RG episode 17 2024
RG episode 17 2024
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00The Garden Rescue Team are on a mission.
00:04What's not to like?
00:05To make garden dreams come true.
00:08Oh my God!
00:09Charlie Dimmock.
00:10Plants there, plants there, plants there, plants everywhere!
00:13Lee Burkill.
00:14Take me to my people, boys!
00:17Flo Hedlund.
00:18I've gone for the big bad boy.
00:20And Chris Hall.
00:21A couple of inches made all the difference.
00:23Tell me about it.
00:25Are here to answer your gardening emergencies.
00:28It's just a wild jungle.
00:30Okay, that's a challenge.
00:32Each week, two of our designers will go head to head.
00:35Now I really hope you like this garden.
00:37The design we have gone for is...
00:40Drum roll, please.
00:43Lee!
00:44Yes!
00:45Flo!
00:46Ah!
00:47And whichever designer loses...
00:49It's all about my water feature.
00:51My water feature.
00:53Helps the winner build the garden.
00:55Yes!
00:56Turning garden dreams...
00:58Please, open your eyes.
00:59Into reality.
01:01Oh, wow!
01:03That is absolutely stunning!
01:10The team are tasked with creating something delightful in deepest Derbyshire.
01:16Hello, Garden Rescue.
01:18We need your help.
01:20So something a little bit different for you.
01:23It's our front garden that needs some attention.
01:27I'm Martin.
01:28I'm Neil.
01:29We met 35 years ago in an Ottacombe nightclub.
01:32And 35 years later, we're still together.
01:3435 long happy years.
01:39Martin, a former fashion designer,
01:41and Neil, who works in a building society,
01:44love interior design and have very particular tastes.
01:49So we've been in this house three years.
01:51It was a typical 1960s bungalow.
01:55So we've set about doing the rooms up to how we like.
01:59We love sort of stately homes, don't we?
02:01The feel of a stately home.
02:03We're bringing Chatsworth House into Derbyshire.
02:06Just our little nod towards historical interiors.
02:10Not our little nod, your little nod.
02:12My little nod into historical interiors.
02:14Stuffed squirrels, stuffed ducks.
02:15And stuffed pheasants.
02:16And a pheasant behind me, yeah.
02:19PEGGY WHISTLES
02:21Peggy!
02:22Good girl.
02:24Hello, my love.
02:26You beautiful girl.
02:28Come on, Peggy.
02:29With a house to die for
02:31and the back garden already whipped into shape...
02:33Yeah, I did a lot of features.
02:35It's just worked out really well.
02:38..the couple were ready to tackle the front garden.
02:41But it's turned into a bridge too far.
02:44Well, what can we tell you about this garden?
02:47It's so inspiring.
02:49It's as flat as a pancake.
02:50It's a moss-filled lawn.
02:52There's just nothing to it.
02:54It's just a horrible, horrible space.
02:56I think it's the worst on the street, isn't it?
02:58Yeah, it is the worst on the street, actually.
03:00At 55 square metres, the plot is a manageable size,
03:04but it's not much to look at.
03:08The one feature the couple have added
03:10is more unusual than effective.
03:13So we have this gate put in,
03:15but the gate to nowhere serves no purpose.
03:18We never got round to building a path.
03:20Because we never got round to doing anything with it.
03:23Fed up with their front garden letting the side down,
03:26the couple now want a space that wows them and their neighbours.
03:31We're open to absolutely anything on the front garden, anything goes.
03:35The crazier, the better, as far as I'm concerned.
03:37We want the neighbours to be awed by what they see.
03:42Hoping to wow Martin and Neil are two very different designers.
03:48Lee's left field out of the ordinary style
03:51could be a perfect fit for the couple.
03:54It's quite unusual to be doing a front garden.
03:57I'm going to take this from frumpy to fabulous.
04:00While Charlie's betting on her years of experience
04:04and traditional approach to win them over.
04:07Very flat, uninteresting front garden.
04:10Lots of imagination needed and I've got lots of that.
04:13So I'm going to give it a purpose.
04:19I have to say, I mean, that front garden at the moment, it's just bland.
04:23It's nothing like the inside of the house.
04:25I mean, I'm excited, but I'm terrified
04:27because there's just so much to do in this garden.
04:29Now, what do you think about the front gate?
04:31Oh, the gate to nowhere.
04:33I'm not quite sure what that's about.
04:35I bet that could tell a story or two.
04:37I mean, they want it to be lovely, lots of colour and interest,
04:42but I'm not sure what else they want.
04:45OK, let's have a look.
04:47So based on our love of history and the stately homes that we've visited,
04:52we'd really like a sort of formal Elizabethan knot garden,
04:56but maybe with a darker twist to it,
04:59so a bit more Gothic Victorian adding to it as well.
05:02And we'd like a garden that's got a bit of height,
05:05bit of interest, bit of colour, lots of fragrance,
05:08which this garden right now just definitely is not doing for us.
05:12And we absolutely adore roses.
05:14If they can be integrated into the overall theme,
05:17that would be really amazing.
05:20Something that's going to be slightly wacky
05:23that matches the interior designs that we've got.
05:26It's probably one of the smallest plots that you've done,
05:29so we'll be looking forward to seeing what you can create for us.
05:33Good luck.
05:35Knot garden. Elizabethan.
05:37A bit of everything. Drama, Gothic.
05:40What's the budget?
05:42£4,000. OK.
05:44It's not the biggest garden.
05:46How do you get all of that into that space?
05:49And with the knot garden as well, you know, there's low hedges,
05:52everything neat and symmetrical.
05:55Decisions, decisions with this one, shall we?
05:58It's now up to Charlie and Lee
06:01to make that £4,000 go as far as possible in their new design.
06:06Neil and Martin then have to choose one of their designs,
06:10and whichever design the loses must help the other build it.
06:14The couple's budget will be spent on materials,
06:17with Charlie, Lee and their trusty landscapers
06:20providing the labour for free.
06:23In Ilkeston, the pitches have arrived.
06:27Let's have a look.
06:31Martin, Neil, you wanted a romantic knot garden,
06:35and I have given you a full-on romantic knot garden.
06:40A lovely place to sit,
06:42but also a beautiful place to look at as you come out the front door.
06:47Wow.
06:49Wow.
06:51A lot going on there.
06:53So, Martin and Neil,
06:55this is my floral fabulous front garden design for you.
06:59I know you wanted to turn your front garden into something rather eccentric.
07:03You wanted a garden that would be a mix of a formal knot garden,
07:07but also somewhere with a slightly darker romantic side.
07:11Love it.
07:13So you come out the front door
07:15and you have this very traditional entranceway into the seating area.
07:20Box balls and we've got these plinths either side.
07:23The plinths are going to be raised up.
07:25I've got containers on there that are just full of gorgeous, glamorous plants.
07:30So I wanted to add some height to the garden
07:33because the garden at the moment is very flat,
07:36so the pergola will add the height.
07:38To give you the traditional knot garden effect,
07:41we've got these clipped hedges.
07:44I'm loving the box hedging.
07:47Romance, a pergola and traditional clipped hedges from Charlie.
07:52Time to see what Lee's got to offer.
07:55I've divided the garden into two halves.
07:58The first half is going to be the beautiful formal-esque knot garden.
08:03The second part is where we get a little bit darker
08:06and that sister might be going for a night out and she's a bit more wild.
08:10As you look out your house, this is going to be the knot garden.
08:14Now I've used this low French lavender formal hedge
08:18and it will spill out and create this beautiful framework
08:22for this right-hand side of the garden.
08:24You can see that we've got this gravel path
08:27that's going to lead up to this focal point within the lavender hedge.
08:31It's going to be an Elizabethan-style fountain.
08:34Oh, an Elizabethan fountain, that's a great idea.
08:37That's good.
08:39Lee's upping the ante with his elegant Elizabethan water feature.
08:44So what next from Charlie?
08:47So keeping the formality of this knot garden area here,
08:52we've got these pencil cypress,
08:54which are going to add height without adding shade,
08:57and then we've got this slatted roof halfway across the pergola.
09:02Practically, it will support the climbers
09:05but it will also give you a little bit of dappled shade.
09:08Add height, but using plants, that's really clever.
09:11Yeah.
09:12Charlie's introduced cypresses for instant visual impact,
09:17but Lee's far from finished.
09:20Around the fountain, we've got these beautiful four standard topiary trees
09:25and the standard shape is a simple globe
09:27and I'm going to be using something like oleaster that's evergreen.
09:31We've got this really beautiful lofus gravel
09:34which will help ground it all.
09:35So within the gravel, we're going to have some beautiful Mediterranean plants
09:39like santolina, chamomile, stuff that's low-growing and evergreen
09:43that means that when you brush past it on the way to your front door,
09:47when you get out the car,
09:48you're going to be met with a beautiful scent of the Mediterranean.
09:51That'll look good and smell lovely, won't it?
09:54Lee's also adding trees and plenty of heady aromas.
09:58So how does Charlie intend to inject colour and scent into her garden?
10:03We've got roses in the garden but under-planted with low planting
10:09but then also jasmine and lavender
10:12to give you more heady scents to go with the roses.
10:16Roses, jasmine, so we'll get the scent.
10:20Yes.
10:21Charlie's all-year-round colourful planting scheme could secure a win,
10:26but Lee's got something else up his sleeve.
10:29Right, so we've talked about the formal side,
10:32the really neat and tidy sister, but what about the darker sister?
10:36I've designed you this really ornate pavilion,
10:39somewhere to sit and show off this garden to the world.
10:42I've never thought of a pavilion.
10:45And all around the pavilion, you've got some beautiful shrub roses.
10:49Now I'm talking dark bloody reds, rich pinks,
10:53colours that would make your mum blush.
10:55I know you also wanted a love tunnel to take you from the gate to the house
10:59and I'm not just giving you one, but two rose-covered arches.
11:03I like that.
11:04Arches are a nice idea.
11:06So, Martin and Neil, if you want a garden of two halves,
11:09you most definitely have to pick these two girls.
11:12So, Martin, Neil, I hope you love my design.
11:18Have you got a favourite?
11:20Not right now, no.
11:21No.
11:22Right.
11:23Might argue over this.
11:25OK.
11:29Will Martin and Neil choose Charlie's classic knot garden design
11:34with its rose-covered pergola and prairie planting?
11:38I love this seating area.
11:40That looks like a proper enclosed garden with the fence moved.
11:44Wouldn't have ever thought of doing that.
11:46And I do like the drifts of planting as well.
11:49Or Lee's design of two halves
11:51with its formal water feature, pavilion and love tunnel?
11:55There's a lot going on with this one.
11:57There is a lot going on.
11:58The idea of this water feature sounds great.
12:00Yeah, I didn't expect a water feature in the garden.
12:02No.
12:03Good use of the space on both sides of the garden.
12:07Not sure about the big expanse of gravel.
12:11I'm still not 100% sure.
12:14Only one design can win.
12:16So, will it be Lee or Charlie?
12:19OK, now we've heard back.
12:22We've had an email.
12:24Ooh.
12:25Hey, shall we have a look?
12:26Yeah.
12:28Hello, Charlie. Hello, Lee.
12:31So, we have come to a decision and we've decided to go with...
12:37Lee!
12:39I was right!
12:41We like the pavilion idea, but also the rose arches.
12:45So, Lee, we can't wait for you to build our Victorian eleganza garden.
12:50I'm actually quite excited about this one,
12:52to win it with all that stuff bubbling away in that design.
12:55I have to say, the neighbours are going to be out.
12:58I know, there'll be a few twitches.
13:01But I'm really going to need your help with this one
13:03because there's so much going on, but you do have the choice
13:06about whether you're the prim and proper lady
13:08or whether you're the dark, moody, romantic girl.
13:10Well, I can probably be both.
13:14The landscapers, led by project manager Andy,
13:17have arrived in Ilkeston,
13:19ready to shatter the peace of this quiet residential street.
13:23Thanks, sir.
13:24Thanks.
13:25Well, here we are, then.
13:26What, this?
13:27Yeah, yeah, this.
13:29Yeah, well, I know it's small, but you haven't seen this yet.
13:32Look at that.
13:33Let's have a look, then.
13:34Oh, hello.
13:35I mean, Lee's packed everything in the kitchen sink into this one.
13:38Look at it.
13:39It's detailed and complex,
13:41which means for us, we've obviously got a lot of work to do.
13:44But first, we've got to get this grass off and move that willow,
13:47and then we can start putting it all together.
13:50Sounds great.
13:51Sound like a plan?
13:53See you later.
13:58Lee's design features plenty of lavender,
14:01so whatever is already in the garden needs lifting for replanting later.
14:08That's the last of the lavender out.
14:10Now, time to get the willow out.
14:17With the willow gently removed and replanted...
14:23There we go. That's in.
14:27..the lawn can now be lifted so the boys have a blank canvas.
14:34Oh, he's up.
14:43Oh, looking good.
14:45Tops up, dudes.
14:52It's vital to mark out the design before the build properly begins,
14:57starting with Lee's pavilion.
15:00All right, there it is.
15:02Well, I hope the pergola's slightly more circular than that egg that I've drawn,
15:07but it's only to give us a rough idea.
15:11Now we can set out for these paths.
15:14What is actually a very intricate design.
15:19We have to make it look as though it's Elizabethan formal,
15:23which is kind of symmetry,
15:25but the circles are actually different sizes
15:27and they're also different widths, so it doesn't work in symmetry.
15:30So cheating the symmetry is basically looking as though it matches
15:34but working with things that are asymmetric.
15:38With the existing soil a little tired, new topsoil has been ordered,
15:43so Lee's impressive planting scheme thrives.
15:47Time for some brawn from the boys.
15:50It's like I've seen it. That was amazing.
15:53That's how you get two tonnes of soil off a van in a front garden
15:57in about five minutes.
16:02With the soil in and the garden mapped out...
16:08..work can begin on the pathways.
16:17So it's really important that we get these edges right
16:21cos they properly define all of this space.
16:24So, yeah, just making sure it's all in the right place.
16:27I mean, so far, so good.
16:29The biggest challenge is creating the edges
16:32for the two circles at each end of the garden.
16:35But Colin has a plan.
16:38Preparing the round edging for the base of the pavilion.
16:41I'm going to use an old technique and on my timber here
16:44I'm going to do lots of scores across the back,
16:47which will then allow us to be able to bend the wood.
16:51Next stage is to give this a good soaking
16:54so it's even more malleable and even more ready to bend.
16:59So the water will sit in all these grooves and soak into the wood
17:03and it just makes it easier to bend cos it just softens the wood up.
17:08I'll need to give someone to give me a lift
17:10so it doesn't snap when we move it.
17:15Oi!
17:18And then we're going to try and bend it round these pegs
17:21and see how we get on.
17:23You get your end on?
17:26OK.
17:28The other one's got a deeper cut on it.
17:34The boys are struggling a bit.
17:36These curves, and they're snapping where the knots are,
17:40so the guys are putting a few more lines in
17:43and it's very labour-intensive.
17:45Oh.
17:47All right.
17:49Now, I've only done a little bit of it,
17:52but I think that is working.
17:54That is a pretty tight curve.
17:56It's not snapping, so I think we might be on to a winner.
17:59Feels like we'll get any circle, any curve we want with it.
18:03That's great.
18:05Drop that to the side, cut a load of pegs and start sticking them in.
18:09Yay!
18:14CLAPPING
18:24Ah, the gazebo's here. That's brilliant.
18:26One thing less to worry about.
18:29Sounds like the perfect time for Charlie and Lee to make an appearance.
18:36Welcome to Ilkeston, Charlie.
18:40Oh, my! Inky dinky!
18:42It's a very bijou garden, this one, isn't it?
18:44The gate's almost as big as the garden!
18:46Do you know what? I reckon this formal layout's really going to work well
18:49to sort of draw the focus into this space.
18:51I have to say, our designs were quite similar.
18:53The difference being, you went circles, I went squares.
18:56And unusually, I held back, but you went full-on with everything.
19:01I went all in, and talking of design, should we have a look?
19:04Yeah, what am I going to be up to?
19:06Come on, Andy, let me have a nosy. Thank you very much.
19:09So...
19:13So, today, this is a garden of two halves,
19:15and I'd like to give you the prim and proper prefect girl side of the garden.
19:19Oh, I'm really good at that type of thing.
19:21I always hate girl, you know.
19:23Well, you'll be in your element, and I'll be in mine,
19:26over in the dark, twisted sister side of the garden.
19:28OK, I'm loving the lollipops. Yeah. And there's a fountain!
19:31There is, but unfortunately, I'm going to take that one, Charlie.
19:34Oh, good! Don't come to me for help, will you?
19:38This garden is super exciting,
19:40because it's formal and it's a knot garden,
19:42which you don't really see that often.
19:44Now, the beauty of the knot garden is it's all based on symmetry.
19:47So, this garden design uses symmetrical axes to mirror the garden.
19:52However, because it's off-centre,
19:54that side over there is going to be slightly elongated.
19:57But where I'm stood here is going to be the really neat,
20:00true knot garden, almost like a parterre,
20:02because it's got a gravel infill,
20:04and everything's going to be clockwork symmetrical.
20:07And Charlie's going to have to use her keen design eye
20:10to make sure that it all lines up.
20:12But at the moment, the garden's all one layer.
20:15What we need is height.
20:17And I can't wait to watch Charlie grappling,
20:19putting together those rose arches.
20:21Now, the challenge in this part of the garden is that it's really exposed.
20:24So, at the moment, if you're sat here,
20:26you're going to be looking at all the neighbours feeling a bit awkward,
20:29and the chances are they're going to run straight through to get inside,
20:32which is why we've got the pavilion, which is going to nest them,
20:35keep them in this part of the garden
20:37and make them feel really safe and secure.
20:47Da-da-da! Rose arch number two.
20:51Now, I've got two rose arches to put together.
20:54Lee's got a pavilion.
20:56It's going to be a race, and I think I'm going to beat him
20:59because he's going to be very fiddly.
21:01Aha!
21:03I thought you were meant to be the good girl today.
21:07Look at this.
21:09I presume that's the entrance.
21:11Don't get too far ahead. I need to be able to get to the other arch.
21:15Slow him down somehow.
21:21The Victorians loved their metalwork structures.
21:26And the wealthier you were,
21:28the larger and more ornate the pavilion you had.
21:32Absolutely lovely.
21:34Now, sometimes you want to go really modern and simple in a garden,
21:37but this garden is not that kind of gal.
21:40This pavilion has got these wonderful scrolls,
21:43and they cast loads of shadows and add even more detail to the garden,
21:46and that's exactly what I want.
21:48Have you got all your screws, Lee?
21:50I have. Have you got all yours?
21:52I think I'm missing a couple.
21:54They're not loose, are they, Charlie?
21:56It's one or two.
21:58So, like all kids, I started putting it together
22:02and then looked at the instructions.
22:04So, we've got bits that go on to the other side.
22:07So, these three go there,
22:09and then we've got some different-shaped ones to go at the bottom.
22:12It's quite straightforward, isn't it?
22:14Yeah, we say that now until we end up with four screws at the end going,
22:17what are they for?
22:18They give you spares. They always give you spares.
22:20Just to keep you paranoid. Yeah.
22:23The idea is that the two rose arches will sit either side of the path,
22:28framing the view of the pavilion from Charlie's end of the garden.
22:33Well done.
22:42Right, we're getting to the last bit of doing the arch.
22:46Now, it's a really lovely arch, powder-coated,
22:49so it means that it won't rust so quickly.
22:52It doesn't need to be treated.
22:53Now, Lee could have built a wooden archway,
22:57but he wanted to go with the metal one
22:59because it is the same material as the pavilion,
23:02so it ties the theme together.
23:04And what I do love about it, this has got nice big gaps
23:08so you can train the plants through easily.
23:11But they're getting ahead of us.
23:14They have whipped all our tools as well, so they're cheating.
23:18That's my get-out clause.
23:20That's the badger.
23:23Beautiful.
23:27Lovely.
23:29Now, I've spent £500 on this pavilion,
23:31so it is a significant investment, but it's a big part of the garden.
23:34So when you're looking at your budget,
23:36it's always worthwhile focusing your efforts.
23:38But it's time to get that big lid on before Dimmock finishes her arches.
23:43Lift and spin. Rotate and relocate. Ready?
23:46Oof!
23:48That's the badger.
23:51At two metres in diameter,
23:53the pavilion is just big enough
23:55to create a private seating area for Martin and Neil,
23:58without dominating the whole garden.
24:01Right, come on in, let's go!
24:03So you've got your first one done.
24:05First one done. Very nice.
24:07We've got the lid to put on and then we're complete.
24:10Right, now, while you're there, stood there, like, with attitude,
24:14do you want them on the corners?
24:16Or do you want them halfway between?
24:18Yeah, I think we should have them halfway between
24:21so the roses can hug them.
24:23Right, so you say when?
24:25Yeah, a bit closer to me.
24:27Do you think that's all right?
24:29I think that's lovely and you can start to feel the garden coming up.
24:32It's because you're seeing the vertical space now.
24:34It's just remaking use of all of the space.
24:36Right, well, you've got another one to make, haven't you?
24:38Yeah, you've got a roof to put on.
24:40Quick, quick, Colin!
24:43Right, shall I find the top?
24:50They've realised that the top bit's missing.
24:54Colin hid it.
25:04You wouldn't happen to have stolen the crown from my pavilion, would you?
25:09No.
25:11Because I'm prefect today, I'm being a good girl.
25:13Yeah, so if I get a metal detector over your handbag, it won't beep?
25:16No.
25:17No, promise?
25:18Promise.
25:19Me!
25:22We were meant to be best friends, Charlie.
25:25It wasn't me, Governor!
25:28Don't know how that got there.
25:33Get your little screws out.
25:36Right, come on, the race is on, the race is on!
25:38Quick, quick, quick, quick!
25:40Eee!
25:42Quick, block him, block him, block him!
25:49Yeah.
25:51Ooh, there you go.
25:53We're finished.
25:55Oh, no!
25:56You're the king of the castle, you're the darling of the castle...
25:59You've only just beat us, though. Only just.
26:01We had more screws. Yeah.
26:03You've got more people.
26:06Well, what a difference a bit of height makes in the garden, eh?
26:09It makes a huge difference.
26:11I mean, it's just made the garden seem so much bigger.
26:17In Lee's design, plants will play just as big a role
26:20in adding structure to the space as arches and domes.
26:28Now, this is my grand specimen for the twisted sister part of the garden,
26:31and it's unanimous.
26:33Ha-ha! Yep, right.
26:36We'll just pop it down here.
26:38Especially in what was first on Martin and Neil's wish list,
26:42a new knot garden.
26:44Now, here is the real star of the show, the French lavender,
26:47that's going to set this garden alight.
26:49I thought I was the star of the show. You're the second star.
26:52Second star?!
26:54Oh, no!
26:57Lee is putting a clever spin on this classic garden feature.
27:04There's an awful lot of lavenders.
27:06122, to be exact, Charlie. OK!
27:09And I've counted every single one of them.
27:15Now, a knot garden is a traditional form of garden design,
27:19and it goes way back to the Tudor times.
27:21And really, it's a sign of wealthy estate owners
27:24showing the power and control they had over nature.
27:27And the reason why they're called knot gardens
27:29is that they used to take their patterns from knots,
27:32tapestries and upholstery.
27:34And these wealthy landowners would take a piece of tapestry
27:37and then replicate it out in the garden.
27:39So for Martin and Neil, I want to give them a little bit of that heritage
27:42and the formality in this part of the garden.
27:44Now, I've chosen this really wonderful French lavender
27:47because it flowers profusely from about May to August.
27:51And as they walk out, they're going to be met with the heady aromas
27:54of all these beautiful Mediterranean plants.
27:56And then once they're in the ground, when they walk round,
27:59they're just going to be met by both scent, colour and this boundary
28:03that will help delineate the rest of the garden.
28:08Right, everyone, grab some lavenders and let's get placing.
28:11Mmm, yum, yum, yum!
28:15The lavender is laid out in the shape of a knot.
28:18On the giant estates of stately homes,
28:21they were traditionally made from evergreen hedging plants.
28:25Lee's fragrant version is perfect for this slightly more compact garden.
28:33When it comes to lavender, you've got two main choice options here in the UK.
28:37You've got French lavender, like the ones I'm using in the knot garden,
28:40and English lavender, and there's one main difference between them,
28:43and that's the hardiness.
28:45English lavender, like these lavenders here, like Hidcote, are super hardy,
28:49but the drawback is the flowery window is short.
28:52With French lavender, you get far more flowers.
28:54So for Martin and Neil, French lavender is the way to go
28:57because it smells lovely, flowers non-stop, it's super easy to look after.
29:05With each plant costing between £6 and £7,
29:08these French fancies have taken a sizeable chunk out of the budget.
29:12But now they're in, an elegant formal garden is starting to emerge.
29:19So that's the structure of the knot garden in.
29:21We've got the knots, the form, the shapes,
29:23but it won't be a knot garden without infill and some more plants.
29:27So you've done what I'd call the outline of the design,
29:31and I'm doing the colour in.
29:33Yeah.
29:34Time.
29:35Time.
29:36Time.
29:37Time.
29:38Time.
29:39Time.
29:40Time.
29:41Clusters of santolina and chamomile?
29:43Clusters, but I would space them equally.
29:48OK.
29:49I know, I know.
29:50Do we get the big stuff in, level the soil, gravel,
29:54and then have to be very careful planting the smaller stuff?
29:58Yeah.
29:59The santolina can be the finishing touch.
30:00Yes.
30:01Cherry on the cake.
30:02OK, I think I know what I'm doing.
30:07Now it's up to Charlie to plant the beds either side.
30:11Yeah.
30:19In Lee's design, if the lavender hedge is a sweeping statement,
30:23then the tall topiarised shrubs serve a different purpose.
30:29Clipped to perfection,
30:30they'll work like exclamation marks in each corner.
30:35Now, the lovely thing about these lollipop topiary shrubs
30:40is it picks up the design that Lee's got with the circles,
30:44but also adds another different height in the garden,
30:48which makes the garden seem even bigger.
30:51So I think it's time to get these in
30:53before we get the rest of the infill plants in.
30:57Privet, laurel or box are all shrubs commonly used
31:01to create lollipops.
31:03But Lee has chosen a variety with a bit of extra sparkle,
31:07oleaster.
31:16Now, topiary is never cheap, but these are quite good values
31:21because they're very easy to grow.
31:23And they grow reasonably quickly.
31:26These were £150 each.
31:29Now, the reason they're great is they're really tough,
31:33so they can go in full shade, they can go in semi-shade.
31:38They'll also grow in full sun, which this is going to be.
31:42The flowers are very tiny, but they've got a gorgeous scent.
31:46So it'll add that extra to all the other scent of the lavender.
31:52Prim and proper may be the order of the day in Charlie's section.
31:58But things are getting wild on the other side of the garden.
32:04I think that's the back of the tree.
32:06That's a statement there, isn't it, mate?
32:08I love it.
32:09I'm trying to find the front, because every plant has a front.
32:12If you want to stand back, I can rotate it for you, bud.
32:15Oh, do you know, the kindness of strangers.
32:18So if you spin it round a bit more, Groff.
32:20Yeah.
32:21Here we go, a bit more, a bit more, a bit more.
32:24Stop.
32:25Right, we've got a good side now.
32:27I've positioned it in the back corner to help screen off the road,
32:30and also it'll mean that Martin and Neil on the sats
32:33in this beautiful pavilion will feel really nested and hugged.
32:36Now, this is a really interesting specimen,
32:38because in the autumn time, these rather plain leaves,
32:42they're going to turn blood red.
32:44Then they're going to move into pink, fuchsia pink,
32:47before they drop off,
32:48and that's why it's got its name, the burning bush.
32:51But if you look up close,
32:53you'll notice that the stems have this really unusual texture.
32:56Lends itself well to the twisted sister with that twisted bark.
33:02Meanwhile...
33:05I got fed up with being the goody two-shoes,
33:08so I bunked off to have a nose round Martin,
33:11so I bunked off to have a nose round Martin and Neil's back garden,
33:15and wow, look at that!
33:18Beautiful!
33:20And what I love about the garden is everywhere you look,
33:24there's something to see, and there's lots of seats as well.
33:28I think I'm going to have a ponder and a perch.
33:32Yeah!
33:34It's clear just how much the couple love their historical touches.
33:39We've got lovely old staddle stone,
33:43traditional Paddington station clock.
33:46I could stay here all day.
33:48I mean, the front garden's small, Lee can finish it.
33:55Having battled with the burning bush,
33:58Having battled with the burning bush,
34:01Lee's now tackling the border that extends around the pavilion.
34:05Now, the planting colour on this part of the garden changes dramatically.
34:09The colours leave behind the purples and pastels
34:13and go into the dark reds and rouges,
34:16those really rich, almost like wine-like colours.
34:19And that's why I've called it the Twisted Sister.
34:23Now, a key part of this darker side of the garden
34:27is using patterns on repeat.
34:29So you'll notice that things like this crocosmia lucifer
34:32I'm repeating throughout the border, alongside the roses, the sangasorba.
34:36So you've got this mild pattern that just repeats, repeats, repeats.
34:40And that brings real consistency to this part of the garden.
34:43It's as one.
34:45You put it, Cole.
34:47There you go. You put it, Cole.
34:54On the opposite side of the garden,
34:56Charlie's back and ready to tackle the borders around the knot garden.
35:02Now, under-planting these topery lollipop trees,
35:06we've got chamomile, but we've also got santolina,
35:09chamisulparis, or it's also known as cotton lavender.
35:13We've got this lovely blue-grey foliage, almost looks woolly.
35:17Doesn't get very big. Likes to be in full sun.
35:20And in the sort of July, August time, it gets these yellow flowers.
35:24Now, the foliage is really, really aromatic.
35:28We're getting there. We are getting there.
35:36Here we have the centrepiece of the garden.
35:39It's this Elizabethan-esque style fountain.
35:41And by adding water into the garden, especially with aromatic plants,
35:44you end up heightening the sense of smell.
35:47So rather than just smelling them when the water's on and trickling,
35:50you're going to get a much stronger perception of that smell.
35:55Fountains were a big hit in Elizabethan gardens.
35:59On a hot summer's day, ladies would sit on the edges
36:03and be refreshed by the cooling waters.
36:07Ah!
36:09I feel quite relaxed now. I know, I feel quite chilled by this.
36:12Yes, about the right trickle-age. Trickle-age.
36:15Accompanied by a calming soundtrack,
36:19the team are determined to smash the last stage of the garden.
36:24A layer of gravel makes a striking contrast against the lavender
36:31and completes the path connecting both sides of the garden.
36:36And there's another heady scent in the air.
36:43Now, roses are a really important part of this garden
36:46because they're super romantic,
36:48and I know that Martin in particular really loves them.
36:51In this part of the garden, where things are a little bit darker,
36:54a little bit more moody, I've gone for these standard roses.
36:57And what that means is that the rose has been grafted onto a standard form,
37:03which is one main clear trunk and then a canopy of roses at the top.
37:07And if you're new to keeping roses,
37:09then standard roses can be quite easy
37:11because you've only got to prune the top bit.
37:13The stem down here always stays clear.
37:15But I notice that Charlie is planting a very different rose over there.
37:18How are you getting on, Charlie?
37:20All right. The one thing about most roses is they're quite prickly, aren't they?
37:24They are prickly customers, but their flowers are worth it, I think.
37:27They are. They add so much romance to a garden, don't they?
37:31Exactly.
37:33I've got a rose named after me.
37:35All right. Go on.
37:37It's called Charlie's Rose.
37:39Does it get mildew a lot?
37:41No, but I'm easy, vigorous and fungal resistant.
37:44Sounds about right.
37:47Now I'm planting a climbing rose here to go up over the arch.
37:51Now this one, Gloriana, it's a lovely magenta rose, very fragrant.
37:57It gets to 2.5 metres high
37:59and it actually flowers through the summer and into the autumn,
38:03so it'll just keep going.
38:05It's got dark, glossy leaves and it's very easy to maintain.
38:09With roses, if you keep deadheading them,
38:12you'll keep getting more and more flowers.
38:15But the scent, oh, is absolutely yummy.
38:19Covering the arches in pastel-coloured roses
38:23is the final stage for the new entrance to the garden.
38:34Love hasn't always been in the air in Ilkeston.
38:39But as the final touches are made,
38:42Lee's romantic flower-filled design,
38:45with its nod to the gardens of old,
38:48is complete.
38:53Well, what a transformation, eh?
38:56A triumph! I'm loving it.
38:58The colour, but more the scent.
39:01That here, it is just full on.
39:04And now it gives Martin and Neil a purpose to journey into the garden.
39:08Sit, pause, take a moment before leaving for the house.
39:11I think they're going to think it's fantastic.
39:14Fingers crossed. Shall we find out? Yeah.
39:16After you.
39:23Just a few days ago,
39:25Martin and Neil's front garden was far from fabulous.
39:30The view from the house was just a flat piece of worn grass.
39:35And the only feature that welcomed them home
39:38was a lonely gate that led to nowhere.
39:45Now, thanks to a £4,000 transformation,
39:49it's been turned into a stunning, period-inspired formal garden
39:54that seamlessly blends the best of the Elizabethan and Victorian periods.
40:00The once lonely gate now leads to a new spin on the classic knot garden,
40:07where the heady scent of lavender fills the air.
40:12The gentle sound of water eases the furrowed brow,
40:16and topiarised lollipops stand guard.
40:21A gravel path will lead the couple from one section
40:25to its twisted sister,
40:27where a dramatic Victorian pavilion provides shelter for seating.
40:32A statuesque burning bush makes a dramatic focal point.
40:38And hot-coloured borders and fiery red roses
40:42add to the passionate Gothic atmosphere.
40:46Martin and Neil have painstakingly redesigned their home and back garden.
40:54But the front was too much for them.
40:58Will Lee's design be the icing on the cake they dreamt about?
41:03You wanted a space that was going to be bold and beautiful.
41:06A garden where you could sit out,
41:08that would give you a purpose to journey through it
41:10before you enter your house.
41:12So whenever you're ready, open your eyes.
41:17Oh my God!
41:19Oh my God, it's amazing!
41:21A different space.
41:23Oh wow!
41:25Safely say, they're shocked.
41:28It's taken my breath away, taken my breath away that has.
41:30Now Charlie's been really busy putting together these two rose arches
41:34that you can now walk through.
41:35It's our tunnel, our own tunnel.
41:39I didn't think you two were going to be lost for words.
41:41Sorry, yes we are, totally.
41:44It's just really, really amazing.
41:46It's so totally different.
41:51The gentle sound of that, gentle.
41:53We didn't expect a water feature, so added bonus.
41:56And as you walk around, you'll be able to brush up against the French lavender.
41:59You're going to get that gorgeous smell.
42:00I've just done that, it's gorgeous.
42:02And what with the water feature, that scent will be even stronger.
42:07So I know you wanted a garden that would represent
42:09some of those stately homes you've been round.
42:11Is this grand enough for you?
42:12Yeah, it really represents Elizabethan, not gardens.
42:15It truly is spectacular.
42:18So should we leave the prefect good girl side and go into the darker area?
42:23Yeah, the naughty side.
42:26This is so ornate.
42:28This is brilliant.
42:31I never imagined it would be like this.
42:32Covered in climbers, oh and the twisted fingers.
42:35I wanted to give you this dark, kind of rambunctious side to the garden.
42:39And we've done that with loads of different roses.
42:41We've got standards, shrub roses, climbing roses.
42:44It feels a little bit naughty in this part of the garden.
42:46It's just the colours we like, isn't it?
42:48It's really beautiful.
42:50And it does give that naughty girl feel.
42:52Yeah.
42:53Dark, dark reds and the deep pinks.
42:55It's really wonderful.
42:57You can be sat here in your smoking jacket in the evening,
42:59glass of champagne, giving your neighbours the old eye.
43:03You've hit the breathing, haven't you?
43:06A huge transformation.
43:08I mean, a garden to look at and to sit in. Ideal.
43:16Everything we wanted, we've got. And more.
43:18We absolutely love it.
43:20It's just exceeded expectations.
43:23I mean, you've just delivered such a wonderful garden for us.