Irish horticulture programme returns to RTÉ One with brand new third series

Home Grown is set to return to RTÉ One with a brand new third series celebrating Irish horticulture.

Industry advocates and presenters Kitty Scully and Colm O'Driscoll will once again travel the country in this popular series, searching for stories that highlight the very best in the Irish horticulture industry.

Home Grown series 3 explores everything from innovative growing techniques to the extraordinary people shaping Ireland's green spaces, profiling small producers, and highlighting the generosity of community gardening for a good cause. The programme airs at 8pm on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

This seven part series also goes behind the scenes at Ireland's largest horticulture festival Bord Bia Bloom, highlighting the resilience and ingenuity of Ireland's horticulture industry, looks at the intrigues of creating habitats for animals, and explores many other stories that inspire growth and connection.

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Kitty visits Bridgefoot Street Park to explore how Dublin City Council and local residents created an urban green space and transformed their community.

She speaks with DCC landscape architect Deirdre Price about creating Bridgefoot Street Park, while local resident Eamonn Costello highlights the community's involvement in designing spaces that work for everyone.

Bridgefoot Street Youth Group Coordinator Pauline McAdams discusses the impact these parks have on local children. 

Conor Courtney of Taplin's Fields community garden shares the balance of planting and harvesting efforts, and Leslie Moore, Head of Biodiversity, DCC, talks about the park’s design, community impact, and biodiversity benefits.

Colm heads to North County Dublin, known as The Market Garden of Ireland where the growers produce approximately 47% of Ireland’s field vegetables.

He meets local historian Aidan Arnold who tells him about the region's rich history and its role as a hub for vegetable production. Growers Denis Harford and Leo Murphy share their passion for growing, while Paul Carroll and Alan Taylor tell Colm how their family legacies shape their work. 

Fellow growers Mark McCann, Mark Taylor, Matt and John Throne, and Colm Grimes discuss the region’s rich agricultural heritage, the challenges facing local growers, and the importance of supporting Irish produce.

In Cork, Colm explores the world of technology and precision growing with Andrew Shorten, Chief Technology Officer of Vantage Ireland as he learns how technology is revolutionising horticulture. From precision machinery and drone operations, to advanced apps, Andrew explains how these tools transform planting and harvesting.

Grower Jason Bryan from Valleyview Farm, tells Colm how growers are adapting to new technologies. Colm puts his trust in Andrew who remotely controls a tractor Colm is 'driving' during a live demo, as Colm experiences remote-controlled growing in action.

Kitty also takes a closer look at the Economics of Horticulture. She meets with Jim Power, Economist and Podcaster, Paul Brophy, Broccoli producer from Brophy Produce Ltd. Co Kildare, and Michael Gaffney, Acting Head of Horticultural Development at Teagasc, to discuss the costs, facts and futures of the horticultural industry. 

Together, they explore employment opportunities, global trends, and the Irish consumer and how this can affect the Irish Horticulture Sector.