Real gardeners cut the lawn with a scythe, says Monty Don

PERHAPS not every gardener will be able to wield a scythe with the sex appeal of Poldark hunk Aidan Turner.

But we should certainly consider ditching our lawnmowers for the ‘extraordinarily effective’ traditional grass-cutting tool, according to Monty Don.

In his new book Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom, he promises fans ‘essential tips’ from his ‘distillation of 50 years of gardening experience’.

And one of the BBC Gardeners’ World presenter’s top pieces of advice is to ‘trust hand tools’ such as scythes, used by Turner in the period drama.

The actor who plays Ross Poldark set female viewers’ hearts racing as his topless torso glistened with sweat while he used a scythe in the hit BBC series.

Don, 62, who also writes for the Mail’s Weekend magazine, writes in his book released today: ‘Trust hand tools and physical labour. We have forgotten how mountains can be moved by hand.

‘Plugging away is extraordinarily effective. You do not have to use machines. Scythes cut grass very well.’

But not everyone agrees. Vicky Nuttall, of the Garden Industry Manufacturers Association, said: ‘Scythes are not going to do the job as well as a lawnmower. I’m not saying there’s not a place for hand tools and hard work but going back to Poldark days is a bit much.

‘Anything that makes gardening easier and more accessible can’t be a bad thing.’