Gardeners World - Free vegetable seeds

[Brenjon]

I also applied on line as soon as the programme finished .I also have heard nothing yet. Sounds like a con. The planting season will have gone by the time we may recieve them
Brenjon

[Tigger]

Its not a con. They have an offer like this every year and it's always oversubscribed. This year they had a record number of applicants so there's bound to be some dissappointed souls.

[FelixLeiter]

Such a scheme is bound to get over-subscribed. If they run out of seeds they can't just go to the shops and buy some more, they have to be grown.

Like other posters hereI also question the choice of butternut squash as a beginner's veg. It's not difficult to grow — far from it — it's just that it needs a good season to produce decent fruits. Last year, for instance, it was an absolutely dismal failure. Mine did not even start flowering until September. Even if they do produce good fruits, they need a good lot of sun in late summer for them to ripen to store well. I suppose the choice of what they offer is dictated by what the seed companies have surplus and / or in sufficient quantities.

But GW these days, though: sheesh. What's with the continuity? I only watched the first episode of this new series and it was, frankly, a dog's breakfast. Alys' item about dividing some herbaceous plant: I'm not quite sure precisely what this was meant to convey. I watched the bit twice to see if I'd missed something, but it was still an incomprehensible muddle. It's all gone a bit Top Gear, all that chummy business in their shed, and not in a good way.

And just one more thing: I wish Joe Swift wouldn't involve his children. Their discomfort with it all is palpable, matched or even surpassed by the viewer's.

[glallotments]

What was with the garden gnomes - anyone any ideas? As for what is hot or not. Gardening to me is a long term project not a fashion item! If I like it then I don't care whether other people think it is hot!!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Glallotments, i have been trying to think what it is that i dislike about G.W now, and i think you have hit the nail squarely on the head, they are making the whole concept of gardening just another fashion item.
So hopefully gardening will go out of todays fashion soon, and then we can get back to the sort of gardening programmes gardeners enjoy.

[glallotments]

We have started watching Beechgrove from Scotland http://www.beechgrove.co.uk/ Most of the work last week was in polytunnels as they seem to grow many plants that way but the techniques shown are transferrable.

[Birkward]

I sent for mine immediately after the program and haven't heard or received anything either. Must just be unlucky.

[Malk]

I've always liked Beechgrove, but it's on a bit earlier when I'm putting the boys to sleep so I never get to see it.

I signed up for the free seeds for both me and my older boy and got them last week, after about a month. The children's packs are the exact same as the GW's ones, so if anyone wants anything please feel free to PM me. There's only 5 squash seeds in the pack (the only thing I've planted so far) so don't expect much. Three germinated, two haven't, so I might keep the second pack of that. But if anyone wants the Garderner's Delight toms please take them, everyone gives them away, including KG so I have bunches.

I thought the kids' pack would be different, easier, fast growing things.

[Primrose]

My seeds finally arrived on Saturday. I'm a little surprised, knowing that this initiative is partly aimed at new veggie growers and children that they didn't include one packet of very fast growing stuff like mustard or cress seeds. Children have a very short attention span and I would have thought that something which produced results in a short period of time would have been more likely to retain and stimulate their interest.