BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast · Immediate Media

Gardening memories, with Carol Klein

December 11, 2025·44 min·4 clips

Carol Klein screams as her prized plants tumble at Chelsea, but a miraculous recovery leads to a gold medal.

This episode features a conversation between host Catherine Mansley and renowned gardener, writer, and television presenter Carol Klein. They explore Klein's unconventional path to becoming a gardening icon, reflecting on her varied past careers and the formative experiences that shaped her. The discussion centers on Klein's personal memories and anecdotes from her life in and out of the garden. Klein describes her lifelong love of plants, recalling a specific childhood memory of being captivated by Coltsfoot flowers growing through concrete near the A6 road. She explains her career was a series of "happy accidents," moving from jobs as a bus conductor, cleaner, and art teacher to gardening. A pivotal moment was answering an advert in the Times Educational Supplement to teach art in South Molton, Devon, which provided her with a proper garden. She shares numerous humorous stories from exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including a chaotic incident where her carefully packed lorry arrived with all the plant shelves collapsed. Klein recounts the funny sight of fellow exhibitor Sandra Bond accidentally smoking two cigarettes at once during the intense setup. She tells a story about a school trip to Kew Gardens where two of her students, Dean and Mark, were found rowing a boat in the water lily pond. Klein details her unexpected entry into television, which began after a visit from Geoff Hamilton and a subsequent suggestion from a producer named Amanda Lowe. She admits her first filmed garden segment for television featured her not smiling once, with a packet of King Size Silk Cut cigarettes visible in her pocket. A memorable professional pride was receiving the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) and a beautifully decorated pot from friends Veronica Cross and John Massey. Klein reflects on riskier personal moments from her youth, like hitchhiking to Cardiff with two strangers and getting a lift from a lorry driver through the Black Forest who expected inappropriate payment. She expresses a strong desire to see practical gardening and horticulture embedded throughout the school curriculum to connect children with the earth. The tone is warm, conversational, and richly anecdotal, feeling like a relaxed chat between old friends. The style is deeply personal and narrative-driven, focusing on storytelling rather than direct gardening advice. This episode would delight listeners who enjoy intimate, biographical conversations and stories from the pre-fame lives of beloved public figures. Fans of Carol Klein or those interested in the human stories behind gardening expertise will find it particularly engaging. Listeners seeking strict, actionable gardening tips or a structured interview might choose to skip this more meandering, personal reflection.

As heard by us

A warm, wandering garden story that makes the case for getting your hands dirty.

Carol Klein’s story gives this gardening magazine podcast its pull. It moves through jobs as varied as bus conductor, cleaner, art teacher, gardener, and TV presenter, and the best bits are plain enough to stick: Chelsea, Kew Gardens, hailstorms, and the awkward, stubborn work…

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Why you'd press play

A garden conversation that opens into Carol Klein's life story, with Carol Klein in full flow.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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