COOKERY queen Mary Berry and Godfather of Gardening Alan Titchmarsh will headline this year's RHS Spring Festival on the Three Counties showground in May.

Formerly known as Malvern Spring Gardening Show, it is the first major outdoor horticultural event of the season and according to Titchmarsh: "Is in a matchless setting, has a wonderful atmosphere and always sets off Spring to a flying start."

The colourful four day extravaganza runs from Thursday, May 5 until Sunday, May 8 and Ken Nottage, chief executive of hosts the Three Counties Agricultural Society, said: "We are over the moon to announce that Alan and Mary will be joining us this year at the much-loved RHS Malvern Spring Festival. To help celebrate the start of the summer season many a garden great and foodie favourite will be sharing their top tips with audiences alongside some of the country’s finest nurseries and food producers.”

Organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, the festival brings to the fore the finest in both gardening and food. 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. Set against the backdrop of the picturesque Malvern Hills, wow factor show gardens are always a number one destination for visitors. This year’s designs include a homage to Capability Brown, designer of Croome Park, a garden of a thousand and one flowers, a woodcutters garden and a garden of romance.

There is also a massive floral marquee, schools gardens and festival gardens for budding garden designers.

Joining Alan and Mary, BBC Gardeners’ World’s Carol Klein and Joe Swift rub shoulders with other food and garden experts in the Festival Theatre. Here visitors can pull up a perch as these experts share their tips, while in the School Gardens Theatre as CBeebies star Ben Faulks as Mr Bloom takes to the stage on the Sunday.

The festival food and drink pavilion will be a foodie hotspot, a lively market square of food producers offering a variety of artisan produce. At its heart, top TV chef Valentine Warner and Otter Farm’s Mark Diacono will host The Kitchen Garden Theatre, bringing to the stage local chefs as they showcase their skills.

Advance tickets are on sale now priced from £15 for RHS and TCAS members and from £17 for non-members. Tickets will be available on the gate from £21.