Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The finish line

The shed adorned with flowers

the Tunnel...

Famous people in the coastal garden


Paula losing it!



The fairy garden treasure ropes
It was looking like a disastrous day with fewer hands on deck and so much finishing to do. Any MIFGS veteran will agree that finishing takes a whole day once you think you've finished the garden. When I arrived this morning we still had 3 garden beds to complete due to another shortage of plants. The dromana toppings path hadn't been completed as we'd had to order more, and the flowers were only just beginning to go up in the shed. We were a day behind with just hours to go!

Anthony and I decided the only thing to do was just get on with it as quickly as we could. by 10am I was worried and started calling friends to come in and help. It seemed so unfair that all this organisation still came down to the wire like this. Mike from Swinburne then arrived on the site with the news that 16 students and Mim were on their way and would be with us in minutes. I've never been so pleased to see anyone in my life. In no time I had them pulling together in teams doing mulching and detailing, while the stronger guys started doing the rubbish cleanup. Everything needed to be moved off site now and quickly as the parks guys decided they wanted to mow! i wonder who put in the urgent grass lopping request and which team they were on.

Within an hour people seemed to emerge from everywhere armed with brooms and buckets, ready to line up for a job. It was like a band of fairies just lifting the load and sharing it. When Anthony and I stopped for lunch, we managed to find 2 pages of things left to do, with 3 hours to go. We set the deadline of 2pm for everyone to be off site so we could review, check and think straight. Sandra rounded up floristry help and the back wall began to heave with fresh flowers. The wine barrels took on a whole new look with gorgeous snaking centrepieces and cherry red perspex tops. The dromana toppings arrived and a frenzy of activity had it flying around into place.

In one of my garden bed checks, I found a big area of plants in a heap, leaving a hole in the planting. It was as if someone had fallen into the garden bed. Then I realised this bed was around an old elm tree, housing a possum family who now couldn't get up to their home without a major logistics exercise. Sometime tomorrow I'll have t give them a route up the tree or this will be an ongoing problem every morning...

So, Bill and Sue arrived from Austraflora and the Lovely Sue set about hanging teacups on the sales tanks and taking photos. Amidst the bedlam Johanna Griggs and the Better Homes and gardens team came through to do some filming in preparation for Friday's show. Jason from the show has been constructing his own garden this year but they still take a look at what's around. 2 pm arrived and i blew the whistle, getting everyone to leave us to gather ourselves for a final check. An enormous amount had been achieved, and while there were some things I'd have done again if I'd had time, I was pretty happy with how it was looking. We all did a final check and altered some things, tidied and swept, stuffed a few extra plants in and picked up a few leaves. At 5 to 3 the organisers came down the road calling for everyone to leave - judging had begun.

We made it. My team pulled it off, and we actually made it. PHEW! Now for a celebratory beer and to get cleaned up. It's been a hot dusty day with so much grime in layers that's it's hard to tell who is who. Phil's team patted us on the back as we did them - all a very fair contest for the top prize and now we wait to see who gets a breakfast invitation with the Premier tomorrow. i think it's Gold awards and special awards like Waterwise, Best in Show and so on that get to go to brekky, so it would mean we'd done very well if we go to brekky.

i head to a friend's beauty place for much needed attention and relaxation therapy. it's been well earned! Hard to believe this chapter is closing and I can think about something else for a while!

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