Monty travels to two corners of the country where the challenges he faces are very different. On the south coast he is presented with a front garden ravaged by salty winds and in Snowdonia he helps a mountainside garden stuck between a rockery and a hard place. On top of that, one budget is as small as the garden, and in the other, the enthusiasts don't always listen to his advice. So what will Monty's final verdict be?
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Do you have a small garden, but a big idea?
00:05Do you know what you'd like it to look like,
00:07but no idea, really, of where to begin?
00:10Well, you're not alone.
00:12Over the last year, I've been working with people
00:14right across the country,
00:16helping them to make their garden dreams become reality.
00:20Monty Don has listened to their hopes and plans.
00:24It's an absolutely crazy idea, and I love it.
00:28He's given advice.
00:30Don't be frightened to push plants into crevices.
00:33And he's rolled up his sleeves.
00:35Let's not talk about it, let's just do it.
00:37Talk about a lean gardening machine.
00:40Things haven't always gone to plan.
00:43I thought we were going to make four, I expect.
00:45I'm a bit worried that we might have killed it.
00:48But it's been worth it.
00:50What a beautiful garden.
00:52So happy.
00:54Thank you, Monty.
00:57I do believe that however small your garden is,
01:01everybody can cultivate a big dream.
01:12I love the way that we British are so passionate about our gardens,
01:16and that even the smallest space can have creativity poured into it.
01:22These sisters spend £5 billion every year on gardening.
01:27But in this series, I want to show that money isn't everything,
01:30and size really doesn't matter.
01:33This week, Monty will be meeting two sets of gardeners
01:37battling with extreme conditions,
01:39from Welsh rockface...
01:41I could hold your ankle.
01:43..to a garden ravaged by salty winds.
01:45I'm just battling the elements all the time.
01:48Monty will need both his brains...
01:50A little bit of homework would have sorted this out.
01:53We've learnt that lesson today.
01:55..and his brawn.
01:57Very impressed with Monty's strength and skills.
02:01..to help make some dreams come true.
02:04Cheers, everybody. Cheers.
02:07MUSIC PLAYS
02:20Our first garden is just a stone's throw
02:22from Hailing Island Beach in Hampshire.
02:25It belongs to Sharon, Marcus,
02:27and their two daughters, Holly and Grace.
02:31Come on.
02:33The beach is really the big attraction for us.
02:36We're not alone. A lot of people like living by the sea
02:39and the water certainly has a great appeal.
02:46So much so, they've spent the last six years
02:49filling their New England-style home with nautical notes.
02:54Now their dream is to give their small front garden
02:57the same American seaside look.
03:00Just very square and uninspiring
03:03and nothing really works together.
03:07The lawn has just sort of become worse and worse.
03:10It's very uneven. It doesn't grow very well.
03:12It's just dead.
03:14And the trampoline has become a bit of an eyesore.
03:17And when it comes to the plants,
03:19Sharon is ready to throw in the trowel.
03:22Most disappointing, I think, is this yew tree.
03:25I really love this yew tree.
03:27The top half is thriving and it's doing really nicely,
03:30but the bottom half, for some reason, has just died.
03:34The only thing that does make sense in the garden to me
03:37is the Christmas tree, but it's probably the only thing
03:40I'd really want to save in the garden.
03:46Our second garden is in the dramatic mountains of North Wales.
03:50After falling in love with a beautiful landscape,
03:53Adam and his partner Andy made a snap decision
03:56to take the pigs from their city centre home
03:58and move to the picturesque village of Corris.
04:02We were right in the centre of Bournemouth
04:04and towards the end of being there, I just felt really hemmed in.
04:07I wanted that feeling of space, and we certainly got that here.
04:13Hello, pigs.
04:15In search of self-sufficiency, they decided to start a smallholding.
04:20The key thing for us was, when we moved here,
04:23to make a living from our home.
04:25We love going round in the morning, feeding the chickens, the pigs, the ducks.
04:29Hello, duckies.
04:31Keeping them is really lovely,
04:33and then we get the bonus of the eggs and the meat.
04:36One of them's growing quite a lot faster than the other one.
04:39Oi, stop it.
04:42After two years of digging deep to establish the smallholding,
04:46they now want to focus on creating a space
04:48to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
04:51The garden at the moment isn't so much a garden,
04:53but a space that's kind of been neglected,
04:56because we've been working on the animals and the produce and everything like that.
05:00Their dream is to take their tiny garden,
05:03level it off and make a place to entertain and relax.
05:06The only things standing in their way is a towering rock face,
05:09the wet weather and their complete lack of plant knowledge.
05:14We need plants that can withstand that and can thrive out there.
05:19We don't really know much about what to choose.
05:24BIRDS CHIRP
05:39It's late autumn on Hayling Island.
05:42Sharon and Marcus have the daunting task
05:44of showing the country's top gardener
05:46round their rather dishevelled front garden.
05:49So this is the area, is it?
05:51Yes.
05:53As you can see, the grass is a bit threadbare in parts
05:57and the planting doesn't look very great.
06:00It's just very square.
06:02Let me just be quite clear.
06:04The sea is, what, 300 yards away?
06:08About that.
06:10So do you get really strong winds coming in?
06:12Very strong winds, often for days at a time, and a lot of salt.
06:17Actually, that's probably the bigger problem.
06:19So whatever you plant must be adapted to salt?
06:23Absolutely, and we've realised there's no point fighting that.
06:26OK, what's the grand plan?
06:29The grand plan is a Cape Cod, beachy-style garden.
06:33Crikey!
06:35As we stand on grass with small borders.
06:39It's probably hard to imagine now, I think, to take up all this turf,
06:44put some new turf down, and as part of that process
06:47try and walk from that gate going towards this gate
06:52and then try and dig a big hole and sink the trampoline down.
06:56Do you have to have the trampoline?
06:58Yes, we do.
07:00A 13-year-old daughter, she completes regionally at trampolining
07:04and so she does need it for her practice.
07:08Since they must keep the trampoline,
07:10Sharon and Marcus have come up with a sensible idea
07:13of sinking it into the ground.
07:15They can re-turf the lawn and add a wooden boardwalk
07:18to give the garden a seaside look.
07:21So far, so good,
07:23but Monty is about to give them a reality check on their beach dream.
07:27I mean, when you talked about keeping some grass,
07:31I personally would say it's a very bad idea.
07:34It just won't look good.
07:36No. I have thought about that
07:38and I have thought about, you know, sort of stones,
07:40again, the very beachy feel to it,
07:42but, you know, the girls do like to sit out here.
07:46And it's not just the lawn that Monty wants to do away with.
07:50Your Christmas tree, is that essential?
07:52We do like the Christmas tree.
07:54Well, must it really stay?
07:57We both really love pine trees and...
08:01We like to keep it somewhere.
08:03As it is, looking like a Christmas tree,
08:06it doesn't fit with my concept
08:08of a big cod sort of beach garden going down.
08:14It would move very easily.
08:16The next obvious question is, you want to rip everything out,
08:19you want to move things around, you're digging holes,
08:21you're making decking, what's your budget?
08:23It's a very small budget. We only have £1,000.
08:26I mean, £1,000 is really tricky.
08:30If you sort of squeeze an extra 500...
08:33Yes, yeah. ..that would transform the planting, say.
08:36If I could find a couple more hundred for the plants,
08:39I would like to get it right first time,
08:42because I think over the six years that we've lived here,
08:45I've probably wasted between £700 and £800
08:48on things that haven't survived.
08:51Right, so, I mean, that's a really good point,
08:54is that if you don't plan it and you don't spend your money wisely,
08:58it's real loss when you waste it.
09:00Yes, definitely.
09:02My suggestions for Sharon and Marcus' beach garden
09:04are a little more radical.
09:06I'd like to take up the turf and cover their garden in pebbles
09:09and plants that can resist this very salty environment.
09:13And although their Christmas tree is the one plant that is flourishing,
09:17in my opinion, it has to go.
09:22I think the crucial thing is that they remain true to the basic idea.
09:28And this is the inspiration.
09:30Here is the sea, here are the plants.
09:32Yeah, I think there are things which you automatically assume
09:35need to be part of a garden, like a lawn.
09:37I think it's very ingrained that, you know,
09:39a lawn has to stay as part of a garden.
09:41As long as they don't lose their nerve,
09:45I think it will be really, really good.
09:48Obviously, Monty had other ideas
09:50to what Marcus and I had initially thought about.
09:55I think he's made me realise that we can't do a half-hearted job.
10:00If you're going to have a beachy thing, it needs to be properly beachy.
10:07It's been a few weeks since Monty left
10:09and Sharon and Marcus have had to make some difficult decisions.
10:13But Marcus is a man with a plan.
10:15Or is it more of a case of a boy with a new toy?
10:19Well, the plan for the day
10:21is to get as much of the heavy digging done as possible.
10:24I have only got the digger for a day
10:26and it is the first time I've driven a digger,
10:28so it's all going to be a little bit of a learning curve.
10:34We've taken on board some of Monty's suggestions
10:36and, in fact, taking the Christmas tree out
10:38is one of the things that he said,
10:40because it wouldn't grow on a beach.
10:43This could take a while.
10:45Monty might approve of the plan, but not the way it's being executed.
10:50Trees should be moved with as much earth as possible around their roots.
10:56Just as well spruces like this are particularly resilient.
11:00It's not the most delicate way to do it.
11:07At least he has the support of his team.
11:10At least he has the support of his wife.
11:13A bit shocked by the hole.
11:16The Christmas tree's gone and I think I've mentioned previously
11:19the Christmas tree was very important to me.
11:21I think what we've decided is we will probably try and keep it alive
11:25and use it as our Christmas tree this year.
11:27If Marcus doesn't kill it in the meantime.
11:34Needing a helping hand to remove the old fence panels...
11:37Watch out for the nails.
11:39...the team has enlisted help from their neighbours and Marcus' parents.
11:43It's gone really well, actually, I think,
11:46considering we've had to battle the elements a little bit.
11:50I'm going to move that panel.
11:57Yeah, it's coming. It's coming.
12:00Digging out the fence post is proving to be much harder than they expected.
12:04Do you want me to try and dig it out a bit so you can see?
12:07I can't move the roots, so I don't think you're going to be able to do very much.
12:10You can try, but I don't understand how big that lump of concrete is.
12:14It seems massive.
12:16No wonder we can't do that one. Look at the size of this one.
12:19While Marcus is overcoming obstacles,
12:21Sharon has also realised she has hit a major snag.
12:25Thinking through our budget of the initial £1,000,
12:28it's not going to be enough.
12:30We've already used a huge chunk of that on fencing
12:33and, you know, I hadn't factored in things like concrete
12:37and the shingle that needs to go in the posts and things like that.
12:40Monty suggested that we'd probably need to spend about £500 on planting.
12:44Well, I haven't got £500 left at this stage,
12:47so, yes, budget will be revised because the planting will need to be right.
12:51Despite several setbacks, work presses on with their ambitious plan.
12:57The garden's a little bit destroyed.
12:59I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about that tomorrow morning
13:02when I open up the curtains and look at the pile of earth
13:05that is now my front garden.
13:07But Monty persuaded us there was no halfway measures with a beachy garden.
13:11You do it or you don't and, as he rightly pointed out,
13:14you don't often see lawns on the beach.
13:26Today in North Wales, it's Adam and Andy's turn
13:28to share their dream plans with Monty.
13:31Until now, they've been concentrating on their smallholding,
13:34but they have ambitious plans for their plot,
13:37which is all of 3m by 3m square.
13:40We need a space that is a garden,
13:42that is effectively somewhere where we can have a drink, chill out,
13:46when we're not doing all of the jobs that we're doing.
13:56This is the garden, huh?
13:58Yeah. This is it.
14:00Yeah, it's not massive.
14:03And how do you feel about the way that this looks now?
14:07I love the ruggedness of it.
14:10Obviously, it's a bit of a mess at the moment,
14:13but I think there's real potential in there.
14:15I love the stone wall.
14:17I think we could do something interesting.
14:19To incorporate it into something with planting would be good.
14:22My impression, for what it's worth, I like the way it looks now.
14:25Can you describe as clearly as you can
14:27how you imagine this when it's finished?
14:30In terms of the space, we've got the area,
14:32the chance to change the roof of this shed here
14:35into a flat deck to stand on.
14:38So the idea is that we can get a bigger space than we have now.
14:42It would double your space, wouldn't it?
14:44Yeah.
14:45And a defined area for eating and table.
14:48Yeah.
14:50Adam and Andy dream of having space to relax
14:53and this is a genius solution.
14:55By levelling off the shed roof and adding wooden decking,
14:59they will double the size of their new garden.
15:02It's a practical solution, but not necessarily the prettiest.
15:07I mean, one of the problems I have about this
15:12is the conjunction between a deck
15:15and all the associations of the materials and the way it looks
15:19with the naturalistic hillside.
15:21How are you going to marry those two?
15:23Because, quite frankly, decking can look naff.
15:26Yeah, I mean, I guess that's where we're hoping for some advice.
15:31Could you have stone edging?
15:33I mean, could you make the whole thing stone?
15:35It's a stone place.
15:37Possibly.
15:39Use the materials of the place.
15:41Yeah, yeah.
15:42This place is about slate and stone.
15:44Yeah.
15:45Are there any particular plants that you love or want to include?
15:50That might be more your domain.
15:52Erm, herbs.
15:54I like the idea of being able to walk out the door to pick some herbs.
16:00And then, of course, that bank,
16:02which, as a gardener, is the thing that excites me most.
16:05I love it.
16:06Look, you've got the little foxgloves growing in here.
16:10That's a little spurge.
16:12I don't even mind the grasses seeding themselves.
16:15When it gets coarse, I think you then have to weed.
16:18But you can plant in here. These are all little planting pockets.
16:21Yeah.
16:22A lot of alpine plants would love that.
16:25Definitely. I think it would be lovely.
16:29My interpretation of Adam and Andy's dream
16:32is based on their need to work with their environment.
16:35I think the new flat area should be replaced with local stone.
16:39They should have more pots bursting with flowers and herbs
16:42and add alpine plants to the rocky bank.
16:46The idea of doing it now is a reality, isn't it?
16:49Although we always were going to do it,
16:51now we've got a timescale and we've got expectations on us,
16:54so it's great.
16:55And slightly scary.
16:57The really exciting thing for me is that bank.
17:01And if I can persuade them that there is a world of plants
17:05that is fascinating,
17:07that also relates to their love of the place,
17:10then that will be a real development.
17:16As winter sets in, so does the rain.
17:19Bye-bye, summer.
17:21Adam and Andy's dream is to create a relaxing space
17:24where they can entertain.
17:26At the end of his last visit,
17:28Monty left them clear instructions to clear up the mess,
17:32including the deathtrap paving slabs.
17:35Well, from the house, there's a few that are OK,
17:39and then as you come out of the house,
17:41Well, from the house, there's a few that are OK,
17:44and then as you come out to here, they get really wobbly,
17:47so we're going to take them all out
17:49and then we'll level the ground so that it's usable.
17:52Because at the moment, when we had a party before,
17:54you've got people stood around
17:56and they're kind of stepping off the step or the slate's moving
17:59and they're all wobbling around.
18:01And once you've had a few drinks, it's kind of like, uh-oh.
18:07While Adam continues with the hard landscaping,
18:10Andy has taken charge of weeding the rocky bank.
18:16I think for us it's just making sure we're taking the right things out
18:20and leaving the right things in.
18:26It's better for wildlife to hand-pull weeds rather than use pesticides,
18:30but that's not easy on a rock face.
18:35I'm trying to take out this dead bramble here,
18:39but by doing that, I may join the dead bramble.
18:44I could hold your ankle.
18:46I think the way to do it will be to get a ladder from that way.
18:52Adam and Andy couldn't be more enthusiastic,
18:54but even they admit they don't have much of a clue.
18:58Gardening is something new to us, you know,
19:00it's not something that we've done a lot of in the past.
19:03I think the bit we don't know a lot about
19:05is the natural, the right kind of plants to choose
19:08and the maintenance of those plants.
19:10We're certainly planting and gardening novices, definitely.
19:16Taking self-sufficiency to the limit,
19:18they've decided to spend as little as possible on their dream.
19:22Only time will tell if their plan will work.
19:28Cup of tea.
19:30I think considering it has been pelting down all afternoon,
19:34when you see what we've managed to do despite that,
19:36it's really encouraging, isn't it?
19:38Yeah. A hot bath across the way.
19:41While Corris has been suffering rains,
19:43back in Hayling, winter was about to do its worst.
19:51It's 8 o'clock.
19:52A huge clean-up operation is underway this morning on Hayling Island.
19:55Winds of up to 80mph have battered the south coast overnight.
19:59In Hampshire, Sharon and Marcus' beachfront garden
20:02is bearing the brunt of some of the worst storms in decades.
20:06It's been a very unusual winter, actually.
20:09It's been extremely stormy.
20:11We've seen the tide and the waves come higher than I can ever remember.
20:16Yeah, it was far from ideal gardening weather, that's for sure.
20:20As the winds subside, the shoreline is left scattered with driftwood.
20:24With the budget spent, Marcus quickly snaps up the free building material.
20:30Marcus is great because he can basically build anything I want.
20:35He's got a nice workshop here so he can do all the work himself
20:38and he really enjoys it.
20:39I mean, he makes garden furniture as a bit of a hobby, a sideline.
20:44What I'm starting to do is just make up the framework
20:48for the boardwalk path until this actually goes together.
20:51I'm not sure that it's definitely going to work,
20:53but the idea is there and, in principle, it's going to work.
21:00Marcus and Sharon are racing ahead to achieve their dream beach garden.
21:05The next task is to lift the turf,
21:07lay a weed-suppressing membrane and pour on seven tonnes of pebbles.
21:15It's quick to do, but even so, Sharon can't resist taking a shortcut.
21:21We made the decision not to take up the turf
21:23because it was an expense that we didn't really need
21:26given our quite tight budget.
21:28We don't feel we're going to have any real issues with that.
21:32Taking the easy option could be a decision they regret,
21:35especially with a gardening guru on his way.
21:39So Monty might be a little bit surprised or disappointed
21:42that we've perhaps compromised on some of the things that he suggested.
21:46Hopefully, when he comes next week,
21:48he's going to see a good blank canvas to be working with
21:51and he can then give us advice on the area that he specialises in,
21:54which is the planting side of things.
21:59Back in Wales, a break in the weather has given Adam and Andy
22:03an opportunity to don their protective outfits
22:06and remove the shed roof in little under three hours.
22:12Now the heavy landscaping can continue.
22:15Their plan is to infill the shed with stone
22:18so they can level it off and create more space.
22:22Have you got any big stuff over there we can chuck in yet?
22:25No, not yet, but I will.
22:29Shall I save that? Yeah.
22:32As usual, the pair are doing all the work themselves
22:35in order to be as cost-effective as possible.
22:41Well, so far, the budget is pretty minimal.
22:44I think we've pretty much traded and bartered everything so far.
22:48We've... The railway supers from my dad's farm
22:51and these old water boilers, I think they are, find out.
22:54But all of those we've traded for a weekend helping at the farm.
23:00I think so far we've probably bought maybe a bag of cement
23:04and a bag of sand to put the supers in and that's it.
23:07So hopefully we can kind of carry on along that vein.
23:22Yeah.
23:23To save money, the boys have come up with a penny-pinching idea.
23:27They're swapping eggs for plants, and anything is welcome.
23:32Hello. Hiya. Got you some plants.
23:34Oh, wow, thank you very much.
23:36Lime. Oh, wow, thank you.
23:38Better late than never. Oh, awesome.
23:40There we go, eggs. Thank you very much.
23:43Wild garlic. Wild garlic. I've got to taste it.
23:45Oh, it's lovely.
23:47That's great. It's all yours. Thank you very much.
23:49Do you want some eggs? No. I owe you an egg.
23:52Oh, look at that.
23:53It happened pretty late today, so...
23:55Oh, right. Next time you're passing.
23:57You're not lucky to move at times, are you?
23:59Well, people keep giving us plants,
24:01so we're trying to squeeze the eggs out of them as fast as we can.
24:08Having the smallholding, it's a real connection for everybody.
24:11You know, the village, the people in the village are amazing.
24:14They love what we're doing and it's a really nice talking point.
24:17Hello. Hello. You all right? You all right?
24:19Well...
24:21Everyone talks about the boys.
24:23It's the boys with the pigs, the boys with the hens.
24:25I just thought they'd be here for a couple of months and then gone.
24:28And they hadn't got beards, so I thought they'd definitely go.
24:31Oh, my God, these are so beautiful.
24:35So, all in all, good chaps, I think, you know.
24:39Well, it's basically two types of townies.
24:41Those who come with no idea what the country's like,
24:44with their dreams,
24:46and it takes them years to sort out their problems
24:49and to make a mess of it, learning the hard way.
24:51And then there's the naturals.
24:53And the lads here are, I'd say, two of the naturals.
24:56They just know what to do.
24:59It's been a long day, moving literally a short distance.
25:04It's been a long day, moving literally a shedload of stone.
25:08But Adam and Andy are proud of their achievement.
25:13I think it feels bigger than I thought it would, which is nice,
25:16because there's always that danger that it's going to be
25:19a bit of a disappointment, but I think...
25:21And it already looks like it's always been here, doesn't it?
25:24Yeah.
25:25Despite their laid-back attitude,
25:27the boys are anxious about Monty's next visit.
25:30I think the aim is, before Monty's visit,
25:33is to have a real blank canvas,
25:36because we really need his help with the planting side of things.
25:39We really could do with a bit of a hand with that, couldn't we?
25:42Mm.
26:01It's over six months since I was last here,
26:04and they've had lots of time to prepare the ground.
26:09I'm hoping that by now they've removed that ugly roof
26:13and given the rocky bank a good weed.
26:16But the crucial thing that I'm hoping that Adam and Andy will have done
26:21is to do the homework on the kind of plants they want.
26:26Hello. Morning. You all right?
26:28I'm very well. Nice to see you again.
26:30Hello, I'm good. Nice to see you.
26:32How are things? Clearly you've been doing things.
26:35Things are happening, yeah, that's for sure.
26:37Talk me through what you've done.
26:39Well, we've been sort of focusing on the hard landscaping,
26:43and we've taken the roof off the shed.
26:46I'm going to have a look at that.
26:48I'm going to have a look at that.
26:50I'm going to have a look at that.
26:53We've taken the roof off the shed
26:55and built this wall across to tie in with what we saw.
26:58See, it looks as though it's always been like that.
27:01It's really effective.
27:03It just looks like it's always been a walled garden.
27:06And pots. I see you are beginning to collect some plants.
27:09Yes. Yeah, yeah.
27:11And how have you got the plants?
27:13Because I saw the sign on the road,
27:16which what slightly worried me was,
27:18herbs and alpines preferred, but any are welcome.
27:21All are welcome.
27:22Well, we thought the herbs and the alpines,
27:24we know sort of where they're going to go
27:26and that they're going to work here.
27:28But, I mean, there's so many great things
27:30that people are growing in their gardens around here.
27:32We've got the containers that we can use
27:34to sort of keep those things going.
27:36OK, and the bank. Now, what have you done to the bank?
27:39We weeded it.
27:41So do I take from that that it is now
27:44as weeded as you would like it to be?
27:46I think we wanted... This is the area where we need help.
27:49So I think we were very cautious to take anything out.
27:52OK, that makes sense.
27:54So you take any tree roots out, grass out, leave the foxgloves,
27:58and then I'll come in and I'll help you with the planting.
28:01Brilliant. That's great.
28:05While Andy follows Monty's instructions and tackles the rock bank,
28:09Adam's keen to show off the wall he's already started to plant up.
28:14Yeah, this is a bit chaotic, isn't it?
28:19When you're planting in a situation like this,
28:22the plants really have adapted to this environment.
28:26They need very, very little soil.
28:28Whereas this is too much. Yeah.
28:31Too much in there.
28:33OK, I happen to have in my pocket a suitable trowel.
28:37Let's get rid of all this excess. Yeah.
28:40We don't need it. Doesn't look nice.
28:42I think with the planting, you need to fill the available space.
28:47OK. Don't plant a small plant into an area like that.
28:51Yeah. Put a big plant in there. Yeah, yeah.
28:54And you need to cram.
28:57The quickest way to kill alpines is keeping them in wet conditions.
29:01A mix of 50% compost with 50% grit will give them the drainage they need.
29:08So what you've got is a mixture like that.
29:11So if we are putting...
29:14Say we want to plant in there.
29:16Push in a little bit.
29:19And it's difficult because we can just watch that in
29:22and there'll be enough nutrition and enough drainage in there
29:26that when we push the roots in, they'll have something to stick on to.
29:30You know, if we push that in...
29:34..like that, I would expect that to live and grow.
29:38Yeah.
29:41Obviously, it's got to...
29:43You've got to get it well in cos if it falls out or whatever,
29:46but there's no reason why that wouldn't work. Yeah.
29:49And what's that?
29:51Erm... Good question.
29:53Right. OK.
29:55No good bringing plants you don't know what they are. Yeah.
29:58Cos they've got to be right for here. Yeah.
30:00If you don't know what that is, how can you research it
30:03and know it'll be happy? Yeah.
30:05Taking plants in from people, saying,
30:07thank you very much and giving them eggs in return... Yeah.
30:10..is nice but it may not serve you very well. Yeah.
30:13That's Adam told off.
30:16At the back of the garden, Andy is busy cleaning the rock bank
30:19to reveal tiny cracks and crevices that will make perfect planting pockets.
30:26You see, I like this little cliff face... Yeah.
30:31..that you're exposing.
30:33When you're planting what is a rock face like this,
30:37clean it back, get rid of all the rubbish,
30:40which has accumulated over the years.
30:43Don't be frightened to add stone in.
30:45You know, it's not an archaeological dig.
30:47You're allowed to change it as much as you like. Yeah.
30:50Create a few planting pockets, but they don't need to be too deep
30:54and don't be frightened to push plants into crevices
30:57and gradually build it up.
30:59Just take time. Take time and care. Yeah.
31:02I think that's the thing. Yeah.
31:04When planting a rockery,
31:06choose plants that can survive and thrive in little or no soil.
31:11Try alpines or succulents like Sempervivum.
31:16Mediterranean herbs like rosemary can also thrive in these conditions
31:20as long as they have good drainage.
31:24You're having fun, aren't you?
31:26I am really enjoying it.
31:28I've got to go soon. I just want to pick up one point.
31:31You can take your time over that. I just want to talk about these herbs.
31:34OK. I like the idea of growing herbs on the wall.
31:37That's great.
31:39But you've got a funny mixture.
31:41What we've got going on here are different herbs
31:44that need different growing conditions,
31:46cheek by jowl in the same place. Right.
31:48Mediterranean herbs here in wet Wales
31:52will only grow well with really good drainage.
31:55Yeah. And poor soil. Yeah.
31:57The poorer soil, the better. Right.
31:59Whereas parsley likes richer soil.
32:02The mint will grow better in richer soil.
32:05So I think we need to rationalise this.
32:07Take these out, replant some of them,
32:10take out much of that soil,
32:12a little bit of soil and grit,
32:14and replant the Mediterranean. Great.
32:23Why did you choose this type of soil for these particular herbs?
32:27Lack of knowledge, I think. Right. You just bunged them in.
32:30Yeah. A little bit of homework would have sorted this out.
32:33Yeah, we've learned that lesson today.
32:35Time? Yep.
32:39Today has been quite an education for Adam and Andy,
32:42but there's one subject they can get full marks on.
32:46How much do you think you've spent so far?
32:48Give me a ballpark figure.
32:50What do you think, so far, in cash, you've spent?
32:52About 50 quid.
32:54That is astonishing.
32:56Astonishing.
32:58I think we kind of picked that up from doing the smallholding as well.
33:02You know, keeping things as tight as possible,
33:05because, you know, everything that you do that costs money
33:08is something else you can't do elsewhere.
33:10What would really transform this garden before I come back
33:14is if you could bear it to invest double that amount
33:18to spend on plants that you research
33:22and know you really want and that would grow well here.
33:26Yeah. Because I think that would transform it.
33:29Brilliant. Thank you very much.
33:46On Hailing Island, reluctant gardener Sharon has yet to embrace
33:50the prospect of a pebble-covered garden
33:53and the challenge of researching salt-resistant plants.
33:59I have to confess, I'm a bit of an instant gardener.
34:02I do like to go to the nursery
34:04and find things that have already got flowers on them.
34:07And, you know, I like that sort of initial wow factor.
34:12I don't really have the patience for things to grow.
34:16Over the last few years,
34:18Sharon has wasted nearly £700 on plants that haven't survived.
34:23So to nip her spending in the bud,
34:25Monty is sending her with Marcus to Canberra Sands in Sussex
34:29to learn about seaside planting
34:31from an award-winning garden designer, Joe Thompson.
34:35MUSIC PLAYS
34:44Marcus sees potential for planting among pebbles,
34:47but Sharon is still hanging on to her lawn.
34:51What I'm very keen to avoid is it just looking like a pile of stones
34:56and I think the planting is going to be so important to get right.
35:00I really like the thrift is really good.
35:03It forms that low mat.
35:05The convolvulus is fantastic with its white flowers
35:09and the rock rose is wonderful.
35:14And the plant that's behind you that seems to be spreading quite nicely.
35:18Now, I didn't plant this plant.
35:20It's Lampranthus. That's a free plant.
35:23So that's just coming here from the beach, from the natural environment?
35:26And that's what the great thing is about this location
35:29is that you're bringing seeds in, the birds are bringing seeds in,
35:32so even if you think something is a weed, I'd say, you know, give it a chance.
35:36Give it a chance, definitely.
35:38A potential free supply of seeds, courtesy of the wind,
35:42is a great way for Sharon to save money on plants,
35:45even if the results aren't as instant as she would like.
35:54MUSIC PLAYS
36:00Last autumn, I came to Hayling Island on the Hampshire coast
36:03to help Sharon and Marcus create their dream beach garden.
36:08Because of the very particular conditions by the sea,
36:11I suggested that they get rid of their turf and replace it with pebbles
36:15and also carefully look out salt-resistant plants.
36:19They wanted to keep the trampoline
36:21but have decided to bury it so it's less of an eyesore.
36:24Now, I've come back to see how they're getting on,
36:26but there's one big question I want to resolve first.
36:29Have they got rid of that Christmas tree?
36:36Can you see what we've done so far? Aha!
36:42So we got rid of the lawn.
36:44You got rid of the lawn. You got a little bit of stone in.
36:47A little bit of stone.
36:49To see just a mass of stones down when you've been used to a lawn
36:53is quite a different look.
36:55Personally, I...
36:57It's sufficiently unusual in a garden to be stimulating and interesting.
37:01Right. You know, whereas lawn, you do see everywhere.
37:04Yes.
37:05And it's not only the lawn that's gone.
37:08You've got rid of the Christmas tree.
37:10Oh!
37:11I was so worried you were going to keep that.
37:13But we did repurpose it. It was moved to Marcus' parents.
37:16So it still lives. It lives on and it's growing really well.
37:19I think if you and I go through the plants you've got,
37:22and you've got the flowers that you know you want in that section there,
37:26look in the back garden, see if there's anything there we can move,
37:29divide and add to it.
37:31OK. And then we can start planting.
37:33The first task of the day
37:35is to uproot a large formium from the back garden,
37:38a job Sharon is very happy to stand back and allow Monty to manhandle.
37:43Very impressed with Monty's strength and skills.
37:48Because it's a very tight place and it's a big plant.
37:55With the formium uprooted, the next step is to clear the stones
37:58and cut a hole in the polypropylene fabric.
38:02A landscaping fabric like this is designed to block all light
38:08but let water through.
38:10OK. So it's porous, essentially. Yeah.
38:12The water goes between the weave.
38:14It should stop most weeds.
38:17And you can plant through it.
38:19And it's very simple. What you do, you don't cut a hole, you cut a cross.
38:23So you just cut it and it cuts very, very easily, like that.
38:27And then again across, like that.
38:30And then you just fold back the quarters.
38:34And like that.
38:36And like that.
38:38Plant into that space, then fold that back down around the plant.
38:43There we are.
38:46Right, let's put this into position.
38:53So what we'll do is backfill very firmly.
38:58Right. You've got a lot of weight on the top. Yes, yeah.
39:01And not a lot on the bottom. OK.
39:03That should be, if you let go, that should feel reasonably solid.
39:07Yeah, it's not too bad, is it? It's pretty good.
39:10So what we'll do is water that well. Yep.
39:12Real soak, tidy up, and then push the stones back in
39:15when the water has soaked in. OK.
39:20As with all watering,
39:22much better to give it a really good soak once a week
39:26than a seventh of the same amount every day.
39:29You want the water to soak in
39:32and the roots to reach down and find it.
39:34Whereas if you just water lightly, the water stays on the surface. Yes.
39:37So all the roots have to go to the surface.
39:39So then when it's dry, they dry up much quicker. Right.
39:44Monty's advice seems to be sinking in,
39:47but just as Sharon was going to the top of the class,
39:50Monty spots that the turf hasn't been lifted.
39:53It's a lazy decision that could cause trouble later
39:56and it's time for a telling-off.
40:01So the turf hasn't been lifted?
40:03No, no, we just decided that it was a big expense,
40:08you know, to get the rest of the turf up, time-wise as well,
40:12and that putting the membrane down would kill it off anyway.
40:18But it does make digging a little bit difficult.
40:21Well, it was an interesting decision to make.
40:24Or it was a bad decision. OK.
40:26Because you're planting through turf.
40:30In time, you will cut it off,
40:32but you're going to double your planting time. Right.
40:35If you'd lifted the turf, even if you'd then inverted it,
40:38it would have been a good idea.
40:40So now, you see, that ground is compacted and not dug.
40:43If you'd dug it all over, lifted the turf, dug it over,
40:46everything would grow much better and it would be much easier planting.
40:49But it's not a disaster.
40:51Not a petite disaster, anyway.
40:53Well, it's a good example how people who are inexperienced
40:57at this sort of thing think they can get away with this.
41:00Yes, yeah.
41:02No chance of that on Monty's watch.
41:06Once you get to the planting of a border, that's the good bit.
41:09That's the easy bit.
41:11Although, I have to say, if I'd been organising this,
41:14I would have delayed putting the stone down
41:16till all the planting was done.
41:18Now, this is your plant selection.
41:21Why have you chosen these plants?
41:23They're all coastal plants. Right. That's one of the reasons.
41:26Tell me what you mean by coastal plants.
41:28They will tolerate the wind and the salt... Right.
41:31..and also the soil conditions that we've got here.
41:34They're very hardy.
41:36You've got Angelica, you've got Thymes,
41:39you've got...I see you've got Allium...
41:42What is it, Christophiae? Yes, yeah.
41:45So, a good selection of plants that will cope
41:49with your very specific conditions.
41:53Sharon hasn't cut corners with her research,
41:56so she can get straight down to work.
42:13Marcus, cast your expert eye.
42:16My expert eye? OK.
42:18If I perhaps put it into context... OK.
42:21..what I've tried to do, following Sharon's guidance,
42:25is get drifts of white and purple with the silver foliage,
42:29so the colours are weaving through.
42:31I guess my question would be, how big are those going to get?
42:34Cos I think if I was laying out plants like that,
42:36I'd be thinking that in a year's time or two years' time,
42:39you're not going to see any of the stones,
42:41it's just going to be solid plants.
42:43If you feel it's too many for the effect you want,
42:45we can just take some out. No, I think it looks good now,
42:49but the easy mistake to make for an amateur gardener like me
42:52is to put too much in.
42:54The exact opposite is true. Really?
42:56The biggest mistake for the amateur gardener is to put too few.
42:59Oh, is it? OK. Cram. There we go.
43:01Always cram. Oh, OK.
43:03Put too many plants in and then take them out. OK.
43:06Is that cos you expect the worst, that some won't survive?
43:09No, no, cos it just looks better. Cos it looks better?
43:12It's too few plants, just doesn't feel adequate. No.
43:15Pile them in.
43:18I think the whole process has been about learning for us,
43:22not teaching you nothing, really, about plants.
43:25I'm impressed that after years of killing plants,
43:30Sharon is now doing her research carefully.
43:33It's been great having Monty here today
43:35because he's done some of the most amazing digging-out work
43:38that we wouldn't have wanted to do ourselves.
43:41But I'm a little less impressed about the impatience
43:44when it comes to the actual gardening,
43:46and I do hope they're not tempted to cut too many corners
43:49before I come back again.
43:51Cup of tea? Quick cup of tea. Quick cup of tea.
43:53I think you've earned one, Monty.
44:03Back in Wales, Adam and Andy have had no problems
44:06tackling the hard landscaping,
44:08but their plant knowledge could do with a helping hand.
44:11Monty has suggested they visit Bodnant Gardens in Snowdonia
44:15to see if head gardener Bill Worrell can inspire them.
44:19OK, so here we are next to one of Bodnant's granite walls.
44:22You can see it's got some nice planting pockets.
44:24Yeah.
44:25And you can also see lots of things are self-seeded.
44:27Now, one of the nicest things we've got in here is the Welsh poffy,
44:30Mechanopsis cambrica, lovely open flowers
44:32that the bees and the other insects love.
44:34Oh, yes, they're good for wildlife. Yeah, great for wildlife.
44:37But next to it, we've got fuchsia, one of the fuchsias,
44:39fuchsia magellanica, a very common one.
44:41You see it in hedgerows all over the place.
44:43These are grown from seed themselves?
44:45Yeah, we haven't put these.
44:47You can see the campanulas, the bellflowers,
44:49and, of course, another lovely native here, which is the toadflax.
44:52Right, so if we plug in some plants,
44:54how long's it going to take for that to not look?
44:57It depends, really.
44:58I mean, the quickest way to do that, really,
45:00is to choose voracious self-seeders.
45:02They'll find where they're happy and then you'll get that natural look.
45:07It's a big learning curve, but Adam and Andy are doing their homework
45:11and investing in some well-researched plants.
45:15The last time Monty came was really helpful
45:18because I think we just needed...
45:20We needed his expertise and his advice
45:22and that's why we wanted to do this.
45:24I think that's more than one plant.
45:26We could spread that on the wall, on the slate wall.
45:30On Monty's last visit,
45:32he gave the boys strict instructions to learn about plants
45:35and not to just bung them into any soil.
45:38I didn't see it really as a telling-off, it was more a...
45:41It was just really constructive and really helpful.
45:43He was, you know, making us think about what we were putting where,
45:46why we were putting it, and I think since then
45:49we've been a lot more focused on what we're doing, really, haven't we?
45:52Yeah.
45:53These will look really good against the rock.
45:56Finally, Adam and Andy have caught the gardening bug.
46:00It's starting to become more than a hobby,
46:02it's getting a bit passionate about it
46:04and about learning as much as we can.
46:07In less than 24 hours, Monty will be back for his final visit.
46:12And if that wasn't pressure enough,
46:14Adam and Andy are also inviting the entire village.
46:18When they first said they were doing it,
46:20I couldn't think how they could possibly think
46:24of making anything of what seemed to be just a junk hole, really.
46:30So I'm still waiting to be able to do it.
46:34On Hayling Island, the construction of Marcus's
46:37handmade wooden boardwalk is under way.
46:41It's the perfect accompaniment to their beach-themed garden.
46:46Boardwalk complete, and that's not all that's changed in the garden.
46:52Marcus's garden has been transformed.
46:54It's now a full-fledged garden.
46:56It's now a full-fledged garden.
46:59Boardwalk complete, and that's not all that's changed in the garden.
47:04I'm going to get my watering can and give this a bit of water.
47:07Nine months ago, Sharon was an instant gardener,
47:10but after a little mentoring from Monty,
47:12she's found new patience for planting.
47:14I feel a lot more confident than I ever did before.
47:18Because of some of the grasses that I want
47:20that haven't been easy to get this year,
47:23I'm going to get seeds and grow my own grasses from seed.
47:34After months of hard work,
47:36it's Adam and Andy's garden that's the first to be revealed.
47:40Their heavens have opened.
47:42But Adam is far more concerned about Monty's impending visit.
47:46Knowing that somebody is coming to see what you're doing
47:49when you're doing it is a real driving force.
47:52Monty's like an exponential version of that.
47:55It's like, he's coming and he's actually told us and advised us on things,
47:59so it's like we want to show that we are listening and we are learning.
48:03A year ago when I came, there was nothing.
48:05There was just a hillside, some rocks, a few plants,
48:09hardly a yard and an old building.
48:12But they did have a dream.
48:14And whether that dream has been realised,
48:16and a garden made, and they have become gardeners,
48:20will now be put to the test.
48:29Last summer, Adam and Andy's garden was a neglected space.
48:33Hemmed in by an overgrown rock face and ugly shed roof,
48:37it was a million miles from the relaxing place they dreamed of.
48:41And now it is transformed.
48:44But what will Monty think?
48:46Hello. Wind, rain, bluster.
48:48Lovely to see you. How are you?
48:50Good to see you.
48:51Good to see this.
48:53I think that looks lovely.
49:02The old shed roof has been removed and levelled off,
49:05providing extra room for a dining area.
49:09The rock bank has been cleared back
49:11and planted with alpines and succulents,
49:14which over time will spread amongst the existing ferns and moss
49:17to create a natural-looking rockery.
49:23And plants in containers give a pleasant pop of colour.
49:26And the floor has been covered in slate from the local quarry,
49:30so that the garden as a whole blends with the Welsh landscape.
49:37I always felt that was potentially a really interesting feature.
49:42And you've made the most of it.
49:44You've taken the ferns and the moss and the stone of a Welsh hillside
49:49and you've introduced alpine, you know, some that come from Middle East,
49:53and brought them in without ruining what's there.
49:56That's a sophisticated and subtle game to play.
49:59Yeah, it's just been a balancing act
50:01of just making sure we didn't overpower the rock with plants
50:05and just paying attention to the colour and the shape
50:08of the delicate flowers against the solid rock.
50:11Talking like gardeners, you know.
50:13That's what you do. That's the way it's done.
50:17So that's a 100% success, I think. Fantastic.
50:20Now, I can see you've got many more pots than we had.
50:24My own feeling, looking at them,
50:26is it's so far not working quite as well as the bank.
50:30It looks like you're being a bit more timid about the planting
50:33than you need be.
50:34Because with pots, there are two things to bear in mind.
50:37The first is, if you're having one plant,
50:40it needs to be really spectacular.
50:42If you're having more than one plant, then you need to pack them in.
50:46Yeah.
50:47And think that from day one, they've got to look good.
50:50Yeah.
50:51I do remember last time asking you why you had chosen certain plants
50:55and you saying, I don't know, they were just there, you know.
50:59Have you done your homework, as I suggested,
51:03and tried to find out about plants?
51:06Yeah, we've put a folder together.
51:08So we've got a plan, basically, of the garden,
51:11and then we've labelled out, say, for example, this is the rock,
51:14so we've labelled what we've planted.
51:17Our interest, everything has just been sparked by it,
51:20so I think, well, that's the best result.
51:23Yeah.
51:32Now we've finished, how much does all this cost?
51:34Just shy of £200.
51:36We went out and did, most of the budget went on plants,
51:39because from what you were saying last time...
51:41Is that money well spent? Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
51:44I do think, you know, for £200,
51:46you've got yourself a complete transformation.
51:49Absolutely, yeah, yeah, yeah.
51:51So how long before everyone arrives?
51:53I think we've got about half an hour or so.
51:56We've got plenty to do.
51:58I'll give you a hand. Come on. Great, thank you.
52:01Are the cooks allowed to have a glass of wine while they prepare?
52:04Yes.
52:05Really seriously, congratulations.
52:07Thank you very much. I think it's great.
52:09So to you both. Cheers, thank you.
52:11Outside, it's not only the plants that are hardy
52:14in these extreme conditions.
52:16This is it, this is what we've been talking about all this time.
52:19Heavens have opened, but, you know, it doesn't stop a chorus party.
52:23It's made a big difference, just opened it all up, yeah.
52:26You guys were sceptical.
52:28I wasn't sure there was enough space to do anything weird.
52:32Wow! Wow, you guys have done so much!
52:35I know!
52:37I am impressed by what they've done here, though,
52:40because it's opened it up.
52:42That's the thing I can't believe.
52:44I mean, it was quarter of its size, it felt quarter of its size,
52:47and it's given me some really good ideas.
52:49Working with Monty's been really good fun and educational.
52:52He's given us the confidence to get stuff done.
52:56He's given us the confidence to get stuck in and have a go.
53:00It's a really nice kind of start to our gardening life.
53:07Andy and Adam dreamt of a space
53:10where they could entertain their friends.
53:13And they've made it.
53:15But what's really exciting for me is they've also made a garden.
53:20And they've discovered, I think to their surprise,
53:23that they're gardeners.
53:26They're gardeners.
53:40Back down south on Hailing Island,
53:42it's Marcus and Sharon's turn
53:44to feel the nerves about Monty's final visit.
53:48I think when Monty made the suggestion
53:51that we should go full-on with the beach theme,
53:54it was a lot better in the beginning than Sharon's was.
53:57I hope Monty likes it because I think we've compromised
54:01quite a lot from initially what we thought we were going to do,
54:05and it is very, very different to what it was before.
54:20Nearly a year ago,
54:22Andy and Marcus really commit to their dream of a beach garden.
54:26Today, he'll find out if they succeeded.
54:31Last autumn, Marcus and Sharon's garden
54:34was an uninspiring rectangle of battered lawn and dying plants.
54:38Now they've brought the beach to their home.
54:41After you, Monty. OK, here we go.
54:43Come and have a look.
54:48A beachy garden.
54:50Wow.
54:52That's fantastic. That's worked really well. Are you happy?
54:55Very pleased. Love it. Absolutely love it.
55:01The tatty lawn has now been replaced with over seven tonnes of stones.
55:07Marcus has constructed a sweeping wooden boardwalk
55:10and Sharon has added salt-resistant plants.
55:14Finally, the unsightly trampoline has been sunk
55:17where the Christmas tree once stood.
55:21You two have always had a clear idea of what you want or what you like.
55:25Yes.
55:26And my only worry was that you would compromise it in some way.
55:32Yeah, that's what you said right at the beginning.
55:34Yeah, and you haven't. You haven't. Here it is.
55:37Well, your advice not to compromise really inspired us.
55:41Well, it certainly inspired me right from the beginning.
55:43I think that was the key to making it work, actually,
55:46was not trying to create a little bit of beach in a garden,
55:49but trying to do the whole thing.
55:51It just looks so much better.
55:53And obviously all the plants have got to grow and establish themselves and...
55:59I'm glad to see that the things we put in a few weeks ago are settling.
56:04Yes. The alliums are starting to come out.
56:06There doesn't seem to be any major casualties.
56:09What have you spent?
56:11I think it's about 1,600. Is it? Yeah.
56:13You think it's as much as that? I do, yes.
56:16You've transformed your living space.
56:18How important is gardening to you?
56:21Well, it never was important to me.
56:24I used to be very much what I would call an instant gardener,
56:28and now I would have set 95% more thought
56:32into what's gone into this garden
56:34than I've ever given to plants before.
56:36I think that's where gardening starts to kick in,
56:41where you're thinking about the plants and the future of the plants
56:45and the impact of what you've done.
56:47I think it's great. I think it's absolutely great,
56:49and I think you should both be very pleased and proud.
56:52Now it's the turn of friends and family
56:54to get their first glimpse of Marcus and Sharon's dream beach garden.
56:59This is it.
57:01Sue, you've untrumped me.
57:04Mary, just over here.
57:07This is the first time I've seen it.
57:09I'm really, really impressed,
57:11and credit to Marcus and Sharon for all the hard work they've done.
57:15It's amazing.
57:16Monty said we should have taken all the turf up, really,
57:19but it lets the water go through.
57:21The garden looks fantastic.
57:23I was expecting more sparseness.
57:26It's a lot greener than I...
57:28Yeah, that's what I thought as well.
57:32I absolutely love it now.
57:34Now it's done, but it was a lot of hard work for both of them.
57:38They really worked hard at it.
57:41And thank you, Monty.
57:43Thank you, honey.
57:44Cheers, everybody.
57:46Cheers.
57:51This is a good job well done.
57:54Once the idea was conceived,
57:57Marcus and Sharon have executed it with remarkable lack of fuss,
58:01and what it proves to me
58:03is that a simple idea done well always works,
58:07and small gardens can take big ideas.
58:37¶¶