Gardener's World host Carol Klein opens up about breast cancer diagnosis in new memoir Hortobiography

Fans of horticultural TV show Gardener’s World will know Carol Klein as the life and soul of the flower beds. Her enthusiasm for plant life is contagious and her sheer joy of the outdoors is plain to see, which is why, following her cancer diagnosis, it’s unsurprising that her garden was her refuge and plants her antidote to her treatment. 

The 79-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and has had a gruelling programme of treatment to endure since then. But the six-times Chelsea Gold medal-winner, who first appeared on Gardeners’ World in 1989, knew exactly where she needed to be to aid her recovery.

The TV presenter, writer and plantswoman said: “The breast cancer and its cure hasn’t really set me back. It was lovely just having the garden there. I pretty soon got up and got out there in a gradual way. I could see the garden from the house and you feel it, don’t you?

“When you go out in the garden you become engrossed in it. It’s been proved that physically touching plants and having your hands in the soil does lift the way you feel about everything. I’d find it very difficult to live without a garden.”

Carol has now been given the all-clear, which is a huge relief, she says. The Manchester-born self-taught gardener has now written about her life with plants in her new memoir, from her beginnings as the daughter of a TV salesman who had no affinity to the natural world, to becoming an art teacher for 13 years before taking up gardening with a passion which led to a nursery business, Glebe Cottage Plants, and TV career.

She has appeared on a raft of shows including Gardeners’ World, Gardening With Carol Klein, Life In a Cottage Garden and Grow Your Own Veg. She is also a regular presenter at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and at other major horticultural events. Last year the RHS named Klein the RHS Iconic Horticultural Hero 2023.

Hortobiography by Carol Klein, published in hardback by Ebury Press, is priced at £22, however, Waterstones currently has it on special offer for just £17.99.

Carol has a raft of advice for amateur gardeners to help tackle budget limitations and climate change, including plants for free. “I started growing stuff from seed with my mum and taking cuttings. I had too many plants, and she said, ‘Sell them’, which was the rudimentary beginning of my nursery,” Carol said.

“On Gardeners’ World we’ve been covering different ways of propagating stuff. But have a go with seeds, not just annuals but perennials. And if you have friends with a garden or you have an existing garden, try collecting seeds.

“Anyone who remembers Geoff Hamilton (the late Gardeners’ World presenter) would know that when buying a plant he’d always look for the one with the juiciest shoots and he’d always split it up. If you’re buying a salvia, for instance, have a look at its potential for cuttings and have a go.”

And in the current climate, she advises gardeners to be adaptable. She said: “We have a self-seeded buddleia bush and last year it was loaded with all sorts of wonderful butterflies and bees. This year, there’ve been hardly any.

“The weather often determines and influences how well our gardens turn out. We are going to have to be more adaptable and consider much more what our gardens are. Think which natural habitat your garden most resembles and go for it.

“Especially if you’ve a new garden or a new small garden, have a look at what you’ve got and don’t try to grow things that aren’t going to thrive if it does get really hot or really wet.”