ITV’s “Love Your Garden” has returned for a 13th series. Episode 4 features the heart-warming nomination of a community hero, Adam Robinson, and his surprise garden makeover.
Gardener personality and TV presenter, Alan Titchmarsh and his team of experts travel the country transforming gardens in desperate need of attention for some of Britain’s most deserving people.
Adam Robinson was secretly nominated for his outstanding work in setting up an inclusive disability team at the Bure Park Football Club. Having previously worked with adults who have autism, Adam understands the challenges associated with finding truly inclusive activities. This motivated him to become a volunteer for an inclusive football team.
When he relocated to Bicester with his wife Alice and their two young children, he was surprised to discover there was no disability team in the town. He quickly got to work setting up a safe and supportive team where young people of all abilities could play the beautiful game. Adam not only manages the team but also coaches its members, who have a range of disabilities, including autism, Down’s syndrome, and physical disabilities, and helps them to play competitively in the BOBi League.
He’s always there to support his young players when they face challenges. Adam’s commitment to making a difference really stood out when he organised a 12-hour charity football match that raised over £10,000 to help cover the operation costs for a teammate who needed life-changing surgery.
His wife, Alice also makes a significant impact in the lives of deaf children as a BSL translator and runs a cheerleading group.
The Garden Transformation
Before the Love Your Garden team arrived, the family’s back garden was a slightly sloping, uninspired 84m2 rectangular patch, typical of a new build property.
Juggling full-time jobs, caring for their two kids, and volunteering, the couple simply hadn’t found the time to transform it into a special place to relax and for their children to play. Alice describes the garden’s previous incarnation as a ‘football graveyard’.
The family gave the Love Your Garden team free rein to do whatever they wanted – the only stipulation being that they wanted to keep the children’s trampoline. To the couple’s surprise the team chose their honeymoon in Vietnam as the inspiration for the makeover.
Adam and Alice explained how they had been captivated by the colours of this diverse country and had spent the three weeks enjoying street food and exploring ancient temples.
The couple revealed that Disneyworld had also been under consideration as a honeymoon destination. If history had taken a different course the redesign might have featured a Princess palace!
The transformation was a military operation. Adjacent plots within the housing development were commandeered as offloading areas for flatbeds laden with landscaping materials. With their permission, next-door’s fence was taken down and their garden used to temporarily store plants. Fifteen friends, relatives, and neighbours were enlisted as part of the army of gardeners to complete the makeover, that would typically take six weeks, in just five days.
The Big Reveal
The moment Alice, Adam, and their children laid eyes on their Far East inspired garden was with Alan Titchmarsh while the cameras were rolling for the big reveal.
A winding path made of sunken railway sleepers takes you on a journey around the garden from a paved suntrap, around the edge of the house, under a bamboo arch, down some steps, and into a slightly lowered section of the garden. Here to the right, you’ll find a pizza oven (the same make as one owned by David Beckham), and to your left, in what was once a neglected space behind the garage, stands a cosy thatched Savannah Breeze House.
Lush exotic planting thrives in every inch of the garden – including banana plants and a ginger plant that was in full bloom when we visited. Lanterns in cobalt blues and orange pop against the black painted fence and a copper bowls water feature creates a tranquil backing track.
To the far-right hand corner of the garden the trampoline remains cleverly screened with bamboo and a fragrant honeysuckle. To enhance the children’s enjoyment even more, there’s a bamboo xylophone waiting to be played.
Life after filming wrapped
It’s over a year since the Love Your Garden team left and in that time the Robinson family have made sure to put their mark on it. They have added twinkly fairy lights, mirrors, foot stools to the Adirondack chairs and an integrated irrigation system. The garden is thriving thanks to their attentive maintenance.
Adam and Alice say the garden works for socialising and a place of calm for the family to enjoy together. It’s enduring reminder of their travels and first few weeks as a newly married couple.
The Breeze House has transformed the ‘dead space’ behind the garage for boys’ drinks and a family dining area when shelter is needed from the rain. The addition of a heater makes the space a year-round destination and with a Wi-Fi hub now in the garage it also doubles as an enviable, alternative work from home space.
The rich damson-coloured cushions piped with cream complement the Vietnamese-inspired colour palette. A quirky neon flamingo and floral centrepiece dress the table.
To this day the family have no idea who nominated them for their garden make-over and have spent hours trying to guess who it was, but they are forever grateful for their Asian inspired oasis.
The Robinsons were gifted Savannah Breeze House with a Cape Reed thatched roof and a HiLite finish. Inside, a 120cm glass-topped circular table is accompanied by comfortable bench seating and a stool, with luxurious cushions in Nova Damson fabric, finished with Nova Vanilla piping. To ensure year-round enjoyment, the Breeze House features a combination of full canvas and half clear panels in Pebble Beige, offering both shelter and a connection to nature.
For more information request a brochure or visit a showsite to experience the full collection.
To catch up on this special episode of Love Your Garden visit ITV.com.
