OUR HOME IS CHAOS | GARDEN MAKEOVER PART 2 

Luke please stop apologising for your home choices. It’s your personal space so don’t worry about what people will comment, if you wanted to paint the fence sky blue pink then go for it, at the end of the day when you put that camera down or close your front door this is your home with your personality and favourite colours. Be brave with no regrets! And at the end of the day if you hate it, it’s just paint x

You have made the right decision about the planters. I love the black fencing - any planting will look very good against it. Having a garden is a joy. It's so good for giving a sense of well-being - looking after plants is good for the soul. It's an extra room and a haven when life gets overwhelming. Your enthusiasm does you credit. Well done.

Gardening is not only good for the soul but also good for body and mind. improves immunity, lowers circulatory system illness risks, also provides a lot of good things for mind/brain health.

Morning Luke, I think you needed to keep a lot more of the soil for the planters, having done quite a few gardens it will surprise you the quantity that you need.

The black fence with the green plants will look fabulous ❤🇦🇺

The black stained walls in the backyard look incredible! The beautiful wood grain really shows through the black stain.

You're going to make that garden and house looks absolutely amazing with all your hard work and effort and I'm really enjoying watching the progress unfold. Keep up the good work.

The garden is coming along. Definately need to black stain the back garden pannels where trees are, because you can see it and it will annoy you with time. Buy Hosta and ferns for the shaded beds/area of the garden.. rich green leaves, flowers, come back each year. Also buy honeysuckle as a climber..smells wonderful etc.. the more insect friendly things you have.. the more birds you get. Also buy fruit bushes to have between your plants.. my garden is tiny, about 1/3 yours.. I planted an apple tree, cherry tree, pear tree, vine, 2 wisteria, honeysuckle, blackberries, red currents, blackcurrents, blueberries, climbing roses, strawberries, rhubarb.. all mixed together with tulips, lilies, giant lilies, crocuses, etc that come back each year to.. I love my jungle green garden especially in summer when its 30+°C.. it is my green oasis in the city. Ps. You have everying to close together.. the cherry laurel will get huge.. it is a hedge plant. Also the plant you said growns 95cm.. it looks like agapanthus.. they also grow big and multiply. Your wisteria will grow big and you can train it to grow along the fence and it will completely cover it! One of mine is over a rose arch, and over my shed roof, etc.. now 3m high and 10+ m long... great plant to cover areas.. flowers in spring before leaves come, then often again in summer. Yep.. when doing renovations.. you always do the dirty hidden jobs FIRST.. plumbing, electrical rewiring, building/structural changes...THEN start on the superficial eg painting etc...I know its always easier and a wish to starr on making a place pretty. But it is a wast of money and time long term.

Luke, everything is looking amazing. You and Zara are doing a fantastic job. As a long time gardener, I do have some suggestions- The plants are going to need a lot more space than how they are spaced now. Also, if you have more bags of soil, I would keep them, you will use a good amount of soil. I’m not positive but the plant you didn’t know is an Allium plant. They do spread and you can divide the bulbs in the fall next year. You are doing amazing for a first home and garden. It’s all trial and error. I’m still learning and I’m 62. I can’t wait to see the finished library and living room. It will look gorgeous. You have a great eye, trust it! Have a lovely day everyone! Donna

The black stain fencing was a brilliant idea! Without the stain, you see fencing and it seems to visually take up space. With the stain you visually have more space and it makes the plants pop. You two are doing a fantastic job inside and out.

Zara and yourself have worked wonders. It's all going to look amazing. I got hooked on gardening about 12 years ago. As someone else commented it's good for the soul. It's great to follow your progress. ❤

The fences are great. Luke, I can't not comment on your plantings. The Agapanthus will self seed and get quite wide. The Laurel is a Bay tree and will get quite big. Your Acers, or Maples are trees, not shrubs, and your Wisteria should go back closer to your fence to grow up over it, as it needs more support than that thing in its pot. I thought you need to know these things before it's too late. Also, are you putting a wooden border along the edge of your garden so your garden and stones don't mingle? Much love. Good luck x Nell.

Hello Luke--I am totally amazed with your work ethic. I love the black fencing. Very dramatic choice and i think it will look great as an important backdrop to your garden. Some unsolicited advice on the position of your plantings, especially in regard to your Acers. While they look ok now...those are trees, and they shouldn't be planted so close to the fence or so close to each other. You won't be happy with the look as they mature. Trees don't look good when they are crowded and growing into each other. I think a better choice for this position close to the fence would be some plant that has a slow-growing nature. Those Acers, if you love them and want them, should be placed where they have plenty of room to grow up...and out. They won't look so nice if you have to hard prune them to fit a small space. You might research their maturity height and circumference and make a decision based on that. Hope you don't mind ....but in my 35 years of gardening...i've learned the hard way (and yes, Japanese Maples (Acers) are my favorites. Carry on...and don't wear yourself out!

I painted my fencing gates and trellis black about 5 years ago my neighbour came over and said what the hell are you painting it black for it will look awful…. I just said I love it…. Now he says that black looks lovely especially with the red climbing roses and the white clematis…. It’s classy xx don’t be overwhelmed by the process just keep thinking how happy you will feel when it’s done and you sit and look at what you’ve both achieved x

Luke i love how your garden slowly grows into the oasis you want and i just love it when you are in the kitchen making breakfast or dinner or just sharing books,so cozy and homey!!! Warm hugs to you all!!!

Luke ..it’s YOUR home, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, you have to live with it and if you love it that’s ALL that matters.. I love the black fencing..♥️

A word of warning with fences, be very careful that it doesn't bleed onto your neighbours side where the slats cross over as you can ruin their side by accident & it's near impossible to fix, especially with black stain

Well done on the amount off work you and zara have put into your refurbishment. garden bookcase is looking fantastic. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a good week xxx

Black fences aren’t divisive or controversial in my opinion. Black is a very popular and traditional color for fences. It makes them recede a bit and plants show up against them. 😊. I do think, though, that you need to double the amount of space you are saving for hedges against one side and the planter on the other.

I love black fencing in the garden, especially if plants are planted against it, the greens of the planting will pop amazingly x

You two have done sooo much everywhere. Well done😊👍. Id get a roll of sticky plastic floor protector. Be handy through the whole redoing everywhere. It comes off clean and you could use a trolley to transport the soil and gravel in or out easier. Just a thought. Anyway looking great 😇🙏

I love the black fence. I’ve just had a new fence down one side of my garden and I’m going to paint it dark grey the same as the old one. I’ll just say don’t worry too much about the mess, dust etc. I don’t think it matters whether you are having major work done or just decorating a room, everything seems to be upside down for a while but it’s only temporary. You both did good with the garden by doing it yourselves. Hard work but worth the effort ❤

It's all coming along nicely. You should get a compost bin for the bottom of the garden. Just fill it with all of your veggie waste,grass cuttings, cardboard and paper. You will have some lovely compost to keep the planters topped up. Keep up the great work, just look after your backs 😊

Black is the only way to go for elegance and contrast. You might want to keep back more soil for the planters. You’ll be surprised at how much soil it takes to fill them. It’s all looking lovely. You can’t go wrong with anything you do as both of you have such good taste.

Garden looking so Differant already! Looking great! 👍👍👍👍🌻🌹💐🌺🌻

I love the black fence. My neighbours painted theirs black and it’s gorgeous.Your home looks better everyday. You are both oworked so hard. Thank you and cheers. Hugs to the pups.

Black fencing is good if you want to draw attention to the plants etc, it lets the plants take your attention rather than the fence. So good choice

Wow, cannot believe how much you got done in two days. Best to let the dust settle before dusting. The bookcase and lights look lovely. Really like what you are doing with the garden, you will enjoy sitting out there xx

I love the green with the white for tiles in your bathroom.

I like the choice of black for the fences. You have already made the garden into such a lovely space to be in. Sitting having a meal on summer nights at your table will be fabulous.

The garden is coming along nicely. I love the olive trees and the black fencing. Well done. 👍

Agree, never apologize I'm thoroughly enjoying everything you and Zara are doing. Just popped in to say the plants are lovely in the garden well done 👍

Luke your making your house into a home . Im off at the moment after having my knee done and i love watching what your getting up to .The garden looks wonderful its the simple things in life that make our hearts sing x x

I just LOVE the black fence 🥰 Have a lovely Sunday, Luke and co!

The garden borders look great. I'm pleased you widened them a bit as it will be better for the plants root system. You got a lovely selection of plants too. As for the fence we were told by a Landscaper that we should put up dark grey or black fences because it draws your eyes more to the plants and makes the plants stand out more so you picked a great colour.

In my opinion if your garden is going to bring you lots of joy spend the money you can afford and do it however you both want because you won’t regret it. You won’t always get it right because plants can be fickle 😂 and they don’t always thrive where you put them. Definitely take note of their labels and leave enough space for them to spread. I’ve spent quiet a bit on plants this weekend and have potted them all up and it just makes me so happy to see them grow, trouble is I don’t know when to stop buying 😂 but I never regret a penny spent. Enjoy it both of you.

Morning Luke looking Fabulous The Garden. Well Done. Have a lovely Sunday. Xx 😘😊

I love the green wall outside with the black contrasting fence! It all looks fantastic

Love your light switches, they really suit the age of your house. Don't stress about the dust, it's to be expected with all that work. Love the plants, your garden will be amazing, but don't forget that cordylines grow huge! x❤🇮🇪

I just started following you and I appreciate your hard work. The home being chaos is part of the progress. You are doing a lot at the same time so give yourself some Grace ☺️

Being outside for coffee or meals is like being on vacation. Enjoy!

I’m probably being biased because I have black garden fences 😂 but the black looks great in your garden 👌🏼it will make your plants stand out so much!!

I love the black. When we decided to have our house painted dark grey, we received a lot of push back from neighbours, friends, family etc. saying we'd regret it. However, we stuck with it and now we get loads of compliments, with some copycats on our street. Good for you. Things are looking amazing.

Hi Luke. I think your garden looks great. You’re doing a great job and gardens are lot more work than people think they are. Love watching your videos. Have a great week ❤️

Luke, I know you said that larger tile wouldn't work in a small space, but it actually does. Lots of high end homes where I live in North Carolina will put the large tiles in let's say the floor or in the shower. It actually looks stunning. But yours and Zara's home is really looking nice and BTW, I love the black fence in your garden. The wooden planter box's and the plants growing against it is going to look stunning.

You will love and enjoy your garden, especially through the seasons. The spring and summer flowers, the leaves on the trees changing colour in the autumn, and even in the winter there are plants and berries. You will have birds (put out food and water for them), bees 🐝 and butterflies 🦋. I've had my garden for 16 years and I never tire of it. 😊 🍂🌹🌷

The dust would drive me crazy lol, I feel your pain, Luke😊😅 owing your own home, I think you are always learning 😊 I love the garden and the lights in the lounge room 😊🇦🇺👋 I really like the black fence, I like the green and white in the bathroom, but I have to say that burnt orange is lovely😊

T❤ank you for sharing have a nice evening since it will be evening for you guys there 😊😊 have a wonderful week

You've both worked so hard to achieve everything you've done. I love the variety of plants you've chosen & strategically placed against the gorgeous black fencing. The garden is looking very sharp 👌 The book shelves are splendid & so classy. You have a beautiful home. You're doing amazing! Take care ❤x

Absolutely love the black fence, it will make your lovely plants pop xx

Our dogs have always completed their security checks on our return. 🐶 Now the cat does it too. 🐈😂

It's your home and totally your choices. All I will say is I started with nice gravel and the neighbourhood cats decided to use it as a litter tray which was frustrating so my last purchase was small pieces of slate that I've put on top of the gravel which seems to have stopped the cats. So keep an eye on that. I also have dark brown (not quite black) fence panels and it looks lovely but does show up the wood pigeon droppings!! That said I think it would show on any colour lol. Gardening is back breaking work so well done on you both having a go, I've been there and done that so know how hard it is. The work you've done has made a huge difference so far and you will love spending time out there :)

Luke and Zara well done so much hard work and very impressed with all your planning. When we moved into our house years ago we just went for it and of course mistakes are made but you eventually get there, it’s so fulfilling when you do it yourself and becomes YOUR garden 😊

I can’t wait to see it all finished. The lighting is amazing! I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE YOUR GRILL TANK ON THE GROUND. THE SHELF ON THE BOTTOM IS FOR THE TANK. IT HELPS TO STABILIZE THE GRILL AND WEIGH IT DOWN AS WELL.

Just some tips I'd put some membrane down between the plants to reduce weeds, you may need to spread them out more when they take off as they spread quite quick. I have a trailing clematis and I use green pea mesh which I put over 2 small hooks, it means the plant can climb up the fence panel but you can unhook the mesh if you need to repaint the panel at any point :) and it's quite cheap to buy at garden centres

The yard looks fantastic. The black fence really gives a nice contrast. I love landscaping and I've landscaped my last 2 homes over the last 40 years. The yards were bare of anything and they ended up as relaxing retreats. ❤❤

It's looking fantastic, well done! 🎉

Dust, my Nemesis right now Luke! The upstairs is having major works done here! I have been sleeping downstairs due to the removal of my lung op where they had to removed the lower right lobe. Breathing in dust, I just can’t! I cannot even be in close contact with it. The only drawback on DIY is, it takes longer! Just glad we have another toilet and a bathroom downstairs. I have sets of my clothes with me so no need to go up there! 😀👍👍👍

Your garden is looking so lovely; I love the black fence, you have made the right choice. It really does make the greenery and the stone pop! Your living room and library look amazing as well; I know exactly what you mean about living through the chaos of home and garden renovations. It is very challenging living with all the dust and mess, but it will look so wonderful when it’s done. Your colour choices for the rooms are spot on; I also really like the green and white tile for your bathroom. You and Zara are doing a fabulous job and I really look forward to Sundays and watching your progress.

I realise its too late now but I think you were rather hasty getting rid of all the soil.You could have sorted out the grass then mixed the soil with compost to fill the planters.I know you saved some but it always takes far more than you think.Having said that you are doing a great job and the plants look lovely against the black fence.Zara will very impressed when she gets home.

Luke the laurel plant I think is a bay tree and the other tall plant is pronounced aga-pan-thus. They are beautiful and come in various shades of blue and white and different heights. It will look lovely in your garden.

I love the black fences! Looks great! Don’t worry what other people think of your choices as long as you and Zara are in agreement. You and Zara always have wonderful taste in everything!

Luke please be careful with the cherry laurel. Our next door neighbour has one in their garden and it’s nearly 13m high. It’s really invasive.

Love the black fencing your plants will stand out lovely. You and Zara are doing a great job you should be proud of yourself. When it’s all done you can stand back and say we did that

Dust comes with renovation. We have all done it numerous times. Then after the dust come pollen from summer trees. You can spend cold days of November cleaning

agapanthus . . . pronounced ag a pan thus. A popular plant in Australia as it's so hardy and considered a weed in some states. Give it full sun. It's lovely to see you so excited about your home. Don't forget to enjoy the process.

Love all your plants you bought but they do need to have a lot more room to grow especially the Acers and the Olive tree you could make a couple of curved beds at the side of the lawn opposite the large tree that is already in the garden The fence looks really good now you have painted it,well done!

If u get planters make sure they line the sides or they will rot xx get good lining

It's all looking wonderful. I do really like the black fence. Have a great day.

I know how you are feeling Luke I have just had my whole house rewired over two weeks ago and I am still getting dust in every room I am just starting to paint a room at a time and even though I put all my things into boxes I am still having to clean everything I am very stressed and tired oh sun burnt arms after doing the garden yesterday

Hi luke love the black on the fences it looks stunning especially wit the green plants it makes them pop, the lights on the bookcases looks great & ur living room will look cozy in the dark evenings, have a great weekend lots of love to u zara ivy & Maggie 💞💞💞

Love love love the black fence, love the white & green tiles for the bathroom they are perfect, saying that because ours is white & green although much bugger tiles but very similar colourways. I do love that blue colour from Coat it’s delicious and I am now swaying to the F&B red because the Coat looks very brown & like the papyrus from Coat also. Much love to you both, Miss Maghie Moo & Madame Ivy 🩷🩵🤍🤍

Loving how the garden is coming along! That black fence is amazing! I had one thought on the bathroom tile, the red and white stripe reminds me of a candy cane. I think it’s nice, but def what I would see when I walk in. Can’t wait to see the red in the library. We had a kitchen painted that barn red color and it was beautiful!

If you lived nearer I would have had all that soil for my plot Luke! Given you produce once it grows too…all organic I might add..😀👍👍👍

Gardens looking fab love the red colour for the library room ❤

Dust sheets... the order of the day. Does help with the dust problem alot. You can reuse them so a good investment.

I love seeing your home and garden develop .. every generation makes its changes and alterations …which is all for the good and also we live in the same UK but our climates are so different .. I couldn’t grow any of those plants except maybe the wisteria outside

Great video's luke you and Zara are doing great things to your garden and house 🏠 💙❤️🐶🥰

Black fencing is a traditional look. The old way of preserving timber was by using Creosote - so in a way it is period appropriate. Well done you two. That yucca/succulent thing is actually Phormium tenax (nz flax) relatively bomb proof - so don't stress about watering it - it naturally grows in swamps.

It's really coming along and looking good. We are currently working on our garden. We had a fence built in the feathered style like yours and love it. Our builder told us about that technique when he was watching utube. He saw how they did it in the UK. He did it and we love it. I like the black that you did. Ours is grey.

I love the black fencing! It all looks lovely 🙂

Didn't know whether to comment or not but as I have been gardening for nearly all of my life, 74 years, I was slightly concerned about the acers as they prefer slightly acidic soil. I had to plant mine in Ericaceous soil in pots.

I am loving this content atm! Perfect for inspiration and some comfort bakc ground noise xxx

Amazing job! I want to paint my fences black too 😊

Keep it all white! You loved the light. Love black stained fence, gardening less is more everything grows.

I ❤ the black fencing. It’s adding a touch of sophistication to the space and I think the garden needed it. It’s already looking so much better. I can’t wait to see the finished space!

look great your doing a brilliant job love watching the progress italy green tiles for bathroom are lovely

I sympathise with the dust! I had to have whole apartment re-wired and I was warned that it would leave a mess but that was an understatement. I stayed in a hotel for two days while it was been done and when I returned I couldn't believe the devastation that they had left!!!! I nearly had a nervous breakdown, in fact I probably did. I was finding dust everywhere for months after. I'm a bit obsessed with cleanliness so this was a huge challenge for me, it was awful so I sympathise with your situation. Just power through! x

You have work to do Luke. But will all be great in the end. You d get bored with nothing to do.❤❤❤ There will always be jobs to do.❤❤❤❤❤

The Black fencing look so good! Well done. With the plants it will look amaaaazing!

Congratulations on everything you two have achieved , I also have black painted fences and they "disappear" where mine are less than perfect. A good choice , I would advise you to keep the bagged soil , you will need it as compost is expensive.

Go with what you like as sometimes builders if they doing the job go for what easy 🤷‍♀️ it’s all looking 👀 amazing your doing a great job 👏 xx

Love what you've done with the garden and house it's gonna look stunning it's inspired me to crack on with mine cant wait to see the finished results ❤

Be careful of the Agapanthus Luke, they get so our of control and can grow massive! They're now considered a weed in Australia. It's all looking excellent!😊

I love the black fence…..

Wow. You've both done so much! Looking great. Dust is a nightmare. I've just had some work done at home and even though I had a dust sheet over everything, the dust still managed to get underneath.

Well Luke your doing Amazing!! ...Your home and garden will look amazing..Loving watching your progress !! You work brilliant together....Fondest wishes to you both ❤❤

I love the black. Much nicer than slate or charcoal grey. Once you have your plants in place it will look fantastic. Well done ! Homebase have a buy one get one half price on Cuprinol Ducksback in the 9L tub size just now. Well worth it.

I'm loving everything ❤😊

Looking great ❤