A wet lead up to an open day

[Lyn and Malcolm]

It has been wet here all day, it started off as drizzle and at about 5.20pm started to come down heavier, just as we went out in the car to put our signs up. Got pretty wet.
We would normally have spent most of the day titivating in the garden.
We did do a bit of tying up of plants to be ready for the heavy rain, in fact we ran out of bamboo canes.
So Lyn popped down the local garden centre to get some more. While she was there she checked out the notice board, to see if our National  Garden Scheme poster was still there. Lyn had taken the poster to the garden centre last weekend, and asked if it could be displyed, she saw the assistant pin it to the board, now it is missing. Several other posters are there, some not garden openers.

There has always been a sort of agreement between National Garden Scheme area managers and the garden centres that they would display the local NGS open garden posters, but today there were none on the board.

We may be wrong, but we think that the garden centre may be against open gardens, especially when the garden sells plants.
We actually give 20% of our plant sales to the NGS, although the NGS would like it all!.

We won the Ferndown in Bloom competition for 2 years running, but the rules were changed the following year, so that any garden that opened for charity could not compete in the main competition, Just in the class for charity gardens.
We haven't entered since..
The competition ceased a couple of years later.

This year the Ferndown In Bloom has started again with new organisers, but the gardens that enter must be viewable from the public road, so our front garden is ok, but not the back. Lyn has entered her front garden.

But guess what, the main sponsor is the garden centre mentioned above.

The forecast for tomorrow is better, the rain should clear about 5am, and then we may see some sun, with the ouside chance of a shower.
First job for us after an early breakfast is to fill and or slice the 11 cakes we made on Friday, then out to the garden to try and make good any damage that we may have from the heavy rain. The garden opens at 11.00am, really hoping we reach the 200 visitors again, our record is 243, but that was when we used to open from 2.00 till 5.00pm, that weekend we had featured on our local radio station, which may well have increased the visitors. This week we managed to get some editorial and picture of the garden, in the Bournemouth Echo and the Stour and Avon magazine.

Still raining here at 10.40pm

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Heres wishing you all the best Lyn and Malcolm. It was like two seasons in one day here. This morning was drizzle, then it cleared and it was very hot and war and some sunshine - I had a very pleasant time working in the garden. By late afternoon it turned to drizzle again. This evening, it was like late autumn, wet and windy. Just out walking the dogs and its cleared and fairly warm again (still windy)
I hope you get something better than that!
Tying plants, putting up signs, making cakes and everything else that goes with those preparations - you folk need medals for all that!
I hope those visitors appreciate your efforts!

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Thanks George

A quick Breakfast then on with the preperations, we have some sun now, but maybe some showers pm.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Ive just had a walk around the garden and see lots of plants blown about. I feel for you!
One strong, long new stem on a red climbing rose is broken off at base

Over here, its dry and breezy with grey clouds and some blue sky, so sun breaks through every now and again.

That was a blow about the posters I hope there is a less sinister explanation, and I hope your other posters around the area will pull in the crowds.
Hope you dont get too much rain in the afternoon.

We can catch up on the Ferndown In Bloom cpmpetition later. I'd like to hear more about that.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Well the wind was blowing when I woke at 2.30am this morning, I lay there thinking of the wet plants and now the wind, eventually got back to sleep about 25 minutes later.
We were both awake at 7.00am, and up at 7.15am, there was some sun about and a light wind. A quick breakfast, the fill those cakes which took about an hour.

Then into the rest of the jobs we had to do before the 11am opening, such as erecting the gazebo outside the gate, putting up the "pig pen" an extension to our garden at the end of the plant stall onto the wide grass verge outside our double gates so we can display some of our plants. Getting all the cups out, milk, sugar ,water boiler and fill it, dead head the plants, recieve our helpers, move our vehicles, I could go on, but won't.

I couldn't make up my mind whether to set up some tables outside or inside as not too sure with the weather, eventually settled for both.
Our helpers arrived, a few drips of rain, can't put the cushions out on the chairs.

10.45 am and there are 6 people waiting to get in already.

I will cut a long day short.

We ended up with 304 visitors excluding children that get in free. A new record beating our 243 by miles. 
Something like 250 plants sold.
Just 3 slices of cake left unsold.
Just one of the many highlights, two children something like 7 or 8 years old come up to me and say "We think your garden is very nice"

Lots of new visitors not been before.
Weather quite sunny all day.

I smiled when I asked one couple how they found out about our garden, they had just come out of the aforementioned garden centre in my most above, and saw our signage on the side of the road, and decided to go see us 

Cleared up everything now, had tea/dinner at 8.00pm feeling rather jaded now.
Work tomorrow first job locally at 9.15 am hopefully will finish rest by 2.00pm

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

What a relief that you got a good day. We had a downpour around 6pm. I thought of you and hoped you didn't get anything like that.

Congratulations on beating your previous record. That is a fantastic achievement.
I really do not know how you cope with those numbers! I suspect you didn't get time to slip upstairs to take that photo

Nice to see you've managed to work in harmony with the local Garden Centre, Malcolm
Delighted for you both!
I hope you can have a breather tomorrow. After than eventful day, you've earned it!

[Lyn and Malcolm]

I suspect you didn't get time to slip upstairs to take that photo

Seriously as it turned out, that was an impossibility. Basically just had 10 minutes to scoff down some lunch with Lyn in our "Quiet time" around 1.00pm. The "quite time" didn't happen.

We have 3 more private groups and 2 openings left to go yet, so all is not lost, unless we break the record again, which I doubt.

Malcolm

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Can you believe that 2 seperate couples arrived during our open day yesterday, thinking that they wouldn't have to pay to get in. When told it was £2 per adult, they said they couldn't afford it, and went away.

I know it is hard times.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Almost 308 on the day then

Things must be pretty bad for them - what a pity.

[greenfinger]

Very nice result! Congratulations!!