DESPITE one of the wettest 12 months on record, the quality of exhibits at Malvern Spring Gardening Show is among the best ever.

Organisers were braced for an average show, but Royal Horticultural Society shows director Stephen Bennett has been amazed to see it equal the best gardening show ever staged at the Three Counties Showground.

RHS judges awarded a total of 55 gold and silver gilt medals to exhibitors, matching 1997's record tally.

"This has been a most difficult year for growers to prepare," Mr Bennett added. "We had a really late spring and nowhere near enough light. It has been really challenging to get plants ready. In the circumstances, it's been a remarkable effort."

A total of 105 of the country's top nurseries exhibited among a blaze of colour in the RHS Malvern Floral Marquee.

The best in show was Hall Farm Nurseries, producers of herbaceous plants and ornamental grasses from Oswestry, in Shropshire, while the best new exhibitor award went to North of England Bonsai, of Old Earswick, Yorkshire.

Among the 23 gold medal winners were Owens Brothers (Worcester) Ltd, houseplant growers from Claines, and Rushfields of Ledbury, specialists of hostas and geraniums.

"Education had been a prime aim this year," said Chris Milne, chief executive of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, which co-organises the spring gardening show with the RHS.

"We've devoted extras resources in this direction," he added. " We want to encourage more young gardeners and get more of the family interested in gardening."

Although advanced sales had been down due to the uncertainty caused by foot-and-mouth, Mr Milne was confident the show would do well, particularly in view of the good weather forecast.

Today Charlie Dimmock, of BBC's Ground Force - one of the biggest attractions in television gardening - joins a host of horticultural celebrities holding workshops and demonstrations at the show.