Martyn lands perfect job designing VE Day show garden - The Worcester Observer

Martyn lands perfect job designing VE Day show garden

Worcester Editorial 21st Feb, 2020   0

A GARDEN designer who is one of four generations in his family to serve in the RAF will be exhibiting a commemorative show garden at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Martyn Wilson is an award-winning garden designer based in Worcester, and due to his military connections is the perfect fit to create a VE Day show garden at the festival held at Three Counties Showground which falls on the anniversary weekend in May.

It is not Martyn’s first military-themed garden, his installation Memories of Service: RAF100 Centenary Garden, is already a permanent fixture at the Showground after first being unveiled in 2018

Martyn, whose grandfather was involved in D-Day and the battle for Normandy, said: “I’ve heard so many first hand tales of the war from my family and I am extremely honoured to be able to bring a VE Day commemorative garden to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival.”




He was stationed at RAF Bruggen in Germany and frequently visited the Netherlands and towns such as Arnhem and Nijmegen the location of the infamous Operation Market Garden and the allied airborne invasion and the VE Day garden has been inspired by these visits.

During the harsh winter of 1944-1945 a large part of the German-occupied Netherlands suffered from severe shortages of food and fuel. During the famine, known in the Netherlands as the ‘Honger Winter’ or the ‘Hunger Winter’ Tulip bulbs were commonly eaten including by the famous actress Audrey Hepburn.


Most bulbs such as hyacinths and daffodils are toxic to humans, but tulip bulbs are edible if they are carefully prepared and the VE Day garden designed in an English and Dutch style will feature bulbs including Tulip Liberation.

Martyn is collaborating with the Netherlands Embassy in London, Royal Delft, Dutch growers and NATO forces stationed in nearby Gloucester to create this special garden.

The show garden will be part of wider VE Day celebrations where there will be plenty of union flag flying, vintage music and singing, military vehicles and dancing.

Visit www.rhsmalvern.co.uk or call 0844 811 0050 for more.

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