• 3 months ago
Transcript
00:00Hello, welcome to Gardener's World, and a special Gardener's World too, because it's
00:13Easter which gives us four free days both to work in the garden and to enjoy this emergence
00:21that is bursting out everywhere, and also relaxing and enjoying all the evidence of
00:27spring, which despite slightly dodgy weather we've been having over the last few weeks,
00:32is nevertheless just sweeping through, reaching every corner of the garden.
00:39I'm adding in a bit of colour here, this is a Dicentra, Dicentra spectabilis, although in fact
00:43it has technically changed its name, but if you buy it it will certainly be sold as Dicentra,
00:48and I will always notice that, bleeding hard. And it is one of those woodland spring flowers that
00:54is quite happy in a little bit of shade. So underneath this rose, and at the front of the
01:01border here, it just adds that softness of colour mixed with the forget-me-nots that is perfect here
01:06for the cottage garden. Now as well as being Easter, we're back to the full hour, so lots to do,
01:16lots to see and enjoy.
01:23Coming up on today's programme, Carol visits Bos Vigo Gardens in Cornwall,
01:29to revel in the subtle beauty of shade-loving plants. Shade offers us the opportunity to grow
01:37all sorts of wondrous plants, and this garden is the most brilliant example.
01:44And Adam goes to the garden at Morton Hall in Worcestershire, that includes a spectacular meadow.
01:52We call it a magic carpet, we have about 250,000 fritillaries in here, which is nowadays such a
01:58rarity. And I shall be planting peas, as well as making sure that my mowing grass is looking as
02:06good as it possibly can. But first, I'm joined here at Longmeadow by an old friend.
02:14Come on, Dawson.
02:26I'm very happy to be spending the day with Rachel Dutain. Early last year,
02:31she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now she's made great progress with her treatment,
02:35and I'm looking forward to catching up with all her news.
02:39Hi, Rachel. Hello. Hello, you. Hello, you. She's bought a trowel. How are you? Hello, you.
02:47So, have you had a look around? Hi, Nigel. Nigel hasn't changed. A little bit older,
02:51like the rest of us. He hasn't changed. But now you can let go of that now. Pretty much the same.
02:56I've not seen this. This, I think, was a greenhouse when you were last here. I think it was,
02:59and I was very confused. Came through here and thought, well, where am I? Because I don't
03:03recognise this at all. It really is work in progress. We've just started the planting,
03:08the acuminata tulips are just coming into bud. They won't be flowering for another couple of
03:12weeks, I would have thought. The steeper will just soften everything now. I love the steeper.
03:17I love that movement that you get, even now when they're quite small plants. Yeah. And today,
03:22I thought we would put in some verbena benariensis. That'll give a bit of height. Yes, exactly. If we
03:27just start placing out the verbena. The idea is that they are rising above the grasses
03:34and just floating through. Lovely. We've got 24 in each of these trays, so it's 12 to each bed.
03:40So if you take one bed and I take another, and then we can place them and plant them.
03:43Just put them in. Yeah. So we're just plonking them. Plonking, that's a good term. We're
03:48plonking where your eye feels they're going to serve the overall effect best.
03:55It's interesting, isn't it, how there's just somewhere that feels right. Yes.
03:58Personally, looking at yours, I think they look great. And I think mine look okay. So let's start
04:03planting. They look great, Monty. They're great. Okay, it's getting hot. Let's get down to work.
04:07Come on. Okay.
04:14It's lovely to see you and looking great, but you have had one hell of a year. It has been one hell
04:21You have had one hell of a year. It has been one hell of a year. Yeah. How do you feel now?
04:27Well, I feel an awful lot better. All the difficult bit is really done.
04:35So I feel a big sense of relief. And you, I know, are incredibly sort of can do and practical and
04:43tackle things. I think for me, that's very largely where the gardening came into it.
04:48Because I now realise how fortunate, enormously fortunate I've been, that I already had that
04:55passion and that interest, because it sustained me. But it seemed that the whole process of being
05:02ill, it's made me just so much more aware, everything's hyper real, you know, it's all
05:08the colours are brighter, I notice every tiny bud and every little tiny thing feels like this huge
05:13gift. And so in a sense, that's been the upside of it, because you see everything anew, and it's
05:20all fresh and wonderful, and you really appreciate it. How much time have you been able to spend in
05:27the garden? So last year, there was a lot of time when I couldn't really garden very much at all.
05:33And I still had a lot of benefit just from going outside when I didn't feel like it,
05:38sort of making myself get outside. And was it the intensity of the beauty of small things,
05:45or the process of gardening that was most helpful? Both. But initially, when I couldn't do a lot of
05:51gardening, it was just the being. Just being, you know, look, with plants is wonderful, it's
05:58cathartic. And then gradually building up on that, and it's something to do with being in the moment,
06:03because your head's spinning the whole time, and you can't help worrying, and you're thinking about
06:07all sorts of possible outcomes and things that might happen. And if you're just coming outside,
06:11and you're deadheading, or you're planting a few things, or sowing seeds, then you're in that
06:16moment, and you're doing that. And that's just, I mean, how could this not be joyful? You know,
06:22this is, for me, this is absolute heaven. You know, you've made a paradise garden, and it is,
06:27this is paradise for me. And as well as being in the moment, of course, when you sow seeds,
06:33or you plant a plant, you are trusting in a future. Yep. So you just have to live your life,
06:42and get on with it. And, you know, that's what I'm trying to do. And it's not perfect,
06:47and it's not easy. But, you know, with help, with my family, my friends, and so on, it's,
06:52I'm getting there. Well, I'm so pleased, and it's lovely to see you here. Oh, it's, well, as I said,
06:56and I know that millions of people will be very, very happy to see you. So let's crack on.
07:03Exactly. Let's push on. Let's put these plants in this soil. And invest in this future.
07:12I think your story, Rachel, and let's face it, millions of others,
07:17testify that gardens and gardening, however modest, have a healing effect.
07:24This can work on a communal level, too. And Germflow have been along to Walsall,
07:31in the West Midlands, to visit a project where gardening is clearly playing an important role.
07:39And they offered to lend a hand.
07:50Over the years, we've worked on all types of gardens and outdoor spaces. And whilst we might
07:55be just a little bit biased, we think that gardening is one of life's greatest pleasures.
08:00But what makes it even better, if that's at all possible, is when a garden is providing an extra
08:06special something, like this place in Birmingham. Yeah, here on this allotment, there's a plot
08:11that's being run by some new but very enthusiastic gardeners. And we're here to give them a helping
08:17hand, help get their grassroots project growing and off the ground. See what I did there, Flo?
08:24See that? The joke? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ah, that was a joke. It's going to be a long day, isn't it?
08:29I can see that, yeah.
08:38This is the Open Doors project, which offers seven to eleven-year-olds the chance to play
08:42and learn in the outdoors. This one's called Edna. She's very friendly.
08:54All the children that use the site have additional or special needs,
08:58and this space gives them somewhere to explore their gardening skills with all the support and
09:03encouragement they need. And I tell you what, Jo, those gardening skills are already looking
09:08pretty sharp. I found something! A slug! With only a day for us to get stuck in,
09:15I'm keen to find out more from project leader Kate Millington.
09:20So, why did you start the project? Well, I'm a special needs teacher,
09:24and having worked in the city, I noticed that there's not many opportunities for children with
09:29learning disabilities to access the outdoors. So I wanted to offer them something different
09:34that would benefit them. Yeah, and why do you need some extra help with the project? Well,
09:38I'm not a horticulturalist, I'm a teacher, and I've been picking things up as I go along,
09:43but it'd be really good to have some advice on growing different plants and vegetables.
09:47We wanted to add some sensory experiences by putting in sensory plants today,
09:52and also build a quiet den area for if they get a bit overwhelmed.
09:57Well, I think even with the little knowledge you say you have, you've done a great job
10:01to begin with. So we're here to just give you some advice, some inspiration, and a bit of muscle.
10:07Perfect, thank you.
10:11Well, whilst Flo's getting a lowdown from Kate, I'm just going to check out what they've got.
10:15They've got some beautiful raised beds, perfect for growing some vegetables in,
10:18and the soil looks immaculate. I'm quite jealous of the soil. They've got a lovely greenhouse,
10:24which is always useful, and an interactive sort of musical area as well, but I really need to
10:30talk to the experts. The project has around 40 children who come and use the site from
10:36the Birmingham area. We don't want to eat the leaves, so what we have to do... Yeah,
10:43I know, cut it. Cut it there. And today we've got six of the keen gardeners who aren't afraid
10:50to get their hands dirty. So have you been here before? Yeah. And what did you do here last time?
10:58We were feeding the chickens, digging. I can see a worm. You can see a worm?
11:08Can you see how big it looks? I can't see anything. Wow, do you know the name of that?
11:12No, it's a shield bug. A shield bug, yeah.
11:19Samalikar, would you rather be outdoors or indoors? Outside. Inside's boring.
11:26I saw the worm. Did you see a worm? I haven't seen any worms since we've been digging. I saw one.
11:31In here? Hey look, look at the shape. Look at it moving. What do you think you'd like to grow?
11:39Apples and oranges. Or tambourines, you could call them that. You all right? Do you know what's going to go in here yet?
11:50The seeds of flowers. Flowers? Like wildflowers. Some flowers can be on this side and then the
11:58fruits can be on that side. Sounds like a plan. Flo and I have only got a day here on the allotment
12:05to give this project a helping hand, so there's no hanging about. So how long have you been doing
12:13this project? We've been going just about a year now, so we're still quite new but we're trying to
12:18develop it and get as many kids on board as we can. Yeah, it seems, I mean the kids seem to respond
12:24amazingly to being outside. You can just see them loving it. They do, they absolutely love it and
12:29seeing how they've engaged and how excited they are when they've picked vegetables they've grown
12:34themselves, it's absolutely amazing for them. Yeah, and what about you? I mean how much time do
12:39you have to put into it? I actually left full-time work at Christmas in order to be able to focus on
12:43this, so I work a few days a week as a special needs teacher and then I really am trying to
12:48focus on this and build it up so we can get more and more kids come into the allotment.
12:53They see the seasonal changes, we've got frog spawn at the moment so then they'll see them
12:58develop, they see the plants grow and then they can harvest them at the end, so they just they get
13:03to see so much of nature and the outdoors. Well honestly what you're doing here is incredible,
13:08I mean we're just trying to help a little bit you know. Right, we've got another couple of
13:11these planters to get and then the kids can help fill up the compost and we can get planting.
13:26Come on, let's go this way, come on.
13:33We'll be joining Jo and Flo a little later on in the programme to see how that planting goes when
13:43they will be helping to make a sensory garden. Now while Nellie is showing Rachel around the garden
13:50and the various changes since she was last here, I thought I'd just do one or two little jobs.
13:55Here in the top greenhouse we don't really try and actively grow much in here but protect
14:01all those plants ranging from succulents and salvias and streptocarpus that would suffer
14:08if it was too wet or too cold and here at Longmeadow it's usually both that we suffer
14:13from in winter. But these citrus are now gearing up to take their pride of place outside and these
14:20in fact will go into the paradise garden and you can see signs of growth. New shoots appearing on
14:26that orange and here new flowers appearing on the lemon and that is the key to give them a feed
14:33and some water. Now I feed them liquid seaweed and you can see I've got some in here
14:40and the ratio to feed them is about 30 to 1. Now over the years I've learnt what that looks like
14:46and it's half a jam jar and I splosh it into a watering can.
14:50The basic rule of any feed is it's far better to underfeed than to overfeed because if you do that
14:57you're simply going to attract aphids and slugs and snails to the excess soft sappy new growth.
15:06What it will promote is good root growth, flowers and fruit but if in doubt you can't go far wrong
15:15with a basic tomato feed. I water these about once a month over the winter no more so we're going to
15:21start to water them more about every 10 days to two weeks and as the weather warms up that will
15:26go up to once a week and when you water citrus of any kind soak don't sprinkle give them a really
15:34good soak. Right that's a little job done but it's all part of this movement from winter through
15:53spring into summer so I'll keep these doors open for another few hours in the middle of the day
15:59because I want these plants to harden off as best as possible. Think of hardening off as a
16:03gradual process not a one-off event and be responsive if it turns cold and frosty they
16:08either might have to be brought back in or covered over but it won't be long before you can relax
16:14and all your plants can be outside and you don't need to worry about them. Okay on to something else.
16:29I expect that most people with grass to mow have made a cut or two this year and if you haven't
16:45though it's certainly time but a couple of tips don't rush out and scalp it. If you scalp the grass
16:55and take almost all of it off down to the ground the roots will suffer because like any other green
17:01plant the roots are fed through photosynthesis and it's the green in the leaf that is feeding
17:08back down into the roots. So if you haven't cut the grass all winter and this is your first time
17:13just take an inch off and then maybe in a few days time take a little bit more of take a week or two
17:18to get down to the level you want and then cut at least once a week and that way you're building up
17:24nice healthy grass and if the grass is healthy then there won't be a chance for the weeds to get in.
17:47Almost everybody by the end of winter has some bare patches on their lawn or grass paths.
17:54Even just a little bare patch like this here is not going to improve on its own in a hurry.
18:01So the first thing I need to do is get a fork and really dig down deep
18:05and wiggle it about and do that all the way along. Okay that has loosened things up and then
18:14if I really want to improve things I'm going to add a little bit of sharp sand
18:19just to ensure there's drainage. So if I just sprinkle the sand on it like this
18:25it will fall into the holes that I've made.
18:31And then I'm going to scratch it over with this just to rough up the surface a bit. Now if you
18:39think you're destroying your lawn by doing this don't worry because grass is tough stuff. Now the
18:45final step is just to sprinkle a little bit of seed onto it. This is a general purpose grass seed
18:52mix however you can nowadays get seed that is adapted for very specific situations. So you can
19:00get seed for very shady areas or for very damp areas or even very dry ones and it may well be
19:07worth hunting those out. So whatever you use use it thinly. You will not get better grass by over
19:16sowing. So very gently just rake it over without spreading the seed too much and then water it.
19:27And it's very important that you water every day unless there's a decent amount of rain
19:38until you start to see the wispy first bits of grass growing. Even then just keep it damp until
19:44it's strong enough to mow and don't mow it until it is about two inches long because as I say the
19:53longer the grass the stronger the roots. That's a bit of mowing a bit of repair.
19:59Now here's a tip that is cheating really but it works.
20:07And the reason why it's cheating is because you can make a lawn look much better without actually
20:12touching the lawn. If you crisp up the edges everything suddenly looks better. Now obviously
20:18you have traditional edging shears and you just cut along like that.
20:24Quite difficult to keep it dead straight but when you pick up the pieces you can see that
20:30you establish an edge which you then keep clipped. If you want to take out a little bit more
20:36you can use a cutter. Now I use this more often than not they come as a half moon shape but a
20:44spade a sharp spade will do the job just as well. And what I do recommend is you put a board down
20:52get it straight and by standing on it you keep it straight and then you just like this
21:00push down and that cuts a new edge. This is very simple but it's a great way to sharpen up the
21:08garden generally as well as the grass. And if you want to grow good grass just remember the trinity.
21:14Plenty of sunshine, plenty of water and as good drainage as you can organise.
21:19But there are a whole raft of plants that actively enjoy shade whether it be dry or wet.
21:27And Carol has been down to Boss Vigo Gardens in Cornwall to see a wonderful selection of shade
21:34loving plants. Lots of us have shade in our gardens maybe it's cast by the house next door
21:47or the garage or just trees within the garden. And a lot of people think that it creates a problem
21:54what on earth are we going to grow in such places? But that's really a misconception in actual fact.
22:02Shade offers us the opportunity to grow all sorts of wondrous plants
22:08and this garden is the most brilliant example of how to do that.
22:17The majority of this north-facing plot spends most of the year in deep shade.
22:22Plants here compete for moisture with the trees and during the summer the soil can be as dry as
22:28dust. Despite that this garden is a rich tapestry of colour and texture.
22:38Far from being problematic there are just so many plants that you can grow in shady places
22:44and this is a beautiful example of just what you can do. A rhythm is made this beautiful sort of
22:52music right the way through the bed by using these big plumps of epimediums.
22:57Very dainty plants but nonetheless they make this solid statement going through. The emphasis
23:03is on copper and brilliant yellow and then that's taken up by things like this golden halibor,
23:11a big bright spark in the centre of it and as if that wasn't enough there's this little adiantum
23:17a maidenhair fern and it's colour picked up by this epimedium and then your eye is taken
23:24right to the other side of the path by an Acer with exactly the same sort of colouring
23:30and all of them are thriving in the shade.
23:43This is a lovely simple but very telling combination. It's quite sort of metallic
23:49in a way, it's got this lovely silvery sheen to the whole thing and it's composed mainly of three
23:56plants. First of all there's this little pale bloom of scari, it's called baby's breath,
24:02it runs right through the planting and then this very choice, very very special erythronium,
24:10this one's called genetbrichal, one of the most graceful of the dog's tooth violets
24:16and then a plant you're not really expecting to see, it's an astelia from New Zealand and
24:24people use these in hot sunny plantings but not a bit of it. This is the place for it,
24:31this is the kind of place where it grows in its native land and it looks wonderful here and
24:37providing a real contrast with these sharp leaves to all this lovely softness in front of it.
24:56What a perfect springtime picture. It's one thing now but just imagine what it's going to be like
25:03in the summer. For a start they're growing underneath a small Acer and if you look beyond it
25:10there's a much much bigger Acer, a huge sycamore which is just going to throw this whole area into
25:17dense dense shade and then imagine what's happening under the ground too. The roots of that sycamore
25:24must be right the way through this place depriving this soil of moisture and nutrients. So how do
25:32these plants cope? They've evolved to exploit this particular period before the canopy fills
25:40in overhead. They're true cinderella plants, they have to get everything done before the clock strikes
25:4612. The epimedium has fine fibrous roots that just spread out using every bit of moisture there is.
25:54On the other hand the erythroniums thrust their roots deep into the soil, they're bulbous and they
26:00go down deep deep deep just to make sure that they've got this springtime opportunity
26:07to flower beautifully, to set seed and then to go to sleep.
26:20Who doesn't love blue flowers and this has to be one of the bluest of the blues. It's
26:27Onphalodes capadocica, I adore it. It comes from the mountains of Turkey and it grows on
26:35north-facing slopes in very thin soil so it hardly ever sees the sun. It's ideal under shrubs and
26:43trees where it'll make these little carpets spangled with flowers for months on end in the spring.
26:50Onphalodes mixes beautifully with other plants or it can be a standalone specimen.
26:57And there are other plants too that can really steal the show.
27:05Trilliums are fascinating woodland plants with everything in threes. Trillium rivale
27:11from the United States is a miniature and it's suitable even in the cameo planting in a tiny
27:17garden. Occasionally epimediums hybridise spontaneously. This beauty appeared here at
27:26Bosvigo of its own accord. This diminutive treasure is Latherus vernus alborosius.
27:36It's a long-lived perennial, easy to start from seed and it will grow happily in dappled shade.
27:44You don't have to have a four acre wood or a huge great big garden to grow these plants.
27:50Any shady spot is perfect for these kind of lovely spring woodlanders.
27:57They don't need a lot of food. These are plants that can thrive on poverty,
28:01but they will appreciate working in some organic matter into the soil before you start. Good
28:08compost, a bit of leaf mold, that would be ideal. And just work the soil gently over before you
28:14plant. Now most of these plants grow quite superficially, colonising the woodland floor.
28:21Things like the wood anemones grow just a couple of inches below
28:25the surface of the soil. It's a great idea to give them a mulch during the winter.
28:31But remember, put them together in combinations that are really going to thrill you.
28:37I adore these plants, because for me, they celebrate the beginning of spring.
28:54I completely agree with Carol. These early herbaceous perennials and woodland plants
29:00have a real combination of delicacy and hope that is special. But they do combine,
29:08they combine really well with some of the more dramatic spring flowers. The imperial fritillary
29:13is probably the best and biggest example of the lot, but also the tulips and the daffodils.
29:18And that combination of longevity and subtlety and high drama is one of the wonders of the year.
29:24But some of the early perennials can do with a helping hand. I love epimediums.
29:30But certain varieties hold their flowers buried down in amongst the foliage.
29:35So you need to get in there and use a long pair of scissors or a pair of secateurs and remove
29:41last year's leaves. And these are the ones that have bronzed off. And follow the old stems right
29:46down to the ground. And you can see that the leaves are very, very soft. And you can see
29:52the old stems right down to the ground and then cut them back. And as the older foliage is removed,
29:59you start to reveal these lovely delicate flowers and also the new foliage, which in itself is very
30:06attractive. That's still to come. Rachel and I start planting a brand new border here at Long
30:11Meadow. But first, Adam goes to Worcestershire to visit a magnificent garden that combines tradition
30:21with clever modern design.
30:35This is a wonderful time of year. The garden's full of hope and colours are really starting to flow.
30:41But how do you keep that going right throughout the year? Well, here at Morton Hall in Worcestershire,
30:46they've turned succession planting into a fine art.
31:05You know, this meadow is absolutely incredible. I just want to explore, but also get down into it
31:12and enjoy the detail. For me, I think it's really clever. It's the way that it drags that season out.
31:18It starts in February with the crocus and finishes probably about mid-May with the camassias.
31:25The layers are lovely, but you might be thinking, it's all right, but I haven't got two acres
31:30to put inside. But maybe you could just leave an area along, maybe a small circle that creates
31:35a picture and play with those bulbs through the season. The added layer here that I love
31:41is the cherries and the amelanchies, which just really finish things off.
31:51In 2007, Anna and her husband, Rene, came to view Morton Hall, which is set in eight acres of
31:58beautiful countryside. And instantly, Anna just fell in love. What was it that caught your eye?
32:05Well, you're just looking at it. Right. I made my husband stop the car and said,
32:12this is it. I've never seen anything like this. This is what we're going to buy.
32:16So literally, you came up, saw the meadow. Yes, it was just unbelievable. And he said,
32:21don't you want to see the house? And I said, no, no, no, not necessary. We'll have that.
32:24Everything else can be fixed. But this, you can't invent. I absolutely love that. We call it a magic
32:30carpet because it's also this multi-story thing going on. You see, you have the little woodland
32:35anemones underneath. You have the cow slibs, the ox slibs, which is very rare. And then you have
32:42the fritillaries with 40% white, which is also very rare. And I think we have about 250,000
32:48fritillaries in here. Wow. And then you have on top this floating white narcissus. And I think
32:54there's just nothing like it. That's beautiful, isn't it? It's just that lovely sort of journey
32:58that takes you through. Yes. Since owning Morton Hall, Anna has created seven gardens,
33:06including a Japanese-inspired stroll garden, the West Garden with its stunning views,
33:12the East Terrace, and the South Garden. But it's taken an awful lot of work to get there.
33:19Give me an idea about what the rest of the garden is like. Scary. Some Edwardian laurel
33:27had been planted and just taken over. Wow. So it must have felt actually very claustrophobic.
33:33You would stand on the front lawn and think this place is small. Right. So what did you do first
33:38of all? Well, take it away. The idea was to reinstate an 18th century feel with lots of
33:45vistas and lots of space, but at the same time use the arts and crafts idea of having gardens
33:52with individual characters. We created seven gardens. So you go from garden to garden,
34:00and while they are individual experience and quite dramatic, you still have a connection
34:05between them. And we do that using the tricks of the trade. We're using hard landscape,
34:10use planting style, and we use colours. I can see that when we're walking around
34:20you're talking about this garden. There's a passion in there, but where did it come from?
34:24I've always loved flowers, but I always would have loved to be able to paint. I can't for the
34:30life of me, so this is my opportunity. So I'm painting. So this is your canvas in a way. Exactly.
34:37And one more question. Is there anywhere in the garden that you're particularly sort of
34:42drawn to? I always like to ask a gardener that. Yes, I get a question very often,
34:46and my answer is always, there are moments. And at this time of the year,
34:50if you go into the throw garden, you will find one of those moments in time when everything is perfect.
35:10You can see why Anna is drawn to this part of the garden.
35:14The atmosphere is completely different. It feels more intimate, and you're hit by these blues
35:19and whites, tiny little touches of yellow, the celebration of spring. I also like the way the
35:25path moves through the planting, but not just that, the way it's laid. They're not all even,
35:31so it slows you and you have to enjoy the detail that's in that planting. But for me in here,
35:38it's got to be the water straight away. It feels cooler, but the reflections,
35:43just absolutely beautiful, the birches. And then on top of that, I've got the sound,
35:50which just calms everything down.
35:56But the interesting part of the garden is the fact you
35:59always feel like you're just being drawn on to the next experience.
36:08Here, above me, was that problem plant that worked its way across the garden, the laurels,
36:14with just some clever pruning. That problem plant could become your solution. And that's
36:18exactly what's happened here. They've created this breathing space between the two gardens,
36:25just by cutting a simple tunnel through. You can do that in a small garden. It might be that you
36:30want to move from hot colours to cool colours, and you put some grasses through, or you put some
36:34foliage. It can really help you move from space to space. And the last thing here is the material.
36:40The rock that's used around the water is then picked up back against that bank.
36:55I'm now in a woodland, and it feels absolutely lovely. But it's got to be a little bit of
37:00I'm now in a woodland, and it feels absolutely lovely. If you look at that bank, it could have
37:06just been a grass bank with some trees in it. It's a real feature. The rock just works its way through.
37:12But also, there's been a lot of thought put into the planting. Like the meadow out there,
37:17there's real succession to this planting. I'm looking around me. I've got things like
37:21hellebores and brunnera just doing their thing. And then you look, there's digitalis.
37:27Foxtroves are going to just pop up.
37:37I really loved it when Anna said earlier on that for her, gardening wasn't necessarily about
37:41chasing the big thing. It was the little moments of joy.
37:45And you can see that in this planting right across the whole garden.
37:56Come on, good girl. Come on.
38:00If you feel inspired to visit Moreton Hall yourself, well, you can later in the year,
38:05because it's open under the National Garden Scheme, along with over three and a half
38:11thousand other private gardens right across the country.
38:16As well as MGS gardens, there are lots of other gardens bursting into life.
38:21And Easter is a great time to visit and get inspired.
38:27For spectacular tulip displays, Pashley Manor in East Sussex is well worth a visit.
38:32And for spring blossom, Annick Garden in Northumberland is a must.
38:37Snakeshead Fertilis are another popular spring bulb performing right now
38:41in the meadow at Waterbury Gardens in Oxford.
38:45For a blaze of seasonal colour, head to Inveraray Castle in Scotland
38:49or Bodnard Garden in North Wales to see their rhododendrons and azaleas.
38:54Or if the delicate beauty of a woodland garden is more your thing,
38:58Beth Chateau's garden in Essex is a delight in any season.
39:03Visit our website for more information and ideas.
39:16Come on. Come on, this way. Nellie, come on.
39:20Right. This bare piece of soil is intended to become a dyer's bed.
39:26Oh.
39:28The intention is that we plant this up entirely with plants that we can use to make dye.
39:34Oh, I love that idea.
39:36So I've got a barrel load of plants.
39:38Get some of those out. Yeah, we can get those out.
39:40See what you've got in here.
39:41So that is woad.
39:43Whoa.
39:45And... perfect.
39:47Same, but there's...
39:49Yeah, exactly the same, and there's a story in here.
39:51Because the thing about woad, and everybody knows that woad makes blue.
39:55Yes.
39:57And it's the foliage that makes blue.
39:59But I'm a novice at this.
40:01Well, do you know, that makes two of us.
40:03I'm very glad, actually, because we can learn together.
40:05Good. Well, one thing I learned, and I don't know if you knew,
40:07that if you let woad flower...
40:09Yeah.
40:11..it severely reduces the efficacy of the dyeing potential in the leaves.
40:13Right. So you want more like that.
40:15That's what we're looking for,
40:17and to try and pick the leaves before they flower.
40:19What I thought we could do is,
40:21if we planted them and collected the seed,
40:23I could then have material for sowing for more.
40:25Yeah.
40:27This is the hypericum.
40:29These.
40:31The yellow flowers are apparently a really good dye.
40:33Mm.
40:35And one of the things that I've been thinking about,
40:37I don't know about you,
40:39is quite how to tackle this,
40:41because do we include it in the cottage garden?
40:43Mm.
40:45So it looks part of the whole,
40:47or do we say this is like a vegetable bed
40:49where we're growing a crop?
40:51My feeling is the latter,
40:53that you have to think of it as a productive space.
40:55You are specifically growing these plants for the dye,
40:57and therefore they're not necessarily
40:59going to be beautiful together,
41:01and I think you've got to sacrifice that.
41:03But I notice that I can see for you...
41:05No, no, I'm not going to do it.
41:07That's a difficult one to do.
41:09That's very ruthless. Mm.
41:11You've got to balance the flowers.
41:13That is true.
41:15So there won't be many flowers to see.
41:17It's complicated. It is very complicated.
41:19You've got to balance all these different things.
41:21So I thought we could put that there
41:23and bung that down the other end
41:25so it balances down the other end.
41:27So roughly the same.
41:29Yeah, roughly the same, not too close to the left.
41:31Symmetrical-ish.
41:33Right, I'm going to move that one there.
41:35Now, in pursuit of the beautiful garden
41:37that also is productive and makes flowers,
41:39I'm going to use a very plummy pink.
41:41That tells you the sort of colour
41:43that you're going to be expecting.
41:45What have you got there?
41:47Right, next, madder.
41:49That's my favourite dye colour.
41:51I cannot wait to see how this turns out.
41:53So it's a rose...
41:55This is that whole range from soft pinks
41:57through to really dark, rusty reds,
41:59and I think it depends on all sorts of things,
42:01the sort of type of soil you have.
42:03You need a lot of madder... Yes.
42:05..to make a little dye, don't you?
42:07People do say that madder is very invasive.
42:09Yes.
42:11So are you going to risk it in the bed?
42:13I'd quite like an invasion of madder at the moment.
42:15Just don't say to me in three years,
42:17I wish I hadn't put that madder in that bed.
42:19OK. Right, finally.
42:21And finally, calendula, and I love these
42:23because you put them in once, they self-seed,
42:25you never have to do it again.
42:27And as a dye, not an intense,
42:29bright chemical orange,
42:31but a much subtler colour.
42:33Yeah.
42:35Right.
42:37I'm planting this hollyhock,
42:39and one of the problems we have is drainage.
42:41Would you, if you know that
42:43the drainage is not quite to a plant's taste,
42:45add grit to the planting hole?
42:47Do you know, I used to,
42:49but I think there's always a danger
42:51of creating a sump under that plant,
42:53so you just get more water sort of collecting
42:55at the bottom of that.
42:57But I think I would probably try and just incorporate
42:59some grit across the whole bed,
43:01or maybe just not put that plant there.
43:03It drains.
43:05Right, I'm going to divide this up.
43:07So now I've got three plants.
43:11And keep as much root on as possible.
43:23Now, while Rachel and I
43:25are busy making this start
43:27on our dyer's bed,
43:29it's time to go back to join
43:31Flo and Jo and the children in Walsall
43:33in the West Midlands
43:35to see how their sensory garden
43:37is progressing.
43:43Which one would you like?
43:45At this allotment plot near Birmingham,
43:47Flo and I are combining forces
43:49to help a community project grow.
43:51And we mean grow
43:53in every sense of the word.
43:55This small allotment plot has got big ambitions
43:57to help kids with special needs
43:59confidence, social skills
44:01and, of course, a whole load of plants.
44:03So we're developing
44:05a small patch as a sensory garden
44:07to tickle all the five senses.
44:09And a secret den
44:11where the kids can chill out
44:13or just get away from the adults.
44:15Come on, Jo. I'm the rest.
44:21Kate Millington is the project manager.
44:23And along with some of her volunteers,
44:25the kids' teachers,
44:27as well as the young gardeners themselves,
44:29we've got quite a team
44:31to put the plans into action.
44:33So far, we've got the bones of the garden
44:35laid out.
44:37And we've added bark chippings for the main ground cover.
44:39They look great and they wear well, too,
44:41with lots of small feet
44:43walking back and forth on them.
44:45So the next thing to do
44:47is to fill these planters up full of compost.
44:49And I need some help for that.
44:51That's handy, isn't it? Look at you lot.
44:53Malachi, you see the wheelbarrow behind you?
44:55Can we get that compost
44:57into here?
44:59We're going to mix in some of this
45:01because we're going to grow Mediterranean
45:03plants in here
45:05with really good drainage,
45:07well-drained soil. So we can spread this sand around.
45:09Sand!
45:11Sand, yeah.
45:13It's not for a sand pit. It's for planting.
45:15And we mix it all together.
45:17That's it. Mix it all up.
45:19So these are for plants like lavender
45:21and rosemary and lovely smelly plants.
45:23I love that!
45:25Yeah, you like a bit of that?
45:27My favourite smell.
45:29What do you like about it, the smell?
45:31And it makes you relax.
45:33That's right, exactly.
45:35Lavender makes you relax, helps you sleep better.
45:37And good dreams.
45:39And good dreams.
45:41Well done, everybody.
45:43The beauty of being on an allotment
45:45is the kindness of other plot holders.
45:47Kate has been donated
45:49this wheelbarrow, so we're turning it
45:51into another planter by adding
45:53some strawberries and mint.
45:55So there are about 40 children
45:57that come to the project, is that right?
45:59And they face a number
46:01of challenges, I imagine.
46:03Yeah, we have children with lots of different needs.
46:05Whether it's autism,
46:07learning disabilities,
46:09we have children that are wheelchair users,
46:11children with behavioural
46:13or emotional needs.
46:15So a whole range of additional needs.
46:17And what difference do you think gardening
46:19makes to these children?
46:21It's amazing. I mean, there's so much research
46:23about the benefits of being outside
46:25for things like mental health.
46:27And it really gives them a chance to be independent.
46:29We let them choose how they want to spend their time,
46:31what they want to do.
46:33So it gives them a lot of confidence, self-esteem.
46:35And it's all in a very low-pressure environment.
46:37They love it, I love it.
46:39So it works for everyone.
46:41Yeah, brilliant.
46:43Back in the sensory area, it's time to get planting.
46:45For the smelly section,
46:47we've several different types of thyme
46:49because the scent is heady
46:51and gorgeous.
46:55We've also got some rosemary,
46:57sage and chives, which all
46:59smell great and, of course,
47:01taste pretty amazing too.
47:07Well, they're clearly having lots of fun over there.
47:09And while they are, why don't we get on
47:11making the secret den?
47:13We're going to use willow.
47:15And it's a beautiful material and it's really
47:17flexible and it's a living material.
47:19How can I maintain that then?
47:21Well, it's going to grow fast and you're going to
47:23have to every year be cutting back
47:25and just kind of keep it in shape.
47:27We've already got the holes,
47:29so we're going to put the willow in
47:31about 30 centimetres deep.
47:33It's going to root anyway
47:35and become much more stable.
47:37The till's going down?
47:39Willow is a really beautiful tactile
47:41material to work with and comes in
47:43so many different colours.
47:45Right, so we've got the walls, so
47:47we need a roof now. Yeah, I'm excited to see
47:49how we're going to weed it together.
47:57This planter is all about
47:59texture. Close your eyes.
48:01Close your eyes, Norm. Come on. Close your eyes.
48:03Now feel the different plants.
48:05Okay, that's it. And feel
48:07this grass over here.
48:09Feel all the different texture? Yeah.
48:11Now feel this one over here.
48:13This one's plastic. This one's soft.
48:15Exactly. Very soft.
48:17And this is like
48:19plastic waxy. It's like waxy.
48:21So now I've explained what it's all about.
48:23We can start digging holes and get planting,
48:25which is I know what you really want to do.
48:27Go on, dig a hole right there
48:29and then we're going to put the plants in.
48:31How are you getting on over there, Norm? Not bad.
48:33Can we do the smell one? We'll do the smelly one
48:35after this. We can't leave a job
48:37unfinished. So use your hands.
48:39In the final planter, it's all about
48:41colour. I want something that really pops
48:43and the children will love.
48:45Take your plant and just pop it in the hole
48:47and see whether it sits okay.
48:49Perfect. Perfect.
48:51So, what do you think of this?
48:53It makes me feel happy
48:55because it reminds me
48:57of my grandma.
48:59These flowers remind you of your grandma?
49:01What about you, Anna?
49:03Um, no.
49:05Um,
49:07I like the other colour. It's my favourite.
49:09Yeah, yeah.
49:11I think all this was good for my family.
49:13It reminds you of your family?
49:15Yeah. Oh, that's beautiful.
49:19Finally, with all the elements
49:21complete for the den and the sensory
49:23garden,
49:25it's time to see
49:27what our young gardeners think.
49:29And what better way to explore
49:31the new garden than an
49:33Easter egg hunt.
49:51Hey, guys.
49:53Hi. Hi. What do you think?
49:55What do you think of the garden?
49:57Good. What's your favourite
49:59bit? The lavender.
50:01The lavender.
50:03Do you like the smell? Yep.
50:05Anna, what about your favourite bit?
50:07My favourite is the leaves.
50:09Yes, that's my
50:11favourite. That's funny because I thought
50:13you were all going to say your favourite bit were the Easter eggs.
50:15Yeah.
50:17Well, you've all put in
50:19a lot of work. Without you lot, this garden
50:21wouldn't be here, would it?
50:23You made it happen, didn't you? In one day.
50:25It's fantastic. You've been brilliant.
50:27We've all been really good.
50:29And we need to say a big thank you,
50:31don't we, to our visitors who've helped us?
50:33So we say... Thank you!
50:47It's always good to see
50:49children stimulated
50:51and involved in gardening.
50:53And clearly, it's good for
50:55them. Everybody benefits
50:57from that interaction
50:59between plants,
51:01soil and people.
51:03And Flo and Jo will be
51:05visiting other community projects across
51:07the country over the coming weeks
51:09and will be joining them as they lend a hand
51:11and give their advice.
51:15The dog's
51:17tooth violets, the
51:19Erythroniums, are better than they have
51:21ever been this year.
51:23There's a certain amount of bulking up that they
51:25get a critical mass and then really
51:27look good. But
51:29the mixture of weather and time
51:31has suited them very well indeed.
51:33And they are a charming
51:35woodland plant. And yet, when you
51:37look at them, so exotic
51:39and special.
51:55This is one of my favourite
51:57jobs of spring.
51:59Putting up the bean sticks.
52:01I'm not going to plant my beans out yet
52:03and may not do so for another month
52:05because it's too cold.
52:07But by putting up the support
52:09it's a statement of intent.
52:11You're saying, OK, summer is
52:13coming. We're ready
52:15and we're ready with real
52:17intent to grow as many good
52:19vegetables as possible. But it is important
52:21to make sure the structure
52:23is really strong.
52:25And
52:27really get that in.
52:29And it should look really good
52:31and well made. And one of the
52:33reasons I like bean sticks over
52:35bamboos is that they are wonky.
52:37And wonky is
52:39nearly always good.
52:41A bit of a curve and a twist and a bend
52:43and a kink never did anybody
52:45any harm at all.
52:53Now the idea
52:55is to make
52:57a parallel line of
52:59sticks or canes and then we'll tie them
53:01up together.
53:03And you want to space them about
53:05a foot apart.
53:09These are going in
53:11where there were carrots
53:13last year. So
53:15legumes follow root crops
53:17like carrots and parsnips. Fresh
53:19compost added to it.
53:23Look at that. That is a beautiful
53:25straight hazel
53:27rod. And so
53:29I'll try and thread this in.
53:33So
53:35I'll get that
53:37really tight down in
53:39and then tie it down.
53:41So the next stage
53:43is to get these diagonals.
53:45Maybe if we do one like that.
53:49It is amazing how much
53:51this strengthens the structure.
53:53Right, that's
53:55one side.
53:59That is now good and strong.
54:01We'll take anything that the weather can throw at it
54:03and we'll carry the heaviest crop of beans
54:05ever grown.
54:07Now obviously at this time of year
54:09sowing is the key activity.
54:11And although the beans
54:13need some heat and some
54:15molly coddling to get going, I've got
54:17some more veg which I can sow right now
54:19outside without worrying about the weather.
54:25In this empty bed here
54:27I want to sow peas.
54:29It's fair to say there's some
54:31controversy about the best way
54:33to sow peas.
54:35Whether you should sow single rows,
54:37double rows or triple rows
54:39and the best spacing.
54:41On balance, I think a double
54:43or a triple row is the most
54:45economic use of space and you
54:47get the best results.
54:49Now I've got different varieties of peas
54:51ranging from alderman here
54:53which is 6ft tall, a really good
54:55old-fashioned pea.
54:57We've got eddy
54:59which is the one that I sowed last summer
55:01for a very late sowing
55:03so I'll hold this back and make another
55:05sowing in June. But actually what I'm going to
55:07sow now is blauchokker.
55:09And these grow about 4-5ft tall
55:11and a lovely
55:13purple pod. You can eat it
55:15before the peas inside
55:17start to grow as a mange tout
55:19and the pod is good and sweet
55:21or you can let them grow and you get a good
55:23green pea that is delicious
55:25eaten fresh.
55:27So it's a good all-rounder that
55:29looks really dramatic.
55:33Now the important thing is to leave room
55:35between rows to walk and harvest.
55:37And it does seem like a horrible
55:39waste at this stage but you could always
55:41sow a row of radish or put in
55:43some lettuce, a catch crop
55:45that will be over and out of the way
55:47by the time you start tramping along there.
55:49Now I intend to fill this bed
55:51with peas but there's no reason
55:53why I should have all the fun. Here's some jobs
55:55for you this weekend.
56:07If you have a favourite
56:09dahlia growing in a pot
56:11now is a very good time to take cuttings.
56:13Choose a nice
56:15straight shoot and using
56:17a sharp knife cut it off
56:19as close to the tuber as you can.
56:21Cut off
56:23excess foliage
56:25and put it into a very gritty
56:27compost mix.
56:29Then place it somewhere warm
56:31water it and keep the air
56:33around it moist and it should root
56:35in a few weeks time.
56:41If you have
56:43spring flowering shrubs
56:45like this winter honeysuckle
56:47the time to prune them
56:49is immediately they finish flowering
56:51and certainly before the end of June.
56:53And then the new wood
56:55that grows and ripens throughout the summer
56:57will carry next year's flowers.
57:05If you sowed tomatoes
57:07earlier in spring they'll be a good size
57:09but check the roots
57:11and if they're filling the pot
57:13it's time to pot it on because it's too early
57:15to plant them out yet.
57:17Place the pot in its container
57:19inside another one
57:21and fill it with compost
57:23and then carefully
57:25take out the smaller pot
57:27remove the tomato
57:29and pop it back into the space
57:31that you've created.
57:33Well it has been a joy
57:35to have you here
57:37and to see that
57:39you do seem to be on the mend.
57:41I am Monty. I'm so much better
57:43than I was. It's been just
57:45fabulous being here today. It's been
57:47lovely to see you. It's been too long
57:49and the garden's changed so much
57:51and these two haven't forgotten me.
57:53We had a lovely walk before.
57:55So yeah, it's been really lovely.
57:57Good. And I am absolutely holding you
57:59in my arms.
58:01Good. And I am absolutely holding you
58:03to coming back
58:05to make some dye. Let's make dye from those pots.
58:07Yes. I'm going to bring cloth or something.
58:09We'll make something. I'll think about it.
58:11You're very welcome. Anytime.
58:13And I know that you will be joining the programme
58:15also doing other things.
58:17Yes. I think I'm going to start with doing some containers.
58:19I've got lots of ideas for really
58:21exciting, beautiful pots
58:23and so I want to start doing those
58:25I think. We look forward to that very much.
58:27That's it.
58:29We will of course be back
58:31next week at the slightly
58:33later time of 8.30.
58:35So 8.30 but for another
58:37hour programme. And I hope
58:39you have a wonderful Easter
58:41weekend and I'll see you back here next week.
58:43Bye-bye.
58:59Music
59:01Music
59:03Music
59:05Music
59:07Music
59:09Music
59:11Music