Grow Your Own Veg

[Chris]

Hi

Itis good to have a mainstrean TV programme devoted to our intrerest. We (me, partner, and gardening duughter) has been looking forward to this all week. (Sad but true.) And Carol proved again to be one of the very best presenters - so much better than all the others currently on TV. However as experienced gardeners and as a comparatively new gardener we found the production lavish but very diappointing.

From the perpective of the new gardener we saw images of digging trenches, chitting seeds and the excitement of lifting the potatoes - but there was no information about when to buy, how to buy, the best choices for early and lates, the earthing up, and the indications when to lift. As for the featured Jerusalem artichokes - they have their uses but I would not see this as an initial crop for most newcomers to veg. growing - especially not those with small gardens.

Basically the whole production was confusing - as if he or she was trying to cover every gardening angle without any clear idea as to what they were trying to do. Sorry Carol has been caught in this mess.

Really good to have a programme on this - maybe will get better by next week.

Look forward to your thoughtful responses.

Glad to be back

Chris

[Wellie]

I beg to differ actually.
Carol was VERY much herself, for a change, full of 'natural' enthusiasm, which translated well. This is the heart of why people should consider growing their own, for the sheer wonder of it all and the sense of achievement. The crops are the added bonus, that's not always guaranteed year on year.
A well thought out programme, and well executed.
I'm sure there's lots of people watching that programme tonight who will be sufficiently inspired by it to start growing their own somethings this year.
And with the balcony gardening etc. to look forward to, there's plenty more of interest to follow.
Something for everyone. I enjoyed it.

[Iain]

Simply a deadful production.Confused and confusing. A showcase for some director's ideas of smart. What's the point of all those out-of-focus shots, bird's eye views, rapid-fire sight bites, etc., etc. Surely what we want is, simply, the view of things we'd have if we were thereThe fact is that their target viewer is not a serious gardener but some thoroughly modern, fast-liver whom they hope to entertain with their superficialities.It was very insubstantial, not informative, and confusing to any complete beginner, I would have thought. Sorry but this kind of thing really ****** me off. Waste of an excellent presenter with a genuine interest in horticulture.

[alan refail]

I would have liked to be able to add my two penn'orth to this discusssion. Unfortunately, as too often happens here in Wales on Friday (gardening) night, we had to watch (or switch off ) Rugby - our National Religion .
Growing your own is a much lower priority. Maybe it's significant that in a survey last week three out of the first four places with the worst health in the UK were in Wales (South Wales, I must add).I think we have the programme rescheduled for next Wednesday, so I shall watch with interest.
I suppose we should welcome any programme which can enthuse a few more into growing. But of course we have become accustomed to dumbed-down production techniques.

[Carole B.]

I don't normally watch gardening progs.I'm all 'journalisted' out I'm afraid but I was tempted to watch this one and it was quite entertaining BUT not very informative for new growers. If the idea was to tempt people to find out more then it might succeed but as a guide to growing it will not.Nice to see a real grower presenting though.

[Iain]

Yep, this kind of dumbing-down is everywhere; I just think we shouldn't go gently into it. I suppose I'd have to agree, reluctantly, that that programme might attract some new people to gardening. However, those who want real substance are poorly catered for not only on tv but also, I submit, in the gardening press.

[Malk]

I wasn't giving the programme my full attention as I was playing with Seedling, but it did seem a bit short on details of planting pototoes; don't remember a mention of earlies, main crops, ect. And the Jerusalem artichokes section seemed a bit Gardener's World special. And it didn't show the hard work side of it. Like building the 3x3 plots.

Though I loved Carol and hope her enthusiasm will bring some new people into the world of grow your own.

[Cider Boys]

I found the program a little disappointing because it seemed to want to create a mood rather than inform. Did anyone learn anything from the programme?

Carol was planting her potatoes using a 6” spacing with no real explanation of why except that they were in deep beds. Surely any beginner would assume that a 6” spacing were normal for all potatoes. Perhaps I’ve been using the wrong spacing all these years!

Carol’s obvious enthusiasm is an asset but just how experienced a vegetable grower is she? Percy Thrower and Arthur Billet were the boys for me.

We desperately need a vegetable gardening programme that considers traditional methods alongside modern commercial developments to inspire beginner and experienced alike.

Let’s hope it gets better in the following weeks.

Barney

[Jenny Green]

I agree it was a little thin on detail but going in the opposite direction could have put a lot of newbies off. Take growing potatoes for instance. Basically if you put them in the ground and earth them up you'll get a crop and it IS huge fun digging them up. This is what the programme showed. Giving loads of detail about planting times (and there was a bit about planting earlies to avoid blight), varieties (she did mention Red Duke of York which is good advice for a beginner) and other regimes would have made it sound a very complicated process, which in reality it isn't.
Let's face it, if the programme had gone into loads of detail, we'd now all be arguing about what was right and wrong!
Which I'm now about to do - don't you think the suggestions made by the two professional gardeners for successional growing were a bit off? Saladings in spring? Well, maybe but they'd grow quite slowly. Then sowing peas in June? Yes if you want loads of pea moth (they're growing organically) and mildew. Then why plant garlic in Sept/Oct when November is fine?
Also, no mention of the single most important detail about Jerusalem Artichokes - they give you terrible wind!

[alan refail]

I understand that it is the inulin in Jerusalem (F)artichokes that causes the wind. And that the more often you eat them the less the problem as the bacteria in your gut/stomach (?) get used to the inulin and stop pigging out on it.

[Wellie]

Yes, I'd heard something similar alan, only it was in relation to eating vegetarian food as opposed to poultry,meat,fish and vegetables. After a while, your insides get used to it all, and you cease to be/feel an embarassment...

[Ian F]

I thought that it was a real disapointment - the first time that the BBC has tried to deal with veg in age, and it produces something that looks like Changing Rooms with weeds. Lots of pictures of Carol's car, but no real details about what to plant, when to plant or how to plant. The layout of the programme was confusing, and any new person watching it would be little wiser about the practicalities of growing veg.

An opportunity missed IMHO, but typical of the BBC.

[Clive.]

Out of curiosity I went on a search for some video clips of earlier programmes and presenters.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle/mediapla ... am=1&tab=6

Clive.

[Iain]

Great stuff, Clive. I for one had forgotten what good gardening programmes were like. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but some are worth more than others it seems.

[Compo]

Hmmm, for entertainment I gave it ten out of ten, but for gaining insight into different methods of Vegetable Gardens it was not for me, but we should not underestimate our knowledge, we have posted so much information on here that in terms of basics, there is not a lot that one could glean as new information, I am going to consider it an entertainment programme rather than a factual one.

I like Carole Klein but I found her giggling and squealing as she pulled the spuds up a little over zealous and even .......... sexual in content. But I will watch again.