Tony Smith

That's all folks!

2009-08-03T11:43:00Z

Three Quilted Velvet show gardens in one summer! It did seem like a tall order back in the autumn of 2008 and believe me it has been extremely hard work. I have only had two days off since March and it’s starting to show!

However, despite the stress it’s been a fantastic experience made all the better by having in Quilted Velvet, probably the best sponsor in the history of flower shows. Thanks also goes to my Hortus infinitus team who have built and planted all the gardens to such a high standard and tolerated, mostly with a smile, my eccentricities.

What a week

2009-07-16T11:46:00Z

We received our Gold medal for the Quilted Velvet Garden at Hampton Court Palace last Monday evening and started building the third Quilted Velvet Garden at Tatton Park at 8am the next morning! No time to bask in the glory and enjoy the garden. This was the strangest feeling of the whole campaign - never before have I left a show garden as soon as it was finished.

Tatton Park has been a revelation; it is so relaxed and friendly. It may be because our first week’s work (ground work) went so well. Indeed so well that I was able to get home on Sunday to see the family, drop in to Hampton Court Palace to say goodbye to the second Quilted Velvet Garden, and catch up with friends.

Warming Up

2009-07-02T09:43:00Z

The last two and a half weeks at Hampton Court have been spent erecting green oak structures and planting thousands of oak seedlings, as well as over a thousand purple heather plants. All of this and more in order to create the second Quilted Velvet garden of the summer. This garden is much easier to put together than our Chelsea design, but it’s still hard work, seven days a week starting at 7am and finishing at nine in the evening. The extreme heat has affected both us and the plants, with the danger of grass turning brown and oaks shrivelling in the scorching sun. We have had to devote a lot of time to watering, and this has slowed the rate of progress.

We are, however, nearly there with just the final tweaks to attend to, as well as the watering of course. Having the garden all but finished should allow for a certain amount of relaxation, but this is not how it works out. I am finding smaller and smaller imperfections to correct and also worrying as to whether the heather will be in full enough flower for the opening of the show. The heather, a variety called Pink Star usually flowers around mid-summer and is slowly but surely turning a lovely Quilted Velvet shade of purple so should be just about perfect. Fingers and everything else crossed!

The Pain and the Glory

2009-05-28T08:42:00Z

Well, rather a lot of the former and a small glimmer of the latter.

Just after posting my last blog, rashly entitled Turning the Corner, my neck and shoulder seized up; a consequence of a minor cordyline-induced injury and a considerable amount of tension. Can’t think what came over me, after all it is only a flower show.

Turning the corner in purple slate (Welsh naturally)

2009-05-12T14:17:00Z

I hope I don’t live to regret saying this, but it feels like we are turning a corner. As usually happens at a certain stage of a project, I start to see encouraging glimpses of the vision that until now has only existed in my head.

Bank Holiday Weekend

2009-05-06T15:53:00Z

We started on Friday; marking out and then digging out, followed by setting out and on Saturday afternoon we came out of the ground. As I can’t think of any more outs, well not appropriate ones anyway, I shall now talk about the weather.

Waves

2009-04-30T08:49:00Z

There is usually a point in a large project when the full gravity of the undertaking hits home. This time it’s been a bit different. Perhaps waves would be a good description; small waves of concern interspersed with larger waves of panic, all wrapped up in an extremely thin veneer of total confidence and self assurance.

Soft, Quilty, Velvet and Luxurious

2009-04-28T09:19:00Z

With less than a week before we arrive on site it’s a case of checking and double checking all the plans. No matter how many times I go over the build schedule I still feel there’s something I have forgotten. You try to think of everything, knowing full well that something unexpected will come along and test you at some point.

Have given several interviews recently there is one question I dread being asked; it always crops up and I hate it.

Head above water, just!

2009-04-17T09:37:00Z

There are some things in life that only those who have actually experienced them can truly comprehend. Amongst these I would imagine looking at the Earth from space, being the Queen, and becoming a mother, ouch! One that I don’t have to imagine is designing a garden for Chelsea. If you add to this that I am repeating the process at Hampton Court and Tatton Park there are only very few people who could possibly empathise. Help!!! I could shout, but I know there is no one out there.

Blog Paper: Quilted Velvet Naturally!

2009-04-15T10:40:00Z

I have long held the view that a great deal can be told about people and organisations by examining their lavatorial arrangements. This is not a view I have arrived at hastily or without a great deal of research!

For example, the lavatories at my secondary school were totally in keeping with my overall experience of the establishment. However, on a recent trip in search of Cordylines, I found myself at the other end of the scale. I had never visited Europlants before so had no idea what to expect. On arrival I naturally made for the loo. A few minutes later I emerged enlightened. They would have the plants I wanted, in good condition and the staff would be both polite and helpful. They did and they were.

Extra Mile

2009-03-31T11:45:00Z

If you see humanity as a broad spectrum, with malevolent monsters (can’t think of any off hand!) at one extreme and saint like figures at the other, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Sir Bob spring to mind, then what we deal with every day are the many shades of grey in between.

Cordyline Crazy

2009-03-26T16:19:00Z

It seemed like a good idea at the time … a phrase I find myself using with increasing regularity since taking on the task of designing three show gardens for Quilted Velvet. Chelsea alone would be a challenge but to take on Hampton Court and Tatton Park is bordering on the insane.

That said, after exhibiting a small self-funded art installation at Chelsea last year and bearing in mind the state of the economy, it’s fantastic to have a sponsor at all - let alone for three shows and with the amount of artistic freedom Quilted Velvet have given me. I have every reason to thank my lucky stars and not moan on too much about all the hard work and stress that a show garden demands.