Carol Ann Klein was born on 24 June 1945 in Walkden, Lancashire. She was the eldest child in her family, with two younger brothers. Her love of gardening was inspired partly by her grandfather, whose allotment she enjoyed, and partly by her mother. Her father had a TV shop in Walkden and loved motorbikes — an interest Carol also shares to this day.

Klein originally trained as a fine artist and spent many years teaching art in schools and colleges. In 1978, she and her husband Neil relocated to Glebe Cottage in North Devon, where she established a specialist plant nursery. She exhibited at more than 200 Royal Horticultural Society shows and began exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1990, where she won six gold medals.

Klein made her television debut on Gardeners’ World in 1989 and has since presented programmes including Real Gardens, Open Gardens, Life in a Cottage Garden, and Grow Your Own Veg, both for BBC Two. She has been a permanent presenter of Gardeners’ World since 2005.

In 2026, Klein co-hosts the six-part series Greatest Gardens with Diarmuid Gavin and Carol Klein, produced by Waddell Media for BBC Northern Ireland, airing on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer. Klein is married to Neil Klein and has two daughters, Annie and Alice. Annie lives in California and Alice lives in Lewisham and has two children.