‘Simple Elegance – A Traditional English Garden’
Hartley Botanic, as England’s most historic and respected Glasshouse and Greenhouse manufacturer, took our award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show tradestand – ‘Simple Elegance – A Traditional English Garden’ – to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, with a smaller, more accessible design gardeners could recreate at home.
5 Star Award-winning Tradestand 2024
The 5 Star Award-winning stand showcased three Greenhouses and two Patio Glasshouses suitable for smaller gardens (and even balconies), all set against an inspiring, yet traditional, Victorian English garden theme. The contrasting structures on the stand – the Victorian Terrace, Opus Glasshouse, and Wisley 8 Grow & Store – were each accompanied by matching Hartley Botanic aluminium Water Butts – newly launched at the Chelsea Flower Show in May. The stand had a design and planting scheme inspired by the English gardens of the Victorian period, a nod to the longevity of Hartley Botanic’s Greenhouses and a celebration of the era’s opulence and elegance.
The award-winning tradestand was designed by Landscape Architect Rachel Sampson (BA(Hons) Dip. CMLI) and built and planted by Stewart Landscape Construction.
HARTLEY BOTANIC WATER BUTTS – BRAND NEW FOR 2024
Hartley Botanic’s NEW, elegantly designed Water Butts could be seen alongside the three structures on the stand, powder coated in colours to match each Greenhouse. The handmade, aluminium Water Butts, available in both large and small sizes, have a beautiful and unique design aesthetic which combines a clean shape with curved legs, providing a finished look which is both refined and stylish.
The large Water Butt has a 167-litre capacity and was seen on the stand with the Victorian Terrace Greenhouse in matching Matt Black, and the Opus Glasshouse in matching Dark Bronze. The small Water Butt can accommodate 88-litres and was next to the Wisley 8 Grow & Store Greenhouse in matching Bronze.
Water Butts can be powder coated to match a Hartley Botanic structure and provide customers with a useful water storage solution, addressing the necessity to consider sustainability in the contemporary garden.
THE VICTORIAN TERRACE GREENHOUSE IN NEW MATT BLACK
The elegantly proportioned Victorian Terrace Greenhouse was powder coated in Matt Black, a NEW custom colour, included integrated coldframes to the left and right of its porch, and sat on a dwarf wall of pretty Cotswold stone. The Glasshouse is part of Hartley Botanic’s nostalgic and romantic Victorian range, which is our most popular.
The planting and design of the Victorian Terrace on the stand showcased the pioneering introduction of ‘new’ plants during the Victorian era which were associated with luxury and opulence – as wealthy homeowners bought Glasshouses and filled them with exotic plant collections. The plants on show represented the Victorian era’s most popular, with palms, ferns, exotics and citruses in pots.
The 10-pane Greenhouse offers a generous growing space and was shown on the stand with a potting table and shoe, along with ground and high-level ornate staging. Two chairs joined the growing accessories, referencing the pleasure of relaxing in your Hartley Botanic amongst your plants.
OPUS GLASSHOUSE IN DARK BRONZE
The Opus Glasshouse was the most contemporary structure on the stand, with its concealed engineering and its expansive glass-to-ground windows, the Glasshouse maximises both light and architectural styling.
The Opus was powder coated in Dark Bronze and filled with colourful orchids. Quintessentially Victorian, the abundance of the orchids’ contrasting colours were complemented by non-flowering plants such as ferns. Visitors were provided a tropical journey through this Glasshouse, as they experienced the vibrancy of the orchids on show. The Glasshouse was shown with a large Water Butt, powder coated in Dark Bronze to match.
WISLEY 8 GROW & STORE GREENHOUSE IN BRONZE
A Greenhouse design classic, the Wisley 8 Grow & Store Greenhouse is a highly attractive and practical structure – thanks to its partitioned-off internal storage area. Part of the Heritage range, the Wisley 8 Grow & Store Greenhouse has a historically-inspired design based on an original, historic Hartley Botanic model. The Grow & Store on the stand was powder coated in Bronze.
Displayed as a working Greenhouse, the Wisley 8 Grow & Store is simple in its layout, with staging and homegrown plants such as cut flowers and vegetable seedlings. Edible crops were also on display, including chilli and tomato plants, referencing one of the primary reasons Hartley Botanic customers give for owning a Greenhouse – to grow their own.
PATIO GLASSHOUSES
Two of Hartley Botanic’s smallest Glasshouses, the Patio Glasshouse, also featured on the stand, with one painted in a new colour – Matt Forest Green. At just 0.735m wide, the space-saving Patio means even the smallest of spaces, city gardens or balconies can enjoy the growing benefits of owning a Hartley Botanic. One Patio Glasshouse featured a cook’s herb collection and the other showed a range of ‘cut and come’ salads.
A VICTORIAN ENGLISH GARDEN THEME
This year’s stand celebrated the beautifully inspiring English gardens of the Victorian era, a period of gardening history known for its opulence and for helping to establish gardening ‘under glass.’ The design reflected simple elegance, through a minimal material palette, surrounded by an abundance of flowers. Romanticising traditional English Gardens, the planting was full, spilling over paths, and showcasing rich displays of colour. The structural simplicity of the design scheme incorporated a formal hedge, topiary, two feature multi-stem trees and paths leading into each of the Glasshouses.
Withstanding the test of time, Hartley Botanic structures celebrate the elegant longevity of this era, mimicking the Victorian style of rich, dark tones through the Glasshouse frame colours.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL 2024
The event was a joy for everyone involved, clearly reflecting the hard work and commitment of all contributors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire team that played a part in presenting a truly spectacular RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024.
Above all else, we wish to express our deepest appreciation to our devoted customers for placing their confidence in our brand for over 85 years. Your unwavering support is what makes each show an unforgettable event.
