Tonight's Gardeners' World:

Sorry... watching BBC proms film music instead... [BBC4]
Richard Rodney Bennett ...Murder on the Orient Express....

... John Barry... Out of Africa... James Bond etc... :o)))

We have a sweepstake on how many times he mentions his compost in each programme lol. :-0))

Well he did that to night Plantoholic he mows his hedge clippings to put on it! I have really tried but he is just not my cup of tea although I think its better then the previous format.

I didn't watch it,as got a bit bored lately..

I know all gardeners have their preferences re style, format, landscaping etc. but I just don't see the point of having lovely flowers hidden in 'rooms' of Box. And all those straight lines ..........! :o(

I've not watched it yet, will do later on, but i actually like the programmes having a garden focus - be it his or Carols.

I like to see how the garden progresses through the year ... this is exactly the same format that Geoff Hamilton and Alan Titchmarsh used for years on GW.

Shall watch it again as I fell asleep half way through, I've enjoyed most of them, I also like seeing the progress through the year......

It's definitely better with Monty at the helm - and I agree, I like seeing his garden at different stages and through the seasons.

It's also good that Carol goes garden visiting. :-)

I dislike the programme and find the bits in Monty's garden repetitive and boring. there is only so much you can say about hedging and compost!!!!!
who else could want or afford all these hedge clippers?????

not a fan this time round..although i dont mind Monty i do find it boring,did not realy find Alys Fowler helpful but i would rather watch her than Monty..it annoys me when you get these "top" gardeners on TV & they get out plants in trays or pots..from garden centres, anyone can do that..

I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the US Ambassodor's London residence, Winfield House, and the tropical garden in suburbia, but admit the hedge trimming was dull! Wonder what actually happened to that snail . . . . .

*stomp* I imagine :P My mum likes throwing them in the cannal.... apparently the *plop* noise is satisfactorary, but I just feed them to the chickens :P

Its interesting to see some different opinions on the programme. Personally I like that he grows his own plants and wotnot, but he does everything on such a large scale (which obviously he has to, having such a large garden), but he shows it off in a way that can be quite frustrating if you can't afford it/don't have the time.

+ Like Nariz I'm not keen on all the straight lines and box everywhere, or the way hes like 'and this is my walled garden' 'and these are my pleached limes'. I was too young to watch GH (although I have his book on cottage gardens!) or much of AT when he was on, but I think the problem it being set in one persons garden is that if its not to your taste it can be quite uninspiring. Normally I like seeing different people's gardens (like on Carol's visits!), and like how gardens are something that someone can grow the way they want, and to their own tastes, whether thats what other people like or not, but watching him showing off his garden week after week (even though hes obviously very proud of it), doesn't really do much for me.

Yet I still watch it... so something must be right! But at least in the previous format (however flawed that was), we got the influence of four of them, rather than being confined to just one person's.

+ that was rather longer than I intended... I'm sorry! But thankyou all for expressing your opinions, I was very interested in finding out what other people thought :)

Personally, I'd love it if Christine Walkden made it onto TV more often. Such a likeable and knowledgeable lady AND she doesn't have a massive garden herself, so knows what it's like for us "normal" gardeners.

I didn't actually know who she was, so looked her up... Shes the woman who covered the floral marquee at Chelsea! I quite liked her :P Chris Beardshaw was really good too, and the coverage by Andy Sturgeon :]

I really like Joe Swift too... AND his garden is small :P

But after ranting on about monty don I watched the hour long episode that i'd missed and it was actually really good, so might have to eat my words a bit.

... am also planning a trip to newby hall before the autumn by any means possible :P