The Great Garden Revolution (2021–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - Episode #2.4 - full transcript
Spring is finally here...
..and there's a garden revolution
sweeping the nation.
Once you start gardening, it stays
with you for the rest of your life.
Does anyone like radish?
Spring is here, winter's over.
Get involved. Get immersed
in the experience of the garden.
So we want to invite you to join in.
Just go for it, enjoy it,
and put your stamp on it.
Inspiring you with possibilities...
Natural is the most beautiful thing
of all.
..and totally transforming
our ordinary gardens.
How cool is this?
We'll be sharing tips and tricks...
You should all grow this tomato,
seriously.
And the jobs to do right now.
Over the next few weeks,
we're going to be
meeting fellow revolutionaries...
..people who think along the same
lines as us.
You can still make gardening
fashionable.
Yes, in fact, there is. Yes, look.
There's a lemon.
So, wherever you are,
with whatever you have,
it's time to join the garden
revolution.
Across the nation, people
are welcoming in the spring sun
by getting involved
in their gardens.
I'm here,
in my little zippy greenhouse,
ready to pot on some of my squashes.
So, this weekend, we're celebrating
interactive green spaces
that you can get stuck into -
no matter your age or ability.
I'm doing hammering.
Hammering? Hammering?
In Blackpool, we're
taking on our biggest project yet,
inspiring the next
generation of revolutionaries.
Does it remind you of any
food that you eat?
Is it off pizza?
It's off pizza, absolutely. Yeah.
Bringing in a host of new arrivals.
This could be the best thing I've
ever seen in a garden.
It's amazing.
And sharing tips on
how to plant up high.
I'm hoping that it will
inspire their imagination,
so that you can start to think
that plants don't have
to be in these conventional places.
Plus, we unearth the planting
prowess
of TV presenter Laura Jackson.
These beer baths are great
for getting rid of the slugs.
100% malted barley?
Lucky slugs. Cheers.
We're all passionate
about encouraging people
to get their hands in the ground,
especially the next
generation of gardeners.
This is a true revolution.
This is what can be changing.
The future, if we can inspire
the next generation
to do things differently
than my generation,
then we can really make
a change to the world.
Not only our carbon footprint,
but on wildlife and on the health
of the planet as a whole.
I think it's really,
really important to inspire
the next generation of gardeners
and it's important to hand
over some knowledge,
some experience and set the young
people on their own
journey into gardening.
This is all about interactivity.
Gardens should be dynamic
and interactive
and have multiple uses.
Growing up, I had a lot of good
experiences in gardens.
Nature and the trees and the birds,
and the insects, and everything.
You don't really get that indoors.
This week, we're in the northwest
to help Karen,
a teacher who planted
the seed for a school gardening club
over a decade ago.
It's just grown and grown,
the gardening club.
Started off with 12,
then we ended up with 24,
and then we ended up with 40.
Just not enough room. No.
The afterschool club is so popular,
there's a year-long waiting list.
It's amazing what Karen's done with
the gardening club so far.
She's done it all off her own back.
That's our chandelier.
She's very enthusiastic. She's fab.
She's brilliant with the children.
It's lovely to get them outside.
They learn a lot and it's good for
their mental health and wellbeing.
Things like pushing a wheelbarrow is
very exciting when you're seven.
I like gardening
because I like to get muddy.
I like being in the wild
and planting new things.
It feels like I'm enjoying gardening
so much that
I just really wanted to stay here
forever to do it.
Having witnessed the benefits,
head teacher Jen is keen
to expand the club and even
incorporate it into the curriculum.
It's for those children that don't
get the opportunity to garden.
They get that chance to
get their hands in the dirt
and feel the earth. It's that sense
of awe and wonder
when things grow... from a tiny
seed.
I always ask the children
where their food comes from
and I asked a girl about seven,
"Where do apples come from?"
And she wouldn't accept that they
grew on trees. OK.
Which is why
the children need to get it.
Don't go in because the floor
is dangerous. Oh, right, OK.
But they don't have enough
space for all the kids to join,
and a lot of the existing structures
are old and unfit for use.
This is the original
plots that the children had
and it's just too dangerous to
let them work on here now
because pieces keep falling off
every time they do some work on
them.
So we're on the decking area at the
moment, but it's very damaged.
There's big holes in it,
which makes it too dangerous to
let the children on.
Erm... and it's a vast area, really.
Powered by passion,
Karen and Jen have
big dreams for their young
gardeners,
but so many are missing out.
I'd love each classroom to
have their own raised bed,
so that every child can come out
and grow something...
..find out where the food
comes from. It would be fantastic.
Take it from being something,
an idea that you've had and grown,
into something that affects all the
children across the whole school.
Yeah. Before that can happen, we've
got to have the space
for the children to grow in.
The school aren't the only ones who
want to get interacting
with their garden,
so, if you want to share what
you've been up to,
use the hashtag #gardenrevolution.
We're designing
an interactive garden
filled with active learning
opportunities
for the school gardening club.
This week is all about inspiring
the next generation
to join the garden revolution.
Karen needs a bit of help.
You know, it's a big area.
It's a lot to take on.
So it's not just about giving
it a makeover -
it's about making it
function better as well,
so that the children can
understand the cycle of life,
so they can get involved in all
of the aspects of gardening
and really start to understand
and connect with nature.
You are never too young to get
involved in gardening.
Our interactive garden has
multiple areas to get stuck into.
There are accessible raised
beds for growing produce.
Our outdoor classroom features a new
open-sided structure
with a living roof.
And some bespoke benches
and decorations.
Our rain garden will teach
children about the rain cycle,
while using excess
water in a sustainable way.
And, at the far end, you can
take a walk on the wilder side,
with edible trees,
shrubs and plants,
plus a secret hang-out in the work
of a willow den.
We think this design is going to
really give Karen
what she needs to take the club
to that next stage
and these ideas will
work in almost any garden,
so you can be outside this weekend
trying it for yourself.
Over the next few days,
our team of builders and gardeners
will be putting the plan into action
and we'll share some valuable tips
with you along the way.
It's exciting. It's a
garden that's close to my heart
because I'm a city child,
so my encounters with gardening
and with nature altered
the course of my life, I suppose,
and I really want the children to,
I suppose,
experience the magic of putting
a seed in the ground
and seeing this plant grow -
and you never forget those moments.
The really exciting thing, you know?
It's just a real privilege to get
children excited
about gardening, get them outside,
get them growing stuff.
While I start sorting through
the plants...
I'm starting on the outdoor
classroom
and, first up, it's the deck.
I'm just putting a bit of paint on.
Blend more into the natural
landscape. Yeah.
It can be an extra
protective layer as well.
So the idea of this decking, really,
is that it creates an ultra
functional area because, when you're
trying to teach about nature
and growing...
You need to be able to see it.
You know this, Karen,
because this is your thing.
It's great, I love it. Yeah.
But I'd like to make it bigger.
I'd love to open it up to other
schools locally... Yeah.
..and encourage them.
Just need more of me and more time.
We need more Karens.
Yeah, we do!
While the outdoor classroom will
provide structure,
at the far end of the garden,
we're all about interactivity.
Each plant has been selected
because it will provide a harvest
the kids can use
and it's a great selection that
so many of us could be growing.
So, in this area, there's going
to be an orchard,
so we're just sort of in the process
of placing them. OK.
So we've got a pair here,
and this is an elder,
so you can make elderflower
cordial from the flowers. Delicious.
And an apple here.
There's another apple over here.
We've got a morello
cherry at the other end. Oh, wow.
Some of the,
there's a few repeat sort of plants,
just to kind of lead you through it,
if you like.
Repeating plants is a great
way of making an area
feel more naturalistic
and I want the kids
to feel a genuine connection with
nature as they move
from the playground into this
forest-like area.
So the children will be able to
free flow from the playground
into this area... Yeah. ..to
interact with it. That's the idea.
We really want it to sort of feel
inviting, so they are drawn in.
They've got free access for it.
The can go and explore, integrate
themselves, interact with it.
It's just a wonderful,
wonderful opportunity.
And the interactivity of other
wildlife as well,
watching that blackbird.
Our little friend.
LAUGHTER
Hey, guys. All right? How you doing?
Not bad. We're all back at school.
To realise the garden club dream
that Karen and Jen have,
we're going to need a whole
host of amazing carpentry.
What have you got for us?
Benches, so they can
have their education outside.
And the man for the job is wood
wizard Bruce Kenneth.
Furniture is all about being
creative.
Why not have something
that's different?
Why not have something
that's unique?
Garden furniture should be unique
to you and unique to the garden.
I think that every garden is
different.
I think we should be creating
spaces that we enjoy.
Carpentry means everything to me,
it really does.
Oh, lovely. They're so nice.
I did them as an inspiration
of Blackpool Tower,
they have a little bit of a
tower-esque edge. Oh, I love that.
Let's go. Got the weather for
it - it's beautiful.
It's lovely, isn't it?
Outdoor classroom, lovely.
They can move them round as they
want. If they want to have a
little circle,
they can move them into a circle.
If they want to zig-zag them
or something like that.
Oh, I feel like a lesson.
They're not quite
ready for the classroom
cos I want to use them
to get some colour into the space.
I really like colour, so it's fun to
be able to do colours.
I can paint a bench,
yellow and green and bright blue.
I can do things that I wouldn't
normally be able to do for people.
Here, the more,
the better, you know?
And it's just fun, it really is.
While Bruce brings colour at kids'
height,
I want to add a sense of wonder
to our outdoor classroom
with a great little project that
so many of us can try this weekend.
Today, I'm doing a green roof.
A slightly extravagant green roof.
And you might think that
a lot of this roof won't be seen -
that's fine by me. You have to
remember that a lot of these kids
won't have seen a green roof before.
If you have a shared roof,
this is such a great way to get
extra planting in -
as long as you follow some
simple rules.
We've got five or six inches of soil
and it's worth mentioning
that you can't just pile
a load of soil on any structure.
You have to have a think about it.
You have to get some advice.
I've really beefed this roof up
with extra thick joists
to take this weight.
Once you've got a safe spot
and some free draining soil,
it's important to select plants that
won't need much looking after -
unless you fancy a daily
trip up a ladder.
A great place to start with any
green roof is usually sedum.
They've often got these
sort of thick leaves,
which hold the moisture,
so that's why they can
survive in these environments.
Sedums love to be treated badly,
generally...
..which is one of the things
we're after.
Most of these will be really hardy,
they'll like sunlight
and they'll be able to handle those
harsh winds coming in.
A lot of these plants,
like the ajuga,
will just spread around.
And I don't mind the idea that
some of these plants will win
and some will lose.
They'll find their own balance
and that's generally the case
with these green roofs.
And the one that likes
the conditions the most
will become the predominant plant -
that's fine
because then we've found the plant
that enjoys the conditions and all
of this makes it low-maintenance.
Plants that are this exposed
also need to be wind resistant
and the great news is that
many of the rules
we're following here are applicable
in other equally challenging spaces.
And it doesn't necessarily have
to be a green roof.
All of these plants are going
to enjoy
the same kind of conditions that
you might get on, say, a balcony
or anything that's high up that's
going
to be subject to these
harsh conditions.
I'm hoping that it will
inspire their imagination, as well,
a little bit,
so that you can start to think
that plants don't have to
be in these conventional places,
that plants can exist everywhere.
Still to come,
I create a den with a difference...
I just love to use natural
materials.
And we interact with
wonderful wildlife.
You never get bored of these things,
though, do you? No.
It takes me back to my childhood.
Ah! A purple flower.
Across the UK, more and more of us
are discovering the joys
of getting hands on with plants...
What sort of seeds are you planting,
Mother?
35 different...
35 different sorts of seeds?
..and animals in our gardens.
There's our resident allotment fox.
This week,
we're all about interactive spaces
and, in Blackpool, we're creating
a school garden to inspire
the next generation
of revolutionaries.
We can all be looking for ways to
garden more sustainably
and I've roped in Joel to help me
with a way
of gardening that focuses
on water preservation.
Hey, man.
How's the rain garden going?
Really good.
Really, really enjoying it.
It's in its early stages, I see.
It's taken some time. Yeah.
It's quite an unusual idea,
isn't it, a rain garden?
It's quite big in the States.
It seems to be relatively
new over here.
So, basically, what we're trying to
do is to capture water.
Rain gardens are a great
way of using a natural water supply,
especially if you have a boggy
garden or runoff from a roof.
So we've got the water runoff that's
going to come off the green roof,
so any excess water that's
going to come down
is going to run down this pipe
and it's going to get caught
in this pit, and I want
a bit of a channel down here,
so that the water is
guided straight down.
Do you want to grab a space and give
us a hand? Absolutely, mate.
I don't like to watch people work.
So, if you sort of dig
a channel down that way...
By capturing excess
water in this way,
it will percolate
and drain away more efficiently,
reducing the chances of flooding.
And it also means that we can grow
plants
without filling up the watering can.
By planting that space,
a rain garden will absorb
30% more water than a lawn,
which is amazing, isn't it?
I've sort of retained the topsoil
and sort of created
a bund around the two sides
to kind of contain
the water from spilling
off in that direction.
What did you call it? A bund?
It's a bund, yeah. I'm enjoying you
just saying the word bund.
Not looking bad, Errol.
It's looking good.
Do you think you can get
the stone in there?
Once the soil is out
and the walls are secured,
add small stones to make
sure that the water drains freely.
We want it to hold
water for up to 48 hours,
but crucially not become a pond.
It just presents a really
exciting opportunity
and I think, for those people who
have boggy areas in their garden,
I think sometimes you can start
feeling a big despondent
that things won't grow. Yeah.
If you select the right plants then
I think it can work. Absolutely.
You should just have a go
and, you know,
we've done a little bit of research
and we're also being quite
instinctual about our approach.
I'm keen to see other
revolutionary gardens
that are putting
interactivity at their heart,
so I've come to southeast London to
meet someone very special.
Errol. Hey, there, Joel.
What a beautiful day.
The sun's come out.
The sun's out for us. Errol's going
to show me round his day job,
the Horniman Museum and Gardens,
which has been inviting in kids
young and old for over 120 years
and where he's
the head of horticulture.
It's a public space
and there's a lot of aspects
that just kind of engage children,
families, adolescents and adults.
Public gardens like this are packed
full of amazing
interactive elements that we
can all draw from
when creating our own gardens.
It feels like we're
going on an adventure.
That's exactly what we're doing.
We're going to take a little
stroll down the oldest nature
trail in London. Is it really?
Yeah. It used to be a railway line.
It's relatively narrow,
but there's a lot going on here
and it's a really important
habitat for all sorts
of different types of species.
This walk is full of inspiration
for wilder planting
that is fun to interact with.
Anthriscus, this cow parsley,
it's a great garden plant
for... for the shade, dappled shade,
and it's so beautiful.
Iris foetidissima, it's a native.
Crunch that up
and give that a smell.
What does it remind you of?
I'm scared. Oh!
What are you getting? Er...
Beef Hula Hoop crisps.
That's what it is! It is!
And I used to eat loads of those!
Absolutely. Beef Hula Hoop crisps.
That was my favourite flavour.
Makes me want to lick my lips.
Getting opportunities to interact
with your garden
is so good for our mental health
and, for me,
there are few things
better than a pond,
like the one at the end of this
nature trail.
See what we can find.
Oh, got something there.
Look at that. Oh, wow.
Dragonfly larvae and a newt.
You've got a newt.
Look at how beautiful that is.
And this one, Errol?
Looks like some sort of dragonfly.
Dragonfly larvae, is it? Yeah.
That's little mosquito larvae
there...
..that things like that dragonfly
larvae would be feeding on.
There's so much life, there's so
many things going on in this tray.
You never get bored of these things,
though, do you? No.
It takes me back to my childhood,
where I was fortunate enough
to have a pond in the back garden.
I can still remember that feeling,
how magical it was
and how it changed the way
I see the world, really.
And it's just stayed with me
my whole life.
In fact, I think it's probably
altered the course of my life.
As well as the nature trail,
the garden contains prairie spaces
and formal gardens,
but at their heart
is the ability to inspire
interactivity.
All of the plants
in this area... Yeah.
..are dye plants and,
in this particular section,
all of the species here will give us
a shade of red. Oh, wow.
This plant is commonly
known as bloodroot.
It's Sanguinaria canadensis.
Native American Indians would use
this
to paint artefacts, essentially.
Slice that off. Gosh!
You can sort of see the colour.
Oh, isn't that amazing?!
Kids love this kind of thing,
though, don't they?
It's just such a part
of our histories, isn't it?
Colour and painting and getting
these pigments
from plants and things.
Plants aren't just there to look
good, are they?
Yeah. No. They've got, lots of these
plants have a purpose, you know?
We found a purpose for them.
Actually, that piece of root,
you should hold on to that.
Take that away with you. You can
prop that.
Oh, brilliant. Thanks, Errol.
Get that into some gritty soil
and it will be away.
Maybe even do... do a few
paintings with it. Yeah.
Errol's on the clock,
so, before I leave,
he's roped me into a bit of work -
building a natural structure
for some of these dye plants -
and it's a great interactive job
we can all try out.
Sort of copists, some willow, some
Salix alba from the materials bed.
Because it's really flexible,
you can sort of create
a really nice cage over the top.
I love using
materials from the garden.
Pass us that over here.
We'll connect your one up with that
and then you can weave
that section in.
By weaving it quite tightly,
it sort of just holds.
And you go right down the stem,
and then you can use
the side sections to sort of knit
together a lattice the other way.
That's it. Oh, gosh! It's just so
enjoyable, isn't it? I know.
I could do this all day.
I feel like I'm a kid again.
Back in Blackpool, I'm inspired to
use this willow technique to
create a den and show you how to
build your own garden hideaway.
It's just a structure,
but I think of it as a den
because kids love dens.
Willows,
it's such an incredible plant.
It's pliable, first of all.
You can put them in the ground.
They will often just take and
make their own roots.
They're sort of like these giant...
..seedlings, I think.
And you can make these incredible
structures out of it,
but that structure is alive.
It's quite magical as well.
Willow is fast-growing
and you can end up
with too many roots,
so, to avoid a swamp structure,
strip the outer layer of some before
they go in the ground.
So, first of all,
I've prepared the ground slightly
and I just want a nice level
surface.
I've used my space to get a rough
idea of this circumference.
I've got this stake and I'm
hammering this into the ground.
That's where the
willow's going to go
and I've also put
a point on this willow
to make it easier to
drive into the ground.
You can space the posts two inches
to two feet apart
depending on how enclosed you
want the structure,
but don't get too carried away
and forget to leave a space to
get in and out.
So now I'm just going to
create the dome shape
by tying these willow
branches together.
You just carry on working your way
around until you've got
a nice dome structure.
As its fast-growing, you might find
a friend of neighbour who can
give you some willow whips for free.
Otherwise,
check out your garden centre
for ones that are one to
two inches thick.
So I'm just putting a few
horizontal pieces in,
just to give it a little
bit of extra strength.
Gonna give it a little try out.
As you can see,
it works really well.
They're still working away.
I'm still hiding.
That's a lovely little den,
isn't it?
What... what kid wouldn't be happy
hiding and playing in here?
Structures like this can
really max out the fun
we have in our gardens...
..whether it's our kids
or our inner child.
And I want to create
something that will inspire play
and wonder in the garden...
..but I'm going to need
a helping hand.
I had the idea to bring
the kids into the garden,
make this garden interactive.
I was like, "How can I do this?"
And I thought, "Get the kids
to draw things
"and I'm going to take the drawings
and cut them out
"and make large
versions of their drawings."
So I've had the kids submit
some drawings
and they've done an amazing job.
So I've got a new machine in the
workshop - it's a CNC.
Basically, what it is is
a computer-controlled machine.
And I can take these
drawings that the kids gave me,
and turn them into large cut-outs.
Normally, I would handmake
something or cut it out,
but that wouldn't be the kids'
drawings.
This is an exact copy of the kids'
drawings.
When you think of school,
primary school,
you think of bright colours, fun.
So, after they've been cut out,
I'm going to paint some,
but I'm going to bring
some to the school.
We're going to bring the bright
colours, the excitement,
all of the energy
of the classroom outside.
So I think we're going to have a
little party, paint them.
I can't wait to see what
they come up with.
Check this out. Oh, ho, ho! Groovy!
Oh, my word! I love it!
They've absolutely great.
The chicken.
Oh, I love the way kids draw!
Yeah, they're amazing.
I love that caterpillar -
look at his chomping cheeks.
These could be the best thing I've
ever seen in a garden.
Look how happy as smiley
cat makes me.
You can't be sad with these in the
garden. No. No. Exactly.
And... I made some extras, so we can
have a bit of a painting party.
Are we invited to the paint party?
You're invited to the paint party.
But we're not going to keep
the guestlist to just three.
I want to get the kids involved -
after all, they did draw them.
LAUGHTER
So, remember I asked
you for some drawings?
Took your drawings, took them home,
put them on my computer
and then cut them for you,
so they're going to decorate your
garden.
You guys are going to paint them
and we're going to hang them
all over the garden,
and decorate the garden with that.
Does that sound fun? ALL: Yeah.
There's flowers,
there's foxes, snails.
I like the fox. Blue? OK, yeah.
A blue bee, I love it.
Do you guys think you'll see any
of these animals out in the garden?
You'll see a lot of spiders.
You might see a snail.
Snails are everywhere.
It's good to see snails -
that means the garden's healthy,
you know? It's good to see all these
little critters.
And worms. Worms, yeah.
Oh, that is looking good, isn't it?
Look at that.
While Bruce
and the kids keep painting,
I've invited more pupils out
to give me a hand,
starting to plant up
the raised beds.
Right then, kids, are we going to
get planting? ALL: Yeah.
We're going to turn this
one into a veg bed full of brilliant
beginner crops that can
go in the ground this weekend.
Do you know how to get them
out of these pots, for starters?
Yeah, I think
you just like get the end... Yeah.
..and squeeze it
so the carrot can come up.
Absolutely perfect.
What are your favourite vegetables?
Sprouts. Sprouts?
Look at his face.
I take it you don't like sprouts?
Sprouts are yummy.
Carrots. Is it?
We've got some carrots,
so we'll get some of them in.
Carrots are great to plant
now for harvest in the autumn
and don't need much watering at all,
making them
perfect for beginners young and old.
Does anyone like radish?
Do you like radish?
I've never really tried it.
Me neither.
You've never tried radish?
Me neither, no.
You don't have to put them in rows.
I just throw them in the ground.
Are you looking forward to using
this space? Yeah.
Some people can go in here
to calm down.
When I'm angry, I go near some
really nice trees and plants -
it makes me feel a bit better.
Do ya?! Yeah.
That sounds just like me, yeah.
Wonderful gift. You going to promise
me that we're going try
and look after these plants,
keep them growing?
Yes.
This has been fun.
There are so many ways to
interact with plants,
so I want to use
some of the other raised beds
to show pupils how so much of what
we need comes from plants -
not just food.
We're planting a dye border,
so the children can learn how
to make their own dyes.
Creating a dye bed can lead to
so many fun projects
and there's an almost endless
list of plants that can be included.
This is a hollyhock, quite
a traditional cottage garden plant.
It's really, really lovely.
Puts up a big, tall flower spike.
It's got a really dark,
almost black, flower
and you get sort of lavenders
through to dark purples from that.
So we've got this Cytisus
and, as you might guess,
you get quite a nice
yellow from this.
It's actually quite a pale yellow
and through to beige.
I quite like the sort of subtle
variation
that some of these plants give.
You can get colours from all
sorts of things.
For example, get a really fantastic
colour from avocado stones
and from their skins.
And, if you boil them up,
with the cloth,
you can get a really, really nice
sort of coral-y pink colour.
My wife, for example,
is making me a garden smock
and I'll dye it using avocado skins.
It will be nice to wear something
sort of naturally dyed when
I'm working in the garden. You could
dye a T-shirt or a tea towel.
You could dye anything that
you wanted,
as long as it's a natural
material that will take the colour.
This dye bed will provide
interactive fun
but could also help with science
and history lessons.
It's exciting. It's interesting to
learn where colours came from
and that's how it was
traditionally done -
it was done using plant species.
That's a really nice thing for
children to learn about.
Still to come...
I've got all the ingredients to
get kids cooking.
So is everybody up for trying some?
- Yes! OK.
And we see inside the garden of
presenter Laura Jackson.
They're like your little children
that you need to water,
talk to, look after.
Across the UK, we're loving our
gardens more than ever before.
Today I'm going to be given my
pallet fence a fresh coat of paint.
And back in our school in Blackpool,
we're working hard to give
Karen and Jen the interactive
gardening club they need.
And with our rain garden back filed
with the soil that we removed
it's time to get planting.
So I've sort of zoned them
a little bit.
So these ones here are going to be
great in the centre,
cos they can cope with a little
bit more moisture.
Yeah, I recognise some of these as
almost pond border plants.
Yeah, sort of marginals, yeah.
Marginals.
To make the most of the conditions,
plant moisture-loving plants
like caltha palustris in the
wetter centre.
Plants like iris pseudacorus will
prefer a midway point further out,
and these lovely geraniums will
enjoy the dry conditions
at the garden's edge.
We're using the conditions that
we're presented with
and it's going to be really
low-maintenance because of that.
Yeah. You know,
we'll water them in... Yeah.
..and then the plants are going to
fend for themselves, essentially.
We've really carefully considered
the species.
And when you garden, I think quite
quickly you realise
how plants respond to rainwater,
as opposed to the hosepipe.
No chemicals, no chlorine.
No chemicals.
I always try to imagine
being a plant, you know,
in my spare time.
But... Well, you wouldn't like to be
hosed down with cold water. No.
You know, much nicer to have...
Use this natural resource, isn't it?
And also, let's not forget,
this would just be gravel otherwise
and the kids are going to learn
about the cycle of the water,
you know, and using all
the resources.
The importance of retaining water.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a really nice kind
of interactive space.
Yeah, and that is the best way to
learn, isn't it? Yeah. Hands on.
So many of us are learning to love
our gardens
and discover the joys of getting
our hands dirty.
He only ever once love, the poor
thing. Don't you?
I'm Laura Jackson and I've joined
the Great Garden Revolution.
It's so lovely to garden.
Just seeing the evolution
of the plants
and just taking stock of that
is really nice.
Even though this garden isn't kind
of designed and landscaped,
there is a bit of order
in the chaos.
We very much focused on the colours,
so that's why there's lots of
lilacs, pinks, purples and whites.
They're like your little children
that you need to water,
talk to and look after.
One thing that I love to do is
to grow veg that's either
really expensive in the supermarket
or is a bit harder to find.
Don't grow a potato or a normal
orange carrot -
you can buy a bag of those
for a quid.
These are my beetroots but I'm
doing golden beetroots
because golden beetroots are more
expensive than normal red beetroots.
And then we've got chard.
We spent a week eating chard -
that was fun!
I meticulously organise my
food leftovers
to put into the compost
when they decompose
and we put it back on and then that
feeds the new plants growing.
There's something really nice
about that.
These beer baths are great for
getting rid of the slugs.
The slugs go towards the beer and
then they get stuck.
I'm sorry if you guys really
love slugs,
but they are killing my garden.
100% malted barley. Lucky slugs!
Cheers...!
My lovely neighbours have this
yellow weed
that's been growing in their garden
and it started growing on the wall
that divides our garden and
its self seeded
and it does not go with the colour
palette in this bed.
It's got to go, guys. So I'm going
to get in and take it out,
and I have to be really careful not
to step on any other plants.
OK.
Wow, look at that.
Oh, it really is everywhere.
I'll be here till bedtime.
Oh, my goodness! There's an actual
family here of snails.
Literally just sucking the dear life
out of this beautiful plant.
Oh, my God. Look at this guy!
Get off.
Snails having a party in my garden
and I'm not even invited.
I'm going to take them to the park
when I walk the dog later
and they can live in the lovely
park - not my garden.
I think I need a tea break.
We always try and control everything
in life and what's really nice
about the garden is nature will just
take its course and I think that
there's something really organic and
really natural about that.
There's nothing better
than having a cup of tea
with really dirty garden hands.
I think that's my favourite thing.
Back in the school garden, I'm using
the last of the raised beds
for a fun project I hope
will show the children
where some of our favourite food
comes from.
We're really trying to stimulate
the children's imagination.
So we've designed this border to
be a tomato sauce border,
so a pasta tomato sauce border.
Even if you don't have a dedicated
bed for it,
these herbs and veg could be grown
around the garden -
including a favourite in our house,
the costoluto fiorentino.
It's a beef tomato,
so it almost looks like
a miniature pumpkin in its shape.
Bright red, really, really juicy.
Really, really sweet.
It's a proper Italian tomato and
they're flipping amazing.
You should all grow this tomato -
seriously!
They just taste so good.
It's good for sauces, good for
salads, it's just really,
really versatile.
With tomatoes, if you plant them
good and deep,
I'd say up to three or four inches
deeper than the pot surface,
they develop feeder roots all
the way up the stem
and those feeder routes will
strengthen your plant
and will mean that you'll get a
better harvest of tomatoes.
The other thing is it's important
to harden them off,
to acclimatise them, basically,
to being outside.
You do this by leaving them outside
in the day and bringing them
back in at night for a week
before planting.
This will allow them to gradually
acclimatise to being outside.
It seems a little bit odd,
but that tomato plants will be
really happy for that.
And then always remembering to give
them a really good drink
after you've planted.
With the plants in, I want to get
some new gardeners
inspired with interactivity,
so I've organised a cook and taste
session.
So the idea is you could gather
your tomatoes,
gather the herbs that you
need, chop them all up,
add them to a pan and turn
it into tomato sauce.
Can any of you think of any other
ingredients
that we might include in
a tomato sauce?
Yes? Onions.
Correct. Tomato.
Definitely, there is no tomato sauce
without tomatoes, right? Absolutely.
Yes? Mushrooms?
Mushrooms, you could add mushrooms
to a tomato sauce.
Sounds like a really delicious idea.
Let's see if we can find some
of the herbs that we might need.
Can anybody guess what this
one might be?
Do you want to have a little rub
of it and a little smell?
Ever smelt that before?
Yeah. Yes, but I can't remember.
Where? My nan and grandad's house.
Nan and grandad's house. Yeah!
Well, rosemary, it's rosemary.
This one's another interesting one,
have a little sniff of this.
Give it a little crush and
have a little smell.
Does it remind you of any
food that you eat?
Oh...! Is it off pizzas? It's off
pizza, absolutely, yeah.
It's oregano.
How long does it take you to
grow tomatoes?
A good few months in the summer to
grow your tomatoes.
Now that they've touched and smelt
the herbs, I'm adding a selection
to a tomato sauce so they can taste
what this bed has to offer.
So is everybody up for trying some?
- Yes!
OK, I'm going to hand over
this spaghetti.
Some of that lovely tomato sauce
that you helped me make.
Tell me what you think. What do you
think? Really good! Lovely!
Can you taste the herbs? Yeah.
Mm-hm. Yeah!
So, guys, if you are able to look
after this bed,
water those plants, keep them
growing well,
you'll lawn be able to make your own
tomato sauce.
Wouldn't that be amazing?
Yes. Yeah!
With a garden of this size,
there will be a fair amount
of garden waste, so I've built
the school something
that any large garden can
benefit from.
If you don't mind helping me grab
this compost bin over here.
Oh, look at that.
Many hands make light work.
You've got all the weight there,
Jen!
These compost bins will allow the
school to turn cuttings,
scraps and waste into rich compost
that the plants will love.
Compost corner. Compost corner!
OK. So I'll show you what we've
got here.
So it's got your compost bin. That's
your door to scoop everything out.
So what you want to do is you want
to bring stuff over,
the garden waste, household waste,
right, throw it in here.
There's two of them, so you can kind
of use this as the initial one.
As things break down bit more,
you can kind of
transfer into that one. OK, yeah.
Nice and simple, this lid just
comes down.
It's like a little Wendy house.
It's really cute,
it's like a little beehive.
If you're producing enough to get
composting, try and keep the mix
around half green waste, half brown.
That's things like dead leaves, thin
plant stems and wood chippings.
Essentially, any pile of
organic matter
will eventually turn to compost.
It's just that if you add the
brown waste,
it's going to be less smelly is one
of the merits. Yeah. OK, yeah.
It's going to go faster.
Sometimes after school dinners,
we've got left over food.
Can we use that when it's sort
of cooked food?
It's not as ideal to use cooked
food. OK.
A lot of the time, it's more raw
vegetables. Right.
So preparing, all the prep work
and stuff,
they can put that aside, that's
the best thing to go in.
Remember to turn the compost
regularly to add air.
And between six and 18 months,
you'll have a nutrient rich
compost ready to go.
So healthy soil's like the
foundation of the whole garden
and you know, it starts here,
and it ends there.
Then also, equally, it comes
back into here.
So it's just that really cyclical
thing you'll have going on
and, yeah, I think the kids will
enjoy it as well.
Well, they'll be really interested
to see what's going on in there.
Yeah. Definitely. Move things back
and forth as things
are breaking down and that's it.
Fantastic!
The garden revolution is gripping
the country,
and we're loving interacting
with our outdoor spaces.
So use the hashtag
if you're joining in.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Thank you.
The scent on these roses -
it's just heavenly.
As the garden revolution continues
around the country,
more and more of us have answered
the call of the outdoors.
Oh, love you!
In Blackpool, we're adding the final
touches to the gardening club.
And what better way to engage
the pupils than
with their colourful creations?
They can learn about the things
which should be in the garden.
You should have frogs and, you know,
snails and butterflies
and ladybirds and hopefully
a fox or two
and one of my most favourite things
I've ever done was this.
This is really, really cool.
The wilder planting area
is coming together
and I have one final interactive
element that will provide
the ingredients for a
British classic.
So all of these plants
you can get some
sort of a crop from that could be
used to make a lovely crumble.
There isn't a child I know that
doesn't enjoy crumble.
Or an adult. Yeah!
We're christening this
Crumble Corner
but so many of the plants here
will thrive in gardens
around the country.
We've got some golden raspberries.
Another variety called Heritage,
which is traditional red raspberry.
I'm very interested in this plant,
I've never seen this before.
Yeah, it's a really lovely one.
Yeah. This is an ornamental quince.
These are autumn fruiting and
easy to care for,
so why not try growing some now to
harvest from later in the year?
We've got this lovely apple.
We've got rhubarb. Yeah.
It's just so easy to grow.
Pop it in the ground. As long as you
give it a little bit of space,
cos they can obviously get quite
big, you just keep harvesting
from it each year and it will die
down in the winter... Yes.
..and up it pops in the spring.
I think I've got some hidden away
that you forget about
and then it's a nice surprise.
Also as well as making crumble,
I'm sure the kids will be picking
them in their break time.
Yeah, it's going to be like a
traditional kitchen garden
this area, really.
Yeah, I think so.
They can come out and give them
little baskets
and say "What's growing? Let's..."
Do some fruit picking. Yeah.
If they haven't all picked it
already at break time. Well, yeah!
A few days ago, this school's
gardening club was run down.
The decking was deemed unsafe,
the plots were unsteady
and hard to reach
and there wasn't anywhere for the
children to sit outside.
Gardening club founder Karen and
head teacher Jen
desperately wanted an
interactive space,
and now, this garden is completely
transformed...
..into a colourful,
interactive space
to awaken the children's curiosity.
The brand-new decking and the
carefully crafted benches
are giving this space an additional
function as an outdoor classroom.
The Orchard Garden and Crumble
Corner invite play,
while the Willow Den provides
a special hideaway.
The living roof and rain garden
provide a diversity of growing
conditions that will attract
pollinators.
And, of course, there are the
accessible raised beds
for the children to harvest herbs,
vegetables,
pasta sauce ingredients and to
experiment dyeing fabric.
Now this is the interactive space
that Karen and Jen hoped for.
CHILDREN SCREAM EXCITEDLY
And, of course, the children.
Rhubarb!
It's the best thing that's ever
happened at this school. Yeah.
I mean, look at the children's
reaction -
they're having an absolutely
fantastic time, just exploring it.
Before it was like all
rusty and dirty
but now, it's been cleaned,
it's been smoothed
and it's really beautiful.
This garden has everything -
so it's got the rain garden,
it's got the compost bins,
it's got these raised beds
that their vegetables will be
growing in.
And this is the beginning of these
future gardeners
and it's amazing to be a part of it.
My favourite bit is the mini school
because it's nice and colourful.
I mean, I like it all,
absolutely all of it
but I think the raised beds will be
used all the time.
My favourite but I think is
Crumble Corner.
I think that's going to be really
exciting for the children.
Do you know what? I've absolutely
loved doing this garden.
I think it's been really great to
see the kids getting involved,
getting their hands in the ground,
really interacting with the space.
The staff have done a great job
so far but I think a space like this
is really going to take the teaching
to the next level.
What I'm looking forward to is
watching all the plants
and flowers grow and watching
our garden develop.
I mean, I'd encourage everybody
to get out,
interact with your gardens
in whatever way you can.
It's a really great past time.
It gets us being healthy and
if you start young,
gardening will stay with you
for the rest of your life.
This is just an opportunity for the
gardening club, for Karen,
for all of that to really grow
and then us to grow
as experienced gardening - you know,
I'm going to get my wellies on.
Excellent! I'll book you in.
I've said it on camera now,
so we can't... can't go back on it!
The message of this garden, really,
is that anyone can get involved
in gardening.
So I would encourage everyone
this weekend just to
get out into the garden,
interact with their environment,
connect with nature, because we all
benefit from that connection.
..and there's a garden revolution
sweeping the nation.
Once you start gardening, it stays
with you for the rest of your life.
Does anyone like radish?
Spring is here, winter's over.
Get involved. Get immersed
in the experience of the garden.
So we want to invite you to join in.
Just go for it, enjoy it,
and put your stamp on it.
Inspiring you with possibilities...
Natural is the most beautiful thing
of all.
..and totally transforming
our ordinary gardens.
How cool is this?
We'll be sharing tips and tricks...
You should all grow this tomato,
seriously.
And the jobs to do right now.
Over the next few weeks,
we're going to be
meeting fellow revolutionaries...
..people who think along the same
lines as us.
You can still make gardening
fashionable.
Yes, in fact, there is. Yes, look.
There's a lemon.
So, wherever you are,
with whatever you have,
it's time to join the garden
revolution.
Across the nation, people
are welcoming in the spring sun
by getting involved
in their gardens.
I'm here,
in my little zippy greenhouse,
ready to pot on some of my squashes.
So, this weekend, we're celebrating
interactive green spaces
that you can get stuck into -
no matter your age or ability.
I'm doing hammering.
Hammering? Hammering?
In Blackpool, we're
taking on our biggest project yet,
inspiring the next
generation of revolutionaries.
Does it remind you of any
food that you eat?
Is it off pizza?
It's off pizza, absolutely. Yeah.
Bringing in a host of new arrivals.
This could be the best thing I've
ever seen in a garden.
It's amazing.
And sharing tips on
how to plant up high.
I'm hoping that it will
inspire their imagination,
so that you can start to think
that plants don't have
to be in these conventional places.
Plus, we unearth the planting
prowess
of TV presenter Laura Jackson.
These beer baths are great
for getting rid of the slugs.
100% malted barley?
Lucky slugs. Cheers.
We're all passionate
about encouraging people
to get their hands in the ground,
especially the next
generation of gardeners.
This is a true revolution.
This is what can be changing.
The future, if we can inspire
the next generation
to do things differently
than my generation,
then we can really make
a change to the world.
Not only our carbon footprint,
but on wildlife and on the health
of the planet as a whole.
I think it's really,
really important to inspire
the next generation of gardeners
and it's important to hand
over some knowledge,
some experience and set the young
people on their own
journey into gardening.
This is all about interactivity.
Gardens should be dynamic
and interactive
and have multiple uses.
Growing up, I had a lot of good
experiences in gardens.
Nature and the trees and the birds,
and the insects, and everything.
You don't really get that indoors.
This week, we're in the northwest
to help Karen,
a teacher who planted
the seed for a school gardening club
over a decade ago.
It's just grown and grown,
the gardening club.
Started off with 12,
then we ended up with 24,
and then we ended up with 40.
Just not enough room. No.
The afterschool club is so popular,
there's a year-long waiting list.
It's amazing what Karen's done with
the gardening club so far.
She's done it all off her own back.
That's our chandelier.
She's very enthusiastic. She's fab.
She's brilliant with the children.
It's lovely to get them outside.
They learn a lot and it's good for
their mental health and wellbeing.
Things like pushing a wheelbarrow is
very exciting when you're seven.
I like gardening
because I like to get muddy.
I like being in the wild
and planting new things.
It feels like I'm enjoying gardening
so much that
I just really wanted to stay here
forever to do it.
Having witnessed the benefits,
head teacher Jen is keen
to expand the club and even
incorporate it into the curriculum.
It's for those children that don't
get the opportunity to garden.
They get that chance to
get their hands in the dirt
and feel the earth. It's that sense
of awe and wonder
when things grow... from a tiny
seed.
I always ask the children
where their food comes from
and I asked a girl about seven,
"Where do apples come from?"
And she wouldn't accept that they
grew on trees. OK.
Which is why
the children need to get it.
Don't go in because the floor
is dangerous. Oh, right, OK.
But they don't have enough
space for all the kids to join,
and a lot of the existing structures
are old and unfit for use.
This is the original
plots that the children had
and it's just too dangerous to
let them work on here now
because pieces keep falling off
every time they do some work on
them.
So we're on the decking area at the
moment, but it's very damaged.
There's big holes in it,
which makes it too dangerous to
let the children on.
Erm... and it's a vast area, really.
Powered by passion,
Karen and Jen have
big dreams for their young
gardeners,
but so many are missing out.
I'd love each classroom to
have their own raised bed,
so that every child can come out
and grow something...
..find out where the food
comes from. It would be fantastic.
Take it from being something,
an idea that you've had and grown,
into something that affects all the
children across the whole school.
Yeah. Before that can happen, we've
got to have the space
for the children to grow in.
The school aren't the only ones who
want to get interacting
with their garden,
so, if you want to share what
you've been up to,
use the hashtag #gardenrevolution.
We're designing
an interactive garden
filled with active learning
opportunities
for the school gardening club.
This week is all about inspiring
the next generation
to join the garden revolution.
Karen needs a bit of help.
You know, it's a big area.
It's a lot to take on.
So it's not just about giving
it a makeover -
it's about making it
function better as well,
so that the children can
understand the cycle of life,
so they can get involved in all
of the aspects of gardening
and really start to understand
and connect with nature.
You are never too young to get
involved in gardening.
Our interactive garden has
multiple areas to get stuck into.
There are accessible raised
beds for growing produce.
Our outdoor classroom features a new
open-sided structure
with a living roof.
And some bespoke benches
and decorations.
Our rain garden will teach
children about the rain cycle,
while using excess
water in a sustainable way.
And, at the far end, you can
take a walk on the wilder side,
with edible trees,
shrubs and plants,
plus a secret hang-out in the work
of a willow den.
We think this design is going to
really give Karen
what she needs to take the club
to that next stage
and these ideas will
work in almost any garden,
so you can be outside this weekend
trying it for yourself.
Over the next few days,
our team of builders and gardeners
will be putting the plan into action
and we'll share some valuable tips
with you along the way.
It's exciting. It's a
garden that's close to my heart
because I'm a city child,
so my encounters with gardening
and with nature altered
the course of my life, I suppose,
and I really want the children to,
I suppose,
experience the magic of putting
a seed in the ground
and seeing this plant grow -
and you never forget those moments.
The really exciting thing, you know?
It's just a real privilege to get
children excited
about gardening, get them outside,
get them growing stuff.
While I start sorting through
the plants...
I'm starting on the outdoor
classroom
and, first up, it's the deck.
I'm just putting a bit of paint on.
Blend more into the natural
landscape. Yeah.
It can be an extra
protective layer as well.
So the idea of this decking, really,
is that it creates an ultra
functional area because, when you're
trying to teach about nature
and growing...
You need to be able to see it.
You know this, Karen,
because this is your thing.
It's great, I love it. Yeah.
But I'd like to make it bigger.
I'd love to open it up to other
schools locally... Yeah.
..and encourage them.
Just need more of me and more time.
We need more Karens.
Yeah, we do!
While the outdoor classroom will
provide structure,
at the far end of the garden,
we're all about interactivity.
Each plant has been selected
because it will provide a harvest
the kids can use
and it's a great selection that
so many of us could be growing.
So, in this area, there's going
to be an orchard,
so we're just sort of in the process
of placing them. OK.
So we've got a pair here,
and this is an elder,
so you can make elderflower
cordial from the flowers. Delicious.
And an apple here.
There's another apple over here.
We've got a morello
cherry at the other end. Oh, wow.
Some of the,
there's a few repeat sort of plants,
just to kind of lead you through it,
if you like.
Repeating plants is a great
way of making an area
feel more naturalistic
and I want the kids
to feel a genuine connection with
nature as they move
from the playground into this
forest-like area.
So the children will be able to
free flow from the playground
into this area... Yeah. ..to
interact with it. That's the idea.
We really want it to sort of feel
inviting, so they are drawn in.
They've got free access for it.
The can go and explore, integrate
themselves, interact with it.
It's just a wonderful,
wonderful opportunity.
And the interactivity of other
wildlife as well,
watching that blackbird.
Our little friend.
LAUGHTER
Hey, guys. All right? How you doing?
Not bad. We're all back at school.
To realise the garden club dream
that Karen and Jen have,
we're going to need a whole
host of amazing carpentry.
What have you got for us?
Benches, so they can
have their education outside.
And the man for the job is wood
wizard Bruce Kenneth.
Furniture is all about being
creative.
Why not have something
that's different?
Why not have something
that's unique?
Garden furniture should be unique
to you and unique to the garden.
I think that every garden is
different.
I think we should be creating
spaces that we enjoy.
Carpentry means everything to me,
it really does.
Oh, lovely. They're so nice.
I did them as an inspiration
of Blackpool Tower,
they have a little bit of a
tower-esque edge. Oh, I love that.
Let's go. Got the weather for
it - it's beautiful.
It's lovely, isn't it?
Outdoor classroom, lovely.
They can move them round as they
want. If they want to have a
little circle,
they can move them into a circle.
If they want to zig-zag them
or something like that.
Oh, I feel like a lesson.
They're not quite
ready for the classroom
cos I want to use them
to get some colour into the space.
I really like colour, so it's fun to
be able to do colours.
I can paint a bench,
yellow and green and bright blue.
I can do things that I wouldn't
normally be able to do for people.
Here, the more,
the better, you know?
And it's just fun, it really is.
While Bruce brings colour at kids'
height,
I want to add a sense of wonder
to our outdoor classroom
with a great little project that
so many of us can try this weekend.
Today, I'm doing a green roof.
A slightly extravagant green roof.
And you might think that
a lot of this roof won't be seen -
that's fine by me. You have to
remember that a lot of these kids
won't have seen a green roof before.
If you have a shared roof,
this is such a great way to get
extra planting in -
as long as you follow some
simple rules.
We've got five or six inches of soil
and it's worth mentioning
that you can't just pile
a load of soil on any structure.
You have to have a think about it.
You have to get some advice.
I've really beefed this roof up
with extra thick joists
to take this weight.
Once you've got a safe spot
and some free draining soil,
it's important to select plants that
won't need much looking after -
unless you fancy a daily
trip up a ladder.
A great place to start with any
green roof is usually sedum.
They've often got these
sort of thick leaves,
which hold the moisture,
so that's why they can
survive in these environments.
Sedums love to be treated badly,
generally...
..which is one of the things
we're after.
Most of these will be really hardy,
they'll like sunlight
and they'll be able to handle those
harsh winds coming in.
A lot of these plants,
like the ajuga,
will just spread around.
And I don't mind the idea that
some of these plants will win
and some will lose.
They'll find their own balance
and that's generally the case
with these green roofs.
And the one that likes
the conditions the most
will become the predominant plant -
that's fine
because then we've found the plant
that enjoys the conditions and all
of this makes it low-maintenance.
Plants that are this exposed
also need to be wind resistant
and the great news is that
many of the rules
we're following here are applicable
in other equally challenging spaces.
And it doesn't necessarily have
to be a green roof.
All of these plants are going
to enjoy
the same kind of conditions that
you might get on, say, a balcony
or anything that's high up that's
going
to be subject to these
harsh conditions.
I'm hoping that it will
inspire their imagination, as well,
a little bit,
so that you can start to think
that plants don't have to
be in these conventional places,
that plants can exist everywhere.
Still to come,
I create a den with a difference...
I just love to use natural
materials.
And we interact with
wonderful wildlife.
You never get bored of these things,
though, do you? No.
It takes me back to my childhood.
Ah! A purple flower.
Across the UK, more and more of us
are discovering the joys
of getting hands on with plants...
What sort of seeds are you planting,
Mother?
35 different...
35 different sorts of seeds?
..and animals in our gardens.
There's our resident allotment fox.
This week,
we're all about interactive spaces
and, in Blackpool, we're creating
a school garden to inspire
the next generation
of revolutionaries.
We can all be looking for ways to
garden more sustainably
and I've roped in Joel to help me
with a way
of gardening that focuses
on water preservation.
Hey, man.
How's the rain garden going?
Really good.
Really, really enjoying it.
It's in its early stages, I see.
It's taken some time. Yeah.
It's quite an unusual idea,
isn't it, a rain garden?
It's quite big in the States.
It seems to be relatively
new over here.
So, basically, what we're trying to
do is to capture water.
Rain gardens are a great
way of using a natural water supply,
especially if you have a boggy
garden or runoff from a roof.
So we've got the water runoff that's
going to come off the green roof,
so any excess water that's
going to come down
is going to run down this pipe
and it's going to get caught
in this pit, and I want
a bit of a channel down here,
so that the water is
guided straight down.
Do you want to grab a space and give
us a hand? Absolutely, mate.
I don't like to watch people work.
So, if you sort of dig
a channel down that way...
By capturing excess
water in this way,
it will percolate
and drain away more efficiently,
reducing the chances of flooding.
And it also means that we can grow
plants
without filling up the watering can.
By planting that space,
a rain garden will absorb
30% more water than a lawn,
which is amazing, isn't it?
I've sort of retained the topsoil
and sort of created
a bund around the two sides
to kind of contain
the water from spilling
off in that direction.
What did you call it? A bund?
It's a bund, yeah. I'm enjoying you
just saying the word bund.
Not looking bad, Errol.
It's looking good.
Do you think you can get
the stone in there?
Once the soil is out
and the walls are secured,
add small stones to make
sure that the water drains freely.
We want it to hold
water for up to 48 hours,
but crucially not become a pond.
It just presents a really
exciting opportunity
and I think, for those people who
have boggy areas in their garden,
I think sometimes you can start
feeling a big despondent
that things won't grow. Yeah.
If you select the right plants then
I think it can work. Absolutely.
You should just have a go
and, you know,
we've done a little bit of research
and we're also being quite
instinctual about our approach.
I'm keen to see other
revolutionary gardens
that are putting
interactivity at their heart,
so I've come to southeast London to
meet someone very special.
Errol. Hey, there, Joel.
What a beautiful day.
The sun's come out.
The sun's out for us. Errol's going
to show me round his day job,
the Horniman Museum and Gardens,
which has been inviting in kids
young and old for over 120 years
and where he's
the head of horticulture.
It's a public space
and there's a lot of aspects
that just kind of engage children,
families, adolescents and adults.
Public gardens like this are packed
full of amazing
interactive elements that we
can all draw from
when creating our own gardens.
It feels like we're
going on an adventure.
That's exactly what we're doing.
We're going to take a little
stroll down the oldest nature
trail in London. Is it really?
Yeah. It used to be a railway line.
It's relatively narrow,
but there's a lot going on here
and it's a really important
habitat for all sorts
of different types of species.
This walk is full of inspiration
for wilder planting
that is fun to interact with.
Anthriscus, this cow parsley,
it's a great garden plant
for... for the shade, dappled shade,
and it's so beautiful.
Iris foetidissima, it's a native.
Crunch that up
and give that a smell.
What does it remind you of?
I'm scared. Oh!
What are you getting? Er...
Beef Hula Hoop crisps.
That's what it is! It is!
And I used to eat loads of those!
Absolutely. Beef Hula Hoop crisps.
That was my favourite flavour.
Makes me want to lick my lips.
Getting opportunities to interact
with your garden
is so good for our mental health
and, for me,
there are few things
better than a pond,
like the one at the end of this
nature trail.
See what we can find.
Oh, got something there.
Look at that. Oh, wow.
Dragonfly larvae and a newt.
You've got a newt.
Look at how beautiful that is.
And this one, Errol?
Looks like some sort of dragonfly.
Dragonfly larvae, is it? Yeah.
That's little mosquito larvae
there...
..that things like that dragonfly
larvae would be feeding on.
There's so much life, there's so
many things going on in this tray.
You never get bored of these things,
though, do you? No.
It takes me back to my childhood,
where I was fortunate enough
to have a pond in the back garden.
I can still remember that feeling,
how magical it was
and how it changed the way
I see the world, really.
And it's just stayed with me
my whole life.
In fact, I think it's probably
altered the course of my life.
As well as the nature trail,
the garden contains prairie spaces
and formal gardens,
but at their heart
is the ability to inspire
interactivity.
All of the plants
in this area... Yeah.
..are dye plants and,
in this particular section,
all of the species here will give us
a shade of red. Oh, wow.
This plant is commonly
known as bloodroot.
It's Sanguinaria canadensis.
Native American Indians would use
this
to paint artefacts, essentially.
Slice that off. Gosh!
You can sort of see the colour.
Oh, isn't that amazing?!
Kids love this kind of thing,
though, don't they?
It's just such a part
of our histories, isn't it?
Colour and painting and getting
these pigments
from plants and things.
Plants aren't just there to look
good, are they?
Yeah. No. They've got, lots of these
plants have a purpose, you know?
We found a purpose for them.
Actually, that piece of root,
you should hold on to that.
Take that away with you. You can
prop that.
Oh, brilliant. Thanks, Errol.
Get that into some gritty soil
and it will be away.
Maybe even do... do a few
paintings with it. Yeah.
Errol's on the clock,
so, before I leave,
he's roped me into a bit of work -
building a natural structure
for some of these dye plants -
and it's a great interactive job
we can all try out.
Sort of copists, some willow, some
Salix alba from the materials bed.
Because it's really flexible,
you can sort of create
a really nice cage over the top.
I love using
materials from the garden.
Pass us that over here.
We'll connect your one up with that
and then you can weave
that section in.
By weaving it quite tightly,
it sort of just holds.
And you go right down the stem,
and then you can use
the side sections to sort of knit
together a lattice the other way.
That's it. Oh, gosh! It's just so
enjoyable, isn't it? I know.
I could do this all day.
I feel like I'm a kid again.
Back in Blackpool, I'm inspired to
use this willow technique to
create a den and show you how to
build your own garden hideaway.
It's just a structure,
but I think of it as a den
because kids love dens.
Willows,
it's such an incredible plant.
It's pliable, first of all.
You can put them in the ground.
They will often just take and
make their own roots.
They're sort of like these giant...
..seedlings, I think.
And you can make these incredible
structures out of it,
but that structure is alive.
It's quite magical as well.
Willow is fast-growing
and you can end up
with too many roots,
so, to avoid a swamp structure,
strip the outer layer of some before
they go in the ground.
So, first of all,
I've prepared the ground slightly
and I just want a nice level
surface.
I've used my space to get a rough
idea of this circumference.
I've got this stake and I'm
hammering this into the ground.
That's where the
willow's going to go
and I've also put
a point on this willow
to make it easier to
drive into the ground.
You can space the posts two inches
to two feet apart
depending on how enclosed you
want the structure,
but don't get too carried away
and forget to leave a space to
get in and out.
So now I'm just going to
create the dome shape
by tying these willow
branches together.
You just carry on working your way
around until you've got
a nice dome structure.
As its fast-growing, you might find
a friend of neighbour who can
give you some willow whips for free.
Otherwise,
check out your garden centre
for ones that are one to
two inches thick.
So I'm just putting a few
horizontal pieces in,
just to give it a little
bit of extra strength.
Gonna give it a little try out.
As you can see,
it works really well.
They're still working away.
I'm still hiding.
That's a lovely little den,
isn't it?
What... what kid wouldn't be happy
hiding and playing in here?
Structures like this can
really max out the fun
we have in our gardens...
..whether it's our kids
or our inner child.
And I want to create
something that will inspire play
and wonder in the garden...
..but I'm going to need
a helping hand.
I had the idea to bring
the kids into the garden,
make this garden interactive.
I was like, "How can I do this?"
And I thought, "Get the kids
to draw things
"and I'm going to take the drawings
and cut them out
"and make large
versions of their drawings."
So I've had the kids submit
some drawings
and they've done an amazing job.
So I've got a new machine in the
workshop - it's a CNC.
Basically, what it is is
a computer-controlled machine.
And I can take these
drawings that the kids gave me,
and turn them into large cut-outs.
Normally, I would handmake
something or cut it out,
but that wouldn't be the kids'
drawings.
This is an exact copy of the kids'
drawings.
When you think of school,
primary school,
you think of bright colours, fun.
So, after they've been cut out,
I'm going to paint some,
but I'm going to bring
some to the school.
We're going to bring the bright
colours, the excitement,
all of the energy
of the classroom outside.
So I think we're going to have a
little party, paint them.
I can't wait to see what
they come up with.
Check this out. Oh, ho, ho! Groovy!
Oh, my word! I love it!
They've absolutely great.
The chicken.
Oh, I love the way kids draw!
Yeah, they're amazing.
I love that caterpillar -
look at his chomping cheeks.
These could be the best thing I've
ever seen in a garden.
Look how happy as smiley
cat makes me.
You can't be sad with these in the
garden. No. No. Exactly.
And... I made some extras, so we can
have a bit of a painting party.
Are we invited to the paint party?
You're invited to the paint party.
But we're not going to keep
the guestlist to just three.
I want to get the kids involved -
after all, they did draw them.
LAUGHTER
So, remember I asked
you for some drawings?
Took your drawings, took them home,
put them on my computer
and then cut them for you,
so they're going to decorate your
garden.
You guys are going to paint them
and we're going to hang them
all over the garden,
and decorate the garden with that.
Does that sound fun? ALL: Yeah.
There's flowers,
there's foxes, snails.
I like the fox. Blue? OK, yeah.
A blue bee, I love it.
Do you guys think you'll see any
of these animals out in the garden?
You'll see a lot of spiders.
You might see a snail.
Snails are everywhere.
It's good to see snails -
that means the garden's healthy,
you know? It's good to see all these
little critters.
And worms. Worms, yeah.
Oh, that is looking good, isn't it?
Look at that.
While Bruce
and the kids keep painting,
I've invited more pupils out
to give me a hand,
starting to plant up
the raised beds.
Right then, kids, are we going to
get planting? ALL: Yeah.
We're going to turn this
one into a veg bed full of brilliant
beginner crops that can
go in the ground this weekend.
Do you know how to get them
out of these pots, for starters?
Yeah, I think
you just like get the end... Yeah.
..and squeeze it
so the carrot can come up.
Absolutely perfect.
What are your favourite vegetables?
Sprouts. Sprouts?
Look at his face.
I take it you don't like sprouts?
Sprouts are yummy.
Carrots. Is it?
We've got some carrots,
so we'll get some of them in.
Carrots are great to plant
now for harvest in the autumn
and don't need much watering at all,
making them
perfect for beginners young and old.
Does anyone like radish?
Do you like radish?
I've never really tried it.
Me neither.
You've never tried radish?
Me neither, no.
You don't have to put them in rows.
I just throw them in the ground.
Are you looking forward to using
this space? Yeah.
Some people can go in here
to calm down.
When I'm angry, I go near some
really nice trees and plants -
it makes me feel a bit better.
Do ya?! Yeah.
That sounds just like me, yeah.
Wonderful gift. You going to promise
me that we're going try
and look after these plants,
keep them growing?
Yes.
This has been fun.
There are so many ways to
interact with plants,
so I want to use
some of the other raised beds
to show pupils how so much of what
we need comes from plants -
not just food.
We're planting a dye border,
so the children can learn how
to make their own dyes.
Creating a dye bed can lead to
so many fun projects
and there's an almost endless
list of plants that can be included.
This is a hollyhock, quite
a traditional cottage garden plant.
It's really, really lovely.
Puts up a big, tall flower spike.
It's got a really dark,
almost black, flower
and you get sort of lavenders
through to dark purples from that.
So we've got this Cytisus
and, as you might guess,
you get quite a nice
yellow from this.
It's actually quite a pale yellow
and through to beige.
I quite like the sort of subtle
variation
that some of these plants give.
You can get colours from all
sorts of things.
For example, get a really fantastic
colour from avocado stones
and from their skins.
And, if you boil them up,
with the cloth,
you can get a really, really nice
sort of coral-y pink colour.
My wife, for example,
is making me a garden smock
and I'll dye it using avocado skins.
It will be nice to wear something
sort of naturally dyed when
I'm working in the garden. You could
dye a T-shirt or a tea towel.
You could dye anything that
you wanted,
as long as it's a natural
material that will take the colour.
This dye bed will provide
interactive fun
but could also help with science
and history lessons.
It's exciting. It's interesting to
learn where colours came from
and that's how it was
traditionally done -
it was done using plant species.
That's a really nice thing for
children to learn about.
Still to come...
I've got all the ingredients to
get kids cooking.
So is everybody up for trying some?
- Yes! OK.
And we see inside the garden of
presenter Laura Jackson.
They're like your little children
that you need to water,
talk to, look after.
Across the UK, we're loving our
gardens more than ever before.
Today I'm going to be given my
pallet fence a fresh coat of paint.
And back in our school in Blackpool,
we're working hard to give
Karen and Jen the interactive
gardening club they need.
And with our rain garden back filed
with the soil that we removed
it's time to get planting.
So I've sort of zoned them
a little bit.
So these ones here are going to be
great in the centre,
cos they can cope with a little
bit more moisture.
Yeah, I recognise some of these as
almost pond border plants.
Yeah, sort of marginals, yeah.
Marginals.
To make the most of the conditions,
plant moisture-loving plants
like caltha palustris in the
wetter centre.
Plants like iris pseudacorus will
prefer a midway point further out,
and these lovely geraniums will
enjoy the dry conditions
at the garden's edge.
We're using the conditions that
we're presented with
and it's going to be really
low-maintenance because of that.
Yeah. You know,
we'll water them in... Yeah.
..and then the plants are going to
fend for themselves, essentially.
We've really carefully considered
the species.
And when you garden, I think quite
quickly you realise
how plants respond to rainwater,
as opposed to the hosepipe.
No chemicals, no chlorine.
No chemicals.
I always try to imagine
being a plant, you know,
in my spare time.
But... Well, you wouldn't like to be
hosed down with cold water. No.
You know, much nicer to have...
Use this natural resource, isn't it?
And also, let's not forget,
this would just be gravel otherwise
and the kids are going to learn
about the cycle of the water,
you know, and using all
the resources.
The importance of retaining water.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a really nice kind
of interactive space.
Yeah, and that is the best way to
learn, isn't it? Yeah. Hands on.
So many of us are learning to love
our gardens
and discover the joys of getting
our hands dirty.
He only ever once love, the poor
thing. Don't you?
I'm Laura Jackson and I've joined
the Great Garden Revolution.
It's so lovely to garden.
Just seeing the evolution
of the plants
and just taking stock of that
is really nice.
Even though this garden isn't kind
of designed and landscaped,
there is a bit of order
in the chaos.
We very much focused on the colours,
so that's why there's lots of
lilacs, pinks, purples and whites.
They're like your little children
that you need to water,
talk to and look after.
One thing that I love to do is
to grow veg that's either
really expensive in the supermarket
or is a bit harder to find.
Don't grow a potato or a normal
orange carrot -
you can buy a bag of those
for a quid.
These are my beetroots but I'm
doing golden beetroots
because golden beetroots are more
expensive than normal red beetroots.
And then we've got chard.
We spent a week eating chard -
that was fun!
I meticulously organise my
food leftovers
to put into the compost
when they decompose
and we put it back on and then that
feeds the new plants growing.
There's something really nice
about that.
These beer baths are great for
getting rid of the slugs.
The slugs go towards the beer and
then they get stuck.
I'm sorry if you guys really
love slugs,
but they are killing my garden.
100% malted barley. Lucky slugs!
Cheers...!
My lovely neighbours have this
yellow weed
that's been growing in their garden
and it started growing on the wall
that divides our garden and
its self seeded
and it does not go with the colour
palette in this bed.
It's got to go, guys. So I'm going
to get in and take it out,
and I have to be really careful not
to step on any other plants.
OK.
Wow, look at that.
Oh, it really is everywhere.
I'll be here till bedtime.
Oh, my goodness! There's an actual
family here of snails.
Literally just sucking the dear life
out of this beautiful plant.
Oh, my God. Look at this guy!
Get off.
Snails having a party in my garden
and I'm not even invited.
I'm going to take them to the park
when I walk the dog later
and they can live in the lovely
park - not my garden.
I think I need a tea break.
We always try and control everything
in life and what's really nice
about the garden is nature will just
take its course and I think that
there's something really organic and
really natural about that.
There's nothing better
than having a cup of tea
with really dirty garden hands.
I think that's my favourite thing.
Back in the school garden, I'm using
the last of the raised beds
for a fun project I hope
will show the children
where some of our favourite food
comes from.
We're really trying to stimulate
the children's imagination.
So we've designed this border to
be a tomato sauce border,
so a pasta tomato sauce border.
Even if you don't have a dedicated
bed for it,
these herbs and veg could be grown
around the garden -
including a favourite in our house,
the costoluto fiorentino.
It's a beef tomato,
so it almost looks like
a miniature pumpkin in its shape.
Bright red, really, really juicy.
Really, really sweet.
It's a proper Italian tomato and
they're flipping amazing.
You should all grow this tomato -
seriously!
They just taste so good.
It's good for sauces, good for
salads, it's just really,
really versatile.
With tomatoes, if you plant them
good and deep,
I'd say up to three or four inches
deeper than the pot surface,
they develop feeder roots all
the way up the stem
and those feeder routes will
strengthen your plant
and will mean that you'll get a
better harvest of tomatoes.
The other thing is it's important
to harden them off,
to acclimatise them, basically,
to being outside.
You do this by leaving them outside
in the day and bringing them
back in at night for a week
before planting.
This will allow them to gradually
acclimatise to being outside.
It seems a little bit odd,
but that tomato plants will be
really happy for that.
And then always remembering to give
them a really good drink
after you've planted.
With the plants in, I want to get
some new gardeners
inspired with interactivity,
so I've organised a cook and taste
session.
So the idea is you could gather
your tomatoes,
gather the herbs that you
need, chop them all up,
add them to a pan and turn
it into tomato sauce.
Can any of you think of any other
ingredients
that we might include in
a tomato sauce?
Yes? Onions.
Correct. Tomato.
Definitely, there is no tomato sauce
without tomatoes, right? Absolutely.
Yes? Mushrooms?
Mushrooms, you could add mushrooms
to a tomato sauce.
Sounds like a really delicious idea.
Let's see if we can find some
of the herbs that we might need.
Can anybody guess what this
one might be?
Do you want to have a little rub
of it and a little smell?
Ever smelt that before?
Yeah. Yes, but I can't remember.
Where? My nan and grandad's house.
Nan and grandad's house. Yeah!
Well, rosemary, it's rosemary.
This one's another interesting one,
have a little sniff of this.
Give it a little crush and
have a little smell.
Does it remind you of any
food that you eat?
Oh...! Is it off pizzas? It's off
pizza, absolutely, yeah.
It's oregano.
How long does it take you to
grow tomatoes?
A good few months in the summer to
grow your tomatoes.
Now that they've touched and smelt
the herbs, I'm adding a selection
to a tomato sauce so they can taste
what this bed has to offer.
So is everybody up for trying some?
- Yes!
OK, I'm going to hand over
this spaghetti.
Some of that lovely tomato sauce
that you helped me make.
Tell me what you think. What do you
think? Really good! Lovely!
Can you taste the herbs? Yeah.
Mm-hm. Yeah!
So, guys, if you are able to look
after this bed,
water those plants, keep them
growing well,
you'll lawn be able to make your own
tomato sauce.
Wouldn't that be amazing?
Yes. Yeah!
With a garden of this size,
there will be a fair amount
of garden waste, so I've built
the school something
that any large garden can
benefit from.
If you don't mind helping me grab
this compost bin over here.
Oh, look at that.
Many hands make light work.
You've got all the weight there,
Jen!
These compost bins will allow the
school to turn cuttings,
scraps and waste into rich compost
that the plants will love.
Compost corner. Compost corner!
OK. So I'll show you what we've
got here.
So it's got your compost bin. That's
your door to scoop everything out.
So what you want to do is you want
to bring stuff over,
the garden waste, household waste,
right, throw it in here.
There's two of them, so you can kind
of use this as the initial one.
As things break down bit more,
you can kind of
transfer into that one. OK, yeah.
Nice and simple, this lid just
comes down.
It's like a little Wendy house.
It's really cute,
it's like a little beehive.
If you're producing enough to get
composting, try and keep the mix
around half green waste, half brown.
That's things like dead leaves, thin
plant stems and wood chippings.
Essentially, any pile of
organic matter
will eventually turn to compost.
It's just that if you add the
brown waste,
it's going to be less smelly is one
of the merits. Yeah. OK, yeah.
It's going to go faster.
Sometimes after school dinners,
we've got left over food.
Can we use that when it's sort
of cooked food?
It's not as ideal to use cooked
food. OK.
A lot of the time, it's more raw
vegetables. Right.
So preparing, all the prep work
and stuff,
they can put that aside, that's
the best thing to go in.
Remember to turn the compost
regularly to add air.
And between six and 18 months,
you'll have a nutrient rich
compost ready to go.
So healthy soil's like the
foundation of the whole garden
and you know, it starts here,
and it ends there.
Then also, equally, it comes
back into here.
So it's just that really cyclical
thing you'll have going on
and, yeah, I think the kids will
enjoy it as well.
Well, they'll be really interested
to see what's going on in there.
Yeah. Definitely. Move things back
and forth as things
are breaking down and that's it.
Fantastic!
The garden revolution is gripping
the country,
and we're loving interacting
with our outdoor spaces.
So use the hashtag
if you're joining in.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Thank you.
The scent on these roses -
it's just heavenly.
As the garden revolution continues
around the country,
more and more of us have answered
the call of the outdoors.
Oh, love you!
In Blackpool, we're adding the final
touches to the gardening club.
And what better way to engage
the pupils than
with their colourful creations?
They can learn about the things
which should be in the garden.
You should have frogs and, you know,
snails and butterflies
and ladybirds and hopefully
a fox or two
and one of my most favourite things
I've ever done was this.
This is really, really cool.
The wilder planting area
is coming together
and I have one final interactive
element that will provide
the ingredients for a
British classic.
So all of these plants
you can get some
sort of a crop from that could be
used to make a lovely crumble.
There isn't a child I know that
doesn't enjoy crumble.
Or an adult. Yeah!
We're christening this
Crumble Corner
but so many of the plants here
will thrive in gardens
around the country.
We've got some golden raspberries.
Another variety called Heritage,
which is traditional red raspberry.
I'm very interested in this plant,
I've never seen this before.
Yeah, it's a really lovely one.
Yeah. This is an ornamental quince.
These are autumn fruiting and
easy to care for,
so why not try growing some now to
harvest from later in the year?
We've got this lovely apple.
We've got rhubarb. Yeah.
It's just so easy to grow.
Pop it in the ground. As long as you
give it a little bit of space,
cos they can obviously get quite
big, you just keep harvesting
from it each year and it will die
down in the winter... Yes.
..and up it pops in the spring.
I think I've got some hidden away
that you forget about
and then it's a nice surprise.
Also as well as making crumble,
I'm sure the kids will be picking
them in their break time.
Yeah, it's going to be like a
traditional kitchen garden
this area, really.
Yeah, I think so.
They can come out and give them
little baskets
and say "What's growing? Let's..."
Do some fruit picking. Yeah.
If they haven't all picked it
already at break time. Well, yeah!
A few days ago, this school's
gardening club was run down.
The decking was deemed unsafe,
the plots were unsteady
and hard to reach
and there wasn't anywhere for the
children to sit outside.
Gardening club founder Karen and
head teacher Jen
desperately wanted an
interactive space,
and now, this garden is completely
transformed...
..into a colourful,
interactive space
to awaken the children's curiosity.
The brand-new decking and the
carefully crafted benches
are giving this space an additional
function as an outdoor classroom.
The Orchard Garden and Crumble
Corner invite play,
while the Willow Den provides
a special hideaway.
The living roof and rain garden
provide a diversity of growing
conditions that will attract
pollinators.
And, of course, there are the
accessible raised beds
for the children to harvest herbs,
vegetables,
pasta sauce ingredients and to
experiment dyeing fabric.
Now this is the interactive space
that Karen and Jen hoped for.
CHILDREN SCREAM EXCITEDLY
And, of course, the children.
Rhubarb!
It's the best thing that's ever
happened at this school. Yeah.
I mean, look at the children's
reaction -
they're having an absolutely
fantastic time, just exploring it.
Before it was like all
rusty and dirty
but now, it's been cleaned,
it's been smoothed
and it's really beautiful.
This garden has everything -
so it's got the rain garden,
it's got the compost bins,
it's got these raised beds
that their vegetables will be
growing in.
And this is the beginning of these
future gardeners
and it's amazing to be a part of it.
My favourite bit is the mini school
because it's nice and colourful.
I mean, I like it all,
absolutely all of it
but I think the raised beds will be
used all the time.
My favourite but I think is
Crumble Corner.
I think that's going to be really
exciting for the children.
Do you know what? I've absolutely
loved doing this garden.
I think it's been really great to
see the kids getting involved,
getting their hands in the ground,
really interacting with the space.
The staff have done a great job
so far but I think a space like this
is really going to take the teaching
to the next level.
What I'm looking forward to is
watching all the plants
and flowers grow and watching
our garden develop.
I mean, I'd encourage everybody
to get out,
interact with your gardens
in whatever way you can.
It's a really great past time.
It gets us being healthy and
if you start young,
gardening will stay with you
for the rest of your life.
This is just an opportunity for the
gardening club, for Karen,
for all of that to really grow
and then us to grow
as experienced gardening - you know,
I'm going to get my wellies on.
Excellent! I'll book you in.
I've said it on camera now,
so we can't... can't go back on it!
The message of this garden, really,
is that anyone can get involved
in gardening.
So I would encourage everyone
this weekend just to
get out into the garden,
interact with their environment,
connect with nature, because we all
benefit from that connection.