One Horticulturalist Needed......

In February there was an ad that was seen in a horticultural website that was looking for a horticulturalist to be involved in a project for a period of a few months. The job piqued my interest and even though the description was very, very vague, I applied.  To my surprise, I was called for an interview and was told to meet at a warehouse in North London.  The interview was with a company called Filmscapes,  who makes gardens for film, television, and advertisements.
  I was still not told what the project was exactly for, it was all so secretive, but I was very excited and was hired at the end of the interview.

   

       This  project it turned out, was that I was working with them on creating the opening scene for  the Opening Ceremony for the  London 2012 Olympics.  It was a thought that I couldn't process. If you have no idea what this map is, don't worry, it took me a while to figure it out too, but I was in disbelief still.

    Even though my position was as horticulturalist, I helped and worked on anything that needed to be done. We worked in this warehouse in Northeast London mapping out what we needed to do. It started with astroturf and plenty of it.  The opening scene was called 'Green and Pleasant Land' and it involved a mix of real and faux plants.   We took the astroturf and measured and cut out the shapes for the scene, which was then given treatments.

 

 We then proceeded to make it look real by shearing it, painting it, and 

even  adding small plastic plants to look like weeds for height and interest.

    Spending hours each day in a warehouse cutting astroturf and consuming cup after cup of tea, and chocolate, can make you a bit crazy. That is when  'Turfie' , our mascot, was born.

    But while we were furiously finishing all the turf that was needed (over the course of 3 months), the stage was being built inside the stadium. Once that was complete, and our turf was finished, we  moved on site, inside the Olympic Stadium.My eyes were huge with excitement at the size of it all,

 

The base for the mountain, or the Tor, was just getting finished a day after we moved on site.

    Once done, the huge faux Oak tree was hoisted above the Tor and we set to work attaching our meadow turf which was to cover the whole of it. Capillary matting was put down first to add a layer that would hold moisture for the roots, followed by chicken wire, and then squares of meadow turf.

  

All those yellow high-vis are the team turfing up the Tor, which gives you an idea of the immense scale of the structure.

 

     Once completed,  the newly turfed Tor gave life to our surroundings, becoming the dominant feature in the stadium. This put many smiles on the faces of the people working there.

       The real mixed hedgerows, which would be used on the stage as props were then unloaded, making my heart beat faster and my grin grow wider.  My role as horticulturalist was now coming into play and that made my work even more exciting. First the Tor and now over 100 hedgerows.

    There were also live turf too that was going to be used on the stage for the performance.  These were all for an area we called 'Essex' which was going to have real sheep were grazing on it during the Opening Ceremony. 

\

       Each piece was  on  a growing mat with handles to make removal easier for the cast during the change from one scene to the next.  Add that to more live pieces of material for me to care for.

 There were a mix of real and faux plant material used throughout, as seen here with fellow colleagues mixing artificial poppies into the real dried wheat used to create a field.

    One of the workers on the roof supplied this aerial shot of our work from above, an incredible sight to see for all the hard work we were doing. This now made the map (first image) I first came across pale in comparison to the stage being dressed like this.

     Each day at work consisted of watering, watering, and making sure that everything was staying alive and healthy.  Each day consisted of carting heavy hose wheels back and forth to water, truly doing laps all over the stadium.  The view from the top of the Tor was incredible where one could survey all the action taking place all around. The action was happening on the Tor too though,

with the meadow coming into effect after a few weeks of care,

and being witness to seeing such vibrant flowers carpet the turf, like the yellow blooms of Lotus corniculatus.

                     At the end of another 11 hour day, I was able to see the Tor lit up at night.

       The work didn't stop there though. A wildflower meadow mix was installed all around the stage, which was to grow on a slant of 45 degrees, again on a layer of capillary matting, on wood. 

 

This wrapped all the way around the stage itself. Each day this was watered, sometimes twice a day, and over time it went from spindly looking, 

to a thicker,

and more lush planting.

         There were Layia platyglossa, Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), Papaver commutatum, Escholzia californica, and Sweet Alyssum, among others.

Every few days  the wildflower verge

was changing it's colors.

     A few days before August 27th, we installed the 'Athletes Area' which was real turf that ran the whole length around the stage.

     Capillary matting helps once again with helping to hold water, but this area did dry out quickly and required constant attention.

     Once it was all laid out, it looked beautiful. The stadium was beginning to soften due to all of the plant vegetation inside.

There was an area outside of the stadium too, that had some pieces that were to be kept in top condition. Due to the many rehearsals, some of the plant material started to break down and deteriorate from being handled many times.  So outside of the stadium there was a 'nursery' for the showstoppers come the night of the Opening Ceremony. This was a wonderful mix of wildflower meadow mixes and turf.  Watering was definitely a full time job. 

All

the

pretties..

       This whole area was on plastic sheeting, directly on pavement, and it seemed like the week before the big night, England decided to have a heat wave. Why? Why? WHY?!!! lol

In total one day, I watered, for about 14  hours. My hard work, (and prune-like fingers!), was documented luckily by some newspapers and news channels that were filming the excitement happening in the Olympic park.

      We worked 18 hours the night before trying to do as much work as possible, but it was worth it when Paul McCartney is practicing in front of you. I remember singing to 'Hey Jude' while watering at around midnight, not too bad of a memory. Coming in the next day was rough but you are running on adrenaline by that point and how do you stop the Opening Ceremony?! You don't, and that kept you running too.... The covering of the molten troughs with real turf here.

      And then it started, once you saw the cloud walkers, we knew there was no turning back, there was no stopping the Opening Ceremony.  It has began!

     The people just filled up the stadium,  around 80,000 total, and the set looked so real with all the characters and props on it.

The flock of sheep coming to the stage to graze on our meadow.....

The ladies with the geese...... (and the hedgerows!!!)

It all came together!!

           It was an unforgettable experience because I also had the chance to be in it. I didn't really know what to do, so I walked around and I sat in the apple orchard, which was full of fake apples.  I snuck a real apple on stage with me which I pulled out of my pocket, which I then proceeded to eat.  As I sat there, I just remember taking it all in, the energy, the people,  and it was just incredible, and I sat there and thought,'I am sitting on the stage at the Olympic Opening Ceremony,  we did an outstanding job, all plants were kept alive and I am eating an apple in front of the Queen.......... This is pretty damn cool." lol

 Looking back I was able to quickly spot myself in the first few minutes on screen.  I decided to stand and watch the cricket game since it was the easiest place to hide. I was wearing the dark outfit standing next to the fence in the upper right.

Green and Pleasant it was......

Until the Brunel's (standing on the Tor!!).....

came and changed things (good bye set!)

into the Industrial Revolution.....(but look at those flowers!!!!lol)

It was an emotional night that I will never forget.  I was touched that England would let a recent New York transplant be so involved with their London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Thank you!!

To see so many flags of the world on the Tor, which I had such a bond with, was one of  happiest moments of the evening.

         I still get emotional when I think about it, since it was the most intense project I have ever had in my life. It took me so long to write about it because it was so personal, it demanded so much, and it was so passionate, it was such a build up for months and then just as quickly it was over..... just like that, almost a dream. I will never ever forget the joy this experience gave me, and the pride and  confidence in myself as a person and gardener.  It will always be a place in my mind that burns so bright,

and I always have my memories that I will take with me........

England, good to see you again my friend

 It feels just like a relationship between two old friends, you haven't spoke in a while but you pick right back up where you left off.   I traded the dollar for a pound, the subway for the tube, and  a large garden for a terrace,  but you figure it out and make it work.

         

Speaking of work,  the first few months moved slowly, inching along, and it took me a couple of weeks to get  get into the swing of the rhythm,

 

   but we found our groove.  Hard at work now, balancing life, work, and garden visits and catch up with old friends, it is fantastic.  Settling in here has been great, things are on track, the terrace has filled out,

 and the future is looking strong and bright.

It feels good to be back England, you have been missed,

and so have you my friends.......

The Big Apple bit me back

 

    After two years of living abroad, it was not clear if I wanted to return to New York City again, but it is my home, the place that  I was born and love and  is always running deep in my veins.  A pact was made to myself that if I did move back to New York, it would be on my terms this time.  And that's how it began....

    By chance, I came across a beautiful gem of an apartment while wandering the BedStuy neighborhood of Brooklyn.  It was a discreet building, an old rectory to be exact, situated next to an old unused church.  I quickly called the number in the window and met the landlord on site within  minutes.  

    The apartment was gorgeous, it was large and cavernous inside, with beautiful wood details throughout, glass doorknobs on every door, plenty of rooms and windows, and most importantly, there was a garden, a 700 sq. foot open canvas. That is when I knew this place was a catch.

  

The garden was dormant when it was seen on that cold day in January, but I knew it was a special place, an apartment that I needed to live in.  It all seemed slightly neglected and just needed some hard work and polish to really help it shine, and it was calling my name, asking me to help.  I wasted no more time and secured the place on the spot with the landlord. 

 

 The garden was bordered on one whole side by a church, with stained glass windows, buttresses, and views of the steeple. It immediately gave the garden a sense of space.  In thinking about the possibilities, there was no denying that the church was the main feature of the garden and needed to be acknowledged,  not fought against.  It created the character of the place.  It reminded me of a quote:

"One would have to be singularly insensitive to the possibilities of one's craft if one failed to reassemble and reformulate from the thousands of hints and indications that wait within the range of one's eyes."  Russell Page, The Education of a Gardener 

Thank you Mr. Page.

  

Days and nights were consumed with thoughts and ideas for the garden,  and it was a good thing that it was winter because it prevented me from getting out there in the garden and making any irrational decisions due to over excitement.  Immediately I set out sketching layout after layout. I needed to keep in mind that you entered the garden  on the  corner, so how would I make the entrance not seem forced,  and that the best view of the steeple was from the back end. 

When I am sketching during these periods I don't necessarily know where I am going, but when I see ideas that don't work, they get discarded. When something strikes as a possible idea, it helps set me off in that direction until it feels natural and right. 

 

Once I had my sketch I used bamboo stakes to help me visualize what it would look like before it became more permanent, adjusting them as needed helped it get to the right point.  Another bonus of putting the seating area in the back was it was furthest away from the bedroom windows,   giving more privacy to people in the apartment or the garden. 

 

The soil was very poor, and to make matters worse, there was not a water source to be found, anywhere.... (I checked and checked, and checked and checked....) The thought process was to get plants that could tolerate poor soil, drought, and would drop seed to help increase the number of  plants in the garden.  I wanted the garden to have a feeling of being there a lot longer than it was, and with plants spreading, they would help to achieve that.  Cut flowers and foliage as well as fall color were important to me too.

Over the first winter, I found some old blue paving stones and some garden furniture. While it helped to define the space more, it also seemed to make the area look smaller.  Either way, it was filling up.

 

Filling up is exactly what it did come spring time.  Plants put in the previous year had already started blooming such as Aquilegia chryantha 'Yellow Queen', and the ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris.

 

       Here is an arrangement of an unknown pink rose, which already existed in the garden, and Aquilegia chrysantha 'Yellow Queen' in the fading summer city light....

 

The garden started to take on a life of its own, telling me what it did and did not like, we started to understand each other. Some of the plants were doing great, like Thermopsis caroliniana, Baptisia 'Purple Smoke', which is a nitrogen fixer to help with the soil,  and Diervilla sessilifolia 'Butterfly'.

  

To have this piece in the garden, my sculptural focal point, makes me very happy.  This circle in the square stone piece was in my student garden at Longwood and has many happy memories attached to it, 

 and in it since on top there is a pocket filled with Sempervivums (from my student garden as well), and striped marbles that were always found while digging in the garden soil. 

I loved looking  each morning at the pots that I would plant up and arrange outside my bedroom window

  

or the cut flowers I would  bring inside to put next to my bed.   Having cut flowers on my bedside table always ensures one last smile before I turn the lamp off each night.  

 

     Many memories have been had in this beautiful space, many friends and family, lunches and dinners, late night drinks and many, many laughs and smiles. 

    In the evenings, all the candles would be lit  and it was wonderful, magical...
A garden is to be used, to entertain in, to transport people some where else, and this is exactly the life it took on and that made me happy....

It filled out just as much as it filled up my expectations, but not for as long as I wished.  Life came and beckoned me, its always when we least expect it.. Though I had planned on staying in NYC, I met my other half, from another country, a chance meeting that none of us ever know when will happen.  And I started to wonder, the mind thinks one thing and the heart another, for I did not want to move,  I had a garden! but what if.... what if......  I knew the right choice but needed one last push.  In speaking with a mentor whom I greatly admire, I told of my dilemma, do I marry and move to England to be together, or stay behind in my palace and garden.... The advice was: 'you can make a garden anywhere....'   And that is advice that I will never forget... Thank you wise man. 

So  autumn came, and the changes that were happening were real, for I knew come winter I would be moving on. Fall always makes us contemplative and I spent many a day alone enjoying  the details and found irony in creating a garden that I wanted to eventually be able to take care of itself...

  

 (Coleus 'Sedona' and Aster 'Purple Dome') 

It was a real treat in my life to live in a place that had such an effect on me and the people I know, and I just know more good things are right around the corner.

  

  Life was offering me a beautiful adventure and I wondered what would happen to this place I stumbled upon in Brooklyn, my palace, my jewel-box garden.  Happy, it worked out well, as I was able to pass it on to 2 very good friends of mine who would enjoy it as much as I had.  We decided to keep it "in the family". There is always a room for me,  there is always a bed,

  

and the garden will always welcome me back.

  

It is a place that will always be sketched in my mind...