0:00:11 > 0:00:15Hello and welcome to Beechgrove on a beautiful spring morning.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19And what an excuse you've got to be indoors, haven't you?
0:00:19 > 0:00:22- Aren't they stunning?- Yeah, the camellias, what a display.- Yes.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Donation there, which is one that we grew at the old Beechgrove garden...
0:00:26 > 0:00:27- Out of doors.- Out of doors,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31very reliable, and that was the first to flower at the beginning of March.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35- Well, these are all flowering in Edinburgh at the moment, most of them.- Yes.- In sheltered spots.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Absolutely. That's important.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40These have been cosseted, they bring in in September, October,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42spend the winter in here and we get the good of them.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- Pick out one or two.- Wow, look at this one!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Look at that Ballet Queen.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48- It's brilliant.- No wonder
0:00:48 > 0:00:49it's called Ballet Queen,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51because it does look like a ballet dress,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53- doesn't it? Gorgeous. - Now, this one...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54- Yeah.- Now, it says Jury's Yellow.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55- Yes.- Look at that,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57it's like whipped cream, isn't it?
0:00:57 > 0:00:59But the question always is,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01do we pot them up into a bigger pot?
0:01:01 > 0:01:05- You keep on doing that and you'll need a forklift to move them! - Bigger and bigger.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I like to describe it as being semi-bonsai.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Yes.- These things have got a potential to grow up here,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13but we don't want them to do that,
0:01:13 > 0:01:14so I think we keep them in the same pot,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16but we have to refresh the compost.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20After they've flowered we tip them over on their side, pull them out,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24tease away some of the stale soil and some fresh new stuff and away we go again.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And then the secret is to keep them really well watered,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29because otherwise you get the bud drop at this time of the year.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31- That's right.- Meantime, in the rest of the programme...
0:01:33 > 0:01:37With a bit of artistic wizardry, I'm going to turn this...
0:01:38 > 0:01:40..into this.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44And I'm looking at how to stop
0:01:44 > 0:01:46uninvited guests feasting in my garden.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Well now, this is the season all started once again in the vegetable plot,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and here we have dig and no dig!
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Explain yourself!
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Right, well, the no dig one is the one where, what we do is we put compost
0:02:03 > 0:02:05on the top only, we never dig it over.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Whereas that one...
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Yes, it's been buried in the conventional way,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12putting down a spade's depth there.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And we want to see what the difference is.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16The crops are going to be the same.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- In this one, because the compost is on the top...- Yes.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- ..the crops last year... - Yes.- ..were able to get into that...
0:02:22 > 0:02:23- Yes.- ..and grow far better.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26So rather than, you know, taking two, three years
0:02:26 > 0:02:30to notice the difference, we had a difference in one year last year.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31But it might not be sustained.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Well, of course the point is that we bury the compost here,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38because we're not all making hot compost that's killing the weeds.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- So in a sense, you put it down in order to kill the weeds.- Yeah.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Apart from the fact that it's very good exercise, digging.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- Well...- So I'm at the early stage. The preparation of
0:02:48 > 0:02:51the first sowing and planting is just the same on the top.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So this has been tramped, as you can see.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm going to be planting brassicas in here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59In the meantime, out goes a bit of general fertiliser.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02That's about a half-ounce to the square metre.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Or whatever.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08On this side, what I'm doing... I'm standing on this line.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10The line's been drawn tight,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I'm standing on the line and I'm drawing the draw hoe along the side,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and this is for planting broad beans,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19so I'm going down just over an inch in here.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24And you can, if you take your time, you can just get it absolutely perfect.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So into that...
0:03:27 > 0:03:29..plant the broad beans.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And I'll just space these out at, what, round about,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I would say,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38six inches, you might say 150 millimetres, somewhere like that.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Tell you the other thing that's noticeable, Jim,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42this one is like walking on a duvet.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- Really, really springy, I don't know what that's like over there. - I think you're a convert.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47Almost!
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It's to be proven.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53You know, I always think this is a great time of year,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56as we start to see the herbaceous springing in to life.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57It looks lovely and fresh,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01but this is also a time of year when there are quite a few jobs
0:04:01 > 0:04:04to be getting on with with the herbaceous plants.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08And first and foremost is staying on top of those weeds. And we've got
0:04:08 > 0:04:11things like hairy bittercress -
0:04:11 > 0:04:13it's already coming into flower.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16If you let that set seed we are going to get lots more weed,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20so pull them out. The other problem is we actually have
0:04:20 > 0:04:23a weed that is a cultivated planet.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It's this one here, it's a cow parsley,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29an ornamental one, purple foliage.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31It's called Ravenswing. It looks lovely.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36But the trouble is it sets a lot of seeds, and as we look at the soil here...
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Look, there's one there, there's another one there.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44They're all over, and they're actually starting to go in amongst the plants as well.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49This is a knot here. And the problem is it's a little bit like a dandelion.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It has quite a taproot,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55so the sooner we can get on top of these...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58..the better. Let's see if I can get this one out.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03See what I mean? In fact, that looks a bit like a parsnip.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09Anyway, lots to do there. Also, this is a time of year to be lifting and dividing some of your plants.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Now I'm going to be honest here,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I've done a little bit of preparation.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I've put the spade right the way round this lovage plant.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And hopefully
0:05:21 > 0:05:23I should be able to pull that out.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Now, if the ground's really dry,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30you want to make sure that you have that well watered in.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34It's a plant that you either love lovage or you hate lovage, because
0:05:34 > 0:05:37I can smell it now, it smells of celery.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I like it. I know Jim doesn't.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41What I'll probably do there...
0:05:43 > 0:05:45..is try and divide this
0:05:45 > 0:05:49so that we get a couple of good clumps.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And a wee tip, if you've got
0:05:52 > 0:05:56a couple of garden forks, if you can put them in
0:05:56 > 0:06:01and then prize them apart, that's the way to get
0:06:01 > 0:06:02a couple of good plants.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And I know where I'm going to put these. These are going to go
0:06:05 > 0:06:07into the herb garden in a container.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And in the corner of the herb garden,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15here's our container. Isn't it brilliant?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17This was the barrel greenhouse and...
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Well, the top, I'm afraid, wasn't looking that good,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22but we thought, "Why not use the container itself?"
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Perfect for lovage,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26because lovage is quite a big plant.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It will grow to a couple of metres in height.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And so in the corner, this herb garden could do with a bit of a feature.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35So...
0:06:35 > 0:06:39I reckon we can probably get three plants in here.
0:06:41 > 0:06:49Now, the young leaves of lovage are great for things like stews and soups and even George's salads.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53But also, it's quite interesting to know that lovage is meant to be a rabbit-resistant plant,
0:06:53 > 0:06:59and our Brian at Scone Palace has got a major project going on, all about rabbits.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13In 2016, the RHS named slugs and snails as their biggest problem
0:07:13 > 0:07:15in England and Wales.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But here in Scotland, we've got to do things a bit bigger.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23And our Beechgrove Bag has been inundated with problems on rabbits and roe deer.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I'm in an ongoing battle at my workplace,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Scone Palace in Perthshire,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36where the signs of blasted bunnies and indulgent deer are all around the gardens.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40They have a taste for perennials, which they nibble to the ground,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and the bark on the lower branches of the trees and shrubs
0:07:43 > 0:07:45are stripped and damaged.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Trying to protect your plants from deer and rabbits can be a pretty challenging task,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and that's why I like to use a combination of methods.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The most common one I use is chicken wire,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and here I've got it wrapped around a newly planted shrub.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But I hate seeing the plants all caged in like this.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It doesn't look very good. So that's why, when the plants have
0:08:07 > 0:08:10grown above the one metre deer-browsing height,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13that's when I like to remove it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Now, that may mean a bit of sacrificial damage,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20but as you can see with this cotoneaster that's going to grow about four metres high,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22there's plenty of happy and healthy foliage.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The ultimate defence barriers are rabbit and deer fencing,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29and that can be expensive.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35So around slow-growing conifers, I like to make guards out of post rail and chicken wire.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41For plants with clear stems, plastic spirals do the trick.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45These are wrapped around the base and can be picked up online.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And for some shrubs like hydrangea,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51I use a neat little pruning technique called pollarding,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54which develops a framework of bare-stemmed branches
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and encourages growth on top,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59where the deer and rabbit can't reach.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06These are some of the methods that I'm currently using at the palace.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09But throughout this series, I would like to try out some new ways.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And one of them is to introduce some plants that are supposed to be
0:09:14 > 0:09:17deer and rabbit resistant.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21And if you've got a problem like this at home, maybe this is something that you can give a try.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Here we are in the flower garden at the palace,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and it's in this area that I've had a particular problem with deer and rabbits.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35So this is the best area for me to try out one of these new methods.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Through the RHS, they have a really good list of plants
0:09:37 > 0:09:40that are supposed to be deer and rabbit resistant.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Now it could be because of the smell of the foliage, it could be because
0:09:44 > 0:09:48they're poisonous, or it could be purely because they don't taste good.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51So what we've got here are some that are quite common to us,
0:09:51 > 0:09:52we've got a red-hot poker,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56we've got the burgundy winter stems of the cornus,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59which has beautiful variegated foliage in the summer months.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Grasses - I'm really keen to try these grasses as see how they do.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05The one genus that I'm really
0:10:05 > 0:10:08looking forward to working with is this Daphne.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12They've very expensive, but the scent you get from these plants
0:10:12 > 0:10:14is going to be well worth the effort.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16So time to get on with the job.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25All of the plants going into this bed are on the RHS deer and rabbit resistant lists,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28including Potentilla Red Lady,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31cistus and Aquilegia vulgaris.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The cornus is also supposed to be resistant, but I am sceptical,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42as I have planted a similar variety in this area before
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and it has been completely destroyed.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Next to the cistus that I'm planting
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I've got a Geranium macrorrhizum
0:10:51 > 0:10:54that never seems to get touched.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56And that's probably because
0:10:56 > 0:10:59it's got quite whiffy foliage.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Whereas on the other side
0:11:02 > 0:11:04there's a Geranium Johnson's Blue.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07That one always seems to get eaten down to the ground.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16The resistant plants in this bed will be left to fend for themselves.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I'm not going to protect them in any further way.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26So that's our plants in the ground, but what we've got to remember is a hungry deer or rabbit is
0:11:26 > 0:11:28going to eat anything.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30And that's why I'm keen to try this method,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32which is a repellent spray.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Now, I'm using plants that were already in the ground
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and I know that they are a particular favourite of the rabbits, these daylilies.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44And this is the best time to do it, the foliage is all lush and it's fresh.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49So you're going to have to do this, probably once a month.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It's a non-toxic spray and it also acts as a nutrient,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54it gives the plant a wee boost.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And another useful tip to remember is,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01say you're going to be planting out a bed from scratch,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04it might be wise to put these plants into a wee holding area
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and give them a couple of applications of this
0:12:06 > 0:12:08before you actually stick them in the ground.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22As a last line of defence in this bed,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I've added some chicken wire to a tulip tree
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and also some plastic spirals to the base.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33So in our final bed we're going to sacrifice some plants,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36plants that we know are deer and rabbit favourites.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I'm talking about geums, hostas,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I'm going to plant some penstemon and apple blossom,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and one of my favourites, these Lysimachia firecrackers.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Later on in the year we're going to come back, then we can compare these plants with those that we've sprayed
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and those that are from the RHS plant list.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And we'll see how they're all getting on.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Look at that, fruit houses absolutely full of blossom at the moment.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12This is the cherry, and middle of the day when the pollen is moving,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14the bees will be in here working away.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17If there are not enough bees, get your make-up brush and come round
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and just brush these little flowers delicately.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23When the pollen is flying in the middle of the day,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25that's what you want to do, cos what we want is
0:13:25 > 0:13:28as many of these flowers in the set to give us cherries.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Now that's going to be a huge crop, hopefully.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Anyway, in this other corner
0:13:33 > 0:13:34is the fig.
0:13:34 > 0:13:40What we're going to do this year is we're going tie a lot of these shoots down to the wires, like that,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42so that we can space them out.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44We're going to take out one or two of the crossing shoots.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I mean, there's a shoot there that's going away the back way, look at that there.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51So I'm just going to take that right back into there.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53And I'll go right round the whole plant doing that sort of thing,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55where I'm thinning out the shoots,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58tying them to the wire in order to space out the plant,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00let plenty of light and air in around about them
0:14:00 > 0:14:02so that the figs then start to develop,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05cos there's figs there, and these will grow.
0:14:05 > 0:14:11But what I want to do now is to air layer this. I got something special in my Christmas stocking.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Look! Little red balls, as they say,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15and what we're going to do with that is
0:14:15 > 0:14:19we're going to take this, because this is for air layering,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and we're going to make a cut in the stem there,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and I'll do the same on the other side.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29In the literature it says you can make a cut right the way round, but I think that's a wee bit savage,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31so what I'm going to do is just a cut on both sides
0:14:31 > 0:14:33and then I'm going to dust that...
0:14:34 > 0:14:37..with a little bit of hormone rooting powder.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I've got a mixture of moss and soil,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and what I do with that is I make sure that that
0:14:44 > 0:14:47goes into that side of the container like that.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I'm going to stuff that full, right, just like that.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Lots and lots of compost going in there,
0:14:52 > 0:14:58making sure it's in contact with the cut surface and it's nice and moist, this, so it's a good idea.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It's a wonderful environment in there now for rooting.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06Then that gets clipped on to the top... Like that, there.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Now that's going to sit there
0:15:08 > 0:15:10for eight weeks.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And they say at the end of eight weeks I'll have a new plant.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16So we'll come back then and see if they're right.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I'll bet you it will be.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Isn't that a splendid display? - Fabulous, Jim, isn't it?- It is indeed.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Well, it's over to the propagation again in the little eight by six,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29or shall we say just outside the eight by six?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And I'm going to start off with tuberous begonias.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35You can propagate them as soon as they start to sprout.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38You see there's a little sprout here and one here,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40you can half that, as I have just done,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and then pop it into a bit of chalk,
0:15:43 > 0:15:49just to help dry it up, to prevent any rot, right, and in it, the right way up into a pot.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51A little bit of extra compost round them.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54And away, away they go.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Now, if you've still got room for
0:15:56 > 0:16:03more delias, you can still take delia cuttings at this time,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and they're not going to go out till much later.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Here's a tuber here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12And that's the sort of size of cutting I would be looking for,
0:16:12 > 0:16:19and I'm going right down to where it joins on to the tuber itself
0:16:19 > 0:16:21to cut it out. There we go.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26And look, ha-ha! I'm lucky! It's got a wee bit of root on it, isn't that superb?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And, um...
0:16:28 > 0:16:36A bit of rooting powder, and then pop it into the rooting medium, which is a peat-sand mix.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Quarter it in, label it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42And, hopefully, that's another one. And I shall do these geraniums.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Here we are, four of the same variety in the same pot.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51Just gently squeeze, because the roots are quite tender at this stage.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And then out they come.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55Look at that.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57But be very, very careful with them.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02And you'll notice the rooting medium here was heavily laced with vermiculite,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and they are ready to be into a pot.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Some fresh potting compost, like so.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Pop them in there.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Really well lifted.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18And go back into the same environment they've been in sitting on the bench in the greenhouse.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And because you have actually
0:17:21 > 0:17:25disturbed the roots in this process,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27they should be watered in straight away
0:17:27 > 0:17:29using a rose on the can.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34So there we have it, geraniums potted, and as Carole was saying last week,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37it's vital to have really good stock plants.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And I spotted this fella last year, look at that.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42This was a seed geranium last year,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and it was due for the dustbin.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45I couldn't believe it,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47so I half-inched it, as they say,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51potted it on and there it is. And not only is it a stunning variety,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53not only has it got some gorgeous flowers on,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but there's also some very healthy cutting material.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59So we can multiply this lot.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04And if you do do that, you have to sacrifice the buds, take the bud off before you take the cuttings.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- Now, then, it's over to her over the wall.- Jim, I'll have a cutting of that.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11It's beautiful! Absolutely stunning. Well, before I get on with a little bit of business
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I'd like you to come into the greenhouse,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16because I've actually been spending a bit of money.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19I know I do a lot about gardening on a budget,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22but we have got some really nice, new wooden benching.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And it came in a flat-pack. The gardeners told me
0:18:25 > 0:18:28it was really quite easy to put together.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And because I want this greenhouse to be pretty ornamental,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35we've got another shelf. That does move. You can see that that moves.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39And we've discovered that having that shelving all the way round,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41we can actually put that underneath.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44And that's great at this time of year,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47because these little begonia plug plants at the moment
0:18:47 > 0:18:49really don't want the bright sunshine,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52they want a little bit of shading, so that's perfect at the moment.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And then eventually that shelf will come up on to here.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00As for the business, well, year after year
0:19:00 > 0:19:03we tend to grow this oxalis.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05It's a purple-leafed oxalis.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09What's happened over the winter time is we've stopped watering it.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Totally dry it off, lay it on its side,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and now is the time to pot it on again.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And if you break this up
0:19:17 > 0:19:19it's incredible how it multiplies.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21This is what we're looking for.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26These little tubercles.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And so just from three pots alone I've ended up with all of these.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33You want to select probably the best ones, half a dozen.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Lay them on the top of the compost.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42I would then put just a little bit of compost on the top of that.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Get that watered in and they will sprout again.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Some of the other things that I'm going to grow this year,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51torenia, which is the wishbone flower.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53That's going to give a nice bit of colour.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And something slightly different is I've got the eucalyptus lemon bush,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59never tried that before,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and some of that is already germinating in the greenhouse.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07When it comes to flower arranging, I'm no shrinking violet.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10And when I put daffodils into a show
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I have to arrange them in quite a special way.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19But do you know, I am not above gaining new hints and tips and wrinkles about flower arranging,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23so I'm going back to school - flower school, that is.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I've come to Narcissus Flower School in Edinburgh.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30It is one of the growing number
0:20:30 > 0:20:32of flower schools popping up across Scotland,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35where budding florists from all walks of life
0:20:35 > 0:20:37come to learn their craft.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Sharon Nugent is the headmistress.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Morning, Sharon. - Good morning, George. How are you?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- I'm fine. How are you? - Good. Lovely to see you.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- What are we doing today? Full class? - Yeah, we've got
0:20:49 > 0:20:52nine students here today. We're very busy,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and we're going to be making a spring wreath
0:20:54 > 0:21:00- using living bulbs...- Oh! - ..incorporated into the wreath with branches and moss.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03And it'll grow over time and it'll last longer, which will be
0:21:03 > 0:21:06nice to enjoy it for a longer length of time.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Normally, people just use daffodils or narcissi in a vase.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- Yeah.- And that's it, isn't it?- Well, we're also going to show you how to
0:21:15 > 0:21:17make a lovely little table arrangement.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I'll go and get my pinnie on.- Yes. - And we'll get started.- Lovely.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Florist Emilia Robledo is running today's class,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and she's showing us the first steps in making a living spring wreath.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36We've got three different types of branches. It's nice to have different textures.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39We've got some birch, some bog myrtle, and some cherry blossom.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45We've also got a good pair of floristry scissors and some reel wire.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50I'm going to just start by taking some of this, these branches, just a little cluster of them,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55and I'm going to extend it to make one long branch.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59So I'll just place those there and I'll take one of my little pieces of wire
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and I'm just going to go round a couple of times and attach it really tightly.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And then I'll just compress these down
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and do it again.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Keep repeating the action until you can join your birch twigs together
0:22:13 > 0:22:14to form a circle.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Add bog myrtle to strengthen the shape
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and compress it all with wire.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Finally, attach the cherry blossom to three quarters of the wreath
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and the frame is complete.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Now it's our turn.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Oh! It's nearly all there.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Hey, George, how's it going?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- I'm not sure, what do you think? - Looking good!
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- It's looking good, yeah.- It's all.. This is all new to me.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I used to make holly wreathes and things like that,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and that was easy because you just had one job to do,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57you know, you either moss the rings or you
0:22:57 > 0:22:59put your holly into it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03That's it, but we're making it from scratch, so this is just from natural materials.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Could I use anything, though?
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Almost anything. As long as you can manipulate it then you can use it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- Right.- So something like dogwood would be ideal.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- Willow.- I've got willow, so I could use that.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15You've got willow, yeah. Perfect.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Now I can bend this into shape now,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19but it's always going to spring back,
0:23:19 > 0:23:25- so how do I get it to keep its shape?- It has a little bit of sort of give at this point
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- because there's still a lot of water in the branches.- Uh-huh.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34But if you leave it as it is, lying on a table for a couple of days in a warm, dry place,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- then it'll...- Just to set?- Just to set it, yeah.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42And then when you add the bulbs and the soil and the moss
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and all these things, then it'll be much stronger.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51With the frames finished, it's time to add the bulbs.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55I've got the flatter part of my wreath here
0:23:55 > 0:23:57and so I'll be sort of putting it around here.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I'll start with the bigger, sort of chunkier of the bulbs.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05And I'm just going to soften the soil just a little bit, I don't want to do it too much
0:24:05 > 0:24:06otherwise a lot of the soil would fall.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09I just wanted to take off those edges around it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And now I'm going to take some of the moss,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14and it just rips off nicely,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and I'm just going to wrap the bulb with a little but of the moss.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22And at the point I'm just going to just place it on to the wreath
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and I'm going to take some of the reel wire
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and I'm just going to attach it on to it with just the wire.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30And then I can start, just as I did before,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33winding it around, just like this.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Emilia builds the volume by adding more bulbs, moss
0:24:41 > 0:24:45and then the succulents until the finished product evolves.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Normally, when I'm dealing with bulbs, I want to keep as much soil on them as possible,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02but here they are going on to the wreath like that and I'm wiring them on.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Now what's important with this is that
0:25:04 > 0:25:07because there's no soil, I have to keep this well watered,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10so it will need to be sprayed over every...
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Every day, perhaps, just to make sure that the moss is kept moist
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and the soil underneath and the roots are kept in contact with water.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- So there you go, what do you think of that?- It looks great! Really good.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Now, is there anything else I need to do to this?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Obviously, the flowers will grow, and as they grow
0:25:29 > 0:25:32it would be quite nice for them to have a little but of support.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37Um, so if you just get some twigs and just
0:25:37 > 0:25:38put them into the moss, like that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- Just anywhere at all? - Just anywhere at all,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and then you can just imagine that they will
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- be supporting the blooms that will come.- Right.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Our final task is to make a low table arrangement,
0:25:51 > 0:25:57which is supported by a raft of criss-crossed branches, tied together with string.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00A natural alternative to florist's foam.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07To our raft, we add pistachio, skimmia, rosemary and eucalyptus foliage
0:26:07 > 0:26:09for different scents and textures,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and then top it off with my favourite flowers, narcisseae.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I tell you, that raft in the middle makes it so easy just to push the flowers in.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24You fill the centre with foliage, you've got lots of different foliage in here,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and then we're going to put daffs in, or narcisseae.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33And the thing about narcisseae is that they don't really like to be mixed with any other flowers,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37because if you do, they tend to excrete a sap which
0:26:37 > 0:26:39blocks the vessels on other flowers
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and they don't take up the water quite as quickly and whither and die.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Now, what we've done here is we cut the stems at an angle.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51And that gives a greater surface area for the water to be up-taken.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And then its just a case of putting them in where you think.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04You're never sure if the last one you add is just too much, but there it is,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- one going in the middle there. - That looks great. There we are.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12- You've done a great job, well done. - You've given me great confidence, you really have.- Good.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13I'm glad you've had fun.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And the living wreath, what a fabulous idea.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Well, that is very nice for bringing the bulbs into the house
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and using them in a different way from what you would normally see.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- I've amazed myself, really. - Yeah, well done! - HORN
0:27:26 > 0:27:31- I've just got to get home on a bus now!- Home on a bus, that's the challenge!- That's the challenge!
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Earlier in the programme, you saw me making a living wreath
0:27:39 > 0:27:41when I was down at the flower school.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Well, here, four weeks on, it's in full flower.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Fabulous, isn't it?
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Well, here we have the drumstick primula, or Primula denticulata,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56in the white form and the purple form,
0:27:56 > 0:27:57looking absolutely gorgeous.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And the thing to remember is once the flowers have finished,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02you can cut those right back
0:28:02 > 0:28:07and each of these individual rosettes, you can lift the plant, divide it up
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and spread it around the garden.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Right, here's your salad for this week.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17What we've got is sorrel, Welsh onion and some primrose.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- Right.- OK, I'll have a go at that big leaf there.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23OK, while you're trying that, if you'd like any more information
0:28:23 > 0:28:27about this week's programme, of course it's all in the fact sheet,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31And of course it will have all those rabbit-proof plants.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Brilliant. I don't know what other people are doing, but I shall be planting tattie!
0:28:35 > 0:28:37- Until next week, bye-bye. - Goodbye!- Bye!