HTA reveals Chelsea plans and urges retailers to get involved
Published: 13 February 2018 - Fiona Garcia
The HTA exhibit will incorporate four gardens that flow together as one and promises activities and ideas that garden retailers can use in store to join in with the Chelsea buzz
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) will be exhibiting within the Discovery Zone in the Great Pavilion at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and promises an exhibit that UK garden centres can get behind and replicate in store to join in with the buzz..
Explaining its plans, the HTA said that its showcase, titled The Great Escape, will “highlight some of the ways in which people of all ages enjoy their outdoor space – for relaxing, growing, playing, engaging with nature with supporting information about the benefits that this brings”. It will also demonstrate the role of UK garden centres and initiatives, such as National Children’s Gardening Week, in helping to spread the message about the wider benefits of plants, gardens and gardening.
HTA president Adam Taylor said: “We are excited to be back at RHS Chelsea Flower Show to showcase the UK garden industry. This year, situated in the Discovery Zone, we have a great opportunity to educate, engage and inspire the public on the benefits of plants and gardening.”
He adds, “It will be possible for many of the ideas featured to be replicated within garden centres and this will be a great way of joining in with the activity and the buzz around the show.”
The exhibit has been designed by Chris Collins (Chris Collins Horticulture) with four spaces that all come together to create one unified garden, representing the various ways in which the garden can benefit your health. This will be done using grow-your-own-related plant materials and accessories, wildlife-boosting plants and nature housing to encourage sustainability of endangered small animals and insects, as well as exercise and relaxation areas in which to promote the UK garden industry.
The four spaces are detailed below:
The Orb Den - a garden kitchen to propagate and grow micro-crops featuring a mounted bug hotel, compost robot, solar panel, stepping stones and an alternative water saving device.
The Urban Garden - a pot garden to encourage the amateur gardener featuring tiered hanging baskets, containers, mounted bat box, bird boxes, weather station, hedgehog house, insect tower, barbecue, stepping stones and reconditioned decking.
The Outdoor Gym - a hub to promote health and well-being for all the family featuring exercise equipment, containers, fruit area, mounted tool rack and mounted bird boxes.
The Summer House - a place of serenity and relaxation to enjoy the garden all year-round featuring a summer house, birch trees and horn beam, herbaceous planting, seating, mounted bird boxes and camomile lawn areas.
Mr Taylor encourages retailers to look out for further communications about the opportunities to get involved and plans for linked activities via the HTA’s website https://hta.org.uk/event_listing/rhs-chelsea-flower-show.html