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00:00Hello, welcome to Gardener's World. Although this time of year is tinged with loss, this
00:22sense of memories of summer receding and the garden giving up its treasures, but there
00:29are gifts too. And I love the way that roses present us with their final display through
00:36their hips. And at the moment, the Rosa rugosa hips, which are like great fat tomatoes, or
00:43the fabulous mass of tiny orange hips on the rambling rose, Ethel, or the curious bottle-like
00:52shapes on Rosa moisei, they're all wonderful. And they're not just good for us, they're
00:57great for wildlife too. The birds love them. So we may mourn the passing of summer, but
01:03also we should be celebrating these gifts of autumn and none shine more brightly than
01:08the rose hips. On today's program, Adam and Arit are on a mission to help a couple living
01:19in a first-floor flat transform their unloved front garden. Well, Adam, I've got to say,
01:26we're really going to see the shape of this garden coming together. It's all in a day's
01:33work. Frances visits one of the largest allotments in the UK to meet a community who are growing
01:38produce together with incredible results. This is my pride and joy. So this is Chinese
01:46melon. It's amazing. This is what you get when you talk to your plants. Exactly. And I should
01:54be joined here at Longmeadow by a special visitor, because Mary Berry will be coming
01:59to see the garden. And you've got rather more lemons on your tree than mine. And only a week
02:06ago, I gave it a bit of a trim without consulting anybody, and I'm ready to be told off.
02:16A few weeks ago, I sowed this orchard with wildflower seeds, particularly chosen to be
02:32rich in pollen and nectar for my bees, but also to look beautiful. So quite a lot of wild narcissi
02:40growing already, planted 20 years ago. And I want to add another type of bulb, which I have found
02:47out does really well on our heavy soil here at Longmeadow. And those are camassias. Now,
02:53camassia bulbs come from America, and this is a camassia called camassia semiplena. It's a white
03:02one, and it has white flowers that dance and sparkle on tall stems, but the foliage is slow
03:10to die down. These will flower for most of May and even well into June, and then the foliage has
03:16to die back. So if you have this in a border, it's going to take up quite an important space almost
03:21until July. But in the grass, it doesn't matter at all. So a really good meadow bulb, if you've got
03:28heavy clay soil. They do like to be quite wet. And a good way of planting any bulbs in grass so they
03:35look natural is simply to chuck them onto the ground and plant them exactly where they land.
03:42You might have three in a group together, and another one that's rolled miles off in one
03:47direction. That's what you want. You want a random scatter, and it will look much more natural.
03:53And then, with a bulb planter, plant them as deeply as you can, pointy end up.
04:23Now this is a case in point. Two bulbs have landed almost touching. There's a huge temptation
04:31to move them slightly apart. Resist it. Once they've landed, that's it. Look, two holes
04:38practically next to each other. One goes in there, and the other one right there.
04:53There's something very satisfying about the gradual process, taking out these plugs of soil,
05:00popping in a bulb, covering it over. And it's part of quite a long process of converting the orchard
05:08into a meadow. But there are times when all of us need dramatic change. We want transformation,
05:14and we want it as fast as possible. And Adam and Ariel, they're not going to be able to do that.
05:20We want it as fast as possible. And Adam and Ariel have been to Fleet in Hampshire
05:25to see how much they can transform a front garden in a single day.
05:33When it comes to designing a garden, there is nothing better than a blank canvas.
05:38But I also know they can feel a little daunting when you don't really know where to start.
05:45But there are always clever design solutions. And Adam and I are here to help Alicia, a teacher,
05:51and Leo, a tree surgeon, who have plenty of ideas but need some inspiration.
05:57What's made you think you've got to have a change in your garden?
06:01We were watching your wildflower special. We came out of it really inspired and really
06:06wanting to do more for the bee population and the pollinators and the butterflies.
06:13But didn't really come out of it with an idea of how to do it.
06:17So tell us a little bit about, I suppose, yourselves and what you love doing.
06:21Well, I like green, open, natural spaces. I enjoy just being all nice and calm.
06:28And you, boss?
06:29I'm in my element in a wood. I just like the peace and the tranquility,
06:34which is what's the biggest part of this, is being able to come back at the end of the day
06:37and just chill out.
06:38Yeah.
06:40Actually, so when it comes to the house, it's not straightforward, is it?
06:42They're more like masonettes, aren't they?
06:45We've got the upstairs apartment, but we've got the front garden.
06:48So our neighbour looks out from the bedroom windows out onto our plot,
06:52and then they've got their garden at the back.
06:54Yeah, so it's finding that balance of privacy for you guys when you're out here.
06:59Something lovely to look down on, but also not totally detaching the neighbour,
07:05because we don't want to block their windows off and affect their light, do we?
07:08Exactly.
07:09Give us an idea on maybe sort of colours you like.
07:12The more colour, the merrier.
07:15My thing is, obviously, I've always wanted vegetable patch,
07:17so I can feed myself from my garden.
07:19Yeah.
07:20That would be perfect.
07:21Yeah. I don't like the word perfect quite so much, because we've only got a day.
07:25But hopefully, we'll try and give him as much as we can.
07:28Give you a start.
07:30With a south-east facing garden of 80 square metres,
07:34Harrington and I want to create a space that feels like a slice of the countryside
07:38and gives Alicia and Leo the seclusion they're after.
07:42The first thing is get really strong boundaries in to give that privacy.
07:47So that's there, there.
07:48Yeah.
07:49Like that shape there.
07:50You think that's quite lovely.
07:51That can be your wildflower.
07:53Then we're going to keep this lawn shape.
07:56Cut the lawn shape out, give this lovely curve.
07:58Yeah, just like a movement all the way through.
08:00So there's a bit of a movement, and that'll come off of that tree.
08:02Yeah.
08:02The raised beds...
08:04Can we do the raised beds just a slightly different shape?
08:06Oh, I'm more than happy with that.
08:08Then I think the focal point maybe can be that little seating area.
08:13Tucked in there.
08:13Yeah.
08:14That's all right, actually, isn't it?
08:15Yeah.
08:16Work of art, that.
08:16Yeah, I know.
08:17You ought to sign that.
08:21We've got a lot to crack on with today,
08:23and we're going to start by putting some beach hedge around the boundary fence.
08:28Now, this is very technical, hip action moment here.
08:32I'm just starting to mark the boundary of where the beach hedge is going to go in.
08:39So we are using potted beech.
08:43This time of year, the bare roots are not available quite yet.
08:48These are going to be able to go in and already start to give instant hedge.
08:53Alyssia and Leo want their space to be wildlife-friendly,
08:57and this beach will be perfect.
08:59The great thing about beech is that in the wintertime,
09:02even though the leaves will go brown, they stay on.
09:05So it kind of gives you extra structure, extra shape.
09:09How long will this hedge take to establish?
09:12It's going to take a couple of years.
09:14Yeah.
09:14But what's lovely is that all the birds and things that you can hear darting around,
09:18well, they'll take shelter under it.
09:19Exactly what we want.
09:21Yeah.
09:21The great news is they already have some wildlife use in the garden.
09:25We keep finding these little boys, and we've also found a slow worm as well.
09:32Time for Leo and I to mark out the area for the lawn, seating area, and raised beds.
09:40Seating area is somewhere in here.
09:44Don't mind us digging while you're just drawing out pretty pictures.
09:47They said to me you wouldn't even pick up a spoon.
09:48Drawing out pretty pictures.
09:49They said to me you wouldn't even pick up a spade.
09:51So I'm impressed already.
09:52How rude.
09:54OK, boys, tools.
09:55Yeah, I know, I know, I'm off, we're off, come on.
09:58With just one day to make a difference,
10:01Alicia and Leo have called in some extra muscle from their friends.
10:07I'm going to get these little beech babies in.
10:09I'm working on about three to five per meter.
10:14So the beauty of having a trench
10:17means that you can play around with the spacing,
10:19but also as well, it's really good for the roots as they're establishing
10:22because then they've got a whole trench root run to be able to go along.
10:26While Harriet is getting the beech hedging in,
10:28I'm going to create two raised beds for Alicia's vegetables.
10:38I don't want to point out the obvious.
10:41It's not straight.
10:42You said to me that you quite liked odd shapes, didn't you?
10:44I do.
10:46The raised beds are asymmetrical to provide more interest as you enter the garden.
10:51Plus, Alicia will have easy access to a veg patch.
10:59We've put the beech hedging,
11:00but I think there's more we can do to create privacy.
11:04We're using this lovely cornice to balance out the huge Scots pine in the other corner.
11:09So we'll just pop it there for a sec,
11:11because obviously we can do final positions in a minute.
11:14But I just wanted you to be able to kind of come back, stand back,
11:17and can you see already?
11:19Yeah, I like it.
11:20You know, immediately you start to bring your eye into the garden.
11:23It just fills that void, doesn't it?
11:25Definitely.
11:28Is he going to come out easily?
11:30Here he comes.
11:31Perfect.
11:32Grab your position.
11:33Got it?
11:34Yep.
11:43As ever, the stand back.
11:45Make sure we're happy before we backfill.
11:50Oh, hello.
11:52Yeah.
11:52It looks great.
11:54I like it.
11:55Brilliant.
12:00So this is where the main seating area is going to go.
12:03All this turf has got to come off.
12:05And in some areas, I'm just going to reduce it and get back to the soil.
12:08Whereas where the main table and chairs are going to go,
12:11I'm going to dig out to probably 100mm lower again and put some hardcore in.
12:17And hopefully it'll all be wonderful.
12:24Right.
12:25It's all hands on deck to take up nine square meters of turf.
12:30Well, Adam, I've got to say, I think once this starts to come out,
12:34we're really going to see the shape of this garden coming together.
12:37It's all in a day's work.
12:53We will be rejoining Adam and Eric later in the programme
12:56to see how they get on with what looks to be quite a dramatic transformation.
13:01Now, I'm expecting a transformation in this area over the next year
13:06because this space here, which has no name and is between the copse
13:10and between the writing garden, is defined by these trees,
13:14which I planted about 25 or more years ago as a little grove.
13:19And two things have happened that I've dramatically underestimated.
13:22The first is how much light the maturing trees block out.
13:27And the second is how much moisture the roots suck up from the ground.
13:31So over the last three, four years, we've had really dry, dark shade.
13:38By the end of summer, this is pretty much just bare soil.
13:41Now, I want to take those conditions and see if I can make something beautiful out of it.
13:46Probably the hardest conditions that any gardener has to face.
13:49And the first thing I did was to reduce the shade as much as I could
13:54without spoiling the atmosphere of the space.
13:56To do that, I pruned a lot of the branches, but I can't change the dryness.
14:01These roots are still sucking up.
14:02So I need to choose plants that will thrive in dry conditions.
14:06And whatever I do in the pruning, there's still going to be quite a lot of shade.
14:10Now, this will all happen next spring,
14:12but I'm going to start collecting and growing on plants that are going to dry out.
14:16Next spring, but I'm going to start collecting and growing on plants now.
14:20And I'm going to do it on the cheap.
14:23So,
14:42if you're planning for next year, you can be ordering plants, maybe even buying them.
14:48And the whole thing, if you're doing anything other than the small space,
14:51can get quite pricey.
14:52But I've got a geranium here, for example.
14:55This is geranium spezar.
14:58This is one that will grow in any dry shade.
15:01It's white, it will shine out, it will attract pollinators.
15:05And actually, another little bonus of this spezar is that the foliage is fragrant.
15:10And it's a nice big example.
15:13It costs seven pounds, but I intend to turn this into as many new plants as possible.
15:21Now, with the geranium, and of course, this is a hardy geranium, not a pelargonium.
15:26If we take it out the pot like that, I can break it up and make lots of handsome plants.
15:32So, the first thing to do is to cut it open.
15:35I'll take that down there and just cut through like that.
15:43So, we start by dividing it in two.
15:45Now, at this point, you've got to be brave.
15:46And what you have to realize is that every separate part of this will make a new plant.
15:53And if you can see there, we've got one, two, three, four parts there.
16:01So, at this point, I'm going to use my fingers because I want to be a little bit more delicate.
16:08This is a combination of enough force to do the job,
16:11This is a combination of enough force to do the job,
16:14but gentleness so you don't actually snap them.
16:17There is one plant.
16:21There we go.
16:23Vaguely see what I'm doing.
16:26What I'm looking for is any growth with its own roots.
16:31That's perfect.
16:34And each of these will grow as big as the parent.
16:40Now, obviously, this is a huge shock to the system.
16:44They're not going to actually enjoy this very much, but they've got plenty of time to recover.
16:51One, two, three.
17:00Now, it's a question of just potting them up.
17:02I'll just use normal compost.
17:04This is peat-free with a little bit of sieved compost, a little bit of leaf molds.
17:10But, to be honest, if you just buy a proprietary peat-free compost, it will do the job perfectly well.
17:40What I'm going to do is cut them back a little bit.
17:44By trimming back the leaves, I'm taking the burden away from the roots.
17:49But I have got potentially 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 plants.
17:57That means each one will have cost about 60p.
18:00Now, this is semi-evergreen, which is a slightly ambiguous term.
18:04But what it really means is that if the winter is mild, the leaves will stay on.
18:09If it turns really cold, they'll drop off.
18:11Don't worry, in either case, they'll grow back.
18:14And I will plant this out probably sometime next April, when I see good top growth.
18:19And if I take one out of the pot and I see the roots have reached the edge of the compost,
18:23it's time to plant it.
18:24But that will all happen next year.
18:26For the moment, I'll just put this somewhere sheltered, but doesn't need special treatment.
18:31Certainly doesn't need a greenhouse, not a cold frame.
18:34Water it and keep it moist, but not soaking wet.
18:39Now, talking about soaking wet, I would stay in the potting shed for as long as possible.
18:43It's one of those days when being holed up inside is a good thing.
18:46But before the weather turned really bad,
18:48Frances made her last allotment visit of the season.
18:52And this time, she has gone to Hamsworth,
18:56where she's visiting an allotment called the Uplands,
18:58a really special place with a magical atmosphere.
19:09I have had a summer filled with allotment adventures,
19:16from coastal plots to wildlife havens.
19:19I've been so inspired by the amazing folks who tend these plots.
19:23But today is an extra special treat,
19:26because I have come to one of the largest allotment sites in the whole of the UK.
19:31Uplands allotments in Hamsworth, near Birmingham, have been going since 1949.
19:37There are more than 400 plots, and this is a truly global growing community.
19:43Plot holders come from all over the world,
19:46from India and Eastern Europe, to Asia and the Caribbean.
19:51And thanks to this multicultural lot,
19:53it's brimming with the most incredible wildlife.
19:57Eulalie Brown-Kaliste is one of the newest plot holders here.
20:01And despite her busy job as a social worker,
20:03her patch is already overflowing with produce.
20:08What are you growing here?
20:09I'm growing all sorts. I've got my courgettes,
20:13I've got my runner beans, I've got my cabbage.
20:17I've got some cucumbers here, actually.
20:19I've got some cucumbers here, actually.
20:21I've got some cucumbers here, actually.
20:23I've got some cucumbers here, actually.
20:25I've got some Jamaican callaloo there, then there's the kale.
20:30How do you decide what you're going to grow?
20:32Because I'm new to this, I've only just been here over a year now.
20:36So I get guided by the other plot holders.
20:39They will guide me as to what needs planting when, where.
20:43So is it quite a nice community here, then?
20:45It's a beautiful community. It's like home from home.
20:49It's a family thing up here.
20:51I've got Roger next door, and I've got my son.
20:55Earl over there, Percy down there.
20:58You know, we share with each other.
21:00But one other thing as well, we're always checking each other.
21:04When we are leaving in the evening,
21:05everybody check in with each other to make sure that
21:10everybody's OK to leave and that nobody's up here on their own.
21:13I love it up here.
21:14Yeah, it is great.
21:15Well, come, show me what else you're growing.
21:16I'd love to see some other bits.
21:18OK, great.
21:22This is my pride and joy.
21:25So this is Chinese melon?
21:27Yes, also known as fig leaf gourd.
21:32It's amazing. Look at the colour on that.
21:35I've not grown this before. Has it been easy to grow?
21:38As it grew, and I spoke to the other plot holders,
21:41they were saying, it's that Jamaican pumpkin.
21:43It's not going to grow.
21:44It will just spread everywhere, but there won't be any fruit on it.
21:48And I've just been talking to it every day.
21:50Oh, do you? What do you tell it?
21:53I just say, come on, you can't let me down now.
21:56Let's prove them wrong. Show me what you've got.
21:59Are they ready to harvest?
22:01I think so. I've already taken one off and I can take off another one.
22:08I'd love to see what's inside.
22:12I've had it raw and I've also steamed it.
22:18And it tastes good?
22:19I made a drink.
22:20Oh, wow. Gosh, it's nothing like I expected.
22:22So it looks a bit like a cross between a kind of melon and a pumpkin.
22:26It does.
22:26Can I try a bit?
22:27Of course you can.
22:34Oh, wow.
22:35Crunchy, fresh, sweet.
22:39That's really interesting.
22:40It almost tastes like a cross between a melon actually and a cucumber, doesn't it?
22:44It's a very cucumbery flavour.
22:46That's delicious.
22:47It is.
22:48This is what you get when you talk to your plants.
22:50Exactly. Miracle.
22:56Around every corner, there are beautiful and delicious things growing.
23:01The twisting leaves of yams, giant cauliflowers,
23:05prize-winning tomatoes, and not to mention the carpets of callaloo.
23:11This leafy vegetable is actually a member of the amaranth family
23:14and cooked in a similar way to spinach.
23:18On the other side of the allotments is Rinaldo Richards.
23:22He's growing another colourful crop, an abundance of beans,
23:26used in a much-loved Caribbean dish.
23:29Rice and peas. No, peas and rice.
23:37These is what you call kidney bean.
23:41Oh, yes.
23:42That's in the early stage.
23:46Look at them.
23:47So this is the first stage before it goes to red.
23:51And what do you do with these? Do you try and harvest them as fresh as you can?
23:54As fresh as you can and freeze it.
23:56Yes, okay.
23:57Yeah, that's how it starts out like that and it finishes up like that.
24:02I've got another one here. We call this Miss Kelly.
24:06Miss Kelly.
24:07Look at these.
24:07They're beautiful.
24:10How do these taste compared to a kidney bean?
24:12It's a different taste, but it tastes really nice.
24:15Absolutely. The colouring on that.
24:18Does it keep that colouring when you cook it?
24:20It keeps that colouring, yeah.
24:22It's like a work of art, each one. Inspiring.
24:28These allotments have a real sense of community spirit.
24:31People from all walks of life sharing seeds and advice and looking out for each other.
24:38Earl Lewis is 78 and he's been allotmenting for nearly 40 years.
24:44Hello, Earl.
24:45Welcome to the farm.
24:46Look at all this thyme.
24:48Yes.
24:48What is this? I mean, it looks like a moorland.
24:52What's it for?
24:53I use it to do a bit of mix seasoning, a bit of direct seasoning.
24:57And that's the main ingredient.
24:59Is it?
24:59Yeah.
25:00So what are the other ingredients of it?
25:01And over there, it's called Jamaican scallion.
25:05So that kind of onion.
25:06It's like an onion, but it's much stronger than the onion from here.
25:11That's one of my ingredients and then you use scotch bonnet.
25:15A bit of other things, oregano.
25:18So you're making your own jerk with ingredients from your own plant.
25:21A lot of things for the family, you know, and friends.
25:25So how do you keep all of this watered?
25:27Come with me. I've got something to show you.
25:30I made my own irrigation.
25:37If you look in here,
25:41see the pipes?
25:42Yes.
25:43If I turn that water on, the water will go all the way around.
25:47So you have holes drilled in the pipes?
25:48That's it, yeah.
25:50And I'm going to show you something else.
25:52OK.
25:52Look at this.
25:55Peanut.
25:57Look at this.
26:00Peanuts.
26:01Yeah.
26:02Well, I never knew you could grow them here.
26:04That's incredible. Look at them.
26:05They look just like the ones you buy.
26:06Yeah.
26:07Have you tried any?
26:08I tried it last week and I'm still alive.
26:13Would I be able to try one? Is that OK?
26:17That's real peanut.
26:18Look at that.
26:19Whoa.
26:20There's two. Would you like one as well?
26:21No, I'm good.
26:26Real peanut.
26:30Peanut.
26:31Oh, that's lovely.
26:32But it's not ready.
26:33It's still lovely.
26:34It's a bit like a hazelnut, isn't it?
26:36It's got that creaminess when it's fresh.
26:39So I'll be trying that next year on a bigger scale.
26:42Yes.
26:43How many are you going to grow?
26:44Well, I don't know yet.
26:46You can make jerk chicken and satay chicken from one allotment.
26:58My time here in Handsworth is coming to an end,
27:00but being here has made me realise,
27:02perhaps more than any other allotment I've visited,
27:05that the people here aren't just growing food to eat.
27:07They're helping each other and they're growing together.
27:10And that's food for the soul too.
27:13The last time I visited the Uplands,
27:27I had the most delicious samosa I have ever eaten in my life,
27:31made by one of the allotmenteers as part of a picnic.
27:34One of the things about it was it was really spicy,
27:37but there was a sort of fruitiness to spiciness.
27:39And actually it was then, about 15 years ago,
27:41that I realised that chillies could be so much more than just heat.
27:46Now, I've been picking chillies since the beginning of August.
27:50I have them for breakfast every day,
27:51and very often for lunch and dinner too.
27:53I love them.
27:54But when they dry, you lose the fruitiness and it just becomes heat.
28:00So the thing to do is to pick them when they're fresh.
28:03But of course, you can't eat them all when they're fresh.
28:05It's too much.
28:06So what I do is freeze them.
28:09If you pick them when they're absolutely ready,
28:12and then freeze them individually or just loosely in a bag,
28:16you can take them out when you need them,
28:18defrost them, and you've got a fresh chilli.
28:21If I keep picking these regularly, feeding them,
28:25I feed them liquid seaweed once a week,
28:27these should keep producing fruit until Christmas.
28:32Still to come on today's show,
28:34we rejoin Adam and Arit in Hampshire,
28:37where they are setting out to make a dramatic difference in a day.
28:40Welcome, Ralph.
28:41Come on then, come on.
28:45Go!
28:45And I get to share some gardening secrets with Mary Berry.
28:50My carrots always have appendages to them.
28:53If I pull a carrot up...
28:54I hope it's got things attached to it.
28:57But first, we go to Durham to meet the team that work in a secret garden
29:03that is devoted exclusively to growing flowers
29:07to decorate the city's magnificent cathedral.
29:17My name's Geoff McCallum.
29:19I'm the head gardener at Durham Cathedral,
29:21and this is part of the Durham Cathedral grounds,
29:24which is the barely cut flower garden.
29:28I've worked for the Dean and Chapter for 30 years now.
29:34It's a great feeling when I walk through the gates for the first time,
29:37especially at this time of year when the blooms are out,
29:41and I can see the results of the team's hard work.
29:44It really lifts you.
29:46It is one of the little hidden gems of the cathedral.
29:51The sole purpose of the barely garden
29:53is to provide the majority of cut flowers for the displays within the cathedral.
29:59It's not a large garden for the amount of plants that we grow in here.
30:02It's probably 400 square metres.
30:04We grow up to maybe 1,200 chrysanthemums
30:08and approximately maybe 20, 22 different varieties of dahlias.
30:13Alongside this, we will grow the standards for cut flowers
30:17such as goldenrod, status, and alstroemerias.
30:25The team of the gardeners for the Dean and Chapter consists of three,
30:28myself and two others, Keith and Anthony.
30:32Keith's been here 40 years and Anthony's a new recruit to the team of four years.
30:41My favourites have never really changed.
30:44We have the old standards such as edinburgh.
30:48So this is my favourite dahlia in the garden, happy single princess.
30:52I just like it due to its compactness
30:55and its attraction to the insect life in the garden.
30:59It doesn't matter what time of the day you come in,
31:01there's always some little insect feeding on it,
31:03usually the bees and the hoverflies.
31:06And it just stands alone.
31:08As I look around, there's some of the big ones around
31:10like big wow and explosion, which are the really big plate dahlias.
31:15But this just stands there and it's been flowering now for maybe two months.
31:19So it's a real stare.
31:24The main challenge of growing plants to go into the decorations in Durham Cathedral
31:30are the height.
31:31So we have a lot of staking.
31:34Positioning of the plants throughout the garden is also important due to the prevailing winds.
31:41The turnover of the Bailey garden per week is 60 to 140 stems.
31:47This will continue from May up until November.
31:53So we're just looking through the garden and I've come across this one here
31:57that's being caught by the wind.
31:59This is one of the problems we come across all the time.
32:01So as you can see, this wind drop has resulted in this dahlia breaking off.
32:06What we'll try to do now is we'll lift up the tuber, we'll wash it off, box it up.
32:11Hopefully in the spring it'll provide four or five cuttings
32:15and so the loss of this lovely plant has not been in vain.
32:21Some of the rare varieties in the garden are a croissant,
32:24which I just know simply as red and it was called Pat's Red.
32:28This was named after a land agent that was here from 1950 to 1970.
32:34He donated it, we propagated off it and it's very popular for Remembrance Sunday
32:40which had been a deep red.
32:43So another job that's constant in the garden is the deadheading of the dahlias
32:47and as you can see, this one's a bit worse for wear.
32:50It's getting damaged by the water on the back,
32:52so we'll just go in, snip it off to the node and there's the size of it.
32:56This one's called Explosion.
33:01The displays in Durham Cathedral change from year to year
33:05and this year we've gone for rather larger blooms
33:08such as the Explosions and the Dinner Plate dahlias.
33:13After the blooms are cut from the Bailey Garden,
33:15they're then delivered up to Durham Cathedral to the Flower Ladies.
33:26Some of the displays that the Flower Ladies make are really outstanding.
33:41I love the way all the colours sing
33:43and they mirror the stained glass around the cathedral.
33:47It really complements the stonework.
33:49You know, it really, oh, it's so exciting, it's lovely.
33:53And to know they're grown locally is brilliant
33:56because they haven't got to travel very far.
33:59They're strong.
33:59They do a really super job though.
34:01They really are great.
34:02They're very clever, yes.
34:05We'd be sunk without them.
34:06The flowers are absolutely fabulous
34:09and they work so hard down in the garden
34:12and they're just wonderful what they actually produce.
34:17It always makes us feel good, it doesn't matter what time of the year.
34:21If it's barren in wintertime and then my mind's working out
34:24what's going to go in for the coming seasons.
34:31The Dean told us once that in the Bible,
34:34paradise is another word for a garden
34:37so it's not many people come to work every day and go to paradise.
34:41Now, I am being joined by a national treasure
34:46as Mary Berry pays a visit to Longmeadow
34:49to share her lifelong passion for gardening.
34:52Now, I am being joined by a national treasure, as Mary Berry pays a visit to Longmeadow to
35:06share her lifelong passion for gardening.
35:12This is the jewel garden.
35:15What a blaze of colour.
35:16It is sparkling.
35:17This is the heart of the garden.
35:18When I have seen it on television, I have no idea that it is so tall.
35:23And it is all those really bright oranges and reds and yellows.
35:29There is a general colour theme that every area has.
35:32Now, what is your garden like?
35:34Well, we have been 30 years in one house and garden, and we have now moved at last.
35:41And so it is very exciting to start a garden.
35:44And I have brought quite a few plants with me.
35:46It is lovely to have a bed completely of memories, and also things that I love and
35:52may not be able to find again.
35:55Quite a thing to take on a new garden, though, isn't it, especially after 30 years?
35:58But I am a bit wiser.
36:02And I have been dying to start another garden, and I know what I like now.
36:08I mean, I love roses, and Mum always had flowers in the house.
36:12And it is something that is in you.
36:14The first thing I do when I come back from holiday or anything is flowers in the house
36:18to enjoy.
36:23Do you know what I like?
36:24There is always a focal point at the end.
36:26You have got those lovely urns there.
36:29And you have also, down there, got a little bit of a gap.
36:32What is that for?
36:33Just a viewing point.
36:34It is a viewing point.
36:35We have about four or five around the garden.
36:36And sometimes, you know, a cow walks past or there is a cloud that goes through, or a bird,
36:41and suddenly the garden is enlarged.
36:43You know, it is borrowed landscape.
36:45It is just full of surprises.
36:49When you were a child, did you have fruit in the garden, or did you go collecting fruit?
36:54Well, we used to go scrumping as children, because there wasn't much room for fruit trees.
37:00And the house next door to us had a very old lady, and we knew jolly well when she had
37:04her afternoon nap.
37:05And we used to nip over there to get apples and strawberries as well.
37:10And they were slightly bigger than ours.
37:13We would also always go blackberrying, and mum would make blackberry and apple pies.
37:18And in the spring, we would have bunches of primroses and tie them up.
37:22I used to take them to the teachers, because I didn't work very hard, and I used to bribe
37:25them to be nice to me.
37:29OK, let's go and have a look at the veg garden.
37:31Come through.
37:31Nigel.
37:38And you have got celeriac here.
37:39Yeah, I like celeriac, but I am not very good at it.
37:41It's the only thing that I have got bigger than yours, and I do it from plugs, and then
37:48it gets going.
37:49When did you put the plugs in?
37:50I put the plugs in in May, and they are sort of that size now.
37:55Wow.
37:56And now you are just showing off.
37:57I am, but everything else is to feed me.
38:01These are much, much smaller.
38:03In fact, they are much too small.
38:05And here we have got some carrots.
38:07My carrots always have appendages to them, and I never know why, and we have got raised
38:12beds at home.
38:13Well, I could probably tell you.
38:15If I pull a carrot up.
38:16I hope it's got things attached to it.
38:18Slightly.
38:19Oh, yes.
38:20Slightly.
38:21Yes, go on then.
38:22I am going to keep going on the...
38:24There we are.
38:25The...
38:26See, these don't.
38:27No.
38:28That doesn't.
38:29By and large, the rule with carrots is that you don't add any compost and manure to the
38:34soil before sowing them.
38:36Right.
38:37That's where I am going wrong.
38:38And...
38:39And it's nice to pick them at that size.
38:40Absolutely.
38:41I don't want them much bigger.
38:42Yes, I like them that size too.
38:43Do you regard growing vegetables and fruit as a sort of key part of your life?
38:48It's something that I really enjoyed.
38:50It's great to come in early evening and tend my raised beds and pick the vegetables for
38:57supper, a bunch of herbs.
38:59But if I am going to a friend's for supper and they haven't got a veg garden, it gives
39:03me enormous pleasure to get my trug and fill it with all the things I've grown and I feel
39:09much happier giving that to them with, I think, a bit of pride than a bottle of wine or chocolates.
39:22This is the paradise garden.
39:24Well, it is paradise, isn't it?
39:26And so this garden is very enclosed.
39:29It's like another room.
39:30I can imagine coming here in the early evening with a glass of wine in my hand and looking
39:35out at this and these wonderful mature lemon trees, they look amazing.
39:40I've had a lemon tree and I cherish it and I'm just looking, you've got rather more lemons
39:46on your tree than mine.
39:48And only a week ago, I gave it a bit of a trim.
39:51I took it above the fruit and made it a bit of a shape without consulting anybody and
39:56I'm ready to be told off.
39:58I'll tell you off.
40:00By and large, you don't prune oranges or lemons at this time of year.
40:07However, they're quite tough plants and it'll be fine.
40:10In future, the time to prune is when you start to see new growth in spring and you can prune
40:17as hard as you like.
40:18Don't forget to remind us on that.
40:20I will, I will.
40:21And you've got verbena there.
40:22Yeah.
40:23I must just mention, the other week you were showing us how to do cuttings.
40:27Yes.
40:28This morning, I was doing the same thing with my dwarf verbena and this is two weeks after.
40:35Have I done it right?
40:37Next time, probably take a little bit more leaf off because the risk is that they are
40:43losing too much moisture before they can resupply it from any new roots.
40:47But other than that, clearly it's worked, which thank goodness, because if you'd said
40:52to me, I tried it and it went completely wrong, then I would feel terrible.
40:56But, if you sow some seed, take some cuttings, try a division, it's so satisfying.
41:09I've left Mary for a few moments, having a look around on her own and I've been a bit
41:13shy about showing her the herb garden here because at this time of year, it is a bit
41:19scruffy.
41:20It's not at its best.
41:22But we did go and visit Hamish Martin in his garden in Edinburgh and the herbs are looking
41:28very good indeed.
41:35So the secret herb garden is a little bit of green space.
41:41It's where you can wander around the garden and take in all the herbs.
41:44When you open your mind to limitless possibilities and have imagination, you can create anything
41:56with herbs.
41:57You know, we can do your teas and you can make herbal coffees and oils and salts and
42:03sugars.
42:04Obviously, there's medicine.
42:06There isn't anything herbs can't actually do.
42:09They're beautiful, all-encompassing of everything that we might want to be able to create.
42:14So we grow over 600 different types of herbs here, 55 mints, rosemary, sages, lavenders.
42:28But I want to share with you one of my favourite ones.
42:31This is actually winter savoury.
42:33It is so versatile.
42:34You can use this in cooking just like rosemary, but it's not so heavy in flavours as rosemary.
42:40You can have it in soups, stews, even on pizzas.
42:43It's absolutely delicious.
42:45You want to just harvest straight into the green part of this plant.
42:49And if you cut into the green wood, you keep it regenerated.
42:53Just don't go harvesting down into the brown.
42:56Keep to the top bit here.
42:58You can see we've been harvesting this regularly so that we keep having more and more.
43:02Just harvest it when it feels right and looks right to you.
43:05And this, as you can see, is vibrant with so much new growth that it's just ready to
43:09be cooked with.
43:14Herbs are naturally wild.
43:15They are resilient.
43:17They will grow in places where other plants won't even dream about growing.
43:24I call this our mint corner.
43:26Mints have a wonderful habit of wanting to spread and take over whole beds.
43:31So if you keep them in a separate bed like this, it means that everything I harvest from
43:36this bed is going to be the peppermint.
43:39We have ginger mint, strawberry, Moroccan, lavender, Swiss, pineapple, where we can harvest
43:45them and know that that's actually one variety of mint.
43:48We will get probably two harvests in the year.
43:51And then the third one, we don't touch it.
43:53We just let it go to flower.
43:55So you allow the honeybees to have their fill.
44:00The mint that I'd like to harvest now is this one here, the black peppermint.
44:04And we're going to actually use and dry, but also that we can use and make some fresh
44:10mint tea.
44:11So the thing to do is not to harvest any of the plants that actually have the flowers
44:15on them and look for the younger, fresher growth, because it's the young green tips
44:19really that we're looking to have.
44:23I think when you start working with plants yourself and you start harvesting them, there's
44:27a special connection you're making to the plants.
44:29You're not just going to the shops and buying your teabag.
44:32You're actually having to do something and create something from nature.
44:46So I'm going to make you a fresh mint tea.
44:49All you need is that lovely growing tip.
44:52Just put it straight into a mug and then pour some boiling water.
44:57Let it sit for a couple of minutes and you're good to go with a fresh mint cup of tea.
45:01What we want to do is to keep that mint tea going for the whole of winter is dry it.
45:07At home, you can just use a brown paper bag.
45:10So just use the tips and if you've got any nice leaves still in the stem, you can put
45:15those in too.
45:16It needs to be somewhere warm and airy and that will dry beautifully.
45:21And then two weeks time, you can come to having your own dried mint like this.
45:27So a little pinch into there.
45:31Just use your boiling water and again, let that sit for a couple of minutes and then
45:36you can have mint tea to remind you of summer the whole winter long.
45:45People think that herbs are just green.
45:47They're not.
45:48You can be anything from purples to blues, yellows, reds, whites.
45:51There's such an array of colours with herbs.
45:54This is tangerine sage.
45:56I absolutely love this plant because when you look at the flowers, these bright trumpets
46:01of red make you believe you're actually in the tropics.
46:04This plant's normally akin to the Central America, but it seems to thrive really well
46:10in an unheated polytunnel glass house.
46:12Or you could put it into a container, grow it outside as long as you bring it back in.
46:17So we actually use this plant a lot.
46:19We actually use it in our home.
46:21So we actually use this plant a lot.
46:23We actually use the young growth like this to decorate sparingly onto a salad.
46:28The other thing I love about this plant is actually its flowers.
46:32If you were to pull the flower from the peduncle and then suck the sweet sugar at the end,
46:39it is absolutely beautiful.
46:41You can understand why you'd want to be a hummingbird and to go down and get that sugar.
46:51So really, when it comes to herbs, work out what plant you want to use.
46:56If you love thyme, grow thyme.
46:57If you love the smell of lavender, grow a lavender.
46:59Or if you want sage, a certain cooking, then that's what you grow.
47:04Use them and enjoy them.
47:21I know this is the season of fading beauty.
47:25But sometimes you can be surprised and delighted by intense joy, even now.
47:31And here, under the shade of these ferns, are these sicklemen.
47:36And they have the most wonderful colour.
47:39And they're very happy.
47:40They're spreading in this intense shade.
47:43And to be honest, I almost forget I've got them.
47:46And suddenly there they are.
47:47And it does show you that even in the darkest, driest, most unlikely spot,
47:54you can have real gems.
47:57Now it's time to rejoin Adam and Arit,
48:01who have been doing huge things at Fleet in Hampshire and transforming a space.
48:07And now they're moving on to creating a seating area.
48:12We have made a great start.
48:15Planting the beach hedging for privacy,
48:17dug the borders ready for the plants,
48:20and created the raised beds for elicited vegetables.
48:24We have also removed the turf for the new seating area.
48:28Well, we're making a good start.
48:30Are we?
48:31Yeah.
48:32So what I'm trying to do now is get this lowered
48:34so I can get a decent sort of 100mm, so 4 inches of hardcore,
48:38in this space where the main table is going to go.
48:40Yeah.
48:41I mean, the key thing is that we're getting people started.
48:44So talk about getting going.
48:46I'll carry on with this.
48:48To give this garden all year interest,
48:50I want to get some trees and shrubs into the borders.
48:54This Arbutus is absolutely gorgeous.
48:57It's evergreen, very, very structural with its multi-stems.
49:01So it's going to have real gorgeous presence in the garden.
49:04And I'm thinking it's going to go here.
49:06in the garden.
49:07And I'm thinking it's going to go here, mid-border,
49:09so that when Leo and Alicia are looking back,
49:12it's going to just start to fill the space here.
49:15And the crabapple's going to look really lovely
49:17because this is going to be their little wild meadow area.
49:21So I think it's time to get these ones in.
49:25OK, ready guys?
49:29Oh, look at that.
49:31As we've filled the raised beds with soil and compost,
49:34I want to get Alicia started on her veg.
49:38So what do you think the best way of planting all these different veggies?
49:42However you want.
49:43What I do at home is I don't always follow the rules.
49:47Sometimes I might put them a little bit closer,
49:49but I'll harvest some stuff slightly younger.
49:52What you'll find with these,
49:53though we've firmed it down a decent amount,
49:55it will still settle.
49:56What I would suggest is, before we go into next year,
49:59is that you put a load of manure in this as well,
50:02and then that will build it back up.
50:04So is this going to be the first time you've actually grown veg?
50:07Yeah, on my own.
50:08So if I can give you one bit of advice,
50:10don't worry about the things that go wrong.
50:12When you come out and something's been decimated,
50:14just smile and just think, right, hold on, let's go again.
50:17Try again next year.
50:18Yeah.
50:22The herbaceous borders are really starting to take shape
50:25with plenty of plants with the butterflies and bees.
50:28The bright colours Elysia loves
50:31coming from the Rebecchia, Hellenium and Echinacea.
50:35And then using these lovely Callum egrostis,
50:38they're a grass that are quite upright in form.
50:43They don't get massively big,
50:44but they'll just give this a really nice, strong shape.
50:51I think, well, we've got a wonky bed,
50:53we might as well have a wonky bed.
50:59We've been digging out the bed where the seating area will go.
51:02The plan is to get the hardcord down first,
51:05then gravel over it.
51:07But I've discovered something nasty
51:10lurking in the corner of the garden.
51:12Coochgrass.
51:13And it will take time to get rid of it.
51:16So I'm going to have to leave Leo and Elysia
51:19to get on top of this.
51:22However, I do have a good solution
51:24for the coochgrass in the seating area.
51:27So what I'm actually doing here
51:28is putting the membrane underneath the hardcord.
51:31By the time this has got nearly 100mm of hardcord on top of it
51:35and it's compacted,
51:37it's not very likely to come up through then.
51:40Now the hardcord is in, I need to compact it.
51:47That done, we can get the gravel on top.
51:50Rock and roll.
51:51Come on then, come on.
51:55Go!
52:00Beautiful.
52:02With the gravel sorted,
52:03it's time now to tackle a really important area of the garden
52:07for Elysia and Leo.
52:09Their wildflower meadow.
52:12We've scarified the grass to weaken it
52:14and I've chosen wildflowers
52:16which will cope with this garden's particularly dry conditions.
52:20We've got you some plugs to start you off.
52:22So you can do it either with plugs or with seed.
52:25All you've got to do is just use a trowel
52:28and simply work an area
52:31and then work that plug down.
52:36We can establish something called yellow rattle.
52:39You can sprinkle some of that about
52:40because if you can get this growing,
52:43you'll stand much more chance of all this lot being successful.
52:46I think all in all, this is going to be a lovely little haven
52:49and wildlife are just going to come in and be cracking on.
52:52Incredible, isn't it?
52:53Yeah.
52:55There's just time today to get the final plants in.
53:07What a difference a day makes.
53:12We're cutting beech hedges for screening,
53:14herbaceous borders give colour and will encourage wildlife
53:17and we've started them off on a wildflower corner.
53:22We've transformed a plain lawn
53:24into somewhere where Alicia and Leo can feel cosy and secluded.
53:30Harcourt's gone in so that works well
53:32and then just giving them a gravel garden
53:33which you've planted beautifully by the way.
53:35I think that looks lovely.
53:36Wow.
53:37I love the way that there's a shape now in the lawn as well
53:41and can't wait for them to tell us about their little meadow.
53:46But I am chuffed with, really chuffed with,
53:50we raised beds.
53:52Well, you know what?
53:54I've seen bees, I've seen butterflies already
53:57and it's only day one.
53:58Exactly.
54:03I think Alicia and Leo are going to enjoy this garden,
54:06developing it further for years to come.
54:10I feel absolutely amazed.
54:11I think the plantings just come together.
54:14Unreal.
54:15I just can't wait to like sit out there in the summer
54:18listening to the birds, the bees,
54:20seeing everything, all the flowers and blue.
54:22I just, it's going to be incredible.
54:34I think that shows that you can make a garden anywhere
54:38and you can make it personal too.
54:39And I know for a fact that that has started something
54:43that has gone on and developed and kick-started
54:46a whole garden that's going to last.
54:48Now, talking about going to last, I hope that cake doesn't last.
54:51Well, this apple cake is perfect for using up windfalls.
54:55And do they have to be cookers or can you use any apple?
54:59You can use any apple.
55:00It's best to use cookers.
55:02And sometimes, if it's a fairly soft apple,
55:05there'll be a dip in the cake.
55:07Don't worry about that.
55:08It tastes just as good.
55:09So I hope you're hungry.
55:11Also, you can have it with cream, without cream, ice cream.
55:14It freezes well.
55:16There we are.
55:18There's a flaked almonds on top.
55:21The dogs have suddenly got very interested.
55:22I wonder why.
55:24Right, I'm going to taste this.
55:28It's a bit of all right, isn't it?
55:30That is a bit of all right.
55:31Absolutely delicious.
55:33Now, do you watch the programme regularly?
55:35I certainly do.
55:36And is there any bit that you like more than others?
55:38What shall we do more of?
55:40I'm always waiting for jobs for the weekend.
55:43Well, Mary, here are jobs for the weekend for you and for you.
56:01If you're growing some late-season salad crops,
56:04you can extend the harvest by starting to protect some now.
56:08Cloches are ideal, and if you've had some stored away,
56:11give them a good wash so they let through as much light as possible.
56:15Cover up some of the plants,
56:17but be sure to leave the ends open so there's plenty of ventilation.
56:29Garden centres are now selling specially prepared hyacinth bulbs
56:33for Forcing for Christmas.
56:35Pop them up, being sure that at least a quarter of the bulb
56:39is standing proud of the compost.
56:43Water them and put them somewhere dark
56:45and leave them there for at least six weeks
56:48or until you see really strong white shoots.
56:51Then bring them out into light and heat,
56:54and this will trigger them into flowering.
57:03Now is a good time to take hardwood cuttings
57:06of redcurrants, blackcurrants or gooseberries.
57:09I'm doing some blackcurrants.
57:11Choose nice, straight, new growth
57:14and strip off all the lower leaves.
57:17Then reduce them down to about six inches long,
57:21and it doesn't matter if there are no leaves on them at all.
57:24Place them the right way up,
57:26around the edge of a pot filled with gritty compost.
57:29Leave them over winter,
57:31and the chances of them striking and making new bushes are very high.
57:46The autumn raspberries are still productive
57:49and may well go on being so right up to the first frost,
57:52which could be another month yet.
57:55This is Autumn Bliss, really good taste
57:58and much easier to grow than summer raspberries,
58:01although in the height of summer they're delicious too.
58:05And it's right and proper that I should be picking delicious berries
58:09because it's been a real treat
58:11to have Mary Berry visit me here at Longmeadow today.
58:15Fascinating to hear about her own garden
58:18and the new project that she's taking on there.
58:21But that's it for today.
58:23I'll be back here at Longmeadow
58:25at an earlier time next week of eight o'clock.
58:28So I'll see you then. Bye-bye.
58:34Thank you, Monty. See you at eight.
58:36Now, next, what do bears do in the winter?
58:38Hold on, don't blurt it out.
58:40It's brand-new QI here on BBC Two in just a moment.
58:43Whilst over on BBC One,
58:45who told the police about Mrs Buckham's missing money?
58:48Fingers are pointed in Scarborough.
58:55Subtitling by SUBS Hamburg