With a new pup at home, David finds out about gardening with dogs in mind. He speaks to designer and dog owner Brian Burke about a canine friendly garden he created for Bloom in 2017. Between the hedges in Howth; a visit to Ardán garden where Nuala Doherty and Conall O’Caoimh have created a first class immersive garden over the last two decades. Largely self taught, they have divided the half acre site into many unique spaces and included tropical planting, a conservation habitat for rare newts, a miniature woodland space and slug free veg beds. Also on the programme, creating a gardening group at work and Claire McNally will join David in studio with inspiration for early autumn and to answer listener questions. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

This week Gardeners’ Corner is seeing red at June Blake’s garden in County Wicklow. She’s filled a border with Monarda, Crocosmia and Alstroemeria in this most alarming hue. June tells David Maxwell about her preference for planting large numbers of the same varieties and why Verbascum’s are her top choice when it comes to rabbit and slug proof plants. At Hillsborough Castle Gardens, Claire Woods is gearing up for their summer fair after a tricky season and Amy Kelly is escaping to her allotment at the beginning of National Allotment Week. Oliver Schurmann choses his perennial of the month and Ann Fitzsimmons joins David in studio to answers questions. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Despite unseasonably cold weather, David samples the delights of early summer at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where Maurice Parkinson has a large collection of that reliable perennial Astrantia. In west Belfast, he visits Bog Meadows where Ulster Wildlife have created a new garden. The build has transformed the entrance to the gardens and has proved to be great therapy for volunteer Kathy who lost her job last year. Amy Kelly reveals how you can grow a mini orchard on your patio and David catches up with some of those taking part in the Great Gardeners’ Corner Grow Along. In studio, Mary Doris brings the taste of summer with Elderflower cordial and she also uses the foraged flowers in jam and cupcakes. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

William Robinson started life as a garden boy in Ireland but went on the become one of the most famous gardeners of all time. His ‘wild gardening’ style is still widely referenced today and in this special programme presenter David Maxwell is joined by Donegal gardener Brendan Little to explore Robinson’s life and legacy. At Gravetye Manor, Robinson’s home in Sussex, they meet head gardener Tom Coward who has brought the gardens back to life following a period of neglect. Robinson expert, Judith Nesbitt, describes his character and the mystery surrounding his early years. Also on the programme, a visit to the home and garden of Robinson’s friend of 50 years, the prominent Victorian gardener, Gertrude Jekyll and David takes Brendan on a trip down memory lane on a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Tune into BBC Radio Ulster’s Gardeners’ Corner this Saturday morning when Helen Mark finds out what seasonal tasks are being done on some coastal allotments, Amy Kelly looks for to the transformation to come in her garden and a very special community garden gets the royal seal of approval.

Have you ever heard of onions that can walk? David Maxwell finds out all about them from organic grower Klaus Laitenberger. April showers bring plenty of growth in the garden including to plants often considered weeds, but wild garlic and nettles can also provide a tasty lunch as David finds out when he pops in with Ann Fitzsimmons. Also on the programme, garden designer and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost on his new book and the ‘King of Trees’ Tony Kirkham opts for a Cherry as his tree for April. David will also be joined by Claire Woods and Brendan Little who will take on gardening questions live – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

David meets Omagh man Brian Duncan who has been breeding daffodils since the 1960s and has been awarded one of horticulture’s greatest honours. He becomes one of only 63 people who can wear the Victoria Medal of Honour. Also on the programme, why Erodiums or Stork’s bills deserve a place in your garden. And a visit to the Folk Museum where Irish Garden Plant Society members are doing what they can to create a living museum and a refuge for endangered Irish plants. All that and the experts will be taking questions live – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Have you ever heard of a mechanical garden? Well Antrim is getting Northern Ireland’s first, and this week David Maxwell chats to designer Diarmuid Gavin about his plans for the space. It’s being created to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee and the return of Garden Show Ireland. Also on the programme, Klaus Laitenberger on the tempting taste of home-grown tomatoes and Cherry Townsend on the importance of planning ahead with pots of bulbs. David will also be putting questions to the experts including why one listener’s orange crocuses keep vanishing. Get in touch by email – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

David Maxwell heads to Bundoran on St Patrick’s day where organic gardener Klaus Laitenberger is planting potatoes ‘Leitrim style’. He demonstrates his old Irish method of covering the seed potatoes with freshly dug turfs, showing how an area of lawn could easily provide a crop of spuds this season. Also on the programme, with seed sowing gathering pace in the garden, Amy Kelly explains why it makes sense to try heritage and heirloom varieties. They may have fallen out of favour with the supermarkets, but she says their taste, and the fact that you can save seed for next year, make them a good value choice. David visits Augher Central Primary School as part of the BBC’s ‘Little Green Fingers’ project. Teachers, pupils, volunteers there are transforming a neglected school garden into a wildlife haven and outdoor learning area. And how do you tell if that old packet of seeds at the back of the drawer is worth sowing?

In this week’s programme, David Maxwell travels to the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh in county Wicklow. The country cousin of the gardens at Glasnevin in Dublin, Kilmacurragh covers over 100 acres and enjoys a mild maritime climate where rhododendrons and Chilean exotics flourish. David walks through the crocus lawn with head gardener Seamus O’Brien and gets a sneak peak behind the scenes at a newly acquired historic walled garden. Also on the programme, Tony Kirkham chooses Arbutus unedo, also known as the strawberry tree, as his ‘tree of the month’ and Ciaran Mulholland is pruning trees at his garden at the foot of Slemish mountain in county Antrim. David will also be putting questions from listeners to expert Brendan Little including how much wheat you need to grow to produce a home grown loaf.

David explores a secret walled garden close to Belfast where globe artichokes are on the menu. Hidden Huntley is one of the 19th century ‘linen houses’ of Lagan Valley and it’s been home to Antonia Malcolm’s family since the 1920s. But there is trouble in paradise as Box blight has wiped out an important element of the gardens structure. Still, there is more than enough soft fruit to go around and rhubarb is being ‘forced’ – David finds out what difference it makes. Also on the programme, a visit to Ciaran Mulholland’s garden at the foot of Slemish where he’s dividing snowdrops ‘in the green’, work continues at Glenarm on the new woodland garden and meet the robots that garden. Get in touch with the experts on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

With more demand for space to build, gardens are getting smaller. In fact, owning a garden is just a dream for many younger people. This week, David Maxwell and the team will explore the options for those with no piece of earth to call their own. How can those with more than they need (or more than they can look after) make land available to those without. David chats to a Belfast born entrepreneur who’s developed an online platform where garden space can be rented out to those who want to grow their own food but don’t have a garden. Also on the programme, RHS Wisley curator, Matthew Pottage on making the most of the garden if you are renting your home and for those who have to garden indoors, some must have houseplants from Danae Diaz. Questions for the panel to gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

At the start of the half term school holidays, David and his experts have ideas to keep the kids busy in the garden. It’s the perfect time to plant some fruit - Amy Kelly picks out some of her favourite varieties. On a visit to the National Trust’s Rowallane gardens, David’s nose leads him to the Daphne which are in full flower. Head gardener, Claire McNally also shows him a flowering quince which is clothing an old stone wall in pink blossom. Also on the programme, Judith Hooks is the first local National Trust apprentice. She explains how the programme works and why she took a second look at gardening after training as an optometrist.

With the RHS saying it’s been inundated with queries about tackling slugs this year, David Maxwell and his guests discuss the best way to combat the slimy invaders. At Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, Maurice Parkinson is restricting his raspberries from running so they can be put into an ornamental border and he discovers the dreaded sawfly on his redcurrants.

In north Belfast, David visits Women’s TEC where new gardening skills are being cultivated. Wildlife expert Katy Bell is in studio with pointers on what to look out for in the garden in early summer and Oliver Schurmann reveals his perennial of the month. David will also be joined by Ann Fitzsimmons to take questions live. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Bring in the colour with cornus this winter. Presenter David Maxwell visits Maurice Parkinson at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden where the glowing stems of Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ and Cornus ‘Midwinter fire’ warm up the coldest days. Is your garden too big? The experts attempt to take the workload out of looking after a large plot. David explores renting out garden space with the local founder of the ‘Allotme’ garden rental website and the National Garden Scheme adds Northern Ireland to the famous yellow book. Questions for the team to gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

This week David gets around the problem of pricey perennials by finding out just how easy many are to grow from seed. Ann Fitzsimmons recommends ‘first year flowering’ varieties and shows how sowing some seed now can save gardeners a small fortune. It’s the weekend of the RSPB’s big garden birdwatch. Listeners are invited to text in what they are seeing and Claire Barnett from the charity has all the information on how to take part. Also on the programme, the RHS is gifting 4 community or school gardens this year. David has been chatting to chief horticulturalist, Guy Barter, on what they are looking for. And in the first of a new series, Tony Kirkham, aka ‘the king of trees’ from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew on his favourite tree for January.

As 2022 begins, David Maxwell and his gardening experts are getting ready for the season ahead. Colourful perennials don’t come cheap from the garden centre, but for the cost of a few packets of seeds, Ann Fitzsimmons shows how to save money and transform your outside space. Also on the programme, Gardeners’ Corner is teaming up with BBC Learning this year to follow several primary schools in their journeys to create, resurrect or develop their outdoor spaces. Kicking off the project is St Malachy’s Primary School in Bangor where an existing wildlife garden is going to get a new lease of life. Amy Kelly is sorting her seeds ahead of the growing season to come, and David will be joined live by Ann Fitzsimmons and Claire McNally to answer gardening questions from listeners. Contact the programme gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

A new year of gardening with David Maxwell and his expert guests. David finds inspiration from visits to Jimi Blake’s garden in county Wicklow, advice on how to grow veg in a small space from Amy Kelly and he explores plants that are living at the edge of their comfort zone, including Tree ferns with Billy Alexander and grapes grown outdoors at a vineyard in Lusk. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

David Maxwell presents a special Gardeners’ Corner Christmas programme from Kerrykeel in County Donegal. With twinkling lights and a fire crackling in a courtyard garden, David is joined by Cherry Townsend and Brendan Little for mince pies, mulled wine and gardening chat. What’s the best way to grow that gifted Amaryllis, how do you care for potted Christmas trees and can cut trees be put to use in the garden after the festivities. Also on the programme, Klaus Laitenberger on what home grown organic veg he’ll be bringing in for the Christmas dinner, Amy Kelly on plants with a Christmas connection and Helen Mark visits St Columbs allotments in Londonderry where plans are afoot for an end of year party.

In this special Gardeners’ Corner, David Maxwell visits the Eden Project in Cornwall on it’s 20th anniversary to find out about it’s mission to connect people with the planet. He also finds out why Eden is bringing that mission to the banks of the River Foyle. David also meets Fermanagh GP Neil Armstrong who made Cornwall his home in the 1980s, and has spent the last 25 years transforming an abandoned piece of land near Penzance into an exotic paradise. And artist Johns Keys from Belfast on how his artistic eye is transforming Cornish gardens.

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.

The weather might be wintry, but the good news is we can all enjoy home grown herbs year-round. This week, David Maxwell finds out how Claire Woods keeps a fresh supply growing through the winter months. He joins Klaus Laitenberger at the community garden in Bundoran where he’s pruning the blackcurrants. Cherry Townsend is on hand to answer questions from listeners and she joins David for a trip to Brendan Little’s woodland copse, where he wants to introduce some plants that love life beneath the canopy. RHS curator, Matthew Pottage has advice on wrapping up tender plants for winter and there’s a surprise call for an unsung gardening hero. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

What makes a good hedge and is there still time for a trim before winter? That’s just two of the questions David Maxwell and his experts guests will tackle in this week’s gardening programme. David also visits the South Eastern Regional College’s Holywood campus where they have launched their new wellbeing garden. Born in the lockdown, Claire Dunwoody tells David it’s future is community focused. Also on the programme, a new woodland walk is under construction at Glenarm Castle estate. David gets a sneak preview on what visitors will find come next spring. And Averil Milligan and Maurice Parkinson will join David live to answer questions from listeners. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

With the mild weather set to end in the next few weeks, David turns up the temperature by visiting the new ‘Banana block’ in east Belfast where 4 varieties of bananas are being grown in stylised raised beds which are also an art installation. Claire Hall explains that growing bananas is nothing new in east Belfast, in fact it was first done over a century ago. Also on the programme, Reg Maxwell is planting spring bulbs in pots and on a visit to Kilcoan gardens in Islandmagee, David finds Cherry Townsend taking root cuttings. Claire Woods and Ciaran Mulholland will join David live to take questions including what to do with an exotic tree fern as autumn gives way to winter. gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

A special programme from Ireland’s biggest garden show; Bord Bia Bloom. David Maxwell will be joined by regular contributor Brendan Little for a live programme from Phoenix Park. He’ll meet designers, plant experts and he’ll visit some of the show gardens. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As national governments try to reduce man’s impact on the planet at COP26, Gardeners’ Corner takes a look at what we can do in our own gardens. David Maxwell speaks to a compost manufacturer in Bellaghy about peat and the alternatives. He explores a woodland with Ian McCurley from the Woodland Trust and finds out the true value of planting thousands more trees. And David gets a crash course in turning household waste into plant food when he lifts the lid on Reg Maxwell’s wormery. All that and the experts will be answering listeners’ questions live. gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As autumn takes hold, David visits the National Arboretum, Annesley Garden at Castlewellan Forest Park where he takes in the seasonal hues with Alwyn Sinnamon and learns about an unusual 19th-century recipe for compost that included rabbit intestines and rats! A walkabout with Maurice Parkinson in his Ballyrobert cottage gardens reveals a collection of asters perfect for late season colour. Ann Fitzsimons joins David on a visit to a listener’s garden who has over 100 named varieties of hydrangea and the authors of ‘In Kiltumper: A year in an Irish garden’ chat about their intimate relationship with life outside their County Clare window over the last three and half decades.

In this Halloween programme, David Maxwell leaves the garden for the farm in the hunt for the perfect pumpkin. He chats to Adrian McGowan in Killinchy, who’s grown 9 acres of them about the varieties that grow best in more northern climes. David also heads to the National Trust’s Florence Court in county Fermanagh where head gardener David Corscadden is planting Camassia bulb with volunteers from near and far. Also on the programme, Cherry Townsend joins David to answer listeners’ questions; autumn in Ballyrobert cottage garden with Maurice Parkinson and just how many types of mint can you name? gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

After many months speaking virtually, David meets up with organic gardener Klaus Laitenberger at the community garden in Bundoran. Klaus explains the value of ‘bedding down’ the veg borders at this time of year by piling on seaweed or growing a green manure. Also on the programme, a return to Ann Fitzsimons garden where she has a love hate relationship with her roses – find out how to take the wilder ones in hand! And Amy Kelly explains some of the ways you can store that autumn glut, so you can enjoy your harvest through the colder months. The panel will also be taking listeners questions on the usual numbers or by email gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Join David Maxwell and his guests for some autumn gardening. This week David visits Ann Fitzsimons in Killinchy, where she is planting up a new border with a prairie feel using plants that don’t mind wet feet in winter. Amy Kelly will have advice on growing annual edible flowers and we head north to the Conrad McCormick’s exotic borders in Ballyvoy. Also on the programme, one listener wants to use their £100 spend local garden on fruit trees and is looking for advice on the best apple and plum varieties and how to make a no dig bed with Cherry Townsend. Send your questions to gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardeners’ Corner heads to County Donegal where David Maxwell and Brendan Little visit some of the gardens that make up the Donegal Garden Trail. Glenveagh Castle gardens sit within a National Park. Sean O Gaoithin gives a guided tour of the walled garden and the native woodland where exotic plants also find a home. At Cluain na dTor, Seamus O’Donnell shows David and Brendan how to make use of the space below deciduous trees and how to make sure they can withstand the winds from the nearby Atlantic coastline. David also chats to Brendan about his recent cancer treatment and how he has found comfort in his Kerrykeel courtyard.

David Maxwell explores the new global medicinal garden in Belfast Botanic Gardens with Barbara Pilcher and Adrian Walsh. On the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, he speaks to New York garden designer Lynden B. Miller about the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th garden in lower Manhattan which remembers UK and Commonwealth victims. And if your late summer/early autumn borders are looking lacklustre, you need look no further than the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin for inspiration – David will be finding out how two key borders have been transformed with a nod to a Victorian gardening great. Also on the programme, Claire McNally and Claire Woods join David to tackle listeners gardening questions. Email – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

David Maxwell travels to the hills of County Wicklow where he explores Jimi Blake’s Hunting Brook garden in late summer. Jimi pushes the boundaries of what it’s possible to grow in Ireland a thousand feet above sea level and tells us how we can stave off autumn for a another month. David Kenny is one of the few Irish rose breeders left, so what makes the perfect Irish rose? All that and the team will be taking your calls on the usual numbers or you can email anytime on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

The bees need our help and this weekend Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell will explore how we can all make our outside space a haven for them. David gets up close and personal with the Irish black honeybee on the Ards peninsula where Valentine Hodges has around 100 hives. He’s also off to Hillsborough which is holding a Honey fair this weekend. Also on the programme, David chats to organic grower Klaus Laitenberger about ripening those green tomatoes and he’ll be joined by Cherry Townsend and Neil Porteous to answer listeners questions including suggestions for small trees and the remedy for an unhappy hollyhock. You can get in touch with the programme anytime by email - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

In this, National allotments week, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates those little plots across the country giving joy to many as well as a rich harvest of fresh food. Presenter David Maxwell visits the National Trust’s community allotments at Springhill near Moneymore where one grower explains hügelkultur. Helen Mark visits the plots at St Columb’s park in Londonderry and Amy Kelly comes live from Ards allotments which is throwing open its gates for an open day. Also on the programme, Bob Flowerdew on “bodging”; putting everything and anything to use in the garden or on the allotment. All that and experts Ann Fitzsimmons and Ciaran Mulholland will join David to take on listeners’ gardening questions. Email – gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Gardeners’ Corner visits the most talked about gardening event of the year; the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Presenter David Maxwell tours some of the main avenue show gardens including the gold medal winning National Garden Scheme’s garden by Tom Stuart-Smith and the Muscular Dystrophy UK garden by Ula Maria which took best in show. He also meets up with CAFRE Greenmount graduate, Anna McLaughlin, who has been working with the team who created the Stroke Association Garden. With celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Raymond Blanc, Prue Leith, Alex Jones and of course Alan Titchmarsh; David gets a sense of Press Day at the world famous event. Inside the Great Pavilion he speaks to experts on Delphiniums, Foxgloves and carnivorous plants and he finds Northern Irish florist Allison Hood who took silver gilt for her floristry display. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

David visits vineyard owner David Llewellyn in Lusk, Co Dublin, to find out the secret to his sparkling success, as he has been successfully producing wine for a number of years. He also heads to Kells to explore the beautiful haven created at Dot's spot, and BBC journalist and presenter Victoria Fritz explains how her love of gardening has brought her a large social media following.

Before modern medicine, herbs were the only thing available to treat ailments. Eager to make sure this knowledge isn’t lost, the Irish Register of Herbalists tend a collection of over 200 plants at St Anne’s Physic Garden within Dublin’s St Anne’s Park. David meets some of those involved and finds out about several herbs including Rosebay willowherb and Stevia which is used today as a sweetener. Also in the programme, Amy Kelly on her collection of exotic and hybrid berries and a visit to Bangor Castle Walled Garden where wild flowers are stealing the show. Ann Fitzsimmons will also be joining David to take on listeners question including one about crumbly raspberries and has a unique new form of bluebell been found in Portaferry? gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Join David as he finds out what plants are best adapted to dealing with drought. Among them, the daylily, which Maurice Parkinson believes should be more popular in the UK and Ireland. How to transform a steep and uninviting bank; David visits Randalstown where local volunteers have transformed an old railway embankment into a thing of beauty. Also on the programme, Klaus Laitenberger on how to use the bits of veg we normally throw away and how do you know the right time to dig up your home grown spuds? All that and David will be joined by Claire McNally and Cherry Townsend who will answer listeners’ questions including one about a mystery ‘weed’.

David Maxwell and experts Averil Milligan and Neil Porteous offer sage advice on how to make the most of your summer garden.

David takes a trip to an exotic oasis in East Belfast that's brimming with colour and texture and has become a real talking point for residents of the area.

Averil Milligan takes David on a tour of her dry garden, and Mary Doris offers tips and tricks on activities to get the best out of your summer space.

The pandemic may have confined many to their homes for months but it also forced some young gardeners to connect on social media. This week on Gardeners’ Corner, David Maxwell meets 27 year old Philip Stewart who has transformed his garden in county Londonderry and is documenting it all on social media. Anthea Forde is getting grips with the plant collection established by her late husband, Patrick, at their 400 year old home in Seaforde, county Down, and how to make a beautiful garden for those who suffer from pollen allergies.

Tune into BBC Radio Ulster’s Gardeners’ Corner this Saturday morning when Helen Mark will be visiting Jim Bradley to find out what colour scheme will be on trend this summer, Amy Kelly makes the mouth water with her succulent salads and hang on to our hydrangea as Helen discovers a field of flowers in Scotland. That’s Gardeners’ Corner, this Saturday morning with Helen Mark and the Gardeners’ Corner team on BBC Radio Ulster 9am to 10am.

Helen Mark will be finding out how to make the perfect herbal brew while David Maxwell goes wild in a summer meadow. And to mulch or not to mulch? That is the question that will be answered by the Gardeners’ Corner team.

Our gardens can provide a lifeline to bees, and this week David Maxwell and his guests will be exploring how we can make them the perfect place for these precious pollinators. Also on the programme, getting the cottage garden look; David visits Cherry Townsend’s garden in Islandmagee. And why a garden by the sea can create opportunities; Helen Mark chats to Conrad McCormick about the exotic looking plants which can cope with salt and wind. David will also be joined by Averil Milligan and Cherry Townsend, who will be answering listeners’ questions live on the usual numbers.

With garden flowers very much in fashion, and ahead of British Flower Week, David Maxwell meets a young couple who are trying to turn their passion into a business. Andy and Aisling McCormick started their flower farm last year and they say there’s a big demand for beautiful blooms grown locally. Also in the programme, Ann Fitzsimons on why all is not lost when your veg goes to seed and David heads to Islandmagee where Cherry Townsend is enjoying the scent of June roses. The expert combo of Claire Woods and Neil Porteous will also take on listeners’ questions live on the usual numbers or via email - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Join David Maxwell for the first Gardeners’ Corner of meteorological summer. This week, David finds out all there is to know about growing lavender in a northern climate from Moira Hart, who has acres of the perfumed plant in Wexford. Barbara Pilcher is planting in the dry shade of a mature beech tree in her garden and David chats to Alan Gardner from Channel 4’s ‘The Autistic Gardener’ about his own garden as late spring gives way to summer. Also on the programme, David is joined by experts Claire McNally and Maurice Parkinson to take on listeners’ questions, including suggestions for tall annuals in a shady garden, how to get a 20 year old clematis to keep flowering and what are Lofos plants and how do you care for them. You can contact the programme with your questions on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

As summer weather arrives, David visits Cherry Townsend at Kilcoan Gardens in Islandmagee, where she has a brilliant collection of flowering plants that bridge the gap between spring and summer. Geums, Trollius, Aquilegia and Tellima are among the highlights in the borders. One of the biggest gardens in London is found across the river from Westminster behind the walls of Lambeth Palace. It’s the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury but the 10 acre garden is opening for the National Garden Scheme later this month and head gardener Lindsay Schuman gives David a sneak peek. Gordon Finch joins David in studio to talk about his fascination with ferns and restarting the local group of the British Pteridological society. Robot mowers have been gaining in popularity – producer Nicola chats about her experience with one she has nicknamed ‘Mervyn’. And Oliver Shurmann reveals his perennial of the month. In studio, Anna Hudson will be chatting about her veg patch at Ballywalter and she’ll take questions live in studio. Contact the programme gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Join David Maxwell in his own garden this bank holiday weekend along with expert Ann Fitzsimons. The pair chat about must have plants including Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle) and Alliums. Also in the programme, David visits Ards allotments where Amy Kelly is growing strawberries and raspberries as well as some more unusual edibles. Is Portaferry the new Darjeeling? David heads to Ireland’s first tea plantation to find out if it’s possible to grow a ‘builder’s brew’ in the Northern Irish climate and organic grower Klaus Laitenberger gives his monthly update on sowing and growing including an introduction to the immortality plant.

For many it’s considered the greatest flower show on earth and while it’s normally held this week, Chelsea has been ‘chopped’ from its normal spring slot and moved to the autumn. It’s the first time this has happened in the show’s 108 history meaning this year’s RHS show will be completely unique. This week, David Maxwell chats to some local Chelsea Flower Show successes about what taking part in it did for their careers. He speaks to ‘King of Chelsea’ Mark Gregory about his plans for the September show and how the colour palette will be completely differ. Also on the programme, from peacebuilding to garden designing, David catches up with Finnish designer Taina Suonio who studied horticulture at Greenmount while working for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. She is preparing to do her second show garden this year. David will also be joined by Reg Maxwell and Claire Woods to take listeners questions on how they can make their gardens a showstopper! Email - gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

We all know gardening is good for us, but why is it now a recognised therapy? David Maxwell speaks to Larne based horticultural therapist, Liz Curtis. David explores the freshly planted herb garden at Glenarm Castle Gardens and Amy Kelly explains some plant jargon like ‘potting on’ and ‘pricking out. Also on the programme, David will be joined live by Ann Fitsimmons and Maurice Parkinson to take listeners’ questions including, planting inspiration for a new bed and how to tackle cutworms, and presenter of the Scottish garden podcast and Northern Ireland native, Julianne Robertson, on taking Dahlia cuttings.