Makita powers 'Welcome to Yorkshire' Chelsea Garden

Leading power tool manufacturer and BALI Registered Affiliate member Makita supplied seven of its Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps, to power the Gold Medal winning Welcome to Yorkshire garden - which was also named The People’s Choice Best Show Garden - at this year’s prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Designed and constructed by Mark Gregory and his team at BALI Registered Contractor member Landform Consultants, the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden 2019 aimed to represent the industrial heritage of West Yorkshire.

The Welcome to Yorkshire garden captured the beauty of the county’s canals and celebrated the drama of Yorkshire’s rich industrial heritage. The centre piece of the garden was an authentically built canal with flowing water and genuine canal lock gates. The garden also included a lock keeper’s lodge, which was constructed using Makita tools, as well as a meadow and vegetable patch showcasing the beauty of Yorkshire’s natural environment.

Mark Gregory, Managing Director at Landform Consultants and designer of Welcome to Yorkshire 2019 said:

“Makita’s Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps were instrumental in bringing the Welcome to Yorkshire garden to life. Makita’s pumps were required to handle extreme conditions, including dirt and debris within the water. Limited on-site space also meant that the pumps had to be installed in incredibly restricted areas that were not easily accessible once the garden had been fully constructed.

“Despite these challenges, I knew that Makita’s Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps would provide the high performance and output needed to power the canal throughout the show, disruption free. There is no room for error at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which is why it was so important that we used trusted products to construct the garden.

“Over the past seven years, I have built up a good relationship with the team at Makita – not only do I trust in the Makita products that my team uses, I also know that the technical team will be on hand to assist at every stage of a project.”

The seven Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps (PF1110) used to power the lock feature can each pump up to 250litres of water per minute – this high output was a key consideration for Mark, who wanted to ensure the lock could be fully functioning and as authentic as possible.

It was also vital that the pumps could handle contamination (such as dirt and debris) within the water, in order to minimise the risk of the pumps failing. As Makita’s Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps can handle dirty water with debris up to 35mm in diameter, they were the perfect solution and provided Mark and his team with the peace of mind that the pumps could continue to power the lock efficiently throughout the week of the show.

Mark Earles, Business Development Manager OPE at Makita, said:

“We are delighted to have assisted Mark and his team with creating this stunning garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019. Makita’s Submersible Semi-Trash Pumps have enabled Landform Consultants to create a garden that is authentic to the Yorkshire landscape that has inspired it. Mark and the Landform team fully deserve the Gold Medal and The People’s Choice Best Show Garden award for their hard work and bringing Mark’s challenging design to life, with the help of Makita.”

Makita also supplied a range of power tools to assist Mark Gregory and the Landform Consultants team during the construction of the Welcome to Yorkshire garden. Amongst the range of tools supplied were Makita impact drivers, angle grinders and wet and dry 110V dust extractors. The 18V reciprocating saw, in particular, was an incredibly useful tool for the team, who used it throughout each stage of the build.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s Commercial Director Peter Dodd said:

“Mark Gregory and his team at Landform Consultants have produced a remarkable show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The authenticity of the lock truly captures the essence of the industrial heritage of Yorkshire and shows what a valuable asset our waterways now are to the county’s thriving leisure and tourism sector. We are all delighted that the garden has been awarded the Gold Medal and The People’s Choice Best Show Garden award and feel sure it will inspire people to visit the county and see its beauty first hand.”

The Welcome to Yorkshire garden is the 99th garden that Mark Gregory has worked on at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Mark and his team built the 22m long by 12m wide Welcome to Yorkshire garden within just 18 days. Makita also provided tools for Mark Gregory’s 2018 garden of the same name, which won a Gold Medal, Best Construction and the BBC’s People’s Choice Award at the prestigious event.