THIS year’s Malvern Spring Garden is shaping up to be a big success, with bright sunshine bringing out large crowds for yesterday’s (Thursday) opening day.

Visitors to the event at the Three Counties Showground found no shortage of inspiration with a record-breaking 22 show gardens, ten of them the work of up-and-coming designers under the Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship.

Among these were View From The Circle, created by Helen Jacobs of Malvern, who chronicled her work in a Malvern Gazette blog.

And for her pains, she won a bronze medal from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). She said: "I'm absolutely delighted, because this is the first-ever show garden I've created. It's a been lot of hard work, but it's been worth it."

Another garden that got a commendation from the RHS was Pride, the work of Year 10 pupils from Dyson Perrins school, in the shape of the school shield.

Teacher Tina Henderson said: "It was a group of eight children working towards their Certificate of Personal Effectiveness for the GCSE vocational qualification. They've been growing the plants since January, and after the show the garden will go back to the school as a permanent feature."

Traders at the show found business was brisk yesterday morning. Carol Nicholls of Guarlford-based Grange Farm Nurseries said: "We've been quite busy compared to last year. It's not just the show. At the nursery, we've been pretty busy since Easter."

Sharon Gilbert of the Three Counties Agricultural Society said: "Not only do we have the record 22 show gardens, we've got 100 nurseries in the Malvern Floral Marquee, seven school gardens, and plenty of other exhibits."

She said advance ticket sales were up on last year, and there was also an increase in coach parties booked in for the first day.

"Perhaps because of the economy, people are turning away from foreign visits, and looking to cultivate their own gardens, literally," she said.

Scroll down for a photo gallery of the day's fun.