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  • 4 days ago
Garden Rescue 2025 episode 16
Transcript
00:00The Garden Rescue Team are on a mission to make garden dreams come true.
00:10Charlie Dimmock, Lee Burkill, Flo Hedlum and Chris Hull are here to answer your
00:27gardening emergencies. It feels disorganised, a bit chaotic. It's a bit of a shocker.
00:32Each week two of our designers will go head to head. Pick me and let them do this.
00:37The garden we're going to go with is... Drumroll!
00:44Lee. Oh yes!
00:46And whichever designer loses... The race is on.
00:49...helps the winner build the garden. Good idea. Did you get that on camera? Lee said good idea Charlie.
00:56Amazing. Turning garden dreams... Open your eyes.
00:59That's so overwhelmed.
01:01...into reality.
01:03That is amazing.
01:10Today the team are tackling a concrete jungle of a garden in Cardiff.
01:15I'm Ben. I'm Lauren. This is Maisie. And this is Robin.
01:19Lauren and Ben met in London, but moved to Cardiff to start a family nearer to where Lauren grew up.
01:24Whee.
01:26Over your head. Down your back.
01:29Now they have two daughters, Robin and Maisie.
01:33I'm a beach person. I just needed to get back to the coast in Wales as best we could.
01:37But with Ben's work, Cardiff was the best compromise.
01:41Lauren grew up in Swansea and has fun childhood memories of times in the Gower coastal region.
01:48Who's that? You and your sister? Yeah.
01:50You look a bit like Maisie. I do.
01:52It's a peninsula with just the most beautiful beaches.
01:55Particularly in the winter when no one's there. They're just absolutely stunning.
01:58You look very happy.
02:00We're better dressed than these, though, aren't we?
02:04Yeah. And we got married in the garden.
02:07And, well, we got married. Yeah.
02:08Yeah. Probably worth mentioning.
02:11Once they found a house, they wasted no time making it their own.
02:16When we moved in, there was a large double garage in the garden,
02:19so we've knocked that down and added a little bit of space to the back of the house.
02:24Unfortunately, one part of the garage is still there.
02:27It's just left all these different bits of concrete at different edges.
02:31Structurally, it's a hazard, and aesthetically, it's obviously nothing to look at.
02:34Several other parts of the garden are in just as bad a shape.
02:38I really dislike this wall. You look at it when you're inside.
02:42How slim would you have to be to get through there?
02:44Sliver than me, that's for sure. I don't know.
02:47But the wall also causes a more serious problem than just blocking the door.
02:51The garden is really not suitable for our little ones running around.
02:55The wall is just incredibly dangerous and makes me really nervous to go outside.
02:59So this is the worst bit, just the risk of falling off this wall
03:03when they're running around in the garden.
03:07It would make a huge difference to have a nice garden,
03:09to be able to come out and play just quickly and easily.
03:12It would be great. It would help us a lot.
03:14I don't think we hate our garden. I think we just feel indifferent towards it.
03:17Yeah, we want to love it. We love being outdoors.
03:20And there's our outdoors right there, and we can't love it as it is.
03:26Competing for the chance to transform Lauren and Ben's troublesome garden
03:30are Charlie and Chris.
03:32It's a lovely building, isn't it? It's beautiful.
03:35Charlie will have no issue designing away this concrete jungle,
03:39while Chris is bound to bring a fresh look to this unloved garden.
03:44Oh, look at Lauren and Ben and their happy little family.
03:54I tell you what, their garden is not so lovely.
03:57No, look at that. I mean, all the level changes.
04:01It is. It doesn't look child-friendly. That's my first impression here.
04:04No, jumping off the walls, not fun, not fun.
04:07No.
04:08And so much concrete.
04:10I know, and it's everywhere you look.
04:12I mean, and when you get closer to the house,
04:14it's not like there's even more removed.
04:16It's even more concrete.
04:18What are we going to do, Charlie?
04:19And that wall.
04:20I think this is going to be a real tough area for us.
04:23I know. I wonder what's underneath all that soil.
04:26Let's hope they want something formal,
04:29because there's lots of straight lines there.
04:31Well, that would work and be easy, wouldn't it?
04:32Yeah.
04:33Should we find out what they want?
04:34Yeah, because the concrete's going to be bad enough.
04:39Right.
04:40We'd really love a wild Welsh garden.
04:43I grew up in Swansea.
04:45It's also where we got married,
04:47and so it was really special to us.
04:49Well, they're picking up on all the Welsh bits.
04:51We'd also really like to future-proof our garden,
04:53so that it's something that our two little girls
04:55can sort of enjoy and play safely in now,
04:57but also it's something that grows with us as a family.
05:00Yeah.
05:01We'd really love a garden to have an adventure in.
05:04I'm a big kid, so it would be great to play with them,
05:07something like stepping stones
05:08or something where we can all play together.
05:09We'd really love to incorporate some Welsh slate
05:11and some native planting
05:12just to give that Welsh countryside feel.
05:14Natives.
05:16And also just have some natural play areas for our children.
05:19We'd also really love a hut with some seating
05:21where we can hide and have a cup of tea
05:23and forget about everything that's going on,
05:25all the mess of indoors.
05:26We'd also really love a water feature,
05:28if that's not too much to ask.
05:29Water feature?
05:30Mmm.
05:31Over to you, Chris and Charlie.
05:32Thanks.
05:33Ha-ha!
05:34Now, I quite like that.
05:36I mean, the wild, but also a play area
05:39that's not all full of toys and slides and paddling balls.
05:44Yeah, exactly.
05:45It's all about that natural play, which kids love as well.
05:47Even if you give them toys,
05:48they always go to the back of the shrubs
05:50or something anyway to play.
05:51Yeah, that'd be great.
05:52Ha-ha!
05:53But I tell you what,
05:54there's one really big challenge in this garden
05:56and that's that concrete pad.
05:58Ha-ha!
05:59Now, I think there's more than one really big challenge.
06:01There's the concrete pad and then you've got all those walls.
06:05I know.
06:06The weird angles, the falls on them.
06:08I know.
06:09That is really going to eat up the budget on this garden.
06:12So, what is it?
06:13Tell me.
06:14The budget's £6,000.
06:15That's not bad.
06:16That's a healthy budget to work with, to be fair.
06:18You say that now, but there's a lot of concrete.
06:22We won't be getting that out.
06:24No, we won't.
06:25But I do like the theme and I'm loving that they want that
06:29Welsh wildness.
06:31Yeah.
06:32I really want this one, Charlie.
06:33Oh, do you?
06:34Do you?
06:35Bring it on.
06:36All right.
06:37How do you say that in Welsh then?
06:38Ha!
06:39I'm not even going to try it.
06:41Charlie and Chris will create designs in line with the £6,000 budget.
06:47Lauren and Ben will pick their favourite,
06:49which the losing designer must help to build.
06:52The designers and crack team of landscapers provide the labour for free.
06:57Leaving the full £6,000 for materials and plants.
07:03Back in Cardiff, Lauren and Ben have received the designs.
07:07The pictures are in.
07:08There we go.
07:10OK.
07:11Shall we look at Chris's?
07:12Let's do it.
07:13Lauren, Ben, this is your garden, a slice of Wales.
07:17Oh, wow.
07:18Now, the first thing I've addressed is this bit of the garden here where you can't open the patio doors properly and get by.
07:28So, what I've done is I've cut back in and we're going to grade the soil down.
07:34So, this slopes down.
07:35So, great for roly polies.
07:37Maisie and Robin will enjoy that, won't they?
07:39Yeah.
07:40And I'm using this gorgeous Welsh rock to terrace it, but in a very natural way.
07:46That's clever, isn't it?
07:47Yeah.
07:48Chris has also fixed the tight area by the bifold doors.
07:53So, what I've done is I've proposed to cut off that point of that raised lawn area and really open that space up so you can transition between all areas of the garden.
08:03Yeah, absolutely.
08:04And I also wanted to make a bit of a feature out of it for you as well.
08:07So, when you're in the house looking out, it's a garden that you actually want to go out and get involved in.
08:12To do that, I wanted to give you these beautiful wide steps that lure you up onto that top section of garden.
08:17That's a perfect way of managing it.
08:19And I wanted to give you a bit of a show-stopping dry stone slate wall there as well.
08:24Oh, look at that.
08:25So, in amongst that beautiful dry stone slate, it's going to be an even bigger bit of slate that sticks out and it will pour water over onto some pebbles below and it will just recycle constantly.
08:36Yeah, that water feature is so beautiful.
08:38Charlie has created two Welsh-themed zones in her design.
08:43This is going to be a woodland glade.
08:46So, we're going to use some native trees.
08:49So, we're going to have something like mountain ash.
08:52Oh, they're so pretty.
08:53They'll be nice colours, won't they?
08:55Mm.
08:56Field maple, that type of thing.
08:57So, nothing that gets too big, but this will make a great glade where you can maybe camp or put a tent up, have a picnic.
09:05And then you come into this area here, which is the coastal vibe.
09:10Ah, lovely.
09:11While Charlie has replaced the hazardous wall with a slope, Chris has a different approach.
09:17I've put some deep planting all around the edge of that lawn there.
09:21And I've also put really simple posts with some nice thick jute rope running between them.
09:26Perfect.
09:27In this area, I've reduced your lawn ever so slightly to give the kids their very own wild Welsh play area.
09:34Ah, that looks fun.
09:35I can imagine Maisie digging all through that.
09:37Yeah.
09:38We've got some simple wood chip mulch on the ground so it's safe for them to play on.
09:42And then just some logs and stepping stones, a beautiful bench that goes on a boulder with another log.
09:48And then just some fun play elements in the back there.
09:51Sounds perfect.
09:52Meanwhile, in the coastal part of Charlie's design...
09:56So, it's almost like a sand dune.
09:58Again, using chunky bits of rock that you can use as stepping stones.
10:03You can sit on them.
10:05There's lots of stepping stones there, aren't there for you?
10:07Yeah.
10:08And I want to get lots of different textures in this area so it'll cover up the concrete.
10:15You're surrounded with these raised beds so you're sort of almost in a bunker as such.
10:20And we're going to use branches as the uprights so it's all going to be knurled which will be great for the climbers.
10:26And rather than put a clear plastic roof on, I've gone for a tin roof.
10:31And then you hear the rain falling on a tin roof.
10:34There's something really romantic and exciting about being sat outside.
10:40Ah, that would sound lush.
10:42In Chris's design, the covered area makes practical use of the large concrete slab.
10:47What I've proposed is to cover it in slate chippings, again to pick up on those materials that you love.
10:53And then I wanted to give you a bit of an all-weather solution.
10:57So you've got this corrugated steel-covered pergola with new paving underneath.
11:01And that will be a nice light grey colour and it will just contrast with the slate.
11:06Amazing.
11:07And either side of that, I just wanted to give you some simple pots of climbers to grow up the posts and try and green up this space a bit.
11:13And in terms of planting, obviously with the trees I wanted to give you a nice mix of natives.
11:17But then over here around the lawn, I wanted to make that a bit more dramatic.
11:21So in there, I'm going to give you some really beautiful flowering perennials.
11:25Some tall grasses like calamagrostis, steepers that will move in the wind.
11:29And then in amongst that, I wanted to mix some beautiful flowers.
11:33That's really beautiful.
11:35Charlie has lent into the Welsh country theme with the plants in her design.
11:39Lots of grasses, taramix and echinops, so they've all got that blue-grey feel to them.
11:47Angora, so they sort of pick up the breeze and sway around.
11:51That looks nice, how the garden really sort of flows together.
11:54So that's my design.
11:55So I would love to see this garden built and I'd really like to see this water feature.
11:59A great space for all the family, no matter what the weather's like.
12:04They're both brilliant. You'd be more than happy with either of them.
12:07I don't know how we're going to choose.
12:08It's now up to Lauren and Ben to decide which one of the designs they like best.
12:16The hut is huge here, it looks brilliant.
12:19But the roof on that looks really fun.
12:22I suspect you like the stepping stones in this one.
12:24Yeah, they'd be great to climb and play on.
12:27And the growing, the plants there as well, that looks really great.
12:31Then you've got the water feature over here.
12:33It's so clever how Charlie's done the slope down there, though.
12:37It is, isn't it? That looks really great.
12:38But then again on this one, the steps are sort of a feature in and of themselves.
12:41These planks as well and the logs, Maisie, we love jumping and playing on these.
12:45You'd be ecstatic with either one of them. I just don't know how we're going to choose.
12:51Right, Charlie, Lauren and Ben have got back to us.
12:54Right. You want this, don't you?
12:56Well, let's see. He's got it.
12:58Hi, Chris. Hi, Charlie.
13:00Thank you so much for both of your designs. We really love both of them.
13:03Chris, we really love the dry stone wall and the water feature.
13:06Water feature? Oh, yeah.
13:08We thought the hut was a great place to sit under and look out at the beautiful garden.
13:12We really love the use of the planting and the birch trees.
13:16We really love the use of the plants.
13:18Charlie, we really love the two zones, the woodland zone moving into that coastal zone.
13:22And we thought it was really clever the way that you dealt with that small wall
13:25and the issue we have opening our bifold doors at the moment.
13:27I think we both did that, didn't we? Yeah.
13:29We also, like you, thought it would be lovely to hear the sound of the Welsh rain on that tin roof.
13:33Oh, yeah, they get loads of that, don't they?
13:35It was a really difficult decision.
13:37We made a list of pros and cons to see which garden would be right for us and our daughters.
13:41Oh, pros and cons. That's very formal, isn't it?
13:43Yeah.
13:44And in the end, we'd like to go with...
13:46Chris, your garden, please.
13:50Oh!
13:52Well, there you go. I mean, this is going to be a challenge.
13:56Yeah, yeah. I'm slightly concerned about it because when you start taking down walls and digging out those areas...
14:02Where's it all going?
14:03Well, and what's under there, you never know what they've buried underneath there.
14:07So, we'll find out, but I think it's going to be fun.
14:10Yeah, yeah. Especially when it comes to...
14:11I'll just stay in the children's area playing.
14:13Oh, yeah. Well, that'll be right. Actually, that'll be your zone then, Charlie.
14:17With all the logs and the balancing beams.
14:19It's about my level, that.
14:21Do you know, I've actually got a really fun little idea in that garden for you, actually.
14:25See ya. Tell you more about that later.
14:27Yeah.
14:32Fortunately, Chris and Charlie won't be working alone.
14:35Ben and his expert team of landscapers are at the ready to get this Welsh country garden underway.
14:42Chris has designed a garden on two different levels.
14:46A lot of concrete in this garden as well.
14:48But the first thing we have to do in this garden is Chris wants to cut in to the raised area just here.
14:54So, we'll do a parallel line with the house and we're going to create these encroached steps and a beautiful water feature.
15:03You have to replicate that.
15:04Okay.
15:05Yeah. We've got some beautiful Welsh slate to create the wall.
15:09Okay.
15:10We have on this concrete pad, what we have here, a new porcelain paved area.
15:15We have metal roofing going on top of this pergola as well.
15:18On this top area, the turf is staying, but we're then cutting into it.
15:23Chris wants to make this area for the children.
15:26Little play area.
15:27So, fun little bench there.
15:28Loads and loads to do in this garden.
15:30So, first thing, let's get this digger in and start getting into this area.
15:34Let's do it.
15:35Yeah.
15:36Oki doki.
15:37I'm here.
15:38Oh, that's snug, isn't it?
15:42Oh.
15:43Right.
15:44We're in.
15:45I've no idea how we're going to get out, but we'll worry about that later.
15:49The team's first task is to remove the troublesome section of the raised wall.
15:55There we are, Ben.
15:58Beautiful.
15:59We'll get digging in a minute.
16:01Meanwhile, Lee has been building the raised planter beds that'll flank the new pergola.
16:06Oh, loving it.
16:08We need these in as quick as we can, and you are sourcing it out.
16:11Last cut.
16:12Last one.
16:13And then we start screwing together.
16:14Oh, yeah.
16:15We're the high-vis as well.
16:16You need to round me.
16:17On the other side of the garden, Andy is busy removing the existing turf.
16:26At least I'm nice and warm in my cab.
16:29Which the team is recycling into the base of the planter beds.
16:33Me and Tori now are going to fill up these raised beds.
16:37We've got one.
16:38The second one's going over there.
16:40Let's all go.
16:41Let's get it in.
16:42Having been on site for three hours, Lee is already fixing the base of the pergola onto
16:52the concrete slab.
16:53So, we've got these base plates.
16:56We've got to put these concrete fixings in, and hopefully we can work on that.
17:03With the brackets attached, next, the upright posts can be slotted in.
17:08And the roof frame can be fixed on.
17:18Go on!
17:23Andy is constructing a new wall, which will house the water feature.
17:28Having already built a supporting layer, he is ready to add the decorative slate facing.
17:33I've got a delivery for you.
17:35This is the stuff, is it?
17:36This is the stuff.
17:37A waltz slate.
17:38Wow.
17:39As Andy cracks on with the slate wall, Ben and Tori have started laying the porcelain
17:45patio slabs under the pergola.
17:47Tori's got the mortar down for us.
17:51We've just primed the back of the slab.
17:53We're going to use a suction cup.
17:55And that helps us so we don't have to touch any of the areas that has the primer on the
18:05back of it.
18:10While Lee puts the finishing touches to the pergola roof, Andy has been getting to grips
18:17with the mechanics of the water feature.
18:19And this little gadget here, what it does is it fills up and distributes the water evenly
18:24over your slab.
18:25Beautiful.
18:26So we're going to put a slab sticking out the wall here.
18:28So the water will come out of there, dead level, off the stone.
18:32Any drips will run down back into the tank.
18:34Excellent.
18:35So we don't lose any water.
18:36It's been a tough first day, but the team have got the pergola up, a patio underneath
18:43it, and the water feature is well underway.
18:46Still a little full?
18:47Yeah.
18:48Oh, yeah.
18:49I think we'll let that go off now, don't we?
18:54But with loads left to do, what's needed is a pair of designers to get this garden finished.
19:01The following day.
19:04So you've brought the lovely weather with us, Chris.
19:07I know.
19:08Aren't we lucky?
19:09It's T-shirt weather today.
19:10It is.
19:11But a nice breeze to keep us cool.
19:13Well, yeah, because we've got a lot of work in store, Charlie.
19:15Have we?
19:16Oh, dear.
19:18Oh, Charlie, look at the wall.
19:20It's gone.
19:21Solved that problem.
19:22I know.
19:23And we've got a shelter over there.
19:25Yeah, because Lauren and Ben really wanted a space for them, but also for the children
19:30to play and interact and have a great time.
19:32We need to be safe and fun.
19:33Yeah.
19:34So, speaking of being fun, I know that you're a child at heart, Charlie.
19:38Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:39So I'd quite like you working in the kids' zone at the back of the garden there to come
19:43up with some weird and wacky ideas for that.
19:45What are you saying about me?
19:46Weird and wacky.
19:47I've definitely got the best job.
19:49Yeah, I think you do.
19:50I'll leave you to it.
19:51Now, the real challenge with this garden was this area here, because you couldn't even
19:56open the bifold doors to move through the space, and there was no real way to get up
20:00into the garden.
20:01So the solution here is absolutely brilliant.
20:03We've got this dry stone slate wall to give them that slice of whales, but it's got
20:08the water feature as well, so they're going to get that beautiful sound of water, just
20:11like you'd get in the rolling hills of whales.
20:14Chris's design also addresses the issue of the old concrete slab by building a new patio
20:20and pergola directly on top.
20:22I love this.
20:23It's certainly an epic structure this, isn't it?
20:26Well, it's a bit of a beast, and I mean, you know, it is a concrete jungle, so I was
20:29thinking, what can we do here?
20:31This is the perfect thing, really.
20:32Oh, yeah.
20:33Get that view across the garden.
20:34Amazing, isn't it?
20:35Yeah.
20:36Right, I've got too much to crack on with.
20:37Yeah, I think.
20:38Before Charlie can make a start building the children's area, she needs to do a bit of
20:43cutting back.
20:44Now, there's some shrubs here that have got a bit out of hand, but they're actually quite
20:48lovely and make this area secret.
20:51So, I'm armed with my pruning utensils.
20:53I've got secateurs, loppers, and a pruning saw.
20:58So, I'm going to lightly prune this side, but the other side, I'm going to take it right
21:02out, and then this is a laurel, and then maybe create a little archway going down to
21:09the other side.
21:10So, they can play, here we go round the mulberry bush.
21:13Well, it won't be the mulberry bush, it'll be the laurel tree.
21:16Meanwhile, Chris's first job is making the hazardous wall safe for the children.
21:26So, I want to put a big planting bed all the way along here.
21:31And in it, I'm going to have posts, just simple three-inch posts dotted through with this
21:36lovely swag rope.
21:37So, it'll dip between each of the posts, so that all the perennials will grow up around
21:41it.
21:42And it's something that's really simple that anybody could do at home.
21:45All you have to do is buy some posts like that, drill a hole through, and feed the rope in.
21:50Easy peasy.
21:51And then it just makes it safe, gives you a bit of peace of mind for the children.
21:58With the day's hard landscaping underway, it's time for something softer.
22:02The plants have arrived.
22:04What little surprises have you got in here, then?
22:06Oh, look at that!
22:08Yeah, look!
22:09Oh, bags in a few.
22:12Now, not everything in here is a pure Welsh plant, but it's all about giving that feel
22:16in the garden.
22:17And something you do often see a lot across Wales, because they love the acidic soil,
22:23is these rhododendrons, but this one's a bit special, right?
22:26It is very special.
22:27Gorgeous, isn't it?
22:28Look at that.
22:29I mean, you'd grow that just for the foliage.
22:34There we go.
22:35A bit of wild, some Achillia.
22:36Nice wildflower-y look.
22:37Yeah, and also great for bringing the wildlife in as well.
22:40They are, aren't they?
22:41So textural and fun-to-touch tactile.
22:56As Lee puts the finishing touches to the pergola roof, Chris is keen to test the water feature.
23:02Are you ready?
23:03Yeah, I'm quite nervous though.
23:04Yeah, you don't seem very confident about this.
23:06You've got an audience!
23:07No pressure, Andy!
23:08No pressure, Andy!
23:09Come on, stop fiddling!
23:10Go and turn it on!
23:11Oh, something's happening!
23:13Oh, it's coming!
23:15Oh!
23:16Oh!
23:17Oh!
23:18That's pretty good!
23:19I'm happy with that!
23:20Are you happy, Ben?
23:21I am, yeah.
23:22You've done well, aren't you?
23:23I think you've done well, yeah.
23:25Take a bow!
23:26Take a bow, Andy!
23:28Turn it off?
23:29Yeah.
23:30Yeah.
23:31Can you turn these off and all, Charlie?
23:32Back in the children's area, Charlie has a good tip for pruning overgrown shrubs.
23:41Now that I can see this laurel a bit more, it's actually quite nice.
23:45And one thing you can do is crown lift, which basically means clearing the stems, so getting
23:52rid of all the little stuff, so you just expose the trunks and it just makes it look
23:58more uncluttered and makes it look more like a lovely tree and also it makes it easier
24:04to look after.
24:10While Lee is making some new steps, Chris and Charlie have found some steps of their own.
24:16Part of doing gardens is you have to, you know, utilise what's around you sometimes to
24:22save money.
24:23And we've got these amazing logs under the house, don't we?
24:26They can be either sipping stones or...
24:28Or little perches.
24:29Or little perches.
24:30Or little perches.
24:36With all the fence posts in place, Chris is drilling the holes for the rope barriers.
24:42A little trick when you're drilling a big hole like this through a post is don't plough
24:46all the way through out the other side because it's all going to splinter and make a real mess.
24:50Then you've got to spend ages sanding it back.
24:52So you just go through enough.
24:54So just the tip starts to poke out and you take it out, go around the other side and then
24:59drill that so you get two clean holes either side of the post.
25:03There we go.
25:04Come on.
25:05On to the rest.
25:06While Lee is making a seat for the children's area, Chris is adding the rope to his roped fence.
25:16So rather than having it all tight across the top, I'm going to have it so that it swags down.
25:35And this is the sort of thing you'd see along the coast and the seaside in Wales anyway.
25:39So that's going to do that all the way along and then the planting is going to grow up around it.
25:44I'm just going to tie a little knot in the end of this so that then I can pull that a little bit more tight
25:49and then I'm going to get all of my swags even because that's the thing with me.
25:53Even if I'm trying to go rustic, I still like everything to be level.
25:58Back in the children's area, Charlie's attention turns to building a wooden walkway for the kids.
26:04What do you think?
26:06Balance.
26:07So that's that at one level.
26:08Yeah.
26:09At that high.
26:10I was going to say, what you put it on, a little fold.
26:11Yeah.
26:12Yeah.
26:13Then they can step onto that.
26:14Yeah.
26:15And then they can step onto that and then jump off onto the bark.
26:18Oh.
26:19Or they can sit on those.
26:20Yeah?
26:21Yeah.
26:22Yeah, you just dig it all where you want and we'll try and make it fit.
26:25We're like an old married couple, we are.
26:29Give me shivers, did it?
26:31Yeah.
26:32Yeah.
26:36With his safety fence complete, Chris has turned his attention to the planting scheme.
26:42I'm just trying to figure out the best place for these to go.
26:45You always want to start by setting out your evergreen structure and your shrubs.
26:49And these rhododendrons are so amazing, I want them to be visible from every part of the garden.
26:54Chris starts his planting off at the water feature.
26:57Now in this garden, a real challenge with the planting is to try and make it look very natural.
27:06Like things have just sprung out of all the little nooks and crannies.
27:10So with this waterfall here, we've got a fern poking out from underneath it.
27:15But one of my star plants for this area is this beautiful iris, which is called Crystal Halo.
27:23And the idea is I'm going to have a couple of these just poking out the edges of the water feature.
27:29Now, I know it's not exactly what you'd find in nature, but it just gives that little impression
27:34that they've got their own slice of Welsh wilderness in their garden.
27:38It just needs a nice bit of compost in there to give it some fertility, a bit of moisture, and it will be really happy in there.
27:50Back in the children's area...
27:52Right, let's have him on there then.
27:54Let's have that on there.
27:55Charlie's walkway is almost complete.
27:58It would make a huge difference to us having a garden that we can play in safely without worrying.
28:03We can just pop out and have a play whenever it happens to be dry.
28:06Are we happy with that going up like that?
28:08Yeah.
28:09I think so, because it is all about learning, isn't it?
28:12I'm most excited about having a place that is safe for the little ones to play.
28:15Actually something interesting for them to play with.
28:18Right then, come on then.
28:20Come on, don't be frightened.
28:22What?
28:23Come on, come on.
28:24Oh, I've not got to try it.
28:25You've got to try it out.
28:26Come on, I'll hold your hand, don't worry.
28:27You first.
28:28You first.
28:29Come on, no, no, no, no.
28:30Come on.
28:31Oh, that's solid, that's it.
28:33That walking plank.
28:35That's all right, isn't it?
28:38Yeah.
28:41This garden is all about wild whales and native plants, natural planting.
28:48So I had to get some daisies in there, because oxeye daisies, you see them all across any
28:54wildflowers in England and Wales.
28:56Now I didn't just go for the native species oxeye daisy.
29:00I went for this Leucanthemum crazy daisy.
29:03And it's very similar, but it's just been bred for these bigger, more blousy flowers.
29:09So we're still getting a slice of wild whales in the garden, but it's just a little bit more flowery, which is fun for everyone.
29:16And the best thing about them is that they're well suited to this climate.
29:21They're so tough and robust.
29:23They just need to be planted in the soil.
29:28They need to get some sun or partial sun.
29:31And they really are very good at intermingling with other plants, especially grasses and perennials, because in the wild that's exactly what they'd do.
29:39They'd be in a grassy meadow with loads of other flowers.
29:42So you can see here, I've got this millennia, which is a moor grass you'd also find in Wales.
29:47And then I've got some helleniums again, just for a bit of contrast.
29:50So I think it is going to work perfectly in this border. Look at it.
29:56In the children's area, Charlie is starting with planting a kid's favourite, sunflowers.
30:03Just potting up a couple of little containers to go in Maisie and Robin's area.
30:09And I couldn't resist these. Look at those.
30:12I mean, don't they make you smile?
30:15Helianthus or sunflowers.
30:17This one is called Sunfinity.
30:19Now, the great thing about it is it's good for containers, but also in the ground.
30:24But it branches lots, as you can see.
30:27So you just pinch out the top when they start to grow.
30:30And you can see where this one's been pinched out.
30:33Right down there, it's been pinched out.
30:35And then it means all the side shoots have developed and you get lots of flowers.
30:41And they do that all summer long.
30:44And it means that you can cut them.
30:46So if you come along, you can chop them off here and put it in a vase.
30:50Because, of course, they're great for in vases and flower arranging.
30:54But then all these little side shoots will double up and you'll get more sunflowers.
31:00And you can grow them from seed.
31:02And I know that Ben and Lauren are really keen that Maisie and Robin get involved with the garden.
31:09And I'm going to pot them up in these pots.
31:12Very Bill and Ben.
31:13Either side of the lovely seat that Leah's made for me in that corner.
31:18On the theme of making everything look soft and natural I need to do something about this harsh edge here.
31:41Because when we built this new wall and the sleepers, we're just left with this here where the turf shrampers dam.
31:48And to do that, I've got this beautiful little plant.
31:53Now this is actually a very common plant, but it's an unusual cultivar of it.
31:58This is a pyrrhus little heath green.
32:01And normally when you think of a pyrrhus, you think of them as quite a large shrub, sort of medium-sized shrub.
32:06And they go that beautiful pink in spring, which this one will do too.
32:10But it stays really compact and it's kind of sprawling and spreading.
32:15So it's perfect to put in that little nook there.
32:19And you can see it instantly softens all of that up and hides the gaps and harsh edges.
32:25A little bit of nice compost when it's going in.
32:28And they're pretty unfussy about the light levels as well.
32:31So they'll take some sun, they'll take a bit of shade.
32:34And you just let them do their thing.
32:36If it starts to take over the steps a bit more, you can cut it back.
32:39It's not a problem.
32:40But other than that, you literally don't need to do anything to this.
32:43So it's perfect for small, medium or big gardens, or even sprawling out of a container.
32:49So you could use this anywhere in your own garden.
32:52Look at that. Amazing.
32:57Meanwhile, Charlie is adding some coloured plants into the children's section.
33:01So I think Maisie, our two and a half year old, has already shown interest in nature and the garden and flowers and all the different kind of colours and textures and everything.
33:09And we'd certainly love to sort of nurture that as she grows.
33:11And then Robin, who's six months old, we'd obviously like her to sort of follow that same sort of path as well.
33:16So at the front of the border, in this rockery bit, which is also great for bugs and beetles and things to overwinter, I'm putting a few sun-loving plants in.
33:27And one of them is thrift.
33:29So it's Armeria maritima, so of the sea, so sea thrift.
33:33And it's got this evergreen foliage that make these really lovely mounds and tufts.
33:38And then it throws up these sort of little lollipops of pink flowers.
33:43You can also get white ones and dark pink flowers.
33:46So it's a really nice seaside plant.
33:48And I know Chris wanted to get all dimensions of Wales into this garden.
33:54So we've got woodland, we've got the shale beach areas, and then we've got this thrift that reminds you of going to the seaside.
34:03And they'll put up with poor free-draining soil and they'll just do their thing and flower and make these little hummocks that sort of merge together and you get this like little miniature Teletubby effect with the foliage.
34:21Chris also wants to add some colour to a formerly dull location.
34:25This area of the garden was all concrete and it just had no life in it at all.
34:31So these containers here are perfect for giving it a bit of greenery and a bit of colour.
34:37And there's a few different ways that you can approach doing container gardens.
34:42So a technique I've adopted here is I've gone for a good evergreen blob.
34:48This pieris that I've used Elsa in the garden is a really nice accent on the corner of this post.
34:54And those are simple, it's just one plant in a pot, it's evergreen, you don't have to do much so it's easy to look after.
35:00Or you can go for a very dramatic and much more blousy pot like this one.
35:05And the key is actually to over plant it.
35:09Because, you know, you're not going to plant plants this closely in a normal border.
35:13But to get the impact in a pot like this you need to plant them really close and tight.
35:19And luckily, because they're perennials they will come back every year.
35:23But it does require a bit more maintenance.
35:26Because they're so densely planted they're going to need a bit more water, they're going to need a bit more feed.
35:30And it's the sort of thing that in time these will outgrow the pot quickly.
35:33So you might just want to remove one or take it out and divide it to reduce it again.
35:38Or when something like this Psychocarpus shrub gets a bit too big, you can actually take it out and plant it somewhere in the garden and replace it with something new.
35:45And what's good about that is that when you are swapping them out and changing them, you still get to meddle, you still get to do some gardening and you can keep your pots looking really fresh.
35:53As the garden enters its final stages, furniture is added under the pergola, along with a bird bath, some final planting and there's even a teepee for the girls.
36:18I don't know why you're laughing.
36:24I want to go to sleep.
36:25I want to go big eyes.
36:26I think it's hysteria, Charlie.
36:28Yeah.
36:29That was a really, really tough build.
36:31It was, wasn't it?
36:32But you know what?
36:33I think we've really pulled it off.
36:34I do.
36:35I mean that space is going to be fantastic for the family.
36:38And, you know, the water feature.
36:40What water feature?
36:41Oh, can you hear that?
36:43It's amazing.
36:44It's worked out really well.
36:46I know.
36:47Handy did a great job on it.
36:48Yeah.
36:49And I have to say the children are going to love that.
36:50It's great for them.
36:51They are going to be there.
36:52You know they're going to have their buckets.
36:55They'll be filling up their watering cans, watering the plants.
36:57Oh yeah, they will.
36:58And you know which ones they're going to water the most?
37:00The ones in your little area up there.
37:02Yes, good on them.
37:03Their own little garden.
37:05I love that space.
37:06I mean, it's so cute.
37:07It's playful.
37:08It's nice and it's their own little area.
37:09Yet, the parents can still sit under here in the shelter and keep an eye on them.
37:12Yeah.
37:13Talking of which.
37:14Shall we get Lauren and Ben?
37:15Go on, let's go get them.
37:16Come on.
37:19Two days ago, Ben and Lauren's garden was an unlovable, hazardous mess.
37:24It didn't reflect them as a couple or as a family, lacking in features with nothing to entice them in to relax or play.
37:34Now, with a budget of £6,000, it's been transformed into a beautiful, wild Welsh paradise.
37:42Before, where there was nothing, now there is a playground for the children.
37:49Once, where there was concrete, now there's an area to sit and relax as a family.
37:54How are you?
37:55How are you?
37:56How are you?
37:57You guys have got each other.
37:59But, will it be all that Lauren and Ben hoped for?
38:02Obviously, it was a concrete jungle.
38:04It was.
38:05It had so much unusable space.
38:07It wasn't inviting and it definitely wasn't family friendly.
38:10And you just had that awkward thing where you came out the bibles and you couldn't get onto the lawn.
38:14So, please, without any further ado, open your eyes.
38:19Oh, wow.
38:20Oh my gosh.
38:21That's absolutely amazing.
38:22Oh, it's amazing.
38:23It's like a different garden, isn't it?
38:27It's absolutely stunning.
38:29Thank you so much.
38:31Thank you very much.
38:32That water.
38:33It just sounds so amazing.
38:35The sound of the water is gorgeous.
38:38It's just incredible.
38:41Once stood a wall blocking their door too high to be safe for the children to play.
38:47Now stands a safety fence, a relocated and remade Welsh slate wall with a water feature and embedded planting.
38:55This bit here is a real weather change has really happened, isn't it?
39:00Yeah, absolutely.
39:01Because when you first come out of those doors before, I mean, what were you greeted with?
39:04It was just a wall straight away, a wall, and you just couldn't get past there at all.
39:08You certainly can get past now. It looks amazing.
39:10And then it ties in with your very own Welsh dry stone wall there with the water coming out over it.
39:17That's lovely, isn't it?
39:18It's so lovely.
39:19And it's safe.
39:20She's not getting over that wall.
39:21Exactly.
39:22We've got the post and rope up on the top.
39:24It's just a good bit of deterrent there and the deep planting bed as well.
39:27But I'd really like to take you up into this upper level because before it was awkward to get into.
39:32So why don't we enjoy a nice journey up and we can go and look at what Charlie's been working on today.
39:36Amazing.
39:38It is just fantastic.
39:40The steps up just lead you into the garden.
39:43Now this is a real fun part of the garden, okay?
39:47And this is for Maisie and Robin, alright?
39:50It's not for you guys.
39:51I'm just going to run straight on it.
39:52Well, you can if you want.
39:53If you want to take it for a test drive.
39:56Before, this was forgotten.
39:58Just a mess of overgrown shrubs and bushes.
40:01Now, it's a place where the children can play and grow.
40:05With its own balance beam, log seats, and childishly fun planting.
40:10So, Charlie has been working really, really hard up here because, I mean, before, this was almost completely lost, wasn't it?
40:16Absolutely, yeah.
40:17Completely overgrown.
40:18There was just no space for anything round here.
40:21I prune those trees.
40:22I think Maisie's going to be over the moon when she gets out.
40:25Yeah, she's going to absolutely love this.
40:26Yeah, definitely.
40:27She will be.
40:28We won't get her back inside.
40:29No.
40:30We won't.
40:31Well, let's have a little stroll down to the more adult part of the garden.
40:34Lovely.
40:35Now, I think this area is going to be a bit different for the both of you.
40:39Wow, it's amazing.
40:40Look at this hut.
40:42It's a decent sized hut, right?
40:44It's huge.
40:45It's amazing.
40:46Gone is the massive, unsightly concrete slab.
40:50Replaced with trees, planter beds, a graveled path, and a tin-roofed pergola.
40:55The perfect place for sitting back and enjoying all of the Welsh weather.
41:00This is more than we could have imagined.
41:02It's amazing.
41:03And this spot was all about trying to bring some greenery and some natural materials,
41:08you know, onto a literal concrete jungle.
41:10Oh, what a beautiful tree.
41:11It is.
41:12That's a silver birch.
41:13Lovely.
41:14You can find them across Wales.
41:15Yeah.
41:16And we've actually obviously built this planter up,
41:18and we've got a load of different perennials in there
41:20that will start to spill out over the edges as they grow up.
41:22Amazing.
41:23Well done, Chris.
41:24Now, why don't you go and take a seat in your little shelter,
41:28because this is going to be the spot where you're spending a lot of time.
41:31Lovely, yes please.
41:32Oh, this paving is beautiful.
41:35It's lovely, isn't it?
41:36I've never sat in this part of the garden.
41:38It's so lovely to sit here.
41:39I've never been able to.
41:40And the plants on the edges, it is greener.
41:42Yeah.
41:43It's amazing.
41:44Wow.
41:45There's something really tranquil about it, isn't it?
41:46It is.
41:47That sound of water is just incredible.
41:49I haven't done this all by myself.
41:51Charlie!
41:52Yes!
41:53It looks fantastic, doesn't it?
41:54It does.
41:55It does.
41:56It does.
41:57Thank you so much for all the work.
41:58Now, there's one thing that I didn't get round to.
41:59Oh!
42:00It's a really, really beautiful spot.
42:01And, you know, Maisie is going to love what you've done up there, Charlie.
42:02So, do you think you're going to spend all your time in the garden or going walking up in
42:19the hills?
42:20Oh, here now.
42:21Yeah.
42:22I know.
42:23I'm very, very happy with how all of this has turned out.
42:25And I think once everything fills out and grows, it's going to give you that really wild Welsh
42:30feet that you wanted.
42:31That's brilliant.
42:33I'm so glad you've come.
42:34Thank you so much.
42:35That's all right.
42:40When I opened my eyes, I just couldn't believe what was out here.
42:43It's incredible.
42:44I think it was better than we imagined.
42:46They've solved so many other problems.
42:48They've solved the wall.
42:50It's so much safer.
42:51I just can't wait for Maisie and Robin to come out and play in it.
42:54We've got this space in our own garden.
42:55It's fantastic.
42:56Yeah.
42:57It means so much to us.
42:58We'll all enjoy it and spend so much time here.
43:00Yeah.
43:01I'm so grateful.
43:02Thank you so much.
43:24Bye.
43:25Bye.