I watch Gardeners World to be inspired to improve my own garden and tonight's show was far from inspiring. I have nothing against Monty Don, but Toby Buckland was a far more engaging presenter. I'll give it another go next week, but I suspect I won't be watching the programme anymore. And what was with the soap style filming technique?
How depressing to see Monty Don back. I had to fast forward through Rachel and Joes piece, and Carol is still relegated to a nonsense role when her mini-series on the science of gardening was so interesting.
You see, what was so good about Toby, after we'd dropped all the terrible top-gearesque features of the early shows, was that he would explain that there was a few different ways you could do something and why you might want to choose one method over another.
Monty is all about the 'one true way' with no real explanation of alternatives. I think I'll be restricting my consumption of Gardening programmes from the BBC to Gardeners Question Time from now on.
How could anyone argue against the comments made by Farmer in post 307. His first hand experience of working with Monty Don is exactly how the vast majority of GW viewers see him. I suspect that a number of you who said you will now be finished with the programme and Magazine, did as I did and watched the first programme to check out the new format of the show. You will, like me, have seen nothing worth watching as we all new would happen and now we can say goodbye to GW. Don was in his element in his own garden with no other presenters to trespass on his domain. He wants no-one around on his patch to steal his thunder and you can rest assured that Joe, Rachel and Carol would prefer it that way as they are all well aware of his arrogant/I know it all attitude. If Carol has to spend each week talking to quite experienced gardeners about nothing really, she will soon tire of that. Then we had Joe and Rachel giving very unnecessary advice to a lady with probably as much experience as they have. Typical of the BBC, throwing our license fee cash at as many people as possible. You can't blame the presenters for accepting the probably quite large fees they are paid to appear on the programme. The show was very week and completely uninformative, which is exactly the opposite to what we got from the experienced and trained Toby Buckland. Alys Fowler will never appear with MD after his numerous snipes towards her, yet she knows more about vegetables than Don will ever know. You will never see Alan Titchmarsh in the same shot as MD. The friendly, good humoured atmosphere at Greenacre between the presenters was plain for all to see. The format was also very informative and inventive for gardeners of all ages. It is my honest opinion that in the relatively short time we had with Toby Buckland, he was fast becoming the nearest replacement for the late great Geoff Hamilton. My wife and I have been avid watchers of Gardeners World from the days of Percy Thrower, Geoffery Smith, Geoff Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh Toby Buckland and others. Every viewer warms to each head presenter in different ways but the undeniable fact is that MD doesn't cut the mustard. He is as interesting and knowledgable of gardening as a farmers son would be in Nuclear Science. Those at the BBC should heed the words of professional nurserymen and growers who are all of the same opinion. MD is a wrong un! Now, like so many others, my family, friends and I, say a very sad farewell to Gardeners World and send our very best wishes for the future to Toby.
Oh dear what will I do Friday nights now - certainly not BBC2 Gardeners World any longer - watched the first on I-player just to be nosey but all 'my garden' this and 'my garden' that not what I want to see - I want to learn about plants, horticulture, techniques and not watch the Monty Don show. Glad my GW subscription is ending this month as he's splashed all over those pages too. BBC - READ these posts this is a big mistake - Bring back Toby, all will be forgiven (with luck Monty will give up and move on like he did before anyway)
I am delighted to welcome Monty back with his original team! I gave up watching the previous series when he was not there as the body language of the team's relationship with the presenter was very obvious. I watched last night with a great feeling of being back with old friends - welcome team - I missed you!
Loving gardening, I wasn't all that sure about Toby, but after he had got the program sorted after the first disastrous year, I began to enjoy it, couldn't believe the amount of costly plants that were being included in the show, that was my only quibble because the normal gardener really can't afford such speciality plants, but to oust him like that and put Monty back on just wasn't fair, Toby justifiably well peeved. Last night I gave Monty a try, and other than Carol who I love watching, what did Monty do, had a walk round his garden moved some snowdrops from one side of the path to another and cut some branches off an apple tree, and put the cuttings on a compost heap, well, how much were you paying him!!!!! How I whole heartedly agree with 315 I couldn't have put it better, he must have been on the programme for at least five minutes, he showed us a load of box balls, well I can't say it was the most attractive looking space, I wonder what his wife really thinks, looking at that lot out of the window. I'll maybe give it another go next week, all depends whether there is any football on the other side.............
BBC you clearly are failing in your charter to ‘Promote education and Learning’. As I have discovered before Monty doesn't know the first thing about gardening. How the hell is that poor rose going to survive he planted it way to deep. To chit potatoes in direct sunlight as he suggested is wrong. The way he pruned that apple tree and left the undercut wound no wonder his trees are in such a poor state. Well I for one will be watching again, for the craic! but please any new gardeners do not follow his suggestions check the RHS or growers sites there is plenty of good information on the web.
Well folks it happened....yes Monty has come back...Great, now I will not feel bad about missing GW ever again. How boring was that programe, move some snowdrops prune an apple tree (badly) plant some seeds WOW !.I could have done a better job myself. Funny thing is though I am one of those who have been saying that GW is not long enough but last night 30 minutes was to long to watch (about 25 minutes to long) Seriously though the good thing to come from the contempt that the BBC has shown for the anti monty people on this blog is that it makes it a simple choice to switch to the new gardening show which will be starting on ITV in the near future with Alan Titchmarsh. So it's goodbye to BBC's GW and to GW magazine.
Sorry Monty but I'm afraid you just don't cut it with real gardeners.Maybe now we'll hear from someone at the beeb on this matter. BRING BACK TOBY and GREENACRE
Posts
You see, what was so good about Toby, after we'd dropped all the terrible top-gearesque features of the early shows, was that he would explain that there was a few different ways you could do something and why you might want to choose one method over another.
Monty is all about the 'one true way' with no real explanation of alternatives. I think I'll be restricting my consumption of Gardening programmes from the BBC to Gardeners Question Time from now on.
Don was in his element in his own garden with no other presenters to trespass on his domain. He wants no-one around on his patch to steal his thunder and you can rest assured that Joe, Rachel and Carol would prefer it that way as they are all well aware of his arrogant/I know it all attitude.
If Carol has to spend each week talking to quite experienced gardeners about nothing really, she will soon tire of that. Then we had Joe and Rachel giving very unnecessary advice to a lady with probably as much experience as they have. Typical of the BBC, throwing our license fee cash at as many people as possible. You can't blame the presenters for accepting the probably quite large fees they are paid to appear on the programme. The show was very week and completely uninformative, which is exactly the opposite to what we got from the experienced and trained Toby Buckland. Alys Fowler will never appear with MD after his numerous snipes towards her, yet she knows more about vegetables than Don will ever know. You will never see Alan Titchmarsh in the same shot as MD. The friendly, good humoured atmosphere at Greenacre between the presenters was plain for all to see. The format was also very informative and inventive for gardeners of all ages. It is my honest opinion that in the relatively short time we had with Toby Buckland, he was fast becoming the nearest replacement for the late great Geoff Hamilton. My wife and I have been avid watchers of Gardeners World from the days of Percy Thrower, Geoffery Smith, Geoff Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh Toby Buckland and others. Every viewer warms to each head presenter in different ways but the undeniable fact is that MD doesn't cut the mustard. He is as interesting and knowledgable of gardening as a farmers son would be in Nuclear Science. Those at the BBC should heed the words of professional nurserymen and growers who are all of the same opinion. MD is a wrong un! Now, like so many others, my family, friends and I, say a very sad farewell to Gardeners World and send our very best wishes for the future to Toby.
Sorry Monty but I'm afraid you just don't cut it with real gardeners.Maybe now we'll hear from someone at the beeb on this matter. BRING BACK TOBY and GREENACRE