Gardeners World diabolical.

[BUFFS]

these days,if the contented fans got together,they would only need a transit minibus..

[gorgeousgrower]

Agree with majority of what's been said.

I really like Carol Klein's bit though - lots of info about how plants 'work' and she's the propagating queen isn't she? (free plants - that's what we want).

[Hermit]

IMHO I find GW very middle/upper class! Some of the things they advocate are a ridiculous price.
My garden and allotment are hobbies and I'm not prepared to spend big bucks.
Probably only me, but hey ho!

The whole of the beeb is very upper/middle class, and the only time working class people are represented is screaming at each other in eastenders, thats how they see us there

[Bren In Pots]

I was planning on watching GW on iplayer but after reading this thread I don't think I'll waste my time.

[Garden_girlie21]

I was planning on watching GW on iplayer but after reading this thread I don't think I'll waste my time.

I'm not very encouraged either.

Carol Klein and Monty Don were my favourite presenters - I wasn't around for the days of Geoff Hamilton, but I respect his work greatly.

Why is Toby here? He annoyed me from the start.

Why GW, why?

Jen x

[stooriefit]

GW diabolical

Those of you who have Sky should check out Beechgrove Garden on BBC2 Scotland

[Snadger]

I never see the Eastenders growing their own. What's a "beeb"?

Beeb was a term coined by the late great Kenny Everett (methinks) for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or Beeb

[elsie-scot]

I never see the Eastenders growing their own. What's a "beeb"?

Didn't one of the characters go to jail for stealing the allotment money?

[Paulottie]

Well, I got completely shouted down here when I commented on T. Buckland's appearance on Breakfast to promote the new GW ...covering their studio in compost and imparting no information whatsoever...perhaps unkindly, I called him a 'ham-fisted twit.'

The thing is when you've been gardening (or anything else) for many years you watch someone and you immediately know if they are the genuine article....Geoff Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh, Bob Flowerdew etc....Very different styles but all obviously gardeners.

I am sorry I hold with my opinion. I didn't watch the show and have not bothered to tune in since the first couple under the new tenure. I did think Alys Fowler was OK in a sort of studenty way.

While there has been a popularization of GYO...this is a nation with many devoted and knowledgeable gardeners...growing veg is not about going to the local garden and a nation of gardeners is unlikely to be interested in this parade of lightweight drivel.

[Paulottie]

Must have been before my time. I do however remember when I first started watching - Trina was killed in her allotment shed. I thought it was such a nice show before that. That and when her ex-husband was trying to hide the dog were the only allotment scenes I witnessed. Trina did have some nice cabbages.

Weren't they growing dope in Arthur's old shed?

[Paulottie]

Now maybe I was being unfair...so I thought I'd have a look at a couple on I player....just had a flick through the Easter edition...quite good in places I thought.

Couldn't seem to load the infamous Episode 6.??

[Paulottie]

Necessity?...possibly, I think it remains to be seen if this is all just a fad.

I don't believe that you stop learning, maybe the curve flattens out a bit but generally the more you know of a subject the more interesting it becomes. Neither do I believe that pandering to the LCD will make for arresting viewing. The skill is to make it available on a number of levels at the same time.

Anyhow I withdraw my statement for further research here...I found TB irritating the first few times, and I have always found KC a bit gushy...but I feel I should try and watch a bit more before I do this new format down....I know that there were some that were going to scream if they heard anymore of the 'long boarders' at Berryfields....The beeb will never please all the people all the time.

[Alison]

It is more of a necessity for people, especially in cities, to grow their own these days more than it is a popularity contest.

To be honest I've found that it's most people I know that have taken up growing veggies in the past few years have done it as more of a lifestyle thing and a wish to show their children a connection with the land. Many of the people I know who are struggling to afford to buy fresh veg are simply doing without which is borne out by the figures which were being discussed on the TV earlier about the nation eating less fruit and veg.

....I know that there were some that were going to scream if they heard anymore of the 'long boarders' at Berryfields....

I stopped watching during the "long border" years as it became irrelevant to me as a programme then. Had great hope with the new set up but was disappointed from the first week. Record it every week now and watch the whole programme in less than 10 minutes

[nerdgas]

Didn't one of the characters go to jail for stealing the allotment money?

Nah he was done for stealing the Xmas Club money but he did have an allotment though.

I hasten to add that I do not watch it but since I have got an allotment a number of 'friends' have made various obscure references to stealing Xmas Club money and hiding in my shed........

[TonyF]

How many of us actually have gardens the size of these they regularly show on GW?

And how many of us can afford to buy the types of plants they show on there?

Or live in the part of the country where these plants can thrive/survive?

Umm, very fortunately, me actually But that's not the point, except for the expense. Where I live - top of a hill, surrounded by and partly covered in oak woods, back garden is all thick clay, gardening isn't easy. And I don't have the seemingly unending financial resources that the BBC does, if I do splash out, it's usually buying the hard landscaping or kit - or seeds of course

But I'd never be able to do Toby or Alys gardening here, it just woudn't work except some of the permaculture and the fact I'm wholly organic here. I buy some plants, mainly grasses and I'm willing to pay for them because I collect them and every plant I buy gets split into several others. I bought 4 in pots that were on the reduced counter a couple of weeks ago and made 18 plants from them yesterday but there's nothing about that sort of thing on GW or EG.

The old guys and gals round here who have lived off their potagers since they were born just wouldn't understand this whole 'gardening is a cool lifestyle choice' thing that the UK seems to be obsessed with now.