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Garden Rescue episode 27 2024
Transcript
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 Hedlum.
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.
00:56Turning garden dreams...
00:58Please, open your eyes.
00:59Into reality.
01:01Oh, wow!
01:03That is absolutely stunning!
01:10Awaiting the team today is a bland garden for a couple in the North West.
01:16Hello, I'm Hannah.
01:17And I'm Christy.
01:18And welcome to our sunny garden in Manchester.
01:24We've loved living here.
01:25It's a really lovely part of Manchester, close to everything.
01:28It's great living so close to Old Trafford down the road.
01:31Because I'm a massive Man United fan.
01:34So we've been together about seven years.
01:36We met at a very romantic spot which was a music festival.
01:40We both enjoy the same kind of music, so kind of dance music.
01:45Recently qualified GP Hannah and Maths teacher Christy...
01:49Perform as a DJ and sax player duo in their spare time.
01:56I started DJing when I was 18.
01:58I've been playing saxophone since I was about 12 years old.
02:00And then started to play with some DJs when I was at uni.
02:03And then when we met, we decided, why don't we do that together?
02:06So we started doing that here as a bit of extra cash.
02:08Well, you found a better DJ, is what you meant to say.
02:17But Hannah and Christy's busy life in Manchester...
02:20means they've had no time for their petite 42-metre square garden.
02:26Our garden is very much the ugly duckling compared to everybody else's.
02:30We are quite green with envy because all our neighbours seem to have such lovely gardens.
02:36So as you can see, we've literally just got a pile of grass...
02:39and a sofa conveniently on the pile of mud.
02:43We've got this really plain, boring paving here...
02:46which doesn't have any character whatsoever.
02:48And this leads us nicely to our grey, dingy alleyway...
02:52where we sit and get very depressed by how dingy it is.
02:57There's no light here.
03:01This is our grass. It's really rubbish. It's really hard to mow.
03:05It's a really lumpy terrain.
03:07Weeds everywhere.
03:09So even with this small bit of grass, it's really high-maintenance.
03:12We have to mow it all the time, but with our busy schedule, that doesn't work.
03:15We just want a low-maintenance garden.
03:17We don't want a shameful garden anymore.
03:19We want a garden that people will talk about and get excited about and we can show off.
03:23Not being embarrassing on the road, really.
03:26But Garden Rescue...
03:27We need your help!
03:30Competing to transform Hannah and Christie's garden are Lee...
03:34whose confident, colourful designs could bring the cramped space to life.
03:38So we've got your typical new-build box, fences and turf.
03:42Imagine the transformation.
03:44And Charlie, with her timeless designs that fit any space.
03:49A blank canvas. That's right up Lee's street.
03:52I'm going to have to do a lot of homework on this one.
04:00Hannah and Christie really do have the blank-box garden.
04:03They do, don't they? Typical new-build.
04:05I mean, at the moment, it is just lawn, grass, grass.
04:10It is just lawn, basic patio and fences, isn't it?
04:15Yeah. I mean, they just want a garden they can use, somewhere they can socialise
04:18and start to, you know, maybe compete a little bit with those neighbours.
04:21The neighbours, they don't want to do that, do they? Yeah.
04:24Let's take a look at what else they want.
04:31So I've grown up going on holiday to Marlborough a lot
04:33and we just love how it has the party aspects to it.
04:38You can chill on the beach.
04:40So for the theme of the garden, we'd really like a Marbella beach bar type vibe.
04:44We'd also really like it to have a nice chilled zen feel to it as well.
04:47We want a pergola, something else that can help us keep the privacy in the garden.
04:51A water feature would be lovely as well.
04:52You know, it would be really nice to be DJing out here
04:54and having like a sunset DJ set with some friends, enjoying sunny Manchester.
04:58That's all we want from this garden space, really.
05:02They want Marbella with zen. I know.
05:04Well, that's, I mean, that's so many different things there.
05:07I mean, Marbella could be very chic, sleek, modern.
05:12Yeah, or really high energy, raving to the early hours.
05:15Or coastal and zen as well.
05:17So it's a lot to think about.
05:20It's quite difficult. I mean, what's the budget?
05:22Well, it's quite modest. It's £3,000.
05:25Yeah, but the garden's not big, is it?
05:27I'm excited though.
05:28It's always nice to be stretched with the budget and the space constraint as well.
05:32You won't say that when you're designing it.
05:37It's now down to Charlie and Lee to use their design expertise
05:41to bring a flavour of Marbella to Manchester for just £3,000.
05:47Hannah and Christy then have to choose one of their designs
05:51and whichever designer loses must help the other build it.
05:55The budget will be spent on materials,
05:57with Charlie, Lee and their landscapers doing the work for free.
06:03In Manchester, the pitches have arrived.
06:06You've got the design. Shall we have a look?
06:07Definitely.
06:11Hannah and Christy, this is my Marbella Zen Beach Garden for you.
06:15You want a garden where you can entertain your family and friends.
06:18A garden that features a custom pergola.
06:20You also want a space that will remind you of those happy holidays in Marbella on the beach.
06:25It's very colourful.
06:26Hannah, Christy, here's my design.
06:29I wanted to give you something that is multi-purpose.
06:33So it can be a party zone, a barbecue zone, a place to DJ, a place to party,
06:39but also a lovely place to relax and at the same time, low maintenance.
06:46And also, a little bit of a show-off to the neighbours.
06:51She doesn't listen then, does she?
06:53Now the first part of the garden is this patio.
06:56I'm keeping the existing patio you have here,
06:59but what I've done is I've helped to merge it into the rest of the garden
07:03by giving you this first feature border.
07:06Now the first feature border is going to contain some bright orange and yellow plants.
07:11This frame here is going to frame the whole garden.
07:15So whether you're on the ground floor, first or second,
07:18it's going to guide your eye through the garden and call to you.
07:21Now using the Japanese design principles,
07:24I've kept the layout really simple using clean lines and a restrained focus
07:29to make it look really slick and peaceful.
07:32Japanese design principles, I know you really like that, don't you?
07:35Lee's straight out of the blocks with a Z-inspired design
07:38that includes the vibrant colours of Spain.
07:41So, what's Charlie's plan for near the house?
07:46So, the old paving right outside the back door,
07:50I've got rid of that and given you a nice modern feel to it,
07:54plank paving, a modern patio area here.
07:57So then you have a cup of coffee sat out there surrounded with planting.
08:01But then as a contrast, I've got the same modern paving
08:05but a different colour as a pathway leading you through the planting
08:11past this raised rendered water feature
08:15with the plank paving coming up to it but also on the top.
08:19So you can sit on the edge and we've got this lovely foam jet
08:23that will bubble away and give you the sound and the reflection
08:27but low maintenance.
08:29Oh, we've got a water feature.
08:32Charlie's bounced back with a contemporary design
08:36with a grand water feature, but Lee's not to be outdone.
08:41So as we move around this part of the garden,
08:44we enter the central zone.
08:46And I've given you a 50-50 split of lawn where, Hannah,
08:50you can relax on a recliner and soak up some of the traffic sun.
08:53But also on the right-hand side,
08:55I've given you this green slate graveled area.
08:58And I've designed in this part of the garden this hanging fireball.
09:02And the beauty of this part is that you can remove it.
09:05So if you have loads of friends around
09:07and want to spill out from the patio into the middle zone,
09:10you can move that out the way
09:12and make this area really multifunctional.
09:16Lee's back in the game with a sunbathing spot for Hannah.
09:22But Charlie has a surprise up her sleeve for Christy.
09:26So we've got this pergola, very modern and sleek, over the top.
09:31So not too sort of fancy, just very straightforward
09:35that give you a bit of shade and privacy.
09:37We're going to have some lighting on the pergola
09:40so when you're sat out there in the evening,
09:43DJing or barbecuing or just chilling, it's a nice place to sit.
09:49That'll be really nice.
09:51A contemporary pergola to bring memories of the beach
09:54and a place for Christy's decks.
09:56Could this spell disaster for Lee?
09:59As we enter the back park, we've got this custom pergola.
10:02It's going to be this petrol blue colour,
10:04which is a mix between a teal and a green,
10:07which will give you that feel of being near the sea.
10:10As you move around this part of the garden, you'll notice, Christy,
10:13that there is a custom table here at the back,
10:15which is a makeshift bar or it could be a DJ board
10:18that you can put your decks on
10:20or even somewhere that you can stand with your saxophone
10:22when the party's in full swing and show off your skills.
10:25But this water feature's going to be a real wow point in the garden.
10:28Super simple and super slick, just like this Marlborough Beach bar.
10:33Lee's roared back with Christy's DJ booth,
10:36so now it all hinges on the planting.
10:40At the back part of the pergola,
10:42we're going to be using lots of evergreen plants,
10:45ferns and shade-loving specimens that will just sit there, full of texture.
10:49We've got this wooden raised bed.
10:51Bamboos here are Phargesia mattida, also known as the blue fountain bamboo.
10:56And you'll have guessed it, we're carrying on that bluey-green theme.
10:59It's a really colourful kind of beautiful space, isn't it?
11:03I wanted to keep it very low-maintenance and straightforward and simple
11:08and not too fussy.
11:11So to keep the formality, I've got these low hedges up the side
11:16that defines the seating area.
11:19Then to complement the height of the pergola,
11:22I've got these four birch trees, multi-stemmed,
11:26and then plants that are just going to give you that pop of colour.
11:30We've got these two pots, tall, modern pots with a grass in them,
11:35just to add a bit more height as you come out your back door.
11:40I hope you like my design.
11:50Now it's all down to Hannah and Christy.
11:53Will they choose Charlie's Marbella-inspired design
11:57with water feature, zen planting and sleek paving?
12:02I love the idea of plank paving.
12:04I've not heard of it before, but I'm really excited to see what it could be.
12:09Or Lee's garden with its vibrant blue theme,
12:12multi-use zen space and lush bamboo thicket.
12:17I do really like how this is a really nice chilled area up here.
12:20This could be a really nice relaxing zen feel that we've asked for.
12:24Only one design can win.
12:28Who's it going to be?
12:30We've heard back from Hannah and Christy about the Marbella garden.
12:33Oh, this one was difficult.
12:35Yeah, maybe there'll be a saxophone fanfare.
12:38Hi, Charlie. Hi, Lee.
12:40So it's been a really tough decision. We've undernarred about it.
12:44Had many a round.
12:45And the person we've decided to go with is...
12:50Charlie!
12:52Wow! I am shocked by that.
12:55I mean, you've promised them an awful lot for £3,000, Charlie.
12:59Yeah, I don't quite remember saying all that.
13:02Yeah, but you did say an awful lot.
13:04Yeah, I think we're going to be thinking on our feet.
13:06Or hiding in the garage.
13:08Borrowing stuff from the neighbours.
13:14The landscaping team, led by Andy...
13:16Where's the site office?
13:17Site office is that way, mate. Where are we going?
13:19...are hoping to bring the sunshine of Marbella to rainy Manchester.
13:26Oh!
13:28Oh, look, that looks like Charlie, look, with all her lovely plants.
13:32OK, this is a small garden, there's no doubt about that.
13:36However, there's a whole lot of different processes in here.
13:40Even just in the paving.
13:42And then we've got a water feature in the middle,
13:45which is going to be block, rendered,
13:48and then plank paving going over the top of that as well.
13:50It's bucketing it down at the moment.
13:53And judging by the weather forecast, that isn't going to stop.
13:56Yay!
13:58And a pergola to boot going back here somewhere.
14:02Right, so I think we ought to just get started on this one
14:06and crack on through.
14:16With some protection from the elements,
14:19the first task is to lift all the pavers by the house
14:22to be recycled later.
14:25But there's an unexpected problem.
14:29Now, I've not seen this before,
14:32but whenever these were built,
14:34all the pavers were put in across,
14:36and then they put a fence on top.
14:39So somehow, we have to put a nice neat line down these pavers
14:43so we don't want to disturb the next doors,
14:45but we can't have this little edge sticking over,
14:48which isn't as hard, but we'll make it work.
14:54There's only one thing for it.
15:06And after a little work from the chisel,
15:09the problem's solved.
15:12Charlie's design features a path
15:15leading from the patio to the entertaining area
15:18at the back of the garden.
15:21Once marked out, the turf can be removed.
15:29Some hardcore will form a secure base
15:32for the new pavers to be laid on.
15:37So we've got a bit of paving coming up through here,
15:39the dog leg up.
15:41Water feature will go in between this paving
15:43and the main section of paving at the end.
15:54But the torrential rain isn't making life easy.
16:00That exact same thing just happened to me.
16:02It went right down my back.
16:06Undeterred and with so much paving to lay,
16:09the team press on.
16:14Gruff and Carl are putting down these nice
16:17granite plank pavers,
16:19and we've done it in such a way that
16:21about one in three are a different pattern,
16:25a bolder pattern, and that seems to be coming up.
16:28We're doing it completely random,
16:30so we figured rather than trying to work it out,
16:32we'd just do it completely random,
16:34and that's working quite well at the minute.
16:36Carl's made a start on the water feature there.
16:38That should be up fairly soon.
16:40And I'm doing all the donkey work,
16:43mixing up cement for him,
16:45as Carl keeps asking me to do that.
16:49You could hurry up though, mate.
16:51Yeah, yeah. I'd better do that.
17:01There's also a pergola to build
17:03that will cover the Marbella party zone.
17:07But Andy's distracted by what's under the existing grass.
17:14I'm putting these corner posts in for the pergola
17:16that's going to go up.
17:18And I've actually just hit subsoil there.
17:22It's really great ground here.
17:26So that's topsoil to 600mm,
17:30which is unheard of, really.
17:32It generally goes to maybe 200, 300mm.
17:37The posts still need to be sunk 60cm into the ground for rigidity.
17:46With the water feature taking shape
17:49and the pavers going down thick and fast,
17:55the landscapers are working at a frenetic pace.
18:00And their numbers are about to be bolstered by Lee and Charlie.
18:05Well, I have to say,
18:06I think Hannah must have been out in Manchester with her saxophone
18:10because there's an extra £500 for the budget.
18:14So that means £3,000 on the garden
18:16and then £500 for our champagne.
18:18That sounds good to me.
18:20I have to say, though, this old raver,
18:22cup of tea and a sit down first.
18:23I'm glad you paid for the weather as well.
18:25Yeah, it be through its knot.
18:29This is looking more like the end of a festival,
18:31like the party's over.
18:32Yeah, Glastonbury and everybody's left
18:34and squelched.
18:35Mind you, it sounds like they're still partying over there.
18:38I'm pleased with the paving, though.
18:40It looks so modern and swish.
18:42That's good because I want you in the party zone
18:44at the back of the garden.
18:46I want a sort of je ne sais quoi.
18:48I want it a bit different with sort of a cool vibe.
18:51Well, I've got a few tricks up my disco sleeve.
18:53OK, and I'm going to be on the zen, calm area.
18:57So a lot to do
18:58and I do hope the weather's going to get a bit better.
19:02Yeah, neither party nor zen.
19:04No, it's a bit bleh.
19:06Off I go.
19:08Right, well, it's a little bit squelchy, isn't it?
19:10Squelch, squelch.
19:11Squelch, squelch.
19:13Now, I have to say,
19:16there's a few challenges in this garden.
19:18One is tiny.
19:20So with a small garden, it's what to do.
19:23You don't want to pave the whole thing,
19:25but then likewise you need to create a space
19:28that's big enough to actually use.
19:30This is the party space.
19:32But what I also wanted to do
19:34is create a sort of wraparound of planting.
19:37So it's going to be planting all the way around
19:40this central courtyard area.
19:42So it's almost creating a courtyard garden.
19:45So where to start? Where to start?
19:47I think the water feature, but...
19:49Oh, my, what could go wrong?
19:51You're rendering and I've got to put the liner in.
19:53There's nothing could go wrong there.
19:55I won't kick that too much, will I?
19:57No.
20:01MUSIC PLAYS
20:07How's it going over there in the disco area?
20:10Yeah, it's coming along.
20:11I do feel like I'm in the middle of an ocean at the moment.
20:14Yes, it looks very azure blue.
20:16What have you got there? What have you got there?
20:18I'll show you later.
20:20Don't you poke your tongue out at me, young man!
20:23Young man!
20:27So Charlie wants this part of the garden
20:29to be the entertainment zone.
20:31We've got this hole in the beautiful granite pavers.
20:34You could plant a shrub or a tree in there.
20:36It's going to be a bit blocky.
20:38So what I want to do is bring a bit of that glamour from Marbella.
20:41Who doesn't love looking at a glitter ball,
20:43putting on the lip gloss in a mirror
20:45or having some bright sparkly lights?
20:47I'm going to achieve all three of those things
20:50using these beautiful mirrored bathroom tiles.
20:54Now, they're made for wet rooms,
20:56so they can survive the weather and they're super robust.
20:59Rather than having them on a wall,
21:01I'm planning on putting them in the floor
21:03so that when Hannah and Christy walk round,
21:05they feel like they're in the middle of a disco ball.
21:08The mirrored tiles add a bit of fun to the party zone
21:11and didn't break the budget,
21:13costing around a tenner each.
21:15Peel back the tarp.
21:18At the moment, we've got some nice hardcore down there.
21:22Well, I think if I use a nice mortar mix here
21:25and then maybe lay these in,
21:28leaving a border,
21:30maybe where I can use some gravel just to soften it,
21:33give that feeling like they're near a beach.
21:36That could work really well.
21:38Oh, and oh, look, the weather's turned
21:40and now it's raining, just like Marbella.
21:45Oh, dear, when the weather's like this,
21:48you've got to laugh because otherwise you'll cry.
21:52The concrete blocks for the water feature
21:54have now been rendered
21:56and the base has been lined with a layer of sand.
22:02It seems to be getting noisier and noisier,
22:04windier and windier.
22:06We've got this roof over us,
22:09which keeps taking off,
22:11but we're getting on to the water feature.
22:13Now, the water feature is the key area of the garden.
22:17It divides the garden, it adds the focal points.
22:20It divides this area of the garden, the zen area,
22:23and then you've got the party zone,
22:25so that's the dividing point.
22:27Got a liner, got a fleece,
22:29and I'm praying that I'm not going to kick the render.
22:35Right, fleece time.
22:37You love fleece, don't you, Colin?
22:39I love fleece, yeah, it's my favourite thing.
22:43A fleece provides the vital barrier
22:45between the ground and the liner on top,
22:48designed to stop punctures,
22:50but getting it into position can be tricky.
22:54It catches well on the breeze blocks.
22:56Oh, my God. Oh, yeah!
22:58Yeah!
23:00I'm irritated already.
23:04By my existence or the fleece?
23:06No, the wind!
23:10I'm trying, Charlie, I'm sorry.
23:14With the fleece in place, the liner can be added.
23:18Charlie, you're not going to lay it out in the sun
23:20to warm it up first?
23:22You're the comedian, aren't you?
23:28We've almost got it in position,
23:30but what we're going to do is get some water in the bottom
23:33so we've got some weight to pull against
23:35and hopefully tidy it up a bit more.
23:37Oh, you've got it squished.
23:49Lee, Lee, what's that bright thing up there?
23:52Oh, it's the Marbellion sun, Charlie.
23:54Woo-hoo! Get the sunnies out!
23:56I'm going to take my jacket off. Oh, did you go mad?
23:59Well, maybe in a minute.
24:04With the sun trying its best to break through,
24:07the gazebo can come down, freeing up space.
24:12Oh, I've got string issues.
24:15Ah! Yay!
24:19With the rain temporarily on hold,
24:21it's a good time for Lee to finish
24:23his Marbella-inspired disco squares.
24:28Now, I've got a mortar mix down here
24:31with a bit of rapid cementing.
24:33This is going to be the base that the tiles sit into,
24:36so I don't want it completely flush with the paving
24:39because those tiles need to be pushed in
24:41and I need some room for this mortar to spread out.
24:44I'm just going to even it out slightly,
24:46make sure that it's all nice and level,
24:48and then start playing around with the tiles.
24:51Now, Charlie's tiles are running horizontally,
24:53so they're going across the garden this way,
24:55but I'm going to shake things up and take the mosaics
24:58and run them the other way.
25:00So it's going to distract your eye,
25:02it's going to make you suddenly look at them and go,
25:04they look different.
25:05And that's the whole point of this,
25:07is to bring a bit of glamour and a bit of the out-of-the-ordinary
25:10to this part of the garden.
25:12So whenever you're choosing paving,
25:14you always have a play around with them first
25:16before you get your landscapers to commit them to the ground.
25:21It's quite nice, this, a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.
25:28The zen mortar feature is now full, but it needs a pump.
25:33I'm using a mains-powered pump
25:35because the pump comes with ten metres of cable
25:38and that is going to reach all the way in to the house
25:43and they've also got outside sockets already, so it's ideal.
25:47A mains-powered pump like this, about £60, £65.
25:52Now, I do need to raise it up,
25:54so I'm just using a pot that I'm going to invert
25:59and try not to knock Cole's render.
26:08Now, Colin's cut out a channel
26:10so that we can run the cable underneath the coping stones.
26:15And once that's fed through, there's only one thing to do.
26:23I think I might need to turn that down a little bit.
26:26What's that?
26:29That's massive.
26:31Looking nice, though.
26:34There it is. That's better.
26:36That's a bit better, isn't it? Yeah.
26:38The inclement weather is making everything difficult.
26:41Even the water feature's struggling.
26:45Now, this is a bell jet
26:47and as you can see, in the wind, it gets lifted,
26:50so you really need to make sure you're catching all the water.
26:54Now, it's autumn time and it's raining,
26:57so I think that is going to be a bit too wooshy,
27:00so I'm going to take the top off
27:03and see what it looks like just as a bubble,
27:06which means there'll be less splash.
27:08You've still got the sound and I can leave this for Christy and Hannah
27:13and they can put it in when it's a lovely summer's day and nice and cool
27:17and you still get the sound, but I do still need to level it up.
27:23The landscaping is almost finished,
27:25but the pergola's still missing one major element.
27:31Now, what I'm going to do first is mark out where the crossbeams are going to go.
27:35We've got six.
27:36This is just a really simple pergola.
27:38Because it's a small garden, we're using really small supports and wooden posts.
27:43We don't need anything huge because it's not load-bearing
27:46and it's just to give a little bit of protection and privacy to Hannah and Christy.
27:51So, I'm going to mark off 516,
27:53which gives me equal spacings for six of the crossbeams,
27:57then get the impact driver out and screw them in.
28:01Have an end. Thank you.
28:06On a budget of just £3,500, the pergola didn't break the bank,
28:11costing around £100 in total.
28:16Now, you may be wondering why a pergola's so popular
28:19and the reason is they give you the illusion of privacy.
28:22With a pergola, it's not actually going to give you huge amounts of privacy
28:26in terms of blocking out views,
28:28but the whole purpose is that you feel nested,
28:31rather than being in an open space that feels exposed and like people can see you.
28:37With the relentless rain hammering down...
28:43..the borders along the fence line all need digging before the planting can begin.
28:48And the bosses have pulled rank on this job.
28:52Now, remind me, Lee, whose idea was it to take down the gazebo?
28:56No, I do believe it was your idea.
28:59I think we should hide away in here until the rain passes,
29:02cos we don't want to damage the soil structure, do we?
29:05OK, that's the theory, is it?
29:07But what if the rain doesn't stop? This is Manchester.
29:10Hmm. Well, I mean, I'll be all right under here, I don't mind.
29:14Well, the water feature will be topped right up.
29:17That's true. Everything's hydrated.
29:26We get in there, it's still a bit, shall I say, clarty underfoot,
29:30I think the phrase is, i.e. very muddy and squelchy.
29:33Water feature's finished.
29:35Patio is finished.
29:37And, oh, I'm loving that mirrorball effect that Lee's done.
29:40Pergola's up.
29:42All the turf's gone.
29:44So now it's time for the plant, yeah!
29:49Looky, looky!
29:51Oh, my favourite bit. Plants, lots of ferns.
29:54Charlie's chosen a zen-inspired planting scheme for Hannah and Christy
29:59and has spent around a third of the £3,500 budget
30:03on an array of shrubs, grasses and ferns.
30:07So I wanted it to go for lots of green and very cool colours,
30:12so it's just very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very green.
30:17So it's just very relaxed, yeah.
30:20And in the winter, I love it when these kind of crisp up a little bit,
30:23they go a bit bronzy.
30:25Yeah, and then we've got some nice climbers for your pergola.
30:28Ooh, now you're talking.
30:30You can see a passionflower, I think.
30:32Yeah, there's a passionflower.
30:34And I did say I'd give them some sort of structure with some evergreens,
30:37so we've got some pittosporums, rather than box bowls, much easier,
30:40cos it's their first garden and softer.
30:43They can clip it if they want or they can just leave it.
30:46Oh, just fondle it like that.
30:53Charlie intends to pack the beds at low level
30:56with verdant greens to enclose the space,
30:59and she's also chosen taller specimens to add height.
31:07Now, the four birches in this garden I've gone for
31:10is the Himalayan birch, Jack Monteye,
31:13which has got this gorgeous white bark once it gets more mature.
31:18It's betula utilis, which means useful,
31:21so it was used for lots and lots of different things.
31:24Medicines, the bark was used for paper,
31:28so apparently Sanskrit was written on it.
31:31And then, of course, the peely-off bark
31:34used to be the sort of kindling wood to start your fire,
31:38but I'm using it because it gives a gorgeous dappled light,
31:42a little bit of height in the garden,
31:44and of course you get those lovely white bark stems in the wintertime
31:49and you can grow things underneath.
31:56The pergola brings height to the space,
32:00but planting it with climbers is a must.
32:05In she goes.
32:08Now, talking about excitement,
32:11we've got a really unusual passionflower.
32:15This is Passiflora Constance Elliot, the white passionflower.
32:19Usually they're purple, but this one is bright white,
32:23and when it opens, you've got these gorgeous, exotic-looking flowers.
32:28Now, this passionflower technically is semi-evergreen,
32:32but it will need a bit of protection from the frost.
32:35However, because it's against a fence and it's in this urban area
32:39that's kind of protected by the buildings, it should be OK.
32:44But this passionflower is going to self-support itself
32:47and scramble up over this pergola.
32:50I absolutely love this plant.
32:53Charlie's low-level planting scheme is based around a green palette,
32:58but there are pops of colour too.
33:01Now, I'm just getting in this catmint.
33:04Now, this one is Whisper Pink.
33:06Now, most catmints, when you see them, they're blue.
33:09This one still has that minty flavour, and it will attract the cats,
33:14but it's got these lovely pale pink flowers.
33:18And like the other catmints, it flowers and flowers.
33:21It starts spring, late spring, early summer, all the way through the summer.
33:25If they go over a bit, just give them a trim up
33:28and they will reshoot and re-flower.
33:31Cats love it, but, of course, pollinators absolutely adore it.
33:35What I wanted was, you've got the formal hedge coming up here,
33:39but then I wanted this to spill out onto the patio, just to break the line.
33:47The formal hedging along the path helps frame the central area and pathway.
33:54Now, Charlie's picked a really robust hedge specimen with this,
33:59the Euonymus Green Spire.
34:01It's an evergreen hedge that's often used in replacement with box,
34:05and that's because box suffers from things like box caterpillar and all sorts of other issues,
34:10whereas this little specimen is pretty much bulletproof,
34:13and you can clip it just like you would do box.
34:16Now, Euonymus is a fantastic evergreen shrub because it's really low-maintenance.
34:21Slugs won't touch it, it can cope with a bit of partial shade,
34:25full sun, drought, being waterlogged.
34:28It really is a plant that will pot up with everything.
34:33Now, that looks almost right.
34:35Now, what I'm doing is getting the pots in position.
34:38Now, originally, in my design, I had grasses in the pots,
34:42but I think these grasses are going to be a little bit too high.
34:46They're almost as tall as the trees once they're in the pots,
34:49so what I'm going to do is put the ferns in there.
34:54You look like you're spinning the decks, Charlie.
34:57What do you mean?
34:58I'm standing.
34:59DJing.
35:00What?
35:04Something like that.
35:05Something like that.
35:07Have you got any garage?
35:08Yeah, there's a garage just there.
35:13You're so cheeky.
35:15I'm old, but I'm not that old.
35:18Honest.
35:20So, the pergola's finished.
35:22We've got the gorgeous climbing plants up,
35:24and there's just one more thing to bring my party area
35:27of the garden to life, and that's these, some lighting.
35:30Now, we've chosen some really low-fuss solar lights.
35:34It's been a long, wet day in Trafford.
35:38Right, over your head, Charlie.
35:40Is that the new rave dance move, is it?
35:43What, bulbs overhead?
35:45LAUGHTER
35:48But after all the team's hard work and dedication,
35:53the final details are going in...
35:57..and Charlie's Marbella-inspired garden is done.
36:02Do you know what? I think you've done really well with this one, Charlie.
36:05What, for an old raver like me?
36:07Yeah, there's still life in you, yeah. Look at this.
36:10Well, it's not the ugly duckling any more.
36:12Do you think it's turned into a swamp?
36:14Most definitely.
36:15You feel like you're at some posh hotel in Marbella.
36:18The water feature, I think, really brings it to life,
36:20cos it's just so bold. Yeah.
36:22Right, well, I guess we ought to show Christy and Hannah.
36:25And get the champagne.
36:27Oh, champagne. We'll make that first.
36:31When the team arrived,
36:33Hannah and Christy's garden was a typical tiny new-build plot
36:37with lots of fencing and a load of turf.
36:41It was bland, boxy and boring.
36:44Nothing like the space the couple wanted.
36:51Now it's been transformed
36:54into a zen garden with Marbella-inspired touches.
37:01From the house, a new patio with sleek pavers
37:04is a perfect spot for morning coffee.
37:11The pavers are bordered on both sides
37:15with a lush green planting scheme and a formal hedge.
37:19A raised water feature adds to the contemporary look
37:23and the bubbling sound enhances the zen-like feel.
37:29The entertaining zone at the end of the garden
37:32is framed by four silver birch trees
37:35and the pergola that will in time be covered with climbers
37:38offers structure and height.
37:41It's the perfect outdoor party room for Hannah and Christy.
37:48But will the garden be everything they dreamed of?
37:54Hannah, Christy, you've both got really busy lives.
37:58You wanted the garden to be not the ugly duckling
38:02on the line of houses.
38:06Somewhere to party, somewhere to relax
38:09and somewhere that's got a little bit of wow to it.
38:13Hopefully that's what we've given you.
38:16Do you want to open your eyes?
38:19Oh, my God!
38:21Oh, my word!
38:24Oh, my word!
38:27Is that a good oh, my word?
38:29An unreal oh, my word!
38:34Thank you so much.
38:36Thank you so much.
38:38No, I mean...
38:40It is beautiful. Thank you so much.
38:43This is absolutely incredible.
38:45Wow, what a reaction.
38:47Nearly blew my ears off with that.
38:49Well, I think they're happy.
38:51Yeah, they're definitely happy.
38:53What do you think about your new paving?
38:55It's amazing. Gorgeous.
38:57Unreal. It's beautiful.
38:59Modern, but a little quirky.
39:01We put a little bit of different paving in,
39:04so it was just, they've got different textures there.
39:07Yeah, it's beautiful.
39:08It's a lovely contrast. Yeah.
39:10Oh, they love the new paving.
39:12It makes such a difference.
39:14What Charlie's done with this garden is transformed
39:16as boring turf to a really usable space.
39:19So this is your calmer, zen area.
39:22Cup of tea, cup of coffee in the morning.
39:24Definitely. Chill with the plants.
39:26But then the water feature changes
39:29when you get round the other side.
39:31That's the party zone.
39:33Yes. I know, I can see you.
39:35You're itching. You're itching to get out the garden.
39:38Yeah, oh, I'm just blown away.
39:40We'll want to go straight into this area.
39:42You're straight into party.
39:44I'll go straight in and party. Absolutely.
39:46You're thinking about the decks getting out.
39:48Decks in there, you know, champagne on the patio.
39:51Absolutely.
39:53Well, I think you better wander up there and check things out.
39:56After you, please.
39:59So the pathway sort of wiggles round the water feature.
40:03It's at the right height that you can sit on it,
40:06at the edge of it, and you've probably noticed
40:09there's some lights in there.
40:11I can see a colour-changing light there, yeah.
40:13And I know what boys are like.
40:15Yeah!
40:17Wait for it, wait for it.
40:19There's even a remote that you can programme
40:22whether it fades, changes colours. Thank you very much.
40:25You can put all your different colours.
40:27I'm un-united, of course, so...
40:29Straight back to football.
40:32Now, he's seeing that light in the water feature.
40:35That remote's well under his control now.
40:37He'll be changing those colours all through the night.
40:40So this water feature, deep enough
40:42so you could have some fish in there
40:44if you wanted a few goldfish.
40:46If you want to keep the maintenance low,
40:48then just leave it as it is.
40:50All you need to do is top it up occasionally.
40:53You've got the evergreens over there, the pittosporums.
40:56Nice and easy to look after, and so's the hedge.
41:00Then you come into the party zone.
41:04Pergola with the solar lights.
41:07You've got the scented jasmine
41:09and a beautiful passionflower over there, a white one.
41:13And he's been busy on this sort of bespoke mosaic.
41:17Oh, lovely!
41:19So what he was thinking is when you're out with your decks
41:22with some lights, all the mirrors will pick up the lights.
41:25Perfect. Amazing.
41:27Oh, they've seen the glitter ball in the floor
41:29at the back of the garden.
41:31It's quite a subtle touch for me.
41:33You can have your family out here, somewhere to sit,
41:36and champagne.
41:38I'm getting the Marbella vibe right now.
41:40The evening sun, you look perfect!
41:43Hannah, Christy, I mean, does it give you
41:46that sort of Marbella-type feel to the garden?
41:49Absolutely. I can't wait to get the decks out,
41:52light the fire pit that we've got here,
41:54play with my light remote.
41:56We're going to have an absolutely great time out here.
41:59That's what we get here all the time.
42:01It definitely does that and more.
42:03It gives everything that we could have wished for and more.
42:05It's relaxing, you can see yourself partying here.
42:07Yeah, it's perfect.
42:09Now, your friends and mates always said
42:11your garden was a bit of a disgrace.
42:13Do you think we've upped the ante a bit?
42:15Absolutely.
42:17I think they'll hang their head in shame
42:19when they see this garden now and the way it looks.
42:21I think so now.
42:24You're the swan with a bit of swagger.
42:26Absolutely. And what more could you want than that, really?
42:31And what better time to find out?
42:34Wow!
42:36It's stunning.
42:38It's stunning.
42:40Is that twice as big?
42:42What do you think?
42:48To the garden!
42:50We were so embarrassed by it,
42:52but look at it now, it's absolutely amazing.
42:54We're going to be the talk of the town.
42:56As you can see, it's definitely more marbs than bank now.