Members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) will be prominent at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show (25th-29th May).
HTA members Walkers Nurseries based in Doncaster aim to make conifers cool again with ‘The Pine and Conifer Enthusiasts Garden’ at the show this year. The garden, designed by APL member Graham Bodle, is a tribute to Lawrence and Vera Walker, the founders of Walker’s Nurseries & Garden Centre, which was established 60 years ago. Their aim was to share their enthusiasm for pines and conifers with a wider audience.
It will be the 22nd consecutive show for vice chair of the APL and Director of Landform Consultants Mark Gregory who is involved in three projects this year. Landform are building a design created by David Cubero and James Wong (of Grow your own Drugs fame) for Tourism Malaysia. This will be the first-ever full-size Malaysian show garden seen at the Chelsea Flower Show and aims to transport visitors to the spectacular landscapes, bizarre rare flora and vibrant culture of the Malaysian archipelago.
Landform Consultants are also building a large show garden designed by Mark Gregory for The Childrens Society. The garden, inspired by the Society’s report into young people’s happiness, aims to create a space where teenagers can spend time with family and friends and features a plunge pool and a pizza oven.
Landform Consultants are also building a courtyard garden The Two Moors Festival which is a garden to promote a classical music festival on the moors in the summer. Music on the Moorshighlights links between music and the countryside. Designed by Christina Williams to celebrate the Two Moors Festival’s 10th anniversary, the garden reflects the landscape of Dartmoor and Exmoor and the festival’s rural church concert venues.
APL members Soar Valley Services are building the "Stephen Hawking Garden for Motor Neurone Disease". This garden has been created to raise awareness for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), and is inspired by Professor Stephen Hawking. The garden reflects the passage of time through the evolution of plants, starting with some of our oldest plants including ginkgo and the Wollemi pine. The lower garden features plants that we might be able to grow in the UK if climate change continues, offering a glimpse into a possible future.
The Garden Builders are constructing “A Joy Forever” which is a sunken space for clients who love to use their garden for entertaining and relaxing all year round, but who don’t have a lot of spare time to garden.
Chair of the APL Adam Frost’s company New Ground Landscapes are building ‘The Unexpected Gardener’ a small urban garden created by the charity Thrive with award-winning designer Jo Thompson, which demonstrates how the charity helps people with disabilities change their lives through gardening.
John Woods Nurseries will be creating ‘Upwardly Mobile’ an eye-catching front garden concept that will form part of The Sun’s Sunflower Street feature. The theme of the garden, which will be built by Deakinlock, is to demonstrate how easy it is to create a garden and take components of it, such as planted containers, with you when you move home. This garden will practice what it preaches as following the show it will be relocate to the National Gardening Centre at Capel Manor College where it will evolve into a back garden.
Aiming for their 65th consecutive RHS Chelsea Gold medal, Hillier Garden Centres have joined forces with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company to share Real Garden Advice from Real People, a project to gather tips and advice from those with more experience of the gardening adventure. A Secret Garden Diary Room forms part of the Hillier exhibit and visitors to Chelsea will be invited to divulge on film their gardening tips (including grow your own tips) from the Throne of Knowledge or consult the Oracle on the Couch of Consultation.
Contacts
Gill Ormrod or Angela Bean
HTA Press Office
Tel: 0118 930 3132
Gill Ormrod or Angela Bean
HTA Press Office
Tel: 0118 930 3132
Email: press.office@the-hta.org.uk
For further information or images please contact the HTA Press Office.
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is the trade association for the UK garden industry. It is dedicated to helping develop the industry and its member businesses, including most garden centres and other garden retailers, growers, landscapers, manufacturers and service providers.
The HTA was founded in 1899. Its key roles include: provision of advice-based services such as business improvement schemes, briefings and help lines; training for members; a central buying service; marketing services such as National Garden Gift Vouchers, the Garden Industry Monitor and the PlantforLife promotion initiative; and working closely with government to influence policy and projects.
