Today's the Day

Today's the Day
A much better week ahead weatherwise ,,, feeling spring-like when the sun makes an appearance!
My photo
United Kingdom
My career in horticulture began when I left school in 1979 and joined Rochford’s Houseplants as an apprentice. After completing college in Lancashire, I embarked on a career in the retail world spending over 12 inspiring years at All-In-One Garden Centre near Rochdale. A career change in 1994 took me into gardening journalism and broadcasting, initially working as a sub-editor on Amateur Gardening, before launching Gardens Ideas magazine as well as editing Water Gardener and the garden website Gardening365. I continue to contribute to a host of consumer and in recent year’s trade publications as well as co-authoring a book. Over the past four years, I’ve returned to the garden centre trade as Plant Publicity Manager at Buckingham Garden Centre & Nurseries. We are developing the website and the social network sites as this is important in linking the two. I would describe myself as a hands-on gardener with a passion for plants, I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and I’m a contributor to local BBC radio for over 22 years. I've been involved as a judge from 2008-2010 in the prestigious Horticulture Week Retail Awards.

Monday 10 January 2011

Did you see? Carol's new programme


"Great Start" Are you watching Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein on BBC2, Friday, 8:30pm (30 minutes). Part 2 this week moves Into Spring. You can catch last week's opener at the following link

Sunday 9 January 2011

Chris is back... BACK on the BBC!



Chris Day was last on the Gardening Phone-in with Ernie Almond (pictured) on Sunday 27th February. You can listen again until 3pm next Sunday(6th March).
Listen again at the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00dxrnh/Gardening_Phonein_27_02_2011/

Well, Happy New Year!

Belated greetings! I hope this blog finds you well and looking forward to 2011. I've been hit by a nasty chest infection over the past week or so but I'm on the mend now... I do, however, rattle with the pills!!! Still, at least the weather is being kind, there's so much catching up to do... and I'll well behind in the garden, so hopefully the next few weeks will see some autumn bulb planting, greenhouse clearing and seed sowing going on with conviction.
The other change is the radio, sadly The Greenhouse is no more and after over three wonderful years it was a sad final show, just before Christmas as we said our good-byes to our loyal BBC Three Counties The Greenhouse listeners. Gill, the presenter and the one who drove the show, was sterling and it was a pleasure to be part of a great team.. gardening is returning, albeit in a somewhat diluted format with a one-hour Gardening Phone-In (Sundays, 3-4pm) and it is hosted by Ernie Almond, a keen gardener himself, so I'm looking forward to chatting with Ernie and the listeners fortnightly from next Sunday (16th January 2011).
Finally, FACEBOOK is now important in communicating and you catch up with my updates at the Buckingham Garden Centre page. Bye for now & good gardening to you all.

Images from Beth Chatto's Garden

Images from Beth Chatto's Garden
The Garden Centre visited Beth Chatto's Garden, Elstead Market in Essex last September (2010)

Me and Elaine Page at this year's Chelsea Flower Show

Me and Elaine Page at this year's Chelsea Flower Show

Followers

Be inspired at Hill Top House

Be inspired at Hill Top House
The dreamy gardens of Beatrix Potter

Fancy a good read? Check out Chris's book

Fancy a good read? Check out Chris's book
The book is available at Amazon