A devoted husband spent £35,000 to transform his garden into a tropical paradise for his wife because they haven't gone on holiday for SIX years.
Construction worker Chris Lodge, 44, and business owner Sharon Lodge, 45, are so busy with work and caring for their disabled dog Dice, 9, that they haven't been able to take time off to go abroad.
But Chris decided in June 2017 to bring that holiday feeling to them by turning their back garden into a tropical tiki wonderland.
He threw every free evening and weekend he had over 24 months into the mammoth project - despite having no experience of gardening whatsoever.
After digging out the lawn, Chris built a beautiful timber, driftwood and rope bridge across the garden which is surrounded by luscious green palm trees and succulents.
The bridge leads to a tiki hut, which Chris and Sharon call their 'Freaky Tiki', filled with a timber bar built by Chris, tropical trinkets and gorgeous timber engraved bar stools.
While it has been no small undertaking with the couple forking out £35,000 on the project, Chris says every penny and hour of hard work has been worth it.
Not only can he, Sharon and boxer dog Dice now wander to the bottom of their garden and 'escape' but the venture has also ignited a passion for gardening in Chris.
Chris, of Wollaston, Northamptonshire, said: "We used to love our holidays but we have a big business and I work a lot.
"The business suddenly took off and went a bit crazy and we've really been pushing it so we struggle to find the time now. We haven't been able to go on holiday for about six years.
"Our dog also suffers from little seizures now and then so we don't like to leave him. We're both housebound and office-bound.
"So I decided, I would bring the holiday to us so we can enjoy. Now we can go to the bottom of the garden and escape in a tropical paradise.
"We can come down here to our tiki hut and grab a cocktail or a latte and relax.
"You feel like you're on the other side of the world. You'd never guess you're at the bottom of a garden in the UK.
"I want it to be a place where all our friends can come too if they're having a bad day or feeling down. I want it to be a place where people can just get away.
"I just love to do things that make people happy and put a smile on their faces.
"It has taken some time and it's swallowed up about £35,000 but it's all worth it as long as it makes us and other people smile."
After living in their home for 15 years, Chris finally found the time to build an extension two years ago and decided to tackle the garden at the same time.
A willow tree at the bottom of their lawn reminded Chris of a jungle-themed fairground ride he used to go on as a child.
Chris poured hours into researching which tropical plants could best withstand British weather and used online tutorial videos to learn all the tricks of the gardening trade.
With an 'eye for detail', years of construction and a helping hand from his mate Rob, Chris has really put his own 'funky and different' stamp on his garden.
His 'Freaky Tiki' hut was a wooden shed purchased for £4,500 which Chris then transformed with dried grass roofing, an optical illusion tropical window and exotic decorations.
No expense has been spared with some plants costing £300 each and tiki mugs that adorn the barn specially imported from America.
Chris said: "I didn't have any gardening experience at all before this - apart from keeping the odd cactus or venus fly trap on the window sill when I was younger.
"But a couple of years ago I started an extension on our house and decided it was time to do the garden as well.
"There's a willow tree at the bottom of the garden that really inspired the jungle theme. The way the canopy hangs down made it feel a bit like a rainforest.
"So I started looking into tropical gardening and all the things you could do even living in this country. It really got me. I was hooked.
"So many friends have seen what I've done and they've never been into gardening before but now they're starting to take it up. I love that I've showed people what you can achieve."
