0:00:12 > 0:00:14Well, this is quite stony ground.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15I hadn't realised it so much.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Yeah, fairly old, big stones.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Hello and welcome to Beechgrove Garden on a gorgeous spring day
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and we're going to crack on the work
0:00:24 > 0:00:26because we've been very unlucky in recent weeks with the weather
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and this is the day of the big Beechgrove challenge
0:00:29 > 0:00:32for hardy annual growing. Yes, hardy annuals,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36because, last year, we had such success with that one there.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It's like a watering can. Yes.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43Nearly 30 varieties but six tended to dominate it and it was beautiful.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46So we had a conversation about that and we decided...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49We decided that each presenter would select six hardy annuals
0:00:49 > 0:00:53to sew in their specific scatter mix, so that's what we're doing.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55And see what we come up with. Right.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I got mine for under a tenner.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Oh, right. OK?
0:00:58 > 0:01:01How many seeds? 800.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04But it's all about quality. Sad, isn't it?
0:01:04 > 0:01:09OK. ?9.73 and over 3,000 seeds.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Sad, isn't it? You growing weeds? The only reason I agreed
0:01:12 > 0:01:15is I thought I was going to get one of these distributor things.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18We're not letting on at the moment about our mix. No, this is true.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Chris has got one, Brian's got one. And that's the control.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22That's the control. And I've mixed mine with sand.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I think you've done the same. Yes. So we'll see what happens.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26We'll see what's going on.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28In the meantime, the rest of the programme.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And Chris... Well, he's revamping our 20-year-old heather garden
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and he's out with those loppers again.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And my friend and colleague Mr George Anderson here
0:01:41 > 0:01:45is a noted grower of narcissus and shower of narcissus
0:01:45 > 0:01:47but I just wanted him to see
0:01:47 > 0:01:50that there are other bulbous flowers in the world.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51Eh? What? Absolutely.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55So where are we? And how much did it cost you to get me here?
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Well, to prove a point.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Well, I'm continuing my windowsill gardening.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08This is my third week and it's incredible what you can grow,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10all productive.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Now, last week, I actually looked at a little windowsill propagator
0:02:14 > 0:02:16where you needed electricity.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Well, that's not always very handy for people
0:02:18 > 0:02:21so what you can do is just buy these little trays
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and a lid, which you can then vent if you want to
0:02:25 > 0:02:26or you can close it right up,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30and, as soon as things have germinated, you can take it off.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Now, this week, I want to look at microgreens,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36which is all the rage for lots of the chefs.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39They're very attractive, they're very nutritious
0:02:39 > 0:02:41and, again, very easy to grow.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44So, what I have here is radish and what you do is...
0:02:44 > 0:02:46It's nothing to do with like sprouting seeds
0:02:46 > 0:02:47where you eat the seeds as well,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49you wait for them to grow to seedling stage
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and then you cut them off with scissors.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54So those are sown. I'd put a little bit of compost on the top,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58water it in and then the lid would go on top.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00But, if you're not too sure about doing that,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03it's very easy, you can buy kits, as well.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07And this one I think is really interesting. This is pea shoots.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09They've been sown for a couple of weeks
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and I think we're going to have to wait for another three or four weeks
0:03:12 > 0:03:15before you can clip them, and you'll have a lovely pea flavour.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17So, what comes in the kit?
0:03:17 > 0:03:18You get three of these mats.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So, the mat goes into the bottom and that's just soaked in moisture.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28And then, after that, you just have to put some peas on the mat itself,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and don't be too generous because, if they start to touch,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34they may actually go mouldy.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And you just have to keep the moisture there
0:03:36 > 0:03:38and put the lid on the top.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And, again, as soon as that germinates, you take it off.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Now, this kit I particularly like
0:03:43 > 0:03:45because the good thing about this one
0:03:45 > 0:03:47is that that can go in the dishwasher
0:03:47 > 0:03:49so we can use it over and over again.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51So, water in the base.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Then, that goes in and then you need just a little bit of kitchen roll,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58which you mist, and then you sow the seeds on the top
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and that's the result.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02But take a look into the water
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and you can see that the roots have grown through,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07so what you have to remember, until they've actually grown through,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10it's a little bit fiddly, but you've got to mist them
0:04:10 > 0:04:12at least two or three times a day,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14otherwise, I'm afraid, they will die.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19So, you really can fill your windowsill with all kinds of things.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Microgreens, as I said,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23we've got the sprouting seeds, we've done herbs,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27we've done salads, mushrooms, there's a whole lot more,
0:04:27 > 0:04:28so do have a go.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30So, from indoor gardening,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33now we're going outside with Chris with the heather garden
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and he's had sunshine as well as snow.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47You know, there is a sense,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49when you arrive in a garden with a load of pruning equipment,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52all the plants start to quiver
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and this is definitely one section of the garden
0:04:54 > 0:04:56where the plants deserve to quiver,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59the heather and conifer garden, dating back...
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Well, over 20 years.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It's the head of the stream
0:05:02 > 0:05:04that spills right through the centre of the garden.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08And, after 20 years or so of really good service,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11a lot of the heathers and the duboisias, the ericas
0:05:11 > 0:05:13have all become a little bit threadbare
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and the dwarf conifers... Well, no longer dwarf.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18In fact, this a great example, Thuja Rheingold,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20they just become great dumplings.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Something drastic really needs to be done.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But it's not all bad news
0:05:25 > 0:05:27because some of the ericas are spilling through
0:05:27 > 0:05:29exactly as we want them.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The idea is to create the sense of a mountain hillside
0:05:33 > 0:05:38where seedling pines are seizing their opportunity
0:05:38 > 0:05:40to thrive in small spots of light
0:05:40 > 0:05:43amongst some of these majestic specimens.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45And the heathers are used with confidence
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and spill through the site like great snowdrifts.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53So, while Marie and Ford attack the threadbare sections at the back,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I'm going to attack the Rheingold
0:05:55 > 0:05:57and see what magic we can weave.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07One of the lovely things about Thuja
0:06:07 > 0:06:12is that it has this wonderful ability to root and send out boughs
0:06:12 > 0:06:14in an ever-expanding sort of bowl,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and you can actually see that if I pull this plant apart.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Look at that. You can see there's a mass, maybe 50 or 60 stems in there,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25but they've all become so congested that all you see from the outside
0:06:25 > 0:06:27is just this great dumpling
0:06:27 > 0:06:31so what I'd like to try and do is to expose all of these legs
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and get the sense that, from down here,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36we're looking up through a forest canopy
0:06:36 > 0:06:40and that really just involves pulling out an individual stem
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and then thinning it out,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45taking off all those side shoots.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47So you can pretty much prune off as much as you like.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Of course, it's always good sense to stand back,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53take a view of the overall effect
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and then you can go back in and do a little bit more pruning.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13You can see just how much material you can extract
0:07:13 > 0:07:16from a mature dwarf conifer like this,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and what's wonderful is that, the legs being exposed,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22the views of the rest of the garden are suddenly revealed.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25So, after a bit of confidence with this one, it's the juniper,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28which is a little bit more of a prickly affair, next door.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Well, on a day when we discover yet again the vagaries of the weather,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57here's another discovery.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58The old path
0:07:58 > 0:08:02that used to run through this area of the garden.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04And, in fact, it's a good example of what happens
0:08:04 > 0:08:06if you put a thug next to the path,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08but look at what you can do with it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Horticultural hoodlum to something of a sculptural specimen.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Just going in with confidence is the key.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Given that this part of the garden
0:08:27 > 0:08:30is all about creating a kind of wild, windswept
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and interesting look,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35not just amongst gardeners but also amongst the plant material,
0:08:35 > 0:08:40and, given that we've already got some wind-manipulated trees,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42not just young ones but also older ones, too,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I thought it would be interesting to play around
0:08:44 > 0:08:47with this little self-set picea here,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49a little Christmas tree that's coming in from the woods behind,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and it's ripe for a bit of torture.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The tissues are nice and soft.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The sap is starting to flow, which means that it's pretty malleable.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Tie one end of a piece of... This is hop string.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06To the trunk in several places,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09so there's not too much pressure, the other end to a rock
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and then bending the plant gently...
0:09:14 > 0:09:16..put the rock in the pond.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Now, it looks a bit odd at the moment
0:09:18 > 0:09:23but, within a few days, each needle will start to turn skyward
0:09:23 > 0:09:27and then, within a few weeks, the tip will start to go up like that.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30So, after a season or so,
0:09:30 > 0:09:31the plant will become woody
0:09:31 > 0:09:36and will become permanently fixed in this wonderful arching mechanism,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39casting fantastic shadows across the water.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Well, whilst the demolition derby continues
0:09:53 > 0:09:55in that part of the garden...
0:09:55 > 0:09:57There is a logical approach to what's going on up there,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59believe it or not.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I thought I'd escape to the relative serenity of this end of the garden
0:10:03 > 0:10:04and do some planting.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09And there's few finer specimen trees to plant than the sorbus.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Beautiful specimens, a range of foliage
0:10:12 > 0:10:14but it's the flowers we grow them for the most.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Of course, a little bit later on in spring,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19foaming blooms which are perfect for pollinating insects,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22followed by berries and a whole array of colours.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23This one's Joseph Rock,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27so a fiery, real incident in the garden in late autumn.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And, of course, it suits the mountaintop theme,
0:10:30 > 0:10:31common name mountain ash,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34so it shows you the sort of conditions that it loves being in.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And we've improved the ground in this area with ericaceous compost.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It helps to not only retain the moisture
0:10:41 > 0:10:43but also, of course, to increase the acidity,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46which will be perfect for the replanting of heathers.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And then one or two other structure shrubs.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Salix, perfect specimens,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52latana here with its yellow stems
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and, down that side of the garden, we've got boydiae,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57which has got almost black stems.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00That's rescued from elsewhere in the garden.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02And both of these, of course, produce
0:11:02 > 0:11:05those wonderful foaming, catkin-like buds in spring.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09This is the path, the new path that will go through
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and link the sections of the garden together,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14so we'll be able to walk underneath the pines,
0:11:14 > 0:11:15round the back of the pool
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and then through where Marie is currently demolishing the fence
0:11:18 > 0:11:20into the secret garden.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And back here...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Well, another wonderful specimen, a sorbus.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28This one is sorbus hupehensis,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32introduced by that extraordinary plant hunter George Forrest
0:11:32 > 0:11:35from central China, and it's a fine specimen.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It has pinnate leaves, so very much like an ash tree,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41foaming blooms, very large white flowers,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and then berries which form white
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and, as you emerge into the autumn garden,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50it's as if they blush in front of you.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Shades of pink.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54It's a really, really beautiful tree to include.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59And then, of course, the next step is to roll out that carpet of ericas
0:11:59 > 0:12:00and callunas and duboisias
0:12:00 > 0:12:04to replace those threadbare specimens that we removed earlier.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Now, a week or two ago,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22you would have seen me sowing seeds in these little peat pots.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25I've chosen a range of root crops.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The idea came from the fact that you see it in the garden centres,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30little plugs with plants with a few seedlings in,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33meant to be planted straight into the ground,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35so you don't need to thin them out or anything, pop them in there.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And I want to compare that with direct sown
0:12:38 > 0:12:41because the conditions are just now right for planting out.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45So, I'm back onto my old theme of trying to extend the season
0:12:45 > 0:12:47by being able to do this. Now, where have I put my...
0:12:47 > 0:12:49The ground was prepared in the usual way,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51with a bit of Growmore fertiliser,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54raked in, firmed, and there we go.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56So, what I'm going to do there is...
0:12:56 > 0:12:58This is a turnip sweetbell.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00The peat pot, of course, will just break down.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Not a problem there.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04So, I've got turnip sweetbell, we've got carrot,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06we've got radish and we've got beetroot,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and then sturon onion sets.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Each one is partnered by direct sown.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15The same variety direct sown.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19There you are. A little drill has been scraped out.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24And some people sow direct from the packet like so,
0:13:24 > 0:13:30other people, like me, prefer to put the seeds into my hand,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33sometimes doing that...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37..but I much prefer to do it this way.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Once they start dribbling in your hand,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41just keep moving.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Now, this will be covered over, seeds will be firmed in.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48There you go, like that, you see?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And then see these little blue pieces here?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54We'll put hoops over and a bit of fleece just to keep the vermin out
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and, of course, the birds as well because they would be picking.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58So, there's an idea.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01There's our plants and seed, plant-seed, plant-seed.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04We'll see how they go later on in the season.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08George, we're doing something very similar to Jim.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12You know, he was sowing seeds and he was planting plants or vegetables.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16We're doing the same kind of thing with peas. How many peas?
0:14:16 > 0:14:1814 different varieties.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And, I mean, that's just a wee selection.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And we've got purple ones, we've got yellow potted peas,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26we've got mushy peas.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I mean, you name it! We're going to have a real taste test, aren't we?
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I look forward to that, I tell you. I hope you like peas.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33So, look, starting off with the plants,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I think this is a great system for growing them in, like an open book,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39and they're just ready, aren't they, to go out.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42When were these sown? First of April. Oh, well. Hey-ho.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44And only grow to nine inches in height.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Whereas you're doing the direct sowing. There's different methods.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Certainly different. And two methods here,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51you can either do it in a V-trench
0:14:51 > 0:14:53where you take it out with a drawhole
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and you've got a very narrow trench or I prefer this one way
0:14:55 > 0:14:57where you take it out with a spade,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01two inches, an inch and a half to two inches deep in old money.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03And I'm going to do a double row along there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Just spacing them out at about an inch, as well.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So that you get this thick row of peas.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And very quickly, these will go on to these supports.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12Well, the other thing I would say,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14is you don't want to sow your peas too early.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16You really want to make sure that the ground is warm.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18They're going to germinate quickly,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20otherwise the mice go in, don't they? Yeah.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23And we've got all different types of support systems here, George.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26You know, the brushwood, which costs nothing,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28to that huge frame at the back.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Custom made at the back.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Now, I hope the peas see how high they've got to go there,
0:15:31 > 0:15:32but there's that one
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and then there's this one here with the black hoops
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and the jute fillis netting. I mean, that's going to become interesting.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Well, we'll come back
0:15:39 > 0:15:41and have a look at the different types of support
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and hopefully we've got the right height of support
0:15:43 > 0:15:46with the right height with the pea, as well. I hope so.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49But enough of all these vegetables,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51I really think you need your sunglasses for the next piece,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55because wait and see where Jim and George have been.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Now then, George Anderson, this is what I would call going Dutch.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08This is something else, isn't it?
0:16:08 > 0:16:11No guesses as to where we are. Well, of course it's the Keukenhof.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Yeah. Now that was the kitchen garden of the old castle. Oh, right.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And they decided that they would create what was going to be
0:16:17 > 0:16:20a shop window for the Dutch-bulb industry.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23And just look at that. You've been swotting. I have been.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25So, how many varieties?
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Oh, 800.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And over what sort of acreage?
0:16:28 > 0:16:29About 80 acres.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31And how many bulbs?
0:16:31 > 0:16:347 million planted by hand. By hand.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36100%.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I could get to hate bulbs if I had to do that every year, I tell you.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41But not with a show place like this.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42We better do some exploring.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Superb. On we go. You go that way, I'll go this way. OK.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53This is the 67th time Keukenhof has opened.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And it only does so for eight weeks of the year.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00With the tulip the country's distinctive icon,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04it naturally takes centre stage in this glorious garden.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Andre Beijk is the man who gets them in the ground.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12He's been a gardener here at Keukenhof for over 30 years.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15What sort of preparation do you make
0:17:15 > 0:17:18to the soil before you start planting?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Well, the preparation starts already in summertime, of course.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24OK. As soon as the park closes we get them all out. Oh, really?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26And then we start preparation already
0:17:26 > 0:17:28by digging up the soil, upside-down.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Yeah. And put some compost in to keep the soil alive. Yes, yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And if it's getting really dry, we water, of course.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38And we start with the new big bulbs, you know.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Mhm. Mhm. And they have all the things in it. Yes.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44To make nice plants. Yes, yes, yes.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48So, we don't need all too much fertiliser. Just the compost.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The three principal genera we've got here is tulip,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52hyacinth and Narcissus. Yeah, yeah.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Is the preparation for them just the same?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Just the same. The preparation is the same.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Because this year we have tulips in.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Yeah. But also next year,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03maybe they'll be hyacinths, or other things, you know?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06That brings in an interesting point because we keep preaching to people
0:18:06 > 0:18:09that they should rotate their crops in the vegetable garden.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11If you grow something in the same ground year after year
0:18:11 > 0:18:14you're going to get some pests and diseases. Do you have a problem?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And how do you cope? Well, we have a problem.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17I mean, but in small orders.
0:18:17 > 0:18:24When we find a spot of disease, we mark on a map, on a drawing. Yes.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And then again, when we close the park,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28we get rid of the soil by digging out.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29OK. And replace new soil.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33When do you start planting? We start in October. Mm-hm.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37October/November. Yep. A little bit in December.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And, well, we find out that the last year's October is very warm.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Still. Yes, yes. The soil.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44And for the tulip,
0:18:44 > 0:18:49it's best when the soil is just going down by 10/11 degrees.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Yes, yes, yes.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53And with all this strange weather,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58the soil is just a little bit too warm in the beginning of October.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00One last question, Andre.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05Why can we no longer get these big Hyacinth bulbs,
0:19:05 > 0:19:06that grow huge spikes of flowers?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Yeah, that's right.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Those big hyacinths, they are difficult to transport
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and things like that.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15They also use the big hyacinths to make new bulbs.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18You know, we call that the work bulbs. Yes, yes, yes.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21You make a little cut on the bottom and you put them in the ground
0:19:21 > 0:19:23and they grow new bulbs from them. Yes, right.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25And you don't want to sell your big hyacinths.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Because you need them.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28I have a suspicion that we Scots don't
0:19:28 > 0:19:30because it would cost us too much.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Well, those are your words.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But I guess you're right.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35That's brilliant, thanks so much.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55This takes me right back to a border town.
0:19:55 > 0:19:581960s was when I first saw this tulip.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01This tulip originates from 1750.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's a thing called Kaiser Kroon.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06And I remember seeing it in a bed of wallflowers,
0:20:06 > 0:20:07sticking its head up,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10in amongst the traffic that was going through the town.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Absolutely splendid. And there it is. It's still here.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15We still have it, in amongst all the other tulips in this place,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17we've still got Kaiser Kroon.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23At the beginning of the 17th century,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27tulips were an exclusive and rare status symbol in the Netherlands.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Demand was so great, prices exploded,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34with some bulbs literally worth their weight in gold.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39Patricia is a Keukenhof guide and knows the story well.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43So, Patricia, what was the social impact of tulip mania?
0:20:43 > 0:20:49Well, the tulips... the bulbs at that time were extremely expensive.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53The Dutch really wanted to earn a lot of money
0:20:53 > 0:20:58and one bulb which was called the Semper Augustus cost
0:20:58 > 0:21:04at that time 5,000 florins, which would be nowadays 2,200 euros.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Right. Now, as a gardener,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09what would I have been earning at that time?
0:21:09 > 0:21:15Well, in that time you would earn approximately 300 florins a year.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20So, comparing to the 5,000, it's out of proportion.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Hugely. So, what happened then? Why did it all collapse?
0:21:23 > 0:21:28It collapsed because the rumour passed that there was a virus
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and so the whole trade collapsed.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32Right.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34So, there was a whispering campaign... Yes.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36..which said these bulbs are all diseased.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41The rumour passed along and when that was heard
0:21:41 > 0:21:43then the whole trade collapsed.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Within a week or two.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48But when you see the variety of tulips that we've got
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and the colours that we've got...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And to think that they came from some of these
0:21:53 > 0:21:56old species that we see in the garden over there,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58it's astonishing what we've done to them, isn't it?
0:21:58 > 0:21:59It certainly is.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And the old species, they were the ancestors
0:22:02 > 0:22:04of the flowers we have nowadays.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Of this, yes.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Tulips originate from the Middle East and Central Asia.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And eventually they found their way through the various trade routes
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to Europe and to Holland.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22These species are the ancestors of many, if not all,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26of the cultivars we grow today.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29The undoubted stars of the show are the tulips.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32But I'd like to talk about some of the bit players
0:22:32 > 0:22:36that provide the background under which these tulips grow so well.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39And most notably the trees.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Like these wonderful dawn redwoods.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44A deciduous conifer, a little bit like larch.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It was thought to be extinct until the mid-'40s.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Look at the bark. How interesting that is, as well.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But not all the flowers are outside in the Keukenhof.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02In some of the pavilions, this is where the growers,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06possibly about 500 of them, bring their flowers for display.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Now, when I display plants in pots and on the show bench,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I try to get them as perfect as possible.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Look at that. Is that not just perfection?
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Level on the top, masses of flower -
0:23:17 > 0:23:20the Dutch have got it in absolute bucketfuls.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22I can't do it like that.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35The Dutch are well-known for their innovation and great ideas
0:23:35 > 0:23:41and this is another one. Here we have Amaryllis bulbs covered in wax.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42What does that mean?
0:23:42 > 0:23:45They don't need to be watered, they don't need to have any soil,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48you don't need any pots - you put them on a windowsill
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and within three to five weeks they'll be in full bloom.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Might take some back to Carole.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03The art of good planting is to make sure that there's no ground showing,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05no bare ground, and this is a classic example.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07This bed is wonderful.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's got tulips - been talking about tulips all day -
0:24:09 > 0:24:11but it's got other things, as well.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It's got the lovely, little summer snowflake,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16it's got a marvellous pale blue muscari.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20It's got this fella here - a fritillaria - this one is persica.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23One that we find difficult to grow in northern Aberdeenshire.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27But it's stunning here and so too is its cousin the Crown Imperial
0:24:27 > 0:24:29there up through the middle.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31And it gives that variety, but most importantly of all,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33it covers the ground.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It's absolutely stunning, there's no room for weeds.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37And earlier, I was talking about avenue trees,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40but where better to have a nice specimen tree
0:24:40 > 0:24:43in the middle of this lovely parkland area here.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And we're looking at a gorgeous cherry.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It's the variety Yukon, I think. You see that lovely lemon yellow in the petal.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Absolutely finishes the job off.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Boo! Oh!
0:25:02 > 0:25:04HE LAUGHS
0:25:04 > 0:25:08You were in a trance there. A wee dwam, I was in. Yes, indeed.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12This was where I got the inspiration when I was here once before for our
0:25:12 > 0:25:16river of gentians, which may be a wee trickle at the moment, but that's it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Look at it, it's absolutely fabulous. Isn't it?
0:25:18 > 0:25:22I'm not taking any more photographs,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24but I'd love to just walk this river.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Isn't it just fabulous? It's just brilliant. It's fantastic.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Well, George, I honestly believe it's one of the best trips
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I've ever been on. It's been phenomenal, hasn't it?
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The stuff we've seen, Jim. We've been kind of over-tuliped!
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I think that's the word for it. Fantastic, isn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Absolutely brilliant. Now, to think that this is only for what?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Eight weeks in the year. And one million visitors.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Yeah, so it's absolutely got to be spot on. So, what do we do?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03All the best. Hats off to Keukenhof.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I still haven't got that Keukenhof thing out of my head.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16I'm back at bulbs again.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21I wanted to just draw attention to the relationship of the primulas,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23to the double early tulip.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Just look how they work, that particular one is Monte Carlo.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30The same applies here, primulas - right height - and that single early tulip.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34This one is Showwinner. Absolutely stunning mixture.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I think that's all I'm going to say about it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Now, some of you may remember that Jim and myself
0:26:41 > 0:26:43were in the conservatory three weeks ago
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and taking cuttings of this tradescantia.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50And the wonders of nature, it's already rooted in the water,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52so now it's ready to be potted up
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and I've put a little bit of gravel in the bottom of this pot
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and I'll get half a dozen cuttings and have a brand-new house plant.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Right, more peas!
0:27:03 > 0:27:09But here, what I'm doing is, I'm setting them out at about an inch apart, or thereabouts.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12This is in the area where we're doing our intensive gardening,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16gardening in a small space. These are not going to have any stakes
0:27:16 > 0:27:20put in them at all, because when they're about that height,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I'm going to be harvesting the leaves and putting them into a salad.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29You know, apart from all those wonderful tulips that you saw
0:27:29 > 0:27:31at Keukenhof, it's all about peas in this programme.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Sweet peas, this time. This time, yes. And the last kick of the ball today, of course,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38is getting them into the ground, because they're really ready for it.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Just look at the roots on these wonderful plants. Absolutely screaming to get more space.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46And what we've done as well is we've put down a special sweet pea fertiliser -
0:27:46 > 0:27:49high in potassium, which is just like the tatty fertiliser -
0:27:49 > 0:27:53so hopefully we'll have a good quality flower.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55What's the story about the flower?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57The story is we've got eight different varieties,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59of which seven are new in the catalogues.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Things like Route 66, Emilia Fox - I think she'll be a stunner. Yes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06She will be. And then we've got an old-fashioned variety, as well.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Just to compare. That's the whole idea.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12OK. So, George, what are you doing next week? I'm going to turn blue next week.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Might be with the cold, but hopefully it's just meconopsis I'm planting. Yes.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18What about you, Jim? Well, I have a suspicion it might be wet,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20so I've arranged to be in the tomato house.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21THEY LAUGH
0:28:21 > 0:28:24That's a good idea. That's a very good idea.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26If you'd like any more information about this week's programme -
0:28:26 > 0:28:28especially all these pea varieties,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31whether the sweet ones or the edible ones - it's all in the fact sheet
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38That's it for this time, goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye.