Joe Swift

Joe Swift

Joseph Swift is a Gardener, Author and Presenter of Gardeners' World who was born on 25 May 1965.

Both of Joe Swift's parents and other family members are famous.

Joe Swift's father was the late actor Clive Swift best known for playing Richard Bucket, the long suffering husband of Hyacinth Bucket (played by Dame Patricia Routledge) in Keeping up Appearances. 

His father sadly died on 1st February 2019.

Joe Swifts mother is novelist Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd who has published 19 Novels. She divorced his father in 1975. 

She is now married to Sir Michael Holroyd, who is a writer and Biographer.

His older brother Adam Swift became a Political Philosopher and Sociologist and has written several books.

His late Sister Rebecca Swift was to become a poet and essayist and ran the Literacy Consultancy and sadly died in 2017.

His late uncle was David Swift, the actor best known for playing Henry Davenport in Drop the Dead Donkey.


His childhood memories of his garden in London are that he mainly used for football but he would help out in his Grandparents garden.

He grew a very small apple sampling from a seed but his mom had got some landscapers in the garden and it sadly disappeared, much to Joes annoyance.


Branching out

After leaving school Joe went to Art College but dropped out and became a guitarist in a band 'The Tumbling Dice'.

He left the band to go travelling and he first got into gardening whilst in Israel working in a Kibbutz.

Joe Swift started work as a Landscape Gardener before going to Australia to work there.

Joe had fallen in love with gardening and whilst in Australia the concept of a garden being an outdoor room had caught his interest.

Joe returned to study a degree in Garden Design at The English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Gardens.

One of his first jobs when he qualified was to design his Mother a garden.


From Little Acorns

Joe Swift joined Gardeners' World as a presenter in 1998, alongside Monty Don and he has been a popular presenter ever since

He also presents TV coverage and is a judge for RHS Flower Shows, including RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

In 2012, Joe Swift's garden design at Chelsea Flower Show won a gold medal.

Joe also writes gardening articles for magazines and newspapers and has written several books.

Joe is a past President of the National Garden Scheme.


Joe Swift is the Co-Founder and Design Director of the Garden Design Company Modular  Garden 

In 2018 Joe designed Horatio's Garden at Stoke Mandeville

He is quoted as saying 'its the most important garden I've designed in my life, and probably ever will do'.

Joe Swift has a Dahlia named after him, Dahlia Joe Swift.


in 2026 Joe Swift is set to join one of the most popular Garden Makeover programmes Garden Rescue for its 11th Series.

Garden Rescue is having it biggest ever change to the format as 4 new Garden Designers join the existing team of Charlie Dimmock, Lee Burkhill, Flo Headlam and Chris Hull to compete to complete the winning garden design.

The 4 Garden Designers joining Garden Rescue Series 11 in 2026 are Joe Swift, Frances Tophill, Diarmuid Gavin and Sue Kent.


In 2023 Joe Swift moved from his home in Hackney, London to a new home and garden in Dorset.

Joe has documented his Garden Makeover in his YouTube Channel Joe's Country Garden.

Joe has two children and lives in Dorset, Joe likes to keep his personal life out of the media.


Joe Swift Awards

2012
RHS Chelsea Flower Show - Gold Medal


Joe Swift Television Programmes

1998 - Present
Gardeners' World

2001
Small Town Gardens

2001
RHS Chelsea Flower Show

2003
Garden Invaders

2004
Garden Makers

2005
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

2006
Gardener of the Year

2007
Open Gardens

2013
Great British Garden Revival

2015
The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge
The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge

2021
Gardeners' World 2021





2022
Small Garden
Edible Garden
Indoor Green
Nature Garden
Modern Space




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