Gardeners World S51e16 18-07-18
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hello, welcome to Gardener's World.
00:14After these weeks of heat, the garden here at Longmeadow is actually holding its own
00:20surprisingly well.
00:22But inevitably, some plants are going over quicker than others.
00:26And you have to be brave and not hang on to them, but cut them back.
00:31And quite a few, like this Nepeta, for example, will re-flower.
00:40Of course, some plants, like this fennel, are completely happy with the hottest and
00:46the driest weather that Britain can give it.
00:49These are plants adapted to Mediterranean weather, and they will look really good all
00:55summer long without a drop of water.
01:02Coming up on today's show, Adam gets an exclusive invitation to join His Royal Highness the
01:07Prince of Wales to discuss why our gardens and countryside are under threat from new
01:13pests and diseases.
01:14We're faced by a multitude of threats of every kind of disease.
01:20We have to take this really seriously.
01:23And Carol celebrates the glory of the agapanthus.
01:27There is nothing mundane or ordinary about agapanthus.
01:32They're truly the stars of the summer border.
01:37Amongst other things, I shall be summer pruning my step-over apples.
01:53This bed was intended to be filled with purple asparagus, and they were planted.
02:17However, they haven't happened.
02:19So I'm going to use this bed for another crop.
02:22And I'm going to put in some leeks.
02:24Now, leeks are one of those crops that follow an earlier harvest.
02:30Classically, potatoes or perhaps peas, broad beans.
02:34You follow them up with leeks, which you'll put in in June and July, and then they will
02:38sit all winter long, ready to harvest as and when you want them.
02:44Normally, I plant leeks using a dibber.
02:48This is simply an old fork handle that I've sharpened off, and I only ever use it to plant
02:53leeks.
02:54But the idea is that you make a hole in the ground with it, nice and deep, and you pop
03:01the leek in there, and then you don't fill it back in, you just water it in, and gradually
03:06the roots take hold.
03:08And the soil closes around it, and it blanches the leek.
03:11That's how you get the white part of the leek, which is sweeter and better.
03:16However, the problem with this dry soil is you dib into it, and it tends to fill in.
03:23It's like dibbing into a sand dune.
03:25So I'm going to try something else.
03:28If I get a board and draw a shallow trench, like that, okay, there we go.
03:46Now, the idea being is I place those there, and I will backfill, trying to get these as
03:55deep as possible.
04:01And it wouldn't matter if you buried them that deep underground.
04:05You won't harm it at all.
04:06It's not going to die on you because it's buried.
04:08As long as there's some green above ground, they will be completely happier.
04:13And the deeper it is beneath the soil, the more that will be blanched.
04:19So if you like your leeks white, you put them in deep.
04:22Now what I'm going to do is just cover these over like this, and then I'll fill up the
04:30other side of the trench.
04:36Now I'm putting these about six inches apart.
04:38The closer you put them together, the smaller they will be.
04:44Now, the one place you shouldn't plant them is where you have grown an allium crop previously.
04:54So if you've lifted your garlic, don't put leeks into that space because all alliums,
05:00leeks, garlics, shallots, will transmit viruses and diseases that only affect them.
05:17It's too late to sow leeks now, but you can buy them from suppliers in plugs, get them
05:24in the ground, and then you will have a harvest from now right through till next spring.
05:34Now really important for leeks is to water them in well, and make sure they have a soak
05:41at least once a week.
05:44I'll go and refill my can.
05:55I confess, even with a lifetime's experience, really good soil and lots of space, it can
06:01be quite tricky growing vegetables when we don't get rain for weeks on end and the sun
06:06blazes down.
06:07You would think it would put you off forever, but that's not the case for Frances.
06:11And she returns to her shared allotment with unabated enthusiasm.
06:20Summer is in full swing with roasting record-breaking temperatures.
06:24It's been absolutely scorching over the last month.
06:29The allotments are absolutely teeming with produce around every corner, and it's so exciting
06:33to finally be harvesting, but there is one job that we can't avoid, and it's getting
06:38a little bit repetitive.
06:46Of course, it's watering, and it's so hard to keep up with it this time of year.
06:50But the key is to do it as early in the morning or as late in the evening, but now it's still
06:54pretty early and that sun is baking hot.
06:57So make sure you get it on the soil rather than on the foliage or else you'll scorch
07:00the leaves.
07:01And also make sure you give everything a really nice, good drink so the roots go downwards
07:05rather than staying up at the surface, and then hopefully you should be doing all that
07:08you can.
07:09So how was your holiday, Luke?
07:10Good to be back?
07:11Yeah, it's really great to be back.
07:12I had a great time away, but kind of was slightly worried about the plot.
07:18I knew it was in safe hands, but I was slightly worried.
07:20To be fair, it was absolutely brilliant coming back and seeing the new beds and all the herbs
07:26up there.
07:27Are you pleased with it?
07:28It looks all right, doesn't it?
07:29So happy.
07:30Thank you so much.
07:31I'm brilliant.
07:32And my sacrificial broad beans have certainly been sacrificed.
07:33But at least the chickpeas are still looking okay, so I'm just going to really protect
07:37them, I think.
07:38Yeah, they look amazing.
07:39I was really kind of quite surprised as to how well they're doing on here.
07:42They're attractive, aren't they?
07:43Yeah.
07:44But yeah, plenty of water to keep them going and strong.
07:47And the slugs seem to have kind of slowed down a bit.
07:50Yeah.
07:51I do have a slight confession to make when it comes to the slugs.
07:53My half was dying a little bit and I think it was partly slugs, partly just bad luck,
07:57I feel.
07:58Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah.
07:59I think you just slightly replant some rocket and even that got mulled down, so I think
08:03you won fair and square.
08:04Goes to show, cheating doesn't pay.
08:05No, it doesn't.
08:06And do you have any other projects that you're planning at the moment for the next month
08:11or two?
08:12Yeah.
08:13So my next kind of big project will be finishing off the seating area, so I've got all the
08:16seats in now and kind of dug the holes so it's nice and level.
08:19I've got like a bit of a circle of kind of just edibles I can just sit and pick at and
08:23kind of munch away in the evenings.
08:25Sounds good.
08:26A cup of tea, loads of soft fruit, place to sit down.
08:29Live and dream, it's great.
08:30I'll just move in, it'll be fine.
08:31That sounds good.
08:32Luke and I have been wondering how we're going to solve the problem with water shortage,
08:44so we're putting in a water butt.
08:45We're going to put some felt on the roof and then any water that falls down here will be
08:49caught in the bin.
08:51The council gave all the plot holders here some bins to use, so we are making the most
08:54of ours.
08:55This has a lid which is an added bonus because you don't want small mammals and birds and
09:01leaves falling into the water, so it has a lid of some kind that just saves that issue
09:05as well.
09:06And the lovely thing is as well is that plants really like rainwater, it has a lot less chemicals
09:11in than tap water.
09:16July is one of my favourite times of the year, when summer fruits are ripening and ready
09:21to be picked.
09:24I'm really keen to meet as many people on the allotment throughout this year as I can,
09:28and one particular person has such an important part to play.
09:33Sarah Flint is a project officer here at the city farm and has been educating the local
09:39community about horticulture for four years.
09:41Hi Sarah.
09:42Hi.
09:43It's looking amazing here.
09:44Thank you, thank you.
09:45It used to be three allotments which hadn't been touched for maybe two or three years
09:49and we got a lovely big grant from the Lottery to build a propagation place, part of which
09:53was this garden.
09:55What's the kind of aim of your project?
09:57Two things, one to supply vegetable plug plants to sell to the allotments because it's very
10:01hard, especially up on the hill like where Luke is, to start little plants.
10:05Down here we've got lovely soil and volunteers helped us grow those vegetable plug plants
10:10and at the same time they had training in horticultural techniques and cultivation in
10:13the garden and they take a harvest home at the end of the day.
10:17And are you pruning a gooseberry now?
10:20Yeah, this is gooseberry invicta and you can do a summer prune and I think considering
10:24the weather conditions it's a good idea.
10:26It'll open the bush out, it will mean that the air flow is better, less likely to get
10:31mildew and the aphids like the sappy ends of the new growth so we're going to take off
10:36the laterals so that'll discourage them.
10:38Yeah, that makes sense.
10:39I'll give you a hand.
10:40Yeah, indeed.
10:43Is soft fruit a particular favourite of yours?
10:46We wanted something we could take cuttings for because, again, it's good for horticultural
10:50knowledge as to how to take cuttings in winter, but I particularly like white currants.
10:55What is it you love about white currants?
10:56Firstly, they're so beautiful, they look like jewels and I love the flavour, it's like a
11:01muscatel grape which is really unusual.
11:03I've made jams with them and found they're really good for jamming because they're so
11:06high pectin, aren't they?
11:07Yes, sticky.
11:08But yeah, I'll have to try one of yours, maybe I'm not growing them right.
11:13Back on the plot, Luke and I are really keen to add our own soft fruit collection and are
11:18introducing our very own blueberry bush.
11:22Remember when planting blueberries to always plant them in ericaceous compost and to make
11:27things easier, plant them in a large container with mulch on top.
11:32Place the pot in a sunny spot, keep the soil moist and you'll have lovely blueberries in
11:37no time.
11:40The allotment is looking really full at the moment and now's the time you're starting
11:44to harvest, but also looking to make the most of the space you have.
11:50Hence why I'm using containers, it's a really great way of saving space and using every
11:54tiny little corner where you could potentially fit something edible.
11:58The great thing about it is I'm using lots of upcycled things, I've got tins, this is
12:02an old pan and you can put anything in them, you just have to remember a few key things.
12:07Number one, keep them really well watered, especially in this kind of heat because they'll
12:11dry out really fast.
12:13And secondly, always make sure you feed them, especially with any kind of fruit or veg because
12:18they need extra nutrients compared to other plants, because normal plants will get their
12:21goodness from the ground and in these pots they haven't got the chance to do that.
12:26Another great thing about containers is it gives you a chance to grow things that you
12:29wouldn't ordinarily be able to grow in your plot, so if you have a certain soil type or
12:33a certain condition, you can change them depending on what you put in your container.
12:37Gilbert gave me some callaloosees, thank you so much, which we're trying in an upcycled
12:43wicker basket, which is really nice.
12:45But just make sure when you are using these weird and wonderful things for a container,
12:49you make holes in the bottom to allow them to drain.
12:54One thing about allotments is there is so much wildlife here, some you notice more than
12:59others.
13:01Luke and I have noticed some animal droppings up the top of the site and the bug hotel has
13:05been completely wrecked by something, so we thought we'd put some cameras around so we
13:09can see what we find in the dead of night, although I don't know what we will find.
13:13I'm a little bit worried to be honest, but, um, badgers, let's go for badgers.
13:18Badgers, foxes, or maybe just the local cats.
13:21Spring watch, eat your heart out.
13:31Well, I hope Francis is saying it is cats and not badgers or foxes or even worse, rabbits,
13:48because we've had a rabbit problem here at Longmeadow.
13:50In fact, people always think rabbits eat lettuce, they don't touch the lettuce here.
13:53They ate all my peas, I re-sowed them, put the netting around to protect them, they've
13:58germinated pretty well and with any luck I will get a harvest, although it is very
14:03late in the day for peas.
14:06And the other night, night before last, I was out here watering a lovely set of bellotti
14:11beans growing well, came out this morning, the whole lot had been eaten.
14:18You turn your back for a minute and you're attacked.
14:22Well, the rabbits or the pigeons haven't yet attacked my step-over apples, which is just
14:32as well because they're looking pretty good and are a good example, along with cordons
14:37and espaliers, of growing lovely fruit in any size garden.
14:44But they will need training to keep them small.
14:47You can see here how this has got really vigorous growth coming up and all that has
14:53happened since April.
14:56So to keep it small, you've got to prune it, but you must prune it now, in summer.
15:02If we prune now, that will restrict growth.
15:08And if I take this back, you can see there's an area of slight swelling of the stems and
15:15that swelling indicates that it's forming a spur and the spur will carry fruit.
15:21So cut back to the slight thickening of the stem.
15:25Now, of course, this doesn't only apply to restricted forms like step-over or espaliers.
15:33You can do this with a big apple tree.
15:35And every now and then, it's a good idea to summer prune an apple tree to open it out,
15:39get light and air in, and then in winter you can continue the process.
15:54I do have an extension of the horizontal stem here that I don't want to cut because I want
16:00it to grow a little bit longer and then I can tie it in and that will become part of
16:04the permanent framework.
16:07And now, all the way along, we've got little knobbly spurs covered with apples.
16:12The sun can get at them, they'll ripen, it's not taking up any space at all, but it is
16:17giving me a couple of dozen potentially delicious fruits that I can eat in autumn or even store
16:24right through the winter.
16:27Those are looking good.
16:33Now the health of our plants is an integral part of the beauty and enjoyment of our gardens.
16:41But right across the globe, new pests and diseases are being discovered all the time
16:46and this is a real threat to the biosecurity of us here in the UK.
16:54His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, has been concerned about this problem for a long
17:00time now.
17:02So Adam went to his home at Highgrove to discuss this with him.
17:15Britain's green and pleasant land, with its rolling fields and lush woodland.
17:22It's known the world over, but it's constantly under threat.
17:27Climate change, increased travel and movement of plants around the world has escalated the
17:32risk of new pests and diseases spreading to the UK.
17:37The scary thing is that some of these pests and diseases, if not controlled, not only
17:41devastate the UK landscape, but also our gardens too.
17:49These ongoing threats to our plants and our trees are an increasing worry for His Royal
17:54Highness, the Prince of Wales.
17:59I'm in Gloucestershire at Highgrove, the private estate of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess
18:03of Cornwall.
18:05The grounds are beautiful, with a collection of gardens all created by the Prince himself.
18:11His Royal Highness also oversees 2,000 hectares of woodland across the Duchess of Cornwall
18:16estate, which is spread over 23 counties.
18:20Back in February, I was invited to a meeting at Highgrove with members from across the
18:25horticultural industry to discuss the problems being caused by pests and diseases and exactly
18:30what could be done to deal with them.
18:35One of the outcomes was Action Oak, a campaign launched at the Chelsea Flowers show this
18:39year to help protect our iconic native oak.
18:43It's made up of charities, environmental organisations and landowners who are using their combined
18:50knowledge to help safeguard these beautiful trees.
18:53Today, the Prince has invited me back to Highgrove.
18:57I wanted to ask him what he thinks we as gardeners should be thinking about and need to know
19:01about biosecurity.
19:04But first of all, I want to know where his passion for plants has come from.
19:09The question I want to ask every gardener in the country is, how did you get into gardening?
19:16I suspect it was probably partly to do with my grandmother's wonderful garden at Royal
19:21Lodge in Windsor Great Park, where I spent a lot of my childhood and I remember being
19:26absolutely riveted as a child, wandering about in little paths and things and looking at
19:31all the plants.
19:32And it was a wonderful woodland garden with masses of azaleas and rhododendrons and the
19:38smell and everything had a profound effect on me, I think.
19:44And then you've got those, you carry those memories, don't you?
19:46Then you want to do things as you get older.
19:48And really, it's only when you have somewhere of your own that you become particularly keen.
19:53But I also had, we had as children, my sister and I had a little plot at the back of somewhere
19:58in the back of your parents' garden, where we grew vegetables and things.
20:04My nan on the allotment where they lived, a tiny piece of slate with Adam painted on
20:08it started off exactly the same way, in a way.
20:11I think yours was probably just slightly grander, obviously.
20:13I don't know why, but I also grew to love trees.
20:17I mean, they always fascinated me.
20:19What is it that you love about the UK landscape?
20:22Part of it is its variety, but also the way in which the hedges and the hedgerow trees,
20:30the whole intricate pattern of the landscape, particularly, I mean, if you go up to the
20:35Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria or Lake District, that sort of landscape is magical.
20:42We're here today to talk about pest and diseases.
20:44I'm petrified.
20:45I've got four children.
20:46I'm scared, in a sense, I suppose, the landscape that I'm going to leave for those.
20:51I mean, when did that sort of the pest and diseases really come on your radar?
20:55Well, you see, but I remember Dutch elm disease all those years ago, and that was totally
21:02devastating here in Gloucestershire, because the whole of the landscape in Gloucestershire
21:06was these wonderful, great elm trees all through the field, all the hedgerows everywhere.
21:12And now, of course, we're faced by a multitude of threats of every kind of disease.
21:17Yeah, I mean, we've got a death row list that's got a thousand pest and diseases and a hundred
21:23being added every year.
21:24I mean, what is your biggest fear?
21:26Well, the biggest fear is we end up with a wasteland here, having seen more and more
21:32of these pests, particularly from the Far East coming here, because there's all these
21:37caterpillars and, you know, strange things.
21:40They've all got extraordinary names, like the Emerald Ash Borer, and Sudden Oak Death,
21:44and Cute Oak Decline, and one thing after another.
21:48And the people love the ancient oaks in this country, and there are magical remnants of
21:56some of these forests.
21:58We are a nation of gardeners as well, but somehow, people don't quite realise yet the
22:05problem.
22:06The difficulty, I think, has been that the nurseries are the ones who really do need
22:12to react quicker in terms of quarantining.
22:15Yeah.
22:16I mean, I only get my trees now from a nursery which does proper quarantine, but it's one
22:22of a minority, which is madness when you think about it, because we should be taking a very
22:28urgent, emergency approach to this.
22:31We haven't got any time to waste, because I went to visit Heathrow Airport a few months
22:36ago, and I was talking to these marvellous people who try to prevent all this coming
22:44in, but they're overwhelmed by endless stuff that's brought in by people and their baggage
22:50or whatever.
22:51I don't think people realise just how dangerous it is, unless you know that where you're getting
22:57the plants from has a proper biosecurity policy in place.
23:03If you had one bit of advice for gardeners at home, what would it be?
23:07Talk to the nurseries where you're getting your plants from and ask them, where do they
23:12come from?
23:13Have they been properly checked or quarantined?
23:16Have you got a biosecurity policy, because of the risks now we're facing, of all these
23:22pests and diseases?
23:24With climate change adding to these huge challenges, and because of the warming up of everything,
23:31more and more of these pests and diseases can flourish here, where they couldn't have
23:34done before.
23:36We have to take this really seriously.
23:39We're faced with a multiple series of threats in all directions, to the integrity of nature
23:45herself, which is something I've been trying to say for the last 30 or 40 years.
23:51I would say that there was a lot of people that sort of ignored, and so much of what
23:56you've said has actually come true.
24:00All I want to say is thank you very much, because the time that you've given me, I'm
24:04really hoping that a few people at home will be listening, and it might make a difference
24:07to...
24:08I hope so.
24:09Because it'll make a big difference, hopefully, to the future, and our grandchildren, who
24:15we hope will be able to share the magic of the British landscape.
24:21I do think that it is to His Royal Highness' lasting credit that he has had a long-term
24:42interest in this subject, and that for most of us, we're coming to it rather late in the
24:47day.
24:49In fact, we spoke to the Horticultural Trades Association, who said that they were delighted
24:53that he was raising awareness, and that quarantining trees was one effective way of ensuring biosecurity,
25:01but not the only one, and that it wasn't always as effective in a range of other plants.
25:07And they said that they were working with the government to try and form a regulatory
25:13system to ensure maximum practical biosecurity.
25:19So, I think for all of us who are affected by this, and in effect, that is all of us,
25:24we need to keep informed, aware of what's going on, and of course, we will here be letting
25:31you know everything that we discover as and when it happens.
25:37Later in the programme, Adam will be back at Highgrove, talking to the Duchy of Cornwall's
25:41head forester, Garent Richards.
25:48Now, have a look at this.
25:55This is a Hemerocallis, or daylily bud, but it's malformed, and that's caused by a tiny
26:06little insect that arrived in this country in the 1980s, and has slowly spread.
26:13Because inside this flower bud will be minute, white, little Hemerocallis gall midges.
26:22Now, if I slice that open, and it is very small, and my eyesight isn't very good, so
26:29we'll see if I can see it.
26:32And they're just a millimetre or so long.
26:38I can't actually see...
26:39Oh, there we are.
26:40Yes, I can.
26:41A tiny little wriggly worm there, just above my thumb now.
26:46And that is doing the damage.
26:50They eat the inside, it distorts the bud, doesn't flower, then they drop to the ground,
26:56and the larvae will overwinter in the soil, and then the cycle repeats.
27:01So what you have to do is pick the flower head off, the distorted ones, and destroy
27:07them, and that will break the cycle.
27:11That little wriggly thing that's on my thumbnail now can completely wreck the display of a
27:17whole Hemerocallis.
27:18And I will destroy that.
27:20I won't put it on the compost heap, I certainly won't let it drop on the ground.
27:23Hello, Nelly.
27:24Have you ever seen one of these before?
27:27You wouldn't like it, no.
27:28You're one of the best, aren't you?
27:31Good girl.
27:32OK, come on.
27:34So it's completely wrong to think of the garden as a series of traps and pitfalls set
27:40out to make life difficult.
27:43It's not like that at all.
27:44Gardening should be fun, or else you're doing it wrong.
27:47And it's always good to go and meet someone who can celebrate a life well-lived in gardening.
28:04I absolutely love working with blooms.
28:07They brighten everywhere up so much.
28:14My name's Harry Cook, and I live in Loughborough with my wife, Pat.
28:18We've lived here for about 52 years, and we've seen such a lot of changes in our time.
28:26We've got a very busy roundabout outside now that is constantly full of traffic.
28:33When I started with the Loughborough Inn Bloom, the whole area and the roundabout looked
28:39very untidy.
28:40So with permission from Leicestershire County Council, started to look at ways of improving it.
28:49It's nice to choose plants that you like yourself.
28:52I also choose plants that's going to give me blooms that the judges will like as well.
29:01My favourite plant is Petunia Tidal Wave.
29:06They're fantastic because you can do anything with them.
29:10You can trail them, you can climb them in a cage, they'll climb up to three foot high.
29:16You don't need to deadhead them.
29:18As long as you keep feeding them and watering them, they grow so quickly, you just can't believe it.
29:25And they give a magnificent display.
29:30Begonia Summer Jewel is very reliable.
29:33That one is a basket Begonia.
29:37Once it starts growing, it'll flower all year and you get a beautiful display from it.
29:46I had an incident, it was the year 2012, I opened the gate and this guy in a white van
29:53was chucking all my plants in the back of his van.
29:56So I said to him, what do you think you're doing with those?
29:58He said, I'm having these.
30:00I said, no you're not.
30:01I said, they're mine.
30:02You can take them back out again.
30:04I went and stood in front of his van and he started to take them out.
30:10The judging was taking place in about three days time and they were running away with my plants.
30:18In the next week we'll have the RHS judges come to visit Loughborough in bloom
30:24so they'll be casting their eye over my garden.
30:31I've managed to acquire five gold awards in the eight years we've been doing it.
30:37Obviously I'm very proud of that achievement.
30:41The comments are usually quite good.
30:43You just have to wait for the report to see what you've done wrong.
30:52At the back of my house we've got an area that's called the Greenbelt.
30:57It consists of 3.7 acres with a stream running through it which is full of wildlife.
31:04When I retired I could see the place was getting untidy.
31:08I took it upon myself that I'd like to see it looking nice again.
31:17This area when we first started was all covered in brambles
31:22and it's all been cut back purely so that we can see the stream.
31:27And it's such a nice view up here.
31:31You can see the wildlife.
31:34It's such a pleasant place.
31:36Even though we've got a busy road right outside you can't hear the traffic
31:41and it's like being in another world round there.
31:49Who's got to do this one?
31:51Harry's been working with us for a long time.
31:54He's been working with us for a long time.
31:56He's been working with us for a long time.
31:58He's been working with us for a long time.
32:00Who's got to do this one?
32:02Harry's been working with us for a few years now.
32:05He'd help us with gardening club, we've planted up hanging baskets.
32:08But when we got the raised beds he's particularly been involved supplying us with plants.
32:13The children love that he's got special knowledge
32:17and if there's something that we don't know we know Harry's going to know.
32:21This is our wildlife area for the children to educate them all about the bugs and the bees.
32:29I think it's really nice because after school maybe you could walk down here
32:36and it's not just an ordinary path, it's really, really cool.
32:39It's just nice, you just see all the wildlife around and it's just really nice.
32:48Gardening is so relaxing because time doesn't matter to you.
32:54You start doing things and you look at the clock and you've lost an hour.
32:58And at the end of it all you're creating something that's beautiful.
33:09I'm really proud of the whole area because it's developed into something special.
33:14It's just going to turn into an absolute beautiful place in years to come.
33:25Well, I have to say one thing about Harry.
33:29I do admire a man who can wear braces with panache.
33:33He's got very good braces.
33:35And, of course, I love the display in his garden.
33:38But the key to it, using annuals like that,
33:42is keep them well watered, to deadhead where appropriate,
33:45and also to feed.
33:47This pot here, with the Kabir Scandens, the annual climber,
33:51with the petunias, you've got the Japanese blood grass,
33:54this was only planted six weeks ago.
33:56It's been watered, but now it needs feeding.
33:59And the key to keeping that sort of display going is to feed once a week.
34:03Now, I'm using seaweed here.
34:05I often use homemade comfrey.
34:07Seaweed you can buy and use.
34:09And I'm going to show you how to do it.
34:12Now, I'm using seaweed here.
34:14I often use homemade comfrey.
34:16Seaweed you can buy and you could just as easily use a tomato feed.
34:21And all three of them are particularly good
34:25because they are high in potash.
34:28And that will feed roots, flowers and fruits, rather than foliage.
34:33And that will keep the flowering going.
34:35If you give a high nitrogen feed,
34:37all you have to do is get masses of leaves at the expense of flowers.
34:43Now, still to come.
34:45Adam is at Highgrove talking to His Royal Highness,
34:48the Prince of Wales, Head Forester, Garent Richards,
34:51about the potential dangers of Xylella,
34:54which has reaped havoc on the continent and is on our doorstep.
34:59On a brighter note, I shall be potting up sedums,
35:02which are exceptionally drought-resistant.
35:05We join Carol in the New Forest, where she is celebrating agapanthus.
35:25There is nothing mundane or ordinary about agapanthus.
35:29They demand your attention,
35:31with huge great humbles of blue or white flowers
35:35on tall stems rising up from enormous clumps of strap-like leaves.
35:41They really are the stars of the summer border.
35:53Although agapanthus are often referred to as lilies of the Nile,
35:57they come from South Africa
35:59and they were first introduced into this country in the 17th century.
36:03But it was one particular species
36:06which was to have a huge effect on the hybridisation of agapanthus.
36:11It was agapanthus campanulatus, a totally hardy species,
36:16and it was used to produce hundreds and hundreds of different cultivars
36:21of all sorts of shapes and sizes.
36:30When you first look at an agapanthus flower,
36:33you can immediately see the similarity between it and onions, alliums,
36:39and it's quite closely related.
36:41It doesn't smell the same, though.
36:43First of all, you get these buds, and the buds are wrapped close together,
36:48but as it bursts asunder, all these flowers come up
36:52and they open in succession from the outside towards the inside.
36:58As the flowers fade, these great big fat seed pods are made,
37:02and when they burst, they're full of little black seeds,
37:06and you can grow your own from those seeds.
37:15This is some seed that I collected last year.
37:18It's from an agapanthus called navy blue.
37:21If you examine these seeds, they're fascinating.
37:24You can see that each one's like a tiny tadpole,
37:28and the whole object of the exercise is to sprinkle them
37:32onto the surface of the proprietary seed compost.
37:37And then just to keep them in place,
37:40I'm just going to sprinkle some gravel evenly across here.
37:44All you want to do is just sprinkle some gravel
37:48evenly across here.
37:50All you want to do is weight that seed down,
37:54and instead of watering with a watering can,
37:57which would wash away all that seed,
38:01you just put the whole thing into a suitable receptacle.
38:05When you see that the gravel on the top is damp,
38:08then take the tray out, stand it in a shady place.
38:12A few weeks later, you'll start to see the first seedlings developing.
38:16You won't know what those seedlings are going to produce
38:19until they begin to flower.
38:21But suppose you've got a plant that you want to clone.
38:24The easiest way to do that is to divide the plant.
38:28This is the wrong time of year to be doing this
38:30because it's in full and active growth.
38:32But all you do is go in with a suitable tool
38:36and divide it up into nice big chunks
38:39so you've got a bunch of leaves, a good crown, and loads of roots.
38:44There's a lot of discussion about growing agapanthus in pots.
38:48A lot of people think that you should really keep them
38:52very, very tight in there because that helps produce flowers.
38:56I think the simple rule is if it's flowering alright,
38:59leave it alone.
39:01If it's not, then pot it on, but only one size up.
39:05Otherwise, it luxuriates in all that new compost
39:09and it'll produce masses of leaves.
39:11And that's not what you want. You want loads of flowers.
39:27This delightful plant is agapanthus' sweet surprise.
39:32And the surprise is that when these deep buds open up,
39:37the inside petals are pale blue
39:40and through the centre of them runs this single blue line.
39:44I think it's a delight.
39:46It's obviously very floriferous, so you're going to get bags of flower.
39:56This magnificent agapanthus is jacaranda
40:00with these rich, deep blue flowers on tall stems.
40:05It's outstanding.
40:07And one of the very special things about it is
40:10it's probably the earliest of the agapanthus to flower.
40:13It flowers from June onwards.
40:16But look how wonderfully it associates with the plants in here.
40:32Isn't this a delightful combination?
40:35This small, compact agapanthus silver baby
40:39with this lovely ambe.
40:42The flowers are just washed in pale blue,
40:45giving it this almost translucent quality.
40:49Once upon a time, people thought that agapanthus
40:52were really quite difficult to grow, but not a bit of it.
40:56When you buy your plant, add lots of good material to the planting hole.
41:01Your own compost is your very, very best bet.
41:04And perhaps sprinkle around a bit of organic fertiliser,
41:08fish blood and bone.
41:10Water it in really, really well.
41:13And then water frequently, especially if the weather is very hot and sunny.
41:17And every year afterwards, it will reward you
41:20with this display of beautiful flowers.
41:29In our gardens, we welcome plants from all over the world.
41:33Many of them come from South Africa.
41:36But perhaps the jewel in the crown of the plants
41:39that come from that country are agapanthus.
41:42I anticipate their arrival when I see those fat buds swelling.
41:47And I absolutely love these flowers that last all through the summer.
42:04Now, the plant I've grown formerly in the borders,
42:08particularly in a jaw garden, sedums,
42:10or as they're known now as hylotelephiums,
42:13although I think sedum is a lot easier to remember.
42:16And they didn't like the garden.
42:19It wasn't that the plants were growing badly,
42:22it was just our soil was too rich.
42:24It was like force-feeding something,
42:26then wondering why it was suffering a bit.
42:29Then wondering why it was suffering a bit.
42:31And much later, I learned that the best way to grow sedums
42:35is to treat them rough.
42:37Give them really poor soil, good drainage,
42:41you don't need to water them, and they are as happy as anything.
42:45So they are a perfect plant for a really hot, dry summer.
42:48And if you grow them in a pot, you almost never need to water them.
42:53I've mixed up a compost which is grit and coir
42:59with a little bit of ordinary peat-free potting compost.
43:03So there's very, very little nutrition.
43:06Now, this is a variety I've not grown before.
43:11Sedum spectabilis stardust.
43:14And I've chosen it because it's got white flowers,
43:17it's relatively compact,
43:19so here on the mound, the white will grow very well
43:22with everything around it.
43:24And you can see that what they have are these very fleshy leaves,
43:29and that's where the water is stored.
43:31And as with all succulents, when you water it,
43:34you're not really watering the roots as such,
43:37you're watering the leaves.
43:39They draw up the moisture, store it,
43:41and then draw upon it as and when they need it.
43:44So if I pack one, two, three in there,
43:53that's going to give me a really dramatic display
43:57that almost no other plants of the same size could provide
44:00because they would want more nutrition,
44:03more space for the roots to grow.
44:05Now, I just pack round them with this gritty compost mix.
44:15They prefer full sun, if you can give it to them,
44:17but they will grow in light shade.
44:22Now, just because they do well in drought,
44:25that doesn't mean to say you don't water them in,
44:27so that, A, the roots have a fighting chance to start with,
44:30and, B, it settles them in.
44:32The water sort of pushes the roots into the compost
44:35and makes a good contact.
44:37And I think that's a handsome plant.
44:39And, of course, the other thing about sedums,
44:42which I think to late summer is so important,
44:45is they are the best plant in the garden, just about,
44:49for butterflies and bees.
44:51Once you come to mid-August right through into October,
44:55they are a magnet.
44:57So if we're attracting wildlife to your garden, nothing is better.
45:01Right, that's that one, which is green and heavy now.
45:05I'm going to do one more,
45:07Sedum's really good foliage colours,
45:12as well as the flowers, which can range from white
45:15to quite a deep, rich, burgundy red.
45:19Now, this is a variety called Matrona,
45:23and you can see that it's got these lovely burgundy stems
45:28and the foliage, which is slightly greeny, olive-greeny purple,
45:35and then the flowers will be white, touch with pink,
45:39which again will look good here.
45:41OK, let's pot this up.
45:49Because that is crammed in
45:52and the soil that will fit around the plants
45:55is very poor and largely grit,
45:58that means, amongst other things,
46:00that this will stay nice and upright.
46:03These are plants that carry on looking really good deep into winter,
46:08so they cover a lot of bases,
46:10and I can't imagine being without them.
46:17Good. That's great.
46:21Now, I want to show you something growing in the ground.
46:34What we have here in the Long Walk, almost by accident,
46:38is a really lovely display, and I think it looks fantastic.
46:42We have three plants, which I think look terrific at the moment,
46:47that are perfectly adapted to hot, dry weather.
46:50Down the centre, you have Alchemilla mollis.
46:53It'll grow in sun, it'll grow in shade,
46:56and it is completely happy in these dry conditions.
47:00It's been flowering like this and looking fresh for weeks now.
47:05The acanthus flowers, this is acanthospinosus,
47:09are leaning in and then growing up with real drama,
47:13and then rhythmically behind them you have the box,
47:16which was clipped, and the new growth is coming back
47:19and picking up the colours of the Alchemilla mollis.
47:22And, of course, this hot, dry weather is brilliant for box
47:26because not only does it cope with it extremely well,
47:29but also it will not be at risk of box blight with this weather
47:33because box blight needs humidity as well as heat.
47:37So, all in all, this looks great, is healthy and happy
47:43and perfectly adapted to what seem like quite hostile conditions.
47:49But even if box blight is one thing that we don't have to worry about
47:54in this hot, dry weather, there is always something,
47:57and the buzzword at the moment is xylella.
48:01And this is a disease that has wreaked havoc on continental Europe
48:06and is a real and present threat here in the UK.
48:10And Adam is back at Highgrove talking to Garent Richards,
48:14His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales' head forester.
48:21Talking to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales,
48:23it's pretty clear how passionately he cares about the threat
48:26and the British landscape from pests and disease.
48:29And there is one that is really worrying the horticultural industry
48:33at the moment.
48:35Xylella is a very harmful bacteria which causes disease
48:39in a large range of woody plants.
48:41It was first identified in America, but in 2013 it had spread.
48:48It was found to be linked with a fast decline of olive trees
48:51in southern Italy.
48:53It has now been found affecting plants in other European countries,
48:56but so far there's only been one interception in the UK,
49:00an ornamental coffee plant,
49:02and that was destroyed to prevent its spreading.
49:05So xylella is getting closer to our shores,
49:08and if it does make it, along with other pests and diseases,
49:11it really could destroy some of our most beloved trees and plants.
49:16It's a huge threat, and the Prince of Wales and his team
49:19working at Highgrove and across the Duchy of Cornwall
49:22are very keen to ensure that it doesn't happen,
49:25including head forester Geraint Richards.
49:28I've had the privilege of working for His Royal Highness for 22 years now,
49:31and I've had the sadness of seeing a lot of plant health issues
49:34in that 22 years.
49:36So, you know, it's personally heartbreaking
49:38to see these trees in decline and dying.
49:40Xylella is the one that, you know, the industry's talking about now.
49:43Xylella is something we should all be afraid of.
49:45I mean, it is only one of many plant health threats,
49:47we need to be aware of that,
49:49but it's a particularly nasty bacterial plant disease.
49:51It's got this very wide appetite, 150 host species it can affect,
49:55and that goes from the garden, lavender, rosemary,
49:58right into the wider landscape.
50:00Even our native oak trees could succumb to it.
50:02Now, it's not here yet, it's in France, Spain, Italy,
50:05but we really have to do everything we can to keep it away from here.
50:08Our oaks are under threat, aren't they?
50:10Do you know there's 2,000 species, it's believed,
50:12that are dependent on our oak trees, 2,000 other species.
50:15So in terms of biodiversity, you know, that's how much they're harbouring,
50:18that's what they're contributing, and if we lose them...
50:20Can you imagine the British landscape without the oak tree?
50:22That's the point you make there,
50:24it's not just what we lose when we lose the trees and the plants,
50:27it's the knock-on, you know, how that's going to affect our wildlife,
50:31and, you know, our make-up is quite scary, really.
50:34More and more we're learning about the importance of trees to soil,
50:38to water, to air.
50:40Interestingly, to human health and well-being, and other species.
50:43If you lose them, you know, you lose all of those benefits.
50:46And the thing about trees, perhaps more than any other plant,
50:49they're not very quickly replaced.
50:51What can gardeners at home do?
50:53We all have a responsibility here, for certain,
50:55and I think there are things we can do.
50:57The first thing I'd say is be aware.
50:59Be aware of this whole plant health biosecurity debate.
51:01So get to know what some of these key diseases are,
51:03get to know what the symptoms are, what the host plants are,
51:05be alert to what's happening.
51:07There are ways of reporting it, like on tree alert, you know,
51:09if you have a worry about a certain decline that you might see.
51:12And then I think there are other things, just about basic hygiene,
51:15cleaning your tools, cleaning your footwear,
51:17you know, obviously when you're moving from site to site.
51:19And one other thing I may say,
51:21and this is something I have to resist,
51:23resist the temptation to bring things back when you're on your travels abroad.
51:26Because, you know, I travel a bit, you travel,
51:28and we all see that thing that we want to bring home, don't we?
51:31It's lovely, I'd like that in my garden,
51:33but, you know, enjoy it while you're out there.
51:35Don't bring it home with you,
51:37cos you don't know what you're going to be bringing back with it.
51:39Yeah, maybe take a photo. Take a photo, absolutely.
51:41Exactly. Don't bring it back. Yeah.
51:48If I'm honest, it scares the life out of me,
51:51what we might be leaving for another generation.
51:54But that said, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.
51:57I think us, as gardeners,
51:59just maybe need to be a little bit more mindful.
52:03The one thing I would endorse right now
52:06is Geraint Richard's point about bringing plants in from abroad.
52:10Just don't do it. It doesn't matter if it's a special gift,
52:13if it's rare, if it's a cutting, if it's a seed,
52:15any kind of plant material,
52:17don't bring in,
52:19because the risk is that you're going to lose it.
52:22And the risk is that you're going to lose it.
52:24And the risk is that you're going to lose it.
52:26And the risk is that you're going to lose it.
52:28And the risk is that you're going to lose it.
52:30Don't bring in,
52:32because the risk of spreading infection is just too great.
52:39If you're travelling this summer,
52:41you may notice posters in airports
52:43warning of the risk of bringing plants home from abroad.
52:46This forms part of the government's Don't Risk It campaign
52:50to help raise awareness of the increasing dangers
52:53of pests and diseases like xylella reaching the UK.
53:01We're coming up to that time of year when we're collecting seeds,
53:04we're taking lots of cuttings,
53:06and a little bit later on we'll even be splitting plants.
53:09But we don't often talk about leaf cuttings.
53:12Yet quite a few plants, particularly succulents,
53:15do very well from leaf cuttings.
53:17And if I want more of the sedums I've planted,
53:20they will do perfectly well like that.
53:23And to take leaf cuttings from them is really simple.
53:27You need a container.
53:29You can use plugs,
53:31but I'm going to put them in this little seed tray.
53:34And a very, very free-draining mix.
53:37Nine parts perlite to one part compost would be fine.
53:41This is vermiculite and coir seed mix.
53:45And the reason for this weak mix
53:47is you want absolutely good drainage
53:50and not too much nutrition.
53:52It's more or less just an inert growing medium
53:54that they can root into.
53:56Now, as for the leaves themselves, you do need a sharp knife.
53:59The sharper the knife, the cleaner the cut.
54:01The cleaner the cut, the less the risk
54:03of either damage to the plant or infection.
54:06And you're looking to take a leaf that is nice and turgid.
54:11You don't want one that's all floppy and old.
54:14And cut it where it joins the stem, across like that,
54:18so you've got a really nice, clean cut point
54:22right at the base of the leaf.
54:24And if I take a couple from each stem,
54:29I'm not going to harm the parent plant.
54:32There's no advantage in taking a really big leaf.
54:36A medium-sized, nice, strong leaf
54:39that's growing and healthy is all you need.
54:42You don't want one of the old ones.
54:46And I can make plenty of new ones in this very simple method.
54:49So we have a leaf like that,
54:51and all you do is simply insert them into the compost
54:55so they're buried about a third of the way up.
55:00And they're a little bit slower than stem cuttings,
55:04but in a few weeks' time, you'll see little signs of growth
55:10and a number of little plantlets
55:13will appear around the point where it joins the soil.
55:17The parent leaf, this will die back,
55:20but the new little plants can then be potted on and grown,
55:24so that one little tray should provide me
55:27with a couple of dozen new plants.
55:29Now, when you've put them into the soil like that,
55:32you can either stand it in water for a little bit so it soaks up
55:35or just sprinkle some water on it.
55:37I've got a mist propagator, so that will keep the air nice and humid.
55:41But just as effective in its own way is simply water them,
55:45then put them inside a clear polythene bag.
55:48And the important thing is that the air is moist and humid
55:52rather than the soil.
55:53If you overwater the soil, there's a real risk
55:56that they will rot off before new plantlets are formed.
56:00In practice, they probably need watering every three or four days,
56:04and that's plenty.
56:05And in about three weeks' time, we should see signs of new growth.
56:10I find making new plants from cuttings of any kind
56:15one of those jobs that is deeply satisfying.
56:18So, here are some jobs to satisfy you this weekend.
56:32If you go to a lot of trouble to grow soft fruit of any kind,
56:37it's frustrating if you miss the perfect moment to pick them.
56:41So check them, and like these black currants, lift the leaves,
56:45harvest the fruit as it's ready, and then use it
56:48and enjoy that delicious freshness that growing your own always brings.
56:59For most of us, the first glorious display from our delphiniums is over.
57:04So now's the time to cut them right back to the ground.
57:08Water them if they're very dry,
57:10and this will promote a second flush of growth
57:14and new flowers which will give a display in late August and September.
57:23Shallots tend to ripen sooner than onions,
57:26and when you see the top growth has died right back,
57:29it's time to lift them.
57:30Don't yank them out of the ground,
57:32but carefully ease them out from the soil with a fork,
57:35and this will preserve the basal plate,
57:37which means they will store much longer.
57:39Let them dry off completely,
57:41and then they can be kept in a basket for months and months.
57:53These Morello cherries could be a little darker and a little riper,
57:58but the blackbirds have been at them.
58:01I netted them, secured the netting at the top and the bottom and the sides,
58:05but still the blackbirds got in,
58:08and they've eaten about a third of them already,
58:11so I'm picking them all,
58:13and, of course, Morello cherries are not for eating raw,
58:16but they do make fabulous cherry jam.
58:21Now, that's all we've got time for this week,
58:23but I'll be back next week on Friday at our normal time of 8 o'clock,
58:28but if you can't wait till then,
58:30the team will be at Tatton Park Flower Show over the next couple of days,
58:34so I'll see you here next week.
58:36Until then, bye-bye.
58:53© transcript Emily Beynon