BBC gardener Mark Lane inspires budding gardeners

Part of the charity’s work promotes the health and well-being benefits of gardening, and it has a partnership with the National Garden Scheme. 

Pupils at Mark’s masterclass got to grips with a make-over of raised planters at the school.

The planters will feature in a renovated rooftop to create a sensory garden, where herbs and vegetables will be grown. The session ended with Mark answering the class’s questions about all things gardening. 

Mark was helped at the event by local volunteers from the charity’s Can Do programme.

This volunteering programme works with young people with additional needs building skills and confidence and benefiting communities across the UK. 

Mark said:

'It was an absolute pleasure to spend time with the Can Do group and show them how to plant for spring.

'They were so inquisitive and knowledgeable about gardening already. It was wonderful to see them so enthusiastic to learn about how accessible gardening can be. 

'Accessible gardens like these can help bring people together, but above all they are great fun and beneficial for mental health.  

‘I’m exceptionally proud to be an ambassador for Leonard Cheshire and their work with the National Garden Scheme to make gardens and gardening more accessible for everyone.’

Mark Lane’s appointment as Leonard Cheshire ambassador follows his support of their partnership with the National Garden Scheme over the past year. Gardening activities for disabled people have been taking place at Leonard Cheshire care homes and communities across the UK.

Gary Smith, the headteacher at Market Field School, said:

‘It was a fantastic experience for our children, the class said it was really fun, and they learned loads of facts about plants.

‘The group thought it was very exciting to meet a famous gardener and talk to him. All-in-all, a great day!’

Leanne Colegate, who runs the Leonard Cheshire Can Do programme said:

‘Our gardening project has had a positive effect on the school and improved the skills of the Can Do group. Once the sensory garden is finished, it will be for everyone to enjoy and the pupils have been an active part of that. 

‘Mark’s workshop with the Can Doers was wonderful to see and they’ll use the skills and knowledge they’ve learned today to continue work on the garden ready for the summer.’

Leonard Cheshire will continue to build on the work of the National Garden Scheme and their gardens this year, with the help of Mark Lane. 

Media enquiries

For further information, photos and interview requests, please contact: Cathy Lynch on catherine.lynch@leonardcheshire.org or 020 3242 0442

Notes to editors 

About Mark Lane

Mark is the UK’s first garden designer/BBC gardening broadcaster to be in a wheelchair. He is a regular presenter on BBC TV Gardeners’ World and also fronts BBC TV coverage of the RHS shows. Mark is also a published garden writer.

Mark was in a car accident in 2001 and had to have operations on his spine, which were complicated by him being born with spina bifida. Following a long rehabilitation period, when he was ‘re-built’ both physically and mentally, he switched professions to study garden / landscape design and launched his own award-winning garden design and landscape practice.

Visit www.marklanedesigns.com or www.marklane.tv or follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkLaneTV

About National Garden Scheme

Since 1927, the National Garden Scheme has been inviting garden owners to open their exceptional gardens to the public, giving people unique access to some of Britain’s most beautiful and memorable gardens while raising money for charity through entry fees, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors, the National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the UK - having donated £55million over the last 90 years.

This year the National Garden Scheme donated a record £3.1million from funds raised at open gardens in 2017 and supported charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie; Hospice UK; Carers Trust; Queen’s Nursing Institute; Parkinson’s UK; Perennial; National Autistic Society; and Leonard Cheshire.

There are over 3,600 private gardens open to the public in 2018, all of which can be found by vising the National Garden Scheme website, or in the Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is published annually and available via the National Garden Scheme shop and at all good book retailers.