Previous Gardeners World presenters

[SJW]

I thought this gave an interesting, although slightly depressing, perspective on how a certain type of 'gardening' programme gets made: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9465064/My-garden-on-TV-Never-again-Alan-Titchmarsh.html

[Tim Ingram]

Perhaps I'm wrong

[Neil J]

Living in Tasmania we have never been able to view these programs, but I did buy & enjoy the magazine here for many years until the arrival of Monty Don, when ego & celebrity seemed to overtake plants as a focus. Australian programs similarly fail to inspire - All lifestyle & very few plants of any interest.

What i would really like to see would be an international television series based solely on plants. Something along the lines of David Attenborough's very successful works, but solely, objectively about plants. This could be a joint effort between national networks in UK, Europe, USA, Australia, NZ, China and anywhere else.

i woukl suggest 2 streams (or 2 shows). One on plants in the wild, the other on plant breeding developments of consequence (not just another shade of petunia).

Yes it would be expensive to make, I'm sure Attenborough's budget is not small. But well syndicated & marketed, it would soon attract the greatest audience of all time.

Why not!

[SJW]

What i would really like to see would be an international television series based solely on plants. Something along the lines of David Attenborough's very successful works, but solely, objectively about plants. This could be a joint effort between national networks in UK, Europe, USA, Australia, NZ, China and anywhere else.

i woukl suggest 2 streams (or 2 shows). One on plants in the wild, the other on plant breeding developments of consequence (not just another shade of petunia).

Yes it would be expensive to make, I'm sure Attenborough's budget is not small. But well syndicated & marketed, it would soon attract the greatest audience of all time.

Why not!

Neil - actually, the BBC Natural History Unit and Attenborough did make a series called "The Private Life of Plants" about 10 years ago. Perhaps not covering everything you suggest but excellent nonetheless. http://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Attenborough-Private-Life-Plants/dp/B0000AISJC

[ian mcdonald]

I have tried to see if other members were interested in our native alpines through a previous blog. The response was poor. I have also tried to interest the BBC springwatch and autumnwatch programme makers in native plants without success. It seems that plants to most people are only interesting if they are in/come from far away places?

[Chris Johnson]

I have tried to see if other members were interested in our native alpines through a previous blog. The response was poor. I have also tried to interest the BBC springwatch and autumnwatch programme makers in native plants without success. It seems that plants to most people are only interesting if they are in/come from far away places?

It's even harder to get a decent programme on fungi unless it's associated with gastronomy.

[Tim Ingram]

Ian - I could imagine programming that is something like a cross between Julia Bradbury exploring the Lake District (and Wainwright's knowledge of the landscape) and Geoffrey Smith's knowledge of plants and gardening. I think probably most of the readers here (and in the 'other place') are most interested in plants from far away , but there could be great scope to go to places like The Burren, Ben Lawers and Chalk Downlands looking in more detail at plants and the environment. Given the right, and imaginative presentation (which results from suitable collaboration between people) these could be as exciting as any other Natural History programmes, but it would take quite a change in vision from the media to go this way. Probably a little more 'Ray Mears' and less 'Bear Grylls'.

[mark smyth]

Not sure if these two were on GW way back when I first got in to plants. Two men featured every week. Old man with white hair and moustache and a younger man with dark hair and glasses. The latter is now or was information desk man at John Massey's Ashwood garden centre

[Graeme]

Not sure if these two were on GW way back when I first got in to plants. Two men featured every week. Old man with white hair and moustache and a younger man with dark hair and glasses. The latter is now or was information desk man at John Massey's Ashwood garden centre

that wasn't Gardners World it was Garden Time - ITV's punt at a GW - and very good it was - although I was quite young at the time it was the first time I saw cyclamen coum  - from what I remember it was Arthur Billett? and Howard Drury

I later bumped into Howard and his mother at the primula and auricula shows at Knowle - where his mum did the food and he showed plants.  I know him to talk to and see him when we go to Ashwood

That programme probably inspired me more than GW and was much more hands on - and not so much veg growers weekly

http://www.thedrurys.com/index.php/2012-04-03-22-08-14/howard-drury

[johnstephen29]

I was at ashwood's the Saturday before last, nice garden centre, brought some nice plants home. I have thought of another tv gardener daphne leeward, you never see her on tv anymore, I can't remember if she was on gw or not.

[Maggi Young]

Oh yes, I remember Daphne - she's Daphne Ledward from Lincolnshire - she had lovely red hair - and got the sack after "a drunken tirade"  - you can read the gory details online  www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1181619/BBC-gardening-expert-sacked-drunken-abuse-radio-roadshow.html

http://www.daphneledward.com/appear.shtml- her history from her website

She's still around -  http://blog.spaldingbulb.co.uk/at-home-with-daphne-ledward/  this is from Sept. this year.

[johnstephen29]

I nearly got her name right  , no wonder she's teetotal if that's what happens when she's had a few poor woman. I know surfleet, not far from me. Didn't she do a show a few years back where she and her husband traveled around the country  looking at people's sick plants?

[ian mcdonald]

Mark, was the "old man with white hair and moustache" Alan Bloom? Sometimes his son Adrian was on as well.

[Maggi Young]

I remember Alan Bloom with long white hair- but not a moustache     but Adrian also had white hair- and a  "mouser".......

[Maggi Young]

Reviving this thread with a note about the programme Gardeners' World ..... by Matthew Appleby,  taken from Hort Week online
http://www.hortweek.com/bbc-search-new-gardeners-world-presenter/retail/article/1379056?bulletin=breakfast-briefing&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&utm_source=20160113&utm_content=

BBC in search for new Gardener's World presenter

12 January 2016, by Matthew Appleby

"The BBC has sent an advert to Garden Media Guild members looking for a new presenter for its flagship gardening show.

The presenter is in addition to current presenters Monty Don, Carol Klein, Joe Swift and Rachel de Thame.

The show has been running since 1968. Don has been lead presenter since 2011.

The BBC has yet to announce its 2016 schedule, saying that will be revealed in the second or third week in January.

Klein said last year that the BBC did not give presenters word that they would be working on the show, which usually starts in late February and runs until November, until the New Year.

The advert states: "BBC Bristol are currently looking for potential presenters for a new series of Gardeners’ World.  Previous television experience is desirable but not essential, as long as you are an enthusiastic and passionate communicator about plants and gardening. Contact Helen Cawley, email:helen.cawley@bbc.co.uk or tel: 0117 974 2309 or 07729 260633 before January 22nd."

The position is "additional" to the current presenters, who the BBC see as a "good solid team".

A BBC spokesperson said: "The note has just been put out to see who’s out there, that’s it."