Monty in Toby out

[Ouya Mellsa]

^Agree.

Toby was just fine.

[Flummery]

I was out last night - duty - attending a concert I didn't want to be at! I recorded it though and will reserve judgement till I see it.

[elsie-scot]

I agree with you Tony. I wish it had been an hour long as the introduction episode, maybe then the Rachel and Joe piece may have made more sense. Loved Monty and Carol, I hope they make more use or her and show her growing stuff and liked the bit on here are good gardens to go to.

I'm just finishing reading the Ivington Diaries about Monties garden, so will be interesting to see all I have read about.

Definitely an improvement on the last series. Roll on next Friday.

Is it worth reading? Saw it in library today. Liked the photo of the black lab, looked like a fat version of our old dog - didn't get further than looking at pics as OH turned up and had to go.

[BUFFS]

monty is like the old guy who helped me when i started,no frills ,just common sense and a willingness to help the beginners,he has a real enthusiasm (like a kid in a sweet shop) that makes me want to try whatever he is doing,last year some of the planting demos came across like lectures,all very correct but lacking in the wonder of tiny seeds growing into large plants/veg,its that magic that still gets me over 30 years on,when that stops they can bury me......

[Hilary B]

Quite a lot of Gardener's World programmes have come from the 'own garden' of the presenter, it's nothing new. As others have said Monty has the enthusiasm (so did Geoff Hamilton, who was wonderful!). Toby often came over a bit 'teachery', which isn't ideal.
I like Carol, but all her enthusing about Winter Gardens, we got very little info as to what the plants were in that garden. We saw loads of colour, but not much 'what is it'. Incidentally, the long shoots being pruned from those pollarded willows should surely be going for basket-making or drawing charcoal?
Yeah, the Rachel-and-Joe show was not exactly a good one, but I think the idea is to get people asking who DO need their help, and that episode was simply to demonstrate the idea.

[selfraising]

I enjoyed it! Glad Monty is back

[Sylvan]

monty is like the old guy who helped me when i started,no frills ,just common sense and a willingness to help the beginners,he has a real enthusiasm (like a kid in a sweet shop) that makes me want to try whatever he is doing,last year some of the planting demos came across like lectures,all very correct but lacking in the wonder of tiny seeds growing into large plants/veg,its that magic that still gets me over 30 years on,when that stops they can bury me......

...in your veg plot?

Aye, Geoff, Alan and Monty all had/have that enthusiasm. I think that's the main difference between Carol and Rachel as well - somehow you can't imagine Rachel plunging her hands into the compost and exulting in it can you?

GW was always based in the main presenter's own garden till the last two series wasn't it? Perhaps that was one of the problems Toby had - not only was it not his own garden but he hadn't even been in at the beginning when they were setting it up, so he never really got to put his stamp on it.

[Chef_uk]

Question. My wife thinks it would be impossible to keep his garden to the quality standard it was in by just himself and his wife. I too was a bit sceptical but thought i'd ask you guys if that garden could be maintained by two peeps

[Jardiniere]

Didnt see it (woz out) and dont have I player here in France so na na na na na............................

[piskieinboots]

Is it worth reading?

For me - yes, totally - I really enjoyed it

.... but thought i'd ask you guys if that garden could be maintained by two peeps

I believe it could - if it was your main, and probably only, hobby

[cupcake]

I'm going to watch it again on BBC iPlayer just to make sure the wine I had didn't cloud my judgement. So glad Monty & Carol are back though. I like the way Monty cares about what he grows and how he grows it, he must have the biggest hands in the world. Still don't like Rachal she's so irritating.

I too watched it with the red wine! I've never been able to see the point of either Joe or Rachel. Neither of them appear to know much. I

[Pumpkin Becki]

Oh my word - how many pairs of Felcos does one star gardener need?

Mr PB and I both said (simultaneously) 'That's a lot of secateurs!' and 'That's a lot of box balls!'

I enjoyed the programme very much (especially as I'd recorded it on my Sky box, so I got to fast forward through Carol - sorry but she grates on me big style). I suppose I thought Rachel and Joe would get to work in Monty's garden, like they did with Alan, so their section of the programme was a bit ... odd, but she's still lovely

[Hilary B]

My one really big difference of opinion with Monty, I HATE box! Every time I spend a while in a garden that has much box, it STINKS! I believe this is a smell not everyone can smell, I can and it is horrible!
It's not that I 'expect' to smell it, because a few times I haven't known there was box there until the smell hit me!

[Aberdeenplotter]

I was very disappointed with the first show.

I've got nothing against box but what Monty has planted is surely overkill. We all garden in the real world of making do and mend in relatively small spaces and Monty's acres do not fit in with that spectre.

Sowing beetroot in cells is a nonsense as this is one vegetable which germinates very well in the soil and at a time of year when greenhouse and coldframe space is at a premium it is an un-necessary complication.

If they could amalgamate Carol Klein and Rachel de Thame, they would have the ideal presenter. Best thing they did with Joe Swift was to film him in his newly acquired allotment a couple of years ago(? timing) but he made a gubbins of a pefectly good plot by sticking in diagonal paths that used up loads of valuable ground.


Whatever the criticism of Toby and Alys, their methods did fit in with what most of us do and Alys's enthusiasm matches if not surpasses Monty's.

[Florence Fennel]

I haven't watched it yet, it's in the box.