0:00:02 > 0:00:04Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space?
0:00:04 > 0:00:09A small garden which you can admire, enjoy and call your own.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11And then you stop and think,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16"I have no idea how to make it." Well, you're not alone.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Over the past year, Monty Don has travelled up
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and down the country visiting amateur gardeners
0:00:22 > 0:00:26and working with them to make their dreams come true.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29He's cast a critical eye over their plans...
0:00:29 > 0:00:33- Don't be too horrified, Monty! - Everything is possible.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- I know it seems unusual. - It's just profoundly unusual!
0:00:36 > 0:00:37..and given advice.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- Just pinch that off.- They took so long to grow!
0:00:40 > 0:00:41He's got stuck in.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- Monty's gone in MY garden! - Oh, my goodness!
0:00:45 > 0:00:49And everybody has worked incredibly hard.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- Look at the size of that! - The results are truly exciting.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's really nice.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56CHEERING
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I do believe that everybody, however small their garden,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02can cultivate a big dream.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11This time, Monty is meeting two sets of amateur gardeners
0:01:11 > 0:01:15who have high hopes for their own back gardens.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I know nothing about woodlands, nothing about trees.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We've never done anything like this before
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and we probably won't do anything like this again.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Please!
0:01:24 > 0:01:25From a wild wasteland...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27He's on a warpath!
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- What have I done? - Were you angry this morning?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33..to a treacherous slope.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Cutting the grass is a nightmare.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38You've had a couple of close shaves, haven't you? Yes.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Will they succeed in building their dream?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I've never done a project like this before
0:01:43 > 0:01:44and I think it is quite ambitious.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47- We've got to live with it. - Yes, for ever!- Mm.- Mm.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Our first garden is in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Owners Glenn and Zoe fell in love with the spectacular views
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and snapped it up eight months ago.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03It's our first house together.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08So it's the house that, hopefully, is going to grow with us.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12But at the moment the garden is completely unusable.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It slopes one way and it also slopes sideways,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18so it kind of dips down in one corner.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20There's very little level ground there.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23There's a series of steps that are too small for you to walk
0:02:23 > 0:02:24safely down.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29- And it's not particularly nice to look at either, I don't think.- No.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I like grass, but just to have grass and nothing else...
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Cutting the grass is a nightmare.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38He's had a couple of close shaves, haven't you? Yes.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The pair are desperate for a space they can enjoy with family
0:02:41 > 0:02:45and friends without being worried someone might roll away!
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It needs to be a garden we can sit in and enjoy being in.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It's got another important purpose this year, too.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- We also getting married at the end of the year.- Yes.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59We decided to grow something in the garden
0:02:59 > 0:03:01that we can have at our wedding.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- In October.- Yes. So...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I've got some leeks growing, how about them?
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- They'll do, won't they?- Mm!
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Our second garden belongs to Nighat.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16When she started looking for allotment plots
0:03:16 > 0:03:18in the London Borough of Barnet,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21she had an unusual reason for needing some outside space.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I'm renting this plot because I wanted a space for my bees.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29A passionate beekeeper, Nighat's hives are being delivered in August.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33But this plot isn't quite ready yet for its new inhabitants.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's very pretty to look at but it's completely overgrown.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Weeds, the trees have overgrown.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40For 30 years nobody has been looking after it.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It's going to be very challenging
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and I have to clear up this place and see what's here.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Nighat is enlisting the help of all her family,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51particularly her husband, Kausar.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55It's quite a difficult terrain, but she's quite tenacious.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And she's set herself a mammoth challenge of creating
0:03:58 > 0:04:01somewhere beautiful as well as functional.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I know nothing about woodlands, I know nothing about trees.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It will be a real learning curve for me.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12As an environmental consultant, Nighat is a stickler for detail.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14She's almost a perfectionist,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18so when she makes decisions she looks at all the options.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I like to research everything as much as I can
0:04:22 > 0:04:23and then I will make a decision.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28It can be quite annoying for others but that's the way I work.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33With spring in the air,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Monty is on his way to Salisbury to meet Glenn and Zoe.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39We're trying to guess what he would drink.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41We thought perhaps something organic,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44like hot water with some mint leaves on it or something.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Hello!- Oh, hello!- Hello.- Zoe. - Yes, Monty. Pleased to meet you.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Hi, Monty.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I've been to Salisbury a number of times,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- I've never been up looking over the city.- We are quite high.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Fantastic! A beautiful view, but I suppose it means you have a slope.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- Yes.- Quite a slope.- There is a downside, literally.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Let's go and have a look.- OK.- OK.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- Right, I see. So you've got a steep slope.- Yes.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Quite a big flat area, though, at the top.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- And I guess these trees shade it out.- Mm.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Do they completely shade it? - Not really, no.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I'd say about half to three-quarters.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Can I go down the bottom and look back up
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- so I can get a picture of it? - Yeah, do.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- It doesn't feel like you're going anywhere, does it?- No.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- It's the road to nowhere.- Yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34To make a small garden work,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39you have to be ruthless about what you leave out, not what you put in.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- OK.- And actually, the more you leave out, usually the better it is.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Right.- You just can't have the garden of your dreams
0:05:45 > 0:05:48because it's not big enough to take it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49But you can have a dream garden.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52There is a difference between the two.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54We've also got a deadline that we've set ourselves,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- in that we're both getting married...- To each other, I hope?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- To each other, yes!- Yes.- Thank you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02In the autumn, so we've got the impetus to try
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and produce something, whatever that might be.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06What is the date?
0:06:06 > 0:06:07- 24th October.- Right.- Yeah.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Intrigued by the challenge,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Monty is keen to look at Glenn and Zoe's plan.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18The pair want to keep the existing patio area at the top of the garden.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22They wish to extend the existing path
0:06:22 > 0:06:26until it curves around the garden to a raised decking area.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32They intend to create a further seating area at the opposite
0:06:32 > 0:06:34corner of the garden.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37They would like to use the bottom section of the garden
0:06:37 > 0:06:38for shade-loving plants
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and create more planting pockets at the top of the garden.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48- My initial reaction is that it's not ambitious enough.- Mm-hm.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You've drawn your blank canvas, then you've put on the wall
0:06:51 > 0:06:53where it is, you've put on the path where it is.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Part of our problem is that whilst we were going with
0:06:56 > 0:06:58the existing steps to take us down the garden,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01but where are we going when we get down there? And there is nowhere.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05See, I really think, from a garden design point of view, that this
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- is really bad design, because it doesn't take you anywhere.- No.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10This is true.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13It's done because it's the easiest way to traverse the slope.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Yeah.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17For what it's worth, I think you should jettison this path
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and everything to do with it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20OK.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's a road to nowhere.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27I would make this into two distinct terraces,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30with a wall supporting them, parallel to the house.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34The steps down, I'd take from the terrace...
0:07:34 > 0:07:36At the moment,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40it's the first time we've thought of having straight lines in the garden.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- I know, that's something I never would have thought of.- No.- No.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44I don't know why. I don't know.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I'm quite surprised, actually, because I didn't think that...
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Why didn't we think of it?- I think it would create more planting.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- Definitely. - You'd definitely have more planting.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54These have a lot more planting.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59This top terrace has plenty of sunlight. It's not at all difficult.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02The mood, you know, it could be subtle, it could be soft,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- it could be really strong...- Yes.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Down the bottom you'd have a much more sophisticated
0:08:07 > 0:08:10blend of plants, which essentially are woodland.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12- Right.- Because they're in semi-shade.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- Yeah.- Yeah.- What's your budget? - ZOE LAUGHS
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Well, we had a budget and we've kind of doubled it just in case.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- So it was...it's £2,000.- Right.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- You'll spend 2,000.- Yeah.- OK.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Monty's idea involves keeping the existing patio area
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and losing all the grass in the garden.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37He suggests building two separate terraces with a path running
0:08:37 > 0:08:39straight down the middle.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Losing the decking at the bottom to allow more
0:08:41 > 0:08:46opportunity for extending the shady plants into a woodland area
0:08:46 > 0:08:51and filling both terraces with lots of curvy, sinuous planting to
0:08:51 > 0:08:55create interest when looking down from the top of the slope.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59This garden gets ten out of ten for being problematic.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05It's small, it's shady, it's on a very steep slope and the soil is...
0:09:05 > 0:09:07really bad.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10However...it's a lovely site. It's got a great view.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16And I think one could make it good, but not using anything that's here.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21For Monty to come in and say get rid of all the grass, that's stunning.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26I would scrap the lot. Be radical. Start again.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30This is our one main chance, and if we don't take full advantage
0:09:30 > 0:09:34of Monty being here with us this summer, we're never going to do it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- And we need to be happy with it. - Absolutely.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Because we've got to live with it. - Yes. For ever!- Mm.- Mm.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49A few days later and Monty is in Barnet to see if he can help
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Nighat turn her ramshackle plot into a peaceful haven.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Hopefully, I'll get some really good advice from Monty.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00He'll see the place, he'll see its challenges
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and hopefully he'll roll up his sleeves and help me out a bit.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06And the whole allotment are feeling excited.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08I love Monty Don!
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I think that's fantastic that he's coming here.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15What's your primary desire here?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17What I really want to do is actually keep bees.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I have kept bees,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and by pure coincidence I'm just starting to do so again this week.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Wonderful!- So I've got a swarm being delivered on Friday.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28So I'm keen to learn from you.
0:10:28 > 0:10:34But as I understand it, they need to be as south-facing as possible,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36with an uninterrupted flight path.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40I was thinking of positioning some hives at the end over there,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- where they would catch the morning light.- What's it going to look like?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47There should be a path connecting both these areas.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The other thing which I want are herbs.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And I want to grow things in patches.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- How much is this going to cost? What's the budget?- £300-£500.- OK.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00But I'll see!
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Before exploring further,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Monty is keen to work out exactly
0:11:04 > 0:11:07what Nighat has planned for the space.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I love the way you've charted the sun.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Do you know, that's the first plan I've ever seen where
0:11:13 > 0:11:14someone's done that.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's so important and good.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Nighat plans to leave all existing trees on the plot as they are.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Following the contours of the land will allow her to find
0:11:26 > 0:11:27natural pathways.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32She intends to build a water feature at the top of the plot.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36An area for hives will be surrounded with planting
0:11:36 > 0:11:38to provide forage for the bees.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Further pockets of planting for vegetables
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and herbs will be spaced around the plot.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Your biggest problem is shade. - The trees.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- What is a good time to prune them? - Well...
0:11:51 > 0:11:53the simple answer is about six months ago.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59- Oh...- But in practice, for what you're doing, just do it.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03I mean, I could move the pond here, maybe. It gets more sun.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It would certainly get more sun. I mean, there is a commonsense thing
0:12:07 > 0:12:10which is, if you have a pond at the lowest point in your garden...
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Yes, it does make sense. I should know better.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16..then it's going to drain better
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and also it will be easier for light.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22You must clear the excess nettles,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26the excess growth from the trees, particularly at the lower levels.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31And all rubble, hardcore, old wood and what have you.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Monty has had an even bigger idea for the planting scheme.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- How much do you know about permaculture?- Very little.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Permaculture uses trees,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44uses shrubs in clearings where you grow crops that need more sun.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48You don't try and alter the basic conditions, so if it's desert,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51you grow in desert, if it's woodland, you keep the woodland.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54You've got your fruit trees.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56You can have plants climbing up them, you can
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- have low shrubs, you can have ground...- OK.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03It's almost a sort of idealised permaculture plot, isn't it?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Monty believes Nighat needs to clear the site properly
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and remove all rubble, hardcore and nettles.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Prune the trees back to allow much more light into the space.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Move the pond from the top to the bottom of the garden.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Level the area and create a raised site for the hives.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Allow for pockets of planting which will thrive in a forest setting.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Use the natural framework from her trees to train vegetables
0:13:33 > 0:13:34and berries.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Choose herbs and vegetables which will survive in this
0:13:37 > 0:13:40unconventional allotment setting.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Just get back!
0:13:42 > 0:13:46And Monty is determined to get cracking straightaway.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48NIGHAT LAUGHS
0:13:48 > 0:13:50He's on...
0:13:50 > 0:13:52a war path!
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Now...- Oh, dear.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56- What have I done?- Destruction!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Were you angry this morning?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Believe you me, this will grow back faster than you'll want it to.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- When you're pollarding, you can see these cut points.- Yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- By cutting back to there, it'll reshoot.- OK.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Because you're letting light into this space.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- When you cut a branch like that, you always undercut it...- Oh, really?
0:14:16 > 0:14:22..like that...and then cut slightly away from the trunk.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26..so that...
0:14:26 > 0:14:28so that it doesn't tear.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35There you go.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42See, now light comes in here and this is a circle of light now.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43Yes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48When I come back, you should have everything you want cleared cleared.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49OK.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53And then we can think about planting or maybe making a pond
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- or whatever it is.- All right.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01I'm very aware that I seem like this terrible brute.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05He's just destroyed the place.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09But unless Nighat really gets stuck in and deals with
0:15:09 > 0:15:14the problems on the ground, her lovely plans won't come to fruition.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17One of the good things is that I can see how I can
0:15:17 > 0:15:21position my beehives and what will be a good space to keep them in.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26A little bit of applied brutality may be exactly what she needs now.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Tough advice from Monty.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Will Nighat be able to pick up where he's left off?
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Back in Salisbury, Glenn and Zoe have had to do some rethinking
0:15:40 > 0:15:42since their favourite gardener left.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Monty's suggested plan involved building two terraces with
0:15:46 > 0:15:49a path straight down the middle.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53I really was uncomfortable with that because it was too...boring.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58So we've taken half of his suggestion but we've added to it.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Instead of having two sections that were going to be
0:16:01 > 0:16:02symmetrical and exactly the same,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05we've made a little path that sort of kinks off,
0:16:05 > 0:16:10dog-legs at an angle, so that it adds a little bit more interest.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14For the terrace, we're going to use wood blocks built with a peg system.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16And they are relatively easy to put together.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Once you've got them level and square,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21it's just like a big Lego set made of wood.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I think it's here.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Oh, crikey! - ZOE SQUEALS
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I'm too excited!
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Oh, crumbs!
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Hope he's got a brake on that.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35ZOE GASPS THEATRICALLY
0:16:35 > 0:16:37SHE GASPS AND GIGGLES
0:16:37 > 0:16:39The thing is with Zoe, you never know what she's thinking(!)
0:16:39 > 0:16:42She's such a closed book.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46SHE SQUEALS
0:16:46 > 0:16:48SHE LAUGHS EXCITEDLY
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Now all they need to do is to work out how to build them.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- So the peg would go in from that side...- Yeah.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- It'll all become clear when we build it.- So this is the whole thing?
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Yeah.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Meanwhile, in Barnet, Nighat has got her friends
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and family on hand to help get her site ready for the bees.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Today, we're going to level the place where the hives
0:17:13 > 0:17:15are going to be kept.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19She's taken Monty's advice and started clearing the plot.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21But they've already come up against a problem.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23We just found a lot of glass,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26so we're just trying to remove as much as we can.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Are you OK?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I hope it wasn't a whole greenhouse!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33That means there'll be plenty of glass!
0:17:33 > 0:17:35There are layers and layers of glass...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37With the glass removed,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40they can now get on with building a raised wall for the hives.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- Put these in here.- OK.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47The rest of the allotment are intrigued.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49How on earth is she going to put some bees into this little space?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53She's using a plot which was not used for a long, long time.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56It was considered as one of the difficult plots.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I think everybody is encouraging and making sure that she
0:18:00 > 0:18:03gets as much help as possible to make the project work.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08But before she can move on to the next stage,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Nighat needs to explore Monty's big idea for her dream garden.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16So she and Kausar are off to Hampshire to find out how
0:18:16 > 0:18:20they can turn their tiny plot into a productive paradise.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Chapel Cottages is a working forest garden filled with edible
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and sustainable plants.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The owners, Maddy and Tim Harland,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32are eager to explain how it all works.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33- NIGHAT:- Wow!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36What we've tried to do with the forest garden is to emulate
0:18:36 > 0:18:39the different layers of a native woodland,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43which has a top canopy, middle canopy and ground cover.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So you think about the natural woodland
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and how a natural woodland grows and all the niches and where
0:18:49 > 0:18:53the light is, and then you swap it for edible,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56useful or medicinal plants.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59One of the problems I have is there's not enough
0:18:59 > 0:19:01light in the plot I have.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04One of the tricks of forest gardening is that you have
0:19:04 > 0:19:08to plant at the right distances.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10So if you're doing it from scratch, you have to think,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14what will the mature canopy of that tree be?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Nighat's plot is not identical to this one,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21but she can certainly use the same principles to achieve her dream.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25If I was going to grow vegetables, I would want to do it
0:19:25 > 0:19:28something like this, near the shed,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31in a raised bed, in a no-dig system.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35So if I'm starting from scratch, how do I go about it?
0:19:35 > 0:19:39When I'm starting on top of grass or weeds, I would actually do
0:19:39 > 0:19:43a whole layer of cardboard to totally suppress the weeds.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48And then on top of that I would add garden compost, manure.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50You're not double-digging,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54you're not forking over the plot every spring before you plant.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Chapel Cottages also employ natural methods of pest control.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Slugs are delicate creatures
0:20:00 > 0:20:04and they don't like crossing grit and spiky things.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We save all of our eggshells and we break them up.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I've got charcoal here, they don't like climbing on charcoal.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15So we'll put the barbecue leftovers on it.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19And trees are used as a natural framework for growing.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Here's a great example of an Oregon Thornless blackberry
0:20:23 > 0:20:27which does well in a woodland-type environment.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30It's using the apple tree there as a framework.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I think that's a really good idea.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Although it's a challenge to create an edible forest garden,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Maddy and Tim rely on certain plants which thrive in these conditions.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Apples, pears and figs can be grown
0:20:44 > 0:20:46between the taller canopies of trees.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Shade-tolerant soft fruits, such as currants
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and Japanese wineberries, flourish on the woodland edge.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Mint or wild flowers work as excellent ground cover.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02But Nighat is already worrying about getting it right.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03What if I get it all wrong?
0:21:03 > 0:21:08I think I've got these plants which may not be appropriate for the area.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I just want them because I like them.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12There's no harm in experimenting.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17No, we experiment still and always try to push the edge of possibility.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21- Sometimes you have to admit when you're beaten and nature wins.- Yes!
0:21:21 > 0:21:24One of the things I'd like to take back from this is
0:21:24 > 0:21:29the stacking of all the trees, the shrubs and the ground cover.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33I think it's brilliant. Some of the plants I'm not so sure what the names are.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35We need a long list of names, definitely.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Oh, my gosh, that means shopping.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Are you going to come and help me shop?- I will try my best.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Which means you won't!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Since Monty's last trip to Salisbury two months ago,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Glenn and Zoe have radically changed their design.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59They now intend to build two terraces,
0:21:59 > 0:22:00with steps down the side
0:22:00 > 0:22:02leading to a woodland area.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05And they've already started the groundwork.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It's like a builder's archaeological dig, isn't it?
0:22:08 > 0:22:12If you take that, take your pick. Ha-ha! Take your pick!
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Glenn and Zoe's garden is such an extreme site
0:22:17 > 0:22:20that the critical thing was that they acknowledged that,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and used it to their advantage.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Today, I want to see them tackle the site.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Until they've got their groundwork sorted,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31nothing else can really happen at all.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I honestly have no idea what he's going to think.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- He might be appalled. - He'll love it. He'll love it.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- You reckon?- Yeah, yeah. He will.- OK.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42He'll say, "It's fantastic, Glenn and Zoe."
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Let me get at it and let me help you dig it out, right now. Yeah.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Is this to do with the garden or the house?
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's to do with the garden and it's going to be our terrace walls.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Really? And how does that work?
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It fits together very nicely with a peg and block system.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04- To make a wooden wall?- Yeah. - Very good. Have you used it before?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I've seen it before and I've had a little practice,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09but not used it before.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I'm not even seen it before, so I'm intrigued.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- Right, let's go and have a look.- Good.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Oh, you've been busy!- Yes.- Oh, yes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21What we've decided to do, when we first heard the word terracing,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25we just think of two straight banks of brick or blocks or sleepers.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29But we wanted to put this little kick in the path,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33just so that when you look down the path, you can't see the end of it.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Oh, nice. Well, I like it. I like the fact that you've arrived at it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Because it's very different to what you originally planned.- Oh, yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45- Hugely.- Remind me what your overall budget was?- We said it was £2,000.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49- Right. How much did this system cost?- Pretty much almost that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54- Give or take a few pennies. - Just the wood itself.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57So, with the budget already blown,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Glenn and Zoe have called in a few favours
0:23:59 > 0:24:01to help get those terraces in.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04We need to find the levels of the bottom of the trench.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We need to get rid of the spoil tips. Let's do it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13But it's not long before Monty discovers a problem.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16There's a concrete pad here.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19We can break it.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Yeah.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32It's a ridiculous thing to say. But might it be easier to step up here?
0:24:32 > 0:24:36- Glenn?- Yeah?- There's a decision to be made.- Right.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- It's probably yours to make.- OK.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42There's some slabs in under here, they go way back.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47We either have to dig this out, to go down another inch, or we step up.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Well, we'll step it up, then.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- Does that mean we've got to fill some in now?- Yeah.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56While the boys start to fill the trench back in,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Zoe steals Monty away to ask his advice on her seedlings.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04This is nit-picky. It's a false economy not to fill seed trays up
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- with compost. - NOT to?- Yes.- OK.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Because the more compost you have in there,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13the longer the root run can be. And the healthier they grow.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15What I do is, I fill right to the brim then just wipe the excess off.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21- OK.- You notice how they're growing? They're all leaning to the light.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Which means they're not getting enough light.- OK.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27So, if you can put them somewhere they get a little bit more light,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32or turn them, at least once a day, they won't be craning their necks.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Your Rudbeckia, completely healthy, nice little plant.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39If we take that out and have a look, nice root system there.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- That's ready to either pot on or plant out.- Right, OK.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Ideally, in a pot, you just have whatever that is,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51a centimetre of fresh compost for it to grow into.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Don't be temped to get the biggest pot you've got and think,
0:25:54 > 0:25:55"That will grow enormous."
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It won't do it any good at all. And it's a complete waste of compost.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02When you're potting on, just put some underneath, not too much,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04as I say, doesn't need a vast amount.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07That's too much.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10There we go, that's plenty. Like that.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12And just gently filter round.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Yeah, give it a tap.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Oh, not that much!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24This is just long and laborious at the moment.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Oh, sweet peas, great. Now, these you can pinch out.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- OK.- You see that?
0:26:33 > 0:26:38- If I go in there and just pinch above that...- Oh, my goodness.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- Just pinch that off. There you go.- OK.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I could even be more radical than that and go right down to there.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47SHE GASPS
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- But they took so long to grow! - Go on, you do it. Be brave.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54What you're encouraging are side shoots and a bushier plant.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- And you'll have more flowers for longer.- I never knew this.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Time for Monty to see whether the troops have moved onto building.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07I realise it's taking a long time, but it's for us two,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and I know we wouldn't be happy if it wasn't right.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Also, once you've got it right up to that level,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- then it will speed up hugely. - Absolutely.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Setting aside the slow progress,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Monty persuades the pair to dream on with their planting.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Once we've put the structure in,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24we're going to be left with three very definite areas.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25We've got the area at the bottom.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29It's really going to be a place to make a woodland...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Which'll be nice. - ..spring bulbs, that kind of thing.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35We'd like a sort of cottage garden, rambling, chock-full,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39but to be able to intermingle vegetables in amongst that as well.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- And then the last one? - A grassy prairie level.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Cor!- Sucks teeth in amazement!
0:27:46 > 0:27:51- Well, in my opinion, you've got one too many elements there.- Right.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56My advice would be at this stage to drop one of those three things
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because you don't have a big enough garden.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59They would fight each other.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I think your advice makes sense, Monty.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05That's twice Monty has told them to change their plans.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Will they listen this time?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I love this garden, because it's got real ambition.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11And that's always exciting.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15But I can see today that Glenn is disappointed.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Partly because this system he's bought into
0:28:18 > 0:28:20is proving quite tricky to set up,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and partly because I think he wanted to show me
0:28:23 > 0:28:25that it would work and we'd get more done.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28The actual building of the garden has gone very slow,
0:28:28 > 0:28:29very frustrating.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Still a lot more work to do,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35but I'm sure Glenn will get there on his own!
0:28:35 > 0:28:37The critical thing is, how will they put it together
0:28:37 > 0:28:41so that they don't try and just cram it full of plants?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It's time for Monty to return to Barnet,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50to see if Nighat has come any closer
0:28:50 > 0:28:52to creating a sanctuary for her bees.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58Since his last trip, Nighat has cleared the site and moved the pond.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Inspired by her trip to Chapel Cottages,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03she has also started designing a forest garden.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05When I was last here,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I left fascinated by what Nighat was attempting to do,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10because make no bones about this,
0:29:10 > 0:29:15it's really difficult transforming a horribly overgrown site,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and all kinds of rubbish in the ground, into an allotment.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22I've dug a pond, which is more like a trap.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24And he may have some opinions about that.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27There's going to be an awful lot of physical work,
0:29:27 > 0:29:32and some of it quite tricky. So I'm not sure what I'm going to find.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33This is still my dream garden.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37I'm really, really excited about what potential it holds.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40And I think, I hope Monty can come and throw more light
0:29:40 > 0:29:41and help me on the way.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46Today, Nighat has got her daughter, Abia, with her.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Oh, I see that's starting to reshoot. I remember hacking away at that.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Yes. It grows really fast.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56- And you've pruned this elder beautifully.- Well, I got some help.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58We took a lot of time over it,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02because we wanted to make sure it had a nice character.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06I'm not quite sure what you do want to do in terms of planting.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09I'm not sure, I'm hoping you can help me.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Let's try and find some answers.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Determined to help Nighat decide,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Monty explores what's already growing in the garden.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- Oh, you've got lots here.- OK, yeah. - It's a bit rough.
0:30:22 > 0:30:23What is this on the ground?
0:30:23 > 0:30:25It's all over the place.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28- Do you like it?- Yes, it's nice, but it seems very invasive.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31I'm thinking of taking it on the other side...
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- No, no, no, don't take it anywhere. It's ground elder.- OK.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38One of the most invasive weeds you can have in your garden.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42- I get more letters on how to get rid of this than anything else.- Really?
0:30:42 > 0:30:44To get rid of it, you'd have to dig it all out.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And because you've got trees and shrubs,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50the roots will be entwined in the roots of those,
0:30:50 > 0:30:51you won't get rid of it.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I would suggest keeping it and growing into it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Monty looks for more clues in the herbs.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02- You've got some oregano and thyme, and I love this one.- Basil.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- And it's cinnamon basil. - Basil is a tropical plant.- I know.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11So they like hot, rich, fairly damp.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Oops!
0:31:12 > 0:31:16And they are completely tender. They will not survive any frost at all.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- Really?- So if you plant them outside, that's absolutely fine,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22but they'll just die as soon as there's a touch of frost,
0:31:22 > 0:31:23- black, over.- Really?
0:31:23 > 0:31:26I mean, you've got, with great respect,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29quite a curious mixture of plants there.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32You've got Lewisia, you've got hostas.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Monty has spotted a major problem.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39So far, there isn't much for the poor old bees.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Let me just be clear about what you need.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43You're looking for a succession of flowers
0:31:43 > 0:31:47- for your bees from early spring right through.- Yes.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51You want plants for shade, you want some herbs,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53you want some sunny plants.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55There's only one thing for it.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01I think we should do some shopping. We owe it to ourselves and the site.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03- SHE LAUGHS - Right.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09So, instead of taking her husband Kausar shopping,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Nighat is going with the nation's favourite gardener.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16What do you think of this?
0:32:16 > 0:32:20This is a Pyracantha, Firethorn.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Mm-hmm.- And you can see that it's got
0:32:23 > 0:32:27- this mass of small white flowers. - Yes.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- And bees love them.- Yes, they do, I can see a lot of them.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I would have thought for you it was a really good plant,
0:32:34 > 0:32:35and I would strongly recommend.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38And how do I know about the health of the plant?
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Well, you look at the plant. Does it look healthy?
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Just to your eye, straight away.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45To me, this looks like a perfectly healthy plant.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47And then the next thing I would do, and I think you should,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- is turn it upside down and take it out the pot.- Really?
0:32:51 > 0:32:56If it falls apart, it means it hasn't been in the pot long enough
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- for the roots to fill it up.- Right.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00And that is a very healthy plant.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03You can see the roots have reached the outside,
0:33:03 > 0:33:08it's not pot-bound, I would say an extremely well looked after plant.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12- But Nighat is struggling to decide. - Do you want both?- Um...
0:33:12 > 0:33:17- The bees would thank you.- Maybe. Maybe I'll take them.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- Why don't you take both?- OK.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Remember, we're buying flowers for spring, quite deliberately.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30- So this is a spring flowering plant. - Absolutely.- OK, let's put that in.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35- And I can't tempt you to go for that one as well?- I...
0:33:35 > 0:33:36I could take it.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Go on. You can never have too many plants in this life.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- I have to look after them! - All right.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Ah, now, here we go, gooseberries.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- OK.- Gooseberries and redcurrants, I would strongly recommend.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54The last thing you want is inward growing growth,
0:33:54 > 0:33:55you want outward growing growth.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58So this has been pruned almost exactly wrong.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02So it's been pruned just above a bud that's growing inwards,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05whereas actually, that should be going the opposite direction.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08In fact, none of these have been pruned well.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Invicta's good, I grow Invicta. - Are they for dessert?
0:34:11 > 0:34:13No, Invicta is a cooking one.
0:34:13 > 0:34:19Gooseberry fool, gooseberry pie, gooseberry jam. Gooseberry crumble.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24There is no way of eating gooseberry that isn't a divine experience.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Looks like you're getting some gooseberries then, Nighat!
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Onto the herbs.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- A little group of oregano there. Do you want that?- OK.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37How many do you want? You want more than one?
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Maybe we'll just go for a few. Three. You'd go for three?
0:34:40 > 0:34:45I'd go for 10 myself. I'm that kind of guy.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47What about rosemary?
0:34:47 > 0:34:52- I have one rosemary. - But one rosemary is nothing.- OK!
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- Let's put another one in. There. - No, come on, get more. You need...
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Because you want lots of flowers,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- and you want great bushes of rosemary.- No, it grows too big.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- Just one more. - SHE LAUGHS
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Looks like Nighat is as reluctant as her husband
0:35:08 > 0:35:09when it comes to shopping.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Thyme? - I love this, I'll have a few.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15What do you call a few? 15?
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It says here, you get 10 for 15 quid,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22- so we want to buy at least 10. - All right.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Let's get more of this and more of the Corsican mint. OK?
0:35:26 > 0:35:30I like... You see, you're coming round to my way of thinking. OK.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35- Is this lavender?- Yes. Take a tray.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37- No, we're not.- Why not?
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I have to plant them by the tray!
0:35:39 > 0:35:41That's no problem.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- They just go bang, bang, bang, in the ground.- No. Four.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Fine. Four plants it is.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49They're like an old married couple, these two!
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Time to get planting. And Monty is feeling victorious.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- Aren't you grateful that I made you buy so much?- I'm not so sure.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01After it's planted, maybe.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Before we plant anything, place everything where you think
0:36:04 > 0:36:09it might go, then stand back, move things around.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Then when you're ready, plant the whole lot.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- OK, that sounds good. - So, let's start with big plants.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- About here? - Don't agonise at this stage.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Near the willow, get it out there. This is putting paint on the canvas.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26We're not trying to fine-tune it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Lavender grows best, very good drainage,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32full sunshine, alkaline soil.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Do you want to put some lavender behind
0:36:34 > 0:36:35and then put the smaller herbs in front?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Yes, and I could maybe buy some more lavender.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40You see, I was trying to tell you to buy it.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41You should have bought a tray.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Perhaps Nighat should have heeded the voice of experience.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53With placing complete, Monty sets about getting them in the ground.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58But it's tougher than expected.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00This is really terrible.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02It's like planting into concrete.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Luckily, Nighat is on hand with her mattock.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Everybody out of my way. I'm a bit clumsy.- Very good.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15- But Monty won't stop there.- I want to help you plant one more thing.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- OK.- I suggest the lavender, because that is completely different.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- And you're saying it's clay down below?- Yes.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27So if we dig out a much bigger hole than the lavender wants.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28Now, at the bottom of the hole,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30I'll put a handful of stone for drainage.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33So we pop that in there like that.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34And what that means is,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37the lavender roots won't be sitting in a puddle, ever.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40You don't need to add any compost beneath it.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42- Right.- Put it on top.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44If you have a healthy, well-fed soil,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46you will have a healthy, well-fed plant.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I think Monty was pleased, I'm not sure how much.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56My one worry is that everything is a little bit over-intellectualised.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Over-debated.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00And there are times when you just have to just act
0:38:00 > 0:38:02and follow your intuition.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Monty was very ruthless about putting plants down,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09put them down and then think. Do first and then think.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14I'm just the opposite. We got a lot done. This would not have been done.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17And with only eight weeks to go before the bees arrive,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19can Nighat change her ways?
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Summer is racing past and Glenn and Zoe really need to start
0:38:26 > 0:38:30their planting if they're going to have any flowers for their big day.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33So, they're off to Sussex to meet the gardener
0:38:33 > 0:38:35and writer Sarah Raven at her home.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Perch Hill is an old dairy farm house with a garden entirely
0:38:41 > 0:38:43dedicated to growing cut flowers.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Are you both completely clear about the difference between
0:38:49 > 0:38:52- an annual and a biannual and a perennial?- Bit sketchy.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54If you could run through it, that would be great.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58So, an annual is basically something that forms roots, leaves, flowers,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01set seeds and dies within 12 months,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03but actually often it's a lot less than that.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07And a biannual, they are things that you sew in May and June
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and they flower April, May, June the following year and then they die.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12OK.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13And a perennial is something that you plant
0:39:13 > 0:39:15and it gets better and better every year.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Everything in the garden here is cut and come again,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21because that means you get a huge amount of productivity
0:39:21 > 0:39:25from a very small space. And if I just explain what that means...
0:39:25 > 0:39:27with a plant like this salvia.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32So, if you see here, if I cut out that leader there,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35there's already another bud below it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And so by removing that, you promote that development.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41And so that becomes a flower in a week's time.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And so that's really what cut and come again means,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46the more you pick, the more it flowers.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49But you always want to pick immediately above a pair of leaves
0:39:49 > 0:39:52because that's where the auxiliary buds will form.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55But Glenn is concerned about their deadline.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57What about October, will there be anything around to pick?
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Yes, totally.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01I mean, this garden, we have plenty to pick
0:40:01 > 0:40:03from the middle of March until the middle of November.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06And you just choose your sewing times.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08That's the beauty of annuals, it's not like perennials
0:40:08 > 0:40:10where they have this set flowering time.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13With annuals, you can pretty much manipulate them.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15I had no idea about that.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17You read the back of a seed packet and it gives you a sewing time,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20we've been looking at things, thinking, we've missed it.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24So there's no point. But you're saying, no, just carry on and do it.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Yeah, totally. Yeah, you'll have plenty,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- you'll have really loads.- Great.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Sarah wants to find out exactly what Glenn and Zoe want at their wedding.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35What colours are you thinking of particularly?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Well, we're drawn to the purples,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40that's a bit of a theme going through.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Do you like the Cerinthe?
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- Yes, definitely like that.- OK, well, you can definitely grow that.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49That takes 10 to 12 weeks from sowing to flowering.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- And do you like that Salvia viridis? - Yes, that's lovely.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Sew that now and that will definitely be flowering in October.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- What date in October is it? - The 24th.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59OK, yeah, that will definitely be flowering.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Let's just go for a wander
0:41:01 > 0:41:04and find a few other things that you like the look of.
0:41:04 > 0:41:09Sarah is confident cut flowers can be grown to suit every season.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13She suggests planting sweet peas to flower in early spring.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Dahlias for a summer bloom.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Chrysanthemums for autumn colour.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21And Daphne to create winter interest.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Glenn and Zoe have chosen a mixture of flowers and foliage,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31including a rose called Rhapsody In Blue, salvia,
0:41:31 > 0:41:32penstemon,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Euphorbia, and Cerinthe.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38There's just enough time to create the perfect bridal bouquet.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43Anything that you are a little bit worried that might flop,
0:41:43 > 0:41:44and basically, to be honest,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47everything here I think I would condition carefully.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49I've stripped the bottom leaves off,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and then I'm going to plunge them in boiling water like that.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55The point of the primary foliage, is what I call it,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57is you literally want to feel that
0:41:57 > 0:42:00you've got a circle of flower in the air.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04So I think of it like a plant sieve hovering in the air
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and then I can just slot things through the sieve,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11and the sieve will hold it in place, the other stems.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14If you're a gardener and you like gardening-y bunches of flowers,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16then having six, it just works every time.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And three foliage, three flowers, it just makes it feel like
0:42:19 > 0:42:22you've got a handful of your gardening.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26So are any of those colours to do with your dress at all?
0:42:26 > 0:42:31- None of them.- Right, so, that's the biggest clue I've had so far, then!
0:42:33 > 0:42:37- Right.- I didn't know what to expect, but I really enjoyed it.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40It's been better than I thought, I've learned so much from Sarah.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43To think that we could have flowers like this at our wedding
0:42:43 > 0:42:46in October is quite stunning.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- We'll see! - OK, yes, watch this space.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Over in Barnet, Nighat and her daughter
0:42:56 > 0:42:59were inspired by Monty's infectious enthusiasm.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Let's plant this one, OK?
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And even when the going gets tough...
0:43:06 > 0:43:07This is going to be a nightmare.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13Danger, men at work! Man at work.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16I'm not a man. What's this?
0:43:16 > 0:43:18SHE LAUGHS
0:43:18 > 0:43:20..Nighat is determined to push on.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22It looks quite straight from here.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25I think when you're close up, it feels like it's not as straight.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27But from a distance it looks fine.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30But after a few weeks of working hard,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33she hits a problem with her new pond.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37We dug it out, we lined it, we put the underlay, everything.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39And then when we started filling it,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42the problem was that the gradient on this plot is such that
0:43:42 > 0:43:44one side is lower than the other.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Luckily, Nighat's son Hamza is there to help out.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51He's going to try and help me level this pond.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53We're going to try and use what's on site.
0:43:53 > 0:43:54I've got some sand,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58and I need some muscle power so I think he's the person for the job.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01So, is it higher on your end?
0:44:01 > 0:44:02We'll make it higher.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Oh, my gosh. We need more. Do you think it should go all the way?
0:44:08 > 0:44:10- Should be fine over here. - Shall we check?
0:44:10 > 0:44:13I've never done a project like this before.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16I've never made a pond, I've never had an allotment plot before,
0:44:16 > 0:44:18and I think this is quite ambitious for me.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22Let's just bring all of them in, circle them all the way around here.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26And then we'll see...what happens.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28You think we should use this?
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Just maybe to make it smoother on the side?
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Is Nighat dithering over her decisions?
0:44:33 > 0:44:36I think I'm not that fussy about things,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40but sometimes other people think differently.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44Finally, between the two of them, they manage to level the pond.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46She's really passionate about this place.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49She's worked hard to try and renovate,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52just completely change this place from what it was.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56But perhaps Nighat has slipped back into deliberating rather than doing.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59I usually plan that I will achieve three tasks,
0:44:59 > 0:45:02and in the end I have only achieved one at the end of the day,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05so obviously something's not quite right.
0:45:08 > 0:45:09In Salisbury,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Glenn and Zoe have finally nearly finished the terracing.
0:45:14 > 0:45:15I knew this would happen.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18This whole devastation area that we've created,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20and you think, "Oh, what have we done?"
0:45:20 > 0:45:24- We have to go forwards because we can't put it back how it was.- Yeah.
0:45:24 > 0:45:25After meeting Sarah Raven
0:45:25 > 0:45:28they have also completely rethought their planting plan.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32When she showed us how to make the beautiful bouquet it was just...
0:45:32 > 0:45:34It was a moment, it really was.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36- I secretly wanted to go, but... - Why didn't you say?
0:45:36 > 0:45:40- I wasn't brave enough. I'll do it in private.- OK.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44You need to actually plant something first, I'm afraid, Glenn.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Our task today is to move everything down onto the beds
0:45:48 > 0:45:52and place it all out, and have a play with layouts.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53We've got a range of things.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56So we've put some perennials, but we've got some annuals as well.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00I think we need to put in the single plants first,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and then work the duplicates in around them.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Zoe has taken on board all of Monty's advice this time
0:46:07 > 0:46:09and removed the prairie level.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Since talking to Monty, I think it's made us
0:46:12 > 0:46:15more aware that there would be a better flow through the garden
0:46:15 > 0:46:18if the same thing was happening in both beds.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20But by controlling the colour I think I've clawed back
0:46:20 > 0:46:24a bit of my original idea, in that I wanted a different feel.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27- I'm just thinking there.- Yeah.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29There's nothing in it, really.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31You're just moving it two feet to the right.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33I'm moving it almost where it was.
0:46:35 > 0:46:36Yes.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I think having it another couple of feet nearer the pathway won't make
0:46:39 > 0:46:40- a huge amount of difference.- No.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Unless we put it on this corner.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Go on, then. Give it a move.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Oh, this is going to get annoying, isn't it? Quite quickly.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49What do you mean "going to?"
0:46:52 > 0:46:54It could go...here?
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- There? Or do you want it...? - No, I don't want it there.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58Oh!
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- That was decisive.- Cos then it's in a row, and I don't...
0:47:01 > 0:47:04- You don't want rows. - No, don't want rows.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06- My bit's worked out OK.- Yeah.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08If the plants don't work out then it's your fault.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Right, no pressure then(!)
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Now, now, you two.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13I mean, there's no logic to where I just put that.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Some of them are easy to place, but some of them are just like,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18- "Oh, pick a space."- But these are the single ones, aren't they?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20At this rate you won't have anything in the ground,
0:47:20 > 0:47:22let alone at your wedding!
0:47:22 > 0:47:25- What do you think? - It's a good start.
0:47:25 > 0:47:26If nothing else, it's a good start.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Yeah, I'm not 100% convinced, but that's annoying me now.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Do you want me to move it? We can move...
0:47:31 > 0:47:33- CROWS CAWING - Even the crows are laughing at that.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34See?
0:47:40 > 0:47:41Over in Barnet,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Nighat is also having a think about where to place plants.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47But in her case it's vegetables.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51When Monty first came he suggested growing beans and beans up trees.
0:47:51 > 0:47:57And also when I visited, they used the vertical as well to grow plants.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00So this mangetout, I'm going to grow it up this hawthorn tree,
0:48:00 > 0:48:02and there is some sunlight that comes here.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04But the ground is covered in hawthorn seeds
0:48:04 > 0:48:08which could germinate and scupper the whole plan.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10This morning I was looking at the internet
0:48:10 > 0:48:14and I typed in, "Green hawthorn fruit.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16"Will seed germinate?"
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And the first thing that came up was a video,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22and I said, "I recognise that person," and that was Monty.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25And one of the things that was interesting in that video
0:48:25 > 0:48:29was how to test whether the seed is viable or not -
0:48:29 > 0:48:30whether it will germinate or not.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34The best way that Monty suggested was peel off the flesh.
0:48:34 > 0:48:39All you do is drop it in water, and if it sinks it is viable,
0:48:39 > 0:48:40which means it will germinate.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43And that sunk, which is bad news.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45OK, let's try another one.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49I think I need to remove all the seeds.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52It's a bit annoying, and I think what is particularly annoying
0:48:52 > 0:48:54is that there are more fruit up there,
0:48:54 > 0:48:55and they'll be coming down.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58So I'm not even sure whether it's worth doing anything.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Should I rake it or shouldn't I?
0:49:01 > 0:49:02I have no idea what to do.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Maybe I should just take a chance.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08That's the spirit.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Before the plants go in, Nighat has come up with
0:49:11 > 0:49:15a handy system for keeping her plants watered while she's away.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17This is a 15 centimetre pot.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19And you need two of them.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23This hole at the bottom, for one pot you're going to seal it.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26So you take any piece of broken tile and all you do is you is
0:49:26 > 0:49:28you apply some waterproof glue on it
0:49:28 > 0:49:31and you seal it here at the bottom.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33It's like icing a cake.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Just stick them together.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38You need to apply some pressure.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41The pot is now sealed the bottom, sealed at the rim.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45This is going to be dug into the ground, and I'm going to put water
0:49:45 > 0:49:49through here and hopefully it will just permeate out from the sides.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52She's giving Monty a run for his money.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Oh, nice. Just fill it up with soil.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Looks like Nighat has finally stopped over-thinking
0:49:57 > 0:49:59and over-worrying.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Whether Monty is pleased or not, it doesn't matter.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03It would be nice if he likes it, but it doesn't matter.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05No, it does...
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Well, OK, shall I say it does?
0:50:14 > 0:50:16It's a big day in Barnet.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18The bees have arrived.
0:50:18 > 0:50:19The bees are finally here.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22I'm really excited about it.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24They are agitated when you move them,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27so what I'm going to do is place them in the final position
0:50:27 > 0:50:29where I want them to be,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32and then I'll open the foam which is in front so they can fly out.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37But the next hive isn't as happy.
0:50:37 > 0:50:38These are a bit livelier.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40They're not happy at all.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42They're buzzing away at the back.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Time to see if Nighat has done enough for the bees to stay.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49So the bees are now trying to orientate themselves.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51They're flying all over the place, they're mapping.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55This is great because they're now trying to establish their bearings.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56Success.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06In Salisbury, the big day has arrived,
0:51:06 > 0:51:10and Glenn and Zoe are putting the final touches to their garden.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13We've never done anything like this before.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15And we probably won't do anything like this again.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17Please.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't met Monty.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Only four months ago you couldn't even walk out into this garden
0:51:32 > 0:51:34without taking a tumble.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Now it has been completely transformed.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40Well, look at this.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52The garden has been divided into two separate banks,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55with a clear path leading you to not one, but two
0:51:55 > 0:51:58beautifully secluded seating areas.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Both of the terraces have been generously filled with
0:52:04 > 0:52:07cottage-style blooms such as geraniums and penstemon,
0:52:07 > 0:52:11which in years to come will fill out and tumble over one another.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17And room has been carefully left for annuals,
0:52:17 > 0:52:21which will spring up in perfect time for Glenn and Zoe's wedding day.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27When I left I did think that it wasn't going quite to plan
0:52:27 > 0:52:29and it was taking longer than you thought.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Once everything was all churned up and we were just working in this
0:52:32 > 0:52:35sort of field of ditches everywhere,
0:52:35 > 0:52:37we just had to keep going forward.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39Remind me what your budget was.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42We said at the beginning our budget was £2,000.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44OK, and what was it in reality?
0:52:44 > 0:52:47- I think we went to 2,600?- Mm-hm.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50And do you think the terrace was money well spent?
0:52:50 > 0:52:53I think it was worth every penny, because it's done the job.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57- And of course not costed in that are the hours of work.- Yes!
0:52:58 > 0:53:02- One of the aims was to provide flowers for your wedding.- Yes.
0:53:02 > 0:53:03Is that going to happen?
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Yes, because we had a wonderful time with Sarah Raven
0:53:06 > 0:53:09and we made such a fantastic bouquet with her.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10Don't mess with perfection.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14So I've just literally stocked the garden with everything that was in that bouquet.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19There will be flowers at our wedding and they will be from our garden.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21With Monty's approval,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24it's time for family and friends to join the party...
0:53:24 > 0:53:27including some who gave a helping hand themselves.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30It's been nice to help a friend, and it's always been a dream of mine
0:53:30 > 0:53:32to work with someone like Monty.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34So all the boxes are ticked for me.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42To Glenn and Zoe and the garden.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44And long may it thrive and prosper.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- To the garden.- ALL: Cheers.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48I didn't know they were going to do this much.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51I thought they were maybe just going to put in a couple of steps or something,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54- but they've completely transformed the garden.- Yeah.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59Of course I'm impressed by what's been achieved here.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03A really tricky space has been transformed,
0:54:03 > 0:54:07and now it's a workable and lovely garden.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11For him to see our garden and for him to be genuinely surprised,
0:54:11 > 0:54:12maybe impressed...
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- He said he was, so...- Yeah.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18It was the icing on the cake, really, wasn't it?
0:54:24 > 0:54:27The bees are settling in happily at Barnet,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29but the weather has taken a turn for the worse.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33I've got a lot to do.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35It's raining, it's not the best time to do these things.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36I've got a few plants to put in,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39got to tidy up the dead grass over here
0:54:39 > 0:54:41and a lot of rubbish lying around.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44And with Monty returning to Barnet for one last time,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Nighat is a bag of nerves.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50I need to get on with it.
0:54:50 > 0:54:51Quickly!
0:54:52 > 0:54:57I though it was very brave of Nighat to take on this allotment site,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01because it was completely overgrown and there were trees
0:55:01 > 0:55:05and bushes everywhere, let alone all the rubbish and the weeds.
0:55:05 > 0:55:10But the success of this has to be measured by productivity.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13This is an allotment, and all the theories of forest gardening
0:55:13 > 0:55:17and what have you don't matter if it's not working.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22- Hello.- Hello, Monty. How are you? Good to see you again.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24I'm very well.
0:55:24 > 0:55:25It's lovely to be here.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28And this is looking enchanting.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33When Nighat found this plot four months ago
0:55:33 > 0:55:35it was a wilderness of nettles and rubble.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Now it is completely unrecognisable.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51The ground has been totally cleared,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54with defined borders splitting up each section.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Beehives sits happily on a level area, surrounded by lush planting.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08A pond provides water for the bees
0:56:08 > 0:56:10and interest for local wildlife.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Vegetables and herbs, such as chilli peppers and oregano,
0:56:15 > 0:56:19have been planted to complement one another in this woodland glade.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27What I love is the transformation from all the promise
0:56:27 > 0:56:32that was there, it's now become a garden.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35I know you were slightly surprised that
0:56:35 > 0:56:38I was suggesting the volume of plants you might need.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Have you planted a bit more?
0:56:40 > 0:56:41I've embraced it fully!
0:56:42 > 0:56:47We realised probably we needed even more than what you suggested.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49- I'm dying to have a look around.- OK.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Remind me what your budget was.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Between £300-£500.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- How much have you spent? - Well, I think £800-£900.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02So £800-£900.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05So you've gone about three times over budget.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Yeah, but then the plans became bigger.
0:57:07 > 0:57:08Ah, OK.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12You took this on as a terrifying prospect.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16It was abandoned, it was full of rubbish, it was overgrown.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Most people would have run a mile.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Yeah.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23- How do you feel about it now? - I feel really good.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26What is really special about it is that it hasn't finished,
0:57:26 > 0:57:29and it's an ongoing project.
0:57:29 > 0:57:34Time for the whole allotment to congratulate Nighat on her big dream.
0:57:34 > 0:57:35Oh, this is good.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38I'm in awe, absolutely.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41They have turned the space around completely.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43I want to raise a piece of cake
0:57:43 > 0:57:46and eat it in celebration of the allotment.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Well done.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Thank you, Monty. Thank you.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52I would say hats off to Monty.
0:57:52 > 0:57:53He's got life into it now.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57When we first saw the allotment, we thought,
0:57:57 > 0:57:58"No way this is happening."
0:57:58 > 0:58:02To see what it looks like now, it's incredible how much it's changed.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05I really like what Nighat's achieved.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08She's created this haven for our bees. That was the goal.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10On this project I think we've worked really hard
0:58:10 > 0:58:13over the last three and a half months, and we've learned so much.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17By helping Nighat on this project I really got
0:58:17 > 0:58:19very interested in gardening.
0:58:19 > 0:58:25What she's managed to do is create a wonderful and exciting beginning.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Yeah!