TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh talked to News Shopper about a Bromley garden makeover – and caused the project to blossom.

Catford’s Homebase has teamed up with disability charity branch Bromley Mencap to help a family have their outdoor space transformed.

News Shopper reported the project earlier this month and asked the horticulture guru, who used to present gardening show ‘Ground Force’, for his thoughts.

He replied: “It’s proof that a garden really can transform lives!”

The scheme will see Mencap members Andrew Riches and family, of Chatterton Road, see their back yard turned into a ‘sensory garden’ – with the intention to improve their quality of life.

Homebase manager David Price, 59, said the work was initially being funded by his store alone but now interest has soared and the makeover could be even better.

He explained: “The Alan Titchmarsh endorsement has given me the opportunity to apply more pressure – before that I (store) was paying for most of it. Now more people are helping us.

“Our head office has been in touch to see where we can take this. It might go further and the company might look at helping more people. 

“Dulux (paint company) has also been in touch – they said they could supply paint to do up all the fences and make them really colourful”.

Along with wife Anie, and children Anie-Marie and Kieron, Mr Riches, 53, said he is looking forward to the space becoming somewhere “nice to relax”.

Mencap is a charity that works with disabled people, parents or carers, to help ensure those in need are able to live like others in their community and have a reasonable quality of life.

Work is hoped to be completed by July. Make sure you keep an eye out in the News Shopper to see how it looked before and after.