The building progresses..................

Well Saturday seemed to go well. The big trees arrived and were moved into position with the help of Ben. They arrived along with other trees for other exhibits which all have to be sorted, watered and either delivered or held until other exhibitors arrive on site.

The paving progresses well, however at this stage it often seems that things are moving quickly but then time slips away. I catch up with progresss with Nigel on Skype - technology has made things so much easier over the years. At one time we would have been struggling with a land line with little idea of what was going on in reality.

The sculpture arrives as planned around 1p.m. The base is a bit bigger than we thought but the lads extend the bases before putting it into place. The outer casing has already been removed when I speak to them I can tell they can't wait to take a peak. Here's a short video of the start of building yesterday. - More later.

First day on site

Well its the first day on site - Friday 13th May! Neil, Nigel Pete and Steve arrive early ready to meet the lorry loaded the previous day. Forklift arrives and materials such as blocks, sand, cement and ballast await on site. Brian and the lads from organicstone arrive with all the paving. The first thing to do is to cover the site with black polythene and mark out the plan - path first.

I arrive late morning and the paving boys are already laying out a dry run of slabs to work out the laying pattern - this makes it easier for Pete and Steve as the path goes down.

We mark out the rest of the plan - this is where you have to adaptable on site. Because of the legs of the pavilion, inspection hatches, water points and other obstacles the path of the stream has to change - so does the route of the path. Think I may have tried to put too much in the space -time will tell. Of course the other problem is I'm not sure the liners will be long enough for the new route - fingers crossed!

I mark out the positions of the trees for Saturday morning. Nigel starts the mixer and Pete and Steve get the ramps down to make access easier for Saturday morning. The first slabs go down soon after 2 p.m.

Outside around the show site things are busy and congested. As gardens become more ambitious the machinery gets bigger. A lorry is pouring concrete into a pit outside the pavilion - one of the gardens. The foundations look big enough for a tower block. A crane blocks the corner - the main access to the route around the pavilion. At this stage it is hard to imagine how the chaos will ever become order - but it always does - somehow!

Here's what it looks like on video.......................................

Follow and win........

Just been looking at some of the Chelsea Show Plants - more about those tomorrow - but tonight I thought we'd have a bit of fun. Here's something special - We showed it last year but I know it will be a show stealer again this year. It you've been following you could win one - especially if I'm in generous mood in the morning..............So listen carefully and have a go. Andy

Ready for the off............

Its the evening before we load up ready for the trip to London to start work on site on Friday. Nigel has been running around collecting together the equipment: cement mixer, wheelbarrows, tools, pond liners and all the parephenalia needed to create the fabric of the garden. Some of the materials will be delivered direct to site - some will be waiting for us and others will arive over the weekend.

The list seems endless: 15 tons of paving, stone, gravel, 15 tons of sand, a ton of ballast, around 400+ concrete blocks, 150 metres of timber sleepers, timber buildings, a pile of decking boards, 10 tons of bark chips and boxes of straw bags and cut conifer foliage, 2 pallets of turf, pots, sculptures - and of course the kettle!

Sue and Graham have been busy painting furniture and Sue has been doing a great job collecting colourful accessories which will bring the garden to life. Its a mazing how a coat of summer damson can transform a simple timber patio set!

Did a bit of filming for South Today yesterday - Due out on Chelsea Monday 23rd.

More later.............................

Time for trees - with videos!

So yesterday afternoon Ricky and I headed down to our Broadmead nursery to make our final tree selection. We make our first pick in October - its a good time to see the frame of deciduous trees and evergreens look great at that time. Of course you never quite know what spring will bring - sometimes some of the ones we choose just refuse to leaf up nicely - sometimes the winter takes its toll on the evergreens.
This year most of the deciduous trees are well in leaf - but that just makes the choice harder, Other subjects - ones I hadn't even thought of using just look ravishing, and they steal the places from those that thought they would be going to the show.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon and what better way to start the selection than a little kip in the sunshine....


We soon decided that the Norway maples were a distinct possibilityand a golden weeping cedar caught our eye....


The Magnolia grandiflora are not looking great after the winter. The two massive ones look really tired in comparison to the fresh green trees around them. Their boney frames do have wonderful maturity and perhaps if everything else wasn'yt looking so leafy and fresh we'd go with them. After a lot of indecision we agree to take one only and opt for two lovely, fluffy cut leaf beech instead.
The smaller Magnolia grandiflora look really weedy after all the big, beefy trees. They are just not going to make sufficient impact in front of the Monument with Jim's massive gold sculpture sitting at its feet. The limes look glorious in full leaf - I love the drooping branchlets and bright emerald green leaves of Tilia euchlora and we opt for 6 of those. They are really a little large for the space but I fancy the tunnel effect they will create - a bit like that wonderful lime avenue at Mount Stewart - but on a slightly smaller scale.

These big trees are heading for London on Saturday morning - we have to have them installed on the exhibit before the paving is laid. Chelsea 2011 will literally be built around them!
So thet've only got a couple of days left on their tree lines with drip irrigation - then its onto lorries - flatbeds covered in sheets to reduce damage - and off up the M3. They continue to be thirsty so daily watering in the Pavilion will be essential.

Plants for Chelsea - Preparation videos

Well here's a couple more videos from yesterdays nursery visit. Cornus, foxgloves and acers - all looking pretty tasty to me!

Creamy cornus - my favourites

Flippant foxgloves - this year's teasers

Acer 'Marlo'

Andy's nursery visit videos

Just been down to visit the show plants. Here are a few video clips to show you how those show plants are doing!

Where have all the flowers gone?

Foliage - the foundation of good planting

In the fridge.............

more on new plants and Chelsea stars on the way.