Gardeners World S51e12 15-06-18
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hello, welcome to gardeners world live in Birmingham. The team is here to bring you
00:12the very best of the show and loads of design tips and plant know-how to take home and apply
00:18to your own gardens. And of course we are announcing the winner of our every space counts
00:24competition. So join me, Carol, Joe, Adam, Arit, Nick and Mark for a celebration of all
00:33that is great about gardening.
00:45There are 16 show gardens this year with a really good mix across the board and this
00:50one well it's actually lots of small gardens put together. It's been designed by the legendary
00:56David Stevens and he's trying to show that there are solutions for every type of garden,
01:02every soil, every aspect and he's put some plants beautifully together. Now it's really
01:07important you know your soil so do some tests, make sure you know the aspect and what type
01:12of soil you have and then look at plants that will fit the bill. Now this corner is packed
01:19full of plants for alkaline soil so if you garden on limestone or chalk these should
01:24be perfect for your garden. We've got penstemons, a lovely deep ruby red one over there and
01:29a nice pink one here too. And this is the perfect time of year to take cuttings as an
01:34insurance policy to get through a harsh winter but also just to grow some more plants and
01:39spread around the garden. There's one of my favourites too here which is cerata stigma,
01:44Wilmotianum, the hardy plumbago and David's used it perfectly just for breaking the edge
01:50of paving. It has these cobalt blue flowers all through the summer and then the foliage
01:55turns a really lovely autumnal hue. But if you have alkaline soil but you want to grow
02:02some acid plants, well there's a solution for that too.
02:05Well the answer could be to build some raised beds and then you can put any compost you
02:14want in them. Here we've got ericaceous compost and acid loving plants like the nandina domestica
02:20and the beautiful Japanese maple at the back. But raised beds are brilliant in lots of ways
02:25because you can build them up over hard landscaping areas so you don't need any soil to start
02:30with. They also bring the planting up to eye level so you're looking through it more. It's
02:35more accessible to garden and also you can perch on the edges of them which is really
02:39nice. I do love a raised bed. This is my favourite border here and the plants have been chosen
02:49for their tolerance to drought so once they're in they really won't need watering at all
02:53and it doesn't mean you can't get great colour into a border, just look at the combinations
02:58here. This is anchusa azurea lodden royalis. It's an incredible blue, an azure blue and
03:04it looks perfect next to this lichnis coronaria. That's not the common one a lot of us grow
03:10with shell seeds around. This is a beautiful double form which will just keep flowering
03:15all summer long. It's called aptly gardener's world. And there you go, David has shown throughout
03:21his garden it doesn't matter what soil you've got, what aspect you've got, there is a wonderful
03:25planting combination for you. This garden called made in Birmingham is a real showstopper.
03:39It seems to exemplify everything that you want from a show garden. It has drama, it
03:45has colour, you've got train building, you've got breweries, you've got wonderful cut flowers
03:52but it is dominated by a full-size railway carriage along the back. I've got the designer
03:58with me, Paul Stone. Paul, what was the inspiration for this garden? Well we wanted to make a
04:03big connection with Birmingham. It's a central hub of activity in the country for produce
04:09and for transport so having a train as your most expensive fence in show gardening history
04:16made sense. I know from visiting many allotments in Birmingham how wonderful the vegetables
04:21are and I have to say if my vegetables were half as good as that I'd be delighted. Tell
04:25me the story of the cut flowers. There's a fabulous wholesale market right in the centre
04:29of the city distributing those cut blooms all around the country and I was very fortunate
04:35to find a local group of volunteers to grow from seed back in January, all these lovely
04:40annuals and they did such a good job planting it up. So grown in Birmingham and planted
04:46by Birmingham people. Now if there was one thing, one little detail that you think anybody
04:53could take from this garden, over and above the drama, what would it be? Well how about
04:58not worrying that your garden has to look like a billiard table to grow vegetables on?
05:04Loads and loads of very successful growing on railway embankments proves that your veg
05:09can grow on a slope. It's a good tip, it's a good tip. Well thank you for creating this
05:13because it is going to give a lot of pleasure to a lot of people. Well done. Thank you Moxie.
05:32Away from the show gardens it's a real celebration of summer in the floral marquee. With 89 exhibitors
05:40I'm on the lookout for plants set to cause a summer sensation.
05:51How about this for pure drama? This is Ipomoea Star of Yalta. At first glimpse you might
05:57associate it with bindweed. It's closely related but bindweed's white and boring and a nuisance.
06:05This is just so rich and velvety with these gorgeous purple trumpets. If you look even
06:13deeper into the flowers there's dramatic dark red in there too. Now it's an annual, easy
06:19to grow from seed. Sow them in about February or so. Soak the seeds the night before, that'll
06:26make them germinate much more readily. And don't forget it's called morning glory so
06:31put it somewhere where you can really appreciate it first thing because by the afternoon it'll
06:37start to fade and fizzle. But the next morning it'll be there again. And talk about returning.
06:45Hardys who created this beautiful stand have been coming to Gardeners World Live for the
06:51last 25 years and they never fail to produce an absolutely brilliant exhibit packed with
06:58hardy perennials with the odd glamorous annual too.
07:16Well if you want to cause a real sensation why not go for this gorgeous trollius. It's
07:22called Dancing Flame. You need to have damp rich soil if you're going to grow it successfully
07:29but the flowers absolutely glow. It looks wonderful amongst light minded plants with
07:35green foliage, hostas and ferns. But you can bet that if you include Dancing Flame in your
07:42mixture those flowers are really going to pack a punch.
07:52This stand seduces you. You imagine yourself in the midst of the Amazonian jungle. Everywhere
08:08is green and dense and then suddenly there are these sparks of bright and brilliant colour.
08:15They are bromeliads. This apemir is a perfect example. This is known as the inflorescence.
08:26The actual flowers are tiny almost like eyelashes all along the edge of that. But the purpose
08:34is of course to draw in pollinating insects. The flowers would never do it on their own.
08:39They're far too tiny. But it's not just for these brilliant inflorescences that we grow
08:44these plants. Lots of them have gorgeous foliage. Take this freesia for example with great marble
08:52leaves forming a funnel. They actually grow on the branches of trees and they only take
08:588-10% of their nutrients and water actually through their roots. The rest is fed in directly
09:05down that funnel. So when you're watering them at home don't water the roots. Water
09:11the funnel. If you're going to grow them in a pot then use orchid compost or something
09:17very very free draining. If you like you could take them on a summer holiday and take them
09:22out to a shady place outside. But they're very very tender plants. So bring them back
09:28in for the winter.
09:43The great thing about Gardeners World Live is that there are so many planting ideas that
09:47have been packed into the show gardens and on the stands. With so many of us heading
09:52out on our holidays this summer we need to know that the plants we buy now are still
09:57going to look good when they're left home alone.
10:08One group of plants that can really look after themselves are those from the Mediterranean
10:12Basin. They like hot, arid, dry conditions and need very little watering. A lot of our
10:18herbs come from there such as rosemary, thyme and bay. Now what I like to do before I go
10:24away is take a really good harvest of my herbs, enjoy them in a meal and that way I
10:30know that they're going to reshoot whilst I'm away. One tip is if you have your herbs
10:35in a pot is to pop them on. Put them in a larger container that way there'll be a greater
10:40volume of soil which can take up more water which will help the roots. So what I would
10:45say is give them a really good soak and whilst you're in the Mediterranean having your little
10:50holiday your plants will be back at home having theirs too.
11:01The Pelagonium is the perfect plant that is more than happy to be left home alone. Now
11:07the reason for that is that this plant has got a fabulous leaf that is quite leathery
11:12and underneath its underside there are very fine hairs and the combination of that means
11:17that it's very, very slow to lose water. So it means that when you give it a good soak
11:22it's got these fabulous really fleshy stems and it can take up water into the plant but
11:28very, very slowly release it into the atmosphere. So what you would do before you go away is
11:33to cut off all of these flowers. I know that feels counter intuitive but what that will
11:37do is stimulate re-flowering. Put it in a shady area knowing that this little baby is
11:43going to be waiting for you when you get back ready to bloom again.
11:55This group of plants are quite different to what we've just looked at and they are stunning.
11:59We have the fabulous cacti, certainly on trend at the moment and also as well things like
12:05the Agave and the succulent groups. I love this Agave nigra, it's so beautiful, wonderful
12:11spikes and fabulous colour. Now I want to talk to you a little bit about how they work.
12:17We've got these beautiful thick fibrous stems that are brilliant at holding and storing
12:23water and all of their nutrients. They have these very, very spiky thorns which are yes
12:28to protect them but also as well help to kind of keep water storage. So what you need to
12:33do is ensure your compost is still free draining, we want to make sure that they don't sit in
12:38too much water, give them quite a soak, leave them to their own devices while you go and
12:44lie down on that sunbed.
12:53All this talk of plants and holidays is really making me want to pack my bags but if like
12:59me there's no holiday on the horizon for you, why not check in with Rob Gudge's nursery.
13:04It's full of amazing exotic plants that can really make your borders take off.
13:18People are always amazed when they come here and they walk onto the nursery and they have
13:22that sense of being somewhere else, the Caribbean or South America and then realising that they're
13:28in Taunton.
13:34We specialise in exotic plants and we've run the nursery here for about 15 years.
13:41We tend to have damp woodland zone for tree ferns and ferns, we tend to have a dry tunnel
13:46for things from Mexico from the desert, a jungle house which is always a bit hot and
13:51humid.
13:56I think my passion for exotic plants came from travelling. It's the challenge of being
14:03able to try to grow these and make your garden look like your favourite holiday destination.
14:11There's something incredible about being able to put those textures and leaf shapes and
14:16colours together and create from scratch something that is wonderful and people enjoy.
14:24This is Tetrapanax papyrifera rex, an amazing plant for the exotic garden. Huge, huge leaves
14:36will grow in sun or semi-shade. The leaves sometimes will get a metre and a half across.
14:41It is deciduous and from something like this to something like this in four or five years.
14:49My knowledge of exotic gardening is through growing these plants in this country. Some
14:55things work and some things don't. You can't read books about this stuff. You have to give
15:01it a go, you have to try it. If you want a garden you're never going to lose anything
15:06in then this probably isn't for you. But if you're willing to take a bit of risk you can
15:11have a garden that's glorious.
15:19Nothing says exotic like bananas. This is Musa Bajduk, the hardest banana you can grow.
15:34It comes from Japan and China. We've had it through minus 18 but for the first two or
15:39three years you put them in they will need some winter protection.
15:45They tend to come through winter with this papery old leaf on it. You can peel that off
15:50in spring to give this fresh green looking stem. When you get bananas on them they do
15:55look really dramatic. Unfortunately they're very small and inedible so you can't eat them
15:59but a great talking point for your garden.
16:07We do 80 different types of bamboo here roughly. From clump forming to things that will take
16:18over a quarter of an acre in five years. The best bamboo we do here is Fogesia. For most
16:24gardens it's clump forming. It grows in various heights from 6 foot up to 16 foot. Great for
16:31garden use. They'll grow in full sun or semi-shade. Great for screening or in a pot. They're amazing
16:38because they give you movement and noise in the garden. So very very useful. It's just
16:44making sure when you buy a bamboo you don't buy in ignorance. That you know what you're
16:48getting. Because bamboo can have a really bad press. If you know what you're buying
16:53there is a bamboo for every location.
17:00We probably get a lot of the bamboos here ourselves because they're not always commercially
17:03available. It's a very simple process. A saw. Cut the bamboo in half. A bit of compost in
17:15the bottom of the pot. Plant in the middle. Firm around with fresh compost. If you've
17:23got bamboos in pots it's actually very very important to every three or four years divide
17:30them out because they'll want the root space.
17:37When we do exhibits at shows you can always tell a desert to Jungle Stamp because usually
17:41it's got the biggest plants on it. It's very dramatic and it shows that you can have this
17:48look in this country. In your own back garden.
18:05Rob your stand is looking fantastic. Are you pleased with how it's come together?
18:09Yes we had a few trials and tribulations but I think it looks beautiful now. It's all come
18:13together in the end.
18:14Now there's two plants drawing my attention here. The first of which is Pseudopanax which
18:18is an extraordinary plant.
18:20It's an amazing plant from New Zealand. It grows like that. That's its juvenile foliage.
18:24Once it gets above the size that a mower bird can eat it, it drops that foliage and then
18:28has normal sort of green leaves and grows into a normal looking tree. Fabulous thing.
18:32And then lurking behind you here is this amazing Colocasia. You can see the extraordinary hydrophobic
18:37leaves it has.
18:38Yes a wonderful wonderful plant for the exotic garden. The leaves get huge. They use them
18:43in Asia as dinner plates and then the root they eat as taro which is a main source of
18:47carbohydrate.
18:48So both edible and beautiful. I mean what an extraordinary garden plant. I think the
18:52stand has come together beautifully. Congratulations on everything. Well done.
18:56Thank you Nick.
19:14Do you know it seems like a lifetime ago now but this is where it all started for me building
19:18show gardens at Gardeners World Live. I came here with Geoff Hamilton and we used to design
19:22and build gardens. And do you know what, it's only as you get older and you look back you
19:26realise the man trusted me to come here in a sense with his name. But it was that direction
19:31that he gave me and that opportunity made such a difference to my career. And do you
19:34know what, it can really give you a great start.
19:38The Young Landscapers Award is a scheme run to encourage aspiring landscape gardeners.
19:44The two proposed gardens have been designed by Dermot Gavin but it's up to these young
19:48men on how they bring the designs to life. Both teams are competing against each other
19:54for the top prize and judging will commence shortly. So the pressure is definitely on.
20:01First up we've got Lawrence and Jacob with the square garden. This sharp looking design
20:06consists of a central focal point, stone raised beds and a floating bench that really invites
20:13you into the space.
20:18Enjoyed it?
20:19Yeah, hard work.
20:20Really hard work. Really long hours, really stressful but very satisfying.
20:25But what do you think you've learned out of it?
20:27Timing, really. There's no over running. When the show opens that's it, you're done.
20:33Where do you want it to lead?
20:35To the top.
20:36To the top, I like that. Aim for the stars as they say.
20:38Yeah, just work on the best gardens possible, work at the highest level possible.
20:46They're up against Ryan and Dan and here they've opted to keep flowers to a minimum. The round
20:52shapes in the sculpture at the back are reflected in the paving and decking and the Acer at the
20:58front makes a real statement.
21:01First questions boys, have you enjoyed it?
21:03Absolutely.
21:04Yeah, definitely.
21:06So, the judging, feel nervous?
21:09You can't really change a note can you? I've tried my best, that's all I can do really.
21:12And do you know what, that's what it's all about. You've come here, you've had a real good go
21:15and enjoyed it, haven't you?
21:16Yeah, even though it's been a long day, I've enjoyed it.
21:19You've had a real good go and enjoyed it, haven't you?
21:21Yeah, even though it has been a stressful, stressful week, I've been fully enjoying it.
21:29So the gardens are ready, the scene is set and it's time for judging.
21:34So this is it, this is the awards time. It's where everyone finds out what sort of medal they've got.
21:38All the show gardens. But the young designers are up first.
21:42Up you go.
21:44Right, the winner is...
21:47Jake Wynne-Lawrence.
21:51Jake Wynne-Lawrence.
21:52Fantastic.
21:53Absolutely brilliant.
21:55Well done boys.
21:56Thank you very much.
21:58I said straight away, your face went from being...
22:03How's it feel?
22:04Brilliant.
22:06A little bit more than brilliant?
22:07Yeah, it's not sunk in yet.
22:09I can't swear, am I?
22:10No, don't swear.
22:11But do you know what? Well done.
22:13Enjoy the week.
22:15You deserve it, both of you. It's a superb little garden.
22:25These gardens behind me are built really, really well by youngsters that are in their early 20s.
22:30It's incredible and you just don't know where it's going to take them.
22:35Well, congratulations to those young landscapers.
22:37And it's great to see young people coming into the industry.
22:41And who knows, they may be the next generation of Chelsea designers.
22:45There's still plenty to come.
22:50Nick's off exploring what makes a perfect partner in the plant world.
22:55Mark meets a first-time exhibitor who isn't scared of a challenge.
22:59And Adam reveals the world's first plant.
23:02And Adam reveals the winner of our Every Space Counts competition.
23:07The winner of this year's competition...
23:11I'm loving this now, I really am.
23:21There's plenty more bright new talent in the smaller gardens too.
23:24And five have been made by members of the Association of Professional Landscapers.
23:28And what's nice is they're a collaboration between designer and landscaper.
23:34This one's called This Wildlife.
23:37It's a family garden and it's packed full of really lovely ideas.
23:41I like this table, it's been painted with a blackboard paint
23:44so the kids can get really creative with their chalks while they're eating their lunch.
23:49And also there's herbs growing in the middle of it
23:51so they can pick them and chuck them straight on their pizza.
23:59This garden's called Across the Board
24:02and it's a great solution for what was a sloping garden.
24:05So it's been terraced and it's all about the hard landscaping for me.
24:10The steps bring you up nicely to this top level
24:13where there's this deck that runs through, wildflowers either side
24:16and I really like that gabion walling at the bottom filled with limestone.
24:21And it's picked up at the back here with these piers
24:24which frame the living wall really nicely and creates a lovely backdrop to the garden.
24:29I really like this clipped hornbeam cube, it's really doing an important job in this garden.
24:34For a start it's a fulcrum, the whole design works around it
24:37and it adds architecture to the planting.
24:40Now a specimen like this would cost you a few quid
24:43but see it as an investment, it's worth it in this case.
24:46And then it brings you down to another level
24:48and this is a much more intimate yet sociable space
24:51with the L-shaped seating all meeting each other.
24:54A really nice little sociable area here under the shade.
24:58This feels nice and intimate and it's a great solution for a sloping garden.
25:03The theme of these gardens is a place for entertainment
25:06and this design by Martin Wilson has really hit the spot
25:09because you can imagine it's a party space and a place just to relax in too.
25:14If you've got a limited space, what would you do?
25:17Well I'd spend a lot of time in a garden
25:19but I don't want to spend too much time in a garden
25:22as I really like the space, it's a nice little space.
25:25So I'd spend a lot of time in a garden
25:27and I think that's a great idea.
25:29in too. If you've got a limited space, one of the problems can be seen as getting height
25:35into the borders. But he's used trees here, don't be scared of trees in small spaces.
25:40Prunus serrula he's got, it's a fabulous multi-stemmed tree, and not just one of them, he's used
25:45three, and one, two, three, which has a nice rhythm, keeps the eye going, but really does
25:50break things up at eye level. And they are just fabulous trees, they've got peeling mahogany
25:56bark, so even in the winter when they drop their leaves, there's winter interest there.
26:01And that colour is picked up nicely over here with this black elder. Again, a fabulous plant,
26:07great foliage, and the flowers are set off. It's almost a complete composition in itself.
26:13And those plants really pick up with this rusty wood-burning stove, so it's really been
26:17nicely thought through, and those coppery tones are picked up on the grasses through
26:21the borders. And just punctuation of bits of orange, orange flowers which are picked
26:28up in the furniture, and some of the styling throughout the garden too. Now what I like,
26:33again part of the structure, are these box balls, different sized box balls just dotted
26:38through the borders, a lovely simple rhythm, nice and soft, they will grow in sun, they'll
26:44grow in shade, they'll grow anywhere, just keep them nicely clipped. One of the hard
26:48landscaping structures he's got here is these simple frames. Now if you put a pergola into
26:53a garden, it can get shady, it can feel a little bit oppressive underneath, but these
26:57frames do a job of framing the long view, breaking it up, almost framing it so you're
27:02drawing the eye through, but they also split it up into a series of rooms. And these frames
27:07are also used to fix these yachting cables to grow a climber up, and in this case, Trachealospermum
27:13jasminoides, we've seen it many times, but it's a classic. It's closed to the ground
27:18in evergreen foliage, and those beautifully scented flowers are just where you want them,
27:23at nose height. Absolutely delicious. Well, these APL gardens are packed full of ideas,
27:30and two landscapers who are back for the second year running pride themselves on spending
27:35as little as possible to make what they hope is a really inspiring garden.
27:40We do stuff that is a little bit different. We really, really enjoy introducing people
27:53to new ideas and inspiring people to upcycle and use different materials. We're picking
27:58up other people's rubbish, and we're reusing it, recycling it, to create sort of low-maintenance
28:04gardens. My name's Peter. My name's Monty. We are the Hairy Gardeners. When we first
28:12met at uni, I was already doing a landscaping course, and then we went and did a garden
28:16design degree together. From that, we decided to set up a landscaping design company, and
28:23it's all gone from there, really. That's it, and we've been getting hairier ever since.
28:33Our garden is called Imagination in the Raw. It's a 10m x 6m garden, and it's designed
28:41to be viewed from two sides. Right, well, we're in Peter's garden. We've actually started
28:47to lay everything out in preparation for our build. This is an old bathtub. It's cast iron.
28:55It was going to be chucked out, and we've just thought we're going to use that. We've
28:58cut the front off it, and we're now going to be putting a seat inside, cushion, clean
29:03it up a bit, perfect nice sitting area, bottom of the garden. So for us, it's a lot about
29:08having that social element in the garden, isn't it? About people talking, about people
29:11looking at the different materials, engaging together, and also telling that story. Now
29:18we're studying going to be the dining, entertaining area. It's going to have a nice stone on the
29:24floor, but then above that is going to be this reclaimed timber pergola, and then that's
29:29going to get supported by poured concrete walls. This is an example of the concrete
29:35walls that we are going to be making here. Simple pallet wood just screwed and nailed
29:40together, and then we've just pulled this down here, and you can see really effectively
29:44the knots that are on this concrete, and all this texture from the timber. Let's just let
29:51this timber speak for itself here, and really marry together with this concrete, and they
29:55can really complement each other. The timber was the first thing we saw. We saw it, we
29:59thought we'd love it, we've got to use it. It's something that the general public can
30:03get readily and easily. You don't have to pay a huge amount for it, and then from that
30:07we decided what plants are going to work well with this style of planting. One of the main
30:13features is going to be the wild planting. So instead of having grass and turf, we're
30:19going to have wild meadow planting, lots of different coloured flowers popping up through
30:23that. So that's going to really soften all the hard structures, all the hard walls. The
30:30message we're trying to get through to the public is about recycling, about reusing materials
30:34that people are just throwing away every day, and making the most of them. We got the steel
30:41from a local steel company, and it was recycled, but we have had to pay a bit for it. That's
30:46what it's doing now, and we'll flip that over, and that's that end piece that's going
30:52to sit on there, is it? Yeah, basically we're going to introduce that into a garden to create
30:56the main structure of the garden. It's going to give the length to the garden, it's going
30:59to stretch the view. Then we also picked up some glass, and they were actually free, and
31:07then we're incorporating them into some sliding doors in the garden, which again, big feature
31:13for us, which are made out of pallet wood frame, and yeah, they're really, really going
31:16to come in handy. In terms of the audience for this garden, I think we've noticed in
31:26our lives just how busy things are, and we want a low-maintenance garden, but we don't
31:31just want an area of gravel with a few plant pots on it. We want an area that's interesting,
31:36engaging, lots of stuff to talk about, and low-maintenance. In terms of the show garden,
31:45it is ambitious, and that's what we like. We don't think that you can keep pushing boundaries
31:51if you're not brave enough to try new materials together. I think there'll be a little bit
31:59of intrigue in our garden from people. It's not their cup of tea, but still, they'll be
32:04looking in and wondering, but then I also think there'll be a fresh sweep of people
32:09who will just be inspired and really, really keen to take a bit of that home with them.
32:14Well, I think people will be intrigued and inspired by our garden. You know, upcycling,
32:35recycling, you've done it with style. So much style, so much design. I think that's the point,
32:40isn't it? We really wanted to show that you can have a magnificent garden with upcycled
32:44materials. Yeah, and that detail leads you up to this amazing structure. Yeah,
32:48we see so many pergolas that are made of sort of standard, plain timber, and we thought,
32:53right, you know, we really need to create something where you, whoa, I never thought
32:56of using a sleeper up there. Yeah, it brings a great cohesion to the space, but the planting
33:02is important to you guys as well. It's not just about the hard landscaping, is it? Wanting a
33:06sort of real intimate, sort of romantic sort of look to the planting, so it'll soften this
33:10really hard structure. It's beautiful in that pool with its reflective quality, and it's just
33:15gorgeous. So what's through there then? Well, it's time for you to come and get in the bathroom.
33:20Really? Yeah. I was a bit worried about the bath, I'll be honest with you, but it looks
33:27great nestled in there, doesn't it? Yeah. And you've got a sandpit. Sandpit in there, yeah.
33:31These sliding doors work brilliantly, don't they? Yeah, a great bit of fun in the garden. And I
33:35love this wildflower planting as well. Yeah, it's a really intimate area, the seating's low,
33:39so you're sort of hidden away in the back corner. Yeah. The whole design works brilliantly. This is
33:45so stylish, there's so many ideas. You've got a gold medal. I'm not going to big you up anymore.
33:50Congratulations. Thank you very much. Cheers. Thank you.
33:53We're all guilty of going to garden shows, nurseries and garden centres and grabbing
34:12that one wow plant. But I'd like to advocate a slightly different approach. Instead of just
34:17getting the one plant, how about buying in trios or in twos? In other words, plants that will
34:22complement each other in terms of colour, texture and form. That way you can get home
34:27and put an instant set of plants into your borders that are going to look great straight away.
34:31My star plant here is Selvia caridona. And the way I always like to work out pairs or
34:44trios at a garden centre or show is to literally physically carry it around and try them out. Now,
34:50next to me here is a pink scabious. If I put the Selvia next to it, suddenly it completely
34:56changes the tones of the Selvia. The pink parts of the bud really pop out and the blue of the
35:02flowers really shine. Now, the other plant that's catching my attention I think could make a perfect
35:06pair is the rudbeckia. And if I pair these up, a totally different thing happens. Because they're
35:12on the opposite sides of the colour wheel, they really make each other shine. It's known as
35:16simultaneous contrast. And it makes them look brighter than they really are. So if I was buying
35:20today, I think this would be the pairing I'd go for. My next star plant is this gorgeous little
35:34coreopsis. And it's called Bengal tiger. There's those beautiful multi-tonal flowers. So yellow
35:39pickety around the edge and burgundy in the centre. I want to try and make it work as a trio
35:44combination. So the first thing I looked for was a yellow. And I've gone for this lovely little
35:49poppy. It's called moondance. And it has almost a chartreuse tone to it. But it picks this yellow
35:55quite successfully. And then the next part of the trio is this lovely grass. It's a penicetum. Now,
36:03it's quite similar to purple mangosteen, but it's one called vertigo. And its burgundy tones
36:09beautifully replicate the burgundy tones at the centre of the coreopsis. And so there's a contrast
36:14in form, in texture, in height. But they're all bound together by that unity of colour.
36:20I think it makes a great trio. My final star plant is this, which is known as the Chinese box club.
36:33And it's all about bold foliage and bold flowers. So to create a perfect pair, I need a foil which
36:40is really light and delicate. And I reckon this Miscanthus morning light does the trick.
36:45The Miscanthus picks out the stripes and the romania, the colours pop out, the form pops out.
36:50You know, next time you're at a flower show, garden centre or nursery, be brave, grab some plants,
36:55try them out together, and you'll come up with some beautiful solutions.
37:03I suppose hostas are the classic plant for shade. Lots of us grow them in the ground,
37:18but some people grow them in pots. And I think the whole idea of growing a hosta in a pot is
37:24wonderful. For a start, you can study it. You can move it too and put it exactly where you want.
37:31There's such a fantastic array of them, but this one in particular is unusual. It's called
37:38Paradise Island, and it has these dark red stones. In the spring, the leaves are bright yellow,
37:45and then gradually, gradually they become greener and greener, but they always have this dark green
37:51margin. Now, a lot of people think of shade as being a real problem, but there's one woman here
37:58who set out to show that not only is it not a problem, but it presents a golden opportunity.
38:08Gardening's always been a form of escape and therapy for me.
38:12I just tend to lose myself with the plants.
38:18My name is Lynne Moore, and this year at Gardeners World Live, I'll be exhibiting shade plants.
38:23Before I ran a nursery, I was a senior fingerprint reporting officer working for
38:29the Metropolitan Police, and I'd done that for 25 and a half years before I left the Met.
38:38Right from an early age, I can remember being in the garden with my grandfather.
38:43One of my earliest memories was picking snowdrops and violets and driving my nan absolutely
38:49mad with a thousand and one little vases on the kitchen windowsill,
38:54but Grandad was always, always so encouraging.
39:00The nursery was started back in 2006 as a result of me doing a garden design course
39:06at a local horticultural college. As a fingerprint expert, I used to have to make sure I had very
39:13good attention to detail doing what I was doing. Now, I still have that attention to detail.
39:22When we moved into our existing garden, we inherited a lot of mature trees. I had to learn
39:28very, very quickly what would grow in the shade, so hence my love of all shade plants began.
39:37We like to classify our shade plants that we grow in the shade,
39:41we like to classify our shade plants that would be suitable for four different areas of shade.
39:47You would have deep shade, but that would also be whether there was moisture in the soil or not.
39:53The same with light shade, is it in a lightly shaded position again,
39:57is the moisture in the soil or is there not?
40:03We're in the garden adjacent to the nursery and under this beautiful tree,
40:07we find we have an area of light shade. Plants that we would plant in this particular area
40:13would receive sun in the early morning and also in the late afternoon. We have this beautiful
40:21coppery fronded fern called Dryopterytha ristruthsora. The plant here with the dark
40:29crimson stems and flowers is called Astilbe fanao and this very ferny foliage plant at the front
40:38is called Aruncus horatio. All of these plants would be suitable for an area in shade
40:44where there is an amount of moisture in the soil.
40:48Hostas offer such a wide range of colour and form. There are so many variegated types that
40:55in combination with other shade plants would really look fantastic in a garden setting.
41:01This lovely blue one here, very upright habit, is called Crosserigal and this other rather large
41:08one here with lovely green and yellow ferns is called Crosserigal.
41:18Hostas sagae, not the most attractive name but is a favourite of ours anyway. We have to make
41:24sure that the pots we put them in don't have a lip because the little critters hide underneath
41:30the lip. As soon as we notice the leaf has a nibble we're then looking to evict them in the
41:35hope they don't return. At Goners Wildlife we hope to have quite a varied range especially
41:44for dry shade which seems to be the biggest problem that the public seem to feel they have.
41:51A lot of people are obsessed by flowers but try and think about the foliage, the texture,
41:56the form, the colour. It won't be gaudy, it won't be shouting out, there'll be real subtleties.
42:04I'd just like to make sure that people don't think that shade's a problem because if we can
42:09embrace shade as being a real opportunity to grow some exquisite plants
42:14then our gardens will be so much better.
42:29So Lynn, it's your very first time at Goners Wildlife and you've won a gold! I know,
42:33absolutely amazing, we're so delighted. Congratulations. Thank you very much.
42:37So you grow almost exclusively shade-loving plants but what prompted you in the first place?
42:42I've always loved hostas and when we moved into our current garden we inherited a lot
42:48of mature trees so I had to find out very quickly what would grow beneath those trees
42:54so it was a bit of a baptism of fire so lots of research and then that's now evolved into
43:01doing what I'm doing now. And it's so relevant to people because even if they haven't got big trees
43:06everybody's got some shade, haven't they? Absolutely, it could be next door neighbour's
43:11trees even, next door neighbour's fence, your own fence, the garage, the wheelie bin.
43:16Dry shade is a really awkward place to find plants for but what will be your major recommendations?
43:23For dry shade we have a number on the stand, we have some epimedium, geranium nodosum is also
43:30a big favourite of ours and does really really well for us. And you've got a really gorgeous
43:35penstemon over there that I've never seen before. Penstemon smallii, one of our favourites,
43:42absolutely love it. Well I think it's a huge inspiration your stand and when people start
43:48then just like you they're not going to be able to stop are they? No, it is quite addictive.
43:53Thanks so much. You're very welcome, lovely to meet you. Thanks Carol.
43:57So
44:15this year there are 23 beautiful borders all designed to show you how to make every space count
44:23and I'm really impressed at what can be done in just eight square metres.
44:28Now I can't choose any favourites but there are three that I'm drawn to.
44:38I love this garden even in this crazy windy weather and this is all about well-being and
44:44restfulness and it all starts with this beautiful water feature. It's quite a small water feature
44:49but it just shows you that in a small space you can do it and you get that lovely sound all the
44:55way throughout and then you get the movement you get it in the Acer and then in the tall grasses
45:00and the verbena behind and then it's all about sensual plants. It's about wanting to touch them,
45:07to smell them, to look at them more closely. We've got pelargonium which really smells quite minty
45:14and then we have these wonderful beautiful muted colours. There's purple and there's a little bit
45:19of yellow just for a bit of zest and zing. It's a beautiful colour palette and it really is a restful
45:26garden. This is such a great idea. The students from Oakland College have just had fun and something
45:38really novel. They've gone for tables and chairs with plants actually inside them and then who
45:44needs a brolly when you can have a tree growing through the middle of your table.
45:48There's silver birch, it adds shade and canopy.
45:55There's some really great touches in this garden. It's a little bit Bond. We've got all these mirrors
46:00going on and then there's diamonds. They are scattered throughout and on top of the table.
46:06This is creativity in the tiniest of spaces.
46:15This is an ingenious design if you've got a really shady corner in your garden.
46:21Just look at the way they've used a mirror right in the centre. What's great about that is it will
46:26reflect any light that comes through and it also makes the garden feel a little bit deeper. They've
46:32used white plants so they've used hostas, digitalis and anemones and the great thing about white is
46:39it will lift any shady corner and white is the last colour you see just as the light goes at
46:45night time. It's really good actually to use a vertical element in a small space because your
46:51eye is drawn up to the sky which makes it feel open and larger. And then what about going big?
46:58A huge urn right in the middle so the space itself feels bigger. So go big in a small space.
47:13It's really refreshing to see what can be packed into these small borders. These bijou spaces are
47:20ideal for budding designers and plantsmen to really challenge themselves and show what can
47:26be done in the smallest of spaces. First time exhibitor Eva Sandmann has really pushed the
47:32boundaries with her beautiful border.
47:39My name is Eva Sandmann. I'm originally from Poland but I now live on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland.
47:48I've been in the UK for 14 years now. I've done a few different jobs in the past. I was a fitness
47:54instructor, I ran a gallery and I had a photography studio but now I'm firmly into gardening which is
48:00a real passion of mine. Five years ago when we first moved to Skye I wanted to grow lots of
48:10vegetables and I wanted fresh produce and not have to travel too far to the shops
48:16but I can't believe how much that has changed.
48:19So the whole garden thing for me has just really taken off in the past two years because it just
48:26feels right and I don't want to do anything else. I just want to work with plants. So I've started
48:31studying as well with Royal Horticultural Society and I think the best way though to
48:36learn about plants is to just work with them.
48:39It's brilliant living up here. The best part of it for us, for me as well, is that we can go out
48:45into the landscape. It's, if we kind of call it our back garden, so we go out running on the hills.
48:52The stuff that I see when I run, it's all these little surprises. I get lots of inspiration from it as well.
48:59We've got a lovely Viola Riviñana growing happily here covered up by the heather.
49:05So it's not the easiest of environments to live in for plants. We get a lot of wind so the plants
49:10are growing really low to the ground and they look for protection amongst the plants.
49:15So we've got a lovely Viola Riviñana growing here covered up by the heather.
49:19So it's not the easiest of environments to live in for plants. We get a lot of wind so the plants
49:24are growing really low to the ground and they look for protection amongst other plants as well,
49:30but also they try to grow somewhere where there's not too much competition.
49:38So this is a Dactylorhiza maculata, heath spotted orchid. Beautiful little plant.
49:44They're so hardy. So I just want to grow more plants when I see these guys growing in the wild
49:49in such harsh environments.
49:57I love our garden for various reasons. It's a tricky garden to work in because it's so open,
50:04it's quite unprotected. I particularly like evening time when I can sit down and look at
50:11all the plants that we've grown. The weather is obviously challenging and we get a lot of rain
50:17and a lot of wind. You just have to really persevere and work with your garden with the
50:22conditions that you have there. So I have to do a lot of moving of the plants. I might be
50:26wandering around the garden from one corner to another not being able to find a spot for it at all.
50:37I have a Digiplexis berry canary, which is a plant that reminds me of
50:42our garden. So a little bit of our garden in Birmingham. I really love its growth habit and I
50:48like tall spiky plants. So I love them for being so hardy. So they're definitely coming with me
50:55to the show. Hopefully it'll flower at the right time for me as well.
51:02For Gardener's World Live I'm going to be showcasing a beautiful border.
51:06We are in my polytunnel, which is my sanctuary and I love it. My pride and joy must be my
51:14acuums, which are two years old and I just, I really do actually love them. They're an unusual
51:20plant to have up here. I know that it can be done in this country because they don't need to be
51:27overly protected over winter. They can take a bit of cold and they'll give you lots of joy,
51:33which they are giving me.
51:39So my Marguerite daisies, summer stars, are doing quite well. I'm really happy to report.
51:47All of them are grown from cuttings and I thought if I want lots of colour and a nice flower form
51:54then I can grow my daisies. And normally on sky it's quite difficult to harden things off but
52:00these daisies respond quite well to being hardened off. So I know I can take them outside
52:05and they'll do fine and I won't lose them.
52:11Taking all the plants down to the show is going to be a bit of a challenge.
52:15It's quite a long drive. It's probably going to take me between 10 and 12 hours.
52:20So I have to make sure that I put bubble wrap around them, that kind of thing. So it's a huge
52:25worry. I've been looking after these plants for so long. I want to do really well. I want my plants
52:30to look really well and I want people to like my plants and appreciate the fact that I was able to
52:35grow so many here on sky. It's a mixture of emotions, nervousness and excitement. I think
52:43maybe in equal measures.
52:56Eva, you must be really excited. It's looking wonderful. How did you manage to get down here?
53:03Oh, someone or something was looking over me I think. 13 hours in the car.
53:08Quite stressful. Getting anxious I must say. Tears of stress came.
53:16But you've got a silver merit. So you must be over the moon. Can you believe it?
53:21I was not expecting to be awarded anything. Honestly, I've had such low expectations
53:27because I'm such a beginner. I've never done it before. So to hear that verdict was amazing.
53:34The plants are looking really healthy and of course your echaeums have come through
53:39really, really well. You must be so proud. I am very proud of them. You guys did well.
53:44They did very well. And of course the digiplexus are looking absolutely stunning as well.
53:48They're stealing the show, the digiplexus. I think they are. A new hybrid. Quite different but
53:53quite quirky and people keep stopping, taking pictures of it and commenting how nice it looks.
53:58Congratulations, Eva. Thank you so much. It is a beautiful garden and I know people are always
54:02looking at it. So I wish you well with the rest of the show. Thank you so very much.
54:06Thank you. I appreciate it.
54:08Now you've all voted in your thousands and it's time for Adam to reveal our Every Space Counts winner.
54:16Now we are all here for something that I think is incredibly important.
54:22Gardening with small space. We were in a position, I suppose in this country,
54:25that gardens are constantly getting smaller. And how creative we've become.
54:30And I think that's what we're all here for.
54:32We're in a position, I suppose in this country, that gardens are constantly
54:35getting smaller. And how creative we've become with those spaces.
54:38But you know, this year we've been on this mission to find the best small garden in the UK.
54:44So we set the competition. The garden couldn't be any bigger than six metres by six metres.
54:50We managed somehow to narrow it down to five finalists.
54:55So first of all, we have Mike's garden. 35 square metres of a hidden tropical space.
55:02And actually it was full of drama and it was full of excitement.
55:05What I loved about it as well is you could create a wonderful garden,
55:09but he could pick it up and he could move most of it with him if he moved on.
55:12So that for me was a great one. Next one was massive at 25 square metres.
55:17Chris and Rachel. Superb use of reclaimed bricks and this lovely little tiny courtyard
55:23that was full of plants for sun and shade. And then we go on to Sarah. 36 metres square.
55:30And it's sort of long, lovely curved borders that went through it.
55:34And then we got Caroline. This one was the circular patio.
55:38And for me it was being brave with how much space was planted in that area.
55:44And then the final one is Zoe, which was an interesting garden because it was a basement.
55:50And you went down to the space, so it was dark and it was shady,
55:54but I think there was a sense of atmosphere to it.
55:56Right. The moment of truth.
56:00So the winner of the Every Space Counts competition this year is...
56:06I'm loving this now, I really am.
56:10Zoe.
56:17There you go.
56:20Thank you.
56:21How does that feel?
56:23Amazing.
56:24Thank you very much.
56:25Bless you.
56:26What drove the sort of the design and the collection?
56:29I love stuff, as you can probably see.
56:32So where did you start collecting the bits and pieces from?
56:34Salvage yards, junk shops.
56:36Yeah, wherever I go I always pick something up.
56:39You've got an eye for detail and I would imagine when you come down in the morning
56:42to flip the kettle on, those doors open and you want to go out in that space.
56:46Yeah?
56:47And I think in reality that's what it's all about, isn't it?
56:49When you come down in the morning and you've created a garden that you want to be in,
56:53then you've nailed it, haven't you?
56:54So I think Zoe and the rest of the guys should have another round of applause.
57:04Thank you very much, you lot. You've been absolutely brilliant.
57:06Cheers.
57:09I'm a bit in shock, to be honest.
57:10I mean, all five gardens were incredible, absolutely incredible.
57:14And it just goes to show what you can do with a tiny space.
57:16I'm still emotional.
57:17I can barely hold this still right now.
57:20So yeah, I need a glass of wine.
57:28Well, many congratulations to Zoe.
57:30And you know, her garden was the smallest amongst all the finalists.
57:35It just shows that no garden is too small to be both beautiful and inspiring.
57:40And I have to say, it's really good to see small spaces used so creatively.
57:45Yeah, and she was so shocked. She didn't expect that in the slightest.
57:48The Borders have got great ideas for small ideas, as have many of the gardens here.
57:52And I do feel that this show in particular, there's masses to take home.
57:55It's not just plants, but ideas. That's the thing.
57:58Well, that's nearly time for tonight.
58:00But Monty, I'd just like to congratulate you on your OBE.
58:03It's a wonderful achievement.
58:04Do we call you, is it Lord Earl Montague of Herefordshire?
58:08We're not quite sure.
58:09Thank you, Joe.
58:11I knew you were sitting up like that.
58:14Congratulations, well done. It's a fantastic achievement.
58:16But that is all we've got time for tonight.
58:18And I will be back at our normal time next Friday at Longwood.
58:22Until then, bye-bye.
58:23Go on, this train's going to leave without us, Monty.
58:33If you followed the sun around the planet over the course of just one day,
58:36what would you see?
58:37Find out in the film Earth One Amazing Day tomorrow on BBC2 at 7.30.
58:42Next on BBC2, the bridge continues.
58:45And it's a real heartbreak situation tonight for Saga and Henrik.
58:48Will he ever forgive her?