0:00:12 > 0:00:14Do we have to go outside, Chris? LAUGHTER
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Do you know, it is a strange time of year, isn't it?
0:00:17 > 0:00:21- Normally, plants are happy to go outside to harden off.- I think...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24- This year, it's so different, isn't it?- Yeah, so behind, I think.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Well, hello there and welcome to Beechgrove Garden
0:00:26 > 0:00:28on a typical spring day.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31I can tell you 20 minutes ago it was blin'-drift,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33as we would call it in this part of the world.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35A fine day for putting plants out, isn't it?
0:00:35 > 0:00:38- Well, can I get these under cover in the cold frame?- Sure, sure.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39These are the onions. They should be fine.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41A process we call hardening off -
0:00:41 > 0:00:44from the hothouse to the coolhouse to the garden frame,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- then outside.- It should be straightforward.- Are they ready?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Look at this. Brussels sprouts, normally, the brassicas
0:00:49 > 0:00:51you would expect to put in the cold frame.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54They haven't done enough growing. They need to stay in the house.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56And what about those in the middle there?
0:00:56 > 0:00:57- MIMICS SHIVERING: - They, they...
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- would be shivering, wouldn't they? - They shouldn't be that colour.- No.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- That's a cold sign, isn't it?- Yep. - It is, indeed. But these will go.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- Looking fine.- In the meantime, in the rest of the programme...
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Australia, Japan and Solon all together in one garden.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15How does that happen? Just wait and see.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And what am I doing with pallets?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Well, they are going to be recycled into compost bays.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Of course, it's gardening on a budget.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Ooh, let's get out of this shower, Jim.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34- It's absolutely freezing, isn't it?- Yes!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37But it's good there's plenty work to be done inside, isn't there?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And this is a time of year when people are getting their plants
0:01:39 > 0:01:41ready to put into tubs and baskets and hanging baskets.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43But keeping them still under cover,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46- where they can get established. - Yeah. Well, by the time they are
0:01:46 > 0:01:48able to put them out, there will be a bit of flower and sun out.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And these plants are going in there for all summer.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And I get concerned about what goes in the baskets, the compost.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56In particular, you're really concerned about
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- the John Innis at the moment, aren't you?- Well...- The soil-based compost.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03The John Innis compost is a formula which has worked for decades.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But the present type is very fine.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And, to my mind, it doesn't have a lot of fibre in it.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11And so it really goes compact
0:02:11 > 0:02:13and it doesn't tend to let the moisture drain through.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Well, that's the problem it kind of sets, doesn't it?
0:02:15 > 0:02:18So the answer is why not 50-50
0:02:18 > 0:02:20with a very organic compost, like this one?
0:02:20 > 0:02:24But it, too, comes in a very strange, kind of lumpy fashion.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And you get the other problem with that one. That tends to dry out.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29So, surely, the combination is making it worse?
0:02:29 > 0:02:31That is what we are about to test, isn't it?
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- You see. So if we then heap the lot together.- Mix that together.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37And then mix it, as if you were mixing flour, you know?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- So that's the first part of the test.- Yeah.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The story continues, Jim, because you had a letter
0:02:43 > 0:02:45from a pal of yours. Goes back a few years.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Well, it does, actually.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Anne, who lives at Shardlow in Derbyshire,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50we were in the advisory service together.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Long after I left, they did some trials about whether
0:02:54 > 0:02:57it was a plus or there was no difference by using these granules.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Yes, these water retention granules, which really swell up.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Is it worth spending the money?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- So we are going to have a go, aren't we?- Yes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- We are going to do one trough without.- Yeah.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09And another trough with.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And we will repeat that and we are just using one plant,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and I think the begonia, because it's the number-one bedding plant.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Absolutely. And, from time to time through the season,
0:03:19 > 0:03:20we will report on progress.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Yeah. Quality, how much water we have to use.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27At this rate, we won't have to use anything, with the weather.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29But the begonias cannae go out for a while yet. That's for sure.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- LAUGHTER Definitely not.- Eh?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33They are strictly half-hardies.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35So, once you put that in,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- it's roughly about a teaspoon at the most.- Now, then...
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- And then I just mix that through. - There you go.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So I'm just going to sprinkle that on the top.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Do you not want to get your hands dirty?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50I am going to get my hands dirty. Mix that through.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52And then we can get the planting done.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Kirkcudbright is well-known as being the Scottish artists' home
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and, in the late 19th century, it attracted many of
0:04:06 > 0:04:08the most famous Scottish colourists,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11one of whom was EA Hornel.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And I've come today to visit his house and garden.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Broughton House is a living museum of Hornel's life and work,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26packed full of his paintings.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Behind the house, and backing onto the River Dee,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33is Hornel's other great passion - his garden.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35A curious and colourful mix
0:04:35 > 0:04:38of Eastern and Western horticulture.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Mike Jack is the head gardener.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44- Morning, Mike.- Morning, George.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- How are you?- Very well, thanks. - Lovely.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- Welcome to Broughton House. - Thank you.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Now, there's a fair bit of history attached to this house, isn't there?
0:04:53 > 0:04:57There is. This was the home of the artist Edward Atkinson Hornel,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00who purchased the property in 1901.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Then, in 1910, the opportunity to purchase
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- the property next-door came up. - Right.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07And his main purpose behind that was to
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- annexe the garden you see before you.- Oh, right.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So, when I come through that door and look down here,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14there's actually two gardens.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- It's a double garden? - It's a double garden.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17LAUGHTER
0:05:17 > 0:05:19The remnants of the boundary wall are there
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and this central walkway would have been the foundation
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- for that boundary wall, which he removed.- Right.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- He was a clever man, wasn't he?- He was. Well, he was a keen gardener.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- And that just illustrates that. - Ah, right.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31What were the feature plants here when he came,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32or the original plants?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35The cherry at the bottom of the garden would have been original
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- and predates his owning the property.- Right.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And he then went on and planted the magnolia
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- and the wisteria archway. - This was something he did?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Yeah, he planted that.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47And that would have been done after he removed
0:05:47 > 0:05:49the central boundary wall between the two gardens.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- I mean, that's a fair old plant, isn't it?- It is.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- Beautifully gnarled.- It is. It would be well over 100 years old.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- And you can see that in the gnarly stems.- Yeah.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Now, these, of course, wouldn't have been here at the time of Hornel.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02This bright hedge.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06This yew hedging replaced box that succumbed to box blight.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I think it's a great replacement for the box.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09But there are some people...
0:06:09 > 0:06:12don't like it. Some love it, some don't like it.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Visitors have mixed opinions.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14LAUGHTER
0:06:14 > 0:06:17But in the winter I think it is a great lift to the garden,
0:06:17 > 0:06:18a bit of colour.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21And in the summer, it provides a contrast to the lush, green borders.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Also, it takes your eye right down to the bottom of the garden.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- It's really good, in that respect. - It does, yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35So how would you describe the garden?
0:06:35 > 0:06:37It's in the Arts and Crafts style of the period.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40There's lots of old stone features that Hornel's
0:06:40 > 0:06:44introduced into the garden and it's very much garden rooms,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46which, as the season goes on,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49the plantings grow up and it becomes very compartmentalised.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52So that's quite geometric down there, but this isn't.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- What's influenced this part?- Japan.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's not a classic Japanese garden,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59but it's influenced by Hornel's travels to Japan.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03So we've got things like the lantern and the crane and the pond.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07The two ponds. We believe he planted the Hydrangea petiolaris,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09the Japanese climber, on the gallery wall here.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- It's a huge plant. - It is. It shows its age.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16More recently we planted two different cultivars
0:07:16 > 0:07:18of Paeonia suffruticosa.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- This is a nod to what he would have seen.- Absolutely.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24And within the book collection at Broughton House here
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I have a very rare period catalogue.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I just need to be careful with this, George.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Oh, good grief, look at the colours!
0:07:31 > 0:07:33He would have seen those in nurseries
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and he would have been able to select them and bring them back.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39This would have influenced his planting within the garden.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43- Anything else to see?- Yes, why don't we go into the glasshouse?- Right.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Oh! It's nice in here.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Here we are in the glasshouse, George.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05The plants on the centre bench are all of Australian origin
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and this reflects Hornel's birthplace
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- in southeastern Australia.- Right.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12So we've got a cycad,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16a dianella, the bangalow palm and a bottle brush.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- All native Australian plants? - All native Australian, yes.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- These are not native, are they? - No, they're not.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The pelargoniums are all pre-1933.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- Right.- Which is the date that Hornel died.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32We don't actually know what was growing in the glasshouse during
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Hornel's time, but this was just an idea
0:08:35 > 0:08:37to reflect plants of the period.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39He might have grown these.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Now I'm going off to see Sheila, the property manager, because she
0:08:42 > 0:08:45is going to tell me a little bit of how the gardens here
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- influenced his art. I'll see you later on.- OK, I'll see you later.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Well, the garden was really important to Hornel because it was
0:08:57 > 0:08:59another place that he painted,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01but in the garden, he painted with plants.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- Right.- He created a colour, a pattern
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and a beautiful sense of place and time.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12So was there anything in the garden that he particularly liked to paint?
0:09:12 > 0:09:15He seems to have been really fond of magnolia, particularly,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and the Stellata, which is beautiful in this garden.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20A gorgeous shape of blossoms
0:09:20 > 0:09:24and it appears in the background of some of his paintings.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Hornel would have sat here in his day and looked out over this marina,
0:09:36 > 0:09:37enjoying this fine view.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41The whole thing about his observation of his garden
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and of the plants and of the views, to me, it's been a great eye-opener.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I never realised that this garden was here
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and it's such a hidden gem, it's just fabulous.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52What a good day we've had, it's been brilliant.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53That's very kind of you to say so, George,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and it's been a pleasure having you here today.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Now you might think we've put the shading on the greenhouse already,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14but that's the snow - it's incredible for this time of year.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19I'm carrying on my mini series of windowsill gardening.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It's all about productive windowsill gardening in a very,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26very small space and I would always say to people it's well
0:10:26 > 0:10:28worth investing in one of these propagators.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30This is an electric one.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32So, in other words, you can boost the heat
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and make sure that you get your plants germinated.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39This week I want to look at a range of herbs and salads.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Remember, in the supermarkets you very often go in there
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and you can buy a pot of herbs - well, why not grow your own?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47There's a wonderful range you can try.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51At the moment I'm sowing some chervil and you just sprinkle it on.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Don't be too generous
0:10:52 > 0:10:56because the nice thing is that you can have a succession growing.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So, you know, every two or three weeks you could keep
0:10:59 > 0:11:01germinating them.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03So you sow them, you cover them with compost
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and you put the dome on the top and put that underneath the heat.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Other things that we can try - this is new, it's a wasabi rocket.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12I've never tried it before,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15so that's going to have a real tang to it.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We've got also things like parsley.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22We've got chives, all kinds of things that you can try,
0:11:22 > 0:11:23and they do come in kits, as well,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25to encourage the children to grow them.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Some of these are so easy.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30For example, you can buy this, it's a little trough.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34It comes with the compost and with the herbs themselves.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37No drainage holes, so a little bit of gravel in the bottom.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Then add most of the compost, leave about 10% because then you sow them.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Divide this into three sections.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49You'd sow the three herbs, put a bit of compost on the top,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52water it and then cover it in clingfilm
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and then as soon as you see them germinating, take the clingfilm off.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Another little kit that you can buy here, it comes as these disks.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03What you have to do, you have to add water to the tray
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and then the disks swell up like this.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09They come in different sets.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12That's a vegetable one which we would start on the windowsill
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and then we would plant that outside.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18This one is a range of herbs so, by all means, you can
0:12:18 > 0:12:21keep that on the windowsill in the house.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Very similar here. I think this one would really appeal to children.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28So you get the tub, another disk again. You add 100mls of water.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33That swells up and then you put the seeds into it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It has this nice little dome and this is the result.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40We've got some basil there which is doing really, really well.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Something I've never seen before and I'm quite interested in this one.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48These are seed balls and I've got a collection here of herbs and salads.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So within these little,
0:12:50 > 0:12:55clay granules, there is about five different herbs
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and we just need to put
0:12:57 > 0:13:01about three or four of these into the pot.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Again, you could sow them outside,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07and they do suggest about 20 to the square metre.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10You would just water that in. That's all we need to do.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12We don't need to cover that at all.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It's so simple, and, again, this is so simple.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I would encourage anyone to try it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19These are the mats and here are the seeds.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We've got a range of salad leaves.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23That goes on the top.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Cover it with compost again, water it, and within about ten
0:13:27 > 0:13:30days you're going to get something like that, and believe you me,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I think you are going to have a windowsill full of salads and herbs.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42You know, it's on days like this you really have sympathy
0:13:42 > 0:13:44for anyone who tries to be a weather forecaster.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47We really have, in the space of a few hours,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51had the entire season and now the sun's out, which is just as well,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55because the herbaceous perennials really needed that warmth to help
0:13:55 > 0:13:57bring them out of the ground
0:13:57 > 0:13:58And first to emerge -
0:13:58 > 0:14:02well, amongst the first - the geraniums, the herbaceous geraniums.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Wonderful plants. They're so versatile.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07The great thing is, once you introduce them,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09they form quite dense clumps.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This is a clump I've just lifted from further down the path.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14This is one of the Wargrave Pink types,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17an oxonianum sprawling type.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It has incredibly fibrous roots which makes it really
0:14:20 > 0:14:22good for dividing.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So take the clump.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25A small knife, slice through.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29You're looking for a section
0:14:29 > 0:14:32of, obviously, root and shoot,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and then I'm going to pop that straight into
0:14:35 > 0:14:37a leaf-mould mix.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Not compost, but leaf mould.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42This is our own mix just gathered from around the garden.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Recent research has shown that leaf mould
0:14:44 > 0:14:47has a wonderful array of microflora
0:14:47 > 0:14:50that release enzymes that assist the plant
0:14:50 > 0:14:53in developing roots and recovering from transplant shock.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57So put your cuttings, or your recently divided plants,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59in a small container of pure leaf mould
0:14:59 > 0:15:01for about three months until they fully root
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and the success rate is phenomenal.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07It works for the fibrous rooted ones, and also...
0:15:07 > 0:15:09this great beast here.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11This is a macrorrhizum type -
0:15:11 > 0:15:12just look at that.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15A wonderful example of a rhizomatous geranium.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It just falls apart.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20All you need to do is coil that up in the base of the pot
0:15:20 > 0:15:23of leaf mould, keep it there for about three months, and you'll find
0:15:23 > 0:15:26once that's popped in the ground it really can't wait to take over.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28A great edging plant.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Of course, the wonderful thing about geraniums
0:15:31 > 0:15:33is that as gardeners we get the chance to exploit
0:15:33 > 0:15:38their innate ability to cope with the most inhospitable conditions.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42For instance, for much of the day, this part of the garden is in shade.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46So when you're looking for plant to really dwell in the depths in here,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48how about this? One of my favourites -
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Geranium nodosum.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Unusually, quite a glossy leaf.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Quite a three-lobed bit of foliage and a standard habit -
0:15:57 > 0:15:59one of those plants that sprawls and mingles.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It's happy to lull and find its way amongst the canopies
0:16:02 > 0:16:04of other species.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07It produces pink starry blooms
0:16:07 > 0:16:10in those very distinctive five-petal forms
0:16:10 > 0:16:12that really signify geraniums.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16If you want something for a little bit further back in the border,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19then you have to move to those geraniums which really
0:16:19 > 0:16:22thrive in the meadows and there is no better than this.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25This is the meadow geranium, Geranium pratense.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27This one being Striatum.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Principally a white bloom, it grows on quite tall stems.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35It's great at jostling and competing with other herbaceous perennials.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40But the Striatum form has a wonderful ink-blue splash
0:16:40 > 0:16:44across each of the five petals, a beautiful specimen.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Wonderful for just creating a bit of height at the back.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49At the front of the border, those ankle ticklers -
0:16:49 > 0:16:51well, how about a British native?
0:16:51 > 0:16:55This is Geranium sanguineum, the bloody cranesbill.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Naturally found sprawling along the limestone pavements of the UK.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It proves just how hardy it is
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and how willing it is to tolerate those exposed conditions.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Edge of path, over rock pools, dry stone walls, that sort of thing.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It's a real star.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13And really, I suppose,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17to prove the point of just how important geraniums have been,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21this is one of the earliest of the introduced flowering forms.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23It's an oxonianum type,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26it's a hybrid and this one is called Wargrave Pink.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It has lipstick pink looms.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30It's completely unmistakable.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33And the real delight about it is just how vigorous it is
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and also the fact it really sprawls and lolls over walls
0:17:37 > 0:17:41and down steps, so perfect as an edger.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44One thing that's to be sure - once you introduce geraniums into the
0:17:44 > 0:17:49garden, you'll wonder how the cottage garden ever existed without them.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50They really are stars.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59What a lovely, sunny day.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It's the month of May and this is the time of year
0:18:02 > 0:18:04when gardeners are always busy.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08The trouble is, how'd you garden without spending a fortune?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Well, the answer is, we try to garden on a budget.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Throughout this series,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I'm showing you how you can get more out of your garden for less.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Last time, we met Meike
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and her family, who recently moved into a home
0:18:25 > 0:18:27near Kennethmont in rural Aberdeenshire.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31She told us she wanted her garden to be a place where the family
0:18:31 > 0:18:34could forage and enjoy the wildlife.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I promised her a little shopping trip that wouldn't break the bank.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- Is it all right if I have a look? - Aye.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Now, that's for bats, isn't it? - Bats.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- The bat climbs up there.- Ah-ha!
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And, I'll tell you what I've noticed here, because one
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- of my favourite creatures in my garden are the red squirrels.- Yes.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- They are brilliant.- Yeah. And they are very well made.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07They are well made, but you do these in flatpacks, as well?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Flatpacks, aye.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- OK, so we can save a bit of money there, Meike.- Yes.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14You could do those yourself. What a great idea.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16With wildlife homes ticked off our list,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21the next task is to find materials to build a compost bay.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22This is what you need.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25That is not going to be expensive to make with these pallets.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29- I think if we do two bays, you'll need five of them.- Yeah.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30So, have you got the lolly with you?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32CLEARS THROAT
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- Come on! - THEY CHUCKLE
0:19:34 > 0:19:37That was a really successful shopping trip.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Did you enjoy your shopping trip? - It was very inspiring, yes.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I'm really surprised about value for money.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Three quid per pallet!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- It's amazing, isn't it?- Yes!
0:19:52 > 0:19:55And this is where we're going to put the compost bays, which I think
0:19:55 > 0:19:58is perfect because... a little bit of shelter,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- but also really accessible for you. - Yes.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Because I'm sure you will have a lot of composting to do.- Mmm.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Now, where did you get your inspiration
0:20:06 > 0:20:08from for the compost bays?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Well, we've got Leith Hall around the corner,
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and it's for National Trust for Scotland and, yeah,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17we visited the gardens and it looks so tidy.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Then we saw the compost bays.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- I thought, "Wow, that's something for our garden."- Absolutely perfect.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So what Callum's doing at the moment is just clearing
0:20:25 > 0:20:28one or two of the branches because we need a little bit more space.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- Then he can start putting the pallets in.- Yes.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34We'll leave him to it and let's go and have a look at those flatpacks
0:20:34 > 0:20:36that you've put together with the wildlife boxes.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49My daughter, Lillian, is filling up the bug hotel we made.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Ah, you look like you're enjoying that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54So you're recycling the pine cones, and what else are you using?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Er, the bamboo.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Yeah, I brought the bamboo for you, that came from Beechgrove
0:20:59 > 0:21:01when I thinned out some of the canes.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Now, did you help put these flatpacks together?- Yes.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- What did you make? - The birds and the bats.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10And we did save a bit of money.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14These flatpacks were only £3.50, which I thought was brilliant.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- Really good.- We picked up quite few tips about where to put them.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- Can you remember?- Yes.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23The robin bird house has to go below two metres.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Yes, the other ones are between sort of two and four.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I thought it was really interesting about the squirrel feeder.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Yes, it needs to be away from the birds.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Yes, so it's got its own feeding station.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I think we should grab one or two of these boxes
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and find some places to put them, shall we?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- There's the last one. - Last one, looks good
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- and that's quite easy to fill it with the nuts, isn't it?- Yes.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- Shall we go and see how the compost bays are getting on?- Yes.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05That's amazing. Callum did a really good job.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07The only thing I would suggest,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10though, with the pallets, is you might want to line them
0:22:10 > 0:22:12with some polythene, just to protect the wood
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- and the wood will maybe last a little bit longer.- OK.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I've also got some samples here of things that you can
0:22:18 > 0:22:22add to the compost. Remember, all of this is for nothing.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It's totally free. You put them into two groups.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27This is like the nitrogen.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Grass clippings, annual weeds, as long as they haven't set seed.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- I'm sure you get lots of vegetable waste, don't you?- Yes.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36And, you know, I know you've got daffodils,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- so deadheading your daffodils. - Tea, coffee filters?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Anything like that, that'll be absolutely fine.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Then we move on to the browns and you've been busy cutting back stuff.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48You need to shred that down.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Cardboard, paper.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53What you need to do is add it in layers
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and roughly a quarter to a half needs to be the greens.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59At the end of the day, you could have a lovely compost
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- and again that's costing you nothing.- Sounds good.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- I've also got some money-saving tips with some plants.- Ah...
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Now here's a classic example of plants for free.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I noticed these in flower, Meike, the last time I was here.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22The winter aconites with the yellow flowers.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25That's your border, the stone marking the border in there
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and they've naturalised into the path.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So, you know, we could be shifting these. They are bulbous species.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33So it's the right time of the year to do that?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35That's quite a good point.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Many of the bulbs, you maybe shift them in the dormant season,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41but things like your snowdrops and the winter aconites, when
0:23:41 > 0:23:45they're in the green, it's a really good time to be shifting them.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48So if we get these into the woodland, you know they're going
0:23:48 > 0:23:51to be quite happy there and you'll get clothed with yellow flowers.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55We also have wild garlic - can we spread that, too?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Well, absolutely. I think you've got to be a little bit careful with wild garlic
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- because it's quite...- Vigorous.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05It's just nice, I love the smell when you go around the path.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07You want to forage a bit, so you'll be able use it.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11- Yeah. We can eat them. So... - Perfect.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Now there's the wild garlic.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Well, I can almost smell it, actually.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And, you know how I was saying that it's quite invasive?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Look at these little seedlings. - It's amazing.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32- It grows really quickly compared to last year already.- Yes.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36We can get some wonderful clumps up and, you know, it is another
0:24:36 > 0:24:40bulbous species, like the winter aconite, so let's have a look.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- If I lift up something like that... - Oh.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- Look, straightaway.- Yeah.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46- How many plants could we... - Really good.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49We could plant them as individuals, but I think small, little clumps.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- What's the ground like? It's not too bad, is it?- It's nice, yes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06We get a lot of worms.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Five clumps or something in there and then we can go somewhere else.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- Yes.- Just push it in nice and firmly.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's nice to see another part of your garden,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- lots of fruit is going to come here. - Yeah, it's great, absolutely great.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I'm going to set you a little bit of homework for next time,
0:25:30 > 0:25:31- rather than a shopping trip.- OK.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34This is fantastic, all this elephant's ear, it is
0:25:34 > 0:25:36a bit of a nursery bed, but, you know, you could transplant
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- this and put this somewhere else in the garden.- The woodland?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Well, why not? Next to the dogwood, something like that.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44That's a good idea.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46What I want to do is come back next time
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and we'll be utilising these beds for something else.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- OK. Mm...- I look forward to it. - Interesting, yeah.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Money-saving tips today are...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I know I tend to go on a bit about some of these very simple
0:26:15 > 0:26:17gardening jobs, but they are important.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Here we are, Narcissus making seeds that we'll never use.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22We don't want.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26So we want the energy to go back into the bulb for next time.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It takes seconds, doesn't it, just to nip that off.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32The same applies to roses, when the time comes,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35because they make big seed heads, as well.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Take them off.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40You know, even if you have a small garden,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43maybe just a little bit of decking, you can still grow sweet peas
0:26:43 > 0:26:47because there's a number of varieties now that are quite dwarf,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49only growing to about 12 inches in height.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53The compost I'm using is just like those troughs,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56so it's an equal mix of John Innes and an organic compost
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and I've added a specialised fertiliser, as well.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03High in potassium, so that's going to encourage those wonderful blooms.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Now the worst of the frosts have passed,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10it's worth going around the garden and trimming out any frost damage,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14like on this phlomis here, which really is starting to die back.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Catch it now and diseases won't be able to
0:27:16 > 0:27:18penetrate into the parent plant.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Once you've done that, give the plant a boost
0:27:21 > 0:27:24by packing the crown with free draining compost.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26That will help promote fresh shoots
0:27:26 > 0:27:29and the whole parent plant will bulk up later in the summer.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Well, you know, it was just two weeks ago that we were looking at this bed.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- It's changed character, hasn't it? - We must have had some nice weather
0:27:38 > 0:27:41because we've got a bit more flower and, I mean, I think
0:27:41 > 0:27:44that works particularly well - the short tulip with the polyanthus.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- It's very bright, isn't it?- It is very bright, but it's the size.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I would go more with the subtlety of something like the wallflower.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I like my bedding combinations to be slightly submissive.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58I think when the tulips start to come out, I think that'll work.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Yeah, yeah. That is a stonker, that is, there's no doubt.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Can I peel back to two weeks ago?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06We didn't pick on the fact that I think that little Narcissus
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- is a stunner. - She is a lovely - Tracey.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Well, I hope I'm around when it's time to lift the bulbs.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14I have to say... No, it's...
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- There's some good stuff here.- Yeah, I'm really pleased with it.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19But if you'd like any more information about this
0:28:19 > 0:28:21week's programme, it's all in the fact sheet,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I'm still under cover next week because I've still got that
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- mini series of windowsill gardening, just in case.- Very wise!
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Well, I'm venturing to the top of the garden, looking at heathers.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I'm stopping in the greenhouse next week! Without a doubt.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- Until next time...- Goodbye.- Bye-bye.