Glorious Gardens from Above

Today, Christine Walkden’s airborne adventure takes her to Cornwall. At the tropical paradise that is Trebah Garden she’s transported back to childhood by the giant Brazilian gunnera; and meets Marcus whose own childhood was spent playing in the garden. Her nerves are tested at St Michael’s Mount when she comes face to face with “gardening on the edge”. And we meet the oldest member of one of Cornwall’s oldest male voice choirs.

Christine Walkden continues her airborne exploration of Britain’s gardens by dropping in on the county of Essex. At the Beth Chatto Gardens, Christine experiments with triangular planting and shares tea and cake with a gardening legend. At RHS Hyde Hall, she shifts rocks with a former student; and it’s all aboard a vintage Thames sailing barge for a trip on the Blackwater Estuary.

Mid-Wales is today’s destination on Christine Walkden’s balloon tour of some of Britain’s finest gardens. At Powis Castle Garden, she learns how to brace an ancient yew; and meets David, generations of whose family worked there. At the Dingle Garden she helps restore an obscured view. And we hear the story of Mona Holloway, a wartime Land Girl, who found love on a neighbouring farm.

Today, the county of Yorkshire is the setting for Christine Walkden’s balloon tour of Britain. At Scampston Hall we discover two superstar garden designers and meet young gardener Nathan, who is just starting out. At York Gate Garden Christine catches up with an old friend; and we discover the Yorkshireman who was the father of aviation.

Christine Walkden takes to the skies above Sussex today. She drops in at West Dean Garden to see the fruits of a 20-year labour of love; and meets Laura who found a new lease on life there. At Arundel Castle Gardens, she is astonished by the transformation of a former car-park into a spectacular Italian garden. And we discover what the Romans did for British gardens.

Today Christine Walkden takes to the skies above Oxfordshire to explore the county’s gardens. She visits Waterperry, where the gardeners are the custodians of a formidable legacy; and chats with Mary, the first woman to present Gardeners’ World. At Kingston Bagpuize, she meets the third generation owner of a remarkable garden. And we discover the roots of the Henley Regatta.