Debenhams | Blog | Mark Marshall Renovation

Garden makeover: Man in work clothes next to outdoor seating area with furniture and canopy

Before & After: Landscaper Mark Marshall’s 72-Hour Garden Transformation

A short while ago, we held an exclusive competition over on our Instagram, offering one lucky family the chance to win the garden renovation of a lifetime – and last week, expert landscaper Mark Marshall arrived in Macclesfield to make our worthy winner’s garden dreams come true…

The Lee family’s outdoor space was calling for a modern summer refresh, so we gave Mark just 3 days to create the ultimate transformation on a £10,000 budget. Here’s everything he did to deliver the perfect garden makeover in record time…

Smiling man in olive Snickers workwear hoodie with neon sunglasses on head

Unkempt backyard with fence, overgrown plants, and scattered debris

Step 1: The Perfect Backdrop

“To give the garden a bit of je ne sais quoi, we decided to put in a beautiful Venetian style fence. To do that, we installed some multi-hole concrete posts that we set in the ground two-foot deep. We repeated the process […] then we attached some 4-by-2 batons to them, made them nice and level, and attached them to each post. We then installed some membrane just for visual effect, just to give it a nice backdrop.”

Step 2: Patio Fine-Tuning

“We wanted to create a beautiful patio area so Emma and Tom could entertain guests as well as having a little bit of chill out time when the kids get a bit too much. We decided to put in a steel edging to raise the patio up slightly, because all the garden was on different levels. And because we all know that kids spill everything, we decided to make this patio permeable!”

Family group portrait outdoors, two adults and three children, casual clothing, wooden fence background

Step 3: Paved to Perfection

“To make the patio permeable and kid-friendly, we used rubber, stone and resin, and honestly, you will love the end result of this. I quickly installed this beautiful resin while the team worked on the main patio area, where we chose a beautiful white porcelain.”

Step 4: Safety First

“Now that the main patio area is fully edged off, it was time for Josh to make sure that all the electrics were fully compliant, and he used a water-gel to make sure that the boxes were water-tight – just in time for some stunning plants to arrive!

Step 5: Foliage in Focus

“We chose two massive olive trees for the simple reason that Emma has a lot of Spanish heritage in her family, and we got to work planting. Time was running away from us, so Sean quickly levelled out the lawn while Jacob and Kane started to work on the pergola – this was from Debenhams and it’s almost like a convertible, how cool is that?”

After just three days of hard work, rapid construction, and full creative liberty, Mark and the team successfully brought the vision to life in all the right ways, creating an idyllic outdoor space that bridges the gap between a tranquil garden escape and a space to entertain the kids all year round. Complete with a raised patio lounging area for Emma and Tom to unwind in style, a venetian-inspired backdrop & complementary paving to really set the scene, and a custom trampoline built into the grass for an aesthetic finish, the Lee family were thrilled with the result – and the rapid turnaround time, too!