Now then fellow gardener's and fellow allotment holders today's gardener's world I thought it was great Monty was on good form working his way through the programme like rugby's Jason Robinson going through the Australian defence cool calm and collected and also lovely Sophie raworth she knows her plants for once I'm looking forwards to Chelsea flower show its in safe hands with Monty and Sophie
I have enjoyed the programmes leading up to Chelsea and am looking forward to seeing the show next week. I think Sophie Raworth is a good choice. I personally like Monty but am not sure Alan Titchmarsh has been treated with the professional respect he deserves.
Last night's Gardener's World was good. I thought Monty's advise on hardening off new plants (including those bought at the Garden Centre or at a show like Chelsea) was insightful. There was however a bit of an assumption that most people have a green house and one or two types of cold frame. Seemed to me to be slightly out of touch with reality for most people today with small gardens.
Oh dear. I thought last night's GW was exceedingly poor. How many people do you know with space for deliberate long grass area through which to mow a path? How many do you think grow streptocarpus and have the space to want to multiply just one plant and have lots the same instead of buying another one or two with different flowers for their display? Especially those living in normal sized houses and gardens and even more so those in new builds with pocket handkerchief gardens and little space for storing a lawnmower, let alone cold frames and greenhouses and large heated propagating benches.
I'm pleased Sophie Rayworth is replacing Nikki Chapman and hope she'll do it with her usual intelligence. At least she knows a bit about plants and gardening. Liked her parents' garden too.
Can't understand why the RHS has allowed the Beeb to oust AT as main presenter for teh Chelsea Flower Show. I suspect Monty's personality and style will be a poor fit for such an exhuberant show.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Yeah, I actually found the different techniques for cuttings quite interesting. And I wasn't offended by the grass path (rather made my think how much I'd like to go for a walk through nearby fields) nor the heated mat (just thought so that's how the commercial guys do it). I guess it depends what you want to get out of it. I find it a relaxing and interesting half hour, with sometimes something I can use directly, if not, then just a general increase in knowledge. BUT I'm not hampered by memories of previous gardening programs!
Beechgrove tomorrow may be of interest for those who have ponds and are concerned about blanket weed etc. Info on tomatoes and a trial on climbers for different aspects too.
Enjoy
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have several friends who live in the countryside who have meadows and orchards - they all have mown grass paths through them.
I really can't remember any jibes about elitism when there have been programmes from Gt Dixter showing mown paths through the meadows - indeed, aren't they credited with encouraging more meadow planting etc which is so good for wildlife.
I would point out that Longmeadow is 2 acres in size. Barnsdale was "a Victorian farmhouse with over 5 acres of land " and the gardens in contains were designed with the requirements of the programme in mind. When Monty created Longmeadow I imagine that that the thought of hosting GW was the furthest thing from his mind.
I really don't see the point of complaining about the programme on the magazine forum - it's the BBC who should receive comments/complaints/compliments.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
Propagation? Absolutely but not fussy house plants in such quantities perhaps.
Class envy? No. Like i said, I have a large garden and a paddock but no orchard. If you took an aerial photo of the major population centres of TV land and their gardens it would be Victorian, Edwardian, 30s, post war and recent housing developments with ever decreasing garden sizes plus rents or mortgages, not to mention energy bills and living costs, that leave little left for buying fancy garden equipment.
I am fortunate in having plants to propagate and swap with fellow gardening enthusiasts and the skills and experience to do it successfully but I do have friends who are novice gardeners for whom most of last night's show would have been completely irrelevant or beyond their means..
GW should be practical and inspirational and can do so that more people feel both able as well as inspired to have a go and discover the joys of growing plants. Delia may have had an army of helpers and tesres but her recipes work and are easy to do in a normal kitchen. Monty also has help but it's never seen or mentioned.
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 come from a rural area where lots of people have quite large gardens, certainly larger than the one I have here - there are still lots of those people you know, and they need programmes that relate to them too. The traditional English council house has quite a large back garden. My daughter and her husband live in a rented Victorian apartment in the centre of a large town - they share a decent sized garden with the apartment below them.
And what about Carol Klein and the young couple in their garden? - all the plants they'd collected, been given, grown from cuttings or whatever - doing things on a budget - that was all covered in the programme.
Monty has written about having had help at Longmeadow at the insistence of the BBC ever since GW has been filmed from there - it's on record and has been quoted on this forum.
Not everyone is into 'fussy houseplants' but some people are and propagating and selling them is often a useful way of raising funds for all sorts of things, whether it's a local gardening club or a PTA bring and buy. There's very little about houseplants on the programme, why complain when they're covered occasionally, particularly when it's incidental to the demonstration of a technique that can be applied elsewhere.
I found plenty that was practical and quite a bit that was inspirational in yesterday evening's programme. I'm sorry that you didn't but we are all different.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
Posts
Now then fellow gardener's and fellow allotment holders today's gardener's world I thought it was great Monty was on good form working his way through the programme like rugby's Jason Robinson going through the Australian defence cool calm and collected and also lovely Sophie raworth she knows her plants for once I'm looking forwards to Chelsea flower show its in safe hands with Monty and Sophie
I have enjoyed the programmes leading up to Chelsea and am looking forward to seeing the show next week. I think Sophie Raworth is a good choice. I personally like Monty but am not sure Alan Titchmarsh has been treated with the professional respect he deserves.
Last night's Gardener's World was good. I thought Monty's advise on hardening off new plants (including those bought at the Garden Centre or at a show like Chelsea) was insightful. There was however a bit of an assumption that most people have a green house and one or two types of cold frame. Seemed to me to be slightly out of touch with reality for most people today with small gardens.
Oh dear. I thought last night's GW was exceedingly poor. How many people do you know with space for deliberate long grass area through which to mow a path? How many do you think grow streptocarpus and have the space to want to multiply just one plant and have lots the same instead of buying another one or two with different flowers for their display? Especially those living in normal sized houses and gardens and even more so those in new builds with pocket handkerchief gardens and little space for storing a lawnmower, let alone cold frames and greenhouses and large heated propagating benches.
I'm pleased Sophie Rayworth is replacing Nikki Chapman and hope she'll do it with her usual intelligence. At least she knows a bit about plants and gardening. Liked her parents' garden too.
Can't understand why the RHS has allowed the Beeb to oust AT as main presenter for teh Chelsea Flower Show. I suspect Monty's personality and style will be a poor fit for such an exhuberant show.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
And do you really mean that last night he should have been encouraging us to go out and buy plants rather than take cuttings????
I am glad that other fellow gardeners like BEECHGROVE GARDEN too. The Sunday morning double-header gardening hour on BBC 2 is a nice concept.
It would be nice to have BG shown before GW on a Friday night!
Come one, BBC Schedulers, be brave!
Yeah, I actually found the different techniques for cuttings quite interesting. And I wasn't offended by the grass path (rather made my think how much I'd like to go for a walk through nearby fields) nor the heated mat (just thought so that's how the commercial guys do it). I guess it depends what you want to get out of it. I find it a relaxing and interesting half hour, with sometimes something I can use directly, if not, then just a general increase in knowledge. BUT I'm not hampered by memories of previous gardening programs!
Beechgrove tomorrow may be of interest for those who have ponds and are concerned about blanket weed etc. Info on tomatoes and a trial on climbers for different aspects too.
Enjoy
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I really can't remember any jibes about elitism when there have been programmes from Gt Dixter showing mown paths through the meadows - indeed, aren't they credited with encouraging more meadow planting etc which is so good for wildlife.
I would point out that Longmeadow is 2 acres in size. Barnsdale was "a Victorian farmhouse with over 5 acres of land " and the gardens in contains were designed with the requirements of the programme in mind. When Monty created Longmeadow I imagine that that the thought of hosting GW was the furthest thing from his mind.
http://www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk/gardens/barnsdale_story.html
I really don't see the point of complaining about the programme on the magazine forum - it's the BBC who should receive comments/complaints/compliments.
Propagation? Absolutely but not fussy house plants in such quantities perhaps.
Class envy? No. Like i said, I have a large garden and a paddock but no orchard. If you took an aerial photo of the major population centres of TV land and their gardens it would be Victorian, Edwardian, 30s, post war and recent housing developments with ever decreasing garden sizes plus rents or mortgages, not to mention energy bills and living costs, that leave little left for buying fancy garden equipment.
I am fortunate in having plants to propagate and swap with fellow gardening enthusiasts and the skills and experience to do it successfully but I do have friends who are novice gardeners for whom most of last night's show would have been completely irrelevant or beyond their means..
GW should be practical and inspirational and can do so that more people feel both able as well as inspired to have a go and discover the joys of growing plants. Delia may have had an army of helpers and tesres but her recipes work and are easy to do in a normal kitchen. Monty also has help but it's never seen or mentioned.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Class envy? Where did that come from?
I come from a rural area where lots of people have quite large gardens, certainly larger than the one I have here - there are still lots of those people you know, and they need programmes that relate to them too. The traditional English council house has quite a large back garden. My daughter and her husband live in a rented Victorian apartment in the centre of a large town - they share a decent sized garden with the apartment below them.
And what about Carol Klein and the young couple in their garden? - all the plants they'd collected, been given, grown from cuttings or whatever - doing things on a budget - that was all covered in the programme.
Monty has written about having had help at Longmeadow at the insistence of the BBC ever since GW has been filmed from there - it's on record and has been quoted on this forum.
Not everyone is into 'fussy houseplants' but some people are and propagating and selling them is often a useful way of raising funds for all sorts of things, whether it's a local gardening club or a PTA bring and buy. There's very little about houseplants on the programme, why complain when they're covered occasionally, particularly when it's incidental to the demonstration of a technique that can be applied elsewhere.
I found plenty that was practical and quite a bit that was inspirational in yesterday evening's programme. I'm sorry that you didn't but we are all different.