Gardening celebrities descend on National Botanic Garden

For gardening enthusiasts, the National Botanic Garden in Wales is ready to roll out the red carpet for green-thumbed celebrities this month. BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time will be at the Llanarthne garden in Carmarthenshire.

There will be shows broadcast live on the radio for two afternoon slots of the popular programme on Sunday 19 July.  Experts will be on hand to answer all your horticultural questions and help promote some of the great work being done at the National Botanic Garden.

The Welsh garden is near many Pembrokeshire holiday cottages. It is a great place for a day trip while spending time in the region.

For the live radio event, Bob Flowerdew will be on hand to discuss tips for growing fruits and vegetables. The event will also be interactive as Tony Walton broadcasts from the garden’s new conservation area to highlight the protection efforts of Welsh plants. Bunny Guinness will be talking about Gardening for Children and visiting the Wild Garden. Eric Robson will discuss taking care of bees and butterflies in Planting for Pollinators. James Wong is leading a Welsh Country Walk that you are welcome to join.

And that’s not all.

The garden will welcome Pippa Greenwood to talk about pests and diseases. With Christine Walkden there will be a screening of the new Regency Restoration film Pirates, Plague and Plants for Health. The film highlights the Middleton family, who set up their home where the Botanic Garden now stands.

Finally, Matt Biggs will walk around in the Wood of the World and Peter Gibbs will introduce the ground-breaking DNA Barcode project.

There are plans for two recordings of the radio show to take place at 12.30 and 2pm. To celebrate, there will be a food court complete with hog roast, fresh ales and ciders, and a plant fair. Nurseries from all over Southern Wales will be one hand with some fresh ideas for your garden.

Image Credit: Elliott Brown (flickr.com)