2018 has been hailed as the best ever RHS Malvern Spring Festival. The landmark gardening and food event took place from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th May and welcomed more than 100,000 people onto the Three Counties Showground to explore the vibrant four-day festival packed full of new features.
Each year RHS Malvern Spring Festival raises the bar for design and horticultural talent and 2018 was no exception. The winner’s of the RHS Malvern Medal Categories were:
- Best Show Garden – ‘The Perfumer’s Garden’ by Ruth Gwynn and Alan Williams - GOLD
- Best Construction Award - ‘The Spirit of the Woods’ by Howle Hill Nursery – GOLD
- Best Green Living Spaces Garden – ‘Outside Number 39’ by Elaine Portch – GOLD
RHS Gold Medals have also been awarded to:
- Greenhance: The Garden in the Egg by Jonas Egger
- Memories of Service supporting the RAF100 Appeal by Wilson Associates Garden Design
- Billy’s Cave by Villaggio Verde
RHS Silver-Gilt Medals have been awarded to:
- Bovis Homes Family Garden by Dan Ryan
- Urban Oasis by Mark Draper
- Royal Porcelain Works Ltd: The Collector’s Garden by Olivia Kirk
- The Salad Deck by Andy Bending
An RHS Silver Medal has been awarded to:
- Garden Inspiration: The Dew Pond by Christian Dowle
RHS Bronze Medals have been awarded to:
- From Over the Fence by Jonathan Bishop
- At Home – Grow, Dine and Relax by Anne Keenan
- The Urban Escape by Sebastian Conrad
The People’s Choice Award:
- Show Garden: Urban Oasis by Mark Draper from Graduate Gardeners
- Green Living Spaces: The Salad Deck by Andy Bending
FLORAL MARQUEE
The 2018 Floral Marquee at Malvern sold out in November with a waiting list of more than 30 nurseries. It played host to 70 specialist nurseries, welcomed nine new nurseries, two anniversaries and a host of new plant varieties including Auricula ‘Louis’ to welcome the newest addition to the Royal family, which has been bred by Sarah Millington from Hillview Hardy Plants.
Taking home the top title in the Floral Marquee was:
- The Lyn Downes Award for the Best Floral Marquee Exhibit and GOLD Medal Winner, Andy’s Airplants (Stand MFM703), boasting a striking showcase of airplants and bromeliads displayed naturally on branches and beautifully framed.
- Best Exhibit in the National Plant Societies and GOLD Medal Winner, West & Midlands Iris Group (PS7) which showed off the way the flower has inspired the arts.
An impressive 34 gold medals have been awarded in the Floral Marquee this year, including:
- Fibrex Nurseries (Stand MFM700) Launched a new Angel Pelargonium ‘Gerogina Forever’ in memory of a young woman who died aged just 21. After a 34-year history of breeding they released a category of new zonartic Pelargoniums – Rushmore Pelargonium ‘Mississipi’, ‘Mekong’ and ‘Nile’.
- Hoyland Plant Centre (Stand MFM711) Introduced a new scented Tulbaghia ‘Scented Beauty’. The first scented Tulbaghia that releases scent both day and night. Growing to about 30cm, its flowers, which come out in April/May, are creamy white with a lavender blush with lime green corollas that mature to butter yellow.
SCHOOL GARDENS
Aspiring young gardeners from across the country brought to life their show garden designs, which explored the theme of Great Britain. Twelve schools took part in this unique area of the show, which this year sat alongside a specially designed Celebrating Blue Peter feature garden to mark 60 years of the popular TV programme.
- Best School Garden was awarded to Three Counties Home Educators for their ‘Beatrix Potter Garden’.
BOTANICAL ART
RHS Malvern Spring Festival played host to three Botanical Artists who each created spectacular works with one achieving Gold and two awarded Silver Gilt medals.
- Best Botanical Art Exhibit was awarded to Caroline Jackson-Houlston: Passionflowers.
FLORAL ART
Wonderful works of art were created from flowers and foliage in the Floral Art Exhibition.
- Best In Show – Mrs Sandra Snell
- Reserve Best in Show – Mrs Pam Fleming-Williams
- Best Use of Fresh Foliage – Mrs Rosemary Wood
- Best Use of Colour – Ms Zara Boots
- Best Junior – Miss Poppy Cottrell
- Best Young Arranger – Miss Bridget Morris
