A GROUP of green-fingered gardeners have been on national television for their work to restore a Bolton rock garden.

The Friends of Moss Bank Park appeared on the BBC Two programme, The Great British Garden Revival, to show the progress they have made in restoring the rock garden in the park.

Presenter Carol Klein, from Walkden, visited the group last year to film the episode and find out more about the work going on at the attraction.

The garden had been closed for more than 10 years because it had become overgrown and a target for vandals.

But in 2010, with the help of a Heritage Lottery grant, the group began its work to restore it to its former glory.

During the programme, presenter Carol spoke with group member, David Butcher, who has been at the forefront of the work for many years.

He said: “It was great fun filming the show, although you realise the work that goes into television because the small five minute segment took about six hours to film. It was really nice for us to meet and talk to Carol, many of us are big fans of her work and it adds something extra because she is local — she was very friendly indeed.”

Rock gardens were an important aspect of Victorian garden fashion and in the programme Carol, who went to Bolton School, highlighted some of the finest remaining examples across the country, including the one in Moss Bank Park.

In the programme, Mr Butcher, aged 72, revealed that he used to take his girlfriend to the rock garden and he hopes that young people will be able to do the same in the future.He joked: “Yes it was a lot of fun, I think I need to move on to some action work next, perhaps something like Sherlock.”