Meeting Matthew Biggs, it's easy to forget that you're in the company of one of Britain's most celebrated gardening broadcasters and authors. His broad smile, warmth and humility explain how he has endeared himself to a nation of gardeners for more than 30 years.
Best known for his appearances on Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time and TV shows such as Channel 4's Garden Club, Matthew has also worked as a toilet cleaner, jobbing gardener, television director, author and RHS judge. He says that this eclectic range of jobs has led to him "careering through life, ducking and diving to keep a roof over my head, and saying 'yes' to everything that sounded interesting or fun, then worrying about it afterwards".
Born in Leicester in 1960, Matthew is one of three siblings. "We had a strict upbringing," he says. "But my father regularly took the family on country walks and helped to inspire my interest in plants. He loved the open air, the beauty of nature, and of art, which has been my other life-long passion."
This story is from the December 2023 edition of Gardens Illustrated.
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This story is from the December 2023 edition of Gardens Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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