hen four makers of garden-related accessories banded together to share a booth at the Ambiente show in Frankfurt, Germany, they also shared the same problem. Using the theme “Garden Vision” for their joint exhibit, the companies wanted the stand to tantalize customers, who, they hoped, would migrate to the firms’ respective booths located elsewhere on the show floor.

Aided by D’art Design Gruppe GmbH of Neuss, Germany, the companies created an exhibit that stood out like a rose blooming in a slab of concrete. Located in the convention center’s galleria, which connected the center’s various halls, the joint exhibit drew attendees curious about its Jack and the Beanstalk exterior. Filled with nearly 50 grass-like blades made from green-painted wood that soared up to 13 feet above the white laminate floor, the 20-by-26-foot urban garden surrounded visitors with branding that bloomed along with the landscape: Flower buds with logos were attached to the faux stalks while nine tree stumps made of real wood were employed as product-presentation areas.

Positioned on grass blades like mechanical perennials, four 32-inch monitors offered information on the companies’ barbecue grills, garden furniture, plant pots, and more. In the booth’s center, a crimson- and cream-colored parasol in the shape of an Amanita mushroom hovered over a flame-red chaise lounge and two barbecues on planks of wood forming a small deck. Attendees chilled on the lawn chairs and outdoor tables the companies manufacture, between the impromptu statuary of grills and flower-covered stumps.

By surrounding visitors in a verdant haven, the companies made the bouquet-size booth work because of, not despite, its dimensions. Guests cocooned themselves in the bantam exhibit from the outside chaos, and relaxed in a setting as sheltering as a secret garden.e