34 days to go..

The sand dune in the coastal garden will be contained within a wall of old corrugated iron and held up with eucalyptus branches we've found up at the nursery, topped with timber somehow yet to be decided... This retaining wall is going to be created on a steep slope, so the bases of the timber uprights have to be adjustable if we pre-fabricate this wall. Show experience flags potential problems like this and it's just so important to think every section through carefully. Building this wall on site could take a day or more - time we don't have when we're building a garden so large. Stewart has come up with an idea for adjustable legs on the wall uprights that will take a bit of organising during pre-fabrication, but will mean the installation goes quickly. Then we can fill it up with sand and put up the flagpole!


A free form flagpole above the car seat at our 2006 show garden

I like flagpoles, but I also like to make them in a child like manner. Whimsy in a garden makes us feel less serious about life. There has to be somewhere in our lives where we can let go of all the things that worry us, to give us somewhere to recharge. The flagpole will be made from beautiful curvy branches whipped together in a teepee with something yet to be decided. It will claim ownership of that spot in the sand by whoever wants to imagine themselves down the beach amongst this garden, pondering where to paddle the boat to next and what catch might be slung on the coals when they get back.



What's happened to gardens that they are so personality free?