Garden shows to remember with BBC Gardeners' World Live's Bob Sweet and Lucy Tremlett

BBC Gardener's World Live runs from 12 - 15 June this year so the HortWeek Podcast took the opportunity to talk to Immediate Live horticultural director Bob Sweet and event director, Lucy Tremlett about shows past and present.

After record attendances for the BBC Gardeners' World Live May Spring Fair show held at Beaulieu, Tremlett is looking forward to some 90,000 visitors over the four days.

The main stage will feature BBC Gardeners' World lead presenter Monty Don, fellow presenters Adam Frost, Rachel de Thame, Frances Tophill, Sue Kent and Nick Bailey with a headline garden. Show designer Pip Probert and Plant Geek Michael Perry will also appear.

Hot Off the Potting Bench is a new plants awards feature with up to 100 launches vying for the Peter Seabrook Award.

Last year's winner was a hydrangea from Allensmore. Judges include David Hurrion, Boyd Douglas-Davies and HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby.

There is also a garden for the 30th anniversary of the APL (Association of Professional Landscapers) and a stand for Plant Healthy to remind "visitors, the general public, gardeners should watch out for in their gardens about bringing plant material into the country".

Central to this year's show is the Make A Metre Matter campaign "encouraging our audience to turn a metre of their space, whether it's their garden, whether it's a windowsill, whether it's balcony, and turn it into something that does something good for the planet. So thinking about encouraging a bit of biodiversity into the garden, or it's thinking about growing some edibles and reducing your food miles. It's just encouraging everybody to have a go".

Tremlett says: "We aim through our show gardens here and through our exhibits to relate very much to take home ideas, what's achievable, and the things that people really can grow, do and grow in their own gardens...the whole show and its background going back a long, long time is about the fundamentals of gardening and we very proudly stick to those principles."

Sweet brings a long pedigree in garden shows having run events with the RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton Park, Cardiff and Scotland's National Gardening Show.

After enjoying the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year, he said: "it certainly warms the cockles of your heart when you see the expertise of some of the growers and what they've been able to achieve". On the podcast he reminisces about the impact he had on Chelsea during his tenure.

"There's so many aspects of Chelsea that I feel there's a little Bob Sweet stamp on when I go around...there's lots of little hints of my career left behind there which I'm very proud of" from the names of the various routes through the show to fundamental changes to the way awards were judged.

He also lifts the lid on some of the more light-hearted aspects of the show and the mischief-makers he has had to contend with over the years.

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