The Beechgrowers from Beechgrove 2021

Beechgrowers

The Beechgrowers first appeared on Beechgrove 2021 in Episode 3 on 15 April 2021.

From right across Scotland the 6 lots of keen gardeners will be filming their own experiences of gardening in varying climates and growing conditions.

From a flat in Edinburgh right up to the Northern most coast of mainland Scotland, from the Highlands to the Borders.

With Covid-19 still affecting travel and with various restrictions in place the Beechgrowers are taking the place of the presenters travelling to visit gardeners across Scotland and their Question & Answer sessions.

They will feature monthly on the programme and will be sharing their tips, ideas and gardens with us.

There has been lots of changes to Beechgrove traditional format because of the Lockdown and the Beechgrowers is the latest and hopefully positive change.



Diana Yates

Diana is from West Linton in the Scottish Borders and will be showing us the therapeutic side to gardening as well as her vegetable garden.

They have lived there for 3 and a half years and the garden is 240 metres above sea level making the growing conditions tricky due to it being so exposed.

They have 2 growing spaces with the garden, a kitchen garden with greenhouse, surrounded by a Beech Hedge, to protect it from the wind.

The second area was a lockdown project a Potager for both vegetables and cut flowers.


The Murray Family

The Murray

The Murray family are from Melvich on the North Coast of Scotland and are mum Laura and daughters Niamh (16), Merryn (9) and Megan (8).

It was the Murray family sending in a film on their garden that inspired the concept for the Beechgrowers.

The have had their garden since 2018 and it is a very exposed garden and an ongoing project to revamp the garden.

Their garden is divided into 3 sections, a patio and grass near the house, an allotment area with greenhouse and a bare area which is very exposed.


Ballal Mirza

Ballal Mirza

Ballal from Lochinver in the Highlands on the West coast of Scotland has his own woodland and gardens and will looking at the wildlife side to gardening.


Having moved there just 6 months ago, the garden was very overgrown with Bracken and Thistles.

Ballal has a 5 acre plot with a walled garden, a woodland garden and a kitchen garden.

His first job was a polytunnel and to transform the kitchen garden with raised bed.


Aidan Donnelly & Joe


Aidan Donnelly and his grandad Joe, of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, have a unique collection of old Roses as well as wild Meadows.

Kilwinning has a medieval Abbey and they have built a folly in their 4 acre garden.

They also have Woodlands, an Orchard and a Meadow and this year they are adding a new Rose Garden.


Smith family


The Smith family is mum Catriona and daughter Sophie (7) from Crieff  in Perth & Kinross who will be sharing their work on the Crieff Community Garden.

Before lockdown the Garden had been neglected but Catriona manages a team of volunteers who have been working to restore them.

They have added a Mud kitchen, play equipment, Sculptures and even a Tardis!

The Garden is South facing and protected from the elements so their trees, shrubs, fruit and vegetables are doing well.


Asta Tomasdottir


Asta is living in East Craigs, Edinburgh but is originally from Iceland and she has an amazing collection of house plants.

She got her love of gardening from her Grandmother and as well as the houseplants she also has a Balcony.

She is a teacher and lives with her Fiancé Michael and their cat Dorian Gray.

Asta sees gardening as connecting with nature to instinctively know what a plant needs and also sees Gardening as a form of Mindfulness.

In the final episode of Beechgrowers Asta had got married and moved to a house in Limekilns and was tackling new challenges in her new large garden.


Television programme


Beechgrove 2021

Episode 6: 06 May 2021


All photographs are copyright of BBC.com

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