Attleborough Garden Rescue

With her can-do attitude,

love of simple gardens and decades of experience,

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 will be the brothers that change people's perceptions of gardeners.

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

-Oh! Good turn.

-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...

-Not a lot going on, is there?

-Not a lot.

I don't know what to do with it.

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

-You look confused.

-I am! Go for it.

-..and budget.

-Doesn't look like it could be our garden.

-The winner...

-Charlie's!

-Yeah!

-Awesome.

..brings their design to life.

-Hold on, hold on!

-Sweet as a nut.

And the loser has to help them build it.

Keep working, keep working, boys.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy.

This is what happens...

Just get on with it! Some time today would be good!

..when different styles collide...

I think your brother's throwing the toys out of his pram.

Are we doing this?

..to turn garden dreams into reality.

Wow! This is brilliant.

Oh, my goodness.

Wow!

-Look at that.

-Oh, my God!

Wow!

It's time for Charlie and the Rich brothers to find out which garden

they're going to compete over today.

This is Andrew and Dawn from Norfolk.

-Yeah.

-All right.

-And you've heard of low-maintenance,

but then, there's this.

-But where? How...?

-Look at that.

Andrew and Dawn moved into their bungalow in Norfolk a year ago

and it's not difficult to see why they've called in the services

of the Garden Rescue team.

We bought the house partly because of the garden.

We thought, "Great, no lawn to mow, no beds to weed, fantastic."

But we hadn't been here very long

-when we realised it was really dull.

-Yes.

-That looks like gravel, gravel, gravel.

-Bit of paving.

-Slabs. Gravel.

-Yeah.

-And one key plant.

Oh, no, two... Two and a half.

We're not really gardeners.

I do like to do a bit of "lady of the manor" gardening,

which is a bit of sort of deadheading, cut flowers,

you know, that's about my lot, really.

We want to be able to potter,

-but we want it to look nice at the same time.

-Yeah.

Whilst the current garden may not be particularly enticing,

there was a very important reason for the move.

I was diagnosed with MS a couple of years ago.

It affects my legs, my hands and my feet, and also fatigue, as well.

And one of the nice things about when we downsized to a bungalow

was that it's going to be more manageable for me.

Andrew loves pottering in the garden,

but he does have a condition which means he can't spend

an extended length of time working in the garden,

so things to make it easier for him, maybe like raised beds,

stuff like that.

Yeah, it would be nice to have some raised beds.

It will save me getting on my hands and knees

and save pains in my legs.

The garden needs to be flat, so, in years to come,

it will be a very functional garden for whatever lies ahead.

The garden needs to be a safe place for Andrew and Dawn to potter in,

but one that doesn't require too much maintenance.

It's not the smallest of gardens,

so how much money do the designers have to play with?

Budget's £2,500.

It's a decent-sized garden, so that budget will be quite stretched.

They've got some slab areas there, some patios,

so I think if we can use it, we should. But I think, altogether,

it's just really bringing the life into the garden

and then just making sure it's really usable

-and functional for Andrew, as well.

-Yeah.

This garden is going to require some ingenuity from the designers.

So, they head to Norfolk to see what they're up against.

Wow.

Slightly bare.

It looked bare on the photos, but now I'm here, it REALLY looks bare.

And, look, all the shapes of the paving.

Square, you've got... Those ones over there.

-These caterpillar ones.

-Yeah. Oh...

-Maltese cross.

Yeah. And Andrew's condition

means that this garden is definitely not safe.

I mean, the amount of level changes and dips...

And trip hazards, I've tripped over twice already

and we've only walked about ten foot into the garden!

It definitely needs a bit of rescuing, doesn't it?

It's not really got any character, has it?

-It needs a bit of personality, this garden.

-And definitely some green.

-And some green.

-Well, we're going to have a little look inside,

-leave you out here.

-What, for me to be inspired out here?

Let us know if you find anything new and interesting.

I'll check the shed out. There might be something in there

-that'll give me a hint.

-Paving stones.

Whilst Charlie's left outside, the Rich brothers head inside

to see if they can spot some clues that will highlight

Andrew and Dawn's taste.

Well, instantly calm and therapeutic.

It is, yes. That's the colour of the blue, isn't it?

Blue covers, blue walls, blue lampshade.

-Lowers it down.

-It does, doesn't it?

-The heart rate lowering already.

Yes. I feel like these tie in quite nicely, don't they, actually...

-Yeah.

-..with that slightly washed-out look?

-It's got that beach-hut feeling, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

It's also rather calm outside, as the couple join Charlie

to discuss their own vision for the garden.

Andrew, what do YOU want from the garden?

I think a tranquil setting,

and nice entertaining area.

We'd like to socialise, so barbecues,

sitting in the sunshine, when the sun is shining.

And, Dawn, for you?

Probably more on the contemporary side and structural plants and...

Yeah, I mean, the garden... The plants you have got here

are very architectural, and really, I mean, that conifer's fabulous.

And something that looks nice from the house.

-Yes, because you've got quite a lot of windows...

-On this side, yeah.

And then look at that.

I feel like that's something we should be orbiting round.

-It's pretty in your face.

-Yeah.

-It's quite a contemporary one, as well.

Yeah, I think if we were to give them something

that maybe had a little bit of a modern touch,

-they wouldn't be adverse to that, would they, really?

-Yeah.

Then we've got, you know, the end of that house there,

and a little bit overlooked there, so a bit of height.

So, you want to enclose it, make it more intimate?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And make it more inviting to come out.

At the moment, it feels to me that you probably just come out

-to go to the shed.

-Exactly.

-That's about it.

-Yeah, exactly.

-Yeah, yeah, you don't sort of feel the need to sit in it.

-Yeah.

Andrew and Dawn would also like to leave an area of the garden

for parking their caravan in.

This is welcome news to the designers.

With a slightly reduced area to transform,

the £2,500 budget can be stretched a little further.

With that in mind, the designers head to their drawing boards.

Charlie and the Rich brothers will compete against each other

to come up with a design

that will work within Andrew and Dawn's budget.

The couple will then have to choose a winner, and whoever loses

will have to help the winner build the garden.

The £2,500 will be used to cover the cost of the materials,

while the labour will be supplied by Charlie,

the Rich brothers and their team of landscapers.

It's time for the designers to pitch their ideas.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-OK.

So, this is our design.

-Oh, wow.

-So...

The most important thing that we could give you was a levelled garden,

so it's really user-friendly, nice and safe,

get rid of as many trip hazards as possible.

So, it's based on these rectangles

and altogether makes a very kind of unified space

that will have a very calming and relaxing feeling.

-Yeah.

-What we want to do

is to keep the original paving slabs where they are

and that will help us kind of save budget

for other aspects of the garden.

And we're going to connect them with a wooden deck,

and wood's lovely and warming

and that's just going to create this large, open space

for entertaining or just relaxing.

Keeping and levelling the two existing square patio areas

is a shrewd move from the Rich brothers.

So, what has Charlie got planned for the space?

Oh. Wow.

So, design-wise,

I've gone for quite a dynamic ray of paving

which is going to be a big entertainment space.

So, I'm reusing your rectangular slabs,

but then, because I didn't want it to look like a car park,

I've broken it up using, like, a bound gravel.

It's got a soft, golden colour,

but it is a hard and level surface to walk on.

It draws you up to this area here

which is big enough to get a nice, big table on it,

and then, this is a built-in timber bench, so you can sit there,

so you haven't got to get the furniture out of the shed.

You'll think, "Oh, I'll just take the coffee out and sit outside."

Charlie also wants to re-use the existing slabs,

but to lay them in a dynamic new shape,

which is a radical change from how they're arranged now.

But how will the designers give their patio areas

the privacy that the couple have asked for?

Most importantly is this area here

which would be in that corner of the garden.

So, we wanted to put a simple grid of pear trees.

And first and foremost, this is great for privacy,

but also really lovely sculptural elements,

so you've got an elegant single stem

and the crown will come about two metres and then

this lovely dense canopy.

And then also surrounding the garden, we wanted to provide you

with a thick layer of these shrubs,

so that's what creates this kind of green screen that separates

-where you're going to be sitting to where the caravan is.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

To make the garden a lot more intimate,

I've got quite a few trees in this gravel area,

which I'm retaining around the edges,

but also making you use the garden

round the other way,

so you don't look that way.

-Yes.

-You look this way.

And then you have the view of the planting.

So, you're looking away from your shed. Nothing against your shed...

..but it's not a thing of beauty,

and I know you're thinking of putting the caravan there.

The couple are giving little away

about which of the very different designs they prefer.

Will those extra touches designed to make gardening easier

for Andrew swing their decision?

So, as you can see, from this visual here, that's the decking.

And then, we've given you a raised bed here.

So, we're going to leave the existing raised bed,

but we're going to give you a timber raised bed here,

so the decking links really nicely with the raised bed,

it's really usable. You know, you guys can get your hands dirty,

-really get using it, and it's really easy to maintain, as well.

-Yeah.

We've got a couple of raised beds here.

So, they're going to be high enough

that they're what I'd call "perching" height.

And then, this is a wall of timber with planters on,

so that will be quite easy to maintain.

Now, planting wise, we can put lots of colourful bedding plants in it,

but if you want it just to look good all year,

we can put lots of evergreens in.

So, ivies and succulents.

That way, if you forget to water them, not a problem.

They'll put up with it.

With the pitches over...

-I'll leave you to think about it.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

..all the designers can do now is wait.

Andrew and Dawn can only choose one design, but which will it be?

-I don't know. It's really difficult.

-Tough choice, yeah.

-There's elements of both.

-Both of them, yes.

-The trees are lovely.

-Yes.

-Absolutely lovely.

And I like the idea of walking out onto the two textures.

We've kept the paving areas the same, but obviously lifted them up,

levelled them. We've linked them together with a nice deck.

Whereas I've gone with the shape to draw them out,

so it starts narrow and then widens out to this area,

which is my entertaining area.

-Ah.

-Ah.

-I think the first thing that struck me

was just a complete change of perspective.

And I liked the bench and the screen,

just some of the quirky elements.

Yours sounds a lot more angular and diagonal,

whereas ours is just a bit more simple, slightly more geometric,

almost like four rectangles, in a way.

You do simple well, you two, don't you?

So, will Andrew and Dawn choose Charlie's angular patio

with purpose-built outdoor seating

and bespoke vertical planter?

Or the Rich brothers' sheltered geometric design,

with decking and two patios, raised beds and pear trees?

Here they are.

It's time for the couple to reveal their decision.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

ALL: Hey.

Well, our choice is...

-Yay!

-Yes!

It's those dynamic diagonals. Oooh!

The diagonal feel of it was, I think, what swayed me.

Oh, good. I've got so many little projects for you boys!

The dynamic diva is elated to win this one,

but it sounds like it's the doleful duo

that will be doing all the hard graft.

It's early morning in Norfolk.

With so much paving to get done,

Charlie has sent the landscaping team on ahead to get cracking.

Whilst Scott and Andy waste no time in removing the walls

from the old raised bed,

project manager Guy and head landscaper Scott

need to get to grips with the unusual layout.

This is an interesting design that Charlie's come up with.

-Yeah, it is, isn't it?

-And it's all about the angles.

She's got a pivot point, basically, in that corner

and then she's running loads of lines across the garden.

And we're going to be reusing quite a lot of the slabs.

-OK. I like that idea.

-Which is great.

Less wheelbarrowing out to the skip, which is what we like.

Absolutely, absolutely.

But first, they've got to pull the slabs up.

And there are a lot of them.

Any slabs in good nick are saved and given a thorough jet wash,

revealing a lovely sandy colour.

The concrete path, which runs along the back of the house,

is being broken up and will later be replaced by a new, wider path.

Meanwhile, Scott and Guy test their geometry skills

by marking out the new patio and flowerbeds.

So, we've made a bit of progress, now. We got the lines sprayed out.

We're trying not to walk on them,

otherwise they'll slowly disappear and we have to do them again.

So, we're almost ready to start putting the hardcore base

for the new patio. So, we're good to go.

Andy's moved on to making a new step outside the back door,

reusing blocks from the old raised bed.

This is the only level change in the new garden,

and a wide, simple step will be easiest for Andrew to manage.

The cleaned-up slabs are re-laid on top,

but there aren't enough left to do the large, main patio, as well,

so Charlie has ordered some new slabs in the same colour,

which Scott is laying.

And with almost 100 slabs to lay,

he's understandably getting a bit fed up.

Scott, how is it going?

-DEADPAN:

-Brilliant. Absolutely ecstatic.

-LAUGHTER

-Yeah, it's going really well, yeah.

-No, we are getting there.

-I can tell you mean that.

It's a real mission, but we're getting there.

The cement needs time to dry before the slabs can be walked on,

so the team packs up for the day, leaving them to dry overnight.

First thing next morning, Charlie, Harry and David arrive.

-Well, we have the sunshine. That's a good thing.

-It is a good thing.

-It's on our side.

-Now, you know I occasionally nag you.

-Does she?

-No, don't think so.

I'm going to be right on your case today,

because all the projects you're doing, if you're slow,

you're going to hold me up,

because I can't do my jobs unless you finish yours.

Sounds like power.

I don't want to move that fast.

So, you've heard of living walls?

-Yes.

-You're going to be making a living gate.

-Nice.

-And then you're going to be making some bench seats

-and some tables, yeah?

-Nice.

-OK.

-So, we've got an awful lot to do.

-Sounds like a fun day.

Get going.

In the garden, the team's back at work.

The patio is ready to walk on, but will the boss like what she sees?

Well, the landscape team have done a really good job.

You can see the shape of the garden coming through now.

So, we've got this paving that leads out into the garden.

And you're going to get to this end and sit down

and sort of look back at the sort of planting area.

So, we're going to have a pathway over there

to get you in and out of the garden, raised beds over here.

So, I'm quite pleased with what they've managed to achieve.

Scott can now cut the long, straight line

that will give the patio its distinct shape...

..with David following behind removing the offcuts.

It's definitely a very satisfying job.

Ooh, that was a good one.

Beautiful.

Andy's bringing in the base layer

for the areas at the side of the patio and the path by the house.

With the hard landscaping jobs being taken care of,

Charlie can turn her attention to the evergreen planting.

Andrew and Dawn already have a few conifers,

which are perfect for a low-maintenance garden,

and she's decided to introduce some more.

Conifers are becoming a bit of a feature of this garden.

They've gone out of favour slightly over the last ten, 20 years.

There are some glorious ones out there.

One thing you've got to remember with conifers -

if you are clipping them, as a general rule,

you shouldn't cut back hard into this dead wood section,

because they won't regenerate.

So, if you are cutting a hedge,

you want to be clipping in this green section here.

And that way it will keep them nice and neat and compact,

or you go for ones that are really slow growing like this one,

and it's got this really lovely shape and texture to it.

Conifers used to be a staple feature in British gardens,

but have become less fashionable in recent years,

in part due to the notorious Leyland cypress,

which grows very tall, very quickly.

However, with more than 500 species of conifer to choose from,

including pines, yew and pencil cypress,

they shouldn't all be dismissed.

At his Norfolk garden, Foggy Bottom,

conifer expert and champion Adrian Bloom

has been growing them for 50 years.

Despite a lot of criticism from a lot of people

who perhaps don't understand conifers,

I felt that they were worth sticking with and getting to understand,

because there's so much variety, which most people don't realise.

So, I've always felt there's this need to stand up, if you like,

for conifers as a plant you can use in most gardens.

It's important to check a conifer's rate of growth before you plant it,

as this can vary greatly depending on the type.

There are many slow-growing varieties.

Others can be kept in check by annual pruning,

and there are also dwarf varieties to choose from.

Two really good plants for the smaller garden.

There's this one,

which is Chamaecyparis pisifera. How about that?

There's one called "Sungold", the threadleaf cypress,

that's the other name for it.

But that's golden most of the year,

so you can keep that pruned and keep it pretty small, too.

And then Juniperus "Blue Star", this one here,

and these will turn a brilliant blue in the summer.

Whilst conifers are renowned for giving year-round colour,

some varieties change shade,

either in the summer or winter months.

Blues and golds are the most popular colours,

and even some well-known types can come in unexpected hues.

This is just the ordinary Christmas tree, the Norway spruce.

And this was a form that was found in Sweden that had red shoots.

And these don't last for long, mind you,

but what a tremendous colour and transformation that is

at this time of the year.

Some of the more striking conifers may grow quite large,

and if you don't want to get rid of those,

Adrian has an enterprising suggestion for maintaining them.

This is one of the Korean pines,

and like this one,

which has not been pruned at all,

this would have taken up so much space had it gone to the ground,

if you can imagine that just as a ball.

But by starting to trim this several years ago now,

I trimmed up from the base,

opened it up, and you can then see through it.

And I always like to sort of peak into another part of the garden,

and that allows you to do that.

In fact, it's such a useful technique

that Charlie is employing it back in the garden.

What you want to do before you start cutting the stems

is just pull the stem down to see what shape it's going to give you.

Now, this one's crossing over, so I'm going to take that one out.

And what you've got to be careful of

is that you don't leave a stump which is going to rock back,

but that you don't cut it back so hard

that you go into that ridge there, because that's the tree's

natural way of growing over and then sealing up that stump,

so it stops disease getting in.

Cut it just here.

Before the new conifers can be planted,

the hard landscaping needs to be finished.

At the end of the patio,

Charlie's designed a fixed bench and potting table,

and she's given the job of building those to Harry and David.

Charlie's got us making the bench within the garden,

and this is what it will look like.

So, the garden was made up of a lot of slabs, originally,

so it's really important to try and re-use them.

So, we're going to create these slab towers,

and they're going to be the legs to the bench,

and then we're going to have a timber top. So, quite simple.

It's all about recycling materials that were already in the garden.

I know, Charlie's being clever on this one, isn't she?

And I think that's what's so nice,

it's that it's a very simple construction method.

All we're doing is we're layering these slabs up,

and we're using these spacers, which are 50 millimetres, because

if it was just mortar, it might kind of tend just to lean one way.

But by using these spacers,

it's going to create this lovely, uniform gap straight up.

And it's going to be a lovely little feature.

And what we're going to do then, in between those spacers,

we're just going to put in some of the mortar.

And it's important to not put too much in.

Make it just a little bit higher than the spacer.

Keep it away from the edges,

because that's going to give that shadow gap, the idea

that it's hovering, which will look really cool.

-Right, go on, then.

-Got to get it square.

-We'll have this done in no time, won't we?

-Yeah.

That'll be music to Charlie's ears.

And she can keep an eye on the brothers' progress

from the corner of the garden,

where she's getting creative with cement.

Now, I wanted to put some containers in the garden,

because containers really add quite a lovely feel.

I fancied a nice stone trough or two, but budget said no,

so I'm making my own.

And this is called hypertufa.

And it sort of recreates a synthetic version,

or a home-made version, of tufa rock.

So, I've got two measures of cement,

three measures of peat-free potting compost,

and then three perlites, which you'll get at the garden centre.

It's funny stuff. It's for adding aeration to compost or soil.

It's very, very light.

It almost feels like polystyrene, but it's not.

So, three of those. It's like making a great big cake!

And just like cake, this mixture won't work without moisture.

It's one of those things - not too much water...

..but just enough. So, a little bit at a time.

And if you don't get the consistency right,

hypertufa can be prone to cracking.

I think that is...almost there.

It's got to be...

..wet enough that it forms a ball,

but not so wet that it's sloppy.

I think that's about it. Look at that.

It can be moulded into any shape, so is perfect for containers,

and even garden ornaments, if you're feeling artistic.

Charlie is simply using a couple of cardboard boxes for her trough.

The best thing is that when finished, it's very light,

and much easier to move around the garden than a real stone trough.

But first, it has to dry, so here's one Charlie made earlier.

So, it's a case of getting the cardboard off,

and then using a wire brush just to soften the edges off.

This is obviously going to take some time.

Come back...later.

The surface of the path and the patio edges are now being laid.

Charlie has chosen hoggin,

which is a mixture of gravel, sand and clay,

that binds together firmly when compacted,

and yet allows water to drain through.

It adds a warm and pleasant texture to the space,

which is vital if you have large areas

of paving or gravel in your garden.

-That is perfect. Look at that.

-Yeah. Charlie will be...

Charlie's very impressed! Slap on the back! Well done!

It's quite cool, isn't it? I like it.

And it works so nice with the patio.

Yeah, and we've just got to do the table over there,

-that's got to be higher.

-We've got it down to a T now,

-so it's easy.

-Oh, OK, then.

I might not even bring the level with this one.

That's asking for trouble!

Charlie's managed to remove the cardboard from her hypertufa trough,

and is ready to add some plants in the form of alpines.

Alpines are really neglected in the garden.

They make great container plants,

but also, they're very good in borders,

because they're very low-maintenance,

so at the front of a border,

as long as they have got sunlight and free-draining soil,

they're very happy.

So, that sedum there is going to sort of tumble over the edge, there.

Another thing I like about alpines

is they make some really nice shapes, like a hummock.

And in a container, to show them off,

it's better to have less rather than lots.

And then the odd rock in there, as well, really sets them off well.

David is making progress with the slab pedestals for the table.

Or so he thinks.

-Go that way a little bit more.

-What do you mean? The whole thing?

-The tower?

-The last three you can just shunt.

Yeah, does that look good from there?

It's slightly leaning that way.

Like leaning? Or just needs to, like, hit over?

It looks like your pancake stack is staggering sideways.

I leave you for a little bit, and look what happens.

Despite a valiant attempt to correct the lean...

..there's only one thing for it.

Hopefully, Harry is getting on better

with the wooden seat for the bench.

These are second-hand scaffolding boards,

and, compared to a brand-new scaffolding board,

they're about half-price.

And just by sanding it down a little bit, it creates this lovely,

almost new appearance, so a great top to the bench.

All we've done here is we've created two little brackets on the ends,

and that this slots over the legs, so it gets us a lovely tight fit.

Scaffolding boards are great for garden structures,

because they're made for outdoor use.

Due to health-and-safety rules,

scaffolding companies have to change their boards regularly,

but often there is still plenty of life left in them,

and they should last a good few years.

Right. Watch your head.

With the table pedestals corrected,

the brothers attach the scaffolding board top.

The two Scotts are also working with wood.

They're constructing the framework for the first raised bed

for David to attach the side to.

Not only are scaffolding boards perfect for the tops of benches,

they're also really well suited to making raised beds.

And again, really simple construction.

Just putting the upright bits into the soil, nice and firm,

then we face them with the scaffolding boards.

They've got that nice, rustic appearance, we'll keep that.

We're not going to sand them. Then, nice little detail,

the guys have sunk the uprights a bit lower than the fascia,

because what they are going to do is put a bit of capping on there.

You know you said aged and rustic-looking?

-Yeah.

-I've changed my mind.

I'm going to paint the fronts of them.

You change your mind like you change your socks, Charlie.

Yeah. Once a week!

So, I'm going to actually paint this, I think,

-and then leave the top capping...

-Rustic.

-..rustic.

So, I just think...

I don't mind rustic, but I don't want it too rustic.

-Too late to go against you anyway.

-Yeah.

-You can have your way.

I told you I was going to nag you, so hurry up and finish that end,

because I want to start painting.

And then there's another raised bed to do there.

No good smiling at me and laughing, Harry!

Get on.

HE YAWNS

Oh, well...

Blimey.

Hopefully, it will dry a little darker.

CHUCKLING

Don't! Stop it!

You wait, when David and Harry see this,

-they'll think I've lost my marbles.

-It's purple!

It looked much darker on the sample.

-Oh, yeah.

-I think it's going to dry down.

-What have you done, Charlie?

Oh, shut up. Get on!

-HE PUFFS

-Mad.

Purple planting beds weren't on Charlie's original plan,

so she's no idea what Andrew and Dawn will make of them,

but there's no going back now.

They might grow to love it.

With the brothers' jobs mounting up,

they get the two Scotts to finish the raised beds for them so they can

move on to the next task.

In her design, Charlie incorporated a vertical planting screen,

which will be easily accessible for Andrew.

It will also help to mask the shed,

but because the couple will still need to get into the shed,

Charlie's cleverly decided to put the screen on hinges, like a gate.

So, I'm out here constructing Charlie's living gate

and as you can see from the plan,

it's simply just like a gate, a few gaps we can hang planters on,

and it's quite a simple construction.

I'm laying it out at the moment. We've got these timbers here,

creating a framework, and then cut these

scaffolding boards to size.

So, just spacing them out evenly

and there is also going to be this cross timber, as well.

This is to make it quite structurally sound.

What that does is it transfers the weight from the top end down to the

bottom end where the hinges are,

so the strongest point will get most of the weight.

Then it's also really important

to get things like this square, so using a set square

means that you can get your 90 degrees really easily.

It just means that, you know, you've got security in knowing

that when you put it up between the posts, it's going to fit.

Meanwhile, Harry is planting up the containers

that will hang from the screen.

Not only did Charlie want them to be a lovely floral display,

lots of colour, but she actually wanted them to be edible,

so a little bit of fun.

The pansy or viola here has edible flowers

and it's got this lovely kind of, I think,

like a peppery, lettuce taste.

And dianthus, also known as pinks,

they are quite subtle but there's a slight hint of cloves.

And these calendula or marigolds, with their lovely yellowy flowers,

sometimes with a hint of red,

are also great additions to salad, and these petals...

..a little bit of pepper again.

And this is just bog-standard lettuce,

but I think I've tried all the rest

of them, so I might as well sneak one leaf off.

Delicious. No hint of pepper at all.

Not all flowers are safe to eat,

so make sure you do your research before adding petals to your plate.

As the final touches are added to the raised beds,

all the hard landscaping is finally complete

and the landscapers take a well-earned break.

There's no rest for Charlie, though,

because she's keen to start placing the plants,

which will begin to bring this garden to life.

Right, so, is anyone feeling strong?

David, you're the only person in the garden.

So, that Cordyline, do you fancy moving that

and popping it about here?

Break up the line.

Time-wise, we are a bit tight now.

-Don't worry, I'm here.

-Good-oh.

-So, cherry tree...

-Yeah?

there.

HE GROANS

Yeah.

I'm popping in this little conifer here.

This one I would recommend to anyone.

Picea Glauca Albertaina Conica.

After ten years,

it's still only a metre high,

and it keeps this wonderful pyramidal Christmas-tree shape.

You don't have to do anything to it at all.

So, I'm basically leaving this flowerbed empty

so Dawn and Andrew can plant what they want in there.

It's just a great height to sit and work and not so wide

that you can't reach the centre.

Harry is also planting conifers in the form of very elegant cypresses.

Better get that upright.

The trees Charlie's chosen will add much-needed height

and vertical axis to the garden,

screening out the houses at the back as they grow,

and David has the tallest.

So, I'm just about to plant this Sorbus or rowan,

found a lot down in the valleys back in Wales, you know,

a good old hometown tree.

You've got these leaves which are really delicate

and then they've got the flowers, they'll come out.

Obviously, you get some really vivid red berries

and then some gorgeous autumn colour, as well, so it's got a natural

but also quite ornamental presence in the garden.

With the height taken care of,

Charlie starts on the low-level planting beds,

and she's chosen plants which will spread out,

covering the ground and preventing weeds from growing,

another must in a low-maintenance garden.

So, these conifers come in all shapes and sizes.

This one's a juniper, so it's nice and flat.

It's Green Carpet, so it's really good for ground cover

but it's also just going to sort of spill over

and break up the hard lines.

Then, in contrast, we've got blue spruce

and then I've interplanted with sort of blue and purple colours,

so the Festuca and the ground cover of the Ajuga

which will create a mat underneath the conifers

and actually sort of highlight them and make them show out more.

The team's on the home stretch.

Oh, beautiful.

-Perfect.

-Made-to-measure.

Charlie has raided Andrew and Dawn's shed

and has found some containers which she's putting to good use

as a last-minute finishing touch,

and there's just one final thing to place.

Charlie, where do you want this super-light alpine planter?

It's not 100% dried out yet, that's why it's still a bit heavy.

Um, I reckon maybe on the step there, but I'm not 100% sure.

Let's try it there.

And I can safely say, "No, I don't like it there." It could go there.

And the other way round.

And then back that way a bit.

HE GROANS

Yeah, OK, I think that's all right.

-Do we think that's...?

-Oh, I love that.

-You like that, do you?

Don't get me to move that again.

Right, I think that's it.

We did it! Woohoo!

Before they called Charlie and the Rich brothers,

Andrew and Dawn's drab and depressing garden,

with its hodgepodge collection of paving and gravel,

was in dire need of attention.

But now, after a £2,500 face-lift,

it's been given a new lease of life.

The dynamic angular paving gives the garden a new structure and purpose

and cost £750.

The permanent benches are a thrifty addition,

made with recycled slabs and scaffolding boards, costing £100.

The colourful and accessible raised beds,

which will enable Andrew to potter to his heart's content,

cost a total of £150.

The living vertical screen is a novel and useful addition

to the garden and it's packed full of edibles.

It came in at £160.

Charlie's gone conifer crazy in this garden

and spent £300 on these structural, easy-to-care-for evergreens.

She's also included a cherry tree at £75

and a host of grasses and bedding plants which totalled £500.

So, step down...

Every penny of the £2,500 budget has been maximised

to give Andrew and Dawn a safe, calm, usable space.

Now, it's the moment of truth for Charlie.

You can look now, if you like.

Are you ready?

Oh, wow.

Look at that. That is lovely.

Oh, yes. Oh, look at the colour on there!

-You like it?

-I love it.

-Love it.

-Yeah.

-I'm so glad you said that!

I am so glad with the colour.

When it came out the pot, I was a bit horrified,

-but it's gone nice and dark.

-It dried. It's dried.

Charlie took a bit of a leap going for a bright colour,

-but it definitely brightens up the space.

-I agree.

So, we've got this nice big step when you come out...

-Yeah.

-..the door.

And then, you step down onto a nice hard surface.

Yes, yes, lovely.

That is really nice.

We have your raised beds here, so we've left space for you to potter,

so you can sit on the edge, Andrew.

-Oh, look at the cherry tree, as well.

-I know, it's just lovely.

And it's going to fill that whole space there, so...

Gorgeous tree. You know, it's going to look beautiful.

-It looks gorgeous in flower, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-Great shape.

-It does sort of make you want to go

-down that way, doesn't it?

-Draws you down.

-Definitely, yes.

I love the re-use of the slabs.

They work really well, don't they?

Yeah, gives it lovely lines.

-The ridged effect. Absolutely lovely.

-Really nice.

Charlie coming up with that little idea, it's really smart, I love it.

It's quite different, as well, isn't it?

-It's quite architectural, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, have a perch on...

..your reclaimed seat.

-Fantastic.

-Lovely, yes.

-Just the right height.

-That is just so nice.

It's lovely looking back, isn't it?

That's what we liked right from the start, that different perspective.

And then the boys have been really busy on your edible wall.

OK, so the plants we've got in there,

you can eat all the petals on that.

Oh, pretty food, OK.

Pretty food, but of course...

Oh, wow, look at that!

It swings open so you've got access to get to the shed door.

-Very clever.

-Yes, very clever.

Oh, handy work, Dave.

A little bit of me, bit of you.

Teamwork comes off, doesn't it?

They'll have petals galore in their salad now.

And how have you found it, Andrew, walking about on it?

Absolutely fine, yes, good and level.

No tripping up.

No, because there were a few trip hazards before.

Definitely, yes.

And with the raised beds,

it's going to make it really nice and easy for me for the gardening,

-so it's going to make a big, big difference, yes.

-Beautiful.

So, has Charlie delivered everything Andrew and Dawn were hoping for?

I think it's transformed the garden.

Yeah, the architectural plants I love.

Love the conifers, love the cherry tree.

It just makes you feel like you want to be out here more.

Even sitting in the house and looking out at the garden,

it's so much more inviting.

It was barren before but now it looks fabulous.