Matthew Biggs, a beloved horticulturist and a mainstay of BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time for more than three decades, has died at the age of 65. Known as 'the people's gardener,' Biggs became one of Britain's most trusted gardening authorities, sharing his expertise with warmth and humour.
Early Life and Career
Born in Leicester on 2 June 1960, Biggs grew up with a mild form of cerebral palsy affecting his left side. He was the middle of three children of Ivan, an electrical appliance fitter, and Marion (nee Arthur), a schoolteacher. His love for gardening was kindled by helping out on his mother's vegetable patch and exploring the English countryside.
After leaving grammar school with few qualifications, Biggs worked as a junior clerk in the Leicester city council housing department. Watching gardeners from his 13th-floor office window, he decided to request a transfer to the parks department. His first year involved sweeping play areas and cleaning public toilets, which he later called 'the best foundation I could have had.'
Training and Breakthrough
Biggs studied for a higher national certificate at Pershore College of Horticulture in Worcestershire, despite receiving 72 rejection letters from potential employers, which he attributed to his disability. In 1983, he was accepted onto the three-year diploma course at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which he said 'opened a new world' to him. He worked in environments such as the Temperate House and later served as a guide lecturer and staff training officer at Kew.
Media Career
After running his own garden maintenance business, Biggs moved into garden media. He got an early break on a gardening phone-in show on LBC radio. Between 1991 and 1996, he co-presented Channel 4's Garden Club alongside plantsman Roy Lancaster. He also directed and researched ITV's Grass Roots in the mid-1990s. However, he loved the immediacy and intimacy of radio the most.
In 1994, Biggs joined the panel of horticultural experts on Gardeners' Question Time, taking questions from live audiences of amateur gardeners. He remained with the show until a week before his death.
Writing and Lecturing
Biggs authored more than 20 books, including A Nation in Bloom (2019), celebrating the Royal Horticultural Society's 100th anniversary, and a children's title, A Home for Every Plant (2023). He lectured at the English Gardening School in London and gave hundreds of talks to garden clubs, covering topics from great botanists to growing fruit and vegetables.
Honours and Illness
In 2020, Biggs was diagnosed with bowel cancer. After surgery in 2021, the cancer returned in his liver and lungs. He faced his illness with pragmatic optimism, describing chemotherapy as 'being sprayed with weedkiller.' During treatment at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, Hertfordshire, he found strength in the view of birch trees from his hospital window and wore brightly coloured clothes to his sessions.
In 2024, the Garden Media Guild awarded him a lifetime achievement award. In his acceptance speech, he said he was fortunate to have a job he loved and that 'you've got to go out and inspire other people and if you don't, then all that knowledge and excitement is a waste of time.'
In April 2026, the Royal Horticultural Society recognised his contribution with the Victoria Medal of Honour, a rare exception to the usual limit of 63 living recipients. The 64th medal was presented to him by Roy Lancaster.
Legacy and Family
His faith as a member of the Christadelphian church provided support, as did a 'legacy garden' he instigated for fellow patients at Mount Vernon. 'If I end up going out on this one, I'll be a happy bloke,' he said. He viewed the project as his greatest achievement, a healing space for those rich in spirit who love gardens.
Biggs is survived by his wife, Gill (nee Mastemaker), whom he married in 1991, and their three children, Jessica, Henry and Chloe. Matthew John Biggs died on 21 May 2026.
