Joe Swift
Encyclopedia
Joe Swift is an English
garden designer
, journalist
and television personality.
's Gardeners' World
, co-presenter on the Royal Horticultural Society
Chelsea Flower Show
, Gardeners' World Live, Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
, BBC's Small Town Gardens, and design judge on BBC's Gardener of the Year. He has been a presenter/designer on Take 3 Gardeners (with Cleve West and Ann-Marie Powell).
He is a garden designer and has been involved in BBC2's Gardeners World since 1998. He is co-founder and Design Director of Modular Garden - a garden design and build company.
Joe has designed many gardens on TV, including one for Comic Relief
, many for Gardeners World. including the Bournville Garden, The 40 year garden and Alan Titchmarsh's 'How to be a Gardener' series.
In 2009, Swift presented coverage of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
for the BBC. He was also one of the main presenters of the BBC coverage of the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show
.
, The Evening Standard and The Sunday Times
on the subject of landscaping and home gardening.
His writing also includes Gardeners World magazine, The Times, and various magazine and newspaper articles. He has written three books - The Plant Room, and Joe’s Urban Garden Handbook, and Joe’s Allotment, published in April 2009.
of the television sitcom Keeping Up Appearances
, and he is the nephew of Clive's actor brother, David Swift, well-known for Drop the Dead Donkey
. His mother is novelist Margaret Drabble, and his brother is academic Adam Swift
.
He is the Design Director of Modular Garden.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
garden designer
Garden designer
The term garden designer can refer either to an amateur or a professional who designs the plan and features of gardens. Amateurs design their gardens for their own properties. Professionals, with experienced skills, design gardens that benefit clients...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and television personality.
Television career
Swift is a regular presenter and designer on the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
, co-presenter on the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
, Gardeners' World Live, Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
Tatton Park Flower Show
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park held at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire first began in 1999 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of inspirational show gardens, smaller 'Back to Back' gardens,...
, BBC's Small Town Gardens, and design judge on BBC's Gardener of the Year. He has been a presenter/designer on Take 3 Gardeners (with Cleve West and Ann-Marie Powell).
He is a garden designer and has been involved in BBC2's Gardeners World since 1998. He is co-founder and Design Director of Modular Garden - a garden design and build company.
Joe has designed many gardens on TV, including one for Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, many for Gardeners World. including the Bournville Garden, The 40 year garden and Alan Titchmarsh's 'How to be a Gardener' series.
In 2009, Swift presented coverage of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the largest flower show in the world. The Show is held in early July, and run by the Royal Horticultural Society at Hampton Court Palace in southwest London. The show features show gardens, floral marquees and pavilions, talks and demonstrations...
for the BBC. He was also one of the main presenters of the BBC coverage of the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
.
Writing
Swift has written for such newspapers as The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Evening Standard and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
on the subject of landscaping and home gardening.
His writing also includes Gardeners World magazine, The Times, and various magazine and newspaper articles. He has written three books - The Plant Room, and Joe’s Urban Garden Handbook, and Joe’s Allotment, published in April 2009.
Personal life
Joe Swift's father is actor Clive SwiftClive Swift
Clive Walter Swift is an English character comedy actor and songwriter. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys...
of the television sitcom Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
, and he is the nephew of Clive's actor brother, David Swift, well-known for Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey
- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
. His mother is novelist Margaret Drabble, and his brother is academic Adam Swift
Adam Swift
Adam Swift is a British political philosopher and sociologist who specialises in debates surrounding liberal egalitarianism. He has published books on communitarianism, on the philosophical aspects of school choice, and on social justice, as well as an extremely successful introduction to...
.
He is the Design Director of Modular Garden.
External links
- Joe Swift's website
- Presenters BBC Gardener's World
- Presenter biographies - Joe Swift BBC - Gardening
- Presenter Details BBC - Chelsea Flower Show 2010