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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 14, 2008 14:40:45 GMT
My friend and plant partner has had a design accepted for GWLive and she has asked me to help her with the preparation and building work and to be there for the duration of the show. This is incredibly exciting obviously! However the organisers only asked her to do the garden (a courtyard one) a few weeks ago and we are beginning to get scared about the logistics of it all.....we can't get any sponsorship much and have been quoted as much as ten thousand pounds to supply the plants which is completely out of our reach! We shall have to do the whole thing on a shoestring and try not to feel too intimidated by the hi tech, gleaming and professional arrangements of everyone else!
The theme of the garden is native planting and the reason I am posting this is to ask if anyone has any little patches of native (or commonly naturalised) plants which they might be planning to dig up and chuck on the compost - please don't! Send them to us so we can nurture them and try and use them in the show garden.
I know it might seem a bit of a cheek but we really are up against it and I thought this might be one way to get through our crisis. It was just a thought really......
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Post by Amo on Apr 14, 2008 16:12:34 GMT
I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers!! Having cleared most of mine, I only have nettles to offer.  I wish you all the best for this very exciting project though!!  ;D |
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Post by Barbara on Apr 14, 2008 16:40:07 GMT
i've got foxgloves if thats any help. but i dont know how they would do in the post.
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Post by Shrubrose on Apr 14, 2008 17:20:41 GMT
Oh how exciting 4P but fully understand the trepidation. Do you think you could do a list of the sorts of things you'd like to collect - would be easier for some of us to get our heads around what you're looking for and whether we've got it and can send it on.  |
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Post by Plocket on Apr 14, 2008 18:01:50 GMT
Oh WOW!!!! That is fantastic 4P but I can understand your trepidation.
I'm hopeless at knowing what's native and what's not but if I've got anything you are more thank welcome. What sort of things are you looking for?
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Post by Yakram on Apr 14, 2008 19:10:14 GMT
Good luck with this fantastic opportunity.
Just a thought - perhaps your local Wildflower Centre, Conservation Trust, Nature Reserve, NT garden or even the CAB might be able to point you in the right direction?
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 14, 2008 19:34:04 GMT
It's fairly nervewracking isn't it? But I am really looking forward to it... I think my friend has probably contacted most of the organisations you mention, Yakram - the trouble is that we have so little time to sort it all..... I'll post a list as soon as I have one - my friend sent me one in the post this morning. |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 14, 2008 19:36:39 GMT
If you have anything you'd like growing from seed for the show maybe some of us can have a bash. Or maybe they wouldn't be big enough in time for the event...give us a list and some of us can get started!
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Post by Tig on Apr 14, 2008 19:39:57 GMT
Crikey 4P what an exciting challenge! As said previously if you can give us some examples of what you would like donated we may be able to arrange a 'rescue' parcel for you to nurture, I have some native stuff that has self sown - shame I've just had a tidy and removed loads of buddleia seedlings ;D
x Tig
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 14, 2008 19:41:57 GMT
Thanks for that lovely offer Cheery love but I just don't think native plants will be ready in the time available. They often germinate very patchily and will need weeks to reach the right size - I think it's a bit too problematic to attempt it and also they will be harder to post when they reach a decent time. I have some trays going but so far they haven't done anything at all - and they've been there all winter.......
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Post by Spruance on Apr 15, 2008 23:10:30 GMT
Have you thought of involving the local school 4P? You've done them a big favour by designing and building their school garden, so perhaps the head would put out a message to parents to look for suitable plants in their gardens. Also, if you get the school onboard, potential sponsors may be a little less reluctant to help out.  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 16, 2008 6:55:33 GMT
It's a lovely thought Spruance but with the current wave of apathy which is engulfing me when I asked for parents to help me at gardening club (lots of children want to come along - they can't - unless I get more adults to help) I have very little faith in any other sort of involvement! I'd like to chuck nearly all of them in the recycling bin and start again! Bunch of useless, miserable, short sighted........etc etc! My friend is investigating meadow grass matting atm - apparently it is full of native flowers and grasses. I think the transportation of it when it is in full bloom may be a bit difficult though. I do appreciate everyone's thoughts and ideas though thank you all! I am hoping the post brings me a full plant list today from her - although we don't get our post delivered until 4pm sometimes... I'll put it on here as soon as I have it though. X |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 16, 2008 8:38:09 GMT
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 16, 2008 8:42:51 GMT
Ah people who are letting their children down.
Now there is a good source for guilt driven sponsorship.
Just try and get them to cough up.
As for the grass matting.
Why not cut it up and knit together again at the show?
But in all what a lovely project 4P
Daunting yes but just keep going and you will get there.
How about you PM me your adress. I'll send you 10 Euro.
Not a clue what that is in Pounds but I'll try to swap before sending.
Maybe more want to help out this way.
( No way are my native weeds going to be able to help you ;D )
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 16, 2008 8:47:02 GMT
What a love you are Dutchy! I really couldn't accept though - very kind of you to offer but I won't take any money off any of you! And although I think they're letting their children down, I don't expect any of them do - I imagine they think it's me that's the strange old woman wanting to get their kids all mucky ;D
The good news is that Pru has managed to get all the native trees she needs donated and has got a big chunk of the structures in the garden made and finished off so we are getting along a bit now - which is a relief!
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 16, 2008 18:01:39 GMT
That's OK 4P, I offered because I know how hard it can be to realize your dreams and any little help is always welcome. Having said that I can understand that you would rather not take money from us nuttybunchers but trying to post Dutch coochgrass will certainly raise some eyebrows ;D Good thing your friend got all the trees she wanted for free. Well done. And since she has almost all the structure done too I think her name could very well be Chuckles. There is a nice and positive madness in there |
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Post by Plocket on Apr 17, 2008 7:09:18 GMT
Oh wow that's good news 4P - do let us know what else you need though. Even if you won't accept money I'm sure we can help provide in other ways |
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 19, 2008 8:14:57 GMT
Postie finally the planting list and plan and it looks to me as if we will have enough native plants fortunately (so initial panic over - next: the REAL panic! ;D). So, many thanks for all your very kind offers but our need now seems to be for a few mature native shrubs and a bit of topiary! (And I am NOT asking any rather large parcels containing the odd shrubbery from any of you! ;D). Pru seems confident that we will have the components all assembled in time so despite my initial squawking I shall now just concentrate on bringing on my selection of native plants now....
I hope to see quite a few of you at GWLive anyway! Coo.....
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Post by Dr Bill on Apr 19, 2008 13:16:52 GMT
I hope to see quite a few of you at GWLive anyway! Coo..... Mrs Bill and I will be there - really looking forward to it |
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 19, 2008 16:20:57 GMT
Oh DrBill - please come and introduce yourself - it would be lovely to meet you both! I shall try and scrub clean after all the frantic building and planting..... ;D
Likewise anyone else, I'd love to meet you - people will think we're nutters if we screech out our user names but who cares - that's exactly what we did last year - and Cheery was wearing her Groucho Marx mask too....
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Post by Amo on Apr 19, 2008 16:50:55 GMT
Almost carnations and The Times under the clock at 12 eh?!?!? |
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Post by Shrubrose on Apr 19, 2008 17:55:13 GMT
Numpty question coming.... is it at the NEC?
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Post by Amo on Apr 19, 2008 18:13:52 GMT
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Post by Shrubrose on Apr 19, 2008 19:32:51 GMT
ooo thanks Amo. I can feel a little excursion coming on ;D
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Post by MamIDdau on Apr 20, 2008 13:51:59 GMT
I think I'm going to GWL in June....
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 20, 2008 19:04:08 GMT
Oh do! I want as many as possible to come and say hello - it will be lovely to meet you all (but even if you hate our garden PLEASE grit your teeth and smile.... ;D)
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Post by 4pygmies on May 31, 2008 6:46:10 GMT
Just wanted to say that I am off on our Big Adventure on Monday. I am really really looking forward to it and intend to enjoy every moment of the building and making of my friend's garden - all the pleasure and none of the responsibility - pretty fine eh? ;D If you are about at the show I would love to meet you all - please come and say hello! Just shout '4pygmies! Where are yooooo?' and I'll appear as if by magic..... ;D
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Post by Shrubrose on May 31, 2008 7:04:55 GMT
I feel excited for you 4P. I'm sure it'll be hard work - most things worth doing are, aren't they? Just know you will really enjoy the experience though. I wouldn't have a clue how to go about something like that and how lucky is your friend having a mate like you to help ;D |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 31, 2008 7:24:23 GMT
eeeeeh...'citing isn't it? we always knowed our 4P would go far.... ;D
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Post by Chuckles on May 31, 2008 7:40:56 GMT
Best of luck 4P with the Big Adventure I'm sure it will all work out fine and be a wonderful experience. I'll try and find you, if you get a poke in the ribs you know it's me ;D
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4P have you gone 
