Grow Your Own Drugs

Nobody I know seems to have been watching 'Grow Your Own Drugs' on BBC 2, Mondays. I appear to be the only person who has been enticed by this delightful show. It's fabulous – if perhaps a little exploitative. Some commissioning editor obviously saw an opportunity to create a new Jamie Oliver by engaging a disarmingly handsome young enthusiast and giving him his own programme with a title designed to intrigue and provoke (I always thought the title 'The Naked Chef' was the most cynical piece of manipulation ever). Of course they're exploiting his youthful good looks to make the programme more appealing, but that shouldn't distract us from the fascinating subject matter.

James Wong is nothing if not enthusiastic – he absolutely foams and bubbles over with the stuff. He's an ethnobotanist (whatever that is), trained at Kew, and he is using his skills and training to show us how to make simple creams, salves, teas and much, much more from the stuff growing in your window box, the local garden centre or in the hedgerows. He uses flowers, fruit, roots, trees, vegetables and herbs that we can find all around us to provide preparations to help relieve a whole range of common conditions including acne, anxiety, cold sores and general aches and pains - plus great ideas for beauty treats such as bath bombs and shampoos. There are things like a marshmallow & liquorice cough syrup; a valerian hot chocolate that helps reduce anxiety; crystallized ginger for nausea (I could do with that next time I listen to 'Money Box Live' on Radio 4); and even Echinacea ice lollies to ward off colds!

The best thing is that James's enthusiasm is infectious, and as he prepares these remedies in his wondrous, open-air and spacious kitchen, he makes it all seem so easy – and such fun! He laughs and giggles and beams his charming smile at us as he chops and blends and squeezes and coaxes his ingredients into something naturally healing. I want to make every product that he brings before us, whether or not I have the ailment it's aimed to cure.

Sadly, there's only one programme to go, but if you haven't already seen it – you could do worse than catch the last one, which is next week. And if you can't do that – or if you can't catch it on BBC iPlayer, then you can buy the book (click here). James Wong is a star – I just hope that we see more of him in the future – they might be trying to model him on his namesake James Oliver, but although he certainly has all the enthusiasm and relaxed charm of our Jamie, so far (at least) he has shown none of that slightly irritating smugness that the Naked One displayed. And just like his teeth, young James Wong's manners are absolutely perfect.