Episode 5 The Instant Gardener

There are few sights more satisfying than a beautiful garden.

But what do you do if your outdoor space isn't quite

so picture perfect and you're short on time?

Well, meet the Instant Gardener.

Da-da!

'Danny Clarke is an expert at transforming gardens.'

Here's my plan. I'm going to rejuvenate this garden.

'Each time our gardening guru will show you how to create

'gorgeous garden makeovers.'

That's the art of garden design. Delegation.

'Each transformation will be packed with brilliant ideas and tips...'

It makes it easier to cut through.

..to help you get to grips with your own outdoor space.'

It does feel unnatural, but take your time.

'With his magical ideas...'

These flowers will look like they are floating in amongst the grasses.

..and advice on spending wisely on a budget...'

-That's why Danny makes me bring a list.

-OK.

-Oh, my word.

This is amazing!

'And because he is the Instant Gardener

'everything you see will happen in just one day.'

-Oh, my gosh!

-That looks so much better.

This time we are in the West Yorkshire city of Bradford,

where imposing relics like these 19th-century mills remind us

of its important heritage as a Victorian industrial powerhouse.

Today, Bradford is a city on the rise,

and sometimes things can move so fast it can be hard to keep up.

I'm about to meet a family with a garden that's been left behind,

and it needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the here and now.

-Hello, I'm Helen.

-I'm Beverley.

-Nice to meet you.

-Do you want to come in?

-Thank you very much.

This Victorian terrace house is home to three generations.

Beverley Finch, her 18-year-old son Dale and her elderly mother Brenda.

Beverley lived with her parents until she moved out

and started a family, but then she became a single mum.

In dire need of somewhere to go, she moved back in with Brenda,

along with her young son.

Brenda was a tower of support to her daughter

and has helped to raise Dale since he was one.

But the devoted grandmother, now nearly 80, suffers daily with

crippling arthritis.

And being unsteady on her feet, has had a number of falls.

Brenda used to love sitting in the garden

and enjoying the wildlife, but now that she is

so frail their tangled jungle has become a death trap for her,

so Beverley nominated her mother for an instant garden

makeover as the big thank you Brenda so richly deserves.

This is a garden that's been lost in time -

left to its own devices for the past 12 years. The borders are overgrown,

the lawn is shapeless and tangled. And weeds and saplings have run

wild. But hidden in the undergrowth are some interesting plants.

Rhubarb, crocosmia, peony,

all in danger of being smothered.

Behind the overgrown beds, in a disused greenhouse,

this thick forest was once a shrubbery.

There are some hidden gems here,

but they're completely inaccessible, especially for Beverley's mum.

For an elderly resident, this garden is a nightmare.

Steep and broken steps, overgrown hedges and a lumpy lawn to navigate.

This neglected spot needs some serious clearance to give it

back some shape, purpose and, above all, safety for Brenda.

Right, Beverley, let's have a look at this garden.

-It is kind of a jungle, isn't it?

-Very much so.

It is very overgrown,

lots of things I have no idea what they are completely.

-Other than the rhubarb.

-And the Danny. This is Danny.

What do you reckon, Danny? It is quite overgrown, isn't it?

Very overgrown. I can see this was once a loved garden.

Quite possibly. It has been quite full since we moved in,

but obviously it's just got a little bit wilder and wilder, but apparently

we've got raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, we've got everything.

But no idea which one is which, I must admit.

-So it really needs bringing back to life, doesn't it?

-Oh, it would be amazing.

Just to have a nice garden where we can just sort of sit

and not have to worry about things and, you know, it would just be amazing.

-How long have you lived here?

-We've lived here now about 12 years.

And have you done much with the garden in that 12 years?

We've sort of tried to manage it a little bit,

but it has just got overgrown, and the back part, we can't even

get through, it is nettley, it is prickly, it is just horrendous.

And I've, unfortunately, not been able to keep up with it at all.

So, there is your mum, yourself and Dale,

-who is 18.

-Yeah.

-So three generations.

-Yes.

What would you like to see from this space?

Somewhere where everybody can sort of appreciate,

my mum particularly. For my mum to be able to come out

and know she was safe is one of the main things,

because she is very unsteady on her feet.

Is this a bit of a thank you for your mum?

Yes, because my mum has done loads for us.

I split up from Dale's dad when he was quite little,

and my mum and dad, at the time, took me back in,

they welcomed them both back in and said, "No problems, come back home."

And we've been here ever since, really.

And I guess now you are at a stage in your life where you want to look after her, give her

somewhere nice and safe to spend time.

Although she likes to think she is very independent, but unfortunately

she is not as independent as she likes to think she is.

So, yes, it would be nice to be able to give her something back...

just to say thank you, really, for all the help she has done for us over the years.

Beverley, is there anything specific you like in this garden?

Anything that your mum would really like?

It would be lovely for her to have somewhere to sit.

She likes to come out and she likes to watch all the wildlife

and the birds, so maybe something for the birds, you know,

that she could sit and watch wildlife and things.

But just to be able to come out, relax,

-have somewhere nice to sit and just take it all in.

-Yes, sure.

-Don't forget this. You know what's coming, don't you, Helen?

-Yes.

-The magic book.

-The shopping list.

We'll go off and get some inspiration, and come back with

a few goodies that will hopefully contribute to the garden.

Don't spend the afternoon playing on that slide.

Oh, ca... But I wanted to. HELEN LAUGHS

-Come on then, Beverley, we'll get out of their hair.

-Thank you.

-See you.

While I sweep Beverley away to civilisation, Danny has only

ten hours to convert this primeval forest into an elegant garden.

So, Danny, what's the plan of action?

Here's my plan.

The first thing I'm going to do is cut this lawn,

cut it right back and give it some shape.

Cut these hedges back.

These hedges are massively overgrown,

so they are going to be cut right back.

And I'm going to cut these sappys down.

I'd love to dig them out, but sadly we won't have time to do that.

And then work my way into there, into that shrubbery over there,

cutting from side to side, just to see what we've got.

And once I can see what we've got, I can then make a true assessment.

I'm going to be very brutal, but that's what you have to do

when you're renovating a garden, and it will come back.

So once I've cut back

and I can see what we've got, I think what we've got to do, because

a lot of the plants are overgrown, I'm going to lift them and divide them.

So less is going to make more.

And by doing that, I'm going to rejuvenate the plants,

they are going to absolutely love it.

And we can just dot them around.

Brenda is very elderly and she is unsteady on her feet.

And she's got to negotiate some steep steps...

over there, which are damaged.

And, you know, she can't really get access to this garden safely,

so we are going to repair the steps and attach a hand rail to the wall.

So she can negotiate those steps safely

and enjoy the garden once we've finished with it.

My intention is to put a seating area here.

So, I'm not really sure in what position I'm going to put it in.

I can only assess that once I've cleared,

because this garden is so badly overgrown.

I've got to get in here, start working and then I'll see what's here.

Danny's handyman AJ and horticultural expert

Lou are here to help as always, and Beverley's son Dale is pitching

in. Plus, he's drafted two of his best mates, Jamie and Billy.

-All right, lads. How are you doing?

-All right.

Thanks for coming along to give us a hand today. Really appreciate it.

There's a lot to do, as you can see.

So we need all the manpower we can muster.

So, do you think you will be mates after today, after he's roped you in?

-Do you think you will still be mates?

-Maybe.

-THEY LAUGH

So, what we'll do, we will get our safety gear on.

-I feel like I'm going swimming.

-Goggles on.

I tell you what, you all look really supercool.

While the lads mow the lawn and clear out Dale's weather-beaten

childhood toys, AJ makes a start on those slippery steps.

Beverley's mum is quite elderly and they are quite steep.

-And concrete, generally, can be slippery.

-Yeah, sure.

So I'm going to rebuild the steps, really,

because there is a lot of it chipped out here

which is quite dangerous, really,

-because you are expecting it there and...

-Yeah, yeah ..tumble.

-And then...

I'm going to then attach the fake grass to it, so we can

sort of bring the garden actually further back towards the house.

Because the artificial grass will be less slippy,

so it is non-slippy, rather than just plain.

And, Lou...

look at this. Lou.

-Oh, it is going to take more than a...

-I think it is.

-..pair of pruners!

I think we are going to have to get the heavy gear out, aren't we?

The serious stuff.

And the heavy stuff will be arriving a bit later on,

when Danny drafts in some specialist help.

But for now, Danny and the teenage trio will get started on cutting

back those overgrown hedges.

With bad weather forecast for later on,

the team need to get stuck in right away, there's no time to waste.

Meanwhile, I've taken Beverley away from all the chaos to

a garden not far away, near Leeds.

Like Beverley's, it was once a jungly mess,

but is now a picture of safe and orderly beauty,

with abundant seating and good access to all areas.

Right, Beverley, so we've come to a house that has a garden which

-has had similar sorts of issues to yours...

-Right.

..in that once upon a time it was quite overgrown.

It isn't now, so hopefully you will find some things in there

-that you like the look of.

-Hm. Lovely.

-Right.

Oh, that is amazing.

Oh! This has serious wow factor, doesn't it?

This is amazing.

Can you imagine sitting here all day

and just being able to look at the birdhouse and everything?

It is absolutely stunning, is this.

I don't even need to ask you if you like get, you clearly love it.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

The archway and all the different plants, the little summerhouse.

-But there are things, that you also have, in this garden.

-Yeah.

The woodland surrounding it, the birds tweeting.

The birds tweeting, the wildlife and everything.

And like your garden, it sort of steps away from the house.

-It does, yeah.

-Road at the front and then it tiers down. Trickles down.

This sort of does the same, in a way, doesn't it? But it is beautiful.

-It is absolute stunning.

-First impressions are clearly good.

-Oh...

Let's have a bit more of a look around.

-Oh!

-I love this arch.

It's absolutely beautiful. Look at the pretty flowers.

That's gorgeous, how it just sort of hangs over, isn't it?

Those clematises are so gorgeous, aren't they?

Rose on this side, so perfect for climbing over.

-So lots of places to sit around the garden, you can follow the sun.

-Yeah.

-And great little bird house over there.

-Yes. And the deer.

I think this is a really fun addition to a garden.

-How do you feel about it?

-It is lovely.

It is quite big, but it fits in the garden perfectly

and it is overseeing everything that is going on.

It is as if the wildlife, it has sneaked out

and just having a look at everything going on, isn't it?

Taking it all in, it's gorgeous.

Well, I'm confident you are excited by this garden.

Definitely, definitely.

I think there are quite a few things here that you could take away

and incorporate into your garden.

-Do you think that?

-Yes. Definitely. Yes.

If I had a garden like this, I would never go in again. It is beautiful.

Absolutely stunning.

Back in the lost garden of Bradford,

there could be a spanner in the works.

Before the more dense overgrowth at the back of the garden can be

tackled, there is an essential check that must be made first

in case it's already occupied.

-Now, I want to take this tree out.

-Right.

So one of the things I need to check for, obviously, is to see

-if there are any nesting birds here.

-OK.

So we need to have a check before we chainsaw this down.

-OK, so shall we have a look?

-Yeah, yeah.

And then we can satisfy ourselves that it is

perfectly OK.

Did you know it is an offence to destroy a wild bird's nest

while it is in use?

-No, I didn't know that.

-Yeah, well, it is. You know, it is an offence.

Just one nest could put a swift end to Danny's grand plans

for the shrubbery, so it is with great relief that it

can be declared a birdless zone after a careful check throughout.

-I think we can attack this with confidence.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?.

I can't see anything.

The big chop back can now really get into full swing,

and Danny's got his strimmer out again, which is

making short work of those massive overgrown hedges.

But has he got carried away?

Looks like he is marmalising the only thing in flower in the whole garden.

And now I hear you say, "What's he doing,

"cutting that kerria that is in flower?"

Now, as I said earlier, this garden is overgrown.

And you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

So I'm cutting it back for now, and it will come back again next year.

You can cut most things back and they will regenerate

and they will be absolutely fine.

And since more powerful gear is going to be needed

if we are to get all those sapling trees down by dusk,

the much wanted extra help Danny has arranged has arrived,

in the shape of an experienced and qualified tree surgeon

and some specialist equipment.

This is a massive job.

And we need a chainsaw, and chainsaws are dangerous.

So we've called in the professional. Joffrey.

-Hi, there.

-This is Joffrey Benedict...

Joffrey Benedict Lucian Marshall Watson.

-That's impressive.

-You can call me Joff.

-I'll call you Joff.

-It'll make it easier.

-And my name is Dannahue Barrington Clark.

-I'm beating you buy one, then.

-You can call me Danny.

-Oh, thank you.

-There's a lot to do.

-Yeah.

But before you go, you've got, like, a special job you want to do for me?

Yes, I have, I've brought a couple lumps of wood, but you're

going to have to wait and see what I'm going to be doing.

I tell you what, I really can't wait. I'm really looking forward to that.

-OK, well, we better get on and do some more work.

-Let's start.

-OK.

Joff's petrol-driven chainsaw makes mincemeat of these

self-seeded saplings, but of the 87,000 gardening injuries we sustain

every year, chainsaw accidents are some of the most serious.

Protective clothing,

a safety helmet and ear defenders should always be worn

and, if in doubt, the job should be done by a professional like Joff.

Joff is over there pruning that hedge,

which is mainly sycamore.

Now, he's going down below the required height.

With any pruning, what that does is stimulates growth,

and that hedge will come back thicker than ever.

So, once that happens, you can

then trim it again to the required height.

While Danny and Joff tackle the trees, Beverley and I

are finding out how Kate Van Heel, the owner of this garden,

approached her own overgrown oasis.

Kate, talk us through this garden - what it was like

when you first moved in.

When we first moved in it was a complete wilderness.

There was...

No, there were a few plants.

I think there were some peonies here.

And apart from that, we had brambles,

we had nettles, we had ground elder...

All the things that you don't want.

It was just totally and utterly overgrown.

So we sort of very gradually started working on it

bit by bit, clearing.

Me and my dad got our forks and our spades

and we dug out all the brambles

and we just kept doing it -

digging them out, digging them out, digging them out -

till we got rid of them.

You say gradually... How long has this process taken?

To get to this stage, it's taken us more than 20 years.

SHE LAUGHS

And is it quite intimidating?

-It's very intimidating, isn't it? When you first...

-Definitely.

-You've no idea where to start.

-Mm.

It's really... You just look at it and think...

"Where? Where do I begin?"

So, where did you begin?

The first thing we did was worked on the parts nearest the house.

So we started there, and then all the beds.

The beds have changed. I mean, the first planting has been and gone -

this is the second, third incarnation.

As I discover new plants and think "Where can I put them?"

I suspect there will be a lot of people like Beverley

who have quite an intimidating overgrown garden

and would love to get somewhere near yours.

What would you recommend they do?

Well, I would say, first of all,

get rid of all the nasty weeds.

The ones that are going to come back year after year.

Get rid of all the... particularly, brambles.

And then you need to think about

putting the right plant in the right place.

This is what all fantastic gardeners say, and I listen to them.

Put the right plant in the right place.

So if you've got some shady areas,

plant things that are appropriate to that.

I love ferns. I adore ferns.

And so, if you look round the shady parts of the garden,

there are lots of ferns.

But there's all sorts of things that you can plant.

But right plant, right place, definitely.

Would it be fair to say that this garden has excited you

-about the potential of yours?

-Yes, definitely. Definitely, yeah.

Just to see what can be done.

And especially now that I've found out that yours was once like mine!

-Yes. Oh, yes!

-Albeit a long time ago. It's just...

You would never, ever imagine,

looking around this garden now, that ever it was like that.

It's just unbelievable what you can do.

12 years out of the garden? Is this the start of a whole new you?

Definitely! Definitely.

After seeing this today, definitely.

If you've moved house and inherited an overgrown jungle

like Kate or Beverley, don't panic.

Slashing and burning is not your only option.

There are several great tips that have been put into practice in this garden

to help bring it back to its former glory.

For the first year of living with your new jungle,

take pictures of it from every corner in all four seasons

to help remember any plants

that are worth keeping and those that need to go.

Borders chock-full of pernicious weeds can be dealt with

by laying down a thick layer of weed-resistant membrane

to starve weeds of light.

Removing large and overgrown trees

can make a huge difference to your garden - letting in light

and releasing nutrients.

But be careful -

if a mature tree is considered a neighbourhood amenity,

it might be under a tree preservation order,

so check with your council before hiring that chap with a chainsaw.

Keep an eye out for the National Gardens Scheme

which lists hundreds of private gardens - including Kate's -

that are sometimes open for anyone to have a look around.

It's no show garden yet,

but Beverley's plot

is improving by the minute, which is just as well,

because those minutes are ticking away.

The big chop-back is nearly complete,

and AJ's made progress transforming the steps

from a rickety nightmare into a stairway to heaven.

-Hello, AJ.

-Hello, mate.

-How's it been going?

-Oh, good.

-Looks good.

-Getting there.

-Looks great.

-It's getting there.

You're moving on, aren't you?

Yeah. I've changed it slightly.

I was going to have, sort of, like,

this sort of, like, fake grass starting on the top.

-Yeah.

-But that would kind of leave,

sort of, it proud this high,

and I thought that might be a tripping hazard at the top there.

-Sure.

-So what I've done is sandwiched the edge

of this artificial grass between this wood

and the concrete there. Drilled it in.

-So, if you want to help me roll it down...

-Yeah, sure.

Just like rolling out the red carpet, this fake turf

should help Brenda make her grand entrance more safely.

Artificial grass will soften

hard surfaces, and some brands are specifically designed to be non-slip.

While AJ is restoring the steps,

Joffrey the tree surgeon is doing some brilliantly creative recycling

using leftover wood from the trees he's chopped down.

Remember that surprise he talked about? Well, here it is.

A gorgeous owl sculpture

carved with his chainsaw and his electric router.

He's already nearly finished this exotic chair.

If Beverley liked the deer sculpture

in Kate's garden, she is going to love these!

OWL HOOTS

The rest of the garden is finally starting to see the light,

which is a good thing because with bad weather forecast

it could be dark sooner than they think.

But the team have already filled a skip

so they must be getting somewhere.

This is very satisfying seeing this go.

Erm, it's a full load

and I can't believe how much progress we've made today.

Do you know what? The last hour has moved things forward so quickly.

It's half past four now,

and I sense that we're well ahead of schedule.

But who knows, anything can happen,

so I better not count my chickens before they're hatched.

While Danny ships off his skip, we're taking a bit of time out

in Kate's beautifully restored garden.

I want to find out about what life's been like for Beverley

since she and Dale moved back into the family home.

So, how did that come about, then,

you and Dale moving back in with your mum?

I initially moved away with my ex-partner

and it didn't work out.

And I needed somewhere to go back to.

So, my mum and dad - cos my dad was alive at the time -

said that we were more than welcome to come back home.

Made us feel totally welcome

and we've just never ever left.

Becoming a single parent, with Dale being so young,

must've been quite scary.

How helpful was your mum in that situation?

Very helpful.

It meant that I could go to back to work part-time.

She'd take him to playgroup when he was little, to school,

pick him up from school.

Look after him during the holidays and things.

I always knew he'd be safe.

And how is your mum now? Because she's in her 70s.

-She is.

-How's her health?

Erm... She's not very good health-wise.

She has a lot of things wrong with her.

She's got chronic rheumatoid arthritis,

so she's on quite strong painkillers for that.

Morphine, included.

So, she's in a lot of pain most days.

Quite unsteady on her feet.

She's had a few bad falls recently,

so it's a little bit of payback now, I think.

It's time for us to look after her,

rather than her to look after us.

How close are your mum and Dale?

Very close.

She's always been there, ever since he was little.

Dale was 13 months old when we moved in.

Always been involved in things.

So it's been nice. They're got a really close relationship.

It's a weird point in your life, isn't it,

when you start thinking about looking after your parents

rather than them looking after you?

Yes. I've gone from looking after my son, to now...

The tables turned, and we're looking after her more now.

But from her point of view, she must be frustrated.

-She sounds like a woman who's always been...

-She gets fed up.

She does get fed up. Erm...

And as much as she doesn't want to admit she can't do things,

she is now having to get to the point where she's realising

she can't do as much. So she doesn't get out a great deal.

So, just to be able to go out and sit and enjoy the garden,

the wildlife and things, would really give her some confidence

and a self-esteem boost, and really enjoy it.

-That's not good for anyone, is it, being stuck in the house?

-Not at all.

-So, first and foremost, this is a place for your mum.

-It is.

But what about you and Dale?

How much do you think you two will get out of it?

It'll be nice to spend some quality family time outside together

and just enjoy it all together.

I know Dale's angling after getting a barbecue.

So that could be next in the pipeline.

But he's got his friends around there already,

-so I think they're staking their claim.

-Yeah, probably!

They've probably got it all planned now.

I'll go back home and they'll be,

"And we're getting this here and this here..."

Well, they won't be getting anything finished

if we don't do our bit and get this shopping.

-So shall we get to the garden centre?

-That sounds like a plan!

While we're on the hunt for plants,

AJ's cracking on with the repairs on the stairs.

He's screwed a new railing to the wall

to help Brenda navigate the steep alley,

and he's moving on to the broken edges.

What's the plan here?

I know you're putting timber around the step

which will look absolutely fab. What are your plans?

Well, I've used a decking board

-here because it is quite decorative.

-Yeah.

And as you can see...

half the step's eroded away here.

Sure.

So to kill two birds with one stone

I'm going to put this on as it's decorative,

but also, it allows me to fill this with cement

without it pouring out.

-So it's retaining it, while it goes off.

-Yeah.

Are you going to turf it all the way down?

Well, to be honest, this was a little bit of an off-cut we had.

And I just thought it could go to good use on those steps there.

The same with this timber here.

It was just an off-cut that I found.

Luckily, it was long enough to go around here, so, you know...

Hunt down your sheds and your garages to find things.

Little things like this which don't cost anything

can titivate something from zero to hero.

Yeah, sure.

I think it's such a clever idea of his

to put this artificial turf down.

I mean, it's going to give this garden some continuity.

So, in its own little way,

it kind of joins the house to this little plot here.

It all seems to be going very much to plan,

which can only mean that we're about to be royally scuppered by Mother Nature.

But there's no time to spare.

While rain and power tools don't mix,

Danny can still get planting and bulk out the beds.

His plan? To divide and conquer.

There are many perennials that can be divided.

One of which is this Crocosmia down here.

Now, to do that, it's very, very simple.

Just dig up a piece...

And this is what we have.

So, you look at that. There's the mother there.

That's the mother Crocosmia.

And these are its babies.

You take off these little pieces here...

Like this. Just cut them off.

And just throw them in the ground,

and then turn them in the soil

and they will come back, quite happily.

So, when I put these corms in the ground -

I spread them around -

they'll start little chains of their own,

and in time you'll repeat that process.

I mean, that's a great way to get more for your bucks.

And what's also good, is that by

cutting into that plant there,

I am reinvigorating it.

Quite often, after a while, they will stop flowering,

and a way to reinvigorate it

is to dig it up and divide it.

That'll give it a new lease of life.

When the Crocosmia or montbretia flowers,

it'll be an orangey red colour.

They look absolutely fabulous.

And they give you late summer colour.

Despite the rain, Danny's design is emerging from the undergrowth.

The lads have cut and shaped the lawn,

the saplings are dropping like flies,

and now the beds are taking shape.

However, not everything Danny needs can be recycled from Beverley's garden.

We need to get shopping.

With three-quarters of Brits enjoying a spot of gardening,

it's no wonder that we've thousands of garden centres to choose from.

And we're headed to one of them.

Those rhododendrons look amazing, don't they?

They are, they're lovely. They're really pretty.

Have you planted much in your garden?

-I know you said you haven't done a lot out there.

-Erm...

Have you added anything to it?

No, not overly where we are now.

But I used to come down quite a bit with my dad

because my dad was a very keen gardener.

He really did love his plants

and he knew a lot about the garden and things like that.

So, I suppose as a child I spent a lot of time in garden centres.

So, maybe he was the one that guided you in the past

-in terms of what you needed.

-Yeah, definitely.

He knew all there was to know about gardens.

He absolutely loved spending time in the garden

doing it all up and everything.

And what about now, if you come to a garden centre,

do you come with a plan of attack?

Do you think, "Right, I need this for that area, this for that area,"

-or do you not?

-Not really. No,

because I am never quite sure what goes where.

I'm exactly the same.

I walk into a garden centre, and you see things you like, and go for those.

However that's a big garden no-no.

-That's why Danny makes me bring a list!

-OK.

-Because he likes us to know what's going to cope where.

-Right.

And make sure something goes in the right conditions.

So, let's take our list, and get some guidance.

Danny's shopping list specifies climbers,

and as we saw in Kate's garden,

one of the most spectacular climbers around is the clematis.

-Our list, which I have promised we will stick to...

-Right.

..says climbers.

This is a climber. It's a fig.

-How do you feel about...?

-Hmm.

-No.

No. Not my sort of thing, really.

I like, erm, flowers, colours... That sort of thing.

OK, so you prefer something colourful, something bright?

-Yes. Preferably.

-Something blowsy, maybe?

Yeah, yeah...

Something that's got that wow factor.

-OK.

-And is nice to look at.

If we can tick those boxes and it climbs, Danny will be happy.

-I think I know the thing.

-Brilliant.

John, tell us everything we need to know about clematis.

Right, we've two or three options.

We've a evergreen,

that flowers really early in the year.

We've got spring flowering Montanas -

just about finished,

but they go wild if you have got a big area to cover.

And then, now, you can see

the summer flowering hybrids are just starting.

Any colour you like, they all need the same maintenance.

They don't get huge and out of control.

Easier to control if they are on a smaller trellis or an archway.

What do you recommend?

At this time of year, really,

you want a flowering, big flowers, summer-flowering hybrid.

-I know you are quite keen on flowers...

-Yeah.

So do you want something that is going to come out and show off

-over the next few weeks?

-Yeah, definitely.

That one is absolutely gorgeous.

I love the colours on that one.

-It's beautiful.

-What about this one, John?

-Would it work in Beverley's garden?

-It would, yes.

With all of these hybrid clematis,

you need to just take a bit of care when you're planting them.

Plant it deeper than it is in the pot.

First few inches need to be covered

to stop clematis wilt getting in at the base.

-Do that, and you should have no problems.

-To stop what?

-Clematis wilt.

-Right.

-It's a disease that gets in at soil level,

so if you hide the soil level deeper

it won't get in.

-OK, so that's gives it a bit of protection.

-Yes.

And what else do you need to do to make this really flourish?

Plenty of water.

They like their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade.

Heads in the sun, feet in the shade.

And how much shelter do they need?

Well, from strong winds you'd want to shelter them a bit.

But they like the sun.

So, this is obviously a climbing plant.

What do they climb well on?

Well, again, they produce tendrils

which will wrap themselves

around arches

or trellis

or some wires you've put on a wall.

So they're easy to...

Once they get going, they find their own way.

Would you put that in on its own?

You could, if you had room, put another one with it, yes.

-OK.

-Not a problem.

Lovely. Yeah, oh...

What colour would go?

I like the purple one.

-That purple one's gorgeous.

-Yeah?

Is that going to be too much? Two of them together?

No. Give them a bit of space,

they'll twine together... Look beautiful.

They look really nice, yeah. I like both of those. Gorgeous.

It's a yes from Beverley. Look at that smile.

A much bigger smile than the figs.

-Right, let's get those.

-Brilliant.

And we've been tasked to find another climber.

So, John, what would you recommend?

Around down here, and I'll show you.

In Beverley's garden the rain has now slackened off, and Joffrey

can put the finishing touches to his sculptures.

This time using his delicate little angle grinder,

with a sanding disk.

WHIR OF POWER TOOL

-That's brilliant.

-All right?

Absolutely brilliant. I love it.

-That's the Green Man.

-Yeah.

-He looks a bit like me!

-Yeah, it does. Similar hairstyle.

-I based it on you!

-Do you know I love him. Spirit of nature.

-It signals birth and rebirth, doesn't it?

-Does it?

That's what it's all about, yeah. I think that's what the Green Man's about.

-It's a pagan thing.

-Yeah, it is.

But you often see them on the top of churches.

-Yeah.

-I don't know why there's that connection.

-No.

But it looks absolutely fab.

-How long have you been doing it for?

-Er, I've been a tree surgeon

for about 20 years now, erm...

I think within the first couple of years

I had go at making the odd stool or mushroom, or something like that.

Then a few years later somebody asked me to carve a squirrel.

I did it and it turned out quite well.

Now I'd do it at least 50% of the time.

-I'd love to have one in my garden.

-Well, I'll have to come round and make you one.

You certainly will. That's for sure.

I wouldn't bother varnishing it or anything like that,

just something that's absorbent.

Cheating, in a way - a cheap version is to go to the supermarket

-and get some chip fat and put that on it.

-Oh, right! OK.

-Only thing is, in summertime it might smell of chips!

-Ha-ha-ha!

The chips are down for Danny now,

because the heavens have opened again, and his team have scurried for cover.

Ever the optimist, though, Danny sees an opportunity.

It's raining, but that's a really good thing,

because one of the jobs I wanted to do

was to level off this lawn.

Now, if you remember, I said it was full of bumps,

so I want to try and get those bumps down.

Now, the fact that it's raining means it should, in theory,

make that process of getting rid of the bumps

slightly easier, so wish me luck.

So, what I'm going to do is put boards down.

So, I've got one here. Put it down.

I'm going to use my trusty heavy hammer

and I'm just going to...

..knock the board. Like this.

And just continue this process all over the garden.

I will continue this process every so often,

maybe every two or three months,

and gradually you'll get this lawn level.

Danny? Here, you go.

-Oh, that looks brilliant. Oh, it's an owl!

-Yeah.

Oh, that's fantastic.

I tell you what, you're a genius.

Danny even has a plan for the less artistic offcuts from the garden.

Here's a great idea. Now, this wood

has been chipped by the chipper that we've been using in this garden.

And what a great idea.

Because we can re-use that... as a mulch.

What do you think, Lou?

I think it's a fantastic idea.

We've cut down so much, that we need to put something back now.

And I think it would be a fantastic mulch and eventually

it'll rot down and make fantastic soil. So, what could be better?

Mulch is a layer covering the soil to prevent weeds,

retain moisture and sometimes even improve the soil.

There you go. Get spreading.

With only a couple of hours to go,

Danny needs to install the bench onto the paving stones

that AJ has laid as a base.

Here comes a lovely bench.

A lovely seating area.

Yeah, just put it there roughly.

That's about it, yeah.

Just needs to go over a bit.

Brilliant.

What do you think they'll think of this?

-They're going to love it, I think.

-Yeah?

Do you know what, I think they will, too!

I mean, what a brilliant transformation from this morning.

-Oh, yeah.

-And thanks to you guys, we've really made a big difference.

Now, the only thing we need now is some plants.

-Yeah.

-We're going to put some plants around that seating area...

-Right.

-..and they're missing at the moment.

Helen, where are you?

Sorry, Danny. Beverley has got carried away.

She's so taken with the climbers, she's hunting out some more!

We have our clematis,

-but what else can you recommend in the way of climbing plants?

-Erm...

Well, we've got Trachelospermums.

Very scented.

They'll do well up a trellis or arch.

They hold themselves up once they've started climbing.

-Do you like the look of these?

-Yeah, they're pretty.

I like that one, particularly. It's got pretty little flowers on.

I do like that one.

I knew you said you were keen on flowers -

-what about the fact that it's scented?

-Yes. That would be nice.

To be able to, when you're sat outside,

get that lovely smell going around.

And what about this one?

The jasmine?

Erm,

Well, there's a picture there.

It's not dissimilar, but it has a different form.

That's evergreen, this is not.

How difficult are these to look after?

They're both relatively easy.

This is not the hardiest of things,

but if it's in a sheltered garden,

this far north, fine. No problems, really.

Do they like the same conditions as a clematis.

They do, yes. They like the sun, plenty of water,

and the jasmine, especially, will flower a little later than

the Trachelospermum,

which gives you a range of flowers.

So, the jasmine and this one that I can hardly say...

-Trachelospermum.

-Trachelospermum.

-Call it star jasmine, it's easier.

-Star jasmine!

So the jasmine and the star jasmine

-would both do well on an arch, for instance...

-They would.

-..because they...

-Yes, perfect.

They'd help themselves up once they were established. No problem.

-Well, let's get one of each, then, shall we?

-Sounds lovely.

-Brilliant. John, thank you very much for your help.

-OK. You're welcome.

-Lovely looking, lovely smelling flowers. Thank you.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

With a successful shopping trip under our belts,

I need to get back to Beverley's garden quick-sharp

as the sky is already starting to darken.

Oh, my word! Danny, this is a different place!

Hello, Helen. How are you?

-I'm good, how are you?!

-Mind yourself. Be careful, there.

-I'm great.

-Here's a clematis for you.

Yeah. Oh, these are beautiful!

And they'll look great climbing up this arch.

I cannot get over this place. I've got to have a look around.

It's like a completely different space.

Yeah. I mean, I can't believe how we've transformed it.

I mean, when I saw it this morning, I thought, "No way."

I wanted to turn around and get back home again.

But, I mean, this morning they didn't have a garden.

-No.

-Oh, and the steps!

-Yeah. What do you think?

-Oh, that is...

100 times better.

-Yeah.

-Because I was worried about what you were going to do.

Because I know, obviously,

-Brenda is a bit unsteady.

-Sure.

-But you can't take away steps.

-That's brilliant.

-But they worked brilliantly.

-In fact, if anything, they extend the garden, don't they?

-Yeah!

This is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Right.

-Let's get these in.

-Get these then, yeah.

Then let's let Beverley have a look.

With clematis, it's important to put them

about two or three inches below the surface.

-For the clematis wilt!

-Exactly!

-So, you have been listening, then?

-Oh, yes!

-I'm impressed.

-Yep!

-Danny, great job.

-OK.

If you put those in, I'll go and get Beverley.

-Great. I'll see you in a second.

-Amazing.

It's just before dusk and Beverley's new garden is finally complete.

This morning, this garden was a tangled wilderness,

with impenetrable bushes, overgrown hedges, and weeds and saplings

at every turn.

This was a garden that had been thoroughly overrun.

Now Beverley's new garden is unrecognisable

from the mess that was here before.

In the space of only a few hours of daylight,

Danny has reclaimed it from nature

and revealed a stunning new look.

The intimidating overgrowth of shrubs and hedges

had proved too much for Beverley to tackle.

Now, with the help of some professional kit,

and some seriously hard graft,

it's a light, bright and airy space,

while still keeping a natural feel.

By recovering and rejuvenating

flowering plants that had been smothered,

Danny has brought new life to the borders

and used the existing plants to make more.

Dividing corms like this is a great way

to multiply your plants for free,

as is taking cuttings.

And when they're in season and full bloom,

they will fill the garden with colour.

The lawn has been trimmed and shaped

which, along with cutting back the shapeless hedges,

has made a huge difference to the feel of the garden.

The shrubbery looks 10 times bigger

thanks to its power-assisted face-lift.

Breaking an overgrown garden into bite-size chunks

and concentrating on the worst areas like this,

makes a gardening mission manageable.

And, most important of all, the garden is now grandma-friendly.

With a seating area cleared and decked out

with brightly coloured blooms

and those treacherous steps transformed with rebuilt edges

and a new handrail,

Brenda now has a garden to enjoy and a safe way to see it.

So, what will the family make of the astonishing alterations

in their new-look garden?

-Have a look at this!

-Look at that.

This is your brand-new garden.

-Oh, lovely!

-Look at that.

-Ohhh!

-Good job, Dale.

-Thanks.

-You've been working hard.

-Yeah.

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

-Look how big it looks!

-I know!

Did you know your garden went that far back?

No.

THEY LAUGH

I knew, but all the bushes...

You couldn't see the ground.

That's amazing.

I never saw the floor.

-It's brilliant.

-What do you think, Beverly?

It's great. Love it. Look at the size on it!

-I know.

-Look at this.

It's lovely, that.

-You'll be able to sit out and...

-Yes.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

Oh, it's beautiful.

You wanted somewhere for your mum, yourself and Dale

to come out and sit. You've got that. You've got a little wooden...

-I love the chairs!

-Mmm!

The owl thing. Kept in line with the birds.

-It's the same garden.

-I know. You've done amazing.

-All these bushes have gone, as well, look.

-Yeah.

-I know.

Do you think you'll spend some time out here now, Brenda?

Yes, I will.

I'll love sitting there.

-Well, why don't you test it out? Go and have a seat.

-Come on, then.

Dale, your mum thinks that you're going to have a few barbecues out here.

Yeah.

Go and join them!

Congratulations, Danny.

Another fantastic, successful transformation.

-This is a completely different space.

-Yeah.

You've given them somewhere they can sit out,

somewhere they can enjoy their garden for the first time in years!

I love the steps and everything. It's great.

I do.

It's lovely.

You wanted this garden transformed for your mum

so she had somewhere nice to sit,

are you confident and happy you've got that?

Yes, definitely.

I think she'll enjoy it now. Won't you?

I tell you what, we couldn't have done it without your son Dale and his friends.

-They were fantastic.

-Thanks, guys.

-They made such a difference to the day.

-Brilliant.

What a difference a day has made!

Danny and the team have created a safe and stylish instant garden -

no longer a hazard to unsteady feet -

which Beverley's family can finally enjoy together.