That's exactly what I mean Andy. It's often new builds that have the worst conditions too - because of all the cr*p builders leave behind. Also - it's very daunting for new owners, especially if they have little or no experience, to try and work out where to start, and what to do. As you've found - it's easy to make mistakes, and it can be expensive to rectify. For many new house owners, the budget is already tight. A little guidance about where to site things, what will work in your own climate and soil conditions, and realising that the site changes in time as plants grow, are all things that are helpful to newbies. Following the progress from a blank canvas to the end [or the 'getting there' stage] is always a pleasure to see. A makeover, but in real time, rather than the pie in the sky instant ones we see. Of course, experience doesn't mean you never make mistakes, or wish you'd done something a different way. I don't speak from experience there you understand....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Andy - google How to be a Gardener by Alan T. It's not available on DVD but the series is available online for you to follow from the start or dip into as you like. If you buy the 3 pack of Geoff H's DVDs - Cottage, Paradise and Ornamental Kitchen Gardens - you can also get an extra DVD of excerpts from GH's version of GW but, more importantly, all 3 series DVDs start with laying out a garden from scratch including fences, paths, soil prep, where, when and how to plant.
The current format and form of GW certainly does very little for new gardeners of any age and espcially new builds and inherited overgrown or boring gardens following house purchases.
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)."
@AndyDean, l know exactly how you feel ! I have had one garden to "make over" , and three new build ones. Was your lawn laid on a very thin layer of topsoil, with a load of rubbish underneath that by any chance ? l would be interested in your opinion of the Geoff Hamilton programmes, as l have said, he was my guru when faced with my first garden which was a new build without any turf. They just dumped a load of topsoil over the rubble and levelled it off !
Some very interesting points raised lately in this thread! I've often wondered who makes the decision as to the programme's contents. Is it the producer, or the presenter?
I think it would be very useful to have a programme which covered the progress of a garden "from scratch" - i.e. a new-build house or a totally overgrown plot. I realise this would need to be filmed over a very long period of time in order for it to "work" so perhaps that's why none of the gardening programmes seem to do that.
They did try it with the allotment , but never went back often enough or showed the whole process of any job. Even whats his name new garden showed the beginning , middle and end of projects not enough content for new gardeners. Considering it was a new house he seems to have done an aweful lot in a short time, not realistic.
You should have seen what real allotmenteers, inclding people on that site, thought of Joe Swift and his "designer" allotment efforts. Utter rubbish. Joe is a designer who knows very little about growing and caring for plants, let alone vegetables, as can be seen from that allotment fiasco and the few times we've seen him in his own garden. I wouldn't trust him with any of my plants but he can be good on design and critique, as when he hosted that front garden design programme we used to have or talks about the gardens at Chelsea.
Adam, on the other hand, knows about plants and growing as well as design but then he did learn with the best.
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)."
@AnniD There’s a strip down the side which is like that completely, very shallow and rubble underneath. I’ve put in a couple of raised beds for veg, but otherwise am concentrating on growing things which like poor soil and sun - herbs, lavender, verbena, alliums etc.
Fortunately the back garden has a spades depth of topsoil above sand. The mistake I’ve made there is, in digging up the ground to prepare beds (it was all lawn), I’ve dug too deep and made my soil very sandy!
You can correct sandiness with annual additions of well-rotted manure or compost and a handful of pelleted chicken manure everytime you plant something. That will build up good micro-organisms as well as improving the texture and making nutrients available for your plants.
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)."
Maybe the problem with gardening and TV is that it is too gentle a drama for those used to instant action. Thanks to this forum I found Beechgrove and I love it, lots of planting info and veg trials. Geoff Hamilton was the Delia Smith of gardens for me, basic, repetitive, measured but lots of information and displays - I just can't watch Nutella or Mr Titchmarsh.
Let's have a proper "How to compost" in different containers, what to include, where to site and so on. Pruning, shredding and mulching without resort to spending £s at a garden centre which many can't afford, a proper look at identification and ways of getting rid of unwanted plants including weeds without any mention of spending money.
We should form a committee and make this programme ourselves
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
Geoff H did try new methods, new plants, new materials and also did budget stuff and projects we could all aspire to and achieve. He also was the first to urge us to give up using unsustainable materials such as peat and campaigned against the destruction of limestone pavements in the fells where stone was ripped out for gardens with no thought to he survival of their unique flora and fauna. He also showed us, without preaching, how organic methods were best for us, our gardens and all their residents and the environment.
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)."
Posts
As you've found - it's easy to make mistakes, and it can be expensive to rectify. For many new house owners, the budget is already tight. A little guidance about where to site things, what will work in your own climate and soil conditions, and realising that the site changes in time as plants grow, are all things that are helpful to newbies. Following the progress from a blank canvas to the end [or the 'getting there' stage]
is always a pleasure to see. A makeover, but in real time, rather than the pie in the sky instant ones we see.
Of course, experience doesn't mean you never make mistakes, or wish you'd done something a different way.
I don't speak from experience there you understand....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The current format and form of GW certainly does very little for new gardeners of any age and espcially new builds and inherited overgrown or boring gardens following house purchases.
Some very interesting points raised lately in this thread! I've often wondered who makes the decision as to the programme's contents. Is it the producer, or the presenter?
I think it would be very useful to have a programme which covered the progress of a garden "from scratch" - i.e. a new-build house or a totally overgrown plot. I realise this would need to be filmed over a very long period of time in order for it to "work" so perhaps that's why none of the gardening programmes seem to do that.
Adam, on the other hand, knows about plants and growing as well as design but then he did learn with the best.
@AnniD There’s a strip down the side which is like that completely, very shallow and rubble underneath. I’ve put in a couple of raised beds for veg, but otherwise am concentrating on growing things which like poor soil and sun - herbs, lavender, verbena, alliums etc.
Fortunately the back garden has a spades depth of topsoil above sand. The mistake I’ve made there is, in digging up the ground to prepare beds (it was all lawn), I’ve dug too deep and made my soil very sandy!
Let's have a proper "How to compost" in different containers, what to include, where to site and so on. Pruning, shredding and mulching without resort to spending £s at a garden centre which many can't afford, a proper look at identification and ways of getting rid of unwanted plants including weeds without any mention of spending money.
We should form a committee and make this programme ourselves