Who features amongst your top famous Gardeners?  Percy Thrower‘   Geoff Hamilton or  Alan Titchmarsh are in the traditional mold along with Geoffrey Smith, Beth Chatto and perhaps Peter Seabrook although he is more a journalist as Alan Titchmarsh is a TV presenter.

The modern off-cumdens like Monty Don, Diarmuid Gavin and Charlie Dimmock seem to be all form over substance. An outsider in this modern category could be Adrian Fisher the designer of over 500 mazes and setting 6 Guinness world records. He has also designed over 40 hedge mazes, including those at Leeds Castle, Blenheim Palace and Scone Palace.

Gertrude Jekyll, Christopher Lloyd and Roy Strong inspired my father but then so did Adam the Gardener from the Sunday Express so whoever you put at the top of your list do not forget the true number one – you or your spouse.

‘Lloyd George knew my gardener’ engraving caption competition send in your own caption on the comments page.

I was a bit cruel to our Water gardener Charlie Dimmock so will promote one of her books ‘Enjoy your Garden’.

I have just read Royton Heath‘s tome on Collectors Alpines. A prolific alpine plantsman he has helped many rock and trough gadeners to understand the speciality of these small alpine forms. His books and broadcasting rates him amongst my list of celebrity gardeners of note.

A femail gardener that is easy to listen too is the earth Christine Walkden with her distinctive Lancashire accent.