Hartley Botanic, the RHS’ recommended aluminium greenhouse and glasshouse supplier, has been awarded a 5 star tradestand award for its exhibit at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. The accolade comes despite the heavy wind and rain which challenged the stand’s build and led to the showground being completely closed yesterday – marking only the second time in 13 years an RHS Flower Show has been compromised by inclement weather.
The Lancashire manufacturer and its design partner, landscape and garden maintenance company Base Squared, battled the elements (and a couple of ducks!) to create a stand which delivers a dose of greenhouse gardening nostalgia. The stand features five of Hartley Botanic’s handmade greenhouses and glasshouses (including a vintage structure from the 1950s) planted with key, historic greenhouse gardening themes including timeless ‘grow your own’ and Victorian plant collecting, all unified with a classic English cottage garden feel. The award follows Hartley Botanic’s 5 star tradestand award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Hartley Botanic managing director Tom Barry commented: “We are thrilled about our second 5 star tradestand award this year! As well as making their gardening dreams a practical reality, owning a Hartley Botanic greenhouse or glasshouse adds a real, nostalgic warmth to our customers’ lives. Customers often remember enjoying a greenhouse or glasshouse with their parents or grandparents, and as the longevity of our 1950s model shows, they will likely be able to pass this down to their own children or grandchildren.
“Our greenhouses, particularly those in the more classic styles, also remind some customers of a romantic, bygone era when gardening was an even greater part of everyday living and perhaps more treasured as a pastime. There is a palpable charm about owning a greenhouse or glasshouse and we wanted to capitalise on this through our nostalgic stand.”
Base Squared director Thomas Hearn added: “We wanted to create an overall concept for the greenhouse display which would help potential customers to visualise how they could look and be used in their own gardens. As well as being nostalgic, the individual plantings and themes (e.g. tropical hot house) should be inspirers for keen gardeners. It was also important to us that the stand blended sympathetically into the beautiful Chatsworth House setting. As well as the colour tones of the stones used, we also used reclaimed bricks for the greenhouse structures in mellow tones to blend well with the plantings and backdrop.”
