With the summer holidays here Gardeners’ Corner gets some inspiration on what to do with the kids in the garden from Amy Kelly. Presenter David Maxwell visits Shaun Boyd’s wildlife garden at Brockagh woods near Ballymoney and is tickling the solution to tackling some of the worst weeds? Ann FitzSimons is deploying a special weeding tool to keep one of her borders weed free after years of trying to combat Ground Elder. Also on the programme, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise is celebrating 25 years of some of its courses and its walled garden. Head of horticulture David Dowd and graduates spanning that 25 years join David in studio along with Gardeners’ Corner regular Anna Hudson who answers questions from listeners. Email the programme at [email protected]

Gardeners’ Corner celebrates 40 years of the programme with a garden party at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden in County Antrim. Among those attending former presenters and contributors with fond memories of the programme. Presenter David Maxwell chats to Libby Hunter who presented the first programme in June 1985 and to Julie Brown who produced the show for decades. Rich in archive, the programme also explores how gardening has changed. In particular, the much reduced use of herbicides and pesticides. It also touches on how the climate has changed during that 40 years. With so many gardeners on site, Ballyrobert’s Maurice Parkinson enlists the help of two newer gardening experts to help with his new grass border – something the programme wouldn’t have been talking about in 1985. David also chats to Brendan Little and Helen Mark about how humour is part of the programme’s DNA and he gets some 2025 advice for a caller from 1985 who was dealing with rose replant sickness. And it isn’t just people at the garden party, everyone has a plant that they think deserves a mention on this special occasion.

On the day of the summer solstice, Gardeners’ Corner heads to a market garden known across the globe on social media. Barrie Quinn has created Portnoo Market Garden in Donegal over the last 5 years. He tells presenter David Maxwell why he’s so passionate about producing organic veg on his hillside plot. In Culmore, just a few miles from Londonderry, the Community Hub has gardening at its heart. The volunteers currently manage 3 outdoor spaces and there are plans to expand. Manager Una Cooper explains what the programmes do for locals and how gardening is helping to build community. Also on the programme, a listener’s dilemma as she now faces hosting a wedding in her back garden in just a few weeks and David is joined in studio by Rosie Maye who is using the fresh green seed on primulas to make more plants for free. Email the programme at [email protected]

This week David Maxwell heads to the kitchen garden behind chef Neven Maguire’s restaurant in Blacklion, County Cavan. There his grower Kevin, produces micro-greens, herbs and edible flowers just a few steps away from the award winning restaurant and cookery school. Neven chats about his mission to inspire everyone to produce home grown gourmet food. On a last visit to Kilcoan gardens in Islandmagee, Cherry Townsend reflects on creating the garden there over the last 16 years and she picks some of her favourite roses that will be going with her. Also on the programme Colin Agnew joins David in studio to answer questions and wildlife expert Katy Bell suggests some critters we should be looking out for in our gardens this summer. Email the programme at [email protected]

With many people counting down the days to summer holidays, presenter David Maxwell gets a question from one listener who wants to know the best way to water her pots when she’s away. Also on the programme, a visit to two of the 20 gardens opening as part of ‘Secret Gardens of Loughgall’ weekend. In County Fermanagh, Dougal Dorman explains how the once private kitchen garden of the Colebrooke Estate is now opening up as a place for community and therapy. Adam Frost reveals his shrub of the month for June and Ann FitzSimons joins David in studio with some summer gardening inspiration. Email the programme at [email protected]

Join David Maxwell and his guests live from Bord Bia Bloom in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. He catches up with designers, Linda McKeown, James Purdy and Leonie Cornellius who all picked up medals and visits the postcard cards which are constructed in just one day. Claire McNally chooses her stand out plants from the show and chef Neven Maguire brings a taste of bloom when he stops in for a chat. Email the programme at [email protected]

Highlights from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. David Maxwell explores the show gardens including the gold medal winning ‘The Glasshouse Garden’ by Jo Thompson and an alpine garden for the British Red Cross inspired by the Giant’s Causeway. In the great pavilion, David chats to plant experts on peonies, sweet pea and unusual heirloom vegetables. Along the way he meets some celebrities with green fingers including his annual catch up with Joanna Lumley and he chats to an exhausted Monty Don who has been hands on creating the ‘Dog Garden’ this year for the RHS and BBC Radio 2. Also on the programme, Strictly dancer Amy Dowden on a new sweet pea named for her and Dara Ó Briain on how his gardening efforts amount to getting the right hose attachment to wash his dog! Email the programme at [email protected]

At the Festival of Gardens and Nature in County Laois, David Maxwell chats to actor Dominic West, food writer and broadcaster Nigel Slater and world renowned head gardener at Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett. Ahead of the 40th birthday of Gardeners’ Corner, a new daffodil is named for the programme. Internationally recognised breeder, Brian Duncan joins David in studio to reveal how Narcissus ‘Gardeners’ Corner’ was created over many years in his Omagh garden. At Burtown House in County Kildare, artist Lesley Fennell chats to David about how she freezes precious moments in the garden with her paint brush. Also on the programme, Juliet Sargeant on her new book ‘Start with Soil’ and Mary Doris joins David in studio with a selection of top performing plants for summer and some health boosting food made from weeds. Email the programme at [email protected]

With the arrival of an early summer, David heads to Bangor where a non-gardening couple took on a beautiful mature garden 9 years ago. Janet and her husband Carl had lived in South Africa, Germany and England, but it was only in taking on their garden near Ballyholme Beach that they got into all things green. David tours the suburban plot and finds out how it has connected them with neighbours and taught them patience. In Kilkenny, David explores the restored 17th century garden behind Rothe House which was lost under a car park until 2008. Gardener Mary Pyke explains how archaeology helped them recreate the generous merchant house plot. Adam Frost chooses the ‘Dunwich Rose’ as his shrub of the month and Claire McNally joins David in studio to answer questions including one on how to raise the popular cottage garden plant Aquilegia from seed. Email the programme at [email protected]

In this Easter edition of Gardeners’ Corner, there is double the gardening inspiration and know-how as two expert guests join David Maxwell in studio. Rosie Maye will be singing the praises of home grown rhubarb and Colin Agnew’s Easter basket is not full of eggs but succulent plants. Also on the programme, a San Francisco listener on how to grow your own soap and a visit to the Delta Sensory Gardens in County Carlow. The 2.5 acre site is located in an industrial estate and boasts 16 unique gardens that are used and maintained by adults and young people with disabilities. Email the programme at [email protected]