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Monty Don welcomes us to Gardeners' World 2020 and to his garden at Longmeadow.
In this episode, He starts by telling us he is trying to grow as much as possible this year.
Not only because it is good to grow tasty seasonal food but also spiritually during this uncertain times, it can bring you some calm.
Cos Lettuce
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Monty's raised beds are starting to warm up after a wet Winter so it is time to plant out the Cos lettuce he has grown in plugs.
The variety he has grown is 'Lobjoits', which is a large tasty Cos lettuce.
The reason he has grown them in plugs is so he can space them out well when they are planted.
There is still plenty of time to plant lettuce seeds, just sprinkle them lightly in a row and you can then thin them out as they grow.
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Monty plants the lettuce plugs 9 inches apart but they can be spaced up to a foot apart so that they grow into large strong plants.
The lettuces will be ready to eat in 6 weeks time.
He finishes off by giving the newly planted lettuces a good water.
Sowing Flat Leaf Parsley
Monty has a container filled with last years compost in it.
The planter had carrots in it but now he is going to reuse it for Flat Leaf Parsley.
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Usually he would not recommend using old compost or at least give it a good feed and refresh first.
However because of current events and the closure of garden centres he is showing us how you can make do.
When planting in a container you should always make sure there are drainage holes.
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Monty usually grows his parsley in trays and transplants the seedlings when they have grown.
He will then prick them out and move into individual pots ready for planting out around 4 weeks later.
Monty grows lots of Parsley as its a fantastic herb but you do have to keep sowing fresh seeds to get a constant supply.
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Monty sprinkles just a few seeds lightly over the compost, he moves the soil to cover them up and waters them.
The seeds will germinate in 10 days and you will need to make sure they do not dry out.
Mint
The easiest herb to grow in the garden is Mint but if you are not careful it can take over the whole border.
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You can grow all of the mint you would ever need on just a windowsill.
All you need is an initial plant and even a mint plant from a supermarket will do.
What you need to do is to cut off a couple of stems and put in to a jar of water.
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These cuttings will start to root after a couple of days and when the roots get bigger they can be potted on.
This will give you a good supply for cooking or for making homemade mint tea throughout the summer.
Thyme
Rachel De Thame is on a mission to grow even more herbs in her garden this year.
Today she will be planting Thyme.
Rachel loves the herb, not only is it good for wildlife but cooking with it smells great and it also looks good in the garden.
This year especially she is thankful for her garden and wants to grow herbs on a large scale.
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Rachel is planting her must have herb in containers using a soil based compost mixed with a little peat free compost and a few handfuls of horticultural grit.
The grit in the mix will help with the drainage as Thyme thrives in hot and sunny conditions.
Thyme plants don't need a lot of space and can even be grown on a windowsill indoors .
The grit in the mix will help with the drainage as Thyme thrives in hot and sunny conditions.
Thyme plants don't need a lot of space and can even be grown on a windowsill indoors .
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She starts her pot with an orange scented Thyme making sure she has the levels correct.
The next to be planted is 'Doone Valley' which looks like scrambled egg and has pink flowers.
The next one is a new one for Rachel 'Foxley', which like to trail over the side of the pot.
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She decides to squeeze another small one in and picks 'Aureus' which is an acid green colour.
Rachel then fills In around the plants and top dresses with grit.
Thyme do not like a cold wet Winter as they tend to rot in these conditions.
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Rachel next fills a metal tub with the most popular type of Thyme, 'Common Thyme'.
The tub has drainage holes and she plants as many plants as possible as it is the most best thyme plant to use in cooking.
The next container she is using to plant her thyme plants is an old galvanised mop bucket, very trendy.
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Rachel has got the Thyme that will go in this bucket from a specialist nursery.
She is planting 'Peter Davis' first which is an upright plant, a bit punky.
in the other side she is planting a new variety of Thyme 'Jekka's Red Eye' which has a long flowering reddish pink flower.
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Thyme are an evergreen herb but the best time to pick them are early Summer before flowering.
After it has flowered it will need trimming to encourage it to produce more fresh leaves.
Paradise Garden
Monty is in the Paradise Garden talking about how the tulips have given him great pleasure this year. |
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They are a variety called 'Tulipa Acuminata' and they look amazing sticking out through the grasses.
Monty chose these especially as they are like the original tulips that came to Britain from Turkey.
They look like flames pointing up through the grass.
The grasses are not looking so good as they disliked the cold wet Winter we have just had.
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Monty has also planted too many so he is digging some up to give the others some room.
He is also cutting them back to help them to thrive.
When he planted them they were then called Stipa but now they have changed names to Nassella.
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The Paradise Garden doesn't really fit in with the rest but Monty loves it and finds it fun to do.
Jungle backyard
Juan Carlos has an extraordinary back garden in his home in Islington.
If you wish to visit, his garden is open, under NGS.
He describes his tiny back garden as his 'haven and sanctuary' and he can't wait to get home to it at the end of the day.
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He moved in to his Islington home in 2010 and the tiny backyard was just an empty soul less space with a patio and not much else.
The first thing he did was to build a raised bed, originally made of wood but now made of steel.
Next, he added the tree Ferns followed by Fatsia Japonica.
Japanese Maples were added and the planting grew and grew along with the garden.
The garden is only 5.5 metres by 6 metres in depth.
Juan has tried to create the illusion that the garden keeps on going to trick the eye into thinking it is a lot bigger.
He has made the back of the garden look darker to give it depth.
To give the Tropical effect to the space he has used Colocasia with their huge leaves.
As these will not survive our Winters he brings it inside in November until May.
To marry the inside and outside he has planted Sempervivum right outside his bi-fold door in the gravel that was there.
It not only makes for good coverage but is also great for wildlife.
Although the National Garden Scheme is not running they do have some virtual tours on their website.
Dry Garden
Monty is doing some work in his dry garden.
Before he plants the Stipa he combs his fingers through it to remove the dead grass.
Growing Stipa in these conditions means the plant wont get too lush and that then causes it to lose its shape and flop over.
This hydrangea grows well in light shade.
Now is the time to give it the plant prune, it should be done after flowering when there is new growth.
To do this cut it back by about a third, removing all the old dead flower heads and cutting to a bud.
The new growth will carry the new flowers.
Plant Beetroot
If you have beetroot grown in plugs now is the time to plant them out.
The bulb starts storing up energy straight away for next years flowers.
Leave the stem and leaves to die back naturally.
Plant them 4 - 6 inches apart and they will appear in 4 weeks time.
Patti is 6 months old and the smallest dog they have owned.
She certainly is the bossiest says Monty.
Some have out grown their pots and need potting on.
He adds woodchips to the bottom of the pots.
Not only will it provide drainage for the plants but it also holds on to moisture.
Mothin tries to grow as many plants that have a connection to Bangladesh as possible.
They have leeks, tomatoes, chillies, peas, beans and mange tout all growing well in the potting shed.
They have finished 4 out of the 5 raised beds.
But the problem is Buster the dog who also enjoys spending time sniffing about in the raised beds!
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Japanese Maples were added and the planting grew and grew along with the garden.
The garden is only 5.5 metres by 6 metres in depth.
Juan has tried to create the illusion that the garden keeps on going to trick the eye into thinking it is a lot bigger.
He has made the back of the garden look darker to give it depth.
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| Copyright BBC.com |
To give the Tropical effect to the space he has used Colocasia with their huge leaves.
As these will not survive our Winters he brings it inside in November until May.
To marry the inside and outside he has planted Sempervivum right outside his bi-fold door in the gravel that was there.
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| Copyright BBC.com |
Juan has used 'Mind your own business' to cover and fill the gaps in the patio.
It not only makes for good coverage but is also great for wildlife.
Although the National Garden Scheme is not running they do have some virtual tours on their website.
Dry Garden
Monty is doing some work in his dry garden.
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The depth of the soil is only 6-9 inches then there is a sheet of sandstone.
Plants that like hot sunshine and good drainage flourish in this part of garden.
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He has Honesty growing along with Euphorbia and Cardoons.
Monty already has 'Stipa Gigantea' in the bed so the other Stipa he has moved from the Paradise Garden should be happy here.
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Before he plants the Stipa he combs his fingers through it to remove the dead grass.
Growing Stipa in these conditions means the plant wont get too lush and that then causes it to lose its shape and flop over.
Hydrangea
Monty is giving his Hydrangea 'Lanarth White' a prune. |
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This hydrangea grows well in light shade.
Now is the time to give it the plant prune, it should be done after flowering when there is new growth.
To do this cut it back by about a third, removing all the old dead flower heads and cutting to a bud.
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The new growth will carry the new flowers.
Other than occasional watering when its dry it is maintenance free until next Spring.
Jobs for the weekend
Plant Beetroot
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Monty has grown his in groups so they can be thinned out later.
It is not too late to sow seeds directly into the soil.
Deadhead Daffodils
Now is the time to deadhead the Daffodils. |
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The bulb starts storing up energy straight away for next years flowers.
Leave the stem and leaves to die back naturally.
Plant Gladioli
Now the time to plant gladioli for summer colour.
Gladioli can be top heavy so they need to be planted deep.
If the soil is heavy add grit to the planting hole or trench.
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Plant them 4 - 6 inches apart and they will appear in 4 weeks time.
Patti
Patti is the new dog on the block. |
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Patti is 6 months old and the smallest dog they have owned.
She certainly is the bossiest says Monty.
Patti loves the garden and will feature in upcoming programmes alongside Nigel and Nell.
Viewers Videos
Mothin Ali and his daughter Khadija are from Leeds and inside their house he is growing his most delicate plants.Some have out grown their pots and need potting on.
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He has grown a Jackfruit, they are the largest fruit in the world as well as being the Bangladeshi national fruit.
They are also Mothin's favourite fruit.
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He adds woodchips to the bottom of the pots.
Not only will it provide drainage for the plants but it also holds on to moisture.
Mothin tries to grow as many plants that have a connection to Bangladesh as possible.
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He fills the pot with compost and that is them potted on.
Next, we move on to Alice and Elliot, who live in East Sussex.
Today they are showing us the plants they have been growing as well as the new raised beds.
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They have leeks, tomatoes, chillies, peas, beans and mange tout all growing well in the potting shed.
They have finished 4 out of the 5 raised beds.
But the problem is Buster the dog who also enjoys spending time sniffing about in the raised beds!
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So the raised beds will need to be fenced off to keep him away from their growing plants.
As Monty says Buster has stole the show!! Nigel and Nell however do not agree!
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