Garden Rescue 2025 episode 7
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🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00The Garden Rescue Team are on a mission to make garden dreams come true.
00:10Charlie Dimmock, Lee Burkill, Flo Hedlum and Chris Hull are here to answer your
00:27gardening emergencies. It feels disorganized, a bit chaotic. It's a bit of a shocker.
00:32Each week two of our designers will go head to head. Pick me and let's do this.
00:37The garden we're going to go with is... John Rye!
00:44Lee. Oh yes!
00:46And whichever designer loses... The race is on.
00:49...helps the winner build the garden. Good idea. Did you get that on camera? Lee said good idea Charlie.
00:56Amazing. Turning garden dreams... Open your eyes.
00:59That's so overwhelmed.
01:01...into reality.
01:03That is amazing.
01:09Today the team's in Scunthorpe taking on the garden of foster carers Sue and Joe.
01:15Oh lovely, a cup of tea. What you been up to?
01:18I've been cleaning all the sculptures.
01:20We've got a busy house. We're very family orientated. We have our grandson every weekend and we've got the children.
01:29Thanks for the tea by the way. That's lovely. Very thoughtful of you.
01:32We've been down here two years. We decided to move close to my home because of my grandson being born.
01:40Because we bought it off plan we could design the house as it was being built.
01:45We could move walls, change doors, just pick everything ourselves which was just perfect for us.
01:51Because you don't have to change anything when you move in.
01:54The couple's very large 144 square meter garden, however, came as a blank canvas.
02:00They care for their foster children very much and are happy with a site they've filled with play equipment.
02:06But then there's Joe's collectibles on the other side.
02:09So this is our garden, the sculpture park.
02:12No, the beautiful sculpture park.
02:15The metal and wooden animals have become Joe's passion project.
02:20My obsession with the sculptures has been in the family for say 50, 60 years when I was back in Scotland.
02:27My family's always had some kind of sculptures.
02:30I've always been brought up with not much of a gardener.
02:33Not one in my family are a garden person.
02:36So it's always been sculptures and I've carried that on.
02:38It doesn't reflect me at all.
02:40I'm used to a garden with plants and trees and nice smelling things and we've got none of that.
02:46Do you not think my sculptures look and smell nice?
02:49They don't smell at all.
02:51I don't get any nice scents from the sculptures I'm afraid.
02:55But Joe's figurines aren't the only thing causing upset in this garden.
03:00One thing we don't like is this patio.
03:03It's lovely, I like these stones but it's just not big enough.
03:07It's very small and when we've got family around we've actually nowhere to sit.
03:12We're actually on the grass.
03:13So we're not using it as much as we should be.
03:15When we open the doors, the doors hit you.
03:19So this is my bit of the garden.
03:21I've bought plants but when I've got them home they're so small they look pathetic.
03:26So I've ended up putting them all in pots.
03:28I just don't know where to put them in the garden.
03:31As Sue said, this is Sue's wee part of the garden.
03:34But over here we have the real part of the garden.
03:37Which is my part.
03:39Joe's giraffe.
03:41Owl.
03:42This is it.
03:43My pride and joy.
03:44And Frankie the horse certainly stand out.
03:48Named after my Frankie de Tori, my favourite jockey.
03:52I absolutely adore Frankie.
03:54And Sue loves him.
03:55Yeah, of course.
03:57Everyone talks about Frankie.
04:00We've even got an ice cream parlor quite close by and people come to get ice cream and come and see the horse.
04:07There you go.
04:08Huge.
04:09He's not that bad.
04:10Be good with some plants around him though.
04:13There's just nothing of me in this garden.
04:15It's all more Joe.
04:16So it would be lovely to get some plants and have a bit more of me in it.
04:21I'd actually talk to my sculptures.
04:23Lovely day today.
04:33Isn't it?
04:34I mean look at that for a view.
04:35That is lovely isn't it?
04:37Chris and Amelia will be creating designs for Joe and Sue today.
04:44Right Amelia, we've got Susan and Joe today in Gunthorpe.
04:48And what is that?
04:51I know.
04:52This is a serious beast.
04:54Wow.
04:55Look at that thing.
04:56Look at that.
04:57I mean clearly one of them is really into their animal sculptures.
05:00Absolutely.
05:01I wonder if it's Susan or Joe.
05:02Well that saves us some money on buying sculptures doesn't it?
05:05Absolutely.
05:06I mean it's a huge space isn't it?
05:08It's massive and I think the challenge with this garden is that there's nothing in it.
05:13You've got quite nice paving to be fair, don't we?
05:15Yeah.
05:16And a really well kept lawn.
05:17Yep.
05:18Well shall we find out what they actually want from the garden?
05:19Yeah, let's have a look.
05:23I would like a bit more of a romantic country theme with some beautiful scented flowers.
05:29Lovely.
05:30Cottagey garden scented flowers.
05:32I love the idea of that but it's definitely not there yet.
05:35It's not, it's got a long way to go.
05:37And I would like my sculptures to be incorporated in the garden.
05:41Ah, so it's Joe.
05:42Yeah.
05:43Right.
05:44And maybe get up for a bit more company for them with some bushes and some plants.
05:49And some height in the garden, the flat boring garden that we've got currently.
05:53It just needs something to elevate it a bit, doesn't it?
05:55Absolutely.
05:56And I mean you've got a lot of height from these mature trees at the back.
05:59So it would be nice to sort of create that within the garden as well.
06:03A nice area where I can sit possibly and work sometimes when the weather's good.
06:09And some privacy from the main road.
06:12So noisy garden.
06:13Yeah.
06:14Bit of a challenge that.
06:15This part of the garden is really the bit that the kids play in.
06:18We don't want anything done really.
06:20It's just the area with the sculptures in that we want some plants in please.
06:24It's not too much to ask is it?
06:26I mean I think this garden is a lot of fun.
06:28Yeah.
06:29Not very often you get to play around with all these big animal sculptures.
06:32Yeah, I mean they're obviously sort of bespoke pieces.
06:35And I think it's just how do we incorporate those in whilst also giving Susan what she wants as well.
06:41Yeah.
06:42Which is a soft countryside garden.
06:43What's the budget Chris?
06:44It's 6k this garden.
06:46Wow.
06:47Okay.
06:48I mean it's a big space so that's going to need to be stretched.
06:50Yeah.
06:51You need lots of plants to make these animals look at home.
06:53Absolutely.
06:54And get that romance.
06:55Yeah.
06:56They do look a little bit lonely at the moment.
06:57Yeah.
06:58You can have a handful with this one.
06:59Absolutely.
07:00Chris and Amelia must create a design that fits Sue and Joe's £6,000 budget.
07:06The couple will pick their favourite which the losing designer will help build.
07:11The designers and top team of landscapers provide the labour for free.
07:15Leaving the entire budget to spend on materials and plants.
07:19Back in Scunthorpe.
07:20Let's have a look.
07:21It's so exciting.
07:22The designers pictures are in.
07:23Oh yes it's Amelia.
07:24Come on.
07:25Susan and Joe you want a romantic countryside style garden and I really think this design
07:38delivers that for you.
07:39Oh I like that.
07:40Susan, Joe this is your garden a beautiful zoo for two.
07:45A beautiful zoo for two Chris.
07:47Really?
07:48Now let me take you on a journey through this garden.
07:51So this is that existing patio that you've got and I love those porcelain tiles so I'm
07:55actually going to pick those up and repeat them elsewhere in the garden.
07:58That's really nice that he's kept the same tiles.
08:00Then this is where I wanted to give you this amazing focal point through the garden.
08:05So you've got those porcelain tiles as stepping stones with archways overhead and then at the
08:11end the focal point is going to be that giraffe sculpture.
08:14It's sort of like he's framed it.
08:16I wanted to have gravel all the way along there with some more sparse plants poking
08:20up out of it and then these free feature trees along the edge.
08:24That's the nice thing to do and I like the big trees there as well.
08:27Yeah I like the big trees.
08:28So what I've done is I've divided the garden up into different more manageable and usable sections.
08:34So here is your existing terrace which at the moment is a lot smaller and I know you
08:40wanted to increase that out to have more of a seating and entertaining area.
08:44That's nice.
08:45That's lovely how she's done that.
08:47Yeah.
08:48And then against that as a backdrop you'll have these really lovely raised rustic style planters
08:54and those will contain lots of billowy, cottagey style planting like delphiniums, achillia, verbena bonariensis.
09:04So that should feel very soft, very English countryside.
09:07As you then leave this area here you'll be guided through the space by different areas of stepping stones.
09:14Oh I like that.
09:15Then as we walk down there we're greeted with this sort of landing space at the end next
09:20to the giraffe so you can pause and admire him and then you can move down to the sort
09:25of socialising zone of the garden.
09:27It's going to be a pergola overhead to give you that dappled shade and then it's going
09:31to be completely surrounded with lush planting.
09:34That's lovely.
09:35Oh yes it's the scents that's what I wanted is to smell the lovely scents.
09:40So I've created different sections in the garden for the sculptures to really take centre stage
09:47nestled amongst really lovely tall billowy cottage planting.
09:52Towards the top of the garden you'll have a new stepping stone walkway area and then that
09:58will be set against the backdrop of these new single stem amelanchia trees and that will give you some
10:04privacy from the very noisy road.
10:07Exactly.
10:08Some privacy.
10:09Amelia's created open vistas while Chris has designed enclosed zones.
10:15Both designs are different but have they done enough to balance both Joe and Sue's wants?
10:21Now this little square here this is going to be your very own mini wildflower meadow.
10:26So it's just going to be a small section of wildflower turf but in the centre of that I actually
10:31wanted to put a brand new sculpture for you Joe.
10:35More animals.
10:36Great.
10:38But it will fit in with our cottage garden scheme so it will keep you happy too Susan.
10:42I'm really intrigued to see if it fits in there for me.
10:45Susan I know you really wanted a space where you could actually come out, do a little bit of work, relax, read a book and have more of an area that feels like it's just for your own.
10:55So I propose having this seating area here which will be soft beige honey coloured gravel underfoot.
11:03That's nice, the colour goes with the fencing.
11:06So Susan and Joe I'd really love to build this garden for you, I think I can create a beautiful cottagey relaxed style romantic garden for you both so I hope you pick me.
11:16I think that's fab, she's done a really really good job there.
11:20I'd love to see this garden built and I'd love to see all these animals in beautiful planting.
11:25So I really hope you pick this one.
11:27Well I don't know how we're going to really pick.
11:29No I don't either.
11:30Sue and Joe must choose their favourite garden design.
11:36What do you like about this design?
11:38What I like about Chris's design is put some hikes in the garden and we've got a nice seating area that'll be over there.
11:46Yes.
11:47Where I can sit and work.
11:48I like about Amelia, it's similar how she's done in the sitting area in the same sort of corner.
11:54And also I bet you like that sitting area so you can sit and view the animals.
11:58That's my favourite part of it, that I really really like that but it's like a wee private viewing area for me.
12:03It's going to be a very hard decision.
12:05Very tough decision.
12:06Very tough.
12:07Yeah.
12:09Okay so Susan and Joe have got back to us.
12:12Oh let's see.
12:13Ready to find out?
12:14I'm ready, let's go.
12:15Okay.
12:16Hey Chris and Amelia, thanks very much for your lovely designs.
12:19Oh that's good.
12:20Amelia your design, what I liked about that was the flowers and the planting choice, they were so pretty.
12:27And I can imagine the scent coming off them.
12:29That's good, had to tick that box.
12:31Absolutely.
12:32Chris, I really loved the way you've integrated my sculptures, especially the giraffe, how you've framed it.
12:38That's a really good focal point.
12:40We've ended up going for...
12:42Oh come on then, let's see.
12:45Chris's design.
12:47Wow, well done.
12:49I knew you'd got that in the bag.
12:51We're really excited to see it come to life.
12:54You nailed it.
12:55Yeah, I mean I think it was the sculptures really, it was going all Joe that swung it on this one.
13:00I think you ticked all of the boxes there definitely.
13:02Yeah, but I really can't wait to build this garden.
13:05I think we're going to have loads of fun building this one.
13:07Absolutely, I can't wait.
13:08I can't wait to see the sculptures up close as well.
13:10In real life.
13:11No, even bigger, even better.
13:18Project manager Ben and a team of landscapers are on their way to Scunthorpe.
13:23Ready to bring Chris's zoo for two to life in just two days.
13:28Okay then team, the existing paving is staying and we're putting in just a small little bed just there.
13:35We're going to be stripping off a lot of this grass.
13:38Andy, we've got quite a few stepping stones to go in here.
13:42Yes, all the way around.
13:43And this section is going to have a big pergola, as they say in Bristol.
13:49We also have four arches going in.
13:52Biggest garden we've ever attempted on garden rescue, so I think we'd better get on with it.
13:57Yeah, let's get it done.
14:01First the team measure.
14:03We need to know where the grass is staying, don't we?
14:05Cut turf and dig to prepare for paving that will wrap around the side and back of the garden.
14:12It's a massive area and this part is all planted.
14:16And the ground is rock hard, so we're going to have to get it turned over to make it a bit easy for us when it comes to plants.
14:24In the top right corner of the garden, next to Joe's horse, Chris has designed a large pergola that Lee and Jamie will be planting posts for.
14:39First posted of Benny.
14:40Yeah.
14:41It's hard ground and hard digging, so I think we get squared up off this now.
14:45Yep.
14:46Get that one in.
14:47Yep.
14:48And then we square off that.
14:49Beautiful.
14:50Brilliant job.
14:51Grab the spades.
14:55Chris's vision is that the pergola becomes a social and relaxing space for Sue and Joe.
15:01He gets raised.
15:02He's up against Spencer.
15:05Last one are the chunky ones.
15:08Oh, that ground looks nice, doesn't it?
15:11This ground is challenging.
15:12So what he does is he gets me to go 300 down and then he takes over.
15:18Four hours into this build, the team isn't able to relax just yet.
15:27Andy is doing a magnificent job scraping away all the grass that we don't need in the garden.
15:33Lee and Jamie have got the four verticals in.
15:36Now we need to take out some of the soil so we can go down to create the base ready for the paved area underneath the pergola.
15:44So doing well, loads to do stuff.
15:53Once the pergola posts are in place, Lee and Jamie cut joists to size for the pergola roof that'll host climbers.
16:03Got another four more to do.
16:09Sitting under the pergola, Chris has designed a generous patio.
16:13that Andy has dug out and is ready to compact down the sub base.
16:25At the entrance to the garden, Chris has designed a tunnel of arches to greet and guide Sue and Joe into their garden.
16:32The idea is that when they're in the kitchen, they get a great view all the way down the middle, yeah?
16:38Keep us fit.
16:39Let's keep going.
16:40Yeah.
16:41Your turn.
16:43With his sub base settled, Andy's ready to lay 10 square metres of tiles.
16:50Right, I think I'm happy with that.
16:53First slab in.
16:55One of many.
16:5624 to go.
16:57Ready to bring over?
16:58Yep.
16:59And Lee and Jamie are one archway down, just three more to go.
17:06Well, you can certainly see the giraffe.
17:15With the pergola's patio laid, Andy's in charge of laying stepping stones under the archway.
17:21How we doing?
17:22Alright, mate.
17:23We've started this.
17:24First stepping stone just going in.
17:26Beautiful.
17:28It might be raining in Scunthorpe, but nowhere near enough to dampen spirits.
17:33The boys have done a magnificent job.
17:36Pergola's pretty much up.
17:38Arches, pretty much there.
17:40The main paved area is 95% done.
17:44And now we've started on the path.
17:46That will take us round to the existing pavement.
17:49The landscaping team has worked as hard as they possibly can across the day,
17:54to prepare themselves for Chris and Amelia's arrival in the morning.
18:05Scunthorpe.
18:06I know.
18:07Yeah.
18:08Beautiful Scunthorpe.
18:09Do you know what it's famous for?
18:10Oh, don't.
18:11Go on.
18:12Tell me.
18:13It is the home of British steel.
18:14Ah, I did know that.
18:15So...
18:16Bit of a clue because there's a lot of steel in this garden, right?
18:19There certainly is.
18:20Steel animals.
18:26Look at this.
18:27It's massive.
18:28Wow.
18:29God, it's huge.
18:30It is really big, isn't it?
18:31I know, but it's so nice to see some structure in the garden.
18:33Absolutely.
18:34It gives it a bit of purpose.
18:35The animals definitely give it a little bit of personality.
18:36That's exactly what I was going to say.
18:38Yeah, it's looking good.
18:39There's a lot to do still.
18:40We definitely need to get things moved around, get all those focal points lined up.
18:43Right.
18:44But I'd really like you to focus on finishing off this archway that's going to give the focal point to the giraffe.
18:49Fantastic.
18:50So you're going to get that bang on.
18:51I will grab my spirit lamp.
18:52Nice.
18:53All right.
18:54The landscaping team is already hard at it, continuing to get the paving laid.
18:59How's it going, Andy?
19:01Morning, Chris.
19:02These are looking good.
19:03Fucking all right, aren't they?
19:04Have you got to do the final run?
19:06Yeah.
19:07We're all good.
19:08Don't worry, I won't step on them.
19:09All right.
19:10For a king.
19:11Now in this garden, there is a lot of planting space.
19:15This border that runs all the way along the back is massive.
19:18So we've definitely got a handful of things to go in there.
19:20But that's not all.
19:21I've also got a big area here with wildflower turf and my feature topiary stag.
19:27But before Chris or the team can even begin to consider planting, the surrounding soil needs
19:34addressing.
19:35It is really common for garden soil to be difficult to work with, especially if you're
19:42in a new build house.
19:43But there's a few things you can do to make your life a bit easier.
19:46You might want to add some organic matter to that soil to help to break it up, especially
19:51if it's heavy clay, because it becomes really dense, really cloddy.
19:55But if you add some organic matter, those fibres will break down, create pockets and invite
20:00worms into the garden.
20:01And then over time, by slowly adding to it and improving the soil, you'll get a nice
20:06healthy soil rather than a nasty cloggy sodden one.
20:09Nobody wants that.
20:14Amelia is marking out the soil at the border of the archways.
20:18We have one sort of line up with this post here.
20:21Yep.
20:22In preparation for pear trees.
20:24So one there.
20:26Yep.
20:27So I think the third one will go sort of where the digger is in between these two posts
20:34here.
20:35Perfect.
20:36So if I put a little mark.
20:37Just that.
20:38Perfect.
20:39Right.
20:40I'll get the digger on.
20:41Perfect.
20:42Thanks, Jamie.
20:43These pairs will give a little bit of formality to this area here and I really like how Chris
20:58has used three of them because, generally, you tend to plan things in odd numbers.
21:02in odd numbers so groups of three or five and that's going to look really nice
21:06there's a backdrop to this area give it a little bit of structure and it will
21:10work really well in front of this walkway
21:16there you go Lee nearly went in on your new paving in the other corner of the
21:22garden Chris and Lee are ready to finish the roof of the pergola
21:32this is quite a contemporary pergola design as they go because traditional
21:36pergolas they often have lots of layers with other members going across on top
21:39or you get those very nice details of the angles hanging out over the edges but
21:44we've just gone for chunky and simple in this garden because it is quite a modern
21:48layout and I wanted the pergola to match that
21:53yeah yeah yeah across the garden Amelia's looking after the final piece of woodwork
22:04the last post going in now to make the archway and then we'll get our post
22:09create in there level it all off so it's nice and level with the other three
22:13how's it going yeah good we've got the last posts in for this walkway here and I have to
22:25say I think having that height in the garden is working really nicely it's good flat otherwise
22:30isn't it yeah I think having this grand height here works really well it does our friend mr. or
22:35giraffe it really frames it perfectly bringing each element of the garden together it's plant time
22:43planting is going to be key that's part of the day that's what you want wow look at that Chris yeah
22:54you like these yeah I mean the first thing my eye is drawn to is that privet stag right there how
23:00can it not be that is the real feature and you know he's gonna love that absolutely well I do yeah
23:05Joe's gonna be all over it but it's a really nice mix of plants in here isn't there but look at these
23:11Freconosis they're a bit different aren't they they are the whole idea with this is that we wanted to
23:15get some cottagey plants in some nice romantic yeah romantic flowery and this is what the garden
23:23really needs wow look at those roses and this is actually a really unusual kind of lemony
23:30light yellow color isn't it which you don't see very often very nice
23:33Chris has got a few unusual elements as part of his planting scheme
23:42the main piece of the garden our topiary stag he's called Luigi this one Italianate in style but it is a
23:53great feature and it's the sort of thing I think Joe is gonna really love look it's even got real
23:58antlers Chris's plants and the topiary stag in particular have been chosen to complement Joe's
24:04formidable sculptures whose positions Chris is playing with what I've decided to do to spin him
24:11around so he's sort of leaning out more into the garden with one of his legs so just resting on the
24:16pergola and that way he's sort of looking back out across the garden get nice views from wherever you
24:21are back towards the horse easiest have been done probably yeah yeah okay yeah we're going to jump
24:33now you've got the front legs you need to just lift the back yeah oh it's quite light actually
24:38oh yeah looks good from here it's nice because he looks like he's leaping at you which is really
24:53cool and you're gonna get a good view as soon as you step out the patio doors now Chris's inclusion of
24:59sculptures complemented by a brand new planting scheme was why Joe and Sue chose his design in the
25:05first place my worries are that the sculptures and I know really integrate integrated our feature
25:13different garden my only reservation is the sculptures all take over and I won't get as many plants as I
25:25like to blend in Joe's sculptures Chris is bringing in softer planting oh we got made the giraffe as well
25:34so much today while Amelia is working on an all-important finishing touch to keep a gravel border
25:45contained so I'm just digging this trench now for the timber edging and we've got lots of gravel going
25:53down in the garden which needs to be contained because otherwise it's going to spill out so you
25:58can use timber you can use steel you could even use brick timber is probably the most cost-effective so
26:05at the moment I'm just digging this trench trying to in a nice straight line and yeah that'll be keeping
26:13the gravel in so it doesn't spill everywhere Frankie the horse isn't the only thing in the garden that I'm
26:28going to move this is Jesse the giraffe and I would really like Jesse to be the focal point through all of
26:35these arches so strong I can lift the giraffe Amelia hello what do you reckon to Jesse up there you reckon
26:48that's good bang on all right once there's some plants around her oh wow look good she's a vision
26:54it's gonna look great well that is very satisfying I have to say looks pretty straight maybe not as
27:09straight as Andy and Jamie's but doing quite a good job I think right job done Chris is almost there with
27:17his positioning it's a really hard job setting out plants when you've got such a big area to cover
27:24because you really have to make every plant work extra hard you don't want to be staring at big open
27:31bits of fence so I'm starting off by getting all of my bigger shrubs into position where I know that
27:36they can feel out and grow and then I'm going to go and weave in some of the smaller pretty perennials
27:41in amongst them his idea for the back border is to envelop Sue and Joe with plants and shrubs as
27:49they walk from garden entrance towards the pergola rhododendrons are a funny shrub really because some
27:57people are a little bit scared of them because you see them taking over hillsides but that is
28:02rhododendron ponticum so don't be confused this is very different and it won't go so crazy and over
28:09the time this will become very self-sufficient and it will really start to fill out and obviously you
28:13get those amazing flowers coming in spring what's really nice about this is that Sue wanted a bit of
28:19romance and some color and texture in the garden so this rhododendron will give her that really early
28:25on in the season and it's also lovely because they're evergreen so it just softens up these quite
28:30harsh structures and sculptures that we've got in the garden you always need a bit of green a bit of color
28:35whilst the archways at the entrance to the garden will be adorned with climbers this here is rosa new
28:45dawn and it's a really lovely quite vigorous climbing rose really gorgeous light pink quite
28:53romantic looking flowers very fragrant as well the main things with roses is to give them a good prune in
29:00winter remember to deadhead it throughout the growing season to prolong the flowers and they
29:06are quite greedy roses so a really nice organic feed in spring will make sure that this plant is
29:13really happy I think that looks absolutely lovely and it's going to frame this walkway beautifully
29:30going down Luigi
29:35it's not bad
29:42now Luigi is actually quite simple to maintain if you know how
29:48so with any topiary the rule is that growth follows the knife
29:53all the secateurs so the more you clip it
29:56the tighter and more dense that foliage will get if you leave it to go really straggly you'll get loads
30:02of gaps in it even if you just cut it once or twice a season it won't thicken out and be really
30:06tight and nice so the more you clip it the better it's going to look look at that beauty
30:12and the best way to clip one of these is with just an ordinary pair of shears or some topiary shears
30:21and you can get all the details just right
30:23I'm just planting this ornamental pair here and they're not actually grown for their fruits because
30:47they're not edible they are grown however for their really lovely upright habit you get a really
30:53lovely sense of height with these which I know Susan's going to love they have gorgeous little
30:58white flowers in the spring really good for birds and bees one thing to bear in mind when you're
31:04planting new trees they will need to be watered in really well and as you can see it's a little bit
31:09windy today so if you do find that they're being blown all over the place you can stake them as well
31:16this beautiful grass is miscanthus strictus dwarf now it's basically the zebra grass miscanthus
31:37zebrinus but in a dwarf form and what better plant for this garden than a zebra plant ties in perfectly
31:44with Jesse the giraffe behind me so I thought I'd have a couple of leaves down in this area
31:49very on theme now what's really nice about this particular miscanthus is that it's got that luscious
31:56foliage and you will also get those beautiful little flowers on the spikes as well perfect
32:04now this lovely plant here is called geranium rosan and it's one of those plants that you see everywhere
32:20because they just do really well in most people's gardens and they're relatively fuss-free they have
32:28these really beautiful kind of bluey almost iridescent flowers and they can get a little bit sort of
32:35straggly looking so you can cut them back either in autumn or in spring and what you'll find is you'll
32:42get lovely new growth coming through ready for the summer and I think they're great
32:59I've gone for a bit of a different approach in this space here and I'm using a wildflower turf to cover
33:06some ground now it's really good for a lot of different reasons one is it's great for wildlife
33:12it's going to be absolutely covered in pollinators the birds will love it as well but it's also going
33:18to bring loads of color texture and movement into this garden and it does help with the budget because
33:23plants can be quite expensive sometimes but there is yet another way you could make a real budget
33:28wildflower meadow if you've got a lawn you can actually plant some naturalizing perennials
33:32into that lawn and let it grow up all around it some plants that would be great for that are
33:38geraniums aquilegias persicaria things that are just going to get in there and just get amongst the
33:43grasses but this wildflower turf works perfectly here because it is instant and it's going to look
33:50really nice when it all starts to grow up around Luigi topiary stag this here is aster royal ruby and
34:04it's a really lovely herbaceous perennial I love it I think it's going to be a really nice pop of
34:10color in this sort of gravel area here and the other good thing I think is you get quite a lot of bang for
34:16your buck because they tend to fill out into really nice clumps so you can divide it every three years
34:22or so if you feel the clumps getting too big and then generally speaking you can cut it back in spring
34:27allow all of that lovely new growth to come through for the summer months lovely with all the plants in
34:36place and main structures too the team just has to add some final touches
34:46including a water feature that had been previously hidden away in sue and joe's garden
34:53oh yes that's what i'm talking about it's really good when you can reuse things that were already in the
35:01garden this is the perfect thing to go on this corner and when you're sat under the pergola there
35:07and you hear the sound of this water and it's even got little lights in it love it
35:12for two days the team has grafted to bring chris's zoo for two to scunthorpe
35:18well that is relaxing isn't it chris i think this is well deserved i do as well it's amazing yeah and
35:33actually the animals just really do kind of come to life don't they yeah because they were very stark
35:38that's the thing with statues have them on their own they get a bit lost and but look at this horse now
35:43look at them now towering above the pergola yeah you've got so many lovely quintessential
35:50cottagey plants haven't you geraniums echinaceas and i love what you've done over there the ornamental
35:56pairs look brilliant and just having that slightly sparse and controlled planting under there is lovely
36:01but i think it's time to go and get joe and sue because i think they're gonna love this come on
36:07and sue and joe's garden was once a bland patch of lawn with lovable but overbearing sculptures
36:17dominating a space with nothing else in it
36:24but with a six thousand pound budget it's evolved into a colorful aromatic dream
36:30full of character and a romantic walkway now there we go you guys are next to each other now all
36:38right okay joe and sue can you just describe to me what the garden was like the last time you looked
36:46at it it had a horse and a giraffe and that's about it my beautiful sculptures they're pretty impressive
36:54yes the rest of the garden wasn't right i totally agree so i'm not going to leave you hanging any
37:00longer please open your eyes wow wow wow my goodness oh my goodness that's just fantastic oh look at that
37:13look at the horse it's facing this way i can't i'm too emotional to talk honestly i have i don't
37:29normally get emotional so yeah but look at my sculptures hey i think they love it and i'm not
37:36surprised chris has done such a good job on this it's like been on a frame exactly you framed it for me
37:42uh you know what i was gonna what else could i want i think jesse the giraffe is all framed which
37:48she looks good now it's all about luring you out into the garden rather than being trapped on this
37:52trapped on here that's it that's what we were that was your life we were yeah just sat on here
37:56you have no created a totally new world for us i'm so pleased that they like the walkway as well
38:03because you know did have a bit of a bit of a part in that one so i'm pleased they love it now why
38:08don't we have a walk down here then where sue and joe's small
38:12patio once led to nothing but a patch of grass they can now walk to their modern sandstone patio
38:21through ornamental arches covered by climbers now so what do you think about these frames with your
38:28climbers going over absolutely amazing just what i wanted yeah i can't wait for them to
38:33start growing up really down yeah it'll be very romantic they will they'll be beautiful
38:38yeah just amazing do you like the owl down there oh all the laurels one of my favorite but to see
38:43them down there yeah i think it looks better that's good and amelia has worked very hard in this area of
38:49the garden so she's been doing a lot of this gravel planting which is really really lovely because
38:53we've got this cat mint here with the beautiful flowers right great for wildlife and when you brush
38:57plaster it has a sort of minty set oh wow which is lovely and then we've got some feature ornamental
39:03pairs along the back yeah that'll be amazing when they start growing and spreading yeah i'm glad sue
39:09loves the plants i think it's really cottagey and romantic which by the sounds of it she's thrilled with
39:15now i'd love to show you this beautiful topiary the previously unused center of their garden
39:25is now a haven for wildlife thanks to meadow turf looked over by that topiary stag
39:32a symbol of the newfound balance between sculptures and planting
39:37a new friend yeah that's my new best friend well he's got a name okay okay and you i know you like
39:44naming your animals so i'd like you to stick with this one he's called luigi but we do
39:51and he does have real deer antlers does he yeah so they've been scavenged from the new forest
39:58oh yeah that's amazing with luigi i know you love polishing your sculptures and keeping them tidy but
40:04maybe this you know this is the one bit of gardening that you can really get into huh keeping this
40:09clipped yeah thanks very much for getting my job yeah yeah yeah but when this grows
40:18it'll yeah it'll really look lovely it will yeah yeah this wildflower will grow up so next year
40:24this is going to root over over now and through autumn and then next year this will grow up so it'll
40:28be up around here it'll be full of flowers and grasses so it'll be moving a lot and luigi will look like
40:34it's sat in the middle oh wow that would be amazing that is beautiful i love that joe is thrilled
40:42with the new sculpture but you can tell he absolutely loves it why don't we have a little
40:46stroll through here and go and look at your new patio yes frankie the horse was a lonesome figure
40:54in the top corner of the garden now he faces joe and sue's large patio and pergola with english
41:04country planting behind and the water feature flowing to the side why don't you ever sit down
41:12like you've earned it thank you never seen it from this angle before the garden it's a new aspect for
41:18you we always normally sit over just at the patio doors we never what a difference and all the flowers
41:24round about this is it and then i'm next to big frankie what else could i wish for life what else could i want
41:31yeah what is nice is we can see his face we only saw his bum yeah that's true it's lovely from the
41:39from the house when you walk out and he's right there isn't he we can see him virtually i mean get
41:43close to him really because we're never ever close we were you know what i really like about him
41:48actually is that his tail it moves in the wind doesn't it yes it's before the wind matches the
41:53grasses it's quite nice well done chris you have absolutely smashed it it's 10 out of 10. they
41:58really love it so obviously i didn't build this garden all on my own there's a great team and
42:03amelia as well put a real shift in today so come on amelia hi sue and joe thank you thank you very
42:12much oh you're very welcome amazing yeah yeah amazing you love your new garden absolutely love
42:17it yeah absolutely your plants and what you've done again it's just been perfect for us you know where
42:23they are and walking in and seeing them yeah um it'll look amazing going forward and it's really all set
42:29the sculptures off beautifully as well planting sort of brought them to life hasn't it yeah i can't
42:35believe it yeah i'll be spending more time in the garden than me yeah yeah yeah yeah doing a little
42:39bit of maintenance on the earth yeah that's my that's a job for me now i don't want to do gardening but
42:46that'll be part of my one of my tasks your repertoire now yeah yes yes but no i it's just it's took us
42:52in a another level it's just like wow wow what a difference this has been amazing it's changed it'll
43:00change your life we're really really happy absolutely over the moon with it we couldn't
43:13we couldn't be more happy with them their outcome honestly could we no we're overwhelmed
43:26you