BBC Two and BBC NI have commissioned The Wild Gardener (w/t), a new two part programme presented by Colin Stafford-Johnson that will show how anyone can turn a piece of land in to a wildlife haven.
After decades of filming the earth’s dwindling wildlife, wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson, returns home to embark on a very personal journey of garden redemption. He has just inherited his boyhood country garden in Ireland and wants to rip it up and turn it into a wildlife wonderland.
Colin’s Dad was a TV Gardener, their family ran a Garden Centre and Colin spent his childhood slashing and pruning, mowing and spraying – keeping the unruly forces of nature at bay – before he became a wildlife cameraman. Across the two episodes, he will seek out the finest wild gardens in Britain & Ireland to discover what strategies are needed and what success looks like. And using the garden of his youth, Colin wants to show us how.
Colin says: “Whether in a remote village or suffocating suburb – your garden patch, big or small – can genuinely help our beleaguered natural world.”
Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning Natural History and Science, says: “I can’t wait to watch Colin transform his childhood garden into a beautiful, wildlife wonderland. Rewilding the world begins in our own back yards!”
The Wild Gardener (w/t) a 2×60′ for BBC Two & 4×30′ for BBC NI, is made by Crossing Line Productions. It was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Science and Natural History. The Producer is Cepa Giblin and the Commissioning Editors are Sreya Biswas and Justin Binding (BBC NI).
Jon Creamer
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