Gardeners' Corner

As the film Hamnet goes on general release, David Maxwell chats to herb expert Jekka McVicar about the role she played in advising the production on Elizabethan herbs. In Ratoath, County Meath, nursery owner John Lord is finding new opportunities in a garden he’s developed over 30 years. He explains how it’s become a playground for plants that serve to inspire both expert and novice gardeners alike. Listener Michael McLean gets a visit from Gardeners’ Corner – he invited the programme to see a garden he’s lovingly creating over a lifetime on a hillside above Newcastle. Also on the progra...

As one year gives way to the next, join David Maxwell on a journey through the seasons with highlights from the last 12 months of Gardeners’ Corner. From clearing up after Storm Éowyn to pristine show gardens, from celebrities to school children and with callers from Ballyclare to San Francisco, David sums up the joy of a programme that celebrated 40 years on the airwaves in 2025.

In this episode of Gardeners' Corner, David Maxwell visits what some call 'Ireland's secret garden' - Kilmacurragh in County Wicklow. The site became part of the National Botanic Gardens in 1996 and since then a restoration programme has been underway. Leading the tour of the gardens, which boast a vast plant collection, is head gardener Seamus O'Brien. From a 'Peter Pan' tree which thinks it's a child but is over 100 years old to a plant which traps animals so their decaying bodies give it food.

Seamus is also continuing the work of the Victorian plant hunters. He has...

Join David Maxwell and the gardening gang for a very festive Gardeners’ Corner Christmas special from the National Trust’s Rowallane Gardens in Saintfield, County Down. The team leave behind their dirty denims and don their festive finest for an outdoor gathering around a crackling fire. With mystery seeds in crackers, Secret Santa silliness, and festive food from the garden, all washed down with some seasonal gardening know-how – this is one Christmas Special you won’t want to miss. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

With the festive season in full swing, David heads to Montalto Estate in County Down for a winter walk with head gardener Lesley Heron. While Storm Bram has created some extra work, there’s still plenty to enjoy, including plants that bring colour and structure to the darkest months of the year. Also on the programme, David chats to Brendan Gilsenan at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin about mistletoe — the seasonal plant romantics seek out at this time of year — and Maeve Bell explains why every garden should make room for a mahonia. Back in the studio, David is joi...

Need help picking your Christmas tree? Gardeners’ Corner can help! Tony Johnston from Peartree Hill Christmas Tree Farm shares excellent advice on keeping yours looking its best. David visits Bob Hamilton at Dunsany Estate, Co Meath to see how they’ve rewilded 750 acres of the estate. Ruth Bramley talks about keeping indoor plants at the office and makes suggestions for gifting houseplants for Christmas. Adam Frost picks his final shrub of the month for 2025. Rosie Maye joins David in studio to answer listeners’ questions and bring some seasonal gardening inspiration. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

In this week’s programme, David Maxwell travels to Kerrykeel in Donegal where Brendan Little is preparing his backyard garden for winter. In Spa, County Down, Thomas McCaw and Thomas Raju sing the praises of heather for late autumn and winter colour. At Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, Maurice Parkinson reveals some of the grasses that stand well over the colder months and dazzle in frost and low sun. A caller asks if tree stumps should be removed from the garden or if it’s okay to plant around them. John wants rid of his hairy bittercress weed – is the answer to eat...

This week, David visits Rosie Maye’s garden near Slane and hears about her love of Inter-planting and underplanting.

Prolific Irish garden designer Mary Keen chats about new autobiography, Diary of a Keen Gardener, and why even with her long career and expertise, she’s always learning and experimenting as a gardener.

Pupils from Hezlett Primary School and National Trust volunteers help plant ferns and unveil a new water bowl at Downhill Demesne, Castlerock.

Gardening expert Neil Porteous joins David in studio to help caller John, who’s worried about cutting his holly tree a...

On a very wet week, David visits Mount Stewart to see how storm-felled trees are given a new lease of life in the sunken garden. Urban spaces are reimagined with innovative native meadow cubes and Maurice Parkinson explains why now is a good time to sharpen tools. Gardening expert Colin Agnew is in studio to answer caller’s questions. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Autumn is far from over, as David Maxwell discovers with Maurice Parkinson at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden. A fine collection of maples—perfect for a cold climate and heavy soil—thrives there, putting on quite the autumn spectacle. In Hillsborough, head gardener Claire Woods is preparing pots for tulip bulbs. She explains how to extend the display by choosing varieties timed to follow one another. With its many mature trees, Hillsborough is also the perfect place to learn about making leaf mould—sometimes known as gardeners’ gold. In Dromore, Julietta Watson uses summer strawflowers to craft baubles for Christmas and pots up...

This week, Helen talks about how to balance tidying up the autumn garden with giving nature a home for the darker months. She joins Graeme Cross at Magilligan Community Centre to learn about pruning apples in winter and visits Darren and Victoria Colville at Iona Garden near Greyabbey.

Ann Fitzsimons is live in studio with expert advice on all your gardening questions.

Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

In this autumn special, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates our relationship with trees. David Maxwell returns to his childhood home to revisit the trees he grew up with. Tree expert Tony Kirkham introduces some of the trees grown in London’s Chelsea Physic garden which may prove more resilient than our natives as the climate changes. The myths and legends linked to trees are something that fascinates storyteller Vicky McFarland – she reveals tales of love and death. In Rostrevor, County Down, former carpenter Paul Clerkin knows the trees of Kilbroney Park better than most. Now a public park, it was once a gran...

This week at the National Trust’s Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, beds are being prepared for winter by new head gardener Lizzie Whyman. The garden team are also trialling which apple varieties store best for winter use. Presenter David Maxwell also heads to Gilford Primary School where staff and pupils have turned a disused football pitch into a pumpkin patch. Also on the programme, how County Down native Beth Gregg is bringing back the posh cloche with her business Claverton Cloches and author Jules Acton on her book ‘Oaklore’ about the amazing life in our native oaks. In studio, David...

This week, David visits the new sensory garden in Bangor’s Ward Park which as been designed with those living with dementia in mind. One listener gets in touch after finding fresh hens eggs (with a date stamp) buried in her garden pots – the team attempt to unravel the mystery. Adam Frost chooses Euonymus alatus as his shrub of the month for October. Garden designer and nursery owner Jamie Butterworth on his manic year that’s included designing a garden with Monty Don, getting married and writing a book! Also on the programme, with the arrival of the bulb of Nar...

With warm colours all around, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates the arrival of autumn. At the National Trust’s Rowallane Gardens, David meets head gardener Claire McNally for a walk in the woods where Acers, Sorbus, Birch and Enkianthus are stealing the show. As this year’s harvest is gathered in, Amy Kelly is thinking ahead to what can be planted now for early crops next year. In Moira, David discovers a secret courtyard garden beside the oldest house in the village and he chats to Mary Reynolds about her journey from being the youngest ever winner of a gold medal at the...

Where did the world-famous author Jane Austen find inspiration for her classic novels? Two hundred and fifty years after her birth, Gardeners’ Corner presenter David Maxwell explores the outdoor spaces closely linked to her life and writing. In Hampshire, he visits the cottage garden at Chawton, where Jane lived with her mother and sister, and where she wrote and revised her most famous works. Now the Jane Austen House Museum, its Director Lizzie Dunford reveals how gardens and outdoor life shape Austen’s stories. The new head gardener, Michelle Hickman, shares how the garden around the house has a plan...

In Magherafelt, David Maxwell visits Yew Cottage garden where Philip Stewart is turning his pond into a sunken garden. He hopes to turn a ‘frost pocket’ into a place for tender plants including bananas. In County Clare, Karoly Torok takes us on a tour of Vandeleur Walled Garden, which is now a thriving community space after years of neglect. Colin Agnew joins David in studio to take questions including one on how to grow asparagus. And a tribute to long-time listener and chrysanthemum expert Herbie McCauley, who has passed away at 86. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

This week, David Maxwell heads to County Antrim where he meets a Canadian couple gardening in the shadow of Slemish. Judith and Hugh Jackson moved to the area from Vancouver after they both retired. They built a house in a rural area and they quickly realised that gardening at 300 metres above sea level meant they needed plants that can look after themselves. Judith reveals her friendly ‘thugs’ including the tough perennial Persicaria which cuts down on any weeding. In County Clare, the programme visits the Irish Seed Savers Association who look after Ireland’s heritage apple collection and conserve herita...

Carl Wright never intended to make a garden when he bought an old cottage in The Burren. Had he known he’d become smitten with plants he wouldn’t have chosen to live in an area famous for it’s limestone rock covered by a thin layer of soil. But after importing hundreds of tons of topsoil over 25 years he has created a garden like no other. It’s a space that sensitively fits into its unique surroundings and is full of valuable lessons for those wanting to bring an old overgrown garden back from the brink. Also on the prog...

David travels to the award winning Farmyard Nurseries in Carmarthenshire where Richard Bramley shows him the large collection of fly eating Sarracenia. Greg Sachno reveals how he’s created a small garden orchard on the windswept Ards Peninsula. It includes an apple unique to the local area called Ecklinville seedling and an apple genetically linked to the very one Isaac Newton sat under when he started thinking about gravity. On White Mountain, David visits Little Green Allotments, a diverse community of keen growers who are producing their own organic food. In studio Claire McNally joins David with seasonal inspiration an...

What do you do when your son says he forgot to booking a venue for his wedding ceremony? You offer your garden of course and call in the Gardeners’ Corner experts for a bit of help. This week presenter David Maxwell and garden expert Rosie Maye get their gardening kit and head to Bangor to help mum and dad, Nicola and Sheldon Hinds, get their garden wedding ready. Also on the programme, how can plants help you with those awkward lawn edges and cut down on the need for strimming. What can Sandra do to stop the wasps devouring he...

With The Open championship taking place on County Antrim’s north coast, David Maxwell gets some top tips on grass keeping from those who prepared the Royal Portrush course for the world’s top golfers. With Ash dieback now present across the country, a question from a caller prompts the team to look at the latest research suggesting there may be some hope for our Ash trees. Kathryn Gaw reveals the hidden bounty of a forest within Belfast’s city limits when she takes David foraging. As well as discovering that nettles have a gender, there’s a surprising garden u...

With the summer holidays here Gardeners’ Corner gets some inspiration on what to do with the kids in the garden from Amy Kelly. Presenter David Maxwell visits Shaun Boyd’s wildlife garden at Brockagh woods near Ballymoney and is tickling the solution to tackling some of the worst weeds? Ann FitzSimons is deploying a special weeding tool to keep one of her borders weed free after years of trying to combat Ground Elder. Also on the programme, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise is celebrating 25 years of some of its courses and its walled garden. Head of hort...

Gardeners’ Corner celebrates 40 years of the programme with a garden party at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden in County Antrim. Among those attending former presenters and contributors with fond memories of the programme. Presenter David Maxwell chats to Libby Hunter who presented the first programme in June 1985 and to Julie Brown who produced the show for decades. Rich in archive, the programme also explores how gardening has changed. In particular, the much reduced use of herbicides and pesticides. It also touches on how the climate has changed during that 40 years. With so many gardeners on site, Ballyrobert’s Maurice Parkinson enlists the...

On the day of the summer solstice, Gardeners’ Corner heads to a market garden known across the globe on social media. Barrie Quinn has created Portnoo Market Garden in Donegal over the last 5 years. He tells presenter David Maxwell why he’s so passionate about producing organic veg on his hillside plot. In Culmore, just a few miles from Londonderry, the Community Hub has gardening at its heart. The volunteers currently manage 3 outdoor spaces and there are plans to expand. Manager Una Cooper explains what the programmes do for locals and how gardening is helping to build community. Also on t...

This week David Maxwell heads to the kitchen garden behind chef Neven Maguire’s restaurant in Blacklion, County Cavan. There his grower Kevin, produces micro-greens, herbs and edible flowers just a few steps away from the award winning restaurant and cookery school. Neven chats about his mission to inspire everyone to produce home grown gourmet food. On a last visit to Kilcoan gardens in Islandmagee, Cherry Townsend reflects on creating the garden there over the last 16 years and she picks some of her favourite roses that will be going with her. Also on the programme Colin Agnew joins David in...

With many people counting down the days to summer holidays, presenter David Maxwell gets a question from one listener who wants to know the best way to water her pots when she’s away. Also on the programme, a visit to two of the 20 gardens opening as part of ‘Secret Gardens of Loughgall’ weekend. In County Fermanagh, Dougal Dorman explains how the once private kitchen garden of the Colebrooke Estate is now opening up as a place for community and therapy. Adam Frost reveals his shrub of the month for June and Ann FitzSimons joins David in studio with some s...

Join David Maxwell and his guests live from Bord Bia Bloom in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. He catches up with designers, Linda McKeown, James Purdy and Leonie Cornellius who all picked up medals and visits the postcard cards which are constructed in just one day. Claire McNally chooses her stand out plants from the show and chef Neven Maguire brings a taste of bloom when he stops in for a chat. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Highlights from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. David Maxwell explores the show gardens including the gold medal winning ‘The Glasshouse Garden’ by Jo Thompson and an alpine garden for the British Red Cross inspired by the Giant’s Causeway. In the great pavilion, David chats to plant experts on peonies, sweet pea and unusual heirloom vegetables. Along the way he meets some celebrities with green fingers including his annual catch up with Joanna Lumley and he chats to an exhausted Monty Don who has been hands on creating the ‘Dog Garden’ this year for the RHS and BBC Radio 2. Also on th...

At the Festival of Gardens and Nature in County Laois, David Maxwell chats to actor Dominic West, food writer and broadcaster Nigel Slater and world renowned head gardener at Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett. Ahead of the 40th birthday of Gardeners’ Corner, a new daffodil is named for the programme. Internationally recognised breeder, Brian Duncan joins David in studio to reveal how Narcissus ‘Gardeners’ Corner’ was created over many years in his Omagh garden. At Burtown House in County Kildare, artist Lesley Fennell chats to David about how she freezes precious moments in the garden with her paint brush. Also on the p...

With the arrival of an early summer, David heads to Bangor where a non-gardening couple took on a beautiful mature garden 9 years ago. Janet and her husband Carl had lived in South Africa, Germany and England, but it was only in taking on their garden near Ballyholme Beach that they got into all things green. David tours the suburban plot and finds out how it has connected them with neighbours and taught them patience. In Kilkenny, David explores the restored 17th century garden behind Rothe House which was lost under a car park until 2008. Gardener Mary Pyke explains how...

In this Easter edition of Gardeners’ Corner, there is double the gardening inspiration and know-how as two expert guests join David Maxwell in studio. Rosie Maye will be singing the praises of home grown rhubarb and Colin Agnew’s Easter basket is not full of eggs but succulent plants. Also on the programme, a San Francisco listener on how to grow your own soap and a visit to the Delta Sensory Gardens in County Carlow. The 2.5 acre site is located in an industrial estate and boasts 16 unique gardens that are used and maintained by adults and young people with disa...

With the sunny spring continuing, Gardeners’ Corner visits a 19th century walled garden in Maghera. Once connected to the local rectory, it is now run by the council, and it features several distinct spaces including a large glasshouse and a wildflower meadow. Roy Clark, who knows the garden well, says their secret to planting spring bulbs in a naturalistic way is to get children to do it! The good weather has also lead to increased demand for compost and this week presenter David Maxwell is on the factory floor of one of the biggest suppliers in the country. Also on...

David Maxwell heads to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens where nearly 20,000 spring bulbs are blooming. Head Gardener, Claire Woods shows off the large collection of daffodils bred in Northern Ireland and gives some tips on getting the best out of these bulbs. Ann FitzSimons explains what she’s learnt after living with a living wall for 2 years and Adam Frost reveals his shrub for April (Euonymus nanus var. turkestanicus). In studio, David is joined by Anna Hudson, who will suggest what we can all sow now for a home grown harvest later this year and, with David, she’ll take ques...

What do you do if you’re adopted by bees? That was the Watson family’s question when the insects started making honeycomb in their compost bin. Now with two hives, mum Julietta is always thinking how she can make her County Down garden a haven for both her family and the wildlife on the doorstep. With Magnolias and Camellias blossoming across the country, David rejoins John Anderson for a woodland walk in the 35 acre Savill Garden near Windsor where the collection includes, Camellia ‘ Cornish Snow Winton’ and the very popular Camellia ‘Donation’. Also on the programme, Brendan Little joins David...

Autumn planting is rewarded with Spring colour and at Castle Ward the formal bulb display of hyacinths and primroses is at its height. David meets gardeners Searcha Kelly and Judy Walsh who, with the help of volunteers, keep the gardens of this National Trust property looking good. Could heathers be coming back into fashion? Long lasting colour and a winter food source for bees mean they are high on the list for new plantings at The Savill Garden in Windsor. Keeper of the Gardens, John Anderson also shows David some other plants used as valuable ground cover including various...

Gardeners’ Corner celebrates spring with a visit to the world-famous RHS Garden Wisley. Covering 240 acres, it’s one of five gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society and it attracts around one million visitors every year. Presenter David Maxwell visits several part of the garden that really come alive in spring, including the woodland areas at Oakwood and Battleston Hill and the crocus display on the conifer lawn. He also visits the labs at RHS Hilltop where scientists preserve plant DNA for future generations and sees a treasured dried potato plant collection by Charles Darwin. Also on the programme, a vi...

With the temperatures edging up, it’s time to get those Dahlia tubers planted up for the season ahead and that’s what David Maxwell found Ann FitzSimons doing when he dropped into her country garden glasshouse near Killinchy. At the National Trust’s Downhill Demesne, students from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) are learning the art of making a dry stone wall from expert Paddy McKeegan. Head gardener, Una Quinn also tells David about her plans for a clover lawn alongside the Bog garden. In west Belfast, a visit to the Three Sisters Community Garden...

The hunt is on for long lost plant varieties – David Maxwell finds out why groups like the Irish Garden Plant Society and Plant Heritage want to find and save plants that can no longer be bought. In Bessbrook, Hilary McKelvey explains why alpines are the ultimate in no-fuss gardening. On a visit to renowned plantsman Jimi Blake’s garden in County Wicklow, David finds out about the best flowering plants to follow snowdrops. In studio, Anna Hudson reveals why we should all eat our weeds and she answers questions with David from listeners. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.u...

David Maxwell finds out about storm proof trees at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Kilmacurragh where head gardener, Seamus O’Brien also has tips on creating a wind break with holly, hazel and mix of other native species. At Ardgillan Castle on the coast of north county Dublin, Dominica McKevitt reveals a garden for all seasons where reliable shrubs like Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ shine out even on dull days. In studio, Colin Agnew explains what to do to get your Amaryllis bulb flowering again next year and with the increasing move away from peat products RSPB ambassador...

With spring just around the corner presenter David Maxwell, explores what we can all get growing in mid-February to get ahead of the game. Sweet Peas, Tomatoes and Chillies can all be sown right now on a warm windowsill for a summer full of scent and home grown goodness. Amy Kelly reveals how you can have a delicious crop of raspberries and strawberries without a garden and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost tells us why he’s picked a showy willow as his shrub of the month. Also on the programme, as Mount Venus nursery prepares to move up the...

This week why it’s good for you to eat as many different coloured fruit and veg as you can grow. A visit to Mount Venus nursery where Oliver Schurmann has a great collection on hellebores that are putting on an impressive show when little else does. In Glenarm, Neil Porteous is pruning grapes and Maurice Parkinson recommends Lonciera nitida as one of the best (and cheapest!) hedging plants available. Anna Hudson joins David in studio to take questions. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Storm Éowyn has changed the face of some treasured public gardens. This week David visits the National Trust’s Mount Stewart which was one of the worst affected. Rob Wilson tells David that with thousands of trees down, the garden on the Ards Peninsula has completely lost some of its shelter belts. Despite the destruction, Gardeners’ Corner finds hope in the simple snowdrop at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden. Maurice Parkinson has over 250 varieties including favourites such as Galanthus ‘The Pearl’, ‘Primrose Warburg’ and ‘Fly Fishing’ which all perform well in the garden’s heavy clay. As Ireland kick off their Six Nations campaig...

You don’t have to have a garden to enjoy plants and this week David Maxwell explores the plant world that prefers the indoor life. Roisin Horgan set up her houseplant business in east Belfast after years working in offices which lacked greenery. She reveals the best plants for different indoor locations including, the trailing Pothos or Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) for a dull hallway, the Calathea for areas of high humidity or the tree like Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) for bright locations. In his Templepatrick garden, Reg Maxwell is pruning gooseberries and apples and David visits Claire Ba...

Even on a cold or dull January day there is always some winter wonders to be discovered in a botanic garden. This week, David Maxwell heads to the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, just a few miles from the centre of Dublin. Outdoors he finds flowering Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) and the striking bark of Chilean Myrtle (Luma apiculata) while in the impressive “Curvilinear Range” he is blown away by the scent of Jasmine (Jasminium polyanthum) and the flowers of the Bird of Paradise plant (Strelitizia reginae) which are cosy under the glass. Also on the programme, a visit to M...

As temperatures drop, David Maxwell is joined in studio by Ann FitzSimons to consider how to deal with snow and ice in the garden. He also heads to the National Trust’s Mount Stewart where despite the freezing weather work is continuing to reclaim areas of the garden lost to invasive bamboo. At the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, Emily Hazell explains how they protect tender species which already benefit from the urban heat island effect. She also explains her very precise rules for what stays and what gets cut down in the borders so they are tidy through th...

At the turn of the year David Maxwell takes us on a journey through the four seasons with highlights from 12 months of Gardeners’ Corner. From snow covered Downhill Demesne to clearing up after the storms at Hillsborough Castle Gardens, from the Kew Gardens of Connemara to Sarah Raven’s world famous Perch Hill garden – David brings lessons from a year of gardening on the airwaves. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Get ready for a festive gardening get together as David Maxwell and the Gardeners’ Corner team head to Ballywalter Park on the Ards Peninsula. Gathered around a roaring fire outdoors, they’ll be celebrating the season with mince pies, mulled wine and plenty of practical gardening advice inspired by the contents of custom-made Christmas crackers and Secret Santa gifts. Also on the programme - Anna Hudson on the Christmas garden of the past, Lady Dunleath cooks up some alternative Christmas cuisine grown and reared on the Estate, and inspiration from Mary Doris on using the garden to decorate your home...

With Christmas just around the corner, David heads to a Christmas tree farm on the outskirts of Belfast where Tony Johnston is planning for the Christmas rush in 10 year’s time, as he plants trees for Christmas future. At the Chelsea Physic Garden, new head of plant collections Emily Hazell offers a look at the newly restored Pelargonium House. Oliver Schurmann chooses a grass as his final perennial of the month and gardener Claire Woods and wildlife expert Katie Bell join David in studio. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As autumn officially ends and winter begins David Maxwell heads to a frosty Mount Stewart on the Ards Peninsula where the Sunken Garden is getting a refresh. Rob Wilson explains why they are emptying and replanting beds originally laid out by Lady Edith with a little help from legendary Victorian plantswoman Gertrude Jekyll. Ann FitzSimons on creating a bulb lasagne and Amy Kelly on the winter veg she is growing in four small table top containers. Also on the programme Oliver Schurmann picks his perennial of the month and Rosie Maye joins David live in studio to answers questions...

Autumn highlights from the Gardeners’ Corner archive with David Maxwell including, a visit to the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park, Jekka McVicar with her herb of the month for November, Neil Porteous is ‘heeling in’ rhododendron at Glenarm Castle and Reg Maxwell is planting bulbs for an indoor winter display. Claire Woods takes questions in studio with David. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

What trees work well in small spaces? This week David Maxwell visits two experts who have the answer. Amy Kelly’s small suburban garden is full of fruit trees including the mysterious Medlar fruit. Once commonplace in Britain and Ireland, the fruit, which has to be left to over-ripen, has fallen out of favour. Amy thinks the tree still deserves a place because it provides several seasons of interest and fruit to boot! In Ann FitzSimons’ Killinchy garden, she is growing a variety of shrubs and trees in pots. It makes for a permanent display and offers those with limi...

As autumn leaves continue to fall, David Maxwell visits the Botanic Gardens of Trinity College Dublin. It’s moved a few times in its history but now can be found near Dartry in the south of the city. Dr Stephen Waldren takes David on a tour and shows him the seedbank preserving endangered Irish plants. Mick McCann, who has worked as a gardener at the College for 40 years, reveals how the beauty around him inspires his poetry. Also on the programme, Polly Nicholson on her new book ‘The Tulip Garden’ and a visit to Yew Cottage where Philip Stewart is pla...

As the leaves continue to fall, presenter David Maxwell visits one of most important historic gardens on the island of Ireland. The arboretum and walled garden within Castlewellan Forest Park has dozens of champion trees and it’s a garden getting a facelift. Alwyn Sinnamon reveals the work going on to restore some of the gardens 18th century features, as well as the discovery of lost garden. Also on the programme, in Glenarm Castle’s walled garden Neil Porteous is preparing the bananas for winter and on up the east Antrim coast Una Quinn is part of the National Trus...

Are Chrysanthemums making a comeback? This week on Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell he chat to Neil Porteous about the new varieties taking the gardening world by storm. In Ballywalter, Anna Hudson is getting the glasshouse beds ready for some winter crops. Derry Watkins on her life with plants and why everyone should grow something unusual from seed. In studio David will be joined by Rosie Maye who will have some autumn highlights from her own garden and she’ll answer questions from listeners on Fuchsias and Aeoniums. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

With the leaves falling presenter David Maxwell heads to the 25 acre arboretum at Brook Hall near Derry. David Gilliland shows him some of the large collection of trees that are dazzling before their leaves drop including one which smells like toffee! Also on the programme, Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost on his life, career and his new garden in Lincolnshire. Oliver Schurmann reveals his penultimate perennial of the month and David is joined in studio by Brendan Little who will take questions from listeners and offer some seasonal advice. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As part of a series of ‘BBC Comes to Town’ roadshows to mark 100 years of BBC broadcasting in Northern Ireland, Gardeners’ Corner heads to Coleraine. David Maxwell hosts the programme at the new Causeway Campus of the Northern Regional College. He’s joined by experts Claire McNally and Neil Porteous who take questions from a live audience. Also on the programme, David heads to the National Trust’s Downhill Demesne where head gardener Una Quinn is taking roses in hand with a group of local volunteers and he visits keen amateur gardener, Kenny Bacon in his suburban back garden near Bally...

In this Gardeners’ Corner special, David Maxwell visits two gardening greats; Sarah Raven at her world famous East Sussex farmhouse, Perch Hill and designer Tom Stuart-Smith at the Serge Hill Project in Hertfordshire. At Perch Hill, David chats to Sarah about how the former medic became one of the most influential gardeners of our time and what it’s like when your home becomes part of the brand. Head gardener Josie Lewis shows him around the garden including the dazzling Dahlia patch – a flower Sarah can take much credit for bringing back into fashion. In the second part of the pr...

When the right Autumn conditions arrive, Fungi pop up as if by magic and this week on Gardeners’ Corner, David Maxwell explores this fascinating world with Northern Ireland Fungus Group member Debbie Nelson. At Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, Maurice Parkinson is planting miniature Irises for a splash of colour in February next year. He’s also dividing autumn flowering cyclamen which he says are the ultimate no fuss plants for this time of year. Colin Agnew is in studio with some alternative choices for spring bedding which can be planted right now and he’ll be taking questions from listeners on pre...

This week David Maxwell finds out how to preserve some of this year’s harvest with HE teacher come obsessive gardener Kerry Connolly. She’s an expert at turning a glut of marrows and tomatoes into sauces and chutneys for the colder months. He also returns to Howth near Dublin to visit another exceptional garden on this Irish Sea peninsula. This time he meets mountain climber Karl Flynn who has created an exceptional exotic garden through a lifetime of weekend gardening. Oliver Shurmann reveals his favourite perennial for September and Anna Hudson joins David in studio to answer questions and...

With autumn in the air, Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell is celebrating blackberries both wild and cultivated varieties. Mary Doris joins David in studio and shows him some of the ways she puts nature’s bounty to good use. In Ballymena, Colin Agnew has created his own botanic gardens out the back of his suburban semi. It includes a Victorian style fernery and a very personal collection of trees. On Black Mountain above Belfast, sound and gardening are combined at the Black Mountain Shared Space and with BBC Northern Ireland celebrating 100 years of broadcasting, David dips into the archive to h...

David Maxwell heads to a 250 year old Rectory garden which has been opened to the community in Ballymoney as a place of quiet reflection. With generous cottage borders, fruit trees and plenty of places to sit, it has become a special place to many including volunteer Daphne, who opens the gates at dawn and dusk. Dr Mark Johnston on his remarkable life with trees captured in a new free e-book. Wildlife expert Katie Bell joins David in studio to highlight what we can look out for in our gardens this Autumn and Rosie Maye brings inspiration and helps David...

With a new pup at home, David finds out about gardening with dogs in mind. He speaks to designer and dog owner Brian Burke about a canine friendly garden he created for Bloom in 2017. Between the hedges in Howth; a visit to Ardán garden where Nuala Doherty and Conall O’Caoimh have created a first class immersive garden over the last two decades. Largely self taught, they have divided the half acre site into many unique spaces and included tropical planting, a conservation habitat for rare newts, a miniature woodland space and slug free veg beds. Also on the...

This week Gardeners’ Corner is seeing red at June Blake’s garden in County Wicklow. She’s filled a border with Monarda, Crocosmia and Alstroemeria in this most alarming hue. June tells David Maxwell about her preference for planting large numbers of the same varieties and why Verbascum’s are her top choice when it comes to rabbit and slug proof plants. At Hillsborough Castle Gardens, Claire Woods is gearing up for their summer fair after a tricky season and Amy Kelly is escaping to her allotment at the beginning of National Allotment Week. Oliver Schurmann choses his perennial of the m...

You don’t have to call yourself a gardener to want to have a perfect lawn and this week, David Maxwell has been finding out how to achieve the perfect sward from the experts at the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. In county Wicklow, a visit to Jimi Blake at his Hunting Brook Gardens provides inspiration for creative containers more usually found on a farm. Jimi also reveals some of his favourite Dahlias for 2024 and the value of lilies in the summer garden. In studio David will be joined by Brendan Little who wi...

With many people reporting low bee numbers in gardens this summer, presenter David Maxwell chats to wildlife expert Katie Bell about possible reasons. At Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee Cherry Townsend reveals her favourite no fuss, long flowering perennials. How a community in Dromore, County Down is determined to change the market town for the better with plants and Dawn Isaac on ways to get the kids into the garden during the holidays. David is joined in studio by expert, Anna Hudson to answer questions live and she’ll also have some jobs you can do this week no matter th...

Kylemore Abbey in County Galway is an iconic image of Ireland. Built originally as a private home in the 19th century, it later became a Benedictine monastery, and today it attracts half a million visitors annually. Alongside the impressive granite castle sits a six acre Victorian walled garden which was once considered the ‘Kew Gardens’ of Connemara, boasting over 20 heated glasshouses. David Maxwell explores the garden with Head Gardener Anja Gohlke. Also on the programme, organic vegetable grower Klaus Laitenberger reveals his latest project to create a garden with 100 edible plants. David finds Klaus on a piece a land he h...

The weekly gardening programme for keen gardeners with the latest advice, news and visits to gardens large and small around the province. Presented by David Maxwell.

David Maxwell heads to a cottage garden on the Ards Peninsula created by a couple over the last 10 years. With their dream now a reality, they recently opened the garden for a month under the National Garden Scheme. In County Meath, David returns to Rosie Maye’s garden for the second part of a chat about her diverse collection of roses. Designer Johnny Knox joins David in studio to discuss creating cover in the garden when the showers keep coming and market gardener Charles Dowding says no to digging and yes to composting. Ann Fitzsimmons will also join David in...

In this special programme, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates those who have passed on their passion for plants: from the parent with cuttings on the windowsill, to the high profile gardeners who have inspired through writing and broadcasting. David Maxwell hears touching listeners’ stories and heads to two gardens that have inspired millions. Firstly, to the garden of the late Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter where he meets head gardener Fergus Garrett who continues to inspire the next generation of gardeners, and then to Barnsdale which was the home of the late Geoff Hamilton and played host to the BBC Gardeners’ World...

This week, David Maxwell visits Rosie Maye, also known as the Insomniac Gardener, and discovers her passion for roses. June sees a kaleidoscope of colour in the borders of her rural garden near Slane in County Meath. She explains how plenty of feeding and a seaweed spray keep the roses in tip top condition. A few miles down the road, at the Frances Ledwidge Museum, David meets someone who has visited more gardens than him! In fact Shirley Lanigan visited 375 in order to compile the latest edition of “The Open Gardens of Ireland”. In east Belfast a new garden has...

Gardeners’ Corner heads to Enniskillen as part of the BBC ‘Comes to Town’ roadshows marking 100 years of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. David Maxwell hosts the programme from the Killyhevlin hotel on the banks of Lough Erne where he is joined by a live audience and garden expert Brendan Little. County Fermanagh gets its fair share of rain with about a metre a year and the first question from the audience is; what plants don’t mind having their feet in water for half the year! Other questions include, favourite climbing and rambling roses, and plants you couldn’t live without. A...

Despite unseasonably cold weather, David samples the delights of early summer at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where Maurice Parkinson has a large collection of that reliable perennial Astrantia. In west Belfast, he visits Bog Meadows where Ulster Wildlife have created a new garden. The build has transformed the entrance to the gardens and has proved to be great therapy for volunteer Kathy who lost her job last year. Amy Kelly reveals how you can grow a mini orchard on your patio and David catches up with some of those taking part in the Great Gardeners’ Corner Grow Along. In studio, Ma...

With the RHS saying it’s been inundated with queries about tackling slugs this year, David Maxwell and his guests discuss the best way to combat the slimy invaders. At Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, Maurice Parkinson is restricting his raspberries from running so they can be put into an ornamental border and he discovers the dreaded sawfly on his redcurrants.

In north Belfast, David visits Women’s TEC where new gardening skills are being cultivated. Wildlife expert Katy Bell is in studio with pointers on what to look out for in the garden in early summer and Oliver Schu...

A special programme from Ireland’s biggest garden show; Bord Bia Bloom. David Maxwell will be joined by regular contributor Brendan Little for a live programme from Phoenix Park. He’ll meet designers, plant experts and he’ll visit some of the show gardens. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardeners’ Corner visits the most talked about gardening event of the year; the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Presenter David Maxwell tours some of the main avenue show gardens including the gold medal winning National Garden Scheme’s garden by Tom Stuart-Smith and the Muscular Dystrophy UK garden by Ula Maria which took best in show. He also meets up with CAFRE Greenmount graduate, Anna McLaughlin, who has been working with the team who created the Stroke Association Garden. With celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Raymond Blanc, Prue Leith, Alex Jones and of course Alan Titchmarsh; David gets a sense of Pres...

As summer weather arrives, David visits Cherry Townsend at Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee, where she has a brilliant collection of flowering plants that bridge the gap between spring and summer. Geums, Trollius, Aquilegia and Tellima are among the highlights in the borders. One of the biggest gardens in London is found across the river from Westminster behind the walls of Lambeth Palace. It’s the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury but the 10 acre garden is opening for the National Garden Scheme later this month and head gardener Lindsay Schuman gives David a sneak peek. Gordon Finch joins David in...

This week on Gardeners’ Corner, David Maxwell heads to a garden with purpose at Musgrave Park Hospital in south Belfast. Its spinal centre has been gifted an outdoor space for patients and staff by the charity Horatio’s Garden. David Maxwell meets Matthew Lee who is in charge of the garden designed by Chelsea gold medal winning designer Andy Sturgeon. Also on the programme, gardening in pots all year round with Sarah Raven and why you shouldn’t cut your grass this month! Expert Claire McNally joins David in studio to answer questions. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk<...

It may have been a wet start to the year outside, but inside our homes, it can be a desert for plants – especially if you forget to water! That’s perhaps why Cacti are the ultimate house plants and this week on Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell, Brendan Little reveals he’s inherited his dad’s obsession with these prickly plants. Also on the programme, daffodil enthusiasts from around the world arrive in Northern Ireland for the World Convention and David heads to a rare collection of shrubs and trees at the Bluebell Arboretum in Derbyshire. In studio, expert Ann Fitzsi...

Gardeners’ Corner heads to Ballymena as part of the BBC ‘Comes to Town’ roadshows marking 100 years of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. In front of a live audience at Ballymena Library, David Maxwell and experts Reg Maxwell and Mary Doris take questions from novice and experienced gardeners who live near the County Antrim town. Also on the programme, David visits the nearby Britain in Bloom winning village of Cullybackey, and the allotments at Scullery O’Tullagh which volunteer Billy Millar describes as a place to nourish the body and the mind. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As the Easter break begins, Gardeners’ Corner has some easy ways to transform your garden space. David Maxwell is joined in studio by expert gardener Brendan Little who has suggestions on how an uninspiring front garden can be transformed into a low maintenance garden with interest and colour through the year. Also joining David is city gardener, Grace Loughrey, who knows how to transform the smallest of spaces with easy to find plants. Holidays are a great time to visit gardens and Kilmacurragh in south County Wicklow will be welcoming many this Easter weekend. The gardens are undergoing a ma...

This week Gardeners’ Corner visits what must be one of most beautiful classrooms in the country – the walled garden at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus in County Antrim. David Maxwell joins CAFRE’s Lori Hartman for a look around, as work begins to renovate some areas including the hot border and a brand new brick pergola. At Mount Venus nursery, in the hills above Dublin, Oliver Shurmann has some spring highlights and Colin Agnew introduces the new Templeton trail at Belfast’s Botanic gardens. In Killinchy, Anne Fitzsimmons is enjoying the spring heat in the p...

While damp weather is making it tricky to get in to the garden there is still plenty to keep Dave and Jules Hardy busy at Esker Farm Daffodils. Since David’s last visit the county Tyrone couple have added a large garden area which shows how the daffodils can be grown in mixed borders. Amy Kelly kicks off the Great Gardeners’ Corner Grow Along by sowing Beetroot, Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas. In Dublin, Oliver Shurmann picks some seasonal highlights at Mount Venus nursery and friend of the programme Jekka McVicar joins David to chat about her new book ‘100 Herbs...

This week, David Maxwell visits Brendan Little in his garden on the shores of Mulroy Bay in county Donegal. What was once a formal lawn is now covered in naturalised spring flowering bulbs. Brendan explains how he hopes to extend this riot of colour into late spring and summer – something he hopes will mean he won’t need to get the mower out until September! The propagating operation at Mount Stewart is ramping up as part of a new 3 year project. After a career in publishing, Jacky Hawkes is leading a team which is producing hundreds of plants for the...

As Spring officially begins, David Maxwell heads to Jimi Blake’s Hunting Brook Garden in the hills of County Wicklow where he has brand new borders in mind. At the National Trust’s Mount Stewart, work begins on a tree nursery that will produce 600,000 trees a year and gardener Archie Parke retires after five decades of service in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens. In studio, Cherry Townsend will take questions and provide some spring inspiration and wildlife Katy Bell on what to look out for in your garden this spring. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Two years to the day since the war in Ukraine began, presenter David Maxwell hears the powerful story of how a garden has helped one family close the front line survive. Alla Olkhovska has been harvesting and selling seeds of rare clematis found in her grandmother’s garden in Kharkiv. She also wrote her first book about these beautiful climbers in the basement during the initial bombardment. David finds out what it’s been like to look after this precious space with the sound of birds sometimes drowned out by sirens and bombing. Also on the programme, the launch of t...

In this week’s programme, David heads to the Green Spaces Community Growing Project near Warrenpoint where the volunteers are getting the garden ready for the season ahead. He finds out what attracts people to community gardening. In County Sligo, Lissadell House and gardens occupy a breath taking location. Immortalised in a poem by Yeats, work has been going on for the last 20 years to restore the gardens and plant hundreds of trees in this windswept location. Oliver Shurmann chooses Pachyphragma macrophyllum as his perennial of month. In studio, David is joined by Reg Maxwell and Claire McNally who wi...

How can plants help solve serious crimes? In this week’s Gardeners’ Corner David Maxwell meets the forensic experts that use plants to give them clues. National hedgehog day fell this week – apparently a Roman precursor to ‘Groundhog day’ and with these small mammals still on the red list, wildlife expert Debbie Nelson brings Holly the Hedgehog into studio to explain what gardeners can do for them. Legendary plantsman Jan Ravensberg chats to David about a lifetime with plants and social media sensation ‘Anya the Garden Fairy’ (aka Anya Lautenbach) on her new book ‘The Money Saving Gardener’. David is also joined in...

After a week of storms, David heads to the gardens at Hillsborough Castle where Claire Woods is surveying the trees for damage. Claire explains that their approach is to leave as much of the wood as possible in situ as it supports all kinds of life. In the first of a new series, Oliver Shurmann reveals his perennial of the month which is Hepatica nobilis – a flower he first encountered as a child in Germany. Grace Loughrey has a small yard garden at her house off Belfast’s Ormeau Road where she also grows many houseplants. She’s in studio...

What happens to our gardens when it snows? This week David Maxwell heads to Downhill Demesne on Antrim’s north coast to see how a blanket of white transforms how we experience the garden. He also chats to Una Quinn about her plans for the Bog Garden there in 2024. Along the coast in an equally cold Ballyvoy, Conrad McCormick is protecting his tender plants as the mercury drops and on the shores of Strangford Lough, Amy Kelly is able to harvest veg from her allotment despite it being midwinter. Expert Claire McNally will join David in studio to take li...

With another new year stretching out ahead, David Maxwell is joined in studio by Brendan Little for the first live programme of 2024. They’ll be chatting about preparing for the year ahead and what’s looking (or smelling) good in the garden in January. Also on the programme, David heads to Rowallane Gardens in Saintfield where Claire McNally is pruning roses, Ann Fitzsimmons is considering building a fruit cage in her County Down garden this year and Philip Stewart in Magherafelt is turning what was a tropical themed border into a feast for the eyes through the coldest months. Cont...

In the garden we are often thinking of the seasons to come, but it can also be useful to look back and take stock at the start of a new year. This week, David Maxwell leads us through the seasons with Gardeners’ Corner, from a huge snowdrop collection at Altamont Gardens in County Carlow to the quiet retreat for a Limavady gardener who’s been living with cancer. From the razzmatazz of garden shows in Antrim, London and Dublin to the serenity of a poet’s garden in County Laois. Join David for Gardeners’ Corner: Season by Season. gardenerscorner@bbc.co.u...

Join David Maxwell and the gardening gang for a festive fireside chat at Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee. With home grown and handmade seasonal treats, four experts brave the winter weather for a fun filled Christmas get together. Ann Fitzsimmons and Mary Doris use fresh garden herbs and Christmas leftovers for a fuss free holiday meal, while Brendan Little and Cherry Townsend tour the gardens picking foliage for some last minute Christmas decoration. Also on the programme; Una Quinn introduces us to a Sweet Chestnut tree on the north coast which may have found its way to Castlerock because of...

With the leaves gone it’s all about colourful stem colour on Gardeners’ Corner this week. David meets artist Heather McDermott who loves willow more than any other plant and works with it every day. She thinks more of us should have our own ‘Salley’ gardens so we have this useful crop which can be used to make free plant supports and fences. Also on the programme, how a handful of soil has more life in it than there are people on the planet and celebrating Garvagh man Andrew McClarty who has been using gardening to raise funds for charity...

With daylight at a premium the work goes on in two stand-out gardens visited by Gardeners’ Corner this week. At Musgrave Park Hospital in South Belfast, the charity Horatio’s Garden is creating a garden for spinal injury patients designed by Chelsea gold medal winning designer Andy Sturgeon. Helen Mark meets the new head gardener there and chats to Andy about this ‘high maintenance’ space. At Glenarm Castle the Walled Garden has recently been named Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year. The gardeners there are forcing daffodils for flowers at Christmas, sowing seeds and overhauling the hot border. In studio D...

With a wintry feel in the air, David Maxwell is joined in studio by experts Anna Hudson and Reg Maxwell to offer some gardening inspiration for colder days. The team will be taking questions on among other things the challenges of Christmas Cactus, and why one listener’s winter display of cyclamen is wilting. Also on the programme, David heads to a Jurassic world in County Kerry where Australian tree ferns have naturalised. At the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise they are growing pink, white and orange Poinsettias alongside the traditional red ones. An...

As Autumn gives way to Winter, David Maxwell visits the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. Keeper of the Gardens, John Anderson shows David the national collection of Mahonia which are lighting up the garden with their bright yellow flowers. A listener gives some tips on preventing newly planted spring bulbs becoming a tasty snack for garden wildlife. Jekka McVicar chooses Mint as her penultimate ‘Herb of the Month’ and Klaus Laitenberger takes David foraging in County Leitrim. Expert Ann Fitzsimmons joins David in studio to answer questions and provide some late Autumn garden inspiration. Contact the programme on gard...

This week, David heads to Rowallane where Claire McNally picks some highlights including Mahonia and reveals her quest to find a ‘not so tart’ berry from the plant sometimes known as the Oregon Grape. David joins Klaus Laitenberger at the community garden in Bundoran where he’s pruning the blackcurrants. Frank McCooke from Slemish market garden gives practical tips on planting garlic for spring. Reg Maxwell gets planting for a Christmas display - yes there's still time!

Contact the programme anytime on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

In this November highlights programme, David Maxwell is joined in studio by expert Brendan Little. Celebrating the season of golden colour, Brendan gives advice on planting with birds in mind and getting new saplings for free. November is the perfect time to plant bulbs and that’s what Claire Woods is doing when David Maxwell visits her at Hillsborough Castle. Then it’s off to the RSPB’s Belfast Wow where Tim McCann has lots of tips on getting garden birds through the worst of winter. Also on the programme, Mary Doris on her favourite plants for winter interest while...

The weekly gardening programme for keen gardeners with the latest advice, news and visits to gardens large and small around the province. Presented by David Maxwell.