Kitchen Garden Forum

Today two items on gardening in the media.

1) I saw as soon as I opened the newspaper: Weeding, writing and arithmetic… why green fingers are good for our children https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/21/britain-failing-to-teach-new-generation-of-gardeners-skills-crisis
I think one of the issues here is the high profile events - TV might love the Chelsea Show or Hampton Court for host of reasons amongst which are the colours (it is colour telly after all), their proximity to London, the love that presenters have of celebrity and hob-nobbing with the wealthy, famous, notorious or glamourous.
If they focused on small scale, every day gardening it might be helpful but doesn't neccesarily quicken the pulse. So much gardening is fairly routine, I enjoy weeding because it is about taking care but admit it isn't glamourous (even if I have my top off!)

2) Then on "From Our Home Corresponent" on Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07hblkl/p07hbj49

I have no interest in the designer garden show but give me a program on allotments or veg growing then I'm hooked.

Best bits on Monty Doms show has been the bloke from Lincolnshire that showed his veg bed set up from beginning and the allotment set up in Birmingham.

As a side note there was a young family on there plot yesterday having a great time.

Colin2016 wrote:I have no interest in the designer garden show but give me a program on allotments or veg growing then I'm hooked.

Best bits on Monty Doms show has been the bloke from Lincolnshire that showed his veg bed set up from beginning and the allotment set up in Birmingham.

As a side note there was a young family on there plot yesterday having a great time.

Bring back repeats of "Clacks Farm "

Time for the BBC to realise flowers are not the next big thing, but we want a crop of veg! Not Monty's veg with the minions behind, but our struggles growing what we have done for years! We get a crop of something not pretty but tasty! Stop glamming it up; it is hard graft & struggle & bloody well cost as well with the seed costs - & bad germination is not helping!

Most of the work in growing veg rarely gets shown. Weeding, soil preparation, protection from wildlife, pest and disease control, etc.

Instead we see seed sown into a clean raised bed, and crops harvested. And that seems to be what so many new plot holders think they need to do - clear the plot, put little rectangular frames around, sow some seed then come back in a few month's time to pick the crops. I do blame TV for creating an unrealistic expectation. At least Monty does occasionaly share his problems and failed crops.

That's why I like Beechgrove Gardens - it's more realistic. They have failures...and they show them.

I remember a show BBC 2 had on which visited proper plots & not some celebrity's garden & it was great! (If I wasn't decorating I could tell you the name but the CD boxed set is in the garage) & the new computer doesn't even take a disc anyway! From that I realised there were other things I could grow in the UK in a good year - hence the chickpeas, not to dry but eat green, but not sure I could build a smoker & sacrifice a chicken but it was interesting to watch (chicken kill not included & it probably came from Tesco anyway)!

That's why I like Beechgrove Gardens

- and they are back on BBC Scotland HD this Thursday.