From Vision to Show Garden: Our Garden of Arthur Is Ready
When we first shared Myths, Magic and Muddy Boots, we were only at the beginning of an ambitious and imaginative journey. Since then, pupils have worked tirelessly, whatever the weather, to turn ideas, sketches and storytelling into a living, growing garden.
We’re thrilled to share that the Garden of Arthur is now complete and ready to be transported to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival for set‑up next week. What began as a bold creative challenge has become a real celebration of teamwork, perseverance and learning beyond the classroom.
Below, Alex takes up the story, explaining how the final design came together and how the legendary world of King Arthur was brought to life within the constraints of a small show garden.
“Having chosen the winners in the primary competition, gardening club and I needed to put together the final design. The legend of King Arthur has lots of key elements. There’s the sword in the stone, the lady of the lake, Merlin, the knights of the round table and a castle. To fit all this together in a 3x3 meter garden was going to be a challenge!
We decided to make the garden round in the middle with the sword in the stone being the main central feature. The circle is made up of 12 sections to represent the knights of the round table – each section has different planting in blocks of colour. There are also sections with insect friendly items such as the woodpile and a composter made from an old beehive.
Around the edges of the garden are lots of herbs representing Merlin’s herbs, and a small ‘lake’ is in one section representing the Lady of the Lake. The trellis at the back is our castle and a suit of armour represents King Arthur himself. Theres much more to cover in some of the secret genius of the garden and I'll show you all that in the next blog post.”
See It in Person at the Malvern Spring Festival
The Garden of Arthur will now take to the exhibit stage at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, running from 7–10 May. This is an incredible opportunity for our pupils to see their hard work showcased at a national gardening event - and for visitors to see what young people can achieve when creativity, learning and purpose come together.
The River School will have a stand beside the garden, and pupils and staff from both Primary and Senior School, will be taking turns to man it across all four days. They’ll be sharing the story behind the garden, talking about the design process, and proudly representing our school.
If you’re visiting the festival, please do come and say hello - we would love you to see the garden up close and hear the story directly from the pupils who helped bring it to life. Contact Mrs Jackson for a special River School family discount code on tickets!
You can find out more about the festival here:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/malvern-spring-festival
The magic may have started with muddy boots and big ideas, but seeing the Garden of Arthur ready for show season is something truly special. We can’t wait to share the next chapter.
