Surely I cannot be the only one to be amused and irritated by the
gardening programmes. They are so impracticable to us normal beings.
Recently on gardeners world they were repairing a thyme and camomile
lawn by planting thyme into bare patches that had failed, the box of
plants they were using must have cost more than most of us spend in a
year on gardening. Then they talk of hardening off plants, has everyone
a greenhouse to grow them in, a cold frame to transfer them to then a
sheltered corner? I think not! How is your window box by the way? ;-)
As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures
probably cost more than my house. Anyway I'd much prefer a Rodin in my
garden, probably cheaper as well.

On Tue, 22 May 2007 08:38:05 +0100, Broadback wrote:

Surely I cannot be the only one to be amused and irritated by the
gardening programmes. They are so impracticable to us normal beings.
Recently on gardeners world they were repairing a thyme and camomile
lawn by planting thyme into bare patches that had failed, the box of
plants they were using must have cost more than most of us spend in a
year on gardening. Then they talk of hardening off plants, has everyone
a greenhouse to grow them in, a cold frame to transfer them to then a
sheltered corner? I think not! How is your window box by the way? ;-)
As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures
probably cost more than my house. Anyway I'd much prefer a Rodin in my
garden, probably cheaper as well.

Hi Broadback,yep totally agree.
(Old git mode...on)
Times have changed,years ago gardening was about getting something for
nothing,except for a bit of sweat.
It was all tips,tricks,making things from scrap,swapping seeds,indeed
saving your own seed,above all saving money.I think the beeb at the time
reflected the gardening fraternity as it was,with people like Percy Thrower
and Geoff Hamilton.
Now we/they/us? throw money at the garden and the beeb reflects this in the
form of deck chair clad possers at Chelsea,extolling the virtues of an
obelisk that cost a ridiculous amount of money,and finishing the program
with romantic claptrap like"put the hoe away,get down on your knees with
your fingers in the dirt"!
Most gardeners I would suggest are old gits like me,with a bad back.
(Old git mode...off)

I think its a wonderfull program,and every time I'm in the garden I think
of Alan TiTchmarch in stripes.;o)

--
Regards From
Wane Smooth

Help feed the Hungry,goto
http://www.thehungersite.com
It's Free!

the BBC seems to go for a cosy warm atmosphere rather than for information.
The series by Carol Eyecandy-Granny about vegetables was hot on shots of
cosy tea times with people smirking at each other over their organic kohl
rabi and very low on how to do it best. In fact Granny's major claim to be
on the box telling me how to grow spuds seemed to be that she had never
grown them before

If there's ever an item about some bit of technical work you can bet your
bum that the camera won't be on the fingers of the expert so we can see what
they're doing but on their face as they desperately communicate their
'enthusiasm'



"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Surely I cannot be the only one to be amused and irritated by the
gardening programmes. They are so impracticable to us normal beings.
Recently on gardeners world they were repairing a thyme and camomile lawn
by planting thyme into bare patches that had failed, the box of plants
they were using must have cost more than most of us spend in a year on
gardening. Then they talk of hardening off plants, has everyone a
greenhouse to grow them in, a cold frame to transfer them to then a
sheltered corner? I think not! How is your window box by the way? ;-)
As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures probably
cost more than my house. Anyway I'd much prefer a Rodin in my garden,
probably cheaper as well.

[QUOTEl.[/quote]

Maybe its a bit like cookery programmes. The less people cook in the home, the more elabarate the programmes are. If people watch how to cook progs then they think they have cooked. People take more pleasure out of watching than doing. See the vast numbers of people leaving a garden centre every sunday afternoon laiden with bedding and plants they could have grown themselves for a few pence.
The garden centres usually know what the tv programmes are showing so that they can 'stock up' on the exposed plant etc.

"Oxymel of Squill" wrote:
snip If there's ever an item about some bit of technical work you can bet
your bum that the camera won't be on the fingers of the expert so we can
see what they're doing but on their face as they desperately communicate
their 'enthusiasm'
---
How true! The same now happens on 'Time Team'.

MikeCT

On 22/5/07 16:15, in article ,
"MikeCT" wrote:


"Oxymel of Squill" wrote:
snip If there's ever an item about some bit of technical work you can bet
your bum that the camera won't be on the fingers of the expert so we can
see what they're doing but on their face as they desperately communicate
their 'enthusiasm'
---
How true! The same now happens on 'Time Team'.

MikeCT

Tony Robinson bouncing up and down and irritating everyone else quite puts
me off that programme!


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)

On 22 May, 08:38, Broadback wrote:
Surely I cannot be the only one to be amused and irritated by the
gardening programmes. They are so impracticable to us normal beings.
Recently on gardeners world they were repairing a thyme and camomile
lawn by planting thyme into bare patches that had failed, the box of
plants they were using must have cost more than most of us spend in a
year on gardening. Then they talk of hardening off plants, has everyone
a greenhouse to grow them in, a cold frame to transfer them to then a
sheltered corner? I think not! How is your window box by the way? ;-)
As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures
probably cost more than my house. Anyway I'd much prefer a Rodin in my
garden, probably cheaper as well.

We don't have a tele (since mid 1970s) but we do occasionally catch
snatches of progs in other houses. By now I would be really cheesed
off with the attention seekers, diletantes and d list celebs who seem
to monopolise them and the flower shows. When are we ever going to
see the likes of Mr Smith's vegetable Garden/Flower garden etc again?
No nostalgia there, no gimmicks - just sound gardening from an honest
to goodness pro. We used to love Harlow Car when Geoff was
superintendent there.

In article , Broadback
writes

As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures
probably cost more than my house.

Serve them right, many visitors are actually mistaking one colossal
structure for a satellite phone mast

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article . com, Rod
writes

When are we ever going to
see the likes of Mr Smith's vegetable Garden/Flower garden etc again?
No nostalgia there, no gimmicks - just sound gardening from an honest
to goodness pro. We used to love Harlow Car when Geoff was
superintendent there.



I've got his books as well, very informative and no gimmicks!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote
As for Chelsea flower show those fancy structures and sculptures probably
cost more than my house.

Serve them right, many visitors are actually mistaking one colossal
structure for a satellite phone mast

Went on Tuesday, given tickets by a good friend.

Well it does look more like a Phone mast than most Phone masts!
Totally dominates the tiny garden it's in, attention seeking designer
methinks.

The only garden I thought at all realistic was the one with the big
circles... a big circle against the hedge at the back with a similar
circular hole in a wall a few feet forward of that and paths and patios at
different levels surrounded by cottage garden planting (unrealistic though
it was...*** ). That design would fit into most long and narrow gardens,
would be possible with a change of planting and is manageable, practical,
and quite beautiful.

***Tall Bearded Iris's (TBI's) won't grow overcrowded with other plants,
they insist on having their roots in full sun rather like Foxtail Lilies.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

In message , Sacha
wrote
On 22/5/07 16:15, in article ,
"MikeCT" wrote:


"Oxymel of Squill" wrote:
snip If there's ever an item about some bit of technical work you can bet
your bum that the camera won't be on the fingers of the expert so we can
see what they're doing but on their face as they desperately communicate
their 'enthusiasm'
---
How true! The same now happens on 'Time Team'.

MikeCT

Tony Robinson bouncing up and down and irritating everyone else quite puts
me off that programme!


In one program the experts criticise archaeologists from the past for
imagining structures from very little evidence.

In the next program we have an artists impression of a 20 storey roman
villa covering an area half the size of Colchester - based on the
results of digging three 1ft by 1ft test pits.

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com