RHS Chelsea 2012 'Rooftop Workplace of Tomorrow' - The Build (Days 1 to 5)

Well this time around I was hoping to write a Blog update each day of the build, I think I may have been slightly optimistic… already the time is just flying by and I’ve simply been too busy!

Where to start? Well, Thursday the 3rd of May was the first day we were able to start building on site, and what a bitterly cold start it was! The Aussies just along from us were saying they usually do their work in shorts! We set up a temporary office under cover, but had to blag a trestle table and some chairs; unfortunately this didn't keep the wind out, which was meddling somewhat with our paper plans which we were trying to run through.

As I am sat writing this balanced on some stacked up wood, the sun has at last made an appearance, I can actually feel its warmth on my back, hope it's here to stay! (Sadly it lasted about 30 minutes…!) Oh well, we thought we’d make the best of it and Friday, Saturday and Sunday we got the garden marked out, the back wall was built from concrete blocks and the deck frame was laid.

Today was D-Day as our Estonian contractors turned up this morning with our 'cube' building. I was so glad to see them (or more like glad to see the cube if I'm honest!). The only problem now is the glass doors are stacked so close to the road that every time an arctic lorry goes past my stomach lurches with worry. I'm sure these drivers know what they are doing, but I can’t help but worry - we would have no chance of replacing the glass in time.

Mark and Mike (Giles landscapes) are doing a great job with our back wall, they've almost got the full 3m high of breeze blocks, now just waiting for the scaffolding to arrive, so they've made a start on the limestone blocks which just look so gorgeous, especially with a little splash of sun on them!

All is going to plan so far, and even better I’ve just heard from Dave @ Kelways (one of our key plant suppliers) to say that despite the weather the plants have grown on well since I last saw them 10 days ago!

I have to make a big decision on my birch tomorrow as Matthias (of Deepdale Trees) is not sure it's going to leaf up enough in time for Chelsea, so he's sending me a photo tomorrow so I can decide if we need to switch - I'm definitely going to enlist Alex Denman (Show Manager) and her experience at Chelsea to help me make a decision.

We’ve got a busy day ahead tomorrow. The electrician will be doing first fix, the decking & edging is all due to arrive, plus our gorgeous custom tree planters, can hardly wait!

Please can someone please sort the weather out?!

info@aralia.org.uk
01279 721461 / 07970 906233
Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 - Development of our Green Roof & Herb Wall

Well the past couple of months have been hectic to say the least! It is all very exciting, everything is really coming together now and we have seen a great deal of progress in our green roof and herbal tea wall! Here are some images showing the growth over the past 8 weeks or so, haven't they come on nicely...

Green Roof Development

8th March 2012


21st March 2012

3rd April 2012

10th April 2012


23rd April 2012

2nd May 2012


Green Wall Development

21st March 2012




3rd April 2012




10th April 2012




23rd April 2012


2nd May 2012
 



info@aralia.org.uk
01279 721461 / 07970 906233
Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE

RHS Chelsea Flower Show Green Wall (11 weeks to go) 'Herbal Tea Bar'

Well its not looking too great at the moment, but it just been planted, and yes we've got a bit of a problem with the Buxus - it just isn't big enough!  We're waiting for fresh stock thats a bit fuller.  Feeling nervous, not sure anyones ever done a parterre on a wall before.......hope its going to work (of course its going to work, its for Chelsea!)

This is our 'Pick your own tea bar' its full of a huge variety of mints including chocolate, lemon, pineapple, ginger and good old spearmint - we've also included green tea!  Just want to see some fuller Buxus in there, Nick please don't let me down.

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 721461 / 07970 906233

Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE

RHS Chelsea Flower Show Green Roof (11 weeks to go)

Wow, what a difference a week makes!  ANS have now got our lovely steely blue Festuca's and have planted them up according to our planting plan - rounded squares (Ipad inspired!)  Now just got to cross our fingers and hope that the wildflower mix starts to germinate, I'm told it will all look so full in 11 weeks time ready for Chelsea. This Wildflower Green roof, is going to be going on top of our 'Cube' building in our show garden, which initself is a Rooftop.

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 721461 / 07970 906233

Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE

RHS Chelsea Flower Show Green Roof (Rooftop Workplace of Tomorrow)

Can't believe its been a whole week since we were down at ANS planting up our green roof, and my feet have so not touched the floor that I haven't had time till now to load up these photos.  The team from Walworth Garden Farm came down to help, along with Jose and Kelly from RBS.  It was a lot of fun, apart from the fact that I am still wearing a moonboot (had a ski accident 6 weeks ago!).  Had a problem with the Festuca's , they weren't steely blue enough, so ANS have arranged to get in some replacements.

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 721461 / 07970 906233

Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012: 'Rooftop Workplace of Tomorrow' by Aralia

Welcome to our brand new blog dedicated entirely to our major Show Garden at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012. Feel free to subscribe to receive all of our future updates and news articles on the build up to Chelsea!

After getting the taste of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2009 with the innovative and hugely talked about Courtyard Kitchen Garden, 'Freshly Prepped' by Aralia Garden Design (click here to visit the blog), Patricia Fox was left craving for more. After taking a couple of years off to focus on her company Aralia Garden Design, now based in Sawbridgeworth Herts, Pat and her team have decided that 2012 is the year to take on the challenge all over again! This time around Aralia has an even bigger challenge on their hands, as they are now creating a large 10x20m Show Garden.

Courtyard Garden 'Freshly Prepped' by Aralia Garden Design - RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2009

Aralia Garden Design is yet again creating something innovative and uniquely different, as that’s what they love to do. Their 2009 Courtyard Garden was the first time the RHS Chelsea Flower show had seen an edible  living wall, and this year we are again creating something that has never been created before.

‎'Rooftop Workplace of Tomorrow' by Aralia, is an extension of the working office, utilising unused urban rooftop space. The garden will offer an innovative, thought provoking environment, that can be used either individually or in larger groups. Individuals can sit within the hanging rattan egg chairs using a tablet or mobile to connect and network, or larger style conferences can be held within the ‘lounge’ area under a weatherproof canopy and be entertained/informed by the 3 x 3m video/projection screen, outputting both sound and visuals, surrounded by beautiful planting (including a ‘pick your own’ Herbal Tea Bar), open to the sky. This garden will challenge our perception of workplaces, and offer inspirational ideas for tomorrow.

‘I’m personally so excited about this garden, we are so lucky to be able to showcase our garden design talents at such a prestigious show’, says Patricia Fox ‘we’re thrilled to be neighbours along side leading garden designers such as Diarmuid Gavin and Joe Swift, and really looking forward to hearing what the public have to say about our novel rooftop concept’.

Just for you, here are a few EXCLUSIVE 3D Visuals of the garden to get you excited about what's to come...

Contact Aralia for an informative discussion about how they can help you design & build the garden of your dreams, whether it be for personal, commercial or business use.

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 721461 / 07970 906233

Studio 2, New House Farm, Lower Sheering Road, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9LE