COUNTY schoolchildren have been getting advice from the experts in advance of next year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Chris Collins, head of organic horticulture at Garden Organic, and former BBC Blue Peter

gardener has been inspiring the next generation of gardening talent as they prepare for the show in May.

The popular gardening enthusiast was at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern taking pupils through a series of workshops to help them grow big ideas for their own unique

school garden displays.

He was joined by experts from the Royal Horticultural Society, sponsor BAM Construction and

Warwickshire College as they guided youngsters on plants, design and landscaping.

The School Gardens Challenge theme for 2018 is Great Britain and pupils are working towards

telling the story of an amazing person, group, event or invention that has helped make modern

Britain what it is today.

Last year Bromsgrove School took on the challenge. Forest school leader Sam Dakin said: “This

project was the most amazing process from working with the pupils, to formulating a design, to

planting, to making the structures and interacting with the public. The satisfaction of what we

achieved has been overwhelming and the experience will remain with me for a long time.”

Jo Marsh, of the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, said: “The garden competition and workshops have encouraged the children to focus on green issues and look at nature in a more creative way.”

For more information on how to get involved and to reserve a growing space for your school

email Mark.Harwood-Browne@threecounties.co.uk.