The Skinny Jeans Gardeners, aka Lee and Dale Connelly (I wrote about them here) are two brothers who have taken to gardening in a non-conventional way.
Called the Skinny Jeans Gardeners because of the trousers and clothes they wear, the two lads are not your typical gardeners......and I think this is a good thing.
Lee and Dale are getting some good press, already appearing on ITV and even Radio One. This can only be a major positive for our industry and, I believe, can only help raise the profile of horticulture amongst young people.
Whilst the boys are concentrating on domestic vegetable gardening I can see young people seeing these cool dudes on the television and decide that horticulture is not just an occupation, or hobby, for older people.
The refreshing thing is, these lads are self-confessed novices which, I hope, will mean that we can start to dispel the thought that being a professional gardener is all about having a filing cabinet full of certificates.
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Can I remain a sceptic? They aren't gardeners, they are tv personalities who are using gardening as their medium to sell airtime. The show could just as easily have been called Skinny Jeans Baristas/Cleaners/Joiners etc. I'm not sure if young people watching their show would even make a connection between them and what we do for a living. I expect another show that doesn't do us any favours when it comes to fair pricing, understanding business needs or hiring a tradesman on realistic terms.
I'm not slating the show, just saying that it is nothing to do with people who garden for a living and is unlikely to benefit us.
Besides, some of us are already young and trendy! ;)
You cynic Dan:-)))
They aren't TV personalities (they don't have a TV show)...although that might change.
It might not be a perfect opportunity but I have to say that there does need to be a stimulus from somewhere.
I started my career with no qualifications (and just as tight trousers:) so I'm always keen not to exclude or marginalise new starters as they can go on to do great things.
Dan Frazer Gardening said:
I think that anything that promotes gardening or other linked careers to a younger audience is a good thing.