Rick Upham and his partner, Lisa Fisher, have TV presenter Simon Harrison Knibbs and UK Style's Gardens Unplugged to thank for their Victor Hugo inspired garden. After meeting a PR consultant in a local pub this spring, the couple's small garden in Pedvin Street was selected to undergo a make-over for the series.
To celebrate the bi-centenary of Victor Hugo, and inspired by the fact that Rick and Lisa's 18th-century home was the setting for part of the film Adele H – the story of Hugo's daughter – it was decided that the garden should have a strong Hugo theme. The garden included the new variety of clematis called Victor Hugo, donated by its breeder, Guernsey Clematis.
Two other Guernsey homes, at L'Ancresse and St Martins, were also given the style treatment. The series was aired three times a week during September and October, and attracted about one million viewers a week.