A show jumping course with forty fences needs a lot of flowers, and it needs them again at the next show, and the one after that. Fresh flowers last a weekend. Artificial flowers, chosen and stored well, can dress the same course for several seasons.
We make artificial flowers and greenery in Jinhua, China, and an event organiser recently asked us how to plan this. This guide is what we worked through together: where the flowers go, what the planters should be like, how many stems a course takes, and what to check about outdoor use.
Flowers Beside the Standards, Not Under the Rails
The flowers sit in planters beside the two standards (the uprights) of each fence. The space under the rails is left clear, for the course designer’s own fillers and ground lines.
A typical fence is about 12 feet (3.6 m) wide, so each one takes two groups of flowers, one on each side. Forty fences means eighty groups.
The Planters
- Light, and no metal. Plastic planters are light enough for the ground crew to move between rounds, and there are no sharp metal edges near the horses.
- Rounded corners, dark colour. Deep green or black disappears under the foliage. The flowers should be what the spectators and cameras see.
- Weight in the base. A light planter can blow over. Choose one whose base can be filled with sand or water on site.
- A size that suits the wing. Around 50 × 50 × 40 cm, one or two per side, is a good starting point. Check it against your wings before you order eighty.
Swap the Flowers, Keep the Box
Organisers usually want variety: different colours on different fences, and a different look from one show to the next. Buying eighty planters for every theme is expensive and hard to store.
The better way is to fix the flowers to a removable insert that sits inside the planter. The planters stay on the course. The inserts are lifted out and replaced. One set of planters with several sets of inserts gives fifteen or more looks.
Some colour themes that work well on a course:
- Blue and white hydrangea
- Yellow sunflowers with white
- Magenta bougainvillea with green
- Purple and white
- All white with green
- Red and white
- Orange and yellow
- All green: ferns, box balls and grasses
- The host country’s flag colours
- A mixed garden look
How Many Stems a Course Takes
These are planning figures, to give you an idea of scale before you ask for prices. The real numbers depend on the planter size and the flowers you choose.
| Look | Per side of a fence | 40 fences, both sides |
|---|---|---|
| Simple: a green base and one main flower | About 14 stems | About 1,100 stems |
| Standard: green base, two or three flowers, a green edge | About 22 to 25 stems | About 2,000 stems |
| Full: tall flowers at the back, hydrangea in the middle, trailing green at the front | About 35 to 40 stems | About 3,000 stems |
For a bigger effect, some organisers use large finished pieces instead of stems: ferns about a metre across, or potted flowering plants around 80 cm tall. They look generous from the stands, but they are bulky. Ask for the packed carton size of each piece, because on an order of hundreds the shipping volume, not the flowers, can become the largest cost.
Outdoor Use: What to Ask Your Supplier
A course is outdoors for the whole show, often at altitude or in strong sun. Ordinary indoor artificial flowers will fade.
- Ask for UV-resistant versions of every item you choose, and ask which items have one.
- Ask how long the colour lasts in direct sun, item by item, and get the answer in writing. Be wary of anyone who promises the same number of years for everything.
- Store the flowers indoors between shows. This does more for their life than anything else.
- Order spares. Some stems will be knocked, trodden on or taken home. Ten per cent extra is a sensible start.
We confirm the outdoor version and expected colour life item by item in the quotation, rather than giving one figure for the whole range.
Timing
Work backwards from the show date. Allow time for samples, production, sea freight, customs and transport to the venue. For a show in South America or Europe, that usually means ordering four to six months ahead. A sample of one fence, built and photographed before the full order, saves a lot of trouble.
What to Send Us
- The number of fences, and how wide they are.
- Whether you need planters from us, or already have them.
- How many different looks you want, and any colours you have in mind.
- Whether you prefer stems in planters or large finished pieces.
- The city and the date of the first show, and how many shows or years the flowers should last.
We will come back with a layout for one fence, a list of flowers with their outdoor versions, and a price for the whole course. If you want to see the flowers first, book a video call and we will show you our showroom. We also have our own iron factory, which makes arch frames for events.
Ask about fence flowers on WhatsApp
WhatsApp: +86 188 6858 7273
