Episode 15 The Beechgrove Garden

Hello and welcome to Beechgrove,

on what's turned out to be another rather warm and muggy day -

between the showers, that is.

It's a weather condition that's come to really characterise

this growing season. First it's hot, then it's dry,

and then we have an absolute deluge,

which may be good for general growth in the garden,

but it is a challenge for some plants.

So, for instance, these recently planted clump of Buxus spheres here.

Just look at the yellowing and the slight bronzing on particularly the

young foliage. It's a classic sign that a plant that was previously

nurtured in a pot in a nursery is now, in the garden,

starting to struggle a little.

So, with plants like this,

it's a good idea to get a good layer of organic matter,

and mulch not only around them but to push the organic matter

right underneath the canopy.

Buxus, of course, very shallow rooting, very fibrous rooting,

and they love having a nice, healthy organic matter mulch,

right underneath the skirt.

And, once you've done that,

just give them a little bit of an injection of...

Well, it's the sort of plant equivalent of steroids.

It's a seaweed enriched with micronutrients.

Do this about once every 10-14 days right through until the autumn,

and you'll find the plants will really go into the winter strong,

healthy and robust.

Now, of course, you will have noticed

that the apprentice has been left in charge of Beechgrove,

which could be something of a disaster, but, fear not,

because Jim and Carole are just down the road.

Well, here we are,

a few miles east on the outskirts of the city of Aberdeen.

In fact, at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary,

a 900-bedded hospital serving the whole of the North of Scotland,

600,000 population.

You know, we are going to be

in a very special place on this huge campus.

We are going to be at the Children's Hospital.

Yes, and that is a daunting prospect for parents and children alike.

So, we're off to meet a bunch

of really dedicated and enthusiastic people,

who are transforming a really orra piece of ground

into a naturally therapeutic garden, especially designed for children.

And, you know, I think we are going to be meeting a few new friends.

Back at Beechgrove,

in the depths of the Secret Garden,

there's a plant here which is well worth paying attention to.

This is Lamium orvala.

It is the most incredible nettle relative - in very early spring,

almost the first of the herbaceous perennials to come into flower.

It has orchid-like blooms.

You're just looking at the remains of them here that have well faded.

But, at this time of the year,

as the plant starts to close down, already,

believe it or not, you can seize the opportunity of sneaking up behind it

and...

Propagating from it.

Now, this looks like one big batch but, in fact, if I come in here,

you can see...

it's two clumps.

So, just spading round the back of one clump...

Then, if you open the plant up...

Put your spade in the middle...

And push through.

There we go.

And you can see - look at that -

how vigorous and how enthusiastic this plant is to grow.

Now, obviously, as a herbaceous plant like this,

you wouldn't want to transplant it with such harshness

without doing something to the top.

So, it's well worth going in and just taking the tops off.

And you can do this with any

of your early flowering herbaceous perennials

that have finished flowering. Cut them back.

Things like Geranium phaeum, and that sort of thing.

And you will most likely get a second flush of growth

from this mat of foliage. But, more importantly,

that is good material to move elsewhere in the garden.

Transplanting anything at this time of the year

is always a bit of a challenge.

And you do, in truth, run the risk of losing things

unless you're careful with the process.

So, with something like the Lamium,

the trimming back is going to

significantly reduce the stress on the roots

from the mass of foliage.

It looks harsh but dropping that in the hole a little deeper than it was

originally planted, backfill.

This soil's already been improved

with lots of organic matter of home-made garden compost.

Firm the soil in to make sure the roots are in contact with that soil.

And, then, of course, the trick is just to water, water,

and a bit more water.

You won't be able to really over-soak them.

The more water you apply,

the more likely they are to settle in successfully.

And, within a few weeks, you'll get fresh foliage,

which will recharge the roots,

and the plant will be up and ready to roll for next spring.

And, talking about plants and how quickly they settle in,

just have a look at these little geraniums here.

This is nodosum. This was planted end of April as little, tiny,

nine centimetre in one litre pot.

And already they're doing exactly what we want them to do.

Knit together and create that wonderful woodland understory

with delicate blooms on. Great plant for in the shade.

There is Geranium phaeum here as well, planted at the same time.

You can see that's finished flowering.

It's a very good plant for setting seed.

If you have a much more relaxed approach to gardening,

you don't mind the plants seeding around, just let it set seed.

But, on young plant like this, if you allow it to set seed,

it invests so much energy in the production of that seed,

that it can, in effect, starve the roots.

So what I like to do at this time

of year is not give it a severe haircut,

but just take off those flowering spikes.

That helps to keep the plant not only compact but also, again,

replenish the roots, ready for next season.

These are just a couple of the geraniums

that we tried planting here.

All sorts of different shapes and sizes.

Just sort of exploring the genus, really.

So, we've got 'Wargrave pink' over here,

which is a fairly broad and lax specimen.

This is 'Westray', really super.

Succulent foliage, covered in bees.

If you want a plant to sprawl around on the edge of the path

or tumble over a wall, it's perfect. And, then,

same species but this time the lighter pink form.

This is 'Biokovo' doing exactly the same thing.

And then there are the some of the more vigorous plants, too.

How about 'Splish Splash' at the back here?

You can see why it's carrying the name 'Splish Splash'.

Great for mixing among the more informal plantings of things

like Rosa rugosa.

And, then, how about this?

One of my favourites, 'Lakwijk Star'. A real beauty.

Dark foliage, splashes on the leaf,

and then really super coloured flowers.

It shows you just how generous these geraniums are,

and how hard they work.

This is a very distinctive landmark here at Aberdeen.

It's the Maggie's Centre, and it provides all kinds of free support,

whether it's emotional, practical, or social,

for people who have cancer and also for their families and friends.

But, you know, when you look at this building from a distance,

to me, it looks like a wonderful, big,

white pebble sitting on a sea of grass.

The garden is really calming

because you've got these wonderful lime greens

of the Alchemilla mollis,

you've got the cool blues of the iris.

Now, in a similar way, but with children especially in mind,

is the project in hand today.

And Jim is with David Tipping, who's the project leader,

and also the director of projects for the ARCHIE Foundation.

Right, then, David. How did this project get started?

Well, the hospital had reached its 10th birthday.

And after a million children coming through its doors,

-it was starting to look a little bit tired.

-Aye.

So, as a charity, we got together, and we thought,

we've got to do something about this.

So, we approached some of the local big companies,

and the Wood group came forward and said, look,

we can't give you the money, it's a lot of money,

but we've got 7,000 staff, and, actually,

they can fund-raise towards the project, and, actually,

they can come and get stuck in and help.

Absolutely. Fantastic, isn't it?

Because they've come as a staff as well, working, volunteering.

They're local. They're local people.

Now, the site. I'm supposed to ask you what the site was like.

I know what the site was like. It was like a commando course.

It was situated between the building and the car park,

and naebody kent what to do with it.

But, by jingo, you've transformed it.

Where do you see the benefits?

The benefits are huge.

We have created a bit of wow here.

The kids will be excited to come here.

-There's distraction.

-Absolutely.

We're not talking just about people...

somebody's broken their leg

and they're here for two days or something.

Some families are involved here for quite a long time.

Oh, yeah. There's families that have spent over a year in the hospital.

And what an opportunity to have it at their back door.

So close to where they are, yeah, that they can actually escape for...

The benefits of being in a garden environment are going to benefit

the patients and the parents.

Absolutely. And when the parents are happy,

-the patients are happy.

-Thanks for that.

Jake Dickie is in charge of implementing this design.

And, really, it's a big project, Jake.

Big project, but it is a big site.

So, where are we at the moment on the plan?

At the moment, we're just to the right of the main entrance with these wonderful creatures here.

They're going to give all the kids a wow and a laugh at the beginning.

They give me a wow. I mean, you can't miss them!

You cannot miss them at all. And that's the whole idea - impact.

And, then, back into the seating area on the right here.

More contemplative for the parents.

And the kids can play up and down on the paths,

and the meandering walkways.

I mean, that's important to the children. That they can play here.

There's lots of... There's lots of ways they can approach this garden,

and that's what it's all about - being in the garden and enjoying it.

Nice to have a few mature trees.

The mature trees give a bit of a glade here.

And then that gives you a bit of a break before you open it into this

-wonderful deck.

-It's nice and bright.

It is bright. That's the impact for the children.

It'll get used as an outdoor classroom

for the long-term patients here, too,

to give them a wee bit of fresh air.

And leading up to the bridge here, you've got this dry riverbed.

There's a feature beside the deck,

so it can be looked down upon as well as approached.

-But perfectly safe.

-Perfectly safe for the children.

-They will be running across it.

-Now, you mentioned children, Jake.

It's not just about the children that are going to the hospital.

-It's the whole family.

-The whole family are here.

The parents come here and bring their other children here with them

while they are visiting their brothers and sisters.

They're going to be playing here, they'll come along here,

they'll see these wonderful creatures we're walking up to...

-You saved the best till last!

-They're ele-flumps.

And they're also going to approach from the car park,

so this is going to be a wow for kids.

And the idea here is the high planting here creates a jungle effect for

-these to be feeding on.

-What, the jungle of Aberdeen?

-The jungle of Aberdeen.

-That's a first!

Joe Mackie, as chairman of the ARCHIE foundation,

is this the biggest project you've ever tackled?

It's certainly the biggest outdoor project we've done.

-And what a result.

-It is fantastic.

When you just see the transformation, and what we've now created,

you know, just the ambience, the whole environment,

the friendliness we've created, with the animals and the plants...

It's just wonderful.

Well, Tony, I've been pointed in your direction because I want some

information on money, and maintenance.

-You've come to the right man.

-And you are, on behalf of the company,

you're head of the volunteers, aren't you?

-Absolutely.

-First of all, tremendous beach plants, growing in pots,

but I read somewhere that you're going to be putting in

bare-rooted ones.

Well, Jim, as you know,

the pot growing plants are really quite expensive.

And a project like this, every penny counts.

So, come the autumn, we'll be

planting some bare-rooted ones, which,

as you know, is far more economical.

Quite a nifty idea because they'll look much better

and give you a thicker...

Now, then, there's another one over here. Maintenance. Maintenance.

Now... We all see this finished, and it's looking gorgeous,

and everything else. But things start to grow,

and things start to get out of hand.

But where you can actually save on maintenance,

and here's a classic example, soil's all made up,

the fabric goes in there, the plants are in round,

this wonderful tree's in, then that stops any weeds coming through.

-So much easier for everyone.

-And it looks tremendous.

-It's going to be great.

-So, you've cracked it?

You've got the money sorted,

and you've got the maintenance sorted. Good stuff.

I think that's about right, Laura.

OK.

Now, Laura, would it be fair to say that you're Tony's deputy?

Yes, on this project, yeah.

And what's your involvement been?

So, I was involved in the initial application for Beechgrove,

and fundraising, and volunteering throughout.

Now, isn't it fantastic, all these plants that have gone in,

and we've got a bit structure and a bit of height with things

like the bamboos. I mean, what do YOU think?

Oh, yeah, I like the movement through all these as well.

And one of the reasons we've put in the plants in first here is because

the dry riverbed, we don't want any soil going into that.

-OK.

-So we bring in the slate and glass, it looks nice and fresh.

I think it looks absolutely fantastic at the moment.

But there's still a lot more work to do.

Now, I wonder what Chris is up to.

I bet he's having coffee in the potting shed.

Cor, a chance would be a fine thing.

Honestly, you should see the list of jobs they've left.

All the heavy stuff.

Fatsia japonica, free for a good home.

This plant, it's hardy in most parts of the UK,

but where it's a little bit windswept

or maybe you're a little bit nervous about growing it,

it's a good idea to keep it in a pot.

In fact, it applies to anything, doesn't it?

Keep it in a container. Try it in various parts of the garden.

And, if it proves hardy, then transplant it.

And, this one, as you can see, it's slightly chlorotic,

with this sort of yellowing of the foliage,

due to a lack of nutrient and also a lack of moisture

in this terracotta container.

So, we thought it was high time to plant it out in the garden.

Which prompted us to think, well,

is it possible to create, in these climes,

a garden or at least a border which reflects something of the tropics?

They're not necessarily plants from the tropics,

but they give a kind of tropical feel.

Bold foliage in lavish colours.

A generosity in the way that they grow and mingle.

Pack them all together and just see what happens.

Not all of them are going to be hardy enough to stay outside.

Some of them will need to be protected.

Some of them, like the Ricinus communis here is an annual,

so you can sow it early in the season, plant it out,

let it do its thing, and let the frosts cut it down.

But the idea is, in a way,

to travel the globe via

the horticultural specimens in the border.

So, for instance, the Fatsia's from

Japan, the Veratrum nigrum in here is...

If I just move that out of the way...

This is a curious little specimen.

It's one of those plants

which is related to Melianthus major over here, and,

although the berries are highly toxic,

it does produce the most wonderful,

arching, lush, green, striped foliage.

Fabulous plant in a little cluster there.

And then there are some plants which are really quite unusual.

How about this? This is an aralia.

Now, you might be used to seeing aralias with spiny stems,

the devil's walking sticks, some people call them.

Well, this is the California form of aralia, Aralia californica.

And, although it does grow as a suckering shrub or small tree,

if you're slightly nervous about its hardiness,

then it's a good idea to get

a specimen which has got several stems on it,

and, if it gets cut down in the winter,

it doesn't really matter because it will reshoot,

and you'll end up with a coppice of stems.

And, then, up to the cannas.

This whole batch of cannas

is a mixed bag of plants we've rescued from around

the garden. We've potted them up in the autumn,

kept them well fed and watered in a cool glasshouse through the winter,

and you can see they're already in flower.

So, well worth putting them out,

and then taking them in again during the autumn and winter.

And all of these plants, we're just going to see how they perform.

And, really, just give them the best chance.

If you're keeping plants in a pot.

I'm going back to my seaweed drench because, in a week or so,

all of this chlorotic foliage will have returned to a lovely, lush,

dark green colour.

And, as for everything else...

The trick, of course, is to keep all these plants well-fed and

well-watered.

They're not going to cause you too much problem.

In fact, the more food and water you put on,

the bigger they're going to get.

And the only thing you have to watch

out for is - is your garden big enough

to cope with the exuberance of planting?

There's a fair few to get in here.

I wonder if they've started planting at the hospital?

Work has moved on apace here at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital.

Most of the hard landscaping has been completed,

and there's another army

of volunteers have arrived to start with the planting.

Underneath the elephants, Jim.

This is true, but, I'll tell you what,

on every building site I've ever been on,

whether it's a private house or a school or wherever it is,

we get the problems, don't we?

We do. What we've discovered is basically with the diggers,

all those heavy vehicles, you get this pan,

so the top couple of inches is fine, then it's ever so solid.

Hides a multitude of sins.

-You go into your new house, you think, oh, magic.

-Yes.

And then you find a pan like that.

Calum's been laying into that with a mattock!

-And preparation is so important.

-There's nothing wrong with the soil.

It's just that it's been so compacted.

The beautiful thing about this site is there's been so many donations.

We've got extra plants, so those little plants there,

-things like the thrift, are going to go in.

-Around the fringe.

-Yes.

And then we're going to have sort of wild flowers, a bit of wild grass,

you know. The elephants will be at home.

Yes, indeed. Suitably fertilised grass.

These guys are all planting into a mixture of native soil,

imported topsoil, and compost.

And it makes a lovely mix, but it'll take a wee while to settle down.

Now, then, chaps, are you enjoying the work in the sunshine?

Yes, it's great fun.

And how does this compare with the soil in your own garden?

My garden's got quite heavy clay soil

so it's quite light in comparison.

No, this is looking good, and I guess that in fact it's this

wee bit of the service

-to the community you guys are interested in.

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

But we might make a gardener of you yet.

-Get stuck into it, go on.

-Thank you.

It's always good to have one or two trees in your garden.

Here we've got a cherry plum, but, you know,

what's really important when you buy a specimen like this,

it does need to be staked.

And this is a great way to stake your tree - at an angle.

So, in other words, that is not going through the root at all.

It's not disturbing the root ball.

At the same time it's slightly lower down the stem.

That means the top can move in the wind, and then the roots can grow.

We've got a nice rowan here.

That is still needs to be staked.

At the moment, that bamboo cane is just temporary.

The nice thing about rowans, though, they're going to produce fruit.

And that's going to encourage the birds - the wildlife -

into the garden. And, then, how about this one?

It's a Magnolia. It's a mature shrub.

It needs staking as well, just because of the size of it.

It would move in the wind.

You can't see it, though, and this is what we've done,

is imagine the root ball's about this size.

There's been four stakes gone down at the corners of the root ball,

and, then, two pieces of wood put across,

and they've been screwed in.

That's going to be very secure.

Here's a thought for you.

We're building a huge project here, a garden,

but it's not like building a supermarket.

All the shelves don't have to be filled on the same day, on day one,

and all the trolleys ready.

A garden evolves, and you've got to allow it to do so.

I expect this garden will change with time.

For example, here we have lots and lots of turfed banks.

They're going to be expensive and time-consuming to maintain

and keep them tidy.

And, over time, I would expect...

I would have thought it would add to the interest and the season,

if parts of these banks were covered in daffodils.

Naturalised, needing a lot less maintenance.

It's a thought for the future.

Six or seven weeks ago, it was a building site.

And now we've got all these people in,

and a beautiful creation.

And, hopefully, people can enjoy it.

It was good fun because there was nice people to work with,

and you get to learn new things.

It's an ideal environment to complement the lovely environment

we've got inside the hospital.

I think, you know, if you've got some nice, green space

to look out on, it does make such a difference, you know.

There'll be lots of different colours, and things like that,

to look out on, as well, rather than, you know, building works,

and fences and things.

It does make such a difference having the garden instead.

Instead of just walking into a medical institution...

you're walking into an environment that shows that people care,

that must translate into the fact that you're going to go into a place

where people care about the kids. We're growing out here.

The whole purpose of a children's hospital

is to keep the kids growing well.

And I think that theme of growth...

nourishment...

is perfect. What could be better?

We're fortunate to have with us today Malcolm Wright,

who is CEO of NHS Grampian.

Are you chuffed that this is happening on your watch?

I am absolutely delighted with it.

I think the quality of work that's gone on here is just fantastic.

And we're so grateful to the ARCHIE foundation for all the fundraising

they've done on our behalf. So, it's just a huge thank you to everybody.

The entrance to the Children's Hospital is just above me.

So if you want to come into the garden,

this is the first border you come to.

It's very busy, there's lots going on.

It's really quite joyous because you've got bright colours,

like the lupins, the geums, and also interest 12 months of the year,

with things like the box balls.

I mean, that's a bit of fun.

It's also a sensory experience

because we've got things like the Choisya ternata,

that is the Mexican orange blossom.

And lots of herbs. This is one of my favourites, lemon balm.

That's a beautiful smell of lemon.

And, of course, those herbs also have healing properties.

So, that is fun.

But, at the same time, when you come into the garden,

maybe you just want to sit down and relax.

And then you look onto this border, which is extremely calming.

Well, the troops are busy putting

the last touches to a bit of turfing,

and there's a lot of turf been laid in this area,

and we've got a beaming-down sun, and the turf's sitting there,

and it's getting very dry.

Well, it's fine to work with when it's like that because it's lighter.

Once it's out, come evening, get the sprinklers on it,

and give it a real good soaking,

if you're in the same boat at the moment.

Usually, our weather helps us with that, with a few showers,

but don't take a risk. Have the sprinklers ready.

This recycled glass, it's absolutely appropriate for this dry riverbed.

It's a cracking show here of colour.

It's quite a tactile product, and bearing in mind where we are,

at the Children's Hospital,

it's going to entice the children to come and stand on that bridge

and look at this dry riverbed.

It's perfectly safe - there's no sharp edges.

It looks like water at the moment.

It's really glinting in the sunshine.

That's the whole idea, the different shades in the sheen and the glint

-that you see.

-I think it's absolutely stunning but, you know,

let's go back to the plants.

That lovely contrast over the blue

and the sort of maroon of the heuchera.

I mean, it shows up against the beach stone.

And that's going to develop and get quite a lush foliage down here.

The hostas as well.

And then we've got a bit of form.

Lots of spiky plants.

Yeah, it's important to see that difference with the yucca,

things like the phormium, the grasses,

and then moving to the left,

it gets quite a lush foliage, moving on to the elephants.

And you've also got interest.

You thought about it again for 12 months of the year.

It's important - it'll be used 12 months of the year.

So we've got the hellebores and the sedums,

and all these things to spread interest as well.

I think we should crack on, although

-I'm quite enjoying doing this.

-We'd probably be better to, aye.

After a massive effort from hordes of volunteers,

the garden is coming together,

and you can see how this will have a therapeutic and healing effect.

You know, if you were looking for evidence why it's worth going to the

trouble of fan-training a cherry in a cold fruit house,

then this must surely be it.

It's 'Sweetheart' in full flow.

Almost ripe, too.

Great crop this year.

But if you haven't got the space for something like that,

then how about this one? This is 'Celeste',

planted two years ago from a single stem,

and, remember, we've been pruning this one back.

You can see where we stunted back all of the growth,

so just a short amount.

And then flower and let the fruit set. Very, very compact.

It's a stunning performance, and the fruit is...

Well, just about ripe, isn't it?

Do you think I should try one?

You know what they say - the cat's away.

Anyway, it's goodbye from the garden,

but the final goodbye has to come from the hospital.

Mm - these are delicious.

Well, so ends our visit to this fantastic project.

And, by jingo,

the old saying is that if people can actually pull together,

they can move mountains.

Well, this lot here have moved mountains of soil,

mountains of plants, and they've made a fantastic job.

We are absolutely chuffed to bits. Well done, all of you.

It is a fantastic new resource for Aberdeen.

What can I say apart from that?

Also, we are going to be back in the garden next week.

We've been away for several weeks, Jim.

I think the weeds will probably have grown.

But from everybody here at the Children's Hospital...

Goodbye!

THEY CHEER