GARDEN designer Hilary Collins experienced the less glamorous side of television when she got involved in a garden makeover.

She and her husband, Steve, with their team from Goldwind Designs at Madresfield Garden Centre, have been working on the project for Granada's This Morning programme since January.

Viewers have been able to watch the transformation of a dilapidated Bromsgrove cottage and garden, now being offered as a competition prize.

"We made nine films and every time we were filming it poured with rain," said Mrs Collins, whose brief was to turn the 50ft by 30ft patch into a child-friendly garden containing specific features, including a play area, water feature, summerhouse and deck, plus vegetable and herb gardens.

"The days were very long and everyone worked very hard, sometimes until midnight. We always finished under arc lamps and the day after filming we felt hung over," she said.

"They were all very nice people, including Carl Wilde, the plantsman who fronted our section of the programme and was a very good coach. I was able to record some pieces speaking direct to camera."

The production team wanted a contemporary look, including blue perspex for the water feature.

"We couldn't get blue, so we put food dye in the water and it's still looking good four months later," said Mrs Collins.

She based the garden on a desert island, introducing a pirate ship and chest in the play area, sail-shaped vegetable plot and gravel "beach", with planting including bamboo, tree fern, date palm, eucalyptus and papyrus, together with brightly coloured herbaceous perennials.

"It's a riot of colour at the moment because everything is in flower and it will gradually evolve as it gets established, with vines growing around the deck and white clematis making billowing sails on the ropes and posts behind the water feature," she said.