THERE’S plenty for gardeners to look forward to at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Not only will the festival in mid-May present its biggest ever Floral Marquee, boasting a spectacular display from the finest specialist nurseries across the country, but visitors can also expect a Plant Hunter Parlour designed by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Joe Swift, the RHS Master Grower exhibit featuring Fibrex Nurseries, five brand new nurseries and a host of new plant varieties.

The Floral Marquee will certainly impress visitors as it will measure the equivalent length of almost four Olympic swimming pools at 190 metres, and will welcome 69 leading growers setting the horticultural standard at the start of the season.

And of course there will also be the chance to stock up on old favourites.

Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “Visitors to the show often make a bee-line straight to the Floral Marquee.  It’s a fantastic opportunity to marvel at the breathtaking displays that these specialist nurseries produce and it’s the very first opportunity for most to get their hands on the brand new varieties launched at the show. It’s a must-see for both veteran gardeners and floral enthusiasts alike and this year we’ve a little added extra.

"BBC Gardeners’ World presenter, Joe Swift is unveiling a unique centrepiece – the Plant Hunter Parlour, complete with top journalist and broadcaster, Matthew Biggs".

Matthew will take on the personas of two of our most famous plant hunters, Ernest Wilson and George Forrest, in an animated performance.

Horticulturalist, Joe Swift said: “RHS Malvern Spring Festival has been pioneering in its approach from the very beginning, always embracing new ideas and concepts. Having been a part of the leading event for many years, I have always felt an affinity with Malvern and this sparked my decision to design the Plant Hunter Parlour.”

He added: “The exhibit at the heart of the Floral Marquee will provide visitors with a truly immersive experience and I’m really looking forward to seeing visitors engage with the design. I’m proud to be a part of RHS Malvern Spring Festival as it continues to go from strength to strength.”

In keeping with the new vision for RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Joe’s Plant Hunter Parlour takes inspiration from the Victorian era when Malvern enjoyed fame as a fashionable spa resort.

At that time, Victorian plant hunters were busy scouring the globe, risking life and limb, to bring new exotic discoveries back to the UK. Many of the ancestors of their original finds will be featured in Joe’s Plant Hunter Parlour.

The festival will take place from Thursday, May 11 until Sunday, May 14.