Hillier is to return to the central Monument site in the Grand Pavilion at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show as it attempts to win a 75th consecutive Gold Medal with its “greatest ever” exhibit.

The design by Lilly Gomm will feature 21 of its famous mature trees – but the main spectacle will be the recreation of the iconic Hillier shop front from 1864, which will be the entrance to the walkthrough garden experience.

The exhibit will be an immersive walkthrough, winding around the famous central monument, bursting with planting inspiration throughout its 387.5 sq.m –85% more than in 2019.

The historic shopfront replica will transports visitors back to the humble beginnings of the company, which started from a single florist shop and small patch of nursery land. Following a path past the shop, visitors will discover a large garden with a stone-walled walkway taking them on a journey filled with semi-mature trees, large shrubs and colourful herbaceous planting schemes. The finale of the garden’s winding walkway will be a water feature – a place to ‘reflect’ on 155 years of history.

The designer,Lilly Gomm, made her Chelsea debut with Hillier in 2019, winning Gold. “The design this year is intended to capture the essence of Hillier, stand out and be memorable, at the same time as featuring the detailed stunning planting and variety that Hillier is known for,” she said.

The garden will highlight the extensive variety of plants grown on the Hampshire nursery and available in all 17 Hillier Garden Centres.

Chris Francis, director of retail and wholesale, said: “This garden recognises and celebrates something incredibly special so it’s only fitting that we have our greatest exhibit ever! We are thrilled to be working with Lilly again. She is immensely talented and created a stunning garden for us last year. This year’s design is incredible; the idea of recreating the original shopfront is certainly going to be remarkable and I know real attention is being paid to historic detail. We can’t wait to see it all come to life!”

The Hillier exhibit is once again sponsored by power tool manufacturer STIHL. Simon Hewitt, head of marketing for STIHL GB, said: “The Hillier designs wow us every year, yet each time they seem to create something even more spectacular and breathtaking. With the huge space and shopfront recreation, not to mention the planting and horticultural expertise, we have no doubts that this year’s garden will be the best ever. We are thrilled to sponsor it and to be working with Hillier to once again create one of the biggest talking points of the show.”