Geoff Hamilton – Master Gardening Broadcaster
- Cover of Organic Gardening
What a time it was. On a Friday evening the BBC‘s Gardeners World presented by Geoff Hamilton was our family oasis away from all the troubles in the world.
You can get a taste here:The Geoff Hamilton BBC Collection (40th Anniversary Gardeners World DVD Box Set)
Geoff was a true organic gardener. He worked on the Gardener’s World team from 1979 until his sad death cycling for charity in 1996.
n 1979, he was given the job of working on BBC’s Gardeners’ World team, the popular gardening programme. Geoff soon endeared himself to the viewers. He had a wonderful way of engaging people and enthusing you with his very practical and down to earth approach to gardening.
Geoff was keen to show how gardening could be practicaly enjoyed even if you didn’t have much space or much money. His style was modest and often he would explain the things that went wrong.
He wasn’t a perfectionist but sought to make gardening enjoyable especially the aspect of growing things from seed and cutting.
Geoff Hamilton and Organic Gardening.
Geoff was an early pioneer of organice gardening, at a time when it was considered freakish and oddball. He showed how organic gardening could be practically implemented. In particular he sought to show the garden as a living organism. For example, he was known to encourage friendly predators such as hoverflies and butterflies, even going so far as to harden off his hoverflies.
His stance on organic gardening definitely made it more mainstream and encouraged others to take up his approach.
Geoff reminded me of how it was in the days of family self sufficiency and practical kitchen gardening when I was a young boy. His enthusiasm uplifted me and created a desire to get into the garden immediately the programmes had finished.
If you are living or visiting the UK,then you must visit his garden at Barnsdale. Many of the gardens he created for Gardeners World are at Barnsdale and you will see and experience for yourself the great mans work.
http://www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/
