Gardeners' Corner BBC Radio Ulster

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 been recently unveiled at a supported living facility for the elderly. The garden at Bell Rotary House is both practical and fun. Niki Molly from Abbeyfield Belfast who runs the facility and designer Anita Houston give David a tour of the transformed outdoor space. Claire McNally joins David in studio to answers listener questions. Contact the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

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. Also in the programme, David visits the Aughentaine estate near Fivemiletown where he meets owner James Hamilton-Stubber and head gardener Ian Marshall and a cottage garden near Florence Court created over 40 years by a former teacher passionate about plants. Contact the programme – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

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, Mary Doris brings the taste of summer with Elderflower cordial and she also uses the foraged flowers in jam and cupcakes. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

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 Schurmann reveals his perennial of the month. David will also be joined by Ann Fitzsimmons to take questions live. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

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 Press Day at the world famous event. Inside the Great Pavilion he speaks to experts on Delphiniums, Foxgloves and carnivorous plants and he finds Northern Irish florist Allison Hood who took silver gilt for her floristry display. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk