Landscaping Gallery - Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

We were honoured to be commissioned to build a stand at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show for The Patio Black Spot Removal Company from Godalming, Surrey.

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

We have made other trade stands for the same client for flower shows, including Hampton Court, Tatton Park and Chatsworth House, but this was the biggest so far, with just five days working to very strict horticultural guidelines.

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

The sandstone paving slabs were laid out in our yard for months so that the surface was dirty and weathered. We then cleaned 50% of them using the client's biodegradable stonework cleaning solution.

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

We found the stones for the natural dry stone wall in an old Oxfordshire farmyard and left them in woodland for about four months, turning them occasionally so they would be weathered on all sides.

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

The stand was divided into two with weathered stones on the left and clean stones on the right. When you take a look at the two sandstone pillar tops that straddle the dividing line, it's hard to believe they both started out the same colour!

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

The client was "over the moon" with the finished trade stand and The Patio Black Spot Removal Company recorded more sales on the first day of the show than any previous trade show.

Award Winning Chelsea Trade Stand

Building the stand on such a tight schedule was an exhausting energy rush for the whole team, who worked very hard. Earning a 4 star award for the trade stand was a proud moment. And then it was straight back to work because we were only given one day to dismantle it all!

Project Overview

Building a trade stand for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is tougher than most other shows, with tight restrictions on time and strict horticultural controls.

For example, only native species of plants are permitted and they must only be planted in peat-free compost.

But it is of course worth jumping through hoops to make an appearance at Britain's most prestigious flower show, thanks not least to an annual visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. And the 2019 show received tremendous press attention thanks to the RHS Back to Nature Garden, which was co-designed by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

Months of preparation went into weathering the stones and slabs before we cleaned 50% of them to demonstrate the effect of The Patio Black Spot Removal Company's biodegradable and pet-friendly black lichen remover.

The show was a whirlwind, with only five days to build the stand ready for the gala opening day. And five days later we were given just one day to dismantle it and take it away. But our 4 star award made all the team's hard work worthwhile and the client was thrilled with the return on investment after one of the most successful shows the company has ever had.