0:00:01 > 0:00:05Fabulous flowers, luscious lawns, verdant veggie plots and back yards.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08What does your garden say about you?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11If it's crying out for an overhaul
0:00:11 > 0:00:12or you simply need help to get started,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14then we're here to inspire you.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18- We're happy.- Is that a good shot for you?- 'I'm Chris Beardshaw,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'passionate horticulturist, landscape architect
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'and mad-keen cyclist.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'I propagated my first seeds when I was four and haven't looked back since.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Atchoo! Excuse me.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Is that broad appreciation?
0:00:32 > 0:00:37And I'm Colin Donaldson, builder, landscape gardener, and mad-keen biker.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41For me it's about the property and the landscape working together,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and if there's heavy machinery involved, then all the better.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Are you trying to get a tune out of that?
0:00:48 > 0:00:52'We're on a mission to help six families transform their gardens.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54'So let's Get Up And Grow.'
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Bill and Anna Eggert are trying to live on a very beautiful
0:01:30 > 0:01:33but very exposed part of the coastline at Portmuck.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39We say "trying" cos they're in the middle of building a house, the house of their dreams.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43And you, Chris, had the, um, bright idea of building them a ruin
0:01:43 > 0:01:47as the first outpost of the garden.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Look how much you enjoyed moving all those rocks.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Hmm, not sure "enjoy" is the right word, but let's see what Anna and Bill think about it now.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03- How's it been living with a finished part of the garden, somewhere to sit and relax?- It's wonderful.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Many times, we've just come here to get away from it there and have
0:02:07 > 0:02:11a wee picnic, have a cup of coffee, just sit and enjoy the countryside.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's all worthwhile when you're here and realise how beautiful it is.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18What sold it to you was me lifting all those stones and putting them there.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Now that my hernia's recovering,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23we should go and have a look here because there's plenty more to do.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30'The situation of the new house and garden is pretty challenging - for people and plants.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:35The biggest challenge for me is to have the surrounding landscape and the building
0:02:35 > 0:02:37interacting through what we do with the garden.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Let's be honest,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42there is no relationship between the garden and the house.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46I don't believe that at any point in the architectural design process
0:02:46 > 0:02:48has anyone looked out of a window.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The house has been built with the view obviously in mind,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56but nobody's lined anything up to say,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59"Well, let's take it in this direction or that direction."
0:03:01 > 0:03:06One of the most important things before we go to town on design is to
0:03:06 > 0:03:12get a feel for how you see the site at the moment and what your aims and ambitions are for the site.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Because there's little point in investing time and energy
0:03:15 > 0:03:16in creating a building
0:03:16 > 0:03:21that suits the way you live without reflecting that out in the garden.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And not just this piece, but the entire garden space.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27You have more ideas than I do, so I'll be briefer.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I don't have a great imagination about it.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Something that doesn't take an unbelievable amount of work would be a good idea.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Secondly, we can't lose the shelter.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41We need this protection here, even though it's overgrown,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44it's gone to the dogs, we need to keep the height so we can sit here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Even if you move a few metres away, once you're out of the shelter,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51it's amazing how much wind there is, so shelter is key.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Look, and you've got fuchsias and you've got hebes.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00You've got the two best plants for shelter in this part of the world, so I wouldn't do anything with that.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I think that's perfect. And the height is just right,
0:04:03 > 0:04:08because there's three metres approximately of shelter here,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12and when you work out the maths, whatever the height of your shelter,
0:04:12 > 0:04:17if you times the height by five and lay that distance down, that's the distance of shelter that's afforded.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Now, what's interesting is this pile of planting here
0:04:20 > 0:04:24not moving at all in the breeze - just a little bit of a tweak.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Look over here.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Look at the way these things are moving.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32This is 15 metres from that shelter.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36And this side, where we have screening as well,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38would work as shelter. We want to remove this now.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42You can't have everything, otherwise you'll be living inside a box.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45In the end, we'll have a garden as far as the eye can see.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48If we take out chunks of hedge, it channels the eye to the direction
0:04:48 > 0:04:51we want it to go and it makes it so much more interesting.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Are you proposing that all of that would go?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56No, we certainly want to open up view lines.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00You've got some spectacular views there and there's no point in covering those up.
0:05:00 > 0:05:08If you open those views up, it will transform not just the quality of the view but the quality of life,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10your life, in the house and in the garden.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The other thing which is really important
0:05:13 > 0:05:16is the way that the height of the land rises from the building.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21There is something very sinister about a garden that rises from the house.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So we have to do something about changing the dynamics
0:05:24 > 0:05:27of the spaces down here, because it's rising from the windows here.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31You know, the ground level is almost at window level.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I have a big question over how you enter the garden,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38what entrance you make there, and then how you move from one level to the next,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41because the other problem is that my mum is a wheelchair user
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and we want to make this garden accessible as well.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47We'll be able to set out a few lines and just let you see that.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Talk to them about car parking, because at the moment you're parking cars down here,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54which is kind of compromising everything, really.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Vehicles are coming up from down the lane there and currently
0:05:59 > 0:06:02you're coming up and pulling up pretty much here.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I don't want the car to block the dining room window. That's very crucial.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09And I don't want it to block this guest bedroom window either.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Which is a light issue as much as a view issue.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15I was thinking of creating something here but lower so that it's not in the view.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Unless your car is your pride and joy,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21why on earth would you want it in the middle of the garden?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Which is what's going to happen if you stick it there.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28It's our job to give vision, because sometimes they can't see the wood for the trees.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33The site is telling you something very straightforward, and that's that a car should not be here.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35So let's turn this into a garden of some sort,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39a garden that if your mum's in a wheelchair, she can access the garden.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Raised beds on a concrete platform - perfect.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Which then raises the question - what does happen here?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48This is now part of that garden, so this is no longer driveway.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51This is a part of the garden.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53That sounds good.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- OK.- Are you convinced not to put your car here?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Well, we need to find a place to put it,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02but, I mean, to me...
0:07:04 > 0:07:09While you continue to try and persuade them, Chris, I'll start the big clear-up job.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12That's why they get paid for being the expert and we don't!
0:07:14 > 0:07:15- We're just punters.- Yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21There's some work going on round the back of the house,
0:07:21 > 0:07:27it's worth just coming back to this idea, returning to the idea of where do we put the cars.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Is this not a car park?
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- Yes, it is.- Yes.- It may be a huge problem to you where to park a car.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34To us, it's beautifully straightforward.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39Let's concentrate on the task in hand, which is creating a fantastic paradise garden.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42So all that's before nightfall?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Yeah? - You're going to be busy, aren't you?
0:07:45 > 0:07:50A cleared site means we can get to grips with levels and a basic layout.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Could you get me a square off that, please?
0:07:53 > 0:07:59Just marking out the lines, getting our angles, taking the squaring off the step so we can get the paths in.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02This can come down by 200.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04That'll work.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Not that the angle police will come and get us, but it will work out OK.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I have learned that you sometimes have to destroy things
0:08:17 > 0:08:20to make something nice and better.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23We're going to walk them through it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27That's to gauge a reaction, and from that we'll decide
0:08:27 > 0:08:31if we proceed with this or we'll make a few tweaks here and there.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36So you can see from up here
0:08:36 > 0:08:41the idea of cutting through the screen there suddenly reveals
0:08:41 > 0:08:46that fabulous rock stack in the distance and it connects the house with the distant coast.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50And start to come down into the heart of the garden on to a gravel path.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54This then becomes a flat and level manicured lawn.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58This area here is large shrubs, not as tall as these ones,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01but providing a bit of a buffer and shelter for the lawn area.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05If you come through this piece, we've got a path going off down there.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10- This is a wheelchair access path - gentle slope down to Mum's garden down there.- Great.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Come through here. On this side we've got herbaceous border,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16so this is a traditional kind of cottage garden.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20On this side we've got some of the structure shrubs being reintroduced
0:09:20 > 0:09:23with, again, some of the roses,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27really starting to pepper that with fragrance and colour and flowers.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30The interesting thing has been the revelation as time has gone on
0:09:30 > 0:09:34of what they see in the place
0:09:34 > 0:09:39and how that matches with what we envisaged, to what we would want.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It's looking fine.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I would like it to be a little bit more levelled.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47A little bit more work could have been done today,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49but we are where we are.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54We will be giving more in the garden and I think that is a big difference to before.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58I think there's a kind of polite acceptance,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03but I'm not sure that they're completely
0:10:03 > 0:10:06au fait with our style and what we're trying to do.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Creating a great garden is all about context. And look at this.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Craggy coastline, beautiful colours.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18And that is Bill and Anna's house just peeping out.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Beautiful colours?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Looks like rain to me. Better crack on with the clearing.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26If you just scrape off the scruff to start with.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Clearing the scruff? So that means just clearing the whole site.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32This is a huge job, Chris.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I'm not sure if Bill's convinced yet, though.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39But more importantly, Anna is - and she's the boss.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Bill and I stood on the balcony and looked down and thought,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44"Yeah, this will be really nice."
0:10:44 > 0:10:47We could picture it. Suddenly it all fell into place
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and I can already imagine what it will be like when it's finished,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53so looking forward to that very much.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It's about laying out the basic pattern and then seeing
0:10:59 > 0:11:02if you can achieve the levels you're after.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06One of the things to bear in mind is that this path coming off the bottom
0:11:06 > 0:11:10across to the old ash tree, that's got to be reasonably level
0:11:10 > 0:11:15because what you don't want is for the path to go out and then suddenly go up in the air.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18You've a good eye, yeah? You must have, doing this job.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Only one good eye!
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Now Chris has okayed it with Bill,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26we have to define the levels by putting in pegs.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28- So that's only a marker peg?- Yeah.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34We need to just grade everything down from this finished level.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Then you get a nice even grade on this as well as an even grade that way
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and it should be so slight, you shouldn't see it.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47You just need that to be a nice clean line because the next step
0:11:47 > 0:11:53is to put the tanalised pegs in to then take the boarding.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55OK. So how far back does it go?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57We just need to go where the spade is.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00We're just going back to there, just a straight line, straight through.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- So this will be the patio? - 'No, it'll be the terrace!'
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Really tough clay,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09solid clay.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10'I'm not a particular handyman.'
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I know what to do if somebody tells me what to do.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- The top of the stake's got to go to where the bottom of the board is. - Down quite a bit.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21If they say, "Lift that, tie those two bits together, nail that," I can do all those things.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24How many pairs of hands have you got?
0:12:25 > 0:12:30If you can tie that string off nice and tight on that nail,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32it'll give us a line straight through.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'Anna has escaped from the building site,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40'down the lane to the ruined garden.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43'She really seems to be adopting it.'
0:12:43 > 0:12:45'It's great to see her connecting with the space.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'It's all a learning process.'
0:12:48 > 0:12:51It's very wobbly. I wonder, can you eat it?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53I don't think I would like to.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I enjoy being here. I haven't done much weeding, as you can see.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05But whenever we were working on the building site,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I really enjoyed coming and just sitting here.
0:13:08 > 0:13:15I would bring my picnic and just sit here, right here, look out and enjoy myself, you know.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17SEAGULLS SQUAWK
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Hear the birds?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23They're amazing.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28Watching Anna appreciate the garden and landscape makes our job worthwhile.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I want to grow things that I like and make sure that
0:13:32 > 0:13:34what I grow...
0:13:34 > 0:13:37will sort of...
0:13:37 > 0:13:40take over rather than the grass taking over.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43So, Aquilegias from the other garden,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45just like these.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46These should be ready.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Just going to scatter them and see what comes of them.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Let's hope for the best.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02But nature was here first. SHE LAUGHS
0:14:04 > 0:14:07THUNDER RUMBLES
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We are getting wet.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11'I remember this day.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'Even the cows went in out of the rain.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17'But I don't see you here, Colin.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'I had important business in Tuscany.'
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I feel sorry for everybody who got soaked.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26We're in Ireland, after all, and it's July,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31so the month with the most rainy days, statistically speaking, I believe.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Yeah, July does have a lot of rain, most of it today.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49That is now one very muddy...
0:14:50 > 0:14:52I don't know.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Hippopotamus pit is what we have out there now, you know!
0:14:59 > 0:15:01There are elements of aquatic nature
0:15:01 > 0:15:05which are seeming to appear in our scheme.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10I don't think you've seen anything like it, have you? Be honest.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14This was how we left the quagmire that day.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Wouldn't you know it, once Colin was back...
0:15:18 > 0:15:20BIRDS CHIRP
0:15:20 > 0:15:23We've been so lucky with the weather up here.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27What happened when I was away? Did you all go to the beach?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29LAUGHTER
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I think that's a nice thought
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and Speedos would have been the perfect attire.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41How is your sunburn now, by the way? My trench foot's nearly cleared up.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Captivating jobs where it doesn't matter how much you do,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50you can always go back and do a bit more levelling.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55People often think the most important view is from the house to the garden,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57but it's just as important the other way round.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01For the best results, try tying the materials
0:16:01 > 0:16:04using both the building and the garden together.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08You've got the contemporary building coming and looking into this piece of garden,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11when you're in the garden, that's what greets you.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15The surfaces you use have to relate to the architecture.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17For inspiration for your surfaces,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19look at the materials on your building.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23You've got the render which is a light-coloured render,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25you've got steel, galvanised,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28you've got slate, which is quite strong
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and that's a dark, very well-cut slate.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Any of those things would work
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and you've also got exposed timbers as well.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38That gives you your palette.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42I'm beginning to get...
0:16:42 > 0:16:43to get it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I think there's so many products on the market for everything,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50whether it's paving or whether it's planting or seating.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You have to maintain that purity of approach and if in doubt,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55stand and look at the building and say,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00this is the building the garden is having a conversation with.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It has to have the same conversation.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05You put anything else in which is contradicting
0:17:05 > 0:17:08what the building's saying and it's going to look odd.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11As Chris says, choose something that's already used on the site.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14That'll be enough. You'll unconsciously take that in.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Before planting a new garden,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31get inspiration on what will grow well for you, by looking around your neighbourhood
0:17:31 > 0:17:33or visit a garden with similar conditions.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38In this case, I took Anna to a garden that, just a few years ago,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41faced exactly the challenges she does.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45This is a eucalyptus.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48It's going right up through this Escallonia.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- You see the top up there. - This isn't eucalyptus.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I was looking and wondering, "What is it?"
0:18:01 > 0:18:03From this area, what I'd be looking at taking,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07are things like the birch and the mountain ash.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11You can plant it virtually on a rock and it'll find its way there.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14They're as brutal as you like, they grow on the mountains.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21This is a contrast to the woodland part of the garden.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I think this gives you a good idea of where you can go
0:18:23 > 0:18:26with that more open area of your garden around the lawn,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28if this is what appeals.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30That's what I really wanted to get from you,
0:18:30 > 0:18:35does this feel like a garden that you want to be in?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39What you need to ask yourself is, can I live with that chaos in the planting?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I love chaos, don't worry. I love chaos.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I love the way it has different levels, different heights of things.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I love the different shapes of plants.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The colours, this feels autumnal
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and yet the variety of colours in here is amazing.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Agapanthus, the blue one here. The white Agapanthus here.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- Look at this, the Sanguisorba. - St John's Wort.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Hypericum which you've already got in the garden.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Geraniums tumbling down there.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09You've got roses as well, shrub roses.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Then again, look what's behind.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The birch doing that really hard-work job,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17protecting all these plants.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20You can't feel the breeze in the garden, yet look at the trees blowing.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25If you plant the right plants, prepare the ground in the right way,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30create the shelter, two years and it'll be looking just like this.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Two years?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33With herbaceous perennials, grasses
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and the vigorous shrubs in here, two years will do it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Time for a recap then, Chris.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52The main challenge here has been to marry the landscape to the building.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55The landscape is pretty challenging in itself.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59First, we had to refine the shelter belt and in doing so,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02we were able to celebrate the views and break the wind.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Ah, I always say it's good to break wind in the garden!
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The site was all over the place levels-wise,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12and that took a bit of maths and a whole lot of heavy work to sort out.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Then we tried to get the shapes of the garden
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and the materials to match the building.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21With the paths in, turf and terrace -
0:20:21 > 0:20:23that's patio to you Colin - laid,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26it's all beginning to look like a garden.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29There's no need for a big mug of tea, is there?
0:20:29 > 0:20:34A nice little continental espresso is perfectly appropriate.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Mr Donaldson could learn from this, I think.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41'As you know, delicacy is one of my strong points.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44'Well, as delicate as you can be with a digger.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:48'We wouldn't need a digger had you not driven on my soil and compacted it!'
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'Do you not have a date with a lawnmower?'
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'Yeah, but look - Bill and Anna taking the initiative,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57'starting to tend their new garden.'
0:20:57 > 0:21:01I think this area will be remodelled several times
0:21:01 > 0:21:04before, you know, it'll just grow with us.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Here's something to get Colin out of his comfort zone -
0:21:07 > 0:21:10the arrival of some romantic planting.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Even if he doesn't appreciate it, the local wildlife does.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18I, of course, come equipped with either fur or a T-shirt.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20LAUGHING
0:21:20 > 0:21:21No in between.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Do you want to get a pick?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Don't make me laugh, I can't dig a hole if I'm laughing.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32I like the tree Cotoneasters, because they're more graceful.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35You don't really often think of them as being trees, Cotoneasters.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Most of the time you see them they're in supermarket car parks.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41They are also very flexible, very whippy,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46so they'll bend in the gales rather than getting stressed.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49This is a garden where, whatever the weather's doing,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53you get loads of it, and that's great, because it means you can
0:21:53 > 0:21:57create that sense of enclosure, you can create a little hideaways.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Easy!
0:21:59 > 0:22:01A poor beetle just got it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05You just have to have a lot of them, so whatever direction the wind
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and the weather are coming at you from, you've got somewhere to hide,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10or somewhere to sit and celebrate the weather.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- The whole hole needs to go that way. - The whole hole?- Uh-huh.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16There you go.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We're not creating a hedge, it's not about one level.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's important to have different levels.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And a bit of animation,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25because, remember, a plant that's moving is a plant
0:22:25 > 0:22:29which is also breaking up the wind, whereas a stiff, solid plant
0:22:29 > 0:22:32is just accelerating the wind, in the same way as this bank of trees
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and shrubs that were here was causing the wind
0:22:34 > 0:22:37to spill over the top and then that eddy effect.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41So, what we're trying to do is put in that first line of defence, of structure first,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44which is created by the tough trees on the outside
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and the more delicate trees on the inside.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Once we've done that, the next step is to go for the shrubs,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54as the second line of defence, then the herbaceous as the third.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So that's how we're thinking about laying them out.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It's important to create layers of shelter from every direction.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And it has to be that staged effect to take the energy out of the wind.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Chris is...
0:23:08 > 0:23:11the man who knoweth.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Chris, I asked a question and they told me to ask you it on camera.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Go on then.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19What have we got here? What are the plants?
0:23:19 > 0:23:21How long have you got?
0:23:21 > 0:23:2325 words or less.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Well, at the moment you've got a mix of trees,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28for instance, this one here is Amelanchier,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31quite a well-behaved, large shrub or small tree,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34which is why I've got a pair,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36but then you've got plants underneath of that,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40things like the Weigela, which is more of an open-spreading shrub,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44then going around through things like the Cotinus, the smoke bush,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and the other one with the purple leaf is Physocarpus diablo.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Seeing we haven't got five hours, tell me what this one is.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55This is a Phormium, New Zealand flax, and it's a good punctuation plant.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57The art of gardening isn't complicated -
0:23:57 > 0:23:59except when gardeners get involved.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01That's when it becomes complicated,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03because we become hung up on the details.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05You don't have to be, enjoy it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09There's a mix of shrubs and ground covers going in at the moment,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12but also I'm dropping in a few edibles, as well, so for instance...
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- There are raspberries.- Exactly.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16That one is called Fool's Gold.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- It's a yellow raspberry.- Yellow?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- Yeah, they're very sweet.- Wow.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24The yellow raspberry's beautifully sweet.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's got all the sugars of six or seven red raspberries
0:24:28 > 0:24:30all shoved into one little yellow raspberry.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35You very often find that yellow fruits and yellow versions of fruits
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and vegetables are much sweeter than the red versions, and this is
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Malling Promise, which is a really good red version of the raspberry.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Lovely.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So it's not all going to be there to look at,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49some of it is there to eat and enjoy as you walk round, too.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50This makes sense now.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I don't know the names of the flowers and plants,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and if you tell me them I'll forget them again immediately.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02- Same here.- The point is that there's a logic to it, it's do-able.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Everyone really enjoyed getting stuck into the planting,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and, contrary to what you believe, Chris, I love it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It was three or four hours, so many people working,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16it was just an amazing transformation.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Just every time you turned round there was another bit of the garden
0:25:21 > 0:25:24looked like a garden, rather than like a rubbish heap.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's great.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Landscaping is all about preparation,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and the only thing you see is the finished result that sits
0:25:36 > 0:25:39on top of the ground, but 90% of the work lies beneath.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43So, that's why it probably appears that it's come together
0:25:43 > 0:25:46very quickly at the end, where's it going, and then, boom -
0:25:46 > 0:25:47the finished article.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54'The garden's almost there. Time to take stock.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I always think it's nice at this time of day
0:25:56 > 0:25:59when you get the last, low-level sunlight on the garden,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02because it brings out the colours, doesn't it?
0:26:02 > 0:26:05This will involve a lot of maintenance
0:26:05 > 0:26:07to keep it looking right,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09but it'll be worth it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It should be a part of enjoying the garden.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- That's the enjoyment, really. - It is.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18But the general edging, grass-cutting,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21there's a very, very basic set-up you have to...
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Duties that you have to perform every week.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30From a wind-ravaged derelict site, to a home and garden in harmony
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and rich in floral potential with romantic views.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39There needs to be more consideration about where budgets are spent
0:26:39 > 0:26:41when people embark on projects like this -
0:26:41 > 0:26:44the price of a garden like this is about the price of a bathroom.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46What would you rather do?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Sit on the toilet and look at a bathroom? Or sit here and look at that?
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- And once you start to... - The toilet? - LAUGHTER
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Now I can come down out of the house,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02down the balcony right into the garden,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05the stairs lead into the garden, it's part of the living space now.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Anybody that knows this house is going to come up now,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13they're going to shake themselves to say, "Is this the same place?"
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Because the transformation is so total, it really is so total.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Spectacular, absolutely spectacular.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25One of the things that struck us straight away when we came
0:27:25 > 0:27:28into this garden is that it almost had its eyes closed.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It was looking at the world like that, it just didn't want to
0:27:31 > 0:27:33interact with the outside world.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Eyes closed...
0:27:37 > 0:27:39to eyes wide open now.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44The shrubs and also herbaceous is the under story that will be
0:27:44 > 0:27:48performing every week of the year so that the view from the house
0:27:48 > 0:27:51or when you're walking around the garden,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53you'll never become tired of.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56The views are wonderful from here.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58We've more views than we had before.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Yeah, and more space than we had before,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04even though we have so many more plants now.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11You have to come back next year.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15You have to see it when all the bulbs come out and things have matured,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I think you should come back, definitely, and see it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19I can't wait.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28- And who does the gardening at your house?- Me, of course.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Me and the three gardeners that come in!
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