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Gardeners’ World 14th August
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Message 1.Ìý
Posted by saima_host (U13967342) on Friday, 14th August 2009
Hi all
A preview clip for tonight's show is available at
as well as more information on the blog
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Message 2
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 14th August 2009
Never watched it rain on someone else’s garden for an hour!
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Message 3
Posted by Stressed out (U11163734) on Friday, 14th August 2009
Funniest bit was them planting drought tolerant plants!!!!
On the whole it was a bit dull, lacklustre and boring.
A very poor hour of TV -
Message 4
Posted by rumex-acetosa (U14102973) on Friday, 14th August 2009
Hi, I used to watch this board and GW, but back in May I decided to go and do some gardening instead of wasting time on silly presentation tricks and poor gardening.
Tonight without meaning to I saw the programme for the first time in ages, and now feel that I should comment how wonderful it was for Carol K to simply be a relaxed plantswoman: knowledgeable, informed, enthusiastic and encouraging. There was none of the silly giggling and stupid scarves dangling in the mud with insane camerawork that used to spoil her time on air. So thank you to whichever producer allowed her to abandon the insane presentation "meedia fool" style. Simple is elegant. And what she had to say was interesting.
If only we could get Toby and the meercat to slow down a bit and just enjoy growing plants expertly. -
Message 5
Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Friday, 14th August 2009
Hello - just re-played the first bit & Toby says they have very sandy soil at Greenacre. I think he needs to come to my garden to see what sandy soil REALLY looks like (or did I mis-hear what he actually said?) Cheers! Ma.
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Message 6
Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Friday, 14th August 2009
....and now feel that I should comment how wonderful it was for Carol K to simply be a relaxed plantswoman: knowledgeable, informed, enthusiastic and encouraging. There was none of the silly giggling and stupid scarves dangling in the mud with insane camerawork that used to spoil her time on air. So thank you to whichever producer allowed her to abandon the insane presentation "media fool" style. Simple is elegant. And what she had to say was interesting. Ìý
Well phrased and in total agreement. Have not been a CK fan but for the first time could listen, appreciate and digest what she was saying without being totally distracted and sidetracked by the so called presentation skills.
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Message 7
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
Hello - just re-played the first bit & Toby says they have very sandy soil at Greenacre. I think he needs to come to my garden to see what sandy soil REALLY looks like (or did I mis-hear what he actually said?) Ìý
No Ma, you did not mistake what he said, I nearly fell off my chair remembering the water sodden clay field they started with.
Unless they have introduced sand by the train full it will be clay base and tons of imported top soil.
The programme last night was impossible and tents in that kind of downpour do not help.
If it was impossible to shoot another day, an explanation and more of Carol plus the gardens shown and some archive would have done.
Joe for once had something sensible to say, covering a bare patch with green manure is a good idea but as he says dig it in before it seeds.
The plans obviously fell apart as they stepped through the gate and they did not have a backup ready. I call that at best bad planning and at worst total stupidity knowing the foibles of British weather. I bet AT would have had something up his sleeve for just such an occasion.
Frank. -
Message 8
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
Tells you everything about the programme, though. The 'celebs' get chauffeured there for a 4 hour 'slot' to see what the real gardeners have done on site and film the 'talkies' to camera before heading off (1st class of course) back to London.
If it's raining, they just carry on as there's no chance they'll want to stay in Brum! -
Message 9
Posted by Sparky (U6716422) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
At least there was no '30 minute fix'!!
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Message 10
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
At least there was no '30 minute fix'!!
Ìý
That crossed my mind too! -
Message 11
Posted by Boofer (U3709461) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
Maybe it took 30 minutes to get the tent up!
I thought I was hearing things when Toby referred to the sandy soil. Maybe someone accidently dumped a load of builders sand when all the walls were being built and they couldn't be bothered to shovel it up -
Message 12
Posted by Allionii (U13954582) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
What an abysmal programme. Well, back to square one!!
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Message 13
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Saturday, 15th August 2009
Ouch. Clearly the weather caught them out badly. As you say, there had to be a plan B. You just can't be seen discussing drought lovers in a quagmire no matter what you say over it. It confuses people.
(Talking of confusing - I've had that many conversations this week with people asking if they should remove flowers from Rudbeckias and perennial Helianthus before planting because they saw it on GW.... No it was Heleniums and Echinaceas and no you don't need to for Heleniums anyway, but I'm tired of explaining now)
Properly sandy soil doesn't puddle. Now it may be a sandy clay loam or something like that, but my two most recent gardens have been sandy and they never, ever puddled. Even when I stood on it - a lot. Even in winter. And I'm in the supposedly wet north west. Any soil that holds water like that in summer will be sodden in winter. I'm ready to eat my hat if those seaside, gravel lovers are happy next year. (I'm off to make a chocolate hat just in case...)
But I thought the sleeper verticals were fantastic - just the sort of bold, contemporary look that I like. A very welcome reminder of the English Channel coastline and the perfect backdrop to the selected plants.
Talking of missing elements, we never did get to see him propagate that Agave did we? -
Message 14
Posted by Sparky (U6716422) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
No, we didn't did we? Bit of a mess all round this week, shame after the slight improvement.
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Message 15
Posted by Ariadne Knickerbocker (U4534559) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
I did watch the programme but was so bored I can't remember any of it except for Carol's piece about eryngiums and the fact that I waited and waited for Toby to show how to propagate the agave as I have one that needs doing. What a waste of time! The sempervivum bit was wasted because you would really have to be trying very very hard not to be able to propagate them it is so obvious.
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Message 16
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
Hello
I haven't watched the program for a few weeks but did watch on Friday and have to say that it has gotten worse since the last time I watched. The amount of time wasting with announcing what will be coming up in the show, or where they will be visiting or who will be coming up later in the show is just a joke. Why can't they just get on with it and fill the hour with revelant information on plants rather than wasting valuable time with BLAH BLAH. There was 3 mentions of what Carol would be doing in the show before she eventually put in an appearance, she saves this show by the way. Toby has blown it with trying to be funny with everybody he meets, the guy trimming the hedge on the ladder was a good example of keeping schtuum Toby, when someone was trying to give info about hedge cutting, but no way I'm Toby and I'm an expert(in my own eyes)
As for his sidekick Dame Edna waiting about until the time was right for her one liner about the weather was excruciatingly bad.
Are the camera people on drugs or is the filming done in the afternoon after a liquid lunch in the pub? The constant fade in fade out with behind a tree cam, shrub cam, or flower cam is frankly nausiating. Give up green acres and just visit experts in their gardens or nurseries for the necessary info as what is coming out of so called Gardeners World you could write on the back of a postage stamp. -
Message 17
Posted by michelle78 (U7007319) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
the bits on greenacre this week were woeful. the propagation had no close up detail or information useful to a novice, and it was clear they were trying to make the best of a bad job with the weather. We have had 2 awful rain summers so the production team have no excuse for a lack of plan B. Carol's bits were as usual great. As were the visits off site to other gardens, and I'm really looking forward to next week (as long as Toby is featuring obviously), the only other let down was Joe's allotment slot - OK so you did swappsies. Could've covered the concept in, oh, 5 seconds?
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Message 18
Posted by Allionii (U13954582) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
As I've said before, you can't blame the line readers you have to blame the production company. Completely devoid of ideas. Completely devoid of gardening knowledge.
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Message 19
Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
As I've said before, you can't blame the line readers you have to blame the production company. Completely devoid of ideas. Completely devoid of gardening knowledge.Ìý
.... and completely lacking of a decent weather forecast it would appear!!!!.
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Message 20
Posted by jungle_jane (U1807090) on Sunday, 16th August 2009
Hyde Hall was on gardeners world which is one of my current favourite gardens to visit.
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Message 21
Posted by Bluedoyenne (U2341157) on Monday, 17th August 2009
Right there with you, Ma and Trillium!
If my sandy soil could be replaced by what TB called 'sandy soil', I'd jump at the chance. I could leave the hosepipe running in one position for 24 hours in my garden and there would not be the slightest hint of a puddle or quagmire. In my book that's called 'sandy soil', but heaven only knows that TB would call it. -
Message 22
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Monday, 17th August 2009
Bluedoyenne
heaven only knows that TB would call it.Ìý
A beach.
Frank. -
Message 23
This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the in some way.
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Message 24
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Tuesday, 18th August 2009
"A Beach"
Oh, Frank! To the point, as ever!
Didn't see the prog as such - just don't watch it unless I have absolutely nothing else to do. Says it all.
I just wonder if the beeb is reading/listening. Get a good thread, interactive etc., going and they close it.
Broadcast a programme that is met with - well, derision springs to mind - and they keep on keeping on.
Wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't my (our) money.
PHJ -
Message 25
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
My guess is that the Beeb doesn't read this at all, and even if they do, they regard us as a lot of cranks. Remember AT saying to Toby at this years Chelsea Flower Show that, in short, "not to worry, it took viewers a year to get used to me when I took over from the late GH"? Frankly I don't recall that at all, but I really don't think I'll ever get used to this current tosh at all.
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Message 26
Posted by Ken Smart (U1158196) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
I really don't think I'll ever get used to this current tosh at all.Ìý
I know exactly how you feel, Paul. I try hard to accept that programmes must change with the passing of time, and I convince myself that it's unhealthy to live in the past. However, whether it's past or present - bilge remains bilge. I note that sometimes full days pass without any contributions to the board, and often these messages are simply 'chummy' comments to fellow contributors, and not comments relative to programme comment. This illustrates (to me at least) that there simply isn't the enthusiasm for GW that there once was, or perhaps that those who enjoy it are less articulate than the previous viewer base (and I truly mean no offense by this comment). A further worry for me, is that I still get enjoyment from the various DVD's I possess from days gone by, when I really should have something new to enthuse over. Even ancient gardening books passed down from my father's days, contain all the basic information that anyone could ever need. The new GW continues (from comments read on this board) to be style over substance, and frankly I find that after decades of 'settling down' on friday nights to watch my favourite programme, I now no longer give it a second thought. The spell has been broken. You suspect that no-one at the Beeb reads this board, but I find this hard to believe. I accept that clearly they ignore people like myself, but it's possible that I'm just the sort they now wish to exclude. The problem really is, that with the exception of the irritating Klein, I honestly believe I know as much as any of the rest of them (what a bighead eh?). They desperately need people who perhaps lack slickness, but are good, proven gardeners, with bags of personal experience to pass on - people who aren't interested in having the 'spin-offs' on the shelves before their first crops have germinated. Could anyone actually seriously suggest that our own Sue Beasley hasn't got more practical experience than Alys? Without being critical of the girl, the programme makers hardly scoured the country looking for the best candidates - they took what was on the doorstep, and thought it would be good to let her ride her bike, and have the dog prowl about to give us the 'aaah' effect. Toby would be just as happy fronting something as vacuous as the Lottery Show where a continual grin is essential, and Joe must be just amazed to have lasted so long on so little. Carol could be passable in a straight-jacket without a scarf, but a clean sweep of all would be for the best. What are you and I doing next year Paul? -
Message 27
Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
Carol is a lot toned down nowadays.
Alys would be a lot better by herself.
Eer, how is Monty nowadays?
x -
Message 28
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
Ken
Since taking early retirement a few years ago I've spent the last four years looking after between 17 and 24 gardens. With my slightly reduced stamina (at 62) I've decided to call it a day in October. The little van will be going to be replaced by a Citroen 2CV6 and I shall spend more time on my motorbike and in my own garden.
I really don't think they'd be interested in us Ken - not light hearted enough. A nice thought though. I already write a two page gardening column for the local village magazine. -
Message 29
Posted by jonlock (U14107757) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
Being a big fan of the old GW programmes, I see the difference in the new series - but accept that it is aimed at a far wider audience nowadays who sometimes do not have the most basic gardening knowledge. But that does not excuse the poor content (gnomes etc). However I quite like the idea of 30min jobs as they can give inspiration to do something in the garden and isn't most of the joy of gardening found in doing stuff in the garden?
Also, the presenters will work under direction from the production team and don't always deserve some of the harsh comments - so best perhaps to direct some of the comments elsewhere? But again, cheesy dialogue does not deserve a place (see Toby and Alys for details) and perhaps they should stop 'acting' and start gardening?
I much prefer Beechgrove on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú1 Scotland (you can get it on Sky/Freesat) - at least they go out and talk with other real gardeners/people and don't indulge in smultzy dumbed down interviews. -
Message 30
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
Hello jonlock
The 30 minute fix is the biggest load of guff on the TV, thankfully it didn't make an appearance this week and I hope it is confined to the cutting room floor where it belongs. Please excuse my scepticism but when people use the word "inspiration" on these threads I can't help think that they are somehow connected to the show in some way especially on a first post.
Toby being the chief of the show should grow some cahunas and tell the production team how the show should be run and not be the appauling puppet that he appears to be. When all is said and done and the novelty of the free seeds wears off and the new gardeners find something else to spend their time,after all the dodgy advice being passed on to them results in failure, the people who have been watching GW from the start will be so disgusted at the show that nobody in the entire gardening world at large will have a good word to say about the program, just like now, who will be the next target audience? -
Message 31
Posted by toonia (U4760062) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
I've stopped watching because I can't bear it any more! I even lost any pleasure I had in moaning about it.
I agree with Lion Redwood - nobody forces the presenters to give bad advice. If they cared anything about their reputations they would stand up for themselves and we the viewers. I don't understand the desperate need to be on the telly at any cost.
As for replacements, it isn't just expertise in gardening a presenter needs but the skills to present information in an interesting and entertaining way. I don't mean "banter" by entertaining, more a well modulated voice and the ability to make even a routine, dull gardening task sound interesting.
I wasn't a great Monty fan but he had a pleasant voice and knew how to deliver to camera.
I suppose people are either naturals at that or they can learn but once again, it isn't fair on the viewers (thinking of Alys) to expect them to wait for the presenter to learn on the job. -
Message 32
Posted by Allionii (U13954582) on Wednesday, 19th August 2009
I've long since given up on a whole range of television programmes simply because of the "dumbed down" approach. I really can't stand it.
I don't need every idea; every concept; every action, reduced to words of no more than one syllable spouted by some gibbering would-be celeb' prompted by some idiot producer who thinks "the audience" has the attention span of a gnat and the brain of an amoeba.
What I want from a gardening programme is someone with real knowledge and expertise, able to put it across succinctly, and make me feel that I should aspire to the same heights of learning. Someone like Roy Lancaster perhaps. -
Message 33
Posted by groundelder (U11750698) on Thursday, 20th August 2009
Everything that's wrong about GW:-
1. "Forced" humour and banter.
2. The feeling that I'm watching a children's programme.
3. No "start to finish" projects over a period of time.
4. Snippets here, there and everywhere - no cohesion.
5. A feeling there's a lack of love and care in creating the garden.
6. Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator in a bid to boost ratings.
Everything's that's right about GW:-
It's on at 8pm on a Friday - a perfect time.
Unfortunately I'm getting beyond caring any more and that saddens me.
Groundelder -
Message 34
Posted by Houdy222 (U8365378) on Thursday, 20th August 2009
I watch GW every now and then to see if has improved but sorry to say that it hasn't.
I'm not going to say anything disrespectful about the team as I don't feel that it's my place to do so. I can only say that "I dont like it any more" and Friday night is a poorer place for it. -
Message 35
Posted by daffworld (U14018684) on Friday, 21st August 2009
yes that was good,drought tolerent plants.when the ground was so muddy with rain,and more rain falling. they tried to make the show work though.
i thought too,it lacked that wow! factor,or helpfull hints.it lacked something.not like usual
bouncy programme. i waited for it to come on tonight,and it wasnt on at all.its not doing very well suddenly.is it.
i saw on web page,theres a programme on tomorrow,
is this true?
daffworld
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