For years, Ground Force sold itself as the ultimate feel-good TV comfort watch: one messy garden, one emotional homeowner, and three familiar faces racing the clock to build a backyard dream in just two days. It looked wholesome. It sounded wholesome. And most of the time, it was. But behind the cheerful planting montages and … Read more
Tommy Walsh, the straight-talking builder best known for Ground Force and later Homes Under the Hammer, has spoken publicly about a series of health scares that began with what sounded like a routine trip to the doctor — and ended up changing his life. Walsh, born in December 1956, became a familiar face on British … Read more
Charlie Dimmock is best known for transforming outdoor spaces on TV, but one of the most personal things she’s spoken about has nothing to do with patios or planting plans. In a message shared for the launch of the George Coller Memorial Fund, Dimmock explained that asthma has affected people close to her—and that “first-hand … Read more
When Charlie Dimmock returned to prime-time TV, a lot of viewers expected a time capsule: the same Ground Forceenergy, the same easy laugh, the same no-fuss way of getting stuck into the mud. And honestly, that part did come back. But something else returned too — the ugly internet habit of treating a woman’s body … Read more
Charlie Dimmock became one of Britain’s most recognizable TV gardeners during the late 1990s, thanks to the BBC’s Ground Force. While viewers adored her down-to-earth personality and practical gardening skills, her romantic life quietly unfolded behind the scenes—until fame dragged it into the spotlight. Unlike many television personalities, Charlie has never built her public image … Read more
If you’ve ever tried container gardening, you already know the truth: pots can make plants look absolutely stunning, but they can also turn simple gardening into a constant battle with drying compost, wind damage, and plants that never seem fully happy. Alan Titchmarsh puts it best when he says, ” technically you can grow anything … Read more
Rats are the one garden “pest” that can turn your stomach faster than anything else. Slugs are annoying. Aphids are frustrating. But rats? They bring a different kind of dread—because you rarely spot them out in the open. Instead, you find the evidence: a hole by the compost heap, a tunnel near the shed, missing … Read more
Monty Don has visited gardens across the globe, and he admits that choosing just five is a challenge—because comparing great gardens is like comparing “apples and pears.” Still, he narrows it down to a personal shortlist of places that feel essential, unforgettable, and deeply moving for anyone who loves plants. As he puts it: “I … Read more
Rachel de Thame has always come across like the steady hand in Britain’s gardening TV world—the person who can walk into the chaos of Chelsea Flower Show and somehow make it feel soothing. That calm isn’t an act. It’s been built over decades of reinvention, a career that spans broadcasting, writing, design work, and live … Read more
Rachel de Thame has always had the kind of screen presence that feels calm, grounded, and quietly elegant. Long before she became one of the most familiar faces in British gardening television, she trained at the Royal Ballet School, then rebuilt her path after glandular fever forced her to step away from dance. From there, … Read more
