There are a number of permanent gardens that visitors to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival can enjoy. Learn more about their creative designers and the inspiration behind them.
Ken Nottage Memorial Garden
Designed by: Peter Dowle, Leaf Creative Gardens
This memorial garden is a tribute to Ken Nottage, former CEO of the Three Counties Agricultural Society. Donations from his friends and colleagues funded the project, with a vibrant planting scheme designed and supplied by Jon Wheatley MBE VMH. A bench in local stone offers stunning views of the Malvern Hills.
Caves Folly Garden by Haygrove Community Gardens
Designed by: Caves Folly Nurseries
Created for the 1993 Festival, this richly planted garden promotes sustainability and organic practices. Haygrove Community Gardens, a local charity offering horticultural therapy, now maintain it. Reclaimed paths and stone edging form the hard landscaping, and a summer house is surrounded by year-round vibrant planting.
Memories of Service Garden
Designed by: Martyn Wilson
This geometric garden, unveiled at the 2018 RHS Malvern to commemorate 100 years of the Royal Air Force, includes herbaceous planting in red, white and blue colours that reinforce the tribute. Elliptical pathways sweep from each corner towards the central seating area, representing aircraft propellers.
The Stone Bottle Fountain
Designed by: Paul Taylor
At the heart of this garden stands a stone bottle fountain realised by Darren Bennett. Originally located outside the Malvern Water bottling factory at Colwall, this feature was relocated to the Three Counties Showground when the factory closed in 2010.
Platinum Jubilee Garden
Designed by: Jess Russell-Perry
Some of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite plants, as well as shrubs named after her, fill the Platinum Jubilee Garden. A living celebration of her historic reign, this sanctuary sits on the site of the old Wellbeing Garden.
Treehouse Garden
Designed by: Worcestershire-born Mark Everleigh
This stumpery garden was inspired by Malvern’s heritage as a Victorian spa and the much-loved Malvern Hills backdrop. Its octagonal shape echoes St Ann’s Well, a popular spot for ‘taking the waters’ in the wooded valley.
Alchemy Garden
Created by: Paul Taylor of Alchemy Gardens
Ferns, nettles and campions flourish in this atmospheric garden beneath a canopy of mature trees. An Italian-inspired colonnade, gothic ruins and Celtic stonework transport visitors back in time and a sheltered outdoor kitchen creates an inviting setting for summer feasts.