Gardeners World

Top_Banana_2

I enjoy the show, and Alys is lovely.

annie123

I've just watched it on iplayer as I was out last night.

I think the main difference between Toby and the last presenters over the years is that it feels like him and us, with the others i felt like we were all gardening together, if that makes sense.

Monty's enthusiasm and dont worry its not difficult attitude I enjoyed and the settings were closer to what many gardeners have.

How many can have that deeply raised beds and that big, to put parsnips in! and where was the little row of radishes that mark where they are, I always lose them otherwise, and why wasn't inter cropping mentioned, what a waste of precious space.

I have no problem with going back to basics, like drainage holes in bags etc...we were all newbies once but it does feel a bit like a school lesson.

I was reading in the dentist a couple of days ago, a copy of armature gardening '99 where Toby had done a small article on how to use broken tiles to make a decorative house number plate...you know the look! and that is his style of presenting.
I'm sure he is a great gardener but being a good teacher and presenter to appeal to all levels of gardening is a skill I feel he lacks.

But I'll watch it anyway, your never too experienced not to need a tip on something....in my case growing melons......wonder if they will cover them?

nodwah

Primrose wrote: »

I think I liked Geoff Hamilton best of all. He was a natural. Carol Klein is obviously a very keen plant enthusiast but honestly , does anybody really garden in all those long coats and scarves. My jury is out on Toby Buckland. I can see that his style might appeal to newby gardeners but I do dislike the cult of youth on virtually every programme which appears on the BBC. Older more experienced gardeners have a lot of historical information to off and I hate seeing them pensioned off.

Have you seen the big baldy bit on the top of his head!!!!:rotfl:

if that's youth then I'm glad to be young again!!

I think Toby is likeable enough but his ideas are twee and old fashined, esp after Monty who was a bit out there sometimes.

I mean the big part of the show about wonderful roses and then what does he plant - a blimmin rugosa - as seen in council car parks and shopping centres!!!

I would've much preferred Carol as lead presenter and Alys as second in command

gingernutbizkit

I totally agree that Carol as main presenter and Als as second would be great..... I sincerely hope this wasn't overlooked in order to have a male lead.

Anitah

You know we're thought that for ages! Carol has so much natural enthusiasm and immediate likeability that she seemed the obvious choice. Though she may not have wanted it, have we all thought of that? She may just want to tend her own lovely garden and just do a bit of part-time presenting.

Do agree she'd have been the best, though.

madmum33

Anitah wrote: »

You know we're thought that for ages! Carol has so much natural enthusiasm and immediate likeability that she seemed the obvious choice. Though she may not have wanted it, have we all thought of that? She may just want to tend her own lovely garden and just do a bit of part-time presenting.

Do agree she'd have been the best, though.

Yes, Carol is a breath of fresh air - as for wanting to tend her own garden, and only present part time, isn't that what all the presenters do? All the hard work in this new garden will be done by the minions, leaving Toby et al to do whatever they please until called upon to film!

A._Badger

Oh well, as everyone else is saying how much they like Carol Klein, I might as well be a lone voice, if only to show there isn't 100 per cent unanimity. I can't abide the woman.

I do agree that there is too much emphasis on youth and on appearance, however, and (leaving aside any other considerations) that leads to a monoculture of fashionable views. Having one of the crusty old school on now and again might do something to counterbalance the relentless 'green' Messianism.

Lotus-eater

A._Badger wrote: »

Oh well, as everyone else is saying how much they like Carol Klein, I might as well be a lone voice, if only to show there isn't 100 per cent unanimity. I can't abide the woman.

I do agree that there is too much emphasis on youth and on appearance, however, and (leaving aside any other considerations) that leads to a monoculture of fashionable views. Having one of the crusty old school on now and again might do something to counterbalance the relentless 'green' Messianism.

You're not alone, I can't stand her either, she always makes me think of a walking skeleton, sorry Carol I know that's not very fair

I was thinking what some of you wrote, I do like Toby, he has a friendly face, but the program continues to bug me and I'm not totally sure what is wrong with it.
I like the guy that does beechgrove, the old boy, He's your granddad and the good old boy down the lottie all rolled into one.


I miss Montys little eccentricities and the fact he was really animated when talking about growing food to eat. Toby seems a very middle of the road choice after Monty.

olly300

Anitah wrote: »

You know we're thought that for ages! Carol has so much natural enthusiasm and immediate likeability that she seemed the obvious choice. Though she may not have wanted it, have we all thought of that? She may just want to tend her own lovely garden and just do a bit of part-time presenting.

Do agree she'd have been the best, though.

She wasn't asked to be presenter.

I personally think that is pure sexism as no way is she eye candy which is normally the woman's role. I was watching the history of Gardening on TV on BBC4 last night and one thing that struck me was all the lead presenters of every gardening or garden makeover show was male.

And yes maybe the BBC wanted a middle of the road presenter who hasn't done much in his life apart from gardening after Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh.

BTW Guys can start going bald from their teenage years. I went to college with a guy who was going bald at 16 so baldness isn't linked to age.

A._Badger

olly300 wrote: »

She wasn't asked to be presenter.

I personally think that is pure sexism as no way is she eye candy which is normally the woman's role. I was watching the history of Gardening on TV on BBC4 last night and one thing that struck me was all the lead presenters of every gardening or garden makeover show was male.

.

What struck me was the rank absurdity of having young 'experts' opining about what gardening was like in the 1950s, '60s and '70s when, clearly, they hadn't been alive to find out!

This was the BBC at its worst. There are plenty of excellent gardening writers and others who were around at the time and were qualified in something a bit more useful than trendy hairstyles and a degree in 'knowing, ironic, post-modernism'.

As for accusations about sexism, the BBC doesn't have a good record with female gardening presenters. Two of the best, Pippa Greenwood and Anne Swithinbank, were cast into the outer darkness that is Radio 4 while the awful Rachel De Thame was elevated to the heights (for a while) for no obvious reason that I could determine beyond the way she looked.

The sad fact is that today's BBC trivialises and infantilises almost everything it touches. Gardening is no exception.