SPEAKER_01 0:00

The BBC Gardeners World Autumn Fair returns to the stunning setting of Audley End House and Gardens near Saffron Walden from Friday the 11th to Sunday the 13th of September. Among the many experts who are going to be appearing is De Graft Menser, known probably to many of you as BBC Newsround's flagship presenter, but also a passionate urban grower and dedicated allotmenteer.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

That's not a word I've heard before. You know what? That feels like such a grand title. I love it. What does it mean? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Well, no, you know what? For me, I have been um growing on allotments now for just over a year, I want to say. So this time last year was the first time I started this sort of growing journey. And it really has been, I keep describing it as a baptism of fire because it really has been a baptism of fire. You know, my background isn't in growing and in and in understanding the ins and outs. My background is TV and being on the tell. So I've I've learned a lot, I've learned a lot, but the most important part is I've enjoyed it thoroughly. It's brought me such great peace and enjoyment.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

And and I guess because of your um best known persona, if you like, on Newsround, you'll you'll be able to bring some of that in and introduce a new generation to Hortigen.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Yes, of course. So over on Newsround, what we have done and are continuing to do is sort of feed into our audience's knowledge and love of the environment and of nature. We know that these are issues our audience are very passionate about. So since I started growing, we've sort of started to bleed in everything I'm doing on my plot, on the program and across my social media platforms. And it's so fascinating seeing our audience engage with it and ask so many questions. You know, I often get asked really, really basic questions, but so interesting. Things like, you know, what does a carrot seed look like? Or how does how does this grow from this into this into that? And it's it reminds you that our audience are at the very beginning of that sort of growing journey, just understanding how things grow. And if anything, I'm on that journey with them. I'm also trying to understand how things grow. It's a magical time though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 2:14

I'm I'm like you, I'm relatively new to the to the whole uh gardening piece, and I'm I'm learning to grow my own as well. And that beetroot seeds that look like little um sort of cornflake things, don't they? When you learn about that, that's that's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Oh, it is, it is the amount of times my friends are sick and tired of it. I I'll send them pictures of different seeds. I'm like, oh, guess what this is? And they're like, not again, Degraf, we're not doing this. Oh, it's it's a coachette seed. And I it's but I think you know, as valuable as that is for children, I think it's equally valuable for us as you know, grown-ups, um, just to understand where things come from and how things grow. I think it's valuable knowledge that we could all benefit from. How big is the plot that you've got? Oh, it is so I've got a half plot. Um, I don't know the dimensions off the top of my head, but it's it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. A lot more work for the result. I remember when I first got there, it was it hadn't been looked after properly by the previous owner. So when I got there, all the weeds had shot up, there was litter everywhere, and I remember looking at it thinking, I have made a grave mistake, but it's too late to turn to turn back. But I received some excellent advice from one of my allotment neighbours who said, Degraf, don't panic, just cover half of it up and deal with this half this year, and then next year tackle the second half. So that was all good. However, now I'm in next year, and it's time to tackle the second half. And I keep looking at it thinking, I'll do that tomorrow, I'll do that tomorrow. But I I need to do that immediately. So, what are you growing? Oh, great question. What am I growing? So I'm in my brain, I always have to sort of walk through the plot in my brain as if I'm there. So I've got some garlic, some onions, some potatoes, Maris Piper potatoes, which might I add, I didn't, and I'm going to sound so stupid and ridiculous. I didn't know potato plants flowered. So I'd gone to the plot, I'm seeing these bright sort of purple flowers, and again, I took pictures and sent it to all my friends saying, guess what plant this belongs to? And I think for me, this is a big part of the growing journey, is I'm learning new things about the food that I eat all the time. And you know, so I've got the potatoes there, I've got uh the corn plants, I've got these um um these red sort of mustard leaves and all sorts. To be fair, a lot of what I've got going on the plot is actually inspired by the work I'm doing at the Gardeners' Gardeners World events.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Yeah, yeah. Wait, and the your experience is what you're going to be passing on to people, isn't it? And and I mean there are many people who come to all of the Gardeners World live events who are first timers or newbies like me, and and like and and that valuable knowledge. I mean, you mentioned something as simple as a flowering pot. A lot of people don't know that. It's it's really good, isn't it? Because we've got a lot of very experienced gardeners at the show. Oh, big time. But us newbies, we we need to be like sponges soaking it up, don't we?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

And you know what, I think I think that's why these events are so great, because you've got people across the spectrum of knowledge. You know, there are people who come to the shows who do need that expert advice and that sort of expert knowledge, but then you've also got people at this show at the shows who, you know, they're just getting started, and the expert knowledge might be a bit overwhelming, and sometimes they might just need something to say, hey, what I did was I put this seed in this compost, I watered it, and across this period of time, this is what happened. So this is why I think the shows are fascinating because no matter who you are and what your experience is, there is something for you.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

Yeah, absolutely. And and I guess your audiences, because you've been at other shows, your audiences tend to be with no disrespect to garden on the younger side.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yes, yes, and oh, there was a brilliant moment where it was at a guard uh the spring fair, and it was on one of the weekend days, and uh some of the kids had come with their families, and there were so many kids who came to meet me after a talk to say I I dragged my parents to come here because we know you from Newsround. And then just seeing them engage with everything that I was saying. There was a lovely moment where uh we were on we were on stage, I believe, with Aid Sellers, and there was uh there was a child who I sort of stopped the talk and I pointed, I said, random question, not related to gardening at all, but do you watch Newsround? And he was like, Yeah, I do. So we got him on stage to ask all these questions about growing and stuff. And for me, moments like that are just so precious because A, they remind me of you know where I am right now in terms of learning, but B, it's amazing to see kids having all those cogs turning in their brain in terms of in terms of growing things.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

The dates for your diary Friday the 11th to Sunday, the 13th of September, the location, the stunning setting of Audley End House and Gardens near Saffron Walden in Essex. Lots of information on the website, bbcgardensworldlive.com, uh, particularly on how you can book tickets and when you can expect to see the brilliant degraft Amensa. Um, Audley End, I know you haven't been before, uh but I know you're very aware of what's been what's going to be going on. What can people expect at the show?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Oh, so people, first of all, people can expect myself and Lucy Chamberlain have designed a make a meter matter border. We've been doing that throughout all the shows, so we're doing the same there. Uh but people can expect, you know, loads of advice for autumn winter, which to be fair, I'll be soaking up a lot of that advice because I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to autumn and winter. Um, and people can expect the kitchen garden, you know, there are loads of amazing things going on there. And because this is also my first time, um, I've heard that the location is beautiful and it's lovely, and people describe it as a real sort of intimate setting. So, yeah, if if you're about, please come and say hi.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

Absolutely, and uh, if you're a uh a newsround fan as well, come and say hi. Um, what's the probably the most important thing that you have learned in your four first year of seriously having a go at it?

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Great question. I think the most important thing I've learned has been, you know what? It's not only is it gardening advice, it's life advice, um, is to have some element of a plan um and have some element of you know, a timetable and a schedule in your brain of what's going in when and how that's going to impact the rest of your garden. I think when I first got my plot, I was just chucking things in and seeing what happened, which was great, is a great way to garden because you learn a lot. But then now that I'm learning more, it's alright, cool. If I've got these seeds or these plants, they probably need to go in at this point in the year. And if I want to do this, I've got to do it later. And why I say it's great advice for life is because I'm not much of a planner. Um I do everything very last minute. But I think that sort of tenacity and and this sort of scheduling brain that gardening is forming is is helping me in my in my normal life too.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Obviously, you like we all have busy lives. Oh, but when you when you're involved in television, it becomes even more complicated, doesn't it? Because you have schedules and things that you have to do. Has the gardening that you've been doing helped you slow down? Helped you sort of gain some sort of space and time?

SPEAKER_00 9:12

You know what, 100%. Because what happens, especially when you're on a program like Newsround, you tend to be hither and everywhere throughout the week. But what gardening allows me to do is anytime I go back to Manchester and I'm in the plot, it gives me a real good space to sort of sit down and pause and just sort of. I often find myself when I'm getting to the plot, I'm like speed walking, or I'm I'm just very haste, and I'm like, oh, I've got to go here, I've got to do this. As soon as my feet touch the plot, it's as if everything just stops. And I'm like, oh, I do actually have time. I've got time to, I don't need to rush this. I can I can take my time watering, I can take my time weeding. The only time I can't take my time is when I bring my dog, uh, because she gets very impatient. So I've actually I've decided I've stopped bringing her to the plot because she just looks at me and then is huffing and puffing and it's just walking around. So she when I take when I take my dog to the plot, it's a quick job. But when it's me, myself, and I, it absolutely allows me to slow down and and really enjoy it. Because as as as much as gardening can be hard at times, or it can be difficult, or there can be maybe gaps in your knowledge, ultimately it should be an enjoyable experience and a very peaceful experience.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

It's one of those things, isn't it, where when you live your life expecting instant gratification, you send an email, you want to respond straight away. You post a text or something, you want to respond straight away. Now you put a seed in, and I sat there and I looked and I thought, 48 hours, we're game on. And of course, you have to slow down and go with nature, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 10:41

You do, and nature, nature has its own schedule. Uh, but I think what I love about that is it's also taught me, in terms of what we're eating, things don't just grow overnight. There's it and it makes you appreciate when you go to the supermarkets or you go to different fairs or whatnot and buy produce, the love and the care that has has gone into it, you know. And for me, one of the best parts of growing is anytime I'm I've always grown too much. Uh but I love going around to my friends, to my neighbours, to my colleagues and say, hey, please take this. And I think for me, there is such an it's such an act of love to grow something and to give it away to your friends and family and watch them enjoy it. And quite often a few of us on the newsround team are growers, so we will sort of bring little plants and seedlings to each other and and we share. Um, although I've have had to remind everyone on the team to stop giving me courteo plants. I've had I've had enough.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

I've just planted some of those, and I've I've been told that it's going to take over them by triffits.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Last year, I think I had maybe four or five. This year I've got one. I've I've had enough.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Have a fantastic time. Thank you. It's Autumn Fair. Um, just finally, yes, uh, Newsround has been around for a very long time. I guess the parents of the children that you're now talking to will remember John Craven, of course. Um, why is it so successful as a program?

SPEAKER_00 12:04

I think why Newsround is so successful is because of the role it plays in a child's life. I I sometimes, you know, people when Newsround first came around, I think, um, shared a bit of criticism of, you know, some of the skeptics saying that do children really need to know what's going on in the world and you know, let children be children, all those kinds of things. But what people don't didn't realise then and still don't realise now is if you don't have a if you don't have a service which is providing safe and you know factual news to children, unfortunately they hear the stories in the playground, they hear the stories on social media, and then all these stories get warped and twisted, and and you know, some of these stories can be quite terrifying. Sometimes we are dealing with global conflict or we're dealing with you know the growing sort of changing climate of our planet. Um sometimes it's something silly as a new panda being born somewhere. But wherever it is, I think why Anuja works is because it is that safe place that speaks to children at their level. A lot of times when we as adults talk to children, sometimes it can be very condescending, or it can come from a place of I'm an adult, you're a child, so you know, instinctively sort of talking, talking down on them because you know we're older and we and we know better. However, what NewJron does is really speak to children at their level. We like to position ourselves as say like older brothers and sisters, and the newsround audience, no matter what decade you look at Newjound, whether it be 40 years ago, 50 years ago, or a few days ago, the newsroom audience are always amazing and they've they've always been so inquisitive. And it is just it's one of the loveliest programs I think I've ever worked on, and it is so good to work on a program which sits on such such heritage and such history, you know, from John Craven all the way to me. It's just a brand that I love.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

It's obvious that you enjoy that, and it was once called John Craven's newsround. Yes. Degraf Menses Newsround, is that is that on the way, do we think?

SPEAKER_00 14:05

You know what? I wish, but there are so many other talented presenters that I I couldn't dare feel the title.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

I wish everybody could see the smile on your face because I think you're there's it'll come. It'll come. Absolutely. Have a fantastic time at uh uh Audley End House and Gardens Friday, the 11th to Sunday, the 13th of September, bbcgardenersworldlive.com for all the information and importantly, how you can book tickets. Good to see you. Thank you.