The Wild Gardener was first shown on 19 November 2021 on BBC 2 and on BBC NI on 24 November 2021.
It is being shown as 2 x 1 hour long programmes on BBC2 but on BBC NI it is 4 x 30 minutes programmes.
The series has been repeated multiple times and is just as popular as when it was first shown.
The programme sees Colin Stafford-Johnson return to his childhood home in County Wicklow, Ireland to create his own Wildlife paradise.
Colin is an award-winning cameraman, director and broadcaster .
Colin is the son of the first Television Gardener Barney Johnson presenter of RTE Television's (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) gardening programme The Garden.
The show was first broadcast in 1977 in The Republic of Ireland
Growing up the family ran their own Garden Centre.
In the first episode (Or episode 1 and 2 on BBC NI) that takes us through his first year.
Colin starts the hard landscaping, clearing the garden as well as digging a pond.
The programme not only features the ups and downs of creating his own wildlife haven but we are also shown the wildlife that is attracted to the garden along the way.
Colin visits other wildlife enthusiasts all across Ireland and Great Britain to see what they are doing to preserve and encourage wildlife into their gardens.
He also visits the historic former home of the original wild gardener William Robinsonat Gravetye Manor in Sussex to see the garden he created in 1885.
In the second episode (or episode 3 and 4 on BBC NI) we follow Colin through his second year and a hard Winter of work in the garden before an abundant Spring and Summer of wildlife.
Some of the wildlife he attracts are not so welcome and have to be discouraged like a herd of deer!
He meets with Bumblebee expert Professor Dave Goulson at his own wild patch in East Sussex.
Whether you want to make your whole garden into a wildlife habitat or just make some small changes to areas of the garden this programme shows you how to do this as well as showing you just what you can attract to your garden.
Presenter
Special Guests
Mark Bryson - EcoSeeds Wildflowers
Mark Smyth
Mammy Johnson
Katy Bell - Ulster Wildlife Trust
Dan Donoher - Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland
Stuart Dunlop - Hedgehog Ambassador
John Ross - Mac Mathuna
Donna Rainey
Episodes of The Wild Gardener
On BBC2 it was shown over 2 episodes lasting 1 hour but on BBC NI over 4 episodes of 30 minutes each.
All photographs are copyright of BBC.com
So love this programme. Inspiring way to care for our small patch of garden, can make such a difference. Love Colin's easy approach on presenting. What a lovely man. Loved seeing his Mum too, she must feel so proud to witness her wish, " that maybe one day one of her family could do something with the one acre plot" Please have some updates.
ReplyDeletePlease put these programmes onto a dvd, or into a book. They were wonderful to watch and I would like to keep them for the future. Thank you Colin, what you did was beautiful.
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