A to Z of TV Gardening - Letter H - 06:30 am Sunday, June 28 on BBC Two England

Carol Kirkwood (Presenter)

Born: May 29, 1962 in Morar, Inverness-shire

Best Known For: Being a weather presenter.

Early-life: Born Carol MacKellaig in Morar, Inverness-shire, on May 29, 1962. One of eight children, her parents ran a hotel in Morar. Carol gained a degree in commerce from Napier College of Commerce and Technology in Edinburgh, before joining the BBC as a secretary. She went on to present radio slots on BBC Radio Scotland, Radio 2 and Radio 4.

Career: After a stint presenting on The Weather Channel, she trained with the Met Office in 1998 for a weather presenting role at the BBC. Away from predicating if it will rain or shine, Kirkwood has been a reporter on The One Show and appeared on the panel show Would I Lie to You? In August 2015, it was announced that she would be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: 'The power of nature is immense and it is only when you see the impact a hurricane has on mankind that you realise how vulnerable we are against it.'

Trivia: Kirkwood has won the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) award for best TV weather presenter a number of times.

Monty Don (Contributor)

Born: July 08, 1955 in Ivington, Herefordshire

Best Known For: Fronting Gardeners' World.

Early-life: Montagu Denis Wyatt Don was born in Berlin on July 8, 1955, where his soldier father had been posted. He and his twin sister grew up in Hampshire with their four other siblings. He went to school in Berkshire, Malvern and Basingstoke, before reading English at Cambridge. He worked as a dustman, labourer and waiter before founding his own jewellery company with his future wife, making and designing pieces which were sold all over the world.

Career: In 1988, Don moved to Herefordshire with his wife and children, and when the jewellery business collapsed, turned to working in TV and journalism. He has on has appeared on programmes including This Morning, Holiday Programme, Tomorrow's World, Real Gardens, Fork to Fork, Lost Gardens and Don Roaming. He joined Gardeners' World in 2002, and became the show's first self-taught main presenter in 2003. An author and columnist, his books include My Roots, The Jewel Garden, The Complete Gardener, The Prickotty Bush, The Weekend Gardener, The Sensuous Garden, Gardening Mad, Urban Jungle and Fork to Fork. He suffered a minor stroke in 2008, and gave up Gardeners' World until 2011. He also presents More4's Monty Don's Real Craft.

Quote: 'If you are angry or troubled, nothing provides the same solace as nurturing the soil.'

Trivia: In 2008, Don became president of the Soil Association.

Toby Buckland (Contributor)

Born: October 11, 1969 in Exeter

Best Known For: Gardeners' World.

Early-life: Toby Neale Buckland was born in Exeter on October 11, 1969. He trained and worked as a rose and pinks nurseryman and gardener before qualifying in landscape management at Greenwich University. He is known for his inspiring, hands-on approach, and for his artistic garden features made from plants and recycled materials.

Career: After making his TV breakthrough, he quickly became a popular small screen face, presenting less high-profile shows such as Real Wrecks, Home Front in the Garden and Gardeners' World Live. There was some level of opposition when he was named as presenter of Gardeners' World. He has since proved the critics wrong and become the jewel in the show's crown. He has created gardens for many famous faces and is recognised for his ethical approach.

Quote: "For me gardening isn't just a hobby, it's a way of life that keeps you in touch with the seasons and creates a constant supply of things to look forward to."

Joe Swift (Contributor)

Born: May 25, 1965 in London

Best Known For: Presenting gardening programmes.

Early-life: Joe was born in London on May 25, 1965. His father is actor Clive Swift and his mother is novelist Margaret Drabble. He has a brother, Adam.

Career: Swift is a garden designer by trade and presents horticultural programmes on the BBC, notably Gardeners' World, Chelsea Flower Show and Tatton Park Flower Show. He has written about gardening in a number of national newspapers.

Quote: 'If you are not used to gardening, don't just go out and start digging without warming up with a little bit of stretching. Know your limits.'

Trivia: In 2009, Swift published Joe's Allotment.

James Wong (Contributor)

Chris Beardshaw (Contributor)

Adam Henson (Contributor)

Best Known For: Countryfile.

Early-life: Adam was born in 1966 on the farm where he now works, Bemborough Farm near Guiting Power, Gloucestershire. He spent some time on the Chatsworth Estate before attending Seale-Hayne Agricultural College in Newton Abbot. After graduating, he spent a year travelling through Australia with his friend and later business partner Duncan Andrews. They worked on sheep and arable stations and a kiwi plantation in New Zealand before returning to Australia to plant tea in Queensland.

Career: Henson's father started the Cotswold Farm Park that he now runs with Andrews. It attracts more than 70,000 visitors a year. Henson made the move to TV in 2001 when he began presenting on Countryfile. Since then, he has worked on Countryfile Summer Diaries, Inside Out, Lambing Live and Radio 4's On Your Farm and Farming Today. In 2013, he worked with culinary writer Nigel Slater on Nigel and Adam's Farm Kitchen. Slater cooked fresh versions of supermarket favourites using produce grown by Henson.

Quote: 'There's not much chance of me becoming a media darling when I have to come back (to the farm) and muck out the pigs after filming!'

Trivia: In his spare time, Henson enjoys shopping for clothes.

Sarah Raven (Contributor)

Gillian Scothern (Executive producer)

Simon Goretzki (Series producer)

Sarah Dias (Producer)

A to Z of TV Gardening: Letter H

06:30 am - 07:15 am, Sunday, June 28 on BBC Two England (2)

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Letter H
Season 1, Episode 8

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