0:00:10 > 0:00:13These late hydrangeas have been good this year, haven't they?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15I'll tell you, this one's gorgeous, Jim.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Raspberry ripple ice cream.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Vanille Fraise is the variety.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20That's the one. Absolutely stunning.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21And we've got the sunshine.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Yes, we have. Hello, and welcome to Beechgrove
0:00:24 > 0:00:26on a beautiful summer/autumn day. Mm-hm.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I'll tell you what, we haven't looked at the veggie for a while,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30so let's get through here.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32And the rhubarb shards, so healthy-looking.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Yes, that will keep us going for a while.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37The courgettes and marrows, I think we've got, haven't we?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Yes, they're all cucumbers, I suppose. Yes, same family.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42It's been good weather for them, as it has for the beans.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44And we've got different flower colours. Mm-hm.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Now, potatoes.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Yes. I want to draw a line under this blight story.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51OK, Jim. That's a left-handed fork, so that'll suit you.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53It'll suit both of us, won't it?
0:00:53 > 0:00:55OK, so what variety are we lifting here?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57This is a new variety called Carolus.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Which is said to be... It's said to be blight-resistant.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Yeah? But eventually, it did show a bit of blight.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10But, do you know... These look good. Look at them, Jim.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14..if you feel you've got a decent crop, so what?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17That is a fantastic crop off of one shaw.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Yeah. That's good.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Now, what about the other crops?
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Well, yes. Let's let that be, let's go along...
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Nice beetroot. Yes, indeed.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Funnily enough, because of the weather,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31the leaves are a wee bit scabby looking, but it doesn't matter.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33There's a fine crop of beetroot underneath it.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I mean, it has been quite dry, hasn't it?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I think that's what causes it.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Carrots? Yes. Very healthy foliage.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Well, of course. Early August, there's another carrot fly,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46so we keep them covered up at that time.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48You do. Let's have a look at the varieties.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Now, what have I got here? Yellow bunch. Yes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53That's rather nice. If you like that sort of thing.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56And that one, that is Sweet Candle.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58This is one that gets used by the guys in the show. I'll take those.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And this one is Scarlet Horn.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Well, this is as old as I am, at least!
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Great! Cracking little carrots.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And they're well protected.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07But what's happened here, Jim?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Well, this variety is meant to be resistant to carrot fly,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14so it wasn't covered. It's not resistant to rabbits!
0:02:14 > 0:02:15SHE LAUGHS
0:02:15 > 0:02:17You can't win, can you?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Meanwhile, in the rest of the programme...
0:02:22 > 0:02:24How about this for a hosta?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26I just wonder how many plants I can get out of it.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Yes, it's gardening on a budget.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And more money-saving tips with my garden visit,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and one of them is seaweed.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Conscious of the fact that many new gardens are quite small,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and that people still want to grow, perhaps, a range of fruit,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46we've set ourselves a wee challenge here.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48In an area which is about a metre and a half deep
0:02:48 > 0:02:50and five metres long,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52we've got alpine strawberries, we've got blueberries,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55we've got raspberries, we've got two pear trees and an apple tree.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57How can we manage them?
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Well, the success in gardening is, first of all,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02knowing the conditions of the ground and the climate and everything.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04The second is knowing the plants.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06And some of these plants are new to us.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We haven't grown them before. So the tendency is, actually,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11leave them for a full year to see what they do
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and then you know how to manage them. The strawberries are fine.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15There's not a problem there.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17The blueberries are fine, there's not a problem there.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21The big one that we can see already is there's a significant difference
0:03:21 > 0:03:24between that raspberry, and this one here.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27This raspberry over here is an autumn-fruiting variety.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30You can see there. So I wonder, will we get ripe fruits,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32because here we are, end of September,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35nights are getting colder - will they ripen up?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I don't know. We will give it a chance.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39This one here is nothing but fresh growth.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So it tends to suggest to me that this is one that will fruit
0:03:42 > 0:03:46in the middle of the summer, so it's a bit of an experiment for us.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Once the leaves are off, we'll get a better chance
0:03:49 > 0:03:50to see what it's all about.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The two little dwarf pears are a complete mystery to us.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Here they are. If it's going to be as dwarf as that,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I don't know how many pears will be on it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And the other one there, along there, the little Joy of Kent,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02it wasn't very joyous when it came,
0:04:02 > 0:04:03but it's looking better now.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07So we've got to encourage them with a bit of mulching and feeding
0:04:07 > 0:04:09in the late winter and early spring,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and see how they come into their second year.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16The stepover apple is a well-known method of growing them.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It's just basically a single-tier espalier,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21taking it along there, nice height.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Doesn't take any space at all.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25The only pruning at this time, of course,
0:04:25 > 0:04:26is to remove these side shoots,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31cutting them back because we want to encourage spurs along here.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32This is how you do it,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34by keeping the side growth to an absolute minimum.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38In the winter, when all the leaves are off, we can then take this back,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42because as soon as you take the top out a shoot, a leading shoot,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44the ones behind it will start to sprout
0:04:44 > 0:04:45and that's what we really want.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Looking forward to more success with this next year.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Autumn is definitely in the air.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00The leaves on the trees are starting to go over,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02there's the beautiful rowan berries
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and the farmers have been busy bailing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's been quite a while since I've been to see Mika
0:05:06 > 0:05:08in rural Aberdeenshire.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10I think you might guess what I'm going to say next.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's time again for gardening on a budget.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Throughout this series, I've been showing you how to garden
0:05:20 > 0:05:22without spending a fortune.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23I've been helping Mika,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27who's recently moved to Kinnethmont in rural Aberdeenshire.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28As a keen cook,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31she wants her new garden to have a range of edible plants.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Mika and I have taken a little trip to Beechgrove Garden
0:05:35 > 0:05:37to get our hands on some herbs.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41So, Mika, here we are in the herb garden.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43And this is something that you've always wanted at home, isn't it?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Yes. And I brought you here
0:05:45 > 0:05:48because I feel this is like coming to somebody else's garden,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51so going to a friend's garden, a neighbour's garden,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53so you can maybe get one or two plants for free.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Yeah, share them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56OK. Well, let's start straightaway,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58because I think this is a fun plant.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Tree onion. Have you ever seen this before?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03No, never. Can you see why we call it a tree onion, though?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Because it grows on the tops of the stalks.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Yes. It looks absolutely amazing.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10As that starts to die, do you see how the furry edge bends over...
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Yes. ..and then that clump of onions naturally starts to root
0:06:14 > 0:06:16into the ground? Look at this one.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17That is just perfect for you.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Wow! I'm going to lift that, and you can take that one home.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Look, a beautiful root system on it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27That looks really good. That is absolutely perfect for you.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29So that's a good start.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Thank you. Let's go here next. Yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36A nice variegated marjoram.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I don't think you've got this one, have you?
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Not that one, no.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43What we need to do, cos it roots as it goes along,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45so I think if you could take a wee corner off that one,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48it won't look like you've taken much of the plant away.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49We're not going to miss it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Quite a lovely smell.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56It's lovely. It's nice in a butter, as well.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Mmm!
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Chives. I know that you've got the common one, haven't you?
0:07:03 > 0:07:08That one there. This is a named variety called Pink Perfection.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09Oh! Isn't it pretty?
0:07:09 > 0:07:10It's very pretty.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24Oh, I can smell that. Yeah!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Real wafts of lemon.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37INDISTINCT CHATTER
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And then a couple of days later, I joined Mika in her garden.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Well, Mika, you've been busy
0:07:52 > 0:07:55potting up the herbs that we lifted, which is a great idea.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57You've been nurturing them.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59And this is the spot for the herb garden?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Yeah. It's close to the house.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04So when I'm cooking, just nip out,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07get my stuff and get cooking again, so...
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Absolutely perfect. Also, it's a raised bed.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's going to be nice and sunny.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12Good drainage. Yes.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13And a lot of herbs like that.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15But look at your hostas and ligularia -
0:08:15 > 0:08:17I think they're suffering a bit, actually.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19They're a bit dry. Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21So what we should do is maybe put those somewhere
0:08:21 > 0:08:23where it's more moist. OK.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Sort of a bog garden, really. OK. Something else for you to create.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Yeah. And then lift the canopy of the conifer a little bit.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It's quite dark. Yeah. Just to get a bit more sun in.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37So a lot of clearing there and I think Calum can get on with that.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But you've got one or two herbs, things like the marjoram.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Yeah, this one. I started to give it away, for free.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So we're going to do the same principle
0:08:45 > 0:08:47as what we did at Beechgrove, lifting some of those.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48So shall we go and get some tools?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Yeah, we'll do that, cool.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Lovely smell. It's amazing, really.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I used it in chocolate biscuits.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Mmm!
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Well, Calum's made a good job of the bed.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41It looks amazing.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44So much lighter. I know, and then you've lots of hostas
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and ligularia to put elsewhere in the garden.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Look at the range of herbs, though.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51That's all the Beechgrove ones and what we found in your garden.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53We did really well.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55I've also some more, though, for you, because, you know,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59you can buy perennial herbs in small pots.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01They'll soon multiply up.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02And not too expensive.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03Only ?12.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05OK. Not bad. Pretty good. Not bad.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And another freebie,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11this was a beautiful garden I went to in North Kessock,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and Penny gave me this.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15It's an everlasting onion, or a Welsh onion.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18OK. So what it does is it multiplies.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Oh! It's perennial.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22You can just take away one or two of the bulbs
0:10:22 > 0:10:24or just pick a bit of the foliage. Uh-huh.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26So, I think we start to place the plans.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I'm going to give you the lovage and the fennel.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Both of these are quite tall,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34so I think they want to go to the back of the border. OK.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37You get the lovely perfume, don't you, as we're planting?
0:10:37 > 0:10:38It's amazing.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's so nice.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43You can imagine on a hot day, this is going to smell.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45We have to imagine, don't we?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Yeah! THEY LAUGH
0:10:53 > 0:10:55And these are so cute.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57The tree onion. Oh, aren't they?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01They're lovely. Hopefully you'll end up with some more of them.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Mika, just a bit of a handy hint when you're planting mint,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13I think it's great to recycle your plastic pots.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Cut off the bottom.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19It acts like a container, but the roots can go down. OK.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Because when you look at mint, this is a ginger mint,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24look at the roots and how they spread.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Then you can just plunge it in there and if it fills it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31you can just lift it and divide it again.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Finally, when it comes to the herbs,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37a very cheap way is you could sow some of the annual herbs,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40things like dill and coriander.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42You could, you know, sow these here in the summertime.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44And parsley. And parsley.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Or even on the windowsill, little and often.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Anyway, there's one more job just to talk about for next time.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51OK.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I've been very busy with my mum.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Lots of chopping back! Oh, crikey, a lot of work!
0:12:07 > 0:12:09So much more space and just look at the view.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11And I think it really ties in nicely,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13cos I thought next time maybe you could lift
0:12:13 > 0:12:16a bit of the canopy, as well, of the woodland.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18We've got the branches from the conifer there
0:12:18 > 0:12:20where the herb garden is now. Yeah.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22And we're going to look at shredders...
0:12:22 > 0:12:24OK. ..so that we can see about recycling wood,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27putting it down for bark.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30And a final review for the end of the series!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It went way too fast. I know, it has, hasn't it?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But it's been good fun. It was really good fun. Really.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Today's money-saving tips are...
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I sense one of these blinking taste tests again!
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Absolutely. And we're going to do it blind, Jim,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08because I've got two tomatoes here -
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Sungold which is really a yellow one. Uh-huh.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14In the catalogues, they say it is the sweetest ever. Mm-hm.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Then we've got Sweet Aperitif,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19a red one, again, saying it's rather sweet.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22So I thought it would be a good idea if we decide,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25do we think that Sweet Aperitif is sweeter than Sungold?
0:13:25 > 0:13:29So are you happy just to put your hand in there, close your eyes...?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Oh, you're going to do that one. It's the nearest.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33I'll do this one. I'll close my eyes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40I think you've got B and I've got A.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Now we do the other one.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44What do you think? We need something in between.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Do you think? We need a digestive biscuit or something in between.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I nearly looked then.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I've got to look at that one.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52I haven't finished this one.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I'll get accused of staring into your eyes, madam.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57And I'll try this one.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03That one. That's what I think.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04A is the sweetest.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Now, the crew and all the production team have tasted it, as well.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13So A had nine
0:14:13 > 0:14:14and B, only one.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And it's Sungold. So that's the sweetest, still,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21which is fantastic. Really, really good.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Now, more tasting - sweetcorn. Mm-hm.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Two varieties.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28George and myself picked out Lark last year,
0:14:28 > 0:14:29and I'm trying another one, Honeydew.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31The tootsie one, was it? Yes, it was really nice.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34And we've got Honeydew, as well. Again, we don't know what they are.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Where are you starting? That side? Mm-hm.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Yeah, yeah. I'll try this.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44I love sweetcorn, especially if you pick it straightaway and cook it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Dip it in butter. Mmm!
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Oh! That is delicious.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Mmmm! Now I'm going to try the other one.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57What do you think? This is cheating.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00You really need something to...
0:15:00 > 0:15:02get rid of that. Well, that one was really sweet. That's good.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08We could do more of this, you know? Mmm!
0:15:08 > 0:15:10We could just go on and on!
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Not a lot between them, I don't think.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I'm going to go...
0:15:16 > 0:15:17that one.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Right, you're going that one. The interesting thing is, you see,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24that's the first one that you tasted.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26And you said that's the first with you.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28I didn't think there was a lot of difference.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30This is Lark. And that's the first one I did.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31That's what I mean, you see?
0:15:31 > 0:15:32You are then predisposed -
0:15:32 > 0:15:35the second one is always going to come second.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37That wasn't the case with the Sungold, though, Jim.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Was it not? No. So it doesn't always go like that.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Anyway. I'm quite good at talking rubbish, you know?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Both of these are lovely, aren't they?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Absolutely. They're just lacking, as I say, a bit of butter.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50It's not about what they look like. It's about the flavour. Of course.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Well, it's that time again. It's time for clipping hedges.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04And I thought it was time for us also to look
0:16:04 > 0:16:08at our evergreen hedges here. We've got little samples of each one.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12We've started off with this guy here, this is a Thuja Holmstrup.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's very, very upright.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It's very columnar and it's not generally classified
0:16:17 > 0:16:19as a hedging conifer because, for one thing,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22it's quite an expensive plant to buy
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and if you had 150 of them to get, that would be your pension gone.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27But look at the effect it has -
0:16:27 > 0:16:31practically no clipping at all and you've got that lovely rippled look,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35so if you can afford it, remember, Thuja Holmstrup is a cracker.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38We had a Lawson cypress in here,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41which didn't do well at all, it's been replanted,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44the ground was remade, it's been replanted with this golden Lawson
0:16:44 > 0:16:47which takes to the clipping and does perfectly well
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and is not too expensive.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Then the classic of all time, of course, is the yew.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Makes a very tight hedge, beautiful finish to it, almost like a face,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00really, but quite slow-growing.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04And since I came to the north-east I keep seeing this one -
0:17:04 > 0:17:08this is a forest conifer, this is Tsuga heterophylla,
0:17:08 > 0:17:09the western hemlock,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and it can be made to look just like yew a lot more quickly,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15so it's time to start to clip this one.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Right at the end, another failure, I would say.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20This is a plant that doesn't look well.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It's a Thuja and the one that was here before
0:17:23 > 0:17:25almost mouldered and died out.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28We made the ground up again, put a new drain in here -
0:17:28 > 0:17:31it still doesn't like the situation.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33In many a place it would make a good hedge.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Here, it's not looking too good at all, but it's time, as I say,
0:17:36 > 0:17:37to start clipping this one.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I no longer have a licence for these motorised kinds,
0:17:42 > 0:17:43so it's back to the old clipper
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and you want to clip back to where it was cut before
0:17:46 > 0:17:48so that you've got a face.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52You build up a face, so that it's almost smooth and it's...
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I lose a few pounds at this game.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Now, then, earlier in the programme,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02we saw Carole visiting Mika in her gardening on a budget.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Well, she's now going to have a look at a lady in Ardersier
0:18:05 > 0:18:07who practices what Carole's been preaching.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18This is Ardersier near Inverness,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22where you might be lucky enough to spot dolphins in the Moray Firth.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Today, I'm really looking forward to my garden visit,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28because Mari Reid is a big fan of value-for-money gardening
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and she'll be sharing some of those tips with us.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43This is my terracotta pot that I recycled.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46It got broken and I didn't want to put it in the bin
0:18:46 > 0:18:48so I used it for my succulents.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It's good drainage and, as you can see, they are quite happy.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52They're absolutely thriving.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I love this bit of sort of vertical gardening.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I know, my drain pipes, they are great.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Again, they were recycled and I put some succulents in them
0:19:01 > 0:19:02and, yeah, they're nice.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05And do you do a little bit of collecting on the beach?
0:19:05 > 0:19:06I know, I love my driftwood.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09It's nice, every time I go for a walk on the beach,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I come home with something. Get lovely shapes, don't you?
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Yes, they're nice.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16OK, well, this is the front, but can we have a look round the back?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yes, you can come, come along and see.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36As you can see, Carole, there is no space wasted in my garden.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39That's amazing, a perfect way to use the space.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Definitely.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Look at your shed, more vertical gardening!
0:19:48 > 0:19:49It's like a living picture.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52It is. It's just a seed tray, believe it or not, Carole.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Or, you know, the plant trays. Yeah?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Yeah, I can show you how I do it.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58So, as you can see, here are the cells.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59I just fill it with compost
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and take cuttings of the succulents and then I put them
0:20:02 > 0:20:05in the position I want them to be in the picture and then I leave them
0:20:05 > 0:20:08like this for up to two months until they are well rooted,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and when they are well rooted, I hang them up on the wall.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So it's important to keep them flat to start off with?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Yes, cos otherwise they fall off.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17And how long do you leave it vertically?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Until about November and then I take them down again
0:20:19 > 0:20:23and redo them if they need redone and then start again next year.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26That is a great idea - I want to try that at Beechgrove.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27Great. Making wreaths?
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Now, I recognise the birch, but what else have you used there?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I use broom. Ah!
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Or anything else that bends.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Nice and flexible, isn't it? Yes, flexible wood.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38And birch for staking the plants?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And other tricks I can find around!
0:20:41 > 0:20:43This year I made a nice frame for my sweet peas.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46That looks great, that frame, really nice. Yeah.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Now, what else do you recycle in the garden?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I recycle bottles and pots.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I go to recycling centres and get them from there.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08They're nice for colour in the winter.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10There's a lovely blue one through there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Thank you, yes, I've got some green ones as well.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16I also recycle hard disks from laptops and computers.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18My husband works with computers
0:21:18 > 0:21:19and he brings me home some hard disks
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and I just like the way they catch the light
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and the way they dangle in the wind. They look beautiful.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Thank you. I love them.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The plants themselves, I mean, they look so healthy,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33so I want to know a little bit about your feeding regime.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Well, I go to the beach and collect lots of seaweed,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I wash the seaweed first so I get all the salt off
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and then mulch the borders before the plants start coming in.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44So March time and then they can grow through
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and it just slowly releases into the ground.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It's good, because you have got all those minor nutrients, as well,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53so seaweed is brilliant for that.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55What a collection of plants, as well.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Where have they come from?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Some of them, the cloud pruning ones,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02they were actually here in the garden, so I just cloud pruned them.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I love that euonymus, it's so bright and cheerful.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I know, it is. In the winter it stays the same colour,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10so it's lovely. I grow things from cuttings,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12I grow lots of things from seed.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16That tree over there is a Abutilon vitifolium I grew from seed.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It looks great, how old is that?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22That's about seven years old and I can show you how I do my propagation
0:22:22 > 0:22:25round the back. Brilliant! Let's have a look at that. Great.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37This is a cutting of my dahlia.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39I just buy one tuber and just take cuttings
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and this is just two months old and it's already flowering.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You keep multiplying it?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Yeah, definitely. I've got a monkey puzzle tree I grew from seed,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50this is about five years old. So a lot of patience there.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52A lot of patience there. This is a bit faster.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Yeah, grasses are quite easy, aren't they?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Yes. This is from this year, it's already flowering.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Lots more cuttings and what have you got in here?
0:22:58 > 0:23:02In here, I've got bulbs from this tiger lily.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Takes about three years from this size to flowering size.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08So you see the roots are starting to form already.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I know, it's amazing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12What about any sort of plant exchange?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15I do a bit of plant exchange with friends and neighbours.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19If I pass somebody's garden and I see a plant I like,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I usually ask for a cutting and they're quite happy to give me a bit
0:23:22 > 0:23:25or I offer them a swap and they're quite happy to do that, as well.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26And where else do you get seeds from?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Hardy Plant Society is a great place to buy seeds.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33You get a lot of packets of seeds for a very few pennies.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35?8 for 40 packets I think is quite cheap.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37That's brilliant, that is really cheap.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So, yes, if you have lots of room,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42you can grow a lot of plants for next to nothing.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I think you need to keep going up the way.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46I think I do. You've got so many plants!
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Shelves. Yeah, definitely. Great.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Also, you found a bit of space for the productive side of gardening.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Definitely, yes. I have my strawberries
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and blueberries, hazelnut, raspberries.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Come and taste my raspberry jam. Oh, I'd love to try that.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14What a lovely spread. I can't wait to try this jam,
0:24:14 > 0:24:15it looks wonderful. Thank you.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I just use a bit of lemon to help it set
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and I also make raspberry cordial
0:24:20 > 0:24:22from raspberries and I make elderflower cordial
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I pick up from the hedgerows. I must try it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Go for it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Really refreshing.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It's nice on a day like this.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It's absolutely delicious.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Lemon verbena, what are you going to do with that?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37You can make a lovely tea -
0:24:37 > 0:24:39just put the leaves into the pot and pour boiling water.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41So how many leaves?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44About ten for two people and then boiling water over it.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Cos it tastes like lemon sherbet, doesn't it? Yes, it's so lovely.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Everybody should grow a little bit of lemon verbena.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53While we wait for that to cool down, I just want to mention
0:24:53 > 0:24:54the mirror that you have got in the shed.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's great, isn't it? Well, the garden just goes on and on.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Yes, that was a friend, she was throwing it away and I said,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01"What are you doing with those mirrors,
0:25:01 > 0:25:02"are they going to the skip?"
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I said, "No, I'm having them, I have the right place for them."
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Thank you so much, Mari, you've given us so much inspiration,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11so many ideas where people can take them home,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13it doesn't cost a fortune, it's been brilliant.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Thank you so much, it was a pleasure to have you here.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Is it time to pour out the tea? Definitely. Can't wait to try it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Well, it's that time of year again
0:25:23 > 0:25:25when we start to think about bringing in
0:25:25 > 0:25:27our half-hardy perennials,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30herbaceous perennials and woody perennials
0:25:30 > 0:25:31to protect them from the winter.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I wanted to show you this plant, this lantana,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38which we created as a standard to be used in bedding schemes.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It comes in different varieties and different colours.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42It's quite staggering, isn't it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46But it's a Mediterranean and it needs protection during the winter.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50So we'll take it indoors and have it for next year.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55And, of course, all standards don't need to be a metre high.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56Look at this little beauty.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Quarter standard, if you like.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01A fuchsia, also just at its best.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03I don't want it spoiled by the weather,
0:26:03 > 0:26:04so it's coming indoors, as well.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07This is Paula Jane - isn't she looking good?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And I want to protect this one, as well.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I'm back again taking a look at our pineapple lilies,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18because a few weeks ago I mentioned the fact that they hadn't flowered.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20We've had a great response -
0:26:20 > 0:26:23quite a few viewers have written in, sent us photographs.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25To start off with, Carole Baxter, my namesake,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28has sent this lovely photograph of her pineapple lily
0:26:28 > 0:26:30outside in a pot.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Loads of lovely flowers.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And then, also, Linda Johnson from Shetland,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36she's growing hers indoors
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and the nice thing that Linda said
0:26:38 > 0:26:41was it took her three years before she got flowers,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43so whether I grow them inside or outside,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45it definitely is a bit of patience!
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Well, it's undoubtedly bramble-picking time,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52or blackberry, if you like.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And I can just imagine the bramble and apple jelly,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and the bramble and apple crumbles and all the rest of it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01If you're thinking of buying a plant for the garden,
0:27:01 > 0:27:02we can offer you a choice.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04First and foremost, Fantasia,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07which is a very heavy cropper,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10but all the branches have really vicious thorns.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Or we can offer you a slightly more delicate version -
0:27:13 > 0:27:15here we have Loch Maree.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19This was bred at the James Hutton Institute down at Dundee.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Cropping slightly later than Fantasia, but just look at that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25No thorns on these stems at all.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And the wee bonus is that, whilst ordinary brambles
0:27:28 > 0:27:29have white flowers,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31this one has a lovely, delicate pink flower.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33The choice is yours.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Well, Jim, what do you think of the gravel garden?
0:27:36 > 0:27:40It's fine. I think we possibly need a combine harvester.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I know, it's only been in a few years,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44and look how the grasses have grown.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I think maybe we need to lift and divide one or two of them. Mm-hm.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49It's not a one-off job.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50You'd have to work at it gradually,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52because each one of them will be quite a task.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Yeah, not do it all in one year, I don't think.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Yes. But it's stunning. It really is stunning.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Lovely with the crocosmias. Yes.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59And the butterflies.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01They love it, don't they, at the moment?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Aye, there's no shortage of them here today, that's for sure.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Not on a lovely sunny day like this.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08If you'd like any more information about this week's programme,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10of course, it's all in the fact sheet
0:28:10 > 0:28:12and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Next week, would you believe it,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I'm going to be planting bulbs and spring bedding. What a thought!
0:28:17 > 0:28:20What about you? Well, I'll have made my last visit
0:28:20 > 0:28:22to the Tillicoultry Allotments.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23I'm looking forward to that.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25And then, of course,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I'll carry on the theme of protecting plants against the winter
0:28:28 > 0:28:30by bringing them indoors. Some of the camellias, for example.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Winter, I don't want to think about that yet.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Put it out of your mind for the time being.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36In the meantime, bye-bye.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Goodbye.
0:29:22 > 0:29:22'I want him to live,
0:29:24 > 0:29:25SHE SIGHS DEEPLY
0:29:30 > 0:29:32The shooting was fully justified.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37So he's the Belfast strangler?
0:29:38 > 0:29:40DOCTOR SHOUTS INSTRUCTIONS
0:29:42 > 0:29:44'I want him to live,