Much-loved gardening presenter Geoff Hamilton has been honoured with the opening of a new flower border in his memory at the garden he founded, Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland.
The Geoff Hamilton Border
The Geoff Hamilton border commemorates the 20th anniversary of the gardener’s sudden death in 1996, aged 59, after suffering a heart attack on a charity bike ride. Celebrity gardener Carol Klein opened the new border, on the site of the garden’s winter garden, with a speech about Geoff’s lasting legacy. She then planted the final plant, donated from her own garden in Devon. It joins many special and unusual varieties donated by Geoff’s friends and included throughout the border’s planting scheme.
Geoff Hamilton became a household name after presenting Gardeners’ World on the BBC from 1979 until his death. He was best known for his common-sense approach to gardening and was well ahead of his time, championing organic gardening and environmentally friendly methods long before they were widely used.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Earlier this year, Geoff’s son Nick, who now runs the garden, won his first gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for his display dedicated to his late father. It featured planting in Geoff’s signature cottage garden style and included favourite varieties such as sweet pea ‘Geoff Hamilton’.