Hampton Court

[ACE]

If you are going this year take a look at 'Over the garden wall' in the daily mail pavilion and spare a thought for a thinner,balder, worn out Ace. I have just finished 12 days of 15 hour shifts laying out the groundwork making it all nice and easy for the ladies to come in and plant.

Levelling the site, brick walls, greenhouses, long water rills, paving, turfing, laying gravel paths, hedge planting, then a final hand dig over to make the planting easier.

Eat when you can, sleep if you can and wash when nobody will stand near you. All for the love of gardening, OH is looking at my lithe physique so I had better make myself scarce for a while, till she gets sensible again. I will take her to the show on the 9th to show her what I do when I am away. (I don't think she really knows).

Looking around at the rest of the show being built, I reckon it's going to be a good one, they even have a Thai floating market on the long water. This show is worth a visit as there is a lot more room than at Chelsea and the prices come down a bit for the gardening bits and pieces.

[ACE]

[lorna]

Some photos please Ace. You deserve a rest.......have you still got that bell to summon a little TLC?

[twinkletoes]

I have only been to Chelsea once and Hampton Court once and I have to say I agree with you ACE - I much preferred Hampton Court.  It didn't "feel" so snooty....... it was a much happier place too.  There was more room to move around although there appeared to be just as many people and the prices were a tad more reasonable too.  Wish I was going this year to Hampton Court ACE - would have liked to view your efforts first hand. Guess I'll have to make do with the telly or pics in the Daily Mail.......   Well done.
twinkletoes

[betula]

Well done ACE.Really hard graft. :)

And why haven't you admired me cucumber ;D

[Tin Shed]

Looking forward to seeing it all - going on the Saturday.

[caroline7758]

I'll be there on Monday- dead excited, just hope the forecast improves!

[tim]

PHOTOS for the chairborne??

[ceres]

Caroline
I hope you managed to see enough in between the showers and were able to get out of the weather a couple of hours ago.  I live 5 minutes from Hampton Court and it's been thundering, lightning and tipping it down big time.  I've been to a funeral and changed my elderly neighbour's flat tyre and I'm soaked through to the skin.

Last year, I picked the first dry day to go to the show but it was still very muddy, especially in the car parks.  Looking at the forecast for the rest of the week, I think I'll give it a miss this year!

Shame, because I would have liked to see the grow your own pavilion and the Thai floating market.

And ACE's garden, of course!

[ACE]

Just had a phone call,  GOLD you read it here first. Have a look at  BEYOND THE GARDEN WALL

http://www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt/2008/daily-mail-pavilion2.asp

[lorna]

Wow!! I did record the TV programme hoping it would show some of your work. Will watch that tomorrow.

[ceres]

Yay!  Well done ACE!

[betula]

Congratulations ACE to you and your team.You must be so pleased.Well done :)

[Tulipa]

Brilliant Ace, Well Done!  I love your gardens... :)

T.

[manicscousers]

wow, all the hard work was worth it  ;D

[Hyacinth]

 SUCCESS!! Congrats on the Gold - must be a great sense of achievement for you all. 8)

The kitchen garden containers, tho....gotta confess they got my Gold. Loved them.

[rosebud]

CONGRATULATIONS ACE.

[theothermarg]

Ditto all the above :D
marg

[tricia]

Great news ACE! congrats. Wish I didn't live so far from the 'hub' so to speak. Would love to have seen your Gold efforts.

Tricia

[Amazin]

Well done that shadow! Hope you get a nice rest now, Ace.

;D

[Trevor_D]

Looking forward to the show, but not the weather! We've got tickets for tomorrow and they forecast wall-to-wall heavy rain!!

Congrats on the gold. If this year's garden is anything like last year's, it deserves it.