0:00:05 > 0:00:08All this week, we're bringing you the top countryside stories
0:00:08 > 0:00:10that define our British summer.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The team has been travelling the length and breadth of the UK...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Wow!
0:00:16 > 0:00:19..discovering the seasonal stories that affect you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21I've seen many things released into the wild before,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23but never via a pipette.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25Don't you get sick of peas?
0:00:25 > 0:00:27I eat 16 plates, three times a day.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I'm surprised you aren't glowing green!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32How much is my effort worth today?
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Would you really like to know? MARGHERITA LAUGHS
0:00:35 > 0:00:37One's laid an egg! Ooh, one's laid an egg!
0:00:37 > 0:00:38LAUGHTER
0:00:38 > 0:00:41This is Countryfile Summer Diaries.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And here's what we've got for you on today's programme...
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Hailstorms of biblical proportions wiping out crops in summer.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00This could be retribution
0:01:00 > 0:01:03for all the terrible thunderstorm forecasts I've given.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Keeley investigates how farmers are fighting back
0:01:06 > 0:01:08in the battle against nature.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And find out how discarded sheep's wool is an ingenious way
0:01:12 > 0:01:15of protecting your fruit and veg from pests this summer.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And Margherita reports on how a treasured family recipe
0:01:21 > 0:01:24grew into a multi-million pound business.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And it all starts here, with the humble elderflower.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36But first, summer is a fantastic time to spot the sea life
0:01:36 > 0:01:38around our shores.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Yet, an unwanted intruder washing up on our beaches
0:01:41 > 0:01:42is putting it at risk.
0:01:42 > 0:01:4860% of all the litter that is found on Britain's beaches is plastic,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51which can take centuries to break down.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Jules now reports on the rise
0:01:53 > 0:01:57of this unwanted, unpleasant addition to our shoreline.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Welcome to our marine litter museum.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Now, as an archaeologist, of course, I'm used to raking through
0:02:07 > 0:02:11the rubbish of the past, but most of that is buried underground.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15This collection is unique, because it's been picked up from beaches
0:02:15 > 0:02:18right around the UK, and many of these items have now become
0:02:18 > 0:02:21historic artefacts in their own right.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25For example, when did you last see a packet of crisps like that
0:02:25 > 0:02:28you could buy for just 5 pence?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Or, indeed - this is one of my favourites -
0:02:30 > 0:02:32a good old-fashioned can of Ajax
0:02:32 > 0:02:34that you could've had for the same price.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38The point is that many of these items have been floating around
0:02:38 > 0:02:42in the ocean for well over 30 or 40 years, pre-decimalisation.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And this, of course, is just a tiny selection of what's still out there.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52The use of unnecessary plastic in everyday items and cosmetics
0:02:52 > 0:02:57is destroying our oceans and killing our wildlife.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00All seven species of sea turtle are endangered.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03To a turtle, a plastic bag looks exactly like a jellyfish,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05which they feed on.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Once swallowed, the bags block the stomach,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10leading to death by starvation.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15They also prove fatal to other marine life,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17as countless autopsies have shown.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Every year, an estimated eight million tonnes of rubbish
0:03:22 > 0:03:26makes its way into our oceans, much of it washing up on our shores.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28So, as you can appreciate,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32keeping Rhossili Beach beautiful is a full-time job.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Local volunteers, led by the National Trust,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40are doing their bit to help keep the beach litter free.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Well, this is what I've managed to find over just 100 yards or so
0:03:45 > 0:03:48of the tide line here today.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52And, as you can see, by far the biggest culprit is plastic.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And it's thought that much of this can't break down
0:03:55 > 0:03:57in any way, shape or form for around 500 years,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02so it could be floating around out there until the year 2516.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Beach litter is at its highest level since records began,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11so beach clean-ups like this are a short-term solution.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Some believe that tracing the source of this litter is the only way
0:04:15 > 0:04:19to prevent the flood of plastic that's washing up on our shores.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22That's one of the aims of Surfers Against Sewage,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24led by campaign manager Hugo Tagholm.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Hugo, nice to see you. Hello.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30You've assembled a fascinating
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and somewhat nostalgic collection of rubbish.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36But you're also finding things that are far more up-to-date.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39We've got a great example from the South West - these stoppers.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43So, this is what we call an unidentified floating object, a UFO.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Some people think they're earplugs,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47some people think they're test tube stoppers,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49some people say they're to do with central heating.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52But we don't know what they are, we don't know where they come from.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, if anybody's watching at home, and knows exactly what that is,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59then contact Surfers Against Sewage and help solve the riddle.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Once we know where they come from,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04we can stop them from ending up in the ocean and on our beaches.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We've had a great success story with these up in the North East
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and along the south coast and these are taprogge balls.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12What's a taprogge ball?
0:05:12 > 0:05:13Well, taprogge ball...
0:05:13 > 0:05:16a cleaning, a scouring pad that is used
0:05:16 > 0:05:19inside power station cooling systems, so we found out.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And they were wearing out and becoming smaller and smaller
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and then escaping past the screens that were meant to stop them.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So, you were able to contact the power stations,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28make them aware of the problem
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and bring the whole thing to a successful close?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Only by cutting down on our use of household plastics
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and ensuring its safe disposal
0:05:37 > 0:05:41can we ever prevent plastic litter from clogging our seas.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Later, I'll be catching up with a crack team of divers,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48who are going to great depths to fight ocean pollution.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And I'll be finding out how changing something
0:05:52 > 0:05:54as simple as your shower gel
0:05:54 > 0:05:57could help save our seas and protect our marine life.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Now, freak summer weather is an all-too common occurrence in Britain.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Hailstorms have been known to wipe out whole crops
0:06:08 > 0:06:09in a matter of minutes.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Keeley now investigates the battle of farmer versus weather.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17THUNDERCLAP It's no secret that the great British weather
0:06:17 > 0:06:21can be a bit unpredictable, especially in summer.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26For our fruit farmers, it's a testing time.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28A family of apple growers in Worcestershire
0:06:28 > 0:06:33have had their entire crop wiped out in a freak hailstorm.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36THUNDERCLAPS
0:06:38 > 0:06:42'Carmella Meyer and her family have been growing fruit on their farm
0:06:42 > 0:06:44'for the best part of a century.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'She knows only too well how devastating the storms can be.'
0:06:48 > 0:06:52I've grown up on the farm all my life and, as a small child,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I'll never forget the memory of my mother standing at the window
0:06:55 > 0:06:57crying her eyes out...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's making me emotional, you see.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03..at this hail that was just coming down and ruining everything.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06In five minutes, it was devastating.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10So, a big hailstorm in the middle of summer,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14right when these are about to be picked could ruin the entire crop?
0:07:14 > 0:07:19We have had about three years in eight when we have hailstorms,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22which ruin some part of the crop.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26The whole livelihood of not only us, our business, but our employees.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Everybody's at stake.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34So, the farm takes protecting its summer crop very seriously.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36As one of the UK's biggest fruit farms,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39they produce nearly 70 million pieces of soft fruit a year.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44So, you've got a completely artificial environment here
0:07:44 > 0:07:47that doesn't rely on the unpredictability of the weather at all?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Absolutely, I mean, it can be raining cats and dogs
0:07:50 > 0:07:53and it doesn't matter to these raspberries.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57So, by heating the glass we can bring the crop forward.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02We irrigate, ventilate, so there's not too much humidity,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and we create the best growing environment for the fruit.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10There's been a huge increase in the berry market and berry consumption,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13like 132% over the last ten years.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16We want to meet that demand.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18But, when it comes to fruit trees
0:08:18 > 0:08:20that grow in excess of 30 foot in height,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23protecting the crops can present a greater challenge.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Farm director Robert England is tackling the problem head on.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33He's experimenting with covering the entire orchard with netting.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35So, just explain to me exactly how these things work.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40OK, so the nets are rolled up on the top wire during the winter
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and then we unfurl them and clip them together
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and any hail that falls out of the sky will hit the net
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and should run to the middle and drop down on the grass safely.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And how bad does it get, then, cos this is quite a lot of effort?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It is. Is it really necessary? It is. It is.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Sometimes, hail can come very, very violently and very, very large
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and could literally reduce this crop from being
0:09:02 > 0:09:06suitable to go to the fresh market to only suitable for juice.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10I've actually seen a Discovery crop, just as we were harvesting it,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12where hail the size of pigeon eggs fell and... Really?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14..I literally was able to put my thumb
0:09:14 > 0:09:17through to the middle of the apple. And can it ruin a crop like this?
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Absolutely. In seconds.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20So, does it actually work?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Well, I've got a little experiment I'd like to try with you.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25So, we've got these two buckets of balls.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And I'm going to go up in that cage there, high above the net,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and I'm going to get you to stand underneath and I'm going to
0:09:30 > 0:09:32pour them on your head. SHE LAUGHS
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It's a bad day if these are falling out of the sky.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36It certainly would be, but if it can stop those,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38it'll stop anything smaller. Right.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40OK, er...I hope these work.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42So do I, so do I.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'But it's no laughing matter.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47'The success of this netting could be the only thing standing between
0:09:47 > 0:09:52'a hailstorm and the loss of a crop worth millions of pounds.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:53WHIRRING This could be retribution
0:09:53 > 0:09:56for all the terrible thunderstorm forecasts I've given!
0:09:56 > 0:09:58WHIRRING OK. OK.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59CRACKLING
0:09:59 > 0:10:01SHE SHOUTS Ooh!
0:10:01 > 0:10:02SHE SHOUTS
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I'll tell you what, I'm safe as houses down here!
0:10:09 > 0:10:12You can see how they all collect in this section here
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and either fall through, or, if they were hail,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17they just sit there and melt and gradually dribble through,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19so it really does do its job, doesn't it?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20It does. It does. Very well.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I think there's a perception when we get to summer that it's going to be
0:10:26 > 0:10:28filled with long, hot sunny days and that's just not the case.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32In fact, we can get some of our most damaging and destructive weather
0:10:32 > 0:10:36at this time of year, in the form of thunderstorms and large hail.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And there's more pressure than ever before for farmers to create
0:10:39 > 0:10:43the perfect fruit, so it'll be interesting to see in the future
0:10:43 > 0:10:46if more farms take on radical practices, like this,
0:10:46 > 0:10:47to protect their crops.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54For many of us, one of the signs that summer is truly here
0:10:54 > 0:10:57is the appearance of elderflower in the hedgerows.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Margherita has been discovering how a traditional family recipe,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04involving elderflower, has become a global business.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Here they are.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11'Pev Manners has been cultivating elderflower since the 1980s
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'for a business venture born out of a treasured family recipe.'
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Pev, this is seriously impressive.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Where did this all start? Well, this started in Mum's garden,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25making elderflower cordial in the kitchen.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27'It was 1984.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30'We were growing strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32'for a pick-your-own and Dad said to Mum,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34'"I'm going to make a strawberry cordial". And she went...'
0:11:34 > 0:11:37"Ah, why do you make an elderflower cordial?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40"Because everybody seems to want this elderflower cordial I'm making.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43"I've already got to make 10 bottles for Jane, 15 for Caroline,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45"so-and-so for Amanda and, you know,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47"why don't you try and make some of that?"
0:11:47 > 0:11:50So he went, "OK, we'll make 100 cases."
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Dad put them in the back of his car
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and drove them round the delis and farm shops
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and flogged them to them. And, to his astonishment,
0:11:56 > 0:11:57they rang up and asked for some more.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Now, we're making about two million bottles of elderflower cordial
0:12:01 > 0:12:02and it's still Mum's recipe.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We haven't changed it. Still the same recipe? Still Mum's recipe.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07It's corny, but it's true!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12How much of the elderflower cordial you're making
0:12:12 > 0:12:15comes from the rows that you've planted?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Well, we farm about 80 acres,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21but most of it comes from the wild hedgerows.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23This is only about 10% of the flowers we pick.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And what do I need to think about when I'm picking?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29I'll show you the difference between the good ones and the bad ones.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Here we have a branch with one which is absolutely perfect.
0:12:32 > 0:12:3499% perfect. That gorgeous scent.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And a lovely smell. Mm. I'll pick that one.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38And that one's still pretty closed.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I'll come back next week for that one. Next week's going to get
0:12:40 > 0:12:43really hot, then the rest are going to come out at once.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44It's going to be mayhem.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46So, you really have just a small window
0:12:46 > 0:12:47to really get that summer harvest in?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Exactly. All around the area, people are picking the flowers
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and bringing them to us. It's perfect.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And people can make quite a decent stack of cash from this.
0:12:55 > 0:12:56They love it.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00When the time is right, the sun is shining,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04the flowers are open and the heady scent of elderflower is in the air,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06it's time to harvest.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11So, it's all hands on deck and I've been given some top tips
0:13:11 > 0:13:14on how to make the picking pay.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Pick your elderflower the same day you're planning to use it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Store it in an open bag, but out of natural sunlight.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Otherwise, the elderflower will turn brown and start to sweat
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and you're going to lose that gorgeous flavour.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Sometimes, cow parsley can be mistaken for elderflower,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34but it doesn't have that lovely distinctive fragrance,
0:13:34 > 0:13:35or the yellow pollen.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Our day's efforts are weighed and measured back at the farm.
0:13:43 > 0:13:4632 for Casey.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49There you go. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. See you...
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Saturday. Tomorrow. Tomorrow! Ah!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53LAUGHTER That's tomorrow!
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Casey, I saw you arrive with a few bags of elderflower
0:13:57 > 0:14:01and I thought I'd been busy, but this isn't...
0:14:01 > 0:14:03This is real beginner status, I think!
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Oh, my God. They're nice and fresh!
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Is that good? Very good, yes.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Maybe I'll do all right at this?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Oh, yes, just continue doing it,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12because today you've picked just a few.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Tomorrow maybe you can triple this?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So you're saying I need to get faster?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Yes. Yes!
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The faster you do it, the more you get, you get more money.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25OK!
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'Pickers get paid ?2 per kilo.'
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Put it all in there, all four bags in there, please.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'Phyllis Howard, affectionately known as Mrs Elderflower,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37'has the important job of weighing the fruits of our labour.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39'She's in her 32nd summer season at the farm.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:43You're the person that weighs this treasure. I am.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And harvest. I am. I am.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Weighs and pays. Have I got the right stuff?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50You've got the right stuff. It's beautiful stuff.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Does anybody try and get anything past you ever?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Oh, lots of time. Really? Lots of times.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56What kind of cheeky things would...?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59We've had all sorts of things, like dumbbells and...
0:14:59 > 0:15:01No! SHE LAUGHS
0:15:01 > 0:15:03..bottles of water and...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Actually, we've had a mobile phone, but I think that might have
0:15:06 > 0:15:08been a mistake, the mobile phone. SHE LAUGHS
0:15:08 > 0:15:11You've not hidden anything in the bottom, have you? No, no.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Are you sure? It's all flowers. I'll let you off with that one.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16How much is my effort worth today?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Would you really like to know? SHE LAUGHS
0:15:18 > 0:15:20?2 in money.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23That won't even get you a drink.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25SHE SIGHS Will it?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27It might buy you a cup of coffee.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Maybe. If I'm lucky.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31If you're lucky. Not in London, though!
0:15:33 > 0:15:35OK, so I'm going to need to work a little bit harder.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37I think you might have to, yes.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39All right, OK, up my game. Up your game.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The elderflower cordial that's sold here is made on a grand scale,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48but it still stays faithful to the old family recipe
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and Pev's agreed to show me how it's done.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55'First, make a sweet syrup by mixing water, sugar
0:15:55 > 0:15:58'and a little citric acid.'
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Don't forget, this is a drink we're going to dilate a lot.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03'Then stir in some lemon juice
0:16:03 > 0:16:05'before reaching for the magic ingredient.'
0:16:07 > 0:16:11About 12 big lemon heads. God! Now, don't stir it, just leave these now.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13One, two, three...
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Just placed in the water?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Face down. Five... There we go. Bang.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19Now, what we do is we take the spoon
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and, not too hard, you just sink it in, like this.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24You dunk it in.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And all that pollen that we were looking for...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Absolutely, you want to get these flowers, with their lovely pollen,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33under the syrup, like that.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Now, that...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38now needs to go in a cool, dark place.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Put it under the stairs or somewhere for a secret amount of time.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44OK. Definitely more than one day.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47You have to filter it very, very carefully.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Muslin is quite easily available. Pour it in and then you do it again.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And you end up with a real flavour of summer. Lovely...
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Stick your finger in.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57It's gorgeous!
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Really fresh, tangy, vibrant.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Actually, I can taste elderflower. Amazing.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Already! That lovely hint of elderflower. Mm.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08And it's going to get thicker and thicker with the flowers. Oh!
0:17:08 > 0:17:13It's amazing to think that, in just six short weeks in summertime,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15the elderflower for the year is harvested.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And what I love about it is that we can all get involved
0:17:18 > 0:17:20and make some cash, too.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23What's not to love about a great British summer?
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Now, another summer spectacle, the butterfly, is under threat.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34In the last 100 years, nearly 70 species have become extinct.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36James reports on what can be done.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Fragile and beautiful,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45butterflies live largely hidden lives,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48invisible in the undergrowth.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51And, right now, butterflies all over the world
0:17:51 > 0:17:54are fighting an epic battle for survival.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58So, how much do you know about butterflies?
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Did you know there are 59 species in the UK alone?
0:18:02 > 0:18:06But I bet that most of us can count the number we recognise on one hand.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10Being a plant geek,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I want to find out a little bit more about these elusive creatures
0:18:14 > 0:18:16and what we can all do to help sustain them.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21This guy over here is amazing.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23You think it's just a little dried-up leaf.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And it's always a little bit disconcerting for me
0:18:26 > 0:18:29when insects do this, and they look like plants,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33cos I'm never quite sure whether I should understand them or not.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34HE LAUGHS
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But someone who certainly does understand them
0:18:38 > 0:18:41is pioneer conservationist Clive Farrell.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43He's set up a ground-breaking sanctuary
0:18:43 > 0:18:45for his beloved butterflies.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Clive, this is beautiful, but, as a botanist,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I actually feel pain to see that these plants are
0:18:50 > 0:18:53being purposefully eaten by the things you're trying to grow here.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56But these butterflies aren't native, are they?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59No, these are all tropical butterflies in here.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Worldwide, mainly from rainforest areas.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06There are 18,000 species in serious decline,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09because their habitat is being destroyed,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12so I like to think of these tropical creatures
0:19:12 > 0:19:15as messengers from the rainforest -
0:19:15 > 0:19:19"Look how beautiful we are and our homes are worth looking after,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21"worthy of conservation."
0:19:21 > 0:19:23That's a really beautiful way of putting it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I recognised a lot of these ones
0:19:25 > 0:19:27from when I was growing up in Asia as well.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29They're absolutely beautiful.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'This one's the great tree nymph from South-East Asia,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35'sometimes called the paper kite.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40'And this is the heliconius from the Colombian rainforest.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:43This isn't the world's happiest-looking canna here.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Well, you can see the fully grown owl butterfly caterpillars here.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50So, that's the same one? That's just a little but older?
0:19:50 > 0:19:54That's right. I wouldn't even recognise that as a caterpillar.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Well, I think it's worth sacrificing the plant,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59because the butterflies themselves are so beautiful.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Ooh, I think you've got a debate on your hands there, Clive.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Oh, well, it might recover. So, which ones are these?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Which is the actual adult? What does it look like?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It's the giant owl butterfly and they feed on rotten fruit.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It's a butterfly that doesn't feed on flowers,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16the juice from rotten fruit and other disgusting habits.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Great. Is that the one with the...
0:20:18 > 0:20:20the kind of big eyes that make it look like an owl?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Exactly. And they're said to terrify their enemies,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26because if they're disturbed by a bird and they flash their wings
0:20:26 > 0:20:29it looks like a huge face looking at you. Yep.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31So, have you always been into butterflies?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Yes, I mean, since I was a child.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35It sort of started with a hairy caterpillar
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I found in my back garden.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Like many children before me, I put it in a matchbox
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and I just happened to be around at the very time
0:20:44 > 0:20:47it hatched out from its cocoon.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49And I watched it dry its wings
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and it was one of those magic childhood moments
0:20:52 > 0:20:56that I think we all look for later on in life
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and I never grew out of it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01That's fantastic. Sounds a little bit like me with plants.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Outside, we have gardens and wild flower meadows
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and the best habitats for our native butterflies.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The butterfly sanctuary isn't where you might expect.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20It's sitting right next to the M25 and the M1.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Clive, this is almost surreally beautiful,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27very Little House On The Prairie.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Well, we're in scarred landscape here.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The junction of the two busiest motorways.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You could say it's the biggest
0:21:35 > 0:21:37butterfly service station in Britain. Yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And we're trying to show that it is possible,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42even in a situation like this,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to create a rich and diverse butterfly habitat
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and a rich wild flower meadow.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Presumably, these are great for species that are under threat?
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Well, we've seen such declines in even our common species,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00any techniques that we can use to arrest that decline
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and increase the butterfly population, well, I feel
0:22:03 > 0:22:06it's our duty to generations to come, to our children.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09So, what can be done to support our butterflies?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Ivan Hicks has designed all the meadows and gardens here
0:22:12 > 0:22:14and I'm going to pick his brains
0:22:14 > 0:22:17about making a butterfly-friendly habitat in my back yard.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Hey there, Ivan. Can I give you a hand? Hi, James.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Yeah, just in time. Come and help me log on.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22LAUGHTER
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Is it when you become a dad you develop dad humour?
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I think so, I think so. You see, the old ones are the best.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30So, what's this big log pile for?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Well, it's got multiple functions.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I mean, it will allow overwintering butterflies to hide in there,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38which they do need, some of them, actually,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41well, you might find in your shed, but it's also home for...
0:22:41 > 0:22:45habitat for frogs and toads and all kinds of beetles and bugs
0:22:45 > 0:22:48that need these conditions - sort of wet and dry logs,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50which they can bore into and find a home.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53And is there any particular rhyme or rhythm to this?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Not really... Big ones on the bottom, stick them out?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I suppose so, so it doesn't fall over. All right.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01You're now the designer. LAUGHTER
0:23:01 > 0:23:02Thank you very much.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06So, this is something anyone could really do at home?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Oh, yes, it's just providing habitat in all its forms actually.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13It's just, you know, multiple housing development, really,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15for all kinds of bugs and beetles and reptiles.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Poolside property for them?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Yeah, yeah, yeah, high-rise!
0:23:19 > 0:23:21LAUGHTER Book a flat now!
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Well, this area here, James, is a good example
0:23:31 > 0:23:33of how gardens can help butterflies.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Quite often, people are too bothered about getting the strimmer out,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39tidying up everywhere, cutting down everything.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43I think you need to relax a little more and just have an untidy area.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45So, great for lazy gardeners, then, a fantastic excuse?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Perfect for lazy gardeners. Just sit in your deck chair,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50keep that strimmer in the garage.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53This is a place where insects, particularly butterflies, like to roost.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55After they've finished nectaring,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58they need somewhere just out of the wind where they can go.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59And particularly a plant like nat weed,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02which is just ambrosia for a number of our native butterflies.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Fantastic, so leaving in a couple of weeds and keeping it
0:24:05 > 0:24:07a little bit messy is actually a fantastic excuse.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10You're doing wildlife gardening, not just being lazy. That's right.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And there's one more job for me to do while I'm here
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and I'm not massively looking forward to.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20So, James, these are peacock caterpillars,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23nearly fully grown and running out of food.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27And you're going to help me release them. How are you with caterpillars?
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Do you know, I don't know, I've never...
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I don't think I've ever picked up one.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Well, now is your chance. I'll give it a go.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Grab this one that's making a break for it. Yeah, that's it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37You expect them to almost kind of feel a little bit spiky,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40with these structures on the back, but they're really soft.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42They're quite soft, aren't they? I thought I was going to be
0:24:42 > 0:24:44a real wimp about this, but they're all right.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Well, it turns into one of our most loved butterflies - the peacock -
0:24:48 > 0:24:52with those sort of RAF roundels on the wings. Oh, right!
0:24:52 > 0:24:53That's one I do recognise.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Well, now, would you like to just release these now
0:24:56 > 0:24:59on the stinging nettles just here? These are moving very quickly.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01There should be enough there to sustain them.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03These are moving quicker than I'd imagined,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05so what do we do to release them? Do we just pop them on?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I think just introduce them to the nettles down here.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And is this the key thing that they eat?
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Yes, almost exclusively the peacock eats stinging nettle leaves.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15So it's really important,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18if you want to continue having peacock butterflies,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21to set a little bit of space aside for nettles in your garden?
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Well, absolutely. It's the most important caterpillar food plant
0:25:25 > 0:25:26for garden butterflies.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Right, so yet another reason not to do any weeding this summer.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I like it. Giving me excuses!
0:25:32 > 0:25:33LAUGHTER
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Every year, eight million tonnes of this stuff -
0:25:43 > 0:25:47of plastic - gets dumped in the world's oceans and seas
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and Jules is here on the Gower now,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53reporting on what we can do to help stem this flow of pollution.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57And one answer could be as simple as changing your shower gel.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Only 15% of the rubbish in our oceans
0:26:05 > 0:26:07ever find its way back on shore.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09The rest of it is out here.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13We've got eight local divers today,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17who will be going down onto the seabed 20 metres below us
0:26:17 > 0:26:19and we're rigging the divers with cameras
0:26:19 > 0:26:22to see what trashy treasures they find.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Marine animals, like whales, dolphins, turtles and fish,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33are all under threat from the waste and litter in our seas,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36with hundreds of species accidentally eating
0:26:36 > 0:26:40or becoming entangled in the stuff that we just don't want any more.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44There's more rubbish, more plastics...
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Colin Whitehall and his fellow divers
0:26:46 > 0:26:48have decided to take matters into their own hands,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51removing litter, piece by piece.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53In the ten years that I've been diving in the UK,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56probably more than that now, there's a visible increase every year.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58There's more and more flotsam and jetsam
0:26:58 > 0:27:00we're picking up from the waters.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Crabs and other small crustaceans will get caught up
0:27:02 > 0:27:04in line, in monofilament.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If someone's hooked a fish and it's broken the line or been snagged
0:27:07 > 0:27:10into a rock, you often find the fish still tethered to the seabed
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and we try and rescue what we can.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16More than 600,000 tonnes of fishing gear
0:27:16 > 0:27:19is lost in our oceans every year.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21And it's not just a danger to sea life,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but also a deadly threat to recreational divers,
0:27:24 > 0:27:25like Colin and his team.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30How hazardous is it for you, as divers?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Our biggest concern, as a diver, would be nets.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Whether they've been lost over a wreck,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37where somebody's been trawling, or just been swept in.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38A monofilament net in particular
0:27:38 > 0:27:40is very, very difficult to see underwater.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Obviously, as a diver, we don't want to get caught into a net
0:27:43 > 0:27:45and then not be able to get back to the surface.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47We feel very passionate about it.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50We're seeing things that 99% of the population aren't seeing.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53When you go on a country walk, people always describe litter.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55It's exactly the same under the oceans.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56If everybody did the same thing -
0:27:56 > 0:27:59if you went out for a country walk, mountaineering or whatever,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02if you took one or two pieces of litter back with you,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04maybe we'd start eating away at the problem.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Presumably, that's some of our first divers coming back to the surface?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It is. Hopefully they'll have brought some rubbish up with them.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14After an hour of busy underwater litter picking,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17it's time to head back to the shore to determine the source of the haul.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23And, alongside the rubbish collected today, Colin is keen to show me
0:28:23 > 0:28:25a surprisingly deadly item of marine litter -
0:28:25 > 0:28:27a ghost pot.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's where a lobster pot's been lost at sea for whatever reason.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31It may have been washed off in a storm
0:28:31 > 0:28:33or caught in a crevice or around a wreck.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36So, the lobster moves in to go for the bait.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Something else will come in to eat that lobster, then something else
0:28:39 > 0:28:41coming in to eat that. And it could, in effect,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43stay there for years, just carrying on fishing.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48So, it's a vicious and appalling and macabre circle in a way, isn't it?
0:28:48 > 0:28:49Yeah, very much so.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Photos from previous dives,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54when Colin and his team first began their operation,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56illustrate the scale of the problem.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02But the greatest concern to conservationists and ecologists
0:29:02 > 0:29:04isn't this super-sized rubbish.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It's something deadly, but tiny
0:29:07 > 0:29:10that lurks in all of our bathroom cupboards
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and it's transforming the world around us.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Well, on a beautiful sunny day like this,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20with the surf glistening along the shoreline,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23it's attempting to think that much of the sparkle here
0:29:23 > 0:29:25is provided by the sand.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27But, in more recent years,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31it's been found to contain an extra ingredient -
0:29:31 > 0:29:34millions upon millions of tiny particles.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36And, yes, you've guessed it,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40it's plastic, man-made and deadly to wildlife.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Plastic microbeads found in everyday cosmetics,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49such as shower gel, toothpastes and exfoliants,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51are polluting our seas at an estimated rate
0:29:51 > 0:29:55of 4,000 tonnes a year in Europe alone.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Laura Eyles from the Marine Conservation Society
0:29:59 > 0:30:02is concerned that these tiny plastic particles eaten by fish
0:30:02 > 0:30:04are even turning up on our plates.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07What actually are we looking at here?
0:30:07 > 0:30:09This is microbeads.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12So, this is the stuff that gives you that abrasive feeling on your face
0:30:12 > 0:30:14if you scrub it with one of those exfoliants?
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Yes. It's not natural products that are being used
0:30:17 > 0:30:20to get that kind of effect. It's plastic.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22They're so small and, unfortunately, they're going down
0:30:22 > 0:30:24our sewage systems and entering the sea,
0:30:24 > 0:30:25so all the animals are eating it.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28And then, of course, us, as seafood consumers,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32are eating the fish and we are, in turn, ingesting plastics
0:30:32 > 0:30:35that we have, unfortunately, put there in the first place.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39A single tube of face wash
0:30:39 > 0:30:43contains more a quarter of a million microbeads
0:30:43 > 0:30:46and thousands are washed down the sink in each application.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52People don't realise that that's what is in these things
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and unfortunately, we're using them every day,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58they're going down the drains and then obviously out into the sea.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02The UK Government is working towards banning microbeads,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04but, in the meantime, we can make a difference
0:31:04 > 0:31:08by seeking out face washes, toothpastes and shower gels
0:31:08 > 0:31:12that clearly state they don't contain these deadly micro plastics.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16You know, it is a sobering thought to think that,
0:31:16 > 0:31:17of all the plastic ever made,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21most of it is still in existence somewhere in the world.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Plastic pollution, it's clear, is now a global problem.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27And if we don't do something about it,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30well, experts now believe that, by 2050,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33there could be more plastic in our oceans than fish.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Paul and his family took the plunge and left the city
0:31:41 > 0:31:44for a new life in the country.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47This spring, we saw Paul take his first steps as a smallholder.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49CLUCKING
0:31:49 > 0:31:51WHIRRING With his new-found knowledge,
0:31:51 > 0:31:56here are his top tips on how you can avoid summer pests.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59As far back as I can remember,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02I've always wanted to keep my own livestock.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05And in the spring I got the chance.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08We took on four Wiltshire Horn yearlings to tackle the weeds
0:32:08 > 0:32:10that the horses don't touch
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and I have to say they did a terrific job.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14I'm ever so pleased.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17I'm tempted to get four more, but first there's work to do.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Between June and September,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23the sheep are at risk from a deadly infection, known as fly strike.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Adrian, it's good to see you.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27How are you, Paul? I'm very well, thank you.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29'To help me deal with this summer blight,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32'the farmer who bred the sheep, Adrian Andrews,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35'has returned to help me spray my fledgling flock
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'against this deadly illness.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40'And he's brought with him a friend to help round them up.'
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Good girl, Pip.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Go on, what's the away command to the right? I've forgotten that.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Away. Away! As simple as that! She knows what that is!
0:32:47 > 0:32:49LAUGHTER She already wants to go!
0:32:49 > 0:32:52What's to the left? Come by. Come by.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53Away.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Look, Ronaldo's leading the charge now.
0:32:58 > 0:32:59Come on, Barbie.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05'80% of the UK's sheep flocks are affected every year by fly strike
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'and it's thought that it costs the sheep industry
0:33:08 > 0:33:10'some ?2.2 million per year.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14'It's caused by a metallic green blowfly,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16'which lays its eggs in the sheep's wool
0:33:16 > 0:33:17'and, as the eggs hatch,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20'the maggots begin to eat the sheep's skin and flesh,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24'so I'm keen to stop it happening to my little flock.'
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Is there anything to look out for if one of them does get fly strike?
0:33:27 > 0:33:31With Wiltshire Horns, around their horns
0:33:31 > 0:33:35you will see like a black streak running down their face
0:33:35 > 0:33:36or down their legs. OK.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39That's probably the first indication of flies.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41OK.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The gun administers the dose for a sheep.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Gosh, you've got to be quite strong, haven't you?
0:33:48 > 0:33:50SHEEP BLEAT
0:33:50 > 0:33:54I'm going to pour this from its horns all the way back to its rump.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56And then just rub it in. And just work it in.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58As you can see, it's pink,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01so that's when you know you've done it. You know you've done that one.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Hey!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Nice and gently. That's it. All the way back.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08That's it. Well done.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09This one's Barbie.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12This is Barbie, is it? 227. LAUGHTER
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Right, Ronaldo... Ronaldo's the last one to go.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16You are...
0:34:16 > 0:34:17quite tough!
0:34:17 > 0:34:20LAUGHTER
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Right. Well done. That's the four of them now.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Well, that'll sort you out, won't it, guys? Eh?
0:34:25 > 0:34:26These should be all right now.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28You should have no problem with these at all.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Go on, guys. Good. Good job done.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33'Most farmers would be shearing their sheep
0:34:33 > 0:34:34'at this time of the year,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38'but our Wiltshire Horns moult naturally.'
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Now, most of the wool just blows away in the wind, but some of it,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44as you can see, gets stuck in the fencing
0:34:44 > 0:34:47and I have a clever use for this stuff.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The humble family veg patch is coming along well,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55but the cabbages are being ravaged.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59Heavy rain at the start of this summer
0:34:59 > 0:35:03has turned it all into a slug feast.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05And they all hate wool.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Salty oils, like lanolin, deter the creatures
0:35:08 > 0:35:12and also the fibres make it very difficult for them to crawl over.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Now, the idea is to ringfence around...
0:35:18 > 0:35:20the base of the vegetables.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Knit the wool together, so it locks in and it won't blow away.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27It's tight around the stem there.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32That creates a barrier between the slug and my lovely broccoli.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35So, the next time you're walking in the countryside,
0:35:35 > 0:35:40go and pick some off some fencing or the odd bit of hedgerow.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Collect it up in a bag, bring it home
0:35:42 > 0:35:44and do what I'm doing.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Slugs cause around ?8 million worth of damage each year
0:35:50 > 0:35:53to vegetable crops and, on average, a UK garden is home
0:35:53 > 0:35:57to more than 20,000 slugs, while an acre of farmland
0:35:57 > 0:36:00can support more than a quarter of a million.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04So, I'm going to make the most of the rest of my produce
0:36:04 > 0:36:06whilst it remains reasonably intact.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Of course, you're never going to get them all.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Only 5% of the slug population live above the ground.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16The other 95% are dormant underground
0:36:16 > 0:36:18until it starts to rain.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24As one individual field slug can produce 90,000 grandchildren,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I've got some tricks up my sleeve
0:36:26 > 0:36:29to rid my summer garden of slugs for good.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34Unwanted plastic bottles are a brilliant resource for any gardener,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37because they make ideal slug traps.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Just watch this. You cut them not quite in half,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44so about one third down from the top,
0:36:44 > 0:36:45like so.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50You take the cap off.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54You then fill them up with...
0:36:54 > 0:36:57cider! Good old sweet cider.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01And they can smell that a mile off.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03So, there you go. That's got the cider in it.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06You turn this section upside down,
0:37:06 > 0:37:07wedge it in there, like that,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and they will find their way up there,
0:37:09 > 0:37:13drop down through the funnel and they won't get back out.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Hey presto!
0:37:14 > 0:37:16The best slug trap in the world.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18And they will drown in their own tipple.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20What a way to go.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25HE SIGHS What does it smell like?
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Disgusting. It's disgusting, yeah! LAUGHTER
0:37:28 > 0:37:33'And watered down vinegar is a great organic way to kill slugs on site,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35'without harming the plants or the soil.'
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Naughty, naughty. It's eating your strawberries!
0:37:38 > 0:37:41'Our strawberries are doing really well this year
0:37:41 > 0:37:43'and I'm going to make sure that continues
0:37:43 > 0:37:47'by raising them off the ground to avoid my slimy friends.'
0:37:47 > 0:37:51We're going to thin some out and we're going to plant them up here,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53raise them off the ground... Yeah.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55And then the slugs won't get at them.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Look at those beauties, Meredith!
0:37:57 > 0:37:59They'll soon be red.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Wow! Wow, look, that's another strawberry plant there,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06so we'll put that one there and peg that one down.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Can we use some of your hair clips, Meredith? No!
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Oh! Shall we use Mummy's?
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Use one of mine.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Oh, thank you. Do you want to put that one down on there?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20That's it. And it'll stop it from blowing around in the wind.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Well done, Meredith.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Right, I'll water these in now.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25Ah!
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Do you... LAUGHTER
0:38:27 > 0:38:28Ready?
0:38:28 > 0:38:29LAUGHTER
0:38:31 > 0:38:35You stick it down and follow Daddy around, OK?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39'My final secret weapon against the slugs is copper tape.'
0:38:39 > 0:38:43For the slugs, it's like hitting an electric fence.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46It's got a little bit twisted here, guys. I know.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Something went wrong. It was you. It was Daddy!
0:38:49 > 0:38:50HE LAUGHS Was it Daddy?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Do you know, it's always my fault, isn't it?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55How does that look? Stand back.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59A slug-free zone! Yay!
0:38:59 > 0:39:00HE LAUGHS
0:39:02 > 0:39:04And we'll be back with Paul tomorrow,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06when he'll be firing up a summer barbecue
0:39:06 > 0:39:08with home-made charcoal.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Now, one in four of us grows some of our own food,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17but what about growing your own furniture?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Anita is in Derbyshire to find out more.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Every tree tells a story.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Every fork, every twist, every knot
0:39:30 > 0:39:32is a life history written in wood.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35A tale of seasons, scars and sunlight.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38But it's a slow tale.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40You might not notice it grow,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43but, over time, months and years,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45a tree is shaped by its surroundings.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50But what if you could tame this process?
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Bend it to your will -
0:39:52 > 0:39:55train the tree into a very specific shape?
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Well, one man here in Derbyshire is doing just that.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Gavin Munro is an artist and furniture designer.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06After years in California, making pieces from driftwood,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08he returned to his home county of Derbyshire
0:40:08 > 0:40:11to become a farmer...of furniture.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Hi, Gavin. Hi, there. Lovely to meet you.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Right, so you're growing furniture.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20That's right, yeah. You're going to have to explain this to me.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22What is going on? What do you mean by that?
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Well, what it means is,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27we're sort of neatly organising woodland
0:40:27 > 0:40:30and shaping trees, as they grow,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32into the shapes of chairs and tables
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and all sorts. Like these? Yeah.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38'Gavin remembers when his inspiration struck.'
0:40:38 > 0:40:41It was one of those sort of eureka moments, where I realised that,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45instead of...chopping trees down and making them into small bits
0:40:45 > 0:40:47just to stick back together again,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50we could grow these into the shapes that we want.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52It made so much sense. How long does it take?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Well, it takes between four and eight years for a chair.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56That's a long time for a chair.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59It is a long time for a chair, but we're making stuff from wood.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Wood is basically kind of solid air and sunshine.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06This is a kind of...it's kind of like 3-D printing. Yeah.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11Except we use photosynthesis as our...you know, printer.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14'Although this idea is new,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18'our love of working with wood has roots that go deep into the past.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22'Today, Gavin is experimenting with everything,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24'from fast-growing willow,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27'to oak, sycamore and hazel.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30'The chairs start life upside down.'
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Well, it looks impressive.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34LAUGHTER Cheers.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38And, I think I can see how this is starting to take shape.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43This is the chair back. These will form the seat here.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Oh, fantastic! Yeah.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47And these will come along here
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and then the four legs will come out the back.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51It's brilliant.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54And how do you get a tree to do what you want it to do?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57You can't force a tree to do something it doesn't want to do,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00because the branch will die and it will start again somewhere else.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04So, actually, we've got to make it a pretty nice life for the tree.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06For every 100 pieces that we have,
0:42:06 > 0:42:11we want to keep control over 1,000 branches that we want
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and there's 10,000 branches that we don't want.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17And we've just got to make sure we're doing the rounds,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20making sure we spot the right moment to bend the right branch.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Growing chairs is hard graft.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Gavin's team is here in all weathers,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30making sure the trees are flourishing.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33It won't be long before the first batch of chairs is ready to harvest.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39I can see it. Yeah, a finished chair. It's all becoming so clear.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Is it absolutely finished, this? Well, the shape is finished.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Now, we're just waiting for this one to thicken up.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48We'll harvest this when these thin branches at the top -
0:42:48 > 0:42:50the bottoms of the chair legs -
0:42:50 > 0:42:53when they're as thick as this, here.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Then, we'll let it season for six months to a year
0:42:56 > 0:42:59and then we'll plane off some of the outer edges.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01So, it'll look a bit like this
0:43:01 > 0:43:04that you can see here. Ah! Gorgeous.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06This is a projection of one of the ones further down the row.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08'The time it takes to grow a chair
0:43:08 > 0:43:12'means each will sell for around ?2,500.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16What's the benefit of having one of these over a shop-bought wood chair?
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Well, there's the environmental benefit to start with, of course.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23But one of the main aspects is the kind of aesthetic quality.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Each one of these is a kind of, sort of art piece.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28And because everything...
0:43:28 > 0:43:30There's no joints, like regularly made staff,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33everything's grafted into one solid piece,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35these could last for hundreds of years.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38'From seed to seat,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42'a family heirloom grown from the ground.'
0:43:43 > 0:43:44SHE SIGHS I'll tell you something,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47all this patiently growing chairs has exhausted me,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49and while Gavin's are still being made,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51I'll have to make do with a plastic one.
0:43:54 > 0:43:55BUZZING
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Well, that's all we've got time for today.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59But please do join us again tomorrow.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02As a Dickensian disease makes a comeback in the UK,
0:44:02 > 0:44:05we'll be reporting on how sunshine
0:44:05 > 0:44:07might be better for your health than you think.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10And I'll be finding out whether
0:44:10 > 0:44:12eating ice cream at this time of year
0:44:12 > 0:44:14could actually be good for you.
0:44:15 > 0:44:16Mm!
0:44:16 > 0:44:19So, until the same time tomorrow, goodbye.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55A garden takes time to perfect.