Alan Titchmarsh - How To Be A Gardener - Series 1 [2002]

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Primary Contributor : Alan Titchmarsh

Product Details

Actor : Alan Titchmarsh
Format : PAL
Binding : VHS Tape
EAN : 5014503733025
Product Group : Video
Release Date : 2002-04-15
Running Time : 232minutes
Studio : 2 Entertain Video

ASIN : B000065UGI

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

How to be a Gardener came as something of a surprise, since, for years Alan Titchmarsh has been telling viewers exactly that anyway. But, obviously inspired by Delia Smith's back-to-basics How to Cook series, what's new here is an all-encompassing structure and a sterling attempt to be definitive. The wealth of information in this terrific eight-part series, spread over four hours, is truly astounding. Each show is loosely themed (e.g., pests and diseases), and manages to spend as much time telling you what you shouldn't do as endorsing what you should. The tips come thick and fast, so you either need a pen and paper or be sensible and invest in the companion book as well.

Titchmarsh's easy-yet-passionate manner is well known, and his calm enthusiasm is genuinely infectious, bringing the subject alive and making even the most black-fingered of people want to get outside. His trick is to keep the language and humorous tone as simple as possible. In fact, the only thing the show was criticised for was attempting to lure the youth market with trendy music (Moby!) and flashy direction. But if that encourages more generations of beautiful gardens, so what? Starting at absolute basics (what type of soil do you have?), this series is a veritable visual dictionary of gardening lore derived from a lifetime of practical experience. --Paul Tonks

Customer Reviews

Great advice for all gardeners (2004-02-16)

I ordered this video by mistake, but ended up watching it anyway...and again... and again! I was spellbound. I am a novice gardener but this video full of simple yet priceless advice made me want to get out there and do it - without fear. And thanks to Mr Titchmarsh' s wit and enthusiasm, it was never boring - quite the opposite.

I can be a gardener! (2003-04-10)

I bought it as a present for my girlfriend. She's buying a house and the challenge of designing a garden made her think of hiring a professional. After watching the series, she is now sure she can design it on her own; the professionals she has contacted seem to not have a clue about the basics Alan Titchmarsh teaches you.

I had no interest in gardening before. This has certainly changed. Depending on how it works out with my girlfriend, I'll either help her with designing her garden or buy a house with a garden of my own.

Perhaps I can become a professional gardener?

Back to basics with encouragement and inspiration (2002-04-24)

This is a down-to-earth yet uplifting series, both literally and figuratively. Alan Titchmarsh is like a Zen master, leading us on a vivid and visually appealing path to enlightenment.

How To Be A Gardener, the series, is thematically structured and each programme takes you loosely through a typical year, using time-lapse filming to give a real sense of how alive gardens really are. The virtue of this is that in a few seconds you can see, for example, how the (seemingly vicious) pruning of a rose in March leads to a beautiful display just a couple of months later. Equally, you can see what a few weeks without water does to a plant!

Alan (you see, the programme encourages first name terms) gently guides us to see that gardening doesn't have to be hard work, frightening, or difficult to understand. It is just encouraging the natural cycle of green things growing with sun, soil and water. The gentlest, most encouraging and inspirational of introductions - it made me overcome my fear of the green woody bits outside my back door! Can we have it on DVD please?

Green Light for Green Fingers (2002-04-24)

I bought this video for my mum's birthday and it's quite easy to tell that she is glad I did.

Every sunny weekend, she has spent the mornings watching the video and the afternoon implementing some of the ideas in our garden.

As a compilation of the television series, it is a vital reference for any hobbie gardener or even a gardener wannabe.

It's simple style coupled with the knowledge and general calm brought to the series by Alan Titchmarsh is a refreshing change from other do-it-in-a-day gardening shows and televsion programs.

Well worth a look if you (or your mother) is interested in improving the small terrace garden or the lawn of a stately home.

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