Mark Lane (broadcaster)

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Mark Lane is a UK TV gardening presenter, landscape designer and writer.^[1] Born in Hertfordshire in 1969 ^[2] he is also a landscape designer, and the UK’s first BBC gardening presenter who uses a wheelchair. He was born with spina bifida and in 2002 he had a car accident which led to operations on his spine and resulted in his having to use a wheelchair full time..

After graduating from University College London in art history, his career led him to work at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) where he eventually became the Publishing Director. After this he moved to the Arts publisher Thames & Hudson as Managing Editor. His love for gardening led him to retrain as a garden designer via an Open Learning course. Once retrained he combined writing for gardening magazines with actual gardening. His break into TV presenting occurred after the BBC saw one of his articles and contacted him to see if he would be interested in presenting. He is now the only disabled presenter on Gardeners World.

Career[]

In 2000, Mark was involved in a car crash and required a number of spinal operations which were complicated due to Mark being born with spina bifida[10]. The complications along with spina bifida meant Mark was then confined to a wheelchair.

Mark was to spend 2000 to 2002 rehabilitating, physically with intense physio and mentally by wholly adjusting to a new life. Part of the physio and recovery was to participate in gardening type activities while at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, and it was here, he reaped the benefits of positive mental wellbeing by being at peace with nature. He has always enjoyed gardening and this was renewed while coming to terms with his new physical limitations. But, it was only the start of the new tangent of his life, the creation of [11].

In 2003, he enrolled on an Open Learning Garden Design Landscape Architect course at the KLC School of Design. Here he studied for 3 years and was awarded a Diploma with Distinction.

Mark enjoyed his Open Learning course and absorbed new knowledge. His partner, Jasen, was supportive when Mark started writing for Gardeners' World Magazine[12] and his articles were published. An executive producer from the TV programme saw the article and asked if Mark would like to do a piece to camera in his garden, which Mark accepted. 3 days later, he was asked to present at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[13]

Opportunities snowballed after this with RHS Hampton Court, then a piece for BBC Gardeners' World[1] in his own garden, all the RHS Flower Shows[2] and a further 6 programmes for BBC Gardeners' World[1].

Mark is a professional full-time landscape garden designer and is a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers[5], assessed by an adjudication committee, conforming to a professional Code of Conduct, are experienced and adhere to 2010 Equality Act[6]. Writing, blogging, interviewing, presenting and researching are all part of sharing his expertise and knowledge as well as maintaining his own 1.0 acre garden.

Mark is also a member of the Garden Media Guild[7], which brings together professional garden writers, authors, photographers, broadcasters, editors and everything in the world

Television[]

Mark is probably best known for his regular appearances on , popular TV gardening programme BBC Gardeners' World. He was the UK's first disabled gardening presenter to appear on TV and continues to inspire mobility impaired gardeners to find a way to garden. As well as BBC Gardeners' World, Mark is an influential name within the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) regularly appearing and interviewing. The RHS hold annual flower shows in different locations in the UK, such as the world famous RHS Chelsea Show, RHS Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park, RHS Hyde Hall, RHS Wisley, RHS Malvern Spring, RHS Harlow Carr and RHS Rosemoor.

Mark also appeared on , Celebrity Mastermind. Series 16, 2018/2019, Episode 1[14] where he sat in the famous black chair answering questions with a specialist topic of 1906 Dutch painter Piet Mondrian.

He is in discussions with BAFTA and Oscar Academy Awards winning production companies to produce a TV series based on his book, published 24 September 2020 by Kyle Books, Royal Gardens of the World[15].

[]

Starting in October 2020 during Covid lockdown, BBC Morning Live quickly became the leading early morning magazine-style live show. Mark joined the team from the start as their gardening guru/expert. In addition, Mark has reported on disability, spoke about his car crash for the first time on TV and reported from the National Archives when looking into his family history. Mark continues to join the team in their new studios in Manchester from March 2022.

BBC Gardeners' World[]

BBC Gardeners' World is a weekly programme aired during March - October each year. The shows are filmed at the presenter's homes and offer gardening advice and share their knowledge. Mark has appeared on screen since 2016 (to present) and appears alongside other co-presenters: Joe Swift, , Frances Tophill, Monty Don, Carol Klein, Adam Frost, Arit Anderson and Nick Bailey. It has been running since 1968 and has been led since 2011 by it's current lead presenter Monty Don. Mark's next appearance will be Friday 18 September 2020, Episode 27[16], where he will discuss prairie planting. BBC Gardeners' World have a fiercely loyal following of 3 million viewers each week who enjoy the ever-evolved trends and tastes within gardening. Naturally, people are nosey and want to see what others are doing, adding to the suspense and excitement of each show.

[]

BBC Gardeners' World Live[17] is an annual garden related, multi-day event co-located with the BBC Good Food Show Summer Event[18] which is open to the public. The event hosts celebrities, such as the current presenters, past-presenters, showcases new products, facilitates workshops, floral marquees and retail space for exhibitors. It is a live "spin off" to the TV series and Mark has attended in person for the last few years. Dates for 2021 have been confirmed 17-20 June 2021[19], at Birmingham NEC.

[]

RHS is the UK's leading gardening charity which aims to enrich everyone's lives through plants, making the UK greener and a making our it a more beautiful place. RHS organise events in different locations throughout the year and Mark has been invited on numerous occasions to present and hold interviews with exhibitors and celebrities alike. He enjoys the events and diversity of plants, arrangements and is always warmly greeted by fans.

QVC[]

In February 2020, Mark was offered a new presenting role on British television buying channel, QVC[9]. Mark is very comfortable with presenting in a live situation and works very well offering his expert knowledge alongside experienced presenters such as Katy P, Martyn Cox, Simon Biagi, Richard Jackson, Craig Rowe and Miceal Murphy.

Social media[]

During Covid-19, Mark was one of the very few gardening presenters who regularly used social media to continue interacting and helping keen gardener's carry on gardening. Questions could be sent to Mark via Twitter[20], Instagram[21], YouTube[22] and Facebook[23] and his live Saturday morning Q&A sessions would answer gardener's questions. A very useful feature on Mark's YouTube channel is a range of videos showing "how-to" take softwood cuttings, remove weeds, deal with ground elder, repot and divide plants.

He is also very active as an Ambassador to a number of charities and promotes their good work and efforts, especially during the pandemic when everyone was confined to their homes during lockdown.

Author[]

Mark has enjoyed a variety of writing successes. His book published on 24 September 2020, titled Royal Gardens of the World[15], was published by Kyle Books. The book is a sumptuous look at 21 of the world's most celebrated royal gardens. He has visited these gardens and each one is a snap-shot in time, exhibiting the stunning location, grandeur, setting and local environment unique to the garden, some of which were undergoing restoration. It has remained in the top 10 Most Wished For Gardening Books.

The book involved researching just short of 1,000 different people and included reading diaries and journals, talking with head gardener's and gardening staff, reviewing historic and present drawings and documents and in some countries, bouncing between different government departments to speak with relevant people about the garden. Each garden tells its own story of the main people, the design, planting schemes, stories behind the grandeur and the creators of these incredible gardens.

A booksigning event was held to celebrate the new arrival at the first-ever drive-thru Appledore Book Festival[24], 18 September 2020, promoting Royal Gardens of the World[15].

Mark has appeared on BBC radio stations to promote his book:

• BBC Cornwall, Emma Mason, 8 September 2020[25]
• BBC Radio Sussex, Joe Talbot, 23 August 2020[26]
• BBC Radio 4, Mich Ackerley, 15 August 2020[27]
• BBC Nottingham, Alan Clifford, 20 September 2020
• BBC Radio Gloucester, Kate Clark, 20 September 2020

Writer / gardening columnist[]

Mark's work has been published in a range of publications with the most recent listed below:

• Daily Express – regular weekly gardening column
• Garden News magazine – regular bi-weekly gardening column
• Platinum Magazine, August 2020 (page 140) – a regular monthly gardening column
• Grow Your Own, 23 June 2020
• The English Garden, July, August, September, October 2020 Editions
• Waitrose Weekend, 1 December 2019 – a regular monthly gardening column
• BUILD Magazine, voted one to watch for 2019
• The Guardian, 14 May 2016
• BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, initially 1 March 2016

Other publications where Mark's work has been published: Royal Horticultural Society magazine The Garden, Conservation News, Daily Mail, Enable Active, Kent Life[4], Landscape & Urban Designs, Life Magazine, Mail on Sunday, Pro Landscaper Magazine, Sunday Telegraph, Surrey Homes, The Garden, (RHS Publication), Irish Examiner, Somerset County Gazette, Garden News, Darlington & Stockton Times, Canterbury INDEX Magazine and Which? Gardening.

Interviews and podcasts[]

• Mark is often asked for interviews and podcasts, to share his life experience, share his motivations and share his horticultural knowledge, including the most recent:
• The Village Grapevine, 19 September 2020[28]
• Andrew Roach Talent / PressReset / BFI, 5 August 2020[29]
• Inside QVC Podcast Episode 42: Mark Lane, 6 July 2020[30]
• Tamsin Westthorpe, @lwe_hub, 9 June 2020[31]
• National Growing for Wellbeing, 1 June 2020

Charities ambassador[]

Mark holds a number of supportive roles within charities, to help guide, lead by example, share experiences and help to improve the lives of others:

• Health, Wellbeing and Community Ambassador for Groundwork[32], a federation of charities mobilising practical community action on poverty and the environment across the UK
• Ambassador for Thrive[33], support bringing positive changes in to the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable in the UK
• Ambassador for Greenfingers Charity[34], a national charity that creates gardens and outdoor spaces for children and their families that use hospices due to life-limiting conditions in the UK
• Ambassador for international pan-disability charity Leonard Cheshire[35], named after the founder Leonard Cheshire, the charity supports individuals to live, learn and work as independently as they choose, whatever their ability
• Patron of the charity Core Landscapes[36], transforming vacant land in deprived urban areas into hubs for community engagement through horticulture, design, workshops, training and events improving physical health, mental health, wellbeing and community spirit in the UK
• Trustee of Gardening with Disabilities Trust[37], where gardens are adapted, lives are changed and disability is defied.
• Melanoma Fund – Ambassador for gardening campaigns and highlighting the importance of sunscreen
• BALI – Equity Ambassador for the Landscape industry

Charities and wellbeing interviews[]

Mark is passionate about helping others through their ups and downs of disabilities and has regularly gives support to raise awareness and induce positive vibes of gardening:

• @Garden4Disabled 10 September 2020[38]
• @CreativeRootsUK, BBC Gardeners World Live, 2019
• @Thrivecharity, 29 August 2020[39]
• @charliesfight, 18 August 2020[40]
• @leonardcheshire, 23 July 2020[41] #actuallyican
• @PassageCharity, 5 June 2020[42]
• @GYOmag, 3 June 2020[43]

Mark has proudly designed a special space for Derriford Hospital / Plymouth ICU - the first Intensive Care Unit rehab garden[44] in the UK. A challenging space with high walls and will make a difference to the patients. An equipped outdoor room will mean patients can enjoy the space even in wet weather.

Personal life[]

Mark lives with his civil partner, Jasen who has been beside Mark since before his accident. A supportive, understanding partner who doesn't care much for gardening. Mark acknowledged his influencer, Dan Pearson[45], a fellow award winning landscape designer after Dan was interviewed on 2 August 2020, on Gardeners' World, 2020: Episode 20[46]. Mark tweeted: "It was Dan (Pearson) who nudged me to become a garden designer. I owe so much to his kind words many years ago".

He also wrote to HRH Charles, Prince of Wales in his early days, asking if he had came across any disabled garden designers from his experiences around the world. The Prince replied to confirm he had not. The Prince also put Mark in touch with the Organic Soil Association[47], who also confirmed they had never came across a disabled garden designer. Mark checked with the RHS and they too confirmed they had never experienced a disabled garden designer. This backs up Mark's statement on his website, he was/is the only disabled garden designer.

Whilst RHS, BBC and others want to see Mark as a person, he wants to make sure he's not pigeon-holed as "garden designer in a chair".

Mark Lane Designs Ltd[11] is Mark's main work and he has a number of active clients at any one time. TV work is sometimes sporadic and he would need a sponsor if he was to host his own garden show. Ideally, the perfect sponsor would be of spina bifida nature, to help raise awareness of the defects in the spine.

Mark’s Garden[]

Mark has created and adapted his own garden over the last 20 years to be wheelchair friendly and maintains it with minimal assistance. He improvises and finds solutions to be able to fulfil his desire to garden. Long reach tools, a wheeled tool caddy, litter-picker style pincers and ergonomic secateurs are a few of the gardening tools which allow him to garden. Hard landscaping, such as gravelled paths with edging also help to ease his way around the garden. A special designed wheelchair featuring large segway-style wheels, help Mark manoeuvre with minimal effort.

Most days, Mark posts on social media showing off his beautiful flowers, shrubs, trees and aspects of his beautiful garden. His garden is of a self-styled "contemporary wild" theme, which allows naturalistic qualities where species type plants almost become thugs and vigorous and allows the garden to blur in to the landscape. The perfect variety of plants allow an array of wildlife to thrive in and around the garden with foxes, badgers, stoats, hedgehogs, birds and all sorts of pollinators enjoying the diversity of the garden.

A white border is styled and influenced by one of Mark's favourite gardens, National Trust Sissinghurst Castle Garden[48]. He admits in his QVC interview[9] that white is a very hard colour to garden with and took a bit of time to get it right. However, now it is a mature and beautiful area to observe and is his place of solace.

A contrasting blue and yellow border bring vibrancy and interest in to a different area of the garden. Subtle lighting and architectural sculptures, incorporating water features, bring added interest.

The rose, peony and hydrangea garden is a gesture towards his late grandparents who initially sparked Mark's interest in gardening. This is probably one of the more "traditional" types of gardening that was inherited with the property when they moved in, albeit, added to, out of respect.

He also designed a bespoke layout for the Photo-voltaic PV panels that adorn the roof by the private pergola and seating area. An occasional garden helper assists to maintain the shape the wavey hedge which splits the view from the bungalow to the lawned area.

Views from windows and doors are key design elements of his gardens, creating maximum impact. Tree shapes and shade are used to balance light, features and effective shrub planting. Sun and warmth are enhanced in the garden where possible with sensitive planting of drought tolerant species following a belief " right plant, right place". Soft, artificial lighting is installed at key areas to accentuate key features.

Awards[]

Mark has been recognised and rewarded for his innovative, imaginative, awe-inspiring and sustainable designs and has collected a number of awards for both his design and TV work:

• 2022 Made an Honorary Doctorate by Kent University for his work in TV
• Shortlisted for Celebrity of the Year 2021 in the National Diversity Awards
• Best Residential Landscape Design Practice (UK) 2021
• Best International Garden & Landscape Design Firm (UK) 2021
• Most Innovative Landscape Designer (UK) 2021
• Best Landscape & Garden Design Practice (UK) 2021
• Landscape Designer of the Year 2020[49] [50] by BUILD[51] Architecture Awards, August 2020. Recognising and rewarding innovative, imaginative, awe inspiring and sustainable designs
• Most Innovative Garden & Landscape Design Company[52] [53] by Corporate Live Wire Magazine[54], 2020
• Most Innovative Garden & Landscape Design Company by BUILD[51] Architecture Awards, 2019

In most cases, nominations (and winning awards) comes unexpected but is truly humbling for Mark, recognising his efforts and achievements since starting his business in 2001.

Publications[]

Royal Gardens of the World[15], Kyle Books[55], was published on 24 September 2020.

He was a finalist for ‘Celebrity of the Year’ in the National Diversity Awards 2021.^[3] He lives in Kent with his partner Jasen.^[4]

References[]