Wakehurst

Wakehurst, Kew’s botanic gardens in West Sussex, is the location for judging this year’s Countryfile photographic competition. John Craven and Charlotte Smith are joined by presenter, journalist, author and avid nature lover Vick Hope to pick the final 12 images that will grace the 2025 Countryfile calendar in aid of BBC Children in Need. Charlotte also explores Kew’s millennium seed bank at Wakehurst, looking at the work being done to support our native meadows. She meets the high-tech team using robots, drones and LiDar to unlock the mysteries of trees and plants. We also catch up with Wakehurst’s nature reserve warden as he repurposes an area felled due to ash dieback, as well as meeting a bee expert deciphering the DNA of pollen.