Chris Beardshaw

The first years in television for Chris Beardshaw began in the fertile beds of TV Gardening, blooming in 2003 with no fewer than three prestigious BBC 2 series: – ‘Gardener’s World’, ‘Hidden Gardens Flying Gardener’ – adding C4’s (live) ‘Great Garden Challenge’ for 2005:- (for 62 days through the summer teams from all over Britain designed small gardens in a vast plot at Blenheim Palace – with the public voting winners and losers as the series proceeded.  Chris is more than a TV gardener: a highly qualified horticulturalist and keen environmentalist he brings deep and special knowledge to all his work and began in 1999 as the expert on ‘Surprise Gardeners’ (Carlton TV) whence he was potted-on to BBC TV with ‘Real Rakeovers’ – again as the expert contributor.

His first show as sole presenter was ‘Weekend Gardener’ for UK Style in 2000 – the same year he co-presented ‘Gardening Neighbours’ for BBC 2.  He reached a new audience with ‘Housecall’ (3 x series) for BBC 1 Daytime in 2000/1 and now a Radio audience with Radio 4’s ‘Gardeners Question Time’.  In 2000 Chris joined ‘Gardener’s World Live’ as a specialist – thence to ‘Gardeners World’ itself as a key team member.  His solo career took off with ‘Flying Gardener’, ‘Winter Flying Gardener’ and for ‘Hidden Gardens’ (02/03) he uncovered horticultural treasures.

Away from television Chris lectured in horticulture at Pershore for four and a half years – before managing the plant research and development division of one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the country and gaining an MA in Landscape Architecture.  He lectures, writes (‘The Natural Gardener’ (2002) and ‘The Science of Gardening’ (2007), ‘The Daily Mail’ weekend column), has a thriving garden-design business (Gold medalist and Peoples Choice Award – Chelsea 2006) while still finding time for his other passion – diving!  In 2012, Chris became a patron for the charity Minstead Training Project and in 2013, he presented two episodes of ‘Great British Garden Revival’.