Gardeners World

[Houseplanter]

Is it me or is this way past its best.

I want to know how to DO things.. what to plant, where, when. How to propagate.

Monty we don't have gardens big enough to leave to go wild and mow a path through..

I don't want to see endless videos of other peoples gardens either.

I see it as a bit of Friday night escapism, I really look forward to it and enjoy most of the show except the national
collections - why would you just want one plant?! - and anything with sodding palm trees which have no place in an English garden. I love Adam and hope he takes over from Monty but I think it’ll be a woman.

I think Monty does tend towards curmudgeonly. He has spells of depression. His books are wonderful . Meditative and, I've found, full of solace.

I worked with him years ago and found him quite unpleasant, a million miles from the gentle soothing person in his books and on tv. I think it was during one of his bad spells though so I have some sympathy.

Did anyone else read today that sadly Carol has breast cancer. She seems typically upbeat and cheery about dealing with it - I find her a bit much at times but you can’t fault her spirit!

I enjoy the viewers gardens even if wobbly. Not forgetting the dogs and Ash the cat. It’s just nice and relaxing. Likewise I enjoy the programmes from Chelsea and Hampton Court.

@BigPandaTinyDragon I think youre right - Carol is probably a wonderful human being.

I was very moved by Carol’s video on Instagram. Wishing her well for her recovery.

So sorry to hear about Carol. Sending her best wishes.

I didn't know about Carol, I just had a look at her Instagram. She seems incredibly cheery, amazing woman.

I'm surprised Carol's 78. I would have thought she was in her 60s. I guess because she's got quite a modern style. I hope her treatment goes well.

I can confirm that Carol is lovely, I sat through a train delay with her at a busy London station where my six year old accidentally bumped into her and she was so incredibly lovely to her and me, chatting away while we waited (just as a person and not as a 'celebrity') really down to earth and lovely, keeping my daughter distracted asking about her trip and her new trainers etc. telling us about her family. Wishing her a speedy recovery, I genuinely think she's a bit of a national treasure.

That's so lovely. Another Carol fan here- I've been rewatching all her shows on YouTube recently. She's brilliant, and her garden is such a labour of love.

Hello Houseplanter,

Gardeners World ended on 4th August 1996 when Geoff Hamilton passed away on a bike ride in Merthyr Tydfil.

Last year I met a garden hand tool sales rep who was friends with someone who used to write scripts for Gardeners World with reference being made to Monty Don. A further comment was made by the sales rep to me from their friend script writer who stated “he knows very little”

Gardeners World presenters of old did not need scripts or need to read of auto queue.

I have seen Gardeners World presenters pacing up and down learning lines before shoots at Chelsea Flower Show and reading off auto queues.

Monty Don does not have any horticultural training unlike Gardeners World presenters of old.

You could no pay me to watch Gardeners World today.

Today Gardeners World is all about being a celebrity.

Happy gardening
TheSustainableGardener

I suppose it's how confident you are without a cue. I know of a classical pianist who played concerts with his sheet/tablet music present otherwise the performance would be too stressful.

I didn't watch Gardeners World of old and I'm sure Hamilton was excellent. So I have to make do with what's there now!

I'd love if they reshowed Hamilton's The Cottage Garden...

My goodness, the poor man died quite young.

Yes, I still miss Geoff Hamilton. He was presenting GW when I started gardening. Adam seems his successor in many ways.

It’s quite the thing on gardening social
media to disparage Monty for not being a trained horticulturist. Evidently he’s not, but the GW credits list a team of horticultural advisers, so if Monty is giving poor advice one might wonder what the horticultural advisers are doing (or not).

I know Monty isn't a trained horticulturist, he's a tv presenter. However that's probably what makes him good at his job - he's not making those of us who aren't experts feel stupid for not knowing everything, but rather encouraging us to have a go, and have a nice time whilst doing so.

It isn't meant to be on a par with a professional rhs qualification, it's a nice show on a Friday evening.

I learn stuff about gardening from monty and put it into practice. If he gave incorrect advice it would soon get pointed out by the public, so I'm sure they check through everything he's going to say.

I fast forward through Monty I'm afraid. Like PPs I like presenters who do things, preferably the sort of things that need doing in my garden. Adam is my favourite and I like Frances, Carol, Sue and the other chap with the doggo - Nick someone?

I love seeing viewers gardens and the specialist.

I don't mind that Monty hasn't got a professional qualification. He did several gardening series on Channel 4 and I used to love him, I was delighted when he started on GW. But that was 20 years ago and I think he's got stale. I get the impression that his heart isn't really in GW, but it gives him the springboard for other projects like Italian/Japanese Gardens series.

Despite all that, I think he's the best presenter they have had since Geoff. I can't abide Alan Titchmarsh. But there are now better options (IMO).

What a load of old rubbish. Monty is very knowledgeable. I have had many direct interactions with him over the years and he certainly knows his stuff despite the fact that he might have come to gardening via a different route.

I'm sure you know best though from your brief chat with a random sales rep who apparently used to be friends with someone who used to write scripts...

We all have different likes and dislikes but pompous rubbish like this which is borne out by nothing but gossip is rather horrible.

I agree. There’s more than one way to amass knowledge. It’s tiresome that some of the professionals on social media like to pretend that anyone who’s not a professional knows nothing at all. Obviously, not all horticultural professionals are like that, but some social media platforms seem to be alive with it every Friday evening.

It doesn't bother me either that MMonty doesn't have formal training. I think, for the most part, he has been a wonderful GW presenter but I think his style of garden and presenting now belong to a different time, and I think he's fallen into a bit of a yearly pattern that is just on repeat - save the odd loofah.

A good time for change, maybe.

Sorry for the tangent, but I wondered if people on this thread also listened to Gardener’s Question Time? I’m very fond of it. Partly because of the broad range it covers, right down to house plants and window boxes. Partly because having different opinions from the panel gets across a spirit that there’s no one right way to do things and you can have fun experimenting.

Love GQT and regularly listen on earpods whilst up on the allotment on a Saturday morning!

Thanks for the reminder about GQT, I used to listen to it every week but somehow forgot about it - I'll put it on my podcast list.

I agree. I find Monty a soothing, calming voice at the end of the week and enjoy his enthusiasm for gardening.

LOL at Monty being a "soothing, calming voice". It annoys DH that I insist that we have GW on ... and then often fall asleep halfway through.