0:00:31 > 0:00:35From hedgerow to meadow, field to fork,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37we rely on plants.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42They give nourishment to our bodies and even our souls.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Today, I'm in the West Country,
0:00:44 > 0:00:49looking at just how much of our everyday lives depend on plants -
0:00:49 > 0:00:55how they clothe us, help us when we're sick and of course feed us.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- Right, down the hatch, then. - Down the hatch.- Cheers.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03We've long harnessed the power of plants to feed and heal
0:01:03 > 0:01:05and even steady the nerve.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09They drank lots of this for its calmative effects
0:01:09 > 0:01:11before they went into battle.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I think a lot of us know the calming effects of gin as well.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21As well as plant historians, I'll also be meeting top chefs
0:01:21 > 0:01:26and textile designers, all working their magic with plants and flowers.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Da-da-da-da! Ready?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- The yellow has come out really nicely.- Yeah.- It's lovely.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35And I'll also be looking back at some of the best times
0:01:35 > 0:01:38we've featured plants and flowers in the past.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Like the time Anita met the farmer making a mint from herb oil.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49- I am going to smell of peppermint for a long time.- Lovely smell.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- It's the nicest-smelling farm I've ever been on.- I'm glad to hear it.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And when Matt turned his hand to a tea-time favourite.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05And there you have it. My very first jar of mayonnaise.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10We look again at James, finding out how
0:02:10 > 0:02:13daffodils are helping in the fight against Alzheimer's.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18So, a single pill a day has this huge impact on your life?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Oh, it's unbelievable! Unbelievable.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And we recall the time John met
0:02:24 > 0:02:27the man known simply as Dr Smell.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Oh, goodness me, smell that!
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I mean, it leaps out at you.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Charles Darwin said the origin of flowering plants
0:02:48 > 0:02:50remained an abominable mystery.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55But since the earliest times, we've attempted to unlock
0:02:55 > 0:02:59their hidden secrets and release the healing power within.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02A lot of our common drugs hail from the natural world.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Aspirin from willow, morphine is derived from opium poppies,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and aloe is used to treat sunburn.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Nature was the original medicine cabinet.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16The Western Medicine Garden in Bristol
0:03:16 > 0:03:18is just such a healing cabinet,
0:03:18 > 0:03:23packed full of familiar plants that have all kinds of medicinal uses.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And according to curator Nicholas Wray, it's some of our
0:03:30 > 0:03:34most ordinary that have the most extraordinary healing properties.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39There's one over here which is the sage plant.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Which we recognise for food, that's how we use it these days.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Yes, it's a culinary herb, but also it's an important medicinal herb.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It has antiseptic properties.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Greek soldiers used to take this into battle
0:03:51 > 0:03:55because you can dry the leaves and then transport them long distances.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57But it's important if you get a cut or a wound
0:03:57 > 0:03:59because it helps sterilise the cut and wound.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01So they made a poultice or something like that.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Yes, exactly, that's right. And of course it's a culinary herb as well.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08A lovely smell. Are there other foodie ones here?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- Yes, over here we have... - I recognise this sign.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15- Juniper for gin.- That's right, this is a really important herb for gin.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18In fact, actually, you can't have gin
0:04:18 > 0:04:21unless it's been flavoured with juniper berries.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25What's the history with juniper and medicine?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Well, juniper, er... Gin, effectively,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30was first made by the Dutch.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33They call it genever.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And that begins with the letter G.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37And English couldn't actually pronounce that,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41so of course in English that G is a hard sort of G.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And so the drink became gin.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And English soldiers drank genever,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50or gin, as they called it, before they went into battle.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53They were helping the Dutch fight the Spanish in the 80-year war
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and they drank lots of this for its calmative effects
0:04:56 > 0:04:58before they went into battle.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And that's where you get the phrase "Dutch courage".
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Oh, that's a good history!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I think a lot of us know the calming effects of gin as well.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11- Without juniper berries, there's no gin.- That would be a sad day.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Modern science is now showing that there may be more
0:05:15 > 0:05:17to these old remedies than we think.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22So, this is an important herb, this is a rosemary.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25For centuries, this has been known as a memory herb.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And recent studies have shown that it increases circulation,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30increases blood supply to the brain.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34So, all the while we're eating these herbs with our food, we've no idea
0:05:34 > 0:05:37they've got all these additional health-related benefits going on?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Yes, science is understanding and unravelling now
0:05:40 > 0:05:43what has been understood for many centuries.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46We're now actually putting some hard science into this
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and finding out the molecules that are in here
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and the effect they have on the body.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56One of the most important medical compounds ever discovered
0:05:56 > 0:05:58comes from one of our most familiar trees.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04This is English yew, which is a really common conifer,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06all the way across Europe.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09But there's a really important drug that comes from this called Taxol,
0:06:09 > 0:06:14which is used in the fight against ovarian cancer and certain tumours.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17And it's actually distilled from the foliage.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- Wow!- So there are gardeners all over the UK that are actually
0:06:21 > 0:06:24collecting the clippings from their yew hedges each year
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and then that's collected up to a central point
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- and it all goes off to France to be distilled.- Wow!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And they take a tiny amount of that out and use it in the drug.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Yes, it takes huge amounts of yew clippings
0:06:33 > 0:06:35to get just a few millilitres of the drug.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38But it's very, very powerful and really useful.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41That's certainly been around for the last 20 or 25 years.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- So it's quite recent, then? - Yes, it is.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The compound for this drug is now so important
0:06:50 > 0:06:51as a treatment for cancers,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54including lung, pancreatic and breast cancer,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56that the World Health Organisation
0:06:56 > 0:07:00has added it to its list of essential medicines.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05The power of plants can be harnessed to aid serious medical conditions,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09including some of our most life-threatening illnesses...
0:07:12 > 0:07:16..as James Wong discovered when he visited a farm in Wales a while ago.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20He went to find out how the humble daffodil is offering
0:07:20 > 0:07:23a lifeline to people living with Alzheimer's.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28What do you think of when you think of Wales? It might be dragons.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It could be male voice choirs. Nice!
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It might be rugby, which I was always a little bit rubbish at.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40And of course there's always...the sheep.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42But to me, as a confirmed plant geek,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45the one thing I think of is the humble daffodil.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52But there is more to this Welsh icon than meets the eye.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Or, in this case, the mind.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57The daffodil produces many chemicals,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59one of which is galanthamine.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04The drug, originally found in wild snowdrops, combats Alzheimer's,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06the most common cause of dementia.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11But it's expensive and difficult to make.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17The Stephens family farmed predominately sheep until 2004,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19when they decided to trial growing daffs
0:08:19 > 0:08:21as an alternative source of the drug.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25My son decided he wanted to be a farmer when he grew up
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and hill farming is not a really commercial,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32viable alternative, going forward.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36So I was looking for diversification opportunities for a Welsh hill farm.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40We're off the beaten track, there's no passing trade,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42a farm shop wouldn't work.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45We needed a crop that had an industrial application.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And presumably the conditions up here mean
0:08:48 > 0:08:50the things you can grow are quite limited.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53It's full of stones, high altitude, so it's cold.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- Not the easiest place to plough and cultivate.- You're absolutely right.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Some of the daffodil-growing experts I've spoken to
0:09:00 > 0:09:02consider me to be completely mad.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04But I'm not growing daffodils, I'm growing galanthamine.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07What's the market like for the product?
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Currently, the market is worth about 8 billion.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15The problem with Alzheimer's disease is it's increasing
0:09:15 > 0:09:18at a terrific rate, and that's set to double in the next 20 years,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20then double again in the following 20 years.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Anything that can tackle those numbers has to be a good thing.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Galanthamine is only found in a few varieties of daffodil,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and only in significant quantities when it's grown at altitude.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39This stresses the plant and causes it to produce the chemical.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46The smell of some of these varieties is really intoxicating.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The thing is, though, I wouldn't be tempted
0:09:48 > 0:09:52to start knocking up a home remedy out of these
0:09:52 > 0:09:55because they are extremely toxic.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Armed with my daffodils, I'm off to a trial site
0:09:59 > 0:10:03high in the Brecon Beacons to meet Professor Trevor Walker.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05His research has gone a long way in treating
0:10:05 > 0:10:11some of the 465,000 people affected by Alzheimer's in the UK.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It looks like we've got a picnic set up here, Trevor.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20What are we going to do?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23We're going to see if there's any galanthamine in these varieties
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- that you've picked for us. - OK.- We'll cut these bulbs off.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We'll squeeze some juice out of them
0:10:30 > 0:10:35and take that juice back for filtration.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39So you're already looking for the presence of galanthamine
0:10:39 > 0:10:42in different plants. What sort of sparked off that hunt?
0:10:42 > 0:10:46We had a eureka moment when the wife of one of my colleagues
0:10:46 > 0:10:50was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the age of 58
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and we decided we'd do something about it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57We'd make galanthamine available as an anti-Alzheimer's drug
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to do something about the extortionate costs
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and the tremendous cost of care.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07If you could delay someone going into a home for a few years,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09then you've made a great saving.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- You've got a lovely collection there.- Look at that!
0:11:11 > 0:11:12That's absolutely perfect.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14We'll take that back to the girls at the labs.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- And that's enough?- That's enough. - You'd never think
0:11:17 > 0:11:19that bit of plant juice would contain such an important drug
0:11:19 > 0:11:22that can really transform people's lives.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Now, for the first time,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29the daffodil fields are able to commercially supply galanthamine.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Currently, people like Keith get the drug elsewhere.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35He was diagnosed two years ago.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Totally gutted in the beginning.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42You think it's the end of the world.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49But time passed and you realise that life will carry on.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I'm living a full life...
0:11:53 > 0:11:57..thanks to the... the medication that I'm taking.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02How do you think you'd feel if you didn't take the medication?
0:12:02 > 0:12:06My quality of life would drop a lot.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I would forget things in a big way.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Mm-hm.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Now...
0:12:14 > 0:12:17..it's just one or two things that I get wrong.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19So, how do you take the galanthamine?
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Is it a pill or is it an injection?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- No, it's a pill, only a little thing, that big.- OK.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Right, so a single pill a day has this huge impact on your life?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Oh, it's unbelievable! Unbelievable.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The work that these guys are doing here, growing all these daffodils,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36you think they'd just look pretty,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38but it's so important to so many people.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It is, especially me!
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Who'd have thought that the humble daffodil could be such a giant
0:12:52 > 0:12:54at treating such a debilitating disease?
0:13:00 > 0:13:04And I'm happy to say that since we first showed this film,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Keith is still living a full life
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and, as he put it, he's still on the daffs.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15From fields of daffodils in Wales to the wild woods of Derbyshire now,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18where a couple of years ago Anita met a craftsmen who didn't
0:13:18 > 0:13:23chop down trees to make chairs, he just grew his furniture from seed.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Every tree tells a story.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Every fork, every twist, every knot is a life history written in wood.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38A tale of seasons, scars and sunlight.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41But it's a slow tale.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45You might not notice it grow, but over time, months and years,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49a tree is shaped by its surroundings.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Like this derelict mill, slowly reclaimed by woodland -
0:13:54 > 0:13:57roots and branches twisting over stones,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59long abandoned by man.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02But what if you could tame this process?
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Bend it to your will, train the tree into a very specific shape?
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Well, one man here in Derbyshire is doing just that.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Gavin Munro is an artist and furniture designer.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18After years in California making pieces from driftwood, he returned
0:14:18 > 0:14:23to his home county of Derbyshire to become a farmer of furniture.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- Hi, Gavin.- Hi there. - Lovely to meet you.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- Right, so you're growing furniture. - That's right.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33You'll have to explain this to me. What is going on?
0:14:33 > 0:14:34What do you mean by that?
0:14:34 > 0:14:39Well, what it means is we're neatly organising woodland
0:14:39 > 0:14:44and shaping trees as they grow into the shapes of chairs and tables.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46- Like these?- All sorts, yeah.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49So this is our prototype, this is the thing that kind of
0:14:49 > 0:14:53got the ball rolling and proved to us that it will work.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57This was grown as four trees brought together,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59which is why it was quite hard to make the seat.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- This branch here was from one tree. - Yeah.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This is from another and these here are brought together here
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and you can see where they've grafted together into one piece.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10This was the thing that gave us the confidence
0:15:10 > 0:15:12to then plant the rest of this.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Gavin remembers when his inspiration struck.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18It was one of those eureka moments where I realised that
0:15:18 > 0:15:22instead of chopping trees down and making them into smaller bits
0:15:22 > 0:15:24just to stick back together again,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27we could grow these into the shapes we want.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- It made so much sense. - How long does it take?
0:15:29 > 0:15:31It takes between four and eight years for a chair.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- That's a long time for a chair. - It is a long time for a chair,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36but we're making stuff from wood.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Wood is basically solid air and sunshine.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42This is a kind of... It's kind of like 3-D printing.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Today, Gavin is experimenting with everything
0:15:46 > 0:15:50from fast-growing willow to oak, sycamore and hazel.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54The chairs start life upside down.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- Well, it looks impressive.- Cheers.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03And I think I can see how this is starting to take shape.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09- This is the chair back. These will form the seat.- Oh, fantastic!- Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11And these will come along here,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and then the four legs will come out the back.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18It's brilliant. And how do you get a tree to do what you want it to do?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21You can't force a tree to do something it doesn't want to do,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25because the branch will die and it will start again somewhere else.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28So, actually, we've got to make a pretty nice life for the tree.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30For every hundred pieces that we have,
0:16:30 > 0:16:35we want to keep control over a thousand branches that we want,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38and there's 10,000 branches that we don't want,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and we've just got to make sure that we're doing the rounds,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46making sure that we spot the right moment to bend the right branch.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Growing chairs is hard graft.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Gavin's team is here in all weathers,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53making sure the trees are flourishing.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It won't be long before the first batch of chairs
0:16:56 > 0:16:58is ready to harvest.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- I can see it!- Yeah. - It's all becoming so clear.- Uh-huh.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Is it absolutely finished, this? - Well, the shape is finished.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Now we're just waiting for this one to thicken up.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Then we'll plane off some of the outer edges,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- so it'll look a little bit like this that you can see here.- Ah!
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- Gorgeous!- This is a projection
0:17:17 > 0:17:19of one of the ones further down the row.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The time it takes to grow a chair means each will sell
0:17:22 > 0:17:24for around £2,500.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29What's the benefit of having one of these over a shop-bought wood chair?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Well, there's the environmental benefit to start with, of course,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but one of the main aspects is the kind of aesthetic quality.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Each one of these is a kind of art piece.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43And because there's no joints, like regularly made stuff,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45everything's grafted into one solid piece,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48these could last for hundreds of years.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Making them an heirloom for any BRANCH of the family.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02I've travelled to the foot of the Mendip Hills in Somerset
0:18:02 > 0:18:07to visit a traditional kitchen garden that's packed, wall to wall,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10with all manner of colourful plants and flowers.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But, as beautiful as this garden is, it's not just about the visual
0:18:17 > 0:18:19but also the edible.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23At one restaurant, they're not only growing their own seasonal produce,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25they're fermenting it,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29preserving this summer larder for the lean winter months.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35The Ethicurean restaurant is true to its sense of place.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40Its owners, Matthew and Iain Pennington, grow all their own veg.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It's all local and seasonal.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46And they've come up with a novel way of feeding diners
0:18:46 > 0:18:48during the hungry gap, those few months in the spring
0:18:48 > 0:18:51when nothing comes out of the ground.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56How many different types of fruit and veggies do you grow?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's quite difficult to quantify, but pretty much everything
0:18:59 > 0:19:02that you can imagine to be grown in a walled garden, we grow it.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Loads of different varieties, maybe 20 to 30 different
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- varieties of things we've got growing at any point.- Wow.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11And what are we having? These today?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Yeah, we're going to harvest some beetroot today.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I love beetroot, I absolutely love beetroot.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17And you pickle everything?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19We ferment a lot, we pickle a lot.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Come summertime, we've got a lot of fresh produce to use
0:19:21 > 0:19:23so we will ferment everything there
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- to kind of see us through the harder times.- Nice.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Fermenting is the latest red-hot foodie trend.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's like pickling but you leave the vegetables for longer.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Shall we take them indoors, then? - Absolutely, yeah.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And eating fermented veg is said to have added health benefits.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Right, let's ferment beetroot. What have I got to do?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It's only going to involve some salt, some water,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and we're going to use a little bit of yoghurt whey this time.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55- Yoghurt whey? So, we chop it up, I presume?- Yes, tear off the leaves.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Tear off the tops.- Keep it rustic on the top, do we?- Yeah, why not?
0:19:58 > 0:19:59These are chunky pieces
0:19:59 > 0:20:01because we're going to make a slow ferment.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- What are we making out of this? - We're making a beetroot kvass.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Kvass? What does that mean?
0:20:07 > 0:20:11It's normally a fermented bread drink but, in this case,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14we're going to use vegetables, because they contain lactobacillus,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16and it'll do the same thing as a bread yeast would.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, it's a bit like those yoghurt-y drinks you buy that are healthy...
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Yes, it's packed with lactobacillus, which is
0:20:22 > 0:20:24what we will naturally find in our gut anyway.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And it's one that is really beneficial to us.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I guess most people think of sauerkraut when they think of
0:20:30 > 0:20:32this fermenting thing. We're not that used to it
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- in this country, are we?- There are so many types of things
0:20:34 > 0:20:37that can be made. You could have kefirs, which are fermented milks,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39all the vegetable ferments.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41We need to catch on, don't we, in this country a little bit.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44We're getting there, absolutely. It's getting more and more popular.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Jar full of beetroot - what goes in next?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So, this is a live organic yoghurt.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50We're also going to introduce a little bit of lovage.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54So, this is a herb from the garden which is a really distinct
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- celery, curried...- It's like celery. - It's like celery on steroids.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Mineral water.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03We need to add salt.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07It's going to allow the lactobacillus to thrive.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09And that's that, and you leave it for how long?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- We're going to leave that one for a month.- A month? So a fair old while.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- At room temperature, yeah.- Can I sample what it will taste like?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- Yeah. We've got some glasses there, have we?- Look at the colour of that!
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- It's incredible, this. - Straight out of nature.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- This is from October last year. - A vintage year!
0:21:26 > 0:21:28When the beetroot was at its finest.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31And this is how you'd have it, you'd have it as a drink like this?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- Yeah, absolutely. - Look at that colour! Wild.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Everyone take your glass.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I love the way we're swilling it like a great single malt.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- Right, down the hatch, then. Cheers to you guys.- Cheers.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Ooh! It's got a really clean flavour, still a hint of beetroot
0:21:48 > 0:21:50but that tanginess in the background.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- It's got a nice acidity to it, yeah, absolutely.- Yoghurt-y fresh.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I had no idea fermented beetroot could be such a tonic.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03You live and learn.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Plants don't just feed us.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10They appeal to all our senses,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13their bright colours a real feast for the eyes.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22In the shadow of the Highlands, John went to stimulate a different sense.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Rather than feed his appetite, he followed his nose.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33This led to an encounter with renowned biochemist George Dodd,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36known in chemistry circles as Dr Smell.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42How are you, George?
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Fancy meeting on a beach like this!
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Welcome to the Highlands.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Thank you very much. And what's it like to be known as Dr Smell?
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- In the nicest possible way. - You just get used to it.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57In truth, I was born downwind of Guinness's brewery in Dublin,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and I always say it's the wonderful tangy aroma
0:22:59 > 0:23:01that stimulated my sense of smell.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And what a perfect place here to smell the ocean.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07In the spring, the ocean warms up very quickly here,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and the algae, the green seaweed, begins to bloom.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15And that emits a very telltale aroma of spring, particularly for birds.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Literally, you have the cleanest air in the world.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It's coming across 3,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean from America,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and it's filtered and cleaned. You can't beat it, John.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27We were designed to smell the world.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34George is also a master perfumer and his triad of smells has
0:23:34 > 0:23:38inspired him to create a scent that captures spring in the Highlands.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41First up, it's the green smells.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Pluck a little bit and have a sniff.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Put it up to your nose.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49That's one of the most important biological molecules for humans.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52That's the smell of spring, as the Earth warms up.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54That tells us the vitality of life is coming back.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Along with the green... You get the green note on top of the Earth?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- That's a much softer smell, isn't it?- Much softer.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05A magical molecule called geosmin, "geo" from Earth,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08the Greek for Earth, and "osmic", the Greek word for smell.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Natural green smells are happy.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15We're biologically engineered to respond. It's a feel-good feeling.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19I must say, I feel quite happy now. Where shall we go next?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Next, it's the smell of Highland wood, although
0:24:23 > 0:24:28I discover that this time my nose isn't as finely tuned as George's.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32So, what am I supposed to be smelling?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It's a very faint but very deep woody smell.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37THEY SNIFF
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Nothing at all there, George, I'm afraid, for me.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- We'll have to give you some smell training lessons!- Yes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Overlooking Loch Ewe lies the last component
0:24:49 > 0:24:51in George's trio of spring smells.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56This is unique. This is Highland myrtle.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- These are miniature myrtle.- These are only found, these plants, here?
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Only found in the Highlands. They grow wild. Oh, goodness me!
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Smell that. Smell that! It leaps out at you.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- It's a lovely, green, resin... - It does, doesn't it?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12A lovely, green resin-y smell.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But, you know, George, the frustration, I think,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19is that people at home can't smell all the aromas that we're smelling.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Give them two or three years, we're working on it.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24In my research group at the University of Warwick, we are
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- putting the age-old dream of smelly television into practice.- Really?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30So, that could really happen, could it?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Smelly telly is just around the corner?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Yes, it's going to revolutionise Countryfile.- Yes!
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Down by the loch, it's time to put to the test
0:25:39 > 0:25:43whether those three distinctive smells of spring can be bottled.
0:25:43 > 0:25:50Adrian Hollister was one of George's biochemistry students in the 1970s.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Hello, Adrian.- John. - How are you? Good to see you.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- So, this is the final product? - This is the final product.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Springtime in the Highlands. In a jar.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Yeah, I'd buy that.- You'd buy that?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I'd buy that as the Highlands in a bottle.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Here's a bottle I bottled earlier for you.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Oh, thank you!
0:26:16 > 0:26:19From the heady fragrances of the Highlands
0:26:19 > 0:26:23to the exotic scents of the Himalayas.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33I'm not in a Nepalese jungle but in a school glasshouse in the Mendips.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38In here are some of the rarest orchids in the world.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43But, in the wild, many are foraged for medicine
0:26:43 > 0:26:45so face the threat of extinction.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Orchids like these are highly prized in traditional medicine
0:26:49 > 0:26:52for their healing properties, but this trade is
0:26:52 > 0:26:56doing terrible damage to wild populations across the world.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07The pupils at Writhlington and Mendips Studios School
0:27:07 > 0:27:10are combating this problem by growing rare varieties
0:27:10 > 0:27:12from seed in their greenhouse.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And they each have their own particular favourites.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24This is...
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Dracula bella.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28And...
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Well, it's an orchid.
0:27:30 > 0:27:37It has a rather pungent odour that smells a bit, to me, like cheese.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It smells a bit like...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44This is Sobralia macrantha.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46We call it Samantha.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51It doesn't really smell. It smells a bit like toast.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56By looking after the plants, the pupils here are learning
0:27:56 > 0:28:00all about their breeding and propagation.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Simon, hello.- Welcome, Ellie. - Thank you. This place is amazing!
0:28:03 > 0:28:08It's all the brainchild of teacher and orchid-lover Simon Pugh-Jones.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13- Wow. It's wild in here.- Yes, so this is our Cool Asia section,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15so we've got a lot of the Himalayan species that mostly flower
0:28:15 > 0:28:18in the spring, but they're in their growth season at the moment.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Where did your passion for orchids come from?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Well, I've been passionate about orchids since I was a teenager.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25So, I started growing them when I was 13.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27And I've kind of been addicted ever since.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30I just knew when I became a teacher that they had potential,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32in terms of the stories they tell about the places
0:28:32 > 0:28:35they come from, the ecosystems that they're part of.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38And now this is a nationally important collection, isn't it?
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It's kind of become that way. We've been doing it now for 27 years,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45which means the little plants we had 27 years ago
0:28:45 > 0:28:47are now real monster orchids.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50This is Renanthera imschootiana.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53It's identified as one of the most threatened plants in the world.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55It's rare, it's very attractive,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58so it's been mostly stripped from its habitat.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04All these exotic beauties started out as microscopic organisms,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07grown in their thousands in jam jars.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12So, in there, you've got probably 50,000 orchids.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16And they are complicated to raise from seed
0:29:16 > 0:29:18but I was convinced we could do it in a school,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22and having proved that, we're now sharing that model around the world.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25This is Coelogyne nitida, which comes from the Himalayas.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28This is used to treat fevers and also burns.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31So, it's not the medicinal use that's the problem.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34- It's the fact they're collected unsustainably.- Taken from the wild.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37But if these can be grown, if people can develop the knowledge to grow
0:29:37 > 0:29:40them themselves, then they don't need to take the wild specimens.
0:29:40 > 0:29:41Yeah, yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44So, if you look at... There's one plant,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47there's 10,000 plants in a jar,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50you can turn these into these without too much problems,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53once you've been taught the skills and the techniques.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58One of the rarest species in here is Pseudolaelia corcovadensis -
0:29:58 > 0:30:00easier to grow than to say.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04They're a busy bunch in here.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09Even so, it hasn't been recorded in its native Brazil since 1935.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10Hi, Jess. How's it going?
0:30:10 > 0:30:14But student Jess is poised to reintroduce it back into the wild.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19This could be one of the only plants of the species in the entire world.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21- It just makes it so special.- Yeah.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23And makes it incredibly important,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and the fact that we may have the opportunity to reintroduce it
0:30:26 > 0:30:28and to get its numbers back up,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- it just makes it an incredible plant, really.- Wow!
0:30:35 > 0:30:37This school project shows
0:30:37 > 0:30:40that if you grow and manage orchids sustainably,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43then it might just be possible to harvest them for medicine
0:30:43 > 0:30:45without threatening their survival.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52And growing medicinal plants can also be a sustainable business
0:30:52 > 0:30:53for UK farmers.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59It can be a bit of a risk
0:30:59 > 0:31:02moving away from traditional arable farming
0:31:02 > 0:31:05in favour of more unusual crops.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Last summer, Anita visited a farm
0:31:07 > 0:31:11where the scent of camomile and peppermint filled the air.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Here at this farm, they're in the business
0:31:21 > 0:31:23of creating something rather special,
0:31:23 > 0:31:28by taking crops like this and turning it into this.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33The farm specialises in creating top-quality essential oils.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35From lavender to camomile,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38the oil is cooked up right here on the premises.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44But there's an ancient crop that's at the heart of the harvest here.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51Sir Michael Coleman, of the famous Coleman dynasty, is the owner.
0:31:51 > 0:31:5620 years ago, he decided to revive a once much-loved British crop -
0:31:56 > 0:31:57peppermint.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Britain was once at the forefront of growing world-class mint.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04But during the Second World War,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07land used to grow the mint was reclaimed
0:32:07 > 0:32:11for farming essential produce, and the crop fell out of favour.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- Lovely to see you. - Hello, lovely to see you too.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Sir Michael decided to grow
0:32:16 > 0:32:18traditional Black Mitcham peppermint,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21originally produced in Surrey.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23So, what was the eureka moment where you thought,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25this is it, we have to do peppermint?
0:32:25 > 0:32:28I was very fortunate.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31A lovely lady, she asked if she could come and see me.
0:32:31 > 0:32:37She came along and she said, "My grandfather had a farm in Surrey
0:32:37 > 0:32:43"growing peppermint and he showed me pictures of the still."
0:32:43 > 0:32:47He used to sit with it all night, putting steam through it.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53And she still had a bottle of oil off his still.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55She very kindly gave me a bit. There you are.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- Ah, it's lovely! - It's amazing, isn't it?
0:32:58 > 0:33:00That's really strong, for 100 years old.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It is amazing how it's kept its punch.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05And it's a heritage product, isn't it?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08- That you're bringing back.- Exactly.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10The farm's manager, Ian Margetts,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13has spent 20 years getting to grips with his crop.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18There is a wonderful smell in the air, Ian. It's fantastic.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20We're in this field of Black Mitcham peppermint.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23We've got Derek in the background there mowing the crop down.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27So what you can smell is the vapour that's coming off that as we mow it.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30It really does smell fantastic. Can we take a closer look?
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- Of course we can, yes. Indeed. - If I tasted it...
0:33:33 > 0:33:37- A lot more potent than you would get in your garden mint.- Oh, wow!
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Totally different beast to the garden mint.- Very different.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Is it very different to grow than the mint in our back gardens?
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Because that just grows like a weed, doesn't it?
0:33:45 > 0:33:47This is a very difficult crop to grow.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51I classify it as a lazy crop. It only roots in about this much soil,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54so it is one that wants a lot of nurturing.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55So, how have you mastered it?
0:33:55 > 0:33:59I knew that the Americans were growing very fine peppermint crops
0:33:59 > 0:34:01in the Willamette Valley.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04They'd already got a good system of distillation,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06so I thought I'm not going to reinvent the wheel,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08so we imported the equipment back here.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10So, once the mint has been cut, what happens next?
0:34:10 > 0:34:15What we do, we leave it on the ground for, say, 24, 48 hours,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17depending on the weather. We want it to wilt.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19In the leaf is where the oil capsules are,
0:34:19 > 0:34:20and that's what we're after.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23So we're not interested in the moisture within the plant,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26we need the oil capsules that are in the leaf.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29So we can pick it up, chop it, put it into the distillation unit,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31then take it down there and plug it into the steam.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Now it's my turn to get to grips with gathering in the mint.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Off we go.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Whoo-hoo, this is fun!
0:34:45 > 0:34:47I'm going all over the shop here.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49I don't want to make a mess of Sir Michael's fields.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51No, you'll be all right.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Once the harvest is gathered, it's off to the distillery.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Just like the peppermint,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06the distillery equipment has been brought over from America.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12So, we've harvested the peppermint, Ian,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14what's the next stage of the process?
0:35:14 > 0:35:19Well, this is where the separation takes place, in this container here.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21It comes in at the bottom, then floats off
0:35:21 > 0:35:23and the oil floats on the water
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- so we've got the pure oil floating up here.- Yeah.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28We've got waste water running away here, and this is the pure oil here.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31- That's pure oil?- That is pure oil. - There it is.- Indeed.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33The alchemy!
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- The magic. And it's distilled to here.- Yeah.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41And how does it compare in profitability to a cereal crop?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43If we get this right and we do our job correctly,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46we end up with this lovely oil that we are getting, it can be worth
0:35:46 > 0:35:48about six times the value of a cereal crop.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51It really is that profitable.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- It's not hot, it's not that greasy. - No.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Whoo!
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I am going to smell of peppermint for a long time.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- Lovely stuff.- Nicest-smelling farm I've ever been on.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05I'm glad to hear it.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Here in the South West, the sheer beauty of the landscape
0:36:18 > 0:36:21cascades down the rolling Mendip Hills.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Reds pop, yellows sing and purples dance,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32all in a bid to attract the local pollinators.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36But these vibrant colours attract OUR senses too.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Natural dyes from flowers, roots and berries
0:36:39 > 0:36:42are enjoying a bit of a resurgence,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45with designers like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney
0:36:45 > 0:36:48using these natural methods in their collections.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54I'm meeting a local dye-maker who's turn her back on synthetic dyes
0:36:54 > 0:36:58and toxic chemicals in favour of more natural ingredients.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Hi, Flora.- Hello. - I've brought you a little gift.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07I thought they were quite vivid.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12- Yeah, I think those will work really well.- It's like an apothecary here.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14All these here, have you sourced them yourself?
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Yeah, it's a complete mixture of some things
0:37:16 > 0:37:20like the roses and the buddleia
0:37:20 > 0:37:22I've just picked and gathered.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Some things I forage and then some things,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26like onion skins, are just food waste.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30And then some things I grow, like sunflower seeds and marigolds.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34So it's a complete mixture of just seeing what's there
0:37:34 > 0:37:35and where I can find things.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38And how do you choose which one comes up with which colour?
0:37:38 > 0:37:41You just experiment, really, cos some plants are obvious.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Like roses make pink, or whatever the colour of the rose is.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46But some colours aren't obvious.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50So, buddleia, it makes a yellow, although it's a purple flour.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Oh, really? That's a surprise.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Can I have a go at doing some dyeing?- Yeah. Let's have a go.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59I use silk because silk is the most effective fabric to use
0:37:59 > 0:38:01for natural dyeing, the easiest fabric to use,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03cos it's made of protein.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Natural dye-making has a long and romantic heritage.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13The earliest examples of plants
0:38:13 > 0:38:17grown and cultivated for natural dyes dates back thousands of years.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Everything in nature is beautiful, so it's much easier to get
0:38:24 > 0:38:28- colours that go together using natural colours.- Natural dyes.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30This doesn't look very floral.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34No, these are rusty nails, which you can also use.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37You can see here we have some rusty nails in here.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And you can see how it changes the colour.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42- Gosh, yes. - So that's where the nails were.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- You get the lovely rusty colour. - Lovely rust colour.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46What's the hardest colour to create?
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Green, funnily enough.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Because green is made from chlorophyll, which is living,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54so in the autumn all the leaves die
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and they go brown, so it's very unstable.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59- So, what's in here? - That is vinegar.- Vinegar?
0:38:59 > 0:39:01It's so difficult in this wind.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03It does actually create quite a nice ripple,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05it all adds to the artistry of the bees.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10So, this helps us to fix the colour into the cloth as well.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12So, now we just need to fold it in half.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- You can be quite random with it. - Not even a neat fold. Look at that.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- So if you just hold that, I'll get some string.- OK.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- Like a little Christmas parcel there.- Yeah.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- So we're just going to steam this... with a clip.- Right.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And then we just...
0:39:31 > 0:39:32Steam away.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41Using the colours of nature is a magical and mysterious process.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43You never know what you might get.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- So, the moment of truth.- Yeah.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- The yellow's come out really nicely. - Wow.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55- That's lovely.- Yeah.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- How about that? Oh, wow! - That's come out really nicely.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- It's really vivid, isn't it?- Yeah. - What do you love about doing this?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04I find it's just that relationship with nature,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07learning about different plants that grow at different times of year
0:40:07 > 0:40:11and what you can use them for. Not just looking at things as weeds.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13And for people who are worried about synthetic dyes
0:40:13 > 0:40:17and toxic chemicals used, this is a much lighter touch on the planet.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- Absolutely. - And also a thing of beauty.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30From one natural yellow to another.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34A while ago, Matt went to meet a farming family in the Chilterns
0:40:34 > 0:40:37who are growing one of our most brightly coloured crops.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44The oil it produces is one of the healthiest there is,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47having less saturated fats than all other cooking oils.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53Along with linseed, it's the only oil grown and bottled in the UK.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56It is of course...
0:40:56 > 0:40:58..rapeseed.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00In recent decades,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03fields of gold have become a familiar sight in our countryside.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Simon Mead's family have been growing rapeseed since the 1980s.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Eight years ago, they began transforming its tiny black grains
0:41:15 > 0:41:17into the liquid gold of rapeseed oil.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Now, obviously, Simon, when you're growing this yourself
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and trying to produce the finest oil you can, protection is the key.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26And that's why we're carrying this stuff here.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Yes, the pigeons are starting to become a bit of a nuisance.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33They've eaten all the beech mast up in the Chiltern Hills
0:41:33 > 0:41:35and this is the next crop on the menu.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39In a hard winter, when there's not much else for the pigeons to eat,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43they can reduce even a crop like this down to ground level.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46So we're going to set some up and see if we can scare them off a bit.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49These are bird-scarers. Basically, you just light the end of the rope
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and then, as time progresses, the bangers go off.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Every half an hour.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55So they go off and it scares them off.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Establishing this crop initially, it's quite a tricky process, Simon.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Yes, it gets planted in August
0:42:03 > 0:42:07and it's in the ground all the way through to the following July,
0:42:07 > 0:42:09so it's in the ground for 11 months.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11There's lots of opportunity for things to go wrong.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14But once it's up and away, like this crop here,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16we don't seem to have many problems.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21In the spring, rapeseed produces yellow flowers
0:42:21 > 0:42:23that turn into seed pods.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27By mid-summer, the pods have dried out and the seeds turn black.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31It's these seeds which are pressed to create the oil.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33We get about 3½ to 4½ tonnes a hectare,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- which is about the size of a football pitch.- Yeah.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41- That should produce about 2,000 to 2,500 bottles off a hectare.- Right.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45So, off this field, we're getting about 32,000 bottles.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50OK, right, let's get this sorted out so you can get rid of these pigeons.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Simon's crop has already become a buffet for the birds today.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55So it's time to light the bangers.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Super.- That's it, so we'd better get out of the way.- Yes.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03There must be 300 or so up there. I saw a flock as I came in.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04EXPLOSION
0:43:04 > 0:43:06WINGS FLAP
0:43:12 > 0:43:16Once harvested, the rapeseed grains are dried and stored,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19then cold-pressed and bottled on the farm.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23The result is 100% pure rapeseed oil.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Simon has recently started using the oil to create a new product.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31Right, so the seasoning and the sugar has already gone in.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33This is a bowlful of mustard.
0:43:33 > 0:43:38And we're in the process of making some mayonnaise, then, Simon.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Yeah, it's a natural progression to go down, Matt.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45There's lots of oil in it, 70% of a good mayonnaise is oil.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52- Has it been quite a steep learning curve?- We've split a few batches...
0:43:52 > 0:43:54- Right.- ..before we got it right.
0:43:54 > 0:43:55Next is?
0:43:55 > 0:43:57- Egg yolk. - Yes, it's a free-range egg yolk.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Right, so that's all the ingredients in there now?
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Yeah, all the main ingredients.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Just get it all mixed up nicely before we start introducing the oil.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Oh, yeah, look at the difference.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15- Stir the outside into the middle, Matt.- Yeah.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19- You've made and a nice mayonnaise there, Matt, well done.- Happy, yeah?
0:44:27 > 0:44:31And there you have it - my very first jar of mayonnaise.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44But it's not just cultivated plants that provide for us.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49Britain's wildflower meadows are also very much part of our diet,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51our wellbeing and our language.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57In Devon, John took a stroll through the history
0:44:57 > 0:45:01and medicinal properties of some of our most remarkable meadow species.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Some of Britain's meadowland plants and flowers
0:45:05 > 0:45:07have the most wonderful names.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09How about sneezewort?
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Or bee's bread? Or nosebleed?
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Even granny's toenails?
0:45:14 > 0:45:17But how and why did they get these amazing names?
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Here in Devon, Bridget McNeil teaches people about the history
0:45:32 > 0:45:37and medicinal properties of some of our remarkable meadow species.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40This place is absolutely jam-packed with wildflowers, isn't it?
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- A fantastic place to work. - I know, I'm so lucky.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47It's got so many varieties, habitats and medicinal plants,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50edible plants, it's beautiful, really beautiful.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- You know this one? - That's a nettle.- That's a nettle.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56- A beauty, this is my favourite plant.- Why is that?
0:45:56 > 0:45:57It's just so good for you.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01I eat it, I use it as a medicine, it's food as medicine, really.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04So, what do you do with all the wildflowers that you collect?
0:46:04 > 0:46:08Well, I make salves, make tinctures, make oils and vinegars,
0:46:08 > 0:46:12so it's really stepping between the worlds of food and medicine.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Plants growing on your doorstep or in these beautiful meadows
0:46:15 > 0:46:17are so beneficial.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20For Bridget, meadows are nature's medicine cabinet.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22She's going to use some of what we've collected
0:46:22 > 0:46:24to make a healing ointment.
0:46:24 > 0:46:25This is a wound salve,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28which has some of the things we picked earlier.
0:46:28 > 0:46:33So, really wonderful for wounds and bruises and strains and muscle ache.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36I've got a touch of tennis elbow at the moment. Will it work on that?
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Yes. We shall give you some salve to take away with you.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Many herbs and plants were often named
0:46:42 > 0:46:46for their medicinal properties or for the way they looked.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- What about a really common plant, like dandelion?- Yeah.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52- Has that got more than one name? - It's got so many names.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- In this country, there are about 90 different names.- Never!
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Yeah, so here's a leaf of dandelion.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59- Dent de lion, in French. - Lion's tooth.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Lion's tooth. Can you see?
0:47:01 > 0:47:03Oh, yes.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06These names were like a gateway for ordinary folk
0:47:06 > 0:47:09to be able to know what plants did what.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12So you've got the woundwort here, staunch weed, nosebleed.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Of course, you've got to be very careful with some of them,
0:47:15 > 0:47:16- haven't you?- Yeah.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19This is hemlock, one of the most poisonous plants in Britain.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22This plant will kill you, if ingested.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26So you've really got to know what you're doing when it comes to herbs.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27Absolutely you do.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- And how's the salve doing, then? - It's doing really well.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33I'm going to add this beeswax. And that will melt in.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37You know, modern medicine is taken from plants.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40So, aspirin originated from meadowsweet and willow.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43We all know camomile has that lovely calming effect.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48These ancient remedies have a really important place in modern life.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52- A really important place. I think this is ready to pour.- Right.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56There we go.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04- So, here you go, John. One finished salve.- Thank you, Bridget.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- Use it on your elbow. - I'll let you know what happens.
0:48:07 > 0:48:08- Yeah, do.- Thank you.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12For many centuries, people have had faith
0:48:12 > 0:48:14in the healing properties of plants.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18But before they can be used on an industrial scale,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20they need rigorous testing.
0:48:20 > 0:48:21At this laboratory in Plymouth,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Dr Jan Knight is carrying out important research.
0:48:26 > 0:48:27This is the first time, Jan,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I've ever seen wildflowers in a laboratory.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31What are they here for?
0:48:31 > 0:48:33It's probably the first time they've been growing
0:48:33 > 0:48:35in our laboratory as well,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38but people bring us materials for us to test.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42So, we do a lot of work for cosmetics, for the food industry,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46for the supplement industry, and to the pharma industry as well.
0:48:46 > 0:48:51It's difficult to use wild plants and flowers in commercial medicines
0:48:51 > 0:48:54because their active compounds can vary a great deal.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58So people are now taking it seriously, scientifically...
0:48:58 > 0:49:01- Yes.- ..the claims some of these plants make.
0:49:01 > 0:49:02But you have to prove it.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- Correct.- You have to prove it in a laboratory.- Yes.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09The anecdotal results have given you feedback that this seems to be
0:49:09 > 0:49:12good for this condition, but you daren't make the claim
0:49:12 > 0:49:15until you've actually carried out clinical trials.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Jan's tests aim to make sure the wild plants used in medical
0:49:19 > 0:49:23and cosmetic products are always at the same potency.
0:49:23 > 0:49:30There is an enormous wealth of potential material in our plants.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33You find the gems, then cultivate them
0:49:33 > 0:49:37and then use those as your source for new ideas.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40It's good to know that the ancient skills
0:49:40 > 0:49:43of turning wildflowers into medicines still survive
0:49:43 > 0:49:48and that modern science is now helping ensure their effectiveness.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Now, in a moment, I'm going to be up close
0:49:54 > 0:49:58with one of the most powerful medicinal drugs in the world.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01But first, do we need to water the flowers this week?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Time to find out with the Countryfile forecast.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12I've been exploring the power of plants,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15how they play a part in many aspects of our daily lives.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22We've turned to their healing qualities for millennia.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25And there's one plant above all others
0:51:25 > 0:51:28whose medicinal power is without equal.
0:51:29 > 0:51:34A couple of summers ago, I was given rare access to a top-secret site
0:51:34 > 0:51:38in Dorset where they were growing this plant on an industrial scale.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42It was to be the last crop grown here
0:51:42 > 0:51:45before our rainy climate got the better of it.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54The plant that I'm about to see is one of the most powerful
0:51:54 > 0:51:55and valuable known to man.
0:52:04 > 0:52:10These are opium poppies, the plant we use to get morphine from.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13The stuff used to treat the very worst kind of pain.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19The flowers look wonderful in full bloom,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23but they need to die back and dry out before they can be harvested.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27This crop belongs to pharmaceutical company MacFarlan Smith,
0:52:27 > 0:52:32the only company allowed to produce morphine in the UK,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36which they do under special licence from the Home Office.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Jonathan Gibbs is their head of production.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Jonathan, this is pretty incredible,
0:52:42 > 0:52:44I've never seen anything like this before.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46How many poppies do you think you've got growing here?
0:52:46 > 0:52:49On this farm, we've got 120 hectares of poppies.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53And that's out of 2,500 hectares that we've got growing in the UK.
0:52:53 > 0:52:54Gosh.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57This is just one of 45 sites
0:52:57 > 0:53:01where the company is growing opium poppies.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Any day now, harvesting will begin.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06It's done using a specially adapted harvester
0:53:06 > 0:53:10which takes just the poppy head and the top of the stalk.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12It cuts at about 11mph -
0:53:12 > 0:53:15three times faster than a combine cutting wheat.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19So, should you be harvesting now?
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Yeah, unfortunately we'd love to be cutting today,
0:53:22 > 0:53:23but the rain has stopped that.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25So they need to be not squidgy like this?
0:53:25 > 0:53:28No, the capsules need to be rock-hard like a walnut.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30So you want a good few good days of dry before you can harvest.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33Yes, maybe tomorrow afternoon we can get cutting.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35- Constantly watching the weather at harvest time.- Yeah.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Morphine is derived from naturally occurring chemicals
0:53:44 > 0:53:46found in the outer casing of the seed pod
0:53:46 > 0:53:49and the top couple of inches of the stalk.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55So, how do you go from these poppy-head maracas to the drug?
0:53:55 > 0:53:58We get the crop to our initial processing facility
0:53:58 > 0:54:02and it goes through a separator to separate the seeds from the straw.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06And the straw gets hammer-milled and then pelletised.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10And the pellets increase the density and make storing safer.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12It looks like stock feed like this, doesn't it?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Yeah, it's exactly the same process.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19Those pellets are then taken to a processing plant in Scotland,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22where the morphine is extracted and prepared for medical use.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25And what about these poppy seeds?
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Once we've separated the seeds from the straw,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31it's a valuable by-product that we sell to the culinary markets.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34And if you buy bread with poppy seeds on,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37it's quite likely, in the UK, that we've produced it.
0:54:37 > 0:54:38How much value would you get from,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40let's say, a hectare of these poppies?
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Well, in terms of morphine production,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46we'd be looking at around about the 15 kilo a hectare.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47What does that turn into in money?
0:54:47 > 0:54:51To the farmer, it's around about £1,000 a hectare.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57This has to be one of the most unexpected crops I've ever seen,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00and possibly one of our most important.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11From painkillers to peppermint oil to gin...
0:55:12 > 0:55:16..plants can repair, restore and revitalise.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20We'd be lost without them.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Well, that's it from me
0:55:24 > 0:55:28with the power of plants here in the South West.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32Join us next week when we're in Dartmoor
0:55:32 > 0:55:34exploring the many ways this rugged landscape
0:55:34 > 0:55:37is inspiring artists and craftspeople.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39See you then.