MALVERN, WORCESTERSHIRE – The RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2025, held from 8 to 11 May at the Three Counties Showground, once again kicked off the British gardening season in fine style. Now in its 38th year, this much-loved show set against the glorious backdrop of the Malvern Hills offered visitors four days of inspiration, shopping, and springtime celebration.
This year’s theme, “Plants & People”, underpinned everything from the gardens to the talks, emphasising the powerful role plants play in our everyday lives and communities.
Show Gardens Spark New Ideas
The Show Gardens were as inventive as ever. Among the highlights was Kate Mason’s “The Hierarchy of Plants”, a cleverly tiered space inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, blending cottage garden favourites with bold tropical foliage.
Emily Crowley-Wroe’s “Greening Maindee Gateway Garden”, a community-led design focused on reclaiming urban space, stood out for its message of regeneration and inclusion. And Ian McBain’s “The Sleep in Beauty Garden” invited showgoers to imagine dozing beneath a living roof in a bed framed by lush, shade-loving plants.
Visitors didn’t have to leave their dreams behind—many of the plants seen in these gardens were available to buy from stalls across the showground.
A Shopper’s Paradise
Plant lovers came prepared—trolleys, carts, and crates were in evidence from the moment the gates opened. With over 70 top nurseries exhibiting in the Floral Marquee alone, there was plenty to tempt even the most seasoned gardener.
Highlights inside the marquee included Hare Spring Cottage Plants, named Master Grower for 2025, displaying their National Collections of Camassias and Uvularia in fine form. At the heart of the marquee, Flowers From The Farm created a spectacular central display using British-grown flowers arranged with sustainable techniques.
Outside, the stalls continued in every direction: herbs, trees, climbers, alpines, succulents—every garden taste was catered for. The quality of the plants was, as always, exceptional, with growers on hand to give advice and encouragement.
Learn from the Experts
One of Malvern’s greatest strengths is its educational offering. Across four theatres, visitors could sit in on talks from some of gardening’s most familiar faces.
In the Festival Theatre, hosted by Nicki Chapman, the likes of Alan Titchmarsh, Adam Frost, Rachel de Thame and Frances Tophill shared stories and answered audience questions.
The Tips & Tricks Theatre focused on practical know-how—everything from composting to clever upcycling—while the Kitchen Garden Theatre explored the journey from plot to plate with cooking demonstrations from the Hairy Bikers, Mark Diacono, and more. Over at the Potting Shed Theatre, Martin Fish led sessions with experts including florist Jonathan Moseley.
Music, Food and Family Fun
There was plenty to enjoy away from the plant stalls. A wide range of artisan food vendors offered local and seasonal fare—from pies and pastries to vegan curry and cider—while the Festival Pavilion played host to a programme of live music, including brass bands and folk acts, adding a relaxed, festival-like atmosphere.
Families were well catered for too, with interactive workshops, hands-on gardening activities and plenty of space for children to explore.
Malvern Delivers Once Again
For many gardeners, RHS Malvern is the highlight of the spring. It’s where the planting season begins, where ideas bloom, and where plants go from display to trolley to garden border in the same afternoon.
Whether you came for the gardens, the talks, the shopping or the sheer joy of a good day out under the May sunshine, Malvern 2025 delivered on all fronts.
And if you didn’t bring a trolley this year—well, there’s always next time.
