It isn't and shouldn't be all about advice on practical matters. It should also inspire us to try new plants, new combinations, new methods, updated gardening advice based on science or trial and experiment etc. The visits to other gardens do this as do some of the slots with other presenters or specialists.
It's Long Meadow and MD and one or two other regular spots that I don't find inspiring these days and even when it's an hour long I don't want long fuzzy shots of the dogs and MD pushing his wheelbarrow about. I have my own dogs and know what a wheelbarrow is for.
I can't remember the last time I watched GW on a Friday evening and couldn't wait to get in the garden on Saturday morning tho it was like that for me for years.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
bananas and cannas yes please. Phormiums, no chance.
Hostafan, I like bananas and cannas too. I recommend a book called THE NEW EXOTIC GARDEN by the late Will Giles (ISBN 1-84000-241-7) who created a wonderful jungly garden in Norwich. You'd like the book.
I’m very interested in what the older version of the show is now! I think I have a Geoff Hamilton dvd somewhere - you’ve inspired me to dig it out and have a watch. Sounds like I’ll learn something
And @AnniD - you’ve not been patronising at all, but thanks for checking!
I watched last night. Paradise garden? Where to start? The wobbly slabs have already been mentioned. Even by MD's standards, the paths were ridiculously narrow. I thought they were rills leading from that beautiful dish. Folk constantly complain about "makeover" gardens and Alan Titchmarsh: I wonder how much the Corten steel edging and all those specimen trees cost. Hey ho, lots of shots of dozy dogs to keep the fans happy.
I think MD is a great presenter, but his role in G'sW has really been reduced to that, which is a great pity. The 'home garden' in the programme was always the place for all the tips and advice which people wanted and needed. Even if many of us already knew how to do something, it was vital for new gardeners to learn those things, and that was where it happened. It shouldn't seem boring or 'a waste of our time' to see those things over and over again if it's done well, but it seems to me that the bulk of the programme is spent on other items - garden visits, specialists and projects etc, when there should be a much better balance between them.
Now that it's an hour long, there seems to be a bigger imbalance. Comparisons have been made with B'grove, but it does that successfully in a half hour slot, while G'sW seems to struggle with an hour. More projects for young people/couples in new houses, or taking over an existing garden, would be beneficial - look at the number of posts from newbies here, with exactly those queries - and would possibly engage younger people and encourage them to garden.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Apologies if this has already been mentioned but I will be having a re-run of The Nature of Britain with Alan Titchmarsh. I find it a fascinating series especially the one about the wild flowers recolonising areas where industry used to be.
I think GW could do a monthly programme during the winter.
@Fairygirl I’d love to see more gardens from scratch, in a new build say, or redoing a completely neglected garden, that would be really useful! I’m in a new build, and just had lawn when we moved in last Christmas. Have down lots, but still lots to do! And definitely made a few mistakes already...
Posts
It's Long Meadow and MD and one or two other regular spots that I don't find inspiring these days and even when it's an hour long I don't want long fuzzy shots of the dogs and MD pushing his wheelbarrow about. I have my own dogs and know what a wheelbarrow is for.
I can't remember the last time I watched GW on a Friday evening and couldn't wait to get in the garden on Saturday morning tho it was like that for me for years.
And @AnniD - you’ve not been patronising at all, but thanks for checking!
Paradise garden? Where to start? The wobbly slabs have already been mentioned.
Even by MD's standards, the paths were ridiculously narrow. I thought they were rills leading from that beautiful dish.
Folk constantly complain about "makeover" gardens and Alan Titchmarsh: I wonder how much the Corten steel edging and all those specimen trees cost.
Hey ho, lots of shots of dozy dogs to keep the fans happy.
Now that it's an hour long, there seems to be a bigger imbalance. Comparisons have been made with B'grove, but it does that successfully in a half hour slot, while G'sW seems to struggle with an hour.
More projects for young people/couples in new houses, or taking over an existing garden, would be beneficial - look at the number of posts from newbies here, with exactly those queries - and would possibly engage younger people and encourage them to garden.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think GW could do a monthly programme during the winter.