GARDEN designer Martyn Wilson is set to create a real buzz at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in May with his show garden the Bees Knees in support of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Based in Hillery Road, Worcester, Mr Wilson is building an exhibit to highlight the plight of Britain’s bumblebees and honey bees and demonstrate how beautiful and essential a bee friendly garden can be. Hovering over the garden at the four day event on Malvern's Three Counties showground will be a spectacular sculpture of a queen honeybee crafted by Shropshire artist Nik Burns

Lucy Rothstein of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: “We are delighted that Martyn is building this garden in support of the Trust. We are passionate about securing the future of the UK’s bumblebees. As vital pollinators of everyday essentials such as tomatoes, beans and apples, our food security relies on their pollination service. Since the end of the Second World War, we have lost nearly 98 percent of our flower-rich meadows, leaving bumblebees little to feed on and causing their populations to plummet. It is critical that we take action now, to save these iconic, charismatic

and valuable insects. This garden offers a fantastic example of how we can all do our bit, by planting pollen-rich flowers, plants and herbs for our bumblebees to feed on and help save the sound of summer.”

Mr Wilson has taken honeycomb as an inspiration for the structure of the garden with hexagonal beds bursting with bee-friendly plants. Festivalgoers will be able to pick up tips from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on how to help bees from what to plant in the garden to how to

care for exhausted bees found on paths.

The RHS Malvern Spring Festival will take place from Thursday, May 7 until Sunday, May 10