Green-fingered enthusiasts are set to have a blooming marvellous time as the RHS Malvern Spring Festival returns to the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, from Thursday, May 8, to Sunday, May 11, 2025. With houseplants stealing the spotlight, this year’s event is putting down fresh roots in the world of sustainable and accessible indoor gardening.

This year’s festival theme, ‘Plants & People,’ explores the profound impact plants have on daily life, from the food we consume and the air we breathe to their mental and physical health benefits. The event will showcase innovative ways to integrate greenery into modern lifestyles.

A key highlight is the Festival of Houseplants, in collaboration with Green Rooms Market, which makes a comeback following its successful debut last year. This section of the event will immerse visitors in a diverse range of indoor plants and highlight their affordability, sustainability, and positive impact on well-being.

For the first time, the festival will introduce RHS-judged Indoor Plant Gardens, a competition celebrating the versatility of houseplants in urban living spaces. Eight gardens will be judged by RHS experts, with the winners receiving RHS medals.

Among the standout garden designs is ‘Neo Flora’ by Megan Warren-Davis of Forest Interior and John Tallis of Outdoor Living Gardens. This display aims to highlight teenage anxiety and depression while demonstrating the calming effects of houseplants. Dibleys Nurseries from North Wales presents ‘Dibley’s Modern Garden Room: Engaging Colour and Texture,’ an exhibit showing how indoor greenery can enhance any space. Jonny Balchandani (The Bearded Plantaholic) and Mo Bhula (The Botanical Archive) collaborate on ‘The Sensory Sanctuary,’ an indoor jungle-inspired garden designed to promote mindfulness and relaxation. Meanwhile, Botanical Interior Design from Nottinghamshire showcases ‘Contemporary Living | A Modern Retreat,’ a post-pandemic-inspired sanctuary promoting mental well-being in urban life.

The Festival of Houseplants will also host over 50 independent traders, offering a variety of houseplants, pots, self-watering planters, peat-free growing mediums, and grow lights. Visitors can take part in creative workshops led by industry experts, including sustainable macramé plant hanger making with Hot Pink Hangers (£25 per person), a living wall art workshop with Memo from Houseplanty Goodness (£35 per person), and a cacti and succulent potting session with Hayley from Mint Plants (£30 per person).

The Festival of Houseplants Theatre will feature a programme of expert talks. On Friday, May 9, indoor gardening specialists Ben Newell, Claire Lowrie, and Grow Tropicals will share insights on incorporating greenery into small spaces. YouTube content creator Memo C (@houseplantygoodness) will discuss plant health and care on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10. Tessa Cobley of Ladybird Plant Care will present sessions on sustainable pest control on Thursday, May 8, Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11. Jonny Balchandani and Mo Bhula will offer inspiration for creating an indoor jungle at home on Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11.

One of the festival’s most striking displays will be The Plant Rescuer’s 12-foot-long Victorian-style greenhouse, created by Sarah Gerrard-Jones in collaboration with Ottershaw Cacti. This exhibition will showcase an array of succulents cultivated by Daniel Jackson, a grower with over 45 years of experience and more than 30 RHS Gold Medals to his name.

Beyond indoor gardening, visitors can explore eight RHS-judged show gardens, feature gardens, and school gardens, as well as shopping areas in the Plant Village, Pavilions, and the Floral Marquee, home to over 60 of the UK’s leading nurseries. This year’s RHS Master Grower, Hare Spring Cottage Plants from Devon, will present its national collection of camassias, sidalceas, and uvularias.

The festival’s packed schedule includes talks, demonstrations, and expert advice from leading horticulturists, including Alan Titchmarsh CBE and BBC Gardeners’ World presenters Rachel de Thame, Adam Frost, and Frances Tophill. The Kitchen Garden Theatre will also feature live cooking demonstrations from ITV This Morning’s Marcus Bean and culinary legend Raymond Blanc OBE.

Tickets for RHS Malvern Spring Festival start at £16, with free entry for children under 16, and can be booked via https://rhsmalvern.co.uk/.