Episode 14

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0:00:13 > 0:00:17Hello and welcome to Beechgrove on a rather sultry summer day.

0:00:17 > 0:00:20- It is, but it's quite nice that it's warm, isn't it, Jim?- Indeed.

0:00:20 > 0:00:23Here we are, right into the potato howking.

0:00:23 > 0:00:25Some of them have already been lifted

0:00:25 > 0:00:29- and we're working away. How do you tell if they're ready?- I know.

0:00:29 > 0:00:31You can cheat a little bit

0:00:31 > 0:00:34because you can take the soil back a little bit and look.

0:00:34 > 0:00:38- Have a furtle.- These are rather disappointing, Arran Pilots.

0:00:38 > 0:00:40Well, that also makes the point, you see.

0:00:40 > 0:00:42You can check whether to leave them a bit longer

0:00:42 > 0:00:44if you're looking for a heavier yield.

0:00:44 > 0:00:47- This is the variety Casablanca. - And that's really good.

0:00:47 > 0:00:50Which is producing some really very, very nice...

0:00:50 > 0:00:53But usually you can tell by the flowering.

0:00:53 > 0:00:55As soon as they stop flowering they start to bulk up.

0:00:55 > 0:00:58- But some varieties don't produce a flower.- I know.

0:00:58 > 0:01:01And earlies, you tend to say, well, 12 weeks,

0:01:01 > 0:01:03and it was 14 weeks to the day that we put these in.

0:01:03 > 0:01:06I'm impressed with those but Arran Pilot I'm not so sure about.

0:01:06 > 0:01:08Much to be done, much to be done.

0:01:08 > 0:01:09And in the rest of the programme?

0:01:09 > 0:01:13For a start I travel to the far south-west of Scotland, about

0:01:13 > 0:01:17as far as I could go, to the Mull of Galloway, to visit Logan Gardens.

0:01:17 > 0:01:20I could well have been in the Mediterranean or in Australia!

0:01:20 > 0:01:21Wonderful!

0:01:24 > 0:01:28Three months is a long time in gardening circles,

0:01:28 > 0:01:30especially if you're new to the subject.

0:01:30 > 0:01:34This week it's time to return to my new-build families who,

0:01:34 > 0:01:38in that period, have seen their gardens transformed,

0:01:38 > 0:01:42I hope, from mud bath to fruit basket and flower bowl.

0:01:46 > 0:01:49And meanwhile we kept on digging potatoes.

0:01:49 > 0:01:53And here we have some of the results of the very early crops.

0:01:53 > 0:01:56First of all, with Casablanca, the first early.

0:01:56 > 0:01:59Grew it last year for the first time, absolute topper.

0:01:59 > 0:02:04Here we have the product of six tubers on a ridge.

0:02:04 > 0:02:08Not looking too bad at all, are they? Planted at the same time.

0:02:08 > 0:02:1212 tubers on the flat and covered with black polythene.

0:02:12 > 0:02:15Here we have them, here.

0:02:15 > 0:02:20But occupying the same space so, for the sake of six extra tubers,

0:02:20 > 0:02:23I think we, arguably, have a heavier yield.

0:02:23 > 0:02:26The individual size of the potatoes might be slightly smaller,

0:02:26 > 0:02:27but that's a moot point.

0:02:27 > 0:02:30Some people like wee tatties, don't they?

0:02:30 > 0:02:34So, on the flat, if you're not fit to ridge the crops,

0:02:34 > 0:02:37on the flat with a bit of black polythene works a treat.

0:02:37 > 0:02:39Incidentally, at home, what I do with mine

0:02:39 > 0:02:44is to put a bit of Layflat polythene tube under the polythene to be

0:02:44 > 0:02:47able to water them, and that I think will increase the yield

0:02:47 > 0:02:49significantly over the seasons.

0:02:49 > 0:02:52Now, this is another interesting question that we get asked -

0:02:52 > 0:02:55should you plant non-chitted seed or not?

0:02:55 > 0:03:00Here we have Foremost, one of the great favourites of all time,

0:03:00 > 0:03:02an early potato.

0:03:02 > 0:03:07Here we have Foremost that has actually been planted, not chitted.

0:03:07 > 0:03:11It was kept in the cold and the dark so the sprouts wouldn't develop,

0:03:11 > 0:03:15planted at the same time as the conventional ones,

0:03:15 > 0:03:19which were allowed to be chitted and all planted on the same day.

0:03:19 > 0:03:21And the difference is self-evident.

0:03:21 > 0:03:25We weighed it - five kilos versus three kilos.

0:03:25 > 0:03:28Which means you chit your potatoes and plant them.

0:03:28 > 0:03:30Just what we keep telling you.

0:03:30 > 0:03:33Now, let's have a wee look at the cabbages.

0:03:37 > 0:03:40We've just been talking about polythene

0:03:40 > 0:03:44and one of the bonuses there is you don't have to do any weeding.

0:03:44 > 0:03:47The same applies with the onions, coming on beautifully,

0:03:47 > 0:03:51loving this heat. They are under cornstarch - no weeding.

0:03:51 > 0:03:55Undisturbed, they are growing like the clappers. Good brassicas.

0:03:55 > 0:03:58They've lapped up the weather. We'll come back to the kale later.

0:03:58 > 0:03:59We've got a nice selection of kale

0:03:59 > 0:04:02and it's a super veg at the moment, isn't it?

0:04:02 > 0:04:05But earlier in the season we planted the cabbage.

0:04:05 > 0:04:08I know that the more room you give cabbage the bigger they get.

0:04:08 > 0:04:11And for a modern family you don't need a huge, big cabbage.

0:04:11 > 0:04:14So I set out to prove it. And here we've got the variety Minicole.

0:04:14 > 0:04:18And at this end we planted 25 in a square metre.

0:04:18 > 0:04:21And in the middle, 13 in a square metre.

0:04:21 > 0:04:24And at the far end, nine in a square metre.

0:04:24 > 0:04:27And here we have them, here - Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear.

0:04:27 > 0:04:29This is Mummy Bear. This is from the middle.

0:04:29 > 0:04:32This is from 13 plants to the square metre.

0:04:32 > 0:04:35Really solid-looking cabbage, ready for harvesting.

0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's going to fall off... Here's Daddy Bear.

0:04:38 > 0:04:41Absolutely massive and got a long way to go

0:04:41 > 0:04:43if you want a cabbage that size.

0:04:43 > 0:04:46But for me, Baby Bear will do. Minicole.

0:04:46 > 0:04:4825 to the square metre. That's a lot of cabbage.

0:04:48 > 0:04:54Look at that, enough for a family for one boiling. Beautiful variety.

0:04:56 > 0:05:00Well, we've got some good news and some bad news in this poly tunnel

0:05:00 > 0:05:02and I want to start with the good news.

0:05:02 > 0:05:04And it's all about the cucumbers.

0:05:04 > 0:05:07You might remember I was comparing a variety - it's Mini Munch,

0:05:07 > 0:05:10so it's small cucumbers, an all-female one.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13In a bag with a peat-based compost.

0:05:13 > 0:05:17And the other is a peat-free compost.

0:05:17 > 0:05:18And the gardeners, well,

0:05:18 > 0:05:23they've been keeping a record of the number of cucumbers and the weight,

0:05:23 > 0:05:26and I think the results, well, it's no surprise,

0:05:26 > 0:05:28the peat-based one is much better.

0:05:28 > 0:05:30Twice the number of cucumbers so far.

0:05:30 > 0:05:33We've had 70 from four plants

0:05:33 > 0:05:37and 35 from four plants in the peat-free one.

0:05:37 > 0:05:39But weight-wise, it's not quite the same.

0:05:39 > 0:05:43About one and a half times the weight in the peat-based one.

0:05:43 > 0:05:46But it does seem to me that at the moment

0:05:46 > 0:05:49we don't have a good substitute for a peat-based compost.

0:05:49 > 0:05:54So, moving on, we've got these summer squashes, or the patty pans.

0:05:54 > 0:05:55And they are lovely.

0:05:55 > 0:06:00This is a variety called Polo - lovely scalloped edge to it.

0:06:00 > 0:06:01You use them a bit like courgettes,

0:06:01 > 0:06:05although when they are really tiny you can eat them raw in salads.

0:06:05 > 0:06:07But you can also stir-fry them,

0:06:07 > 0:06:09put them in casseroles, a whole variety of things.

0:06:09 > 0:06:11However, I'm so disappointed,

0:06:11 > 0:06:15and this is something you're going to see inside and outside in the garden

0:06:15 > 0:06:17at the moment.

0:06:17 > 0:06:20We've got a terrible case of powdery mildew.

0:06:20 > 0:06:24It's very obvious and what we need to do, basically,

0:06:24 > 0:06:28is some of the worst leaves, I'm just cutting them off.

0:06:28 > 0:06:32If you're using a knife or secateurs, make sure you disinfect them

0:06:32 > 0:06:36afterwards because you don't want to spread that onto healthy plants.

0:06:36 > 0:06:39And I think the reason, quite honestly - and again this is going

0:06:39 > 0:06:43to come up several times in the programme - it's all about watering.

0:06:43 > 0:06:47Not enough watering. And also it's the ventilation in here.

0:06:47 > 0:06:50The combination, if you don't have enough ventilation

0:06:50 > 0:06:54and enough watering, then I'm afraid you do get this powdery mildew.

0:06:54 > 0:06:57And it's the same with petritus as well.

0:06:57 > 0:07:01See there, the grey mould? That's coming in, too. A big problem.

0:07:01 > 0:07:04But then, we have had some nice weather.

0:07:04 > 0:07:08And I want to finish on a high note.

0:07:08 > 0:07:11This is a lovely little gourd here. It's the Tennessee Spinning Gourd.

0:07:11 > 0:07:15Never grown it before. It's not edible, it's purely ornamental.

0:07:15 > 0:07:17And in a few weeks' time we are going to crop these

0:07:17 > 0:07:20and you dry them off and you can use them in your home.

0:07:22 > 0:07:25Three months in the garden can see tremendous change,

0:07:25 > 0:07:28especially in the veggie plots.

0:07:28 > 0:07:32And Anna and Andrew, my new-build family, from Portlethen,

0:07:32 > 0:07:36have witnessed a huge change from sodden clay

0:07:36 > 0:07:40and builders' rubble to now a garden which is bearing fruit.

0:07:50 > 0:07:53- So, three months into this crazy experiment...- What a difference.

0:07:53 > 0:07:55It looks amazing, doesn't it?

0:07:55 > 0:07:58We started out with a site that would barely grow grass.

0:07:58 > 0:08:02- Compacted, waterlogged. Really awful. And yet...- Look at it, yeah!

0:08:02 > 0:08:06- It's a harvest bowl.- It's really good.- What has worked for you?

0:08:06 > 0:08:09Among things we'll keep going and have again is strawberries.

0:08:09 > 0:08:12They are so easy and it's exciting to see what is going to appear.

0:08:12 > 0:08:15The peas and beans are just amazing.

0:08:15 > 0:08:17They are really easy, straightforward.

0:08:17 > 0:08:20We've had a crop really quickly already. You can see them appearing.

0:08:20 > 0:08:22The favourites, apples. We have lots of apples.

0:08:22 > 0:08:24One of the things with the apples,

0:08:24 > 0:08:27- not only was your bumblebee hand pollination...- It worked.

0:08:27 > 0:08:29I was sceptical, but it worked.

0:08:29 > 0:08:31It worked and you've got a great crop.

0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's partially about the variety. Scrumptious, a good one.

0:08:34 > 0:08:37It's against the fence, espaliered, you gave it every opportunity.

0:08:37 > 0:08:41The beans, when they get up to around about three feet, pinch the tip out.

0:08:41 > 0:08:44That will encourage extra flowering further down,

0:08:44 > 0:08:46so you get a second flush of flowering.

0:08:46 > 0:08:48And don't throw the tips away. You can use them.

0:08:48 > 0:08:50- Strawberry crops, wonderful.- Yeah.

0:08:50 > 0:08:52What about the things that didn't do so well,

0:08:52 > 0:08:55or that you're troubled about?

0:08:55 > 0:08:57Things that we are a little bit worried about is the beetroot.

0:08:57 > 0:09:01It's tiny little bulbs and it's a big, long top to it.

0:09:01 > 0:09:03The roots are starting to fill out, aren't they?

0:09:03 > 0:09:06But I think the fact it's running to seed,

0:09:06 > 0:09:10and you can tell it's running to seed because the flower's forming there.

0:09:10 > 0:09:13It's a classic sign that the plant is being threatened

0:09:13 > 0:09:15in some environmental way.

0:09:15 > 0:09:20Cold will do it, so put a cloche on them after you sow them.

0:09:20 > 0:09:23- Don't sow them too densely, or if you do have to, thin them out.- OK.

0:09:23 > 0:09:25And regular watering.

0:09:25 > 0:09:27The roots are fine.

0:09:27 > 0:09:31You'll still be able to harvest those and use the foliage, too.

0:09:31 > 0:09:34- And then we can plant again, keep going?- Yeah. What else?

0:09:34 > 0:09:39- The other thing, obviously, is the apple tree.- OK, the Egremont russet.

0:09:39 > 0:09:41We've got really good apples growing on one side

0:09:41 > 0:09:44and on the other side our little tree seems to be dying.

0:09:44 > 0:09:48There's a couple of issues with this. If you roll the leaf back,

0:09:48 > 0:09:52you can see on the underside remnants of aphids.

0:09:52 > 0:09:54It's the carcass of an aphid.

0:09:54 > 0:09:57They've now moved on, but that's what's causing the leaf to curl.

0:09:57 > 0:10:02And the discolouration on the leaf and this dieback that you see here

0:10:02 > 0:10:04is apple scab, which is a fungal complaint.

0:10:04 > 0:10:07The thing to do, well, if it occurs early next spring,

0:10:07 > 0:10:11prune out the young shoots and that will get rid of it.

0:10:11 > 0:10:14Or, at this time of the year, to stop it developing spores

0:10:14 > 0:10:16and affecting anything else, you can spray.

0:10:16 > 0:10:18- There's plenty of fungicides.- OK.

0:10:18 > 0:10:22- And then we've got the wild flowers. - Yes, it's gone crazy.

0:10:22 > 0:10:27Which is great. My concern is there are gooseberries in there.

0:10:27 > 0:10:30- What should we be doing care-wise? - The gooseberries are doing fine.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33They are still there. Gooseberries don't mind competition.

0:10:33 > 0:10:35So clear a little bit of space around them.

0:10:35 > 0:10:38Give them two or three feet around the bole of each plant.

0:10:38 > 0:10:40And also, the meadow...

0:10:40 > 0:10:44All of these wild flowers, it was all about generating some interest

0:10:44 > 0:10:46for insects, to bring them into the garden.

0:10:46 > 0:10:50You'll be bringing beneficial insects in which will be coping with

0:10:50 > 0:10:54any pests that arise next year. So it's a short-term stop, really.

0:10:54 > 0:10:58- And it's worked.- It's starting to flower. It's bringing insects in.

0:10:58 > 0:11:00We've got loads - bumblebees, caterpillars, everything.

0:11:00 > 0:11:03Butterflies. And it's starting to look really nice, with the flowers.

0:11:03 > 0:11:07Yeah, the next few weeks it will bounce through.

0:11:07 > 0:11:09Once they finish flowering and before they set seed,

0:11:09 > 0:11:12come in with a hand fork and fork them all out.

0:11:12 > 0:11:15You've enjoyed the flowers, they've done their job. Take them out.

0:11:15 > 0:11:18This will be next year's cropping.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20Yeah, start planning already for what we can grow.

0:11:20 > 0:11:23More vegetables, more fruit, yeah, carry on.

0:11:23 > 0:11:26That's a sign that you're hooked. You're planning ahead.

0:11:26 > 0:11:29You want more space and you've got ambitions for next year.

0:11:31 > 0:11:36While Anna plans for next year, Susan, my other new-build novice,

0:11:36 > 0:11:41over at nearby Cove, is out admiring her garden.

0:11:41 > 0:11:45Three months ago we started out with the remnants of a building site.

0:11:45 > 0:11:47Are we a happy gardener now?

0:11:47 > 0:11:52A very, very happy gardener. I'm just loving how it's all evolving.

0:11:52 > 0:11:56If we look at the three geraniums there, I'm absolutely amazed

0:11:56 > 0:11:58how much better it looks having three of something.

0:11:58 > 0:12:00I would never have done that before.

0:12:00 > 0:12:03I would just have bought one because I would be too nervous in case

0:12:03 > 0:12:06it didn't grow or didn't look nice or whatever.

0:12:06 > 0:12:08But not everything's been doing terrifically well.

0:12:08 > 0:12:11This pulmonaria here isn't looking too happy.

0:12:11 > 0:12:13No, he's looking a bit mouldy.

0:12:13 > 0:12:17The flowers did come, but then this mould arrived...

0:12:17 > 0:12:19It's a fungal complaint. It's mildew.

0:12:19 > 0:12:22Pulmonarias are, unfortunately, prone to it.

0:12:22 > 0:12:26But I think it's been exacerbated by the fact that these are new plants.

0:12:26 > 0:12:27They've been struggling a bit.

0:12:27 > 0:12:31It's interesting when you compare the pulmonaria with the geraniums here.

0:12:31 > 0:12:34And again, with the hypericum over there,

0:12:34 > 0:12:37they are all looking a bit drought.

0:12:37 > 0:12:39- Drought, in Aberdeen?!- I know!

0:12:39 > 0:12:43You never thought you'd say it, but the way that the foliage is

0:12:43 > 0:12:47just curling, and I think this is an issue with new soil

0:12:47 > 0:12:53and the fact that it's just a very light, open, fluffy texture.

0:12:53 > 0:12:57And when you water, make sure that you water heavily enough,

0:12:57 > 0:13:00so after a couple of days without any rain,

0:13:00 > 0:13:02with new plants, because the roots haven't had a chance to get

0:13:02 > 0:13:06out into the soil, get the sprinkler on or the hosepipe

0:13:06 > 0:13:10and drench the plant. But look at the hedge, this side and that side!

0:13:10 > 0:13:14After you made me cut them down and they were so baldy, I didn't believe

0:13:14 > 0:13:18you that they were going to survive and they would get so lovely.

0:13:18 > 0:13:22- But look at them! Great!- I'd like to say that I'm not smug...- You are!

0:13:22 > 0:13:25- I know you are. - We'll just move on, shall we?

0:13:25 > 0:13:30It's all about getting it to bush out from just about ground level,

0:13:30 > 0:13:32because that will ensure a nice, thick hedge

0:13:32 > 0:13:36- and then you can carry out pruning at the top.- I'm looking forward to...

0:13:36 > 0:13:39I'm looking forward to seeing how the flowers come in

0:13:39 > 0:13:40the hedge as well.

0:13:40 > 0:13:44I think that's part of the amazement to me about the garden,

0:13:44 > 0:13:46because I can see your skill,

0:13:46 > 0:13:49how wonderful you are at how you've chosen the flowers...

0:13:49 > 0:13:54- Steady, steady! It's not an advert for me.- Well...- But carry on.

0:13:54 > 0:13:58I think the thing is that I'm amazed at how the flowers...

0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's like an ebb and a flow.

0:14:00 > 0:14:03Some of them are just coming into flower and some are dying off,

0:14:03 > 0:14:06so there's always something to look at walking round the garden.

0:14:06 > 0:14:08I would never have had that idea.

0:14:08 > 0:14:11I would have had a blast of flowers for about six weeks

0:14:11 > 0:14:13in the summer and then nothing, just green.

0:14:13 > 0:14:15And I just love the fact that there are

0:14:15 > 0:14:19- so many things to look at all the time. It's great.- That is the trick.

0:14:19 > 0:14:22- You've done well!- Well, thank you! I'll take that as a compliment.

0:14:22 > 0:14:26- I would!- It is about just getting that longevity.

0:14:26 > 0:14:28And not thinking of the garden

0:14:28 > 0:14:32just when you're buying plants in the nursery, but thinking about what

0:14:32 > 0:14:35the plant is going to provide for you throughout the season.

0:14:35 > 0:14:38- Yeah.- Remember that choreography we were talking about?

0:14:38 > 0:14:40- That's what you're doing. It's that constant...- Orchestrating.

0:14:40 > 0:14:44- Orchestrating - I like it.- And I think the piece de resistance...

0:14:44 > 0:14:47Brian's handiwork frames the picture perfectly.

0:14:47 > 0:14:52It draws the eye in and takes away from the boring garage. The hanging gardens of Cove.

0:14:52 > 0:14:57- I quite like that.- So do I.- When are you opening it?- Very soon.

0:14:57 > 0:14:59It'll be very expensive, though.

0:15:06 > 0:15:09Well, it's been a bit of a testing time for the tomatoes

0:15:09 > 0:15:11in our glasshouse here.

0:15:11 > 0:15:15The tropical weather has meant that we've had very high temperatures.

0:15:15 > 0:15:17Very difficult to manage the crop in these conditions.

0:15:17 > 0:15:22And the results are that some of the plants are struggling a little bit.

0:15:22 > 0:15:25To remind you what we've got here, it's a set of varieties this side,

0:15:25 > 0:15:30all being fed with a commercial tomato fertiliser.

0:15:30 > 0:15:31All in the same compost.

0:15:31 > 0:15:35Same compost this side, but they are being fed with comfrey.

0:15:35 > 0:15:39The fact of the matter is, they look in a pretty sad state

0:15:39 > 0:15:41because of the problems we've had with the weather.

0:15:41 > 0:15:45And I would put it down to the fact that we chose the same compost

0:15:45 > 0:15:48all the way through - a growbag compost - and we put them in pots.

0:15:48 > 0:15:53And I think the pots are too small. They dry out far too quickly.

0:15:53 > 0:15:56As a result, the soup in there is too strong

0:15:56 > 0:15:59and the plants can't suck it in and we are getting this death

0:15:59 > 0:16:02of the tips of some of the plants,

0:16:02 > 0:16:05but with some of the others they are beginning to recover.

0:16:05 > 0:16:07The most important thing is we are going to get a crop,

0:16:07 > 0:16:10so the result will be relative to the season.

0:16:10 > 0:16:13It might just not be as good as I hoped it would be.

0:16:15 > 0:16:19I don't think we've been in a seaside garden for quite a while

0:16:19 > 0:16:21and this is one of the gardens that I designed.

0:16:21 > 0:16:26And there was a bit of a colour theme, with grey, yellow and blue.

0:16:26 > 0:16:28And I'm going to add a new addition here.

0:16:28 > 0:16:32It's an alpine trough and keeping to that same colour theme.

0:16:32 > 0:16:34So to start off with, crocks in the bottom.

0:16:34 > 0:16:38There's a drainage hole and you don't want that to be blocked up.

0:16:38 > 0:16:40And then you fill it with compost.

0:16:40 > 0:16:43And this compost has got to be well drained.

0:16:43 > 0:16:45And it's a 50-50 mix,

0:16:45 > 0:16:49a 50-50 mix of alpine grit

0:16:49 > 0:16:51and a soil-based compost.

0:16:59 > 0:17:01So that's it filled with the compost

0:17:01 > 0:17:04and these alpines do like good drainage.

0:17:04 > 0:17:07And my first plant is the oyster plant.

0:17:07 > 0:17:12This is a lovely plant that trails over the edge and the foliage is

0:17:12 > 0:17:18a lovely bluey colour, but it also bears really nice blue flowers, too.

0:17:18 > 0:17:22I'm keeping that fairly proud because I'm going to top-dress it afterwards.

0:17:22 > 0:17:24So that's the first one.

0:17:24 > 0:17:28Then I'm going to go for this beautiful saxifrage.

0:17:28 > 0:17:31This grows to about a foot in height,

0:17:31 > 0:17:34so I'm going to put it at the back here.

0:17:35 > 0:17:37And that has white flowers.

0:17:37 > 0:17:42Then, on this edge, I'm going to put this lovely little aquilegia.

0:17:42 > 0:17:46We've got aquilegias in the garden and they grow 2-3 feet in height.

0:17:46 > 0:17:50This is a really compact one, just a few inches,

0:17:50 > 0:17:52with blue and white flowers.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54Celmisias, I love these ones.

0:17:54 > 0:17:57Daisy-like flowers. Yellow and white.

0:17:57 > 0:18:00It's going to make a nice centrepiece.

0:18:02 > 0:18:06Then the sea thrift. This is a white form.

0:18:09 > 0:18:11Tease out the roots on this one.

0:18:11 > 0:18:15And then it's always nice to maybe have a bit of a surprise as well,

0:18:15 > 0:18:17so...

0:18:17 > 0:18:21the last addition is a little bulb I'm going to put in.

0:18:21 > 0:18:22It's Sternbergia.

0:18:22 > 0:18:29And it has yellow flowers, yellow crocus-like flowers, in the autumn.

0:18:30 > 0:18:33So that's planted in there.

0:18:33 > 0:18:38And now I'm going to top-dress it with some crushed shells,

0:18:38 > 0:18:40to keep to that seaside theme.

0:18:49 > 0:18:52And then finally...

0:18:52 > 0:18:54a little bit of beachcombing.

0:18:55 > 0:19:00But you don't just have to have alpine troughs in a seaside garden.

0:19:00 > 0:19:02I've another one in the woodland garden.

0:19:06 > 0:19:08In contrast to our seaside garden,

0:19:08 > 0:19:13which is very open and exposed, the woodland is sheltered and shady.

0:19:13 > 0:19:18And I've planted up a little trough at the end with some absolute gems.

0:19:18 > 0:19:20They are tiny plants.

0:19:20 > 0:19:24Here's a dwarf willow, which is going to creep over the edge.

0:19:24 > 0:19:27A little astilbe, with white flowers.

0:19:27 > 0:19:32Another white flowering plant here is a maianthemum. Really tiny.

0:19:32 > 0:19:35And that one we spotted at Gardening Scotland.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38Now, all these plants, the whole detail of them will be

0:19:38 > 0:19:39in the fact sheet.

0:19:39 > 0:19:43It's been top-dressed with gravel and we've used the pine cones.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45The compost is slightly different, though,

0:19:45 > 0:19:47because they like a moisture-retentive soil.

0:19:47 > 0:19:52So one part alpine grit, two parts soil-based compost

0:19:52 > 0:19:55and two parts soilless compost.

0:20:07 > 0:20:09I tell you, you're in for a treat today,

0:20:09 > 0:20:13because I've travelled from the north-east of Scotland

0:20:13 > 0:20:17to the south-west corner, to the Rhins of Galloway, to be precise,

0:20:17 > 0:20:21to visit Scotland's most exotic garden. Five-star status, indeed.

0:20:21 > 0:20:23I mean Logan, of course,

0:20:23 > 0:20:27which is one of the outstations of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

0:20:27 > 0:20:30First, let's meet the curator, Richard Baines.

0:20:36 > 0:20:40- I used the word "exotic" there. Is it justified?- Absolutely.

0:20:40 > 0:20:42Logan is all about growing on the edge.

0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's about growing plants which we shouldn't be growing in Scotland,

0:20:45 > 0:20:47plants from the southern hemisphere,

0:20:47 > 0:20:50places like the Atlantic islands, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand.

0:20:50 > 0:20:52Plants you wouldn't expect to see.

0:20:52 > 0:20:55But it's nice to see a familiar old friend now and again,

0:20:55 > 0:20:57something people recognise.

0:20:57 > 0:20:59Yeah, geraniums. Great plants for growing near the sea.

0:20:59 > 0:21:01They really do well here.

0:21:01 > 0:21:04Yes, but the vistas in this garden are so extraordinary

0:21:04 > 0:21:07because you don't see them anywhere else.

0:21:07 > 0:21:09Yeah, we are very fortunate in that the garden has been going

0:21:09 > 0:21:13a number of years and we have a really good structure of planting.

0:21:13 > 0:21:16Lots of palms, cabbage palms etc.

0:21:16 > 0:21:19But here we've got lots of half-hardy perennials.

0:21:19 > 0:21:21It's kind of a bedding scheme, isn't it?

0:21:21 > 0:21:24Yeah, we've got some lovely plants.

0:21:24 > 0:21:27This is Senecio "Candicans", which comes from the high mountains of Ecuador.

0:21:27 > 0:21:33- And it's really unusual.- It's shining! It's like silver metal.

0:21:33 > 0:21:35Magic. Every day is a school day.

0:21:35 > 0:21:37HE CHUCKLES

0:21:42 > 0:21:47Now, you sort of paused here, Richard. Nondescript rhododendron.

0:21:47 > 0:21:49Past flowering. What's the story?

0:21:49 > 0:21:53Yeah, this is rhododendron kanehirai, from northern Taiwan.

0:21:53 > 0:21:57In a piece of recent research it was found that there are only four

0:21:57 > 0:21:58plants of this left in the world,

0:21:58 > 0:22:01two here at Logan and two at the Botanic in Edinburgh.

0:22:01 > 0:22:04And here we see one of the classic remits of a botanic garden -

0:22:04 > 0:22:08- plant conservation.- Absolutely. But that's what underpins your work.

0:22:08 > 0:22:10Very much so.

0:22:10 > 0:22:14- There are some glorious pieces for us to admire visually as well.- Yeah.

0:22:14 > 0:22:18Well, on the greater landscape, these are peat walls,

0:22:18 > 0:22:22which were developed in 1926, by the McDouall brothers,

0:22:22 > 0:22:26the first of the kind to be developed anywhere in the world.

0:22:26 > 0:22:29And even today we continue to replant plants which are ericaceous plants,

0:22:29 > 0:22:32which love nice, moist, peaty soils.

0:22:32 > 0:22:36What a beautiful sight here with these candelabra primulas.

0:22:36 > 0:22:38Aren't they wonderful? A great range.

0:22:38 > 0:22:41So many different colours and great for Scottish gardeners.

0:22:41 > 0:22:43Funnily enough, they are juxtaposed

0:22:43 > 0:22:46by these old dinosaurs from way back.

0:22:46 > 0:22:50These are classical. 150 years old, these Dicksonia Antarcticas.

0:22:50 > 0:22:51- Really?- Amazing.

0:22:51 > 0:22:53These plants actually came from the original

0:22:53 > 0:22:55exhibition at the Crystal Palace.

0:22:55 > 0:22:59They grow approximately one centimetre each year

0:22:59 > 0:23:02and if you think of all the hard winters we've experienced

0:23:02 > 0:23:04over the last century and these are still living...

0:23:12 > 0:23:16Well, we are on to a terrace. Different characteristics?

0:23:16 > 0:23:20Yeah, quite different. Very good drainage. Hottest part of the garden.

0:23:20 > 0:23:24All these plants from South Africa love lots of sunshine.

0:23:24 > 0:23:26We see here phygelius.

0:23:26 > 0:23:27Even plants like dianella,

0:23:27 > 0:23:31- which produce lovely magenta-coloured berries later on.- Stunning thing.

0:23:31 > 0:23:36- The last time I saw this chap was in Madeira.- Madeira, the Canaries...

0:23:36 > 0:23:39It's echium, isn't it?

0:23:39 > 0:23:41These are echium pininana and this is a new hybrid,

0:23:41 > 0:23:44which we've grown here for the first time.

0:23:44 > 0:23:47This is a cross between the wildpretii and pininana

0:23:47 > 0:23:49and a stunning colour.

0:23:49 > 0:23:52Most people will know the little ones that we use in annual borders

0:23:52 > 0:23:56- and again wonderful colour.- Great colour, nice easy plants to grow.

0:23:56 > 0:23:59Everywhere you turn there are incredible views

0:23:59 > 0:24:01either of individual plants or...

0:24:01 > 0:24:04That vista there, just look at that.

0:24:04 > 0:24:06- Yeah, you wouldn't believe you were in Scotland, Jim.- No!

0:24:06 > 0:24:07That's for sure.

0:24:13 > 0:24:17I guess the most comments will come about these gunneras.

0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Yeah, amazing plants. Absolutely amazing.- Stunning.

0:24:20 > 0:24:24- You wouldn't imagine it was from Brazil, would you?- This is true.

0:24:30 > 0:24:34I'll tell you what, Richard, these tree ferns do remarkably well here.

0:24:34 > 0:24:39- Stunning.- Yeah, really at home. Good Atlantic maritime conditions.- Yes.

0:24:39 > 0:24:40Really thrive.

0:24:40 > 0:24:44Autumn, the spores reproduce on-site, which is great.

0:24:44 > 0:24:47Do they benefit from the shelter of the eucalyptus?

0:24:47 > 0:24:50- I imagine they do, the canopy. - Yeah, both in summer and winter.

0:24:50 > 0:24:53In winter, to keep the worst of the frost off them,

0:24:53 > 0:24:56and during the summer to protect them from strong winds.

0:24:56 > 0:25:00- So there's dual benefits.- Bignonia's a nice happenstance, isn't it?

0:25:00 > 0:25:02- Yeah, and melaleuca. - Isn't it gorgeous?

0:25:02 > 0:25:04Member of the Myrtaceae family.

0:25:04 > 0:25:06You've got a fair selection of eucalyptus.

0:25:06 > 0:25:10Yeah, we've got 40 different species, all fast-growing from seed.

0:25:10 > 0:25:13- I wish I hadn't asked! 40 different species!- 40 species, yeah.

0:25:13 > 0:25:15Looking up there, stonking.

0:25:22 > 0:25:26- New facility?- Yeah, we just finished this these last few weeks.

0:25:26 > 0:25:30- And you're growing heathers?- Yeah, tree heathers from South Africa.

0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Fascinating plant. So showy.- Uh-huh. And a pelargonium collection.

0:25:33 > 0:25:37- Large collection of pelargonium species.- What have we got here?

0:25:37 > 0:25:41- Lots of aeoniums from the Canary Islands.- Good stuff.

0:25:41 > 0:25:44- But tell me about this house, because it's a bit special. - It's very special.

0:25:44 > 0:25:47It's a new generation of self-sufficient greenhouses,

0:25:47 > 0:25:50which are carbon neutral.

0:25:50 > 0:25:54They are powered by green energy, solar PV and S4C pumps.

0:25:54 > 0:25:55HE CHUCKLES

0:25:55 > 0:25:57I'm frightened to death of that sort of thing!

0:25:57 > 0:26:00Let's get back to the plants. Protea.

0:26:00 > 0:26:02Yeah, absolutely exquisite plants.

0:26:02 > 0:26:05- Gorgeous.- Leucospermum cordifolium. Just amazing.

0:26:05 > 0:26:07Do you fancy trying that outside?

0:26:07 > 0:26:10I've got a very similar one, protea cynaroides,

0:26:10 > 0:26:13one of the finest proteas,

0:26:13 > 0:26:15flowering probably for the first time ever in Scotland.

0:26:15 > 0:26:17Come to Logan and see it.

0:26:17 > 0:26:20Congratulations! What a way to stop.

0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Wonderful and thanks for a wonderful day.- Enjoyed it.

0:26:29 > 0:26:32Jim briefly mentioned onions in the main vegetable plot,

0:26:32 > 0:26:35and they were sown back in springtime.

0:26:35 > 0:26:39These are our overwinter onions, so these were planted in autumn

0:26:39 > 0:26:43and they are ready for lifting. The foliage has died down.

0:26:43 > 0:26:46In the past, it used to say to bend over the foliage,

0:26:46 > 0:26:49slightly lift it up to help them ripen off.

0:26:49 > 0:26:52But it's decided nowadays you don't need to do that,

0:26:52 > 0:26:54so I'm going to lift them, dry them,

0:26:54 > 0:26:58and next week we are going to compare these with ones that

0:26:58 > 0:27:01George has grown in his allotment in Edinburgh.

0:27:03 > 0:27:08We are always trying to pass on a few tips and here is one on how

0:27:08 > 0:27:12to manage the bramble or blackberry, which is known to be very vigorous.

0:27:12 > 0:27:14When you're managing them,

0:27:14 > 0:27:18you take all the young growth up the vertical and you put the fruiting

0:27:18 > 0:27:24canes along parallel wires in the light, and ripening up beautifully.

0:27:24 > 0:27:26This one happens to be particularly easy to manage

0:27:26 > 0:27:29because it's thornless and the variety is Helen.

0:27:29 > 0:27:31Just look at the crop in prospect.

0:27:34 > 0:27:36Jim, we started the programme with tatties

0:27:36 > 0:27:38and we are going to finish with tatties on the decking.

0:27:38 > 0:27:42- Are you happy with progress on the decking?- Not at all, not at all.

0:27:42 > 0:27:46Let's just start off with what you lifted, three tubers of Casablanca.

0:27:46 > 0:27:50- In the open ground.- In the open ground. And the weight?- 2.5kg.

0:27:50 > 0:27:55OK, then we've got the peat-based, in a pot, three tubers.

0:27:55 > 0:27:561.6.

0:27:56 > 0:27:59I've had a lot more than that before.

0:27:59 > 0:28:01In old money I've had as much as 5lbs or 6lbs

0:28:01 > 0:28:03and I think that's just over 3lbs.

0:28:03 > 0:28:07Peat-free, even worse - 1.2kg.

0:28:07 > 0:28:10- We won't try that again.- No, I think we would know that, wouldn't we?

0:28:10 > 0:28:12- I think so. - What are you doing next week?

0:28:12 > 0:28:16- Next week, in amongst the sweet peas. - Jolly good.

0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Which is one of my favourite cut flowers.- Indeed.

0:28:18 > 0:28:21If you'd like any more information about this week's programme, it's all

0:28:21 > 0:28:26in the fact sheet, and the easiest way to access that is on the website.

0:28:26 > 0:28:29And I shall be looking at progress on the sweet peppers

0:28:29 > 0:28:32and I've been out to Aden see how the allotments are getting on.

0:28:32 > 0:28:36- You've been busy!- Super! Until next time, goodbye.- Goodbye.