Northampton Charity’s Garden Project to Feature on BBC’s Gardener’s World

An exotic garden initiative developed by a Northampton-based charity, St Andrew’s Healthcare, is slated for presentation on BBC Two’s widely watched program, Gardener’s World. This “tropical tunnel” constitutes an ecosystem, collaboratively created by the charity’s learners and staff, which includes exotic flora and a waterfall. The construction of this tunnel involved several months of collaborative effort from staff members, learners, and volunteers, with its completion, including the final details, occurring in June of the previous year. Dr Vivienne McVey, the charity’s chief executive, expressed her “excitement” regarding its upcoming broadcast on the BBC gardening program. She stated, “I never imagined the work we do at St Andrew’s and Workbridge would be featured [on television].” The concept for the tropical tunnel project originated from an invitation extended to participants of the gardening program to innovatively transform an existing polytunnel. The waterfall component was constructed using recycled pallets, and a significant portion of the plants were grown directly at the site. Jenny Lane, who serves as manager at Workbridge, an entity within St Andrew’s Healthcare, commented: “We decided to transform the polytunnel into a tropical garden to educate learners about climate, ecosystems, and sustainable practices.” John, a learner from Northampton, reported having “a lot of fun” and gaining considerable knowledge in both gardening and teamwork. He further remarked, “It was amazing to see our waterfall idea come to life.” The segment featuring the tropical tunnel is scheduled to air on BBC Two’s Gardener’s World this Friday at 20.00 BST. For updates on Northamptonshire news, listeners can tune into BBC Sounds and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.