Small Town Gardens

This new Friday night horticultural series is presented by plantswoman Rachel de Thame. the ex-ballerina and modelwho has become a regular contributor to "Gardener's World".

Each week, the series takes a design-led approach to recreating big ideas in small surroundings by matching the brief to one of Britain's most innovative garden designers.

Using clever design techniques and a bold approach to planting, the programme addresses some of the problems for which smaller gardens are renowned, including the lack of space or privacy, boring or awkward shapes, plus shady, damp conditions.

The transformation acts as the backbone to the programme which also makes three visits out of the garden. Rachel and her appointed designer begin by dropping in on an existing garden created by that designer which gives a flavour of their particular style. They also take in a larger garden overflowing with inspiring and eye-catching ideas which, despite the grand scale, can be adapted to a restricted space. Finally, Rachel seeks out suitable planting at specialist centres with advice from gardeners.

In the first edition we meet the Herberts who have a small garden in Henley with the additional problem that it backs on to a busy supermarket car park. Luckily, designer Paul Cooper is a water entusiast and uses several water features and water-edge plants to help solve the problem. However, before they get started, Paul takes Rachel on a tour of one of his previous gardens in Essex, then on to the inspirational gardens at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire with its wonderul collection of water features, and finally to Rowden Gardens, near Tavistock in Devon, where they specialise in plants which love water.