- 5/19/2025
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 episode 1
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Where every petal is perfect.
00:21Hello and welcome to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025.
00:26We are back. Yes.
00:27And we can't wait to share plenty of inspiration for you and your gardens.
00:31Oh, the world's press are here.
00:33So many celebrities, so many famous faces already.
00:36Who have you spotted this morning?
00:38Well, I can tell you that Raymond Blanc swept me off my feet.
00:41It was a bit of a whirlwind.
00:42All very exciting and there's loads to explore.
00:45Yes, looking forward to it.
00:47Today, we're helping you to make the most of your space,
00:51whatever the size or even if you don't have any outside space at all.
00:55Our team of gardening experts are ready and waiting to guide you around the showground
01:00and share their top tips and tricks.
01:02Coming up on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025,
01:05an event supported by the Newt in Somerset.
01:08Frances is in the mighty Grey Pavilion and she's ripping up the rule book.
01:13I'll be showing you how thinking big is best when it comes to plants,
01:17no matter how small your space.
01:20And it wouldn't be Chelsea without the return of our very own Carol Klein.
01:25And I'll be looking at the planting tricks guaranteed to fill your borders all summer long.
01:32And it might be press day, but we'll be getting our hands dirty
01:35as I catch up with Chelsea award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson
01:39to plant up containers to put the cool into your courtyard.
01:43Plus, it's the garden that's got tails wagging.
01:46I like what we did there.
01:47We'll be chatting with designer Jamie Butterworth,
01:50who has teamed up with our very own Monty Dawn to create this year's feature garden,
01:56the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden,
01:59fit for our four-legged friends and also our humans as well.
02:03100%.
02:04Now, earlier on today, the gates opened and the great and the good ascended
02:08to get inspiration for their own gardens.
02:12You look gorgeous.
02:14How are you?
02:15Very well.
02:16You love this show, don't you?
02:17Well, to me, this is the start of the season.
02:19And I'm walking around today, I've met so many of my playful babies.
02:23They're everywhere.
02:29Exciting.
02:30You're loving it being here?
02:31I do love it here, yeah.
02:33It's always fun.
02:35It's great.
02:36It's always fun.
02:37It's great.
02:38You get fantastic ideas about garden tips.
02:41Yeah.
02:44Right, we've had a few more spots.
02:46Raymond Blanc.
02:48I'm looking at all sorts of different objects and new flowers, new ideas.
02:54You've just come for ideas, flowers?
02:56Yeah, yeah, I've seen more gardens as well.
03:01What are you looking for here today?
03:03Oh, everything.
03:05I am a gardener.
03:06I know you are.
03:07I should have done the demo with you.
03:08I have a fantastic lemon tree, which is in a pot in London.
03:12Yes.
03:13With citrus plants, what's a tip you could give to anyone who's got one?
03:16It's in the corner, facing south.
03:20So you heard it here first in Bruno.
03:22So it's protected from harsh winds.
03:24Exactly.
03:29You look delightful.
03:32Anything that stood out for you that you might use in your own garden?
03:35The different levels of plants.
03:38So mine are all kind of uniform and wild,
03:42but the different levels that have been planted really set off the gardens really nicely.
03:52What are you looking for today at Chelsea?
03:54I'm coming to find inspiration, because I've done quite a bit of work with my garden.
03:58I've created a pond, I've got beautiful borders,
04:01but I need something else to elevate the garden further,
04:04so I'm coming to get inspiration.
04:12Great to see so many people out and about getting ideas for their own gardens.
04:17Now, no wonder that Chelsea attracts the great and the good on a day like today,
04:22when the gardens are of such high quality, just like this one.
04:26This is the London Square Garden,
04:28which has been designed by Dave Green for the Chelsea pensioners,
04:32who live here at the Royal Hospital.
04:34You can see it just behind me.
04:36Who better to show me around than our garden design expert, Toby Buckland.
04:41Toby, I mean, you look so happy standing here.
04:44It is the most beautiful garden, and how great it's going to be relocated next door.
04:49Yeah, it's a really interesting space, cleverly designed,
04:52and it's got multiple uses.
04:54It's to celebrate wildlife, it's for quiet time, for families to come together,
04:59for Chelsea pensioners to rest and play with.
05:02Well, I love the fact that the Chelsea pensioners are going to have their own garden.
05:05Yeah, cleverly designed, like I say, because although it's small,
05:09it's very much in two parts.
05:11This is quite a quiet area, a place for contemplation,
05:14water babbling in the background.
05:16Can't beat water, can you?
05:17How can a garden like this inspire us?
05:19Because is this the size of an average back garden?
05:22Yeah, you'd never know that.
05:23It seems bigger.
05:24Well, it's the way you come in, you come straight into this greenery,
05:27so it's immediately a garden of two halves.
05:30So you don't know what's beyond.
05:32Normally you see the whole garden in one go and the surprise is spoiled,
05:35but no, not with this, it's quite different.
05:37You move down through the garden, through these circular paths
05:40that allow you to walk round and paramble
05:43and allow more people to use the same space at one time
05:46into this lovely vaulted area.
05:48It's like having different gardens under one, in a way.
05:52Yeah, it is.
05:53And I like the fact that it's got two paths going round.
05:55Yeah, very clever, very clever.
05:57So you can use it in different ways.
05:59That's right.
06:00And the pergola over the top is a beautiful touch.
06:03I mean, it reminds me of the stripes you'd get on the arm stripes
06:07on the shoulders uniform.
06:09You see, pergolas are sort of very much in this year at Chelsea.
06:12Why do you think it works so well here?
06:14Because if someone said to me, put a pergola this size
06:16in the average back garden, I'd be nervous.
06:18Well, if you can't go outwards, which many of us can't, go up.
06:21Because you can always put plants on top of it.
06:23And it also creates this lovely feeling of enclosure and intimacy.
06:26Yeah.
06:27And actually, this design with its curved bench does that
06:29because it makes you look in.
06:31It makes for a convivial, a space for camaraderie, if you will.
06:34A little bit of entertaining.
06:36Yeah, yeah, definitely.
06:37And wow, the scarlet...
06:38I mean, this table.
06:39Well, the table, but what about the cushion covers and everything?
06:42So bright.
06:43Recycled jackets from the old soldiers.
06:45So again, the colour is making sort of double bubble,
06:48making this space feel quite different from the other.
06:51And the pallet at the back, you've got different planting here.
06:54That seems quite tranquil.
06:55And then you've got this massive burst of colour around us.
06:58Well, making the most of the sunshine.
07:00And what I love about this planting is it's very changing.
07:04Through the seasons, it will die down to the ground and come back up.
07:07It's just full of energy.
07:08And it's a cottage garden, classic borderless,
07:10with foxgloves, cow parsley, thistles.
07:13Looks really beautiful.
07:14But because it's so full of life and energy,
07:16when you're amongst it, you feel full of life and energy.
07:19It's so uplifting.
07:20And there's elements of this garden that we could all recreate.
07:23Well, yeah, definitely.
07:24I think if you've got sun,
07:26celebrate it with these cottage garden plants.
07:28Definitely.
07:29And such a clever use of space.
07:31Toby, thank you very much indeed.
07:33Now, when you're thinking about
07:35how you can make the most of the space you have,
07:38you also need to consider the size and shape of your plants.
07:42Frances has all you need to know
07:44about making a big impact with beautiful plants.
07:55It doesn't matter how small your garden is,
07:57you can still make a really huge impact
07:59by choosing plants that do all the work for you.
08:02And what could be better than delphiniums?
08:04These are so beautiful.
08:07And with a flower spike that can be up to eight foot tall,
08:10you really do get a lot of impact from just one plant.
08:14First thing you need to do is choose the right kind.
08:17So these are the allartum, and they're perennial,
08:19so they'll come back year after year.
08:21And one of the other key things that can damage delphiniums
08:24is being too wet.
08:25So when you plant them,
08:26just incorporate lots of grit into the ground
08:29and then add a mulch of grit on the top,
08:31and that will also help to protect them
08:33from the other big problem they face, which is slugs.
08:37So that will stop the slugs getting to the shoots,
08:39especially in spring when they are most vulnerable.
08:42But if you do all those simple things,
08:44you will find that you have an incredible
08:47and hugely impactful display of amazing flowers.
09:01Roses make such a wonderful addition to any garden,
09:04no matter what the size.
09:06You get beautiful blooms, amazing colours, scent,
09:10and often you can cut them back and get repeat flowers as well.
09:15In a small garden, if you have a border,
09:18you can do a lot worse than using a shrub rose.
09:21Now either plant it with other perennials around
09:23or just go full impact on roses
09:26and make a little miniature rose garden.
09:33If space really is an issue,
09:35try going upwards rather than outwards,
09:38and climbing roses are perfect for that.
09:41But just make sure you choose a climbing one
09:43rather than a rambling one,
09:44because they're a little bit more controllable.
09:46And you can even grow them in a container
09:48if you really are tight for space.
09:50Or why not, if you've got one knocking around,
09:52just use an old piano.
10:00Gardening isn't all about flowers,
10:02and in fact the foliage makes a huge difference
10:04to how our space feels.
10:06And in a small garden, I would always recommend
10:09going for big leaves.
10:11This is a fatsia, and it's got a really lovely bold look
10:15while being completely hardy and very easy to grow.
10:18Something like this up against a fence,
10:20it hides the boundary,
10:22so you can't always see exactly how small the garden is.
10:25And if you were sitting in the garden,
10:26it would also hide the end,
10:28so you might not realise it's actually smaller than it seems.
10:32So even though you might be inclined
10:34to stick with small things in keeping with the size,
10:37don't do it.
10:38Be bold, be big, be beautiful,
10:41and it will really, really enhance your small space.
10:49Thanks so much, Frances.
10:50The motto is definitely Go Big and Go Bold.
10:53Now this week, Nicky and I are going to be joined
10:55by a host of experts to inspire us
10:58to give the latest gardening, floral and craft trends a go.
11:01And today I'm joined by a familiar face here at Chelsea,
11:04garden designer, Pollyanna Wilkinson.
11:06Welcome.
11:07Thank you very much.
11:08It's wonderful to have you here.
11:10Chelsea holds a special place in your heart, doesn't it?
11:12It does.
11:13I've had a couple of show gardens here,
11:15but it's nice to be back this year.
11:17Less pressure, no judging.
11:18We're still giving us top tips right now,
11:20because what are we going to be doing?
11:21So I'm going to be teaching you how to plant up
11:23a really beautiful summer display in a pot.
11:26It's kind of Chelsea in a pot.
11:27Yeah.
11:28I really like this because I've got containers at home as well
11:30that I need some ideas for, which is fantastic.
11:32But it's not just big ones,
11:33because we've got different sized ones here as well.
11:35Yeah, absolutely.
11:36I mean, I love a big pot.
11:37Even if you've got a small space,
11:38I would prefer you use one big pot
11:40than lots of small ones.
11:41Really, just go for it.
11:42It feels a bit cluttered sometimes.
11:43But equally, if you've got a smaller space,
11:45you could do a two like that,
11:47but I do love a three when you've got a big,
11:49a medium and a small together.
11:51I think that looks gorgeous.
11:52Just giving it layers.
11:53Exactly.
11:54So what plants are we going to pot today?
11:56So we're going to start with Salvia caradonna.
11:59This is an absolute classic, a Chelsea classic.
12:01You can find it everywhere.
12:03And I'm going to do a couple of these at the back
12:07because this is going to be,
12:08if you think this is the front of the pot,
12:09this is the back.
12:10And you always sort of think of that sort of
12:12where you're going to position it.
12:13I'm imagining this one's maybe going in a corner.
12:15So you're going to put one at the back like this,
12:18like so.
12:19And just make sure you get the levels right.
12:21You don't want the pot sitting too high
12:23because then when it comes to watering,
12:24all the water will just come straight out of the pot.
12:26Yeah.
12:27So you need to leave about an inch
12:28just so that everything,
12:29you have enough water to actually sit and soak through.
12:32Now, I know you've got this one,
12:34just one plant here,
12:36but is it,
12:37it's good to just go for a bit of,
12:39not chaos,
12:40but organized chaos.
12:42Yeah.
12:43I mean, there's two ways of doing things.
12:44So if you've got a big pot like this,
12:45I like to put maybe three plants in,
12:47which is what we're doing here.
12:49But if you've got smaller pots,
12:50I do quite like it when you just do one plant
12:53and you stuff it.
12:54I think it has more impact
12:55because otherwise in a small pot,
12:56lots of plants,
12:57I think again,
12:58looks cluttered.
12:59So big pots,
13:00lots of plants,
13:01small pot,
13:02one,
13:03let it just do its thing.
13:04Right.
13:05Now these plants are specific for summer,
13:07aren't they?
13:08Yes,
13:09but really long flowering season of interest
13:11as long as you deadhead them.
13:12So that's why I've chosen them.
13:13Also,
13:14they're really lovely
13:15because all of these are perennial.
13:16So all of these will come back every year.
13:18So when you're done with it in your pot
13:20and maybe it's winter
13:21and you want to do a winter display,
13:22all of these can go straight out into the garden.
13:25I like that because it's just keeping it going
13:27rather than just composting lots of annuals.
13:30So we've got,
13:31this is GM totally tangerine,
13:33just giving a little pop against the purple,
13:35really long season of flowers,
13:37same as the salvia,
13:38just deadhead them when they go over
13:40and they'll just keep flowering for months.
13:42Okay.
13:43So sunny spots though,
13:44do they need extra watering?
13:46How do we maintain them
13:47and make them look good?
13:48So,
13:49I mean,
13:50all pots need watering,
13:51even if it's rained loads,
13:52rain will not permeate down to the bottom of a pot.
13:54So you're going to need to just stick your finger in
13:57up to your knuckle.
13:58If it's dry,
13:59water it.
14:00If it's not,
14:01don't.
14:02And for smaller ones,
14:03you can just lift it.
14:04If they're really light,
14:05that'll tell you that it's probably really dry too
14:07because the compost is dried out.
14:08Okay,
14:09so you're squeezing that one in.
14:10What plant is that?
14:11This is nepeta or catmint,
14:13really aromatic.
14:14And the point here is
14:16there's sort of a theory with pots
14:18that you want a thriller,
14:20a spiller and a filler.
14:21So in this one,
14:22I would argue this salvia,
14:24is the thriller.
14:25Okay.
14:26Although kind of the GM is too.
14:27And then we've got the filler is the GM
14:29just because of this foliage,
14:30which I think just bulks it out.
14:31Right.
14:32And then the spiller is the catmint,
14:34the nepeta,
14:35which is just going to sort of tumble over
14:37as it sits into the pot.
14:38It's going to fill it all out.
14:39But I mean,
14:40I think they're all kind of thrillers.
14:42I think they're all amazing.
14:44And it really works well
14:45because sometimes when you go into a garden centre,
14:47you're thinking,
14:48what plants would go well together?
14:49Sometimes it's just about just going for it.
14:51Totally.
14:52And contrasting colours as well.
14:53So obviously you've got these two,
14:54the purples,
14:55but in different tones work beautifully
14:57as sort of complementing each other.
14:58And then you've got the other end of the colour wheel,
15:00the orange,
15:01it makes it all pop.
15:02I think really lifts it.
15:03Otherwise it can feel a bit flat.
15:05Yeah.
15:06So don't be scared of doing those contrasting colours.
15:08Well, it's working well.
15:09We're going to finish it off,
15:10aren't we?
15:11Yes.
15:12It just needs back filling with compost
15:13and then we need to give it a good water.
15:15Well, we'll be back a little later on.
15:17We'll see the finished look
15:18and Pollyanna will be showing us
15:20how to create a garden container
15:22that'll be ideal for a small shady spot.
15:24We're covering all bases.
15:26Thank you, Angelica.
15:28And it's looking good so far.
15:30Now in the UK,
15:31a staggering 80% of us live in towns and cities
15:34where personal outside space can be limited.
15:37I'm joined now by a new member of our team
15:40of gardening experts, Jason Williams,
15:42who knows a thing or two about making the most
15:45of what little space we have.
15:47Welcome, Jason.
15:48Anyway, it's back to Chelsea again for you
15:50because this is the first time we actually met.
15:52It really is.
15:53And I'm so excited to be back.
15:54Well, you designed a balcony garden in 2022.
15:58Who were you hoping to inspire
16:00when you decided to design it?
16:02Well, I actually only started gardening in 2020
16:05when I moved into my property.
16:06And what I soon began to learn
16:08is that gardening is so beneficial to mental health.
16:11And so I think about all those people
16:13in our towns and cities
16:14who are not connected to nature.
16:16So it's for those people that I'm here championing
16:18and helping to get them back to nature.
16:20Well, this is the Room to Breathe garden.
16:22What a fantastic name.
16:23And it seems to be packed with beautiful plants.
16:27It really is.
16:28It's so immersive.
16:29And I think what I love about this space
16:31is that it's pretty much the same kind of size
16:34as a city centre courtyard garden.
16:36So what tips and tricks can we take from this garden?
16:39Because on first impression, it is beautiful,
16:41but there's a lot going on.
16:43There is a lot.
16:44There's a lot packed into such a small space.
16:46One thing I love are these layers here.
16:49So you've got the containers.
16:50They're not all just one level.
16:51Sometimes as container gardeners,
16:53our gardens can be quite flat.
16:55But you've got the levels from the containers,
16:57but also the incredible planting as well,
16:59which has got a really muted colour palette.
17:02Greens, whites to make it nice and tranquil.
17:05Yeah, making the most of this space
17:06and giving us a little bit of height.
17:08Exactly.
17:09What about the path?
17:10Well, the path is really interesting
17:11because this is actually on a diagonal.
17:13And so it's designed essentially
17:15to make you draw your attention
17:17right down into the back of the garden.
17:19Normally they're just straight lines.
17:20Yes, that's what I would have done.
17:21I must admit.
17:22Now, if I had a courtyard garden,
17:23I wouldn't think of putting up a pagoda,
17:25but it works.
17:26Why does it work so well?
17:27I think one of the reasons is because
17:29this pagoda is facing the complete different way
17:32from the gravel here, from the paving.
17:35And so what that does is it kind of stretches the garden.
17:38It's almost like an optical illusion,
17:40making this space even bigger.
17:42A good trick that we can copy.
17:44And lastly, can't be a garden without somewhere to sit,
17:46a hanging chair.
17:47I know.
17:48I really want to get in.
17:49Nice touch.
17:50I really like this.
17:51It really is fantastic.
17:53And what I do love about it is when you get in there,
17:55the planting is essentially designed
17:58to be at the same height
17:59to really add to that feel of immersion.
18:01And hanging it up, that gives you more space?
18:03It really does.
18:04Because if you look underneath,
18:05you'll see that there's planting under there as well.
18:07So you really are maximizing on space
18:10at every level in this garden.
18:11Yeah.
18:12It's a wonderful illustration of what we can do at home.
18:14We can create pockets of this, can't we?
18:16Exactly.
18:17So let's say you're at home.
18:18What you could do to achieve something similar to this
18:21is grab yourself some terracotta pots,
18:23but get a large, a medium, and a small.
18:26And then you can use some of this planting in there,
18:28and you're going to get the exact same effect
18:30in your garden at home.
18:31And this isn't the only space you've explored for us, is it?
18:34Oh, no.
18:35Listen, I've been checking out
18:36some of these houseplant studios.
18:38They are fantastic for people
18:39who don't have any form of outside space whatsoever.
18:42And let me tell you,
18:43some of these designs are unparalleled.
18:46I can see it in your face.
18:47Let's see how you got on.
18:55Wow.
18:56Look at this.
18:57This is the Roots of Wellbeing Garden,
19:00designed by Abby Dixon from Botanic York.
19:03The idea is to showcase what you could do with a room
19:07if you are working from home
19:09to make you feel a little bit more immersed in nature.
19:13And there are so many top tips to take away
19:16for small space gardeners.
19:18One thing I love about this space
19:21are these use of vertical planters.
19:23What they do is they allow you to raise the plants,
19:26which then gives you even more room for more plants
19:29as if you need it.
19:30And a top tip,
19:32if your plants are not getting enough light,
19:35what you could do is pick up a grow light.
19:38Now, these grow lights are really cheap,
19:41really accessible,
19:42and they should, should make your plants
19:45a little bit happier.
19:50It's not just indoors.
19:52Outside in this balcony area,
19:54they've really maximized space as well.
19:58As a container gardener,
19:59I can tell you this now,
20:00we really, really struggle with storage.
20:03We look at something simple like this table.
20:05It's a potting bench,
20:07but there's also plenty of storage space underneath.
20:11And there's also room to grow on the table.
20:14Now, here's another really great space-saving tip
20:17that you can do at home.
20:19So if we take a look here,
20:20you'll see that we've got these shelving units,
20:23but look a little bit closer,
20:24you'll find that these are actually just repurposed crates.
20:28Now, that's allowed us to do some vertical growing
20:30at the top,
20:31but then down here,
20:32you've got that additional storage space for your garden.
20:37So there you have it.
20:39It doesn't matter if it's inside or outside.
20:42There are plenty of ways to make the most of your space.
20:49But now, time for something really exciting.
20:52For the first time ever,
20:53our friend and colleague, Monty,
20:55has designed a garden here at Chelsea.
20:57Now, he's teamed up with the RHS,
20:59BBC Radio 2,
21:00and the plantsman, Jamie Butterworth,
21:02to create a garden that's perfect
21:04for some of Monty's closest companions.
21:06I mean, people have been hounding me about it all day.
21:12I've lived with dogs all my life,
21:14so it's natural for me
21:15to be always accompanied by a dog or two,
21:18especially in the garden.
21:19My wife always says that I understand dogs
21:22better than I do people.
21:24I've never in my life had a garden without dogs.
21:28They are as much part of the garden as plants.
21:33So last year,
21:34when I got a call from the RHS and Radio 2
21:37asking if I would consider designing a garden
21:40that celebrated dogs and gardening at Chelsea,
21:45I was up for the challenge
21:47and could depend on Ned to give me a helping hand.
21:53I knew that if I was going to be able to do this,
21:55I would need the help of the very best team available.
21:59So I enlisted the nurseryman, Jamie Butterworth,
22:02who has established himself
22:04with a gold medal pedigree from RHS Chelsea.
22:09When I got the call from Monty the first time,
22:12I couldn't quite believe it.
22:13Actually, not only is it RHS Chelsea Flower Show,
22:16which is the biggest flower show in the world,
22:18but it's Monty Don.
22:19He's the reason I got into gardening in the first place.
22:22As excitement about the garden began to grow,
22:24over on Radio 2, DJ, RHS ambassador,
22:28gardening enthusiast and dog lover Joe Wiley
22:32has been on hand offering us support.
22:35The garden is all about reflecting the special place
22:37that dogs hold in their hearts in our gardens.
22:39Ned has had a formal invitation,
22:41so I think everybody involved should bring their dogs
22:44and let chaos reign.
22:45Monty, stop! You are so mischievous.
22:49I would be a liar if I said I wasn't nervous.
22:54I really like the idea of making a garden
22:58or having a part of a garden
23:00that really catered for the way that a dog sees a garden
23:03rather than a human.
23:05My garden design includes an area for dogs to explore,
23:09a selection of trees, a flower meadow,
23:12a stream to wallow in,
23:15a lawn and a building,
23:18which is a combination of a summer house,
23:21an enormous kennel.
23:23And there will obviously be a couple of chewed balls.
23:31I've come to the nursery
23:33where they've marked out the garden to scale.
23:36One thing that we just have to decide today
23:38is the exact placement of the trees,
23:41and that takes a lot of fine-tuning.
23:43So Joe's arrival is a welcome relief,
23:46and she's here to get a dog garden update for her listeners.
23:50It's all about detail for me.
23:52Inches will make a difference.
23:54You know, the difference between being dead right and OK
23:58is small but critical.
24:02Having finished our radio interview,
24:04we've still got a lot of trees to place,
24:07so Joe lends us a hand.
24:10So we're trying to create a foreground
24:13of trees where you look through the stems.
24:18Yeah, that's much more like it. Much more like it.
24:21That's gorgeous. That's great.
24:23The height is right. Yeah. And the width.
24:26I quite like the idea of you having the gate in the corner.
24:29That's nice. So this is actually where Joe is now.
24:31Joe, you are the gate.
24:33I am the gate. Slightly over.
24:35That's it. Perfect. You're gate-tastic.
24:37I'm the gate.
24:39Is this garden going to be judged?
24:41Not by judges, no, but by people.
24:43It's going to be so scrutinised.
24:45Everybody, everybody is going to have a view about this garden.
24:49He's a very brave man, Monty Dom.
24:53We started this journey last July.
24:55We're committed. Can't get out of it.
24:57Got to go ahead.
24:59We are two, three steps closer to what we're trying to achieve.
25:06From the outset, I wanted to be sure that the finished garden
25:10was somewhere that was good for both people and dogs,
25:14which is where my co-designer, Ned, comes in.
25:18Ned and I went to Jamie's nursery together
25:21to decide, from a dog's point of view, where the pathway should go.
25:27To make it easier for ourselves and Ned,
25:29we've made the planting area twice the size
25:32that it's actually going to be at Chelsea.
25:35So now all we have to do is watch Ned's progress
25:40as he maps out our paths.
25:49DOG BARKS
25:55It's the Chelsea conundrum.
25:57It's trying to be as authentic as possible
26:00whilst putting it on the world stage, and it's a battle every year.
26:05I sort of feel like someone who's dived into a deep pool
26:09and you're nearing the bottom part of the dive,
26:12and therefore the only way is to get out, you've got to go up.
26:16LAUGHTER
26:24Here we are on the finished garden, the RHS and BBC Radio 2 dog garden
26:30designed by Monty and Jamie Butterworth.
26:33Jamie, first of all, congratulations. Yes.
26:36I'm amazed we were allowed on it because there's been so much press
26:39and all the celebrities trying to get on.
26:41It's been a bit of a busy morning.
26:43Thank you so much. It's been the most bizarre morning.
26:46Up until now, it's just been me and my quite small team, actually,
26:49and Monty just in the garden, perfecting everything,
26:52and this morning, everybody was on it.
26:54It was carnage, but in the most brilliant of ways.
26:57And how did the dogs get on?
26:59Because they were road-testing it, weren't they, for the first time?
27:02Well, I've had to change my shirt once already.
27:04My trousers are covered in mud and hair.
27:07You can see from the lawn, they've been rolling around, running around.
27:10I think they've loved it.
27:12They got the paws up? We got the paws up.
27:14Well done to you.
27:16Now, we know the garden has been designed with dogs in mind,
27:19but for those of us who don't have a four-legged friend,
27:21there's things we can take out and that we can apply to our own gardens.
27:24Absolutely. That's the beauty of Chelsea,
27:26is every garden, every corner of every garden,
27:29there's something you can take home and apply into any size garden.
27:32So I think, regardless of it being the dog garden,
27:36there are a lot of take-home ideas for any garden, really, here.
27:39Actually, this morning, I was with Paul Smith, the fashion designer,
27:42and we were looking at the colour combinations,
27:44and in particular, we were focusing on the plum purple of the poppies
27:49and the orange of the gems, and I said,
27:51what do you think, and he said, it's a lot.
27:54I quite like it, but I don't know if that's a compliment or not.
27:59So you can take lots of different colour combinations,
28:01and that's one I take away from this garden.
28:03The other thing that I think, we've broken the rules a little bit,
28:06and you can apply that into your own garden as well,
28:08so conventionally, you'd normally have small plants right at the front,
28:11then medium, then big, and you sort of tier up,
28:14whereas because this garden, this board,
28:16is seen from that side and this side and that side,
28:19we don't have the luxury of building up something,
28:21and it's allowed us to have a little bit more fun
28:24and make the border a bit more dynamic.
28:26So we've got teasels, thistles, right at the edge of the garden.
28:29We do have a little bit of low at the front as well,
28:31but actually, we've got fennels sort of encroaching their way in.
28:34We like the rules being broken, don't we?
28:36Exactly, and that means you have more scope when you have your own garden.
28:39Yes.
28:40There's no mistakes.
28:41No, there are no rules in gardening.
28:44It should be fun.
28:45Nothing's written in stone, and actually, that's what this border is.
28:48I've been to Longmeadow, Monty's own garden,
28:50which is like a pilgrimage for me, to see how he does it,
28:53and it's so well done, but a garden is never finished,
28:57so this will evolve and change and go with it, roll with it.
29:01That's fine.
29:02What about the trees, though?
29:03Because the plot isn't enormous, and they don't over-dominate.
29:06I love the multi-stems.
29:08Are these good examples of what we should have in our garden?
29:11I think multi-stem trees are a brilliant way of adding structure
29:15and architecture into your garden.
29:17Obviously, we've got a building, but other than the building,
29:19if you took away the trees, it would feel like a really two-dimensional flat space,
29:22so the trees work really hard to bring balance and scale to the garden,
29:26and Monty and I worked hard on choosing the right trees
29:30that were A, native, and B, easy to get hold of.
29:34In fact, actually, I offered him some really unusual trees.
29:37I said, this has never been to Shells before, and this is really great.
29:39He said, I'm not interested in any of that.
29:41I want it to be easy to get hold of.
29:45I want the trees to be ones that have been seen here before,
29:48that do grow at Longmeadow, so we've got field maples,
29:50we've got hornbeam, we've got dogwood, nothing too unusual.
29:53It's all about the shape of the trees,
29:55so we've got multi-stem cornice here and multi-stem medlars,
29:58and this would be a brilliant tree for a small garden.
30:01It's not going to get a huge amount bigger than that, and it will fruit.
30:04Now, it's just the three of us here now. He's not here.
30:07Let's talk about Monty behind his back. What was he really like to work with?
30:10I've been at Chelsea for the last decade or longer working on,
30:14I've done gardens across Main Avenue, in Sanctuary, in the Grand Pavilion, in Artisan.
30:19He's been the best, I don't know if I can say it,
30:24he's been the best designer I've ever worked with.
30:26He's become, I think he's become a friend, like a genuine buddy.
30:30We were sat in here this morning just chatting away and finessing the garden.
30:34He's calm, he's practical, he's hard-working.
30:39He's just been the most amazing person to work with,
30:43and I'll be really sad come Saturday when we go our separate ways for a little bit.
30:47Hopefully we do something else together.
30:49Amazing. Watch this face. Congratulations.
30:51Well done.
30:53Still to come today from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025,
30:58an event supported by the Newt in Somerset.
31:01Helping you to make the most of your space,
31:04Carol Klein is packing your borders with plants all summer long.
31:09Plus, I'll be taking you into the Great Pavilion to meet the plantsman
31:14that will help you grow your best ever alliums.
31:17I'll be sitting down for a natter with gardening beginner,
31:20the one shows, Alex Jones,
31:22about why she's trying to up her game when it comes to her garden.
31:26And we'll be opening up our Chelsea Gardener Clinic,
31:29giving you the chance to put your gardening questions and queries to our experts.
31:34Today, Toby's in the hot seat, so don't miss that at the end of the show.
31:38But now it's time to welcome Sue Kent back to Chelsea.
31:42Hello, Sue. Always good to see you.
31:44Hello, and it's lovely to be in Chelsea.
31:47And you're going to inspire people.
31:49You've got such a passion to get people
31:51that perhaps haven't tried gardening before to grow their own.
31:54Yes, I really want to get everybody growing,
31:56because it's such fun and it's so satisfying
31:59when you do see your plants come up,
32:01whether you can buy a packet of seeds and sow them,
32:04start with some easy seeds,
32:06or buy a plant from the garden centre and nurture it.
32:10And that sense of nurturing and growing is really rewarding.
32:14And one small and then get bigger.
32:17Exactly. Add one and another.
32:19And one great way of doing that is to introduce herbs,
32:22because they're really easy, aren't they?
32:24Yeah, they're a great starter plant.
32:26They really are, and there's so many different flavours.
32:29And I love a bit of cooking. You do.
32:31And I put it in there. She's naturally talented.
32:33Now, you went off to explore the Great Pavilion,
32:36so let's find out what you found out.
32:39MUSIC
32:42I love growing my own food at home.
32:44And if you want to add sparkle to your salad,
32:47herbs are a great place to start.
32:49And there are so many options,
32:51different colours, different shapes, different sizes.
32:54The options are endless.
33:00A really reliable one to try first is mint,
33:03and there's so many different varieties of it.
33:06This one here is Japanese mint, and it's quite menthol-y,
33:09so it will make a really good cup of tea to clear those sinuses.
33:13Then you've got basil mint,
33:15which is like two of summer's best flavours all in one plant.
33:19And over there, you've got lime mint,
33:21and if you're partial to the odd mojito,
33:23it will be a real talking point to add to your glass.
33:27Mint like a rich soil, and they prefer a semi-shady position,
33:31but they are rampant, so put them in a pot,
33:34contain them, trust me,
33:36because I let them out and they're romping all over my garden.
33:42This is a stunning example of an edimental border.
33:46Everything's edible, and everything has a huge ornamental value.
33:50That bronze fennel, for example,
33:52you can eat the leaves raw, or you can put them in a fish dish,
33:56and it's going to grow to about six foot tall with plate-yellow flowers,
34:00and then you're going to have seeds which you can use for curries.
34:05Look at these stunning lime green flowers.
34:09Absolutely beautiful.
34:11This is twisted leaf garlic,
34:13and I've tasted the leaves,
34:15and it's less pungent than normal garlic.
34:18So if you chop the leaves up with the basil mint,
34:21and then you run it through something like couscous or rice,
34:25you will get a taste sensation.
34:27Blush.
34:29Blush.
34:33This is a great herb for the front of the border,
34:37thyme.
34:38Now you can get it in a mound-y shape,
34:40or a more creeping shape.
34:42If you've got a border next to a patio,
34:44it's great to plant at the edge of the border,
34:47and it will soften the edge of the patio.
34:49Again, it comes in many flavours,
34:51and this flavour is lemonade.
34:54And I've tried it, and it's got an amazing zing to it,
34:57which would be fantastic in a fizzy water drink,
35:00or if you made a sorbet.
35:02I think it's time for thyme.
35:11What's great about most of these herbs
35:13is you don't need a big garden to grow them.
35:16Just a pot of gritty compost,
35:18and a windowsill or a flower box,
35:20and you've got fresh herbs,
35:22something like these chives.
35:24Now you can eat the flowers and the leaves,
35:27chop them up finely,
35:29add them to any savoury sandwich,
35:31and you're going to take them mundane
35:33to the Michelin star.
35:38Thanks, Sue.
35:39Some great ideas for tasty herbs there.
35:41And she'll be back later in the week
35:43with her top tips for growing berries
35:44just in time for summer.
35:46Now here in the Great Pavilion,
35:48it's packed with people looking for advice
35:50on how to grow fabulous flowers and perfect plants.
35:53And you won't find anywhere else in the world
35:55with so much expertise under one roof.
35:57From peonies to pines,
35:59from roses to rhododendrons,
36:01there's an expert in everything.
36:03And today I'm going to find out
36:04how you can grow your best ever alliums,
36:06which you can see all around me with Mark Warmanhoven.
36:08Hello.
36:09Hello.
36:10What a fantastic display.
36:12It's absolutely beautiful.
36:13Now, be honest,
36:15how difficult are alliums for us to do
36:18and to grow at home?
36:20Alliums are not difficult at all.
36:22They're easy growing.
36:23Just give them good, well-drained soil.
36:25That means free drainage, not too wet.
36:27Yeah.
36:28And they do their thing.
36:29And how easy are they to plant?
36:31What do you have to do?
36:32Plant them in autumn,
36:34just two and a half to three times
36:36the size of the bulb into the soil,
36:38so a good depth.
36:39And then they come up in spring or early summer.
36:42So what are the best varieties to grow?
36:44Best varieties,
36:46my one of the favourites is Purple Rain,
36:48Allium Purple Rain.
36:49Such an easy one, beautiful name,
36:51but strong, strong colour,
36:54strong stems, strong flower.
36:56Yeah, and always it's a very easy
36:58and good growing allium.
37:00Now, I've got some questions from our viewers.
37:02This is from Jean.
37:03She says, my alliums are blooming.
37:05As usual, the leaves are turning yellow.
37:07What is the solution to keep the leaves green?
37:09To be honest,
37:10there's no solution to keep the leaves green.
37:12It's just an allium.
37:13Alliums are growing,
37:15and as soon as they start growing,
37:16they take a lot of energy away
37:18from the bulb and the leaves,
37:20so they turn into yellow
37:21as soon as they come into flower.
37:23There are several varieties
37:24who has like beautiful leaves
37:26during the flowering season,
37:28but just a little.
37:29So, it's normal
37:31and nothing to do about it.
37:33Okay, this is from James.
37:34He says, what should I do with my alliums
37:36once they have flowered?
37:37Best thing to do as soon as they are finished flowering
37:39or nearly finished flowering,
37:41deadhead them.
37:42Deadhead them means
37:43just cut them right back
37:45and leave them where they are.
37:47They come back the following year
37:48as strong as they were the first year.
37:49Okay.
37:50This is from Sue.
37:51What is the best way
37:52to get a good display of alliums
37:53the following year?
37:55Almost the same
37:56like I thought already early on,
37:58like James' question.
38:00Deadhead them
38:01because all the strength
38:02goes otherwise into the seed heads,
38:03and now if you deadhead them
38:05at the right time,
38:06all the strength goes back into the bulb.
38:07You get a good, fat bulb
38:09for the following year.
38:10So, yeah,
38:11a good-sized flower
38:13the next year.
38:14Yeah, because it's all about
38:15that fat bulb, isn't it?
38:16It's all about the energy
38:18the bulb has left over
38:19from the year before, yeah.
38:21And quickly,
38:22when is the best time to cut,
38:24to cut them,
38:25to display them indoors?
38:27You can do that any time.
38:28You can do that
38:29if you like them as cut flowers.
38:31As soon as they come open
38:32and they have a bit of colour,
38:33you can cut them
38:34and put them on the water,
38:35in vases or whatever,
38:37and they will open by themselves.
38:39Or if you like dry heads,
38:41you cut them as a dry head
38:43and dry them out,
38:44and you're going to have them
38:45the whole winter.
38:46Okay.
38:47Now, I've never had the confidence
38:48to try these,
38:49but you've given me hope.
38:50I'm going to do it.
38:51All right.
38:52Thank you so much for these tips.
38:53You're welcome.
38:56Thank you, Angelica.
38:57Now, our first guest of the week
38:59is a self-confessed novice gardener,
39:02but a recent move could mean
39:03that's about to change.
39:05She's a familiar face here on BBC One.
39:08As for the last 15 years,
39:09she's entertained the nation
39:11every weeknight on The One Show.
39:13She is, of course,
39:15Alex Jones.
39:16And welcome to Chelsea.
39:18Oh, thank you, Nicky.
39:19Oh, do you know what?
39:20It's my favourite day of the year.
39:22Is it really?
39:23It's nearly as good as Christmas Day,
39:24I think.
39:25Oh, that's so good to hear.
39:26But I suppose, in a way,
39:27this year, you're looking at it
39:29all through fresh eyes
39:30because you've just recently moved.
39:32We have, indeed.
39:33So, we moved at the end of last summer,
39:35moving from West London
39:36to somewhere with a bit more space.
39:38There's been a complete 180.
39:39I mean, it's changed our lives completely.
39:42The children, they've just transformed,
39:44and they've now got space to run free.
39:46And, oh, my goodness,
39:47it's just fantastic walking around here
39:49and thinking,
39:50what could we do?
39:51I mean, I've already scanned
39:52these Fox gloves, Nicky.
39:53Have you?
39:54They're on the list.
39:55Your shopping bag's going to be enormous
39:57by the time you finish.
39:58I mean, you can be so creative,
39:59can't you?
40:00And what better place to come
40:01for so much inspiration?
40:03Have you noticed the difference
40:05with the family moving them out
40:06to the country?
40:07I'm going to say escaping
40:08to the country, obviously.
40:10I can't tell you the difference.
40:12I knew there would be
40:13a little bit of difference.
40:14But watching the children play outside
40:17is just the best thing ever.
40:19And now we can open the back door
40:21and out they go.
40:22I think mum and dad wanted us
40:24to have a very outdoorsy upbringing,
40:26and so did my husband's parents, Charlie.
40:28He grew up in Auckland,
40:30and, you know,
40:31I think we had a similar upbringing,
40:33appreciating nature, et cetera.
40:35And so I think moving out
40:37with the children
40:38has allowed us to do that for them.
40:40It's that discovery, isn't it?
40:42Knowing they're safe,
40:43opening the back door,
40:44they can get their hands dirty,
40:45get involved,
40:46a little bit of planting.
40:47Yeah.
40:48So what's the current garden like
40:49that you've inherited?
40:51If I'm honest...
40:52Go on.
40:53...it's a bit like being
40:54on the set of Rivals.
40:55Oh, is it?
40:56It's quite 80s.
40:57Oh, nice.
40:58But the lovely lady...
40:59Glamorous.
41:00The lovely lady that owns it
41:02called Penelope,
41:03it was her pride and joy,
41:05and she planted it all herself
41:06from scratch.
41:08And it's so nice
41:09to inherit a garden like that
41:11where all the planting
41:12is quite mature.
41:13So all we need to do really
41:14is tweak it a little bit,
41:16you know,
41:17maybe change the colour scheme
41:18a little bit.
41:19But really,
41:20it's beautiful to sit in,
41:21so we don't have to do anything.
41:23Isn't that lovely?
41:24Because gardens
41:25are never finished.
41:26And in a way,
41:27you inherit them, don't you?
41:28And you have them
41:29for a certain amount of time.
41:30Yeah.
41:31I mean,
41:32what's on your wish list
41:33to enhance it?
41:34Because you love your greenhouse.
41:35Well,
41:36it was one of the things
41:37that sold the house to me.
41:38You've been putting it
41:39on social media.
41:40Honestly,
41:41all I wanted
41:42was a glass house,
41:43you know,
41:44like a Victorian one.
41:45And is that to grow stuff?
41:46It's to grow stuff.
41:47So I've planted
41:48a load of summer bulbs
41:49because I really want cut flowers.
41:50But also,
41:51we really want to try
41:52and be as sort of
41:53self-sustainable as possible.
41:54So we've planted
41:55a load of seeds.
41:56We've already had
41:57very nice salad
41:58since about March time.
41:59That's good.
42:00Lovely salad.
42:01We've got all the tomatoes in.
42:02We've even got watermelons.
42:03The children chose those
42:04in the garden,
42:05sending us like,
42:06guys,
42:07I'm not sure
42:08this is going to work.
42:09But they were like,
42:10come on,
42:11we love watermelons.
42:12I said,
42:13okay,
42:14give it a go.
42:15But they're growing.
42:16But how lovely.
42:17And they're getting excited
42:18about it as well.
42:19Yeah,
42:20and we've got the potatoes,
42:21there's asparagus in,
42:22sweet corn,
42:23lots and lots
42:24of different things.
42:25And of course,
42:26chickens.
42:27So you've got three children,
42:28you've got chickens.
42:29Yeah.
42:30You've got a brand new dog.
42:31We've got Scout
42:32who's here today.
42:33And honestly,
42:34my husband Charlie's
42:35got the hardest job
42:36because he's not one yet
42:37so he's very young.
42:38And wrangling Scout
42:39has been such hard work
42:41this morning.
42:42There's so much for him to see.
42:43There's lots of excitement here.
42:44And meeting,
42:45you know,
42:46Monty's dog
42:47and Joe Wiley's dog
42:48and Sophie's dog.
42:49And he was,
42:50you know,
42:51he wants to be really friendly
42:52and they're over it.
42:53They're like,
42:54oh,
42:55who is this young pup?
42:56Well,
42:57I'm glad you've got a few hours
42:58to have a look at your,
42:59on your own.
43:00And also,
43:01are you discovering things
43:02about gardening
43:03that you'd forgotten
43:04that you did as a child
43:05and you're just enjoying it now
43:06on a Sunday?
43:07Sort of a normal day
43:08would be out in the garden
43:09planting.
43:10I remember eating peas,
43:11you know,
43:12fresh from the garden
43:13and they just tasted delicious.
43:14My grandfather as well
43:15grew tomatoes
43:16and there's nothing like
43:17tomatoes that have grown
43:18in the greenhouses there.
43:19How lovely.
43:20They just taste so different.
43:21And I think those are now
43:22the Sundays that we have.
43:23The children are really
43:24interested in it,
43:25luckily.
43:26How long it lasts,
43:27I don't know.
43:28Well,
43:29long may it continue.
43:30But they say,
43:31can we plant something today?
43:32You know,
43:33so they've got their own
43:34little pots
43:35and I think it's like magic,
43:36isn't it?
43:37Yes,
43:38it's so important
43:39and you're going to get
43:40so much inspiration today.
43:41So,
43:42enjoy the rest of your visit.
43:43Alex,
43:44thank you very much.
43:45Thank you so much.
43:46We're a nation
43:47of nature lovers
43:48so no doubt
43:49this next garden
43:50will be a hit
43:51with visitors
43:52because it's a garden
43:53dedicated to songbirds.
43:55Toby went to check it out.
43:58I'm here on one of the
43:59smallest gardens
44:00at the show.
44:01The Songbird Survival Garden
44:02designed by Nicola Oakley.
44:04And it shines a light
44:05on the decline of songbirds
44:06in the UK
44:07which is a cause
44:08that's attracted
44:09plenty of attention
44:10from celebrities today.
44:12And the garden
44:13is packed with ideas
44:14of how we can all help
44:15our feathered friends
44:16however small our gardens.
44:18Now,
44:19just to explain
44:20the look of the place,
44:21it's centred with a shed
44:22or more like a bird hide.
44:23A beautiful building
44:24made from
44:25recycled materials.
44:27It's the feature
44:28at the back though
44:29that I really like.
44:30It's so clever.
44:31You've heard of a
44:32formal hedge
44:33or a potpourri hedge.
44:34Well,
44:35this is a dead hedge.
44:36It's got echoes
44:37of seasons past
44:38because all it is
44:39is sticks
44:40and stems
44:41and seed heads
44:42gathered up from the autumn
44:43and piled up
44:44at the back.
44:45Now,
44:46this is a brilliant idea
44:47you can copy in any garden
44:48because it provides
44:49food for the birds
44:50because it's a habitat
44:51for spiders and mites
44:52that wrens and robins
44:53will just love.
44:54And I think it's
44:55really easy on the eye.
44:56And it also means
44:57you can save up
44:58your sunflower seeds
44:59and then repurpose them
45:00into your trees
45:01later in the season
45:02for homegrown bird feeders.
45:04At the front of the hide
45:05it's obviously
45:07designed
45:08and made to look
45:09like a super-sized
45:10bird box.
45:11I mean,
45:12the hole in the front
45:13you get a pterodactyl
45:14through that.
45:15Nice little embellishments
45:16including these
45:17upworked oil drums
45:18that depict birds
45:19that are particularly
45:20threatened in this country.
45:21Skylarks,
45:22yellow happer,
45:23yellow hammer
45:25and starlings.
45:27But the genius
45:28of this garden
45:29is the layout.
45:30You see,
45:31it's designed
45:32to mimic
45:33the way birds
45:34interact with the space.
45:35They very rarely
45:36just fly in
45:37and start feeding
45:38from a lawn.
45:39What they do
45:40is they find a high spot
45:41that's a lookout
45:42before swooping in.
45:43They like to see
45:44that there's no danger
45:45in the garden.
45:46No cats, for example.
45:47And the high parts
45:48of this garden
45:49are provided by
45:50a type of hawthorn
45:51called Crataegus prunifolia.
45:53Now don't be fooled
45:54by that name.
45:55This is a plant
45:56with the most vicious thorns.
45:57When you get your eye in
45:58you'll see they're
45:59absolutely medieval.
46:00Cats wouldn't
46:01stand a chance
46:02and having thorny plants
46:03is something that birds
46:04really will thank you for
46:05in your garden.
46:06Roses, for example.
46:07Because like the hawthorn,
46:09they've got flowers
46:10that insects adore.
46:11Then they have berries
46:13that the birds will feed on
46:14during the winter.
46:16Coming into the centre
46:17of the garden,
46:18food for the eye
46:19but also food
46:20for the birds.
46:21We've got a sort of
46:22flock of purple flowers
46:23including thistles.
46:24They'll turn to seed heads
46:26that the birds will feed on.
46:27But they're bringing
46:28the insects for now.
46:30And no meal
46:31is complete without a drink.
46:33At the centre of the garden
46:34is a giant bird bath.
46:36Now the clever thing about this
46:37that is a really good idea
46:38to copy
46:39is there's stones
46:40just under the water
46:41and that allows birds
46:43to get in and out
46:44of the water safely
46:45even the small ones.
46:47I like this garden
46:48because it does
46:49that most difficult of things.
46:50It does the work
46:51of a nature reserve
46:52without looking like one.
46:58Great tips there
46:59from Toby.
47:00It just shows
47:01there are simple ways
47:02we can try and make a difference
47:03even when space is limited.
47:05Now I'm back
47:06with Pollyanna Wilkinson
47:07who earlier showed us
47:08how to create a stunning
47:09summer container
47:10that would look great
47:11outside a front door
47:12or even on a balcony.
47:13And here is the finished look.
47:15It looks spectacular.
47:16I love it.
47:17It looks alright,
47:18doesn't it?
47:19Yeah, it does look good.
47:20How can you keep that
47:21looking just as wonderful
47:22all the way through summer?
47:23Well, these are great plants
47:24because actually
47:25all you need to do
47:26with the geum,
47:27the orange one
47:28is to deadhead it.
47:29So when the flowers grow,
47:30snip them
47:31and they'll just keep flowering.
47:32And then the nepeta
47:33at the front,
47:34you can actually
47:35Chelsea chop that
47:36which is what we do
47:37around now,
47:38the Chelsea flower show.
47:39And that's just when
47:40you cut it down.
47:41And what that does
47:42is it just makes
47:43the plant more vigorous
47:44and it's going to flower more.
47:45So what I would do
47:46if it was me
47:47is cut half of it
47:48so you have some flowers now
47:49and then some come later.
47:50But it will just keep
47:51flowering all summer
47:52as long as you remember
47:53to water it.
47:54Okay.
47:55Now these pots are great
47:56for sunny spots.
47:57What about shady spots?
47:58So for shade,
47:59I've got some beautiful
48:00greens and whites
48:01because you do need
48:02to embrace the green
48:03and white in shade.
48:04You're not going to get
48:05that level of colour.
48:06But this is an absolutely
48:07beautiful plant.
48:08This is a strantia
48:09and you can get these
48:10in whites,
48:11you can get them
48:12in pale pinks
48:13and actually you can get
48:14a very dark sort of
48:15burgundy as well.
48:16But I'm going to use this
48:17as my thriller.
48:18I quite like
48:19the neutral colours
48:20for contrast.
48:21Yeah,
48:22I think it's really calming.
48:23In shade,
48:24greens and whites
48:25just look so nice
48:26and just look so peaceful
48:28but also white
48:29really elevates
48:30a shady space.
48:31It's kind of like
48:32a light bulb.
48:33So lean into those whites
48:34whenever you've got shade.
48:36And then I'm doing it
48:37in three
48:38because you know
48:39I love a three.
48:40And I just think
48:41it gives it more impact.
48:42You don't want just
48:43lots of ones.
48:44I think that can look
48:45let's get the earth
48:46off that.
48:47So like so,
48:48cluster it together
48:49and then we've got
48:50brunnera.
48:51This is gorgeous
48:52because of the silvery foliage
48:53again.
48:54So beautiful.
48:55Exactly.
48:56So I'm going to put these
48:57on both ends
48:58and just tuck them in.
49:01And that's just gorgeous foliage.
49:02Sometimes it's not
49:03the most exciting plant
49:04but actually it just
49:05keeps going
49:06and I just think that
49:07has real value.
49:08What is it about these plants
49:09that are good for shading?
49:10Well they just need
49:11less light.
49:12So these are shade
49:13tolerant plants.
49:14So they're going to need
49:16less light than say
49:17your full sun needs
49:18six hours of sun
49:19in mid-summer.
49:21Whereas these need
49:22more like three
49:23to six hours.
49:24Or even if you've got
49:25a full shade
49:26which is sort of
49:27less than three hours
49:28they'll handle that too.
49:29So in that regard
49:30if you've got sort of
49:31darker spots
49:32that you want to brighten up
49:33these are the perfect
49:34plants for it.
49:35So you just tuck that
49:37in there
49:38and again it's going to look
49:39really lovely
49:40for a long season.
49:41The astrantia
49:42you can just
49:43deadhead them
49:44when they flower
49:45and then any old
49:46tatty brown leaves
49:47you can just cut off
49:48they'll just keep going
49:49all season.
49:50And where could you put this?
49:51I'd put it on a windowsill
49:52or you could put it
49:53on a table.
49:54I love it when you've got
49:55smaller pots.
49:56Put them on a table
49:57it just means that
49:58they're more like eye level
49:59rather than staring at the floor.
50:00Yeah, like that.
50:01So I think that would
50:02brighten it up.
50:03And watering?
50:04Whenever it's dry.
50:05Put your finger in
50:06if it's dry, water it.
50:07What should we do
50:08with the plants
50:09at the end of the season then?
50:10So the reason I picked
50:11all of these plants
50:12is because they look
50:13beautiful planted out
50:14in the garden.
50:15So they're all perennials
50:16they're all going to die back
50:17which is why I would
50:18dig them up
50:19and I would put them
50:20out into the garden
50:21just so that you can
50:22plant some greens
50:23or maybe some bulbs.
50:24But cluster them together
50:25out in the garden
50:26and maybe add some more
50:27just so that you've got
50:28that repetition in your garden.
50:29They're beautiful
50:30this is a fabulous
50:31base for any border.
50:32Amazing, thank you so much.
50:33My pleasure.
50:34Okay, those of us
50:35lucky enough to have a border
50:36may not be making
50:37the most of it.
50:38And Karen has been
50:39out and about
50:40looking for inspiration
50:41to pep yours up
50:42this summer.
50:43No matter where you are
50:44in the world
50:45whether you're in
50:46the UK
50:47or you're in
50:48the UK
50:49or you're in
50:50the UK
50:51no matter
50:52what the size
50:53of your garden
50:54whether it's tiny
50:55or big
50:56like this one
50:57there's always
50:58the opportunity
50:59to make the most
51:00of your space
51:01by creatively
51:02using plants.
51:06And here on the
51:07Avenard garden
51:08they've really
51:09gone to town.
51:10Every inch of space
51:11is used.
51:14And they've chosen
51:15trees which have got
51:16a very light
51:17canopy
51:18so the sunshine
51:19can stream through
51:20which enables them
51:21to make full use
51:22of the ground
51:23underneath.
51:24Planting it thickly
51:25with the most gorgeous
51:26herbaceous plants
51:27and grasses.
51:29And there are even
51:30edibles too.
51:33This is a currant
51:34a red currant.
51:35All its berries
51:36now are still green.
51:38And you could do
51:39the same.
51:40You could pack
51:41edibles
51:42flowering plants
51:44use climbers
51:45all sorts of things
51:46just to make
51:47the maximum use
51:48of that space.
51:51This is the
51:52British Red Cross
51:53Here for Humanity
51:54garden.
51:55And it's one of the
51:56most original
51:57ideas I've ever
51:58come across
51:59at Chelsea
52:00or anywhere else
52:01to come to that.
52:03It's based on
52:04hexagons
52:05which all fit
52:06together.
52:07But it's not
52:08only the paving
52:09it's also
52:10these containers.
52:11What a brilliant
52:12idea.
52:16An almost
52:17perfect
52:18garden
52:19and all the
52:20plants that have
52:21been used
52:22in these containers
52:23are alpines.
52:24So they're the
52:25real tuppies
52:26of the gardening
52:27world.
52:28They'll accommodate
52:29any sort of
52:30conditions providing
52:31they have good
52:32drainage.
52:33And it just
52:34goes to show you
52:35that even
52:36with one
52:37container
52:38you can create
52:39a small
52:40garden
52:41that's absolutely
52:42perfect
52:43in any kind
52:44of space
52:45you've got.
52:46All of your
52:47very own.
52:49This little
52:50garden
52:51is called
52:52a space
52:53to read.
52:54It's a balcony
52:55a very small
52:56space and yet
52:57it seems
52:58really spacious.
52:59Instead of
53:00leaving the
53:01base of this
53:02beautiful
53:03arching
53:04shrub
53:05bare
53:06they've made
53:07full-length
53:08gardens
53:09which are
53:10full-length
53:11gardens
53:12which are
53:13full-length
53:14gardens
53:15which are
53:16full-length
53:17gardens
53:18they've made
53:19full use of
53:20the underneath
53:21space by planting
53:22an epimedium
53:23which is evergreen
53:24and glorious
53:25in the winter.
53:26And that's
53:27the whole idea.
53:28Instead of
53:29doing that thing
53:30where small
53:31space must
53:32need tiny
53:33little plants
53:34not a bit
53:35of it
53:36the very fact
53:37that the
53:38designers have
53:39used these
53:40big plants
53:41just makes the
53:42whole thing feel
53:43inviting
53:44involving
53:45and yet
53:46with loads
53:47of space
53:48to move
53:49around.
53:50And all
53:51these gardens
53:52go to show
53:53that whatever
53:54space you've got
53:55be it tiny
53:56or huge
53:57you can really
53:58make the most
53:59of it
54:00by using
54:01plants
54:02imaginatively.
54:08Thank you
54:09Carol.
54:10Now for the
54:11first time this
54:12week we're
54:13opening up
54:14our Chelsea
54:15Garden Clinic
54:16with gardening
54:17questions to our
54:18experts and here
54:19with all the
54:20answers is
54:21Toby.
54:22Feeling the
54:23pressure?
54:24You always have
54:25great pulse of
54:26wisdom.
54:27Don't say that.
54:28Let's crack on
54:29with Cal Jones
54:30who says my
54:31Nepeta is in
54:32full bloom.
54:33Is it too late
54:34for the Chelsea
54:35Chop?
54:36OK.
54:37Nepeta's
54:38catmint which
54:39is this one
54:40here.
54:41Lovely purple
54:42flowers.
54:43You normally
54:44give the
54:45catmint
54:46to the
54:47flowers.
54:48The
54:49thing with
54:50catmint
54:51though
54:52is if you
54:53chop it
54:54down to
54:55its ankles
54:56as soon as
54:57it's finished
54:58flowering
54:59give it
55:00plenty of
55:01water it
55:02will bounce
55:03back and
55:04in a month
55:05or two
55:06you'll have
55:07another
55:08flush of
55:09flowers.
55:10So no
55:11need.
55:12So you've
55:13got to be
55:14careful
55:15with the
55:16catmint
55:17because it
55:18will
55:19bounce back
55:20and in a
55:21month or
55:22two
55:23you'll have
55:24another
55:25flush of
55:26flowers.
55:27So
55:28you've
55:29got to
55:30be careful
55:31with the
55:32catmint
55:33because it
55:34will
55:35bounce back
55:36and in
55:37a month
55:38or two
55:39you'll have
55:40another
55:41flush of
55:42flowers.
55:43So
55:44you've
55:45got to be
55:46careful with
55:47the
55:48catmint
55:49because it
55:50will
55:51bounce back
55:52and in a
55:53month or
55:54two
55:55you'll have
55:56another
55:57flush of
55:58flowers.
55:59So
56:00you've
56:01got to be
56:02careful with
56:03the
56:04catmint
56:05because it
56:06will
56:07bounce back
56:08and in a
56:09month or
56:10two
56:11you'll have
56:12another
56:13flush of
56:14flowers.
56:15So
56:16you've
56:17got to be
56:18careful with
56:19the
56:20catmint
56:21because it
56:22will
56:23bounce back
56:24and in a
56:25month or
56:26two
56:27you'll have
56:28another
56:29flush of
56:30flowers.
56:31So
56:32you've
56:33got to be
56:34careful with
56:35the
56:36catmint
56:37because it
56:38will
56:39bounce back
56:40and in a
56:41month or
56:42two
56:43you'll have
56:44another
56:45flush of
56:46flowers.
56:47So
56:48you've
56:49got to be
56:50careful with
56:51the
56:52catmint
56:53because it
56:54will
56:55bounce back
56:56and in a
56:57month or
56:58two
56:59you'll have
57:00another
57:01flush of
57:02flowers.
57:03So
57:04you've
57:05got to be
57:06careful with
57:07the
57:08catmint
57:09because it
57:10will
57:11bounce back
57:12and in a
57:13month or
57:14two
57:15you'll have
57:16another
57:17flush of
57:18flowers.
57:19So
57:20you've
57:21got to be
57:22careful with
57:23the
57:24catmint
57:25because it
57:26will
57:27bounce back
57:28and in a
57:29month or
57:30two
57:31you'll have
57:32another
57:33flush of
57:34flowers.
57:35So
57:36you've
57:37got to be
57:38careful with
57:39the
57:40catmint
57:41because it
57:42will
57:43bounce back
57:44and in a
57:45month or
57:46two
57:47you'll have
57:48another
57:49flush of
57:50flowers.
57:51So
57:52you've
57:53got to be
57:54careful with
57:55the
57:56catmint
57:57because it
57:58will
57:59bounce back
58:00and in a
58:01month or
58:02two
58:03you'll have
58:04another
58:05flush of
58:06flowers.
58:07So
58:08you've
58:09got to be
58:10careful with
58:11the
58:12catmint
58:13because it
58:14will
58:15bounce back
58:16and in a
58:17month or
58:18two
58:19you'll have
58:20another
58:21flush of
58:22flowers.
58:23So
58:24you've
58:25got to be
58:26careful with
58:27the
58:28catmint
58:29because it
58:30will
58:31bounce back
58:32and in a
58:33month or
58:34two
58:35you'll have
58:36another
58:37flush of
58:38flowers.
58:39So
58:40you've
58:41got to be
58:42careful with
58:43the
58:44catmint
58:45because it
58:46will
58:47bounce back
58:48and in a
58:49month or
58:50two
58:51you'll have
58:52another
58:53flush of
58:54flowers.
58:55So you've
58:56got to be
58:57careful with
58:58the
58:59catmint
59:00because it
59:01will
59:02bounce back
59:03and in a
59:04month or
59:05two
59:06you'll have
59:07another
59:08flush of
59:09flowers.
59:10So you've
59:11got to be careful
59:12with the
59:13catmint
59:14because it
59:15will
59:16bounce back
59:17and in a
59:18month or
59:19two
59:20you'll have
59:21another
59:22flush of
59:23flowers.
59:24So you've
59:25got to be
59:26careful with
59:27the
59:28catmint
59:29because it
59:30will
59:31bounce back
59:32and in a
59:33month or
59:34two
Recommended
59:43
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