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00:40Hello, welcome to Gardener's World. This is the lime walk. It's the first thing I see
00:46when I come out into the garden in the morning. And some years ago I planted ferns, mainly
00:52dryopterous, all the way along its length. But they've become a little bit straggly.
00:58Some have got very big, some are smaller, and that rhythm of the ferns is beginning to
01:03be lost. However, I've got the new woodland area where I really want to add ferns. So
01:11I think I can kill two birds with one stone. By removing ferns from here and reshaping
01:16it, I can use them where I think they'll be much more effective. So that's what I'm doing.
01:21Now I'm digging this dryopterous out. It's a beast. It's quite something. When you're
01:26moving any plant, you want to take as much of the root as you possibly can. Right. Weightlifting
01:32for the day. Into there. That's one. I've got another one to move. They are really quite substantial.
01:49OK. Off to the woodland hunt.
02:16The one unifying factor with all the plants in the woodland garden is that they are all
02:21have adapted to some degree of shade. Of course, at this time of year there is hardly any.
02:24Which is why you get spring flowering plants that wouldn't survive the sort of shade that
02:29they are going to get in June. However, ferns will take deep shade, whether it be dry shade
02:35or wet. I've been round. I've marked the spots where I want to put the ferns with canes.
02:41I know exactly where I want them to go. It's just a question of making a hole, bunging them
02:44in. It may not look like it now, but this is the darkest corner of the woodland garden.
02:51In fact, arguably the darkest corner of the whole of Longmeadow. Because once the foliage
02:56grows on this hawthorn, it shades this area out. There are trees beyond that shade the hawthorn
03:02itself.
03:14Right. Let's see if that will fit.
03:31There you go. It is important not to plant them too deep, just the level that they were
03:38when you dug them up. I will now water that in. Everything you plant into the ground should
03:55have a good soak. And if it's very dry, you're going to have to keep watering. Once when they're
03:59established and growing strongly, then you can back off. Right. That's one. And the beauty
04:04of that is it's big. It's going to fill that space. It will look dramatic. So that's fine.
04:09However, the other one I'm going to divide.
04:14Oh, boy.
04:19There we go.
04:20When you're chopping up a big root, and this applies to ferns like this, to hostas, a really
04:25big, chunky root, your best tool is a sharp spade. Just jab down on it hard and hope that
04:31you hit it fairly accurately, but you won't do much damage. There we go. Perfect. That's
04:39the one. That gives us two big ferns. What I'll do is divide each of these in two again.
04:57So, ferns are really, really adaptable plants. Get them established, then they'll need no
05:02attention at all. And I know some people feel they're, you know, a bit dull, they're just green.
05:07Actually, once you get into them, they're wonderful. They're beautiful plants.
05:33The orchard is filled with daffodils. The first lot are the wild daffodils, the pseudo-narcissus,
05:38which is actually, to be honest, just beginning to go over. But we've got others coming through.
05:41We've got daffodils that we've planted out from pots. We've also added pheasant-side daffodils,
05:48which flower very late. They will come through in May. But the point about the daffodils here
05:53in the orchard and any in long grass is they're quite robust, and they have to be, because the
05:59wind can sweep in, we can have rain, we can have snow, and the daffodils have to take it all
06:04and keep on flowering without any protection. And by and large, they do, and they look wonderful.
06:10However, Francis has been up to visit a collection of daffodils that are very different.
06:16They're small, but they're exquisitely beautiful.
06:26Today, I have been given the keys to a world very few people ever get to see.
06:30Behind these greenhouse doors lie one of the most extraordinary private collections
06:36of miniature daffodils in the country.
06:43The hands that tend this incredible collection prefer to stay out of the spotlight,
06:48but she has given me permission to have a look around and to share it with you.
06:57Inside this Yorkshire garden, there's three greenhouses,
06:59a rock garden, and over 30 years of work dedicated to these lovely little flowers.
07:06This, of course, is a daffodil. It is a favoured flower of spring.
07:11It sort of heralds that new season. We see them everywhere.
07:14But what we're seeing more and more of are these.
07:17These are miniature daffodils. I grow them in my garden.
07:20There are some beautiful ones. But what you probably won't have seen is one of these.
07:27This one is called Little Finn, and this is what this collection is made of.
07:35These are truly tiny. The flowers grown here require real dedication.
07:43Miniature daffodils originate from places like the Mediterranean,
07:47places where it's very hot in the summer and very dry.
07:50And to flower well, they need to be baked by the sun in the summer
07:54and then have a cool winter.
07:56So in terms of growing them, a glass house to keep them protected from the rain.
08:00And lots of drainage, so gravel and sand, very much in the way that you would grow alpine plants.
08:13In this greenhouse is where all the species daffodils or Narcissi are kept.
08:19So these are the ones that naturally occur in the wild.
08:22This is Narcissus provincialis.
08:25So this is a very definite classic daffodil shape, only obviously much smaller.
08:31This is the corona, the central trumpet part of the daffodil.
08:35And then around it is the perianth, which makes up the petals.
08:40And it's those two features and their size and shape that give the daffodils their characteristic forms.
08:48This one, on the other hand, which is a cyclaminius type, which has these reflex petals that point backwards,
08:56always feels to me like it's scared.
08:59Or like it stuck its head out of a car window and everything being blown backwards.
09:04I love these.
09:06These ones may be my favourite Narcissi.
09:10They're called Bulbacodium or Hooped Petticoat.
09:13So you can kind of see why from this beautiful big trumpet.
09:17So this is a really oversized corona and very, very small peri-amp with these tiny petals.
09:25Absolutely stunning.
09:27And it's all of these differences.
09:29Once you start to look at daffodils, as with any plant, if you get obsessed with them,
09:33you see these minute little shifts from one species to another species.
09:38And then, of course, from them, you can start breeding brand new hybrids.
09:47From one greenhouse of pure and simple miniature species,
09:50it's a short hop to another to see the results of selective breeding.
09:57Now, all of the Narcissi in here are bred hybrids.
10:01So they've been selected over a huge process to come to this stage of being ready.
10:06And there are some absolutely incredible ones here.
10:09Look.
10:09This is Peach Twist.
10:11It has twisted petals on the perianth and the corona is that peachy colour.
10:17It's really unusual, really, really beautiful.
10:20What else do we have?
10:21Oh, look.
10:22So this one has a square flower because it has two extra petals on it.
10:30And then just in front, look, this beautifully delicate spider-shaped flower
10:36with a pronounced trumpet and really, really defined perianth.
10:42And I do have to say, the scent in here is incredible.
10:46Narcissi don't all have scent, but a lot of them do.
10:50And this breeder is choosing them especially for their really rich scents.
10:54Or even if you're just growing these, to cut them and put them in a little vase
10:57on your table where you can smell them.
10:59They're so worth it.
11:01To get here, though, is not a simple thing.
11:05As with any passion project, selecting and breeding these takes an awful lot of time.
11:20This is the propagation greenhouse.
11:23So once you've chosen the two parents you want to cross, you'd collect the seed from
11:27that cross and sow it.
11:29And this is what you would get.
11:31This is just germinated seed in year one.
11:35Look how fine and delicate this is.
11:37And each one of these blades will grow into a slightly different flower, potentially,
11:43with different characteristics from the parents.
11:46So you never know what you're going to get when you do plant breeding.
11:49Now, this is year two.
11:52So again, incredibly fine and delicate plants.
11:56And it won't be until year four when the first flowers will grow.
12:02Now this is a year four seedling.
12:06So this is the first time that this has ever flowered.
12:11No one's ever seen this before because it's never existed before.
12:14But that's the magic of this.
12:16You know, you never quite know where it's going to end up.
12:19This is the first time that I'm seeing this.
12:22Well, that we're seeing this.
12:25Isn't it lovely?
12:27Let's hope it does well.
12:31But not all miniature daffodils need the comfort and safety of a cool greenhouse,
12:37as it is their selective breeding that has resulted in their tolerance to our UK outdoor climate.
12:43If you look closely in amongst the woodland and the spring garden, you will see the odd miniature daffodil.
12:50Now this is one called Little Beauty.
12:54It's a miniature, but it is a lot more generalist than the ones in the greenhouses,
13:00which means it doesn't need to be as baked by the sun.
13:02It doesn't need to be on gravel and it can grow in a garden setting,
13:07but it doesn't like to get too wet.
13:09So if you're growing these, which are much more widely available,
13:12just make sure you're putting them somewhere fairly free draining.
13:16The nice thing about these miniature daffodils is that they sit at just the right height
13:21to mingle in with other spring flowers.
13:23So there's scilla here, which are blue, hellebores of all colours, primroses,
13:28snowdrops, and they all look beautiful together.
13:33We all love daffodils, but I think there's a very good argument
13:38for also trying miniature daffodils in the garden too,
13:42to bring colour, to bring elegance, and maybe even to bring some scent.
13:46But be careful, because you never know, it might become an obsession.
14:06I do think those miniature daffodils, of which I do have a few,
14:09and grow them in pots, are exquisite, jewel-like.
14:13The daffodils I've got here on the mound, and I've trialled them in pots,
14:18I've got two different sorts, they're very, very similar.
14:20This is Pacific Hunter, and this is Hunter Dawn.
14:26But they both share the quality I wanted, which is that soft pale yellow,
14:32because the colour scheme here on the mound is pale yellow and pale blue.
14:37And that's half the fun, you're looking for varieties and trialling them,
14:41and just seeing which hits the mark.
14:43The house things, for example, yellow queen, are spot on.
14:46And I think these daffodils are great too.
14:48And they have another extra bonus, they're very fragrant.
15:04I'm mixing a compost mix for sweet peas.
15:07I sow the sweet peas in October, so they spend all winter protected by a cold frame,
15:12and I'm going to plant these ones into pots.
15:16I've got a sweet pea, called blue velvet, which fits in with the mound's colour scheme,
15:20and also has a wonderful fragrance.
15:24Now, with sweet peas, you can grow them in pots really easily,
15:28and I've done it many times.
15:30But they are hungry, and they are thirsty, so you need a big container.
15:35First of all, I need a crock.
15:39The second thing is, when mixing up the mix, I've used bark-based compost with sieved garden compost and grit.
15:46So it's rich, it'll hold moisture, but there is some drainage.
15:50They don't like sitting in a puddle.
15:58Next phase is to put up the supports before you plant.
16:02So, we put one in there like that.
16:07Another like that.
16:16Okay, it's nice and strong.
16:19The plants themselves, I have pinched them out at least twice to try and stop them getting leggy.
16:25What you want are nice, strong, stocky, sturdy plants with a good root system, and then they will grow nice
16:32and tall.
16:34They're planted in very deep plugs, and however you're planting them, put them inside the support, not outside.
16:43If you put them round the outside, they're going to be hard against the side of the pot, and will
16:47drain quicker and dry out quicker.
16:51The rule of thumb, when you're taking anything out of any container, is you want an equal amount of root
16:57and compost.
16:58If it's more compost than root, then probably it needs to be in there a bit longer.
17:01That's just about perfect.
17:03That's how I like them to be.
17:05So, pop it in like that, one at the base of each support.
17:20As they grow, they will need tying in with soft twine.
17:23They will start to attach themselves after about a month or so.
17:27Water them at least weekly, and feed them with a seaweed feed.
17:33If it's very hot and dry, you will have to water them more.
17:37They really do not like hot, dry weather.
17:40So, a tip is, if you're growing them in a pot like this, make sure you've got a water supply
17:44nearby.
17:47I do think that sweet peas look good in any garden, but we went down to West Sussex to visit
17:53Millie Proust,
17:54who grows lots and lots of varieties of sweet peas and uses them for cut flowers.
18:07I would describe my garden as bucolic, pastoral, a little bit wild, not perfect,
18:15mainly because I've been trying to grab corners to grow flowers on, where I can.
18:21And it's very, very productive.
18:29I'm Millie Proust, this is my garden in West Sussex, and my life is basically just flowers and seeds.
18:40When I moved here, I really knew so little about gardening.
18:44I'd been interested in floristry for a long time, and I knew that you could grow cut flowers,
18:49and I gave it a go and immediately caught the bug.
18:52The learning curve was steep.
19:01There's a project I've been doing for ten years called Willis a Wednesday,
19:04and it's a chance for me to gather floral ingredients and put them together,
19:10and it has acted as a record of what's been in flower when.
19:13And it's also been a chance for me to practice the skills of floristry.
19:19So sweet peas have really become an obsession.
19:23I'm growing over 70 varieties this year, some here outdoors and then some in the tunnels indoors,
19:28and that just helps us hedge our bets on seed harvesting.
19:33This is a variety that I'm really excited about.
19:36David Toster Man.
19:37It was bred just a couple of years ago, and it is the first of a dappled classification.
19:44And then this is one of my all-time favorites.
19:47It's just such a unique color.
19:49It's called Susie Zed, and it's got this smoky rose and then this silvery grey.
19:54And I just love using this in arrangements.
20:08I love violas, and we grow them at the feet of our sweet peas to keep them shaded
20:13and keep the moisture locked in.
20:15It acts as a sort of living mulch, and they get a bit stressed underneath the sweet peas.
20:19So they stretch up, and the stems get quite long.
20:21So you can see here, got a very usable stem.
20:26Just cut off the side shoots, and then that goes in a bouquet.
20:29Look at that lovely little movement.
20:37I think that you can get something quite extraordinary from the ordinary.
20:41These hookah leaves I use throughout the year.
20:45And they're so lovely and change color.
20:48It makes such a pretty base for an arrangement.
20:52And the musia, that is one thing I really love.
20:55You can get it at most garden centers, and they come in all sorts of lovely colors.
21:00They last really well as a cut flower, and they have these most gorgeous scents.
21:12So something we need to do before we begin is to remove any lower leaves.
21:16Anything that's going to sit below the waterline.
21:19Because if they're in the water, they'll rot, and the arrangement won't last very long.
21:24Then once we've done that, we can start putting in the framework.
21:27And I always like to use a foliage framework.
21:31One really simple rule that I use is I don't do anything at the same height.
21:36And this gives a natural movement and makes it look a lot more thoughtful and designed.
21:42One thing I really love to grow in pots is herbs.
21:48Because not only do they make lovely cut flowers like this flowering oregano,
21:51they also double up as a culinary ingredient.
22:03And finally, I'm going to use my favorite sweet pea variety.
22:07This is Chocolate Streamer.
22:08It's such a productive, healthy variety, and I just love the color.
22:13And it has a great scent.
22:15And it tucks them in.
22:19I love detail.
22:21So having something that is small and intricate, I find draws you in and makes you look closer at things.
22:29It doesn't take much to create lots of beauty.
22:33It's so sweet.
22:43There is something so special about growing things from seed and from cuttings.
22:49Because there's a sort of input-output that is very satisfying.
22:53And then when you're rewarded with so much beauty and really the main cost is your time and your love,
23:02it feels just very nourishing on a very simple level.
23:29It's so beautiful.
23:29Watching Millie compose her display struck me that actually putting a border together is very like making a vase of
23:37cut flowers.
23:37You need the same difference in heights and sizes.
23:40You need texture.
23:41You need foliage.
23:42You need color.
23:43And you need fragrance.
23:45And fragrance at this time of year is a bit thin on the ground except for these crown imperial fritillaries.
23:53A week ago they just saw them emerge from the ground.
23:56They're growing really fast.
23:58They're in bud.
23:58But already that very distinctive, musky, slightly foxy fragrance is coming through.
24:06And some people find it a little strong.
24:09I have to say I love it.
24:12Not least because it's such a marker of the season.
24:21Come on in.
24:24Good boy.
24:25Come on.
24:26Come on.
24:41Come on.
24:43Now if you'd been with me a week or two ago, or at any time during the winter, the water
24:50would be up over my wellies.
24:51This was a pond.
24:54Now you might think that's terrible for all plants, but there are some plants that not only survive a winter
25:00wet like that, but actually thrive.
25:02And this is one of them.
25:03This is a cornice, a dogwood.
25:05And like willows, they like wet feet.
25:08They're great for planting in a bit of boggy ground or at the edge of a pond, although it actually
25:13is very adaptable and will grow in reasonable amount of dry too.
25:17It's one of those plants that is tough as old boots.
25:22Now I pruned this back about two or three years ago, right down.
25:26So you can see this is two or three years growth.
25:29Now the reason why we grow dogwood in the garden, as much as anything else, is for the new shoots
25:35in winter because they have a really vibrant bark.
25:39Really strong colour.
25:41You can see the new growth in there is a sort of lovely rich burgundy colour.
25:47Now this is Sibirica alba.
25:49So the bark is red, but you can get them with green bark.
25:53You can have yellow bark.
25:54And if you prune hard, you stimulate lots of new growth and lots of wonderful intense colour in the middle
26:02of winter when there isn't much else.
26:04Now the time to cut it back is now.
26:06When you start to see the new foliage emerge, cut it back.
26:11Now what I'm going to do with this is really be ruthless.
26:17The easiest way to do this is get in there, have a really good hack and then tidy up.
26:29Right, that's the first pass.
26:31But the basic rule of any pruning is always cut back to something.
26:36For instance, we've got a side shoot coming there and another one coming here.
26:42If I cut in the middle, I've got a length of stem that will not produce any new growth and
26:48that will die back.
26:48And dead wood is going to invite disease, fungus and increase the risk of damage to the plant.
26:56So always make a point of cutting to something.
27:00So it's tidy up by going above a side shoot or a bud or a leaf, as long as there's
27:06some growth.
27:13Now in some cases, you want to reduce it but there's no obvious side shoot.
27:18But if you can see, there's a slight bump and that's a node.
27:22And that counts as something, because that is where leaves will grow from.
27:37I know that this looks quite catastrophic, but the roots are there, they're strong.
27:42What's left behind is very healthy.
27:44That will produce new shoots in weeks.
27:47And in a couple of months time, it'll be about three, four foot tall.
27:51And by this time next year, you'll have about four foot of brilliant red new stems.
27:57And they will shine throughout the winter, whatever the weather.
28:01And then you can leave it for a year or two if you want to get it bigger.
28:04But it is worth doing this, I would say at least every three years.
28:11Now, most of this will go through the shredder.
28:14However, I've selected this, which is a nice straight piece of new growth,
28:19because this will make really good cutting material.
28:22And cornice, like willow, takes very easily from cuttings.
28:28Come on.
28:43This is the nursery bed.
28:45Now, a nursery bed is essentially a holding bed for plants that you've propagated
28:50and are growing on until they're big enough to hold their own in a border.
28:54There are two great advantages of having a nursery bed.
28:57The first is that you don't need pots, you don't need compost,
29:01you don't need to water them very often.
29:03They look after themselves.
29:04And the second thing is that they are growing into the biome of your soil in your garden.
29:12So when you plant them out, they are immediately adapted to the conditions they're in.
29:17Now, these are cuttings, by and large, which I have struck and rooted in the greenhouse
29:22and then planted out.
29:24But with dogwood, you don't need to do that.
29:26There's none of that fat.
29:27All you need is a pair of secateurs, some soil and a nice straight stem.
29:32No thicker than your finger and no thinner than a pencil.
29:36You want the cuttings of dogwood to be about six to nine inches long.
29:42Cut beneath a node.
29:44Now, here are the nodes, there and there.
29:47This, by the way, is the opposite to when you prune when you cut just above a node,
29:51which will produce a leaf.
29:52This produces roots from just below a node.
29:55So I'm going to cut beneath the node like that.
29:59Now, make sure it's the right way up.
30:01Make sure that's the top.
30:02And so that you know it's the top, cut it at an angle.
30:06By having a slant on it, it means any rainwater won't collect on it,
30:10and there's no risk of that rotting.
30:12And the next stage is the easiest of the lot.
30:15I just stick them in the ground.
30:19Push them so that they're at least half buried, if not three quarters.
30:23If you've got compacted soil or it's very heavy clay,
30:26then it's a good idea to make a sort of V-shaped trench,
30:30three or four inches deep, filled with organic matter,
30:33and maybe even put a bit of grit or sand in the bottom,
30:35so the drainage is good.
30:37Space them two or three inches apart.
30:40You will know there are roots forming when you start to see new growth.
30:45But leave them where they are till at least early autumn.
30:49Then you can dig them up and plant them.
30:52If it doesn't rain, they'll need watering once a week.
31:01I'm confident that those cuttings will take,
31:03but the truth is this is not a time of year
31:05when you can or should take cuttings from many plants.
31:08Dogwood are an exception.
31:10It is a time of year, however,
31:12when we should all be sowing seed and as many as possible.
31:16And the best way of getting hold of seed
31:18is to collect it yourself from your own garden.
31:22And Sue has been to visit a garden
31:24where seed collection has been taken to another level.
31:41If you like saving seed, you've probably got more than enough.
31:46And I like to give away my excess.
31:48So when I meet fellow gardening enthusiasts,
31:52not only are we sharing knowledge, but we're sharing seeds as well.
31:55So some of my plants are in their garden
31:57and some of their plants are in my garden.
31:59And it's really rather lovely.
32:02And I've come to Flanethley to meet someone who's taken seed saving
32:07to a whole new level.
32:10Maggie Carr has been gardening here for 30 years
32:13and she's recently started a seed library.
32:18Hello, Maggie.
32:19Hi, Sue.
32:20What is a seed library?
32:22Well, a seed library is a collection of seeds
32:24that you can have some seeds from.
32:26So we give you the seeds for free.
32:28You can have up to 10 different packets.
32:30You can go onto the website and choose your own seeds
32:32and then we'll send them out to you.
32:35And then we ask you to grow them
32:36and to save enough seeds from one variety for 10 packets
32:42and send them back to us at the end of the year.
32:44And that way we can keep the library going.
32:47But of course, what actually happens is that people
32:49get really enthusiastic about this
32:51and they save loads and loads of seeds.
32:54And I end up with people sending me shoe boxes full of seeds.
32:57Really?
32:58Absolutely fantastic.
32:59What are you harvesting here?
33:01So this is a moth mullin, a verbascum.
33:05It's fantastic for pollinators,
33:08especially moths and things like that.
33:09So this would be in our Plants for Pollinators section.
33:12And the seeds slowly ripen over the plant.
33:16And so I'll be picking these seed heads and saving them.
33:21And how do you tell if I look carefully?
33:24Some are darker than others, aren't they?
33:26They're darker, but also they start to split.
33:28Ah, yep.
33:28And so that's when they're really ripe when they start to split.
33:31They're crispy and they're dry.
33:34Can you see the seeds?
33:35Oh, yes.
33:36Lots of seed.
33:37That's plenty to share, isn't it?
33:38Yeah.
33:46It's lovely wandering through Maggie's garden.
33:50Like mine, it's on so many different levels.
33:53Her love of plants is obvious,
33:55because there's so many different varieties.
34:01These are Maggie's carrots.
34:04And if I think of them as biennial flowers, I can understand the process better.
34:09So what Maggie does is she sews a lot of carrots in a tub.
34:12Then she harvests them in the autumn.
34:14She's looking for the typical carrot, not the biggest or the smallest, but the most typical to that variety.
34:20And then she replants them in this polytunnel.
34:23She needs about 20 because some may die.
34:25There's only actually now 16 here.
34:27And they need to cross pollinate before they set seed to get a really resilient carrot.
34:33And so she's going to harvest the best seed for her seed library.
34:37And the carrots that don't make the grade, they may be a bit knobbly in the autumn, of course, end
34:43up on her table.
34:52So Maggie, where are you taking me?
34:54Well, this is the tunnel of beans.
34:56It certainly is.
34:57These are full of Maggie's belotti beans.
35:00I have to give one a go.
35:02They come from a seed that I was given many, many years ago by somebody who told me that they
35:08had the best bean ever.
35:09But when she sent me the beans, she didn't send her name.
35:13So I had to, in the end, just call them Maggie's belotti bean.
35:16How fabulous.
35:18Have a bean named after you.
35:20Belotti beans I love.
35:21I normally have them dry.
35:23How would you have them?
35:24Well, first of all, this is my most favourite way.
35:27Right.
35:27Just like this, you know.
35:29They are delicious.
35:29Delicious.
35:30Sweet as anything.
35:31So I have them raw in salads.
35:33And then I let them get a bit bigger, so they get a bit like this, a bit bigger.
35:37And then I have them steamed or in stir fries, just chopped up as like a regular bean.
35:43These are delicious.
35:44I hope I can take a couple of seeds home.
35:46I think we might find you a packet.
36:07So this looks exciting.
36:08What's going on here?
36:09OK, yeah.
36:10So these are germination tests.
36:11I've got two different varieties of pea here.
36:14So this is a variety called May Queen.
36:16And this is a variety called Voix de Carabee.
36:19So I take 50 seeds and I sow them in these gutters.
36:26And then I count and see how many have germinated.
36:29And how many do they have to be to get past the test?
36:34You need to get at least 45.
36:36Oh, that's 90%.
36:38Indeed.
36:39I better get counting.
36:40One, two, three, four.
36:41One, two, three, four.
36:41One, two, three, four.
36:42One, two, three, four.
36:43One, two, three, four.
36:43One, two, three, four.
36:44One, two, three, four.
36:44One, two, three, four.
36:44One, two, three, four.
36:47I failed.
36:49Oh, they figured in.
36:50The thing is that these are actually only just been sown.
36:53So I'll give them another few days.
36:56Give them a chance.
36:56And at least one more I guarantee will pop up.
37:00So this will in fact hit the minimum.
37:02There's nothing more frustrating is there or disappointing is when you put out your seeds and they don't germinate.
37:08Oh, I know.
37:09Are they really tasty?
37:10They are the sweetest, loveliest peas.
37:13They rarely get up to the garden, out of the garden, up to the house, you know, because I just
37:17eat them on the way.
37:18That is always a sign of a good point.
37:19I'm a snacker.
37:34So this is a bit of high-tech gardening wizardry.
37:39Indeed, indeed.
37:40Is it guess what it's used for?
37:42Well, can you?
37:43Well, no.
37:44Oh, okay.
37:46This is the seed cleaner.
37:48And I always used to winnow all my seeds, but you end up with it all around the garden.
37:53You know, it gets everywhere.
37:54And so this is a much more efficient version of that.
37:57And so what I do is I put the vacuum cleaner on and suck the air out with the vacuum
38:03cleaner.
38:03Pour the seeds in here and the chaff gets separated here and goes down into the bottom there.
38:10And the seed ends up in that bucket down there.
38:13This is ingenious.
38:15I know.
38:15My son made me this for Christmas.
38:18Those you love sons who make me things for Christmas.
38:21Back him off.
38:22Back him off, please.
38:24So here's the seed ready to pack up and send off all around the country.
38:29About my personage, I bought you some seeds of mine.
38:34There we go.
38:34And these are Mrs. McGee Amaranth.
38:38Oh, brilliant.
38:39I believe you're missing Amaranth now.
38:41I am missing Amaranth, yes.
38:43And I've brought for you...
38:45Ah, Maggie's Balotibies.
38:47Maggie's Balotibies.
38:47Wonderful.
38:49You're welcome.
39:04Come here.
39:05Up.
39:06Do you promise to take this biscuit and look after it and care for it until the end?
39:16Will you do that for me, Ned?
39:20Good.
39:21Well done.
39:23Good boy.
39:33What Maggie's doing works on lots of levels.
39:37And I think the idea of a seed library introducing people to plants that they haven't otherwise
39:40got and then using them to increase the store and the stock of seed of otherwise quite rare
39:48plants is a brilliant idea.
39:50But there's another more personal reason for collecting seed from your own garden, which
39:55is not only that it saves a lot of money, but also if you collect seed from a plant that
40:00is clearly happy in your garden, the new plants you grow from the seed will also thrive.
40:06And if you then collect seed every year, in effect you are breeding plants that increasingly are adapted to your
40:15particular garden.
40:17And that means they're going to be extra healthy, extra happy and extra beautiful.
40:32Having collected your seed, or bought seed, sowing it is in many ways straightforward, but actually it's worth taking real
40:40trouble and care.
40:41And what I'm going to do now is give you a brief masterclass in seed sowing.
40:47And sowing seed is one of the most rewarding things you can do.
40:51OK, let's start.
40:52What I've got here are ingredients.
40:55Now, seeds don't need much nutrition.
40:57It's all in the seed.
40:59What it really needs is good soil structure.
41:02The compost needs to be loose and open with some nutrition, but not too much.
41:08You can buy seed compost, and if you can get it, that's a good option.
41:13Personally, I like to modify, brought in bark-based compost.
41:17I then loosen it up.
41:19We want a nice loose root run.
41:21Vermiculite is very good because it biodegrades quite quickly.
41:25This is perlite.
41:27This is actually reused perlite.
41:29Perlite opens the soil out.
41:30It holds water, but it doesn't get waterlogged, and it biodegrades very slowly.
41:35This is leaf mould.
41:37Not very high in nutrition, but great for soil structure, which is ideal for seeds.
41:41And this is sift garden compost.
41:43You don't need much of this.
41:44Just a little bit to add a bit of goodness and bacteria.
41:49It's not an exact science, but I use equal quantities of vermiculite.
41:54Leaf mould and compost.
41:55And if you don't have any leaf mould, simply substitute it with more compost.
42:04It's very light cooking.
42:05You're mixing it up, and it feels light and fluffy.
42:09It should just feel as though it runs through the fingers, and it does.
42:13And that's perfect.
42:15Now, having made your perfect seed compost, you need to put it in something.
42:20Seed trays are ideal, particularly if you have small seeds and quite a lot of them.
42:24If you haven't got many seeds, you can buy half-sized seed trays.
42:29If you've got big seeds, anything that you can pick up individually in your hands, plugs or cells are really
42:36good.
42:36Because each seed has space for the roots to grow.
42:40Now, today, I'm going to sow tomatoes, so I'm just going to use a small seed tray, because I don't
42:46need a massive amount.
42:50Fill it. Not quite too overflowing.
42:53And then give it a shake, so it's even.
42:56And what I do is very lightly push on it, and that levels the surface.
43:02Now, I'm sowing gardener's delight, which is a really good tomato to start with.
43:07If you've not grown tomatoes before, it is very forgiving.
43:09It's good to grow outside. You can grow it in the greenhouse as well.
43:13So, a good place to start.
43:15Now, the simplest way to do it is take a pinch and try and spread them out as evenly as
43:21you can.
43:23Looking to space each seed, ideally half an inch, a centimetre apart.
43:28But that is quite tricky. Another little tip is to take a pencil, and in this case, it's a sharpened
43:36stick, but the principle is the same.
43:37Lick the end, and then, with the damp end, pick up a seed.
43:43And then, place that on the surface, and it should come off.
43:48And that way, in principle, you can place them exactly where you want.
43:54There is no benefit for sowing them more thickly.
43:59All you get is lots of seedlings that don't have room to develop good roots, and the roots are the
44:05important bit, not what you see above ground.
44:08Then, all I do is very gently press lightly, just to make sure that the seed has good contact with
44:14the compost, because that will help germination.
44:16At this point, you need to know whether the seed needs light or darkness in which to germinate.
44:23Most seeds like darkness, and seed packets will always have that information on it.
44:29Tomatoes need covering. I cover them with vermiculite. A sprinkle of compost will work as well.
44:35Now, I'm just sprinkling this very thinly.
44:40Like that. Label it.
44:50That's the sowing done, but there's one more really important stage, which is to water.
45:01Probably the best way is simply place the seed tray in a tray or a bath or a container of
45:07water so it absorbs moisture from the bottom.
45:10Leave it there for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then put it somewhere warm to germinate.
45:15Ideally, sort of somewhere between 15 and 20 degrees, and if you can keep it constant, so much the better.
45:20Keep them watered, but not sodden.
45:22And then the seedlings will emerge, at which point we go on to the next step, but we'll come to
45:27that in due course.
45:30Now, I adore tomatoes and grow lots, but we went to Wiltshire to visit a real tomato aficionado.
45:44We've only got to walk in the tunnel and have a peek and wonder, this bloke's a bit old, isn't
45:49he?
45:50It's a bit weird, this chap. What's he doing?
45:53There's said to be about 12,000 varieties, and don't just eat a red tomato. Try something a bit different.
46:00I call tomatoes vegetables, really, because you wouldn't have them in a fruit salad.
46:10My name's Lance. I'm a passionate tomato grower. I grow about 120 varieties a year.
46:17Tomatoes are the one fruit or vegetable, whatever you want to call them, that cannot be replicated in the supermarket.
46:24If you can buy cabbage and grow a cabbage, there's a little bit of difference in the quality, but you
46:30cannot replicate a homegrown tomato.
46:37So I really like to grow a cross-section between modern classics and heirloom varieties.
46:44And heirloom varieties generally, well, I would say are pre-1950 varieties.
46:49Heirlooms have this fantastic backstory with their history, and I like finding them and unearthing them,
46:56because some of them were lost unless they'd been saved in seed banks, an heirloom with a story, with a
47:02great taste profile.
47:04So this is a new one to me this year, and I was attracted to the name.
47:07It's called Plan 9 from Outer Space, which is a terrible 1957 sci-fi movie.
47:14This is actually an accidental cross that was found in someone's garden in 2014.
47:20It's a lot brighter than I expected on the palate, tropical acidity to start with.
47:24And then you've got a really sticky sweetness right on the finish.
47:28It's quite balanced, quite intense.
47:30A lot of bi-coloured tomatoes tend to be a bit bland, and this definitely is not bland.
47:35It's all about the flavour.
47:37I love intense flavoured tomatoes, which you simply can't buy.
47:40It's nothing like a homegrown tomato, nothing to replicate it.
47:45So the way I taste tomatoes and perceive them, you start out with bland, ordinary, mild, and then you can
47:51go off in two directions.
47:52You've got particularly sweet, which you get in a lot of cherry tomatoes, quite tart, which you can get in
47:59yellow tomatoes.
48:00And then what I'm really looking for in all my tomatoes is balanced.
48:04So we come up to here.
48:06Ideally, I'm looking for both these characteristics in equal amounts.
48:10And just occasionally, just occasionally, the bit I'm really looking for is intense.
48:15And I only find it occasionally in tomatoes, savoury, sweet, balance, and a really long finish.
48:23And you don't get it very often, just a couple of times a season, and I really savour those moments.
48:33So this is a wonderful heirloom that I've been sent by a gentleman in Hertfordshire who had been growing it
48:38for 15 years.
48:39And his family have been growing it in Cyprus for three generations.
48:44And many people in the same village have been growing it.
48:47And it's a village called Vassa in Cyprus.
48:50And this is called Heart of Vassa.
48:52And it's the first time I've grown it.
48:54This has been passed down by many generations in this village in Cyprus.
48:59So it's a genuine heirloom that's been unearthed.
49:01And I'm so thrilled to be growing it.
49:06This is Chopper Chops.
49:07And I've been growing this for about four years.
49:09And it is deeply embedded in my collection there.
49:12And I grow it every single season.
49:13So this variety has black shoulders.
49:15And that is where the sun has hit it.
49:17And it's anthracyanin.
49:19It's a pigment that you find in blueberries.
49:22What I love about this tomato is it has an array of colour inside.
49:26And it varies between tomatoes.
49:28So let's see what we've got in here.
49:32Initially quite sweet.
49:33And then you've got some zingy coming through.
49:36Yeah, it's got a classic tomato taste.
49:38But there's just a little bit more going on.
49:44One of the great things about growing an heirloom variety that is stable.
49:48Is that you save the seed from it.
49:50And it runs true.
49:51So how I save the seed.
49:53Is you need a ripe tomato.
49:55And I take the seed out of that.
49:57And I put it in a little pot with some water.
49:59Label it.
50:00And I leave that for a week.
50:01It kind of ferments.
50:03And it replicates the tomato rotting on the ground.
50:06And a very ripe tomato improves germination.
50:10So then what I do after a week is I wash the seed.
50:12Get rid of all the impurities and the other bits apart from the seed.
50:16And I lay that on a piece of greaseproof paper.
50:20Label it again.
50:21And I leave that to dry for about a week.
50:24And then that seed is dry and good.
50:26And at its peak for five years.
50:29And that can go into a small jam jar at room temperature.
50:32And the seed's good to go.
50:34If you have a stable variety that's not a hybrid.
50:37It will always breed true.
50:39You may get a very rare accidental cross.
50:41But that is quite rare.
50:43I start seed sowing in February.
50:46Bring my seedlings on.
50:47And once they reach about 12 inches high.
50:49I transfer them into 15 litre pots.
50:52With a multipurpose compost.
50:54Tomato plants like to have damp soil.
50:57They like a good soaking once a week.
50:58And a good feeding.
51:00But damp soil is preferable.
51:01I tend not to use grow bags.
51:03Because they lose their moisture quite quickly.
51:06And that's why I opt for pots.
51:07And during the early flowering stage.
51:09And the growth stage.
51:10I use quite a nitrogen rich feed.
51:13Liquid seaweed is a good option.
51:15A lot of nitrogen in liquid seaweed.
51:18And as the flowers start to turn to fruit.
51:20I reduce the nitrogen levels.
51:23And I increase the phosphorus and potassium.
51:25Because that encourages more flowering.
51:27And really good large fruits.
51:34And I've been growing for the last couple of years.
51:36Because it's just a really interesting concept.
51:39Are micro tomatoes.
51:41And this is the complete variation you get.
51:43From the smallest.
51:45Up to the tallest.
51:48And they come in different growth habits.
51:50Colors.
51:51What I really like about micro dwarfs.
51:52Is their versatility.
51:54You can sow seed.
51:56And within 12 weeks.
51:57You've got ripe tomatoes.
51:59And if you haven't got a garden.
52:00Or you've got a small balcony.
52:02Limited space.
52:03You can grow this.
52:05No problem.
52:06And also.
52:07Once the season ends.
52:08You can bring this in.
52:09And treat it like a house plant.
52:11And extend the season.
52:12So these are all mature plants.
52:14They will not get any taller.
52:15Quite happy in two litre pots.
52:18But apart from that.
52:18They don't need any management at all.
52:20Just a little bit of love.
52:21And a little bit of feed.
52:28If you've never grown a tomato before.
52:30I would definitely give it a try.
52:33It's very rewarding.
52:33Homegrown tomatoes are fantastic.
52:35Take the plunge.
52:36Give it a go.
52:37You've got nothing to lose.
52:55I think the great thing about tomatoes.
52:58Is to work out how you like best to eat them.
53:01And if you find out what you want to use them for.
53:04Then you will find wonderful varieties to choose from.
53:08Now this is about as far removed from tomatoes as you can get.
53:10But I think it's delicious.
53:11This is rocket.
53:12And this is not any old rocket.
53:14Because the rocket you buy.
53:16Or the rocket you get served when you go out for a meal.
53:18Is almost invariably the perennial kind.
53:21Has much more zigzag leaves.
53:22And actually is a bit thicker and tougher.
53:24But if you're growing at home.
53:26The annual rocket is much better.
53:29The taste is better.
53:30So the texture is buttery and peppery and delicious.
53:33It doesn't store well.
53:35It bolts very quickly when it gets warm.
53:38It needs lots of water.
53:39In other words.
53:40It needs some attention.
53:41It needs gardening.
53:42But we're gardeners.
53:43And that's what we do.
53:45This I sowed actually in January.
53:47But sow it now.
53:48And it will come up within days.
53:50And it will be good until May.
53:52And then it will start to bolt.
53:53But you sow another crop in August.
53:55For harvesting in September and October.
53:57Now if you have grown them.
54:00And you've got nice young plants.
54:01Give them space.
54:03Because actually these want to be quite big plants.
54:05Each one needs you know.
54:08Six to nine inches in which to grow.
54:10And then you get a big plant.
54:12And you can cut it all.
54:14And it will come back at least twice.
54:16Before it bolts.
54:19It likes plenty of moisture.
54:21So add organic matter to the soil.
54:23To retain moisture.
54:28And planting them.
54:29In a grid.
54:30Because it makes it so much easier.
54:33To hoe.
54:34And weed.
54:39Although it seems a very humble plant.
54:42I think this is something for the epicure.
54:44Really delicious rocket.
54:46And it also.
54:47Makes very good pesto.
54:49Rocket.
54:51Walnuts.
54:51You can use cheddar cheese.
54:54Oil.
54:55It's absolutely delicious.
54:57Now to complete this job.
54:58I need to water them in well.
55:00But that's all the watering they'll need.
55:02And while I'm doing that.
55:04Here are your jobs.
55:05For the weekend.
55:22If you're growing climbing or rambling roses.
55:25And you haven't tied them in.
55:27then do so now.
55:31Otherwise, the new growth can be damaged by the wind,
55:34and this, of course, will restrict flowering.
55:48Now's the time to sow broad beans,
55:50not least because they are one of the seeds
55:53that will germinate at lower temperatures than most.
55:57A double row is best,
55:59with the rows spaced about a foot apart.
56:01I use a board to space them,
56:03and then the beans three or four inches apart
56:06along the length of the row.
56:08Just push the seeds into the soil
56:11so they're an inch or two below the surface.
56:16Rake them over so they're well covered.
56:18Mark the spot.
56:19If it's very dry, give them a water,
56:22but rain should do the job,
56:23and they should appear above ground in a few weeks' time.
56:35If you grow the winter honeysuckle,
56:37the Nesra fragrantissima like I do,
56:39then now is the time to prune it.
56:41And this applies to all the early flowering shrubs.
56:44Prune them immediately after flowering.
56:49This is because they produce their new flowers on this year's growth.
56:54It's a good idea to refresh the plant by cutting out old wood.
56:58So get right in there,
57:00and using a saw or strong loppers,
57:02cut the oldest growth down at the base of the plant.
57:06It may look dramatic,
57:07but it will let light and air in
57:10and encourage the new shoots to grow more vigorously.
57:19Come on in.
57:27The snake's head fritillaries
57:30are now probably at their best,
57:32and they're a fascinating plant.
57:34There are two things about them that I love.
57:36The first is that they are a plant of floods.
57:40And of course, here at Longmeadow, we do flood.
57:43And they need a really good soaking in winter.
57:47They can be dry in summer, but not in winter.
57:49They won't grow if they're dry in winter.
57:51And I planted about a dozen, 25, 30 years ago,
57:55and they have spread down this end,
57:58which is the wettest end.
57:59When the flood comes in, this is where it comes in,
58:01and it comes halfway up and no further,
58:03and they haven't spread further up at all.
58:05So they're absolutely a marker of the water line.
58:09And the second extraordinary thing about them
58:11is we think of them as one of our really special wildflowers,
58:14flowering by the thousand on water meadows.
58:17But actually, they're almost certainly a garden escapee.
58:21So it's a plant that has been introduced,
58:23slowly left gardens, found where it likes,
58:26and made itself at home,
58:28which is what it's done here at Longmeadow.
58:30Anyway, that's it for today.
58:32I'll see you back here next time.
58:34So until then, bye-bye.
58:53I'll see you back here next time.
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