Our back garden of Eden: Couple spend more than two years transforming their yard into an artfully wild natural haven
- Peter and Jan Legge, of Leeds, turned their garden into a botanical wonder after painstaking hard work
- Spending £5,500, the couple transformed their garden following Japanese style and influences
- The two-and-a-half year process helped Mr Legge recover from serious illness after emerging from a coma
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It used to be an ordinary suburban garden with a neat lawn and well-tended borders.
But Peter and Jan Legge have transformed it into an artfully wild natural haven that would not be out of place at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Their glorious garden of Eden has Japanese-inspired features, a pond, winding brick path, patio and of course a fabulous array of blooms.
It took two-and-a-half years and £5,500 to create – a labour of love that helped Mr Legge to recover from a serious illness.
Peter and Jan Legge’s garden at their Leeds home, pictured before the idea first hatched and the huge overhaul started – a process which would last two-and-a-half years
The couple committed to a long process of completely redeveloping the garden from scratch
No expenses were spared as Jan and Peter dug out the garden and carefully crafted designs to create a tropical oasis
The project soon became a labour of love that helped Mr Legge to recover from a serious illness after contracting pneumonia four years ago, which left him in a coma
Mrs Legge, who designed the layout while her husband did the landscaping for the garden in a joint effort
The dream space soon began to take shape, as accessories and colour were added in and the design started to emerge
During the coronavirus lockdown, it has provided a relaxing sanctuary for the couple, both civil servants who moved into the house in Leeds 15 years ago.
A bout of flu that developed into pneumonia four years ago left Mr Legge, 55, in an induced coma and on a ventilator at the city’s St James’s Hospital for four weeks. His wife, 57, said: ‘It was awful and very touch-and-go whether he’d survive.’
Thankfully he pulled through but lost more than four stone in weight and was left extremely weak. Doctors told him to exercise as much as possible and the couple decided that building the garden would do the job.
Now the garden is a botanical wonderland, showcasing an array of plant life after the major reconstruction which came to a total of £5,500 to carry out
The pond dominates a large section of the garden, and contains a host of different life forms
The couple took immense pride in the project, going on to achieve a finished garden which boasts subdivides into three main sectionl; Japanese, patio, and pergola
Now fully complete, Jan and Peter’s garden would not look out of place at the iconic Chelsea flower show
‘It turned into our outdoor gym,’ said Mrs Legge, who designed the layout while her husband did the landscaping and building to turn it into a reality.
‘It was good exercise.’ Mrs Legge added: ‘The garden has been my sanctuary after watching the person I love fight for their life.
‘The project helped us rebuild our lives. It’s been our haven.’