Exploring the RHS Malvern Spring Festival with Gill
Written by NDA Tutor, Gill Lotter
The RHS show season kicked off very successfully with my first visit to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, which is held against the magnificent backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Here are some highlights:
There is often a particular plant or theme that catches one’s eye at these events. On this occasion it was the Geum. G. ‘Totally Tangerine’ is an old favourite but the zingy G. ‘Scarlet Tempest’ stood out. G. ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ is perfect if a more scarlet red is required at the blue end of the spectrum while G. ‘Petticoats’ offers peachy frills.
These colours continued to grab me throughout the show, one highlight for me being the impressive Lupinus ‘Towering Inferno’.
What a perfect name for this statuesque bloom rising from peaches to pinks with yellow highlights as the individual buds open.
Best Blooming Border and Silver Gilt Medal went to Tomas Olesen’s beautifully crafted After the Rain garden, which divided the design into wet and dry zones.
Moisture loving plants occupied the basin, while drought tolerant species lined the banks.
Continuing with the environmental theme, two stunning perennial knapweed species caught my eye as a change from the regular blue species: Centaurea ‘Jordy’ and C. montana ‘Amethyst in Snow’.
Both of these are hardy, come back each year and are extremely popular for pollinators during late Spring and early Summer.
Finally, a little hard landscaping snippet: a tasteful reminder that steps up to decking can be constructed from other materials in the Gold Medal garden, The Blessings from the Sea, designed by Eun Kyung Jung, Heehyeok Kang, and Jaeheon Kim.
The festival was well-worth the 5 hours of driving – I shall return! For more information about exhibitors, borders and show gardens at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, please visit the RHS website.
