- 34 minutes ago
The Beechgrove Garden - Season 48 Episode 9
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:14Hello and welcome to a very wet Beech Grove Garden.
00:18On the programme from our plot just outside Aberdeen,
00:21lots of different ways to get growing.
00:27Coming up, growing something tasty that doesn't take up mushroom,
00:33it's off to Troon for some of Scotland's best bonsai,
00:38and shaping up plants with topiary tips.
00:45One of the long-standing favourite plots here at Beech Grove is the Seaside Garden
00:50and it's one of my favourites too because it reminds me of home
00:53growing up on the east coast of Scotland.
00:55The plants there, they've got to be tough to cope with that wind
00:59and that salt spray, that constant abuse.
01:01One of the best good doers is eucalyptus.
01:04And we had a lovely example here.
01:06Posse flora this one was, got lovely glaucus foliage and ornamental bark.
01:11You can see all the different shades that you've got here.
01:14But they've got a wee bit of too tall.
01:16You can see here we've got a wee bit of decay in the trunk,
01:18so this year the garden's team took the decision to take it out.
01:25But you can see already the young red shoots
01:28that are beginning to break away from this plant.
01:31And that's something I'd recommend if you do plant this out on the coast.
01:34They grow so quick, but the wind will affect them and they'll just blow over.
01:38So maybe every three or four years I would chop them right down
01:41and encourage all that young growth to come from the base of the plant.
01:46Now when a plant gets removed in your garden, one that's been there for ages,
01:50you might start to see how it's affected other plants growing around it.
01:53So we've got a lovely plant here.
01:55This is actually a family member of the Privet hedge.
01:58This is Ligustrum ovalliforium, but it's more of a golden version.
02:02Aureum this one is, and it's got lovely yellow around the edge of the leaves.
02:05So I think the eucalyptus has blocked out the light from getting to this plant.
02:10I can see lots of bare stems there.
02:12I don't think we need to get rid of it completely,
02:14but I'd be taking maybe one to two foot off of each stem.
02:18Just maybe get a wee bit more compact from those bare stems.
02:21New shoots will grow and we'll get a more complete solid plant there.
02:27Now, the gardens team are always telling me
02:29that they can never get anything to grow in this wee spot.
02:32And that's quite common in a garden,
02:33especially in your coastal gardens as well,
02:36where the soil's maybe not very good.
02:38You know, it's predominantly sand, it's free draining.
02:41It's difficult to get plants to establish there.
02:44Everything that's grown here is pretty much self-seeded,
02:46so no point in fighting against it.
02:48Let's try and pop in plants that'll do exactly the same.
02:51We've already got a tree loop in.
02:53That's a lovely little plant.
02:55Gets about a metre tall, lovely yellow flowers.
02:57That's self-seeding around.
02:59But we're going to introduce this.
03:01This is Syntranthus ruber.
03:03And you can see the lovely ruby red flowers that this is going to have.
03:07Don't pick them on.
03:09Just let its seeds scatter everywhere.
03:11It'll then grow where it wants to.
03:12Maybe even amongst the cracks of the wall.
03:15The final plant that I want to have a wee look at is a pampas grass.
03:19I know they get a bad press, but this is a really nice one.
03:22This is a more compact version, pumula.
03:24At the moment I'm maybe seeing more yellow dead foliage than green alive foliage.
03:29So this is a great time to get in with your springtime rake.
03:34And just comb out all that dead foliage.
03:39Just give it a good haircut.
03:41Best to get it done just now because the fluffy seed plumes, the flower heads that you're going to get
03:46from this,
03:47they're about to start forming.
03:48And we don't want to lose them because they're going to give you brilliant interest over the winter months.
03:53Just love getting swaying in the winds as well.
03:58If you live inland there's a few little tricks you can do to create that seaside effect.
04:03Top dress your soil with those rounded river stones.
04:06Brilliant at suppressing the weeds as well.
04:09Maybe incorporate a wee gravel path.
04:11When I'm walking on it I feel like the sea shells are crunching beneath my feet.
04:15Instead of having a fence, I like the way that the gardeners here have used an old fish net for
04:20the climbers to scramble up.
04:22And I do like this.
04:23The wee addition of a chain is the perfect thing.
04:26I do feel like the boats are anchored in the harbour when we've got this in here.
04:30Now finally, for you gardeners that are on the coast, a few little plants that we could be putting in
04:35now and a few additional tips.
04:38Cytissus.
04:38That's a wonderful plant.
04:39Maybe get round about a metre or so tall.
04:42But we're planting up a more smaller plant first.
04:45We're not going for one of those big ones.
04:46As we said, it's windy on the beach so if we stick a big one in it's constantly going to
04:50get buffered.
04:51The roots are always going to get torn.
04:53They never get a chance to establish and the plant is constantly re-growing these roots.
04:57So go for a smaller one, you've got less chance of that happening.
05:01That wind on the beach, it's always dry and it's full of salt spray as well.
05:06Now the foliage in some of these plants, they'll dry out quicker than what the roots can absorb more moisture
05:12to replace that.
05:13So if you go for a plant with more leathery leaves, so this is a hebe here.
05:17The leathery leaves, they conserve that moisture more.
05:20They're actually better at handling that intense sunlight too.
05:24This wee plant that I'm going to pick out, this is a Pitisporum tom thumb.
05:28I like the way the fresh foliage is lighter green but you've got that purpley effect there.
05:32It's a lovely little evergreen for your seaside garden.
05:36Got to pick out this plant that's already here.
05:38It's an Artemisia, that beautiful silvery foliage.
05:41And I think the pair of them are going to work perfectly together.
05:45Another wee plant, your Dianthus.
05:48Love that gritty soil, that free draining soil that you get on the beach.
05:52So they are perfect for growing.
05:53And I wouldn't mind trying this a ridger on.
05:56So sometimes us gardeners, we've got to push the boundaries.
05:59But I quite like to see how this one does as well.
06:00I think it'll look lovely in the monster gravel.
06:02Might even self seed as well.
06:05Final wee tip for you.
06:07That soil on the beach is sandy.
06:09It is free draining.
06:11Don't be afraid to put in some organic matter when you're planting.
06:15That'll just help absorb the moisture that wee bit more.
06:18Help get your plants established.
06:20And then after that, they can look after themselves.
06:35So, I thought it would be fun to try something that we haven't done for quite a while here at
06:39Beach Grove,
06:40which is grow mushrooms.
06:42Now, you can buy kits from the supermarket and from garden centres
06:46that give you everything that you need to grow your own.
06:49But if you did fancy giving it a go and mixing up your own recipes,
06:53then I'm going to show you how.
06:55So what I have here are two different types of mushrooms.
06:59First, we have pink oysters, which are these really big, fleshy, really delicious mushrooms.
07:05And we're also going to try lion's mane, which is kind of a bit of an unusual variety.
07:11So we're going to give that a go as well.
07:13Now, when you look at this here, it does look a wee bit odd.
07:16This is what we call grain spawn.
07:18And it's essentially like bird feed that has been mixed with the spawn of the mushroom itself,
07:24just to give it some feed whilst it's in transit, ready for planting.
07:28So it does look a wee bit strange, but that is exactly what it should look like when it arrives.
07:34So what we're going to need is some sort of bag.
07:37Now, these are specialist bags that have an aeration patch on them.
07:40But you can just use a Ziploc or kind of a clean carrier bag.
07:45It really doesn't matter as long as they're, you know, they're able to get some air in there.
07:50So you might have to poke some holes in it.
07:53So first of all, we need to think about our substrate.
07:56So this is what the mushrooms are actually going to grow into.
08:00So for pink oysters, we're going to be using some sterilized straw, which you can get from pet shops and
08:07things like that.
08:08And then you just need to steam it or heat it up just to kill any bugs and bacteria that's
08:13in there.
08:14And we're just going to add that to the bag and we're going to make a lasagna.
08:20So we're going to have a bit of the straw and then we take a wee handful of the grain
08:26spawn and we mix that in.
08:31Now, in addition to that, just to help balance the pH and stop things getting too acidic, we've got some
08:37gypsum here.
08:38So all this does is it just helps to keep things nice and stable and prevents any sort of toxicity
08:44building up.
08:45It's not essential, but it is quite helpful just if you're looking for a successful growing.
08:51Now, what I'm also going to do is just add some sort of additional feedstock.
08:56So this is some rice husk, but you can use like oatmeal, you know, that kind of thing that you
09:01can get from the supermarket.
09:02So it doesn't have to be specialist. And we're just going to mix that in and we repeat the process.
09:09So that just goes in there, adding some grain stock, mixing it in, a bit of gypsum, a bit of
09:21rice husk, a bit of feedstock.
09:24And with a bag like this, you're going to want to fill it about half full.
09:28So anything that you use about halfway up is going to be absolutely fine.
09:32And what that does is just allows you to make sure that there's still some oxygen in the bag because
09:38once these start growing, they need oxygen.
09:42So you don't want to overfill. And that's kind of really key to this.
09:46Now, you might also notice that I'm wearing gloves for this.
09:50Clean hands also helps, but I have been in the garden all day.
09:52So I've put some gloves on.
09:54So we want things to be as clean as possible because we have the fungus that we want to grow,
10:00so the mushrooms.
10:01But if you weren't following good hygiene, then you could introduce bacteria or other fungus as well that'll outcompete.
10:07So you're really trying to give your mushrooms everything that they need to have a really good start.
10:14And then last but not least, before we seal our bag, we're just going to grab a spray bottle and
10:21make sure it's nice and humid in there.
10:24They like about 80 to 90 degrees humidity, so lots of humidity.
10:29So like I say, about half full is absolutely fine.
10:32And then we want to kind of pull the bag down like this to keep lots of oxygen in the
10:37bag.
10:39And then we just tie it off like that.
10:42And then finally, what we're going to do is just poke some holes in.
10:46So you're going to have to create a wee bit of tension, get some clean scissors and just poke some
10:51holes in the bag.
10:54And that will be where your mushrooms start growing out of.
10:58Now, it doesn't look like much at the moment, but hopefully in about three weeks time,
11:03what we'll see is lots of kind of white fluffy mycelium all growing in here.
11:09And then eventually the pins will come out and they will then start fruiting and they will be the mushrooms.
11:14So what I'm going to do with this bag now is put it into somewhere that's quite dark, but nice
11:20and warm.
11:21So about 20, 22 degrees, check on it every couple of days.
11:25And once you do see those mycelium starting to form, we can take them out of the darkness and put
11:31them in some indirect,
11:32maybe north facing light, but again, nice and warm to let those mushrooms really start growing.
11:38Now, if you were going to look at the lion's mane, that would be a different substrate that you use.
11:45So you'll notice that on the bench here, I've got some oak wood pellets.
11:48So they prefer hardwood to something like straw.
11:51So all I'd recommend is just checking out the type of mushroom that you want to grow
11:55and make sure that you get the right substrate and the right feedstock to get them on their way.
12:05Now we are off to Troon to see some beautiful bonsai.
12:09The Ayrshire Bonsai Club's opening event is in its 10th year.
12:17The exhibition attracts dozens of clubs and hundreds of enthusiasts from all over Scotland, eager to showcase their wonderfully unique
12:25trees.
12:27The Troon concert hall plays host to the annual event.
12:32There's some absolutely stunning trees here.
12:34They're all very different.
12:35And there's a big variety of species.
12:38I just love looking at the trees.
12:39I just like nature in miniature.
12:42Sometimes work life can be quite stressful.
12:44And when I come home at night, I like nothing more than just to spend an hour or two with
12:48my trees,
12:49looking at them, working with them, trying to take them forward and improving them.
12:53It's a slow-paced hobby, but that's good because it helps you just to kind of switch off from other
12:58things
12:59and just do something you really enjoy.
13:01So I love it for all of those reasons.
13:04I suppose it's the crossover between horticulture and art form.
13:09So you've got the horticultural side of looking after something that's living that needs feeding and watering.
13:15Also, you've got the art side, which is the styling of the tree and making it look beautiful.
13:20Some people are attracted to particular ones.
13:22I think just right now in my bonsai journey, junipers and pines are my passion.
13:28I really like the look.
13:31Primarily, it's about careful pruning of the tree and knowing the bits to take off and the bits to leave
13:36on.
13:36But any bonsai tree here, you'll probably see some wire on it and you'll see wire on this tree as
13:42well.
13:42It's copper wire. You can use aluminium.
13:44But once it's fully wired, you can start to manipulate it and just make it the tree that you want.
13:49Put a branch where you want it to be.
13:51There's even an aesthetic in the wire to get the wire to look nice.
13:54If you're going to have a tree in an exhibition that's got wire on it, that's fine.
13:59But make sure it's quite neat and tidy.
14:01So I'm hoping that the more experienced people here will look at my wire and think, he's done okay, but
14:06I don't know.
14:07Everybody's eyes slightly different. Everybody's tastes slightly different.
14:09And even the way that they're styled.
14:11There's not one model and if you don't like it, well, that's tough.
14:14There's loads of stuff you can try and like.
14:26I've always admired the bonsai trees, just the form of the bonsai tree.
14:30I've always thought they looked lovely, but never had the time when I was younger to do anything with it.
14:35And it was only latterly that we joined the West Lothian Bonsai Club and met some amazing people and it's
14:45been incredible.
14:46You need the help of a club and the people around to get you going on it really.
14:52So there are many roots to bonsai. You could grow things from seed if you want to play the long
14:58game.
14:58Or you can buy finished trees, but there's never such a thing as a finished bonsai.
15:02They grow, so you need to look after them and keep them compact and keep them in a nice shape.
15:07Of course you could go to somewhere and buy a tree at thousands of pounds, hundreds of thousands of pounds.
15:13If you go to Japan, there are trees that sell for a million pounds.
15:16But you can equally go to a garden centre and buy a nice tree with potential for ten pounds,
15:23take it home, put some wire on it, shape it.
15:27So the entry point into bonsai doesn't need to be expensive.
15:39There's no such thing as a bonsai tree. A loose translation of bonsai is planting in shallow tree.
15:47So anything in a small tree pot.
15:50Basically got interested in bonsai by watching the Karate Kid
15:55and was totally captivated by Mr Miyagi with his little trees.
16:02And that started me off on the journey.
16:04This is a Japanese white pine.
16:06It was imported from Japan in 2015, so 11 years ago.
16:11You know, you're the custodian of something that's alive.
16:14There's a responsibility.
16:16And sometimes it gets a little bit...
16:20I mean, a lot of times nobody knows how old the tree is, obviously.
16:25This tree, I can only guess, maybe 50 years, something like that.
16:30The tree behind you is mine as well.
16:33It's an apple tree.
16:33And that is an ancient tree.
16:35That was gifted to me from a dear friend that died.
16:38But he was gifted that tree from somebody else and then somebody else.
16:43So it means an awful lot.
16:45But there's a responsibility as well.
16:48You're handed something with a history.
16:51So you have to be the right type of person.
16:53It's horticulture.
16:55Trying to keep a living plant healthy and alive.
16:59And then there's a huge art aspect.
17:01It's a living art piece.
17:10We've been doing bonsai now for the best part of 10, nearly 11 years.
17:15We've got an extension collection of pines, mainly.
17:18Ella takes great pride in helping us with them.
17:21To be fair, it's not something I've ever seen.
17:24Becoming a father-daughter thing, Ella.
17:26I started asking on Sunday morning when I was going up there
17:29to attend Airborne's Eye Club if she could come along.
17:31I thought, eh.
17:33It'll last at once.
17:34She'll never come back.
17:35And I don't think you've actually missed one since.
17:38No.
17:39I kind of explain it as it's like a mini tree in a pot.
17:43You try and represent the big trees outside.
17:45You just try and squish them into a little pot.
17:48You get what I mean?
17:50I find it, like, a really relaxing way.
17:52Like, if I'm ever stressed or something, I find it very therapeutic
17:56just going and working the trees.
17:58It just kind of takes your mind off things for a while.
18:01I think it's a brilliant thing to do with my daughter.
18:04Obviously, being a dad, dancing, things like that,
18:06we're never going to be my forte.
18:08So, to have Ella come and join me or something like this,
18:11it's been brilliant.
18:12It's the social bond between me and my daughter.
18:14The more kids, the merrier,
18:15because they're the future generations.
18:17These trees are going to outlive us.
18:18We need someone to take them on
18:20and know that they're going to be cared for.
18:34A few weeks ago up in the terrace garden,
18:37we started the process of refreshing this area.
18:41Now, terraces are one way of how we can deal
18:43with steep banks or slopes
18:46by creating a series of mini gardens,
18:49maybe with walls or sleepers.
18:51We're creating areas where you can plant up,
18:53the soil's not going to wash away,
18:55and more importantly,
18:56we can get access to gardens safely.
19:00Now, when you start a process like this,
19:01the first plants you want to put in the ground
19:03are the ones that give you structure,
19:05interest all year round.
19:06So that could be a large shrub or a tree.
19:08We want to go one step further by incorporating a bit of topiary
19:12in this area,
19:13just so we can introduce some lovely shapes and forms,
19:16something different to look at over the year.
19:18The first plant I'm going to put on the ground
19:20is this juniperus.
19:21It's a skyrocket.
19:22I think you can tell already how this plant's going to grow.
19:27Now, when you're putting in your shrubs like this,
19:29you want to do them in odd numbers,
19:30so maybe ones and threes.
19:33We're going to have three of the plants here dotted around,
19:36and I'm looking around and I'm thinking,
19:38well, I'm at the top of the layer,
19:39but with terrace gardens,
19:41I could also be down at the bottom.
19:42So once you've got your plants out,
19:44I'm going to have a wander around
19:45and just make sure I'm happy
19:47how I've positioned all my plants.
19:49Another plant we can use is a Cotoriaster.
19:52This one's called Decorus.
19:54And you can see already the way that sprays of arching stems.
19:57They're going to be covered in white flowers and berries later on.
20:00Now, the plants will grow.
20:02They will get a wee bitty bigger,
20:03so you can leave them as it is,
20:05or you can just give them a wee trim once a year
20:07just to keep them in shape.
20:11But now we're going to get to the intricate ones.
20:13This is where we can make maybe lollipops or spirals.
20:16I've got a young plant in here of Athea occidentalis.
20:19This is an evergreen conifer.
20:21I'm going to leave it a wee bitty yet,
20:23just to let it grow.
20:24But as you can see,
20:24we've tied a wee bit of string onto this plant.
20:27That's going to create the spirals.
20:29And then once this begins to grow,
20:31that's when I'll start doing a wee nibble.
20:33I'll just be trimming the foliage,
20:35make sure I'm revealing a wee bitty of the stem,
20:37and that'll produce that spiral effect.
20:42I do like the end result of my topiary piece,
20:45which I could easily buy in,
20:46but actually all the fun is in creating it yourself.
20:49So we've got a lovely single-stemmed hornbeam here.
20:52You could also use yew for an evergreen structure,
20:55but the beauty about a hornbeam is
20:57the way it holds onto its leaves over the winter months,
20:59so we're always going to have something to admire.
21:02Now, I'm going to be brave
21:03and I'm going to make this tiered cake stand,
21:05so take yourself back to your wedding days.
21:08The first piece, we're going to have a lovely pen of snow.
21:11So that means we're going to have foliage
21:12from the base of the ground
21:14all the way to approximately 60 centimetres.
21:17We'll then have a wee gap
21:19before we have our first tier,
21:20and then we'll keep doing that
21:22until we get to the top of the plant.
21:23This gap's going to be roughly about 25 centimetres,
21:27and the tier's going to be 25 centimetres,
21:29but sometimes the plant tells you where the cut's going to be.
21:32So 25 centimetres is actually more round about here,
21:36but as you can see, that's not really good.
21:38So I'm being a wee bit safer,
21:40and I'm actually going to put my first tier
21:42stopping just that wee bit higher.
21:45So I've stuck all my bits of tape in first,
21:48because once you cut it off,
21:49you're never putting it back on.
21:50I've then taken a wee step back,
21:52just had a wee look,
21:53and I'm quite happy with the gaps that I've got here.
21:55So now's the bit where we get brave
21:57and do that wee bit of snipping.
21:59So there's my first layer.
22:01I don't want to go any belower than that.
22:05And I'm just going to work my way up now.
22:11Remember to stop.
22:12So already we're seeing that first layer in place.
22:16This is my first tier.
22:19So up to the next layer.
22:23And take them off.
22:27And then all of a sudden,
22:28you're starting to see the shape of your plant.
22:30Now a wee little tip.
22:32We are wanting this plant to stand out.
22:34So overall, I'm wanting to be around 80 centimetres in width.
22:37So I've tied a wee bit of string to my tree,
22:40and I've cut 45 centimetres.
22:42So as this plant starts to grow,
22:45starts to fill out,
22:46I'll have this string,
22:47and I'll just be able to work around in a circular form,
22:51and it'll be nice and even all the way up.
22:55Not too bad.
22:56Feeling quite confident now.
22:57A bit more relaxed,
22:58but I'll keep nibbling away.
23:12Well, Ruth, we're back in the competition plot.
23:14The theme for you presenters this year is all about the senses.
23:18I think you've been quite lucky.
23:19You've got sound.
23:21I'm not so sure about that.
23:22I thought sound was a good one.
23:24It would be an easy one to get.
23:25Come on.
23:26It's not that easy.
23:27No, it's certainly not for me.
23:28When I was thinking about sound,
23:30I was initially quite alarmed,
23:32but for me sound is music,
23:35and I love classical music.
23:37So what I wanted to do was create an orchestra
23:39that will play the symphony of the season.
23:43Very nice.
23:44OK.
23:45OK, keep going.
23:46OK, so first of all we have our wind section,
23:50and this is what you probably traditionally think of
23:52as a kind of a sound garden.
23:54I've got my grasses.
23:55So I've got a couple of ones in here
23:57that I've rescued from George,
24:00ransacking the grass and gravel.
24:02So you've got the dark green millennials,
24:04you've got the variegated foliage of the Callum of Grottis,
24:07and I guess as the wind blows through
24:08and you get that swoosh and sound.
24:10Exactly.
24:11The elegance of the wind section.
24:13Elegance.
24:13I like that.
24:14Yeah.
24:15So that's one section.
24:17Another one is going to be over here.
24:19Now this is going to be the string section,
24:21and to me what the string section in an orchestra does
24:24is it gives it loads of energy
24:26and there's a real buzz about that part of the sound.
24:30OK.
24:30So for me that is going to be the RHS plants for pollinators
24:35to attract lots of insects in,
24:37to create a real buzz, loads of energy,
24:40you know, and actually really get that going.
24:42So echinacea, rudbeckias, cosmos, nigella, that kind of thing.
24:46That's clever.
24:47So really pretty, but hopefully bringing the energy.
24:50Oh, OK.
24:52I like that.
24:52That's clever.
24:53Now, separating your two plots, you've got a path.
24:56Uh-huh.
24:57But why have you got so many different sizes of gravels?
25:00Well, this is my percussion section, or the drum section,
25:04so it's a bit interactive, which I thought Carol may enjoy, maybe,
25:08which as you walk over it, it gets louder,
25:14it crescendos in the middle, and then it tapers off again.
25:17OK, I see what you're doing.
25:18So the different sizes of zones release a different kind of sound.
25:22Exactly.
25:23But that's not all.
25:25So finally, what we also need is the bass.
25:27And this is arguably the most important part of an orchestra
25:31because it really gives it the oomph.
25:32So for me, this is where we go underground,
25:35and we're thinking about everything that gives the garden
25:39all of that oomph, shall we say, and we're talking about insects.
25:43They make everything happen.
25:44So I'm going to have a wormery buried underground
25:47that we can lift out.
25:48It's going to have a microphone in with some headphones on
25:51so you can hear the sound of the underground playing along with it.
25:55That's very, very clever.
25:57Do you like it?
25:57I'm very impressed.
25:58Good.
25:59So Carol's going to be back in September.
26:01She's the one that's going to be doing the judging.
26:03Mm-hmm.
26:03You've got to find that little twist, and you've definitely found it.
26:06I hope so.
26:06I'm not a designer, so I've really put a lot of effort into this.
26:11I think you've got to do well.
26:12Good.
26:13Thank you very much.
26:20Now time for some handy hints.
26:23A few weeks ago in the wildlife garden,
26:25we took advantage of this bare patch of soil
26:27to sow some wildflower seeds,
26:29which give us an instant splash of colour
26:32and some food for the bees, the butterflies, and the hoverflies
26:35over the summer months.
26:37On this side, we sowed with seed.
26:39And overall, I'm not too bothered about it.
26:42It looks quite good,
26:43although it is a wee bit of patchy,
26:44maybe more seed down at the bottom.
26:46On this side, though,
26:48we trialled out a wee wildflower mat,
26:50and I must admit, I'm fair impressed with this one.
26:53There's a nice, even coverage of plants
26:55all the way through it from top to bottom.
26:57I can see we've got borage,
26:59we've got the ferny foliage and the phacelia.
27:01But you know what?
27:02Both of them are looking good,
27:04and as long as wildlife's the winner,
27:06then that's fine by me.
27:09So I'm here at my Asian pear,
27:11and now is the perfect time to start training it into shape.
27:14I want to create a nice fan with this to cover my fence.
27:18So to do that, I'm going to use this Velcro here.
27:22Now, I love this because you can cut it to size
27:24depending on how thick your stems are,
27:26but you can also reuse it as well.
27:29So just take on my piece here,
27:32looking for the stems that I want to put into position,
27:36and you simply just wrap it round and stick it on.
27:42And just keep moving round the plant
27:44until you have the shape that you want.
27:53Look at all this vibrant colour on such a miserable spring day.
27:57Yeah, it's what we need today.
27:58What about that rona dendron?
27:59I think it's a beautiful colour, that.
28:01Absolutely. Golden flare, it's called.
28:03Nice.
28:03It's one of those ones where the flower describes a name perfectly, doesn't it?
28:06Absolutely.
28:07Well, that's it from the two of us.
28:09Yeah, Callum's going to be in the garden with me next week.
28:12He's going to be planting plants with fragrance in his competition plot,
28:15and I'm going to be looking at the pruning that you should be doing right now.
28:18And there's also an update from the allotment in Perth
28:21that we're following this season.
28:23Don't forget you can catch all the series so far on the iPlayer,
28:26but from the two of us, it's bye for now.
28:28Bye!
28:59Bye!
29:00Bye!
29:00Bye!
29:00Bye!
Comments