I stopped watching after the 2nd show of this series - it just depressed me too much to bother - but after reading the comments about the GW Easter Special I've just watched it back on the iplayer.
It was all very bleak wasn't it? Where was the colour in Monty's garden? What was the mowing the compost heap section all about? Very strange.
It must just be me then! I think GW with Monty is great, well, when compared with Toby and Alys. At least Monty gets on with it and we all have a proper garden to look at not some 'studio garden' with two child-like presenters playing games with each other. Eeeek, when l think back to the format with those two l cringe. It has been said already; add another gardening programme with different presenters. Why should we only have one gardening programme on the TV? The TV is saturated with Antique/Home Restoration/Auction/reality/ programmes so why not one more gardening slot. Monty had a great programme a few years back when he travelled the country and helped people with their gardens so why not do something like that again? Leave the fella alone. I met him once in Hay-on-Wye after seeing Paul McCartney and he came across as a really nice chap. Live and let live.
Monty Don is excellent as GW presenter. His hour long Easter programme was a classic, we watched it twice and could happily watch it again. BBC gardening at its best.
Seems my comments have been removed from this blog...strange. I have been watching GW when the late Geoff Hamilton was still presenting after a long break I've started watching it again last season. I found the presenting by Toby, Alys, Carol and Joe very good...their was a balance between the different topics and you could get a lot of inspiration out of all this. I still remember Toby's phrase about "it's a boy's thing"...great how he handled that composting subject. My second wife gave birth to a baby daughter in September 2010...and we called her Alys, because Alys inspired us via GW and her own program. And now we were ready for a new season of GW...and OMG what is that. I didn't knew this Monty, had never seen him. But what an arrogant person you have found there...he is not able to inspire us. My wife who is completely new to gardening can not watch him longer than 5 minutes. He is able to take away all your motivation...he is arrogant and depressing...he should be a good manager at funerals or as an undertaker, BUT PLEASE, bring back some colour, pleasure and joy to Gardeners' World. I still have to watch the two last episodes which we've recorded...but I don't feel up to becoming depressed again by watching this Monty... Regards, Luc
The problem isn't the presenter it's the format. It's the BBC. Monty can be great as can Alys, Toby, Rachael etc. They are just suffering from a bad magazine format. It jumps around from quick segment to quick segment and everyone comes out looking rubbish and nobody really learns anything. Everyone complained it was too dumbed down and aimed at beginners last series so they have tried to change it this series with it all beiing touchy feeling. Monty doesn't seem allowed to give instruction and Carol comes across as a giddy housewife on a jolly jaunt, when we all know they are realy good gardener's. Alan would look rubbish stuck with this series. I fear Monty and Carol are going to get the chop after this, just like the excellent Toby did last series. BBC...it's not the presenters, it's the format...please just let the gardener's garden !!
Re 1154 Nobody disputes that Monty might be a nice person, it is just that he is a really rubbish gardener. The format is rubbish but he just makes everything worse. Toby could never succeed with that jumpy format but at least he knew his stuff. I agree live and let live - it's just that I can bear to watch GW anymore. I gave it a go - twice , but it was so ghastly that I prefer to watch old recordings of Toby and Alys. Reading proper garden books is good too, along with visiting gardens. Most folk I have met at open gardens this year have also given up Gw or watch for the comedy value of monty and his bad advice.
Im sorry to hear that Toby wont be in GW. I am a "new" gardner and have found Monty intimidating. Toby was easy to watch and follow his instructions. But to me the real gem was Alys. She inspired me to try to garden in my little end terrace peice of England. Her encouragement to try puting veggies in my excisting flower beds ment that now I can feed my family freash salad. When friends and family said I didnt have enough room for veg or that I shouldnt put it in the front garden I just quoted Alys to them. Shame on you GW we havent all got huge gardens like you!! Sorry Monty but having you back is like having my nosey neighbour leaning over the fence telling me Ive planted my broad beans too close to the rose bush. Ugghhh!!
Toby Buckland on Gardeners’ World, was knowledgeable and delightful to watch and listen to, and equally importantly, he had a totally unpatronising manner. I am an enthusiastic gardener and by no means expert in any way, and I found Toby’s manner absolutely spot on – he is enthusiastic and educational and has a lovely sense of humour. I also found the gardening tips and advice on his GW interesting and valuable for all levels of gardener. I have nothing at all against Monty Don, and am pleased he is now well enough to again present, but I have to say I agree with others’ comments that he is not what most of us want on GQ. (His Italian Garden programmes – perfect). What I also feel aggrieved about, is that in the GW magazine just prior to the new series, and in this new series itself, there has been no mention of Toby – if he was originally covering for Monty whilst he convalesced, there has not been any thanks or acknowledgement. Please, please, can Toby have his own programme?
Just wanted to ask, how does it work when a gardening presenter does the presenting and demonstrations from their own garden? Are they essentially being paid for working on their own garden? And what has happened to all the plants that Toby and Co planted? Presumably paid for by the licence payers...... Will they be dug up and given away at GW Live, or as prizes for little competions on GW? We need to be informed as this affects all UK TV licence payers.
Trevorhunt, (Weds 27th), Monty doesn't 'get on with it;' that's half of the problem! He plants maybe one thing or sows a seed or 2 but that's about it. When Toby was presenting we got to see him & the others actually gardening- digging, planting, sowing; or showing us how to construct window boxes or raised beds.
Personally I was enjoying watchingthe 'studio garden' take shape.At least it had colour & interest.
Not being horrible to Monty, but his garden is dull. And he doesn't seem to be doing much to make it look any better.
And the whole programme has become very obscure.
I find Rachael & Joe's bits pointless. Give them some proper projects to work on- I'm sure they'd much prefer it. Show us how Joe's allotment is going. I always enjoyed watching him on his allotment.
Sorry, Monty, no offfence meant, but it's time you went & Toby & Alys came back.
Posts
It was all very bleak wasn't it? Where was the colour in Monty's garden? What was the mowing the compost heap section all about? Very strange.
It has been said already; add another gardening programme with different presenters. Why should we only have one gardening programme on the TV? The TV is saturated with Antique/Home Restoration/Auction/reality/ programmes so why not one more gardening slot.
Monty had a great programme a few years back when he travelled the country and helped people with their gardens so why not do something like that again?
Leave the fella alone. I met him once in Hay-on-Wye after seeing Paul McCartney and he came across as a really nice chap. Live and let live.
I have been watching GW when the late Geoff Hamilton was still presenting after a long break I've started watching it again last season. I found the presenting by Toby, Alys, Carol and Joe very good...their was a balance between the different topics and you could get a lot of inspiration out of all this.
I still remember Toby's phrase about "it's a boy's thing"...great how he handled that composting subject.
My second wife gave birth to a baby daughter in September 2010...and we called her Alys, because Alys inspired us via GW and her own program.
And now we were ready for a new season of GW...and OMG what is that. I didn't knew this Monty, had never seen him. But what an arrogant person you have found there...he is not able to inspire us. My wife who is completely new to gardening can not watch him longer than 5 minutes. He is able to take away all your motivation...he is arrogant and depressing...he should be a good manager at funerals or as an undertaker, BUT PLEASE, bring back some colour, pleasure and joy to Gardeners' World. I still have to watch the two last episodes which we've recorded...but I don't feel up to becoming depressed again by watching this Monty...
Regards,
Luc
I agree live and let live - it's just that I can bear to watch GW anymore. I gave it a go - twice , but it was so ghastly that I prefer to watch old recordings of Toby and Alys. Reading proper garden books is good too, along with visiting gardens. Most folk I have met at open gardens this year have also given up Gw or watch for the comedy value of monty and his bad advice.
I am an enthusiastic gardener and by no means expert in any way, and I found Toby’s manner absolutely spot on – he is enthusiastic and educational and has a lovely sense of humour. I also found the gardening tips and advice on his GW interesting and valuable for all levels of gardener.
I have nothing at all against Monty Don, and am pleased he is now well enough to again present, but I have to say I agree with others’ comments that he is not what most of us want on GQ. (His Italian Garden programmes – perfect).
What I also feel aggrieved about, is that in the GW magazine just prior to the new series, and in this new series itself, there has been no mention of Toby – if he was originally covering for Monty whilst he convalesced, there has not been any thanks or acknowledgement.
Please, please, can Toby have his own programme?
And what has happened to all the plants that Toby and Co planted? Presumably paid for by the licence payers...... Will they be dug up and given away at GW Live, or as prizes for little competions on GW?
We need to be informed as this affects all UK TV licence payers.
Personally I was enjoying watchingthe 'studio garden' take shape.At least it had colour & interest.
Not being horrible to Monty, but his garden is dull. And he doesn't seem to be doing much to make it look any better.
And the whole programme has become very obscure.
I find Rachael & Joe's bits pointless. Give them some proper projects to work on- I'm sure they'd much prefer it. Show us how Joe's allotment is going. I always enjoyed watching him on his allotment.
Sorry, Monty, no offfence meant, but it's time you went & Toby & Alys came back.