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GW Did they do well or not?
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Message 1.Ìý
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Monday, 31st October 2011
This year I managed to watch all of the GW programs something I did not do last year or the year before.
Marks for the show 7 out of 10 for keeping me interested enough to stay awake.
The mix was good, plenty of tips, proper use of tools, and I did learn something which we old gardeners did not do from the previous series.
Question, Monty is a busy man, that garden is quite large, apart from Nigel and Monty's wife, who does the gardening when he is not there?
Well done Ö÷²¥´óÐã you got it nearly right, I did relax and enjoy it.
Frank. -
Message 2
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Monday, 31st October 2011
The first few programmes were a bit dull-lime pleaching, box hedges,come to mind and the lighting was awful-after a few weeks things settled down and I found most of the content entertaining and informative-a lot of the garden visits are just a waste of time-to me ( personal view !!)
Joe and Rachels role diminished as the series went on but could have done more 60 minute programmes to make up for the losses of the regular slot for one reason or another-as a mark 8 out of 10 for me.
Just a comment to the vitriol merchants if you are going to make a comment on this discussion-please make it constructive instead of the usual slagging off-ta.
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Message 3
Posted by Lowena (U14575314) on Monday, 31st October 2011
Found the first few programmes a bit tedious, but enjoyed the second half of the series. Think the garden visits should be in separate programmes ( perhaps through the winter) Joe and Rachel largely disappeared towards the end and I didn't really miss them.I'd prefer half the programme from MD's garden ( if we have to have him) and half from Carol's.Overall - not bad... 5/10...from me
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Message 4
Posted by Ariadne Knickerbocker (U4534559) on Monday, 31st October 2011
Very naughty of you DogCody - you should know that there is nothing more likely to attract vitriol merchants than by telling them what to do.
Personally I thought the entire series was excellent and I learnt loads. Friday was no exception I found out how to put pots in the greenhouse and pick up leaves. Nine out of ten for the programme - it would have been ten if not for Weevilgate.
Esme -
Message 5
Posted by Lowena (U14575314) on Monday, 31st October 2011
Very naughty of you DogCody - you should know that there is nothing more likely to attract vitriol merchants than by telling them what to do.
Personally I thought the entire series was excellent and I learnt loads. Friday was no exception I found out how to put pots in the greenhouse and pick up leaves. Nine out of ten for the programme - it would have been ten if not for Weevilgate.
·¡²õ³¾±ðÌý Love your penultimate sentence
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Message 6
Posted by Colin (U14839360) on Monday, 31st October 2011
I agree with the general consensus. As a Monty fan I was going to enjoy this year anyway, but my satisfaction did grow with the latter programs. The lack of Joe and Rachel was no loss to the program and would rather see Chris Beardshaw or Matthew Wilson doing the Garden visits, if we must have them.
8/10 but things I would like to see next year:
* More trials such as the old Cosmos and Dahlia ones - I suggest Chrysanthemums
* The continuation of the time split between Monty's and Carol's garden
* The creation over the series of a small garden - country etc
* A expert of the week section where someone specialist in a flower (i.e. Rose) shows the best care, varieties and use.
This is just Blue sky thinking, but overall well done GW you’re slowly getting back to the good old Berryfields days for me. -
Message 7
Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Monday, 31st October 2011
I think we would all agree that we want to series to go on through the year, and especially not be taken off for other stuff like sport.
When leaf drop has finished and stuff has died down is a really good time to look at what's left - structurally etc and talk about planning. Trees especially could do with a long hard look when they are bare.
And seed buying? -
Message 8
Posted by jauntycyclist (U14199772) on Monday, 31st October 2011
thank goodness for iplayer and so one can skip carol.
GW bit rhs-ey and cotswoldy and glossy magazine end of the market. so the middle classers with big gardens wouldve liked it.
final image they ended on was of a dog sniffing monty's crotch. was that a parable? is the dog the bbc?
gardening just to make things look nice is a rich man's game. growing to eat and store and living off the land are more useful skills. Given millions are in fuel poverty how to use the garden to produce energy to heat your home or produce electricity would have been good.
but then the govt pay millionaire land owners 4 billion a year to grow nothing so GW is in keeping with that mindset.
so GW is basically about using rare and expensive land for cosmetics and not looking at the latest practicalities that improve people's lives. -
Message 9
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Monday, 31st October 2011
Monty employs one gardener. There were rumours they'd be making appearances on the show, but turns out Nigel had a better agent
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Message 10
Posted by Lelliegoggs (U14833611) on Tuesday, 1st November 2011
I can only give it 5 out of ten because I either fall asleep halfway through or wander off to make a cup of tea when the garden visit comes on and then forget to go back and watch the rest of the programme.
It has improved as the year has gone on but I'd like to see a lot more actual gardening - what about trials, new projects, innovation, etc. If we're just going to be watching Monty maintaining his garden every year it'll start to feel like Groundhog Day.
Beechgrove is far better, and I also enjoy the repeats of GW on Blighty. -
Message 11
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Tuesday, 1st November 2011
I agree with this, I want to see new plants, products, science, innovations, trials.
GW has had a very glossy magazine feel and works fine as a compliment to the grittier Beechgrove. -
Message 12
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Tuesday, 1st November 2011
Well, Frank - I nearly agree with you!
I can't say I will ever completely warm to MD - but he has been much more relaxed in his own garden than he ever was before.
GW hasn't been a "must watch" programme, but I've seen most of them this season (which is a lot more than the past couple of years) and I've found some of it informative, and much of it entertaining.
I am just so pleased to have lost the Joe Swift nonsense, and the Alys absence has enhanced the programmes. Carol's muted enthusiasm is great, and her input has been first class.
I'm just so sad that, as we approach a busy gardening time: bulb planting, seed buying, winter pruning, future planning etc. "they" have taken the programme off air. Plus ca change.
PHJ
PS glad to see you are still actively gardening and posting! Just don't mention the war -
Message 13
Posted by Stressed out (U11163734) on Tuesday, 1st November 2011
It was a bit like one man and his garden(dog)
Did not engage me - there was nothing I had not seen before - it was dull as dish water
No review of new plants - too much veg - etc etc etc
We need a decent presenter - one that can work in winter
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Message 14
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
Hi Posh,
(Well, Frank-I nearly agree with you!)
Well, Posh- remember MD is a man doing a job among many irons in the fire. He will have a lot of say as he is in his own garden which mode I do like as against a big muddy field which developed sections from week to week in a mysterious way. He will be suffering the whims of the Director and programme planners of course.
I gave 7 out of 10 for being less hyper and more like a garden programme, some obvious mistakes a couple of things learnt, not too bad on the whole.
I hang my head and admit I buy a Daily Mail on Saturdays, not for the bias or stale news but for the Weekend Magazine the best TV paper of them all, I always turn to the gardening page to read Monty he strikes me as loving his job as I loved mine before retiring, the first, second and for the third time!
(PS glad to see you are still actively gardening and posting! just don't mention the war.)
The secret of a long active life is to keep active, I was down in the Forest of Dean a month or so back and walked, as you do for miles. Out every day seeing the attractions having always passed through and never stopped, enjoyed every minute even after I pulled a hamstring. Joining the locals in the bar each night until midnight helped me ease down after losing Joan.
Just do not say "life goes on in my hearing" but when I was in the Deser------- "oops".
Frank. -
Message 15
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
It was a bit like one man and his garden(dog)
Did not engage me - there was nothing I had not seen before - it was dull as dish water
No review of new plants - too much veg - etc etc etc
We need a decent presenter - one that can work in winterÌý
Gosh what a profound comment -one man in his garden-GW was from his garden- what were you expecting?
Yet you seem to watch it-over the years the programme has always taken a winter break
Could you not find anything positive to say? -
Message 16
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
This year's GW has been a vast improvement on the previous two but there needs to be more for beginners and more for gardeners of all levels of experience working in an average urban plot. Given Monty is an amateur gardener, I think they could also make use of experts in pests & diseases and gardening in other situations. I like Monty's garden but much of it is irrelevant to people with kids, lawns, fences, neighbours, different soils and exposures.
GW has indeed always taken a winter break but for a few blessed years we had GH's specials on Paradise Gardens and the Ornamental Kitchen Garden to keep us going.
While it is true that building and repairing structures, cleaning pots and so on are not very sexy telly there should be room for a couple of late autumns programmes about reviewing one's garden design and introducing new features such as a shrubbery or rose bed or hedge or windbreak - all of which are best done in autumn. I don't know any keen amateur gardener that expects to put their feet up until it snows or the ground freezes or is waterlogged.
Such programmes could include practical hands on info as well as visits to inspire.
Nor do I know any keen amateur gardener who waits till March to get started. I would have thought at least half of mainland Britain and thus a vast majority of gardens and gardeners would be just bursting with the urge to grow, sow seed, clear away winter debris and get planting and planning. -
Message 17
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
Re the gardening year, I'll admit I do very little gardening from the middle of November until the New Year (I usually spend this time on nursery structural projects). But by Jan 6th the days have lengthened perceptibly from the midwinter low and my gardening urge begins to bubble up.
That's when I really get going with apple tree pruning first, border re-shaping, structural stuff etc. It just builds from there each week, with the occasional weather set back.
So I don't mind them packing up now. But March always feels too late to restart - there should be at least a couple of early specials to get people thinking. -
Message 18
Posted by Caradonna (U14447374) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
I enjoyed this series more than the last and Monty's stint at Berryfields.
I get the point that it was more" Monty's Garden" than "Gardener's World". The last time GW came from the presenter's gardener was nearly 10 years ago and it was different as Alan had the team with him and it felt more "shared", if you know what I mean.
I would also like to see a bit more starting from scratch rather than the maintenance of existing areas and the dividing and moving around of established plants.
I do often nod off but has water gardening been covered in any way? I think most of us have some sort of water feetcha from dustbin lid to pond these days.
And I still don't know if Monty can tell his weevils from his chafers -we should be told!
A question, what do posters want to know about seeds? The Beeb can't promote suppliers and I won't be sowing anything for months now. It's a genuine question, I've got a couple of catalogues and have started a list but what could GW add? -
Message 19
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
GW was certainly better (it could hardly be worse), doing away with the 'yoof!' nonsense the Ö÷²¥´óÐã clots imposed on poor Toby.
However, it's still easily bettered by BG in terms of information content. GW still takes ages to show the simplest thing with 'arty' shots and musical interludes. -
Message 20
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Thursday, 3rd November 2011
One job I would not like is the programme director, they have no chance of pleasing everyone and lucky indeed if they please 50%.
People are raving over Frozen Planet, well yes it is good although I could cut it to half an hour and still see the main theme, you can make a cup of tea in some sequences and still see the end.
Any "X" programme sends me out of the room yet they get high viewing figures, I do not understand why unless we have brought up a generation immune to torture.
So Obelixx they have to try and make a programme for many different tastes and needs, we all made enough noise about the previous years, the silly season as I called it and yet others are saying they preferred it that way.
I like the format as it is, the girl next door a keen gardener may be tearing her hair out who knows? it is only those of us who bother to write our thoughts on here they will know for certain what pleases or not.
Meanwhile I look forward to the Christmas special.
Frank. -
Message 21
Posted by DoctorKeef2 (U14431408) on Thursday, 3rd November 2011
I'm puzzled by the almost universal adulation BG gets on these pages. I started watching it this year having read people's comments: yes, there are some very informative features (varieties of crocosmias, a particular favourite of mine) but there are also toe-curlingly embarassing and teeth-numbingly dull moments like the entire programme whch came from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, especially Jim chatting to the primary school kids...
And they do garden visits too. Why do people have a problem with these? I find it inspiring to see the ideas others have had and it enables me to see gardens that, realistically, I am never going to visit. I especially enjoyed Monty in South Africa (gave me plenty of ideas for new annuals to try) and the trip to Mount Stewart.
As for GW, I find Monty's style soothing after a hard week but I agree that the first few programmes this year were a bit tedious, though it did get better. But anything has to be better than the truly dreadful Titchmarsh programme on ITV (yes, let's all make soup out of weeds!). I think the 'expert' idea that others have put forward for next year is a good one. -
Message 22
Posted by Lelliegoggs (U14833611) on Thursday, 3rd November 2011
Beechgrove is not all brilliant, but most of it is. I don't bother watching the "community" programmes, I'm just not interested.
I think most gardeners would agree that with such a broad subject as gardening, you can't please all of the people all of the time.
However, Beechgrove deals with so many different aspects in just thirty minutes that I have to watch, even if they're talking about something I'm not interested in, because I might miss something good.
The pace of GW at the moment is just so slow, with long lingering shots and irritating music, there's not enough to keep my attention.
I enjoy the Beechgrove garden visits, the gardens look so different to where I live in the parched south-east (although we have had some rain in the last couple of weeks).
I used to love GW, I've watched it since Arthur Billett's time, and I liked Monty when he first started out at Berryfields, but I've become more and more fed up with it in the last four years or so, and I find Beechgrove is a great alternative.
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