Cbeebies - Gordon the Garden Gnome

Do you believe that introducing children to gardening (even to something as small as a window box for those who live in flats) and nature and how things grow is important?

I think everyone can get something out of gardening, whether it's participating in creating it or simply enjoying the fruits of another's labour. It's not just for the older generation. Personally, I'm all for getting young people ... out into the great outdoors. If they don't have access to their own gardens there are plenty of parks and open spaces to enjoy. It's not just about the plants … being outdoors itself is an educational experience. The magic and mystery of nature is all round us.

But with the summer approaching, it's the perfect time for parents to encourage their children to take up outdoor activities. Small projects are good. It's fun to pick common wild flowers and press them - things like clovers, daisies, dandelions that can be found in abundance in our countryside (not the rare one of course) - and make collections. It's fun to make a bird table, perhaps, and look at who comes to visit, identifying all the different types of birds. Or even watching tadpoles grow in a nearby pond.

If you have access to a garden, I suggest giving children their own area as their personal space, to do what they want with. And make sure it's the best bit of soil in the garden, not a bit under a tree with no light or moisture. It can be slow to see results with gardening, so give them the best conditions for success. They might just learn to love it.

If you don't have a garden, planting up a trough or a window box with annuals can be just as good; select something like primulas or pansies and see how many flowers you get. By picking the faded ones off, they learn that more come. Sunflowers are great things to grow from seed for kids. They're very sturdy and it's fun to see how tall you can get them.

It's also quite simple to help children grow some things from seed for their own plate - something like lettuce or perhaps even growing your own tomatoes. This way they have an understanding of where some of our food comes from - and not just the supermarket.

Yes, I think it's important to encourage an interaction with nature, in all its forms. At least if they are out there enjoying it, they'll not grow up being indifferent to nature.

What drives your passion for gardening and nature?

Gardening is a joyous experience for me. My Mother encouraged me to have a 'sense of green' and I couldn't ever be without the countryside. I was ten years old when I really started being interested in gardening. I used to spend my pocket money on seeds at that age. But there are pictures of me at eighteen months with grandfather's tools. I still use his spade.

Every spring is a new beginning for me as a gardener and I have a childlike enthusiasm to get out there. Daffodils and tulips never fail to excite. I do the gardening to relax. I have a very broad range of interests, but I'm never bored with gardening.

Was this passion behind your decision to accept being the voice of Gordon the Garden Gnome?

Yes. When they approached me to do the voice I thought it was an interesting fit for me. It's about life in a garden, with a gardener, and there's a lot of Gordon in me. His attitude to plants and flowers are me - and he likes to be thought of as a good gardener. It's also educational, but not in a didactic way, in a fun way. It encourages 'tinies' to be aware of nature and to get out and enjoy being outdoors. Gordon's catchphrase is "Let's Get Mucky", and as I have said, I'm all for getting kids to be hands on in the garden.

Did you enjoy playing this character? Do you believe this series will bring the delights of gardens and growing things closer to children? Yes, it was tremendous fun playing Gordon. I think his enthusiasm for the garden, his love of plants and doing his job are contagious. Hopefully he'll make the garden seem a friendlier place and a place where children will want to be. He's funny, and the ability to make kids laugh is a good thing. But it's his love for nature that shines through. It's an amusing and beautifully made cartoon series for young children 3-6.

There are 52 episodes, eleven minutes' long, made by Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment. It's for CBeeebies and will be shown for the first time in June.

I hope that when they see it, kids might like to be like Gordon and share his love of nature.