Back in the 60s and 70s I thought Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnie were about the funniest things ever. Watching occasional repeats I now question my judgement. Likewise, by chance, I heard the Goon Show this week on Radio 4 Extra. Truly terrible.
My point is that I suspect in the past we were more easily satisfied. As we age I think our likes and dislikes harden. With rose-tinted glasses on Geoff Hamilton was wonderful: an easy going manner, great clarity, an understanding of his audience. I want to seek out if I can some of his GW shows to see if my memories are reliable and if he was as great as I remember.
Well, if you approach any programme with fixed ideas, - I'm only interested in dahlias; I want rare plants; I need more on pests; it has to be organic, and so on, you are bound to be disappointed. I think some of our gardening experts cannot accept that GW is largely entertainment, not instruction, and even when there IS instruction, it does not stretch the knowledge of those who have gardened for years. I would love a bit of rigour, myself, but I don't expect to see it on a Friday evening sit back and relax programme.
Geoff H kept up with new plants coming available - remember him championing penstemons?; championed organic methods and nurturing wildlife before they were fashionable; used cheap and cheerful techniques and products to make/fix/build gardens and features as well as posher material for those with a bigger budget or less time. He happily called in experts for subjects such as houseplants, pests and diseases, particular plant groups and I have seen Sarah raven using his peas i a gutter sowing method without crediting him and have seen Toby showing how to make his cloches for veggie beds.
He deliberately bought and designed Barnsdale in a way that allowed him to film different sizes and styles of gardens to cover a range of topics on GW. He used some of those to film his Cottage Garden, ornamental Kitchen Garden and Paradise Garden series. They and the structures, methods, techniques and plants he used are still relevant today and I watch them in winter and don't feel they've aged.
I rather liked GW with AT and I initially liked GW with Monty - and not just because Chris Beardshaw became a regular presenter and Alys Fowler was introduced. However, the decision to dig up and double dig that long border after discovering it had a clay pan and wasn't working made me question his abilities combined with his lack of humour about that dunking in the pond and the pink dahlia in the hot border didn't help. It was dreadful with Toby in charge but that was a format problem and not one he should have tolerated.
I still like a lot of GW but feel it's lost its way and is increasingly irrelevant to people with small plots, young families, new builds, inherited gardens that need sorting and so on. I know it can't cover everything or please all gardeners but it could strive for excellence and doesn't seem to any more, not from Longmeadow anyway.
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)."
No convinced about GW on that score but Carol's programme on Channel 5 certainly covers the basics for beginners whilst also being of interest to those with a bit more experience.
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)."
I'm really enjoying Carol's programme (nothing wrong with a bit of back-to-basics, and I love her presenting style), and actually I enjoy most of GW too. Some of the sections aren't to my taste is all. I think it's human nature to enjoy a good moan, and I think it's OK to chat about which bits we liked or didn't like, just as long as it doesn't get personal.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
If you look back, so many programmes were USEFUL. You could watch cooking and learn to cook, DIY and put up shelves or change a tap, Top Gear and get a review of a reliable family car. G H was in that generation; he taught you about gardening. Now it's all games, laughs and fun, fun, fun. Nothing could be less informative than Bake-off, The Sewing Bee, Top Gear. I understand that these shows are hugely popular but they are of no use.
Carol's programme has the great merit, for me, of being filmed in a gorgeous garden in a lovely part of the world - and by someone with huge enthusiasm for what she's doing, as well as empathy, apparently, with those who have little knowledge or experience of gardening. She doesn't talk down to beginners, either, and there's often something of genuine interest to someone like me who's been gardening for years. I've also noticed she doesn't just show us perfect plants. Last week she confessed that one of her Auriculas was a bit manky and that her pond had been neglected - and some of the daffodils which appear in the introduction to the programme have been chewed by slugs. No need for tentative gardeners to be put off by their failures.
I'll always watch GW though. Not all the segments are equally interesting to me, but just the chance to relax for an hour with a programme full of lovely plants and enthusiastic people makes it worth while.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Exactly @Liriodendron and sometimes we get a little gem lurking in the undergrowth of the bits we find to be dross.
I did wonder about Carol's auricula theater tho. I thought they were supposed to have a back to protect the plants form excess wind and rain. I can just see pots flying out of that one.
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)."
I'm not fussed about the presenters, their regional accents ( which seem to irritate some ) or their own preferences . However when those preferences / choices come across as if there is no valid alternative it annoys the heck out of me. When opinions are presented as facts ( when they're not ) that annoys me. When factually inaccurate information is given , that annoys me.
If you look back, so many programmes were USEFUL. You could watch cooking and learn to cook, DIY and put up shelves or change a tap, Top Gear and get a review of a reliable family car. G H was in that generation; he taught you about gardening. Now it's all games, laughs and fun, fun, fun. Nothing could be less informative than Bake-off, The Sewing Bee, Top Gear. I understand that these shows are hugely popular but they are of no use.
I love sewing bee, and I do pick up one or two things. It would be nice
if they gave a bit more how-to detail, but I appreciate the average
viewer doesn't want that. Eg this week some of the sewers (sewists?)
were using a walking foot, which was mentioned and some a teflon
non-stick foot, which wasn't, and I thought a quick word on the experts'
views on the pros and cons of each would have been interesting in much the same way as I found George's segments on Beechgrove some time back comparing different types of hoe, fork etc interesting. Maybe I'm a tool nerd
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Posts
My point is that I suspect in the past we were more easily satisfied. As we age I think our likes and dislikes harden. With rose-tinted glasses on Geoff Hamilton was wonderful: an easy going manner, great clarity, an understanding of his audience. I want to seek out if I can some of his GW shows to see if my memories are reliable and if he was as great as I remember.
He deliberately bought and designed Barnsdale in a way that allowed him to film different sizes and styles of gardens to cover a range of topics on GW. He used some of those to film his Cottage Garden, ornamental Kitchen Garden and Paradise Garden series. They and the structures, methods, techniques and plants he used are still relevant today and I watch them in winter and don't feel they've aged.
I rather liked GW with AT and I initially liked GW with Monty - and not just because Chris Beardshaw became a regular presenter and Alys Fowler was introduced. However, the decision to dig up and double dig that long border after discovering it had a clay pan and wasn't working made me question his abilities combined with his lack of humour about that dunking in the pond and the pink dahlia in the hot border didn't help. It was dreadful with Toby in charge but that was a format problem and not one he should have tolerated.
I still like a lot of GW but feel it's lost its way and is increasingly irrelevant to people with small plots, young families, new builds, inherited gardens that need sorting and so on. I know it can't cover everything or please all gardeners but it could strive for excellence and doesn't seem to any more, not from Longmeadow anyway.
I'll always watch GW though. Not all the segments are equally interesting to me, but just the chance to relax for an hour with a programme full of lovely plants and enthusiastic people makes it worth while.
I did wonder about Carol's auricula theater tho. I thought they were supposed to have a back to protect the plants form excess wind and rain. I can just see pots flying out of that one.
However when those preferences / choices come across as if there is no valid alternative it annoys the heck out of me.
When opinions are presented as facts ( when they're not ) that annoys me.
When factually inaccurate information is given , that annoys me.
I love sewing bee, and I do pick up one or two things. It would be nice if they gave a bit more how-to detail, but I appreciate the average viewer doesn't want that. Eg this week some of the sewers (sewists?) were using a walking foot, which was mentioned and some a teflon non-stick foot, which wasn't, and I thought a quick word on the experts' views on the pros and cons of each would have been interesting in much the same way as I found George's segments on Beechgrove some time back comparing different types of hoe, fork etc interesting. Maybe I'm a tool nerd