The RHS Malvern Spring Festival, a four-day horticultural showcase, in association with My Pension Expert, will make a colourful return to Three Counties Showground, Malvern from 9 – 12 May 2024, and organisers have some exciting new features in store for visitors.

As part of the 2024 festival theme, 'Gardening for Change', a brand-new Festival of Houseplants (in collaboration with Green Rooms Market) will enable visitors to step into a world of indoor greenery and contemporary horticultural wonders in the newly built Kildare Hall. This dedicated space will be a treasure trove of indoor plants, curated by some of the UK's finest botanical businesses, with experts and well-known social media influencers on hand to provide advice and guidance when choosing plants or understanding how to care for them. Expect vibrant botanical displays from much-loved classics to rare and exotic specimens, engaging workshops and an abundance of shopping opportunities.

Another new feature for this year's festival is the Kitchen Garden Theatre, designed by Stonebarn Landscapes This new, immersive theatre experience will offer visitors the chance to sit within a kitchen garden while watching live cooking demonstrations from a range of talented chefs and outstanding local food producers. Expect lots of expert tips, clever ideas and inspiration on cooking with home-grown ingredients.

After working up an appetite, visitors can tuck into a delicious breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea at the new 'Garden Shed' dining experience, looking out over the impressive view of the Malvern Hills. These new, luxury dining sheds can accommodate between 2 – 6 people, with set menus featuring freshly prepared dishes such as slow cooked Worcestershire lamb (or jackfruit) served on flatbreads with a fresh herb salad, lemon posset dessert and homemade cakes. Pre-booking is essential and available at: https://www.rhsmalvern.co.uk/whats-on/food-and-drink/ The Bluebell Bistro (a new addition to the 2023 festival) will return for 2024 and will be offering guests delicious new breakfast and afternoon tea options, in addition to its popular lunch menu.

A new 'Taster Ticket' has been introduced for 2024, offering a chance to experience a first glimpse into this vibrant, popular show. Priced at £15, the Taster Ticket welcomes visitors into the showground from 2pm on Saturday 11 May. Ideally suited to those looking to visit the show for the first time, families looking for a fun afternoon out, or anyone wanting to do some dedicated plant shopping to liven up their own green spaces.

Plans for the much-anticipated RHS Malvern Spring Festival show and feature gardens – the first of the year's floral show season – are well underway, with details to be revealed in February. Organisers have revealed that this year will include a brand-new experiential feature garden from RHS gold award-winning designer, Jamie Langlands, who was awarded the coveted prize in 2023 for his 'The Wildlife Trusts: Wilder Spaces' garden. Jamie's unique 2024 feature garden will be unlike anything the festival has seen before, so look out for further information to follow!

As sustainability forms a key part of 2024's 'Gardening for Change' festival theme, the pot amnesty will make a proud return to this year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival. Visitors can opt to take any purchases home in a compostable/plantable pot, rather than a plastic one (which will be recycled after the festival), with free pot swapping stations dotted throughout the showground.

Following huge success last year, the Tips & Tricks area will return with buckets full of advice, upcycling and cost-saving tips from experts. The Floral Marquee, alongside the Plant Village and Pavilions, will return fully stocked by more of the UK's top nurseries. The Festival Theatre will once again feature a stellar line-up of expert horticulturalists and TV gardening personalities, and there will be plenty of family fun for all ages in the Discovery Zone, with arts and crafts sessions, science-based activities, workshops and entertainment.

Tickets for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2024 start from just £26 (with under 16s free of charge) and can be bought here https://www.rhsmalvern.co.uk/

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About RHS Malvern Spring Festival

RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes place on 9 - 12 May 2024 and is the premier gardening and food event in the West Midlands and Central England. Visitors this year can enjoy special guests sharing their gardening know-how in the talks theatres, impressive show gardens, specialist nurseries and growers, artisan food producers, live entertainment and the very best of lifestyle, garden and homeware shopping. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.rhsmalvern.co.uk

What's New at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2024: At a glance

1. Festival of Houseplants: (in collaboration with Green Rooms Market) step into a world of indoor greenery and contemporary horticultural wonders in the newly built Kildare Hall.
2. Kitchen Garden Theatre: new, immersive theatre experience offering visitors the chance to sit within a kitchen garden while watching live cooking demonstrations from a range of talented chefs and outstanding local food producers.
3. Garden Shed dining experience: new, cosy dining sheds accommodating between 2 – 6 people, with set menus for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
4. Bluebell Bistro: featuring new breakfast and afternoon tea options, alongside its popular lunch offering
5. Taster Ticket: Priced at £15, the Taster Ticket welcomes visitors into the showground from 2pm on Saturday 11 May.

About My Pension Expert – festival headline sponsor

My Pension Expert is the UK's number one Advised Retirement Income Specialist. Founded in 2010, My Pension Expert specialises in providing independent advice to UK consumers about their pension plans – it arranges millions of pounds worth of retirement income options each week.