Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
TV makeover for hero’s garden
A Gurkha war veteran who lost both legs while serving his country has had his garden transformed on a national TV show fronted by Alan Titchmarsh.
Hari Budha Magar, of Barton Road, Canterbury, appeared on ITV’S Love Your Garden in a heart-warming episode that saw his outside sanctuary redesigned.
Mr Magar, who received his lifechanging injuries in the Afghanistan conflict, now has full wheelchair access and even a prayer room in his garden.
Actress Joanna Lumley, who campaigns for the Gurkhas spoke on the programme and said how much Mr Magar deserved the garden.
Laura Anstiss, owner of Anstiss Landscape Design, was con- tracted to create the designs for Love Your Garden by Frost Landscapes. She said: “My designs are always very personal to my clients, whether they have a tiny patch or a huge area.
“All the people in the show needed something special and unique, whether to meet a physical need or an emotional one.
“I spent a lot of time talking to each person or family to find out exactly how their gardens could change their lives for the better.”
Mr Magar appeared on the show last Tuesday. Viewers were told that despite his disability, the 36-year-old was a keen charity supporter and had even travelled to Cumbria to help pensioners when the area was hit by floods last year.
Laura, who is based in Tenterden, spent five days working with a team of specialists to create a tranquil outdoor space for the father of three. She said: “Hari’s garden has a quiet seat- ing area and a stream flowing through it, which brings in an element of the Nepal landscape.
“His family were lovely and when we visited the garden for a site survey they cooked a traditional Nepalese breakfast for us that included curry and dumplings.”
She added: Helping Hari was moving. Haria and his wife were totally overwhelmed when they saw the garden. It was very tearful but very uplifting.”