Gardeners’ World & Alan Titchmarsh Gardening Club 2025

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by GreenFingeredPete, Mar 12, 2025.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2005
    Messages:
    57,233
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Mid Kent
    Ratings:
    +112,822
    One day it might be reviled that half, maybe more, of these presenters are not real gardeners in the sense of get all muddy during winter.
    A lot are just scene setters at the Chelsea flower show, moving around the exhibit.

    Its a throw back to thrower, Percy the bloke that never took his jacket and tie off.
     
  2. Busy-Lizzie

    Busy-Lizzie Total Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2024
    Messages:
    2,423
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Norfolk and Dordogne, France
    Ratings:
    +9,407
    dscf4371.jpg

    Percy Thrower wore jackets and ties because he was on TV. Men did in those days. I shouldn't think he did when alone in his garden.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • GreenFingeredPete

      GreenFingeredPete Gardener

      Joined:
      Feb 6, 2025
      Messages:
      234
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Apprentice Gardener
      Location:
      Bexleyheath
      Ratings:
      +234
      Gardeners’ World is gradually changing, the BBC are pivoting away from the one main presenter format to several presenters, this is due to scandals in particular Hugh Edwards, they also want to move away from the pale, male and stale look, a better example of this, is Bargain Hunt when it started 20 odd years ago the main presenter David Dickinson and experts were 95% white male, it certainly doesn’t look like that now, I agree with all this as a programme should reflect who views the programmes. I am saying this as someone who is pale, male and very much stale.
       
    • AnniD

      AnniD Super Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 13, 2024
      Messages:
      783
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Gloucestershire
      Ratings:
      +1,670
      This should strictly be in a 2026 thread but time is of the essence as at 8pm tonight there is a compilation programme, the first of 4.

      "In the first of four special programmes, Monty celebrates the dawn of a new gardening year by looking back at some memorable moments.

      At Longmeadow, he adds some giant grasses to the Jewel Garden as part of its big rejig. He’s also got French beans to plant out and shares tips on how to look after oriental poppies once their moment of glory has gone.

      Toby Buckland discovers how a garden near Bath has managed to marry its wild surroundings with its rich industrial past. Jamie Butterworth visits RHS Bridgewater to catch up on all the latest developments. And in Essex, Adam Frost finds out how a walled garden has been brought back to life, thanks to the dedication of one incredible woman.

      In the Peak District, a couple have ripped up the rule book on veg growing, with impressive results! And a community group in Cheshire demonstrates the power of gardening and the enormous benefits it can bring to everyone involved."
       
      • Like Like x 3
      • simone_in_wiltshire

        simone_in_wiltshire Total Gardener

        Joined:
        Mar 16, 2024
        Messages:
        1,867
        Gender:
        Female
        Location:
        NE Wiltshire, UK
        Ratings:
        +8,671
        I enjoyed yesterday’s episode very much. Just to my taste most of it.
         
        • Agree Agree x 2
        • Allotment Boy

          Allotment Boy Lifelong Allotmenteer

          Joined:
          Apr 25, 2024
          Messages:
          1,162
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired Medical Lab Scientist
          Location:
          The edge of suburban North London
          Ratings:
          +4,366
          Yesterday's programme was mostly ok, but why show planting climbing beans when it will be another 4months before you can even think about it in most parts of the country.?
          One of my increasing criticisms, even with the normal shows, is that they often show pieces that were obviously filmed at other times of the year, but without making it clear. OK last night they did but often not, it must be very confusing to novice gardeners.
          Pete, as far as I know the only one of the current batch of presenters that is NOT a formally qualified gardener is Monty himself all the rest are. Monty has always said openly that he learned by doing , reading, and visiting other gardens. In fairness, if you go back less than 100 years, most of the great gardens were staffed by people trained in that way. Most of them would never have sat an exam, they learned as apprentices and worked their way up.
          Nowadays they all sit exams too even if like Alan Titchmarsh, and Adam Frost, they started as apprentices, they go on to be formally qualified.
           
          • Informative Informative x 1
          • simone_in_wiltshire

            simone_in_wiltshire Total Gardener

            Joined:
            Mar 16, 2024
            Messages:
            1,867
            Gender:
            Female
            Location:
            NE Wiltshire, UK
            Ratings:
            +8,671
            @Allotment Boy Yesterday’s episode was not intended to be a winter programme - please watch Carol Klein’s winter episode of her season series for that - but gave plenty of inspiration what to do this year and to plan ahead.
            I just had a shower and watched it again. It was 2 o’clock, the iPad on a little chair, and the bathroom, normally quite dark in winter time, was brightened up as it is in summer from the sunshine that is reflected by the opposite house. I felt like being in Spring. Amazing. This episode definitely raised my spirits and I can’t wait to get started. Unfortunately my garden is too small to have all the lovely plant that I saw in the episode. I will definitely put some herbs into the borders.
             
            • Like Like x 1
              Last edited: Jan 10, 2026
            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

              Joined:
              Jan 9, 2005
              Messages:
              57,233
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired
              Location:
              Mid Kent
              Ratings:
              +112,822
              As far as I know being an apprentice is how you became formally qualified:scratch:, I dont know how they do it these days then, apprentices always have to do exams or in the case of a 100 years ago, time served.

              I dont watch it much now days so I dont really know anything much about any of them or even their names, so maybe I shouldn't comment.
               
            • NigelJ

              NigelJ Total Gardener

              Joined:
              Jan 31, 2012
              Messages:
              9,548
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Mad Scientist
              Location:
              Paignton Devon
              Ratings:
              +30,138
              Back in the day a master would receive a fee to take on an apprentice in his workshop or business. The apprentice would work there for a number of years (typically 3, 5, or 7) and in the case of many trades complete an apprentice piece that was assessed by his master. He then became a journeyman and probably moved around continuing to learn before completing his masterpiece that was assessed by the guild he belonged to. If good enough he could call himself a master and set up his own workshop.
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • Informative Informative x 1
              • AnniD

                AnniD Super Gardener

                Joined:
                Mar 13, 2024
                Messages:
                783
                Gender:
                Female
                Location:
                Gloucestershire
                Ratings:
                +1,670
                I will start a new thread entitled "Gardeners' World and other gardening programmes 2026" if OK with admin @Fat Controller ?
                 
                • Like Like x 3
                • AnniD

                  AnniD Super Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Mar 13, 2024
                  Messages:
                  783
                  Gender:
                  Female
                  Location:
                  Gloucestershire
                  Ratings:
                  +1,670
                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Jul 3, 2006
                  Messages:
                  67,950
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired - Last Century!!!
                  Location:
                  Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                  Ratings:
                  +135,846
                  @AnniD Thanks for starting the new thread. I've now closed this old one and made the new one a 'Sticky'.
                   
                  • Like Like x 2
                  Loading...
                  Thread Status:
                  Not open for further replies.

                  Share This Page

                  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                    Dismiss Notice