I think Frances is great and glad she got more airtime last season. I'm not a passionate watcher of the programme, for instance I didn't watch the new episode. But catch up with it once in a while. They do have an issue of the presenters being too middle aged and male. So a shakeup would be good but as it's been said before they're scared to go too radical as it backfired last time. Just wish one of the other channels would make a rival programme and wake up the BBC who likes to rest on its laurels.
@LunarSea Monty and Adam both have their strong points. Monty is eloquent and does have some very beautiful plants but his planting style in the ornamental parts is haphazard to say the least and he often seems to forget about eventual size and spread and is forever shoe-horning yet another plant into a small space.
Adam trained with GH and is a lot more practical and better at explaining why certain plants and combinations work and his eye for, and knowledge of, design makes his visits to other gardens much more interesting.
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)."
Alan Titchmarsh has a new weekly series on ITV. His Gardening Club has various presenters and covers a range of subjects including veg growing, visiting gardens such as Trebah etc. It's quite "magazine like" in style, but l felt it moved a lot quicker than GW and the hour went by quickly. Of course there are advert breaks, but they still seemed to fit a lot in.
I don't particularly like Adam, I know he can't help it but his accent does my head in, when he's on it goes off. Monty doesn't bother me either way but I do like Frances, shes calm and clear and should be on more.
People want GW to tick all their own personal boxes, which is impossible - old and young; new, experienced and professional gardeners; huge budget/no budget; exotics and cabbages; manor houses and balconies. Surely before social media we would have just shrugged and either watched it or not watched it.
As in life we will always find bits and pieces irritating (as with this forum) but surely we have to go in with the approach that we will take what is useful or interesting and leave the rest. Get one or two good ideas per show, a few places you'd never heard of or a new cultivar, perhaps. iPlayer is perfect for skipping through certain segments.
I find it helpful to consider how it would be to the producer of the show - with decisions resting on your own shoulders - budget, current media climate, loyal fans to old series, cults of personality knocking about, egos, people trying to get rid of the BBC all together, social media cranking bad tempers up.
We're lucky that we have a history in the UK of so many gardening shows on TV, on most channels, one way or another. The US and most of the world doesn't. They watch ours with envy.
Appreciate it before it's gone - as they say. Attack is always the easy option.
As has already said, this forum and Gardeners World are completely separate. I really dislike this Monty bashing. He appeals to some, not to others - but that is true of any presenter on GW surely? And why the envy over his wealth? He’s worked for what he’s got.
" David Domoney shares his essential garden tools for beginners, while Tayshan Hayden-Smith explores an inspiring community garden in Manchester. Sarah Gerrard-Jones provides expert styling tips for houseplants, and Camilla Bassett-Smith has advice on adding vibrant colours to the garden."
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Adam trained with GH and is a lot more practical and better at explaining why certain plants and combinations work and his eye for, and knowledge of, design makes his visits to other gardens much more interesting.
It's quite "magazine like" in style, but l felt it moved a lot quicker than GW and the hour went by quickly.
Of course there are advert breaks, but they still seemed to fit a lot in.
Failure is always an option.
I really dislike this Monty bashing. He appeals to some, not to others - but that is true of any presenter on GW surely? And why the envy over his wealth? He’s worked for what he’s got.
" David Domoney shares his essential garden tools for beginners, while Tayshan Hayden-Smith explores an inspiring community garden in Manchester. Sarah Gerrard-Jones provides expert styling tips for houseplants, and Camilla Bassett-Smith has advice on adding vibrant colours to the garden."