Anyone else feel the same? My partner Ciaran says he's had a breakdown and is in the "funny farm" - he's full of jolly quips is Ciaran.
:-)) Rosie
Missing Monty Don?
Oh wooops! I just found out he had a stroke - that last thred sounds really horrible now :-((
Rosie
That's too bad! I wondered what happened to him......
If you are missing him, may I suggest that you get a copy of his series from last year Around the World in 80 Gardens - he is his gorgeous self and visits some of the best gardens I've ever seen. My favourite - the ethnobotanical garden in Oxaca Mexico, and the fabulous fabulous sculpture garden in South Africa - but the truth is there isn't a duff one in the whole series.
Yes, and how about the Arctic Alpine Botanic Gardens in Tromso. I've never wanted to go so far north before but it was stunning. I could live on that boat travelling along those lakes in Norway quite happily. It is definatly a series to treasure. I have it on my Christmas hit list. Don't TV gardening series make great pressies lol
Any pressies make great pressies - but yes, gardening does afford a lot of opportunity for a good gift (or two, maybe 3 if we get lucky).
I don't wish him any ill, but couldn't stand him as presenter of gardening programmes and find Gardeners' World much improved with the new line-up. Toby Buckland should make an excellent front man - at least he is a real gardener.
I liked Monty mainly for what he tried to do with underpriviledged young offenders. Can't stand Sarah Raven though, a bit too twee - we call her the vicars daughter. Still you really can't tell what they're like from just seeing them on TV can you?
Think Carole is terrific too - so enthusiastic.
LOL Laurie
:-)) Rosie
Pat, I'm puzzled by what you mean as a real gardener - Monty don seems to me to love plants and digging in dirt, has a lovely eye for composition, and is keen on people's efforts. Adores compost, and is pro-organic. That to me is a real gardener. And as far as Sarah Raven, I think she is terrific. It takes an awful lot of commitment to give up being a trained medical doctor to become a gardener. She also comes with a strong plant pedigree: Father was John Raven, a very well respected amateur botantist, and her brother (sorry can't come up with his name) a well trained environmentalist, sadly died very young. Currently she is in residence at Sissinghurt working on re-establishing the vegetable beds. To take on one of the most famous gardens in the world, and to do it under the watchful eye of the National Trust - sheesh, that is some gardener. I like them both. But then I really like people with a passion for what they do.
Well we all have our preferences. Sometimes you just got to laugh at what you THINK they are. That, I think, comes with the territory of being a celebrity. Maybe we're a little jealous.
:-))
Let's face it Geoff Hamilton was the best presenter of Gardeners World, although I do like 'Titchy' too. Carol has always been a favourite and I even caught a glimpse of her once at Harrogate Spring flower show.
But Geoff was my gardening god, I still miss that man.
It's sad that Monty Don had a stroke, I don't 'dislike' him but guess I'm biased towards Geoff, nobody will ever be as good as him in my eyes, LOL
Terri
LOL Terri. What about Percy - Percy throwup! Child of the Morecombe & Wise generation me. And Geoff Hamilton. I think he's the one I can really remember well.
:-)) Rosie
Hahaha, Now you're talking Rosie, Morcambe and Wise!! I can't ever say 'Arsenal' without doing the cough...you know the one Eric always did, hehe
Yes, I remember Percy and the Blue Peter garden, bless him.
Geoff could build a fantastic greenhouse out of a couple of old palettes and a roll of see-through plastic, ROFL Always practical, he must have been the original 'green' gardener...and his carrots were always straight!!
:o)
Terri
LOL I know Terri ROMAL. Straight carrots! Didn't it make you sick?Bless him, though, it was such a shock when he went. They did things different in them days - god I feel old.
He WAS the orginal organic gardener and took no bull either. One of a kind - I'd almost forgotten.
:-)) Rosie
Oh noooo.... i am sorry to hear about Monty...
I miss Geoff Hamilton. He had some great programmes. I still have one of his tapes about cottage gardens and also his books.
What happened with alan titchmarsh?
Titch is still on daytime TV here spider - interviewing erm...strange day time celebs. Not that I watch it mind. Just seen it in whilst flicking through a load of unwatchable stuff. Now that IS sad.
LOL, it is the saddest thing ever to happen with a gardening expert!
Oooohhhh... I miss England...:o(
Oh bless you - where are you from?
I used to live in Little Hadham, Herts.
I just miss the plants, wildlife, the cottage gardens, my little cottage...
I notice the wettest august in 100 years, the train delays because of leaves on the line, and the highest cost of living were not on that list.
I agree with your list of things to miss, but there is also the reality check that goes with it!! sometimes I wonder how any of us can afford to live here! And yet we do, and we love it, too!
I only moved here to Ireland about 2 and a half years ago spider having been a bit of a nomad. I do miss my Sussex smallholding and the plants I was able to grow in Wales. I do NOT miss Yorkshire clay soils!
I miss what I used to be able to buy in supermarkets - pork pies especially. You can't get them here - they have to be smuggled across the border LOL.
My sons will be joining me here soon. I don't know how anyone survives in the UK either Laurie. Not that things are all that different here. The red tape is unbelieveable, you have to wait months to get simple documents and a PPS number enabling you to work. Well, we are on the brink of a world recession - it's going to be tough everywhere and all you can do even if you emigrate is swap one set of problems for another.
Chin up - we're British.
roseimp - that really makes me laugh, the thought of smuggling pork pies!!! I honestly can imagine them not being there! let me know if you ever get desperate and I'll post you a few!! Still smiling at the idea.
Rosie, you forgot to mention 'Titchy's' other TV program...the British Isles wildlife one that he did last year. I used to enjoy that. At one time it seemed like Alan was on every program that was on TV. Of course a lot of his time must be taken up with all that writing he does too.
Had to laugh about the pork pie smuggling, LOL. Why not do the same as me and start making your own. We'd bought so many tasteless ones that I was spurred into making one to see if I could do any better. That led to being a bit more adventurous and adding bits and pieces (stuffing, game, chicken) and they are a million times better than those we bought from supermarkets. If I come on that meet I'll bring one over for you :o)
Terri
Laurie, if you post be sure to use 1st class mail, LOL
You could start a stampede if word got around, hehe
Terri
Oh yes, I did watch Titches British Isles progs - they were really good but I do think he's come down doing the afternoon show.
Laurie I got a friend who smuggles them in from the North but if she gets caught and sent down I'll bear you in mind. LOL.
Actually daddy gets cakes sent from the US at Christmas and there arn't any border guards now so I think we're safe. Whew!
Terry I use to make my own pork pies when I was in the UK but you try getting the cuts of meat here. If I went into the btchers' and asked for a piece of skirt gawd knows where they would send me - I hope it would be a drapery shop! There's a butchers' in Cavan Town that looks at you odd if you ask for a shoulder of lamb - apparently sheep only come with legs here in Ireland.
Can't complain too much though - I have a sweetie as a butcher in Belturbet. He's been trying to get me an ox tail for about 2 months.
if anyone is interested in fried chicken and boiled peanuts i can send you loads!!!
Well, one thing that I miss about the UK is to be able and see your GP when you need.
I have been ill since February and can't find anyone to treat me. They just send me from one doctor to another. It's all about MONEY.
There is no NHS equivalent. If you get seriously ill and do not have thousands in savings, you lose you house. It happens a lot!
Here we have one of the worst health systems ever. It is just frightening!
Well at least you can go and see an ENT especialist and get botox injections while you wait!!!
My brother in law (from Wales, lives in London) had stage 4 mouth cancer at the start of year. He went through a 13 hours surgery and stayed in hospital for 5 months. All his treatment, surgery, all his care cost him nothing.
My next door neighbour's father needed heart surgery and it cost him half a million dollars.
One apendicitis operation (simple and easy) will take nearly one hundred thousand dollars out of your wallet.
I think I will stop now.
Do any of you grow a cottage garden?
Spider, now funny you should mention that...but I absolutely LOVE fried chicken and in Ohio I ate the best fried chicken ever!! As for the boiled peanuts, I never tried those :o( I tell everyone that USA does the best fried chicken.
We have a 'cottage garden' of sorts, although a lot of it has been cleared now to grow my SDB irises. We grow many kinds of cottage garden plants though.
It's really frightening that you can lose your home if you become seriously ill in USA. I had a friend in Ohio who had cancer. She did, indeed, loose her home and ended up living with her grown up son. She had no idea how she would pay for treatment if she became ill again and lived with that constant worry until the day she passed away, bless her heart.
Rosie, I dare you...go and ask for a piece of skirt, ROFL Let us all know what happens ;o)
Makes me really glad I'm not there spider. How long since you left the UK?
I think fried chicken and boiled peanuts sound yummy. Got a recipe?
I grow all sorts of things but not necessarily cottage garden plants - although some like hollyhock and viola undoubtedly are. I grow verbascum too which I really love. Mainly I'm consigned to the edibles though and my SIL does the ornamental - I garden at both hers and mine. Her idea of gardening is to buy a load of seasonal stuff, leave them in their original pots and forget to water them. It makes me so CROSS!!! She's just ordered a boat load of bulbs which, if they go the same way as last years, will be left in the porch to fry. I think I'm going to pinch them for my garden before that happens. LOL
She also has all her front garden covered in pebbles - to combat weeds she says. Of course it doesn't and when you try to tell her that the plants she buys should be planted in soil preferably in the ground, she just completely ignores you. I keep trying to dig through all these stones in order to plant what are some really nice and expensive plants - You need a bulldozer to get through that lot, their so deep. She's also cultivating some really nice thistles and nettles amongst her load of stones and in the pots I actually convinced her to buy. I hate stones! Cruelty to plant life!
OK I can moan too LOL.
I don't have gender issues Terri LOL - you come over here and ask instead.
Roseimp, i have been here for 3 1/2 years.
Most of my plants are in pots or trays. I will have to build some raised beds for them. The soil here is pure red clay and as hard as bricks.
I am thinking of doing a cottage border under some trees as the sun here would fry them in a day.
I think the secret of fried chicken is in the spices. I have never coocked it but you can find the mixture at the supermarket.
I have no idea ho boiled peanuts are coocked. They must be boiled with some special ingredient.
I miss scones with cream and jam, bread and butter pudding, custard...
Oooh spider - I was just talking about that yesterday. My Sil went to her friends house for tea and had just that. Was I jealous! You can't beat a good scone and some jam.
LOL Rosie bet you daren't ask for 'a nice bit of rump either' (just kidding).
Scones with strawberry jam :o) or raspberry without the seeds, yummm
I agree about the stones too...why do people DO that?? They look wonderful around the edge of a pebble pool or pond, but to cover an entire garden....sacrilege, I say, sacrilege!!!
Spider, I missed gravy when I was in Ohio, brown gravy, not the kind you have with biscuits over there.
Could send you some sachets of custard powder if you like :o)
Terri
Awwww Terri, thank you very much for the offer.
Luckily, there is an English shop in Atlanta. You can get lots of things there even steak and kidney pie, Dairy milk, Unclu Joe's sauces etc... I get custard powder there but it is not the same. i just love the ready made ones, especially the tesco brand...hmmmm...
Stop talking about food you lot - I've almost polished off a packet of Minstrels whilst reading this thred LOL.
Ay up Terri - what's wrong with raspberry jam with all the bits left in? What do you have to pick out from between yer teeth otherwise. LOL
Ahh, the memory of raspberry jam wi' bits!
I like a bit o' rump me.
I must stop thinking of Alan Titchmarsh!
Alan Titchmarsh?!?! Eeewwwwwww....
The thinking gardeners crumpet LOL. Talking of crumpets......
He he he, I'll never be able to watch Titchy again without thinking of food.
Oooooooooh, yes, crumpets....dripping with butter.
Bread and real butter - it's part in my downfall.
To get away from food and back to the original subject, I'd never heard of Toby Buckland before it was announced he was to become the next presenter. This was an appointment which seems to have surprised a lot of people, including those in television. I've so far watched one of his Gardeners World programs, but won't pass any judgement until I've seen a few more.
I think Geoff Hamilton has to be my favourite presenter. Looking at this thread, perhaps you need to be female to appreciate Alan Titchmarsh. I always thought that Alan never really took the subject seriously enough, and while I could imagine Geoff and especially Monty working away in their gardens, I always imagined that Alan would employ a gardener to do the work. To many male viewers his main contribution was introducing Charlie Dimmock to the TV screen.
I liked Monty and it's a pity his tenure had to be cut short.