"Sacha" wrote
"mich" wrote:
snip
like the bloke from
Great Dixter etc ( sorry cant remember his name)


Christopher Lloyds - and that's a garden I dearly want to see.

Yes, me too, and his books are an entertaining read as well as very
informative about plants.

--
Sue

"mich" wrote in message
...
I think a lot of this debate is rather like trying to establish the
difference between a florist, a floral artist and a flower arranger!

In this case we are dealing with the gardener, the garden designer and the
plantsman

In the former case ( flower arranging) the differences are quite technical
and revolve around type of work they do ( and in the case of the
professional the type of training and certification) and the context in
which they operate and their interests.

Probably the same is true of gardening.

I consider most of the historic "gardeners" on GW , up to and including AT
to be gardeners. I would also put Sarah raven and Gay Search in that
group.

Joe swift, R.de T Chris Beardshaw, and most of the modern breed (
including Mr. D. Gavin and his over the garden fence neighbour in
conflict at Chelsea Bunny Guinness ( sp? Dont touch the stuff myself- as
in the famous Irish beer which no doubt Mr. Gavin loves even though he
doesn't agree with its namesake !) ;-) and such like to be garden
designers.

Plantsmen ( and I believe AT is probably also a plantsman, as maybe
several
others , although its not his main craft) are people like the bloke from
Great Dixter etc ( sorry cant remember his name)


What a wonderful fresh look at it.

However, knowing very little of flower arranging/florist/arty-bit I can't
say it definitely correct.
Within gardening, there are various levels of skill, but anyone qualifies
for the title as long as they have the desire.
I don't suppose the same goes within flower-whatsits.

I would say that throughout by career, I have regarded plantsmen/women to be
the grower, be that commercially or otherwise. The knowledge required to
successfully grow the plants is something that they can pass unto gardeners
and garden designers.
They can as you imply, be all 3
Equally, experienced gardeners can teach designers quite a lot.
Equally they too may have the capacity to be all 3
For reasons of practicality, garden designers should be capable of having at
least some reasonable level of gardening/plantsgrowers skill and it should
also be self evident in their designs. Sadly all too often it isn't.They
rarely are anything more than designers.
Given that 2 out of the 3 categories are capable of all 3 levels, but one
category usually seems bereft of such flexibility, might it be just such
flexibility that defines the term "Real Gardener"?

Patrick

In article , mich
wrote:

In this case we are dealing with the gardener, the garden designer and the
plantsman

In the former case ( flower arranging) the differences are quite technical
and revolve around type of work they do ( and in the case of the
professional the type of training and certification) and the context in
which they operate and their interests.

Probably the same is true of gardening.

I consider most of the historic "gardeners" on GW , up to and including AT
to be gardeners. I would also put Sarah raven and Gay Search in that group.

Joe swift, R.de T Chris Beardshaw, and most of the modern breed (
including Mr. D. Gavin and his over the garden fence neighbour in
conflict at Chelsea Bunny Guinness ( sp? Dont touch the stuff myself- as
in the famous Irish beer which no doubt Mr. Gavin loves even though he
doesn't agree with its namesake !) ;-) and such like to be garden designers.

Plantsmen ( and I believe AT is probably also a plantsman, as maybe several
others , although its not his main craft) are people like the bloke from
Great Dixter etc ( sorry cant remember his name)

I think there's an important distinction to be drawn between trained
and qualified horticulturists who become garden writers and TV
presenters and those who are self-taught. IIRC, AT, Joe Swift, RdeT,
Chris Beardshaw, James Alexander Sinclair and Sarah Raven have all
gained their diploma from the Royal Botanical Gardens School of
Horticulture or some other recognised teaching institution. I therefore
trust them. On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training. In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience and hence, in terms of general garden programme
presentation, they are liable to make mistakes.

On the other side of the coin, it's no use being a TV presenter if you
can't speak the language or make the subject seem halfway interesting,
ie if you are not a good communicator. In this important respect, I
mark highly AT, James Alexander Sinclair, Monty Don and, to a degree,
Joe Swift. But DG, CD, CB and RdT are not very good communicators imho.
Why then have they got jobs on the telly? Because qualified,
knowledgeable, practical gardeners who can also string two words
together with modicum of coherence, enthusiasm and inspiration are as
rare as hen's teeth. As I have opined before, only AT and James
Alexander Sinclair are the finished article.

Simon

In article , mich
wrote:

In this case we are dealing with the gardener, the garden designer and the
plantsman

In the former case ( flower arranging) the differences are quite technical
and revolve around type of work they do ( and in the case of the
professional the type of training and certification) and the context in
which they operate and their interests.

Probably the same is true of gardening.

I consider most of the historic "gardeners" on GW , up to and including AT
to be gardeners. I would also put Sarah raven and Gay Search in that group.

Joe swift, R.de T Chris Beardshaw, and most of the modern breed (
including Mr. D. Gavin and his over the garden fence neighbour in
conflict at Chelsea Bunny Guinness ( sp? Dont touch the stuff myself- as
in the famous Irish beer which no doubt Mr. Gavin loves even though he
doesn't agree with its namesake !) ;-) and such like to be garden designers.

Plantsmen ( and I believe AT is probably also a plantsman, as maybe several
others , although its not his main craft) are people like the bloke from
Great Dixter etc ( sorry cant remember his name)

I think there's an important distinction to be drawn between trained
and qualified horticulturists who become garden writers and TV
presenters and those who are self-taught. IIRC, AT, Joe Swift, RdeT,
Chris Beardshaw, James Alexander Sinclair and Sarah Raven have all
gained their diploma from the Royal Botanical Gardens School of
Horticulture or some other recognised teaching institution. I therefore
trust them. On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training. In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience and hence, in terms of general garden programme
presentation, they are liable to make mistakes.

On the other side of the coin, it's no use being a TV presenter if you
can't speak the language or make the subject seem halfway interesting,
ie if you are not a good communicator. In this important respect, I
mark highly AT, James Alexander Sinclair, Monty Don and, to a degree,
Joe Swift. But DG, CD, CB and RdT are not very good communicators imho.
Why then have they got jobs on the telly? Because qualified,
knowledgeable, practical gardeners who can also string two words
together with modicum of coherence, enthusiasm and inspiration are as
rare as hen's teeth. As I have opined before, only AT and James
Alexander Sinclair are the finished article.

Simon

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 20:23:20 +0100, Stan The Man
wrote:
On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training.

"Charlie Dimmock is a qualified horticulturalist"
From an article by reporter Charlotte Raven- ('The Guardian' April
20th 1999)

In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience

http://www.charliedimmock.beautifulb...immock_faq.htm
"How did the BBC discover her? Charlie was manager of Mill Water
Gardens in Romsey, Hampshire. In 1992 she did a one-off programme for
the BBC (how to install a pond) after a BBC member of staff had
visited the garden centre. Another five years passed before she was
again contacted by the BBC, this time to become a member of the Ground
Force team."

In article , martin
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 20:23:20 +0100, Stan The Man
wrote:
On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training.

"Charlie Dimmock is a qualified horticulturalist"
From an article by reporter Charlotte Raven- ('The Guardian' April
20th 1999)

In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience

http://www.charliedimmock.beautifulb...immock_faq.htm
"How did the BBC discover her? Charlie was manager of Mill Water
Gardens in Romsey, Hampshire. In 1992 she did a one-off programme for
the BBC (how to install a pond) after a BBC member of staff had
visited the garden centre. Another five years passed before she was
again contacted by the BBC, this time to become a member of the Ground
Force team."

I know that she attended courses at Sparsholt and Cannington colleges
but I have never seen any reference to her having gained her National
Diploma or any other certificate or qualification.

Simon

On 1/6/04 20:23, in article , "Stan The Man"
wrote:

snip

I think there's an important distinction to be drawn between trained
and qualified horticulturists who become garden writers and TV
presenters and those who are self-taught. IIRC, AT, Joe Swift, RdeT,
Chris Beardshaw, James Alexander Sinclair and Sarah Raven have all
gained their diploma from the Royal Botanical Gardens School of
Horticulture or some other recognised teaching institution. I therefore
trust them. On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training. In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience and hence, in terms of general garden programme
presentation, they are liable to make mistakes.

snip


I will tell you now that we have garden designers and so-called qualified
horticulturists into this nursery often (and all nurserymen we know have
experienced this) who will pick the brains of the long-serving but
diploma-less owners of such Nurseries. We have also had students visiting
us to do precisely this. One used to work for us until a year ago and now
earns a large wage, based to a considerable degree on coming here to ask for
my husband's (free) advice!
Such people are launching themselves upon a gardening career but have no
soundly based plant knowledge.
I'm sure many work hard for their diplomas and then to gain practical
knowledge - but some, perhaps many, have problems identifying which plant
to put in which particular condition but dupe others into thinking they're
'experts' because they have a bit of paper.

About two years ago we visited the locally famous garden of a friend of mine
and in our company was an RHS diploma student in her mid-50s - very
intelligent woman, very - extremely - keen on plants. So - our hostess,
who is much older than I am, showed my husband a climbing rose of great
health and vigour and said "why has this never flowered?" Zero answer from
RHS diploma-bearer but my husband said "because it's a Rosa Banksiae and
your gardener keeps cutting it back". Correct.

Then our hostess showed us her rather wonderful Camellias which were mulched
with bark chippings by her elderly gardener who wished to cut down his
weeding time. In a small way, these Camellias and this garden are a bit
well known so "why are they going yellow?" she asked Ray. He explained the
action of rotting bark. The RHS diploma holder had nothing to say and later
admitted she knew nothing of this. On the whole of the tour of this rather
large garden, diploma holder didn't know the names of many plants but my
husband recognised every one of them and identified others for the owner.
Even I knew the names of plants this RHS person didn't know.

My husband holds no diplomas, or certificates, but is a nurseryman of over
50 years experience, has the guts to say "I don't know" when he doesn't
know, and can advise or help people within an enormous range of gardening
from sheer hands on experience over a long period. He has learned by doing
in the days when a diploma to go gardening or grow plants for sale would
have been laughable.
NOTHING is a substitute for a keen ear and eye, a genuine interest, a lack
of self-interest versus a love of plants and a large dose of humility,
carefully applied, as a mulch. Please, for your own sake, do NOT be
convinced by bits of paper alone and don't endorse or dismiss people on
those grounds, either. While I wouldn't dream of knocking those who work
hard to get a diploma or such qualification, I'll take experience over a
diploma any day when it comes to gardening and I always have.
--

In article , Sacha
wrote:

On 1/6/04 20:23, in article , "Stan The Man"
wrote:

snip

I think there's an important distinction to be drawn between trained
and qualified horticulturists who become garden writers and TV
presenters and those who are self-taught. IIRC, AT, Joe Swift, RdeT,
Chris Beardshaw, James Alexander Sinclair and Sarah Raven have all
gained their diploma from the Royal Botanical Gardens School of
Horticulture or some other recognised teaching institution. I therefore
trust them. On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training. In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience and hence, in terms of general garden programme
presentation, they are liable to make mistakes.

snip


I will tell you now that we have garden designers and so-called qualified
horticulturists into this nursery often (and all nurserymen we know have
experienced this) who will pick the brains of the long-serving but
diploma-less owners of such Nurseries. We have also had students visiting
us to do precisely this. One used to work for us until a year ago and now
earns a large wage, based to a considerable degree on coming here to ask for
my husband's (free) advice!
Such people are launching themselves upon a gardening career but have no
soundly based plant knowledge.
I'm sure many work hard for their diplomas and then to gain practical
knowledge - but some, perhaps many, have problems identifying which plant
to put in which particular condition but dupe others into thinking they're
'experts' because they have a bit of paper.

About two years ago we visited the locally famous garden of a friend of mine
and in our company was an RHS diploma student in her mid-50s - very
intelligent woman, very - extremely - keen on plants. So - our hostess,
who is much older than I am, showed my husband a climbing rose of great
health and vigour and said "why has this never flowered?" Zero answer from
RHS diploma-bearer but my husband said "because it's a Rosa Banksiae and
your gardener keeps cutting it back". Correct.

Then our hostess showed us her rather wonderful Camellias which were mulched
with bark chippings by her elderly gardener who wished to cut down his
weeding time. In a small way, these Camellias and this garden are a bit
well known so "why are they going yellow?" she asked Ray. He explained the
action of rotting bark. The RHS diploma holder had nothing to say and later
admitted she knew nothing of this. On the whole of the tour of this rather
large garden, diploma holder didn't know the names of many plants but my
husband recognised every one of them and identified others for the owner.
Even I knew the names of plants this RHS person didn't know.

My husband holds no diplomas, or certificates, but is a nurseryman of over
50 years experience, has the guts to say "I don't know" when he doesn't
know, and can advise or help people within an enormous range of gardening
from sheer hands on experience over a long period. He has learned by doing
in the days when a diploma to go gardening or grow plants for sale would
have been laughable.
NOTHING is a substitute for a keen ear and eye, a genuine interest, a lack
of self-interest versus a love of plants and a large dose of humility,
carefully applied, as a mulch. Please, for your own sake, do NOT be
convinced by bits of paper alone and don't endorse or dismiss people on
those grounds, either. While I wouldn't dream of knocking those who work
hard to get a diploma or such qualification, I'll take experience over a
diploma any day when it comes to gardening and I always have.

So possibly you would agree with me that the combination of a diploma
AND experience would be the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately,
those who have never been properly trained can never achieve both.

Simon

On Wed, 02 Jun 2004 14:15:52 +0100, Stan The Man
wrote:


So possibly you would agree with me that the combination of a diploma
AND experience would be the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately,
those who have never been properly trained can never achieve both.

because the experienced are unable to acquire theoretical knowledge
without attending lectures 30 weeks a year for 3 years? I think not.

On 2/6/04 14:15, in article , "Stan The Man"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
wrote:

snip
NOTHING is a substitute for a keen ear and eye, a genuine interest, a lack
of self-interest versus a love of plants and a large dose of humility,
carefully applied, as a mulch. Please, for your own sake, do NOT be
convinced by bits of paper alone and don't endorse or dismiss people on
those grounds, either. While I wouldn't dream of knocking those who work
hard to get a diploma or such qualification, I'll take experience over a
diploma any day when it comes to gardening and I always have.

So possibly you would agree with me that the combination of a diploma
AND experience would be the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately,
those who have never been properly trained can never achieve both.

Simon

Given how few genuine, old-style gardeners and nurserymen with experience
are around now, perhaps diploma courses are necessary. But were that not
the case, I'd go for someone with years of hands on experience every time,
if I had to choose.
I don't just feel this about gardening BTW - I think it applies to many
fields. One of my friends was a brilliant skipper and navigator and wasn't
even a member of the RYA. He'd crossed the Atlantic single-handed,
skippered many boats in big races, worked for the British team in the
Americas Cup etc. He only had to cave in when he skippered a boat for the
Clipper Race and insurers insisted that skippers had to have RYA qualis.
Until then neither he nor anyone he sailed with or employed him to sail, saw
any point in a piece of paper that says you can sail a boat!
As I've said earlier, I'm really not knocking the people who have worked
hard for RHS exams; all I am saying is that it is no substitute for real
experience which they, too, will gain over the years. And given our love of
letters after a name, I imagine that some jobs simply won't be open to
people who *don't* have that piece of paper.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

On Wed, 02 Jun 2004 16:45:12 +0100, Sacha
wrote:


As I've said earlier, I'm really not knocking the people who have worked
hard for RHS exams; all I am saying is that it is no substitute for real
experience which they, too, will gain over the years. And given our love of
letters after a name, I imagine that some jobs simply won't be open to
people who *don't* have that piece of paper.

I recall a time when the father of British Climatology put Member RHS
and nothing else after his name, mainly because he had nothing else to
put.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/6/04 20:23, in article , "Stan The
Man"
wrote:

snip

I think there's an important distinction to be drawn between trained
and qualified horticulturists who become garden writers and TV
presenters and those who are self-taught. IIRC, AT, Joe Swift, RdeT,
Chris Beardshaw, James Alexander Sinclair and Sarah Raven have all
gained their diploma from the Royal Botanical Gardens School of
Horticulture or some other recognised teaching institution. I therefore
trust them. On the other hand, I do not think that Monty Don or
Diarmuid Gavin or Charlie Dimmock has any formal horticultural
training. In my book, they are 'winging it' based on their still
limited experience and hence, in terms of general garden programme
presentation, they are liable to make mistakes.

snip


I will tell you now that we have garden designers and so-called qualified
horticulturists into this nursery often (and all nurserymen we know have
experienced this) who will pick the brains of the long-serving but
diploma-less owners of such Nurseries. We have also had students visiting
us to do precisely this. One used to work for us until a year ago and now
earns a large wage, based to a considerable degree on coming here to ask
for
my husband's (free) advice!
Such people are launching themselves upon a gardening career but have no
soundly based plant knowledge.
I'm sure many work hard for their diplomas and then to gain practical
knowledge - but some, perhaps many, have problems identifying which plant
to put in which particular condition but dupe others into thinking they're
'experts' because they have a bit of paper.


I think there is a big mistake being made here.

My husband was a plumber. He trained for four years and got his indentures
back in 1969. He was never able to take certificates at the time, his
employer didn't allow it. He did take certificates later with another
employer ( for gas fitting certification)

Back in the 1980's he was working with "plumbers" whose only training for
the job was six months on a city and guilds course. They were "qualified
plumbers" whilst he was not - but he was the only one who could dress lead
or wipe a joint. It had not been part of the course for the others.

AT is probably the "last" of the generations of apprentice gardeners -
indentured tradesmen - who spent four years learning the craft of
gardening. He may ( or may not - I dont know) have certificates, although I
would guess that like my husband he might have taken them at some stage in
his career.
In the past those were not necessary. The new breed are like those six month
"qualified plumbers" - have all the certificates but none of the training or
experience - and it shows. Certificates do not make a gardener, although a
good gardener will probably have some somewhere but probably not as many as
those who are "qualified"

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Sacha
wrote:
About two years ago we visited the locally famous garden of a friend of
mine
and in our company was an RHS diploma student in her mid-50s - very
intelligent woman, very - extremely - keen on plants. So - our hostess,
who is much older than I am, showed my husband a climbing rose of great
health and vigour and said "why has this never flowered?" Zero answer
from
RHS diploma-bearer but my husband said "because it's a Rosa Banksiae and
your gardener keeps cutting it back". Correct.

Then our hostess showed us her rather wonderful Camellias which were
mulched
with bark chippings by her elderly gardener who wished to cut down his
weeding time. In a small way, these Camellias and this garden are a bit
well known so "why are they going yellow?" she asked Ray. He explained
the
action of rotting bark. The RHS diploma holder had nothing to say and
later
admitted she knew nothing of this. On the whole of the tour of this
rather
large garden, diploma holder didn't know the names of many plants but my
husband recognised every one of them and identified others for the owner.
Even I knew the names of plants this RHS person didn't know.

My husband holds no diplomas, or certificates, but is a nurseryman of
over
50 years experience, has the guts to say "I don't know" when he doesn't
know, and can advise or help people within an enormous range of gardening
from sheer hands on experience over a long period. He has learned by
doing
in the days when a diploma to go gardening or grow plants for sale would
have been laughable.
NOTHING is a substitute for a keen ear and eye, a genuine interest, a
lack
of self-interest versus a love of plants and a large dose of humility,
carefully applied, as a mulch. Please, for your own sake, do NOT be
convinced by bits of paper alone and don't endorse or dismiss people on
those grounds, either. While I wouldn't dream of knocking those who work
hard to get a diploma or such qualification, I'll take experience over a
diploma any day when it comes to gardening and I always have.

So possibly you would agree with me that the combination of a diploma
AND experience would be the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately,
those who have never been properly trained can never achieve both.

Simon

No Simon, And I speak as someone with the RHS and more.
One course I did is a 3 year full time course, with compulsory weekends
thrown in.
If you've read some of my comments in other threads, you may have seen the
ones pertaining to experience of mistakes I witnessed. Such as someone not
knowing which end is up when planting forestry trees.
Fair enough, they weren't "qualified"
So imagine my surprise to encounter the exact same problem when working
alongside someone who possessed a Capel Manor qualification, from which her
career was being launched!
Also, I do not possess a specific Garden Designer qualification, but I
recall working with someone who was at the time attending a prestigious
course here in London. It was like watching someone's brain slowly tick. It
was excruciating. That which I though common knowledge was like a revelation
to him... but not from me, he would only accept them once sanctioned by the
course. As for design stuff I had being working on my own and was very much
out of the ordinary, such as the use of maths, to this his response went
something on the lines of my needing the men with white coats.
Where the problem lies is that those without the piece of paper are denied
opportunities from which they could expand on their gift.
Off course slightly OT but even with qualifications there can be barriers.
Sad to say and I'm not comfortable revealing this, but when I first started
to work in London, it seemed to be automatically assumed that being Irish I
would not have the brain cells to cope with anything more than donkey work.
My qualifications, but British and Irish were assumed to be forgeries!
Annoying though that was, my innate teamwork instincts tended to take over
and so I would try to chip in if I saw mistakes being made. In some
instances, I was the only one in the firm with the actual experience, yet
the response to my advice was usually something along the lines of "shut the
f*** up and just bring in more stones/turf/whatever."
Furthermore, even as a self employed gardener, I've had customers who
readily assume I might not know how to do various things, or are mistrustful
of the information I extend, be that design or landscape, in spite of just
such things on my paper work and even in spite of my doing just such things
for their neighbours. What has occasionally happened is that I've arrived to
work and found a team of landscapers on site. Perhaps doing what I've
advised against. They are treated like gods of wisdom and me.. well let's
not go there. Then afterwards there are problems. Cement has being used
where sand should be and vice versa. Customer grumbles. I reveal the answers
and they're amazed, or somehow it's my fault that they went ahead and did
precisely what I warned them would not work, whilst ignoring what I said
would.
Sacha's account (above) has brought a huge smile across my face. I really
enjoyed the visit story. Being there, done that, waiting for the Tee-shirt.
I also have no problem with saying "I don't know" when that happens.
Waffling is not the answer!
As mich related with her plumbers story that training can be very suspect
indeed.

Patrick

In article , tuin man
wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...

So possibly you would agree with me that the combination of a diploma
AND experience would be the best of all possible worlds. Unfortunately,
those who have never been properly trained can never achieve both.

Simon

No Simon, And I speak as someone with the RHS and more.
One course I did is a 3 year full time course, with compulsory weekends
thrown in.
If you've read some of my comments in other threads, you may have seen the
ones pertaining to experience of mistakes I witnessed. Such as someone not
knowing which end is up when planting forestry trees.

(snip)

Patrick

Of course everyone has a story to tell and of course there will be
exceptions but in general I don't think that I can be swayed from my
view that those who communicate about gardening to millions of
viewers/readers should be a) as well qualified horticulturally as
possible; b) as experienced as possible; and c) as coherent as
possible.

In related areas, if someone is fixing my gas boiler, my teeth, my new
extension, my domestic wiring, my blood pressure, etc, I'm going to
find someone who, first and foremost, is properly qualified to do the
job. If they are also experienced, so much the better.

Simon

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , tuin man
wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...

Of course everyone has a story to tell and of course there will be
exceptions but in general I don't think that I can be swayed from my
view that those who communicate about gardening to millions of
viewers/readers should be a) as well qualified horticulturally as
possible; b) as experienced as possible; and c) as coherent as
possible.

In related areas, if someone is fixing my gas boiler, my teeth, my new
extension, my domestic wiring, my blood pressure, etc, I'm going to
find someone who, first and foremost, is properly qualified to do the
job. If they are also experienced, so much the better.

These days everyone has to be qualified or they cannot work , in some areas
its illegal to work without the bits of paper , like gas fitting ( hence my
husband eventually got to get his qualifications!) but I would rather trust
my gas boiler to an experienced man , than a young whipper snapper out of
college and wet behind the ears - or at least to one who has been
apprenticed ( not the same thing as going to college).

The same goes for my garden.
The problem with the beeb is that they are looking for people who are too
young ( they are suffering from ageism) .

Gardening is generally something for the "older" person.
I dont want to be communicated with by a twenty year old. I want my garden
expert to have wrinkles and be at least late forties. As I would like my
other presenters to be so also.

BBC please note if you read this. No botox. No polished nails and not
anorexically thin!