Chelsea Flower Show 2018: Product of the year shortlist
For the seventh year running, the RHS will be highlighting some of the most innovative and interesting products at The Chelsea Flower Show in May.
The products are judged on a number of criteria, including innovation, visual appeal, functionality, environmental sustainability and value for money, with this year's shortlist proving as eclectic as ever.
The winner of Product of the Year will be chosen on May 21 by a panel of experts, including the esteemed and formidable Dragons' Den investor, Deborah Meaden. Here are the shortlisted products that are in with a chance of winning...
Fruit tree sleeves, £24.99, Agralan
Protect your growing fruit from unwanted pests with these practical fruit tree sleeves by Agralan.
Wonder weed puller, £19.99, Burgon & Ball
The design of Burgon & Ball's Wonder Weed Puller means you can rid your lawn of weeds without even getting your hands dirty. It features a long-handled lightweight aluminium tool for easy weeding in lawns with three stainless steel prongs to remove weeds and a satisfying ejector button to jettison them.
Heat 500, £2,802, Chesneys
This stylish barbecue and outdoor heater is a must-have for the avid outdoor cook. As well as ample surface space for preparing food, the cylindrical heater features a rotating, removable grill for various cooking methods, an insulated lid to reduce heat loss and a digital thermometer for precise cooking control.
Dalefoot bulb compost, £8.50, Dalefoot Composts
Made on a Lake District hill farm, this free-draining, peat-free professional bulb compost is blended from sustainably-harvested wild bracken and feeds plants for more than two years.
Skal, £725, ASK Consult International
Skal is as much a garden sculpture as it is a piece of furniture. It is inspired by the curling winter beech leaves and uses traditional West Country Boat building techniques and fastenings.
Custom built modular natural rock stream, £26,000, James Doran Webb
This rock stream is provided with its own water system and is custom-made of natural stone. It can be fitted to a pre-existing hill or provided free-standing to form the base around which landscape can be designed.
Traditional wall greenhouse, £1,450, Kadai Firebowls by Wilstone
This innovative one-piece solid steel frame is designed with aesthetic visual appeal and incorporated with toughened glass and mirrored back to maximise the available light. Also included are galvanised trays, capillary matting and folding shelves for practicality and functionality.
The green wall vertical planter, £5.99, Labels 'N' Things
The vertical planter is unique, new, inexpensive and easy to install. Only one irrigation pipe is needed along the top row which drips to feed each planter.
Optigrow seed range, £1.79-£3.59, Mr Fothergill's Seeds
A compact range of vegetable seeds to which non-chemical seed priming treatment (using only water and air) has been applied, guaranteeing faster germination.
Niwaki garden shears, £72.0, Niwaki
Made from hard wearing SK steel and white oak handles, these shears are ideal for hedges, shrubs, box clipping and topiary.
Verona sofa, £1,699, Bridgman PJ & Co
The Verona Sofa is an innovative product featuring the newest maintenance-free materials and the Bridgman exclusive fully waterproof cushions.
Easyprune, £84.99, Robert Bosch Ltd
Brand new cordless power-assisted secateurs perfect for pruning flowers, thinning branches or trimming shrubs, enabling continuous one-handed, effortless and precise cuts of stems up to 25mm thick.
