Who is Garden Rescue star and trans ally Lee Burkhill?
Garden Rescue’s Lee Burkhill. (Instagram/@garden_ninja_lee)
Garden Rescue's Lee Burkhill. (Instagram/@garden_ninja_lee)
It may be a new year but one thing that hasn’t changed is the presence of Lee Burkhill and the rest of the Garden Rescue team on our screens.
The daytime gardening show was renewed for an 11th season last year which sees Burkhill and co return to help keep the gardens of the UK in tip-top shape.
As well as Burkhill, the Garden Rescue team consists of Charlie Dimmock, Chris Hull, and Flo Headlam. Joining them will be garden designers Diarmuid Gavin, Frances Tophill, Joe Swift, and Sue Kent.
Burkhill – aka The Garden Ninja – has been a member of the Garden Rescue team since 2021 and has built up a loyal following in that time.
Here’s everything you need to know about the gardener extraordinaire.
Where is Garden Rescue‘s Lee Burkhill from?
Burkhill is from North-West England and is currently based around Manchester.
How old is he?
Burkhill is stated as being 42 at the time of writing.
What did Lee Burkhill do before gardening?
In 2022, Burkhill shared with Sitting Spiritually that he had worked as a Senior (Prince Practitioner Certified) Project Manager in IT for 12 years before turn to gardening full time.
Describing the garden as his “sanctuary to leave the world behind”, he explained he’d gardened as a hobby since childhood.
Burkhill said his husband “sowed the seed about making a career change in garden design after a particularly difficult time at work”.
After studying and volunteering, all while working full time, he made the career change in 2016. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done work-wise and now every day I get to do what I love,” Burkhill said.
Where did he train?
Burkhill’s website states he studied Horticulture with the Royal Horticultural Society at Edinburgh Botanical gardens.
What does he do on YouTube?
Burkhill was noticed by the Garden Rescue team thanks to his prolific work on YouTube. Posting under the username ‘The Garden Ninja’ he’s shared all sorts of tips and tricks to keeping gardens looking nice and healthy.
He currently has more than 73,000 subscribers as well as 42,000 Instagram followers. He told Sitting Spiritually that the name ‘The Garden Ninja’ was given to him by a client he worked for.
Who is Lee Burkhill married to?
Burkhill chooses to keep his private life just that, private. So, little is known publicly about his partner. The pair own two border terriers named Barry and Percy.
Though, in December 2025, Burkhill shared three images to Instagram seemingly showing off his partner and some friends of theirs.
“Absolutely wonderful time with the bestest friends and double daters,” the caption read.
What’s Lee Burkill said about being bullied?
In 2019, Burkhill tweeted: “Starting to appreciate a microdose of what trans people must endure from some erroneous yet vicious online #trolls.
“Reminds me of being bullied as a teen for being gay. So today I want to raise a golden trowel to all #LGBTQoftwitter to all stand strong! #TransIsBeautiful”.
What awards has Garden Rescue‘s Lee Burkhill won?
He’s won number of awards. In 2016, he was awarded the RHS & BBC Feel Good Gardens Winner with his garden being showcased at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
In 2017, the Garden Media Guild awarded Burkhill the Alan Titchmarsh New Talent Award Runner-Up award. A year later he won the 5 Star Trade Stand Award & Director Generals Trade Stand Award at the Chelsea Flower Show.
In 2019, he won a Vela Top 10 Blogger Award and designed the BBC Sunshine Show Garden at RHS Tatton 2019 in memory of the late BBC North West Tonight weather presenter, Dianne Oxberry.
He also designed the BBC Community Garden at RHS Tatton in 2021.
How does he fill his spare time?
When not gardening, Burkhill likes to travel and is the proud owner of a motorhome. “Visiting off the beaten track places brings me peace. I get a lot of design inspiration from travel and being on the road,” he told Sitting Spiritually.
What other hobbies does Garden Rescue‘s Lee Burkhill have?
As well as gardening and travel, Burkhill has shown off his love of tarot cards on social media.
Garden Rescue series 11 is expected to air sometime this year.
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