'The Big Allotment Challenge'

[Bill HH]

I also wondered what part of lemon curd was home produced? certainly not the lemons. Maybe it will improve as the weeks go on but if they want reality it should have included how to make a meal using twisted worm riddled carrots and slug eaten salads, tomatoes punctured and poo covered from hawk moths and how to make chips from blighted spuds.

[Two_Sheds]

but a programme full of failed, gnarled, ugly pesty veg is going to put new gardeners off, not turn them on.

[bearded bloke]

Oi VC,less of it about the blondes I used to be one then went bald

I shall have to watch it on catch up as was down the pub when it was on

[veggiechicken]

Oi VC,less of it about the blondes I used to be one then went bald

I hope those 2 don't end up the same way BB Too much peroxide maybe

[rustylady]

I also wondered what part of lemon curd was home produced? certainly not the lemons. Maybe it will improve as the weeks go on but if they want reality it should have included how to make a meal using twisted worm riddled carrots and slug eaten salads, tomatoes punctured and poo covered from hawk moths and how to make chips from blighted spuds.

It wasn't lemon curd Bill, it was fruit curd. Someone used blueberries, and another used rhubarb. Can't remember the others.

[Knight of Albion]

You have to see the bigger picture. The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee sent interest in baking and sewing stratospheric. This allotment one is next in the 'franchise'. And no doubt it will do the same for growing your own. You won't be able to get an allotment for love nor money this time next month!

[Samurailord]

I watched about half of the programme late last night (watching the rest tonight).

I was a little confused by the way they continually skipped back and forth over the seasons and disappointed that there was very little emphasis on how things were grown, and more on what had been grown.

Despite that, I must admit that I did enjoy it overall, and I did pick up a few tips (like not growing radish in the shade if you want decent sized roots).

I would like to see more on the planning of what to grow where, but I realise with nine allotments that will be difficult to cover in any meaningful depth.

Flower arranging left me cold - I personally don't have any flowers on my allotment (apart from bolted veg, that is) but I can appreciate how that segment could appeal to a wider audience than us veg growers.

I will definitely be watching the rest of the series, and I'm looking forwards to see if the blonde from Allotment Wars can actually grow stuff.

Her cameo in AW portrayed her as a typical blonde bimbo who hasnt got a clue about gardening which I hope is not her true self, but just the way she was shown by the producers wanting a reaction. Time will tell.

Andy

[veggiechicken]

I'm always curious about the way these programmes are planned. With this one, it seems they have 15 weeks to grow a set number of veg and fruit plants in a nice clean plot with a GH.
So I'm trying to imagine being given a bundle of seeds today and having to have all of the plants ready by 30th July for the ?unknown challenges. I'm guessing that those take place on consecutive days with one pair of gardeners being "sacked" each day.
I'd like to know what the seeds were - so far its radish, sweet peas and flowers . Fruit bushes and rhubarb - where did they spring from?

[Bill HH]

but a programme full of failed, gnarled, ugly pesty veg is going to put new gardeners off, not turn them on.

Perhaps I was being somewhat flippant but it did not reflect the reality in any way and newcomers will have been done a disservice by being led to think it is in anyway like this. It follows the other programs of late that deal with so called reality but are really just entertainment.I still found some of it interesting but most of it not. I cant actualy remember them mentioning slugs for instance, probably one of the most important pests we face. Still lets see the rest it may improve.

[alldigging]

I did make enquiries about this show:

We’re looking for gardening enthusiasts who can grow a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers, those who can make their green tomatoes into yummy chutney, their strawberries into jam or arrange their roses into a bouquet. The programme will follow a handful of talented amateur gardeners as they transform a plot of earth into a patch of beauty in our beautiful walled garden to reveal all the wonderful possibilities that can be unlocked from allotment growing. Kitchen gardening and growing your own produce is an amazing way to live and this series celebrates that.



This is an amateur competition so obviously we don’t expect anyone to be highly skilled at everything, they could be a window box grower, an existing allotment owner or simply love to grow veg in their back garden, but we’d love to speak to anyone who has got the enthusiasm to grow and the dedication to learn.


And then the application form:

Would you be free for one-two days a week from April to August 2014? This is in order to maintain your allotment and to film the competition, (located Nr Reading, Oxfordshire) Travel and accommodation will be provided by the production company



There were lots of questions about what you like growing and cooking etc too.

Not watched it yet, but will do!

[bearded bloke]

//////// it should have included how to make a meal using twisted worm riddled carrots and slug eaten salads, tomatoes punctured and poo covered from hawk moths and how to make chips from blighted spuds.

You've been watching too much of that antipodian TV Bill

a programme full of failed, gnarled, ugly is going to put new gardeners off,

Thats why the selection panel turned me down then

[Currysniffa]

You have to see the bigger picture. The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee sent interest in baking and sewing stratospheric. This allotment one is next in the 'franchise'. And no doubt it will do the same for growing your own. You won't be able to get an allotment for love nor money this time next month!

Good job I'm taking on another plot next month then or I'll waiting years again!

I fell a sleep watching last night

[Nannysally99]

It wasn't lemon curd Bill, it was fruit curd. Someone used blueberries, and another used rhubarb. Can't remember the others.

There was strawberry curd and rhubarb and custard. Both sounded yummy

[george356]

Good job I'm taking on another plot next month then or I'll waiting years again!

I fell a sleep watching last night

Next year is the time to get an allotment. The newcomers and those who think it's just a matter of turning up one day a week and pulling root perfect veg will have dug the plot over, hopefully weeded it, hopefully manured it, then got fed up and left it. You will get an allotment with 25% of the hard work already done

You have to see the bigger picture. The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee sent interest in baking and sewing stratospheric. This allotment one is next in the 'franchise'. And no doubt it will do the same for growing your own. You won't be able to get an allotment for love nor money this time next month!

I found the programme very haphazard, jumping back and forth through the seasons didn't give you a chance to "bond" or equate with any pair of contestants. There was no attempt to educate, that I could see; if you were a newcomer to gardening in general and allotmenteering in particular this programme did you no favours IMO.

I will watch again next week, but if it doesn.t improve I will find something more constructive to do with my time; I have some drying paint that needs a good watching!

[veggiechicken]

The take-offs have started already