What an adventure it has been

Well the mission has been accomplished, and already feels like a memory. I'm not exactly sure why anyone does show gardens but I know there is no other ride like it .For me , it's about stepping out of the norm and being open to the challenges that will inevitably arise. Having control over a vision but ultimately having no control , there is the weather for starters , then budgets , plants, trees , working with people , creativity , faith in an outcome, faith in everything  , giving everything you have and then some , facing your limits, it's like a marathon or an iron man challenge or both  . You might think I'm exaggerating but im not,  29 long  physically demanding days working on site, up at 6am and out the door soon after , finishing at 8pm ( but waking at 5am because your mind is full of all the things you really don't need to be thinking about ) I haven't even mentioned the lead up ,the engineering,  building the elements , visiting nurseries and suppliers , endless internet detective work trying to locate the right Boulder for the right price ( haha, but true) the project  becomes an obsession there's no off switch , I become a pain in the arse to live with because I can't focus on the outside world anymore ( sorry Brian u are a hero for putting up with me ) 

I totally totally love it though! Even in  the mud and rain thank god for water proof trousers! 

And although I'm very flexible and go with the flow I know what I want to achieve and the perfectionist in me rears her pernickity head and works with my intuition to make it work .

Although the buck stops with me , there is literally an army of people that made this happen 

The sponsors 

WWT and HSBC water programme for putting their money and trust in me and also helping with the hard work and digging ! 

The RHS , including Dave green the show team  and  the ground crew

My family

My dad Owen Wheatley  who stayed for most of the pre build,  build and breakdown 

My ( long suffering) husband Brian and my kids

Mum  Pauline 

Everyone who helped to build the garden 

Sophie Antonelli, Matt , Luke , Harrison , Chris ,plantsman extraordinare Gareth and Michelle , Liz , Andi , Annalise, Andrew Goddard, Gary , Rod, Kevin deboo , David ( my bro) the wonderful HSBC volunteers (all 80 of them ) especially Cesar who came 4 days and gave up 2 weekends , and Padma who kept me smiling at one of my lowest points .

Simon rose from WWT who took on more than he bargained for I'm sure , Mike , Julian , Kevin Peberdy, the lovely  Ellie wise ,John Creddon , Adam freeman and lastly the wonderful Sue Alexander. Phew not to mention the other designers and contractors that helped when I needed something , like Andrew ,Gareth and Cherry . 

Phew it takes a lot of man hours to build a show garden and quite a few tears 

Then there's the plants and materials

Bannolds stone

Deep dale and Barchams trees

Hortus loci

British Wildflowers 

Anglo aquatics

KDS shotblasting and powdercoating 

Anglian galvanising

Joel and Mia maintenance 

Marwoods

A1 steel

B c wiles

All this came together to create a gold medal best show garden 

Thankyou all of you xx