The design has been revealed for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show industry showcase exhibit entitled “40 Sunbury Road” and the HTA is calling for its members to help contribute to the garden.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says plans are progressing well for the first back garden exhibit to be hosted in the Great Pavilion at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

The exhibit, “40 Sunbury Road”, which is being run in conjunction with Peter Seabrook and national tabloid The Sun, is a celebration of Mr Seabrook’s 40 years working at the newspaper. The objective of the project is to create a typical, modest suburban back garden that consumers and visitors to the show can relate to.

The garden will contain a patio area and small children’s garden, hanging baskets and containers, a wildlife area, a shed, greenhouse and living walls. Trees and shrubs and other structural elements will be provided by HTA and Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) members and garden product supplier members.

The RHS is calling for contributions to help fill the garden exhibit and the HTA is encouraging its members to get involved. Hopes are to include a wide range of plants in this year’s exhibit, including annuals and basket/container plants, perennials, shrubs, a couple of small trees, cordon fruit trees, vegetable, salad and herb plants.

The HTA asks that any members who can help contribute to the garden should get in touch, detailing what they are able to provide, by emailing HTA Director of Operations Martin Simmons martin.simmons@hta.org.uk

Last year, over 100 companies contributed to the RHS’s exhibit, which attracted much interest on press day at Chelsea. According to the HTA, visitors included Head of News UK Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall, as well as actors Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton.  Minister for Defra, George Eustice MP also spent half an hour visiting the stand and finding out more about collaboration across the industry.