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Gardeners World S59E09
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00:00Here we are, Joe. Our first RHS flower show of the year.
00:05Yeah, it's fantastic.
00:06And I get this sort of sense of hope and anticipation and excitement.
00:11I mean, it's all of those things.
00:12Yeah, it all starts here, doesn't it?
00:14It does.
00:14Really, the whole show season starts here.
00:16What an incredible setting. We've got the Malvern Hills behind us.
00:20So it's Gardener's World coming from the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
00:24And it's the show's 40th anniversary, so it's kind of a really special year.
00:29Yeah, there's about 100,000 people come through the gates.
00:32And they're looking for something a bit special, aren't they?
00:35Not plants you just buy in the garden centre and it's all here.
00:38Yeah, no, that's absolutely true.
00:39I mean, the floral market is absolutely packed with really unusual plants.
00:42And, of course, the growers know everything there is to know about those plants.
00:46So you get everything, don't you?
00:48Yeah, I love talking to the growers. I love talking to the visitors here.
00:53I love talking to the garden designers. I just love talking to everybody.
00:55Yeah, you're Mr. Loverman, aren't you? Definitely.
00:57Well, here's just a little taste of what we've got coming up.
01:04This glorious part of the world, where the three counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire meet,
01:10offers some of the richest soil and one of the best growing landscapes in the UK.
01:15And in late spring, it never looks better.
01:19In the shadow of the Malvern Hills is the showground, a magnet for green-fingered visitors.
01:27It boasts a floral marquee bursting with blooms.
01:32I'll never tire of the spring colour on show. This is the start of my gardening year.
01:38This is my first show garden. I've never done anything like this before.
01:42I really cannot wait to see the plants delivered safely. That's my main concern at the moment.
01:50There's a festival of houseplants, which no other flower show offers.
01:56Houseplants can be hugely addictive. There's so many here, it's difficult not to get excited.
02:02When you do an RHS show garden, your house becomes full of plants.
02:07They're everywhere. Literally everywhere.
02:10I'll see you there, me lovers. Wish me luck.
02:14Some of the brightest minds in gardening of all ages ply their trade here.
02:21It's a show that honours the plants and the people of the past,
02:27whilst embracing the future gardeners and growers.
02:32Malvern is the three counties showground.
02:35So it's not just RHS to us, it's also the farming and the community.
02:39So it feels a bit like a spiritual home to us.
02:43And what other show has a view as good as this?
02:49There's nowhere on earth I'd rather be. This is the Nirvana for garden creatives.
02:54It's the enthusiasm of the crowds. It's almost like they've been locked up all winter
02:59and it'll put a smile on their face for the rest of the year.
03:10There's so much to see. Where are we going to start?
03:12I'd quite like to go to the Floral Marquis.
03:14Yeah, we're going to get there. Just calm down a little bit.
03:18The Floral Marquis is going to be there, but look, we're right next to the show gardens.
03:21OK, this is true. And the sun's shining.
03:23Yeah.
03:34I think this is wonderful. It's called the One Garden, which I think is a brilliant name.
03:39And it celebrates the more than eight million people in the UK who live on their own.
03:44And garden on their own.
03:45And garden on their own, too. It's a brilliant garden, this.
03:49I've got to say, from the front, you know, it really draws you in with the height of the boundaries,
03:54the black boundaries, setting off the plants.
03:56And then when you're in it, it's just got that courtyard feel.
03:59You know, this central rock, this sort of little Zen thing going on.
04:03But also, I think the overall style, because of the brickwork,
04:07it's sort of slightly South American, but very British in a way at the same time.
04:12I mean, the bricks are extraordinary.
04:13It looks like the whole garden's been laced together, doesn't it? Extraordinary.
04:17And the colours in the bricks are fantastic.
04:19And just sort of echo through the planting, because I love that softness here.
04:23And this lovely geranium summer boar here.
04:26And these lovely soft pinks drifting through the aquilegias.
04:30It's really beautiful.
04:30Yeah, and then it feels like it's spilling over these walls.
04:33The height changes the levels.
04:34Very abundant.
04:35Yeah, and the water behind us is gorgeous, too.
04:39The sound is perfect, I would say.
04:41It can be a bit overwhelming in a small space sometimes.
04:43But you can really feel this being alive, this garden.
04:47Yeah. Great job.
04:48I think it's fantastic.
04:56Blessings from the Sea tells the story of Korea's coastal scenery
05:00and the Chalippo Arboretum founded by Carl Ferris Miller in 1970.
05:06I like this rill a lot.
05:09The way it steps down and then actually the detailing on the inside.
05:13I like these edging tiles, just sort of laid on their sides.
05:16So simple that one could do that.
05:19Now we might not all have a salt laden breeze to contend with,
05:23but what this garden does so well is show how low level planting can hunker down,
05:30protected from the wind, while shrubs like this flowering viburnum
05:34give you the height without fighting the elements.
05:51This is a beautiful garden.
05:53Ooh, yes.
05:54I love them all, but they don't have to be rectangular.
05:56They can be any shape they want.
05:57Look at the show gardens.
05:59And this feels like it's been here forever.
06:01Yeah.
06:02It's got a real atmosphere, hasn't it?
06:03Yeah.
06:03But the whole thing here is about attracting and keeping and feeding
06:08and making beneficial spaces for birds.
06:11Yeah.
06:11That's the real key to it.
06:12And of course you've got to give them food sources through the planting pretty much.
06:16And it's also that multi-layered thing, isn't it?
06:18So that you're feeding the birds directly, but you're also feeding insects which in turn feed birds.
06:24And I think this is absolutely fantastic.
06:26I love that with the dead hedge because I think that's something we can all do,
06:29even in quite a small space.
06:31And there'll be loads of critters hiding in there and bringing in, you know, the birds.
06:35And a little bit of water, of course, and then the plant selection as well.
06:39So we've got things like the teasels, which finches love because they've got the seeds.
06:43And also, you know, they hold water as well, so birds can drink from them.
06:46And there's Achillia over there.
06:48Now, starlings make their nests from Achillia leaves because it's got anti-parasitic qualities.
06:54So they'll go for that specifically.
06:57So, you know, you really need to sort of hone it down and have a good variety of plants.
07:07Well, look, I'm going to go and look at the rest of the show.
07:09You stay here because I can see you falling in love with this garden.
07:12Very beautiful.
07:13I'm a bird.
07:14I'm a swift.
07:15I'm in my natural habitat.
07:16So you are a swift.
07:21It's a great garden.
07:22There's so many layers of interest.
07:25It really gets you thinking.
07:45I've been waiting all year for this.
07:48Back in the Floral Marquis, all of these stunning plants.
07:52And the best thing is as well that you've got the growers here,
07:55and they know these plants inside out.
07:57So you're going to get really good horticultural advice.
08:07Well, here's something very close to my heart,
08:10because I actually got into gardening because of alpines.
08:13My father really loved them, and we had a rockery.
08:17It was the 1970s after all.
08:19And so to see these little saxifragas here, look at this.
08:22The foliage is just so kind of tight to the base,
08:26and then you've got these lovely airy flowers just opening in the white up here.
08:30And something else that's very special, this little miniature edelweiss here,
08:34which really speaks of the Alps.
08:37And it's easy to assume that because some of these flowers look so delicate
08:41that they're difficult to grow.
08:42But actually, they are bred to be really resilient.
08:46They're fully hardy.
08:47What they do need is really sharp drainage.
08:50Just make a little arrangement with a few bits of rock and some gravel around,
08:55and they'll be perfectly happy in that.
09:00It's a bit of a squeeze.
09:05I've got something of a thing about scented leaf pelargoniums at the moment,
09:10so I'm looking for a couple more to add to my collection.
09:13And look at this one.
09:14This is fantastic.
09:15It's called Pink Capricorn.
09:17This really beautiful sort of strong magenta.
09:20I like that one very, very much.
09:22And I'm finding them actually very easy to grow.
09:25So I do protect them over the winter.
09:27They don't stay outside.
09:29They're not hardy.
09:29But also taking cuttings from them as an insurance is a good idea,
09:34just to sort of keep having young, healthy plants.
09:37And they root actually very easily.
09:40But they're absolutely beautiful, this range of colours.
09:43The only thing is choosing which one to take home.
09:53I'm so drawn to this display, and I think part of the attraction is the geoms,
09:57which are all over the show, and for good reason.
10:00They're fantastic plants.
10:01They're beautiful at this time of year.
10:03And then if you deadhead them, you get a second flush of these flowers.
10:11I love this pink petticoat because of that sort of really frilly tutu skirt.
10:15That's right.
10:16So I think it's very well named.
10:18And I like this one as well.
10:19Yeah, so that is Tempo Rose.
10:22A little bit taller, and it actually does better if it's in the semi-shade
10:27because the colour is more vibrant and richer.
10:30You can grow it in the sun, but I tend to advise customers to grow it in semi-shade, really.
10:35That's a really good tip.
10:36That's exactly why we like to come and speak to you.
10:43Which ones do you like?
10:45Which ones are you buying?
10:46Mr Bojangles.
10:47I'm looking for Mr Bojangles as well.
10:58Perfect.
10:58That bag is bulging with GMs.
11:02Thank you, Le.
11:02Thanks so much.
11:04Thank you, Le.
11:28Thanks so much.
11:28You might think, oh, clay soil, that's a problem.
11:31But actually, it isn't.
11:33There's a few basics you've got to get right.
11:35And on this feature garden, they show you what to grow, how to grow it, and how to improve the
11:40soil.
11:41I've got clay soil.
11:42Trust me, it's not a problem.
11:52So how do you know if you've got clay soil?
11:54Well, the first thing to do is get a handful of it.
11:57Hold it tight.
11:58If it holds into a ball, it's clay soil.
12:01And actually, clay soil, as long as you get plenty of organic matter into it, it'll turn it into the
12:06fertile soil we all want in our gardens.
12:08And more than 55% of topsoil in England and Wales is clay-based.
12:14And here, they show different ways of dealing with it.
12:18So here we've got dogwood stems.
12:21Now, dogwoods grow really well on clay soil.
12:23And they've just used a chop and drop method, which is chopping it up and then leaving it on the
12:28beds.
12:29And that protects the soil.
12:30It stops it creating that sort of crust over the top.
12:33And then it breaks down and improves the soil at the same time.
12:37So basically, it's acting as a mulch.
12:43Now, clay soils are fundamentally rich in nutrients.
12:47But they can be quite hard to work.
12:50And so that's why we mulch.
12:52We add organic matter.
12:53And we let the worms take that down and improve the aeration of the soil, moisture retention of the soil,
13:00fertility of the soil.
13:01So mulch is about two inches thick.
13:03And you can use pretty much any organic matter.
13:05And here we've got some chopped straw.
13:08There's bark chips.
13:09We've got garden compost.
13:11Whatever you can get locally and in volume.
13:14There are many plants that grow really well in clay soil.
13:17But if you want to plant things that like a bit more drainage, like nepetas and salvias and alliums, then
13:23just build a raised bed.
13:24Put compost in it.
13:25Then those plants will grow in it.
13:27But it will also get their roots right down into the clay soil where the nutrients are.
13:33Now here they're showing how to use clay in our gardens.
13:36But of course there's lots of other ways we can use clay.
13:52For the first time this year, they've introduced a new category called floral tablescaping.
13:59What is that?
14:00I hear you ask.
14:01Well, it's a judged floristry category in which a garden shed is completely decorated with blooms.
14:09And they include a bench for seating and of course the table itself absolutely covered in flowers.
14:16And who doesn't love a garden shed?
14:19This shed is spectacular.
14:21It's so abundantly filled with plants.
14:24You've got obviously all the greenery here hanging down from the top.
14:28And lovely oranges and soft pinks with the geom, the ranunculus just at the back.
14:34And then it drifts through those Iceland poppies to these lovely pure whites in the front with the sweet peas
14:39just dangling over the edge of the table.
14:42And I love this touch.
14:43Just a little collection of strawberries on the front.
14:46Definitely good enough to eat.
14:55Here we've got a nod to Victorian excess and it's very sumptuous.
15:00You've got these beautiful silks on the table.
15:03You've got fine china and crystal just setting the scene.
15:07And then all the flowers just sort of popping through in lovely shades of purple and orange.
15:12And I'm particularly drawn to these little violas in the pots.
15:15I think they're absolutely charming and they really give you that sense of vintage.
15:21It's very beautiful.
15:25Now a few days ago we caught up with passionate grower Mike Arthurs from Taunton.
15:30He has developed a huge collection of his favourite plants with the help of a few feathered friends.
15:45Now there it is.
15:47Awesome boy.
15:48Great.
15:48So this is Elegance.
15:50It's a lovely good grower.
15:51It's a blue hosta.
15:52And if you look in where it hasn't fully opened yet you start seeing the blue coming up.
15:56It's got wonderful texture.
15:58Great size.
16:00Look at that.
16:00It's pushing out of the pot already.
16:03It wants to grow.
16:05It's a bit of a beast.
16:08My name is Mike and we grow hostas.
16:11Quite a number of them.
16:13We go to plant fairs and to the shows.
16:17What we like doing is we like educating people.
16:22Entertaining them.
16:23It's lovely to bring a smile to people's faces.
16:31Look at that for a cupping.
16:32So this one is called Mike which is quite nice.
16:36I like one named after myself.
16:37At least I can remember it then.
16:40We've got half an acre here.
16:43Triangular shape.
16:44So we've got a field on one side.
16:45Twenty-seven acres of woods that side.
16:47We purchased the woods here in 2019.
16:51And Janet, my wife, she said what can we grow here?
16:55And we'd only grown about eight varieties.
16:58And here we are with just over 400.
17:01And about 12,500 hostas here on this one site.
17:09You'll find that there's a hosta for everyone.
17:12There's 7,000 registered, 20,000 unregistered.
17:16There's such a range of colors you can get with them.
17:18And then on top of that you've got the flowers.
17:20Purple ones, you get the lavender, the whites.
17:23But you usually get starations of color
17:25within the flowers themselves.
17:26So they're quite complex.
17:27And then you've got fragrant as well.
17:29There's different forms of them.
17:31So you get upright ones, prostrate ones,
17:33ones that are low, some that are tall.
17:41There we go.
17:43So this is Empress Wu.
17:45She's not fully out yet.
17:46She's got a few holes,
17:48so she won't make a display at the moment.
17:50But she'll grow up to about 1.2 meters in height
17:53and over 2 meters across.
17:55And the leaves, they can get up to about,
17:58well, anything up to about a meter, some of them.
18:01So it can be very, very big.
18:02It's wonderful.
18:03One of the biggest hostas you can get.
18:08There are five sizes of hostas.
18:10So you have miniatures, which these are miniatures.
18:14You have smalls, mediums, large and giants.
18:19So with the miniatures,
18:21you treat them like a rockery plant.
18:23You give them good drainage
18:24and you constrain their roots
18:26and they're quite happy.
18:27The other advantage about the miniatures
18:29is that you can actually do the bonsaiing of them.
18:31So this here, both of these are slim and trim.
18:35And this is quite commonly used as a bonsai accent plant.
18:39So this one on my right is a normal full-size one.
18:43So this is up to the six inches as we'd expect.
18:46And you'll see the leaf size.
18:47And this one, just by virtue of the shallowness of the bowl,
18:51the leaf size is so much smaller, almost about a third.
18:54So that's bonsaiing in action.
18:57You don't actually cut anything.
18:58You just open it out and plant it into the pot.
19:01Here we have the super mini.
19:03So you can see the difference in the pot size
19:07and the leaf size.
19:09Way, way smaller again.
19:11And then here, in this bowl,
19:16is a hosta in a thimble.
19:19In an actual thimble.
19:28Good girls.
19:30Yeah, you check under there.
19:33This is Sparty.
19:35So she's a khaki Campbell.
19:37She's almost coming up to 10 years old.
19:40We got you so as to help clear the place of ticks
19:44and other things around the site.
19:46So it's a natural way of doing it.
19:48And then we got Starina down there
19:52because we needed a slightly bigger duck
19:55to deal with slugs and snails.
19:59In terms of prevention,
20:01one of the simple techniques that you do
20:03is that you put a bit of shade netting
20:06at the bottom of the pot instead of crocks.
20:08If you don't have shade nettings,
20:10you don't have to buy it.
20:10You can actually go down the supermarket
20:12and if you buy some onions in a bag,
20:15you can use that as the netting.
20:16But it's very effective.
20:18And the reason for that is it stops the slugs
20:20and the wood lice from going in,
20:22laying a nest, laying eggs in the pots,
20:25and then going upstairs for the buffet.
20:30Another one is a very simple technique
20:32to protect a plant from slugs and snails.
20:35If you have a saucer about this size
20:37and a pot this size,
20:39if you put water in the bowl
20:42and then you raise the pot up
20:44just slightly out of the water,
20:47then as long as there's a three-inch
20:49or seven and a half centimetre gap
20:50all the way around,
20:52the slugs and snails can't swim.
20:53The slugs and snails can stretch
20:55up to three inches or seven and a half centimetres.
20:57So that's why it has to be at least
20:59that much of a gap.
21:07I was brought up on a farm.
21:09The first 25 years of my life
21:11was on a farm.
21:11And the thing about being a farmer
21:13is whatever you do,
21:15it's about husbandry
21:17and looking after stock
21:18or plants or whatever.
21:20So yes, you have a desire
21:23that they be generated
21:25to the best of their abilities.
21:27Malvern is the three-counties show ground.
21:29So it's not just RHS to us,
21:31it's also the farming and the community.
21:33So it feels a bit like a spiritual home to us.
21:42Hostas are really important in life.
21:46Because you've got all these textures,
21:49all these forms,
21:50all these colours.
21:52Yeah, they're damn important.
21:54Yeah, I couldn't do without those.
22:04Mike, I think you must have
22:06the happiest hostas in the land.
22:09I mean, they look really beautiful
22:10and they're gorgeous here as well.
22:12I'm interested to know,
22:14I like to let my hostas flower.
22:16I enjoy the flowers,
22:16but most people cut them off.
22:18What do you think?
22:19Well, we'd love to let them flower
22:22because we think that they're incredibly beneficial
22:25to the insects.
22:26They're all over them.
22:27And the other thing is
22:28that there is such a thing as a fragrant hosta.
22:30So why wouldn't you grow some for the flowers
22:33when you can get a wonderful scent from them?
22:36And then you have the opportunity
22:37once you collect the seeds
22:38to possibly make a new variety of hosta.
22:40That's very exciting, isn't it?
22:42It is.
22:43So how unusual is it
22:45to have fragrance in a hosta flower?
22:47So there's something in the region
22:49about 7,000 plus registered varieties
22:51and 20,000 unregistered,
22:53but only about 130 fragrant ones.
22:56So quite a rare comparison.
22:59So when you're hybridising your hostas,
23:01is fragrance something that you aim for?
23:05We want to get big red stemmed
23:08with some blue tops,
23:09but fragrance as well.
23:10So we definitely want to keep that in mind
23:12of what we're developing.
23:13And we've actually got a couple
23:15that have already developed some fragrance,
23:18which came as a bit of a surprise to us.
23:19Pleasant surprise, mind you.
23:21Well, that sounds really exciting.
23:23Something to look forward to.
23:25I can't wait to see them here in a few years.
23:31We're lucky to have some of the world's leading experts
23:33and brightest horticultural minds at these shows.
23:36And with all that knowledge around,
23:38you've got to tap into it.
23:46Oh, this is beautiful. Look at that.
23:50That really is a picture.
23:53Hello, mate. How are we?
23:55Yeah, how are you?
23:55Long time now, see?
23:56Yeah. Looking all dapper.
23:58Yeah, I thought I'd bring it out.
23:59It doesn't come out that often.
24:01You're a master grower this year.
24:02Yeah, we are, yeah.
24:03Fantastic. So what does that mean?
24:05Well, it just means a lot of hard work and a lot of stress, basically.
24:09But it's recognition of your contribution.
24:10Oh, of course, yeah.
24:12And two big collections of the succulents
24:14and a national collection of auriculars
24:15and it's just nice to bring them all together
24:17and let everybody see them.
24:19Wow, what a display, honestly.
24:21We're quite impressed with it.
24:21And easy to look after?
24:23Oh, a doddle.
24:24Yeah.
24:25All it is is in the winter, you mustn't keep them outside.
24:28They've got to be frost-free, plenty of light.
24:30Definitely, when you're outside in the summer,
24:32good drainage is the most, yeah, most important.
24:34And propagating them?
24:35I know you're dying to get your knife out.
24:38Yeah, make sure when you cut the aeonium,
24:39give it a good few inches.
24:41Take off a few of the bottom leaves.
24:44And there you go.
24:45That is your plant for you.
24:47And that's for me?
24:47Yeah.
24:48That's really sweet.
24:49Thank you, the missus is going to look like that.
24:50And what are you going to do with it?
24:51You're going to take it and put it on your kitchen windowsill
24:53for a couple of weeks or a week?
24:54Yeah, because you let them callus over.
24:55Yeah, let them dry.
24:56Stop any sap coming off.
24:58Yeah.
24:58Put it in a nice, gritty compost.
25:00In a couple of weeks, it'll be rude.
25:01You're putting yourself out of business.
25:03I know, I know, I know.
25:05I remember your lovely dad.
25:06He started the whole bowler hat thing.
25:08He did, he did.
25:08Always dressed so smartly.
25:10And now I'm copying him.
25:11Yeah.
25:12But there's now a third generation now.
25:14Oh, really?
25:15Here, Louise.
25:16Bring Jodie over here a minute.
25:17Come on.
25:19Yeah, here she is.
25:21Look, with the bowler hat.
25:23And she's got her bowler hat.
25:25Fantastic.
25:25So do you like all this gardening business?
25:27Um, I don't know.
25:30You do.
25:31You're a master grower this year.
25:32Are we?
25:33Yeah.
25:34Well, it's been lovely to meet you all.
25:36Thank you very much.
25:37You take care, Jo.
25:38We're the master grower.
25:38Come on, travel.
25:39You're the master grower.
25:41Basket it.
25:41Master grower.
25:42You're the master grower.
25:44We're the master grower.
25:45You're the master grower.
25:47It's like being on the football terraces.
25:48Yeah.
25:49You're the master grower.
26:02You're the master grower.
26:02Now, there's one gardener here who has designed her first ever show garden inspired by what
26:07some would say is a forgotten art.
26:10We caught up with Laura Pennever a couple of weeks ago as she prepared herself for this
26:15exciting moment.
26:27Flower pressing, it's a very mindful craft.
26:32It allows me to slow down, notice things about the flowers, the colors.
26:40You have to really be present and engaged in what you're doing.
26:48My name is Laura.
26:49I'm a garden designer and a gardener based in West Sussex.
26:53This is my first show garden.
26:54I've never done anything like this before.
26:59My garden at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is dedicated to the art of flower pressing because
27:07it's a craft that I really love.
27:11The garden invites visitors to slow down, take notice of the flowers and I thought is
27:17a very good metaphor for us appreciating the beauty of nature, appreciating that it passes,
27:24it's not forever and we have to preserve it.
27:31You have to pick flowers on a dry day, so if it's a morning, wait for the dew to dry.
27:37And you look for ones that have quite thin petals, they will press really well, like daisies or like this
27:45GM.
27:46Anything that's not too juicy, as that creates moisture.
27:50So these would be absolutely perfect.
27:55I had a lovely childhood.
27:58I grew up in Bulgaria.
27:59My grandparents had a huge garden.
28:03They used to grow their own vegetables, fruits, had animals.
28:07My granddad used to speak to his plants and to his animals.
28:11That was something that really taught me to love nature.
28:15That was our playground.
28:17So it was a really, really wonderful place.
28:20My mother is also a keen gardener.
28:23She loves flowers, she loves flowering perennials, and I took the love for aesthetics and design from her.
28:33We want to create a sort of sandwich.
28:36So first we put our cardboard.
28:38Then we put a layer of our blotted paper.
28:43Here I've got this beautiful geom called Totally Tangerine.
28:48The colour is beautiful.
28:51It's just such a lovely flower.
28:54And then next to it I'm putting flowers from Brunnera macrophilia.
29:01They're just so incredibly delicate.
29:03These will be going into my show garden, which is extra special.
29:10I took on a traditional career path.
29:14I studied law but then went into the digital space.
29:17But I always had this yearning to be outside, to be amongst plants.
29:22For my 30th birthday I gave myself, as a present, a Coruscant garden design.
29:28And I've never looked back.
29:31This will preserve the flowers for a very, very long time.
29:34And you can even press things like your cut flowers that you receive, your bouquets,
29:39and sort of like eternalise them, giving them a second life.
29:48So this is my garden.
29:50It's nice and sunny.
29:51I've designed this garden to be interesting all throughout the year.
29:56And I've taken a lot of these plants and incorporated them in my design for the show garden.
30:02So, for example, the geom, Totally Tangerine, the Rigoron, and this beautiful green Hakunekloa.
30:10They are some of my favourite plants and I wanted to make the garden as authentic and me as possible.
30:22I don't have enough space for all the flowers I'm pressing for my Morvan garden.
30:26So a local nursery where I used to work offered me some space to store them, which has been great.
30:33So we've got 1,500 plants here.
30:36We've got a mixture of ornamental grasses and ferns and a whole lot of flowering perennial.
30:44As you can see, lots of buds, not that much colour, which makes me nervous.
30:50We've got a lot of poppies which don't have stocks yet, so that makes me very nervous.
30:55We've got aquilegia, which has a lot of buds, salvia, epimedium, eriguron, again, lots of buds.
31:04We also have some oxydaisies here that, again, have a lot of buds.
31:12My hopes for the garden are that it inspires people to take on the craft of flower pressing,
31:21but also inspires them to grow more flowers because they're so good for our pollinators,
31:27and to just appreciate and enjoy nature.
31:32We're giving the plants a good water, and we have dissolved into the water high potassium feed.
31:39We need to ensure that the flowering perennials do flower for when we need them to.
31:46Usually you would do this biweekly, but for us it's important to give them the best chance that they can
31:56have.
31:56I really cannot wait to see the plants delivered safely.
32:01That's my main concern of the moment.
32:07I'm very, very excited.
32:09It's been such a roller coaster, but I've put so much effort and love into this.
32:15It feels quite surreal that all of my friends and family are going to come to a garden that I've
32:21dreamt of,
32:22and I've actually created.
32:26It feels really exciting and I just really hope that I do them proud and they like it.
32:51Well, this is exciting, Laura. You've done it!
32:54Very exciting.
32:55You've done it and it's brilliant!
32:56Yes, here we are and it's real. It's finally happened. My vision's come to life.
33:01Yeah, is it how you wanted it to look?
33:03It's everything I hoped for and more.
33:05It's been a roller coaster, but I would definitely do it again. It's very addictive.
33:09So your plants here really is vibrant. You've got oranges and blues.
33:13Absolutely. And I have the textures, the height, everything I hoped for.
33:18I think the anthriscus has blown my mind and the aquilegia, everything is doing what it's supposed to be doing.
33:26So we've got this structure, this canopy of ours, which again takes the theme of flower pressing.
33:30That's exactly right, yes. And we are using plywood which is used to make flower presses.
33:35And it's a nice little shady spot as well. And also the visitors can actually walk through your snaking path,
33:41right?
33:41Yes, absolutely.
33:42So they can experience it for themselves.
33:43Yes, they can come in. We're going to have some instructions for them to cut some flowers and press them.
33:50Hang on a minute. You're letting the visitors loose?
33:52You're letting them loose in your...
33:54They need overseeing, trust me. Don't just give them a pair of scissors and say go for it.
33:58I will be here to assist and, yes, answer any questions and help out.
34:04Well, it's lovely. I mean, the whole flower pressing theme, it sort of throws me back to my childhood.
34:08Because I remember pressing flowers with my mum and now I've got a granddaughter.
34:12And I think it's something that she would absolutely love to do and you've shown how to do it.
34:16This garden is for everyone, children, elderly, whoever wants to get involved.
34:23I'm not that elderly.
34:24No, no, not yet.
34:26You're the perfect age, golden age.
34:30Oh, beautifully put.
34:32Well done, Laura. It's a great garden. People are going to absolutely love it.
34:35Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
34:45I've just discovered this new section. It's being featured at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival for the very first time.
34:54And it's called Blooming Borders. It's very beautiful and going to be such a hit with the crowds.
35:06We've got a backbone here of native hedging because this whole garden design is about catering to the needs of
35:15wildlife.
35:15Hawthorn being really dominant, but there's field maple and other things.
35:20And then just to show how you can combine native plants with ornamentals, it just filters softly through.
35:26We've got the cow parsley intermingling with the thalictrum in that lovely soft mauve.
35:32And then the pinks come in. There's a lovely scabius there called kudo pink.
35:36So it's taking that approach where everything combines to be beneficial for wildlife and looks beautiful too.
35:52This border is all about bringing that equilibrium into every part of your life.
35:58So you've got these three conifers just making sort of pillars of strength all the way through this end of
36:04the garden.
36:04But then with that all of the planting just sort of melds beautifully together with lots of movement from the
36:11grasses and from the bronze fennel.
36:14And then anchored between that in fantastic colours.
36:18The GMs are really striking and of course the irises.
36:21So there's the beautiful Jane Phillips which is a classic iris in a soft blue.
36:25And then Benton Susan, a real eye catcher right in the middle.
36:37This is a representation of a human eye.
36:40So right at the centre you've got that bowl of still water, that's the iris.
36:44And then all around it these wonderful kaleidoscopic colours.
36:49So we've got the soft mauves of the foxgloves and the alliums coming through to a blue of the camacia.
36:55And then this big sea of orange GMs.
36:58And right at the front you've got off your pogon.
37:01Those are the lower eyelashes.
37:03And these ones here, these bamboos represent the upper eyelashes.
37:08I think it's extremely clever.
37:10And yes, very beautiful.
37:26Ah, the festival of houseplants.
37:29Well it's a festival within a festival.
37:31And it's been a great addition to the show over the last three years.
37:34It's absolutely buzzing in here.
37:37And if you've got a garden, well houseplants are a great addition.
37:40And if you haven't got a garden, they're essential aren't they?
37:43A great way of channelling your horticultural energy.
38:00Rachel, I'm loving your new office.
38:02I've got to say, you're looking so studious as well.
38:05Do you know what, I'm in my happy place.
38:07Plants, books, perfect.
38:09This is my idea of a good garden.
38:11It's like an explorer's office isn't it?
38:13You travel around the world and you pick plants up and artefacts and you bring them home and you surround
38:19yourself with it.
38:20I love that.
38:20And just look at the monstera there.
38:22You know that wonderful effect on the leaves and the variegation.
38:25And it's like some paint's been just splattered across it.
38:27But I like the scale that that gives.
38:29And then we sort of go down to these small things, like the little terrarium.
38:33Just that sort of miniaturisation almost.
38:35It's a beautiful little mini landscape.
38:37Really, really gorgeous.
38:38But I also like the use of space here just to green up the room in general.
38:41You know, the sort of tearing effect of all these pots and plants.
38:44And also they purify the air, don't they?
38:47So, you know.
38:48They're good for you.
38:49They're good for you.
38:49On many, many levels.
38:50I have the lushness of it.
38:52And I also like the air plants and the way that they just sort of drifting down the front of
38:57the bookshelves.
38:58It's sort of like a bit Miss Havisham.
38:59It's like it could do with the dusting.
39:01Yeah.
39:02We could do that, yeah?
39:03I do a lot of dusting at home.
39:04I'm not starting here at Malvern though.
39:14I'm really liking this.
39:16It's sort of very sleek and modern, very calming.
39:19Because there are so many plants growing in here.
39:22It's fantastic.
39:22It's a kitchen plus.
39:24And a lot of these are edibles.
39:26We've got micro veg under the grow lights over here and these alcoves.
39:29You know, they're very low energy.
39:31And also the herbs behind us, lots of plants respond and you can grow all year round.
39:36So, past the oregano time.
39:39But come on.
39:39Look at this centipede.
39:40This is what everyone's going to be talking about.
39:42This kumquat is amazing, isn't it?
39:44It's really something, I must say.
39:46And I like the way that they've kind of removed all of the lower growth that must have been
39:50there just to sort of lift the crown so you've got a proper parasol to eat under.
39:54Fantastic.
39:55This was grown from seed in the UK and it's about seven years old.
40:00So, there's hope for every garth now.
40:16Wow, this is a beautiful specimen tree.
40:19This is Betula nigra, the river birch.
40:23This lovely sort of open canopy and the pink peeling bark is just gorgeous.
40:28But often underneath a tree, you'll have no planting at all.
40:33And there's nothing worse than just seeing black soil.
40:36And at the show this year, I've seen some beautiful underplanting.
40:40We've got colour and texture.
40:42So, we've got this anthriscus raven's wing.
40:45This lovely frothy form of cow parsley with the lovely dark purple stems.
40:49And then we've got this lovely knapweed.
40:53This is called geordie.
40:55The flowers are just wonderful.
40:57Picks up on the stems of the cow parsley.
40:59And then at the front of the border here, we've got a really good grass.
41:03And I use it all the time.
41:04It's evergreen.
41:05It grows in sun or shade.
41:07This is Cecillaria autumnalis.
41:10We've also got the vertilexents of the foxgloves.
41:13We've got geraniums in there.
41:15There's a lot going on.
41:16But it's a great selection of plants under this birch.
41:20But I'm going to go and find some more plants in the Floral Marquis
41:22that are great for this sort of ground cover stroke underplanting.
41:36I just love disperum too.
41:38They're brilliant for underplanting.
41:40I like how graceful the arching stems are.
41:43And they thrive under taller plants and can cope with wetter soils too.
41:51For drier, shady conditions, look to woodland plants.
41:55And this exhibit is absolutely exquisite.
41:57Yeah, we've got ferns and Solomon's seal.
42:00But the stars of the show have got to be these epimedians.
42:05And they come in a range of colours.
42:07But they're so delicate and dainty.
42:08Well, they look it, but actually they're quite hardy.
42:11You can grow them in shade.
42:13They'll cope with really cold winters.
42:16But spring is when they do their thing.
42:18I'm a little bit obsessed with this one, which is called Wushinense Caramel.
42:24And the sprays of these delicate little flowers are just incredible.
42:29And as the new foliage emerges, it's often got bronzy tints on it.
42:34And then again in the autumn, it goes a really good colour.
42:37And they can cope with really dry conditions once established.
42:41Water them for the first year or two and then they should be fine.
42:45And they are just stunning.
42:47This is one of the best exhibits I've seen for a long time.
43:05Now this really takes me back.
43:07In fact, I remember my mum making a patchwork quilt using fabrics that were very much like this.
43:12The whole thing is designed by Lena Hibbert.
43:15And I think it's absolutely wonderful.
43:18And she recorded her progress as she prepped for the big event.
43:27So this is what my house is now looking like.
43:31When you do an RHS show garden, your house becomes full of plants.
43:36They're everywhere, literally everywhere.
43:45I don't own a garden yet.
43:48So having the house plants are one way I can bring nature with me wherever I go and move.
43:54House plants are great for me.
43:58Nature in general inspires everything I do and influences very heavily in the jobs I take as well.
44:04My first job at a garden centre and I now work at another little house plant shop.
44:10It's also so rewarding and I could not imagine my life without house plants now.
44:17So this is a Homolumina Maggie.
44:20I love a Homolumina Maggie.
44:23I always recommend it because it is just so hardy.
44:26They want a nice bright space.
44:28So like an east or west facing window.
44:31So this is a giant Allocasia Sabrina which will be at the show.
44:36This is an absolute stunner of a plant.
44:40I love Allocasia Sabrina because of its texture on its stem.
44:47Looking after all of these house plants for the show means I'm going to have to keep on top of
44:50watering.
44:51But I always use my bake a cake method to help me know when to water.
44:57So with a trusty stick and like baking a cake you pop the stick in like so.
45:04And when it comes out clean I know the plant is thirsty and really needs a drink.
45:11But if I was to pop the stick in and it came out dirty I know the soil is still
45:15wet and I wouldn't need to water the plant.
45:21I'm a massive fern lover.
45:24I love ferns, they're probably one of my favourite species.
45:27I've got different Platyserums.
45:28This one for example is a Platyserum hilly.
45:30And these guys are mounted on oak planks.
45:34I have got some dwarf varieties here which will be at the show.
45:38But before they can go they need to be mounted like they're bigger brothers.
45:43So that little guy is going to sit like that.
45:46It's a little bit fiddly but it's also very therapeutic.
45:53Having the moss on helps retain the water for the fern.
46:01There we go.
46:04It's so cute.
46:11I'm so excited about Malvern.
46:14It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to do an RHS show garden.
46:19And the fact I'm finally getting to do it is amazing.
46:26So that is it.
46:27Me here in Brestal showing you my plants.
46:30And the next time you will see me and these plants is at the RHS show garden.
46:35So I'll see you there me lovers.
46:37Wish me luck.
46:56Well Alina your passion and enthusiasm certainly comes through.
47:00So the whole 70s theme that's throwing me back to my childhood I'll be honest with you.
47:05Yeah.
47:06Where did that come from?
47:06So I love looking through my family photo albums.
47:10My dad has a massive collection at home and I love looking through them and seeing all of the old
47:15decor and them as kids in these really retro homes.
47:18And I just love the earth tones, 70s deco use.
47:22It feels really grounding and comforting.
47:24So yeah, I love it so much.
47:27Well you certainly recreated it.
47:29That's for sure.
47:30We've got to say the moss that you use.
47:32Yes.
47:32It was from a sustainable source.
47:34Yes.
47:34You can't just go and forage moss and start sticking it in your house.
47:38No absolutely not.
47:38No, no, totally not.
47:39It's really important to keep it safe and sustainable.
47:41Yeah.
47:42If you're taking a moss from a forest you're going to ruin an ecosystem.
47:46So really important to keep it sustainable.
47:48Yeah.
47:48For sure.
47:49Now that is not a house plant.
47:50That's a chrysanthemum.
47:51It is indeed.
47:53So what's the story behind it?
47:54So this chrysanthemum, because my great grander was a very passionate chrysanthemum grower, it's been named after him.
48:02So this chrysanthemum is Leonard Knight and he used to enter chrysanthemums into competitions back in the day.
48:08It was actually kind of lost for a few years and my nan couldn't find it for a little while.
48:15Right.
48:15And she finally this year got some cuttings back, which was fantastic.
48:19And yeah, I'm really hoping to get it to flower this year and make him proud.
48:23Lovely.
48:23What a lovely story.
48:24Will he be proud of you?
48:26Because you got a gold medal as well.
48:28Which is incredible.
48:30Your first tight attempt ever.
48:31Yeah.
48:32It sings gold medal this girl.
48:35Thank you so much.
48:35Yeah, it must be in the blood, you know.
48:37He must be so proud.
48:39He won loads of gold medals for his chrysanthemums and it must just be in there and he's looking down
48:43right now.
48:44Are we going to see you around a bit more?
48:46I think we are.
48:47Oh, totally.
48:47I've got the bug now.
48:48Yeah, I need to do more.
48:51Excellent.
48:52Well done.
49:04I do love a foxglove, whether it's the simple beauty of our own native digitalis purpurea, which has not so
49:13many flowers on the stand, but a sort of a lovely charm.
49:16And that's a biennial.
49:17It takes two years to complete its life cycle.
49:20Alternatively, there's something like Apricot Beauty, which has flowers all the way around the stem.
49:26They're really sort of packed in and it's a short lived perennial.
49:29So you're going to get probably three consecutive years of flowers from that plant.
49:34But what they both do is give you that wonderful vertical accent.
49:38So they're like a punctuation mark through the planting.
49:41And the other way that you can get that height, of course, is by using a climber, perhaps on a
49:47tripod or an obelisk.
49:49And there are so many fantastic climbers at the moment just coming into their very best time of year.
49:56We went to visit Marcel de Fossard, a nurseryman, and his thing is calamitous.
50:11Do I have a favourite climatis?
50:14On the Monday, it could be Crystal Fountain when it opens up.
50:19On the Tuesday, it could be Clematis Bourbon.
50:21That's what they like.
50:22You have a favourite on every day of the year, pretty much.
50:27You suddenly look over your shoulder and there's another climatis waving at you and say,
50:29What about me? Aren't I the favourite?
50:32Reminds me very much of my daughters, actually.
50:36My name's Marcel de Fossard.
50:38I run a climatis nursery, which has been going now for, crikey, 25, no, 35 years.
50:44We grow about 5,000 to 6,000 climatis and other climbers on our nursery.
50:51You can have them in flower every single month of the year.
50:54They come in all different shapes and sizes.
50:55One of the tiny little viornas, which are only about an inch long.
51:00To the saucer-shaped one, like this crystal fountain here.
51:03The flowers can be up to six to eight inches across.
51:07What I'm going to say is that they're the second passion of my life.
51:10My wife is my first passion, of course.
51:12My clematis is my second passion.
51:16Here we have Clematis Ice Blue.
51:18Absolutely lovely.
51:19If you've got a bit of shade, this is the plant for you.
51:22Hardie down to minus 20.
51:24Height up to six feet.
51:25Flowers for you in May, June.
51:27And again in August, September time.
51:28What more can you ask for?
51:33I was walking around Chelsea Flower Show back in 1984.
51:36And I looked at these flowers and I thought,
51:38Wow, what are these?
51:40And the person behind the stand said,
51:42These are Clematis.
51:43By the end of that year, my parents had put up worth 90 Clematis in their garden.
51:47And I was only speaking to someone the other day and I was thinking,
51:50I can't believe that I'm still into this plant sort of 42 years later
51:55from when I first sold my Chelsea Flower Show.
51:58Wow, look at this.
52:00This is Clematis Giselle.
52:01It flowers for you in May, June.
52:03And again, August, September time.
52:04But it's the flower power is what I love about this.
52:07Masses and masses and masses.
52:10But also this beautiful Victorian pink comes out quite dark
52:15and gradually fades off.
52:18Beautiful.
52:23So I'm going to put this Clematis and I'm going to show you how to do it.
52:26The first thing you've got to do is get yourself a decent sized container,
52:3018 inches wide by 18 inches deep.
52:32The next thing is, get some crops.
52:35That's going to aid your drainage.
52:38You've got to get yourself a decent loam-based compost.
52:42That has a bit of oomph in it.
52:43So it's going to last a long time.
52:45Because what you've got to think about is this Clematis is going to be
52:49in this container up to 10 years.
52:51So you've got to get a good base.
52:53You want to be mixing this with a little bit of horticultural grit.
52:57This is a sharp grip, again, which is aid in drainage.
53:00You've got to remember they're part of the ranunculae family.
53:02So just like delphiniums, they like water, but they like to be able to get rid of it.
53:09So I'm also going to add in some of my own special mixed compost,
53:13which we grow all our Clematis in.
53:15And within this, we have a slow-release fertiliser,
53:18which will feed it for 12 to 14 months.
53:21You're going to be planting this deep.
53:23It's got to be three to four inches deeper than what it is in the pot.
53:26You've got a lovely root system there.
53:28You want to tease that out just slightly.
53:30So the reason you plant them deep, the big flowering hybrids,
53:33it's for one reason only.
53:34And that's against, I hate to say it, the dreaded Clematis wilt.
53:37But as long as you follow my instructions, you shouldn't have a problem.
53:42And remember, Clematis like their roots in the shade.
53:46So I'm going to cover this all up with a nice layer of horticultural grit,
53:52which is going to shade the roots and also going to help hold in some of the moisture.
53:59Now I can enjoy these flowers and can go, wow, this is lovely.
54:04Or what you can do and what you should do is look at your plant and think,
54:09I need to prune this back to a couple of nodes of each stem.
54:13I know you're forgoing the flowers, but by doing this,
54:18you will end up with about 12 to 14 stems because every node you'll get two shoots come out.
54:25And then what will happen, because remember this is crystal fountain.
54:27It doesn't just flower for you once in April, May.
54:29It will flower for you again in August, September time.
54:33Now it may seem a little bit brutal, but it is definitely worth it
54:36because this is what you're going to end up with in a year's time.
54:45Obviously we have pruned this back hard because we want to get a strong, bushy plant.
54:49How do I know when to prune my clematis?
54:52If it flowers before June, no need to prune.
55:02Here we have clematis azara.
55:04She's just starting to pop, but it's a week to get over before Melvin,
55:09so all the rest of those beautiful birds have to burst open.
55:12So what I'm going to do now, I'm going to check first of all
55:15that there's no weeds at the base of my pot.
55:17Any yellow leaves I will take off and any stems which have gone a bit lax,
55:22I will tie back in but only gently so they don't look like they've been strangled.
55:38The reason why we put up this shade netting is to slow down the clematis
55:43because we don't want them to go over before the Melvin spring flower show, obviously.
55:48Keeps them cooler and the flowers don't get bleached out.
55:54I was asked the other day what was my favourite show,
55:56and it is always Melvin spring flower show.
55:59It's the beginning of the calendar year for the big flower and clematis,
56:02and it's when we can do the biggest impact.
56:06But it's the enthusiasm of the crowds,
56:09it's almost like they've been locked up all winter
56:11and they can't wait to get out into their gardens,
56:13get those lovely clematis in there, get them growing,
56:16and it will put a smile on their face for the rest of the year.
56:19You'll see at least 20 different varieties of clematis on our stand,
56:22and hopefully, hopefully, they would have made it out into flower.
56:37Marcel.
56:38Hello.
56:39How are you doing? Nice to see you again.
56:40I'm doing all right, Jay. I'm doing fine.
56:42Your exhibit is absolutely gorgeous.
56:44Everything here is grown in containers, right?
56:47And you said that if you put it in a container,
56:49it will live up to 10 years.
56:51Up to 10 years.
56:52The best thing to feed them with is a high potassium liquid fertiliser,
56:56once a week or once for a night prior to flowering.
56:58Now, if you happen not to have any liquid food,
57:01Yeah.
57:02Have a banana.
57:04Have a banana.
57:05Have a banana.
57:06Have a banana.
57:07Feel off the skin.
57:07Chuck out the base.
57:08Potassium again.
57:09And also, people think they're sort of,
57:11they're huge plants, clematis,
57:12but you can grow a lot of these in a small garden
57:15and they won't take over.
57:16Yeah, quite happily.
57:17People have this thing, everything's got to go up.
57:19You can go horizontally, clematis.
57:21You can even have them on balconies,
57:22and you can let them drape over.
57:24So they look fantastic in any situation, pretty much.
57:27Yeah, so they're really versatile plants.
57:28They certainly are.
57:28Here, you've brought some absolute beauties.
57:31Yeah.
57:31I'm having this one because this is just gorgeous.
57:34I mean, look at that.
57:34It's sort of velvety, wine-red Nubia.
57:38It's beautiful.
57:38It's absolutely lovely.
57:40It's going to grow to three to four feet for you,
57:41flower in May, June, then it'll dip,
57:44then it'll come in again,
57:45and it'll finally have one last flourish in August, September time.
57:48It's beautiful.
57:49Marcel, the Malvern Clematis King.
57:52Lovely to see you again.
57:53Thanks, Julian.
57:53Cheers.
58:05Ah, here you are.
58:07Turn my back for five minutes.
58:08You've built another show garden, Rachel.
58:10I wish.
58:11It's so beautiful, isn't it?
58:12Lovely calming, isn't it?
58:13Yeah, what a fantastic day we've had.
58:15Oh, glorious.
58:16Amazing.
58:17What a show.
58:18What a show.
58:1940th anniversary.
58:20You can see it's a special year, definitely.
58:22Yeah.
58:23Well, sadly, that's all from us here at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
58:28But the show itself is open until Sunday, so I highly recommend that you come and take
58:34a look for yourself.
58:35Yeah, if you can make it, do.
58:36But from us, it's goodbye.
58:38Bye.
58:44Happy 100th birthday to David Attenborough.
58:47Watch his greatest adventure, making life on Earth on iPlayer.
58:51We can also watch the realities of life inside Scotland's biggest prison,
58:55follow the inmates inside Bolini.
58:58Next ideas for your greenhouse to Beechgrove Garden.
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