Long long ago when I was a small child I couldn’t quite fathom my Mother’s obsessive Friday night engagement with a chap talking gardens. Gardner’s World then was presented by Percy Thrower followed by Arthur Billet and a short time with Geoff Hamilton too. I didn’t really get the seriousness of it but would watch in silent-ish solidarity mode. After leaving home I’d watch the odd programme for purely nostalgic reasons, not having much of a garden to speak of, more a simple windowsill or sunny stairwell for many years.
Horti studies later in life were accompanied by a dictum to watch and listen to as many programmes as we could, knowledge and experience in abundance and knowledge from experience is crucial. GW and GQT were high on the list as well as subs to most of the Gardening monthlies as I could sensibly read. At the max I was ‘reading’ 5 magazine regularly (Gardens Illustrated, The English Garden, The Garden, The Plantsman, Gardener’s World) and about 3 on a more sporadic basis. Then there were the innumerable blogs and You Tube feeds to keep up with and of course endless books. We Brits are a nation of gardeners and we do like to talk (blog) about our experiences, and contrary to common folklore are not the least bit backward in coming forward when it concerns the pruning of roses or the tending of the veg plot!
Some 5 years on from training days I still watch GW every week, when it’s on, without fail, I’ve caught the elusive bug my Mother had. In fact I’ve discovered a bumper block of gardening on a Sunday morning from about 08:00. Monty going around the world, Beechgrove (the Scottish equivalent of GW) and then GW. GQT is now delivered via podcast and the mags are down to 3 with one more on the iPad (Into Gardens).
Locally we have one of the Oxfam bookshops and as a consequence of local gardeners divesting themselves of many excellent tomes, the book shelves are bulging to the point of bursting. A ‘one in one out’ policy has been enforced!
I know I know quite a lot but the more I learn the more I want to know. Finding the perfect ‘knowledge hub’ and delivery system, now that’s the key to 21st Century Gardening.