BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair - Show Interviews | 1-3 May 2026 | Beaulieu, Hampshire – Details, episodes & analysis

Frances is involved with the RHS campaign for school gardening and is passionate about enthusing young people to get into horticulture.  She is working on a number of community gardening projects in the South West and is also helping the redevelopment of some costal gardens that were damaged by the 2014 storms.  This is a particular passion of hers having grown up by the sea and was also part of her degree specialisation.

Frances is a popular choice for gardening talks and has appeared at Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show and the Eden Project Green Fingers Festival to name a few.  Hailing from Deal in Kent, Frances now lives in Exeter having completed her BSc in Horticulture with Plantmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2013.  Frances got into gardening from an early age, helping out around the garden at home and after overly ambitiously designing a terraced landscape in a planter, given to her by her mum, age 7, she was hooked.  As well as all things gardening Frances is a budding crafter and currently doing a pottery course.

Frances’ first book, First Time Gardener, was published in 2015 and her 2nd book, Container Gardening will be published in April this year.  She has also written a column for Coast magazine on highs and lows of coastal gardening.

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With an Honours Degree in plant sciences she then worked at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden (RHS) Wisley. After six years she left to pursue a career as a garden writer – first, for four years at Amateur Gardening magazine and then for six years as Editor of Grow Your Own magazine. 

She is now Head Gardener at East Donyland Hall – a 100- acre private estate which is home to a sizeable walled garden. Lucy is author of the book, The RHS Step-by-Step Veg Patch, and she also regularly writes for gardening magazines such as Gardeners’ World, The Garden and Amateur Gardening. She regularly podcasts with her Head Gardener friend, Saul Walker, on the Talking Heads gardening podcast.

Lucy is also the gardening expert for BBC Essex radio, and she won Practical Journalist of the Year in 2020. 

Peter is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and inventor, known for his innovative approach to business and his dedication to environmental issues. Born and raised in Birmingham, Peter attended Naseby high school in the same city. After a brief stint as an insurance sales associate, he started his first business at the age of just eighteen.
In 1999, Peter invented his first commercial product, called the Technical Development Ring. He wrote the patent for the product and had it granted, which paved the way for a successful career in innovation and entrepreneurship. Peter's passion for innovation and his ability to identify new opportunities led him to appear on the popular TV show Dragons Den.

Over the years, Peter has won numerous awards and accolades for his work. He was twice crowned British Inventor of the Year, in 2003 and 2004. His concern for environmental issues led him to create the Leaf Log, a carbon-neutral biomass solid fuel made from fallen leaves. In addition to inventing the product, he also designed the machine to make it.

Peter has appeared on several UK TV news feeds featuring his products, and also including Czech Television. His unique Eureka project, designed to assist participants in designing, prototyping, and commercialising their ideas, has been used in schools, individual businesses, and HMP prison services.

Peter is also a motivational speaker and mentor, using his wealth of experience and knowledge to inspire others to pursue their own entrepreneurial dreams. In his free time, Peter likes to create bespoke lighting and furniture from recycled scrap materials.
Peter's awards include the GO Green Environmental Business of the Year 2008, the ACBF Business of the Year award 2009, the ACBF Environmental/Medical Technology award 2009, and the Shell Springboard award. He has also been involved in several European projects across seven countries, looking at best practices within the prison services.

Beautiful Borders - Sponsored by QVC

This popular area of the Show is always awash with take-home ideas to help you squeeze the most into your garden.  Be it growing veg in tight spaces, colour combinations, plants for shady spaces or clever use of materials you’ll find inspiration in abundance.

The theme of 2024 is ‘Share my Space.’ The theme is all about harnessing the potential of small garden spaces and using them as catalysts for building a sense of community through gardening. Our gardens, no matter how big or small, are spaces we can come together, learn from one another and cultivate a shared green oasis.

My Garden Escape by QVC​

Surrey-based garden designer Kitti Kovacs will be bringing QVC UK’s gardening content to life with the My Garden Escape Border. The design will be a versatile haven for both shared experiences and quiet reflection, featuring vibrant blooms with stylish furniture and décor. Visitors will also be able to meet one of the shopping channel’s gardening experts, Emma Real-Davies.

My Garden Escape at QVC provides everything from indoor and outdoor plants to water features, garden equipment and outdoor furniture to lighting and décor. Authentic recommendations, personalised plant care tips and interactive live streams from the shopping channel’s resident garden experts will help turn any outdoor space into a Garden Escape.

Nicki is the host of ‘In Conversation’ style sessions on the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre, where she’ll lead candid conversations with experts including Monty Don, Adam Frost and Carol Klein, to name but a few. She first hosted the Theatre in 2022, and has done so ever since. Visitors can book seats at the same time as booking tickets 

Nicki Chapman is an accomplished TV presenter and broadcaster known for her work including the nation’s favourite Escape To The Country and for BBC1. She previously worked in the music industry.

Nicki has become a mainstay of the BBC presenting team, being a central figure during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

She’s a regular presenter for Radio 2, often sitting in for Zoe Ball on the Breakfast Show and Vanessa Feltz on Early Breakfast. She has also hosted three documentaries: The Fuller Picture (an in-depth interview with music entrepreneur Simon Fuller), Here We Come – The Monkees at 50, and Let’s Abba Party.

Having started her career as a Promotions Assistant at MCA Records, Nicki quickly become one of the youngest and most successful publicists in the industry. Three years later she moved to RCA Records as Head of TV Promotions, before joining Brilliant! PR Company where she was joint partner for five years. Her vast knowledge of the music industry led Nicki to be a judge on ITV’s Popstars and then subsequently on Pop Idol. Having met with Simon Fuller in the nineties Nicki joined his management company 19 Entertainment in January 2001 as Creative Director, working with artists and personalities such as Annie Lennox, David and Victoria Beckham, Will Young, The Spice Girls, Carrie Underwood and S Club 7.

Lockdown presented an opportunity for Nicki to further spread her wings, this time working on a podcast from her home studio called Talking Success where she interviewed some of the biggest names in the media and the arts.

Nicki is a proud Ambassador for British Dressage and a keen and active supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust, Childline and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. After successful brain surgery in 2019, Nicki is now a passionate Ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity.

BBC Gardeners' World Live Theatre

Sponsored by British Garden Centres

Experience an inspirational talk or practical demos from your gardening hero, with seats in the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre.

You can book seats at the same time as tickets or, if you’ve already booked tickets, you can add seats to your booking using the other button below. Remember, the earlier you book, the more choice you have!

https://www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com/whatson/bbc-gardeners-world-live-theatre/

The Viewer's Content Show Garden - Realised by Pip Probert

This garden is a reflection of the average plot. A space that has to work practically, financially and often as a quick fix. 

Designer, Pip, has been working with some of the Gardeners’ World Viewers to incorporate their ideas showcased on the BBC2 programme, including ideas for the greenhouse, potting shed, fluff hangers, hedgehog ramps and even a sculpture. 

The ideas have been put together to form a garden for people who love to make something out of nothing, as reusing, recycling, re-purposing and upcycling are words that define this garden. From pallet planters and fencing through to old windows and shower screens being used for the greenhouse, and doors to make an arbour seat. 

Kevin Smith is the Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and Head of Content for the GW brand. He’s worked for GW for the past 18 years and is responsible for leading the magazine’s content in print and on GardenersWorld.com, the GW podcast, social media and our live events.

Kevin’s a passionate gardener with a suburban plot in Essex that he shares with his wife and daughter – he’s trying to adapt the way he gardens to be more sustainable and better suit our changing climate. Kevin’s a regular radio contributor and has been a host of BBC Gardeners’ World Live theatres for several years.