Well it is full steam ahead as we get closer to the NEW Ascot Spring Garden Show and at the moment, it doesn’t really feel like Spring. As I write this, the snow is coming down heavily in my own garden!
Although all the hard work starts when we arrive on site, there is always a lot of preparation to be done before hand. As with any project, you want things to run as smoothly as possible and so the organisation of materials, services and obviously plants is key. ‘Schedule’ is a wonderful word, as we try our best to stick to it, but in my experience it is a very loose term. I see my role as a Garden Designer, not only managing the project, overseeing the work, organising all the elements necessary to build the garden… but most important I am a problem solver!! Expect the unexpected! Not in a negative way, I don’t want things to go wrong, but I try to have a back up plan just in case things do go wrong.
So at the moment, I am finalising and confirming all the materials and the deliveries ready to start on site in just a few weeks. We are working with various product sponsors along with the main sponsor, Yardley of London, to ensure that everyone involved has their area covered. We have had our construction meetings and made a few tweaks along the way, always trying to improve on the build time.
Plants are my biggest concern, as April is very early when putting on a floral display and this weather is not really helping! But, I am sure that we will be able to deliver on the day.
There is not a lot of construction that we can do in advance of the show, other than the water feature being constructed, feature panels being made and the reclaimed stone being prepared. The rest of the magic will happen once we arrive…. And we can’t wait to get there!