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BBC Radio Ulster


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.


Gardeners' Corner

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 Ronayne extols the health benefits of taking in birdsong at this time of year. In Dundonald, David meets Rory Blight and Sean McDermott in an urban oasis where their Keen 2B Green community interest company is providing a home for nature and a place to benefit the community and those with learning disabilities. Work is underway to create ponds, a bee bank and a species rich grassland. Ann FitzSimons joins David in studio to answer questions on patchy grass, a rowan tree with no leaves and an unruly Rosa rugosa. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Garden birdsong with the Nature Boy, giving berberis a go and cutting back camellias

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 garden in County Donegal where Elizabeth Temple has changed a featureless lawn into a garden full of choice plants and trees. In Dublin, Nicola Kenny visits Taplin''s Field Community Garden where organic food is produced by a diverse group of city dwellers and the programme hears from Paul McHugh who discovered a rare wild flower on his daily dog walk in Portglenone. The live phone-in programme also includes questions on pampass grass, peonies and photinia hedging. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Celebrating tulip time, making pampass plume and preventing peony problems

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 Mountcharles, he visits Dorothy Jervis, whose cottage and garden overlook Donegal Bay. She is the fourth generation of her family to call this exposed hillside home. Despite heavy, wet soil and a plantation of Sitka spruce, she has created a relaxed, cottage-style garden that sits easily in the surrounding wild landscape. Also on the programme, Adam Frost chooses bluebells as his bulb for April, and Brendan Little joins David in the studio to answer questions.
Contact the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardening by the sea, Adam Frost's bulb of the month and celebrating 20 years of a garden trail

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, cutting back, moving plants and trimming edges and getting some ideas for her own to-do list. And after a midlife career change, Gary Hegarty swapped designing newspapers for sensory gardens. Here he shows Helen the benefits of these special spaces. Ann FitzSimons joins Helen in studio. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Sensory gardens, spring tidy-ups, and opening the gates to the public

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 site working against the clock as judging day looms large. Despite the challenges of time, heat and even a local fox, the garden gets finished and picks up a prestigious gold medal and the president's award.

The Road to Chelsea

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 seasonal animations.

At Belfast’s Botanic Gardens, David meets Colin Agnew as he reflects on 45 years of gardening there ahead of his retirement next week, including the remarkable cactus he grew from seed as a young apprentice which now almost reaches the glasshouse roof.

In Limavady, Gordon Toner explains his decades-long passion for alpine plants, a fascination that has earned him nearly 250 gold medals. And in studio, expert Anna Hudson brings seasonal inspiration from Ballywalter Estate and answers listeners’ questions on compost and tackling the invasive weed horsetail.

Contact the programme: gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Getting rid of horsetail, alpine addiction and the artful gardener

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. He shows David where his new varieties begin life in a little plot of land behind his home. At Laurelbank Farm in County Down, Jo Facer is bringing in the harvest. It's something she does on her market garden 52 weeks of the year. Jo reveals two crops that are well worth the effort - beetroot and kale. Ann FitzSimons will join David in studio to answer questions and provide some seasonal inspiration. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

The best daffodils for pots, borders and lawns and easy crops for a mid-March harvest

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 the work done to the long borders and the gleaming glasshouses, restored to their former glory. David also explores the rediscovered Bog Garden and Rhododendron Wood. Adam Frost reveals his bulb for March, and there’s a visit to the Alpine House in Kew Gardens, which is celebrating its 20th birthday. In the studio, gardening expert Claire McNally joins David to answer questions, while wildlife expert Katy Bell uncovers the secret world of dragonflies. Contact the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Castlewellan's walled garden reborn, Spring wildlife watch and Adam Frost's bulb of the month

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 Flower Show. David meets some of those who use the garden space and he chats to designer Rob Hardy about his plans. Also on the programme, a visit to Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where spring flowers and bulbs are announcing a change of season and Rosie Maye joins David in studio to answer questions and provide some inspiration for the season. Contact the programme - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Chelsea comes to Strabane and the best plants for early spring colour

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. Gardening writer Julianne Robertson reveals what it takes to keep moth orchids happy in our homes. Nicola Kenny visits a new community garden taking root in north Belfast thanks to funding from Kew and Amy Kelly explains how to kick-start early seed sowing with the help of propagators and heated mats. Anna Hudson joins David in studio to answer questions and bring some seasonal inspiration from the garden at Ballywalter. Contact the programme gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Garden birdsong with the Nature Boy, giving berberis a go and cutting back camellias

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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