From Paper to the Eve of the Build: Keni Lee's Second Installment

Here's the second installment of Keni Lee's guest post on his design submission for the Chris Beardshaw Mentorship Scholarship (CBMS)...

About the garden

The 'Atom' theme was chosen by the CBMS team in conjunction with this year's UNESCO year of Chemistry. My design was inspired partly by the metaphysical understanding of atoms by the 5th century BC Chinese philosopher, Laozi; and partly by the convergence of Newtonian- and quantum-mechanical understanding of atoms. The latter is guided mainly by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which basically states that matter can exist both as a particle and a wave. This is reflected in the garden by contrasting features of rock vs water and circle vs angles. This bridges well with the central principles of daodejing, the defining work by Laozi. Many in the world would recognise his work via the infamous “ying-yang” concept. However, the daodejing is more profound than this. In one of its passages (Chapter 42), it stated "Dao begets one; one begets two; two begets three; three begets all things". In modern interpretation, this "trinity of pure things" can be recognised as "proton, electron and neutron", the building blocks of life on Earth. It is interesting to note that the trinity concept is also prevalent in the Christian faith.

As one can see, the unifying concept across both the scientific and metaphysical view of atoms can be brought together by this "trinity of pure things". This unifying concept is reflected by the presence of all features of my garden in sets of three.

Building the garden and my personal take of things so far

From the moment I first sketched my first draft design up to very recently, I had no idea that building a garden would cost so much and that it would involve so many factors such as plants availability and resource availability. I think I have learnt more about project management than garden design in these past few months leading to the build. The odd thing is, I enjoyed every single second of it. The pressure is omnipresent and sometimes you just want to give up. But I have decided to dedicate this garden to my late father, so throwing down the towel is not an option for me. In many ways, the garden reflects my relationship with my father. My father has always been very proud of his Chinese roots, whilst appreciative of my Western perspective of things in life. Seeing the world from these two very perspectives can be both frustrating and enriching at the same time, a sentiment that I wish to portray in my design.

Schedule-wise, the construction will begin on the 18th of April. Due to difficulties in securing leave from my work, I have had to schedule the build in a staggered manner. For the 1st week, my partner will begin the building of the hard landscaping features. Hopefully, all major work would be done by then. During the 2nd week, I have to unfortunately fly to Shanghai for business, and my partner will be flown to Berlin for work too. So build will only continue on the 3rd week, unless I can find volunteers to help with the build. I am trying to get help from friends, but it's difficult when your friends are scattered in the four corners of the globe, and families are thousands of miles away. I will be onsite full time from the 29th April.

Final words

I hope this account shed some light into my thoughts and what the garden mean to me. Designing is such a personal experience that it is sometimes challenging to convey emotion or ideas in words. I hope that the finish garden will be a success and that visitors to my garden will appreciate the finer details weaved into the garden. Please feel free to comment if you have any thoughts or feedback or advice, I will be delighted to hear from you.

Thanks Keni for giving us such a personal and great insight into the challenges faced when designing and building a show garden. I'm sure the project management and problem solving experience you've gained are just as important as the show garden itself.

Today is the start of the second week of the build at Malvern folks and it's been hot and thirsty work so far. Do keep an eye on Keni's progress via his blog.

NB Design images are courtesy of TCAS and NOT available under a Creative Commons licence.

From Laozi to Heisenberg – The Making Of

The show garden build begins today and Keni Lee has kindly agreed to guest blog for Meet @ Malvern to give us an insight of what it's like. Today he tells us a little about himself and takes us up to the point of the acceptance of his design...

Preamble

For this year’s Malvern Spring Gardening Show, I will be building a show garden under the auspice of the Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship (CBMS) programme. This short article tells the story of how and why I got involved, as well as describing the underlying principles of my garden.

About me and why on earth am I building a show garden at Malvern

I am originally from Malaysia but grew up in various countries around the globe, including France and Japan. I have a PhD in Chemistry from France and currently work in healthcare PR in London. I speak fluent French, Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay; and English I suppose. Other than being a very serious amateur gardener for the past few years, I have no formal training in horticulture or garden design. Having said that, I am pretty good in botany (as part of my undergraduate studies) and bonsai cultivation.

Since moving to England, I have been inspired by the British healthy obsession with all things nature and gardening. An obsession that is unique amongst other European countries that I am familiar with. Having lived in one of West Sussex great gardens (Nymans), I was motivated to get into garden design/horticulture. By pure chance, I stumbled upon a website with a link to the CBMS less than a week before its deadline. My initial thought was that if I win the competition, this would be a very good indication that I may have a little bit of talent in this profession.

So I sketched a few drawings and sent them through. I was delighted when I was informed that my design has been shortlisted and I would proceed to the next few stages of the competition. However, within days, I received news that my father died, and I had to fly back to Malaysia for the funeral during the crucial few weeks when the subsequent rounds of the scholarship selection process took place. The organising committee was very kind with me and allowed me to extend a few of their deadlines. Eventually, and to my great surprise, I got in and my design was selected as one of the finalists.

Thanks Keni - the next installment takes us up to the eve of the start of the build. If you can't wait to know more, Keni also has his own blog all about this show garden...

Site and specifications…

The observant of you would have already seen little snippets of information on our garden from as far back as February. This is extremely unusual for a show garden (even for the likes of Chelsea) which spring up and disappear in the period of a month, or less.

So, what on earth was Jim and his crew doing digging up the showground in the still snowy depths of winter?

This garden is a whopper – around 650 or so square meters. To put it into context, around double even the largest of plots at Chelsea. Large areas of the scheme were to be dedicated to turf, but even still, the footprint is immense.

Construction is always a bit of a bone of contention for show garden exhibitors. There is definitely something to be said for ‘temporary structures’ and frugal construction methods, but there is a fine line between building something economical and using a material to the best of it’s advantages and simply ‘mocking up’ too much and hoping it lasts even the five or so days of a show.

But this garden was to be a little different. This garden was to be built for public access and to survive not only the Malvern Spring Gardening Show but also the Three Counties Show and possible visits in between.

This garden will be alive and kicking from May until the end of June.

This is positively light years in the world of show gardens, and the construction has to be robust enough to cope with its long life, so Jim and his team began the initial construction in February, working odd hours around the wintry weather to get the garden on its way.

Back in the warmth of the offices, we were also looking at materials, albeit on screens and in catalogues. I cannot stress enough how important it is to request samples of materials before you specify them – something that looks lush on the pages could be rank in real life, and so a few little bits of paving were posted to us for approval.

The selection was made and the order placed.

Plants, done. Materials, done. Just got to build the thing now.

If only it was this simple…

Thanks for your latest Claire - not long until we see this for real folks!

Blankets…

Show gardens are hugely dependant on plants – this goes without saying really. Early shows (such as Malvern) are linked closely with what good old Mother Nature is doing in the first quarter of the year and plants you thought would be fine could easily be over in a warm spring or nowhere near in a cold one.

Snow? Then you really have to worry.

Longer dormancy periods, frost damage, even death. Spring show garden plants are not pals with old Jack Frost and his mate Frosty the Snowman, so you can imagine our despair as we gazed out of our windows onto blanket upon blanket of clean and crisp snow.

But there was still time to go. The snow would clear (eventually) and we would be able to assess some of the damage.

I tend to shut myself into a semi state of dormancy over the winter, and I could see no real reason why any of our selected plants would ever want to wake up at all, let alone for the beginning of May.

Would we have any plants at all?

This is the second of Claire's latest about the development of the Anniversary Show Garden. Tune in tomorrow for part 3...

Like kids in a sweet shop…

Claire has sent in 3 quick updates to her Anniversary Show Garden blogging. Here's the first and the rest will follow over the next couple of days...

Starting a planting plan is like collecting together a really nice set of friends for a lengthy chat or maybe even a dinner party. WE have our favourite people, but there are other things that need consideration. Who will sit best next door to another? How can we get interesting conversations going? A large character may not be best next to a delicate soul, but would this combination be an unusual one which could work?

And so it goes on.

But what makes it even harder, is that Alex has his preferred plant friends, as does Jim and as do I. Our palettes say as much about where we work and how we work as our individual styles. Yet again, we were faced with the design team challenge – could we combine all of our loves (and indeed, dislikes) into one cohesive planting list?

I made a list and trundled up to see Alex. He had also made a list. Some mutual friends were kept immediately, others were sent packing with their tails between their legs. An hour of ticks and strikes and the list was a little shorter, but nowhere near the neat and tidy planting scheme our modern and conceptual design demanded.

A telephone conference to Jim and more were added and discarded. A pattern was emerging and after another ruthless cull, we were all happy with the way the scheme was progressing.

But it is all well and good having a wish list – it is a completely different matter which will be wanting to do their thang like well behaved school children at the time of the show.

And with a cold winter on the cards, how would our selection fare?

Design – the puberty years …

After yesterday's retrospective, here's Claire's latest guest post on the Anniversary Show Garden...

Contrary to popular belief, design can work just fine at a distance. The wonders of modern technology have made communication so quick and easy that there is no need for regular face to face meetings – small comments can be copied to all at the push of a button and design revisions can be whizzed all over the world via the wonderful world wide web.

Our first thoughts had been sent from Sussex. And so we sat and waited.

Far, far away, designs and concepts were printed out and poured over by both clients and the third member of the design team, Jim Steed.

Comments were made, further scribbles and design progressions were sent flying back, and we really were on our way.

But design is a funny old mistress. An idea can progress in such a way that a mere toddler of a concept can suddenly burst into a stroppy teenager and give you such a hard time that you have to behave strictly to get it back in line. Design can (and should) be mischievous but you cannot allow it to be given an ASBO.

And with three major design inputs, we had to keep tight hold of the reins, lest the space go galloping away into the distance with the fuel of too many ideas.

Selection was key, and after a few hard examinations of design elements and plan outlines, some was scrapped and some was kept. Consultations followed with all parties and the final, streamlined plan crept into being.

Bones done, now for the fleshing out. A plant discussion was on the horizon...

Thanks Claire - and for those of you dying to have a sneak preview of progress with pictures, here's the latest over at her blog. There's more to come from Claire tomorrow as she gives us some insights into aspects of the Unseen Show Garden...

Concepts and Scribbles…

The build phase for the show gardens officially started yesterday, so Claire Potter's latest installment about the Anniversary Show Garden is timely indeed...

The meeting went well. We had formulated a small brief, a large wish list, bantered about some ideas and eaten some very tasty sandwiches and mini cakes. Meetings are always better when taste buds are stimulated.

It was decided by the collective that Alex and I would begin the design process as we represented two thirds of the design team and both lived on the borders of East and West Sussex.

The drive back from that first meeting was fantastic – three hours of chatting and discussing the possibilities in more detail and by the time Alex and I reached the familiar sight of the South Downs, we were both confident that we knew where we were going.

But every designer is different. Even having similar thoughts might not translate into similar concepts, and our designs were always destined to be completely separate entities. How could we, and would we be able to combine both of our ideas into one design? And then what would happen when everyone else added their input?

Back at the studio I sat in front of my drawing board, fully equipped with a brain full of ideas, some pens, tracing paper and far too many biscuits. A few hours and a small pile of crumbs later, my blank sheets had been converted into a map like jumble, showing trains of thought, sketches, web links, key words and patterns. I was quite happy with the brain pouring, but how was Alex’s brain pouring going?

The next meeting was arranged and (quite nervously) I drove up country to Alex’s studio to discuss the ideas.

Tea was made and I seem to remember that biscuits and cupcakes made an appearance. We both sat down and spread our scribbles onto the table.

Similarities could be seen, sketches followed the same brain trail as the next and full of relief, we both realised that the joint design process might actually work quite well.

More scribbling, tea and discussions followed, and after a couple of hours I drove home to rejig the design, ready to combine my concept with Alex’s rejigged space in the wonder that is Computer Aided Design.

The bones were there, but what would the rest of the team think of our efforts?
The first concept design was sent to the whole design team, and Alex and I waited for the comments. Were we on the right track?

Marvellous stuff Claire, thank you. If you missed her first installment, then here it is...

Spring Cleaning?

And now for a brief word from Anna...

Don't worry - despite the title of this post you're in the right place! Will you be having a spring clean before you come to Malvern - rationalising your stash of seeds, pruning your surplus gardening books (if you can have a surplus) or possibly even have the odd plant to spare? If you are and are prepared to donate these to a good cause, we thought it would be fun to raise some additional funds for the National Gardens Scheme, which is the charity that the Malvern Show is donating to this year.

Originally the plan was to a have a grand bring and buy at Malvern but this idea was shelved for various reasons. The idea of a virtual bring and buy was floated about but again it was difficult working out the logistics as folk will be at the show at different times and different days.

So we went back to the drawing board and wondered how about selling your surplus goods on eBay, at a car boot sale, at your garden club plant sale or through whichever method suits you. Once you have disposed of your goodies donations can be made by clicking on the JustGiving button which you can see on the right hand side of the blog.

If you do sell on eBay why not inform fellow Malvern bound bloggers by sending an email to Meet@Malvern letting us know when your listing will be up? Details can then be included on the blog (and tweeted) so that we can bid too.

Come on folk dig deep and let's see what we can do!

NB Any funds raised in this way and notified via the JustGiving button on this page will also be eligible for the Yellow Book/gardenersclick T-shirt draw announced previously - Ed

This is my Malvern Post...

...and now for a simulcast(ish) with the legendary Award Winning Blogger Mr James Alexander Sinclair...

This is one of those weeks where I am not at all sure what I should write about as nothing particularly fascinating has happened. I have driven to Cornwall and back to collect my daughter from University, I have ordered an enormous number of plants from various places and we went see the legendary Patti Smith in concert in Leamington Spa. This last was actually quite fascinating: she is always good. My wife is mildly obsessed with her (and has been for many, many years) so this was her second Patti smith concert in a week.

So (in the words of Marriott Edgar in Albert and the Lion), “seeking for further amusement” I have decided to write about my first visit to Malvern - as the show is looming and everybody else seems to have had their say over here.

I was first asked to talk at Malvern Spring Show in, and I get a bit fuzzy over this, 2004 on the back of a television series I presented called Small Town Gardens (it was the third and last series, in fact the last series of garden makeovers that the BBC produced). It was also my first proper lecturing gig - I had done a couple to local horticultural societies but this was different. I had never been to Malvern before so had no idea what to expect.

I was put up in a hotel in Malvern that was also being occupied by all the RHS Judges who had convened in Malvern in their official capacities. One of the things about RHS Judges in general is that they do like to let their hair down a bit whenever they are together. As a result the joint was jumping until the early hours: I didn’t really know them terribly well so merely observed from round a corner (at my lonely table for one).

Next morning I rocked up at the show ground and reported for duty. I was shown a large echoing barn that had, until recently, been the site of the fattest ewe or glossiest cow contest (the Three Counties Showground is not just about gardening: there are a lot of other things ranging from agricultural shows to meeting of the VW Camper club). I was junior end of the bill after Nigel Colborn - who did wise things chatting about plants that he had just picked up on his walk around the showground: I don’t know whether he paid for them or not. I was rather too intimidated to ask. And Joe Swift who drew things on an easel and talked about designing gardens on the diagonal - yeah,yeah. The whole thing was compered by a cheery fellow called Mike from local radio.

I was very scared: like rush to the loo petrified but by the end of the second session I was having a ball and realised that this was actually quite a good way to pass the time. Joe and I had a great time being very well looked after by the fabulous Nina. She was driving us around in some sort of golf cart at one point and as she slowed for some slow moving people we leapt off the cart and disappeared into the crowd. She didn’t notice for a while and then realised that she had lost us and an expression of panic crossed her face. We were forgiven.

I also decided that Malvern was actually rather a wonderful place run by jolly people and I wanted to come back again so started plotting...

Since then I have returned every year: the theatre materialised the following year - the first at any RHS Show - and has got bigger and better.

I have cavorted with Alan Titchmarsh,

pranced with Monty Don, (sorry, couldn’t find a picture with his donship)

dallied with Diarmuid Gavin

and debated whether Men or Women were better gardeners with various eminences gris (women won: mostly because there were more of them in the audience).

The weekends are usually spent with my friend, Joe Swift. We are given a pretty free rein by the show organisers especially when it comes to competitive flower arranging. He is winning at the moment, but then he always plays it very safe while I am more avant garde: my “Bridge over the M6” was a conceptual triumph, although sadly no photographic evidence is available.

I have presented fashion shows with the gorgeous Sabrina Duncan International (a firmly muscled Drag Artiste).

I have been boiling hot and absolutely soaking wet.

I have interviewed a whole string of supremely knowledgeable and talented nurserymen and designers

And a chicken has laid an egg on me.

Outside the theatre the gardens have got better and better. And there are more and more of them: the idea is that Malvern is a first stop for young and emerging talent. Especially since the elfin Chris Beardshaw has started his scholarship scheme: a chance for a young designer (designer, not Sock) to spend a year stalking Chris and building gardens at both the Malvern Autumn Show and the Chelsea Flower show.

It is a friendlier, less frantic show than say Chelsea, there is room to move around whether you are building a garden or just visiting. There are loads of excellent nurseries selling plants, food stalls, Arts and Crafts and every sort of garden sundry you can imagine. Including fibreglass gorillas and massage chairs.

This year will be fun especially as Joe and I are joined by Cleve West. We will be trying Botanical Art, more flower arranging, interviewing designers, grilling nurserymen (not literally) and generally jollying around.

See you there.

Meet @ Malvern will return after the Easter break. Have a good holiday everyone - Ed

The setting of the scene…

Show gardens are very funny creatures. They take enormous amounts of energy and attention to the smallest detail. You have to be able to speak to landscaping contractors, schedule deliveries, source both plants and the most random of items and still be able to pull it all together at the end to enthral the public at an event which passes in the blink of an eye. And don’t get me started on the stress that is the judging.

So with all that to deal with, why do designers subject themselves to the ordeal?

Sometimes it is because you have a spectacular idea you cannot allow to sit and fester on the desk any longer. Sometimes you have a bee in your bonnet about a subject and want to educate through design.

Sometimes you have such a wonderful team to work with that you cannot pass up the opportunity. And so it is with us and the collective brought together for the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2010.

The Three Counties Agricultural Society are wonderful people to work with – highly passionate about what they and others do – the ideal clients. They understand what it takes to put on the show, the importance of excellent horticulture and they are open to new ideas. Very rarely do you have such an open client team who really want to challenge both your own design skills and the boundaries that have been seen in past years.

And the rest of the design team, well, we sort of know each other from past shows, and being such diverse designers and characters, we were confident that each of us could bring a different viewpoint to the table.

And so the scene was set. Alex Bell Garden Design, James Steed of Outdoor Living Space and myself from Claire Potter Design as the central design team, supported other Malvern devotees such as Martin Clark Trees and Chris Greenwood from Poultry Park.

But would so many heads be better than one, or would too many designers spoil the broth?

To be continued... [Well, it is according to Claire's email when she sent this: it's entitled Guest Post 1 - Ed :)]

And Now a Word From the Northern Ireland Jury...

I really wanted to write a little something for the Meet @ Malvern site. You have no need to publish it at all [but it's too good to lie languishing in my email inbox - Ed], I'm just excited......

The RHS ignores it's friendly neighbour N.Ireland I am sad to say when it comes to it's fabulous events. We like to grow stuff too!! Darn it.

So I have never been to a celebrated flower show, though Garden Ireland hosts the lovely Hillsborough flower show which I also haven't attended *shame*. But that isn't the point, never in my thirty years have I even considered being seen at one of these wonderful garden shows in Britain, notice it isn't Great without N Ireland. Then I happened to mention a desire to go to one, any one sometime in the future and lo and behold a friend offers me free tickets. My world just exploded into a happy fluffy place full of marshmallows and chocolate and skipping joy-filled people. Not only am I waiting for my new house to be built and therefore thinking of the 2 tiny gardens we'll have to create and make fantastic, but there's the lotties, which I shall be only a few minutes walk from. Gardening has invaded my existence like a pernicious weed, if you will, one with a pretty flower that I welcome into my life.

So I sat on this joyous news for a while, thinking, 'hummmm, shall I?'. I mentioned it to the hubby and there was no hesitation. We were going!! Yippeee and such.

Thank goodness for the Meet @ Malvern site and the most awesome VP who helped me get somewhere to stay, somewhere very lovely indeed, a room she had just cancelled on, so it was highly tasteful, naturally. Now I can't stop looking at the RHS site and the Meet @ Malvern site and getting ever so more excited with each update. We're going to be VIP's for goodness sake, it's the 25th Anniversary bash this year and there are craft stalls as well as all things gardening. Plus the ever lovely James A-S lecturing, lots of blogging friends and inspiration too!

So the flights are booked, we have a hire car booked and Maggie is going to be looked after and spoilt rotten by her Granny, though I haven't told Maggie yet, she'd only be jealous of Malvern.

Have to ask though, is anyone else a bit nervous about the face to face interaction of it all?? Is it just me or do others worry that in person and with my accent I won't be as likable in reality? Oh, it's like a huge blind date. Should I wear a certain coloured rose in my lapel, do I have to wear something that has a lapel, crap, what am I going to wear?? Hadn't thought of that, eek!

Carrie

Fellow garden bloggers, I have a confession to make…

...I have lapsed from the way and failed to keep up with our noble calling.

Once upon a time, I blogged regularly under the pseudonym of ‘R. Pete Free’ and the site visit counter told me I had a faithful readership. Sadly, fate intervened and I had to rebrand as ‘NewShoot’, a person who finds it difficult to keep up a flow of bloggy entertainment and instead spends her time lurking round other people’s pages, throwing in random comments here and there. However, the thought of missing out on a bloggers’ get-together has stimulated me to dig out a few early Malvern memories and get writing again, so I don’t have to spend the day with my nose pressed against the willow hurdles looking at you all relaxing in glory in the Garden Bloggers’ Lounge.

Six years ago I was running a fledgling garden design business. I had a few builds under my belt, nothing structural had fallen down, no planting scheme had died too obviously, but I wanted to learn more about this strange new world I was working in. I hoovered up every opportunity to see the work of other designers, to build up my knowledge of materials and suppliers…and, to be honest, I enjoyed a good day out looking at plants!

So when the opportunity came to tag along with the Friends of the Oxford Botanic Garden coach trip to the Malvern Show I jumped at the idea. I’d not been before as it wasn’t one of the ‘Big Shows’ at the time, but it was being promoted as the first Design Show of the year – it would hopefully would be a lot less crowded than the annual Chelsea battle AND you could buy the plants!

It took us around 2 hours on the coach to reach Malvern from Oxford…and then another hour sitting in the queue for the car park… I’ll be interested to find out whether this experience has improved over the years! This time I think I’ll be testing the shuttle bus service from Malvern station instead.

My impressions of Malvern Show as it was then – it was small but enjoyable. I was slightly disappointed that there weren’t more show gardens, but those that were there were fun. Some of the displays from the landscaping materials suppliers were just as good as the gardens – and I could pretend to be working by examining the quality of their pointing and collecting their shiny brochures.

I seem to remember good chips and cake (nobody needs a balanced diet on an outing to a flower show, carbs for energy is what’s needed!) and am racking my brains to remember whether there was a Celebrity Design Theatre Experience – I’m sure I saw a spontaneous performance from Joe Swift coming up with solutions for awkward gardens sometime around then…but was it Malvern?...those brain cells have long gone!

What I do remember were the floriferously gorgeous nursery stalls - trying to decide which of many desirable plants to buy, aiming to balance my greed against the knowledge that I’d have to carry the purchases for hours before being allowed back on the coach. A variegated daylily, Melianthus major and some offerings to satisfy my Digitalis fetish returned to Oxford that evening (funny how I can remember the plants but not the people?)

How has it grown over the intervening years? I’m excited to see that the website is advertising many more show gardens – 16 in all, as well as 8 from Chris Beardshaw’s mentoring competition and several from local schools. That should give loads of inspiration. There are supposed to be over 100 plant nurseries now, so my buying decisions will be even more difficult! Over those years I’ve also got to know, and work with, some of the nurseries and designers, so it will be a chance to catch up with friends instead of just looking on from the outside.

Now I’m teaching design and horticulture, so I’m looking forward to the chance to take photos of show gardens to inspire my students, to refresh my collection of supplier brochures with info on new products they are launching this year and, of course, to discover exciting new plant cultivars.

But best of all, looking forward to the bloggers’ convention and the chance to to meet many of my virtual friends in real life…and eat cake with them!

This post is a joint simulcast with New Shoot :)

Ticket Deal & Last Call for Blog Posts

Just a quick reminder that there's just one week left before our ticket offer expires on 31st March. Thanks to those of you who've already posted thus far and I'll contact you once the deadline has passed to confirm your requirements and how payment is to be made.

In case you missed our previous posts on this topic, we have a limited number of half-price tickets (for Friday or Saturday) for bloggers planning to visit the show if you write a full blog post on your blog (i.e. not just a mention in passing or a paragraph in a post) about the Spring Show or if you already have a blog but choose to write a guest post for us here.

Need inspiration? Then have a look at what Frances, Happy Mouffetard, Edith, Victoria Tim and Karen have written thus far...

If you would like to do a guest post here, then email me at the address on the sidebar with your content and any photo(s) you'd like to use. We are more than happy for you to do simultaneous postings with it appearing on your own blog and here at the same time.

If you're coming to Malvern for more than one day, then the lovely people at the showground are also offering any extra days at the slightly cheaper group rate.

If you've already booked your tickets, or are one of the people who can attend as a member of the press, I still need to know which day(s) you are coming so your names can be added to the admission list for our dedicated VIP area.

If you're coming with a partner or friend(s), their tickets should be booked separately via the Malvern Spring Show booking system, or purchased on the gate. I will also need to know their name(s) and day(s) for the VIP admission list.

Any questions about your post or the tickets offer? Just leave a comment below or drop me a line via email.

Michelle

A Designer's Dream

Hot on the heels of yesterday's news update, I'm delighted Pat Atkins has sent me her guest post about her previous experiences at Malvern, whilst excitedly looking forward to her show garden for this year...

I have always known and loved the Malvern hills, as a small child I spent many an hour running around British Camp, usually in a force 8 gale. My first sight of the hills as I turn off towards Upton on Severn always makes me feel as though I am coming home.

I came late to garden designing, a career change I have never regretted. From the beginning my aim was to enter a show garden at the Malvern Show. In 2006 I finally achieved my ambition and built 'Incy Wincy Spider' sponsored by a school in Redditch. I won a bronze medal and felt very proud of myself.

However I had caught the bug, one garden wasn't enough, I had to make another, so 'All the World's a Stage' followed in 2007. Another bronze medal, although I listened to the judges feedback, tweaked the garden and entered it at Gardener's World Live the same year and won a silver. So it is worth getting that feedback.

Malvern Show

Gardener's World Live

This year the bug has bitten again and 'The Owl and The Pussycat is in production. I am working with a friend, we decided to grow all the plants ourselves, foolishly choosing the coldest winter for 30 years.

We have even woven the willow boundary fencing ourselves.

As you can see we had plenty of help with the potting on! Dogs,cats, mice nibbling plants and a large rat that dug holes in our large pots of ferns. That plus -15C, it has been a challenge. Hopefully we will have a garden and with a bit of luck it might even win a medal, but it's the excitement and friendship involved in building a garden at Malvern that is the most important thing.

If you want to know more link up to my blog or better still come and visit our garden and read the diary that we are making. Nibbles and wine will be liberally dispensed, to you as well as me. My dream to win a gold? No, I would like to be chosen as the public's favourite garden in the 2010 show!

See you at the Show.

Pat Atkins

Thanks Pat, for such a fascinating insight. I look forward to reading your blog updates (NB there's a link in the sidebar under Show People, Diary of a showgarden as well as the one above) and meeting you in May :)

Tickets Please!

This time last year Happy Mouffetard wrote:

Ceci n'est pas un billet*

Well, it is actually, but also so much more than that. It's an opportunity to gaze, to shop, to gain inspiration, to look at perfect flowers in awe, to covet plants, to wish I had a bigger garden, to learn, to make notes, to take photos and to enjoy a day out amongst thousands of other plant lovers.

It's the Malvern spring gardening show. And I have my tickets! Now I just have to wait six weeks [or so, check the countdown clock - Ed]...

(*'This is not a ticket', with apologies to René Magritte)

Which also gives me the ideal opportunity to remind you about our fantastic half price ticket deal:

• We have a limited number of half-price tickets (for Friday or Saturday) if you write a full blog post on your blog (i.e. not just a mention in passing or a paragraph in a post) about the Spring Show or if you already have a blog but choose to write a guest post for us here
• The deadline for posting is the 31st March 2010
• Need inspiration? Then have a look at what Frances, Happy Mouffetard, Edith, Victoria and Karen have written thus far
• If you would like to do a guest post here, then email me at the address on the sidebar with your content and any photo(s) you'd like to use.
• We are more than happy for you to do simultaneous postings with it appearing on your own blog and here at the same time
• If you are coming to Malvern for more than one day, then the lovely people at the showground are also offering any extra days at the slightly cheaper group rate
• If you've already booked your tickets, or are one of the people who can attend as a member of the press, I still need to know which day(s) you are coming so your names can be added to the admission list for our dedicated VIP area
• If you're coming with a partner or friend(s), their tickets should be booked separately via the Malvern Spring Show booking system, or purchased on the gate. I will also need to know their name(s) and day(s) for the VIP admission list

Don't forget the deadline - 31st March- and don't forget to send us the link to your post. I'll contact you to request the information needed for the Three Counties Showground and payment so they can issue your tickets.

Any questions about your post or the tickets offer? Just leave a comment below or drop me a line via email.

Michelle

Tennessee Will Be Represented At Malvern

The seed was planted by Gail of Clay And Limestone. When the announcement was made by the perfectly pedicured VP of Veg Plotting and Helen of Patient Gardener about a blogger meet up at the Spring Gardening Show in Malvern Hills, and they threw the invitation open to the rest of the blogdom, regardless of locale, the dreaming began. We, Gail and I, chatted on the phone and in emails about how wonderful it would be if we could attend. But of course it was an impossible dream. Flying across the ocean was the biggest obstacle, how could it even be considered? The cost, the time, the all around scariness, no, it could not happen no matter how enticing the offer.

Time passes, wheels turning, cogs clicking all the while. In a lifetime of gardening, the gardens of England have always held the greatest allure. It is the one place singing the sweet siren call to get a true homebody to leave her garden, home and pillow. In spite of a great dislike of airplanes, airports and heights in general, inquiries were made as to the availability of flights, just to see what was out there. That was all it took, that first step. Suddenly the decision was made, it was possible, even probable that we would attend the Malvern Meet Up. The seed had germinated. A comment was left on the site that two intrepid travelers wished to crash the European event. The response was gratifying, we would be welcomed with open arms. There would be assistance in transport, locating a place to stay, and of course there would be wonderful people to meet and gardens to see. Whilst there will sadly be no plant or even seed purchases made to bring home, sniff, there are other items of the arts and craft type that could possibly be squeezed into a suitcase for the return trip.

Much planning and figuring still needs to be done, but the die is cast. The seed has sprouted. Excitement builds with each new posting by VP and Helen about the show and itinerary. Wellies are available in our sizes to be lent by the most generous of garden bloggers. Our passports are valid, the flight plans are made, two Tennessseans are coming to Malvern. We can't wait.

Frances

And we can't wait either, Frances and Gail :D

The Gentle Art of Shop 'Til You Drop

A few days ago Frances realised she and Gail won't be able to take part in the fun that is stuffing-your-car-with-as-many-plants-and-gardening-gadgets-as-you-possibly-can-plus-a-few-more game and was feeling a little disappointed. That very same day, @Malvernmeet Twitter follower Sarah Walker (aka @ArtShades) delivered the guest post she'd kindly agreed to do which shows some of the other shopping opportunities available. There's plenty of quality arts and crafts to be found courtesy of the Worcestershire Guild of Designer Craftsmen and their stalls are in the very same cattle sheds which Edith told us about in her recent guest post.

So without further ado, here's Sarah to tell you a little more about life as an exhibitor...

The Malvern Spring Gardening show is as eagerly awaited by enthusiastic craftsmen from the three counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire as it is by enthusiastic gardeners.

For members of the Worcestershire Guild of Designer Craftsmen it’s the first big show of the year and we all look forward to meeting at Malvern in May. It’s great to get together again after months of toiling away alone in our workshops and many of us haven’t seen each other since our pre-Christmas show.

The show set-up is full of enthusiasm – we are all eager to unpack new stock and reveal our new designs. It’s a cheery and fun atmosphere with everyone helping each other to put on a good display. There’s everything from fine furniture to ceramics, a variety of textiles and many forms of glass, willow baskets and silverware, forged metalwork and jewellery in numerous styles and materials.

Most of us bounce in bright and early on the first morning of the show full of optimism and anticipation. There’s always a discussion about the weather forecast and how many layers we have or haven’t put on. The weather at the show over the years has ranged from four days of cold winds and constant rain to sweltering heat when you can think of far better places to be than a dusty cattle shed.

On the first day the serious RHS gardeners appear once they have scoured the show for the prize plants and visited the floral marquee to see the blooms at there very best. There is a steady flow of visitors and it is a very civilised atmosphere – these visitors know quality when they see it! As exhibitors from the same tribe we share the excitement of the first big sales and wide grins are exchanged as a Guild member leads their first customer to the communal credit card machine. It’s a long day, but everyone is fired up by the positive response to their work and goes home happy.

Friday is busy from the start – it’s usually a good day for sales. Visitors are chatty and interested in our work, often they have taken the day off work to be there and they make serious purchases. It is also the start of the game we play – spotting the ‘must-have’ plant of the year. We start to make predictions as more and more of the same thing comes wafting past. One year it was Acers, another double clematis, then hellebores, hostas, blue Himalayan poppies and ornamental grasses. We go home happy, but in need of that large glass of wine.

Saturday is full of couples and keen families. For me it’s great that husbands and wives are shopping together as my lamps are often a joint purchase. We start to spot the gadget of the year – usually a cumbersome object that is designed to inflict as much damage as possible on the surrounding crowds. Over the years we’ve seen the telescopic window mop, all manner of folding wheelbarrows, the brightly coloured plastic trugs and wire plant supports (often worn elegantly around the husband’s neck). Sales are usually brisk and we are busy chatting to our customers. We start to flag in the afternoon and if some kind soul has baked a cake word soon gets round and you’ll find us deserting our stands and hotfooting it to the tea cubicle for a sugar rush. By the end of the day our bums are numb from perching on a high at-eye-level-with-your-customer stool, our feet ache and we are tiring of being so nice to everyone! We get home and immediately bark at our loved ones for not anticipating just how tired we would be and making sure the dinner is ready and waiting. At this point you wonder if you’ll ever be able to smile at anyone again.

Everyone drags themselves in on Sunday and the show takes a while to get going. We moan a lot on Sundays! Our joviality has run out and we now know why it is we work alone. Having confirmed both the plant and the gadget of the year we are now sick of seeing them. If it’s hot we like to complain about the amount of flesh on show, the dripping ice creams, the sticky fingers and where we’d rather be. If it’s wet we moan about the dripping waterproofs, brollies and contents of the burger buns. Many of the visitors have no interest in what we are selling and plod aimlessly through the hall following the crowd in front, without ever turning their heads. One bonus is that we don’t have to smile as much on a Sunday as so few people make eye contact! We are eternally grateful to those that show a genuine interest in our talents and hand over their hard-earned money on a Sunday. They are the real highlights of our long day.

As 6pm draws near, and word goes round that we can pack up, the lethargy disperses and we dismantle our stands and march our boxes back out to the cars and vans with renewed vigour. The display boards and electrics are whisked away and we all help to load up the trailers. After four days in a darkened shed I lift my eyes to the beauty of the Malvern Hills and am eternally grateful that I live there. I am within just five minutes of that bottle of Pinot Grigio waiting for me in the fridge. Cheers!

We hope you can tear yourself away from all that is gardening and venture into the Wye Hall to say hello.

Sarah Walker

Sarah designs and makes contemporary lampshades and writes a blog about her design ideas which are often inspired by her garden on the Eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills. [She also visited Painswick Rococo Gardens a few days after I did and it's interesting to see how her visit and The Exedra in particular, inspired her - Ed]

She is a member of the Worcestershire Guild of Designer Craftsmen, which exhibits in the Wye Hall at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show and the Malvern Autumn Show.

My Malvern: Patient Gardener

In the first of our forays outside the Three Counties Showground, Helen tells us a little bit about The Malverns...



Everyone knows that Malvern is by the Malvern Hills but how many visitors to the Spring Show actually take time to do more than admire them from the showground?

The Malverns are a gentle range stretching from North Malvern to Eastnor where they are surmounted by the Obelisk. The Malvern Hills are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) primarily because of their geology. It is also part of the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, one of 7 in the UK and 50 worldwide. You can find out more information on the area's geology, archaeology, industrial and cultural heritage and ecology via this link

The beauty of the Malvern Hills, to me, is their accessibility. I’m definitely not an enthusiastic walker and certainly not a hill climber but you don’t need to be when considering tackling the Malvern Hills. The Malvern to Ledbury road runs all the side of the hills, crossing over the top at British Camp where one of the biggest car parks is located. On the other side of the hills you can access various car parks from points along Jubilee Drive. You can access a map of the Hills via this link.


The walk to the top of British Camp is very popular with visitors. British Camp is a complex of earthworks built during the Iron Age. However, my favourite walk is from the Earnsilaw Quarry car park which is located on off The Wyche (road between Malvern and Colwall). I like this walk due to the range of trees and woodland in the lower parks, there is also a beautiful quarry which is now full of water and quite eerie at times. You can see more information via this post on my blog.

So if you are visiting the Malvern Spring Show and particularly if you are staying overnight why not build in some time to explore these beautiful hills.

Malvern Memories: Didn't I have a lovely day, the day I went to Malvern...

Once again, Arabella Sock proves that blogger coverage of events such as Malvern can be far more varied (and funnier) than anything you see on the telly...

Thank you for all you birthday wishes Sockwatchers it was indeed on Wednesday! The Sock organised herself a jolly little jaunt to Malvern staying at a nice country hotel on Wednesday and Thursday night and sipping champagne on her ownsome. Thursday was first time at Malvern and the Sock had the bestest time ever!!!

So the Sockerazzi was out in the hope of snapping celebs and she bagged a big one! Yes.. a proper famous person..

Other than that it was just the usual suspects I'm afraid. Hundreds of photos of Toby, Alys, Joe, James A-S and of course La Belle Beardshaw. Chris was there with his minder but the Sock still managed to get close enough to steal one of his hairs as she brushed past and now plans to clone lots of little Beardshaws from it. The Sock does hope they come true to the original although perhaps a bit taller.Loads more exciting stuff to share with you, plants, people, impala impersonations... the Sockerazzi got it all on camera!

And lo, a promise of lots more to come! Contents and photographs courtesy of The Sea of Immeasurable Gravy.

Malvern Memories: All the Fun of a Country Fair

This is a real blogging discovery! When Victoria wrote about coming to Malvern a couple of weeks ago, little did she know her post would be read by someone who'd visited the first ever show 25 years ago. As a result of this marvellous coincidence, Edith Hope has kindly agreed to write a guest post for Meet @ Malvern about her memories of that time...

Aunt Winifred lived on Jubilee Drive in Upper Colwall, near Malvern. She later died an untimely death in Italy, but that is another story. What matters here is that she gardened, and gardened with a passion, and that it was through her that I came to know so many of the small nurseries and open gardens in and around that lovely Elgar countryside.

In the spring of 1985 I was with her, as was usual, for my annual visit. What was different was that that year saw the first Malvern Garden Show held on the site of the Three Counties Showground, a flat expanse of land lying in the shadow of the Malvern hills.

We went on the Friday which, I think, was then the first day. Certainly Aunt Winifred would not have countenanced the weekend crowds. Car parking was, I am fairly sure, free, cars being parked in random fashion in adjacent fields. I wish that I could recall what we paid for our entrance tickets [no pre-booking, no on-line then], but time eludes me now.

In that first year there was little to be seen outside, the majority of the stall holders housed within the gaunt cattle sheds with their huge sliding doors open to whatever the weather. Inside, ranged all around the outer walls, was a plantsperson's paradise. Local, and not so local nurseries were well represented, each one highly individual in both its display and stock. For, it should be remembered here, that in those days this was a provincial show, unheard of nationally and not yet affiliated to The Royal Horticultural Society.

But what treasures. Here was Rushfields of Ledbury*, an immaculate stand, beautifully presented, and displaying and selling [for unlike Chelsea, this was, and is, a selling show] all manner of rare and unusual perennials. And for me this was the start of a long and happy association with that nursery right up until the retirement of JH, its redoubtable owner, a few years ago. Then there was KD of Lingen Nursery**, an alpine specialist, whose tiny gems were as alluring as sweets in a sweet shop to a young child. From Derbyshire came Bluebell Nursery with a dazzling array of uncommon trees, shrubs and climbers. Are they still in business today, I wonder?

Show gardens were non-existent. In a more permanent building, a short walk away over rough terrain, we came upon the Floral Hall, although I think the title is mine, where the local Women's Institutes had put on an exhibition of flower arrangements, fruit, vegetables and jam. All very homely. I do recall in this building some refreshments but possibly little more than a cup of tea or instant coffee taken with a bun. We did, though, as most years subsequently, purchase a cheesecake, in the 1980s very fashionable, from the Dairy House of Herefordshire.

And so it was. The local town show. Unhurried, uncrowded, uncommercial. But that was all in another lifetime, now a quarter of a century ago.

Editor's notes:

* = Rushfields may still be trading. It's listed in a number of business directories for Ledbury, but doesn't have web presence of its own. Graham Rice lists it as a purveyor of choice perennials, particularly Hellebores derived from stock bred by Helen Ballard. It so happens that the north border of the accommodation where myself, Victoria, Yolanda, Gail and Frances are staying is where Helen Ballard developed her renowned H. orientalis strains.

** = Lingen Nursery in Herefordshire has ceased trading and the property is now up for sale. It's a rather attractive red brick house with a good portion of land. It looks like the nursery buildings - polytunnels, cold frames and raised beds - are still intact, so perhaps it's the ideal property for a wannabe nursery owner?