Episode 23 The Beechgrove Garden

-There we go.

-All right, George?

-Yep, fine.

-Try to bend the knees.

Yes.

Hello there, and welcome to Beechgrove

on a cracking autumn morning.

Before we get to the business of the day, let's just talk about

morning temperatures, or overnight temperatures.

Well, here in the garden, Jim, 5.2.

-OK.

-Going down.

-And what about you at home?

Well, I've got seven, but then, I'm in the city,

so we've got this heat island effect, so it's not bad.

Seven was my lowest at Meldrum.

Our sound man, he's by the river and he's down to three.

Down to three, as well.

So autumn is definitely on its way and that's a very good reason for us now

to get these camellias, which have been outside in the summertime,

get them into the cold conservatory to protect the buds.

They're looking super though, because you gave them a prune, didn't you?

-Mm-hm.

-They've got a good shape now, healthy colour.

Look at them, the leaves are wonderful, great lustre on those.

And, look, see the flower buds on the end? That's fabulous.

They've been fed regularly with ericaceous fertiliser

and with a sequestrian iron, because there's just a bit of yellowing

on the foliage. Whether its iron or magnesium, I don't know,

but they're certainly looking better and they formed decent buds.

The other important factor is they have been well watered over

the summer months, because if you get bud drop, don't you...

-You do, yeah.

-..when they're starting to flower,

it's all because of the watering during the summer.

So now we've got to give them a little bit of protection.

-Indeed we do.

-Shall I start that?

-Yes.

Meanwhile, in the rest of the programme,

if we're fit enough...

Another allotment visit is looming and it's all about culture.

Horticulture.

And it is self-evident that it's been a very good tomato season

here in Moray. Keep watching, cos there's a lot more to be seen.

Nice-looking plants, George.

There are... There are some crackers here, I tell you.

Well, this has been a wonderful display, I think, over this summer.

Maybe a late start, but this is all about half-hardy perennials.

That's right, and that verbena down there has been

particularly outstanding. I think that's a stunning plant, that.

It is. That's a new variety, Endurascape.

So I'm saying they're half-hardy perennials, so I mean, really,

in a way, do we think that's a hardy perennial, if it's minus 10?

-Is it supposed to go down to minus 10?

-Yeah.

-Right, so if we leave that out,

with the mild winters we've been having, that could survive.

-It could.

-But, but...

So, as an insurance policy, perhaps lift a plant?

So the whole idea is with half-hardy perennials, you can take cuttings

July or August - we've missed that.

-Missed the boat.

-So the other way is lifting stock plants and taking

cuttings in the springtime and that's what we're going to do.

-That's right.

-We don't lift everything?

No, well, lift the ones that you like.

I mean, there's some lovely red geraniums there and this pink one

I particularly like, so they are good.

Argyranthemums, I mean, look at the flowers still on these. Gorgeous.

There's a lot, isn't there?

Only one of each colour and I'm going to lift all of those,

so that we've got five of those to lift.

Jim had his eye on the osteospermums...

-So we need to lift...?

-That one, violet ice, he'll love that.

-Right, I'll get that one.

-So what are we going to do?

Basically, I've already put one of the argyranthemums in a pot.

You don't want to sort of oversize the pot.

-No.

-Because we're ticking this over in the winter.

Well, you don't want to feed it, you don't want it rushing into growth.

You want it just to sit quietly and just, as you say, tick over.

Tick over, in a heated greenhouse, but only, what, 5-7 degrees?

Yeah, just above freezing.

And I am now - I know it seems really sad -

but I am going to chop this back by half.

It'll go through the winter, it'll be quite happy in the spring

and then once the temperature rises...

-Well, that's when it grows.

-The growth and we get the cuttings.

And I think we'll get quite a few cuttings from one stock plant.

I think so.

But you've a slightly different idea to help with that.

Well, this is a different idea.

There is a geranium which is particularly colourful.

I think that colour is just fantastic.

So that is one which I would want to keep.

And I would keep it as a house plant.

-OK.

-So I'm going to pot this up in a slightly richer compost, give it

a bit of care and attention to get it re-established in the house and

I'll keep it in the house, but I won't do anything else with it.

Once this has finished flowering, it'll go out.

-You'll just discard that?

-I'll discard it.

-Whereas the other ones

-are our stock and they are for cuttings.

-Yeah.

I want to keep this one.

I mean, Chris called it a dandelion, I think,

a pot marigold called sunny.

A power daisy.

A power daisy, and it has flowered and flowered and flowered.

It doesn't seed, so we'll have to take cuttings off it for next year.

Another one in a pot.

Yeah.

Now then, this will be my third and final visit to the allotments

in Tillicoultry here this season.

Doubtless we'll do some recapping, we'll look at a bit of harvesting,

discuss any problems that are ongoing and, most importantly,

what the plans are for the future.

The last shot you saw when we were here before was this fella.

I reckon he's doubled his size in four weeks.

Not bad going.

I'm off to catch up with Bill McMurray,

the allotment's committee chairman.

Hi there, Bill.

Hello, Jim, how are you?

You big show off, you!

-Well done.

-Oh, that's just the thinnings, Jim, that's just the thinnings.

Well, apart from the whole sense of everybody enjoying themselves here,

what impressed me from the start was the orderliness of it all.

And you made the point at the time that everybody is committed to help

keeping the place tidy and the fact that you involve everybody.

How regularly do you do that?

Throughout the year, Jim, people maintain this site.

But this Saturday, for example,

we've got a work day where we'll do an end-of-season tidy up,

-shredding and whatnot.

-And it shows.

There's no question about it.

And what about organics?

We encourage anybody who comes into the site to try and be organic.

We're probably 95% organic.

Yes. Now, when I go down that route,

I then get us things like comfrey.

Do many of the members use comfrey here?

A large number of members use it in different ways.

I use two ways. I make comfrey tea in this receptacle or use

the comfrey leaves to put in between the potato shaws.

Well, taking that some of you are actually using comfrey,

have you ever actually measured its effects and its success compared

with the commercially available fertilisers?

We've tried it and there's absolutely no difference,

except the comfrey is a lot cheaper.

Quite right, absolutely, you're ticking the right boxes.

Finally, what are the difficult things - what about pests and diseases?

I mean, there are some that are uncontrollable,

because everybody's doing different things.

We have got them, we've got clubroot on the site in different places,

we try to tell people to move their brassicas around from different sizes,

-use lime.

-Yeah, yeah.

We had a problem with New Zealand flatworm, maybe five, six years ago,

and what we did was

get this image out to the public in the newsletter and put it on the

notice board so they'd know what a New Zealand flatworm looks like and

what to do with it if they do find it.

We just sprinkle salt on them.

OK. Thanks for that.

Now then, Susan,

it looks as if you're picking quite a nice crop of runner beans.

Yeah, I'm very pleased with them.

Tremendous. Before we get on to that, you used to garden in Yorkshire, didn't you?

-Yes.

-And did you find much of a difference?

Well, the season's a bit shorter,

so you have to start later and it finishes earlier,

but the soil's great and things grow.

These are crops that you have to pick regularly, don't you?

Because otherwise... And of course the test is to do that.

Clean. If they are over, there'll be a stringy bit which doesn't

come through too well when it's on your plate.

So you're doing a grand job and you're happy with it,

with the variety and everything.

But we have another story this side of the path, don't we?

What about the courgettes? They look pretty manky with all of that mildew

-but that is seasonal.

-Well, they've had a fantastic crop.

-Yeah.

-I picked a whole load of courgettes yesterday,

so there are not many left on it now.

But we can't tell the same story about this lot here.

No, this is a couple of butternut squash plants that have grown,

but they haven't flowered and they haven't fruited and I'm a bit disappointed.

Yes, I mean, there's nothing wrong, but they just haven't delivered.

I just wonder again if it's part of the cycle we've had with

the weather this year and they do need a little bit more cosseting.

-Yeah.

-I can see a situation where maybe further up the hill in their plot here,

you get some nice big, round plastic drums, cut the bottom off,

sink them about one third into the ground,

fill them up with soil and compost and put these guys in it.

The point being, the sun shines on that great ball of soil,

raises the temperature and that speeds up this growth and then also,

when it starts to flower,

there's no shade and they're getting all the sun that is going.

-Good idea. Thank you.

-Yeah.

What are you up to?

Oh, we're just picking some pumpkins and...

I just wish you to say that you are Jennifer and you are Douglas.

I saw it on the gate - Jennifer's garden, Douglas' weeds.

That's right.

Aye, I saw that, right enough.

Well, look at this!

It's a veritable harvest festival.

Wonderful selection of beans.

Are you preparing them to be frozen? Or what will you do with them?

Yeah, we're going to freeze the beans and I usually put the beans

and peas in the freezer together and just use them.

Yes. And then that great pumpkin.

-And then onto fruit.

-Yes.

-What do you do with all this stuff?

Well, that's going to go into jelly, crab apple jelly.

For jam. And these are destined for wine.

So you'll maybe get a bottle of wine next time you come!

Well done, you. That's brilliant stuff.

Now then, Marion, you're getting ready to plant out some young strawberry plants.

-What's the story?

-Yes, I am, Jim.

Strawberry plants are quite expensive and I realised these small plants were

coming off the main ones. I talked to a couple of guys in the allotments

and they said to pot them up and I would have brand-new plants for

-next year.

-There they are.

All you want to do is to separate them from the mother plant,

line them out, knock them out of the pots and in you go.

Two to three feet apart that way, 15 inches apart that way.

You've got the idea. And you've made an interesting point,

cos you learned that from some of the guys on the allotments?

-Yes. Yes.

-Why did you take an allotment?

Why are you not gardening at home?

Well, I have a garden at home, but I also have three back garden chickens.

And chickens and vegetables don't mix unless they are on the same plate, Jim.

You've got a lovely turn of phrase.

You're absolutely dead on, that's for sure.

But the other point about coming here is that you're meeting people.

Yes, absolutely.

This came along at a time I was on my own in a new area.

I've made new friends down here -

it's not just about the growing of the vegetables, it's growing of friendships.

Yes, I quite agree with you.

It's part of the ethos of the whole thing.

Develop friendships. And through gardening,

it makes a superb sort of set-up.

-Yes.

-And you've got a good range of stuff.

All looking great.

But this is slightly different, this is slightly alien.

What are we talking about here?

Ah, well, that is granddaughter Abigail's plot.

-OK.

-She's five and really keen on gardening.

She planted the sunflower seeds herself and she cannot believe

that they're now about three times the height of her.

You see, that continuum is what just gets me.

Cos here is a younger lassie, she's going to get hooked,

she can grow things and she'll start an interest in what you're doing

and that just clicks for me and that's why allotments are so good

-and so successful. Thanks.

-Yes.

Well, then, Liz.

A few bulbs as a wee thank you to you because you've

been absolutely tremendous when we've been here visiting.

Raised beds, part of the decorative area, daffodils going in,

there's a whole mixture of daffodil varieties, different heights and so,

-and you'll look after them?

-Yes, my allotment's just over there.

-Yes, yes.

-So I felt it would be easy to come and maintain this

-through the winter.

-Aye.

Well, we won't have much to do over the winter, really.

-No.

-I think maybe a net over the top to keep the vermin out?

Yes, that's a good idea.

And this whole area will be developed with more of this, I think?

Yes, we're going to add another three round here, I believe,

and paths running between to make more access.

Yes. Well, there are people getting to my age who are less able,

they like a raised bed to work on.

-Yes.

-And the children of course.

I think so, and they're very productive, raised beds.

Well, if we're going to get these finished, we'd better crack on,

but I must say thank you to you and your colleagues.

-Thank you very much.

-It's been three wonderful trips.

It's been a lovely time.

-Good stuff.

-Thank you.

Let's get the job finished.

Well, from George and myself looking at the summer bedding and taking

that out and keeping some stock plants, I'm now moving on to next year,

because I want to have a look at the spring bedding display.

I also wants to show you how you prepare the soil,

because this bed has been dug over to a space depth and then we've

incorporated some of the Beechgrove Garden compost.

So from this bit that's been dug over, this is what you end up with,

which is quite amazing.

So you rake it over,

you firm the ground and then we have this really nice,

fine tilth to do the planting.

And we're going to have a look at about 12 different displays,

with a mixture of spring bedding plants and bulbs.

And I think it's amazing what you can get in the garden centres now -

a fantastic range of violas, pansies, we've got the myosotis,

polyanthus and wallflowers.

So what am I doing this year?

Well, what I've done is I've already planted that plot there,

a lovely little viola.

And in the centre, I have put the narcissus.

So that's slightly different from the spring bedding that I did this year,

because what I did with that

was - the violas were planted right across and we dotted the bulbs

in between and we felt that, actually,

some of the violas were a little bit lost.

So I'm hoping by putting them in the centre, they will be much better.

Now, when you're buying your bulbs and you're spoilt for choice again

in the garden centres, make sure you buy good quality ones that are nice

and firm. And when it comes to planting,

the general rule of thumb is twice the depth of the bulb itself.

So, here again,

I've got narcissus in the centre and we're going for pansies

on the outside. Beautiful, fibrous roots here,

you can tease them out a little bit if you want.

And obviously, as well, you know, the ground is really quite dry,

so we want to make sure that they are well watered in.

So, pansies, violas, we're moving up.

More narcissus.

And then once I've got the ground at the top firmed down,

I am going to do a combination of polyanthus and wallflowers with tulips.

That is, again, the same as I did this spring.

The polyanthus ones will have dwarf tulips and the wallflowers

will have the later-flowering tulips.

So I think we're going to have a fantastic display again next spring.

This time of year, after we've finished most of our projects,

there's often a lot of plants left over and I've got a whole

wheelbarrow full of them here. But I'll come back to that in a minute.

I want to have a look at this hedge.

This is what we bought as an edible hedge.

We saw an advert in a magazine that said plant an edible hedge and it

was going to give us apples and pears and cherries and hazelnuts,

and that's what's in here.

We've got the pear tree there, we've got some...

Well, this is like sloe and we've got hazel tucked in there.

But you know what? In order for this to produce a hedge which is going

to fruit, we shouldn't really prune it,

because every time we prune this,

what we actually do is we take off these flowering shoots -

the ones that have got the potential to produce the fruit - and that is not

going to do us any good. I'd be as old as Methuselah before this actually produced fruit.

It might be good for wildlife,

but I'm afraid if I wanted something to eat, it's not much good for me.

Back to the barrow. This is an idea I saw when I was travelling

in Ireland. And the gardener had come out of the garden,

he'd done his weeding, possibly weeding in the herbaceous border or

something like that. Come out with his wheelbarrow full of plants

and just tipped it in the woodland.

And he left it.

And what I got there, what I saw there was this wonderful matrix

of foliage and flower which then grew underneath the canopy,

and that, to me, was just pure magic.

It was a gift, it was something we were given.

So I decided we'd do the same.

This is plants which were spare from the garden, some which have been bought in,

some which we have potted up from elsewhere and we're just going to chuck

these in here. We're not going to be terribly fussy about them.

This area is the area in which we have bulbs -

we've got spring bulbs in here.

We've strimmed it, we've watered it, so we've given it a bit of a start.

But really, it's not very good soil.

But all that we need to do is take a bit like that, right,

take that out and put this fella in here.

Here's a thing called anaphalis, and there it is.

That will go in there.

Now, we're not being fussy about this.

That's it. That's all it gets.

I hope we'll get this wonderful matrix of foliage and flower and a

mixture of colours which you never thought you would ever have.

Welcome to Gordon Castle, the spiritual home of the Clan Gordon,

located in gorgeous Speyside,

with the little town of Fochabers just over there.

Now, in the Victorian era, this building was about three times

the size, with a population to match,

and a walled garden to feed them and to provide flowers and fruit and

everything else. Well, over the years, it's fallen into disrepair,

but we're now going to have a wee look at an ambitious and quite

adventurous redevelopment plan for the garden.

Can't wait.

For the past three years, the castle's owners,

Angus Gordon Lennox and his wife, Zara,

have been restoring their ancestors' eight-acre walled garden.

Planted full of vegetables, fruit and flowers,

they've reinstated it as a working kitchen garden,

reminiscent of its Victorian heyday.

Once complete, it will be one of the biggest productive walled gardens

in the UK.

So, Zara, you and Angus are the new custodians?

We started a few years ago now, and this is an incredible space.

It is eight acres and it's very special and we wanted to open it to the public.

-Yeah.

-But we needed to find a way of using all the incredible

produce from the garden.

So we opened the cafe and restaurant,

so that all the produce can be used there and in the shop and,

for instance, the 3,000 lavender plants that we planted -

the essential oils go into our bath and beauty products.

Sure, sure. Because, of course, the garden was this size to support

a veritable village, way back in the old days?

When the castle was extended into a sort of huge palace of the north,

they obviously needed a walled garden this size to feed everyone.

And it's never been open to the public before,

so we now hope that people will be able to see the journey of the

restoration project.

Yeah, you can't do it all in one year, can you?

-No.

-You have to phase it.

Absolutely not an instant garden.

We're about halfway through the restoration project,

so I hope visitors will come and pay to look around the garden

and realise that their entrance fee is going towards the 48,000 bricks

that need laying for the edges and to do the next area.

It's not going to happen overnight.

But that's the trick. They want to come back to see

what you've done next and get a few more ideas.

Exactly, and hopefully, they'll enjoy the story and the journey of the restoration.

Well, I'm off to find John and talk gardening.

-I hope you enjoy it.

-Let's go.

Hi, then, John Hawley, head gardener here Gordon Castle.

Did you realise before you came just what a reputation this place has for fruit?

Well, I have to confess, Jim, I didn't.

I think its a little bit of a hidden gem, actually.

Top fruit, in fact, and the walls are covered in them - north, south, east, west facing.

That's right, 250 individual specimens altogether.

Really? What fruits have you got?

Well, quite a few different varieties of apples.

-Yeah.

-We've got pears,

we've got plums and gauges on the east and west walls.

-Yeah.

-We've got we've got these beautiful brick walls which

absorb the heat and release it.

Well, it ripens the wood and it ripens the fruits.

That is correct, yeah.

Well, it's an object lesson for people who want to grow these things.

If you've got a wall, there's plenty of space going up...

Utilise it. Absolutely. And even if it's a north-facing wall,

you could still grow things like morello cherries on there.

Aye, quite. Now, this here must be the Gordon plum?

It is indeed, our very own Gordon Castle plum.

They look pretty ancient.

It was first recorded here in 1864 and it almost looks like these are

-the originals, doesn't it?

-Could be.

Yeah, very old specimens.

Absolutely. The important thing is what they taste like.

Absolutely delicious and, as if by magic, I have one for you to try.

All right, you do the talking while I just...

-Yellowish.

-Yellowish, but extremely juicy, extremely sweet.

It's a desert plum, yet it's a very late one.

We use it in our gin, so it's absolutely delicious, really sweet.

Mental note alert, yes.

And I presume you're propagating?

Because there we have a young tree looking in good nick.

Yeah, that's correct. We've been grafting them and we're trying to

gradually plant more specimens, because, obviously,

these old ones won't last forever.

But these trees, back in the 1800s and so on, what about this lot?

-Yes.

-This is a new sort of fad, isn't it?

It is, yeah, it's very fashionable, the step-overs.

We've got lots of different varieties here.

Now, we've planted nearly 300 altogether so far,

we've got another 500 to plant over the next few years.

So huge amounts, but the great thing is - and I always emphasise this

to people - you can grow them in your own back garden.

Because they are very simple to train,

they take up very little room, very ornamental.

But the key thing is, try and get them on a dwarfing root stock.

-What age are these?

-Three years old.

That's all, so it doesn't take long for them to move into position.

-Just the right height for a three-year-old to pick them!

-Absolutely perfect, yes!

-Veg next.

-Vegetables next.

-OK.

This looks like it's been refurbished of late, this greenhouse?

That's correct, Jim, yes.

It's an old Mackenzie & Moncur one, a traditional Victorian glasshouse.

I'm told it was done by local joiners.

Yes. It's taken a couple of years.

So it's all been done in-house.

-Magic ratchet work.

-All the original metalwork.

Much of the woodwork's original, as well.

-The tomatoes, you've a lot of varieties?

-That's right, ten different varieties this year.

-What are you saying about this one?

-Ah, the blue bayou, yes.

It's a bit unusual, isn't it?

It looks nice on a plate.

I wouldn't see it - I would have to be blindfolded to eat that.

Yeah, you're probably right, to be fair.

But you're growing them traditionally.

-That's right.

-Big pots.

-Yes.

-This is how you've always done it?

It is, yeah. So we try and find the balance between production

and ornamental, that's what we're trying to achieve.

Well, with all these different varieties, I mean,

they are taking the string up there and tremendous crop on here.

Oh, there's tigerella.

Tigerella, yeah, stunning.

A lovely variety, as well - nice flavour.

-It is good.

-Mm-hm.

Now then, chillies.

Chillies are right next door, Jim.

Is it another array?

-A huge array, yes.

-We'd better go and see.

Let's have a look. Excellent.

I wanted to bring you in here - this is where all the excitement happens.

Here's where we grow our chillies.

This year we've got 23 different varieties for our annual

chilli event, including the ten hottest in the world.

-OK.

-I just wanted to point out this one, which is the fatalii jigsaw,

which is unofficially the hottest in the world.

We think it may be the hottest next year.

This is the official hottest one in the world this year,

which is the Carolina Reaper.

How do you make the hottest? How do you measure it?

Well, I don't, to be honest.

I leave other people to that and they tell me.

It is the number of people that collapse?

I'm not brave enough. Exactly, yeah!

You've certainly got an array of different chillies.

Yes, they look wonderful, don't they?

They're drying out really well for our annual chilli event.

A whole array of colours.

-Wonderful.

-My interest in chillies stops right there,

with an absolutely gorgeous pot plant.

-It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?

-Well, it is.

I'm afraid you're not going to get me to do

any tasting of this lot. It's not my taste at all.

Well, that's OK, you don't have to eat them, you can just admire them.

-Admire it. Well, we've had a super day. Thank you, John.

-Thank you, Jim.

Brilliant. Pass our thanks also to boss lady, Zara.

Thank you very much. No problem.

These oxalis make great house plants over the growing season,

but what you need to remember is they do benefit from a rest

and at this time of year - you want to stop watering them,

put them somewhere frost-free.

What I do is I actually put them on the top of my kitchen cupboards.

But somewhere where you leave them alone and then we start to re-pot

them again come the springtime.

People of my vintage who find it a little bit difficult to get down

on their knees to do some weeding are looking for a way out,

and to my mind the best way is to have ground cover.

Persicaria affinis - there are several varieties available,

but the plain one here is absolutely stunning.

It obviously covers the ground and blankets out the weeds,

it's been flowering for weeks and a lovely bit of autumn colour still.

It's good.

Now, there are some things in gardening which

are really, really exciting.

And this is one of them.

Look at this little orchid here.

This is a thing called epipactis latifolius -

it's one of the helleborines.

It's a native orchid,

and all of a sudden, it's arrived here.

The girls found it when they were weeding up and down this hedge.

Isn't it just fabulous?

Isn't it great to be in the Alpine Garden?

Because there's still quite a bit of colour in it.

It often peaks about May-June time.

Now, see the little cyclamen? Isn't that just a little jewel?

That's absolutely fabulous for this time of year.

I think Brian's done a wonderful job here.

Can I have my turn?

I cannot understand why people actually get romantic

about that ugly little thing there.

You don't like it?

My granny would have said it was un-braw. And what's it called?

That's Edelweiss, leontopodium.

It's almost like a dead mop on a stick, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Braw, though, look at these.

It might be the last of the runner beans for the season,

but these are cracking - look at that.

-As I say, cracking.

-What a good crop.

Still fresh.

And the plums are lovely. I've tried one already.

-Yeah, yeah.

-So if you'd like any more information about this week's

programme, it's all in the fact sheet and the easiest way to access

that is online. Next week...

Yes, we're out of the garden again next week - we're down to Strathkinness.

And tell us about Strathkinness and its reputation.

Well, it is reputed to be the best-kept village in Fife.

-We'll check it out.

-We'll see about that.

-Till next week, bye-bye.

-Goodbye.