Brighton/High Wycombe Big Dreams Small Spaces


Brighton/High Wycombe

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Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space?

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A small garden that you can admire, enjoy and call your own?

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And then you stop and think, "I have no idea how to make it."

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Well, you're not alone.

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Monty Don has travelled up and down

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the country visiting amateur gardeners with bold ambitions.

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He's scrutinised their plans

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and pushed them out of their comfort zones.

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We are going out into deeper, darkest, unknown territory.

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It's not been easy.

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I hate it.

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Argh!

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But everyone's worked incredibly hard.

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Both of us want to sleep for a week, pretty much.

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-You've had your tea break.

-Come on.

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And the transformations have been extraordinary.

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It's just incredible, it really is.

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I declare this garden open.

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THEY CHEER

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I do believe that everyone, however small their garden,

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can cultivate a big dream.

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This week, Monty's meeting two sets of determined amateur gardeners...

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-Let's do it.

-Let's do it. Yeah!

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..who are in desperate need of feel-good spaces.

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-Is the garden out the back?

-No, there's nothing out the back.

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So, I've walked through it?

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From a half-converted parking space...

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Concrete. North-facing.

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Noisy.

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..to an overgrown jungle.

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He's looking a little bit shocked.

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Wow. That's awesome.

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Will they succeed in building their dream?

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I don't like it, so what's the point of having it?

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LAUGHTER

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This is insane. I hope today is the worst day we have in the project.

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When Monty comes,

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if he thinks that all these things are in the wrong place...

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Just lock the gate. Don't let him in.

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Our first garden is in the seaside town of Brighton,

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where full-time mum Helen and computer games producer Dax

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have their hands full with their two-year-old twins Hester and Chip.

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Chip was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

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And this determined duo have spent the last year getting the inside of

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their family home just right for him.

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But it's left the garden a complete tip.

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It's going to be a very big project, but we've got twins,

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-we can handle that.

-We've got so much spare time

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-you wouldn't believe it(!)

-Yeah.

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Undaunted, as they look for that new surge of energy,

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they are dreaming of the perfect space.

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Chip needs a lot of additional care.

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We have appointments every single day, pretty much.

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I think it's really important that he has access to somewhere outside

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that he can just be, and move around in whatever way he can.

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Helen has always loved gardening but for Aussie Dax,

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it's a new experience.

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And he's already setting the ground rules.

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I'm not going to get too involved with the design.

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I'll just be the hired muscle.

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We've had some just incredibly difficult moments

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since the kids' birth.

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Whatever life throws at us from here on out, we can take it.

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I mean, what do you think is going to be the hardest bit?

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-The landscaping.

-Yeah, that's my bit.

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Just keep the tea coming.

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I can keep the tea coming.

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-Let's do it.

-Let's do it.

-Yeah!

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Our second garden is 80 miles away in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

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It's a new home for retired airline manager Valerie and her three dogs.

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They moved in 18 months ago,

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after rather dramatically deciding to throw out the old

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and bring in the new.

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I got divorced.

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I got divorced because I'd been out to Australia and nursed my sister

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who was dying of cancer, and it made me realise that life,

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you only get life once.

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Finding herself in a much smaller house was one thing,

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but Valerie also had to say goodbye to her precious garden.

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I love where I'm living now.

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I love my house. The one thing that makes me really sad

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is that I don't have a garden. And I'm now going to cry.

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That's the only thing to say.

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I'm really sorry, but I really miss it.

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I really miss it.

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Standing by to mop up the odd tear and generally lend a strong hand

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is Valerie's best friend Lynn.

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I'm not very good at making decisions, so when a decision needs

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to be made and I'm dithering, you're quite good at saying,

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-"Let's do that."

-There's no way she'd do a project like this

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without me. I wouldn't let her.

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-See what I mean?

-It's so exciting.

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Even with Lynn by her side,

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Valerie is going to need all the help she can get

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to turn this 15 square feet parking space into her new dream garden.

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I've got no idea, really, how you grow in pots,

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what you can grow in pots,

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what your limitations are in pots.

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Oh, dear. It sounds as though some extra special help

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is just what she needs.

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I'm a huge Monty Don fan.

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It's like meeting, I don't know, the pop star of the gardening world.

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Fabulous. Wonderful. Can't wait.

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It's May and summer should be on the way.

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But it hasn't reached Brighton yet, where Monty is on his way

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to meet Helen and Dax.

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-Hello.

-Hello.

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It's a warm welcome, but Monty soon finds he has some competition.

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So, what are you wanting from the garden?

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There's a lot of things that we want from the garden,

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but I think I'm going to give these guys some food

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and put them down for a nap

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-and then we can talk.

-Very sensible. I've come at a bad time.

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Look after the children. That's the important thing.

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I'll have a look at the garden.

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-Can I go out?

-Of course, please, please.

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He's looking a little bit shocked.

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I know that this garden would terrify a lot of people,

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because it would just seem impossible,

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but, actually, moving all the rubbish and cutting back

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would be the work of a weekend at most.

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And once you've got back to ground level, literally and figuratively,

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then you can start to create.

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Well, there is some cheery news for our harassed couple.

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With the twins asleep, Dax and Helen can begin dreaming.

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I want there to be lots of colour, lots of texture,

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some really gorgeous smells to explore.

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I'd like it to be a space that Dax and I can enjoy in the evenings,

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as a place of calm. And then, finally, to have an area

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-where we can grow our own vegetables.

-So, no pressure.

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No pressure.

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-Big ideas.

-Well, OK. No, no, that's fine.

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What sort of budget are we talking about?

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We have £1,500 for the garden.

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-Right.

-So, it's a good wodge.

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So far, so good,

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but Monty is about to bring these dreamers down-to-earth.

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What you've described would consume that money like that.

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I've had a little wander around

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and I noticed that there is a sort of concrete pad

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which looks like a building.

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Yeah. It was an old garage.

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What do you want to do there?

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What I would love to do is dig all that up, shift it out,

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and put some topsoil down and have raised beds there.

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But I don't think that we've got the money to do that.

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If you're prepared to do that yourself,

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you can hire a jackhammer for a day

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and you're not talking a lot of money. You're talking 50 quid.

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-OK.

-Is Helen driving this?

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Absolutely.

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But there is one thing Aussie Dax has been dreaming about.

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I can't hide the fact that I would love a barbecue area.

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-A barbie. Of course you can have a barbie.

-Thank you.

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Barbecue agreed, Dax heads off to look after the twins,

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while Helen shows Monty the rest of their plan.

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Helen and Dax want to create a large flower border

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on one side of the garden and build raised vegetable beds

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on the existing concrete footing on the other.

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They also want a lawn with a winding path

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leading to a children's play area, and at the far end of the garden,

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they'd like an area of grasses for the twins to explore.

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But Monty immediately spots a problem.

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If you've got a play area,

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-Chip and Hester are going to want to go there, aren't they?

-Yeah.

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So, they are going to go absolutely in a straight line.

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If you're going to keep the grass, I would make your path there.

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Their plan has a lot going on.

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The garden may be 111 square metres, but something has to give.

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Lawn or tropical, which way are we going?

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Yeah, well, this is it. What do I do with this space?

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That's a good place for the tropical planting, but I would think about

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-pulling it across as well.

-OK, yeah.

-In some form.

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So, you're picking up, if the theme is changing,

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there is some barrier there.

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It could be a thick, deep hedge, it could be a wall.

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Whatever it is should be replicated on that side.

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-Yeah.

-And that will unify it.

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Monty believes Helen and Dax need to remove the concrete slab

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and make the raised beds accessible from all sides.

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He suggests replacing the winding path with a straight one

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and adding some form of barrier to define the space.

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Underneath this chaotic jungle,

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Monty has spotted some old established shrubs.

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Helen could take some cuttings from them for the new garden

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and, importantly, this could be a cost saver.

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But first she needs to learn how to do it.

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Cuttings in May almost entirely are softwood cuttings.

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New growth. Lots of vigour, lots of growing hormones,

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but absolutely no resilience.

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If you leave it in the sun, it will die in minutes

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and certainly within hours. So, it's a real race for softwood cuttings.

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So, if you can keep it alive, it's very likely to form growth.

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-Yeah.

-And the way to keep it alive is to keep the area around it moist.

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-So, what we are involved in now is an A&E emergency rescue.

-OK.

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With her teacher on hand, Helen has a go.

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If we can find nice, strong straight growth that's flower free...

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But Monty warns it may not be all plain sailing.

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I take hundreds and hundreds of cuttings every year and I would say,

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on average, 60% strike.

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-OK.

-So, there's a 40% failure rate.

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-Yeah.

-Don't worry about it.

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With that tip and a dream plan in place, Monty leaves them to it.

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This is a very happy, dynamic, positive family.

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And I'm sure they'll tackle the garden with all the energy that

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they're tackling everything else.

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Monty's reaction to the budget was fairly unequivocal, wasn't it?

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-Yes.

-He was just...

-You've not got enough money.

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-Forget it.

-Yeah. It's not going to happen.

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To do all they want with £1,500 will take ingenuity

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and lot of hard work, but I think they will do it.

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And I think they'll do it really well.

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I'd start right now. I probably will start in about five minutes' time.

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-Yeah.

-I'll be out there, yeah.

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The sun has finally come out and Monty is in High Wycombe

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to see if he can help Valerie create her dream outside space.

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And the sense of anticipation is almost too much for her.

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Deep breaths.

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Deep breaths.

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-Hello, Valerie.

-Hello, Monty. Pleased to meet you.

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But their first encounter does not quite go to plan.

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-Is the garden out the back?

-No, there's nothing at the back.

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-So, I've walked through it?

-You've actually walked through my garden

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-and missed it, haven't you, Monty?

-Well, I...

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-That's a good start.

-I was aware of there was a garden,

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but I didn't realise it was really so small.

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-Yes, that's all that is.

-OK, well, that's interesting.

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-Shall we go and have a look at it?

-We want to tour the estate, I think.

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This is my small space.

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What you see is what I have.

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And it doesn't get any better.

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So, what direction are we facing?

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You're now facing south.

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Ah, that's a pity.

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"Ah," indeed.

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So, this was an entrance off the road, was it?

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-I think...

-For someone to park a car?

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-I think that's what they planned.

-OK.

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-And do you know what's underneath here?

-Concrete.

-OK.

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So, concrete, north facing, noisy.

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OK, that's what you've got. What do you want?

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Privacy.

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Do you need to use those gates?

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-No.

-So, they could be blocked?

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Yeah. I want some height.

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I quite like the idea of maybe at least one tree.

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Right. I mean, you can do trees in pots.

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-Trees and shrubs in pots.

-Yeah.

-Trees, shrubs, climbers, you can do.

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With respect, this looks cluttered.

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Because there's lots of different little things in it.

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The great secret of all small spaces

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is you have one or two really big things.

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How experienced a gardener are you?

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I came from a garden that was big, it had a lawn, a patio, a stream,

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-fantastic view.

-Fine, fine. So, it was a proper...

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-Sounds a lovely, nice garden.

-Yeah. I loved it.

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-So, you've downsized dramatically.

-Absolutely.

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-Hugely.

-So, life has changed.

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So, it's important to see this as a really interesting small garden,

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not as a sort of replacement that, sort of, vaguely,

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-makes up for the lost garden.

-That's a very sensible thing.

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Lynn's been saying that.

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You've just said it. That's absolutely right.

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At last, Valerie's hero has brought a smile to her face.

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To help her further, Monty wants to see her plans.

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I love that we are all having to put our glasses on.

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-I know.

-Calm, green oasis.

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You see, that's really clear.

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And Monty has a big idea.

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We didn't really discuss the possibility

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of just continuing the brick wall across where the gates are.

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-How do you feel about that?

-I think it would look better

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than having gates. A warm, south-facing brick wall gives you

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a fabulous growing opportunity in a very small garden.

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Valerie wants a variety of containers with a mixture of shrubs

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or trees to give height to the garden.

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Monty suggests breaking the garden into zones,

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encouraging Valerie to think about height and greenery

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in the shaded area, flowers with strong scents around the seating,

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and a new brick wall to give privacy and grow sun-loving plants.

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Valerie has a healthy £3,000 to splash on the garden

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and Monty immediately offers advice on how to spend it.

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I would not find it at all extraordinary

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if a third of your budget actually went on pots.

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Terracotta, should they all be the same style?

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-They don't have to be the same style.

-Mix it up?

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It's your choice. I can direct you where you might look,

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but in the end I can't choose.

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Today was a dream come true meeting Monty Don.

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I am actually weaning myself off my old garden.

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I think this is going to be quite therapeutic.

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If I could just get a stream running through the bottom of the garden,

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-we'd be well away.

-If you buy bad drainage pots, you will.

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Over the next few weeks, I don't think it matters

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if Valerie does no gardening at all.

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What really matters is that she involves herself

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in the decision-making process.

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When I next see her, I want her to be telling me

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what we're going to be doing.

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In Brighton, Helen and Dax have thrown themselves into their project

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with their usual gung ho spirit.

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We've been really busy over the last couple of weeks.

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We've done a lot of the clearing and really opened up the space.

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Today, they've set themselves the task of removing

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the 15 square metre slab of concrete that Monty advised them

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to get rid of to make room for raised beds.

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-Just in time, help has arrived.

-Hi! How you doing?

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Their friends Jim and Lou have come to lend support.

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Little do they know what's in store for them.

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I don't suppose you've got any idea how thick this is.

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None at all.

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Personally, I was just looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

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Not much chance of that.

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Even the elements are conspiring against them.

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Dude, we are in so much trouble here.

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This is insane.

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Despite the weather,

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Dax has followed Monty's advice and hired a jackhammer

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and the boys are pretty excited about their new toy.

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This is going to do some damage, right?

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Yeah, you don't get much better than that, really.

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It's a huge job.

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I don't think I had any sort of idea about the scale of the job.

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It's clearly significantly bigger than I thought it was going to be.

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Helen and Lou forget all about the tea reinforcements

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they were supposed to provide

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and watch as layer upon layer of concrete appears.

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It looks worse than when we started.

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I think the whole point was to clear it.

0:18:000:18:02

-Yeah.

-And it's not cleared.

0:18:020:18:04

It's got to get worse before it gets better, I think.

0:18:040:18:07

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:18:070:18:09

I'm just a bit worried that we've bitten off a little more

0:18:090:18:11

than we can chew with doing this.

0:18:110:18:13

It's a tough first lesson for the couple.

0:18:130:18:16

I just can't see this being a garden at the moment.

0:18:160:18:20

Chin up, Helen.

0:18:200:18:22

Well, it's a rock garden.

0:18:220:18:24

I don't like rock gardens.

0:18:240:18:26

HE LAUGHS

0:18:260:18:27

I hope today is the worst day we have in the project.

0:18:270:18:30

-If they are all better than this, I'll take that.

-Yeah.

0:18:300:18:35

In need of a morale boost, Monty has invited Helen and Dax along

0:18:350:18:39

to one of the highlights of the gardening calendar.

0:18:390:18:43

As a lifetime first for both of us,

0:18:430:18:45

we find ourselves at the Chelsea Flower Show.

0:18:450:18:47

-Which is extraordinary.

-Yeah.

0:18:470:18:49

It's huge. I've wanted to come for years.

0:18:490:18:52

It's also the first time the couple have been out alone

0:18:520:18:55

since the twins were born two years ago.

0:18:550:18:58

-Comfy? You look comfy.

-No! Not particularly.

0:18:580:19:01

HELEN LAUGHS

0:19:030:19:04

-Yeah. We're going to get one of those.

-One of those.

0:19:090:19:12

It's a visual feast with over 500 exhibits of show gardens,

0:19:120:19:16

arts and crafts and award-winning flowers to explore.

0:19:160:19:20

So, it's lucky there is a friendly face to show them around.

0:19:200:19:24

Hello. How are you?

0:19:240:19:26

-Wonderful.

-How's it going?

-Nice to see you, Monty.

-Nice to see you.

0:19:260:19:29

I haven't got long, I'm afraid,

0:19:290:19:31

but I've got some things to show you that I think will help.

0:19:310:19:33

-So, if you're happy, let's go and have a look.

-All right.

-Come on.

0:19:330:19:36

Monty takes Helen and Dax to view a garden

0:19:360:19:39

created especially for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

0:19:390:19:43

Designer Chris Beardshaw has created a calm,

0:19:430:19:46

restorative space using simple planting in deep borders.

0:19:460:19:51

What here makes you think again about your garden?

0:19:510:19:55

I think there are a couple of things.

0:19:550:19:56

There are a combination of plants

0:19:560:19:58

that I wouldn't have thought would go together and, of course, they do.

0:19:580:20:01

They're really stunning. So, it's a real eye-opener in that respect.

0:20:010:20:04

And also the height levels.

0:20:040:20:06

Do you know what it's actually doing while looking at this?

0:20:060:20:08

I'm thinking, why don't we just ditch that whole grasses idea

0:20:080:20:10

at the back, when you can have planting like this in that space?

0:20:100:20:13

-I'm so glad you said that.

-Was that the point?

0:20:130:20:16

Because that, I'm just like, why don't we just do this?

0:20:160:20:19

-It's beautiful.

-The most important thing is simplify.

0:20:190:20:22

We were talking about symmetry, weren't we?

0:20:220:20:25

-Yeah.

-And currently the plan is flowers on the left of the path

0:20:250:20:29

and raised beds on the right.

0:20:290:20:31

And if you were to replace all of the raised beds...

0:20:310:20:34

-It would look lopsided.

-It would look really...

0:20:340:20:37

I like symmetry, because it's...

0:20:370:20:39

You're looking for harmony in a garden. You're looking for balance,

0:20:390:20:42

but it doesn't have to be mirror image.

0:20:420:20:45

What you want is the feeling of balance and there's no reason why

0:20:450:20:48

you couldn't have raised beds on both sides.

0:20:480:20:50

I'm undoing all your plans, aren't I?

0:20:500:20:52

You are! I'm mentally redrawing everything.

0:20:520:20:56

Monty also leads Helen and Dax to Jekka McVicar,

0:20:560:20:59

who's designed a garden full of plants that promote wellbeing.

0:20:590:21:04

-The kids are going to love this.

-Mm-hm.

0:21:040:21:06

-What is friendly for them, I suppose, and what isn't?

-OK.

0:21:060:21:09

Well, this whole centre section is totally friendly

0:21:090:21:12

and I'd love you to touch this one here.

0:21:120:21:16

-Smell that.

-Ah!

0:21:160:21:18

And then smell your fingers.

0:21:180:21:20

That is from Corsica.

0:21:200:21:22

-Lovely.

-That is rock mint.

0:21:220:21:24

Rock mint or mentha requenii. This one here, smell that one.

0:21:240:21:27

-This one?

-Yeah.

-It's amazing.

0:21:270:21:30

I almost like that more than the mint.

0:21:300:21:31

That's double-flowered chamomile.

0:21:310:21:33

It's very low- grain chamomile, but it will give you

0:21:330:21:35

-the white daisy flowers.

-Yeah.

-So, you can make tea from it.

0:21:350:21:40

Jekka explains that these herbs are tough enough

0:21:400:21:43

to be planted in or around pathways,

0:21:430:21:45

to create scent as you move along the path.

0:21:450:21:48

Other herbs that would work include thyme and oregano.

0:21:480:21:51

If you go to Chelsea, I think you should definitely have Monty Don

0:21:530:21:56

as your guide. It's like the parting of the Red Sea.

0:21:560:21:59

Chelsea is always an overwhelming experience,

0:22:000:22:03

particularly if it's your first time.

0:22:030:22:04

But I do think it's worth seeing different ways of doing things

0:22:040:22:08

from the masters and mistresses of the art.

0:22:080:22:10

One of the key take-outs has been just this idea of simplicity.

0:22:130:22:16

You don't need to do everything.

0:22:160:22:19

All of the design work that we've done so far,

0:22:190:22:21

I think we need to go back and ask ourselves, "Could this be simpler?"

0:22:210:22:24

-Yeah.

-Because if it can be simpler,

0:22:240:22:26

-I think that would make it better.

-Yeah.

0:22:260:22:28

It's June - gardens everywhere are starting to celebrate summer.

0:22:280:22:33

And in High Wycombe, Valerie has taken her first big decision.

0:22:340:22:39

Monty thought it would be a really good idea

0:22:390:22:41

if the wooden gates came out and we put a brick wall in.

0:22:410:22:44

Now that I'm going to wall myself in, absolutely great,

0:22:440:22:47

I can do what I like. I could run around the garden naked

0:22:470:22:50

if I wanted to - which I won't do.

0:22:500:22:52

Advice from her hero has made Valerie positively skittish,

0:22:520:22:56

but there is one snag.

0:22:560:22:58

I would say, probably, 90% of the budget has disappeared on the wall.

0:22:580:23:03

So I'm either going to have to

0:23:030:23:07

reduce the size of my dream, which I don't want to do,

0:23:070:23:11

or just up the budget.

0:23:110:23:13

SHE LAUGHS

0:23:130:23:15

But as the wall goes up, Valerie has a wobble.

0:23:150:23:19

I hate it.

0:23:210:23:22

SHE LAUGHS

0:23:220:23:24

It takes me a while to get used to things.

0:23:240:23:26

Yeah.

0:23:270:23:29

It's too late now, it's done, isn't it?

0:23:290:23:33

It's done. Lovely.

0:23:330:23:35

God, I hate it.

0:23:370:23:40

Oh, dear.

0:23:400:23:41

In Brighton, Helen and Dax followed Monty's suggestion

0:23:430:23:47

to remove the concrete slab to make way for raised beds.

0:23:470:23:50

But it wasn't quite the few hours' work he predicted.

0:23:500:23:53

It was really hard.

0:23:550:23:57

It ended up being pretty much three days of jackhammering, picking,

0:23:570:24:03

shifting rubble, digging.

0:24:030:24:06

It was relentless.

0:24:060:24:08

By the end of the third day, we could say, "Yeah, Monty was right."

0:24:080:24:12

With the slab finally gone, they've spent the last three weeks

0:24:130:24:17

preparing the soil for planting.

0:24:170:24:19

At no point could they call it plain sailing.

0:24:190:24:22

We had a rogue piece of flint that came off the pick axe,

0:24:220:24:25

smashed one of the huge plate glass windows in the kitchen.

0:24:250:24:29

I dug up a bumble bee nest.

0:24:290:24:32

And then I uncovered a World War II hand grenade.

0:24:320:24:35

The bomb disposal squad came down, really massive van,

0:24:380:24:42

to confirm it is indeed quite dangerous

0:24:420:24:45

and a live World War II hand grenade

0:24:450:24:47

and it would have had a 30 metre blast radius if it had gone off.

0:24:470:24:51

Which was actually a little bit terrifying.

0:24:520:24:54

Ultimately there's only one way

0:24:540:24:56

that you can really look at it,

0:24:560:24:58

which is that Monty Don tried to kill me with a hand grenade.

0:24:580:25:02

Well, at least his advice has gone down well on the planning front.

0:25:040:25:08

Since we came back from Chelsea,

0:25:080:25:10

quite a lot of the plans have changed,

0:25:100:25:12

that we originally thought we were going to do.

0:25:120:25:14

They've effectively been simplified.

0:25:140:25:16

Their new plan is inspired

0:25:160:25:18

by the Great Ormond Street garden Monty showed them at Chelsea.

0:25:180:25:22

It's just such a lovely space to be in.

0:25:220:25:25

And we came home and we just thought, you know,

0:25:250:25:27

"That's what we want from the garden."

0:25:270:25:30

They will now have a straight path running through two deep borders.

0:25:310:25:35

And the raised veg patch will be moved

0:25:350:25:38

to the children's area of the garden.

0:25:380:25:40

Shade-friendly planting replaces the grasses at the rear.

0:25:400:25:44

If it's half as good as it looked at Chelsea,

0:25:460:25:51

then I think we'll be really happy.

0:25:510:25:53

Well, there's a big dreamer for you.

0:25:530:25:56

They may move at rapid speed in Brighton,

0:25:560:25:58

but for Valerie, change happens at an altogether different pace.

0:25:580:26:03

She did follow Monty's advice to build a flint and brick wall

0:26:030:26:06

to create privacy, but once up, she didn't like it.

0:26:060:26:10

Two weeks on, Valerie may have come around.

0:26:100:26:13

I thought it was a big mistake.

0:26:130:26:15

Now it's been up for a while, I actually love it.

0:26:150:26:18

Best thing I ever did.

0:26:180:26:20

But then I always change my mind.

0:26:200:26:23

Now that's in place, the next task is filling the space.

0:26:230:26:27

We haven't actually bought anything.

0:26:270:26:28

We've listed it. We've done a lot of thinking,

0:26:280:26:30

but not a lot of doing at the moment.

0:26:300:26:32

To open Valerie's eyes to the potential of her new garden

0:26:320:26:37

and encourage her to spend her budget wisely,

0:26:370:26:40

Monty has suggested she and Lynn

0:26:400:26:42

visit Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire.

0:26:420:26:46

Wow.

0:26:460:26:47

Here, pots are designed, thrown,

0:26:490:26:52

decorated and fired on site with their own mix of frost-proof clay.

0:26:520:26:57

Founder and head designer Jim Keeling knows pots inside out.

0:26:590:27:04

-Wow.

-Wow.

0:27:040:27:05

It's beautiful. It really is.

0:27:050:27:08

What will interest you is that this was actually a car park.

0:27:080:27:12

Well, that's an encouraging start.

0:27:120:27:14

Don't despair about the concrete,

0:27:140:27:16

because actually... Just think, this is a marvellous flat base to go.

0:27:160:27:19

OK. Cos I haven't got a clue. I've never had a container garden.

0:27:190:27:23

-Oh.

-I've had a proper garden.

0:27:230:27:24

Well, you've got a lot of fun in front of you, then.

0:27:240:27:27

Injecting a bit of fun is just what Valerie and Lynn need to hear.

0:27:270:27:31

That's a very good example

0:27:310:27:33

of how you've got your structural plants in place

0:27:330:27:37

and they've got really contrasting leaf shapes,

0:27:370:27:40

really contrasting colour, and then you're using a flower to, oh, zing!

0:27:400:27:46

Jim also explains that she can use pots to display just one plant

0:27:460:27:50

as a centrepiece, or try a mixture

0:27:500:27:52

to get a flower arrangement effect in one pot.

0:27:520:27:57

There's a lot more to container gardening than you actually think,

0:27:570:28:00

isn't there? It's not shoving a few plants down.

0:28:000:28:02

No, it's not.

0:28:020:28:04

Jim demonstrates how to place pots on top of each other,

0:28:040:28:07

or onto bricks, to create different heights within a garden.

0:28:070:28:11

So, you get your big ones in place.

0:28:110:28:14

Three big ones. And then all the others are a movable feast.

0:28:140:28:17

Much more variable than if you've got beds.

0:28:170:28:19

Right, so when are you coming round, then?

0:28:190:28:21

THEY LAUGH

0:28:210:28:22

You're going to really enjoy it.

0:28:220:28:24

You've made me feel far more positive

0:28:240:28:25

about having a piece of concrete.

0:28:250:28:27

-Thank you.

-It's a great liberation, I can tell you.

0:28:270:28:31

Talking to Jim about what you can put in pots has probably made us

0:28:310:28:36

have yet another think about how we're going to use them.

0:28:360:28:39

-Yeah.

-But then gardening is constantly evolving.

0:28:390:28:42

Maybe not quite so easy for this big dreamer.

0:28:420:28:46

You know me. I hate change.

0:28:460:28:48

So, yeah, great.

0:28:480:28:52

Give her a glass of wine, she'll be fine.

0:28:520:28:54

After weeks of research and list-making,

0:28:590:29:02

Valerie and Lynn are finally getting their hands dirty.

0:29:020:29:06

We need to move the lady.

0:29:060:29:07

Yes, OK. I'm frightened her head is going to drop off.

0:29:070:29:11

THEY LAUGH

0:29:110:29:12

They're following Monty's advice to split the garden into zones.

0:29:140:29:18

So Valerie's bought a hydrangea and a fatsia to give height

0:29:180:29:23

to the shaded end of the garden.

0:29:230:29:24

And she has an ingenious device to make the job easier.

0:29:260:29:29

-We should use the pot lifter.

-Yes, go and get a pot lifter.

0:29:300:29:34

"First, pull the D ring away from the handle in order to form a loop."

0:29:340:29:38

Hold that. Hold that!

0:29:410:29:43

Maybe it's not so clever after all.

0:29:430:29:46

-Shall we just lift it? It would be quicker.

-Probably.

0:29:460:29:50

We'll figure that out some other time.

0:29:500:29:52

Pot lifter binned,

0:29:520:29:54

Valerie and Lynn are keen to use the tips they picked up at the pottery.

0:29:540:29:58

Actually, you standing behind, it looks lovely.

0:30:010:30:03

-It adds some interest.

-And the verdict?

0:30:030:30:06

I don't like that fatsia.

0:30:060:30:08

I don't like it, so what's the point of having it? I shall look at it

0:30:100:30:12

and think, "God, I really don't like it, why did I put it there?"

0:30:120:30:15

Nothing for it but to bin it.

0:30:150:30:18

That's an expensive mistake.

0:30:180:30:20

So it's back to the drawing board and, over the next few days,

0:30:220:30:26

Valerie and Lynn do lots of toing and froing

0:30:260:30:28

over what should go where.

0:30:280:30:30

When Monty comes,

0:30:300:30:32

if he thinks that all these things are in the wrong place

0:30:320:30:34

and we've spent all day lugging heavy pots around,

0:30:340:30:38

I think my response might be, "OK, Monty,

0:30:380:30:41

"well, you move them and show us where they should be."

0:30:410:30:44

Or...

0:30:440:30:45

-..just lock the gate.

-Don't let him in.

0:30:460:30:49

In Brighton, weeks of clearing, ploughing,

0:30:520:30:55

sifting and soil moving have finally paid off.

0:30:550:30:58

Today, Helen's brother in law, Lee, is helping Helen and Dax

0:31:000:31:04

to lay the lawn which will form the foundation

0:31:040:31:07

for the children's area of the garden.

0:31:070:31:09

I've seen the plans that Monty has gone through with them,

0:31:090:31:12

and the changes that he's made.

0:31:120:31:14

Yeah. He's a great man

0:31:140:31:16

and I think the garden is going to be better for it.

0:31:160:31:18

So, after a quick how-to video on the internet...

0:31:180:31:22

-Don't lawn yourself into a corner of the garden.

-Yeah.

0:31:220:31:25

..it's time to unroll.

0:31:250:31:29

As the garden begins to take shape,

0:31:290:31:31

the couple can finally start to see their dream realised.

0:31:310:31:35

And Aussie Dax has had a surprising change of heart.

0:31:350:31:38

The barbecue question has been coming up quite a bit.

0:31:390:31:42

And...to be honest, it's less important to me now.

0:31:420:31:48

This is more about the whole garden,

0:31:480:31:50

not just a little corner for me to burn some meat in.

0:31:500:31:53

But for an Aussie to kiss goodbye to the idea of a barbie, yeah,

0:31:530:31:58

that's a big moment.

0:31:580:32:01

And I won't be telling my dad about it.

0:32:010:32:04

Well, honey, this is like the first bit of the last bit.

0:32:040:32:08

-Yes.

-Are you talking to me or Helen there?

0:32:080:32:11

-You're my other honey.

-THEY LAUGH

0:32:110:32:13

I feel like we've got a garden now.

0:32:140:32:15

-Yeah.

-Or at least...

-A garden that we can't walk on for two weeks.

0:32:150:32:19

Yeah, yeah.

0:32:190:32:20

SHE LAUGHS

0:32:200:32:22

It's been two months since the nation's favourite gardener

0:32:250:32:28

first visited this driveway in High Wycombe.

0:32:280:32:31

Now he's back to see how Valerie is getting on.

0:32:320:32:35

When I was last here, I was very aware that I was coming up

0:32:370:32:40

with lots of ideas and suggestions

0:32:400:32:43

in order to find out what Valerie wanted.

0:32:430:32:46

And it was hard, really, to reach that,

0:32:470:32:50

so the key thing is that she has made decisions.

0:32:500:32:54

They don't have to be ones that I approve off or like,

0:32:540:32:58

they just have to be hers.

0:32:580:33:00

The thought of Monty coming back today is probably doubly scary.

0:33:010:33:04

It's worse because you want him to like what you're doing

0:33:040:33:07

or what you've done, and if he doesn't...

0:33:070:33:09

But would he say to our faces?

0:33:090:33:12

I hope not.

0:33:120:33:13

THEY LAUGH

0:33:130:33:15

-Hello.

-Good morning.

-Good morning. How are you? Oh, dogs.

0:33:190:33:23

-Hello. Look at you, lined up.

-Enough, chaps.

-Look at you.

0:33:230:33:26

-Enough. Enough.

-Well, big changes.

0:33:260:33:29

-You've noticed.

-Yeah, absolutely fantastic.

0:33:290:33:32

First of all, doesn't that look better?

0:33:320:33:34

Little does he know how hard that was.

0:33:340:33:37

Do you like the result?

0:33:370:33:39

-I do now.

-Oh, now.

0:33:390:33:40

-Now.

-Now that I've lived with it for a month or so, I absolutely love it.

0:33:400:33:45

-It's great, actually.

-It's the best thing I ever did.

-It's great.

0:33:450:33:47

That's a sweet garden.

0:33:470:33:49

Boy, have you been buying pots?

0:33:490:33:51

-Yeah.

-The hydrangea is perfect. Absolutely ideal.

0:33:510:33:54

You've got a shady wall.

0:33:540:33:56

-It will love that.

-Can I overdo climbers in this garden?

0:33:560:33:59

Don't be tentative about climbers.

0:33:590:34:01

You can have climbers covering every inch of the fence.

0:34:010:34:04

You can have climbers climbing up climbers.

0:34:040:34:07

I love the idea of climbers everywhere.

0:34:070:34:09

That to me is...heaven.

0:34:090:34:11

I would, then, go for heaven.

0:34:110:34:13

The first thing I would do, if you like the idea of climbers there,

0:34:130:34:16

you need supports on the walls

0:34:160:34:18

because there's nothing for them to climb onto.

0:34:180:34:20

That is something I would do, really, straightaway.

0:34:200:34:23

Good for you. Thank you very much.

0:34:240:34:27

Without further ado, Monty gets cracking.

0:34:270:34:30

-Easy enough.

-I can't believe I've got Monty Don

0:34:300:34:33

drilling bits of stuff into my fence.

0:34:330:34:36

What a waste of a Monty Don!

0:34:360:34:38

Monty shows Valerie that wire strainers are a useful bit of kit

0:34:380:34:42

as, over the years, the wire can be tightened up

0:34:420:34:45

under the weight of the growing roses.

0:34:450:34:48

You never knew so much fun could be had from wire and tighteners.

0:34:480:34:53

Wire supports up,

0:34:530:34:54

Monty shows Valerie how to repot and train her rose to climb the fence.

0:34:540:34:59

Look at that. Perfect.

0:35:000:35:02

Completely happy.

0:35:020:35:05

He suggests that Valerie makes three parts of compost

0:35:050:35:09

to one part grit to help with drainage.

0:35:090:35:11

There we are.

0:35:110:35:13

And packs compost around the sides.

0:35:140:35:17

That will be OK. If we took this and trained it along there,

0:35:180:35:23

that would encourage lots of side shoots to grow up

0:35:230:35:27

and it's the side shoots that produce the flowers.

0:35:270:35:30

Monty explains that five to seven framework shoots

0:35:300:35:33

are all you ever need. The rest can go.

0:35:330:35:37

Oh! Oh.

0:35:370:35:40

It's fine. It's perfectly OK because what we're trying to do is get rid

0:35:400:35:44

of any growth that isn't structural.

0:35:440:35:47

And he has a final tip.

0:35:470:35:49

Never tie the end right down.

0:35:490:35:51

By leaving the end sticking up, we're encouraging it to grow faster.

0:35:510:35:56

Monty explains that climbing roses flower on new growth,

0:35:560:36:00

so the side shoots can be pruned back to one leaf in the winter.

0:36:000:36:04

-OK.

-Have a try.

-So...

0:36:040:36:08

It's time for Valerie to demonstrate what she's learned from the expert.

0:36:080:36:11

See, I'm so frightened of snapping it.

0:36:130:36:15

Nothing will snap. And there you are.

0:36:150:36:18

It looks much better than a black plastic bucket, doesn't it?

0:36:180:36:21

Monty also wants to help Valerie pot her hydrangea

0:36:210:36:25

and get to grips with that tricky problem with pots - drainage.

0:36:250:36:29

The biggest danger of container plants is they get too wet.

0:36:290:36:32

The second biggest danger is they get too dry.

0:36:340:36:36

So, ideally, we'd raise that up off the ground.

0:36:360:36:39

So that will help drainage.

0:36:410:36:42

Valerie helps Monty by smashing up some small pots.

0:36:450:36:49

He then puts the shards in the base of the pot

0:36:490:36:53

to stop soil falling out of the holes.

0:36:530:36:55

You could use polystyrene chips.

0:36:550:36:57

You could use stone. It's just a drainage layer.

0:36:570:37:00

He mixes equal parts compost and grit for drainage

0:37:020:37:05

and to help the roots move through the soil,

0:37:050:37:08

and tops up with a lighter grit mix of compost.

0:37:080:37:11

Let's push that round the back, shall we?

0:37:140:37:16

Get it around there. Give it a good, good drink.

0:37:160:37:21

Just giving it a couple of watering cans full to start with.

0:37:210:37:24

I want to see the water running out the bottom, actually.

0:37:260:37:29

And then I know the drainage is working.

0:37:290:37:32

With the hydrangea happy, Monty leaves Valerie

0:37:320:37:35

with some final food for thought.

0:37:350:37:37

If you knew how...sort of imperfectly I garden at home,

0:37:370:37:42

and that's how you learn,

0:37:420:37:44

so you don't try and get it right every time,

0:37:440:37:46

you just try and do it every time.

0:37:460:37:48

If that's good enough for Monty Don, it's good enough for me.

0:37:480:37:51

He goes and you actually feel quite confident...

0:37:510:37:53

Yeah, that you can move on.

0:37:530:37:55

That you can do this, and I can prune

0:37:550:37:57

-and I can plant and I can just...

-Yeah.

0:37:570:37:59

I can just do it.

0:37:590:38:00

The secret is to give yourself to it, let go of the past,

0:38:000:38:05

enjoy the process in the present and it will come good.

0:38:050:38:09

In Brighton, it's time for Monty to check on Helen and Dax.

0:38:130:38:17

Since his last visit, seasons have changed,

0:38:190:38:21

the twins have had a birthday,

0:38:210:38:23

and the garden has undergone a huge transformation.

0:38:230:38:26

But there's a bit of a cloud on the horizon.

0:38:270:38:30

The budget has basically pretty much been blown on work tools.

0:38:310:38:39

It hasn't left a huge amount for plants.

0:38:390:38:43

But the ever positive couple have come up with the answer.

0:38:440:38:47

We've just asked everyone that we know, we've asked for cuttings,

0:38:470:38:51

people have donated things,

0:38:510:38:53

so that's been really kind and incredibly helpful.

0:38:530:38:56

It feels quite a while since I was last in this garden.

0:38:580:39:01

Of course, I did see Helen and Dax at Chelsea Flower Show and I hope

0:39:010:39:04

what they saw there inspired them and helped them make decisions,

0:39:040:39:08

because this garden has to perform quite a lot of different functions.

0:39:080:39:12

So it will be very interesting to see what decisions they've made

0:39:120:39:16

and how far along the line they've got in implementing them.

0:39:160:39:19

-Hi.

-Hello.

0:39:210:39:23

This has changed beyond all recognition.

0:39:240:39:27

-But you haven't. How are you?

-Very well. How are you?

0:39:270:39:29

Welcome back.

0:39:290:39:31

You've been busy. You have been busy.

0:39:310:39:34

And just how busy, he's about to find out.

0:39:340:39:37

-Digging that up must have been fun and games.

-Yeah.

0:39:370:39:41

Neither fun nor games.

0:39:410:39:42

It was four solid days of jackhammering.

0:39:420:39:46

-Jackhammering?

-Your prediction was an afternoon of pretty hard yakka.

0:39:460:39:50

It was seriously hard work over four days.

0:39:500:39:53

But how fantastic to do that

0:39:530:39:56

as part of the preparation for the garden.

0:39:560:39:58

I can remember your plan, which was, like so many plans are,

0:39:580:40:01

had lots and lots of ideas.

0:40:010:40:03

I don't know whether you changed your mind then

0:40:030:40:05

and you got rid of some of these things,

0:40:050:40:07

or whether it was going to Chelsea that changed you.

0:40:070:40:09

-Chelsea.

-Chelsea was massive.

0:40:090:40:11

-It was amazing.

-For me personally, that's when this project went from

0:40:110:40:15

something that I didn't feel like I had a lot of interest

0:40:150:40:19

or investment in to being really quite obsessive about.

0:40:190:40:22

The gardens at Chelsea, they all just had a singular idea.

0:40:220:40:25

All the best gardens, without exception,

0:40:250:40:28

are fundamentally very simple.

0:40:280:40:30

And that's the hardest lesson.

0:40:320:40:33

-So you've learnt it. Fantastic.

-Now we just have to do it.

0:40:330:40:35

THEY LAUGH

0:40:350:40:37

But I am here to help you today.

0:40:370:40:39

We have got a beech hedge, so we'd like to get that in.

0:40:390:40:42

My mum is here with three of her friends.

0:40:420:40:44

-Oh, that's good, so they will dig for us.

-Yes, they will dig for us.

0:40:440:40:47

Well, they'll dig for you, Monty.

0:40:470:40:49

THEY LAUGH

0:40:490:40:51

They're following Monty's advice to create a barrier,

0:40:510:40:54

defining the planted and children's areas of the garden.

0:40:540:40:57

And Monty knows just how to motivate the digging team.

0:40:570:41:02

Not only are they strong and fit and healthy,

0:41:020:41:05

but they're all beautiful, too.

0:41:050:41:06

-THEY LAUGH

-So that's good.

0:41:060:41:09

While they set to work prepping the soil for the hedge,

0:41:090:41:12

Helen wants Monty's help with pruning an apple tree

0:41:120:41:15

that she's retained from the old garden.

0:41:150:41:17

I would start by taking off some of the lower branches.

0:41:170:41:20

I always travel with a little saw.

0:41:200:41:23

-Well, it's useful.

-Little does Helen know what's about to happen.

0:41:230:41:28

So we could probably start with this.

0:41:280:41:30

I might need a bigger one than that.

0:41:300:41:31

Always start with an undercut.

0:41:310:41:34

And that will stop it tearing.

0:41:340:41:36

And then I can do a cut like that.

0:41:360:41:39

And that will come off cleanly.

0:41:390:41:42

-Wow!

-The advice I was given,

0:41:440:41:46

imagine a pigeon approaching your tree - can it fly through?

0:41:460:41:50

Can it come in one side and go out the other?

0:41:500:41:52

-OK.

-And that will mean there is enough light and enough air.

0:41:520:41:56

If a pigeon hit that, it would crash into it.

0:41:560:41:59

A robin would have trouble flying through that.

0:41:590:42:01

So I think we should still continue to be more ruthless.

0:42:010:42:05

Meanwhile, the hedge team have hit a problem.

0:42:050:42:09

I'm slightly concerned about the foundations holding this wall up.

0:42:090:42:12

The roots of the hedge are going to go

0:42:120:42:14

right up to the edge of that concrete.

0:42:140:42:16

This is the sort of aspect of gardening I know nothing about.

0:42:160:42:20

Luckily, the country's favourite gardener

0:42:200:42:22

is on hand to set them right.

0:42:220:42:25

-You can get close to the concrete.

-OK.

-The hedge will grow to fill it.

0:42:250:42:28

-Really? OK.

-OK.

0:42:280:42:31

Even though there won't be roots directly below it...

0:42:310:42:33

No, the hedge will go sideways.

0:42:330:42:35

-You just don't cut it.

-Isn't that clever?

0:42:350:42:38

As the ladies take a well-deserved break,

0:42:380:42:40

Monty is getting ever more enthusiastic

0:42:400:42:43

about tackling the old apple tree.

0:42:430:42:45

-That's awesome!

-Well, it's nice up here.

0:42:470:42:51

-Come up.

-Good view. Can you see the sea?

0:42:510:42:55

Yes, I can.

0:42:550:42:56

We could probably cut that back.

0:43:000:43:02

Right, I want you to take my weight, tree.

0:43:020:43:05

I'll look after you, you look after me.

0:43:050:43:07

OK.

0:43:110:43:12

That's going to be fine. This is the bare minimum.

0:43:130:43:16

This is absolutely your number one haircut.

0:43:160:43:19

Oh, no, Monty, it's practically bald.

0:43:190:43:22

There's always a risk, a risk that you're going to go too far.

0:43:220:43:26

I think we've probably got away with it. And I've had fun.

0:43:260:43:30

Destruction over, it's time to put something back.

0:43:300:43:34

-I give you, ladies and gentlemen, our beech hedge.

-Woohoo!

0:43:340:43:37

One team do one side and one team do the other side

0:43:370:43:40

and we just go to it and see where we meet.

0:43:400:43:42

Monty explains that you can buy bare root hedge plants, or whips,

0:43:430:43:47

for less than £1 and grow a hedge from scratch. But for instant hedge,

0:43:470:43:52

these bigger, far pricier clumps

0:43:520:43:54

will give Helen and Dax's garden structure now.

0:43:540:43:58

With the earth prepped, they dig a shallow ditch

0:43:580:44:01

for the hedge to lay in.

0:44:010:44:03

Just make sure that below it is not compacted.

0:44:030:44:07

So the roots have got a chance.

0:44:070:44:10

If we need to cut this one...

0:44:100:44:11

You just use a spade, then be bold. Ready?

0:44:110:44:14

-Whoa!

-Whoa! Oh!

0:44:160:44:18

-And that's how you do it.

-No half measures.

0:44:200:44:23

That certainly seems to be the lesson of the day.

0:44:230:44:26

I hope they're not too shocked by the apple tree.

0:44:260:44:30

They're very polite about it,

0:44:300:44:32

but it's what I would have done if it was mine.

0:44:320:44:34

He took a lot more off than I thought he was going to.

0:44:340:44:36

When he started, in my mind,

0:44:360:44:38

I was thinking we were going to lose maybe 3%, 4% of that tree.

0:44:380:44:42

Looking at it now, there's only about 4% left.

0:44:420:44:45

He just knows exactly what he's doing.

0:44:450:44:46

We hope.

0:44:460:44:48

Since Monty's visit,

0:44:480:44:51

Valerie and Lynn have been trying to get the layout of the garden right.

0:44:510:44:54

And they've finally got the pot lifter figured out.

0:44:550:44:59

-One, two, three.

-Mind your toes.

0:44:590:45:01

Mind your toes.

0:45:010:45:03

Hold on, I've got an acer up my nose.

0:45:030:45:06

But with less than three weeks

0:45:060:45:08

until Monty returns to see the final garden,

0:45:080:45:10

Valerie still isn't happy with the position of the pots.

0:45:100:45:14

I think she thought a few pots here and there

0:45:140:45:16

and the garden would be done,

0:45:160:45:17

but actually I think the process for Valerie has been harder

0:45:170:45:20

-than she thought it would be.

-It's a lot of pressure

0:45:200:45:23

because you feel that it has to be right for Monty.

0:45:230:45:27

In Brighton, reinforcements have arrived all the way from Australia

0:45:280:45:32

in the form of Dax's dad Jeff and stepmum Glenda.

0:45:320:45:36

I'm more concerned just about getting a sense for how this feels,

0:45:360:45:40

the width, the depth of it.

0:45:400:45:43

Dax has tasked his dad with helping him build an arbour

0:45:430:45:46

for the centre of the garden.

0:45:460:45:49

You and Helen want to sit shoulder to shoulder within it, perhaps?

0:45:490:45:52

-You pretend to be Helen.

-OK.

0:45:520:45:54

Yeah, it works.

0:45:560:45:58

It's been a long time since I've had an opportunity

0:46:000:46:03

to hang out with my dad, as an adult,

0:46:030:46:05

and work on a project like this.

0:46:050:46:07

-Oh, Dax, you'd weep if you saw this.

-Oh! That's what you get

0:46:100:46:15

-when you put the guns on the job, that's what you get.

-Oh, yes.

0:46:150:46:19

Perfect.

0:46:190:46:20

While the men congratulate themselves,

0:46:200:46:23

Helen is quietly getting on with the planting

0:46:230:46:26

and the reality of what they're trying to achieve is sinking in.

0:46:260:46:30

There's so much more to do, and Monty is going to be here in, what,

0:46:300:46:33

three weeks? We've got a herb bed to plant, a raised bed to build,

0:46:330:46:37

a kiddy planting area to do.

0:46:370:46:39

But she's got two very good reasons

0:46:410:46:44

to complete the garden they dreamed of.

0:46:440:46:46

When we were first planning this garden, we were thinking about it

0:46:460:46:49

in terms of Chip being in a wheelchair

0:46:490:46:52

pretty much most of the time,

0:46:520:46:53

but the progress that he's made over the few months, the last few months,

0:46:530:46:57

has been quite extraordinary, actually, and, you know,

0:46:570:47:00

maybe he won't be in a wheelchair all the time.

0:47:000:47:02

He's coming on amazingly.

0:47:020:47:04

It just feels like it's all part and parcel

0:47:040:47:07

of a really kind of positive time for us, actually.

0:47:070:47:10

It will be a real place to celebrate.

0:47:100:47:12

It looks like the men have already started celebrating.

0:47:140:47:17

What a job! What a job!

0:47:190:47:21

It's early September.

0:47:280:47:30

And Monty is on his way to see Valerie's garden

0:47:310:47:34

in its finished state.

0:47:340:47:36

Valerie's is a very small garden,

0:47:370:47:39

so there are limits to what she can do with it.

0:47:390:47:42

But the real limitation that has been holding her back

0:47:420:47:47

is doubt and worry

0:47:470:47:50

and, frankly, the inability to make decisions.

0:47:500:47:53

So what I'm hoping to see is a garden

0:47:530:47:56

that she has arrived at comfortably.

0:47:560:47:59

In other words, that it is her space.

0:47:590:48:03

I never thought it would be such hard work doing a container garden.

0:48:040:48:09

It's been stressful, but I love it.

0:48:090:48:11

I'm really happy with it.

0:48:110:48:13

-It's beautiful.

-It's turned out how I wanted it to turn out.

0:48:130:48:17

Only four months ago, this was an exposed

0:48:170:48:20

and uninspiring concrete parking space

0:48:200:48:22

with a few mismatched pots and plants.

0:48:220:48:26

Now it's a cosy enclosed space with plenty of flowers.

0:48:260:48:31

There are dozens of pots which have been carefully arranged

0:48:310:48:35

to lend height and interest on all sides.

0:48:350:48:37

The new warm brick wall hides the garden from the outside world

0:48:400:48:44

and creates a perfect backdrop for climbers of all shapes and sizes,

0:48:440:48:49

as Valerie had wanted.

0:48:490:48:50

The hydrangea and a willow give height

0:48:540:48:57

and are happy in the shady end of the garden

0:48:570:49:00

and the rich mix of greens offers a cool and calming vista

0:49:000:49:04

for Valerie as she sits and enjoys her handiwork.

0:49:040:49:07

And look at that. It looks great.

0:49:080:49:11

-Does it?

-No, really, really good.

0:49:110:49:14

Gosh, it's changed and come on.

0:49:140:49:16

I love the way that you've gone for it.

0:49:160:49:18

-You've unlocked the door.

-We did it!

-The secret of small space...

0:49:180:49:21

It's true, it's true.

0:49:210:49:22

I'm really impressed

0:49:220:49:24

and I'm learning from the way that you've used space.

0:49:240:49:27

You've got all these pots, and how many are there now?

0:49:270:49:30

I think there are now 47.

0:49:300:49:32

You've got 47 pots to water.

0:49:320:49:34

I started off with a watering can.

0:49:340:49:36

After about a week, I thought, "No."

0:49:360:49:38

So I got a tiny garden hose.

0:49:380:49:40

There's so much to do now in this garden.

0:49:400:49:43

It is a garden, you see.

0:49:430:49:44

I've used the term "garden" as opposed to "driveway".

0:49:440:49:47

Yeah. Really important to hear you say it.

0:49:470:49:49

Has this process helped all that business of acceptance and moving on

0:49:490:49:54

and all that jargon that people spout?

0:49:540:49:56

It has. This is like the final bit of the puzzle.

0:49:560:49:59

This was the bit that was missing.

0:49:590:50:00

-I'm sorry, I'm going to get emotional!

-No, get emotional!

0:50:000:50:03

-Yeah, this was the bit that was missing.

-Yeah. I can see that.

0:50:030:50:07

There is a real feeling of, to me, of...

0:50:070:50:10

You know, turning a corner, opening a door,

0:50:110:50:14

-of just saying, "Well, we're here. "This is good."

-Yeah, this is...

0:50:140:50:18

My life is complete now.

0:50:180:50:20

I am a really lucky girl and this was the missing bit.

0:50:200:50:24

Monty is keen to know whether one particular problem has been solved.

0:50:240:50:28

Can she make up her mind?

0:50:290:50:31

I think she can.

0:50:310:50:32

The beauty of a container garden like this is you can move,

0:50:320:50:35

literally change everything, you can move it all around.

0:50:350:50:39

-And we have!

-I'm sure.

0:50:390:50:41

Now, remind me what your budget was.

0:50:410:50:44

£3,000.

0:50:440:50:47

And what did you end up spending?

0:50:470:50:49

On the pots and the plants, I ended up spending £1,230.

0:50:490:50:54

Right. And the wall?

0:50:540:50:56

I decided that the wall was going to be house improvements

0:50:560:51:01

and nothing to do with garden improvements.

0:51:010:51:03

So lots of money to go and have a really good party.

0:51:030:51:06

And with that, Valerie throws open her new garden

0:51:080:51:12

to friends and family.

0:51:120:51:14

-I have to say, I admire your wall greatly.

-Thank you very much.

0:51:140:51:17

-It's a lovely piece of work.

-Appreciate that.

0:51:170:51:19

And the flint work's great, it's good to see that skill being done.

0:51:190:51:22

Glad it's all turned out nice, it was all worth it in the end.

0:51:220:51:25

I'm proud of both of them for what they've done, actually,

0:51:250:51:28

they've done a very nice job.

0:51:280:51:29

All the plants that Valerie didn't want, we now have at home,

0:51:290:51:32

so it's a lot better for us as well, rewarding!

0:51:320:51:36

It's really inspiring to see what can be done

0:51:360:51:38

with pots and containers and an unlimited budget.

0:51:380:51:42

LAUGHTER

0:51:420:51:44

-So I'd like you to raise your cups of tea...

-LAUGHTER

0:51:440:51:47

..and toast Valerie's new garden

0:51:470:51:50

and its shining future.

0:51:500:51:52

-ALL:

-To Valerie's new garden!

0:51:520:51:55

Thank you, Monty.

0:51:550:51:57

I suspect that Valerie began this garden

0:51:570:52:00

as much out of a sense of duty as any real desire.

0:52:000:52:04

-The duty was that she felt she

-ought

-to make something of it,

0:52:040:52:08

but her heart wasn't 100% in it.

0:52:080:52:11

But I think for the process of doing it, with Lynn's help,

0:52:110:52:15

she has arrived at a garden that feels like home.

0:52:150:52:20

This is her garden and this is her future

0:52:200:52:24

and I hope, and I'm very confident, that she will love it.

0:52:240:52:28

Wouldn't change this now for soil beds,

0:52:300:52:33

which I never thought I was going to say that.

0:52:330:52:36

I like my pots. I really like my pots, yeah.

0:52:360:52:40

-To hell with proper gardens!

-THEY LAUGH

0:52:400:52:43

Give me a pot any day.

0:52:430:52:45

In Brighton, there's a frantic last push to get the garden ready

0:52:520:52:56

for Monty's arrival, and there are jobs for even the smallest hands.

0:52:560:53:00

Smell, how does it smell?

0:53:020:53:04

-Delicious.

-Delicious?

-Yeah.

0:53:060:53:09

The twins love it, don't they?

0:53:090:53:11

They are out here every day.

0:53:110:53:14

I'm really happy with it and I really hope Monty's happy with it.

0:53:140:53:17

And there's been one last-minute addition.

0:53:170:53:20

It was our eighth wedding anniversary last week

0:53:210:53:23

and I thought, "What better gift for the whole family

0:53:230:53:25

"than a barbecue?"

0:53:250:53:27

So we went big and we bought a serious family-sized barbecue,

0:53:270:53:30

and today will be its maiden voyage.

0:53:300:53:32

So if Monty doesn't like the garden,

0:53:320:53:34

we can just ply him with enough hamburgers and booze...

0:53:340:53:38

-It'll be fine.

-It's a good strategy.

0:53:380:53:40

Helen and Dax have had a tough two years.

0:53:410:53:45

And making the garden, I know, had worked in a very positive way

0:53:460:53:51

that they hadn't expected. But, also, there was a lot to do.

0:53:510:53:55

They were running out of money fast,

0:53:550:53:57

so I only hope that they've reached a stage with their garden

0:53:570:54:01

where they can all sit back a bit and enjoy it.

0:54:010:54:05

Only four months ago, this garden was nothing

0:54:080:54:11

but piles of builder's rubble,

0:54:110:54:13

overgrown brambles and unloved shrubbery.

0:54:130:54:16

-Hi!

-Hello, hello.

0:54:180:54:20

Oh! Look! This is fantastic, it's a garden!

0:54:200:54:24

It's a garden, finally.

0:54:240:54:26

Now, harmony and symmetry have replaced chaos

0:54:270:54:30

and the garden is transformed.

0:54:300:54:32

An aromatic herb-lined pathway cuts through deep borders

0:54:340:54:38

of fragrant planting, inspired by Chelsea.

0:54:380:54:41

The arbour, with birdhouse perching atop, creates a striking centrepiece

0:54:450:54:50

that leads the eye through the gently curving beech hedge

0:54:500:54:53

to the children's play area.

0:54:530:54:55

Here, the raised vegetable patch, a twin-sized bench,

0:54:570:55:01

and living willow archway give ample opportunity

0:55:010:55:04

for gardening adventures.

0:55:040:55:06

I love the structure in the middle.

0:55:100:55:11

-Can we go on down the garden path?

-Yes, let's do that.

0:55:110:55:14

I think we should put small people down.

0:55:140:55:16

The borders are looking great. And the hedge has survived,

0:55:160:55:20

-which is always a good start.

-Always a good start.

0:55:200:55:23

On my first trip here, I remember we did a few little cuttings.

0:55:240:55:27

-We did.

-Did any survive?

-No, not a single one.

0:55:270:55:30

-Right.

-A complete failure, I'm really sorry.

0:55:300:55:32

Cuttings, any time from September-ish,

0:55:320:55:36

are much more likely to take.

0:55:360:55:38

-So don't stop.

-OK.

0:55:380:55:39

I won't. I won't.

0:55:390:55:41

-Remind me what the budget was.

-The budget we had, £1,500.

0:55:410:55:45

-Right. And what have you spent?

-Not including the barbecue...

0:55:450:55:47

THEY LAUGH

0:55:470:55:49

We've spent £3,000.

0:55:490:55:51

For this to cost £3,000 shows you spent your money very wisely

0:55:510:55:56

-because it could easily be double that.

-Yeah.

0:55:560:55:58

The tenacious couple have put so much into this garden,

0:56:000:56:03

but it's given back tenfold.

0:56:030:56:05

To have this garden come along and just be so demanding of us,

0:56:070:56:11

of our time, there's something really positive about that,

0:56:110:56:14

because that meant we could just let go of all of those other worries

0:56:140:56:17

and concerns that we had and throw ourselves into making this great.

0:56:170:56:22

The thing about gardens is they have an incredibly healing quality.

0:56:220:56:26

It's extraordinary how that happens.

0:56:260:56:29

Have you got anybody else coming to see this garden?

0:56:290:56:31

Everyone that has helped.

0:56:310:56:33

Yes. We'd better fire the barbie up.

0:56:330:56:35

Ooh, let's do that!

0:56:350:56:37

Come on, lead me on!

0:56:370:56:39

Hi! Hi! Come on in!

0:56:440:56:47

-Hi.

-Hello.

0:56:470:56:49

If you whoosh over it, it just smells amazing.

0:56:500:56:54

I think it's fantastic.

0:56:540:56:56

It looks spectacular.

0:56:560:56:57

I also like the apple tree, which I think is great, isn't it?

0:56:570:57:01

-Very well pruned.

-Very well pruned.

0:57:010:57:03

-Very well pruned.

-Yes.

0:57:030:57:05

CHEERING

0:57:050:57:07

Fantastic, absolutely amazing.

0:57:100:57:12

Yeah. What they've achieved in that period of time,

0:57:120:57:15

having the twins as well, is extraordinary.

0:57:150:57:17

A beautiful space.

0:57:170:57:18

I know the party's still going, but I have to go, I'm afraid.

0:57:210:57:23

It's so nice to see what you've done.

0:57:230:57:26

Thank you for letting me share it.

0:57:260:57:28

-And good luck.

-Thank you. Thank you.

-Good luck to both of you.

0:57:280:57:31

-Thank you so much.

-I feel ecstatic.

0:57:310:57:34

Monty Don said that we'd made a nice garden.

0:57:340:57:36

I mean...

0:57:360:57:37

..that's pretty cool.

0:57:390:57:40

He's certainly given me a very different way

0:57:410:57:44

of thinking about what this space means to us.

0:57:440:57:47

Monty has definitely left his mark.

0:57:490:57:51

Let's see if I can get, like,

0:57:530:57:55

a little blue plaque for the apple tree.

0:57:550:57:57

It will be forever known as the Monty tree.

0:57:570:57:59

As the Monty tree, yeah, Monty Don climbed this tree.

0:57:590:58:02

THEY LAUGH

0:58:020:58:04

I like lots of things about Helen and Dax's garden.

0:58:040:58:08

I like the fact that it's been such a palaver.

0:58:080:58:11

With unexploded grenades, and great depths of concrete,

0:58:110:58:15

let alone the domestic stresses and strains.

0:58:150:58:19

I like the fact that they've tackled it with such gusto.

0:58:190:58:23

But most of all, I like the fact

0:58:230:58:25

that this is a garden made with love.

0:58:250:58:28

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