Following the success of this year’s inaugural horticultural industry exhibit, ‘The Sunflower Square’, at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the HTA have announced plans for another exhibit –‘40 Sunbury Road’.

The industry showcase garden will once again be run in conjunction with Peter Seabrook and The Sun newspaper in May 2017 and will aim to better this year’s Silver Gilt medal win.

‘40 Sunbury Road’ will be a celebration of Peter’s 40 years as a Sun columnist. The theme of the exhibit will be a typical but modest suburban back garden, probably the first back garden to be created in the Grand Pavilion.

The garden will contain a patio and decking area, hanging baskets and containers, a wildlife area, a shed, greenhouse and living walls.

The containers and hanging baskets will include bedding and container plants grown by HTA members - garden centres, growers and seed trade. There will be an area grown by schools that will include vegetables and wildlife friendly plants.  There will also be another opportunity for Westland Horticulture’s ‘Rising Stars’ to contribute containers or baskets.

Trees and shrubs and other structural elements will once again be provided by HTA and APL members and garden product supplier members.

The design of the garden will be available in the New Year.

More than 100 companies contributed to the 2016 exhibit which attracted much interest on press day at Chelsea – visitors included Head of News UK Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall and actors Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton, along with plenty from photographers, TV and radio crews. George Eustice MP, Minister for Defra, spent half an hour visiting the stand and finding out more about collaboration across the industry.

The HTA is asking members who would like to contribute to the project to register their interest with Cassie King, who is coordinating the exhibit on behalf of Peter Seabrook. Click here to email her directly (cassie.king@hta.org.uk)