GC episode 10
GC episode 10
Transcript
00:00Sowing the seeds for gardens and outdoor spaces that everyone can love with Alan Titchmarsh's
00:06Gardening Club, brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
00:22Welcome to my new series where I'll be celebrating the people, the plants and the places that
00:28make gardening special right across the UK. And I'll be right here in my own garden swapping
00:34notes with my Gardening Club, joined by a team of passionate experts and we'll meet
00:39those at home and in the community who are breathing new life into forgotten spaces.
00:46So whether you have sprawling acres, a cosy balcony or even just a sunny windowsill, get
00:52ready to roll up your sleeves and dig in with us. Together we'll uncover tips, tricks
00:58and techniques to transform our spaces into vibrant, thriving sanctuaries that nourish
01:05the soul and inspire the spirit. So pour yourself a cuppa and get comfy. Welcome to my Gardening Club.
01:12May brings with it a renewed sense of life in our gardens, as warmer days come in every
01:28corner, buds burst and flowers bask in the late spring sunshine. The bees and birds
01:35are more active than ever, life has begun in earnest. But spring can also be a bit overwhelming,
01:42managing all this fresh growth and the maintenance that comes along with it. But whether you're
01:47new or experienced, don't worry, you're in safe hands in my Gardening Club. And today
01:53is the final episode of this series, so we've filled it with plenty of tips, tricks and
01:58worldly wisdom for you. Over the next hour, Camilla Bassett-Smith will be taking us into
02:04the enchanting glasshouses at Kew to gather some top tips on tropical planting. Tayshan
02:10Hayden-Smith is topping off his epic trip around community spaces with a visit to somewhere
02:16closer to home with a couple of extra special guests. And who could forget our passionate
02:22veg grower Alex. He's back to share the final instalment from his year of growing food in
02:27his garden. I promise you, it's a feast for the eyes and the tummy. But first, all series
02:33David Dominey has done a sterling job at answering your gardening queries, offering up a wealth
02:39of practical advice to help you create the garden of your dreams. Today, he's back for
02:44a final time and your luck is in as he's sharing some of his not-so-secret gardening hacks.
02:52Now, our question this week is from Lewis from Corby and he's asked me, what are my
03:09best gardening hacks? Well, these are the ones I use in my own garden. Scrunched up
03:17newspaper is a great cleaner of the glass for your greenhouse. And if you've got stubborn
03:23algae, a quick dip in the guttering there for a bit of water really helps. And the abrasive
03:29nature of the newspaper itself gives quite a good scouring action to save your newspapers
03:36and that'll help you clean the glass. And newspaper isn't the only thing you can scrunch
03:41up to help you in the garden. Kitchen foil is also a really good cleaner in the garden,
03:51especially for your garden tools. Because drying on mud like that is very difficult
03:57to get off, but the aluminium foil really does a lot of work for you. We've just extended
04:11the whole area to the back and I'm going to plant a rose. But I'm not just going to
04:16dig a hole and put the rose in, no. I'm going to plant it onto a banana. And it's an old
04:24gardener's hack that planting a rose on top of a banana is a really good thing. Because
04:31a banana contains a lot of really good minerals. There's potassium in there as well as phosphorus,
04:37which is great for the health of the rose, the development of flowers and buds and roots.
04:43But it's also got plenty of magnesium. And magnesium is a really good additive into the
04:48soil because it helps plants take up other nutrients. You can also use the skin of the
04:54banana to lay it on the surface where you've got roses. Now obviously it's always better
05:00to use proper rose food, but if you haven't got it, this old gardener's trick is perfect.
05:05There we go. Get yourself straight on that. Well there you are. That's a hack for planting
05:17in the ground. Let me give you another hack for planting in containers. Now during the
05:27summer months, the hard work of growing plants in containers is keeping them well watered.
05:32But during the winter months and autumn, it's making sure they're well drained because sometimes
05:38they get waterlogged. If they get waterlogged, that is one of the quickest killers of plants.
05:43Now what you've got at the bottom of a container is a little drainage hole just there. And
05:49occasionally if it's slap bang on the top of slabs, sometimes it forms a seal. And when
05:54it rains, the rainwater can't get out and just saturates the whole container. Now to
06:01aid the plant with its drainage, you can use these, which are called pot feet, which you
06:07insert underneath the pot, like little feet that keep it above the ground. But more importantly,
06:15keeps a bit of a space from the bottom of the pot to the surface of the patio, which
06:19means it can freely drain. But of course, you have to go out and buy these. Here's a great hack.
06:27Use these. Wine corks. They work just the same. By inserting them underneath the container,
06:35you're giving that extra bit of height there, costing nothing really, just recycling items
06:41that you're using in the house. The only problem is if you've got a lot of pots.
06:45But I think you get the picture. Now my final tip is all about identifying which plants are
06:58alive or dead. Certainly when it comes down to the end of spring, because twigs really,
07:04well they just look like twigs. Are they alive or are they dead? I'm going to give you a sure
07:09fire way to identify the difference. And you're going to need a very special piece of equipment,
07:16and it costs 10p. It is a 10p piece. With most plants, if you use the 10p to scrape away a bit
07:26of the bark, you just see brown and dead growth underneath, where if it was white or green,
07:33it identifies as alive. Let me give you an example here. Here's a plant and scrape a bit away. See
07:40the greenery underneath? Look at that healthy, vibrant plant just waiting to come into bud. Where
07:46if you come to the top, you can quite easily see where the colour of the stem changes to this
07:51brittle effect. You can see it's dyed back at the top, but further down the stem, if you scrape,
07:56you identify it as green. Best tip of all, if you're unsure at the end of spring whether something's
08:02alive or dead, just wait. Wait and see, and the warmth of the spring may bring it back to life.
08:08But if you're unsure, you can always do the 10p test. Well, there you have it. A load of
08:14different hacks that you can enjoy in your own garden. Thank you, David. Great advice. And here's
08:26another gardening hack. In autumn, buy lots of different varieties of tulip bulbs, 10 of each,
08:31and plant them in pots or half pots like these, 10 to a pot. Stick them somewhere out the way in
08:37October, November, and then come the spring, you can bring them out to decorate your terrace or
08:42your patio as they come. And it'll make sure that you've got a different, ever-changing display that
08:47stays fresh. I love these on mine. Now, throughout the series, amateur gardener Alex has shared his
08:53inspiring vegetable growing journey over the past year with us, and it's been a delight to see his
08:59dedication and his progress. He's proved that anyone can get stuck in, regardless of their
09:04expertise, freely confessing that when he started out, he knew virtually nothing about growing his
09:10own food. But as we reach the climax of this series, it's time to see if Alex's hard work has paid off.
09:16My name's Alex, and this year I decided to grow a vegetable garden. I started doing the odd bit of
09:23gardening about three years ago, and I've realised it's one of the most rewarding feelings, being
09:27able to harvest and cook with fresh food that you've grown yourself. And when I moved back in
09:33with my parents at the beginning of this year, I asked my dad if I could dig up part of his garden
09:37and plant some vegetables. Thankfully, he let me do so, and in January, I started making plans for
09:43this year's garden project. I learned this year that you benefit from a vegetable garden in many
09:48ways. It's not just the healthy, fresh food, but having a garden also creates a nice place to
09:53relax. And I've enjoyed many evenings this summer, just sat in the garden or walking around, doing
09:59pretty much nothing. But it's a nice place to spend time. The light this evening is mad. There's a
10:06rainbow, and the sky is so dark. And then there's light on the trees. It's coming to the end of my
10:14time living in this house with my parents. I'm moving out, and the garden, once all that is
10:21harvested, my dad will turn it back into, I don't know, whatever he wants. Probably lots of flowers
10:27and shrubs. But hopefully, where I move house to, I'll be able to still continue doing some gardening.
10:34So was this gardening, veg growing project worth it this year? Did I save money by growing my own
10:41food? Did I find it enjoyable? So this year, I spent about £200 on the gardening project. I was
10:49very lucky to already have a place to grow some vegetables. Also, I'm very lucky in that my dad is a
10:57gardener, so he had all the tools that I would need for the project. So I didn't have to spend any money on
11:02those things. However, I did spend most of that money, or £84 of that £200 on compost, which is the main
11:11source of, I guess, food for the garden. It seems like compost is the biggest input into gardening. Also
11:18included in that amount of money that I spent was seeds, and also module trays to sow the seeds into before
11:26they went in the garden. And in return, we got nine cucumbers, about 50 strawberries and counting. Still
11:33a few more to pick. 12 bunches of spring onions, one kilogram of sugar snap peas, 10 large bunches of
11:40coriander, 20 bunches of parsley, lettuce and chard. I had a consistent supply of these leafy crops in the
11:48spring. Carrots, we had a couple of different harvests. I think we got about a kilogram total.
11:54How about that for a carrot harvest?
11:56Out of the 100 onions that I put into the ground in the spring, we got 85 full-sized bulbs that we can eat. Four
12:05kilograms of Charlotte potatoes, five kilograms of Maris Piper potatoes, 13 corn cobs, about a kilogram and a half of
12:14tomatoes. It might actually be more than that, because I just harvested another 800 grams. So let's say two
12:21kilograms of tomatoes and three melons. How cool is that? I spent every single morning for the whole of June and
12:30July, when we had really hot, dry weather, watering the garden. I'd spend maybe half an hour to an hour every morning. But
12:37when you grow stuff yourself, you have to learn how to do all the different steps that it takes. And it makes you really
12:42appreciate all the things that you've grown and you don't want any of it to go to waste, which I think is a great thing. I've
12:48learned so much about how plants grow. And that in itself makes it all feel kind of worthwhile. Anyway, to conclude, yes,
12:56gardening is great. I would definitely suggest, if you've got space to do it, grow something. It's incredibly rewarding. And
13:04it feels great watching something grow from a seed all the way to an adult plant where you can harvest it and eat it. Thanks for
13:12watching this garden video and this garden series this year. I hope you have learned something along the way. And maybe it has
13:19inspired you to grow something for yourself too. See you soon.
13:27Thanks, Alex. You've inspired us all to get out and get growing. And after the break, Teysha will show us how his passion for
13:35plants is being passed on through the generations. Pop the kettle on. We'll be back in a flash.
13:42Watching them blossom with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club, brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
13:52Regular Watering with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club. Brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
14:02As we soak up the beauty of maize blossoms, it's amazing how a little bit of inspiration can totally transform a space. Just take a
14:27look at this viburnum here. Bit of a mouthful of a name. Viburnum tomentosum marisii. But a great shrub for dappled shade. If it's a bit
14:37too dark for anything like roses, try this wonderful layered branch system of this viburnum. Glorious in May. Doesn't last more than two
14:46or three weeks, but then you can turn a clematis up through it for summer colour. I love my viburnums. Someone else who likes to roll up
14:53his sleeves to bring the benefit of nature to others is Tayshaun Hayden-Smith. Today, it's a family affair.
15:09Throughout this series, I can't express how lucky I've been to explore plants and people and places of community gardens. Venturing from
15:17Liverpool to Birmingham to even Wales. But today, I'm somewhere very close to home, but also very close to my heart. I founded Grow2Know in 2020 as a
15:33not-for-profit in the midst of the pandemic, as a vehicle to implement the much needed change that I saw in my streets and my community. One example is
15:42at this school, just around the corner from where I grew up. They had a disused space in which I saw an opportunity to create something special. I
15:51wanted to bring nature into the school for all the health, well-being and physical benefits that you can imagine. I opened the garden almost two
16:00years ago. I designed it with interactive areas for the students to read, play, grow, and hopefully catch the gardening bug. I even had the
16:11support of a real inspiration to me, esteemed horticulturalist Danny Clark, who came on board to direct the project with me.
16:20Well, with this garden only being two years old now, I feel like we've really embedded our roots.
16:24This garden's going to grow, isn't it?
16:25It is going to grow. And it's going to be a great space for the schools with children to use, because it's important that they, as many people as
16:33possible, are connected with nature.
16:38It's all good and well, building a beautiful garden for the community and children to enjoy. But one thing you have to make sure you do is you have to
16:45maintain it. So today, I've got a little bit of help from my son, Luca, and my daughter, Jazz, who will be helping me plant up the kitchen garden.
16:55So what are we going to plant next, Jazzy and Luca?
16:57Um, chive, um, the chive.
16:59Yeah, chive each. All right, give that one to Jazz. That's for you.
17:02And this is for me.
17:03That one's for you. It kind of got like a garlicky onion taste. Do you want to try some? What does it taste like?
17:08Yeah, garlic.
17:16If we can get children involved in green spaces, in gardening, close to nature at a very early age, preferably for the age of 10, then we've captured them for the
17:28rest of their lives. They might go away from it for a little while, but they will have formed those memories. And those memories, when we get older, we look
17:37back are very comforting.
17:39We're going to get these out of the pots.
17:41Look, I got a worm.
17:42Oh, he's going to help. You're a worm.
17:45Yeah, I'm a bookworm.
17:46You are a bookworm.
17:47It's all about play and mischief. And let's face it, it's always nice to have a giggle when you look back on your childhood, isn't it?
17:56So Luca, what's your favourite part of the garden?
17:58My favourite parts of the garden is the, at the back, the fig tree.
18:01Yeah. And guess what you get from a fig tree?
18:04Figs!
18:04Yeah, you get figs. You can always come at playtime and have some more fruit and vegetables.
18:10Yeah, like if it drops randomly on my head, I can just try and catch it and eat it.
18:13Yeah.
18:17It takes a village to raise a child and a community to create a garden like this. And we had teachers, parents and volunteers who all had a hand in making this garden
18:27and helping us maintain it.
18:34None of this would have been possible without the help of the head of the school, Ellie, and deputy head, Louise.
18:43And obviously we go way back.
18:44Long way, yes, yes. No, I knew Tayshan when he was a little boy.
18:49As someone who obviously lives in North Kensington, born and bred, Labyrinth Grove, you know, I know through experience the lack of access to green space
18:57and these pockets of nature are just so vital.
19:01They are, they really are.
19:02Just moving around in the greenery is very, very important for a lot of our families.
19:07A lot of our families live in high-rise flats and in cramped conditions.
19:10So having this garden to be able to explore and for the children to enjoy every day at school is really, really important.
19:16How much can nature thread into the curriculum?
19:19The children use this space every single day.
19:21So the science curriculum, for the art curriculum.
19:25Children are coming to see observational painting and drawing of different plants and flowers.
19:30And they've learned about how to grow different plants and about different plants that they can eat.
19:34And for example, the chilies, we had a lot of chili tasting going on for a while.
19:38That was really good fun.
19:39They were all very excited.
19:40Yes, you've got to taste it.
19:43You've got to immerse your senses in all those experiences.
19:47And I think it's also planting seed.
19:50Pardon the pun.
19:51Planting seeds for children to think about how they can take charge of that in their lives
19:56if they want to when they're older, and they can grow their own fruit and vegetables.
19:59And it is possible.
20:00And caring for their spaces, caring for the natural world as well.
20:03And thinking about the climate and climate change, which is really pertinent to.
20:07Isaac Newton discovered time and space sitting under an apple tree.
20:12Exactly.
20:13There's an apple tree over there.
20:14For the scientists.
20:16Today, epitomized just how special community gardens can be,
20:19crossing different generations, different people from different walks of life.
20:25Time spent in the garden with my children here today will hopefully create memories
20:29for many years to come, linking them back to nature,
20:32but also back to their roots in Labrador Grove.
20:46Long may your work continue, Tayshia.
20:49And it's important to start them young.
20:51I love nothing more than seeing my grandchildren running around the garden,
20:55laughing, chasing a butterfly or watching a bee settling on a flower.
21:00But if you don't have much outdoor space, you can still engage them
21:03by growing cress on the windowsill or creating a mini jungle in a pot by the front door.
21:10The most important thing to remember is that it must be fun.
21:15Now, every week we've been bringing you some inspiration from across the UK,
21:19from newbies wanting to share their home projects.
21:23We call them our plant fluencers.
21:25And Amy Chapman from Pembrokeshire is next to give us a glimpse
21:29into her passion for growing her own food.
21:38I'm Amy.
21:39I started gardening just a few years ago when I moved to my cottage in Pembrokeshire
21:43and have since become obsessed with learning to grow my own delicious food,
21:47especially things that you might not be able to buy in the supermarket.
21:50So here's a little look at what I get up to in my garden.
21:54I built a whole new raised bed just for my fruit plants.
21:57I did this by screwing together four pieces of wood
21:59and then filled it with anything I could get my hands on.
22:02Filling up a raised bed can be quite expensive.
22:04So I put sticks at the bottom first just to take up some of the space
22:07and they'll break down over time.
22:08Then I added some topsoil from another part of the garden and some compost.
22:11If you're growing blueberry plants,
22:13you need to bear in mind that blueberries love acidic soil.
22:15I'm lucky enough to have acidic soil already.
22:17But if you don't, you can buy ericaceous compost
22:19and your blueberries will be much happier.
22:21The back half of this raised bed is in the shade for a few hours of the day.
22:24So I planted my red currants and white currants there
22:26as I know they can handle a little bit of light shade.
22:28I also planted a gooseberry plant in the middle of them at the back.
22:31And I did this strategically because it's so spiky
22:33and I don't want to be leaning across it to get to anything else.
22:35I underplanted everything with strawberries and a few flowers like amaranth,
22:38as well as my chamomile that I grew from tea bags
22:41and some wild violets.
22:42People often ask me why I garden.
22:44And to be honest, there's one main reason.
22:45Gardening is the best thing I've ever done for my mental health.
22:48There's something about being outside in nature that instantly calms me down.
22:51To me, it feels so important to be able to connect with the world around me.
22:55Gardening has taught me that I'm a part of the ecosystem
22:57and I can help it to thrive.
22:58I've also learned that it's totally OK to fail
23:00and there's so many things that are outside of your control.
23:03It's such a privilege to have some outside space that I can look after.
23:06And I plan to leave it in a much better place than when I found it.
23:09It's even been scientifically proven that getting your hands in the soil
23:12can increase your serotonin levels.
23:13So it's no wonder I feel happier after being outside in the garden.
23:17Oh, Amy, what a wonderful relationship with nature.
23:21It's lovely to see you and you're spot on.
23:24It's a sentiment we've echoed throughout the series,
23:27cultivating the soil and breathing in the fresh air.
23:31It's like medicine for the soul.
23:34After the break, Camilla Bassett-Smith heads to a garden in need of some TLC.
23:39To have some plants and share some top maintenance tips.
23:43See you after the break.
24:09Across the UK, our gardens hold endless possibilities,
24:28whether you have well manicured acres, a community allotment,
24:31a small but fun space for your children to explore or a colourful balcony.
24:37A couple of weeks ago, gardening club member Camilla Bassett-Smith
24:40embarked on a journey to Farnham.
24:43There, she visited a couple whose children have grown up
24:46leaving their once lively garden in need of a refresh.
24:51Last time, she dedicated her efforts to revitalising their lawn.
24:56Today, she returns to assess their progress,
25:00share invaluable maintenance tips and embellish their outdoor oasis
25:05with a few more plants.
25:07Today, I'm back in Farnham,
25:15catching up with two of our newest gardening club members, Paul and Julia.
25:19Last month, we started work on refreshing their garden
25:22and we concentrated on reviving their moss ridden lawn.
25:26Today, I'm going to be looking at the progress so far
25:29and also tackling some of the other areas of the garden in need of some TLC.
25:38So, Julia and Paul, it's four weeks since we started work.
25:42What are some of the changes you've noticed?
25:44It's a lot greener. I think there has been germination.
25:47So, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it get better and better.
25:52An option for your grass is to use a slow release fertiliser,
25:56which is what Paul and Julia will be doing in a few weeks when the weather allows.
26:00But does it really work?
26:02Well, it's a bit of a mystery.
26:03There are various options on how you can deal with these,
26:06whether that's cutting the grass short to weaken the weeds
26:09or by undertaking the slow but very satisfying process of digging them out by hand.
26:14Ultimately, the choice is yours.
26:18Today, I've invited my lawn specialist, Hannah Back,
26:21to help me out with some of the changes I've noticed in the grass.
26:24So, I'm going to start with the grass.
26:26So, I'm going to start with the grass.
26:28I'm going to start with the grass.
26:29I'm going to start with the grass.
26:30I'm going to start with the grass.
26:31I'm going to start with the grass.
26:32I've got my lawn specialist, Hannah Back, to help me tackle them.
26:36So, Hannah, you've brought along your partner in crime, Andy.
26:39Yeah.
26:39You're going for the manual option.
26:41Yes, so sometimes it can be a little bit easier,
26:44especially when you put new seed down.
26:47Easier just to go manual and get the weeds out.
26:48But examples of these weeds, this one here.
26:51Yeah.
26:51So, it's a full tapped root there.
26:53So, this is obviously a dandelion.
26:55You've got the root out.
26:57It's not a problem anymore, but you can make a mistake.
27:00So, again, dandelion.
27:02Big root, but we've missed it and we've cut half of it off.
27:05So, that one will be coming back.
27:06So, you've got to keep an eye on that one where it came out.
27:08But weeds aren't the only problem for your lawn, are they?
27:10Because there are some pesty forms as well, Andy.
27:13There are, yes.
27:14The two most common are cranefly, which is daddy longlegs.
27:18Hate them.
27:18That has a larvae called leatherjacket.
27:21It's a dark brown grub that the birds love.
27:24And this time of year, they're coming to the surface to eat at the grass roots.
27:28The other one is a chaffer grub, which is, if anyone remembers,
27:31back in the old days, maybug, the big brown beetle.
27:35That will also come to the surface around May, June time
27:38and will start to decimate the lawns.
27:41Now, they can be one to three year cycle, so they will go down,
27:44back down into the soil depths and then back up again over one to three years.
27:47So, you really need to try and treat that ideally organically, if you can.
27:50Organically, nematodes, which is a bacterial worm,
27:54which can destroy the larvae, but only at its smallest stage, early stages.
27:59Once they get to a certain size, they're not effective and it is 50-50.
28:05So, if you see magpies and starlings on your lawn, let them do their work.
28:09Let them go about, fill their bellies.
28:10So, birds become your best friends in the garden.
28:13Brilliant. No bad things.
28:14So, with that combination of hand weeding, a few nematodes,
28:17hopefully things should be looking good.
28:19Yes.
28:22With the grass now growing for the next few weeks,
28:25I can turn my attention to Julia's tired borders and box plants.
28:30Flanking their new gravel pathway, but getting little in the way of shade on a sunny day,
28:35they could do with a colour and fragrance boost.
28:38And lucky for them, I've come prepared.
28:41So, we've got a selection of plants here that do really well in a sunny, dry spot.
28:45Starting off with lavender.
28:47Now, you've got the English lavender there, Paul.
28:49Right, yeah.
28:49Which is a variety called Vera.
28:51I don't know if you have any Veras in your family?
28:53No.
28:54Well, I'm aware of.
28:55You have now.
28:57So, English lavender, I think, will pop in over here, perhaps.
29:01And then other plants.
29:02We've got silver thyme, which, again, I've noted you have a few of those in the garden already.
29:07But what amazing fragrance these give out, don't they?
29:10Yes, absolutely fabulous in the summer.
29:12And if you put that on the edge of a pathway or a pavement, really, really good,
29:16because then when you walk by and you knock it...
29:18Catch the scent.
29:19Yeah, it releases that fragrance.
29:20Yeah.
29:20So, perhaps one of those in there.
29:22Right.
29:23And also, I've got some of these glorious little pinks.
29:25This one's called Purple Wedding.
29:28So, Paul, if I give you one of those, perhaps, to pop in there.
29:31I'll do maybe the lavender and then, Julia, you can pop the silver thyme in.
29:37And with your plants, when you're popping them in, good idea to tease out the roots.
29:44When you get these plants, they're often very pot-bound.
29:46Yeah.
29:47Just doing that.
29:49So, pop him in there.
29:50Oh, it looks lovely.
29:51It just brightens things up a bit.
29:52Makes such a difference, actually, doesn't it?
29:54Yeah.
29:54Lovely.
29:55Lovely.
29:55So, I think that looks so much better now.
29:57We've brought in some colour with those dianthus and also the fragrance as well
30:01with all of the plants, right in this sunny spot.
30:03So, we know they'll perform well.
30:05But something that hasn't been performing too well are your box plants.
30:08They're not looking too happy, are they?
30:10They've been really attacked so badly last year with the caterpillar box plants.
30:16So, let's go and have a look at those.
30:24So, this is definitely from the box caterpillar and, in fact, there's one there.
30:31Oh, wow.
30:31Look.
30:34In fact, there's quite a few of them now.
30:35Can you see them?
30:36Oh, wow.
30:37Yeah.
30:38Let's see if I can get one onto my hand.
30:39Yes.
30:40Yeah, a couple of them there.
30:42Crikey.
30:43Wiggling around.
30:44And that's just from one very small couple of leaves.
30:47They'll just eat the whole plant.
30:48Who'd have thought they could cause so much damage?
30:50Wow.
30:51So, I think the only option here really is to take these out.
30:54So, I'll pop those caterpillars back in as they're coming out anyway.
30:59So, Paul, do you want to do the honours?
31:02Let's see.
31:03Oh, yeah.
31:06There we go.
31:07OK, got it.
31:07Yeah.
31:08Great.
31:09So, what I suggest we report is that we're going to have to
31:13replace them with is this plant here.
31:16Right.
31:16Now, this is Ilex crinata, which is a holly, actually, Ilex,
31:21but known as the box-leaved holly.
31:23So, it looks very much like box, but it doesn't suffer from box blight
31:27or the caterpillars.
31:28So, the caterpillars won't like it.
31:29They won't touch it.
31:30And they look really neat, don't they?
31:32I love the shape.
31:33Yeah, very nice.
31:34Nice, dark, glossy leaf.
31:35And I think I've brought six along.
31:37So, if we can dot them along, they should be good.
31:41So, Julia, if you want to pop it in.
31:43Yeah, lovely.
31:46And I think he looks really nice.
31:48In contrast to the more natural planting we've just done,
31:51this then gives you a more formal feel.
31:53Now, as far as keeping care of it, pretty easy.
31:56Just a trim really once a year when that growth gets a bit leggy
31:59and you think, yep, need to keep it neat.
32:01Little shears, secateurs, they're quite small for now.
32:04So, that looks great.
32:05What I would suggest doing is mirroring that either side.
32:08So, you've got another one opposite it
32:10and then perhaps two there with that holigon
32:13and then the other two at the end.
32:14Then you'll get that lovely symmetrical line
32:17either side of the path.
32:18So, shall I leave you to get on with that?
32:20Lovely.
32:20Brilliant.
32:21And we'll come back and have a look how it looks later.
32:22Great, thank you.
32:26I've given Julia and Paul plants that will work for their garden.
32:30And by planting with intention, I hope they'll have the confidence
32:33to build on and refresh their garden throughout the seasons.
32:39But that's not where Paul and Julia's garden journey ends.
32:43Four weeks later, the new plants were in place and thriving.
32:47There was even more growth in the garden.
32:49And as we move into summer, we'll see plenty more blooms
32:52and more wildlife coming to the garden.
32:55Hopefully, we'll even see Paul out with his mower too.
33:02Thank you, Camilla, showing just a few of the countless ways
33:07of breathing new life into our gardens.
33:10Just take a moment to study your outdoor space.
33:13Think about its practical uses and then let your creativity flow.
33:18It can be a daunting thing at first,
33:20but it can also transform into a really enjoyable endeavour.
33:25Now, every week, our Gardening Club members have been posed
33:29with a series of five questions designed to inspire
33:33and impart some wisdom.
33:35And, well, as it's my Gardening Club, it's only fair I had my turn.
33:55Gardening has always struck me
33:57as the sharp and interactive end of conservation.
34:02So I would say it means greening the earth.
34:10I have one particular favourite indoor plant and that's this one here.
34:14It's a scented-leafed pelargonium called Sweet Mimosa.
34:18And it has a degree of sentimental value too
34:21because it was given to me by Elton John's head gardener.
34:25For me, the best time-saver in the garden
34:28is to plant things quite close together.
34:31Then they knit together, covering up boring-looking soil,
34:36not allowing room for weed growth,
34:38and hey presto, you have a garden rather than a weed-infested border.
34:49I love old gardening images.
34:52I love old gardening implements
34:54because they've been worn in by previous generations of gardeners.
34:58But one in particular I'm very fond of is this trowel.
35:02It's flat-bladed with a T-handle and for making holes for planting,
35:07it's far easier to use than your usual trowel.
35:12Top spring gardening tip.
35:14Water butts on every single downpipe.
35:18That way, all the rain that's been falling,
35:21you'll be saving for your plants.
35:24They'll thank you for it.
35:30I only hope that was as insightful as all the others.
35:34Coming up after the break,
35:36we're rejoining our busy gardeners
35:38Coming up after the break,
35:40we're rejoining our busy Gardening Club member, Camilla,
35:43as she ventures inside the glasshouses
35:46at the world-famous Kew Gardens
35:48to uncover some top tips
35:50to help us all enjoy a touch of the tropics at home.
35:53See you in a bit.
35:55Watching them blossom
35:58with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club,
36:01brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
36:05Regular watering
36:07with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club,
36:10brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
36:18Now, this might be our final episode of the series,
36:21but the gardening jobs don't stop as the tulips are finishing,
36:25so I'm growing lilies in pots to take over with summer flowers,
36:29and I'll drop these into flower borders for a pop of colour.
36:33But wonderful blooms don't all have to be enjoyed outside.
36:36Across the series, we've had inspiration
36:39from our houseplant rescuer, Sarah,
36:41who showed us how she cultivates a green sanctuary within her home.
36:45And Jason revealed his balcony in full bloom,
36:49proving you can connect with nature
36:51even in the heart of urban spaces.
36:54And now, upscaling to learn from the best,
36:58Camilla's exploring the world-renowned glasshouses
37:01at Kew Gardens to see what we can learn
37:05from their impressive indoor rainforest.
37:19There are few landmarks in the world of horticulture
37:22as iconic as the palm house at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.
37:26I'll be going inside this indoor rainforest
37:29that has captivated visitors for generations.
37:32Botanical horticulturist Brie Langley will be showing me around
37:35and teaching me a thing or two
37:37about how you can create your very own jungle at home.
37:53Brie, lovely to meet you.
37:55Hi, Camilla.
37:56So you're going to be showing me around
37:58some of the glasshouses here at Kew.
38:00But tell me a little bit about this one,
38:02the magnificent palm house.
38:04Well, you're currently standing in the oldest glasshouse
38:07that we have at Kew.
38:08This was completed in 1848.
38:11So this place was built for palms
38:13and it still serves as a homage to palms now.
38:17And it was designed by somebody called Decimus Burton
38:20using a very new technology at the time, wrought iron,
38:24which made it possible to create this amazing space
38:27without any pillars in the way,
38:28so we could really, really show off the palms.
38:30Yes, you can really see through, can't you?
38:32It's absolutely spectacular
38:33and a great example of Victorian architecture, really, isn't it?
38:36It is beautiful.
38:38We're coming up towards the renovation,
38:40but I find that the rust kind of gives it a sense of place in a way
38:44and the fact that you can twirl around in any area here
38:47and you can see something new all the time,
38:49a new view through the trees,
38:51a new rosette on the balconies.
38:53Yeah, there's so much to look at.
38:55I'd love to see some more. Can you show me around?
38:57Of course, come this way.
39:06Tell me a little bit about the renovations then.
39:08So our renovations are probably going to last about four to five years.
39:12We would really like to enhance our heating
39:15and the accessibility that we can offer here in the Palm House.
39:19Surely you don't have to move everything out, do you?
39:22Yeah, we are going to have to dig out some really big plants.
39:25A lot of the plants in here, they're incredibly rare.
39:28There may only be one in queue,
39:31so we'll be pruning things as much as we can
39:34and any really large plants that we'll need to move,
39:37we will be getting in a lot of machinery to help us.
39:40It's not just going to be us.
39:42No, that's good to know.
39:44And we will start propagating and moving the plants in stages.
39:49And that brings me on to the importance of the Palm House at Kew.
39:52The work that goes on in here, that's massively important, isn't it?
39:55Yes. I mean, the tropics, it's only 2% of the world's surface,
39:59but it encompasses about 50% of the world's plants, which is incredible.
40:04The biodiversity in the tropics is huge.
40:07And it offers a great opportunity to come across potential life-saving plants.
40:13We already have so many medicines from the rainforest,
40:16and there are so many plants still left to discover,
40:19but the ones that we do know of, we don't know what they're capable of.
40:22And that is really the beauty of this place,
40:24that we serve as a natural living laboratory, almost,
40:28for the scientists that have always been here at Kew.
40:31So not only does it look beautiful, but you're learning a lot as well.
40:34Absolutely. I mean, from a scientific perspective, as well as a cultural one,
40:38I mean, when can you see these kind of plants anywhere else?
40:42So are there any particular plants here that stand out for you, then?
40:45The oldest plant here is from 1775. It arrived at Kew.
40:51So before this glasshouse was here?
40:53Absolutely. A complete dinosaur, and it's just behind you.
40:57Where?
40:58So this huge box here, and then follow that trunk all the way up.
41:03Oh my goodness.
41:05Yeah.
41:06It's huge.
41:07Yes.
41:08So we are slightly worried about moving this one.
41:11I can imagine. That's tricky. It's quite heavy.
41:14He does flower. He has male flowers. He's a type of cycad.
41:18Right.
41:19So they are really poisonous. They've had to survive with dinosaurs.
41:22Yes.
41:23You have to be tough, right?
41:24Yeah.
41:25So it's just an incredible plant. It only grows very, very, very slowly,
41:28but it's just so beautiful in its own kind of majestic and calm way.
41:32It is. It's really architectural. I know Alan spent a lot of time at Kew.
41:36He probably would have been here to look after this one.
41:38Yeah.
41:40I can just imagine Alan busy tending this in his student days.
41:47While few of us would have space for many of these gargantuan species,
41:51I'm eager to explore how we can bring a touch of that lush paradise look
41:56into our homes on a smaller scale.
42:00Welcome to the Waterlily House.
42:02Thank you.
42:03Do you know, we've come from a rainforest, but it feels even warmer in here.
42:06Yeah. Well, this is the hottest house in Kew.
42:08In the summer, you can get up to 37 easily.
42:11Wow.
42:12So are there a lot of houseplants in here that people could grow at home?
42:15Oh, yes. And tropical houseplants are so easy
42:18because they're really made for our houses.
42:21They quite like the dark. They don't mind if they're not watered too much.
42:26This is Mimosa pudica.
42:29It's a fancy name, but you might know it better as the sensitive plant.
42:34It's really good for kids, but for us as well.
42:37How it works is as soon as there is any wind or anything that it feels,
42:42it will close up as a way of protecting itself.
42:45But it can learn what is a threat and what isn't.
42:49So if I touch it then, can I just approach gently?
42:52Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just give it a nice stroke.
42:55Oh, that's so sweet.
42:58Oh, you could do this all day. It's a bit like popping bubble wrap.
43:01Oh, he's gone down. He knows I'm approaching.
43:03That was interesting.
43:05Yeah, so different areas of the plant will relax at different rates.
43:09So if you water it in exactly the same way, exactly the same time,
43:13it will learn not to close up, which is incredible for a plant.
43:18And the sort of position in a house this would like?
43:21A nice sunny spot.
43:23Also, you're going to have to be aware that it does have a few little thorns in it.
43:27So it likes to scramble.
43:29And actually, we can plant them just now, if you like.
43:32Yeah, yeah, let's get to work.
43:34Got a little baby one here.
43:36He's saying, don't give me to Camilla.
43:38Don't touch all my leaves.
43:40And the trowel. And if you just want to have a go here.
43:42So good drainage needed, presumably.
43:44Absolutely.
43:46And if we just tip that out and plant it to where the soil is at the moment.
43:50There you go. Hang around a bit.
43:53So you're tucking it in like a little baby.
43:55Oh, a little blanket. Now he likes me.
43:57He's like, yeah, you're okay, Camilla.
43:59Perfect. Thank you.
44:01And what are some of the other houseplants that people can grow successfully at home then?
44:05This is a nice pink aroid.
44:07You can get those in lots of different nurseries.
44:09Lots of different colours. Really good for the bathroom.
44:12A really nice heart-shaped leaf.
44:14Yes, yeah, it's beautiful.
44:15Another heart-shaped one is this.
44:17This is piper or black pepper.
44:20Actually, exactly the same as the spice that we have.
44:23This one's a really good one for hanging down, loosening those edges.
44:28Maybe for a bookcase or kind of, you know, your interior designer could come out there.
44:34And then also we have some great examples of different types of variegated colourful leaves.
44:40All of these, again, very easily accessible, easy to grow.
44:44We've got some here that are bright purple.
44:47Really pretty.
44:48They may not be for flowers, but then maybe that's not what you want.
44:52You want a constant in the background.
44:54You're not waiting for something to flower or go over.
44:56That's really good. It's year-round.
44:58Absolutely. And again, with the ferns, year-round enjoyment.
45:03But it has this beautiful structure to it.
45:05A little bit like palms that you can get inside as well.
45:08And those glossy, sort of waxy leaves.
45:10Yes, you know exactly what height it's going to get to.
45:12Very low maintenance.
45:14Really good one for somebody who wants a great structure.
45:17And a statement plant in their living room, perhaps.
45:21It's incredible to imagine the work of the Victorian botanists and engineers
45:26who envisaged a jungle on the banks of the River Thames.
45:29The work done in these glasshouses has added immeasurably
45:33to our knowledge of exotic and tropical plants.
45:35And I hope that after today, you've learnt something too.
45:44Thanks, Camilla. What a place, Kew Gardens.
45:47And that's it for this series.
45:49It's been a delight to have your company here in my own garden.
45:53Over the past few months, we've striven to offer you loads of advice
45:57on gardening topics with the hope of inspiring
46:00and empowering gardeners of all levels.
46:03Our gardening club is truly inclusive,
46:06thanks to our incredible team of experts.
46:09From the eco-friendly insights of Anna Greenland
46:13to Tayshan Hayden-Smith's explorations in community gardens
46:17and Camilla's captivating tours of gardens all across the UK.
46:22David Domeney's offered practical tips
46:25and Sarah Gerard-Jones has been on hand with invaluable houseplant advice.
46:30Not forgetting our very own amateur gardener, Alex,
46:33showcasing his growing journey.
46:36We've aimed to show that gardening is for everyone,
46:39however modest their space and however limited their knowledge.
46:43It's been an absolute pleasure to have you join us.
46:46I'll see you soon for more tips, tricks and insights from our gardening club.
46:51Until then, whatever the weather, enjoy your summer garden. Ta-ra!
47:16Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club. Brought to you by Green Thumb.