York Garden Rescue

With her can-do attitude, love of simple gardens,

and decades of experience...

Hello!

..Charlie Dimmock is one of Britain's best-loved gardeners.

Looking good, boys!

But the new kids on the gardening block are the Rich Brothers.

We want to be the brothers

that change people's perceptions of gardens.

Winners of multiple medals at the Chelsea Flower Show...

-Oh, wow.

-Pipped in!

-That's really amazing, isn't it?

..the boys have become known for their dramatic outdoor spaces.

Now, these two different generations of gardening are going head-to-head.

I know they've got a gold medal but I can come up with a few ideas.

They're meeting frustrated garden owners across the country...

The photos made it look tiny.

-It is, isn't it?

-I'm sure you've seen larger.

I don't know what to do with it.

..and will each pitch them a design based on their needs and budget.

-That looks exciting.

-It doesn't look like it could be our garden.

-The winner...

-Da-da!

THEY CHEER

..brings their design to life.

Hold on! Hold on!

Sweet as a nut.

..and the loser has to help them build it.

I'm getting irritated now, we're sort of faffing around.

This is what happens...

Does he ever get irritating?

All the time.

..when different styles collide...

Who chose these?!

One, two, three.

-This looks like your design!

-Yeah!

..to turn garden dreams into reality.

Wow!

Open your eyes.

Whoa!

It's amazing. It's beautiful.

So whose garden will Charlie and the Rich Brothers

be battling over this time?

Tea.

Today is the turn of photographer Alasdair

and marketing manager Philippa,

who live in York with their cat, Ginny.

Two years ago, not long after they got married,

the couple bought this Edwardian terraced house

and began painstakingly restoring it to its former glory.

An old lady lived here

and it hadn't really been touched for about 60, 70 years,

maybe even a bit more.

We had to rip everything out and start from scratch,

which was hard work.

Yeah. It's just left us with the garden to finish off now.

Once that's done, we'll be done and dusted.

They're a young couple that live in York.

Very sweet, aren't they? Look!

I bet their mum and dad were happy when they got married.

-They're lovely!

-They're charming looking, aren't they?

-They are ideal.

-Yeah.

When it came to the house, Alasdair and Philippa spared no expense,

carefully considering every detail to create their perfect home.

We like all the original features.

We really like the fact that you can tell it's an Edwardian house,

but on top of that, we've got quite modern tastes.

But while their house may be a stylish mix

of period and contemporary...

..the garden is a concrete jungle.

The garden's been used as a bit of a dump

for all the excess material, hasn't it?

Which is a bit of a shame.

All that crazy paving.

At the moment we don't use the garden at all,

because there's nowhere to sit, there's nothing to look at.

It's just a dumping ground.

Basically, all the stuff we had left over from doing up the house

has just gone straight in the garden, so it's all got...

-It's a mess.

-A bit manky, a bit of a mess.

It is east facing, so I think it's going to be quite shady.

That's something we'll have to deal with.

-Not necessarily a bad thing, though.

-Not at all! Some luscious plants.

Being a terrace, it's bound to be overlooked.

-Yeah.

-And probably have one of those...

Looks like they've got that funny, odd bit

that nobody quite knows what to do with.

This plot is just four and a half metres by seven and a half metres

and void of any plants.

It's going to take some serious inspiration

to reveal its hidden beauty.

Having created such a stunning home,

Alasdair and Philippa have very high standards.

We'd like a mix like we have in the house, of quite clean lines

and almost regimented with also kind of overflowing planting.

And they're prepared to spend the money

to make the outside look as good as the inside.

So we've got five grand to spend with this garden,

which I'm very pleased about, because it's actually quite small.

It does seems a bit silly to scrimp on the garden

when we've spent so much time and effort on the house.

Hopefully, it means we can get really good quality materials

that will stand the test of time.

£5,000 is a serious budget for such a small space,

but these are serious clients

who are going to expect something very special.

Lots of high-end products, which will be nice for once.

Looks like they're probably about mine and Dave's age,

so maybe we've got an extra upper hand on this.

So that gives me no chance, you're saying.

-Yeah. 100%.

-Thanks for that(!)

You'll be making the tea in a minute!

With the garden challenge on the table,

Charlie and the boys will now compete

to make over the couple's garden.

So, they're heading to York on a fact-finding mission

to find out more about the plot and its owners.

Wow! Yeah, so I think the word is "bijou".

Inky dinky!

BROTHERS LAUGH

I like it. Not too small, really, is it?

It's got quite a nice, manageable space, really.

I suppose the budget will go further.

That is one plus, isn't it?

They are low boundaries but with careful planting, somehow...

I think that's fine, isn't it?

Then I've noticed a nice, green boundary at the back as well.

Charlie's got her eye on the little side alley by the kitchen.

That's even "bijou-er". Can you say "bijou-er"?

-IN FRENCH ACCENT:

-"Bijour", I believe. "Bijour".

It's definitely thin, isn't it?

Maybe a nice little area to look onto.

I think that's a good idea.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Anyway, enough of the garden,

let's go see what inspiration we get from the house!

Inky, dinky, dinky.

The boys like to design their gardens

with the clients' lifestyle in mind,

so they're keen to find out more

about how the couple have done up their home.

-Oh, this is dreamy in here.

-Really cosy, isn't it?

-Beautiful little space.

-Before you sit down...

-No!

-Too late. Already there.

-Cup of tea now.

This is gorgeous.

Whilst Harry and David admire

Alasdair and Philippa's interior design skills,

Charlie wants to find out more about how they see the garden.

What do you want to get from it?

We'd like... Cos it opens out onto the kitchen,

we'd like to just have an extension of the house,

somewhere we can sit and have a barbecue, maybe a pizza oven,

like, somewhere nice to sit.

Nice to be able to use it in the evenings as well.

Although it's a small space, there's some good things about it.

The walls look in good condition.

Nice backdrop of the hedge,

lovely view of the church and the house next door.

-So you're not overlooked from that side.

-No.

I've just seen as well a huge stack of logs.

-Yeah.

-And a fire.

-Nice.

I think one important element could be to put fire outside.

-Yeah, like a fire bowl or something?

-We'll encourage that lifestyle.

We like a bit of colour,

but we'd prefer a garden that was nice all year,

looked green and healthy and vibrant all year.

So, low-maintenance?

More low-maintenance than high-maintenance.

I notice as well they've got the lovely wooden floor,

and that runs all the way through the ground floor, out the kitchen.

I think if we were to have that in the garden,

-it would really extend that living space.

-Nice.

Well, lots to get on with, so I'm going to get a start.

Right behind you, mate.

The boys clearly feel they've got this one in the bag,

but they need to be careful.

This couple know what they want and won't accept any old design.

For five grand, they'll want the best.

So, Charlie and the boys waste no time putting their ideas on paper.

They each have to come up with a design for a garden

they hope the couple will love...

and then present it to Alasdair and Philippa,

who will choose which one gets built,

and the loser has to help the winner build their garden.

It's the day of the pitch.

Will Alasdair and Philippa go for Charlie,

with her decades of experience and vast knowledge of plants...

Wow!

..or the Rich Brothers,

known for their contemporary, medal-winning designs?

-Here we go!

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

That looks good.

You come out your main door there to this open area,

seating area, mainly.

This is a low, shallow pool of water for reflection.

I thought it'd be quite nice for your seating area

to be somewhere that you get to, so there's stepping stones across

onto an area of chunky oak timber deck.

What we wanted to do was create this extension from your house.

This stylish, outdoor room that complemented the stylish interior

you guys have done there.

We've got the front room straight out from the kitchen,

which is more for the morning and dining.

The idea was to use a wooden flooring.

So, I think, we picked up inside the house you used that throughout

on the bottom floor, as if it is an extension to the house.

Then, the back area with two sofas and a fire bowl,

somewhere more intimate, more cosy,

a place to really relax and enjoy the space.

The Rich Brothers have done their homework.

Their design seamlessly links the interior of the house

to a luxurious, outdoor living space.

I really like the breakfast area just outside the kitchen.

-Perfect for breakfast.

-Yeah.

THEY ALL LAUGH

But Charlie's taken a gamble

by going for something they didn't ask for,

a pond by the back door.

-I love the water feature.

-That's nice.

-Yeah?

Be a dream to walk over some stepping stones.

Now for the planting.

One of the key features in the garden are these tree ferns.

They've got so many good qualities.

One of them is they've got a really luscious, really large canopy,

but they've got a really thin stem,

so they don't take up too much room

and impose on a small space like this.

Tree ferns make a dramatic statement.

But will they be too much for Philippa?

Also, with the lighting in the garden we're going to put in,

when they're up lit, they're so architectural and so sculptural.

Charlie's playing it safe with shorter, exotic plants.

Plant-wise, lots of greens but foliage effects.

So, things like that Fatsia japonica, Rodgersias, flowers,

but very simple, fluffy white flowers.

This is Equisetum, so it's very regimented and upright,

looks like bamboo.

But with five grand burning a hole in their pocket,

the couple have some questions.

What happens down the side next to kitchen?

What we want to do is create this really luscious space.

It's more an area to look upon rather to be in.

The boys are continuing the fern theme into the side alley,

but Charlie sees it as a whole new garden.

This is very Dingley Dell.

I want this to be a fernery, with really lush plants.

So lots of hardy ferns,

some tree ferns for a little bit of height and some hostas.

All leaves, foliage.

-Really nice.

-I have to say, that's my favourite bit of the design.

The pitch is over.

Now it's up to Alasdair and Philippa.

They're spending £5,000 of their own money on this garden,

so they need to choose wisely.

-Pretty difficult.

-Yeah.

-I don't know what to think.

I love the way they've got that breakfast area

and the second fire pit, but Charlie's,

especially that little bit off the kitchen.

Yeah, and the stepping stones in the pond, that's a really sweet idea.

But this is a really nice view from the kitchen, though.

I really do like this design.

Yeah. I'm really excited about this one.

-It's my favourite, definitely.

-I think it's pipped it.

Only one design can win.

So who's it going to be?

Will they go for Charlie's Dingley Dell garden

with its tranquil water feature

and stepping stones,

or the boys' chic outdoor lounge

with its elegant tree ferns?

-Hi, guys.

-It's a really difficult decision to make.

But...

..we've come up with...

Da-da!

CHARLIE AND THE RICH BROTHERS CHEER

-Nice! That's awesome.

-What made you choose our design?

Think it was the two areas,

having breakfast room just outside the kitchen,

which is ideal, and then a cosier area at the back.

Really excited about it.

-Are you starting now?

-Yeah, I've got my gloves!

The Rich Brothers have emerged triumphant.

If that's not enough, they now get to boss Charlie around,

when all three of them build the garden.

It's early morning in York.

While the Rich Brothers are away working on the final details

of their design, the old garden needs to be ripped out

and the site prepped.

Right, chaps. First things first,

we've got to try and sort these levels out.

So, the boys have sent in project manager Paul,

and landscapers Andy and Lee,

to remove the old concrete and make the ground perfectly level.

The key to the boys' design is a seamless link between the kitchen

and hard landscaping in the garden.

So it's critical the foundations are spot-on.

It's this lip here that we're going off,

so everything is determined from that.

The first deck is going to go on top,

so it looks almost like the floor inside is coming straight out.

Right then, fellas, let's crack on.

But they've hit a snag.

They found the base of a sycamore tree

that must have been felled when the old garden was put in.

They don't remember the tree roots over there,

so I think we could have a major problem getting those out.

This bit here, as you can see, is enormous.

There's huge, great big boulders in it.

We've got a load of paving that's going to come right across here

and go flush to this wall.

So, it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it, I'm afraid.

And with no space for a digger, the only way to get it out

is with good, old-fashioned muscle.

Right, that's it - I'm going home now!

HE PANTS

The stubborn sycamore is giving the lads another headache -

its roots are pushing through the wall,

where the Rich Brothers are planning to create a new patio.

Knowing how exacting the boys are with their designs,

Paul needs instructions from Harry and David.

-ON PHONE:

-Hey, Paul.

Everything's going relatively smoothly,

and the problem with it is there's...

Basically, there's some roots that have gone through the wall,

and they've started busting the bricks out and cracking the bricks.

We need to do something with it. We can't leave it like that.

-ON PHONE:

-Because there's some nice, existing brick walls

around the other side, the lower one,

I think it'd be nice to tie it in with that.

-Keep with the history of it.

-Yes.

-I think that would be quite nice.

-OK.

I think what we'll do is, we'll point it.

We'll point it with a very dry mix.

We'll rake it out a bit and we might even use the good old technique

of putting a little bit of dirt in it as well,

just to make it look like the old pointing,

so it ties in with the rest of the garden.

Are you happy with that then, chaps?

-ON PHONE:

-Very happy. Thanks for calling, Paul.

Right. Lovely. All right. See you soon, chaps.

-See you soon.

-See you later. Bye-bye. Bye.

Laying paving around the bulge in the wall

would mean redesigning the patio.

By rebuilding it,

the garden Alasdair and Philippa signed up for is still on track.

Just that one there. Good man!

There she goes!

Crisis averted, it's time to get those levels spot-on.

The foundation of the new garden

will be a combination of patio and decking.

-Where do you want this one?

-Take that back.

But, before any paving can go in,

the boys have to lay down a base layer of aggregate,

and then whack it into submission to make it level.

Meanwhile, out front, the Rich Brothers and Charlie have arrived,

and are preparing themselves for the huge task

of bringing the boys' winning design to life.

Right, guys, we've go our work cut out for us with this garden.

There's going to be a few challenges, isn't there?

-It's small, but doesn't come without it's trouble, does it?

-Mm.

Everyone thinks a small garden is going to be really easy and quick.

-I bet it won't be.

-No.

-No.

This is going to be one, nice floor that runs on to the back boundary,

so I think setting out getting that level sorted at the beginning

-is going to be the key to this, really.

-OK. All right.

Then, this guy here, as well, it's a quite focal point, isn't it?

It's a small, crammed little space. It's going to be quite tricky.

A high display, though, because they look out on this.

It's going to look amazing. That's the whole of the kitchen there,

and that's the lounge that way as well.

Basically, it's one level from the kitchen floor straight out.

-No steps.

-Like extended rooms.

They can open the partition doors and walk straight out.

-Blimey!

-With that added pressure now then, Barry, you're on slabs.

You'll be doing a bit of that.

Charlie, I'm going to hide you away in this little Dingley Dell here.

OK. Doing what?

-Just relaxing, drinking tea.

-Yeah! Sitting down...

Catching some sun. And then I'm going to set myself on the decking.

-It's not that sunny.

-It isn't at all, is it?

-Catching the rain.

-Optimism, people!

-Right.

-Cool.

With the boys taking charge in the back...

..Charlie's been demoted to the side alley.

And out the front, there's been a delivery.

-Look at those!

-Goodness me!

-Wow.

The six mature tree ferns the boys are hoping

will bring some real drama to the garden have arrived.

Tree ferns are an excellent addition to a smaller garden,

because they have shallow roots.

But they still provide shade under their wide, feathery fronds.

Mature samples can cost between £200 and £400,

so Philippa's keen to see what she's getting for her money.

-It's going to be like Jurassic Park, I think.

-Quite prehistoric!

One of the biggest challenges with designing a small garden

is that even the tiniest imperfections are on show.

Knowing that Alisdair and Philippa have an eye for detail,

the boys have ordered high-quality materials, for a flawless finish -

starting with these giant paving slabs.

We decided to go for a 900 by 600 slab.

This is probably one of the largest slabs you can get.

It's kind of key when you have a small garden

to use elements that are slightly oversized.

Using big slabs tricks the eyes into thinking the space is larger,

and laying them across the garden gives the impression of width.

We also decided to push the slabs up together,

so there's no pointed line in between.

This really gives this nice, contemporary feel

which links in with the house nicely.

This garden is all about using the small space efficiently,

without comprising the contemporary look,

and the boys have even come up with somewhere

for the couple to store their garden tools.

And because Alisdair has done up some of the house himself,

he's keen to have a go at building it.

I'm measuring up for the shed that I'm going to build at the moment.

It's going to block off this area here,

just to keep bins in and things like that.

I'm just working out how high it's going to go.

So it's got to be custom-made.

You can't get an off-the-shelf one, unfortunately.

The entrance to the side alley is going to be a walk-through shed.

So the roof will go up, and it'll incorporate the light,

so when that's on, it'll be in the shed,

giving us a bit of extra light.

The roof will go up, above that,

and then it will drop back down the other side.

Hopefully, if I've measured right, this will be going straight in.

Like a glove! Look at that.

Perfect.

Meanwhile, whilst the boys can contemplate their next move

in the big garden...

Charlie remains confined to the little one.

I should get my bit finished, done and dusted easily!

Bring me tea!

The courtyard has been designed as an area for the couple to sit back

and admire from their kitchen.

Having only a few pavers,

it will be filled to the brim with luscious plants.

This area here is absolutely tiny.

I mean, really tiny.

But it will look fantastic.

They overlook it from the kitchen,

so we're planting it up with really lovely, lush plants.

You got Baltic parsley, it's very architectural.

It's like cow parsley but much more architectural and bold.

This area is already lit,

so it's going to look spectacular with the plants at night.

So I'm going to plant this Japanese anemone against the wall.

It doesn't look much at the moment, but it's a lovely plant,

gives you lots of flowers later in the season,

when some garden plants are looking a bit sad.

Comes up, has low foliage, but comes up with flower spikes

that have got pink, open flowers,

which look gorgeous against this brickwork, the texture of it.

I wish the soil was a little bit easier to dig, but there you go.

You can't have everything in life, can you?

The next big challenge in the main garden is to seamlessly connect

the kitchen with the patio area, using a stylish deck.

It needs to be perfectly flush with the patio,

so the subframe needs to be spot on.

And so we're putting a membrane down to stop any weed growth

coming up through the decking.

With the shed nearly done,

it's time for Alisdair to leave the team to it.

This is looking good, Alisdair!

Yeah, taken a bit of work, but finally getting there.

-So, you just need to finish the felting.

-Yep.

But then I would really like you and Philippa to skedaddle

and get out of here, because the garden's really coming together now,

and we want a little bit of mystery for when you come back.

That's all right, we can disappear and leave you to it.

With most of a hard landscaping finished,

it's time for the stars of the garden - the tree ferns -

to make an appearance.

He's a big old beast, they're hard to carry around,

so we're going to get some sticks, put them in place

and find out their positions.

Harry, chuck them over.

-Pass me some of those sticks there, mate.

-Some of these?

Yeah, they're perfect. Five of them, please.

Perfect. Nice.

Right, what are we thinking?

Placing them too close together, too far apart,

or too equidistant will look unnatural,

so it's critical to position them perfectly.

-Like that?

-Yeah, lovely.

-And then we'd probably go for one, maybe there?

-Yeah.

And then...

What do you think of that?

I think maybe you can have two over there now.

Maybe pack the centre a little bit.

-That looks quite full, especially with their spread.

-Yeah.

-Shall I grab one from there?

-Yeah, let's take one out the middle...

and then maybe adjust their positions a little bit.

And that one can go here, and that...

-That will be perfect for privacy, actually.

-Yeah.

Tree ferns have shallow roots,

so the hole only needs to be 10cm bigger than the trunk's diameter,

and 20cm deeper than the root ball.

While the bosses get to play with the big trees,

Charlie's been given a project

that's even smaller than the side return.

We're going to make this into a green roof.

Now, because Alisdair's made the shed himself,

it's really strong and reinforced.

If you are using a prefabricated shed at home,

you'll want to put some extra structure in,

because of the weight of the roof.

The roof has been felted,

but to make sure it matches the rest of the garden,

Charlie's adding a lip, using the same decking boards as the floor.

Now, I want to try and create a tray that's about three inches deep.

And you can't see, but I can feel it's about...

(That's probably about two inches deep.)

That'll be enough for the sedums, yeah?

That's going to go down like that, then we'll trim that off,

so you won't see it, see? That'll look nice,

and then just imagine all this sea of sedums. Very pretty.

Adding a green roof is a great way to create another planting area

in a small garden, and can transform an old summerhouse or shed.

But it needs plenty of watering,

so it's safer to use drought-tolerant plants,

like succulents.

But there's no rest for Charlie. The boys need some manual labour.

Do you want to go in there already, Charlie?

OK, so that I fall over flat on my bottom?

-Hopefully!

-CHARLIE LAUGHS

You cheeky thing!

-Are we just going to walk it and rest it on the things?

-Yeah.

Just do it a bit at a time.

Let's not go mad.

-CHUCKLING:

-Where are we going?

-Which one's this for?

-Far left.

Ready? Three, two, one.

Who chose these? Why did we want them so big?

They're pretty heavy, aren't they?

They are quite chunky!

Very nice, well done.

-Right, I think it needs to probably spin that way.

-Spin round. Yeah.

Good work.

That will probably be near enough for somewhere, wouldn't it?

-Cool!

-OK, number one in.

-Wonderful.

One down, four to go.

Brilliant.

Cool.

These are going to give a lovely, modern touch to the garden.

And they've got a lovely canopy,

without losing too much light on this garden,

and the vertical aspect really lifts your eye

and lets you still see through the garden.

The tree fern has small, fibrous roots to get moisture...

..so they need properly securing.

One person pegs in and bats around it,

and just really hold the trunk so it's got this firm structure in.

-So, you're going to make a collar round it?

-Yeah.

That's a quite clever idea.

As long as that's nice and sturdy, then we're fine.

We could always just chop all the fronds off, then it won't blow over.

-Look at the face on that!

-That's a bad idea.

So what we're doing with this tree fern is,

because it hasn't got normal roots like a tree,

is we're banging in these stakes,

and they're anchor it down and act like roots.

Then we're going to screw it into the tree fern,

and that will just hold there, secure.

It may seem strange,

putting a plant that originated in Australia in a Yorkshire garden...

..but there's surprising number of exotic plants

that, with a little TLC, can live happily in the UK climate.

Tom Hart Dyke,

curator of the World Garden at Lullingstone Castle in Kent,

oversees one of the largest collections of exotics in Britain.

My draw to exotic plants is this magnetic attraction by the foliage

and by the flowers you cannot, or very rarely, see in this country.

There's something about them.

There are easy steps you can take to grow a wide range of plants

that you cannot believe you can get away with,

simply by covering them up

with dad's old woolly jumpers, scarves,

and these simple measures to grow a wide range of plants.

It's the combination of both wet and cold weather in the UK

that can be harmful to many exotics.

This is the yucca. It's my most favourite plant,

and I have to say, look at it, it's stunning.

Whatever the winter,

I would only have a pane of glass to cover the whole surface area

of the plant, in a wooden frame that screwed into four posts

that are very securely placed into the ground,

and, if possible, at a slight angle, the window pane,

to let the water run off.

If you don't have the time to create a cold frame for your plants,

some can handle anything our climate throws at them.

This is Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chusan fan palm.

It's so exotic to look at but it's really hardy.

It is the hardiest palm that we can grow in this country.

It comes from extremely cold areas of Asia,

hence why we can grow it in this climate.

Minus 17 we had here five years ago.

Pfft! It was laughing in the face of minus 17!

Exotic they may be,

but by being a little brave and taking the necessary steps,

you'll be pleasantly surprised at how they thrive in your garden.

In York, our exotic tree ferns can handle all but the coldest frost.

Adding a layer of straw to protect the crown,

and folding the fronds in on themselves in the winter months

will keep them safe.

It's always as good idea to get as many people as possible

in a very small space(!)

SHE CHUCKLES

I think the ferns here probably won't really die back.

-No.

-Because they'll be so protected.

-Looks like we're nearly done.

-No more digging then, soldier.

Righty-ho.

So it's leaning...that way.

-Yay!

-That's a good fit!

At last, they're all in, and are ready for the grand unveiling.

Big moment now, mate. Time to get the fronds out.

-Ta-da!

-Beautiful.

There we are, look at that. Tease them out a bit.

That's really nice, isn't it? Look at that!

MUSIC: Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss

Ooh, crikey!

A jungle! Whoo!

That's gorgeous.

BLUE DANUBE CONTINUES

So do I get to unwrap mine in my bit of the garden?

Definitely.

THEY LAUGH

-Lovely.

-That's amazing.

That's better than I expected.

BLUE DANUBE CONTINUES

That's it, whoa!

Look at that!

-SHE LAUGHS

-Look at that! That's almost perfect!

That literally couldn't have been better, could it?

Perfecto!

The best bit of the garden!

I get to do your tree as well, look at that!

Let's get as many people into the smallest place.

Don't tread on the soil!

-Well, I can't not tread on it, unfortunately.

-Look at that.

Look at that wall.

With so many striking features in this garden,

Harry and David have convinced Alisdair and Philippa to hold back

a few hundred quid so it will look just as good at night.

Installing a lighting scheme

brings a whole new dimension to their garden.

Alisdair and Philippa really wanted an entertainment space

for the evening. These spotlights

are really going to transform this garden,

especially uplighting these tree ferns.

So this garden's not just for the day, but actually for the evening.

The build may be progressing,

but it still looks like a lot of landscaping

with a few trees stuck in the middle.

It's high time the rest of the plants made an appearance.

-What do you want now, then?

-Hellebores, please. Red ones.

-Red ones?

-Yeah, reds.

Aw, perfect.

These are fab.

-They're beautiful, aren't they?

-Gorgeous.

-Four at one time!

-Four at once.

-So keep coming with the reds?

-Yes, please.

No geraniums.

Couple of Thalictrum.

In the boys' design,

the planting defines the two different living areas.

With so much patio and deck,

they're underplanting the ferns with smaller but equally lush varieties

that will spill over and soften the hard edges.

We love these grasses in our planting schemes,

cos we feel it's kind of like the background noise.

It's what really holds the planting scheme together,

and then you can dot in your flowering perennials,

like the astrantias, the aquilegias or the hellebores.

Well, I have to say, I just love hellebores.

They've got these lovely flowers that get full of stamens,

and then afterwards, they get seed pods,

which I think look quite cute as well.

And then the foliage is really pretty come the summertime,

and it's great for flower arranging.

It's all coming together,

and although she's been the undergardener, Charlie is impressed.

Do you know what, David? This looks like your design!

-Yeah!

-Ha-hey! Whoo-ooh!

Thank goodness you've said that.

I'm really, really pleased how it's looking, actually. I love it.

Worth the money.

Yes, that is true.

All that's left is the roof.

I will get round to doing my roof, honest.

It's just got to wait for the deck first.

ELECTRIC DRILL WHIRS

And, with the deck done, Charlie's run out of excuses.

We've got planting medium with this stuff, which is called hydroleca.

It's ever so light and porous,

and we've mixed that in with the planting medium.

These are water-holding, clay pebbles, and are lighter than soil,

so they're ideal for our green roof.

And we have a thin layer over, and I'll plant through with succulents -

sedums, sempervivum, that type of thing -

that puts up with really sort of drought conditions.

Also windy conditions and full sunshine,

which you will get on this side, and it will create a mat

right the way across the roof and look gorgeous.

I'm going to plant them slightly proud,

because I'm then going to put a very light gravel all the way round them.

This garden has been a big challenge...

..in a very small space.

-It's really, really heavy.

-Watch it.

So what do you think?

Yeah, it's going to look nice.

Interested to see what cushions they've got as well.

This is a first for me, stacking logs in a garden.

But, as daylight begins to fade...

Paul? How do you want to start this fire?

-I can start doing that.

-With a match.

All right then. With a match.

..Philippa and Alisdair's garden is finally finished.

In its former life,

the couple's garden was a poor relation to their stunning home...

..with bags of rubble everywhere,

and old, battered crazy paving throughout.

Now it's had a £5,000 face-lift.

The boys have used high-quality materials

to provide an elegant finish.

The new decking area is ideal for having breakfast,

or a bit of evening dining.

Costing around £1,200, it extends seamlessly from the kitchen,

linking the outside with the inside.

Towards the rear of the garden is a superb patio,

made from large pavers that cost around £600.

An elegant fire bowl links the space with a couple's indoor fire,

and is perfect for romantic evenings.

Before, the garden was flat and featureless.

Now, statuesque tree ferns bring drama,

texture and year-round colour to the garden.

With the rest of the planting, they ate up £2,500 of the bill,

but the boys are hoping the couple will think it was worth it.

And, of course, there's the narrow alleyway,

which Charlie has turned into a lush courtyard.

Alisdair and Philippa wanted the perfect garden,

and were prepared to spend five grand to get it.

(The garden looks beautiful, very "Chelsea".)

It's time to find out if the boys have delivered.

You're now crossing the threshold into your new garden.

Open your eyes.

Wow!

-What do you think?

-Wow!

-It's amazing!

-Thought it was going to look amazing,

but, yeah, it looks phenomenal.

Got the fire bowl going, lit, ready for your evening.

It looks great!

Explore your garden, please.

-Walk on through.

-It's fantastic!

-What do you think of the tunnel?

-Yeah, it's a proper tunnel.

It's like a wee adventure!

Yeah, that look so cool, doesn't it?

You just can't imagine what it's going to look like.

Then you come in here, and it's just like another...

You're transported, aren't you?

Yeah. It's been quite a diverse, quite a dramatic change.

-Yeah.

-It's so wide. It seems so wide.

-Yeah, I know.

-Before, it felt like you couldn't really stand

-next to each other in the garden.

-Yeah, this area has gone massive.

Do you feel like it's an extension to the house now?

-Definitely, yeah.

-I love the thresholds

that just run straight out.

It was a small garden before, wasn't it?

It feels twice the size.

You can really see all the quality materials, can't you?

The decking is really nice, this is really nice.

-Obviously, the tree ferns are fantastic.

-Yeah.

Combined with the design,

I don't know how it could be any better, to be honest.

Aw! Very kind.

-Say nothing more!

-We're off now, that's us done.

It just looks fantastic.

It looks amazing.

Looks like a garden out of a book.

A peacock has its feathers, a lion has its mane,

that garden has its tree ferns.

-Who says that?

-Me!

Is he your brother?!

There's absolutely no way we could have made it look like that,

it's just fantastic.

-Just been a bit brave...

-The drama of it... Yeah.

It's actually made the kitchen look more impressive,

which I think is quite an achievement for a garden.

£5,000 was a big budget for such a small area.

Do our couple think it's been money well spent?

You think that spending five grand, which is what it's turned out to be,

is a lot of money for such a little garden.

But I'm glad that we did, because it's worthwhile. Worth every penny.

It's only going to get better, isn't it? This is day one in the garden,

and we've got years and years of growth to come.

-It's just going to look better and better every year.

-Yeah.