Internationally acclaimed and award-winning landscape designer, Paul Hervey-Brookes, heads up an exciting new competition at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival. The Paul Hervey-Brookes Growing Challenge will see members of the public demonstrate their horticultural growing skills in a number of different categories. No previous experience is required, just a bunch of enthusiasm and imagination.
Paul said: “This is what gardening is about – a passion for growing and nurturing. I’m looking for people of any age to come to show off their growing skills in my new Growing Challenge at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival. Simply pick a category and let your imagination create a beautiful display. It’s fun and will open the door to the addictive and inspiring world of gardening shows and design. We have some fab prizes already lined up, so why not enter and show off your skills.”
The Paul Hervey-Brookes Challenge compromises of five classes – class one will look for the best stylishly designed collection of ferns. Class two, will see visitors showcase terrarium or plant group grown in an imaginative sealed unit with or without soil. Class three will look for the most imaginative houseplant group display. Class four will exhibit the best fruit from seed and class five will showcase a collection of culinary plants ideal for kitchen harvesting.
Paul’s foray into designing award winning show gardens originated at the Malvern Autumn Show in 2009 and he quickly became addicted, having created multiple gold medal winning show gardens at RHS shows including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and more recently, at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. The Paul Hervey-Brookes Growing Challenge is a new area for the designer, as he swaps landscapes and gardens to the fundamentals of planting, hoping to inspire people into a route of garden design.
Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “The Growing Challenge is a slight departure from Paul’s usual work so we’re thrilled to welcome him on board for this new and exciting competition at this year’s festival. We’re really looking forward to seeing the imaginative planting designs from exhibitors – may the best ones win!”
The Growing Challenge will be open from noon on Wednesday 10th May until 6.45am on Thursday 11th May for exhibitors to stage their plants. Judging will then commence in the morning and the winners will be announced that day. Prizes will be awarded for the best plant design for each category as well as an overall Best In Show Prize.
Visitors that wish to take part in the challenge should return an entry form and fee of 60p to the show secretary by Friday 5th May.
RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. Tickets are now on sale. For more information on the festival and Paul Hervey-Brookes’ Growing Challenge or to book tickets, please call 01684 584924 or visit www.rhsmalvern.co.uk