Gardeners' Corner

BBC Radio Ulster
  • 4.6 (94)
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Gardeners' Corner

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.

  1. 13 HR. AGO

    Storm-proof trees, winter gems at Ardgillan Castle and Springwatch’s Lucy Lapwing

    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 and Springwatch’s Lucy Lapwing joins David in studio to talk about the importance of peatland habitats. Contact the programme - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  2. FEB 15

    Growing soft fruit without a garden, getting going with sweet peas, tomatoes and chillies, Adam Frost’s shrub of the month

    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 road, David joins Oliver Schurmann to find out about the logistics of moving a plant business and garden that’s celebrating its 25th birthday. In studio, David is joined by expert Ann FitzSimons. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  3. FEB 8

    Why you should eat the rainbow, how to grow hellebores and easy hedging

    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

    57 min

  4. FEB 1

    Storm Éowyn, from rugby to raking, and searching for special snowdrops

    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 campaign, former rugby international Andy Ward tells David how he transitioned from flanker to gardener. In studio, David is joined by Brendan Little to answer questions and provide some seasonal inspiration. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  5. JAN 25

    How to have happy houseplants, pruning gooseberries and apples and taking the work out of gardening

    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 Barnett’s new north Antrim garden where she’ll be taking part on the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. Cherry Townsend joins David in studio with tips on making gardening easier and the best beans to grow in 2025. Email the programme - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  6. JAN 18

    What to grow for winter wonder, summer down under and the tidy grow tunnel that gets vacuumed?

    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 Monkstown Village Community Garden in Newtownabbey where volunteers keep things so tidy that they actually vacuum the polytunnel, and Rosie Maye joins David in studio to answer question and offer some winter gardening inspiration. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  7. JAN 11

    What to do in the garden when the temperature drops, Adam Frost’s Shrub of the Month and dealing with invasive Bamboo

    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 the winter months. Also on the programme, Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost begins his Shrub of the Month series with his must-have shrub for January. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

    57 min

  8. JAN 1

    Season by Season with Gardeners’ Corner

    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

    57 min
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4.6
out of 5
94 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio Ulster
  • Years Active
    2009 - 2025
  • Episodes
    634
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Gardeners' Corner

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