It'll be fine if they keep the core of the programme reasonably focused. What worries me about BBC aiming to widen its audience is you end up like Countryfile, which I used to love when it was a farming and rural affairs news programme and now can't be bothered to watch with its Blue Peter 'lets go and have a look at the fluffy little baa-lambs, shall we children'? strategy.I know lots of people love it as it is and I really don't mind the programme existing, I just wish they'd made a new Sunday night 'light' programme and left the original 'niche' viewing one where it was.
I will feel the same way about GW if they start dumbing it right down to a 'look at the lovely flowers' programme without any 'this is how you do it' element. I know really proficient gardeners probably don't bother watching GW, but I think there are quite a lot of people like me - not a complete novice but still very low down the learning curve - watching GW for ideas of what mature plants look like, where they are growing, what the botanical names are.
Don't get me wrong, I like Nigel and I like that there is one 'real' human/dog relationship on TV (Rick Stein's Chalky having long gone, sadly), but that's not why I watch the programme.
I too loved Countryfile in its old format and now only watch it if there's nothing else on because it's fluff!! It's a shame that serious interesting programmes don't appeal to more people and that sales drive content. Ho hum, economics!
I was upset with GW when they last tried to appeal to more people by following Top Gear's format and having a "cool wall" in the potting shed. That was embarrassing.
However, I've just watched the new hour long (I recorded it because unusually I went out last night !!) and I was impressed. I didn't know that they were changing the format and I've watched it since Geoff Hamilton was a lad but I could tell that it had new threads of interest and I have to say that they weren't offensive (praise indeed, early days!).
I personally don't have a need to green my grey front garden but I'm very glad that they're promoting the idea for people who might. I'm also hoping for ideas on how to plan mine around a gravel parking space and a garage which is what I'm trying to research right now.
I'm up for new ideas and can be patient with ideas that don't apply to me but are relevant to the modern world so I think they're doing ok on first impressions.
Finally got a bit of time to myself to sit and watch it. I liked it .
Especially liked the delphinium man - very comprehensive advice on a classic cottage garden plant. Just exactly the sort of thing I need to see to decide if I want one and if so what to look for.
Oddly enough, I was talking yesterday evening to someone who lives in Lincolnshire, has just moved house (nowhere near as grand as Adam's of course) and I was trying to explain about soil types, pH testing and working out which spaces face which way. I must try to get her to watch the programme because I have a feeling that series is going to be great for someone trying to make a garden for the first time.
Good idea to have a weekend weather forecast.
A good balance, I thought.
Last edited: 04 September 2016 12:10:07
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Loved the bit about delphiniums. Would have liked some advice on how to repel the slugs when small from the grower. The jury is out on the urban bit. Will await Adams garden with interest.
I wish they had bits on the technical side of gardening - like how they do things on a grand scale, how all these grand water features work, how to clean tools, Best Buy secateurs etc. There is a whole host of things they could cover in an hour without using the 10 mins veg, 10 mins flowers,10 mins Adam etc. format. I like the beechgrove where they throw all manner of things in like gardening in a small space and trials of seed and tools. It is not so formulaic as Gw.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
The idea about greening front gardens is good but seems expensive to me and being a bit sinical I can imange lots of dead plants in pots ! Hope I am wrong
I wish they had bits on the technical side of gardening - like how they do things on a grand scale, how all these grand water features work, how to clean tools, Best Buy secateurs etc.
Posts
I too loved Countryfile in its old format and now only watch it if there's nothing else on because it's fluff!! It's a shame that serious interesting programmes don't appeal to more people and that sales drive content. Ho hum, economics!
I was upset with GW when they last tried to appeal to more people by following Top Gear's format and having a "cool wall" in the potting shed. That was embarrassing.
However, I've just watched the new hour long (I recorded it because unusually I went out last night !!) and I was impressed. I didn't know that they were changing the format and I've watched it since Geoff Hamilton was a lad but I could tell that it had new threads of interest and I have to say that they weren't offensive (praise indeed, early days!).
I personally don't have a need to green my grey front garden but I'm very glad that they're promoting the idea for people who might. I'm also hoping for ideas on how to plan mine around a gravel parking space and a garage which is what I'm trying to research right now.
I'm up for new ideas and can be patient with ideas that don't apply to me but are relevant to the modern world so I think they're doing ok on first impressions.
Hello , just watched programme and it was fine , enjoyed it
Finally got a bit of time to myself to sit and watch it. I liked it
.
Especially liked the delphinium man - very comprehensive advice on a classic cottage garden plant. Just exactly the sort of thing I need to see to decide if I want one and if so what to look for.
Oddly enough, I was talking yesterday evening to someone who lives in Lincolnshire, has just moved house (nowhere near as grand as Adam's of course) and I was trying to explain about soil types, pH testing and working out which spaces face which way. I must try to get her to watch the programme because I have a feeling that series is going to be great for someone trying to make a garden for the first time.
Good idea to have a weekend weather forecast.
A good balance, I thought.
Last edited: 04 September 2016 12:10:07
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Hello , I like the hour long programme , long over due in my opinion
Hope alls well with everybody
Loved the bit about delphiniums. Would have liked some advice on how to repel the slugs when small from the grower. The jury is out on the urban bit. Will await Adams garden with interest.
I wish they had bits on the technical side of gardening - like how they do things on a grand scale, how all these grand water features work, how to clean tools, Best Buy secateurs etc. There is a whole host of things they could cover in an hour without using the 10 mins veg, 10 mins flowers,10 mins Adam etc. format. I like the beechgrove where they throw all manner of things in like gardening in a small space and trials of seed and tools. It is not so formulaic as Gw.
And I liked Tony's bucoland as well! iPad! Tony Buckland!
The idea about greening front gardens is good but seems expensive to me and being a bit sinical I can imange lots of dead plants in pots ! Hope I am wrong
They are highly unlikely to do 'Best Buys' because it's likely to be considered advertising, and this is the Beeb.
G/W magerzine use to do best buys on tools etc , very useful in the past