Work in progress

17 April 08

Drawing up the design for a show garden isn’t the only thing I’m having to get to grips with. I might have the idea down on paper, but now there are suppliers to work with, plant lists to decide on and materials to discuss.

The trickiest part is finding the right balance between your original idea and what can, in reality, be made with the materials and budget you have.

I had a meeting a few days ago with Sarah and some of the contractors who will be making the metal structures in the garden. We talked about how we would build the entrance and the sardine lid and key sculptures as well as the fountains in the water feature.

It seems they might be a bit trickier to make than we initially anticipated! I’ve even got homework to do as they need some more detailed sketches before they can get going.

Sarah’s helping out a lot with sourcing things like materials and plants, but I’ve managed to find someone who can make the wicker baskets that will house the salad and vegetables.

There’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s great fun to be working with so many other people. Meeting with the guys who will make my garden come to life is really exciting and it’s actually starting to seem real. In fact, I can’t wait for the build to start now!