here.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38So it's quite easy, really - "he says."
0:08:38 > 0:08:42What you do is you're just easing up here
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and cultivating this one piece all the way down.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48As you can see, you're going to hit stones.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Don't throw the stones away, cos we'll need them.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Calum will keep you right,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54he'll show you where to dig and where not to dig.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59- Meanwhile, Alison, you and I will go and get the plants.- OK.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04So we're going to take out a strip along the side of the fence here -
0:09:04 > 0:09:06about 400mm, that sort of thing.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22Here we go - this is the plants which we've brought for the hedge.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Now, the majority of these are British natives,
0:09:26 > 0:09:27there's one which isn't.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30But what we've got here is we've got some sloes -
0:09:30 > 0:09:32sloe berry, excellent for gin,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34but it's also a very good coastal plant,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37it'll take a lot of wind, stand up to that no bother.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Then we've also got this one,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42which does well in any sort of Scottish hedge.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45This is hawthorn, makes a really good, tight hedge,
0:09:45 > 0:09:46lots of nice berries for the birds.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50And then on this other crate, we've got Rosa rugosa,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53which is not really a native, but it's very hardy,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55as far as salt spray is concerned,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and it will grow in quite adverse conditions -
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and let's face it, we've got quite adverse conditions here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Then finally, we've got holly.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Now, this is one which, if you walk along the coast,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09you'll find it in little pockets, here, there and everywhere,
0:10:09 > 0:10:10sown by the birds.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And it shows that it survives.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It's got a glossy leaf, so that will resist the salt spray.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17There's the sort of thing we're going to be planting,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19that's the size of the plant.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21That's the depth it has to be planted in.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Now, do you want them in blocks or do you want them mixed?
0:10:25 > 0:10:26How do you like eating your food?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Do you like to mix it up, or to you have it separate?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- I think mixed would be nice. - Mixed? OK.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46All that we need to do now - just watch -
0:10:46 > 0:10:48they're quite small root systems,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and we're going to plant them against that back wall there,
0:10:52 > 0:10:53so put the plant in,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57push the soil round about it like that,
0:10:57 > 0:10:58and press it down.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And then put some black membrane round the plants,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12stop the weeds growing, and weight it down with stones.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19We'll put wire and Netlon onto the fence posts.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Gosh, now...that's different, isn't it?
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Feel the difference?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- I don't think you were sure at the beginning.- No, no.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Just that little sheet of fabric has made all the difference,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36cut down the wind.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38The hedge will grow, you can take the fabric down
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- in about two, three years' time, all right?- Right.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Saw the posts off at the bottom and use them for what you wish.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Now we can garden, cos we've got the shelter.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47- Yes.- OK?
0:11:47 > 0:11:48But I think we've done enough.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- Krishna? Remember the job I said I had for you?- I do, George.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55This is it - you've got to plant these herbs over in that corner.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Will you make sure he does it? - I will.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00LAUGHING: I bet you will!
0:12:08 > 0:12:09Well now, as I mentioned earlier,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12this is a time of year for hedge clipping,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15especially in this part of the world for evergreen hedges -
0:12:15 > 0:12:18we get questions all the time, when's the best time?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Early advice I got was the two months beginning with "A" -
0:12:20 > 0:12:24April or August - are the time to prune your evergreen hedges.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26We've got here the great Tsuga heterophylla,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28the Western hemlock -
0:12:28 > 0:12:30a much-underestimated hedging subject,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33because you can see, of the five that you've got here,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35this has reached the sort of height we're looking for
0:12:35 > 0:12:36before all the rest.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And I can tell you, when you start clipping it,
0:12:39 > 0:12:40and clipping it regularly,
0:12:40 > 0:12:45you get it as tight-looking as the very traditional yew
0:12:45 > 0:12:47which is behind me here.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49But at the moment, the first clipping,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51it's still very loose and it's quite difficult
0:12:51 > 0:12:53so I put some guidelines - just a string at the top
0:12:53 > 0:12:54and at the bottom.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56As long as I keep my eye on that as I'm working through,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59the important thing is not to take off too much to begin with,
0:12:59 > 0:13:00cos you can't put it back.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03You can always go back and take a little more, here and there.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06And you want to try and build up a face, like so,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and this is what we're going.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10We're aiming at an A-frame -
0:13:10 > 0:13:13slightly sloping, slightly battered sides
0:13:13 > 0:13:14and a flat top.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16At that sort of shape, it's easy to keep it,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and that gives it its greatest strength -
0:13:18 > 0:13:21say, for example, with snow lying on the top,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24it will hold up and it won't get all bent and out of shape.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I've left the top for a while yet,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29because we can then decide exactly where the top should be.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I would suggest, people putting in new hedges,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35you shouldn't make them any higher
0:13:35 > 0:13:38than you can get clipping them from the ground -
0:13:38 > 0:13:41in other words, no steps and scaffolding and all the rest of it.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43You'll please the neighbours if you do.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49This is the day of the big show reveal.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55If you remember, we sowed vegetables way back in March for showing.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Show vegetables - trying to grow the longest, the thickest,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02the broadest carrots, leeks, parsnips and beetroot.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Today is the day, Jane.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- I'm really excited. - We're looking to see what we've got.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- Look at that.- They're not bad. - That's not bad.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14That's got tentacles on it.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- You're getting all excited, now. - I am.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Are you all right, there? Am I crushing you?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I'll just stand here. You carry on with your scrabbling.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25This season has been so difficult and so different to other seasons,
0:14:25 > 0:14:26that's what we've...
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I mean, look at the length on this, it's good.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- Don't snap it!- Look at this.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I mean, that goes on for ever.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35But the thing is, there's no width to it.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- No.- No width at all.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46Well, we've lifted our show veg
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and we've put them onto our own show bench here,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and rather than be worried about them being the best there ever was,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55or thinking they're the best there ever was,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59we've invited Jim Williams, who is a National Vegetable Society judge,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02to come along and judge them here today.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03Jim, what do you think of those?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Absolutely superb, George.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I'm very impressed indeed by all your vegetables here.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Apart from the beetroot, they're top class quality.- Right.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13This long carrot here, George,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I would reckon, if you were judging that...
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It's a 20-point vegetable,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- and you'd be looking at 16 or 17 out of 20.- Really?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- It really is top class. - Well done, you! Well done.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22Thrilled to bits.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Your stump carrots, again, superb quality, beautiful finish,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28no marks on them at all, and as we all know,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Sweet Candle's an excellent quality eating carrot.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- Which is the better two? - These two, George.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36These are a bit big and a bit rough, and you can see they're out of shape
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and have got one or two lumps and bumps on them.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- So you're looking for them really, really smooth and uniform.- Uniform.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44When you're judging vegetables, in the judges' guide,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47there are three criteria which we really go for -
0:15:47 > 0:15:50there's condition, uniformity and size.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52And shape comes into it as well.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57But ideally, the vegetables should be good condition -
0:15:57 > 0:16:00clean, mouth-watering, no pest or disease on them
0:16:00 > 0:16:02They've got to be fit for the plate, that's the key thing.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So the parsnips, how do they measure up?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Again, very good, George.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09They're pure white, they've cleaned up beautifully.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11No marks, no canker, good length.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And we've lifted these quite early, you know -
0:16:13 > 0:16:15they could do with another month.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Again, they're excellent quality.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- Is that what's wrong with the beetroot?- Lifted too early.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22They've got length, but they've not thickened up yet.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24We'll pass over these. Now, what about the...?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Again, pot leeks - I believe you got these from Arthur Provan.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29We did, so we hope we've done them justice.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31They're excellent.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34They must be about 13 or 14 inches in circumference, good blanch.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36It could've maybe been a wee bit better,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39you could have done with a greater blanch on them.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43So how could we have got a taller blanch on there?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Put the collars on earlier?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Slightly earlier and maybe increased the size of them
0:16:47 > 0:16:48up to about six inches.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Ah, right, OK.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Now, there's wee white marks on this as well, Jim, a wee bit disfiguring.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- Is that a down pointer? - I'm afraid so.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56The foliage should be nice and green,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00but that's a wee bit damaged, caused by a pest called thrip,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05- just a small fly, and it causes these white marks on the leaves.- OK.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Right, go on, Jane.- Well, those are my beans, my long pod beans.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- And these are the other ones. - I think you've beaten me.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15George's are slightly bigger, but when we're judging these,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- what we're looking for is the number of beans in the pod.- Uh-huh.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Most judges would open one,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22but you know you've got one, two, three, four, five,
0:17:22 > 0:17:23six good beans in there.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25And the more beans in them, the better.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- You want them as straight as possible.- Ideally, yes.- OK.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And then we come to one which always impresses me on the show bench,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- which are these peas - show perfection.- Yeah.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- What are you looking for in those? - Again, George, good quality -
0:17:37 > 0:17:39you can see the natural bloom on the pods from here.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41If you hand me on across.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42Always handle them by the stem,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44cos you rub the natural bloom off the plant.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Hold them up to the light
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and you can count the number of peas in the pod.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Hopefully, you're looking at 11, 12, sometimes 13 peas in the pod.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Gosh! Right.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Now, we've got another one lying here,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58which is...if it was the only one I had, I might put it in,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00but perhaps not.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02You can see, George, it's gone past its sell-by date.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04It's getting slightly wrinkly
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- and the peas in there would be a wee bit hard.- OK.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Now, we've lifted these today, Jim, and as you say,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11they look absolutely fantastic.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14How can we keep these? Cos Jane might want to put them into a show.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Well, ideally, if you're lifting for a specific show,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19you've got to lift them on the day of the show
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and get them as fresh as possible.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24But the likes of the carrots, if you wrap these up in a damp towel
0:18:24 > 0:18:25and keep them somewhere cool,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28they'll last up to a week before you have to show them.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29So, fresh as possible.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33So, George, I think overall, the quality's superb,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and apart from the wee local shows,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I think you could be showing at the National, very soon.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39There's a challenge!
0:18:39 > 0:18:40THEY LAUGH
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Upstream from Inverurie and Aberdeenshire,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53botanists Ian and Clare Alexander have spent the last 32 years
0:18:53 > 0:18:57creating the most fabulous garden on a difficult sloping site.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09One of the things that attracted us to this site for a garden
0:19:09 > 0:19:12was the fact that we've got natural water here.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16When we first started, you couldn't really see the stream,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20cos this whole gully area in front of us was filled up with rubbish.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22So it was a bit of a midden, Claire?
0:19:22 > 0:19:28Yes, it was a midden - deep nettle and it was completely wild.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32This whole area, really, was a bog rather than a stream
0:19:32 > 0:19:34because the wall at the bottom had fallen down.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39So a lot of effort in the early days went into building these walls
0:19:39 > 0:19:41to break up the slope, and of course,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46we had to line the stream, to keep it in the same place.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- To stop the flooding. - Yes, because it does flood.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53So presumably, it took you quite a while to do the hard landscaping?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55It did, it took us at least ten years
0:19:55 > 0:19:57to do the hard landscaping,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and after the hard landscaping, things get much faster,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03because you put the plants in.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07This area is very colourful in the early summer,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09with primulas and meconopsis,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13but we've planted it so there's year-round interest
0:20:13 > 0:20:17with foliage, different textures and shapes of leaves,
0:20:17 > 0:20:18different sizes.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22That maintains interest, even when the flowers have gone.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23I think that's really important.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I love greens and the foliage, I think it's wonderful.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30But here's a bit of colour - this is unusual, what is it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Well, this is a thing called Disporum smithii,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36it's a relative of Solomon's seal.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41In the spring, you get nice, cream, bell-like flowers, nice foliage,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and then at this time of year, you get these fantastic orange fruit.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Yeah, the fruits are amazing.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Is it to easy to propagate from seed?- It's very easy.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50In fact, it does it for you,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54because it throws seedlings and, if we look under here...
0:20:54 > 0:20:56- Oh, yes.- You can see the seedlings.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58So you can dig them up,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and I pot them on or plant them out into other areas of the garden.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Now, you're both botanists, so does that influence they way you garden?
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Yes, it does,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12because we like to have plants in natural, ecological groupings -
0:21:12 > 0:21:15shade lovers together, sun lovers together.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I don't mind mixing up the continents -
0:21:17 > 0:21:21I'll take stuff from North America, Japan, China...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25But if it's a hosta and it needs a shady woodland situation...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28That sort of idea, yeah.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31That feels a satisfying way to garden, and of course,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34the plants tend to look after themselves,
0:21:34 > 0:21:35if they're in the right place.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47This is quite a contrast to the stream area.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It is, this is a completely different feel.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55This is a very calm area, contemplative, with simple planting.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57How long has that been in the box?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I think it's been in about three or four years,
0:21:59 > 0:22:04and you can see that in parts, it's knitted together.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Not long, three years.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07No - you can get a good effect quite quickly, yeah.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So about the same time as we put in the box hedges down there,
0:22:15 > 0:22:20we had to work out how to get up from that level up to this level up here,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and we came up with the idea of these deep veggie boxes.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- And they've been very successful. - Presumably quite easy to work with?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Very easy to work with - you can stand on that side
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and you don't have to bend over to weed,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and the weeding is cut down hugely, because they're all gravelled,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and you've only got a small area of soil to weed.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43We use biological slug control,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and that's very successful in the boxes.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48We put on nematode eggs
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and the nematode worms kill the slugs,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and we do that about three times a year.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59As we wander around the garden,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- I notice you've got lots of slopes here.- Yeah, we do.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05This is one of the worst of them,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08you need a mountaineering qualification to garden on here.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09It's really just a gravel bank
0:23:09 > 0:23:13and we put eight to ten inches of top soil on it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15We started planting, we didn't really have very high hopes,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18but in fact, the plants do very well on here.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19It's looking good - good drainage,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23and perhaps not quite so frosty here as down by the stream?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Yeah, the cold air runs down the bank,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27so they come through the winter well.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And what about the planting?
0:23:29 > 0:23:34Well, it's...been a challenge to find plants that work well
0:23:34 > 0:23:37when you're looking up at them, because there aren't many borders
0:23:37 > 0:23:39where you're always looking up at plants.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43What we've learned is the flat top plants, like the achillea,
0:23:43 > 0:23:44you don't really see.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Oh, yes - they disappear, don't they?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49They disappear, because you're looking up at them.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So what we've tried to concentrate on
0:23:51 > 0:23:55is either plants that naturally like to fall forward
0:23:55 > 0:24:00or plants that are either spires or globes, like the echinops,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02which work very well, and the mornadas,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06and the stipa's very nice and you can look up through it.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07It's lovely.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Well, a flat part of the garden, and it's really colourful.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Yes - this is the floral part of the garden.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18And we planted for a tapestry effect,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22both of flower colours and of the foliage colour,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and the forms of the plants, to give a tapestry.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Now I recognise that plant as an allium,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28but which one is it?
0:24:28 > 0:24:33It's Allium pulchellum - rather lovely, dusty-pink flowers.
0:24:33 > 0:24:34Very nice - and late flowering.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- And a lovely habit. - Yeah, nice habit, yeah
0:24:37 > 0:24:40This is one of our favourite spots in the garden, south-facing,
0:24:40 > 0:24:46gets quite a lot of sun, so we can grow marginally tender things here,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50hardier osteospermum, agapanthus, for example -
0:24:50 > 0:24:52although it's fair to say the agapanthus go in
0:24:52 > 0:24:53in the winter months.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- So they're in a pot.- They're in a pot, yes.- No cheating here.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- I get the impression that you work really well as a team.- Yes, we do.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04We do all the garden together,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07we don't have a "his and hers" part of the garden,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12and we discuss and agree on planting in all parts of the garden.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- No head gardener. - Oh, that's nice to hear.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17And do you catalogue all the plants? Do you know how many you have?
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Yeah, there are about 1,400 plants and cultivars in the garden,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24so we have a sort of catalogue that we try to keep.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I thought you would, as botanists.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But you actually opened under Scotland's Gardens this year,
0:25:29 > 0:25:30for the first time.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Yes, this is our first time, and we'll do so again next year.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36That's great - thank you.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45This is Geranium "Pink Spice" - it has lovely coloured foliage,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but it doesn't show up well against the soil,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52so we plant it in a container and I think it works really well.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Just doing a last bit of training of this Victoria plum -
0:25:57 > 0:26:00the branches are still soft, they haven't lignified yet,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02and this is the time to do it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03If you leave it too late,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05they'll break when you try to bend them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Might just have a look at the last of the goosers -
0:26:07 > 0:26:10this is the variety Invicta, absolutely stunning.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And I stress again, when they're actually on a cordon,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17they're a lot easier to pick.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Can't wait - I'm salivating just looking at these plums.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21That's the variety Opal.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27This year, we're going to have a go at sowing some hardy annuals
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and over-winter them, and see what happens.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I've got half a dozen different varieties, so at the moment,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37I'm sowing the "Poached egg" plant, I've got marigold and quaking grass.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39I'm going to cover half of them with a cloche,
0:26:39 > 0:26:40to give them a bit of protection,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44and the other ones are going to be directly sown, not covered,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and as I say, we'll see what happens next year.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Three weeks ago, I sowed some fresh Meconopsis regia seed,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56and look at that - it's germinated already.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I'm going to sow some other fresh seed today -
0:26:58 > 0:27:00and that's the thing about sowing seeds,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02they really have to be fresh.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04This is a thing called trillium.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Now, it's a bit messy,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08the seed pods are covered in a sort of jelly inside,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and the seeds are covered in it.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12What happens in the wild, the ants will take the seeds away
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and distribute them.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17This is a woodland plant, so I'm using an ericaceous compost,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18with a slight acidity in it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I'm just going to sow the seeds onto the top of the compost -
0:27:21 > 0:27:24they're a bit sticky, so it's a bit of a messy job.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27But there you are - we'll sow the seeds onto that
0:27:27 > 0:27:29and we'll distribute them over the whole of the pot,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32cover it with grit, put it in a frame,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35but it's going to take two full years before we see any results.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39One winter and a spring to produce a root,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42one winter and a spring to produce a shoot.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Don't tell me you haven't to wait for good things in gardening.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Well, you know, it's just over two months ago
0:27:55 > 0:27:57that Carolyn and myself planted up the herb garden
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- and this is your first time in it - what do you think?- It's very nice.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's a bit old-fashioned, but then you would expect that.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- That's right - it's herbs, isn't it?- It's herbs.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08They've fairly grown, though, I have to say.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10The plants are doing really well,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13although the slugs like one or two, don't they?
0:28:13 > 0:28:16This Mertensia "Oysters" plant down here, it's getting blootered,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18as they say - the slugs are munching.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19If you'd like any more information
0:28:19 > 0:28:22about this week's programme, it's all in the factsheet.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Next week, we're not here.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26We're away up to Nessie country -
0:28:26 > 0:28:29we're away up to Abriachan to help build an inspirational garden.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And I'm getting to visit a lovely little cottage garden,
0:28:32 > 0:28:33I look forward to that.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Until next time...
0:28:34 > 0:28:35- Bye!- Goodbye!- Goodbye.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd