Gardeners’ World & Alan Titchmarsh Gardening Club 2025

October .

 

I see GW are advertising on Google News for "research vacancies". Their exact wording is:

We have a number of research vacancies coming up. If you have a passion for plants, a good nose for a story and fancy working on next year's series of Gardeners' World, we'd love to hear from you

Horticultural Researcher, Gardeners' World - BBC Studios, Bristol on The Talent Manager

It's a freelance position, whatever that means.

I can't help wondering whether the BBC are casting their net wider in an endeavour to create programmes more cheaply, and maybe with more of a Joe Public slant.

 

Freelance means contracted in and self employed so no overheads like you get with permanent staff - NI, pension, sick pay and PAYE - as the freelancer has to do all that themselves.

 

Sorry, when I said they're advertising on Google News, that's not strictly correct. I picked up the article there (actually a link to X) but they're probably advertising in several places.

 

"BBC Studios is committed to having a diverse range of skills, experience and talent working on our programmes, and as such we’re keen for applicants from underrepresented groups to apply particularly those who are neurodivergent, have a disability, are from an ethnic minorities background and lower socio-economic groups to ensure we are representative of all."

I have never met someone who fulfilled all these criteria.

 

8pm tonight.

"As the autumn light bathes Longmeadow, Monty is harvesting pumpkins in time for Halloween, adding a berberis to his orchard border and planting out strawberries.

Frances Tophill shows how her garden in Devon has been developing. Now in its third year, she’s taking stock and preparing for winter.

And Nick Bailey discovers how CT scanners can reveal in astonishing detail the secret life of plant roots, normally hidden beneath the soil.

There are a couple of passionate growers who revel in the weird and wonderful world of carnivorous plants. Plus a gardener in Kent who has created a magnificent space, brimming with colour and abiding by some strict design rules."

 

Managed to watch the first 10 minutes before I was heading to Bath.
Please, Monty, don’t take off the dry leaves from your flowers. You will be surprised how many ladybirds are overwintering in them and these leaves last all winter.
For goodness sake, don’t tell us how important wildlife is and take off the leaves because they disturb your winter garden design.

 

I'm watching this in short bursts whilst busy in the kitchen so haven't absorbed it all yet but the bit on root growth is fascinating. I do wonder tho why "scientists" are surprised by plants behaving logically and doing their best to adapt and find a way to grow and repoduce, just as I'm surprised that they are surprised when they observe empathy and cooperation between each other and between species. The animals have brains and therefore souls, for want of a better word, so of course there's room for empathy and play.

Not convinced Frances' garden is a thing of beauty but it makes her happy and that's what counts.

Why on earth has Monty wasted time and space growing squashes in the greenhouse?

 

And why was he wasting time and energy planting annual Ammi now?

 

Maybe because he's recently turned 70 and doesn't know how much time he's got left but
probably because he's got a nice heated greenhouse (several in fact) so he can

 

Except that he was planting them outside in his precious white writing garden that he neglected for a while and now has to re-do. He also supects the ammi will be eaten so Why?

 

I think it's a learning thing @LunarSea and @Obelix-Vendée, he wants to learn from his mistakes which is becoming a Monty Mantra .

 

Seems to me some of those mistakes are pretty obvious to many of us as he makes them @Plantminded so you'd expect his experience to inform his experiments too.

 

I did enjoy the shots of Longmeadow, the light was beautiful.

Frances' garden was very relatable. Not perfect by any means, but clearly much loved. I could have done with a ubiquitous drone shot just to get some idea of the perspective though.

The CT scans of plants etc were fascinating. For some reason I could just picture Geoff Hamilton doing that item.

I'm not sure that ammi experiment is going to work tbh.

Incredible house with a beautiful garden, lovely design, but does it sound crazy to say it was just too perfect ?

Sometimes I think things can be just too "over thought", but of course it's probably just me being jealous . (Plus I just tend to plant things where there's a space ).

Looking forward to seeing the new project in due course .

 

8pm tonight.

"It’s an exciting week at Longmeadow as Monty makes a start on his brand new woodland garden. Autumn is the best time to get trees and shrubs in the ground, and he plants three that would do well in a shady spot. He’s also got ideas for brightening up a lawn and shares advice on how to get an early crop of onions.
Advolly Richmond digs into the history of Gertrude Jekyll, one of the most influential garden designers of the 20th century. And Carol Klein revels in some dazzling displays at RHS Rosemoor in Devon.
There’s a project in Manchester that’s transforming urban spaces into colourful havens teeming with wildlife. Plus an inspirational garden in North Yorkshire bursting with rich autumnal hues."