RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2008
8th July to 13th July 2008
Back to Show & Events page .....
Back to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2008 index
Archive RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2007 - review
Claudia de Yong at Hampton Court
Claudia makes a welcome return to RHS Hampton Court with the Dorset Water Lily Garden Romantic Charm. Designed to reflect the romance and charm of the Meditteranean style, the garden plays on the senses, the sweet smell of many plants and the soft tones of the planting as well as of the gentle flow of water from the wall at the back of the pond.
Working with our climate change, many plants in this garden will thrive with our increasingly warmer, milder seasons. The pool clad in stone and raised on all sides draws the onlooker to the beautiful lilies that open up creating a serene and calming atmosphere. A meandering gravel path leads to the pool. Seating areas around allow relaxation from which to enjoy the heavenly scent.
Dorset Water Lily aim to highlight the diversity of these plants, many of which are grown on the nursery in Dorset without any heat and are fully sustainable and adaptable to the British Climate.
Claudia shares with us her experiences during the buld-up to RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2008. We will be updating her 'blog' as she reports in. For more information about Claudia log onto her website at: http://www.claudiadeyong.com
Day 1:
First day of Hampton Court and here is a picture in true Reckless Gardener style. First time for me on a digger. It took off once and I nearly hit a tree but I soon got the hang of it and nearly cleared the site! The joys of doing a show garden. No loos yet. Had to leave the area to drive and find one - and people want to do this!! Mad.
Day 2:
You have to be mad to do a show garden. I know this is my 6th one but I still haven't learnt my lesson.
When you have to balance, two children, one who has just turned 18, exams for both girls, a dog to walk , a cat who is not allowed to go out in case she gets attacked by a fox, shop for food, do the school run, clean and cook and oh, do a show garden.…...
Day 3:
I am exhausted just reading about my life! Off the digger today, yesterday was fun. Today I went in search of plants. But guess what. It's the 'wrong time of year! I am too late. Plants have blown or are not available. Oh to have lots of money to do a show garden! Never mind, tomorrow is another day. In for a penny....
Day 4:
Just got in and it's day four. It's now 9.20. Exhausted.spent the morning at the doctor with my eldest daughter who was ill.Then went to buy sandwiches for two guys helping on the site. Took my other daughter and niece to school and went onto the site. Seven tonnes of stone was waiting for me. A picture of me trying to build my dry stone wall! I am learning something new everyday.
I can drive a digger, build a wall with dry stone. Let's see if I can do the garden! It was quite hot today and got a bit dehydrated. On our side of the water there is nowhere to get any food - we are marrooned. But the water pipes are on and there are loos. Hooray!
Day 5:
It's Friday! end of first week. I should be happy, but... I have the weekend to conquer my dry stone wall technique. Arrived on site today and wondered if I had been drunk yesterday when doing the wall!
Some bits looked decidedly wonky. Maybe someone has sabotaged my exhibit, jealous of my new found skill! Sadly, I think not but I battled on and completed an 8 metre 2 foot high wall on my own. Applause please I think! The olives came too.They are about 200 years old-about how old I feel at the moment!
Can't wait for tomorrow - well I can. Think I might get drunk now as I ponder what on earth possessed me to agree to do another show garden.
Day 6:
 As you can see from the pictures what a difference a week makes! (before left) Saturday, 21st Juneand been working flat out since Monday afternoon. Hardly a week but I have learnt so much from my friend and co-worker Mick. I am now a superb digger, fork lift driver and dry stone waller. Is there no end to my talents!
Got the two Olives in today and tomorrow we will put in the Cypress trees. Still no bridges in to cross the long water to get to the one and only meals on wheels so I am left raiding petrol stations to get nasty sandwiches, well they call them sandwiches but they taste of soggy cardboard!
The deer always seem happy to see me though - perhaps they like my cardboard sandwiches. I am not too fond of sitting on their poo everyday though when I have a tea break! Going to have a long soak in the bath now. Then have to feed my children. Can't wait for tommorow.
Day 7
It’s Sunday - I think it still is. Had to farm my youngest daughter out this morning so that I could continue my drystone wall. Interesting day on the site. Richard and Gerald, who are from Dorset Water Lily Company, took all morning trying to assemble a tent they had bought to put some of our things in, while Mick (my landscaper) and I were building and carrying heavy blocks of stone.
Needless to say , they both gave up around 1 pm after asking me to help because they couldn't understand if number 2 pole went with number 8 pole!
The site felt very surreal today. Not many people were there and the small gardens haven't started yet. After giving out the usual cardboard offerings from the petrol station, Richard tried to do a bit of stone walling. Mick is going to re-do it tomorrow! The cypress trees are a little sad in their pots. They were potted up yesterday but they need lots of water and due to the strong wind they are getting a bit dry. But tomorrow they will be planted and the Pomegranate arrives for the back. I wonder if I should go in tomorrow! Yes, I think I will because I get the chance to drive the digger again to plant. Can't wait....
Day 8
Today’s picture (below) - how to move a cypress tree! Yes, it takes two men and a wheelbarrow. Then a designer to change her mind and tell them to move it back again!
Last day for the digger tomorrow. I am already getting withdrawal symptoms. Got most of the trees in today. The garden is now taking shape. The small gardens started today behind us.
Lots more naked bodies everywhere. Men I might add. All with their shirts off. Oh to be on building sites! Trouble is there are only still 3 loos! Apparently some have backed up and because one bridge has gone up, the stampede to OUR loos will begin in earnest tomorrow. This will however mean the end to the petrol stop for the tasteless sandwiches and the burger van is nearer on the the horizon. Such culinary delights!
Day 9
As you can see from the first picture the Cypress trees have all gone in. One was quite sick and despite trying to revive it I think the shock of being in one of my gardens has made it give up! It says on my badge to get into the showground - ‘build up and breakdown’. I always seem to have my breakdown early though! What it really means is it allows you to come in to work for 3 weeks, build a show garden, do a week of the show and then tear your hard work all apart. The build takes 3 weeks but the breakdown lasts about 4 days.
Day 10
They haven't been to collect the digger. Phew - I get a few more precious hours on it. When I turn up I make a beeline for my big digger! What can I do with it today I ask Mick?
Well, he says try lifting the bags of shingle for the path. Yes Sir, I retort and off I go before he changes his mind. After a soggy baked potato with beans and cheese (never give me baked beans unless you need a breeze!), I decide to plants some pittisporum tobira nana. But I have to use the digger for this! So I dig the holes and remove half the side of the plot too!
Oh well, think I got a bit overconfident. Perhaps I should stick to designing. Digger or designer-hmm tough choice!
Day 11
No picture today because I met Richard at the show ground and we went off to select plants in Kent. Now most other gardens have huge trucks delivering lovely plants - I, however spent most of today in a 1970’s golf which is just about road worthy going up and down the M20 in search of greenery.
I thought it would take about 3 hours round trip - how wrong I was. I was yawning by 11 o’clock so I made Richard stop the car at a motorway station to have a coffee. Sufficiently watered and fed we carried on down to the nursery. One hundred acres of it!
After trawling round I made a small list and we headed back up the motorway. Of course I had to stop again - I was starving! About 4.45 we rolled up back to Hampton Court and I realised that what we had ordered would only cover a fraction of the garden. So that means I am off to raid nurseries tomorrow in Surrey.
Day 12
 Got up early today and headed into deepest Surrey to raid more nurseries. Decided to abandon my notion of yesterday, when I saw such lovely plants on roundabouts - of a midnight dig (only joking) - in favour of plants that were potted and without police patrols! I set off for Jackson's. I obviously looked exhausted even at 10 in the morning as they made me a cup of tea! I walked round and made a good list of plants and was pleased with my selection.
After getting lost and finally succumbing to the dreaded sat nav, I meandered back to the site to find Mick still hard at work on the stone walls and some of the paving round the top of the pond.I was going to render the top but had decided on a paving slab which was easier to do as poor Mick had been slaving away for two weeks with odd bits of stone and needed something that fitted! (see picture). I had a quick peek round the other show gardens.There are a lot of 'hard builds' as in lots of rendered walls and different sorts of paving. Lots of different ideas and clever thought gone into designs. I came back thinking perhaps digger driving might be a better alternative!!
Day 13
Today was a good day. Started late and Mick was already on the back wall finishing the dry stone. We tried out the water through the spout and it was quite exciting to see that it actually worked!
Only Gerald, Mick and I today and we managed to plant quite a lot. The pinus at the back of wall looked good and it now looks like a small hillside in the South of France plonked in Surrey! Tension is building more at the show as plants are being delivered more often and everyone realises there is only a week left. The weather has been kind not sure I have been to Gerald and Mick though - I made them move some plants 4 times. My plants are very well travelled!
What I find hard everytime I do a show garden is the fact that I need to keep looking at the garden from different angles as it will be viewed from all sides. Something I found quite easy today as I was jumping around so much having being bitten by mosquitos!
Day 15
Skipped day 14 as I didn't go in this Sunday. Actually took a day off. Well we all did and I didn't fancy getting up at the crack of dawn again. Went to my daughter's final leavers service at school which was quite sad as I realised how old I am!
Anyway, back to the garden. We are now in our final week which is quite nerve racking. Mick finished the back wall and Gerald levelled the soil. We decided how we would finish the garden at the back due to the high bank which is a problem by having a backing with heather. Also due to the site I was allocated, one side is on a slope so it has been hard trying to build the garden.
More plants came today and I spent the afternoon laying them out for the morning. Santolina, which I think is undervalued as a plant looked good in round balls like in Provence. Lots of thyme and sage as well as teuchrium convolvulus and agave added to the Mediterranean feel. The heat was quite oppressive and tomorrow is going to be even hotter. Good for my plants but all of us are wilting.
Day 16
Wow what a scorcher! Today we all suffered in the heat. By lunchtime we all wished we could jump in the pond. Shame it wasn't a swimming pool I had designed! But rain they say is on the way and storms, so real Mediterranean weather to go with the garden.
We achieved quite a lot today despite being near to collapse. We had a delivery of good plants, the ones I had chosen last week in Kent and we got most of them planted. Tomorrow more plants arrive and I have to find room for them as the benches and pots are being delivered.
Not sure if I am getting excited now as the end is near or I'm so tired I am getting high on exhaustion. Hope I don't get washed away tomorrow. At least it will save on the watering.
Day 17
Well we didn't get the rain as promised so it was a muggy old day. Decided to opt for the burger bar today but think I should have stuck to the cardboard snadwiches from the petrol stations. I had a very soggey baked potatoe which must have been in the oven for at least 3 days. I could have eaten it with a straw!
The benches arrived and the pots which are on loan so we are all being careful not to damage them as I will get a big bill after the show if I do! Some lilies went in and they make the water look alive. Box hedging came too for the edging around the garden and we managed to plant almost everything that was delivered yesterday.
I left early today as my daughter is having her 18th. I am likely to be in a nightclub all hours but I suppose it is once in a lifetime - not sure how I will feel in the morning - will I make it to the showground.....
Day 18
Made it in if a little worse for wear - spent so long in a nightclub with music blaring out and dim lights I had to come in with dark glasses and couldn't quite see what colours I was planting!
Today Mick put all the box hedging around the garden which has given it a definite edge. I spent the morning perched high up on a mound of soil at the back putting lavender along the wall.
Each time I dug it in I had to heave a heavy bucket of water and drown the plants. It has been so dry and despite watering nightly, plants are suffering. After a short break with another soggy baked potato, the sky became omniously black. What was that noise? Thunder - oh no!
We cowered under our tent - we weren't sure if we should have gone in the newly erected bright red Pimms tent next to us or stayed in ours. On reflection, the Pimms tent may have been a better alternative! Off to buy more plants tomorrow! Then hot footing it back to add more lilies to the pond.
Day 19
Two days to go. Started off at Chobham, in a nursery called Plants to Go. Yes, I need some to go-with me! Loaded up Mick's pickup and put some plants in the back which he wasn't too pleased about as all the soil went everywhere.
Today seemed to be extra long. After unloading there was a lot to do. Finish the planting, do the fencing, lay the path, cover the earth and lay turf around the garden.
We achieved a great deal and when the path started to go down, it really brought the garden together. We will have to work till all hours in the next two days to get it finished. It has been a real struggle as most other gardens have a whole team of people, some up to 18 and we are a about 3!
Doing a show garden means you live, work and breath it everyday. There is no time for anything else and it becomes all consuming. The show ground is filling up with all the stall holders now and it is becoming quite crowded. More food vans are appearing which is quite exciting as soggy potato will now be off the menu! Hooray. We can have baguettes and hog roast. Just hope the weather holds out a bit as the lilies need more sun and the oleanders are nearly on the verge of breaking out into bloom. Come on sun-we need you!
Day 20 and 21
Came to the showground yesterday in a good mood. Left in a fowl one! It was a really exhausting day. I took in the leaflets that I had printed for the garden. Because I have had so much to do I didn't proof read them and found a few mistakes.
I also read the article about me in the Gardening section of the Telegraph and noticed they had put the wrong stand number on and the other water garden has my number on it! I had bought lots of chocolate today for everyone working but I ended up eating 3 lots myself and felt thoroughly sick. I needed the sugar though as there is so much more to do and only one day left.
I got in the pond, it was freezing, but I moved some lilies around, added some others and put some papyrus in as well as butomus. Mick and Chris did the fencing at the back and more gravel around the path. By 7 30 pm I left to join the long queue of Saturday traffic, headed for M&S to find it closed so got home to open a can on baked beans!
Today is the LAST day – help! Have to finish the fencing with the heather and tidy up. Water well and edge the outside. Need to get the sign up and realise it is all too late now. It is up to the judges to cast their eyes on my garden and cross my fingers and toes.
 I say never again each time I do a show garden and yes - I am saying it again! But it is a bit like giving birth - although you men out there wouldn’t understand that!
You forget the pain and have another one!! I did stop at two though, children that is, and I have done 6 show gardens!! So what does that say about me! Mad or what! I do hope you have enjoyed my blog and come and see the garden.
I appreciate everyone who comes to the show and love meeting people who share in the passion of gardening. Enjoying nature is wonderful and free and I am so grateful to be able to tame a little bit of it and create a show garden for the public. Happy gardening and enjoy the summer.
Editor's note: We would like to thank Claudia for taking the time during her busy schedule building the garden for completing the blog every day. It has been fascinating and we wish Claudia and her team all the best for judging and a successful show.
CONGRATULATIONS
 Congratulations to Claudia on her Silver Medal. The garden was delightful and really brought home the peace and serenity of a lovely Med. garden.
The water lilies were just perfect and the colours perfectly set off the lovely pool with its gentle flowing water.
The garden encourages us to adapt to climate change and demonstrates how much we could grow as our own climate warms up.
The Agapanthus Africanus were just superb and the wafts of Lavender and Rosemary came through as you walked in the garden. The Agaves and tet beautiful Olive Tuscan Frantoio Trees were just perfect for the setting.
Thank you for a lovely garden Claudia and hopefully we will see another of your great gardens at a future Hampton Court.
© Reckless Gardener Magazine 2005 - 2008 Mill Cottage New Media |
Follow the trials and tribulations of Claudia as she works during the build-up at RHS Hampton Court.