11 days to go, BUILD DAY 1

We're on site at last, more than a year after I was approached to design this garden and some 9 months after the first construction meetings at Swinburne Uni. It's a big moment for the whole team, relieved now that we can just get on with the show.



Protecting the lawn & marking out

Today the entire site was covered in fabric to protect the lawn from damage. Kris and I marked out the placement for the shed using all the measurements plotted on the computer. It's so important to get the shed in exactly the same position as we pegged it out in 6 months ago, as the floor panels have been made to fit the slope snugly. It all goes to plan and there's only 50mm of packing required in a few places. What a credit to the Swinburne team for getting that so precise by recreating the slope in their landscape yard.




The shed floor goes down and sales tanks arrive


Across the road from us another huge site is being mapped out by Phil Johnson and his team - another natural wonderland of Australian bush is being created over there, with massive rocks being craned in. We compete for crane space as our deliveries start rolling in. First, the rainwater tanks that form our plant sales area, along with the eucalyptus branches we'll make a pergola from. Then the bar arrives, our massive 2 tonne slab of red gum. It gets parked in the coastal garden ready to be moved in place with a Manitou - like a forklift.





The bar arrives on the crane truck

Meanwhile, the boys are working hard on the shed floor, getting the ply base down and the back posts up. Everyone is pretty happy with what's been achieved in one day and they head home ready for a big day tomorrow.