The star

RIP, Nigel. The true star of Gardener's World.

The gardening goddess

"Any death of a loved one is sad. But Beth Chatto lived to a great age and enriched the lives of so many of us with her writing, teaching and incomparable garden - so let's celebrate a life supremely well lived." - Monty Don

Britain has a long history of celebrated gardens and gardeners - from Romanesque villas to monastic cloisters, through Tudor knot gardens to William Kent's vistas, "Capability" Brown's landscapes, Humphrey Repton's Romanticism, and Joseph Paxton's formal designs in the industrial Victorian era.

In the 20th century, Gertrude Jekyll was one of the most influential gardeners - embedding all the quintessential elements of what we now think of as the "British Cottage Garden", such as herbaceous borders based on colour schemes, climbers on trellises, and garden "rooms" as an extension of the house. These ideas were taken to extremes by Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst, whose single-colour garden rooms became the height of fashion; but in the mixed borders favoured by Christopher Lloyd, planted beds went a step further still, with a kaleidoscope of sub-tropical plants and colours.

However it was Beth Chatto who put it all back together in some semblance of "order". Hers was the philosophy of "the right plant for the right place" - not merely creating gardens based upon the colour of flowers, their exoticism, their height or their contrasting shapes and habits, but on their preferred habitat; be that not only in her fabled "dry gardens", but also in waterlogged gardens, shady gardens, managing to find plants that thrive in clay, scree and gravel. In that, she was a pioneer - and, indeed was the last of the "gardening greats"; her influence and her expertise were universally admired by the perhaps more famous gardeners of more recent years, whose skills are demonstrated nowadays via a medium she herself largely eschewed, television.

With no horticultural experience herself, but with the guidance of her plantsman husband Andrew, she carved a unique niche in gardening lore - her books became international best-sellers, she was in great demand for lecturing tours, and her greatest legacy, The Beth Chatto Gardens near Colchester [which is on our list to visit sometime this year, with "the Essex Boys" Baby Steve and Alex who live quite near] receives thousands of visitors every year. And no wonder...







She's a sad loss. But I have found a (somewhat appropriate) song:

Flanders and Swann - Misalliance

RIP Beth Chatto OBE (27th June 1923 – 13th May 2018)

The sad death of Gardeners' World

We just tried to watch the latest programme in the new series of BBC's Gardeners' World, and ended up having to switch off in exasperation. I have for many decades been an admirer of the calm, collected, and above all intelligent programming that this series has provided, found solace in its no-nonsense advice, and luxuriated in the sheer joy of the love of plants.

For some reason - probably not unconnected to the mass panic that ensues in broadcasters such as the BBC (who have got rid of anyone who might be experienced or indeed anyone older than Britney Spears) when anything that is beyond the grasp of an ill-educated sink estate pleb, whose entire understanding of the world extends to Jeremy Kyle and Heat magazine, is broadcast - the current producers appear to want to make the show's format into "game show" meets children's' TV banality.

I began to read the equally frustrated comments by regular viewers of the programme on the BBC Gardens blog, and felt the need to post a comment. Here it is.

Elijay wrote: "Perhaps the 'Old Fogeys' are out of their comfort zone and would like to turn back the clock to that so called 'Golden Age' when everything was perfect."

I do not consider that my desire for a programme that does not insult my intelligence makes me an "old fogey". I do not believe that change for change sake is a good mantra, and I cannot see why this ridiculous parody of a programme should continue to be broadcast under the "Gardeners' World" banner at all.

Let's customise an ice cream van and give out carrot seeds! Lets make a hanging basket against the clock! Bring in more kids! Schools! Vox-pops!

Why not call this mess "Garden Invaders"? (no - that's been done on cable), or maybe "Rhythm and Blooms"? (no that's been done also), or how about "Sod's Law"? (no - already taken).

I would go off and watch repeats of the REAL Gardeners' World on UKTV Gardens, but in the dire depths of cable-land this channel is now axed and will be merged with all those awful "makeover" programmes to form a conglomerate channel ethereally called "Home".

I despair.

Men with dirty fingers

Just watched the 40th Anniversary of Gardeners' World on BBC replay. What a fabulous programme, one I have watched avidly for many years...

It is quite amazing what a huge impact the show has had over the years - one of the earliest colour broadcasts on the BBC, a regular audience of millions every week for four decades, and a constant supply of no-nonsense horticultural advice that has fed the nation's obsession with gardening and even dictated a number of trends, such as the move towards organic gardening.


Monty Don

And (surprisingly) Gardener's World provides another fascination - a regular supply of rugged totty! Now I am sure that no-one would possibly have moistened their pants over the likes of Percy Thrower or Peter Seabrook, but among the more recent crop of presenters there have been a few who have provided a bit of a tingle for many. The late great Geoff Hamilton had his fans, as have Alan Titchmarsh, Joe Swift, Andy Sturgeon - and I have to admit that Monty Don has masses of sex appeal, in a big-handed earthy sort of way.



But my all-time favourite is the gorgeous Chris Beardshaw. With his cheeky-chappy smile and his well-filled tight jeans, he could take me behind the potting sheds, whip out his dibber and show me the art of propagation any day!

And I'm not alone...

Happy 40th birthday Gardeners' World - long may this comforting, visually beautiful half hour of relaxation on a Friday evening continue!