0:00:45 > 0:00:47Hello and welcome to Beechgrove,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and it's that time again, isn't it?
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Here we are getting stuck into this lawn.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- You're doing it the energetic way, aren't you?- I am.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I think I got the short straw, but, yes, it's a good workout.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58My rake is very different.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00It's got very soft, rubberised teeth,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- you see, for gathering the stuff up. - Just collecting it up.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- But that's the machine for a big lawn.- Definitely.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09So what we're doing is this scarification, trying to take
0:01:09 > 0:01:13out the thatch, which is kind of all the dead stuff, the moss.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16That's the thatch. It's dead grass and moss as well.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And this has been a bad year because of the wet start and so on,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21and we really need to get that torn out
0:01:21 > 0:01:22and let the air in about it.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- I was going to say, it builds up, doesn't it?- Yes, it does.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- And then the moisture can't get through.- Well, absolutely right.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30This stuff is absolutely super for putting in hanging baskets.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- It's excellent for that.- Yes, or it can go in the compost heap.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35There's no doubt about it.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Following on from the scarifying, of course,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40we then put on a fertiliser, specially designed
0:01:40 > 0:01:44and specially formulated for autumn. So that goes on afterwards,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46and hopefully the lawn will come through the winter
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and start next spring with a bit of a...
0:01:49 > 0:01:50Boost to it. Would you do hollow
0:01:50 > 0:01:52tining or anything like that and top dressing?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Well, I don't know how many people do.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57You can spike or hollow tine, which is quite a specialised business.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I'm not so sure that people would do much of that.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00And if you've got bare patches,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02you can also sort of re-sow, can't you?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Yes, and there are mixtures for that very purpose.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Now, then, later in the programme, Chris is going to have a
0:02:07 > 0:02:10look at the roses that he planted earlier in the series.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Today I want to show you something really special,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19OK? But if you want to see it, you'll have to come back later.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The story of the salad turnips is quite a long one for such
0:02:28 > 0:02:29a short season crop.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Remember we started it all last year,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33had a look at the new varieties,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and then we were off for about five weeks
0:02:35 > 0:02:38because of various other things, and missed the cropping completely.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42We started it again this year. 10 varieties in total to begin with.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44And, erm, what happened?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Pigeons.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48The pigeons decimated it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But the interesting thing is immediately we re-sowed and
0:02:50 > 0:02:54here we are looking at the varieties that we were able to re-sow.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is the result of the re-sowing. They've matured in eight weeks,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59so you keep that succession going, don't you?
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Well, that's one of the points.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03I mean, so many of our salad vegetables we do do that, with
0:03:03 > 0:03:05lettuce and spinach and so on.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Here's another one you can add to it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09You'd probably get three or four sowings through the summer,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- because they mature quite quickly. - Mm.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14But the whole point is are they worth growing?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- You see, I remember Purple Top Milan and Snowball from way back.- Yes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19These two are new. So will we do one of each?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21OK, well, if I try the Purple Top Milan.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I mean, I think it looks nice, doesn't it? With the purple top.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Yes, and... Well, it's not what they look like. It's how they taste.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Juicy.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- And quite peppery, I think.- Mm-hm. - That's really nice.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Snowball - juicy, not so peppery.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- Now, let's each try a new one. - Can I try Tiny Pal, then?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Cos, again, I think that looks a nice turnip.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45I don't think Market Express is all that new,
0:03:45 > 0:03:46but I don't know it, you see?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48So I just want to try it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The common denominator is that they're very juicy.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- This is very juicy, but actually quite watery.- Yeah.- Not so peppery.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I prefer Purple Top Milan.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- What about your two? - Well, I would say the same.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Snowball - I know it, super, absolutely.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And Market Express - about the same, to be honest.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06There's not all that difference. Personal preference.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08And you don't have to cook them, Jim.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11That's the important thing. Shred them there into the salad.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13They're super.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Considering the rose garden was only planted out this spring,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20it's developed and established remarkably well,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and most of the plants are really coming into their own,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and are having a great flowering flush.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Rosa Surrey here, with its wonderful pom-pom pink blooms.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Burgundy Ice, just look at that. Lovely, open flowers.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36It's worth remembering that care of those blooms this year will
0:04:36 > 0:04:38actually help to reinforce the growth of the plant,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42so where you have faded blooms like that stem there,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45don't allow them to then develop hips
0:04:45 > 0:04:48because if the plant starts to put energy into the hips
0:04:48 > 0:04:49and inevitably the seeds,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53you're starving the plant of developing energy towards the roots,
0:04:53 > 0:04:54and creating a good canopy.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And, of course, you can
0:04:56 > 0:05:00also take the blooms to put in the vase in the house.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05And there is an old trick with these to extend the vase life.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Choose the cultivar first very carefully, because the more
0:05:09 > 0:05:15fragrant the rose is, the less length of time it has in vase life.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17So the first thing to do if you want a rose which lasts a long
0:05:17 > 0:05:19time is choose one that's not fragrant.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21The second is to...
0:05:22 > 0:05:27..cut a stem which is long enough, so at least as long as your vase.
0:05:27 > 0:05:2830cm or so as a minimum.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Cut just above a leaf so that you've got a good head like that,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and also a good sized bud. You see, that one's just starting to open.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And then I've got three on that side, which,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41given a little bit of time,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45a few days, those will also start to open, so a good single display.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Now, the problem with roses is that as soon as you make a cut...
0:05:49 > 0:05:53..air gets into the end of the stem, and that little bubble of air,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57over time, that bubble of air travels up and eventually gets
0:05:57 > 0:06:02lodged behind the very head of the rose that you're trying to exhibit.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06And then what happens is the rose just nods its head and falls off.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09So to avoid that happening,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12here's a trick that my mum, who's a florist, taught me.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Take your gardener's pin
0:06:14 > 0:06:19and put a pin through the head of the rose.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22You can take it out again, but what you've basically done is
0:06:22 > 0:06:26created a little vent at the top, so when the bubble gets to the top,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29it oozes out, and the liquid can still get to the
0:06:29 > 0:06:33bud of your rose so your rose doesn't flop.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The other thing you can do is to make the final
0:06:36 > 0:06:40cut in a bucket of water, so plunge it in a bucket of water, cut
0:06:40 > 0:06:45beneath the water level, like that, and keep the stem in the water.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Put your finger over the end like that.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Drop it into your vase.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And that means there's no air bubble in the stem.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56All of that will mean that the fabulous roses in the garden
0:06:56 > 0:06:59last much longer when they're in the house.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Now, rather inevitably,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03with a new rose garden there are some pests
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and diseases that start to gradually creep in.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Most plants, it has to be said, here have done really well, but this one,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12which is Moonlight, one of the shrub roses, has started to display
0:07:12 > 0:07:17one or two incidences of mildew, so what do you do about it?
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Well, there is a variety of, of course, horticultural fungicides
0:07:21 > 0:07:24around that you can spray your roses with,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27or you can reach for something that's a little bit alternative,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31a little bit, if you like, on the granny's tales side of things.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36Now, what you could try is going to your local health food shop or
0:07:36 > 0:07:41pharmacy and picking up a bottle of the essential oil of tea tree.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42And then...
0:07:44 > 0:07:50..getting a sprayer. There's about 500ml of tepid water in there.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And put about
0:07:52 > 0:07:55half a dozen drops into your mister.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Put the lid on, give it a bit of a shake.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03And then mist it
0:08:03 > 0:08:05onto your rose.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07We'll see just how successful it is
0:08:07 > 0:08:10at coping with the mildew on these roses.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And one of the other things that's worth just keeping a very
0:08:13 > 0:08:16close eye on - over on the boundary of the rose garden,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19the weeping standard roses are really coming into their own.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is Super Excelsa doing what it does best.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24You know, it's a good, fine head, starting to become good
0:08:24 > 0:08:27and pendulous, and a bevy of flowers.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But one thing to note about the standard roses is just
0:08:30 > 0:08:35look at these suckers starting to come off of the main stem.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38You can see them all the way down here, right down to the base.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40The vigour of them is extraordinary,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and it gives you some indication that if you allow them to persist,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46what will happen is they will take all of the energy out of the plant,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49your Super Excelsa is compromised, and eventually you'll just
0:08:49 > 0:08:51end up with a suckering shrub on the corner of the garden.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53So go in at the base and prune them
0:08:53 > 0:08:58out as close to the trunk as you possibly can,
0:08:58 > 0:08:59all the way up.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03And that way, every ounce of energy that this rose is able to
0:09:03 > 0:09:08harvest is pushed towards the cultivar, Super Excelsa,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and away from these pesky suckers.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Well, we're back here, Jim, at the box alternatives
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and our trees that we chose.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- Yes, indeed.- I have to say, the hedging looks quite good.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Even the berberis is starting to recover from the rabbits.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26But you had the idea that because we've got this bare soil,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- that we should do something with it over the winter.- Yes, yes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- So sowing some green manures. - Exactly.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34I mean, in the old days, it would have been a sin to leave
0:09:34 > 0:09:38a piece of ground like that vacant for several months.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42When, with a very cheap ground cover of grasses or whatever,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45we can not only tidy the place up and make it look smart,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49but we actually add to the organic matter going into the soil.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- Yes.- Because the top gets mown.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56This is a rye-grass, and it makes a huge root system, of course.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And therefore when you turn the whole thing in, you have
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- enriched the soil. - So we've each decided on something.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- You've gone for the rye-grass. - The Italian rye-grass.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- It looks like grass seed, of course. - Well... Well, it would, wouldn't it?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I've got Hungarian rye.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- Now, the reason I've gone for this is it's particularly hardy...- OK.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- ..for the winter.- OK, OK. - And we get the cold weather.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17The important thing is,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- though, that we need to sow it round about now, don't we?- Yes, indeed.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Well, it's got to be established obviously before the weather
0:10:23 > 0:10:26really deteriorates, but it never stops growing, really.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31- And interestingly, Brian and George have both chosen clovers.- Mm-hm.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33A red clover, a sweet clover.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Now, that tends to sort of fix the nitrogen.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- You can have it as a longer-term crop as well.- Yes, yes.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And the fifth space is for Caliente mustard,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- which has got some magic properties. - Yes, I'm quite interested in that.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Never tried it, but it's meant to be what they call a bio-fumigant.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51So once you cut it, and you want to chop it up quite small,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and once you dig it into the soil, it lets off this natural gas,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58which prevents some sorts of pests and diseases.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Anyway, we've measured it out.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02This area's roughly about sort of three metres squared.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- So we just broad cast it in.- You're very good at that.- Then, what?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- Just rake it in, Jim?- Yeah.- This should germinate quite quickly.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09I would have thought so.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14The soil is warm and it's wet, so I can expect that it will.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17This'll prevent the weeds from taking over.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Well, you could always take the strimmer over it, you see,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- something like that.- So we'll have to wait and see. Next spring.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And whilst you shouldn't have any left in the container
0:11:26 > 0:11:29at the finish, you've got to be sure that you cover the whole bit.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Well, you do have to be a bit careful, don't you?
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Sometimes we say divide it into two.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And go one way, and then sow the other way.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- But this is a bit of an awkward... - It's quite a small area.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40And then simply rake it in.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Brilliant.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Job done, I think.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Blue skies and breeze pretty much epitomises the feel of this
0:11:51 > 0:11:52part of the garden,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55the heather section, the top of the stream head,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and one of the plants which really contributes to that
0:11:58 > 0:12:01kind of mountaintop feel is the sorbus,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05this newly-planted Sorbus Joseph Rock is this particular cultivar.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08What's fabulous about a plant like this is that it's got all
0:12:08 > 0:12:12the energy and vigour of a young plant, and that's very positive.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But it does in itself bring a few challenges,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and that's that as a young plant it produces lots of side growth,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and so right now we have to decide what is this plant going to
0:12:23 > 0:12:26contribute, long-term, to this garden?
0:12:26 > 0:12:30If I allow it to maintain these side shoots, they will thicken,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32the canopy will broaden low down,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and there is a risk that the shade cast by this tree as it
0:12:35 > 0:12:38matures starts to then compromise the heathers
0:12:38 > 0:12:39and other conifers in this garden.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44So what I want to do is to lift this canopy and produce a standard tree.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47That just simply means a lollypop on a stick.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50What we have to do is to decide where are the essential cuts
0:12:50 > 0:12:52going to take place. I don't want to push all of the canopy up.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56So probably starting at around about that sort of level.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Sharp secateurs right back in against the trunk of the tree.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And you start to see that good, strong stem being exposed.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07And you can see straight away - good, clear stem,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and a modest canopy starting to form at the top.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Now, there's another sorbus on the other side of the garden
0:13:12 > 0:13:15that's playing a slightly different game.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21It really is one of those common dilemmas in a garden is just
0:13:21 > 0:13:24what to do with a young tree once you've planted it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26You know, there is a sense that you've taken the trouble to
0:13:26 > 0:13:29put it in the ground and then you have to leave it
0:13:29 > 0:13:31and just let it do its thing. This is Sorbus aucuparia.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33In fact, it was a seedling tree.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35And you can see that it doesn't know
0:13:35 > 0:13:37how many stems it wants to produce.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40We've got one which is a good, strong, vigorous stem.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And that's producing a fine canopy at the top,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46so it could be a standard, but then it's also got these co-dominant
0:13:46 > 0:13:50stems over here, almost as vigorous, and staring to produce,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52naturally, a multi-stem.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Multi-stem just simply means you have multiple stems
0:13:55 > 0:13:59coming from or just above ground, and that generally reduces
0:13:59 > 0:14:02the overall size of the tree, so it's great for a small garden,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04while having exactly the same root zone,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07so it's a really good way of suggesting a copse
0:14:07 > 0:14:10when actually it's only one tree in place.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13In order to convince this tree to develop as a multi-stem, you
0:14:13 > 0:14:17have to start taking out some of these lower side shoots.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23You can start to see these rather handsome legs now becoming
0:14:23 > 0:14:26exposed, and you don't have to worry about pruning young
0:14:26 > 0:14:28trees at this time of the year.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Their burst of energy and rising sap is now over,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34so the tree is starting to think about summer and autumn,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37it's closing down, so pruning is safe to do.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40You won't get an awful lot of sap weeping out.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43That's going to be a great contribution in this part.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The third of the sorbus trees in this part of the garden is
0:14:46 > 0:14:47a real beauty.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51This is hupehensis, which we grow for its blushed fruits in autumn.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55But this young tree is developing something of an issue.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Now, if we explore what that issue is, you
0:14:57 > 0:15:01start to see that we have a vigorous stem here which is becoming
0:15:01 > 0:15:04dominant, but it's only dominant
0:15:04 > 0:15:07because of this bad pruning cut down here, which is in fact,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10effectively, something that happened in the nursery some while ago.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14The compromising growth that that bad pruning cut had
0:15:14 > 0:15:16means that this bud below has started to grow,
0:15:16 > 0:15:21and we end up with a situation of two stems, equal vigour,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24and competing against one another, creating the canopy of the tree.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Now, if we leave it like that, it can create big issues,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31as demonstrated back here.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Because this tree, albeit much older, had two stems growing up,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and you can see that they're competing against one another.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40A crease has formed here.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Now water will trickle down and gather in that cavity,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46along with any leaves and other detritus.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Rot could start to take place, which means that in a high-winded
0:15:49 > 0:15:53winter, the tree can literally split open and is destroyed.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54Additionally,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58you have all sorts of rubbings evident in the canopy too.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02So what you have to do is to really take control.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07What I'm going to do is to take that stem out altogether.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Now, this looks dramatic, but it's necessary because now this one
0:16:13 > 0:16:17will become the dominant stem and the canopy will develop as normal.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Now, you might look at this pruning spur here and think,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21"Well, that's pretty untidy."
0:16:21 > 0:16:23But I've left it long on purpose
0:16:23 > 0:16:26because any regrowth which comes here
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I can very quickly prune out, and had
0:16:28 > 0:16:30I cut it any shorter, what would
0:16:30 > 0:16:33have happened potentially is that death
0:16:33 > 0:16:37could occur in this tissue, which would then compromise that one.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40So I've deliberately left that stem long.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And I'll look at it again next spring
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and then carry out any more formative pruning.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Apart from that, the tree is looking pretty happy and the fruits
0:16:48 > 0:16:51are already starting to fall, promising a good autumn crop.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58When we last saw these runner beans, I was very much afraid that we
0:16:58 > 0:17:01would never get a harvest, we wouldn't get a plateful
0:17:01 > 0:17:04out of them, but they've fairly come away in the last month or so.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07They're beginning to crop really well,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and I'm very taken with the flower colour of this.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Celebration is the name of the variety, and that wouldn't
0:17:12 > 0:17:14look out of place in the back of a herbaceous border, would it?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Absolutely stunning colours.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And producing some really nice beans already.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21They're not championship size or anything about it,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23but they will be tasty, I bet.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Really taken with that new runner bean
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and thank goodness they started cropping.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Now, then,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34to the old broad beans. We've made a lot of play about Oscar.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37This is a variety where all the pods develop at the same
0:17:37 > 0:17:39time and you basically pull the plant down to the ground
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and strip at your leisure.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44The pods are actually rather small.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I've had a taste of the raw bean and, you know,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I wasn't all that taken with it.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Whereas at the other end of the row is the variety Sutton,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55which I've grown for years,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and I will be sticking to the Sutton
0:17:57 > 0:18:01because not only are the pods twice the size, but the beans are twice
0:18:01 > 0:18:04the size, so there is a lot less shelling to do to get a plateful.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Now, then, to potatoes, and the last time we looked at potatoes
0:18:07 > 0:18:09we were talking about blight,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and the fact that we'd grown two blight-resistant varieties,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and this is one that I'm starting to lift. This is called Athlete,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20and there are some nice looking potatoes there. Quite nice size.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22They're doing beautifully.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26So that's one that can be grown when blight is a problem.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28The next row here was Kestrel,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30and that was badly affected by blight,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and just a warning because some people think that taking
0:18:33 > 0:18:36the shaws off means that you have to take the crop up.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The crop is still in there. The row has been shored up again.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40The soil has been pulled up, just
0:18:40 > 0:18:43so that the rain doesn't wash the soil away and the tubers get green.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46And they'll stay there for a month. Easy peasy.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49All round the countryside, you'll see fields like that.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52This is the other variety that we're really interested in,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and this is Carolus. Also said to be resistant to blight.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It's certainly yellowing now, but that's just its age and its type.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01But there is no sign of any blight.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So we're going to taste Carolus and Athlete at the end of the programme.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06I'm looking forward to that.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11And as a matter of interest in the passing, this is a sarpo variety.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And it is said that all of the sarpo varieties are free of blight,
0:19:14 > 0:19:15are resistant to blight.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It doesn't mean to say they don't get it. This is the variety Kipfler.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22And it certainly has a bit of blight through it,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25but it hasn't harmed the actual vigour of the plant.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Today, I'm visiting Drummond Castle in Perthshire.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And I've come to see what is perhaps one of the most spectacular
0:19:46 > 0:19:49historic gardens in the whole of Scotland.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58The Drummond Castle estate has a long association with
0:19:58 > 0:19:59the earls of Perth.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03It's essentially a 17th-century Scottish Renaissance garden,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and the grounds were remodelled in Victorian times when the new
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and exciting plants of the era were introduced.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Edith Barnes has worked here in the garden at Drummond
0:20:19 > 0:20:21for the past 35 years.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24For the last three of those, she's been the head gardener.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30These terraces look absolutely spectacular, Edith.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- The colour is fabulous.- Yes, it's great for this time of the year.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yeah. And that's all part of the design, of course, isn't it?
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Yes, it is. We've got an Italian parterre garden here.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41We've got three terraces.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43We're walking along the middle just now,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45we've got a top terrace above,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and then out to the bottom, which is the full of the main garden.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Ah, right. And the views, which you get from here...
0:20:51 > 0:20:54When you come along here and you just stop at this bit,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- which is really... This is the central axis, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And then we look down there and that view is just spectacular.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03There's nothing to beat it in Scotland, is there?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05No, I don't think there is.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08We've got the saltire cross going through the centrepiece of
0:21:08 > 0:21:11the garden, and everything radiates out from that symmetrically.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14So that's the centre point, and then it goes out.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17So there must be so much history attached to this, really.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So here we are, what? Right in the middle of what is the saltire.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Right, so we got the avenues running that way and that way there,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- with the white.- In the foreground here, we've got Stachys lanata.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42That's the lamb's lug, isn't it? Common lamb's lug.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44That's correct, yeah.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48And the further out ones are Anaphalis triplinervis.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50These are common garden plants,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52but here you've just use them in
0:21:52 > 0:21:54scale and they just create the effect that you want.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And then, to continue the Scottish flag,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- you've got the blue of the lavender. - That's it.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00So we've got it all together here.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Now, you have got a lot of boxwood here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- Have you got a problem with box blight at all?- We do.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09As you can see, we've got brown patches in all our box
0:22:09 > 0:22:12and this is the second time it's hit us.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14We've been kind of following this up on Beechgrove.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17We've been to other gardens and seen it. So what are you doing?
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Well, we're spraying it with fungicide at the moment,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26and there's going to be a period of time before we get on top of it,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and we're going to do a programme of thinning the hedges down to
0:22:30 > 0:22:33let the air circulate through the boxwood.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And do you think it's a problem with not getting the air through it?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Yeah, well, you've had such a wet, damp, warm summer,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43so it's a greenhouse for the fungus,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47so we need to let air get through that to try and kill off the fungus.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50But the roses are looking good.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53The box blight apart, the roses are looking good.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Yeah, roses are looking wonderful just now.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58And, of course, we've got red and pink here beside us,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01but the majority of the garden is red and yellow roses
0:23:01 > 0:23:05because the red and yellow is in the family crest of the Drummonds.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Ah, right.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11And, of course, the roses have to be at their best because the family
0:23:11 > 0:23:16comes for the glorious 12th, the famous grouse, start of the season.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21And all the guests have to see the garden at its best.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Now, this is the pretty pretty side,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27but in every garden, there's a working side.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Where's your working side?
0:23:29 > 0:23:34- Over behind the hedge.- Is it?- Behind the hedge is behind the scenes.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35This I have to see.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So, George, this is the walled garden for the castle and this
0:23:48 > 0:23:52is where we hold all our plants for replacement for the main garden.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58We've got our roses here, which if anything untoward happens out
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and about, we manage to replace.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And we have our acers over here, which is
0:24:04 > 0:24:07for planting out in the maple bed.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- We've got honey fungus at the moment out there.- Ah, right.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15So we've held these so that once we've got rid of the honey
0:24:15 > 0:24:18fungus, we can plant these, and it's an instant impact.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- They are big enough.- Yeah, they're big enough and ready to go.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Cut flower down here?- Yeah, we've got cut flower beds down there.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28We use them up in the castle. That's part of my duties too,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31to take up and arrange the flowers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36We've got... In the greenhouse over the back, we've got pot plants
0:24:36 > 0:24:40and those go up into the bedrooms as well, and some in the main hallways.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- See, this is it. This is a working garden.- It's a working garden.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45This is where it all happens.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48This is the dynamo that generates the energy for the whole place,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53isn't it? With fruit and vegetables and everything else in here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I mean, it's the whole kit and caboodle.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Yeah, we can feed them all when they come. We manage to keep them happy.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- And that was the purpose of the walled garden.- Of course it was.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- Yeah.- That's cracking, isn't it? Look at that verbena.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's absolutely stunning.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Now, the butterflies love that, don't they?
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Yeah, butterflies, bees, everything, which is nice.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Well, Edith, what a wonderful end to a splendid day.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It's been thoroughly enjoyable.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29But you will not get a chance to sit
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- and look at the garden like this very often, do you?- No, no chance.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- There's too much work to be done. - Yeah.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38- My team of gardeners are always on the move.- How many do you have?
0:25:38 > 0:25:43We've got two full-time and four part-time gardeners.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45We split the garden into four parts
0:25:45 > 0:25:50- and each gardener has a set area to do and keep.- It shows.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I mean, the standard of maintenance here,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57the standard of presentation and design, is just superb. Just lovely.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Thanks very much.- No, thank you, George. Thank you.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Last time we looked at the onions,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I was bending over the tops to cut the water supply to the leaves,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18starting the curing process that will give us onions that are as
0:26:18 > 0:26:23hard as golf balls and they'll keep all winter, no problem whatsoever.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26The next move is to break the root system by just easing them
0:26:26 > 0:26:28out of the ground like that.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31But with our weather and the weather we've just had recently,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34doing it like that is going to cause them to be wetted
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and then they'll dry out, and then wetted,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and they'll dry out again,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42so at this juncture, in our climate, there's no harm at all in actually
0:26:42 > 0:26:44lifting them, cleaning off the roots like so,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and laying them on an open
0:26:46 > 0:26:52tray like that, and then into a cold frame or into the polytunnel.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Must stop them getting wetted on the top.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59And they get toasted in the cold frame with the lid over the top,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01but plenty ventilation.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And I tell you, you'll have cracking onions right through
0:27:04 > 0:27:07until February, March next year.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08There we go.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12This is just a wee reminder of when you should prune your autumn
0:27:12 > 0:27:16flowering heathers. This particular one is a Calluna.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Now, on the very first programme,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21way back in March, I took the hedging shears over the old
0:27:21 > 0:27:25flowering spikes, and this is the result - it's just full of flowers.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29This is becoming a bit of a habit, isn't it?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32We started with the turnips. We're ending with the tatties.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Yes, and these are the two varieties that we grew because they are
0:27:34 > 0:27:38blight resistant, and indeed they have been blight resistant,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- but they could be blight resistant and taste awful.- Yeah.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- So this is a test.- And they look different.- Very different.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47That's obviously waxy. That's Athlete. And that's very floury.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- Are we going to test it first?- Yeah, can we try this one first, then?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- This is the waxy one.- The waxy one.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Boiled in a little bit of salt.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I mean, they would go a nice bit of butter, but that would mash them.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I like that.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06That's very nice. Very nice indeed. OK, floury.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10- Do you like a floury tatty?- Well, yes. Scots are said to like floury.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13That's a generalisation that's really not on.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16But that with fresh herring or something like that...
0:28:18 > 0:28:22I probably prefer that. The floury one is very sort of dry.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I think you need a bit of gravy or something with it. Or butter.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28- But on that tasting, I, funnily enough, prefer Athlete.- So do I.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- We agree!- We do.- That makes a change.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I wonder if we agree with all of the produce.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Well, all the hard work's coming to fruition, isn't it?
0:28:35 > 0:28:36With all that stuff there now.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Yeah, it's really good and some of the blueberries.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40And also look at the flowers around us,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45the sweet peas are really superb, and I know you love the dahlias.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48This time of year, when it comes to dahlias, I think they're sublime.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Really nice.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52But anyway, if you'd like any more information about this week's
0:28:52 > 0:28:55programme, including the turnips and the tatties, it's
0:28:55 > 0:28:57all in the fact sheet and the
0:28:57 > 0:28:59easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03- Next week, Jim.- Back in the garden, and guess what? Tasting again.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- Tomatoes this time.- Excellent. - Till we see you then, bye-bye.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Goodbye.