My council house garden was a former drug den with hidden dangers – I transformed it with £1.7k gifts from strangers

The Sun

2 days ago

A MUM has transformed her council estate garden with the help of £1k from strangers and gifts worth over £700.
When Ste f anie Lockyer first posted a video showing off her 'POS garden ', she never expected it to blow up.
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She was just a 36-year-old mum from a council house in the West Country, furious at the council, frustrated with the mess she'd inherited and feeling totally defeated.
But fast forward just a few weeks and her TikTok account, started with fewer than 1,000 followers, has racked up over 24,000 fans, hundreds in donations, and more love from strangers than she ever imagined.
She claimed her garden was a dangerous dumping ground littered with drug baggies and broken glass.
Stefanie has now transformed it into a safe, colourful haven full of life, laughter, and Lego.
'Honestly,' she told her followers, 'if someone had told me that one video would get 200,000 views, I'd have thought you were cuckoo bananas.'
It all started when Stefanie, who originally joined TikTok to help pay off some debt, decided to vent her frustration after moving into a new council home.
The house came with a huge back garden that her 10-year-old son dreamed of using for a birthday party.
But the dream was quickly shattered when they discovered the garden was far from safe.
She said: 'It was basically an old drug den. 'There were baggies, broken glass, even dodgy old smug bits buried in the ground. Not what you want when your kid's asking for a party and a paddling pool.'
After a particularly maddening encounter with a council worker who allegedly laughed in her face, Stephanie was determined to take matters into her own hands.
Kids will have hours of fun in the garden with The Range's bargain buy - it also lights up, plays music & is on sale
She posted her now-viral video, calling out the state of the garden and something incredible happened.
Her TikTok blew up, strangers rallied behind her, and before long, a JustGiving page was set up.
In just under a month, her supporters had donated over £1,000, with even more pouring in through her Amazon wishlist and PayPal.
In total, kind-hearted strangers sent over £700 worth of gifts to help turn the ex-drug den into a dream play space.
And it's not just your basic gardening gear, we're talking everything from toys and lights to a rainbow windmill.
Among the donated goodies were a children's play sand set (£18.99), a helium canister for balloons (£29.99) and a pet hammock (£17.99).
There was also a bundle of Lego sets, chalk, fidget toys and even a night vision toy.
Plus cute garden decorations like a bamboo wind chime, a red telephone box bird feeder, and outdoor string lights to wrap around her now-iconic big trees
One follower told her: 'Those trees are incredible – get some fairy lights up on them, babe.'
And that's exactly what she did.
She still has £161 worth of goods ready to be purchased.
Stefanie's account, a raw mix of chaos, cheeky humour and real-life parenting, has struck a chord with thousands.
She admitted she was "c***" at social media and did it to "p*** the council off".
What started as a rant has now turned into a community project and a journey of unexpected pride.
Stefanie now plans to carry on documenting her family's adventures, and is already setting her sights on the next big mission, which is giving her husband a blowout 40th birthday bash.
But for now, she's basking in the joy of seeing her son finally enjoying a back garden of his own.
She shared her son now has a paddling pool, toys to play with and a safe space to be a kid, saying it's all she ever wanted
And thanks to the kindness of strangers, that dream has finally come true.
8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden
Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots.
Tricyrtis
A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'.
Penstemon
I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes.
Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata'
With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it
will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade.
Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue'
A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your
garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period.
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers.
Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'
A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days.
Rosa 'Noisette Carnee'
A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November.
Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel'
I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.