Alan Titchmarsh and his team's efforts were met with mixed results after overhauling a coupe's garden. ITV1's Love Your Garden helped out elderly couple Rob and Margaret Isdale, from Grantham in Lincolnshire, on Tuesday night.
The couple have amazingly fostered more than 150 children over the past 45 years. Given how much the heroic pair have helped generations of children find a home, Alan Titchmarsh and co-starts Katie Rushworth, David Domoney and Frances Tophill were keen to turn their house's drab and uninteresting yard into a magical space inspired by The Secret Garden to help give something back to a pair who have given so much.
Alan's idea was to turn their shed into a mock Tudor inspired design, while adding several crumbling 'columns' of brick, or as Alan put it 'ancient looking follies,' that would effectively add lots of ruins to the garden, or fake ruins anyway.
Alan told viewers: "I want this new garden to make them feel as cared for as the children who come to their home."
The resultant garden definitely looked a vast improvement - but not everyone was keen on the results, YorkshireLive reports - especially the fake ruins made of brick and the shed made to look lie it was from the Middle Ages.
@besidetheriver said: "Omg ! The 'Love your garden' people ruining that lovely garden ... with bricks and concrete! ! #loveyourgarden No thank you!"
@lally55p said: "It’s too crowded and busy for me but as long as they like it… #LoveYourGarden"
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
At the end of the episode, Alan showed the revamped garden to the couple.
The couple, on seeing the garden, immediately became tearful as they told Alan: "Goodness me! It's the best I've seen it looking. Woah.
"Thank you so much. I can't believe it - it's just...."
Alan then told them "and we found the ruins of an old abbey in your garden."
"Brilliant!" Margaret then laughed.
Rob added: "I knew it would be special but that's extra special. Thank you so much."
Alan and his team then invited scores of the 150 foster kids that the couple have looked after to see the garden for a wholesome and very large family reunion.
