Garden Rescue episode 35 2024 - Godalming
Garden Rescue episode 35 2024 - Godalming
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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 Hedlum.
00:18I've gone for the big bad boy.
00:20And Chris Hull.
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 this time is a big garden
01:13with some even bigger challenges.
01:17I'm Pete.
01:18And I'm Chloe.
01:19And this is our garden in Godalming.
01:21We've been together now for about two and a half years.
01:23We met on a dating app.
01:25It started in lockdown, so it was long walks
01:28which suited us down to the ground.
01:30So there's the two of us living here with our dog Inka,
01:32who's a rescue.
01:33We've had her for about a year.
01:35And one of the big things that we loved about this place
01:37in Godalming was that there's so many walks and green spaces.
01:41We like being outdoors, hence why we would love the garden done
01:44so that we could actually stay in the garden
01:47rather than always being out and about.
01:49So we bought this house.
01:51We've been here now for six months.
01:55Before us, it was a rental property,
01:57so the garden hasn't really been looked after.
02:00At 150 metres square, there's lots of room for the couple and Inka.
02:05But in terms of positives, that's about it.
02:09So we've got a good lawn. It's a great size.
02:11But unfortunately, as you can see, it slopes away
02:14and it's quite uneven, so not really a usable space.
02:17You can't put garden furniture out.
02:19We have a lot of planting that we just don't know what to do with
02:22or how to distinguish between them.
02:24It's a bit of an unstructured area.
02:28So one of the things we've got in the garden
02:30are some of these quite big trees,
02:32which have tree preservation orders on them,
02:34which means we've got to be considerate of the root area.
02:37There are four trees that have to be legally cared for,
02:41two at the top and two at the bottom of the garden,
02:45adding to the challenge.
02:47So this area of the garden is completely shaded
02:50by the two protected trees, which means not a lot grows here.
02:53It's a bit of a wasteland,
02:55but it would be really nice to see what could be done with it,
02:58if it could be made into a space we could actually enjoy.
03:02I read a lot, which is why it would be nice
03:04to have space in the garden to read as well.
03:07So I think between us, we've got quite a large family
03:10that we really want to have round for a long-overdue housewarming.
03:14So we'd love for there to be a big outdoor space
03:17that we can really host and entertain everyone in.
03:21Competing for the chance to transform
03:23Chloe and Pete's ex-rental overgrown garden
03:26are Charlie, famed for her classic designs,
03:29rich in colourful planting...
03:31Funny old shape, this one. Ooh!
03:34..and Chris, who'll be hoping for a win
03:37with one of his slick and structured contemporary gardens.
03:41Those tree preservation orders are going to be a challenge,
03:44but I've got loads of experience working with them,
03:46so that's what's going to give me the edge on this one, Charlie.
03:51Yeah, I mean, that lawn, well, it's not really a lawn.
03:54You can see that it's been led.
03:56It's sort of not quite meadow, it's all hummocky and lumpy.
04:00Yeah, and all these overgrown shrubs, all grown into each other,
04:03kind of looking pretty sad.
04:05And these trees here,
04:06so they've actually got tree protection orders on them.
04:09That is going to influence the design a lot,
04:12because we can't be digging deep round the roots or anything like that.
04:16No, can't be digging deep or building up
04:18or messing them up in any way.
04:20I'm sure they want the garden to look beautiful
04:23and not unkept like it is now,
04:25but is there anything they're particularly after?
04:28Well, funny you should ask.
04:35So we've got strong family connections to France
04:37with my dad and sister living there,
04:39and we love French formal gardens.
04:41The thing I really like about French formal gardens
04:43is the structure of them and how that moves you around the space.
04:46We also really like arts and crafts gardens
04:49and how that feel of getting wilder as you go deeper into the garden.
04:52When I was younger, my mum would always take me and my sisters
04:55to arts and crafts gardens.
04:57The fact that you've got all the butterflies and the birds
05:00and the varied, colourful planting, that just made me love them.
05:03So those two elements are what we really want in the design
05:06and we hope that you can deliver that.
05:08Garden Rescue, we need your help.
05:11Ooh!
05:13Wow, that's a combination.
05:15Yeah, I know, French formal and arts and crafts.
05:17Yeah. There's a lot going on there.
05:19Yeah, French formal, I think I can get my head round.
05:22Here's your French formal.
05:24That is full-on French formal.
05:26So statues, Doric pillars...
05:29Yeah, I don't think you can get all of that in there.
05:32No, but it's all about having that juxtaposition
05:35with having the formal but then all the soft,
05:37sort of flowy arts and crafts and all the little details everywhere.
05:40OK, arts and crafts, well, what does that mean?
05:43So it's a kind of much more informal and loose approach to gardens.
05:46And when I think of arts and crafts planting,
05:48I think of that really loose, flowery borders,
05:51full of texture, height and colour.
05:53Right, OK. I could get this so, so right or so, so wrong.
05:57I think you'd get it very right.
05:59And what's the budget? Because formal's not cheap.
06:02No, it's not, and the budget for this one is £6,000,
06:05but it's quite a big garden.
06:07It is a big garden and that could eat that money up quickly.
06:10It's going to be a challenge, this one.
06:12It is.
06:15Inspired by Chloe and Pete's unusual brief,
06:18our designers set to work.
06:20The couple then has to choose one of their designs
06:23and whichever designer loses must help the other build it.
06:27The £6,000 budget is for materials
06:30as Charlie, Chris and their trusty team of landscapers
06:33provide the labour for free.
06:37Back in Godalming, Chloe and Pete have received the designers' pictures
06:42but will the couple be wowed with what they've come up with?
06:45Shall we check out Chris's design?
06:47Yeah, definitely.
06:49Chloe, Peter, this is your garden,
06:51Protected Trees and Fleur de Lis.
06:53Now, you wanted a garden that was a blend
06:55of two very different styles,
06:57the French formal and the arts and crafts.
06:59That's a really clever name.
07:02Now, what I really love about this garden
07:04is that I've blended the two styles,
07:06so we've got the French formal in these clipped round hedges
07:09and the topiary spires,
07:11but then all amongst that we've got a riot
07:13of these arts and crafts textures.
07:15This is a mix of loads of flowering perennials and grasses.
07:20Chloe, Peter, you wanted a garden with formality,
07:24informality, a little bit quirky,
07:27somewhere nice and tranquil to sit
07:30but also to get the wildlife in as well,
07:33especially the birds.
07:35Hopefully, I've given you that.
07:38I love the challenge of doing this design
07:41because we had work with the tree preservation orders,
07:44so I've put the seating area
07:46with the hard landscaping over this side,
07:49so it's away from the roots of the trees.
07:52I've placed this formal area
07:54right outside the steps to your kitchen
07:57and then you've got this focal point at the end
08:00which is a simple birdbath water feature
08:03and then planted in front I've got a hedge of lavender
08:06because that moving water will pick the scent up.
08:09Charlie's design establishes
08:11the French formal side of things near the house.
08:14So what does Chris envisage in that area?
08:17We come down the steps from the conservatory
08:19onto a new hogging path.
08:21Now that takes us into the heart of the garden.
08:24The circular lawn is hugged by these low clipped hedges
08:27and we've got the topiary cones there.
08:29It then leads you round to this brilliant social space.
08:33So I wanted to make this paving area
08:36using reclaimed bricks around the edges
08:38and then in the centre of that some reclaimed Yorkstone flags.
08:41I think that will be really interesting.
08:44Over the top here, this pergola, again,
08:46I wanted to tie it right back
08:48to both the French and the arts and crafts style.
08:50So it's very traditional with the double rows of the beams
08:53but then on all the ends of those
08:55we want to carve in some little details
08:57that just make you think it's been designed
08:59by somebody who loves arts and crafts.
09:01I've included another little detail for you.
09:03I wanted to make a really interesting bird bar for you.
09:06So I've got an oak beam, a stand-up tall,
09:08surrounded by planting, but sat on the top of that
09:11is going to be this very low stone bowl.
09:14I quite like that it's hidden and a bit secret
09:17because I think the birds would be a bit more comfortable
09:20going into that, wouldn't they?
09:22Both designers are creating French formal social areas
09:26but Chris is up the ante, adding a pergola to the mix.
09:29So what else has Charlie got up her sleeve?
09:32You then walk down this path
09:34and we've got a focal point here.
09:36It could be a plant, but I've got a pot there
09:39and these are gravel paths
09:41which things will self-seed into.
09:43It's sort of faded glory,
09:45which you love about French farmhouse gardens.
09:48And then this area here is the more sort of wildlife area.
09:53Now, these are stand-alone, what I call specimen shrubs.
09:57They're going to give you seasonal colour throughout the year,
10:01so things like lilac, so you get lovely scent.
10:04I do like that the planting is quite colour-orientated.
10:08In her garden of two halves,
10:10Charlie is turning the rear of the plot
10:13into an arts and crafts haven.
10:15But Chris isn't done yet.
10:17Now, as we move from this space into the rest of the garden,
10:20this is where things get a bit more gentle and calm.
10:23So we're moving into the wild part of the garden
10:26and because we can't dig down or put stuff on top,
10:29I've just done simple woodchip paths
10:31that meander through woodland planting
10:33and then they take you to a little half-curved tree seat at the end.
10:37Perfect spot to sit with a book and gaze back across the garden.
10:41That's a really great way to use the garden.
10:44Chris has vitally remembered Chloe's love of reading,
10:47so has Charlie factored this in.
10:50This path leads down to this seating area down here,
10:53which will be lovely and shady
10:55and I'm using the hazel hurdle to screen this area here
10:59where you can keep your compost heaps,
11:01your wheelbarrow and all those types of things.
11:04She does have a lot of good ideas.
11:06The designers seem level-pegged, but Chris has another surprise.
11:11As we move back through the garden again,
11:13we're going to walk across the lawn to a pre-grown jasmine archway
11:17and underneath that is going to be a beautiful oak bench.
11:21I hope you like it. It's a bit quirky, a bit formal,
11:25but hopefully you'll think it's just right.
11:30I love this garden, so I hope you pick me.
11:33Now it's the tricky part.
11:35Pete and Chloe have to choose their favourite.
11:38So Charlie's has some really great elements to it,
11:41but I'm not sure that all of the shapes work quite so well together.
11:47Chris's water feature, I don't think it's flowing
11:50and I really liked that Charlie's was flowing water
11:53so you'd hear the sound.
11:55Only one design can win.
11:57So who's it going to be?
12:00Right, Chloe and Pete have given us an answer.
12:03Right! See if I got the brief right on this one or so wrong.
12:07Hi, Charlie. Hi, Chris.
12:09Chris, we think you merged the French formal
12:11and the arts and crafts garden really well.
12:13The structure that you provided with those circular paths
12:16really divides the garden nicely into different areas.
12:19Charlie, we really liked your design
12:21and the patio right outside the house
12:23really pulling people into the garden we thought was a great idea.
12:27The winning design is Chris.
12:30Chris! Well done, well done!
12:33Thank you, Charlie, thank you.
12:35We're really looking forward to seeing it built.
12:38It was a really difficult design
12:40and genuinely it took me a long time to come up with this one.
12:44Eh? I mean, it could be an interesting one.
12:46It should be lovely and it's got all that space
12:49so we won't be getting in each other's way.
12:51Yeah, that's right.
12:53Yeah, it never works like that, does it?
12:59It's the day of the build in Godalming.
13:05And with the dappled shade from the trees above,
13:08the Evercore landscaping team, led by project manager Ben,
13:11are up for the challenge ahead.
13:15Here we go then, guys.
13:17As we've come in, you can see we're in a ditch straight away.
13:21Yeah.
13:22So levels are going to be so important in this garden.
13:25Trees are everywhere.
13:27You've got to think about the roots
13:29and then we've got this beauty to build just there.
13:32So, Tory, Lee, you can see in the drawing
13:36we have a beautiful pergola going in there.
13:39Now, because of the roots, because of the levels,
13:42we're going to raise that area up using sleepers.
13:46Shall we crack on with it? Yeah. Let's get it done.
13:51The most important thing with any tricky design...
13:55That's the angle Chris is after, isn't it?
13:58..is making sure it's all measured and marked out
14:01before anything else.
14:04Let's get this turf up, start digging down,
14:07setting the sleepers up.
14:09Yes, boss.
14:12With tree roots to consider,
14:14rather than digging down to create the foundations for the patio,
14:18a frame of sleepers is laid on top of the earth,
14:21which will be filled with hardcore material.
14:24Lee's bringing in a sleeper to try and sink into the ground.
14:28Me and Tory's digging here.
14:30Oh, it's hard work.
14:32The ground is absolutely solid.
14:35At the heart of Chris's design
14:38is a giant 3.6 by 3m pergola
14:41held up with whopping 2.4m posts.
14:45Easy on the eye...
14:47Good strength, dude.
14:49..but not on the back.
14:54Every time, every time.
14:57Three more, please.
15:04Dig it.
15:06Hey, Ben. Hello.
15:08We've got some yorkstone.
15:10Oh! Are they...
15:12Are they regular sizes?
15:14I need to have a bit of a workout, what we're doing with it.
15:17Yes, I believe in you. Come on.
15:19Glad you do.
15:21Right.
15:22Reclaimed yorkstone for the patio may look great...
15:25Upside down, inside out.
15:28..but the old, different-sized pavers can be problematic.
15:32Andy's bringing in the slabs.
15:34They are looking lovely,
15:36but you can see they're not uniform,
15:39so Andy's got his work cut out to get the pattern in there.
15:42Where are we going?
15:44You go into the bushes.
15:46OK.
15:48No, just open that door.
15:50Oh, that's a good idea.
15:52We've done it before, you know.
15:54Whilst the patio's design is carefully worked out...
15:58Get in there, get in there.
16:01..the base is starting to take shape.
16:06You can see it's changing really, really quickly.
16:09We're sorting the levels out here so the lawn is being lifted up.
16:13We've dug into that area to get the sleepers in
16:16to create the framework ready for the patio to go in.
16:21Each pergola post is sunk two feet into the ground
16:24to guarantee rigidity and safety.
16:28Try that.
16:32Oh, it went far off.
16:35Before the centre of the patio can be laid,
16:38Andy starts by cementing a perimeter of reclaimed bricks.
16:43So, I'm on with this brickwork.
16:45It's a bit of a fiddly job.
16:47You know, the brick's a bit wavy and a bit curved and a bit bent,
16:51but that's what makes it nice, really.
16:54It'll be a lovely detail against the Yorkstone.
16:59But with the clock ticking...
17:01Oh! Oh!
17:03..it's all hands to the pump to get as much done as possible.
17:10The bones of Chloe and Pete's garden are starting to emerge.
17:14Just as well, because Chris and Charlie are around the corner.
17:19It's nice, isn't it? It's lovely.
17:21Leafy, leafy goddleming.
17:23Very green.
17:27Hey, look at this!
17:29Guys, it seems to have changed.
17:31All the plants have really come on.
17:33I know, it's feeling a little bit tight in here, actually.
17:36I was going to say, I think you've put the garden in a hot wash.
17:39Shrunk it. But you can never moan about too much greenery, can you?
17:42No. So, what am I doing, then?
17:44So, this area down the end of the garden
17:46that currently has been completely lost and forgotten,
17:49I want you to zhuzh it up, give it a bit of life again.
17:52So, we're going to be on this central area,
17:54getting the paths in, working on the pergola,
17:56and then maybe we can join forces on the planting all around it.
17:59OK. Yeah, it's going to look fantastic,
18:01but I think there's quite a lot to do.
18:03Yeah, a lot of prep work needed, isn't there? Yes.
18:11This design was actually a real challenge
18:13because I was given a very difficult brief.
18:16It had two very different styles.
18:18One thing they wanted was the French formal style
18:21and the other was typical arts and crafts.
18:24And arts and crafts is very loose, informal, pastel colours,
18:28all about the kind of wild things on the edges,
18:31whereas French formal is all about symmetry and straight lines.
18:34So, it has been a challenge pairing these together.
18:37But there's certain tricks you can do in the design to make that work.
18:40So, I've got these sweeping curved paths,
18:43but around those are going to be formal clipped hedges,
18:46just like you'd see in France,
18:48but then behind that is going to be very typical arts and crafts planting
18:52spilling out over the edges, and what you get
18:54is a juxtaposition between the clean lines
18:56and then the loose planting behind it.
18:58And I think that's what's going to make this garden work.
19:02French formal garden design became popular during the mid-17th century,
19:07whilst arts and crafts gardens came to fruition around 200 years later.
19:12It's all about the transition between the two spaces.
19:15So, as we move down here,
19:17things are going to get a little bit more loose, a little bit more wild,
19:20and then things start to get really wild and wonderful
19:23when we get to Charlie's area of the garden.
19:29Now, I'm taking my time looking at this area.
19:32Chloe and Peter have only just moved in,
19:35and you can tell this garden was beautiful
19:38because there's some really lovely shrubs and trees in it,
19:41but it's been neglected.
19:43What I am going to do is get rid of what I definitely don't want.
19:46So I definitely don't want the brambles,
19:49so I'm going to take those out first,
19:51and I definitely don't want the self-seeded sycamores
19:54that have come from the trees,
19:56so that's the first thing I'm going to do.
19:59Right. Got all my tools.
20:02Got a bag to put the rubbish in.
20:05So I'm going to cut the brambles back,
20:07but you need to dig out the root as well
20:10otherwise they'll just come back.
20:13Stop!
20:21I think there's going to be a few more of these.
20:24Right. Off we go.
20:26At least it's not heavy.
20:29Under the pergola,
20:31Andy and Jamie have stormed through the paving.
20:35Now, typically, going for reclaimed stuff,
20:38you can actually be quite clever with your budget
20:40and save a bit of money,
20:42but these are so beautiful and well-graded
20:45that they actually come in at around £150 a metre squared,
20:48so they are quite pricey.
20:50And then with the bricks around the edges,
20:52they're about £1.25 each,
20:54and they just make a really nice contrast
20:56between the Yorkstone and the bricks there.
21:01At the rear of the garden,
21:03while mature shrubs are being tamed,
21:05there's another problem to solve.
21:08Yes, boss man!
21:09Oh, boss man, that's a good name.
21:11I need some decisions here.
21:13Right, go on, then.
21:15First of all, don't know whether the seat will fit,
21:18but which tree,
21:21because then it depends whether I take this vigilia out or...
21:25Well, I think it's going to fit.
21:27We're going to have faith, aren't we? OK.
21:29Tor, are you going to have a look at that?
21:31Can we just offer up the tree?
21:33Go on, then, offer it up, offer it up.
21:35I mean, it needs a lot of levelling.
21:37Yeah, so...
21:39Yeah, and it'll probably be a little bit lower,
21:41but I know it's not completely tucked in, but it's fine.
21:44That's fine, it's a perching seat in the shade.
21:46So I do need to take this out,
21:48and I think I need to take this out.
21:50That is a bit of a mess in there, isn't it?
21:52We'll tidy that right up. Thanks, Tor.
21:54I've really gone off you now, boss man.
21:56All right, all right, I'll run away.
21:58I've got loads more to do.
22:00Oh, joy!
22:02In Chris's design,
22:04he's at the end of a path made from bark mulch.
22:08That looks very comfy, Ben.
22:10This is lovely just here.
22:12Is it warm? It is actually quite warm.
22:14Oh, OK. I reckon it can stay here, don't you?
22:16No!
22:18Go on, get up!
22:24Just raking up the last of the leaves and the little bits
22:28for the bark to come in.
22:30So, Tory, my love... Charlie!
22:32I'm going to put the first one about here.
22:34Yeah, I'll fetch some more.
22:36Cool.
22:38Price-wise, the bark is £100 a tonne.
22:41We've got about half a tonne in this area,
22:44which means it's £50 worth, which is great.
22:47The other option would be to use gravel,
22:50which is about £125 a tonne,
22:53but we can't use it here
22:55because of the tree preservation orders
22:57and the heavy gravel.
22:59One would sort of squash the roots of the trees,
23:02but also when the leaves drop, they'd get covered,
23:05the gravel would get covered with the leaves
23:07and then it would slowly disappear.
23:10And I also find that bark actually makes an area seem quieter.
23:14It sort of absorbs sound.
23:18Right. Looking good!
23:22With the patio done,
23:24the next phase of the pergola is to add the roofs.
23:28Let's get them up there.
23:32Now, this is the exciting part,
23:34actually seeing something go up on this pergola.
23:37And once this is all on, it's really going to bring this garden to life.
23:42Got to really reach for these ones.
23:50Hopefully, Lee's astray, because if they're not,
23:53Lee's going to kill me.
23:55That's such a nasty person.
23:57Well, yeah, you're right.
24:08I mean, look at this thing.
24:10Chloe and Peter never thought they could have a usable space
24:13where they could socialise in their garden,
24:15because they just didn't quite know how to make it work.
24:17But this thing gives them a real statement area
24:19to get family and friends round.
24:22The wood chip is going down quickly,
24:25so I need to get this bench in position.
24:29So I do need to level it up.
24:32I need to level that up. That'd be nice.
24:35Now, I mean, this is a gorgeous place to sit.
24:38Dappled shade, and Chloe loves somewhere to sit and read,
24:44and this is ideal.
24:46To avoid damaging the roots of the tree above,
24:49the bench is levelled using bricks,
24:51rather than being sunk into the ground.
24:55Now, does that, if you look across there, does that look level?
24:58Er, that looks... That actually looks quite good.
25:01Does it? Yeah. That's good.
25:03I just need one more brick.
25:06Once the bench is level,
25:08the soil is compacted on top to bed it in place.
25:13Key to the formal part of the garden
25:15is getting the lines as clean as possible.
25:18And the new path is proving a challenge.
25:21Now, me and Ben are just going to start setting out the edging
25:24for the gravel pathway, which also forms the curve of the lawn.
25:27And getting this right is crucial to this garden design.
25:30Isn't it, Ben? It is.
25:33Metal lawn edging costs around £45 per five metres.
25:38But creating a perfect curve is never simple.
25:43Right, are we undoing this bit again?
25:45Where does that go to on there, then?
25:47What, the edging?
25:48This plan you've downloaded off the internet.
25:50It doesn't really say...
25:52LAUGHTER
25:54It doesn't really say a lot about it.
25:56It goes to here and returns into there.
25:58I like it.
26:00That's it. Pretty good.
26:02Can we come to me about four inch?
26:04What, in here? Yeah.
26:06To me. That's it.
26:08That one's fixing there.
26:11That's looking a lot better already.
26:13I love it. Already you can now see
26:15how you're going to move through the garden.
26:17You can see those amazing curves
26:19and you can start to imagine what it's going to look like.
26:21But there's a long way to go before we get there.
26:30What are you up to, then?
26:32Pergola. Aye.
26:34So it's going to go...
26:36Of course, I've sanded all this lettering off them all.
26:39Oh, good fun, good fun.
26:41You could come and prune brambles if you want.
26:43I think I'd sooner do that.
26:45I think you wouldn't. Or pluck me beards.
26:47One or the other.
26:52Now, this is going to be the start
26:54of a very nice touch in this garden.
26:56Chloe and Peter love wildlife
26:58and they love getting birds into the garden.
27:00So I designed them a water feature
27:02set on an oak plinth.
27:05Now, the idea with this
27:07is it just lifts it up
27:09just enough above the perennials
27:11so it kind of looks like the birdbath is floating
27:13in a sea of flowers.
27:15And it was very cheap, so we like that.
27:17It was good for our budget.
27:19So it came in at £40
27:21and this oak is just a bit of salvaged oak beam.
27:35I'm having a little squash break.
27:37Aha! It's snapped!
27:39It's very warm.
27:41Even in the shade.
27:43But this is looking transformed. I love it.
27:45It's looking more open.
27:47The seat's in. Barks down.
27:49But where does formal
27:51and informal intertwine?
27:53Oh, well that
27:55is just over here
27:57in this kind of transitional bit here.
27:59So this wants to look more like a path
28:01rather than this
28:03that looks like a woodland floor.
28:05Yeah, exactly.
28:07Right, so I suppose the next thing for me
28:09then is getting a few plants in.
28:11To fuse French formal
28:13with arts and crafts.
28:19Look at these!
28:21Lovely!
28:23Chris has spent around a quarter of the £6,000
28:25budget on an array of hardy
28:27perennials, shrubs, evergreens
28:29and ferns.
28:31Azaleas! I know!
28:33And flowers!
28:35Wow! Is that for my bit?
28:37Well, I think it would look good.
28:39It would look good, wouldn't it?
28:41It would.
28:43But you don't often see these in flower all at the same time, do you?
28:45No! I was going to say, it's a bit late for that one
28:47and early for that one!
28:49OK, I know what these are
28:51but what's this?
28:53This?
28:55Well, this is a bit of a
28:57statement piece. This is my
28:59Trachlosperma march, the jasmine.
29:01Yes!
29:03It's going to make all the difference getting these in.
29:09First phase of the planting
29:11is to add the formal.
29:13Chris has got me planting the hedge
29:15that goes round the lawn.
29:17Right, I've got to get them in position
29:19first.
29:21So this is
29:23a lovely evergreen.
29:25Euonymus
29:27Greenspire.
29:29Very upright,
29:31evergreen, and it's an
29:33alternative to using
29:35box. So, first
29:37of all, I've got to space it out.
29:39And when it comes to
29:41spacing,
29:43you're looking at spacing them
29:4510-14 inches apart.
29:47Now, if you space them further
29:49apart, they will grow together but they'll
29:51take longer. If you want an instant
29:53hedge, you can space them
29:55closer together. But of course, you'll
29:57use more plants and that will be more
29:59expensive. I'm just going to put them
30:01into position and then have a look.
30:03Because I think Chris wants this
30:05to look fairly instant.
30:13The Euonymus is planted
30:15in two elegant curves,
30:17drawing the eye to Chris's special
30:19feature.
30:21Oh, yeah!
30:23Woo! That's
30:25fancy! It's nice, isn't it?
30:27It's gorgeous! Yeah, brilliant.
30:29Thanks for that.
30:31You're welcome.
30:33This jasmine arch is
30:35a real statement piece.
30:37Now, in early summer, this is going to be
30:39full of really lovely
30:41scented flowers.
30:43I mean, it's a real work of art. It's made
30:45by an artisan and you can see he spent
30:47so much time weaving all of this in
30:49and there's no broken stems in sight.
30:51It's going to be a real talking point
30:53in this garden.
30:55With a bespoke bench underneath,
30:57the arch is the perfect
30:59spot for Chloe and Pete to sit
31:01and survey their new garden.
31:03Hey, that's not bad,
31:05is it?
31:07I'll take it for a little test spin.
31:09I'll get it in there
31:11in a minute, but hey,
31:13this is alright, isn't it?
31:15Beautiful.
31:19So I've placed out the hedging plants,
31:21got the first couple in and I'm going to
31:23work my way round.
31:25Now, the thing to remember about hedging
31:27plants is a general rule.
31:29The quicker they
31:31grow, the cheaper they
31:33are to buy. So you think about
31:35leylandii conifers,
31:37they grow quickly, so they're
31:39quite cheap to buy. Things
31:41like box, which is much slower
31:43growing, they're more expensive
31:45to buy. Now, this euonymous
31:47is like halfway between the two
31:49and of course it's got the plus side
31:51that it doesn't suffer from the diseases
31:53that box does.
31:57A French
31:59formal garden wouldn't be complete
32:01without some topiary.
32:03But topiary, as we know,
32:05can be very, very expensive.
32:07So I've decided to save on budget
32:09and use a big, bushy
32:11hedging plant to form our
32:13topiary in this garden. This species
32:15that we've gone for is a taxus
32:17tartar, which is a yew, and it's
32:19really, really reliable.
32:21So this wasn't cheap, it came in
32:23at £120, which
32:25you might think is very expensive, but
32:27if you wanted to buy a topiary
32:29cone or a dome at this
32:31same size, it could easily cost
32:33you a minimum of £600.
32:39After carefully trimming the
32:41yew back,
32:43the shears can be used for the
32:45detail. Keep the shears
32:47nice and parallel to the
32:49bush and just work your way down.
32:51And if you're like me,
32:53you could spend a lot of time on this
32:55and kind of obsess over it,
32:57but it's going to be worth it in the end.
33:01With the sun beating down
33:03on the team... It's a hot one today.
33:05I am totally knackered.
33:07...drastic action is needed.
33:09He's got them all!
33:11Oh!
33:13Yes!
33:15Hey, that's good,
33:17isn't it?
33:19Only the woodland
33:21offers any respite.
33:23This is my collection
33:25of plants for this woodland area.
33:27Now, what I don't want to do is
33:29overfill it. I want it to feel
33:31like you sort of wander down
33:33through this planting and you come to a
33:35woodland glade. So,
33:37I haven't got too many plants. I've got a couple
33:39of shrubs to give a bit of structure.
33:41I've got some ferns
33:43for the texture.
33:45And then I've got two varieties of flowering
33:47plants.
33:49Using flowering varieties will add
33:51colour to this shady spot.
33:53Popping in one of
33:55my favourite perennials.
33:57It's a pulmonary
33:59or lungwort, it's known as.
34:01This one's Diana Clare.
34:03And it gets these spikes,
34:05slow spikes of flowers that sort of
34:07hang down, so five or six
34:09blooms. And they're like a violet
34:11blue colour, but they vary
34:13slightly. And what I love about
34:15them is they start flowering late
34:17winter in to late
34:19spring. But the foliage
34:21is also beautiful as well.
34:23And it will also act as like
34:25ground cover and stop some of the weeds
34:27from coming up.
34:33With the formal planting in place,
34:35it's time to add some arts and crafts
34:37and classics to the borders.
34:41This is Nepeta
34:43Fasini, which is otherwise known
34:45as catmint. And cats do
34:47love it because it has the most amazing
34:49scent. Now they will
34:51flower from early spring
34:53all the way through summer.
34:55And they look so good near the front of the border
34:57because they all knit together and they just spill
34:59out over. Now
35:01one of the things with them is
35:03that you don't want to put them in kind of
35:05really wet, boggy soil.
35:07They like it very free draining
35:09and they do really like the sun.
35:11But they'll be perfect here in this spot.
35:13And the key with these sorts
35:15of plants is you want to plant
35:17them en masse. There's no point in
35:19planting them in kind of ones or twos.
35:21It's worth doing threes, fives
35:23or sevens just to get a load of
35:25impact. The best thing is
35:27it's going to bring loads of birds of
35:29bees into the garden, especially
35:31with the birdbath up there.
35:33And it just oozes
35:35arts and class style.
35:37Woven amongst
35:39the catnip are irises
35:41and white flowering penstemons.
35:43Now if you look at
35:45any gardens by Gertrude Jekyll
35:47you will see this style of planting.
35:49Once this fills out and gets more
35:51full it's just going to be such
35:53a joy of colour.
35:55And you can really see the contrast between
35:57the two is working in harmony in this garden.
36:03Now this
36:05is known
36:07as a Japanese primrose.
36:09Primula japonica
36:11and this one's elba.
36:13Elba means white. And you've got these
36:15lovely pure white flowers
36:17with a sort of yellow eye
36:19in the centre. And when it
36:21flowers, flowers from
36:23May through to sort of
36:25June
36:27into July and you get these
36:29tiers of flowers.
36:31Likes partial shade
36:33and the great thing about them is
36:35they will self-seed
36:37around the garden.
36:39There's been a lot of
36:41heavy lifting in Godalming.
36:43Oh, I'm too old
36:45for this job now.
36:47But as the sun begins to set
36:49I might get you to
36:51do a bit of shuffling, alright?
36:53You like that?
36:55It's now about
36:57getting the last plants in.
37:02To finish Chris's garden
37:04of two styles.
37:16Come on, Charlie.
37:18That was a build and a half, wasn't it?
37:20I know, I'm totally exhausted.
37:22But what an outcome!
37:24It looks fantastic.
37:26It does. It's a really nice mix
37:28of those styles. And what about this?
37:30This is a proper statement, isn't it?
37:32It is full on, I have to say.
37:34I think they're going to love it.
37:36So I think you ought to show it to them.
37:38I'll go and get them.
37:40When the team arrived
37:42Chloe and Pete's unloved,
37:44overgrown, triangular-shaped
37:46garden was pretty much
37:48unusable.
37:50It was overgrown with a sloped
37:52dangerous lawn and the four
37:54protected trees meant landscaping
37:56could be tricky.
37:58But after working with
38:00a £6,000 budget
38:02it's been transformed
38:04into a harmonious mix
38:06of French formal design
38:08and rustic English arts and crafts.
38:10From the house
38:12a sweeping bound gravel path
38:14leads past a secluded jasmine
38:16arch with an oak bench below.
38:18A formal lawn
38:20surrounded by structured hedging
38:22leads to the incredible centrepiece
38:24pergola that stands above
38:26a beautiful patio perfect
38:28for entertaining.
38:30Finally, the rustic
38:32path winds down the garden
38:34to Charlie's woodland.
38:36A perfect spot for Chloe and Pete
38:38to enjoy the sun twinkling through
38:40the treetops and Charlie's new
38:42planting.
38:44But what will they make of it all?
38:46Here we go.
38:48They're going to open their eyes.
38:50Chloe, Peter
38:52you wanted a garden
38:54paired together, two very different styles.
38:56The French formal
38:58and the arts and crafts.
39:00Please, open your eyes.
39:02Whoa!
39:04My eyes are racing.
39:06It's totally different.
39:08Love it. Cool.
39:10Wow.
39:12Chloe loves it.
39:14Loves it.
39:16You can really see the difference in the spaces
39:18as well. Yeah.
39:20So that's the idea. You've got
39:22different zones that are quite distinctly
39:24different but then they blend together.
39:26Yeah, nice different levelling throughout
39:28but also it's not just complete
39:30all over the shop.
39:32As soon as you come out the doors now,
39:34you've got this path that really lures you out
39:36into the garden.
39:40The gravel path contrasts
39:42fantastically with the lawn
39:44and it's quite dynamic,
39:46the shape.
39:48Take a step up into your new
39:50patio. I know you wanted to use reclaimed
39:52materials, so we've got the reclaimed
39:54Yorkstone, the reclaimed bricks.
39:56It's got loads of character.
39:58And there's actually just such a nice view back out
40:00from here as well, isn't there? Yes, definitely.
40:02And now that we're here, you can see the
40:04water feature as well. Ah, you spotted it.
40:06A little birdbath, yeah.
40:08Again, a salvaged bit of oak beam
40:10and it's just quite sweet, isn't it? It's not over the top
40:12but it looks really nice in the planting.
40:14Yeah, I love the salvaged reclaim
40:16because I hate waste. Yeah, yeah.
40:18Now, there's another little secret
40:20area just around this corner that maybe
40:22we should go and look at. And this is where Charlie has been
40:24slogging away all day long.
40:28Down to my area, the woodland area.
40:30That was a slog.
40:32Now this zone is completely
40:34different to that more sort of
40:36formal style over there.
40:38This is where it becomes very loose and chilled out.
40:40The woodland area for shade.
40:42Yeah. Yeah, real dappled shade
40:44underneath the trees.
40:46It's a different vibe to back up there, isn't it?
40:48Yeah, but it's a bit of respite that you kind of always
40:50need at that peak time of the day.
40:52I know we're all fighting to get into this space.
40:54But it's nice, isn't it?
40:56It's very loose planting,
40:58very natural and understated.
41:00Yeah, coming up through the path makes it feel like
41:02ancient woodland that's been growing here for a long time.
41:04Oh, that's a good compliment.
41:06I'll take that. I think Charlie will be very
41:08happy to hear that. Is that what she was aiming for?
41:10Ooh, they like it.
41:12Now, this is
41:14the kind of main feature
41:16of this area. Why don't you go and test it out?
41:18That is beautiful.
41:20Oh, it's not
41:22bad, is it? Yeah, a great view back to
41:24the house as well. Yeah, especially this time of
41:26day, right? With the sun reflecting on the
41:28beams. Yeah, yeah. But why don't
41:30we go back up to this end of the garden because there's
41:32another area we still need to look at.
41:34And why don't you take a seat
41:36on another new bench here?
41:38We'd love to.
41:40So many different
41:42views that we've got now for the garden.
41:44So many angles to get all
41:46of the new planting and everything
41:48and really take it all in. That's it.
41:50Actually, earlier in the day, this gets
41:52a lot of sun in this spot.
41:54And this is a real special thing.
41:56This is a jasmine arch that
41:58was pre-trained, all woven in
42:00very recently. So next
42:02year, this will grow out really
42:04thick and just be covered in those flowers.
42:06Yeah, so it'll be really scented.
42:08I can't wait for that.
42:10How does it make you feel, you know, sitting in here now
42:12compared to what you had and
42:14all the different areas you can use?
42:16Yeah, it's great. Loads more places to sit in the garden,
42:18you know, have people around.
42:20Down the end, up here, on the
42:22Ergola.
42:24It's a lot more usable. Yeah, yeah.
42:26Definitely a lot more utility and
42:28it looks great from every angle.
42:30And, you know, if we ticked all
42:32the boxes, we'd... Definitely.
42:34I think so. Yeah, it's great.
42:36Love it. Good. I'm really pleased.
42:40Yeah, it's
42:42awesome. I love the look of the garden.
42:44Really cool, all the forms and shapes
42:46that have been put in.
42:48We've already invited everybody over for every
42:50weekend from now for about the six
42:52weeks. Yeah, we've already got some
42:54barbecues booked in. But yeah, really
42:56looking forward to showing everyone what Chris has put
42:58together and, yeah, all the different spaces
43:00and views that are in the garden.
43:10Music