Is it time for a rethink for the Malvern Autumn Show? It’s something I found myself wondering as I looked around the plants, giant veg and cute rabbits that make up this regular local fixture.
More of a country show than a purely gardening event, it’s long been the last on my annual calendar and it was good to be back. Even better was the fact it had been extended to three days from the usual weekend, something the nurseries have long wanted.
However, despite the fact that I had a enjoyable day out, saw some great exhibits and caught up with lots of people in the horti trade, I couldn’t help thinking that I’d seen it all before.
The nursery stands were still in their ‘Punch and Judy’ style individual stands, brought in during the pandemic, rather than the floral marquee that was introduced to the Malvern Autumn Show a few years ago. However, the layout wasn’t as good as last autumn’s Plant and Garden Fair and it was easy to miss things.
I’m told the floral marquee will be back for next year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival and so, presumably, this will be the last time the nurseries’ displays are set up individually.
The stands were good though with plenty to see, top quality plants, and a lot of visitors buying.
While there were lots of traditional autumn flowers, there were some more ‘out of season’ displays to promote bulb sales – always a main part of the Malvern Autumn Show.
Harvest is another main theme and the show has contests for amateur growers in fruit, veg and flowers.
Chilli ‘Friar’s Hat’ 
This caught my eye on the W Robinsons & Son display. I’d never come across a chilli plant as big – a bit of nightmare in the gusty weather on the first day as it kept getting caught by the wind.
The Canna UK National Giant Vegetables Championship is held at the show and there was the usual amusing scene with pumpkin figures.
The year’s challenging growing conditions didn’t seem to have affected the results and there were lots of mammoth veg to marvel at.
Grown for size 
Grown for perfection
There’s quite a contrast between those things that are grown for pure size and those that are exhibited to show off perfection.
Despite all this, I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed. Perhaps it was sheer exhaustion with Chelsea and Malvern crammed into a single week. Walking around, looking for things to photograph, I kept thinking ‘but I did that last time’.
I’m hoping the sense of repetition I felt had a lot to do with pandemic problems making it difficult to bring in anything new. The Three Counties staff should be praised for just getting a show of this size staged, particularly as there have been big changes in the team in the past couple of months.
With Chelsea reverting to its usual May slot next year, Malvern will once again be the only major autumn show, although there are rumours of a new RHS event.
I’m hoping Malvern will keep the three-day format and there will be changes to give it a fresh look. Introducing a garden design element would be one possibility – there were small ‘show gardens’ in the past.
Autumn is such an important season in the gardening year. Malvern has improved markedly over the past few years. I hope that continues.
You can read more of my show reports here.
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I came away (after only four hours) thinking exactly the same.
I do like the Country Show feel and seem to think it’s was always like this in the distant past.
I enjoy the tractors and animals but there seemed to be so many stands selling the same ephemera, mainly spiky metal things!
I missed some of last year’s participants, especially Pheasant Acre dahlias, who I see were at Chelsea.
Floral Art did not do itself justice in the dim light level of the cow shed.
And the giant vegetables hadn’t put in an appearance on Friday😟
I expect I’ll still go next year though!!!!
I saw the giant veg on Friday – it was the afternoon by then though. Rob of Pheasant Acre told me at Chelsea that they planned to be at Malvern but staff illness stopped them. I think it was quite a stretch for a few nurseries to do both and several chose to do only one. The show did used to have small gardens in the past – designer and RHS judge Paul Hervey-Brookes did his first garden at Malvern Autumn. Like you, I will no doubt be there again next year. I am looking forward to the return of the spring festival.
Yes, there was something lacking at the Autumn Show. I do think that the plant stands need to be grouped together better certainly. Not sure about garden design possibility because the RHS Chelsea show had a strong flavour of seasonal sameness even though the gardens demonstrated some exquisite planting details. The construction design there was wonderful and I don’t think that Malvern Autumn Show could compete with the input needed to replicate it
We didn’t see everything of course but we always love the ‘country feel’ about the Malvern autumn show and that differentiates it from others with its mix of plants and animals alongside equipment and ephemera.
We sorely missed the RHS Members area too.
Roll on the Spring Festival!
I do think Chelsea missed a trick, possibly because the date change came to late for designers to alter course. It will be good to have the Spring Festival back – long been my favourite show.