0:00:12 > 0:00:16Hello and welcome to Beechgrove on a beautiful summer's morning.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21In fact, temperature's 25 this afternoon. Ooh, that'll be nice!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Now, the last time we looked at that it was very, very brief.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27What do you think of the variety of plants that are here?
0:00:27 > 0:00:30New varieties for the main. My first choice would be these gazanias.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31They are lovely.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34They enjoy the sunshine and, of the two varieties,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'd pick the one in the corner there. That's Daybreak Tiger. Mm-hm.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Cos I think it's got lovely stripes on it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Mm, it's a very deep colour, isn't it? Rich. Mmm.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And, as you say, once it's fully open, it looks amazing. Yeah.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Now, Jim, you were looking at osteospermums before...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I got a very brief look at them.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Apart from these delightful colour combinations,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53what I do like is the size.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56They're very compact and they make an absolutely perfect bedding plant
0:00:56 > 0:00:59and a good range of colours. This one is something Ice, isn't it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Violet Ice. Right. I mean, this is a mixture of doubles.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Yes. Look at the cutting material because these are half-hardy perennials. Yeah.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Look at the cuttings, as you say! And we can keep them over winter.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Mm. We could take cuttings now or maybe just lift a plant... Yes.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Keep it over winter and then take cuttings.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18The same goes for these argyranthemums, the geraniums, pelargoniums...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21All of these are half-hardy perennials. They are.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23And the challenge is to grow your own next time. Yeah.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And you get a much better plant, actually, if you are able to,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28over winter. It's more vigorous, it's more boisterous,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31comes into flower earlier, so, you know, you're quids in, really.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Flowers, look at that one.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35The calendula or Pot Marigold. The dandelion. Dandelion, isn't it?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It's a bit of a break because it's called Sunny
0:01:38 > 0:01:40and it doesn't set seed.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Sprawling down a bank amongst rocks. Mm-hm. It could be quite interesting,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45instead of mesembryanthemum, that type of thing.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Listen, we've got a lot to do on this programme,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49there's a lot more. What have you got to do now?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I'm in... Well, I'm up to here in water again.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Up to my oxters in water - waders, pond.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Now you know what's coming.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57JIM CHUCKLES
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And they gave me a grape and said,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04"Go and turn that compost heap."
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Did I do it, or did I not?
0:02:06 > 0:02:07Wait and see.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's been quite a while since we've been in the 8x6 greenhouse,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15so some things have gone over
0:02:15 > 0:02:18but other things are looking really quite good,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19and this is a calla lily,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and they are really quite popular at the moment.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25The variety is called Picasso, beautiful blooms on that,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27a really attractive colour,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and what you can do with this is we can overwinter it,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32a bit like begonia tubers, somewhere frost-free,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35no warmer than around about ten degrees centigrade.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Something else that I think looks really nice at the moment
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and this is just grown from seed, just treated as an annual,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46it's an amaranthus and this one is called Joseph's Coat,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and you can see why, because look at all those lovely colours on the
0:02:49 > 0:02:52foliage, from greens to yellows to the sort of scarlets,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56and so easy to grow and just cheap as well.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Then we've got the tomato here.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01You might remember me showing these plants
0:03:01 > 0:03:03when we talked about windowsill gardening.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The varieties are called Sweet 'n' Neat and we've got the
0:03:06 > 0:03:07yellow one and the red one.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Sadly, not so much good news about the Eucomis,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13or the pineapple flower.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16We've got wonderful foliage but no flowers.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Grown from a bulb, so what we'll do is we'll keep it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23I doubt if it will flower for this season, but hopefully for next year.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26And, finally, I just want to look at a couple of things outside.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We've got this balsam - again, that was grown from seed.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The variety is called Tom Thumb,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33so it was meant to be eight inches in height.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Well, there's no way - that's about three feet in height.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39So I think perhaps we had the wrong seeds in the packet.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42But as I can tell now, they are starting to go over.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45And then a couple of climbers - again, these are annual climbers.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47We've got the Cobaea scandens
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and the common name is the cup and saucer plant,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and you can see why, because the flower - that's the cup -
0:03:53 > 0:03:55and then round the edge, that is the saucer.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58That is a white variety called Alba.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00And also, Black-Eyed Susan,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Thunbergia Superstar Orange...
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I mean, they are brilliant flowers, but sadly
0:04:06 > 0:04:08I would have expected more flowers here.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It's a compost that is based on bark and I really feel that we are going
0:04:12 > 0:04:15to have to throw on the fertiliser there because, if you look at the
0:04:15 > 0:04:17foliage, it really is rather chlorotic.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27It's hard to think that just two months ago
0:04:27 > 0:04:30we were planting the bog garden here,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33revising the entire planting scheme.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37We cleared it all out and put a new planting scheme in.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41But the planting in here is predominantly water-loving
0:04:41 > 0:04:43or moisture-loving plants.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Those that like to have their feet just in damp soil.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Whereas, on this side of the bridge,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52it's much more about the true aquatics,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55those that like to really integrate with the water.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The pond was completely cleared last winter,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and, as a consequence of any major clearing process,
0:05:01 > 0:05:06there's always that sense of unsettling the balance.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08And, remarkably, this pond has stayed pretty good.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10There's a little bit of weed in here,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13there's a little bit of murky water, but generally we're OK.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So, at this time of the year,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17before we descend into autumn,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20it's a good idea to just clean out anything which is
0:05:20 > 0:05:22becoming a little bit too rampant.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26There's a couple of specimens which are particularly noticeable.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29This duckweed, which you can see,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32is a collection of very small leaves
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and it can become a real blanket, stifling the water.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39So, try and take as much of it out as possible.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The other is...
0:05:42 > 0:05:45..a submerged oxygenator, which used to be regularly sold.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47In fact, in some places, still is sold.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51This is Elodea and it is a good oxygenator, however,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53it is incredibly invasive.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56So the advice now is to remove that as much as possible
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and stop that congesting the pond too.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10What's most important if you have any water and pond in the garden
0:06:10 > 0:06:13is the general health of the water itself,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and if you've gone to the trouble of taking out
0:06:15 > 0:06:16something like the Elodea,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19which is invasive, it does form the oxygenating role,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and so you are in danger of the whole pond
0:06:22 > 0:06:24becoming slightly stagnant.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26You need to replace the Elodea.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Now, one of the ways of doing that
0:06:29 > 0:06:31is to use a British native.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34This is the spiked milfoil,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36which grows in watercourses around the UK.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39It's a really tough and vigorous plant
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and will tolerate depths of around
0:06:41 > 0:06:45about two feet down, sometimes even deeper in very clear water.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And you buy this from aquatic suppliers
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and invariably it is sold with a little lead clip
0:06:50 > 0:06:51on the bottom there.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Remove the clip.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Get small pots of aquatic compost
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and just pot
0:07:00 > 0:07:04your oxygenating plants into it.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07To stop them floating away,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09if you can find yourself a small rock...
0:07:10 > 0:07:14The beauty of these is that they root incredibly quickly,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17but they do need to be introduced relatively slowly into the pond,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21so it's a good idea just to start them off in the relative shallows.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Just dropping down so that the tips of the foliage
0:07:24 > 0:07:26are beneath the surface of the water.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29And then, as that starts to grow and blossom,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31it can be moved into deeper regions.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33To be honest, you can't overplant them,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35as long as they're not congesting everything else.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Remember, they're putting oxygen into the water,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40so it's all for the benefit of the pond.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Of course, another way of doing it is to have something
0:07:42 > 0:07:44like a waterfall in the background.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The water tumbling down and splashing on rocks,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49all of that allows the oxygen to dissolve in the water
0:07:49 > 0:07:53and a fountain will do exactly the same job in a smaller pool,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but you do need to keep them running.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Now, the reason for playing with all this relocation of plants and
0:07:59 > 0:08:04planting at this time of the year is that what we're trying to do is to
0:08:04 > 0:08:07relocate some of the early Nymphaeas,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10the waterlilies that we were propagating earlier in the season.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12There's one there.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15A little rhizome that we planted in springtime.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18You can see that it's rooted very well and it's produced
0:08:18 > 0:08:22a rather handsome series of lily pads on there.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23We started it in the shallows,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26so it can now be moved into slightly deeper water.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And... So what Mairi's been trying to do
0:08:29 > 0:08:34is to create a kind of general lily pad in the centre here.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And as far as positioning this is concerned,
0:08:38 > 0:08:43it's the length of the petiole which will dictate the depth.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44So you can keep it going down
0:08:44 > 0:08:48until that pad is just floating on the surface.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Any deeper and the lily will just rot off.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So you must keep those leaves on the surface
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and the same for the flowers, too.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Callum is building some stone walls over here
0:08:59 > 0:09:01for a very good reason.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04We wanted to create, on this side of the pond,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08an opportunity for a completely different collection of plants,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10not those that like to be in the depths,
0:09:10 > 0:09:15but those that like to be in the shallows, the true marginal plants.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17What we need is compost
0:09:17 > 0:09:20about ten centimetres below
0:09:20 > 0:09:22the surface of the water level.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26So he's building a series of stone walls in here which will
0:09:26 > 0:09:29continue all the way across and then we can backfill with soil
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and start the planting process.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45The idea is to create an elevated body
0:09:45 > 0:09:48of really sort of boggy ground,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50which is exactly replicating the conditions
0:09:50 > 0:09:54that the sarracenias live in in North America.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58This one is one of the most hardy of the so-called pitcher plants,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03and you can see on the inside of these modified leaves
0:10:03 > 0:10:06there's all the downward-pointing hairs and, of course,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09the flies on here, attracted by the fragrance,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11slip in and then a whole
0:10:11 > 0:10:14digestion process takes place,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16deep in the bowels of the plant.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18They're remarkably hardy, these things,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and we've certainly overwintered them.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22George lifted them, in fact,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and rescued them from the bog garden before we started
0:10:26 > 0:10:28reworking that and you get an idea in there...
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Look how wet that ground is in there.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36But the crown of the plant needs to be out of all that damp.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38This is an ericaceous compost...
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It likes being in full sun and acid conditions.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Really quite spectacular on this end of the garden,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and a surprising contribution to an aquatic garden too.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We tend to think of them as being far too exotic,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52but they'll overwinter, no problem.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The felt liner at the bottom of the planting bed
0:11:02 > 0:11:04will protect the liner of the pond
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and stop rocks and plant roots puncturing it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11And then a temporary polythene liner on the inside face of the stone wall
0:11:11 > 0:11:15will help to stop the spillage of soil out into the main pond.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18That's only in place whilst we're constructing.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20As soon as it's time for planting, we can whip it out.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39I think one of the best plants for the margins of pools,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41especially where you're trying to create a bit of drama,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45vertical drama to contrast with the horizontal of the water itself,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48is a group of irises,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50the water irises.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52And there are plenty to choose from.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Generally flowering in about May, June time,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57sometimes a little later.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00This one is Iris laevigata,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04which is the true Japanese water iris.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Very big, open blooms.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09A very glamorous-looking plant.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But you can also turn to North America too.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14This one is Versicolor,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18one of the main species in the States and,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22in fact, one of the parents of many of the hybrids.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25The beauty of doing a bed like this
0:12:25 > 0:12:28is that the plants are contained,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31so they won't invade the rest of the pond,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34but they are allowed within the confines to run riot,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37to mingle and be very mercurial in the way that they flow.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So, with a few additions that Mairi's putting in over there -
0:12:40 > 0:12:42a bit of water mint, a bit of caltha -
0:12:42 > 0:12:45this is ready to go. We'll settle in for the rest of the season
0:12:45 > 0:12:49and, from next spring, it will really start to look fabulous.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Welcome to tomato land!
0:13:01 > 0:13:03And I tell you, it's up to 25 already!
0:13:03 > 0:13:05This has been a very difficult season for tomatoes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We chose to use a whole range of varieties and, more importantly,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11a whole range of growing systems,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and there's one or two lessons to be learned.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15If we look at this system here, that's your plain,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17ordinary grow bag
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and the growth shows that it's been a difficult time to
0:13:19 > 0:13:21try and keep these plants healthy.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Now, if you move behind there,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26same variety, just look at that,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28this is a new variety called Tourance.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Look at the crop that's still to come.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33The foliage is healthy, but to grow these three plants,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35it took four grow bags to fill that.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Nonetheless, it's a better environment for plant growth.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42The same applies this side because we come to the area where we are
0:13:42 > 0:13:45growing with an automated watering system.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Look at good old Shirley,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49a bit late, but some really nice fruit on.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This one, we're still getting to know, but generally speaking,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55the foliage is better, the crop is better.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56I must get out of here!
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's getting too hot.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Let's have a look at the varieties themselves, make a few comments,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04because it's much cooler, much more civilised out here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Start with this one here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09This is a new variety which we've never grown before, Tourance.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Two different ways of growing but it makes no difference to the fruit or
0:14:12 > 0:14:16the flavour. The interesting thing is that it has an opaque skin,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19it doesn't have a shiny skin, so that is Tourance.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I wonder what it'll be like.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I'm not awful sure. I should perhaps have started with this one, Shirley,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27cos this is the one where I would measure all others by
0:14:27 > 0:14:29of the large-fruited ones.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Looking good, that's the one that's going to be late.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33This one, don't know it at all.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Ferline.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37But I wonder how it will compare with that.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Golden Sunrise, we know that, fine.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41We know that little one, Strillo.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43We know that... And this is very glossy,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46this is actually quite a nice thing, but what I'm heading for, really,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48are these three at the front.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50This is the one we grew last year.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53This is Rosella - I've got it at home.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It's not something that you would pick up on the supermarket shelf
0:14:56 > 0:14:58because it doesn't jump out at you.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02It's a very odd colour and it's green on the top and it's not ready.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06You bet it's ready.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09As soon as you bite into it... Mmm!
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Its flavour, absolutely wonderful.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Now, I think the other seed companies have had a wee shotty with
0:15:14 > 0:15:17the same set of genes. These are new on the market this year.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Haven't tasted them.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22So we'll start with this one, the funny name, Suncho-co-co-cola,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24or something, whatever it is.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Mm-hm.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Yeah. Maybe not so much zing, not so much of a tang about it,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31but it's actually quite pleasant.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Rosella's still winning but I'm going to try this one now.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35This... Um...
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Not so crisp. It doesn't burst.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I suppose I'm biased, but Rosella is still the one for me.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Up here, at the head of the stream, on the high ground,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58where the garden meets the woodland behind,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02is the perfect place to grow heathers. It mimics, of course,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05exactly where they grow in the wild and that's always a good recipe for
0:16:05 > 0:16:08success with any plant you're trying to grow in the garden.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10If it grows in those conditions in the wild,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12it'll probably succeed in your garden too.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But before we delve into the world of these rather unpopular and
0:16:16 > 0:16:17unfashionable plants,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19which, incidentally, create great ground cover,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23it's worth just thinking about the conditions you've got and how the
0:16:23 > 0:16:25plants respond to them.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28So, for instance, Calluna vulgaris, this one on the end here,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32this is the common heather, or ling, some people call it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35This is the plant that grows out in the hillsides in the wild.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40This is one of those plants that's super for ground cover, for grouse,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42grazing rabbits and deer, and those sorts of things.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46It's a really tough, small, shrubby candidate,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49but it does need acid conditions.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It's also a wonderful summer flowering plant.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54If you want something that's a bit broader foliage,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56then how about the Daboecia?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59This is the Irish bell heather, the Dabeoc heather.
0:16:59 > 0:17:05You can see the super-enlarged Ericaceae bloom there and a much
0:17:05 > 0:17:07more glossy, broad leaf.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11This is William Buchanan, which is a smaller spreading,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16somewhat sort of sprawling habit, great for a small rock garden.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And then you're into the Ericas.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Erica carnea - this particular one is Springwood White -
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and then Erica darleyensis, one of the hybrid forms.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25We've got summer flowering heathers
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and then we've got the winter flowering.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And the thing to remember is that, if it flowers in the summer,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33it absolutely needs acid soils.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35If it flowers in the winter, however, well,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38they tend to be fairly amiable.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39They don't mind acid.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Equally, they don't mind calcareous or limey soils.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45So, if you're in any doubt and you want to dabble with heathers,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49try the Ericas first before venturing into the true Callunas.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Now, when it comes to planting them,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55what I wanted to try and achieve up here is a kind of drifting scenario,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59really, avoiding that slightly dotty effect that you saw in the 1960s
0:17:59 > 0:18:03heather gardens. You can see the Daboecia behind where this fir has
0:18:03 > 0:18:07been lifted, so we want to continue through with Atropurpurea here,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10spilling down the bank towards the water.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And the white form - this is just the Alba form -
0:18:14 > 0:18:16is a great candidate.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21These grow about 60 centimetres in height and form really thick,
0:18:21 > 0:18:26dense thickets, so you want to plant them about
0:18:26 > 0:18:31three to five per metre squared, and then, within a few seasons,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34that will help them knit together and obliterate the weeds.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And then when it comes to looking after them, well,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39they're quite simple.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43A brief feed in spring with something like a bone meal or a
0:18:43 > 0:18:45general purpose fertiliser, just a light sprinkling,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49and then pruning is the key to keeping them nice and compact and to
0:18:49 > 0:18:52keep them flowering and keep them coming back.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Once they've finished flowering, like this little Erica here,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57just pinch out, or, on a large clump,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00shear over those faded flower heads
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and then you'll find that new growth will come from the base
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and you'll get more flowers and a much more compact habit.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Apart from that,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11once you've got your heathers painted across the landscape,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13you can pretty much leave them to it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26The allotment trail today brings us back to Tillicoultry,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29nestling under these magnificent hills in the background there.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34I was here in May and, since then, I want to find out just what kind of
0:19:34 > 0:19:37season they've had because ours has been really peculiar.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Now, the last time I was here, Bill, did I call you managing director
0:19:50 > 0:19:53or something? What's your actual title? I'm chairman, Jim.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54You're chairman.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56The thing that intrigued me the first time I came here,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00was the fact that there was nae corrugated iron and old doors
0:20:00 > 0:20:02separating the plots. You've got a wonderful set-up here
0:20:02 > 0:20:06with natural hedges and grass paths. Who looks after them?
0:20:06 > 0:20:11We all do. Each member is allocated tasks at the start of the year.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15We all do a minimum of six hours' work a year.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17If every member does six hours a year,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20we find that the site can be maintained, the grass is cut,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23the hedges are cut and that's where we keep the site looking as good.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25But so, some guy comes along and really doesn't fancy that sort of thing,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28so he says, "Oh, well, I don't know how to work a strimmer."
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Or, "No, I couldn't handle a strimmer."
0:20:30 > 0:20:33What do you do? We have a training course every spring of the year...
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yes. We get folk in, Saturday morning, say,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39"Come along, and we'll show you how to use the strimmers
0:20:39 > 0:20:41"or hedge cutters or mowers,"
0:20:41 > 0:20:43show them what fuel goes in...
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Yes. The other way is, if somebody can't do their six hours a year,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50we actually charge them a fee... Right. ..which helps to run the...
0:20:50 > 0:20:52For costs of petrol and stuff like that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Yes, yes. Community is a very strong thing because not only are you doing
0:20:55 > 0:21:00these training courses, you've got a wee shed for a cup of tea and so on,
0:21:00 > 0:21:01and you've got a machinery shed.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04What do you do with all the cuttings and the clippings and all that sort
0:21:04 > 0:21:07of thing? Do you have communal composting?
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Yep, we've got a large compost base up near the main gate,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13ranging from accepting fresh compost, fresh material,
0:21:13 > 0:21:14through to cooked compost.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Yes. And is that compost, when it's made and ready,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20is it available for anybody and everybody?
0:21:20 > 0:21:24I put out in our newsletters that bay five is cooked and ready to use
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and you can dive in and use the compost.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It's just magic.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Good morning, Christine. Oh, good morning, Jim.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41How are you? I'm very well, thank you.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I'm enjoying my second visit here and I'm concentrating on this idea
0:21:45 > 0:21:46of the communal facilities.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And this is a communal greenhouse.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52You've got a specific space here in which to grow your tomatoes, so...
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Yes, I go from here to there.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Oh, right. And you've chosen to use beefsteak tomato.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00That's cos they were free seeds!
0:22:02 > 0:22:05A real Scot, there you go! Um, and how do you find them?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07There's a nice ripe one there. Well, they've been doing a huge...
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I've had a huge crop of them, but I'm finding them a bit tasteless -
0:22:10 > 0:22:13they're not as good as the plum tomatoes.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Oh, no, that's true, that's very true.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And I think I've got the explanation for you.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They don't do so well here because they don't get enough heat,
0:22:20 > 0:22:21they don't get enough sun.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24They need lots of sunshine and lots of heat.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26I think that's the wrong crop to grow.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Grow your plum ones.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Good idea. That's by far and away the most productive.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38The last time I visited,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42the students from Alloa Academy were planting their tatties.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Now they've arrived in force to harvest them.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48So, which part of the mound do we dig in? (In between.)
0:22:48 > 0:22:49Right in there? (In between.)
0:22:49 > 0:22:51In between! Just beside it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Right on the edge, right on the edge, OK?
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Between, between. So when you get digging in...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Oh! Wahey!
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Let's do this half, anyway.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Oh! We've done them?!
0:23:01 > 0:23:04I've done a load! I've done a bucket-load.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Right, take them out and put them in... Here comes the money!
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Argh! Look! Catch it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Catch it. It's a wee one. Catch it. Keep it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Oh! I got a banana one. That's a banana one.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16I had a banana...
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Oh! Are there any more?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Well, I have an assignation here with Wilson,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29who was planting runner beans when we came here in May and I was sure
0:23:29 > 0:23:32that you were planting them far too early, but by jingo,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34you've got a fair crop. I had to plant them a bit early because I was
0:23:34 > 0:23:37going off on holiday. But the great thing here is that we are a
0:23:37 > 0:23:39community... Aye, quite. ..and while I was away,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42somebody just looked after them and put a little bit of water on them.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45That's the community at work again, isn't it? It is indeed.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46And there's far more than you'll ever use here.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Yeah, yeah. So what do you do with the excess?
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Well, I've a few ladies that... Yes, a few ladies, who are very,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56very grateful to receive a small offering of beans,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and occasionally we take them along to a coffee morning and we put them
0:24:00 > 0:24:03on the table and people help themselves. There's no waste, in other words.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08You may remember our visit last time, I was very enamoured with
0:24:08 > 0:24:10James's greenhouse and all the systems that he was using,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and just look at these tomatoes. That's Golden Sunrise.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Absolutely cracking plants.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And you remember, that's a self-watering tray, a grow bag,
0:24:18 > 0:24:19and then the green collar on top.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I think I'm going to go that way next year. These are terrific.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Hello there, Len. Good to see you again.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Ah, hello there, how are you? You've been winning prizes since I saw you
0:24:38 > 0:24:40last, eh? Yes, aye, guilty. 12 years running.
0:24:40 > 0:24:4312 years. The best allotment in the county.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Yes, it's my hobby. Aye, quite. It's not a chore.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49No, no. I do it because I enjoy it. You enjoy every minute of it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Yes. And brilliant dahlias here - they're very clean.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Yes. I see you've got the wee traps there,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56the pot's upside down to trap the earwigs.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Aye, aye. This has been a bad year for earwigs.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00I've never had a great deal of problems, to be honest.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03You don't have a problem? We have. Nice apples. What's the variety?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Discovery. They're looking splendid.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Nice crop. Onions are getting to that stage of the year when you need
0:25:09 > 0:25:11to start preparing them for storage. That's right.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13You've got a good crop here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16They're doing well. So, what's your treatment of these from now on?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I'll lift them and dry them.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19I usually dry them in the greenhouse.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Uh-huh, uh-huh. Which takes us on to the leeks.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24They're all nicely wrapped up.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's actually an insulation, a type of insulation.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Aye, aye. Just kind of came to hand, like? Aye.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32No... Well, aye... Are you showing them?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34If I can get them blanched enough. The trouble is, we get a wee...
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I suppose everybody gets... Well, everybody will not get it.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39A wee bit rust. A wee bit rust here and there.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And one of the interesting questions that we get from viewers, in fact,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44is, "My leeks have shot." Shot, aye.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Just a bit of dry weather, I suppose, is that what it is?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Well, we've had a lot of that here this year.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Aye, aye. There's been extremes of temperatures.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I mean, we've had Mediterranean sunshine.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I know, I know. A couple of days later, it's like this.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00You're definitely due that award then, because by Jove,
0:26:00 > 0:26:01you put in the hours.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Oh, I put the hours in. And the results show.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Let me shake your hand again. Well done.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21So, here endeth the second visit to the Tillicoultry Allotments.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24When we come back in a month's time, there's going to be some harvest,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I reckon, if that thing there's got anything to go by.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38At this time of the year, as subshrubs like this Anthemis finish
0:26:38 > 0:26:43their flowering flush, it's a good idea to trim them back
0:26:43 > 0:26:47to almost the base of the green growth,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51and that means that you get plenty of compact growth next season.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I'm told that if you see this mentioned on a menu
0:26:58 > 0:27:02in an expensive restaurant, it'll cost a fortune.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So, I thought, "Maybe we should try and grow it ourselves."
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Agretti is the name. Or saltwort.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12it just tastes like grass.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18At this time of year, I like to have a wander around the garden
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and find one or two plants that look really good and this one
0:27:21 > 0:27:23I really think hits the mark.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's an Agapanthus or African lily, and the variety
0:27:26 > 0:27:28is called Silver Moon.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32It particularly suits a seaside garden because of the blue flowers
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and the variegated foliage, I think, is absolutely stunning.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Well, you know that old saying, "All good things must come to an end."
0:27:40 > 0:27:43We could say that about today's programme because it's been happy,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46we've had the sun shining, but the old friend I'm talking about
0:27:46 > 0:27:48is this tree behind. It's got to come out, hasn't it?
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It's looking rather sad, isn't it?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Well, it's had its last chance and another last chance
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and another last chance, and it's not getting any better, is it?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Well, I've got a date here on this cutting.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Yes. It was early May last year that we talked about it.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05"Will it stay, will it not?" And at least we've got some rooted cuttings.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Cryptomeria Japonica Elegans, goodbye.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Yeah. Yes, and you're going to put something else in its place.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14I have some plans.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16But I've got to get it out first - that's going to be a challenge!
0:28:16 > 0:28:19So, if you'd like any more information about this week's
0:28:19 > 0:28:22programme, it's all in the fact sheet, and the easiest way
0:28:22 > 0:28:23to access that is online.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Next week, as we know, Chris is going to be out with the chainsaw,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I'm going to be planting bulbs, and...Jim?
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Well, I'm making a visit to the Borders, to Peebles,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34to the garden at Portmore at 1,000 feet above sea level.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35It's an absolute cracker.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Look forward to seeing you next time. Goodbye.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Goodbye. Bye.