Gardeners' Corner - TopPodcast.com

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Supermarket flowers, Crossrail Place Roof Garden and Lisgoole Abbey Aug 26, 2023

Show notes

In this week’s programme – do you ever wonder where all those bunches of flowers in the supermarket come from? David travels to a family business in Armagh which grows and imports flowers for retailers across Ireland and the UK. With a major public transport scheme underway in Belfast, the programme finds out how horticulture was put front and centre during the Crossrail project in London and a visit to a former Abbey near Enniskillen where a secret garden full of usual plants has been nurtured by Noel Crane for the last 4 decades. Brendan Little will join David in studio for live questions. gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardening on the moon, magical meadows and Herb of the Month Aug 12, 2023

Show notes

Gardening on earth can be challenging sometimes, so what about gardening on the moon? David chats to Professor Simon Barak from Ben Gurion University of the Negev about trying to germinate seeds on the lunar surface. Back on planet earth Brendan Little hasn’t mown his grass since May and it’s time to take the meadow into hand. He’s planting plugs of Ragged Robin and Foxgloves and sowing Yellow Rattle seed which will keep the grass in check. Jekka McVicar chooses Lavender as her herb for August and Cherry Townsend is live in studio to answer questions. Email: gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Soggy summers, preparing Mount Stewart for climate change and National Allotment Week Aug 05, 2023

Show notes

The weather is always unpredictable but with a warm and dry June and damp July, it’s making life challenging for gardeners. This week, David Maxwell will be joined by Cecilia Daly to chat about the reasons for the recent weather patterns and her predictions for the rest of summer. Also on the programme, the National Trust’s Mount Stewart teams up with Bristol University to predict the future for the garden with climate change modelling and ahead of National Allotment Week David visits a hidden allotment in Bangor and Helen Mark catches up with some of those involved in Derry’s Acorn Farm project which supports families to grow their own. Claire McNally will join David in studio to take questions. Email gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Cottage garden colour, a fond farewell to rose breeding and dreamy Dahlias with Marryn Mathis Jul 29, 2023

Show notes

After nearly a century and a half, the Dickson family have decided to bring their rose breeding business to an end. Presenter David Maxwell visits Colin Dickson in his rose field near Newtownards to find out why he’s calling it a day, and to see his very last rose ‘A Fond Farewell’. Also on the programme, how to keep the summer colour coming with Cherry Townsend, top Dahlia choices from Marryn Mathis at the Farm House Flower Farm in Washington state (USA) and Jekka McVicar with her ‘Herb of the Month’. In studio David will be joined by Mary Doris who will be tackling questions from listeners. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

RHS Bridgewater, Birr Castle Demesne and Greenfort Jul 22, 2023

Show notes

Nothing beats visiting other gardens for inspiration and learning, and in this week’s Gardeners’ Corner, presenter David Maxwell asks three of his regular experts to choose one of their favourite gardens. Those featured include RHS Bridgewater near Manchester which opened in 2021. It’s not only one of the newest public gardens, but it is also one of the biggest garden projects undertaken in the UK in the last century. For Maurice Parkinson, it offers multiple layers of interest. David and Maurice meet curator Marcus Chilton-Jones and Garden Manager Tracey Snell as they tour the walled garden and the Chinese streamside garden. Birr is County Offaly can get the coldest and the warmest temperatures in Ireland, and it’s also where you will find an impressive collection of trees at Birr Castle Demesne. For Ann Fitzsimmons it will always be a special place as she spent many happy months working there after deciding to change career. Up in County Donegal, Brendan Little only has to go a stone’s throw from his home to find some of the gardens on the Donegal Garden Trail. He chooses Greenfort as his favourite which enjoys stunning views of Lough Swilly and uses shrubs to create year round interest and a low maintenance garden. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.uk

Bountiful basil, beautiful beans and cost-saving cuttings Jul 08, 2023

Show notes

Summer is in full swing and this week David Maxwell and his expert guests are focusing on edibles. Brendan Little provides a masterclass on growing basil, proving you can grow enough to produce pesto in Donegal! Amy Kelly loves growing beans at her allotment in Newtownards where they not only produce an edible harvest but also provide beauty. In studio, David is joined by Ann Fitzsimmons who answers questions on growing asparagus, plums and what you can expect if you grow an apple tree from a pip. Also on the programme Cherry Townsend is taking softwood cuttings, proving how a few snips at this time of year can save money by producing new plants for free. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

RHSI Bellefield, no more bedding in Bangor and top rated roses Jul 01, 2023

Show notes

It’s the flower of summer and of romance and it never looses it’s appeal according to Mary Keenan who David Maxwell visits in this week’s programme. At her County Laois gardens he has roses that can find a place in any garden and offer both colour and scent. In County Offaly David visits Paul Smyth at Bellefield garden recently left by architect and gardener Angela Jupe as a bequest to the RHSI. The charity is currently bringing the garden back into management and hopes it will be a place to teach gardeners of the future. And in Bangor Dylan Freeburn explains why the council are replacing annual bedding with longer term planting that’s better for biodiversity. Reg Maxwell will also join David in studio live. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Countless caterpillars, water wise veg growing and herb of the month Jun 24, 2023

Show notes

This week on Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell; why are there so many caterpillars this year and do the spooky webs some are creating spell doom for the plants they cover? At Helen’s Bay Organic Farm John McCormick has some tips on growing courgettes and how to get better veg without wasting water. Helen Mark travels to Stranocum for a masterclass on early summer pruning with Don Kerr and Jekka McVicar reveals her herb of the month. Also on the programme, Katie Bell from Ulster Wildlife and Claire McNally, head gardener at The National Trust’s Rowallane join David in studio to answer questions sent in by listeners. Email the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardeners’ Corner at Garden Show Ireland Jun 17, 2023

Show notes

With the heat wave continuing Gardeners’ Corner is live at Garden Show Ireland in Antrim Castle Gardens. David Maxwell is joined by Diarmuid Gavin, Cherry Townsend and Mary Doris who will take questions from an invited audience. Also on the programme, with house plants one of the big themes at this year's show, Conrad McCormick will pick some of his favourites and away from the show David heads to nearby Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where Maurice Parkinson believes that summer can be perhaps the best time to get new plants established in the garden. Email the programme - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Hang’em up house plants, gardens for under 5s and Bord Bia Bloom Jun 10, 2023

Show notes

As summer begins in the garden, David Maxwell finds inspiration at Ireland’s biggest gardening show. In its 17th year, Bord Bia Bloom attracted over 100,000 visitors. In the programme, David catches up with Oliver Shurmann from Mount Venus nurseries who designed an imaginative woodland garden for under 5s which won best large garden and with house plants more popular than ever, Pat Keville from Plantstore.ie shows David his exhibit which took the best in show nursery award. Other highlights from the show include; Belfast designer Linda McKeown’s garden for Tusla Fostering, “The Next Step” garden designed by student, Joseph Eustace as part of Bord Bia’s new Cultivating Talent initiative and Jane McCorkell’s “A Breathing Space for Fingal”. Also on the programme, Ann Fitzsimmons will be live in studio with plenty of plants and primed to answer any tricky gardening questions. Email the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

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