I liked last night's show and thought the content was fine - I'm not sure what else could've been shown, given the current conditions. Unless one has a heated greenhouse the usual seed-sowing at this time of a year has had to be delayed. If Monty told us all to sow our tomatoes and then we were still getting cold weather in May we'd have all had tomatoes 3 feet tall on our kitchen windowsills and someone would've complained.
I think it must be a pretty thankless task planning the content of Gardeners World nowadays. It has to cater for those of us who've been gardening for years and years, and for those who've suddenly decided that they want to grow their own veg, but have virtually no knowledge of the subject. It also has to cater for those who have large gardens and can plant large perennial borders and shrubberies as well as for those in new builds who have a handkerchief of lawn over a substrate of builders' rubble, surrounded by 6 foot panel fences.
As I've said before I've been gardening for a very long time and have seen many many editions of Gardener's World and as a child I watched Percy Thrower on Gardening Club. There have been many presentation styles, some more appealing to me than others - I found Alan T quite knowledgeable but irritating, however a dear friend adored him (until Monty came along when she switched allegiance). I'm worried that Norm finds Carol "too smiley and happy to be true" - I'm smiley and happy too - it is possible to be a gardener and be happy at the same time - you don't have to be a miserable grouch, even in this weather
Rather than the 'I don't like this or that' sort of cricticism, perhaps suggestions of what you would be showing next week if you were in charge would be enlightening
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The program proved useful for me since OH got to see Monty splitting a perennial and took notice of the reason why, no matter how many times I've explained to him why I keep digging things up
Joe's piece was better than last weeks as I took notice of the design-reasons behind his choices and well, any featured plants will be personal prefer not matter the season!
To be honest, I watch the garden, its structure, it's growth rate, it's changes behind Monty's shoulder as much as listening to what comes out Monty's mouth. I love being nosey round his patch, I wish I could be nosey around more patches but I lack transport to these well known gardens and wish the GW team would do feature programs on some of them. I know it defeats paying to enter if they film it, but I can't get there and have to rely on photos and TV programs.
I really think they should have the 8pm -8.30pm slot given over to toby and the younger crew, specifically dealing with raising veg and planting up small gardens. I'd be prepared to say about 80% of people have a modern small garden and so this is far more appropriate. For example, the mahonias are simply too big for most modern gardens. If they made a programme that details growing veg and small gardens for beginners, they can leave GW as it is and then everyone will be happy. Lots of new gardeners are probably put off because they don't have several acres as garden.
Joe's 'contempory' garden design, I was unimpressed with the garden he was in, too me it looked a mess, the lavender for example that had been poorly maintained, was a raggedy mess. Never been a fan of contempory mind, it's not so bad with a large garden as you need the space, in a small garden very hard for it not to look like a mess.
I just found the programme a bit of a hotch-potch, trying to squeeze in too much and ending up with insufficent on each subject as a result.
Yes GW is a relaxing watch, but I think there is a real need for a practical show every week that advises on small gardens, baskets and veg growing.
I'm with Wintersong, I love watching Monty's garden develop over his shoulder ... I know others say his garden is too big to relate to, but I find it inspiring.
Really enjoying the current series - but then I always have - whoever the presenter.
I'm not a fan of Monty, but did feel sorry for him last night. A program had to be filmed irrespective of the weather or soil conditions,,,,he looked absolutely wretched in the rain!
He could have popped in the old gardener's saying 'Good Friday is the time to start gardening'.
Well I would do the first programme about planning your space, the produce you like to eat, and then sowing the early seeds, like tomatoes cucumbers etc. I would do a piece on constructing raised beds, and the use of containers. The following week, compost and soil to fill beds and containers, building/buying a propagator the benefits you get etc. You could have a little 'project' every week, and also stick in a bit about small garden design and planting. It would be basic for most people and would encourage novice gardeners to have a go. We all know once you get bitten by the bug you will try new things each year. But I believe for most people, the interest will be predominantly growing things they can eat, as well as having a nice garden for summer to entertain and enjoy.
Currently I think that showing huge gardens is just not relevant to the average person who may be thinking about starting out. They should make a show that targets modern sized plots and flats etc. I dunno, call it the 'Modern Urban Gardener.' or something. Put it this way, 30 mins a week instead of the hours of usual dross will not make a huge difference to the schedules, but I do think that plenty would watch.
BrummieBen, I think you've hit the nail on the head - that would be fine for some - but I've got my raised beds, my garden design is almost all done now, I have my propagator and cold frames .... and sadly we no longer have the luxury of the time needed to show how to build a 'project' each week - that's where sites like this one and Youtube are so useful.
I doubt that I'd watch something called Modern Urban Gardener - any more than I watched Groundforce after the first series. Programmes targetted to types of gardens marginalise those who have something different, whereas programmes about gardening skills apply to all surely.
I think Gardener's World (the programme) is little more than a nudge in the right direction for most people - don't think it's the programme's fault - it does what it can with the time available.
We complain about the programme - we should be complaining about the schedulers
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
I liked last night's show and thought the content was fine - I'm not sure what else could've been shown, given the current conditions. Unless one has a heated greenhouse the usual seed-sowing at this time of a year has had to be delayed. If Monty told us all to sow our tomatoes and then we were still getting cold weather in May we'd have all had tomatoes 3 feet tall on our kitchen windowsills and someone would've complained.
I think it must be a pretty thankless task planning the content of Gardeners World nowadays. It has to cater for those of us who've been gardening for years and years, and for those who've suddenly decided that they want to grow their own veg, but have virtually no knowledge of the subject. It also has to cater for those who have large gardens and can plant large perennial borders and shrubberies as well as for those in new builds who have a handkerchief of lawn over a substrate of builders' rubble, surrounded by 6 foot panel fences.
As I've said before I've been gardening for a very long time and have seen many many editions of Gardener's World and as a child I watched Percy Thrower on Gardening Club. There have been many presentation styles, some more appealing to me than others - I found Alan T quite knowledgeable but irritating, however a dear friend adored him (until Monty came along when she switched allegiance
). I'm worried that Norm finds Carol "too smiley and happy to be true" - I'm smiley and happy too - it is possible to be a gardener and be happy at the same time - you don't have to be a miserable grouch, even in this weather 
Rather than the 'I don't like this or that' sort of cricticism, perhaps suggestions of what you would be showing next week if you were in charge would be enlightening
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The program proved useful for me since OH got to see Monty splitting a perennial and took notice of the reason why, no matter how many times I've explained to him why I keep digging things up
Joe's piece was better than last weeks as I took notice of the design-reasons behind his choices and well, any featured plants will be personal prefer not matter the season!
To be honest, I watch the garden, its structure, it's growth rate, it's changes behind Monty's shoulder as much as listening to what comes out Monty's mouth. I love being nosey round his patch, I wish I could be nosey around more patches but I lack transport to these well known gardens and wish the GW team would do feature programs on some of them. I know it defeats paying to enter if they film it, but I can't get there and have to rely on photos and TV programs.
I really think they should have the 8pm -8.30pm slot given over to toby and the younger crew, specifically dealing with raising veg and planting up small gardens. I'd be prepared to say about 80% of people have a modern small garden and so this is far more appropriate. For example, the mahonias are simply too big for most modern gardens. If they made a programme that details growing veg and small gardens for beginners, they can leave GW as it is and then everyone will be happy. Lots of new gardeners are probably put off because they don't have several acres as garden.
Joe's 'contempory' garden design, I was unimpressed with the garden he was in, too me it looked a mess, the lavender for example that had been poorly maintained, was a raggedy mess. Never been a fan of contempory mind, it's not so bad with a large garden as you need the space, in a small garden very hard for it not to look like a mess.
I just found the programme a bit of a hotch-potch, trying to squeeze in too much and ending up with insufficent on each subject as a result.
Yes GW is a relaxing watch, but I think there is a real need for a practical show every week that advises on small gardens, baskets and veg growing.
So, let's think constructively - if you had 30 minutes of a veg growing programme to film this week to show next Friday, what would you be showing?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Me too !
I'm with Wintersong, I love watching Monty's garden develop over his shoulder ... I know others say his garden is too big to relate to, but I find it inspiring.
Really enjoying the current series - but then I always have - whoever the presenter.
I'm not a fan of Monty, but did feel sorry for him last night. A program had to be filmed irrespective of the weather or soil conditions,,,,he looked absolutely wretched in the rain!
He could have popped in the old gardener's saying 'Good Friday is the time to start gardening'.
Well I would do the first programme about planning your space, the produce you like to eat, and then sowing the early seeds, like tomatoes cucumbers etc. I would do a piece on constructing raised beds, and the use of containers. The following week, compost and soil to fill beds and containers, building/buying a propagator the benefits you get etc. You could have a little 'project' every week, and also stick in a bit about small garden design and planting. It would be basic for most people and would encourage novice gardeners to have a go. We all know once you get bitten by the bug you will try new things each year. But I believe for most people, the interest will be predominantly growing things they can eat, as well as having a nice garden for summer to entertain and enjoy.
Currently I think that showing huge gardens is just not relevant to the average person who may be thinking about starting out. They should make a show that targets modern sized plots and flats etc. I dunno, call it the 'Modern Urban Gardener.' or something. Put it this way, 30 mins a week instead of the hours of usual dross will not make a huge difference to the schedules, but I do think that plenty would watch.
BrummieBen, I think you've hit the nail on the head - that would be fine for some - but I've got my raised beds, my garden design is almost all done now, I have my propagator and cold frames .... and sadly we no longer have the luxury of the time needed to show how to build a 'project' each week - that's where sites like this one and Youtube are so useful.
I doubt that I'd watch something called Modern Urban Gardener - any more than I watched Groundforce after the first series. Programmes targetted to types of gardens marginalise those who have something different, whereas programmes about gardening skills apply to all surely.
I think Gardener's World (the programme) is little more than a nudge in the right direction for most people - don't think it's the programme's fault - it does what it can with the time available.
We complain about the programme - we should be complaining about the schedulers
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.