Yes but it was a garden show special. I don't know why, but I don't really enjoy them as much. Show garden planting (crammed in artificially and somehow always featuring the same range of in-vogue plants it seems) doesn't do it for me. (That said, the first garden with the Acers was rather good!)
I was actually hoping for another program with Adam. Monty looked exhausted (probably after the long journey from US). The garden seemed even more claustrophobic now after Adams enchanting garden. And don’t even get me started on the paradise garden. Don’t mean to be horrible and I love Monty. But maybe it is indeed time for a very slow and gentle change.
I felt swindled. Monty said he'd be away for a couple of weeks so I was expecting a return to Adam's garden. What we got was same old claustrophobic Montyland. What is his thing with hedges? Why does the paradise garden need a hedge and why a wishy washy version of rosemary?
I enjoyed the Malvern bits, not for the gardens but for Adam's plant descriptions and design analysis and Carol's superb knowledge and love for plants too. Chat with Possum interfered with the rest so I shall have to watch my recording but, for now, I'm rewatching the Adam show and enjoying that mad elder man and now the gravel garden - something relevant to me as I shall be making one one day and I love the space and light.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I've been catching up on iPlayer. I like the chap with the check shirt. I don't see what the problem is with his accent. I find him informative awake and enthusiastic without being patronising. He also seems to have a sense of the importance colour and form . He actually showed practical tips for sowing seeds. I also enjoyed the elderberry chap. More eccentrics please.
I'd rather Frances showing up more frequently. Adam is pretty old to take over from Monty when the time comes. If they need to get some new blood, then it has to be meaningfully different.
Also painfully aware how old geezers and their huge gardens seems to perpetuate the stereotyping of gardening as the ultimate middle/upper class pastime. Monty's or Adam's gardens are of outlandish proportions for a large part of the population...I'd rather see how Frances was getting on in her allotment or more gardens like the two guys and their huge collection of hostas.
Nothing wrong with seeing those huge gardens in my eyes as can imagine a use for their ideas in my smaller garden but I wonder how many people switch off thinking it rather alienating.
I remember when Toby Buckland was presenting it, they seemed to think about people with smaller gardens. He would come up with ideas for new build gardens and front gardens if l'm recalling it correctly. Of course, they had a great big rugby field to fill and l think he was following Geoff Hamilton's example at Barnsdale.
The format of presenting mainly from one garden makes it difficult to use a 'normal' space. There just isn't enough to do to keep the presenter running for years and it would not be possible to show different features or aspects of gardening. In the present system I imagine the programme makers see the audience being inspired by or perhaps adopting just one of the presenter's areas or ideas in their smaller spaces. I remember Toby, as well, and really enjoyed what he did but I don't think he was as popular as some, generally.
Adam was born in 1969, hardly old! Just because he now owns a large house and garden does not make him middle class either - he worked his way up from the bottom, is true to his roots and has never tried to change his accent. I will forever be a Monty fan, but Adam is one of the most down-to-earth presenters on GW. To me he is meaningfully different, @amancalledgeorge!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I see what people mean about M's gardens being claustrophobic. I knew there was something about them that didn't but couldn't work out what it was. I suppose having all of his enclosed areas might ,in a way, help people to visualise his designs in their own gardens.
Another gripe that i have is that there seems to be very little practical advice and demonstration in his method of presentation. Dig a hole in perfectly weedless compost and bung a plant in isn't really enough. Identifying and dealing with weeds and other less photogenic gardening activity would be more use. How to grow plants in a small space without a greenhouse would also be useful. There are many fast germinating / growing plants that can be grown from seed outside.
The show seems orientated to people who've got all the kit.
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Monty looked exhausted (probably after the long journey from US). The garden seemed even more claustrophobic now after Adams enchanting garden. And don’t even get me started on the paradise garden.
Don’t mean to be horrible and I love Monty. But maybe it is indeed time for a very slow and gentle change.
I enjoyed the Malvern bits, not for the gardens but for Adam's plant descriptions and design analysis and Carol's superb knowledge and love for plants too. Chat with Possum interfered with the rest so I shall have to watch my recording but, for now, I'm rewatching the Adam show and enjoying that mad elder man and now the gravel garden - something relevant to me as I shall be making one one day and I love the space and light.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I also enjoyed the elderberry chap. More eccentrics please.
Also painfully aware how old geezers and their huge gardens seems to perpetuate the stereotyping of gardening as the ultimate middle/upper class pastime. Monty's or Adam's gardens are of outlandish proportions for a large part of the population...I'd rather see how Frances was getting on in her allotment or more gardens like the two guys and their huge collection of hostas.
Nothing wrong with seeing those huge gardens in my eyes as can imagine a use for their ideas in my smaller garden but I wonder how many people switch off thinking it rather alienating.
I suppose having all of his enclosed areas might ,in a way, help people to visualise his designs in their own gardens.
Another gripe that i have is that there seems to be very little practical advice and demonstration in his method of presentation. Dig a hole in perfectly weedless compost and bung a plant in isn't really enough.
Identifying and dealing with weeds and other less photogenic gardening activity would be more use.
How to grow plants in a small space without a greenhouse would also be useful. There are many fast germinating / growing plants that can be grown from seed outside.
The show seems orientated to people who've got all the kit.