Alan Titchmarsh - How To Be A Gardener - Series 1

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