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00:00Hello and welcome to Bargain Hunt.
00:03Today's show is all about something that millions of us enjoy.
00:07From a leisurely stroll in lavish grounds like this,
00:10to rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty down at the allotment.
00:15Yes, I'm talking gardening.
00:18We are a nation of gardeners, whether it's fruit, flowers or good old common veg.
00:24We cannot get enough of our gardens.
00:28And if you don't want to get your hands dirty,
00:30then you could always chill out in someone else's garden.
00:34Our horticultural heritage goes back centuries.
00:37Just take a look at this treasure trove of gardening tools.
00:42So join me as we look back at some of the best garden-related antiques and collectibles
00:47picked up by our teams across the country.
00:50Are you ready to dig in?
00:52Let's go bargain hunting!
01:17Welcome to Waterbury Gardens in Oxfordshire.
01:2220 acres of glorious greenery, plants and flowers.
01:27I'm going to be finding out more about this fascinating place later.
01:31We'll also be travelling across the UK,
01:34catching up with teams who unearth some gorgeous garden treasures.
01:38That is a statement piece.
01:40What do you think, Ben?
01:41I think it's a great thing.
01:42And blooming great bargains.
01:44I do like that wheelbarrow.
01:45Oh, I didn't see that.
01:47Oh, wow.
01:48I saw it.
01:49We'll find out if there are buys or fruit at auction.
01:52Bye, you're well done.
01:54£28.30.
01:55Oh, yay!
01:56And you won't want to miss the chart countdown to see which team made the biggest profit.
02:01And if you're hoping to branch out into a bit of gardenalia,
02:06I'll be sharing top tips to help you dig out a deal.
02:10But first, let's get stuck in.
02:12We're starting our tour in Ardinglai,
02:14where mother and daughter Trudy and Anna
02:16were on the lookout for something practical and not too pricey.
02:21Showing them the ropes on the day was expert Philip Sarrell.
02:25Excuse me.
02:30And Philip quickly led the team to this potential purchase.
02:34I've got a soft spot for stoves.
02:36I can see why, actually, because that's really ornate.
02:39There's some proper work gone into that.
02:41That's really cute.
02:42Excuse me, my love.
02:43How much mileage is there in your stove?
02:46Like, we haven't got anything like that sort of money.
02:48No.
02:48What type of money have you got?
02:50Well.
02:51That's probably the best place to sell.
02:53In auction, I know that something like that's going to make between £100 and £150.
02:57The price of the stove was too hot to handle.
03:01So, the Reds moved on to this.
03:03I've never seen one like that.
03:04I'm not quite sure.
03:05It looks as if it's for sort of like doing the edges or something like that.
03:07That's exactly what it is.
03:08It's like an edge rotovator.
03:10Yeah.
03:10But what does that say?
03:12It does say an edge trimmer.
03:14Oh, there you are, look.
03:14Yeah, it made Ransom's of Ipswich in England.
03:17Unless, of course, there's an H missing off it, and it's a hedge trimmer.
03:20Of course, yes.
03:21And they're collectible, those things.
03:22I was just thinking more like an ornament sort of thing.
03:25Yeah, well, it's 30 quid's worth.
03:27That's what it's worth.
03:27OK, fair enough.
03:28But I suspect it's worth more than that.
03:30Yeah, I quite like it.
03:31Are we talking to you here?
03:32No, no, you've got to talk to Dave.
03:33Where's Dave?
03:34He's making a bacon roll.
03:37I'm going to knock Dave up.
03:38Come on, follow me.
03:40Garden tools have been around for centuries, and many of us have sheds packed with spades,
03:45rakes, and even a lawn mower.
03:48The team's lawn edger was made by Ransoms, who also made one of the first must-produce lawn
03:54mowers in 1832.
03:56And those lucky enough to afford one could create beautifully striped lawns.
04:02So, back to our team.
04:04Did they dig their vintage lawn edger?
04:06And more importantly, did Phil get his bacon roll?
04:10Do you think he'll make us all a bacon, boo?
04:11Do you know?
04:12Dave, can I have red sauce on mine?
04:15Please.
04:16Brown or red sauce?
04:18No, I'm just playing red sauce.
04:20That's two with red sauce, another bit brown, and how about 30 quid for the pusher-long,
04:25do you think?
04:26Go on, Nick.
04:26Yes, girls?
04:27Yes, I think we should.
04:29Yeah, I'd be very happy with that.
04:30Dave, you're a gentleman.
04:3130 pounds.
04:32Find out whether it made the cut at auction later in the show.
04:35Right, it's time to meet our next duo, mother and daughter, Kim and Sophie,
04:40who were shopping in Guildford.
04:42Hello, Blue, do you have me?
04:44They were out and about with expert Stephanie Connell,
04:47and they reigned in a bit of nostalgia with this fairground classic.
04:52Interesting.
04:53Do you like it?
04:53I think it's not the oldest thing in the whole world.
04:56No.
04:58But what do you think?
04:59Is this your sort of a thing?
05:00A rocking horse would be more my type of thing than a fairground horse.
05:04What about you?
05:04I don't know, I think it's quite interesting.
05:06I've got no idea how much it would be.
05:08No.
05:09250.
05:10It's 250.
05:11Oh, okay, maybe not that.
05:13No, but it's a good start.
05:15Yeah.
05:16He's out of the race.
05:18Very good, Steph.
05:19Perhaps these garden chairs would be a better bet.
05:21Do you like them?
05:22What do you think about them?
05:23Because I think they're quite cool.
05:25Do you think they do quite well at auction?
05:27I think they're quite funky in their foot.
05:29If someone's got, like, a funky garden,
05:31I think these kind of things are getting to be more and more fashionable,
05:34to be honest, with buyers, I think.
05:36Okay.
05:36So it's been repainted.
05:37Does that matter?
05:38It looks like they've had a little bit of help.
05:40They would have probably been knocked around.
05:42The dealer had said that he could do them at 80.
05:45You're not sure.
05:46I don't love them.
05:47They're really comfy, though.
05:48They are, aren't they?
05:49Yeah.
05:49Yeah.
05:50Yeah, they are.
05:53It was another no from the blues.
05:55So what about a birdbath?
05:58It's not hugely old, but it's very decorative,
06:00and there's a few.
06:01The one with the dolphins on the bottom
06:02is probably the nicer of the two.
06:05They haven't got any prices.
06:06Let me go and get an indication of prices.
06:08Okay.
06:09Birdbaths first became fashionable in the Victorian era,
06:13a time when people really went mad for garden design.
06:17There was just one problem.
06:18The cost, but the Victorians had an answer.
06:21It was called concrete,
06:23and Joseph Aston had just patented Portland cement in 1824,
06:28and thanks to advances in production,
06:30it was now cheap, strong and easy to mould.
06:34The blues birdbath was a bit more modern,
06:37but was it worth a flutter?
06:39Right, ladies.
06:40Surprisingly, the dealer has said
06:42he will do the one with the dolphins on the base for 30,
06:45or that one for 40.
06:47Oh.
06:47That's actually quite good.
06:49It is quite good, isn't it?
06:50I thought it was quite a good deal, that, actually.
06:52Yeah, further bottom of that one.
06:53Yeah, that's what I'm...
06:54But the top of this one's nice.
06:55But the top of that one's nicer.
06:56But this one's got more damage, has it?
06:58Yeah, it has.
06:58So if you have a look...
06:59Oh, massive crack.
07:00The top comes away,
07:01there's a massive crack here,
07:02and it's cracked there.
07:04Hello.
07:05Hello.
07:06Hi.
07:06Would you go 25 for that one?
07:08I can do it for 25.
07:10OK, what do you think?
07:11Yeah, let's do it.
07:12Yeah?
07:12OK, yeah.
07:13Happy?
07:14Yeah.
07:14Do you like it?
07:15Good.
07:15Oh, dear.
07:16Find out later if the team were bathed in success
07:19when they took it to Orchern.
07:21Next, we're off to Thelandilo,
07:23where friends Julie and Liz were raring to go.
07:27We're going to rise to the challenge!
07:30Woo!
07:31They were on the lookout with Philip Sarrell.
07:33Wonderful!
07:35And once again,
07:36he led his team to a certain piece of gardening equipment.
07:40Look at this!
07:41Yeah, that is cool, isn't it?
07:43What is it?
07:44It's for trimming your edges.
07:45Is it really?
07:46Well, do you know how I know that?
07:47It says there, edge trimmer.
07:48Oh, God!
07:49Do you know?
07:50That's why you're the expert.
07:52Yeah.
07:52If you have a really bad day,
07:54that could be 30 to 40 quid.
07:56Oh, no!
07:57Oh, no!
07:58So it was no luck with the edge trimmer this time,
08:01but Phil wasn't giving up.
08:03What about the wheelbarrow?
08:05I do like that wheelbarrow.
08:07Oh, I didn't see that!
08:08Oh, wow!
08:09I saw it.
08:09Shall I have a go?
08:10Yeah.
08:11Super period wheelbarrow with removable sides.
08:16£145.
08:17Oh!
08:18Oh, I like this.
08:19It's good.
08:20I do like that, actually.
08:22So you like the wheelbarrow, do you?
08:24I like it.
08:25We both like it.
08:26We both like it.
08:26I could see strawberries growing in that.
08:29Yeah, yeah.
08:30What would you pay for it?
08:32Oh!
08:32Oh!
08:33Oh!
08:34Well, I think if you could get that for £75,000...
08:36You hold on there a minute,
08:37and I'll go and see if I can have a chat with the man.
08:39Oh, yes, please.
08:40Well, thank you.
08:42The humble wheelbarrow is a simple design that's been around for nearly 2,000 years.
08:47The very first ones were used in China during the Han Dynasty.
08:51By the 13th century, the idea had rolled into Europe.
08:55So, could the Reds get a really good deal of their barrow?
09:00We're not keen on the £145,000.
09:03OK.
09:03What would be your best price for this?
09:06Erm, make me an offer.
09:08I wouldn't want to pay any more than £75,000 for that.
09:13Would you be happy?
09:14It's a tight margin, but yes, OK, we can do it at that.
09:17Oh, that's brilliant.
09:17Are you happy with that?
09:18I'm happy with that.
09:19There we go, then.
09:20Keep watching to see if the bid has rolled up to buy it.
09:27We're halfway through our team's buys,
09:29so it's a good time for me to go for a wander
09:32to find out more about this magnificent house and its gardens.
09:40Nearly a century ago, Waterbury Gardens in the heart of Oxfordshire
09:44was visited by a remarkable woman.
09:48Beatrix Havergill quickly saw its potential
09:50and eventually bought it.
09:52She founded the Women's Horticultural School
09:55and used the gardens to train and teach women
09:58to become designers, horticulturalists and gardeners.
10:02To find out more, I'm meeting horticultural manager Rob Jacobs.
10:07Hello, Rob. Delighted to meet you.
10:09Hello. Lovely to meet you.
10:11Love to show you around.
10:12Good. I'll follow you.
10:16So, Rob, I can see this is where the story starts.
10:20I'm assuming this is Miss Havergill's orange tree.
10:22This is the tree Miss Havergill stole an orange when she was visiting.
10:26She was looking to expand her school.
10:28Yeah.
10:29And she was moving from Pusey and looking for a bigger place,
10:31and Waterbury was that place.
10:33And the story goes, as a 29-year-old,
10:35she walked round here, saw the orange tree,
10:37and stole an orange from it and took it back to Pusey.
10:40And the smell from this fantastic Sveil orange
10:43is what gave her the courage of 29 to take on 53 acres.
10:48So she decides to set up this business in the 1930s.
10:52Not an easy time.
10:53The difficulty was not running the business.
10:56The difficulty was she's a woman in a man's world.
10:59She changed everything.
11:00When I was a young man, I first came here,
11:02I realised I left a male-dominated world,
11:05and I came to a woman's world.
11:07They were in charge.
11:08And she was a lady definitely in charge.
11:11So, I mean, did she do this all on her own, or did she have help?
11:16She definitely had help.
11:17She had her partner, Miss Sanders.
11:19Miss Sanders, she ran the house.
11:21Miss Havergill, she ran the horticulture,
11:24the teaching and the estate.
11:26This woman was ahead of her time.
11:28She certainly was.
11:30Even her strawberries ripened more than a month before other growers,
11:34and well before the Wimbledon fortnight.
11:37She would get 200 plants,
11:40eight strawberries on each plant,
11:42all supported by little twigs.
11:44So they all stood up,
11:46and apparently the smell was incredible.
11:49People would go to Chelsea,
11:50and they'd say,
11:51we'll meet you by the strawberries,
11:52just because of the scent of strawberries giving off.
11:55So what are the sticks like?
11:57We have some.
11:58We have some for you.
11:59Oh, right.
12:00These are little twigs.
12:02Tell me they used to use hazel back in the day.
12:04I'm not sure what's this.
12:05But this is one of the twigs that they would use.
12:07Paint them green.
12:08And so as a strawberry would grow,
12:11it sits like that.
12:12And she would pull them up,
12:14but only eight strawberries,
12:15because they've got to get to the right size.
12:18Everything was hand-watered.
12:19You'd use one of these.
12:22What is that?
12:23That is known as a tapper.
12:25All right.
12:25And the noise this gives off to a terracotta pot
12:29tells you whether it's wet or dry.
12:32Really?
12:33So if it rings,
12:36it's dry.
12:38If it goes duff-duff,
12:39it's wet.
12:40But she wasn't all about prize-winning strawberries,
12:43was she?
12:44No, she wasn't.
12:45She was about so much more.
12:47There's the gardens.
12:48We've got a whole gardens to show you
12:49if you want to follow me.
12:50I'll follow you, yeah.
12:57Whoa.
12:58It's not bad, is it?
13:00Oh, a feast for the eye.
13:02Nearly 100 years old, this border now.
13:04It's getting that way.
13:05This is Miss Havigale's herbaceous border.
13:08This is how to grow herbaceous plants.
13:11Yeah.
13:11It has three seasons.
13:12We're in the last season of the year,
13:14and it's all these asters.
13:18I mean, she obviously run a tight ship here.
13:20I mean, was she a formidable character?
13:22She looked a formidable character.
13:26Roald Dahl based the character Miss Trenchball on Miss Havigale,
13:29but Miss Havigale wasn't a bully in the same way Miss Trenchball was.
13:33Right, OK.
13:34She could run a team.
13:35She ran this for 40 years, and she made the thing work.
13:40That's quite a testament, isn't it?
13:43Rob, thank you so much.
13:45It's been such a wonderful education.
13:47It's been great fun.
13:48But now it's time to get back to our teams,
13:51and Dave and Abby were shopping at an antique fair at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire.
13:56Today, the Reds are going to roll!
13:59They were joined by expert Caroline Hawley.
14:02That's me!
14:03Hello!
14:05They were on the lookout for something out of the ordinary.
14:08What about the boar?
14:09Oh, the wild boar.
14:11Lovely things, but could you see them outside your home here?
14:14I could.
14:15Could you?
14:15They've got a lot of character, haven't they?
14:17They have.
14:17Yeah.
14:18Terracotta.
14:19Shall we find a prize?
14:20Why not?
14:21Hello!
14:22We've just spotted your wild boar.
14:24Yes.
14:25How much are they?
14:26For the pair, 165.
14:29Hmm.
14:30They're modelled on a very well-known classical piece,
14:33but they're made in the UK.
14:35Yeah?
14:35Could you do us a deal?
14:37165 sounds a bit steep.
14:39I'm sorry.
14:41OK.
14:42150.
14:43I can't go below that.
14:45What do you think, Abby?
14:46If I'm honest, I'm not a major fan of them.
14:48No.
14:49But if that's what you like, Dad.
14:51We've got a long...
14:51We know where they are.
14:52Can we...
14:53Yeah, we'll come back.
14:54Yeah.
14:55Of course.
14:55So the boars were on the back burner, but then they found a sculpture with more fire in
15:01its belly.
15:02I think it looks great.
15:03Genuine antique, right?
15:05I would think not.
15:05I would think not.
15:08But he's got a look, hasn't he?
15:10He certainly has.
15:11What's he made of, Abby?
15:13Is it metal?
15:13Oh, I think so.
15:14It is metal.
15:15Oh, his wings move a little bit.
15:17Oh, yeah.
15:17How do garden things tend to go?
15:19Well, they go very well.
15:20Yeah?
15:21Yeah, they go very well.
15:22Pieces like this can be real showstoppers.
15:26Garden sculptures aren't just decoration.
15:29They've shaped British outdoor spaces for centuries, from classical statues at country estates
15:35to characterful figures on suburban lawns.
15:38Most buyers value craftsmanship over mass production.
15:42It makes the piece more desirable and potentially more valuable.
15:46With that in mind, the Reds were all set to haggle for a hot deal.
15:51That looks really interesting.
15:52It's a cool thing, isn't it?
15:53What do you think?
15:54I think the price is a bit steep.
15:56What do you think about it?
15:57Okay, so you guys, I'd do it for 55.
16:01If two people like him, there's no stopping him.
16:04Yeah.
16:05Should we buy a dragon, Dad?
16:07It's the 50.
16:0955 is the very best, sorry.
16:10You can't get it down below 50.
16:11No, it's the first time out and it's definitely going to sell, so 55.
16:15Just go for it, then.
16:16Okay.
16:17Yeah, okay.
16:17Love it.
16:17Right, cheers.
16:20The Reds thought it was cool, but did the bidders agree?
16:23Keep watching to find out.
16:25Next, we're off to Newark to join Blue Team friends Elaine and Julia.
16:31Together, we're known as Theta Party Flossers.
16:33Their expert on the day was Ben Cooper.
16:36You can turn around now.
16:37Oh!
16:38Oh, hello!
16:39Oh, hello!
16:40Oh, my God!
16:41And soon they were off out of the gates.
16:43You see, this is what I actually like.
16:46It's not desperately old.
16:47You can see how it's made.
16:48It's actually sort of a press cut to make the design of the horse.
16:53So probably, I wouldn't say necessarily mass-produced, probably out of a blacksmith's yard.
16:58I would have thought it's 20, 30 years old, something like that.
17:00Okay.
17:01But, weather vanes, they always sell quite well.
17:05And I was having a little look on the price when it was there at £49, which isn't an awful
17:10lot of money.
17:11No.
17:11I want it cheaper than that, though, Elaine.
17:13You don't have to buy it now.
17:14No.
17:15Okay.
17:15But at least it's something one of you likes.
17:18Yeah.
17:19I'm a-sitting on the fence with you.
17:20You're a-sitting on the fence.
17:21Yeah, yeah.
17:21Rather than on the horse.
17:22Well, I can't get on the horse, can I?
17:24Not totally, no.
17:26Come on, let's go and have a word.
17:27I have a word.
17:30He could let us have it for £38.
17:33I think that's quite a good price, personally.
17:35I can see it having an estimate of £30 to £40.
17:38Ooh.
17:39Okay.
17:39If you're still unsure...
17:40If we can't find anything by about 15 minutes from the end,
17:44then I'll gallop over here and get it for you.
17:46You might have to.
17:47Gallop.
17:49See what I did there?
17:51After all that horsing around, they decided to take a seat.
17:56Oh, there's a bench, Ben.
17:57There's a bench.
17:58Come on.
17:59Oh, hang on.
18:00She's found the bench.
18:00Ooh, look.
18:01But it is made for a garden, isn't it?
18:03It's got a bit, yeah.
18:04It's not particularly old, but it's got a nice look to it.
18:07It's got a protective look.
18:08It's kind of a lover's seat.
18:10Yeah, it is.
18:11Because, let's face it, you've got to be quite intimate.
18:14Because if thee and me sits on it...
18:17Come on, there.
18:17It's getting close to marriage proposal.
18:21Oh.
18:22Nice.
18:24Shall I jump on?
18:25It might sink into the mud.
18:27I'm not saying anything in particular.
18:30Careful what you're saving.
18:31Careful what you're saving.
18:32Ooh.
18:33I like it.
18:34I like it.
18:36I'd have that on the allotment.
18:38Well, okay.
18:38First of all...
18:39Ooh, we need to know...
18:40There's another one over there!
18:41Shhh!
18:42Ooh!
18:44So...
18:44Now, that is nice.
18:47Again, it's a similar kind of age to the other.
18:49Is it all right if we take these off?
18:49Yeah.
18:49It's bigger.
18:50Would fit all three of us this time.
18:52Would.
18:53Ah!
18:54Yes.
18:55It's a nice bench.
18:56Yeah.
18:56Yes.
18:56What do you think he's got on it?
18:58150.
18:59No.
18:59Is it a lot more?
19:00240.
19:01Shhh!
19:02So...
19:03Well, he is nice.
19:04It is very nice.
19:05The other one...
19:06Yeah.
19:06He said his best price is $1.30.
19:09This one, I don't think we'd get anywhere near...
19:12Yeah.
19:13...doing well at auction.
19:14That one's a little bit different.
19:15The other one's...
19:16It's different, it's pretty.
19:17It is.
19:17Let's poddle on a bit.
19:19Yeah.
19:19See what else we see.
19:20Yeah.
19:21Right.
19:22And sticking with the garden theme, they then spotted a stylish metal planter.
19:27I think that is beautiful.
19:28I just think that with gardens that are open...
19:31You line it with moss and...
19:32Absolutely.
19:33It would look beautiful.
19:34Yeah.
19:34It really, really would.
19:35And I think that is a statement piece.
19:38What do you think, Ben?
19:40I think it's a great thing.
19:41Just find out how much it is.
19:42Okay.
19:43Just so we've got an idea.
19:44Yeah.
19:44Okay.
19:45I'll be back.
19:46This wrought iron planter isn't just practical, it's part of a long tradition of decorative containers.
19:52But these days, you can also get creative with a bit of upcycling.
19:57Things like chimney pots and dolly tubs and wheelbarrows are ideal for repurposing.
20:03You can fill them up with flowers and strawberries, rhubarb, anything you like.
20:08If it can hold soil, you can use it.
20:11Back to our teams.
20:12Did they manage to get their planter for a blooming bargain?
20:16Right.
20:16Well, it was originally 220.
20:20Yeah.
20:20Which is understandable.
20:21Yes.
20:21It's a monster PT.
20:22And they've knocked him down to 195.
20:25Whilst I love the benches, I don't think there's a profit in them, because I have seen a few of
20:29those about.
20:30This, I've not seen about anywhere before.
20:32And I agree.
20:33There won't necessarily be another one.
20:35Okay, then.
20:35Yeah.
20:35I'll just have a word and see what else I can do.
20:37See if you can squeeze a little.
20:38Okay.
20:39Gentle.
20:42So, we've shaken hands.
20:44Oh, good.
20:45At 189.
20:46Well done, girls.
20:48It was a pricey piece, so it was certainly a risk.
20:52Let's hope it paid off when it went under the hammer.
20:56Next up, married couple Steve and Sue were shopping at Dettling Antiques Fair in Kent.
21:03The team was headed up by expert, Irita Marriott, and the three of them were winging it.
21:09Look, there's ducks.
21:11Now, they look like solid silver.
21:14Yeah.
21:15Could we possibly have a look?
21:17What do you think?
21:18At first instance.
21:19I really like them, actually, from first instance.
21:21So, you've got silver and enamel.
21:23You have a look.
21:25Oh, they're really pretty, aren't they?
21:27So, they're a little set of three, so you can get all your ducks in a row.
21:29Oh, he's got all the puns.
21:34I would guess that these are probably mid-century or there or thereabouts.
21:40Solid silver.
21:41Now, one thing you have to check is enamelling, whether it's in good condition.
21:45Oh.
21:46Oh, it has a chip.
21:48It has a chip.
21:48Because, you see, enamel is extremely hard and expensive to repair.
21:53Saying that, two, the biggest ones, seem okay.
21:57What's the price on these?
21:58Oh, he's trading.
22:00Can you do anything like that?
22:01£95 for the three.
22:02£80.
22:03Oh.
22:04What do you think?
22:05I don't know.
22:06What do you think from a pricing perspective?
22:08Wait, wait.
22:09He's going in there.
22:11£75 would buy them.
22:13It's a lot of money for your first buy.
22:16I think I should be cautious and maybe we can come back and look at them.
22:19Thank you, sir.
22:20We might be back.
22:21Yes.
22:22So the ducks were a maybe.
22:24But could they be sitting pretty with this?
22:27Bench is quite nice.
22:28I like this.
22:29I think I would have that in our garden.
22:32Yeah.
22:32I mean, I don't know where you'd put it, but...
22:33Would you have that?
22:35Yeah.
22:35I think like that.
22:35It's practical, isn't it?
22:36It's practical.
22:37You could have a couple of plants either side as well.
22:39It could.
22:39Or if you don't want to sit on it, you could use it for plant pot.
22:42Yeah, yeah.
22:43You know.
22:44That's a good price.
22:45Yeah.
22:45That's not bad.
22:47Yeah.
22:47Actually, it's not bad at all.
22:47If you go in a garden centre, you'll be doing five times that.
22:51Exactly, yeah.
22:52Shall we see what you can do?
22:53I think if you can buy that for like £30, £35.
22:59What do you reckon?
23:00Yeah, I'm up for that.
23:01Only if you love it?
23:02Yeah, no, I like it.
23:03No, I do like it, actually.
23:04It's really good.
23:05You can't do anything on that?
23:07You can't?
23:08£50.
23:08As long as you can go.
23:10It's £50, that's it?
23:12Yeah, it's long as you can go.
23:12OK.
23:14Not sure?
23:14What do you think?
23:15It's completely up to you.
23:17I think we'll come back.
23:18Yeah.
23:18Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:19We'll have another bit.
23:20OK.
23:20Go on, then.
23:21So the Reds decided to go for a wonder and a ponder,
23:25but not all garden benches are made from stone or concrete.
23:29These days, designers experiment with all different types of materials,
23:34from carved wood and sculpted concrete
23:36to benches made from recycled plastic bottles.
23:40After some deliberation,
23:42the Reds found themselves back at their stone bench.
23:45But could they strike a better deal?
23:48I've just been to speak to the dealer
23:50and he said 40 would be his absolute best.
23:53Oh.
23:54Instead of the 50.
23:55I'm happy to do that.
23:56I'm happy to do that.
23:5740.
23:58Yeah.
23:58Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:59Did it prove to be a solid investment?
24:02Well, keep watching to see what happened
24:04when the garden bench and all our team's items went to auction.
24:08Before that, Natasha paid a visit to Sussex,
24:12to the Millennium Seed Bank.
24:16Here's a test for you at home.
24:18Take a look at this curious collection.
24:20Everyday items, the odd antique, some food and even some medicine.
24:25So what do all of these objects have in common?
24:28Have you worked it out yet?
24:30Well, every single one of them started out life as a seed.
24:34And today I'm at a place where these little guys are treated with the respect they deserve.
24:41Plants provide us with food, fibre, shelter, medicine, fuel and the air that we breathe.
24:47With around one in five plant species threatened with extinction,
24:52seed banks preserve the world's plants for the future.
24:54The Millennium Seed Bank on the Wakehurst estate has worked with partner institutions around the world
25:00to collect more than two billion seeds.
25:05I'm meeting scientist and senior research leader Eleanor Bremen to find out how it all works.
25:12So Eleanor, tell me all about the Millennium Seed Bank.
25:14What goes on here and what's the general aim, the ethos?
25:18So we have a growing collection of wild plant seeds here and they come from all around the world
25:24and it's really important to stop these things going extinct in the world.
25:28Over the last 20 years we've worked with international partners
25:31and now have banked more than 16% of the world's flora.
25:34So I imagine there are a huge number of seeds here.
25:38Are we talking billions?
25:39Yeah, there's over two billion seeds in this seed vault.
25:42It's the most biodiverse place on the planet.
25:44I believe there's a beautiful seed here with a beautiful story.
25:47Yeah, I'd like to tell you about the Wollemi pine.
25:50Okay.
25:52This species, it was thought to be extinct.
25:54It was only known from the fossil record and the records came from the time of the dinosaurs.
25:59How was it discovered here in the modern day?
26:02Well, there was a ranger in New South Wales, Australia called David Noble
26:06and back in 1994 he was out hiking in the Blue Mountains in Australia
26:10and he discovered this tree which he recognised from the fossil record
26:15and realised that it was rediscovered.
26:18And so he collected seeds and they started up a programme called Wollemi Pine International
26:23to help conserve that species going forward.
26:26And do you have some of those Wollemi seeds here at the seed bank?
26:29Yeah, we have them banked.
26:30So shall we use the Wollemi seed, shall we focus on it to see how this process goes from beginning
26:34to end?
26:34Yeah, let me show you what we do here at the seed bank.
26:37Yeah, please do.
26:37We can take a little tour around.
26:41OK, through an airlock.
26:43Yep.
26:43So what's going on in here?
26:45So this is our dry room because if you dry seeds down,
26:48they're going to have a much longer storage life, tens to hundreds of years in our seed vault.
26:53Each crate will have material from a different country, a different partner in it
26:57and so we get deliveries pretty much every week.
26:59We then X-ray a portion of the seeds.
27:02They might have not formed the seed material inside
27:05or it could have been eaten if it had been infested by some kind of insect.
27:09Once you've been through all of those processes and drying and X-raying and weighing, etc.,
27:14what happens next?
27:15So then we take them and bank them in the vault.
27:18Under the building lie vast storage vaults.
27:24And these refrigerated rooms house the precious collection of seeds.
27:29Minus 20 in there?
27:30Yeah, it's really cold.
27:32But here they are.
27:33Perfectly preserved.
27:34They are perfectly preserved.
27:36And this is the seed of the Wollamai pine.
27:40How unusual.
27:41It almost looks like a fingernail or something or an arrowhead.
27:44They're so thin.
27:46No, they're beautiful.
27:47That's amazing.
27:48We're very privileged to hold this really special collection here.
27:51And then that begs the question, you have the seeds, we know the tree still exists.
27:56Have you been able to plant them?
27:58Well, there is one more thing that I'd like to show you.
28:01So it's out into the rain for the final part of this amazing story.
28:06So this is the Wollamai pine and it's grown from seeds that we had in storage.
28:11They grew the saplings and now we've planted them out here.
28:14It's a really attractive species of pine, isn't it?
28:17And to think it was on the very brink of extinction.
28:21I know.
28:21It's an amazing, amazing thing to see and a great example of the work that you do here
28:26at the Millennium Seed Bank.
28:27So, Eleanor, thank you so much for showing me around.
28:32What an amazing place.
28:34Right, it's time to head off to the auction and to find out how our team's gardening buys
28:38fared under the gavel.
28:40First up, it's the Reds' vintage lawn edger.
28:43Charlie asked auctioneer John Cameron for his thoughts.
28:48It's a nice thing.
28:50Yeah.
28:50A bit rustic looking, a bit decorative and still functions, doesn't it?
28:53I'm sure it does.
28:54It's by a good maker, Ransoms.
28:56Ransoms, yeah.
28:56Made lawn mowers.
28:57Absolutely.
28:58Interesting thing.
28:59We've all bought these things in the past and had a bit of regret.
29:02We've gone £20 to £40.
29:03Fine.
29:03Paid £30.
29:05Bang in the middle.
29:06All right there.
29:07John seemed hopeful, but were the bidders in the room?
29:11Lot 180A is an early 20th century lawn edge trimmer with twin wooden handles there.
29:18Where should we start for it?
29:19£20 somewhere for it.
29:20We've all got a lawn that needs edging.
29:22Er, £20 we have.
29:24Yep.
29:25Got that.
29:25Come on.
29:27Come on.
29:28£20 is on the bids at £20 on the screen.
29:31£22 on the internet.
29:32All the action is on the internet here.
29:34At £22.
29:35Oh, come on.
29:36Keep going.
29:37It'll be all done there at £22.
29:39Are you all quite sure?
29:41Oh, dear.
29:43Mine is £8.
29:44It was only £8.
29:45It's not interesting.
29:45We can cover that.
29:47Unlucky.
29:48Lawn edger didn't cut a profit.
29:50Vintage garden tools can be a niche market.
29:53And with a limited demand, the hammer price fell short.
29:56Next, I popped along to visit John Cameron to see what he made of Kim and Sophie's bird bath.
30:03Reconstituted stone is a good word.
30:05It is.
30:05It looks like it to me.
30:06Nice thing.
30:07It's the classic marine sea creature that one associates with the Royal Navy so much.
30:12That you see in a lot of their insignia and badge and so on.
30:15So, good place to be selling that.
30:17The home of the Royal Navy.
30:18Yeah.
30:18We've said £40 to £60.
30:21£25 paid.
30:22Okay.
30:23But would the bidders flock to this bird bath?
30:26Try £30 for it.
30:28It ought to be that.
30:28£30 somewhere for it.
30:30No ex-Sinbad's in the room, are there?
30:32No?
30:34Anybody got £20 for it, then?
30:35Come on.
30:36I'm not going below that.
30:37Yeah, £20 I've got.
30:39£22 anywhere?
30:40£22 I've got now.
30:41£25, is it?
30:42We've got an auction.
30:43£25.
30:44£28, can we say?
30:59£28.
30:59£30 and we'll be all done.
31:02Excellent.
31:03Excellent.
31:04Plus £5 worth of profit.
31:06Luckily for the Blues, the bidders were happy to splash out on the bird bath, which made them a tidy
31:12profit.
31:13Next, we're checking in with Christina and auctioneer Stuart Moore.
31:17What did he make of Julia and Liz's wheelbarrow?
31:21The wheelbarrow, I think, is really nice.
31:23Really?
31:24I could see it with plants in it outside someone's shop or pub or something like that.
31:29I think it would make a great display piece.
31:31Yeah, I think you're absolutely right.
31:32What do you think it's going to make in your cell room?
31:35Well, we've put an auction estimate of £40 to £60.
31:37I could see it making a little more.
31:39But they did spend £75 on it.
31:41I think that's fair.
31:42High hopes for the wheelbarrow, but would the cell room roll with it?
31:46£40 opens the bidding.
31:48£40 for the wheelbarrow.
31:50At £40, £42.
31:52£45.
31:52£48.
31:53It's climbing.
31:54£50.
31:54It's climbing.
31:56£50.
31:57£65.
31:57£70 is still with me.
31:59£75 and £80 is with me.
32:00Yes!
32:01£85 is on the net.
32:02£90 now.
32:03£90 to I see five.
32:05At £90 then, if we're all done.
32:07At £90...
32:09Yes!
32:10Five!
32:10Oh, my God!
32:11That's fantastic!
32:12£90.
32:14That is a £15 profit.
32:17Rustic garden pieces are bang on trend,
32:19and wheelbarrows are both practical and decorative.
32:23Well done, Reds.
32:24Let's take a breather from the auction lots
32:26and check in with Charlie Ross,
32:28who learned all about the ancient art of bonsai.
32:34I'm travelling to a beautiful bonsai nursery.
32:37Now, the expert behind it all is Peter Chan.
32:42Peter, this must be the most wonderfully tranquil place to work.
32:46Well, it is tranquil, because bonsai is tranquil,
32:49and when you work in this sort of environment,
32:52you feel calm and at peace,
32:54but it has taken years to develop to what it is today.
32:58Yeah.
32:59Life in the past for you was much more stressful.
33:01It was.
33:02For many years, I was an engineer and then a senior civil servant.
33:06Yeah.
33:06I felt that there were better ways to make a living,
33:09so I quit my nine-to-five job up in London to do this.
33:13Right.
33:14What exactly is a bonsai tree?
33:17A bonsai is simply a plant grown in a pot,
33:20which keeps it small and shaped in a very artistic way.
33:24Now, some of these trees can be really old, can't they?
33:27Yes, we have three or four trees on the nursery at the moment,
33:30which are about 200 years old.
33:33Gosh.
33:33These very old trees come from Japan,
33:35but we grow a lot of trees ourselves,
33:37so I've been here 35 years,
33:39so many of these trees have been training for 35 years
33:42and they're only just about getting into their own as bonsai.
33:47At first glance,
33:48bonsai may look like a stunted tree in a pot which is too small,
33:52but this artistic practice, often associated with Japan,
33:57in fact began more than 2,500 years ago in China.
34:02The art of bonsai was spread by Buddhist monks
34:05who wished to bring the outdoors into their temples.
34:08It first appeared in Japan in the 12th century.
34:13What is it that you particularly love about bonsai trees?
34:17Well, with bonsai, there are three aspects.
34:19It's not just ordinary gardening.
34:22No.
34:22It is horticulture at its very basic level
34:25and then there is the artistic side
34:28where you're sculpting and shaping plants to make them works of art.
34:32Yeah.
34:32And then at the higher plane,
34:33there is what we call the spiritual level
34:35where the wabi-sabi and all the Zen principles come in
34:40and that's what gives people the relaxation
34:43that you experience with bonsai.
34:45Are there any particular types of tree
34:48that are particularly suited to bonsai?
34:50You can make bonsai from anything.
34:52Look at these trees.
34:53This is an ordinary cedar tree.
34:55These trees are about, I would say, 15 or 20 years old.
34:58I made this group about three years ago.
35:00Yeah.
35:01And further on, you have an English oak.
35:04And that oak tree probably is also about 35 years old.
35:07Are there any particular trees that are more trendy these days?
35:10Well, for bonsai collectors,
35:12the Chinese juniper is a very fashionable tree.
35:15So because it's fashionable and popular,
35:18they command very high prices.
35:19Do they?
35:20But the Japanese maple,
35:21which is a very popular species
35:23because they change colour throughout the season.
35:25Yeah.
35:26And even in winter when they don't have leaves,
35:28they're beautiful.
35:28So the juniper and the Japanese maple
35:31would be the two most popular commercial bonsai.
35:34What sort of range are we talking about?
35:35Hundreds of pounds?
35:35Thousands of pounds?
35:36The cheap ones you can buy from 10 to 19 pounds
35:39for the small ones,
35:41which are about five to six years old.
35:43Yes.
35:43The expensive 200-year-old trees
35:45run into the high thousands.
35:47Really?
35:47And there are collectors who pay that money.
35:50Gosh.
35:50So how easy is it to shape a bonsai tree?
35:54Well, Peter believes that anyone can do it
35:57in just a few minutes.
35:59So this is an ordinary garden centre conifer.
36:01And this sort of thing,
36:02I will make it into a classic bonsai shape,
36:04into an S shape,
36:05by putting a piece of wire on the tree.
36:09So here we are.
36:10I'm going to bend it into an S shape.
36:13And that is the S.
36:14And now I'm going to put it in this pot temporarily
36:17because I want to position the branches.
36:20The wire serves as a brace
36:23that shapes the branches
36:26and keeps it in position.
36:28They are left on the tree for about a year.
36:31Yeah.
36:32And once it's set,
36:33you can remove the wires.
36:34But I will select the branches to wire
36:38because I may not need all the branches.
36:40This is the front.
36:42It's all ready.
36:43You can see the shape.
36:45And I'm going to wire some more branches
36:47and we will be there.
36:49Getting close now, Peter.
36:55Amazing.
36:56So you've turned £5 into £10,000.
36:58No, not quite.
36:59£30, perhaps.
37:00Oh, that's not bad per minute, is it?
37:05Right now, it's time to get back to our teams.
37:08We're heading to Derby next,
37:10where I asked auctioneer James Lewis
37:12what he made of Dave and Abby's dragon sculpture.
37:16Dragon!
37:17Oh, the dragon!
37:18Yes!
37:19What do you make of that?
37:19I think he's great.
37:20I do.
37:21It would look good in anybody's bedroom, wouldn't it?
37:24It would look great in the living room, wouldn't it, as well?
37:26I love him.
37:27What's it worth?
37:28£50 to £70?
37:29Well, they paid £55 for it.
37:32OK.
37:32I think it'll do really well.
37:34OK.
37:35James was fired up,
37:37but would the dragon spark a bidding war?
37:39What a fantastic lot.
37:42Brilliant for a garden,
37:43but also I think it would look great in a conservatory or inside.
37:47And I've got 30,
37:495,
37:5040, lady in the room,
37:52you're too small.
37:52Come on.
37:5350,
37:545,
37:5560,
37:565,
37:5770,
37:5975,
37:5980.
38:02One more.
38:03Go on.
38:03Yes,
38:05at 80,
38:0585,
38:0685,
38:0690 for you.
38:08Come on.
38:08Go on.
38:10No,
38:10you're out.
38:11Thank you,
38:11though.
38:12Well done.
38:12At 85 pounds,
38:14at 85.
38:16Whoa.
38:16Wow.
38:17All right.
38:18OK,
38:19OK.
38:2085,
38:21paid 55 for it.
38:2330 pound profit.
38:24This quirky dragon was a smart pie.
38:27Handcrafted pieces like this stand out for collectors.
38:30Danny headed to Nottingham
38:32to see what auctioneer Hetty Jago made of the blue team's wrought iron planter.
38:37Yeah,
38:38wrought iron things are doing really well at the moment, actually.
38:41I've put 40 to 60 pounds on it,
38:43so we'll see what happens.
38:44The team obviously thought it was worth a lot more money.
38:46They paid 189.
38:49Wow.
38:49OK.
38:50That is an awful lot of...
38:51You're looking worried, Jen.
38:52Oh, no.
38:52Oh, no.
38:54Oh, gosh.
38:55OK, yes.
38:57Hetty wasn't exactly rooting for the iron planter.
39:00Let's see what the room made of it.
39:02Start me at £100 on this one, please.
39:06£60 to start, then, surely.
39:07Oh, my God.
39:09Should be worth £60.
39:10Start me at £40, then.
39:11Oh, we'll buy it.
39:12Anybody at £40?
39:13I can't believe I can't get £40.
39:15Start me at £20.
39:1640 is bid.
39:17£40 is bid straight in at £40 only.
39:19Looking for £5 next.
39:21That £40 only bid seems very cheap at £40.
39:25It's a lovely thing.
39:29£55 is bid.
39:30At £55, £60 now.
39:32At £65 is bid.
39:34Looking for £70.
39:36£75.
39:38£80 now.
39:39You're bidding at £80.
39:39It's going up.
39:40It's going up.
39:41Looking for £90.
39:41£90 is bid.
39:42£95.
39:44£100 is bid.
39:45£100, £110.
39:46£120, are you sure at £120?
39:50£130!
39:51£140.
39:52Oh, it's creeping up.
39:53Well done.
39:53£140, I have, with the internet.
39:55£140, £150, thank you.
39:57£160.
39:58Looking for £170 next.
40:00Good thing.
40:00Good thing.
40:01Come on.
40:02Are we absolutely sure?
40:04£160.
40:06Last chance, then.
40:07Selling in the way.
40:08£160.
40:10Oh.
40:11I'll tell you what could have been a lot worse.
40:13It's just sold for £160.
40:15So, therefore, it's a £29 loss.
40:18Hard luck, Reds.
40:19It was a bit pricey.
40:21And the bidders may have been put off by its condition.
40:25Finally, it's the red team of Sue and Steve.
40:27And their stone bench.
40:29Rue asked auctioneer Hugo Lemon what he made of it.
40:34A little bit too heavy for me to lift up here.
40:36It is.
40:37But surely gardenalia is always popular.
40:39It is, especially around here.
40:41There's some good gardens, some big gardens around here.
40:44So, it would sit nicely in one of those, I'm sure.
40:47OK, so what's your estimate on it?
40:48£50 to £80 on that one.
40:50That's good, because he only spent £40 on it.
40:53That's a good buy.
40:54A lot of bench for the money, isn't it?
40:57Hugo liked the bench, but how did it sit with the auction room?
41:01Wonderful stone garden seat there, man.
41:04Weren't the scroll benches and bases there?
41:07£50 for it.
41:09£50 I bid, thank you.
41:11Yay!
41:12Straight in at £50 and £5, I'll take it.
41:14£50 I bid.
41:15£55, £60 now I'm...
41:17Excellent, you're flying.
41:18£55 now.
41:18At £65 I've got now, and £70.
41:21£70, £70 I'm bid.
41:22No way!
41:24£50 I'm bid and £5 anywhere.
41:25Are you all going to done then at £70?
41:27Last chance then at £70 I will sell at £70.
41:33Bye, Bill.
41:33Well done.
41:34That's a lovely profit of £30.
41:37Solid garden seating is always in demand,
41:40and at £40 this bench was a bargain buy.
41:44Well, that's about it,
41:46but which of our team's bargains blossomed,
41:48and which ones wilted?
41:50Time for our chart countdown.
41:53In at number six was the wrought iron planter.
41:56Oh, no!
41:57I tell you what, it could have been a lot worse.
41:59It certainly could have been, Danny,
42:01finishing with a £29 loss.
42:03At number five, it was the lawn edger.
42:07Oh, dear.
42:08Sadly, it didn't quite cut it,
42:10ending with an £8 loss.
42:12In at number four was the concrete bird bar.
42:15Hooray!
42:16It caused a little flutter in the sailroom,
42:19making a £5 profit.
42:21At number three was the wooden wheelbarrow.
42:24That's fantastic!
42:25It kept things rolling for the reds,
42:27delivering a £15 profit.
42:29Up at the top spot, we have a tie.
42:32The dragon sculpture.
42:33Big fish!
42:34Made a £30 profit.
42:37And the stone bench...
42:39Yay!
42:41Also made a profit of £30.
42:46Sadly, that's all we've got time for today,
42:49but hopefully we've unearthed a few useful hints
42:51and planted some new ideas along the way.
42:54Now, don't forget to follow us on social media.
42:57Or better still, why not join us next time
43:00for some more Bargain Untie, yes?
43:02Yes!
43:02Yes!
43:03Yes!
43:03Yes!
43:04Yes!
43:15Yes!
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