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Garden Rescue - Season 10 Episode 33 - Loughborough
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00:00the garden rescue team are on a mission to make garden dreams come true charlie
00:11dimmock Lee Burkill come on Susie are you with that grouchy we're not going all day love okay
00:18Flo Hedlum here we go right guys bring them in look at that and Chris Hull are here to answer
00:27your gardening emergencies feels disorganized a bit chaotic it's a bit of a shocker each week
00:33two of our designers will go head-to-head pick me and let them do this the garden we're going to go
00:38with is and whichever designer loses the race is on helps the winner build the garden good idea did
00:53you get that on camera Lee said good idea Charlie amazing turning garden dreams open your eyes
00:59well into reality today the team are preparing to wade through weeds in Loughborough we've lived in
01:20in this house for a couple of years really happy here aren't we yeah obviously Loughborough is quite
01:25a sporty place Claire and Dave are world-class Paralympians Dave is a paratriathlete and Claire
01:35won gold swimming in Rio 2016 we both actually met back in 2008 in Beijing so I was at my second
01:44Paralympics and Dave was at his first and yeah the rest is history been very special for me like such
01:50an achievement just to get to the Paralympics twice I was born missing my lower left arm the reason wasn't
01:57known but to be honest it's never really stopped me in life I lost my central vision which was pretty
02:02to have taken 16 obviously and uh it does affect my mobility a little bit Claire and Dave's journey
02:08to Paralympic success takes 100 dedication we are full-time athletes so you know it's 20 plus hours a
02:17week training swim bike and run busy day light session session two o'clock and I'm ready for bed
02:26damn much energy left at the end of the day to go water the garden let alone dick weeds out yeah Claire
02:35and Dave are happy with one half of their 145 square meter back garden but they are struggling with the
02:43far end it's pretty overwhelming isn't it yeah this used to be all just pebbles and so much has
02:49grown through it that there is a barrier underneath but I don't think it's really stopping anything
02:53it's a big jungle full of stuff the weeds love it so obviously being visually impaired uh this this kind
03:04of path at the moment is bit of a no-go it kind of cuts this part of the garden out of bounds for me so
03:09that's my excuse for not being able to do any of the what you did when you're seeing the garden
03:15absolutely going wild outside you want to go out and do it but my coach my physio fed up of me coming
03:22to training or to the physio and on the bed with my you know tight back and tight hamstrings so I have
03:27been very much banned from being out in the garden too much one of the worst bits of the garden probably
03:34is there yeah that's pretty ugly we just we need something to distract your eye away from that big
03:43eyesore come on garden rescue come rescue our garden hoping for a chance to deliver Claire and Dave's design
03:53are Lee and Chris the reveal don't Claire and David look heroic there yeah I bet they want a
04:04championship style garden well I'll tell you what Lee their garden is anything but a championship at
04:09the minute oh look at that barren wasteland barren wasteland and it's got those huge industrial units
04:14yeah I have to do something to disguise that but they've had a go look oh there's some green shoots
04:19of hope there with a little sapling now this garden needs to be accessible given that Dave's got reduced
04:24visibility yeah so it needs to be safe for him to navigate but I'll tell you what that garden at the
04:29moment is anything but safe no I wouldn't even want to go in there there's quite a lot of rubbish in
04:33it to contend with yeah that's going to be a big cleanup operation I really don't know where we'd start
04:37with this one well should we find out what they actually want garden rescue you could argue that
04:46this is a wild garden but it's just a bit too wild it's a bit overwhelming and you can't enjoy it it's
04:52a massive garden I mean it's 150 square meters so that budget is not going to go very far is it
04:57exactly with five thousand pounds it will soon disappear yeah and you've got that huge warehouse to
05:02try and block out sustainability and wildlife is what we're really after in this garden we want
05:10something we can come home and enjoy so we want a really low maintenance beautiful area that will
05:16bring in the wildlife and the birds and the bees now I've got to say Lee this garden ticks all the
05:23boxes for me about sustainability recycling yeah it sounds like it's right up your street Chris however
05:28native planting is something I'm so passionate about I think we've got a battle on our hands here
05:34Lee and Chris will be creating designs for the far end of Claire and Dave's back garden to fit their
05:44five thousand pound budget Dave and Claire will pick their favorite whilst the loser must help with the
05:50build a trusted team of landscapers will provide their labor for free which leaves the full budget for
05:56materials back in Loughborough Claire and Dave have had the final designs through hey we've got the
06:06videos this is exciting yeah you ready yeah Claire and Dave this is your garden from green to gold now
06:14I know you're both very passionate about the environment so this garden had to celebrate all
06:19things sustainable and natural not what I imagine but that looks really good hi Claire and Dave this is my
06:26sustainable switch off Haven for you wow it's really different I want to create for the pair of you a
06:32hidden woodland where you can drift off and leave all your worries behind this is gonna be hard Lee has
06:40created cozy and snug areas in Claire and Dave's new garden but Chris has opened the space up and
06:49actually move into the garden because of these organic curves you can either go left or you can sweep to the
06:53the right to this fire pit zone I like a fire pit that's a exciting so you can move between this
06:59space and this kind of more cozy cocooned area towards the end of the garden and what this pergola is
07:06going to do is it's going to make it feel really safe cocooned and cozy so when you're under there you're
07:11not really thinking about the big industrial units behind you there's actually two different areas you
07:16consider which are really good to give you a great focal point wanted to have these insects and bee posts
07:21I like that as we move into the main part of the garden you'll notice the layout is all based on these
07:28soft big wide curves and I designed you this custom round seating area made from these timber sleepers that
07:37are going to give you a really generous seating area very very sociable and actually what we wanted so
07:43wrapping around the seating area you've got these beautiful trees and all this height which will
07:48make you feel really cocooned and screen off the back part of the garden I really like that bit
07:54actually yeah yeah curves are the contours of choice for both designs but have they met the brief when it
08:02comes to introducing enviro-friendly elements I've gone with reclaimed Yorkstone for this crazy paving
08:09underfoot which is going to denote the entrance to the garden and these two zones at the end to be
08:14fair I really like that that crazy paving I think that looks really good I've also decided to reuse
08:20all of the material from this area of the garden that you might look at as rubbish I tell you I'm
08:26gonna make it look really good great this first part of the garden is where I'm gonna repurpose your
08:31trusty shed and turn it into environmentally friendly recycling centre yeah we definitely want
08:38environments alone yeah with both a compost tumbler and two water butts that you can collect rainfall
08:44and compost all of the garden waste behind the shed ah tumbling composter I've not actually heard
08:50one of those before but it's really good idea while Chris focuses on reusing materials Lee is looking to
08:59eco-friendly gardening techniques it could be the accessibility and planting that gives this one the edge I
09:05wanted to give you a garden with lots of contrast as well because you have lots of color all around
09:10the edges with the greens and the colorful perennials but in the center you've got this larger open space
09:16for the self binding gravel so you get the contrast between the two oh self binding gravel that sounds
09:21interesting and I've gone for a subtle touch with the planting and I've put blocks of scent around the
09:27garden so as you move through the space you can almost identify which area you're in that's really good I'm also
09:34going to introduce a number of color pops from highly scented herbaceous perennials things like
09:39achillia that are going to give you a real strong scent as you walk around the garden you'll be able
09:43to pick up on the different scents and work out exactly where you are I love when you go into a
09:48garden you've got all these scents I really love this garden I think it's unusual I think it's inviting
09:53and I really hope you give me a gold medal for this one so if you want to take a walk on the wild side and chill
09:59out pick my design oh man we've got a tough decision to make Claire and Dave must now decide which design
10:07they like the most exciting should we start with Chris's yeah I like the flow I like the way it kind
10:21of creates into one longer garden and also I think the biggest thing for us is probably that that coverage of that
10:28just take you draw your eye away from the back yeah I think that in itself will be quite a game changer it sure
10:35will all right should we have a look at least now yeah the color in this one just draws me in straight away
10:42there's so many that's way more vibrant it really is so you've got to cut the composter and the the
10:48really sustainable aspects over there guess it's time to decide into the TARDIS we go so we've heard
11:02back from Claire and Dave and they're ready to give us our decision I'm excited let's find out
11:06bit nervous hi Chris hi Lee thank you so much but there is incredible incredible designs you've
11:14definitely made our life pretty hard it's always a tough decision isn't it but we have decided
11:21well done Chris I'm gonna take that one because this garden is right up my street it takes all the
11:34boxes with sustainability and recycling to help bring Chris's design to life project manager Dan is
11:43leading an elite squad of landscapers into action that is a project where do we start the team have
11:53just two days to rescue Claire and Dave's garden right let's slap out of that but as you can see it's a bit
12:01of a jungle is everyone up for it yes it's a big job let's get cracking focusing on the far end of Claire
12:08and Dave's patch the team have weeds and hidden buried rubble to clear okay for the garden at least good
12:26thing about this garden is we are going to try and recycle and save as many things as we can tories in
12:33charge of preserving any salvageable old building materials these are some beautiful Victorian slabs
12:41and as Chris's design is all about upcycle recycle and reuse we're definitely going to keep hold of these
12:47Susie meanwhile is scouring the old borders and beds for healthy flowers and plants there's still some
12:55choice well flowers that we can save so at the moment I'm going to save this verbascum which is
13:02currently feeding the mulle moth so I'm going to carefully transplant this and we can use it later
13:09gently digging out the verbascum I've got to be super careful with it Susie tries to keep the root ball
13:19intact and replants it to a temporary new home and as you can see our little friend the caterpillar is
13:31still safe two hours since arriving on site the clearing continues membrane that should suppress
13:40weeds is well past its prime membrane ever everywhere on this job it's all gonna come up didn't really
13:49do its job though there's weeds everywhere the plants and shrubs of the old garden will thrive side by
13:55side with new wild flowers shrubs and plants enveloping the curvy bound gravel space and seating areas that
14:03Dan and Danny are starting to mark out that's going to be back of the games is going to be about there
14:13Susie is working on the edging for the planting that will surround the space so this massive legend is
14:20really versatile we're using it here to define where the gravel and the planting areas are we can use
14:27it in a right angle and it can also be bent into curves like over there six hours in it's raining but
14:36the team have cleared recycled and prepared the sub base for the seating area reclaimed crazy paving has
14:47been delivered and is ready to lay this is reclaimed York stone we're just sort of slinging it down so
14:53we can have a look how it's gonna sort of fit together it's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle it's quite
14:59good fun in a way I quite like doing this you can buy reclaimed York paving from as little as 20 pounds
15:07per square meter from reclamation yards with the crazy paving coming together Tori is preparing the
15:16new connecting lawn lovely there we are played it out like this so if you keep it rolled up it can go
15:23yellow it can die really what you want to do is when you get it delivered lay as soon as possible so
15:27we're just laying out now so it can breathe get a bit of water h2o you'll be good tomorrow at the rear of
15:35the garden Dan is planting posts for a pergola second up right for the pergola going in now the team have
15:46been on top form today all is cleared the paving is in and structures underway ready for Chris and Lee to
15:53inspect in the morning I tell you what Lee I know the guys had it bad yesterday but this is lovely I
16:05know we're bringing some sunshine to them today yeah we are well you know what else Loughborough is famous
16:09for go on then sports well you know me all about sports well I tell you what why don't we have a
16:15race to the garden come on go go oh you cheat tell you what Lee look at this this is a whopper it definitely is and I tell you what they've done very well they have because this was just totally overgrown wasn't it yeah now look at it wowsers but I tell you what this garden has got a lot going on in it there's a few different themes and the main vibe of the garden is kind of naturalistic and wild so what do you want me to do well I want you in this area today
16:45Lee that's with all the wildflowers and these free bee posts I know you love your bees I do love my bees so I can unleash my inner wild child you get started on those posts
16:53a real challenge with this garden is that we're only focusing on half of it so it's all about how do you connect these two areas together you can kind of go two ways with it
17:12one is you could screen this area off and give it its own identity or you can do what I've done and actually join the two together so I want to extend the lawn up into this curve so it becomes one sinuous garden and it's going to open up some views from the house as well
17:26to get that kind of wild vibe in the garden I wanted to do these beautiful sweeping curves with the steel edging and the paving to link the garden together
17:35and it just really fits that kind of loose natural vibe that we're going for
17:39and there's another big challenge in this garden
17:44this massive industrial unit right behind the back fence
17:49I mean there's no hide in it so I'm not going to pretend we can do that
17:52but what we can do is make you look inwards into the garden
17:56and be distracted from this beast
17:58Chris's aim is to keep Claire and Dave absorbed in their garden with planting and borders that will embrace two distinct areas
18:09Dan, Danny and Kyle have almost completed the pergola frame for the one toward the rear of the garden
18:18we're just putting the cross pieces up for the pergola now um just making sure everything's nice and plum
18:26down a tiny weenie bit
18:30come on
18:31there
18:32you good there?
18:33yeah
18:34looking good
18:35Chris has carefully chosen materials and textures to create contrast in this new space
18:43he's gone all out on the wood for the bee posts that Lee will be working with
18:50they're a little bit beasty they are
18:54they're so heavy
18:56thanks Chris, nice surprise
18:59Chris has chosen the Devon grown cedar posts
19:03in keeping with the sustainable theme of Dave and Claire's garden
19:08now Chris has given me a real treat today because I get to work with bees
19:14and as a beekeeper I absolutely love them
19:16now you might be wondering where are they going to lay all of the comb
19:19solitary bees don't actually lay comb
19:21they're not like honeybees
19:22they live on their own which is why posts like this will be ideal
19:26I'm going to cut down a few of these posts and have this like waterfall effect
19:30with different holes of different sizes for different species of solitary bees
19:34so this is going to be a really nice area for bees to come and feed, lay their eggs
19:39and then move on to the next life
19:41to get the posts fixed in place Lee makes his own mix adding six parts ballast to one part cement plus water
19:55so it's time to get this mix in around the base
20:07it's quite sloppy because it's going to go off super fast
20:09so I don't want it to go off before we've got the post level
20:12Susie here is going to be my super level pair of hands to make sure they're not all wonky donkey
20:20you don't need tonnes of concrete to hold this in place
20:37it's just to give it some stability
20:39we've got the rest of the earth around it
20:41and once it's set this will be absolutely fantastic
20:45right should we check it Susie?
20:56Chris has gone for more of a modern design so we're not having any overhangs
21:00so all the cross beams will all be included within the outside framework
21:07close to the seating area Chris is actioning his plan
21:10to make use of the materials the team uncovered yesterday
21:15I'm just putting together some of these gabion baskets and they are so easy to do
21:20pull the frame around, put these clips on and done
21:24one basket ready to fill up with all of our material
21:27now traditionally these are actually used for river defences
21:31obviously they're much bigger ones but they are very robust when they're full of material
21:35so it's a great way to do a DIY retaining wall or a bench, a seat, a table, anything like that at home
21:42and it's much cheaper than paying someone to come in and do a load of block work
21:50Gabions from the Italian for big cage can be filled with slates, stones or any heavy, preferably natural material
21:57is that level down?
22:00yeah, not far off mate
22:01not far off, that's alright, we can work with that
22:12actually, the tiniest bit that I think
22:16I think that's alright
22:18that's alright, yep
22:19the team place and position materials that would otherwise have gone to landfill
22:26to create a rustic, reclaimed look
22:30so you're alright with that face on the bricks?
22:32yeah, definitely
22:33I want it to be really hodgepodge, quite funky
22:35and then you know that it's all reclaimed
22:40I don't think there's any dispute, mine's the prettiest
22:43don't know what they're talking about
22:48it takes an expert to do this
22:54I've got some of these at home and you'd be amazed how quickly wildlife moves into them as well
22:58well that's what this garden's all about, being wild and wonderful
23:01once ten gabions are filled, Susie can start to measure and position around 40 half metre planks for the top
23:15to create a special curved bench seat
23:19so we're just tapering all the planks which are going to make the top to the seat
23:24it's a bit fiddly but it'll look good
23:31I am absolutely loving how this bench is coming together
23:45and you can really see now what a comfy social space this is going to be
23:50whereas I am just moving all of this soil around the back of the gabions
23:53so that when you're sat down here in this social space
23:56all of those scented perennials are going to grow up behind you
23:59so you'll be able to see the flowers but you'll also get that beautiful scent too
24:05fair bit of digging still to go
24:10it was the openness of the garden connected by the seating areas
24:14that sold Chris's design to Dave and Claire in the first place
24:19I think the really nice round social area and the bench there will be really good to see
24:24just how that's actually been brought to life
24:27I think it will be really different to what you think it will be
24:30yeah it's quite hard to like actually visualise the drawing isn't it
24:35to be fair I'm pretty excited now
24:37yeah not long now eh
24:39should we take a little peek?
24:41just a last minute peek!
24:42the garden's not ready yet
24:45with just a few hours to go until the end of day
24:48Lee's bee posts have set
24:53and he's making holes for the bees to nest in
24:56it's important when you're creating these solitary bee hotels
24:59that you use different sized holes
25:01different diameters for different species of bee
25:04the smallest would be 2mm
25:06absolutely tiny solitary bees
25:08that can lay their eggs in those holes
25:10you go all the way up to 10mm
25:12anything bigger than that
25:13you'll just get loads of spiders nesting in there
25:15which if that's your thing
25:16then go ahead
25:17but I really want things like masonry bees
25:19to come to this bee hotel
25:21lay their eggs
25:22and fill this garden
25:23with the sound of beautiful wildlife
25:26so once you've drilled your holes
25:28what you must do
25:29is ensure that you remove as many splinters as possible
25:32because with this hardwood
25:34and using a drill bit
25:35you'll often find little bits of wood that stick out
25:37if you don't clean them off
25:38then the solitary bees will rush in
25:40to lay their eggs
25:41and on the way back out
25:42they get stabbed and pierced
25:43and it can kill them
25:44so it's worthwhile
25:45once you've drilled all your holes
25:47getting a bit of sandpaper
25:48or even a twig off the ground
25:49to go into the holes
25:50and extract any little splinters
25:52or bits of wood
25:53that are left in there
25:54and then
25:55you've got a palace
25:56fit for a queen
25:58in chris's design
26:11the bee hotel
26:12will be surrounded
26:13by colourful wildflowers
26:15to encourage bees
26:16and other insects
26:17hey look at this lee
26:21this is like a forest in ivana
26:23yeah
26:24the smell is that damp woodland
26:25oh that's exactly what we want
26:26at that back end of the garden
26:27yeah
26:28look we've got this beautiful foliage
26:30multi-stems
26:32and look at this
26:33Sersidophyllum japonicum
26:34and this is a beautiful tree
26:36so once I snip all these ties
26:37that is going to open right up
26:39oh
26:40oh
26:41oh
26:42look at this one chris
26:44that is a big one isn't it
26:45this is a bigger
26:46look at that
26:47whoop
26:48that's what we want
26:49instant high
26:50whoop
26:51watch that telephone wire
26:52Chris is using the bigger trees and shrubs
26:56to screen the overbearing warehouse
27:00so I'm here at the back of the garden
27:02and this is where I'm going to be doing the woodland style planting
27:05and this is where I'm going to be putting in some new tree planting
27:08amongst the existing saplings that Claire and Dave put in
27:11and they are thriving
27:12so I don't want to overcrowd them
27:14but I also want to make it feel really full and cosy
27:17so that this seating area is a really nice place to be
27:26yeah something like that
27:28what I want to achieve with this area here is for it to feel like it's completely enveloped
27:33by lush planting and kind of dappled shade
27:36and kind of dappled shade so that when you're under here you just feel really cosy and snug
27:40when you're looking back out across the garden
27:44now it's time to get some smaller shrubs in here to get that forest layering
27:48whoa! she's a big un! look at that!
28:03Chris what do you reckon just having that kind of just and so kissy?
28:07the pergola?
28:08whatever you want to do Lee, I trust you
28:10do you know this is the beauty of working with amazing designers
28:14you just synchronise
28:19perfect on a hot day like today to have this living umbrella
28:25is here a good place for it to go?
28:27is that any good?
28:28I thought you're dead rough
28:29yeah
28:32hold that there
28:33not joking
28:34thanks
28:39not sure about that
28:41thanks
28:42you're welcome
28:47yoink
28:48I quite like it here
28:52it's a beautiful weeping willow
28:54and it just gives you that kind of arching foliage
28:57and it blocks the view to the back of the garden
29:00and it helps draw your eye around those curves
29:03I think it's the perfect spot
29:11right Chris, I've picked up your lovely multistam hazel
29:14but whereabouts do you think it should go?
29:17well it's all about screening that shed a bit
29:20so I think I'll give you something else
29:23and then so maybe we pull the hazel that way
29:26and then we have something a little bit smaller on where the hazel is now
29:29something a bit more smaller and attractive
29:31yeah and that can go there
29:32that'll fill out really nice
29:34and just soften that whole corner up
29:38with the pergola built
29:39the hotel posted
29:44seating area almost ready
29:47and plants in place
29:50oh nice
29:52Lee and Chris start to get things in the soil
29:54I'm in the social seating area part of the garden
29:58and this is all about scent here
30:00so what better shrub than a Philadelphia
30:03some mock orange
30:04it's so beautiful
30:05it has these amazing flowers
30:06and the scent is just unreal
30:09and it will really travel around the garden
30:11and they're pretty unfussy to be honest
30:13give them a bit of sun
30:15as long as it's not in really waterlogged soil
30:18heavy clay
30:20they will be happy
30:22and you'll get those beautiful flowers
30:23Lee, Chris and the landscapers are going all out to ensure this is the wild garden of Dave and Claire's dreams
30:40Chris has chosen some really beautiful wild meadow turf
30:45for this part of the garden which is going to be like this mini meadow
30:47in this one roll here we've got all these different species from like clover, bird's foot, trefoil, vetches
30:55all sorts of weird and wonderful meadow plants all meshed together
30:59now the thing with meadow turf
31:01is that it is relatively low maintenance for most of the year
31:05however unlike your regular lawn you need to cut it very precise times
31:09because if not it goes out of sync and it's going to become a bit of a pain
31:12when it comes to meadows we cut them three times
31:15the first is in very early spring
31:18we're talking the beginning of March
31:20and we cut it back and we collect all of the clippings
31:23we never feed the meadow
31:25we never give it any treatment other than mowing
31:27the second cut is going to be in September
31:30once all of this is finished flowering and it's set seed
31:33and it's starting to all crisp up
31:35and then the last cut is towards the end of October
31:38and we go really short with that
31:39but other than those three cuts a year
31:42for Claire and Dave they'll spend most of the time looking at this beautiful meadow
31:46rather than lugging the mower backwards and forwards
31:48and having to put all that grass clipping into the compost bin
31:51down even more
31:53I think these can like go in the back somewhere
32:07just get down there and grow up tall yeah
32:10there's another wonderful shrub that Chris has kindly allowed me to plant in this wildlife area
32:28and it's this
32:29Coralus avalana otherwise known as the common hazel
32:33and you can grow this a couple of ways
32:35the first is as a tree
32:37one trunk and a canopy
32:39or you can coppice it and cut it back hard each year to create this multi-stem shrub
32:44the beauty of the common hazel here in the UK is that it's native
32:48so it's used by loads of different insects and animals
32:50you can see on these leaves that they've been nibbled by leaf cutter bees
32:55so you already know that it's going to attract bees to this part of the garden
32:59but not only that you'll find that it does flower
33:02and once it flowers you get hazelnuts which squirrels absolutely love
33:07so if you can put the effort in to keep it controlled
33:12it's a brilliant shrub for any garden
33:14will tolerate any soil
33:16there's a real doer in any space
33:24right I think that's the lot
33:26as well as the trees, flowers and bee hotel
33:29Chris has other ideas to encourage wildlife to this garden
33:33oh yeah that'll be good
33:35now this is just a nice little touch
33:37that's going to be set within this beautiful planting bed
33:40it's going to be surrounded by colourful scented herbaceous perennials
33:44and then this bowl is going to be filled with water
33:47so it's going to do two things
33:49one is it's going to reflect the sky
33:51it's going to reflect the grasses and the flowers
33:53so you get that beautiful visual
33:55but also it's a water source
33:57and I've sunk it down into the ground
33:59so that wildlife can still access it safely
34:01and it's just going to be one of those lovely things
34:02as you're walking past you catch a reflection in it
34:05when you're on your way to the beautiful seating area
34:08so close
34:12what's your favourite colour for planting then?
34:13well I love those absolutely flame-hot yellows, oranges, the real burn your eyes off colours
34:30oh yeah, hot and spicy borders
34:33hot and spicy, that late summer sucker punch
34:36yeah, I love that
34:37I love that
34:39while Chris and Lee plant, the team lay the self-binding gravel made from small stones, sand and clay particles
34:50now this is exactly what I wanted to achieve in this area
34:54it's a riot of colour, it's beautiful, it's going to get all the pollinators in
34:57and most importantly it is full of scent
35:00one of my favourite scented plants in this area is this beautiful chocolate cosmos
35:05and it really does smell like chocolate
35:08but I've also got salvias, rosemary, lavenders
35:13so there is scent absolutely everywhere in this bed
35:16and I can already see some reflections picking up in the pool
35:19so get these planted and then we're nearly on the home straight
35:28with plants, flowers and trees in
35:31the gravel is compacted with a vibrating plate
35:36and seating areas are kitted out
35:39oh you're finishing touch Chris
35:41yeah, look at that
35:43oh that would be nice and cold evening wouldn't it
35:45the team have worked their hearts out these last two days
35:49wow Chris, what a transformation from before
35:57I know, I am so proud of this garden
36:00I think everyone has worked so hard to turn it around
36:02and look at it, what a difference
36:04yeah, I mean it's such a big space still
36:06but it feels like you've got these little cosy areas
36:08and everything just flows through
36:10exactly, that was it, I wanted it to feel really open, spacious and roomy
36:14but you aren't distracted by all the stuff going on around the garden
36:18you do look inwards, which is kind of the whole idea
36:21but your side of the garden as well
36:23when that wildflower grows up around those beautiful bee posts
36:25the whole garden is going to sing
36:27absolutely gorgeous, I can almost hear the bees flying in now
36:30oh they're coming, they're going straight for those holes
36:33shall we see what Claire and Dave think?
36:35I think they're going to love it
36:36Claire and Dave's back garden was an overgrown weed and rubble filled space
36:45making the factory walls behind feel ever more encroaching
36:51but with a £5,000 budget
36:58it's transformed into an open, connected but cosy wild space
37:03with thriving flora and fauna
37:06Dave and Claire's connecting lawn leads to that open, graveled space
37:13and seating areas surrounded by wildflowers and plants
37:18will it be the garden Dave and Claire have been dreaming of?
37:22Claire and Dave, tell me about this end of the garden
37:26what was it like when you last saw it?
37:27a dump
37:30please
37:33without any further ado
37:35here is your new garden
37:37oh wow, blooming heck
37:40jeez
37:42that is
37:44that is
37:46all this in like two days
37:48it's quite the turnaround compared to what it was
37:49that is amazing
37:52how was this our garden before?
37:55that's so good
37:57so you really love this garden
37:58you can see that they're really overwhelmed because it looks so different
38:01I love this seating area too
38:03did you want to go and have a look at it?
38:04yeah, absolutely
38:06after you
38:07a hidden, damaged path
38:10once led to stinging nettles and weeds
38:15now, Claire and Dave can wander hazard-free
38:18to the bespoke Gabion seating bench
38:21which surrounds a new fire pit
38:22look at this
38:27look at this
38:29oh yeah, it's pretty comfy actually
38:32it's very nice
38:33it's sturdy, isn't it?
38:34you just need some sunny days
38:35don't we need to be able to actually be out here
38:37this is in a good spot though
38:38yeah, yeah
38:39I do like fire pit too
38:41yeah, and also
38:43behind us we've got lots of scented plants
38:46so I've got a lavender back here
38:47so you're going to get the smell of the lavender
38:49further down there behind you we've got chocolate cosmos
38:53so it smells like chocolate
38:55oh, amazing
38:57quite cool
38:58oh yeah
38:59yeah, you got it
39:00yeah, that's quite interesting
39:01it's cool, isn't it?
39:02yeah
39:03now obviously you're both very environmentally conscious
39:05and that needed to be a big part of the garden night
39:08so we've used a lot of your own recycled materials in these Gabions
39:13they're really fun
39:14that is pretty good
39:15kind of crazy how much rubbish was buried into the ground as well
39:17so you've probably found a lot of that
39:19oh yeah
39:20oh yeah
39:21it's like, let's hide it and bury it
39:22that wasn't us
39:23lots of London bricks
39:24which are also in here
39:26yeah
39:27so the paving we've got is reclaimed Yorkstone
39:29and so there's some of that in there as well
39:31to tie it all together
39:33which look kind of cool
39:35so do you think this is a quality space
39:37where you'll have your friends and family around?
39:39I think just this part of the garden will be really good for it
39:42yeah
39:43that seating area that Chris has designed is perfection
39:46you can fit so many people there
39:48and all of those recycled materials mean
39:50that this garden is super eco-conscious
39:53the once out of control borders and old weed membrane
39:58is now three bee hotels
40:01surrounded by wildflowers
40:03creating a thriving natural space
40:05for Dave and Claire to unwind
40:09now Lee has crafted you these beautiful bee posts
40:13that are sitting in your very own native wildflower meadow
40:16how do these work?
40:18because I'm intrigued to
40:19so they are not for honey bees
40:22they're not like you'd have a beehive
40:23that'd be nice
40:24so they're for little solitary bees
40:26and they have all different sizes
40:27different types of bees
40:28yeah
40:29and they literally come along
40:30and they burrow in
40:31it's amazing how quickly they start to get colonised
40:34yeah we've wanted to attract wildlife and pollinators
40:37and yeah
40:38so just having this will be really good for that
40:40I think you'll see them here in no time
40:42great
40:43even one there
40:44see
40:45see a little bee
40:46I spotted them
40:47yeah
40:48come on
40:49come to your little home
40:50there's actual bees coming to the bee hotel
40:52build it and they shall come
40:54the bear rear of the garden did nothing to divert
40:57from the intimidating factory wall
40:59that loomed over the back of the garden
41:05now the height of the new pergola
41:07with mature trees and shrubs
41:09cleverly positioned
41:10means the factory wall is less of a big feature
41:16now this is a space
41:17sort of a different vibe
41:18it's more of a sort of cosy relaxed
41:20little nook
41:21at the end of the garden
41:22I like the weeping willow
41:23it reminds me of my grandparents
41:25they always had a weeping willow
41:27oh really
41:28so yeah I love it
41:29well there you go
41:30it's really nice
41:31and it will stay into quite a contained shape as well
41:33so it's not going to get too out of hand
41:35and the whole idea in here is that
41:37we're trying to stop you from you know
41:39being distracted by the big building
41:41we want you looking back into the garden
41:43so I've planted all the edges
41:45with a mix of some evergreen shrubs
41:47flowering shrubs
41:48it's all just about making you feel really cosy in here
41:50so you two can come and sort of decompress
41:52in this zone
41:53this is perfect
41:54and especially when the sun is out
41:56it's just nice
41:57yeah yeah
41:58nice place to chill
41:59especially with all the colour
42:00we never came down here
42:02and I think we'll always be down here now
42:03yeah
42:04the nicest part of the garden by a mile
42:06so yeah
42:07definitely
42:08that's the result
42:09yeah thank you guys
42:10I think you're going to love this for years to come
42:12thank you very much
42:13thank you very much
42:15yeah we wanted obviously something
42:17low maintenance
42:19different to the jungle
42:20yeah
42:21and it's definitely that
42:22so good
42:23yeah I feel like we came in with quite a
42:26long list of things that we kind of wanted
42:28and I definitely feel like you guys have tipped it all off
42:32so absolutely incredible job
42:34thank you
42:35we can actually now finally enjoy this amazing space
42:38Chris you got your gold medal
42:44we'd like to say we did it all on our own
42:46but
42:47no it was all down to a very very amazing team as well
42:50so come on get in here
42:52woo
42:53woo
42:54thanks
42:55yeah
42:56look at that we all fit on the bench look
42:58yeah
42:59it's perfect
43:00yeah
43:01how many is there?
43:02one two three
43:03eight yeah
43:04that's good
43:05great
43:06you could squeeze a few more on if you really wanted to be cosy
43:07yeah
43:08come on round have a party
43:10well we'll hold you to that
43:11get the marshmallows going
43:13yeah that sounds like a good idea
43:15good idea
43:23yeah
43:24yeah
43:28yeah
43:29yeah
43:33yeah
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