Jim McColl MBE

Jim McColl

Jim McColl was born in 1936 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire and has gardening in his Genes.

His Father was a gardener, his Sister became a Market Gardener, one brother was a farmer and the other one a Forester.

His Grandfather who was a Steam engine driver from Glasgow to Carlisle and had an allotment where Jim spent a lot of time.


Branching out

Jim spent the school holidays on the farm and nearly became a farmer but chose Horticulture.

He trained at The West of Scotland College near Ayr and later was to work there himself.


From Little Acorns

Jim first television appearance was on Tomorrow's World when working on a project for Glen Garioch Distillery Aberdeenshire in a article about waste energy and heating greenhouses for Tomatoes.

Jim then appeared on our screens in the first episode of The Beechgrove Garden on 14 April 1978 with his co-presenter George Barron.

The show had a huge following as they took the derelict plot and week by week turned it into a garden behind the studios. 

Jim and George on screen relationship is immortalised by the comedy duo of Scotch and Wry and their Beechgrove parody


Jim saw lots of changes of presenters but his reassuring words 'Welcome to Beechgrove Garden' and his catchphrase 'Every day's a school day' has been a mainstay for Scottish Gardeners every week.

in 1986 Jim was joined but the first female Gardening Presenter in the UK Carole Baxter.

Jim was awarded an MBE in 1996.

Jim retired in 2019 after more than 40 years on the programme and at the time his co-presenters were Carole Baxter, George Anderson and Chris Beardshaw.

He was starting to struggle physically with the role and had developed a problem with his hands effecting his dexterity.

The show then had a revamp and was renamed Beechgrove and Brian Cunningham and Kirsty Wilson helped bring new elements to the programme with their positions at Scone Palace and The Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh featuring.

Jim has 2 children, a Son and Daughter.

Jim has recently moved to a new home in Oldmeldrum with a more manageable garden where hopefully he still learning new things about his garden as 'every day's a school day'.


TV Programme


Jim McColl Television Programmes

1978-2019
Beechgrove
The Beechgrove Garden | Beechgrove


Jim McColl Books

1988
The Beechgrove Garden
With Carole Baxter

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