BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time episode recorded at Belvoir Castle to air this week
An episode of the BBC’s longest-running gardening radio show recorded at Belvoir Castle is to be aired this week.
BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time recently visited the Regency castle to record the segment, which will first be broadcast on Friday, June 27, at 3pm and repeated at 2pm on Sunday, June 29.
It will also be available on BBC Sounds at the end of the month.
Andy Tudbury, Belvoir’s head gardener, welcomed panellists Peter Gibbs, Matthew Wilson, and Bunny Guinness to wander the gardens and grounds while answering an array of thought-provoking questions from the public.
Andy said: “Any passionate horticulturalist knows the reputation and significance of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, and I was extremely honoured that the team visited Belvoir Castle and that I could take part in the episode.
“We had some fascinating questions from the public on roses, moving and saving dying plants, early flowering, leatherjacket infestations and much more. It was a privilege to help answer those questions and use my expertise to assist others in their horticulture journey, whilst showcasing Belvoir’s blossoming gardens to the team.”
During the episode, the panel will discuss Belvoir Castle’s formal gardens — including the Rose Garden, which has undergone significant development over recent months.
This included reshaping lavender and hedgerows, maintenance on the stone walls and pathways, and Belvoir’s gardening team has also planted hundreds more David Austin roses to bring the total number of roses in the garden to 1,000 in complementary hues of pink, purple and white.
The panel also explored the Japanese Woodland, which extensively uses Japanese and Chinese plants thriving in the naturally sheltered and wet ground — where many of the magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias were sourced from the original seed collection of Charles Williams from Caerhays Castle in Cornwall and Burncoose Nurseries — and the Duchess Garden, a fine example of a picturesque Regency garden with a Root and Moss house and a new pond with an elegant statue.
“The gardening team has put in so much hard work this year to ensure the spaces are the most beautiful they’ve ever been, offering both inspiration and escapism to visitors. All of Belvoir’s gardens can be seen at our flower and garden show taking place in July, as well as our seasonal garden tours occurring on selected dates through July and August,” added Andy.
The Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show will take place on Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13, with experts in attendance including BBC Gardeners’ World’s Adam Frost and ITV’s Love Your Garden’s David Domoney. Win tickets here.
The Seasonal Garden Tours at Belvoir are led by the gardening team and take place throughout the year — with the first tour taking place on July 24.
