Watch out Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don.
There is a new kid on the block; well two new kids, to be precise.
Lee and Dale Connelly, aka Skinny Jeans Gardeners, are taking the gardening world by storm.
Billed as fashion concious because of their non-conventional skinny jeans and trendy clothes, the two brothers from Colchester in Essex are about to trigger a revolution amongst young people and get British youngsters into allotments and gardens.
The green fingered duo have already appeared on ITV and, a gardening first, featured on BBC Radio One.
What is great for the horticulture industry is that the lads are self-confessed novices. I think this will immediately help break down the fear of what young people need at entry level to gardening and hopefully deter the stuffy nosed career students who love to flash their diplomas in everyone's face.
Whilst Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh are still as popular as ever they are getting older and dragging a generation of gardeners with them.
What Lee and Dale seem set to do is inspire 10-30 year old age group helping to teach them that gardening isn't reserved for old fuddy duddies, but can provide a great lifestyle and sense of fulfilment.
I can see a great spin-off for the commercial horticulture sector too.
If the Skinny Jeans Gardeners can convince young people to garden for pleasure then it's possible, just possible, that they can convince young people that gardening is a worthwhile career choice.
Jimmy Doherty, of Jimmy's Farm fame, has already taken them under his wing and set them loose on his vegetable garden in East Anglia.
There's more to come from these lads, I am sure.
Biking, tennis, soccer & etc are acceptable forms of recreation with exercise.
How did gardening ever get lost under the 'work' heading?
There is challenge, skill, rewards, pride, & etc....
Career choice? It's all about the money, and it's not there in horticulture. I design gardens and install them for a living. The money comes from 'construction'. I lecture about gardens too, and that pays better than designing gardens.
At large design/build landscape firms in USA the designers are the 'sales' force.
If horticulture is a 'profession', what is horticulture & where is the money?
What is gardening? A vegetable patch or ornamental landscape with plantings & hardscapes?
Whatever! It's good news the Skinny Jeans Gardeners have arrived.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
Posted by: tara dillard | Nov 01, 2013 at 12:05 PM