I got the expert score with 6200 mana left over. It took a day to get a plan that worked, but once i did, i got it in 4 tries. Ok, first off the blue cabbage and the pink tunip in the bottom corner we will save and the pink and blue roses in the top corner we will save. Hit spells when the game starts to see where things are. Water the two roses and get your weeders going on the two small planteater weeds in with the cabbage and tomato, get at the rocks, water your one cabbage and turnip, keep watering roses and veggies, and do rocks and weeds down buy the veggies, going for the smaller ones first, after the first two planteater weeds I went for the two over with our turnip we need so badly. After the turnip weeds, your cabbage and turnip should be just about ready to harvest, once you have them, hit spells.
Continued....

Continued:
At this point you should have enough mana for 2 wheel barrows, a second spray a second shovel and a third weeder. Back to the game, I got on the weeds (small ones first) and moved the pink and blue roses to the fairy rings. The second I had the mana, I got a third shovel and fourth weeder. Back to rocks and weeds and of course whatever friends show up. About now roses should bloom, harvest them and upgrade your weeder once more to make it 5 and your spray twice to make it 4 and buy a fourth shovel. Back to weeds, rocks and critters and once you harvest your pink and blue roses 2-3 times total, not each, you should have enough to buy one set of roses. Back to the game get them planted, do some more rocks and weeds, harvest another rose or two and buy another set of roses and water can, get them in the ground.
Continued...

Continued:
The first storm cloud will come just as you finish planting and the second will come right after it. Now I've done this before and planted after the storm clouds, to be sure I didn't loose plants to pests, but things will work out much better if you get them in before. Get through the two storm clouds and you cannot loose any flowers, if you do you probably won't make it. Don't forget to harvest what you can during the storms and to stay on the weeds as well and when you have things under control get digging holes for more roses. When the storm clouds are done you should hopefully have enough for 5-6 sets of roses and 4 rains, get them and get them planted. Your going to try for 22 roses total (11 sets), not including your pink and blue, (If you don't think you'll have time just get the 20 roses). and as of now you should have 14-16 planted, so you will need to get 3-4 more sets and some rain clouds, buy 2-3 rain clouds when you buy the roses.
Continued....

Continued:
Get your 3-4 sets as fast as you can and get them growing. Harvest all at once then make it rain and when the first roses start to bloom, make it rain again, harvest and do it again. Keep watch on the mana, as soon as it hits 30,000, get on that statue button. I usually get the warning bell and I get one last harvest that will put me over the 30,000 mark. For you though it might be better to start building your statues when you hear the warning bells, don't wait for the last harvest. The first statue is 8,000, the second is 10,000 and the expert is 12,000, so buy your first two, get that last harvest and watch the mana count. Also remember to try and plant right after a harvest or just before and after you plant, you will harvest already planted flowers once before the newly planted ones catch up.
Continued...

Continued:
Also remember weeds and bugs are different every game so that luck thing has alot to do with it too. You need the right kind of bugs and the right amount of weeds to show up as well. If this still doesn't help, let me know where you are on the clock when you do the steps and how much mana you have. I can always get the first two statues but I usually have to do it a few times to get the expert. Good luck!!

Jen

I just wanted to say thank you for this detailed description of the level. It did take me 3 or 4 times after familiarizing myself with this before I achieved the level. And I have not yet managed to get expert, but I was much closer than I ever managed without your advice.

THANKS!