Gardeners World diabolical.

[taff]

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.

It beats 'do up your house to sell for lots of money' programs

[TonyF]

It beats 'do up your house to sell for lots of money' programs

I'm delighted to say that the French seriously don't get that either, houses are for living in and for the family.

[sarraceniac]

Totally agree with Snadger...money seems no object...its getting more boring by the week..!..

On the GW website at the moment is a Special Offer. A pruning saw and a pair of secateurs for only £44.99. Don't get killed in the rush.

[elsie-scot]

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........

Now I know! I don't watch the soaps, and once got the whole audience of a local quiz laughing as I got mixed up which pub was in EasterEnders and which was in Coronation Street.

[northepaul]

On the GW website at the moment is a Special Offer. A pruning saw and a pair of secateurs for only £44.99. Don't get killed in the rush.

LOL!! Wow what an absolute Bargain!!

Wonder what the next special offer will be...maybe some carrot plug plants for £10 each!!

[Flummery]

I often wonder what my allotment neighbours, in their 70s and 80s and growing veg since they were young fellers, think about the lifestyle type of thing.

Not a lot I suspect, but they can't half grow some cracking vegetables.

[sarraceniac]

Wonder what the next special offer will be...maybe some carrot plug plants for £10 each!!

That was last week.

[Paulottie]

On the GW website at the moment is a Special Offer. A pruning saw and a pair of secateurs for only £44.99. Don't get killed in the rush.

Actually my Japanese pruning saw and secateurs set cost about that... infact it was on the afternoon I met the then editor of GYO at West Dean chilli festival.'05....I just used them this afternoon (although I have had to replace pruning saw blade.)...they are a joy to use...Cheap ones usually don't last a season.....I guess you get what you pay for in life.

[sarraceniac]

My saw was £6, my secateurs £8. Total £14. My loppers were £20. 4 years ago. Still going strong, including the blades. And they weren't on Special Offer. You sometimes get better than you pay for in life if you shop around.

[Paulottie]

I haven't seen the advert and have no idea of the quality of the tools. I have no intention of buying my tools from GW.

I was just pointing out that I don't find the price shocking and that cheap tools can be a false economy if you rely on them a lot.

A retailer will probably make a profit of between 50-100% of the price of the item, it needs to be imported and then there is 17.5% vat. If you are paying £8 for a pair of secateurs...their value is probably 2 or 3 quid.

I am sure I could suffer going to 'wilkos' or 'B&Q' and get something serviceable. (we'll not include the time petrol to go or p&p to get them online)

The Japanese ones I spoke of in this case are of a different steel and build quality...They cut like a razor and my hand isn't aching by the end of the morning....I enjoyed buying them; didn't resent supporting a small businessman and find them a pleasure to use. (I grant you I may have been able to source them a little cheaper but then I was there on my day off and I worked hard for the money)

In many ways I agree with you and I grow a lot of veg in a resourceful way...I normally think fairly carefully about my purchases. I am astounded by all the latest rubbish being flogged for a fortune on the back of this veg growing fashion. Before you know it it would be cheaper to get Harrods to deliver your organic veg.

I spend my working life using and sharpening woodworking tools. I know a great deal about tools, their quality, their worth, and how to set and use them, and the best value place to source them. Some I use rarely and can be cheap: some a lot and they tend to be less cheap because I need them. People will queue to pay me and my wife a lot each hour to use them... but not to pick our noses comparing catalogues to replace or fix them because they are broken.

[Neiller59]

Have to say I'm quite disappointed with GW too, considering they are giving away free seeds to encourage people to grow their own stuff, you would think they could at least give you advice! However I do enjoy Reading the GW magazine

[northmaid]

I stopped watching GW as it didn't seem to have any relevance to what I wanted to do but one of my neices watches and she is quite impressed. Maybe because her idea of 'gardening' is buying annuals at the garden centre and growing them in pots.

[Littlemouse]

I'm of middle class stock and I scweam a lot!

[tweety]

Hi,

I recorded the last 2 showing of this program and I totally agree with the comments you made...

my garden is nowhere near the size of their "typical town garden"... in fact mine is not even half the size of what they showed ! if I planted a tree (even one for "small gardens", I'd probably have to climb through it to access the bins !)...
then comes the planting choice... I have nothing against the "cottage garden" but it seems it's all they can talk about ! but surely this isn't all there is to gardening... I'd like info on more "modern" gardens (if I didn't have a 6 year old that believes he's bob the builder and loves nothing more than dig in gravels, I'd love a japaneese style garden : bamboos, maples, grasses, some flowers for a bit of colour...).
I also wasn't very impressed with the front garden they showed in bishopsomething... looked more outgrown jungle to me !

I'm not sure I'll keep watching the series as I don't think it would be very useful unless I want to grow roses and clematis... but I'll try the edible garden program, maybe I'll learn a few things.

[Jeanied]

I'm of middle class stock and I scweam a lot!

I hope you don't scweam till you are thick, though!