- 6 weeks ago
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00:00from vibrant blooms in every imaginable shade to magical landscapes that feel like they've
00:09sprung from a fairy tale breathtaking clifftop vistas and lush tropical sanctuaries alive with
00:17the extraordinary this UV light will reveal what insects see it is so symbolic of the flower
00:22figures on the island four of Europe's most enchanting horticultural wonders only flowers
00:30once every ten years everything goes so tall that we feel like we are being smashed by nature where
00:37every garden tells a story this is our star of the garden it really tells us the history of the garden
00:44instead and every corner reveals a secret you realize why they pick this point for the game
00:50of the hills this has been like a vault with all our most precious treasures we'll share tips and
00:56tricks for your own gardens are they starting to turn brown are they losing petals and immerse
01:02ourselves in the legacies that continue to inspire garden lovers the world over welcome to Europe's
01:10greatest gardens tucked away in the breathtaking emerald hills west of Lisbon lies the enchanting town of
01:25Cintra a place where fantasy comes to life once a retreat for Portugal's royalty this historic area is
01:39dotted with grand mansions impressive castles and colorful palaces
01:44one of its gems is the Palace of Montserrat a former summer residence that sits high in the lush hills
01:55with panoramic views stretching to the Atlantic Ocean but it's not just the palace that captivates the
02:05award-winning gardens cover 80 acres nestled in cool deep valleys and sprawled across steep sun-drenched slopes
02:13a fabulous mix of plants trees and flowers from around the world what I really love about the gardens at
02:24Montserrat is the experience that we can offer to the visitors which is to be transported from nowadays to
02:30the 19th century Montserrat is considered one of the richest botanical gardens in the whole of Portugal
02:38this gloriously eclectic estate stands tribute to the Victorian era's obsession with plant collecting
02:46when explorers ventured far and wide bringing back exotic species from every corner of the globe
02:52in the north of the garden we venture deep into the coolly shaded fern valley a verdant forest alive with tree
03:06ferns from Australia and New Zealand creating an inviting atmosphere that truly connects you to nature
03:14pause for a moment in the tranquil Japanese garden with this wall of bamboo a serene oasis of peace and
03:25wander along the scented path where tangled jasmine and wisteria hang from the ornate pergolas leading you
03:34towards the stunning palace but we start in a little piece of South America unique to Montserrat
03:43a tropical paradise with more than three thousand five hundred plants from four hundred and two
03:50different species representing eleven botanical families the Mexican garden it's something that is
04:00totally different that we are used to see in Portugal and it's really exotic when we think about most hot
04:08we think exotic and this is the perfect place to have this feeling Elsa Isidro is parked to Sintra's
04:16landscape architect in charge of Montserrat in here we managed to have a slope that is facing south where
04:23the temperature is the the correct one and the humidity also it's the perfect one during summer to have them
04:30plan bathing in the heat of the sun-drenched southern slopes towering cacti and intricate succulents transport
04:39you into this Mexican wonderland the exposed hillsides can be several degrees hotter than the
04:46shaded north-facing valleys of the park it was the ideal place for Montserrat's Victorian gardeners to try
04:53and mimic the sun-baked Mexican desert where temperatures can reach a scorching 50 degrees
05:03this is one of my favorite parts of the garden because the vegetation is so vibrant and everything
05:11grows so tall and so much that we feel like we are being smashed by nature as we wander into the depths of
05:20this five thousand square meters of garden vibrant flowers like the common zinnia and amaranthus peek out
05:28from behind massive yuccas and majestic palms in here even the the pine cones are huge this is the
05:39pine cone from the penis yawakawiti that having here in the Mexican garden above the well-drained slopes
05:49come alive with a variety of cacti basking in the Sun with stunning specimens like the giant candelabra tree
06:02and the apontia robusta the prickly pear surprisingly this resilient cactus can thrive even in the cooler wetter
06:12climate here in the UK either indoors or on a summer patio just choose a sunny space with well-drained soil for the best results
06:21this is the perfect spot to see the view through the valley and to understand the different levels and the structure of this garden
06:33you can see the stone walls making beds that are raised up and with a higher temperature and lower beds
06:42where we can have more humidity and the perfect place to have the collection of salvage growing and some palm trees for crayons and so on
06:52it's a privilege to take care of such a vast botanical collection and Elsa and the team's commitment to ensuring the survival of every species is unwavering
07:05here plant casualties aren't simply discarded instead they're carefully nurtured back to life
07:14behind the scenes gardener Maria is caring for a very resilient cactus
07:21another plant fell over him and he broken it's bad because it was a great cactus
07:29but we need to see from the bright side now we have tree I know they seem dead but they are still very much alive
07:38it's a very patient work this one will be at least two years before we can put it on the garden
07:48we gardeners play a little god because we can resuscitate the plants
07:53next door in the garden's nursery even more magic is happening
08:00this special place is full of life all these young plants have been cultivated from donors right here on the grounds
08:12it's a beautiful way to keep the parks natural wonders alive
08:17in here we can see a lot of different species because we are trying to reproduce as much as we can
08:27to make sure we conserve the genetic information from the original cultivars that were planted in here in the gardens during the 19th century
08:36let's check in our little cats
08:40those are six weeks old we just took from the mother plant small cuttings and then we put them in here to get roots
08:51in here we can see some of the same species but a little bit bigger and they are very slow growing plants
09:00so they will be available for us to put again outside more or less in two or three years
09:07so it's a long process and we have to be patient on the gardens
09:11oh great we can bring small ones to fill the spaces between the wall
09:20today the circle of life comes full circle
09:26you can bring some
09:28some of the young plants nurtured in the nursery are now ready to be planted back in the Mexican garden
09:34the succulents is a very easy plant to reproduce actually
09:43you just have to take a leaf off and you put it in a little bit of soil and they will root right away
09:53these kinds of small succulents will do well on a south facing wall in the UK
09:58with a bit of shelter and a horticultural fleece some varieties can survive through a harsh British winter
10:06by putting all the plant collection again in here
10:10I think we are honoring all the work that were done in here in the 19th century
10:20coming up
10:21this would have been equivalent of having a Ferrari parked on your front lawn
10:25we'll discover some of the garden's most remarkable successes
10:29it's seven meters around seven meters
10:33and up in the high forests there's alien invaders
10:37if we don't cut them down they will take over everything
10:41we're in the captivating town of Sintra in Portugal
10:59nestled into the lush hills is the park of Montserrat
11:03a botanical wonderland filled with exotic plants vibrant flowers and unique trees from around the world
11:25like all gardens water is the key to Montserrat's thriving success
11:29something that's not normally abundant in Portugal's hot climate
11:37but here there's a secret weapon
11:42Sintra sits right next to the coastline
11:44where the winds blow in moisture from the sea
11:46this humidity gets trapped in the mountains
11:49creating a delicate layer of fog that gracefully settles over the landscape
11:53this essential moisture gives life to tiny water droplets
11:59that cling to leaves and twigs
12:01gradually collecting and dripping down into man-made water channels below
12:10at Montserrat
12:11one of the areas this water feeds into
12:14two is the mesmerizing fern valley
12:23this always feels amazing
12:25i love this part of the garden
12:29built deep into a cool shaded valley
12:32it's a magical area that promises to leave you spellbound
12:35this area is a very clever place in the garden
12:40a valley with the water stream coming from the landscape above
12:44and the water is allowing us to have enough humidity to plant in here
12:50plants from New Zealand and Australia
12:56as we explore this lush oasis
12:57we find ourselves surrounded by a breathtaking canopy
13:00created by a collection of rare and exotic tree ferns
13:07like the elegant lacy tree fern
13:09naturalized in New Zealand
13:11that can grow to five meters high
13:13with four meter long fronds
13:19the majestic Gexonia Antarctica
13:22a slow growing tree fern native to Tasmania
13:25revered as one of the oldest plants in the world
13:29this variety is also one of the most popular in the UK
13:33thanks to its ability to withstand colder temperatures
13:38preferring a damp sheltered location with shade for parts of the day
13:43it can tolerate sun if it's given enough water
13:50to ensure Montserrat's botanical ferns flourish
13:52they have been carefully planted in a specific area
13:55you can see that the park is laid out in a land that has a lot of valleys
14:02with a lot of slopes that are so steep
14:05that allow us to have places that are facing north
14:09like this one in the fern valley
14:11and places where we are facing south
14:13and when we have this kind of conditions
14:16we can feel differences of temperature from 5 to 10 degrees
14:23so you can feel like you are in a desert
14:26in a Mexican garden
14:28and you can feel like you are in a tropical or subtropical climate
14:32if you are inside the fern valley
14:35this ideal setting provides the perfect subtropical environment for growth
14:42without the need for a greenhouse
14:44so you can see this line of plant trees in here
14:49that allow us to create a perfect protection from the winds coming from the ocean
14:54and also these plant trees allow us to have the sun coming during winter time
15:00and during summer time the sun is being filtered
15:04so the planting scheme of the trees at the 19th century was really really clever
15:11when we think about the specimens that were planted in here
15:17the seeds that were collected from all over the world
15:20it's really a lab outside
15:22this remarkably diverse garden is all down to one man
15:30Sir Francis Cook
15:32a wealthy English industrialist
15:34who in the 19th century
15:36made Montserrat his summer retreat
15:41he was an avid plant collector
15:43and envisioned creating a place where eager botanists from all over the continent
15:47could come and marvel at nature's wonders
15:50one of his earliest specimens is still here
15:56thriving right in front of the magnificent palace
15:59here we have a photograph from a postcard
16:03and it shows the front of the house full of trees
16:06but there's one little tree that's growing here
16:09it's a cycad
16:10and this cycad is originally from Australia
16:13but Francis Cook obtained it from Kew Gardens
16:17and it's behind me here
16:23Gerald Gluckhurst is a landscape architect
16:25who spent 30 years researching Montserrat
16:28helping to restore it back to its former glory
16:31now these cycads they're very slow growing
16:34but this is a monster
16:36and it's probably the largest cultivated specimen of its species in the world
16:44they were around from the time of the dinosaurs
16:49they're very very primitive plant
16:51and one of their characteristics is
16:53they have male plants and female plants
16:55and just around the corner here
16:57we can see because this is a male
17:00and this is the cone just like a pine cone
17:03and the males are always tall and straight
17:06and the females are round like a pineapple
17:12so this being a male
17:14and not having any females
17:16because this was the only plant that they had at Montserrat
17:18so I thought we'll do something about that
17:21and I contacted somebody in Australia
17:23he sent me a bag of 50 seeds
17:26and he made a comment I'll never forget
17:28he said see if you can germinate some young fillies for the old bull
17:35today this old bull may not steal the spotlight
17:39but rewind to the 19th century
17:41when Cook first planted it
17:43it was the talk of the town
17:45of course this was also about status
17:49I mean we've seen the house
17:51it's not a modest house
17:52so it's show off
17:54this would have been equivalent of having a Ferrari parked on your front lawn
17:58and if you're in London or Paris
18:01you have to put them in the greenhouse
18:03Cook was really showing off
18:05to have a cycad all the way from Queensland Australia
18:09and have it growing on the lawn
18:11is something very special
18:13there are over 300 species of cycad
18:17in the UK they grow best in southern parts
18:21preferring semi-shaded or filtered sun to avoid scorching
18:25the pineapple cycad is one of the more common
18:28and thanks to climate change
18:30they are flourishing like never before
18:32producing pine cones for the first time in over 120 million years
18:38Francis Cook's pineapple cycad grown outside
18:44had the effect that he wanted
18:46botanists from all over Europe came to marvel at this remarkable specimen
18:51along with his many other plantings
18:53some of which are now record breakers
18:55so this is the
18:58the cowrie pine
19:01from Queensland
19:03another Australian
19:05you know
19:07this is quite possibly
19:09the largest tree of its species
19:11the champion tree in the world
19:13we've measured it
19:16it's
19:17seven metres
19:18around
19:19seven metres
19:20look at this
19:21it
19:22it would take
19:23six people
19:25to go around it
19:27and
19:28you know
19:29when I first measured it
19:30it was
19:31six metres
19:32so it's got another metre
19:34in maybe thirty years
19:35it's grown a whole metre
19:36and as it grows
19:38you get these incredible stretch marks
19:41as the park just expands
19:44they're
19:45they're really
19:46remarkable trees
19:51across the park
19:52back in the Mexican garden
19:54there's another champion
19:56this one is a swamp tree
19:59called
20:00texodium cronatum
20:01which is a very interesting species
20:04it's very important for Mexican people actually
20:07because the place with this kind of species
20:10is a place with water
20:13this specimen holds the record for the biggest perimeter
20:19but as impressive as cook's zest for the exotic was
20:22it has led to a few challenges
20:27this may look like a natural forest
20:30but it's actually mostly man-made
20:32and while it's stunning to behold
20:35some of those non-native plants
20:37are getting a little too wild
20:40so I'm looking for invasive species
20:43here in the Montserrat garden
20:46Ines Morera
20:48is Park de Sintra's dedicated biologist
20:51invasive species are a very big problem
20:53because we don't want them to spread all over the garden
20:57if invasive species are left
21:01they can grow aggressively
21:03competing for sunlight, water, nutrients and space
21:07hindering the growth
21:08and ultimately pushing out the native plants
21:11this is an acacia
21:18an adult one
21:19and this is a very problematic species
21:22it's an invasive species
21:24brought here in the 19th century
21:26that has spread all over Serra de Sintra
21:30and here in the garden
21:31we want to control their growth
21:34we don't want them to grow like this
21:37we want to find them small
21:39so that we can hand pull them
21:44Acacias were introduced to Sintra from Australia
21:48with their feathery leaves and round yellow flowers
21:51they were a pretty addition to the romantic garden
21:54but these impressive seed pods spread easily in the wind
21:58and are also particularly hardy
22:02In 1966 when there was a very big fire in Sintra
22:06the seed of the acacia just grew back
22:09and took over Serra de Sintra
22:13Oh, we have one here that I can hand pull
22:17so it's not a very big one
22:19and when I hand pull it I have to hand pull the root
22:24otherwise it will grow back and I didn't do anything
22:28If we don't hand pull them, if we don't cut them down
22:32and if we don't manage the garden
22:35they will take over everything
22:37Of course, not all exotic species are invasive
22:42and Inish and her team spend much of their time out in the woods
22:45researching and monitoring how different species are faring
22:49Of particular interest are the few remaining native species
23:00And there's one over here that it's very interesting
23:04It's called the butcher's broom in English
23:07Ruscus acoliatus is the scientific name
23:10The reason why it's called the butcher's broom
23:14it's because it could be used as a broom when it was dry
23:19because it's very hard, very prickly
23:21and it's easy to use as a broom
23:24It's good because it's native
23:27and it's part of our forest
23:30It's protected because, you know, it has these red berries
23:35like the holly
23:37and the holly is used as a Christmas ornament
23:39and here in Portugal the holly became protected species
23:42and people couldn't use it anymore
23:44and so people started to use the butcher's broom
23:47and it was almost gone
23:50and then this plant needed to be protected also
23:55When I find one of these
23:57I will register in an application
24:00so that we can make maps
24:02and tell our colleagues
24:04that manage the forest and the gardens
24:06to be careful
24:07So I found this one
24:09So I'm going to create here
24:11because it's very interesting for the environment
24:14and for the ecosystem
24:16Okay
24:18Okay
24:22Coming up
24:24This is the most important building in the garden at Montserrat
24:28We go deep into a fairy tale part of the garden
24:31It's really a magnificent sight
24:33And travel closer to home
24:35Isn't this just amazing?
24:37To a fantasy land full of follies
24:40How many crystals are there?
24:42Possibly two million
24:43Two million crystals
24:45Located on the Portuguese Riviera
25:00is the small yet spectacular town of Sintra
25:03A place so rich in romance
25:06that it captured the heart of none other than poet Lord Byron
25:10He affectionately referred to it
25:13as a glorious Eden
25:15where ruined splendour lingers
25:21Among the jewels that inspired Byron's poetic musings
25:24was the then neglected Parque de Montserrat
25:27An enchanting palace and gardens nestled into the lush Portuguese hills
25:32Now this estate is an open air glass house
25:39Full of exotic species collected from around the world
25:43by a wealthy Victorian entrepreneur
25:45But actually it has an even older history
25:50It was originally designed in the 1700s
25:53as an English landscape garden
25:55The very first of its kind in Portugal
25:58Complete with a sweeping lawn
26:00Surrounded by huge trees
26:03Sparkling lakes
26:05And a cascading waterfall
26:07In the English landscape garden
26:09The objective is to make everything to look as natural as possible
26:14But of course
26:16Everything is man-made
26:17It's artificial
26:19It's all made to create an image of ideal nature
26:25And the perfect example of that
26:27Is this cascade
26:29From the 18th century 1719
26:32And if you can imagine
26:35They had a natural stream
26:37And maybe they exposed
26:39The natural rock at the bottom
26:41But then they constructed
26:43This wall of boulders
26:45And then the water falls
26:47Onto the natural rock
26:48And into the pond
26:49And of course
26:50The pond is not natural either
26:52The stepping stones
26:54We've just walked across
26:55Is a dam
26:56That forms the pond
26:57Down
26:58At the bottom of the
27:00The valley
27:01There are a series of artificial lakes
27:04But
27:05It just all looks so natural
27:08And that's the secret
27:09Of the English landscape garden
27:15This dreamy, romantic wilderness
27:18Was a world away
27:19From the prevailing fashion
27:20Throughout most of Europe at the time
27:25The rock
27:26Or formal landscapes
27:27Focused on strict symmetry and order
27:30These grand gardens
27:31These grand gardens
27:32Were usually designed
27:33With a central path
27:34Surrounded by borders
27:36And walkways
27:37That organized the space
27:38They showcased man's control
27:41Over nature
27:42With every element
27:43Carefully placed
27:44And perfectly arranged
27:45However
27:46By the early 1700s
27:48The British were rejecting this style
27:51Designer
27:52Lancelot Capability Brown
27:53Changed the game
27:55Turning formal gardens
27:56Turning formal gardens
27:57Into natural landscapes
27:58His vision focused on
28:00Enjoying nature
28:01Rather than controlling it
28:02But these romantic gardens
28:06Also had a playful, magical side
28:11In Montserrat
28:13In Montserrat
28:14At the bottom of the Fern Valley
28:15It feels like you've stepped
28:16Into a real life fairy tale
28:17In Montserrat
28:18In Montserrat
28:19At the bottom of the Fern Valley
28:20It feels like you've stepped
28:21Into a real life fairy tale
28:24This is perhaps
28:27The most important building
28:29In the garden
28:30At Montserrat
28:31It's Montserrat's
28:34Eighteenth century
28:35Folie
28:36Folie
28:37From the French
28:38Les Folies
28:39A building that has
28:40No utility whatsoever
28:42Just
28:43Simply for ornament
28:45It was built
28:46As an eye-catcher
28:48Which meant
28:50You could see it
28:51In the landscape
28:52From the house
28:54Built in a variety of styles
29:01These whimsical structures
29:02Took on many forms
29:04And while Montserrat
29:07Has just one folly
29:08Perhaps it took inspiration
29:10From a park
29:11Much closer to home
29:12Pain-sealing Cobham Surrey
29:14Which is several
29:15Crafted in the 1700s
29:18It's one of the finest
29:19Surviving examples
29:20Of an English landscape park
29:22And it's famed
29:23For its follies
29:25Haynes Hill
29:26Is such a unique
29:27And special place
29:28What you see today
29:29Is almost what was there
29:30In the eighteenth century
29:31Even all the plants
29:32They're all selected
29:33Very specially
29:34Very specially
29:35From the eighteenth century
29:36Simon Ackroyd
29:37Is Paynes Hill's head
29:38Of estates
29:39And landscape
29:40He takes care
29:41Of all areas
29:42Of the garden
29:43Including the many
29:44Fabulous follies
29:45That are dotted
29:46Throughout the one hundred
29:47And fifty eight acres
29:48So whereas
29:49One garden
29:50In sort of
29:51The eighteenth century
29:52Landscape
29:53Movement
29:54Might be
29:55One garden
29:56In sort of
29:57The eighteenth century
29:58Landscape
29:59Movement
30:00Might be
30:01One garden
30:02In sort of
30:03Landscape
30:04Movement
30:05Might have
30:06Wanted to impress
30:07Their guests
30:08With a folly
30:09Or maybe
30:10Two follies
30:11We have
30:12Eleven
30:13Twelve follies
30:14Here
30:15And every one
30:16Is uniquely
30:17Different
30:18And every one
30:19Is designed
30:20To take you
30:21Into a different
30:22Landscape
30:23Give you a
30:24Different mood
30:25A different ambiance
30:26And all these follies
30:27Are all taken
30:28From different areas
30:29That the designer
30:30Charles Hamilton
30:31Had visited in Europe
30:32This is a gothic temple
30:34And it's so cleverly designed
30:36Because
30:37It draws you in
30:38And then once
30:39You're here
30:40It's obvious
30:41It's that landscape
30:42That landscape
30:43That lies
30:44In front of you
30:45You are absorbed
30:46In that landscape
30:47You become part
30:48Of the landscape
30:49Part of that picture
30:50Which is why
30:51Why we call it
30:52The picturesque movement
31:01Payne's hill
31:02Also boasts
31:03A lofty
31:04Twenty-seven meter
31:05Gothic tower
31:06An eighteenth century
31:07Turkish tent
31:08And
31:09By the water's edge
31:10A ruined abbey
31:11Evoking the romantic spirit
31:13Of past civilizations
31:14There's even a hermitage
31:15That once housed a real hermit
31:18But not all of the impressive structures are above ground
31:28Isn't this just amazing?
31:32This is a grotto
31:33So it feels like a cave
31:35But actually
31:36It's fake
31:37It's covered in crystals
31:38And it is man-made
31:40Magical and mysterious
31:42These underground follies
31:44Were designed to inspire
31:46And arouse the emotions
31:48Hello, Warwick
31:49How are you?
31:50Warwick is one of a team of six
31:53Who are responsible
31:54For any repairs needed
31:55In this underground marvel
31:57How many crystals are there?
31:58Has anyone counted them before?
31:59Uh, I don't think so
32:00I would probably estimate
32:03About half a million
32:04On the ceiling here
32:05In total
32:06Possibly two million
32:07That's amazing
32:08Two million crystals
32:09Over time
32:10These beautiful crystals
32:11Naturally become loose
32:12Fall off
32:13And require work
32:14To restore them
32:15Could you pass me that
32:16Crystal?
32:17No
32:18No
32:19No
32:20No
32:21No
32:22No
32:23No
32:24No
32:25No
32:26No
32:27This one
32:28Yeah
32:29Of course
32:30There you go
32:31Holding one in
32:32Okay
32:33Whilst I add another one
32:35It's very time consuming
32:37It is an expensive job
32:39Every single crystal
32:41Has been put on by hand
32:43Two million crystals
32:45Two million and one
32:46Two million and one
32:47One crystal now
32:48Multiply that by two million
32:50Two million
32:51Quite a long time
32:52I don't think I'll live long enough
32:53To finish this job
32:54Yeah
32:55This crystal cave is the pinnacle of extravagance
33:06And back in the hills of Portugal
33:08Peeking through the lush vegetation
33:10There's a twist in the tale of Montserrat's fabulous folly
33:17For it isn't just a whimsical structure
33:19It was originally a genuine building
33:22This many people say is a false ruin
33:27That is not true
33:29This is a real ruin
33:32And it's the real ruin of the garden pavilion
33:35That was built in 1790
33:37Here's the fireplace
33:42Here's the kitchen floor
33:44Here's the kitchen floor
33:46Up there is the chimney
33:49And if you look carefully
33:52You can see the tiles
33:54This had a roof
33:55This archway
33:57Had a gothic arch
33:59But Francis Cook decided
34:01It wasn't a big enough ruin
34:03And so he tore out the door frame
34:06And ruined the ruin a little more
34:10It then became like a little conservatory
34:13So nowadays we've got some really lovely plants
34:16Look at this
34:17There's a magnificent bromeliad here
34:18Look at the colour of these leaves
34:20They're really quite something
34:22And that's the bromeliad is the pineapple family
34:25So you sort of have a miniature pineapple there
34:29There are over 3000 varieties of bromeliads
34:33With the pineapple plant being the most popular of them all
34:37These vibrant gems can also thrive in the UK
34:41Growing best indoors in a warm bright spot
34:44Bromeliads love humidity
34:46And appreciate regular watering
34:48From spring through autumn
34:50In a free draining compost
34:56One of the most extraordinary features
34:59Of this folly
35:00Is this incredible tree
35:02It's a Moreton Bay fig
35:05From Australia
35:07And it looks like it's been here forever
35:10But in fact
35:11The folly
35:12Is from 1790
35:14And this tree
35:16Just shows up
35:18On our records
35:19From 1929
35:21It was already
35:23Growing tree
35:24At that stage
35:25So probably planted sometime in the 20s
35:281920s
35:29But this
35:31Is the original trunk
35:33Of the tree
35:34And
35:36It grew from here
35:38And placed itself
35:40On top of the wall
35:42And then
35:44The aerial roots
35:46Grow down
35:47To the ground
35:48And they themselves
35:49Then became new trees
35:51And so
35:52Now it's beginning
35:53Difficult to say
35:54Where the tree begins
35:55And where it ends
36:01Well there we are
36:02The centrepiece
36:03Of the English landscape garden
36:05This magnificent folly
36:07Which to me
36:08Is so important
36:09Because
36:10It really
36:11Tells us
36:12The history
36:13Of the garden
36:14In stone
36:15It's really
36:16A magnificent sight
36:27Coming up
36:28Nobody ever mentioned
36:29That paradise
36:30Had a house
36:31But
36:32It's just in front of us
36:33We step inside
36:35The stunning
36:36Montserrat Palace
36:37We think
36:38We left the garden
36:39But
36:40The garden
36:41Is still surrounding us
36:42And we take a stroll
36:44On the park's
36:45Quintessentially
36:46British feature
36:47Montserrat
36:48Has the
36:49Very first
36:50Lawn
36:51In the entire
36:52Iberian Peninsula
36:53Peninsula
37:10As our journey
37:11Through the stunning park
37:12Of Montserrat
37:13Nears its end
37:14We can't leave
37:15Without taking a moment
37:16To explore the stunning
37:17Centrepiece
37:18Rising majestically
37:23On a hillside
37:24Overlooking
37:25The entire park
37:26Stands
37:27The magnificent
37:28Palace
37:29A glorious extension
37:30Of the gardens
37:31Nobody ever mentioned
37:33That paradise
37:34Had a house
37:35But
37:36It's just in front of us
37:37Antonio Nunes Pereira
37:40Is the palace's director
37:41Whenever I'm inside
37:44This palace
37:45I always feel
37:47Very privileged
37:48To be able
37:49To work here
37:50It's always
37:51A matter of great joy
37:53Just to enjoy it
37:54This captivating creation
37:59Is an architectural marvel
38:01Showcasing a stunning blend
38:03Of delicate Indian influences
38:05And bold Moorish design
38:08The shimmering ceilings
38:10Catch the light
38:11In mesmerizing ways
38:12Creating an enchanting atmosphere
38:15But it's more than just
38:17A beautiful structure
38:18It's Francis Cook's masterpiece
38:21Meticulously designed
38:23To complement
38:24The surrounding gardens
38:25So here we are
38:29Inside Montserrat
38:30House
38:31We think
38:32We left the garden
38:34But the garden
38:35Is still surrounding us
38:36In all this
38:37Beautiful decoration
38:38We've got plants
38:39And leaves
38:40And flowers
38:41All over the place
38:48We also have these
38:49Chains of light
38:50And shade
38:51As if though
38:52We were in a forest
38:53We also have these
38:55Columns
38:56That look like
38:57Tree trunks
38:58And makes us feel
38:59Outside
39:00And makes us feel
39:01Outside rather than inside
39:07The interesting thing
39:08About Montserrat
39:09Is that it was planned
39:10As a garden pavilion
39:12It was used during the day
39:14For people enjoying a rest
39:16In between walking and garden
39:20It was only in a later stage
39:22That the house was changed
39:24Into a residence
39:25So some doors were introduced
39:29In a pavilion that had no doors
39:31So this is very much
39:32Not only a testimony of nature's important
39:41As an inspiration for art and architecture
39:44But it is also the idea that
39:47Even if you are in an artificial environment
39:50Nature is always with you
39:52And this is very, very romantic
40:02Originally this incredible palace
40:04Was designed to be seen
40:05From every part of the garden
40:09Over the years
40:10Sir Francis Cook's exotic plantings
40:12Have thrived
40:13And taken over the view
40:14But one of the most important
40:17English features
40:18Still remains
40:19A majestic sweeping lawn
40:22And it's a special one at that
40:24Montserrat has the very first lawn
40:29In the entire Iberian Peninsula
40:32Not just Portugal
40:33In fact
40:34It's probably one of the very first lawns
40:36In southern Europe
40:37Because
40:38Nobody has lawns in southern Europe
40:40Because
40:41There's not enough water
40:46Today
40:47We often take lawns for granted
40:49But back in the 1700s
40:51These meticulously manicured green spaces
40:54Were the ultimate symbol of status
40:56A lavish showcase of wealth and prestige
41:00They required an immense amount of upkeep
41:02And prior to hose pipes and sprinklers
41:05They were often watered
41:06Using intricate gravity-fed systems
41:09The genius of this system
41:11Is Roman
41:12Or Moorish
41:13That's how they would
41:14Water their vegetable gardens
41:15With gravity
41:16The water just flows along the surface
41:19But that's always done on the flat
41:21And this is very steep
41:23So what did they do?
41:24They contoured the lawn
41:27And made small terraces
41:28And if you feel very carefully
41:30You can feel them with your feet
41:31As you go down
41:32There were channels
41:33There was a big pipe
41:34That came down the centre
41:36And the water was channels either side
41:38And just flowed over the lawn
41:40To make this brilliant emerald green
41:43The lawn is a marvel of engineering
41:48And today it's hosting a special event
41:54A night of cool jazz
41:55Paired with refreshing gin and tonics
41:58All these people listening to the music
42:03Enjoying their GMT
42:04It's an absolutely quintessential British scene
42:09With its enchanting beauty
42:16The Park of Montserrat is a masterpiece of nature and design
42:21From its recognition as one of the most significant English landscape gardens
42:25Beyond the shores of Britain
42:27To its extraordinary array of exotic plants
42:30That makes it one of Portugal's richest botanical collections
42:33Montserrat
42:35One of Europe's greatest gardens
42:37Captivates all who wander through its eclectic wonderland
42:46Next time we visit the vibrant flower island of Mainau in Germany
42:51So we have about 270 different dahlia sorts this year
42:54But which one will be crowned the dahlia queen
42:57We are ready?
42:58Good
42:59The team open up a chrysanthemum exhibition
43:02Festival of colours works very good, yeah
43:05And can one of the very first sequoia trees to grace Europe be saved?
43:09There's a column of decay going up the back of the stem
43:21In the region of the rock dontaven
43:23Here isations from Japanese
43:24w arcour
43:28There's a back and forth
43:29Here isations from purple
43:46達ruling
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