Worst gardening shows on TV and Gardeners' World fans will be shocked at reviews

While Gardeners' World fans have been left hanging over the winter period as the BBC programme took a hiatus until spring, they've had to diversify in what they end up watching.

Thankfully, there's a whole swathe of incredible gardening programmes out there, with the Beeb alone offering hundreds of episodes to catch up on - and pretend it's already summer and the flowers are blooming.

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But over the years there have been a few gardening show fails, too.

Viewers have been left with a sour taste after witnessing a disappointing transformation, while gardening expert Monty Don has himself confirmed that gardening telly makes for "terrible gardening".

Gardeners' World fans might be surprised to discover that the beloved BBC programme doesn't come out on top.

Instead, it's Monty Don's British Gardens that claims the top spot on our list, with an average IMDb rating of 8.8 stars out of 10.

The official synopsis for the BBC show reads: "The nation's outdoor home. From the humble backyard to the grandest of grounds, what do Britain's gardens tell us about our culture, climate and history?"

The show is currently free to stream on iPlayer.

Gardeners' World fans will be thrilled to know that it's ranked among the best on TV, with an average rating of 8.4 stars out of 10. Running since 1968, the programme helped catapult stars like Geoff Hamilton, Percy Thrower and Monty Don to fame.

But over the years, some fans have grown "bored" of the quintessentially British show, with one viewer moaning: "Get back to the basics! Gardeners' World used to be the best show on TV.

"The episodes were full of educational gardening knowledge presented in a relaxed and enjoyable fashion. I would keep a notebook beside me while I watched to record the useful information provided.

"A typical episode has devolved into social media influencer home videos, stories pushing culture agenda, possibly a tour of a garden, and 10 minutes of either Monty or Adam gardening."

Someone else said: "I always used to enjoy Gardener's World, but now I don't watch it anymore. Every programme shows reports on gardens in southern England on a grandiose scale. Do people in the midlands, the north of England and Scotland not have gardens?"

Celebrating Scottish horticulture and growing conditions, Beechgrove Garden features Jim McColl, Chris Beardshaw and George Barron among its presenters, and proved an instant hit with fans.

Its host Carole Baxter had "no idea" the show would go on for more than 40 years when she started.

Sadly, Jim McColl died at the age of 89 in 2024, with his family stating: "He will be hugely missed not only by us, but by his friends, colleagues and a nation who he shared his passion for gardening with over four decades at The Beechgrove Garden."

Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Garden - which sees him travel the country with a team of experts to find the "dream garden" for viewers and showing them how to replicate it for themselves - was popular enough to inspire his weekend spin-off show Love Your Weekend.

With an eight star rating on IMDb, one viewer said: "It's an interesting series and since there are almost no other gardening series on Netflix, I'll have to stick with this one. But I would wish for more tips on gardening than just to see shocking before and after results."

Someone else complained: "I watched seasons 2012 and 2013. I was expecting a program along the lines of Garden Rescue but this was more like those HGTV million dollar dream home makeovers. There is very little garden design and horticulture information provided.

"I found myself starting to fast forward through most of the episodes."

Charlie Dimmock teamed up with brothers David and Harry Rich to present Garden Rescue when it launched in 2016, helping to design gardens for homeowners around the UK.

The programme has an impressive rating of 7.9 out of 10 stars on IMDb, with one viewer branding it "one of the best gardening shows".

Though it has a solid rating of 7.5 stars out of 10, viewers have complained that Your Garden Made Perfect is simply too far out of their budgets to be feasible.

One viewer said: "Your Garden Made Perfect drives me nuts. It's okay if you have £20k or £30k to spend! Too much tech, not enough gardening for me."

Another branded the host's delivery "overdramatic to the extent my blood pressure goes up and I'm only in my 30s!"

The show focuses on showing homeowners through the use of technology what their garden has potential to look like after a transformation.

Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh teamed up to present Ground Force, which ran from 1997 until 2005.

The show saw a team of professional landscapers transform a garden in just two days as a surprise for the deserving owners.

It has an average rating of 7.2 stars, and even proved popular overseas, with a US reviewer saying: "I'm one of those Yankee Americans who's just recently been introduced to such BBC DIY programmes as Ground Force.

"BBC America airs both [Ground Force and Changing Rooms] every day [and] I'm absolutely addicted to both of them so I make sure I see them every day."

Though it has attracted presenters like Monty Don, Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock since it began broadcasting on the BBC in 2000, the Chelsea Flower Show programming has come under fire from viewers at home.

While it's certainly not the same as attending the event in-person, the BBC's reports at least give folks an opportunity to see the incredibly designed gardens if they couldn't travel to Chelsea for the show.

The BBC was accused of "going woke" last year after Joe Swift was axed from the presenting line-up and replaced by two women - Rachel de Thame and Arit Anderson.

One viewer said at the time: "Not the same without Joe. The banter between him & Monty made the show. Shame on you BBC for going woke & ruining a much-loved programme."

Someone else said: "Where's Joe Swift and why does it need two women to replace him?"