LAST Friday, the gathering of the C B bees (the fledging garden designers going for the Chris Beardshaw scholarship, as we are known in the Three Counties office) finally took place after being postponed twice due to the wrong sort of snow.

We had a very good day indeed, with all manner of help and advice from the Three Counties management team, Ian Wright, the marketing manager of Bradstone and Chris Beardshaw himself. That man simply fizzes with ideas and energy!

During the day, we were also taken to see the exact spot where our gardens will appear, as if by a miracle, for the Spring Gardening Show. The area is very bare and blustery at the moment, with no indication of the plant feast to come.

However, preparations are already under way to make our poor lives easier as they are busy laying drainage pipes around the show garden area. Last year’s build was a nightmare. With the deluge of almost constant rain we had in April, the gardens were in danger of floating away. In our emergency first aid kit for the build I will definitely be packing an extra strong pump and the largest gazebo I can find to keep the rain off! Rabbits are another threat, so I’ve been told, but some judicious fencing off should deter them from eating our prize plants - I hope.

After a networking lunch, all the C B bees were asked to present their designs to the assembled audience – a practice run through for the finalists in the competition who will be asked to defend their designs in the Art and Design marquee in a bid to win the scholarship. Chris Beardshaw patiently listened to all of us, though we greatly overran, and gave some very pointed and helpful feedback. From what I have seen and heard, there will be some great gardens at the Show this year!

I finally staggered home at around 6pm, with just enough energy left to pour myself a large gin and tonic. Certainly a day to remember, with lots to think about for the next couple of months. There is so much to organise and so much tweaking of plans to be done in order to present the best possible garden in May that it fair makes my head spin!

On a more relaxed note, flashes of brilliant yellow have appeared in my garden this week as those miniature wonders, Tete a Tete daffs are out and glowing like sunshine. It makes me want to throw off all the dull blacks, browns and purples of my winter wardrobe, and get out brighter greens, pinks and turquoise to celebrate the coming of spring as well.