Malvern Spring Festival ran last week and we went to check out what’s on. We spoke to designers, builders and visitors and found our favourite gardens at RHS Malvern.

The Festival Theatre Stage

The Festival Theatre Stage
Designed by: Ruth Gwynn Associates
Built by: Keyscape Design & Construction
Sponsored by: Great Little Breaks
Decorative Aggreates supplied by Stone Warehouse Scottish Boulders 600-900mm, Scottish Boulders 300-600mm, Scottish Boulders 100-200mm and Play Pit Sand.

We were delighted to work with Ruth Gwynn Associates and Keyscape Design & Construction for the Festival Theatre Stage. The stage played host to a great selection of talks by industry renowned figures throughout RHS Malvern.

Designer Ruth Gwynn, was inspired to create the stage within a beach setting by the stage’s sponsor, Little Getaway Breaks. The design is based on a quintessential British seaside holiday, complete with buckets and spades.

We were involved in the project in two ways. Firstly with the leisure sand that creates the main body of the theatre. The sand is a wonderful texture and feels like proper beach sand, even allowing the team to build sandcastles. Secondly we were able to supply a range of boulders in various sizes. All of the products are UK sourced so give the space a natural feeling and create a sense of permanence.

Defiance

Defiance
Designed by: Sara Edwards
Built by: Design It Landscapes
Sponsored by: The Pot Company, Palms Exotics Ltd, Photowall Interior Murals
Products supplied by Stone Warehouse: Duck Egg Pebbles 30-50mm

The Defiance Garden was designed as an escape from the harsh realities of inner-city life and into the lush greens of Brazil’s tropics. It’s inspired by balconies that spill over with plants in an otherwise concrete landscape.

We spoke to designer, Sara Edwards, about why she included Duck Egg Pebbles in the garden. She said, “The colouring of the pebbles was important, I wanted the blues and greys to reflect the planting and the concrete. The fuller, rounded size was also important as this creates a strong contrast with the flat, square concrete planes.” The garden won Best Green Living Spaces Garden and a Gold Medal.

Ikhaya: Home

Ikhaya: Home
Designed by: Stacey Bright
Built by: Keyscape Design & Construction
Sponsored by: Willow & Stone
Products supplied by Stone Warehouse: Cotswold Chippings

We loved Ikhaya: Home and thought the garden worked well as an extension of the inside of the container. The colours in the garden came together to create a warm, sunny environment that made you feel really comfortable.

Designer Stacey chose Cotswold Chippings to reflect the bright apricot tones of the Natural Paving. In addition the Chippings created a delicate backdrop to the deep browns and oranges of the wooden and terracotta planters and the edible planting. This was the first show garden designed by Stacey Bright and it was awarded a Silver Medal by the RHS!

The Redshift

The Redshift
Designed by: Julie Bellingham
Built by: J. Drewe Landscaping & Maintenance
Sponsored by: IOP Institute of Physics

The Redshift Garden brings together natural science and astrophysics. The planting stretches from blues and yellows to red as the beds curve away for the central telescope structure. The colour change reflects the gardens name ‘Redshift’ which is the observation that nearly all galaxies appear more red as they move away from us. The garden featured expanding curves containing elegant timber benches, Golden Flint Chippings and warm paving which radiated away from the centre sculpture.

To see more gardens at The RHS Malvern Flower Show 2019, watch our video below.