0:00:00 > 0:00:03THE BEECHGROVE GARDEN SAI A659B/02 HSG010362
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Well, hello there and welcome to Beechgrove Garden.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21It's a fine morning for gardening.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Rain threatens, so we've got to press on with the work
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and one of the first jobs to be done is to scarify the lawn.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That's what I was doing this day, last year at this hour,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31do you know that? Cos we do it every year
0:00:31 > 0:00:34but it's going to be particularly important for people this
0:00:34 > 0:00:36time to get the lawn scarified early
0:00:36 > 0:00:39because the ground has been in a saturated state.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42you need to get air in there and that's one of the ways you can
0:00:42 > 0:00:44do it, by taking out all this gubbins.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Look at that, that's all choking up the drainage
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and keeping the moisture on the top and you want it to get away.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Look at that, there's loads and loads and loads of it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Not the time to put on moss killer but I'll come to that in a second.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Once you've done that, you're going to encourage the grass itself
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and so you put on a fertiliser dressing.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05So, with lengthening days, increasing temperatures,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09a bit of fertiliser, an aerated lawn, it's going to loup away
0:01:09 > 0:01:12and it'll turn green as quick as anything. What kind of fertiliser?
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Don't take shortcuts by using some of the vegetable garden fertiliser.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Look at these size of these and if you put an ounce of that on,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21they're going to be sitting waving at one another cos they're so big.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25You put an ounce of that on and you get a much, much more even spread
0:01:25 > 0:01:29and you'll get a much more even growth. So, that's that job done.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Wait until the temperatures rise, when the grass is growing,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34the weeds are growing and the moss is growing
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and then whack it with the weed-killer or the moss-killer,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40whatever you choose to do, or give it another scarify.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44That's the important thing but by then, the grass will be well
0:01:44 > 0:01:46and truly on its way and beginning to look good.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And to put the spit and polish on it,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50you've got to do the edges, haven't you?
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Using the shears and I
0:01:52 > 0:01:54see people thrashing about...do
0:01:54 > 0:01:56you notice when I cut, there's
0:01:56 > 0:01:58only one arm moving, not two?
0:01:58 > 0:01:59I'm not...mashing them,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02like that. One arm, like so.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And using a slightly circular motion of the hand, it's difficult
0:02:05 > 0:02:10to see but there we go...nice, trim edges.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12But, in fact, this time of the year you might want to improve it
0:02:12 > 0:02:16even more so because when you take that away,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19you see that the edge is getting a bit hairy
0:02:19 > 0:02:23and it starts to fall out the way because of the weight of the mower.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28So, a trimming up with the edging iron just like so.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I can take a bit off, even better!
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Like so.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Once you get started and look at that!
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Really nice, clean edge.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Looks much better, doesn't it?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Now then, in the rest of the programme.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48It's hard to imagine any self-respecting plant wanting
0:02:48 > 0:02:52to set up home in this and yet, amazingly,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55this is a plot for a new build garden.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57This week and throughout the series,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01I'm helping two families who've bought new builds and want to
0:03:01 > 0:03:06transform a plot like this into their impression of paradise.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12Well, you know,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15another job you can be getting on with this time of year is
0:03:15 > 0:03:18thinking about lifting, splitting, dividing your herbaceous
0:03:18 > 0:03:19and then replanting it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And, well, we've got our work cut out here, haven't we, George?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25We have indeed. This whole banking has got to be re-done,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27so we're having to take out all the plants that we want to keep
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and then young Chris is going to get on and rebuild the bank for us.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Yes, it's definitely passed its sell-by-date
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and so it's going to be a big project in the next few weeks.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38But there's different types of plants here
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and why you want to lift them and starting with the asta there,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43that's very invasive, isn't it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Yeah, this is one which tends to run about in bits
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and it gets to the edge of the path and runs along the side.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54So, what you can do with this is just lift it and divide bits out.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57So, I mean, you can have a really tiny plant from that clump,
0:03:57 > 0:03:58you can get loads, can't you?
0:03:58 > 0:04:00That's ideal, that size.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02I love that, value for money.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Here's another example, this geranium and I've
0:04:04 > 0:04:07just lifted a bit at the edge because what you find
0:04:07 > 0:04:10is in the centre, you know, it completely dies out.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- So, it's the outer part, the fresher bit that you want. - SHE LAUGHS
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- It's the same as the head, isn't it?- I'm saying nothing!
0:04:17 > 0:04:22And, sometimes, what happens in a border, is that you get weeds,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25invasive weeds. I mean, this is a grass, you can get ground elder
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and this is a great way of cleaning it up.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Well, you then get two shots at that because you've cleaned it down,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34you've got a small plant, you've planted it up or, potted it up,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37lined it out and then you can have another go
0:04:37 > 0:04:40if there's still weeds in it, cos often we leave little bits, don't we?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Yes, so it's like, putting it into quarantine, isn't it?- Yes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And you could, possibly, take some cuttings as well.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Well, that would come easily from cuttings, yes.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50And then you've got the great technique there!
0:04:50 > 0:04:51The fork, back-to-back.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54This is the other one, put that into the middle like that.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55So, that's a day lily.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Yes, a day lily and you can split that up two or three times
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and take them up, do what you want.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Now, not everybody has two garden forks but you could use a fork
0:05:05 > 0:05:06and a spade, couldn't you, as well?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I would have been tempted to put a spade through that,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- it's quicker as well.- Well, I think that's the wheelbarrow full.- Yes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14And that's got to go down to the new nursery bed
0:05:14 > 0:05:15and I'll carry on lifting.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Good girl. I'll go and see Jim.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Right then, Jim, here you are.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Some plants for you.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32I thought we were getting plantlets!
0:05:32 > 0:05:35No, no these are, well, we've explained how we do plantlets
0:05:35 > 0:05:37but this is clumps now.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Oh, so we're on to clumps.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41In fact, you could take time to split these up and make several.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Oh, you could now, aye.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45But that's the right depth, well done.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- About the right depth.- Well done, you.- Well, OK, aye, aye.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Hemerocallis. One or two wee bits.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Hemerocallis or hemerocallis?
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- Whichever school you went to.- This is true, like clematis or clematis.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- These are nice.- Right, so there you go.- Down you go, you do it.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Now, that's about the right space, I think.- That's about the right space.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- Yeah.- So, all we're going to do now, of course,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08is just to fork that in and tramp them down.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09But here, listen...
0:06:09 > 0:06:11This is a new area, isn't it?
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It is indeed, a nursery bed here,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17to go on with our lovely fantoosh frames.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20That's a bit like the Royal Botanic Garden, isn't it, eh?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Can I hide money, eh? - No, you can't hide money.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Right, I'll tell you what,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26we're going to be able to make a lot of use of these.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- Yes.- There we go.- Right, I'll leave you to it.- Thank you, sir.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Now then, our Chris has disappeared from the garden
0:06:34 > 0:06:37because he's going to be helping a couple of families who've moved
0:06:37 > 0:06:42into new houses, brand-new, with brand-new gardens, inverted commas.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58This is the old fishing bay of Cove, just south of Aberdeen.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03It's a deceptively idyllic and peaceful place because just
0:07:03 > 0:07:07behind those cliffs, there's a frenzy of building activity.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09In fact, in the last five years,
0:07:09 > 0:07:1435,000 new homes have been built in this region alone.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16With the same number planned,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19to be constructed before 2020 across Aberdeen.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23It's a phenomenal building programme. All those people
0:07:23 > 0:07:28moving into new homes with great optimism to create new gardens.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33What fascinates me is what's the reality of a new home,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35new garden...in a place like this?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45In most cases, gardeners in new build situations are faced
0:07:45 > 0:07:49with the inevitable consequences of this, heavy construction,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54which means a garden space largely filled with builders rubble or,
0:07:54 > 0:07:59sometimes, a layer of what is amusingly called top soil and
0:07:59 > 0:08:01even a veneer of turf.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07But...it's what lies underneath all of that which really interests me!
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And in this series I'm going to be inspiring two
0:08:10 > 0:08:15families in new build gardens to turn this into paradise.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Susan and Brian Duffy moved into their new
0:08:20 > 0:08:23home in Cove in autumn 2013.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26There's great ambitions for this garden.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29One of the nice things is that in gardening we often say,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- "Wouldn't it be great to have a blank canvass?"- Well...
0:08:32 > 0:08:33SHE LAUGHS
0:08:33 > 0:08:37This is it! This is the ideal blank canvass!
0:08:37 > 0:08:41I mean, anything is possible in this space. It's what, about ten by ten?
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Yeah.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44So, what are your ideas?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47When you look out of the window here from the dining space
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and the kitchen, what are your ideas for it?
0:08:51 > 0:08:55We'd like to come out the doors onto a deck, then have some grass
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and flowers, maybe, up the side.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01And decking for when the sun shines like this in Aberdeen,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04lying in the sunshine is always good.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Lying in the sunshine in Aberdeen?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07You're the first person that's told me
0:09:07 > 0:09:09it's possible to lounge on a deck in the sunshine in Aberdeen.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- It is, actually.- I think you're absolutely right to have,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15when you step out of the door, give yourself a generous space.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18You know, if you're going to be lounging down here and...
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Absolutely!
0:09:20 > 0:09:23..bringing your coffees and lunch and so on outside,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25then make it reasonably generous.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Erm, obviously,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30you're looking at what is a garage wall at the end there.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- Lovely garage wall. - The back of your garage wall.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34So, in a way, it would be quite nice,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37because of all these hard angles of architecture,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- to try and soften all of that. - Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43And to it with vegetation, so you get layer upon
0:09:43 > 0:09:46layer of vegetation and you see the garage peeking up over the top.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50You don't want your lawn to be too small
0:09:50 > 0:09:55but equally any bed width, it's useful to have as a general guide,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- whatever the height of your boundaries...- Right, OK.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- ..that should be about the width of the bed.- Oh, right, OK.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Proportionally, that works.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06If you make your bed narrow, then your plants will look as
0:10:06 > 0:10:08though they're going to be shot against the wall.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11So, be generous with the spaces.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Looking at a blank canvas like this, you feel maybe just
0:10:14 > 0:10:17a lawn will be enough but actually think much more ambitiously.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Put lots of things in and then there's always something to
0:10:20 > 0:10:23look at, there's always something to stimulate you, as you walk through.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27So, I think the good news is, you've got soil.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Yeah!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- Which, I mean, is... - It's not the best.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37It's not perfect but it's, actually, quite good.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It's brown and crumbly.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41You know, that's not bad.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44What's fantastic about this garden is that the sun comes in here
0:10:44 > 0:10:48and hits this corner in the morning and then travels round
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and so the whole garden is bathed in sun, at some point.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53That gives us a great opportunity
0:10:53 > 0:10:56to plant a very diverse range of material.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So, we've got a deck area in here.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Quite a generous width of planting up here.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I've suggested a hedge across the top here
0:11:04 > 0:11:09and then this utility path, to create a bit more formality,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11a bit of rhythm as you come down and have, maybe,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14pairs of specimen plants as you go down the path.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I think, as a starting point, it would be worth marking that out.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- I could do the proportions.- Yeah, exactly.- Get a feel for the size.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41James and I transferred the basic design through onto the ground,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44spray marked first and then a few pegs to check levels
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and those essential corner positions,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48just to keep everything square.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Meanwhile, Brian, who was a joiner in his previous life,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55thankfully, is able to put together the foundations of the fab deck!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04You know how you said that the soil was actually quite good?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07So why have we added all this other soil on top?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Or is it maybe not soil?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Erm, no, it is. Well, in a roundabout kid of way.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14This organic matter.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16So, this is composted garden waste
0:12:16 > 0:12:20because the problem you've got is that whilst this looks brown
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and crumbly, the chances are it's completely devoid of life.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26You'll see, if you dig around, there's no worms in here.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- No, no, that's true.- The chances are, the bacteria
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- and fungi that bring life to the soil just aren't present.- OK.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35So, by incorporating some of that organic matter, what we're doing is
0:12:35 > 0:12:39feeding the soil first and then as a consequence, feeding the plants.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Now then, during that session, Chris was using green waste,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52local authority green waste, as a soil ameliorant
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and it's absolutely superb for the job.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Now, thinking of a different kind of compost, growing medium,
0:12:58 > 0:12:59I've got one or two things to say.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The first one is that there has been
0:13:02 > 0:13:03a relaxation on the use of peat,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08so most of the manufacturers have included peat in their mixtures.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12But despite the fact that some of them have definitely improved
0:13:12 > 0:13:15the texture, we've done a wee bit of a trial.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17This bag here of multi-purpose compost,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21we tipped the whole of that out, we put it through this old sieve here.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25That was my dad's sieve, it must over 100 years old, I'm telling you.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28He was not a carpenter, he was a gardener, but it works.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So, we put that through there and that's the amount of rubbish
0:13:31 > 0:13:34out of that bag, erm, which is a bit disappointing.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36For the most part, if you're using it for mature plants,
0:13:36 > 0:13:37it won't matter.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39We did the same with a grow bag
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and that is what came out of the grow bag and all the sieved stuff
0:13:42 > 0:13:45was put back in again, cos I'm very conscious of the fact that
0:13:45 > 0:13:50many guys will use the grow bag as a compost, not just as a grow bag.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Now, the other point which is interesting is that we've
0:13:53 > 0:13:57only got one peat-free compost on view and that's this one here.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01I sieved that amount out and that's the rubbish that came through in it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03It's brand-new, we haven't used it yet,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05so I don't know what it'll be like but I must say,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10I like the texture of it, it looks like it may well be a good buy.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13And lastly, my annual warning about grow bags.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17They spend the winter, probably, out of doors, they're stacked high,
0:14:17 > 0:14:22so they're compacted, they're like a big lump of cheese.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Don't expect to use them straightaway.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26You've got to knock them about a bit, you know,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29really...this is about as much exercise as I'll get today.
0:14:29 > 0:14:35Do this and leave them for a while. Like, doing a bolster.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Now I'm going to have to go and sit down!
0:14:41 > 0:14:44George, we're spending a bit of time looking at some of our
0:14:44 > 0:14:46overwintering projects and we've fared OK, haven't we?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Well, I think so! THEY LAUGH
0:14:49 > 0:14:51So, these are overwinter onions and shallots,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55which are under this giant cloche, basically, cos it's open doors
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and outside. So, the ones under the cloche have done pretty well.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01And the ones outside have been damaged by the wind.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I grew them also in my allotment in Edinburgh
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and they are under an insect mesh.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10They're outside in the wind and they're intermediate.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- OK, so, inbetween. - So, we will see what happens,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15because this goes on until the end of May.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18This is for filling this hungry gap which we get, of crops.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20So, we harvest them at the end of May, into June,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24and we don't get our next onion crop until, what? August, September?
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- September, yeah. - So, it's a great crop to grow.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30And we've some more to look at next door.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33These are super through here.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Now, look at these wonderful winter salads.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40They've overwintered remarkably well. What have we got?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Cutting celery, corn salad, an American crest.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Have you tried that?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46- I am going to try this. - Go on, you try that.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49This is the other one you get coming up in woodlands.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51This is Miners crest.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52That's got a real bite to it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It's like a watercress or a rocket, something like that.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56It's a bit wersh. Urgh.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58- Is it not so good? - Well, it's not sweet.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Do we have to mention the chillis?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- Best not!- Dead sticks! - Not so hot with your chilies!
0:16:03 > 0:16:06There is a story behind it, George.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08The chilli festival that I went to last year,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12one of the commercial growers there said you can overwinter them.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16So, some of the team took them home and this is what has happened.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- They do need really warm temperatures.- Right.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It's not worth doing that,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25but if we concentrate our warmth into the spring and germinate the seed,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27we'll get them just as quick.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Yes, I would grow from seed. I think that's the answer.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Now, that might look like a dead stick...
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- I was just going to ask you about this!- ..but it's not.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- For a start, it's sprouting here. That would have to come off.- Right.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44But, it is starting to sprout in the centre. You know what I would do?
0:16:44 > 0:16:48You mist the wood. It softens it and it helps it to sprout.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52That's what you want to see, because these plants are deciduous.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55You're meant to put them into dormancy. You just tick them over.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- So, what's happened here? - We haven't gone into dormancy!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Mild temperatures. I think maybe slightly too much water, as well.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05They look healthy enough.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09These are beautiful at the moment, but I'd be picking off the flowers.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I think that's important.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I'd also nip back these shoots,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15take them back so that we get a nice shape.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- A nice ball shape. That's really important.- That's what we want.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- You're going to have a job picking all the flowers off!- Yes, we are!
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Also what happens, because it's so soft, you see what's happened there?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27There is botrytis there already
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and we'll have to watch that because it could just run through these.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33So, that comes in when the air's a bit still, not enough ventilation,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35so really watch out for that.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38We've potted them on, as well. I wouldn't go any bigger?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40No, I think they're going to put on a lot of growth,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42there's a lot of nutrient in the compost,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46so we'll just keep an eye on them and try and slow them down a bit.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Yeah. But, fingers crossed they'll come through fine.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And fingers crossed too for Chris with Susan and Brian.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56The main shapes of their garden are in place
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and Chris and Susan are about to add the plant structures.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05I always think it's great when you've got the boards in
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and you start to see the levels.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10The two-dimensional structure of the garden starts to become evident.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15You start to see the spaces and how Brian's decking is working there.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- And, then, it's time to think about the vegetation structure.- Yeah.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- This is Prunus amanagawa, which is a little flowering cherry tree.- Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We'll put one in here, and then two more in that bit.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30The idea is that this creates almost a colonnade
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- as you walk down from the gate into the utility.- Yeah.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It's got such a lot of weight down here,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- and this is all quite whippy stem up here, so it won't need staking.- OK.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44The ideal for planting a tree is to try and plant it
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- at just below the level it was growing in the container or pot.- OK.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52So, you dig your hole about twice the size of the pot,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- and about half as deep again.- OK.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- So, be generous. You can't over-dig the hole.- Yeah.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04This is really just to add that extra bit of organic matter,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07in addition to the organic matter that we have already supplied.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12If you put your spade across there, just to check the level again.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14The critical thing on this tree,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18you'll see that you've got the stem coming up here
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and then this shoot coming round here.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23That's because this is a grafted tree,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- which means that it's growing on the roots of a different tree.- Oh!
0:19:27 > 0:19:32What, essentially, the nurseryman has done is taken the glamorous bit,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35the cherry, the upright, flowering and real performer,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and put it on to a much more resilient wild cherry rootstock.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42That means this rootstock, think of it as the engine of the plant.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- It's driving how much growth is going to take place.- OK.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49We need to make sure that this graft here
0:19:49 > 0:19:52is above the finished ground level.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55For the very simple reason if you put it low ground level,
0:19:55 > 0:19:56it will start to grow.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The rootstock is much more vigorous than the top
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and the rootstock will take over and you'll end up with a wild cherry,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and wild cherries are about the size of oak trees.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06They are enormous, way too big,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- and completely against what we're trying to achieve.- Yeah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25This is another really good flowering tree.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This is Crataegus, Paul's scarlet.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It's a hawthorn, very resilient.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32One of the reasons it's a good treat for this garden
0:20:32 > 0:20:36is as soon as anything put its head over this wall,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40it risks just getting its head blown off because of the prevailing wind.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43So, you need something attractive for the garden,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but also something which is pretty brutish.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49One of the things about this one is, because it's going up into the wind,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and because, essentially, it's a lollipop tree,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54so a clear stem and then a canopy,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57the canopy is going to be up here, acting like a sail.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02So, this definitely needs staking, which is what James is doing here.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07The idea is that you put the stake on the windward side of the tree,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- so the tree is pulling away from the stake.- OK.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17And you'll notice that we've also dug out a large hole
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- but it's a square hole.- Yep.- And there's a very good reason for that.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22See how the roots are all moving round...
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Yeah.- ..the side of the pot?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26If you dig a round hole, these roots,
0:21:26 > 0:21:27which have already conditioned
0:21:27 > 0:21:30themselves to go like this, will continue to go round the hole.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Whereas if you dig a square hole and you start to just gently
0:21:34 > 0:21:37rough those roots up a bit, they'll change direction.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Once in the hole, they hit the side of the hole and have to go out.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51In this sort of scenario where we're using a brace what you do is...
0:21:54 > 0:21:56..put the strap around the tree.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Then through the collar.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And then use the collar to push the tree away from the timbers.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10So that the tree isn't rubbing against the timbers.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- If it was rubbing against here it would...- Damage it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15..wear through the bark and would damage it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20And then what you can do is just put some nails on there.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24And you just give it enough space to grow for a couple of years or
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- something and then you take it all out.- Exactly.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Generally, what you do is give it a season of growth.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- You're desperate to put that in, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33THEY LAUGH
0:22:38 > 0:22:40There you go. That means that next season,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44this time next year you can just pull that one out,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47little bit of slack on there to give the tree a little bit more
0:22:47 > 0:22:49space so it's not throttled and put the nail back in again.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Back in again.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01The third phase of structure, at least in planting terms,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02is the hedge at the back.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05The way to do it this time of the year is to dig a trench,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09the most economical way of putting plant material in the ground in
0:23:09 > 0:23:12autumn, winter or early spring like this and that's to go bare root.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17And you can see why it's called bare root on this dogwood here.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22This is a cutting. They've dug it up and supply it to you just like that.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- OK.- It's a very economical way of buying your plant material.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Plunge it in a pot as soon as it arrives,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29let the plants take on the moisture.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33We've got dogwood which will give you red stems, white flowers
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and then black berries.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36You've got amelanchier,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39the snowy mespilus which you can just
0:23:39 > 0:23:43see the early white blossom starting to show there.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49This is Rosa rugosa and it has those old-fashioned dog rose style
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- flowers.- OK.- And then we've got Viburnum opulus at the end.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54So you can do a mix and match with these.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58The only thing I would say is avoid putting the spiny
0:23:58 > 0:24:00one on the corners.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Because if you go brushing past, you know if you've bumped into that one.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05So let's start with a dogwood
0:24:05 > 0:24:09and the basic principal is that you dig a trench.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13And put the plant in so that it's just above the level it was
0:24:13 > 0:24:14growing in the nursery.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16And you can spread the roots out a little bit.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And then you just backfill with your soil.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Give it a bit of a tread down.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Then you can immediately put the next one in
0:24:24 > 0:24:28because the next one really needs to go in about 20 cm apart.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Which is really close for these sorts of plants
0:24:31 > 0:24:33but because we're going to prune them back periodically,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36they will tolerate being that close.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37So take your pick.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Done like an expert, you see. You don't even need me here.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I don't need to be here.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52What we're going to do is in a few weeks' time
0:24:52 > 0:24:57when we come back the hedge will be in, the other
0:24:57 > 0:25:00pruinose will be in to give us the columns both sides of the path.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Lawn down, deck finished.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Possibly lounging on the deck over there?
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Possibly, if it's a nice sunny day. Well, you never know.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- But you can see that the structure is all starting to take shape?- Yeah.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15And that's the main thing that we've got over that initial
0:25:15 > 0:25:17phase of looking out of the window and thinking,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- "What am I going to do with this?" - Yeah.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23These don't need staked at all? They just like a little waft in the wind?
0:25:23 > 0:25:27- They like wafting.- That's fine, that's good. OK, no problem.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- We'll see you in a few weeks. - Indeed. That would be great.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Just a few days later after more hard work Brian had finished
0:25:39 > 0:25:42the deck and all the turf had been laid.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46And we can really begin to see the new garden taking shape.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Chris will be back in a few weeks' time to help Susan
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and Brian onto the next stage.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57This annual weed here is
0:25:57 > 0:26:00hairy bittercress and it can cause
0:26:00 > 0:26:03a lot of problems in your garden if you let it set seed.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05The seeds actually pop, they're quite explosive
0:26:05 > 0:26:11and they can spread by about a metre so the answer is don't let it seed.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Weed it out. A hand fork works quite easy, especially in a border.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17If you've got a path, you might want to use a weed killer.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And if it's in the vegetable patch, keep the hoe going.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The normal time for planting spring flowering bulbs is in the autumn
0:26:26 > 0:26:27but with snowdrops you can do it right now,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29as soon as they're finished flowering.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32New gardeners sometimes get puzzled by what we say.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34We call this planting in the green.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38If you want to expand your collection you can dig them
0:26:38 > 0:26:41up now, take them into smaller clumps and plant them
0:26:41 > 0:26:44back again and they'll just carry on as if nothing had happened.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Isn't this outstanding? It's a quince.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Only trouble with this one is it's flowering in my neighbour's garden.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Look at that.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Over the other side of the wall but the thing that's important is it's
0:26:57 > 0:27:01flowering in full sun so the hint, always plant a quince in full sun.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02They love it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Well, you two, do you remember that wee experiment
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I had at the end of last year planting some bulbs upside down?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17What time of night did you decide...?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Who told you?- Goodness sake.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- I'm going to blame Chris for this. - Cos he's not here.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24He's not here but he said to me, I think it was when we were
0:27:24 > 0:27:28planting daffodils, "Does it matter which way you plant them?"
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- So we thought, "Right, let's try it out."- So?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Tulips here, these two were planted upside down
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and then these two at the front were the right way up.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- And the variety?- The variety is Little Red Riding Hood.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44At the moment, no difference. Beautiful foliage but no difference.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46They're not in flower yet.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Whereas the narcissus here, tete-a-tete,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53these are the ones that were planted the right way as far as I'm
0:27:53 > 0:27:55concerned and they did start flowering first.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They've got to grow a little bit further, haven't they?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00They look as if they're more plumptious.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02They are more plumptious.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Mind you, if you were running for a bus you'd never know the difference.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- This is true. - We'll stick to the right way.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Anyway, if you'd like any more information about this week's
0:28:11 > 0:28:12programme it's all in the fact sheet
0:28:12 > 0:28:16and the easiest way to access that is on our website.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Next week, busy, busy. Lots of pruning.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Lots of pruning but I'm picking out some very special seedlings.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I'm offski,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27up country by 30 odd miles to see how the new allotmenteers
0:28:27 > 0:28:29at Aden Country Park are doing.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- That's just outside Mintlaw. So, until then...- ALL: Bye!