The words "pig sty" aren't  just a way to describe Donna's yard … her yard is literally a pig sty.  Donna has a pig for a pet and a messy, dirty, overgrown yard that looks like pig heaven.  She doesn't mow, she doesn't prune, she doesn't water.  Donna just lets her yard be the sty that it is!  Tune in to see the Garden Police turn this nightmare of a yard into a beautiful, relaxing, romantic garden…pond included! 

The goal is  to uncover the beautiful yard that was abandoned.  The worst part of this yard is that it's a huge mess.  We will clean up and create a simple design that has a dramatic appearance.  Something everyone could accomplish — even those who don't even seem to be able to mow a lawn.  It will be low maintenance and invigorating.  This design will motivate Donna not to let her yard go to the pits again!

Tips to remember when creating a Relaxing, Romantic Garden

1) Salvage healthy plants/trees.  A lot of Donna's current plant life is perfect for a romantic garden … it just needs some love and care.  She already has Roses, Daffodils, Irises, Azaleas, Eugenias, Ferns, Jasmine, Solanums.   Lots of romance already there … just unkempt.

2) Need safe walkway … will replace old walkway with new flagstone walkway.  The flagstone will help create feeling of nature and romance … natural things help elicit feelings of romance and being close to nature.

3) Install archway.  Flower vines will be trained onto arch, also add to romance.

4) Decorative edging will be used to create barrier between yard and sidewalk.

5) Install pond.  The pond is a water feature which helps with relaxation.  Sitting by the pond will be a wonderful place to relax. (see pond info below).

Information on the proper way to build a pond at home

1) Take hardshell pond liner and flip it over in the area you wish to install your pond.  

2) Use garden spray paint to mark outline of hardshell liner of where you need to dig in the dirt.  If you have a multi-level pond, be sure to mark where the shelves will be, you will need to dig out the dirt to accommodate shelves.  

3) Use shovel to dig dirt out to specification of perimeter line. 

4) Place liner in hole, fill will water and use a level to make sure the pond is level.  The weight of the water will compact the earth under the pond and cause changes in level.  

5) Use cyphon pump to remove water out of pond.

6) Place empty hardshell liner back into hole.  Now it's time to do the electrical and the plumbing (you may have to have this part professionally installed).

7) Add filtration system.  There are 3 different types of filtration systems (most pond filters use combo of all three - 

Pond water will filter through all three to give best, most natural quality of water.  (Garden Police used a Beckett pump - the pump takes the water, puts it through a foam screen that acts as the mechanical filter, which also has carbon particles injected into it and it doubles as the chemical filtration.  Water passes through bio ball - little plastic spheres - that is meant to culture bacteria.  As the water passes over the bacteria, they clean the water.)

8) When setting up your filter for the first time add a bacteria culture for it (ex. Nitrofine bacteria can be added directly to bio balls - comes in liquid form, just pour on bio balls and then place bio balls in filter canister.  Another option, take bio balls from a pond that is already established).  Live bacteria like to eat fish waste and will keep water clean. 

9) Use rocks to create more natural look.  Place rocks along edge of pond.  
10) If you have a fountain in your pond, be sure to adjust it so that it does not splash out onto the rocks and ground around the fountain.  If splashing occurs, it will drain out underneath.

11) Add fish of your choice to your pond.  In this case, we are adding Koi.

Tip:  Have professional test the pond water every month, do a partial water change and add beneficial bacteria.  Water test kits are also available at pet shops for fish.  If you do this yourself, you need to measure the ammonia levels, general hardness, phosphates, PH, salinity, Nitrite and Nitrate levels.

If you are just starting with fresh tap water, with no live bacteria, it will take a few months to cycle properly.  A way to speed up cycle process and trick pond into thinking it has been established for 6 months is to -  Bring own pond water from another pond and filtration medium.  Take a bio ball or foam from already established pond and put in your pond and this shorten time pond needs to cycle.   If you just add fish to dechlorinated tap water the ammonia levels spike and this could easily kill fish.  The reason for having established pond water is once pond has been going for cycle for 6 months ammonia levels won't spike and kill fish.

Steps to "Nightmare on This Street" - creating a Relaxing, Romantic Garden

1) Tagging plants/trees to be reused/transplanted.  Important to reuse/prune/transplant plants that are not dead.  If you can save a plant you should.  The tags will insure that we don't accidentally throw them out, which would be easy because they are all mixed in with this big mess of a yard.

2) Clearing out sod and old, dead plants/trees in yard. The dead lawn, the dead plants, the mess must go.  You have to remove all dead things in order to bring new life to the yard.  There is just no hope for some plants.

3)  Remove Debris.  The current yard is an accident waiting to happen.  There are one too many things that someone could trip over.  The lawnmower is the biggest piece of debris.  

4) Remove plants/trees to be transplanted.  Do this very carefully.  Reuse healthy plant life that is dormant and can be used this season.  Remove plants using shovel, be careful to avoid the roots.  Place on tarp/burlap and move to safe area to store while prepping new holes. Will replant later, when yard is prepped.

5) Prune plants/trees that are being salvaged, but NOT transplanted.  Retrain Jasmine Vine.  Important to prune/shape plants that are being salvaged…this way you'll have a good gage of what you're starting with and what you still need to add to your yard to make sure you have full array of plant life.  There are a lot of rangy, overgrown plants.  Cut back to look like stubs so can have new growth. Retrain Jasmine Vine:  Trim, untangle, retrain on trellis.

6) Remove concrete walkway.  Current walkway is cracked and buckling.  Someone is likely to get hurt, easy to trip on.  Use sledgehammer to break concrete up and then pry out with pry bar.  Walkway will be replaced with safer entry to house.

7) Rototill in Amended Soil.  Amended soil will be rototilled into yard to support new plant life.

8) Mark for Garden Beds, Pond, Walkway.  Use garden spray paint to mark area for new garden beds, pond and walkway.

9) Install proper irrigation.  You may need professional help installing irrigation. The yard in this episode is in desperate need of a proper watering system.

10) Install New Walkway.  Dig out soil few inches deep.  Put in sand base made from dry mortar (10 parts sand, 1 part Portland cement).  Place flagstone pieces (2 to 3 foot pieces) into dry mortar.  Brush dry mortar in between pieces of flagstone.  Wet down. 

11) Dig for New Pond and Install Form.  Dig hole to depth and shape of pre-formed pond base.  Add sand to hole before put pre-formed pond in.  Place pre-form pond.  Install Pump. 

12) Install Brick Edging and Benderboard. We will be using salvaged brick that is just laying around Donna's yard.  Sometimes what seems to be junk in your yard, can be creatively reused in your new yard.  Used to shape new garden beds and separate the garden beds from the lawn area. 

13) Install Decorative 2' tall edging.  Rod Iron decorative fence used to separate front lawn/sidewalk from garden beds.  Just stink into ground, very simple.  This edging matches the edge of the windows on the house, used to marry the architecture of the house with the garden.

14) Plant Rose Hedge.  Roses are about as romantic as you can get…the roses will be used as hedge to create feeling of privacy and intimacy, while looking beautiful at the same time.

15) Transplanting.  It's time to find a home for all the plants that were saved.   First prep holes for planting.  Add necessary fertilizer/bone meal to hole to help with plant growth.  Bring plant over in tarp and then just place plant in hole.  Backfill.  Water.  Hand prune back to little stubs so will get new growth.

16) Install Flagstone Edging to Pond.  Flagstone will line the edges of the pond.  Dig a few inches deep around edges of pond.  Lay sand base and place flagstone.  Fill in between flagstone with sand to secure.  Tamp and level.

17) Install New Sod.  First fertilize.  Lay new sod.  Line up seams. Stagger edges.  Tamp down. Water.

18) Install decorative grasses to front "wild, romantic, wildflower garden".  On outside of decorative 2'fence there will be wild flower garden.  The idea is to keep a hint of the 'wildness' that Donna had before, but to add some beautiful romantic groundcovers and grasses.  This wildflower garden will be a nice contrast to the more structured beds that are on the inside of the decorative fence.

19) Install Arch over walkway.  Arch is already built.  Just has to be installed over walkway.  An arch add lots of romance to a garden.  Flowering vines will be trained over arch. 
 
22)  Redwood Nugget Mulch. To be placed in all garden beds.  Suppresses weed growth.  Helps soil to retain moisture.  Nice, natural, finished look. 

20) Glass Mulch. To be added around Koi pond.  Will give beautiful, romantic sparkle to edges of Koi pond.  A nice decorative addition to complete the whole look of the exotic Koi pond.

24)  Garden Décor - check out your local garden shop for ceramic frogs or other garden accessories.

Plants used in this episode

- Arbutus Marina Tree 'Marina Strawberry Tree'
- Kumquat
- Azalea 'Phonecia' Tree
- Rose 'Flower Carpet' Coral Tree
- Buxus 'Faulkner Boxwood'
- Tulbaghia Tricolor 'Society Garlic'
- Lavender 'Winter Bee'
- Hydrangea Macrophylla
- Isotoma 'Blue Star Creeper' Ground Cover
- Primroses
- Gelsemium Sempervirens 'Carolina Jasmine'
- Juncus Spiralis 'Lesser Corkscrew Rush'
- Zephranthes Candida 'Rain Lily'
- Eugenia
- Camellia
- Jasminum Polyanthum 'Pink Jasmine'
- Climbing Rose
- Viburnum
- Iris
- Daffodil