Category: RHS Malvern Spring Festival

As storms Ciara and Dennis swept across the UK bringing torrential weather and swamping much of the country with flood water – nurseries and exhibitors in the Floral Marquee at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival have remained resilient and battled through the conditions to make sure they are ready and raring to go come the spring.

There will be 67 exhibitors at the beautiful Floral Marquee at RHS Malvern, and much of the work for their displays is already well underway.

While conditions have made growing difficult and caused damage to a number of the nurseries, nursery staff and owners have remained strong, working hard to make sure things stay on track for the 35^th anniversary of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, which is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually.

Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink, garden and lifestyle shopping on offer.

At specialist hosta growers, Sienna Hosta, in Woking, Surrey, it was the high winds that caused most of the damage, leaving owners counting the cost, but they say everything is on track for the May festival.

Ollie Walker, the nursery manager, said: “We had a panel of polythene ripped off one of our tunnels which means quite a pricey repair, which at this time of the year for a nursery is difficult as we’re not bringing in money until the spring. We also had the doors of our tunnel come off.”

Work was also temporarily brought to a standstill at Tinnisburn Plants, which grows hardy perennials, in Dumfries and Golloway, Scotland, where they were actually landed with a deluge of snow.

Helen Knowles, founder and owner of the nursery said: “I’ve been quite lucky here as we’re on a hill so avoided being flooded and we’re used to storms so everything is well fixed down. I

“It’s the altitude here that causes us problems, we’re only 600ft up but we can still have very different weather to other places locally that are much lower.

“After Storm Ciara we had a good six inches of snow so that meant clearing the tunnels to avoid them collapsing and all of my plants were buried so it brought work to a standstill.”

There was a similar experience for third generation family lily and bulb specialists Harts Nursery in Cheshire who also suffered a big drop in temperatures, but the team battled through and it’s full steam ahead for the spring festival.

Head of Shows at Three Counties Showground, Diana Walton, said: “Around the UK, and the three counties itself, we have seen some truly awful weather conditions.

“But at RHS Malvern we have the very best horticulturalists that the country has to offer and it is amazing how they are able to stand up to these extreme conditions and not let it disrupt their plans.

“The Floral Marquee is always a highlight, and this year will be no different and we look forward to welcoming all of the nurseries and growers from around the country.”

Details of seven stunning show gardens at the highly-anticipated RHS Malvern Spring Festival have today been revealed by organisers.

This year, talented designers have drawn their inspiration from a myriad of sources including France, using nature to escape the modern day world and the theatre of plants as they create gardens based around the festival’s theme of Wanderlust and Wonder.

The four-day festival, which runs from May 7 to 10 in association with boutique travel company Great Little Breaks at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, attracts over 100,000 people annually and is seen as the official start of Spring.

Show Garden designer favourites Peter Dowle and Villaggio Verde will return once more, as well as Gloucestershire-based Graduate Gardeners who are making a welcome return after last showing at the festival back in 2018.

Other returning faces include Lichfield designer Karen Tatlow who last year created the Habit of Living Diabetes UK Garden with Katherine Hathaway and Martyn Wilson who, in 2018, created the RAF 100 garden that is currently a permanent feature at the showground.
Making their RHS Malvern Spring Festival debut this year are Jane Scott Moncrieff and Sadie May Stowell.

Head of Shows, Diana Walton, said: “The show gardens are our most popular destination at the festival and this year we’re delighted not only to be welcoming back some of our show garden regulars, but also welcoming some new faces, too.

“With it being our 35th anniversary show, we know the designers are pulling out all the stops – from the initial plans we’ve seen our visitors are certainly in for a treat!”

Working With Nature, by Graduate Gardeners Ltd

Intended to create a tranquil space for those who work partly from home in the outdoor office, the Working With Nature garden features a simple colour palette, dappled shade and the sound of water whilst also providing habitats for wildlife. A natural spring being the inspiration to the area with natural looking outcrops, the design aims to show how we can work in and with nature, benefitting our natural environment and our own mental wellbeing. A naturalistic style is the general theme of the planting used, with ornamental plants alongside some native species. The planting is to be wildlife friendly, encouraging a wide range of species into the garden.

The Leaf Creative Garden, Wanderlust of Plants, by Peter Dowle

Exploring the theatre of plants, the Wanderlust of Plants garden is designed for entertaining and relaxing, with a place to explore and view a range of contrasting plants combined with rocks, water and viewing points in the form of recycled and customised shipping containers. Based on a foliage palette, the planting will use greens and purples with gold and silver accents. The colour will be minimal and muted, exploring whites, greens, soft yellows and pastels.

Taverna Cove, by Villaggio Verde

Celebrating its 10th consecutive RHS Malvern appearance, Villaggio Verde returns to the festival with a garden that features pine and olive trees which will surround the Mediterranean-inspired cove, with the structure of a family-owned secluded Greek Taverna, only accessible by sea or coastal path. The garden will also feature Cork oak and bottlebrush trees and bright coloured Geraniums giving an authentic Greek feeling.
Incorporating waste and litter which has been cleansed from the sea by British fishermen, the garden will be an active cove where water ebbs and flows. Small beaches around the cove leave evidence of fishing activities both from the past and present with small moored fishing boats in the waters and washed up lobster pots.

The Moments that Matter – St. Giles Hospice Garden, by Karen Tatlow

Designed to be a space for families to make pleasant memories of a hospice visit, the Moments that Matter St. Giles Hospice Garden will be a hub for community engagement, featuring raised beds making planting more accessible to wheelchair users and a multi-use space in the form of a clear patio shaded by a pergola. Set in the grounds of the hospice in Lichfield, the garden will have boundary hedging, timber and laser cut screening to create a sense of enclosure and shelter for those who visit, plus a water feature creating a relaxing water sound without there being a pond.

VE Day Celebration Garden, by Martyn Wilson

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the garden is a marriage of formal British and Dutch styles and is inspired not only by the Airborne Invasion of Arnhem and the bravery and sacrifice of the troops who parachuted, but also the people of the Netherlands. The garden will be a celebration of spring colour which will be a poignant reference to the HongerWinter where the Dutch people survived starvation by eating Tulip bulbs. Pleached trees and hedges will frame the garden. The colour scheme will include orange to represent the Netherlands, white for peace and clarets and blue hues to represent the Pegasus flag of the Parachute Regiment.

The Violette Szabó Memorial Garden, by Jane Scott Moncrieff

Echoing a WWII Normandy farmhouse and its surrounding, the Violette Szabó Memorial Garden is inspired by the efforts of the Special Operations Executives in the war and will be a lasting memorial for the grounds of the Secret Army Museum Beaulieu. With a feeling of rural dilapidation, the planting is abundant and structures are rickety to mirror gardens in 16th century France. The planting is designed to be pretty and feminine, celebrating Violette as a female agent. Spring flowering shrubs will create structure among the herbaceous perennials, with variety in texture and form.

A Garden of Contemplation, by Sadie May Stowell

The need for escapism and relaxation in a modern day garden is the inspiration for the Garden of Contemplation. Designed with no formal straight lines the curving shapes lead the visitor on a meandering journey. Including many native plant species in order to attract wildlife, the colour scheme will be mainy pinks, white, pale blue and dark purple. The species will be combined with some garden worthy cultivators to create an informal feel to the planting scheme for a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere.

Head to our Show Gardens page for more details about the designers, their gardens, contractors and sponsors.

A Cotswolds garden designer has taken inspiration from time spent by the river with her children at her local nature reserve to create a shipping container garden at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Emily Crowley-Wroe, owner of April House Garden Design, is to stage a show garden at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival based on Greystones Nature Reserve.

She was inspired to create the garden whilst sat watching her two daughters – Eve, age 11, and Eleanor, age 7 – playing in the river.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, RHS Malvern Spring Festival is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually. Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire has to offer.

Part of the Malvern Shipping Container Garden category, Emily’s garden measures 6 x 6 metres and comes with a shipping container included in the design brief.

‘The Hide Garden’ aims to transport onlookers away from the stresses and strains of a busy world into their own private piece of nature. The garden features a shallow pebble pond – conjuring the shallows of the river Eye – and planting that recalls the native flora and fauna of Greystones Nature Reserve.

An angled wooden deck with bespoke log benches overlooks the pond, which is traversable via circular decked stepping stones, and a screen with cut-out willow panels play on the idea of hiding. Tree sculptures offer habitats for busy wildlife.

“We are so lucky to be surrounded by such natural beauty here in the Cotswolds, and I thought what better inspiration than one of the places I love being in,” she said.

“For me, the hidden gems of the area are a great source of inspiration. In this design I wanted to show that even in the smallest of outside spaces we can create gardens capable of transporting us to places we feel happy in. I also wanted to create a naturalistic garden that encourages wildlife as it’s this connection with the natural world that makes gardens so enjoyable and important for biodiversity.”

The garden will be built and designed using local products, suppliers and craftspeople and it is hoped that materials from the garden will be used in the design and build of a memory garden for Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School. More information about the sponsors and garden can be found at www.april-house.co.uk

A record number of new plant varieties are to be launched at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival by some of the finest specialist nurseries in Britain, all of whom will be exhibiting in the show’s prestigious Floral Marquee.

Sixteen nurseries are planning to launch more than 30 new varieties at the four-day event, which takes place from May 7-10 at Three Counties Showground, Malvern.

From Dumfries to Devon, the horticultural experts will make the journey to Malvern to display their best blooms in the hope of being awarded the coveted RHS Gold Medal.

The length of four Olympic swimming pools, the Floral Marquee at RHS Malvern Spring Festival is the most oversubscribed on the RHS Flower Show circuit and this year will be home to 68 exhibits.

A haven for gardeners wishing to take something special home, the Floral Marquee is the place for visitors to buy plants and gain expert advice.

Among those launching new varieties this year is Berkshire based H.W. Hyde & Son with a new introduction of Alstroemeria named ‘Garden Jewels’, Cumbrian nursery, East of Eden Nursery, with its new series of Geum Valley H1, named ‘Downtreader’ and ‘Wish Song’, and Gobbett Nursery from Worcestershire with new varieties of Iris Sibirica, Cornus Viburnum and Cytisus.

Head of Shows, Diana Walton said it would be an exciting time for the nurseries of the Floral Marquee.

“The Floral Marquee is one of the first stops for our visitors as they arrive,” she said. “And it’s no wonder – it’s an absolute riot of colour and the smells are sensational. It’s one of my favourite places to be during the festival.

“As RHS Malvern takes place at the start of the growing season, many people are looking to stock up on new plants and especially new varieties to their gardens. The Floral Marquee is the perfect place to do so, and this year with more nurseries than ever before, our visitors will surely be spoilt for choice.”

Ollie Walker, manager of Sienna Hosta in Surrey, said RHS Malvern Spring Festival was a perfect time of year to unveil new offerings.

“The wonderful thing about Malvern is you get a mix of plant enthusiasts and novices, both groups really eager to add something new to the garden,” he explained. “And spring really is the perfect time to get going.”

RHS Malvern Spring Festival Show Ambassador and plantsman, Chris Beardshaw welcomed the news.

He said: “RHS Malvern hosts many of the UK’s very finest growers and nurseries and like all the other plant lovers, I am really looking forward to heading to the Floral Marquee to meet them and to see the record number of new plants that are being launched at the Festival this year.”

Some of the gardening world’s most popular faces – including national treasure Alan Titchmarsh – have today been unveiled as special guests at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Making a welcome return to the festival after last appearing in 2018, Alan will be joined by a stellar horticultural line up including Gardeners’ World stars Carol Klein and Joe Swift, alongside RHS Malvern show ambassador Chris Beardshaw, plantswoman and author Sarah Raven and celebrity florist, writer and broadcaster, Jonathan Moseley.

BBC Radio 2’s resident gardening guru, Terry Walton, will also make a comeback, as well as former Blue Peter gardener, Lee Connelly- better known as the Skinny Jean Gardener.

The line-up will be complete with appearances from radio DJ Jo Whiley and singer Lesley Garrett.

The four-day festival, which runs from 7-10 May in association with boutique travel company Great Little Breaks at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, attracts over 100,000 people annually and is seen as the official start of Spring.

As the largest RHS show outside of London, visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire has to offer.

Gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh said he was looking forward to returning to Malvern.

“I’m delighted to be returning to RHS Malvern Spring Festival,” he said. “It’s held at such an exciting time of the year when gardens are really starting to come to life, and the show itself is the perfect place for people to come and be inspired, regardless of their level of gardening knowledge.

“Being at the foot of the Malvern Hills, it’s also a truly wonderful setting which shows the Great British countryside off at its very best.”

As well as talking openly about her love of gardening and music during the festival, Jo Whiley will also DJ a curated set of music chosen by the show’s special guests and exhibitors as part of the ‘Music at Malvern’ feature. Music at Malvern – new to the festival for its 35th anniversary celebrations – will also feature a special concert from Lesley Garrett and the English Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Jo Whiley’s Garden Party will take place on the evening of Saturday 9 May, while Lesley Garrett will appear on Friday May 8.

Jo Whiley said: “I’m thrilled to be coming back to RHS Malvern Spring Festival for its 35th anniversary celebrations, especially as I’ve been asked to provide an evening music set as part of its new ‘Music at Malvern’ feature. Music and gardening are two of my favourite things – both are very therapeutic and are known for being extremely beneficial to our wellbeing.”

Di Walton, Head of Shows at Three Counties Showground, said they were delighted to announce such a knowledgeable lineup of special guests, who will be sharing their expertise, meeting visitors and enjoying the show themselves.

“RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a hugely popular event on the gardening calendar having a particularly unique character all of its own,” she added.

“We are thrilled that it attracts big names from the gardening world and our special guests this year are no exception. It speaks volumes that we have so many popular regulars who love being at Malvern and we’re honoured to welcome them back each year.”

The hills will be alive with the sound of music for the 35th anniversary celebration of RHS Malvern Spring Festival with two spectacular evenings of performances.

The four-day festival, which runs from 7-10 May in association with boutique travel company Great Little Breaks, will this year see the introduction of ‘Music at Malvern’. Audiences will be able to witness a 54-piece orchestra, fronted by national treasure Lesley Garrett, perform a special VE Day commemorative concert, while there will also be a spring celebration at a Garden Party with BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley – who is returning to the festival for the second year.

Set at Three Counties Showground, RHS Malvern Spring Festival will commemorate and celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day on Bank Holiday Friday, 8 May. Throughout the day there will be plenty of Union Jacks flying, vintage music and singing, military vehicles and dancing. The evening will feature a unique chance to see a performance of classical music from some of the nation’s favourite composers who lived and worked in the area of Three Counties. The concert will be performed by Worcestershire-based English Symphony Orchestra with soprano vocalist Lesley Garrett.

Then on Saturday, 9 May, Radio 2’s Jo Whiley will DJ a curated set of music chosen by the show’s special guests and exhibitors. This is guaranteed to be a spring party like no other.

Jo Whiley said: “I’m thrilled to be coming back to RHS Malvern Spring Festival for its 35th anniversary celebrations, especially as I’ve been asked to provide an evening music set as part of its new ‘Music at Malvern’ feature. Music and gardening are two of my favourite things – both are very therapeutic and are known for being extremely beneficial to our wellbeing.

“The showground is such an inspiring setting for getting close to the natural world with it being set at the foot of the Malvern Hills, which are simply stunning. There’s a brilliant atmosphere and I really enjoyed my first time there this year – I can see why so many people see it as their favourite show. I’m hoping as many people as possible come down and join me for a dance and some great food and drink amongst the beautiful gardens.”

The concerts, which have been introduced on the 35th anniversary of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, will be exclusive, with a limited amount of tickets available which include a 4pm entry to the festival, meaning visitors can come and sample the delights of daytime activities as well as going to the evening performances.

Di Walton, Head of Shows at Three Counties Showground, said: “The addition of ‘Music at Malvern’ will bring a totally new element to the show and we think our visitors will really enjoy these great evenings that we have planned.

“There will be a whole new staged area to the festival which will be designed to provide one of the best settings for outdoor live music, as well as contributing to things like talks held throughout the festival.

“The Bank Holiday Friday will be the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and what a way to celebrate than with songs from the war time – make sure you bring your Union Jacks and get ready for a real knees up – think Proms In The Park right here in Malvern. Then on the Saturday evening there will be a party with Jo Whiley and our special guests from across the weekend.

“Tickets are limited so make sure you secure yours nice and early to guarantee your entry to what will be an amazing celebration and party.”

RHS Malvern Spring Festival today announced Chris Beardshaw as its new ambassador more than 20 years after he created his first show garden at the event.

In this exciting new role Chris will help to promote the show – a favourite among Britain’s gardeners for launching the spring season.

Held at the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire, one of horticulture’s most popular venues thanks to its setting at the foot of the spectacular Malvern Hills, the 2020 show will run from 7-10 May.

Chris, who grew up locally in Worcestershire, has been a regular at Malvern Spring Show for over 20 years, where he has appeared in a variety of roles, from exhibiting with his students from Pershore College, designing show gardens to scholarship mentor, RHS judge and speaker.

His first show garden was exhibited at Malvern Spring Festival in 1999 and he has since been awarded 13 RHS gold medals and 6 times Best in Show.

In his new role as Ambassador, Chris is helping to celebrate all that is unique and great about the Festival. He is also looking at developing several exciting new initiatives, for which more details for will be announced in early Spring 2020.

Speaking about his new role, Chris said: “To be asked to be an ambassador for my local show is a real honour.  I have been involved in gardening events across the UK and around world, in a variety of roles which has given me a range of show experiences from a number of different perspectives.

“I am really looking forward to flying the flag for the show and helping to attract gardeners and plant lovers from throughout the UK to come and visit us. We are also working with the show’s team in the development of some interesting new ideas which will confirm Malvern Spring Festival as the very best family day out in the gardening calendar.”

Head of Shows at Malvern Diana Walton said today they were absolutely thrilled that Chris had taken on this new role to further enhance a relationship which had grown and flourished so wonderfully over the last two decades.

“Chris is a particular favourite at Malvern – with our team as much as visitors. We have all watched his career progress so successfully from those first beginnings. He understands this show so well and how we are the breaking ground for lots of new talent and starting point for much of the work done in the garden over the spring and summer months. I know he will be a wonderful ambassador and we are very excited to be working with him.”

Tens of thousands of people descended on Three Counties Showground over the last four days to celebrate all things horticultural at a record-breaking RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

More than 102,000 people came through the gates over the four days – the highest attendance ever-recorded at the festival, which ended in glorious spring sunshine on Sunday after a wet start on Thursday.

The event, held in association with Great Little Breaks, featured eight stunning Show Gardens, five innovative Green Living Spaces, 11 school gardens and 70 nurseries and exhibitors in the spectacular Floral Marquee – and even a successful wedding proposal!

Overall, more than 40 exhibitors were awarded top honours at the show, with 42 RHS Gold Medals and five highly-commended awards. The RHS also awarded its first-ever gold medal to a Ukrainian when judges gave the top accolade to Anna Galagan.

The festival’s Floral Marquee had the biggest success with over half the exhibitors taking home a gold medal.

And the Great Pavilion of Arts and Flowers had the most romantic touch of the event, with a wedding proposal on Sunday afternoon.

Special guests who attended the event included Monty Don, Jo Whiley, Raymond Blanc, John Torode, Carol Klein, Frances Tophill, Joe Swift and Sarah Raven.

Three Counties Head of Shows Diana Walton said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with how the festival has gone – every year it just keeps on growing.

“To see the enjoyment that everyone has had, from the visitors to the traders, the designers to the children, fills us with joy and excitement.

“I’m incredibly proud of our whole team who have worked tirelessly to make the event the success that it has been and are already sowing the seeds for an amazing 2020.”

The Great Little Breaks Festival Theatre drew in the crowds with everything from floral art catwalk shows and floristry challenges to question and answer sessions with some of the country’s top horticultural experts. The theatre was transformed into a beach-themed space thanks to 19 tonnes of sand and six tonnes of rock thanks to headline sponsors, Great Little Breaks.

Diana said: “It was great to work alongside our headline sponsors Great Little Breaks to transport our visitors to the great British seaside – we would like to say a huge thanks to them for their support throughout the whole event.”

The show results from this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival have been announced, with six golds, three silver gilt and four silver medals awarded by judges.

And in a world first, one of the gold medals has been awarded to a Ukrainian garden designer – Anna Galagan, whose garden, The Mindset, features an evocative sculpture of a child.

This year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival, in association with Great Little Breaks runs from May 9-12 and boasts eight stunning show gardens and five green living spaces

Talented designers have drawn their inspiration from a myriad of sources including rural Spain, art, health, astronomy and the mind as they create gardens based around the festival’s theme of Through the Lens.

Head of Shows, Diana Walton, said: “We’re delighted to be announcing such a great set of results this year, especially with six highly-coveted gold medals and the world’s first ever RHS gold for a Ukrainian designer. It’s always very tense for our garden designers when the RHS judges are here making their decisions, as they put so much heart and soul into their designs – not to mention time and effort!

“Our show gardens are always one of the most popular destinations at the festival, closely followed by our imaginative green living spaces and we’re expecting this year will be no exception.

“For six of our designers, it will be their first show garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival. We can’t wait for our visitors to see the stunning gardens they have created.”

SHOW GARDENS:

What If, by Sebastian Conrad in collaboration with Kate Rees – Gold

Artistic creativity and its positive effect on the mind are considered in the What If garden, which will recreate an open-air art studio complete with three large, colourful hand-painted steel sculptures. Large pines will sit alongside reclaimed stone, salvia and rosemary, with the garden’s vibrant, warm colours inspiring positivity and a peaceful state of mind.

The Mindset, by Anna Galagan – Gold

The Mindset garden is divided into two contrasting parts to represent the different experiences we can have as humans – either grey and lifeless or flourishing and joyful, depending on the priorities we set.  A lifeless concrete metropolis will give way to a waterfall of dark blue salvia and forget-me-nots, which will stream into blooming meadow full of colourful flowers and grasses. The central element of the garden is a representation of the brain’s cerebrum constructed from sagina subulata and blooming ground cover plants.

A sculpture of a child will remind visitors how our decisions can have a direct impact on our children.

The Orange Express, Jason Hales, Villaggio Verde – Gold

Orange, lemon, pomegranate and olive trees will sit alongside grape vines in this show garden that will evoke memories of rural Spain in spring, as visitors are transported to an old industrial working train station.

The garden, which includes a train station house, a goods store and a railroad track, will give visitors the feeling of being part of the atmosphere as they view the scene from the platform.

Spanish roof tiles, reclaimed boards, walling stones will sit alongside the fruit trees, adding to the experience.

The Habit of Living Diabetes UK Garden, Karen Tatlow and Katherine Hathaway – Silver Gilt

Designed to highlight the scale of diabetes as a condition, the Habit of Living garden references the emotional and physical journey of being diagnosed with diabetes, from first diagnoses to living with and managing the condition well.

A darker, more difficult to navigate path planted with deep purples and plums gives way to an easier, brighter pathway surrounded by flowers with lighter hues, with a seating area giving a sense of sanctuary for quiet reflection and acceptance. A sculptural feature, based on actual blood glucose monitoring graphs, will symbolise the continual monitoring of the condition.

The Redshift Garden, Julie Bellingham – Silver

With an astronomical theme, the Redshift Garden celebrates how telescopes have helped us develop an understanding of our universe.  Plants moving from yellows through to oranges and reds will represent the astronomical Red Shift – or the fact that when observed, galaxies that are moving away from us appear more red. Colourful geums, iris will be interspersed with swathes of dark plants including aquilegias to represent dark matter, while a space to sit will represent Earth, with surrounding sculptures hinting at ground and space telescopes.

The Leaf Creative Athena Garden, Peter Dowle – Gold

A calm, contemplative space with a series of viewing points, the Athena Garden is centred around a reflective long pool with a graceful ballerina sculpture dancing on a circular infinity pool rising from the main pool. The garden will explore form, light and reflections, and will seek to draw in the surrounding views of Malvern. Calm whites and soft colours will contrast with darker greens and a lawned area, with the garden’s centre point a place to sit, rest, contemplate and nourish the soul.

Forest of Dean boulders in the pool, dating back 230 million years, will be sliced to give them a modern finish, while a recycled shipping container will give the garden a contemporary feel.

Mimosa Design: Grace and Dignity Garden, Lucie Giselle Ponsford – Silver

The Grace and Dignity garden takes its inspiration from Mrs Grace, a domestic abuse victim who left her abusive husband with her children after the First World War.

The three intersecting circles of this garden represent her personal endeavour and dignity through adversity, with an oak tree sapling a central symbolic choice for its eventual power and strength. Native hedgerows will sit alongside bold herbaceous blooms, while a birch woodland glade with creams and glaucous foliage will provide shade and a gentle mood.

The Macmillan Legacy Garden, Gary Bristow – Silver Gilt

Inspired by a fictional painter and photographer couple, the garden is celebration of their life and legacy. Hundreds of curious objects will be embedded into its walls and features, while its planting scheme features perennials, bulbs and self-seeding plants that will return year after year, thus creating their own legacy. An area of white flowers shows how life can seem to lose its colour when people are faced with a cancer diagnosis, with more colourful and tactile plants shows the warmth and energy that Macmillan Cancer Support provides.

GREEN LIVING SPACES:

Defiance, by Sara Edwards at No.30 Design Studio – Gold

The London balcony garden is inspired by a traveller returning from Brazil who is craving the lush green of the tropics and wishes to escape the harsh realities of inner-city life by indulging their plant obsession. This garden is inspired by the Modernist landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and features a ray of exotic plants, from Yuccas to palm trees to bring out the Brazilian influence.

An Artist’s Studio at Home, Jessica Makins – Gold

Inspired by the home, studio and paintings of Georgia O’Keefe, the garden is designed to provide a space to imagine, make and exhibit. Imagined as a home art studio, either as a garden room or a converted room in a house, the design focuses on creating views to paint and draw. Ethics are important in this garden, which utilises natural materials including timber, clay and natural fibres such as wool and linen.

Mediterranean Terrace, Gabriella Pill – Silver Gilt

The garden is designed for a busy, young-professional couple, typically the type of people who might have a small space that they would like to make the most of in rented accommodation. The living space must be low maintenance, but most importantly an enjoyable place to relax and spend time outdoors. A young professional couple would be seeking relaxation closer to home, why not in their own little slice of Ibiza in their own back garden?

Memories of a Home, Anastasia Yakovleva – Silver

Inspiration for Anastasia’s garden comes from a young Russian couple’s home. The couple are young professionals, the man a successful chef and she’s a sought after graphic designer who miss their country and would like to bring a bit of Russia back with them, through Loft, Scandinavian and Rustic design traditions.

Ikhaya, Stacey Bright – Silver

For those living in the city but missing the agricultural life, the Ikhaya garden (meaning ‘home’ in Zulu) allows the visitor to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and go back to the basics of picking what we eat, having our feet on the ground, and connecting with nature. Reflecting this, the garden is inspired by South African living and incorporates dust, rust, and greenery into a contemporary living environment.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually. Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire has to offer.

The Festival has a star-studded line up of special guests across the weekend, including DJ and gardening enthusiast, Jo Whiley, horticultural experts Monty Don, Joe Swift, and Carol Klein, celebrity chef Raymond Blanc and BBC Masterchef host, John Torode amongst others.

Work has officially started on this year’s highly-anticipated RHS Malvern Spring Festival as garden designers broke ground to begin turning their dreams into a blooming reality.

Talented garden designers descended on Malvern’s Three Counties Showground yesterday (Monday 15) to make a start on perfecting their show garden masterpieces.

They have just 24 days to transform their sites into stunning show gardens before RHS officials judge the gardens on Wednesday, May 8 to decide which medals are awarded.

Eight stunning show gardens will be on display at the highly-anticipated RHS Malvern Spring Festival, held from May 9-12 in association with Great Little Breaks.

This year, talented designers have drawn their inspiration from a myriad of sources including rural Spain, art, health, astronomy and the mind as they create gardens with many embracing the festival’s theme of Through the Lens.

Show Garden designer favourites Peter Dowle and Villaggio Verde will return once more, along with Gary Bristow, while for several designers it will be their first time creating a show garden. New faces will include Lucie Giselle Ponsford, Julie Bellingham, design duo Karen Tatlow and Katherine Hathaway, Sebastian Conrad and Anna Galagan, who travels to the festival from the Ukraine.

Head of Shows, Diana Walton, said: “The first day of the Show Garden build is always an exciting time – it brings such an infectious buzz to the place. It’s incredible to see their plans grow from an artist impression on paper to the amazing creations that will wow our visitors.

“The Show Gardens are one of the most popular attractions at the festival and this year we’re delighted to be welcoming so many new faces. For six of our designers, it will be their first Show Garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival. We can’t wait to see what they will be creating for us – we know our visitors are certainly in for a treat.”

In addition to the Show Gardens, the festival will feature five Green Living Spaces that show how to make the best use of a small area and 11 gardens designed by school children as part of the RHS School Gardens Challenge.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually. Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire has to offer.

The Festival has a star-studded line up of special guests, including DJ and gardening enthusiast, Jo Whiley, horticultural experts Monty Don, Joe Swift, and Carol Klein, and celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and John Torode amongst others.

You can find out more about all of the gardens at the festival by visiting either Show Gardens of Green Living Spaces.

It may seem strange to provide gardening tips for people who don’t have a garden, but with Generation Rent at an all-time high organisers at RHS Malvern Spring Festival today unveiled details of five displays designed to encourage a new tribe of green-fingered enthusiasts.

Championed by Jamie Butterworth, RHS Ambassador and passionate horticulturist, the Green Living Spaces are to highlight that you don’t need a huge space to have a beautiful garden.

“I am both proud and excited to be involved once again in the RHS Malvern Green Living Spaces category. It’s one of the most fun, visionary and important new categories at any RHS Show,” he commented.

“Now in its second year, we welcome five inspiring new designers to create a visionary garden in the smallest of spaces, showcasing the importance of plants and horticulture on our health and happiness. New for 2019, each designer will also have their own inside space in which they can bring the outdoors in and the inside out. I cannot wait to see what the designers produce this year.”

The Green Living Spaces gardens, all designed by women, aim to show a new audience how they can enjoy gardening and growing by maximising the use of small patios or balconies.

Each Green Living Space consists of a balcony or patio garden joined by an interior-designed indoor living space.

Herefordshire born Sara Edwards will be making her RHS Malvern debut alongside South West-based Jessica Makins and Gabriella Pill from Surrey. This year will also see two international entries – Russia-born Anastasia Yakovleva and Stacey Bright who will be travelling to the festival from South Africa.

Head of Shows Diana Walton said it was vital to show everyone how to get involved, especially given 37 per cent of the UK’s population falling into the Generation Rent category.

She said: “It’s important that we can inspire the next generation of horticulturists through proving that having no garden at all is not an excuse to not grow plants, and how even a small windowsill can be the perfect growing spot.

“These ladies are incredibly talented garden designers from all over the world. We’re thrilled to have two international designers come over to RHS Malvern this year, and we can’t wait to see all of their Green Living Spaces at the festival.”

Defiance, by Sara Edwards at No.30 Design Studio

The London balcony garden is inspired by a traveller returning from Brazil who is craving the lush green of the tropics and wishes to escape the harsh realities of inner-city life by indulging their plant obsession. This garden is inspired by the Modernist landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and features a ray of exotic plants, from Yuccas to palm trees to bring out the Brazilian influence.

An Artist’s Studio at Home, Jessica Makins

Inspired by the home, studio and paintings of Georgia O’Keefe, the garden is designed to provide a space to imagine, make and exhibit. Imagined as a home art studio, either as a garden room or a converted room in a house, the design focuses on creating views to paint and draw. Ethics are important in this garden, which utilises natural materials including timber, clay and natural fibres such as wool and linen.

Mediterranean Terrace, Gabriella Pill

The garden is designed for a busy, young-professional couple, typically the type of people who might have a small space that they would like to make the most of in rented accommodation. The living space must be low maintenance, but most importantly an enjoyable place to relax and spend time outdoors. A young professional couple would be seeking relaxation closer to home, why not in their own little slice of Ibiza in their own back garden?

Memories of a Home, Anastasia Yakovleva

Inspiration for Anastasia’s garden comes from a young Russian couple’s home. The couple are young professionals, the man a successful chef and she’s a sought after graphic designer who miss their country and would like to bring a bit of Russia back with them, through Loft, Scandinavian and Rustic design traditions.

Ikhaya, Stacey Bright

For those living in the city but missing the agricultural life, the Ikhaya garden (meaning ‘home’ in Zulu) allows the visitor to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and go back to the basics of picking what we eat, having our feet on the ground, and connecting with nature. Reflecting this, the garden is inspired by South African living and incorporates dust, rust, and greenery into a contemporary living environment.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival, in association with Great Little Breaks, is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually. Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire has to offer.

The Festival recently announced a star-studded line up of special guests, including DJ and gardening enthusiast, Jo Whiley, horticultural experts Monty Don, Joe Swift, and Carol Klein, celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and John Torode, amongst others.

Details of eight stunning show gardens at the highly-anticipated RHS Malvern Spring Festival, held from May 9-12, have been revealed by organisers.

This year, talented designers have drawn their inspiration from a myriad of sources including rural Spain, art, health, astronomy and the mind as they create gardens based around the festival’s theme of Through the Lens.

Show Garden designer favourites Peter Dowle and Villagio Verde will return once more, along with Gary Bristow, while for several designers it will be their first time creating a show garden. New faces will include Lucie Giselle Ponsford, Julie Bellingham, design duo Karen Tatlow and Katherine Hathaway, Sebastian Conrad and Anna Galagan, who travels to the festival from the Ukraine.

Head of Shows, Diana Walton, said: “Our Show Gardens are one of the most popular destinations at the festival and this year we’re delighted to be welcoming so many new faces. For six of our designers, it will be their first Show Garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival. We can’t wait to see what they will be creating for us – from the initial plans we’ve seen our visitors are certainly in for a treat.”

What If, by Sebastian Conrad in collaboration with Kate Rees

Artistic creativity and its positive effect on the mind are considered in the What If garden, which will recreate an open-air art studio complete with three large, colourful hand-painted steel sculptures. Large pines will sit alongside reclaimed stone, salvia and rosemary, with the garden’s vibrant, warm colours inspiring positivity and a peaceful state of mind.

The Mindset, by Anna Galagan

The Mindset garden is divided into two contrasting parts to represent the different experiences we can have as humans – either grey and lifeless or flourishing and joyful, depending on the priorities we set.  A lifeless concrete metropolis will give way to a waterfall of dark blue salvia and forget-me-nots, which will stream into blooming meadow full of colourful flowers and grasses. The central element of the garden is a representation of the brain’s cerebrum constructed from sagina subulata and blooming ground cover plants.

A sculpture of a child will remind visitors how our decisions can have a direct impact on our children.

The Orange Express, Jason Hales, Villaggio Verde

Orange, lemon, pomegranate and olive trees will sit alongside grape vines in this show garden that will evoke memories of rural Spain in spring, as visitors are transported to an old industrial working train station.

The garden, which includes a train station house, a goods store and a railroad track, will give visitors the feeling of being part of the atmosphere as they view the scene from the platform.

Spanish roof tiles, reclaimed boards, walling stones will sit alongside the fruit trees, adding to the experience.

The Habit of Living Diabetes UK Garden, Karen Tatlow and Katherine Hathaway

Designed to highlight the scale of diabetes as a condition, the Habit of Living garden references the emotional and physical journey of being diagnosed with diabetes, from first diagnoses to living with and managing the condition well.

A darker, more difficult to navigate path planted with deep purples and plums gives way to an easier, brighter pathway surrounded by flowers with lighter hues, with a seating area giving a sense of sanctuary for quiet reflection and acceptance. A sculptural feature, based on actual blood glucose monitoring graphs, will symbolise the continual monitoring of the condition.

The Redshift Garden, Julie Bellingham

With an astronomical theme, the Redshift Garden celebrates how telescopes have helped us develop an understanding of our universe.  Plants moving from yellows through to oranges and reds will represent the astronomical Red Shift – or the fact that when observed, galaxies that are moving away from us appear more red. Colourful geums, iris will be interspersed with swathes of dark plants including aquilegias to represent dark matter, while a space to sit will represent Earth, with surrounding sculptures hinting at ground and space telescopes.

The Leaf Creative Athena Garden, Peter Dowle

A calm, contemplative space with a series of viewing points, the Athena Garden is centred around a reflective long pool with a graceful ballerina sculpture dancing on a circular infinity pool rising from the main pool. The garden will explore form, light and reflections, and will seek to draw in the surrounding views of Malvern. Calm whites and soft colours will contrast with darker greens and a lawned area, with the garden’s centre point a place to sit, rest, contemplate and nourish the soul.

Forest of Dean boulders in the pool, dating back 230 million years, will be sliced to give them a modern finish, while a recycled shipping container will give the garden a contemporary feel.

Mimosa Design: Grace and Dignity Garden, Lucie Giselle Ponsford

The Grace and Dignity garden takes its inspiration from Mrs Grace, a domestic abuse victim who left her abusive husband with her children after the First World War.

The three intersecting circles of this garden represent her personal endeavour and dignity through adversity, with an oak tree sapling a central symbolic choice for its eventual power and strength. Native hedgerows will sit alongside bold herbaceous blooms, while a birch woodland glade with creams and glaucous foliage will provide shade and a gentle mood.

The Macmillan Legacy Garden, Gary Bristow

Inspired by a fictional painter and photographer couple, the garden is celebration of their life and legacy. Hundreds of curious objects will be embedded into its walls and features, while its planting scheme features perennials, bulbs and self-seeding plants that will return year after year, thus creating their own legacy. An area of white flowers shows how life can seem to lose its colour when people are faced with a cancer diagnosis, with more colourful and tactile plants shows the warmth and energy that Macmillan Cancer Support provides.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival, in association with Great Little Breaks, is seen by many as the official start of spring and attracts more than 100,000 people annually. Visitors flock to see its inspirational show gardens and beautiful Floral Marquee, get top tips from the experts and enjoy the best food and drink that Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire has to offer.

The Festival recently announced a star-studded line up of special guests, including DJ and gardening enthusiast, Jo Whiley, horticultural experts Monty Don, Joe Swift, and Carol Klein, celebrity chef Raymond Blanc and BBC Masterchef host, John Torode amongst others.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes place from May 9-12. Advance tickets are now on sale now, with prices starting at just £19 for RHS and Three Counties members, or £21 for the general public. Children under 16 go free.