The Great Garden Revolution (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript

Spring is finally here...

Yes.

..and there's a garden revolution
sweeping the nation.

This year it has
felt like more than ever

people are exploring their gardens.

Oh, wow, look at this place.

And starting to explore the sheer
potential that they offer.

People all over the country
are experiencing this new connection

to their gardens.

And there you have it!
Oh, yeah.

So we want to invite you to join in.



I'm on a huge mission to change what
we put in our gardens.

Inspiring you with possibilities...

It's gorgeous.

..and to totally transform
our ordinary gardens.

Oh, wow!

It can be a bit scary
cutting plants.

We'll be sharing tips and tricks...

But cutting equals good,
so just go for it.

And the jobs to do right now.

Lick of paint and it's finished.

Over the next few weeks we're gonna
be meeting fellow revolutionaries.

Look at this space.

People who think along the same
lines as us.

It's very pleasing to do.



I really feel like he's responding.

So wherever you are, with
whatever you have,

it's time to join
the garden revolution.

Over the past year, so many of us

have got in touch with our wild
sides through our gardens.

It's a little bit overgrown
but that's how I love it.

So, this weekend we're celebrating
how gardens give us

a connection to nature.

I love to be outside, personally.

Sometimes I wonder
why I go in the house.

In Oldham, we're transforming
a neglected plot

into a moors-inspired
wild wonderland.

This is amazing. I mean, how can
we really improve on this?

This is just what nature does.

We'll show you how to take a more
laid-back approach to your planting.

Do you know, I'm not going to be
able to move that anyway,

so we'll leave it at that.

And how to invite
wildlife into your garden.

The beetles are going to love this.

And the birds will love it as well

because of all the insects
that are gonna be living in there.

I meet the revolutionary who has led
the wild garden movement.

You've really let go
of the reins in this garden.

Sometimes it does feel like it's
just going completely crazy.

And comedian Bill Bailey shows us
his garden,

where he swaps the foxtrot
for foxgloves.

This is a moon gate. It's a portal
into another dimension,

except this is
a dimension of serenity.

Normal, serene, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I can see that.

Ever since I started gardening,
spaces that embrace nature

and exist in harmony with wildlife
have been close to my heart.

I think we need to move away
from the idea that a garden

is just like a room that we decorate
in our house.

We need to perceive a garden
much more as a thing that we share

with other creatures,
that we share with nature.

And that connection
with nature allows us

so much more room for creativity
in our outdoor spaces.

I think that the revolution in the
garden is kind of breaking out

of what we consider a garden
should be.

Do we need to have a lawn?

Can we have a slightly wilder patch?

And gardens are a place where humans
and the wild meet

and that should be reflected,
I think.

We're going to bring some of that
wildness to a family garden

on the edge of Manchester.

We are the Barneses. So I am...

This is Molly Barnes.

I'm Charlotte, this is Archie.

And I'm Marcus.

I was just having a little think
what plant would describe us best

and I've come up with a cactus
plant for Charlotte,

because she's a little prickly
in the mornings.

Originally born nearby, Marcus
and Charlotte returned to Oldham

when they had kids, hoping to live
a proper country life.

Their front garden has become
a perfect play area for the kids.

Probably where we spend
the majority of our time. Yeah.

Um, this is the flattest
part of our garden,

so we do a lot of football,
running, slides.

But to the side, they have a larger
plot with stunning views

over the moors,
but it's overgrown, unsafe

and unconnected to the
rest of the house.

So, as you can see this part
of the garden is really unusable

and in the summer months it's
full of nettles and thorny bushes

and it's really unsafe
for the children to be in.

We bought the house for the garden
area and this part,

because it is quite large, it is
really overwhelming for us.

I wouldn't even know where to start
with that, to be honest.

Like so many of us,
the Barneses have a problem area

they can't see what to do with.

We are not the most confident
gardeners, are we?

I am definitely that person that
says I'm gonna do that garden

at the weekend and never does
that garden at the weekend, so...

With summer fast approaching,
now is the perfect time for them

to get stuck in
and engage with the outdoors.

The dream would be to have some
kind of decking seating area

at the end here, so we can take
full advantage of that view there.

Spend some quality time together.
Yeah.

The Barneses are not the only ones
who want to use their gardens

to connect with nature.

From chicken sheds...

An egg!

..to cows getting fed.

We've provided homes under water...

So there's loads of newts in here,
I can see a newt at the bottom.

..and homes in the soil.

What are you doing?

I'm looking for worms.

So, if you want to share
what you've been doing,

use the hashtag #gardenrevolution.

We're getting straight down
to designing a garden

that's perfect
for the Barnes family.

This week we're going to be
creating a wild garden.

The family moved to the moors
to be around nature.

There's no point creating a garden
which will jar

with the landscape, so we're going
to try and embrace

the majesty of nature.

So, we need to take inspiration
from the wider countryside

and bring it into this garden.

People often perceive a wild garden
to be an overgrown mess,

but it doesn't have to be like this.

Wild can still be beautiful
and functional,

but working with nature,
instead of against it.

Our gardens are the places that we
most often kind of start

to interact with the natural world,
and so often they become

so manicured, but I think
that bringing a bit more

of that wilderness into the space
is just such a wonderful thing,

and for me personally, I love
exploring the natural world

and seeing how we can kind of draw
elements of that and replicate them

in our domestic setting.

So, for me, wild gardens is
an exciting one to explore.

Our plan puts nature
at its very heart,

with a planting design that
incorporates native trees,

wild planting
and a lawn that is left to thrive.

There'll be a decking
and seating area where the family

can enjoy those stunning views.

While an oak worktop connects
this area with an outdoor kitchen.

We've even got space for a kids play
area, complete with a living tepee.

It should be the perfect low
maintenance spot

that won't overwhelm these new
gardeners

and is full of great ideas
that you can give a go this weekend.

Over the next few days,
our team will be getting to work...

Squeaky, squeaky.

..and first on my to do list is
building the outdoor kitchen.

So, this was the family's favourite
spot, for the barbecues.

Well, you can see why they like this
space, look at these views.

I mean, this is a wild garden.

So, really what we're trying to do
is take those incredible views

and bring them into the garden
and reflect that as we,

as we move through the space.

I love a barbecue area,

and really we'll try and recreate
a kitchen in a lot of ways.

It gets everything into one place,
and it's nice and efficient to use.

The idea is that we connect this
barbecue area with the seating area.

As Charlotte and Marcus are keen
to learn some new gardening skills,

we've set them to work too.

SQUEAKING

I think your barrow needs oiling!

It really does.

Plus, we've got carpentry ace Bruce
Kenneth to show them how to master

some woodwork and provide the garden
with amazing creations.

It's massively important to have
beautiful furniture outside,

because it's an extension of
somebody's house

and I think if we learned a lot
of lessons over the last year,

is how much being home is important
and why not extend being home

to outside and making that part
of your home.

Building you some planters for your
decking over there.

The idea is that you have some
castors on them,

so you can move them round.

Maybe even act as a bit of a
windbreak and some privacy for you.

You do a bit of DIYing or...?
Absolutely not, no.

No, OK. No.
I'm willing to give it a go.

At least it's a sunny day, right?

Give it a... Yeah.

Oh, dear.

You're getting better. Heh.

What do you guys use this
garden for now?

We haven't really tended to use
much of this area,

we generally more use
the front garden only. OK.

So, you're gonna come out
and eat some dinners out here?

Our hobbies are just food and drink,
to be honest.

There's nothing wrong with
those hobbies.

A great way to encourage local
wildlife is to see

what is already growing
in your area.

So, before we start planting,
I've snuck out for a walk

on the surrounding moors to see if I
can get some extra ideas

for my planting plan.

This is amazing. I mean, how can
we really improve on this?

This is just what nature does.

Who would not want something as wild
and spectacular as this

over a couple of random flowers
sitting in a border?

Taking inspiration from this kind
of complexity

and, I guess, chaos in a way,

for me is so beautiful
and inspiring, awe inspiring.

So, I'm having a little
look around here,

already I'm seeing lots of very low
growing plants,

which is telling me
probably there's quite harsh winds.

We've got a lot of heather

and heather is a really tough plant.

So, this heather
isn't in flower now,

but we can find a cultivated one
that will be in flower now

and instead of white flowers,
we'll have pink flowers.

By coming out and exploring natural
wild spaces, we can learn so much

of how nature operates in a way
that is so, you know,

low input, because we can just kind
of let that cycle take hold

rather than having to intervene.

Coming out into the outside world
and just see what's going on,

is, can take a lot of hints
and tips from it.

Even if you can't head
to the moors for inspiration,

there's something every new gardener
should do before they get going

and that is know your soil.

One of the kind of most important
things is to understand

the soil that you're growing in.

One of the sort of features of soil
that we need to look out for

is its pH level.

Below seven, we're talking
about acid soil

and above seven we're talking
about alkaline soil.

Lots of people get convinced they're
bad at gardening

when their new plants die,

but often it's just the wrong plant
in the wrong soil.

I have dug a bit of a hole
in the ground

and pulled out
some of the lower soil.

I've then popped that in this vial
here and then I'm gonna be

adding this stuff, which reminds me
of school science lessons.

Um, it's called barium sulphate,

and then I'm adding some pH
soil testing solution.

Give it a good old shake,
so everything mixes up nicely,

and then I'm gonna leave that
to sit for a few minutes.

Testing kits can be bought in garden
centres or online,

for up to £20, and while that might
sound expensive,

it could end up saving you a lot of
money on plants

that simply won't thrive
in your garden.

So, the pH test has settled.

We've got this lovely bright orangey
colour which is showing us

that we're around pH six.

Acid soil, so anything going into
this soil

needs to be tolerant of that.

Still to come, I get a lesson in how
to create a British icon.

Really looking forward
to this, to be honest.

Are you? It's going to be my
favourite part of the day.

And Bruce invites wildlife...

The moment of truth.

..from near and far.

It's their home as well.
It's cute, it's adorable.

Across the UK, a revolution
is taking place in our gardens...

All kinds of vegetables
growing in here, it's lovely to grow

produce and just generally be
outdoors and be happy and healthy.

..as we've been bringing
the countryside into our homes.

This week we're all about wild
gardens, and in Oldham...

Do we need a bigger border?

I never thought I'd say
that, but... I know.

..we're creating a nature
haven for the Barnes family.

How do you like the
sound of having a garden

that's a bit wild rather
than... Perfect. Yeah, yeah.

I think sometimes in the house
we're very like,

"Oh, don't touch that, it might
fall, don't keep your shoes on,

you're going to make it
muddy," or whatever.

Whereas the garden is a place where
they can just explore,

and learn from it as well.

I think that's really part
of their education.

And I have a planting plan that
reflects and supports nature -

planting in naturalistic swathes

and choosing plants that will
thrive in the local conditions.

So Charlotte is giving me
a helping hand laying it out.

So, we've got some lovely grasses,
these'll stay looking

beautiful throughout the year,
and then we've got Cianthus and they

have beautiful blue flowers on them,
and they'll be covered in bees.

Yeah, anything bright.
Our wedding flowers were just...

All I wanted was just bright colours
so that's how we themed

our wedding
around that as well.

Aw, that's so lovely. And did you
see the garden and go,

"Ooh, can't wait to get
my hands on that,"

or was it like "Oh, goodness"?

I think, cos of the space, it's
quite overwhelming

when you're not, like, a really
confident gardener.

So I go to the garden centre and buy
things cos I like them

but then I get a bit disheartened
after a few months after

they die down, cos I've obviously
bought the wrong ones.

Quite like a common experience,
isn't it? Yeah.

I mean, I remember for myself when
I first started getting into plants

and gardening, I was victim to
that as well.

And I think with just like a few
really basic kind of principles,

for example knowing
what your soil is,

understanding
where the sun is in your space.

These sorts of things can really,
really help remedy that.

Our garden spaces should be a place
where humans are meeting nature,

like Archie can
come out here and safely

just, like, potter around
and, you know,

see some earthworms and
butterflies.

It's getting creatures like this
into the garden that I think

makes wild gardens so important.

Our gardens in the, UK all together,
add up to more land

than we have as
protected nature reserve.

So, that kind of gives
an understanding of how

significant the amount of land
and how much impact it could have

on biodiversity, on wildlife, if
we all grew in a way

that was working in harmony with
the natural world around us.

It's not just the natural elements
of the local area

we want to reflect.

I am really looking forward to
this, to be honest. Are you?

It's going to be my
favourite part of the day.

In the outdoor kitchen I've
brought in James, a local craftsman,

to teach me how to build something
you see everywhere around here,

a dry stone wall.

So, how long have you been
dry stone walling?

I started when I was 12.

Wow, that's like a proper old school
apprenticeship, isn't it?

Yeah.

It's believed that dry stone walls
were first built in the stone age,

to keep predators away from
settlements.

And today those same
skills are kept alive

by an ever-decreasing number
of trained craftsmen like James.

So, teach me
some of these skills then.

Yeah, well, basically pick up
a stone and see what fits.

You're making it sound easy.

It is, once you know what
you're doing.

Just needs a bit of a tap down.

And then you'd pin it
underneath there.

Just to stop them
from rocking.

Do you want to have a go?
Absolutely.

And obviously there's no mortar.

Nope, it's all held together
by the way it interlocks together,

so it makes it more stable.

I see, so that's bracing it, then?
Yeah, yeah.

I was reading that
part of the wall's stability is

the fact that there is no mortar,
so there's nothing to fail.

Yeah, they flex with the land, yeah.

Cos they're just
built on the clay,

they can move with the land, so it
stops them from just falling over.

So, they'll last a lot longer
than a cement wall.

Yeah, brilliant, isn't it? Yeah.

Stone walls are becoming popular
with sustainability-focused

gardeners because they have a lower
carbon footprint

than walls with lots of cement.

Plus, they blend in with
the landscape perfectly.

So that, immediately when
I seen it...

You knew it were going to fit.

And that's the one, isn't it? Yeah,
you've got the eye for it already.

And that's not all, these walls
create their own little ecosystem.

They're pretty good for wildlife?

Yeah, you find a lot of stuff
when you take a wall down.

An old wall, maybe like
these ones here. Yeah.

You find a lot of like, stoats, and
frogs and newts and stuff like that.

OK, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, straight away you look at
that, it's just a thing of beauty.

Looks good, don't it?
It's gorgeous, I love it.

We're starting to make real
progress down in the wild beds.

But I've spotted something in
the front garden

that I want to give a new
lease of life.

Joel, can you come
and give me a hand?

No problem.

Saving and splitting plants is
a great skill to have

if you have an overgrown garden or
a patch that's got out of control.

So, Poppy, what are we doing?

I found this big patch of geraniums,
but what's happened here is

that it's become a bit choked up and
what we can now do is divide it up.

So what we're going to do is dig
out little bits of it with

the roots on, that we
can then plant elsewhere.

So, it's a great way of using plants
you've got in your space,

you don't actually have to
buy new ones. Yeah.

When you think of how much these
would all cost in a garden centre,

so, it's a good little tip. It is.

I love a geranium, you know.
They remind me of me nan.

Do they? They're like an
old-fashioned sort of... Yeah, yeah.

..plant, weren't they? But they're
all coming back, these things now.

I love those smells you
get in the summer.

There's something really
nice about this

because it's a way
of sharing plants.

My mum and my mother-in-law,

they both give me plants like this
all the time. Absolutely.

And it makes them really special.
And again, it's that kind of feeling

of a plant having a story
behind it.

It's a bit like the old allotment
communities.

You all grow different things and
you all swap at the end of the year.

Yeah. It's more efficient. Yeah.

I think sometimes people get
a little bit intimidated by doing

their own propagating as well, but
really it's a case of just trying

to have a go at these things and not
being scared of it, isn't it?

Plants always surprise me
at how keen they are to survive.

Yeah. Plants want to grow.

They do, they do.

Any wild garden needs to do its bit
to welcome in wildlife

and around the country we've all
been saying hello

to our new friends.

From four legged ones...

And I hope we will get
a hedgehog in the hedgehog house.

..to slimy ones.

What is that you've got there
Robbie, what's that?

It's a snail house. A snail house?

And feathered ones, too.

We've learnt to share our back
yards with our wild neighbours.

And, in his workshop, Bruce is
creating something

that's a great
way to get started.

A bird box like this one, made with
things you probably have

lying around your house.

An empty wine bottle,
some string and a plank of wood.

So, first thing we want to do is
we want to measure the bottle.

You want to give yourself about 30,
40 mil above it.

So, that's the height
of your bottle,

and then you need a 45 degree angle.

Flip the saw over,
do the same thing on the other side.

The first thing to do is cut
out a back panel,

before attaching
a little bird tray.

I'm glueing and screwing this
component on because you get

a bunch of birds outside, you don't
want this breaking on them.

I mean, I know they can
fly and all, but...

you know, be kind
to the birds.

Next, fit the upturned bottle to the
back by drilling four holes

on each corner of
the back panel.

How long's the length of string?
No-one knows, right?

Pop the string through
and fasten the bottle on.

Just a simple knot.

That holds the bottle nice and snug.

For the finishing touches
I've added a roof

and two side panels
for the seed tray.

If it's rough and ready it is OK,
the birds will not mind,

they do not care about your
carpentry skills.

They're thankful you're feeding
them, so don't forget that.

The moment of truth.

For the cost of a board, some string
you have knocking around,

we all have a few bottles,
let's be honest.

I hope they enjoy it.
I hope the birds enjoy it, really.

It's a great little project.

A lick of paint and it's finished.

I'm going to put the bird box
up in a sheltered spot on a tree,

out of the reach of predators.

A wild garden has everything,
it's the plants, it's the trees,

the flowers, it's the animals.

It's everything tied together,
and I really like it.

It brings in the wildlife and it
feeds them, it's their home as well.

It's cute, it's adorable.

In this garden it's not
just the animals

we need to allow to play,
it's the kids too.

So I'm going to build them a tepee.

It's a simple structure that's
a great beginners' DIY project

that you can have a
go at this weekend.

So, the first thing you need to do
is make a square frame.

I've gone for 1.2 metre lengths.

Any bigger, it could be quite
the monument.

Next we're going to put
the uprights in,

I've cut the base of the wood
at roughly 30 degrees, which is

going to create this nice angle,
but you can just tie it with rope.

I think in this kind of environment,

a screw's going to help
with the wind.

Make sure you screw the bottoms
of the poles after you've secured

the top, that way it's easier to
manoeuvre them into position.

I've got some different widths.

Six by one,
four by one and some baton.

You can use canvas to cover
the tepee,

but I'm going to use wooden cladding
to blend with the wild garden.

A little design trick, I suppose,
to elevate it a little bit,

I'm going to get smaller as
it goes up.

So, from a child's perspective,

it makes it look sort of more
impressive.

It's like the old classical
building designs

that get smaller as they go up.

Using a wood like cedar will make
the tepee more durable,

as it's naturally
resistant to rot and decay.

It's always good to have a
go at these things yourself.

It's really good
for the soul, I think.

You can easily go to the shops
and buy something like this,

but the more involved you get
yourself,

the more you're going to
enjoy it.

You get to see the
fruits of your labour,

then you get to see
the children play in it.

The whole experience is more
enjoyable.

So last thing is to get
a lick of paint on.

It's nice to get some colour in
there for the kids.

And I'm going to do it in the same
colours as the local football team

that they support.

I think this might be quite a nice
thing for Marcus to do, actually,

because it's going to
connect him to it,

so I'll give him that little job.

Still to come, I visit the wild
garden of a revolutionary pioneer.

It almost looks like soil
and it smells so good.

I'll take your word for it.

And we take a peek in the back yard
of comedian Bill Bailey.

It's a nice contrast,
the garden represents calm,

and this represents violence.

Yah!

Across the nation the revolution
is under way as our gardens grow.

There's not enough space

to fit in a full greenhouse,
so we had to get creative.

Wow!

And this week we're
all about inviting the wildlife in.

And I think we should
put some foxgloves in there

so that they stand up tall.
Yeah.

In Oldham, we're creating a
wild space for the Barnes family.

But I want to see how revolutionary
designers are nurturing

their own bit of nature.

Hello. Hi, Poppy.
How are you doing?

Oh, very good thank you.

Nigel Dunnett spearheaded
the wild garden movement with

his acclaimed
Olympic Park Gardens...

..but it's in his own space,
on the edge of the Peak District,

where he's
really embracing the wild.

The first thing I did in the
garden here ten years ago was to

make this little bit of woodland.

These are paper birches.

I love woodland gardens.

They've almost been forgotten about,
the beautiful experience

of being in a woodland,

and when you want
to really encourage wildlife,

even in a small garden,

I think it's really,
really important to plant trees.

Trees I love in my garden
because they're so much less work!

Yeah!

They kind of get on with it and
the more established they become,

the more they just
roll with the seasons.

Planting a tree can be intimidating,
but slender trees, like birches,

don't take as
much room as you'd think

and are great for the environment.

Trees are so
important for locking up carbon.

So, the trees draw in carbon out
of the atmosphere,

locking it up in its trunk,

returning that to the soil,
stopping erosion with its roots.

It's incredible.

This single tree is doing
all of these things.

Yeah, and supporting
so much wildlife,

both in its life and death.

Aww, good little guys.

BOTH LAUGH

Even in death,
trees serve a purpose here.

Instead of building concrete walls,
Nigel has used logs.

It's the sort of ingenious design
that can be adapted to most gardens.

I made these log walls I think
to give structure to the garden,

but, of course, this is
also an amazing habitat, as well.

Let's see what's under here.

One, two, three worms.
Some millipedes. Amazing.

I can imagine the birds must love
this, their own little restaurant.

Yeah!

I've just got a piece of wood
here which is really disintegrating

and it's got a millipede.

Almost looks like soil's forming
and it smells so good.

I'll take your word for that.
Yeah!

You've really let go of the reins
in this garden.

I mean, it's a beautiful chaos,
but do you ever sort of panic

at the complexity and the muddle?

Sometimes it does feel like
it's just going completely crazy.

POPPY LAUGHS

One of the big principles here
is that everything can be reused

and from small cuttings can come
something mighty.

So, these
structures are dead hedges. Mm.

I haven't had a
bonfire in this garden

for years and years and years.
Just everything is reused.

Yeah, yeah.

For me, it's a really important
thing to try and do to make

ecological and wildlife-friendly
features look smart. Mm.

And look crafted.

There's something really
lovely about how loose they are,

it's not too controlled
or striving for anything perfect.

It's just liked a pile of twigs
and it looks amazing. Yeah.

It's so achievable.

And I think the more complex
and the more things you have

in a small space,
the more interesting it is

and therefore the more beautiful.
I agree.

It definitely takes bravery
to embrace this wilder approach,

but the stunning results offer very
different pleasures

to a traditional manicured lawn.

Back in our garden,
our outdoor kitchen is currently

disconnected from the
rest of the garden, so I want to

connect them in a way that is
sympathetic to the surroundings.

I wanna put this on top of the wall,

so it means they
can do their cooking,

pass the food onto this, so it's a
nice way to connect the two spaces.

I like it a lot.

What a piece of wood.

Local oak.
A nice piece of local oak.

So we're gonna
put the old teak oil on.

I love that first hit of oil when
you start to see the grain pop out.

It's like the surface of a pond -

if it's rough, you can't see what's
happening underneath. No, it's true.

But as you work through the grades,
it makes it nice and smooth

and you start to see the grain,
you can see through the wood.

There's no question
this is a lovely slice of tree.

It's like when you go to the butcher

and the bone's
still on the piece of meat.

It's reminding us it's part of an
animal. It's like part of a tree.

Yeah. Sometimes in garden design,
we try to make things perfect,

and I actually like
a piece of wood like this,

it's never gonna be perfect.
That's what's so nice about it.

Exactly. And it fits
these surroundings, doesn't it?

It looks good with the rocks,
the trees and the landscape.

I tell you what, Bruce,

that looks like a new piece of wood,
doesn't it? It does, it looks great.

That has come up something special.
Yeah.

Below the kitchen area, the wild
planting is really coming together.

As well as plants,
such as pheasant's tail grass,

foxgloves and blueberries,

I am planting something
I know grows well here - heather.

We've got three varieties.

we've got March Seedling,

we've got Mary Helen

and we've also got Kramer's Red,

and all three of these heathers are
winter and early spring flowering,

so they're fantastic
for early forage for pollinators.

Heather is also known
for its medicinal properties

and it's a perfect low-maintenance
plant for anyone starting out.

Heather is basically bomb proof,

it doesn't need particularly
watering, it's evergreen.

You basically bung it
in the ground and off it goes,

so it's a really, really
great one for a first garden.

In times gone by, it's been
kind of regarded as a friendly plant

because, in the depths of winter,

it's coming up all pink on
the hilltops, or like a good omen.

They're kind of
coming back into fashion

and I'm very happy about that
because look how beautiful they are.

And it's not just low-level hardy
plants we're getting settled in,

we're adding something we know
wildlife is gonna love - trees.

So, Charlotte, let's get
this absolutely massive tree

in the ground!

Let's give it a try. Oh, my God!

CHARLOTTE LAUGHS

Oh, yeah!

There she is.
Well done, well done.

We've gone with an Amelanchier,

a small ornamental tree known
for its stunning spring blooms.

It blossoms early. OK.

So it's great for wildlife
for that first hit. Uh-huh.

I get trees for me birthday,
you know? Do you really?

Yeah, because I think what a nice
present because... Oh, OK.

..it'll be with
me my whole lifetime.

Well, we can call
it for Marcus's birthday. Yeah.

There we go.

What do you think of the angle?
I'll shimmy it.

You'll shimmy it?
I'll try and shimmy it.

I think it looks OK.

Do you think we got it
right first time? I think so.

I'm not going to be
able to move that anyway.

No, I was gonna say!
So, we'll leave it at that!

So, let's get this filled up,
Charlotte.

If you want to get started
with a slightly smaller tree

in your garden, there are
some basics that are worth knowing

to help any new addition settle in.

I'm gonna plant this tree here.

A big part of planting a tree
is first choosing the right spot,

It's got plenty of space round here,

there's no plants
underneath that will be shaded out.

This particular tree is a Holm oak.

It's gonna act as a windbreak cause
it's up here sheltering the garden.

It'll act as privacy from the road

and it's evergreen,
so also add a bit of life to it

throughout the year.

Once you've chosen your tree,
you've chosen your spot,

you're gonna dig your
hole and you'll put your tree in it.

So, I'm gonna start
by just removing the turf.

Yeah, gardening is good exercise.

It's a lot easier doing
this when the ground's a bit wet,

maybe it's been
raining for a few days before,

but a bit of moisture in the ground
makes this process a lot easier.

I've dug this hole
for the tree out in a square

because it will basically encourage
the roots to go exploring,

it just gives them a slightly better
chance at establishing faster.

I'm now going to, very carefully,
try and release this plant

from its pot.

Make sure you support
the plant from the bottom.

I love trees, there's something
really mystical about them

or magical because they're so old.

They can live for so long,

so it kind of almost
feels like they're operating

outside of the kind of time
constraints we are as humans.

I often think about
the conversations that trees

may have overheard
over hundreds of years,

all the different love
stories they might have seen unfold.

It means that our great
grandchildren might end up

sitting under the shade or
collecting apples off a tree

that you planted in your lifetime,

so I think there's something really
beautiful about planting trees

because it's, like, offering for the
future, rather than just the now.

To make sure your tree
gets a good start in life,

staking it is a really crucial
to give the main stem support.

The stake wants to go
angling towards the prevailing wind.

The stake should be
knocked in at an angle

to prevent the roots
from coming loose in the wind.

Tie it to its new stake.

Once you've planted a new tree,

you do want to water roughly every
week, just to give a really

good hydration,
especially if it's a bit dry.

This tree's gonna be here
for a very, very long time,

providing shelter, privacy,

it's gonna be an
incredible habitat for wildlife,

so, even though it's
a very simple process,

this is a very significant moment,
actually, planting a tree.

The smell you get from lemongrass
is wonderful, isn't it?

Being locked down made us
reconsider what is really important

and so many of us have turned to
our gardens to find some sanctuary.

Hello, I'm Bill Bailey

and a few months ago I joined the
Great Garden Revolution.

Welcome to my Japanese zen
rock garden.

During lockdown, we thought,

"Maybe we'll just rethink this
whole space."

So, let me just talk you through it.

This is a moon gate
and it's meant to be a portal

into a more intriguing part
of the garden.

It's a portal
into another dimension,

except this is
a dimension of serenity.

Normal.

Serene.

Normal.

Serene.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I can see that.

A bloody pigeon's gone in the house!
Oi!

The main feature is the gravel,
which has been artfully raked

into concentric rings to
replicate the ripples of water

and we've actually got some actual
water in, as well, so we're sort

of cheating a little bit, but who's
gonna complain about that, really?

This is your classic
Japanese zen garden gravel rake -

quite a specific piece of kit.

Raking the gravel,
it's really satisfying to do,

it's a form of meditation.

It means it's low maintenance.

You know, I'm away a lot touring.

It means that you can maintain
the look of the garden quite easily

and you can just sort of
rock out with it afterwards.

This is my favourite part of
the garden, this is the henge area.

These rocks have not been
here for thousands of years.

They're quite lightweight.

You could actually
probably take 'em with...

It's basically a travel henge.

As things start to open up a bit,

you start going to summer festivals,
why not take your own henge?

"Didn't you bring a tent?"
"No, got me own henge."

So, I reckon my two
favourite plants in this garden

and the two trees here.

There's quite a contrast.

The silver birch is often
a feature of Asian gardens.

On this side is your classic
English bay tree, which is huge now.

There's enough
for about a million stews.

The branches are big enough
to hang a boxing bag off,

so my teenage son can practice
his kick boxing and his MMA.

It's a nice contrast -

the garden represents calm
and this represents violence.

Yah!

I love it,

a Japanese zen garden
in a British back yard.

As the garden revolution takes hold,

around the UK we've been in our
gardens, connecting with nature.

My favourite thing in the garden is
these bluebells,

because they look very beautiful.

In Oldham, our wild planting is in,
but the lawn needs some love.

But instead of mowing it,
I want to rewild it - a job that is

perfect for this time of year.

This month is No Mow May,

which means the whole month, we
don't mow our lawns, which is great.

It basically allows the lawn to grow
a lot more than normal,

which creates habitat
and forage for wildlife.

So many of us have lawns and they
can be hard work, but taking a

wilder approach is less maintenance

and can create a more
interesting space.

As well as not mowing the lawn,

we're also going to be adding
some plug plants.

All you've got to do is pick up some
wild flowers.

They're these tiny little things,

so it makes it really easy to pop
them in your lawn.

You don't have to dig
great big trenches.

You basically pop your trowel in,
give it a bit of a wiggle,

so it opens up the ground.

Pop the plug plant in, making sure
it's got proper contact with

the soil, firm it down and that's
it.

There's not really a method
to this madness, you can

kind of plonk them around.

They will spread, they're going to
add to this

patchwork quilt that we've already
got of other different wild,

beautiful flowers living in the
lawn.

Another positive is that it
is literally just less work.

A perennial meadow, which is
essentially what we're

planting up here, only needs mowing,
really, once a year,

compared to a lawn, which, you know,

you can be fussing over
for hours and hours.

You kind of get more from the space
with less effort.

Make it a place that actually
gives back to wildlife,

instead of it just being this
sort of carpet in your garden.

It's a fantastic thing to be doing
this month along with No Mow May.

It'll give the plants time
to establish.

It's just a bit more fun than
a normal, plain, old lawn.

All the elements of our wild
garden are coming together...

This is the biggest.

..including our very own log wall.

The beetles are going to love this.

And the birds will love it as well

because of all the insects that are
going to be living in there.

Bruce has crafted a stunning bespoke
table...

Happy, Bruce?
Yes, that's good, thank you.

..with space built in for an
ice bucket and planters.

My goodness, what a masterpiece!
This is so beautiful.

Thank you, Poppy.

I have planted up a couple of
planters that should fit

beautifully into this little slot
here.

Oh, my God. Like a glove.

Isn't that so lovely? It's cute.

I'm just thinking about that ice
bucket. The prosecco!

I think that's the difference in our
priorities.

I'm, like, "The plants,"
but you're, like, "The prosecco."

Aww, it's lovely.

And I'm making sure the tepee
will blend right in.

So, I'm just going to plant
sweet peas all the way around there,

probably six or seven plants,

and it's going to look
absolutely gorgeous.

This is your special, little den
for you and you alone.

We've got orange.

Kids love dens. Straight in there!

Dad loves them, too!

The Barneses knew they wanted
a space where the family could

connect with nature,
but didn't know where to start.

Now their garden is transformed.

The outdoor kitchen will allow
the Barneses to eat outside,

and our oak serving bar has
connected the different areas

of the garden.

By choosing plants that will
be happy here, we've continued the

wild surroundings into the garden...

..and created an amazing habitat.

My tepee will get the kids outside
and connecting with the wild,

whilst Charlotte and Marcus can
watch over them from the deck.

And like any good wild garden,
we've also encouraged wildlife with

feeders and homes for
animals, insects and birds.

This garden is now the perfect
space for the family to not only

spend time together, but to
explore the surrounding nature.

I think it's absolutely amazing.

I'm so excited to get out
and to be able to use it.

Anybody want a sausage? Me!

Come on, then.

All the elements in this design
help to tie back to that wild theme.

We've got the log wall,
we've got the wild planting,

the dry-stone wall, and we've got
that lovely oak surface.

You can find all of these
things in this environment anyway,

so it's a lovely way to bring a bit
of that landscape into the garden.

This is just amazing already.

Just sat here, all of us
together, just eating food and...

Enjoying the sunshine.
Enjoying the sunshine.

Can't get any better really, can it?

For me, a massive part of creating
a wild garden is trying to do it

in a way where the process is
also part of that.

Using materials locally,

making sure that the plants you
put in place are going to thrive

so that you don't have to
do it over and over again.

I feel like we've created
a space that is really

respectful of the natural world and
giving back to the natural world,

while also giving to the family.

I'm excited at the prospect
that I can get into gardening.

I think it's something
I've always wanted to do,

and Poppy's just really
brought it to life

and given me some great hints
and tips that I'm hoping to use

in the future, and I'll get the kids
out there and get them involved.

I see myself as an
old lady down there,

growing really big, fancy plants.

Everything we've done has
been mindful.

The way everything's positioned,

the way the decking's done,
the tables, all the planting.

We don't want the design
to overpower the natural beauty

in this whole area.

There's many features that
I've absolutely loved with

the garden, but the table that
Bruce has provided us

with is visually absolutely
stunning. It is superb.

Hopefully soon we
can get people round.

It's going to be
fantastic to show it off.

When you have a wild garden space
like this, you get to enjoy it more,

I think, spend more time with
your family and just relax in it.

And wild gardening doesn't have
to be just for a space like this.

Whether it's a suburban garden or
a balcony, you can have these wild

elements within your garden.

When we think about how our gardens
are going to be in the future,

this is right at the heart of that -

trying to create a space that's
ecologically conscious,

that's good for the wild, good for
the people, and it looks brilliant!

Next time, we're all about
gardens you can interact with.

Oh, my golly! First swipe.

In Birmingham,
we bring school outside...

Where would you like to sleep
if you were an insect?

..showing you ways to
plant for shady spaces...

Everybody needs to have a
fern in their life.

..and creating a
spectacular outdoor shelter.

I love building sheds.
I'm never happier building sheds.

This transformation,
it'll change our lives.