Christine Walkden.

Christine has been a horticulturist since the age of ten when she first obtained an allotment and started growing vegetables and flowers, which she sold to her school teachers and local residents.

On leaving school her first job was with a local parks department before going to the Lancashire College of Agriculture. She then worked at two experimental horticultural stations, one in Warwickshire, working with ornamental nursery stock and the other in Yorkshire, working with rhubarb and red beet. Christine then worked at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew based at Wakehurst Place, looking after the growing side of the seed physiology unit before moving to Llangollen in North Wales where she worked for Dobies, Carter, Cuthbert and Dom Seedsmen as a Technical Advisor. Following this, she then moved to the Rhondda Valley to set up a training workshop for the Manpower Services Commission.

Christine then returned to college at Pershore and then onto Writtle college near Chelmsford before becoming a lecturer in Horticulture at Capel Manor in Enfield. A move to the Baby Bio Company pbi came next where she was an Advisory Manager for the garden products division.

A major change followed when she decided to go freelance working as a Plantswomen and horticulturist, lecturing nationally and internationally. A past presenter on BBC's Gardeners World, Gardener`s Diary and a number of independent television programmes, she also broadcasts on Local and National Radio and is a past winner of the Garden Writers' Guild Radio Broadcasting Award. Christine's life and passion for plants is shown in her own BBC TV six part series 'Christine's Garden'.

As an author Christine has written `The Houseplant Almanac` and many articles for specialist societies such as the Alpine Garden Society and the Hardy Plant Society. She is currently writing a weekly article for 'Amateur Gardening' magazine.

Christine works for many of the horticultural colleges, professional trade organisations and The Horticultural Correspondence College.

Christine has led both garden tours and field trips throughout the world including Turkey, Kashmir, China, USA, Central Asia, S. Africa, the Mediterranean plus many European and East European countries. As a keen photographer, Christine illustrates her lectures and own work and holds an extensive library of wildflower and garden slides from around the world.

What have you been up to since your last series?
I continue to grow the plants I love and the vegetables I use all year round. I have relaid the path in the vegetable garden, but the basic layout remains the same. At the moment I have just started sowing the vegetable seed for the coming season, and by the beginning of April I will start growing from seed and cuttings all I need for the summer.

How has appearing on your own television series changed your life?
It hasn't really made a great deal of difference to be honest with my work load as I have always lectured around the UK giving between 30-40 a year, so that's no different. What I have been surprised by is the warmth that is shown towards me when I go to societies and meetings. Everyone thinks they know me. It's very touching. The major differences are that I am now writing every week for Amateur Gardening and I appeared at Gardeners' World live last year (as I will be this year), and I have written a book to go with the series.

How is your dog coping with fame?
Tara just wags her tail when people speak to her and gets on with life as she always has. She is a happy, much-loved dog.

Have you had any time for gardening since the last series?
Oh yes. My life is gardening and I still have a regular number of clients that I carry out practical work for. I have my own garden which is my bolt hole and somewhere that is so special to me that I would not give it up for the world. It's where I am at peace with myself.

Have you visited any gardens since last year?
Hundreds. That's part of my professional and private life both in the UK and around the world. It's where I spend my life. Some are tiny and privately owned, others are open to the public and some are vast sites that I am approached to advise on professionally. I couldn't think of life without gardens and gardening.

What three plants would you suggest for a first-time gardener?
Whatever makes them smile when they see them and makes them say 'I would love to have a go at growing that.' A plant should say something to a person. If you are not fascinated by it, don't try to grow it. It could be a flower, shrub, tree, whatever, but it should be something they fancy.