Greenfingers (2000) Movie Script
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[COLIN]
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I'm about to fuck up.
So, what else is new?
Traveling through
A tunnel under sea
You never know
If it cracks in half
You're never ever
Gonna see me
But you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
And you can pay for it
The rest of your life
Life
[BURGLAR ALARM RINGS]
[COLIN]
Ah! Shit.
[SONG]
I wouldn't believe
Your wireless radio
If I had myself
A flying giraffe
You'd have one in a box
With a window
[SIREN BLARING]
But you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
And you can pay for it
The rest of your life
[PANTING]
Life
[GEORGINA] This is what I call
my memory corner.
That forget-me-not
reminds me of my first love.
That cockscomb
evokes my late husband.
Oh, this dianthus
came from a cutting
my mother gave me.
[CHUCKLES] And I always think
of my daughter
every time I look at a primrose.
So you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
[COLIN] I know how hard this
must be for you to understand.
It's hard enough for me.
[TIRES SCREECH]
I mean, why would any guy
go and violate his parole
when he's already spent
half his life behind bars?
It's about bloody time.
[COLIN]
Call it unfinished business,
if you like.
All I know is that
nicking a bunch of flowers
is a bloody sight different than
what they put me away for at 18.
The time I spent inside
was hell on Earth.
But in a way, I welcomed it.
I guess I felt I deserved it
after what I'd done.
After 15 years, I had accepted
that this was what my life
would always be.
But a year before I met you,
all that changed.
We have some news which might
be of interest to you.
We're transferring you to
Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield,
a more progressive institution.
We consider you
to be an ideal candidate
for the work
that they're doing there.
Congratulations.
You're being reclassified
to Category D.
It's taken me a long time
to get used to this place,
and I don't fancy the change.
So, if you don't mind,
I'll stay put.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[KEYS RATTLING]
So this is what
fresh air smells like.
[DUDLEY]
Follow me.
I'm Governor Hodge,
and this is our head of lifers.
Mr. Dudley.
You gentlemen have been selected
from prisons across the country
to join other inmates
in our open system.
As you may have noticed
when you arrived,
there are no high walls,
razor wire fences
or security cameras.
Nothing to stop you
walking away.
Here at Edgefield,
we function on trust.
Show us you can be trusted,
and you're well on your way
to being paroled.
However, if we detect any signs
of antisocial behavior,
you will be immediately
transferred
back to a secure prison.
Am I dreaming, or are they
serving us tea and biscuits?
[HODGE]
Oh, yes, from the WRVS.
The Women's Royal
Voluntary Service
run the visitor's canteen.
Holly, I'd like you to meet
our new arrivals.
- Hello.
- [HODGE] Help yourselves to tea, gentleman.
You must be parched.
Come on.
Don't be timid.
- I can recommend the chamomile.
- Chamomile it is, then.
[MAN CLEARS THROAT]
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, it's all right.
My name is Fergus.
Fergus Wilks.
Yeah, Dudley told me
you'd be arriving today,
and I've been looking forward
to meeting you.
My last bunk mate
achieved his freedom
over two months ago,
and it's a bit solitary in here,
you know?
Yeah, it'll be good
to have someone
to pass the time of day with.
Listen, mate,
I keep myself to myself.
I'm not looking to bond
with no one.
I'm just going to do my time,
keep my nose clean, all right?
Perfectly understandable.
I felt the same way myself
when I was your age.
But after a while,
I felt my own company
pretty damn boring,
if you want to know
the God's honest truth.
Oy, watch it, old man! Fuck!
- Sorry.
- For fuck's sake!
I-I-I'm really sorry.
- Sorry.
- Jesus.
[DOOR CLOSES]
I don't like that fella.
- Strange one, isn't he?
- What's he in for?
He's a menace to society,
like the rest of us.
What you in for, then?
Halfway through a six stretch
for armed robbery.
And you?
- Murder.
- Same here.
I'm innocent.
I'm not. Caught me on video,
didn't they?
You're a bit of an early bird,
aren't you?
Oh, yeah.
Shit, shaved and showered
before I even put my two feet
on the floor.
Oh, by the way, ahem,
a word of advice.
They're going to put you lads
to work today.
Do yourself a favor
and steer clear
of building maintenance.
Laundry. That's the place to be.
Come winter, when everybody's
balls are frozen,
you'll have the warmest seat
in the house.
I... ahem.
I've a certain influence
in laundry matters.
In fact, the governor
doesn't let anyone
touch his shirts but me.
Not a lot of people know that.
[DUDLEY]
This is not a holiday camp.
Everyone works here.
No free rides.
Not for the governor,
not for me,
and certainly not for you lot.
Whilst at Edgefield,
you'll be required to work a job
where you'll learn a trade,
and thus be prepared for
employment upon your release.
Together, you and I will find
the job which suits you best.
We have half a dozen job options
for you, Mr. Briggs.
Yet Dudley informs me
you remain unemployed.
How so?
I don't care where you put me.
It's not a question of where
we put you, Mr. Briggs.
It's more a question
of where you put yourself.
It's all the same to me.
It doesn't make
a scrap of difference
whether I'm doing laundry,
peeling potatoes
or carving rocking chairs
out of oak trees.
With my record,
when I do get out of here,
I'll be lucky enough
to get any bloody job at all.
So, you know, whatever.
You leave me no choice but
to make the decision for you.
- [LOUD THUDDING]
- [COLIN GRUNTING]
[WATER SPLASHING AND BUBBLING]
[SIGHS]
- Where are you going?
- Home.
- Can I come?
- Very funny.
Why don't you stay
and watch me play?
I already have.
You're terrible.
Oy. I'm a bloody marvel, me.
Can I help you?
What's wrong with him?
He's in for his
chemotherapy treatment.
- Cancer?
- Yes.
Along with retinitis pigmentosa,
osteoporosis,
and arthritis in his feet.
Do me a favor.
Don't tell him I came here.
Did you miss me?
Didn't even notice
you were gone.
You were right
about building maintenance.
- It stinks.
- [LAUGHS]
[COUGHS]
Thanks for saving my plant.
I just gave it a bit of water,
that's all.
Sometimes it takes very little
to put things right.
I'll remember
There are you.
Merry Christmas.
- Thank you, Santa.
- Whoa, not too much.
That's it...
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
All through the rest
Of the year
Is he still telling his mates
his daddy's dead?
Go and speak to him, Jimmy.
But don't expect too much.
Well, then.
I hear school's going great.
I'll remember
Our walk through the snow
And the way that we kissed
Without a sign
of mistletoe...
Tony, you've got a stiffy.
So?
It's against regulations.
[NEEDLE SCRATCHES]
[HARD ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]
Out of all the reindeers
You know you're the mastermind
Run, run, Rudolph
Randolph's not too far behind
Run, run, Rudolph...
I'd like you to meet
my sister Mary.
I've told her so much about you.
I'm not good with families.
Oh, you're becoming a bore.
Well, you can have these anyway.
- Merry Christmas.
- For fuck's sake, don't do this.
Too late.
I've done it already, haven't I?
You sure this is a good spot?
Give me the seeds.
- You all right?
- Fine.
You know it's a total
waste of time, don't you?
It's so cold, those little
buggers don't stand a chance.
They said that about me,
didn't they?
But I proved them wrong.
I turned my life around.
Turned your life around?
[LAUGHS] What are
you talking about?
You're a blind,
crippled old fart
who's been locked up
all his life.
Even if you get paroled,
you won't have any time left
to enjoy it.
I'll never be paroled, Colin.
- What?
- Nah.
I'm one of the few in here
who'll never walk out.
I'll spend the rest of my days
in Edgefield.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[MAN]
I've got it! I've got it!
I've got it!
- Yeah!
- What a goal!
- [MAN LAUGHS]
- What a goal!
Milk?
Cheers, Holly.
Hello, Tony.
How are you?
[LAUGHS]
Oh, it's really sweet.
But it's against regulations.
I know it is. I know.
Will you just put it
in your hair?
It's...
It's just lovely. I...
Where'd you find it?
I find it growing near
the pitch.
I'd better get back.
They got no chance without me.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I'll see you later, yeah?
- Spring is here.
- What?
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[GRUNTS]
You can't see a bloody thing.
I don't know why you bother
with those specs.
They hide my wrinkles.
[SIGHS]
I've got better things to do,
you know?
We should have marked the spot.
You know, I'm sorry, old man.
I've had enough of this.
[FERGUS]
Colin?
You've found them, haven't you?
Yes.
Are they beautiful?
Very.
They never stood a chance,
Fergus.
I told you.
It's all about defying the odds.
Adversity is your ally, Colin.
What?
Make friends
with your misfortunes.
Otherwise, you'll always
be angry.
[RAW]
Toss it back, will you?
What'd you go and do that for?
You ruined our bleeding flowers.
- I what?
- Look, from now on,
this area is off-limits.
Hey, lads, come and get this.
- [TONY] What's up?
- [JIMMY] What's the matter?
The football pitch
is now off-limits.
- Want to know why?
- Why?
In case we trample
their little pansies.
[LAUGHS]
Oh, dear, now wouldn't that
be a catastrophe?
[JIMMY] Well, if it ain't
the lilies of the field.
Look here, I don't think
we give a shit
about your fucking flowers.
[JIMMY]
Go on, Raw!
- [GRUNTS]
- [JIMMY] Stop it!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
That'll do.
[HODGE]
We don't look upon altercations
very fondly here at Edgefield.
Much less those
resulting in bloodshed.
And all over a...
pansy?
A violet, sir.
A double violet, actually.
A double violet?
And a scented one at that.
In this terrible
limestone soil of ours?
[SIGHS]
Pity.
And your football
inflicted this damage?
[RAW] We didn't see
no bleeding flowers, sir.
We were just playing.
Raw, if you and your teammates
want to continue
playing football,
you will have to assist
Mr. Briggs and Mr. Wilks
in their horticultural endeavor.
Our what?
Mr. Briggs,
you've just cleaned
your last toilet.
And you have your green fingers
to thank for it.
That's bollocks.
These flowers are a fluke.
- I don't know nothing about it.
- Gentlemen...
a new work program has just
been born here at Edgefield.
Gardening.
Gardening, sir?
[HODGE]
That's right, Dudley. Gardening.
[MUTTERING]
[RAW]
Look at the boobs on this.
I'd like to get a whiff of that.
Guys, the governor is expecting
a proper garden by next spring.
And from what I've read,
it ain't going to be easy.
I'd take laundry duty
any day over this shit.
This here is women's work.
Yeah, I mean, look here, Briggs.
I think we'd gladly
give up football.
Gardening ain't
for the likes of us.
[DOOR OPENS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- They're right, Fergus.
Who are we kidding?
We're not bloody gardeners.
I saw the look in your eyes
when you spotted those flowers,
and it was love at first sight.
We've been prisoners
long enough, Colin.
Let's be gardeners.
[TOILET FLUSHES]
[FERGUS]
Now, think about it.
This was the
governor's idea, right?
Yeah. So?
And who do you think
carries the most weight
when your parole review
comes around?
The governor.
Right.
So, we plant a nice
little garden,
and you lads stand to get
the governor's personal
recommendation for release.
Now, not a bad idea,
wouldn't you agree?
So let's just get on with it
and cut the crap, shall we?
[COLIN] We've prepared a list
of things we need, sir.
Well, there's a fork and spade,
obviously.
A pair of shears,
some branch loppers.
And don't forget the hoe.
Oh, yeah, a hoe.
And a Weed Wand.
A Weed Wand?
- How interesting.
- [RAW] It's a wonder.
It's this nifty little gadget.
Looks a bit like a bicycle pump
with a blowtorch
on the end of it.
Just aim it at them nasty
little weeds, pull the trigger,
and blam, nukes them right down
to the roots.
Anything else, gentlemen?
Hats and gloves, I suppose.
Yeah.
Tony?
Bottle of suntan lotion
would be nice.
Indeed it would.
And have you calculated the cost
of all these items?
Yes, sir.
We've prepared a budget.
[SIGHS]
Very well.
I, too, have prepared a budget.
You want in, my love?
[SUSAN] Are you sure
this is a good idea?
Don't you think
you're pushing it,
putting spades and forks
in the hands of murderers?
"The best place to seek God
is in a garden.
You can dig for Him there."
George Bernard Shaw.
This would do, wouldn't it?
- What do you think, Colin?
- I don't know, you know.
We're still looking
for sunlight.
We're in England.
Don't build your hopes up.
- Mm-hmm.
- Come on.
- Yup?
- No, it's no good.
My God, Susan.
Have you read all these?
No.
Then it's high time someone did.
"Georgina Woodhouse says
it all comes down
to two basic questions:
what do you want
your garden to do,
and what flowers
do you want to grow?"
Fergus...
what do I want my garden to do?
I thought it was
our garden, Colin.
Eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two,
eighty-three, eighty-four...
[TONY] Don't tell me what to do,
Briggs.
- [COLIN] Just hang on a minute.
- [TONY] I'm tired of waiting.
- This spot's as good as any.
- Why are you in such a hurry?
I ain't gonna be here the rest
of my life like you.
I'm going to get out there
and make something of myself.
Oy! I asked you
not to do that.
I ain't standing on
no fucking sidelines.
I got just as much say in this
as anyone.
Look at me. The daffodils,
they're going right here.
I never said anything
about fucking daffodils.
- Hey!
- [JIMMY] Hey! Oy! Hey!
[FERGUS]
Ease yourself, mate.
[JIMMY]
Come on.
The old man'll decide
where the garden goes.
High time we made a stand
And shook up the views
Of the common man
And the love train
Rides from coast to coast
D.J.'s the man
We love the most
Could you be, could you be
Squeaky clean
And smash any hope
Of democracy?
As the headline says
You're free to choose
There's egg on your face
And mud on your shoes
One of these days they're
Gonna call it the blues, yeah
Sowing the seeds of love
The seeds of love
Sowing the seeds
Sowing the seeds of love
Seeds of love
Sowing the seeds
I spy tears in their eyes
They look to the skies
For some kind of divine
Intervention
Food goes to waste
So nice to eat
So nice to taste
Politician granny
With your high ideals
Have you no idea
How the majority feels?
So without love
And a promise land...
I'm leaving, Tony.
Today's my last day
at Edgefield.
Why?
Because...
every time I look at you,
I go all wobbly.
The feelings I have for you
are totally inappropriate,
and before I bring further
dishonor to the Women's Royal...
Sowing the seeds
The birds and the bees
Meet me in the woods
behind the garden.
[JIMMY]
You see this?
Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show.
Biggest in the world, it is.
Oh, my God.
Oh, let's enter.
Ha! You're dreaming, old man.
Look, I've never won an award
in my entire life.
This could be my big chance.
You want something
to show off at the picnic.
All right, now it's time...
to germinate.
[GASPS]
With a little cooperation
from Mother Nature,
we should have a jolly nice
little garden come this spring.
"Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield
more closely resembles life
on a university campus
than a citadel of reform
for Britain's worst blights.
The so-called open prison is,
in point of fact,
an open invitation
to disaster."
Bastards.
Why does your family
never come to visit you?
They want nothing to do with me.
Will you never tell me
why you're in here?
If God could find it
in his heart to forgive me
after what I've done,
he's not going to quibble
over your sins, lad.
You're sure about that, are you?
I killed my wives.
I passed the first two off
as accidents,
but when I got around
to the third...
it wasn't the police
that worked it out.
I... I gave myself up.
I'd come to terms
with the fact that...
alcohol turned me
into something terrible.
I'd say.
I'll be doing porridge
till the day I die.
Which could be anytime,
my friend.
Not many more opportunities
for heart-to-hearts.
I'm not the confessing type.
[DISTANT APPLAUSE]
[MEN CHEERING DISTANTLY]
We're starting up
a vegetable garden next.
Fancy them more than
the flowers.
That's what I'm going to do
when I get out.
I'm going to be a gardener.
What do you think of that, John?
Mom says that it won't be
till I'm away at university.
No, I'm going to be out
in about 18 months.
That will be up
to the parole board, Jimmy.
I went ahead and painted it
for myself,
just in case I don't make it
to spring.
You'll make it.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Splendid.
Just splendid.
It's a great day for you,
gentlemen,
and a great day for Edgefield.
[FERGUS]
What did I miss?
What did I miss?
I was just telling
your colleagues how pleased I am
with your horticultural
endeavor, Mr. Wilks.
We now have heaven
under our feet,
as well as over our heads.
[WOMAN] I'm such a fan,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
To Marjorie.
I have one quick question.
I have an unruly
cotoneaster shrub.
What should I do?
Go for the chop, dear.
Give it a nice haircut.
One must never be afraid
to use one's loppers.
Thank you very much,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
And who shall I
inscribe this to?
To Colin, Fergus,
Tony, Jimmy and Raw.
Raw?
[CHUCKLES]
Mrs. Woodhouse,
I was wondering
if you might be so kind
as to visit a garden
that my husband's employees
have planted.
They did it all on
a micro-budget,
and they were completely
inspired by your writings.
Hello.
I'm frightfully sorry,
but now that my mother's
coming to an end,
we're looking forward
to a cup of coffee.
Well, splendid.
We can give you one.
We're only ten minutes
from here.
Please, it would mean
so much to the men.
Primrose, you don't say
we're at an end.
You say we're
on a punishing schedule
and we're running late.
I simply can't tell lies
the way you can.
I can't.
I blush up
like nobody's business.
Social know-how
isn't lies, Primrose.
That woman didn't say anything
about a prison, did she?
Such a jumble, all these
disconnected dabs of color.
I really rather like it.
Who would have thought
that the dogtooth violet
would be so compatible
with that straggling group
of daphne mezereum?
Really quite a success,
considering that Arctic winter
of ours.
How about a big smile,
Mrs. Woodhouse?
I beg your pardon?
I hope you don't mind,
Mrs. Woodhouse,
but open prison's been the brunt
of such bad press lately,
we thought Edgefield could use
some good P.R. for a change.
If you'll just stand in the
middle next to the prisoners?
Thank you.
Darling.
- [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK]
- So, Mrs. Woodhouse,
what do you think
of a garden made by murderers?
Murderers?
Just one or two of them, ma'am.
I really rather like it.
Perhaps you and your daughter
would care to join us for lunch.
Thank you all very much,
but we're on
a punishing schedule
and we're running late.
It's been a long morning.
We'd be delighted to join you.
[HODGE]
Good.
This way.
Mr. Briggs, have you always had
green fingers?
Only when he picks his nose.
Don't mind him, ma'am.
Too many blows to the head.
Well, actually, I just started
gardening about six months ago.
Oh, so then you have
made strides.
Nothing you couldn't do,
I'm sure.
I'm afraid in my case,
the apple fell far
from the tree.
To my mother's profound
disappointment,
I'm a total disaster
in the garden.
- Really?
- Oh, her father was even worse.
Refused to get out
of the hammock.
Of course, the gin and tonics
didn't help.
So, tell me,
what stops you chaps from just,
you know, absconding?
Well, that'd be stupid, ma'am.
There's too much at stake.
We'd go straight back
to a closed prison.
And we've all seen our share
of dark days at Wormwood Scrubs.
[HODGE]
All right, gentlemen.
Back to your duties.
[CUTLERY CLATTERS]
It was an honor to meet you,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
Watch out for slugs
and sooty mold.
They can absolutely
make life hell.
[PRIMROSE]
Bye.
And best of luck to you,
Mr. Briggs.
So tell me,
who did what and to whom?
It's quite a notion
for a prison, isn't it?
The tomatoes are more confined
than the prisoners.
Now you sound like our local
member of parliament.
"The only way prison works
is to keep people locked up."
If our M.P. had his way,
Gerald would never be allowed
to let the men out
on work release programs.
Work release?
I don't suppose
this would qualify,
but I've been commissioned
by a lovely couple
to do their gardens
at Ozlebury House.
My own gardeners
are so over extended,
they're going to stage a mutiny
if I ask them.
Hello!
This way.
Over here.
Primrose, go and see
if our clients are around.
I'm sure they'd love
to meet the boys.
No one's called me a boy
since 1929.
Some have it all, Raw.
The rest have fucked off.
That's the way the mop flops.
Some people, they see this
as just a mound of earth.
But I, on the other hand,
see it as the commencement
of our homage
to the goddess Flora.
Well, hello!
- Hello.
- [MAN] Hello, everybody.
Hello, Georgina, darling.
[LAUGHS]
Mwah. Mwah.
So kind of you all
to give Georgina a hand.
I'm Lawrence.
This is Nigel.
[NIGEL]
How do you do?
Anything we can do to make
your time more enjoyable,
don't hesitate to ask.
I do hope you like
shepherd's pie.
And we have trifle for dessert.
All right, well, excuse us.
We've got work to do.
Go, on, off you go.
Off you go. Off you go.
- All right, see you later.
- Bye.
Let's get started.
No more lectures.
And hosting yet another benefit
for the Orchid Society
is equally abhorrent.
No! No!
You can't treat wisteria
so cruelly!
You cut into the hardwood,
it'll never flower next year.
- [COLIN] Tony, Tony...
- [GEORGINA] I don't know.
You'll have to discuss the dates
with Primrose. Primrose!
Primrose?
Where is she?
[INSECT BUZZING]
Oh, no.
Oh!
Oh, no. Ugh! Ugh!
- [BUZZING CONTINUOUS]
- [EXCLAIMING]
[GASPING]
- [BUZZING STOPS]
- Aah!
- Teatime!
- [GEORGINA] Primrose!
Bag! Bee! My adrenaline!
[GEORGINA GASPING]
Just a little honeybee,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
- Perfectly harmless.
- It may be a honeybee to you,
but it could be death to me!
Let it alone!
I'll get it.
[GASPING]
We need to get her
to a hospital.
[GASPING]
[COLIN] She'll be all right,
won't she?
Yes, yes.
It's an allergic reaction.
Nothing too serious.
The only time she gets
a week's rest.
All right.
- See you then, then.
- Oh. Oh, no.
I'll be by tomorrow morning
to collect you all.
Mother's orders.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
- What the devil is he up to?
- I'm just beginning to imagine.
[NIGEL]
Tony!
We do have a loo, you know.
Nigel, you're a spoilsport.
Morning, sweetheart.
And that's from "The Lady
and the Unicorn" series.
The lady and her handmaiden
are holding
clove-scented carnations.
Don't go for
carnations much, me.
- [LAUGHS]
- What'd you pay for it?
Oh, couldn't put a price on it.
It's been in my family
for over 400 years.
I hope you got
a good alarm system.
Falstaff's the only alarm
we need.
Aren't you, boy?
[DOG PANTING]
How's everything going,
Mr. Briggs?
Good. How's your mother?
They took her off
the defibrillator today.
Glad to hear it.
You don't fancy
giving me a hand, do you?
Oh, no.
I'd be more of a hindrance
than a help.
Oh, don't be silly.
Come and help me with this.
No, don't be so timid.
If you just go for it.
Just rip it apart.
That's it.
Right.
Okay, now we place it
in the ground.
- Huh?
- You're home.
Well, you know what I mean.
That's all right.
It is my home.
I think Mother would be really
pleased with what you've done.
Thanks, Miss Woodhouse.
Primrose.
It's a lovely name.
I despise it.
Good night.
Guys.
Guys, we're out of here.
[FERGUS GROANS]
[TONY]
Cheers, Miss Woodhouse.
I know, babe.
I know. I...
Just...
Just wait, wait.
Listen, listen to me.
[SHUSHING]
Don't go worrying about money,
all right?
I'm going to figure it out.
[SOBBING]
Oh, Tony, what have we done?
[SNIFFLING]
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[GEORGINA]
Silver foliage?
It was quite clear in my design
that I wanted purple foliage.
When this clay soil
goes cold in the winter,
the silver will never survive.
- It will. I've seen to it.
- [LAUGHS] Have you?
A problem that's plagued
the gardeners of Gloucestershire
for over two centuries.
I think if you plant simple
quartz crystals in the clay,
they radiate warmth.
They don't interfere with roots,
and they don't add
any chemical compounds
to upset the clay's
natural pH balance.
Upon what do you base
this conclusion?
I've been experimenting
at Edgefield.
There's loads of clay courts
around there.
I suppose that no one's
ever bothered
to mix the two together.
[LAUGHS]
No.
I don't suppose they have.
Well, Mr. Briggs,
you have quite a future.
[GEORGINA] They are the most
brilliant and talented prisoners
you'll ever meet.
The work they did for me
at Ozlebury House
was simply stupendous.
One in particular
has a great deal of talent.
I wish to sponsor them
in their first show garden.
At Hampton Court?
I can just see the front page
of the Daily Mail
on opening day.
"Her Majesty surrounded
by murderers,
rapists and such."
- Now, there's a photo op.
- It might do us some good.
- It's sure to boost attendance.
- Well, I'm against it.
We have the public safety
to consider.
My personal recommendation
has paved the way
for many an upstart's entre
into this charmed circle.
Including yours, Julian.
And let us not forget
what Her Majesty, the Queen,
had to say on the subject.
"Gardening has been a national
obsession for centuries.
There cannot be
any other occupation
that absorbs equally
every section of society."
- We're going to Hampton Court.
- Oh, brilliant!
Brilliant! Utter God!
Utter bloody God!
"Hampton Court Palace."
Train I ride, don't be slow
If your whistle can blow
Fifteen miles down the track
I'm thinking of a field
of tulips
with a babbling brook running
through the middle of them,
and wooden shoes
overflowing with poppies.
[SNIFFLES]
What about doing something
typically English,
but with a tropical slant?
Recreating Stonehenge in Hawaii.
I was thinking
about a vegetable garden.
Like, on the moon?
A scented garden would be nice.
Chock-full of English roses,
honeysuckle, lilies.
I'm seeing wildflowers.
All shapes and sizes.
Bluebells, sunflowers, daisies.
Daisies, tulips,
fucking bluebells?
I can't take this anymore.
You lot are a disgrace
to the prison system.
'Cause she said
She won't wait
She'll just go marry Jack
So there's no turning back
And it's 25 to midnight
And 15 miles of track
Twenty-five to midnight
And 15 miles of track
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Greek legend tells us
that when Aphrodite
was hurrying to the side
of her dying love Adonis,
she was scratched by thorns
as she pushed her way through
a white rose hedge.
And forever after,
the blooms have been tinted red
with her blood.
[PRIMROSE]
I think a scented garden
is a lovely idea
for Hampton Court.
It was Fergus' choice.
His sense of smell
is one of the few things
he's got that still works.
Primrose, did you know that
a white rose signifies purity,
a yellow rose marks
the end of an affair...
and a red rose
signifies passion?
Really?
I never knew that.
How's that?
Not too hot, I hope.
Now, then...
this comes from Miss Georgina's
private supply.
The caviar of them all, it is.
Now, listen...
I don't want you
getting stressed out
just because you're in
the mother of all garden shows.
I mean, it's hard to believe,
I know.
But just because you come
from a little prison garden,
doesn't mean to say you
can't compete with the big boys.
You can.
You've got just as much chance
as any of the others.
You know, Susan...
I think we've got a chance
for a prize at Hampton Court.
I truly do.
I hope so, sweetheart.
[MAN, ON TV]
And now back to rural crime.
Jane Caventry reporting
from Ozlebury House.
[JANE] Can you tell us exactly
what happened?
[LAWRENCE]
We arrived home from the opera
- to find the house ransacked.
- [NIGEL] They took it all.
Irreplaceable artifacts
dating back to the 16th century.
It's a devastating loss.
Gerald.
[JANE] The police
are investigating,
but do you have an idea
who might have done it?
No, none at all.
Well, obviously,
you have to consider
the prisoners from Her Majesty's
Prison Edgefield, don't you?
I believe they were doing
some work in your garden
only a month ago.
Isn't that correct?
The perpetrator of the crime
was apprehended this morning
in Bristol, boarding a train.
He had a plan
of Ozlebury House on him.
Says he bought it
off one of the gardeners.
[HODGE] The police suspect
one or all of you men.
I'm giving you until
tomorrow morning to sort out
which of you sold
those house plans.
If I don't hear anything
by then,
you'll all be shipped back
to a real prison.
Is that clear?
This couldn't have happened
at a worse time.
What about the flower show?
Canceled.
[FOOTSTEPS RECEDING]
What you looking at?
You were the only one of us
who set foot in the house.
They invited me in for a piss.
Little shit!
Whoa, boys, boys.
I swear on my baby's eyes
it wasn't me.
Raw, mate...
You short-termers always,
always screw it up
for us lifers.
Sarah, if the kid hears about
that robbery at Ozlebury House,
you tell him I had nothing
to do with it.
All right?
Nothing whatsoever.
And you tell him
about Hampton Court,
because I'm sick
of disappointing him.
Raw, where are you going?
I'd rather sleep in the potting
shed than stay here.
Cheers, mate.
[MAN, ON TV] Next week,
our guest is Georgina Woodhouse
to tell us about the Hampton
Court Palace Flower Show,
the blockbuster gardening
event of the summer.
The outdoor gardens represent
the cream of the world's
horticultural talent.
Today's big names
and the stars of the future,
all of whom will be digging
for victory.
[EXHALES]
[DOG BARKING DISTANTLY]
[HODGE]
I mean, it's one black mark
on an otherwise
untarnished record.
That's still one too many
from the point of view
of public confidence.
After all, the young man
is still at large.
Don't close us in, Peggy.
Most of these men
are coming to the end
of some very long sentences.
They've got to be prepared.
Well, if they're not,
they're far more likely
to commit further offenses.
We've been in the outfit
a long time, Gerald.
You know I respect the work
you're doing here at Edgefield.
But until this thing cools down,
all work release programs
in the private sector
are suspended.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[MAN] Does the
secretary of state
support or decline
the prisoner's release?
Here's the letter, sir.
I see from your file
you've served
the greater part
of your sentence.
You think you're ready
to rejoin society?
I would imagine
that I'm the only one here
who knows what it means
to have taken a life.
You think about it every day.
And you wish that someone would
just come and take yours
and get it over with.
But then one day...
you discover that you can
give life.
Create life.
Grow something
that needs caring.
Feeding.
To those of you sitting here
thinking that rehabilitation
through gardening
just sounds too stupid
to swallow,
that's your right.
But most of my life
was spent in a bang-up jail,
and a prisoner is all
I thought I'd ever be.
But today, whether you
parole me or not,
I no longer think of myself
that way.
I'm a gardener.
I'm a gardener.
Bloody good one, as well.
And to any of you wrestling
with your own unresolved issues,
you know, displaced anger,
that sort of thing...
I recommend it highly.
[COLIN]
Goodbye, lads.
Do your best for me
while I'm away.
I'll try and visit you
as much as I can.
I'll miss you.
I'll miss you too.
[LAUGHS]
Ah, go on.
Hope I never see you again.
[SNIFFLES]
Make sure you bag the roses
at the first sign of frost.
Yeah?
I won't forget.
You can depend on me, son.
[COLIN]
I was 18 and totally wasted
the night I caught
them together.
She was the girl
I was planning to marry.
He was my brother.
My baby brother.
I lost it.
I just went for him.
I didn't know what I was doing.
When he stopped fighting back,
I realized what I'd done.
My mom and dad
never spoke to me after that.
They acted as if both their boys
died that night.
All I got left of him
is a photograph.
Take this with you
to the outside.
I don't want it to die
in here with me.
[SLAPPING BACK]
Remember, Briggs,
one small fuck-up,
and you'll be straight back
to Edgefield.
Now then, you sure you don't
need a lift?
No, thanks.
Sorry about Hampton Court.
It meant just as much to me
as it did to you.
I know it did, sir.
- Good luck out there.
- Good luck in here.
[HODGE] We just lost
our best gardener.
You say you want
[CAR APPROACHING]
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make
From the cradle
To the grave
When all I want
Is you
I hope you like it.
It's all I could find
in your price range.
You'll give me
A highway
With no one on it
Treasure just to look
Upon it
All the riches in the night
You say...
- You okay?
- Yeah.
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time
Of dryness
A harbor in the tempest
It's been a long time, Primrose.
For me as well.
Fifteen years.
Well, not quite that long.
[GEORGINA]
So, tell me, Colin.
How are you adjusting
to your new life?
I think the transition's been
made easier by your daughter.
[LAUGHS]
Those who get out
and have no one...
I don't know how they do it.
Oh, yes, it must be
terribly hard.
Mother, you've always attributed
the failure of
all your relationships
to the fact that none of the men
were any good in the dirt.
[LAUGHS]
Well, I've found one who is.
Have you?
And he could really use
your help finding him a job.
Oh!
Oh, my.
Oh, my.
Excuse me.
Oh!
Bit dramatic, don't you think?
That was very rude, Mother.
Oh, Prim, you know
how fond I am of Colin.
But, honestly, dear,
the man was serving
a life sentence.
God only knows what he did.
He killed his brother.
- Oh!
- It was an accident.
And who knows what might
trigger it off again?
I mean, it could be over
the most trivial of things.
I shudder to think
of the consequences
if you should happen to burn
the Sunday roast.
It's funny how open-minded
you are about him publicly.
But when it comes
to my happiness,
suddenly he's judged
by what he was
and not by what he is!
[DOOR SLAMS]
That's what I like about plants.
They don't answer back.
He's destroying that topiary.
The border needs fortifying.
I mean, the guy doesn't know
what he's doing.
We'll find you a garden
of your own.
Don't worry.
You've been saying that
all summer,
and still I'm a delivery boy.
I've been to every nursery
and garden center in the area,
but, you know, I'm an ex con.
I'm knocking and looking.
What's it going to take?
A personal reference
from the queen?
[BELL TOLLING DISTANTLY]
[JIMMY]
It was the housekeeper
what gave the plans to her
boyfriend.
The wanker tried to blame us
to save her ass.
So Tony was telling the truth.
Hey, hey, did you hear
about Hampton Court?
They've invited us back
to do a garden
for next year's flower show.
No shit.
You lucky bastards.
Yeah, but, Colin, listen.
Listen...
How we going to do
a garden without you, mate?
What are you talking about?
You got Fergus. He's artistic.
Fergus ain't doing too well.
He's...
Well, he's gone downhill
since you left.
Really?
Tell him I'll pop in for a visit
real soon, yeah?
[JIMMY]
All right. Bye, son.
All right. Got to go.
Take care.
[RAW]
See you.
[COLIN]
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I'm about to fuck up.
So, what else is new?
They say that, to abandon one's
life for a dream
is to know its true worth.
I've got this crazy idea
in my head
that I'm good enough to win
something at Hampton Court.
It's a hell of way
of going about it,
but then I've always done things
the wrong way around, haven't I?
Please forgive me for this,
because I certainly
won't forgive myself.
I hope this is the last time
that anybody ever sends you
yellow roses.
Hello, boys.
I'm very disappointed in you,
Mr. Briggs.
Our hope at Edgefield is,
once a man is released,
he never returns.
That said, I'm expecting you
to pull out all the stops
at Hampton Court.
[FERGUS]
Hmm?
What's this thing
doing back here?
It wasn't quite ready
for the outside.
Welcome back, Greenfingers.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Well, I have to say,
I'm a bit miffed
to see how well you guys
have done without me.
It ain't like the old days
no more.
- Hello, Colin.
- Hello, John.
There's a fucking waiting list
to get in here now.
Jimmy and me have been having
a think, Colin,
and we decided that we want you
to come up with a design
for Hampton Court.
Gentlemen, the home secretary
and the prison's minister.
Most impressive, gentlemen.
The home secretary's
quite a gardener himself.
Oh, you exaggerate, Peggy.
I'm what you'd call
an armchair gardener.
More an inveterate reader
of other people's exploits
than an actual tiller
of the soil.
The home secretary's come up
with an idea for Hampton Court.
Mind you, it only just hatched
over lunch.
I thought we'd go for a bit
of the unexpected.
A rock garden.
Lots of prickly, hard plants
with not the slightest hint
of color,
representing incarceration
with the goal of freedom
symbolized by a juicy,
red strawberry archway.
I didn't break my parole
only to be laughed
out of Hampton Court.
There's something
bigger at stake here
than a flower show,
Mr. Briggs.
After years of fighting
the home office,
we've just recently begun
to make inroads
to ensure the survival
of open prisons.
Look, put your ego aside
for one moment
and give some consideration
to the scores of inmates
working through the system
who have yet to experience
a place like Edgefield.
Yeah, but a rock garden, sir?
Do you honestly think
we stand a chance in hell
of winning anything?
That all depends
on your definition of winning,
doesn't it, Mr. Briggs?
About as subtle as a hemorrhoid.
The only thing missing
is a bloke with a pickaxe.
So, Colin...
what was it like
being with a woman again?
Well, it weren't that great
if he came back here,
now was it?
Every day, I miss her.
Primrose was the greatest thing
to ever happen to me.
Now remember,
these only need one hour a day
under these lamps, okay?
- You got it?
- Yeah, got it.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
- Hey, we need every last one.
- All right.
This archway's got to be
bursting with strawberries.
Where do you think
they'll bury me, Colin?
Well, Westminster Abbey's
out of the question, I'm afraid.
[FERGUS SIGHS]
I've been thinking...
that being cremated
is the way to go.
"Dust thou art,
and unto dust
shalt thou return."
Yeah, all right, old man.
Any female visitors lately?
No, I haven't.
The way you left things,
I'm not surprised.
Fergus...
do you think I'll ever
be capable of loving someone?
Oh, yes.
Oh, yes.
I've spent my life in prison.
That's how it went.
But you're different.
You've got things to do.
So the next time
they let you out,
don't go fucking it up.
[SQUEAKING]
[COLIN]
Raw!
- Bloody hell!
- We've got two weeks left.
We'll never be able
to replace them.
I did exactly what you told me.
The timer must be broken.
Bloody mice.
I don't believe this.
Look, I've got a lovely bunch
of red peppers.
Maybe we can fill up
the trellis with them.
Red peppers?
Oh, come on, Colin.
Don't lose the faith.
We still got the cactus.
Look.
- Colin, Colin.
- Oh, what now?
Fergus.
We said we'd walk together
Baby, come what may
Back from the twilight
Should we lose our way
If as we were walking
A hand should slip free
I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
We swore we'd travel
Darling, side by side
We'd help each other
Stay in stride
But each lover's steps fall
So differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me
From the looks of it,
it appears that H.M.P. Edgefield
and flower shows
just aren't meant to be.
From the looks of it,
we're all just a bunch
of deadbeats.
No-hopers.
Dregs of society, right?
Wrong.
I know different.
If Fergus Wilks
were alive today,
he'd tell me not to give up
without a fight.
"Adversity is your ally, lad."
Well, I've had my absolute fill
of adversity,
and now I'm looking
for some allies.
Anyone here who wants to come
with me and make history
at Hampton Court Palace,
step forward!
Yeah, I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
I believe I have the last word
on the subject, Mr. Briggs.
Good luck.
[FANFARE PLAYING]
Mm!
Savor the perfume
and the pleasure filling the air
at the gardening year's
most anticipated event:
the Royal Horticultural Show's
Summer Extravaganza
at Hampton Court Palace.
Henry VIII's glorious palace
by the River Thames
has seen nearly 500 years
of spectacle and pageantry.
But I think even Henry
couldn't fail to be impressed
by this feast of flowers.
Hello, I'm Georgina Woodhouse,
and I so remember
my first flower show victory.
I'd just given birth
to my daughter Primrose,
and I was desperate
to get back to gardening.
Every year, Hampton Court Palace
has a habit
of showcasing something
quite new and unique.
And this year,
we have found an entry
that must be one
of the most unusual
in the history of the show.
It was made without sponsorship
on a tiny budget,
and from the confines
of a prison.
I am here with the men from
Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield.
Tell me, how does it feel to be
exhibiting at Hampton Court?
It's terribly exciting.
I'd like to thank all my mates
back at Edgefield
who lent a hand.
[ALL CHEER]
Colin, tell me about your design
for the show.
Well, it's a wildflower garden.
And it's all about
finding beauty
in the most unlikely of places.
And it's dedicated
to our friend Fergus Wilks.
Wouldn't be the same
without you, Fergus.
Colin, hurry up.
The judges are here.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
They hate it.
They don't get it.
They look more like
rock garden types to me.
Trying to read those judges
is like trying to unravel
the mystery of
the Mona Lisa's smile.
See you at the gala.
What gala's that, then?
Sorry, men.
It's for VIPs
and non-prisoner
competitors only.
Fine by me.
I had nothing to wear anyway.
[CLASSICAL STRING MUSIC PLAYING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Oh, look.
It's the boys over there.
[RAW] I've got a confession
to make, lads.
I left those heat lamps on
too long on purpose.
I've got a confession too.
I let them mice eat
all them strawberries.
Well, thanks for
owning up, guys.
Just leaves one question,
doesn't it?
Who torched that bloody awful
rock garden?
Ah.
[RAW AND JIMMY LAUGH]
This was a mistake, Mother.
I'm really not up to it.
Oh, darling, how are you ever
going to meet anyone
if you never leave the house?
Look who's there. Colin!
This is all about spite,
and now you have my blessing,
you're deliberately trying
to defy me.
I know I've not been
an ideal mother,
but I do love you, Primrose.
And so does Colin.
He's just had a little bit
of garden fever, that's all.
I so want you to be happy.
I really do.
Primrose.
Hello.
You look stunning.
Thank you.
[PLAYING MARCHING SONG]
So...
this is who you left me for.
I hate to admit it,
but she's fantastic.
[WATER BABBLING]
[GASPS]
Colin.
You planted primroses.
You were a total shit
to leave me the way you did.
Second biggest mistake
I ever made.
There's more to life
than gardening, you know.
I know.
Are you seeing anyone?
No.
Neither am I.
I keep hoping that
when I get out next spring...
that you might be there
waiting for me.
[APPLAUSE]
"Marigolds for the Millennium"
has just walked away
with the silver gilt.
So exciting.
And to Fontley's Nurseries
in Hampshire,
a gold for
Fuchsias and Delphiniums."
- [APPLAUSE]
- Congratulations.
And this concludes
the medal winners
in all the major categories.
Now, it is not every year
that we bestow
the Tudor Rose Award.
But, by unanimous ratification
of the Royal Horticultural
Society's judging committee,
we have singled out a garden
for that most coveted of awards.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
And this year,
it goes to...
the "Feng Shui
Garden of Harmony."
[APPLAUSE]
[ALL SHOUTING ANGRILY]
We salute all the gardeners
who grew for gold and got it,
as well as those who didn't.
So, until next year,
thank you for watching,
and happy gardening.
So unfair.
Men.
[COLIN]
Excuse me.
I got into the prison service
some 30 years ago,
because I envisaged
doing something positive
with men like you.
To force you to go to your core,
rebuild your integrity.
I lay far greater score
in that victory
than in any medal
they had to offer today.
You're holding up rather well.
I have a lot to be happy about.
It's the best carrot
I've ever tasted.
Thank you, son.
Mrs. Woodhouse,
you think we made a mistake
not going with a more typically
English garden?
You know, no graffiti,
no crashed cars, no concrete.
Oh, I like a bit of rough, Raw.
Excuse me.
Her Majesty requests
the presence
of the gardeners of Edgefield
in the Royal Palace.
Her Majes... The Queen?
H.R.H. herself.
She was quite impressed
with your garden.
Holy shit.
Oh!
Unofficially,
she thought you were robbed.
Come on, John.
Well, come along then,
gentlemen.
Let's not keep
Her Majesty waiting.
I'm sorry, sir.
Gardeners only.
- Oh.
- Excuse us, would you?
[LAUGHS]
I have sold myself
Through and through
I have walked
In the darkness too
Felt a red sun
The living proof
Washed my hands
In the honest truth
I have carried this weight
Time after time
I have bettered the dumb
And the blind
I've seen dignity fail
And colors run
Seen justice denied
By the voice of a gun
And we walk
Yes, we walk
And we walk with the power
Every day
Never letting
The light slip away
-Reaching out
-Reaching out
-Reaching in
-Reaching in
-Touching truth
-Touching truth
-And touching skin
-And touching skin
Never letting
The light slip away
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Bit of advice, lads.
Don't forget to curtsy.
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
-And we walk
-And we walk
With the power every day
Walk, walk
Yeah, we walk
Walk with me
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We walk
-And we walk
-Yeah, we walk
Yes, we walk
Yes, we walk with the power
Every day
Never letting
Light slip away
-Reaching out
-Reaching out
-Reaching in
-Reaching in
Touching truth
-And touching skin
-Touching skin
Never letting
The light slip away
-And we walk
-And we walk
With the power
Every day
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Walk
Oh
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Walk
Oh
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[COLIN]
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I'm about to fuck up.
So, what else is new?
Traveling through
A tunnel under sea
You never know
If it cracks in half
You're never ever
Gonna see me
But you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
And you can pay for it
The rest of your life
Life
[BURGLAR ALARM RINGS]
[COLIN]
Ah! Shit.
[SONG]
I wouldn't believe
Your wireless radio
If I had myself
A flying giraffe
You'd have one in a box
With a window
[SIREN BLARING]
But you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
And you can pay for it
The rest of your life
[PANTING]
Life
[GEORGINA] This is what I call
my memory corner.
That forget-me-not
reminds me of my first love.
That cockscomb
evokes my late husband.
Oh, this dianthus
came from a cutting
my mother gave me.
[CHUCKLES] And I always think
of my daughter
every time I look at a primrose.
So you can have it all
If you like
You can have it all
If you like
[COLIN] I know how hard this
must be for you to understand.
It's hard enough for me.
[TIRES SCREECH]
I mean, why would any guy
go and violate his parole
when he's already spent
half his life behind bars?
It's about bloody time.
[COLIN]
Call it unfinished business,
if you like.
All I know is that
nicking a bunch of flowers
is a bloody sight different than
what they put me away for at 18.
The time I spent inside
was hell on Earth.
But in a way, I welcomed it.
I guess I felt I deserved it
after what I'd done.
After 15 years, I had accepted
that this was what my life
would always be.
But a year before I met you,
all that changed.
We have some news which might
be of interest to you.
We're transferring you to
Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield,
a more progressive institution.
We consider you
to be an ideal candidate
for the work
that they're doing there.
Congratulations.
You're being reclassified
to Category D.
It's taken me a long time
to get used to this place,
and I don't fancy the change.
So, if you don't mind,
I'll stay put.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[KEYS RATTLING]
So this is what
fresh air smells like.
[DUDLEY]
Follow me.
I'm Governor Hodge,
and this is our head of lifers.
Mr. Dudley.
You gentlemen have been selected
from prisons across the country
to join other inmates
in our open system.
As you may have noticed
when you arrived,
there are no high walls,
razor wire fences
or security cameras.
Nothing to stop you
walking away.
Here at Edgefield,
we function on trust.
Show us you can be trusted,
and you're well on your way
to being paroled.
However, if we detect any signs
of antisocial behavior,
you will be immediately
transferred
back to a secure prison.
Am I dreaming, or are they
serving us tea and biscuits?
[HODGE]
Oh, yes, from the WRVS.
The Women's Royal
Voluntary Service
run the visitor's canteen.
Holly, I'd like you to meet
our new arrivals.
- Hello.
- [HODGE] Help yourselves to tea, gentleman.
You must be parched.
Come on.
Don't be timid.
- I can recommend the chamomile.
- Chamomile it is, then.
[MAN CLEARS THROAT]
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, it's all right.
My name is Fergus.
Fergus Wilks.
Yeah, Dudley told me
you'd be arriving today,
and I've been looking forward
to meeting you.
My last bunk mate
achieved his freedom
over two months ago,
and it's a bit solitary in here,
you know?
Yeah, it'll be good
to have someone
to pass the time of day with.
Listen, mate,
I keep myself to myself.
I'm not looking to bond
with no one.
I'm just going to do my time,
keep my nose clean, all right?
Perfectly understandable.
I felt the same way myself
when I was your age.
But after a while,
I felt my own company
pretty damn boring,
if you want to know
the God's honest truth.
Oy, watch it, old man! Fuck!
- Sorry.
- For fuck's sake!
I-I-I'm really sorry.
- Sorry.
- Jesus.
[DOOR CLOSES]
I don't like that fella.
- Strange one, isn't he?
- What's he in for?
He's a menace to society,
like the rest of us.
What you in for, then?
Halfway through a six stretch
for armed robbery.
And you?
- Murder.
- Same here.
I'm innocent.
I'm not. Caught me on video,
didn't they?
You're a bit of an early bird,
aren't you?
Oh, yeah.
Shit, shaved and showered
before I even put my two feet
on the floor.
Oh, by the way, ahem,
a word of advice.
They're going to put you lads
to work today.
Do yourself a favor
and steer clear
of building maintenance.
Laundry. That's the place to be.
Come winter, when everybody's
balls are frozen,
you'll have the warmest seat
in the house.
I... ahem.
I've a certain influence
in laundry matters.
In fact, the governor
doesn't let anyone
touch his shirts but me.
Not a lot of people know that.
[DUDLEY]
This is not a holiday camp.
Everyone works here.
No free rides.
Not for the governor,
not for me,
and certainly not for you lot.
Whilst at Edgefield,
you'll be required to work a job
where you'll learn a trade,
and thus be prepared for
employment upon your release.
Together, you and I will find
the job which suits you best.
We have half a dozen job options
for you, Mr. Briggs.
Yet Dudley informs me
you remain unemployed.
How so?
I don't care where you put me.
It's not a question of where
we put you, Mr. Briggs.
It's more a question
of where you put yourself.
It's all the same to me.
It doesn't make
a scrap of difference
whether I'm doing laundry,
peeling potatoes
or carving rocking chairs
out of oak trees.
With my record,
when I do get out of here,
I'll be lucky enough
to get any bloody job at all.
So, you know, whatever.
You leave me no choice but
to make the decision for you.
- [LOUD THUDDING]
- [COLIN GRUNTING]
[WATER SPLASHING AND BUBBLING]
[SIGHS]
- Where are you going?
- Home.
- Can I come?
- Very funny.
Why don't you stay
and watch me play?
I already have.
You're terrible.
Oy. I'm a bloody marvel, me.
Can I help you?
What's wrong with him?
He's in for his
chemotherapy treatment.
- Cancer?
- Yes.
Along with retinitis pigmentosa,
osteoporosis,
and arthritis in his feet.
Do me a favor.
Don't tell him I came here.
Did you miss me?
Didn't even notice
you were gone.
You were right
about building maintenance.
- It stinks.
- [LAUGHS]
[COUGHS]
Thanks for saving my plant.
I just gave it a bit of water,
that's all.
Sometimes it takes very little
to put things right.
I'll remember
There are you.
Merry Christmas.
- Thank you, Santa.
- Whoa, not too much.
That's it...
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
All through the rest
Of the year
Is he still telling his mates
his daddy's dead?
Go and speak to him, Jimmy.
But don't expect too much.
Well, then.
I hear school's going great.
I'll remember
Our walk through the snow
And the way that we kissed
Without a sign
of mistletoe...
Tony, you've got a stiffy.
So?
It's against regulations.
[NEEDLE SCRATCHES]
[HARD ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]
Out of all the reindeers
You know you're the mastermind
Run, run, Rudolph
Randolph's not too far behind
Run, run, Rudolph...
I'd like you to meet
my sister Mary.
I've told her so much about you.
I'm not good with families.
Oh, you're becoming a bore.
Well, you can have these anyway.
- Merry Christmas.
- For fuck's sake, don't do this.
Too late.
I've done it already, haven't I?
You sure this is a good spot?
Give me the seeds.
- You all right?
- Fine.
You know it's a total
waste of time, don't you?
It's so cold, those little
buggers don't stand a chance.
They said that about me,
didn't they?
But I proved them wrong.
I turned my life around.
Turned your life around?
[LAUGHS] What are
you talking about?
You're a blind,
crippled old fart
who's been locked up
all his life.
Even if you get paroled,
you won't have any time left
to enjoy it.
I'll never be paroled, Colin.
- What?
- Nah.
I'm one of the few in here
who'll never walk out.
I'll spend the rest of my days
in Edgefield.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[MAN]
I've got it! I've got it!
I've got it!
- Yeah!
- What a goal!
- [MAN LAUGHS]
- What a goal!
Milk?
Cheers, Holly.
Hello, Tony.
How are you?
[LAUGHS]
Oh, it's really sweet.
But it's against regulations.
I know it is. I know.
Will you just put it
in your hair?
It's...
It's just lovely. I...
Where'd you find it?
I find it growing near
the pitch.
I'd better get back.
They got no chance without me.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I'll see you later, yeah?
- Spring is here.
- What?
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[GRUNTS]
You can't see a bloody thing.
I don't know why you bother
with those specs.
They hide my wrinkles.
[SIGHS]
I've got better things to do,
you know?
We should have marked the spot.
You know, I'm sorry, old man.
I've had enough of this.
[FERGUS]
Colin?
You've found them, haven't you?
Yes.
Are they beautiful?
Very.
They never stood a chance,
Fergus.
I told you.
It's all about defying the odds.
Adversity is your ally, Colin.
What?
Make friends
with your misfortunes.
Otherwise, you'll always
be angry.
[RAW]
Toss it back, will you?
What'd you go and do that for?
You ruined our bleeding flowers.
- I what?
- Look, from now on,
this area is off-limits.
Hey, lads, come and get this.
- [TONY] What's up?
- [JIMMY] What's the matter?
The football pitch
is now off-limits.
- Want to know why?
- Why?
In case we trample
their little pansies.
[LAUGHS]
Oh, dear, now wouldn't that
be a catastrophe?
[JIMMY] Well, if it ain't
the lilies of the field.
Look here, I don't think
we give a shit
about your fucking flowers.
[JIMMY]
Go on, Raw!
- [GRUNTS]
- [JIMMY] Stop it!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
That'll do.
[HODGE]
We don't look upon altercations
very fondly here at Edgefield.
Much less those
resulting in bloodshed.
And all over a...
pansy?
A violet, sir.
A double violet, actually.
A double violet?
And a scented one at that.
In this terrible
limestone soil of ours?
[SIGHS]
Pity.
And your football
inflicted this damage?
[RAW] We didn't see
no bleeding flowers, sir.
We were just playing.
Raw, if you and your teammates
want to continue
playing football,
you will have to assist
Mr. Briggs and Mr. Wilks
in their horticultural endeavor.
Our what?
Mr. Briggs,
you've just cleaned
your last toilet.
And you have your green fingers
to thank for it.
That's bollocks.
These flowers are a fluke.
- I don't know nothing about it.
- Gentlemen...
a new work program has just
been born here at Edgefield.
Gardening.
Gardening, sir?
[HODGE]
That's right, Dudley. Gardening.
[MUTTERING]
[RAW]
Look at the boobs on this.
I'd like to get a whiff of that.
Guys, the governor is expecting
a proper garden by next spring.
And from what I've read,
it ain't going to be easy.
I'd take laundry duty
any day over this shit.
This here is women's work.
Yeah, I mean, look here, Briggs.
I think we'd gladly
give up football.
Gardening ain't
for the likes of us.
[DOOR OPENS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- They're right, Fergus.
Who are we kidding?
We're not bloody gardeners.
I saw the look in your eyes
when you spotted those flowers,
and it was love at first sight.
We've been prisoners
long enough, Colin.
Let's be gardeners.
[TOILET FLUSHES]
[FERGUS]
Now, think about it.
This was the
governor's idea, right?
Yeah. So?
And who do you think
carries the most weight
when your parole review
comes around?
The governor.
Right.
So, we plant a nice
little garden,
and you lads stand to get
the governor's personal
recommendation for release.
Now, not a bad idea,
wouldn't you agree?
So let's just get on with it
and cut the crap, shall we?
[COLIN] We've prepared a list
of things we need, sir.
Well, there's a fork and spade,
obviously.
A pair of shears,
some branch loppers.
And don't forget the hoe.
Oh, yeah, a hoe.
And a Weed Wand.
A Weed Wand?
- How interesting.
- [RAW] It's a wonder.
It's this nifty little gadget.
Looks a bit like a bicycle pump
with a blowtorch
on the end of it.
Just aim it at them nasty
little weeds, pull the trigger,
and blam, nukes them right down
to the roots.
Anything else, gentlemen?
Hats and gloves, I suppose.
Yeah.
Tony?
Bottle of suntan lotion
would be nice.
Indeed it would.
And have you calculated the cost
of all these items?
Yes, sir.
We've prepared a budget.
[SIGHS]
Very well.
I, too, have prepared a budget.
You want in, my love?
[SUSAN] Are you sure
this is a good idea?
Don't you think
you're pushing it,
putting spades and forks
in the hands of murderers?
"The best place to seek God
is in a garden.
You can dig for Him there."
George Bernard Shaw.
This would do, wouldn't it?
- What do you think, Colin?
- I don't know, you know.
We're still looking
for sunlight.
We're in England.
Don't build your hopes up.
- Mm-hmm.
- Come on.
- Yup?
- No, it's no good.
My God, Susan.
Have you read all these?
No.
Then it's high time someone did.
"Georgina Woodhouse says
it all comes down
to two basic questions:
what do you want
your garden to do,
and what flowers
do you want to grow?"
Fergus...
what do I want my garden to do?
I thought it was
our garden, Colin.
Eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two,
eighty-three, eighty-four...
[TONY] Don't tell me what to do,
Briggs.
- [COLIN] Just hang on a minute.
- [TONY] I'm tired of waiting.
- This spot's as good as any.
- Why are you in such a hurry?
I ain't gonna be here the rest
of my life like you.
I'm going to get out there
and make something of myself.
Oy! I asked you
not to do that.
I ain't standing on
no fucking sidelines.
I got just as much say in this
as anyone.
Look at me. The daffodils,
they're going right here.
I never said anything
about fucking daffodils.
- Hey!
- [JIMMY] Hey! Oy! Hey!
[FERGUS]
Ease yourself, mate.
[JIMMY]
Come on.
The old man'll decide
where the garden goes.
High time we made a stand
And shook up the views
Of the common man
And the love train
Rides from coast to coast
D.J.'s the man
We love the most
Could you be, could you be
Squeaky clean
And smash any hope
Of democracy?
As the headline says
You're free to choose
There's egg on your face
And mud on your shoes
One of these days they're
Gonna call it the blues, yeah
Sowing the seeds of love
The seeds of love
Sowing the seeds
Sowing the seeds of love
Seeds of love
Sowing the seeds
I spy tears in their eyes
They look to the skies
For some kind of divine
Intervention
Food goes to waste
So nice to eat
So nice to taste
Politician granny
With your high ideals
Have you no idea
How the majority feels?
So without love
And a promise land...
I'm leaving, Tony.
Today's my last day
at Edgefield.
Why?
Because...
every time I look at you,
I go all wobbly.
The feelings I have for you
are totally inappropriate,
and before I bring further
dishonor to the Women's Royal...
Sowing the seeds
The birds and the bees
Meet me in the woods
behind the garden.
[JIMMY]
You see this?
Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show.
Biggest in the world, it is.
Oh, my God.
Oh, let's enter.
Ha! You're dreaming, old man.
Look, I've never won an award
in my entire life.
This could be my big chance.
You want something
to show off at the picnic.
All right, now it's time...
to germinate.
[GASPS]
With a little cooperation
from Mother Nature,
we should have a jolly nice
little garden come this spring.
"Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield
more closely resembles life
on a university campus
than a citadel of reform
for Britain's worst blights.
The so-called open prison is,
in point of fact,
an open invitation
to disaster."
Bastards.
Why does your family
never come to visit you?
They want nothing to do with me.
Will you never tell me
why you're in here?
If God could find it
in his heart to forgive me
after what I've done,
he's not going to quibble
over your sins, lad.
You're sure about that, are you?
I killed my wives.
I passed the first two off
as accidents,
but when I got around
to the third...
it wasn't the police
that worked it out.
I... I gave myself up.
I'd come to terms
with the fact that...
alcohol turned me
into something terrible.
I'd say.
I'll be doing porridge
till the day I die.
Which could be anytime,
my friend.
Not many more opportunities
for heart-to-hearts.
I'm not the confessing type.
[DISTANT APPLAUSE]
[MEN CHEERING DISTANTLY]
We're starting up
a vegetable garden next.
Fancy them more than
the flowers.
That's what I'm going to do
when I get out.
I'm going to be a gardener.
What do you think of that, John?
Mom says that it won't be
till I'm away at university.
No, I'm going to be out
in about 18 months.
That will be up
to the parole board, Jimmy.
I went ahead and painted it
for myself,
just in case I don't make it
to spring.
You'll make it.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Splendid.
Just splendid.
It's a great day for you,
gentlemen,
and a great day for Edgefield.
[FERGUS]
What did I miss?
What did I miss?
I was just telling
your colleagues how pleased I am
with your horticultural
endeavor, Mr. Wilks.
We now have heaven
under our feet,
as well as over our heads.
[WOMAN] I'm such a fan,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
To Marjorie.
I have one quick question.
I have an unruly
cotoneaster shrub.
What should I do?
Go for the chop, dear.
Give it a nice haircut.
One must never be afraid
to use one's loppers.
Thank you very much,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
And who shall I
inscribe this to?
To Colin, Fergus,
Tony, Jimmy and Raw.
Raw?
[CHUCKLES]
Mrs. Woodhouse,
I was wondering
if you might be so kind
as to visit a garden
that my husband's employees
have planted.
They did it all on
a micro-budget,
and they were completely
inspired by your writings.
Hello.
I'm frightfully sorry,
but now that my mother's
coming to an end,
we're looking forward
to a cup of coffee.
Well, splendid.
We can give you one.
We're only ten minutes
from here.
Please, it would mean
so much to the men.
Primrose, you don't say
we're at an end.
You say we're
on a punishing schedule
and we're running late.
I simply can't tell lies
the way you can.
I can't.
I blush up
like nobody's business.
Social know-how
isn't lies, Primrose.
That woman didn't say anything
about a prison, did she?
Such a jumble, all these
disconnected dabs of color.
I really rather like it.
Who would have thought
that the dogtooth violet
would be so compatible
with that straggling group
of daphne mezereum?
Really quite a success,
considering that Arctic winter
of ours.
How about a big smile,
Mrs. Woodhouse?
I beg your pardon?
I hope you don't mind,
Mrs. Woodhouse,
but open prison's been the brunt
of such bad press lately,
we thought Edgefield could use
some good P.R. for a change.
If you'll just stand in the
middle next to the prisoners?
Thank you.
Darling.
- [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK]
- So, Mrs. Woodhouse,
what do you think
of a garden made by murderers?
Murderers?
Just one or two of them, ma'am.
I really rather like it.
Perhaps you and your daughter
would care to join us for lunch.
Thank you all very much,
but we're on
a punishing schedule
and we're running late.
It's been a long morning.
We'd be delighted to join you.
[HODGE]
Good.
This way.
Mr. Briggs, have you always had
green fingers?
Only when he picks his nose.
Don't mind him, ma'am.
Too many blows to the head.
Well, actually, I just started
gardening about six months ago.
Oh, so then you have
made strides.
Nothing you couldn't do,
I'm sure.
I'm afraid in my case,
the apple fell far
from the tree.
To my mother's profound
disappointment,
I'm a total disaster
in the garden.
- Really?
- Oh, her father was even worse.
Refused to get out
of the hammock.
Of course, the gin and tonics
didn't help.
So, tell me,
what stops you chaps from just,
you know, absconding?
Well, that'd be stupid, ma'am.
There's too much at stake.
We'd go straight back
to a closed prison.
And we've all seen our share
of dark days at Wormwood Scrubs.
[HODGE]
All right, gentlemen.
Back to your duties.
[CUTLERY CLATTERS]
It was an honor to meet you,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
Watch out for slugs
and sooty mold.
They can absolutely
make life hell.
[PRIMROSE]
Bye.
And best of luck to you,
Mr. Briggs.
So tell me,
who did what and to whom?
It's quite a notion
for a prison, isn't it?
The tomatoes are more confined
than the prisoners.
Now you sound like our local
member of parliament.
"The only way prison works
is to keep people locked up."
If our M.P. had his way,
Gerald would never be allowed
to let the men out
on work release programs.
Work release?
I don't suppose
this would qualify,
but I've been commissioned
by a lovely couple
to do their gardens
at Ozlebury House.
My own gardeners
are so over extended,
they're going to stage a mutiny
if I ask them.
Hello!
This way.
Over here.
Primrose, go and see
if our clients are around.
I'm sure they'd love
to meet the boys.
No one's called me a boy
since 1929.
Some have it all, Raw.
The rest have fucked off.
That's the way the mop flops.
Some people, they see this
as just a mound of earth.
But I, on the other hand,
see it as the commencement
of our homage
to the goddess Flora.
Well, hello!
- Hello.
- [MAN] Hello, everybody.
Hello, Georgina, darling.
[LAUGHS]
Mwah. Mwah.
So kind of you all
to give Georgina a hand.
I'm Lawrence.
This is Nigel.
[NIGEL]
How do you do?
Anything we can do to make
your time more enjoyable,
don't hesitate to ask.
I do hope you like
shepherd's pie.
And we have trifle for dessert.
All right, well, excuse us.
We've got work to do.
Go, on, off you go.
Off you go. Off you go.
- All right, see you later.
- Bye.
Let's get started.
No more lectures.
And hosting yet another benefit
for the Orchid Society
is equally abhorrent.
No! No!
You can't treat wisteria
so cruelly!
You cut into the hardwood,
it'll never flower next year.
- [COLIN] Tony, Tony...
- [GEORGINA] I don't know.
You'll have to discuss the dates
with Primrose. Primrose!
Primrose?
Where is she?
[INSECT BUZZING]
Oh, no.
Oh!
Oh, no. Ugh! Ugh!
- [BUZZING CONTINUOUS]
- [EXCLAIMING]
[GASPING]
- [BUZZING STOPS]
- Aah!
- Teatime!
- [GEORGINA] Primrose!
Bag! Bee! My adrenaline!
[GEORGINA GASPING]
Just a little honeybee,
Mrs. Woodhouse.
- Perfectly harmless.
- It may be a honeybee to you,
but it could be death to me!
Let it alone!
I'll get it.
[GASPING]
We need to get her
to a hospital.
[GASPING]
[COLIN] She'll be all right,
won't she?
Yes, yes.
It's an allergic reaction.
Nothing too serious.
The only time she gets
a week's rest.
All right.
- See you then, then.
- Oh. Oh, no.
I'll be by tomorrow morning
to collect you all.
Mother's orders.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
- What the devil is he up to?
- I'm just beginning to imagine.
[NIGEL]
Tony!
We do have a loo, you know.
Nigel, you're a spoilsport.
Morning, sweetheart.
And that's from "The Lady
and the Unicorn" series.
The lady and her handmaiden
are holding
clove-scented carnations.
Don't go for
carnations much, me.
- [LAUGHS]
- What'd you pay for it?
Oh, couldn't put a price on it.
It's been in my family
for over 400 years.
I hope you got
a good alarm system.
Falstaff's the only alarm
we need.
Aren't you, boy?
[DOG PANTING]
How's everything going,
Mr. Briggs?
Good. How's your mother?
They took her off
the defibrillator today.
Glad to hear it.
You don't fancy
giving me a hand, do you?
Oh, no.
I'd be more of a hindrance
than a help.
Oh, don't be silly.
Come and help me with this.
No, don't be so timid.
If you just go for it.
Just rip it apart.
That's it.
Right.
Okay, now we place it
in the ground.
- Huh?
- You're home.
Well, you know what I mean.
That's all right.
It is my home.
I think Mother would be really
pleased with what you've done.
Thanks, Miss Woodhouse.
Primrose.
It's a lovely name.
I despise it.
Good night.
Guys.
Guys, we're out of here.
[FERGUS GROANS]
[TONY]
Cheers, Miss Woodhouse.
I know, babe.
I know. I...
Just...
Just wait, wait.
Listen, listen to me.
[SHUSHING]
Don't go worrying about money,
all right?
I'm going to figure it out.
[SOBBING]
Oh, Tony, what have we done?
[SNIFFLING]
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[GEORGINA]
Silver foliage?
It was quite clear in my design
that I wanted purple foliage.
When this clay soil
goes cold in the winter,
the silver will never survive.
- It will. I've seen to it.
- [LAUGHS] Have you?
A problem that's plagued
the gardeners of Gloucestershire
for over two centuries.
I think if you plant simple
quartz crystals in the clay,
they radiate warmth.
They don't interfere with roots,
and they don't add
any chemical compounds
to upset the clay's
natural pH balance.
Upon what do you base
this conclusion?
I've been experimenting
at Edgefield.
There's loads of clay courts
around there.
I suppose that no one's
ever bothered
to mix the two together.
[LAUGHS]
No.
I don't suppose they have.
Well, Mr. Briggs,
you have quite a future.
[GEORGINA] They are the most
brilliant and talented prisoners
you'll ever meet.
The work they did for me
at Ozlebury House
was simply stupendous.
One in particular
has a great deal of talent.
I wish to sponsor them
in their first show garden.
At Hampton Court?
I can just see the front page
of the Daily Mail
on opening day.
"Her Majesty surrounded
by murderers,
rapists and such."
- Now, there's a photo op.
- It might do us some good.
- It's sure to boost attendance.
- Well, I'm against it.
We have the public safety
to consider.
My personal recommendation
has paved the way
for many an upstart's entre
into this charmed circle.
Including yours, Julian.
And let us not forget
what Her Majesty, the Queen,
had to say on the subject.
"Gardening has been a national
obsession for centuries.
There cannot be
any other occupation
that absorbs equally
every section of society."
- We're going to Hampton Court.
- Oh, brilliant!
Brilliant! Utter God!
Utter bloody God!
"Hampton Court Palace."
Train I ride, don't be slow
If your whistle can blow
Fifteen miles down the track
I'm thinking of a field
of tulips
with a babbling brook running
through the middle of them,
and wooden shoes
overflowing with poppies.
[SNIFFLES]
What about doing something
typically English,
but with a tropical slant?
Recreating Stonehenge in Hawaii.
I was thinking
about a vegetable garden.
Like, on the moon?
A scented garden would be nice.
Chock-full of English roses,
honeysuckle, lilies.
I'm seeing wildflowers.
All shapes and sizes.
Bluebells, sunflowers, daisies.
Daisies, tulips,
fucking bluebells?
I can't take this anymore.
You lot are a disgrace
to the prison system.
'Cause she said
She won't wait
She'll just go marry Jack
So there's no turning back
And it's 25 to midnight
And 15 miles of track
Twenty-five to midnight
And 15 miles of track
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Greek legend tells us
that when Aphrodite
was hurrying to the side
of her dying love Adonis,
she was scratched by thorns
as she pushed her way through
a white rose hedge.
And forever after,
the blooms have been tinted red
with her blood.
[PRIMROSE]
I think a scented garden
is a lovely idea
for Hampton Court.
It was Fergus' choice.
His sense of smell
is one of the few things
he's got that still works.
Primrose, did you know that
a white rose signifies purity,
a yellow rose marks
the end of an affair...
and a red rose
signifies passion?
Really?
I never knew that.
How's that?
Not too hot, I hope.
Now, then...
this comes from Miss Georgina's
private supply.
The caviar of them all, it is.
Now, listen...
I don't want you
getting stressed out
just because you're in
the mother of all garden shows.
I mean, it's hard to believe,
I know.
But just because you come
from a little prison garden,
doesn't mean to say you
can't compete with the big boys.
You can.
You've got just as much chance
as any of the others.
You know, Susan...
I think we've got a chance
for a prize at Hampton Court.
I truly do.
I hope so, sweetheart.
[MAN, ON TV]
And now back to rural crime.
Jane Caventry reporting
from Ozlebury House.
[JANE] Can you tell us exactly
what happened?
[LAWRENCE]
We arrived home from the opera
- to find the house ransacked.
- [NIGEL] They took it all.
Irreplaceable artifacts
dating back to the 16th century.
It's a devastating loss.
Gerald.
[JANE] The police
are investigating,
but do you have an idea
who might have done it?
No, none at all.
Well, obviously,
you have to consider
the prisoners from Her Majesty's
Prison Edgefield, don't you?
I believe they were doing
some work in your garden
only a month ago.
Isn't that correct?
The perpetrator of the crime
was apprehended this morning
in Bristol, boarding a train.
He had a plan
of Ozlebury House on him.
Says he bought it
off one of the gardeners.
[HODGE] The police suspect
one or all of you men.
I'm giving you until
tomorrow morning to sort out
which of you sold
those house plans.
If I don't hear anything
by then,
you'll all be shipped back
to a real prison.
Is that clear?
This couldn't have happened
at a worse time.
What about the flower show?
Canceled.
[FOOTSTEPS RECEDING]
What you looking at?
You were the only one of us
who set foot in the house.
They invited me in for a piss.
Little shit!
Whoa, boys, boys.
I swear on my baby's eyes
it wasn't me.
Raw, mate...
You short-termers always,
always screw it up
for us lifers.
Sarah, if the kid hears about
that robbery at Ozlebury House,
you tell him I had nothing
to do with it.
All right?
Nothing whatsoever.
And you tell him
about Hampton Court,
because I'm sick
of disappointing him.
Raw, where are you going?
I'd rather sleep in the potting
shed than stay here.
Cheers, mate.
[MAN, ON TV] Next week,
our guest is Georgina Woodhouse
to tell us about the Hampton
Court Palace Flower Show,
the blockbuster gardening
event of the summer.
The outdoor gardens represent
the cream of the world's
horticultural talent.
Today's big names
and the stars of the future,
all of whom will be digging
for victory.
[EXHALES]
[DOG BARKING DISTANTLY]
[HODGE]
I mean, it's one black mark
on an otherwise
untarnished record.
That's still one too many
from the point of view
of public confidence.
After all, the young man
is still at large.
Don't close us in, Peggy.
Most of these men
are coming to the end
of some very long sentences.
They've got to be prepared.
Well, if they're not,
they're far more likely
to commit further offenses.
We've been in the outfit
a long time, Gerald.
You know I respect the work
you're doing here at Edgefield.
But until this thing cools down,
all work release programs
in the private sector
are suspended.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
[MAN] Does the
secretary of state
support or decline
the prisoner's release?
Here's the letter, sir.
I see from your file
you've served
the greater part
of your sentence.
You think you're ready
to rejoin society?
I would imagine
that I'm the only one here
who knows what it means
to have taken a life.
You think about it every day.
And you wish that someone would
just come and take yours
and get it over with.
But then one day...
you discover that you can
give life.
Create life.
Grow something
that needs caring.
Feeding.
To those of you sitting here
thinking that rehabilitation
through gardening
just sounds too stupid
to swallow,
that's your right.
But most of my life
was spent in a bang-up jail,
and a prisoner is all
I thought I'd ever be.
But today, whether you
parole me or not,
I no longer think of myself
that way.
I'm a gardener.
I'm a gardener.
Bloody good one, as well.
And to any of you wrestling
with your own unresolved issues,
you know, displaced anger,
that sort of thing...
I recommend it highly.
[COLIN]
Goodbye, lads.
Do your best for me
while I'm away.
I'll try and visit you
as much as I can.
I'll miss you.
I'll miss you too.
[LAUGHS]
Ah, go on.
Hope I never see you again.
[SNIFFLES]
Make sure you bag the roses
at the first sign of frost.
Yeah?
I won't forget.
You can depend on me, son.
[COLIN]
I was 18 and totally wasted
the night I caught
them together.
She was the girl
I was planning to marry.
He was my brother.
My baby brother.
I lost it.
I just went for him.
I didn't know what I was doing.
When he stopped fighting back,
I realized what I'd done.
My mom and dad
never spoke to me after that.
They acted as if both their boys
died that night.
All I got left of him
is a photograph.
Take this with you
to the outside.
I don't want it to die
in here with me.
[SLAPPING BACK]
Remember, Briggs,
one small fuck-up,
and you'll be straight back
to Edgefield.
Now then, you sure you don't
need a lift?
No, thanks.
Sorry about Hampton Court.
It meant just as much to me
as it did to you.
I know it did, sir.
- Good luck out there.
- Good luck in here.
[HODGE] We just lost
our best gardener.
You say you want
[CAR APPROACHING]
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
But all the promises we make
From the cradle
To the grave
When all I want
Is you
I hope you like it.
It's all I could find
in your price range.
You'll give me
A highway
With no one on it
Treasure just to look
Upon it
All the riches in the night
You say...
- You okay?
- Yeah.
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time
Of dryness
A harbor in the tempest
It's been a long time, Primrose.
For me as well.
Fifteen years.
Well, not quite that long.
[GEORGINA]
So, tell me, Colin.
How are you adjusting
to your new life?
I think the transition's been
made easier by your daughter.
[LAUGHS]
Those who get out
and have no one...
I don't know how they do it.
Oh, yes, it must be
terribly hard.
Mother, you've always attributed
the failure of
all your relationships
to the fact that none of the men
were any good in the dirt.
[LAUGHS]
Well, I've found one who is.
Have you?
And he could really use
your help finding him a job.
Oh!
Oh, my.
Oh, my.
Excuse me.
Oh!
Bit dramatic, don't you think?
That was very rude, Mother.
Oh, Prim, you know
how fond I am of Colin.
But, honestly, dear,
the man was serving
a life sentence.
God only knows what he did.
He killed his brother.
- Oh!
- It was an accident.
And who knows what might
trigger it off again?
I mean, it could be over
the most trivial of things.
I shudder to think
of the consequences
if you should happen to burn
the Sunday roast.
It's funny how open-minded
you are about him publicly.
But when it comes
to my happiness,
suddenly he's judged
by what he was
and not by what he is!
[DOOR SLAMS]
That's what I like about plants.
They don't answer back.
He's destroying that topiary.
The border needs fortifying.
I mean, the guy doesn't know
what he's doing.
We'll find you a garden
of your own.
Don't worry.
You've been saying that
all summer,
and still I'm a delivery boy.
I've been to every nursery
and garden center in the area,
but, you know, I'm an ex con.
I'm knocking and looking.
What's it going to take?
A personal reference
from the queen?
[BELL TOLLING DISTANTLY]
[JIMMY]
It was the housekeeper
what gave the plans to her
boyfriend.
The wanker tried to blame us
to save her ass.
So Tony was telling the truth.
Hey, hey, did you hear
about Hampton Court?
They've invited us back
to do a garden
for next year's flower show.
No shit.
You lucky bastards.
Yeah, but, Colin, listen.
Listen...
How we going to do
a garden without you, mate?
What are you talking about?
You got Fergus. He's artistic.
Fergus ain't doing too well.
He's...
Well, he's gone downhill
since you left.
Really?
Tell him I'll pop in for a visit
real soon, yeah?
[JIMMY]
All right. Bye, son.
All right. Got to go.
Take care.
[RAW]
See you.
[COLIN]
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I'm about to fuck up.
So, what else is new?
They say that, to abandon one's
life for a dream
is to know its true worth.
I've got this crazy idea
in my head
that I'm good enough to win
something at Hampton Court.
It's a hell of way
of going about it,
but then I've always done things
the wrong way around, haven't I?
Please forgive me for this,
because I certainly
won't forgive myself.
I hope this is the last time
that anybody ever sends you
yellow roses.
Hello, boys.
I'm very disappointed in you,
Mr. Briggs.
Our hope at Edgefield is,
once a man is released,
he never returns.
That said, I'm expecting you
to pull out all the stops
at Hampton Court.
[FERGUS]
Hmm?
What's this thing
doing back here?
It wasn't quite ready
for the outside.
Welcome back, Greenfingers.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
Well, I have to say,
I'm a bit miffed
to see how well you guys
have done without me.
It ain't like the old days
no more.
- Hello, Colin.
- Hello, John.
There's a fucking waiting list
to get in here now.
Jimmy and me have been having
a think, Colin,
and we decided that we want you
to come up with a design
for Hampton Court.
Gentlemen, the home secretary
and the prison's minister.
Most impressive, gentlemen.
The home secretary's
quite a gardener himself.
Oh, you exaggerate, Peggy.
I'm what you'd call
an armchair gardener.
More an inveterate reader
of other people's exploits
than an actual tiller
of the soil.
The home secretary's come up
with an idea for Hampton Court.
Mind you, it only just hatched
over lunch.
I thought we'd go for a bit
of the unexpected.
A rock garden.
Lots of prickly, hard plants
with not the slightest hint
of color,
representing incarceration
with the goal of freedom
symbolized by a juicy,
red strawberry archway.
I didn't break my parole
only to be laughed
out of Hampton Court.
There's something
bigger at stake here
than a flower show,
Mr. Briggs.
After years of fighting
the home office,
we've just recently begun
to make inroads
to ensure the survival
of open prisons.
Look, put your ego aside
for one moment
and give some consideration
to the scores of inmates
working through the system
who have yet to experience
a place like Edgefield.
Yeah, but a rock garden, sir?
Do you honestly think
we stand a chance in hell
of winning anything?
That all depends
on your definition of winning,
doesn't it, Mr. Briggs?
About as subtle as a hemorrhoid.
The only thing missing
is a bloke with a pickaxe.
So, Colin...
what was it like
being with a woman again?
Well, it weren't that great
if he came back here,
now was it?
Every day, I miss her.
Primrose was the greatest thing
to ever happen to me.
Now remember,
these only need one hour a day
under these lamps, okay?
- You got it?
- Yeah, got it.
[BIRDS TWEETING]
- Hey, we need every last one.
- All right.
This archway's got to be
bursting with strawberries.
Where do you think
they'll bury me, Colin?
Well, Westminster Abbey's
out of the question, I'm afraid.
[FERGUS SIGHS]
I've been thinking...
that being cremated
is the way to go.
"Dust thou art,
and unto dust
shalt thou return."
Yeah, all right, old man.
Any female visitors lately?
No, I haven't.
The way you left things,
I'm not surprised.
Fergus...
do you think I'll ever
be capable of loving someone?
Oh, yes.
Oh, yes.
I've spent my life in prison.
That's how it went.
But you're different.
You've got things to do.
So the next time
they let you out,
don't go fucking it up.
[SQUEAKING]
[COLIN]
Raw!
- Bloody hell!
- We've got two weeks left.
We'll never be able
to replace them.
I did exactly what you told me.
The timer must be broken.
Bloody mice.
I don't believe this.
Look, I've got a lovely bunch
of red peppers.
Maybe we can fill up
the trellis with them.
Red peppers?
Oh, come on, Colin.
Don't lose the faith.
We still got the cactus.
Look.
- Colin, Colin.
- Oh, what now?
Fergus.
We said we'd walk together
Baby, come what may
Back from the twilight
Should we lose our way
If as we were walking
A hand should slip free
I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
We swore we'd travel
Darling, side by side
We'd help each other
Stay in stride
But each lover's steps fall
So differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me
From the looks of it,
it appears that H.M.P. Edgefield
and flower shows
just aren't meant to be.
From the looks of it,
we're all just a bunch
of deadbeats.
No-hopers.
Dregs of society, right?
Wrong.
I know different.
If Fergus Wilks
were alive today,
he'd tell me not to give up
without a fight.
"Adversity is your ally, lad."
Well, I've had my absolute fill
of adversity,
and now I'm looking
for some allies.
Anyone here who wants to come
with me and make history
at Hampton Court Palace,
step forward!
Yeah, I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
I believe I have the last word
on the subject, Mr. Briggs.
Good luck.
[FANFARE PLAYING]
Mm!
Savor the perfume
and the pleasure filling the air
at the gardening year's
most anticipated event:
the Royal Horticultural Show's
Summer Extravaganza
at Hampton Court Palace.
Henry VIII's glorious palace
by the River Thames
has seen nearly 500 years
of spectacle and pageantry.
But I think even Henry
couldn't fail to be impressed
by this feast of flowers.
Hello, I'm Georgina Woodhouse,
and I so remember
my first flower show victory.
I'd just given birth
to my daughter Primrose,
and I was desperate
to get back to gardening.
Every year, Hampton Court Palace
has a habit
of showcasing something
quite new and unique.
And this year,
we have found an entry
that must be one
of the most unusual
in the history of the show.
It was made without sponsorship
on a tiny budget,
and from the confines
of a prison.
I am here with the men from
Her Majesty's Prison Edgefield.
Tell me, how does it feel to be
exhibiting at Hampton Court?
It's terribly exciting.
I'd like to thank all my mates
back at Edgefield
who lent a hand.
[ALL CHEER]
Colin, tell me about your design
for the show.
Well, it's a wildflower garden.
And it's all about
finding beauty
in the most unlikely of places.
And it's dedicated
to our friend Fergus Wilks.
Wouldn't be the same
without you, Fergus.
Colin, hurry up.
The judges are here.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
They hate it.
They don't get it.
They look more like
rock garden types to me.
Trying to read those judges
is like trying to unravel
the mystery of
the Mona Lisa's smile.
See you at the gala.
What gala's that, then?
Sorry, men.
It's for VIPs
and non-prisoner
competitors only.
Fine by me.
I had nothing to wear anyway.
[CLASSICAL STRING MUSIC PLAYING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Oh, look.
It's the boys over there.
[RAW] I've got a confession
to make, lads.
I left those heat lamps on
too long on purpose.
I've got a confession too.
I let them mice eat
all them strawberries.
Well, thanks for
owning up, guys.
Just leaves one question,
doesn't it?
Who torched that bloody awful
rock garden?
Ah.
[RAW AND JIMMY LAUGH]
This was a mistake, Mother.
I'm really not up to it.
Oh, darling, how are you ever
going to meet anyone
if you never leave the house?
Look who's there. Colin!
This is all about spite,
and now you have my blessing,
you're deliberately trying
to defy me.
I know I've not been
an ideal mother,
but I do love you, Primrose.
And so does Colin.
He's just had a little bit
of garden fever, that's all.
I so want you to be happy.
I really do.
Primrose.
Hello.
You look stunning.
Thank you.
[PLAYING MARCHING SONG]
So...
this is who you left me for.
I hate to admit it,
but she's fantastic.
[WATER BABBLING]
[GASPS]
Colin.
You planted primroses.
You were a total shit
to leave me the way you did.
Second biggest mistake
I ever made.
There's more to life
than gardening, you know.
I know.
Are you seeing anyone?
No.
Neither am I.
I keep hoping that
when I get out next spring...
that you might be there
waiting for me.
[APPLAUSE]
"Marigolds for the Millennium"
has just walked away
with the silver gilt.
So exciting.
And to Fontley's Nurseries
in Hampshire,
a gold for
Fuchsias and Delphiniums."
- [APPLAUSE]
- Congratulations.
And this concludes
the medal winners
in all the major categories.
Now, it is not every year
that we bestow
the Tudor Rose Award.
But, by unanimous ratification
of the Royal Horticultural
Society's judging committee,
we have singled out a garden
for that most coveted of awards.
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]
And this year,
it goes to...
the "Feng Shui
Garden of Harmony."
[APPLAUSE]
[ALL SHOUTING ANGRILY]
We salute all the gardeners
who grew for gold and got it,
as well as those who didn't.
So, until next year,
thank you for watching,
and happy gardening.
So unfair.
Men.
[COLIN]
Excuse me.
I got into the prison service
some 30 years ago,
because I envisaged
doing something positive
with men like you.
To force you to go to your core,
rebuild your integrity.
I lay far greater score
in that victory
than in any medal
they had to offer today.
You're holding up rather well.
I have a lot to be happy about.
It's the best carrot
I've ever tasted.
Thank you, son.
Mrs. Woodhouse,
you think we made a mistake
not going with a more typically
English garden?
You know, no graffiti,
no crashed cars, no concrete.
Oh, I like a bit of rough, Raw.
Excuse me.
Her Majesty requests
the presence
of the gardeners of Edgefield
in the Royal Palace.
Her Majes... The Queen?
H.R.H. herself.
She was quite impressed
with your garden.
Holy shit.
Oh!
Unofficially,
she thought you were robbed.
Come on, John.
Well, come along then,
gentlemen.
Let's not keep
Her Majesty waiting.
I'm sorry, sir.
Gardeners only.
- Oh.
- Excuse us, would you?
[LAUGHS]
I have sold myself
Through and through
I have walked
In the darkness too
Felt a red sun
The living proof
Washed my hands
In the honest truth
I have carried this weight
Time after time
I have bettered the dumb
And the blind
I've seen dignity fail
And colors run
Seen justice denied
By the voice of a gun
And we walk
Yes, we walk
And we walk with the power
Every day
Never letting
The light slip away
-Reaching out
-Reaching out
-Reaching in
-Reaching in
-Touching truth
-Touching truth
-And touching skin
-And touching skin
Never letting
The light slip away
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Bit of advice, lads.
Don't forget to curtsy.
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
-And we walk
-And we walk
With the power every day
Walk, walk
Yeah, we walk
Walk with me
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We walk
-And we walk
-Yeah, we walk
Yes, we walk
Yes, we walk with the power
Every day
Never letting
Light slip away
-Reaching out
-Reaching out
-Reaching in
-Reaching in
Touching truth
-And touching skin
-Touching skin
Never letting
The light slip away
-And we walk
-And we walk
With the power
Every day
Walk
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Walk
Oh
The power
Walk with the power
Walk
Walk
Oh
The power
Walk with the power
Walk