Episode 6 Big Dreams Small Spaces

Do you dream of having your own special outdoor space?

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

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

Well, you're not alone.

Monty Don has travelled up and down the country

visiting amateur gardeners with bold ambitions.

He's scrutinised their plans

and pushed them out of their comfort zones.

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

It's not been easy...

THUNDER RUMBLES

I hate it.

Argh!

..but everyone's worked incredibly hard.

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

You've had your tea break, come on.

And the transformations have been extraordinary.

It's just incredible, it really is.

I declare this garden open!

I do believe that everybody, however small their garden,

can cultivate a big dream.

This time, our two gardeners are hoping Monty

can bring something special into their lives.

Nice to meet you.

One dreams of enchantment...

It's really given it, kind of, the fairy grotto.

..the other hopes to feed body and soul.

I want it to be a working allotment,

but also somewhere you can open a cold beer

at the end of a hard day's digging.

Both are tackling big dreams on their own...

You've planted a big tree. Not many people ever do that.

..and are in need of Monty's guiding but firm hand.

How many hard days digging have you done so far?

Because it's pretty overgrown.

Are they asking too much of their spaces,

and of themselves?

Nobody thinks that it's going to work.

Yeah, I've got a bit of a point to prove here.

He'll like it. And if he doesn't, I'll get him drunk!

Blackpool, on the Lancashire coast, is the home of our first gardener,

Alex, an accountant in the civil service.

As a first-time buyer, she left her parents' home

and moved into this small new-build house 18 months ago,

with her spaniel, Spock.

I want it a bit wild.

-Yeah.

-A bit untamed.

It's a bit of a blank canvas.

That's quite a dream away from the way it looks now.

32 square metres of, well, nothing much.

I want an enchanted forest theme.

I want a bit of a fairy and, yeah,

a mythical creature influence throughout the garden, toadstools,

that kind of thing.

Luckily, this novice gardener can count on the help of parents,

Kevin and Susan, as well as Monty.

I think my mum was particularly thrilled because

she was already a Monty Don fan.

I'm just hoping for his years of knowledge, his advice.

I'm definitely not an expert, so I'm looking for all the help I can get.

Our second space is in the heart of Bristol.

It's a bit of a wilderness, recently taken over by Ross,

who dreams of his very own allotment.

At the moment, the plot needs a lot of TLC.

It's overgrown and it needs digging.

Ross is keen to make it productive,

but with no experience of growing edibles,

he doesn't know where to begin.

I come up here a couple of times a week and I just end up

kind of staring at the ground for half an hour going, "I don't...

"What am I doing?"

Ross has had other reasons for feeling despondent.

Well, six months ago, I lost my job,

broke up with my partner I was living with,

I found myself without anywhere to live.

Since then, the good news is Ross has found work

and somewhere to live.

But there is one drawback.

It doesn't have a garden. I want to grow my own vegetables and also

somewhere to relax at the end of the day,

which is all part of the, kind of, rebuilding process.

His friend Sarah is ready to help.

She's sure that if Ross got down to work here,

it would be the next stage in putting his life together again.

Nature is a great healer.

It grounds you, and so I think that Ross' whole healing process will be

really getting to grips with the allotment.

There's a lot at stake,

so can Monty help Ross achieve his life-affirming dream?

Yeah, I think it will be great fun having Monty up here.

Yeah, he's a legend, isn't he?

It's the very end of spring.

With the start of the summer season on its way,

it's a perfect time to begin a garden project.

Monty's making his first visit to the seaside resort of Blackpool

to see what he can do to help Alex create her dream garden.

I'm sure whatever he has to say, he'll be very polite about it.

Yeah, I'm sure he will.

It's an evolving garden, we're open to discussion...

-DOORBELL RINGS

-..open to different opinions.

Oh, who's that at the door?!

I can hear barking.

-Hello, hello.

-Hi, I'm Alex.

-Hello.

-Hello, I'm Susan.

-Nice to meet you.

-Would you like to come in?

-Love to. And who's that?

-That is Spock.

Right. Come on, Spock, it's me you're barking at.

Spock! Spock, come on.

Alex, Susan and Spock can't wait to show him the tiny back garden.

At the moment, it's a new-build classic, only four metres by eight,

laid with turf, a plain fence, a small paved area,

and an array of random plant pots.

Right. It is a small space.

THEY LAUGH

And she has big dreams.

Has she? Right. What do you want to do here?

I want to create my own little enchanted woodland

in the back garden.

When you say "an enchanted woodland," what do you mean?

I suppose, in my mind, I'm seeing kind of more of a stylised woodland.

-Right, right.

-More of an interpretation.

-Yeah.

Are you feeling like it would be coming into a woodland glade,

or is it a path leading you somewhere?

I don't want it too structured, too formal.

-I do want it a bit wild.

-Right.

I think her intention is to have a path that

-actually does lead to something.

-Right.

And what would it...? What would you like it to lead to?

I'm not 100% on what feature I want at the bottom of the garden yet.

And the other thing which is key in a small space is keep it simple.

-Yeah.

-You know, one idea done well will look ten times better

than ten ideas done badly.

Next, the question that can be a bit of a reality check for

our dreamers.

But what sort of budget are we talking about?

-1,500.

-Right.

And I've got a bit of leeway, so I can go up to 2,000,

-but I'm not spending over 2,000.

-OK, fine.

There speaks our careful young accountant!

You know, it's a small space, which means you can have

something nice for that. That's completely realistic.

What I'd like, really, is for you to show me any pictures, drawings.

-OK.

-All right?

-Yes.

-OK, let's go and see some stuff.

-Let's go.

Alex's plan is to build a wooden deck at the back of the house

with rustic wooden seating and a herb planter made

from a recycled timber pallet.

She wants to create a wide, curving grass path

down the middle of the garden.

There would be logs as stepping stones,

leading under a rose arch to a row of ornamental trees.

She wants to cover her fences with colourful climbers

and plant up her borders with wild flowers and cottage garden plants.

Monty's experienced eye spots a few common design mistakes.

Your path is very wide.

And a tiny strip of water along the edge there.

The path is probably going to be about a third of the garden.

So it's going to be, essentially, a big area of grass

with two little borders on either side,

but with logs, paving stones set in.

Monty opens up Alex's plan a bit more.

Why not just have these log stepping stones

-and make the borders go right up to them?

-Right.

So it's all border, and then your path winds through it.

I've already bought a rose arch, so it would have to be

a specific width to accommodate the rose arch.

But the rose arch can go anywhere.

Just have roses climbing up, you don't have to walk through it.

-Oh, that would be...

-Yeah.

-..interesting.

And to add to her plan, Alex has pulled together some images.

Anything else that you saw that you liked?

Yeah, lights in a tree.

To have lights in a tree, you need a tree to have lights in!

-Don't you?

-I do have trees, they're not quite that big, though.

No, but you could spend £300, £400 buying one magical tree

that was the sort of centre of the garden

and the whole thing suddenly comes alive,

because it's based round a really strong idea.

You're making me feel lucky to have a small garden now!

Monty suggests removing everything and starting from scratch.

He thinks Alex should plant one, large, dramatic tree

in the centre of the garden.

She should use wood chippings instead of grass

and keeping her idea for a log path,

it should lead down the garden to her rose arch at the far end.

The rest of the space could then be mulched

and planted up with clumps of woodland plants and climbers

to hide her bare fence.

Alex has a lot to think about.

But there's one thing she and Monty already agree on.

Before we can do that, obviously the grass has to come up, hasn't it?

Definitely.

So, with Dad, Kevin, already at work on the new deck,

time for a lesson in turf lifting.

Well, the easiest way to take up turf is to cut it in strips.

-Right.

-And you can get under it.

Try and slide under, if you can.

If you can... What you do is you lift a bit like that.

Like that.

And you've got a turf out.

And you could pick up the rest, you could come home from work every day

and do half an hour turf lifting.

I think I'd rather be at work for an extra half an hour!

And with the groundworks well underway,

Monty leaves Alex and her family with a few big ideas to mull over.

It is more dramatic than what I was originally planning.

So I am...

..a little bit nervous about that.

I think, if Alex can bring herself..

..to base the garden around a large tree in the centre,

which her budget would allow her to do,

not only will it convert a tiny space

into something really extraordinary,

but also it will tap into something deeper inside her.

So that's a possibility that I really look forward to.

And, if she decides against it, it doesn't matter.

It's the middle of June,

very late to start growing summer veg from scratch.

Monty's come to Bristol to take his first look at Ross' allotment.

I'd like to say I don't know what I think Monty's going to think,

but I know what he's going to think.

He's going to think, "Christ, this is all a bit overgrown.

"There's a lot of grass and a lot of weeds."

Looking forward to seeing what he has to say.

Monty's intrigued by this challenge, too.

-Ross, very nice to meet you, I'm Monty.

-Nice to meet you, Monty.

-Yeah, nice to meet you.

-So, is this your plot?

-Mine is the second half, yeah.

-OK, fine.

Ross' allotment is what's known as a half plot.

It's about 25 metres long and seven metres wide,

and comes with a rickety old shed and a couple of plum trees.

Despite having no previous gardening experience,

Ross has already tried planting some potatoes, a few herbs,

and some strawberries.

-Why an allotment?

-I want it to be a working allotment,

but also function as a garden.

Somewhere where I can sit in my shed, listen to the cricket,

maybe open a cold beer at the end of a hard day's digging.

How many hard days digging have you done so far? Because,

without putting too fine a point on it, it's pretty overgrown, Ross.

-It is, yeah. I'm going to blame the weather.

-OK, fine.

-All gardeners can blame the weather.

-ROSS LAUGHS

But to make this work at all, and to make it pleasurable,

-you've got to get on top of it.

-Yeah.

With Ross left in no doubt about the work ahead,

Monty moves onto the detail.

He needs to know more about Ross' dreams for his project.

What do you want to grow?

Your standards. You know, potatoes, your carrots, your onions.

Something a little bit more interesting

that I've never tried before.

I see you've got some strawberries here, which is lovely, and great.

The trouble is, they're infested with weeds.

You've got a nice, healthy sage in here.

-Pick that. That's lovely. Smell that.

-It smells lovely, yeah.

-Fantastic. Beautiful.

-Yeah.

-Incredible.

Unfortunately, again, weeds running through it.

The tour ends with a look at a project very close to Ross' heart

- the old shed.

I think it is solvable. It's fixable.

I can pimp it up a little bit and this could be my place.

I'm thinking about, perhaps, a little veranda.

OK, I-I-I admire your optimism.

ROSS LAUGHS

I was going to say "I've seen worse," but actually, no, I haven't.

With the derelict shed to renovate, and the place overrun with weeds,

Monty is worried about Ross' commitment.

Next, the thorny issue of funds.

My budget is ad hoc. It's kind of as it goes.

-50 quid?

-100 to 200.

-OK, fine.

-Over the course of time.

That's reasonable. That's not at all unreasonable.

It's going to be a very steep learning curve.

Yeah. I'm a quick learner.

Let's have a look at your plans. Have you got any drawings,

-any ideas?

-Yeah, back in the shed.

-OK, I'll come with you.

-Yeah.

Monty's beginning to see that Ross' dream is going to need

careful management if he's to stand any chance of pulling it off.

-OK, so I have...

-Let's put this on there.

-..some plans.

-No, I like...

Gosh, that's a good plan.

It's not ridiculously ambitious.

Ross has studied town and country planning to a very high level

and has drawn up a clear and thorough design.

He hopes to plant fruit trees on the far border and build four raised

vegetable beds for growing potatoes,

carrots, onions, and four smaller ones for herbs and strawberries.

He'll repair the old shed as best he can

and extend it with a veranda, with a roof and a bar.

Beside the veranda, he wants to create a barbecue and picnic area.

And, at the rear of the shed, he plans to make a compost bin.

Monty's eye is immediately drawn to the shed.

Shed veranda extension?

Yeah. It's salvageable, I swear.

Well, I'm really trying to work out if we're dealing with...

..utterly noble, admirable ambition...

-..or sheer delusion.

-Probably a bit of both, isn't it?

The plan looks impressive, but there's a vital element missing.

The compost heap is round the back.

-Yes.

-How're you getting to your compost heap?

-The reason why I'm being a bit pernickety about this...

-OK.

..is that paths and access are really important.

-Sure, OK.

-Always.

And you're going to be going to the compost heap a lot.

-Yeah, OK.

-So it needs to be a good path...

-OK.

-..one that you can get to

and make it accessible.

I think this is a good plan.

-The overarching problem is getting on top of the weeds.

-Yep.

Monty's clear that the all-pervasive infestation of weeds cannot be

overlooked and he makes the radical suggestion

that Ross should cover the far end of the plot

with weed-suppressant membrane.

He should forget about his four larger beds for now

and concentrate this year's efforts on half the area.

Next, Ross should put down bark chippings for the paths...

..and build a larger compost bin.

And, as for the shed, Monty would replace it with a brand-new one.

Well, Ross, you may not be an expert gardener, but you do do a nice plan.

I'm quite chuffed that you like my plan.

All those years studying town planning paid off. It's great.

But Monty's approval comes with a warning.

Ross has to get rid of all those weeds,

and he's keen to get on with that right away.

You've got to get the roots out,

and it does almost mean sifting through it like this.

And, look, those are bind weed roots there.

-Sure.

-And sometimes you come across them as a great ball of spaghetti.

-OK.

-You see the plants growing up?

So if this broke off...

-..that is effectively a rooted cutting.

-OK.

And that will grow into a nice, strong plant.

-It needs to go.

-It needs to go.

Once the pair have wrestled with the weeds in one patch,

Monty is ready to teach Ross how to prepare a veg patch correctly.

So the first thing you do is you mark out a trench.

So, you draw a line across the area,

and that's quite a reasonable amount.

When you're digging, always use a spade, never a fork.

-OK.

-That's a spit, OK?

The length of a spade is the spit,

so a trench is normally a spit wide and a spit deep.

-OK.

-OK?

You just go down the full spit.

Let the spade do the work, and then use your feet.

So you push down like that.

And I'm breaking the soil up and seeing all sorts of...

And if you see any weeds as you go along, take them out.

Now, you need some compost or manure.

Just add some slightly on the edge, like that.

And you're just...

adding a bit...

to help the structure, and then you start the next trench.

And the next trench fills in the first one.

-Sure, OK.

-So it goes along like this.

Yeah, I think I've got it.

It's time for Ross to give it a go.

And, for extra encouragement,

Monty offers him a special privilege.

I'm going to do something which I've never in 25 years let happen before.

-You can use my spade.

-Oh, my God!

-Go on, use it.

-ROSS LAUGHS

And systematically work across.

-Sure.

-And you'll hit a rhythm.

-Sure.

-You know, it will feel comfortable.

How does it feel, um...

..working the soil? Because, in the end,

that's what gardening is, more than anything else.

I think I'd be comfortable if there wasn't people...

-If you weren't here.

-Fine.

You've inherited lovely soil on the allotment.

-Good to know.

-It's now pretty much weed-free.

You know, if you can't grow vegetables in this,

you can't grow veg.

Monty's time is nearly up,

but Ross isn't going to let Britain's top gardener

leave without picking his brain one more time.

And when do you think we can start putting things in the ground?

Over the next week or so.

So, French beans, dwarf and climbing.

You can sow some sweetcorn direct, you can sow courgettes direct.

Oh, good. It's...it's started, hasn't it?

It's started, Ross. That's all that matters.

Despite the huge task Ross is facing,

Monty has left him feeling optimistic.

I was a bit nervous to start with, cos you've got the king of gardening

coming to look at your plot,

which, quite frankly, was in a bit of a mess.

When I came here this morning,

I knew that Ross had absolutely no gardening experience.

Never had an allotment, he had no money,

and that he expected to grow lots and lots of vegetables this year.

And that was a very, very tall order,

because it's quite late on in the season.

However, do you know, I think it's possible.

The soil is good, it's not too big, he's got a really good plan.

I think he could pull it off.

It's going to be challenging, but it's going to be good.

Yeah, it's going to be fun.

Summer has well and truly arrived.

Alex is uncertain about Monty's suggestion

of a big statement tree at the heart of her woodland garden...

..so he's sent her to Holker Hall,

a stately home near the Cumbrian coast belonging

to generations of the Cavendish family.

Its 25 acres of gardens and woodlands

include a distinguished collection of mature trees.

Head gardener Glyn Sherratt is on hand to give the family a tour,

starting with a show-stopping botanical curio -

Holker's enormous monkey puzzle tree.

Monkey puzzles were very popular in the Victorian period

in front gardens. This one's probably about 150 years old.

They will get vast eventually, if you leave them for long enough.

-ALEX:

-They are magnificent in the right setting, though.

-Absolutely.

-In a garden this scale, they work.

You've sort of hit the nail on the head there, really,

is you should always be thinking

about what's appropriate for your garden.

I don't think I'm going to be able to fit that

in the back of the car on the way home!

Holker's grounds are home to a host of ancient trees,

many of which have grown hoary and twisted,

giving them the look Alex is after.

I think these trees are really interesting

because, not only have you got, kind of, moss growing

from the bottom, you've got this kind of flaky bark as well.

Older trees tend to have the more textured bark.

-It tends to come with age.

-Like people, really.

Watch it.

There's one particular tree that Glyn thinks Alex will really like.

-Wow!

-That's absolutely magnificent.

I know. It looks like something you'd find in a fairy grotto.

The great Holker lime was probably planted early in the 1600s.

And today, its huge trunk measures more than

25 metres in circumference.

It is recognised as one of Britain's 50 greatest trees.

How old do you think this tree is, then?

Given the size, it's probably about 600 years old.

You can imagine all the things that live in it.

There's probably owls, birds nesting, that sort of...

I think there's a few bees' nests probably in it.

Just everything.

-It's like a hotel for wildlife.

-THEY LAUGH

With its hollow trunk, craggy bark and huge canopy,

this ancient tree represents everything

Monty envisaged for Alex's fairy tale space.

The older they get, the more enchanted they become.

You can just imagine fairies and all sorts living...

-ALEX LAUGHS

-Yeah. Perfect!

..tucked away, yeah.

-Elves.

-Yeah!

I think it's gorgeous.

I think all the branches trailing down,

it's really giving it a fairy grotto vibe.

Have you tried hugging it, Alex?

-I don't think my arms will stretch that far.

-Do it in sections.

-Yeah!

By the end of the visit,

Alex has seen some of the most remarkable trees.

But how does that translate into her dream for her own tiny back garden?

I think the trees I saw today were more of what I had in mind.

There were trees that I didn't really think I could just pop into

my back yard, because it's taken years for them to get that way.

Well, I think they gave you the vision

that you could scale back down...

-Yeah, they did.

-..and perhaps make a smaller version of what you've seen.

Yeah.

The visit today has confirmed that I am on the right track for...

..my...my vision.

The inspirational visit has made Alex keen to get going.

So, back in Blackpool, she makes a start on her layout.

OK, so, these are the stepping stones

that I'm going to be using to get

from one part of the garden to the other.

They're basically going to be laying in a...

..sea of wood chippings.

Keep the forest theme alive.

She's yet to decide what kind of tree to choose,

but is already working out where to put it.

The tree is going to go bang in the middle of the garden.

The stepping stones are going to go round the tree.

It'll definitely be showpiece.

So far, so good.

But deciding exactly what sort of tree to choose

is still a bit daunting.

It was weighing up...

..what can look good,

what fits in with the theme.

What am I going to be able to look after?

It's September where I'm aiming to finish it by.

But there's still a level - low level -

of anxiety there that all my other plans...

aren't going to come into fruition.

To show Ross that creating an allotment is not all hard work,

Monty has suggested a visit to Wellesbourne Allotments

in Warwickshire to see what can be achieved, and on a very low budget.

The three-hectare site is one of the oldest in the country,

and was first cultivated in the 1840s.

Ross is meeting gardeners Ian and Jo,

who are focused on vegetables and recycling on their plot.

So, this is it? This is the plot?

This is it. This is our plot, yeah.

We've got from the road, and then it goes all the way up to just beyond

-our shed, so it's a half plot.

-OK.

Half a plot.

It looks like you're growing quite a bit?

-Yeah, we've not got a bad variety.

-Sure, OK.

So, yeah, we can give you a guided tour and show you around.

-Can't wait, yeah. Inspire me.

-We'll certainly do our best.

First stop is to have a look at Ian and Jo's top tip for creating

the cheapest of raised beds.

Instead of spending money on making conventional raised beds,

Ian and Jo simply use the biggest cast-off containers they can find.

-JO:

-Raised beds.

We managed to get some empty pots at the tip.

-OK, great.

-So, three for £1, these massive pots...

-Good news.

-..and then the other three was an old dustbin

-that we cut into bits.

-A barrel.

-Oh, OK.

I just cut it up into three.

Upcycling, yeah, it's what my allotment's all about.

-There you go.

-It's music to my ears.

-It's amazing what you can do with

-these things.

-I think part of it is actually seeing the potential in

things. And, then, the other great recycled project is the shed.

I can't wait to see your shed, yeah.

-I've heard big things.

-He's very proud of his shed. Very proud.

-Excellent.

-Well, shall we tootle on and have a look at the shed?

-Yeah, great, yeah. Let's have a look.

-Excellent.

Although Monty thought Ross' shed was beyond repair,

Ross is determined to bring it back to life.

-IAN:

-So the majority of the materials came from a pet shop

-which was closing down.

-Right.

And we got some vegetable racking and shelving.

And the galvanised shelving I've bolted together,

and the shelving actually forms the frame of the shed.

What you've got here with the seating next to your shed

is exactly what I want really.

It's somewhere that you can relax at the end of the day.

Yeah, I mean, just this week we were sitting up here with a bottle of

-fizzy for my birthday.

-Yeah. It's just brilliant to hear,

cos my budget is pretty much just about zero.

Having shown Ross two money-saving ways of making his dream a reality,

Ian introduces the all-important element

of encouraging wildlife into the plot.

We actually put frogspawn in there, and, obviously, got frogs,

but there's also newts in there.

So, quite where the newts have come from, we don't know.

Yeah, well, if you build it, they will come.

Yeah, we've created the habitat, and now they're here,

-which is really nice.

-I mean, I've got a little area at the back,

behind my shed, where I can't really do much with it,

so, I am thinking now, perhaps a little pond might be suitable.

-Yeah.

-Just for a little bit of wildlife

and build a little bug hotel.

-Yeah, good.

-Sounds lovely.

Have a wildlife area going on.

Obviously, I've never done this before.

Super-daunting, but it's kind of given me a bit of hope

that, you know, I might actually be able to do this.

Back at his own allotment,

Ross is soon putting his research to good use.

When we spoke to Ian and Jo,

obviously, saw their pond and their sort of little wildlife reserve,

and that's kind of inspired me to do my own little ones,

and decided to go along the bug hotel route,

just to get some of those little bugs to help me kill slugs,

as much as anything. With the pond, hopefully we can get some wildlife.

Just have a cool little area. Have the kids up as well.

And, as a sign that Ross is now beginning to enjoy this adventure,

he's invited some young visitors to join in.

These are my godchildren, so I thought it'd be quite nice to...

you know, to actually get them right at the start.

So, what kind of bugs do you reckon we'll get?

-Ants.

-Which ones?

-Ants.

-Ants, yeah, probably get some ants in there.

Some woodlice.

-Some spiders?

-Yeah, some spiders.

See the little ones with the holes in?

That's bamboo. Hopefully, we'll get some bees in there.

Sarah's come down to help, too.

She's noticed a big change.

I think Ross has really got his allotment mojo working.

I think he's done loads in the last few days,

and I think that's got a lot to do

with visiting the allotment that he went to see.

and it's given him some real sort of oomph,

as to how it could look and, you know,

how exciting and how individual he could make it.

So, Ross, we're going to plant these peas around these tripods

-you've put up?

-OK, great.

Cool.

Even though everyone is encouraging Ross,

he's not quite sure he can fulfil his dream.

The main things I'm worried about...

..is just, it's the workload of...

there's still so much weeding to do, which...

..you've got to be in the right frame of mind for it.

Sometimes, the thought of coming up here and just, like,

today's job is the weeding,

it's not completely fun,

so I just hope that doesn't drag me down too much.

Back in Blackpool, Alex now has to make that big decision.

Monty suggested that her fairy tale garden

should have a large tree as the central feature.

She's seen some very old ones at Holker,

and done some further research.

Now, it's time to take the plunge and just go shopping.

Hi, John.

Good afternoon.

She's got an idea, and now she's come to Maple Tree Farm,

a nursery nearby in Preston,

to find out whether this would be the right choice.

I think what I like the look of...

is a weeping willow.

-Uh-huh.

-It's a gorgeous-looking tree.

The nursery's owner, John, takes her through the maze of trees on show.

Here we are, weeping willow - Salix chrysocoma.

Very, very attractive tree.

Very, very lovely when they're young like this.

And very, very lovely when they've grown into a big tree,

if they're in a very big garden area,

especially near a pond or a lake.

See, my garden theme's a bit of an enchanted woodland,

and I just think something like this...

-..it would have looked perfect in it, really.

-Mm.

It's gorgeous.

But John has reservations about Alex's choice

for her particular garden.

They, unfortunately, don't stay like this.

They grow very, very quickly.

-Oh, no, what a shame! It's gorgeous!

-Yeah, it is.

I had my heart set on a weeping willow.

Yeah, it's lovely.

Alex is naturally disappointed,

so John comes up with what he thinks might work better for her.

We've got weeping birch...

behind you here.

-Oh, yeah?

-This is much more of a garden-size tree.

The foliage is that little bit different,

but it's in the eye of the beholder.

It might be the more practical option,

but it just doesn't really have the impact of the weeping willow.

Since this will be the focal point of Alex's dream garden,

it must be just right.

-It's not hitting the mark, is it? No?

-No.

-No.

Well, there's all manner of other trees here.

OK. Can we see some of the ones that blossom in the spring?

Indeed.

This time John has no hesitation in recommending something

he thinks will fit the bill perfectly.

This is a very, very nice flowering tree.

This is Malus mokum - crab apples.

And the tree is absolutely laden

with blossom in the spring,

so it's a very, very beautiful tree.

As John is keen to point out,

this crab apple tree will give Alex year-round interest,

with its dark pink blossom in spring and autumn crop of miniature apples.

So it does something for the majority of the year, then?

It's a tree that's quite suited to a smallish garden.

I really like this one.

-You like this one?

-Yeah.

-Right.

Oh, well, that's... Yeah, so...

I think we might have a winner. Box her up!

-Thanks for your help, John.

-There you are. OK, yeah.

It's the end of July,

and nearly six weeks since Monty first visited Ross' allotment.

Last time, he advised only tackling part of the plot

during this first year,

concentrating on weeding and planting up

only half the raised beds Ross wants to build.

Now, Monty's back and keen to see

if Ross has been sticking to the plan.

There are two things that I'm looking for today.

The first would apply to any allotment holder,

which is to manage your expectations.

-ROSS:

-Last time Monty was here, we kind of agreed

to focus on just half the plot.

I've done more than that, I've done two thirds of the plot.

And we've got stuff in the ground now.

The second thing is that this allotment for Ross

is all part of rebuilding his life,

of getting things under control

and creating a foundation

upon which he can move forward.

We had like a bit of a mini-heatwave last week.

I was up here pretty much every day doing my digging,

getting a bit of a sweat on,

and then afterwards cracked open a cider.

It went straight to my head, it was really enjoyable.

It's exactly what I want from this garden, yeah.

Monty.

With help from his friend Sarah,

Ross hopes to surprise his mentor.

-Hi, Monty, how you doing?

-I'm fine, and delighted to see progress.

Progress? It looks a little bit almost like an allotment.

Has it been hard work?

Yeah. I mean, I'm having to come up every couple of days

-to stay on top of the weed.

-Right.

So you've been guiding him, Sarah?

I have. There's been lots of very interesting text messages of,

-"Can I just ask you a question?"

-Yeah.

Time for an inspection.

-Crops are growing.

-Radishes.

Radishes, and they've really come up well.

Yeah, and some herbs in my little buckets,

which were just lying around the plot.

But the big question is, has Ross limited his expectations?

One of the things that I think I remember saying to you

is not to try not and do it all in one go.

Yeah, it's less daunting. I can see progress happening

-cos I'm sticking to the plan.

-Good.

Now, what would you like me to mentor you with today,

while I'm here?

OK, so if we take a look at the compost heap.

It's always a good place to start. Lead on.

As Monty advised,

Ross has made his compost bins with more than one compartment.

Well, it's good. It's a really good start, this.

Pallets make great compost heaps.

And that's your composting material?

Yeah, I mean, I've been chucking everything in there.

Monty believes that, like this,

Ross can have his own home-made way of enriching his soil,

but there are rules to making good compost,

and a quick look soon shows Monty that these haven't been followed.

You can add anything that has lived,

but I wouldn't add any cooked food,

any meat or any fats.

-Right.

-Cos that will just attract rats.

-OK.

-But you can add an old jersey, a woollen one,

your hair if you have a haircut, kitchen waste - anything like that.

Chop it up, mix up, and then, finally, you want a good balance

between brown and green. And the brown are woody stems, dry stuff,

whereas, actually,

the things like the grass and fresh leaves are green.

-OK.

-Green are high in nitrogen,

brown are high in carbon, and you want a balance between the two.

It kind of makes sense, so...

-"Kind of makes sense"?!

-THEY LAUGH

That's damning with the faintest of praise.

Listen, this is a lifetime's experience I'm handing onto you.

I'm the king of compost.

It totally makes sense.

OK, so let's get that up and we'll break it up as best we can.

There's no hiding from the expert.

Monty can tell Ross hasn't got the mix right or done enough preparation

to help it break down properly.

Right, if I open it like that...

..can you see how this is actually as dry as a bone?

-OK.

-And it's not composting at all.

-Right, OK.

-And if you put things in there, break them up,

increase the surface area. The more of that you can do, the better.

But there are some things that are never going to work.

It's no good burying a rose in a compost heap...

I was hoping you wouldn't spot that one.

..and think it's going to compost.

If you can't shred them, don't add them to the compost heap.

And having gone through what's there,

Monty follows this with a suggestion of what Ross can add

to his rather dry heap.

-Have you got some green material?

-A bucket of greens.

Brilliant. Do you see how this is now getting a bit chopped up,

there's a much better chance of that composting?

-OK.

-If we mix that with that lovely green material...

-Yes.

-..and then, if you chop this up a bit, like that...

..and mix it a bit.

Mix that up in there, and already you can see

literally green and brown,

which is a pretty good guide to go with.

-That will compost.

-OK, great.

-And if you feel it, it's light, there's air in there.

-Right.

-It shouldn't be heavy on the fork or in your hands.

-OK.

The other thing is, if you've got a lot of dry material

and you can't do anything about it, water it.

-OK.

-Wet it.

-Right, OK.

-And that will dramatically help.

You know, mix it all up, so it's...

..nice and loose and aerated.

And that stands a fighting chance of making compost.

-Start cooking.

-Yeah. You're on the road to compost.

Excellent, brilliant. Thank you for that.

It's nearly time for Monty to leave,

but before he goes, he has a few final words of encouragement.

-Keep the impetus going.

-Yeah.

-And remember,

if you go to the trouble of clearing a piece of ground

in your new allotment,

the worst thing you can do is leave it empty...

-Yeah.

-..because the weeds will come back.

-Right.

-I'm coming back in a few weeks' time to help you again.

Yeah, yeah.

What's apparent...

talking to Ross, and perhaps even more watching him listening,

is that he's an intelligent,

thoughtful man, who of course can manage growing vegetables.

I think it is going to be trial and error cos, you know,

as I've said many times, I've never done this before.

But hopefully, fingers crossed,

I'm doing everything as well as I can.

What is really noticeable is that he's tentative.

He doesn't have a lot of confidence,

and I suspect that's all to do with his frame of mind.

There's no question that, as he gets more assured,

the allotment will get better too.

The summer is reaching its height as Monty heads back to Blackpool.

He's curious to find out if Alex took his advice

about her enchanted forest design.

I'm very excited at the prospect of seeing a really large tree...

..with gnarled, mature growth, dominating the garden.

I really hope she's gone with it, because it would be very exciting.

Things have definitely moved on.

Right. You've been busy. Let me just work out what's been done.

Is there going to be a path?

The path is going to follow all the way

-from the decking to the rose arch.

-OK.

And the Rose arch, which is now in position?

Yes, I'm planning to keep it there in the little corner of the garden.

But, clearly, Monty is missing something important.

I was expecting a much larger tree.

At what point did you change your mind about that?

I don't think I want a tree overwhelming the rest of the garden.

Well, that's fair enough.

I mean, what matters is you've arrived at way you wanted to be.

So the next stage is to plant it.

Where do you want the tree to go?

Monty can see that Alex is beginning to feel more sure

of what she's after. Time for action.

I'm thinking, basically,

right in the middle of the garden, and the path moves round it.

If you go back onto the decking and you can see, just say,

"Up a bit, down a bit."

See, I was going to move it further to my left, your right.

-OK, OK.

-Yeah.

And maybe slightly towards me.

And then I think we've got...

Yeah, that's probably about...

-How's that?

-Yeah, that's probably about where I was going to put it.

Once Alex has selected the spot,

Monty gets ready to plant the precious new addition to her garden.

Just on cue, reinforcements arrive.

Right, Dad's here to help.

-I'm very, very pleased to see you.

-Pleased to meet you.

The cavalry is here!

It used to be thought,

when I started planted trees, you added compost and manure,

-you gave it a start, you fed it.

-That's what I thought.

We don't do that now. Because if you put goodness underneath the roots,

the roots are going to stay there.

Why would they not? And it delays the growing out.

-Right.

-You put your goodness on top, and you mulch thickly.

First, Monty gets to work with Kevin and Alex,

digging a hole as deep as the tree's container.

The best soil, in theory, is going to be the first foot.

Which is what we need to keep the best soil to feed back in...

-Yeah.

-..and the really rough stuff on the other side.

With Spock overseeing proceedings, they widen the hole.

Right, so we need to take some turf off, at least another foot.

Another foot?

-Right, what we'll do is take that out a little bit more...

-Yeah.

..and then we'll start digging around, so the whole thing's loose.

Now the hole is fully prepared, Monty gives another piece of advice.

Will we need to unravel some of these small roots at all?

No, if it's very pot-bound, the roots,

what you can do is sometimes just...

Don't try and unravel them, but just break them, just like that.

What that does, is stimulate regrowth

from the points where they broke.

With all preparation completed, it's time for the heavy lifting.

Perfect.

Is that the way you want it?

OK, if you slightly twist it towards you, Monty.

That way, OK, to your left?

To my left, yeah - clockwise, then?

Yeah. OK, we'll come round again.

Yeah, that side is higher,

so that's going to work over a path.

Yeah, I'm happy with the look of it.

So what we'll do is we will water it.

-Yeah.

-When the water's completely soaked in, then we'll mulch it.

Otherwise, the mulch can absorb the moisture.

-Right.

-You've planted a big tree - not many people ever do that.

The garden has moved on, but there's still a lot to do

to create Alex's dream.

I will be back at the beginning of September,

expecting a magical fairy woodland,

and perhaps a magical fairy glass of something to celebrate.

-I think that can be arranged.

-OK.

I can't deny that I was a bit disappointed

when I saw the size of tree that Alex had chosen.

I was expecting something much bigger and older

and more venerable than that. But that was a bit unrealistic,

and it is big, and it does dominate the garden.

And importantly, it makes her feel confident.

And I think that's the door open -

all she has to do is put the rest together around it.

So when I come back in six or seven weeks' time,

there WILL be a fairy forest to celebrate.

August has arrived,

and it won't be long before Monty returns for his final visits

to both our dreamers.

In Bristol, Ross has got round to tackling that rickety shack,

determined to convert it into a pub shed. And with growing confidence,

he wants to impress his mentor.

I've promised Monty that this shed's going to look pretty awesome.

And it will...hopefully.

Once homeless, jobless and suffering from low self-esteem,

the progress he's made in his allotment

matches his new-found enthusiasm and energy.

Since Monty was last here, obviously the big change is woodchip,

on the paths, and a little bit of order to the plot.

We're on the home stretch now.

It's not long before Monty will be back up here for the last time.

There's a bit to do, but I know what I'm doing now,

so it's not quite as daunting as it would have been a month or so ago.

With the shed far from becoming the dream pub,

he'll be working right up to the wire.

Since planting her tree,

Alex has had a lot to do to get all the rest of the garden finished

before Monty comes to give his verdict.

OK, so this is one of the last jobs I'm doing before Monty's arrival,

and it's just planting the last trough.

What do you think, Spock?

Yeah? Is that a job well done?

The garden I've ended up with,

it's so much better than my original dream.

I'm glad I ended up with a new and improved version.

I think the garden is quite representative

of the person who lives here.

For Alex, the big day has finally dawned.

With squally weather forecast, her nerves are somewhat jumpy.

I woke up this morning, and I was in a bit more of a panic,

because it was raining, I hadn't finished the trough,

I hadn't finished the woodchips.

But now, the sun is shining brightly

over Blackpool, Monty is on his way,

everything's done.

I even managed to have an outfit change, so I'm quite confident.

More often than not, when I come to visit a garden for the final time,

after months and months of work,

I have a pretty good idea of what I might see.

I'm hoping he'll say maybe that he hasn't seen

a garden quite like it before.

In a good way!

We planted the tree, and that's obviously going to be the

centrepiece still, but how that has become

this magical fairy forest that she spoke about

when we started, I don't know.

And I can't wait to find out.

He'll like it. And if he doesn't, I'll get him drunk.

Before she started, just over three months ago,

Alex's tiny garden was as bland as they come.

Now, it's the enchanted woodland of her dreams.

Look at that. Fantastic!

-It looks great.

-Project completed.

You've done a huge amount - it's transformed.

A winding path leads visitors down the garden,

past Alex's carefully chosen crab apple tree,

which will produce year-round interest,

from delicate blossom to miniature fruit.

An array of pink and purple planting

is set off by a carpet of wood chippings

and the occasional pine cone, as you'd find on a forest floor.

The path leads to a fairy arbour complete with bench,

where Alex can sit and enjoy a wishing well fashioned from a log.

Branches, fence and arbour are festooned with lighting,

which turns the garden into a mysterious grotto

when darkness falls.

I love the way that you've packed so much in

but it doesn't look cluttered.

The path leads you on, you want to go round it,

and this small space feels like

part of something much bigger.

-Yeah.

-I really like the colour scheme - I think it works very well.

It feels rich and full.

It's the purples on one side and the pinks on the other.

Yeah, and I love the details.

I like the way you strategically placed

the fir cones to look as though

they've just fallen, just happen to be there.

-You noticed that, then?

-SHE LAUGHS

Yeah. And the stepping stones - the stepping logs - work well.

Alex has peopled her grotto with one or two inhabitants thanks to her

trips to the local car-boot sales.

Oh, there's a gargoyle.

-Are the others here?

-Yeah, he's got a friend hiding away in the garden.

But has Alex managed to stick to her budget?

Just remind me what the original budget was.

The original budget was 1,500, which I was willing to bump up to 2,000.

-Right.

-And considering I'm an accountant,

I really should have a specific figure for you.

-Yeah.

-But I don't!

I am impressed that an accountant has no idea how much they've spent.

Never mind the money - has it all been worth it?

Does this...

match your expectations?

Oh, it's more than matched them - it's exceeded my expectations.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I think it's turned out brilliantly.

Monty's preview complete,

it's time for family and friends to explore Alex's dream haven.

And amongst them, her helpers.

I'm extremely proud, because, I mean, it's all been her idea,

she knew exactly what she wanted from the start.

I must admit, the end result, like Sue says, it's worked really well.

We're really, really pleased and happy that

all our hard work has paid off, I think it looks fantastic.

Given the size of the garden,

I don't think we could have made anything better.

Time for Monty to give the garden an appropriate send-off.

We should raise our glasses to a magical fairy forest...

..and hope that it remains magical,

and that the chief fairy enjoys it...

..for a long, long time to come.

So to the magical forest, cheers!

-ALL:

-Cheers!

-Cheers, everybody, well done.

THEY CHEER

I think the attention to detail in this garden is really extraordinary,

and it creates a theatrical set.

It is the completion of the fantasy forest

that Alex has spoken about all along.

I think my original dream probably couldn't be classified as big.

I think he's probably helped me up my game in that respect,

and it has turned out to be from a medium-sized dream to a big dream.

And I'm sure, very quickly,

she will realise that this is not a set to stand back and admire,

but a garden that she can live with

and that she will grow alongside.

It's the day of Monty's final visit to the allotment in Bristol.

Has Ross kept up with his work schedule?

Today is unusual, because although Ross' dream is as big as any...

..his horticultural ambitions are modest,

but really, really important to him.

I think that Monty will be really impressed,

Ross has done everything that he said he was going to do.

And, yeah, I think it's, you know,

the allotment has come on leaps and bounds since we began.

So, yeah, hopefully he'll love it.

He's done well in the allotment,

but actually, that is not the important thing.

What I am looking for is to see the changes in Ross himself,

and see how coming here and working outside has given him opportunities

and chances that he didn't feel that he had before.

It's been really useful having Monty's little visits.

It's been extra useful as kind of a motivator, really.

You never finish an allotment, but I think...

Yeah, I feel fairly proud of myself.

It's nearly four months since Monty first visited.

Then, it was a weed-infested and neglected plot,

crying out for some TLC.

Ross has worked a miracle,

transforming his allotment into both an orderly,

productive space and a place to relax and entertain.

-Ross.

-Hi, how's it going?

It's going very well with me,

but it seems to be going even better with you!

The garden is looking great.

Almost the entire plot has been thoroughly weeded,

and nearly all the beds Ross originally planned

are now bursting with healthy crops of vegetables and herbs.

The paths have been clearly marked out and surfaced with woodchip,

and a substantial compost bin is ready to recycle all the waste

the allotment will generate.

A quirky bug hotel and colourful scarecrow

give Ross' domain a touch of individuality.

And a picnic area beneath the old plum tree invites relaxation.

But nothing signifies Ross' dream more than his revamped pub shed.

He's put it back together and repainted it,

as well as adding the promised bar and veranda.

Look at this, glorious!

Welcome to the Ross and Crown.

-The Ross and Crown?!

-Yeah!

My little pub shed.

I like the way that your immaculate drawing has become

this characterful, slightly wonky...

Yeah, it's wonky, but it's allotment,

-everything's supposed to be wonky on allotment.

-Quite right.

And your bar stool is exactly the right spirit.

You've got like the reeds for the roof,

so it gives it like a kind of a beach-bar vibe as well.

Yeah, and a bar.

Brilliant. Absolutely perfect.

The important thing is, you said you were going to do it, and you did it.

Yeah, yeah, and it was...

No allotment should be without its own pub!

But even more importantly,

no allotment should be without a good display of veg.

And looking, walking up, I'm struck by glorious chard.

Yeah, we've had some squashes as well.

-Have you been eating?

-Yeah, yeah, we had loads of peas.

-Good.

-Quite nice munching up here as well, you know,

just walking around and just helping yourself.

-Yeah, it's cool.

-So you have an allotment...

-Yes.

-..that's working.

And in terms of budget, how much have you spent?

Probably about 100 quid?

Yeah, and I've got a patio table out of all this wood.

That patio table is very nice, too.

So 100 quid has created an allotment,

mended a shed, and actually, also,

although not on a huge scale,

got going the rhythm of providing some food.

And herbs, of course - what herbs have you got?

You got some chives there.

I've got some mint. Basil seems to be surviving.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, and we've got some more chives.

Before Ross' friends and family turn up to celebrate his achievement,

there's something else Monty has to check out.

Yeah, so what can I get you?

I think, cos we're in Bristol...

-Yeah, have a cider.

-We should have a cider.

Thank you very much, that looks fantastic.

Sarah, what can I get you?

This is also the moment to find out whether the project has fulfilled

Ross' dream in more ways than one.

And how are you feeling? How strong are you?

Yeah, this has done me a world of good, yeah, it really, really has.

Why do you think that gardening...

..is so effective in helping out with stresses and strains and

mental problems, and physical problems too?

There's the sense of pride, you know,

when you sit back and look at a piece of work you've done, going,

"Oh, I've done that,"

and you can feel that you've done it in your whole body.

You kind of get like a real sense of kind of satisfaction.

Self-esteem, yeah.

It's one of the best things I've ever done, I think.

-Really?

-Yeah, yeah, had a really positive experience, yeah.

Oh, I'm so pleased, that's good.

This is charming - this is the nicest pub I've been to for ages.

Thank you very much.

Time to open the whole allotment for business.

Ross' friends are turning up to mark the occasion.

-Oh, look, visitors.

-Right, visitors.

Visitors.

-Hey, nice to see you again. Nice to see you.

-Well done.

-Good to see you.

-Before Ross came, it was obviously just brambles,

and there wasn't very much going on, and I used to think,

"Oh, at least mine doesn't look as bad as that one!"

Now, I really need to up my game, because this is so beautiful,

and it's got patio and a bar and darts and all that sort of stuff,

so I need to come a bit more and get planting a bit more often.

Maybe the focus and having something to do is helping him with that,

and he's not going into a dark zone.

So, yeah, I think this has helped him a hell of a lot.

He's got more of a kick to him, he's full of confidence, you know,

he knows where he's going, what he wants to do.

With a thumbs-up from his friends, it's time to open the proceedings.

Yeah, so thanks for coming, everybody. This is my allotment,

feel free to have a look around,

and I'll start pouring some drinks at the bar.

Along with admiring Ross' hard work,

everyone can enjoy the official opening of the Ross and Crown.

Cheers. Well done.

Job done, Monty slips away without disturbing the party.

When I took on this allotment,

I have to admit that it was on a little bit of a whim,

and I've never gardened before.

I've never really enjoyed kind of manual labour.

But you know, I just wanted to kind of see if I could do it.

I think the allotment is looking great -

it's already given him some crops, but there will be more next year.

And that is what's happened with Ross too.

And what this allotment has grown, over and above anything

that he's putting on his table, is hope.

And that is wonderful.

It's been so positive in so many ways, you know,

I would recommend it to anybody.