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00:15Hello, welcome to Gardener's World, and you may have noticed I'm not along with it today,
00:20because this is a special Gardener's World, and I've come here to London to show you this.
00:40This is the Queen Elizabeth II Garden, that has been two years in the making, and we've
00:46been following it along every step of the way, and we'll be sharing those stages with
00:51you throughout the programme.
00:52It opens to the public in ten days' time.
00:55But for today, we have an exclusive preview, so let's enjoy it in all its glory.
01:15The garden is situated in Regent's Park, and has been created to commemorate the life of
01:20our longest reigning monarch, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday on the 21st
01:26of April.
01:30Queen Elizabeth II was famously a countrywoman at heart, who found her greatest joy in the
01:37outdoors.
01:39She had a number of plants named after her, including a pink floribunda rose to mark her
01:45accession to the throne, and a ruffled salmon pink fragrant sweet pea.
01:55The new garden was commissioned as a living tribute to her extraordinary life and service.
02:11The visitor enters and immediately is confronted with a large pergola, clothed at the moment
02:19with clematis alpina.
02:21And this is made from salvaged metal from glasshouses that stood on this site.
02:28There's a big pond in front, clear water now, but spring moves into summer, plants both in
02:34the water and on the margins will flower and grow.
02:39And a wide path, looking a bit like a runway, leads out into the garden beyond.
02:44This represents the longevity of the Lake Queen's reign.
02:49And at the end of it, flowering today, just for me, is a magnolia.
02:55Now, at the moment, you stand here and look out and you just see a sea of colour from all
03:00the bulbs.
03:01But actually the garden, although it's not huge, is made up of many different parts, all
03:06of which have their own interest and their own characteristics.
03:20Of the many different sections and areas in the garden, this is the one that struck me
03:25most.
03:26It's an incredibly vivid display, dominated by tulips, but not actually the tulips that
03:31most of us grow in our gardens, because these are many species tulips.
03:35There is Clusiana saxophilis.
03:37These are delicate flowers.
03:39And it looks to me the sort of thing that you would see in a Mediterranean hillside here
03:44in the middle of London.
03:45Now, there is a reason for that, which we'll come to later.
03:48But, at this moment, it is looking absolutely fantastic.
04:04Sitting here, looking out across this great mass of daffodils.
04:09I'm struck by the way that a familiar plant is used in quite an interesting and unfamiliar
04:13way, because we're all used to seeing great drifts of daffs, but nearly always in grass
04:19and on the edge of trees, whereas these are used in borders.
04:23And actually, the closer you look, the more you realise how carefully they've been selected
04:28and placed.
04:29So, for example, right in front of me here, I've got the familiar thalia, which I grow in
04:33the writing garden.
04:33It's a beautiful white daffodil, wonderful fragrance.
04:37Next to it is martinet.
04:40And as you look across, you're seeing this repetition of colour and form and shape.
04:46But each one has enough space to have interest just in itself as a plant.
04:52And I don't think you often see daffodils doing that.
04:55It's a really good way of growing them.
04:58So it's, in a way, reclaiming daffodils as a plant worthy of its own space in the border.
05:05But to make that work, it takes great skill in choice and spacing and positioning.
05:16Whilst this is obviously a very British garden, it also reflects the passion that the late
05:22Queen had for the Commonwealth.
05:24And it does that by including plants, which otherwise you're unlikely to find in the average
05:30British garden.
05:31And none is more unlikely than this specimen behind me.
05:34This is the lancewood, Pseudoplamax crassifolius.
05:41Now this looks, quite frankly, like a dried up, sad relic of a plant, as though it is on
05:48its last legs, if not died already.
05:50The theory is it has evolved in its native New Zealand to look as though it's dead, to
05:56evade predators that would otherwise eat the leaves.
06:00And it grows until it reaches a height out of reach, at which point it explodes into a
06:08round ball of very green, healthy foliage.
06:12And here it is, in the middle of London, in this garden.
06:20The choice of planting is intriguing.
06:23On a sun-baked beautiful day, the whole two-acre garden positively radiates against the intense
06:30blue of a spring sky.
06:32To find out more about the garden's design, I'm meeting Matt Pottage.
06:37Now, Matt, you told me your title, which I think is rather wonderful, so I'm going to
06:41say it.
06:41You are Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategy of the Royal Parks.
06:45That's right.
06:46It's quite mouthful, isn't it?
06:47Oh, it's very impressive.
06:48I'm impressed.
06:49If the late Queen had been here to visit it, what do you think she would have thought?
06:55I think she would have loved it.
06:56I mean, she was very open-minded, so I think and hope there would have been lots of plants
07:01in here she would recognise, but maybe in a setting and a layout, she wouldn't.
07:05So tell me about the different areas.
07:07What's going on here and why?
07:08So when you first arrive, you come in the deep shade of these big mature hornbeams at the
07:12entrance, woodland planting style, great inspiration for dry shade.
07:16And then the water area, water plants, water side marginals, there's lots of irises around
07:22the big pool here.
07:24And that then flows into more of a matrix style of grasses and perennials.
07:28So matrix meaning you have one or two key plants that are repeated and then you intersperse
07:33amongst them.
07:34That's right.
07:35When you look at the planting plan and you think, gosh, this is complicated.
07:38But when you walk through it, when it's finished, it all feels quite naturalistic and soft and
07:42easy to the eye.
07:43And then those planting beds then start to blend into meadows.
07:47Right.
07:48And they are meadows, but with flowering bulbs through them.
07:51And I'm interested because they're on a low fertility soil mix, if they will persist long
07:55term.
07:56Because as you will know, on rich soils, your grass takes over and then our flowers disappear.
08:00So we're excited to see how they work.
08:06How do you come up with this as the plan and the strategy?
08:10So the process here was actually from our trustees.
08:13Our board of trustees felt a new garden to open two acres of this park that hadn't been
08:18visited by people before would be a wonderful thing for London and the wider nation, really.
08:24And it is for people.
08:25It's for park users, for gardeners.
08:28I mean, hopefully people will come here and learn something about the plants.
08:31And the geese enjoying it today.
08:35Is there an environmental plan as well?
08:37So, always to increase biodiversity is a desire.
08:42So, by the very nature of a huge diversity of plants, a diversity of habitat.
08:48I don't know if you're aware, but Regent's Park is the last known site in central London
08:52for breeding hedgehogs.
08:53So all the log piles, there are some fallen trees, there's loads of ivy on the ground.
08:57Yeah.
08:57Because it isn't where the budget run out, it's all the hedgehog habitats.
09:02It's planted deliberately using small plants.
09:05Is that a hard sell for the first few years?
09:08We're celebrating a bit of a slow gardening movement here.
09:10We want these things to establish slowly and well and root deeply.
09:14So it may not look to everybody like the Chelsea Flower Show on day one, and I don't think
09:19that's a problem.
09:20And we're happy to celebrate that and explain that.
09:24And I think that'll be the right way to establish a garden in what is quite challenging conditions
09:28with the soil mixes.
09:30What do you think people are going to say?
09:31How will they react?
09:32I hope they'll love it.
09:33I think there'll be debates and probably people say, wow, we didn't expect to see something
09:38like this in a park.
09:39I don't think people will necessarily expect this diversity of plants in a park that's free
09:44to wander in.
09:45So, I mean, I hope people will feel, you know, this is really special.
10:04It strikes me two things about this central path that are significant.
10:08The first is, it's the only straight line in the whole garden.
10:13It cuts through it.
10:15And the second thing is, this is a public space.
10:20It's got to be thronged with people.
10:21And this central path is rather like a walkway, main avenue, as the crowds make their way along
10:30through the garden.
10:44Now, this garden is right in the centre of Regent's Park, although I have to say it's tucked away.
10:50It's surrounded by trees, you feel as though you almost, you could be in the countryside, but
10:54actually it's right in the heart of London and Londoners have enjoyed access to the park
11:00for hundreds of years.
11:01And Abilie has explored its history.
11:15If you've ever been to London, it's highly likely that you will have found yourself here
11:21at the Regent's Park.
11:22This green oasis is 400 acres of calm amidst the noise and chaos of the capital.
11:33Millions of people cross its footpaths every year to relax, play, enjoy the gardens or visit
11:41one of the oldest zoos in the world.
11:46And this is a park that has always had a royal connection.
11:53Henry VIII first created this park as a place to hunt deer.
11:59But by 1810, one Georgian Prince's passion, the Prince Regent, later George IV, gave the
12:07park a new purpose and a new name.
12:12The Prince, known as Prinny to his court, wanted the best of everything.
12:17Man-made lakes, canals, sweeping vistas, including a new palace for himself.
12:28And no less than 56 villas for his cronies, all in a wonderful parkland setting.
12:37But unfortunately, like many of the Prince's grand schemes, he bit off more than he could chew.
12:44And he basically lost interest.
12:49In the end, only eight villas were built and there certainly wasn't any money for a palace.
12:56Over time, this estate, initially designed for the elite, had to be opened up to the general public,
13:04but only for two days a week.
13:06And now it's a park for all of London every day of the year.
13:16It wasn't just royalty who radically changed the face of the park, but also its garden designers.
13:28These are the Italian gardens created by one of the best designers of the day, William Andrews Nesfield.
13:38Known by colleagues as the Major, Nesfield, who was ex-military, brought precision to his designs in over 250 gardens
13:50and parks across Britain.
13:52And he certainly made his mark here at Regent's Park.
13:57This was the high point of Victorian carpet bedding, with thousands of annuals laid out in complex geometric patterns,
14:07which were frequently replaced throughout the year.
14:11When the Major's son, Markham, took over from his father in 1864, it wasn't just the plants which changed.
14:19He brought in a completely new style of garden.
14:25Markham preferred a looser and more naturalistic planting style.
14:30He filled this space with evergreens and deciduous trees,
14:34in complete contrast to his father's formal designs.
14:41No matter what the style of the different gardens in the park,
14:45the one thing they all demanded was lots and lots of fabulous plants.
14:52The Victorian era was a time when plants from all around the world were being brought back to London.
14:59There was a great deal of competition and excitement to showcase these new exotic plants,
15:06the likes of which many people had never seen before.
15:09Hundreds of workers grew tens of thousands of plants, not just for the Regent's Park,
15:17but for all the other London Royal Parks.
15:20By the mid-19th century, Victorian engineering was world class.
15:26It was possible to build greenhouses on an extraordinary scale.
15:31The Royal Botanic Society built a magnificent conservatory designed by Decimus Burton,
15:39who later went on to build the Palm House at Kew.
15:48Regent's Park remained a floral powerhouse until 1914,
15:54when World War One changed everything.
15:59Right in the heart of the park, the government built an enormous sorting centre
16:06for sending out mail to the troops out on the front line.
16:11It was the largest wooden building in the world.
16:16It covered over five acres.
16:22But by 1930, Queen Mary, the wife of George V,
16:27brought new plants and an abundance of flowers back to the park.
16:33In her name, one of the best and largest rose gardens in the world was created.
16:40But then World War Two struck and the park had to return to a war footing,
16:46with the country facing incredible food shortages.
16:50Almost one and a half million allotments were created for people to dig for victory,
16:56and Regent's Park was no different.
17:01Between the anti-aircraft guns and air raid shelters,
17:06hundreds of new allotments were created in the park and given to local families.
17:14Today, the botanical and Regency splendours of the park belong to a different age and time.
17:23But I am so excited about this next chapter in the history of the Regent's Park.
17:55I do think that the history of the parks in London is found in the history of the parks in
18:00London,
18:00which is fascinating.
18:01And one of the things behind them, as Advely pointed out,
18:05is that technology was a driving force.
18:08The fact that you could grow things in heated greenhouses,
18:11that plants were coming in from all over the world.
18:14And this site here, of course, this particular part of Regent's Park,
18:18was two acres of greenhouses pumping out plants for the Royal Parks.
18:25But that changed in 2018.
18:29These huge greenhouses, once packed with plants and people,
18:34were superseded by a new nursery in Hyde Park.
18:37And the site fell into disrepair.
18:41All the unused infrastructure then had to be carefully cleared
18:45before the garden could start to be created.
18:48Although one key building survived.
18:51This was an industrial site.
18:53And that explains one anomaly here in the garden.
18:57Because when I walked in, I looked at that tower and I thought,
19:00hmm, I wonder why that's there.
19:02I wonder why they built that like that.
19:03It didn't really fit in with the rest of the garden.
19:06But that is the one surviving remnant of the greenhouses that were here.
19:12It remains as, if you like, a tribute to the past,
19:15because it's the water tower that fed those greenhouses.
19:19So the history of this site rolls on.
19:22You can't undo that, even though the garden itself
19:25is looking squarely to the future.
19:30After a major clean-up and repair,
19:33the water tower now has a viewing platform
19:35to allow you to see right across the garden.
19:41It also provides somewhere for swifts to nest and bats to roost.
19:49This is the other side of the tower.
19:52It's been embellished by these ironwork flowers.
19:56And the story behind them, as with so much of the garden,
20:00relates to the Lake Queen.
20:01Because these represent the four different countries of Britain.
20:05So you have the Tudor rose, you have the Scottish thistle,
20:08the Irish shamrock, and a leek representing Wales.
20:12And on top of that, they were all part of the Lake Queen's coronation gown in 1953.
20:18So the whole garden is interwoven with references to the Lake Queen.
20:24Now, I've got lucky today.
20:26The sun is glorious, the garden is looking fantastic,
20:30and everything is just perfect.
20:32But when Adam came here last winter, the story was a bit different.
20:39It may be a freezing cold, wet November morning in Regent's Park,
20:46but I'm feeling like a very lucky boy,
20:50because today I'm being joined by some wonderful members of the great British public
20:56who've plied to be part of the planting team.
21:00People from all over the country have come along to take part in today's mass planting event.
21:07I queued for 16 hours when she was lying in state,
21:10and that was a very special moment.
21:13So this almost feels like a part of a journey to commemorate Lake Queen,
21:18who I know was very keen on gardens and gardening.
21:21I love Queen Elizabeth.
21:22I just think it's a lovely thing to do for her.
21:25It's nice coming together with other people that are like-minded.
21:29I'll be able to come back and see it when it's open, which will be really nice.
21:34I'm pleased to see that Matt isn't fazed by today's weather.
21:39He leads all the gardening teams across the Royal Parks.
21:45Looks good, doesn't it?
21:47Today's really special.
21:48It's the first time the public have been in here.
21:50So we've got a couple of hundred people coming,
21:52and they're going to help us plant 11,000 bulbs.
21:55So we have time slots.
21:57They'll have half an hour bulb planting,
21:5920-minute tour of the garden so they get to see where we're at.
22:02But we've had loads of interest in it, which has been really brilliant.
22:05But what's lovely as well is that physical connection
22:08that 200 people will have with the garden.
22:11It's going to end up being a really special space.
22:14We talk a lot at the Royal Parks that parks are for people,
22:17and they can come back and see those bulbs flowering later next year.
22:21We're really grateful.
22:23People want to be part of it.
22:24How much more is there to do?
22:26We're about 80% planted.
22:28200,000 bulbs have gone in here, so a lot of bulb planting.
22:32But we want it to be filled with colour.
22:34I think it's lovely, isn't it?
22:36You know, to create something in the memory of our Lake Queen,
22:39who we both know loved gardens and gardening.
22:44There's many plants in here she loved.
22:46You know, lily of the valleys, flowering magnolias.
22:48So, yeah, that connection to the Lake Queen will be very much through this.
22:52I can't wait to plant a few bulbs and get stuck in.
22:56I'm glad to hear that.
22:57The trails are at the ready.
22:58Come on, then.
22:58They're ready to go in.
23:00The volunteers have got off to a flying start.
23:04Pointy side up, root plate down.
23:11So, what's brought you down here, then?
23:13I spent time actually recovering from sepsis after hospital stay in the area.
23:17So I've seen a lot of the park through all the different seasons
23:19and actually, for me, hearing about the planting opportunity was really exciting
23:23because I just wanted to come give something to the park as well.
23:26I think there's a massive property in being able to just connect with nature.
23:30Yeah.
23:30You know, you can be very busy in sort of the world of work across London,
23:33you know, hustle and bustle of kind of the city as well.
23:36I think actually sometimes it's good for people to just take a step, slow down,
23:41maybe come out and connect with the green space.
23:48Come on, come do some planting.
23:49What made you apply?
23:51I've done some community gardening stuff in my borough and at university
23:55and I just thought it's a cool opportunity to, like, be part of something that will do you forever.
24:01So growing at home, what type of gardening do you enjoy?
24:04Is it sort of flower or ornamentals or more sort of veggie and fruit?
24:07I grow at home in my family garden, so I tend to focus more on herbs and fruits and vegetables
24:13just so I can have something to, like, bring inside.
24:15Bring inside, yeah.
24:17But I suppose for some people gardening is very personal,
24:20but being in the Royal Park has that communal sense as well.
24:24Yeah.
24:24And that's really nice.
24:26I noticed that you turned up fully prepared, so I'm presuming you're a keen gardener.
24:32I am, yeah, yeah.
24:33Yeah.
24:34I live in quite a built-up area, very small garden.
24:37It's lovely to be in an expansive place.
24:39Yeah.
24:40When you come back in April...
24:42Yes.
24:42..what's the first spot you're going to walk to?
24:45Here.
24:45That's what it will be!
24:48Taking up the reins of the garden is new head gardener Fiona Pack.
24:55I feel like I'm dodging the bulbs on the way to you.
24:58Yeah, don't be stepping on it.
24:59I know.
25:00It's going all right, isn't it?
25:01Yeah, yeah.
25:02It's such an exciting day.
25:04Yeah, it's great.
25:05So today, what have we got?
25:06We've got a mix of...
25:07Yeah, so we've got allium.
25:08Yeah.
25:08We've got tulips.
25:09We're using species tulips.
25:11Yeah.
25:11So, you know, we're going to get that perennial flowering.
25:13We've got some great hyacinth, muscari, going in.
25:17This is the last lot of bulbs that have gone in.
25:20What's gone in before?
25:22Yeah.
25:22So we've done a lot of the woodland planting.
25:24We've done a lot of daffodils.
25:26Yeah.
25:27We've got snowdrops, cyclamen going in, yeah.
25:29And then, of course, we've got all the plants to go in.
25:31So we've got 60,000 perennials going in as well.
25:34Wow.
25:35A very mixed planting, quite Mediterranean, drought tolerant plants going in.
25:39Yeah.
25:44Yeah.
25:45So, you've been here, what, three or four months.
25:48What was it like when you got the phone call and said,
25:51oh, yes, you've got the job.
25:52You are the head gardener.
25:53I couldn't believe it.
25:54I'm still pinching myself, to be honest.
25:56It's such a wonderful project to be a part of.
25:58Yeah.
25:58We get so many tourists to Regent's Park.
26:01The Queen was loved all over the world, yeah.
26:03We get so many visitors.
26:04And you're in charge.
26:05Yeah.
26:06Yeah.
26:07No pressure.
26:09To create a more naturalistic style, Fiona's team have just scattered the bulbs across the
26:14soil, ready for the volunteers to plant where they land.
26:18And one that features heavily in the scheme is an absolute favourite of mine.
26:23I was really pleased when I got here and found out they were planting tulip sylvestris.
26:29It's a really versatile plant.
26:31I've grown it edge of woodland.
26:33I've grown it under a hedge row in a sort of gravel garden.
26:36So it'll go.
26:37It'll go well in sort of sun, semi shade, but does love those free draining conditions.
26:45And if it's happy, it will start to seed about a little bit.
26:49And this comes sort of March time.
26:52I'll get to about that height.
26:54So probably about 20, 25 centimetres and have a beautiful sort of yellow bell.
27:01That just hangs.
27:03Species tulips are very different, obviously from a lot of the bigger, more flowery tulips
27:09that normally you get one year, two year, and then maybe year three, it gets weaker.
27:15Whereas these, if they're happy, they're only going to get better.
27:20Despite the cold and rain, it's clearly been a very special day for everyone who has taken part.
27:28And I think the personal connection they've made with this new garden will last a lifetime.
27:35It's been an honour really.
27:36I took a picture of the spot where I planted everything so I can pinpoint it when I come back.
27:41It feels very special to be a part of this and a wonderful way to remember her.
27:45Statues and monuments are great.
27:47They're wonderful.
27:48But in a space like this where people will come with their friends, there will be proposals here.
27:53People will come with their children.
27:54So when people lose the living memory of our Queen, there will be new memories laid down here.
28:01Look at that over there.
28:03People from all over the place have come just to play their part.
28:08Which I think is absolutely brilliant because every single one of them,
28:12hands in the soil, planting bowls, but more than anything going home with wonderful memories.
28:18Brilliant.
28:33Well, I don't think you could have a greater contrast between what was clearly a wet and cold day for
28:39Adam and all that incredible tea planting.
28:42And now, bathed in sunshine, the garden is just glowing with colour.
28:51Now, Fiona, you are the head gardener.
28:54Congratulations to you and everybody on that day who suffered in order that we might enjoy it.
28:59But are you enjoying it? Is this what you had hoped for and what you had planned?
29:03Yeah, I mean, it sounds cheesy, but yeah, everything and more.
29:07Just remind me how many bulbs are here.
29:08It's about 200,000.
29:10That is a lot.
29:11Yeah, but it pays off. I love bulbs for this.
29:14You get this whole succession of colour and, yeah, joy.
29:18Well, the succession is something I wanted to talk to you about because obviously this isn't going to last.
29:22So in ten days' time, it's not going to look like this, is it?
29:26It's going to look different, maybe better.
29:27So how are you planning for that?
29:29Well, the bulbs were planned so well that there is a succession.
29:33And because we are planting from October up until about January,
29:39we've still got some daffodils that are in bud and tulips.
29:42So hopefully there is going to be a bit of a delay.
29:45And then we've got alliums.
29:46They might be early, but I'm not sure.
29:49Which alliums have you got?
29:50We've got a whole mix.
29:51We've got ambassador.
29:53We've got altissimum.
29:55Things like nectar scordum as well.
29:58Is it looking like you imagined?
30:00Are there surprises?
30:02There's a few surprises down to squirrels, I think.
30:06In what way?
30:07The odd daffodil popping up where we hadn't planned it.
30:10But, I mean, that's, you know, it's naturalistic planting.
30:13I don't mind the odd little nature's step.
30:15So you've got different areas.
30:17Are there any that are already becoming favourites of yours?
30:20I think it has to be the area right behind you.
30:23That bank?
30:24Yeah, yeah.
30:25It's beautiful.
30:26I love the whole topography of this garden.
30:28And yeah, you've got this big slope, absolute mix of bulbs, big bold colours.
30:33And then that kind of sub-shrub Mediterranean-y layer.
30:37Yeah, I really like it.
30:39And I guess that that whole business, the Mediterranean thing,
30:42is you are planning for gardening in a world that is changing climatically.
30:46So the garden is very much a naturalistic kind of Mediterranean-style planting.
30:51Do you think this is something that will inspire and educate people,
30:55or is it going to be quite a strange thing for them to take in?
30:59This is still quite experimental gardening.
31:02We're not really sure how things are going to react.
31:04And what do you see as the biggest immediate problems here?
31:07Do you know, it could be the geese.
31:10Really?
31:11That's not an answer that many people give in the gardens, is it?
31:14No.
31:14It's my first time working in a park, and we've got plenty of ducks and geese,
31:19and yeah, they've started to move in.
31:21And I'm very fond of them, but I'll be curious to see what they start nibbling,
31:25especially the goslings, yeah.
31:27It looks fantastic.
31:28And you're clearly doing a great job.
31:39One of the more distinctive aspects of the garden is the gravelly substrate that the plants are growing in.
31:48Matt was able to explain the thinking behind it.
31:52What looks like gravel actually feels like concrete.
31:56Tell me about the soil and how it's come about.
32:00Yeah, so the site had a lot of concrete.
32:03The concrete was because the greenhouses were on a concrete basis, were they?
32:07And they had some concrete bases, some gravel bases, and all the path network between standing out areas, cold frames.
32:15So yeah, lots of concrete.
32:16And I think maybe historically, one would have got rid of all that and ship in nice soil.
32:21Yeah.
32:21We didn't want to do that.
32:22So it was a real challenge from a sustainability point of view, is how do we keep it in the
32:26garden when we use it?
32:31So we had to bring in crushers.
32:32They're crazy big machines that came in and almost crushed Dan, spat it out like gravel.
32:39That could then be mixed in with the very sticky clay soils.
32:45It's about 75% concrete crush to 25% clay.
32:50Tell me a bit about that, because there's clay and clay.
32:53This is clay.
32:54This is really clay.
32:55And I was actually reading the other day an old Victorian book about the Royal Parks,
32:59and it said the Regent's Park is on the most hopeless, sticky, yellow, appalling clay.
33:04And we've got something now very free-draining, but of course very alkaline because of all the lime from the
33:09concrete.
33:10And it must have been quite daunting for you at that stage, thinking this garden is going to open to
33:15the public,
33:15and here I am I with a building site worthy of a motorway.
33:19I know.
33:20It is daunting.
33:21And I think people will be surprised.
33:22I mean, this isn't something you see every day in gardens, let alone public parks.
33:26What really interests me is growing things slow and growing them hard for resilience.
33:31So we did actually do some trials to see how the plants would perform.
33:35And because the plants are in this very stressful, free-draining environment, what it does is it spends a lot
33:40of time putting down a huge deep root system, looking for nutrients and moisture.
33:44And what we found in the trial is the plants grew harder.
33:47And by that I mean, you know, there were tights, there was less leaf, they weren't as sappy, nothing needed
33:52staking.
33:53Are you saying that we gardeners should be incorporating crushed concrete or brick or whatever into our soil?
34:02No, absolutely not.
34:03And if you have no soil at home, you shouldn't be bringing in concrete and mixing it in.
34:07But what we are saying is if you've got a new build with rubble in the garden, or you've got
34:11rid of a patio or an old driveway and there's loads of sand and rubble, don't worry about it.
34:16Just change your planting palette accordingly.
34:17And your planting palette, to be clear, is what one broadly might call sort of Mediterranean plants.
34:25Broadly so, Monty, yes, yes.
34:27Lots of grasses and perennials, but shrubs that people will recognise like lavenders, like rosemaries.
34:32But of course, as you know, they're like the really good free drainage in the winter.
34:36And as we're getting wetter winters and on the heavy soils here at Regent's Park, I actually think it'd be
34:40really interesting how these things last.
34:45It is amazing to think that this new garden was once the old Royal Park's nursery complex.
34:53And there are eight Royal Parks in London, which all need hundreds of thousands of plants each year to look
35:00their best.
35:13The sheer volume of planting is therefore huge.
35:18They are all grown today in a hidden corner of Hyde Park.
35:23And last month, Carol was given a guided tour by the Royal Park's nursery manager, Rob Downing.
35:32Wow.
35:33I just cannot believe the scale of it.
35:36I know, it's really hidden in Hyde Park. The only way you can see it is from the air.
35:47But how can you hide a place like this? I mean, how big is it?
35:50We have 12 glass houses, which make up to be 8,200 square metres of glass.
35:58It's the secret part of the Royal Parks where we grow all the seasonal bedding requirements, herbaceous plants,
36:04and we just started propagating trees as well.
36:07Fantastic.
36:11Each of these sections, are they different temperatures, different climate zones?
36:16Yes, each can be manipulated to the plants that were growing there.
36:20So in terms of shading, temperature, humidity.
36:25It's no wonder they all look so happy.
36:30Look at the size of this potting bench.
36:32I know, we had these specially made because we do a huge amount of potting here.
36:37280,000 plants for the summer, you know, it's a colossal number.
36:40280,000. I can hardly contemplate that.
36:44So they all start here and then they all go out.
36:48They all go out.
36:49All over London.
36:49Yep.
36:57Look at this.
36:59This is our Zone 5 stock house.
37:01Wow.
37:05This contains a whole collection of plants such as the salvias here that are just being potted up.
37:11This is absolutely fascinating.
37:13So, what are you doing?
37:15We are currently potting up some of the salvias that are going to be out in the park this summer.
37:21Potting them on into two litre pots so they get bigger, branch out more.
37:25And we're also pinching out any ones that need to be pinched out.
37:29So, usually three nodes, give it a little snip.
37:32Snip.
37:33And then you get to bush your plant quicker, don't you?
37:35Exactly.
37:36That's my plan.
37:37So, all these are from cuttings that you've taken from a mother plant?
37:41All of them.
37:41Exactly, Carol.
37:42Fantastic.
37:42All of them are cuttings.
37:43I mean, that's the way to do it, isn't it?
37:45Exactly.
37:45Instead of everything having to be bought in wherever you can.
37:48And you're doing the same, James.
37:50Yeah, just potting them up, getting them into the sizes that they need to be for when they
37:53go out for production.
37:54And you've got nice, firm hands.
37:56That's what I love doing.
37:57Oh, I try.
37:57In fact, I can hardly keep my hands off.
37:59Come on, let's have a go.
38:00Nicely.
38:00Go on, have a go.
38:02So, when would you take your cuttings from your mother plants?
38:05So, now would be the perfect time if you have a couple of salvia plants in your garden.
38:10But because we have to make such big numbers, we are continuously taking cuttings all through
38:15the winter months.
38:16And salvias are quite good for winter cuttings.
38:19You know, at home, if you haven't got a vast edifice like this, you can keep your plants
38:24even on a windowsill if you haven't got your greenhouse.
38:27And it's quite interesting, Sydney, to think that some of these might be in a scheme somewhere
38:33in the heart of London.
38:35It's going to look beautiful this year.
38:43We have a collection of everything here.
38:45Centurias, Butylons, Plectranthus.
38:49Look at the shine on these Begonias.
38:51Look at them.
38:54This is a beautiful one, isn't it?
38:56This is one of the stock plants that we keep of the Begonia Richmondensis.
39:01And we propagate from these every year.
39:03And it is a real firm favourite of mine.
39:05It's so different to those traditional double flowered Begonias, which don't do that well
39:11in our climate out in London.
39:13But these are great.
39:14They can cope with some drier conditions.
39:17They have these really subtle but beautiful flowers.
39:19And even the foliage has a slight tinge of pink to it.
39:23So it's a firm favourite of mine.
39:24And we like to grow the plants that you don't necessarily see elsewhere.
39:28So it does encourage interest from our visitors and park users.
39:33We often get them writing in, what's this plant?
39:35Where can I get this from?
39:37So it's really great to have something slightly different.
39:39I think that might become a firm favourite with lots of people.
39:41I want one.
39:50You've got some incredible plants.
39:54I think of a bedding display.
39:55I'm thinking of it all down there and all neat and nice.
39:58But a weeping fig.
40:00Yep, yep.
40:01We like our flower beds as a structure.
40:04So these go to the flower beds in front of Buckingham Palace,
40:07our most prestigious planting.
40:08And these are what we call dot plants.
40:11They're specimen plants that give some variation,
40:13some height to the beds.
40:25Aaron.
40:26Hi, how are you doing?
40:27Okay.
40:28All the better for seeing you in these wonderful plants.
40:31So what are you doing to these polygoniums?
40:33At the moment now, I'm just taking out the side shoots.
40:36Yeah.
40:37Because when you take out the side shoots out of these polygoniums,
40:41it gives the strength to grow up.
40:44And you want them higher than this?
40:45Yeah, I want them growing up.
40:46Yeah.
40:47Because they've got to be fit for a king, isn't that right?
40:50Definitely.
40:51Going in front of Buckingham Palace?
40:53Yeah?
40:54Exactly.
40:54And its significance is that they're exactly the same colour
40:57as the tunics of the king's guards.
41:00The guard at Buckingham Palace, yeah.
41:02I feel like standing to attention, just like your polygoniums.
41:07Everything has to be planted just before the king's birthday.
41:10How wonderful.
41:11So there must be quite a lot of pressure right up until that time.
41:17Pressure right through the air.
41:18Yeah.
41:18Always have a lot of pressure on this.
41:20It's not easy to grow in this polygonium.
41:23No.
41:23Yeah, you have to have love for the plant.
41:26I even play music to them and plants them, you know?
41:28Do you?
41:29A lot of classical music.
41:30Classical?
41:31Yeah.
41:32Don't you sing to them?
41:33I do sing to them.
41:34I do sing to them.
41:36Well, you must have a beautiful voice
41:39because they obviously respond brilliantly.
41:41Yes, I do.
41:56So this is where it's all happening, isn't it?
41:59So you're all volunteers?
42:01We are indeed.
42:02So come on, show me what you're doing.
42:04You're taking cuttings from these plants.
42:06Yes, Lady Plymouth.
42:07And so what we're doing is we count two nodes from the bottom
42:10and then cutting, say, about there.
42:14Do a cut.
42:15Yeah.
42:16And then, as you know, strip it off.
42:18Then once you take off all the leaves
42:20so that there's nothing remaining on the stem,
42:22you pop it in the plug
42:24and then you give the lady just a little squeeze.
42:27Oh, does she mind?
42:29She's used to it.
42:30Yeah, I'm sure she is.
42:32Then they pop one into this tray here.
42:35All right.
42:36Absolutely brilliant.
42:37So all these plants here,
42:39have you grown them all?
42:41We have.
42:41And they're all going to go out into the parks?
42:43They are.
42:44How lovely.
42:45I mean, did you realise that this nursery was here?
42:48No, I never knew.
42:49Who knew?
42:49It's magical.
42:50It's all well-kept secret.
42:52Not any longer, it's not.
43:01Well, I know all the plants you grow are special,
43:04but aren't these extra special?
43:06These are extra special.
43:08These are plants that we've been growing
43:09for the new garden at Regent's Park
43:11to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
43:14Wow.
43:15Fantastic.
43:16I mean, that's one of my favourite herbaceous plants of all time.
43:21It's beautiful.
43:21Yeah, Caradona.
43:22So that's a plant that's just going to mingle with everything,
43:26stand for ages.
43:28Looks beautiful by the way through, doesn't it?
43:30Yeah.
43:31Excellent choice.
43:32You know, it's a plant I really like here,
43:33and salvias are one of my favourite,
43:36and I think they will do really well in that garden.
43:38Yeah.
43:39So this is quite different from some of those lovely tender salvias we saw.
43:43This is a toughie, isn't it?
43:45It's tough, and the garden has been created using recycled aggregate,
43:49so this will stand up really well to those conditions in the garden.
43:54It's a garden with a difference, isn't it?
43:56It really is quite different from anything we've ever seen before.
43:58Yeah, and I think that's what makes it so special,
44:01that it's a new garden, a new style for us as the Royal Parks.
44:04You know, it's not the traditional planting,
44:06so I think it will be a big draw for visitors to come and see it
44:10and be inspired by it.
44:12I'm really proud if that happens out in the park.
44:14I hope it's an enormous success.
44:22I can hardly believe it.
44:23What a privilege to be here in this magical place,
44:28and to see the love and nurture
44:31that all these wonderful people
44:34put into producing these beautiful plants.
44:37It's just...
44:39It's paradise.
44:53I knew there were some greenhouses in the Hyde Park.
44:56I had no idea it was on that scale,
45:00it was that modern, and they were producing that many plants.
45:03I'm blown away.
45:04Incredibly impressive.
45:06Now, I also knew I would find you here,
45:08but I don't know which one's Samara and which one's Neve.
45:10I'm Samara.
45:11You're Samara, therefore you must be Neve.
45:13Very nice to see you.
45:14Have you both been working here since day one?
45:17That's right, yes.
45:18We moved into the garden in October time.
45:21So, yeah, the gardening team have been planting since then,
45:24so six, six, seven months.
45:25I mean, planting, I gather it's over 200,000 bulbs.
45:27Absolutely, yeah.
45:29I'm very proud.
45:29It's a real feat.
45:30But worth it, because I have to say, I walked in this morning,
45:34I just thought, this is extraordinary.
45:36And do you get that when you come to work now?
45:39Absolutely.
45:39The gratification of coming through and being like,
45:41OK, we really made it through the autumn and winter,
45:43and now we get to reap the rewards of this sun
45:46and all the colour that's here.
45:48And what are you planting now?
45:49We're planting some Salvia caradonnas.
45:51Carol went to see these plants being grown and prepared for here.
45:56And those are the same, are they?
45:57Absolutely, they're very same.
45:59Perfect.
45:59And these will flower in?
46:01They'll be flowering around about, like,
46:03May to June time, I would imagine, yeah.
46:05So are coming through after the bulbs?
46:07Absolutely.
46:07But the good thing about them is once you deadhead them,
46:10they should get a little bit of a second flush as well.
46:11And they're tough and they'll cope.
46:13Yeah, once they're established, they're really drought tolerant
46:15and they can stay in over the winter because they're quite hardy.
46:18And will there be a lot more of adding in,
46:20or are these just last additions?
46:22These are last additions,
46:23so quite a lot of the perennials have already been planted
46:26and they're still very small at the moment.
46:28And in terms of this style of gardening,
46:30is this something that both of you are familiar with
46:32and have done before?
46:33No, this is quite new to me.
46:35Yeah, so working in a bed that's made up of largely recycled aggregate,
46:40but a very interesting experiment.
46:42So you're really on pioneering work here.
46:45Definitely, like, we both feel quite lucky to be part of something
46:47that is almost a bit experimental.
46:50Well, I really admire the way that you're sort of all creating
46:52something new between you at every level.
46:55And if it continues looking as good as this, it's going to be wonderful.
46:58And all your hard work is paying off,
46:59and I know it's going to give a lot of people a lot of pleasure.
47:01It's going to be absolutely fantastic.
47:03Thanks for talking.
47:10The late Queen was a regular at RHS Chelsea Flower Show,
47:14and was well known to have a particular fondness for lily of the valley and magnolias.
47:24This magnolia is the centrepiece of the entire garden.
47:27And I say that it's flowering specially for me.
47:30The truth is, the flowers or the temples are falling almost as I speak.
47:35But it's an interesting one, because it's called Wodder's Memory,
47:38and it's a magnolia silicifolia,
47:40which means that the leaves are rather narrower than normal,
47:43and the form of the tree is pyramidal.
47:46It stays that shape.
47:47Now, that's really unusual for magnolias.
47:49So it's really good for a smaller garden, and yet it has real presence.
47:55Now, this magnolia is standing solitary and splendid in the middle of the garden.
48:01But Frances has been to North Shropshire to see magnolias in every conceivable shape and form.
48:12When early spring lands, it's a delight to see the tiny petals of delicate blossom.
48:23But some trees don't bother with delicate.
48:26Magnolia flowers are big, like huge bowls or strappy cups, and they are a riot of colour.
48:37This collection of magnolias, and more, is part of Cherry Tree Arboretum,
48:42planted by veteran nurseryman John Ravenscroft and his wife Liz over the last 20 years.
48:55And although these trees are still very young, their ancestors have an incredible history.
49:01Magnolias are found all over the globe, and are one of our oldest flowering plants,
49:06with a story that spans millions of years.
49:15fossilised remains of magnolias have been found dating to the time of the dinosaurs,
49:20around 100 million years ago.
49:22And they've survived for many good reasons.
49:31In the wild, these are woodland trees, but rather than being grouped,
49:35they're dotted singly throughout the forest.
49:38So this mass of big flowers, some of them very scented,
49:43act as an enormous beacon for pollinators.
49:51And, because magnolias were growing before the bees and butterflies we know today existed,
49:57they've evolved to be pollinated by different insects.
50:04This stigmatical column is absolutely covered in pollen that beetles like to eat.
50:10Now, they're not quite as delicate as bees, so they'll crash their way into here,
50:14and absolutely cover their bodies in pollen.
50:24To ensure that each bloom doesn't pollinate itself,
50:28the female part of the flower deep inside this column ripens first,
50:32before its pollen.
50:34And magnolias emit a scent that beetles love.
50:41So even before these petals, or tepples as they're actually called, are open,
50:46they will worm their way or munch their way inside the flower,
50:50covered in pollen from the next door flower, and pollinate this one.
51:00The strong, thick tipples of many magnolias evolved to cope with the munching,
51:05blundering beetles, but modern hybrids can capitalise on these sturdy flowers.
51:15This is galaxy, and the really special thing about this magnolia is that it has two successions of flowers.
51:21So you can see these big ones that are in their prime now,
51:24but there are also loads of buds ready and waiting to open up later.
51:30So you could have two months of constant flowering.
51:34And although all magnolias do drop their tepples,
51:38this one does it really quickly so they have no chance to turn brown.
51:41A little breath of wind, and the whole thing is cleaned up beautifully.
51:55One of the worries for magnolias is the risk of frost damage.
51:59Pink flowers tend to fare better than white, and it's harder to see the damage.
52:03But the positioning of these trees is vital.
52:12Most of the magnolias in this arboretum are planted on a slope, on a hill.
52:17And that's because cold air rolls downhill and brings that frost with it.
52:22And you can see that this magnolia has been quite damaged on the back of it.
52:26Whereas on this lower side, the tepples are completely unblemished
52:31because they've been protected by this hill.
52:38It's partly why magnolias are great in town gardens.
52:41They're protected by the buildings.
52:47As a nurseryman, the creator of this amazing arboretum used to sell magnolias.
52:52And these beds are his magnolia library, full of the mother trees used for grafting.
53:07It's rather astonishing to see so many magnolias crammed into one space in all different colours and forms.
53:14But the yellow ones are particularly interesting.
53:17These tend to be less affected by the frost than the other colours because they bloom later.
53:22Now this one is called Elizabeth.
53:24And it's a beautiful primrose yellow with a really classic magnolia flower shape.
53:29But just behind me over there is another yellow one called Gold Star.
53:32And that's got the star-shaped flowers.
53:34It's really unusual and absolutely stunning.
53:43These beds also dispel the myth that all magnolias have to be huge.
53:50Because these have all been used to graft from every year, they have been really heavily pruned.
53:57These ones are stellata anyway, so they're naturally smaller.
54:00So if you had a really small garden, you'd probably be drawn to this style rather than the other.
54:06But this space just goes to prove that even with the big ones, you can prune them and keep them
54:10small.
54:11You just really have to know what you're doing.
54:19Thanks to modern breeding, there are hundreds of hybrids and varied flower shapes that will stay small for ages.
54:29This is Genie.
54:32And the lovely thing about this magnolia is it's incredibly slow growing.
54:35But it also has really very beautiful flowers.
54:39They're almost tulip-like in their form and a really deep colour that you don't often see.
54:45In fact, I don't think I've ever seen one this dark.
54:46So it's a really interesting magnolia.
54:55Magnolias are found around the world, from Canada to Venezuela and way into Asia.
55:02They've evolved to cope with varied climates and terrain, and they have stood the test of time.
55:15One of the reasons why magnolias may have survived for so long is that their branches are really incredibly pliable.
55:23They bend in storms and wind where other trees might break.
55:27So they're real survivors, they're ancient, they're resilient, and they are incredibly beautiful trees to have in your garden.
55:46They're very beautiful.
55:50Whilst magnolias are by and large very resilient trees, like any plant, they do need the right conditions in order
55:56to thrive.
55:58Now, this is a swale, and I like a swale, because they're ingenious and yet very simple.
56:05In principle, it's just a ditch, in this case lined with London clay, so it holds water for quite a
56:14long time, not indefinitely.
56:15So it can be wet for months on end, particularly in winter, and then it can dry out completely in
56:22summer.
56:22But there is enough water in the clay, in the soil, although the surface may be dry, for plants that
56:29need moisture to survive.
56:31Like the kelpher, like the iris you have there, like your ligularia.
56:36However, the banks remain dry.
56:38The water flows down and then is held in the ditch.
56:42So you can plant the banks, or the top surface, with those Mediterranean plants that need sharp drainage, even though
56:50it's very wet in winter.
56:51And you can plant the bottom of the swale with plants that need lots of water, even though it's very
56:57dry in summer.
56:58Everybody's happy and you have really good diversity of planting.
57:23I've been very well, I've been here. I'm not here truly alone, because it's humming with life.
57:29There are bees buzzing around everywhere, there are butterflies. The birds are swooping around.
57:35It feels, in the middle of this great city, like a true nature reserve, as well as a beautiful garden.
57:41And that transformation, from a building site with acres of concrete, is nothing short of a small miracle.
58:11I can't tell you what a joy it's been. The luxury and the privilege of having it to myself.
58:18It's going to be open for everybody on the 27th of April, and I would say definitely try and come
58:25along.
58:25Enjoy it as much as I have done.
58:28And I think this is a garden that will be worth revisiting for many years to come.
58:34Well, that's it for today.
58:36So, I'll see you back at Longmeadow, with Med, next time.
58:41But until then, bye-bye.
58:52Have a good night.
58:57Have a good night.
59:01Have a good night.
59:10We'll see you again next week.
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