Show Garden Blog

Ricola Project

Chris designed and built a show garden for Ricola at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2009. Below you can see how he got on...

Sunday 7th June

Wet morning spent creating paths through the herbs by laying the afore mentioned limestone chippings. The sun came out mid afternoon which lifted the spirits. A bit of titivating and the paths were done. Picture taken from inside the chalet. You'd think it was switzerland give or take the odd transit van!!

 

Saturday 6th June

The stream looks so real. That's because it's persisting down with rain so much that the whole NEC is a blooming stream!!! Decided the wet weather provided the ideal opportunity to nip out and find the limestone chippings required to mulch around the herbs. What a nightmare that was!!!! Stupid me thought because limestone was 10 a penny back home in't dales it would be the same down here. Wrong. Anyway 4 hours and a dozen brummies later the Yorkshire gold was found. Oh but it was still horsing it down. Hopefully it'll be dry enough to do summat constructive tomorrow. Got a sign installed. Looks good. Til tomorrow.

Friday 5th June

Live stream - yes it's official the stream is finally being created. I say 'being' as all today was spent laying the pond liner and then carefully positioning each individual stone in order to create as realistic a stream as is possible. By the end of the day I had about two thirds of the stream done and dusted. Just the rest to finish tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 3rd June & Thursday 4th June

Lots of traveling up and down the wondrous M6 but not much garden building. One thing we did do was fill around the trees with soil. This proved a bit tricky as there was no wheeling barrows of soil over the already created bits of garden. The only way was to lower the soil in with the digger. It worked-job done.
George finished the bridge (looking good) and the decision was made to travel back to Yorkshire and get the last bits needed to finish the garden.
Just arrived back in the midlands at 19.30 Thursday evening. Must be beer time. Definitely doing the stream tomorrow!!!!

  

 Tuesday 2nd June

Today we finally finished farting about with the chalet roof. So we got on and laid all the sections of garden out in their rightful place. It was the hottest day yet and George had to spend an hour laid down in the air conditioned corridors of the NEC halls. The trees were positioned last job of the day which really brought the garden to life. Starting to create the stream tomorrow then home to load up the bits and pieces to give the garden that little bit extra, (oh and to see the wife of course). Off to cool down now with the assistance of some 1664. Oh and forgot to mention we buried one of the unexpected manholes yippee!

Monday 1st June

Had another V hot but good day today. The garden arrived in Brum just before midnight last night so the guys were all set for unloading at 9.30 once their tacographs allowed them to move on to the show ground. Once the wagons were opened up it was clear that the garden had survived it's 150 mile journey (phew!) we had it off loaded by 11am. The rest of the day was spent laying the garden out, which we will hopefully finish tomorrow. The swiss chalet is built although fitting the roof proved to be a slower and more frustrating process than was expected.

Sunday 30th May

Spent all day loading the garden in Yorkshire. The two wagons are now on their way down the M6 and we are about to follow them. Hopefully we'll have a clear run and time for a beer at the opposite end.  It's been thirsty work today!!!  Fingers crossed the wagons will be near the front of the queue to enter the show ground and we will be unloaded in the morning

Saturday 29th May

Preparations complete.  We've  had to move the garden slightly to the left to avoid the man hole, otherwise all's well.  Back home now to pack up the garden ready for the big day tomorrow.

Friday 28th May

Work started on the garden this morning.  All was going well, we couldn’t have wished for better weather, until we found a drain that shouldn’t have been there!!!  Thankfully we didn’t create a water feature!!!!