WET weather did not put off visitors to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show.

Clad in colourful waterproofs and carrying umbrellas as bright as the plants they were buying, visitors enjoyed what Gardener's World presenter Monty Don described as "the first, the finest and friendliest of garden shows".

After a sunny start on Thursday and sunshine and showers on Friday, the weather became increasingly grim with non-stop torrential rain by the final day, Sunday.

"If we get rain like this next year we'll have to have a best in show' for umbrellas," joked show spokesman Sharon Gilbert.

She said as visitors to the show were all keen gardeners, they weren't put off by a bit of rain.

"They know that after all the dry weather recently, it's just what their gardens need," she said.

Despite the weather, visitor numbers reached 85,000, not much lower than the 90,000 average.

Metal duckboards in the marquees and straw underfoot around the show gardens and trade stands helped with the worst of the mud, said Mrs Gilbert.

The relentless rain did lead to organisers closing the show early on the final day, at 5pm instead of 6pm and to hold the plant sell-off earlier than usual at 4pm.

Held at the Three Counties Showground, the 22nd Spring Gardening Show offered with 12 show gardens, thousands of plants and gold medals galore. There were 41 Royal Horticultural Society gold medals awarded, an all-time record.

Nick Vincent, chief executive of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, which organises the show with the RHS, said: "The show now gets compared with Chelsea. The quality of exhibits seems to get better every year."

An interactive design theatre, hosted by TV gardeners Joe Swift and James Alexander-Sinclair, offered respite from the rain, as well as gardening tips and advice.

Show gardens included designs with sun loungers and drought tolerant plants, swimming ponds and Meditarranean courtyards.

Chris Beardshaw's gold medal-winning Three Counties Garden, with its traditional cottage garden plants and vegetable patch, looked more at home in the rain.

Other attractions included a floral art show, beautiful handicrafts and a food and wine section, as well as hundreds of trade stands selling everything from seeds and plants to waterproofs and wellies.