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00:00Sowing the seeds for gardens and outdoor spaces that everyone can love with Alan Titchmarsh's
00:06Gardening Club brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
00:18Welcome back to my gardening club right here in my own garden. As a new gardening season begins
00:26we'll once again be celebrating the people, plants and places that make UK gardening so
00:33extraordinary. This series will show that gardening really is for everyone whether you're caring for
00:40plants on a windowsill, growing vegetables in an allotment patch or transforming a community space.
00:47We'll journey across the length and breadth of the British Isles uncovering renowned gardens,
00:53inventive designs and creative green spaces of all sizes and we'll be sharing even more practical
01:01tips, techniques and fresh ideas to help you transform your garden into a beautiful rewarding
01:08space whatever its size. Our gardening club family is at the heart of it all, answering your gardening
01:16questions, championing sustainability, shining a spotlight on the unsung horticultural heroes
01:24and sharing their passion for all things green. So grab a cuppa, settle in and get ready to grow.
01:33Welcome to my gardening club.
01:35As we move into the heart of spring the garden is simply bursting with promise. The days are getting
01:52longer, the temperatures are rising and everywhere you look fresh green shoots are emerging. Does your heart
02:00look good doesn't it? And now it's the perfect time to roll up your sleeves whether it's sowing seeds,
02:06preparing beds or giving everything a well-earned tidy up before the growing season takes off. And over the
02:13next hour we'll be bringing you plenty of inspiration from across the country. Jason Williams heads to
02:19Liverpool to explore an indoor garden designed for the whole community. Online gardening favourite Hugh Richards
02:26shares a masterclass on hotbeds from his very own garden in Wales. And Camilla Bassett-Smith takes us to
02:34Harrogate where she discovers a garden brimming with ideas to inspire your own. But first it's time for
02:42Ask the Gardener where our experts tackle your horticultural hot questions. Today we're with Anna Greenland
02:49in her beautiful countryside garden as she answers your latest query.
03:09Today's question comes from Natalie in Hampshire who asks, Hi Anna, what are the best fruit and veg to grow in containers?
03:15Luckily there's a lot of fruit and veg that do really well in containers including tomatoes, blueberries, carrots,
03:22salads, but a couple of my favourites are potatoes and strawberries.
03:31There's three types of potato that you can choose to grow. So you've got your first early's which are
03:35the delicious little salad potatoes that you eat really fresh straight from the ground. You've got your
03:40second early's that come a few weeks later and then you've got your main crop which you pick through
03:45the main summer months of August into September. So today I'm going to be planting some first early's
03:51which you normally plant in March.
03:59So the good news is you can grow potatoes in pretty much anything as long as you've got the
04:03right capacity. So around 40 litres is good. I use some old galvanized tubs which I find at reclamation yards.
04:13Make sure you've got holes in the bottom for drainage. So if you're reusing sort of upcycling containers,
04:21drill holes in the bottom. So I've drilled lots of holes through this.
04:25So the first thing you want to do is put some crocs in the bottom and that just helps the water to flow
04:38through a little bit and not bung up the holes, the drainage holes. So this is where you can
04:46take out a bit of aggression, give it a bit of a
04:50a bang. These are just some old pots that have broken up. Just anything to allow the water to
05:00flow through a little bit.
05:08Now we're going to get planting. So I'm going to put about 20 centimetres of compost in the bottom. So
05:14I'm using some peat-free potting compost and I've mixed in some of my own compost as well.
05:19So let's just
05:23put that in. I'm going to put three potatoes to a 40 litre container. So that's quite a good ratio.
05:31And you'll see when you take your seed potato that the shoots tend to congregate towards one end. So
05:39you want to plant it with the shoots facing up. So I'm going to put them in a hand width apart from
05:44each other. It's quite a good guide. So I'm going to just stick them into the compost like this. Do a
05:52hand looking one. One in there. And pop that one in there. And then you're going to put another sort of
06:0215 centimetres or so of compost on top.
06:08So you're not filling the pot up at this point. You're just giving
06:13the potatoes a little covering over. And then, this is the fun part, when they start to shoot,
06:21you'll see the little green tips starting to appear above the compost. And that's when you
06:26can add a little bit more compost in. And you can just add it almost covering, but just with enough
06:32leaf that they can still grow through. And you keep doing that until the shoots reach the top of the
06:37pot. And then you just let them grow free. And you'll get this nice foliage that comes out the top of the
06:43pot. Water them until the water starts coming out the bottom of the pot. And then you know that it's
06:56really soaked through the compost. I'm going to put this pot in the greenhouse and it will give me a
07:02really nice early crop of first early potatoes. If you don't have a greenhouse, then just put it
07:08somewhere in a sheltered sunny spot. So that's potatoes done. Now we're going to move on to strawberries.
07:20Just like potatoes with strawberries, you've got early, mid-season and late varieties. There's also
07:25ever bearers, which keep giving little bits of fruit little and often. These are two of the
07:30tastiest varieties. There's Mauling Centenary, which is an earlier variety. And then the Malwina,
07:35which is a later variety to come on. And it's really, really delicious.
07:45Much like potatoes, you want to make sure that you've got your drainage holes in the bottom.
07:49I like the shape of this as well, because strawberries don't need a very,
07:52very deep container. They're quite happy. They're more shallow rooted. So again, we're going to use crocs in
07:58the bottom. And then because the strawberries like to be quite free draining, I'm going to put a layer
08:05of horticultural grit in the bottom as well. So we're just going to pour some of this in.
08:19Peat-free compost again, nice and light and free draining. I'm just going to mix that a bit
08:25with that bottom layer of grit.
08:34You have a few options when you come to buy strawberries. You could buy them in pots, already
08:39potted. But this time of year, early spring, when you really want to guarantee that you're going to
08:44get a harvest for this year, you can get them from a strawberry supplier as runners. These are cold
08:51stored runners and they're ready to go. So these have come from the parent plant and you just cut the stem
08:59and dig up the little runner to make a new plant. So once you've got your own strawberries like this,
09:04they will form their own runners and you'll be able to propagate your own plants.
09:08This is the Malwina, the slightly later variety. We're going to put them about 20 centimetres
09:14apart and then the mauling centenary through there. So I've got seven plants in this container.
09:25You can literally just make a hole. You just want to make sure that the crown isn't planted too deep.
09:32So where it's starting to shoot here that needs to be level with the soil surface and not below
09:39because otherwise your plants can rot. So these are all going around the outside and then
09:48there's this sort of space in the middle here which I'm actually going to put some chives into
09:53just because I think they make a nice companion plant for the strawberries. They'll grow a little
09:59bit taller. They've got the lovely purple flowers when they flower. I've actually just dug up a little
10:06clump of chives that I already had in the garden because they were starting to spread quite far
10:10along the path. It doesn't look much at the moment but it will get going and it'll make its own nice
10:19chive plant. One thing to remember when you're planting into pots is that you may need to do
10:24some supplemental feeding. So something like an organic seaweed feed every few weeks when they're
10:29fruiting and flowering will really give them a boost. So give it a few months and this is going to
10:34be abundant with lots of juicy strawberries. Thanks Hannah and you know growing fruit and
10:42veg in containers is incredibly useful whether you've just a small garden, a balcony or you just
10:49want to keep things within easy reach. It's a great way to make the most of your space and enjoy fresh
10:54produce no matter where you live. Now it's time to celebrate some of the fantastic gardening content
11:01being shared online as we shine a spotlight on one of you, our brilliant plant fluencers. And this time
11:08it's the turn of Vicky who aims to inspire anyone who's just moved into a new build home with a
11:14dauntingly blank space for a garden.
11:23Hi, I'm Vicky and I spent the last two years transforming our new build garden.
11:27About six months ago I decided to start sharing my journey on social media in the hopes of inspiring
11:32others to get into gardening and to bring nature back into their space too.
11:36I designed the layout with two key things in mind, thinking about how we plan to use the space and
11:42thinking about where the sun and shade is throughout the day. This meant our final design included two
11:47seating areas which meant we could enjoy the sun as it moved around the garden. Flower beds in the sunniest spots,
11:54perfect for growing flowers and borders along the wall and fence so we could layer plants and trees
11:59to create a sense of privacy. With the hard landscaping finishing in July, we decided to wait
12:04until the following year to start work on the planting. That said, I knew tulips and allium were
12:09an essential so I planted these in our empty beds and borders that December in time for the following spring.
12:15When it came to tackling the borders, I started with the biggest elements first. I wanted to make a feature of
12:20the wall at the back of the garden so I decided to plant three climbing roses. I am planning on adding
12:26two more trees along the wall which is why I've left the back border relatively bare for now whilst I decide
12:30on the best fit. The roses grew really quickly so once they'd established after a couple of weeks,
12:36I put up three willow trellises for them to climb. Next up was the long border. I wanted to add some height
12:41without shading the garden or making it feel too enclosed. I settled on Salix flamingos as they won't grow much
12:47taller than my fence. I also really wanted to plant a row of the same trees so I was able to do this
12:53with Salix flamingo because they're relatively inexpensive compared to other trees. Now I had the
12:58basis for both of my borders, I was able to start filling with other plants. Whilst I love the whimsical
13:03charm of a cottage garden, I really do like a more structured and formal look like something you get at
13:08country estates and stately homes but with a bright and colourful twist of course. I achieved this more
13:14formal and uniform look by sticking to a tight colour palette so I tried to keep everything either hot pink,
13:19bright purple or orange or somewhere in between the three. Elsewhere in the garden I planted out all of the
13:25dahlias that I'd grown. This combination ensured my borders are jam-packed with colour for the summer.
13:33Thanks Vicky. You know it can be daunting when you move into a new build home and have that empty space
13:39out the back. But it just shows how anyone can create their perfect garden with just a little bit
13:44of elbow grease and planning. And start by using one or two things which will give you instant structure.
13:51Topiary, this is clipped box, I use you as well, and scattered throughout the garden in strategic places.
13:58That form and shape is there all year round even right the way through the winter. Time for a break and
14:05a cuppa but still to come Camilla Bassett-Smith is deep in the heart of Yorkshire in the countryside
14:10meeting the dedicated team behind one of the region's most treasured gardens. And we welcome
14:16online gardening favourite Hugh Richards who's sharing his expert know-how to help you make the most of
14:22your garden the natural way. See you soon. Soaking up the sunshine with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club
14:30brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
14:38Digging the weekend with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
14:52Welcome back. Now on a glorious day like today it's hard not to look ahead. The bees are busy buzzing,
15:10the daffodils are standing to attention and fresh green shoots are stretching towards the sun. It's
15:17nature's way of telling us that warmer days are just around the corner and what better way to embrace
15:23the season than by exploring some of the country's most inspiring gardens. Next Camilla Bassett-Smith
15:30continues her journey and today she finds herself in my neck of the woods, Yorkshire.
15:44I'm here in the heart of Yorkshire at RHS Harlow Carr, the northern jewel in the RHS Botanical Crown.
16:00Today I'm meeting the next generation of passionate horticulturists who have honed their skills right
16:06here in this stunning garden. But today it's their turn to take the lead and show me around, sharing
16:12their knowledge of some of this garden's most breathtaking displays and hopefully sharing a few
16:18tips for our own gardens at home.
16:31Now Otto, tell me about your role here in the gardens then.
16:35So I work as a horticulturist on the floral team which is in charge of the more formal side of the garden.
16:41And how long have you been here for? So I started as an apprentice in 2022.
16:45And now you're here full-time? Yeah exactly.
16:48And we're in this incredible wintry themed garden. What is this area known as?
16:53So this is the Winter Walk. It was designed beginning in 2006 to have an area that's focusing on winter
17:00interest as a bit of a gradient going out from the formal parts of the garden into the woodland.
17:04It's full of colour, the vibrant yellows. And what's interesting mixing in the shrubs?
17:08Yeah. Like the choisier with the yellow cornice as well. Is that something you love about this area,
17:14the variety? Well definitely. And it's the sharp contrast as well. It's the planting of the galanthus
17:18alongside the cornice and the stark differences in colours. Combinations that you do see but on this
17:24larger sort of suave and scale really have a lot of impact. Of course you're in a real extreme
17:29position here by the Yorkshire Dales. It's the furthest north RHS garden. Yeah exactly yeah.
17:35Is that a challenge? It is a challenge yeah. We face a lot of issues with snow damage potentially,
17:41frost damage. We have to pick particular plants that we know are going to be hardy enough to
17:45withstand these conditions but that's kind of the whole point of Harlow Carr. It was there to
17:50demonstrate what you can grow in this sort of climate.
18:02Otto tell me about this part of the garden then. So this is the sandstone rock garden. It's
18:07one of the original features from when the Northern Horticultural Society took over in the 1950s.
18:13It's lovely to see isn't it? It has a lot of character and undulating because you've got these
18:18low-lying rocks and conifers and things scattered but then looking up these beautiful trees the water
18:25as well there's a lot in here. Well that's it yeah you've got the more newer features that have been
18:30planted since we took over the RHS in the last 20 years and then you've got the clearly the mature
18:36trees that were planted quite a long time ago with the big dawn redwoods and things like that.
18:41Quite a lot of history here but a youthful team. What do you think it is that attracts yourself and
18:46other contemporaries to this garden in particular? I think there's a hunger with a lot of younger
18:51people to find nature and to have this sort of more tactile careers I guess. How can people incorporate
18:59this kind of a feel into their own garden spaces at home then? Well I think we can take little pockets
19:04of the planting that we have here. Things like the evergreen ferns, slow-growing conifers,
19:09other sort of woody perennials and shade-loving perennials. You can just start getting creative
19:14and just start putting things in and see what looks natural and what works for your garden.
19:18It's certainly worked for your garden, it's looking very creative.
19:21Here at Harlokar it's clear that even in the toughest conditions there's a remarkable variety of
19:38beautiful plants that can thrive and transform any outdoor space. But there's another part of the garden
19:44that's taking things to the next level with a special area showcasing plants that not only survive
19:50but flourish in some of the harshest environments on the planet.
19:55Now Lauren, you're in charge of some pretty important plants here aren't you?
20:10Yes, yes I am. So I started in August as an Alpine and Streamside specialist placement student,
20:15which is a bit of a mouthful, but that means I get to look after some of these incredible plants that we
20:20have here in the Alpine house and outside in the garden as well. How do you define an Alpine plant then?
20:25So the true definition of an Alpine is a plant that lies between the space of permanent ice and snow
20:32and the tree line in a high altitude area such as a mountain. But that sort of has changed in the last
20:38couple of years to include more sort of dwarf varieties of stuff. And this collection that you
20:43have, do you have particular favourites? It's difficult I know, but are there any plants that
20:47particularly stand out at this time of year for you? Yeah, I mean there's all the draba collection,
20:51that's just incredible, they're just so colourful at this time of year and they're a very specific
20:55cushioned plant that hang off rock cliff faces and they're just so colourful. And people can grow them
21:00in their gardens really, couldn't they, if they had rocks I guess? Yeah, they could yeah, as long as
21:03they're sort of in a sheltered position, they're not getting any moisture in the summer, they hate that.
21:07You've got the dapodils, the crocus, the little cyclamen as well, and so much colour at this time of year.
21:12Yeah, there is quite a lot. People tend to come in and be shocked at the amount of colour that you
21:15actually can have in your garden at this time of year, because they think of it sort of as
21:18mulching time and cutting back, but there's a lot that you can put in your garden. And is there
21:23something I can help you out with today? Because I'm sitting here at the moment doing not a lot
21:26and I'm feeling a bit guilty. Yeah, we're currently redoing some of our troughs outside and just
21:31redoing them with more alpine plants and more spring colour, so you can help with that. Excellent.
21:34Right, we've got one aged beautiful stone trough. What's the first step here?
21:48Yeah, so we're going to be building a sort of crevice style trough with a lot of different sort
21:53of planting pockets, a lot of different environments. So you're mixed, talk me through what you've got in
21:57the different buckets. Yeah, so this is our top dressing, so this will actually go on last. This is
22:02just to sort of keep the moisture away from the bottom of the plant, so they don't rot off.
22:06Then we have our soil mix and we use a lot of sort of sterile compost, sand, grit and propagation
22:12bark as well. Okay, so that drainage is really good. There's lots of little bits that are making
22:17it not clump. Yes, definitely. Shall we get some of it in there? Yeah, absolutely.
22:21It's a full bucket. Full bucket, yeah. Lovely. Okay, just sort of all over the bottom. Perfect.
22:27So next we would plunge your rocks and so the way you want to plunge your rocks is sort of
22:32place them in sort of like a natural strata, like you'd find them in the wild.
22:38And this is like crevice gardening as you said, so could I? Yeah. Like that? Another one or do you
22:43think that's enough for now? Oh, we just put them all in. Okay. All of them? Just go for it.
22:48This is quite therapeutic actually. I'm going to put him there. Yeah, this is a large mountain at the back.
22:54So plants then, we've got a real selection at the back here. Something like this, the crocus.
22:58Yeah. So this is a plant a lot of people will recognise from gardens, isn't it? Yeah.
23:01But really alpine inhabit often. Yes, sort of more your alpine meadows,
23:06sort of down towards, not so high up as your true alpines. I'm going to put him right at the front there.
23:11Next, we could put in a campanula. Okay, so little bell-like flowers, aren't they,
23:16campanula? Yes, yeah, sort of purple bells. When it trailing over a corner, it'll sort of create that
23:20beautiful purple mat. Now, I'm going to take of the back here, I can see, because I love my bulbs.
23:27Narcissus cyclamenius. I'm going to pop him in there. And I guess you don't want to overpack them,
23:34because the plants, you want to give them room to grow and expand, don't you? Yeah, they'll spread
23:38quite a lot, and it just might take them a couple of years, but you don't want to overpack the trough
23:43too much. So now, top dressing? Yeah.
23:49A little bit there. Yep.
23:53That's really nice, a different colour.
23:57And the sun's come out as well, look, just what we need. And so, a sunny position for this?
24:01Yes, definitely. Full sun and slightly shaded is ideal. So you're happy?
24:06Yeah, definitely. I've passed the test. Absolutely. Brilliant.
24:17Thanks, Camilla. There's so much we can learn, you know, from these renowned gardens and apply to our
24:23own, even if they're considerably smaller. The basic rules still apply, however large or small you plot.
24:30Take borders at this time of year, with things like this peony just beginning to appear.
24:35This is the perfect time to get some food in there. I've done some mulching, but I also want to give
24:40some fertiliser. I'm organic, and for me, the best fertiliser of all is this.
24:45Blood, fish and bone. Dried blood, bone meal and fish meal. It's an organic fertiliser,
24:52and that means it gives all the benefit you would need from any general fertiliser, but bacteria have
24:58to break it down before the plant can absorb it. Inorganic feeds like grow more, as soon as they're in
25:04solution, the plant can suck them up. They do nothing for soil bacteria and keeping your soil healthy.
25:11Good old blood, fish and bone, sprinkled a couple of fistfuls around each of your border perennials,
25:17and then lightly forked in. Well, that'll get the goodness where it's needed. As soon as the rain comes,
25:23it'll wash it in, it'll then be in solution, and I'll see the difference in my border perennials.
25:31Now, we've seen top gardeners across the country take on gardening in five.
25:36Today, we're keeping it closer to home, as our houseplant expert, Claire, steps up to the challenge.
25:46Hello, my name's Claire, also known as The Jungle Haven, and I am a passionate houseplant enthusiast.
25:53My earliest memory would be in my Nana and Grandad's garden and going over to their house
26:02and picking raspberries, and whenever I was at their house, always being served food that was
26:08grown in the garden, and I thought that was amazing. Underwatering is usually better than overwatering,
26:18and overwatering doesn't just mean giving your plants loads and loads and loads of water,
26:22it just means giving your plants water when they're actually not ready for a drink.
26:26So getting to know the needs of your plants and then just watering when they actually want water.
26:32If you are in any doubt, wait a few days and then come back to your plant and check it again.
26:36Right now, I think the plant that I'm the proudest of would be my Antherium pallidiflorum,
26:47which is a long, strappy Antherium, and it's just been such a joy to grow and amazing to watch size up.
26:54I think it's just very, very important to have an awareness of where things are coming from,
27:05both your plants and your plant accessories, so substrates and stuff like that, making sure that
27:10things are sustainably sourced and making sure that you are buying from reputable companies that aren't,
27:16for example, illegally poaching their plants.
27:23I have got many, many gardening fails, but I think one of the first ones that springs to mind is
27:30when I was about 12, 13, something like that, there was a ficus in my mum's living room and I was like,
27:37I'm going to take that to my room. And I loved the look of it and I brought it into my room and I
27:41put it by the window and I was like, I'm going to water it every single day and it's going to be the
27:44happiest plant ever. And so I did. I gave it tons and tons and tons and tons.
27:48Lo and behold, the plant died very, very quickly. But yeah, you live and you learn.
27:54Thanks, Clare. And she'll be back in the coming weeks with even more tips from her houseplant diaries,
28:00helping us all keep our indoor jungles thriving. Time for a short break. Still to come, we're off to
28:06Wales to meet Hugh Richards as he shares his eco-friendly guide to hotbeds. And Jason Williams
28:13explores a brilliant indoor garden at the heart of a community in Liverpool,
28:17where people and plants are thriving together. See you in a moment.
28:22Feeding alfresco with Alan Titch Marsh's Gardening Club. Brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
28:33Regular watering with Alan Titch Marsh's Gardening Club. Brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
28:42You know, gardening isn't just about what we grow. It's about how we grow it. It's about working
28:54with nature, understanding the rhythms of the seasons and making the most of what's around us.
29:02And few people embody this approach better than Hugh Richards, a true champion of sustainable gardening.
29:08Hugh's been inspiring gardeners of all ages with his passion for organic, no-dig growing and his clever,
29:16resourceful techniques that make gardening accessible to everyone. From his home in Wales,
29:22he's built a thriving online community, sharing practical advice and time-honoured methods that
29:29prove you don't need fancy equipment or endless space to grow your own food successfully.
29:35So let's head to Wales, where Hugh's sharing his eco-friendly approach to creating the perfect hotbed.
29:54Hi, I'm Hugh Richards. I've been gardening since I was three and I'm here in my garden in West Wales,
30:00a mile up from the sea, and my focus is showing people just how fun and rewarding growing your own is.
30:07My approach to gardening is very much about working with nature rather than against it and growing the
30:13things that I love to grow and using all of the resources local to me to create a thriving abundance.
30:19Today I'm going to be showing you how to create a hotbed. It is an ancient technique of being able to
30:29grow food out of season and it works by having organic material breaking down, generating heat to
30:35create a frost-free growing zone. This is a technique that allows you to get early crops, which means
30:40no hungry gap and you get loads of compost at the end.
30:47So hotbeds are traditionally made with used horse bedding, which is a lovely mix of greens to browns,
30:53but look for other local resources. For example, wood chip from branches under seven centimetres in
30:59diameter, seaweed, leaves, grass clippings, they all work. Two years ago, I made a hotbed using just this
31:06material and it gave me heat for months. Building your hotbed is very simple. You want to start with
31:20the frame. What I have here is four posts and I've attached some panelling to it. You can also use
31:26pallets. You just want to make sure that the size is larger than a square metre. Then with your material,
31:33you want to start packing it in. So here I'm using used horse bedding, which is a mix of greens and
31:40browns in terms of material. Greens are nitrogen rich, so that's the manure, and browns are carbon rich,
31:46which is the bedding. And add in some water if it's quite dry and you want to pack it down as you're
31:52building it up because that will give you the slow release of heat. Then once you've got it at least
31:5960 centimetres or two foot higher material, you get a cold frame that you place on top and then you
32:05start filling it with compost. I'm actually using compost from last year's hotbed. You want a layer
32:11of around five inches or 15 centimetres. Use a plank to create trenches and sow your seeds in rows spaced
32:2815 to 18 centimetres apart and choose things that are fast growing. You have radish, spinach, spring onions,
32:35lettuce, carrots, all of these different things, and you're going to have a productive hotbed.
32:48Caring for your hotbed is really simple. There are two things you need to bear in mind. One is moisture,
32:53the other is airflow. Cold frame is basically a small mini polytunnel. Now for a polytunnel,
33:01it doesn't rain because it is protected. And so you do want to check for moisture. If the top two to
33:06three centimetres are dry, give it a good water. And also on a beautiful sunny day like today,
33:12you need to think about ventilation. And so prop up the lid to make sure that there's good airflow within
33:18your hotbed. Once you've harvested your first crops from your hotbed, it is then time to succession
33:27plant to make the most of all of the fertility here in your hotbed. And so you want to choose
33:33hungry crops. These are things like your tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. And I actually grew
33:39over 25 kilos of cucumbers from just two plants in this hotbed last year.
33:50Creating a hotbed is a simple cost effective way to extend your season so you can get earlier harvest.
33:57And at the end of the year, you'll have a beautiful pile of compost to start the whole process again the following spring.
34:08Some great tips there. And we'll be seeing more of Hugh and his eco-friendly wisdom later in the series.
34:15It is wonderful to just spend a moment or two at this time of year, isn't it? Looking at what's come out
34:19and how things are doing. And I'm getting fragrance here of witch hazel. This is Hamamelis Arnold Promise with these yellow spidery flowers.
34:28It's like citrusy fragrance. And it makes me really glad that I took the old leaves off my hellebores.
34:35These are hellebore hybrids. The Lenten Rose, it's called. And in January, February, I cut off all the old foliage so that the flowers can emerge untrammeled by that crusty, spotty foliage.
34:47And it does mean then that they have every chance of showing themselves off, especially when the sun's shining. Glorious, aren't they?
34:55Now it's time for another favourite moment where we step down the garden path and explore a special green space.
35:02Today, courtesy of Aid Cellars, we're visiting a remarkable walled garden, a place brimming with history, character and plenty of inspiration.
35:13My name is Jenny. And along with my husband, Tom, we have created the laundry garden.
35:33So the garden we created from nothing, from scratch. So everything we are looking at now was a blank canvas when we came.
35:43We got a piece of paper and just sketched out how we wanted to imagine the garden would look in the future.
35:51So that was in the very beginning. And we actually did the garden immediately around the house before we renovated the house.
35:59Which is a bit back to front, I suppose, for most people.
36:03But it was great because by the time we moved into the house,
36:07we'd already planted the hedging and the statement trees and we've laid the lawn.
36:12We hadn't put the terrace in until we actually moved into the house.
36:15But all the elements were there. And yes, it was terrifyingly daunting.
36:19And we wondered what on earth we were doing.
36:22And then the garden has sort of slowly, slowly evolved from there, really.
36:26I'm a bit of a dreamer, actually.
36:27In the winter, for instance, I imagine the garden when it's about to come into the summer.
36:38And then when I'm in the summer, I'm thinking about the jobs I need to be doing for the following month.
36:42And all of those things put a smile on my face.
36:45And just seeing a flower that I didn't see the day before or seeing the first snow drop.
36:51There are so many things to smile about.
36:54I would love this garden to become an iconic haven that people will come to
37:08and stay here and come away and never forget it for whatever reason,
37:13but mainly for the soul that we've put into this place.
37:20Such a pleasure to get an insight into a space created with such devotion and care.
37:26Time for a break.
37:27But there's still plenty to come in the final part of today's gardening club.
37:31Jason Williams heads to Liverpool to uncover a hidden gem.
37:36An indoor garden where two abandoned houses have been transformed into a thriving green sanctuary.
37:44You won't want to miss it.
37:45See you after the break.
37:48Growing Outside with Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club.
37:53Brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
37:57Watching them blossom.
38:02With Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club.
38:04Brought to you by Green Thumb Lawn Treatment Service.
38:15Welcome back to the final part of today's gardening club.
38:18Now, whatever time of year it is, there's always plenty to be doing in the garden.
38:23These silver birch trees.
38:24I should have washed them down already with a damp cloth because it takes the green algae off.
38:28I do. I'm not kidding you.
38:30But right now, the season is brimming with quiet promise.
38:34The first true warmth of the sun.
38:36Glorious feeling it on your neck.
38:38And it coaxes fresh green shoots from the soil.
38:42Early blossom begins to dance in the breeze.
38:45And the hum of insects grows a little louder each day.
38:49It's a time of preparation, of tending and nurturing.
38:53And just enjoying being out there.
38:56And just as gardens grow, so do the communities that care for them.
38:59Whether it's a single windowsill pot, a shared allotment or a grand public space.
39:05Gardening has a way of bringing people together.
39:08Creating places to gather, share and flourish.
39:12Nowhere is this more true than in Liverpool.
39:15Where one remarkable project has turned two derelict houses into a thriving indoor garden
39:22and community hub.
39:23Here to find out more about this inspiring space,
39:26is our gardening club community champion, Jason.
39:41Today I'm in Tucksef, Liverpool, where I'll be meeting local residents
39:45who have dedicated themselves into transforming their community through the power of gardening.
39:52Tocksef has long been a community shaped by resilience and regeneration.
39:58Once a thriving multicultural hub, economic decline in the 1970s
40:04saw businesses close and its Victorian terraces fall into disrepair.
40:10By the 1980s, riots and failed regeneration schemes left the area in limbo.
40:16But the residents refused to let their neighbourhood disappear.
40:22Through grassroots action, gardening abandoned spaces, restoring homes and forming a community
40:28land trust, they fought back, gaining national recognition for their efforts.
40:34In 2015, the architecture collective Assemble, working alongside the community,
40:39even won the Turner Prize for their pioneering approach to restoring Granby's homes.
40:44Building on this momentum, and with the support from grants and social investment,
40:51the residents took on two disused houses, two damaged to restorer's homes,
40:56and reimagined them, bringing them together under one roof to create something truly special.
41:02Their efforts have culminated into the creation of one of the most unique community gardens in the country.
41:14So, creating this special space wouldn't have been possible without its designer, Andrea Ku.
41:43Can I just say, what an amazing space you've created here.
41:53What did you want to achieve from the design of this project?
41:56With the design, we wanted to complement the building with the plants and how those two work together,
42:03because this is a community building and it is about plants and place.
42:08So, utilising the space, the cathedral-like structure and this openness,
42:13we wanted to bring plants that kind of create this immersive feeling as you walk in,
42:18and it is about plants and place.
42:24One of the driving forces behind the transformation is local resident Hazel,
42:28a founding member of the Community Trust.
42:30How did you manage to connect gardening to the rest of the community?
42:36It's a fantastic area in Liverpool, it's multiracial, it's multireligion,
42:40and it's a strong community, so we decided that we would make the area look nice.
42:46And we started off by planting beans to grow up the railings of the empty houses.
42:52And they looked glorious, they had red flowers and then you get beans out of it,
42:56what more could anybody want?
42:58We don't have gardens here.
43:00We have small spaces in front of the terrace houses and we have backyards.
43:06Gardening is a common language, it doesn't matter what language you speak,
43:10the language of plants is common to all.
43:22Can you tell me a little bit more about the planting plan?
43:24Because this is incredible, we've got such a mixture here.
43:28It was thinking about what would work in an indoor space that is not as warm as a house,
43:34but not as cool as an outdoor space, so it's like courtyard with a glass roof.
43:39We do get a lot of sunlight that will stream through,
43:42so it was key to thinking which plants like a lot of sunlight,
43:47which like mostly shade and which like dappled light.
43:51So we kind of played around with the plants in the space to see which ones would fit where.
43:57What were your biggest challenges in terms of planting here?
44:00Because it's not a heated building, you're looking at how much light and heat that plants will receive.
44:06And also with people coming through because this is a community building,
44:10it's a space for everybody to use.
44:12So doors being open, people getting up close to the plants and having a look.
44:16So challenges like that, you have to kind of think about all of these constraints.
44:20I think it's worked out really nicely now how the plants have grown into this space.
44:27And it's not just the plants that have flourished.
44:29This garden has grown into a thriving community hub, hosting workshops, events, artist residencies,
44:36social gatherings and even yoga.
44:41How does an amazing venue like this impact your yoga practice?
44:46How does it not?
44:47I mean, it's a very quirky space.
44:49It is totally unique and completely beautiful.
44:52And I have a lot of students who will, you know, when they come in, they have their favourite spots.
44:56This is a favourite spot, you know, and usually week on week, it's like,
44:59oh, there's a new leaf budding or oh, that's grown an inch or we've got some, you know, new sprouts.
45:06And that I think is really beautiful.
45:08In some ways, it's kind of like being outdoors indoors.
45:12So whether it's wet or dry outside, we can still practice.
45:15There's that beautiful synergy there between riding the seasons and I think feeling into,
45:20feeling into nature.
45:21I feel very privileged to be a part of it.
45:25It's, yeah, it's joyful.
45:37If there was a community gone or a project watching now,
45:41what advice would you give them in terms of making a space successful like you have?
45:45Start small.
45:47You know, you can't build the hanging gardens of Babylon in a day.
45:52And everybody knows a little bit about something.
45:56So collectively, you will know a lot because I knew nothing about gardening.
46:00I still know very little.
46:02So I would say start simple, start small and start doable.
46:12The story behind the garden embodies the very essence of what makes community gardening
46:16so inspiring and empowering.
46:19It's a testament to the dedication of people uniting for one shared purpose
46:24to create meaningful change.
46:33Thanks, Jason.
46:34Great reminder, wasn't it, that any space,
46:37no matter how large or small, can be turned into a garden?
46:41And that's it for today's Gardening Club.
46:43What a wonderful mix we've had, from Anna Greenland's expert tips in her Suffolk garden,
46:48to a celebrated Yorkshire garden bursting into life,
46:52from the rolling Welsh countryside where eco-gardener Hugh Richard shared his wisdom,
46:58to an inner-city indoor garden in Liverpool, proving that gardening can bring communities
47:03together in the most inspiring ways, quite the mixed bag.
47:08But that's the magic of gardening, whether it's the plants we grow,
47:10the techniques we try, or the spaces we transform,
47:15a little variety makes for the most rewarding results.
47:19I'll see you next time for more tips, tricks and insights from our Gardening Club.
47:24Till then, whatever the weather, enjoy your garden.
47:33I'll see you next time for more tips, tricks and insights from our Gardening Club.
47:59Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Club, brought to you by Green Thumb.
48:03Alan Titchmarsh's Island
48:05Aaron Titch Committee
48:24Eric