Episode 3 Big Dreams Small Spaces


Episode 3

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Transcript


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Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space,

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a small garden that you can admire, enjoy and call your own?

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And then you stop and think, "I have no idea how to make it."

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Well, you're not alone.

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Monty Don has travelled up and down the country,

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visiting amateur gardeners with bold ambitions.

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He's scrutinised their plans

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and pushed them out of their comfort zones.

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Going out into deeper, darkest unknown territory, isn't it?

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It's not been easy... THUNDER

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-I hate it.

-HE SCREAMS

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..but everyone's worked incredibly hard...

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Both of us want to sleep for a week, pretty much.

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You've had your tea break, come on.

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..and the transformations have been extraordinary.

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It's just incredible. It really is.

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I declare this garden open!

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CHEERING

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I do believe that everybody, however small their garden,

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can cultivate a big dream.

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This time, Monty meets two sets of gardeners

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who have unimaginable dreams for their outdoor spaces.

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The strength of this garden will be because it's so bonkers.

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We've gone from mad to possible.

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Yeah.

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From an unloved back garden...

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If it was down to me, there'd be a gardener coming in once

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-or twice a month.

-You'd rather do the ironing, wouldn't you?

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..to a wooded wasteland.

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Call us idiots, but this is one of the most difficult sites

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you could come across.

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At least you'll make everybody laugh.

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Will they succeed in turning their dreams into reality?

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This is like my tribute to my childhood.

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If I get it right, that's what it will be.

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We're not very clever when it comes to plants.

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-We need help.

-We need help.

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Our first garden is in Essex.

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Civil servant Dave and primary school vice-principal Denise

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moved in 13 years ago, but have so far failed to make much of an impact

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on their outdoor space.

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Our garden at the moment is very functional.

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Dave only visits the shed when he's hanging out the washing,

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so we've not really used it to its full potential.

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But they've decided that now is the time to take the garden in hand.

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Next year is a huge year for us.

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We've been married 25 years, we can celebrate that next year.

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And... We can celebrate that next year!

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Next year I'm 50. So that's a bit of a milestone.

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Our son is 21,

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so having a garden for socialising is important.

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And Denise is keen to recreate a garden

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that played an important role in her childhood.

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But reluctant gardener Dave isn't quite as enthusiastic.

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I have a good work ethic and Dave tries to avoid a work ethic.

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Denise is the one who's got the passion and the drive

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to get it done.

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I'm a reluctant passenger, shall we say, but I'm still on the bus.

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I'll manage Dave through the whole lot,

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and he'll be grateful that I did that.

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Our second gardeners are in Ipswich.

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Ten years ago, Rob's wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

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The former inventor then decided to set up a charity with the help

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of his daughter Jo.

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Going through five months of living with an advanced form of lung cancer

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wasn't easy but it wasn't as difficult as some people have it

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and there and then I thought, "When I get through this,

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"I'd like to really do something for the cancer community."

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Rob purchased a derelict wood in Sudbury

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and over several years transformed it into a peaceful and usable space.

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Our main aim was to convert a very poor woodland or land that had been

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unused into cancer retreats,

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so anybody going through a tough time of living with cancer,

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we wanted to build something that was absolutely

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-beautiful to visit.

-Also, people with profound learning difficulties,

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mainly children, come and help us to maintain the site and adults

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with mental health challenges come and also help us.

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With the success of the first site,

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Rob decided to renovate another woodland here in Ipswich,

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and his daughter Jo, who had helped before on a volunteer basis,

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decided to take it on full-time.

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This is Jo's woodland.

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You are the manager of this.

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I will bite my tongue on certain areas.

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There may be a new chief dishing out the orders,

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but Rob and Jo agree on one thing -

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why make life easy?

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Call us idiots, but this is one of the most difficult sites you could

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-come across.

-It's a particularly poor area of the woodland.

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The site is completely covered in ivy,

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on a massively steep slope, which makes it even more challenging.

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The entire woodland covers three acres, which will need a lot of time

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and generous donations to restore.

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For now, a 24 by 12-metre area has been earmarked

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for a very specific purpose.

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We like a challenge and we want to convert one of these slopes into

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-an allotment.

-Whilst me and Jo know quite a bit about trees,

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we're not very clever when it comes to plants, so...

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-We're OK.

-We need help.

-We need help.

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It's May in Essex and Monty is on

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his way to meet Dave and an excitable Denise.

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Having Monty on board is really important to me because we are

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amateur gardeners through and through,

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and Dave is not even a wannabe gardener, really.

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I respect his knowledge, I respect his skills

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and just the common sense that he will bring to my ideas.

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I think I've got completely different expectations to Denise

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in that I'm looking for him to rein her in.

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With that challenge, Britain's favourite gardener

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arrives to mediate.

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-Hello, Monty.

-Hello.

-I'm Denise. Nice to meet you.

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-And this is Dave.

-Hello, Dave.

-Do come in.

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-So here's our garden.

-Here we are.

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And you might think, "Oh, this is a lovely garden."

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But, actually, for the last 13 years,

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we've only used the decking space.

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-Just this little bit here?

-Yes.

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Apart from putting the washing on the line or getting the bikes from

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the shed, we've never really ventured down there.

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I'm flabbergasted. So the extent of your horticultural universe has been

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-contained within the balustrade?

-Absolutely.

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Do you want to transform this area and ignore that or do you want to

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include the whole garden?

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In my mind is to actually focus on beyond the decking.

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Well, this is going out into deeper, darkest unknown territory, isn't it?

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Beyond the decking. It's like a B-movie!

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So have you had any plans and thoughts?

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-Yes, ruins. Real ruins.

-Really?

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That's interesting.

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When you say ruins... what sort of ruins?

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So I thought, I might want to go medieval

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but the memory and image that's in my head -

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it's an old brick mill that's fallen down.

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And so, just to be clear about this,

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you're thinking about putting an old brick mill out there

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and creating a garden round it, is that right?

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Yeah, that's basically it. Well done. I'm glad you see it.

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I was trying to exaggerate.

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-I realise I haven't told the half of it.

-No.

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With such an audacious dream,

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Monty needs to see the plan for himself.

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I would love to see what you've put on paper.

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Denise's plan is to replace the balustrade with steps and a narrow

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path leading to the bottom of the garden.

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The shed will be demolished to accommodate a courtyard seating area

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and next to this, a six-foot tall brick folly will be erected.

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A set of ruins will take centre stage and wooden sleepers will form

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two planting beds filled with wild flowers.

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What will Monty think of her big ideas?

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There is a strong tradition,

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sort of the late 18th century, early 19th century,

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of doing this type of thing with follies,

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with things that look as though they're leading somewhere

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but in fact don't.

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So this is founded in good British gardening tradition,

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you know, hundreds of years old.

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It works, people have done it and it's exciting.

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Monty is on board with Denise's concept,

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but he has some reservations.

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Why do you need the sleepers?

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I was just mindful of how much brick I was putting in.

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As a contrasting material,

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I thought the sleepers might be an idea of modernising the ruins.

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I would say that you should go with the theme you've chosen

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and stick with it. So don't try to soften it or diminish it or...

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modernise it or in any way deviate from your chosen path.

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The strength of this garden will be because it's so bonkers.

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It's mad building a ruin in a back garden like that.

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You know, that's lovely.

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It's almost as though you're trying to sort of say,

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"Well, it's not that bad. It's bonkers,

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"but there is a proper garden there, too."

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-We don't want a proper garden.

-No, we don't.

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-We want your garden.

-Our garden.

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So my instincts are, ditch the sleepers.

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Personally, that's what I would do.

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With the sleepers ditched,

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Monty thinks there's room in the garden for a water element.

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And you could have it spilling in a spout,

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you could have it just overlapping

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like a sort of infinity pool-type spilling.

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-There are options.

-I'm interested now.

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Monty's advice to Denise and Dave is to stick to their guns and embrace

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their bold design by getting rid of the wooden sleepers.

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He suggests they include a water feature within the ruins

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and instead of wild flowers, which will only last a couple of months,

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they should choose planting that will provide interest

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all year round.

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Monty also advises them to make the path wider and easier to navigate.

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But with so much going on in the garden,

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there's an important question to consider...

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How much money have you got?

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-Well, the man from Del Monte...

-Yeah?

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-..says 8,000.

-Right.

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And that's because we're mindful of the fact that we will need

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a bit of help building the folly.

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I think a lot people would think,

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-"Crikey, £8,000, that's a lot of money."

-Bricks are not cheap.

-No.

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Anything with bricks and mortar, you've got a price tag to them

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and, you know, I want the wall not to become a ruin straightaway

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-and if I build it...

-But you want a ruin!

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Well, a wall's a wall.

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So the folly has got to stand the test of time.

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To help Denise and Dave see how their design could look

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in their nine-by-eight-metre garden, Monty gets to work.

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You're a measurer, I'm a staker.

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Although Denise may be happy to invest in a builder,

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if she doesn't get her measurements absolutely right,

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it'll be her budget that ends up in ruins.

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-This is supposed to be in line with that, is it?

-Yeah.

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OK, let's work off that. In which case, this is wrong.

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This is wrong? Yeah, you're right.

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My bad.

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Already, the cracks in the plan are beginning to show.

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It's just as well they're marking out the design

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with sticks and string.

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But there's nothing there...

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Shall we go up and look down on it?

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Let's have a look.

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Right, what's your immediate reaction?

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Well, it's a bit more squashed than I thought.

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Do you feel that marking it out like this is a good exercise?

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Absolutely. It's more out than I thought it would be,

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but actually I'd rather know now than later on.

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Yeah. My advice would be to not hurry this process,

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and if it takes an extra week, I promise you you'll save a week.

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Yeah, and probably a heartache.

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Yeah, this is a big thing you're doing.

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This is not something you do every week.

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-No.

-You know, get it right.

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Get it so you're happy. For today, my work is done here.

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Get some walls up, then give me a call.

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Sounds like a plan.

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Good. I've had fun. Thanks very much

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and I'll see you in a few weeks' time.

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All right. Bye-bye.

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Of course, Denise's plan is completely extreme and wacky.

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It's delightfully bonkers.

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Monty worried me at the beginning because I felt like he was almost

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giving Denise license to take her vision even further

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than I had anticipated.

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Although the details and marking it out are important,

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and it's always good to expose the virtues and flaws of a design,

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by simply laying string out where there are lines on paper,

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it's the ruins and the walls that count.

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So when I come back I hope they're already well underway

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and we can start to finesse it with some planting.

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When somebody sees your dream and gives you that encouragement

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and nudges you in the right direction,

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I sort of feel like we're in safe hands and that's a good place to be.

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A few weeks later in Ipswich,

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Rob and Jo are nervously awaiting Monty's arrival.

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I'm really, really looking forward to Monty coming to see their plot.

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However, I am a little frightened that he's going to have a look at it

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and say, "There is nothing you can do with this."

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And the duo do a bit of housework to get ready

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for their important visitor.

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-Hello.

-Monty!

-Hi.

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-Nice to see you.

-Good to see you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

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This is going to be our terraced allotment site.

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-You want to have an allotment on this slope?

-Yes.

-OK.

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To terrace that

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is quite a big undertaking.

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I mean, it's quite dramatic.

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-We like big undertakings.

-OK.

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Why do you want to grow vegetables?

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A lot of the volunteers and a lot of the people that we support here at

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the woodlands, we quite often feed them at lunchtime

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and also it would be really good for them to be part of the whole process

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of growing the vegetables and then using it to do cookery.

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-Especially the children.

-Exactly.

-Which is more important?

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Producing the food or the process and the educational?

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-I would say the educational.

-Yeah, so would I.

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-If it is a project, as part of a bigger picture...

-Absolutely.

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..that will entertain and inform and inspire...

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-That's exactly what it is.

-..then it's great.

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Fine. Then I'm with that the whole way.

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-BOTH:

-Good.

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Though Monty approves of their plan, he is clear about the work ahead,

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not least cutting back the trees to bring in the light.

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I cannot stress the importance that the more you clear,

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-the better chance you have.

-Yeah, yeah.

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You could plant things like redcurrants

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and gooseberries which don't mind shade.

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White currants, you can grow those in shade.

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You can grow climbers, you know, things like climbing beans.

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They like warm, wet shade.

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So there's our other problem - we don't have running water yet.

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So we've got to do some sort of irrigation system.

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-I know.

-HE SCREAMS

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So you want to grow vegetables in a wood with no soil,

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no sun, no water...

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-But apart from that it's fine.

-Apart from that it's fine. Good.

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Well, I think...

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at least you'll make everybody laugh.

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And the difficulties just keep mounting up.

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-What's your budget?

-Maximum we would have is £1,000.

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What would that be spent on?

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Getting the flooring first, so it's wheelchair-friendly.

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So, essentially, for your terraced allotment

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-you have no money at all?

-No.

-OK.

-At the moment.

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OK, OK, that...

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adds to the allure of the thing.

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You've got no money, you've got the worst site in the world and...

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-that's good in the sense that you know where you stand.

-Yeah.

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Intrigued by the huge challenge Rob and Jo have set for themselves,

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Monty is keen to look at their plan.

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The pair want to build a three-tiered allotment

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on their woodland slope

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packed with a range of fruit and vegetables.

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A decked floor space will enable wheelchair users

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to enjoy the lower beds,

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while two paths separate the upper tiers that can be accessed by steps.

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Finally, Jo plans to make her own gabions,

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metal cages which will stabilise the slope.

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-Have you ever made a gabion?

-No.

-Do you know someone who has?

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-No.

-Right.

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I suspect it may not be as easy as you think.

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It might be worth doing a little bit of research on that.

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-OK, yeah.

-One more obstacle to overcome, then.

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The steps want to be as narrow as possible

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to give yourself as much room,

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and maybe railings on the first one, just so anybody can get at them.

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-Yeah, good idea.

-To the first level?

-Yeah, to the first level.

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Then I would suggest that your first path is wider

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-than the second one.

-Yep.

-Yeah, OK.

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But the second one I would make really quite narrow.

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-Just wide enough for somebody to walk single file.

-Yeah.

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And that will buy you more bed space.

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-That's a good idea.

-Yeah.

-And that's the other point -

0:17:350:17:37

you realise that everything that goes up there

0:17:370:17:39

is going to have to go up

0:17:390:17:40

these steps and you're going to have to take compost and manure up there,

0:17:400:17:44

-and they're going to be carried up in buckets?

-Yeah.

0:17:440:17:47

Strong steps.

0:17:470:17:48

-Strong steps, non-slippery steps.

-Yeah.

0:17:480:17:51

That's the key thing.

0:17:510:17:52

Monty wants Jo and Rob to maximise their bedding space

0:17:540:17:57

to accommodate more planting.

0:17:570:17:59

He suggests they make both the steps and the upper pass narrower

0:18:000:18:05

and attach chicken wire to provide a nonslip surface.

0:18:050:18:08

Next, they should shrink the decking area

0:18:100:18:13

so as to make the size of their beds bigger.

0:18:130:18:17

And because of the heavy clay soil,

0:18:170:18:19

he also thinks they should include a drainage system for excess water.

0:18:190:18:24

Monty likes the idea of using gabions

0:18:240:18:26

and suggests they become dual-purpose

0:18:260:18:29

by filling them with herbs.

0:18:290:18:30

But before Jo and Rob can do anything,

0:18:320:18:34

they need to remove the overgrown ivy covering the ground.

0:18:340:18:38

Monty is happy to lend a hand and Jo has arranged for some volunteers

0:18:380:18:41

-to come in and help out as well...

-Hello.

0:18:410:18:43

..and they all get stuck in.

0:18:430:18:45

My own feeling is what you want is incompatible

0:18:520:18:55

-with trees in the middle of it.

-Yes, exactly.

0:18:550:18:57

What you can't move has to be cut down.

0:18:570:18:59

OK, I will go for it, then.

0:18:590:19:01

Well, that's let in loads more light already, hasn't it?

0:19:050:19:08

Yeah, I think you'll be OK.

0:19:110:19:13

-You're a bit more optimistic about it now, Monty.

-Well, I am. I am.

0:19:130:19:16

I just thought you were crazy.

0:19:160:19:17

Now I think it's going to be really difficult but possible.

0:19:170:19:21

-Good.

-So if you're up for really difficult...

0:19:210:19:24

-I'm up for it.

-Good.

0:19:240:19:26

Right...

0:19:260:19:27

-Thank you.

-I've done enough.

-Yeah, thanks, Monty.

0:19:280:19:31

It's been fun.

0:19:310:19:32

It's been good and I'm really looking forward to coming back.

0:19:320:19:34

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

0:19:340:19:35

I have to be honest and admit that when Rob and Jo showed me the site

0:19:380:19:44

and told me what they wanted to do with it,

0:19:440:19:45

I just thought it was crazy,

0:19:450:19:48

that it was a waste of time to even begin it and I was working out ways

0:19:480:19:52

of letting them down gently.

0:19:520:19:54

But having cleared it, having seen the plans

0:19:540:19:58

and spent the day with them,

0:19:580:20:01

I believe it could happen.

0:20:010:20:03

I'm feeling exhausted but really excited

0:20:030:20:06

about the next stage of it.

0:20:060:20:08

Our Essex dreamer, Denise, has brought Dave

0:20:130:20:16

to Kearsney Abbey in Kent.

0:20:160:20:17

She's hoping that by showing him the ruins of the Old River paper mill,

0:20:190:20:23

they will come up with a final design for their ideal garden.

0:20:230:20:26

'This was the place where we had the special times.

0:20:290:20:31

'This is when we came together as a family.'

0:20:310:20:33

And it's those memories I sort of want to hold on to and cherish.

0:20:330:20:36

This is like my tribute to my childhood.

0:20:360:20:38

If I get it right, that's what it will be.

0:20:380:20:41

The spirit of that feature there,

0:20:410:20:43

I don't think we could have the whole lot,

0:20:430:20:44

it would be overwhelming in our little garden.

0:20:440:20:46

We'll get a picture from the front of it.

0:20:460:20:48

Maybe that will add some height in the brickwork.

0:20:480:20:51

Even reluctant Dave is entering into the spirit of it all now.

0:20:540:20:58

When you come here, you get the sound of the water,

0:20:580:21:01

and I think you lose yourself in it.

0:21:010:21:03

Everything that's growing in the brick there, that's beautiful.

0:21:030:21:07

It's the sound, isn't it? More than what you see, it's what you hear.

0:21:070:21:10

I think if you're going to bring elements of Kearsney Abbey

0:21:140:21:17

to the garden, it would be a shame if you don't actually bring

0:21:170:21:20

at least the sound of water.

0:21:200:21:23

Dave really isn't letting go of Monty's suggestion

0:21:230:21:26

of a water feature.

0:21:260:21:28

Inspired?

0:21:290:21:30

HE LAUGHS

0:21:300:21:32

It's summertime in Ipswich.

0:21:390:21:40

Not that you'd notice in the woodland.

0:21:400:21:44

Monty has told Rob and Jo they must get more light in.

0:21:440:21:47

So there's nothing for it but to do some serious pruning,

0:21:470:21:51

with the help of a local tree surgeon.

0:21:510:21:53

What we want to achieve today is to clear the dangerous branches

0:21:530:21:58

to let the sunlight in.

0:21:580:21:59

Some of Rob and Jo's regular volunteers who were taught forestry

0:22:040:22:07

and conservation skills by the charity

0:22:070:22:10

are also on hand to clear the fallen branches.

0:22:100:22:13

Jo is also having to take up another suggestion of Monty's rather more

0:22:190:22:23

quickly than she'd thought.

0:22:230:22:26

We've had so much rainfall recently, we've really seen how

0:22:260:22:29

if we start using watering systems up there regularly,

0:22:290:22:32

it's going to be a real issue.

0:22:320:22:34

So under Monty's brilliant advice, we're building this French drain.

0:22:340:22:37

-Are we saying he was right?

-I think so.

0:22:370:22:40

No, definitely.

0:22:400:22:43

With the help of a digger, they make a special drain

0:22:430:22:46

which acts as a soakaway system, redirecting the water.

0:22:460:22:50

He's going to dig a French drain here.

0:22:500:22:52

We'll put in a big soakaway here.

0:22:520:22:54

And while they have the digger,

0:23:000:23:02

Rob has a plan for that treacherous slope.

0:23:020:23:04

I think working with the plan, we can actually slightly reduce

0:23:040:23:08

the slope as well.

0:23:080:23:10

The pair seem to have completely remodelled the site,

0:23:100:23:14

not bad for a day's work.

0:23:140:23:16

Everyone's worked so hard and we've definitely exceeded

0:23:160:23:20

-all of our expectations.

-Yeah.

0:23:200:23:22

In Essex, while Denise and Dave are away at work...

0:23:270:23:32

That looks good.

0:23:320:23:34

..builder Pete is beginning to construct their dream garden.

0:23:340:23:37

The challenge here is to build a ruin from her childhood.

0:23:400:23:46

This is where she took the pictures of it,

0:23:460:23:48

and we're trying to construct her childhood dream.

0:23:480:23:51

The walls have got to look really, really old,

0:23:530:23:55

which is harder than making it look good.

0:23:550:23:57

Although the costly construction work has begun,

0:23:570:24:00

Denise hasn't followed Monty's advice

0:24:000:24:03

to get her final plan down on paper.

0:24:030:24:05

It's not a problem, but if we had it on paper

0:24:050:24:07

it would make it much easier.

0:24:070:24:08

Like, building a house, it's simple.

0:24:080:24:10

Building something in someone's head is not so simple.

0:24:100:24:13

In Ipswich, Rob and Jo are preparing for Monty's return.

0:24:230:24:27

It hasn't been long since Monty's been here

0:24:270:24:30

but the change is phenomenal.

0:24:300:24:32

We've opened up a lot more space, the gradient of the slope

0:24:320:24:36

is not so steep, so I'm really hoping that Monty

0:24:360:24:38

is going to kind of look at the site and think,

0:24:380:24:40

"Yeah, we can actually do it this time."

0:24:400:24:43

'I left last time really impressed by the energy

0:24:440:24:47

'that was going into this project.

0:24:470:24:48

'But energy alone is not going to be enough.'

0:24:480:24:50

To even consider making this viable as a vegetable plot,

0:24:500:24:54

a huge amount of preparatory work has to be done,

0:24:540:24:57

so I suppose really what I want to see

0:24:570:24:59

is just how far they've got on with that,

0:24:590:25:01

because they've got to be realistic.

0:25:010:25:04

This has got to be transformed.

0:25:040:25:05

Hello?

0:25:070:25:09

-Hello.

-Hey, Monty.

-Oh, hi.

0:25:120:25:15

Well, somebody's been doing some work.

0:25:150:25:18

-Well, it's us!

-Nice to see.

-Nice to see you, too.

-How are you?

0:25:180:25:22

I'm trying to remember what it was like.

0:25:220:25:24

What was a really forbidding slope, you know,

0:25:240:25:27

suddenly looks a little bit more accessible, doesn't it?

0:25:270:25:30

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-If I'd come initially and seen that

0:25:300:25:32

and you'd said, "We'd like to grow something edible,

0:25:320:25:36

"preferably wonderful vegetables on there,"

0:25:360:25:39

I would have thought it was tricky but possible.

0:25:390:25:41

And I think we've gone from mad to possible.

0:25:410:25:44

-Yeah.

-Excellent!

0:25:440:25:45

Well, that's a relief.

0:25:470:25:49

And now it's time for Monty to roll up his sleeves

0:25:490:25:51

and help with the next task,

0:25:510:25:53

building a gabion for terracing -

0:25:530:25:56

something neither of them have done before.

0:25:560:25:58

-We're going to find out how to do it by doing it.

-Yeah!

0:25:580:26:01

The gabions will be instrumental in stabilising the slope

0:26:030:26:06

and preventing subsidence.

0:26:060:26:08

Jo has salvaged some old wire fencing from the woodland which,

0:26:120:26:16

when cut to size, will be perfect.

0:26:160:26:18

-One gabion.

-Done!

0:26:210:26:23

They attach the sides with a simple wire tie.

0:26:240:26:27

Right, how solid does that seem?

0:26:300:26:33

-Well, it's not that bad, is it, for a first effort?

-Yeah.

0:26:330:26:36

We can't put the top on till we've filled it up

0:26:360:26:38

but we can fill with anything.

0:26:380:26:40

Normally filled with stones, but it could be hard-core,

0:26:400:26:42

it could be bricks, it could be tiles.

0:26:420:26:44

Should we try and put it in position to see if it does fit?

0:26:440:26:47

OK.

0:26:470:26:48

-OK, we're ready for you.

-You are ready, are you?

0:26:480:26:51

-Right.

-So that has got to be flush with that

0:26:510:26:53

-and it should be the same height, should it?

-Well, yeah.

0:26:530:26:56

It's only just out.

0:26:560:26:58

-For some reason we're a bit proud.

-Yeah.

0:26:580:27:01

I can take that down a couple of millimetres, if you like.

0:27:010:27:04

No, to be honest, I think when that's loaded up with stone,

0:27:040:27:08

-it might even sink a bit.

-Yeah, good point.

0:27:080:27:11

-We're quibbling. It looks great!

-It does!

0:27:110:27:13

-It looks good.

-I'm happy with it. Are you happy, Jo?

0:27:130:27:15

-Yeah, really happy.

-Happy. Done.

0:27:150:27:19

To fill the gabion, Jo has decided to use house bricks

0:27:190:27:22

which were found in and around the site.

0:27:220:27:25

Let's say another like that.

0:27:250:27:26

I mean, it doesn't have to be perfect, does it?

0:27:260:27:28

It's not going to be perfect, don't worry.

0:27:280:27:31

-Behind this you can just chuck in any old stuff.

-Yeah.

0:27:310:27:34

-How about that?

-Look at that!

0:27:340:27:37

See, I think when that's planted it will look nice.

0:27:370:27:39

-That looks really nice.

-Yeah.

0:27:390:27:41

Once the gabion is backfilled with rubble and topped with soil,

0:27:420:27:45

it's time to get the herbs in.

0:27:450:27:47

This is the...

0:27:470:27:50

apple mint.

0:27:500:27:51

So we'll just loosen that up a bit,

0:27:510:27:55

-and I don't try to untangle it.

-No, OK.

-Just break it.

0:27:550:27:58

-And what that will do is stimulate new growth.

-Right.

0:27:580:28:00

Just rough it up

0:28:000:28:02

and then we'll put that in there like that,

0:28:020:28:06

and the advantage of that is it won't then spread

0:28:060:28:09

-and fill the whole thing.

-And take over.

-Yeah, and take over.

0:28:090:28:11

-Let's have some lemon verbena.

-OK.

0:28:110:28:14

So we'll put that in there.

0:28:140:28:17

-Three of these.

-What the lavender and the lemon verbena

0:28:170:28:20

-and Mediterranean herbs will like is the drainage.

-Oh, right, OK.

0:28:200:28:24

They will love that because with the rubble underneath,

0:28:240:28:28

-this will drain really well.

-Yeah.

0:28:280:28:30

So it has got some goodness but it will also drain.

0:28:300:28:32

It looks as though Jo's research has paid off.

0:28:320:28:35

I tell you what, that's not bad,

0:28:350:28:38

and if you have more like that I think they'll look great.

0:28:380:28:41

I think so, too.

0:28:410:28:42

Isn't that lovely?

0:28:430:28:45

-Happy with that in principle?

-More than principle.

0:28:450:28:47

-I'm really pleased.

-Thank you for your advice.

0:28:470:28:50

Thank YOU for your advice.

0:28:500:28:51

I now know how to make a gabion, which I didn't before.

0:28:510:28:55

So that's brilliant. All right, I'm going to go.

0:28:550:28:57

-Bye-bye. Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-I'll see you.

0:28:570:28:59

I learned so much today working with Monty

0:28:590:29:02

making the gabions and we both learnt together

0:29:020:29:05

about how to build them.

0:29:050:29:06

I definitely think that Monty's starting to see the vision.

0:29:060:29:09

I feel much more buoyed up now and if what we achieved today can be

0:29:090:29:13

expanded out across the whole site,

0:29:130:29:16

then I think the results will not only be effective,

0:29:160:29:20

I think it will look spectacular.

0:29:200:29:22

Monty has sent Dave and Denise to Capel Manor College in Middlesex,

0:29:290:29:33

whose students specialise in horticulture.

0:29:330:29:36

They're keen to make their ruins look as old as possible,

0:29:360:29:39

and so are taking a tour of the folly,

0:29:390:29:42

built here just six years ago.

0:29:420:29:44

-It's amazing.

-Gardener Tom explains the quickest way they can add age

0:29:440:29:48

to their structure is by introducing climbers.

0:29:480:29:51

This is actually an ornamental grapevine

0:29:510:29:53

and it's got these fantastic leaves on it -

0:29:530:29:55

really, really large leaves.

0:29:550:29:57

You grow this for its autumn colour, so this goes pillar box red

0:29:570:30:00

-in the autumn.

-Oh, lovely.

-It's really, really fantastic.

0:30:000:30:03

What I really like is that some of the leaves will be one colour in one

0:30:030:30:06

part of the year and then change later on in the year.

0:30:060:30:09

When the walls first went in they almost looked

0:30:090:30:12

a little bit too pristine and so one of the first things we did

0:30:120:30:15

was get the climbers up them and I think they add a lot of interest,

0:30:150:30:19

they age the walls and they just help it settle down

0:30:190:30:21

a little bit more and I'd really recommend

0:30:210:30:24

you include climbers in your planting.

0:30:240:30:26

And Thomas shows Denise and Dave that they aren't limited to vines.

0:30:280:30:32

Rambling roses are an excellent option for adding colour and drama

0:30:320:30:35

to their garden and their vigorous growth will sprawl

0:30:350:30:38

all over their brickwork, providing an aged appearance.

0:30:380:30:42

Climbing roses are another good option,

0:30:430:30:45

although less vigorous than the rambler.

0:30:450:30:47

Many varieties produce larger blooms and repeat flower throughout summer

0:30:470:30:51

and early autumn.

0:30:510:30:53

Clematis can be used in conjunction with either rose

0:30:530:30:57

and because it will bloom

0:30:570:30:58

just as the rose is finishing,

0:30:580:31:00

it can extend the flowering season well into September.

0:31:000:31:03

And Tom has another suggestion for creating an aged appearance.

0:31:040:31:08

What we've done is we've planted within the crevices one of my

0:31:080:31:12

favourite plants, a really cute little daisy.

0:31:120:31:15

It's a fleabane and it just flowers and flowers and flowers.

0:31:150:31:19

And it seeds well so all those little cracks in your patio,

0:31:190:31:23

if that's the look you want to go for, it will happily colonise those,

0:31:230:31:26

or you could get your contractors to leave you little planting pockets

0:31:260:31:29

in the walls and you could just pop it in there.

0:31:290:31:31

It gives a sort of aged aesthetic.

0:31:310:31:34

'It's hard to feel that this place has only been going for six years.'

0:31:360:31:39

It was a field.

0:31:390:31:41

That gives you a bit of hope that actually the desired look can come

0:31:410:31:44

quicker than maybe we expected.

0:31:440:31:47

In Ipswich, Rob and Jo have yet another group of volunteers in.

0:31:530:31:57

One half of the team is working with Rob to build the terraces

0:31:570:32:01

and raised beds...

0:32:010:32:02

We're going to knock it on the ground about that much.

0:32:020:32:05

-It's easy work.

-Ah!

0:32:050:32:07

..and the other half are assisting Jo in making more gabions.

0:32:070:32:11

It's really simple.

0:32:120:32:14

It seems the philosophy of many hands make light work is proving

0:32:160:32:20

a good one, and in just one day,

0:32:200:32:22

they've managed to build half the terraces needed for the allotment.

0:32:220:32:26

-It looks amazing.

-It's amazing.

0:32:260:32:28

It's real now. I think Monty will love it.

0:32:280:32:30

I hope he does.

0:32:300:32:32

It really excites me to see all the plants in place now,

0:32:330:32:35

and we've got the whole bottom layer done now.

0:32:350:32:38

So that's brilliant and it really shows what we can do

0:32:380:32:41

-with the upper layers.

-Yeah.

0:32:410:32:44

In Essex, our dreamer is still no closer to a final plan

0:32:510:32:55

for her garden.

0:32:550:32:56

Denise has a fantastic way of saying things.

0:32:560:32:58

She... "I have changed my mind slightly," and we giggle.

0:32:580:33:03

In terms of the plans, there have been a few.

0:33:030:33:07

I actually don't count any more...

0:33:080:33:11

but significantly more than ten.

0:33:110:33:14

Oh, dear.

0:33:140:33:15

-Good morning.

-Morning, dear. How are you?

0:33:150:33:18

All right.

0:33:180:33:20

Obviously, we've had a little change here. Plan number 32.

0:33:200:33:23

SHE LAUGHS

0:33:230:33:25

But Denise has an excuse for her indecision.

0:33:250:33:28

'To have a plan and stick to it might seem like a sensible thing to do'

0:33:280:33:31

but, actually, you've got to have a garden that you want to live with.

0:33:310:33:34

'Some things haven't changed.

0:33:340:33:35

'So the planters beyond the decking and the steps going down,'

0:33:350:33:38

that hasn't changed, the folly hasn't changed,

0:33:380:33:41

it's just on a different side of the garden.

0:33:410:33:43

-At least this.

-Minimum of that height?

0:33:450:33:47

Yeah, just so, because then you've got the two tiers of the feature.

0:33:470:33:50

-Right, OK.

-Monty really challenged us to think about that central line

0:33:500:33:54

and to think about that space and stay true to the ruins,

0:33:540:33:56

not try to modernise it or put a twist on it.

0:33:560:33:59

He said, "Keep it simple, keep it bold."

0:33:590:34:01

So the middle part of the garden he won't recognise at all.

0:34:010:34:05

'And I'm looking forward to see how he reacts to that.'

0:34:070:34:09

It's his fault that he inspired us to do this.

0:34:090:34:12

Really, Denise?

0:34:130:34:15

But the door looks fantastic, doesn't it?

0:34:150:34:17

The recycled door.

0:34:170:34:18

They were going to use it as a spot board and I went,

0:34:180:34:20

"No, that's the secret door!"

0:34:200:34:23

-It's fantastic.

-Isn't it?

0:34:230:34:25

And Pete has brought along Bill,

0:34:250:34:28

who has a novel idea for ageing the folly walls.

0:34:280:34:31

'Basically, what we're trying to do here is'

0:34:310:34:35

accelerate the growing of moss by using a natural yoghurt.

0:34:350:34:40

It's quite a simple process, really.

0:34:400:34:42

Just slap it on and just let nature take its place.

0:34:420:34:46

I'll show you how natural it is.

0:34:470:34:48

Here you are.

0:34:480:34:50

-Can I have a go?

-Of course.

0:34:520:34:53

I am really fortunate that Pete's on my wavelength because he seems

0:34:560:35:00

to have... Instinctively understands what I mean.

0:35:000:35:03

Once we get the brickworks set up to the heights you want the rack backs,

0:35:030:35:06

-then you get the effect of it all then.

-Brilliant.

0:35:060:35:09

A builder and a mind-reader. Perhaps he should charge double.

0:35:090:35:13

It's not your typical builder-client relationship.

0:35:130:35:17

I'm really worried that your mind and my mind sort of harmonise.

0:35:180:35:21

Yeah, we're both bonkers!

0:35:210:35:22

As a reward for all the hard preparatory work,

0:35:330:35:37

Monty has suggested Rob and Jo visit Hyde Hall in Chelmsford,

0:35:370:35:41

which was formerly a working farm and was donated to the

0:35:410:35:44

Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.

0:35:440:35:48

Head gardener Matt is eager to show them what might work in their newly

0:35:490:35:53

cleared space and its shady conditions.

0:35:530:35:56

So one of the first things I want to show you is the redcurrants because

0:35:560:35:59

I think you might be able to grow some of them in your garden.

0:35:590:36:02

-Brilliant.

-Partly because they will tolerate a bit of shade and partly

0:36:020:36:06

because of the way that we grow them.

0:36:060:36:08

Yeah, Monty said about white currants as well.

0:36:080:36:09

Yeah, so white currants, redcurrants,

0:36:090:36:11

pretty much the same thing.

0:36:110:36:13

The only difference is the colour of the fruit, effectively.

0:36:130:36:15

The way we grow them... You can see we grow them as one upright stem,

0:36:150:36:19

what we call a cordon,

0:36:190:36:21

then we prune all the side shoots to encourage flowering and fruiting.

0:36:210:36:24

-You can see with this one here that's covered in fruit.

-Yeah.

0:36:240:36:26

And the joy of doing it this way is that the fruit that you get

0:36:260:36:30

is more exposed to the sun and therefore

0:36:300:36:33

-it might ripen a bit quicker in shady conditions.

-Yeah.

0:36:330:36:36

Yeah, good idea.

0:36:360:36:37

So it's worth considering growing them like that.

0:36:370:36:40

-Rather than a bush?

-Rather than as a bush.

0:36:400:36:42

-Well, we can do that, can't we?

-Yeah, definitely.

0:36:420:36:44

Would you have one whole bed down to this type of fruit?

0:36:440:36:47

It depends how much you want, in terms of quantity.

0:36:470:36:49

I mean, because you're growing them in a trained form and keeping

0:36:490:36:52

the plant quite compact,

0:36:520:36:53

you can fit a lot more varieties in the smaller amount of space.

0:36:530:36:57

It doesn't have to be all red currants, does it?

0:36:570:36:59

No, no. You could... I mean, we grow gooseberries the same way.

0:36:590:37:02

Any of the cultivated blackberries,

0:37:020:37:03

perhaps some of the thornless varieties are quite popular.

0:37:030:37:06

Yeah, that would be good for the children.

0:37:060:37:08

Or any of the blackberry/raspberry hybrids are quite good as well.

0:37:080:37:10

So things like loganberries, boysenberries, tayberries,

0:37:100:37:13

there's loads out there.

0:37:130:37:16

While berries can be pruned to make the most of the sunlight,

0:37:160:37:19

Matt also recommends vegetables that prefer shady spots.

0:37:190:37:23

You can see we've got three quite young rows of summer lettuces here

0:37:230:37:27

and a very established row of perpetual spinach

0:37:270:37:30

and then we have a couple of rows of Swiss chard as well.

0:37:300:37:33

-All crops we can come and pick loose leaves off.

-Yeah.

0:37:330:37:36

For you, if you've got more shaded conditions, you might be able to get

0:37:360:37:40

away with growing some of the other varieties of spinach that,

0:37:400:37:43

in the height of summer when it's very hot,

0:37:430:37:45

in a more exposed situation they're just going to bulk to seed.

0:37:450:37:48

You might be able to grow them all year round, as it were.

0:37:480:37:50

-Perfect.

-So it's worth giving that a go.

0:37:500:37:52

Finally, Matt has a good tip for their plot,

0:37:520:37:55

which has less direct sunlight than this garden.

0:37:550:37:58

Better to go with leaves that have bright green or dark green foliage,

0:37:580:38:02

because they'll be more efficient at photosynthesizing,

0:38:020:38:06

-as opposed to purple-leaved crops.

-Yeah.

0:38:060:38:09

So anything red or purple-leafed won't grow as vigorously because

0:38:090:38:13

they haven't got as much chlorophyll in the leaf.

0:38:130:38:16

Go for dark greens, and not purples.

0:38:160:38:18

Thanks very much.

0:38:200:38:21

'I found today really, really useful, actually.

0:38:210:38:24

'Matt was a wealth of knowledge.'

0:38:240:38:25

He reiterated a couple of Monty's points about the currants, which was fantastic.

0:38:250:38:29

-I'm inspired from today.

-Yeah.

-I want to go back and get stuck in.

0:38:290:38:31

The building work is finally finished in Essex

0:38:380:38:40

and Monty is keen to see the result of Denise's ever-evolving plans.

0:38:400:38:44

It's quite a long time since I was last here with Denise and Dave

0:38:460:38:49

and I'm expecting great things.

0:38:490:38:51

I love the idea of this folly

0:38:510:38:54

built in the back garden that hasn't really been touched for years.

0:38:540:38:58

I'm expecting something spectacular.

0:38:580:39:01

I'm really excited that Monty's coming back today.

0:39:010:39:03

It feels like a lifetime has passed since he's been,

0:39:030:39:07

and it'll be interesting to see how he sees where we've got to.

0:39:070:39:11

-Hello.

-Good morning!

-Morning.

0:39:130:39:15

-You've been doing something!

-Good to see you.

-How are you?

0:39:150:39:18

-Nice to see you. Hi, Dave.

-Morning.

0:39:200:39:22

-Yes.

-Wow!

-A little different to last time you came.

0:39:240:39:26

It's more than a little different, it's transformed.

0:39:260:39:29

Because when I left you, you had to do some refinements

0:39:290:39:32

-because things weren't fitting, were they?

-That's right.

0:39:320:39:34

They weren't working out. So what happened next?

0:39:340:39:37

We decided to move the folly from the left-hand side

0:39:370:39:40

of the garden to the right-hand side of the garden,

0:39:400:39:43

so it was the main feature that came down from the path,

0:39:430:39:45

-because we wanted to keep it simple.

-Yeah.

0:39:450:39:48

This is the bony structure, if you like,

0:39:480:39:50

-but it will be fleshed out by plants...

-Yeah.

0:39:500:39:52

..and at certain times of the year, half hidden by plants.

0:39:520:39:56

We're hoping that. We want to have the plants working all year.

0:39:560:39:59

Yeah, I mean, that...

0:39:590:40:00

You don't need to hope it, you make it happen.

0:40:000:40:02

That's down to you.

0:40:020:40:03

So has all the re-planning had any knock-on effects?

0:40:030:40:07

In terms of budget, where are you now?

0:40:070:40:10

This is the money man. We're laughing!

0:40:100:40:14

-Genuinely?

-Yeah.

-I've no idea...

0:40:140:40:19

-Right.

-..because the budget, in terms of the original 8,000

0:40:190:40:23

that we said, we know that that's blown.

0:40:230:40:27

So you're over budget, but you don't know how much...

0:40:270:40:29

-Not yet.

-..but you seem remarkably unconcerned about that.

0:40:290:40:32

They've delivered exactly what we wanted.

0:40:320:40:34

Whatever the bill is, I feel that it is going to be a fair bill, so...

0:40:340:40:38

I must come and work for you.

0:40:380:40:41

I like your...

0:40:410:40:42

your employment style.

0:40:420:40:45

The one thing I would say in all honesty is,

0:40:450:40:47

-my son has been warned that his ISA might be depleted.

-OK.

0:40:470:40:51

With the ruins up and the bank balance in tatters,

0:40:530:40:55

they'd better get on with the planting.

0:40:550:40:58

Denise wants a bed of lavender, but worries about her soil,

0:40:580:41:01

and needs Monty's advice to give her plants the best start.

0:41:010:41:04

-Basically, we've got clay.

-If I turn that over...

-Yeah.

0:41:040:41:09

If I squeeze it...

0:41:150:41:18

it's a nice clay lump.

0:41:180:41:21

OK. That isn't ideal for lavender.

0:41:210:41:23

So what you need to do, as much as possible,

0:41:240:41:27

-is lighten that up.

-OK.

0:41:270:41:29

There are two ways of doing that.

0:41:290:41:31

One is to dig in organic matter, compost, manure,

0:41:320:41:37

bark, leaf mould, anything like that will help a lot.

0:41:370:41:42

The other, which is even more effective

0:41:420:41:43

and probably more suitable for lavender, is grit and stone.

0:41:430:41:47

-OK.

-Have you got any grit and stone?

-I have.

0:41:470:41:50

-Lavender likes poor soil...

-OK.

0:41:500:41:53

..if it's to thrive.

0:41:530:41:55

Well, I want it to thrive in the worst conditions, and...

0:41:550:41:58

Well, what you call the worst conditions is best for lavender.

0:41:580:42:01

Yeah.

0:42:010:42:02

Sprinkle this on like this...

0:42:030:42:05

..and then fork that lightly in.

0:42:100:42:12

-The idea is to dig it first...

-Yeah.

0:42:120:42:15

..then spread your gravel or grit, as much as you have got,

0:42:150:42:18

-then fork that in.

-Right.

0:42:180:42:20

Then it's ready for planting.

0:42:200:42:21

And already, you can see by the way the fork is going in the ground...

0:42:230:42:26

-So much lighter, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

0:42:260:42:30

If you can plant easily like that, it does make life a lot easier.

0:42:300:42:35

We don't want it too deep.

0:42:350:42:37

You don't want any deeper than the height of the soil.

0:42:370:42:39

-OK.

-And if you really hit a clay bit,

0:42:390:42:43

you'll do no harm by simply putting a bed of stones for it to sit on,

0:42:430:42:47

and that means, when the roots go down, they don't sit in water.

0:42:470:42:50

-OK.

-They may well grow through it but there's a kind of barrier.

0:42:500:42:52

If it's really heavy rain, if they sit in a puddle, they'll die.

0:42:520:42:57

-Rot.

-They will rot and die.

0:42:570:43:00

With the lavender in, Denise is keen to try Tom's suggestion

0:43:000:43:03

of planting into her brickwork, but there's a problem.

0:43:030:43:07

The walls seem very finished. There doesn't seem to be many natural

0:43:070:43:10

crevices and holes and nooks and crannies that we can plant into.

0:43:100:43:14

So if we make our own nooks and crannies?

0:43:140:43:16

-If you're happy.

-Yeah.

0:43:160:43:18

Get a hammer, get a chisel,

0:43:180:43:20

and we'll nook and cranny to our hearts' content.

0:43:200:43:22

OK, lovely. I'll do that.

0:43:220:43:24

Undaunted by having spent a small fortune on her folly,

0:43:270:43:31

Denise seems quite happy to watch Monty knock holes in it.

0:43:310:43:35

Immediately, it makes the wall look more interesting, doesn't it?

0:43:350:43:38

-Yeah.

-A little bit of soil.

0:43:380:43:40

We can section off, push that in there like that.

0:43:400:43:42

I like that and I like the colours of that in with the brick.

0:43:440:43:46

Yeah, I agree.

0:43:460:43:48

She's chosen a selection of alpines and succulents,

0:43:490:43:52

which are really easy to plant.

0:43:520:43:54

All that's required is a hammer and chisel.

0:43:540:43:56

Over time, these plants will self-seed

0:43:590:44:01

and spread over the brickwork, creating the aged appearance

0:44:010:44:04

and coverage that Denise is after.

0:44:040:44:07

They're called house leaves because they grow on the roofs of houses,

0:44:070:44:10

and they've evolved to grow with very, very poor soil.

0:44:100:44:16

If we're lucky... it'll root in there.

0:44:160:44:19

-OK?

-Lovely.

0:44:190:44:21

So I think that's it for today.

0:44:240:44:26

When I come back, Dave will be too busy gardening to speak

0:44:260:44:30

having found your true love, your true calling in life.

0:44:300:44:33

We'll see, we'll see!

0:44:330:44:36

Before he leaves, Monty has a last bit of advice.

0:44:360:44:39

Don't make the mistake of under-planting

0:44:390:44:42

to allow things to grow in a year or two.

0:44:420:44:44

Over plant and take things out in a year or two.

0:44:440:44:47

-Oh, OK.

-It's a small garden.

-You can afford to do it.

0:44:470:44:50

-OK, I'm going.

-Thank you so much. Cheers.

0:44:500:44:54

'What you have there is the fascinating backbone

0:44:540:44:57

'of a garden but not yet a garden.'

0:44:570:44:59

They need to really put the same energy and attention

0:44:590:45:04

into the planting that they have into the structure.

0:45:040:45:06

Understanding what your soil is and how best to get your plants to work

0:45:060:45:09

for you from that, that was really the magic of Monty, for me.

0:45:090:45:14

When the planting is done, then there will be a garden.

0:45:140:45:18

That is what I'm looking forward to celebrating when I return.

0:45:180:45:21

It's only a few weeks until Monty returns to Ipswich,

0:45:270:45:30

and the construction of the three-tiered allotment

0:45:300:45:32

is finally nearing completion.

0:45:320:45:34

Rob and volunteer Jamie are stepping up their efforts to get everything

0:45:360:45:40

finished on time.

0:45:400:45:42

With their clients counting on her,

0:45:430:45:45

Jo is eager to get some vegetables into the ground.

0:45:450:45:49

And not content with only planting in the beds,

0:45:490:45:51

she is utilising all the space she's got.

0:45:510:45:55

Because of our budget, we could only really have these six beds

0:45:550:45:58

to grow our main crops.

0:45:580:46:00

All alongside this bank is going to be a whole edible bank.

0:46:000:46:04

I've dug up from my own front garden some chickweed

0:46:040:46:07

and also we have got some hedge garlic as well,

0:46:070:46:09

that we're going to be planting.

0:46:090:46:11

So hopefully it's going to take and spread all along this bank.

0:46:110:46:14

With the new crops in,

0:46:150:46:16

it's time to check on some of the more established ones.

0:46:160:46:19

One thing that is really done so well is all the herbs.

0:46:200:46:23

They've come on so nicely in every single gabion that we've planted

0:46:230:46:27

them in, especially this one that Monty and I planted

0:46:270:46:29

right at the beginning.

0:46:290:46:31

Jo is doing much better than I ever believed possible.

0:46:310:46:34

She's grabbed it by both hands.

0:46:340:46:37

And for what I've seen so far, I could actually step down tomorrow.

0:46:370:46:40

I'm not going to, but I have that much confidence in her.

0:46:400:46:43

High praise indeed, but it won't be long until Monty's back.

0:46:430:46:46

So my intention at the beginning was to be able to feed

0:46:460:46:49

Monty right at the end with the vegetables that we've got,

0:46:490:46:52

and I will be able to do that within limits.

0:46:520:46:54

I mean, nature's nature.

0:46:540:46:55

I shouted at the cabbages but it hasn't made them grow any faster.

0:46:550:46:58

And it's not just Monty they're eager to impress.

0:46:580:47:01

The faster we get it done, the more people will enjoy it.

0:47:010:47:04

In Essex, with the clock ticking to Monty's return,

0:47:110:47:14

Dave's finally getting his hands dirty.

0:47:140:47:17

Me and the people in the garden centre

0:47:170:47:19

are on first-name terms now, so....

0:47:190:47:22

Watering, I'm getting quite good at watering plants.

0:47:220:47:25

Could the reluctant gardener finally have found his calling?

0:47:250:47:28

If it was down to me, there'd be a gardener

0:47:280:47:30

coming in once or twice a month.

0:47:300:47:31

You'd rather do the ironing, wouldn't you?

0:47:310:47:34

Yeah.

0:47:340:47:36

Maybe not.

0:47:360:47:38

It's started to feel like a garden now

0:47:380:47:40

but there's still so many more plants to go in.

0:47:400:47:44

In Ipswich, Rob and Jo are putting the last touches to the allotment.

0:47:490:47:54

I am now going to plant the very last...

0:47:540:47:56

-Do you want a clap?

-..plant. No!

0:47:560:47:58

I'm really, really excited about showing

0:47:580:48:01

our new allotment off to Monty.

0:48:010:48:03

I think he's going to be relatively shocked

0:48:030:48:05

and surprised by what we've done.

0:48:050:48:08

'When I left Rob and Jo last time I was here,

0:48:080:48:11

'I was very impressed by the amount of work they had done,

0:48:110:48:14

'and it seemed to me that everything was possible.'

0:48:140:48:17

I do hope, for their sakes, that they've managed to grow something

0:48:170:48:21

because if they have, that will be some achievement.

0:48:210:48:25

And before Monty arrives,

0:48:270:48:29

there's just time for a final decorative flourish.

0:48:290:48:32

Just a few months ago,

0:48:360:48:37

this site was a dark, deserted wasteland

0:48:370:48:40

with a sharp slope riddled with ivy...

0:48:400:48:44

-Hi!

-Hello, hello.

0:48:440:48:47

Nice to see you. And good to see this.

0:48:470:48:50

..now it has been totally transformed

0:48:530:48:55

into a usable and valuable space.

0:48:550:48:58

Nonslip decking enables wheelchair users

0:49:020:49:05

access to the allotment and a sturdy set of stairs

0:49:050:49:08

allows the more able-bodied to reach the upper tiers.

0:49:080:49:11

The beds are packed with chard, brassicas and lettuce

0:49:190:49:22

and the gabions are heaving with herbs.

0:49:220:49:25

The charity's many clients will benefit from this extraordinary

0:49:270:49:31

project for years to come.

0:49:310:49:33

I'm on record as saying this is the stupidest thing

0:49:370:49:39

-I've ever come across in my life.

-Yeah.

0:49:390:49:41

You know, nobody but a madman or a fool

0:49:410:49:43

would want to make a vegetable garden here,

0:49:430:49:46

and you've proved me completely wrong

0:49:460:49:48

-and it's growing.

-Yeah.

0:49:480:49:49

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember there was

0:49:490:49:52

a plan at some stage to have a second set of steps.

0:49:520:49:55

-There was.

-Right.

0:49:550:49:57

Hands up, governor, after completing that one, that was enough.

0:49:570:50:02

Blow that for a lark. Yeah.

0:50:020:50:04

This decking transforms it, doesn't it?

0:50:040:50:06

-Absolutely. Yeah.

-It really does.

0:50:060:50:08

So, in terms of growing, what have been the success stories?

0:50:080:50:13

Chard, lettuces, the herbs overall, lemon verbena in particular.

0:50:130:50:17

Celeriac...

0:50:170:50:18

-Things that haven't gone well...

-Right.

0:50:180:50:21

..have been beetroot - that's been completely eaten overnight.

0:50:210:50:25

Twice we've replanted it.

0:50:250:50:26

The real difference is to me this feels like a place

0:50:260:50:30

that you can come to.

0:50:300:50:32

-You know, it is not just about the beds.

-No.

0:50:320:50:34

-It's about the whole feeling of the place.

-Yeah.

0:50:340:50:37

So in terms of budget, have you gone over?

0:50:370:50:41

OK, yes, we've definitely gone over

0:50:410:50:43

but we were really lucky to get a grant to help us

0:50:430:50:46

with the wheelchair-friendly decking, so that was fantastic.

0:50:460:50:48

How much did it cost?

0:50:480:50:50

I'd say up to £3,000.

0:50:500:50:53

-What were you intending to spend?

-1,000.

0:50:530:50:55

1,000. OK, so 300% over budget.

0:50:550:50:58

But it looks great, it looks fantastic.

0:51:000:51:02

-Thank you, we love it.

-It's clearly working, it's growing.

0:51:020:51:05

The transformation is incredible.

0:51:050:51:07

With those words of praise, Rob and Jo are ready for Monty

0:51:080:51:12

to taste the fruits, or rather the vegetables, of their labour.

0:51:120:51:16

And as they're tucking in, friends and family arrive

0:51:200:51:22

to show their support.

0:51:220:51:24

Hello!

0:51:240:51:26

CHEERING

0:51:290:51:32

This is the last place in the world anybody would choose to set up

0:51:330:51:37

a vegetable garden, except...

0:51:370:51:39

LAUGHTER

0:51:390:51:41

..and they've done it.

0:51:410:51:42

They've done it against all advice, all odds, all good sense,

0:51:420:51:46

and that's how interesting things happen.

0:51:460:51:49

So to Jo and Rob and the future and more impossible dreams.

0:51:490:51:53

-Thanks, Monty.

-CHEERING

0:51:530:51:56

I think they've done a great job. I think it looks amazing.

0:51:580:52:01

They've definitely made the best of a very difficult site.

0:52:010:52:04

It just looks absolutely fantastic.

0:52:050:52:07

I think the whole community is really buzzed

0:52:070:52:09

about what's been achieved here in a really short period of time.

0:52:090:52:13

What they've managed to do on this site, it's just...

0:52:130:52:16

Well, it's just incredible, it really is.

0:52:160:52:20

-Good luck with the work.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

0:52:200:52:23

If this was just about making a vegetable garden,

0:52:240:52:30

it would've been a triumph over every kind of good sense.

0:52:300:52:35

-Having 50 to 60-odd people here today with Monty...

-In that space.

0:52:350:52:40

..in this space, enjoying the vegetable gardens

0:52:400:52:43

that we've produced has been absolutely astounding.

0:52:430:52:46

-So I'm pretty proud of us.

-Well, I'm proud of us as well.

-Yeah.

0:52:460:52:50

The garden is only part of the dream

0:52:500:52:54

and, like the plants, this big, big dream

0:52:540:52:58

can now grow and thrive.

0:52:580:53:02

In Essex, the big day has arrived and Monty is on his way to see

0:53:100:53:14

the garden for one last time.

0:53:140:53:17

Well, we had a patch of grass surrounded by shrubs,

0:53:170:53:20

so it is a radical transformation from that.

0:53:200:53:23

Last time I came they'd transformed the area

0:53:250:53:28

and done all the hard landscaping, but it wasn't a garden.

0:53:280:53:32

So what I'm hoping to see is that they've embraced it as a garden

0:53:320:53:37

and they can step out into it and the whole area

0:53:370:53:40

is something that they can enjoy and use.

0:53:400:53:44

It's like the final hurdle, if you like,

0:53:460:53:48

to get to a point where you actually think,

0:53:480:53:50

"Yes, it's ready to show."

0:53:500:53:52

Four months ago, this garden was nothing

0:53:530:53:56

but an unused and unloved blank lawn.

0:53:560:53:59

Hello. Hello. Look at that! Look at you.

0:54:000:54:03

-Good to see you.

-How are you?

0:54:030:54:06

Now it is completely unrecognisable

0:54:060:54:08

and looks as though it's been here for years.

0:54:080:54:11

Climbers are already tangling their way over the brickwork...

0:54:130:54:16

..and daisies are sprouting from the paving.

0:54:190:54:21

The main path leads down to the magnificent folly

0:54:240:54:29

where climbing roses and clematis will, in time,

0:54:290:54:31

sprawl all over the structure.

0:54:310:54:33

A shaded courtyard offers a peaceful retreat

0:54:350:54:40

and a water feature provides the calm of a tumbling stream.

0:54:400:54:43

I love the planting up the middle. That's worked, hasn't it?

0:54:500:54:54

What you now have is somewhere that is alive

0:54:540:54:58

and that is growing and out of these ruins, you know,

0:54:580:55:01

there are plants tangling up and that's so much more interesting.

0:55:010:55:05

-Absolutely.

-How much have you spent?

0:55:050:55:07

What's the total hurt?

0:55:070:55:10

The original budget really has been spent on materials and...

0:55:100:55:16

-And that was how much?

-8,000.

-Right.

0:55:160:55:19

There's the labour cost which at least doubles that.

0:55:190:55:22

-Right.

-And then some planting on top,

0:55:220:55:25

so I would say the best part of about 18.

0:55:250:55:30

Does that sound reasonable, the moneyman?

0:55:300:55:33

You ain't got a clue.

0:55:330:55:34

What's the true figure?

0:55:380:55:40

In the region of three times what we originally budgeted.

0:55:400:55:44

-25?

-There or thereabouts.

0:55:440:55:46

I stopped counting after a certain period of time

0:55:460:55:49

because we were beyond the point of no return.

0:55:490:55:51

I think this conversation has to be put into the context of the fact

0:55:510:55:54

that this is an amazing garden.

0:55:540:55:56

You've something that is completely unique.

0:55:560:55:59

I've never seen anything like this attempted in a garden of this

0:55:590:56:04

sort of size and scale and standing.

0:56:040:56:07

It can't be compared to anything else.

0:56:070:56:09

-I like that.

-Well, it's a fact.

0:56:090:56:11

And Dave got his way, too, with a water feature.

0:56:110:56:14

-It's neat, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:56:140:56:17

I like this vista.

0:56:210:56:23

There's no question, it does have the sense this could be an old road,

0:56:230:56:27

it could be a building, and you're just stepping over the plants.

0:56:270:56:30

It's nice. It's really good.

0:56:300:56:32

With Monty's approval,

0:56:350:56:36

it's time to welcome family and friends to the party,

0:56:360:56:40

including some who've had a helping hand

0:56:400:56:42

turning a dream into a reality.

0:56:420:56:45

Well, I think we should raise a toast

0:56:450:56:48

first of all to a fantastically bonkers garden,

0:56:480:56:54

and celebrate the eccentricity

0:56:540:56:56

and also to the hard work that's made it happen -

0:56:560:56:59

for bonkers and grafting has made a lovely garden.

0:56:590:57:03

-Cheers.

-Bonkers and grafting!

-CHEERING

0:57:030:57:06

Now, horticultural happiness is out there - that's where the garden is.

0:57:060:57:11

So let's remove the barriers.

0:57:110:57:14

Right, these will never go back up again.

0:57:140:57:16

Never ever.

0:57:160:57:17

It's open, please go in and enjoy it.

0:57:170:57:19

We've had a lot of satisfaction doing this and seeing the finished

0:57:220:57:26

product with all the planting, yeah.

0:57:260:57:28

I think it's one of our best, to be fair.

0:57:280:57:30

-I don't know what it is...

-LAUGHTER

0:57:300:57:33

..but it's one of our best. It does look fantastic.

0:57:330:57:37

We're really proud of Denise for what she's achieved here,

0:57:370:57:39

she has spent many hours in this garden trying to perfect it

0:57:390:57:43

-and so, yeah, we're really proud of her, aren't we?

-Absolutely.

0:57:430:57:46

I think it just sums up my mum.

0:57:470:57:49

It is a bonkers project and she is bonkers.

0:57:490:57:52

OK, bye-bye.

0:57:540:57:56

This really is extraordinary.

0:57:560:57:58

It's an amazing thing to have done

0:57:590:58:02

and it is absolutely in the hundreds-of-years-old tradition

0:58:020:58:08

of eccentric landscape British gardens,

0:58:080:58:12

here in a small back garden in a corner of Essex.

0:58:120:58:15

Monty thought it was delightful and I'm just so happy that we've got

0:58:170:58:20

the garden that we have.

0:58:200:58:22

All said and done, I think it was worth every penny.

0:58:220:58:25

I feel proud for Denise and Dave.

0:58:250:58:28

I'm really, really pleased to have been a tiny part of it.

0:58:280:58:31

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