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  • 5/28/2025
Garden Rescue 2025 episode 5
Transcript
00:00For nearly a decade, the Garden Rescue team have made dreams come true for hundreds of
00:08garden owners across the UK.
00:14Open your eyes.
00:15Oh, wow.
00:16It's absolutely stunning.
00:17Thank you so much.
00:19That's all right.
00:20Thank you very much.
00:21No matter the challenge.
00:22It's just coming down a little bit.
00:23If this weather keeps on as it is, we're not going to have any of this shit.
00:34And no matter the garden.
00:35I'll tell you what, Flo, it's a little bit smaller than I thought.
00:40We've got the job done.
00:41That's brilliant.
00:42But the one question I always get asked is what happens to the gardens after we leave?
00:50Well now.
00:51Wow.
00:52We're blooming it.
00:54It's my turn to be amazed.
00:56That's new.
00:58That's grown into a bar.
00:59I'm going back.
01:00It's been a long time.
01:01Four years.
01:02To my favourite garden rescues.
01:03Five years?
01:04Five years.
01:05Including some of our very first.
01:06Hello.
01:07Hello, Phoebe.
01:08To find out what happened.
01:09We should have called it the Dimmock.
01:20After we packed up our spades.
01:23I'm very excited to see the garden.
01:25It has gone huge.
01:27Look.
01:28We've picked the perfect day to show you around.
01:30The sun is shining.
01:31The garden's looking beautiful.
01:34It's fabulous.
01:38This time, dancing.
01:40I'm so excited to see the garden.
01:42I see the transformation in a garden we rescued three years ago in Corby.
01:47So we have Lily and we have Iris.
01:51We have a papyrus.
01:52Oh, OK.
01:53And we have a lot of Boltzmann.
01:54Come on, show me.
01:55Come, come, come.
01:56Hear how we changed a garden and life in Biggleswade.
01:59Whenever people say, do I know you?
02:01And someone says, oh, yeah, she was on that garden rescue programme.
02:04Oh, yes.
02:05I love you, darling.
02:08And remember how we made dreams come true in Nottingham.
02:12That bare stalk.
02:14Yeah.
02:15Yeah.
02:16Space there has now become natural and very restful.
02:19Yes.
02:21I can quite confidently say after three years, Lee absolutely hit the brief.
02:26Over the years, we've brought our creative designs to Britain's most bland gardens.
02:31We've just been at a bit of a loss with it, to be honest.
02:33Welcome to my fences.
02:35Essentially, this is all we've got to offer.
02:37It's a patch of grass and little else at this stage, unfortunately.
02:42One big, boring space where I thought we'd bitten off more than we could chew
02:46was in Corby three years ago.
02:50Hi, Garden Rescue.
02:51I'm Sid.
02:52And this is Leo.
02:53And I'm Dan.
02:54And this is Albert.
02:55And we need your help.
02:56This is our first house that we've bought together.
02:58And so it's really special.
02:59And it's like our first garden that's ours.
03:01You know, we can do anything we want with it.
03:03Oh, Dan and Sid.
03:04Now, that was a challenge, their garden.
03:07They wanted it all to seamlessly join together.
03:10And it was a new build with nothing in it.
03:14Myself and Lee were asked to consider Dan and Sid's very blank canvas.
03:19There are no plants in this garden other than the plants that Dan and Sid have in pots.
03:22We have a collection of olive trees.
03:24We love travelling to the Mediterranean, to Italy,
03:26so a touch of Mediterranean style to bring in there.
03:29I always remember my childhood being around orchards
03:34because we had a big orchard in the garden.
03:37We grew lots of veggies.
03:38So having this in a garden would be perfect.
03:41What else they want, I'm not quite sure.
03:45On the uneven surface of the garden.
03:48So we want to have a little bit more flatter surface
03:51and bring the patio a little bit more inside the garden
03:54so it's more party friendly.
03:56Water is always amazing to have in a garden.
03:59It's good for nature.
04:00The wildlife is coming.
04:02And it's also lovely to hear it.
04:03OK, so they're wanting to encourage wildlife.
04:06And they seem really open to bringing in mature trees and height,
04:09which is great because we can have a really diverse garden.
04:13The couple had £4,000 to spend.
04:16It wasn't going to be easy.
04:18Let's do it.
04:19But Lee and I proposed designs full of colour,
04:22produce and social spaces.
04:25I've got a vegetable and herb garden here,
04:28along with a view from your lounge down
04:32to this beautiful flowering tree glade
04:37full of scent and dappled light.
04:42This is amazing.
04:43Hi, Dan and Sid.
04:44This is my Mediterranean-themed garden with a twist.
04:47Oh, wow.
04:48I've given you a large entertaining area
04:51at the back of the garden.
04:52And I've used a gravel rectangle here
04:55that's surrounded by really bright,
04:57vibrant, herbaceous perennials full of scent and colour.
05:00Oh, that is so nice.
05:01With both designs packed full of features,
05:04the entertaining space is going to have a big metal water bowl in.
05:07And planting.
05:10So that's the Judas tree there.
05:12We hadn't made it easy for Sid and Dan.
05:15How are we going to choose?
05:16Wow.
05:17I was delighted when I got the nod.
05:20It's Charlie.
05:21Charlie.
05:24Apart from the boys' olive trees...
05:26That pot looks a bit shaky.
05:28..and a few tomatoes, the garden was clear.
05:34So the landscaper's first job was to create a stylish patio.
05:41I've got to lay 20 square metres,
05:43so that should keep us busy for a bit, yeah.
05:46With a dry stone wall water feature.
05:52So the Mediterranean vibe is coming
05:55with that lovely dry stone wall that Colin has built.
05:58And then this is the produce area.
06:00So lots of herbs and veg,
06:02and then we're going to have lots of Mediterranean plants
06:05through the stepping stones.
06:06So as they walk through, they get the scent of lavender and thyme.
06:10But before we could plant any new trees...
06:13One, two, three.
06:14Oh, that's not as heavy as it looks.
06:16..three olive trees that were already there needed a new home.
06:21Liberating them in fresh soil, nice and loamy, they'll love it.
06:27The Mediterranean feel was beginning to take shape.
06:31I think it's got to go around 180.
06:35Stop.
06:36That's the view.
06:38I thought I was in Tuscany for a second there.
06:40Not Corby.
06:42So Lee could start to make progress with the produce area.
06:45Now, with tomatoes that you're growing outdoors,
06:48you do need to limit the amount of growth,
06:50and that's to ensure you get fruits.
06:52So if you're growing them outdoors, you want four trusses,
06:56which are basically the side shoots that come off the tomato plant.
06:59So you've got one, two, three.
07:02So four would be there, but I know that they've got a fruit there,
07:05so I don't want to disturb it.
07:07So I'm going to snip the top out to stop it growing any more,
07:10and then hopefully next year when they grow some more,
07:12they'll be able to follow the rule of four.
07:20As part of the design, Sid requested a tree in memory of his mum,
07:25who had sadly died earlier in the year.
07:28I was only too happy to oblige.
07:31Now, this is Circe's silicoastrum, or Judas tree,
07:35and it was one of the key trees in the garden.
07:38But putting in a huge, established tree like this
07:42does mean that they're going to have to look after it properly,
07:45especially for the first year, two years, by watering it.
07:50So we're going to make sure that we put in watering spots for the tree.
07:59We planted fruit trees to cover the brick walls,
08:02and an empress tree beside the Judas tree.
08:06Might need a bit more. A bit more.
08:10Once the final touches were in place...
08:12No splash. Ideal. Thank you.
08:17..this Mediterranean fruit tree paradise was ready to show Dan and Sid.
08:25What had been a huge expanse of lawn...
08:32..was now their own Mediterranean plant-filled oasis.
08:39I'm hoping we have given you the garden that you really would love.
08:44Open your eyes.
08:47Oh!
08:50Oh, my God. This is completely different.
08:53Is it good? Oh, my God.
08:56Oh, this is amazing.
08:58So go and check out your fan-trained fruit trees.
09:02I mean, this is... Oh, it's got little ones.
09:05Yeah. It's beautiful.
09:07And it's a great way to, one, cover brick walls,
09:10and also you get the warmth from the wall,
09:12so it actually helps the fruit develop more easily.
09:15It's beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful.
09:17And then this area over here, this is the cosy area
09:20that you can just come and sit.
09:22Have a coffee.
09:23The nice sound of the water.
09:25It's exactly what we wanted.
09:27We have a dedicated growing space over there,
09:29which is beautiful beyond what we imagined it would be.
09:32We have our fruit trees, we have our entertaining area,
09:35we have a chill-out zone.
09:36It's beautiful. It looks beautiful. I love it.
09:40My design and the team's hard work
09:43made Sid and Dan go wow three years ago.
09:46But are they still in awe
09:48of their Mediterranean-inspired produce-growing garden?
09:52Dan, Sid, I'm so excited to see the garden.
09:55How have you been?
09:57Hi, Charlie. We've been brilliant,
09:59and the garden is doing so well.
10:01How have you been?
10:02Absolutely fantastic.
10:03But it's been about three years, isn't it?
10:05It's been, yeah, about, yeah.
10:07And we've picked the perfect day to show you around.
10:09The sun is shining, the garden's looking beautiful.
10:12Come on, then.
10:13In just over three years,
10:16Sid and Dan's garden has gone from sprouting
10:21to flourishing.
10:27The fan-trained fruit trees on the garage wall
10:33are full of produce.
10:35Look at that.
10:36You can hardly see the garage.
10:39We have only little small tomatoes this year.
10:43And they've been working hard
10:45to keep the beds in front thriving, too.
10:48All those veg and fruit.
10:50It looks like it's been there forever.
10:53You had two fruit trees there, didn't you?
10:55Now we have three.
10:56We have an apple, damson and a pear.
10:59Fantastic.
11:00So that garage wall is a huge produce section.
11:04Yeah.
11:05And you've got your other veg there as well?
11:08Little bit.
11:09I don't know if you can see.
11:10So the rub-up is the best growing.
11:12It's fair to say our fruits are doing better
11:14than our veg this year.
11:15Because it's been so wet and cold at night,
11:18things haven't done so well.
11:20But hopefully you can think about re-sowing things
11:24like lettuce and radishes,
11:26so you should get some more produce.
11:29When we left,
11:30the produce and the trees of this garden were young.
11:34Now the empress tree and Judas tree,
11:37planted in memory of Sid's mum,
11:39have grown into that blossom avenue I was hoping for.
11:43That's absolutely huge.
11:45Look at that!
11:47Wow, that's amazing!
11:49And Dan and Sid have been inspired
11:51to add planting to the water feature by the patio.
11:56So we have a lily and we have an iris.
11:59We have a papyrus in there.
12:00Oh, OK.
12:01And we have a lot of boltsmen.
12:04We have water boltsmen in there,
12:05which we love, absolutely.
12:06They're so cute.
12:07And do you get the odd bird coming down for a drink?
12:10Absolutely.
12:11We do, yes.
12:12Yeah.
12:13Yeah, they love.
12:14And a dragonfly.
12:15They love it.
12:16Oh, fantastic.
12:17That's amazing.
12:18And our border is in full bloom right now.
12:20It just looks absolutely awesome.
12:22We've added a few more plants to our border.
12:24So this is the border now.
12:26Oh, look at that!
12:29The young flowers I planted
12:31and the olive trees we transplanted from pots
12:35are living happily in the borders of the patio.
12:39Lovely!
12:40The olive trees love it.
12:42So now the olive trees are in the ground,
12:44they're much happier, yes?
12:46Yeah, look, they are fantastic.
12:48They've doubled in size.
12:50They have, haven't they?
12:51And have you found that you're learning lots about gardening?
12:54Oh, absolutely.
12:55And we've added a border to the end to soften it a bit.
12:58We'd love to show you.
12:59Dan and Sid have brought planting to the back fencing.
13:03Charlie, we've got lots of free plants from our existing border
13:07because, like you said, they self-propagate
13:09and they just give us.
13:11So this verbena was a self-propagated verbena
13:14doing really well now.
13:16That looks fabulous.
13:17Well done, you guys.
13:19And our grapevines are doing really well this year.
13:21They love it.
13:22Yeah, surprisingly well.
13:23They started getting a little bit too bushy,
13:25so we need some advice probably on this.
13:27So just put some wires along the fence
13:29and train them along horizontally,
13:32and then that way you build up a framework,
13:34like you see if you're driving through the wine regions,
13:38and then you'll get the side shoots.
13:40And by having them horizontal,
13:42you'll get more grapes on them
13:44than if you just let them go upwards.
13:47So they're very tolerant of being pulled around
13:50and clipped and pruned, so you'll be fine.
13:53I have to say, I mean, the garden looks absolutely fantastic.
13:58You obviously really enjoy it.
14:00And thank you for helping us to make it a nice-looking garden.
14:04It's really made us curious and more active gardeners, I'd say.
14:08Good on you.
14:17Charlie and the Garden Rescue team,
14:19thank you so much for coming over to our garden three years ago.
14:22We couldn't have imagined how to do it ourselves,
14:25and you've absolutely transformed it for the better.
14:28Hopefully see you again soon.
14:30They're obviously as keen as mustard now,
14:33sitting down with their garden.
14:35It looked fantastic.
14:37It just makes me feel so happy.
14:42My next garden rescue was all about evoking the past.
14:46I'm back in Biggleswade, where five years ago
14:49we transformed Maureen's garden
14:51and gave it a little touch of Spain.
14:55When I bought this house, it was brand new,
14:58so the garden was just a huge lump of grass.
15:01It was very, very boring and very green.
15:05And then Garden Rescue came along and rescued it.
15:09Maureen moved to Biggleswade from Spain to be closer to her daughter
15:13after the death of her dear husband, Graham.
15:17Graham was a carpenter joiner.
15:19I don't know what I can say about him.
15:21He had the most amazing smile, and that's what I miss most, is his smile.
15:25So what I would like from the garden here is a nice seating area
15:29where I can just sit and think about him, I suppose.
15:32Living close to mountains in Spain,
15:35Maureen and Graham's garden had been gorgeous.
15:38We had vegetables, we had fruit trees, and we had lots of colour.
15:42She would like to bring some of those really lovely memories
15:46back to the garden.
15:48Yeah, what kind of memory does she want in there?
15:51She wants, like, Spanish courtyard garden, but with views.
15:54She remembers the views.
15:56At the back of our house, it was just mountains,
15:59and the mountains changed every day.
16:02They were just stunning.
16:04When David, Harry and I arrived in Biggleswade...
16:08Oh!
16:10..it was obvious Maureen's new-back garden had some catching up to do.
16:15It's not very Spanish, though, is it, really?
16:18Not Spanish, and not necessarily mountain views.
16:20Definitely not mountain views.
16:22With no veg, no fruit trees, nor colour,
16:25me and the boys had our work cut out,
16:28creating a Spanish-inspired space for Maureen.
16:32Harry and David took a risk on a hedge-filled courtyard.
16:36How are you? I'm good, I'm very excited.
16:39Yeah. To give that more courtyard feeling,
16:42we wanted some informal paths.
16:44So rather than just having a straight avenue path,
16:47we've given you almost like this network,
16:49so you have a really lovely wandering journey,
16:51and that's going to make the space feel a lot bigger.
16:54I thought a Spanish courtyard would be perfect too,
16:57but mine was just a little bit busier.
17:00So you come out the back door,
17:02and then we've got these stepping stones that lead to the patio,
17:06and planted through there are lots of thymes and herbs and alpines,
17:12and then we've got planting all the way round,
17:15and this is zoned into different areas.
17:18Wow.
17:19Both designs brought a bit of Spain to Biggleswade,
17:22but Maureen could choose just one.
17:25Hello. Hello again.
17:27I know everyone says it,
17:28but this has been the hardest thing I've ever had to decide.
17:32But I can only choose one.
17:34I love both. I will say I love both.
17:37But...
17:39I've gone with...
17:42Yay, Charlie!
17:44Oh, nice! Look at that face!
17:46Now, well, sorry, guys, I do feel very guilty.
17:50No, not at all.
17:51But I love it.
17:53And can I say what I love the most?
17:55Go on, then.
17:56This idea.
17:57Oh, my quirky...
17:58Because it's wood, it kind of evokes Graham,
18:01because he was a carpenter, a joiner,
18:03he loved working with Annie Woods.
18:05Oh, OK.
18:06And I just feel that'll bring him...
18:10..that'll bring him into the garden.
18:12No pressure, boys, because that's going to be your project.
18:15The importance of getting the garden just right wasn't lost on me.
18:19Oh, this is lush.
18:21And so the team set to work.
18:24First, clearing the old patio and lawn...
18:27Oh, they're coming out clean.
18:31..to make way for the central Spanish courtyard-style patio.
18:37Albeit dampened by the English weather.
18:44Oh, my, it's very squelchy, isn't it?
18:47No, get away, you!
18:50Now, this is a new-build garden,
18:52and unusually there was a big patio just here,
18:56which we don't normally get.
18:58We normally get a tiny little couple of slabs
19:00just outside the patio door leading to the gate.
19:03Maureen didn't like that,
19:05said there was too much paving here.
19:07So we've taken that all up, but we are recycling it,
19:10and put down this lovely new pathway, basically,
19:14from the back gate to the patio doors,
19:17and then there's going to be stepping stones
19:20leading down into the garden.
19:22Harry and David were put to work building screens for the pergola...
19:26Do we always sit them on the middle?
19:28No, not at all.
19:30..that convinced Maureen my design was for her.
19:33Now, look at that. What do you reckon of this, then?
19:36That looks really cool. It looks like a sound wave, doesn't it?
19:39It does. At the moment, I thought,
19:41if you're looking over a lake onto mountains,
19:43it's the reflection of the mounds on the water.
19:45Oh, yes!
19:50And they had some more woodwork,
19:52building a table from rustic timber that Maureen had found in Spain.
19:57When we moved to Spain, a friend of ours gave that wood to me,
20:01and Graeme was going to make a table from it.
20:06Beautifully smooth.
20:08I wanted to bring new life to lots of pots
20:11that Maureen had scattered about the old garden.
20:14When you think of courtyard gardens in Spain and Portugal and Italy,
20:19you always think of containers
20:21with loads and loads of plants spilling out of them,
20:25and that's what I want to give Maureen.
20:32Oh!
20:39Aren't they gorgeous? They look like mountain peaks.
20:42That's good.
20:43And I'd spent £300 on a pair of monoliths...
20:46Oh, my Lord! Watch your feet, get yourself steady.
20:49Let's get a rover.
20:51Put it down, put it down, put it down!
20:53..to help remind Maureen of those Spanish mountains that meant so much.
20:57Oh! Come on, strong man.
21:01That's the strawberry tree.
21:03So, basically, about there.
21:06Yeah, and maybe back that way a bit more.
21:10Despite the rain...
21:12This is what they call good planting weather.
21:14..we managed to fill the garden with fuchsias.
21:17That's it, that's it. Oh, yes!
21:19Oh, look at that!
21:21That has literally made that corner look alive.
21:23Trees like the cornice and some of Maureen's favourites.
21:28So, we've got winter jasmine.
21:30On that post there, we've got an evergreen summer jasmine.
21:34And over there, we've got actually a star jasmine.
21:38So you get a fantastic scented seating area.
21:41And it wasn't long... Nice.
21:43..before we could show the garden off.
21:46Right. Oh, my gosh.
21:48OK.
21:51What had been an empty, lifeless strip of land...
21:55..was now Maureen's own piece of Spain.
21:58Perfect for pottering, with an elegant courtyard in the centre,
22:03stylish screening,
22:05and scents and colours that would hopefully take her back.
22:10Would you like to open your eyes?
22:14Oh, my God!
22:16Charlie, what have you done?!
22:20Oh, my...
22:22Oh, my...
22:24Oh, I don't care what you are.
22:26Oh, thank you so much.
22:28Oh, my... I can't believe it.
22:30I can't believe what you've done.
22:32There's so much... Oh, look at my... Ah!
22:34My boulders!
22:36I'm sorry, I can't believe it.
22:38It's so amazing.
22:41Well, I think that's a good result.
22:43We made you cry.
22:48As friends and family arrived to share the garden with Maureen,
22:51for the first time,
22:53the impact the rescue had had was only too clear to see.
22:57I can't express enough how much I love it.
23:01Sorry.
23:03Yeah, it's just beautiful. I love it.
23:07It's been five years since Maureen got her Spanish-inspired space.
23:11Now I'm back in Biggleswade...
23:13Very excited to see Maureen.
23:15..to see if she's still in love with her garden.
23:18Hello, Maureen!
23:20How are you? Lovely to see you again.
23:23Five years? Five years.
23:25How are you? I'm good, I'm good.
23:27I'm very excited to see the garden.
23:29Are you nervous? No, go on. Come on, show me, show me.
23:32Come, come, come, come. Come this way.
23:34Come this way. Wipe my feet.
23:36Maureen was in awe when she first set eyes on her new garden.
23:40Now I'm going to experience that feeling for the first time too.
23:44Look at this!
23:46Wow!
23:48And look at that cornice. It's looking gorgeous.
23:51Do you know, that is my all-time favourite in the spring.
23:55The flowers. I know they're not flowers, but the flowers.
23:58It is absolutely covered.
24:00Maureen has clearly been working hard.
24:02Her garden appears to be flourishing with plants matured,
24:06as well as some new additions and colours.
24:09The bed where we plant the cornice
24:12The bed where we planted trees like the cornice
24:15is now all grown up and shaped beautifully.
24:18Do you find the autumn colours lovely, in the autumn,
24:21before the leaves drop?
24:23And all the little fruits as well.
24:25Yeah, I was going to say, do you eat any of them?
24:27I haven't, because I didn't know they were edible.
24:29Yeah, they are Juneberry, they are edible,
24:31but I have to say the birds tend to get there before you all get there
24:34when they're ripe, because the birds go for them just before they're ripe.
24:39Is that the piece of timber?
24:41Yes, it is!
24:43It is, come and have a look.
24:45The rustic timber that Maureen had bought from Spain
24:48and which we used to create a seat has bleached in the sun.
24:53And the monoliths I bought for £300 each,
24:56as a reminder of the Spanish mountains,
24:59are still standing proud.
25:01They're still looking gorgeous, aren't they?
25:03They're gorgeous, I love them.
25:05One thing I would say, this strawberry tree is rather blocking the view.
25:10You want to clear all the young, thin stuff,
25:13so that you just see like a framework,
25:16and then let it grow up.
25:18So you end up with a canopy up here,
25:20you'll be able to sit on your bench
25:22and you'll be able to see your monolith.
25:24And then you've got your gorgeous patio.
25:27That was the sort of little bit of Spanish with the tiles, the blue.
25:31That's right, yeah.
25:32And this is a gorgeous seating area.
25:34Yeah, love it, love it.
25:35And have a perch.
25:36Shall we?
25:37Yeah, go on, and you can tell me all about what it's like being on TV.
25:43When Maureen first set eyes on her garden…
25:46Oh, I love these.
25:48…including the patio area that is now enveloped with planting,
25:52she was understandably touched.
25:54Oh, Charlie, I love you!
25:56Her reaction appears to have resonated with friends, family
26:00and members of the local community.
26:02Little Bird tells me that you're a bit of a celebrity in the village.
26:06Yeah, it was the, oh, Charlie, I love you!
26:10Or I love you, or whatever it was,
26:13has followed me around for the last five years, yes.
26:16So whenever people say, do I know you?
26:18And someone says, oh, yeah, she was on that Garden Risky programme.
26:21Oh, yes, Charlie, I love you.
26:23Oh, OK, thank you, yes, bye.
26:26So you're known as TV Maureen.
26:29I have been called TV Maureen, yes, yes.
26:31And how have you found the garden?
26:34Do you use it as you expected to?
26:36I do, yes.
26:38I told you before that I'm a potterer rather than a gardener.
26:41And I do tend to see plants I like and I buy them,
26:45but I potter and I love it.
26:48It's very therapeutic pottering, isn't it?
26:51Very.
26:52A little bit of deadheading, a little bit of weeding.
26:55Yeah, and I do love a bit of deadheading.
26:57Love a bit of deadheading, yeah.
26:59And I have to say, the screens have worked out really well.
27:03Yeah.
27:04Rather than putting trellis up, which is all well and good,
27:07but it's quite formal and this is just...
27:09It's fun.
27:10You've still got the screen and it's fun.
27:12Yeah.
27:13And painted, it looks great.
27:14Yeah.
27:15Because Graham was a carpenter and he loved working with wood,
27:19I wanted that represented.
27:21So I've got so much wood and I just love it.
27:24And you've definitely put your mark on the garden.
27:28What else has changed?
27:29I mean, the veg patch, that wasn't us.
27:31No, no, no.
27:32My grandson built that for me last year.
27:34So, yeah, so that's new.
27:36The tomatoes look absolutely amazing.
27:39Yeah, they're absolutely gorgeous.
27:41So the garden looks great,
27:42but what sort of projects have you got up your sleeve?
27:45This area here, I've had a few plants in it over the years
27:49that have done well or haven't done well,
27:51but I've always fancied a bit of a rock garden.
27:54And you've got a pile of rocks over there,
27:56so you've obviously got this project in the offing.
27:59Well, it's been in my mind for a while and I just thought,
28:02do you know what, just do it this year.
28:04Rather than making a rockery,
28:06because that involves, like, mounding up and height,
28:09and I just think it would look a bit sort of odd,
28:12we could try and do what I would call an alpine pavement.
28:16So you actually lay the rocks flat and leave gaps, crevices,
28:20and then plant in the crevices,
28:22so the plants creep along the crevices.
28:25That sounds absolutely brilliant, Charlie.
28:27I'm sure we can do something.
28:29Oh, thank you. I love you, Charlie!
28:33In a corner under the now coloured screens
28:36that the Rich Brothers worked hard creating five years ago,
28:39the border planting has grown to perfection.
28:42I'll randomly place and then we can re-jig.
28:46But there is an area where Maureen's rocks could certainly flourish.
28:50I'll carry my little one. Yeah, you carry your little one.
28:53As a Pyrenees-style alpine pavement.
28:56Now, I don't think we should go too far back now,
28:59because it's getting a bit shady there. OK.
29:02It's as if this was at one point one big rock
29:06that has broken up and cracked into other bits.
29:09So you can see this, like, striation here.
29:13I want to pick that up with this one,
29:16so it sort of works, and then I'll just level it up.
29:22This one looks like it's going to be a naughty one.
29:25It's just a case of don't rush it, fiddle and, you know, you will get there.
29:29Now, rocks like these, yes, you can get them by the tonne,
29:33but you can actually go to garden centres and buy individual rocks.
29:37So you could just do a very small section and buy rocks individually.
29:42They're normally sold in bins and you buy them at a price per rock.
29:47And so you can pick out the ones that you really like.
29:52OK, Charlie, tea up. Tea up! Woo-hoo!
29:55I think you've earned it. I've got one rock to do.
29:58So that little rock there, you're going to have it
30:01so that that front edge is, like, level.
30:03So it might mean that because the soil's going like that,
30:06you might need to dig the soil out at the back
30:09so that it goes in sort of flat level. OK.
30:12That's it. Oh! So that's great.
30:15Alpines are a great plant for a rocky area like this.
30:20We've got some thrift and thyme. I love this colour.
30:23It's nice. Beautiful. Got some violets as well.
30:26Low maintenance and tolerant of drought,
30:29they're an easy way to add colour and life.
30:32This one's spiderweb sempervidal. Oh, my gosh.
30:36Is that actually on the plant? Yeah.
30:38It's actually how the plant grows. It grows.
30:40And it looks like it's got spiderwebs all over it. It does.
30:43It's amazing. It has the most weird flower.
30:47It almost looks prehistoric. Yeah.
30:49So this will be fine. Interesting.
30:52Spring bulbs will bring even more... Oh, and the viruses.
30:56..seasonal colour. I love spring bulbs.
30:59I mean, they're just worth putting in
31:01because the moment you see them, you think,
31:04summer's on its way! Yep, exactly.
31:07With bulbs, as a general rule, there's always exceptions.
31:11It's, like, three times the depth of the bulb that you're going to.
31:15And when they come up, they're only going to be that sort of height,
31:18so they will look very cute, won't they?
31:20Those are so pretty, aren't they? They are.
31:22They're gorgeous. Yeah. Excellent.
31:25And then you can pass me some of the...
31:29..plants. OK. What do you want?
31:31Campanula. I know that one. You know that one?
31:35So I think this one will put up with a bit less sunshine
31:38and it'll get that bit bigger, so I'm going to put that at the back.
31:41Your favourite. I just love that colour.
31:44You love the colour. It really pops, doesn't it? I do.
31:47Thrift.
31:49Erm, thyme.
31:51Thyme is... Yeah.
31:53Moving along! Sorry!
31:56Oh, very funny.
31:58I think this one should go in pride of place.
32:00You like that one, don't you? I do, I do.
32:02So we'll get that there. Yep, super.
32:04Maureen's happy with the positioning.
32:06Squeeze that in there.
32:08It's time to get planting.
32:10Oh, it's going to look so good.
32:12It's going to look so good.
32:14Maintenance-wise with this, it's fairly easy,
32:16so you won't need watering, really, once they're established.
32:19OK. But just want to watch your tree up there,
32:22that come the autumn, that they're not covered in leaves,
32:25so once the leaves come down, just take them off.
32:28OK, super. I can do that.
32:30So I'm just putting the gravel down,
32:32which is more important around the plants
32:34that don't like lots of water around them.
32:36Towards the back, they're a bit happier
32:38with damper soil around the collar of the plant,
32:41around the succulents.
32:43It's good to have a bit of gravel around them.
32:46That just looks so good.
32:48Good. Right, I think you're up now.
32:50With the water in? With your water in.
32:53Oh, look at that!
32:55In just two hours, we've been able to create
32:58a worthy addition to Maureen's now five-year-old Spanish garden.
33:02I can't thank you enough. It's absolutely...
33:05I am going to cry. No!
33:07No, you're not!
33:09I'm not going to cry. You're not going to cry.
33:12I might. I might.
33:14So that's going to be gorgeous,
33:16and I have to say, next spring, it'll be even better.
33:19I'll send you photos. Yeah, yeah.
33:21Thank you so much. You're very welcome.
33:23Thank you for letting us come back.
33:25No, you're more than welcome.
33:27Maureen's garden has been on quite the journey,
33:30from bland and bare to an oasis.
33:33Now the added interest of my alpine pavement
33:37only goes to prove gardens shouldn't stand still
33:40but evolve all the time.
33:44I just fell in love with it immediately,
33:47and it's different, it's my garden, it speaks to me,
33:51and, yeah, I was just blown away.
33:54It was exactly what I'd asked for and more.
34:01It's been fabulous coming back and seeing Maureen,
34:04and I love that she's put her own mark on the garden,
34:07but of course it's still got all those lovely memories
34:10of being in Spain with her husband,
34:13but also being on the programme, I think she secretly enjoyed it.
34:20On Garden Rescue, we've created privacy and places
34:23to entertain family and friends in many gardens.
34:28Charlie, I'll get the whole troop on here.
34:30Not yet, because Sony just laid.
34:33And the last garden on my list needed both.
34:38Three years ago, Judith in Nottingham reached out to Lee and I.
34:42This is my garden.
34:44I wanted to show you round.
34:46At the moment, it's a very blank canvas.
34:51Yeah, I mean, it's a nice-sized space,
34:53but it just looks like a lot of green carpet.
34:56There's absolutely nothing.
34:58It's completely, unutterably empty.
35:01But there was one unsightly feature.
35:03Oh, my, oh, my.
35:06Judith's back fence was overbearing, to say the least.
35:10I really, really love a Scandinavian-themed garden.
35:13I had the most fabulous holiday in Stockholm.
35:16I'd like a social space.
35:19Fizz Friday. Oh, thank God.
35:21So, Fizz Friday is my girlfriends and I all getting together
35:26over a bottle of bubbles or two.
35:29Cheers!
35:31Cheers!
35:33I'd really like a little sanctuary somewhere where I can sit and relax
35:37and just, at the end of the day, after work, somewhere I can potter.
35:41OK, so you're looking for somewhere that's going to be private
35:44and allow you to entertain your friends and family.
35:48With his innovative 45-degree Scandi-inspired garden...
35:53It's sideways on, isn't it?
35:55..Lee pipped me to the post with his design.
35:58I'm going to go with Lee's design.
36:10Lee's plan incorporated a series of focal arches
36:14which would also create the privacy Judith was seeking.
36:19I've chosen to paint these arches this really light steely blue
36:23which will reflect the sky and bring a light touch to the garden.
36:26It should give it that really beautiful, slick Scandi touch.
36:35We've got lots of lovely trees,
36:37which are going to make a huge difference to this garden
36:40because it's like fence, fence, fence,
36:42so as soon as you get a few plants in here, it wee changes.
36:46I think this side where Gruff is is the front.
36:48Of course it is.
36:51It's going to look stunning here
36:53as it starts to disguise the Great Wall behind me.
36:58Meanwhile, I was busy concocting something fun
37:01for Judith and her Friday night fizz gang.
37:04I'm going to plant this up with things that she can put in the drinks
37:08or use to make cocktails with.
37:10So we've got this red currant, which is going to go in like that.
37:15So that will curl over and we'll have the ice bucket here.
37:19Strawberries.
37:24With my nook area complete with drink stand and the final planting in,
37:31all that was left was to show Judith the fruits of our labour.
37:35So whenever you're ready, open your eyes.
37:40Oh, my God!
37:42It's extraordinary.
37:46It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect.
37:50Are all garden designers telepathic or is it just you?
37:53We have a certain telepathy sometimes.
37:56Oh, my God, it's absolutely stunning.
37:59I can't take it all in.
38:01So as you're walking down, these are the grey porcelain tiles
38:04that are really modern.
38:06We're now going through one of the first of four arches
38:09in this sort of steely sky blue.
38:11I love the colour. Absolutely, it's perfect.
38:13This is a softer part of the garden where we're using the natural wood.
38:16But rather than just leave it open, we've got this half-covered roof.
38:19So if you want a bit of dappled shade in the middle of the day,
38:21you can sit here. Beautiful.
38:23If you want to sunbathe, maybe have a drink of gin and tea
38:25sat here in the sun.
38:27That's more likely than sunbathing, I have to say.
38:29Do you think we should take a little journey
38:31over towards the nook of the garden?
38:33I'm so excited.
38:35We've got a different texture with the gravel.
38:37We're here, next to the wall.
38:39But this time, we've got this huge Prunus serralis
38:41that's going to just branch out.
38:43You are a genius.
38:45Because actually, what you don't see is that.
38:47Beautiful, beautiful tree.
38:49Now, Charlie's been very busy.
38:51She's been making you this custom
38:53Friday fizz drinks chiller.
38:55Oh my God, that is
38:57absolutely stunning.
38:59It's full of botanics that you can put in your drinks.
39:01What a great idea.
39:03So has it been worth it?
39:05Oh my God.
39:07Honestly, I cannot believe
39:09what you've done
39:11in this time and how absolutely
39:13perfect it is. It is like you've just
39:15seen in my head and just gone,
39:17yeah, this is Scandinavia.
39:19Three years on
39:21and Judith's Nottingham garden
39:23has come into its own.
39:25What we left behind
39:27now looks quite different
39:29and she loves it more
39:31than ever.
39:33I can quite confidently say
39:35after three years, Lee absolutely
39:37hit the brief. And in fact, I said on the day
39:39it's perfect.
39:41And it's still perfect. It's just probably more
39:43perfect because I've tweaked it slightly
39:45to be my garden now.
39:47Back when we finished, this garden went
39:49from a suburban blank canvas
39:51to a Scandinavian sanctuary.
39:53Now it's a mature
39:55lush spot that is constantly
39:57evolving.
39:59Wow, it's looking fabulous.
40:01I know, isn't it? It's amazing.
40:03How many years has it been now?
40:05Three.
40:07Judith's Friday fizz friend Helen
40:09has come to admire the garden too.
40:11It's like getting to know an old friend.
40:13It's sort of, I was introduced to this
40:15new garden and got to know it
40:17sort of quirks. There were plants in there
40:19I'd never grown before. And now I think
40:21we're really friends, me and the garden, and it's
40:23working with me. So
40:25I moved him from over there.
40:27They put it to go up the pergola
40:29but got way too big for his boots
40:31because he likes it here because he's on his own.
40:33So I moved him and he's done
40:35amazingly. Does this one smell as well?
40:37Yes, it's very gross. Do you get it when you're sitting
40:39over there? Yeah, but the other roses
40:41do that. So I've had to cut a new bed
40:43for it. And this is all
40:45leftover plants, like little babies that I made
40:47from around the garden.
40:49So it's a completely free bed.
40:51Yeah, I love it. Absolutely love it.
40:53I couldn't imagine
40:55now how long it would have taken
40:57me to make something
40:59like this. It would have taken me years
41:01to get it to the state it is now.
41:03And it wouldn't be half as good.
41:05When we left, Lee's
41:07pergola was bare. Now
41:09thanks to Judith, the new growth
41:11has transformed the space.
41:13So this is the other big change, of course,
41:15is I've put a load of climbers up.
41:17So this is
41:19alpine clematis, so he's gone over.
41:21But what he's got is these
41:23teasels, seed heads.
41:25Structure. You've got structure. I have got structure.
41:27And hopefully I'm going to have some shade as well.
41:29But the garden really
41:31comes into its own when it's shed.
41:37Oi! That's a sound we've heard
41:39in this garden a few times. Once or twice.
41:41Close! Oh, absolutely.
41:43Thank you. Spending time
41:45in my garden is friends.
41:47Having all of those spaces to sit, all
41:49social spaces, has been amazing.
41:51What do you think?
41:53It's just so lovely here.
41:55It's so nice and enclosed.
41:57It's completely surrounded by green.
41:59What you can't notice is the differential
42:01in the height. So I've got my cherry,
42:03which is the original, but then obviously
42:05this has grown massively.
42:07So he just screens the whole
42:09difference. That bare
42:11stock. Yeah.
42:13Space there has now become natural
42:15and very rustic.
42:17The wooden fence is now covered by wooden trees.
42:19Yeah.
42:29Just having that space and having
42:31friends over, I've used that
42:33probably more, and of course everybody wants
42:35to see it.
42:37It's an amazing
42:39garden. Now, what would
42:41you like in? I've got a selection from the garden.
42:43I've got all of these from your garden.
42:45Have we got enough?
42:47Yeah, I've got loads.
42:49There's some down by
42:51you. There's some mint
42:53down by there. Can I just print a bit?
42:55Thank you. Help yourself.
42:57That's what Charlie planted them for.
42:59A bit of five a day.
43:01It's been great
43:03to see the gardens we built looking better
43:05than ever. And what's even
43:07more inspiring is that Sid
43:09and Dan. The flowers are in full bloom.
43:11Judith.
43:13Cheers, hun.
43:15And Maureen
43:17love them so much they want to
43:19improve them and make them their own.
43:21Oh, Charlie, I
43:23love you.
43:31music
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