If you’ve been following us on Instagram recently, you’ll already know how excited we are to be heading back to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show next week – it’s a real highlight of the calendar for the whole team here at Plankbridge. Hard to believe but this will be our 13th year, and as Richard, Jane and Hannah will tell you, there have been plenty of unforgettable moments along the way. From winning a Silver Medal for our Artisan Garden in 2012 and Five Stars for our trade stand, to last year’s Royal moment when King Charles and Queen Camilla stopped by to admire our Sauna Hut and Garden Privy, Chelsea always delivers a little bit of magic.
This year feels especially exciting as we are celebrating our 25th birthday — a big milestone for us as a brand and one we’re marking in true Plankbridge style with a bespoke version of one of our most popular huts, the Guest House. It’s a real gem of a hut, lovingly handcrafted and thoughtfully kitted out with a king-size bed, en-suite bathroom and a fully fitted kitchen, and designed to feel like a beautiful little sanctuary, whether it’s used as a guest space for visiting friends and family, a garden escape or a boutique holiday let.
And because so many of our customers have asked for them, this year’s model includes a few thoughtful additions for the dogs in our lives too. There’s a custom dog bed on casters tucked neatly under the raised king-size bed — complete with a stone-washed striped linen cushion by Susie Watson — plus a handcrafted oak double dog bowl. We like to think it makes the perfect companion piece to Monty Don’s RHS and Radio 2 garden designed for dogs just across the way (we can only hope Ned the Golden Retriever will approve!).
By the time you read this, Hannah, Cam and Richard will be well and truly in the thick of it at Chelsea — sleeves rolled up, planting, arranging and adding all those final flourishes that bring the whole stand to life before it’s revealed to the press on Monday and then to the public. It’s a busy few days, but also the most exciting, when months (and in some cases, years!) of planning finally start to come together and everything takes shape.
If you’re heading to Chelsea next week, we’d love you to drop by and say hello. You’ll find us in Ranelagh Gardens at stand RA643 (just opposite our usual spot), where you can step inside the Guest House and meet the team. And if you can’t make it in person, not to worry — we’ll be sharing plenty of photos, stories and behind-the-scenes snippets on social media throughout the week so you can still follow along.
We’re also thrilled to be hosting a special recording of The Ins and Outs podcast right inside the Guest House on Press Day. Hosted by garden and landscape design guru Pollyanna Wilkinson of Pollyanna Wilkinson Garden Design — who we teamed up with for our RHS Bothy design at Chelsea a couple of years ago — and interior design expert Jojo Barr of House Nine Design, it’s set to be a really fun, lively and informative conversation. Keep an ear out for the episode…. we’ll share the link as soon as it goes live!
