Inside the Japanese garden hidden amongst houses in Bristol

  • Watch as Annie Knowlson takes a tour

A man who has spent 14 years and thousands of pounds creating a Japanese garden from scratch is opening it up for people to see.

Martin Fitton says it has been a "labour of love" renovating the back of his terraced house in south Bristol into a tranquil paradise.

He described the garden as "very bare" when he moved into the Brislington house in 2001. He said it had "a few trees and a veggie patch and that was it".

How the garden looked before the transformation. Credit: Martin Fitton

The big project began after he visited a public Japanese garden while on holiday in Poole on a visit to Compton Acres.

He then devoted two days a week to the project, creating the structures in his Brislington backyard workshop, until it was complete.

Lorry driver Martin has fans in Japan after appearing on national news there.

His tiered space has multiple ponds, one that homes koi fish, a bonsai wall, a tea house and a zen garden.

Multiple ponds can be found.
Martin Fitton looks through to his zen garden.
Wooden structures have been created from scratch.
The tea house has been redecorated.

Martin says his secret space is loved by the community.

He rarely opens it up for people to see, but has decided to at an event next weekend for charity.