Talkback: Monty Don - Page 11

I was a devotee of Geoff Hamilton but drifted away when he died. I came back to GW and my garden and a new allotment at the same time Toby took over so I don't have a view on Monty either way. I thought Toby was a natural successor to Geoff, having the same enthusiasm and unpatronising delivery. I didn't like the attempt to give it a Top Gear makeover, but that was put right. Regretabbly it seems like the crusties have got their way. They seem to be the same mob that picket the BBC if they move Womens' Hour by five minutes or change a DJ on Radio 2. The BBC also seem to have been rather crass in the way they dealt with Toby and Alys's "sacking" which is a shame. Perhaps the availability of digital channels offers the opportunity to have a black and white gardening programme from Bob Fleming's potting shed. The rest of us can stay in the 21st century and move on!

How boring of the BBC to give us a series of repeats - that is what having Monty back will be like. Exceedingly boring and a real retrograde move. As it recovers from the freezing winter I want renewal and change in my garden. I do not want to return to the dull old days and ways again on GW . I thought Toby and Alys were absolutely fantastic. They were innovative and informative and I will miss them and their cheerful programme.Gardens are joyful places and they were just right for that. I shall stay out in my potting shed and give the return of Monty a wide berth as he is not going to inspire me to create a new garden. He inspired me to turn off last time and I will do so again.

Forgot to add I have cancelled the magazine as well - Monty is not worth my wasting money on. It is bad enough that my licence fee will go to pay for this mans garden.I can not think how insufferable he will be at gwLive so I will go to a proper garden show instead. The BBC has let the viewers down very badly by giving way to a poor decision and hiring this D list celeb to pretend to garden and then to crow about his employment in the magazine. A poor show in every sense of the word.

I feel so upset by this move to oust Toby and Allys. He was certainly one of the best presenters of G.W. ever. I feel like cancelling my subscription, and wish that I had't booked already for GWlive, which has always been my favourite day out of the year. It does not make logical sense to remove Toby.He was so natural in his manner down to earth, not unlike Alan. I think he should have his own programme.Then some of us would definately ditch GWorld.

After Monty Don's somewhat dull presentation of GW, Toby was a breath of fresh air. The programme was aimed at novice and experienced gardeners, and after 30 years of gardening I always found something of interest. Alys as well brought a welcome change of approach to GW. I am very sorry that they are both going and not at all pleased that Monty is returning.

I've only just seen the news, on another discussion page, of MD's return and the ousting of Toby & Alys! Is Joe going as well? I'm surprised and disappointed - I've never liked MD's style of presenting, always stuck right in front of what we really want to be looking at - the plant or garden. Why on earth wasn't Carol Klein asked? The success of her current series on her Cottage Garden is excellent, she is so knowledgeable and such an experienced gardener. What a disappointment - another series I won't be watching.

I've also just seen the news & am bitterly disappointed to see the return of MD and the loss of Toby & Alys. MD's taste & style is an unfortunate reflection of his personality which he admits is depressive. I see the presentation of on screen gardening as being two fold a) to teach/inform/inspire all gardeners, but, in particular new gardeners, to when & how & why of gardening. The likes of Percy Thrower, Geoffrey Smith and Geoff Hamilton all did this particuarly well and Toby can be well proud that he recognised this need and bought this aspect back to the program. I have read the comments of some who, because of their advanced gardening knowledge, seem to forget that there are loads of "new" gardeners EVERY YEAR and they need sound basic advice which is also good refresher stuff for us all. It's amazing how much new knowledge can be learned by these refresher items - techniques and methods can and do change with better science, it really is possible to teach old dogs new tricks ! b) to bring new plants to attention and best use. The victorians spent huge amounts of time and money bringing plants from all over the world back here. This has resulted in a spectacular diversity of plant life and colour which now makes up our gardens, we are indeed fortunate for this inheritance. For all his travels, having watched all of MD's programs, I wonder how/why his colour pallete is so dissapointingly small. I am constantly dismayed at his boring insistance with the"green & white" style and this disease has struck everywhere on TV - just check out how the Chelsea show gardens have gone ! Even Alan Titchmarsh joined in the green & white avalanche but just have a good long look at his own garden, it's a riot of colour and variety and that is what most of us want !! We have mainly green all winter long and our country side is mainly green. My god, the last thing we want all over the garden for the better months is more green !?! Both Toby and Alys have excellent sound training and knowledge which the likes of part timers and dabblers like MD will never be able to match. It's the wrong call and for the wrong reasons, Toby should have had an hour for the program in order to develop styles and themes properly, he never even had a constant time. His treatment by the BBC has been unapreciative and shabby, we have lost out badly. How they can re-employ someone who left the programme in the lurch at such short notice is beyond me. Amazing wasn't it how his "illness" never affected his writing and other TV programms at the time. Perhaps that was part time also like his gardening !!

Having just received my February subscription of GW, oh no! Not Monty Dull again! Not a patch on Geoff, Alan or Toby. Monty Don? Dull, dreary, uninspiring, humourless prima donna. I'm not interested in which plants/shrubs the presenter can't stand, and as for foisting his opinions on the viewer, that's something which Geoff, Alan or Toby have never done. On no, again! Rachel de Thame, or should that be Mrs Marigold? She's a presenter NOT a gardener - useless. As for having the programme coming from the presenter's garden, excuses, excuses. Having moved to Scotland some years ago, "The Beechgrove Garden" has never come from a presenter's garden, but it's informative and interesting and amusing. So the production staff on GW where the ones to be changed, not the presenters. It'll be selective viewing in future.

Roll on March!!! Look forward to seeing a decent gardening programme once more with the return of Monty. What a load of rubbish we've had to put up with for the last couple of years.

Wasn't aware until recently that Monty had a stroke in '08 - Monty take care of yourself! You're too precious to lose! Such a shame that we 'down under' don't have access to BBC gardening programs on free to air TV - they sound lovely! Cheers to you all and happy gardening!

The news that Monty is coming back is just fantastic. He has been an inspiration to me ever since I started gardening. Hope that he can teach a few more organic methods to viewers and continue to provide inspiration throughout the season. Toby was OK, but as others said, could be a little dull. Alys was, well, Alys. Can't wait till it starts!

I'm glad that Monty Don is better but not looking forward to him returning to Gardeners world. Both he and Rachel de thame are more suited to presenting programmes about gardens they visit than a programme meant to instruct us gardening enthusiasts. I have been gardening for over 40 years and still find the knowledge that Toby and Alys gave very useful. They are properly qualified gardeners - not just presenters who like gardening. Toby did a great job - along the lines of the great Geoff Hamilton. Most people aren't interested in Monty's opinions of plant colours etc - we want to know what type of soil they like and whether they tolerate shade etc. Move him to an "arty" type of gardening programme and bring back Monty to teach us the basics - please!

Seems to me that the one thing that the BBC can take from all these posts is that, THERE IS ROOM ON THE TV FOR MORE THAN ONE GARDENING PROGRAMME!!!!!!!! and one that starts late in the year, in garden preperation terms , is take off at the drop of a tennis match or some other programme, and concentrates on gardens of humungeous proportions. I realise that the BEEB doest earn money from gardening progs, but there is more to life than 'peeveeteevees'

I will miss Toby terribly, I thoroughly enjoyed his way of presenting and have definately acquired the 'can do' culture from him, thank you Toby.

I am what you might call an experienced and older gardener. When Monty Don took over Gardener's World, I stopped watching. I was lured back by Toby who has done a fantastic job. With the return of Monty Don, who I find totally uninteresting and dull, I will be switching off again. Give Toby his own gardening programme!

I've just read, in the new GW magazine, about Monty Don's 're-appointment'. I must admit that my first feelings are great sympathy for Toby and disappointment that the GW producers have not had the courage of their convictions, and are moving backward. I've watched GW for years, and felt that Toby was a worthy successor to Geoff Hamilton - even with some of the rather questionable projects that they were both so pleased with! Toby is down to earth, knowledgable and clear in his delivery - and I have learnt a great deal from him. Monty always apeared somewhat self-satisfied and his self appointed role as arbitor of taste grated. There are a couple of reasons, though, why I am quite excited by the change. The first is the return to filming in the presenter's garden. I have very much missed that, despite the flexibillity that Berryfields and Greenacre have allowed. There is a definite extra dimension with a garden that has a real connection for the presenter (as seen in the lovely series in Carol Klein's garden) -and I've enjoyed the guest appearance from various pets over the years. The other reason is that I've just finished reading Monty Don's book, the Ivington Diaries. Got it for Christmas. Despite slight ambivilence at the start I thought it was a wonderful book -beautifully written, self deprecating and suffused with his deep love of his garden. I finished it itching to get out into the garden myself -but also longing to see his garden. Well, I will now -though not quite as I'd hoped! I wish him, and GW, well -and I'm such an addict I don't suppose I'd switch off whatever happened. I do hope, though, that Toby (and Alys) realise what deep affection and respect there is for their work. Hope to see Toby back on screen very soon. Sharon

Dreary,dull,uninspiring, boring prima donna back again. Just got my GW magazine and have just cancelled the subscription. What a bl***y daft move. Toby and Alys were great. Loved their style but I will give it up now monty dumdum is back.

Groan, groan. It has been a long wet, cold winter and I looked forward to seeing the cheerful GW with Toby and Alys. Now I do not even have that and can not think why they have put monty back.He makes everything so dreary. I want to see colour and have enthusiastic and happy people gardening. Monty makes me want to hide away with his plodding veg, veg ,veg and dull colour schemes. Please put Alys and Toby back. I will miss them so much. I would rather miss Gw than watch Monty again.

Yes, MD returns and I go !!Typical kind of decision making within the BBC, more waste and missuse of our licence fee. Why not simply ask the viewing (and reading) audience PRIOR to this. The guy swears he would never return and he's back ???? Must be a case of reverse logic, ok, I'm ready for another go now, it's more convenient to me. So, get rid of genuinely qualified gardeners and make way for the well connected prima donna to return - the decision smells. Toby and Alys are up against the real world of social networking and can't win, as most of us have found out but some thing I can do is vote with my feet. I won't watch the spoilt brat and have also cancelled our subsciption to GW, at least it helps me feel a bit better !

I think its rubish that Toby is being replaced by Monty Don! I am a young gardener and am only 17 but have asperations to work in the gardening industry. Toby was an easy to understand, likeable person that kept things practical and simple. Monty Don is for old people and he is quite boring fimbling around in things that no normal, practicl gardener would! Toby and greenacre should have been continued and the BBC should be taking a step forwards and not backwards to satisafy the moaning elderly. This is a bad move and gardeners world will no longer be lively and intresting. Bad move!