Episode 8
Monty gets to work in the cutting garden, plants his tomatoes and moves pots of citrus out of the greenhouse. Carol Klein visits one of her gardening heroes, Penelope Hobhouse.
Monty gets to work in the cutting garden, plants his tomatoes and brings pots of citrus out of the greenhouse and into the garden for the summer.
Carol Klein visits another of her gardening heroes, Penelope Hobhouse, and finds out about her lifetime of making grand gardens and how she has now created a low-maintenance haven for herself filled with foliage and colour in her small Somerset garden.
We meet Gill Bagshawe, who has filled her plot in the Peak District with raised beds to grow as many different cut flowers as she possibly can. And Alan Power extols the virtues of the Japanese maple as his choice of plant for the golden jubilee award.
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Gill鈥檚 cut flower plot
Duration: 03:59
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Monty's star tulip
Duration: 01:37
Gill's cut flowers
Gill Bagshawe gets great satisfaction from growing her own cut flowers and would encourage anyone to have a go. All you need is a spare patch of earth and a few packets of seed, and you鈥檙e off! But if you鈥檙e not sure where to start, here are her top 10 recommendations:
Ammi majus听 Like cow parsley, but flowers for longer (June - August) and lasts 7-10 days in a vase. Wonderful on its own or as a 鈥榝iller鈥� for more blowsy subjects like roses. Requires staking.
Centaurea cyanus 鈥楤lue Boy鈥櫶� Classic bright blue cornflower.
Consolida听 More commonly known as larkspur, this dainty, annual form of delphinium is available in pink, mauve, dark blue and white. Staking and protection from slugs essential.
Cosmos bipinnatus 鈥楶urity鈥櫶� Masses of white flowers and feathery foliage from June to November. Will benefit from being staked.
Euphorbia oblongata听 The perfect foil for lots of arrangements, thanks to its acid-green flowers. Best grown as a hardy annual, but Gill likes to leave hers in the ground over the winter so that she can combine it with tulips in April. Always wear gloves when handling as the white sap can irritate both your eyes and skin.
Lathyrus odoratus听 Sweet peas are a must for any cut flower garden! Choose scented varieties and pick once a week to encourage more blooms.
Nigella 鈥楢frican Bride鈥� Very easy, producing white flowers with green and burgundy centres from July to September. The seed pods are exquisite too.
Nigella 鈥楳iss Jekyll鈥櫶� Classic cottage garden flower with sky-blue flowers.
Salvia viridis 鈥楤lue鈥櫶� Dead easy, with a long period of harvesting from May to September. Also lasts well in a vase.
Scabiosa atropurpurea 鈥楤urgundy Beau鈥櫶� Sumptuous dark purple flowers with good long stems. Will need staking.
You may also be interested to know that Gill will be opening her garden for the National Garden Scheme in July and August. For further details of times and dates, check out the link below.
(www.ngs.org.uk)
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Monty Don |
| Presenter | Carol Klein |
| Presenter | Alan Power |
| Production Manager | Mandy Knight |
| Series Producer | Sharon Fisher |
| Executive Producer | Paolo Proto |