The Aftermath

On the Friday of the show I was featured in the televised programme of Gardener's World Live which was great (to watch the programme click here) - I have been incredibly lucky with this show with such positive publicity. Joe Swift seemed to genuinely like the garden and the design details which was a great confidence boost.

To add to this, the public voted my garden as their overall favourite between the NS&I sponsored gardens which I am sure had something to do with the fact that a lot of the people coming had seen the programme on Friday night. Carol Klein presented me with the award and a much appreciated bottle of Champagne.

Amazing what a few minutes of TV can do - I even had one comment saying "You were just like us yesterday and now you're all famous"...not quite but maybe one day! Some of the best comments were that people (especially mums) had been inspired by my decision to re-train and set up my own business, and others said that they had come to the show to see my garden after seeing it on TV.

The garden was used as a set for numerous photo shoots for publicity and promotions by both the BBC and Haymarket, which again was great - although a fair few of the 'models' kept sitting on my raised bed and squashing the plants which was less than great. The celebrity chef, James Martin, came and sat on my coriander and I was advised to try and auction it off to his adoring fans...instead I asked him to sign my blackboard wall and he said he liked the garden - so all was forgiven.

So all is now done and the show garden is sitting in pieces in my garden ready and waiting to be installed there. I brought all the plants home with me as I couldn't throw them but have started harvesting and last night we had a box load of fresh peas straight form the pods (never seen my kids eat peas with such enthusiasm) and delicious strawberries. Having learnt very quickly how to grow some fruit and veg I can't imagine not doing so - it's such a cliche, but there is so much satisfaction to be had from picking and eating straight from the garden.

The whole process of putting on a show garden is both exhilerating and exhausting and I am glad to be back home and less an absent mother and wife....but design ideas are already floating around my head for either Hampton Court or Chelsea...one of the judges did ask if he'd be seeing me at Chelsea...and I wouldn't want to dissapoint!

To see more photographs of the garden please visit my website.