BBC’s Gardeners' World presenter Adam Frost humorously disclosed a “grim” warning he often teases his wife Sulina and their four children with. This jest stems from his experience as a grave digger prior to his rise to fame as a garden designer and horticulturist, renowned for his designs at the Chelsea Flower Show. His revelation was made during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, where he discussed his latest book, “For the Love of Plants.”
During the show, Adam, 55, engaged in a conversation with host Clive Anderson, writer Bridget Christie, and comedian Louise Young. He reminisced about his challenging upbringing and his transition to becoming a garden designer. Recounting his early days, Adam shared, “We grew 200,000 plants with a special interest in Victorian parks. You even had to dig a grave, you even had to be a qualified grave digger, which I remind my missus and the kids on a regular basis,” he quipped, evoking laughter from the host and fellow guests.
Acknowledging the darker undertones in their discussion, Clive responded, “We’re going to some dark places in this conversation! You’ve got to dig deep for graves,” prompting Adam to express, “The book is all about the joy of gardening and the joy of life, and actually, inspiration doesn’t all come out of good stuff, it comes out of some grim old stuff as well, and that’s what it’s really about.”
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Adam attributed his big break to an encounter with the late Geoff Hamilton, a beloved presenter of Gardeners' World during the 1980s and 1990s. Reminiscing about his time working under Geoff’s guidance, he marveled, “Looking back, I don’t know how he put up with me! But I was 21-years-old and somehow I managed to get a job working for this man.”
Moreover, Adam recently shared details about a challenging period during the Covid-19 pandemic, which inspired him to pen “For the Love of Plants.” While coping with the closure of his gardening school and his wife’s prolonged hospitalization, Adam found himself tending to their four children amidst recording segments for Gardeners' World and coping with his own health struggles.
Adam Frost will be hosting Gardeners' World on BBC Two tonight at 8pm.