BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party arrives in Scotland for the first time

The annual Gardeners' Question Time (GQT) Summer Garden Party bids a fond farewell to Wales as it gets ready to head to Scotland for the first time, where it will take place in the spectacular setting of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) on Saturday 9th July 2016.

Founded in 1670, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh began life on a modest patch of ground no bigger than a tennis court and was Scotland's first physic garden. Today, it's an internationally-renowned centre of excellence in plant science, horticulture and education, making it the perfect setting for this year's GQT Summer Garden Party.

The day-long gardening festival offers visitors the opportunity to meet the GQT team face-to-face, take part in recordings of the programme, and see horticultural walks, talks, plant sales and demonstrations happening right across the botanic gardens - ranging from pest and disease clinics to tips on how to maintain a healthy and productive herb garden.

The garden party will feature the pick of the crop of gardening gurus, including GQT’s Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, Pippa Greenwood, Anne Swithinbank, Matthew Biggs and Chairmen Eric Robson and Peter Gibbs. They will be joined by Scottish gardening hero, and star of the BBC’s Beechgrove Garden, Jim McColl.

GQT Chairman Eric Robson, says, “We’re delighted to be bringing our Summer Garden Party to Scotland for the first time, and especially to The RBGE – an institution that plays such a vital role in plant conservation and horticultural research. In recent years the event has attracted listeners in their many thousands and we hope that this year will be even bigger, bringing our guests, and Radio 4 listeners, the best gardening advice and a fun day out for the whole family.”

Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of RBGE, says,“Our world-leading gardens and their plant collections are looking quite brilliant and it is wonderful to be hosting this year’s GQT Summer Garden Party. We look forward to engaging with the country’s gardening community in what I am sure will be an enjoyable and inspirational day. And, as well as speaking to people who already have an interest, I hope it will also encourage many more people to be enthusiastic about the amazing and beautiful world of plants and to help protect the natural world.”

Tickets for the Summer Garden Party will go on sale on Friday 20th May and will be available to purchase on the RBGE website: Tickets cost £10.50, including the booking fee, and will give visitors access to all the events happening at the garden party (please note that entry to the main marquee recordings of GQT is limited and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis to ticketholders on the day).

There will be two recordings of GQT at the garden party, and BBC Radio 4 listeners will be able to hear all the highlights on Friday 15th July at 15:00 (repeated Sunday 17th at 14:00) and Friday 22nd July at 15:00 (repeated Sunday 24th at 14:00).

The GQT Summer Garden Party was hosted at Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral in 2012 and 2013 and at The National Botanic Gardens of Wales in 2014 and 2015.

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