I arrive at my garden at 7.30 am to discover to my relief that I have been awarded an RHS Chelsea Silver Medal. The rest of the 'Fresh Gardens' have been awarded 4 Bronzes, 2 Silvers, 2 Silver Gilts and 1 Gold which also got 'Best In Category'. Looking around at the gardens I think that the bar has been set high but then this is the most prestigious gardening show in the world......
Later in the morning I am visited by an assessor and judge and given some 'constructive critism'. I am told they would have preferred the seat to have had a better view into the garden, some of the planting was a bit dense, they thought the saplings would quickly out grow their spaces, the wall was a bit heavy and they didn't like the double joint.
They liked the story I was telling, the sculpture, most of the planting and trees, the movement and rhythm of the as well as the path and design of the seat. I asked 'how safe a Silver was I' and they said the judges were 'divided' between a Silver and Silver Gilt. They also suggest that now is the time to look for sponsorship for next year!!!!! I think we all need a break first....
Glorious sunny weather! The RHS members and their guests start to arrive from 8 am. I aim to water every morning and evening to keep the garden looking fresh, as well as the odd bit of 'dead heading'. I am joined by my young children and husband, but the heat and crowds are hard work and once the kids have seen my garden, the racing car made out of clipped topiary, the easy lawn covered cars, Gavin's pyramid, and had an ice cream they've had enough and head off to Battersea Park!
I am joined through a very hot week by a host of friends and relations and as my garden is also being manned by Bradstone representatives I am able to catch up with them a little. By the end of the week I have swollen ankles and very sore feet from all the standing and walking in the heat, and after a restless night end up with a touch of sunstroke on the Saturday morning which prevents me coming in until late. On Thursday I am joined by a group of 12 lawyers for Royal Mail who have requested a small presentation about the garden.
On Tuesday the garden is filmed by the BBC. James Alexander Sinclair explains the energy expressed in the garden with a lot of energetic movement and arm gesturing. He does this about 6 times, I am asked the names of specific plants and then it's a wrap! It goes on air on Wednesday lunchtime.
The garden is also filmed for the commemorative Chelsea 2012 video on the Sunday previously.
On the Sunday after the show, James, Andrew, Carolyn and I pot up all the plants and decide to donate a lot to the London based regeneration project 'Ground work' as well as taking some home. On Monday I return to London having spent my first night at home for 18 nights and check that the garden contractors are getting on with the knock down as planned and that the sculpture and trees are being safely delivered to the centre for wildlife gardening.
I return home, a bit bruised, very sun tanned, fitter, exhausted but pleased to be back. The garden at home has transformed from Spring to Summer and been well tended by the family.
A quiet walk in the woods with Molly beckons. Its good to be home!
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Friday, 18 May 2012
Assessment, Judging, Press Day, Royal visit and Gala
My garden is assessed at 9.15 am by three assessors who ask me to detail any changes to the written brief. I point out the change to trees, addition of the blue planting in the foreground, that I chose the Betula nigra for it's regenerating bark and colour, and that the plants are less advanced but that this adds to the sense of expectation and growth to fit the brief. Later in the week, after 5 days of solid hot sunshine the flowers are all in full blaze and grass flowers fully out - what a difference a week could make!
The assessors spend about another half an hour on the garden deciding whether I have met my brief and whether the garden is successful in what it set out to do.
On Monday morning, 'Press Day', at around 8am the Judges visit in a large group (approx 9 with another 5 at least in attendance). I stay well out of the way.......Another group that come around are the Moderators, who check that gardens awarded medals are of a similar standard across the board.
At 9.30 we have a photo call with Dawn Parker, Bradstone marketing manager, and Anna Jester, head of Bradstone communication present. Myself, Chris Beardshaw and Carlo Laurenzi, the CEO from the London Wildlife Trusts, are all photographed on the garden. I have offered to donate the sculpture to the London Centre for Wildlife Gardening along with the trees, as I wanted as much as possible of the garden to be reused and recycled. I also take immense pleasure from wildlife and the natural environment and am enormously inspired by it.
At the same time a photographer from the Oxford Mail and Times introduces herself and I am interviewed later in the day. A steady stream of people with very expensive looking cameras visit the garden through the day and I wonder where all the photos will be used. At 12.30 BBC Oxford Radio interview me live for about 7 minutes which is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. At one point it is particularly load and the mic and crew of three draw in very close to me so that I almost fall over! Various celebrities, actors and TV personalities come round too!
At 3.30 the press mostly seem to leave and I am left on my garden whilst the Royal visit begins. After what seems like a while various very smart cars with crests and flags pull past the garden and we know they have arrived! The queen spends time in the Pavilion and draws a large excited crowd. I find it quite moving when she is introduced to members of the armed forces, some with 3 limbs as prosthetics, to the rapturous sounds of a brass band.
Prince Andrew comes round to our area and we spend a short while discussing my gardens initial inspiration of kites!
My husband James arrives as the Royal visit continues and the Gala evening starts. The highlight of this for me was being allowed to climb up Diarmid Gavin's Scaffold Pyramid. I made it to about the 6th tier but then decided I didn't fancy the slide in my skirt and heals and would have to go down several steep ladders backwards!!!
The assessors spend about another half an hour on the garden deciding whether I have met my brief and whether the garden is successful in what it set out to do.
On Monday morning, 'Press Day', at around 8am the Judges visit in a large group (approx 9 with another 5 at least in attendance). I stay well out of the way.......Another group that come around are the Moderators, who check that gardens awarded medals are of a similar standard across the board.
At 9.30 we have a photo call with Dawn Parker, Bradstone marketing manager, and Anna Jester, head of Bradstone communication present. Myself, Chris Beardshaw and Carlo Laurenzi, the CEO from the London Wildlife Trusts, are all photographed on the garden. I have offered to donate the sculpture to the London Centre for Wildlife Gardening along with the trees, as I wanted as much as possible of the garden to be reused and recycled. I also take immense pleasure from wildlife and the natural environment and am enormously inspired by it.
At the same time a photographer from the Oxford Mail and Times introduces herself and I am interviewed later in the day. A steady stream of people with very expensive looking cameras visit the garden through the day and I wonder where all the photos will be used. At 12.30 BBC Oxford Radio interview me live for about 7 minutes which is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. At one point it is particularly load and the mic and crew of three draw in very close to me so that I almost fall over! Various celebrities, actors and TV personalities come round too!
At 3.30 the press mostly seem to leave and I am left on my garden whilst the Royal visit begins. After what seems like a while various very smart cars with crests and flags pull past the garden and we know they have arrived! The queen spends time in the Pavilion and draws a large excited crowd. I find it quite moving when she is introduced to members of the armed forces, some with 3 limbs as prosthetics, to the rapturous sounds of a brass band.
My husband James arrives as the Royal visit continues and the Gala evening starts. The highlight of this for me was being allowed to climb up Diarmid Gavin's Scaffold Pyramid. I made it to about the 6th tier but then decided I didn't fancy the slide in my skirt and heals and would have to go down several steep ladders backwards!!!
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Planting up to Assessment
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| Placing out boundary plants |
He also suggests that I source another larger tree to replace the two small Betula that didn't come into leaf in time. This sends me off looking for unused trees on site as well as getting photos and quotes from tree nurseries, which all prove expensive to deliver one tree. I find a 3 metre multi stemmed Betula pendula near the Majestic trees site and after a bit of investigation work discover it wasn't used by a trade stand and they are happy to sell it to me. Relief!
The next day I am joined by Gill and Julie, (the planting team all belong to the Maidenhead Society of Garden Designers cluster group). They steadily work through the rest of the boundary plants trying to replicate the layout of plants that I place out for them, but which proves hard each time you have to move them to dig the solid soil. Another time (!!!!) I would certainly remove a pots depth of soil and then replace this with imported quality soil. The weather is being very kind and is warm but not raining or blisteringly hot.On the last day of planting I am relieved to be joined by two strong men; my husband James and Andrew who dig the last tree hole and rapidly plant the last batch of plants, as well as painting the plywood surround for the storage area behind my garden.
Meanwhile I arrange and then plant out the inner section of colourful plants that feature in the area around the tree stump in the centre of the garden. I decide to balance out the colourful perspex sculpture by placing plants of similar bright reds (Geum Mrs Bradshaw), oranges (Geum Princess Juliana) and yellows (Aquilegia) diagonally opposite. This is then re balanced with a small area of the same colour combination directly beneath. The colour pallet then moves around the back of the stump into bright pink Digitalis purpurea, violet Hesparis, swinging down to blue purple Geranium Mayflower, softer pink Pimpinella rosea, then into deeper purple Aquilegia alpina which contrasts with the yellow Stylophorum lasiocarpum in the foreground.Now I just need the sun to come out and all the flowers to bloom! Chris makes a couple more suggestions to the planting; add a touch of blue Geranium in amongst the front green and white which I agree lifts it and can be described to the assessors as an 'echo'. Also to add Betula saplings to the colourful planting, to suggest regeneration.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Day 5, 6, and 7 Chelsea Build
I'm having to write these three days together because it has all been rather busy and the days are all blurring together. The team attach the rest of the Panache tiles to the wall using rapid set adhesive which does exactly what it says on the tin and sets so rapidly that I feel I am being chased as I mark up the rest of the wall with the tile locations.
The green wall sections arrive and fix into place quickly and easily to my great relief. I am hoping that their rapid growth habit will blend the sections together into a more uniform surface. The front of the seat is completed using the chocolate Panache only too many colours here could look a bit busy.
A shallow planting pocket is created into the top of the wall to take the Fragaria plants. We use a 'long bendy thing' to mark out the curve of the wall top on both sides and the line of the path which narrows as it approaches the seat. Although this was marked out precisely from the plan using calculations the final cut is decided by eye as what is on plan isn't always best on site. Then the line of the curved wall is taken through the paving and this is cut too to receive the Fragaria plants.
I am joined by my Garden Designer friend Pippa Purnel who calms me and works her usual caring magic, feeding me chocolate and cups of tea! Now is crossover between build and planting. All the rest of my plants arrive from Crocus which is very exciting. I spend a while bringing different combinations of plants together as I had envisaged them to check their heights, textures and colours together. A photographer from Bradstone takes photographs of the plants and team working with the hard landscaping. It looks a lot of plants but experience has taught me that a show garden 'eats' huge quantities.
On Wednesday the contractors have finished and the planting team arrive. Today I have Pippa, Caz, Gill, Franzi and myself. We plant the Fragaria along the top of the wall and then concentrate on planting the damp area around the inner curve of the wall with mostly green damp loving plants, such as Ferns and Luzula. I try to contrast the green tone and textures and plant in loose bands of uneven numbers. After a lot of mounding up of soil we then start on the other two corners of planting with greens and touches of white to lift it. Thank you for all your help today!
I am incredibly pleased with the way my garden sits with my neighbours garden as the trees are the perfect back drop to mine and hopefully vice versa. Anyway, I've run out of room and have another busy planting day tomorrow so had better stop and dream about plants now.
The green wall sections arrive and fix into place quickly and easily to my great relief. I am hoping that their rapid growth habit will blend the sections together into a more uniform surface. The front of the seat is completed using the chocolate Panache only too many colours here could look a bit busy.
A shallow planting pocket is created into the top of the wall to take the Fragaria plants. We use a 'long bendy thing' to mark out the curve of the wall top on both sides and the line of the path which narrows as it approaches the seat. Although this was marked out precisely from the plan using calculations the final cut is decided by eye as what is on plan isn't always best on site. Then the line of the curved wall is taken through the paving and this is cut too to receive the Fragaria plants.
I am joined by my Garden Designer friend Pippa Purnel who calms me and works her usual caring magic, feeding me chocolate and cups of tea! Now is crossover between build and planting. All the rest of my plants arrive from Crocus which is very exciting. I spend a while bringing different combinations of plants together as I had envisaged them to check their heights, textures and colours together. A photographer from Bradstone takes photographs of the plants and team working with the hard landscaping. It looks a lot of plants but experience has taught me that a show garden 'eats' huge quantities.
On Wednesday the contractors have finished and the planting team arrive. Today I have Pippa, Caz, Gill, Franzi and myself. We plant the Fragaria along the top of the wall and then concentrate on planting the damp area around the inner curve of the wall with mostly green damp loving plants, such as Ferns and Luzula. I try to contrast the green tone and textures and plant in loose bands of uneven numbers. After a lot of mounding up of soil we then start on the other two corners of planting with greens and touches of white to lift it. Thank you for all your help today!
I am incredibly pleased with the way my garden sits with my neighbours garden as the trees are the perfect back drop to mine and hopefully vice versa. Anyway, I've run out of room and have another busy planting day tomorrow so had better stop and dream about plants now.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Day 4 Chelsea build
I allowed myself a later start as it's my birthday then finished marking out the location of all the tiles on the plywood and watered all trees with copious amounts of water as it really is very hot today. The ground is caking over and needs forking over to allow the water to the roots. Our water supply is switched on which is a relief as my plants all arrive tomorrow.
The team fix on the Panache tiles onto the inner curve but my 'code' for the colours causes some confusion when I write it on the plywood wall. They are called Cream (C), Fudge (F), and Chocolate (which I call B for brown). We end up calling them light medium and dark after lots of other names such as Praline, Toblerone, and Terry's All Gold! I make a point of breaking up the joints for a naturalistic feel.
We stop for several coffees and chocolate (which seems to be the theme for the day) and birthday cake which seems to go down well. It's nice to make today feel different as the days all seem to merge together and I forget which day of the week it is!
I mark the path out again and the team lay the Panache chocolate (B, Dark) smooth slabs roughly over the lines ready to cut tomorrow.
The team fix on the Panache tiles onto the inner curve but my 'code' for the colours causes some confusion when I write it on the plywood wall. They are called Cream (C), Fudge (F), and Chocolate (which I call B for brown). We end up calling them light medium and dark after lots of other names such as Praline, Toblerone, and Terry's All Gold! I make a point of breaking up the joints for a naturalistic feel.
We stop for several coffees and chocolate (which seems to be the theme for the day) and birthday cake which seems to go down well. It's nice to make today feel different as the days all seem to merge together and I forget which day of the week it is!
I mark the path out again and the team lay the Panache chocolate (B, Dark) smooth slabs roughly over the lines ready to cut tomorrow.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Day 3 Chelsea build
A glorious sunny day which brings a really positive atmosphere to the site. We try to get as much done as possible whilst the weather is good. The contractors continue to fix the wooden wall sub structure in place which becomes narrower and lower as it sweeps down to the path, suggesting reducing energy. It is covered with two thin layers of plywood and then I mark a rough line from 2 metres down its length to ground level.
I get a bit disproportionately excited about the sun light filtering through the perspex colours as I haven't seen them on the sculpture with the protective backings off before, and get some funny looks from my team!
I mark all the locations of the green wall sections and Bradstone Panache sections that will fit together into one big jigsaw. We start attaching a protective mesh to the plywood to act as a key to the Rapid set tile adhesive that will fix the Panache tiles in place. lastly we try out a couple of tile sections on the wall and leave to set over night. Do I have a plan 'B' if this doesn't work? Mick helpfully suggest a parrot mural......
I get a bit disproportionately excited about the sun light filtering through the perspex colours as I haven't seen them on the sculpture with the protective backings off before, and get some funny looks from my team!
I mark all the locations of the green wall sections and Bradstone Panache sections that will fit together into one big jigsaw. We start attaching a protective mesh to the plywood to act as a key to the Rapid set tile adhesive that will fix the Panache tiles in place. lastly we try out a couple of tile sections on the wall and leave to set over night. Do I have a plan 'B' if this doesn't work? Mick helpfully suggest a parrot mural......
Day 2 Chelsea build
The sun is shining and everyone seems happy to see some blue sky and a few less unplanned water features! We mark out the location of the rest of the wall to where it reaches ground level and crosses the path and after a few more dumps of soil roughly mark the sweep of the path, ready to receive MOT type 1.
However, delivering soil from the other side of the show ground and moving vehicles from our plot to the gate takes a long time as traffic is backed up and just crossing the road by my plot is a liability - no question why you need high viz here. We too cause some chaos when we are asked to move our Bradstone stock to a new location and have to drive the forklift truck against traffic seven times!
I take a quick trip to a builders merchant for wood and a powerful drill to produce the internal structure of the wall which proves quite a time waster - but at least the sun is shining......
I am really impressed with the degree of precision that my contractors, Carter Landscapes, are aiming to work to. As the seat needs to be located at just the right angle, height and width, we take our time working out the internal structure which will take the beautifully crafted bull nose seat slab. Currently we are working 200mm deeper than ground level which will allow for planting on top of the wall footings.
For the curved wall I work out the height that the wall reaches every 500mm down the curve and the team make a wooden frame to take the Bradstone product to this height. It currently looks a bit like an old fashioned roller coaster!
However, delivering soil from the other side of the show ground and moving vehicles from our plot to the gate takes a long time as traffic is backed up and just crossing the road by my plot is a liability - no question why you need high viz here. We too cause some chaos when we are asked to move our Bradstone stock to a new location and have to drive the forklift truck against traffic seven times!
I take a quick trip to a builders merchant for wood and a powerful drill to produce the internal structure of the wall which proves quite a time waster - but at least the sun is shining......
I am really impressed with the degree of precision that my contractors, Carter Landscapes, are aiming to work to. As the seat needs to be located at just the right angle, height and width, we take our time working out the internal structure which will take the beautifully crafted bull nose seat slab. Currently we are working 200mm deeper than ground level which will allow for planting on top of the wall footings.
For the curved wall I work out the height that the wall reaches every 500mm down the curve and the team make a wooden frame to take the Bradstone product to this height. It currently looks a bit like an old fashioned roller coaster!
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Day 1 Chelsea build
7.30 start - the key to the tool box is missing and we can't move the digger because it's key is in the box....however, this delay was really helpful as our garden area is officially marked out and the extra 50mm grass strip included that we had originally omitted, so that would have put a lot of measurements out.
Forgive me for getting philosophical but sometimes I think things happen for a reason.....
Deepdale arrives with the trees at 9.30 and we decide to put the far corner tree straight in as its root ball will be under the curved wall footing and it is in the centre of the group of gardens. A bull finch briefly enjoys it's branches and looks down on the otherwise empty muddy plot.
I fix the top two perspex sections on and we set out the garden according to my plans using strings and levels. The team excavate most of the site to around 700mm and we spend time precisely locating the centre of the garden, the specimen Betula nigra location, the centre for the base of the sculpture, so that the sculpture encircles this key tree and looks right from all angles.
We attach the lower sections of sculpture (minus perspex leaves for fear of damage) and then the upper sections.
It rains hard for half an hour and most people seem to down tool;, a pair of ducks look on amused and try out the impromptu pond that has appeared in my plot!
In a last push for the day we mark out the location of the wall footing and nearly forget the 50mm grass strip again!!!! These go in and we decide to call it a day at 7pm. I plod back to my accommodation feeling tired but fairly pleased with progress.
Forgive me for getting philosophical but sometimes I think things happen for a reason.....
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| Trees from Deepdale arrive |
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| Bradstone Product Arrives |
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| Trees are positioned |
I fix the top two perspex sections on and we set out the garden according to my plans using strings and levels. The team excavate most of the site to around 700mm and we spend time precisely locating the centre of the garden, the specimen Betula nigra location, the centre for the base of the sculpture, so that the sculpture encircles this key tree and looks right from all angles. We attach the lower sections of sculpture (minus perspex leaves for fear of damage) and then the upper sections.
It rains hard for half an hour and most people seem to down tool;, a pair of ducks look on amused and try out the impromptu pond that has appeared in my plot! In a last push for the day we mark out the location of the wall footing and nearly forget the 50mm grass strip again!!!! These go in and we decide to call it a day at 7pm. I plod back to my accommodation feeling tired but fairly pleased with progress.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
All in the detail
I have been lying awake thinking everything through; trying to picture the planting combinations; colours, textures and heights, working through the order of construction, thinking about the balance of hard landscaping to soft, the atmosphere I am trying to create.
I fine tuned the brief before sending in for the April 30th deadline. I decided to keep it clear and simple and with one idea: Energy and Vitality in a woodland garden.
I am now thinking a lot about the state of the plants growing on at Crocus and at Deepdale. Today I am told the specimen tree (Betula nigra) has just broken leaf and has only16 days to leaf up! I have postponed my trip to Deepdale to make a final selection until two days before delivery to Chelsea and will select back up trees, probably native Betula pendula, in case the leaves don't appear to be mature enough. I decide to produce a 'latest' planting plan to send off to my planting helpers so that they will have an idea of the look and layout I am aiming for.
I have also been thinking about the sculpture and have decided to sand the tip to a high shine and the next section to a lesser degree. This, I am hoping will express the idea of the point pushing upwards, fresh and new, whilst the lower broader section looks older and rusted. I use a lacquer spray to retain the shine as the mild steel rusts almost visibly in the damp weather we are experiencing.
Bradstone have done a fantastic job of 'bullnosing' the seat slab of Panache paving. I am eager to see it in situ on the garden.
At home the woods look stunning! The blue bells are in full flow and the smell is divine.......
Ferns are unfurling, the fresh green beech leaves are stunning against the blue bell backdrop. The deer seem to vanish into the woods, there hind quarters with tail stripe blending perfectly into the narrow trunks of Betula pendula. Molly chases a young squirrel that hasn't mastered climbing damp trees and I have to call her off! An owl hoots in the day time, which seems a little odd. Red kites swirl and make their distinctive cry. All is alive and well.
I fine tuned the brief before sending in for the April 30th deadline. I decided to keep it clear and simple and with one idea: Energy and Vitality in a woodland garden.
I am now thinking a lot about the state of the plants growing on at Crocus and at Deepdale. Today I am told the specimen tree (Betula nigra) has just broken leaf and has only16 days to leaf up! I have postponed my trip to Deepdale to make a final selection until two days before delivery to Chelsea and will select back up trees, probably native Betula pendula, in case the leaves don't appear to be mature enough. I decide to produce a 'latest' planting plan to send off to my planting helpers so that they will have an idea of the look and layout I am aiming for.
I have also been thinking about the sculpture and have decided to sand the tip to a high shine and the next section to a lesser degree. This, I am hoping will express the idea of the point pushing upwards, fresh and new, whilst the lower broader section looks older and rusted. I use a lacquer spray to retain the shine as the mild steel rusts almost visibly in the damp weather we are experiencing.
Bradstone have done a fantastic job of 'bullnosing' the seat slab of Panache paving. I am eager to see it in situ on the garden.
At home the woods look stunning! The blue bells are in full flow and the smell is divine.......
Ferns are unfurling, the fresh green beech leaves are stunning against the blue bell backdrop. The deer seem to vanish into the woods, there hind quarters with tail stripe blending perfectly into the narrow trunks of Betula pendula. Molly chases a young squirrel that hasn't mastered climbing damp trees and I have to call her off! An owl hoots in the day time, which seems a little odd. Red kites swirl and make their distinctive cry. All is alive and well.
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