MORE than 90,000 green fingered goddesses, chaps who are handy with a dibber and others who just like messing about in the garden will descend on Malvern's Three Counties Showground this weekend for 2005's first major horticulture happening.

Malvern Spring Gardening Show will be celebrating its 20th birthday in style.

Having grown from a local flower show into one of the country's largest displays of all things gardening, the three day event over Friday, Saturday and Sunday is set to beat last year's record 93,000 attendance.

Jointly organised by the Three Counties Agricultural Society and the Royal Horticultural Society, the show has so grown in stature, it is now known as "the regional Chelsea" and a gold medal at Malvern is considered the equal of one at the legendary London gathering.

The centrepiece of the Spring Gardening Show will be the spectacular RHS Floral Marquee, where 100 of the country's top nurseries will be exhibiting and vying for all important awards from the judges.

There are a record breaking 15 show gardens on display this year, including one called A Garden Hideaway featuring an American Indian teepee.

Among the permanent gardens is a new green-friendly Children's Garden, designed by children, for children.

Pupils from Malvern's Northleigh Primary School will be working on it during the show. Among the celebrities attending will be Alan Titchmarsh (Friday) and Chris Beardshaw (Sunday).

Both will be appearing in a new Interactive Design Theatre and taking questions from the audience.

Hosted by James Alexander Sinclair and Joe Swift, the theatre will hold sessions to give advice to gardeners.

The 30-acre showsite also includes hundreds of trade stands selling everything for the garden from rakes to ride-on tractors, as well as all the latest labour-saving gadgets.

For the fifth year running BBC TV will be filming at the show on Thursday and Friday, ready for the Gardeners' World programme at 8pm on BBC2 on Friday evening.

n Malvern Spring Gardening Show is being held on the Three Counties Showground from Friday, May 13, until Sunday, May 15. Adult admission is £12.50 to £15 with children 15 and under admitted free. Opening times 9am to 6pm.