Press releases

BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time to open a new garden in the north of England

February 26 2007

Gardeners’ Question Time, the long running popular radio show, is to create a new garden within the grounds of RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate. The garden will be used to record material for the popular BBC Radio 4 programme and will also be the venue for an annual Summer Garden Party attended by thousands of the programme’s listeners.

Mark Damazer, Controller of Radio 4, says “The new Harlow Carr garden is a terrific and exciting addition to Gardeners’ Question Time. We know that gardening in the north of the UK provides strikingly different challenges and opportunities to those in the south. We can now more vividly describe those differences - and can also see how to develop a big garden from scratch.”

Regular Gardeners’ Question Time panellists Bunny Guinness and Chris Beardshaw and Chelsea Gold Medal winners revealed the first details of the garden to listeners in the programme (broadcast on Sunday 25 February). “It’s a very exciting project with lots of potential.” says Bunny Guinness. Chris Beardshaw adds “The site is typical of conditions in the north. It will enable us to demonstrate the differences between growing in the south and north.”

The creation of the garden at Harlow Carr follows the success of the programme’s garden within the grounds of Sparsholt College in Hampshire. Producer Trevor Taylor says “The gardens enable the team of expert panellists to put into practice the theories they discuss on the programme. More than 3,000 listeners a year attend the annual summer garden party at Sparsholt and we expect as many, if not more, to attend our Northern Summer Garden Party in July.”

RHS Director of Gardens and Estates Jill Cherry comments, “We’re very excited to be having the Gardeners’ Question Time garden at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. As the UK’s leading gardening charity, the RHS aims to provide different showcase gardens around the country to help share practical advice for gardeners relevant to local growing conditions. This great partnership will offer northern gardeners a wonderful practical opportunity to find out more about gardening, whatever their level of expertise. We look forward to welcoming the BBC team and their guests, particularly as we hear that the BBC Radio 4 audience are among some of the keenest gardeners in the country! As well as helping thousands of listeners, the new garden will offer an invaluable resource to more than 1,000 adult education students and schools who already participate in our practical gardening training programmes and educational activities.”

Notes to Editors

For more information contact:

RHS
Allison Mitchell at RHS Garden Harlow Carr on 01423 724651 or email allisonmitchell@rhs.org.uk

Judy Claughton in the RHS Press Office on 020 7821 3692 or email judyclaughton@rhs.org.uk

BBC
Elizabeth Hyder/Alison Potts
BBC Radio 4 Publicity, 020 7765 3210
www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4

RHS Garden Harlow Carr is open every day from 9.30am until 6pm (or 4pm November-February inclusive) except Christmas Day. Last admission one hour before closing. 2006 prices: RHS members free, adult admission £6, children six to 16 £2, children under six free of charge.

Gardeners’ Question Time is on BBC Radio 4 on Sundays at 2pm with a shortened repeat on Wednesdays at 3pm.

A digital image of the Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) panellists and staff at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, taken Feb 2007, is available on request.

The proceeds taken from events and tickets sales at all RHS gardens help to fund the many activities undertaken by the RHS to promote horticulture and help gardeners.

www.rhs.org.uk/pressoffice

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

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