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Posted by saima_host (U13967342) on Friday, 28th August 2009
Hi all,
a preview clip for tonight's show is available at
Let's hope that Mastermind doesn't overrun tonight
Surprisingly few thoughts on this weeks programme?! I thought it was ok but wish they'd spend time showing us bits of the garden in more depth rather than Toby's superficial overview which we saw yesterday.Some bits he skimmed over, I can't remember seeing before - and did you notice the reference to the "sandy soil" again - what happened to the clay with which they began??
I was totally bored with the programme, wanted to turn over but kept watching, hoping I may see something interesting. I didn't, wasted 30 mins.
, in reply to message 4.
Posted by Ariadne Knickerbocker (U4534559) on Saturday, 29th August 2009
I noticed that TB referred to sandy soil when I had thought it was clay too. Very odd.
It was OK, no more, no less.
Not even approaching OK, IMHO. Just a bland 'magazine' style, all quite unmemorable and felt like it was patched together from left overs from previous shows.
No need for GW to return in 2010; the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú may as well open Greenacres to the public (as surely planned) and charge £10.
£10 to see mismatched and Blue Peter type gardening jobs? Surely not!
, in reply to message 8.
Posted by sparklingsnowleapord (U3848262) on Sunday, 30th August 2009
Program not long enough and i would have liked to have seen Carol do the 4 ways of taking cuttings on her Phlox.
I was realy upset it wasnt shown.
What are we complaining about. We now know how to dig up a root of potatoes (even if we didn't already know from the age of about 4)and replace one of them if it is not big enough (?).
Not sure about the advice about removing the disease leaves. I think that once the disease is showing first signs then the all the leaves are pretty well doomed anyway. You might as well cut off all the tops and burn them.
Joe also told us how to use alleyways and statues to draw the eye to unexplored parts of the garden. All we needed now is the 3 or 4 acre plot of land to put this garden design principle into practice.
There is always next week to look forward to!
>There is always next week to look forward to!<
TBH, I feel the presenters and production company have mentally 'given up' on 2009 and will cobble together a few more shows to meet the contract. But they've basically decided to focus on 2010 when the garden matures and a half-decent show can be put together.
Hello
Having watched GW for over 30 years I have to say that I honestly do not care if the program is taken off the air in 2010. The way the "arty farty" production team have reduced this once unmissible program to a laughing stock I simply do not care anymore. The amateurish camerawork, fade in fade out,complete screen picture pink fuzziness is totally lost on me as I like to see the plants I'm looking at, but I suppose with all the cost cutting these days the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú are hiring everyone on a Job Seekers Allowance to work for them behind the lens. Why can't they practice how to focus before the program starts, or are they paid by the hour and like to make a 5 minute shot take all afternoon?
We know Toby won an gold award for his seaside garden at Chelsea, but is his ego so low that he has to create it again at Greenacres? Empty wine bottles in that container thingy maybe the design latest in yuppie west London, but anywhere else in the normal world it is just plain tosh.I wish Toby would ask a real gardener what sandy soil is and what point he is trying to achieve in claiming that the obvious clay soil at greenacres has miraculously changed to sandy soil.You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Where for heavens sake is the structure in the show, for who's benefit is it? please let me know as I am at a loss to figure it out at present.
The way the "arty farty" production team have reduced this once unmissible program to a laughing stock I simply do not care anymore. The amateurish camerawork, fade in fade out,complete screen picture pink fuzziness is totally lost on me as I like to see the plants I'm looking atÂ
I only look in on this board now to read the opinions of those members whose opinions I respect, in the hope that the programme has turned the corner, but I confess that I'm depressed to learn that the childish camerawork is still in place. I've said it before, but I reckoned at least the equivalent of one programme per year was being taken up with 'fuzz'. The viewer is being short-changed bigtime. There is never any such photographic distortions in any gardening books, so why does some idiot think that we want it on a TV programme. Has anyone EVER requested more out of focus shots? It's just the lunacy that's in place right now in TV land. How I wish there was a way to make direct contact with these fools, and ask them why they continue to dish up bilge to a once loyal set of viewers. Why another channel hasn't jumped in with a competing gardening programme is beyond me. There has never been a better time to bring some quality back to TV gardening.
Back to the programme, I thought Joe's spot on design was really strong - good visual structure makes the difference between a nice collection plants and a truly wonderful garden. The more Joe does on this the better.
Could have had more specifics on the phlox - there are different groups/species etc. which flower at different times. More named varieties would have been nice too.
Good to see that so much has been done at Greenacre, but I feel rather left out. There have been so many projects and we've seen a few mins of each here and there. Some of them have reached and passed their first year zenith and we've not been kept in the picture as they've been tended and brought on.
The potatoes - it's just weird - I can't imagine anyone would choose to plant potatoes of all things a foot from a 10 foot high wall. Those walls are awful, overbearing and gloomy - they could at least have had fake windows and doors in to make them look like a rear house wall - otherwise what are they? How do they contribute to a future sense of reality?
Logissimo, you don't need acres to achieve what Joe was telling you. I have about a quarter of an acre and try to have these vistas too.
Must admit the last programme was very unremarkable and I remember thinking while watching that they were 'filling' a slot for which they had no real content.
But what I missed most was seeing Carol doing her magic and I would have liked to see the different methods of propagating phlox.
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. I don't bother watching any more!
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Tuesday, 1st September 2009
At least we didn't have the 30 minute fix! Has someone taken notice of our suggestions? There was mention of jobs that could be achieved this weekend in the 30 minute fix slot which many viewers on here (and I agree) thought would be a better way to spend the final few minutes of the programme.
My TV set up failed to record GW while I was away on hols. I gather I haven't missed anything though.
Does anyone know when the Matthew Wilson programme will start on Channel 4? I see the book is already available.
CG - yes I forgot to mention the 30 minute thing. Much better to suggest several timely things that will only take 30 minutes. Though I expect the idea will return as an occasional DIY project, and why not?
Or perhaps they just ran out of new timers?
Why not Trillium?
Because it was, without exception, facile, crude, badly executed, needed a great deal more than 30 minutes to assemble all the materials and he always did a bodge while talking in dreadful patronising tones.
I'd like to see how many of his ideas have survived - that shed and its roof, his ghastly baskets and all the other dross.
The whole point of gardening I thought, was to take one's time, slow one's heart and brain down and establish a sense of well being and equilibrium from being in contact withe the earth and with plants and wildlife. TB and this production team are turning out to be a travesty of gardening and a tragedy for keen gardeners whether beginners or old hands.
Obs - fair response and I totally agree about slowing and engaging being the whole point of gardening.
I prefer not to assert than an idea is absolutely without merit in all circumstances.
Perhaps some people are put off gardening by the idea that everything takes ages. Perhaps encouraging them to have a go by showing them some things that can be done quite quickly is not intrinsically a bad idea.
But without fail every project had its own crippling fault: bad horticulture (lawn clippings as liners), overambition in scale (the shed roof), inappropriate to do in a rush in case of a mistake (the heated propagator), stupidly simple to do in the time (the pot planting up at Malvern show) etc. I don't think they got it right once.
And it is probably more important to make tasks simple to follow as a way of encouraging the wary, rather than misleadingly suggest they will be quick.
So, with no redeeming features to hand, I concede the point and hope the wretched 30 minute slot never makes a reappearance.
Absolutely. There are loads of simple tasks that can be done well in a short time without the gimmickery of timers.
GH showed us light boxes and home made cloches and cold frames amongst a wealth of other good ideas that were quick and cheap and useful. Gay Search showed quick fixes for brightening up boring features and several presenters over the years have shown recipes. Even slow-it-all-down MD showed us those bent steel wire supports for plants - so simple and cheap.
The only feature of merit in TB's antics was the new timer each week. Some were quite good. But if all you have is 30 minutes then dead head, pull a few weeds or just sit and admire what you have or plan what you could do well with more time and a bit of thought.
I was inspired by the heated propagator and have since got OH to make me one
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
I'm finding myself getting increasingly bored with the prog. and always feel the need to see more of Carol - no arty farty stuff there. Also, get the feeling we're all being treated like children. Oh for the nitty gritty days of Monty and Alan.
So have I, Petalina, for exactly the same reason. But it took me all day and I wouldn't have wanted to rush it.
, in reply to message 26.
Posted by Bluedoyenne (U2341157) on Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
I very much appreciated seeing TB build the heated propagator and I would love to build one if I could just find somewhere to site it. Liked your practical photos too Trillium.
, in reply to message 27.
Posted by Petalina (U13862206) on Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
Must admit, it took him most of a day, but it is worth it. Yours looks really good and your instructions were clear......now....can I find space for another one??
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