A man was left stunned after being quoted a whopping £7,000 for a garden makeover.
Like many homeowners, he had a dream home improvement project – transforming his bland garden into a cosy haven for those long summer nights. However, when he approached a landscaping company, the staggering quote of £7,000 made it seem like an impossible dream.
The man, named Michael, thought he would never see his dream garden come to life until a kind-hearted stranger stepped in to change everything. Mark Marshall, a former landscaper turned social media sensation, travelled 200 miles to deliver some incredible news to Michael – he would be landscaping his garden free of charge.
Mark has gained online fame by offering free garden makeovers and sharing the transformations on TikTok. On this occasion, Michael was the lucky recipient of Mark’s generosity.
Upon arrival, Mark filmed the garden in its original state, showing a long rectangle of space that was completely empty, half grass and half wooden decking.
Mark detailed his first move would be to dismantle all of the decking. He expressed: “I was hoping and praying to God that there was a patio beneath it.”
Despite the decking being in decent condition after its removal, Mark attempted to give it away for reuse but ultimately had to dispose of it at the tip as no one showed interest. It was at this point that Mark and his crew discovered, regrettably, there was no existing patio under the decking, meaning they had “a lot of digging to do” to install one themselves.
Mark’s initial video concluded before the transformation was complete, but the groundwork had been established. The plan was to preserve the grassy half of the garden and lay a patio level that connects to the house. Two squares were designated for plant edging around the patio to seamlessly merge the grass and patio.
The landscaper later posted a follow-up video showing his team installing the patio, lining the two edges with a variety of plants, and positioning strip lighting around the patio’s edge. Mark also converted the patio into a snug outdoor space by incorporating furniture, including a sofa, two chairs, and a table with a fire pit in the centre for warmth on cooler evenings.
The comments on all of Mark’s videos were inundated with other people asking if they could be the next lucky winner of a free garden transformation. Many of them said they were in desperate need of makeovers to make their outside space more accessible and safe for children with disabilities.
In his first video, Mark explained how others can be eligible for a free garden makeover. They must first follow his account and then share the video with as “many friends as possible” before leaving a comment saying they’d like a free garden.