Toby Buckland
Encyclopedia
Toby Neale Buckland is a British
gardener, TV presenter and author
, best known for being the main presenter from 2008-10 of BBC's long running flagship gardening programme Gardeners' World
.
In 2008 Toby won RHS Gold and Best in show for his Ethical Garden at Gardeners' World Live. In 2009 he won the Environmental Award from the Garden Media Guild for a Gardeners' World Special on peat in gardening.
In October 2011, Toby launched an online plant nursery, Toby Buckland Nurseries, based at Powderham Castle in Devon.
, England Toby was brought up in the coastal towns of Dawlish
and Kingswear
in Devon
. He trained as a nurseryman at Blyth's Devon Nursery and later Whetmans in Devon before studying horticulture
, first at Bicton College
, Budleigh Salterton
, Devon and later Hadlow College
of Horticulture and Agriculture, Hadlow, Kent where he trained in Landscape and Amenity management. During that time he spent a year as a horticultural trainee at the University Cambridge Botanic Garden as a woodland supervisor.
He also worked as a gardener for the author Tom Sharpe
and built a garden for the Poet Laureate
Andrew Motion
.
Toby is married to Lisa, a gardening writer, and has three children, Henry, Eddie and Emma. They live in Dawlish where he gardens on a sloping site the size of two tennis courts and has an allotment nearby.
Toby is now undertaking an exciting new project where he intends to open a nursery in Devon.
He took over from Monty Don
as the main presenter on the BBC
flagship gardening programme Gardeners' World
in August 2008. The format of the programme changed in various respects and was criticised by some viewers for what they regarded as "dumbing down". In December 2010, the BBC announced that they would not be renewing Toby's contract. Three years after recovering from a stroke, Monty Don returned as lead presenter of the show in March 2011.
On the 31st of December 2010 he appeared on BBC1's Celebrity Mastermind
answering questions on Father Ted
(scoring 12 with 1 Pass) and 22 overall with 2 more Passes, coming fourth. He donated his fee to the memorial garden which he designed for 45 Commando Royal Marines.
In May 2011 he appeared as a presenter of the BBC's coverage of the Royal Horticultural Society
Chelsea Flower Show
, Thrive
and Hospiscare.
He has recently designed a memorial garden for 45 Commando Royal Marines.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
gardener, TV presenter and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, best known for being the main presenter from 2008-10 of BBC's long running flagship gardening programme Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
.
In 2008 Toby won RHS Gold and Best in show for his Ethical Garden at Gardeners' World Live. In 2009 he won the Environmental Award from the Garden Media Guild for a Gardeners' World Special on peat in gardening.
In October 2011, Toby launched an online plant nursery, Toby Buckland Nurseries, based at Powderham Castle in Devon.
Biography and education
Born in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, England Toby was brought up in the coastal towns of Dawlish
Dawlish
Dawlish is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England, from the county town of Exeter. It has a population of 12,819...
and Kingswear
Kingswear
Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. He trained as a nurseryman at Blyth's Devon Nursery and later Whetmans in Devon before studying horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, first at Bicton College
Bicton College
Bicton College is a college with around 1,000 full-time and 3,500 part-time pupils, located near Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England. The college specialises in agriculture and currently offers courses in such topics as animal care, countyside management, horticulture, outdoor leisure, veterinary...
, Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton is a small town on the south coast of Devon, England 15 miles south of Exeter. It is situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designated East Devon AONB.- Features :...
, Devon and later Hadlow College
Hadlow College
Hadlow College, located at Hadlow in Kent with satellite sites in Canterbury and London, is a Further Education and Higher Education college. The curriculum primarily covers land-based subjects including agriculture, conservation and wildlife management, animal management, fisheries management,...
of Horticulture and Agriculture, Hadlow, Kent where he trained in Landscape and Amenity management. During that time he spent a year as a horticultural trainee at the University Cambridge Botanic Garden as a woodland supervisor.
He also worked as a gardener for the author Tom Sharpe
Tom Sharpe
Tom Sharpe is an English satirical author, best known for his Wilt series of novels.Sharpe was born in London and moved to South Africa in 1951, where he worked as a social worker and a teacher, before being deported for sedition in 1961...
and built a garden for the Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
.
Toby is married to Lisa, a gardening writer, and has three children, Henry, Eddie and Emma. They live in Dawlish where he gardens on a sloping site the size of two tennis courts and has an allotment nearby.
Toby is now undertaking an exciting new project where he intends to open a nursery in Devon.
Television
Toby's first job in TV was in 1996 as a horticultural researcher for Brian Lapping Associates working on Channel 4's Garden Party. In 1998 he then joined Granada's Satellite Channel Breeze as a gardening presenter which led to TV roles designing and building gardens on shows including Home Front in the Garden, Real Wrecks, Carol Vorderman's Better Homes and BBC One's Garden Magic.He took over from Monty Don
Monty Don
Montagu Denis Wyatt Don is a British television presenter, writer and speaker on horticulture, best known for presenting the BBC television series Gardeners' World.-Early life:...
as the main presenter on the 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...
flagship gardening programme Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
in August 2008. The format of the programme changed in various respects and was criticised by some viewers for what they regarded as "dumbing down". In December 2010, the BBC announced that they would not be renewing Toby's contract. Three years after recovering from a stroke, Monty Don returned as lead presenter of the show in March 2011.
On the 31st of December 2010 he appeared on BBC1's Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master...
answering questions on Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
(scoring 12 with 1 Pass) and 22 overall with 2 more Passes, coming fourth. He donated his fee to the memorial garden which he designed for 45 Commando Royal Marines.
In May 2011 he appeared as a presenter of the BBC's coverage of 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...
Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
Other projects
Toby has supported a variety of charities including Perennial, GreenfingersGreenfingers
Greenfingers is a 2000 British comedy film directed and written by Joel Hershman. It is loosely based on a true story about the award-winning prisoners of HMP Leyhill, a minimum-security prison in the Cotswolds, England.-Cast:...
, Thrive
Thrive
Thrive is the ninth studio album by Christian pop rock band Newsboys, released in 2002. It features the singles "It Is You," "Million Pieces ," and "Lord ." Thrive debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 charts, selling 37,000 units...
and Hospiscare.
He has recently designed a memorial garden for 45 Commando Royal Marines.