Volunteers rehome 1,500 BBC Gardeners' World plants

Staff and students at the University of Leicester have installed 1,500 plants recently displayed by BBC Gardeners' World presenter Nick Bailey.

The plants, worth in the region of £15,000 to £20,000, were used by Bailey during BBC Gardeners' World Live, which ran from 12 to 15 June at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.

About 20 volunteers spent three days in the heat - finishing on Friday - moving soil and replanting at the university's 16-acre botanic garden, of which Bailey is the director.

Bailey said the work was "challenging" but that the additions to the garden were "superb".

Bailey, who was appointed director of the botanic garden in May 2024, said he saw the opportunity to use his resources and combine his roles to improve the area for visitors.

"The BBC asked me to create the headline show garden for Gardeners' World Live," he said.

"Usually at the end of a show garden process there is a lot to dispose of."

Bailey and the team of volunteers helped remove the weeds and soil from the area, before planting around the water garden area of the site in soaring temperatures.

"It's been challenging and it's the hottest week that we've had all year," he said.

"The good thing about show gardens is that all the plants are planted in their pots, after the show they can be transported straight here.

"What's great about the garden now is that there are so many different species, which are superb for different pollinators so it celebrates the biodiversity of the garden as well."

One of the volunteers was Dr Katherine Clark, a senior lecturer of biological sciences at the university.

"I'm a keen gardener and constantly looking to learn more about plants and to have somebody like Nick Bailey here to direct us is brilliant and what this garden needs," the 53-year-old said.

"It's suddenly turned from bare soil into this beautiful garden again."

Fellow volunteer and computer science student, Vatsal Chaudhari, said it was "pretty satisfying" watching the garden change.

"It's been hard but we've had fresh hands helping every day, we were getting through 500 plants a day at around 50 plants per person," the 23-year-old said.

"The other volunteers have done an amazing job, I'd love to see more students get involved in keeping the garden looking like this, hopefully this will encourage more to join in next time we're planting."

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