M&G Garden
Chelsea 2019

About the project

Working with designer Andy Sturgeon, we developed and manufactured the concealed structural steelwork supporting the central water feature within the M&G Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019. The structure comprised a series of substantial oak beams arranged as walls, with the largest weighing approximately three tonnes.

To support the timber structures, 28 individual posts were fabricated from hot dipped galvanised mild steel box section in a range of lengths up to two metres. Each post was designed to sit completely concealed within its corresponding oak beam and incorporated a base plate with angled bracing to provide the required structural support.

A key challenge was providing sufficient strength and stability without allowing the supporting steelwork to remain visible within the completed garden. The individual posts therefore had to be coordinated with the dimensions and positioning of the carved oak beams while accommodating the loads imposed by the substantial timber structures.

The garden was awarded a Gold Medal and Best Show Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019.