This Bold Colour Pairing Is Everywhere At RHS Malvern — And Is The Secret To Brighter Summer Borders

One of the first major gardening shows of the year, the RHS Malvern Spring Festival opened its gates on Thursday, 7 May. Set against the sweeping backdrop of the undulating Malvern Hills, the four-day event brings together stalls, star-studded talks, street food and, of course, plants, flowers and gardening inspiration galore.

Although the festival season is only just beginning – with the biggest event, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, still to come – Malvern offers an early indication of the ideas and influences set to shape the horticultural world in the months ahead. Trends spotted here often crop up again at other flower shows before eventually filtering into gardens across the country.

One trend in particular stood out across the festival grounds this year: the striking pairing of orange and purple flowers. The bold colour combination appeared everywhere, from show gardens and planted borders to floral tablescapes and displays inside the flower marquee.

Wanda Sachs / Country Living

A floral tablescaping display at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival

Orange and purple – both vivid, high-impact shades – may not seem the most obvious pairing, yet together they create something remarkably effective.

“Those colours sit at the exact opposite side of the colour wheel, so they create maximum contrast and therefore instant interest in the garden,” explains Mirela Bajic, a senior garden designer at House Designer.

The trend reflects a wider appetite for boldness that has emerged across gardening, interiors and fashion in recent years.

“People are becoming more confident with colour again,” the expert says. “For a while, a lot of garden design leaned heavily into softer greens and neutral planting, whereas now there is definitely a shift towards gardens that feel more expressive and emotionally uplifting.”

Lizzie Thomson/Country Living

Flowers on show at the Floral Marquee

That sense of energy is exactly what the pairing delivers. Orange and purple intensify one another’s vibrancy, making them ideal for summer borders that feel fresh, optimistic and full of life. Even better, the combination keeps the colour going until after dusk.

“In my experience, these warmer combinations work especially well in evening light, too,” says Mirela. “As the sun drops, the oranges become much softer and the pinks and purples start to feel richer, which gives the garden a really atmospheric quality.”

For anyone seeking an easy way to refresh their flower beds, planting orange and purple varieties side by side is a gardening trend worth embracing – particularly while spring still offers ideal conditions for establishing new plants.

If you’re visiting RHS Malvern Spring Festival this year, don’t forget to visit the Country Living pavilion for all your artisan shopping.

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Wanda Sachs is the Multiplatform Writer for Country Living and House Beautiful, exploring the latest in gardening, wildlife and sustainable living alongside interiors and property. She is particularly interested in human-interest stories, the intersection of design and pop culture, and the evolving relationship between urban and rural life. Previously, she served as Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she reported on culture and fashion. Wanda studied English and German at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Exeter University.