Iconic radio gardening show to air episode from Belvoir Castle

Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time was recorded recently as head gardener at the Regency stately home , Andy Tudbury, welcomed a talented panel of Peter Gibbs, Matthew Wilson and Bunny Guinness.

They wandered the gardens and grounds whilst answering an array of thought-provoking questions from the public.

You can listen to the show at 3pm on Friday and again on Sunday at 2pm

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 discussed Belvoir Castle’s collection of formal gardens, which includes the Rose Garden, which has undergone significant development over recent months.

This includes reshaping lavender and hedgerows, maintenance on the stone walls and pathways, and Belvoir’s gardening team has planted hundreds more David Austin roses.

It brings the total number of roses in the garden to 1,000 in complementary hues of pink, purple and white.

The panel explored the Japanese Woodland, which extensively uses Japanese and Chinese plants thriving in the naturally sheltered and wet ground, and 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.

They also visited the Duchess Garden, a fine example of a picturesque Regency Garden. The Root and Moss house sits above a series of stone steps commanding an unrivalled vista through a multitude of unusual trees and shrubs to a new pond with an elegant statue.

You can enjoy the gardens at the Belvoir Castle Flower & Garden Show, which takes places on Saturday and Sunday July 12 and 13 – it will be attended by experts including BBC Gardeners’ World’s Adam Frost and ITV’s Love Your Garden’s David Domoney.