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Cozying up for fall with great garden inspiration

November 1, 2021

monty don's french gardens

Thank you to Inside Outside House & Garden for partnering with me on my post. As usual, all words and thoughts are mine. Check out the promo code at the end for a free trial.

“No new gardens.” Perhaps you’ve heard me say this a few times before, but it turns out no matter how many times you mutter this, as a gardener it’s nearly impossible to bring this mantra to fruition. Because new gardens, or in my case, renewed gardens (check out this video to see why I’m ripping things up) are inevitable. And they are also very fun.

I have a whole winter ahead to come up with plans, but now, as the demands of the garden are winding down, is when I immerse myself in inspiration. I find it in many sources: Instagram, garden magazines, YouTube and garden television. And when I think of good garden television, I think of all those great shows from the UK. Their love for gardening has spilled over to what I think is a collection of the best garden shows there are.

Lately I’ve been digging into the gardening fare on the streaming channel Inside Outside House & Garden, which has a vast collection of British gardening shows that you can’t reliably find elsewhere. Here’s a few that I’ve been taking notes from.

GREATEST GARDENS

greatest gardens with helen dillon and diarmuid gavinI love this show as much for the concept as for the presenters. Famed Irish gardeners Helen Dillon and Diarmuid Gavin—a pair of fabulous garden designers who don’t take anything too seriously and with whom I’d love to have a gin and tonic or three—visit Irish home gardens and critique them without the owners around and then choose a favorite at the end of every episode.

I can’t help but “play along” and pick my favorite garden, but mostly I’m envious of the kind of constructive, and often humorous, criticism that Dillion and Gavin dish up. I wouldn’t mind having them give my garden the same treatment, so long as we could all hang out afterward.

THE AUTISTIC GARDENER

the autistic gardenerI’ve been scoping out British television shows for a long time, so I was surprised I hadn’t come across this interesting take on the usual garden renovation show. Alan Gardener (really!) is an award-winning garden designer (and burgeoning comedian, judging by his wise cracks) who is on the autism spectrum. He leads a team of young gardeners who also happen to be autistic to create gardens for paying clients.

Not only are the finished products beautiful with plenty to apply to your average home garden, but it’s also fascinating to see how some of the qualities of autism—attention to detail, a keen understanding of math—lend themselves well to garden creation.

MONTY DON’S FRENCH GARDENS

monty don's french gardensMonty Don is no longer a secret stateside. To know Monty, and these days everyone knows Monty, is to love him. So it should be no surprise that a couple Monty Don shows are on this list. We all love Gardeners’ World, and there are plenty of past “Gardeners’ World” episodes on Inside Outside suited for the season.

I think Monty is at his best when he’s out discovering new gardens, and his travels almost always translate to areas in his home garden Longmeadow. Like all of us, Monty is inspired by his travels.

I’ll travel with Monty anywhere he wants to go but I think my favorite of his travel specials is “Monty Don’s French Gardens.” Monty lived in France for a time (in the stunningly charming Aix-en-Provence) and it’s clear that France holds a special place in his heart. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m missing travel an awful lot lately. These little journeys with Monty help soothe a restless soul.

LOVE YOUR GARDEN

alan titchmarsh love your gardenBefore there was Monty, there was Alan Titchmarsh, at least in terms of beloved British gardeners. These days the former host of “Gardeners’ World” is best known (at least in the U.S. … Brits please feel free to correct me) for his garden makeover show “Love Your Garden.”

The formula is tried and true: Deserving folks with an interesting story get a fabulous garden makeover from Titchmarsh and his crew. What is particularly nice about these makeovers is that since they are typically done in smaller spaces, there’s a lot to apply to our own gardens. I swear, Titchmarsh could work a shed into a postage stamp-sized lot and make it look good.

BIG DREAMS, SMALL SPACES

big dreams small spacesSince most of us probably won’t have a television crew show up to renovate our yard anytime soon, “Big Dreams, Small Spaces” is a nice twist on the concept with a bit of Monty thrown in for good measure. 

Monty serves as a garden coach for two sets of homeowners in each episode. He helps the nail down their own design concept, work within often slim budgets, checks in along the way, offering pep talks and even rebukes on occasion, and even rolls up his sleeves to pitch in for a day. And what’s a renovation show without a reveal? Of course Monty shows up for that too.

I have to admit, I enjoy this show for the process but also to see how the homeowners approach the opportunity. Every time someone doesn’t do their homework as assigned by Monty I shudder a bit. I mean can you even imagine having Monty Don show up at your garden and tell you what to do and then not doing it? Egads.

I’m enjoying soaking up every bit of the gardening season but I’m also really loving curling up with a cup of tea and immersing myself in a bit of inspiration.

Inside Outside House & Garden is available in all the places you access streaming television services, such as Roku. You’ll get a 30-day free trial using the promo code IGFREE when you subscribe at Inside Outside House & Garden (a 7-day trial is standard). You can also use this code to subscribe through Amazon, via iOS and Android apps and Apple TV, just make sure you select monthly billing.

What are your go-to shows for garden inspiration?

British tv garden inspiration garden television gardening television Helen Dillon inside outside love your garden monty don the autistic gardener tv
by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
41 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jill says: November 1, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    Another favorite is Garden Rescue. First a design competition and then both teams work together to build the garden the owners budget for. David, Harry, Charlie and Arit are welcome in my garden anytime!

    Reply
    • Ann says: November 1, 2021 at 9:14 pm

      I can watch Gardrn Rescue over and over again!

      Reply
  2. Robert says: November 1, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    And before Alan Titchmarsh, there was Geoff Hamilton! Geoff was the presenter of Gardeners World when I was first introduced to the show through having to watch with my parents when I was a kid (this was back when the UK only had four TV channels and the internet was not even invented, so you watched what your parents watched). All three were and are wonderful presenters. What ever happened to Victory Garden, the only show in the US that came close to Gardeners World.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      I’ve seen a couple old Geoff Hamilton episodes and I can understand why he was so beloved. Seems like he was ahead of his time in terms of garden theory and practice.

      Reply
  3. Yvonne says: November 1, 2021 at 2:14 pm

    Great post. Will check the streaming service out. Oh my goodness. I’m embarrassed today that I have an Austin Geoff Hamilton rose for ages and it’s one of the few for which I didn’t know the origin of the name. Thanks to Robert I now know. It’s a lovely floriferous medium pink rose.

    Reply
  4. Marcia says: November 1, 2021 at 2:54 pm

    Watched Thalassa Cruso’s Making Things Grow on PBS as a kid. Then Victory Garden followed by HGTV shows that were not makeover shows (yech) . Now it’s podcasts mostly. A bit of Monty now and then- Gardeners World. Will follow your advice on others

    Reply
  5. Shaun says: November 1, 2021 at 3:38 pm

    One of my favourites is “around the world in 80 gardens”. It’s another BBC / Monty Don series. Here in the UK it’s on BBC iPlayer but you maybe able to get it in the US. The programme I enjoyed the most was on Mexico and Cuba, it all seems so alluringly different to my own small garden in Aberdeen, Scotland.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      I’m not sure I’ve seen that one, and if I have it’s been so long I can’t remember.
      I will look for that. Isn’t Beechgrove in Aberdeen?

      Reply
  6. Karen wells says: November 1, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    The show brits remember Alan Titchmarsh for most of all was Ground Force

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      I think I’ve only seen one grainy episode of that.

      Reply
    • Donna Spaulding says: November 3, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      Ground Force was a fave in our house. Loved Charlie, Tommy, and Alan.

      Reply
  7. gretchen says: November 1, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    I’ve found many of these programs, both old and new on YouTube. A search for gardens will give you a near endless supply of possibilities. A recent favorite was Bunny Guinness giving an in-depth tour of the 2021 Chelsea Garden Show.

    Reply
    • Claudia says: November 2, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      YES! I thought that Bunny Guinness did such a great job walking us through all these categories of the 2021 Chelsea Garden Show. Was great to watch.

      Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      She did great with that series.

      Reply
  8. Heidi Kozar says: November 1, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    Thank you for this Erin. Any new source of garden inspiration is appreciated. Do you have any idea how to find the old garden shows that Holly Shimizu used to host. I have tons on VHS, but no longer have a machine to run them on…I think she was on PBS, can’t remember the name of the show, but it was great

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      Gosh I’ve never heard of her but it sounds like I should search to see if we can find some of her shows somewhere.

      Reply
    • Donna Spaulding says: November 3, 2021 at 7:30 pm

      She hosted ‘The Victory Garden’ for a while. Growing up in Boston, The Victory Garden was the first garden show that I remember. Watched it through all its transitions.

      Reply
  9. EmKn says: November 1, 2021 at 6:32 pm

    Thanks for the opportunity! Garden Rescue is the show I could binge all day long. Also, I know you also enjoy YouTube gardener John Lord. If only he had a show!

    Reply
  10. Susan Channell says: November 1, 2021 at 8:30 pm

    “ I’m done in the garden.” I’ve told my husband this many times over the last month. However, when the weather is good, I’m outside doing something in the garden. October was for last minute planting of several plant hauls. November starts the clean up. In December, I will be done in the garden. Then I can catch up on these shows!

    Reply
  11. Ann says: November 1, 2021 at 9:13 pm

    Love John Lord. Amazing gardens!

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      His gardens are great but I want a fraction of his energy. Love how he runs around just digging things out here and there.

      Reply
  12. Teresa Angotti says: November 2, 2021 at 4:50 am

    I enjoy your writing it is you and scoping out gardening shows (especially small gardens) is my inspiration as well ! Montys’ calm spirit and soft tone has drawn me many times! This winter I’ll be looking deeper for inspiration I’ve more time than money lol so let’s all settle in for rest and inspiration!

    Reply
  13. Giuditta says: November 2, 2021 at 6:48 am

    What a great post. I’ve been mising out on gardening programming since HGTV turned exclusively to home design and real estate, utterly ignoring the rest of our properties. This inspiration post has done the job, and I’ll be checking garden shows on my streaming platforms!

    Reply
  14. Deborah Barr says: November 2, 2021 at 9:35 am

    I love all these gardening shows. I usually watch them in the summer, sitting outside on the deck with my laptop with a glass of wine on a Saturday evening.

    Reply
  15. Lissa Chambers Powell says: November 2, 2021 at 11:50 am

    I agree with another comment. Check out Bunny Guiness on youtube. She makes the case for cutting out the bottom of bigger pots! I love Gardener’s World, too. Around the World in 80 gardens is an older series of Monty’s but a good one. Its on youtube, also.

    Reply
  16. Heidi says: November 2, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    Well Erin you’ve included most of mine except Carol Klein’s shows, Mary Berry everything and Bunny Guinness-but she may only be on utube. Love this stuff-can’t wait to see some in person!

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      CArol Klein is so great and I agree that Bunny Guinnness’s videos have been great. She has a great designer perspective on the Chelsea gardens.

      Reply
  17. Rene’ says: November 2, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Any show with Carol Klein. Her enthusiasm is wonderful. I especially liked her show that featured her garden for the year, a Year at Glebe Cottage, I think. It’s so soothing. Thank you for telling us about this streaming service. Will have to check it out.

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:04 pm

      Carol has to be the most enthusiastic gardener on the planet, at least when it comes to propagating!

      Reply
    • Alison says: January 23, 2022 at 5:00 pm

      Carol Klein and John Lord win me over with their extreme enthusiasm.

      Reply
  18. Rox says: November 2, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    Definitely Garden Rescue! Love Charlie Dimmock’s gardens and love the dynamic with the Rich Brothers as well. Fun to watch and always with amazing results!

    Reply
    • Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says: November 2, 2021 at 8:04 pm

      I love Garden Rescue too, but I almost always go for the Rich brothers’ designs over Charlie’s.

      Reply
  19. Jane says: November 3, 2021 at 3:52 am

    HGTV many years ago had Penelope Hobhouse, Rosemary Verey, Erica Glasener and more. Fantastic tours of gardens that opened my world up to them and others. Holly Shimizu is the former director of the US Botanic Garden and was on the Victory Garden, to answer another commenter’s question. Erica Glasener did a whole show on Ryan Gainey in Georgia but she also profiled regular gardeners. All of these horticulturists have written books and are well respected in their own right. I do miss the HGTV garden shows from long ago.

    Reply
  20. Michele Determan says: November 3, 2021 at 7:24 am

    Erin you have impeccable timing! Gardening this summer in Southern MN, Zone 4b just about broke me. We experienced a devastating drought, and it was heartbreaking knowing I could not save everything.
    I always make a plan of action to stay semi-sane during my “winter life” at home. You’ve reminded me how much I adore Monty Don, and I’ll check out the other garden shows as well.
    This summer I stumbled upon one of your gardening videos and was instantly charmed by your easy manner, gorgeous gardens and your humor.

    Reply
  21. Lynia Hofman says: November 3, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    Thanks Erin for your list. Here in New Zealand were are heading towards summer, will be good to store some of these up!! I see Carol Klein has been mentioned in the comments but wondered if you had seen a series that has recently appeared on Youtube called ‘Great British Gardens’ where each episode follows one garden through the seasons. Like anything Carol does really worth a watch. Thanks for all your great videos and information.

    Reply
    • Sheena McGrath says: November 3, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      That’s a great show, but my favourite Carol Klein show is ‘Gardening With Carol Klein”.
      It’s set in her own garden, and yes, it features lots of propagation. It’s on YouTube – I’m inspired to do more dividing and take more cuttings next year.

      Reply
  22. Donna Spaulding says: November 3, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    I used to love watching the early shows on HGTV. Erica Glasener on ‘A Gardener’s Diary’ was one of the best there was. I also loved Kathy Renwald and ‘Garden’s Journal’. I think she continued on in Canada but here in US HGTV dropped it. I learned so much from both of those women. Paul James was entertaining but just not the same. After that HGTV all was taken over by reality shows. Ground Force was on BBC America (which we loved) but then the US just did the rip out and remake shows that continue to today.
    Thankfully we now have youtube and gardeners like you and others that take similar journeys in our yards and we all learn from each other.
    Glad to hear about this streaming site. We are getting our rokus this week and ditching cable so perfect timing.

    Reply
  23. Annie says: November 3, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    BBC put out a series in 2013 called the Great British Garden Revival. Monty, Carol and a host of other presenters each spend an hour delving into different kinds of gardens. A great series. My favorite series Monty did was the History Of British Gardens. I believe it’s a 4 part series. Interesting history and very informative on how gardening has evolved through the years. Anything Carol Klein is worth a watch….she gets me motivated!

    Reply
  24. summercloud says: November 4, 2021 at 6:28 am

    I’ve learned so much just from reading all the comments here. Now I know to check out: John Lord, Carol Klein, and Bunny Guiness’ videos! Of course I love Bunny Guiness on the GQT so I’m sure her show will be great.

    My own advice to share: if you like podcasts and you’re not already listening to it, check out “Gardener’s Question Time” from the BBC! It’s the longest-running garden show and is just so much fun.

    Reply
  25. Lacy says: January 31, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    These seem to be trending towards British shows, which I absolutely love and am excited to watch all of these! One of my favorites that really got me into gardening was Joe Lamp’l’s Growing a Greener World on PBS here in the states. Between that show and his podcast I have learned so much about gardening and love that he is research and science based.

    Reply
  26. Samantha Wark says: May 15, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    I’ll definitely check this list and hopefully, I can get more ideas and landscaping inspiration from them.

    Reply

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The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia th Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia things are happening very soon. I actually started dividing my dahlias last weekend, about two weeks earlier than I usually do because the weather kept me cooped up inside. I’m glad I did it because I had some (not unexpected) losses that I’ll have to adjust some plans for. So stay tuned: we’ll be talking lots about dahlias soon. 😀
Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall plant snowdrops and winter aconites and I guarantee you that it will bring you happiness the next spring. They are tiny blooms of joy.
A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. Fi A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. First off, you should know that I really love groundcovers. I would rather see a plant than bark mulch any time. Ajuga is a favorite because there are several forms (my favorites are ‘Black Scallop’, shown here, and ‘Chocolate Chip’) and because they can handle most conditions from sun to shade. Popping up next to it is Talinum paniculatum ‘Limon’ (Jewels of Opar). It reseeds around the garden and I just move it around where I want the chartreuse, succulent foliage. Tiny flowers in red and pink bobble on with stems, looking a bit like peppercorns. Then they drop their seed and come back the next year.
Make this the year that you grow a plant you know Make this the year that you grow a plant you know very little about. If you love your garden that’s all that matters. BUT I promise you’ll find even more joy it it when you broaden your horizons. I feel like I’m starting to see the same plants in gardens over and over again. By all means appreciate and love those plants, but also add something you have to learn about. There is great reward in getting to know new-to-you plants. 

Here are two good candidates you might consider: Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) ‘Crested Surf’ and Persicaria (or Bistorta, thanks to the taxonomists) amplexicaulis ‘Golden Arrow’.
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