Gardeners' Corner

David Maxwell will be out and about at Rowallane Garden to find out how to create colour in your autumn garden. David also discovers how the legacy of an intrepid teenager will take root in Belfast in the shape of a charity garden for patients with spinal injuries. And is it an Irish lizard or a newt? – one listener wants to know what she has discovered lurking in the undergrowth. The answer will be revealed on Saturday morning with David Maxwell and the Gardeners’ Corner team.

Tune into BBC Radio Ulster’s Gardeners’ Corner this Saturday morning when David Maxwell will be discovering how to produce the perfect hedgerow with the clever use of fruit trees as well as finding out how to brighten up the autumn season in the garden with a splash of vibrant colour. He’ll also be speaking to a gardening expert whose green fingers have graced stately homes both north and south of the border and tackling the case of the bountiful blueberry bush in Limavady.

On Gardeners’ Corner this Saturday morning David Maxwell will be celebrating the green fingers of two very talented young gardeners who have been making a difference in the community during lockdown. David will also be finding out more about the best way to grow herbs in pots and how a ‘no dig’ policy might be the best way forward for your soil. Combine this with a masterclass in making your outside space a cosy haven for the months ahead and you have the perfect listening start to your weekend.

Presenter David Maxwell visits Hillsborough Castle gardens a year after it reopened to the public. He chats to garden manager, Claire Woods in the lost garden about tree ferns and gets some top tips from Adam Ferguson on growing the perfect pears. David also meets up with Claire McNally, the new head gardener at Rowallane gardens near Saintfield. Also on the programme – an update from Amy Kelly on her allotment in Newtownards and David will take listeners questions with expert Reg Maxwell.

BBC Radio Ulster’s Gardeners’ Corner this Saturday morning is a musical and visual feast for Proms in the Garden with David Maxwell. David will broadcast live from his garden in Belfast with the music of the Ulster Orchestra weaved through the very first hour long edition of the programme. Our gardening experts will be answering all your horticultural queries and David will also be basking in bird song at an allotment, experiencing a sensory garden and taking a musical trip to the foot of Slemish mountain. For that and more join David Maxwell and the Gardeners’ Corner team for Proms in the Garden on BBC Radio Ulster, Saturday morning, at the new extended time of 9am to 10am.

David Maxwell presents the weekly gardening programme which this week hears from locally grown Agapanthus expert Ian Scroggy. Also on the programme, Barbara Pilcher suggests some veg to sow in the Autumn and Conrad McCormick urges listeners to give Kniphofia (Red Hot Pokers) another chance. The team also take questions from listeners.

With summer drawing to a close, David Maxwell is joined by gardening experts Averil Milligan and Cherry Townsend for a listener phone-in programme. They’ll be tackling questions on why a strawberry is failing to keep it’s fruit, the key to growing radishes and how to get a good crop of figs in our not so warm local climes.

In national allotments week, David Maxwell heads to Ards Allotments where he meets Amy Kelly on her plot. She’s been harvesting her blueberries – a plant which not only produces super fruits but is also an attractive plant to have in the garden. In Killinchy, David meets up with Ann Fitzsimmons who thinks every garden, even small ones should have a few giant plants. Also on the programme, David heads to Islandmagee and Ballyrobert where Cherry Townsend and Maurice Parkinson have plenty of suggestions for late summer colour in the garden.

Join David Maxwell for a live phone-in Gardener’s Corner programme. He’ll be joined by expert guests Averil Milligan and Brendan Little. Questions include suggestions for good ground cover plants, what to do with a weak wisteria and what rogue plant has found its way into a packet of parsnip seeds. Also on the programme, David gets an update from the ‘lockdown gardener’ Jim Kerr as he begins to harvest from his transformed front garden.

David Maxwell is joined by Cherry Townsend and Jim Bradley in a live phone-in answering your questions on struggling veg and the flowering hedge. Also the best way to propagate and keep your garden growing. Maurice Parkinson shares his expertise on the Daylily. And the humble Shield Bug – does it really stink or does it just look like a North American variety that actually does!This programme has been edited since the original broadcast.

David Maxwell is joined by Ann Fitzsimons and Reg Maxwell in a live phone-in answering your questions and identifying a number of mystery plants that add intrigue to the garden. And Shane Connolly provides inspiration for your table with his unique expertise and take on cut flowers from the summer garden.

In a programme originally broadcast in 2019, David Maxwell meets Labour Party veteran Kate Hoey at her home on Rathlin Island. He explores the wild garden she's created there as a getaway from life in Westminster. David finds out how for years she has been able to deal with constituency issues in Vauxhall from a remote cottage on the Island. He also speaks to the former MP about her life politics and outside it, including her wish to one day return home to Northern Ireland.

Presenter David Maxwell is joined by gardening experts Ann Fitzsimons and Jim Bradley answering your questions. This week we find out if you can graft a plum tree to an apple tree, tackle an unwieldy wisteria and discover ways to give an old hedge new life. Listener Lisa Camlin shares her tricks to designing your own border and Conrad McCormick shares tips to maintaining his favourite exotic rose.

David Maxwell is joined by a lockdown gardener planning to turn a profit and he’s only 13! A Giant Water Lily blooms in Belfast after nearly a 30 year absence and gardening experts Brendan Little and Averil Milligan tackle a Sweet William Challenge while hedging their bets on a tricky border. Also water saving tips and a taste for something exotic.

Scent and colour – the joy of roses and navigating thorny challenges. Gardening experts Reg Maxwell and Cherry Townsend join presenter David Maxwell this week to discuss the joy of roses. We’ll hear from celebrated breeders and gardening legends along with listeners sharing their treasured stories and find out why some roses droop and what to do when a treasured rose doesn’t grow to plan.

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.

David Maxwell presents the weekly gardening programme answering listeners questions with expert guests Cherry Townsend and Brendan Little. Also on the programme, David speaks to Barbara Pilcher about unusual veg.

David Maxwell is joined by Reg Maxwell and Ann Fitzsimmons for a gardening phone-in. He also finds out about a new therapy garden at the SERC campus in Holywood and he chats to Neil Porteous about garden paths.

Gardening experts Averil Milligan and Barbara Pilcher join presenter David Maxwell this week to answer your challenging gardening questions. We'll also hear about the Irish Yews making a welcome home in Northern California and find out how this year's Chelsea Flower Show is virtual and reaching out to you online.

Whether you're new to gardening or a seasoned pro, there's always something to surprise you in your garden. So if you have encountered an unusual insect or need to know what to add to your soil, join David Maxwell and his experts for the live phone-in this Saturday. If you would like to call them or text with your gardening query, the number is 03030 805555 or text 81771 and standard network charges apply. Lines are open on Saturday morning.