Kitchen Garden Forum

Missed episode 1, so new to it.

After five minutes very concious of the un-informative camera techniqus, director/producer going for arty shots, with token flicks to useful shots. Obviously likes the magnolia.

3mx3m, veg all year?

I'm sure that was a patty-pan squash on the intro. well one of them brings the plot down by 1/9th.

Did they measure the plot on episode 1? Looked bigger than 3x3.

I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with previously stated comments, that they are trying to attract people to gardening by skating over the hard work.

I've just watched the second programme, hoping it would improve over the first one, but it seems to be the same confusing mixture of photographers switching rapidly from one scene to another with lots of unnecessary shots packed in to pad out the programme to 30 minutes. Whether a total amateur would be encouraged to try their hand after watching this I'm really not sure. The programme was supposed to be about growing veggies. I'm not sure I want to see lots of shots of Carol's flower borders and miscellaneous material. She's probably at the mercy of the producer who obviously lives in a tower block and knows nothing about growing veg, and I'm afraid it really shows. If I was the veggie grower featured in this programme, I'm afraid I would now be cringing at the final result. Typical BBC dumbing down. All frills and furbelows as Granny used to say and not enough of the serious topic.

I feel like saying I could have told you what would happen when you film someone who by her own admission hasn't grown vegetables for 20 years and then film everything she does. Very few of the readers here I hope would try to grow vegetables so close to a large tree. I would have thrown out those balcony radishes with long necks, about to go to seed, I suspect they had not had their TLC. Contrast it all with that clip of Arthur Billit's non-organic tomatoes and the 9 trusses on them.
I am still watching for a shot of a weedy patch on any vegetable gardening programme.

Allan I agreed for once but wish you would go back and edit your postings as some of your malapropisms take a while to figure out, or are they typoes?

Compo

I've taken 2 typos out, are there any more?
Allan

Having watched the second programme, I find myself agreeing with the comments above. However, at least it showed lots of mistakes, and even pointed out some of them as such - growing under a tree, for example. The BBC Gardening website http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/grow_your_own/ contains links to the technical backup which had to be lacking in 30 minute episodes.
But, as I have said earlier, it is a colourful programme attempting to enthuse people who do not grow.
The unfavourable comments on this thread are, of course, from experienced gardeners - OK we do not need this kind of approach. Bring back Percy and Arthur I don't think they were addressing the non-gardener. I learned vegetable gardening many years ago - enthusiasm and practice - from an inherited copy of Practical Gardening and Food Production in Pictures by Richard Sudell, F.I.L.A. published by Odhams Press during World War 2. I still treasure it, but no way would I recommend it to aspiring growers nowadays.
Just one other point, which I do not intend should offend anyone. The programmes seem to give the impression that "growing your own" is only for women. Or is it that scantily clad younger women are easier on the eye that horny-handed males?

Alan

You make a fair point in your last paragraph; the same thoughts also crossed my mind.

I still stand by my view it is all froth with little facts. The programme is made to convey an idealistic image which may appeal to the trendies but serves gardening education poorly. At least the Arthur Billitt approach stuck to what you should be doing in your garden at the time of year it was shown rather than jumping from one season to another as this programme does. Also why do all gardening programmes now only show the organic methods, again is this just to appear trendy?

Nice scenery, nice flowers and nice legs – shame about the lack of facts.

Barney

Barney
I can only repeat what I have said, This program is trying to bring non-gardeners to vegetable growing. It may have its faults, but it is trying.
Why the emphasis on Organic? I think the answer to this is simple. Can you imagine a programme enthusing interested non-growers using the line "Grow with chemicals! Yes, the same chemicals you do not want to eat in commercially produced food!"
I buy non-organic food when I have to, but there is no way that my own produce will have added chemicals. otherwise I might as well give up and spend my spare time in the supermarket.

Why is it assumed that if you do't swallow the Organic pill whole you have to be branded a poisoner. There is no sane reason not to use fully approved chemical feeds, a few slug pellets where necessary and biodegradeable glyphosate to clear weedy ground, none of which will poison your produce. I hope this doesn't cause another endless debate which I have had more than enough times on this forum.

Hi Allen

What is an organic pill?
What do you mean by "fully approved chemicals"?

We here all thought it was a great programe

I loved the enthusiasm of the family gardeners and the Swedish girl in London in last Friday's episode. If that inspires others to grow things, then the programme has worked. It's pretty brave too of Carol as a professional gardener to leave in the footage of the failures.