Monty Dons Big Dreams Small Spaces

[Bren In Pots]

What i didn't like about last night episode was the amount of soil gypsy road gardener had piled up against the wooden fences either side. Even after he'd finished you couldn't see the gravel boards.

[skeggijon]

Where are the new Geoff Hamiltons and Geoffrey Smiths? They knew how to build a garden with nothing more than a couple of bits of reclaimed wood and and some bits they've nicked from a nearby skip

[veggiechicken]

They're all on the Vine, sharing their ideas with us

[skeggijon]

I'm annoyed that Monty keeps being described as an expert - he's not. He's a failed businessman, who started writing to make a living - and just happened to get work on a gardening theme.

[Martin H]

I think you're all being a bit hard on Monty. Yes he's not a formally trained horticulturalist, but I believe his enthusiasm is genuine.

I just wish he would cut out all the superlatives, which irritate me no end. He's got all the GW presenters doing it, too.

Also he seems to be in the Titchmarsh school of throwing money at the garden rather than the Hamilton school of improvisation with reclaimed materials and a cheap bag of nails.

But his genuine enthusiasm overcomes a lot of these minor niggles, for me.

Also, compared to the small gardeners, he is most definitely an expert.

[skeggijon]

I'm not denying he has developed a good level of knowledge over the years, but to describe him as britains top gardening expert, as done on this programme, is quite simply laughable and a slur on the many true experts who dedicate their lives to growing, whilst MD is just an amateur.

[Alison]

I'm not denying he has developed a good level of knowledge over the years, but to describe him as britains top gardening expert, as done on this programme, is quite simply laughable and a slur on the many true experts who dedicate their lives to growing, whilst MD is just an amateur.

But he does have a very lovely dog, Nigel

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Just caught up with this on iplayer! And rather enjoyable I found it!

Agree with Martin! Although I personally find "Monty" a little "Pompus" n thinks money grows on trees! Hay! He may have one n not divulged it yet!
But his knowledge (Although self taught) and enthusiasm in abundance more than compansates in my view!

Oh! n "Five Grand"

If someone handed me that sort of wedge to create a garden! It would be like "Kew"

[ancee]

Well I love gardening programmes and am always looking for ideas. But I always look and think " I can do that with a bit of spare wood and some old nails and half a tin of paint". Very inspirational when you have all the enthusiasm and no money!! Oh can't we have a competition 'win �5000 to spend on your garden' ooh it' s the stuff of dreams.... Can you even begin to think what you'd buy if you had that sort of cash? No way would �600 of it be going on one plant though as that would be the plant the dogs would chew! �600 quid???? Good grief!

[Jay-ell]

Instead of the raised beds I would definitely go for a slung hammock. And a gold plated dibbler

[veggiechicken]

! Oh can't we have a competition 'win �5000 to spend on your garden' ooh it' s the stuff of dreams.... Can you even begin to think what you'd buy if you had that sort of cash? No way would �600 of it be going on one plant though as that would be the plant the dogs would chew! �600 quid???? Good grief!

OK, Go on...............how would you spend �5000 on your garden?
Please note, this is not a real competition and I'm not going to give you �5000...............Other fairy godmothers are available

[Martin H]

Hmm. I accept the challenge.

My first though was that my little garden is far too small to need more than a few hundred spent on it.

But my second thoughts were:
- ground-level lighting along all paths and uplighters below key trees and shrubs, all controlled from a console by the back door;
- a fully automatic programmable greenhouse watering system for the greenhouse, that takes water from the butts in first instance and then from the mains if the butts are empty.

I reckon I could easily spend �5k getting that lot up and running.

[Jay-ell]

I'm sure that if I had 5k sitting in a bank account soley for gardening stuff it would evaporate, but apart from a greenhouse and a couple of decent tools, I can't say where it would go.

Of course the geek in me is saying "oscilloscope, bench power supply, solar panels, sbc's, adc's, solenoid valves, flow meters, soldering iron, sensors, switches, and a bucket load of other components" - or I could just buy a ready made watering computer but where's the fun in that?

Or one of those rotating trommel thingies so I could riddle my beds easier.

Some of it may be spent hiring a van and driver for a weekend and touring all the skips in the NE to scavenge useful stuff.

[Noosner]

I love Monty! And won't hear a word said against him, so there! I think he is something of a reluctant TV presenter and was brave to come clean about his depression - I believe it helps de-stigmatize other sufferers when a well known person comes forward.

Just caught up with the episode about the beach garden and the Welsh garden that was on last night. The Welsh garden looked nice but I thought the beach garden looked awful. I've got 2 small gravelled areas, around my fruit trees at lottie and in the back garden, and with all those tiddly plants their gravel looked like mine does when it needs a good weeding.

[Guest]

Finally a small garden with a small budget and a challenge to work with. It did hurt watching all that slate and stone being used to fill a potentially usable space. Oh well!

I don't mind Monty although not my fav. Considering he was going to stop a few years ago due to poor health and even now he is not scared to get stuck in and as people say he is passionate about gardening. The bloke deserves some credit. Plus we wouldn't have Nigel the potato/apple eating dog.

Who else would do GW with out Monty? I don't think I would watch it at all if it was Joe Swift or Chris (is it Beardshaw I always want to say Packham for some reason) mind you I probably would watch it if it was Packham