It happened over the weekend. I have been jotting down notes and ideas, schemes and doodles for a design for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show, since... oh the day after this year’s. I had decided to start drawing them up. My process was to simply take an idea, randomly “mate” it to another idea and see if I could make a garden that “functioned”, however well or bad the result. This is done on paper. The computer whilst allowing a 3D form to be quickly built imposes too much limitation on geometry and has no “soul” it is this elusive emotion that I was searching for. I think I developed twelve schemes, non complete and some rather simplistic. Design shouldn’t be a reclusive occupation and I wanted some friends and the family to have a say and who better than to shoot you down nicely... better now than in a year’s time!

Having developed the sketch ideas I then spent the better part of a very rainy Sunday modelling them in the computer. I find that presenting concepts as sketches can lead to some bias, the scheme is judged not on its merits but on which is the better sketch. The computer also allows for multiple angles of views so ideas can be explained. I dutifully printed off the first 6 and stuck them onto the drawing board…talked my audience through them...my teenage son kept proceedings short, stopping me half way through my explanation of a concrete reinforced arch..”I like no 4” and that was it. I imagined a little bit more of a ceremony but by consensus no4 it is. I should also say that preferred the same design.

So what next?
Well you are probably curious to see what project code-name-no-4 actually looks like. I am updating the website this coming weekend and last year’s Chelsea details will come down and make way for next year’s. We haven’t got there yet though. The submission deadline is two weeks away. The RHS panel have to select the gardens to be built from the hundreds submitted, so we may not even get selected… and then there is the sponsorship. We need to start looking and asking and selling the garden. Probably the hardest part of the whole venture and it doesn’t get any easier. I will record the work we are undertaking to move the garden along. You’ll hear me shout for joy and curse. Bringing a garden to fruition is, however a joy, working with skilled contractors and crafts people, to realise the dream that emerged out of my head this weekend is quite humbling. That such a few scribbles on a page in a rather small note book can initiate so much effort and commitment….I am very lucky to be able to do this.