0:00:02 > 0:00:05Do you have a small garden but a big idea?
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Do you know what you'd like it to look like,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09but no idea, really, of where to begin?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Well, you're not alone.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Over the last year, I've been working with people right across the
0:00:14 > 0:00:20country, helping them to make their garden dreams become reality.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Monty Don has listened to their hopes and plans.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28It's an absolutely crazy idea and I love it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30He's given advice...
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Don't be frightened to push plants into crevices.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34..and he's rolled up his sleeves.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Let's not talk about it, let's do it.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Talk about a lean, mean gardening machine.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Things haven't always gone to plan.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45I thought we were going to make four raised beds?
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I'm a bit worried that we might have killed it.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50But it's been worth it.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- What a beautiful garden. - So happy.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- Thank you, Monty. - ALL:- Cheers!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I do believe that however small your garden is,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02everybody can cultivate a big dream.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Just lean it the other way if you can, very gently.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15This week, Monty helps two families create gardens
0:01:15 > 0:01:18that are for the children as much as the adults.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- It's not too bad, is it? - He gets tough in Doncaster...
0:01:21 > 0:01:24There's a tendency for this household to be a bit chaotic.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25Just a little bit.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27..cuts to the chase in Walthamstow...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29I don't think you've thought this through at all.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31No, I don't think we have.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35..and as always, where there's pleasure, there's pain.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Everything seems to just be going wrong.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46This is Finingley in Doncaster.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And down this quiet cul-de-sac live Nicky and John and their family.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55There's their one-year-old little girl, Anna,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and Nicky's other children, Ninette who's ten, and Ted, who's seven.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03All of them enjoy a particular lifestyle.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I don't know, we might sort of be seen as sort of hidden hippies.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09That makes sense, there's always this really bad stereotype,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11isn't there, that people have?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15The family moved here six months ago, and together with a new home
0:02:15 > 0:02:18came a new enthusiasm to grow all their own food.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20At times, it's been a bit hit and miss.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22We've got some lovely purple-podded peas
0:02:22 > 0:02:25but I don't know what's happened to them.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But it hasn't put them off. On the contrary.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I want to be able to make a whole meal from things that
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I have picked from my garden. That is my aim.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37And it'll be up to this garden novice, John, to do
0:02:37 > 0:02:41a lot of the hard graft in between his shifts at the local supermarket.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I think it's all going to be a bit tricky, cos I've never done
0:02:44 > 0:02:46anything like this before.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The whole family of five rely on his wages,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51so no splashing out on loads of plants here.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53We're on a very tight budget, obviously,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56because we're on a low income but I do believe it's doable
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and it's going to be very interesting getting there.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03The inspiration for our next garden in the sprawling
0:03:03 > 0:03:08suburbs of Walthamstow, East London, couldn't be more different.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11This terrace, set on a busy road, is home to university lecturers
0:03:11 > 0:03:17Nicola and Oliver and their children Daisy, 13 and Scarlet, eight.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Their passion is their home town.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Walthamstow actually has a hashtag of "awesomestow".
0:03:24 > 0:03:27What better way to celebrate this, than by making a model
0:03:27 > 0:03:30village of their area in their front garden.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34The garden will be unique to Walthamstow
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and it may also be unique in the world.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41That's dream number one for the front garden. But that's not all.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Dream number two is to capture life at the seaside in their back garden.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It's really sunny in our back garden
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and we really want to embrace that and make it
0:03:52 > 0:03:55feel like we're on holiday every day when we're at home.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58That's two offbeat plans to accomplish.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I think we're a little bit eccentric.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Yeah, I think we ought to get interested by new things
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and we've never really done a lot of gardening before,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and now that's something we want to have a go at.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It's late summer in Finingley, Doncaster,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and Monty's on his way to help Nicky and John plan their dream garden.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Growing vegetables is a passion he shares with Nicky,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34but his idea of an ideal kitchen garden might be very different.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I want it to be an edible haven.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44I want it to be somewhere full of edible plants and organic-looking -
0:04:44 > 0:04:48natural, as opposed to regimented, I don't want regimented lines.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I don't want it to look like an allotment, if that makes sense.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Why not?- Why not?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Well, there's nothing wrong with an allotment on an allotment,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59but I want this to be somewhere where we can sit on the patio on a
0:04:59 > 0:05:04summer's evening, enjoy a glass of wine and for it to be beautiful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Is that what you want too?- Yes.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11My main aim is to have a meal that is actually picked from my garden.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13One meal a year?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I mean, are we talking about every meal?
0:05:15 > 0:05:19- What are we talking about? - No, we're thinking, erm....
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- As much as we can. - As much as we can, yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Nicky and John's dream is to grow lots of edible flowers,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32vegetables, herbs and fruit,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36all mixed together in a central bed and up the fences.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39They've got a budget of only £500.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I think they need a more organised approach
0:05:41 > 0:05:44if they're to get the quantity of crops they want.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50If you want to grow a meaningful amount of vegetables,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52as opposed to the odd thing here and there,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57sooner or later, you're likely to come back to rows or grids because
0:05:57 > 0:06:01it's easier to harvest them and weed them if you have them in a grid.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04So, all I need to know is, are you saying,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08"No, that's not what I want - I want it mixed up and that's the way
0:06:08 > 0:06:12"it's going to be," or, a little bit of this and a little bit of that?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I think this comes to clumps, I think growing things in clumps
0:06:15 > 0:06:17is almost a grid system, isn't it?
0:06:17 > 0:06:21I don't want straight, long rows. Does that make sense?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Can you...? - Er, no. Clumps are not a grid system.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Not in anybody's language, anywhere!
0:06:29 > 0:06:32You can have clumps in a grid. It's your garden, you can
0:06:32 > 0:06:36have clumps. If you want clumps, you shall have clumps.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Beautiful clumps, edible clumps.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44To help them get a garden that yields more than just
0:06:44 > 0:06:49a dish, I think they should create four central beds instead of one.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Each bed could still have clumps of edible plants
0:06:54 > 0:06:57but they'd be rotated throughout the seasons.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00That way, they'll be growing more produce to live off.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06That would make very good sense, because we could keep
0:07:06 > 0:07:10the sort of perennial, more backbone things to the outside.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And in the middle of each bed, you could have a fruit tree.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- You could have... - That would be beautiful. Oh.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Nicky's got a long wish list of plants to show Monty,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23but she's got no idea where they should be planted.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26What's your worst fear?
0:07:26 > 0:07:30That we plant certain things that are sort of more
0:07:30 > 0:07:36big-ticket items for us, like trees, and that they fail.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I don't think that's a worry at all.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44But what I would worry about much more is the lack of plan.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46By plan, I don't mean lists of plants.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I mean physical layout.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52You need to know where things are going to go, even if they are random.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Sometimes, I think it is a confidence thing and sort of avoid
0:07:57 > 0:08:02planning it too much, because it makes it sort of become very real.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Well, I would say, get real. Time to bite the bullet.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Do it. You're talking a good talk, now walk the walk.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's been quite a day having her dream garden plan
0:08:14 > 0:08:16interrogated by Monty.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18But Nicky's taking it in good heart.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I feel that talking things through with Monty has made me
0:08:21 > 0:08:25feel a lot more confident about some of the ideas that
0:08:25 > 0:08:27were in my head and actually getting them out.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And what we could potentially achieve here,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35if I become a little bit more organised for a change.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Well, I really believe that they want this to happen
0:08:41 > 0:08:45but the whole place is amazingly chaotic.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And they do need to get their act together and fast,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51if they're to have any chance of a good harvest by summer.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58And from this quiet corner of rural life, Monty heads 165 miles south
0:08:58 > 0:09:02to East London and to the hustle and bustle of busy Walthamstow.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Nicola and Oliver have the nerve-racking task of taking
0:09:05 > 0:09:08gardening guru Monty through their plans.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12At 4 by 2.5 metres, it's a tight squeeze, but they have big dreams.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17What are your plans for this area here?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20What we're planning to do here is build a miniature
0:09:20 > 0:09:22village in our front garden.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26We're going to have a layout of the local area,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28like a 3D map with lots and lots of tiny houses
0:09:28 > 0:09:33- that we're going to build ourselves. - Why?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Well, for a lot of reasons, I suppose, but mainly
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- because no-one else has got one and we think it'll be fun.- OK.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Well, it's a great idea, I like it, it's good.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46What sort of scale are we talking about?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Well, we started to make some sample houses like the ones over there.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- So these ones here?- Yeah. - I mean, it's minute.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- It is indeed.- It is.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59What we're going to have is lots and lots of them.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Nicola and Oliver want to build a model of their area with
0:10:04 > 0:10:07a budget of £600.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10They plan to cover their front garden with a wooden peg board
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and then build hundreds of miniature buildings to fix onto this base.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18And they want to include miniature plants to look like trees
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and bushes.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I'm starting to feel very confused about how you're going
0:10:25 > 0:10:30to represent any planting on that scale.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35I think I was envisaging almost like a bonsai garden outdoors.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Have you seen any bonsai?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- They're about that big. - No, they're not about that big.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42A SMALL bonsai is about that big.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46In order to make the plants work, I think
0:10:46 > 0:10:50they should scale up the houses dramatically, and once that's done,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55amongst others, they can include miniature trees, alpines and mosses.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I think it's completely barmy.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I think it's an absolutely crazy idea and I love it, it's great.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But the big dreams don't stop there.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10They want to do the back garden too.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12How do you want to change this?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16What we've got in mind is something inspired by Derek Jarman's garden.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20We want to have some stones, and plants amongst the stones.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22What sort of planting?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Something sort of frondy-type thing.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27And, really, is that it? ..What about you?
0:11:27 > 0:11:31I think I'd like things a bit more spiky, really.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Nicola and Oliver want to copy the seaside shingle garden of
0:11:33 > 0:11:37the late film director Derek Jarman on their heavy London clay.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40But they don't want to take anything out to make room.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45You want to keep this enormous great swing, you want ferny frondescence,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49you want spikes, you want a Derek Jarman Dungeness beach effect.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Anything else you want while you're chucking it in the pot?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57No. I think that's probably more than enough!
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Do you know what I think? I don't think you've thought this through at all.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02No, I don't think we have!
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- All those three things are almost mutually incompatible.- OK.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Ferny and frondy does not really tend to go with spiky.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Even if you DID do it, I don't think it would look very good.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15- You don't think you'd like it, in the end.- It doesn't matter if I like it or not.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- But you don't think we'd like it? - I don't think you would, actually.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- I think, in all serious, I think some editing is necessary here.- OK.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25How would you feel about pushing the children's stuff to the back?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27What, moving the swing to the back of the garden?
0:12:27 > 0:12:28So it became a play area.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30OK, yeah, I can see that.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34If I steer you towards a kind of planting that is less Derek Jarman
0:12:34 > 0:12:40and more sort of structurally, architecturally dramatic...
0:12:40 > 0:12:41- Yeah.- ..would that appeal?
0:12:41 > 0:12:42That would be great.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Oh, very much so, yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Well, that seems like a good compromise, for now, anyway.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50The back garden is all over the shop.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52There are too many different things going on.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Too many ideas without any real articulation of them.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I think we need to go back to the drawing board.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I think it's au revoir to the beach theme.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03It's not going to be Dungeness anymore, I don't think.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Our couples may have very different dreams,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but their gardens begin life the same way -
0:13:19 > 0:13:21with a lot of back-breaking work.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Each garden will be stripped back to a blank canvas before the fun
0:13:25 > 0:13:27part can begin.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Nicky finds working out her design difficult to do, so Monty's
0:13:35 > 0:13:39arranged for her to visit East Ruston Old Vicarage in Norfolk to
0:13:39 > 0:13:44see just how much goes into creating even the most wild-looking garden.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Her guide is the co-owner, Alan Gray.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Hi, Nicky, how are you?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Hi, fine, thank you.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53There are numerous themed gardens here,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56each designed to replicate different growing conditions
0:13:56 > 0:13:57and planted for maximum effect.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Today she's here to see one in particular.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Well, Nicky, this is the walled garden here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And what I really wanted to do here,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I wanted it to be a combination of flowers, fruit and vegetables
0:14:10 > 0:14:13in the most beautiful and tranquil setting that I could make.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16And I'd just like you to look at this little section here.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19We've got some curly kale and we've got some sprouting broccoli,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21but we've got dahlias,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and I think you might think it looks a little bit less regimented.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Yes, you can see that there are lines here, but for me this is
0:14:28 > 0:14:34so much more what I had in my head because it's mixed in together,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36it's very abundant.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It still manages to look more free and easy
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and I just think this is just wonderful.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47This garden began life with meticulous architectural plans.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So you think drawing you a plan's going to help?
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Yes. I'm actually feeling a lot more positive about the idea
0:14:53 > 0:14:55of drawing a plan now.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Having seen this is actually very helpful.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'Coming here, I've been able to see some of the organisation'
0:15:03 > 0:15:08under what appears to be a natural scene.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I think it's given me a little bit more confidence that what
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I have in my head is doable.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And about how I might go about that.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Back in Doncaster, Nicky has returned from her inspiration trip
0:15:26 > 0:15:28ready to tackle her vegetable garden.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33For her, the desire to live off the land is much more than just a whim.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38She's a full-time mum, and home-schools her children.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43Home education is something that's very important to me
0:15:43 > 0:15:48because I feel it offers more control over what they're
0:15:48 > 0:15:51learning and it can be targeted towards their interests.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54For Nicky, the garden is an extra classroom.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58A place to teach her children about nature and plants.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Yeah, I like planting
0:16:00 > 0:16:06and actually, I buy a lot of things with my own pocket money.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Over the last six weeks, the couple have been working diligently
0:16:15 > 0:16:18to get the hard landscaping done before the winter sets in
0:16:18 > 0:16:22but, after an initial flurry of activity, progress has been slow.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I spend about a full day a week in the garden.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Obviously with me working and studying as well,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I don't really get much time at the moment.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36John's work isn't the only reason they're moving
0:16:36 > 0:16:38forward at a snail's pace.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40There's also baby Anna.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Oh, dear.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47BABY CRIES
0:16:50 > 0:16:55We can only do work in the garden when Anna's happy for us
0:16:55 > 0:16:57to do work in the garden because
0:16:57 > 0:16:59there's no explaining to a one-year-old child.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02You don't realise you're getting in the way, do you, little one?
0:17:05 > 0:17:07BABY CRIES AGAIN
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- I'm just going to give up and take her in.- Yeah.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Yes.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Monty is due back in a few days
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and the couple are worried by their lack of progress.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23The way the garden is at the moment makes me feel a little bit nervous.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28It's a mess and, obviously, Monty's coming out next week
0:17:28 > 0:17:30so we have to get everything prepared for him.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Yes, we were hoping to plough through a bit to get it done.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36There's still quite a long way to go, though.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Over in Walthamstow, the mood is altogether more chipper.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The family's dream is to create a model village of their local area
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and today Ollie and his ten-year-old assistant, Daisy,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55are tackling the first stage by resizing prototype houses.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58They're keeping it simple.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Step one - saw a rectangular block.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Step two - sand the block.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06And step three - stick a triangular piece on top.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08So far, so good!
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Monty said to increase the sizes of the houses,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12essentially, as much as we could bear.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15I originally planned a really tiny scale, like this.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Obviously, the bigger we make the houses, the easier it is to get
0:18:18 > 0:18:21everything in proportion, but then you'd just end up with one house in
0:18:21 > 0:18:25your front garden, which isn't really a model village,
0:18:25 > 0:18:26it's a model house.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Yeah, I think they need to be a bit bigger,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31but imagine if we found something
0:18:31 > 0:18:34that was going to be about that size.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- OK.- And we found something for the roof.- Mm-hm.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40We'll put that on there, all the way down
0:18:40 > 0:18:41and all the way along.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Like a sun house rather than a shed.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46We're not going against Monty's advice,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48we're having a go and then...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51hearing a softly spoken Monty on our shoulders saying,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54"No, that's not big enough."
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- Oh, wow.- Wow, it's huge.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04By their own admission, Oliver and Nicola are lost
0:19:04 > 0:19:06when it comes to planting their model village,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09so Monty sent them to the oldest one in the world,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Bekonscot in Buckinghamshire, for inspiration.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Here's the train.- Here's the train.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- I like the noise, as well. - Wave to the kids.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Wave to the people on the train!
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Bekonscot captures a vision of 1930s England
0:19:24 > 0:19:28complete with ten scale miles of railways.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33There are parks, trees and gardens, all in keeping with the mini size.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35There are plants amongst the houses, aren't they?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Yeah, and I want it to feel like this.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40You want it to be a garden as well as...
0:19:40 > 0:19:42I do want it to be a garden.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Yeah, I don't think I realised quite how much until we came here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49- But it's a model garden as well as a model village.- Yeah.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Peter Crowther is on hand to give them some good tips.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59This group, copse of trees, cypress, the end of the airstrip.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01- Cypress?- Always looks nice, yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04OK, so how big does that grow?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06As big as you like, if you leave it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08OK, and is that a box at the back?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- Yeah, a little privet. - OK, a bit of privet.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13We've plenty of those from small.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16You can make a lovely long hedge, or a boundary.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Yeah, yeah, cos we need a boundary.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21So what's that one there?
0:20:21 > 0:20:25That's a Chinese elm, really good... quick-growing, easy to shape.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27That's really helpful.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29I think I'd quite like some of these in our garden.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- Yeah, I think I could see us using some of these.- Yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Most of these trees aren't actually dwarf varieties.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41They use normal stock
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and they're given the bonsai effect by precise shaping and pruning.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Nicola and Oliver watch carefully
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but will they manage as well back home?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55What's interesting is how quickly you've put all those layers in...
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- Yeah.- ..and leave it looking so nice.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Over the next couple of years it will thicken up.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02- Those layers will close up a bit. - Yeah.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06I think one of the things I'll take home is the fact I don't have
0:21:06 > 0:21:11to make a replica of where I live and I don't necessarily have to have
0:21:11 > 0:21:14all the plants the same scale as the buildings that we build.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18It might be more fun to actually have fun plants
0:21:18 > 0:21:19and the right sort of plants
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and not to worry too much about the size.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Do you think we can fit a train in, as well?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28I'd quite like a train, I don't know if it should be an Underground,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- given we live in London.- Maybe...
0:21:31 > 0:21:33It looks as though their dream garden keeps growing
0:21:33 > 0:21:35bigger and bigger.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Two months after his initial visit, Monty is back in Doncaster.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46He has agreed to lend a helping hand and has come ready for action.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Last time I visited Nicky and John's garden
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I was worried that it was a bit chaotic
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and it seemed really vital that they impose some order
0:21:56 > 0:21:59into their planning and the execution,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03if they're going to grow a decent crop of vegetables for next summer.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09The couple dream of making an organic-looking edible haven,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12mixing flowers, herbs, fruit and veg.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- Hello, Nicky.- Hello.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Are you OK? How are you?- Yes.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Well, you've been busy.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Yes, we've managed to get a bit done.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Yeah, so let me just take stock of what you've done.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- You've made these two raised beds. - Yes.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I thought we were going to make four raised beds?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Well, it worked better with working with the paths that were here,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39but also we do have the large side beds which are predominantly
0:22:39 > 0:22:43for fruit, but obviously can be an overspill for crop rotation as well.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46It's one thing not to have followed the plan
0:22:46 > 0:22:50but, as Monty predicted, the garden is still totally chaotic.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55We have a number of things started but nothing finished.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Well, at present I know we're on quite a slow timescale
0:23:00 > 0:23:03because I'm rather hampered by a small child and the weather
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and when John's available, as well, to help.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Now...I asked you to do a scale plan.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13- Yes, I've got one done. - I'd love to see that now.- OK!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16The plans look ever so much neater than the garden itself.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22The reason I asked you to do it was actually to organise yourself
0:23:22 > 0:23:27just so that you have to measure, set it out,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29rather than lots of dreams and lots of ideas.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Let's be honest, there is a tendency for this household
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- to be a bit chaotic. - Just a little bit, sometimes.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Now, listen, that can't happen in the garden.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44What you want is fantastic, and coming out with lots of energy
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and enthusiasm, doing a bit and then giving up is not practical.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Focus it on bits at a time, and I would say do one bed
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and do nothing else until that bed is finished.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57If you've only got ten minutes, do ten minutes' work... CHICKENS CLUCK
0:23:57 > 0:23:59The chickens agree with me!
0:24:01 > 0:24:04End of lecture and onto something more fun.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Nicky has told Monty that what she's most worried about
0:24:08 > 0:24:11is that she'll kill off expensive items like fruit trees.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Today he's going to demonstrate how to plant
0:24:14 > 0:24:17her very first Hessle pear tree.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So we're going to plant the pears as espaliers along here.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Now, an espalier is any tree, but particularly a fruit tree
0:24:24 > 0:24:28that is grown in tiers and there can be as many tiers as you like.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34Incidentally, the word "espalier" originates from the Italian word
0:24:34 > 0:24:37"spalliera" meaning something to rest the shoulder on.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Down a bit, up a fraction.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45'So we begin by creating a support system to train the tree.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50'This is very straightforward and simply requires eyelets and wire.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56'We're making three tiers, about 45cm apart
0:24:56 > 0:24:58'so we run wires across the fence at those intervals.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03'Next we dig a hole that's wide but not deep.'
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I would never, like, if left to my own devices,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- I would not have cleared a space as big as this.- Right.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15'We position the tree so it's angled back towards the fence.'
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Now, at this stage, when you're heeling it in,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25you don't want to damage the roots but you do want it to be firm,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28so just go like this all the way round.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Give them a generous soak.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Then add plenty of mulch,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42tie them with twine and that's a job done.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46These buds here are going to provide us our lateral growth.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50You grow this up at 45 degrees,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and then, in winter,
0:25:52 > 0:25:53lower them down.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Don't force them down, it might take two years to get them horizontal.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Then all these can be pruned off.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It'll take roughly a year for each tier,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07and I would have every expectation of that lasting
0:26:07 > 0:26:09for at least 100 years.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12And that's the important thing, really, isn't it, to get it in?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15It's not just for us, it's for other people, as well.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Nicky's also sourced some cheap plastic guttering that
0:26:19 > 0:26:22she wants to fix onto the fences to grow plants in.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25What had you thought of growing in the guttering?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Things like strawberries that might sort of manage
0:26:28 > 0:26:31to be in a shallower space.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34The first thing of any length of guttering
0:26:34 > 0:26:37is you're going to want some drainage.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39'We begin by drilling the holes about 10cm apart.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'Then we fasten the guttering to the fence with brackets.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'OK, now we're ready to plant up.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:54What we need to do is take a handful of compost...
0:26:54 > 0:26:57put it in the end and line the bottom.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02There's not enough room to put drainage in.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06If it was a deeper container I'd put some stones or crocks in
0:27:06 > 0:27:07but this is just too shallow.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14'Shallow-rooted herbs like chives can also work well in guttering.'
0:27:15 > 0:27:17All right, how about that?
0:27:17 > 0:27:18Beautiful.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22So what we now need to do is pack compost around them.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25'There's not much soil in there
0:27:25 > 0:27:28'so these strawberries will need regular watering, but keep them
0:27:28 > 0:27:32'moist and, all being well, they should successfully bear fruit.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Vertical gardening can be done on almost any budget.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44If you've got the means,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47tailor-made hydroponic systems can look spectacular.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51If not, improvise and it can be virtually free.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Now, what I'd like to see is every single inch
0:27:56 > 0:27:59of your vertical walls used.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02That way you're adding, what,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05a third as much again to the size of your garden.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Monty and Nicky have worked hard all day,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11but they've tackled just one small corner of the garden.
0:28:11 > 0:28:18My concern is that sometimes people around me worry...
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but, for me, I always knew it was going to go a little bit slowly.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24It isn't a surprise to me that it's a little slow.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28This garden is still a disaster zone.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31I don't think, as things stand, that Nicola has any chance
0:28:31 > 0:28:35of creating the edible haven that she so wants.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39But I really hope she proves me wrong.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42I'm not worried that it won't be done, of course it will be done.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44It will have to be done.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56In the cold months, both our gardens have come to a grinding halt.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01In Walthamstow's back garden the turf has been dug up
0:29:01 > 0:29:03and the Wendy house has been squeezed behind the shed
0:29:03 > 0:29:05to make space for the swing.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09The front has also been dug over and grit added for drainage,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13ready for model-building and planting next year.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16The winter season brings the wettest weather
0:29:16 > 0:29:19the UK has seen in nearly 250 years.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23In Doncaster the gales have been wreaking havoc.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39We had four fence panels go down in the recent winds,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42which made one hell of a noise and a crash.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44And there was quite a lot of damage
0:29:44 > 0:29:47and, obviously, everything spread all over the garden.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51The greenhouse was against one of the fence panels
0:29:51 > 0:29:55so we rushed out, obviously, to try to stop that going over, and failed.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59So we moved it here and, as you can see,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02that wasn't successful at all
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and, yes...
0:30:04 > 0:30:09the metal frame, I think, has actually snapped in two.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14I don't know how fixable that is now.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Although they're splitting the cost of replacing the fence
0:30:16 > 0:30:20with their neighbour, it's an expense they can ill afford.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26We set out with a fairly low budget, with about £500,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29and, yeah, it can't help but be affected by the fact
0:30:29 > 0:30:31that the fences have gone down, erm...
0:30:31 > 0:30:34That's quite a big expense.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Probably, effectively, starting to move towards almost
0:30:38 > 0:30:42half of the budget, I think, realistically.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45I'll be honest and say I don't know how that's going to affect
0:30:45 > 0:30:46things right now.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51For now, Nicky's trying to re-establish some sort of order,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54but the damage has left her really downcast.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57People have been quite badly hit and a lot of people
0:30:57 > 0:31:02have had to deal with stuff, but it is quite difficult at times.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04You try to keep positive because it is hard
0:31:04 > 0:31:09when everything seems to just be going wrong.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Over the last few months Nicola and Oliver in Walthamstow have
0:31:27 > 0:31:30steadily transformed their back garden.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32They've laid down pebbles and sleepers and bought large plants.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37It's time for Monty to catch up with them.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40On his first visit the couple had wanted their back yard to resemble
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Derek Jarman's seaside garden, but were told to go
0:31:43 > 0:31:47back to the drawing board by Monty, as their ideas jarred.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Now he's about to find out if they have a new plan.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Right, my guess is, because of the pebbles,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- you stuck with your Derek Jarman inspiration.- We have.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- So that's a little bit of Dungeness. - Yeah.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03You've still got that enormous swing taking up literally
0:32:03 > 0:32:07a quarter of the garden and the shed taking up another quarter.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11One of the things that worried me then,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and worries me now, is that it'll be bitty.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18So what you do need to do is relate these other spaces
0:32:18 > 0:32:22to this central area, which is what you first see.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25I would love to see all this pebbled
0:32:25 > 0:32:28so you had a complete unity of theme,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30and it would undoubtedly look better -
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I know it's fairly rude of me to say that.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34No, that's OK.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39The great secret of small gardens is to be ruthless in your editing.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Get rid of everything that isn't essential.- OK.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44And then slowly pull things in.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47I would suggest the way to do it is with a bit of wit
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- and charm - I mean, play.- OK.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52The couple haven't followed Monty's advice about plants either.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56They are combining spiky and frondy types, despite Monty's
0:32:56 > 0:32:58suggestion that they just choose one of them.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01This 6ft tree fern is their biggest purchase by far,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04at £500.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08You have this glorious tree fern which is Dicksonia Antarctica.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- Are you confident you know exactly how to look after it?- Not at all.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15- All right. Do you know where they come from? - Yeah, from New Zealand...
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Right, well, they love that cool,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21rather moist air and some shade.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23OK, we've not got much shade.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Now, where were you planning to put it?- About where it is.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29- You must give it some shade.- OK.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32The two places I would plant it, were it my garden,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34is either that far corner,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37- or as near into that corner as you can.- OK.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45- So what do you think of it there? - It's nice there.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Down... Lean it the other way if you can.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Very gently, that's it.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- It looks better there, doesn't it? - Yeah.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Time for a quick swing to make sure they don't damage
0:34:01 > 0:34:03their very expensive fern.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- It's not too bad, is it? - No, it's nice.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- It looks nice there. - I think it looks better there.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18What makes Dicksonia Antarctica, and tree ferns in general, so unique
0:34:18 > 0:34:23is the fact that their roots are here where my hands are.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- On the outside?- On the outside of the trunk. And these are bone dry,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29- you've been watering the soil.- Yeah.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- Which means you haven't been watering it at all.- Oh, dear.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Now, what I've been dying to do for the last half-hour
0:34:34 > 0:34:37is give this poor thing a drink, it needs it terribly.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40This is how you water a tree fern.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Oh, it starts to come out the sides!
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- OK?- That's like being in a rainforest.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Yeah, and this is, you see, how the rain filters down,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52which not a lot of it reaches the ground,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56but the plant has taken it up and used it before it does.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Thank you.- Right, well, that's a new home for that. That easy.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07Now, the back garden, they've splendidly ignored everything
0:35:07 > 0:35:08I advised them to do.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12I said, "Don't mix textures, don't mix styles,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15"work out what you want and go for it."
0:35:15 > 0:35:18And they've got a little bit of Derek Jarman's Dungeness,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21they've got a little bit of tree fern.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24They've still got the swings, they've still got some decking.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Monty thinks that we've got too much going on at the moment
0:35:28 > 0:35:31which, I guess to some extent, feels a bit like being told off
0:35:31 > 0:35:36by a teacher, but I think we need to learn from that
0:35:36 > 0:35:39and he's right, we have got too many things going on
0:35:39 > 0:35:41and don't quite know how everything's going to fit in.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45It'll be hard to make that garden look coherent
0:35:45 > 0:35:47and that's really important
0:35:47 > 0:35:50because otherwise it just ends up as a mishmash.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Over in South Yorkshire, Nicky and John's edible garden
0:35:56 > 0:35:59is at last beginning to take shape.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Spring is most definitely in the air
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and Nicky, for one, is delighted.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12All four fruit trees that we planted are now coming into leaf.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13Here's one of the fruit trees.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16This is the one we did with Monty, it's coming up...
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Yes, I'm really pleased with it cos it was a bit hairy for a while.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24You put...with fruit you put these bare sticks into the ground
0:36:24 > 0:36:28and you look at it and you think, "I'm sure that's dead."
0:36:28 > 0:36:30But, no, it's all springing back.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34So, yes, we are getting, we are getting fruit.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38It's all hands on deck, and Ninette has become quite the gardener.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41In the propagator we've been planting tomatoes,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44cucumbers, butternut squash
0:36:44 > 0:36:48and edible flowers, like electric daisies.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Not to be defeated by broken fences,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54the couple have found a novel way to do vertical gardening.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57They're using wooden pallets to hold pots.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01And Monty's pep talk has paid off - by finishing one bed at a time,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03all four are ready to go.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Just one change, though, they aren't raised beds any more.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11I think it was Nicky's idea to take the raised beds out
0:37:11 > 0:37:13because it looked more spacious,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and, to be honest, I think she's right.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19I was a bit annoyed about it because I put a lot of work into it
0:37:19 > 0:37:22but, at the end of the day, it does look better.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Now Nicky can get on with the part of gardening she loves best -
0:37:25 > 0:37:28the planting.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31But, being Nicky, she's doing it in her own special way.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Some of the more traditional things I've done is
0:37:35 > 0:37:38the growing of carrots in grids
0:37:38 > 0:37:43but then other parts of the garden have been more in clumps,
0:37:43 > 0:37:48as I originally suggested and, I know, horrified Monty a little.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52And, also, a lot of plants that people might consider weeds,
0:37:52 > 0:37:53I'm keeping some of them,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57like the fat hen, chickweed and the nettles.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I'd like far more nettles, actually.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Gardeners across the country will be horrified,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05horrified, but I do.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09I do, and I want more dead nettles. I like dead nettles.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14So lots of weeds growing in with lots of vegetables.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Let's hope it pays off because
0:38:17 > 0:38:20there's no budget left to fix any mistakes.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23I think there's still quite a bit to do
0:38:23 > 0:38:27because some of the beds are really bare.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31Every minute I can, I am going to spend in the garden
0:38:31 > 0:38:34making it how we want it to be.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45In Walthamstow, six months in, the front garden is virtually bare.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Ollie and Nicola dreamt of making a model village
0:38:48 > 0:38:52with miniature houses and trees, representing their neighbourhood.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55So far they've built a model of their street
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and followed Monty's advice by making houses
0:38:58 > 0:39:01that are seven times taller than their original version.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05- I see you've begun the houses for the front. - We have, we've done the first block
0:39:05 > 0:39:08I can't help noticing that these are a bigger scale than you talked about.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Yes, and I think what became important is that we wanted
0:39:11 > 0:39:14a garden, not just a model village.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16It's a model garden, as well.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- So therefore the plants are dictating the scale and you fit your buildings to them.- Yeah.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- Fine, well, that's a huge improvement.- Yeah.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- Have you thought about the planting? - Yes, we've got alpines,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29we've got miniature conifers,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32we've got some saxifrage-type plants.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34They're things that are very low.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35My only worry there with that -
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I mean, obviously, the alpines give you the scale -
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- is most alpines, not all, like full sun.- Oh.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Saxifrage is actually one of the few that will take some shade,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and there are more, so we need to carefully choose the alpines
0:39:48 > 0:39:50so they will cope with that shade.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54So you've got bare root box unprotected, sitting there.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Yeah, oh, dear.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- It's been like that for ages.- Have they?- Yeah, they've been fine.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01We've just storing the plants in that one for the front.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05I have to say it's one of my complete fetishes.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08If you've got bare root plants, keep them covered,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10keep them covered all the time.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12- I mean, literally all the time.- OK.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18There's one plant that does love moisture and shade,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and that's moss.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25To harvest some from a roof, gently lift it up, making sure
0:40:25 > 0:40:28that as much of the root is attached as possible.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- Right, we've got a little bit there. - OK.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Moss should not be removed from natural areas
0:40:36 > 0:40:38as it's a crucial part of the ecosystem,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41but it can be bought if you need some.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46So we've got moss and I know you want to use it as lawns
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- and also perhaps on the roofs? - Yes, some green roofs.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54OK, well, what we can do, if we take a small piece,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- you can glue it...- Glue it? - ..to wood or stone.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- And it'll stay alive? - It'll stay alive.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03But if we just put a dab of glue - there's rather a lot on there -
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- and stick it on a roof like that, OK?- Yeah.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Keep it wet and that will grow.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12- Fantastic.- That's all you need.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Right, the second way is if you want to make a moss lawn,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- you can't glue it to soil. - Glue it to soil, no.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So the first thing to do is establish compaction.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23So you go like that and press it down.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Now, I've got some moss here and this has just been lifted off the soil
0:41:26 > 0:41:32and that can just be pushed down onto there like that,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- and as long as you keep it nice and moist...- Again.- Yeah, always.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37Keep it moist.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41- That will grow on that surface. - That's amazing.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43The third method is a bit more dramatic.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45I'm going to blend it,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- I'm going to make a kind of moss soup.- Oh, excellent!
0:41:48 > 0:41:51So if we pop the moss in there
0:41:51 > 0:41:55and then I'm going to add a few of these moisture-retentive crystals.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58So we're going to add some of those in there
0:41:58 > 0:42:03and I'm going to add some water, quite a lot of water, like that.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Now, we put the lid back on...
0:42:06 > 0:42:08..and then give this a whizz.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12OK, that will do. So...
0:42:13 > 0:42:15We can just stick a paint brush in.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19If you can imagine that this was a wall there,
0:42:19 > 0:42:20if we painted this on...
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- ..and put it in the shade.- Yeah.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27..there is enough moss there,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30even though it's all chopped up incredibly fine,
0:42:30 > 0:42:31- for the moss to grow.- Wow!
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Is that any help?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37That's loads of help. I think particularly the idea that we
0:42:37 > 0:42:40can get lawns but we can actually get creepers
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and fine detail of plants, never occurred to me, so that's great, thank you.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55A month later, Nicola from Walthamstow is off on a moss hunt.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Her daughter's school has an abundance of it.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02The head has given Nicola the green light to
0:43:02 > 0:43:04harvest as much as she wants.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06She finds a whole lot of it.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Enough to make a mini model town.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Scraping moss off a school playground floor
0:43:15 > 0:43:18has to be one of the strangest things I've ever done in my life,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21let alone for a garden.
0:43:29 > 0:43:30Back at model HQ,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33armed with her moss and miniature plants,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36it's time to get to work.
0:43:36 > 0:43:37OK, do you know where that goes down?
0:43:40 > 0:43:43What we're planting here is miniature conifers,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46and then we've bought a miniature elm tree
0:43:46 > 0:43:49and a miniature willow tree, as well.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52That tree represents the one down the street
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and Nicola wants to trim it to be an exact match.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00You look at that, and then tell me if I'm getting it right.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05- It's rounded at the top. - And what else?
0:44:05 > 0:44:09And the trunk goes straight up, so it's not really like that.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12I remember from being at Bekonscot that you could actually be
0:44:12 > 0:44:15- really quite bold with them.- Yeah.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Outdoor bonsai in the making.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Next up, it's alpines, and Monty advised them
0:44:20 > 0:44:23to study which ones suit this environment.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26I don't think we did a lot of research
0:44:26 > 0:44:29- about anything beyond the trees, really.- No.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33I can't remember what likes sun and what doesn't like sun, to be honest.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36I have looked and I can't remember any more.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Hedge, what do you reckon?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Yeah, can we sort of separate it out and...
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Yeah, cut it into bits.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Well, take it apart, you need both hands.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48No, both... Pull it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Pull the soil.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53They seem to have destroyed the all-important roots.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56What do you reckon? Do you reckon they're OK?
0:44:56 > 0:44:58What have I done to this plant?
0:44:58 > 0:45:02I'm a bit worried that we might have killed it by separating it.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05If Monty was here, he might tell me to stop,
0:45:05 > 0:45:07and think about what I'm doing here,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11and what am I actually trying to achieve with these plants.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14We're going to plant the hedge in front of our house, maybe?
0:45:14 > 0:45:18I don't know, I think the hedge is a bit problematic, isn't it?
0:45:18 > 0:45:20The hedge is problematic.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22That's not the only problem.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26The larger box hedge is also looking the worse for wear.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30That's the one Monty saw starved of water on his last visit.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Some of the hedge may be dead.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37Monty said about not having bare roots exposed
0:45:37 > 0:45:39for longer than about 30 seconds
0:45:39 > 0:45:43and we must have had it exposed for about 30 days, so...
0:45:43 > 0:45:48Lastly, it's moss-gluing. Hopefully, that might survive the ordeal.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51This is quite messy fun. I like this.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52- I think that's quite cute.- Yeah.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Miniature gardening is much trickier than I imagined.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01So, that's one Walthamstow street in miniature.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Well, Rome wasn't built in a day!
0:46:03 > 0:46:06And, apparently, neither was Walthamstow.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24It's early summer in Doncaster and Monty's on his way to see
0:46:24 > 0:46:27the final fruits of Nicky and John's labours.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30The couple have struggled for months to create their garden,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33but today they're wrestling with another worry.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Naturally, I'm slightly daunted that Monty's coming,
0:46:36 > 0:46:40cos he's a well-known gardener and he knows his stuff.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Any advice where we've gone wrong or anything like that...
0:46:43 > 0:46:45We haven't gone wrong!
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Or anything like that...
0:46:47 > 0:46:49No!
0:46:49 > 0:46:54The main problems, obviously, have been with the wind. Acts of God.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57There's been a lot of trials and tribulations.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59We've done well, I think.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I haven't been back to see Nicola since last autumn,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05and I left there not feeling terribly optimistic.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07I'm not sure that she herself
0:47:07 > 0:47:11can get organised enough to put it all together.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Nine months ago, this was a desolate, unproductive plot.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20And now, it's been given a new lease of life.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Well, big changes! It's filled out.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Every plant in Nicky and John's garden is edible.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35They've doubled their growing space by enlarging their beds
0:47:35 > 0:47:38and growing produce vertically,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40using rows of cane wigwams,
0:47:40 > 0:47:44wooden posts, and creatively recycled pallets.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48As well as containers on the fence panels.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53There's plenty of food,
0:47:53 > 0:47:54like tomatoes,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58courgettes and strawberries
0:47:58 > 0:48:01and the style is very wild and organic.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05Vegetables and herbs are mixed in with flowers
0:48:05 > 0:48:08and there are edible weeds everywhere.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11Conventionally,
0:48:11 > 0:48:15all advice is to weed vegetables completely.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Is there any reason why you haven't done that?
0:48:18 > 0:48:20I do quite like the weeds.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25I sort of have a bit of a fear of just bare soil.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29- It's something I've struggled with around the peas...- I can see.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31..and it's bare and I hate it.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34But it's not bare, it's really not bare.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37They are full of weeds, that's the fact.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41If you want to maximise your harvest,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44in terms of small space, which is pretty much what you talked about,
0:48:44 > 0:48:47then you do have to get on top of the weeds. If, on the other hand,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50you want a nice garden that makes you happy, it doesn't matter.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53I want both of those things.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57What I would suggest is that you have some areas
0:48:57 > 0:49:01that are rigorously devoted to maximum food
0:49:01 > 0:49:05and around the edges, you let some areas have some more weeds
0:49:05 > 0:49:07and a little bit more looseness.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Let's go on looking at the garden as it is now.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13By the fence, the vertical garden is thriving.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16And the fruit trees and strawberries have flourished.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19The idea is right. It's using space, going upwards.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Peas, lovely purple-podded peas,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25which are so beautiful, and I like what you've done over here.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Yes, it was our simple, no-skills, DIY solution.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32- And this is your potting shed. - Yes.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36Standing here, it looks nice, doesn't it? Are you pleased?
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Yes, I feel we're really starting to move forward.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47So, Nicky and John have invited Monty for lunch,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and are cooking an entire meal from the garden.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53It doesn't get fresher than this.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56- We have elderflower.- Fantastic, and a lovely looking salad,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00and look at that frittata! That looks fabulous!
0:50:00 > 0:50:01Delicious.
0:50:04 > 0:50:09Now, here we are, sharing a meal where everything is from the garden.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13So, that's complete success, mission accomplished.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Yes, and we really are getting there.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18And I love being out here, I really do,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21and I sit here and I look at it,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23and it does make me happy.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29I know that this year has been a tough one for Nicky,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31and she finds the whole process of making the garden
0:50:31 > 0:50:35and looking after it fraught with anxiety,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37but she's done what she set out to do,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40which is provide food for her family.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44I recognise that this maybe is not
0:50:44 > 0:50:46a lot of people's typical thought
0:50:46 > 0:50:49when they think of a perfect garden,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51but it's nice for us.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56I think something else will increasingly happen, too.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59The garden will look after Nicola.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06It's almost time for Monty to come and inspect the team in Walthamstow.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Nicola, Oliver, and their nephew, Freddie, are adding final touches -
0:51:10 > 0:51:14or is it flourishes - to their beach-themed garden.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- Nicola is very proud. - It's going really well.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18It was looking lovely this morning.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20When the sun was shining, it felt very much like
0:51:20 > 0:51:23being at the seaside, the big, spiky grasses,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26and now Freddie's painting the back wall,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28which makes that seem white and summery, as well.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30I like what they're doing with it.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32And I like the tropical plants,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34the pebbles, the grass.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36In line with Monty's advice,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38they've tried to harmonise their planting
0:51:38 > 0:51:40by sticking to more spiky types.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44We did listen to him on the advice about plants,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47but I'm not sure we've listened to him
0:51:47 > 0:51:49on the advice about garden design.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52On his last visit, Monty was concerned their creation
0:51:52 > 0:51:53might appear too bitty,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56and he urged them to try and pull it together as one.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Perhaps with more pebbles.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00What we've got in the garden is four squares.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03We've got a square for the turf, a square for the pebbles,
0:52:03 > 0:52:05a square for the table and chairs
0:52:05 > 0:52:07and a square for the wooden structures.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10To tie the garden together, Monty thought it would be better
0:52:10 > 0:52:12to extend the pebbles under the table,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15but I'm quite happy with the way the garden is at the moment.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Maybe if we'd spread them out, it would have been a bit too much.
0:52:19 > 0:52:20What might be too much
0:52:20 > 0:52:23is the eclectic range of objets d'art they've acquired,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25including four mannequins.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Monty said that we'd got rather too much going on
0:52:32 > 0:52:34as it was in the garden,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38and I'm not sure if he was aware of this part of the plan.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Auntie Nicola seems to be into these random bits and bobs
0:52:42 > 0:52:44that she picks up from places.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48I like the ideas she has. The problem could be, as it's a small space,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52that they might put too much in, and be a bit of an eyesore, in a way.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01In Walthamstow, the lively E17 Art Trail
0:53:01 > 0:53:03has kicked off across the town.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07It's a community festival with pop-up exhibitions
0:53:07 > 0:53:10in unconventional spaces and in open houses.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15From a knitted fairy-tale garden...
0:53:15 > 0:53:16We do love the Art Trail.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Some people think we're a bit crazy and a bit mad,
0:53:18 > 0:53:20but most people generally enjoy it.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23..to fruity memorabilia.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28My piece of work is called Mr Del Monte, He Say Yes!
0:53:28 > 0:53:30And entered as exhibit number nine on the trail
0:53:30 > 0:53:33is Nicola and Oliver's model village.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Monty's on his way, and the couple are feeling the pressure.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Today's the last day, so we're excited
0:53:39 > 0:53:41and a little bit anxious, I think.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45When you've got someone who's a world expert on gardening
0:53:45 > 0:53:48coming to see your very-much-amateur garden,
0:53:48 > 0:53:49it is quite nerve-racking.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51But he's a really nice guy,
0:53:51 > 0:53:53so fingers crossed he'll like it.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Nine months ago, Oliver and Nicola's front garden
0:53:57 > 0:53:59was a dull shingle-covered space
0:53:59 > 0:54:02that only served to house the family's bins.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Now, it's become an art installation.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Wow! So, you've made it. You got there!
0:54:12 > 0:54:15The model is a replica of three adjacent roads in Walthamstow
0:54:15 > 0:54:17next to this house.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Oliver and Nicola have fashioned trees from small conifers and elms
0:54:20 > 0:54:23and they've created hedges and lawns
0:54:23 > 0:54:25from moss stuck onto the peg board.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Around a central log, they've added herbs and other small plants
0:54:28 > 0:54:31all of which fit the scale.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33But chances of survival for some are slim.
0:54:33 > 0:54:40Plants like lavender are never going to like this situation.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42They need perfect drainage,
0:54:42 > 0:54:45really good drainage, and full sunshine.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47The same goes for the thyme.
0:54:47 > 0:54:52- It won't last.- No, Mediterranean herbs must have sunshine.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55What's clear is the model is what matters to you.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Always, this was going to be
0:54:59 > 0:55:02a...a very singular project.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05So, the fact you've realised it
0:55:05 > 0:55:08is great, and I like its singularity.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10I think, you know, that's part of its charm.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Three cheers for wackiness is the main thing!
0:55:13 > 0:55:15- Now I want to see the back. - Thank you.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22On Monty's first visit, this was a dull,
0:55:22 > 0:55:26nondescript back garden, dominated by a swing.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Now, it's been given a new look,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32but will Monty still think it's a bit of a mishmash?
0:55:32 > 0:55:35It's all come together, hasn't it?
0:55:38 > 0:55:41The seaside has definitely come to Walthamstow,
0:55:41 > 0:55:43with a tiny beach and deck chairs.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49But Nicola and Oliver have given it a quirky and arty twist,
0:55:49 > 0:55:52and a character all of their own.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Now, it does seem to me
0:55:57 > 0:56:01that you've made it, with some respect, more coherent.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- Oh, that's good. - At just first glance!
0:56:04 > 0:56:06We've kind of simplified it by clustering things together
0:56:06 > 0:56:10into groups, rather than having them all mishmashed together.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13Which is just better design, really, isn't it?
0:56:13 > 0:56:16One of the things that would strike me as a gardener
0:56:16 > 0:56:19is there's not a lot of gardening opportunities.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22And by "gardening", it means plant care and tending.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Is that deliberate, or is that something that you might develop?
0:56:25 > 0:56:28I think we see this as, if it's not too grand a phrase,
0:56:28 > 0:56:30"a work in progress", an ongoing thing.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34- It's a pretty accurate phrase.- We've got this big swing at the moment,
0:56:34 > 0:56:38but the children won't always be young enough to play on a swing.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42So, over time, that will go. And we'll probably develop beds
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- that have got more planting opportunity.- Are you happy?
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Really happy, delighted!
0:56:47 > 0:56:49We had a visitor to our house the other day
0:56:49 > 0:56:52who we'd never met before, and she saw the garden
0:56:52 > 0:56:55through the patio doors and said, "That's a really nice garden."
0:56:55 > 0:56:59No-one has ever said that to us before, and that was delightful.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06It's time to open the house for the Art Trail
0:57:06 > 0:57:08and see what the locals think.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15I love the model village, I think it's great.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17It's a really, really lovely thing.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Really fun, and invites people in.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21- Hello, come in!- Hello!
0:57:21 > 0:57:23- It's great!- Thank you.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29- Cheers. - Oh, cheers, congratulations.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Cheers, thank you. Thank you for your help, Monty.
0:57:32 > 0:57:33It's always a pleasure.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37We've got deck chairs and pebbles and it's really sunny
0:57:37 > 0:57:40and feels a bit like a beach. So, success, I think.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47If gardens were measured to be a success
0:57:47 > 0:57:49only by their plants,
0:57:49 > 0:57:50I think you'd have to say
0:57:50 > 0:57:54that Nicola and Oliver's garden was not a success.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58I think that they are as much baffled by plants
0:57:58 > 0:58:00as they are delighted by them.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03But that isn't the only measure of success.
0:58:03 > 0:58:04A garden is what you want it to be.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06Now, nine months ago,
0:58:06 > 0:58:10they had this quite confused, but interesting, goal,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13and now they've got a space that they can enjoy.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16Now, on anybody's terms, THAT is a success.