In the first episode of our brand new gardening series, Matthew Wilson follows the story of plant lovers Keith and Ros Wiley, who work all by themselves to create their grand and extraordinary vision in their four-acre field.
They carve canyons, build a Mexican style courtyard and dig a new lake, but they face a heroic battle against time, money and nature to create one of the most ambitious and stunning new gardens in Britain.
The Plans
Dubbed Wildside Garden, Keith and Ros' creation will eventually contain three distinct zones. First up is the formal Mexican courtyard garden, with its prickly, arid planting and vibrant orange colours.
The second zone will house deep canyons, bordered by wild flowers and traversed by a series of gravel paths. This heavily landscaped section will lead into the final zone, a water garden with multiple ponds, navigated by a series of wooden bridges.
It's an ambitious undertaking, and seasoned gardener Keith will be doing most of the work himself. A budget of just £10,000 is soon stretched, and by the end of filming Keith hasn't quite matched his lofty ambitions. However there can be no denying that the Mexican courtyard and water garden are both dramatic additions to the landscape.
With a bit more time and money, Keith is confident that his jagged ravines will soon be planted and established, making Wildside one of the UK's finest private gardens.
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