Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre hosts the Easter Special BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time to be broadcast on Sunday, 31 March at 2pm.
An invited audience of over 100 local gardeners, beekeepers, florists, farmers and neighbours joined us for an evening of horticultural quizzing with the expert panel of Pippa Greenwood, Anne Swithinbank and Chris Beardshaw. The chairman (also TV weatherman) Peter Gibbs kept the panel on course with a selection of questions from keen horticulturists, including some of our own staff from Jodrell Bank Observatory.
Dr. Teresa Anderson, Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre set the scene for the programme by recording a brief history of the site including Sir Bernard Lovell’s love of trees which led to the planting of the arboretum here.
Chris Beardshaw revisited the Galaxy Garden which he designed in 2011 to record a short feature for the show. He spoke with Becky Burns, Head of Gardens and Interpretation, to discuss how he worked with JB Radio astronomer Dr Tim O’ Brien to design a garden that would tell the story of the development of our Universe through the use of plants.
The recording is due to go out on the most popular broadcast date for BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time with over 2 million listeners expected to tune in.
It will also be available on BBC iPlayer and to download as a podcast:
BBC Radio 4: Gardeners’ Question Time
Article Source: The University of Manchester StaffNet Update (27 March 2013)