Bristol - Strawberry Square Flowerpot Gang

Welcome to the Flowerpot Gang where, with your help, we transform

neglected plots of land into life-changing spaces.

It's not going to be easy, especially as I'm on a bit of a learning curve

when it comes to gardening.

We'll be travelling across the country

on a mission to rescue your unloved green spaces.

So boys, are we ready for business?

THEY LAUGH

We won't be doing it on our own.

You, the great British public, will be helping out.

I've got the log! It's a log!

'It's going to be quite a journey.'

HE CACKLES

Our award-winning gardener Joe Swift is in charge of design.

Green light coming this way, one, two, three.

Anneka's our woman for recruiting manpower.

-What's your name?

-David.

-David, you're on our team.

-How many d'you need?

-A dozen?

Phil's going to be giving it his all.

Still got it! Used to play for England, you know!

As well as learning what it takes to become a gardener.

Cor, blimey, this IS hard work!

But is he tough enough?

Needs a man on the job.

I know! Is there a man anywhere!?

This week, we're in one of the jewels of the West Country, Bristol.

-All right, my lover?

-Yeah.

Famous for its maritime history and its engineering heritage,

but in fact, that's not why we're here at all.

Claire Cole provides support at a school for kids who have been

excluded from mainstream education.

These are kids with real behavioural problems.

Let me go, now, let me go!

BANGING

She passionately believes a garden could make a massive difference

to the behaviour of these kids.

A lot of our young people have missed out on play completely.

Because of the young people they are,

they've been excluded from play opportunities,

or they've just had to become adults, fast.

Kids like 12-year-old Callum,

who is one of the kids Claire teaches at the centre.

His behaviour was just too disruptive for regular school.

But why? What caused Callum's problems?

Well, it all began when his little brother, Brandon, passed away.

He was a little rascal.

Me and him was close,

and now, I just don't have anyone to be with, actually.

So, can something as simple as a garden next to the school

help kids like Callum learn and grow?

Here's the bamboos. We're going to stack them all up there.

But, we've only got ten days to get creative.

That's better, Tuffers!

-And it's not going to be easy.

-That's so sickening.

Especially because of this, and this, and this.

WATER CRASHES TO GROUND

Yep, the wettest summer on record.

Is this the water feature?

Which is why we are counting on your support to help.

Because, hopefully, it will have been worth every soggy second...

..when this lad and his mates get to see their new garden.

Just tip it up right there.

All right? High-five. Always.

To get it all done on time, we're going to need your help,

and that's where you come in.

Last week, we asked you to come down here to Bristol,

get your hands dirty, help us get finished.

And later on in the programme, you can see just how you got on.

This is the story of one boy, one garden,

and two very special schools.

One for children with behavioural issues.

The other, with special needs.

Hello, there, and welcome to Strawberry Square here in Bristol.

A pretty name, but not a very pretty sight.

No, this is the Bridge Learning Campus,

home to two very different schools.

This is the New Fosseway.

CHILDREN CHEER

And meet the kids from the Student Support Centre.

CHILDREN CHEER

For the last three years,

these guys have been dreaming of a life-changing site

that they can work and play in, but it's going to be a massive job.

And it's going to be our job. We are going to transform this plot.

We're going to make it a space

where these kids can grow and learn together.

-Callum, how are you today?

-I'm all right.

-You looking forward to getting stuck in and building the garden?

-Yep.

Good stuff. We're ready over here. We're ready. Come on!

CHILDREN CHEER

The Bridge Farm Learning Centre is on the outskirts of Bristol.

It helps children like 12-year-old Callum,

who lives with his mum, Lisa, and sisters Sian and Tierny.

CALLUM WHISTLES AT DOG

This story starts when his dad left, leaving three-year-old Callum

and his mum to care for his little brother Brandon, who was born

with a metabolic disorder which left him unable to walk or talk.

Callum done a lot of play with him. He helped with the tube feeding.

He really bonded with him.

And he was very, very protective towards him.

Callum was teased and bullied for having a disabled brother.

They used to pick on me a lot,

they would throw stones at our house, and that.

They used to take the Mick out of Brandon,

and it made me feel really upset, because me and him was close.

But, three years ago, Brandon died.

He was five-and-a-half years old when he died in hospital.

I was really upset.

Brandon's death left Lisa devastated.

I found it very, very difficult.

I couldn't concentrate on the other two.

I felt really withdrawn within myself.

But, then, they needed me more than me just sitting

and crying all the time, so I had to pick myself up for them.

After Brandon died, Callum's behaviour became worse,

which led to him being excluded from mainstream school.

I've got a short fuse.

Anything that reminds me of my brother makes me angry.

Eventually, things got so bad,

he was sent to a special behavioural unit.

Yeah? Yeah? You will be sorry. Let me go now, let me go...

It's a tough environment. The kids have some serious issues.

And it's a real challenge for Claire and the teachers.

In our centre, when young people get upset, they've got nowhere to go.

They've got a room which has got some chairs in.

It's not very inspiring.

And they've got a concrete yard, where they play football,

but it would be nice for them to have somewhere on their own to be,

away from us, because in school, they are with us constantly,

and it's not normal, it's not natural for young people

to be constantly with adults.

Claire would love a garden that would help the kids from both schools.

Everyone can see the benefits, and there's even the land to do it.

The two schools have become allies in the campaign to turn

the derelict space into a garden that everyone can enjoy together.

The neglected plot is an old bit of the school's land.

And although the staff have attempted to build a garden,

they never got very far.

But, hopefully, over the next ten days,

we can turn their garden dreams into a reality.

Garden genius Joe Swift is our man with the plan.

The first thing you've got to do is just clear the site,

and see what we've got to deal with.

-Is that going to be tough?

-Yeah, it's going to be tough, Tuffers! Exactly.

Oh, come on! You might need a pair of gloves, or something.

Right, it's just me and the others. What do you reckon?

-Talk us through it.

-It's a bit of a mess.

There's not that much that you want to keep, really.

The trees are probably in the wrong place,

so we'll have to move them. That's a big job.

It's clearing the site, getting rid of the weeds,

these raised beds are going to have to go.

They're too dominant and they're in the wrong site.

Just doing a typical flowers and lawn garden

isn't going to do it for these kids.

They need a space that they can knock about in,

but that is also accessible to wheelchairs.

Joe wants to give them an outdoor classroom

and a stage for singing, dancing and letting off steam.

There'll be a magic fountain, a bouncy path made of recycled tyres,

that leads to a secret den when it all gets too much.

The kids call this place Strawberry Square.

So we're going to give them a nice fruit and veg plot.

And Joe's going to design a big strawberry mosaic

to go slap-bang in the middle of the garden.

-What we are going to need is a massive... Can you dig?

-I can dig.

OK, OK, well, us two can dig,

but those trees are going to need more muscle.

So, how about you nipping off and trying to find some big men?

-If I have to.

-Well, handsome, really, if you need, whatever...

-Just someone who's going to get stuck in, really.

-OK, how many?

-As many as you can get your hands on.

-Now there's a challenge!

Right, Tuffers, here we go. A couple of big jobs to do.

One is smash up the raised beds

so that whoever Anneka brings back can shift it.

And then there's also this. Dismantling it.

You could unscrew the whole thing. By hand. But there's an easier way.

That sounds good to me, mate.

'Yes, you know what I'm thinking. It's time for the diggers.'

Behind the wheel is our landscaper, Richard.

He was happy in Sheffield.

Grumpy in Sunderland.

I'm just imagining where we could lose a designer.

And it's anyone's guess what he's going to be like here in Bristol.

Our plan is to get most of the work done over the next ten days,

then there will be one final volunteer push

to get the garden ready for its grand opening.

But we want this to be a big surprise for Claire, so we've slapped

a no-peeking order on her until most of the work is done.

But, if we're going to get going, we need to get Anneka's muscle, now.

MUSIC: "Altogether Now" by The Farm

-She's gone straight for the best of Bristol's brawn.

-Let's go.

First stop, the rugby club.

Here we are, "Saint Bernadette's RFC, new players welcome."

-Oh, hello! Are you from the Saint Bernadette's Rugby Club?

-Yeah.

Hi, there.

What we're after is some muscle and brawn for this project

up the road, and we need some help, for heavy digging,

moving stuff, and then tomorrow, we've got tons of hardcore arriving

and we need people to help us shift that.

You look big and strong. Yeah, you do.

-Can you come and help us?

-We certainly can.

All right, cheers, thank you, guys, very much indeed.

Now, you can go back to your pints.

# All together now... #

Back at the garden, the rest of Richard's landscaping team

have arrived, and the site's in full swing.

One more.

It's like a demolition derby!

-Tuffers is having a smashing time, too.

-Come on!

-Hello!

-Oh, hello.

-Can I ask you a favour?

-Yes?

We've got a project at the Bridge Learning Centre.

We're clearing a garden site,

and we've just got loads of clearing to do, moving trees,

and all that sort of...

'Looks like Anneka's in luck again!'

Would you be up for helping? Really? Brilliant!

-It's not going to be glamorous. Oh, thank you.

-No problem.

-Wear wellies.

Perfect!

# All together now... #

With the rubble piling up, we're going to need that brawn soon.

With two lots of sportsmen bagged already, can Anneka do the treble?

Hello. Would any of the lads like to come and volunteer?

-I don't mind volunteering.

-Would you do that?

Come on, you lot, come on.

We need girls. We can't just let it all be blokes,

know what I mean?

Fantastic, so that's one, two, three, four, five, six more, great!

We'll see you later, then. Thank you very much indeed. Bye.

'I hope all those volunteers turn up,

'because back at the garden, that rubble's really piling up.'

'Tuffers has been grafting hard,

'but he's kept his gloves on to keep his spinning finger safe.'

Are you ever going to take the gloves off?

You don't actually have to wear them when you're having a cup of tea.

Having issues. No, no, they are very sharp, some of those bits out there.

It's a tough old game, gardening!

These hands are so soft, they are ridiculous. They are, look.

Don't take it personally, but I'm going to have to feel your hands.

Shall we just feel Phil? This is our feeling Phil moment.

Soft hands!

Ooh, lovely!

They have never done manual labouring in their life!

They've never done a spot of gardening!

This is why we've got a load of people coming down

to lug all that rock and rubble from there to there.

You can't do that without gloves on.

'As the site gets more messy by the minute,

'Anneka's volunteers rock up right on cue.'

MUSIC - "The A-Team" theme

Hi, guys.

'An assortment of rugby players, rowers and half a football squad.

'Our very own Team GB!'

Jackie, go first!

'Plus, teachers, friends and family lending a hand.'

Oh, welcome.

With all this lot digging in, it's going to be a doddle.

I'm looking for people who're good at digging.

Big blokes, good at digging. Hands up. Excellent.

Come over here, grab a spade.

Joe's got half of the volunteers digging out the old trees.

There we go, we're off, look!

Tuffers is on rubble-shifting duties.

That's a good lad, you see? Ain't he? We've got some good lads here.

-The boys in green. Don't mess with them.

-Don't mess with them!

These trees are perfectly good. Waste not, want not.

So that we don't damage the roots, they need to be dug out by hand,

which needs a lot of manpower.

How's it going, Tuff?

Yeah!

Teamwork! A well-oiled machine.

Team spirit's are about to be tested.

Well done, team. Just as the rain comes down, as well.

Phil? What could possibly go wrong?

What could possibly go wrong?

# Just let a smile be your umbrella... #

We love it!

Keep it going, lads.

Well, it was all going really well until it started to rain,

and it's actually slightly hailing now,

but everyone's in good spirits.

'Despite the downpour, no-one's quitting.'

Follow me.

'And when school's finished, the kids come out to muck in.'

'I think it shows how much they really want this garden.'

What are you expecting to get out of this garden, mate?

A proper... A better garden than this.

Yes, well, it wasn't much of a garden to start with, was it?

What do you hope is going to go into it?

Some flowers and fruit.

'Replanting the trees is the last job. Time to call it a day.'

'And all our volunteers have put in a massive effort.'

-Day one.

-Yeah.

'But there's one group who won't go home - Callum and his mates.'

You CAN stop and go home at some point.

'They seem pretty committed now, but I wonder how long their enthusiasm

'will last. Phil's got one more job for the lads to do.'

Little bit of dancing. Little bit of fancy footwork.

'Bedding in our rescued trees.'

'It's been a really great start to the build -

'can't wait to get stuck in to the rest.'

-Good day, team.

-Nice one, thank you.

We're ahead of the game - what can possibly go wrong?

RAIN DRUMMING HEAVILY

'Day two of ten, and Richard's broken out the big boys' toys.'

'Torrential rain has been lashing the site,

'making conditions atrocious,

'and Richard's unearthed our first problem.'

All right, Richard? How's it going? It is pretty heavy clay, isn't it?

-There's some really poor soil under there.

-Yeah.

We're going to have to extract it or take it away,

and get some new, clean topsoil in.

How much do you reckon - how many loads?

We've got about 80 tons going out.

-OK, that's a lot of rubbish going out.

-It's a lot of muck going out.

And what about the schedule?

I haven't even got a watch, but I'm getting a bit panicky.

We're doing fine. We'll be there.

So have you looked at the weather forecast at all?

-No, I never look at the weather forecast.

-Why not?

Because I wouldn't come into work

if I ever looked at the weather forecast.

'Sound advice from our resident landscaper.'

'As if on cue, it starts raining again

'and the clay gets even sticker and harder to move.'

'But despite the site being a no-go area, there's still a ton to do.'

We're going to leave Richard on-site, on the digger,

by himself, because otherwise we'll get seriously behind.

Which means we can't get on the site at all, but we can be getting on

with other things, like making up the planters,

but we've got lots of willing helpers.

'Joe's designed six raised vegetable planters for the garden,

'and he wants them to be built to a height that makes them easy

'to access for wheelchair users.'

'The teachers like to get the kids from the two different schools

'to work together as often as possible, so Joe's got a project for them.'

Right, we've got the painters. These are the planters, yeah?

That's right. The raised planters,

and they're going to go out in the garden.

We're going to pay them different colours, so we need two gangs -

-an orange gang and a blue gang. That's what we need.

-Orange gang?

'Phil never captained England. At last now he can pick his own team.'

Blue gang, orange gang.

So the two blue guys, you're doing this side.

Ah, beautiful.

'And I'm genuinely impressed and a little surprised

'by how well these two groups of kids are working together.

'Helping the students from New Fosseway

'seems to have brought out the softer side of Callum and his classmates.'

I like working with the kids from New Fosseway because I had a brother

just like them.

So I know how disabled kids feel when they get picked on.

It's a relationship, youth outreach worker

Claire has tried to encourage.

From an outsider's point of view, our students and New Fosseway

should never, ever mix.

Amazingly enough, they gel so beautifully.

The New Fosseway students bring out the leadership in our young people,

the caring side.

'Their next task is to assemble the planters.'

-Have a go with that, Callum.

-Have a go with that, mate.

'I'm getting a real sense of satisfaction from helping Callum.'

-Nice!

-Lovely!

'It's great to see him taking a such a pride in his work.

'During a break from being handymen,

'me and Callum sneak outside for a bit of a chat.'

What is it about building the planters and stuff that you enjoy?

-I want to be a builder now.

-Yeah?

Because I've been doing this all day.

-I'm thinking of being a builder.

-Yeah.

'It's a big change from his previous bad behaviour.'

I always kept getting excluded.

What kind of things did you get up to, to get excluded?

-Bunking off and throwing chairs at everyone.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-And getting into fights.

-Yeah?

-A lot.

-Why did you get into fights?

I had a short fuse, so whenever something triggered me off,

-I'd go mental.

-Yeah.

Have you had a look at the garden?

How do you think it's coming on?

-It's muddy.

-It's muddy.

'Callum and the kids are dead keen to get stuck in to the site,

'but Richard's been having a tougher time moving all that clay.'

Well, so far we've managed to blow three sets of hoses

on the ground below just today.

The mini-digger's now just blown another hose

and it's...hell.

We're in hell.

'We're now three days into our ten day schedule,

'and to avoid falling even further behind, we're having to

'wait for breaks between showers, to work whenever we can.'

Well, finally the weather's improved

and we've got some areas now that we need to get

this crushed hard core into, which is brilliant

as it means we'll have some hard services to walk on -

try to get rid of some of that mud.

'It's a chance to start laying all the foundations

'for the wheelchair-friendly paved areas and the outdoor classroom.

'To spread all that gravel, we're going to need reinforcements.'

-There he is.

-Ah, nice one. Take a shovel.

'Callum's beginning to take a leading role.

'He's really becoming attached to the project.'

We're going to get some of this crushed rock, hard core,

and we're going to fill it into here, OK?

So get filling, guys.

That's it.

Wow, well done.

Get it in there and then give it a little shuffle. Got it?

Look at that!

-Have you ever done anything like this before, Callum?

-Yes.

-What you done?

Have you done a bit of building or a bit of digging before?

-Yeah, Grandad's house.

-Oh, Grandad's?

Well, I can see you done it before. You've got a good technique.

Not as fit as I was.

'Hey, guess what, Phil - we've got tons of topsoil

'needing a home, and that's only the beginning of it.'

'But the weather's back to playing tricks with us.

'One minute, it's blazing blue sky - the next, raining stair rods.'

HE SHOUTS

'Good job the kids don't seem to mind working in the wet.'

Right, OK. OK, guys, I think we've done it. Shall we go and get dry?

-ALL:

-Yeah!

-Good job. Excellent job.

-Good work.

-Brilliant.

They're amazing, those kids.

They don't mind the rain and the wind.

You give them a job and they just get on with it.

They want to do more and more. They're lapping it up.

As you said, they just want to come out here and get stuck in.

-It's great.

-I haven't seen any problem sides to any of them.

Well, listen - I'm sure there are loads of issues

but it just goes to show that when you're giving them something

to get on with, you're giving them a task, they just want to do it.

More so than me, at this point.

'Over the next few days, things just go from bad to worse.'

Oh, my God.

The whole of the country is hit by the wettest weather

in living memory.

-HUW EDWARDS:

-'The Met Office says this April has been the wettest

'since records began back in 1910, and is warning

'that more heavy rain is expected in parts of England overnight...'

'The whole area is on flood alert, and unless the rain stops,

'the site is in danger of just being washed away.

'Day four turns into day five,

and it's not until day six that the weather clears and we can do

some important jobs, like putting in uprights for the stage.

These guys are heroes.

So, from me, do you need some more muscle again, for this topsoil?

We could do with moving the topsoil over to this area for the turf.

-Do you think we're winning, on the whole?

-We're always winning.

I always win it.

-I never lose.

-I love this man. He's wonderful.

'And while we're managing to get the posts in,

'there's still lots to do.

'If we don't shift the topsoil soon, it'll turn in to a muddy mess.

'We're now a good two days behind schedule,

'so we're going to need more muscle.'

'A garden centre seems like as good as place as any to find some blokes

'who don't mind a bit of hard work.

'But it's not looking promising.'

Have you seen any muscly men?

-Muscly men? I wish I had.

-Maybe over here.

Listen, have you seen any strong, muscly men?

-No! Where are they?!

-That's what I'm always saying, frankly.

'It's like every man in Bristol is hiding.

'Is it me, or the weather, that's keeping them all indoors?'

I'm actually starting to feel quite despondent now.

It's pouring down and there's going to be no let-up,

so I really wonder how we can finish the project.

'With Annie failing to find any fellas

'and the project slipping further behind,

'it's looking like we'll have to leave a load of jobs

'until the big opening day, when we really hope the public will turn out

'in force to join us for the final push.

'If it wasn't for Callum

'and our team of junior volunteers, we would be in big trouble.

'We're not making them do this for the TV -

'they just really want to get the job done.

'And with all those tons of topsoil to shift,

'before you can say "Challenge Anneka",

'she's in there with the wheelbarrow, right alongside Callum. Brilliant.'

Next one coming through.

Right.

'Callum's mum, Lisa, has really noticed a difference

'since he started helping with the garden.'

It's the first thing I've actually seen him get stuck into,

and actually complete.

'I was expecting Callum to be bored quite quickly with it,

'because he's not the one for sticking to things.'

He's always got a smile on his face at the moment, and he's been

'telling quite a few people about what's been happening.'

'Joe wants this garden to be fun for the kids,

'so he's designed a funky tyre walkway,

'leading to a secret hideout.

'But at the moment, this is anything but fun for Richard.'

I don't know. Battle of the Somme.

'We need the weather to hold if we're to stand a chance

'of giving Claire her sneak preview of the garden,

'but the weather's a fickle thing.'

'At last our luck is in.

'By the weekend, it's not raining. Result.'

'It means we can start to build all the fun things

'that will give this garden its character.'

Right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to turfing.

'Like the chill-out lawn.'

'And right next door to the turfing is the paving -

'that's 100 seriously heavy tiles, each needing to be laid. Phew!

'So come on, the volunteers.'

-In you go.

-Follow that man over there...

'Anneka's rugby boys are back in action,

'and, not to be outdone, the rowers are helping out too.'

'Anneka popped down to the river and asked us to come and help,'

so we thought it was nice to get involved with something

in the community and help out with the project.

'Over the next couple of hours, our gang of family, teachers

'and volunteers claw back time.'

That was easy. Whoah!

'If you've been inspired by these amazing children

'and volunteers, then you might like to come along to East London.

'We're going to create a garden for nine-year-old Jeidan

'and his community.'

I'm loving this!

'So come along on Friday

'to give us a hand at finishing off and celebrating the garden.'

So stay tuned for details at the end of the programme

how you can get involved.

'As for our Bristol kids, we needn't have doubted their enthusiasm.

'They can't get enough of this gardening lark.'

'We've been building a shed,'

I've been helping with the cement,

'I've been moving all the chippings off here.'

Now I've got an aching back.

'And the kids' attitude hasn't gone unnoticed by their teacher, Kate.'

'I have enjoyed watching children'

that sometimes find it difficult to get on working really well together.

'It was lovely to see them having some really decent

'quality social time together,

'with no animosity, no anxiety, no stress.'

It was great.

'By the end of the day, they all deserve an Olympic medal

'for progress.

'Back in Bristol, the wettest month this century is back for more,

'and it's ravaging the site.

'But with only three days until Claire gets her sneak peek

'at the garden, can Richard and his team get it done?'

'Time for a soggy early-morning inspection.'

-Wow.

-Oh, wow.

It's come on. All right, lads! Keep up the good work!

Look at Richard, smiling as usual(!) I've brought the rain with me!

What are those tyres again?

That's leading up to the little bamboo bit?

That's for the kids to jump on, and leading up to that bit...

They can bounce up there.

-..and also planted all around. Yeah, like Tigger.

-Yeah!

Come on, let's get in there and have a look.

-It's looking great, Richard.

-And that's the stage?

-do you want us to go that way? Oh.

He's not speaking. He's not speaking to you. He's just directing you.

He's trying to blame it all on me, the weather.

You couldn't have had worse conditions.

If you can build a garden in these conditions,

you can build a garden anywhere, any time.

This is the worst ever.

-THEY LAUGH

-Ever, in my 25 years building gardens.

I don't think I've ever...

It has been relentless. Keep going. Keep going.

You're getting a Tuffers hug. Do you want a Joe Swift hug?

Oh! We're friends again!

'All this bad weather means we're still two days behind schedule.'

'But the team's been incredible - the lawn's down,

'the bouncy tyre path's taking shape

'and we're making progress with the stage.'

'The big problem is all those wheelchair-friendly hard areas.

'Laying concrete in the rain is a big no-no!

'As they say, it's too wet to set.'

-This is unlayable.

-OK.

We've got high winds, we're on a yellow flood alert.

OK, well, you don't worry about planting, OK?

Let me worry about the planting for the next few days.

Forget about the planting - just get on with the hard landscaping.

What's important about this garden is it's a legacy garden.

It's about the quality of the build. It's built to last - that's the most important thing.

-If you could sort the weather out, Phil...

-I'll have a go.

-Can you?

Cos you could always stop the rain when you wanted to do a bit of bowling!

Hello? Hello?

Can we sort the weather out up there? Thanks very much. Easy!

-That's job done!

-Job done!

Whether our prayers are answered remains to be seen -

but those planters aren't going to move themselves!

-Right. One down, six to go.

-Right, let's do it.

Oh. Door's shut.

That's the one. That's the one.

'With 20 tonnes of top-soil to divide between the planters

'and the flower beds, our army of little landscapers get stuck in.'

-Right. Shall we fill this one up?

-Yeah.

'Captain Callum to the fore. We're making light work of a heavy job.'

-How d'you think it's going, Kate?

-Really well, actually, yes.

It's been so wet today - it's been ridiculous.

I don't know how these guys have kept going, really.

They've been amazing!

-I mean, they've just thrown themselves at it 100%, ain't they, the kids?

-Yeah, well, they do.

They get something that they get hooked on to and that's it - they'll do it for ever.

'The planters are filling up fast

'and with the roof of the stage beginning to take shape,

'Joe's got time to get marking out his clever hi-tech fountain.

'A fountain in the rain. Oh, the irony.'

Joe, is this the water feature?

I love it! I think it's fab!

It's great. It's, er...lovely colour.

'Even in the most dismal conditions, we can always rely on Tuffers to keep up our spirits.

'But the situation's no laughing matter -

'we're massively behind schedule and there's a huge consignment of plants on its way.

'We need some green-fingered helpers fast.'

Oh, look!

St Giles Allotments.

Hello, I'm Anneka.

What we need are some green-fingered experts

-to come and help us on a project up at the Bridge Learning Centre.

-OK.

-I could chat to a few people.

-Could you?

-Yeah.

-That would be amazing.

-Try and get a few people up here.

Now, there's another allotment down here, apparently. Ooh!

-There's a man. What's your name?

-Steve, my name is.

-This is Steve!

We're doing this lovely garden project

and we need people like you to put - lovingly put - our plants in.

-Course I will, yeah.

-You know, you know a bit about horticulture.

-Thank you so much. Lovely to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-Good luck with your egg collection.

-Thank you.

What I am finding here in Bristol - and especially

around this world of gardening and plants and allotments -

is how community-minded everyone is and so willing to help and wanting to help.

It's just great. Just great.

'Back at site, our precious plants arrive bang on time -

'nearly 500 of them.'

Plants have arrived! The lovely plants have arrived

and we need to sort them out.

Come on, Callum, mate. Number ten. Come on, son.

-Wow!

-Hey!

-Whoa!

-Chain gang!

-Chain gang!

-We're going to stack 'em all up there.

-On the fence.

Isn't it exciting to see some plants?

Here's the bamboos.

The black bamboos.

'We've got the plants off the lorry.

'Now we need to get them into the ground.

'Annie's recruits arrive in the nick of time. Result!'

-The first load of my green-fingered friends. This is Eric.

-Eric.

The black bamboos. The big ones. They're the first thing that are going to go in

cos they're going to create this den towards the back of the garden.

So if we can get them up there, I'll be up there and we can start placing them around.

That's it. Keep on the boards! We're going to put, like, some bark or something.

'The last two days of downpours have turned the garden into a muddy mess.

'It's like trying to plant up in treacle.'

-That's so slippery, isn't it?

-You all right? You all right?

And then just, yeah, dump it there, and then we'll...

Lovely. Well done, Callum.

'But with the gardening know-how of our allotment holders

'and the sheer enthusiasm of Callum and his mates, we're really cracking on. What a team!'

Exciting, isn't it, seeing that green of the turf?

As soon as you get to planting... Hard landscaping is depressing...

Also it's just the right moment, cos everyone was getting quite despondent, and now...

It's uplifting, isn't it, seeing plants arrive?

-Most exciting part of any garden coming together.

-I know.

-It's wonderful. There you are.

-Oh, cheers(!)

-Joe, we've got some "heu-cherr-a".

-Heuchera.

Heuchera. Heuchera.

Lovely.

These boulders - the idea is just to create some stepping stones

from the paved area over to the lawn.

Imagine you're a kid and want to jump across those boulders to get onto the lawn. Simple as that!

That's good. Lovely. Let's have a go.

Oh, yeah, I like... Not on the lawn!

Oh!

Oh, no, look what I've done! (Don't tell Richard!)

'Despite Joe's little lawn mishap,

'today's been a massive morale boost - and not a moment too soon.'

Honestly, it started off - spirits were so low

and Richard said, "There's no way we're going to get this finished."

But then we got some plants into this garden

and as soon as people see plants, they think, "It's a garden, it's uplifting."

It motivates people to want to get this garden finished.

I'm not saying we ARE going to get this finished

but we're going to give it a damn good shot.

'And you know what?

'We wouldn't be halfway here if it wasn't for Callum and his mates.

'I can't believe how he's stepped up to the job

'so I'm off to meet Callum's mum Lisa,

'to find out a bit more about our star boy.'

-Hello, Lisa.

-Hello!

-How are ya? Can I come in?

-Yeah, come in.

-Cool, lovely!

I've been hanging out with Callum for a couple of days.

-He loves the outside, doesn't he?

-Oh, yes, yeah.

He's a very outdoor person.

And he gets on with the kids very well from Fosseway, as well.

Oh, yes, yeah. We go to the hospice that Brandon used go to.

He loves all the disabled children. He gets on with them brilliantly.

He'll do anything for 'em.

Was Callum very close to his brother?

Yep, very, very close, and his brother loved him dearly.

And is that when the problem started to sort of...

It got worse after then, yeah.

Er... And with the bullying,

it got worse cos people made fun of him because his brother had passed away,

but he's a lot more calmer than what he was before.

And he spends time with his grandparents, doesn't he?

Yeah, he helps do their garden.

He used to get bored quite quickly of doing the garden

but since this started, he's been, "Oh, I'll do your garden."

He's even offered my next-door neighbours to help with the garden.

He can come round and mow my lawn if he wants!

-Morning, Richard.

-Morning, Joe.

-Are you feeling positive today?

-I am.

We've got to tear into this and get this hard landscaping done.

Yeah, well, it's a bit drier today. It's not raining yet.

The forecast isn't too bad, compared to yesterday,

so we'll do cement work today - get all the cement work done, yeah?

The paving and the strawberry in the middle of the paving area.

That is... We've got to get it done.

If we don't get it today, we ain't complete.

'Two days left and the boys' to-do list is massive...

'..with Joe's's fiddly strawberry mosaic and the fire pit to complete,

'a huge amount of paving and the bricked patio to be laid.

'Then the fountain needs fixing, the stage needs finishing

'and hundreds of plants need planting. Worrying!

'But it's the hard-landscaped areas that are causing us most grief.

'Joe's designed the garden to be super-accessible for the kids from both schools

'and, for wheelchairs, that means a lot of paving.

'We really need a period of dry weather for the boys to crack it.

'And how long have we got till Claire gets to see her garden?'

-Phil, Anneka.

-How are ya?

-Good.

Keep off the top soil. I'm coming over. I'm coming over!

Into my arms! Yes!

-Don't the plants look...

-The sun is shining!

They're so happy, the plants, aren't they? They look as if they've settled in.

Yeah, things are, sort of, finally drying out.

That end looks almost finished. Fantastic.

It's a massive day today, to be honest, but, er...

-Feeling good. Feeling good.

-What do you want to do?

-You know there's going to be this big mosaic strawberry?

-Yeah.

We've got some tiles that need smashing up.

-But don't pulverise them into tiny pieces...

-Like the floor on Pompeii?

-Slightly big pieces.

-I'm thinking, night down the Greek restaurant.

Yeah, that's it. Yeah, OK.

Are you two taking this seriously or not? You're always dancing!

We can't believe it's sunny!

-We're just so happy.

-Get on with it!

'Joe wants me to get cracking - literally -

'so me and the boys get smashing.'

Right, boys, we need to smash some tiles.

Now, we don't want to do it too hard

because then they're going to go into too-little pieces.

Go on. There you go. Look at that. Perfect.

Ready?

Lovely. Oh, they're coming out... Oh, perfect.

So, boys, you've had a little look at the garden.

-Do you think it looks like it's going to be done in time?

-No.

-You don't reckon? You still think lots of work to be done?

-Yeah.

Oh, beauty! That's done.

Come on, let's go.

'With the strawberry in Strawberry Square

'really starting to take shape, I want to catch up with Claire.

'Her first glimpse of the garden is now only a day away.'

So though you haven't seen the garden, you've still been coming in and working with the kids.

Have you've noticed a change in atmosphere?

Yeah, it's quite interesting

because none of the kids have told me anything that they've been doing out there.

It's all like, "Ssh, Claire's around."

They're quite enjoying that secret, as well.

Mm. And have you noticed anything in their behaviour?

-Do they seem different in any way at all?

-Really tired!

ANNEKA CHUCKLES

They've all been really exhausted. But so excited.

I mean, the thing I've been so struck by

is how the children have, er,

absolutely embraced it and got involved in it.

I mean, they've done the heavy-duty work and lifting, shovelling.

-You know, they've really been involved.

-Because it's OUR garden.

Nice one.

'It's not only Callum who's blossomed since this all began.

'His classmate Deana has also come right out of her shell.

'A week ago, she wouldn't even be filmed.

'Now she's ready to make her mark on the garden shed.' Brilliant!

-Yeah, man!

-Oh, D!

That was a really extraordinary morning, cos I saw D transform herself

from a very reluctant, surly person

to someone who is loving every second of it.

Yeah, I mean, I think this whole process

has been absolutely fantastic for Deana.

She's got herself really stuck in, really involved and she's gained an awful lot out of it.

She has difficulties with emotions - they're up and down, all over the place -

but something like this, where she feels really valued

and feels she's good at something is really important for her.

So, yeah, she's had a great morning.

'The more time I spend here, the more I see

'how much these kids want to express themselves, but just don't know how.

'After chatting with Callum's mum, I realised these kids' stories are complex -

'not just a simple matter of good or bad.'

One of the main reasons why Callum got bullied

was because his brother died.

What's that all about?

His brother died and people bullied him...

Because of that.

And I think that really sort of upset him.

It would, you know. Unbelievable! It really just shocked me

and she sort of said that's where the problems started a little bit.

And you can kind of understand that a little bit.

The whole world falls to pieces and you get bullied for it.

What's the matter with people?

-He wants to be a garden designer.

-Yeah?

-She said he came home

got out a sheet of paper or something and was designing everything.

He just comes home full of what he's doing here.

Back in the garden, it's incredibly busy.

No rain means lots of work.

Bricks are getting laid, paving's going down

and Annie's getting arty on the climbing wall.

We've found the perfect job for Phil -

the gravel foundation under the bricked area needs levelling

and Tuffers is lending a foot!

-Can we have a New Yorker?

-New Yorker.

You're better at that than barrowing and shovelling.

There are certain things you are cut out for.

Phil stops thinking Strictly and gets stuck into learning some basic

bricklaying skills - well, very basic.

Is there no end to the man's talents?

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted, honestly.

Two hours, it was a good two hours smashed out on that block paving.

-The guy's doing all the little cuts.

-I know,

he's more into the craftsmanship stage of the whole job, isn't he,

and the attention to detail. Really getting in there and, you know,

even though the build has been an absolute nightmare, they have still...

it's about quality, the legacy of the whole garden.

This is not just for show or to last into next week.

-It is going to last forever.

-It is indeed.

But then, inevitably, it starts to pour down -

making working conditions really horrible.

But at least there's one happy voice on site. Go for it, Phil!

# I'm singing in the rain Just singing in the rain

# What a wonderful feeling

# I'm happy again. #

That's our last full work day over. And we're nowhere near finishing.

Paving, fountains, paths, plants - all need work doing.

Tomorrow morning's going to be manic.

We've now got five hours to get the garden good enough to show Claire.

The idea's for her to see it on her own before the crowds descend

for our grand opening day.

But it's been bucketing down all night

and our first job is bailing out.

And the deliveries are still coming. These massive logs

are the seating round the fire pit.

Moving them against the clock on our slippery site is going to be fun!

Watch this geezer behind you, Joe. Coming through.

That's the technique, Joe. You just lift it on his shoulder.

-Watch yourself here. You got me a job.

-He's got another little one.

-Back. That's better, Tuffers.

-That's better, son.

Look at them. Look at that. Oh, my God!

Don't drop the log!

UNCONTROLLABLE LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Well done!

Though we're not going to totally finish today,

we want the garden to look great for Claire -

and with all the rain delays

we're having to pack a full day's work into a single morning.

Joe's ordered a sedum eco-roof for the stage.

But it's only just going up and he's not messing around.

-White side up.

-White side up?

With turf, it's green side up.

The eco-roof's a great idea - low maintenance, hard wearing

and with different varieties of sedum it'll change colour throughout the year.

Lovely.

-Two-thirds there.

-Two-thirds there, that is what they say.

Two-thirds, that means there is a third to go and it is now one o'clock.

We have got to be finished in three hours. It's now insanely busy on site.

The countdown's on. Only two hours left.

And now it's all about planting, planting,

laying gravel on the paths and more planting.

-Does this need to be the other way round?

-It does, actually.

He's thinking for himself!

But surprise, surprise. This is the summer of 2012

and sure enough, the wet stuff makes an unwanted return.

'But will rain stop play? No chance!'

We're almost ready to show Claire her garden

after ten days of seriously hard work.

Against the odds, the team have done an amazing job.

But there are still a few things to complete -

the stage with its wheelchair ramp for access needs finishing

and Joe wants to put in more trees and plants.

Crack all that and we will take this garden from passable to perfection.

Last week, we gave a shout out to you, the great British public

to come down and help us finish off.

But before we reveal how many of you came down to give us a hand at Strawberry Square

there's a very special lady

who deserves to see how we've done so far.

My gosh!

-There's your garden.

-Isn't it beautiful? Thank you so much.

You like it then? Come on, let's go in.

-Oh!

-Yeah. We had to put a strawberry in Strawberry Square.

Ain't that lovely?

I never ever... This was never in my dream. At all.

This was... This is so much. Thank you.

Well, if this is Claire's reaction, we can't wait to see

how the community respond on our finishing day and grand opening.

Because of the truly shocking summer we've had weather-wise,

it's actually been four months since we gave a sneak preview

of the garden to Claire.

We're on our way back to Bristol and Strawberry Square for one final push

and hopefully a sunny grand opening.

Last week, we asked you to come along and help finish off the garden

and we're hoping you're going to turn up in force.

Joe's on site early to assess how much has survived its drenching.

These raised beds are looking good.

This was the boggiest part of the garden, this corner,

so I think we'll get some trees in there today.

Joe's to-do list is still pretty long for us -

there are trees to plant, hanging baskets to refresh

and the stage to finish.

-It looks fantastic.

-Hello.

-Hello, mate.

-What do you think?

You know what, the last time you saw it, it was a quagmire.

And it's now a fully grown-up rather beautifully tended garden.

These here, look, it's overcrowded with broccoli and cabbages.

I am surprised because the weather we had doing it was just extreme, wasn't it?

-It didn't stop raining.

-Have you seen the forecast for today?

-Rain.

But once again you haven't let us down.

Wow, look! Here's the queue to help. Hello, young man. how are you?

Thanks for coming. Look at the face. Let's have a look. Put that up.

What's that? The Flowerpot Gang.

Hi. Thank you so much for coming. You have brought your gloves.

-Hello, my love.

-Hello, Phil.

-You've got your cake,

you got welly boots, little kneepads.

-We've come from West London.

-What made you come down?

We saw the first programme and Ed said, "When are we going to help?"

As well as planting there's also a little weeding to be done.

So how come you're down here today my darling?

-It's my birthday.

-Is it? Happy birthday!

The day before yesterday, I saw the programme and thought why not?

With cleaning up the planters and refreshing the baskets,

the volunteers are making short work of Joe's to-do list.

-Where do you want it, mate?

-Over there, where that dead tree's coming out from.

Oh, they've got it out already.

And these birches are ideal for the damp ground

because they like most soils.

'Whilst I'm out getting my hands dirty planting this thing,'

Anneka wants the school children and volunteers

to make some flowers for the stage.

And there's a bit of a surprise for our budding artists.

Look at this everybody. The Flowerpot Gang. Who are you?

I'm Emily. Hi. I live in Clifton and I'm studying to be a doctor

at the University of Bristol.

What made you suddenly get all culinary?

I really like baking and do it quite a lot

but I just wanted to come and join in.

And while I'm in cake heaven,

Phil's got a chance to catch up with Callum.

So how has the garden been going then, mate?

-OK?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-You been enjoying it?

-Yeah.

-What have you been doing out here?

-Gardening!

-Gardening!

Yes, this gardening lark really seems to be giving a lot of pleasure -

even if not everyone's green fingered.

I'm a truck driver on holiday this week.

And watched the programme the other night at Sunderland

and volunteered to come up today and help.

-So you have come down on holiday?

-Mmm.

-That's fantastic!

-Anneka's finished her flowery creations.

-Excellent!

The silver birch trees have all been planted

and the hanging baskets refilled with strawberry plants.

There's just time for a quick clean down

before our grand opening.

-It's brilliant, isn't it?

-Absolutely cracking.

-Very pleased.

Four months ago, the site was a neglected wasteland.

Now it's a green oasis where kids can learn and grown.

And no one's happier than Callum who worked so hard.

'Mum Lisa sees him in a new light.'

-He's done great work, hasn't he?

-Brilliant. Very proud of Callum.

It was Claire's dream to give the kids from both schools

a place to thrive.

As well as gardening, they can have outdoor lessons and play.

And although our old enemy the rain is back,

we're determined not to let it dampen our spirits.

We would like to thank all of you for coming and making this garden a reality.

It's absolutely wonderful. We are very proud of it.

-We hope that you are too.

-Thank you so much everyone.

Give yourselves a big cheer.

And it's thanks to Claire's determination that we were able to build the garden.

When we started this project, it was just a dream.

And the volunteers today that have come and brought cakes and plants,

-wow, you have really touched us. Thank you, everyone.

-Well done.

Callum!

Callum!

Oh! Oh! Look at this.

-Oh, Callum, thank you.

-Thank you, Callum.

The main thing is, are you and your mates happy with the garden?

-Yeah. Yeah, we are all happy with the garden.

-Marks out of ten?

About nine?

That's good enough for us!

We'll take that.

And for Callum there's just one more little Flowerpot Gang tradition.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

If you've been inspired by this programme,

why don't you form your own Flowerpot Gang

and transform a piece of waste land in your neighbourhood?

You'll be absolutely amazed at what can be achieved.

Next week, we're in East London

just a stone's throw from the Olympic Stadium.

Here, there are kids like nine-year-old Jaiden,

who are desperate to get outside

and learn about nature and growing vegetables.

This book is quite useful actually

because it shows you how to do stuff,

it shows you what you need.

We're going to create a garden for Jaiden and his community

on one of the unused spaces on their estate.

It's usually under lock and key, so no residents can ever get into this

but we're going to change that.

But it's not all hard work - there's still room for a bit of fun.

Flowerpot Garden's welly wang!

It's good to know Tuffers has an advantage over Joe

who's damaged his arm playing football.

-On the line.

-No way, on the line!

Come on, Tuffers!

And Jaiden and the locals really throw themselves into the project.

I'm loving this!

But the East London garden still isn't quite finished.

We'd like you to come on Friday and help us with the final touches.

And join us in celebrating the garden's grand opening.

For details go to...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd