Episode 6

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0:00:02 > 0:00:05Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space?

0:00:05 > 0:00:09A small garden that you can admire, enjoy and call your own?

0:00:09 > 0:00:14And then you stop and think, "I have no idea how to make it."

0:00:14 > 0:00:16Well, you're not alone.

0:00:16 > 0:00:18Over the past year,

0:00:18 > 0:00:21Monty Don has travelled up and down the country,

0:00:21 > 0:00:23visiting amateur gardeners

0:00:23 > 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 > 0:00:31Don't be too horrified, OK, Monty.

0:00:31 > 0:00:34- Everything's possible. - I know it seems unusual.

0:00:34 > 0:00:36It's just PROFOUNDLY unusual.

0:00:36 > 0:00:37And given advice.

0:00:37 > 0:00:38Just pinch that off...

0:00:38 > 0:00:40But they took so long to grow.

0:00:40 > 0:00:41He's got stuck in.

0:00:41 > 0:00:43Monty Don in my garden!

0:00:43 > 0:00:46Oh, my goodness!

0:00:46 > 0:00:48And everybody has worked incredibly hard.

0:00:48 > 0:00:50Look at the size of that!

0:00:50 > 0:00:52The results are truly exciting.

0:00:52 > 0:00:54- It's really nice.- Ooh!

0:00:56 > 0:00:59I do believe that everybody, however small their garden,

0:00:59 > 0:01:02can cultivate a big dream.

0:01:09 > 0:01:14This time, Monty is meeting two completely different amateur gardeners.

0:01:14 > 0:01:16Both have great ambitions.

0:01:16 > 0:01:18Yes, there are dozens of things I have on my list.

0:01:18 > 0:01:20I want giant flowers.

0:01:20 > 0:01:22For one, the sky is the limit.

0:01:22 > 0:01:24- What is your budget?- 5,000 to 7,000.

0:01:24 > 0:01:27And the other wants a fantasy garden on a shoestring.

0:01:27 > 0:01:29I don't have any money at all.

0:01:29 > 0:01:32But neither have a green thumb.

0:01:32 > 0:01:35I would not in a million years have done that.

0:01:35 > 0:01:38What do I know? I don't even know what a trowel is.

0:01:38 > 0:01:41Can Monty Don help make their dreams a reality?

0:01:41 > 0:01:44ALL: Cheers.

0:01:48 > 0:01:53Our first big dreamer lives in the leafy London suburb of Teddington.

0:01:54 > 0:01:56Self-employed entrepreneur Jennifer Wood

0:01:56 > 0:01:59works from home in an office at the end of her garden.

0:02:00 > 0:02:02She hopes to change her shapeless,

0:02:02 > 0:02:07muddy plot into an Italian-themed haven, perfect for working,

0:02:07 > 0:02:09relaxing and entertaining.

0:02:10 > 0:02:12She's enlisted the help of her sister, Jill,

0:02:12 > 0:02:15to make this garden a family affair.

0:02:15 > 0:02:17We are three sisters. There's another one,

0:02:17 > 0:02:20a middle sister who lives in America.

0:02:20 > 0:02:23Part of the reason why we can do this garden now

0:02:23 > 0:02:27is because our mother died in January.

0:02:27 > 0:02:31There's a bit of money that we can use

0:02:31 > 0:02:34to do something actually really special.

0:02:34 > 0:02:38Hopefully our sister will be over at some point.

0:02:38 > 0:02:41It'll be almost sort of created in her memory.

0:02:41 > 0:02:45I am hoping that, together, we can create something...

0:02:45 > 0:02:48that will look...rather lovely.

0:02:49 > 0:02:52Our second big dream comes from Kerensa Robertson,

0:02:52 > 0:02:54a job-centre work coach from Billericay.

0:02:54 > 0:02:56I want to show you the fairy at the bottom of the garden.

0:02:56 > 0:02:58She's no expert,

0:02:58 > 0:03:01but hopes to turn her back garden into a veritable wonderland

0:03:01 > 0:03:04to enjoy with her daughter Delphi.

0:03:04 > 0:03:09This part of the garden down here, I want to create a secret garden.

0:03:09 > 0:03:12A sort of Alice In Wonderland type of theme,

0:03:12 > 0:03:15where there are lots of teapots together, toadstools,

0:03:15 > 0:03:17potentially a pagoda with roses,

0:03:17 > 0:03:20and the border on that will be all different bottles,

0:03:20 > 0:03:22but turned the other way.

0:03:22 > 0:03:24No shortage of ideas here.

0:03:24 > 0:03:26I wouldn't call myself an experienced gardener.

0:03:26 > 0:03:29Just look outside my front door. There's two plastic bushes there.

0:03:29 > 0:03:31That's about the extent of my gardening skills.

0:03:31 > 0:03:33And she wants to do it for next to nothing.

0:03:33 > 0:03:36The manpower is going to be my friends, you know,

0:03:36 > 0:03:39and the little things that we need to buy, I'm sure I can negotiate.

0:03:39 > 0:03:41I've got more cheek than probably anyone you know,

0:03:41 > 0:03:43so I'm sure if I can't get a freebie from somewhere,

0:03:43 > 0:03:46I don't know who can!

0:03:48 > 0:03:50It's March, and Monty Don

0:03:50 > 0:03:53has come to Teddington, on the outskirts of London,

0:03:53 > 0:03:55to meet Jennifer Wood and her sister Jill.

0:03:56 > 0:03:59It seems as though our sisters are quite keen to meet Monty.

0:04:00 > 0:04:03I've always had... I've always had a bit of a...

0:04:03 > 0:04:08Oh, yeah. He's absolutely on my wavelength with gardens.

0:04:10 > 0:04:11- Hello.- Hello, Monty.

0:04:11 > 0:04:13Nice to meet you.

0:04:13 > 0:04:14Come, Pedro.

0:04:18 > 0:04:19Lovely. Here we are.

0:04:20 > 0:04:21It's a beautiful tree.

0:04:23 > 0:04:27The question I always ask people is, what do you want from the garden?

0:04:27 > 0:04:29Because a small garden can't give you everything.

0:04:29 > 0:04:33I know I want an Italian, Mediterranean-inspired garden.

0:04:33 > 0:04:38I would really like to have two separate places with different atmosphere,

0:04:38 > 0:04:39low-maintenance.

0:04:39 > 0:04:45- Right.- Gravel, cos it's very shady, and probably big terracotta pots.

0:04:45 > 0:04:47And in practical terms, what's your budget?

0:04:47 > 0:04:50It's about 5,000 to 7,000.

0:04:50 > 0:04:52When people say that to me, I think,

0:04:52 > 0:04:55"Forget the five," because five to seven - you're going to spend seven.

0:04:55 > 0:04:58Whereas if you said, "Five, and it cannot be more, cos I don't have more,

0:04:58 > 0:05:01- "it can't go..."- Yes.- ..that's a different thing altogether.

0:05:01 > 0:05:04- It should be five. - But it will be seven.

0:05:04 > 0:05:07Jennifer certainly has a decent budget,

0:05:07 > 0:05:10but what will Monty make of her plans?

0:05:10 > 0:05:12- So, just to be quite clear... - Yeah.- This is the house.

0:05:12 > 0:05:14It is. And garden office at the end.

0:05:14 > 0:05:18- Right.- So, at the moment, we just have this strip going between the two.

0:05:18 > 0:05:23The terrace I want to extend out further,

0:05:23 > 0:05:29and this is where the raised barbecue section will be.

0:05:29 > 0:05:32Jennifer wants to create a large terrace

0:05:32 > 0:05:34for alfresco cooking and dining.

0:05:34 > 0:05:39She envisages a sunny area for relaxing, with a water feature,

0:05:39 > 0:05:41as well as the path leading to a screened-off area

0:05:41 > 0:05:44around her office at the back of the garden.

0:05:44 > 0:05:49The path, such as it is, actually goes that way, into the shade,

0:05:49 > 0:05:51nudging past the barbecue,

0:05:51 > 0:05:55away from all the nice smelly plants, to the office.

0:05:55 > 0:05:57I can tell you, you'd walk like that every time.

0:05:57 > 0:05:59I was going to say that.

0:05:59 > 0:06:04It's the line of desire, and if it's too sinuous and you're in a hurry...

0:06:04 > 0:06:09You'll step across. The other question is grass and grass management.

0:06:09 > 0:06:11I know it's incredibly important

0:06:11 > 0:06:15to keep some kind of drainage going on in the garden.

0:06:15 > 0:06:18If we pave the whole thing, that's appalling for wildlife...

0:06:18 > 0:06:21- Can I just stop you for a second? - Yes, you can.

0:06:21 > 0:06:24I think that's a bit simplistic.

0:06:24 > 0:06:28- OK.- Paving a garden need not be bad for wildlife at all.

0:06:28 > 0:06:30In fact, it can be actively beneficial.

0:06:30 > 0:06:34Mown grass is not actually particularly good for wildlife.

0:06:34 > 0:06:35Long grass is.

0:06:35 > 0:06:37- Yes.- Long grass is fantastic.

0:06:37 > 0:06:41Different types of paving don't have to be cemented and concreted.

0:06:41 > 0:06:45You could have plants growing in the cracks between things, or in gravel.

0:06:45 > 0:06:47You can have perfectly good drainage.

0:06:47 > 0:06:51Monty suggests dividing the garden into three very separate areas.

0:06:53 > 0:06:55The lawn will be replaced with a paved area,

0:06:55 > 0:06:57losing the meandering path.

0:06:58 > 0:07:01He also spotted a fundamental problem with her layout.

0:07:03 > 0:07:08This drawing, which is fine, absolutely great, it's not to scale,

0:07:08 > 0:07:11and it's really helpful to get proportions right

0:07:11 > 0:07:15because, otherwise, in your mind, there's a lawn and...

0:07:15 > 0:07:16Sweeping borders.

0:07:16 > 0:07:20Sweeping borders, and the avenue of cypresses and whatever it might be.

0:07:20 > 0:07:23You are bound by the limitations that are there.

0:07:23 > 0:07:26And the sooner you can work to those,

0:07:26 > 0:07:30the better what you actually do will fit in and work.

0:07:33 > 0:07:36I like the way that Jenny is so clear about what she wants.

0:07:36 > 0:07:38She wants an Italian,

0:07:38 > 0:07:41Mediterranean garden with a generous area for entertaining,

0:07:41 > 0:07:43and a retreat from her busy life,

0:07:43 > 0:07:47as well as having the source of that busy life, her office,

0:07:47 > 0:07:51at the end of the garden. Until she gets that spatial awareness right,

0:07:51 > 0:07:54I think the details of the planting are irrelevant.

0:07:54 > 0:07:57Oh, having Monty in the garden is great.

0:07:57 > 0:07:59Absolutely brilliant.

0:07:59 > 0:08:02He immediately has a complete sense of, I think,

0:08:02 > 0:08:04what I'm trying to achieve.

0:08:14 > 0:08:17Putting visions of the Mediterranean to one side,

0:08:17 > 0:08:19Monty heads to Billericay to meet Kerensa,

0:08:19 > 0:08:21who's brought in a friend for support.

0:08:21 > 0:08:23- This is Chris, this is Monty.- Hi.

0:08:23 > 0:08:24Hello. Nice to meet you.

0:08:24 > 0:08:28- So, is Chris going to help you?- Yes, Chris is going to help, aren't you,

0:08:28 > 0:08:34- Chris?- I am. Yes, been roped in to help make the plans come to life.

0:08:34 > 0:08:36So, what are your plans?

0:08:36 > 0:08:39Well, I've always been a fan of Alice In Wonderland.

0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Right.- I wanted to turn it into, like, a secret garden,

0:08:42 > 0:08:44a fantasy garden, through the rabbit hole.

0:08:44 > 0:08:46Why now? Why haven't you done it before?

0:08:46 > 0:08:50Well, my daughter, she's turning four this year, she's starting school,

0:08:50 > 0:08:52and it's her birthday in August.

0:08:52 > 0:08:55- So it's got to be ready by then? - It's got to be ready by August.

0:08:55 > 0:08:58- And what's your budget? - There really isn't a budget.

0:08:58 > 0:09:00- The sky's the limit? - No, I don't have any money.

0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Oh, I see, no money.- I don't have any money at all.

0:09:03 > 0:09:05You don't have an unlimited budget, you just...

0:09:05 > 0:09:08- I don't have any money.- And will you take over the whole garden or just

0:09:08 > 0:09:10- part of the garden? - I'm doing the whole garden.

0:09:10 > 0:09:12- With no money?- No money.

0:09:12 > 0:09:13- No knowledge?- No knowledge.

0:09:13 > 0:09:15- No experience?- No experience.

0:09:15 > 0:09:17What the hell?

0:09:17 > 0:09:19That's why she called me.

0:09:21 > 0:09:23Despite claiming to have no budget,

0:09:23 > 0:09:27Kerensa tells Monty she has £500 to spend on the project.

0:09:27 > 0:09:31But how will her plans wash with Britain's favourite garden expert?

0:09:32 > 0:09:34The Alice In Wonderland sort of effect,

0:09:34 > 0:09:39we have a giant love-heart flowerbed,

0:09:39 > 0:09:41the chessboard feature...

0:09:41 > 0:09:43And then this is Delphi's play area, is it?

0:09:43 > 0:09:45This is going to be all Delphi's area here.

0:09:45 > 0:09:48Right. And then this will all be planted up, in the middle?

0:09:48 > 0:09:51- Yes.- You've got topsy-turvy planters.- Yes.- Recycled bottles.

0:09:51 > 0:09:54Mixed wild flowers, cornflowers, poppies.

0:09:54 > 0:09:56Are these plants that you've always known and loved,

0:09:56 > 0:09:59- or are you coming to them new? - I'm coming to them new.

0:09:59 > 0:10:01Have you ever had any interest in gardening?

0:10:01 > 0:10:04Last year, I had a tomato plant and it grew, um...

0:10:04 > 0:10:07five... I got five tomatoes off it.

0:10:07 > 0:10:10And I felt quite positive that, you know, this is something I can...

0:10:10 > 0:10:12I can take forward.

0:10:14 > 0:10:19So, Kerensa's quirky scheme includes a chessboard patio,

0:10:19 > 0:10:22a heart-shaped lawn, and planting beds.

0:10:22 > 0:10:24There's a path to a willow tunnel,

0:10:24 > 0:10:27along with all manner of Alice In Wonderland-themed ornaments.

0:10:29 > 0:10:32The one thing that strikes me about this is that you've got two things

0:10:32 > 0:10:35going on here, and they're not mutually compatible.

0:10:35 > 0:10:39One is a growing love of plants, an excitement about them,

0:10:39 > 0:10:44and two is the desire to create an extraordinary and rather wonderful

0:10:44 > 0:10:48stage set for your daughter's birthday on August the tenth.

0:10:48 > 0:10:50You need to decide what's more important.

0:10:50 > 0:10:53Are you making a garden for the future

0:10:53 > 0:10:56that will get better and better and change,

0:10:56 > 0:11:00or are you making a stage set for August the tenth?

0:11:00 > 0:11:03- A bit of both.- I thought you might say that.

0:11:03 > 0:11:06Have you planned the work or is it just going to happen when it happens?

0:11:06 > 0:11:09It's going to happen. Like everything in my life, it just happens.

0:11:09 > 0:11:10OK, you're all catered for.

0:11:10 > 0:11:13- You don't need me.- Yes, we do.

0:11:14 > 0:11:16Well, I will come back.

0:11:16 > 0:11:18When you think you're ready to start planting, give me a bell.

0:11:18 > 0:11:21- Yeah.- I'll roll my sleeves up and we'll start doing it.

0:11:21 > 0:11:23- It's fun.- OK. Great. Can't wait.

0:11:28 > 0:11:35I will admit some scepticism about the plans that Kerensa outlined

0:11:35 > 0:11:36ever becoming into reality.

0:11:36 > 0:11:38I thought, "Well, this is fine and this is fun,

0:11:38 > 0:11:40"but it ain't going to happen."

0:11:40 > 0:11:44But...I think - I hope - I'm wrong about that.

0:11:44 > 0:11:46When I first told Monty about my plans,

0:11:46 > 0:11:49he looked at me rather quizzically, but I think, yes,

0:11:49 > 0:11:51I think I've got him on board,

0:11:51 > 0:11:55and he seemed to enjoy the idea of the heart-shaped flowerbed

0:11:55 > 0:11:57and the up-cycling and recycling and salvaging

0:11:57 > 0:12:00that's all going to be part of the project.

0:12:00 > 0:12:01And she's got a very,

0:12:01 > 0:12:05very clear idea of how it could work in the garden.

0:12:05 > 0:12:09Whether it'll be finished by August the tenth is very doubtful,

0:12:09 > 0:12:11and I think that's the real issue.

0:12:18 > 0:12:21In the weeks that follow, Kerensa gets the wheels turning,

0:12:21 > 0:12:25enlisting some free help from Chris and another pal, Lawrence.

0:12:28 > 0:12:31They start by carving out the garden path and patio area.

0:12:37 > 0:12:41I struggle to mow the lawn, never mind do any digging, so, really,

0:12:41 > 0:12:45with the boys, Chris and Lawrence, they've been tremendous.

0:12:46 > 0:12:48But without money for a skip,

0:12:48 > 0:12:50there's the question of what to do with the rubble.

0:12:50 > 0:12:52So, what are we going to do with the waste?

0:12:52 > 0:12:55That's going to be a bit of an issue, as we go on.

0:12:55 > 0:12:57I've got no idea, Lawrence. What can we do?

0:12:57 > 0:13:00How about we make a mound, you know,

0:13:00 > 0:13:02to tie it in with the Alice In Wonderland thing?

0:13:02 > 0:13:04- What do you think, Chris? - What we can then do,

0:13:04 > 0:13:08we can build up a mound, so as you go down the garden path,

0:13:08 > 0:13:10it's almost as though the path starts dropping down,

0:13:10 > 0:13:12the ground comes up around you,

0:13:12 > 0:13:15so it gives the illusion of going down underneath the rabbit hole

0:13:15 > 0:13:18with the lawn pulled over, which will act like a hedge,

0:13:18 > 0:13:22and with the planting along that, it will just be a grassy bank.

0:13:22 > 0:13:24Kerensa's friends have truly entered into the spirit.

0:13:24 > 0:13:26They could yet prove Monty wrong...

0:13:26 > 0:13:28if they keep it up.

0:13:36 > 0:13:39With summer rapidly approaching,

0:13:39 > 0:13:42Monty has decided to send Jennifer and Jill to the stunning garden

0:13:42 > 0:13:44of Iford Manor in Wiltshire.

0:13:44 > 0:13:45- Jill.- How are you?

0:13:45 > 0:13:48So, I gather you're in Italian-garden mode, is that right?

0:13:48 > 0:13:50Very much so. We've come here for inspiration.

0:13:50 > 0:13:53Well, maybe we should go and have a look at the upper terraces.

0:13:53 > 0:13:54- Perfect.- Great.- Lovely.

0:13:57 > 0:14:02William Cartwright-Hignett is on hand to show the sisters the garden

0:14:02 > 0:14:06that was designed by Harold Ainsworth Peto.

0:14:06 > 0:14:08Peto acquired Iford in 1899,

0:14:08 > 0:14:12and based the garden design on the old Italian gardens he discovered

0:14:12 > 0:14:14on his travels around the Mediterranean.

0:14:15 > 0:14:19This garden is a great example of how clever division of space

0:14:19 > 0:14:22can give one garden many different points of interest.

0:14:22 > 0:14:25WATER BUBBLES AND TRICKLES

0:14:25 > 0:14:26- Can you hear something?- Yes.

0:14:26 > 0:14:28A bit of water round the corner.

0:14:28 > 0:14:32One of Harold Peto's great design ethos -

0:14:32 > 0:14:34never give you the whole story at once.

0:14:34 > 0:14:37He'll have a little bit of water round the corner that you can't see,

0:14:37 > 0:14:40so it entices you to continue up a path.

0:14:45 > 0:14:48The sound of this fountain is really beautiful.

0:14:48 > 0:14:50It's very deep, isn't it, the sound?

0:14:50 > 0:14:52That's partly to do with the depth of water.

0:14:52 > 0:14:55If you pour water from a lower height, it's much higher.

0:14:55 > 0:14:57- Yeah.- It doesn't get the velocity.

0:14:57 > 0:15:00And we find here that this gives this lovely deep texture to the sound.

0:15:00 > 0:15:01It does. Really soothing.

0:15:04 > 0:15:10What I find so inspiring about this section of garden particularly

0:15:10 > 0:15:12- is the scale.- It is, it's very human.

0:15:12 > 0:15:14It's actually very approachable.

0:15:14 > 0:15:17We are, what, ten metres long from inside the loggia

0:15:17 > 0:15:19to the end of the pond.

0:15:19 > 0:15:23Anyone with a reasonable-sized garden can create this sort of thing.

0:15:23 > 0:15:27It's a patio with a water element, beautiful planting,

0:15:27 > 0:15:29which helps to soften the edges of the structure.

0:15:29 > 0:15:33It's a perfectly sort of intimate space to sit with a cup of coffee

0:15:33 > 0:15:36- in the morning.- It's the sort of... the total Italian experience.

0:15:36 > 0:15:39- It is, yes.- Just what I want. - Perfect.

0:15:43 > 0:15:47Well, it seems Monty has sent our sisters to the perfect place.

0:15:48 > 0:15:52Every turn brings to life another aspect of the Mediterranean,

0:15:52 > 0:15:57including beautiful stonework, topiary and potted plants.

0:15:59 > 0:16:02Here we come to a sort of Mediterranean patio garden.

0:16:02 > 0:16:05I love this area because, in the summer, it's a real warmth...

0:16:05 > 0:16:08a trap for the warmth and the sun

0:16:08 > 0:16:10and you get this use of pots.

0:16:10 > 0:16:14We love pots at Iford because it's a way of growing what you want,

0:16:14 > 0:16:16where you want and when you want it.

0:16:16 > 0:16:18And it's so Italian, isn't it?

0:16:18 > 0:16:21Yes, I'm planning to have quite a few pots around the garden because

0:16:21 > 0:16:23there's not going to be grass.

0:16:23 > 0:16:26I obviously want to bring foliage, colour and some green.

0:16:26 > 0:16:29As long as it's, er...

0:16:29 > 0:16:32I need a reasonably low-maintenance garden.

0:16:32 > 0:16:34But low-maintenance gardening is great.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37It is lovely. Patios like this behind us

0:16:37 > 0:16:40is a really good example of a way to make all of the effort to bed it out

0:16:40 > 0:16:42and then over the season

0:16:42 > 0:16:45you give it a bit of weeding and titivating and deadheading,

0:16:45 > 0:16:47it rewards you over and over and over.

0:16:47 > 0:16:49Yeah, so you can just enjoy it.

0:17:04 > 0:17:08As the day drifts away, the sisters seem reluctant to leave.

0:17:10 > 0:17:12It is an extraordinary place to be.

0:17:12 > 0:17:15I mean, we've been here all day

0:17:15 > 0:17:18and I feel quite sort of saturated by beauty.

0:17:18 > 0:17:20Every direction you look,

0:17:20 > 0:17:23there is another expression

0:17:23 > 0:17:26which is completely different from...each other.

0:17:26 > 0:17:28I'm staying in this garden.

0:17:28 > 0:17:32Yours is lovely but I think I'll stay here.

0:17:35 > 0:17:37Before the evening sets in,

0:17:37 > 0:17:39there is still time for William to point out

0:17:39 > 0:17:42how Peto cleverly divided the separate spaces in the garden.

0:17:43 > 0:17:50So often at Iford, you see a space which is kind of blocked off or...

0:17:50 > 0:17:52interrupted, you might say,

0:17:52 > 0:17:55and I think something which is quite counterintuitive is that it is

0:17:55 > 0:17:58precisely that action of blocking

0:17:58 > 0:18:01which creates the impression of space.

0:18:01 > 0:18:05So what are the key devices that Peto used to break up the spaces?

0:18:05 > 0:18:10When we look out here, we are interrupting the view with columns.

0:18:10 > 0:18:14- One of the columns is interrupted itself with a rose.- Yeah.

0:18:14 > 0:18:16Something that gives you the impression

0:18:16 > 0:18:18of the beyond and the near without telling you both.

0:18:22 > 0:18:24Small parts of this garden

0:18:24 > 0:18:27can be transported into a bit of your garden.

0:18:27 > 0:18:28Yes, they can.

0:18:28 > 0:18:32I thought the terracotta pots were particularly inspiring.

0:18:32 > 0:18:33The water feature.

0:18:33 > 0:18:35Maybe there's some way that we have to...

0:18:35 > 0:18:38Maybe our water feature doesn't become the feature

0:18:38 > 0:18:40as you step out of the house - bang, there it is.

0:18:40 > 0:18:43Maybe that has to be in some way slightly more hidden.

0:18:47 > 0:18:51Inspired by the clever division of space at Iford Manor,

0:18:51 > 0:18:55our Italian dream team get to work in Teddington.

0:18:55 > 0:18:58What we're going to do is stake out the areas

0:18:58 > 0:19:01where the barbecue preparation area is going to be,

0:19:01 > 0:19:04where the water feature is going to be and where the

0:19:04 > 0:19:07screening will go and the division into the next section.

0:19:07 > 0:19:09We can reduce that to about...

0:19:11 > 0:19:16- Here seems sort of obvious to have trellis for some reason.- It does.

0:19:16 > 0:19:18Doing what Monty suggested

0:19:18 > 0:19:21has really given me a vision of these thirds,

0:19:21 > 0:19:24which I couldn't quite imagine before.

0:19:24 > 0:19:27Should the planting start narrow?

0:19:27 > 0:19:30Instead of having the big curve that you thought of.

0:19:30 > 0:19:31- Stagger it.- Yes.

0:19:31 > 0:19:34I think what he's done, actually, significantly,

0:19:34 > 0:19:37is just open the whole thing out instead of it being...

0:19:37 > 0:19:43a little bit cramped and the proportions completely wrong.

0:19:48 > 0:19:50With the three areas marked out,

0:19:50 > 0:19:52the next step is the ground in front of Jennifer's office.

0:19:56 > 0:20:00This is a separate area that has to have a different atmosphere

0:20:00 > 0:20:02to the rest of the garden.

0:20:02 > 0:20:06It's going to be gravelled and I chose the gravel,

0:20:06 > 0:20:08finding who delivers in bulk,

0:20:08 > 0:20:13maybe not having the most beautiful tiny pale pebbles that I envisaged.

0:20:13 > 0:20:18We've got actually fine, regular, standard gravel.

0:20:18 > 0:20:19That's good.

0:20:19 > 0:20:21It's incredible.

0:20:21 > 0:20:25It took so little time and actually very little effort,

0:20:25 > 0:20:27particularly on my part.

0:20:27 > 0:20:30The whole thing is completely transformed.

0:20:30 > 0:20:32It's absolutely remarkable.

0:20:43 > 0:20:46Meanwhile, Monty has sent Kerensa and Chris to Waddesdon Manor

0:20:46 > 0:20:49to see some rather spectacular raised bedding.

0:20:50 > 0:20:54The gardens here were created by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild

0:20:54 > 0:20:55in the late 1800s

0:20:55 > 0:21:00and today still retain a sense of 19th-century wonder and magic.

0:21:00 > 0:21:04Head gardener Paul Farnell is on hand to explain more.

0:21:04 > 0:21:07Wow, this is absolutely phenomenal.

0:21:07 > 0:21:09I've never seen anything like this before, Paul.

0:21:09 > 0:21:12This is what we are actually famous for. This is seasonal bedding.

0:21:12 > 0:21:14I'll give you some tips and let you know

0:21:14 > 0:21:17how to go about thinking about bedding. Creating a bedding scheme.

0:21:17 > 0:21:20I think this could really work in my garden.

0:21:24 > 0:21:28Kerensa is clearly tickled but she's going to need some more tips

0:21:28 > 0:21:29if she stands any chance

0:21:29 > 0:21:32of recreating bedding like this at home.

0:21:33 > 0:21:35Oh, this is just amazing.

0:21:35 > 0:21:40In my garden, I was thinking about a heart-shaped flowerbed

0:21:40 > 0:21:42and I wouldn't have a clue where to start, so what can you suggest?

0:21:42 > 0:21:45Where are you going to have your heart-shaped flowerbed?

0:21:45 > 0:21:48Is it an established bed or is it going to be in turf?

0:21:48 > 0:21:50I think at the moment, it would be in the turf.

0:21:50 > 0:21:53Well, then, you've got to draw it out to start with and what I suggest is

0:21:53 > 0:21:56marking it out in sand, because if you get it wrong,

0:21:56 > 0:21:58you can always rub it out and then mark it out again.

0:21:58 > 0:22:00That's a really good idea.

0:22:00 > 0:22:01Before you start cutting the turf.

0:22:01 > 0:22:04If I had my way, I would be plonking them in willy-nilly.

0:22:04 > 0:22:06Is that the way you do it?

0:22:06 > 0:22:08You've got to get a little bit of space.

0:22:08 > 0:22:10Rule of thumb for something like a begonia

0:22:10 > 0:22:13- is probably about three-quarters of a trowel.- A couple of inches?

0:22:13 > 0:22:16No, we're talking about six inches.

0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Three quarters...- What do I know? I don't even know what a trowel is.

0:22:20 > 0:22:25So Paul gives our novice gardener a lesson about growing begonias.

0:22:25 > 0:22:29They prefer sunny spots but will also be happy growing in shade.

0:22:29 > 0:22:32They can be grown indoors in pots from seed.

0:22:32 > 0:22:34This should be done in October.

0:22:35 > 0:22:38He also suggests an alternative, pansies,

0:22:38 > 0:22:42which like similar conditions and come in a wide range of colours.

0:22:42 > 0:22:45So how would I maintain something like this?

0:22:45 > 0:22:49It's fairly easy. You've just got to keep an eye on deadheading

0:22:49 > 0:22:51because you've got to deadhead plants regularly.

0:22:51 > 0:22:54- Deadheads, yeah.- Yeah, yeah. - Can you show me how you do that?

0:22:54 > 0:22:57- Absolutely. It's not rocket science. - All right. It is for me.

0:22:57 > 0:23:01You just get down and nip off the...

0:23:01 > 0:23:04Oh, right, OK.

0:23:04 > 0:23:06Sometimes, if you wanted to be pedantic,

0:23:06 > 0:23:09you'd take something like that off because it's almost over.

0:23:09 > 0:23:12And you see we've got a brand-new one underneath coming along.

0:23:12 > 0:23:13I think I can manage that.

0:23:13 > 0:23:15That's marvellous, then.

0:23:16 > 0:23:18Well, you're one step closer to Wonderland, Kerensa.

0:23:20 > 0:23:23And Waddesdon still has another treat in store

0:23:23 > 0:23:26that takes raised bedding to the next level.

0:23:31 > 0:23:34I've got something round the corner here that might surprise you.

0:23:34 > 0:23:35Ooh, yeah.

0:23:35 > 0:23:36Oh, my word.

0:23:38 > 0:23:39Wow!

0:23:39 > 0:23:43- That's amazing, Paul! Did you make that?- Pretty much.

0:23:43 > 0:23:44It's based on a Victorian idea.

0:23:44 > 0:23:49We found an image of a bird very similar on an old diascope

0:23:49 > 0:23:52and we thought we would have a go at recreating it.

0:23:52 > 0:23:54That's just magnificent.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57- Has he got a name? - He's just a pheasant.

0:23:57 > 0:24:01If you think about it as if it's a huge hanging basket, really.

0:24:01 > 0:24:04There's a metal framework and a wire frame over that.

0:24:04 > 0:24:07The compost is packed in between the wire framework and the metal frame

0:24:07 > 0:24:11underneath. And then we plant into that compost through the mesh and

0:24:11 > 0:24:14eventually the plants fill out and away it goes.

0:24:14 > 0:24:16It's completely bonkers.

0:24:16 > 0:24:17Isn't it?

0:24:20 > 0:24:24My head feels like it's going to blow off my body.

0:24:24 > 0:24:26I have seen so much,

0:24:26 > 0:24:29I've heard so much that I just need to go and lie down

0:24:29 > 0:24:31and let it all be absorbed.

0:24:31 > 0:24:35And wake up tomorrow and I shall have a bit more of a clear plan

0:24:35 > 0:24:36of what I'm going to do.

0:24:39 > 0:24:42In the weeks after her inspiring visits to Waddesdon,

0:24:42 > 0:24:46Kerensa has cracked on with her garden.

0:24:46 > 0:24:50She's acquired a selection of plants and even laid a garden path.

0:24:50 > 0:24:53Laying the path has been really, um...been hard work.

0:24:53 > 0:24:56The first batch of concrete I made didn't work out properly

0:24:56 > 0:25:00but I learned from that and the second batch we've got right

0:25:00 > 0:25:02and we were able to lay the path.

0:25:02 > 0:25:07Kerensa set out to create a chessboard patio,

0:25:07 > 0:25:11a heart-shaped lawn and planting beds and a path

0:25:11 > 0:25:13leading to a willow tunnel

0:25:13 > 0:25:17along with all manner of Alice In Wonderland ornaments.

0:25:17 > 0:25:19All on her modest budget of £500.

0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's a good moment for Monty to come and give her a helping hand.

0:25:26 > 0:25:28The problem I have with Kerensa is twofold.

0:25:28 > 0:25:32One, I'm generally not sure what she wants.

0:25:32 > 0:25:33It wants to be fantasy,

0:25:33 > 0:25:36it wants to be wacky, but it's not really realised enough.

0:25:36 > 0:25:39The other thing is plants don't enter into it.

0:25:39 > 0:25:41There's nothing wrong in having your garden with no plants

0:25:41 > 0:25:43but you've got to be clear about that.

0:25:43 > 0:25:47In all honesty, I don't think I'm on top of the job at all.

0:25:47 > 0:25:49We still have got a few weeks to go

0:25:49 > 0:25:52and I'm really going to have to crack on with it.

0:25:52 > 0:25:53- Hello, Kerensa.- Hello, Monty.

0:25:53 > 0:25:55Hello. You've got a path in.

0:25:55 > 0:25:57- Yes.- I can't wait to show you the path.

0:25:59 > 0:26:01- It starts off perfect.- Right.

0:26:01 > 0:26:07The further down the garden we get, it starts to break away into chaos.

0:26:07 > 0:26:09Which is my favourite word, chaos.

0:26:09 > 0:26:11You've been very generous with the cement.

0:26:13 > 0:26:15When you get to the edges here,

0:26:15 > 0:26:18- you won't be able to plant up to the edge of the path.- Right.

0:26:19 > 0:26:23It seems that Monty's not as impressed as Kerensa had hoped

0:26:23 > 0:26:26and he's struggling to get his head around her approach to gardening.

0:26:28 > 0:26:32- Now, what I don't quite understand is, where the grass is now...- Yep.

0:26:32 > 0:26:33..what surface is that?

0:26:33 > 0:26:35Are these borders?

0:26:37 > 0:26:39- I don't know!- You don't know.

0:26:41 > 0:26:44The way that this garden has happened,

0:26:44 > 0:26:47it's kind of been split-second decisions

0:26:47 > 0:26:49but it seems to be working.

0:26:49 > 0:26:53The way I'm operating this whole garden, it seems to be working.

0:26:53 > 0:26:55Monty isn't convinced.

0:26:55 > 0:26:57Time for a serious chat.

0:26:57 > 0:26:59The truth is, Kerensa,

0:26:59 > 0:27:01you are quite a chaotic person.

0:27:02 > 0:27:04You've got that right.

0:27:04 > 0:27:07And this has the makings of quite a chaotic garden.

0:27:09 > 0:27:11There are two things we have to do.

0:27:11 > 0:27:15One is steer you in such a way as it actually gets made,

0:27:15 > 0:27:17because I could see in four months' time

0:27:17 > 0:27:20it wouldn't look very different to this.

0:27:20 > 0:27:21- OK.- Two...

0:27:23 > 0:27:24..we should celebrate your chaos.

0:27:24 > 0:27:27You wanted a fancy garden, you wanted Alice in Wonderland.

0:27:27 > 0:27:30It should be wacky and it should be yours.

0:27:31 > 0:27:36If we start with that mound, if I take up the turf, that's number one.

0:27:36 > 0:27:40It's not going to be a rockery per se, because a rockery,

0:27:40 > 0:27:44you need more stone and there's too much soil underneath it.

0:27:44 > 0:27:47But we can have rocks in there and also it can be what you want.

0:27:47 > 0:27:50It can be wacky, it can break every rule in the book, it doesn't matter.

0:27:50 > 0:27:53That's what I'm good at, breaking all the rules.

0:27:53 > 0:27:56Pep talk over, now on to the job.

0:27:56 > 0:28:00Time to turn this mound of earth into a garden feature.

0:28:00 > 0:28:04The next thing is to start thinking about stones and bringing them in.

0:28:04 > 0:28:06If we get... Let's just take this one.

0:28:09 > 0:28:10If we put that...

0:28:11 > 0:28:14And you put another one across there.

0:28:14 > 0:28:15Thank you, Monty.

0:28:16 > 0:28:18Is that going to work or not?

0:28:18 > 0:28:19Yes.

0:28:21 > 0:28:24By placing the rocks together on the face of the mound,

0:28:24 > 0:28:26Monty is creating pockets for planting.

0:28:26 > 0:28:30You need to get more soil or compost,

0:28:30 > 0:28:32pile it up in, so that we draw...

0:28:32 > 0:28:35The rock looks like it's just been uncovered.

0:28:35 > 0:28:37Rather than sitting on top of it.

0:28:37 > 0:28:41- Yes.- And if you sowed a mixture of wild-flower seed,

0:28:41 > 0:28:43because of all the rubble under there,

0:28:43 > 0:28:46that would be quite poor soil and therefore the flowers would grow.

0:28:46 > 0:28:48- OK?- Yes, absolutely, I love the sound of that.

0:28:48 > 0:28:51- We're getting somewhere. - We are, finally.

0:28:51 > 0:28:53Just needed you back at the helm of the ship.

0:28:53 > 0:28:56Monty recommends Kerensa chooses wild flowers like poppies and

0:28:56 > 0:29:00cornflowers, as they are an easy, low-maintenance way to add colour.

0:29:01 > 0:29:05All she has to do is sow seeds between March and May in full sun

0:29:05 > 0:29:07and they will flower throughout the summer.

0:29:07 > 0:29:10In any partially shaded spot,

0:29:10 > 0:29:12he suggests bluebells or red campion instead.

0:29:15 > 0:29:18Kerensa has bought a selection of plants,

0:29:18 > 0:29:21including ferns and campanulas that, as luck would have it,

0:29:21 > 0:29:22are ideal for the new rock feature.

0:29:24 > 0:29:26When you're planting on something like this,

0:29:26 > 0:29:29you want to start with your biggest plants and work around them and

0:29:29 > 0:29:31work out where they're going to be.

0:29:31 > 0:29:33And don't plant anything until you're pretty comfortable

0:29:33 > 0:29:35where you know it wants to be.

0:29:35 > 0:29:41Your ferns we could put by the side here in a kind of screen.

0:29:41 > 0:29:42This will get bigger.

0:29:42 > 0:29:45So we could put one there and maybe another one there.

0:29:45 > 0:29:47- OK.- I think the other really important plants

0:29:47 > 0:29:49are these campanulas,

0:29:49 > 0:29:53which are absolutely perfect, and they could go

0:29:53 > 0:29:54in little pockets like this.

0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Yes.- OK.

0:29:57 > 0:30:00This is where your creativity comes in.

0:30:00 > 0:30:02You could just arrange them so they look good.

0:30:02 > 0:30:04This is my favourite bit so far.

0:30:04 > 0:30:06Now I'm actually working with the plants and the flowers.

0:30:06 > 0:30:10What you need to do is make a hole and stick it in.

0:30:10 > 0:30:13And work out where I'm going to put my flowers.

0:30:13 > 0:30:16And my little leeks in between the rockery.

0:30:17 > 0:30:19An important feature of Kerensa's garden

0:30:19 > 0:30:23is the patio-cum-chessboard near to the house.

0:30:23 > 0:30:25Having already made a start,

0:30:25 > 0:30:28she's hoping Monty can show her what to look out for when planting thyme

0:30:28 > 0:30:30between the paving.

0:30:30 > 0:30:35The first thing is it needs absolute full sunshine, it hates shade.

0:30:35 > 0:30:37This is the perfect spot, then.

0:30:37 > 0:30:41Good. The second thing it needs is very, very good drainage.

0:30:41 > 0:30:46- OK.- And this, of course, is sand over hardcore,

0:30:46 > 0:30:49so it should drain really well.

0:30:49 > 0:30:51And Monty has created the perfect mix,

0:30:51 > 0:30:55consisting of half subsoil and half sharp sand.

0:30:55 > 0:30:59A lot of plants wouldn't grow at all well in that but thyme will.

0:31:00 > 0:31:03We just make a bit of a hole in the middle.

0:31:05 > 0:31:09- And just place it in. - And then with this...

0:31:11 > 0:31:16..just grout round it so the roots have a little bit of goodness,

0:31:16 > 0:31:18but only a little.

0:31:18 > 0:31:24- And eventually this will expand and grow into the space.- Yes.

0:31:24 > 0:31:27Thyme is ideal for filling gaps between pavers

0:31:27 > 0:31:31because it doesn't mind being stepped on and it chokes out weeds.

0:31:32 > 0:31:34Not to mention its fabulous smell.

0:31:35 > 0:31:37'I feel better now than I did when I came this morning

0:31:37 > 0:31:39'because, to be honest,'

0:31:39 > 0:31:40I looked at this garden

0:31:40 > 0:31:44and, although the path was in place and the patio

0:31:44 > 0:31:47was going down, it was a bit chaotic.

0:31:47 > 0:31:50Having Monty here, he is a very calming influence

0:31:50 > 0:31:54and he has put into words what I had in my mind.

0:31:54 > 0:31:57What matters is she is starting to see this garden

0:31:57 > 0:31:59as a series of small projects

0:31:59 > 0:32:03that can then come together to make the bigger garden,

0:32:03 > 0:32:08and if she can keep that going over the next few months, she might - MIGHT -

0:32:08 > 0:32:10arrive where she wants to be.

0:32:19 > 0:32:23Over in Teddington, Jennifer's garden is a hive of activity.

0:32:24 > 0:32:28She wants to create a large terrace for cooking and dining.

0:32:28 > 0:32:32Along with a sunny area for relaxing, with a water feature

0:32:32 > 0:32:35and a screened-off area around her office

0:32:35 > 0:32:37at the back of the garden.

0:32:37 > 0:32:39Things have been moving on apace.

0:32:39 > 0:32:43We have actually scoured back the garden,

0:32:43 > 0:32:49so it's almost ground zero and now we have got stuff coming in.

0:32:49 > 0:32:52We haven't changed very much from his suggestions.

0:32:52 > 0:32:55His suggestions were completely right.

0:32:55 > 0:32:57Now the groundwork has been done,

0:32:57 > 0:32:59Monty has come along to help with the planting.

0:32:59 > 0:33:01When I left last time, it seemed to me

0:33:01 > 0:33:04that the really important thing they had to deal with

0:33:04 > 0:33:07was sorting out the different spaces within the garden

0:33:07 > 0:33:09and how they were going to use it.

0:33:09 > 0:33:11So I will have a look inside.

0:33:19 > 0:33:20Big trees, big changes.

0:33:21 > 0:33:25- You've been busy. - Yes, Jill has been very busy.

0:33:25 > 0:33:28She has been busy clearing and digging.

0:33:28 > 0:33:32I have been fiddling around the edges but mostly...

0:33:32 > 0:33:35- Shopping.- Mostly shopping.

0:33:35 > 0:33:38While I'm here today, is there anything I could do?

0:33:38 > 0:33:40Because I'm not going to lay your stones for you.

0:33:40 > 0:33:43But is there anything I could do now?

0:33:43 > 0:33:46Yes, there are dozens of things I have on my list.

0:33:46 > 0:33:47One day.

0:33:48 > 0:33:51First on the list is potting a couple of lemon trees,

0:33:51 > 0:33:53which require good drainage.

0:33:53 > 0:33:57Monty starts by adding polystyrene chunks to the bottom of each pot.

0:33:59 > 0:34:02This will also make them lighter and easier to move.

0:34:03 > 0:34:04You start with your basic compost.

0:34:04 > 0:34:08If you pass the bag, I'll do all-purpose peat-free compost.

0:34:10 > 0:34:14To improve drainage, Monty adds an equal amount of sand to the compost.

0:34:15 > 0:34:17A nice sandy mix.

0:34:20 > 0:34:23The next one...you have brought some topsoil.

0:34:23 > 0:34:24- Yes.- Let's have that.

0:34:25 > 0:34:28I spend quite a lot of time in Italy

0:34:28 > 0:34:31and all the people who grew citrus of any kind,

0:34:31 > 0:34:35whether they were lemons, oranges, grapefruit,

0:34:35 > 0:34:37they would never tell me their soil mix.

0:34:37 > 0:34:40It was always a secret and they all have their own

0:34:40 > 0:34:42but they all use loam like that.

0:34:42 > 0:34:44Jill is keen to be Monty's assistant.

0:34:45 > 0:34:47Jennifer prefers to watch.

0:34:47 > 0:34:48Just lift it carefully.

0:34:51 > 0:34:54That's about right, because we want to leave space at the bottom...

0:34:54 > 0:34:56- Well, at the top.- Yes.

0:34:56 > 0:34:59Because one of the things it's good to do, A, for watering -

0:34:59 > 0:35:02you want to be able to get plenty of water on the top,

0:35:02 > 0:35:06and, B, it's quite a good idea every spring to give it a mulch of compost.

0:35:06 > 0:35:08Scrape away an inch or so of the topsoil,

0:35:08 > 0:35:12remove it and top that back up with fresh garden compost.

0:35:12 > 0:35:16We can just fill around it like this in the pot...

0:35:18 > 0:35:20..which looks a bit odd...

0:35:20 > 0:35:21but actually...

0:35:23 > 0:35:24..has one or two advantages.

0:35:27 > 0:35:28Now, if you grab one side,

0:35:28 > 0:35:32we carefully lift it out as straight as possible, OK?

0:35:32 > 0:35:35- The whole thing?- Yeah. Lift it gently up like that.

0:35:35 > 0:35:37Keep going. That's it.

0:35:37 > 0:35:40- Wow.- Now, if we take this out...

0:35:42 > 0:35:45..like that, and just slip it in there.

0:35:45 > 0:35:47- Beautiful.- Yeah.

0:35:47 > 0:35:48The barrow to the pot?

0:35:48 > 0:35:50- Yeah.- Rather than the pot to the barrow.

0:35:50 > 0:35:55'Oh, it's brilliant, it feels like this is the beginning of doing the actual gardening.'

0:35:55 > 0:35:59Incredible information. You know, you think it would be very simple -

0:35:59 > 0:36:03you put a lemon tree in a terracotta pot, what is the big deal?

0:36:03 > 0:36:06And those polystyrene bits in the bottom, I had no idea about that.

0:36:06 > 0:36:08I thought they were completely functionally useless,

0:36:08 > 0:36:11polystyrene had no purpose.

0:36:11 > 0:36:13With the lemon trees potted,

0:36:13 > 0:36:15it's time to move on to a vine

0:36:15 > 0:36:18which Jennifer hopes to grow near to the house.

0:36:18 > 0:36:21I can see there is a rose here that is right by the fence.

0:36:21 > 0:36:26- Yes.- And basically, you want to get away as far as you can,

0:36:26 > 0:36:30I would say about two or three foot, so the roots have room to move.

0:36:31 > 0:36:33We have got the roots of the...

0:36:33 > 0:36:35Hello.

0:36:36 > 0:36:40A mixture of rubble and clay.

0:36:40 > 0:36:43So it's going to get gruesome soon, I expect.

0:36:44 > 0:36:46It's quite important to break that pan up,

0:36:46 > 0:36:49because you've got a really solid pan of soil.

0:36:49 > 0:36:52Vines like good drainage, that is important.

0:36:53 > 0:36:56But it doesn't follow that they like poor soil

0:36:56 > 0:36:59and it's important not to confuse the two.

0:36:59 > 0:37:02So we need to break that up and maybe dig out a little bit,

0:37:02 > 0:37:06and then put some compost in that will keep it light.

0:37:07 > 0:37:10Vines are found all over the Mediterranean,

0:37:10 > 0:37:12but Monty explains that they will grow happily in the UK

0:37:12 > 0:37:14given the right conditions.

0:37:14 > 0:37:18He recommends varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,

0:37:18 > 0:37:21which need sheltered sunny spots with good drainage.

0:37:23 > 0:37:25They will fruit, but need time to mature,

0:37:25 > 0:37:28so Jennifer may need to wait a few years

0:37:28 > 0:37:30before she can enjoy a good harvest.

0:37:30 > 0:37:32If we've got the pot here,

0:37:32 > 0:37:35you can see I've dug a hole that's much too deep.

0:37:38 > 0:37:39I'm not going to plant it that deep.

0:37:39 > 0:37:42To ensure there's good drainage,

0:37:42 > 0:37:45I think some of your gravel in the bottom there,

0:37:45 > 0:37:48mixed up with a little bit of manure,

0:37:48 > 0:37:50would just give it a good start.

0:37:50 > 0:37:52We'll add soil to that.

0:37:54 > 0:37:57What it means is, if you have a very wet winter

0:37:57 > 0:38:00or there's...you know, a puddle forms that runs off,

0:38:00 > 0:38:03it's not going to be sitting in water, which is what you don't want.

0:38:03 > 0:38:05Right.

0:38:05 > 0:38:08Once the vine is planted, it gets a good watering-in.

0:38:08 > 0:38:11Monty also suggests mulching the soil around the base

0:38:11 > 0:38:13as well as adding a top layer of well-rotted manure

0:38:13 > 0:38:15for some extra nutrients.

0:38:17 > 0:38:20You should repeat that every spring and then that will help...

0:38:20 > 0:38:23As it grows, that will help boost it, and that's the feed it needs.

0:38:25 > 0:38:28Monty has just enough time to turn his attention to

0:38:28 > 0:38:31Jennifer's mature but newly acquired olive tree.

0:38:32 > 0:38:36It was damaged on its journey here and needs some expert TLC.

0:38:38 > 0:38:39To be honest,

0:38:39 > 0:38:42I'm quite daunted by this, because...

0:38:42 > 0:38:44Wow, imagine how we feel.

0:38:44 > 0:38:46Yeah, in the sense that...

0:38:46 > 0:38:51of right now being able to go bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, voila.

0:38:51 > 0:38:53Hey presto, there is a beautiful olive.

0:38:53 > 0:38:57I think it's going to take several years for that to happen.

0:38:59 > 0:39:01That's off there.

0:39:01 > 0:39:04That's pretty damaged there, isn't it?

0:39:06 > 0:39:08It's terribly hard wood.

0:39:08 > 0:39:11- Is it?- Much harder than the citrus.

0:39:11 > 0:39:15Olives grow very slowly, so do not require much pruning.

0:39:16 > 0:39:18However, Monty recommends removing dead,

0:39:18 > 0:39:22diseased or dying branches in late spring or early summer.

0:39:23 > 0:39:26Be aware that excessive pruning prevents fruiting,

0:39:26 > 0:39:29as olives grow on the tips of the previous year's growth.

0:39:31 > 0:39:32Is that starting to take?

0:39:32 > 0:39:34Yes, it's already looking better.

0:39:36 > 0:39:37- Tell me to stop.- Stop!

0:39:37 > 0:39:38OK.

0:39:40 > 0:39:44I would not in a million years have done that.

0:39:44 > 0:39:47When you finally decide where you want to put it,

0:39:47 > 0:39:50plant it in a mix very similar to the citrus and the vine.

0:39:50 > 0:39:52Lots of drainage.

0:39:53 > 0:39:54Done a great deal today.

0:39:54 > 0:39:56Monty has done most of it.

0:39:56 > 0:39:59It feels like he's invested in this garden, doesn't it?

0:39:59 > 0:40:00- Yes, yes.- Emotionally.

0:40:00 > 0:40:02I feel he will be back.

0:40:02 > 0:40:04Jen has got lovely things.

0:40:04 > 0:40:10You know, the citrus, the various olives, the paving.

0:40:10 > 0:40:12It's beautiful, I can't wait to see it done.

0:40:12 > 0:40:15But it doesn't matter what components you have of your garden,

0:40:15 > 0:40:18it's putting them together that counts.

0:40:23 > 0:40:27As summer marches on, Kerensa's garden in Billericay is developing.

0:40:28 > 0:40:31The chessboard-style patio has been fully laid out and planted up

0:40:31 > 0:40:34with thyme, following Monty's advice.

0:40:34 > 0:40:36Can you manage that?

0:40:36 > 0:40:37- Yep.- OK.

0:40:39 > 0:40:42Kerensa and Chris are bringing in a variety of plants

0:40:42 > 0:40:45but, due to a lack of knowledge and poor after-care,

0:40:45 > 0:40:48many are dying before they're even planted.

0:40:50 > 0:40:51Haven't listened to Monty at all.

0:40:51 > 0:40:54But, you know, when my friends see this, they'll say, "Well,

0:40:54 > 0:40:56"that's her all over. She never listens to anybody."

0:40:56 > 0:40:58Can those leaves be resurrected?

0:40:58 > 0:41:01They probably won't come back.

0:41:01 > 0:41:04Yeah, my philosophy is the best plan is no plan.

0:41:05 > 0:41:09It seems that Kerensa's controlled chaos is turning into catastrophe.

0:41:11 > 0:41:12Hello, Pam.

0:41:12 > 0:41:14Luckily, she's found a local gardener

0:41:14 > 0:41:16who has some free plants to donate.

0:41:17 > 0:41:19To the car.

0:41:19 > 0:41:20Not bad for a freebie.

0:41:25 > 0:41:27Let's see. They look all right, don't they?

0:41:27 > 0:41:30- In we go, Chris. What do you think? - No, not a bad selection.

0:41:30 > 0:41:32In all honesty, I can't wait to get...

0:41:32 > 0:41:33I can't wait for this all to be done

0:41:33 > 0:41:36and then I can start with my creative flair, you know?

0:41:36 > 0:41:39It seems since we've started it's been...

0:41:39 > 0:41:42- Too much like hard work. - It has been a lot like hard work.

0:41:42 > 0:41:45Keeping plants alive is one concern,

0:41:45 > 0:41:48but Kerensa also has a problem with her chessboard patio.

0:41:49 > 0:41:51We put this down last week.

0:41:51 > 0:41:53It's temporarily, just to see how it looks,

0:41:53 > 0:41:55and I've lived with it for a week,

0:41:55 > 0:41:57and to be quite frank, it's a hazard.

0:41:57 > 0:42:00You know, when I put the chair on I fell off the chair,

0:42:00 > 0:42:02so I realise it's not going to be practical

0:42:02 > 0:42:04for a dog and a four-year-old.

0:42:07 > 0:42:10And with her August deadline approaching,

0:42:10 > 0:42:12things have taken a difficult turn for Kerensa.

0:42:14 > 0:42:16So can you come round later and give us a hand?

0:42:16 > 0:42:19Not all day, definitely not even later on this afternoon.

0:42:20 > 0:42:22That's Dawn. Let me try Kirsty.

0:42:24 > 0:42:28After dealing with Kerensa's U-turn on the chessboard patio,

0:42:28 > 0:42:31Chris has had to pull out of the project altogether.

0:42:33 > 0:42:35The truth is I feel quite disappointed

0:42:35 > 0:42:38that Chris hasn't been able to see the project through to the end.

0:42:38 > 0:42:40I mean, we're nearly there.

0:42:40 > 0:42:42I think there's just a couple more weeks left of work.

0:42:42 > 0:42:44If I can call on a couple of buddies,

0:42:44 > 0:42:46I reckon we'll be able to get it done.

0:42:46 > 0:42:48With the clock ticking,

0:42:48 > 0:42:52Kerensa will have to go solo to be ready for Monty's final visit

0:42:52 > 0:42:53and Delphi's birthday.

0:42:53 > 0:42:56Let's get your wellies...

0:42:56 > 0:42:58and we'll get some soil.

0:42:58 > 0:43:02It has been a struggle and I did lose a few plants,

0:43:02 > 0:43:03but I think I didn't realise

0:43:03 > 0:43:06that I probably should have watered them a lot more than I was.

0:43:06 > 0:43:10But now I've realised that, I'm watering them every single day now.

0:43:10 > 0:43:12Just a little bit on the sunflower.

0:43:12 > 0:43:16A bit chaotic, but Kerensa carries on.

0:43:16 > 0:43:18Drawing on her experience from Waddesdon Manor,

0:43:18 > 0:43:21she has begun work on a heart-shaped bed of begonias.

0:43:23 > 0:43:25Then, following head gardener Paul's advice,

0:43:25 > 0:43:27she marks out a heart-shaped lawn in sand.

0:43:30 > 0:43:32This needs to be absolutely pristine,

0:43:32 > 0:43:34otherwise I won't be happy when I'm sitting there.

0:43:34 > 0:43:38And also, this has been a long time coming, this part.

0:43:38 > 0:43:40I've really looked forward to this so that, you know,

0:43:40 > 0:43:42we can sit on the grass.

0:43:42 > 0:43:46Because for such a long time we've been living on a building site, it feels like.

0:43:46 > 0:43:50Having come to terms with going it alone, Kerensa knuckles down.

0:43:50 > 0:43:53I'm hoping when the grass grows a little bit

0:43:53 > 0:43:55these lines will disappear.

0:43:55 > 0:43:57As her lawn takes shape, the question remains -

0:43:57 > 0:44:01will it all be enough to hit her deadline and impress Monty?

0:44:01 > 0:44:04I keep thinking there's a lot left to do.

0:44:04 > 0:44:07But then when I look, I'm trying... I'm saying, "OK, well,

0:44:07 > 0:44:08"it's small jobs,"

0:44:08 > 0:44:12so I'm hoping we can get it done for the party in August.

0:44:12 > 0:44:13Yeah, we'll get it done.

0:44:18 > 0:44:20Meanwhile in Teddington,

0:44:20 > 0:44:23Jennifer's Italian-inspired garden is shaping up.

0:44:24 > 0:44:27She has dipped into her budget and hired some help

0:44:27 > 0:44:32to lay her Yorkstone patio while she puts Monty's advice into action.

0:44:32 > 0:44:36I'm going to put in the Monty mix

0:44:36 > 0:44:41for the...big old olive tree.

0:44:42 > 0:44:43Lovely, thank you.

0:44:43 > 0:44:46I'm sure Monty will thoroughly approve.

0:44:46 > 0:44:50Solid, stone, tons of drainage.

0:44:51 > 0:44:53With the planter prepared,

0:44:53 > 0:44:56it's time to transfer the huge olive tree into its new home.

0:44:58 > 0:45:00And Jennifer's good at giving the orders.

0:45:00 > 0:45:01Stop now.

0:45:01 > 0:45:04This way, this way.

0:45:06 > 0:45:08Yes. Bit more.

0:45:08 > 0:45:09Keep going. Stop, stop, stop.

0:45:10 > 0:45:13It's got to be just right.

0:45:13 > 0:45:15That is better.

0:45:15 > 0:45:18I want to lift it and get some soil and grit under,

0:45:18 > 0:45:19then push it the other way.

0:45:20 > 0:45:22Keep lifting, lads. We'll get there in the end.

0:45:24 > 0:45:26OK. Is this in its perfect position?

0:45:26 > 0:45:28This is where it's going to be.

0:45:28 > 0:45:29All sorted.

0:45:30 > 0:45:33And that's nice. I like this little gnarled piece here.

0:45:33 > 0:45:35That's nice and visible.

0:45:40 > 0:45:44Over the next few weeks, the garden fills up with plants

0:45:44 > 0:45:47waiting to be placed around Jennifer's new patio.

0:45:48 > 0:45:50When Monty suggested getting rid of all the grass,

0:45:50 > 0:45:52extend the whole terrace

0:45:52 > 0:45:55to make it much more like an Italian courtyard garden,

0:45:55 > 0:45:58- actually, it was the right thing to do.- It looks beautiful.

0:45:58 > 0:46:01And it makes the garden look so much bigger.

0:46:01 > 0:46:03Exactly as we did for the citrus.

0:46:04 > 0:46:07Sister number three, Deborah, has arrived from the States

0:46:07 > 0:46:11to help Jennifer and Jill create this garden as a tribute to their parents.

0:46:13 > 0:46:14Shall we try rotating it?

0:46:14 > 0:46:15Yes.

0:46:16 > 0:46:19Just tell me what to do and I'll do it.

0:46:21 > 0:46:24And they're filling the space with relics from their old family home.

0:46:25 > 0:46:27Our mum died at the beginning of the year.

0:46:27 > 0:46:31This is the first time I've been over since then.

0:46:31 > 0:46:32And...

0:46:32 > 0:46:38I see so much of my mum in this garden and my dad in this garden.

0:46:38 > 0:46:42It's lovely for the first time to come back,

0:46:42 > 0:46:45you know, without parents, but to have them here together

0:46:45 > 0:46:48and us all working together has just been sweet.

0:46:52 > 0:46:55Many hands make light work,

0:46:55 > 0:46:58as the sisters fill up the garden with oleanders,

0:46:58 > 0:47:01box balls, and verbena.

0:47:03 > 0:47:06We're on a slightly tight timeline, aren't we?

0:47:06 > 0:47:08Very, very tight timeline.

0:47:08 > 0:47:12- Two weeks.- Completely confident it will all come together at the end.

0:47:15 > 0:47:20It's August, and in Billericay it's time for a tea party.

0:47:20 > 0:47:23But with Monty on his way, the great British summer is a wash-out.

0:47:24 > 0:47:26Last-minute priorities would be to get a giant hairdryer

0:47:26 > 0:47:28and dry the garden.

0:47:28 > 0:47:31There's a couple of things I need to put on the wall,

0:47:31 > 0:47:33need to get a tea party ready.

0:47:33 > 0:47:35But it's a bit difficult, if everything's going to get wet.

0:47:35 > 0:47:38The paper plates aren't really going to work, are they?

0:47:38 > 0:47:42I hope when Monty sees it his eyes pop out of his head.

0:47:42 > 0:47:47Because I tried to explain to him on several occasions my dream, my vision.

0:47:47 > 0:47:51It was very difficult when I'm trying to verbally explain it.

0:47:51 > 0:47:54I wasn't following the plans that I'd written down,

0:47:54 > 0:47:57and it was hard for him to envisage what I was talking about.

0:47:57 > 0:47:59Madam, put your towel on.

0:47:59 > 0:48:01I hope when he comes here today

0:48:01 > 0:48:04he realises that even though half the time he thought I was talking

0:48:04 > 0:48:07nonsense, there was actually a method behind my madness.

0:48:07 > 0:48:13This is the garden, of all of them, that I least know what to expect.

0:48:13 > 0:48:15What was apparent from my last visit

0:48:15 > 0:48:19was that if Kerensa was to achieve anything like her dream,

0:48:19 > 0:48:21she needed to focus.

0:48:22 > 0:48:25And without that focus,

0:48:25 > 0:48:28I do fear that her fantasy garden

0:48:28 > 0:48:31will remain just that. A fantasy.

0:48:32 > 0:48:37Five months ago, Kerensa's garden was messy and unkempt.

0:48:37 > 0:48:39And very far from being Wonderland.

0:48:44 > 0:48:48Now she's transformed it into a fairy-tale space,

0:48:48 > 0:48:50complete with a heart-shaped lawn and flowerbed...

0:48:52 > 0:48:55..a meandering path that leads to a secret garden...

0:48:55 > 0:48:58and all manner of quirky touches,

0:48:58 > 0:49:02inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic book Alice In Wonderland.

0:49:11 > 0:49:13- Kerensa, hello.- Hello, Monty.

0:49:13 > 0:49:15- How are you?- Very well. - Nice to see you again.

0:49:15 > 0:49:18And very nice indeed to see your garden.

0:49:18 > 0:49:21Real. Here.

0:49:21 > 0:49:23I'm so happy that you are impressed.

0:49:23 > 0:49:25I am impressed and I'm delighted,

0:49:25 > 0:49:29because my one worry was that you would have it all in your head

0:49:29 > 0:49:32and it would never end up all in the garden.

0:49:32 > 0:49:34And it has. At least, a lot of it has.

0:49:34 > 0:49:36I love the heart-shaped lawn.

0:49:36 > 0:49:38- I love it.- That's brilliant.

0:49:38 > 0:49:41Now, talk me through what you've done since I last came.

0:49:41 > 0:49:42In fact, this terrace was starting.

0:49:42 > 0:49:44You were going to have thyme, weren't you?

0:49:44 > 0:49:47- What happened with that? - Unfortunately, it wasn't practical.

0:49:47 > 0:49:50So I had to pull it all up and do it again.

0:49:50 > 0:49:54I did keep a bit of the creeping thyme but just in the four corners.

0:49:54 > 0:49:56This is perfect for us now.

0:49:56 > 0:49:58She can ride her scooter up and down and...

0:49:58 > 0:50:02Good. Is that, I can't quite see, a heart-shaped raised bed behind it?

0:50:02 > 0:50:04- Is that right?- Yes, begonias.

0:50:04 > 0:50:05Has it worked out as you thought?

0:50:05 > 0:50:07Because it's not exactly as you planned, is it?

0:50:07 > 0:50:10This is so far removed from the original plan,

0:50:10 > 0:50:13but this is exactly how I would have wanted it on the budget I had.

0:50:13 > 0:50:15Remind me what your budget was.

0:50:15 > 0:50:16£500.

0:50:16 > 0:50:18- How much have you spent?- 565.

0:50:18 > 0:50:21- Right. So, that's all right, isn't it?- It's all right. It's fine.

0:50:21 > 0:50:24I've got enough for, you know, a pot of tea and a cupcake.

0:50:24 > 0:50:27One of the things that worried me was that the garden would get lost,

0:50:27 > 0:50:32and I know that gardens have to be planned and structured,

0:50:32 > 0:50:36and what surprises me most is that it's happened at all.

0:50:36 > 0:50:37You've got it done. You did it.

0:50:37 > 0:50:39You said you were going to do it.

0:50:39 > 0:50:42You said you were going to do it by a certain time, and you have.

0:50:42 > 0:50:44And I think that's fantastic.

0:50:44 > 0:50:46Thank you.

0:50:46 > 0:50:48Well, Wonderland wouldn't be Wonderland

0:50:48 > 0:50:49without a Mad Hatter's tea party.

0:50:53 > 0:50:55- Here you go.- That's falling down.

0:50:57 > 0:50:59- Well done.- Thank you, Lawrence.

0:50:59 > 0:51:04Well, I think I'd just like to acknowledge the fact that I think this is glorious

0:51:04 > 0:51:06- and you should be proud of that fact.- I am.

0:51:06 > 0:51:10- And what's particularly glorious is I know it's been tricky.- Hard work.

0:51:10 > 0:51:13You've done it. You've achieved it.

0:51:13 > 0:51:15So, I think, fantastic.

0:51:15 > 0:51:16Well done.

0:51:16 > 0:51:20Nothing could be nicer than a silly cake, which is good.

0:51:20 > 0:51:21So, bless you. Well done.

0:51:21 > 0:51:23Thank you, Monty.

0:51:23 > 0:51:25I would clap you, but it would cause a mess.

0:51:25 > 0:51:26It's...

0:51:30 > 0:51:32It's taken its time.

0:51:32 > 0:51:35Standing back and looking at it now, it looks good.

0:51:35 > 0:51:37It's a garden, it's an evolution, and it's going to get better.

0:51:37 > 0:51:41There was a couple of times when I thought I just wanted to give up.

0:51:41 > 0:51:45Painful, laborious, people were letting me down...

0:51:46 > 0:51:48..but, do you know what? I kept going.

0:51:48 > 0:51:50It's completely transformed.

0:51:50 > 0:51:51And it looks great.

0:51:51 > 0:51:54- Well done.- Thanks for everything. - That's a pleasure.

0:51:54 > 0:51:58'There's still lots to do in that garden. It's not finished.

0:51:58 > 0:52:00'It's all part of a process

0:52:00 > 0:52:04'that might take years to come to fruition.'

0:52:04 > 0:52:05That doesn't matter.

0:52:06 > 0:52:09What Kerensa has achieved with very limited resources,

0:52:09 > 0:52:12and, when she started, almost no knowledge at all,

0:52:12 > 0:52:17not only of gardens, or plants, or how to go about it, I think,

0:52:17 > 0:52:18is incredible.

0:52:18 > 0:52:24I hoped Monty would be as pleased with my creation as I was.

0:52:24 > 0:52:28When I saw his face, he genuinely looked like he was...

0:52:28 > 0:52:29He just couldn't believe it.

0:52:29 > 0:52:32I think the fact that he thought that I wouldn't achieve this,

0:52:32 > 0:52:35and I got that feeling from him, I wanted to prove him wrong.

0:52:35 > 0:52:39I wanted to show Monty this is what I can do, and I have done it.

0:52:53 > 0:52:55In Teddington, the sun is shining

0:52:55 > 0:52:58and there's a party going on alfresco.

0:53:00 > 0:53:02Well, we've worked very hard...

0:53:02 > 0:53:07on this garden. So I really, really hope he likes it, of course,

0:53:07 > 0:53:10but also it exceeds his expectations.

0:53:12 > 0:53:18I hope that he thinks that we've used his ideas effectively.

0:53:18 > 0:53:20Monty is on his way to find out if Jennifer and Jill

0:53:20 > 0:53:24have managed to make an Italian dream a reality.

0:53:25 > 0:53:28There is no question that Jen and Jill

0:53:28 > 0:53:31set themselves a very ambitious task.

0:53:31 > 0:53:34A lot to do in really quite a short time.

0:53:34 > 0:53:37They're very competent and I'm sure they will have done most of it.

0:53:37 > 0:53:39But the crucial thing is,

0:53:39 > 0:53:43have they transferred the work and the efficiency

0:53:43 > 0:53:46and the knowledge into making a personal garden,

0:53:46 > 0:53:48a space that has meaning for them

0:53:48 > 0:53:52and which will grow and become more established as time passes by?

0:53:55 > 0:53:58When Monty arrived five months ago,

0:53:58 > 0:54:00Jennifer's garden was an unused muddy strip

0:54:00 > 0:54:02with her office at the bottom.

0:54:04 > 0:54:08Now it has all the feeling of being in the Mediterranean.

0:54:08 > 0:54:13From the patio, complete with a beautiful area for entertaining,

0:54:13 > 0:54:15to a dedicated space for cooking,

0:54:15 > 0:54:20surrounded by stunning planting including an ancient olive tree,

0:54:20 > 0:54:24lemon trees and a healthy-looking vine.

0:54:24 > 0:54:28There's even the soothing sound of trickling water,

0:54:28 > 0:54:30as a final touch for this new dream garden.

0:54:35 > 0:54:38- CHATTER AND LAUGHTER - Hoo!

0:54:40 > 0:54:41- Hello.- Hi, Monty!

0:54:43 > 0:54:46- Hello. I'm sorry I'm late. - Hello!- But...

0:54:46 > 0:54:48- Well, we're delighted to see you. - Boy!

0:54:48 > 0:54:49I'm almost speechless,

0:54:49 > 0:54:52and that doesn't happen very often, I can tell you.

0:54:52 > 0:54:54It's looking extraordinary.

0:54:54 > 0:54:56Good. Well, we'd like to offer you a drink, first of all.

0:54:56 > 0:54:58I'd love one. Thank you very much.

0:55:00 > 0:55:03This is just how Jennifer wanted to use the garden.

0:55:12 > 0:55:14OK. Thanks, everyone, for coming

0:55:14 > 0:55:17and this is to Jilly and Monty for making it happen.

0:55:27 > 0:55:29Let's begin where I left off.

0:55:29 > 0:55:34We pruned the olive, and it looks great.

0:55:34 > 0:55:36And it's recovered from its traumas of being moved.

0:55:36 > 0:55:40- So have I!- But the water feature,

0:55:40 > 0:55:43that wasn't there. We vaguely talked about it.

0:55:43 > 0:55:47I wanted a trough and I wanted it to be elevated and I wanted to have

0:55:47 > 0:55:50a little bubbling thing and I wanted to pour water

0:55:50 > 0:55:55but I never expected it, actually, to come together quite so easily.

0:55:55 > 0:55:57And is that wood it's sitting on?

0:55:57 > 0:55:59- Because...- Yes. The wood it came from is a broken-down table.

0:55:59 > 0:56:03Everything we've used in this garden has been inherited from our dad,

0:56:03 > 0:56:06who just collected wood and many other things,

0:56:06 > 0:56:08and the algae has grown so quickly.

0:56:08 > 0:56:11Well, I was going to say, I love the green of the algae.

0:56:11 > 0:56:13It just looks established, doesn't it?

0:56:13 > 0:56:19- Yes.- One has to say that I have never visited a garden, ever,

0:56:19 > 0:56:23which has been done and completed in a matter of months

0:56:23 > 0:56:25that is so finished.

0:56:25 > 0:56:27It is extraordinary.

0:56:27 > 0:56:29The planting is very complete.

0:56:29 > 0:56:31There's an element of show garden about it.

0:56:31 > 0:56:34This would win a gold medal.

0:56:34 > 0:56:36In lots and lots of flower shows.

0:56:36 > 0:56:39That's what we've been waiting for!

0:56:39 > 0:56:42This is a gold-medal garden.

0:56:42 > 0:56:45Well, that's really saying something coming from Monty.

0:56:45 > 0:56:48But it has come with a hefty price tag.

0:56:48 > 0:56:53Jennifer has ended up exceeding her budget of 5,000-7,000,

0:56:53 > 0:56:56having spent almost £10,000.

0:56:56 > 0:56:59But it's all worth it.

0:56:59 > 0:57:02The more I look at this garden and the more I talk to you two,

0:57:02 > 0:57:06what really touches me is the fact that it has meaning.

0:57:06 > 0:57:09It's about your life. It's about your father, it's about your mother,

0:57:09 > 0:57:11it's about your home, it's about your sisters.

0:57:11 > 0:57:13And that's what makes gardens come alive.

0:57:13 > 0:57:17Definitely. And that's evolved as we've been doing it more and more.

0:57:17 > 0:57:20You know, lots of people inherit different things.

0:57:20 > 0:57:25We inherited buckets, and watering cans, and secateurs, and weathervanes,

0:57:25 > 0:57:32and a lot of old wood, which I'm so happy to have actually made use of.

0:57:32 > 0:57:34It's been quite hard work.

0:57:34 > 0:57:37I mean, it's not so much hard work because it's not a...

0:57:37 > 0:57:39it doesn't feel like work.

0:57:39 > 0:57:42- It's been very time-consuming. - Time-consuming, absolutely.

0:57:42 > 0:57:44- But...- It's so rewarding.

0:57:44 > 0:57:46Immensely rewarding.

0:57:46 > 0:57:49And I would absolutely recommend it to anyone, because you're creating

0:57:49 > 0:57:52something that is very, very long-term.

0:57:52 > 0:57:54- Something for the future.- Yes.

0:57:56 > 0:58:00Jill and Jenny have made an amazingly assured garden.

0:58:01 > 0:58:04They've done it in double-quick time.

0:58:04 > 0:58:08The results would undoubtedly win a gold medal at most flower shows.

0:58:08 > 0:58:13It's a lovely space, good for entertaining and relaxing and gardening in.

0:58:13 > 0:58:16But it's not that that I like most about it.

0:58:16 > 0:58:22What I really like is that it is a celebration of sisterhood,

0:58:22 > 0:58:27that they've made something out of their past, their present

0:58:27 > 0:58:28and their future.