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 stands a contemporary timber‑framed structure, clad in Dreadnought plain clay tiles and ornamental tiles. An ornamental ridge adds sculptural detail, while the word CLAY is spelled out in a darker shade of tile, reinforcing the garden’s theme and celebrating the expressive potential of fired clay.  Inside the structure, the floor is 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, have an almost reflective surface that brings 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 are 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.

Martyn's garden celebrates clay as a timeless, sustainable and deeply expressive material and it's story doesn't end here.  After the RHS Malvern in May and the Three Counties Show in June, it was carefully reconstructed at the Worcester Royal Hospital, within the Charles Hastings Education Centre and Museum of Medicine, where it will be enjoyed for years to come, continuing its mission to inspire curiosity, connection and a renewed appreciation for clay.