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GreatBritish1
  • 6/19/2025
The Beechgrove Garden 2025 episode 12
Transcript
00:00Hello, and welcome to Beech Grove Garden.
00:18Yeah, well, that rain has brought the end to that lovely dry spell
00:22that we're all enjoying, but what that does mean
00:24is all our plants have got some lovely, luscious growth.
00:27So we're in the picket garden and we're trimming the box hedging,
00:31which is pretty much needing it now.
00:32We certainly are, and we are cutting this one,
00:36but we're leaving our taller boundary hedges
00:38until sort of August time when all the birds have finished nesting.
00:42But this one we had a quick look and it is free for us to give it a good haircut.
00:47Yep, so first of all, we've put the string line down
00:50because we want to make sure the top is nice and level.
00:53As you can see, we're a wee bit higher at this end,
00:55so I'm going to have to take a wee bit more off here.
00:57And then also with the sides, actually they're quite squared,
01:00but I'm going to put a wee angle on them.
01:02That just helps the sun get to all aspects of it
01:04and the snow as well, and it sits on the top.
01:07If it pushes it open just that wee bit,
01:09then hopefully it'll not lose its shape.
01:11And am I right in saying we're cutting the top and the sides,
01:13but if you want a taller hedge, you cut the sides.
01:16If you want a bushier hedge, you cut the top.
01:19That's right.
01:20Now, I know the sun is out today
01:21and it feels like it's the best time to be cutting your box hedge,
01:24but actually you'd better to do it on a cloudier day.
01:27You can see all this young, fresh foliage I'm exposing.
01:30Well, there's every chance that might get scorched in the bright sunlight,
01:34but it's always also good to do it when the foliage is dry.
01:37When the foliage is wet,
01:38you're maybe going to encourage that box blight
01:40and that's the last thing you want in amongst your box hedging.
01:42We certainly do not want that.
01:43Well, there's enough to be getting on with here,
01:46but here's what's on the rest of the programme.
01:53Coming up, I'm under-planting geraniums for ground cover.
02:00Carol is in another great Scottish garden.
02:06And competition grows in the veg plots.
02:08But first, Ruth, now's the time of year for sowing our biennial seeds,
02:16but if you're new to gardening,
02:17can you explain just what is a biennial seed?
02:20Well, a biennial is a plant that has a two-year life cycle.
02:24So this year we'll sow our seed
02:25and we'll get lots of lovely vegetative growth,
02:29loads of leaves and stems,
02:30but they won't flower until next year.
02:33Next year they'll flower and they'll set seed,
02:35as opposed to an annual,
02:37which we'll do all of that in one year.
02:39So what we're needing,
02:40we're needing a wee area to grow all these plants on.
02:42Don't know about you,
02:43but my glass house is chocker just now,
02:45so the traditional way of doing it indoors
02:47isn't going to work for me,
02:48but we do have a bit of room out in the garden.
02:50I like this.
02:51We've got a wee bit of room outside,
02:52so basically we've got a nursery bed,
02:54which is basically a giant seed tree outdoors,
02:57in the full sun.
02:58So we've done a wee bit of prep.
03:00We've made sure it's nice and clean.
03:01We've removed the stones,
03:02made sure it's nice and firm around the edges.
03:04But we're just going to sew directly to the bed now.
03:08Yes.
03:09So about 15 centimetres apart.
03:11I know we've got quite a few packets there,
03:13and I'll tell you what,
03:14we've got some cracking colours.
03:15What have we got over there?
03:16We certainly do.
03:17We have got some forget-me-nots,
03:18we've got sweet williams,
03:20foxgloves, wallflowers.
03:22The list of biennials that are available
03:24is actually quite surprising,
03:26and they are all really amazing plants.
03:29Yeah, they're crackers.
03:30Well, as I was just about to say,
03:32I know the spacing maybe say about 20 or 30 centimetres
03:35in between plants,
03:36but because this is just a temporary home,
03:38just to get them started,
03:40I reckon rows about 15 centimetres.
03:43What's the first thing we're planting?
03:45So, I figured because we are doing a nursery bed,
03:48we would have a little bit of order to it.
03:50Of course, of course.
03:52So, we are going with Campanula first.
03:54Right.
03:55And then the rest,
03:56what, you're going to do in alphabetical order,
03:57is that right?
03:58We certainly are.
03:58So, after Campanula,
04:00we'll be our digitalis.
04:01Well, it's quite windy today,
04:02so we need to be very careful,
04:03but we're just going to sew these
04:05very, very thinly
04:08into the ground.
04:11We're going to leave them here for, what,
04:13maybe six, seven weeks?
04:15And then, fingers crossed,
04:16they'll have all germinated.
04:17At that point,
04:18we'll come back to this again.
04:20We'll maybe move them on
04:21to their temperate home,
04:23just so they can grow in a wee bit further,
04:25and then in the autumn,
04:25we'll come back and put them
04:26into their permanent home.
04:27Yeah.
04:28And I think what's going to be so good
04:29is that next year,
04:30they will all flower,
04:33and they'll start also setting seed.
04:35So, you've got that
04:36ever-growing nursery bed going on.
04:39Brilliant.
04:40Which, I think, is just wonderful.
04:45As the foliage thickens
04:51on the trees and shrubs,
04:53we can become more aware
04:54of just how bare the ground is underneath.
04:58With a dense canopy,
04:59there's not much light gets in here,
05:01and with all these large trees and shrubs
05:03competing for every last drop of moisture,
05:06it can present some pretty challenging
05:08gardening growing conditions for us,
05:10with us gardeners looking for plants
05:12that can cope with both dry and shade.
05:15Geranium macrorhizum is a plant
05:19that I know very well
05:20and can cope with these kind of conditions.
05:22This is a variegated forum.
05:25Now, it actually does so well,
05:27maybe sometimes you could call it quite invasive,
05:29but actually,
05:30the rhizomes from which
05:32the shoots and the flowers come from,
05:34they're actually quite easy to remove
05:36and dig up,
05:37so I would go as far as to say
05:38they actually thrive in these conditions.
05:41Now, there's other plants
05:43that like that dry shade.
05:44We've got the colourful foxgloves just now
05:46and the likes of telmias.
05:48But actually,
05:49geraniums are such garden-worthy plants
05:51that I thought it would be very nice
05:52just to focus on them
05:54and create a lovely wee display
05:56of all the different kinds of foliages you get,
05:59the different flowers,
06:00and take advantage of the different heights
06:02to create a wee tapestry of geranium
06:04in this little pocket.
06:05The first plant I'm going to look at
06:09is geranium renardii.
06:11Now, this is actually one of the lowest ones,
06:12round about 20 centimetres,
06:14a nice little neat clump of sage green foliage.
06:18I love this little white flower,
06:20and you can see the lovely details
06:21of that lavender veins.
06:23They're cracking little flowers.
06:26Growing to about three times the size
06:29is this one.
06:30This is geranium magnificum.
06:32What a cracking colour of flower that is.
06:34That's a lovely, bold violet colour.
06:37I do like the little red that you get,
06:39the wee tinge that you get
06:40on the end of the leaves.
06:42Now, with the likes of renardii,
06:44it'll flower May, July.
06:46But you get a longer length of season there
06:48with magnificum.
06:49It goes all the way through to August.
06:52Now, what about wargrave pink?
06:54Giving you that little lighter shade
06:55goes all the way through to September,
06:57a great little plant
06:58for most conditions in your garden.
07:00And then don't forget about the foliage.
07:03I think foliage is very important on plants
07:06because the flowers don't last forever.
07:08And how about the lovely details you have here
07:10of Mrs. Kendall Clark,
07:11a lovely dissected leaf.
07:14Now, when it comes to planting out
07:16and laying out all these plants,
07:18now, I could just dot all these different varieties
07:20I have all over the place,
07:21but I'd worried I'd get this sort of polka dot effect
07:24and you don't really get to appreciate it.
07:25So, with the likes of renardii,
07:28I've got three plants,
07:29but I've got them on the left-hand side.
07:32And then just beside me here,
07:33a wee bit of further up,
07:34I've got another three plantings.
07:37But as I'm walking up that meandering path,
07:40hopefully that's going to look like
07:41one bold planting,
07:42and that's what I want.
07:44And then with the likes of magnificum
07:46and wargrave pink
07:47and all the others that I can use,
07:49maybe plant them in roundabout groups
07:51of threes and fives
07:52and have them spread,
07:54maybe make different shapes as well,
07:55just to get that natural look,
07:57which I think is what you're wanting
07:58in this kind of environment.
08:01Now, when it comes to planting,
08:03the closer you go to a shrub,
08:05the more challenging it's going to be
08:06to get through the root system.
08:08So what I'm trying to do
08:09is to find maybe neat little lines,
08:11maybe the edges of the canopies
08:13in between two plants
08:15to find little sweet spots
08:16where the soil's actually quite soft.
08:19I'll then pop the plant in there,
08:21and as it settles in,
08:22it grows and it starts to spread,
08:24then maybe that can colonise
08:26those maybe more challenging areas.
08:30As you can see,
08:32the soil is very, very dry.
08:34So I'm going to incorporate
08:35some of this garden mulch.
08:38So again, when we water them,
08:40and watering them is very, very important
08:42until the plants get established,
08:45this is going to help bulk up the soil
08:47and hold on to that moisture
08:50just a wee bitty more.
08:53And then of course,
08:54once the plant is in the ground,
08:56it's very important
08:58that you give a wee mulch
09:01after you've given the plant a drink,
09:03and then that'll help trap all that moisture in.
09:07So I'm looking forward to seeing
09:09how these plants settle into their new home
09:12over the coming weeks.
09:14Meanwhile, Carol this summer
09:15is going to be visiting
09:16some great Scottish gardens.
09:19And this week,
09:20she's visiting a garden
09:21that has some ancient plantings
09:23and a modern design.
09:24in the centre of the town of Ellen
09:33in Aberdeenshire
09:34lies a garden
09:35that was almost lost to time.
09:37Behind these walls,
09:39its story is all about
09:41rediscovery and renewal.
09:43Ten years ago,
09:51this space was gifted
09:52to the people of Ellen.
09:53Since then,
09:54it has been lovingly transformed
09:56into something really quite special.
10:03These English hues
10:04are believed to be
10:05over 500 years old.
10:07They form the heart of the garden,
10:09creating a natural canopy
10:10that feels like a living cathedral.
10:14Alison Cragen
10:14is the chair of the trustees
10:16for Ellen Castle Gardens.
10:19Wow, Alison.
10:21This is absolutely amazing,
10:23isn't it?
10:23Just as you come in
10:24and get into these hues,
10:26but presumably it wasn't like this
10:27when you first came to the site.
10:30No, it was very overgrown.
10:32The volunteers have done
10:33such a lot of work
10:34to tidy everything up
10:35and to make the place
10:37much more welcoming for visitors.
10:39So did you have to take off
10:40quite a few of the limbs of the yew?
10:43No, really.
10:44There's been very little done.
10:46Our policy with these yews
10:47is to leave well alone
10:48as much as possible.
10:50So only anything
10:50that would be causing
10:51a safety hazard
10:52would be removed.
10:53But the trees,
10:55they really need to be left alone
10:57to grow in the way
10:58that they want to do.
10:59And that includes things
11:00like their branches
11:02going all the way to the ground,
11:03putting down new roots.
11:04It's incredible behind us here,
11:05isn't it?
11:06Yeah, it's really wonderful
11:07to see them.
11:08It gives them a lot of support.
11:09So in the stormy weather,
11:11they're very little affected
11:13because the branches
11:14hit the ground,
11:15they put down roots
11:16and that gives them
11:17such stability.
11:18So that's why
11:18they've survived
11:20for such a long time.
11:21It's as if they're
11:21wandering a bit, isn't it?
11:23Yes, yeah.
11:24And that's what happens.
11:25That's what they say.
11:26You know, yew trees,
11:27they will walk across
11:28a landscape
11:29over hundreds
11:29and thousands of years.
11:31As the branches
11:33put down new roots,
11:34then new trees
11:35will grow up from that
11:36and they'll continue
11:37to progress
11:37across the landscape.
11:38Am I right as well
11:39that the bees come into here?
11:41They've got a home here?
11:43Well, just recently, yes,
11:44we've noticed some bees
11:45moving into some
11:46of the hollow branches.
11:47So that's a wonderful thing
11:49to see the nature
11:50really making the most
11:51of these ancient trees.
11:53Fantastic.
11:53And although it's
11:54a windy day today,
11:55it's so sheltered here.
11:56It's lovely.
11:57Now you rely
11:58on volunteers
12:00very much so,
12:01don't you?
12:01So what other parts
12:03of the garden
12:03are they looking after?
12:05Oh, well,
12:05we have some wonderful
12:06parts of the garden here.
12:08We have our beautiful
12:08herbaceous borders
12:09that are really coming
12:10into their own
12:11at this time of year.
12:13So there's a lot
12:13of maintenance in there,
12:15the weeding,
12:15the splitting up
12:16of the plants.
12:17It's looking beautiful now.
12:18It's brilliant.
12:19So I need to have
12:19a bit of a look round,
12:21I think,
12:21and then I'll come back
12:22to you.
12:22Carol Hawthorne
12:28is one of the volunteers
12:29and one of her
12:30gardening jobs
12:31is to look after
12:32the collection
12:33of apple trees.
12:34The reason for doing
12:35the summer pruning
12:36really is to help
12:37the strength
12:38of the tree
12:39go into the fruit
12:41and also to make
12:43a little more light
12:44maybe,
12:44to let the sun
12:45get at one.
12:47So for one like this,
12:49which is obvious,
12:50I'd probably take it off
12:51maybe four leaves,
12:53maybe five,
12:53one, two, three, four.
12:54So leave four
12:55or five leaves
12:56and then in the wintertime
12:57that's when you cut it
12:58back even harder.
12:59Yeah, we cut it
12:59right back down.
13:00Which is quite amazing.
13:08If you're looking
13:09for an evergreen hedge
13:10in your garden,
13:11I would highly recommend you.
13:13And these are
13:13some fairly young plants.
13:16Now, as long as your ground
13:17is very moisture-retentive
13:19but well-drained,
13:20it should really thrive.
13:21And the beauty of you,
13:23it's one of the few evergreens
13:24that you can cut hard back
13:26and it will regenerate.
13:28And here's an example
13:29at the end here.
13:30That's a very old plant.
13:32And now it's creating
13:33a lovely fresh new hedge.
13:38Katie Reynolds
13:39designed the rose garden
13:40and she was kind enough
13:42to show me around.
13:43So this is the curved form
13:45of the bed
13:46in the Memorial Rose Garden.
13:48Well, the nice thing is
13:49you've got the curves
13:50but also you've got
13:51the height here.
13:51So a nice raised bed.
13:53Yeah, so the thinking
13:55about behind that
13:56was both in terms
13:57of the height
13:57to create
13:58visual variation
14:01but also for anyone
14:02in a wheelchair
14:03that they can still
14:04appreciate the roses
14:06and especially the perfume
14:07coming through here.
14:09Yeah, well,
14:09the scent
14:09is absolutely amazing
14:11and I recognise this one
14:13which is a beautiful rose
14:14with fantastic perfume.
14:17I normally think
14:18of this Jerkoo Jekyll
14:19as a sort of
14:21a shrub rose really.
14:22Yeah, well,
14:23it can be grown
14:23as a climber too
14:24obviously as it has been
14:25here up the obelisk.
14:27It's just how you grow it.
14:29So if you have some support,
14:30yes, it absolutely
14:30can become a climber.
14:33After 10 years
14:34of restoration,
14:35Ellen Castle Gardens
14:36has become a place
14:37to breathe,
14:38reflect and grow
14:40and its story
14:41is far from over.
14:44Well, Alison,
14:45I have to say
14:45I've thoroughly enjoyed
14:46the tour of the garden
14:47but I think we should
14:48finish off by
14:49perhaps summing up
14:51what the purpose
14:52of this garden
14:52is in your eyes.
14:54Well, Ellen Castle Gardens
14:56is really in the heart
14:57of the community
14:58here in Ellen.
14:59We are,
15:00we belong to the community.
15:02We're run by volunteers
15:03for the community
15:04and that's really
15:05the main reason
15:06that we're here.
15:12So I am back here
15:14in the competition plot
15:16where myself
15:17and three of the other
15:18presenters are competing
15:19to create the most pretty
15:21and productive plot
15:24that Carol will be judging
15:25at the end of the season.
15:27So I wanted to give you
15:29a little bit of an update
15:30on where I'm at with mine.
15:33So my theme
15:35is the modern crofter
15:36and I chose that theme
15:38because I spent 17 years
15:40growing up in Shetland
15:41and I wanted to put that
15:43into my plot.
15:45When I was thinking about
15:46what I wanted to do,
15:48soup came to mind.
15:49Soup was something
15:50that I loved eating
15:51growing up.
15:51I still do now
15:52and that drew me to lentils
15:55and I've never really seen
15:57lentils being grown
15:58in Scotland before
15:59and you might remember
16:00Brian asking me,
16:02what on earth are you doing
16:03with such high stakes
16:05growing something
16:06that you've never tried before?
16:08But look at them.
16:10Look how good
16:11they are doing.
16:11I am so thrilled
16:13that the lentils
16:13are coming on.
16:15Peas are looking good,
16:17the brassicas
16:19are doing great too
16:20but I've got something
16:21to go in the ground
16:22which is my celery.
16:24So these have been grown
16:26in the greenhouse
16:28and now that the weather
16:30is coming on a little bit
16:31they are ready
16:32to go in the ground.
16:35Now celery is a plant
16:36that will attract
16:38the dreaded carrot root fly
16:40as is parsley
16:42which I've also got here.
16:44These are two of my soup staples
16:46that I was absolutely
16:49desperate to have
16:50but just to protect them
16:52a little bit
16:52I've interplanted
16:54with some tagetes
16:56so French marigolds.
16:58Now these are really
16:59common companion plants
17:01and basically what that means
17:03is that they will
17:04spread a scent
17:06that confuses
17:07the carrot root fly
17:08and hopefully
17:09just deters them
17:11from being attracted
17:12to my celery
17:14and the parsley.
17:17So just get this one
17:18in the ground here.
17:21I think they are going to come on
17:23really, really lovely.
17:26Now moving on up a little bit
17:28this is where I have
17:30my root crops.
17:32So again
17:34just sticking with my theme
17:36what I wanted to do
17:37was include
17:38as much of the
17:40sort of traditional practices
17:41that you would get in Crofton
17:43into my plot.
17:45So to protect my chard
17:46what I thought I would do
17:48is use
17:49these pellets here.
17:51Now these are
17:52made from wool
17:54which just reminded me
17:56of Shetland
17:56because that's where
17:57you get a lot of lamb from.
18:00So these
18:01we just place
18:01around the plants
18:03quite densely
18:04we'll just get them in
18:06and then what you do
18:10is you just
18:11water them in
18:12and they'll puff up.
18:13So just getting them
18:15watered on.
18:16Now I must warn you
18:17they do smell
18:18but to me
18:19they actually just remind me
18:20of home
18:21so it's not too bad.
18:24And so Shetland
18:25really is a place
18:26that's a land and the sea
18:27so I've got my
18:28wool pellets in there
18:29which comes from sheep
18:30and on my onions
18:32and a few other things
18:33I'm going to be applying
18:34a seaweed feed.
18:36Now seaweed feed
18:37is fantastic
18:38because it is filled
18:39with macro
18:40and micronutrients
18:41but what it also is
18:43is a biostimulant
18:44which means
18:45that it has
18:46plenty
18:47of plant hormones
18:48just to give
18:50the plants
18:51a boost.
18:52And to be honest
18:52I'm going to need it
18:53because I'm competing
18:54with the likes of Callum
18:55who is a show grower
18:56so I'm definitely
18:57going to need
18:58to use all of my tricks
18:59that I have up my sleeve
19:01and I'm just going to get
19:02the rest of them
19:04watered in as well.
19:14This summer
19:15we are visiting gardeners
19:17all over Scotland
19:18and now it's time
19:19to head to Colin Crosby
19:20and his garden
19:21in Dumfries.
19:23Last time
19:24when you were here
19:25I took cuttings
19:26of Hellenium
19:27Sahin's early
19:28which is a late
19:29flowering daisy.
19:31Now they've been
19:31in this pot
19:32about five weeks
19:33six weeks
19:34let's see how
19:34they're doing.
19:35Some are putting
19:36new growth on
19:37so hopefully
19:38they've rooted.
19:40First of all
19:41to knock them out
19:42and that's what
19:43you want to see.
19:44You see the roots
19:45which are forming
19:46there
19:46so at least I know
19:47some of them
19:48have rooted.
19:50This one hasn't.
19:51There's always one
19:52that doesn't.
19:53I think this one
19:54is just starting.
19:55You can see the roots
19:56forming on it
19:57that's good to see.
19:59This one's got
20:00lovely roots on it.
20:02That one's just starting
20:03a few tiny wee roots
20:05there
20:05and these two
20:07most definitely have.
20:09So this is great
20:09so from six cuttings
20:11I've got five new plants.
20:13So these are going
20:14to be potted
20:14into a peat-free
20:16potting compost.
20:17I always add
20:18a little bit of perlite.
20:19I'm struggling
20:20with the peat-free compost
20:21that sometimes
20:23I find I'm either
20:24over-watering
20:25or under-watering
20:26but I find
20:26when I add a little
20:27bit of perlite
20:28it helps me anyway.
20:30So put a little bit
20:30of compost
20:31in the bottom
20:32of the pot
20:33little dead leaf there
20:34I'm just pulling
20:35the dead leaf off
20:36you can see them
20:37there in my hand.
20:39Put the cutting in
20:39and then I gently
20:41fill round about it
20:43and I just
20:44give it a tap.
20:45Again
20:45don't be tempted
20:46to force the compost
20:48down
20:48because you drive
20:49all the air
20:50out of the compost.
20:52So I'll pot
20:52these other ones up
20:53as well again removing
20:55the little dead leaf
20:56which is there
20:57little bit of compost
20:58into the bottom
20:59and then just fill
21:00round about it
21:02with compost
21:03and then a gentle tap.
21:06You can see
21:06by tapping it
21:07how the compost
21:08sinks down
21:09into the pot.
21:11So we'll get
21:11all the others
21:12potted up.
21:13This is wonderful.
21:14Plants for free
21:15when you've taken
21:16cuttings
21:17and these will be
21:18ready to plant
21:19by the end
21:20of the summer.
21:21And even
21:23these two
21:24which don't
21:24have many roots
21:25I've actually
21:26got to cheat
21:26a little bit
21:27I'm going to
21:28put both of them
21:29in the same pot
21:30so we'll see how
21:31because when they
21:32start to root
21:32it actually triggers
21:33more roots to form
21:35in the cuttings
21:35that are beside them.
21:36So I'll put
21:37two into this pot
21:38here
21:38and that's
21:40almost like
21:41four pots
21:42that I've got here
21:43filling with the compost
21:45round about them
21:46and then
21:47a gentle tap.
21:49But what I do
21:49need to do
21:50these have been
21:51in a covered
21:52plastic propagator
21:53you can see
21:54the tips
21:54have got
21:55slightly elongated
21:56well I actually
21:57want to form roots
21:58and actually have
21:59lots of shoots
22:00coming from the base
22:01so I'm going
22:02to pinch them out
22:03and I'm just using
22:04my secateurs
22:05you can see
22:06in this one here
22:07going down
22:08where the soft
22:09growth starts
22:11taking them out
22:12I'll do this
22:13last one here
22:14right down
22:16in
22:17and that will
22:18encourage
22:19more roots
22:19to form
22:20and start
22:21growing
22:22but there's
22:22one thing
22:23I still have
22:23to do
22:24so important
22:25when you've
22:26potted things up
22:27you do need
22:28to water them
22:28in
22:29so I have
22:29the watering
22:30can here
22:31and just
22:32I always start
22:33at the side
22:33and go over
22:35backwards
22:35and forwards
22:36and give them
22:37a good soaking
22:38and as I'm
22:39doing this
22:39this actually
22:40helps to
22:40firm the compost
22:41round the plant
22:42and then
22:44I'll leave
22:45them in my
22:46polytunnel
22:46probably for
22:48another two
22:49or three weeks
22:49to get the roots
22:50forming
22:51and then I'll
22:52stand them
22:52outside at the
22:53back of the
22:53polytunnel
22:54and about
22:55August-September
22:56time this year
22:57those will be
22:58going into
22:59my borders
22:59in my garden
23:00great fun
23:02now all of us
23:13when we're
23:14gardening
23:14we have a lot
23:15of spare compost
23:16old compost
23:17which comes
23:17when we're
23:18pricking out
23:18when we're
23:19potting up
23:19and sometimes
23:20throw it away
23:21or put it
23:21on the garden
23:22I don't
23:23because compost
23:24is very expensive
23:25so what I do
23:26with old compost
23:27here it is
23:28the stuff
23:28I've been
23:29pricking out
23:29I put a little
23:30bit in the
23:31bottom of this
23:32tray here
23:32it's got moss
23:33and things in it
23:34I don't worry
23:36about that
23:36and then
23:37I put a layer
23:39of fresh
23:40compost on the
23:42top
23:42and this is
23:43peat-free
23:44general purpose
23:45compost
23:45so just spreading
23:47it around
23:47evenly
23:48and then
23:50give it a little
23:51tap to firm
23:52it down
23:53and then just
23:54make sure
23:54it's nice and
23:55even
23:55it's important
23:56to be even
23:57all the way
23:57through
23:57and this is
23:58a spent
23:59mushroom box
24:00that I've got
24:00here
24:01now
24:01it's raining
24:02outside
24:03but it's a
24:03great day
24:04for sowing
24:05lettuces
24:05or salad
24:07leaf crops
24:07because lettuces
24:09and salad
24:09leaf crops
24:10they actually
24:11become dormant
24:12if you sow
24:13them in hot
24:14weather
24:14so sow
24:15them early
24:15in the morning
24:16late evening
24:17or sow
24:18them in a
24:19wet day
24:19like today
24:20and it's
24:21a great way
24:22of doing it
24:23and actually
24:23to keep
24:24them cool
24:24once you've
24:25sown it
24:26you can actually
24:26put your
24:27tray
24:28underneath
24:29a bench
24:29so here
24:30are some
24:30salad
24:31leafs
24:31that are
24:32going in
24:32here
24:32not many
24:34seeds
24:34in the
24:34packet
24:35so I just
24:35want to
24:36sprinkle
24:36them
24:36through
24:37here
24:37and you
24:38can see
24:39how I go
24:39backwards
24:40and forwards
24:40with the
24:41seeds
24:41just sprinkling
24:43them
24:44in
24:45and that's
24:46probably
24:47enough
24:47so I'll
24:48put these
24:49and when I
24:49put them
24:49back into
24:50the packet
24:50I always
24:51do it
24:52above the
24:53container
24:53any seeds
24:54will fall
24:55down
24:55so that's
24:56the seeds
24:57that I've
24:57been sown
24:58in the watering
24:59can
24:59it's always
25:00important to
25:01water
25:01now with watering
25:02a little tip
25:03that I was
25:04taught as a
25:04young gardener
25:05never start
25:06watering
25:06above the
25:07container
25:08you always
25:08start at the
25:09side
25:09and all the
25:10drips
25:11the big
25:11drips
25:12that would
25:12wash the
25:12seeds away
25:13they don't
25:14harm the
25:15seeds
25:15and you go
25:16from left
25:17to right
25:17left to
25:18right
25:18good watering
25:20so that's
25:21the salad
25:21leaf crops
25:22in there
25:22and then
25:23I put it
25:24down
25:24underneath
25:25the bench
25:26to keep
25:26it cool
25:27they'll start
25:28germinating
25:28in about
25:29two or
25:29three days
25:30time
25:30and in
25:31about
25:31three weeks
25:31time
25:32I'll be
25:33picking
25:33leaf crops
25:34in here
25:34which will
25:35be so
25:36exciting
25:36to have
25:37fresh salad
25:38leaves
25:38in the
25:39kitchen
25:39now time
25:49for some
25:50handy
25:50hints
25:51now you
25:51may often
25:52hear plants
25:52referred to
25:53as good
25:54doers
25:54and that's
25:55because they
25:55can grow
25:56pretty much
25:56anywhere
25:57in any
25:58type of
25:58condition
25:58now this
25:59lady's mantle
26:00is one of
26:01those plants
26:02but the
26:03trouble is
26:03if you let
26:04it set
26:04seed
26:05you'll soon
26:05find that
26:06it's going to
26:06germinate
26:07everywhere
26:07in the cracks
26:08amongst your
26:09path
26:09in between
26:10plants
26:11all the
26:11places where
26:12you don't
26:12want it
26:13to be
26:13my tip
26:14would be
26:15once the
26:15flowers are
26:16beginning to
26:17fade
26:17snip all the
26:18spent flowers
26:19off
26:19stop it
26:19from seeding
26:20everywhere
26:21and you'll
26:22probably be
26:22rewarded
26:23with a
26:23second flush
26:24of flowers
26:24now is the
26:34perfect time
26:35to be buying
26:36dahlias
26:37what I
26:37would always
26:37recommend
26:38is looking
26:38for ones
26:39that are
26:39not already
26:40in bloom
26:41because they
26:41will last
26:42a lot
26:42lot longer
26:43when you
26:44do get
26:44them home
26:45grab a
26:46pair of
26:46snips
26:47and what
26:47you're going
26:48to do
26:48is just
26:48pinch out
26:49that leader
26:50stem
26:50and what
26:52that will
26:52do
26:52is
26:53redistribute
26:54the hormones
26:54in the
26:55plant
26:55and create
26:55lots of
26:56lateral
26:56branches
26:57where you'll
26:58get more
26:58flowers and
26:59blooms
26:59or longer
27:00in the
27:00season
27:00now I
27:03love growing
27:04tomatoes
27:04and you can
27:05see I've
27:05got a lot
27:06of them
27:06along here
27:07but every
27:08time you
27:08walk past
27:09your tomatoes
27:09it's really
27:10important to
27:11tickle them
27:11when I was a
27:12young gardener
27:13working in a
27:13nursery
27:14that's what I
27:14was told
27:15because if you
27:16don't tickle
27:16them you don't
27:17pollinate the
27:18tomatoes and
27:19you want lots
27:19of seed so as
27:20you're out in
27:21your garden or
27:22you're in your
27:22glass house go
27:23along tickle
27:24them as you go
27:25past them and
27:26then as you get
27:27taller growing up
27:28the strings you
27:28actually give the
27:29strings a little
27:31shake as well but
27:32so important tickle
27:33your tomatoes and
27:34you'll have great
27:35tomatoes later on
27:36in the summer
27:36well Ruth we're
27:43standing in amongst
27:45the wonderful
27:45Himalayan poppies
27:46don't you just love
27:47that blue colour
27:48eh
27:48they're absolutely
27:49stunning I think
27:49meccanopsis definitely
27:51are one of my
27:51favourites and look
27:52at the tree fern that
27:53Carol put in isn't it
27:54doing so well
27:55they're both loving
27:55this wet weather that
27:56we're getting at the
27:57moment
27:57they absolutely are
27:59well that's almost it
28:00from us for now
28:01yep next week I'm
28:02going to be joined
28:03in the garden by
28:04Kirsty we're going
28:05to take a wee look
28:06at the sweet pea
28:07arch that she set out
28:08a few weeks ago and
28:09she'll also be planting
28:10out her hugel bed
28:11and there's also a
28:13report from somewhere
28:14you don't associate
28:15with gardening it's a
28:17trip to the zoo where
28:18we are going to find
28:19out what they're doing
28:20to feed the locals
28:21don't forget you can
28:22catch all the episodes
28:23so far on this series
28:25on the BBC iPlayer
28:26but other than that
28:27Ruth that's all for
28:27us
28:28it is
28:28bye bye
28:29bye for now
28:29we'll see you