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Geoffrey Denis Smith (23 March 1928 – 27 February 2009) was a professional
gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner supplem ...
, broadcaster, writer and lecturer. He was the presenter of '' Gardeners World'' from 1980 to 1982 and a number of other
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
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 was born at Barningham Park, Barningham, North Riding of Yorkshire (since 1974 in County Durham), where his father was head gardener. He was sent to board at
Barnard Castle School ''When you are steeped in little things, you shall safely attempt great things.'' , established = 1883 , type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding school , religious_affiliation = Inter-denominational with a non-conformist Christian ...
but hated the restrictive life there. After leaving school he spent six years helping his father at Barningham Park. Smith trained at the Yorkshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture, 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 Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...
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 The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
, for services to gardening, and in 1988 he received an honorary master's degree from the
Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...
. He won the Garden Writers' Guild Lifetime Achievement Award for 2006 at the age of 78. He made appearances on
BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...
'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 ''Gardeners' Question Time'' is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme in which amateur gardeners can put questions to a panel of experts. History The first programme was broadcast in the North and Northern Ireland Home Service of the BBC at 2 ...
''. 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 The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...
and his hobbies included
fell-walking Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultiv ...
, photography, fly fishing and a passionate interest in all things pertaining to the countryside.


Quote


Personal life

Smith was a
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
.Obituary: Geoffrey Smith , Television & radio , The Guardian
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References


External links




Obituary in ''The Times''

Obituary in ''The Guardian''

Obituary in ''The Scotsman''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Geoffrey 1928 births 2009 deaths BBC people English gardeners English radio personalities English television presenters English garden writers People from Startforth Rural District People educated at Barnard Castle School English Baptists 20th-century Baptists