Gardeners Question Time, and other hot dates with celebrity gardeners

Quite an exciting week coming up. We’ve been invited by our new friends at the Dorothy Clive Gardens to join the audience of the next recording BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time, which they are hosting at The Mitchell Arts Centre, in Stoke-on-Trent on 5th February.

I should explain, as relative ‘newbies’ to this open garden lark, Nigel and I thought it might be wise to talk to people with a bit more experience than us. As it happened, the Dorothy Clive Gardens, just 8 miles from Betley Court Gardens was also awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant at the same time as us, so our two garden projects shared a press release. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and Nigel contacted them about us paying a visit to pick up some advice. 

On a blustery day in November last year we met with curator/director Kathy Rowby and some of the staff at the gardens to learn a thing or two about keeping the public happy when they visit your gardens. We left in awe at what they achieve on a budget, through a combination of paid staff, volunteers and ‘friend’ groups. Karen suggested we join up with Dorothy Clive Gardens to offer groups (historical and garden societies etc) the chance of a private viewing. We have our first trip booked for May – an hour’s trot around our gardens at Betley Court, then a visit to Dorothy Clive Gardens for a look around and a genteel lunch in their excellent tea rooms. No pressure then, to get the gardens up to scratch in time!

The invite to Gardeners Question Time was a really nice surprise, not least because I have listened to GQT since I was in my teens. Unbeknown to them, the GQT team often accompany me up to my allotment at home, via the wonder of earphones and DAB radio. If you’re unfamiliar with the format, each week a panel of horticultural experts answer questions from distressed gardeners. In fact, accompanying the tickets is a slip to complete with your question for the panel. What to ask?? WHERE DO I START??? Ooo, I could get advice about restoring Barron’s yew screen. Or how propagate new plants from the ancient snowdrops tree (Halesia carolina) that captivates visitors during our bluebell walk season. Or how to deter our resident rabbits and moles from digging up our flowerbeds (although our zoologist daughter, who spent the summer counting moles for a research project has suggested planting alliums in quantity. Moles detest the smell apparently!)

Mostly though, I’m really fascinated to see the panellists in action. When GQT started (and bear in mind, it’s been broadcasted since 1947), panellists were given the questions in advance, allowing them to gem up on the answers. It is said (on the GQT website, no less) that these days, they are not afforded this luxury, and must draw on their knowledge and experience on the hoof. I always enjoyed the fact that the panellists’ answer reveals their preferences and pet peeves. Pippa Greenwood, I seem to remember once divulged she dumped a suiter who presented her with a bonsai tree as a gift. Bob Flowerdew, he of the marvellous golden plaited hair, will often drive other panellists mad, advocating an unconventional organic solution to some pest or other. I once nearly met Chris Beardshaw (the twinkly blue-eyed garden one). He was to present awards at a Cheshire Year of Garden ceremony in 2008, and I’d been invited along with Anne, a teacher from a local primary school, to talk about a project we did that year. Sadly, Chris got snowed in, and couldn’t make it up from the Cotswolds (cue snorts of derision, along the lines of ‘southerners, huh!’ from my Yorkshire companion). My consolation on missing out on Mr Beardshaw came during lunch, when quite by chance, Sam Youd plonked himself and his lunch tray at our table. I was in rapture. For the whole of lunch, Sam Youd, at the time, Head Gardener at Tatton Park, and personal gardening hero regaled us with stories harvested from his years in horticulture, on meeting Royals and celebrities, and some of the funny everyday things he’d experienced through his work. Once he’d finished his lunch (and I don’t know how he ate, as he didn’t stop talking) he left to prepare for his afternoon speech. Anne turned to me and said dryly, ‘I wish I’d enjoyed his stories as much as he did telling them to me!’ Just goes to show, even celebrity gardeners aren’t everybody’s cup of tea!

As they used to say at the end of Gardeners Question Time, ‘good day, and good gardening’

I’ll let you know if our question got picked next time!

Ladybird Su

Tickets for future GQT can be found here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/415rx5ZndyLb1gz3jnQ0SJV/gqt-on-location

And Dorothy Clive Gardens here: dorothyclivegarden.co.uk/