Creating an RHS Garden 30 August 2023/by Marketing

Behind the Scenes

Creating an Award-Winning RHS Garden

Practicality Brown have many years of experience in supplying instant hedges and large trees to garden designers at prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens shows. There is an immense about of work and effort that goes into planning, preparation and planting a garden exhibit at RHS shows

Garden Designers spend thousands of pounds and use their skill and dedication to create unique landscaping and show off their horticultural knowledge in their attempt to claim a coveted gold from the RHS judges in their chosen category.

Not Just About The Show Gardens

As well as the creative garden designers, the shows are full of exhibitors who use the opportunity to create an attractive Trade Stand. In 2023, Practicality Brown decided to invest time, money and effort with a trade stand and garden installation at the World’s biggest garden show, Hampton Court Garden Festival.

And, in a similar way to the show gardens, trade stands are judged on the quality of the exhibit, with the best gaining award-winning stars. And for our first effort, in a return to exhibiting, we gained a valuable 3 star rating.

The Award-Winning Trade Stand Design From Start To Finish

The photos shows the behind-the-scenes built of our trade stand from design to Press Day. The garden installation, entitled “Playing with Shapes” showcased a selection of Practical Instant Hedge™ and screening trees from our nursery in Iver, Bucks and was designed by Sales Director, Graeme Jenkins. Enhanced by the stunning “Diana, The Huntress” sculpture by David William-Ellis.

RHS Hampton Court 2023 13 July 2023/in Flower Shows, News /by Marketing

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

Every year, top garden designers choose Practicality Brown’s hedges and trees as an integral part of their show garden, forming an important green backdrop or as part of the structure within the design itself.

This year we exhibited at Hampton Court ourselves, with a trade stand and garden installation showcasing Practical Instant Hedge™ and evergreen screening trees. The clever design incorporated both, “Playing with Shapes” used a selection of instant hedges and trees from the nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire together with the stunning “Diana, The Huntress” sculpture by David William-Ellis.

In addition to exhibiting ourselves, our Practical Instant Hedge™ featured on three different gardens at this prestigious show.

Explore Charleston – Welcome To Charleston

Show Garden designed by Sadie May Stowell – Silver Gilt medal winner

The garden provided visitors with a glimpse of the historic courtyard gardens of Charleston, South Carolina, capturing their spirit, charm and elegance. The planting colour scheme is blue, pink, and white and showcases a number of hardy exotic plants. Practical Yew Instant Hedging gives the design a classical formal backdrop.

RHS Wildlife Garden

Feature Garden designed by Jo Thompson

The garden represented an urban corridor reclaimed by nature, showing how wildlife can thrive in what are often thought of as unexpected or forgotten places. Re-framing the idea of re-wilding, this garden observed nature and took inspiration from it, whilst maintaining the balance of plants for biodiversity through light intervention. Practical Instant Native Mix Hedging was perfect for this design.

The Inghams Working with Nature Garden

Get Started Garden designed by Butler and Parker – Silver medal winner

The garden was inspired by summer holidays, using natural stone for tracks and seating.
The planting had a natural feel that aims to handle future UK climates, such as temporary periods of flooding as well as dry periods. The planting palette was inspired by woodland and lower valley glades, with Practical Instant Hornbeam Hedging providing the backdrop.

Come and visit our nursery in Iver, Bucks and talk to our Horticultural team about your own garden. Call us on 01753 652022. You can also email us at hedge@pracbrown.co.uk. Or visit our website: www.pracbrown.co.uk

Practical Instant Hedge at Hampton Court Flower Show - Hampton Gardens 2018

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018 Awards 12 July 2018/in Garden design, Instant Hedge, RHS Shows /by Marketing

Hampton Court Flower Show 2018

The RHS created a new category at Hampton Court Flower Show 2018 this year;
Lifestyle Gardens: real gardens for real people

The featured gardens were designed to resonate with different lifestyles and reflect the owner’s way of life and was perfect for visitors wanting ideas to take away for their garden at home.
The RHS, as part of their commitment to inspiring new talent and encouraging more young people to pursue a career in horticulture, invited four up-and-coming female designers from the next generation for their take on garden design.

Practicality Brown proudly supplied Practical Instant Hedge to three of the four gardens in the Lifestyle Garden category at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018.

The Family Garden designed by Lilly Gomm

Silver Gilt medal winner

Gardener, designs seen at Tatton Park. First time at Hampton

Family Garden at Hampton Court

The Family Garden: A garden to inspire young environmentalists

A relaxing space where insects thrive and children are immersed in nature. Intended for an environmentally-conscious family, the garden is a learning environment inspired by the enchanting and lasting impression a garden can have on children through play and discovery, instilling an awareness of our collective responsibility towards our natural surroundings. The garden is relaxed and unmanicured. Fruit trees and a shaggy lawn are surrounded by soft, informal planting, creating habitats for insects and other wildlife.

We supplied Practical Instant Native Mix Hedge

The Health and Wellbeing Garden designed by Alexandra Noble

Silver medal winner and People’s Choice Best Lifestyle/Conceptual/Changing World Garden

Winner of The One Show Garden Design Challenge, second year at Hampton

Practical Instant Hedge at RHS Hampton Court - Hampton Gardens 2018

Health & Wellbeing Garden at Hampton Court

The Health and Well-being Garden: A new look at medicinal plants.

This garden’s scheme was to create “naturalistic, floaty, dreamlike” experience with masses of fragrance around a clever continuous path that takes its inspiration from both abstract art and meditative process. The aim of the garden is to slow one’s pace and mind and encourage a sense of being in the moment.

We supplied Practical Instant Griselinia Hedge

The Entertaining Garden designed by Anca Panait

Silver medal winner

Landscape architect and illustrator, first time at Hampton

Entertaining Garden at Hampton Court Flower Show

The Entertaining Garden: Gin and botanicals

The garden celebrated gin, the nation’s most fashionable alcoholic drink, and its botanicals. Designed as an entertaining space for parties, it’s perfect for mingling with friends and exploring new botanical associations. Immersed within the

planting, visitors are indulged with both the taste and aroma of the plants

We supplied Practical Instant Native Mix Hedge

We supplied elegant taxus hedge elements for Paul Richardson’s Steel Sculptures trade exhibition,

RHS Hampton Court trade exhibition - Hampton Gardens 2018

Steel Sculptures

which was awarded 5 Stars by the RHS

During June, we were also involved with two other award-winning gardens – see blog for details.

If you would like a garden inspired by Flower Shows please contact us on 01753 652022 to talk to our friendly Horticultural team.

Garden Flower Shows 2018 19 June 2018/in Garden design, Hedging, Instant Hedge /by Marketing

Flower Shows 2018 focusing on Instant Hedges

June

Congratulations to everyone at the June Flower Shows, Practicality Brown proudly supplied instant hedges to:

The Brewin Dolphin Installation designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes won People’s Choice at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
Inspiration in the Raw designed by Peter Cowell awarded Gold Medal at BBC Gardeners’ World Live

The Brewin Dolphin Installation

Inspired by a past landscape of the Chatsworth Estate, this conceptual garden echoes a ‘lost’ village that once stood in the shadow of Chatsworth House before being removed to make way for Capability Brown’s famous landscape. The planting references the indigenous landscape combining native plants with decorative varieties introduced in later years.

Sponsored by Brewin Dolphin, this garden affirmation from the public with The People’s Award for Installation at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. We supplied Elveden Instant Beech Hedge for this garden.

Inspiration in the Raw

The garden focuses on using natural materials to create a more peaceful area to live in the garden. With an emphasis on recycling and reusing materials, this garden caters for a family, the garden is divided into sections by sliding barn doors. At the rear of the garden there is a dedicated play area with rope swing and playhouse, meanwhile, parents can entertain in the free-form concrete seating and dining area or relax in a quiet corner.

This garden was awarded a Gold Medal by the judges at the BBC Gardeners’ World Live. We supplied Practical Instant Native Mix Hedge for this garden.

July

At RHS Hampton Court, we are supported three out of the four Lifestyle Gardens, as well as a trade exhibit.

The Entertaining Garden designed by Anca Panait
The Family Garden designed by Lilly Gomm
The Health and Wellbeing Garden designed by Alexandra Noble

And Paul Richardson’s Garden Steel Sculptures – see blog here for more details

If you would like a garden inspired by Flower Shows please contact us on 01753 652022 to talk to our friendly Horticultural team.

Pro Landscaper Nursery Factfile 11 January 2017/in Client work, customer work, Garden design, Updates /by Marketing

Practicality Brown have a full page editorial feature in the January 2017 edition of industry publication, Pro Landscaper in their Nursery Factfile section.

Pro Landscaper January 2017

Our top five bestselling plants

Prunus laurocerasus Novita semi mature trees
Carpinus betulus pleached tree (great for screening)
Betula jacquemontii semi mature trees
Practicality Brown Instant Native Hedge
Elveden Instant Hedge Green Beech

Pro Landscaper also sourced some testimonials from top Garden designers to accompany the feature with thanks to

Rae Wilkinson

We used an instant hedge from Practicality Brown for our RHS Hampton Court garden this year. I had struggled to find what I was looking for with other suppliers and Practicality Brown was extremely helpful and accommodating. It found what I wanted and sent me photos prior to delivery as I was not able to visit to hand pick them. I have specified its hedging on other projects which has always been good quality.

Tracy Foster

I have loved working with Practicality Brown over the years because I know it offers sturdy field grown stock, including the lovely mixed native hedging that I recently ordered for RHS Chelsea. The other great thing about ordering is the service, which is always friendly and helpful. Its cliché but really nothing is too much trouble.

Paul Martin

I have had the pleasure of working with Practicality Brown on major projects and show gardens over the years. It has helped enormously in our attaining of three Gold medals at RHS shows including Chelsea and Hampton Court, which is a testament to its staff, products and company

and Lisa Cox

I worked with Practicality Brown on a domestic project where we needed to screen off a house. We wanted a solution that would do the job from day one and chose Elveden beech instant hedging. This was more subtle than a wall or fence and looked amazing from day one – you wouldn’t have known it had just been planted

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show Results 5 July 2016/in customer work, Tree moving, Tree Planting, Trees /by Marketing

The RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2016 has showcased more stunning garden designs this year, made all the more challenging to create due to the unseasonal weather. Practicality Brown are proud to have contributed to the following medal-winning gardens, for which we provided Elveden Instant Hedge, Elements and hedging plants.

Gold Medals

• Show Gardens:

A Dog’s Life Garden designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes for The Dogs Trust

World Vision Garden designed by John Warland (Senseless Acts of Beauty)

• Summer Gardens:

A Summer Retreat designed by Laura Arison and Amanda Waring for CCLA

The Lavender Garden designed by Paula Napper, Sarah Warren and Donna King

Silver-Gilt Medal

• Show Garden: PMS: Outside Inside Garden for NAPS designed by Emma Bannister

• Summer Garden: A breath of Fresh Air designed by Rae Wilkinson for The Abbeyfield Society

Bronze Medal

• Show Garden: Cancer Research UK’s Life Garden designed by Antonia Young Built by Jeff Rosenblatt

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show pre-report 20 June 2016/in Elveden instant hedge, Elveden Instant Hedging, Events, Garden design, Hedging, Instant Hedge /by Marketing

Practicality Brown are proud to be supporting garden designers for Show and Summer Gardens at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show this July by supplying top quality large hedging plants and trees.

A Dog’s Life Garden designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes for The Dogs Trust

As Dogs Trust celebrates its 125th anniversary, this garden marks the charity’s commitment to finding new, loving owners for thousands of homeless dogs every year.

PMS: Outside Inside Garden for NAPS designed by Emma Bannister @pmsgarden

The garden is inspired by the stories of those who suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome. The common native planting on the outside contrasts with the inaccessible space and distorted planting inside.

World Vision Garden designed by John Warland

The World Vision Garden symbolises journeys of life. Inspired by the lives of children around the world, the floating waves of turf each represent an individual life.

A breath of Fresh Air design by Rae Wilkinson for The Abbeyfield Society

Breathing new life into the concept of a sensory garden and celebrating 60 years of The Abbeyfield Society, the design has created a calming space for older people and specifically those living with dementia.

A Summer Retreat designed by Laura Arison and Amanda Waring for CCLA

Inspired by the ethos of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the garden embraces the values of simplicity, elegance, style and craftsmanship. It is designed to be either a separate garden room adjoined to a larger space or an entity on its own.

The Lavender Garden designed by Paula Napper, Sarah Warren and Donna King

The design is inspired by the scent, colour and romance of lavenders grown at a dairy farm on the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park.

For more details on the show, check out the RHS website

Creating an RHS Garden 30 August 2023/by Marketing

Behind the Scenes

Creating an Award-Winning RHS Garden

Practicality Brown have many years of experience in supplying instant hedges and large trees to garden designers at prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens shows. There is an immense about of work and effort that goes into planning, preparation and planting a garden exhibit at RHS shows

Garden Designers spend thousands of pounds and use their skill and dedication to create unique landscaping and show off their horticultural knowledge in their attempt to claim a coveted gold from the RHS judges in their chosen category.

Not Just About The Show Gardens

As well as the creative garden designers, the shows are full of exhibitors who use the opportunity to create an attractive Trade Stand. In 2023, Practicality Brown decided to invest time, money and effort with a trade stand and garden installation at the World’s biggest garden show, Hampton Court Garden Festival.

And, in a similar way to the show gardens, trade stands are judged on the quality of the exhibit, with the best gaining award-winning stars. And for our first effort, in a return to exhibiting, we gained a valuable 3 star rating.

The Award-Winning Trade Stand Design From Start To Finish

The photos shows the behind-the-scenes built of our trade stand from design to Press Day. The garden installation, entitled “Playing with Shapes” showcased a selection of Practical Instant Hedge™ and screening trees from our nursery in Iver, Bucks and was designed by Sales Director, Graeme Jenkins. Enhanced by the stunning “Diana, The Huntress” sculpture by David William-Ellis.

RHS Hampton Court 2023 13 July 2023/in Flower Shows, News /by Marketing

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

Every year, top garden designers choose Practicality Brown’s hedges and trees as an integral part of their show garden, forming an important green backdrop or as part of the structure within the design itself.

This year we exhibited at Hampton Court ourselves, with a trade stand and garden installation showcasing Practical Instant Hedge™ and evergreen screening trees. The clever design incorporated both, “Playing with Shapes” used a selection of instant hedges and trees from the nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire together with the stunning “Diana, The Huntress” sculpture by David William-Ellis.

In addition to exhibiting ourselves, our Practical Instant Hedge™ featured on three different gardens at this prestigious show.

Explore Charleston – Welcome To Charleston

Show Garden designed by Sadie May Stowell – Silver Gilt medal winner

The garden provided visitors with a glimpse of the historic courtyard gardens of Charleston, South Carolina, capturing their spirit, charm and elegance. The planting colour scheme is blue, pink, and white and showcases a number of hardy exotic plants. Practical Yew Instant Hedging gives the design a classical formal backdrop.

RHS Wildlife Garden

Feature Garden designed by Jo Thompson

The garden represented an urban corridor reclaimed by nature, showing how wildlife can thrive in what are often thought of as unexpected or forgotten places. Re-framing the idea of re-wilding, this garden observed nature and took inspiration from it, whilst maintaining the balance of plants for biodiversity through light intervention. Practical Instant Native Mix Hedging was perfect for this design.

The Inghams Working with Nature Garden

Get Started Garden designed by Butler and Parker – Silver medal winner

The garden was inspired by summer holidays, using natural stone for tracks and seating.
The planting had a natural feel that aims to handle future UK climates, such as temporary periods of flooding as well as dry periods. The planting palette was inspired by woodland and lower valley glades, with Practical Instant Hornbeam Hedging providing the backdrop.

Come and visit our nursery in Iver, Bucks and talk to our Horticultural team about your own garden. Call us on 01753 652022. You can also email us at hedge@pracbrown.co.uk. Or visit our website: www.pracbrown.co.uk

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018 Awards 12 July 2018/in Garden design, Instant Hedge, RHS Shows /by Marketing

Hampton Court Flower Show 2018

The RHS created a new category at Hampton Court Flower Show 2018 this year;
Lifestyle Gardens: real gardens for real people

The featured gardens were designed to resonate with different lifestyles and reflect the owner’s way of life and was perfect for visitors wanting ideas to take away for their garden at home.
The RHS, as part of their commitment to inspiring new talent and encouraging more young people to pursue a career in horticulture, invited four up-and-coming female designers from the next generation for their take on garden design.

Practicality Brown proudly supplied Practical Instant Hedge to three of the four gardens in the Lifestyle Garden category at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018.