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RHS Malvern Spring Festival announces eight local schools will compete in this year’s School Garden Challenge
RHS Malvern Spring Festival, the first major RHS show of the year which returns to Three Counties Showground, Malvern from 7 – 10 May 2026, has announced that eight local schools from across Worcestershire and Gloucestershire will be participating in this year’s popular School Garden Challenge.
The RHS Malvern Spring Festival School Garden Challenge invites local schools, home education groups and further education providers from across the surrounding counties to design, deliver and display their own garden to the public at the Royal Horticultural Society’s first major, prestigious show of the year at Three Counties Showground in May.
The theme of this year’s School Garden Challenge is Myths and Legends, inviting young people to explore magical stories, cultural heritage and powerful symbolism through the design and creation of their garden, incorporating ancient folklore, mythology, heroic tales or mythical creatures. Participants are encouraged to be as creative as they like, inspiring them to use their imagination and bring their ideas to life.
Kate Dufton, RHS Malvern Spring Festival Show Manager said: “We love seeing the designs for the School Garden Challenge each year and we’re always very impressed with how children and young people have creatively interpreted the brief and brought their ideas to life through their planting.
The School Garden Challenge is a great way to promote gardening and horticulture to children and young people, encouraging their creativity and story-telling through garden design, as well as helping to develop their confidence and self-esteem and giving them the opportunity to work as a team and develop their communication skills. It’s also a great way to further their understanding of the environment and sustainability, alongside supporting various elements of the national curriculum and developing hands-on skills that they can nurture and develop throughout life.”
Schools participating in the 2026 RHS Malvern Spring Festival School Garden Challenge:
• Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, Worcestershire
• Bridge School Malvern, Worcestershire
• The River School, Worcestershire
• Pershore College, Worcestershire
• Bankside College, Worcestershire
• Tudor Grange Academy, Worcester
• St Michael Abbey School, Worcestershire
Find out more: rhsmalvern.co.uk