Secret Garden (2026) s01e02 Episode Script

BIRDS CHIRP
BEE BUZZES
Across the British Isles, there are
magical places.
Our pride and joy -
our gardens.
LAUGHTER
Yet, many of us are completely unaware
of the wild world
..right under our noses.
Amazingly, some British gardens are
almost as diverse
as a tropical rainforest.
And when our backs are turned
DUCKLINGS CHIRP
..they come alive.
DUCK QUACKS
From the wilds of Scotland
STAG GRUNTS
..to a metropolitan oasis.
In each episode, we'll reveal the
extraordinary dramas
playing out within a single garden.
EAGLE WHISTLES
Welcome to a hidden world right on our
doorsteps.
In a city of almost 500,000 people,
hidden amongst rooftops and roads
..lies a garden oasis
..which artist and sculptor Lou
has tended for 24 years.
- I would never call myself a
gardener, really,
because I don't know much about
plants.
And I think because I am an artist,
I like things to develop in their own
way.
I have a kind of constant battle with
slugs and snails
- SHE LAUGHS
- ..but we get there,
and I just like it because it looks
It looks natural.
And that's what I like about my
garden.
You know, it makes me happy.
OK, I can take these outside.
It's a really small garden.
And I've got a very tiny lawn,
partly because I'm not really
interested in lawns.
Most of my interest is in the beds.
- BEE BUZZES
- One of the first things I did was
build the pond.
And that's one of my sculptures,
because, I don't know why,
I just probably wasn't very happy with
her.
And now she keeps an eye on the frogs
for me.
- Lou has created a haven for
wildlife.
But even she doesn't know the half of
what goes on here.
- There's lots of mysterious places,
where I'll occasionally see something.
I know there's a fox that quite often
sleeps in the garden there.
But, obviously, when it leaves my
garden, who knows where it goes?
- Lou's garden has become the home
of a young male fox -
an urban opportunist.
A century ago, virtually no foxes
lived in our cities.
Today, there are 2,000 of them in
Bristol alone.
This male is one of a whole host of
animals in Lou's garden
..making a life for themselves in this
strange new world.
POLICE SIREN WAILS
Life in the city can be tough.
But it does come with its advantages.
DOG BARKS
This wily fox knows exactly
where to find a steady source of food.
Lou's garden is at the centre of the
100 or so
that constitute his territory.
But who owns what
CAT HISSES
..is a matter of opinion.
If he is to survive here,
he must claim food
whenever it becomes available.
And he's quick to notice
the bird seed spilt on the patio.
Like all urban foxes,
he is bolder than his country cousins.
TELEVISION BLARES
TELEVISION:
- ..to get back to normal levels. The
Met Office
- DOG BARKS
And he even seems to know
..when it's bin night.
But by the end of winter,
he has a lot more than just dinner on
his mind.
VIXEN SCREAMS
The alluring sound of a vixen on heat.
VIXEN SCREAMS
But where is she?
DOG BARKS
VIXEN SCREAMS
The trouble is that a cry as loud as
this
VIXEN SCREAMS
..will attract males from all across
the neighbourhood.
In cities, so much free food
is available every night
that 50 foxes can live in one square
mile.
So, during the breeding season,
competition for a mate is fierce.
FOX GROWLS
Many of us have heard this
GROWLING AND HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS
..but never seen what produces it.
HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS
FOX GROWLS
The unsettling racket of fox
courtship.
SQUEALING
This is his territory
..and maintaining his ownership
gives him the best chance of fathering
cubs.
To one outsider
..Lou's garden offers a fresh start.
A blue tit,
less than a year old and very hungry.
Winter has stripped his woodland home
of food
..so he's searching for a better life
in the city.
DOOR CREAKS OPENS
And Lou's garden
could provide just that.
In the winter, over 100 species of
bird visit feeders
..but few of us ever notice the
power-struggle that this creates.
BIRDS CHIRP
A charm of goldfinches, as they say.
GOLDFINCHES FRANTICALLY CHIRP
Though charming they are not.
They are larger and heavier
..and they don't like sharing.
Barely the weight of a pound coin
FRENZIED CHIRPING
..the blue tit doesn't stand a chance.
And there are even bigger birds in
this queue.
PIGEONS COO
Feral pigeons are a lot smarter than
they may look.
They know that goldfinches on a feeder
means there will be leftovers on the
patio.
He is truly bottom of the pecking
order.
But other birds are the least of his
worries.
FRENZIED CHIRPING
TELEVISION BLARES
This is the neighbourhood's top
predator
..Mr Fluffy.
But this blue tit is close to
starvation.
CAT PURRS
There are over ten million pet cats
nationwide.
CAT PURRS
It's estimated that they kill over 50
million birds every year.
But Lou has placed her feeder just out
of reach.
So the only casualty today
is Mr Fluffy's pride.
City life may come with risk
..but an all-you-can-eat buffet
..is a great place to meet a mate.
TELEVISION BLARES
As dusk falls,
most residents of the garden hide
away.
But this is the time
when one of them begins to stir.
It lives in the darkest corners.
Once, there were over 30 million in
Britain.
But today, fewer than a million
remain.
With the intensification of
agriculture,
their countryside homes are
disappearing.
SNIFFING
Hedgehogs.
After five months in hibernation,
this female is raring to go.
And so, it seems, are her fleas.
Nothing that a quick scratch can't
fix.
Almost got it.
Ah! That's the spot!
She needs to be at her best tonight
..and stay out of trouble
HEDGEHOG SQUEALS
..because she's looking for a mate.
The problem is,
as the only hedgehog in a walled
garden
TELEVISION BLARES
..she's hardly spoiled for choice.
But Lou and her neighbours
have made a small change
that goes a long way to help
..a hedgehog highway.
A system of tunnels
connecting every garden on the
street
..opening up her dating pool to 16
gardens.
In the neighbour's garden
LOUD MUSIC
..there's no-one here.
Next door down?
No luck either.
DOG BARKS
DISTANT CHATTER
It's not just birds in the firing
line.
Every year, pet cats kill millions of
mammals.
CAT MEOWS
- Mittens, come here!
- But there's not a lot a cat can do
against this prickly customer.
Garden 16.
It's the last chance saloon.
And, what do you know
..something smells very promising
indeed.
HEDGEHOG SNIFFS
An intoxicating aroma.
A male
..heading her way.
HEDGEHOG SNIFFS
He, too, has been attracted by her
musky odour.
He's quite the charmer.
And, of course, he takes care.
If you're a hedgehog, love can really
hurt.
POLICE SIREN WAILS
It's been a rather productive romp
through the neighbourhood.
But rather than head back to bed,
she is making the most of her big
night out
..and she mates with not just a second
partner
..but a third.
Hedgehogs are highly promiscuous,
so a single litter may have multiple
fathers.
It's a way of ensuring genetic
diversity among her young.
Lou and her neighbours
may have built a path to parenthood
..but successfully raising a litter of
hoglets is far from guaranteed.
Bricks, tarmac and concrete retain
heat
..so spring in the city arrives
earlier
than in the surrounding countryside.
And after a few nights above five
degrees Celsius
..a cold-blooded young male is warming
up.
A common frog.
He's something of a recluse for most
of the year.
But for the next few weeks
..he'll be seeking company.
And he heads for the garden pond
..to look for a mate.
The trouble is that even a garden as
small as Lou's
..could host 50 other males.
They're all competitors in a race to
breed.
So he, too, had better hop to it!
FROG CROAKS
Lo and behold, a female
..positively bursting with hundreds of
eggs.
It's just as well he got here quickly.
Males can outnumber females four to
one.
If he wants to win the mating game
..he must grab a female
..before someone else does.
He's got her.
Now, hold on tight
..and fend off those rivals.
WHISTLING
Having proved himself worthy,
she rewards him
with a clump of eggs,
which he fertilises.
Within each pinhead-sized embryo
..a new story is beginning.
Even the smallest garden pond
..can become a cradle for life.
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
In the front garden,
the male blue tit's prospects are
looking up.
He's spotted a female in his new
patch.
And he's getting just what he needs to
impress her.
DRILLING
Tree hollows are in short supply in
city gardens,
so a nest box is a welcome
alternative.
A quick viewing.
So far, so good.
It's north-facing,
so it's not too hot in summer.
Minimalist, but he could work with
that.
Solid walls, too.
This could be it.
Now, he just needs a partner
..to make this house a home.
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
Down below
..the garden is changing fast.
Densely planted urban gardens like
Lou's
..can have a higher diversity of
flowering plants
than any wild habitat.
And that attracts pollinators
from across the neighbourhood.
BEE BUZZES
Thanks to Lou's green fingers
BUZZING CONTINUES
..around 50 species of bee visit her
garden
..with some living closer to home than
others
..such as this hairy-footed flower
bee.
BEE BUZZES
Its long tongue sucks up nectar
..and its hairy feet give it its name.
But some properties come with strings
attached.
Warm walls
..make excellent hiding spots
for a growing number of spider
species
..such as this green-fanged tube web
spider.
Originally from the Mediterranean,
they are now thriving in many of
Britain's southern port cities.
At this time of year,
a more familiar resident
becomes increasingly daring.
He forages in broad daylight.
FOX PANTS
These days, Lou's fox has new
responsibilities,
because over the fence
..and just across the street
..a new chapter of his life is
beginning.
One cub.
Two cubs.
Four cubs.
Just a few weeks old.
They've been growing up safely with
their mother
in a den beneath Lou's neighbour's
shed.
His family feels so secure here
that they wander out in daylight,
exploring their new world.
Rarely in the animal kingdom does a
father stick around.
But paternal care is more common in
the dog family
than in most other groups of mammals.
So he does his bit
..protecting and cleaning his
youngsters.
In the first few weeks of their lives,
their mother stops foraging completely
to nurse her cubs.
CUBS SQUEAL
So Dad brings back food for her
from across the many gardens in their
territory.
CUBS SQUEAL
For foxes in the city
..raising a family
..takes a whole postcode.
City life has many distractions.
It's easy to miss the little things
..right on our doorsteps.
In the blue tit's nest box
..ten tiny chicks are hatching.
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
He is a father
and life will never be the same again.
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
Now, the hard work begins
..for both parents.
To successfully fledge,
each chick will require
20,000 caterpillars.
It's a tall order that must be
completed within three weeks.
When caterpillars are in short supply,
spiders will have to do.
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
As the days turn to weeks
..the chicks' appetites increase
and their parents struggle to keep up.
In winter, blue tits come to our
cities,
attracted to our garden bird feeders.
But, as summer arrives
..one of the drawbacks of city life
becomes clear.
Despite the blue tits' best efforts
..their chicks, one by one
..die of starvation.
There simply aren't enough native
plants here
to support the caterpillars that blue
tits need to raise their young.
The odds of any of his chicks
surviving
are fading by the day.
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
The number of insects in Britain
have fallen by 60% in the last 20
years.
So, for many animals here, finding
enough to eat can be a struggle.
And, right now,
this little hedgehog needs more food
than ever
..because she's eating for five.
She will need to eat all she can
..to produce enough milk for her
hungry youngsters.
The hedgehog highway helps
..but it only goes so far
..especially during a particularly dry
British summer.
TELEVISION:
- From this point on, his natural
habitat becomes drier.
- There's hardly anything to eat on
her regular garden tour.
The insects and earthworms she usually
relies on
have retreated deep underground.
Bird-feeder leftovers
aren't nearly enough.
But mothers will take extraordinary
risks.
Out on the streets
..there is a threat far greater than
any natural predator.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of
hedgehogs
die on our roads.
ENGINE STARTS
Remarkably, it seems that city
hedgehogs
are learning to avoid the busiest
streets
and are choosing to cross quieter,
slower roads.
DOG BARKS
In a well-kept garden,
just metres from the street
..even the most vulnerable stand a
chance.
Out of sight, in Lou's pond
..the frog's eggs are developing fast.
For a single tadpole,
the chances of reaching adulthood
..are slim.
Dragonfly larvae hunt any small thing
that moves.
Over the next three months, they must
stay out of trouble
..grow a pair of limbs
..and another
..until, finally, they emerge
as froglets the size of peas.
Sometimes little legs
..need a helping hand.
A makeshift staircase
..leads the way to the garden beyond.
Soon, the froglet will repay the
favour
..and join the army of frogs
that keep plant-eating slugs in check.
As summer approaches,
youngsters all across the garden
are taking their first steps into the
unknown.
Despite the lack of caterpillars
CHICK CHIRPS
..one hardy young blue tit has grown
enough to fledge
..thanks to its determined parents.
CHICK CHIRPS
Nevertheless, the chick still needs
encouragement
to leave the nest for good.
THEY CHIRP
The ground is not a place for a young
blue tit
CHICK CHIRPS
..and Mr Fluffy is back.
BELL RINGS
His new bell lets everyone know that
he's arrived.
But the young chick
has yet to find its wings.
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
Dad sounds the alarm.
CHICK CHIRPS
For many blue tit fledglings,
their first flight
..is also their last.
CAT MEOWS
Made it!
A bell round the neck reduces pet
cats' hunting success
by over a third.
Good news for the birds
..bad news for Mr Fluffy.
Slowly, the chick finds its feet
..and will soon be ready to fend for
itself.
City life presents plenty of
challenges for wildlife.
But with gardens making up a third of
our urban space,
they have an important role to play.
- Hi, Gaby. Hi!
- I haven't seen you for ages.
- One of the wonderful things about
being in this neighbourhood
is that even though we've each got
very small gardens,
if you add it up,
it makes a big space.
In a sense, you're creating a huge
garden
for foxes, hedgehogs, all sorts of
things.
- Together, our gardens cover a
greater area
than all of our National Nature
Reserves combined.
Each can provide a vital link
in the lives of the animals that live
in them.
Not only did this hedgehog survive the
dry summer
..she also successfully raised all
four of her hoglets.
As their rural relatives continue to
decline
..there are signs that city hedgehogs
are on the increase
..repaying gardeners in their own
particular way.
And, as summer comes to a close
..a newcomer arrives in Lou's
garden
..watched over by a familiar face.
He is his father's son
..and is now old enough to explore the
neighbourhood.
These resourceful animals
bring a little magic into our lives.
If we choose to share our space
..something wild might just move in.
The team set out to film one city
animal
to which there are very different
reactions -
the urban fox.
Lou shows wildlife cinematographer
John Waters
the lie of the land.
- I know that this path is used quite
a lot.
I've seen foxes
- Yeah.
- ..coming up, you know,
jumping off that fence sometimes, or
from over there.
- To film the fox without disturbing
it,
John sets up remote cameras.
- The smaller the space, it is more
difficult,
because often, the camera is going to
be in the way of the animal,
and that can spook it slightly.
Animals are unpredictable.
These cameras are pretty
unpredictable.
They don't always work.
There's a massive element of luck.
- HE LAUGHS
A few weeks later, time to check the
footage.
- Cat.
Cat. Cat.
- Ooh!
- Ooh, fox.
Oh, this is the one I was waiting for.
- Oh, wow. That's lovely.
- The cameras reveal Lou's fox
gets up to far more than she ever
sees.
But he's neither the hedgehog hunter
nor the cat killer that some believe
urban foxes to be.
- He's obviously in my garden, doing
his little circuit,
and then, goes who knows where?
I don't know how far he travels, or
where he goes.
- So far, the team is only getting
glimpses
of the fox's secret life.
To discover what he does when he
leaves the garden,
producer Euan Macdonald Smith heads
onto the streets.
- The dream is, if he is successful in
mating,
and he and his vixen have cubs,
that we can find the den that they're
being raised in
and film them.
I mean, that would be an incredible
thing to show Lou.
- Euan isn't the first to try his luck
filming Bristol foxes.
Back in the 1970s,
a rather fresh-faced presenter
set out to do so
for the very first time.
How much do we really know about the
urban fox?
How many are there? Where do they go
during the daytime?
A BBC team here in Bristol and the
Natural History Unit
set out to try and make a film about
the life of a town fox.
In the half-century since,
their numbers have quadrupled in our
cities.
- I do get a lot of funny reactions
from, you know,
people in the neighbourhood.
Anyone out in the streets will tell
me,
"Oh, yeah, I see foxes all the time.
"You don't need a fancy camera to see
them."
It's easy to get a glimpse of a fox.
But to actually spend any time with
one,
it takes a lot of perseverance.
- It turns out that the local foxes
are pretty brazen.
HE SCOFFS IN DISBELIEF
But, while city life comes with higher
rewards,
it also comes with high risks.
- I've just come across a dead fox.
It's been hit by a car.
I was really worried it was going to
be Lou's fox.
It looks like it's a different
individual.
Still, er, not a very nice thing to
see.
- One aspect of the fox's life remains
a mystery
..the location of his den.
The team comes up with all sorts of
ways to track it down.
- Then, right at the end of this road.
- OK.
- But it's Lou's local WhatsApp group
that gives the most promising lead.
- Hi, Joe. How's it going?
- All right.
- It seems Mr Fox has been raising a
family
right under Euan's nose.
- Smells of fox.
- THEY LAUGH
Over the next few days,
their patience is rewarded.
WHISPERS:
- He's just so relaxed. I don't think
he can see us.
- No, he has no idea.
- I've been following Lou's fox
for the past six months.
Such a relief to find this den,
and to find these four cubs.
- At last, time to reveal the footage
to Lou.
- Oh, wow, the little fox cubs!
- Yeah.
Yeah, so there's four of them living
under this shed
with their mother.
- That's amazing!
And that's just across the road.
- Yeah.
- Oh, God, they're so adorable.
- A year of filming has changed the
way Lou sees her garden.
- It's amazing to think of these wild
animals
in the centre of a city, isn't it? And
thriving!
We've created a safe environment for a
wild creature,
and I think that's lovely.
- And the footage proves that even the
smallest urban space
can provide a vital home to a host of
enchanting wildlife.
Next time, the country garden in the
Lake District
..where determined animals must
race
..to raise a family.
Discover the wildlife on your doorstep
with the Open University's Secret
Garden
interactive experience.
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