Last Updated on 11 June 2026 by PeteFree
Carole Baxter is a Horticulturist, Writer and TV Gardener on BBC Scotland flagship gardening programme Beechgrove.
Carole was born in 1958 and grew up near Maidstone in Kent.
As a child she would help her Father to look after their acre of land and she would earn her pocket money, stone picking in the garden.
Carole attended Sussex university where she obtained a Honours Degree in Geography.
On leaving and after a stint doing shop work she became an under Gardener at Kildrummy Castle in Aberdeenshire.
Her next gardening role was at the Headquarters of the University Air Squadron.
Carole went on day release to Elmwood College Fife to study Amenity Horticulture.
Carole Baxter started at Beechgrove Gardens behind the camera as an assistant Gardener.
When the Head Gardener retired in 1984 Carole got the job.
Two years later in 1986 Carole Baxter was to be the first woman to co-presenter of a gardening programme in the UK.
This at the time made headline news!
The other Presenter of Beechgrove Garden was Jim McColl.
Carole has been on the popular Scottish gardening programme ever since.
It was renamed from The Beechgrove Gardens to Beechgrove Garden, when it moved to its present site in 1995/1996.
After the retirement of Jim McColl in 2020 it became Beechgrove.
The programme gained viewers from all over the UK in 2013 when it was given a regular Sunday morning BBC2 slot.
Alongside Carole Baxter the current presenters on Beechgrove are George Anderson, Brian Cunningham, Kirsty Wilson, Calum Clunie, Lizzie Schofield and Ruth Vichos.
Carole Baxter for Beechgrove Garden 2025 took a step back from presenting and only appeared in 5 out of the 26 episodes.
2026 marks Carole Baxter 40th year as a presenter after joining the Presenting Team in 1986, it will be her 43rd year Gardening at Beechgrove Garden.
Carole Baxter is married to Mike Baxter, who she met at university and Carole has an 8 acre garden to keep her busy at home.
Carole Baxter Television Programmes
1986 – Present
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Carole Baxter Books
1988
The Beechgrove Garden
With Jim McColl
All photographs copyright of BBC.com
