A family from Yate’s swashbuckling dreams bloomed into reality when the Garden Rescue team descended on their South Gloucestershire property. Liz and Geoff called on the Garden Rescue team last year, with the hopes that they would be able to turn their bleak looking garden into a nautical paradise.
With a £4,500 budget, Liz and Geoff wanted their muddy patch of land to be turned into something Captain Jack Sparrow would feel at home in. Although their wish for a pirate-themed garden may seem a bit random, there was personal reasoning for their choice.
Liz’s late father was known as ‘The Pirate’, and had big plans for the couple’s garden. Liz explained in the episode, which aired last year: “We’d had some sort of tongue in cheek conversations with him and he’d said he’d love a pirate’s pond with a plank across it.
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“[He wanted] something which was swashbuckling and fun and just over the top. So we agreed on that with him, and then he sadly passed away.”
The Rich Brothers and Charlie had a good canvas to work with, considering the garden was enclosed within good quality fencing and was more of a building site than an existing garden. After Liz, Geoff, and Liz’s daughter Lois picked out the Rich Brothers’ design, their £4,500 budget was put to use.
Boasting a pirate’s lagoon, complete with a wooden plank which led to a pirate ship-shaped decking, the plans drawn up by the Rich Brothers for the family’s brand new garden were completely unique. The brothers wanted to do Liz's father proud, and quickly got to work on the high-potential site with the help of Charlie and the rest of their skilled team.
Western red cedar wood was used to create the pirate ship deck for a truly rustic feeling; the wood contains natural oils, which means that it does not require treating. To each side of the bow, grasses were planted which would then sway in the wind to create an ‘at sea’ vibe.
To get to the social area, a plank will have to be crossed by daring members of the family and their guests. The plank sits on a pond filled with marginal plants; £1,200 was spent on a plethora of pirate-y plants alone during the project.
Palm trees and beach-like grasses and flowers were also added to give a desert island feel, and one member of the team even drilled a skull and crossbones flag onto the fence. Charlie even went to the effort of making a topiary sea monster using chicken wires and cable ties, which she then planted privet through.
Putting together the dreamy pirate set up took a lot of hard work and determination on the team’s part, but the results were worth it. When the amazing creation was revealed to Liz, Geoff and Lois, the family could not believe their eyes.
“Shiver my timbers!” Liz said. “Never have I been lost for words in the 45 years I’ve been on this planet except for right now. It’s incredible!
“I think my dad would love it. He’s looking down now having a good old laugh. You have quite frankly gasted my flabber. I don’t even know what to say.”
Let us know if you saw Liz, Geoff and Lois' Garden Rescue episode, which aired again last night (June 14) by logging in and leaving a comment down below.
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