Garden Rescue Season 7, Episode 1: Chorlton

1

Chorlton

Louise and Steve were married in New Orleans and would like the Garden Rescue team to come up with a design to remind them of that happy occasion. The couple's garden already has some mature plants which the designers are keen to incorporate to full effect, and they already have a lovely pond which they'd like the team to expand without disturbing its current inhabitants. The magnolias and tree ferns of New Orleans are also on the list for this fun-loving couple. Can Charlie and Lee bring New Orleans to Chorlton with £4,000?

43 min

2

Corby

Sid and Dan would like their dual heritage reflected in their first garden together; Dan is of Polish and German heritage whilst Sid would love the designers to reflect his Indian background. Dan is keen to have a dedicated spot to grow more vegetables and fruit, and Sid wants the designers to include a special tree to commemorate his late mother’s love of flowers. They both love to entertain and need a more coherent space in which to socialise. Can the team come up with a design to meet these disparate demands for £4,500?

43 min

3

Worcester Fernhill

After many years in the armed forces, this is Chris and Karina's first forever home. Chris hates the garage, and Karina hates the path. They both want Charlie and Lee to help them reimagine their garden with £3,000. The couple's children, Barney and Felix, need a place to let off some energy, and Chris and Karina want a calming family zone to come together at the end of a long day. Lee and Charlie are both brimming with ideas of how they can create a garden which answers all the family's hopes and dreams - but only one can win.

43 min

4

Mickleover

Elaine and Paul in Mickleover love all things 50s - 50s cars, 50s clothes, 50s music and 50s dancing. But Elaine also loves fairies. For £3,000, Charlie and Chris create a garden inspired by the rock and roll era that will also make the couple's fairytale dreams come true.

43 min

5

Stone

Chris and Lee head to Stone to create a fun family garden for mum Chloe and her football-loving daughters Honey and Anya. The plot also needs a reflective space to remember Chloe's late husband and the children's dad Errol. Before Errol died, he had big plans for the garden.With £4,000, can Chris and Lee pick up where Errol left off?

43 min

6

Pershore

Adrian and Jenny have managed to clear their garden in Pershore, but they are uninspired by the moonscape they have ended up with. There is nothing left in this garden but a shed and a gas tank. Desperate for some inspiration, they have asked the Garden Rescue team to create a woodland garden - one with a fun, gothic twist to satisfy Jenny's darker side. The couple would like Charlie and Flo to make the most of the blank canvas and create a woodland walk with surprise, hidden views and unusual plants. Charlie loves the quirky design brief for this garden, and Flo pulls out all the stops to create the complete redesign. Jenny and Adrian have a tricky decision to make.

43 min

7

Burton-on-Trent

Tariq and Kim from Burton-on-Trent dream of a child-friendly Moroccan-style space as a nod to Tariq's North African heritage, but their garden is currently a ramshackle spot with a troublesome lawn and no real character. With £5,000 to play with, can Charlie and Chris create a fun zone for the children and a relaxing Moroccan-inspired haven for Mum and Dad?

43 min

8

Kingswinford

Charlie and Flo go head-to-head with a budget of £4,000 to design a garden that takes inspiration from Crete, where Natalie and Matthew spent their honeymoon. Their L-shaped garden offers challenges for the designers, who also need to consider the couple's young toddler, Arthur.

43 min

9

Tadley

Bettina and Baljinder want to transform their tired empty plot into a fun, quirky, sociable spot. Charlie and Lee head to Tadley to bring bright colour and ‘wow factor' to the couple's garden, all for £4,000.

43 min

10

Port Talbot

Helen and John from Port Talbot dream of a Cornish-inspired plot. Helen was born in Cornwall but moved to Wales as a child. The couple are keen to bring a touch of Helen's home county to their current property. With £5,000 to play with, Charlie and Chris turn this troublesome clay-soiled garden into a Cornish coastal haven.

43 min

11

Ledbury

Miranda and Andrew’s garden in Ledbury is a mass of concrete, devoid of plants. They would love an Italian courtyard, reminiscent of their 25th wedding anniversary in Tuscany. For £4,000, Charlie and Lee make the couple’s Mediterranean dreams come true.

43 min

12

Fleet

With a £4,000 budget, Annie and Dexter have high hopes for an Asian-inspired garden with lots of colourful plants in which to entertain their friends and family, and to remind Annie of her Taiwanese heritage. This is their first garden together and, so far, they only have Dexter’s pull-up bars and one solitary plant in it. Lee and Flo’s challenge is to design a more private garden in which Annie and Dexter will be happy to spend more time. Annie wants a nod to the tropical gardens of her childhood with colour and energy, but this is Hampshire, so whose design will capture this young couple's dream?

43 min

13

Bristol St George

Charlie and Chris head to Bristol to convert a concrete car crash into a relaxing retreat for Sam, Amy and their two French bulldogs, Alphonse and Aldrich. The couple would like a calming space where they can do yoga, which is particularly important for Sam, who suffers with anxiety. Can the team create a tranquil haven for £4,000?

43 min

14

Telford

Rhi and Alex’s large overgrown plot in Telford is little more than a pile of rubble. The young couple wish to enjoy it with extended family and bring personality to the space with a garden inspired by their worldwide travels. With a £6,000 budget, Lee and Chris add an international flavour to the plot.

43 min

15

Andover

Charlie and Lee are in Andover to change Amy and Steve’s muddy plot into a practical garden that suits the whole family, including the children and Tyson the dog. The couple would also like a relaxing space, as ex-soldier Steve suffers from PTSD. So what do Charlie and Lee have in store for the £4,000 budget?

43 min

16

Cheltenham

Charlie and Lee are in Cheltenham to convert Brandon’s bland, sparse garden into a contemporary, exotic haven, inspired by his travels to the jungles of Asia and South America. Can the Garden Rescue team achieve this on a £4,000 budget?

43 min

17

Coventry

Jess is mad keen on basketball and has hopes of being a future Paralympian, but the family garden is not currently wheelchair friendly, and so the challenge in Coventry is to create a flowing garden that is accessible to the whole family with £6,500. Chris and Charlie both want to incorporate a small practice court for Jess and brother Finlay to shoot the hoops together. Each designer has a plan to address the different level changes and make the most of the patio, but as ever it’s the details that win the pitch on the day.

43 min

18

Beeston

The Garden Rescue team are in Beeston to transform Judith’s blank canvas into a Swedish-inspired space with a country cottage twist. Having moved from a house with a mature garden, the empty lawn and stark fencing of Judith’s new-build have been a bit of a shock. For £5,500, Charlie and Lee make her Scandinavian dreams come true.

43 min

19

Fleet Church Crookham

The Garden Rescue team is in Fleet, where dad Stuart and his daughter Freya need their help to create separate, more private spaces. Freya is looking for somewhere to hang out with friends and relax without conflicting with her dad. The garden is small and has to accommodate some storage and a place for Stuart to work and collect his thoughts. They both want to encourage more insects and wildlife into the garden and need the designers’ help to make the most of their £4,000 budget. Lee and Flo both offer schemes that turn the garden into a relaxing, green extension to the home, but who’s really nailed the brief?

43 min

20

Eastergate

Rob and Helen would like the team to inject some character into their bland new-build garden. They want the garden to be modern and stylish to reflect their interiors, and they are keen on a Japanese-inspired planting scheme. Can the designers bring this vision to life and realise the couple’s ambitious plans for their garden with £5,700?

43 min

21

Bristol

Young couple Emily and Maurice’s narrow new-build garden in Bristol leaves a lot to be desired. They dream of an elegant Mediterranean-inspired space that will rekindle happy holiday memories. With a £2,500 budget, Charlie and Chris create a stylish, contemporary spot that brings sunshine vibes to the couple’s lives.

43 min

22

Kettering

After a career in nursing, Bridget would love a Celtic-inspired garden in which to enjoy her retirement - but she has no idea of where to start. She’s keen that the design for her new garden will stir memories of her childhood in Ireland and remind her of family holidays taken there. A water feature is a must-have, as she wants to be able to relax on a new terrace and listen to the gentle sound of rippling water. She would also like a raised bed to grow vegetables, and may be a growing wall too. Can the designers create all of this for £5,000?

43 min

23

Stotfold

Daniel and Saleha have called in Charlie and Flo to help them with their bland, overlooked new-build garden. The couple are both sun worshippers and would like colour and drama incorporated into the design. Saleha loves geometric patterns and would like some nods to her Bangladeshi heritage, and they would quite like a water feature too. Charlie and Flo are brimming with ideas for a vibrant garden rescue for £4,000.

43 min

24

Swindon

It is vital that Catherine has a garden in which to relax and recuperate as she recovers from multiple brain surgeries. The space should also help her to maintain a good level of fitness to give her the best chance of recovery. She would also like the design to reflect the period character of her Victorian terraced property, and she has £3,000 with which to achieve this. Chris and Lee rise to the challenge, and both have peace and calm at the core of their schemes - replacing the brown and uninviting garden with a green and tranquil space. Lee sees loads of potential and is brimming with his usual enthusiasm, but will Chris’s inclusion of a place for a sheltered barbecue and pizza oven win Catherine over. Both designers are eager to offer Catherine a garden oasis to help relieve the stresses and strains in her life.

43 min

25

Birmingham

Leonard and Cristina have a problem: their garden doesn’t get much sun and has an awkward slope right in the middle. Charlie and Lee both have the answer, but whose £3,000 design will entice Leonard and Cristina’s son Matei off his games console and out of his room? And will there be enough room for the family to pursue their sporting passion? As ever, the Garden Rescue designers go head-to-head, trying to persuade our Birmingham homeowners to pick their design.

43 min

26

Nottingham

Charlie and Lee are in Nottingham for a surprise transformation for busy GP Janice. Janice’s daughter Emily and her boyfriend Harry want to give Janice a relaxing space where she can chill out after a long day at work. Can the team create a tranquil wildlife friendly garden for £3,500?

43 min

27

Gosport

Nicola and David want the Garden Rescue team to turn their unloved garden into the ultimate theatrical show-stopper. Having met on the stage, the couple would like a space in which to entertain their friends and also to put on performances of some of their amateur dramatic favourites. But when they’re not performing, they want the garden to also be a quiet haven for wildlife.

43 min

28

Aylesbury

Charlie and Lee are in Aylesbury to transform Linda and Justine’s plain plot into a relaxing Thai haven, inspired by holiday memories. The couple would also like a space for their baby daughter Maya to explore, and a spot for remembrance. For £5,000, can Charlie and Lee make the couple’s Southeast Asian dreams come true?

43 min

29

Devizes

Darrel and Michelle want to bring Cyprus to Devizes to remind them of happy times spent there as a family. Darrel is keen to have the sound of water somewhere in the garden, and Michelle hopes there will be room for an olive tree to recreate that Mediterranean vibe. They want the designers to incorporate their hot tub and their garden furniture to make it a comfortable space for themselves and their three grown-up children to entertain their friends. Charlie and Chris are up for the challenge and find lots to like about the existing features in the garden, including the superb but neglected pleached beech trees. Making the most of what’s already there will help stretch the £3,000 budget, but will the couple go for Chris’s more formal design or Charlie’s more informal approach?

43 min

30

Luton

Kim’s family lives all over the world, and when they visit, they avoid gathering in Kim’s tired, unloved garden. Charlie and Flo both have great ideas for the £4,000 budget they have to spend to make the most of Kim’s outdoor space, with patios for entertaining and interesting features to remind the family of holidays together. But who will win the Garden Rescue challenge this time?

43 min

31

Aylesbury

Elaine and Kevin from Aylesbury first met whilst in Turkey. Inspired by their time living abroad, they dream of a relaxing traditional courtyard garden with a Turkish twist. They would also like the sound of water and the scent of roses. With a £3,500 budget, Charlie and Lee bring the couple’s Turkish vision to life.

43 min

32

Devizes

John and Vanessa want a garden reminiscent of Oman, the desert kingdom where they first met. The large raised planter right outside the back doors - nicknamed the sarcophagus - is outdated and dominates the garden, and John and Vanessa are desperate for it to go, but they are keen for the materials to be reused to make the most of their £4,000 budget. John loves a fire, and the couple love to entertain, so they need space for an area in which to socialise. The gloomy garage with north-facing wall needs brightening up, and shade-tolerant planting will do the job. Will Chris’s wadi-inspired desert garden complete with oasis pond win the day, or will Charlie’s more gentle blend of cottage and courtyard persuade the couple to choose her design?

43 min

33

Birmingham Kings Heath

Lauren and Jonathan first met when they starred in a production of Peter Pan together, and so they would like Charlie and Chris to reflect this theme in their design. The garden is long and bland, and despite having a budget of £3,000, the couple just don’t know where to start. Both designers see the potential for lots of fun, and they set to work on creating gorgeous designs for the couple to choose from. But has Chris gone too far in reimagining Neverland in Birmingham, or has Charlie allowed herself to get carried away with the magical, imaginary setting.

43 min

34

Nailsea

David and Alice have their hands full with toddler twins Beatrix and Martha. They moved in a year and a half ago, but have not had the time or energy to devote to their new garden. Low maintenance is key for any busy family, and the couple would like advice on how best to maintain the mature hedging that surrounds the garden. The old deck is rotten and slippery, and there’s an unusual fence separating the garden from a garden room used by the previous owners as a separate annexe. They’ve got £5,500 for Charlie and Chris to work with, but can they bring both parts of the garden back together as a family garden in which the twins can play while David and Alice make the most of the evening sun at the back of the garden?

43 min

35

Stockport

Ben and Ruth need the help of the Garden Rescue team to transform their dated garden into something more chic. There’s currently too much concrete and too many level changes for it to be safe for baby Eve. The couple are imagining a wild, natural garden with prairie-style planting and some opportunities for growing their own vegetables, and they also want to adopt some chickens from a rescue centre. Can Charlie and Lee come up with a design that ticks all the boxes for £2,500?

43 min