6 days to go: BUILD DAY 6

We're halfway there but if this was a mountain, we'd be keenly looking for the way down right now. There's some crumpled looking bodies arriving in the mornings, mine included, needing many shots of caffeine before any reasonable decisions are made. I think in athlete's terms this is hitting the wall. We're all using muscles over and over again that continue to be shocked from the day before's insults, yet we're starting to see it come alive and are immensely proud at the same time. It really is a marathon.

Gorgeous plants everywhere starting to come together

Our site is heaving from deliveries of plants, mulch, sand, rock, timber... it goes on and on. We try to locate each one in the place we will use it, but seem to be relocating things constantly anyway. Kris and I are racing to get plants in position so we can get more room for more of them in the holding area. It's amazing how many disappear into each little area. All credit to the guys at the nurseries growing these though - it's been spread across 3 but the absolute bulk of it has been grown at Humphris Nursery in Mooroolbark. Kris and I worked on a planting plan to approximate numbers with no real conviction that it would work out like that. We organised the deliveries to be placed on trolleys designated for each area, but have found that we are mixing it all up anyway. Some things are working as we imagined and others just aren't. Somehow though, the amazing dispatch and nursery teams at Humphris have positively jumped into action with every frantic call for something different to be delivered 2 hours ago. This isn't easy to achieve I know, it's not easy to rustle up trucks at a moment's notice when stores all over Australia need their deliveries as well. I hope when every member of the huge Humphris team visit their stand and see how exquisitely beautiful their plants look in this setting, they'll forget the agony of the last little while and just feel really proud of themselves. Kate has taken on an enormous job in the Humphris office, slipping in to manage the administration side of this whole display and the mountain of paperwork it creates. I remember my first year at the show and the wall of forms that looked like wallpaper with red deadlines all over them. A daunting start to every day until it was over. Without these magnificent plants we don't have a garden though, and because of them, we have something really special. thanks team Humphris!

The Arbour elf

Today's build started with rain and more rain, but luckily it cleared quickly and they guys could get on with putting up the beam that arrived today, then finish the roof of the shed. Stewart got to play with his blowtorch to age it quickly - having way too much fun with the fire extinguisher close by. We had his team of students with us this morning, and they were great helping me move the massive trees that arrived yesterday. The flooring is at a grinding halt while more fence palings were sourced, so we got them going on the framework for the sales tanks. Each cut down rainwater tank will be packed with either plants or flowers for sale, so we're building a false bottom for them to sit on.

Meanwhile, the Arbour team were up on the roof with Stewart finishing off the sheeting. It looks so amazing from the hill behind the heritage listed parterre garden - the photo shows the wave shape and the stunning colours of the tin. Later today they got going on the retaining wall for the sand dune - part of the coastal garden area. I'm looking forward to filling the sand dune up tomorrow and getting the horticulture student team working on the planting of it. It's going to look fantastic with the gorgeous yellow beached boat at the end. We're aiming to have the sand dune done and the family garden done tomorrow - a big day again, but we all need to tick some things off! The BBQ has arrived, I'll find a salad and get some music organised - morale is everything as people get tired and the best way to boost it is have some fun!

The shed from the back with parterre in front.

10 days to go : BUILD DAY 2

It was a beautiful sight this morning as I arrived laden with long bolts for the posts; the boys had the whole floor ply finished, the holes and sand bases finished ready for placing the bar, and the back wall frames were up. The first front post was going up and the scaffolds had arrived. Wow! It's an enormous amount of detailed work, framing up the boxes to hold up the posts. Remember, we haven't dug a hole, there's no concrete and these posts are 3.5 metres tall. It required some engineering to make sure nothing would fall down, but now it needs time to make every box to sit under floor level, solid enough to hold these posts firmly. The work on the shed will slow down now as all the prefabricated elements are in, and now we build everything from scratch.

The wall frames are up, ply is down and the first post is going in.

As the tree trunks I call our posts start slotting into their housings, we keep an eye on Phil's crane across the road and think it might be a safer bet than using the Manitou to place the bar. It's the next thing into the shed, but its location is too far in from the side of the floor for the load to be extended out safely. The manitou will tip over if it reaches that far with 2 Tonne on the end. I go and have a friendly chat to Phil, up to his eyeballs in boulders but still gracious enough to help us out. He comes over and helps us get organised to roll the crane onto the site over heavy plastic boards that protect the tree roots from compaction. Finally, we're ready to lift the slab of timber that is our bar.

The bar is lifted with Phil's crane, starting its journey into the shed.

Once the crane has it in the air, the boys fly into action to roll the legs, a couple of beefy tree trunks, onto the floor in the sand boxes that have been prepared. They aren't light and require some quick ramps to be arranged while everyone gets behind and pushes them up. Finally, they're in place in roughly the same position as they were in Benalla. The crane lowers the slab onto the legs and with a little adjustment, Stewart's spirit level announces no beer will be spilt. We've got it right...

The slab is picked up and teeters into the garden

The 'legs' are rolled into the sand boxes in the floor


Finally, the slab of red gum is lowered onto the legs.

The day is warming up with searing sun now making a spot in the shade difficult to find. We're all keen to get a roof on the shed so we can work in shade. The team keep going on the posts, and by the time I leave, most are in position and it's looking good. Stewart spent time finding just the right trunks with branching at the top to form natural bracing. It really is a masterpiece, this shed.

INTRODUCING THE TEAM:

Anthony, our foreman from Arbour Constructions


Stewart, Swinburne building teacher extraordinaire

Dan, future apprentice of the year

Craig, team leader (and new dad)

Tim, future apprentice of the year

Tomorrow, the roof beams go on and preparations will be made for battening out, ready for the tin on top. Lots to do..... A great team!

14 days to go...

The shed is up! We have wall framing and floor ply and everything! The size of the thing on the ground is just amazing and really illustrates how huge this garden is. The Arbour boys - Anthony, Craig, Tim & Dan - spent the day working like trojans with Stewart, getting the wall framing done and up with the back posts in place ready for the roof. It's not going anywhere and will be safer to stand in than the old exhibition building.

The shed floor, braced to strengthen the whole structure Arbour's Anthony & Tim

It was a positive hive of activity at Swinburne, with the shed going up at the rear of the landscape yard, a stone walling practise session going on in front, and wine barrels being doctored inside another shed. The wall is forming the left side of a heart shape , for the 'King in the Garden' area of the stand. This is a garden to showcase a range of native plants chosen by Melissa King from Gardening australia. Melissa is a gorgeous, warm hearted, very genuine garden lover and to hear her speak passionately about these plants makes it clear that she really believes in them. So I've taken the heart shape she uses to sign her i in Melissa, and repeated it all over her garden area. I think she's got a heart of gold and that's appropriate. It's so easily lost in business and I really value it.

The curly stone wall - 1st try Ben's stone walling class working it out

So, our wall is the left side of the heart, and a lovely curved seat forms the right side. The wall is to be made in drystone fashion, starting at 400mm high, descending to ground level with a bit of artistry at the end. We worked on the artistry this day at Swinburne and the results were great! No doubt about it though, practise makes a better wall and these students know it now.

Ben creating artistry for the end stone

The wine barrel tables for the cafe also got some work this week and we've worked out what height the grevilleas need to sit at inside them. Sandra, the floristry whizz, will create centrepieces around the tops of the tables with these amazing hugs gumnuts brought over from Adelaide. These are going to be something else! Thanks Yarra Burn!

19 days to go..

8,500 plants have been ordered today from the nursery. They'll be trucked in from various sites depending on how large they are. Huge 4 metre high trees have been grown for us on one site in 1 metre wide bags of soil. We'll need forklifts to shift them into place, so they will go onto the site in the first few days of the build. Kris has worked hard today on our CAD program to work out how many of each we need - it's a rough guide planting plan that will have plenty of artistic interpretation when we get on site. We need something to direct the horticulture students who are helping us though, and to enable the nursery to load the plants in trolleys specifically for the right area of the garden.

One of our advanced Eucalyptus in flower

I feel like we're rehearsing an opera of thousands to be played out on a postage stamp.

Transrock have delivered walling rock to Swinburne today - a beautiful new product called yellow mud stone will form a heart shaped garden bed and a lovely curvy wall in the contemporary garden where the new King in the Garden range of plants will be shown. The Swinburne stone walling students will practise the build of the wall over the next 10 days, sort the rock and pack it onto pallets that make sense to how they will construct it on site. The walls are one of the last things to go in because the students are only in this class once a week, so our construction order is being worked to include them in as much as possible. I'm sure Ben, their teacher, will guide the team like a well oiled machine on the day.

Transrock's yellow mud stone - soon to be drystone wall with attitude

I have a few things to organise tomorrow before spending the day at Swinburne with the entire team. Many of the retaining walls in eucalyptus branch and corrugated iron will be constructed next week, so a review of details is on the agenda. We have some new signage from the sponsors that must be included safely without digging a hole and because sub contractors are involved, we have to pin down the right day for them to come in.

Tomorrow the shed walls will go up, and I'll be able to stand in the structure for the first time. I'll be going over the details of the floral wall with Sandra, our Swinburne floristry teacher. Sandra's group of students will also be helping her construct a pergola across the front of the shed in dried gum nuts and the like - some 12 metres long. Floral exhibits are usually confined to the Exhibition building during the show, so this is something special that we'll have such a cutting edge display in an outdoor garden.

The Yarra Burn winery have supplied our fabulous full size (not full with wine sadly..) wine barrels that form the tables in our cafe. This idea was a family affair, hatched at Robe while catching up with my brother and father one weekend. There was a wine barrel table in the caravan park, and I was nutting out with them how to have a table with a standard grevillea growing up through the middle without it falling over. Dad remembered the wine barrels and so the glass of EB Red Pepper Shiraz was abandoned (criminal really) to go and check them out. The details were finessed somewhat in the course of the evening to hatch what is now a wonderfully quirky growing table that quite a few would like to see in their BBQ areas. Tomorrow I get to see one pretty much finished and that's going to be fun..

Plotting the growing table while the Shiraz breathes...

Have I mentioned the 2 tonne slab of red gum that's being craned in as our bar? Tomorrow perhaps..

37 days to go

Coastal gardens can be a challenge, but understanding how conditions affect a plant can make it easier. Learning about this and other garden challenges will be something you can actively participate in with our garden 'Imagine'. The purpose of our whopper shed is to host all of you! 12 months ago while this show garden was being conceptualised, the plant growers and I talked about how great it would be if people could walk through this entire, huge garden display. So often at the garden show excited gardeners are kept at a safe distance from the display. It alows inspiration but not education. We wanted to change this, so the idea of a venue built into the garden that would host forums with experts in native plant growing, designers & gardeners was born. The logistical challenges this causes are huge! Suddenly we have to make enormous paths through the whole site, yet try to keep it intimate like your own garden would be. We also have sloping ground and have to make it safe for people of all ages and mobility levels, without putting any concrete on the ground, digging holes or using star pickets. Everything sort of 'floats' above a hessian cover on top of the lawn. That's not so bad if no-one walks on it, but we're expecting hundreds on our site at any one time and can't tell them to spread themselves out evenly over the path so it doesn't tip or flip!

Granite toppings path in a coastal garden

I'm not ever keen on being told I can't do something, so it's wonderful to be working with people who can think outside the square on this one! What better place to find them but at a university committed to breaking the mold in the landscaping arena. Stewart, Mike and Mim have sat with me on many afternoons now, working through every detail and gradually coming up with viable solutions. Now we have to make them happen within a tight budget, but we're nearly there!

We will have our forums, you will learn so much from us all and many others we're gathering together as I write. The best bit is that you can do all that while resting up at our cafe, enjoying the BBQ and coffee with an inspiring garden surrounding you! I don't know what we'll do if you don't want to leave though.. Well, I guess you'll be the experts in your street on native plants and how to use them in your garden if you hang around for a few days!

Back to our path dilemna..

217 square metres of paths wind their way through 3 display gardens, a sales area, cafe and up to our shed. you can build a family house on a block of land smaller than that! 217 m2 means that if I design a path that's 100mm deep, it's just enough to cover the plywood base we'll use to protect the lawn from all that foot traffic. We'll have to sweep and tidy every morning to keep it al in th eright spot, but it should work. Still, 217 m2 at 100mm deep means we have 21.7 cubic metres of granite toppings to move. We have to get deliveries tipped off the road so other exhibitors can get their deliveries too, so 2 large truckloads have to be dumped somewhere that we are probably going to want to get to the minute it disappears under the new mountain. 1 cubic metre takes around 10 - 12 wheelbarrow loads to shift it, so 21.7cubic metres = 261 wheelbarrow loads! If we have 6 energetic young landscapers on this task, they each get 43 or so loads each, just to get it in the area we want. then they have to level it out, pack it down a little and fill in the gaps. Hmmm.

We're going to keep thinking about the paths.

40 days to go..

The construction guys are getting excited - final changes have been made to the design now to reduce the amount of soil and mulch we have to bring on site to level it out. 100 cubic metres was just too much to shift in the short amount of time we have to dismantle it all when the show is over - just 3 days! So, I've given up on the idea of having steps up to our shed the whole way across the front, and now we have one 2.5m ramp only. It makes life much easier and we've saved ourselves some 70 cubic metres of fill. Phew!

Anthony, our construction team manager, has asked for a copy of the plans for all his boys to put under their pillows. They need to be eating, dreaming and drinking MIFGS now.. (also known as Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show) Every Thursday we meet as a team at Swinburne - it's a growing buzz of excitement there that is evident immediately behind the door of the horticulture department, The enthusiasm is testament to the commitment these teachers have in giving their students the best education possible. They are revelling in soaking up every aspect of the design, plotting the daily construction tasks and thinking about how the students might slot into the grand plan. Anthony's boys will work with the Swinburne teachers and students, so now we have to bond the whole team together with some social interaction of the relaxation kind. War stories will be trotted out from MIFGS veterans, and eager MIFGS newcomers in our team will hungrily absorb every word. We develop our culture of mutual respect, professionalism, pride and a common goal during this bonding session - so important to a huge undertaking like this. Planning, planning and more planning.


Likely location of bonding session - all in the theme!

The timber for the frame of the shed arrives today, so by next week some of the floor modules will be taking shape. This 12 x 9 metre shed will be constructed in modules that will then bolt together on site. We've taken levels at the site and they will be replicated on a hill at Swinburne to give a real practise run on this construction. It's where we're expecting things will need adjusting if anywhere on site is going to need it. Constructing the shed beforehand also allows the main sponsors to see how the space will feel and look for their forums to be held during the show.

We've still got some materials to track down in the next week: crushed granite toppings in an Ayer's Rock colour for one section of the garden. it needs to be a toasted orange / red colour and i have no idea where to find it. I've got to find time for a trip to the mudstone people - Transrock - who have kindly agreed to lend us some beautiful new mudstone to construct our drystone wall around the red toppings path. We're getting to the end of the materials sourcing list, but with 40 days to go we're cutting it fine!