Who did it for you?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the River Cottage did it for me.
Bernie

[bobleponge]

It wasnt any of the above for me. I had never been a gardener until I moved to France, although had wanted to move here for ages, with a big garden and grow veg etc, but never actually done it.
When I moved here, we made some friends and one couple have become my gardening guru's. Like the majority of gardeners, they are so generous with their time and knowledge, it doesnt matter what question I ask them, they will reply, give me cuttings of whatever it was etc. I have truly lost count of the amount of seeds/cuttings/plants they have given me in the last 4 years.
Since moving here, I have read the Vine endlessly and taken advantage of the knowledge here too.
HFW is someone I admire, as mentioned above, his preachings sometimes do go a bit beyond, but I think he is fantastic.
I have recently "discovered" Geoff Hamilton, and am really enjoying reading his stuff, but really, for me, its the Jock and his Mrs up the road that have girded my loins in the gardening department.

[nilling]

Matt James - The City Gardener - Channel 4

I like the way he'd walk around the local parks picking up ideas of the types of plants, shrubs and trees grew well in a particular location. Despite many drawn plans I did not get very far. Then I built my raised beds and will only grow things I can eat!!!

[jacob marley]

Well i have been lucky in my gardening life when i started primary school they had a school garden about the size of 3 normal allotments so that was a start .
Then went to senior school and they had a garden as well and they kept bees but i kept away from them .
So i have had a pretty good gardening life from the late forties until now i like to think i picked some thing up along the way and passed a bit of knowledge as we go....jacob

[willowstar]

Monty Don for me...from TV but also from his writing in the Observer Mag on Sundays, I used to read his bit first...I really enjoyed how he spoke about the spritual aspect of gardening, seemed to gel with me somehow.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I was brought up on the lovely Geoff Hamilton, and though I doubted Mr Titty's (our pet name for Alan) ability to step into Geoff's shoes, he did it remarkably well and comes a very close second for me.
HFW has inspired my and my OH's desire to become more self sufficient (and keep chooks), Matthew Wilson (RHS Harlow Carr) is a dish, but a bit 'dry' in his delivery, and finally Dan Pearson is a bit yummy, he gets very personally attached to his gardens.

[StephenH]

Charlie Dimmock and Carol Klein, for fairly obvious reasons: Carol is lovely in a mature sort of way, and as for Charlie's charlies, need I say more?

I also like Monty Don, and the late Geoffrey Smith - and of course, St Percy, whose 'Gardening Club' was the first TV gardening prog. I ever saw, when I was a child.

I enjoyed the BBC2 prog, and have it on video.

[StephenH]

I loathed Ground Force, that wasn't a gardening programme, that was construction.

I wouldn't put it quite that strongly myself, but I too don't like 'makeover' programmes much (nor do I like the word 'makeover'). I'd much rather have straightforward 'how-to' gardening (or DIY, or cookery or whatever) programmes. Thankfully, they still exist too.

[StephenH]

Mind you, the very first TV gardener was not St Percy, but

Fred Streeter
1877 - 1975

Horticulturalist who presented TV's 'Television Garden' in 1951' and was on 'About The Home' in 1951.

(From a website about TV personalities.)
I don't remember him - does anyone else? (His dates suggest that gardening is good for you!)

[squashysu]

well i have to say i never watched a gardening programme before Ground Force lol! but i has to be my late great grandad that was my inspiration, no one else!

And just to let you all know Handy Andy was in Changing Room lol! with Carole Smilie lol! (i know, i know i am sad lol)

[Mikey]

Apart from me da, who was probably the biggest influence on me, I like Peter Thoday, who made a whole host of series on the victorian gardens through to wartime.

I've always wanted a house with a walled garden, and I haven't given up on that dream yet.

[rogesse]

Me too - I dream of an old rectary with a walled garden! As to TV influence I suppose it was Geof first then Alan.

OH has decided he doesn't like any of the new crop with special venom reserved for Alys - no idea why!