Episodes
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Why a dead hedge is a good thing, crazy shaped carrots and what to do with hard pears
With autumn colour all around, David visits the dazzling collection of rare and exotic trees in the arboretum at Castlewellan Forest Park. Head gardener Alwyn Sinnamon picks out some of his highlights, including a slow-growing tree that could become a family heirloom. Nearby, Marc Johansen is...
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How to use colour with TJ Maher, the story of Portnoo Market Garden and making leafmould
With autumn colour all around, David heads to an artist's garden in County Wicklow. TJ Maher has spent decades creating Patthana with his partner Simon. With an artist's eye, TJ paints with plants and particularly loves the rich, warm colours of autumn. As they explore the garden, David gets a...
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Colour therapy in Donegal, healing herbs you already have and Adam Frost's bulb of the month
As autumn arrives, David heads to two very different gardens in County Donegal. His first stop is Cluain na dTor in Falcarragh, where expert plantsman Seamus O’Donnell has created an exotic garden full of hidden treasures, just a few hundred metres from the wild Atlantic Ocean. David discovers an...
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Autumn inspiration from the Gardeners’ Corner archive
Join Helen Mark and Mary Doris as they dig into the archive and look back at past garden visits from the season of autumn. From the changing colours at Rowallane Gardens near Saintfield to ornamental grasses that thrive at this time of year. Amy Kelly offers tips on getting ahead of the game for...
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Home tips from a historic house, Meath’s Poppy Garden and growing plants indoors
Anna Hudson visits Rob Wilson, assistant head gardener at Mount Stewart to gather ideas and techniques that gardeners can put into practice at home. In Meath, David visits Ealma Purcell’s Poppy Garden, a flourishing haven that began with just one flower bed and is now bursting with colour and…
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Colourful displays in Ballymena, sensory gardens and saving a Sarcococca
Helen Mark visits Kay Rainey at her garden near the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, where herbaceous borders and repeated bursts of colour create a stunning display throughout the seasons. In south Belfast, Helen calls by to Annadale Community Centre off the Ormeau Road, where local…
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How to feed your soil, special trees and Adam Frost's bulb of the month
As one season gives way to another, David travels to the County Meath garden of Paula Byrne. Twenty years ago, after building a new house, the interior designer turned her attention to the outdoors. Since then, she has created six unique gardens around her home, which attract many visitors during...
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Gardeners' Corner summer special with Dan Pearson and Jekka McVicar
After one of the hottest summers on record, David travels to the west of England to explore the private gardens of two renowned plants-people. Acclaimed designer Dan Pearson has spent the last 15 years creating his ‘Hillside’ garden with his partner Huw around an old farmhouse in Somerset. He…
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Growing lavender, success with agapanthus and healing through gardening
David travels to County Fermanagh, where he meets Vera Cassidy at Lavender Manor near Enniskillen. The venue is true to its name, and it is the ideal place to find out how to grow this wonderfully scented shrubby perennial. A few miles away in Lisnaskea, victims' charity SEFF has been using...
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Plants that perform in drought, Adam Frost's bulb of the month, and gardening for hedgehogs
After a summer of sunshine and heat, David catches up with Maurice Parkinson, who is continuing to plant with a changing climate in mind. Which plants can perform through weeks of drought but also cope with a wet winter? Adam Frost chooses Gladiolus papilio as his bulb of the month. In West...
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Home-grown cooking with Mollie Cunningham, summer perennials and permaculture in the park
Join David Maxwell for an hour of gardening advice for summer. He'll be joined in studio by expert Ann Fitzsimons who has advice on how to save a fig tree and offers plant recommendations for wedding anniversary gifts. In County Down, just outside the village of Killyleagh, David visits an old...
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Summer inspiration from the Gardeners’ Corner archive
Join David Maxwell and Rosie Maye as they dig into the archive and look back at garden visits from past summers on the programme. From long-flowering perennials at Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee to producing delicious organic vegetables at Portnoo Market Garden in Donegal and a visit to the...
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Creating new borders with Jimi Blake, growing redcurrants for skincare and Jason Ingram on photographing gardens
As the dry spell continues, David travels to renowned gardener Jimi Blake's Huntingbrook garden in County Wicklow. He finds out how Jimi created three new beds for smaller plants including sedum, linaria and a few rogue sweetcorn. Adam Frost chooses Crocosmia 'Hellfire' as his bulb of the month....
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Success with delphiniums, easy early summer cuttings, and peculiar plums
As the summer holiday season begins, David Maxwell is joined in studio by Ann FitzSimons and Mary Doris who are full of summer gardening inspiration. Ann explains how to make more plants for free right now by taking semi-ripe cuttings. Mary makes the best of the gardens summer bounty including,...
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How to grow olives and basil, cameraman vs bee and the garden legacy of a retiring Tyrone teacher
Join David Maxwell for an hour of gardening advice for summer. He'll be joined in studio by expert Neil Porteous who will have advice on how to grow olives successfully in a climate which isn't always as hot as this week! In Ann FitzSimons County Down greenhouse she is growing tomatoes, basil and...
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Gardeners' Corner at BBC Gardeners' World Live, Birmingham
David Maxwell is joined by Adam Frost and Jekka McVicar live from the NEC in Birmingham. Presenter Nikki Chapman reflects on her relationship with her garden and David meets some of the growers and designers. Contact the team any time by emailing [email protected]
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Four decades at Tattykeel, cost-cutting propagation and soil health for community gardens.
Helen Mark visits Tattykeel Garden in Omagh, where Hugh and Kathleen Ward reflect on four decades of gardening as they open their gates for the National Garden Scheme. Helen meets Ian Marshall to explore simple, cost effective propagation techniques for Hydrangeas and a range of houseplants. Near...
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All about alliums, clematis cuttings, summer care for succulents and the best plants for moths
Join David Maxwell for an hour of early-summer inspiration for your garden. He brings you more highlights from the garden show season and is joined by expert Claire McNally to answer questions on taking clematis cuttings and moving peonies and hebes. Also in the studio, wildlife expert Katy Bell...
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Gardeners' Corner at Bord Bia Bloom 2026
Gardeners' Corner attends Ireland's biggest gardening show, Bord Bia Bloom, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Presenter David Maxwell tours the show gardens and plant stands in search of takeaways for the ordinary gardener. Along with regular expert Anna Hudson, he meets Adam Frost and Neven...
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Gardeners' Corner at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Highlights from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 with David Maxwell, featuring the gold medal-winning Trussell’s Together Garden — the first Chelsea garden to be relocated to Northern Ireland. David meets women from the Strabane Community Project, where the garden will soon be rebuilt, and its...
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Dan Pearson on the value of gardening slowly, lavender alternatives and getting peonies to flower
David visits the GROW community garden at the Waterworks site in north Belfast where members of Anaka women's collective are gaining gardening knowledge and forming friendships at the same time. Gardener Craig teaches them how to split mint plants and sow carrots for a harvest later this year....
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Sarah Raven and Shane Connolly on cut flowers, gardening with a disability and Adam Frost's bulb of the month
David chats to renowned plantswoman Sarah Raven and royal florist Shane Connolly at the Festival of Gardens and Nature in County Laois. In West Belfast, he meets Paula Kerr who uses every bit of her back garden to produce fresh organic fruit and veg. Adam Frost reveals his favourite bulb for May,...
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Garden birdsong with the Nature Boy, giving berberis a go and cutting back camellias
David Maxwell visits Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where Maurice Parkinson tries to convince him to give the prickly berberis shrub a chance. It's also time to cut back the camellias which have just finished flowering. As the dawn chorus reaches its peak, ornithologist and award-winning author Sean...
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Celebrating tulip time, making pampass plume and preventing peony problems
As the spring sunshine brings out the blooms, join David Maxwell as Gardeners' Corner celebrates tulip time. Expert guest Anna Hudson will have some of her favourites in studio and they'll discuss whether the bulbs are worth saving for next year. Also on the programme, David visits Salthill…
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Gardening by the sea, Adam Frost's bulb of the month and celebrating 20 years of a garden trail
David Maxwell visits a unique, nature-friendly private garden in Falcarragh, created by gardener and author Seán Ó Gaoithín. Crammed full of native trees and plants, it has become a haven for insect and bird life, despite the sometimes harsh conditions on Donegal’s west coast. Further south, in...
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Sensory gardens, spring tidy-ups, and opening the gates to the public
Helen Mark is invited to Lisbane County Down where she discovers the work that goes into preparing a garden for public visitors through the National Garden Scheme, and the challenges of gardening on a hill with Olwen Sheridan. With secateurs in hand, Helen helps Joy Caskie on a spring tidy-up,...
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The Road to Chelsea
Presenter David Maxwell finds out what it takes to create a world class exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Alongside fern expert Billy Alexander, David helps to create the Kells Bay Garden in the Great Pavillion. He also speaks to some of the other designers, landscapers and tradespeople on...
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Getting rid of horsetail, alpine addiction and the artful gardener
As wintry showers return, Gardeners’ Corner heads to the snow-dusted Sperrins where David Maxwell visits Andrew Shannon, whose country garden has a modern creative twist. Known on social media as The Artful Gardener, Andrew reveals how the plot once tended by his grandparents now inspires his...
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The best daffodils for pots, borders and lawns and easy crops for a mid-March harvest
This week, David Maxwell heads to Hillsborough Castle where thousands of daffodils are in bloom. Head gardener, Claire Woods explains how this versatile spring bulb can be grown in containers, borders and lawns. Nearby, enthusiast Richard McCaw has been growing and showing daffodils since 1989.…
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Castlewellan's walled garden reborn, Spring wildlife watch and Adam Frost's bulb of the month
David Maxwell visits the historic Annesley Walled Garden in Castlewellan Forest Park as it reopens to the public. The garden, which dates back to the mid-18th century, has been closed for two years while £1.3 million of improvement works were carried out. Head gardener Alwyn Sinnamon shows David...
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Chelsea comes to Strabane and the best plants for early spring colour
With spring just around the corner David Maxwell heads to a community garden in Strabane, County Tyrone which will be getting quite the facelift this year. As it operates a Trussell foodbank, it has been selected as the permanent home for the charity's show garden at this year's RHS Chelsea…
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Kew Garden's Orchid Festival, caring for moth orchids and kick-starting the season with early seed sowing
As Chinese New Year begins, presenter David Maxwell encounters an orchid covered dragon at the 30th annual Orchid Festival in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He chats to Soléne Dequiret in the Princess of Wales Conservatory about what it takes to create this giant display with over 3000 orchids....
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Joy's Oasis, Valentine's Bouquets and a Catch-Up with Frank McCooke
Helen Mark explores the little, and large, gardening tasks that can keep you busy, especially when the weather doesn't want to cooperate. Joy Caskie shares her garden oasis near Limavady and Conrad McCormick adds a personal touch to a Valentine's bouquet. Also, Helen catches up with Frank McCooke...
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Moving Mount Venus, Adam Frost's bulb of the month, and Culmore's new allotments get going
David meets up with Oliver Schurmann in the old abandoned quarry that's the new home for Mount Venus nursery. After 25 years in a walled garden, the new location is a magical place reclaimed by nature. Adam Frost chooses his bulb of the month (Crocus tommasinianus) and a dream comes true for some...
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Celebrating snowdrops, princess-style pruning with John Massey and remembering Daisy Hill Nursery
With snowdrops in bloom across the country Gardeners' Corner heads to an event for fans of the flower in County Carlow. The snowdrop gala celebrates the hundreds of varieties of these bulbs sought after by so called 'galanthophiles'. Among those attending the event is John Massey of Ashwood…
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A year on from Éowyn, Winterwatch at Mount Stewart and must-have scented shrubs
A year after Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc across Ireland David Maxwell visits the gardens at Mount Stewart on the Ards peninsula where thousands of trees were lost. He meets volunteers planting oak and pine trees which will form a new shelter belt for the garden in the decades to come. At the other...
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Must-have ground cover plants, outdoor exotics in Slane and Adam Frost’s bulb of the month
A garden that has to look good in every season is the Horatio’s Garden at Musgrave Park Hospital in south Belfast. Two years after it was planted up, David Maxwell chats to head gardener Matthew Lee about how the garden continues to change, and about the great groundcover plants that help keep...
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Hamnet herbs, a plant playground in Ratoath and a tribute to Seamus O’Brien
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...
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Season by Season with Gardeners’ Corner
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,...
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Kilmacurragh and the Plant Hunters
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…
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Gardeners’ Corner Christmas Special 2025
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...
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Merry Mistletoe, must have Mahonia and a winter walk at Montalto
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....
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How to look after your Christmas tree, Adam Frost's shrub for December, and picking plants for the office
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…
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Must-have heathers, Brendan’s back yard and coming up trumps with stumps
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…
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Mary Keen, children who are keen and everything in between
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...
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Sunken gardens, city sanctuaries and sodden shoes
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…
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Must have maples, tulip time and making gardeners’ gold
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...
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Finding balance in the autumn tidy up, pruning apples in winter and wildlife gardening at Iona Cottage
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...
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Gardeners' Corner special: The wonder of trees
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...
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How to grow prize worthy pumpkins, a mushroom mystery and bringing back the posh cloche
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...