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gardeners' world
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Message 1.聽
Posted by maggievincent (U13639139) on Friday, 10th April 2009
What in the world has happened to Gardeners' World?! It has a ridiculous crusading approach, is as scrappy as a magazine with no editor and has scarcely any gardening to speak of and none which is relevant to the average gardener. Planting 拢110 worth of two pots in 30 mins. What is that trying to prove?! Certainly that someone else did all the preparation - filling the watering can, getting the tools together, etc. etc. and who can afford to spend 拢110 on two ornamental pots? And what about that garden in a field, which those ridicUlous high walls and high raised beds. What average garden looks like that.
Bring back Geoff Hamilton! The presenters are fine but the script and content are RUBBISH! -
Message 2
Posted by misterpaige (U13911636) on Friday, 10th April 2009
'Bring back Geoff Hamilton' - tasteless comment.
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Message 3
Posted by growingmadder (U13911670) on Friday, 10th April 2009
I agree with what you say. I feel that the 主播大秀 people are telling the gardeners what to put in the show. The gardeners need to be in charge as they know what needs to be done in the garden each week. We don't want to watch Toby handing out free vegetable seeds to passers by in Birmingham. Can you imagine what Monty Don would have said if the producer had asked him to do that? I understand that we need to give begginers information but we need to have many more in depth features to keep us, more exoerienced gardeners, watching.
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Message 4
Posted by Balderfields (U13911705) on Friday, 10th April 2009
I hope it improves - I'm not keen on what I've seen so far; although to be fair I did turn it off half-way through because I was fed up of the childlike manner that some of the presenters had been told to adopt. If only they'd had an hour long show about the lady with the kitchen garden - she was interesting.
Anyway, perhaps next weeks' episode will be better, sometimes things take time to settle in. In the meantime I'm going to throw away all of my recycled plastic plant pots and lacerate my hands on the tin cans from my recycling bin - who says that gardening can't be fun and exciting.
Oh and one more thing .... I'd love to know why those school children had to wear fluorescent jackets in the middle of a garden. Amazing. -
Message 5
Posted by Sourthistle (U13911839) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
It started off promising last week, but this week, the programme was laughable.
All that fuss about chitting early potatoes and there is Toby planting just eyes (sigh) he needs to take a lesson form the school children featured, as their chits were lovely.
Seed givaways are a great idea, but far to late to be growing tomatoes from seed, oh well there they could always do a follow up on how to make green tomato chutney I suppose.
The most important thing about germinating seeds, is to water, but this never gets mentioned.
Why race to plant up a spring planter...can't see the point of that.
And the growbag thingy was a joke.
What a shame that this series looks like its going to be rubbish.
I am impressed with the shed, but not the ridiculous price he paid for the windows.
Is that our licence fee getting spent again? but less shed and more gardening please. -
Message 6
Posted by GardenMentor (U13911864) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
What is the point of telling us that virtually all the allotments in the UK are now 鈥榠n use鈥 with at least 100,000 people on waiting lists?
Why were we shown a Primary School Vegetable Garden, when the only people who would actually benefit from seeing that would have been Teachers? Carol really didn't need to have even been there!
Why tell us that the GW raised beds only cost 拢200 to build, oh, and add 拢60.00 per tonne for top-soil, with an throwaway aside that the 鈥榮maller鈥 plot could be built for 拢60.00?
I created an 8ft by 4ft plot for nothing, it鈥檚 not a raised bed, but it鈥檚 not essential that they 鈥榥eed鈥 to be raised in the first place.
The Grow-bags sequence was a farce! All we saw were Toby & Alice having a 鈥榝aux鈥 argument on who would produce the most lettuce, while being unable to prepare the bags correctly? They went out of their way to show us how NOT to open one, and I note that having seeded them outside the Shed, they will have to be moved! We all know how difficult it鈥檚 going to be to lift and move a Bag, once it鈥檚 been opened!
The 主播大秀 鈥楧ig In鈥 campaign is laudable, but the whole project has been influenced by the 主播大秀 鈥楽pecial Features鈥 Dept, and is not targeting the very people whom would gain real benefit from the Scheme, the real family, in a real garden, in the real world.
This series of GW is being led away from the real practical gardening ideas, hints & tips that the audience has grown to expect. Instead, it鈥檚 become a parody; 鈥榃hat鈥檚 hot & what鈥檚 not鈥 segment is a waste of screen time; the audience does not watch this programme for such inane opinion.
The Ice-Cream Van in Birmingham City Centre was a failure! Surely it would have had more value to have it in a going down a suburban street, with householders coming out of their houses, which would have 鈥榬eached鈥 the potential 鈥榥ew gardeners鈥欌 able to speak to Toby, and even wander into a garden to offer real advice in a real setting.
The whole tone of the programme is creating a 鈥楽unday Colour Supplement鈥 idealised version of Gardening; that is not what the audience old & new need or want.
At a time when we鈥檙e in a Recession, witnessing a huge development of the new GW garden, and trite attempts at recycling while luxuriating in a 鈥楧esigned鈥 Potting Shed, with fabrics and Whiteboards, is sending out completely the wrong message.
Clearly there鈥檚 an attempt to find a way to bring in new viewers, but in effect, you will end up losing existing viewers as well as damaging a hard won reputation for practical, informative, and 鈥渞eal鈥 gardening advice.
I鈥檓 sure that Carol, & Joe are not comfortable with the direction of the programme; their role and presence seems to have been reduced to being told to cover 鈥榯rendy鈥 items, at the expense of their key strengths of enthusing about the plants, and the tips and skills required to achieve a beautiful and productive Garden that we can all aspire to & and more importantly, achieve.
You need to re-think this series, and quickly; drop the Sunday Magazine style approach; and return to the essence of what Gardening is all about, it wasn鈥檛 a broken format before, so no need to try and 鈥榝ix鈥 it.
The new Producer needs to remember who it is you鈥檙e serving, your audience, and not your 鈥榲iew鈥 of how you think we 鈥榮hould鈥 be gardening. -
Message 7
Posted by Pansymar (U11182867) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
I found last nights GW very disappointing, and a little embarrassing,especially Toby trying to foist seeds onto people who obviously were not intersested. I really miss Sarah.
Thank God for the gardening channel.Last night I watched a Sarah Raven GW special and an old GW with Geoff Hamilton, also on 主播大秀4 "How Britain got the Gardening Bug" All of these programes I could, and have watched several times without getting bored. Unfortunately, I would not want to watch a repeat of last nights GW. -
Message 8
Posted by Sourthistle (U13911839) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
and.......... I must rush out and buy lots of tin food, so that I can save money on seed trays, Oh NO! I need to eat them quick as we are half way through April already.
How many tins of prunes are safe in one day?
Phew!!! just found some seed trays in my local high street store and the price was half than all those tins and loo roll......what a relief...... -
Message 9
Posted by Rumex_acetosa (U13871046) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
What a sad little programme.
I was quite encouraged by last week's effort, but this was back to the 'Meeja Expert' show. The sequence of the camp rose grower gushing over his plants was embarassing. Toby doing his salseman bit in the middle of Birmingham was just silly, and a dreadful waste of time. You have used your programme budget to get some seeds, OK, and you want to give them away. Well all you needed to do was give us details of how to apply. We know what a pest in a piazza is like: Surely Toby can do better than this. And how are you going to cope with thousands of people who have planted tomato seeds too late. Not a clever idea to try to enthuse novice cardners, with ideas that are bound to fail. Stupid or careless? or are these magic seeds?
One good thing CK has stopped dangling her scarves into the compost, although there was no point in her sequence. The kids bit was tacky. about a quarter of a class, planting things that will be ready for picking in the School Holidays. Big deal. An we should be grateful for the absence of the zoom-bang-wallop distracting camerawork of last year.
The 'how to spoil a grow-bag' sequence was again just silly.
And the budget !!!!!
To end up with the grinning meercat fooling about on his allotment being the least worst part of the show was pathetic. How is the equisetum that he chopped up last year comming on? Has it miraculously gone? If so please tell how.
Please can you get some real gardners and not your 'Meeja Types' to plan the show, and cut out the gimicks, the specials, the 'clever' camera and sound sequences and the fooling about.
As someone else has said we want a show about gardeners gardening, not a Colour Supplement junket of 'ever-so-clever' snippets. Oh and it would be good if they did it on a real-world budget.
Must try harder. -
Message 10
Posted by mary cooke (U13156922) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
Hello, did you see How Britain got the gardening bug on 主播大秀 4 last night, lovely prog, and how lovely to see short clips of Monty and Geoff, made me feel all nostalgic for the old gardeners world.
I have really been really enjoying Sissinghurst too. Last nights GW was a complete bore, what a waste of an hour, Happy Easter to all, love reading your messages. Tula. -
Message 11
Posted by ladyrosemarie (U13815936) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
Couldnt agree more, last nights GW was total rubbish. Who want to see an ice cream van handing out seeds, or planting two expensive pots in 30 mins with hardly a mention of the flowers used. For a programme for gardeners, there was very little gardening tips or advice, more an ego trip for the two presenters.My kids can plant a better grow bag, as could the veg growing children at the school. Having waited so long for GW to be on TV,its disappointing the programme makers have allowed GW to become so remote from gardening viewers who want detailed advice on how to prepare sow and propergate, and see new plants/ varieties etc.Wake up 主播大秀 gives us a proper gardening programme please not this childish trivia!!
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Message 12
Posted by Sparky (U6716422) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
I agree with everything everyone has said, what a waste of our only gardening program! Like most people I want topical, relevant and timely tips, hints and reminders - is that so hard?
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Message 13
Posted by immysma (U11425360) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
OH thought he was watching Cbeebies with the grow bag scene.
Janet -
Message 14
Posted by viveverett (U13816960) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
We, too, were very disappointed in this GW programme. What has happened? Hated the high brick walls and the phoney cosiness of the garden shed. BUT ... we thought the rose grower was great. We loved his enthusiasm and thought he was a naturally brilliant presenter, with humour and style. We'd like to see more of him.
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Message 15
Posted by Lottie (U2331125) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
Well one thing that the new GW has done is to bring lots of new members here who seem drawn to each other!
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Message 16
Posted by VinceG (U13912733) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
Writing as a new member who has never felt the need to write before can we please have a programme that is of interest to gardeners. 90% of this week's programme was just inconsequential padding, forget the converted ice cream van handling out seeds on some sort of crusade. Can we have more topical news/ tips etc? Bring back the guy with the roses, compost the rest!
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Message 17
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Saturday, 11th April 2009
Goldilocks also noted the numbers of newbies (welcome to all) and that that the pre-modding stage seems to have been body-swerved???
I had to wait for umpteen posts before I could 'converse' on the boards. Have the modding rules changed?
MLx -
Message 18
Posted by mbutterfudge (U13911719) on Sunday, 12th April 2009
The programme was sooo awful. Why, why change it so dramatically?
I was so upset with the format. The nonsense of it all.
Dreadful.
But you're not going to listen are you?
We want the old format, it worked so well. You're spreading yourself so thin and at the risk of your loyal viewers.
Are you going to listen? -
Message 19
Posted by silverpeartree (U12859305) on Sunday, 12th April 2009
Has anyone noticed the similarity to the Top Gear format. Perhaps they are chasing the ratings winner formula with the what's hot, what's not wall instead of the cool wall on Top Gear and the presenters taking the mickey of each other. It doesn't work on a gardening show I feel.
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Message 20
Posted by dea_ex_machina (U8268052) on Sunday, 12th April 2009
I must admit, I agree with your comments, especially the grow-bag segment.
However, I do not think that this was a scripted argument - i think it was totally unscripted - how many times did they suddenly remember they had forgotten to do this or that (eg water the bag first). GW has changed from being informative to being presented by a couple of teenagers, in a WORD style innivative approach. Next, we will have cameras swinging through the climbers, and diagonal camera angles as the hip young things deconstruct traditional gardening for the yoof!
GW is in da house!
I can see the value in "dumbing down" - a few years ago, when I first started gardening, I found that the sequences on GW were a little bit beyond me, as I needed to know the basics - but now, even though I am not a gardening expert, by any stretch of the imagination, I still feel that the simplicity of approach on Friday's show was too dumbed down, even for me!
It calls to mind a comment made on 主播大秀4's programme about how Britain got the gardening bug. They commented that even in the swinging 60s, when everything was surrounded by psychodelia, those involved in the hip modern trends did not take to gardening. No matter how much we tempt our yoof, we will not get them into a garden until they are ready, and have the space.
Now - kids are a different matter - and I agree with a previous contributor - why were they wearing hi-vis vests in a garden which was surounded by fencing? Mind you I notice they were not wearing protective shoes or hats - or even life jacktets! -
Message 21
Posted by Jacey26 (U10161543) on Monday, 13th April 2009
Oh yes, I noticed the Top Gear attempt. It looked so tacky - of course a bug is going to be not hot.
And the format of the show - too many bits again. And we don't all have the space/money for allthe raised bed they do. Please make them less and longer. And I know everyone will come back to me about this but can we keep GW child-free please?
Doing a small task in 30/60 minutes sounds a good idea but not filling 2 pots please.
And for the presenters, yes we all have our opinions on favourites ,but its the format more than whether they giggle too much or have a t-towel around their necks and a leather jacket on for gardening (though that is rather daft).
Please please re-do the format. You've asked what people want to see and surely there are some good suggestions. Mine would be as follows:- different areas/soil types in different parts of country ie by sea/windy etc. More visits to holders of national collections. Maybe more visits to lesser known gardens (I'd love to do all the West Country/Scottish ones but will never be able to get there). Maybe some problem solving for members of the public. Just an idea. -
Message 22
Posted by Poultrygirl (U13916357) on Tuesday, 14th April 2009
Watching " How Britain got the Gardening bug" reminded how down to earth (!) the Gardeners World Programmes used to be.
Last week Toby was showing how to sow seeds; surely labelling is the second
most important thing to do after actually sowing the seed, Toby didn't even mark the row ! -
Message 23
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Tuesday, 14th April 2009
Yes, what on earth were the kids wearing high vis jackets for? Very strange.
We were rather surprised that they were giving away tomato seeds this late in the season. Most of us planted our seeds weeks ago. -
Message 24
Posted by copywrite (U3184365) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
I feel that Toby is falling foul of the rock star syndrome that seems to follow all celebrities today. By crusading, I'm afraid, he comes across as a contestant in a game show. ACTUALLY, if he went back to pretending that his job was simply to take over seamlessly - a bit like being a weatherman rather than an entertainer - he would achieve all of the success and praise that he must secretly desire.
Toby, you have all the right ingredients for success. Just resist the urge to make a mark and you surely will make a big impression. -
Message 25
Posted by Ken Smart (U1158196) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
By crusading, I'm afraid, he comes across as a contestant in a game show.聽
I suppose he does now come across as an amateur 'wannabe', rather than someone who should now be assuming the mantle of the 'nation's gardener'. His embarrassing attempts to 'engage' the great British public with seed packets from an ice-cream van was surely as low as this programme can sink. The once mighty Gardeners' World has been reduced to tawdry gimmickry. Toby, and the rest of the bunch, have clearly been compliant in the most significant 'dumbing' in the history of GW, and for this alone, I have little respect left for them. The 'Beechgrove' has much lightheartedness in it, but they still manage to retain the solid gardening content that used to be a fundamental ingredient of GW down the years. Gardeners' World however, can simply not recover while the same people remain in place - both in front of, and behind the shoogly cameras. I wonder how many governers of the 主播大秀 actually watch some of the bilge they now foist on us. -
Message 26
Posted by lesmace.. Lesley (U13902860) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
misterpaige, i agree very tasteless
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Message 27
Posted by queenolliebee (U13886911) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
Do any of the GW production team ever read these messages?
Will our "feedback" ever reach their ears?
Please, please, PLEASE could we have a "proper" gardening show?
Remember the old slogan "Less is More" - well it could be applied to GW - stop trying to cover a huge number of topics, concentrate on a few and do them better. The lady with the vegetables and even the very enthusiastic chap with the roses could have been expanded.
I have enough trouble persuading my OH to watch half an hour of gardening - but an hours worth of this sort of trite twoddle is too much even for me.
The presenters could do so much more to inform, instead I thought I had tuned in to a CBeebies prog when Toby was digging a large hole to bury his spuds and Alice was playing about with the spud buckets! As for the ridiculous growbag sequence - come on, surely they have planted one of them before? Not a great example for others to follow.
Not sure that I will struggle for the remote to watch this weeks episode. -
Message 28
Posted by TallyHo (U2364821) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
I agree with every word on this thread.
What's next for Gardeners' World? Dressing up in clown suits (although some of them are half-way there already)? "Never in the field of gardening history have so many been patronised by so few".
And to continue the theme, I've found this simple little leaflet, published in 1940, tells me all I need to know...
I can do without Gardeners' World. -
Message 29
Posted by Plot06 (U13917333) on Wednesday, 15th April 2009
I hope the team and the producers do listen or a lot of the good work done over the years will be wasted.
I'm not saying the programme should not innovate but let's remove the gimmicks please. When I saw they were creating a new garden from scratch I had visions of the Geoff Hamilton era where solid practical advice would abound along with some entertainment. Afraid it's not doing it for me yet. However, I believe in giving everything a chance and hope the format and style will settle down over the series. -
Message 30
Posted by leojardinera (U13910057) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
That's it, silverpeartree! I've just realised what it is about the new GW series that grates my nerves so much. My teenage son is a Jeremy Clarkson fan and I'm subjected in holidaytime to replays of all the series since it began. Same lavishness and disregard for budget of real people out there and their actual needs. Was that GW "faux" debate (I quote a fellow-blogger here) an attempt to set the presenters off against each other? It seems from fellow-bloggers that all the 主播大秀 are doing is heading for a fall in viewing figures here. You're right, it'll never work.
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Message 31
Posted by GoldenAnemone (U11121600) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
Goldilocks also noted the numbers of newbies (welcome to all) and that that the pre-modding stage seems to have been body-swerved???
I had to wait for umpteen posts before I could 'converse' on the boards. Have the modding rules changed?
MLx
Not if my experience is anything to go by. I am not a new 主播大秀 message board member - just new to the gardening pages - but I'm having to wait on moderation.
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Message 32
Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
That's interesting
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Message 33
Posted by joanybird (U11052594) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
How long have you been trying GoldenAnemone ?
Maybe the 'moderation by-pass' is only on Friday evenings?
Jb -
Message 34
Posted by mutebuttondelight (U3517782) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
"posted by GoldenAnemone (U11121600)...
Not if my experience is anything to go by. I am not a new 主播大秀 message board member - just new to the gardening pages - but I'm having to wait on moderation"
Same here. -
Message 35
Posted by thevodkarose (U13048111) on Thursday, 16th April 2009
I do agree, spending so much on pots is silly. I liked the episodes were Monty suggested some good containers from reclaimed rubbish, like old tin cans and the like.
If people insist on pots with wow factor, get a cheap clay pot and glaze it yourself. It works out far cheaper. But, personally, I prefer to use any old container for a plant pot, and make the wow factor come from the plants themselves. -
Message 36
Posted by alottie (U13921518) on Friday, 17th April 2009
I've just registered with this board. After reading your comments in particular, but also many of the others, I just had to register to say how much I agree with the criticisms about Gardeners World. Your comments could have been written almost word for word by myself. Last week's programme was a waste of space, and a waste of our hard-earned licence money. GW has lost its direction, soul and dare I say it - 'the plot'!
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Message 37
Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Friday, 17th April 2009
How can you say such unkind things about the new GW? Tonight (April 17th) they are going to have a feature on garden gnomes. Surely no one could object to that?
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Message 38
Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Friday, 17th April 2009
Really?
When we bought our house our solicitor said they had only stipulated about removing one thing - the garden gnomes
It wa fine by us - but maybe they are worth some money - are they back in fashion? -
Message 39
Posted by Karen (U13921910) on Friday, 17th April 2009
Wholeheartedly agree with everything that has been said, bring back Monty
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Message 40
This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the in some way.
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Message 41
Posted by zarahb (U13922064) on Friday, 17th April 2009
Please could there be a response from GW programme makers regarding mine and other concerns of the quality of the new programme.
What is the target audience? What is the purpose of the programme?
Here are my suggestions for making improvements to the programme:
- longer segments, perhaps 6-10minutes
- quality, non-repetitive gardening information
- interviews, tours, suggestions from gardeners that are given enough time to show their gardens/skills to inspire
- realistic gardening projects for people
If that means that the programme is shortened to 30 or 45 minutes but is much more enjoyable and useful so be it.
-----------------------------------------------
Below is some examples of what is not successful at the moment.
The new format includes many short segments, some of which just repeat the mini-advert for the segment, adverts for the GW show in Birmingham, adverts for 'dig-in', tips on gardening, setting up of the new GW garden and other gardens.
There needs to be more emphasis on not repeating the same thing during an episode or week after weeks. Examples of this include; tonights episode included showing basic propigation outside with Toby and then in the shed with Alys and for the last 3 weeks we have seen sowing of seeds in drills/pots.
It would be useful to see how normal people are expected to create and change gardens from exisitng spaces. At the moment the emphasis is on creating the garden from scratch. Realistically what proportion of the audience have that luxury in their own lives. While I appreciate that a lot of viewers would like to watch inspirational gardening. This is certainly not inspiring to see new gardens being created week after week (having watched ground force etc for years). What would be interesting is watching how gardens evolve with the help of nature and the gardener.
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