Beechgrove Garden / Tern TV got in touch early this year and asked if I'd like to go on episode 1 of their BBC2 show. It's Scotland's favourite gardening television show and this year they're celebrating their 40th year broadcasting. Well like - how could I refuse? After all, it's the opportunity of a lifetime! I immediately said yes!
However, as the weeks went by 'The BeastfaetheEast' arrived and caused chaos in Scotland and then its sequel 'Storm Emma' arrived. Biting Siberian winds made it feel more like the arctic. While fine granular snow blew around like talcum powder in the wind and blanketed the garden. We went into deep freeze mode and as a consequence spring had been postponed. Eeeeek!
As it got closer to film day I'd looked out the window and asked myself "Will anything at all be in flower when the film crew arrives?"
Carole visits Rosie Nixon in Perth. Rosie is a passionate wildlife gardener and photographer who creatively uses her all-seasons organic garden as her own green studio.
~ Beechgrove Garden BBC website
Green Fingers ~ You gotta nourish to flourish!
I grow Images
Preparations for Beechgrove Garden
Thankfully spring bedding came to the rescue! Daffodils, primroses, bellis and pansies made the bare garden look reasonably colourful - at least in the patio containers. The rest of the garden was still no where near its seasonal norm of colour. There was nothing I could do about that. After all everyone else's garden in Scotland would just be the same!
As I made up the planters a few days beforehand the wind was blowing the fine snow through the gaps in the garage door. Brrrrrh it was freezing. As for the grass. Well the less said about the grass the better! It looked extremely pale and beige after being covered in snow for so long.
I checked the weather forecast every day and thankfully film day was due to be ok. Not great but a vast improvement on what the week before had been. At least the snow was due to melt soon.
Beechgrove Garden Film Day
Beechgrove Garden film day arrived on 21st March 2018. There was still snow in the garden that morning and after a brief shower of rain before 10 am it thankfully stayed dry the rest of the day.
It was cold and very dull outside all day and the wind was relentless. I had the thermals on. Working in the horticulture business means that thermals are a requirement every winter and early spring. Except there was no way I was wearing a hat on national television LOL.
Saying It With Flowers Exhibition Images
I had to display some of my floral fine art images out on the patio for part of the filming. But it just was too windy to have these ones all out as a group. So I chose 2 to come outside onto the patio - the shirley poppy and the orange geum. Then in front of the camera I spoke to Carole about them.
After spending a whole day with a film crew I can greatly appreciate the amount of work that goes into making a television programme. The team were good to work with. That made being in front of the camera not the nerve wrecking experience I thought it might have been.
I had a great time with Carole and we never stopped talking even off camera! Even my robin appeared for the cameraman and he got the footage he had hoped to get all day!
The editing team did a great job too as the final piece condensed a whole days worth of filming and conversations into 7 mins. You can view the programme here Beechgrove Gardens 2018 Episode 1.
Latest News
You can catch up with me soon at Gardening Scotland, Ingliston, Edinburgh as I'll be on the Dobbies stand talking about gardening and photography on 1st June. I've also been sharing top soil care tips over on the Thompson & Morgan Blog. Plus watch out for my soon to be published article in The Herald Magazine around the 18th June. While on Friday 22nd June I hope to be on the Dobbies stand at the Royal Highland Show, Ingliston, Edinburgh talking about gardening and photography. Then hopefully all summer exhibiting at the Art in the Garden exhibition in Edinburgh.
Many thanks to all of you who have followed me along this journey so far. When I look back on all the years of blogging and especially the developments that have been made in the last year I can see how much has been achieved. Things that were never even on my bucket list as I never ever thought I'd get the opportunity to do them or in some cases I conquered the fear of doing them. I'm moving into a 'new season' in my life and full of hope, passion and purpose. Some of you won't get to journey with me through that season. But my trust and faith is in the Lord that through all things placed in front of me good will come out of them.
