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Profile
Anne’s Diploma in Horticulture from Kew prepared her for a career that began in propagation,
moved into glasshouse duties at RHS
Wisley and took a leap into filming while working there. Launching herself
as a gardening broadcaster and writer, she was taken on to the BBC 2’s Gardener’s World team.
The slot on Gardeners’ World proved regular
for five years. Since then, Anne has presented the Real Gardening Show, (Wall to Wall for Channel One cable
television), co-presented the Channel 4 series Bloom, and filmed The
Gardens of the Caribbean for Channel 4. She has co-presented Channel 4’s
extensive coverage of Chelsea Flower
Show, most of which involved live reporting.
Anne is sought after for her columns in
newspapers and gardening journals. She was the gardening columnist of the News of the World and has a regular
spot on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.
Anne is now the Gardening Correspondent for Candis, Grow It and was
until very recently contributing to Western
Morning News. Her books include: BBC
Gardeners’ World Book of Houseplants, Bloom,
Gardeners’ World Book of Containers and
No Time to Garden. Her latest book
is The Greenhouse Gardener (Frances
Lincoln, 2006).
Since Spring 1994 she has been a regular
panellist on Gardeners’ Question Time
on Radio 4.
Biography
Anne was born in Belvedere in Kent in 1957.
Having gained A levels in art, botany and zoology she went to work at her local
parks department nursery at Hall
Place in Bexley in 1975.
In 1976 she went to Kew Gardens
as a student on their three year Diploma in Horticulture course and left in
1979, with her diploma.
Having completed this training, she went to
work for Epsom and Ewell Borough Council as
Foreman Propagator and spent nearly three happy years growing their bedding
plants, young trees and shrubs and pot plants.
Ready for a move, she successfully applied
for the job of Glasshouse Supervisor at the RHS Garden
at Wisley and started there in the spring of 1982. By this time she'd been
married to fellow Kew graduate John
Swithinbank for three years and they lived in a flat in the roof of the
laboratory building at Wisley with their dog, two cats and two parrots.
While at Wisley Anne had the chance to
appear on Gardeners' Calendar, Gardeners' Calendar Roadshow and Plants for
Free, all filmed by Granada for Channel Four. In 1986 she decided to leave
Wisley and work as a freelance gardener and speaker. BBC 2's Gardeners' World
took her on as part of their team and by 1987 she was able to describe herself
as a freelance gardening broadcaster and writer.
The slot on Gardeners' World proved regular
for five years and she has made frequent guest appearances since. Anne was the
presenter for the Real Gardening Show, recorded by Wall to Wall for Channel One
cable television. She co-presented Channel 4 series Bloom, which took an in
depth look at six flowering plant families. The first series was broadcast
during spring 1997 in the Friday night gardening slot and the second series was
broadcast early in 1998. Anne also filmed The Gardens of the Caribbean
for Channel 4. She has co-presented Channel 4's extensive coverage of Chelsea
Flower Show coverage, most of which involved live reporting.
During the last few years Anne has written
for many magazines and publications. She was the gardening columnist of the
News of the World, has a regular spot on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine and had
a regular column in the Western Morning News. She has written a number of books
including: BBC Gardeners' World Book of Houseplants, Bloom and Gardeners' World
Book of Containers. Her latest book, published early in 2006 by Frances Lincoln
is The Greenhouse Gardener.
Since spring 1994 she has been a regular
panellist on Gardeners' Question Time on Radio 4.
Updated
28/02/2009
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