With four days to go I can feel the tension starting to build amongst the crew. It sneaks up on you how much so many have invested to build this garden and we know that if we make a mistake now it could spell disaster.
As for me I am calm again. I have had my moments, and no more so than yesterday. When the containers were removed it became clear that the Forest Pansy’s looked tiny compared to the back drop trees. The tough decision was made for me to drive to Majestic Trees (tree growers) to find a bigger specimen for the corner. This meant leaving Wes, Leanne and Jimmy to continue planting as per plan – without me being there.
For those that know me well, I am not a true plantsman but for this garden I researched for an entire year at night and after hours to find what I thought would be the best combination, but until your selected plants go in the ground together, you never really know if you have it exactly right; plants are far from an exact science. By the time I arrived back via TenderCare Nurseries the new tree was already on site in position and the planting through the back of the garden was already in. With the guys at lunch Leanne waited anxiously for my thoughts. She started to look worried because I couldn’t say anything. For the first time, my calm persona here was broken by overwhelming relief – in my opinion I think the plants look amazing and exactly how I had pictured it.
There are only four days to go and the media has stepped up both here and in Australia, and I can now describe the brief of the design with ease. The thought of a gold medal now always simmers beneath the surface and I keep having to bury it so I can concentrate on the here and now.
Many thanks for all the support from back home. Cross your fingers, toes, eyes and anything else you can think of.
-Ian
