Clay 'The Super Soil' - Feature garden by Martyn Wilson at RHS Malvern 2026
Ketley blue multi Victorian patterned pavers, Dreadnought ornamental clay roof tiles, Dreadnought plain clay roof tiles, Dreadnought ornamental ridge tiles
Designer - Martyn Wilson
Contractors - JG Landscaping
Martyn Wilson’s Clay Feature Garden at RHS Malvern 2026 is a celebration of clay in all its forms. Set on the borders of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - an area renowned for its fertile clay soils and the produce grown from them - the garden draws inspiration from the landscape of the Three Counties Showground.
Martyn’s aim was to showcase the extraordinary versatility of clay and the many ways it shapes our everyday lives. From the bricks and tiles that form our homes, to the pavers beneath our feet, the pots we plant into, and even the mugs we drink our tea from, clay is a material that quietly supports us at every scale.
At the heart of the garden stood a contemporary timber‑framed structure, clad in Dreadnought plain clay tiles and ornamental tiles. An ornamental ridge added sculptural detail, while the word CLAY was spelled out in a darker shade, reinforcing the garden’s theme and celebrating the expressive potential of fired clay. Inside, the floor was finished with Ketley Blue Multi two‑panel pavers, often known as stable cobbles, bringing texture, durability and a timeless clay aesthetic to the space.
Because the Malvern Showground is an open and exposed site, Martyn introduced a series of vertical tiled walls to provide shelter and create defined pockets within the garden. These timber‑framed walls, clad in Dreadnought clay tiles, offered a slightly reflective surface that brought a contemporary architectural quality to the planting areas, forming a warm and tactile backdrop.
Unlike a traditional RHS show garden, this feature garden was designed to be educational and interactive. Visitors were encouraged to walk through the space, explore the raised beds to understand the clay‑rich soil structure, and discover clay as both a growing medium and a creative material. Two terraces of Ketley Blue Multi diamond‑chequer pavers sit within the garden, their varied tones giving the space an instantly established feel. To further demonstrate the potential of clay, the Ketley team brought a laser‑etching machine on site, showing how clay can be personalised, crafted and transformed in unexpected ways.
The result is a thoughtful, immersive garden that celebrates clay as a timeless, sustainable and deeply expressive material. And the story of this garden doesn't end here. After RHS Malvern and the Three Counties Show, it was carefully reconstructed at the Worcester Royal Hospital, within the Charles Hastings Education Centre and Museum of Medicine, where it can be enjoyed for years to come, continuing its mission to inspire curiosity, connection and a renewed appreciation for clay.
