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Introducing Len Gun - Expert Gardener We've
come to these.. beautiful yellow stemmed flowers sir
they're not stems they're blossoms.. or one or the other
but umm
can't remember what them're called but I used to 'ave these at home in me own garden
and they're very nice and tall and straight
and erm
the reason they are yellow sir, because they were
always very fond o' custard
if you didn't give 'em any custard, you wouldn't get the yellow in the plant sir
then everyone would be very disappointed
look at this purple one down here
its trying to hide itself sir, but its no good trying to do that cause it'd still be
shown.. still show itself because of the colour in
it
which will bring me on to another subject very shortly
which i think's important to tell you all
for those who do not understand about gardens
these sir, these are known as Yucca plants
and they're quite Yucky if you dare to eat them
they quite make you ill
'n the other thing sir, is, don't get too close
to them because on more than
one occasion I've had me back to them and found
half me clothes been stripped
in half! because points are so sharp sir..
do be careful else you'll get a very nasty surprise sir
if you forget you've got one behind you
as i have done in my ...
my enthusiasm in learning about plants.. and don't do that either else you'll
likely to have a
thumb which is bleeding
or a finger which is bleeding
you understand sir
you have to be so careful in this life in this world
and now sir, we've come up to this monument in this park, to William Shakespeare.. not
quite sure what it's doing here, because I don't know what he had to do with Bath..
in any case they've put one here, and in those way-off times sir
there used to be the question will he or won't he
write these plays that have been
accorded to him
but at the same time sir
some people used to think
because they didn't know any different
that the name Shakespeare
meant that he used to shake his spear
at people thinking he lived in a different
century
what-so-ever but that's completely wrong sir
he lived in this century and if you believe that sir
you're likely to believe anything I tell you
so thats the monument
to Shakespeare. nothing to do with the Romans at all when they came to Bath.
I dont think they ever heard about him at all sir..
so
he wasn't mentioned
now this is a nice flower sir, this one it's very... well-known in colorado sir
which I'm told is in texas if I've been told right.
but there's no scent to this one at all sir.
but it does look nice
very beautiful colours these are sir.
These
bushes sir.. whatever they are, they're very spiky.. but
they're no good.. they're not going to give you anything any color in the winter
when you really need the color in the garden sir
here we are sir, I wondered where it was that we'd
find these flowers.. this red dye is used for making cakes by
many ladies and even some gentlemen chefs in our country
making the sugar icing for them
putting the red in them
uh... Mr Gun, sorry i think actually the uh...
red is from a beetle, a coccineal beetle in Mexico
I don't think that's strictly correct actually..
you actually arguing with me sir.. and i taken a diploma for being one
of the expertS at Q gardens even though I was sacked.. makes no difference as I
still have my certificates
another thing that i wanted to talk to people about sir..
is the best way of creating.. bringing colour into their gardens at christmas time
because with these winters that we're getting
uh... we're not getting the snow now.. and
can't really.. it's difficult getting colors or what might come up in
color sir, so i have an idea which i think everyone should use.
and the simple idea is sir...
at christmas time
bring out your christmas decorations
and you put
them across the garden
the garlands you string them from one bush to another
you can put on chinese lanterns hanging from them
and you can leave em providing there's no wind
sir else you'll set fire to them accidentally
and you put in the little candles and light 'em
up sir
no problem then you've got your colours at christmas no need to worry about what
plants you need to get
or what you should get to provide colours
just put out your decorations sir
and if it's likely to rain just bring out some tarpaulins to put over
them until the rain's gone.
and hope it doesn't come back again sir
so, they'll find that very useful hopefully
Len Gun's World of Gardens made in association with www.ChaosOnToast.co.UK
and WiP Filmz.. Filmed on location at the Royal Botanical
Gardens in Bath