Garden Rescue episode 30 2024

  • 2 days ago
Garden Rescue episode 30 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 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!
01:10Today's SOS call comes from a cash-strapped couple in Stockport.
01:16Hi, Garden Rescue. I'm Alex.
01:18I'm Olivia.
01:21We actually met on our first day at uni.
01:24We were sharing halls together.
01:26The first day we were moving in, I was unpacking in my bedroom,
01:29when my mum was putting some things in the fridge,
01:31and she came running back in and was like,
01:33there's a very good-looking boy in the kitchen.
01:35So I obviously immediately went into the kitchen,
01:38and Alex was there.
01:39And the rest is kind of history.
01:41We've been together about ten years now.
01:44After living with their parents and in-laws for four years,
01:47they finally bought their first home.
01:50Then we've been in here for about two years now.
01:52Olivia is chief designer of the interior.
01:55Yeah, I am.
01:56We go for sort of a minimal design.
01:58Bit Scandi-looking, clean, modern.
02:00And yeah, we'd like that design to sort of reflect into the garden as well.
02:04But at the moment, their garden is looking more blandy than Scandi.
02:09So we come round here, you have to kind of step up over this awkward level.
02:13We've got this sort of seating area, but really the view is pretty terrible.
02:18Yeah.
02:19We've got just a good view of all of the mess and all the work we need to do.
02:23Cutting the grass is an absolute mission.
02:25I absolutely hate cutting the grass because it's so uneven.
02:29So this is the really awkward path in the middle of the garden,
02:32just all broken up.
02:33The patio slopes off to both sides.
02:35But when you get to the back of the garden, it gets even worse.
02:38You've got this sort of dead dumping ground area.
02:41There's this kind of dead space behind us here
02:44that just isn't anything at the minute.
02:46That's sort of the theme of the garden, I think,
02:48having a bit of a waste of space.
02:50And that's exactly what they want to change.
02:53We've got a lot of nice garden furniture,
02:55and it would be really nice to make use of this space.
02:58And we're quite overlooked at the back,
03:00so it would be nice to have something that gives us a little bit more privacy
03:04and some planting that just doesn't die on us, hopefully, anyway.
03:08Come on, Garden Rescue.
03:10Please come and rescue our garden.
03:13Competing for the chance to level out and love up Alex and Olivia's garden
03:18are Chris and Leigh.
03:22Will Leigh's out-of-the-ordinary designs appeal to this young couple?
03:26I've got so many ideas for this garden,
03:28but it's about sieving them through that filter to refine them.
03:31Or will Chris's modern approach pique their interest?
03:35I love putting a contemporary twist on any space,
03:38and my favourite thing is coming up with bespoke design features.
03:44Now, Olivia and Alex's garden, as you know, it's a bit boring, really, isn't it?
03:48I know. It just looks a bit sad.
03:50It's got that long path. There's nothing exciting in there, is there?
03:53Yeah, there's nothing of any real focal value.
03:55There's no trees or shrubs.
03:57I'm kind of really wondering, well, what do they want us to do?
04:00Let's have a quick look.
04:03We're getting married soon. We're really excited, aren't we?
04:06The ring is very shiny.
04:08We'd love to have photos of our wedding in a beautiful new garden.
04:13But we currently don't have the funds to pay for that.
04:16With the couple putting all their funds into the big day,
04:20they're relying on outside help to pay for the new garden.
04:24Because we don't have the money currently to pay for a new garden,
04:28our parents have very kindly said they'll club together as a wedding present for us.
04:34That does mean that our parents are in charge of what designs are chosen.
04:39Very odd.
04:41Yeah, all this wasted space.
04:43For better or worse, Suzanne and Neil and Paul and Paula
04:47will be choosing a garden that the couple will then be stuck with.
04:51So the budget is £5,000.
04:54We think Alex and Olivia would love a really striking,
04:58We think Alex and Olivia would love a really striking,
05:01modern, contemporary design with lots of clean edges.
05:05Some nice entertaining space would be nice, where we can go around for barbecues.
05:09Generally, I think, yeah, we're very happy for them to pick, aren't we?
05:12Yeah. Yeah.
05:14What could possibly go wrong?
05:19God, that's a brave move, letting your parents pick the winning design.
05:22There's a lot of trust being put in them.
05:24I know they've said this clean, minimalist look,
05:26but that can mean different things to different people.
05:28I know, and do they even want it? That's the thing.
05:30And £5,000 as well, I mean, it's a big garden, lots to do.
05:34It is a really tight budget, and, you know, there's that saying,
05:37too many cooks spoil the broth, so...
05:39We have to be careful what we serve them up, though.
05:45With two sets of future in-laws to please,
05:48Chris and Lee get straight to work on a design that makes them happy.
05:52They get straight to work on a design
05:54that makes the most of the £5,000 budget.
05:58Alex and Olivia's parents must then choose their favourite,
06:02and whichever designer loses must help the other build it.
06:07The designers and their trusty team of landscapers
06:10provide the labour for free,
06:12leaving the full 5K for materials.
06:18In Stockport, the parents have cracked open the vino
06:21and are ready for the designers' pitches.
06:23Right, let's get into it.
06:26Hello, mums and dads.
06:28This is my garden, a modern masterpiece
06:30that I've designed for Olivia and Alex.
06:33So what I want to give them is a garden
06:35that's strikingly modern to reflect the interior of their house,
06:39a garden with lots of clean lines,
06:41low-maintenance planting, evergreen shrubs,
06:44and most importantly, at the end of the garden,
06:46I wanted to give them a beautiful seating area
06:49where they could showcase their lovely patio furniture.
06:52Wow!
06:55Mums and dads, now I know you're paying for this garden,
06:58so this is my modern, minimalist dream for you.
07:01I know you also want a garden where wedding photographs can be taken,
07:04but this isn't a garden just for one day,
07:06this is a garden for years to come.
07:08Really nice.
07:09It's certainly different from the other one.
07:11Now, the first thing I've done is giving you
07:13this really lovely porcelain patio
07:15that's going to extend around the house
07:17and stop those muddy footprints and wet feet
07:20from having to traipse in and out whenever it's been raining.
07:23Very nice. Really nice.
07:25Now, this garden design is super clean and minimalist,
07:28just like Olivia and Alex's tastes for interior design.
07:32You'll notice that everything is using clean, sharp lines,
07:35there's no curves, nothing too wild and out there,
07:38it's all very neat.
07:40Yes!
07:42Coming out of the house here, I'm going to raise the level up here
07:45so we make the lawn nice and level all the way through,
07:48but I wanted to make this a bit of a feature area.
07:51So what I've done is I've made this kind of breakout space
07:54where it slows you down as you walk into the garden.
07:57I wanted to give a weathering steel water bowl,
08:00very contemporary, so it's kind of black and mirrors the sky.
08:04Stepping onto here is going to be some very striking paving.
08:08Now, you don't see this very often,
08:10these are going to be dark black planks.
08:13Very modern with a different colour.
08:15They're going to be staggered, quite informal, through the gravel here
08:19and the gravel is actually going to contrast those,
08:21so it'll be a very light grey.
08:23Right up their streets, their vibe, nice and clean, minimalist.
08:28Both Lee and Chris have designed sleek and stylish patios,
08:32with Lee opting for beige porcelain and Chris, black stone.
08:37But how else are they hitting the brief?
08:40Now, I know that privacy is really important in this space,
08:43which is why I've created a design that has different screens
08:47that will create rooms in the garden.
08:49So if they've had a row, they can go into different parts of the garden.
08:52Exactly, good idea.
08:54And then as we move into the second room,
08:56the pathway changes to these beautiful white cobbles.
09:00It's going to give a really clean and light texture to the garden.
09:03This middle room contains a lawn.
09:06We're going to get rid of the current lumpy lawn and put in a new flat lawn.
09:10Oh, lovely, very nice.
09:12As we move through here, I'm going to have trees repeating themselves along there,
09:17softening up the boundary, and again, lots of cool contemporary grasses
09:21with just a very muted colour palette going through.
09:23Not really got any colour at all at the moment.
09:26I wanted to put a feature bench halfway up this path,
09:29just to give you a place to stop and pause.
09:31It's going to be up and over timbers, really simple slats.
09:35I quite like the bench, Neil, because it's Scandinavian.
09:38This new lawn area, it's a bit smaller in size, so it's going to be easy to manage,
09:42but the best thing about it is it's going to be perfectly level,
09:45it's going to be brand-new turf, and it's going to give that modern garden
09:48a really clean look that it deserves.
09:51A nice level lawn is exactly what they're after.
09:54Chris is winning the parents' approval with the bench and level lawn.
09:59But Lee still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
10:03We've got some really low-fuss, easy-to-look-after evergreen shrubs.
10:07This one's called Snow Mound, and that has white flowers later in the year.
10:11Oh, lovely. White flowers.
10:13I've kept the colour palette really minimalist.
10:16I'm choosing whites and creams.
10:18I've not introduced any colour, because I want this garden to be really calm
10:22and for those wedding photographs to pop against this beautiful, calm background.
10:27Well, that looks beautiful.
10:29As we come to the back of the garden, there's another entertaining space.
10:32Again, using these wooden screens, it's going to feel really private.
10:36So I've given them a small custom pergola that starts to eat its way
10:39into the back of that raised bed to help adjust the heights.
10:42Pergola sort of breaks up the skyline, and then, you know,
10:46it's made it quite a private area.
10:49Lee has given the soon-to-be bride and groom a romantic hideaway.
10:54But Chris also has plans for the back of the garden.
10:58We're going to cut into that raised bed at the back
11:01and give them a much larger decked area.
11:03It's going to be a couple of steps up to there,
11:05but it's going to have sleeper raised beds all the way around it.
11:08So when you're in there, nestled in amongst the planting,
11:11it's going to feel really snug and cosy.
11:13Now, they are overlooked by the neighbours,
11:16so we're going to have three weathering steel screens
11:19with a timber frame wrapping around them.
11:21But what that does, the gaps in the middle are actually going to become windows
11:25to two feature bamboos.
11:27Yeah, I like the privacy from the neighbours.
11:30In the back corners of that raised bed,
11:32I'm going to have two multi-stemmed trees as well.
11:34They're not going to get too massive and dominate,
11:36but they will grow up and arch over,
11:38just softening up the whole back end of this garden.
11:41That'll look lovely as you're coming out into the garden
11:44and seeing the bamboo at the end, won't it?
11:46So come on, mums and dads, pick me,
11:48because this is a marriage made in Stockport.
11:51So come on, banker mum and dad, give me your money.
11:54LAUGHTER
11:56Chris and Lee have given their take
11:58on a modern garden worthy of wedding snaps.
12:01Now the parents must say yes to one design.
12:04OK. All right, then.
12:06Decision time. Wow.
12:08We love the minimalist look of Chris's.
12:11But the key thing, really, is this area at the end, isn't it?
12:14The socialising space. Yeah.
12:16Do we think that's a bit clinical?
12:18It's a bit too rectangular.
12:20We've got these. Totally different. Totally different, isn't it?
12:22Yeah. And he's gone for white as well.
12:24That white colour theme, yeah.
12:26And also a lot of evergreen as well, so it's going to look good.
12:29Look good all year round, yeah.
12:31Are we all on the same page?
12:33I love them both. I love that.
12:35I've got a favourite.
12:37Will the four parents agree?
12:39Only one design can win.
12:41So whose will it be?
12:44Well, we've heard back from the banker mum and dad, Chris.
12:47Shall we see what they say? Yeah.
12:49Hi, Chris. Hi, Lee.
12:51Don't know what to think of this one.
12:53It's quite nerve-wracking having them all there.
12:55Chris, what we loved about your design
12:57was the private area at the end of the garden.
12:59I love that bench.
13:01We love the stone slabs.
13:03Yeah, very sleek, very modern.
13:05And, Lee, what we really liked about your design
13:08was the lovely porcelain patio.
13:11Lee, I really like the use of the posts left natural.
13:14Lee, I love the uniformity of the white flowers.
13:17Oh, yeah, you've gone very clean and minimalist then.
13:20Yeah, I paired it right the way back.
13:23We've thought long and hard, and after much deliberation,
13:25we have made a decision.
13:27I think this one's close, Chris.
13:29And we've decided to go with...
13:34..Chris!
13:36Oh, well done, Chris.
13:38I tell you what, I don't think there was much in that, to be honest.
13:41No, but I think you nailed it with the layout.
13:43Yeah, it was all about giving them that extra space
13:45at the back of the garden where they can catch the sun.
13:47Yeah, but you've got six clients to manage now.
13:49I know. I haven't had a garden like this.
13:51It is quite daunting.
13:53I think I've dodged a bullet.
13:55No, you're still going to be on the build.
13:57OK, how about that?
13:58We're going to give you all the worst jobs now as well.
14:00Oh, great.
14:03It's the big day in Stockport,
14:05and the landscaping team, led by project manager Andy,
14:08are here with bells on.
14:13Oh, look at that.
14:15Super contemporary swish, innit?
14:18At the moment, we've got this weird kind of slope up to a lawn,
14:22which then slopes up to a paving area,
14:24so it's just, like, all over the shop, a right mess.
14:27So we're going to get a digger in,
14:29going to put some sleepers down the end,
14:31got a massive deck to put in,
14:33and a load of this really nice paving
14:36with the sort of spaces in between,
14:38so a lot to do.
14:40Ready? Let's go. OK.
14:43Blimey.
14:45It's been a while. This is going to be fun.
14:50Chris wanted a water feature in the garden, right?
14:58We're not going to get rid of this crazy paving here.
15:01Make good hardcore, this.
15:03But as the slabs come up, there's a problem.
15:08Oh, my gosh, look at the slabs.
15:11Oh, my gosh, look at the state of that.
15:13The garden doesn't just slope from top to bottom.
15:17I had it in my mind that they were going to be level,
15:20but they're all over the shop.
15:22What have we got there, Gruff?
15:24That is level there.
15:26At this point, it raises up more at that end.
15:29Probably got 100mm from one side to the other. Yeah, easily.
15:32Yeah, let's take them all out,
15:34and then we'll sort them out and put them back in again.
15:37Not only is there a slope from front to back,
15:40the patio area is higher on the right than the left
15:43by at least 10cm.
15:47This patio is too slopey, so we're going to get it gone.
15:52And that's not the only thing that's getting gone.
15:55It's goodbye to the paving...
15:59and turf.
16:03This garden is being stripped back to the bare essentials
16:06in order to take it to the next level.
16:11About here. 9.6, is it? Yeah.
16:15Bosh! Right there.
16:18What I'm doing is marking out where this deck is going to go,
16:21cos we've got to get the digger in now
16:23and dig all this stuff out to the right levels,
16:25and all of that in there is going.
16:27So some of that will go down and fill
16:29where we put the steps in up there.
16:34They've had a fair few challenges already,
16:37but their luck seems to be turning around.
16:40That looks like nice stuff, Gruff. Yeah, lovely that.
16:46Well, it looks like there's been something,
16:48some paving in there before.
16:50That's dreamy, because that's our level for deck building,
16:54so we just build straight on this nice hard surface.
16:58Yay!
17:01MUSIC
17:06At the other end of the garden,
17:08Kyle and Kerry are building a retaining wall,
17:11almost a foot high from sleepers,
17:13that'll then be filled in to create the desired level lawn.
17:19I mean, I don't know about a white wedding,
17:22more of a dog's dinner at the moment, innit?
17:24Chris's new path runs along the right side of the garden,
17:28and the old paving is being recycled to use as its base.
17:33It'll then be topped with hardcore,
17:35compacted, ready for its modern makeover.
17:41I'm laying these dark limestone slabs here.
17:48These come in at about eight pound a slab,
17:51which will look really smart and contemporary.
17:59MUSIC
18:03The limestone slabs, raised beds,
18:07and decking area are in position,
18:10ready for Chris and Lee to work their magic.
18:14Look, it's actually flat!
18:15Yeah, I mean, this is huge, Chris.
18:17I am a little bit nervous about it all, though, to be honest.
18:20Come on, show me what I'm up to.
18:22Now, as you know, on the wedding day,
18:24they want to take their photos in the garden here,
18:27so everything needs to be beautiful and ready for the bride.
18:31So this bench is going to be the perfect spot
18:33for the bridesmaids to sit,
18:35between some nice planting in the two trees.
18:37So you want the triple B, the beautiful bridesmaids' bench?
18:40Yes! That's it!
18:42All right, well, you've got it all sorted, then.
18:44Go and get some tools. Yeah.
18:47Now, this garden, it's not just a garden for one day,
18:50for these wedding photos.
18:52It needs to be a garden that they can live in and enjoy for years.
18:55So I wanted to reimagine the journey through the garden,
18:58and that all starts here, with this breakout space
19:01and this modern paving.
19:02As soon as you step up here,
19:04this space makes you change where you're moving through the garden,
19:07so it makes the garden feel bigger.
19:09We've got the bench halfway along, so you can sit and pause again,
19:12and then you finally get to the kind of main social space
19:15at the end of the garden.
19:17But it's the little details,
19:18like having the planks with the gravel in between,
19:21that gives it that kind of modern edge that I know they love.
19:25Now, this is the main event of the garden for them,
19:27because Alex and Olivia needed a big social space that they could enjoy.
19:32The decking frame's starting to go in, which is great,
19:34and then we've got to get all the boards on.
19:36And I need to get those feature screens up behind here,
19:40because that's what's going to help this space feel really cosy,
19:43so you can forget about being overlooked by all the neighbours.
19:46Right, I think I need to roll up my sleeves,
19:48because there is so much work to be done.
19:56Whilst Chris cracks on with the decking,
19:58Lee is at the front of the house to start his first job of the day.
20:05So I'm going to be making the bench out of these timber sleepers,
20:08and it's going to have two simple timber legs.
20:10Now, these sleepers are really cost-effective.
20:13They've been pressure-treated so that they don't need to be stained,
20:16and they'll weather the storm outside for many years.
20:19Each one costs around £30 for a full length.
20:22With the timber marked up,
20:24it's just a matter of cutting the beautiful bridesmaid's bench to size.
20:40Chris, you got married recently, didn't you?
20:42Yeah, it's a lovely day, actually.
20:44Yeah.
20:45I remember seeing some pictures of you crowd-surfing.
20:47Yeah, it's all a little bit hazy,
20:49Although right now would not be the perfect time
20:52for the bride and groom to arrive.
20:57Right, so I've just finished measuring
20:59where the screw holes are going to be
21:01to attach the legs to the bench.
21:03And I want these legs to be offset.
21:05I don't want them to be on the very edge.
21:07They're going to be pulled in by 20 centimetres.
21:09I'm then going to use my countersink here
21:12to drill a small hole
21:14and then I'm going to use my drill bit
21:17to drill a small hole.
21:21And these will work their way through the wood
21:23and into the top of the legs, making it really secure.
21:32Right, so I've just finished routing the edges,
21:35which is taking off that sharp edge
21:37and giving a really nice bevel that's going to be soft to the touch.
21:40I've had another idea.
21:42I feel like I should unleash my inner artist
21:45and maybe etch in some initials as well.
21:57Great minds think alike.
21:59Chris also has something special in store for the couple.
22:04Now I've come to the van
22:06to get one of the best bits of the garden,
22:08the bespoke screens.
22:10Now look at these.
22:12Such a nice modern design that ties in with everything.
22:15But what I've done is I've even got their names
22:18laser cut into the bottom
22:20just to give them a little personal touch.
22:22I think they're going to love these.
22:24Right, better get them in the garden now.
22:32I'm just about to start making the screens
22:34that are going to form the backdrop
22:36of one of the most impressive parts of the garden.
22:38So when you're sat in here, it just helps to make it feel
22:40a bit more private and cosy.
22:42And the other great thing about this spot
22:44is that actually the old line of sleepers
22:46ran all the way across there
22:48and this was all just dead space with a bit of membrane on it.
22:51So by putting this here, we've reclaimed loads of ground
22:54and right back in this corner
22:56is where you get the last of the evening sun.
22:58It is perfect.
23:00I'd better get started then.
23:03The new garden is a wedding gift
23:05for the couple from their parents.
23:09And Olivia's mum and dad, Suzanne and Neil,
23:12can't resist having a peek.
23:16Wow!
23:24Oh, hello, Suzanne and Neil!
23:26Morning.
23:28Thought we'd do a quick impromptu site inspection.
23:30Oh, no!
23:32Well, looking at it, there's an awful lot to do.
23:34I must admit, I'm pretty concerned.
23:36Look, you've got to have faith in us.
23:38Isn't that right? Indeed.
23:40Just fuzz your eyes a little bit.
23:42Yeah, yeah.
23:44It always looks a bit ropey this time of day,
23:46but by the end of the day, you won't even recognise it.
23:48By the end of today.
23:50Yeah, today, just today, we will turn it around.
23:52I promise, boss.
23:54With the site inspection over...
23:56See you later! See you later!
23:58Good luck! Bye! Bye!
24:00..Chris and the landscaping team
24:02power through work on the decking and screen posts.
24:06That's better than that one.
24:08And Lee, well...
24:10Come on, boys, carry me in!
24:12Come on!
24:14Always the bride, never the bridesmaid.
24:16Whoa!
24:18Talk about arriving in style.
24:20Well, couldn't let you have all the fun, could I?
24:22Is it bad that I'm coming with you?
24:24No!
24:26Is it bad that I'm quite jealous?
24:28Do you want to go?
24:32Oh, thanks, chaps.
24:34Why do you always get the good gigs, eh?
24:36Bit of fun, eh?
24:38What do you think of me bench?
24:40I love this. All the nice little details.
24:42This is clean, simple...
24:44Yeah. ..and it works.
24:46Fab. I'll get me spade. Thanks, Lee.
24:48You're welcome.
24:50Perfect.
24:52I've got the two support posts
24:54for the first screen in
24:56with a little brace here
24:58so they're set back just behind the post,
25:00which will leave a nice shadow gap.
25:02And then I have to repeat this
25:04two more times down the line
25:06and I'm going to run a kind of capping
25:08along the top so it makes it one big frame
25:10and that will create the windows
25:12for the bamboo.
25:21Phew!
25:29These screens aren't cheap.
25:31They're about £150 each
25:33but they are bespoke
25:35so they're adding that level of personal detail
25:37to this garden and they look super sleek
25:39and contemporary, which is exactly what I wanted here.
25:41Now, you could do something
25:43a bit more budget-friendly
25:45by using timber slats to go between the posts
25:47or if you're in a more country, rural garden
25:49you could use something like willow hurdles.
25:51Again, they're all doing a similar type of thing
25:53but they'll cater to the different styles of gardens.
25:57With self-tapping screws
25:59Chris doesn't have to drill the steel sheets
26:01which gives it the clean and modern finish
26:03he's after.
26:07Across the garden
26:09with Kerry's help
26:11I'm going to add the post creek.
26:13Lee's bench is sunken
26:15and fixed into position.
26:19I'm putting this step together here
26:21because it's quite a big step up to the deck
26:23as we speak, it's about 300.
26:25So it'll be nice
26:27about 160, something like that.
26:29Just putting the carcassing timber together
26:31and then
26:33it'll be faced with deck boards
26:35and it'll look like the deck
26:37so it'll all be in keeping.
26:39When you're picking stone for a garden
26:41it's always worthwhile
26:43wetting your slabs
26:45because it'll give you the true colour
26:47both in the rain and when they're dry
26:49and then you can decide whether you want to seal them or not.
26:57I'm going to put the slabs in
26:59and then I'm going to put the deck boards in
27:01and then I'm going to put the slabs in
27:03and then I'm going to put the deck boards in
27:05and then I'm going to put the deck boards in
27:07Chris and the team still have two screens to fix into place
27:13Chris and the team still have two screens to fix into place
27:15which leaves Lee and Kerry
27:17to prepare the now-level lawn area
27:19for the new turf.
27:27I mean would you look at that?
27:29Would you look at that?
27:31That's satisfying mate.
27:33Only another 14,000 jobs to go.
27:37That's going to look good, isn't it?
27:49I love seeing the top on because it makes the whole idea of these windows come to life.
27:55So when you see the bamboo coming up through here, it's going to make such a statement
27:59when you're looking up the garden.
28:01Yeah, lovely, lovely, lovely.
28:05That's the glue.
28:06Time to screw.
28:08Got it?
28:09Yep.
28:23Deck's down.
28:24Give it a little sweep up, get it covered, keep it protected.
28:30Now all of the main structural elements are finished, it's time for the plants.
28:37This is what I'm talking about.
28:39Look at this, Lee.
28:40Oh, you've got some nice specimens in here, Chris.
28:42I know, look at this Acer.
28:43Come on, let's get some greenery in this garden.
28:47This is a heavy one, eh?
28:54I'm going to grab this fargesia.
28:56I'm going to grab my tiny finest.
28:58Oh, it's not the size, Chris, it's the lucky show.
29:02I love it.
29:04Muted, modern and sleek.
29:06Exactly what this garden needs.
29:10To achieve the contemporary look, Chris has selected a muted palette of plants for around the borders,
29:16keeping the centre line and lawn clean.
29:23That's the best bit, setting out all the plants.
29:26The planting in this garden actually, it took about a quarter of the budget, so that's about £1,300.
29:33Now, I know it seems like a lot of money, but on a garden this size, it really does start to swallow them up.
29:39In this garden, I've gone for some feature elements like the bamboo, feature trees,
29:44and then some evergreen shrubs to give structure,
29:47and then that whole scheme is tied together with blocks of grasses because they are very modern.
29:53But because this is a garden that Alex and Olivia are going to use for their wedding photos,
29:58I wanted to get some colour in and a bit more movement,
30:00so things like the verbena are really going to make this pop, the salvias, the geraniums,
30:04and that's what gives it a bit more excitement.
30:07So, time to get them all in, I think.
30:10Now, this amazing bamboo is fargesia nitida.
30:14Now, this was one of the key elements of my design because it's going to sit perfectly between these window frames.
30:21But when I think of modern gardens, I always think of bamboo.
30:25This one is perfect for any small garden because it's a clump-forming bamboo,
30:29which means it doesn't send out those runners that come up in the neighbour's garden,
30:33and it stays quite small. It's not going to go four metres tall.
30:37This one will be around one and a half to two metres as it matures.
30:41And what's really great about this is that it's going to come out through the window here,
30:46and that's what this garden's all about.
30:47It's about giving these modern-built elements that make it very contemporary
30:51and then kind of loosening it up with planting like this.
30:55Amazing.
31:01Another key request was a level lawn, and the new turf is going down a treat,
31:08which contrasts beautifully to the limestone paving.
31:13I'm just putting the finishing touches to sealing these flags, and they've really come to life.
31:19I've got this really dark colour now and almost a light sheen because this protective sealant
31:24just gives it a little tiny hint of a satin gloss.
31:28Definitely worthwhile doing, and it also means that any of those spills that may happen in the garden
31:33will be super easy just to rinse off.
31:35Lovely stuff.
31:38Wonderful.
31:43Now, this is called Cornus Controversa variegata because it has these amazing variegated leaves,
31:54but it's more commonly known as the wedding cake tree.
31:56So how apt is that?
31:58It has these amazing lateral branches going up in tiers just like a wedding cake.
32:03So I'm going to unfurl this, and you'll see exactly what I mean.
32:06There's one tier, look.
32:09And a second tier.
32:12And then as this grows up over time, you just get more and more tiers coming out.
32:17So this next lot will start to form a row and so on.
32:20And over time, you just get this amazingly structured tree.
32:24Here we have a really popular small garden tree.
32:27It's this Betula, otherwise known as Silver Birch.
32:29And this is Betula Jackmonti Snow Queen.
32:33And it's called Snow Queen because as it gets older, the bark on the main trunk
32:39turns a beautiful, bright white.
32:41So it's a beautiful, bright white.
32:43And it's also called Snow Queen because it's a beautiful, bright white.
32:47And it's also called Snow Queen because it's a beautiful, bright white.
32:50And as it gets older, the bark on the main trunk turns a beautiful, bright white.
32:55So a tree like this is probably going to put on a foot, a foot and a half each year.
32:59But because the growth is really open and the leaves are relatively small,
33:03they don't take away loads of light.
33:05Now, you can get Betulas in all sorts of different forms.
33:09This is just a standard that's had all the side shoots allowed to develop,
33:13which forms this kind of like shrub size.
33:16This is a straight stem or a true standard where you'd have a canopy on top and a straight stem.
33:20And they're a bargain.
33:22These are around £80 to £100 each, meaning that even if you're on a tiny budget,
33:26you can get some heightening impacts without breaking the bank.
33:38Now, I've gone for a muted colour scheme in this garden.
33:41And the colours I'm using to do that are whites, purples and blues.
33:44And this Gora Whirling Butterflies is one of the main white colours that I've repeated through the garden.
33:50Now, I absolutely love it.
33:52And you can tell where it gets its name because the flowers kind of dance in the wind
33:56and they look like little butterflies.
33:58They'll start flowering from sort of end of May, June, all the way into late summer,
34:03especially if you give them a cut back.
34:05And they just intermingle so well.
34:07That's the best thing about picking what I like to call sociable plants.
34:11And that's plants that mix well with other things.
34:13So, in front of that, we've got this Callum Mint Fir and the two will work really well.
34:18And they just look really classy and elegant.
34:20And that's exactly what this garden's all about.
34:27All that's left to do is add some final touches.
34:32What that's going to do is make this into a perfect mirror finish.
34:37Place the furniture.
34:40Whoopsie.
34:42Have a quick tidy up.
34:46Are you ready, Lee?
34:47I am. Take me up the aisle, Chris.
34:48Oh, come on.
34:49And Chris and Lee can celebrate their big day.
34:56What a transformation, Chris.
34:58Earlier on, this was a bit of a shambles of a garden, really, wasn't it?
35:01Yeah, I was really worried, especially when we had a visit from the site foreman.
35:06The old parents. But yeah, the transformation's incredible.
35:09Going from all those wonky levels and now Alex and Olivia have got this almost three-tiered garden.
35:15This is it. And I think it gives them everything they want.
35:17It's got that kind of wedding photo-ready beauty, but it's also sleek, contemporary, modern, which I think really suits them.
35:25It's a work of art.
35:26Oh, the whole thing's a work of art.
35:27Yeah.
35:28Right, we've done well.
35:29Come on, I'm going to go get them.
35:30Come on.
35:32When the team arrived, Alex and Olivia's garden was a wonky waste of space.
35:37They hated the crazy paving path.
35:40Alex dreaded mowing the uneven lawn.
35:43Even the patio sloped off at the sides.
35:46And the space at the back was unusable.
35:50But thanks to their parents' £5,000 wedding present, their dull backyard has been transformed.
35:59Into a sleek and stylish sanctuary.
36:04Alex and Olivia can now step up onto their raised bed and level garden.
36:09Set within timber sleepers with elegant limestone paving and contrasting gravel,
36:14in keeping with the couple's love for simple, scandy design.
36:19The weathering steel water bowl mirrors the sky and creates a focal point.
36:24And leads them to their new straight path.
36:27Towards Leigh's lovingly created bench, the perfect spot for wedding photos.
36:33Nestled amongst calm colours and silver birch trees.
36:38Where they can also admire the new, perfectly levelled lawn.
36:44Their seating area has been completely revamped with brand new decking,
36:48and personalised screens that perfectly frame the bamboo and wedding cake tree.
36:54Pops of colour provide the perfect backdrop for their wedding photos.
37:00The parents chose Chris as the best man for the job.
37:03I've got my eyes closed and my hands up.
37:05That's it, that's good.
37:07But will Alex and Olivia agree?
37:09I've got my eyes closed and my hands up.
37:11That's it, that's good.
37:12But will Alex and Olivia agree?
37:14I've got my eyes closed and my hands up.
37:16But will Alex and Olivia agree?
37:18Olivia, Alex, now you've taken a gamble with this garden
37:22because you've put the fate of it in the hands of your parents.
37:26But they obviously chose right because they went for my garden.
37:29But, because you're taking a risk, I really, really hope that it's paid off.
37:34Please, open your eyes.
37:37Oh my gosh.
37:38Oh my gosh.
37:39Oh my gosh.
37:40Wow.
37:42It's just completely different.
37:44Amazing.
37:45I'm so shocked.
37:46I'm shaking like a leaf.
37:49Wow.
37:50It's so good.
37:51I love it.
37:52I absolutely love it.
37:53I cannot believe the difference.
37:57I'm literally in shock.
37:58It's level.
37:59Yeah, yeah.
38:00It's my first one.
38:01You're not going to be wrestling with it.
38:02It looks, yeah, it looks so, so tidy.
38:05Just, yeah, perfect.
38:06Exactly what we wanted.
38:07And, you know, let's give a bit of credit to your parents as well.
38:10Were you a bit worried at first, putting it in their hands?
38:14Oh my, yeah.
38:15They literally knew exactly what we wanted from this.
38:18I absolutely love it.
38:20I love it.
38:22Oh, they seem really excited and I'm not surprised.
38:24It's such a massive transformation.
38:27And I love the little Olivia and Alex down there at the end.
38:30It's really sweet.
38:31I need to pop that.
38:32Wow, yeah, I love the bowl.
38:33It looks so, so modern.
38:34All it is, is a bowl of water with some black dye in it.
38:37But you get the reflections of the bamboo and that, I really love that.
38:41It really makes a statement.
38:42I really like it.
38:43If that wasn't there, it would be a plant.
38:45Yeah.
38:46It's lovely.
38:47Ah, they've noticed that water bowl.
38:48It does draw the eye.
38:50And then this is another statement feature of this area.
38:52These beautiful plank pavers.
38:54Absolutely love them.
38:55Yeah.
38:56I really, really like the look of them.
38:57So nice.
38:58Yeah.
38:59So nice against the white stones of the dark.
39:00Yeah.
39:01I love the way it looks and the way it sweeps into the stepping stones.
39:03It makes you want to go into the garden, doesn't it?
39:05Yeah.
39:06So why don't you?
39:07Take a journey down your new path.
39:08They love that path that Chris has put in.
39:10It just guides them through the garden.
39:12But not before they spot my bench.
39:14I love the little engravings.
39:16Yeah, you noticed that.
39:17They're so nice.
39:18So Lee has been working really hard on sort of this area of the garden today.
39:21It's lovely.
39:22A little stop off on the way.
39:23Yeah.
39:24Exactly.
39:25Yeah.
39:26And these little details are just a bit of fun.
39:27I love it.
39:28And this area is going to really fill out by the wedding.
39:30So it's going to last for the photos.
39:32What about my photos?
39:33Well, you know, you can go up there and have it in front of the screens, you know.
39:37I think that's a good spot too.
39:39You can share, okay?
39:40There's enough good space to share.
39:42Yeah, yeah.
39:43Hopefully they'll get some nice pics sat on there after the wedding.
39:46Now this is something you probably thought you'd never have in your garden.
39:49A flat level lawn.
39:51Yeah, that was...
39:52That was your most hated bit, wasn't it?
39:54Yeah, I'm lost for words.
39:56Really?
39:57It's been level.
39:58Well, why don't we take a step onto here
40:00and we'll have a look at this part of the garden.
40:02Now here we are, the main event.
40:04This is actually really nice to be able to stand on this space and be able to use it.
40:09Yeah.
40:10Before it was just like, obviously, a bit of a mud bath.
40:12So...
40:13Well, before, I'm pretty sure it's about this line was where your sleepers were.
40:18Yeah.
40:19With a bit of a patio in front.
40:20Yeah.
40:21So you've actually gained all of this space.
40:22Yeah.
40:23It was just all wasted, wasn't it?
40:24Yeah.
40:25It's just going to make such a difference, I think.
40:26And what about these then?
40:27I absolutely love them.
40:29Like, more than I ever imagined that I would.
40:32Yeah, yeah.
40:33In a bit of a weird way.
40:34Yeah, I think they're really beautiful.
40:35They just give you a bit of privacy.
40:36Because when you're sat down, I didn't want them to be, you know, really oppressive and too tall.
40:40But they just help to give you sort of a feeling of privacy from the neighbours.
40:44It really makes it feel like nice and private, doesn't it?
40:46Yeah.
40:47Perfect.
40:48Yeah.
40:49And the bamboo will spill out through the gaps as well.
40:50Yeah.
40:51And those sort of picture frames.
40:52And then you've got the really bright pops of colour with the verbena there.
40:55And because all your fences are painted, it really makes the planting stand out, which is lovely.
41:00Everything really pops against it.
41:01Yeah.
41:02Now, there is a bit of a special feature in this garden for you.
41:05In the back right corner there, that is actually a wedding cake tree.
41:10So we decided to get that.
41:12I love that.
41:13That's brilliant.
41:14I really like the way it's framed around the edges as well with the borders.
41:17It's just really works really well.
41:18The guys are going to love that.
41:19They spent a lot of time making sure all that was lined up nicely for you today.
41:22Yeah.
41:23It looks ace.
41:25It's really nice out here.
41:28Oh, I love it.
41:30Now, I've got to say, I am so glad that you love the garden because I was really, really stressed earlier today.
41:36And it's a big thing, asking your parents to pick a winning design for your garden.
41:40But obviously it was the right thing in the end.
41:43I think they've smashed it.
41:44Yeah, I think they've smashed it.
41:45I think you've smashed it and I think they've smashed it.
41:47Yeah.
41:48That's the result that I wanted.
41:49But do you think that they will think the same?
41:53Absolutely.
41:54Yeah?
41:55Should we find out?
41:56Come on then, let's go.
42:01Go on.
42:02Oh!
42:03Yeah, just there.
42:04Step, side, step, side, step.
42:05Keep going, keep going.
42:07Okay, so as you've paid for our garden as our wedding present, now it's time for the big reveal.
42:13Three, two, one.
42:15Open your eyes.
42:17Oh!
42:18Oh, wow!
42:19Oh, wow!
42:20Oh, it looks beautiful.
42:22Can you believe it?
42:23Oh my goodness!
42:24I never thought it would be this big.
42:25I can't believe it.
42:27Beautiful.
42:28You look amazing.
42:29Oh, it's beautiful.
42:30It's lovely, Alex.
42:34Wow.
42:36It's really nice, isn't it?
42:37Up onto the deck.
42:38You're going to have a go on the bench.
42:43Trusting the parents with a design was a massive risk, but look at how well it's paid off.
42:48Yeah.
42:49So happy with it.
42:50I can't believe it.
42:51They did a great job.
42:52They knew exactly what we wanted, and it's just perfect.
42:54Wedding photos are going to be good here, aren't they?
42:56Really nice.
42:57Yeah, can't wait.
42:58Sitting up there with my girls.
42:59So good.
43:01Very good.
43:02I'm relieved.
43:05I'm so pleased you like it.
43:21I love it.
43:22I love it.
43:23I love it.
43:24I love it.
43:25I love it.
43:26I love it.
43:27I love it.
43:28I love it.
43:29I love it.
43:30I love it.
43:31I love it.
43:32I love it.
43:33I love it.
43:34I love it.
43:35I love it.
43:36I love it.
43:37I love it.
43:38I love it.
43:39I love it.
43:40I love it.
43:41I love it.
43:42I love it.
43:43I love it.
43:44I love it.
43:45I love it.
43:46I love it.
43:47I love it.
43:48I love it.
43:49I love it.