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Posted by wheatpippin (U13970485) on Monday, 8th June 2009
Then we could watch a Head Gardener getting the most out of their staff and volunteers using tried and trusted techniques and also introducing new advancements in all aspects of horticulture and landscaping. The garden would be in safe hands for its longterm future and viewers would receive correct, seasonal information. The program could also visit other RHS gardens for info on mature garden maintenance. The current production team and presenters are a woeful combination.
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It might be better in the long run.
I want to know who owns the big glasshouse you sometimes see in the distance over the fence?
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Isn't the site supposed to be either next to, or part of Birmingham Botanic gardens / Westbourne Botanic gardens (part of Birmingham uni i think)?
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I can't see the RHS wanting it!
Although the idea of a Head Gardener running the show is a good one. I really don't believe Toby Buckland is the man for the job. I don't trust his advice and I don't like the way he talks to his colleagues. I could get over my antipathy towards him if I felt he was giving good advice and I could learn from him.
I don't know if the team is following instructions or has input into the content of the programme or how much input. The big difference with the days before Berryfields was that Geoff and Alan owned their gardens. It has been said many times before but that did mean they were in control and had the final say.
I have no problem with the concept of starting a garden from scratch in a bare field, it's a good idea and different to what's gone before.
The lead presenter should have the experience and qualifications to be in total charge - within reason, of course. An ex head Gardener from the RHS -Matthew Wilson for example -would have fitted the bill!
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At the suggestion of my OH (Doh), I put 'where is green acre garden birmingham' into Google UK and seemed to find a very interesting article. Hope they have change of use permission. It does seem the 'muddy field' is next to the botanical gardens
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A whole new team, Toonia. Of Gardeners, who worked on site, together, full time, for a reasonable wage, and knew what they were doing, with a common vision for the garden's progress and sustainability. Even women! How novel would that be?
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, in reply to message 5.
This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the in some way.
Why don't you make some - your very own 30 minute challenge. Fans of GW proper, united against Greenacres. Brilliant.
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You've hit the nail on the head, Toonia. I just don't trust his advice either and, on the basis of what's been aired so far, I don't think TB knows much or cares much about gardening.
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I don't trust him either. Too much of what he does is rushed and always seems shoddy.
Most of GH's gardens for GW were on a bare field site he bought for the purpose. He divided it up into flowers, fruit, veg etc in order to show us all how to go about it as well as showing how to handle plants and gardens reaching maturity and needing renewing or maintenance.
He set up special plots for his series on Cottage Gradens, Ornamental Kitchen Gardens and Paradise Gardens showing us both cheap and DIY as well as more expensive options according to our taste, available time and budget. AT, who bravely took on GW at short notice following GH's untimely death, also bought extra land to show new gardens being made as well as keeping the existing one going.
Neither of these great gardeners did anything that looked cheap or shoddy when finished. They did it with love and care and respect for the plants, wildlife and their viewers and colleagues.
I don't think TB has any such respect and so has not gained mine. He comes across more and more as a bumbling ass with no integrity.
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The location was kept secret. Would that be so we didn't see all the skips full of turf, the masses of contractors and them spraying off the grass of what was a perfectly lovely playing field? Wouldn't a brown field site have been a bit more ethical and interesting? I've watched the clip of Toby on site with a plan laughing that he didn't know where north was and said he used his kids' crayons for the design. I'd find it funny myself if I didn't feel like I was funding it.
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, in reply to message 10.
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Tuesday, 9th June 2009
I am all for the RHS taking over Green Acre with a presenter of the gravitas of Matthew Wilson at the helm but imagine there are many constraints that would make such a project impossible so I must consign the idea to the 'dream on' file in my head. I think Matthew Wilson is best of out of GW at present and I look forward to his new programme on Channel 4.
Much as I am critical of the current GW I have tried to avoid personal criticism of the presenters themselves because I suspect most of the trouble has been content lead. However, I have felt uncomfortable throughout the new series with the competitive atmosphere that predominates around virtually every shared task. Toby and Joe, with years of experience, should be mutually supportive. We get the odd glimpse of it but we haven't seen enough yet. As both have garden design backgrounds perhaps they feel threatened by each other? The so- called light hearted banter or, as I see it, undercurrent of one-upmanship, makes difficult viewing and detracts from the task in hand. Can they make light of things without resorting to dissing the people they work with? I'll wait and see.
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Fantastic idea wheatpippin - I love it.
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the RHS should not take over Green Acres.
what should be done is give the presenters time to get Green Acres up running by the the critics on this board. Since the presenters have only had 6 months on Green Acres. Only 3 months of which have been good weather.
3to 5 years down road this will not be an issue since the show will have hit it stride or GW will be moving to a new garden again.
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Obelixx - That's a brilliant comment. Spot on! Everyone should read it for a view of what GW is lacking nowadays.
I'm not sure though, that I quite agree with your last comment. I'm sure Toby is ok - it's just that he appears to reflect the modern trend of 'If I can get away with it, I will'. What GW needs is someone with real passion like Alan, Monty & above all, Geoff. I didn't care if I didn't agree with them because you knew they did it from the heart. Toby appears to be doing it because someone who knows nothing about gardening is paying him to do it!
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genburnie7 - I thought the whole idea of Greenacres was to show us how to turn a field into various gardens etc. 3-5 years down the line it will be an established Cbeebies/Blue Peter site!
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Sparky if look at garden plan in gw magazine it is going to be a Cbeebies/Blue Peter site!
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I think it's fair to say that Glenburnie is Grid's latest incarnation so we'll just ignore him.
Brightonjen - Toby has experience as a council parks gardener and at Cambridge botanical gardens, I believe. Neither of these seems to have given him the gravitas needed to be a ocnfident teacher which is what GW is, after all, about - showing us what, how, where and when. So far on GW, he does nothing with care. Everything is slapdash or whambamthankyoumam. Nothing is built to last.
I'm all for recycling and economy but it's a false economy to do shoddy work that needs fixing and I can't see any of his 30 minute fixes and so on even lasting a Briish summer and autumn without needing some major tweaking. I feel sorry for the plants.
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