Thank you for leaving a comment on my review for Nick Hamilton’s new book, The Right Jeans.
The prize draw was won by the reader who left this comment: “The wonderful Geoff Hamilton. This sounds a super book. Geoff is one of my gardening heroes. I used to watch him avidly on Gardeners’ World – he was a huge inspiration to me. I have visited Barnsdale – it’s a wonderful garden.”
Please get in touch and send your address so I can post out the book. If there’s no reply within 2 days, I’ll do another draw.
When I was growing up, the television was often switched on in the background in the lounge. My three little brothers played with huge piles of Lego bricks, trying to build the the world’s largest tower. They spent hours constructing the buildings, then crash, down they came. Undeterred, they tried again and again. Dad often joined in to help, or he was busy holding together bits of Airfix models while the boys glued and painted Spitfires and Lancaster bombers. Meanwhile, I sat on the sofa with pens and paper making Spirograph patterns, or concentrating on a ‘painting by numbers’ canvas. Occasionally we’d look up to watch the cartoons playing in the background. Tom and Jerry and the Road Runner were popular. Dad loved the cowboy Western-type films. The High Chaparral was a favourite. Mum on the other hand rarely sat down to watch tv. With four children to care for, meals to cook from scratch, jumpers to knit and clothes to sew, she didn’t have time. All my dresses were home-made until I was 18. Then I started making them myself. However, the highlight of mum’s week was the gardening programme on Friday night. That was the only time I saw her sit down and avidly watch something. Geoff Hamilton was presenter of the programme called Gardeners’ World, and every week he fashioned something for the garden from scraps of wood, bits of plumbing and old drainage pipes. And, basically, if you could use a saw and had a few nails to hand, you could create something useful and beautiful, such as a herb table, complete with a tiled section for resting your cup of tea. Mum was very taken with these ideas because they made gardening affordable and fun. She could have the cottage garden she wanted, without it costing a fortune. And what we were witnessing as children was a life lesson in love. Dad thought the world of mum and would do anything to make her happy. So after watching the television on a Friday, dad would spend the weekend creating something for the garden for mum. One day, after watching Geoff, mum decided she would have a pond, and dad duly dug out an amazing pond on two levels with a stream between them. The garden gave them both much happiness and a shared interest. Sadly Dad passed away in 2011, but the garden lives on, and every year my brothers paint the furniture he made to keep it in good condition. All these happy memories were revived by a newly-published book, The Right Jeans, written by Geoff’s son Nick. The book chronicles Geoff’s journey from the early days with occasional appearances on the programme, to being lead presenter for Gardeners’ World. Geoff appeared on the programme for 17 years from 1979 to 1996. It’s a heartwarming and amusing story as Nick reveals all the background stories to the programme. Safe to say, Geoff had a great sense of humour and what you saw was what you got. He was straightforward and down to earth. He didn’t put on an act, he was the person you saw on the screen, open and honest. I feel it would spoil the surprise to reveal any of the stories contained the book. Suffice to say the book leaves you with a lovely, happy feeling and you’ll smile all the way through. I have no hesitation in recommending The Right Jeans to any gardeners -or potential gardeners. The book would make a lovely Christmas present for anyone. You’ll learn a lot about Geoff, but also get a behind the scenes glimpse into how television programmes were made in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Suffice to say, things have changed since then, quite a lot!
All photos copyright of Barnsdale Gardens.
Geoff was famous for creating themed gardens such as the cottage garden, the artisan garden, paradise garden and tiny herb garden made from drainage pipes set on end as planters for weeping rosemary and thyme. Basic materials were all that was needed, and no special skills required to create his inventive garden projects. It’s no wonder he was such a popular presenter- and we all remember him so well.
Geoff was ahead of his time when he advocated organic gardening. His fruit, vegetables and flowers were all grown without chemicals which was a forward-thinking idea at the time.
Geoff was refreshingly ordinary – and I mean that in a complimentary way. Previous presenters wore suits and ties to present the programme, whereas Geoff always wore jeans and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and show muddy knees. People were able to relate to Geoff because he was ‘one of us.’
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my review and about how the programme was the highlight of the week in our house when I was young. Nick took over running the gardens at Barnsdale when Geoff sadly died in 1996. The Right Jeans is the second in a trilogy. The first book relates Geoff’s life in publishing and running a garden centre before getting into television. And there’s a third book to follow, continuing the story of Barnsdale Gardens
Back cover of the book
Biography from the book.
Excerpt from the book.
Do any of you remember watching Geoff on the television? Were you inspired to create something having watched the programme. Please get in touch and let me know.
The publishers have given me one copy to give away. Please leave a comment below to be included in the prize draw which will be made on Sunday 15th December. A name will be randomly selected. Sorry, UK only entries. Usual rules apply. Author’s decision is final and there’s no cash alternative. Thanks again for reading my blog. Please subscribe below to see future posts.
While visiting Barnsdale Gardens for the winter walk-and-talk, I had a chance to peek into the impressive kitchen gardens. Not only are the gardens beautiful, but they are highly productive too. They are gardened organically. Plants are put in closely together, and there are many little pathways meaning a lot of the work can be undertaken without stepping on the soil. Nick is a very good teacher. He explains everything in an easy to understand way with a lot of patience and humour.
Photo: Steve Hamilton
Nick shared with me his advice and list of ‘top five’ winter vegetables:
Brussels sprouts – Generally eaten over the Christmas period, but if you grow your own then you could harvest this vegetable from August to at least March. As a child, I remember them as having a bit of a bitter, old socks taste, but those days are well and truly gone with the modern varieties being sweet and flavoursome. In order to get the continuity of cropping to give the longest harvest period I only need to grow two varieties, ‘Nelson’ and ‘Red Ball’.
Kale – A well-known superfood that not only gives us something to eat but, if you select the right variety, a very beautiful and interesting addition to the ornamental winter garden. I like to grow a variety called ‘Redbor’, which is widely available, but I do not grow it in the veg plot, preferring instead to move it around my ornamental borders. The reason I do this is because ‘Redbor’ has the most wonderfully deep coloured, red leaves that enhance in colour with the colder winter temperature, but then are elevated to another level during frosty weather.
Chard – A hardy, leafy leaf beet this is an excellent substitute for spinach. I have been bought up to try and eke out the most from everything in a garden, so choosing a variety that gives ornamental interest as well as excellent production is an absolute bonus. Such a variety is Chard ‘Bright Lights’, which comes up as a mixture of different colours of leaves in shades of yellow, green and red, all with a prominent white mid-rib.
Jerusalem Artichoke – What a fantastic winter veg to grow! I love it not just because it is adaptable in the kitchen but also because it is a tuber that is perfectly hardy, so can be left in the ground all winter and dug up as and when required. I grow a variety called Fuseau because it is less knobbly than others, so easier to peel. It does like to spread, so I control it by growing mine in containers that I sink into the ground and then lift when needed.
Leeks – I can’t imagine a winter without leeks adorning the culinary delights that appear from my kitchen. This year I have grown the varieties ‘Winner’, ‘Pandora’ and ‘Jolant’, which will give me a continuous harvest from August until April. Something my taste buds and stomach are very grateful for. We do have a couple of problems to deal with however, which is why we grow them, from sowing until the end of the crop, under an insect-proof netting to prevent attack by leek moth and/or Allium leaf miner.
Photos credit Steve Hamilton
Barnsdale Gardensis Britain’s largest collection of individually designed gardens based in the East Midlands. There are 38 gardens on show including the beautiful kitchen gardens. Courses run throughout the year on growing and planting fruit, flowers and vegetables, and there’s also courses on pruning and maintenance. See the website for opening times and course details. I’ve signed up for the newsletter which means I get all the news first and can plan my visits when there are special events happening.
I wrote about a Barnsdale’s winter gardens walk and talk here:
I’m loving my white-stemmed chard and white kale. Here’s some I’m harvesting now, having sown the seeds in summer and planted them in a cold frame and unheated poly tunnel. They overwinter as small plants and start growing after Christmas. You can just see two eggs in the basket too. The hens have started to lay again! A sure sign that spring is well and truly on the way. Hurray!
Bramble Garden 