- Geoff Hamilton
Geoff Hamilton (
15 August 1936 –4 August 1996 ) was a gardener and broadcaster, born Geoffrey Stephen Ham [Nick & Sue Hamilton (2006) "Geoff Hamilton: A Gardening Legend"] just a few minutes before his twin brother Tony, inStepney ,East London, England .Hamilton's passion for gardening strengthened and during the school holidays Geoff expanded his knowledge by helping out in local nurseries, mainly at the Van Hage nursery at the end of his road. He went on to Writtle Agricultural College in
Essex where he passed the National Diploma in Horticulture with distinction.In 1975 he joined the "Garden News" magazine team. After two years he took over as editor of "Practical Gardening" magazine, where he began his crusade informing everybody about the joys and benefits of organic gardening.
He was given a regular spot in the
BBC television programme "Gardeners' World " in 1979.As the presenter of "Gardeners' World" for 17 years and the creator of numerous other gardening series, he was popular with gardening fans in the UK. "Gardeners' World" was broadcast from Hamilton's own garden at Barnsdale in
Rutland .His practical hands-on experience, down-to-earth approach and desire to share his failures as well as his successes with his audience combined with a gentle humour were some of the keys to his success. He was a committed and early, informed advocate of the organic approach to gardening, helping to dispel the rather widely held belief that organic gardening was slightly odd and 'cranky.'
Readers of "Amateur Gardening" magazine nominated the presenter Gardener of the Millennium. [BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/660862.stm Geoff tops garden gurus] Accessed 2006-11-24.] It has remained a puzzle to many in the gardening world that despite his achievements and popularity, Hamilton received neither award nor recognition from the
Royal Horticultural Society .He died on a charity bike ride in
Wales in 1996.External links
*imdb name|id=0357866
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
