Hazel’s blog: the first planting day

The true stars of the show have arrived: the plants. We have serried ranks of trolleys of them awaiting their moment. The bees and butterflies have arrived too. The West London air is thick with humming and the sky alive with late-summer butterflies. 

However, it isn’t an idyll yet. All around the lorries and construction vehicles are still delivering and beeping. It is hard to hear yourself think. Film crews are everywhere. Arit Anderson’s garden has the film crew from The One Show. We have been joined by a crew from Songs of Praise. You can catch the Psalm 23 Garden on Songs of Praise this Sunday at 1.15pm on BBC1. 

But back to the stars. Sarah is issuing instructions on what goes where. But this is less like planting a garden than constructing paradise. As more and more plants go in, the Psalm 23 Garden takes on the air of a restful place, a haven, a sanctuary. I don’t want to leave. Like the bees, I’ll be back.