What having a dad who’s a famous gardener is really like
Nick Hamilton, son of BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Geoff, has published a book, The Right Genes, reminiscing about growing up with the TV gardener.
The beautifully written story is a must for anyone who remembers Geoff Hamilton presenting the show back in the 1980s until his untimely death at the age of just 59 in 1996. The book has been entered for the McKitterick Prize, given to an author over 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished.
For someone of my age, Geoff was a great inspiration and The Right Genes is a fitting title for Nick’s book. A pioneer of organic and sustainable gardening, Nick is a well-known horticulturalist in his own right. His dad was obviously a massive influence on him, without a doubt. If you like gardening books, try RHS The Tree In My Garden, Cut Flowers, The Regenerative Garden and Sustainable Garden.
‘Great experiment’ in organic gardening
One thing’s for sure, it’s never easy being the child of a visionary. Barnsdale Gardens was Geoff’s ‘great experiment’ in peat-free and chemical-free growing. We follow the journey of father and son as the former becomes one of the first gardening celebrities and a trailblazer for the organic movement.
Geoff presented BBC Gardeners’ World for 17 years, with his down-to-earth style making him a hit. The show was broadcast from Barnsdale. Here, the individual garden room designs developed, experimenting with plants, themes and ideas, earning the reputation of being the ‘People’s Gardener’.
The Right Genes shares the delights of being a member of the Hamilton family and the weird and wonderful journey they embarked upon. You can bet that Geoff would be so proud of Nick, their careers complementing each other perfectly.
The Right Genes – Gardener in his own right
Nick Hamilton is the author of two organic gardening books and writes for magazines and other publications. He has appeared on BBC2’s Gardeners’ World and several other television programmes.
Nick trained at Writtle College and worked at wholesale nurseries before joining his dad at Barnsdale. They worked together for several years before Geoff’s death. Subsequently, Nick took on Barnsdale Gardens and, in 1997, opened them to the public.
- Read more at the website https://barnsdalegardens.co.uk.
- Barnsdale Gardens is open every day, 9am to 5pm, with no need to book in advance.
- Buy The Right Genes from shop.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/products/the-right-genes, price £14.99.
- Address: Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8AH.
Read more horticultural book reviews you might like – The Thoughtful Gardener and Good Soil; Urban Flowers; The Salad Garden; The Jam Maker’s Garden and Charles Dowding’s latest No-Dig volume.
