Last Updated on 4 July 2026 by PeteFree
Danny Clarke is an Award winning Garden Designer, Landscaper, Gardener and TV Presenter best known for his own programme The Instant Gardener.
Danny was born in Oxford in 1960, his parents originally came from Jamaica and his father was a British Army Officer.
His real name is Dannahue Barrington Clarke.
He ran his own sales company and after travelling, gained a love of the outdoors and design.
In 1997 Danny started his own gardening business in Kent after completing a garden design course at Hadlow Horticultural College
Danny started calling himself the Black Gardener to get himself noticed.
Danny Clarke first TV programme was The Instant Gardener. His new name got him noticed, he was asked in to screen test and got the job.
The Instant Gardener is a different kind of television Gardening transformation show offering quick fixes to problem areas in the garden and with no big budgets.
The garden ideas and planting advice are all within most viewers capabilities with basic DIY experience and the plants are all readily available in local garden centres.
One of the home owners goes with co-presenter Helen Skelton to look round a local garden and then to a garden centre to buy the shopping list items for the garden.
Danny with the help of his team AJ (Euan A. J. Rose) and Lou (Louise Hampden) plus the other home owner or friends and family complete the garden makeover.
Danny has also been a presenter for the RHS Flower Shows including RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park and presented Tree of the Year in 2016.
In 2021 Danny joined the Love Your Garden Team of Alan Titchmarsh, David Domoney, Katie Rushworth and Frances Tophill.
He made his debut in the first episode of Love Your Garden Themed Episodes 2021 first aired on Tuesday 13 July 2021 which sees Danny Joining Frances Tophill to help transform a garden in Love Your Small Garden Special.
In 2021 a new type of garden makeover show Filthy Garden SOS came to 5Star which saw Diarmuid Gavin along with Danny Clarke and Penny Lamb turn over run and derelict gardens into easy manageable dream gardens with the help of the homeowner.
Danny and the Grow2Know team along with Tayshan Hayden-Smith had their first show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Hands off the Mangrove’ which paid tribute to the Mangrove 9 as well as Social and environmental injustice.
In May 2023 at the Chelsea Flower Show Rose Growers David Austin Roses announced they were naming their new rose the Dannahue in honour of Danny Clarke.
Danny is a Director of Grow2Know project which was started following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017 to promote the healing power of nature in the community.
Danny is an Ambassador for The Woodland Trust, The National Garden Scheme and The Queen’s Green Canopy.
Danny was involved in the design and construction for the Covid Memorial Garden at Gloucester Royal Hospital.
Danny’s sister sadly died of a Brain Tumour and he is a Patron of the charity Brain Tumour Research.
The charity has a wear a hat day fundraiser.
Danny Clarke is passionate about Community Gardening and integration and Climate Change.
Danny lives in Bromley Kent and has a daughter and Grandchildren.
Danny Clarke Awards
2022
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
‘Hands off the Mangrove’ with Grow2Know – Silver Gilt
Danny Clarke Television Programmes
2015
Series 1
Series 2
2016
Tree of the Year
2021
Love Your Garden Themed Specials 2021
Love Your Small Garden Special
Love Your Cottage Garden Special
2021
Episode 3 Jo, Kerry, Flynn & Dogs from Leighton Buzzard. Dawn from Salford
Episode 4 Carl, Elle, Theo, Ebony & Kenzo from Macclesfield Cheshire. Norma from Accrington.
Episode 5 Dale, Laura, Liam, Mathew & Louis from Barry Wales. Krystina, Sienna, Max & Andre from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Episode 7 Donna from Leicester. Jen from Huddersfield.
Episode 8 Shabnam and Amelia from Wakefield. Lesley-Anne from Swansea.
2021
Episode 1 Amber and Shona from Bangor
Episode 2 Keith & Darren from Stockport
Episode 3 Michael & Becky from Seaham
Episode 4 Olwyn & Ryan from White City, West London
Episode 5 Andy, Kirsten, Theo & Arthur from Horsforth, Yorkshire
2022
Episode 1 Beauty Mary Stevenson from County Durham
Episode 2 Colour Julie Richards from Leicester
Episode 3 Wildlife Peter Hill from West Bromwich
Episode 7 Raunds Becs, Freddie & Annabel Raunds Northamptonshire
Episode 8 Greenford Sybil from Greenford, West London
2023
Episode 2
2026
Garden Makeovers from Hell
Danny Clarke’s Website Instagram YouTube Twitter and Facebook
Love The Instant Gardener. Wish Mr. Clarke had begum his gardening career earlier. He's truly brilliant in his presentations. Love the aura and of course I hold Helen and others in high regard. Nothing disingenuous there!
I totally agree his plant knowledge is amazing, i love his design idea and there is something so calming about watching his approach to gardening that makes him unique.
Hope you are enjoying the blog
Best Wishes Pete Free 🌻
Was gonna ask a stupid question, LOL.
What is the basic mixture for most soils?
I love your show and watch as much as I can.
I live in North West Florida in the U.S. and I am trying to create some real good curb appeal.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Love you!!!
I have a ? for Danny. First off, I'm a big fan of your show. Your knowledge is brilliant. as is your enthusiasm and love of nature. So… I have an indoor 5 ft. tall rubber tree. ( I think it's a rubber tree ???) What can I plant around it to accent the great pot it's in and the tree itself. If and when you have time please advise. Happy New Year, carry on, and cheers.
Paul
Paul A. Amato
Chicago Illinois, USA
I like the instant gardener we will we see new episodes? Please!
Big shout out to Danny Clarke from Chicago in the US. I've been watching every repeat episode of the Instant Gardener and just discovered my local TV station is streaming Filthy Garden SOS. Danny is brilliant and a lovely person. Chicago hosts a home & garden show & it would be fabulous of Danny Clarke was invited to speak.
Thank you for your show. Enjoy the shows you present. The info, knowledge, & enjoyment you present has helped us a great deal. Again, thank you.
Danny, I very much enjoy watching you and your respective Teams in The Instant Gardener and Filthy Gardens SOS. Your have such talent. Mostly, it is nice to see all the Heart you put in to your creations. The responses from the families is priceless. Thanks for all you do! Kindest regards – Don