Show garden takes Chelsea regulars to next level

AN artist’s sketch of the Hartley Botanic garden planned for the Chelsea Flower Show

IT’S a case of spades at the ready for a Greenfield company set to build its first show garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in May.

Hartley Botanic has been exhibiting trade stands at the Royal Horticultural Society show for almost 60 years. But now managing director Johnny Mobasher is planning a large show garden in the main avenue.

Chelsea attracts 157,000 people a year and this year visitors will be able to see the Hartley “Opus” garden - which will have one of the company’s glasshouse products as its centrepiece.

The glasshouse appears to be emerging from a pool, with edges softened by white, blue and pink flowers. The garden will also feature part of a traditional walled garden, complete with colourful mixed perennials, fruit and vegetables. The garden will celebrate British engineering innovation.

Mr Mobasher explained why the firm opted to create a large show garden instead of its usual much smaller trade stand.

“After almost 60 years of exhibiting at Chelsea Flower Show, it felt like a natural progression to combine our historical horticultural engineering in a garden to celebrate a harmonious interaction and the tranquility of space and nature,” he said.