0:00:11 > 0:00:13They're funny looking things.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17They are, like big spiders with massive legs on them, haven't they?
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Hello. Welcome to Beechgrove. Welcome back, Mr Anderson.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Thank you very much.- My two colleagues here planting asparagus.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Now if you were first year students,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27one of the first things you're asked to do is to learn how
0:00:27 > 0:00:30to prepare land for planting and sowing.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31What have you done to prepare this?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34- OK, it's been a spade's depth, it's a single digging.- Mmm.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37..and Beechgrove Garden compost has been put in to that
0:00:37 > 0:00:38and if you don't have that,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41something like well rotted manure, horse manure, something like that.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43What's that at the back?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45That's just general fertiliser on the backfill soil.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47What a bizarre way of planting.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Well, you've got to make sure the roots get spread out
0:00:51 > 0:00:52and they are 15 inches apart.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Yeah, OK. These are male plants?
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Male plants, a variety called Mondeo.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00The idea why you have male plants is that they don't produce fruits, they
0:01:00 > 0:01:03don't produce seed, so you don't get seedlings coming up in the bed...
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- We don't want the females, do we? - We don't want the females.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08No, no, just be careful.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The ladies actually come into cropping earlier
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- but the males have a heavier crop but you're better...- They do.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Better to keep them separate. We don't want seedlings.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Speaking about heavier crops,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- we've had a sad story here, haven't we?- Mmm.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Two crops have pretty much failed with us
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- in the next-door polytunnel. - Yeah.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And we do defer, because you have a bed of asparagus
0:01:28 > 0:01:29which is 18 years old.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33It is. And, you know, people often say expensive to buy
0:01:33 > 0:01:36but it's well worth it if you get a crop for that length of time.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- Have you been cropping already? - I have, 27th of March.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Dariana is the variety which, you know, you don't
0:01:42 > 0:01:45seem to get that now. This one, as you said, was Mondeo.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Yes, well, that's it. I better let them get on with it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Later in the programme, amongst other things,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- we will be pruning again.- Yes.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- And I'll be doing some winter stem planting.- Right, let's get on.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04And we're just about at the end of the bare root season
0:02:04 > 0:02:07but the great thing about bare root plants is that you can save
0:02:07 > 0:02:09money and that's perfect for me
0:02:09 > 0:02:13because in this series it's all about gardening on a budget.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Well, you know, every year there are some new products turn up
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and we want to try them out on your behalf.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25The one that's taken the biscuit with me this year
0:02:25 > 0:02:30is a new peat free compost, which is also free of green waste,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34which should give it a little bit more consistency. This is it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It will be readily available in major outlets and the texture
0:02:37 > 0:02:41is quite rough but it might be a very good growing medium.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43We're about to find out.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Now I would not test that on cuttings,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48or on seed sowing
0:02:48 > 0:02:52but young plants. Here we have some young half-hardy perennials.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Here's a little pelargonium here, ready for potting on.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Look, the roots are just coming around the outside.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59It wants to be in a bigger pot.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02A little bit of this stuff in the bottom,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05measure it, see that it's the right height and, you know,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08when you're wondering what size of pot, there should be room
0:03:08 > 0:03:11for two fingers between the ball of soil
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and the edge of the pot.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Now we load it up. This plant is well established.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17It's got a good root system.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22It will tell us if the compost is any good or not.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25So long as you remember to look after it, water it and so on.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Now this plant won't need watering just now
0:03:28 > 0:03:31because the ball of soil was watered before I brought
0:03:31 > 0:03:33it out to the greenhouse.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35As the ball of soil begins to dry out,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39you want the roots to move into the new stuff.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42That's how it becomes established. It looks quite nice in that.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46So time alone will tell how good that compost is.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50The other thing that I discover is that commercial
0:03:50 > 0:03:53growers of vegetables, seed plants,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55use a mixture of bio char,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58which is a material which is halfway to being charcoal,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01made into a compost, and coir.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04What they do is they mix it together, biochar and coir.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Then the difference with these is that for the most part you
0:04:08 > 0:04:10maybe have more difficulty getting them,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12they're not as readily available as that sort of stuff
0:04:12 > 0:04:17but they make an excellent medium for sowing seeds.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18There we go.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Now the next thing, of course, is to sieve it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Put it through the sieve and then it'll be ready.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Now we don't waste that. That goes in the bottom of the pot.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Don't throw away anything at all but here we've got a really lovely,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38fine mixture ready for seed sowing.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The other new thing that's on the market,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46this is this mixture in here, is agretti,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49which is known as land seaweed.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52This is the one all the chefs are after.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It's in short supply. It's Italian and we're going to try it out.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59On the packet it says sow in a nice sunny position, well-drained site.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Not here in Aberdeenshire we don't.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05We will try it here and once we know what it looks like,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and how it goes, it will be absolutely fine.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I can't wait to taste it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13I tend to like these sort of samphires and all the rest of it.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Isn't that quite...?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18It'll be in the greenhouse.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20A cold greenhouse.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23So we shall wait and see.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Then we will test out this mix on some tomatoes,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and some climbing courgettes, would you believe...
0:05:33 > 0:05:34There we go.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Label it. Stand back
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and watch the grass grow.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40JIM LAUGHS
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Aren't these wonderful?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Even on a cold, dreich, damp day, at Beechgrove,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53there we have the promise of spring, snowdrops and crocus
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and aconites, all coming up.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58But, do you know, we can't just wait till spring
0:05:58 > 0:06:01until everything comes out and gives us a bit of excitement.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05So what I want to do is introduce you to winter stem colour
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and I've got a range of winter stems down here
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and we can use those in a particular way.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We plant them so that the winter sun,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16which of course has lots of reds and oranges in it,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and yellows in it when it's shining, because it's at a low angle,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22that will hit these stems and really make them sing and zing
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and they will get lots and lots of excitement. Look at this fellow.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27This is what I'm talking about. Look at that.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30This is Cornus alba 'Midwinter Fire.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:34When we look at it that way it's one colour.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37When we look at it that way, it has changed colour
0:06:37 > 0:06:38and that's what we want to exploit.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43We want to exploit the range of colours which we can get on stems.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And then for structure, which is the other thing which is
0:06:45 > 0:06:49important in the garden over winter, we've got one or two evergreens.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51We've got holly, we've got common broom
0:06:51 > 0:06:53and I've got some eucalyptus.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I've got the right place to plant them, it's just down on
0:06:55 > 0:06:59this banking and in that way the sun will shine right into them.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Betula albosinensis, the white-stemmed Himalayan birch
0:07:13 > 0:07:18is a must-have if you're putting in an example of winter stem colour.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21That's what I've got here. I've got one in the back amongst this.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The other selection of plants which we've chosen, we've got
0:07:24 > 0:07:27hollies, we've got eucalyptus and we've got broom,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29which will give a structure across the whole of the site
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and then we've got a whole range of cornus
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and of willows which we're going to cut hard back.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38We're going to coppice them so it gets lots and lots of young shoots
0:07:38 > 0:07:40coming up and when you do that,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42you want to plant those plants close together
0:07:42 > 0:07:44so you get this effect, which we've got with the bamboo,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47where you get lots and lots of stems with bright colour
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and the whole thing comes to life.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Well, this is the site that we've selected for the winter stems.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It faces into the south.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It'll catch the evening sunshine, just as the sun's going down.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Remember that's when we get these wonderful yellows
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and oranges in the sunset
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and these will be reflected onto some of the stems which are here.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17We've stripped off some of the old turf that was here.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20We've given it a rough cultivate,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I've just raked off some of the extraneous material
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and all we need to do now is to set the plants out and get them planted.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29For that, a couple of gardeners are going to give me a hand.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39One of them could go in just in at the back there, couldn't it?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Could the hazels go slightly to the right, do you think?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50We've painted the picture, as it were, with the plants.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52We can see where we want them.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Where they're sitting now is where we plant them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56We will give them some fertiliser.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59There's some fish, blood and bone there which we can put in around
0:08:59 > 0:09:01the hole when we plant them
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and then give them just a quick mulch around the tops.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Right, look at that, look at the amount of root on that. Right?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20That's the bit that gives you the vigour.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23That'll push the shoots up and we'll get lots of growth on it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I think it'll be grateful to get out of the pot!
0:09:29 > 0:09:31When you're planting on a slope,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34the problem is that people often
0:09:34 > 0:09:36put the plants in at the wrong angle and what happens...
0:09:36 > 0:09:38If they put it in at the wrong angle with the slope,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41it's lying down the hill. You don't want that.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The thing that's important is that you get the plants
0:09:44 > 0:09:45sitting at the right angle.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So what we're going to do here is we're going to take out just
0:09:48 > 0:09:53a little terrace, or a flat platform like that
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and we're going to put the plant in.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57There we are.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02We want to get it round that way so that it'll come up straight.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06So that's the idea. Then the stem goes up and it works properly.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16When we're growing plants for winter stem colour,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19the things that we want are young, vigorous shoots.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23One-year-old shoots because they have the best bark colour on them.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Look at that there. That's a one-year-old shoot.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27That's the sort of colour which you want on it.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This is two and three-year-old wood
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and that's just a sort of olive-green.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's not what we want at all.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38So what I want to do is to cut these right down to the bottom.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Right down there, just like that.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44That's that one out and I'll take this one off, as well.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- And then... - CHUCKLES
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And then I'm going to cut these back as well.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53So pay attention to what's behind me
0:10:53 > 0:10:56because the same thing is going to happen there.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Now, you might think that's pretty harsh treatment but, you know,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09if you come back next year at this time,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13the growth on those shrubs will be at least two-foot long.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Well, that was some pruning that George did there and, in fact,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32George was by this lovely bamboo here, the phyllostachys.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I say lovely because this one is fairly well-behaved.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's one of the clump-forming ones, rather than the spreading.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43OK, occasionally the rhizomes do spread a little bit
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and so we've got to keep it sort of still well-behaved
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and so we will take one or two of these and cut the rhizomes.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53But my idea with this particular bamboo...
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Normally, perhaps, you would grow it like this
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and have it as a hedge or a screen
0:11:57 > 0:11:59but in this situation by the pond,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03it's on its own and I feel we need to open it up a bit.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07So what I want to do is thin out some of the canes themselves
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and I want a gap of something about that, and that is then going
0:12:11 > 0:12:15to create a nice sort of open and airy habit to it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Then the other job...
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I'm going to take the secateurs
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and I'm basically going to lift the skirt a bit and I'm going to
0:12:21 > 0:12:27take off all of these little side shoots, or the side leaves.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31My aim is to maybe go up to about this height.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34I'm pretty sure Mairi and myself have got our work cut out
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and I think it's going to take us about an hour to do this.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47And this is the result.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49All we needed was some loppers and secateurs
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and I'm so pleased with it. It really has opened it up.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55You get to see the beautiful golden stems
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and then you get the wonderful reflection in the water.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Well, we've come up into the fruit cage where
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I want to do a little bit more pruning and this is the mini
0:13:03 > 0:13:06apple orchard, the ones that we planted quite close together.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10They're only about two-foot apart and the idea is we keep them
0:13:10 > 0:13:12nice and small.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We train them up as single cordons, or little columns of growth,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19getting them up to about that height and that height only.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The idea is to get the fruit buds as close to the stem as possible
0:13:23 > 0:13:24so that we get maximum cropping,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26lots and lots of fruit
0:13:26 > 0:13:28in as small a space as we possibly do.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30This one here is doing quite well.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It's a thing called Keswick Codlin.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Look at all these fruit buds.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37These are the buds which have these wonderful conical shapes
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and that's going to produce lots of flower and lots of blossom
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and we'll get lots of fruit next to the main stem.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44This one, however, look at that.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48This one has got the idea that it should do a bit more growing first.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50So what we've got to do here is we've got to prune it back
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and we've still got time to do that this far north in Scotland.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We can still prune these things back and we're going to take them
0:13:56 > 0:13:58to about two or three buds.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00That's the sort of thing that we're doing, giving it may be
0:14:00 > 0:14:04a right fright in that way, and that way we get lots
0:14:04 > 0:14:08and lots of fruit buds being produced again near the main stem.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This one, however, has gone mad. Look at that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14It's supposed to be on a dwarfing rootstock
0:14:14 > 0:14:16but it's growing like fury.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18This one is going to get quite a severe pruning.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20You've maybe seen that before in the programme somewhere.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I'm going to take off most of those shoots
0:14:23 > 0:14:26but really just into about three or four buds,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28that sort of way.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Try and retain the shape of the plant at the same time.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I'll take that one to there.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I'll just take that weaker one up there.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That one to there.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So we get lots and lots of growth
0:14:39 > 0:14:40in near the main stem
0:14:40 > 0:14:41and that's the idea.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44We don't want big plants where we're on a ladder having to pick
0:14:44 > 0:14:47the fruit. I want to keep my feet on the ground.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I have drawn the short straw.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I pruning clematis and if there's one thing that gets me
0:14:53 > 0:14:55upset is trying to prune clematis
0:14:55 > 0:14:57because there's all different kinds of pruning,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00depending on whether they flower early, mid-season or late.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02This is Miss Bateman
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and she is in Class 2 which is flowering in early summer.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07If you leave it and you get some nice flowers,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09then you can prune it afterwards and, with a bit of luck,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12if it's an Indian summer you might get a second batch of flowers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Not in this country. Not this far north.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I don't think so. And that means somebody will write in
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and tell me that they do it nae bother, ten miles further north.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22All I'm going to do with this fella is tidy up the dead bits.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Like this.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Because, as you can see, you know,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29there's some beautiful growths coming away there.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30I don't want to spoil that now.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32I might take that back to there.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35In other words, I'm doing a tidying up job,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37just at the present time.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Once I've been over it, checked it out,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45then I shall give it a really good dose of fertiliser.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48As we do with all these things at this time of year.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50As I shall keep reminding you.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56I've come down to the area where last year
0:15:56 > 0:15:59we grew lots of vegetables in a small space.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02This was our small space gardening area
0:16:02 > 0:16:06and we grew things like potatoes and cabbage and leeks and onions,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10all the traditional things that we normally grow in a garden.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The idea was to try and get them to grow
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and produce well in as small a space as possible.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I want to do the same again this year
0:16:18 > 0:16:20but I want to stretch it slightly more.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23What I'm going to do this time is I'm going to grow
0:16:23 > 0:16:24lots of leafy vegetables,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28things which will produce leaves for salads and I want to be able
0:16:28 > 0:16:32to produce stuff from, what, May right through until October.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So this soil, because we're going to be doing intensive
0:16:35 > 0:16:38gardening in it has got to have lots and lots of fertility.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It's got to be, really, really rich soil and in order to do that,
0:16:42 > 0:16:43I've got to build it up.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47What we've done here is we've added some compost onto the top,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51some organic matter and then I'm going to put on a base dressing.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55A base dressing is the dressing of fertiliser which you put on.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Generally it's slow release
0:16:57 > 0:17:01and that is put on in order to break down, quite slowly,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and I don't want to dig it in too deeply either
0:17:04 > 0:17:08because I'm just going to cover it into the top like that
0:17:08 > 0:17:13so that the fertiliser is near the surface of the soil.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16That means that when the plant roots start to grow,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18it's there immediately for them.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That way, we get this intensive growth,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24we get this rapid growth and it will go on right throughout the season.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Now if you look over there,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29you will see that there are already
0:17:29 > 0:17:31one or two weeds starting to germinate.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34That means the soil temperatures are, what, 35,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37about five or six in the new money, in Centigrade,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and that's about the temperature that some things will germinate.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Peas and beans will germinate in that.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46If I grow peas and beans in this intensive system,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50what I can have are leaves, flowers and pods
0:17:50 > 0:17:53which I can use in the salad.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56What's really important is, they have to be very well fed
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and well looked after.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08A frequently asked question is how do
0:18:08 > 0:18:11we garden without spending a fortune?
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Because the harsh reality for most of us
0:18:12 > 0:18:15is that we spend our cash on our home,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18having a roof over our head and there is very little money
0:18:18 > 0:18:21left for other things, including the garden.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25So what I want to introduce you is a variety of gardening projects
0:18:25 > 0:18:29throughout the series, keeping an eye on those pennies,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31so hopefully we can garden on a budget.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Mieke Guijt and family moved into a home of their dreams
0:18:39 > 0:18:42near Kennethmont in rural Aberdeenshire just last year.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45With the house came a garden full of potential
0:18:45 > 0:18:50but in a very exposed location and on a tight budget, it's a challenge.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52How are you settling in, Mieke,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54cos this looks like you've been busy already?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Yes. Very busy.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It was a huge tree and they started chopping on one bit
0:18:59 > 0:19:03but one big ranch cracked off so it was a bit unsafe,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07so we just decided to take the whole tree down. It would be a nice...
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- A nice little project.- Yes.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- It's something you can do definitely gardening for the budget.- Yes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14What about your own gardening background?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Well, as you probably hear, I'm from the Netherlands.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21So, yeah, tulip bulbs and all sorts.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Small things. Window boxes?
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Yeah, and pots and gardening just in little bits.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Then we moved to Scotland and, yeah, rented a house.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36A little bit bigger the garden and, yeah, eventually ended up here.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Now you have this, which is beautiful.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42So what do you really want to get out of it?
0:19:42 > 0:19:46I've got two children, Darren and Lilian, and I'd love exploring
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- when I was little, and er.. - Me too!
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Yes, and just finding out that there are things roundabout that you can
0:19:52 > 0:19:57eat, and that's what I would like for my children, as well.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Just in the woodland that you can just forage for stuff
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- and then... - And the wildlife as well?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Yeah, here there is the birds, it's amazing.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13That's what I would like, just to get more, yeah, more of this.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15OK, well, you know, you did mention about the foraging,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17so I think what we'll do to start off with
0:20:17 > 0:20:20is go down into the wooded area,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and we'll be planting some edibles there.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Yeah, that sounds good.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- Well, Mieke, I've got a variety of edible plants here.- Yes.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41They're quite small and they're the plants that we call bare-root.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- Have you ever dealt with bare-root plants at all?- No, no.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45This is the very first time.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47OK, well, what these are is they're actually field-grown,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51and they're lifted in the dormant season. That's really important.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53So it is a limited period.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56And normally I'd be saying October to March,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59but you can sometimes go September - April.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01So we're just into April.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And the beauty of bare-root is that they are cheap cos, you know,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- they haven't got the maintenance of going into a container.- OK, yeah.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- And they're working out at about roughly £2.50 a plant.- OK!
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Which is not bad at all. - No, that's not bad.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- It came as a pack, as an edible hedge.- Yeah.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And we actually have these at the Beechgrove Garden,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and the hedge is looking quite good at the moment.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27However, what I want to do is plant them as more individual plants,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30maybe in threes. And we've got...
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Right, I'm going to pick this one first of all.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- This is sloe, or the blackthorn. - Yes?- Do you like sloe gin?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- Er, I've tried it once, it was quite nice.- OK, so you might try that.
0:21:40 > 0:21:46- Yes, yes.- Elder, which doesn't mind slightly damper conditions.- Yep.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49We've got cherry plum, with also got pear.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- And the other one is hazel, so some nuts.- Yes, that's really good.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- Yeah, so that will be quite exciting.- Yeah.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- So that's probably the cheapest way that we can go.- Yeah.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Then we move, again, to another bare-root plant, but much bigger.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And this is a crab apple.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I've never grown this variety, it's Harry Baker.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Yeah, sounds good to me. Harry Baker!
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Nice, big crab apples, so you could make jelly from them.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20And, because it's bare-root again, you're going to save money
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- in comparison to having something in a container.- Yeah.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I reckon maybe about half or possibly a third off.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29And then, finally...
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Now, this was a request from you, the linden tree,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34or the small-leaved lime. Why did you want that?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36It's a beautiful leaf, the colour is beautiful.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39And then I found out you can... Yeah, you can eat them.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43So what better than that? And it's just a memory as well.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48They grow in Holland, in front of the farm windows,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- and they lead them on sticks. - Oh, pleached?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- I... Might be.- Yeah, that's what they call it. Pleached.- OK.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57And so it blocks the light, but in a certain way -
0:22:57 > 0:22:59because of a lovely colour of the leaves,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- you get a lovely light through it. - Oh, how beautiful.- Yeah.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06OK, container-grown, so we're going a little bit up in price.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- But I've gone for small.- Yes. - So, again, that saves you money.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And, you know, sometimes smaller is better
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- because it gets established a little bit quicker.- Yeah.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18We will have to stake these two, but, you know, they should be fine.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- So on with the planting, I think. - Really good, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Looking forward to that.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- Those roots, we've had those in water.- Yes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34Because the last thing you want
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- is all those lovely, fibrous roots there...- Being dry.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39See all those fibrous roots? You don't want those to dry up
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- because those are the roots that take up the moisture.- Yes.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Now, you see, Mieke, that's got quite a long tap root on it.- Yeah.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51And I was speaking about the lovely, fibrous roots -
0:23:51 > 0:23:52those are the ones that we want.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- So I'm going to just take off a bit at the end here.- OK.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Won't do any harm.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- We've got some soil conditioner. - Yeah.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04And some slow-release fertiliser - fish, blood and bone.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I'm going to just pop that on there.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And then, if I start putting some of this in...
0:24:09 > 0:24:14And while I do that, give it a little bit of shoogle, like that,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- cos that gets the soil... - To the roots, yeah.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22And when you're actually planting, you can use the heel...
0:24:27 > 0:24:28So here's another...
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- And I'd go the other way.- OK...
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- You don't want to see the colour of the carpet!- Oh!
0:24:32 > 0:24:34THEY LAUGH
0:24:34 > 0:24:35You know, the beauty about hessian
0:24:35 > 0:24:38is, you know, it's going to let the moisture through.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40It's going to suppress all those weeds
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and, you know, the weeds are a huge competitor for moisture,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46as much as about sort of 60%.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47- And for nutrients.- Wow, yeah.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50So even if you can keep this on for a year or two,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- it will pay dividends.- Yes.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The last thing we are looking at today, Mieke,
0:24:59 > 0:25:00is away from edibles -
0:25:00 > 0:25:03we're actually going to go for a bit of colour
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and winter colour, cos I think that's quite important.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09We have a long season, don't we, in the winter time?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12So we've got dogwoods, and I've got you two different types.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I got the red stems and also the yellow or the green.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And, you know, OK, I was saying container-grown is more expensive,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23but these dogwoods aren't particularly expensive,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26you know, compared to some plants that you buy in containers.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28I've gone for half a dozen of each
0:25:28 > 0:25:31but, in a small garden, somebody could start with one
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- and then increase their stock.- Yeah.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I also thought, because of the water, and the sun,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- you're going to get that lovely reflection of the colours.- Yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- It's a beautiful colour. - The next time I come back...- Yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47..a wee job for you, cos I think we're going to do compost bins.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- Yeah?- So you might have to clear an area.- Yeah.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And I have a nice little trip for us as well. A bit of a shopping trip.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- OK.- So we'd better watch the pennies.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Yes. Yes, yes. Budget! Sweet.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So the money-saving ideas are...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07bare-root and smaller container plants,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11bulk buying and increasing dogwoods by hardwood cuttings,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12and carpets used as mulch.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, and I keep reminding you, all the plants,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21the perennials in the garden need a feed.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25And I'm using a proprietary, slow-release fertiliser.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Very popular. It's used in making up composts and so on.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33That's the sort of thing for this rose,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37which is needing a bit of encouragement. There you go.
0:26:37 > 0:26:44And then, with a fork, just get it prickled in.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46That's it. The wee bit of mulch.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Then, by Jove, just stand back and watch it loup.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Now, these are lovely, healthy-looking sweet peas.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57They were sown in the middle of February,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00at now is a perfect time to be nipping out the top.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Because what we're looking for is one, two, maybe three leaves,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and I will nip the top there.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Then what happens is you get beautiful side shoots.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And you will do this whether you're growing them as cordons
0:27:13 > 0:27:17or whether you're growing them up a trellis.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Snowdrops are just about finished flowering now, so what we can do
0:27:20 > 0:27:24where we've got some congested clumps, we can lift them carefully,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28take off the old seed heads, like that - just take them off -
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and then gently tease the clump apart.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36What you want to do is to get two, three bulbs in each little clump.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40And then what you're going to do is you are going to plant these
0:27:40 > 0:27:42at the depth they were before.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44That's it, just like that.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46And what I'm doing is I'm going to plant them
0:27:46 > 0:27:47all the way along here,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49underneath the winter stems that I've planted
0:27:49 > 0:27:50so that we get a carpet of white
0:27:50 > 0:27:53to complement the other colours of winter.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Well, I can't really promise that this is the last bit of mayhem
0:27:59 > 0:28:02that we're going to cause with secateurs this year,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- but it's time this was done. - Yeah, the pampas grass.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08This is a brightly called Pumila, so it's a dwarf form.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- It's a nice size, isn't it?- It is.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- A real feature in the seaside garden.- Yes, yes, yes.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14But if you'd like any more information
0:28:14 > 0:28:17about this week's programme, it is all in the fact sheet,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Next week, for me, is alpines. What about you, George?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- Well, I think I might do some pruning.- Oh, no, take the secateurs!
0:28:25 > 0:28:27- You don't dare!- Plenty to do here.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Well, I'm asking myself a very strange question -
0:28:29 > 0:28:32to dig, or not to dig?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34That's a question. Until then...
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- ALL:- Goodbye.