See behind the scenes of ITV1 garden makeover show Love Your Garden! Here are all the photos from episode five of the new 2015 series.
1 Here is cameraman Stef with Frances and Katie at the back of the van as we start to unload everything for the garden makeover. The big question is always what the weather will be like: we start off wearing coats and end up applying sun cream. But that’s British weather for you.
2 Here is associate producer Max Beats – with a name like that you’d think he’d be in the music industry! He is carrying a tray load of teas and coffees to refresh us. That always goes down a treat.
3 Matt and Sam from Frosts Landscapes are posing back to back, one with the drill and the other with the nail gun. They both fancy themselves as James Bond. I’m saying nothing.
4 This picture cracks me up. Tam is giving Marcus some tips on lining the inside of the wall. But he’s waving his bricklaying trowel around. And it looks as if the gazebo has just collapsed on their heads.
5 Frances is doing her artwork on the fence. I was greatly impressed with this because Frances is such a talented artist but she’s so humble about it. It’s a real talent to use a paintbrush to transform anything and make the garden into your canvas.
6 Guy is giving himself a Charlie Chaplin moustache as he paints the waterproofing onto the inside of the raised pond.
7 Here is a selfie to show you my toughest project – the flat-packed nightmare! I put together dozens of items of flat-packed furniture, barbecues and outdoor kitchen areas. And it’s not just working out the instructions or which parts fit where – it’s your knees! You’re on your knees all the time. I ended up hobbling to my car at the end of this episode.
8 Here is a classic shot of everything that’s going on in the garden. Alan is planting in the middle, fences are being painted, there’s sawing, drilling and digging going on all around. And of course the filming too!
9 I like to show you what I can see from the other side of the camera. Here is Stef filming me from underneath the decking. I’m busy trying to feed the water cable through so I can plumb in the outdoor kitchen.
10 Here is Kevin – he is always doing something unusual to try and get into these blogs! Here he is trying to use the sand-filled raised bed as a long jump pit. Come on Kev, get back to work.
11 Frances is here chatting to cameraman Simon. How nonchalant does he look? He has his camera on one shoulder and he’s leaning casually on the gazebo. And Frances has so much purple paint all over her hands.
12 Here is a shot of our two sound guys – Matt and Renato. It’s always like this – the moment they stop filming they get to have a rest. Meanwhile we’re all hard at work in the garden. It’s a disgrace! They should pick up a paintbrush!
13 This is a great shot. Frances is coming down with a wheelbarrow full of turf. And the man at the bottom is the owner of Frosts Landscapes, Mr Frost himself. Even he pitches in, though I think he may have underestimated the weight of that wheelbarrow.
14 Here is a photo of my lupin border. I loved doing a bit of planting. It’s not all hard landscaping for me on Love Your Garden. I like the mix of colours and the alchemilla mollis in the foreground. It’s a great combination.
15 Here I am at the side of my outdoor kitchen, getting photobombed by Katie! She’s always doing that, trying to get into my pictures and onto the blog. The one shot I’m in and she’s stolen the show.
16 This is a great snap of everyone from Frosts Landscapes. On the far right is managing director Ken and domestic manager Dan is on the left. All our helpful contractors are in the middle. And there is Kevin showing off his muscles – he’s always pulling stunts to get into the blog.
17 Here is the hat that Alan renamed for me. King of the flat pack. And he’s right because that job seemed to take ages. It’s nice to be appreciated, eh?
18 Towards the end of the makeover, we get busy watering everything in. The patio is being swept and the cameramen are having a five minute sit down. We are all knackered by this point.
19 I love this photo – Frosts were experimenting with the time delay and Tam rushed around to appear twice. Now it looks like one Tam is telling the other one off! One Tam is enough in this garden, thank you very much.
20 Here is Alan with the girls in their Bollywood outfits. And Alan is really coming into this own during a Bollywood routine.
21 Meanwhile, Katie and Frances are getting dressed up too. They are handing out typical sweets and delicacies. It was a lovely party in the garden once it was done, and what a great garden transformation.
Check out the before and after photos of the garden here!
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
Firstly, I loved the episode, wonderful colours and painting, I love them all ~ But ~ I have to ask, what happens to all those beautiful drapes when the rain (this is England) puts a damper on the party?