ONE of the major events staged at the Three Counties Showground on the outskirts of Malvern is rapidly drawing near.

The annual Royal Horticultural Society Malvern Spring Festival is one of the bigger events on the gardening world calendar and will be taking place over four days from Thursday, May 5 through to Sunday, May 8.

One of the top attractions on Family Day, the Sunday, will see Ben Faulks as Mr Bloom and Blue Peter Gardener Chris Collins joining forces.

The top TV talents for teenies will be welcoming budding gardeners to get green fingered as the dedicated family day unfolds.

Children aged 16 and under receive free entry to RHS Malvern Spring Festival on all four days of the show.

Ken Nottage, CEO of Three Counties, said: “RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a spectacular event, not just for grown ups, but for little ones too. We’re passionate about engaging the next generation of Alan Titchmarshs and Carol Kleins and nurturing young talent.

"With hands on workshops to entertainment from their TV favourites, Family Day is sure to have something for all members of the family and it’s going to be a wonderful way to celebrate the final day of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2016.”   

Ben Faulks, as Mr Bloom, will be taking to the stage joined by his lively veg patch friends. Ben is a star of hit CBeebies show Mr Bloom’s Nursery, in which he teaches important life lessons through the wonders of gardening, dressed in his trademark wellies, tank top and trilby.

The Discovery Zone will be a hive of activity with immersive lively and fun activities.

Mr Bloom and BBC Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins will host planting sessions on how to grow your own veg for your lunchbox, together with bountiful workshops from The Great Allotment Challenge’s Jonathan Moseley.

Chris Collins will also champion RHS Malvern’s School Gardens Challenge.

This area of the show sees school children from across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire design and build their own show gardens on display at RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Chris offers his hands on advice and guidance to schoolchildren throughout the process.

Magical man of mystery and wonder, Mr Alexander will be entertaining children with his spectacular one-man show throughout the day

Taking over the festival green, Mr Alexander’s shows are reminiscent of vintage variety shows of yesteryear featuring a unique and captivating blend of magic, juggling, unicycling, balance and illusion.   

The Royal Horticultural Society’s Growing the Future exhibit will welcome little ones to venture into the unknown – to infinity and beyond! Educational, exciting, interactive and fun workshops will inspire the next generation to consider the broad variety of careers and pathways available in the horticultural industry.   

Elsewhere budding Mary Berry’s can join Easy Peasy Cookery for cookery classes designed especially for little ones. Each hour-long session hosted throughout the day will show just how to cook a scrummy meal from scratch with local and seasonal ingredients.   

As for other attractions the Pathways Day Service will recognise 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare with a display of ‘Shakespearean Scarecrows’ along with a garden design that depicts the Elizabethan period.

Little ones and their families can explore a Tudor style house complete with a traditional knot garden, planting of herbs and flowers that Shakespeare used in his writings.

References to Shakespeare’s best-loved plays can be found here including the Scottish play, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.   

Budding Shakespeare’s will have the chance to compose their own ‘quatrain’, a unique type of poem consisting of four lines. Each stanza will be displayed in the garden’s raised poetry bed, amongst colourful blooms of spring flowers known to have inspired Shakespeare himself.   

The RHS Malvern Spring Festival brings to the fore the finest in both gardening and food and visitors can expect stunning show gardens and nursery displays alongside a bounty of food producers, eclectic shopping and top tips from celebrity chefs and garden experts alike.

The godfather of gardening Alan Titchmarsh and national treasure Mary Berry will also be headlining RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

The two legendary icons will take to the stage as the landmark gardening and food festival returns to the Three Counties Showground next month. 

or more information on ticket prices, please call 01684 584900 or visit www.rhsmalvern.co.uk.