- 2 days ago
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AnimalsTranscript
00:01For nearly a decade, the Garden Rescue team have made dreams come true for hundreds of garden owners across the
00:09UK.
00:10Wow! It's awesome, isn't it?
00:12What have you done to this? This is really nice!
00:15Host your new garden, guys!
00:17Thank you, Charlie.
00:18But the one question I always get asked is what happens to the gardens after we leave?
00:26Well, now... Wow-wee! Bloomin' it!
00:30It's my turn to be amazed.
00:33Look at that!
00:35I'm going back to my favourite garden rescues.
00:39Hello, how are you enjoying the show?
00:41Hey, Charlie!
00:42Hello, Lisa!
00:43To find out what happened after we packed up our spades.
00:49It's my little secret garden down here now, though.
00:51But as you say, we've made it hours now.
00:54Fabulous!
01:00This time, I see how a garden we rescued six years ago in Coventry has matured.
01:07Oh, Charlie's calling.
01:09Hello, hello!
01:10Hi, Charlie!
01:12I hear if a contemporary garden in Oldham is still in good shape...
01:16I've added to it. It just enhanced it. Sorry, Charlie, but, you know, it did.
01:21But first, I'm in my home county to check on a garden I helped create with garden rescue veterans the
01:29Rich Brothers seven years ago.
01:31I'm back in Hampshire where seven years ago I helped the Rich Brothers build a garden for Jim and Sheena.
01:39They wanted coastal wildlife.
01:42So I can't wait to see how it's going.
01:44I'm looking forward to seeing Charlie again, just to see what she thinks of the changes I've made, because there
01:49has been one or two.
01:51Yep, it's going to be great to see her again.
01:53She's good fun and it would be really good to see her reaction.
01:58Seven years ago, Sheena and Jim's garden was ready for a rethink.
02:03Sheena enjoyed having a go at gardening, but the space lacked structure and wasn't working as well as it could.
02:09It just looks like I've planted random plants.
02:14Patio's too small when you get everybody around the table and there's just not enough room.
02:20Try as we might, wildlife just doesn't come into this garden.
02:24It's slugs.
02:25Just slugs.
02:27Their dream was a garden alive with nature, but also one that could welcome family and friends.
02:33And the budget is...?
02:35£2,500.
02:37OK, not massive, but I feel like it's a nice-sized garden.
02:41It's already got a few elements in it.
02:43Sunshine!
02:45Beautiful!
02:45The budget was tight, but when we went to have a look, we could all see the potential.
02:50Whoa!
02:51Wow!
02:52That's quite a nice little space, isn't it?
02:54It's a lovely size.
02:55Oh, and greenhouse and a good shed.
02:58Yeah, lots of plants around the borders, isn't there?
03:00Yeah, a real working garden feeling, isn't it?
03:02Yeah.
03:02I love the way they've got plenty of bird feeders there available.
03:07Jim, Sheena, well, what do you want from the garden?
03:11You mentioned that you like wildlife, and then we see your feeders.
03:15Yeah, but nothing comes on them.
03:16And you've got this patio area here.
03:18Yes.
03:19Tiny.
03:20So, is that something we've got to look at?
03:22Make it a little bit bigger, please.
03:23And to top it all off, there was an extra theme they wanted to bring in.
03:27Do you want, I mean, a feel to the garden?
03:30Something seasidey.
03:32What I mean by seasidey, I don't really know as such.
03:35Well, that's always helpful.
03:38We'd have to be clever to create a wildlife-friendly coastal paradise in Sheena and Jim's garden.
03:45Hello.
03:46Hello.
03:47Hi, guys.
03:49Okay.
03:50Both our designs hit the brief in different ways.
03:53So, just to break down the design, we've kind of split it into three different rooms.
03:57So, the first room here, we've extended the patio area.
04:00So, you want to straight out of your conservatory, and you've got a lovely, large dining space to use.
04:05This central room, and that's kind of like a soft seating, a bit more relaxed area.
04:08And then the third area at the back is predominant for the wildlife, a very natural space.
04:13But what we wanted to do was introduce these nice pockets of meadow.
04:17Things that the insects and the wildlife are used to, and that's going to get them nice and cosy in
04:21your garden,
04:21and make it feel like a real little safe patch of nature.
04:24We wanted to create this path that was very depictive of a kind of a worn coastal path.
04:29So, using something like pebbles, and then we like the idea of planting thyme into that path as well.
04:35Jim, Sheena, I have given you a garden of two hearths.
04:41This area here, which is very much wildlife-based, bringing the wildlife closer to the house,
04:47and a journey up to a beach area that's much more open.
04:53And we've got these groins, and this is all pebbles with very simple planting in.
05:00And I've also got these vegetable beds.
05:05For Sheena and Jim, choosing between the two wasn't easy.
05:09Well, it's been a lot harder than what I thought it was.
05:12It's been really, really difficult. Thank you very much, guys.
05:16We've gone four.
05:18Yeah!
05:20There you go!
05:22Wonderful!
05:28It was then up to the team to bring David and Harry's design to life.
05:35Top of the list was extending the existing patio.
05:40Giving Sheena and Jim more space to entertain.
05:46We had to remove sections of the large lawn to make way for the new design.
05:50And all the old turf was recycled into the Rich Brothers' wildlife area.
05:57That's the gardener's shuffle. Looks like a penguin.
06:02That's just the way he walks.
06:06David, Harry and I couldn't wait to get involved too.
06:10Right, what's the plan of a tank?
06:11Yeah, we're just going to have a subtle note of coastal, but also a little hint of kind of a
06:16working garden.
06:17Oh, OK.
06:18So it's got a nice little fusion of two.
06:20Harry spent hours painstakingly creating a rustic, coastal-inspired pebble pathway.
06:26This middle section of the garden, we really wanted it to feel quite formal and traditional, but not too much.
06:32So what we're going to do is we're going to dress it down by using these cobbles.
06:35And these cobbles are a lovely choice because not only are they kind of rustic and quite natural and irregular,
06:42but it actually imitates this lovely kind of worn coastal path.
06:49Whilst I took a rusty old table and upcycled it to create a G&T station, perfect for family get
06:57-togethers.
06:58I might even encourage Jim out to sit out in the garden and get involved with the garden rather than
07:05letting Sheena do it all.
07:12So with the recycling of the table, I've decided to make this planter to go at the bottom.
07:19And I'm going to plant it up with ferns because the glass on the top is frosted,
07:23so it won't let as much light through, and the ferns will light that so they won't get scorched.
07:30Meanwhile, David was in charge of the wildlife area,
07:33adding two huge amelanchia trees for the birds.
07:38Beautiful!
07:39And wildflower turf with a mixture of planting to complete the natural feel.
07:45This stuff's great.
07:47It all comes pre-formed.
07:48We've got loads of different species in here, something like 34 different species.
07:53With Harry finishing his pebble path with some scented plants.
07:58So to do this, I'm using thyme.
08:00Fill these little gaps in.
08:02And as you can see, the thyme has already started to kind of cover and soften these pebbles.
08:06That's really evocative of that kind of coastal path that we're looking to create.
08:11There was just time for a few extra seasidey touches.
08:15And these are cockle shells.
08:16Instead of using gravel, we thought it would be a great idea to actually use something that is found in
08:22the beaches.
08:25Before Sheena and Jim got a first look.
08:28Right.
08:28No peeking, guys.
08:30That's up there.
08:31So when I opened my eyes anyway at the reveal, I was really, really surprised.
08:37And it was just amazing.
08:39Three, two, one.
08:41Open your eyes.
08:42Wow.
08:43Yes.
08:45Oh, flippin' eh.
08:45That is brilliant.
08:47It's like the plan, but it's so much more.
08:51I love it, yeah.
08:52With a modest £2,500 budget, what had been a long, narrow, empty stretch of garden,
09:00was now a coastal haven designed to entice in local wildlife.
09:05An extended patio and my gin table started the journey.
09:10With a textured pebble path winding past a beachy cockle shell seating area.
09:16And a wild zone at the far end with amelanchia trees and wildflower turf designed to entice animals into the
09:24garden.
09:25So, Charlie's been working hard today.
09:26Oh, wow.
09:27Look at that.
09:28Nice.
09:29What she's done here is she's actually put in some plants that you can use in your gin.
09:32You've got chamomile that you can use, you've got lavender that you can use, and thyme as well.
09:38Enjoy the pleasure of walking on the pebble path.
09:41Lead the way, guys.
09:46So, this has a nice little rustic feeling underfoot.
09:51And then...
09:52Oh, shell.
09:52Yes, that's cockle shell.
09:54Please walk on it.
09:55It's got a feeling of, like, fresh snow or bubble wrap.
10:00It's Nick.
10:00It's Nick.
10:03I like it.
10:04I like it.
10:04It's great.
10:05Isn't it lovely?
10:06I love it.
10:07So, this area, as you can see, it's got a perfect apple light by the amelanchia.
10:12Then these mounds here that look like nothing at the moment, this is actually meadow turf.
10:15You're going to grow up now over the summer and you'll have stuff about this high.
10:18And it's just going to be a beautiful, lovely bit of interest at the back of the garden.
10:21Really simple and really natural.
10:22I love it.
10:23Yeah, it's really, really good.
10:27Seven years later, I'm back in Hampshire to see how Sheena and Jim's Coastal Wildlife Garden has come along.
10:34And I can't wait to see what it looks like now.
10:42Hello, Sheena.
10:44Hello, Charlie.
10:44A very cheery doorbell.
10:47And you've laid on the weather like it was when we did the build.
10:50Absolutely.
10:50I'm boiling hot already.
10:52Where's Jim?
10:53He's in the garden.
10:53Oh, good man.
10:59Jim!
11:01Hi, Charlie.
11:02I don't know which way to look.
11:04What's all this?
11:06A train set in the garden.
11:09Was that your idea?
11:10Of course it was.
11:11Not.
11:14I love the way it goes through the plants and it's sort of all part of one.
11:19It makes me smile, I have to say, yeah?
11:22Hungry.
11:23Yeah.
11:24And if I'm honest, it makes me smile.
11:25Yeah.
11:26It's just nice to hear them.
11:27Even when you're pottering around, if he's been playing and you just hear them in the background.
11:32That's the whole thing about garden.
11:34I mean, Harry and David came up with the design and you like their design.
11:38I'm not bitter at all.
11:39Of course not.
11:40But then it's that living with the garden and putting your mark on it.
11:44And I can see some things that we put in and I can see other things that we didn't.
11:51So I'm wanting to explore this garden, Sheena.
11:54But as you say, we've made it ours now.
11:56Yeah.
11:57Well, that's great.
11:58Absolutely fantastic.
12:00From a bland patch of lawn to a coastal retreat.
12:08Seven years and one train set later, they've clearly made the garden their own.
12:13But I can see many of the original features have stood the test of time.
12:17Now, the path's still here.
12:19I remember Harry spending ages doing this path.
12:24But it was obviously worth it.
12:25Oh, it's great.
12:26I love the way it feels.
12:28Even through my work boots, I can feel it underneath my foot.
12:31It's really nice.
12:32Do you like that?
12:33I do, because I spend a lot of time barefoot anyway.
12:35Oh, OK.
12:36So it's almost like a foot massage.
12:38And then it hit the chamomile and things and it's smelly.
12:41The smell.
12:42Pineapple is gorgeous.
12:43Beautiful.
12:43Do you ever use any of it to make tea or anything like that?
12:46No, I don't.
12:46I just try to spread it and fill it in the bits.
12:49Oh, you take it.
12:50So you could probably just prise up a little bit and do it on the edge.
12:54And that will stop where you've been watering and the soil's running in it.
12:57Or just give a little bit of a buffer.
13:00Yeah.
13:00And you've got more chamomile.
13:01Absolutely.
13:03This seems right.
13:04This looks a bit different to me.
13:07Because all your pots, weren't they all down there?
13:09Yeah, they were all on the patio.
13:11But then we realised I had so many pots on there,
13:15you couldn't fit any chairs on.
13:16But I decided that I'd get rid of the bed that was here
13:20and match the pebbles in with this.
13:22Right.
13:22But what I also realised after you'd gone
13:24was I didn't really want a coastal theme after all.
13:29I really liked lots of colour,
13:31so I realised it was really English cottage garden I really wanted.
13:33Well that's quite a jump there Sheena.
13:36Yeah.
13:36But it's nice because I've been able to put your mark on the garden.
13:45What was originally designed to be a little seaside seating area
13:49with cockle shells underfoot has had a makeover.
13:53And it looks like Sheena has taken a few cues from my original design.
13:57A pond! That's fantastic!
14:00So what made you put this in?
14:03It's something Jim's always wanted
14:04and I just love the sound of running water.
14:07And wildlife?
14:07Yeah, well we've got frogs.
14:09We've got lots of birds now as well,
14:11which we never got anything.
14:12We didn't get a bird at all.
14:13Because the great thing is,
14:14is you've put some rocks right on the edge
14:17and also in the water
14:18so the birds and the frogs can get in and out
14:21and they can get to the water.
14:23But I've got a few tips for you about it
14:26so you can sort of enhance it
14:28and make it even more wildlife friendly.
14:31That'd be great.
14:33David worked hard to create a wildlife friendly area
14:36at the rear of the garden.
14:40I can't wait to see how it looks now.
14:45These amelankias have done well, haven't they?
14:48Yeah, they're gorgeous.
14:49Brilliant in the spring because they're just like a cloud.
14:52Of white flowers, isn't it?
14:54Yeah.
14:54And of course, you know, come the autumn,
14:56the colour they go is gorgeous, isn't it?
14:58It's absolutely beautiful.
14:59Yeah, all the reds and the yellows.
15:01But while the amelankias are thriving...
15:10..underfoot, things are very different.
15:12So remind me, this was, what was going on here again?
15:16It was the wild meadow, some grasses.
15:19Yeah.
15:20So that was great.
15:21But then when my grandson got to about two
15:24and he had a sister as well then,
15:27they needed somewhere to play.
15:28So if we flattened it, it gave them somewhere to play
15:32and also in the summer it always had a paddling pool on it.
15:35Is that the gin table?
15:37It absolutely is.
15:38It's now a potting table.
15:39Have you found that having the garden done,
15:42you've got more into gardening?
15:44Absolutely.
15:44I grow far more from seed.
15:46Vegetables, now I do all the vegetable well that I can.
15:49Right.
15:49That's fantastic.
15:50Also, something else I've found I do since it was put in
15:53is most mornings I'll walk up with a cup of tea,
15:56especially in the spring, to see what's coming
15:57and what's not coming.
15:58And it just starts the day off, actually.
16:01It does, doesn't it?
16:02There's something about that going out,
16:03just to see what's popped up.
16:04So Garden Rescue, coming along, doing your garden,
16:07was it worth it?
16:08Oh, absolutely, 100%.
16:09I wouldn't have got any of this.
16:11I wouldn't have even thought of any of this.
16:12What about you, Jim?
16:14Are you enjoying it as well?
16:16Definitely, Charlie.
16:17Best thing we did out here.
16:21Jim's still down there playing with his trade.
16:28Sheena's done a great job with the new pond,
16:30but it could do with a spot of TLC to help it along.
16:35Now, it's fantastic that Sheena has put a pond in.
16:39It adds so much more interest to the garden
16:42and brings lots and lots of wildlife in.
16:44So the great thing is the pond is lovely and level.
16:48There's a filter and pump system,
16:50so you've got the sound of the water moving
16:53and it will keep the pond oxygenated and also clear.
16:57Now, the great thing is they've also put plants in.
17:00Now, some of the plants are great
17:01and some are not quite so great.
17:03So the ones that aren't quite so great is this variegated grass.
17:08This is a phalaris.
17:09And as you can see, it does really well.
17:12And for the size of the pond, it's probably a bit too vigorous.
17:16So I'm going to take that out.
17:23The other thing that they've put in is this floating fern.
17:29It's a salvenia and it's normally sold for tropical aquariums.
17:34And I would probably suggest that you don't actually put in the pond
17:37because it just swamps it.
17:39It stops the plants that are deep down in the water from getting light.
17:43So I'm going to take that out.
17:45Now, whenever you take plants out of the pond,
17:47you want to leave them by the side of the pond for at least 24 hours,
17:52maybe 48 hours, so that all the bugs and things can crawl back in to the pond.
18:01What are you doing with the pond, Charlie?
18:03I know it looks a little bit drastic, Sheena.
18:06You've got some lovely plants in here, but these are a bit...
18:10They're thugs, really, for a small pond.
18:13But these will be fine in a pot.
18:16Just plant them up in a pot.
18:18They've got lovely hotinia and you've got king cuts there.
18:21But then you've got water hawthorn, which is gorgeous, scented.
18:26It's probably one of the only scented plants.
18:28And it will give you surface coverage.
18:30So you're looking for about half the surface covered with leaves.
18:35When it comes to maintenance on your pond,
18:38you shouldn't really have to empty the pond.
18:41Probably once every five to seven years.
18:45Okay.
18:45So you just pull out the blanket weed,
18:48occasionally lift out the plant pots and maybe take out any sediment.
18:53But can you see all these little baby ones growing here, like there?
18:56There's another little seedling.
18:58Yeah, so you see the seed.
19:01Yeah.
19:02And then that's it growing.
19:03So you can see how well they'll do in that sediment.
19:07So yeah, I'm going to carry on.
19:08Thank God.
19:09So don't look so frightened.
19:11No, I won't.
19:19I'm finishing the pond with some creeping plants.
19:23Corsican mint.
19:25Thyme.
19:28And sedum to soften the edges and help the frogs get in and out more easily.
19:33Oh, wow, Charlie.
19:34That looks great.
19:35Thank you so much.
19:36You're very welcome.
19:37And I have to say it's been great coming back to see the garden.
19:41You guys have done a fantastic job.
19:44I mean, it makes me smile.
19:46The train makes me smile a lot.
19:48And you've put your own influence on it.
19:50And you've obviously had fun.
19:52I've loved it.
19:52I really have loved it.
19:53And we couldn't have done it without Garden Rescue though.
19:55No.
19:55We really couldn't.
19:57And this is just the finishing touches now.
19:58It's great.
19:59Marvellous.
20:00I bet you'll be putting a bigger pond in.
20:02But on that note, I'll be off.
20:05I'll have that, Jim.
20:05Thank you, Charlie.
20:07Bye.
20:08See you next time.
20:10Sheena and Jim's garden has been on quite a journey.
20:13From a bland patch of grass, which was devoid of personality,
20:17to the calming coastal retreat designed to entice in the local wildlife.
20:23And now, seven years later, they've grown with the garden
20:26and really made it their own.
20:29The garden has relaxed into our way of living.
20:32And we've relaxed with the garden.
20:35And we've sort of grown together.
20:38Has the Garden Rescue experience been worth it?
20:40Absolutely.
20:41I'd do it all over again.
20:42It's made a huge difference.
20:44We spend a lot more time outside.
20:46And also the grandchildren spend a lot more time outside with us.
20:49So, as a whole family, it's been amazing.
20:52I can't really thank them enough.
20:58Over the years, we've transformed family gardens up and down the country.
21:02Turning plain plots into playful spaces packed with fun.
21:08Six years ago, I was in Coventry with mum of two, Louise,
21:13who wanted a garden that worked for her family.
21:16We had the patio built last summer,
21:18so that we could at least have somewhere to sit in the garden.
21:21The rest of the garden's quite overgrown.
21:23There's lots of shrubs out there, but none of them are very useful.
21:26And I think the whole lot could just do with a good makeover.
21:31Right.
21:31Now, it's been six years since Ara and I did a garden in Coventry for Louise.
21:36It was about getting the children out in the garden to play some sports,
21:41but also to grow some fruit and veg and a space for mum to chill as well.
21:45So, I can't wait to see how it's getting on.
21:49It's tidy.
21:50It's tidy.
21:51It just feels that there's just nothing in here
21:53that's really reflecting the family's needs.
21:55The problem I've got at the moment is when the children,
21:58with little tiny children,
21:59they used to go out in the garden all the time to play on their climbing frame.
22:02Since they've got older and their interests have changed,
22:05they don't go out there as much as I'd like them to.
22:07She wants this garden to play to her children's hobbies.
22:11Naomi is a keen gymnast.
22:13Oh, so that means there's got to be a bit of space.
22:16Yes.
22:16So, she wants that reflected in the garden.
22:19Right.
22:19It'd be lovely to have something that would really engage the children
22:22and get them out into the garden,
22:24rather than sitting and watching TV and playing on their consoles.
22:27Budget-wise?
22:28Budget-wise, we're on £3,000.
22:31With a tight budget, it wasn't going to be easy,
22:34but me and garden rescue veteran, Eric,
22:37got to work designing gardens that would work for the whole family.
22:43Hello, Louise.
22:44Hi, Charlie.
22:45You wanted a garden that would bring the children out into the garden,
22:49but at the same time giving you your own space.
22:53Wow.
22:54I proposed a design that had fun elements to appeal to the children.
22:58We've got the checkerboard for the chess set.
23:02Big enough little patio for you to sit on with a bench,
23:06but likewise, you can move the bench,
23:08and then the path runs on down through an archway.
23:13They have a screen here.
23:15Wow.
23:16That's going to screen the garage,
23:19and then this is a surface that they use to play basketball on.
23:25Also great for Naomi if she wants to get her trampoline out,
23:29balancing bar.
23:31So it's a very versatile surface.
23:34But Eric was playing hardball
23:36and had a checkerboard area of her own in mind to appeal to the children.
23:40I've introduced this sort of giant chess area,
23:43which is going to be made up of stone sets,
23:45be laid out in this checkerboard effect,
23:47and then just put in a little lawn space for Naomi
23:50to be able to still practise her hoops and twirls.
23:53With two strong designs on the table,
23:56Louise left the final choice to the children.
23:59Have you made your decision?
24:00Yep, I think I have.
24:02OK.
24:04But there could be only one winner.
24:07Charlie!
24:09I couldn't have been more thrilled.
24:11Oh!
24:13So I sent the landscapers in,
24:16and they got to work clearing the garden.
24:19Yeah, bang on that, mate.
24:21Yep.
24:21And erecting a screen to hide the garage.
24:25While Kyle's opening gambit...
24:27Lovely, mate. Good square.
24:28..was to prepare the chessboard patio.
24:33Ready for Arete and I to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in.
24:37Thing is, like you said, you want it to be something where, of course,
24:39if chess is not being played, there is actually a design feature going on.
24:43It sort of looks like a little bistro patio for Louise.
24:47Well, we're on a roll now.
24:48This is like speed chess.
24:50We're on a roll.
24:50We're on a roll.
24:52And with Andy's help, I created a basketball court,
24:55which was a slam dunk.
24:57It's coming together really quickly,
24:59and that is the great thing about it.
25:00You don't have to be really skilled to actually install.
25:04And finally, after adding dozens of perennials, grasses and trees.
25:09Now this is a peach.
25:12An archway with climbing roses.
25:15And sprinkling a few more playful touches.
25:18Amazing.
25:20The new garden was ready for Louise and Naomi to see.
25:24Do you want to open your eyes?
25:32This is so cool.
25:34We were all really excited.
25:36It felt like such a big, massive space with so much colour.
25:41Even more lavender.
25:44Yeah.
25:44I mean, the scent of it today, planting it was gorgeous.
25:48Smells gorgeous.
25:49It's nice having it near the path as well,
25:51so every time you walk past you're going to get that kind of big waft of lavender.
25:54Yeah.
25:55It's that grandma smell.
25:56Yeah, you know, you just remember things when you were a child,
25:59and brushing against it.
26:01One of the first things I saw was there was loads of bees in the garden already.
26:05It had only been done for a matter of hours,
26:07but the bees were already there.
26:10And then over here, we've got your fan train peach tree.
26:13Lovely.
26:14That will cover that wall there,
26:16and because that's a nice evening sun there,
26:19that's an ideal place for it.
26:20What had been a bland open space was now a vibrant garden full of interest for both grown-ups and
26:29kids.
26:30This rose arch, so we've got roses, clematis, honeysuckle.
26:35Again, lots of lovely smells.
26:37Do you think it's going to get you out into the garden more?
26:39Yeah.
26:39There's one last little surprise for Naomi.
26:42All right.
26:43Look around the back of there, I think you'll find Erin,
26:45and she has a little bit of a surprise for you.
26:47Come round, see what you think.
26:50I've been creating a little nature area for you.
26:53There's logs there for all the bugs to come into.
26:56I like it.
26:58Bird feeder.
26:59Aww.
26:59I think Charlie did really well with our brief.
27:02She absolutely nailed it.
27:03She took all of the elements that I wanted
27:05and the elements that the children wanted
27:07and brought it all together.
27:08The garden definitely looks amazing,
27:11answers exactly what we wanted.
27:13I think my problem is going to be getting the children out of the garden
27:16rather than getting them into the garden
27:18because they're going to be spending so much time out here.
27:20Yeah.
27:21The whole family loved the garden six years ago,
27:24but I want to know how it has evolved as the children have grown up.
27:28Oh, Charlie's calling.
27:30Hello, hello.
27:32Hi Charlie.
27:34How are you?
27:35Good, thank you.
27:37Naomi.
27:37Hiya, you alright?
27:38You're a grown up young lady now.
27:42She's 19.
27:43I'm now studying stage management at university.
27:4619 at university.
27:49Because this garden was all about getting the kids out into the garden, wasn't it?
27:53Yeah.
27:54That was the intention.
27:56So did that happen?
27:57Obviously it was 2019 when it was done.
27:59We went into lockdown in spring of 2020.
28:01So we were at home for that whole year.
28:05So having somewhere to go out into was great for us all.
28:09Well, I'm excited to see the garden.
28:11So come on, show me round, show me round.
28:13OK.
28:15In six years, it's not just Naomi who has grown up.
28:19The garden has too.
28:21When we left, the plants were in their infancy.
28:26Now they've matured and stretched into every corner,
28:30wrapping the garden in a lush, untamed feel.
28:34It has gone quite wild since the garden was done,
28:37but I quite like the way it's evolved.
28:39Now that rose arch, do you get lots of flowers?
28:42Yeah.
28:43You can see if I turn the camera around,
28:46these ones are just slightly going over now.
28:49But I'm actually getting married next year.
28:51So I've been collecting the rose petals ready for confetti.
28:55Well, congratulations on getting married next year.
28:58Naomi's my bridesmaid.
29:00So we'll be having a little brunch in the garden before the wedding.
29:04I'm sure it'll be fantastic.
29:07Absolutely.
29:08Six years ago, the focus was firmly on fun,
29:11with a basketball court and a chessboard patio.
29:15Today, the space feels more grown up,
29:18with Louise updating the patio to put her stamp on the garden.
29:22So in the last six years, the garden's matured quite a lot.
29:26The children have also grown up as well, so it's grown with them.
29:30Initially, we had a chess set.
29:33We had that changed at the end of last year.
29:36That's now a patio with a seating area for dining.
29:40Oh, so it's just a patio area now?
29:42A patio, yeah.
29:43We had the paving redone last winter.
29:46Is that resin-bound gravel?
29:48Yeah, resin-bound.
29:50Yeah, that's nice, isn't it?
29:50Yeah.
29:51And no chess board anymore.
29:53If you play chess, you just play it on the table.
29:57Yeah.
29:58And then, if I remember rightly, there was the basketball-cum-gymnastic area.
30:04Yeah.
30:05That you were really keen on.
30:06Through here.
30:07Oh, I can see the blue.
30:08I can see the blue.
30:11The basketball court was once the heartbeat of the garden, a space that saw endless games.
30:19Now, nature has crept in, turning it into a secluded corner, and the family are hoping
30:25for some advice from me about what to do with it.
30:29So, I have to say, the plants in that area have really sort of thickened up, but they've made
30:33it like a very sort of enclosed area.
30:36Yeah, it's become a little secret garden down here now, though.
30:39It is a real secret garden.
30:41So, do you use that area much now?
30:43Not really.
30:44It's one of the areas I'd like to develop next.
30:47So, what do you want to do with that area now?
30:50Possibly like a little gin garden for socialising down there.
30:54You can just take the matting up, and then it's up to you.
30:58You could either lay paving on it, because it's got a proper base to it, or you could put
31:03gravel down.
31:04You need to clip the hedges, but that will make a fantastic sort of secret garden if you
31:10just clip those up a bit, so it gives you privacy.
31:13And then you could put maybe one or two raised beds in there, with some botanics in there
31:21that you could flavour your gin with, or grow a few edible flowers so you can make gin cocktails
31:28and dress them all up, and it would be a fantastic secret garden.
31:32Lovely.
31:32The garden looks great.
31:33Have you enjoyed the whole experience?
31:36Yes, definitely.
31:37It's got me out in the garden.
31:39It's got me learning what grows well and what I'm good at growing, what doesn't grow
31:43so well, and just evolve the garden and change it every year if I can.
31:48It looks great, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it, and that you got out of the garden what
31:53you wanted.
31:54So, yeah, well done you.
31:58It's fantastic talking to Louise, and great to see that the garden did what she wanted.
32:04Got the children out into it, using it, growing fruit and veg, a fantastic family space.
32:11But also, it's fabulous to hear that she's got ideas on how she wants it to develop and
32:17change, now that the family have got older and more grown up.
32:22So that's the thing, when you're designing a garden, think about how you're going to be
32:26maybe using it in four, five, six years' time, because it will be different.
32:32But if you've thought about it, you'll be ready for it.
32:35I'm loving how Louise's garden turned out, but my next garden revisit was a very different
32:42challenge.
32:47Over the years, we've seen a surge in demand for sleek, contemporary gardens.
32:54Outdoor spaces designed with clean lines, bold planting and a modern edge.
33:02One of my favourite contemporary transformations came five years ago in Oldham, when the rich
33:08brothers and I tackled Nigel and Deb's garden.
33:12We finished inside the house, and we thought, how are we going to transfer the style we've
33:16picked to the garden?
33:18And that's where we're struggling a bit.
33:20And they'd like to continue that mid-century modern into the garden itself.
33:25I do want concrete, great to have some rusty metal, some nice architectural planting.
33:33They want something totally different.
33:36They've said, think out the box.
33:39We like things that are different, unique, that nobody else has probably thought of.
33:43I'm always drawn to the architectural gardens.
33:47Nigel and Deb challenged us to really unleash our creativity.
33:52We got to work coming up with designs which would make the most of their £5,000 budget.
34:04Hello.
34:05Hi Deborah. Hi Nigel.
34:07So this is our design for your garden.
34:09The rich brothers went for a softer, contemporary design with plenty of space for entertaining.
34:15So as you wander from the boardwalk into this central seating area, we've left this ample.
34:21It's got a large seating area so that you can have family and friends over.
34:25And then opposite to that seating area, we wanted to create a minimal bit of sculpture.
34:31By having these three topiary domes in there, it gives this lovely bit of artistry.
34:35That's why we need somebody in, because I would never have thought of that.
34:38Here we go, Nigel, Deborah.
34:40Well, I went more industrial with concrete and metal architectural features.
34:46Now this is a sunken patio.
34:49So when you're sat there, you'll feel like you're really enclosed and it's retained with concrete walls.
34:56And then this is a feature wall that runs along here that's textured like a 3D wall.
35:01I've given you a really, really low maintenance, simple water feature just for the lovely soft sound of the water.
35:09While you're warming yourselves next to the wood burner.
35:13Sit there in the winter with our roast potatoes.
35:16Then what I do want to do is divide the garden with these concrete, upright posts.
35:21So it will screen, but you can sort of see through it.
35:24You see one design, then you think that's it.
35:27And then you see the second one and I don't know.
35:30It is a difficult decision.
35:34We've decided together for the first time in years that we're going to go for Charlie's design.
35:48While the team worked their socks off digging out the sunken patio.
35:53Love the job.
35:55Laying dozens of paving slabs.
35:59And building a retaining wall.
36:02That looks bang on, lads.
36:03It's quite good having that sunken patio area up there.
36:07It contains the landscapers in one place.
36:10It's like a landscaping zoo, isn't it?
36:12Yeah.
36:15David and Harry took on the heavy lifting.
36:17Securing the concrete pillars that would anchor the whole design.
36:24A momentous occasion.
36:27The last one's going in.
36:31Well, I created a contemporary water feature.
36:35I'm going to put some black dye in.
36:37It makes the water look like a mirror.
36:40And it also stops the algae from growing.
36:45After a team push to pack the garden with evergreen ferns, shrubs and wildflowers.
36:52And add those all-important bold industrial touches.
36:56Brake bits.
36:57These are brake shoes off a truck.
36:59Wow.
36:59Fantastic.
37:00So they must be quite...
37:01In heaven.
37:02Oh, yeah.
37:02Okay.
37:03Where do you want them?
37:04In there.
37:05Right.
37:10The garden was ready to show Nigel and Deb.
37:14Wow, just.
37:14I'm so pleased with it.
37:17I mean, oh my goodness.
37:19Everybody's worked so hard.
37:21From plain and lifeless.
37:25To modern and striking.
37:30The garden was reimagined with an industrial flair and sleek contemporary touches.
37:40Come forward a bit more.
37:42Do you want to open your eyes?
37:46Oh, my word.
37:48That is beautiful.
37:52Yeah, these are great.
37:53Nice clean like these.
37:54These are fabulous.
37:55They're brilliant, aren't they?
37:56Yeah.
37:56And there is your sunken patio.
37:58Yeah.
37:59Look at the water feature.
38:01That's brilliant.
38:01Oh, the fire.
38:02Yeah.
38:03I think it's absolutely brilliant.
38:05I love it.
38:06You would never...
38:06I mean...
38:07It's everything that I couldn't do.
38:15Five years on and Nigel and Deb's garden has come into its own.
38:20The planting has matured and they love the space more than ever.
38:26Couldn't be more happier with the garden.
38:28It's evolved to what we want, our expectations and beyond.
38:32There's always something new and exciting to see.
38:36My design brought bold industrial touches into the garden.
38:42And Nigel and Deb have carried that theme forward, adding their own ideas to make it even better.
38:49Since Charlie left, we've built structures across there just for privacy really.
38:55A woodshed.
38:57I built this to sit on.
39:00I've done quite a lot really.
39:02Spent a lot of time tinkering, haven't I?
39:07Yeah.
39:08Yeah.
39:09I remember before it wasn't as private as it was but now you've done that little pergola thing, it looks
39:14absolutely great.
39:14Yeah.
39:15That's a garden rescue pinch.
39:17But it works well and we've got the lights on it as well.
39:19Yeah, it looks great.
39:20So you can sit out here at night and it just lights it up and highlights it as a feature,
39:24doesn't it?
39:24Yeah.
39:24I'm really, really pleased with it now.
39:26I do think it all ties nicely.
39:28Yeah.
39:29It's added to what Charlie has already done, doesn't it?
39:33Yeah.
39:33And we've pitted the balls on the top of the concrete.
39:35Yeah, they look great.
39:36Yeah, they look great.
39:37Just gives it a little bit more interest I suppose.
39:39Yeah, yeah.
39:39The balls, doesn't it?
39:40Yeah.
39:41Yeah.
39:42It's not just the industrial style that makes this garden unique.
39:47Nigel and Deb have carved out a special corner for their grandchildren, giving the space a whole new layer of
39:55charm.
39:55I created a secret garden through the bamboos.
39:59So the grandkids love this area, don't they?
40:01Yeah, they do.
40:01It's really nice.
40:02And it lights up at night.
40:04And they come and sit down and have picnics in it as well partly in the summer and it's just
40:07really nice.
40:07Look how lush and green it is across there.
40:09Yeah, it's looking great, isn't it?
40:11Obviously, when we applied for Garden Rescue, we didn't have any grandchildren, but we've got four grandchildren now.
40:16They love it and it's not child-friendly in the way a normal lawn garden would be, but it is
40:23in an adventure way, I think.
40:26Yeah, it's looking good.
40:27Isn't it?
40:28That's what Charlie put in for me.
40:30I know, they look great, don't they?
40:31And the ferns as well.
40:32I know, they've just appeared then.
40:33They're free of them, they're self-seeded.
40:36Just appeared.
40:36My mum put that in.
40:38And the reason we picked Charlie's design, the sunken garden.
40:41I can't believe how it's come on.
40:43It's so nice.
40:44It's lovely, isn't it?
40:45Do you not feel that in the garden, though, when you're down here?
40:48Yeah.
40:48You can hide, can't you?
40:49Yeah.
40:50Cocoon yourself in it.
40:51But your water feature looks brilliant, doesn't it?
40:53Yeah.
40:59Amid the concrete and metal of the sunken patio, my water feature was designed to bring a splash of nature.
41:07And today it still does, though in a slightly different form.
41:12Charlie's water feature, which was really pleased to have.
41:15I've added to it an original steel wagon wheel, basically, keeping the theme, the industrial theme.
41:23And water comes out of the middle of it.
41:24Kids love it.
41:25And it just enhanced it.
41:28Sorry, Charlie, but, you know, it did.
41:30It's just adding our personal taste to it or just trying to develop it, isn't it?
41:35Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:36And our grandchildren love throwing stones in there, don't they?
41:41The water feature isn't the only natural note.
41:44The evergreen planting is still going strong.
41:48And like the rest of the garden, there have been some changes along the way.
41:52The wildflower elements, I didn't get on with.
41:55I'm not sure what's a weed and what's a wildflower.
41:58I've retained a little bit of it in the sunken garden, but I just couldn't look at it.
42:04I kept looking at it and thinking, no, it's not for me, that.
42:08So that's gone.
42:09And we've replaced that with grasses, basically.
42:12That's the only bit of the original wildflowers we've got.
42:14But it's great this time of year.
42:16Yeah, yeah.
42:16And then another couple of weeks, it's just going to go over, isn't it?
42:21And I think this is my favourite bit of the garden, to be honest.
42:24It's come on really nice.
42:26There's a lot about the garden I love.
42:27Yeah.
42:28But I do like it down here.
42:29It is.
42:29It's lovely.
42:30Because you feel as if you're enclosed and sort of like under the trees, like canopy, don't you?
42:34Well, you're literally down in the garden.
42:36Yeah.
42:37It looks absolutely brilliant.
42:40The future for it is to enjoy it, really.
42:43Sit out here, relax.
42:45If we could get a message from Charlie, I would say thank you so much for all your help and
42:49your commitment and your support.
42:51And actually choosing our garden as one of your designs.
42:54And I would say, do you like me whilst a feature?
42:58Nice work, Nigel, but don't get too good or you'll be after my job.
43:03It's been great to see the gardens we built looking better than ever.
43:08But the joy for me is discovering how the owners have come to love them and make them their own.
43:16And hope to keep that moment.
43:37And that's pretty good.
43:37Until then, down here.
43:38Isn't that like the garden garden gardenares.
43:38It's a huge storm, isn't that our garden garden.
43:38If you can see the garden garden garden garden garden garden garden garden garden.
43:39Yes please.
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