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Episode 20

Episode 20 of 31

Gardening magazine. Monty Don has tips on the annual task of hedge trimming, while Rachel de Thame visits Coleton Fishacre in Devon.

Monty Don's garden at Longmeadow is thriving in the summer sunshine and is looking more beautiful by the day. But the warm, wet weather has meant the hedges are growing like crazy and are in need of a good haircut. Monty has tips on how to best tackle this annual task.

Carol Klein returns to first-time gardeners Dan and Dominique in Gloucestershire where there's work to be done. There are borders to weed and plants to propagate so they have more of their favourites, for free, next year.

And Rachel de Thame visits Coleton Fishacre in Devon, a beautiful seaside garden that has become a haven for all sorts of unusual plants.

30 minutes

Garden featured

Coleton Fishacre
Brownstone Road
Kingswear
Devon
TQ6 0EQ
Tel. 01803 753132

Hidden in a protected valley by the sea, the garden at Coleton Fishacre is a haven for tender plants from all over the world. It鈥檚 a lovely place to visit at this time of year, so if you鈥檙e in the area, click on the link below for more details.聽

(www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Why should I plant a hedge?

Why should I plant a hedge?

Hedges are not just for blocking out an unsightly view or making our gardens more private. If used carefully, they can define a garden creating individual spaces or rooms within. Hedges can shield us from something we don鈥檛 wish to see,聽draw the eye to a feature or frame a view. Monty has used them to great effect at Longmeadow.聽

Hedges are also good at providing shelter for our plants, especially in exposed areas. They鈥檙e great for attracting wildlife too, particularly in the spring when birds need somewhere to nest.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Pot on rooted cuttings

When your cuttings are well rooted, it鈥檚 time to pot them on. Gently tease聽 them apart without damaging the new roots and pot them on into individual 3in pots filled with compost and a bit of perlite. Place somewhere sheltered and, if possible, in the shade.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Nip out the growing tip of tomatoes

To help the fruit ripen on indoor cordon tomatoes, it鈥檚 worth nipping out the main growing point once the plants have reached a height of 1.8m (6ft). If they鈥檙e growing outside, wait until they鈥檝e set four trusses of fruit. This will help divert all the plant鈥檚 energy into ripening existing fruit before the end of the summer.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Jobs for the weekend: Sow salad crops

There鈥檚 still time to sow rocket and other salad crops, but you need to get on with it. Sowing now means that the plants will have time to get established before the cold weather arrives. Choose a hardy variety and either sow direct outdoors or in a seed tray for planting out later when you have room.

(www.rhs.org.uk)

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Monty Don
Presenter Carol Klein
Presenter Rachel de Thame
Series Producer Christina Nutter
Series Editor Liz Rumbold

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