Glorious Gardens From Above

After 4 months' filming, 45 gardens in 15 counties, 12 balloon flights and gallons of suntan lotion, Glorious Gardens from Above has lift-off. In this series presenter and horticulturalist Christine Walkden embarks on a journey to explore some of Britain's most glorious gardens and countryside from a striking new perspective: she'll be taking us "up, up and away" in a hot air balloon, for a bird's eye view.
As series producer, my biggest fear on setting up the project was whether we would achieve all the necessary balloon flights in the time available to us. I encountered lots of chin-rubbing and teeth-sucking from friends and colleagues who assured me they had waited up to two years for a planned flight to go ahead! But our balloon pilot, Clive Bailey is nothing if not a can-do kind of guy and his optimism about the task in hand was infectious. So, with a Plan B in place, we embarked on a summer of frenzied activity.
The series is not a gardening show in any conventional sense. As well as celebrating the glories of some of Britain's most magnificent and best-loved gardens, the series will explore the rich history of each of the regions we visit, covering the country from Cornwall to Aberdeenshire.
The programmes are packed with fascinating stories and engaging characters - the people who form the beating heart of any grand garden. It's about the challenges faced, now and in the past, by pioneers in the world of horticulture and garden design; those who took on the elements and made a garden grow in the most inhospitable of places; and those who worked with nature to make a garden thrive in harmony with the environment.
A stupendous summer – and some tremendous luck – combined with spectacular locations meant that this series will brighten up any afternoon no end. (BBC)