0:00:02 > 0:00:04Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space?
0:00:04 > 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 > 0:00:18Monty Don has travelled up and down
0:00:18 > 0:00:22the country visiting amateur gardeners with bold ambitions.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25He's scrutinised their plans
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and pushed them out of their comfort zones.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32We are going out into deeper, darkest, unknown territory.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33It's not been easy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37I hate it.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Argh!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42But everyone's worked incredibly hard.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Both of us want to sleep for a week, pretty much.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46- You've had your tea break.- Come on.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And the transformations have been extraordinary.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's just incredible, it really is.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I declare this garden open.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56THEY CHEER
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I do believe that everyone, however small their garden,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02can cultivate a big dream.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12This week, Monty's meeting two sets of determined amateur gardeners...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16- Let's do it.- Let's do it. Yeah!
0:01:16 > 0:01:19..who are in desperate need of feel-good spaces.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Is the garden out the back? - No, there's nothing out the back.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24So, I've walked through it?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26From a half-converted parking space...
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Concrete. North-facing.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Noisy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34..to an overgrown jungle.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36He's looking a little bit shocked.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Wow. That's awesome.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Will they succeed in building their dream?
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I don't like it, so what's the point of having it?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47LAUGHTER
0:01:47 > 0:01:50This is insane. I hope today is the worst day we have in the project.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51When Monty comes,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55if he thinks that all these things are in the wrong place...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Just lock the gate. Don't let him in.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Our first garden is in the seaside town of Brighton,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09where full-time mum Helen and computer games producer Dax
0:02:09 > 0:02:15have their hands full with their two-year-old twins Hester and Chip.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Chip was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And this determined duo have spent the last year getting the inside of
0:02:23 > 0:02:26their family home just right for him.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28But it's left the garden a complete tip.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34It's going to be a very big project, but we've got twins,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- we can handle that.- We've got so much spare time
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- you wouldn't believe it(!)- Yeah.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Undaunted, as they look for that new surge of energy,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45they are dreaming of the perfect space.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Chip needs a lot of additional care.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50We have appointments every single day, pretty much.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55I think it's really important that he has access to somewhere outside
0:02:55 > 0:02:59that he can just be, and move around in whatever way he can.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Helen has always loved gardening but for Aussie Dax,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05it's a new experience.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07And he's already setting the ground rules.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I'm not going to get too involved with the design.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I'll just be the hired muscle.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We've had some just incredibly difficult moments
0:03:17 > 0:03:18since the kids' birth.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Whatever life throws at us from here on out, we can take it.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I mean, what do you think is going to be the hardest bit?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- The landscaping. - Yeah, that's my bit.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Just keep the tea coming.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I can keep the tea coming.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- Let's do it.- Let's do it.- Yeah!
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Our second garden is 80 miles away in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46It's a new home for retired airline manager Valerie and her three dogs.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49They moved in 18 months ago,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52after rather dramatically deciding to throw out the old
0:03:52 > 0:03:54and bring in the new.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I got divorced.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I got divorced because I'd been out to Australia and nursed my sister
0:03:59 > 0:04:03who was dying of cancer, and it made me realise that life,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05you only get life once.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Finding herself in a much smaller house was one thing,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13but Valerie also had to say goodbye to her precious garden.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16I love where I'm living now.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I love my house. The one thing that makes me really sad
0:04:19 > 0:04:22is that I don't have a garden. And I'm now going to cry.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23That's the only thing to say.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I'm really sorry, but I really miss it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I really miss it.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Standing by to mop up the odd tear and generally lend a strong hand
0:04:32 > 0:04:34is Valerie's best friend Lynn.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I'm not very good at making decisions, so when a decision needs
0:04:38 > 0:04:40to be made and I'm dithering, you're quite good at saying,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- "Let's do that."- There's no way she'd do a project like this
0:04:42 > 0:04:45without me. I wouldn't let her.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- See what I mean?- It's so exciting.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Even with Lynn by her side,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Valerie is going to need all the help she can get
0:04:52 > 0:04:57to turn this 15 square feet parking space into her new dream garden.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I've got no idea, really, how you grow in pots,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02what you can grow in pots,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04what your limitations are in pots.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Oh, dear. It sounds as though some extra special help
0:05:08 > 0:05:10is just what she needs.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I'm a huge Monty Don fan.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17It's like meeting, I don't know, the pop star of the gardening world.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Fabulous. Wonderful. Can't wait.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26It's May and summer should be on the way.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31But it hasn't reached Brighton yet, where Monty is on his way
0:05:31 > 0:05:33to meet Helen and Dax.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- Hello.- Hello.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43It's a warm welcome, but Monty soon finds he has some competition.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47So, what are you wanting from the garden?
0:05:47 > 0:05:50There's a lot of things that we want from the garden,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52but I think I'm going to give these guys some food
0:05:52 > 0:05:53and put them down for a nap
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- and then we can talk.- Very sensible. I've come at a bad time.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Look after the children. That's the important thing.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00I'll have a look at the garden.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Can I go out?- Of course, please, please.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11He's looking a little bit shocked.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I know that this garden would terrify a lot of people,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19because it would just seem impossible,
0:06:19 > 0:06:24but, actually, moving all the rubbish and cutting back
0:06:24 > 0:06:27would be the work of a weekend at most.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33And once you've got back to ground level, literally and figuratively,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35then you can start to create.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Well, there is some cheery news for our harassed couple.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42With the twins asleep, Dax and Helen can begin dreaming.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46I want there to be lots of colour, lots of texture,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50some really gorgeous smells to explore.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I'd like it to be a space that Dax and I can enjoy in the evenings,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58as a place of calm. And then, finally, to have an area
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- where we can grow our own vegetables.- So, no pressure.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04No pressure.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- Big ideas.- Well, OK. No, no, that's fine.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08What sort of budget are we talking about?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11We have £1,500 for the garden.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- Right.- So, it's a good wodge.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16So far, so good,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19but Monty is about to bring these dreamers down-to-earth.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24What you've described would consume that money like that.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I've had a little wander around
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and I noticed that there is a sort of concrete pad
0:07:29 > 0:07:30which looks like a building.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Yeah. It was an old garage.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34What do you want to do there?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37What I would love to do is dig all that up, shift it out,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and put some topsoil down and have raised beds there.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42But I don't think that we've got the money to do that.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45If you're prepared to do that yourself,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48you can hire a jackhammer for a day
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and you're not talking a lot of money. You're talking 50 quid.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- OK.- Is Helen driving this?
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Absolutely.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00But there is one thing Aussie Dax has been dreaming about.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06I can't hide the fact that I would love a barbecue area.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- A barbie. Of course you can have a barbie.- Thank you.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Barbecue agreed, Dax heads off to look after the twins,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17while Helen shows Monty the rest of their plan.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Helen and Dax want to create a large flower border
0:08:24 > 0:08:28on one side of the garden and build raised vegetable beds
0:08:28 > 0:08:31on the existing concrete footing on the other.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33They also want a lawn with a winding path
0:08:33 > 0:08:37leading to a children's play area, and at the far end of the garden,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41they'd like an area of grasses for the twins to explore.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46But Monty immediately spots a problem.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48If you've got a play area,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52- Chip and Hester are going to want to go there, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So, they are going to go absolutely in a straight line.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59If you're going to keep the grass, I would make your path there.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Their plan has a lot going on.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06The garden may be 111 square metres, but something has to give.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Lawn or tropical, which way are we going?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Yeah, well, this is it. What do I do with this space?
0:09:11 > 0:09:15That's a good place for the tropical planting, but I would think about
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- pulling it across as well. - OK, yeah.- In some form.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21So, you're picking up, if the theme is changing,
0:09:21 > 0:09:22there is some barrier there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It could be a thick, deep hedge, it could be a wall.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Whatever it is should be replicated on that side.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- Yeah.- And that will unify it.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Monty believes Helen and Dax need to remove the concrete slab
0:09:36 > 0:09:40and make the raised beds accessible from all sides.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44He suggests replacing the winding path with a straight one
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and adding some form of barrier to define the space.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Underneath this chaotic jungle,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Monty has spotted some old established shrubs.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Helen could take some cuttings from them for the new garden
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and, importantly, this could be a cost saver.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04But first she needs to learn how to do it.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10Cuttings in May almost entirely are softwood cuttings.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16New growth. Lots of vigour, lots of growing hormones,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19but absolutely no resilience.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23If you leave it in the sun, it will die in minutes
0:10:23 > 0:10:29and certainly within hours. So, it's a real race for softwood cuttings.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33So, if you can keep it alive, it's very likely to form growth.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- Yeah.- And the way to keep it alive is to keep the area around it moist.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- So, what we are involved in now is an A&E emergency rescue.- OK.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45With her teacher on hand, Helen has a go.
0:10:45 > 0:10:52If we can find nice, strong straight growth that's flower free...
0:10:52 > 0:10:55But Monty warns it may not be all plain sailing.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59I take hundreds and hundreds of cuttings every year and I would say,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02on average, 60% strike.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- OK.- So, there's a 40% failure rate.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06- Yeah.- Don't worry about it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11With that tip and a dream plan in place, Monty leaves them to it.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17This is a very happy, dynamic, positive family.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And I'm sure they'll tackle the garden with all the energy that
0:11:21 > 0:11:23they're tackling everything else.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Monty's reaction to the budget was fairly unequivocal, wasn't it?
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- Yes.- He was just...- You've not got enough money.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29- Forget it.- Yeah. It's not going to happen.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33To do all they want with £1,500 will take ingenuity
0:11:33 > 0:11:37and lot of hard work, but I think they will do it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39And I think they'll do it really well.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44I'd start right now. I probably will start in about five minutes' time.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45- Yeah.- I'll be out there, yeah.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The sun has finally come out and Monty is in High Wycombe
0:11:51 > 0:11:55to see if he can help Valerie create her dream outside space.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And the sense of anticipation is almost too much for her.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Deep breaths.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Deep breaths.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- Hello, Valerie.- Hello, Monty. Pleased to meet you.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18But their first encounter does not quite go to plan.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Is the garden out the back?- No, there's nothing at the back.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- So, I've walked through it?- You've actually walked through my garden
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- and missed it, haven't you, Monty? - Well, I...
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- That's a good start.- I was aware of there was a garden,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31but I didn't realise it was really so small.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- Yes, that's all that is.- OK, well, that's interesting.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- Shall we go and have a look at it? - We want to tour the estate, I think.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39This is my small space.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42What you see is what I have.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44And it doesn't get any better.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So, what direction are we facing?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49You're now facing south.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Ah, that's a pity.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52"Ah," indeed.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56So, this was an entrance off the road, was it?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- I think...- For someone to park a car?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- I think that's what they planned. - OK.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- And do you know what's underneath here?- Concrete.- OK.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08So, concrete, north facing, noisy.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12OK, that's what you've got. What do you want?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Privacy.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Do you need to use those gates?
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- No.- So, they could be blocked?
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Yeah. I want some height.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I quite like the idea of maybe at least one tree.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Right. I mean, you can do trees in pots.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- Trees and shrubs in pots.- Yeah. - Trees, shrubs, climbers, you can do.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34With respect, this looks cluttered.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Because there's lots of different little things in it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40The great secret of all small spaces
0:13:40 > 0:13:43is you have one or two really big things.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45How experienced a gardener are you?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I came from a garden that was big, it had a lawn, a patio, a stream,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- fantastic view.- Fine, fine. So, it was a proper...
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- Sounds a lovely, nice garden.- Yeah. I loved it.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- So, you've downsized dramatically. - Absolutely.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- Hugely.- So, life has changed.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04So, it's important to see this as a really interesting small garden,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07not as a sort of replacement that, sort of, vaguely,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- makes up for the lost garden. - That's a very sensible thing.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Lynn's been saying that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14You've just said it. That's absolutely right.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19At last, Valerie's hero has brought a smile to her face.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22To help her further, Monty wants to see her plans.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I love that we are all having to put our glasses on.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- I know.- Calm, green oasis.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31You see, that's really clear.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34And Monty has a big idea.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37We didn't really discuss the possibility
0:14:37 > 0:14:41of just continuing the brick wall across where the gates are.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- How do you feel about that?- I think it would look better
0:14:44 > 0:14:48than having gates. A warm, south-facing brick wall gives you
0:14:48 > 0:14:51a fabulous growing opportunity in a very small garden.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Valerie wants a variety of containers with a mixture of shrubs
0:15:00 > 0:15:02or trees to give height to the garden.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Monty suggests breaking the garden into zones,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11encouraging Valerie to think about height and greenery
0:15:11 > 0:15:15in the shaded area, flowers with strong scents around the seating,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19and a new brick wall to give privacy and grow sun-loving plants.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Valerie has a healthy £3,000 to splash on the garden
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and Monty immediately offers advice on how to spend it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I would not find it at all extraordinary
0:15:31 > 0:15:35if a third of your budget actually went on pots.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Terracotta, should they all be the same style?
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- They don't have to be the same style.- Mix it up?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43It's your choice. I can direct you where you might look,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45but in the end I can't choose.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Today was a dream come true meeting Monty Don.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I am actually weaning myself off my old garden.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I think this is going to be quite therapeutic.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57If I could just get a stream running through the bottom of the garden,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- we'd be well away.- If you buy bad drainage pots, you will.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Over the next few weeks, I don't think it matters
0:16:05 > 0:16:07if Valerie does no gardening at all.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10What really matters is that she involves herself
0:16:10 > 0:16:13in the decision-making process.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15When I next see her, I want her to be telling me
0:16:15 > 0:16:18what we're going to be doing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23In Brighton, Helen and Dax have thrown themselves into their project
0:16:23 > 0:16:26with their usual gung ho spirit.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29We've been really busy over the last couple of weeks.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33We've done a lot of the clearing and really opened up the space.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Today, they've set themselves the task of removing
0:16:37 > 0:16:40the 15 square metre slab of concrete that Monty advised them
0:16:40 > 0:16:44to get rid of to make room for raised beds.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Just in time, help has arrived.- Hi! How you doing?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Their friends Jim and Lou have come to lend support.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Little do they know what's in store for them.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59I don't suppose you've got any idea how thick this is.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01None at all.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Personally, I was just looking forward to a relaxing weekend.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Not much chance of that.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Even the elements are conspiring against them.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Dude, we are in so much trouble here.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20This is insane.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Despite the weather,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Dax has followed Monty's advice and hired a jackhammer
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and the boys are pretty excited about their new toy.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30This is going to do some damage, right?
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Yeah, you don't get much better than that, really.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's a huge job.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I don't think I had any sort of idea about the scale of the job.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49It's clearly significantly bigger than I thought it was going to be.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Helen and Lou forget all about the tea reinforcements
0:17:52 > 0:17:54they were supposed to provide
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and watch as layer upon layer of concrete appears.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It looks worse than when we started.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I think the whole point was to clear it.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- Yeah.- And it's not cleared.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It's got to get worse before it gets better, I think.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I'm just a bit worried that we've bitten off a little more
0:18:11 > 0:18:13than we can chew with doing this.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It's a tough first lesson for the couple.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20I just can't see this being a garden at the moment.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Chin up, Helen.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Well, it's a rock garden.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26I don't like rock gardens.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27HE LAUGHS
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I hope today is the worst day we have in the project.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35- If they are all better than this, I'll take that.- Yeah.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39In need of a morale boost, Monty has invited Helen and Dax along
0:18:39 > 0:18:43to one of the highlights of the gardening calendar.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45As a lifetime first for both of us,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47we find ourselves at the Chelsea Flower Show.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49- Which is extraordinary.- Yeah.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52It's huge. I've wanted to come for years.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It's also the first time the couple have been out alone
0:18:55 > 0:18:58since the twins were born two years ago.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Comfy? You look comfy. - No! Not particularly.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04HELEN LAUGHS
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- Yeah. We're going to get one of those.- One of those.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16It's a visual feast with over 500 exhibits of show gardens,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20arts and crafts and award-winning flowers to explore.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24So, it's lucky there is a friendly face to show them around.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Hello. How are you?
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- Wonderful.- How's it going?- Nice to see you, Monty.- Nice to see you.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31I haven't got long, I'm afraid,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33but I've got some things to show you that I think will help.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- So, if you're happy, let's go and have a look.- All right.- Come on.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Monty takes Helen and Dax to view a garden
0:19:39 > 0:19:43created especially for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Designer Chris Beardshaw has created a calm,
0:19:46 > 0:19:51restorative space using simple planting in deep borders.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55What here makes you think again about your garden?
0:19:55 > 0:19:56I think there are a couple of things.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58There are a combination of plants
0:19:58 > 0:20:01that I wouldn't have thought would go together and, of course, they do.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04They're really stunning. So, it's a real eye-opener in that respect.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And also the height levels.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Do you know what it's actually doing while looking at this?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I'm thinking, why don't we just ditch that whole grasses idea
0:20:10 > 0:20:13at the back, when you can have planting like this in that space?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- I'm so glad you said that. - Was that the point?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Because that, I'm just like, why don't we just do this?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- It's beautiful.- The most important thing is simplify.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We were talking about symmetry, weren't we?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- Yeah.- And currently the plan is flowers on the left of the path
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and raised beds on the right.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And if you were to replace all of the raised beds...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- It would look lopsided. - It would look really...
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I like symmetry, because it's...
0:20:39 > 0:20:42You're looking for harmony in a garden. You're looking for balance,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45but it doesn't have to be mirror image.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48What you want is the feeling of balance and there's no reason why
0:20:48 > 0:20:50you couldn't have raised beds on both sides.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I'm undoing all your plans, aren't I?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56You are! I'm mentally redrawing everything.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Monty also leads Helen and Dax to Jekka McVicar,
0:20:59 > 0:21:04who's designed a garden full of plants that promote wellbeing.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- The kids are going to love this. - Mm-hm.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- What is friendly for them, I suppose, and what isn't?- OK.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Well, this whole centre section is totally friendly
0:21:12 > 0:21:16and I'd love you to touch this one here.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18- Smell that.- Ah!
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And then smell your fingers.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22That is from Corsica.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Lovely.- That is rock mint.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Rock mint or mentha requenii. This one here, smell that one.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- This one?- Yeah.- It's amazing.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31I almost like that more than the mint.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33That's double-flowered chamomile.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It's very low- grain chamomile, but it will give you
0:21:35 > 0:21:40- the white daisy flowers.- Yeah. - So, you can make tea from it.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Jekka explains that these herbs are tough enough
0:21:43 > 0:21:45to be planted in or around pathways,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48to create scent as you move along the path.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Other herbs that would work include thyme and oregano.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56If you go to Chelsea, I think you should definitely have Monty Don
0:21:56 > 0:21:59as your guide. It's like the parting of the Red Sea.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Chelsea is always an overwhelming experience,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04particularly if it's your first time.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But I do think it's worth seeing different ways of doing things
0:22:08 > 0:22:10from the masters and mistresses of the art.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16One of the key take-outs has been just this idea of simplicity.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19You don't need to do everything.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21All of the design work that we've done so far,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I think we need to go back and ask ourselves, "Could this be simpler?"
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- Yeah.- Because if it can be simpler,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- I think that would make it better.- Yeah.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33It's June - gardens everywhere are starting to celebrate summer.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39And in High Wycombe, Valerie has taken her first big decision.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Monty thought it would be a really good idea
0:22:41 > 0:22:44if the wooden gates came out and we put a brick wall in.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Now that I'm going to wall myself in, absolutely great,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I can do what I like. I could run around the garden naked
0:22:50 > 0:22:52if I wanted to - which I won't do.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Advice from her hero has made Valerie positively skittish,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58but there is one snag.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03I would say, probably, 90% of the budget has disappeared on the wall.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07So I'm either going to have to
0:23:07 > 0:23:11reduce the size of my dream, which I don't want to do,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13or just up the budget.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15SHE LAUGHS
0:23:15 > 0:23:19But as the wall goes up, Valerie has a wobble.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22I hate it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24SHE LAUGHS
0:23:24 > 0:23:26It takes me a while to get used to things.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Yeah.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33It's too late now, it's done, isn't it?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It's done. Lovely.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40God, I hate it.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Oh, dear.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47In Brighton, Helen and Dax followed Monty's suggestion
0:23:47 > 0:23:50to remove the concrete slab to make way for raised beds.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53But it wasn't quite the few hours' work he predicted.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It was really hard.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03It ended up being pretty much three days of jackhammering, picking,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06shifting rubble, digging.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It was relentless.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12By the end of the third day, we could say, "Yeah, Monty was right."
0:24:13 > 0:24:17With the slab finally gone, they've spent the last three weeks
0:24:17 > 0:24:19preparing the soil for planting.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22At no point could they call it plain sailing.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25We had a rogue piece of flint that came off the pick axe,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29smashed one of the huge plate glass windows in the kitchen.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I dug up a bumble bee nest.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And then I uncovered a World War II hand grenade.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The bomb disposal squad came down, really massive van,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45to confirm it is indeed quite dangerous
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and a live World War II hand grenade
0:24:47 > 0:24:51and it would have had a 30 metre blast radius if it had gone off.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Which was actually a little bit terrifying.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Ultimately there's only one way
0:24:56 > 0:24:58that you can really look at it,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02which is that Monty Don tried to kill me with a hand grenade.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Well, at least his advice has gone down well on the planning front.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Since we came back from Chelsea,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12quite a lot of the plans have changed,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14that we originally thought we were going to do.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16They've effectively been simplified.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Their new plan is inspired
0:25:18 > 0:25:22by the Great Ormond Street garden Monty showed them at Chelsea.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25It's just such a lovely space to be in.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And we came home and we just thought, you know,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30"That's what we want from the garden."
0:25:31 > 0:25:35They will now have a straight path running through two deep borders.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38And the raised veg patch will be moved
0:25:38 > 0:25:40to the children's area of the garden.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Shade-friendly planting replaces the grasses at the rear.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51If it's half as good as it looked at Chelsea,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53then I think we'll be really happy.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Well, there's a big dreamer for you.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58They may move at rapid speed in Brighton,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03but for Valerie, change happens at an altogether different pace.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06She did follow Monty's advice to build a flint and brick wall
0:26:06 > 0:26:10to create privacy, but once up, she didn't like it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Two weeks on, Valerie may have come around.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I thought it was a big mistake.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Now it's been up for a while, I actually love it.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Best thing I ever did.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23But then I always change my mind.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Now that's in place, the next task is filling the space.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28We haven't actually bought anything.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We've listed it. We've done a lot of thinking,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32but not a lot of doing at the moment.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37To open Valerie's eyes to the potential of her new garden
0:26:37 > 0:26:40and encourage her to spend her budget wisely,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Monty has suggested she and Lynn
0:26:42 > 0:26:46visit Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Wow.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Here, pots are designed, thrown,
0:26:52 > 0:26:57decorated and fired on site with their own mix of frost-proof clay.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04Founder and head designer Jim Keeling knows pots inside out.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05- Wow.- Wow.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's beautiful. It really is.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12What will interest you is that this was actually a car park.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Well, that's an encouraging start.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Don't despair about the concrete,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19because actually... Just think, this is a marvellous flat base to go.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23OK. Cos I haven't got a clue. I've never had a container garden.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24- Oh.- I've had a proper garden.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Well, you've got a lot of fun in front of you, then.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Injecting a bit of fun is just what Valerie and Lynn need to hear.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33That's a very good example
0:27:33 > 0:27:37of how you've got your structural plants in place
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and they've got really contrasting leaf shapes,
0:27:40 > 0:27:46really contrasting colour, and then you're using a flower to, oh, zing!
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Jim also explains that she can use pots to display just one plant
0:27:50 > 0:27:52as a centrepiece, or try a mixture
0:27:52 > 0:27:57to get a flower arrangement effect in one pot.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's a lot more to container gardening than you actually think,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02isn't there? It's not shoving a few plants down.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04No, it's not.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Jim demonstrates how to place pots on top of each other,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11or onto bricks, to create different heights within a garden.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14So, you get your big ones in place.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Three big ones. And then all the others are a movable feast.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Much more variable than if you've got beds.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Right, so when are you coming round, then?
0:28:21 > 0:28:22THEY LAUGH
0:28:22 > 0:28:24You're going to really enjoy it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25You've made me feel far more positive
0:28:25 > 0:28:27about having a piece of concrete.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- Thank you.- It's a great liberation, I can tell you.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36Talking to Jim about what you can put in pots has probably made us
0:28:36 > 0:28:39have yet another think about how we're going to use them.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Yeah.- But then gardening is constantly evolving.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Maybe not quite so easy for this big dreamer.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48You know me. I hate change.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52So, yeah, great.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Give her a glass of wine, she'll be fine.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02After weeks of research and list-making,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Valerie and Lynn are finally getting their hands dirty.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07We need to move the lady.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Yes, OK. I'm frightened her head is going to drop off.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12THEY LAUGH
0:29:14 > 0:29:18They're following Monty's advice to split the garden into zones.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23So Valerie's bought a hydrangea and a fatsia to give height
0:29:23 > 0:29:24to the shaded end of the garden.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29And she has an ingenious device to make the job easier.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- We should use the pot lifter. - Yes, go and get a pot lifter.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38"First, pull the D ring away from the handle in order to form a loop."
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Hold that. Hold that!
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Maybe it's not so clever after all.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50- Shall we just lift it? It would be quicker.- Probably.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52We'll figure that out some other time.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Pot lifter binned,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Valerie and Lynn are keen to use the tips they picked up at the pottery.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Actually, you standing behind, it looks lovely.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06- It adds some interest. - And the verdict?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08I don't like that fatsia.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12I don't like it, so what's the point of having it? I shall look at it
0:30:12 > 0:30:15and think, "God, I really don't like it, why did I put it there?"
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Nothing for it but to bin it.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20That's an expensive mistake.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26So it's back to the drawing board and, over the next few days,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Valerie and Lynn do lots of toing and froing
0:30:28 > 0:30:30over what should go where.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32When Monty comes,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34if he thinks that all these things are in the wrong place
0:30:34 > 0:30:38and we've spent all day lugging heavy pots around,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I think my response might be, "OK, Monty,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44"well, you move them and show us where they should be."
0:30:44 > 0:30:45Or...
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- ..just lock the gate. - Don't let him in.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55In Brighton, weeks of clearing, ploughing,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58sifting and soil moving have finally paid off.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Today, Helen's brother in law, Lee, is helping Helen and Dax
0:31:04 > 0:31:07to lay the lawn which will form the foundation
0:31:07 > 0:31:09for the children's area of the garden.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12I've seen the plans that Monty has gone through with them,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14and the changes that he's made.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Yeah. He's a great man
0:31:16 > 0:31:18and I think the garden is going to be better for it.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22So, after a quick how-to video on the internet...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Don't lawn yourself into a corner of the garden.- Yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29..it's time to unroll.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31As the garden begins to take shape,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35the couple can finally start to see their dream realised.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38And Aussie Dax has had a surprising change of heart.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42The barbecue question has been coming up quite a bit.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48And...to be honest, it's less important to me now.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50This is more about the whole garden,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53not just a little corner for me to burn some meat in.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58But for an Aussie to kiss goodbye to the idea of a barbie, yeah,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01that's a big moment.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04And I won't be telling my dad about it.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Well, honey, this is like the first bit of the last bit.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11- Yes.- Are you talking to me or Helen there?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13- You're my other honey. - THEY LAUGH
0:32:14 > 0:32:15I feel like we've got a garden now.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- Yeah.- Or at least...- A garden that we can't walk on for two weeks.
0:32:19 > 0:32:20Yeah, yeah.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22SHE LAUGHS
0:32:25 > 0:32:28It's been two months since the nation's favourite gardener
0:32:28 > 0:32:31first visited this driveway in High Wycombe.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Now he's back to see how Valerie is getting on.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40When I was last here, I was very aware that I was coming up
0:32:40 > 0:32:43with lots of ideas and suggestions
0:32:43 > 0:32:46in order to find out what Valerie wanted.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And it was hard, really, to reach that,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54so the key thing is that she has made decisions.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58They don't have to be ones that I approve off or like,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00they just have to be hers.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04The thought of Monty coming back today is probably doubly scary.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07It's worse because you want him to like what you're doing
0:33:07 > 0:33:09or what you've done, and if he doesn't...
0:33:09 > 0:33:12But would he say to our faces?
0:33:12 > 0:33:13I hope not.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15THEY LAUGH
0:33:19 > 0:33:23- Hello.- Good morning. - Good morning. How are you? Oh, dogs.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Hello. Look at you, lined up. - Enough, chaps.- Look at you.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29- Enough. Enough.- Well, big changes.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- You've noticed.- Yeah, absolutely fantastic.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34First of all, doesn't that look better?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Little does he know how hard that was.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Do you like the result?
0:33:39 > 0:33:40- I do now.- Oh, now.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45- Now.- Now that I've lived with it for a month or so, I absolutely love it.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- It's great, actually.- It's the best thing I ever did.- It's great.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49That's a sweet garden.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Boy, have you been buying pots?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- Yeah.- The hydrangea is perfect. Absolutely ideal.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56You've got a shady wall.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- It will love that.- Can I overdo climbers in this garden?
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Don't be tentative about climbers.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04You can have climbers covering every inch of the fence.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07You can have climbers climbing up climbers.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09I love the idea of climbers everywhere.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11That to me is...heaven.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13I would, then, go for heaven.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16The first thing I would do, if you like the idea of climbers there,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18you need supports on the walls
0:34:18 > 0:34:20because there's nothing for them to climb onto.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23That is something I would do, really, straightaway.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Good for you. Thank you very much.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Without further ado, Monty gets cracking.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- Easy enough.- I can't believe I've got Monty Don
0:34:33 > 0:34:36drilling bits of stuff into my fence.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38What a waste of a Monty Don!
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Monty shows Valerie that wire strainers are a useful bit of kit
0:34:42 > 0:34:45as, over the years, the wire can be tightened up
0:34:45 > 0:34:48under the weight of the growing roses.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53You never knew so much fun could be had from wire and tighteners.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54Wire supports up,
0:34:54 > 0:34:59Monty shows Valerie how to repot and train her rose to climb the fence.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Look at that. Perfect.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Completely happy.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09He suggests that Valerie makes three parts of compost
0:35:09 > 0:35:11to one part grit to help with drainage.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13There we are.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17And packs compost around the sides.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23That will be OK. If we took this and trained it along there,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27that would encourage lots of side shoots to grow up
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and it's the side shoots that produce the flowers.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Monty explains that five to seven framework shoots
0:35:33 > 0:35:37are all you ever need. The rest can go.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Oh! Oh.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44It's fine. It's perfectly OK because what we're trying to do is get rid
0:35:44 > 0:35:47of any growth that isn't structural.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49And he has a final tip.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Never tie the end right down.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56By leaving the end sticking up, we're encouraging it to grow faster.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00Monty explains that climbing roses flower on new growth,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04so the side shoots can be pruned back to one leaf in the winter.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- OK.- Have a try.- So...
0:36:08 > 0:36:11It's time for Valerie to demonstrate what she's learned from the expert.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15See, I'm so frightened of snapping it.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Nothing will snap. And there you are.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21It looks much better than a black plastic bucket, doesn't it?
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Monty also wants to help Valerie pot her hydrangea
0:36:25 > 0:36:29and get to grips with that tricky problem with pots - drainage.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32The biggest danger of container plants is they get too wet.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36The second biggest danger is they get too dry.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So, ideally, we'd raise that up off the ground.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42So that will help drainage.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Valerie helps Monty by smashing up some small pots.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53He then puts the shards in the base of the pot
0:36:53 > 0:36:55to stop soil falling out of the holes.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57You could use polystyrene chips.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00You could use stone. It's just a drainage layer.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05He mixes equal parts compost and grit for drainage
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and to help the roots move through the soil,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and tops up with a lighter grit mix of compost.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Let's push that round the back, shall we?
0:37:16 > 0:37:21Get it around there. Give it a good, good drink.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Just giving it a couple of watering cans full to start with.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I want to see the water running out the bottom, actually.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32And then I know the drainage is working.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35With the hydrangea happy, Monty leaves Valerie
0:37:35 > 0:37:37with some final food for thought.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42If you knew how...sort of imperfectly I garden at home,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44and that's how you learn,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46so you don't try and get it right every time,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48you just try and do it every time.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51If that's good enough for Monty Don, it's good enough for me.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53He goes and you actually feel quite confident...
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Yeah, that you can move on.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57That you can do this, and I can prune
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- and I can plant and I can just...- Yeah.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00I can just do it.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05The secret is to give yourself to it, let go of the past,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09enjoy the process in the present and it will come good.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17In Brighton, it's time for Monty to check on Helen and Dax.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Since his last visit, seasons have changed,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23the twins have had a birthday,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and the garden has undergone a huge transformation.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30But there's a bit of a cloud on the horizon.
0:38:31 > 0:38:39The budget has basically pretty much been blown on work tools.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43It hasn't left a huge amount for plants.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47But the ever positive couple have come up with the answer.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51We've just asked everyone that we know, we've asked for cuttings,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53people have donated things,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56so that's been really kind and incredibly helpful.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01It feels quite a while since I was last in this garden.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Of course, I did see Helen and Dax at Chelsea Flower Show and I hope
0:39:04 > 0:39:08what they saw there inspired them and helped them make decisions,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12because this garden has to perform quite a lot of different functions.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16So it will be very interesting to see what decisions they've made
0:39:16 > 0:39:19and how far along the line they've got in implementing them.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23- Hi.- Hello.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27This has changed beyond all recognition.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29- But you haven't. How are you? - Very well. How are you?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Welcome back.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34You've been busy. You have been busy.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37And just how busy, he's about to find out.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- Digging that up must have been fun and games.- Yeah.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42Neither fun nor games.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46It was four solid days of jackhammering.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- Jackhammering?- Your prediction was an afternoon of pretty hard yakka.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It was seriously hard work over four days.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56But how fantastic to do that
0:39:56 > 0:39:58as part of the preparation for the garden.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01I can remember your plan, which was, like so many plans are,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03had lots and lots of ideas.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05I don't know whether you changed your mind then
0:40:05 > 0:40:07and you got rid of some of these things,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09or whether it was going to Chelsea that changed you.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- Chelsea.- Chelsea was massive.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15- It was amazing.- For me personally, that's when this project went from
0:40:15 > 0:40:19something that I didn't feel like I had a lot of interest
0:40:19 > 0:40:22or investment in to being really quite obsessive about.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25The gardens at Chelsea, they all just had a singular idea.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28All the best gardens, without exception,
0:40:28 > 0:40:30are fundamentally very simple.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33And that's the hardest lesson.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- So you've learnt it. Fantastic.- Now we just have to do it.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37THEY LAUGH
0:40:37 > 0:40:39But I am here to help you today.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42We have got a beech hedge, so we'd like to get that in.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44My mum is here with three of her friends.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47- Oh, that's good, so they will dig for us.- Yes, they will dig for us.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Well, they'll dig for you, Monty.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51THEY LAUGH
0:40:51 > 0:40:54They're following Monty's advice to create a barrier,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57defining the planted and children's areas of the garden.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02And Monty knows just how to motivate the digging team.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Not only are they strong and fit and healthy,
0:41:05 > 0:41:06but they're all beautiful, too.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- THEY LAUGH - So that's good.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12While they set to work prepping the soil for the hedge,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Helen wants Monty's help with pruning an apple tree
0:41:15 > 0:41:17that she's retained from the old garden.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20I would start by taking off some of the lower branches.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I always travel with a little saw.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28- Well, it's useful.- Little does Helen know what's about to happen.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30So we could probably start with this.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31I might need a bigger one than that.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Always start with an undercut.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36And that will stop it tearing.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And then I can do a cut like that.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42And that will come off cleanly.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46- Wow!- The advice I was given,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50imagine a pigeon approaching your tree - can it fly through?
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Can it come in one side and go out the other?
0:41:52 > 0:41:56- OK.- And that will mean there is enough light and enough air.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59If a pigeon hit that, it would crash into it.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01A robin would have trouble flying through that.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05So I think we should still continue to be more ruthless.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Meanwhile, the hedge team have hit a problem.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12I'm slightly concerned about the foundations holding this wall up.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14The roots of the hedge are going to go
0:42:14 > 0:42:16right up to the edge of that concrete.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This is the sort of aspect of gardening I know nothing about.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Luckily, the country's favourite gardener
0:42:22 > 0:42:25is on hand to set them right.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- You can get close to the concrete. - OK.- The hedge will grow to fill it.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- Really? OK.- OK.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Even though there won't be roots directly below it...
0:42:33 > 0:42:35No, the hedge will go sideways.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- You just don't cut it. - Isn't that clever?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40As the ladies take a well-deserved break,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Monty is getting ever more enthusiastic
0:42:43 > 0:42:45about tackling the old apple tree.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51- That's awesome! - Well, it's nice up here.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- Come up.- Good view. Can you see the sea?
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Yes, I can.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02We could probably cut that back.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Right, I want you to take my weight, tree.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07I'll look after you, you look after me.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12OK.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16That's going to be fine. This is the bare minimum.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19This is absolutely your number one haircut.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Oh, no, Monty, it's practically bald.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26There's always a risk, a risk that you're going to go too far.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30I think we've probably got away with it. And I've had fun.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34Destruction over, it's time to put something back.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37- I give you, ladies and gentlemen, our beech hedge.- Woohoo!
0:43:37 > 0:43:40One team do one side and one team do the other side
0:43:40 > 0:43:42and we just go to it and see where we meet.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47Monty explains that you can buy bare root hedge plants, or whips,
0:43:47 > 0:43:52for less than £1 and grow a hedge from scratch. But for instant hedge,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54these bigger, far pricier clumps
0:43:54 > 0:43:58will give Helen and Dax's garden structure now.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01With the earth prepped, they dig a shallow ditch
0:44:01 > 0:44:03for the hedge to lay in.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07Just make sure that below it is not compacted.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10So the roots have got a chance.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11If we need to cut this one...
0:44:11 > 0:44:14You just use a spade, then be bold. Ready?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- Whoa!- Whoa! Oh!
0:44:20 > 0:44:23- And that's how you do it. - No half measures.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26That certainly seems to be the lesson of the day.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30I hope they're not too shocked by the apple tree.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32They're very polite about it,
0:44:32 > 0:44:34but it's what I would have done if it was mine.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36He took a lot more off than I thought he was going to.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38When he started, in my mind,
0:44:38 > 0:44:42I was thinking we were going to lose maybe 3%, 4% of that tree.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Looking at it now, there's only about 4% left.
0:44:45 > 0:44:46He just knows exactly what he's doing.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48We hope.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Since Monty's visit,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Valerie and Lynn have been trying to get the layout of the garden right.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59And they've finally got the pot lifter figured out.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01- One, two, three.- Mind your toes.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Mind your toes.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Hold on, I've got an acer up my nose.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08But with less than three weeks
0:45:08 > 0:45:10until Monty returns to see the final garden,
0:45:10 > 0:45:14Valerie still isn't happy with the position of the pots.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16I think she thought a few pots here and there
0:45:16 > 0:45:17and the garden would be done,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20but actually I think the process for Valerie has been harder
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- than she thought it would be. - It's a lot of pressure
0:45:23 > 0:45:27because you feel that it has to be right for Monty.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32In Brighton, reinforcements have arrived all the way from Australia
0:45:32 > 0:45:36in the form of Dax's dad Jeff and stepmum Glenda.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40I'm more concerned just about getting a sense for how this feels,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43the width, the depth of it.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Dax has tasked his dad with helping him build an arbour
0:45:46 > 0:45:49for the centre of the garden.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52You and Helen want to sit shoulder to shoulder within it, perhaps?
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- You pretend to be Helen.- OK.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Yeah, it works.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03It's been a long time since I've had an opportunity
0:46:03 > 0:46:05to hang out with my dad, as an adult,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07and work on a project like this.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- Oh, Dax, you'd weep if you saw this. - Oh! That's what you get
0:46:15 > 0:46:19- when you put the guns on the job, that's what you get.- Oh, yes.
0:46:19 > 0:46:20Perfect.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23While the men congratulate themselves,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Helen is quietly getting on with the planting
0:46:26 > 0:46:30and the reality of what they're trying to achieve is sinking in.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33There's so much more to do, and Monty is going to be here in, what,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37three weeks? We've got a herb bed to plant, a raised bed to build,
0:46:37 > 0:46:39a kiddy planting area to do.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44But she's got two very good reasons
0:46:44 > 0:46:46to complete the garden they dreamed of.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49When we were first planning this garden, we were thinking about it
0:46:49 > 0:46:52in terms of Chip being in a wheelchair
0:46:52 > 0:46:53pretty much most of the time,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57but the progress that he's made over the few months, the last few months,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00has been quite extraordinary, actually, and, you know,
0:47:00 > 0:47:02maybe he won't be in a wheelchair all the time.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04He's coming on amazingly.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07It just feels like it's all part and parcel
0:47:07 > 0:47:10of a really kind of positive time for us, actually.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It will be a real place to celebrate.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17It looks like the men have already started celebrating.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21What a job! What a job!
0:47:28 > 0:47:30It's early September.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34And Monty is on his way to see Valerie's garden
0:47:34 > 0:47:36in its finished state.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Valerie's is a very small garden,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42so there are limits to what she can do with it.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47But the real limitation that has been holding her back
0:47:47 > 0:47:50is doubt and worry
0:47:50 > 0:47:53and, frankly, the inability to make decisions.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56So what I'm hoping to see is a garden
0:47:56 > 0:47:59that she has arrived at comfortably.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03In other words, that it is her space.
0:48:04 > 0:48:09I never thought it would be such hard work doing a container garden.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11It's been stressful, but I love it.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13I'm really happy with it.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17- It's beautiful.- It's turned out how I wanted it to turn out.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20Only four months ago, this was an exposed
0:48:20 > 0:48:22and uninspiring concrete parking space
0:48:22 > 0:48:26with a few mismatched pots and plants.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31Now it's a cosy enclosed space with plenty of flowers.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35There are dozens of pots which have been carefully arranged
0:48:35 > 0:48:37to lend height and interest on all sides.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44The new warm brick wall hides the garden from the outside world
0:48:44 > 0:48:49and creates a perfect backdrop for climbers of all shapes and sizes,
0:48:49 > 0:48:50as Valerie had wanted.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57The hydrangea and a willow give height
0:48:57 > 0:49:00and are happy in the shady end of the garden
0:49:00 > 0:49:04and the rich mix of greens offers a cool and calming vista
0:49:04 > 0:49:07for Valerie as she sits and enjoys her handiwork.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11And look at that. It looks great.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- Does it?- No, really, really good.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Gosh, it's changed and come on.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18I love the way that you've gone for it.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21- You've unlocked the door.- We did it! - The secret of small space...
0:49:21 > 0:49:22It's true, it's true.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24I'm really impressed
0:49:24 > 0:49:27and I'm learning from the way that you've used space.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30You've got all these pots, and how many are there now?
0:49:30 > 0:49:32I think there are now 47.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34You've got 47 pots to water.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36I started off with a watering can.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38After about a week, I thought, "No."
0:49:38 > 0:49:40So I got a tiny garden hose.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43There's so much to do now in this garden.
0:49:43 > 0:49:44It is a garden, you see.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47I've used the term "garden" as opposed to "driveway".
0:49:47 > 0:49:49Yeah. Really important to hear you say it.
0:49:49 > 0:49:54Has this process helped all that business of acceptance and moving on
0:49:54 > 0:49:56and all that jargon that people spout?
0:49:56 > 0:49:59It has. This is like the final bit of the puzzle.
0:49:59 > 0:50:00This was the bit that was missing.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03- I'm sorry, I'm going to get emotional!- No, get emotional!
0:50:03 > 0:50:07- Yeah, this was the bit that was missing.- Yeah. I can see that.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10There is a real feeling of, to me, of...
0:50:11 > 0:50:14You know, turning a corner, opening a door,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18- of just saying, "Well, we're here. "This is good."- Yeah, this is...
0:50:18 > 0:50:20My life is complete now.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24I am a really lucky girl and this was the missing bit.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28Monty is keen to know whether one particular problem has been solved.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Can she make up her mind?
0:50:31 > 0:50:32I think she can.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35The beauty of a container garden like this is you can move,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39literally change everything, you can move it all around.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41- And we have!- I'm sure.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Now, remind me what your budget was.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47£3,000.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49And what did you end up spending?
0:50:49 > 0:50:54On the pots and the plants, I ended up spending £1,230.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Right. And the wall?
0:50:56 > 0:51:01I decided that the wall was going to be house improvements
0:51:01 > 0:51:03and nothing to do with garden improvements.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06So lots of money to go and have a really good party.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12And with that, Valerie throws open her new garden
0:51:12 > 0:51:14to friends and family.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17- I have to say, I admire your wall greatly.- Thank you very much.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19- It's a lovely piece of work.- Appreciate that.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22And the flint work's great, it's good to see that skill being done.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25Glad it's all turned out nice, it was all worth it in the end.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28I'm proud of both of them for what they've done, actually,
0:51:28 > 0:51:29they've done a very nice job.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32All the plants that Valerie didn't want, we now have at home,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36so it's a lot better for us as well, rewarding!
0:51:36 > 0:51:38It's really inspiring to see what can be done
0:51:38 > 0:51:42with pots and containers and an unlimited budget.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44LAUGHTER
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- So I'd like you to raise your cups of tea... - LAUGHTER
0:51:47 > 0:51:50..and toast Valerie's new garden
0:51:50 > 0:51:52and its shining future.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- ALL:- To Valerie's new garden!
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Thank you, Monty.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00I suspect that Valerie began this garden
0:52:00 > 0:52:04as much out of a sense of duty as any real desire.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08- The duty was that she felt she- ought - to make something of it,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11but her heart wasn't 100% in it.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15But I think for the process of doing it, with Lynn's help,
0:52:15 > 0:52:20she has arrived at a garden that feels like home.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24This is her garden and this is her future
0:52:24 > 0:52:28and I hope, and I'm very confident, that she will love it.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Wouldn't change this now for soil beds,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36which I never thought I was going to say that.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40I like my pots. I really like my pots, yeah.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- To hell with proper gardens! - THEY LAUGH
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Give me a pot any day.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56In Brighton, there's a frantic last push to get the garden ready
0:52:56 > 0:53:00for Monty's arrival, and there are jobs for even the smallest hands.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Smell, how does it smell?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09- Delicious.- Delicious?- Yeah.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11The twins love it, don't they?
0:53:11 > 0:53:14They are out here every day.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17I'm really happy with it and I really hope Monty's happy with it.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20And there's been one last-minute addition.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23It was our eighth wedding anniversary last week
0:53:23 > 0:53:25and I thought, "What better gift for the whole family
0:53:25 > 0:53:27"than a barbecue?"
0:53:27 > 0:53:30So we went big and we bought a serious family-sized barbecue,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32and today will be its maiden voyage.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34So if Monty doesn't like the garden,
0:53:34 > 0:53:38we can just ply him with enough hamburgers and booze...
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- It'll be fine.- It's a good strategy.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45Helen and Dax have had a tough two years.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51And making the garden, I know, had worked in a very positive way
0:53:51 > 0:53:55that they hadn't expected. But, also, there was a lot to do.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57They were running out of money fast,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01so I only hope that they've reached a stage with their garden
0:54:01 > 0:54:05where they can all sit back a bit and enjoy it.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Only four months ago, this garden was nothing
0:54:11 > 0:54:13but piles of builder's rubble,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16overgrown brambles and unloved shrubbery.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20- Hi!- Hello, hello.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24Oh! Look! This is fantastic, it's a garden!
0:54:24 > 0:54:26It's a garden, finally.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Now, harmony and symmetry have replaced chaos
0:54:30 > 0:54:32and the garden is transformed.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38An aromatic herb-lined pathway cuts through deep borders
0:54:38 > 0:54:41of fragrant planting, inspired by Chelsea.
0:54:45 > 0:54:50The arbour, with birdhouse perching atop, creates a striking centrepiece
0:54:50 > 0:54:53that leads the eye through the gently curving beech hedge
0:54:53 > 0:54:55to the children's play area.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01Here, the raised vegetable patch, a twin-sized bench,
0:55:01 > 0:55:04and living willow archway give ample opportunity
0:55:04 > 0:55:06for gardening adventures.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11I love the structure in the middle.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14- Can we go on down the garden path? - Yes, let's do that.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16I think we should put small people down.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20The borders are looking great. And the hedge has survived,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- which is always a good start. - Always a good start.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27On my first trip here, I remember we did a few little cuttings.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30- We did.- Did any survive? - No, not a single one.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32- Right.- A complete failure, I'm really sorry.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Cuttings, any time from September-ish,
0:55:36 > 0:55:38are much more likely to take.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39- So don't stop.- OK.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41I won't. I won't.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45- Remind me what the budget was. - The budget we had, £1,500.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47- Right. And what have you spent? - Not including the barbecue...
0:55:47 > 0:55:49THEY LAUGH
0:55:49 > 0:55:51We've spent £3,000.
0:55:51 > 0:55:56For this to cost £3,000 shows you spent your money very wisely
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- because it could easily be double that.- Yeah.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03The tenacious couple have put so much into this garden,
0:56:03 > 0:56:05but it's given back tenfold.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11To have this garden come along and just be so demanding of us,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14of our time, there's something really positive about that,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17because that meant we could just let go of all of those other worries
0:56:17 > 0:56:22and concerns that we had and throw ourselves into making this great.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26The thing about gardens is they have an incredibly healing quality.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29It's extraordinary how that happens.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Have you got anybody else coming to see this garden?
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Everyone that has helped.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Yes. We'd better fire the barbie up.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Ooh, let's do that!
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Come on, lead me on!
0:56:44 > 0:56:47Hi! Hi! Come on in!
0:56:47 > 0:56:49- Hi.- Hello.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54If you whoosh over it, it just smells amazing.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56I think it's fantastic.
0:56:56 > 0:56:57It looks spectacular.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01I also like the apple tree, which I think is great, isn't it?
0:57:01 > 0:57:03- Very well pruned.- Very well pruned.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05- Very well pruned.- Yes.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07CHEERING
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Fantastic, absolutely amazing.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Yeah. What they've achieved in that period of time,
0:57:15 > 0:57:17having the twins as well, is extraordinary.
0:57:17 > 0:57:18A beautiful space.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23I know the party's still going, but I have to go, I'm afraid.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26It's so nice to see what you've done.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Thank you for letting me share it.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31- And good luck.- Thank you. Thank you. - Good luck to both of you.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34- Thank you so much.- I feel ecstatic.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Monty Don said that we'd made a nice garden.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37I mean...
0:57:39 > 0:57:40..that's pretty cool.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44He's certainly given me a very different way
0:57:44 > 0:57:47of thinking about what this space means to us.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Monty has definitely left his mark.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Let's see if I can get, like,
0:57:55 > 0:57:57a little blue plaque for the apple tree.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59It will be forever known as the Monty tree.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02As the Monty tree, yeah, Monty Don climbed this tree.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04THEY LAUGH
0:58:04 > 0:58:08I like lots of things about Helen and Dax's garden.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11I like the fact that it's been such a palaver.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15With unexploded grenades, and great depths of concrete,
0:58:15 > 0:58:19let alone the domestic stresses and strains.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23I like the fact that they've tackled it with such gusto.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25But most of all, I like the fact
0:58:25 > 0:58:28that this is a garden made with love.