Episode 4 The Big Allotment Challenge

Whether it's beautiful cut flowers or delicious fruit and vegetables,

we Brits love to grow our own. In early spring,

we gave these nine passionate amateur gardeners

a plot of land and a greenhouse in our Oxfordshire walled garden.

That's the sound of someone else's peas being gobbled.

For 15 weeks, they've been raking,

staking and cultivating their patches.

Oh, get on with it. Come on, open for Mummy.

And last week, they faced the experts for the third time.

There is no balance. It doesn't work on any level.

Former royal gardener Jim Buttress award Jo Jo another Best In Show

For Grow, with her peas.

That's two you've won now, Jo Jo. Well done.

In the Make challenge, Sandra's lilies

wowed floral designer Jonathan.

You are my Best In Show.

And in Eat, queen of preserves Thane

loved Rekha's dips and crisps.

Really sweet and spicy flavour here. Rekha.

But Alexandra failed to shine.

They've really got to excite me. This one doesn't.

And she left the allotment for good.

This week, the experts want to see tomatoes...

It's definitely hotting up.

I can't have Jo Jo walking away with all the grow challenges.

-..perfectly grown rudbeckia.

-Little florist coming through.

And in the Eat challenge, it's sweet and savoury jams.

It's the two-handed stir. Disaster looms.

Who will dig their way to victory?

Go, Lena.

And whose time in the competition is over for good?

I've never, EVER burnt bloody jam!

SHE SOBS

Welcome back to The Big Allotment Challenge.

We're at the halfway point -

a fact that has not escaped the notice of our competitive gardeners.

Basically, the pressure is on. Didn't win anything last week,

so I've got to win something this week.

We've got to that stage where everybody wants to win.

There is so much intensity to the competition side of it.

There is so many ups and downs,

so right now, I'm feeling, I don't want to go. Bring it on.

Good morning, gardeners!

ALL: Morning!

Our first challenge is Grow, presided over by Jim, and Jim

wants to see your tomatoes.

You can choose to present either seven medium tomatoes

or nine small ones, but, of course, they have to be the best

you have grown.

-All clear?

-ALL: Yes.

Good luck. Get picking.

'At this stage in the competition,'

I expect the gardeners to put top-class produce on the show bench.

Nothing less.

Everybody thinks growing tomatoes can be easy. Far from it.

There is a tremendous amount of work needed to get them to perfection.

Here's Jim's guide to growing tomatoes.

Tomatoes are best grown inside. Ideally, in a greenhouse.

The show bench, you want to be growing a vine variety,

using the cordon method.

Buy young, healthy plants and transplant them

into nutrient-rich compost, once the roots have filled the pot.

When growing by cordon, remove any side shoots from the main stem.

Train up a cane, tie in regularly and pinch out the tip

once seven flower trusses have developed.

You need to keep a close eye, as tomatoes are susceptible to disease.

Don't let the greenhouse get too hot.

Provide plenty of ventilation and water regularly

or they could be struck by blossom end rot, which could be a disaster.

Once fruit appears, as well as watering daily, feed with

a potassium-rich fertiliser every week and make sure you remove

ripe tomatoes as soon as they're ready, to encourage more growth.

Four months ago, the first decision the gardeners had to make

was which varieties of tomato to grow.

I've got cherry tomatoes and mid-sized tomatoes.

These tomatoes are Alicante. I like to have a variety.

This one is a Shirley.

She's quite persistently stuck in the pot.

I picked these up from the garden centre last weekend.

The roots have spread really quickly. They're ready to go.

I've gone for the Sungold,

which is quite a small tomato.

It's like a gold, yellow colour.

We haven't got a greenhouse. I've only grown tomato plants

once before. It's a learning curve for me, the tomatoes.

So, I'm going to give it a go.

Good luck, tomato.

For three years, I've planted tomatoes and they haven't

failed me yet.

I'm now potting up a tomato plant.

Oh, no, I can't do that, because there is a slug in my...

Oh, gosh, I've just found a slug.

That can go and eat something else today. Not my tomato plant.

12 weeks to Show Day and the heat

in the greenhouses is working wonders.

This has blown me away, how quick they grow.

Really has blown me away.

They've grown so much. It's crazy. They're taking over the greenhouse.

But some of the gardeners decide to take a gamble on Mother Nature.

I know plants do better when they're outdoors.

I just prefer plants to be on their own,

rather than being tended to in a greenhouse.

I've got two tomatoes outside.

They have been covered in little greenfly.

Luckily, Rob has a plan to get rid of his pests.

My little ladybirds have arrived in the post

and, hopefully, they'll munch away and, then, we'll be greenfly-free.

Oh, look, cute little things, aren't they?

Release the hound!

Oh, my God, they're all over me. Get off me! Eat aphids, not me.

Oh, he's on. There! Straightaway, he's eating one.

Straightaway, jumped on him, like a lion on a zebra.

It's like the savanna.

I thought they'd take a bit of time and get their surroundings,

maybe book a table for two.

A couple of weeks later

and it's not just the ladybirds that are feasting.

As it's nice weather, we thought we'd have a bit of a barbecue-type thing.

Sandra, come and join us.

With the clock ticking down to Show Day, Alan is pinching out

side shoots on his tomatoes,

which he's growing using the cordon method.

Just tidying up my tomato plants.

Want to just grow them as a straight line, up to the top here.

A cordon, it's called. And they've got some side shoots coming on,

-so I'm taking them out.

-Sandra, Rob and Jo Jo

are also using the cordon method.

That is quite a big one coming there and if I don't get that now,

the plant will end up splitting in two,

so I'm taking that out, as well.

Instead of cutting them off, pull the side shoots out

and then stick them in water. They re-root, so you'll see

the roots growing from the bottom and, then, you stick them in pots

and you have new tomatoes, rather than having to grow them from seed.

Jo Jo has a trick up her sleeve to promote growth.

I've got my liquid seaweed spray.

So, just diluted liquid seaweed in the water and I'm just spraying

these tomato plants, because it is meant to help their fruit to set.

It's like being in a sauna, you know.

Love it! Love it! Look at that. Oh!

With temperatures rising, the heat in the greenhouses

once loved by the gardeners is now proving to be a challenge.

God is never happy about the weather.

Trying to keep the heat out the greenhouse. It's me who's scorching.

I'm getting my hands dirty. I don't mind about that.

I'm a painter and decorator. You can't be a painter and decorator

-and not like getting dirty.

-I need to get my sunshield up.

It's not a job for a lady. It's ruining my fingers!

Oh!

-Alan!

-You've run out of nails, have you?

-I can't get the screws in!

I'll do it for you.

Alan, you're such a sweetheart. Probably got loads more to do.

Look at that. Oh, that makes me fume.

Oh! Thanks, Alan, you're my hero today.

-No problem. See you later.

-Thank you.

Eight weeks to Show Day and disaster strikes for Alan.

My tomatoes are going rotten.

There we are, you can see it quite clearly on the base of the plants.

That's probably me out of the tomato competition.

I'll have to take this truss off.

Alan's got some problem with his tomatoes.

Think he said it was blossom end rot or something.

If his tomatoes carry on having this disease, he could lose them.

He won't have any tomatoes.

Blossom end rot develops when there isn't enough calcium

in the fruit, due to irregular watering and a lack of ventilation.

To be honest, I'm royally cheesed off by this.

I've got the best tomato plants on the plot.

With only five plants left, Alan decides to take some drastic action.

Everything is absolutely baking in there,

so I need to get some straight- through-the-greenhouse ventilation

and I think my solution is to take one off.

Five weeks to go and the plan seems to be paying off.

After taking the windows off and upping the watering from once a day

to twice a day, they're looking pretty good.

I think I'm back in the game again. I'm mightily relieved.

-It could have been a disaster.

-But across the plot,

it's a different story for Rekha and the tomatoes she placed outdoors.

Oh, wow, they've gone really bushy.

I haven't given them my attention.

I'm just going to present whatever I can grow in the greenhouse.

I'll panic nearer the time.

With no tomatoes to speak of outside, Rekha has no choice

but to rely on the single bush plant in her greenhouse.

Neglected it for a while.

I'm just tying this tomato plant just a bit higher, trying to

get it right, because I don't want to lose any of these tomatoes.

Bush varieties, which Lena is also growing,

require very little, in terms of maintenance.

They're looking a bit green to me.

I'm just trying to get some more light.

Just try and give them a little bit of a chance.

All the other gardeners are concentrating on their

vine varieties, grown cordon style.

You need to take off the growing tips,

because it actually makes the plant put its energy into the tomato.

These will ripen up bigger now.

To have show-bench-standard fruit, I have to be ruthless and I have

to stop them, because they're flowering and fruiting way too much.

That has to go, that's it.

A week till D-Day

and all the gardeners are pinning their hopes on their

greenhouse-grown tomatoes.

I'm putting a ripe banana underneath my tomatoes that are still green,

because they give off ethylene gas. It will ripen the tomatoes quicker.

I need these to fatten up a little bit.

Jim might say to me, "You should have cut them off, Sandra.

"If you'd have cut them off, the others would have got

"big and fat and they'd have gone red."

Seems a bit "Ooh, heck."

Everyone will have tomatoes, so it's going to be much tougher.

I can't have Jo Jo walking away with all the Grow challenges.

I'd love to win one and these are looking good.

After 15 weeks of tending

their tomatoes, it's the day of reckoning.

Got a secret stash down there. That's not totally ripe.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. They're nice.

I've gone for my pathetic greenhouse tomatoes.

I am disappointed, but it's something I'll have to live with.

The ones that I thought would be good, last week,

have started to go over. They've started to go a bit wrinkled.

No good for the show bench, because it's not firm enough.

-It's a bit squishy.

-That's 13 grams.

-Too big.

Uniformity is essential for the show bench,

as it demonstrates that the gardeners have been consistent

-with their growing techniques.

-Growing to a specific size

is really difficult. These are too small.

This would be a nice one on the bench, but it's just a bit too big.

-That's 15 grams.

-15, 15, 15.

How are you making certain these are equal?

I'm using these weighing scales and also a ruler.

-And you've measured it out on there, as well.

-I've got my little chart.

You leave nothing to chance, do you?

Loving the care. I don't even give my kids this much pampering

and I'm giving it to a tomato.

And it's got a birthmark, as well. Oh, wow. Hide the birthmark!

SHE LAUGHS

The gardeners must present either seven medium or nine small tomatoes,

depending on the variety they've chosen to show.

They must be ripe, presented with fresh calyxes and be free

from blemishes, disease and pest damage.

Well, it's time now to find out if your tomatoes pass muster with Jim.

Rekha, you're first.

So, this is a bush variety.

What we're looking for is evenness right the way through the nine.

As you look down there, you'll see some of a light red,

some a little bit darker, some very dark.

This one is slightly overripe

and that one's a bit bigger than the others.

It really is a balancing act.

Bush tomato, again.

Generally speaking, they've got a nice colour.

I know you could kick yourself - or somebody - the calyx fell off.

It fell off as I was putting them on.

That's one of the hazards of showing,

-and also, look at him compared with the others.

-He is a bit juicier.

Alicante - that's a medium vine tomato

and, therefore, you need seven as opposed to the nine of the cherry.

We're looking for an evenness in shape all the way round,

and you haven't done a bad job at all.

We're also looking for the colour as well.

Some are a little riper than others,

some are still yellow, and this one, I would suspect, is quite ripe.

-It's not easy, is it?

-No.

-Hi, Jim.

-Alan.

I can feel that competitive edge in you as you walk up here.

Shirley - good exhibition variety. Why did you choose it?

Well, I chose it by accident, actually.

I don't believe you. You knew it, boy! Yeah.

And you're absolutely right. It is a good show.

They're good-looking tomatoes, there's no doubt about it.

Calyxes are lovely and green.

There's always got to be a downside.

Unfortunately, it's the yellow blotching around them.

What you'd want to see, basically, is the complete tomato red.

The size, if you look at them,

these two are not quite the same as those four.

-Sungolds.

-Yeah.

-Vine tomato again.

35mm, and you measured every one 34,000 times, didn't you,

to make sure they were absolutely spotless?

Well, that IS showing.

You want to make sure everything is

absolutely perfect for the show bench,

but this particular variety is more of a yellow rather than a red.

They are absolutely uniform, you know?

They're all exactly as I would expect to see for this

particular variety. The calyxes are absolutely perfect.

It really is an excellent crop that you've brought along there.

There's some good samples here. Again, vine variety.

There's even growth amongst them, even shape,

the calyxes are nice and green.

They really are a lovely sheen to them.

A good, even display there. You haven't done bad, mate.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

Well done, everybody. You've risen to the challenge

and brought some very fine tomatoes to the bench.

Jim, have you decided who's won your Best In Show?

I have indeed.

The two that caught my eye are Jo Jo's and Rob's,

but now I'm going to nitpick because they really are a cracking set.

They're both cherry. They're both to the size they should be.

It's just a question of, which way is that going to go?

And there is a slight unevenness in this

and so, therefore, you've done it again, Jo Jo.

You've got the hat-trick. Well done.

Congratulations. Come forward, Jo Jo.

There you are.

I kind of went into this hoping that I would do well

but this is beyond, like, my greatest expectations.

That's the one crop I was actually dreading.

Out of all the crops we have to grow,

I knew I wasn't going to be able to deliver.

It's turning into the gardening equivalent

of entering a 100 metres race with Usain Bolt -

you know you're not going to win.

In this next challenge, the gardeners will be judged on their

ability to grow flowers as well as what they can make with them.

Are you ready for your second challenge, which is Make?

It's overseen, as always, by our floral expert, Jonathan.

This week, Jonathan wants you to present him

with three perfect stems of rudbeckia

and in the surprise Make challenge,

he wants you to make a stacked flowerpot arrangement.

Jonathan.

Gardeners, I'm wanting to see three stems of rudbeckia,

equal in size and height,

AND I want to see you stack at least three pots together

to make the container. Good luck.

You have 60 minutes to complete the Make challenge

and your time will start as soon as you have all arrived

in the greenhouse with everything you're going to need for it.

Go and get cutting your flowers.

-Not easy.

-Not easy.

-It will be fun to watch.

Rudbeckia is native to North America

and is also known as black-eyed Susan

because of the dark cone at its centre.

At this halfway point, there is no reason why all our gardeners

shouldn't provide good-standard rudbeckias.

I'm not going to accept any excuses from them.

Here's Jonathan's guide to growing show-bench-standard rudbeckia.

Sprinkle the seeds finely across a shallow tray

and cover with a thin layer of compost.

Rudbeckia is a summer flower through and through,

so you've got to give them a warm start in a propagator

until the first seedlings start to appear.

Once big enough to handle, prick them out carefully.

Disturbing the roots can stunt their growth.

Pot on individually and leave to develop in the greenhouse.

Once the roots fill the pot, harden them off

before planting out at 30cm intervals in free-draining soil.

Rudbeckia need space and sunlight.

Hide them under other plants at your peril

and if you keep on cutting, they'll reward you with flowers

right through until the first frosts.

15 weeks ago, the first decision for the gardeners

was which variety to sow.

Got the Goldilocks and the Cherry Brandy.

Hmm. Makes me feel like going for a drink.

Cherry brandy time!

Jeez, look at the colour of those seeds.

I think it's fair to say we're going to get a yellow flower

from these Denver daisies.

I haven't grown these before.

I had to do a little bit of research to see

which is the best variety to get flowers this year.

Give them a quick water.

The early stages with seeds can be very critical.

They do like a little bit of heat until they're germinated.

Literally, these stay in the propagator just until they come up.

A month into the growing period

and the seedlings are ready to be pricked out.

I'm trying to choose the strongest plants, and the rest of them,

I'm afraid, get a trip to the compost heap.

I've always been taught that you only handle annual flowers by the leaf

because the stems are quite fragile.

Learnt that just watching my parents, really, garden.

SHE LAUGHS

You should really be quite careful

and not take them out like this, really.

To be honest with you,

I think my rudbeckia are looking terrible at the moment.

I have to pot them up because they haven't really been growing

and every other plant is outgrowing the rudbeckia.

I can barely see them.

They're just, like, itsy-bitsy little plants.

The winning plant could be this little one just there, see?

Even though he's small, he could be...

I can just about hear him going, "Yes!"

He's saying, "I am the winning plant. Look after me."

Nine weeks till Show Day, and it's time to plant out the rudbeckia.

No, I'm just trying to smooth down paths

so I thought it easier if I go...like this.

That's how high they're going to grow.

Just working out where I'm going to put these rudbeckia.

Everyone seems to have had issues with them.

The germination is a bit slow on them.

These are the four biggest ones out of the tray that I've got.

It's not a very big rudbeckia bed, is it?

Look at the state of it.

I've got four, five, six, seven,

eight, nine...ten.

Help...

At the halfway point,

all the gardeners have planted their rudbeckia outside...

with one exception.

Must have sowed about 300 seeds or something

and I've only got that many to show for it.

Just four rudbeckia after all that effort.

They're just growing SO incredibly slowly.

I know they are growing but it's just taking so long

and I'm getting to the point where I just need to put them out

to see if they do better outside, you know?

OK...

What is that? It's a brick.

Now, these are looking really, really sickly.

This one is looking particularly sickly. It's yellow.

My rudbeckias that I planted last week,

I did them sort of hastily.

I just thought, "They'll be OK about six inches apart."

They need to be 12 inches apart. I'm just going to transplant them

because I just don't have many. That's the trouble.

It doesn't even know it's being moved, do you?

"No, I don't know."

With just a month to go,

the slow-growing rudbeckia

finally start to flourish.

That's a good, strong, healthy plant.

Yeah. Alan's got fab ones over there. I can see them.

I walked past them this morning and thought, "Flippin' heck."

They're really growing nicely.

Give them a bit of food. Keep them nice and green.

This is the first flower pads appearing.

Decent-length stalks.

Strong-looking plants. Yeah, they're bang on course.

Just feeding. Next week, we'll be showing these.

That's the plan, guys. Come on. That's the plan.

Oh, OK, here we go. Little florist coming through.

Just grow straight.

I'm tying in my rudbeckias

because I know how Jonathan likes a poker-straight stem.

They're looking pretty good,

but even though I spaced them really well,

they've become quite packed,

so what I'm trying to do is just open it out.

Little tiny calendula plants, look.

They're swamping me rudbeckia.

You're going to see them for the first time.

Ta-da!

Oh, you can see the rudbeckia back here hasn't grown at all

because of that sunflower.

Yeah, those are rudbeckias. Haven't grown.

They're really stunted, aren't they?

They're just in the shade the whole time.

I've got these two here, which...

They should definitely open in the next few days.

What I could do is cut back some of these side shoots

and see whether that makes a difference.

Ohh! Sorry.

After 15 weeks of nurturing their rudbeckia,

it's finally time for the gardeners

to select their best specimens for the show bench.

Are these winners? Who knows?

Got some to choose from, haven't I, which is good.

This definitely isn't my finest hour with the rudbeckia, I have to say.

The gardeners must also pick a variety of other flowers

for their stacked flowerpot arrangement.

I'm thinking rudbeckia - they're yellow, yellowy-orange to red,

going for all the same colours.

Ah, these are nice.

I'm hoping they're all going to get cut

because that is an issue I've got with you, Rekha.

Yes. No, I am going to cut a lot more flower today.

You've been really stingy in past weeks.

If you let me down this week, Rekha, I'm going to be mortified.

-Oh, no.

-You've grown the flowers not to make this allotment look pretty.

-No.

-It's here to use in my challenges.

Boom, boom, boom.

I think I got enough.

Jonathan, before the gardeners get started,

do you have any advice?

I do, yes. I want you to use a minimum of three pots

to create the floral column.

Make sure these pots are stacked up securely.

I want to see flowers on all levels

but, obviously, rudbeckia has to be the dominant flower.

Good luck.

You have only 60 minutes to complete this challenge

and the clock starts now.

Before they start stacking,

the gardeners must select their three best rudbeckia

for Jonathan to judge.

They're the straightest ones I've got.

I want to get them straight.

Jonathan says they got to be poker straight.

My specimen rudbeckias are a little bit questionable at the moment.

There are two nice blooms and one that's still on its way.

I've gone for these three because although they're not fully mature,

they're all at the same stage of maturity.

Stems selected, the gardeners move on to the arrangement

and their first job is to construct the base using flowerpots,

dry floral foam and a bamboo cane.

Like that...

God, it's scary.

Stacked flowerpots are an increasingly popular way

of creating a floral display for outdoors.

That one goes in first.

I'm pleased to see that they're all thinking about getting it secure.

We're not wanting to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa today.

Before any flowers can be added,

wet floral foam must be packed into the stacked pots.

I'm just putting some wet floral foam in just to hold my flowers.

Right, and then little flowers all stuffed in there.

I didn't expect to enjoy doing this stuff

but I quite like the construction elements of it.

Small pots are the top of the cascade

so they're going to go on the top of here, like this,

and then I can have flow of rudbeckia coming out the top.

Pots stacked, it's time for greenery.

This is my foliage, you see.

I know I've got to work pretty quickly

because I was a bit slow last week and got a bit behind.

I'm trying to speed up, if I can.

Ooh, hang on.

Can I go and get some greenery? Because I forgot greenery.

Well, remember, you're up against it, time-wise.

Go, Lena. STOMPING FOOTSTEPS

God, she's going to kill herself.

I hope she's not nipping down to the shops to get one already made.

This is amaranthus,

it's a vegetable,

but I thought it might look quite good

as a flower spike in the top.

That was quick, Lena.

-Speedy Gonzales.

-Whoo!

I forgot about getting foliage

so I just thought, "Ohh! Jonathan won't be happy."

You are halfway, gardeners.

30 minutes left, and some of you really need to get a shift on.

Just trying to separate my flowers to start with.

Jonathan told me off and I think I needed that

so I've had to put a bit of the thinking cap on.

I'm trying to put me cherry tomatoes in.

I'm trying to make it sort of...look at it

and think, "Well, actually, there's an allotment there."

SHE BLOWS A RASPBERRY

Courgette flowers in. Oh, I got some herbs somewhere.

Where's that? Where's me smelly herbs?

Come and have a look at how Sandra is doing.

Sandra, how's it going for you now?

Well, I haven't had a chance to step back and look at it

because of getting all the flowers in there.

-You've got loads to put in.

-I know I have.

-I just hope you get it in.

-I know, I will.

This has got tarragon in. This has got rosemary in.

This has got amaranthus in. And then flowers as well.

Just trying to be a little bit different.

15 minutes left.

-Just 15. You all going to be all right?

-No.

It's been the most challenging. I don't know if I've done enough.

I don't know.

I want to keep adding but I don't want to keep adding.

Just got to get all these flowers in.

Ever seen a grown woman cry?

SHE LAUGHS

It's about to happen.

You're on your last five minutes.

Final five minutes.

I'm thinking I could do with another half an hour.

To me, it's too much. There is too much in there.

God! All my design principles went out the window, to be honest.

Gardeners, stop.

Your time is up.

Uh... Out, Alan.

I'm glad that's over.

For the arrangement, Jonathan wants a minimum of three pots

with rudbeckia featured throughout.

Additional flowers and foliage should complement and not overpower.

The three rudbeckia should be uniform and straight stemmed

with pronounced cones and vibrant petals.

First up is Lena.

Let's have a look at these rudbeckia specimens first.

Very strong, straight stems, which I applaud you for.

A good example of Aries. Well done.

Thank you very much.

The pot column was looking extremely good until you dashed off

and you brought back this really heavy-spotted laurel.

-This has spoilt it, Lena.

-OK.

Look at that wonderful pronounced centre there

but on this one, the sepals are quite brown.

Maybe a little bit more attention to detail,

you'd have a better one in here.

Looks like somebody has turned this waterfall off to me

because I would imagine a waterfall spurting out

and then cascading down.

Sadly, this is a terribly top-heavy design.

Two very uniform flowers. What about this one, Jo Jo?

It just didn't open in time.

This one needs a good few more days to catch its two peers up.

Moving on to your pot, I can see that cane visible.

-Oh, yeah, you're right.

-Leave it alone.

And neither do I want to peer in here

and see quite a lot of visible floral foam.

In floristry, attention to detail is crucial.

You've managed to present three interesting flowers here.

These are really good strong centres,

classic of that variety.

Now, I gave you quite a strong pep talk, Rekha,

-and I'm pleased to see you did listen.

-Phew.

It was looking brilliant until...

It's the one thing that shouts out, "Should I be in here?"

Probably the larkspurs.

You've said it in one.

You got a wonderful palette of colour going on

-and then you threw in the spanner.

-OK.

This larkspur does not go with these rudbeckias.

It's just disrupting that palette altogether.

-I should have stopped when I...

-You should have stopped.

It's like looking into the centre of rich, dark, smooth chocolate

and I'm pleased to see you've got some good

specimens of rudbeckia in the pots here.

You're inviting me on a journey around your allotment

and it's a journey that I don't mind taking

because it's full of interesting things to look at.

Sadly, I can see you've not quite covered your workings.

I think you fiddle and think about it a bit too much,

rather than executing it quick enough.

The classic Gloriosa Daisy. That wonderful ray of the florets here.

Bright yellow, black eye.

It's a good example, and nice to see plenty of rudbeckias in the pot.

It's been well put together. A good colour scheme, Rob.

There is just one thing that weakens it slightly

and it's that one dominant sprout of amaranthus.

It's a good choice in colour

but it just wanted slightly lowering to just balance the pots.

For the Best In Show, Jonathan will be taking into account

both the specimen flowers and the stacked arrangement.

Sandra, your choice of materials never fails to impress me

but you do need to speed up and, Rob, you've shown me

that classic black-eyed Susan with a good selection of materials,

well arranged, with no visible foam and a wonderful colour harmony.

You are my Best In Show.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

Well done. You have completed two challenges today.

Tomorrow, you will meet Thane in your final challenge

which, of course, is Eat.

So I think you should go and get some rest.

Off you go.

-Well done, Rob.

-Can't believe I got a Best In Show for rudbeckia.

I was panicking this morning when Jo Jo won her third

so now I've got this one so that's it.

Me and Jo Jo are on a level.

Having not won either Best In Shows today,

I need to work hard in my Eat challenge. I do need to work hard.

Yeah, I'm at risk of going home tomorrow.

I'm not going to let it bring me down.

Just want to get a good night's sleep and be ready for tomorrow.

Bright eyes, bushy tail, as they say.

The gardeners have just the Eat challenge left to face

before the experts decide who will make it through to the semifinal

and who will be leaving the competition.

It's jam week and I think it's just going to

end in a bit of a sticky mess, to be honest.

I want to get into the semifinals next week.

I'm hoping that my experience with making my sweet jams will help.

I have practised recipes this week

and my family very definitely like these recipes.

-Good morning, gardeners.

-ALL: Morning.

It's time for the Eat challenge, presided over by Thane,

and today our queen of preserves wants you to present two jams -

one sweet, one savoury,

and one of them must contain the variety of tomatoes

that you presented to Jim for his Grow challenge.

You have one hour 30 minutes and the clock starts

as soon as you've all got into the greenhouse with everything you need.

Go and harvest your things.

Jam is one of the quintessential British preserves, and I love it.

-Good luck, Lena.

-And you - good luck.

But it's a tricky thing to make.

If the gardeners don't get the balance of pectin, acid

and sugar right, the jam won't set.

It'll be runny. That's not what I want to see.

These are my tomatoes for my savoury jam.

I've picked quite a few just to make sure that

-they're at the ripeness I need.

-Oh, I've got to get my chillies.

I've got a bit of experience of making sweet jam

so I'm going to be OK doing this.

You better be flipping hot.

Sweet and savoury jams are a great way of preserving gluts of produce,

so that you can enjoy them right throughout the year.

All right.

Feel like David Bellamy. I'm in the undergrowth!

With their ingredients freshly picked,

the gardeners head to the greenhouse to start preserving.

Gardeners, you have all your produce in front of you

and you have 90 minutes on the clock.

Your time starts now.

The gardeners begin with their savoury jam,

as vegetables require longer to soften.

They are all using their tomatoes from the Grow challenge as a base.

Savoury jams are very popular at the moment.

We've got some wonderful tomatoes and some lovely produce

so I thought savoury jam might showcase

some more of the produce from the allotment.

This jam is called "Yorkie girl delight" jam

because it is actually seedless jam

so when I made it, my chickens, we call them Yorkie girls,

they get all the seeds and pulp from inside

so nothing goes to waste.

My first jam is my tomato jam, which is called "JFK to Bombay".

So I've got some long peppers from New York

and I'm also using amchur to make my jam savoury

because it acts like lemon juice or vinegar.

It's quite bitter and it's used in Indian cooking.

I'm making a flavour-y tomato jam.

I've been tinkering around with tomatoes at home

and of course basil goes brilliantly with tomatoes

so I thought, "I've got some of that," so I'll put some of that in.

Sorry, little plant, it's the end of your days.

I've just called it "cherry chilli jam".

Anyone who wants to eat chilli,

I think they tend to think of a vindaloo

and then they just think, "Oh, no, that's too hot,"

but it's not, really.

You just have to keep it mild and then add it in as you want to.

-Hi, Lena.

-Hello.

Who's Gary we've been hearing about?

Today, I'm making "Gary jam".

-Gary is my friend that likes things really, really hot.

-Yes.

I've toned it down for you, Thane,

because it was a bit...whoo! Steam coming out your ears.

-Oh, thank you.

-That's not nice. Thank you.

So I've toned it down a lot

-so it might be more like a sweet chilli jam.

-Excellent.

At the moment, it's pureed tomato,

sugar and red wine vinegar and ginger.

It's nice. It's got a bit of fish sauce in it.

Just deseeding my tomatoes.

Just taking the skins off in some hot water.

Thane has specifically said she doesn't like chewy things in jams.

Removing the skins will give the savoury jams

a smooth consistency, but not everybody is doing it.

I'm not a jam maker,

but I'm confident enough that I'll get something in the jar.

I'm pleased about this because these are softening nicely.

This is all tomato juice in here.

Savoury jam on the go, it's on to the sweet.

I'm making "fruits of the ditch".

Normally, this is what I go foraging for, you know,

because I live on the canal, so I go foraging for different things.

You know, elderberries, blackberries, all this sort of thing.

Second jam I'm making is from raspberries.

I've been making sweet jams for about seven years now.

This "strawberry vanilla jam", it's one of our favourites.

What's in there?

I've got blackcurrants and redcurrants in there.

I've just called it a "currant jam".

Look at the colour on that. Isn't that glorious?

You see, already you can see

something that you really want to preserve.

Speaking of preserving it, I was thinking of eating it, actually.

"Rhubarb and a hint of custard" is my sweet jam,

which is rhubarb, redcurrant and vanilla.

Because I'm using a big pan and I've got a lot of space

for this to boil off, I'm actually going to put a bit more in

than it says in the recipe, because there is that risk of it steaming off

and I'm not going to have enough, and I don't want a half-empty jar.

British jam is a set preserve, set with acid, sugar and pectin.

The pectin forms a bond with the sugar and the acid,

and it sets the jam.

I would always urge people to use pectin in a sweet jam

if their fruit is low in pectin.

You can boil it down and just make it set,

a bit like you can fudge, quite frankly, without any pectin

but you'll have lost all the fruit flavour.

This jam is called "goosy boozy jam".

Basically, it's gooseberries with an elderflower liqueur.

There is quite a lot of pectin in actual gooseberries anyway,

naturally, so it's not something that you need to add.

Right, so sugar is this one.

As Lena is using a mixture of fruit,

she's decided to add pectin-rich jam sugar.

I don't want it really thick.

It would be good if it come out the jar

but if it doesn't, it's no problem,

because then we can just do slices.

Sandra is using a different ingredient

to give her the consistency she wants.

Why did you put the lemon juice in?

To help it to set. I don't know the science behind it.

I was told by some old ladies from the WI...

They'll tell you anything, those old ladies.

Will they? Are they wrong?

-It's one of the big misconceptions about lemon juice.

-Is it?

Nothing wrong with lemon juice -

it adds acidity - but there is absolutely no pectin in lemon juice.

-Oh.

-No. So, you see, the pectin is in the pith.

So they've been telling me wrong, then, haven't they?

You're a brave woman. You've just taken on the WI.

You know that, don't you?

Bring them on. Bring them on.

Oh, she's tough.

Here we go, rolling boil.

A rolling boil is when a liquid is boiling at its maximum

and the bubbles can't be stirred down.

Stir and stir and stir.

Too short a rolling boil and the jam won't set.

Too long and it'll be too thick.

15 minutes left.

15.

This is something I've never done before. Do two jams at once.

-Goodness me.

-It's the two-handed stir. Disaster looms.

I've never made two jams at the same time. Never.

Jam sets when it gets to about 103, 104 degrees.

I can feel it stiffening up now

so it's definitely getting towards that point.

I'm just doing the wrinkle test,

where you put the jam in there and you wait 30 seconds

and see whether it wrinkles.

Yeah, I think it's all right.

No, a bit goopy.

Hmmm. It's taking ages to get to temperature.

I'm just worried about burning.

I think I've burnt it. That's me stuffed.

SHE SIGHS

It's my favourite jam, and all.

Absolutely well and truly messed up.

I've never, ever burnt jam, EVER.

I've never, EVER burnt bloody jam!

Ooh! I've burned... I don't know how I've managed to burn me jam.

I don't know what's going on. Something is burning, I know that.

-What's happened?

-I don't know how I've burnt...

I've burnt it on the bottom of the pan

and I've never, ever burnt jam, ever, and this is...

Don't worry, don't worry, darling, it's all right. It's all right.

I've just let myself down.

I think she's burnt it, bless her.

I hope she's OK.

Don't panic. Carry on, carry on.

She's going to hate this now.

Wow, look at that.

Oh! Yeah!

Well done, chuck. Well done.

Five minutes. Final five minutes.

I think my raspberry jam is ready.

Oh, it is quite runny.

Oh, bugger. Guess who used a smaller jar at home?

This one is my "boozy goosy jam". And hot.

I can't taste it, honestly. I can't taste your burn.

-Am I right?

-Maybe not.

Gardeners, you'll be glad to hear time is up.

# Bing, bing

# Ba-ba-ba-ba-bow! #

You're good. You're good. That is a good jam.

It's all right. It's all right.

To be awarded Best In Show, the jams should be perfectly set

with a full, fresh flavour

characteristic of the ingredients used.

They should be presented in full jars,

free from scum or sugar crystals,

and the skins of the ingredients must not be chewy.

First to be judged is Rekha

with her "savoury tomato cherry chilli jam"

and her "currant jam".

The savoury jam I'm going to start with

and I want it to have the same consistency as a sweet jam.

That's a little fluid.

Because it's a cherry tomato and you've got pips AND skin,

it's a little textured.

I genuinely think you should have lost the skins.

Now then, the currant jam. It's a good set.

-Very nice.

-Thank you.

The flavour of the currants has come through tremendously well.

Next up is Alan, who's made a "flavour-y tomato jam"

and a "sweet rhubarb with a hint of custard" jam.

Alan...

I'm sorry, what's this? What's that gap, there?

That's the difference between the jars here and the jars at home.

-That's called a rookie mistake, Alan.

-It is a rookie mistake.

Always bring a full jar to the show bench.

Not too bad at all.

The tomato has been skinned, so it's much, much nicer.

It's got a lovely crunchiness to it, which I like.

Not a bad attempt.

So, a nice full jar this time, Alan,

and you've got a very good set on this jam.

That's a very nice jar of jam.

I love the rhubarb and the vanilla flavour,

and the rhubarb is beautifully cooked.

It's not crunchy at all. Very, very good.

A nice jar of jam.

-It would be quite nice in a Victoria sponge sandwich, actually.

-Ooh.

Third to be judged is Lena with her "fiery Gary tomato jam"

and "fruits of the ditch".

-There is Gary level of heat?

-Yes. Very high.

I'm very glad you toned it down,

-because this is just about hot enough for me.

-OK.

-Did you put salt in here?

-I put a little bit of salt.

I put a few cardamom pods, slightly crushed up.

Ah, yes, it has a very, very good savoury flavour.

This is the first one that I've tasted that really has

a rounded savouriness about it.

Now then, "fruits of the ditch". Let's see.

-I think we've gone a little far here.

-Ohh!

-Just a little far.

-Um...

LENA SNIGGERS

That's exactly how I wanted it.

-Maybe, Lena, but was it how

-I

-wanted it...

-Obviously not.

-..is the question.

The trouble with this sort of set is you actually have to chew the jam.

The flavour is very, very good.

The sharpness is very, very good

but it's just gone over the top.

Sandra's "savoury tomato jam"

and her "strawberry vanilla jam" are up next.

Sandra, "Yorkie girls' delight".

The texture seems quite good.

It's mounding nicely.

It's a good jammy texture.

Did you use any salt in your jam?

I put a bit of salt in. A pinch of salt.

It has that edge of being slightly more savoury.

That's a pleasing flavour. Thank you.

Now then, this is your strawberry and vanilla jam. Let's see.

This is an interesting colour.

There is a little tiny, tiny taste of burn

-but that's not your biggest problem with the jam.

-What is?

There is no pectin in strawberries and you've not added any pectin.

In order to get even this set, which is quite a slimy set,

you've overcooked the strawberries.

I think you could make a better jam than this.

Next, Jo Jo's Asian-inspired "in the summer heat tomato jam"

and "summer berries jam".

Little bit thin.

Little bit thin.

This is very nice. I like it.

Did you add any salt to your jam?

Yes, fish sauce.

And with fish sauce, of course, you add umami -

that amazing fifth taste. Well made. Well made.

Now, then, this is a raspberry.

A well-made raspberry jam.

An attractive jam, and I think you've made a very good attempt

that would bring back all sorts of memories of summer at Christmas.

-Well done. Thank you, Jo Jo.

-Thank you.

Lastly, it's Rob's savoury jam, "JFK to Bombay",

and "sweet boozy goosy jam".

Going to start with "JFK to Bombay".

It's perhaps a trifle overset, I would say.

-Did you use pectin?

-Actually, jam sugar.

Yes, indeed. You wouldn't have got this set

if you hadn't used some sort of pectin.

It has a complex flavour

and the jam has a good texture when you eat it.

I might have liked a little more of the amchur

-to make it a tiny bit tarter.

-OK.

Elderflower and gooseberry - a match made in heaven.

It's quite well set again. Your jams are a little bit overset.

I don't want to be bashing it down on my scone.

It's overcooked.

Just too far.

So what we've got is the lovely flavour of elderflower

and you can taste the gooseberries

but because you've boiled it too much,

you've lost some of the freshness of the gooseberries.

Very good idea.

Just lacks that last little bit of execution.

Now that Thane has tasted all the sweet and savoury jams,

she must decide who's won her Best In Show.

So the winner today is someone who's been listening to

what I have to say, who's used their allotment as inspiration

and who's brought to me a beautiful jar of jam

and a nearly full jar of savoury.

Hoorah! I've made something Thane likes.

Alan, come and get it. Come on.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-Congratulations.

-Hey!

-Excellent.

That's all this week's challenges completed.

I'd like you all to go back to your allotments now

whilst Jim, Jonathan and Thane

decide who is staying for next week's semifinal

and who is leaving the allotment for good.

Please go back to the allotments.

Cheers, chaps.

Who'd have thought? I managed to win an Eat challenge.

Thane liked something I cook. Well!

It may be my week to go home

because my jams didn't go totally... you know, totally well.

I've not won a challenge for a long time now.

I am on the bottom line. I know I am,

I'm probably with myself and Sandra.

I really wanted to impress Thane with my jams and my preserves.

I just think I should flipping go home now.

It gets more difficult every week. Who is on your radar?

Well, Sandra has had a really bad couple of days, I think.

She took her eyes off the jam

and, quite frankly, dropped a big clanger there.

But she's a great flower grower and I'd be quite disappointed

to see Sandra go, because I think she's got great potential.

Rekha, unfortunately, for me, has never done it.

Well, yesterday the tomatoes were the bottom of the pile.

I mean, they were very uneven.

She came unstuck, as far as I was concerned.

She did quite well in the jam challenge

but every week we talk about her, we say, "How about Rekha?

-"How is she doing?"

-There must be a reason.

I feel slightly sad that she's really trying hard,

but is it enough? I'm not sure.

Someone else I want to talk about is Lena.

I mean, you shouldn't be eating jam with a knife and fork.

It's a shame, because I think she's got a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it.

Tomatoes, you know, they were all right

but they weren't going to win the show.

-And winning the show, there is no room for hit and miss.

-Absolutely.

Well, you've got to make this decision.

Who is going to be in the semifinal?

Who's going home tonight? This is the point I retreat, thankfully.

Make the right decision.

-It's a hard one.

-It is a hard one.

Thank you, gardeners, so much for the last 16 weeks

and all the hard work you've put into these gardens.

I want you all to stay but, sadly, one of you has to go

and the person that we have to say goodbye to this week is...

-..Rekha.

-That's fine.

-I'm so sorry, Rekha, you've been wonderful.

-That's all right.

CONTESTANTS CHEER

I've had the most wonderful experience.

It was a little family that we made here.

I'm taking away the feeling that I've achieved something.

That was my plot. That's my baby.

I've done what I need to do.

I've achieved something.

You have to be proud.

No matter what, you have to be proud.

Next time, it's the semifinal

and the gardeners will be judged on their okra...

-Whoever polishes their veg?

-..helichrysum...

This is why I'm a painter and decorator

and not a flower expert, because I ain't got a clue on this.

..and pickles and chutneys.

Maybe I should taste it.

Yum!

Who will make it through

to the final of The Big Allotment Challenge?