The Countdown Begins ….

A wonderful warm welcome to all our poppy friends ….

What an amazing journey this has been.

We have just had five wonderful days in at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show as part of Phillip Johnson Landscape’s gorgeous Anzac tribute garden for his great grandfather who fought and lost his life during WWI in the Somme.

Phillip’s beautiful garden was a heartfelt tribute to his great grandfather’s memory of life  at Reedy Creek near Broadford in Victoria … and his love of his family and how much he and his comrades missed the Australian bush.  The garden was spectacular … as much for its sentiment as for it’s physical beauty … and we at 5000 Poppies were proud and so honoured to be an integral part of this amazing and very moving collaboration … borne out by the many thousands of visitors to the garden and their wonderful comments.

In some ways I wonder if it might be hard to beat that feeling … but then I think of what we will be unveiling in the centre of Melbourne on Anzac Day and my heart skips a beat … because I know that our wonderful servicemen and women and their families will be so moved by this incredible national and international tribute we are planning for them.

So enough of that … final planning meetings are happening this week … and it’s all about to come together.  We cannot wait to share our plans … and I know you are all waiting with bated breath … but can you be patient just a little while longer … it will be worth the wait I promise.

We as a community …. and I mean that in the widest possible sense because we are from many parts of the country and indeed the world, have done an amazing job making and collecting poppies and now we are getting towards the end of our preparations for Anzac Day and I just wanted to let you all know that it’s impossible for Marg and I to thank you enough for your involvement, your commitment, your ownership, your time, your dedication and your enthusiasm and excitement at what we are doing.

By any measure the project has already been an amazing success story … with so many thousands of people coming together to share their work, their stories, their skills and their time … and Marg and I think, the culmination for Anzac Day this year (and throughout the remainder of the Centenary) is the icing on the cake.

We still have a way to go with the panels we are making and would love to keep the momentum up at Morris and Sons for just a couple more weeks … and we will be done … love to see you there to help out if you have a spare minute > 234 Collins Street Melbourne (above Dymocks) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Mon-Sat (except over Easter) until we are finished.

In the meantime I wanted to share a few images from the Garden Show if you haven’t already seen them – there are many more on the facebook page.

Lynn