Charlie Dimmock's Mission to Revive Garden Ponds | Great British Garden Revival

Added: 2026-05-04

[00:00:01]Britain has a long and proud gardening heritage. And a passion [music] for plants that goes back centuries. But all is not well in our once green and pleasant land. Front gardens paved [music] over.

[00:00:14]>> Our lawns lack luster. And rare wild flowers on the brink of extinction. So, we need [music] you to help us in our campaign to help rediscover our passion for gardening.

[00:00:27]We're going to give you the best gardening [music] tips. And revealing British gardens that will quite simply >> [music] >> take your breath away.

[00:00:37]It's time to plant and prune [music] and sharpen your shears.

[00:00:42]Let the great British garden revival begin.

[00:01:11]>> [music] >> On tonight's show, [music] Chris Beardshaw is on the campaign trail for the stump rate. But first, [music] I want water and wildlife to return to our gardens.

[00:01:37]>> [music] >> As a child, I loved messing about with water. I still do. I used to take the blanket weed out and hang it round the garden to make a fairy gun. As well as being great fun, ponds can look beautiful and of course they're really amazing habitat for some of our most treasured wildlife.

[00:02:02]Unfortunately, over the last century we've lost over half a million of our natural ponds due to our demand for water which has lowered the water table, pollution and also redevelopment.

[00:02:14]I'm Charlie Dimmock and I want us to celebrate water and wildlife in our gardens. So, join me in the great British pond revival.

[00:02:23]I'm going to be discovering how important ponds could be for our wildlife.

[00:02:27]If you had a small pond, no matter how small, you're going to add a brand new ecosystem into your back garden.

[00:02:34]Taking the plunge with a new style of water gardening and there is something really special about being up close with the wildlife.

[00:02:44]And step-by-step I'll show you how to build your very own mini wildlife pond from the design through every stage [music] of the build to planting up.

[00:02:54]And once it starts flowering, it will just keep on going.

[00:03:06]I'll be hosting my revival at the Brackenhurst campus of Nottingham Trent University. It's home to the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences. What makes it so special is its amazing network of small [music] lakes and ponds which are managed in a naturalistic way to maximize their wildlife potential.

[00:03:29]What a perfect setting for my revival.

[00:03:32]My first job was at a garden center that specialized in ponds and pond plants. I was amazed at the moods that ponds go through. You get fabulous reflections, the color, very seasonal and there's always something of interest even in the winter. And for me, water lilies are the most glamorous plant going.

[00:03:55]But a pond has so much more to offer than just its natural beauty. I'm meeting the university's ecologist, Dr. Richard Yarnell, to get an expert opinion on their importance. Now Richard, here at Brackenhurst you've got lots of ponds and wildlife. It's fantastic, but why are you so passionate about it? Well, I think it started when I was a child. We had a pond in our back garden and I would come home at lunchtime and gaze into it and see what was going on in that in that different world to ours. Now, if you just put a small garden pond in, is it really going to make much difference environmentally? Yeah, it'll make a huge difference. The ponds in the the wider countryside have been declining over the last sort of 50 years and there's been a big effort to recreate these habitats. And so, if you had a small pond, no matter how small, you're going to add a brand new ecosystem into your back garden. And there are species that are much maligned in in the UK, so it'll make a huge difference to the the conservation efforts of freshwater species in this country. So, what type of things would we get in your average garden pond then?

[00:04:58]>> You've got things like water beetles, dragonfly larvae, frogs and the great crested newt, my favorite.

[00:05:05]>> So, it's definitely worth putting a garden pond in.

[00:05:08]>> Yes, absolutely.

[00:05:13]Since 1945, it's estimated [music] that 1 million of our rural ponds have disappeared and some of our native amphibians have suffered large declines [music] in numbers. But we can all help to improve their plight.

[00:05:28]>> [music] >> The main aim of my revival is to get as many of you as possible to put a pond in your back garden. But first things first, where abouts in the back garden?

[00:05:39]Location is key. A pond needs lots of light to make the plants grow, to make the pond clear and pure. So, avoid overhanging trees that are going to shade the pond and also cuz the leaves will come off and silt up the pond and go for a nice open site. Now, if you're not mad on digging, I've got a fantastic idea that makes life nice and easy.

[00:06:04]So, the cheat is we're going to put the pond half in the ground and half out of the ground. So, that's going to half the digging which is always a good thing.

[00:06:12]So, I've got a plan here. Basically, we're going to use sleepers to surround the pond and then it means that the bit that you have to dig out is only the very deep bit in the center. And then at one end of the pond, we're going to have a bog garden. That way there's going to be nice little of hidey holes for the wildlife and they'll be able to get in and out easily. Now, people get into a bit of a tiz about putting ponds in.

[00:06:36]It's very straightforward. As long as the pond is set level and it holds onto the water, you can't really go wrong.

[00:06:44]So, [music] it's definitely essential to have one of these.

[00:06:49]So, with a spirit level to hand, mark out where your pond is going to go using the sleepers as a guide.

[00:06:55]Ideally, this sort of job requires at least two pairs of hands for all the lifting and digging. And I've got Paul from the university's horticultural department to lend a hand.

[00:07:08]Now, if you're putting a pond in for wildlife, you don't want to go any smaller than about a meter square. So, we're about a meter by a meter and a half.

[00:07:17]Now, this bit is a bit faffy, I have to say, but spend the time doing it. It's all about preparation and make sure it's level. If you get these sleepers level now, then it'll be fine. [music] Our fascination with water goes back centuries. [music] From small ponds and watering holes to quench livestock on farms to village wells and ponds where the community would congregate. Ponds were part of both our lives >> [music] >> and that of the wildlife round us.

[00:07:53]On the estates of grand stately homes, wealthy owners would entertain and promenade their guests around [music] their water features. The size of your lakes and how elaborate your fountains were [music] became more about status, money and grandeur than anything else.

[00:08:10]When the first garden centers arrived on the scene in the 1950s, [music] they made ponds and water features accessible to everyone. Come the 1970s and 80s, water gardening began to appear more heavily in our back gardens. But like the grand estate lakes, it was more a case of one-upmanship, sort of keeping up with the Joneses.

[00:08:34]During this time, all sorts of wonderful, interesting new products were developed specifically for the water gardening market from submersible pond pumps to decoy herons that don't work, exotic floating plants, butyl liners and of course the iconic kidney-shaped preformed fiberglass ponds that either came in stone or lagoon blue.

[00:09:00]But after reaching [music] the height of popularity in the 90s, a new millennium dawned and the water gardening bubble finally burst.

[00:09:08]Ponds began to fall right [music] out of gardening fashion.

[00:09:13]I used to work at a center very [music] similar to this where a family would come in just for the day out and they'd go home [music] with the basics to start up a pond. And then over the next 6 weeks, they'd [music] be in and out and get the pond set up. And I think that's what we really need to do, inspire people again.

[00:09:32]But for me, it's time to refocus our attitudes and encourage a new era and let the wildlife inspire us all to have a pond in our gardens again.

[00:09:46]The gardens at Brackenhurst were designed and built in the popular style of Edwin Lutyens.

[00:09:51]In the 1920s, fountains, rills and water features were popular and the sunken Italianate gardens and rose gardens featured beautiful formal ponds.

[00:10:01]But most impressive is the more naturalistic woodland area with its ornate bridge and boat house and one of the first large dew ponds to be built in the country in 1928.

[00:10:14]A pond on this scale is a little grand for the average back garden, but my small pond has the same wildlife values at heart.

[00:10:27]There we go. So, that's the sleepers fixed together and they're level. We've dug out the pond in the center. So, that's 60 cm from where our water level is to the bottom of the pond and we're now got to just line the pond with sand so that it beds the liner.

[00:10:47]A soft surface is essential to prevent punctures from the stones in the underlying soil. So, it's important to use a good layer of sand or specialist horticultural felt before placing the liner on top.

[00:10:59]Right then, Paul.

[00:11:01]Let's get this liner going. [music] I would always recommend using a butyl liner because you can get it to fit any shape or size of pond. You need to know three key measurements, the maximum width, length, and depth so that your supplier can calculate the total area of liner that you'll need.

[00:11:21]I have to say, Paul, this bit is always a real It is. fiddly, isn't it? I try and get the folds really neat.

[00:11:28]There's plenty of overhang.

[00:11:31]Don't be tempted to cut the liner until you've filled the pond. It's amazing how much more it'll actually sink in.

[00:11:39]Ideally, you'd fill the pond with rainwater, but the likelihood of you having that much rainwater around is limited. So, we're going to have to use tap water. Now, if you spray the water in, you get rid of half of the chlorine straight away. It'll take quite a while to fill up, but once you've got some water in there, you can actually pull against the weight of the water to neaten up the liner.

[00:12:02]You're never going to get rid of every fold with a liner, but you really won't notice when the pond is fully planted up. The good thing about the folds is that they are great little hiding places for aquatic wildlife.

[00:12:27]My pond will work perfectly in any small [music] garden, but if you're lucky enough to have a much bigger space to play with, then that opens up some very exciting watery opportunities.

[00:12:39]Look at this [music] for a beautiful pond. Who wouldn't want it in your back garden? Fabulous planting [music] and beautiful reflections with lots and lots of wildlife. Just the perfect place to chill out and relax.

[00:12:55]But there's more to this pond than meets the eye.

[00:13:03]So, what do you think of that? A swimming pond. I think I've got to have one. Look fantastic, great for wildlife and entertainment.

[00:13:14]This inspirational private pond belongs to a lucky family that live near Doncaster [music] and mom and dad, Sarah and Will, took the plunge to build it just 3 years ago.

[00:13:25]This is [music] just fabulous. It looks like it's been here forever. What made you go, "Okay, we're going to put a swimming pond in rather than a traditional swimming pool?" First off, we we started doing some wild swimming holidays. We went to Northumberland and swam in the streams and things there and the the water was so fresh and lovely on your skin and then Sarah had heard about natural pools and then we decided to build one. And what do the children think about it? Because some people go, "Ooh, don't want to swim in a pond with all the bugs and that." We're quite hardy families.

[00:13:58]>> [laughter] >> No, but we've had quite squeamish children in here to begin with and I just think it's so lovely and clear and the wildlife does stay to the regeneration areas. So, you've got a big sort of You've got a lovely clear area.

[00:14:10]You've got a lovely clear area to swim in.

[00:14:12]It's lovely, yeah. It has actually, you know, given us a place to chill out as a family. What's the main question you get asked about it?

[00:14:20]Probably water temperature. The water is a lot warmer than you think and that's because of all the shallow areas, all the planted areas, the stones, they all thermally warm the water. So, it's actually much warmer than an unheated conventional pool.

[00:14:35]It's incredible how clear the pond really is and it's all because the water is circulated through the planted areas, which provide a natural filtration system.

[00:14:46]The water flows from this swimming area over the submerged wall down through the filter grit where it's filtered and purified and then it's returned back through the millstones and and the jets.

[00:14:57]Okay, the other zone is the the deep water regeneration areas and they are basically planted up with oxygenators, which work also really hard. They absorb nutrients from the water as they grow and they give off oxygen. So, they're doing two jobs, really. It keeps it all going. Is there a ratio that you have to have of water to plants?

[00:15:17]>> Yeah, we have a a 50/50. So, we have an area of swimming zone, which is equal to the regeneration zones.

[00:15:24]Okay, so that's very similar to a a normal garden pond in the You want half the area covered with plants to keep it clear and balanced. Exactly the same principle, really, isn't it?

[00:15:38]Not only is this swimming pond a great opportunity to exercise and relax, it provides an amazing habitat for all sorts of pond wildlife. And Kevin Widderson, a local education officer from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, has come along to discover what's in the water.

[00:15:57]So, Kevin, what have you found? Well, we've just >> [music] >> completed a bit of a pond dip and what we've got in this little section here is we've just found [music] some damselfly nymphs. Oh, now they're the ones that have got the fluffy tails at the end.

[00:16:09]Yes, they are. Yeah, that's one a very good way of identifying them is by their tail. And we've also, really excitingly, found this dragonfly nymph over here.

[00:16:17]And I just love them. They look so prehistoric, I have to say.

[00:16:21]>> Yeah, they've got definite alien-like qualities.

[00:16:24]But what we're also looking at in here where we've got some of the greater water boatman. I mean, this is a fantastic swimming pond, but would you find this in your average back garden pond? Absolutely. This is entirely indicative of the typical wildlife that you would hope to find in a well-maintained, well-established pond.

[00:16:43]It may take, if you're just establishing a pond, a couple of years to to see this happen.

[00:16:47]>> But you don't need to introduce them, do you? That's what we don't want, but No, no, no, no.

[00:16:52]>> They will find it.

[00:16:53]>> find it.

[00:16:55]The swimming pond feels like a very modern and unique way of including water in your garden.

[00:17:01]Well, after talking about it, I think it's time that I should really give it a go.

[00:17:11]I just love how the children have become so connected with the water, just like I was at such an early age. But for the gardener, they also offer a habitat for a plethora of beneficial wildlife from frogs keeping slug populations down to dragonflies feeding on aphids and gnats.

[00:17:30]Now, I have to say, I was always in two minds about swimming ponds. I've read all the blurb, but I was never quite sure that it was actually as low maintenance [music] as they said, but I've been converted and there is something really special about being up close with the wildlife.

[00:17:57]The planting in and around the ponds [music] at Brackenhurst feature all sorts of plants from water soldiers to purple loosestrife and using natives like these in [music] a rural setting helps to blend a water feature into the greater landscape. And with my pond almost full, it's time to turn to the bog garden, which will help connect your pond and its wildlife [music] to the surrounding plants in your garden.

[00:18:23]Now, this might seem an odd time to start planting since we've not trimmed the liner up or fully filled the pond.

[00:18:30]The reason for doing this is the bog garden. If I waited until the pond was totally full, the water level would be up here and then digging the hole, I'd stir up all the soil and it would roll into the pond and it'd make the pond look all muddy. Got some lovely bog plants here. This one's Lobelia cardinalis Sparkling Ruby. It's got these very pretty magenta color flowers.

[00:18:54]I have got some natives as well, Myosotis palustris, which is a forget-me-not. Really lovely plant because that one will trail over the edge and into the water and this is a real favorite of mine. It's a double kingcup, Caltha palustris plena. The thing I like about this is it flowers in the spring and then again [music] in the autumn and it makes a lovely dome shape.

[00:19:16]Many bog garden plants flower in early springtime, so they provide [music] a welcome source of pollen and nectar to both bees and other pollinating insects.

[00:19:25]Frogs and toads [music] also thrive in the wet soil and it provides lots of opportunities for insects and birds to land and have a quick drink.

[00:19:38]Right, that's the last plant in. Now, it's a case of just gently filling the pond right up before trimming the liner back and putting [music] the capping timber on.

[00:19:49]When you're ready to trim the liner, leave at least 10 cm overlap before you make your final cut, and then cap the liner around the top edge of the pond.

[00:19:59]This timber edging overhangs, so it makes it look nice and neat, and [music] it covers up the edge of the liner.

[00:20:10]Because this is a raised pond, I've designed an area to help our wildlife [music] to get in and out using short lengths of birch branches and utilizing some of the topsoil from the original hole.

[00:20:22]All the little gaps that are between the bits of log are great for beetles, hidey holes for frogs and newts.

[00:20:33]It just gives them a bit of insulation when they're hibernating over the wintertime.

[00:20:38]A few plants on top of the logs will add an extra leafy canopy for wildlife to take shelter under. I'm using low-growing grasses and sedges, which will provide an excellent habitat for newts and water beetles, and some ferns and heuchera with larger leaves for frogs to hide underneath.

[00:21:00]A healthy pond relies on the right combination of plants to keep the water clear and the pond in balance.

[00:21:07]Oxygenators are the plants that grow fully submerged under the surface, and marginals are the ones that grow with their feet firmly in the wet around the edges. I'm visiting a business that specializes in growing them.

[00:21:20]Manhole Ponds is a fantastic oasis of wildlife, and it also provides lots of lovely native plants for conservation [music] work. One of our biggest issues for our natural ponds and waterways has been the invasion of non-native foreign species.

[00:21:36]These plants have caused havoc with our delicate native ecosystems.

[00:21:43]I'm meeting Ash Geddes, who's one of the people trying to turn [music] the tide on invasive foreign plants.

[00:21:50]The government through DEFRA have had a a big drive in recent years to reduce the number of non-native species.

[00:21:58]Because as you know, they can be so invasive.

[00:22:00]>> You only need one of those plants to get into the environment.

[00:22:04]And that's where the problem comes is that come the spring, everybody's encouraged to clean their pond out, and they think, "Well, what should we do with this?" Oh, it's a living thing, and so they they run it down to the local pond, tip it in, and all of a sudden we've got a non-native species in the wild. That's happened all over the UK, and it it still is a major problem. Uh-huh. But here, there are no non-native species.

[00:22:30]We've always, as a a business, concentrated on restoring lakes and building lakes and rivers, so we use all of these stock ponds to actually harvest bare-root plants, so taking a plant, pulling it up out of the pond without putting it into soil or a pot, and actually taking it straight to site to restore lakes and rivers. Out in our countryside, these native plants play a vital role in keeping our natural watercourses clean, and they help to reduce the levels of pollutants. One of Ash's most high-profile regeneration projects was to supply British species to the Lee River Valley during the building of the 2012 Olympic Park. This once-polluted site is now home to one of our nation's biggest wildlife-friendly parklands.

[00:23:19]Marginal plants help to remove excess nutrients as they grow, and deepwater aquatics help to add oxygen, so together they keep the water clean and healthy.

[00:23:31]The important thing is plants, at the end of the day, are the basis of all ecologies. They're important for habitat and to give you that crystal-clear [music] water.

[00:23:39]>> And that's what everybody wants, isn't it? You don't have to have pumps, you don't have to have filters, you can just do it with plants.

[00:23:52]At Brackenhurst, British native marginal plants and deepwater aquatics have [music] been planted and encouraged throughout the ponds and water features across the garden.

[00:24:03]You can find all sorts of aquatics at your local garden [music] center, but be sure to seek advice.

[00:24:15]So these are our marginal plants.

[00:24:17]Marginal means that they like to be right in the water and even have the water up and over the planting baskets.

[00:24:24]Now, I'm going to use a mixture of marginals, some native, some non-native, because I want to get a little bit more color in there. So I've got Pontederia, which has got lovely heart-shaped glossy leaves, uh and powder blue flowers that go through most of the summer. And then this is a native purple loosestrife, and it's probably one of our most uh ornamental of natives, which will bring lots of insects in to pollinate, which will help in the garden in general. Now, I like to have quite a lot of marginals in my pond. Um it makes it look more lived in, and it's great habitat for the wildlife. When you plant them up, you put them in baskets that have got a very fine mesh on them. You can use garden soil as long as there's not lots of manure in it or chemicals, or you can buy aquatic soil.

[00:25:14]Put a good layer of gravel on the top, that will stop any of the soil coming out. And a good tip is before we put them in the pond, to give them a water, cuz that gets any of the loose dust out.

[00:25:25]This one's a Scirpus zebrinus, so a zebra grass, but it is good fun.

[00:25:31]Marginals and aquatics are like herbaceous [music] plants in that they will need to be divided periodically.

[00:25:37]Clear away excess and damaged foliage and repot in fresh aquatic soil. Before adding pond plant material to the compost heap, leave it on the side of the pond for a few hours >> [music] >> to allow any wildlife the chance to escape back into the water.

[00:25:53]Last but not least are the deepwater group of plants. Now, these ones are the ones that do all the hard work and help balance the pond. So we've got oxygenators, which, as it says, puts oxygen into the pond, and they're happy to go right down the very bottom.

[00:26:13]This one's Elodea crispa.

[00:26:16]And maintenance-wise, during the summertime, you will need to thin through the oxygenators so that you have about half the base of the pond covered.

[00:26:26]And you can't have a pond, as far as I'm concerned, without a water lily. This one is chromatella.

[00:26:34]It's a free-flowering yellow water lily, and the leaves are slightly mottled, especially in the spring. Now, don't worry if you put it in and the leaves are under the surface, as long as they're not more than about 20 or 30 cm below the surface, because they will come up within about three or four days. And once it starts flowering, it will just keep on going.

[00:26:58][music] Within a few days, this pond could have birds drinking and bathing, pond skaters and water beetles, and the beginnings of a natural, healthy ecosystem.

[00:27:15]But across the country, there are passionate people already reviving our great British ponds.

[00:27:26]In Swanland in East Yorkshire, the community has come together to breathe new life into their village pond.

[00:27:35]The villagers get together for a big annual clear-out and cutting back of vegetation, and are advised by local environmental expert Hugh Roberts.

[00:27:45]We've been working with the community to encourage them to look at their local pond, whether it be a large school pond or a village pond or farm pond or even their own back garden private ponds. So look at what needs to be [music] done just to help restore them, to improve them. This pond behind us, in the early '70s, was cleared out, and from then on they've had all sorts of problems, blanket weed problems. The water was green with the algal blooms because there was no plants to take up the nutrients.

[00:28:12]So four years ago, with the help of a grant, the villagers replanted the pond [music] with a variety of aquatic plants. The reeds help to filter and trap the toxins from the surface water that comes off the road.

[00:28:24]>> [music] >> And cutting back the plants regularly encourages them to grow and use up excess nutrients, keeping the water clear and preventing algal blooms from appearing in the summer months.

[00:28:36]I moved here about 16 years ago now, and the pond was actually one of the reasons why we decided this is where we wanted to live. And um we volunteered to come out here really because we want to improve the pond, and uh it's good fun being out here, and it's just that community spirit, really.

[00:28:52]We've got retired people, cuz we've got schoolchildren, we've got Duke of Edinburgh students. We've had policemen help us in the past. And year on year, more and more people are volunteering to help because they are now getting the pleasure of seeing the pond when it looks really good in the summer. So it's for everyone is this.

[00:29:12]The pond's sort of in the center of the village, and there's quite a lot happens here cuz it's on like the main street, so if the pond looks nice, then it makes the villagers look nice. It also encourages more wildlife to sort of grow and prosper. Flourish. Yeah, flourish.

[00:29:30]Of the million and a half or so ponds we might have in the country, there's 60 or so percent of them that are in a poor, struggling condition. So whether it be a big village pond like this one or a little garden pond, it's providing that habitat for the wildlife that demand [music] ponds, that need ponds. So a little bit of work might just be enough to turn them round.

[00:29:52]Visually, ponds are beautiful and are great for us to enjoy, but they give us so much more. Water attracts wildlife, which in turn leads to a healthier garden because a lot of that wildlife is predatory on those nasty bugs that eat our plants. So, go on. Give my revival a go and put a pond in your garden.

[00:30:17]This is one of the most wonderful of all natural garden [music] features.

[00:30:23]It's a series of rotting tree [music] stumps, all gently and carefully meshed and jigsawed together to create a sculpture.

[00:30:31]This is a stumpery.

[00:30:34]A key feature of the 19th century [music] gardens, they have their roots, so to speak, in the Victorian era of fern collecting.

[00:30:45]>> [music] >> Our national obsession with ferns began in the mid-1800s and grew into what was referred to as pteridomania or fern madness.

[00:30:55]Like so many fashions, ferns eventually fell out of favor and with [music] them went stumperies that rotted away into horticultural history.

[00:31:04]However, I think stumperies deserve a revival. So, join me, Chris Beardshaw, on the Great British Stumpery Revival.

[00:31:13]I'm basing myself at a [music] spectacular garden to discuss a right royal stumpery. Once the stumps were in place, His Royal Highness placed out all the plants how he wanted it because it is his garden [music] and he enjoys it so much. I'll be delving into the sinister side of early garden design.

[00:31:29][music] Now, I would imagine with a a Victorian lady walking through here, you would feel quite [music] scared of it, really.

[00:31:37]And showing you how to make your own stumpery with a twist.

[00:31:42]The longer it takes to rot, well, the more [music] of the oyster mushrooms you're going to be able to harvest.

[00:31:52]>> [music] >> For me, there's no better place to start my revival [music] than here, the gardens at the Highgrove estate, home to Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

[00:32:20]Highgrove gardens are amongst the most prestigious in the country. Enveloping the house are a series of interlinking spaces, each with a unique style and character.

[00:32:31]I'm here to take delight in perhaps one of the most unusual and unexpected areas, the imposing, magical [music] stumpery.

[00:32:39]This is where the peace and serenity begins.

[00:32:46]Created by His Royal Highness, it embodies his personal interest and enthusiasm for environmentalism.

[00:32:53]And in common with all the gardens here, it works with [music] nature, not against it. This contemporary stumpery illustrates the organic principles that inform the way this garden is managed on a daily basis.

[00:33:06]As a 4- or 5-year-old, nothing [music] was better at this time of the year than rummaging around in the base of stumps, excavating the leaf litter [music] looking for the fruits of that season, in this case, beech [music] mast.

[00:33:21]My early memories served as an inspiration to study horticulture. And it's exhilarating to witness the consequences of this ambitious stumpery on the garden.

[00:33:35]So, I want to return to the roots of the stumpery, from emergence and development of the idea to the circumstances that led to our dwindling passion for them.

[00:33:47]>> [music] >> Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire was the family home of the Batemans in the 19th century. [music] The gardens here are an amazing insight into the dedication, obsessiveness, and sheer [music] prowess of the Victorians.

[00:34:05]But it also [music] demonstrates the extraordinary lengths the Victorians were prepared to go to in pursuit [music] of their horticultural passions.

[00:34:13]Because by 1871, the Batemans had squandered their family fortune [music] pursuing their particular delights.

[00:34:28]One of the most curious, but also wonderful features [music] at Biddulph, is this, the stumpery.

[00:34:48]Stumperies may have only persisted within the world of gardening for what amounts to the [music] blink of an eye, but what warrants revival is their wonderful ability to contrast with the broad, [music] open landscape and draw us in to the minutiae of nature.

[00:35:08]National Trust gardener, Leslie Hurst, [music] explains how the meeting of minds helped create this unique and thought-provoking garden art.

[00:35:16]Stumperies were born as a concept, [music] they were born here by Bateman at at Biddulph. But what initiated that whole process? How did he arrive at this rather peculiar creation?

[00:35:26]>> He had a collaborator, um Edward Cooke was um a marine artist originally, really interested in landscapes and and seascapes and and the way things interlock.

[00:35:39]Bateman wanted somewhere to house his plants, his ferns, and we suspect it was Cooke that came along and said the ideal setting for them is very like a natural woodland setting. There has to be tree trunks, tree stumps, there has to be this little pockets to show off these delicate plants. So, it it's [music] a collaboration between the two characters.

[00:36:05]Although no records exist, [music] it's thought that the stumps came from the land that was originally cleared to make way for the gardens [music] at Biddulph. These shapes are all new and they're all quite daunting. And now, I would imagine 150, 160 years [music] ago as a a Victorian lady walking through here, you would feel quite surrounded by it, quite [music] scared of it, really. It's it's not a gentle place at all. It's exactly that that that Cooke and and Bateman [music] must have been excited about. That that artistic, grotesque nature very much [music] fits in with Victorian society, the idea that they wanted to celebrate the kind of gothic, the daunting, [music] the dark, the shady side of life. And maybe this is sort of perfect.

[00:36:51]And everything that's growing [music] in amongst them looks like it should be there. It's a whole world in a little tiny area.

[00:36:57]>> It is cuz you can go from I mean, these are sort of Himalayan peaks, these great monoliths here, but then down into the river valleys with the the ferns and the the oxalis, they're spilling out. I mean, it's the most beautiful arrangement. If you if you wanted to create one piece of garden that showed the whole world, that's it. There it is, in two two square [music] feet.

[00:37:19]Bateman's eclectic and expensive garden creations eventually forced him to sell the [music] estate. The gardens fell derelict and the stumpery, like so many fashions of its time, almost rotted away into history.

[00:37:34]Why do you think stumperies fell out [music] of fashion?

[00:37:39]It was in its heyday and then suddenly they disappeared.

[00:37:42]>> [music] >> I think it is related to the the mood of the time, the fact that they're they're no longer gardeners are wanting flamboyance [music] and party and and brightness and joviality and this certainly isn't that.

[00:37:55]But it's also the fact that if you commit to creating something like this, you have to maintain it. It's [music] it's a an environment that is very easily swamped by overpowering plants.

[00:38:07]>> [music] >> It's a lot of work to try and keep this looking the way it does.

[00:38:16]Quite where Bateman and Cooke got the concept of the stumpery from is perhaps uncertain, but they may well have been feasting off of the 18th century ideal of housing a hermit in the landscape, a man who sat unwashed, unshaven, and unkempt in silence.

[00:38:35]And years after his placement, the landed gentry would come along and rescue or enlighten the hermit.

[00:38:42]Whatever the origins of creations like this, there's no doubt it houses a unique band of plants.

[00:38:53]Back at Highgrove, I've asked [music] head gardener, Debs Goodenough, to share some of the trade secrets of the royal stumpery.

[00:39:07]How did the stumpery rise here at Highgrove? Well, His Royal Highness really likes ferns and hostas and hellebores and he wanted a place to display them. And so, he brought in two designers and they suggested that uh he plant them amongst uh stumps in the sort of Victorian style of a stumpery and he really really really liked the idea because he loves recycling and it was a case of recycling something that is often considered a waste product in a very very sort of decorative, interesting style.

[00:39:37]>> [music] >> When it comes to choosing which type of tree stumps to use, Debs is clear about the right form.

[00:39:44]Most [music] of these are hardwood and sweet chestnut and oak are the best.

[00:39:49]We have a few soft woods in here, but they do tend to rot away much more quickly.

[00:39:56]The best way to source old tree stumps [music] is by talking to a local farmer, tree surgeon, or landowner. Any of which should point you in the right direction.

[00:40:05]The sweet chestnuts [music] and oak have these fabulous sort of faces and when you're creating a stump for you, you're actually turning them around, getting their best [music] face forward. His Royal Highness is really involved in that stage. He'll come in and have a look at the stumps and he'll say, "I want that bit this way around and facing this section of the path." [music] And then once the stumps were in place, His Royal Highness placed out all the plants how he wanted it because it is his garden and he enjoys [music] it so much.

[00:40:33]A stumpery makes creative use of what's often seen as waste product. It also provides [music] habitats for incredible diversity of wildlife. These cracks and crevices are ideal for frogs and toads to reside in. I've got some lovely grass snakes in here, too.

[00:40:49]>> Yeah, so then they'll be taking the the slugs and snails and reducing the damage.

[00:40:53]>> We've also got stones in here and the the sound that I love is the thrushes Yes.

[00:40:57]>> in the spring knocking the snails to bits, you know, feeding them for their their young and uh helping protect our hostas. But as the hosta collection dies back for winter, Debs is already thinking ahead to the spring by planting bulbs. This is the winter aconite, which is one of my favorites. Such a cheery, sort of optimistic little character, sort of buttercup yellows. You don't have to worry about which way they go up, either. One of the things I like about them is that they're pretty much rodent resistant because they're they're members of the buttercup family, so they're toxic to a lot of animals and they they they really don't get nibbled away on.

[00:41:36]There's something rather wonderful about planting bulbs in a stumpery [music] on a day when you've got stumpery weather.

[00:41:44]>> I'm so pleased you're here today. It really does show the the stumps to the best.

[00:41:49]Aconites are amongst the first flowers to appear in spring. Their golden yellow blooms [music] seemingly reveling in frost and snow alike.

[00:41:59]And in terms of managing [music] it, do you find it a challenge or does it tend to look after itself? Uh it does take management. [music] It's not one that you can just plant and walk away from, but it is one that just to come and always check up and enjoy it and just keep a watchful eye.

[00:42:25]>> [music] >> One of the star specimens of the stumpery is the fern, a much undervalued group of plants shrouded in mystery.

[00:42:35]Amongst the [music] 12,000 or more species of ferns that reside around the world, there's not a single species that has any flowers. This obvious lack of flower displaying the sexual parts of the plant or fruit and seeds fascinated Victorians. In fact, one piece of folklore says, "If you would have stride over the frond of a fern on midsummer's Eve, you'd be rendered invisible."

[00:43:02]>> [music] >> Ferns still fascinate and intrigue many today. For Dick Hayward, it's about discovering varieties from all [music] over the globe and testing them out in his garden in North Wales.

[00:43:17]And what I love about the walking around a garden like this is the fact that you you are genuinely traveling the globe. Every step and every twist and turn is a new country, a new continent, a new environment.

[00:43:30]Well, I've been very lucky in this. I've been able to go to Indonesia, to Taiwan, Chile, South Africa. And in all these places, I always come back with something and some of it survives, not all of it, but some of it.

[00:43:42]Dick's fascination [music] for global ferns has steered him towards varieties that really thrive here in the UK.

[00:43:50]Now, this is how ferns should be growing in this sort of jungle-like expression. This is the most beautiful I just love ferns and I've always wanted to have have one of my own.

[00:44:01]>> And which fern are we looking at here?

[00:44:03]Um Blechnum chilense. It's a native of Chile and it grows so abundantly there that that I've seen diggers getting it out of the ditches. It just blocks everything. And clearly very happy here in North Wales, too. Yes, it is. Yes. I put in two small plants and it's just gone gone mad. And this is evergreen.

[00:44:21]This isn't going to die back in the winter. This is going to stand and and be a really dominant plant throughout the winter months.

[00:44:26]>> That's right. Yes. That's absolutely right.

[00:44:28]>> It's a real beauty.

[00:44:34]Do you think you will ever tire of ferns? Is there a [music] point where you think actually this is this is enough? No, I don't know how long I've got, but however long I've got, I still always find ferns fascinating. Yes.

[00:44:47]You know, it's almost impossible to tire of ferns, such is their aesthetic diversity. From the wonderful ferny fronds of Davallia through to the stag's horn fern, no matter what catastrophe has descended the globe, the ferns have been able to ride through it. And it's that quality, the ability to survive and thrive that makes them such great garden plants. No matter what conditions you've got in the garden, the ferns will provide a solution and one solution is a stumpery.

[00:45:22]Ferns are clearly at the heart of Prince Charles's stumpery.

[00:45:25]These architectural, moisture-loving plants are the perfect partner for the stumpery.

[00:45:31]Together, they provide a habitat for a plethora [music] of beneficial garden guests like frogs and toads that prey on slugs and snails.

[00:45:40]At the edge of a woodland clearing, I'm going to show how to create a mini [music] stumpery to seat a fabulous fern collection.

[00:45:52]>> [music] >> I'm going for a slight twist on the classic stumpery. Instead of using traditional gnarled root stumps, [music] I've chosen timber offcuts and logs, which I've part buried in the ground and backfilled with compost ready for [music] planting.

[00:46:10]Once you've got the basic [music] shape and you're happy with how the logs are arranged, you can start to plant it out.

[00:46:16]The real >> [music] >> prima donna in the stumpery is the ferns.

[00:46:23]I'm starting by planting this good old British native. This is the hart's tongue fern. It's one of the most resilient and certainly one of the most versatile. It will grow in very chalky soils. It will also tolerate extreme drought, which is fairly unusual for ferns.

[00:46:41]And they're also wonderful at being able to squeeze into little crevices.

[00:46:46]You may see them hanging off the side of buildings, railway cuttings, and even bridges.

[00:46:53]I also want to introduce some wonderfully exotic ferns. [music] This one, aptly named the painted fern.

[00:47:00]It's a really rather delicate little [music] thing. And a painted surface to the upper area. This is a purple flushed with white, almost like an intricate watercolor [music] painting. Because it's a little more delicate, it doesn't grow quite as large. It's worth putting somewhere >> [music] >> where you can see it and where it's protected by the construction of your stumpery.

[00:47:21]Finally, for its sheer soft [music] and feminine qualities, I'm going to plant an old favorite, the maidenhair fern.

[00:47:28]Droplets of dew [music] and moisture sit on the end of these divisions in the frond. It is the most [music] fantastic.

[00:47:36]It looks as though it's encrusted in diamonds.

[00:47:40]Sufficiently glamorous [music] for the most prestigious of gardens.

[00:47:47]So, one of the things we've got here because stumperies are really worth having a look at is a seat.

[00:47:54]A stumpery seat made out of waste material >> [music] >> surrounded by the lushness and verdant nature of ferns. And what better way of spending an afternoon in the garden amongst >> [music] >> these most beautiful of plants.

[00:48:17]Fungi are another group of organisms that thrive [music] in the moist conditions of the stumpery.

[00:48:23]And so I joined a group of fungal foragers in North [music] Wales in nature's natural stumpery, the forest.

[00:48:31]This is the perfect time of year to get out into [music] the countryside and join an organized walk looking specifically at fungi. But I'm interested in the role that fungi play in the breaking down of timber and stumps, how that revitalizes the ecosystem, and how the soil comes to life.

[00:48:52]Leading our autumnal foray today is local fungi fanatic, Keenan Jones. Don't pick things up. If you see something interesting, give us a shout cuz there may be rare species. Don't eat anything.

[00:49:04]Okay?

[00:49:10]While the rest of the group head off, I'm catching up with ecologist and botanist Ray [music] Woods to dispel the myths surrounding fungi in our gardens.

[00:49:21]Fungi have been [music] saddled with a bad image. It's often believed they're the cause of death to many of our garden plants, but this is far from the truth.

[00:49:30]That's right. Out of what, 12,000 species of fungi we think are occurring in Britain, probably more, probably only a handful are pathogenic. They'll kill a host species. It's not in the interest of most fungi to instantly kill the host that it's this has been dependent on.

[00:49:44]Much better to live in cooperation with it. And only things like honey fungus and silver leaf and so on. These are the ones that the gardener needs to be aware of.

[00:49:52]The vast majority of fungi are beneficial. They're the building blocks of life and emerge in all manner of wonderful shapes, sizes, and colors.

[00:50:01]Look at this gorgeous little amethyst colored toadstool. You couldn't wish for more. Just to wake up one morning go out in the garden and see these wonderful amethyst deceivers living on your log in the front garden. And what's delightful is that the the piece there that we see is only a fraction of the organism itself. It is literally just erupting to the surface to scatter spores. But there's much more going on under the surface.

[00:50:23]>> This is just the fruit This is just a fruit body and underneath are these fine tiny fine feeding strands. In the area that probably we're sitting on now, if we were to stretch out all the fungus feeding strands, they would stretch for the best part of 250 300 miles.

[00:50:39]These vast networks help feed our plants and trees with nutrients and water. And not only that, occasionally [music] we find their fruiting bodies quite appealing, too. These are the the famous chanterelle. There is something called the false chanterelle [music] which some people have gastric problems if they eat them. One way to identify them is to actually smell them.

[00:51:01]Cuz they've got a faint smell of of apricots. Just fried in butter with a bit of scrambled egg for breakfast.

[00:51:07]Can't beat it.

[00:51:08]>> [music] >> Of course, some fungi are extremely poisonous to humans. And so guided [music] walks with an expert is the best way to forage.

[00:51:19]As more and more fungi get to work [music] on the fallen dead wood, so the cycle of life begins again.

[00:51:26]And even a a young beech has started the rejuvenation process. They're rooting into well, what must be pretty new organic matter through there.

[00:51:36]Just enough to hold on to that young tree.

[00:51:37]>> Yes, and benefiting perhaps from a relationship with some of the fungi that its parents enjoyed as well.

[00:51:42]Surprisingly, it's not only trees and plants that depend on fungi. Almost all the insects that that live in wood need the fungi as well as the wood. The fungi break the wood down and the beetles eat the wood. Even the even the furniture beetle, I think you know, the wood worm in your home probably eating away grandmother's prize chest at the very moment we're talking. Even that's dependent on fungi. It's got little yeast-like fungi and it's got It couldn't survive on its own without the help of fungi. So the fungi breaking down the little bits of wood it rasps and providing it with the sort of vitamins that the wood alone can't provide. So what's incredible about it, even just a piece of bare meters like this, it's not just the complexity of life, but it's the interdependence of those individuals.

[00:52:22]>> Yes. No one can exist in isolation. And maybe that's the mistake we make in our gardens. We try and isolate and celebrate one where actually we should be celebrating a collection, the collection in fact.

[00:52:34]>> pack in the diversity, but better with a lump of wood than with any other habitat in the garden. You'll just be amazed [music] at what makes use of them.

[00:52:43]You've got your own botanic garden and your own private little zoo. Something you can treasure and give you enjoyment for years to come.

[00:52:51]So, evidence that the stump tree is vital. And no question then that it should be revived.

[00:52:59]A mature ash tree like this will have taken several generations to grow. And when it's ripped limb and limb out of the ground by a passing gale, there's a real sense that that's the end, total devastation.

[00:53:11]But a woodland walk with the right people convinces you that it's not the end. This is just the start.

[00:53:24]>> [music] >> Here at Highgrove, it's no surprise that there is an abundance of log piles behind the scenes.

[00:53:33]This garden is managed entirely organically and [music] wood plays an essential part.

[00:53:40]But I'm going to show how the stump tree can in fact become a productive larder.

[00:53:56]For me, one of the exciting things about stump trees is that they're not just aesthetically beautiful, but they're also potentially hugely >> [music] >> productive. So for instance, when you consider these rather wonderful oyster mushrooms, these are just the sort of things that you can grow in your stump tree.

[00:54:17]To be sure you're growing an edible mushroom, [music] you can buy these rather convenient pre-inoculated timber dowels from specialist mail order mushroom growers.

[00:54:26]And these have been moistened and then placed in the mycelium of the oyster mushroom. The mycelium is in the world of fungi, it's equivalent to plants' roots.

[00:54:39]So first, you'll need a freshly cut log which you could get from a local tree surgeon.

[00:54:44]Use something like beech, oak, or this ash log for the very simple reason that this is a very resilient wood. It takes a long time to rot down. The longer it takes to rot, well, the more of the oyster mushrooms you're going to be able to harvest. Now, getting the little dowels in, well, that involves just a little bit of drilling.

[00:55:05]You're looking for holes which are about the same diameter as the dowel and make them about 4 in 10 cm 10 cm or so apart in a diamond formation.

[00:55:16]This shape just maximizes the space and allows the mushrooms to grow freely.

[00:55:22]And you could do it so that the whole log is covered in this lattice of holes.

[00:55:28]And take a piece of dowel.

[00:55:31]Give it a tap.

[00:55:33]Once you've got all the dowels inserted, wrap the log in a plastic bag to hold in moisture. Place the bag somewhere dark and cool, under a hedge, behind a shed, or amongst your new stump tree.

[00:55:46]Then what happens is the mycelium will spend about 6 months starting to push through to digest and find its way through this wood.

[00:55:56]And you'll know it's happening because they will produce very dark stains on the cut end of that timber.

[00:56:03]That's the time when you can take the log out of that protective polythene bag and put it out into your stump tree. In about 6 months' time after that, so about 12 months after you've put the dowels in, you'll start to see [music] the oyster mushrooms emerging. And when you harvest, cut with a knife. Don't be tempted to pull. If you pull, you'll be ripping the roots, the mycelium out of the timber. And enjoy because this will keep providing a great harvest until a log [music] has completely rotted away. And that can take several years.

[00:56:45]A stump [music] tree perfectly combines art, gardening, and environment, providing an inspiring stage for the unusual and exotic.

[00:56:53]Grenville Johnson from Bristol built [music] his courtyard stump tree after a visit to Highgrove. It's a very much a magical place.

[00:57:01]And I was so inspired by that that I wanted to come back and replicate something on a much smaller scale here in my garden in Bristol.

[00:57:10]Now, I created the stump tree here using a collection of gnarled branches >> [music] >> and the hollow tree stumps. And they're almost like antlers. You can actually join them together to make bizarre and surreal shapes with them. You can make it so that if you have lighting and that lighted at night, you can make a spectacular feature that really has the wow factor as well.

[00:57:33]Grenville is also a huge [music] fan of his ferns. They provide a beautiful green and verdant backdrop to a garden.

[00:57:40]They're also magical. To see them after it's been raining really is a delight.

[00:57:46]And of course, they provide beautiful patterns at night.

[00:57:49]My pièce de résistance is to have classical music playing in the garden.

[00:57:54]So I've installed two outdoor speakers and I can relax with a glass of wine and hear my favorite classical pieces being played while the water cascades from the stump tree, from the grotto into the wildlife pond below.

[00:58:13]>> [music] >> A stump tree is so much [music] more than just a random collection of rotting timbers. It is a world in miniature.

[00:58:31]Every part is alive.

[00:58:35]So help me to salvage stump trees from the compost heap of horticulture. Join the great British stump tree revival.