Geoffrey Smith (gardener)
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Denis Smith was a professional gardener, broadcaster
, writer and lecturer
. He was the presenter of Gardeners World from 1980 to 1982 and a number of other BBC
series in the early 80s including Geoffrey Smith's World of Flowers, Mr Smith’s Flower Garden, Mr Smith's Favourite Garden and Mr Smith’s Indoor Garden all of which were accompanied by books.
, which brought him the prize for best all-round student. At the age of 26, he was appointed Superintendent at the Northern Horticultural Society Gardens. He worked as the Superintendent of Harlow Carr gardens in Harrogate from 1954 to 1974 where he was known for growing plants which experts had labelled unfit for the northern climate.
In 1972 he was made an Associate of Honour to the Royal Horticultural Society
, for services to gardening, and in 1988 he received an honorary masters degree from the Open University
. He won the Garden Writers' Guild
Lifetime Achievement Award for 2006 at the age of 78.
He made appearances on BBC TV's Gardening Club which were followed, in 1976, by his first BBC series, Mr Smith’s Vegetable Garden. He had a distinctive voice and sharp wit which were well known to radio listeners as he became a regular panelist on Radio 4
’s Gardeners' Question Time
.
Smith was a prolific writer, contributing to The Lady
, Garden News and The Garden
. His many books became gardening best sellers, among them Mr Smith's Flower Garden, Gardening (Sure & Simple), A Passion for Plants, The Book of Primroses, Shrubs and Small Trees for Your Garden and The Joy of Wildlife Gardening.
Geoffrey Smith lived in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales
and his hobbies included fell-walking, photography, fly fishing and a passionate interest in all things pertaining to the countryside.
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, writer and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
. He was the presenter of Gardeners World from 1980 to 1982 and a number of other BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series in the early 80s including Geoffrey Smith's World of Flowers, Mr Smith’s Flower Garden, Mr Smith's Favourite Garden and Mr Smith’s Indoor Garden all of which were accompanied by books.
Biography
Smith trained at the Yorkshire College of Agriculture and HorticultureAskham Bryan College
Askham Bryan College is a specialist landbased college based in Askham Bryan, York, England. It also has centres in Thirsk, Bedale, Harrogate, Guisborough, Bradford, Wakefield Scarborough and Penrith....
, which brought him the prize for best all-round student. At the age of 26, he was appointed Superintendent at the Northern Horticultural Society Gardens. He worked as the Superintendent of Harlow Carr gardens in Harrogate from 1954 to 1974 where he was known for growing plants which experts had labelled unfit for the northern climate.
In 1972 he was made an Associate of Honour to the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
, for services to gardening, and in 1988 he received an honorary masters degree from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. He won the Garden Writers' Guild
Garden Writers' Guild
The British Garden Writers' Guild, , is a trade organisation for professional garden writers, photographers, broadcasters and members of allied trades. The Guild was established in 1991 to improve the quality of garden writing, photography and broadcasting by improving links between the gardening...
Lifetime Achievement Award for 2006 at the age of 78.
He made appearances on BBC TV's Gardening Club which were followed, in 1976, by his first BBC series, Mr Smith’s Vegetable Garden. He had a distinctive voice and sharp wit which were well known to radio listeners as he became a regular panelist on Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
’s Gardeners' Question Time
Gardeners' Question Time
Gardeners' Question Time is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme in which amateur gardeners can put questions to a panel of experts.-History:...
.
Smith was a prolific writer, contributing to The Lady
The Lady (magazine)
The Lady is Britain's oldest weekly women's magazine. It has been in continuous publication since 1885 and is based in London. It is particularly notable for its classified advertisements for domestic service and child care; it also has extensive listings of holiday properties.The magazine was...
, Garden News and The Garden
The Garden (journal)
The Garden is the monthly magazine of the British Royal Horticultural Society , circulated to all the society's members as a benefit of membership. The magazine has gone under this title since 1975, before which it had been The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society...
. His many books became gardening best sellers, among them Mr Smith's Flower Garden, Gardening (Sure & Simple), A Passion for Plants, The Book of Primroses, Shrubs and Small Trees for Your Garden and The Joy of Wildlife Gardening.
Geoffrey Smith lived in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
and his hobbies included fell-walking, photography, fly fishing and a passionate interest in all things pertaining to the countryside.