Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
aaadata13
  • 5/26/2025
Garden Rescue 2025 episode 3 - Northampton
Transcript
00:00The Garden Rescue Team are on a mission to make garden dreams come true.
00:11Charlie Dimmock, Lee Burkhill, Flo Hedlum and Chris Hull are here to answer your gardening emergencies.
00:29Each week, two of our designers will go head-to-head.
00:47And whichever designer loses, helps the winner build the garden.
00:52Good idea. Did you get that on camera? Lee said good idea, Charlie. Amazing.
00:57Turning garden dreams... Open your eyes. I'm so overwhelmed.
01:02...into reality. That is amazing.
01:13Today, the team are tackling an impractical garden in Northampton.
01:18Hi, I'm Jackie. And I'm Debs. And we're from Northamptonshire.
01:23And we've been friends for... Too many years.
01:26...ever and ever and ever.
01:30The friends would like to spend more time in Jackie's garden.
01:36So, this is the garden. And that's it, Jackie. And I can't go any further.
01:46I can get out of the house and onto the patio. That's it.
01:50Yeah. And then you're stuck. I'm stuck. I'm stuck.
01:54And I just sit there, actually. I don't see the rest of the garden.
01:58Not being able to get to those places, it's literally a couple of metres from me. It's so frustrating.
02:05I've done my own gardens. And I would love to be able to help Jackie with her garden, but it's too much for me now.
02:13OK, let's go garden centre shopping. Let's go garden centre shopping. Woo-hoo!
02:18Despite not being able to use her own garden, Jackie still loves buying plants.
02:24Really pretty. You could have a whole garden that was just geraniums, couldn't you? Yeah, you could.
02:29Really lovely.
02:30Jackie has worked as a grief counsellor since her husband, Ian, passed away.
02:36Ian did take his own life. Sorry, that's really inbun. Back in 2017. And I know what it feels like.
02:49So she helps other people through it. That's why she's amazing.
02:55One cup of tea? Yeah. One? I'm not having one. You're not having a cup of tea?
03:01No, sorry. Why not? Because you didn't get the cake. Oh, it's my fault.
03:06Deb was there through all of my difficulties. When Ian died, obviously, he was the first person that I called and the first person to be with me.
03:17The garden now is the next point in my life that I need to happen. So that's really what I'm looking forward to, is to be able to go there and it's just going to be lovely.
03:35But to go out there and not be sitting looking at it and thinking, I hate my garden, which is what she does.
03:41I can't do this. I'm not going to stay at home. So now you say we'll be able to go to a beautiful garden and have tea and cakes.
03:47That's it. I've got a nice teapot we could use. Oh, excellent. Oh, she's going to get all posh on me now.
03:53Competing for the chance to transform Jackie's inaccessible garden are Lee and Chris.
04:00Lee's always up for creative solutions, whilst Chris tries to incorporate sleek touches.
04:12Oh, so here's Jackie and Deb's and they've been friends, Chris, for 30 years.
04:18I know. Can you believe that? That is a real friendship, isn't it? True friendship.
04:21Well, I'll tell you what, this is their garden. Not so friendly, especially given that Jackie's got mobility issues.
04:28I know that big lawn just leaves so much of the space completely unusable for her, doesn't it? I think that's going to be the biggest challenge for us.
04:34I mean, looking in the distance, that pergola's looking a little bit rickety. Look at that. Gosh.
04:41Thing is, when you've got a big structure like that, it's such an important part of the garden that there's no way we can leave it like that. It's just not safe, is it?
04:48I feel like Jackie must be trapped on that patio there. How does she get to the rest of the borders?
04:52Well, I think we need to give her a garden that she can fully utilise. Yeah, get fully immersed.
04:56To find out what they really want, though. Come on.
04:59I want somewhere that's accessible. And I need somewhere that's flowing. Flowing.
05:06And sinuous. Oh, yeah. And what's the key word?
05:10Colour. Colour.
05:13She wants a colour. I want my colour.
05:15I like to meddle with plants, Garden Rescue. And at the moment, I can't do that.
05:20And I want a reason when I take her to the garden centre.
05:24I think she's got a reason to buy plants because she knows she can come and put them in herself.
05:28Exactly. Don't forget the water features.
05:32That's going to be something because it's so relaxing.
05:35Also, our pergola. Rotten. It's knackered.
05:40And don't forget, it's a best buds garden as well.
05:43Somewhere we can hang out and we can have our tea and cake.
05:46Our tea and cake will always be there. In the sunshine.
05:48We need that. Definitely. In the sunshine.
05:50Whoa, girls. That is a huge list.
05:53That's massive, isn't it?
05:54I mean, how much do they want in one garden?
05:56Exactly. Clearly, Jackie needs to access the entire garden because at the moment, she's kind of trapped under the pergola.
06:02Yeah, it's a real serious issue that we need to tackle for her because that lawn is no good.
06:07But, I mean, it's going to take up a lot of the budget doing that, you know.
06:10Trying to get her all the way around the garden.
06:12I'm thinking, do I give her a journey around the colour wheel, maybe?
06:15Oh, I like that. Lots of bold colours.
06:18I'm kind of thinking maybe an accessible raised bed where Jackie can really get her hands stuck in.
06:23Get them dirty. And get straight under as well.
06:25Exactly. So they want a riot of colour and also a water feature.
06:29There's a lot going into this garden. There is.
06:32And it's going to eat up the budget pretty quickly.
06:34So what is the budget, Chris? It's 6k.
06:36OK, so it's healthy, but then I'll look at all that paving to be able to get Jackie around and it'll soon go.
06:42It's a real challenge, but I think my raised bed idea is really going to win this one.
06:46Yeah, it was. I think that the colour wheel might win Jackie over to my side.
06:50Well, we'll see, won't we?
06:52Lee and Chris must come up with a design to fit the £6,000 budget.
06:58Jackie will pick her favourite, which the losing designer must help to build.
07:04A trusted team of landscapers provide the labour for free, leaving the full budget for materials.
07:12Back in Northamptonshire, the designers' pitches have arrived.
07:16Right. This looks exciting.
07:18Here it is. Are you ready?
07:20Three, two, one. Three, two, one.
07:23Hi, Jackie and Debs. This is my best bud sanctuary garden just for you two.
07:28Best bud sanctuary.
07:30Now, I know at the moment you find it really difficult to get around because you've got lawn,
07:35you've got uneven surfaces and a brick path network that kind of doesn't go anywhere.
07:39And what I've done, Jackie, is design you this swooping, curvaceous garden
07:44where you can pretty much get everywhere in your chair, whether it's you on your own or you and Debs.
07:49You'll notice that I've designed this big circular paved area
07:54and I've chosen to use these grey timber effect porcelain planks.
07:59He's really got the accessibility that you need there, hasn't he?
08:02Yeah, he has, yeah.
08:03Chris has also put accessibility at the forefront of his design.
08:08Now, as you move into this area of the garden,
08:11I wanted to give you a seamless transition between the two spaces.
08:14This is going to be a large format porcelain that will guide you into this big central zone.
08:20Right in the middle, you're going to have your very own hexagonal raised bed
08:24where you can actually get under in your chair safely
08:27and you can move around each face of that hexagon.
08:30Ah, the middling spot.
08:32Lee's design also features an accessible planter.
08:36This raised bed is full of hot pops of colour.
08:38Oh, colour! That's exactly what I wanted.
08:41But also, it's a bit of a herbal tea bar
08:44because I'm going to be planting up things like mint, artemisium, motherwort, lemon balm,
08:49all sorts of edible plants that you can pop into a cup of hot water
08:53to make yourself a nice relaxing cup of tea.
08:55Well, we do like our tea.
08:59He's also giving her a new pergola with steel drum planters.
09:03New pergola! Woo-hoo!
09:05I'm also going to give you a little bit of shade
09:07so you don't get too hot in the middle of the day.
09:09Shade. That is what you need.
09:12I've also integrated a water feature within it.
09:15I'm loving the water feature as a focal point there.
09:18That's a bit different, that is, isn't it?
09:20It is. Really lovely.
09:22Chris is also offering a new pergola
09:24as well as a Romanesque water feature with seating.
09:28Put this bench in here on that little bench.
09:31Put this bench in here on that little existing semicircle that you've got
09:34and revitalise the planting around it, just to give it a new lease of life.
09:38That's going to be a great spot where you can hang out with Deb,
09:41you can sit there and you can also hear the sound
09:43of that beautiful Romanesque water feature.
09:46It's going to look like a little slice of the Mediterranean
09:49in that corner of the garden.
09:51You're going to have small plants coming out around it,
09:53things like catmint and epita.
09:55Mediterranean sound.
09:57I can't wait for some of that.
09:59The best thing about it is that you can actually finally
10:03get to all the planting beds in your garden.
10:06You can actually go up to them in your chair,
10:08interact with the plants, see the plants,
10:10whereas before I know it was a real challenge.
10:12You've delivered, Chris.
10:14And I know, Jackie, that you wanted a nook, somewhere to hide away,
10:17but I didn't just want to stick you in a corner like other designers may do.
10:21Nobody puts Jackie in the corner.
10:23I've given you this custom pergola with a green reef
10:27that's going to help bring privacy and tranquillity to this part of the garden.
10:31A great place for a bit of contemplation after a busy day at work,
10:34helping other people with their issues and problems.
10:37That's really thoughtful, isn't it?
10:39Yeah, it's lovely.
10:41He's given us a difficult decision.
10:46It's now up to Jackie and Debs
10:48to decide which one of the designs they like best.
10:52We'll start with leaves, shall we?
10:54It's so colourful. I like the tall trees in the corner as well.
10:57Yeah, I'm looking at that water feature.
10:59I really do like that water feature.
11:01I like the fact that you can get round both sides of your raised garden area.
11:07I really like those oil drums.
11:09They're different, aren't they? They're kind of fun to look at.
11:12Chris's.
11:14I'm liking the fact that he's kept your brick path up here
11:18and your pergola's in the same position
11:20because this is a good place for the pergola
11:22because you get quite a bit of sun, don't you?
11:24Yeah, yeah.
11:25He's also given me a really nice bench in the middle of the...
11:28That's lovely. ...brick path there.
11:30Yeah, yeah.
11:31Goodness, making a decision.
11:33It's going to be really hard. I know.
11:37Right then, Lee.
11:39Shall we see which one of us Jackie and Debs picked?
11:41Go on, then.
11:43Hi, Lee. Hi.
11:45Hi, Chris.
11:47Amazing designs, honestly.
11:50Superb guys, both of them.
11:52Oh, you can tell they've really had to deliberate over this one, Chris.
11:55Chris had that formality, which I really actually...
11:59Yeah, and the space.
12:01The more I thought about that formality.
12:03Yeah. Yes, I really like it.
12:05And Lee gave us the two different pergolas with the shade as well.
12:11Yeah.
12:12You're ticking all the boxes.
12:13I'm known for my shade, Chris.
12:15Lots of to-ing and fro-ing. Yeah.
12:17Sleepless night, all of the above.
12:19I'm not sure which way this is going to go.
12:21Let's find out.
12:23Are we ready? Drumroll!
12:27One, two, three.
12:29Lee!
12:31Oh, yes, congrats!
12:33You just nailed it there.
12:35Do you know what? They're such best friends,
12:37and I feel like we can bring our friendship to their gardens as well.
12:39Yeah, we can. We can match their energy.
12:41Yeah, definitely. It's going to be good fun, this one.
12:43And what's brilliant is our designs were quite similar,
12:45so we're already in sync.
12:47This is going to be a beautiful build.
12:49Exactly. I'm going to bring that colour wheel to your garden, Lee.
12:51It's going to be a riot. Can't wait.
12:55Fortunately, Lee and Chris won't be working alone.
12:59Dan and his expert team of landscapers are ready to get the build underway.
13:04Morning, all. Morning.
13:06And welcome to Northampton.
13:08Right, a lot of wood's going to come out of here today,
13:11and a lot of wood's going to come back in.
13:13So we're going to get rid of this old pergola.
13:16As you can see, it's rotten.
13:18So we're going to change that for a nice new modern one.
13:21We're also going to have a pergola over there as well.
13:23That will have a nice green roof.
13:25This garden really is about mixing the old with the new.
13:28These slabs are staying,
13:30but the main feature over there
13:32is going to be a nice circular patio area
13:35from porcelain slabs.
13:37We're going to really make this garden accessible for Jackie,
13:40because all the turf is going.
13:42So, yeah, definitely a lot of work.
13:44Are we all up for it? We're going to be busy.
13:46We certainly are. Right, no time to waste.
13:49Let's go. Let's go.
13:52The first challenge for the team
13:54is getting Danny's digger through the gap
13:56at the side of Jackie's house.
13:58I normally enjoy squeezing the machines around the side of these houses,
14:01but this one is going to be tight.
14:03It's a bit of an awkward space, especially with this lean-to,
14:06but he's more than capable of driving a digger,
14:08so we're not worried.
14:11It's OK.
14:13Now, the team are used to building pergolas,
14:16but today's unusual task involves demolishing one.
14:20It's been up for about 25 years.
14:22It's had a really good innings for a softwood pergola,
14:24but in Lee's plan, we're going to put up a new,
14:26a bit more contemporary pergola.
14:28It's a job to know where to start, to be honest with you.
14:30I'm not sure what's attached to what,
14:32but it's going to come down.
14:34Nails. Good. Oh, and screws.
14:37The pergola isn't the only thing leaving the garden.
14:40Jackie's inaccessible grass has got to go too.
14:45Thankfully, it's proving much easier to remove than the pergola.
14:55This is a tough nut to crack.
15:00Looking at Lee's design,
15:02he wants a nice, clean, modern finish with this existing patio.
15:06This L-shaped wall has got to go.
15:08There's still plenty enough to do just yet.
15:13Before the wall goes, Susie wants to try and save Jackie's plants.
15:18I'm going to keep some of these lovely plants.
15:20This is stonecrop, which will have a lovely yellow flower,
15:23so that's worth keeping.
15:25It's really nice and trailing.
15:27And there's a few others. There's some albricia over on that side
15:30and a couple of allium bulbs, which we can dig down and save.
15:35All these things can go into her many pots
15:38and give her a little bit more interest in the garden.
15:51I need a bigger pot!
15:54As the patio gets marked out,
15:56it seems the team haven't put a foot wrong today.
16:00OK, team, who stepped on my plan?
16:02Kyle?
16:04It wasn't me, mate.
16:05Let's have a look.
16:07I'll prove it to you. Look, nothing like it.
16:09Hey, Dan.
16:10What?
16:11That leaves you, mate.
16:12Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on.
16:14Look at this.
16:15Yay, perfect match.
16:17Bang on.
16:20With the wall demolition well under way,
16:23Kyle is flattening the gravel that will lay under the new patio,
16:27ready for the slabs to go in.
16:31Susie and I are laying these outdoor porcelain tiles.
16:35Porcelain's a really good product because it's very hard-wearing.
16:38And these are 20mm thick, so they're made of porcelain,
16:41so they're very hard-wearing,
16:43and they're very easy to use.
16:45With porcelain, it's very important to prime the underneath
16:48because they're not very porous.
16:50So in order for the mortar to stick and adhere well,
16:54it's important that you prime them.
16:56This wood effect on it is printed on,
16:59and it's perfect for what Jackie needs.
17:02It'll be a nice, seamless surface.
17:05Now, these aren't cheap.
17:07They're about £20 a tile,
17:09and they're not cheap.
17:11Now, these aren't cheap.
17:13They're about £20 a tile,
17:15but I think it's probably going to be worth it.
17:17Yeah, that looks banging.
17:21As the final slab goes down,
17:23all that's needed is a pair of designers
17:26to get this garden over the line.
17:29We're in colourful Northampton.
17:31Yeah, I mean, it doesn't feel that colourful yet,
17:33but I've got a feeling it's going to be.
17:35Oh, you wait until you see this garden.
17:37Ooh, it's exciting.
17:39It was colourful.
17:41That is seriously bright.
17:43That is. That's a clashy colour, that, isn't it?
17:45Well, that's exactly what this garden needed,
17:47a bit of life injected into it.
17:49Yeah, a bit of colour and fun,
17:51because, you know, Jackie, she's a grief counsellor,
17:53she's got a really stressful job,
17:55and this whole garden has to be a retreat
17:57for her and Deb's to come and just switch off.
17:59Well, that sounds very exciting,
18:01but what have you got for me today, Lee?
18:03Well, you've got a massive chunk of the garden
18:05because you're standing on it.
18:07The pergola.
18:09Exactly, and the water feature, two for one.
18:11Ooh, very nice.
18:13Yeah, so I've got all this lovely concrete to get out
18:15and get started on.
18:17And then I'm going to be making a matching pergola over there
18:19so we can wave at each other.
18:21Oh, nice, and then maybe we can meet in the middle.
18:23Oh, why not?
18:25Now, the main problem with Jackie's garden
18:27was that it was a bit hodgepodge.
18:29There wasn't really any balance,
18:31and she couldn't access it.
18:33This was all lawn.
18:35It was all weird spaces.
18:37So my design is about bringing accessibility
18:39to the garden for Jackie and for Deb's.
18:41I want to create these almost seamless paths
18:43where she can go to every corner of the garden
18:45and really get her hands dirty,
18:47meddling around with the plants and pottering.
18:51A key part of Lee's design
18:53is adapting the existing and new patio
18:55and paths for Jackie's wheelchair.
18:57Oh, Dan, these bricks
18:59are going to marry up perfectly
19:01with that existing path.
19:03The challenge that we've had
19:05is trying to match the new patio height
19:07with the existing path
19:09and then absolutely trying to tie it all in.
19:11I think you've done such a great job.
19:13It looks like it connects together.
19:15It's a bit like a puzzle piece
19:17that's been slotted in.
19:19As work continues on the patio,
19:21Lee's taking charge of the water feature delivery.
19:23Ah, what's going on here?
19:25That soil needs moving.
19:27Come on, Susie, hurry up with that grouting.
19:29We've not got all day, love.
19:31What's that gap doing there, Chris?
19:33That needs filling.
19:35Now, this isn't actually a canoe.
19:37This is Lee's show-stopping water trough,
19:39which is going to go across
19:41this spot here.
19:43And, you know, Lee is all about proportions,
19:45so I have to get this pergola
19:47aligned just right with the size of this trough.
19:49So I'm going to get it in place
19:51and see how everything lines up.
19:55It's a lot lighter without Lee in it.
19:57Lee's first job today
19:59is relocating one of Jackie's shrubs.
20:01Now, ideally,
20:03you'd be moving your shrubs in winter
20:05when they're dormant, before spring.
20:07Sometimes you've not got that luxury.
20:09But the beauty of doing this
20:11is that we're almost editing the garden.
20:13We're taking what Jackie's already got
20:15and moving it into a better position.
20:17So we'll still be using it all,
20:19and we're going to give it a bit of a re-jig.
20:21And I reckon when she comes outside,
20:23she'll look at this wide jeller and she'll go,
20:25wasn't that there? And I'll go,
20:27Talking of plants,
20:29the garden's new batch have arrived.
20:31Whoa!
20:33Wow, look at all these colours!
20:35This is exactly what that garden needs, isn't it?
20:37This is like a kid's sweet shop garden, isn't it?
20:39Colours, clashes,
20:41different scents and textures.
20:43Look at these genistes!
20:45They're mad, aren't they?
20:47I love what you've done with the colour palettes.
20:49You've got those really strong contrasts
20:51with the yellow and the purple.
20:53That's a bit of me, that is.
20:57What are all these little bits and bobs then?
20:59Well, I'll be making you a cup of tea later, Chris,
21:01in Leeway's bed.
21:03So it's a sensory experience.
21:05It's a space where Jackie and Debs can pick the leaves
21:07and make a brew.
21:09I love that. Brilliant idea.
21:11Offering Jackie the chance
21:13to move freely around her garden
21:15is the one element the team have to get right.
21:21For me, accessibility is just key.
21:23My garden is so inaccessible
21:25to me.
21:27It looks OK for anybody
21:29that's able to get around OK,
21:31but my needs have changed
21:33and I no longer have anybody
21:35that can help me on a daily basis.
21:37I think it's going to be life-changing
21:39to be able to be out there
21:41in a beautiful garden.
21:43The garden is for me this time.
21:45It's not for anybody else.
21:47I'm going to put myself first.
21:49So let's do it properly.
21:51Meanwhile, Chris and Susie
21:53have some technology
21:55to help level one of the pergolas.
21:57Now that noise you can hear
21:59is Susie's fancy laser,
22:01which is going to help us
22:03get this perfectly level
22:05with the wall plate over there.
22:07Now I actually tend to do things
22:09the old-fashioned way,
22:11and this is exactly how you would do it at home.
22:13You'd have your post in,
22:15get it in nice and tall,
22:17and then you'd run your beam
22:19over from the wall plate,
22:21but luckily Susie's got her fancy laser.
22:23It's got a different beep for up,
22:25a different beep for down,
22:27and then a dead straight beep for when it's level.
22:29When you're on the money.
22:31Right, let's hope for a good beep then.
22:33So down.
22:37There we go.
22:39Level.
22:41Are we good?
22:43Yeah.
22:49Lee's design includes a second
22:51plant-roofed pergola
22:53to offer Jackie some shade.
22:55It's time to get the upright post in
22:57for my green-roofed pergola.
22:59Right, Dan.
23:01I'm just stringing to make sure
23:03that we're square off that post.
23:05Let me know where you want it.
23:07Have post,
23:09we'll travel.
23:11Hey, Chris.
23:13Yeah? Do you fancy a race to put your pergola up?
23:15Look at us, we're winning, mate.
23:17Oh, it's too old, too old.
23:19No, you've got a whole green-roof to go on top of yours.
23:25It's going to be studying all day
23:27whilst Dan uses
23:29Pythagoras' theorem to get these perfect.
23:31Right, come on, Susie.
23:33We can't let Lee win this.
23:35We've got this.
23:37We need energy.
23:41Now, I know you love your pergolas.
23:43I do love a bit of height in a garden.
23:45Yeah, I think this is
23:47really a clever idea.
23:49Especially with this circle there,
23:51it's like such a good outlook when you're sat in here
23:53looking across the garden.
23:55Yeah, because when we stood here,
23:57all I can see is all these windows.
23:59It's just nice sometimes to find that little bit
24:01of nesting in a garden.
24:03Yeah, especially when the whole roof is on it.
24:05You're going to feel so cosy in there.
24:07And you've got that whole curved planter
24:09with the pieces on.
24:17The garden also includes
24:19some intricate curved paving
24:21that links the original and new
24:23patios.
24:25I tell you what, Carl, that
24:27is a piece of artwork that's beautiful.
24:29Best part of the garden, isn't it, really?
24:31I think so. I mean, I'm not going to say that to Lee
24:33because he might get a bit upset, but I think
24:35this is the best bit.
24:37Look at that little nugget there.
24:39Look at it.
24:41Master craftsman. It took me three hours to do that.
24:43Is that all?
24:53With work carrying on apace,
24:55Lee has turned his attention to
24:57the wheelchair-friendly circular
24:59raised planter.
25:01I assume we haven't got any round pieces of wood ready to go?
25:03Of course.
25:05Right, so what we need to do,
25:07I think, is kind of
25:09make a form of our curved
25:11out of the sheet material
25:13and then bend
25:15our composite round this curve.
25:21With work underway on the raised bed,
25:23Chris is adding the top slats
25:25to his pergola.
25:27Now we're employing a special trick
25:29with this pergola because it was really important
25:31for Jackie to have some shade
25:33in the garden. And normally on a pergola
25:35you would run these slats
25:37vertically because you get strength
25:39in the timber when you run them vertically.
25:41However, it's not a very big span across here
25:43so we've got the opportunity
25:45to run them flat and by doing that
25:47it means that when the sun comes over
25:49it's going to create more shadows
25:51and give Jackie a bit more shade and respite
25:53in this cosy bit of the garden.
25:57With both pergolas almost finished,
25:59time to roll out
26:01the old oil barrels.
26:03These are pretty smelly.
26:05Now go on, tell me, what are they from?
26:07So these are second-hand oil drums
26:09but we're going to use them as really vibrant
26:11planters that are going to lift the planting up
26:13right to Jackie's eye level.
26:15Now I do love that, but I don't like having to fill them up.
26:17No, so we're going to cheat it.
26:19Because we don't want to fill these
26:21just full of heavy soil, which is a waste of soil
26:23and it means that Jackie can't move them,
26:25we're going to fill them with these empty plant pots
26:27to take up the void.
26:29And you're reusing all these plastics
26:31that otherwise you wouldn't need to do.
26:33Exactly, they're not going to landfill
26:35and it means that we can just top this up
26:37with a third of nice compost lined
26:39and these will take the rest of the space.
26:41Easy peasy, lovely.
26:47And Lee's got another tip,
26:49repurposing some lining from his green-roofed pergola.
26:51What I'm doing
26:53is using some of this pond liner
26:55to line the space.
26:57So at the bottom we've got the plant pots
26:59and some old tonne bags to reuse them
27:01so that we're not filling it full of soil.
27:03But if we just pour soil in, it's going to disappear
27:05amongst all the cracks and start to look really messy.
27:07So, treating this a bit like a pond.
27:09So we've already got holes at the bottom of the oil barrel
27:11but we need them in this liner
27:13so that the water can drain through
27:15when it's either being watered or it rains
27:17and it doesn't get totally soggy and turn into a bog garden.
27:19And the finishing touch
27:21is just to snip this just below the level
27:23of the top of the drum
27:25so it's not visible.
27:27And once it's packed full of plants, you're not going to see it.
27:29So it's a clever way to save soil,
27:31save backache
27:33and create amazing planters, hopefully.
27:41They're nice, aren't they?
27:43They are beautiful. I would love them to be like a pop of colour
27:45near the edge, which I know is unusual for a shrub
27:47but they don't get massive.
27:49So somewhere near the edge.
27:51I don't think shrubs are near the edge.
27:53I think people don't do it and it's a mistake.
27:55We always live at the edge, me and you, don't we?
27:59As work continues on the hard landscaping,
28:01Lee and Chris turn their attention
28:03to the plants.
28:05Now the colour and planting palette for this garden
28:07is kind of in two halves.
28:09The first is just like riots of colour,
28:11clashes, loads of vibrancy
28:13and the second is over near the back
28:15where we've got things like the forest grasses,
28:17everything gets a bit dark and shady.
28:19We've got some red queens over there,
28:21some beautiful dark mohs
28:23but over here it starts to liven up again.
28:25Now Chris, this is a bit of a Marmite
28:27approach to planting, isn't it?
28:29Well, I think it is. It depends on what you're doing.
28:31By the end of the day,
28:33we're making a garden for Jackie.
28:35It's her garden and it's her thing.
28:37She wanted colour and that's what you're delivering.
28:39She's going to be over the moon with it
28:41and I think it's fun and gardening doesn't need to be
28:43all stuffy and pretentious.
28:45You can have fun with it and be bold.
28:47Oh yeah.
28:49Right.
28:51Pieces of a puzzle.
28:53Lee is starting his planting
28:55plan off in the oil drums.
28:57I've chosen
28:59some really wild plant
29:01specimens for these oil barrels.
29:03Now I'm going to be honest, this is not my usual style.
29:05There is no plant association
29:07between the different plant groups,
29:09the colours clash and this is just
29:11really a riot of colour that kind of makes no sense.
29:13However, I think Jackie's going to
29:15love it because there's so much contrast.
29:17So yes, the dwarf sunflower
29:19would never usually live next to the Achillea
29:21but because they've got them in this oil barrel
29:23and they're out in full sun, Jackie can
29:25potter around, move them at her own will
29:27and change this up every couple of years.
29:29And I just think it's going to bring
29:31a bit of sunshine to the patio.
29:33I absolutely love
29:35what Lee has done with the planting here
29:37because it's all about bringing
29:39joy, fun and most importantly
29:41colour into this garden for Jackie.
29:43One of my favourite plants
29:45in this border is this
29:47beautiful iris and
29:49they're great because not only do you get
29:51the amazing flower but you also get
29:53the beautiful foliage as well and I think that's
29:55often quite underrated with iris
29:57because people say, oh no, the flowers
29:59don't last too long but actually
30:01the foliage is great
30:03as well, especially when it's surrounded by
30:05other beautiful perennials.
30:13Meanwhile,
30:17Lee has a few special plants
30:19for the water trough.
30:21By using this trough we introduce a few new
30:23elements to the garden. The first is obviously
30:25the sound of water but the second
30:27are aquatic plants which are going to
30:29introduce and encourage all sorts
30:31of weird and wonderful insects to the garden.
30:33We've got some wonderful marginal
30:35pond plants that are just going to sit
30:37along the edge and one
30:39in particular is a real beauty and it's this
30:41good old fashioned
30:43pond lily and what I love
30:45about lilies is they've got loads of symbolism
30:47but one of the things that pond lilies represent
30:49is rebirth
30:51and emergence and this theory
30:53of emergence and rebirth I think is really
30:55fitting for Jackie because this garden
30:57is all about sanctuary and giving back
30:59to her a bit of that energy that she gives out
31:01to so many other people. So we've got
31:03the lily, the marginals but we need
31:05one more type of pond plant
31:07that's going to really bring this to life
31:09and that's the floating
31:11aquatics. Now I've picked some
31:13floating water lettuce
31:15that look just like
31:17lettuce and they've got this sort of
31:19furry leaf that's beautiful to the touch
31:21and the roots dangle just below the
31:23surface and when you pop them on
31:25they will naturally find their way
31:27as they drift through parts of the pond.
31:29This in its own right is going to be a
31:31beautiful mini garden for Jackie that will
31:33encourage birds, insects, wildlife
31:35and recharge for
31:37Jackie when she comes in from work she can
31:39switch off and just be
31:41somewhere absolutely beautiful.
31:49Another special feature for this
31:51garden is the green sedum roof
31:53on the pergola.
31:55Now when you're doing a green roof it's all
31:57about getting the build up of the roof right
31:59I mean first of all you need to make sure
32:01that the roof is strong enough to take the weight
32:03of these saturated sedum when they're wet
32:05but also you need to
32:07protect the roof because
32:09you don't want that membrane leaking
32:11and water getting down through. So first
32:13we have a waterproof layer that can be
32:15a rubber pond liner for example
32:17or very thick gauge DPM
32:19that we have and then you protect
32:21that with a fleece because you
32:23don't want any of the soil and stones
32:25from these trays getting down
32:27and perforating the membrane.
32:29And then the best thing about these sedum
32:31because they're in the trays you just
32:33slot them together and then they're ready to go
32:35but you can in some
32:37places buy sedum in a roll
32:39and to do that you'd do the same thing
32:41you'd have your waterproofing, the fleece
32:43and then you might even have a bit of a drainage
32:45board and then you put your soil
32:47and your rolls on top. So all
32:49in all it's quite straightforward
32:51and actually this garden is going to
32:53benefit so much from this because you're getting
32:55so many more square meterage
32:57of planting and beneficial
32:59plants for wildlife in this garden.
33:03Now you might be wondering why bother
33:05with a green roof on a pergola or a shed
33:07and there's a good reason why we use
33:09this in garden design.
33:11The first is that it acts as a wildlife
33:13habitat for literally thousands of
33:15insects. Without this they wouldn't have
33:17access to pollen, nectar
33:19or any kind of sustenance. So the small
33:21space of a green roof acts like a
33:23magnet for wildlife.
33:25But the sedum green roof is a great choice
33:27because it's super hardy. These plants
33:29will go anywhere down to about minus
33:3120 and up to about 40 degrees before
33:33they start to get injured. You don't need
33:35to water them so Jackie can just enjoy
33:37the beauty of this with very little
33:39maintenance. If you do anything
33:41to sedum green roofs it's to throw
33:43a bit of fertiliser every four to
33:45six years just to keep it fed
33:47but other than that it will sit there
33:49evergreen with a
33:51flush of flowers maybe once or twice a year
33:53and just look gorgeous.
33:58Now that Danny has completed the
34:00curved planter bed it's ready
34:02for its tea based plants.
34:04Now Jackie and Deb love to have
34:06a good brew in a natter and this bed
34:08is just for them because it features all sorts
34:10of beautiful edible herbs like
34:12mint, chamomile if they're feeling a bit
34:14stressed. We've even got some marigolds
34:16that they could brew up to make a rather
34:18spicy tea to invigorate the senses.
34:20So no matter how they feel they can come
34:22out here, grab a few leaves, throw them
34:24in a teapot and switch off.
34:26You make it sound so easy
34:28and sound so dreamy.
34:30Well this whole garden is just dreamy
34:32fun isn't it? Loving plants
34:34regardless of the colour or form and just
34:36enjoying gardening. Yeah but look at this
34:38I mean already it's looking so full but
34:40as soon as all these flowers come out and they're
34:42draping over this is going to get
34:44Jackie back out in the garden. I think so and she
34:46can pick what she likes each year, she can
34:48change it up, it's kind of like a moving
34:50feast of different edibles to brew up
34:52with.
34:54Can you make me one for my house?
34:56Once we finish this Chris, I think
34:58Susie's taking commissions.
35:04As the final plants go
35:06in, there's also a chance to test
35:08the water feature for the first time
35:10and after just
35:12two days, Jackie and Deb's
35:14best friend's garden is just
35:16about ready.
35:18Wow I'm feeling a bit thirsty
35:20after all this work. Do you fancy a little brew?
35:22One of Lee's Teas. Oh Lee's Teas
35:24is open for business. It is. Chris
35:26do you know, what an absolute stonker
35:28of a day. It was a stonker, that's a
35:30good word for it, yeah I like that one.
35:32It was really really tough wasn't it? You know
35:34you didn't make it easy, you didn't go for one pergola
35:36you went for two and then you decided to put a green roof
35:38on one and you've got very
35:40curved raised beds that are wheelchair
35:42friendly, there's loads of complex stuff but
35:44you pulled it off, it's brilliant. Well I think
35:46for Jackie, you know she's got this really stressful job
35:48and she just deserves that lift so
35:50I thought let's go the extra mile and do you know what
35:52I think, I'm really glad we did. I know
35:54and I think there's two things that really stand out for me
35:56one obviously is the colour
35:58I think Jackie's going to be blown
36:00away by the colour but also
36:02the trough, I love the trough
36:04Yeah you've made such a good job of making it
36:06perfectly fit the pergola, you've
36:08renovated that pergola now as well so Jackie's got
36:10this beautiful patio, it's almost like we've
36:12given her two gardens for the price of one.
36:14Two days ago, Jackie's
36:16garden was inaccessible
36:18leaving her frustrated and stuck at the
36:20patio, it lacked colour
36:22except for on the fence panels
36:26Now with a six grand budget
36:28it's been transformed
36:30into a wheelchair friendly
36:32den of colour and vibrancy
36:34perfect for two
36:36best friends to enjoy together
36:38but will it be everything
36:40Jackie and Deb hoped for?
36:42Now your husband Ian spent
36:44a lot of time perfecting this garden for you
36:46didn't he? And it holds significant
36:48importance to you
36:50So Jackie and
36:52Debs, you wanted a garden
36:54where the two of you could socialise, catch up
36:56and have a giggle
36:58Jackie you needed a garden that was
37:00fully accessible so that no plant was out
37:02of bounds and as you put it in your words
37:04you could meddle with everything in the garden
37:06So without further ado
37:08whenever you're ready, open your eyes
37:12Oh my goodness
37:14Oh my god
37:16No! That's not my garden
37:18That's not my
37:20garden
37:22Oh god, I actually want to cry
37:26That is so lovely
37:28Breathtakingly
37:30Thank you so much
37:32It's breathtaking
37:34Before, Jackie's garden was drab
37:36lacking in colour and inspiration
37:38Now the whole
37:40garden is an explosion of colour
37:42full of vibrant pops of planting
37:44and features
37:46Do you recognise the oil drums from the design?
37:48Yes, yeah
37:50They look really lovely
37:52Everything is popping with colour
37:54It's super accessible
37:56Is it what you expected?
37:58I didn't know what to expect
38:00It's just all those
38:02plants that you've got in
38:04all that colour
38:06The colours, they're so bright
38:08I mean compared to what was there before
38:10it just stands out so much
38:12Look at this lovely shade
38:14This water feature
38:16is just amazing
38:18Gone is Jackie's aged
38:20and rotten pergola
38:22replaced with a gorgeous new
38:24wooden pergola with shading slats
38:26and water feature with its own
38:28water planting
38:30It's just so lovely
38:32Oh god
38:34You're just going to want to be
38:36out here all the time now, aren't you?
38:38I do, thank you so much
38:40Thank me?
38:42I've got a feeling this really is going to be
38:44the best friends forever garden
38:46Can you see yourself using it now?
38:48Oh, I wouldn't keep me out of it
38:50All this stuff I can get at
38:52it's just amazing
38:54That's it, everything's at waist height
38:56or above so you are right in the action
38:58Before, Jackie's garden
39:00trapped her at the back door
39:02Now she has all over access
39:04with smooth paving and a new patio
39:06made from beautiful wood effect
39:08porcelain tiles
39:10This was completely out of bounds
39:12but now you can journey
39:14all the way around this big circular
39:16Freedom
39:18Exactly, freedom
39:20Freedom to look at the beautiful plants
39:22like the Gallegarda, the bright yellows
39:24the peaches, the purples
39:26all of these colour pops
39:28It sounds such a weak word, lovely
39:30but what else can I say?
39:32The thing that stands out for me
39:34is that Jackie can now just get
39:36anywhere in that garden with ease
39:38and there's so many things to look at
39:40everywhere she looks
39:42Before, this side of the garden
39:44had nothing going for it
39:46Now it contains a second pergola
39:48with a green living roof
39:50offering complete shade and respite
39:52from the elements
39:54Right, so if you follow me Jackie
39:56we're now under the green roof covered area
39:58and I know you're a little bit apprehensive
40:00about this part of the design
40:02So what do you think?
40:04You can keep the sun out
40:06I've got this lovely shade
40:08I've got all this beauty right in front of me
40:10It's absolutely gorgeous
40:12It really is
40:14much more than I could have imagined
40:16It's so nice to hear
40:18I mean it's just amazing isn't it?
40:20I just can't stop looking
40:22because every time I look
40:24I see something different
40:26And Lee has one more part of the garden
40:28designed for both wheelchair access
40:30and best friends to share together
40:32Right, so let's move into
40:34the central brew bed
40:36The brew bed!
40:38If I had that in my garden
40:40I'd be having Lee's teas every day
40:42What we've done is
40:44we've planted a mix of edibles
40:46such as strawberries, mint
40:48Yep, we've got trailing strawberries
40:50mint, chamomile
40:52even the marigold petals
40:54you can use in teas
40:56So depending on your mood
40:58you can come out with a teapot, grab a few leaves
41:00Oh how lovely
41:02Oh that's just superb
41:04It just means that you can
41:06in your words, meddle more
41:08Meddle to my heart's content
41:10It's just been so much fun
41:12It really will
41:14It really will be lovely
41:16Shall I test out the height?
41:18I think you should, fingers crossed
41:20Yep, that'll be ok
41:22I can get right up to it
41:24It's everything I need
41:26So Jackie and Deb's million dollar question
41:28Was it worth it?
41:30Let me think about this
41:32Do you reckon?
41:34Shall we have it?
41:36Yay!
41:40Now this has been a mammoth effort
41:42and I didn't do it on my own
41:44I had some help
41:46Chris and the landscapers
41:48It was a pretty big job, yeah
41:50It's just
41:52blown me away
41:54How does it feel being able to freely move
41:56around your garden and actually
41:58you know, get out there
42:00It's just something I never thought I'd have
42:02to be honest
42:04I just thought that's it really
42:06I can't do anything about it
42:08I just didn't have a clue where to start
42:10It means a lot to me
42:12to have something that's mine
42:14and it's just so
42:16beautiful and just so accessible
42:18and so colourful
42:20It's definitely colourful
42:22It's got that lovely sound
42:24of water and it's got the shade
42:26and it's private
42:28but it's just beautiful
42:30He's got it all, you ticked all the boxes
42:32He did
42:34He's done a good job
42:40I'd really lost enthusiasm
42:42for being outside and enjoying
42:44the garden as it should be
42:46because I couldn't access anything
42:48but now it's opened up
42:50the whole world for me
42:52Wonderful, you've got your gardening mojo back
42:54I certainly have and you can come
42:56and help me
42:58It's just brilliant
43:00Best friends forever
43:02Absolutely
43:22www.circlelineartschool.co.uk