A long, bumpy road

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We asked Tina to apportion her thoughts and motivating during her journey at BBC Gardeners ’ World Live Special Edition and her experience as she do work to breath life into her howling Meadow Border aim .

I grow up watching Gardeners ’ World so when my intent life history admit me into the garden , I knew there was one plaza I require to go to show what I could do

Epiphany

After 20 years as a graphic designer , it was whilst watching gardener ‘ humankind one even that my Three Kings' Day pass off . I was sick of using design to betray yet more ‘ stuff and nonsense ’ to citizenry , I want to expend plan for good rather than evil ! I sleep together the power of good pattern could enhance someone‘s temper and mayhap even their mind-set but I was n’t sure where that will me . I ’d dabble with midland innovation but it did n’t have the deeper connecter I was seem for .

It was hearing Adam Frost speak one Friday evening that the incandescent lamp finally burst into light . He talk about figure the means I did , yet his subject issue was growing , hold out and actually gain the satellite as well as the people . Bingo ! I knew there and then that I ’d bump what I ’d been look for . Thanks Adam !

Tina bee photo

A long, bumpy road

The road to BBC Gardener ’s World Live Special Edition 2021 was a long one ! I first get through the squad back in September 2019 , before of the show due to take seat in 2020 . We all have a go at it what happened next , the world went into lockdown and everything ground to a halt . Unfortunately , not before I buy rather a lot of plants .

I attempted to keep these ever expanding seedlings , plugs and small plant going through that first unsettling lockdown in spring / summer 2020 . During this sentence we were still survive in London with a polytunnel taking up most of the garden , later shun to the allotment as the splash around pool take aim preference ( quite powerful too ) .

We ’d decided to move out of London before the pandemic smash and bump our new home just before lockdown . While the sale and leverage break through the plants largely fail . High winds destroyed the polytunnels , homeschooling and dubiousness zapped my ebullience and my Dad ’s worsen illness all added up to a pretty hard time to say the least .

Meadow Border photo

Everything culminated in late July . After 20 years in London we moved into our dream house in the country on the Tuesday and said cheerio to my Dad on the Friday . peradventure the strangest and hardest calendar week I ’ve known .

With the show back on for June 2021 , I was off and lam again , albeit in that strange autopilot that grief creates . Once again the polytunnel failed me . High tip one night hook the whole thing and we found it the next day , over the out - building , down the bank and in a ditch . Not one to give up , and with a very supportive folk , it was metre to move everything indoors !

Flower Power

Through utter mollycoddling , germ trays turned into hundreds of happy heap . With all my annuals sow extremely too soon to ensure they ’d in spades be in full flower for June , the continued pandemic meant the show was now pushed back to the end of August . I was n’t going to give up now so I ploughed on , again , this time deadheading and praying the plants would just keep going .

With hindsight I can see that this drawn out human body up helped me immensely . have to focalise on the daily rituals of originate flora aid me through that awful first period after mourning . I join the million of others who found solace and comfort in garden through uncertainty .

By growing the plants myself I also determine so much . Many came and went , roses flower at will ( their will and sadly not mine ) , slugs waste some while others parade on unscathed . As an constitutional gardener using only peat free compost it was heart warm to see the garden full of blooms , butterfly stroke and bees , know I was leaving the lightest of footprints but making a Brobdingnagian departure .

plants

efflorescence and nerves

At long last it was finally time to load down up the van and murder the route . With my husband behind the wheel , a vanguard full of plants and a stomach full or face we were off . A busy scene of diggers and high vis crownwork greet us as arrive at the NEC and recover our way to our empty plot . Nerves were quickly banished by the endearing GWL squad who showed us the ropes and help us with anything we needed . Then it was head down and start building the border that had been rattling around in my point , and garden , for nearly 2 long time .

And action!

After a distich of days of satisfying planting the Gardeners ’ World TV bunch asked if they could shoot my edge the next dawn with the rattling Carol Klein for that Friday ’s preview show . Obviously I said yes and planted at double speed to have the mete expect unadulterated for its idiot box debut . The whole team were endearing and watch Carol verbalize so stormily and animatedly , as I ’d seen her do so many times before , but this time about my workplace , was such a surreal minute that I did shed a few slightly overwhelmed tears !

Judgement day

The border was fetch up . I was so happy with what I ’d created . It felt untamed but curated , detailed but simple , beautiful but approachable , exactly what I ’d set out to achieve . My plant looked great and all the piddling detail I ’d layer in were working their magic , I just hoped the judges would agree ! A nervous twenty-four hour period of tweaking and wait adopt . That evening when head jurist , Richard Barnard , announced I ’d won a Platinum Award I was over the moonlight , and when he read out my name as the considerably Beautiful Border it felt incredible . All those months of surd body of work , false starts and set back had all been deserving it , I ’d done it !

Show time

With all the hard work behind me and my award in hand it was fourth dimension to meet the public and see what they made of The Meadow Border . Over the next four sidereal day the public answer was beyond anything I could have hop for . I really thought the ‘ risky ’ flavour would be more divisive but it was n’t at all . The meadow esthetic hit a nerve and people respond so positively that it filled me with Leslie Townes Hope for a Thornton Wilder future .

From the moment we come at the NEC , the show squad , the other designers , landscapers , contractors and everyone was genial , welcoming and expire out of their way to help and check that we were happy and on track . There was a straight camaraderie amongst us , many people having been on their own jolty route to the show .

Go for it!

If anyone is read this thinking I might give but I ’m nervous or not sure , I ’d say decidedly , emphatically do it . It was an amazing experience , I learned a lot and met some rattling masses in the process . Do n’t be the one ride on the sofa thinking it could have been me : make it you !

If you ’d like to take the challenge of design a Beautiful Border at one of the BBC Gardeners ’ humankind events in 2022 or beyond , email[email protected]for more contingent .

New yr , new garden , new trends !

Roses600

We ’re through the garden logic gate into 2023 , with a host of horticulture trends blooming throughout the land . Fromhouse plantsreaching dizzying height of popularity , to the colour of the year ‘ Viva Magenta’,read on for our full list of trends .

To get up close and personal with sweet garden inspiration , new plants , the latest gardening kit and more , join us in 2023 .

Colour of the Year 2023

Hand - pick by Pantone , the people of colour of the year has been named as ‘ Viva Magenta .

Pantone describe the coloring material as‘brave and fearless , and a pulsate colour whose exuberance encourage a joyous and optimistic celebration , write a new narrative . ’

Discover a earthly concern of colour and scent in the stunningFloral Marquee , burst with award - winning glasshouse and display .

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Sustainable gardening

Whilst your garden might seem to already be very fleeceable , it can always be green !

Discover ways you may make horticulture more sustainable , like upcycling unwashed particular to make stylish feature . What was a pallet , hessian bags , bit of organ pipe , and tin cans , could become a planter , grow bag , body of water features , and wildlife home ground .

Be invigorate by the BBC Gardeners ’ World Magazine column squad as they ’re conjoin by expert to give tips and advice .

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