A couple had their tired-looking garden transformed into an oasis wildlife in a £66, 000 makeover in last night’s episode of Your Garden Made Perfect.
Pam and financial advisor Marcus, who live with their grown up son, daughter, and her other half in St Albans, Hertfordshire, wanted to turn their huge plot into a space which welcomed nature – but had no idea how to.
Before the transformation there was a long strip of land that had become a disjointed scrub land interspersed with random quirky features – including football goals and a trampoline.
The large garden corridor garden was surrounded by large established trees, which stretched away from their suburban home – and the couple were determined to reclaim the space as somewhere they could enjoy for themselves.
Pam and financial advisor Marcus, who live with their grown up son, daughter, and her other half in St Albans, Hertfordshire, wanted to turn their tired garden into an oasis for wildlife in last night’s episode of Your Garden Made Perfect. Pictured, before the transformation
Viewers were left less than impressed with the transformation – with several questioning what the paths were made of because they ‘look like mud.’ Pictured, the garden after the transformation
Marcus and Pam opted for a design by Tom Massey, who wanted to transport the couple to another world. Pictured, after the transformation
The centre of the old lawn made way for a water feature – with the small lake boasting its very own oak walkway and stepping stone path. Pictured, after the transformation
After considering two proposed designs, Marcus and Pam opted for the one by Tom Massey – renowned for his radical, bold approach – who wanted to transport the couple to another world.
The couple were delighted with the finished result, even though it went over their original £60,000 budget. However viewers at home were less impressed, with several struggling to distinguish the before from the after.
‘Is Pam talking about the garden she got for £66k..its still the most disjointed scrubland AFTER the make-under?!’ wrote one, while a second penned:
‘What???? £66k for that? Dreadful. What are the pathways made of? Look like mud. £5k on trees, fair enough. So £61k on everything else? Bet they feel secretly it was not justified.
Speaking of the garden before, Marcus said: ‘The garden has been used basically for children and now they’ve grown up, we can make it into something we want,’ to which Pam added: ‘I want it to be beautiful. I was it to be a wildlife haven, but actually it’s a mess.’
She continued: It’s not functional, it’s not relaxing. We’ve got a big tree there and nothing grows underneath it. There’s no shade, so you can’t sit out in the summer. For years we didn’t have anyone here because of the state of the garden.’
After considering two proposed designs, Marcus and Pam opted for the one by Tom Massey – renowned for his radical, bold approach – who wanted to transport the couple to another world. Pictured, the water feature in the transformed garden
Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: ‘I saw the design pitches. Turned back & for a brief moment thought the end result was the before garden. Dreadful use of space’ (pictured)
Prior to the transformation, the space was enormous and acted more like a corridor than a garden. The lawn was an unused wasteland, the overgrown Conifer sucked life from the earth below it and the main attraction was Marcus’ uninspiring shed.
The winning design created a wild oasis of rocky paths, waterways and untamed meadows – and reused the tree, which would’ve been expensive to remove, to create bespoke furniture.
The centre of the old lawn made way for a water feature – with the small lake boasting its very own oak walkway and stepping stone path. And Marcus’ beloved shed was re-imagined into a space with a rustic play-zone where he could spend time with his family.
‘It’s gone slightly over budget and came in at £66, 000 at the end which is a lot of money,’ explained Marcus. ‘But it’s almost the biggest room in your house.
Marcus (pictured, with Pam) explained that the couple had gone slightly over budget, with the total coming in ata whopping £66, 000
Speaking of the garden before (pictured), Marcus said: ‘The garden has been used basically for children and now they’ve grown up, we can make it into something we want’
The winning design created a wild oasis of rocky paths, waterways and untamed meadows – and reused the tree, which would’ve been expensive to remove, to create bespoke furniture. Pictured, after the transformation
‘We use it all the time, so we just treated it as almost like an extension to the house and said: “Let’s finance it, and let’s get it done.” If you want something a certain way, you have to spend money on it, and we’ve done that.’
But many who tuned in disagreed, with one writing: ‘Looks like a bog standard back garden from any housing estate. What did you spend the other £65k on?’
A second penned: ‘Please can we have a breakdown of costs for the 66k garden tonight. Might win prizes at shows but practically zero sense of maintenance,’ while a third added: ‘Yet another middle class couple spending more money than most earn in a year to “improve” their already nice suburban garden, and not always for the better.’
While a fourth branded it ‘the most out of touch makeover show I’ve ever seen,’ a further wrote: ‘The little one was also hideously expensive but wood costs a fair bit the little window boxes on the fence were awful & not a beautiful plant or a bit of colour in sight. I was appalled by that for £8000 but truly floored by the £66,000 one. Jaw dropping.’
One viewer penned: ‘Yet another middle class couple spending more money than most earn in a year to “improve” their already nice suburban garden, and not always for the better’ (pictured)