WITH the Worcestershire landscape looking like the Arctic for a good part of the winter and then rocketing to 78F only half way through spring, our poor old gardens probably don’t know whether they’re coming or going.

Which makes next week’s annual Malvern Spring Gardening Show (Thursday to Sunday, May 12-15) almost surreal. Usually preceded by a chilly spell and a wait for frost-free nights, May 2011 feels more like we’ve already seen the back end of summer.

But whatever the state of the nation’s front gardens, you can bet your brand new dibber the crowds will be out in force again for the UK’s first major horticultural event of the year.

A joint venture between the Royal Horticultural Society and the Three Counties Agricultural Society, the four-day Spring Gardening Show now attracts national television coverage by way of BBC2’s Gardeners’ World and visitors from all over the world. About 100,000 visitors pour through the gates of the Three Counties Showground at Blackmore Park to enjoy the annual mix of flowers, famous names, fabulous show gardens and trade stands selling everything from a ride-on mower to a stem support.

Sharon Gilbert, the event’s press and PR manager, said: “Whatever the weather, the Spring Gardening Show continues to go from strength to strength. Despite the economic downturn, last year was a great success. We hope the new features we are introducing this year will make it attractive to regular and new visitors alike and look forward to another successful show.”

Among them will be a new Garden In Harmony theatre, a landscaping live demonstration area and an olive grove garden.

The upmarket Country Living pavilion, with superb shopping, is at Malvern for the very first time, and there will be 31 beautiful gardens, including a Tudor-style parterre, an eco-friendly shepherd’s garden and a vertical rock garden that has been inspired by a fusion of Chinese and Japanese art.

Among the show gardens are 11 imaginative creations, courtesy of candidates in the Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship, sponsored by Bradstone. This year is the International Year of Chemistry and the scholarship gardens have ‘atom’ as their theme.

The show will be championing biodiversity and it has given its popular theatre a complete overhaul with a new stage garden and a programme dedicated to conserving the natural environment.

Theatre host, television gardener James Alexander- Sinclair, will welcome some new faces – Matthew Wilson (Channel 4’ Landscape Man), Mike Dilger (Springwatch and BBC’s The One Show), Jekka McVicar, and Brigit Strawbridge. In the Inflight and Companion gardens they will be joined by old favourites Joe Swift of TV’s Gardeners’ World, former Pershore College of Horticulture lecturer and TV and radio favourite Chris Beardshaw and Kim Hurst of the Cottage Herbery at Boraston, near Tenbury Wells.

Visitors thinking of giving their gardens a makeover should head for the new Landscaping Live area where professional landscapers and RHS medal winners Robin Higgins, of Garden Interest, and Paul Taylor of Alchemy, will oversee the construction of a working garden and demonstrate techniques for laying lawns, patios, decking and building and planting a garden pond.

From commissioning a landscaper to embarking on a DIY project, there will be plenty of advice and top tips on the whole process and alongside the working garden there will be a finished one to demonstrate just what can be achieved.

Also new for 2011 is a vegetable planting project, courtesy of Care Farming West Midlands, which uses commercial farms, market gardens, smallholdings and woodlands to provide mental and physical health through normal farming activity.

Each farm is unique and supports those with learning disabilities, addictions, excluded youngsters and ex-service personnel.

Gardeners’ World anchor man Monty Don and Joe Swift will be judging their favourite gardens on the day they film for the Friday evening’s TV programme.

Other show highlights include an eco home and garden area, the world’s smallest cinema run on solar power and plenty of advice on everything from green roofing, organic gardening and water saving, to artisan food, a crafts market and Britain’s biggest floral art display.

Å To book tickets call the ticket hotline on 01684 584924 or visit threecounties.co.uk/spring gardening. Tickets for the first day on Thursday, May 12, are in advance only.