Build: day 1

Got home just after 3pm and couldn't resist posting!

Got to the site after 8am and had a H&S briefing from the RHS. Finally got to meet show manager Lucinda, who I think does her job brilliantly: It's difficult keeping everyone happy and in line, but it's done in a pragmatic, friendly way. It really is well organised. The exhibitors were busy working away, but I thought there was a sense of calm. Wait a few days though and that will probably change!

There are some really great gardens this year, and some were whipping through their builds. We had a good natter with Gaynor Whitchard who was very friendly and it was great talking to all the designers/builders.

Our build went OK. The new plot position is better as we have more space to work. The ground was a bit uneven though, which was a bit fiddly for the guys. Colin and john were joined by coucnil colleagues John (2!) and Fred. Admittedly Louise and I were mostly standing about watching, and even fitted in a visit to Pettigrew's, the new cafe in Bute park for a hot chocolate!

The main structure of the garden is done. Now I have a wedding to go to. I think I'll fall asleep if I have a couple of drinks! I can't wait for a lie in or an early night!

The big bang!

The show garden build begins tomorrow! I've set my alarm clock for 6.30am and am fluctuating between being extremely excited and nauseous with fear!

The plan is to be down at the nursery for 8am. I'm hoping I can be of some use to Colin and John and not get under their feet while they're rebuilding the garden. Anyway, I'll have the big tea flask ready and some chocolate muffins. LNRA committee member Louise is coming too. Perhaps we'll just stand back and watch the guys work! Just kidding. Hoping to get away at about 3pm for a wash and brush up, then on to the wedding,

I can't wait for Del and Ian's wedding. I'm going to let my hair down and try my best to have an 8-hour break from, and not mention, 'the garden'! Will do my best not to get a hangover though.

The planting plan is the hardest one I've ever done, and goes against what I usually try and design ie year round interest!. I've sort of narrowed it down, but I'm still not 100% sure of what exactly I'll have until we buy them on Monday. I'm determined to have some tulips, but most are over now. However Pheasant Acre, who grow tulips, are also showing and have said I may be able to have some of their excess plants. Fingers crossed!

I probably won't get chance to post again until Sunday. Wish us luck!

Just a quick update

I took a visit to the show ground yesterday and the site is fenced off, the marquees are up and plots marked out! It looks like we're going to have to move plots, as there is a large tree next to us and the branches over hang our boundary. The tree can't be crown lifted or pruned: it has a pendulum shape with drooping branches, and that's its beauty.

Colin, John and Will came up trumps with the streetlight, and they are dismantling the staging today.

I'm not visiting the site today - I'm out and about running errands. Will post later hopefully.

RHS Cardiff advert on Capital radio

Just heard the RHS Cardiff 2012 advert on Capital radio. My stomach turned over and now I feel sick!

RHS exhibitors must be masochists, because it's a sort of pleasurable pain...

Can 'RHS' and 'masochism' be mentioned in the same sentence?! Oops, I just did. Twice!

Mmm, perhaps I won't tweet this post...

Can you tell what it is yet?

I hope so, because it's more or less finished (though this wasn't actually discussed!). I assume it is, because it's being dismantled on Friday and loaded up ready to be shipped to the show site on Saturday, oooh, about 300m away! Once in situ, the hard landscaping, planting etc will be added.

I cycled down to the nursery again today after the Easter break (which was spent working my day job, which thankfully means I get this week off - thanks Linda!)

Colin and John were making our wooden noticeboard which looked good, topped off with some oak kindly found for us by the one of the council woodland team, Richard Cornock, who I'm hoping is going to engrave something suitable on it: 'Llandaff North Community Noticeboard' if it fits (and Colin remembers, because I didn't write it down!)



Still waiting for the streetlight to be acquired from the council highways dept. That sounds bad. We aren't stealing it - it's an old one they won't be using again.

Just an example of things left for me to do

• Sort out the show garden signage ie design, print and find an A3 laminator
• Email the leaflet information  to our sponsors Brett, ready to be printed
• Clean up/paint the lectern and leaflet holder
• Finish painting the mural
• Send out a press release
• Try and make sense of a planting plan!
• Pick up the plants

....and that's about a third of it!

Two of our LNRA committee, Del and Ian, are getting married on Saturday (and postponing their wedding so they can attend the show!), so I need to fit in a haircut and shopping trip for something to wear too.