Gardeners' World

Gardeners' World is a long-running British gardening programme, first broadcast on 5 January 1968. The 2023 series is the 54th.[1] Its first series was presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens.[2] Up until 2020 most of its episodes have been 30 minutes in duration; however, this changed in spring 2020 when the format was extended to an hour. All episodes in the 2021 series onwards follow this 60-minute format. Gardeners' World currently airs between mid-March and late October on BBC Two every Friday. The programme usually takes a three-month winter break from November to February.

Gardeners' World
2008 programme title
Starring
Theme music composerMorning Light by Will Gregory
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30–60 min. each
Production companies
Release
Original networkBBC Two
Original release5 January 1968 (1968-01-05) –
present

The programme's main presenter is currently Monty Don. Other regular presenters include Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, Joe Swift, Arit Anderson, Advolly Richmond, Nick Bailey, Carol Klein, Mark Lane and Rachel de Thame. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme.

Presenters

Lead

Lead presenters have included:

Co-presenters

Co-presenters have included: Alys Fowler, Chris Baines, Chris Beardshaw, Mary Spiller, Liz Rigby, Diarmuid Gavin, Clay Jones, Stefan Buczacki, Christine Walkden, Sarah Raven, Gay Search, Anne Swithinbank, Nigel Colborn, Geoffrey Smith, Roy Lancaster, Peter Seabrook, Joe Swift, Ali Ward, Pippa Greenwood, Rachel de Thame, Frances Tophill, Carol Klein, Bob Flowerdew, Mark Lane, Adam Frost, Arit Anderson, John Kelly, Nick Bailey, Flo Headlam, Arthur Parkinson, JJ Chalmers and Rekha Mistry.

Born in 1963 with phocomelia of both arms, eight inches long, no thumbs, and seven fingers – three on one hand, four on the other - Sue Kent has appeared as a presenter on the show since 2020, demonstrating her ability to garden using her feet and toes where others would use their hands.[4]

Locations

Since its inception in 1968, the show was presented until 2003 from the lead presenter's own garden. In 2011, the show returned to this practice.

Critical response

The 2010 show was returned to the original 30 minutes and several features of the 2009 series, such as the '30 second fix', were dropped. The show concentrated more on gardening content,[12] reintroducing 'Jobs for the weekend' and focusing on plant species.

In March 2011, Monty Don returned as the main presenter of the programme.[13][14]

In 2016, new executive producer Paolo Proto (previously producer of The Great British Bake Off) extended the programme from 30 minutes to one hour in September and October, also introducing new presenters Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, Nick Bailey, Nick Macer, Florence Headlam[15] and Arit Anderson.[16][17]

Theme tunes

The first theme tune to the series in 1968 was a piece composed by Peter Craddy and played by Michael Saxton on clarinet. A year later this was replaced by the long-running Green Fingers composed by John Clarke and Reg Reid, played by Harold Rich & His Players, a version of which, with sweeping strings, was soon used. The most famous theme, which had the longest run from the late 1980s through the 1990s and is still heard in a slightly classical vein today, is a guitar piece that was composed by Nick Webb and Greg Carmichael. It had two titles, one for commercial release and one for library, Morning Light and Natural Elements. Natural Elements was the title track of a commercial album released in 1988 on MCA Records under the composers' band name of Acoustic Alchemy.[18] The current theme tune, introduced in 2014, is an arrangement of "Morning Light" by Will Gregory.[19]

Former lead presenter, Alan Titchmarsh later teamed up with Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh to make the series Ground Force. This was about rapid garden makeovers.

A book based on the history of the series entitled Gardeners' World Through The Years was released in 2003 by Gay Search.[20]

BBC Gardeners' World Live

The BBC Gardeners' World Live Show is an extension of the television programme and magazine. Running annually in June, it is hosted at the Birmingham NEC,[21] co-located with the BBC Summer Good Food Show.

The show includes live appearances from the presenters giving topical advice and tips including many of the presenters, such as Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don, Carol Klein and Joe Swift, Toby Buckland, Alys Fowler, Chris Baines, Diarmuid Gavin, Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood, Rachel de Thame, Bob Flowerdew and Mark Lane.

The presenters film at BBC Gardeners' World Live, with the content aired within the programme on the Friday night of the live show.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 show was cancelled, with the next scheduled for 17–20 June 2021.[22]

A number of new rose varieties have been launched at the show including

  • 2016: Roses UK presented the new 'Eve Rose' to Simon Lycett on behalf of the Eve Foundation
  • 2008: Rachel de Thame presented the new rose 'Prince Caspian' to actor Ben Barnes
  • 2005: The show presented the new 'Duchess of Cornwall' rose to the Duchess of Cornwall

See also

References
  1. "Gardeners' World Season 53". Radio Times.
  2. Modern themes – Gardeners' World, BBC – Gardening
  3. "Gardeners' World: Series Info". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  4. The Thalidomide Trust, Sue Kent's Garden Featured on the BBC, 16 September 2020. https://www.thalidomidetrust.org/sue-kents-garden-featured-on-the-bbc/ Archived 23 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Leapman, Michael (30 September 2018). "Gardeners' World's Percy Thrower was the godfather of gardening shows and brought passion to the potting shed" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  6. "Clacks Farm For Sale Gardeners World". www.uniquepropertyblog.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  7. "Barnsdale Gardens: Geoff Hamilton and The Barnsdale Story". barnsdalegardens.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  8. Rosenberg, Marc (29 October 2010). "Alan Titchmarsh's Barleywood garden for sale". Amateur Gardening.
  9. Brown, David. "Monty Don: I'd like a "five-year arrangement" with Gardeners' World". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. Toby Buckland, Off to pastures new, BBC – Gardeners' World Blog
  11. Sturgeon, Andy (3 April 2009). "Andy Sturgeon wonders what gardeners will make of the new home of Gardeners' World". The Guardian.
  12. Probert, Sarah (12 October 2010). "Gardeners' World to go back to basics after revamp lost viewers". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  13. Keen, Mary (21 April 2011). "A blue sky moment with Monty Don". The Telegraph.
  14. Leapman, Michael (8 December 2010). "BBC turns to Monty Don, the hardy perennial". The Telegraph.
  15. Sweney, Mark (31 August 2016). "BBC brings in new Gardeners' World presenters as Bake Off boss takes charge". The Guardian.
  16. "BBC extends RHS Chelsea Flower Show contract". bbc.co.uk. 15 May 2017.
  17. "Mark Lane". Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  18. "Gardeners' World Titles - Acoustic Alchemy -Natural Elements -1996". youtube.com. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  19. BBC "new arrangement of Morning Light by composer Will Gregory and recorded by BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood"
  20. Search, Gay (1 March 2006). Gardeners' World: Through the Years. Carlton Books, Limited. ISBN 9781844424160.
  21. "Welcome to the NEC Group". www.necgroup.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  22. "BBC Gardeners' World Live 2020".
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