Gardeners' Corner

As autumn arrives, David heads to two very different gardens in County Donegal. His first stop is Cluain na dTor in Falcarragh, where expert plantsman Seamus O’Donnell has created an exotic garden full of hidden treasures, just a few hundred metres from the wild Atlantic Ocean. David discovers an Ethiopian banana plant and learns about the importance of slow gardening.
Further north, herb expert Columbia Hillen tends Anamcara Healing Herb Garden, where native and exotic plants thrive on a hillside with dramatic views. The former journalist explains how her upbringing in Romania taught her to appreciate the healing properties of the plants growing beneath our feet.
Also on the programme, Adam Frost chooses Crocus goulimyi as his bulb of the month, Katy Bell joins David in the studio with her autumn wildlife update, and gardener Claire McNally answers questions from listeners.
Contact the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Join Helen Mark and Mary Doris as they dig into the archive and look back at past garden visits from the season of autumn. From the changing colours at Rowallane Gardens near Saintfield to ornamental grasses that thrive at this time of year. Amy Kelly offers tips on getting ahead of the game for some early crops next year. They also revisit a feature from the Brook Hall Estate on the banks of the Foyle near Derry. In studio, Mary Doris offers advice on protecting a Eucalyptus Gunnii plant over the colder months and growing Angel Wings.
Email the programme anytime at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk.

Anna Hudson visits Rob Wilson, assistant head gardener at Mount Stewart to gather ideas and techniques that gardeners can put into practice at home. In Meath, David visits Ealma Purcell’s Poppy Garden, a flourishing haven that began with just one flower bed and is now bursting with colour and life. Amy Kelly offers advice on saving summer herbs to savour through the darker months. Back in the studio, Colin Agnew joins Anna to answer questions on Rhubarb Timperley Early, moving lavender and growing plants indoors. Email the programme anytime at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk.

Helen Mark visits Kay Rainey at her garden near the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, where herbaceous borders and repeated bursts of colour create a stunning display throughout the seasons. In south Belfast, Helen calls by to Annadale Community Centre off the Ormeau Road, where local volunteers have been learning new skills and building a strong sense of community and friendship. Their efforts have earned them a place among the finalists in the Make a Difference Awards 2026. Nicola Kenny visits the Everton Day Centre in north Belfast to meet members of the L'Arche community, who have spent months transforming an overlooked courtyard into a sensory garden. Back in the studio, Claire McNally joins Helen to answer questions on Sarcococca plants and flowering Dahlias. Email the programme anytime at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk.

As one season gives way to another, David travels to the County Meath garden of Paula Byrne. Twenty years ago, after building a new house, the interior designer turned her attention to the outdoors. Since then, she has created six unique gardens around her home, which attract many visitors during the summer months.
In County Down, it’s been a bumper harvest for Helen’s Bay Organic after a warm summer. Founder John McCormick explains how they use cover crops to improve the life and fertility of the soil.
Adam Frost chooses the diminutive Acis autumnalis as his bulb of the month for September, and Rosie Maye joins David in the studio to answer questions on bamboo and choosing a special tree to remember a precious uncle.
Contact the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk