Wyevale Garden Centres, in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, were awarded Gold at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival this week for their show garden ‘Gardening Amidst Ruins: a homage to Capability Brown’.

The garden’s designer, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, and David Mitchell from Wyevale Garden Centres also became the first recipients of a Gold Medal for the new Best Construction award. The award recognises outstanding achievement in the construction of the show garden and the team’s expertise in the challenge of turning a blank space into a captivating tribute to Capability Brown, with every plant in bloom.



David Mitchell, who is the plant buyer at WGC, said: “Against the odds we have successfully created a vision that will encourage gardeners at home with all plants on display available at our centres nationwide. We hope that everyone who visits over the next four days comes away feeling inspired however green fingered they are.”

TV presenters Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don visited the winning garden. Alan described it as ‘astonishing’ and ‘total perfection in a rustic kind of way’ whilst Monty labelled the garden ‘imaginative and beautiful, nothing like I’ve ever seen before’.

Landscape designeer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan said it was his first ever show garden. “I feel incredibly proud to not only have been part of a winning team, but also to have worked with such determined and creative individuals on this challenging project,” he added. “We feel that this garden is a deserving tribute to the enduring legacy of Lancelot Capability Brown in his 300th year.”