Show garden spiralling

Hi All. I am a bit preoccupied this week, as it is only 3 days until I can get  on site and start the build of my small show border at Gardener's World Live at the NEC, over the August Bank holiday weekend.

Will the flowers either last, or open in time. Will the tree arrive looking good? and how on earth will I get it back up to Manchester? (to live on my drive until a clients garden is ready to adopt it for life. Think of trees as a cat - they deserve love and respect - but don't try to tell them what to do....). Can I fit all the stuff I need in my car? Will the van of plants arrive on time? Will people come? Will they like it? Will I (whisper it) win, or even get on the telly? (Telly?  I'll be running a mile)….stuff, stuff and more stuff, AAAAHHHH. Can't wait until I can just get to the stage of putting the plants in and making it all look amazing.

Many people become Garden designers, because they love plants (Myself included). What you find out when you get going is that actually designing gardens and your time with plants is a small proportion of your work life. So time soaked in flowers for a number of days is going to be a Bank holiday treat.

Plants may be the last thing that happens on any garden build, but they are still they most important thing. Paving, walls, fences, hot tubs, trampolines, fake grass and dining tables, do not a garden make in my world (or any wildlife's world). So, get planting. Its not hard - honest - see my blog of low maintenance planting.

So to inspire you, here are pictures of some my favourite show gardens for inspiration.

L-R clockwise: The first 3 pictures are by Sarah Price, followed by 2 Luciano Giubbilei gardens and last but very definitely not least, Andy Sturgeon.

And the one that started it all off for me...…Tom Stuart Smith's 2010 garden. 11 years old, but still exquisite. One day I will have a pool just like this.............x