Episode 2 The Instant Gardener

Beautiful gardens are one of Britain's most glorious sights,

but if your green space is more mess than majestic, making it over

can be a daunting prospect,

especially if you're short on time and money.

Well, the Instant Gardener is here.

Ta-dah!

Danny Clarke is an expert at transforming gardens.

These are really bringing a smile to my face.

Each time, our gardening guru

will be showing you how to create gorgeous garden makeovers.

Doesn't that look great?

Each transformation will be packed with brilliant ideas to help

you get to grips with your own outdoor space.

Just continually deadhead

and you will keep getting that plant to flower.

He'll be turning garden junk...

-Oh, look at that!

-..into garden jewels.

It's going to be used as a planter and I think

this is going to look absolutely terrific.

And showing you how to spend a small budget wisely...

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

-OK.

..be it on shrubs or salvage.

Would you like that in your garden?

And because Danny is the INSTANT Gardener,

everything you see will happen in a single day.

Oh, my...

-Oh, wow!

-That's unbelievable!

Today, we're in Newhaven, East Sussex,

a coastal port steeped in marine life.

Built along the shores of the English Channel and the banks of

the River Ouse, its gardens flourish

in the mild coastal climate.

But not everybody lives

in a stereotypical English country cottage

with an idyllic little garden.

We're here to meet a couple whose dream of the life aquatic has led

them to a rather unusual lifestyle

and they need our help to keep that dream afloat.

-Hello!

-Hello, Rosie, good to meet you.

-And you.

-Hi, Norman.

-Hello!

-Have a look at this!

-Not bad, eh?

Rosie and her husband Norman met ten years ago

and live aboard their houseboat, The Morning Star.

This beautiful Dutch barge is 24 metres from end to end

and their garden runs alongside it on the bank.

It's a rural retreat that many of us dream of, but for Rosie,

her laid-back lifestyle has been interrupted by

the onset of multiple sclerosis.

It's a neurological condition that affects her mobility,

concentration and balance, and even with Norman's help,

she's finding it harder and harder to keep the garden under control.

It's down to the Instant Gardener to help her take it back in hand.

Earlier in the week, Danny came down to the docks for a sneak preview

to find out just what he's got to tackle.

You know, it's great to have a little poke around on my own first.

Just to give me a general sense of what this place is all about.

And it may not be plain sailing.

Rosie and Norman's riverside haven is far

from the average front yard.

Wow. My first impression is that this is the most amazing space.

I mean, at first sight, it looks like there's a load of junk here,

but do you know what?

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

And even when you look at the bank, I mean, it may be overgrown,

but I'm sure there's going to be some lovelies in here.

I mean, there's some trees here which will make a great

backdrop for what we're going to do.

Now, boats say something to me.

One of the things they say to me is decking.

So maybe we can really use these pallets.

I don't know if there's going to be enough here maybe to make some

sort of feature, but let's wait and see.

This is absolutely amazing for wildlife.

I can hear the seagulls in the background,

I can hear the birds tweeting.

I mean, what a lovely environment to be in.

I must admit, I'm quite envious of these people.

To live in this sort of situation.

I mean, all right, the garden needs a bit of TLC,

but I'm sure that's something we can address.

Overall, this is a lovely rustic space

and I don't really want to change the character of it

and I don't want it to look too manicured.

But really, the most important people here are Rosie and Norman.

It's really what they want and what they think that's important.

A few days later, Danny's back with a plan,

'so it's now time for me to introduce him to the garden's owners.'

-Danny!

-Hello, Helen.

-Here you are, loitering in the garden.

-Yeah, as usual.

-Rosie, Norman, this is Danny.

-Hello!

-Hello, Rosie.

-Danny.

-Hello, Danny.

-Hello, Norman, how're you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-Good.

-Now, phenomenal house you live in. Well, boat...

-Yes.

..and you have your own little palatial garden as well.

-Indeed we do.

-This is your only connection with dry land, then, isn't it...

-It is indeed.

-..this little bit of garden?

-There are a few bits around, it's rustic.

-It's rusty!

THEY LAUGH

-In parts!

-How often do you use this garden?

-In the summer, most days.

If it's nice, it's nice just to sit and ponder the world,

listen to the birds, watch the butterflies and bees.

I always get the feeling of being in Wind In The Willows

and I'm Toad of Toad Hall, mucking about on boats and coming

along here and we've got lots of creatures in the undergrowth.

I love it, yeah. I really enjoy it.

As you can see, it's just too much for one woman right now.

Why don't you do much in the garden?

I've got multiple sclerosis

and the last two years have been quite bad and I've been in hospital.

So the garden has been neglected over the past

couple of years for that reason.

What plants do you like?

I like broom, I like buddleia, I like...

-Because broom, it's the smell. I love the smell of broom.

-OK.

And buddleia, just because of the butterfly factor.

Buddleia grows everywhere around here, but does it grow here? No!

We get blackberries. That's it.

-Rosie, did you know you had a buddleia in your garden?

-No.

-Really?

Yeah! It's there.

-No way!

-Yes.

Do you know, this I found growing in a grow bag

-on the deck of the boat a couple of years ago.

-Oh, did you?

-So I planted it.

-Yes.

-Now, I know...

-You had no idea!

-SHE LAUGHS

-I think our work is done!

-Yeah, we're off now.

This is a wildlife garden, isn't it? And you want to keep the theme?

-Yeah.

-And that's what we intend doing.

-How important is wildlife to you then, Rosie?

-Very.

You can sit here, you forget you're in a town.

Butterflies, bugs, beasties, is that something you'd like to see more of?

Um, we get a lot of butterflies and bees. Obviously, we need more bees full stop, anyway.

So, yeah, anything that encourages that would be great.

And I love butterflies, so...

-Being where we are...

-Yeah.

-..so close to the water,

what kinds of things do you find grow here naturally?

-Weeds.

-THEY LAUGH

Things are dropped by birds, seeds, and the like, and things just grow.

And obviously, as you can see, it grows wildly.

Rosie, is there anything that you'd like to keep in the garden?

We have a lot of boaty bits and bobs in the garden

and we'd like to keep those.

-They look rusty and whatever, but we like them.

-Right.

-Um, brambles, perhaps taming a little bit.

-OK.

I mean, people would kill for this many blackberries,

-but some days, you just can't have that many.

-DANNY LAUGHS

-Right, well, Danny, I think we should let you crack on.

-OK.

Because there's quite a bit to do.

-So, I think I've go to give you something, the usual book.

-OK.

He sends us off with a shopping list.

-"Marine salvage and accessories."

-Yes.

Right, come on, team. We'll get out of your hair.

-Danny, we'll let you crack on.

-Take care.

-Great. Bye, bye.

While I take Rosie and Norman off for a spot of research

and retail, Danny has just eight hours to

transform their overgrown garden into a neat nautical paradise.

Their garden is a long and narrow strip, parallel to the boat,

with a steep bank rising up the side.

Danny is going to focus on the most important central

part of the garden, where the couple like to sit out and relax.

So how are you going to get it all shipshape, Danny?

What I'm going to do here is, I'm going to strim that bank back,

because it's looking slightly untidy.

It's very, very steep and it's full of brambles.

The brambles are actually holding the bank together so we can't

take them out completely, so we're going to work with them.

Rosie and Norman think this is a waste of space but, you know,

it's not, because there's an area up there which

we can use as a viewing platform.

Because we've got such gorgeous views here, I'm going

to put stairs in here, leading up to it.

I'm going to try and link what's going on here with the boat and the

way I'm going to do that is to use some pallets in the form of decking.

Now, the thing I've noticed is, in these pots, there are some

lovely plants, like for example, there's some lavender here.

There's some daffs over here.

This rosemary, I'm going to use that as a starting point for a planter.

And over here in the distance, there's a buddleia,

a butterfly bush, so maybe I'll put that in the bank.

I mean, that is going to be great for wildlife.

So Danny's plan for Rosie

and Norman's garden is to cut back the brambles on the bank and build a

set of steps that will lead up to a platform with views over the river.

He's going to build some decking from recycled

pallets at the bottom of the slope and add a raised

flower-bed-cum-bench with a novelty nautical touch.

And he's also going to recycle and reposition some of the plants

he's found, like the rosemary and the buddleia.

So all in all, I think this is going to be a really lovely project

to do and what a lovely environment to be doing it in.

There's lots to do, but Danny won't be alone in his task.

Help has arrived in the form of handyman AJ and helpers Luke

and Amyrose.

And they're joined by Rosie and Norman's friends

and fellow houseboat residents

Mark and Bill.

First thing we need to do is to clear the site.

Bring most of the stuff that we're going to reuse -

bring it over here, sort it out, and then perhaps reintroduce it.

So my plan is then to work on the banks.

AJ, you've got to make a set of stairs.

I've got an idea for decking down here,

so I really want to get that into place,

but before we do that, we really need to get that bank strimmed.

-Time is really at a premium here. Shall we get cracking?

-Yeah.

Right, let's get started.

When you give a garden a makeover, clearing all unwanted junk from

the area you're going to be working on gives an instant improvement, and

will make the rest of the job a lot easier and as the team get on with

that, Danny's spotted an old ship sign that he's sure he can reuse.

Look at this. Look what I found.

As luck would have it, just the man for the job is on site.

Come over here, Bill.

Bill here is a sign writer.

-Um, happy days.

-We could reinstate it with black paint. It would be rustic, wouldn't it?

-Well, that's great.

-Yeah.

-And it would make a great ornament in this garden.

And the great thing is, it will link,

help link this plot of land with the boat.

AJ is also on the hunt for unwanted junk to recycle.

This will do - very nicely.

He wants to repair the dilapidated fence along the water's edge.

We can make, definitely, a sturdy,

safe fence panel out of some of this.

We've got enough of these slats here,

which we can nail back on into the missing bits.

Ideal fence!

With the site already looking much clearer,

it's time for Danny to tackle that bank of brambles.

Many people consider brambles as a weed and Rosie certainly does.

She doesn't like them particularly. Now, you've got options at home.

You can either live with them or you can dig them out,

or you can use a weedkiller, a very strong weedkiller.

But I wouldn't recommend that,

because, you know, we're talking about an area that is very

green and it's not only going to kill the brambles,

it could kill other wonderful plants and wildlife as well.

Now, I can't dig out all the brambles from this bank.

It'll take us forever, so in this instance,

what we're going to do is just cut them back.

Just strim the bank. So, here we go.

Although Danny could use a regular garden strimmer,

because the bank is so steep, he's decided to use a petrol-driven

brush cutter that he hopes will make light work of all those brambles.

They can be hired for about £32 a day,

or you can get a good deal for weekend hire.

While he and Luke get on with that noisy job, I've whisked Rosie

and Norman away to a much more tranquil waterside retreat.

Well, I say tranquil...

BIRDS CALL

So, Norman, Rosie - I have brought you here because I think

there are a few things that you might like the look of.

You might get a bit of inspiration from this garden

because it's not dissimilar to your own.

Well, it's very similar, and I've got to be honest,

from what I've seen of it so far, I wouldn't mind mooring up here.

It would be a very good spot.

I don't think I'll manage the size of this garden, really.

The Arundel Wetland Centre is home to many plants

and wildlife that thrive messing about on rivers.

Ratty, Mole and Mr Toad would certainly have approved.

-Sheila, sorry to interrupt.

-Hello.

-You look very busy there.

But I would like to introduce you to Norman and Rosie,

clambering over the wild plants.

-Hello.

-Now, they have a riverside - quite wild garden...

-Yeah.

-..that you would like to attract wildlife to.

-Yes.

-Well, we do.

We do. We make our attempts, but we've not been very successful.

-So this is an insect home.

-Yeah.

A bug hotel, as some people call it.

Yes, cos they go in there usually overnight, and rest up.

So what do you need for a good bug hotel?

Well, you need different sizes of sort of holes, really,

for different bugs and different things like slates

so that little bugs can get underneath.

What do you think of an idea like this, then, Rosie?

It looks very simple and quite easy - even, I think, I could do it.

An even easier way to attract creatures to your garden is

to use the right plants.

So, Sheila. What can you recommend in terms of plants?

What plants will attract wildlife to the garden?

Things like the Lenton rose here.

If you have a mix of plants that are open,

or have long tubes like that. One of my main plants,

which I know a lot of people hate, is the buddleia.

THEY LAUGH

-Now...

-Have you got buddleia?

-Yeah, we have a buddleia.

-Yes. Yes.

We didn't know we had a buddleia till this very morning

and then, Rosie was talking about,

"I'd love to have buddleias in here,"

and Dan said, "There's one there!"

-Yeah.

-If you like cooking, put some rosemary.

That will attract your insects and bees.

-Rosemary does very well on the river bank.

-Oh, good. Yes.

-Do you feel confidently inspired?

-I do.

-Yes.

Well, we have one more treat in store for you that hopefully

will really whet your appetite for a flourishing, thriving garden.

-Whet away!

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Norman and Rosie, come this way.

-Fine.

Back in the garden, half the morning has flown by, but there's plenty to show for it.

The area is cleared and the brambles are disappearing fast.

Danny is keen for the garden to have a nautical feel,

so like AJ, he's decided to look around the boatyard to see

what unwanted materials he can re-purpose.

Do you know what? I'm so excited to be here today.

I think this is such a wonderful environment.

You know, when I look around, there's all sorts of pieces in every nook and cranny.

I can see bits of wood, bits of timber like this.

I mean, it really inspires me. It's like a real Aladdin's cave.

And there's one specific thing he's been tipped off about -

an old rowing boat called Fluffy.

And this is it! Just look at this - what a little beauty.

It's seen better days, really.

I don't think it's going to be very seaworthy,

but it's going to do the job that I want it to do.

It's going to be used as a planter and as a seat.

I'm going to line it with a membrane,

fill it full of compost and put some plants in there.

Do you know what? I think this is going to look absolutely terrific.

Meanwhile, AJ's first job with his recycled timber is to remake

Rosie and Norman's broken-down old fence.

This post here is wobbly and snapped.

So, luckily, we have one of these metal spike posts,

here, which is well and truly solid in the ground and all we need to

do is dig out this wood here, and we can reuse this post here.

Having cut off the rotten wood,

the post can be knocked into the metal holder using a rubber hammer.

A lot more solid than it was.

If you haven't got a rubber mallet, the best thing to do is put

a piece of wood on the top and then hit it and then that just damages

the piece of wood on top instead of indenting the top of your new post.

If you haven't got a metal post support, you need to get digging.

I mean, it's always...the deeper the better for the strength

of the fence, but as we've seen previously, it's always round the

neck area here, where wood is always going to rot first and snap off.

AJ can then fix the new post into position with quick-drying cement.

Well, if we leave that to set for the next 10-20 minutes,

whatever - it's quick, rapid drying - and we should be able to

then start getting the cross beams in and then the fence up.

After cutting his recycled timber to length,

it can then be screwed onto the posts.

Spot on!

While Rosie and Norman's garden gets its much-needed upgrade,

I'm hoping to encourage their love of wildlife on a waterway

safari with centre manager Dave Fairlamb.

So what would you encourage these guys to have on their garden

to encourage wildlife into the garden?

There's a whole range of plants that will help wildlife in all...

Oh, some very noisy black-headed gulls there.

How noisy are they!

Well, we've got a black-headed gull colony here. Up to 300 pairs.

It's a really important colony in Sussex, actually.

We're getting a mute swan just drifting past.

Canada goose just coming up. I think they know the cameras are out!

So the range of plants is going to be really beneficial,

particularly as you start to get into the spring and summer

and you get all the butterflies come out,

all the insects that are going to come along and pollinate.

It's essential for them.

How keen are you to attract things into your garden - birds, ducks?

Cos it's a big...big sort of area, it would be nice to allow,

sort of, local nature to enjoy that and take advantage of it as it's there.

Rosie and Norman have a lot of brambles in their garden.

-How useful are they?

-Very useful for wildlife.

I mean, there's the obvious in terms of the berries they're going

to produce, which a lot of different mammals will actually

eat in the autumn time and then within the brambles itself,

there's just so much life there and of course, all the spiders

and that within the brambles.

They're going to help out a lot of insect-eating birds during the winter time.

So brambles give you a year-round food source.

Absolutely, so it's really quite good if you can tolerate them,

and you can keep them in check a little bit,

great to have brambles around, and of course, great for jam!

The Arundel Wetland Centre might not be a residential garden,

but it's overflowing with wildlife-friendly ideas,

which you might feel inspired to try in your own outdoor space.

Leave areas of your garden wild,

to provide a home for many different species.

Brambles, long grasses

and untouched log piles are all havens for little visitors.

By using plants that flower and fruit at different times, you will

provide year-round food and shelter for a diverse range of wildlife.

Encourage bees and butterflies to pollinate your garden by using

native species such as lavender, primrose and foxglove.

Avoid plants with multi-petalled flowers, as these often lack pollen.

With only four hours left, Rosie and Norman's nautical wildlife

garden is still a long way from being finished.

But Danny and AJ seem to have been bitten by the boating bug.

So the plan is to cut it lengthways in half.

We're going to jettison that side

and this side is going to go into the bank, so this side will be

facing towards the river and this will be the seating area.

-I mean, is that doable, do you think?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We could take the edge off here, if you want to.

-Yeah, that would be lovely.

-So you could sit on there.

-What plants are you putting in there?

-Not sure at the moment.

Probably some herbs.

Yeah, leave it with me.

I'll mark this up and then I'll start cutting it.

Those things will have to wait, Danny, because the brush cutter

has broken before all of the brambles have been cleared.

It looks like the trigger's gone on this.

-When I pulled the trigger...it's the wire.

-Is it? OK. All right.

So it's got to go for repair. But never mind.

We've got a lot to do and it's going to take us twice as long now,

which is a shame, cos we've only got half the amount of tools to use.

Anyway, let's put this to one side.

And all we've got now is the strimmer,

-so let's get cracking with that.

-OK.

It's going to set them back at least half an hour,

which could be crucial at the end of the day.

But at least Bill is making headway with the sign painting.

Hi, Bill.

-Hiya.

-All right? This looks great.

It's coming alive, isn't it, really -

considering it's laid in those bushes all them years

and just gathered so much rust.

You know that Rosie's got MS, don't you?

-How does she cope with it?

-She doesn't often talk about it.

Only if it comes up and there's a reason.

Cos it's a shame that she can't have the garden as she would like it.

No, that's the thing - even though she wouldn't tell you,

she is restricted in what she can actually do, yeah.

-Right, so she struggles with it a little bit.

-Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

There's definitely a strong sense of community here.

It's very palpable, isn't it?

Well, I think, obviously, the fact it's boats

and everybody's come here for their own reason to be on a boat...

-Yeah.

-..whether it be a large one or a small one...

-So you've got something in common?

-And people do tend to look after you.

-Yeah.

-Much more.

I mean, if you lived in a road, you might know your neighbours, but nobody else.

-But here, you kind of know almost everybody.

-Yeah.

And I get the impression there's a great deal of sharing goes on here.

Like you're sharing your time with Rosie and Norman.

-Well, it's a pleasure to help her.

-Yeah, sure.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-OK.

-Well, keep up the good work.

-Yeah. Thank you.

-Cheers.

Danny's also keen to get the best out of their other good neighbour, Mark.

Something's just occurred to me.

-I'm not using your best talents, cos I know that you're a joiner.

-Yeah.

And I think you might be better served helping AJ with

the steps and any of the other woodwork that needs doing.

-Yeah, sure.

-Would you be happy to do that?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-That's brilliant.

-Yeah, cool.

-Oh, so you found something?

-Yeah, I think...

-What is it?

-A propeller.

-It's a propeller!

-Yeah.

Oh, blimey!

Do you think...? Now, if we can get this out, that would be brilliant.

Oh, look at that! Brilliant.

Now, that is really cool. Look at that propeller.

I bet that's get a few stories to tell. Brilliant. I love it.

One of the great things about clearing a garden is that you are on

a bit of a voyage of discovery and I've just discovered something here.

I've discovered a raised bed.

Now, when I came to view this garden originally,

this was completely covered. I didn't see this.

But by cutting everything back, this has been revealed.

That is definitely a happy accident.

Danny's discovery means he can extend his planting either side of

the staircase and give a colourful backdrop to the lower decking area.

And up in the boatyard, AJ is getting to grips

with the other recycled planter, Fluffy the boat.

With joiner Mark, he's making light work of cutting through

the foam-filled hull and splitting her in two.

It looks great.

Back at the Arundel Wetland Centre, I'm taking a moment

with Rosie and Norman to find out how much their riverside

beauty spot means to them.

Could you ever see yourselves moving back into a house with a nice little garden?

I couldn't live in a house.

I go and stay with my sisters and no, we don't want that.

Rosie, you were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when you were 29.

-That must have been a huge bombshell for you?

-Yes.

How has life changed since then?

Um, a lot! Yeah, you just learn to slow down.

You learn to concentrate and finally find some happiness within.

What does it mean day-to-day for you?

You can't plan anything, because you don't know how you're going to feel that morning.

That day.

I could be lying in bed one morning and think, "Right, I'll get up, it feels good, the sun's out.

"I'm going to get up and have a great day, I'm going to do this, this and that!"

And you get up and you go, "Ooh! I can't stand today!

"I'll just sit here for a while."

So, worst-case scenario, what is a bad day like for you?

Breaking one's ribs.

I have broken my ribs before, falling down the stairs.

Not being able to pick things up, because the hands go numb.

Is it difficult for you, Norman, seeing the lady you love fight...?

I feel very sad at times, watching her struggle.

But we get on with it. It's just the way we are.

It's part of life and you have to do what you have to do.

So how would you use your garden?

As a place of recuperation and rest and peace and tranquillity.

Yes. What he said.

So, if it wasn't for the MS, would you have done more with the garden?

Yeah. I've been in hospital last year and the year before, in the summer,

so kind of any major gardening work has gone out the window.

No, but you don't seem like a lady who has had her wings clipped.

-Yes, things have changed for you...

-I know, I'm still there.

-Strong, shall we say. Strong.

-Exactly.

-Willing to fight back.

I know that Danny is working towards turning your garden

into a little bit of paradise for you. He's not going to get there

unless we get the items on his shopping list.

-So shall we hit the road again?

-Let's go!

The brambly bank has now had its hair cut,

but with less than three hours to go,

the team must pull out all the stops and take things to another level.

Quite literally, because AJ's started building the steps

up the steep bank to the new viewing platform.

Right then, these are the side panels

of the staircase that we need to make, in theory.

They're going to be like that, but obviously wider.

Then, by cutting notches in the side panels,

AJ can fit in three pieces of wood that will keep them parallel.

Just got to do it another five times

and then that will make a nice, steady frame.

Providing AJ gets everything finished in time, the steps

will give Rosie and Norman access to a new space at the top of the bank.

This area I'm standing in is going to be the viewing platform.

Just look at that view. So why not make the most of it?

There's the small problem of an untidy tree in the way,

but that's not going to ruin his plan.

So what I'm going to do is lift the crown.

Now, the crown of a tree is...

They are the branches above the bare trunk.

Now, this tree doesn't really have a crown at the moment.

The reason being is that the branches here are coming

out of the base, OK?

So I'm going to remove these branches to above eye-height,

just to try and lift the crown and make it a lot safer for Rosie and Norman.

And Danny has a tip for removing branches.

The last thing I want to do is to tear the trunk of the tree.

So what I'm going to do is take the weight out of the branch...

by cutting here and here.

So by doing that, as you can see, there's a tear there,

but that doesn't really matter.

Because I'm going to take this bit out here.

Now, look at that. It didn't tear.

That is the exact result that I wanted.

Now I'm going to carry on and remove all the other branches.

With the frame of the steps complete,

AJ and Mark can now lay it out on the bank.

That's our positioning.

And to stop it moving sideways,

they use these vertical posts at the top, middle and bottom.

AJ fixes them as he did the fence posts,

by digging holes in the bank and adding quick-drying cement.

Right, then. We've got the frame in, but now we need to get the treads in.

You need the treads level.

Obviously, when you step on them, you don't want it to be unbalanced.

So I've got a little bubble in here, as in like a spirit level.

I'm going to set it up against the wood here,

get the bubble in the mark,

draw a line and now I know I've got a perfectly flat line to be able

to then cut out and then we'll be able to put the tread

on top on both sides, screw it down and then we carry on the process

all the way to the top until we can get to the top with all the steps.

Meanwhile, Danny's prepping the perfect spot to place Fluffy,

his half-a-rowing-boat planter.

So, what I'm doing here is that I'm just removing some of this soil

to level for the boat, so the boat's going to sit in the bank.

Anybody know what the time is?

-Five o'clock.

-Probably got about an hour, hour-and-a-half, tops?

-To get this done? Do you think we'll do it?

-We'll have to, yeah.

Yeah, we'll get it done. OK.

Do I think we're going to get this job done? Not on your nelly.

We've still got to get the boat in, we've got to get it planted up.

The stairs aren't complete yet, I think they're a long way off

completing the stairs. And we've still got to get the decking down.

So we're quite a way off at the moment and we've still got to

get some plants in the planter over the other side of the stairs.

So fingers crossed we get it done.

With less than 90 minutes of daylight left,

that's going to be tough.

But at least Norman knows where we might find the marine salvage on Danny's list.

Back at the boatyard and owner Peter is on hand to help.

Here's the bloke we want to talk to. Hello, Peter.

-Hello, Norman, how are you?

-Good to see you!

Hello, Helen, nice to meet you. Hello, Norman.

We're after a few accessories for the garden.

Do you have anything that you no longer need that we could have?

Well, as luck would have it, a week ago,

-we had a boat jumble here in the boatyard.

-What is a boat jumble?

So, a boat jumble is a bit like a boot fair,

but instead of cups and saucers, we have bits from boats.

I'm really excited by that treasure trove.

-Do you mind if we have a rummage?

-No, not at all. You feel free.

-Come on, Norman. Thank you, Peter.

-Thank you, Peter.

OK, Norman, now,

-you would be more familiar with a boat jumble than I am.

-Yeah.

-Because you live in a boatyard.

-We could flag things up with that.

That's... Would you like that in your garden?

Boat jumble sales are great for all sorts of bargains,

from marine salvage to boats themselves.

You can find the occasional small boatyard sale like this one,

or go to regular events around the country.

Check out the internet for information.

This is where you need to be creative and look at something and think,

-"What can I do with it, what might it be, what might it offer the garden?"

-OK.

-If you stuck a couple of these into your garden...

-Yeah.

..would that make a nice little shelter for things to go underneath?

It would, because we've got lots of boaty things sitting around. If they're still there.

-OK.

-I don't know.

-I think we should take these three anchors, because I think they're a nice feature.

-Yeah.

-And I think things'll crawl underneath them.

-I think so, too.

The spirit of encouraging wildlife. Right, let's have those.

Right, anything else you like the look of?

While Norman and I enjoy a good old rummage,

back at the houseboat, things are finally beginning to come together.

Fluffy is now in position and the treads of the steps are going in at last,

but AJ has realised he's missed an important detail.

They don't have a handrail.

-What are you going to do here? As a rail?

-A rope.

I thought rope would be a great idea. Have you got some?

Yes, I think so. Which pocket did I put it in?

-LAUGHING:

-You haven't got any, have you?

-Why didn't you tell me these things?

I know. But surely we've got to have some rope around here somewhere? We're in a shipyard.

Perhaps we need to make a phone call. Helen might come up with something.

-Maybe I can get Helen to bring something back?

-Yeah, OK.

How long do you reckon it's going to take before this is complete?

-I don't know. I've never actually made a staircase before...

-OK.

-..from scratch.

-By the time I've done all that, hopefully, you'll have the rope.

-Hopefully.

-So I'd better go and make the phone call.

-Yeah, stop interrupting me(!)

-Sorry. Speak to you soon.

-Take care.

-Cheers.

This is a treasure trove... Oooh!

What about this?

Be honest, would you like the idea of a lobster pot?

Well, I do like lobster pots.

I find them very picturesque, but no thank you.

-So, no to a lobster pot?

-No to a lobster pot.

-Tough crowd.

PHONE RINGS

Danny! How have you got time to phone me?

You should be gardening, gardening, gardening.

I haven't got time to phone you.

We are under pressure, serious pressure here, to get this job done.

One of the things we have discovered is that we haven't got any rope.

-We can get you some rope, yeah.

-AJ, how much do we need?

-Just measuring, hold on.

-He's just measuring it now.

We need two five-metre lengths, so ten metres.

So two five-metre lengths of natural rope.

Two five-metre lengths of natural rope to help with the stairs.

I can do that. Is there anything else you would need?

No, I think that's it.

She's an absolute lifesaver.

A creative genius, a nightmare at timekeeping.

What about this?

-That's a nice one.

-Right, let's get that.

Now, I like these and I think that we could have some little oars

and create a bit of a fancy bug hotel.

They look cute, don't they?

They're really cute. Let's take those.

Let's take the anchors.

-Too obvious?

-That looks like the "wheel" thing!

-I know you don't like this, but I like it.

-Oh, go on.

-Allow me, indulge me.

-Put it in.

-OK, let's take this and let's take them to Danny.

-And off we go.

There's so much you could pick from.

So, we've completed our part of the deal.

Oh, cheers, Luke, that's exactly what I need.

With an hour left to complete his garden transformation,

Danny is at last getting started on some planting

by turning Fluffy into a herb garden.

Right, the boat is just done now and it looks great.

I'm really pleased with it.

So, this is where I'm going to plant my herbs.

The herbs will go in there.

I'm going to create a sea here,

a sea of blue on either side of the boat

so it looks like the boat is floating.

I'm going to use this lovely grass, blue fescue.

It's absolutely gorgeous.

In the winter, you will get brown bits in it.

You can always get a comb and just comb it out

and give it a really nice, neat haircut.

I'm going to place them just here.

Look what we've got here. We've got this lovely rosemary.

It looks absolutely perfect, really.

We found this in the garden so we're recycling this.

In fact, I might make this a centrepiece

and then put herbs around it.

The great thing about rosemary, it will grow in most soils.

If the soil is very poor, it will release its aroma.

Aromas will be stronger.

It will survive in any conditions, which is great for Rosie.

It will be easy for her to look after.

-Danny!

-Hello, Helen.

-Look at me!

-You've got my rope?

-Yes.

Brilliant, well done.

I just brought loads of random things.

No, I think that's brilliant, I like it.

Because I like random things

and I thought you'd appreciate the quirkiness.

And this is a random kind of garden.

And a quirky garden, so you choose very well.

-I brought the right things to the right place?

-You certainly did.

-How is it going?

-Oh, it's going very well. It's going brilliantly.

-We're on time.

-No, it's not, that's a lie!

I'm going to be honest. I'm confused.

-I see you're building a staircase.

-Yes.

-To where?

It's a stairway to heaven!

Seriously. It's going to a viewing platform.

This is a hub of activity.

AJ is drilling away in the background there.

I've brought you a load of random stuff. Is this a help or hindrance?

That is definitely a help.

I know exactly what we're going to do with that.

We're going to put it on Fluffy. Shall I show you who Fluffy is?

Just follow me.

Love, love, love.

Helen, meet the good ship Fluffy.

This is Fluffy. Don't look confused. Look at the name.

Oh, OK, it's called Fluffy. We could just do that.

Helen, that's great, except you put it in on the wrong end.

That's the front end. That's the back end!

That's much better. Well done. I'm really pleased.

What can I do to be helpful?

With Danny's encouragement, I've decided to apply

my creative instincts to some of my other nautical novelties.

With mixed results.

Oh, who brought these? Whose stupid idea was it to bring oars?

While AJ and Mark continue to build their impressive steps,

Danny has discovered a problem with his viewing platform.

This is going to be our deckchair area here.

A little observation post.

And I'm just seeing how it all fits in.

And at the moment, it's not fitting in very well,

so I've just asked Luke to go off and get some breeze blocks.

While Luke has gone off to get some breeze blocks for me,

I intend planting this buddleia, this butterfly bush.

I knew Rosie absolutely loves it.

The buddleias will attract butterflies to the viewing area,

assuming it gets finished.

I'm very worried about the garden.

I think it's getting very late.

I know that Rosie would normally be back very soon.

And, you know, to be honest with you,

I think we could do with another week to get this right.

I've come up with a bright idea to put the oars to good use,

even if AJ isn't convinced.

-A bug hotel?

-Yeah.

-Bug hotel?

-Yeah.

-Well...

-It's a bit of shelter.

Does it matter? They can go underneath it.

Yes, but most bugs start eating wood, don't they?

-Anything that's treated is going to be the world's best.

-OK.

-In my opinion, and I'm just a bug lover.

-OK.

Well, that's rained on that parade, hasn't it?

It takes more than that to keep this girl down.

Rosie liked the idea of a bug hotel so I figure

if I make one from this, we can move it if she doesn't like it.

It's a portable hotel, a campervan, if you will.

Oh, can I have that? Thank you.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

There you go!

Can I have that broken bit?

It looks nothing like the bug hotels we saw in the garden today.

But they won't let me in the main garden.

They won't let me have a saw!

Stand in the corner, Helen!

I feel like when I was a kid and I wanted to play with my brother

and his mates and they wouldn't let me

and they used to say, go over in the corner and play

by yourself, Helen, and that is what I'm doing right now.

But where there's a will...

pad out the flaws. Oh, look at that.

That is perfect. Yes.

He is going to rue the day

he ever took the mick out of my bug hotel, isn't he?

Malmaison, eat your heart out!

Broken pot. Oh!

My first customers.

Wow!

We've a block booking, everyone, a block booking!

Welcome!

Welcome to Helen's!

A few plants to frame up the hotel. There we go.

Danny, look.

Spot on! Definitely.

So, my bug hotel is finished, but the daylight is fading fast.

It's now literally all hands on deck to get the garden shipshape

and ready for Norman and Rosie's return.

That's it. Yes, it's cool.

At the start of the day, Norman and Rosie's riverside garden was totally

overgrown with brambles, which made it an almost unusable space.

Hidden treasures were buried in the undergrowth.

The top of the bank was inaccessible

and there was nowhere comfortable to sit.

But in just a few hours,

Danny has transformed it into a nautically-themed wildlife garden.

He's cut back all those brambles and put in a sturdy set of steps.

These lead up to a new viewing platform, built from old

pallets that give Rosie and Norman a high-level seating area.

Down below, there is marine blue decking,

also made from recycled pallets and he's revived an old raised bed.

He has also created a new herb garden by installing Fluffy,

the old rowing boat.

What an amazing transformation in just one day!

Danny, you've done brilliantly.

And now, for the moment of truth.

How will Rosie and Norman react to all this hard work?

Right, the moment of truth.

You have both been very well behaved and kept your eyes closed.

But now is the time to open your eyes and see your new garden.

-Oh my...!

-What!

We're still at the wetlands, right?

-No, this is your garden.

-Oh, fantastic. Look at that.

You clever little clogs, is all I can say.

Look, the Overslag sign is there. I'm going to cry.

This is all Danny's work,

along with some of your good friends who have helped him out today.

-Pulled together and grafted for you.

-Mark helped with the woodwork.

-Bill painted your sign.

-I'm looking at the painting on the sign.

-That is absolutely excellent.

-We have an original Bill in the garden.

-They were brilliant. Shall we give them a clap?

-Yeah!

-Thank you.

-Look at all the lights in the tree!

-That is fantastic.

-You've got another place to sit.

-Oh, may I?

-Yes, of course you can.

-So, the seating is very important in a garden.

-Well, I'm enjoying this.

-Yes, you've got me already.

-Norman, you look very comfortable there.

-This is surprisingly comfortable.

-You have hours and days and years.

If you'd like to bring my tea out!

But come back over here and have a look down the garden

because quite a lot has gone on. The bramble jungle has been tamed.

Yes, we haven't dug them out because it's great for wildlife

and you wanted to keep the rustic appeal.

That's what Dave said today, we definitely need the brambles.

-We are bramble freaks now!

-That's good.

We have some blue grasses there.

The bluegrasses represent the water and we're walking on water.

Oh, yes.

-You ought to, the job you've done here!

-You perform miracles!

I think, Danny, you've got yourself another successful instant garden.

-Two happy customers?

-Very happy customers.

You wanted a place to rest, recuperate, reflect.

-Do you think you've got that?

-I think I have.

We've always looked at that little flat area with longing,

but because the bank was so overgrown,

we've never, ever been able to get up there.

Ten out of ten for that one.

Yeah, we had a job getting up there, I can assure you!

Well, go up there, enjoy it. Rosie, have a little explore.

Danny, take a lean on that fence post and relax.

-I think I will.

-Enjoy, Rosie.

-Thank you.

There we have it.

Another successful instant garden

and I think two very happy customers.

Ah! That'll do me.