ABOUT 90,000 visitors are expected at Malvern’s Three Counties showground for the first national gardening event of the summer.

Opened yesterday, Thursday, and running until Sunday evening, Malvern Spring Gardening Show has grown from a small regional flower show 26 years ago into a televised Royal Horticultural Society occasion with a host of stars and personalities.

“Fortunately, in view of the showery forecast until the weekend, this is one event that is not over reliant on the weather,” said showground communications manager Sharon Gilbert. “Keen gardeners don’t mind a drop of rain, in fact after the dry spell many are welcoming it, and they don’t let it put them off coming to Malvern. Anyway, all the key areas are under cover as the showground has extensive exhibition space.”

Once again, the centrepiece of the show is the stunning RHS Malvern floral marquee, where more than 100 of the UK’s top growers and horticulturalists will be exhibiting and which always provides a stunning backdrop to the televised broadcast by Gardeners’ World, which will be on BBC2 at 8.30pm tonight.

On-the-gate adult admission ranges from £15.50 each on tomorrow and Sunday to £18.50 today.