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This video shows how to transform an empty space into a productive and beautiful garden with flowers and vegetables.
I explain planning, preparation, and practical steps that help plants establish successfully. Seeing how a garden develops from scratch provides useful ideas and motivation for beginners.
Ideal for anyone looking to start a garden, improve an empty space, or create a balanced flower and vegetable garden.
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0:00
Happy day four of the a lotment
0:02
transformation everybody. Welcome to
0:04
Gardening with Ben. We're back down here
0:07
on the a lotment after what was
0:09
torrential rain yesterday. Absolutely
0:11
belted it down. But we managed to get
0:14
lots done before it came here in
0:16
Sheffield. So, let's see what it's
0:18
looking like so far and what we're
0:20
planning on doing today. See if we get
0:22
as much done as we want to get done
0:23
today. Fingers crossed we do get as much
0:26
done. So, let's have a look and see what
0:28
we're doing today. So, this is what it's
0:31
looking like so far. We've got the three
0:33
beds built. Even the carpet is being
0:36
washed with all the rain that we had,
0:38
but that'll be getting covered with
0:40
black membrane and then wood chip over
0:42
the path areas. So, we've got to finish
0:45
off this bit here, the edging bit there,
0:48
and then obviously we'll fill these beds
0:50
with compost, and we'll be having them
0:51
as flower beds. Today's job is going to
0:54
be finishing off clearing this area.
0:56
This is going to have black membrane
0:58
down and then wood chip and then it's
0:59
going to be a seated area and hopefully
1:01
a burning bin as well so that we can sit
1:03
here in the winter and chill out and
1:05
burn our rubbish. We've certainly got
1:08
plenty of rubbish from how much we've
1:10
done down here and hopefully get some of
1:12
that area cleared as well behind there
1:16
and move all that chicken wire. I don't
1:17
know where I'm going to put it all, but
1:18
hopefully get it all cleared and tidied
1:21
back. So, yeah, it's going to be a very
1:24
busy day today.
1:26
the final day of our transformation. I
1:28
don't think I'll get it all done. Uh
1:30
we've done absolutely loads. We've got
1:32
the five frames up and it's looking
1:35
fantastic. Oh, and we've got the beds to
1:38
build at the front of the arches as
1:41
well, a bit like them beds around them.
1:44
We're going to build some beds there as
1:46
well to have flowers in them. So yeah,
1:49
hopefully going to have lots of color
1:51
here once it's all finished and get it
1:54
all blooming and hopefully lots of
1:56
spring bulbs in as well so that it'll
1:59
look nice in the springtime. But yeah,
2:01
it's coming on. I'm happy with how well
2:03
we've progressed with all this. Well,
2:06
it's certainly coming on. We got a black
2:08
membrane down in what's going to be his
2:10
new seating area and a burning area.
2:12
I'll obviously cut a hole where the
2:14
bin's going to be uh so they don't melt
2:16
the plastic and make some bricks around
2:19
the bin. But yeah, I'm happy with how
2:21
it's all coming along. We're putting his
2:23
edging in. We got all this to tidy up
2:25
next all this area. Get that looking
2:28
good. Again, obviously we're going to
2:30
put a load of compost in this area to
2:33
make it easier to grow in cuz it's not a
2:35
very good ground. But yeah, we started
2:39
building his beds around his frames.
2:42
We've just got to wait for the saw to
2:45
cool down cuz it's burning out. But
2:48
yeah, it's all coming along. Obviously,
2:50
I've got all this rubbish to clear
2:52
eventually. But sad that we're going to
2:55
just concentrate on this area at the
2:57
moment. I'm not going to start this area
2:59
today. That's going to be another
3:01
project in itself. We're just going to
3:03
leave that for the time being
3:05
and just concentrate on this new area
3:09
that we're doing at the moment.
3:12
Concentrate on all this. But yeah,
3:15
that's going to be a project in itself,
3:16
that area. So, we're just going to leave
3:18
it. Can't be bothered with doing all
3:20
that. It's going to be too much hassle,
3:22
especially pulling out all the chicken
3:24
wire and everything and all the weeds
3:26
what I've shoved in this area. let them
3:29
rock down a bit for the time being and
3:31
die off. But yeah, we're just going to
3:33
concentrate on all this area and get all
3:37
this area looking good and smart again.
3:41
Hopefully, we will get it done today.
3:43
That's the question. We will probably
3:45
get it done. Obviously, we won't get
3:47
none of the plants in today or the
3:50
compost in the beds to fill the beds up
3:52
with flowers and stuff like that, but
3:54
we'll get it looking how it should look
3:56
in theory.
3:59
Day four complete down here at the
4:01
aotment. I've got done everything that I
4:04
wanted to get done today apart from a
4:07
couple of little bits, but we can do
4:09
them next weekend down here at the plot.
4:12
Yes, it's been tiring work these four
4:14
days. It's been enormous job. So big. So
4:18
I can't believe I decided to do this in
4:21
the four days, but we have accomplished
4:24
really well. And I can't wait to show
4:26
you how well the outcome is of the plot.
4:29
It's come on so good and I'm so happy
4:32
with it. There's still a lot of work
4:34
left to do on it, but it's in a good
4:37
shape. The plan, the layout, it's all
4:39
done and yeah, we've just got to fill it
4:42
now. So, let's have a look and see what
4:44
the outcome is. So, there we are. The
4:46
five archers are up. They've got the
4:49
bird feeders on for the birds for the
4:52
wildlife to enjoy. Probably the
4:54
squirrels will get them somehow, but
4:56
we'll keep an eye on them and hopefully
4:57
they don't pinch the feeders like they
4:59
usually do. So, yeah, we've got all his
5:03
beds done down there. We ran out of
5:07
steam on the
5:09
saw, so I've got to charge that up and
5:11
we'll finish off the beds next week. But
5:13
yeah, the layout's there. Once those
5:15
have dried out as well, we can paint
5:17
them up, make them look nice, make them
5:19
look decent and not like old scraps of
5:22
wood. We've still got a bed to build
5:24
there, but I'm not going to build that
5:26
bed until I've cleared out that area
5:29
over there because I'll be dragging it
5:31
through.
5:32
We've got our new seating area laid out.
5:36
Obviously, we've got his path there what
5:38
we're going to walk on. And then we'll
5:40
have his burning bin and we'll have his
5:42
bench at the back that'll be covered in
5:44
wood chip. And then probably in the year
5:47
we'll grow as potatoes along this back
5:49
wall in tubs cuz I prefer growing
5:52
potatoes in tubs rather than in the
5:54
ground. And yeah, it shaded this area so
5:57
they should hopefully grow in this area
6:00
as obviously they grow underground.
6:02
We've got our new flower bed along the
6:06
back which obviously we need to fill
6:08
with compost but the layout's there. It
6:10
looks amazing. We've got some beds
6:13
there. I'm thinking of growing alpines
6:16
in these. Let me know what you think,
6:19
but we're going to grow alpines in these
6:21
and see how well they get on.
6:25
We've got as three beds down the middle.
6:28
No idea what I'm going to grow in these
6:30
yet. So, again, we've got to fill them
6:32
with compost and fill them up. We've got
6:35
all those paths laid out with the black
6:37
membrane. We're obviously going to cover
6:40
it with wood chip to make it look nice.
6:42
And then we'll have a bed down this side
6:45
as well. I'm going to take out the wood
6:47
and use brick edging so that it matches
6:49
in the with the rest. And we need to
6:51
rebuild the fencing down this side bit,
6:54
but that's not an important job. And I
6:56
might get a lighter screen to cover them
6:59
up so that they're out of view. And
7:02
hopefully all that rots away eventually,
7:04
the compost heap. But yeah, I am so
7:07
happy with how well it's turned out.
7:12
Basically, we ripped it all out, dug it
7:15
all over,
7:16
dug out all the bricks, relayed all the
7:19
bricks, and yeah, it is come on so good.
7:23
I'm so happy with it. Now, to show you
7:25
the worst bit, all the rubbish
7:28
down the front, but we'll get rid of
7:30
that. We'll shift all that as we get the
7:33
plot clear throughout the winter time.
7:35
Uh we can burn a lot of the wood and any
7:38
of the rubbish we'll chuck away. And
7:40
then obviously I'm going to have a path
7:43
down the front of it so that it leads
7:45
onto each row of my beds. So yeah,
7:49
hopefully we'll get all the beds built
7:51
around this front bit as well. So then
7:53
we've got extra beds next year.
7:55
Obviously these are shaded beds, so we
7:57
can't grow much of them. But I'm so
8:00
happy with how well it's turned out.
8:03
There's Bill, the other half of Bill and
8:05
Bed, the flower pot men. And that's to
8:08
scare off the trespasses when they come
8:11
on because the trespassers will be
8:13
composted.
8:16
But yeah, I'm so happy with how it's
8:18
turned out.
8:20
But I just want to say a massive thank
8:22
you to you all for supporting me over
8:25
this last four days for pushing me to
8:27
make sure that I come down and obviously
8:30
filming content for you all. It
8:32
encourages me to come down and do the
8:34
best that I can down at the a lotment.
8:36
I'm not a brilliant gardener. I don't
8:38
see myself as a brilliant gardener. I'm
8:39
no good at DIY whatsoever. These archers
8:41
will probably fell down by next week.
8:43
But yeah, I do love coming down here and
8:47
spending time down here and filming you
8:49
all the content and encouraging me to do
8:52
it. So, thank you all followers that
8:54
follow me. So, yeah, that is the end of
8:58
the weekend and the end of the big
9:00
project. Next weekend, we'll be
9:03
continuing with it. will be filling the
9:04
beds with compost, maybe getting the
9:07
wood chip down on the paths and possibly
9:10
filling up the flower beds at the front
9:12
with pansies and adding a bit of color
9:15
to them. Um, we're not planting a spring
9:17
bulbs yet because it's not time to plant
9:19
them until October time. So, we'll do
9:21
that next month, but I want to get a lot
9:23
of the spring bulbs in there as well.
9:26
See if they come up. They might not do
9:27
cuz it's a pretty shaded, but we'll give
9:29
it a try and give see what it turns out
9:32
like. So yeah, it's been an amazing four
9:35
days, a very busy four days. Now I need
9:37
another holiday to rest after all that
9:39
work. But thank you all as always and
9:42
remember keep smiling, keep shining and
9:45
keep gardening with Ben everyone.
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