A whole year has gone by and I have found myself where it all started, The Australian Garden Show Sydney. This time I have a platform to showcase everything I have learnt: I have gathered all my inspirations and put them into a garden to show in my own country. An honour.
The concept stage started while Mick and I drove around the UK looking at gardens there. We were living out of the back of a car and this car was our bed room, our kitchen and now my office and study. I had dead-lines to get the plans in on time that I managed to do on our last day in London. I then heard that my plans were accepted while heading to Edinburgh to start my work experience at their Botanic Gardens.
I would be wrong to say that all this was easy and that I knew exactly what I was doing because...well I didn't- I guess that’s what I thought at the time. The pressure to design and organise a show garden with suppliers and event organisers was hard. I was very lucky to have Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Rod Stoller’s advice to help me through and reassure me that my design will work.
While we were in Portugal I had to make a very hard decision. We were rapidly running out of funds and not having a stable place to stay was starting to take its toll on me. As we were now living out of a car again as it was the most affordable way to travel for us. So we decided to leave Europe and head for Indonesia. But in doing this I lost an opportunity to meet with James Hitchmough, someone who had inspired me to apply for the scholarship in the first place. I spoke with James and explained my situation and he understood. A lost opportunity... yes, but one I hope to be able to take another time soon.
I spoke with my Mum, Ros, again and explained to her the thinking behind my change of plans. She suggested I talk to Annette Irish from AIH and see if she could help with organising Singapore. So I did, and to my amazement the Singapore Garden Festival was on and I could get in to help a designer. A found opportunity, Yes.
I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason- maybe this is the reason that bad timing had come with meeting Hitchmough, though I will met him one day I’m sure.
So we had 3 weeks in Indonesia on a small island Sumbawa in an even smaller village called Lakeys. It was perfect to have time to reflect, time for myself, but most importantly time to work on my show garden with no feeling of where we were going to sleep tomorrow night…
The planning stage was starting to come together. So I also enrolled back into University for Semester 2 that was to start the week I was in Singapore- I was already playing catch up!
August 15th I flew into Sydney at 5:30am. I gave my parents a massive hug and we were off to the nursery and to meet with James from Greenwall Australia.
Back at home, four hours south in my beautiful home town of Moruya I was on a one track mind- Show garden, show garden, show garden! With a bit of university thrown in there too. No time to relax, glad I had already done that in Indo!
The 29th of August and I was back in Sydney with two cars full to brim with plants, supplies, Ros, Judy and Jeff. Mick flew in at 5:30am we picked him up and went straight to the show to start the build. We also met up with Jim our friend who was helping Mick with the carpentry.
Rain, rain go away! The show had turned into tarp city and work continued on as we had only 5 days to complete the garden.
I was very lucky to have two fabulous carpenters to construct my design for me. Mick and Jim weren't only carpenters but they were also filled with marvellous ideas that helped the design to evolve.
I was also fortunate to have a wonderful strong family who took time out of their schedules to help too, whether it was advice for the build, physically heading to Sydney with me, helping with the pamphlets, help edit my drafts and get the words for my concept right, and letting us take over your house! I wouldn't have been able to have finished without this support and drive from my family.
I found myself stepping back at this stage of the design, I needed to have trust that Mick, Jim, Ros Judy and Jeff understood what I wanted. I realised that this is important to have respect for my tradesmen and their work. I also made sure that they had the right materials, so I had a very familiar track to the hardware store!
The final day and it was time for me to get back and stuck in, planting the plants for the Greenwall to get the flow of colours along the wall to tie in with the plantings in the garden bed. I had inspiration from my time at Chelsea flower show with the use of spiral and ball Buxus topiaries. I have inspirations from UK gardens with swifts of colour flowing through the space. I incorporated inspiration from Singapore with the use of the hanging unusual details to add interest to the space with Moss balls in the window. Then incorporating this with my own design details, and fitting it all in to the brief and concept of the garden that was "Effortless Balance"
Judging day was very nerve racking but exciting too, I also talked more with Graham Ross, after meeting with him at Chelsea. He encouraged me that I had been a great ambassador for the industry on my trip, which was so lovely to hear. He asked if I would like to do another radio interview with him, which aired on the last morning of the show. That night we attended the awards ceremony. Mick and I were very privileged to learn that we had been awarded GOLD for our efforts and all the hard work had paid off! We were ecstatic!
While the show was on I was asked by Jim Fogarty and Don Burke if I would like to get involved with a show garden that Jim had designed that they were putting together while the show was on. I met some more wonderful people while I helped for a short while.
I spent most of my time at my show garden explaining and talking to visitors about the design, which I just loved! It was great to be able to give the visitors ideas about what they can achieve in their own gardens and what you can do in a small space like a balcony. Many happy faces, despite the rain.
One day to pack up and do the 4 hour drive home, as I had University class to get to in Canberra the next day.
I’ll never forget our time at the Australian Garden show Sydney, and it was such a pleasure to get to know all the designers that we met while there, they made our time just that much more fun. Mick and I are looking forward to AGSS 2015.
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