First gardening programme

C.H. Middleton, presenter of the first radio gardening programme presenting the television version of 'In Your Garden' from Alexandra Palace in July 1937.

The perennially popular subject of gardening first featured on 9 May 1931 in a series of scripted 15 minute talks, entitled The Week in the Garden. The talks were presented by C.H. Middleton, the son of a Northamptonshire gardener, who was appointed on the recommendation of the Royal Horticultural Society. His knowledge and easy conversational style, such a contrast to the stiff delivery of so many radio talks of the time, made him a great success. The programme became In Your Garden and moved to a Sunday afternoon slot, where it attracted three and a half million listeners.

Middleton was also the obvious choice to bring the programme to viewers on the fledgling BBC Television Service in 1936 - by 1937, a small garden was created in the grounds of Alexandra Palace where early outside broadcasts were transmitted and he also presented the very first pre-war broadcasts from the Chelsea Flower Show. 

During the Second World War Middleton was happy to lend his support to the government Dig for Victory campaign, encouraging listeners to grow vegetables on every spare piece of land. 

In Your Garden ran until 1970, and was later presented by Roy Hay. Mr Middleton died in 1945, but his life is commemorated in a wrought-iron gate, which is now at the BBC Written Archives Centre in Caversham. Gardening on the radio continues with the long-running favourite Gardeners' Question Time.