The new hour-long GW.

[shovetheholly]

What are your thoughts?

I am really loving the new format. I like the way they are focusing not just on huge, uber-wealthy properties but on some small back gardens. I like the mix of stunningly beautiful, expertly-achieved gardens and amateur eccentricity. And I particularly like the focus back on technique, and doing things. It's lovely to see Carol Klein treated by the camera like the expert she is, instead of a gurning idiot pointing out that the top of the plant is called the "leaves" and the bottom is called the "root". I also find myself really warming to Adam Frost.

[Lorelei76]

Book that's really sweet
I had to go see my mum on the open day and actually I need to spend more weekend time with her so I'm putting my current volunteer work on hold too so can't take on any more
I actually just spoke with my mum and told her I'd been watching GW. She said "oh you won't remember but they used to have a great presenter called Geoff.."

[bookbook]

The good ones are remembered!
I am enjoying GW much more than recently.

[shovetheholly]

Me too! I liked that tree fern forest very much - magical. Not sure I could cope with the 2 METRES of rain a year they got there though!!

[Kr1stina]

Those of you who are nostalgic for the 1980s style Geoff Hamiton style gardening programme need to look for The Beechgrove Garden , a BBC Scotland gardening programme. It's on I Player for those of you not lucky enough to live in Scotland

It will whisk you back 30 years

[bookbook]

I watch that Kristina - yes its lovely!

[shovetheholly]

Oooh, I've never heard of it - will check it out immediately! Thanks Kristina!

[SeaRabbit]

Ooh maybe I'll watch it. I visit Another Forum and they didn't like the hour long programme so as I was busy (watching Gilmore Girls back to back, ahem) I haven't watched any. I've now got to the end of series 7 (7x22 episodes) so will start watching Monty et al again.

[shovetheholly]

at Gilmore Girls. I am currently addicted to Parks and Recreation, hence the fact that I only just watched last week's episode.

What about that Helen Dillon, though? Her garden had the best borders I think I've ever seen in terms of the quality of the plants. Everything was so perfect - it must take such dedication to get it like that. I can't even imagine what it must be like to give it up - yet she seemed sanguine about it.

I loved her no-nonsense attitude too, and calling Monty Don 'dear boy'.

[funnyperson]

I like the hour long programme and I really like Monty's slow pace. Adam Frost's garden overwhelms me. I cant relate to it.
Like posters above I get the feeling he and his garden are being lined up to take over from Monty and I really hope not.
I like Carol Klein and the Tophill girl and the Chelsea Physic Garden man.
But bring back 'plants for free" !

[funnyperson]

Adam Frost was the one who said on an episode of GW once that he was depressed because he spent so much time away from his family winning gold medals at Chelsea Flower show. One of the things that irritates me is the sense I have that the establishment have offered him an expensive house and gardening show contract on a plate so that he can work from home when actually there could have been so many brilliant gardeners and presenters out there.

[funnyperson]

One cant help but wonder how tv staff appointments are made and whether there is transparency and accessibility in the process. After all they are clearly quite lucrative.

[shovetheholly]

I suspect that the no 1 thing they take into account when considering a presented isn't actually their horticultural knowledge and experience but the way that they communicate on TV. (This is probably why Monty Don got the job over far more experienced people as well).

I suspect GW has a bit of a demographic problem in terms of finding new audiences as well - the old show wasn't really appealing to a very broad cross-section of people?? I like the fact that they are trying to be more inclusive, with presenters from the BME community, those with disabilities, and those who are young (Frances Tophill seems brilliant) - and also growers doing everything from high-end design to giant veg in a local allotment!

I like Adam Frost - he seems to have a touch of the Geoff Hamilton about him - but then I don't really like Monty Don and his performing dogs. I find his rhapdodizing and mindfulness hackneyed and naff, but I accept that lots of other people really like it.

[Lorelei76]

I have no clue what the old one was like so can't compare.

I have now seen the one with the vertical planter - caught up last night - and I thought it was fine, she mentioned about the water retaining capsules etc. If I was on a lower floor - or had a bigger balcony - I would def use that.

now i'm wondering about adding wallflowers to the potential not yet planted bulb lasagne....! I think this weekend I will get the chance to sort it.

something else that confused me was Monty talking about well drained soil and then mentioning perlite - I was looking at that in Homebase and it said it would help retain moisture..? They have no small bags of grit or sharp sand there. That said, my mum told me not to bother and just make sure not to over water bulb pots in the first place.

[Kr1stina]

Perlite does both . It retains moisture when it's dry and breaks up clay soil . It's inorganic so doesnt break down .

Marvellous stuff for people like me with heavy clay .

[Lorelei76]

thanks Kristina
I will just have shop bought compost...I saw bulb compost in homebase too...so maybe i don't need any more than that?

[shovetheholly]

It's confusing isn't it!!

When gardeners talk about "drainage" they're really talking about two interconnected things (possibly more, but I can only think of two right now). The first is oxygen exchange (which is needed at the root as well as the leaf), the second is moisture, i.e. the ability of the soil to hang onto water.

If you have a really heavy clay, it can be like the stuff you made pottery out of at school and this is a problem in two ways. Firstly, it's really dense so oxygen can't get in and out easily. That leads to a build up of CO2, which leads to a build up of toxic chemicals/denitrification. Secondly, it's really damp. Little seedlings may well struggle to force their roots into it, helpful bacterial and mycorrhizal cultures may struggle to establish while unhelpful ones are encouraged (damping off), and it's likely to be too waterlogged for anything that likes normal to dry conditions.

A heavy potting mix can pose similar problems - so you add perlite to encourage oxygenation and a bit of drainage, without making it too freely draining. It gets all in between the big lumps and keeps it loose and friable, which helps both air and water get in and out. That stops the mix getting all heavy and claggy and 'orrible.

You still want to hang on to a bit of moisture for some plants, though, so the fact that it does that a little can be helpful. The fact that it takes on water quickly helps plants to hold onto the water as well - I don't know if you've ever tried to water a very dry pot, but it can be that the stuff just bounces off the top or runs straight through rather than staying in the soil. Perlite helps with that by grabbing and holding onto the water. For other things where you really want free drainage, grit is better.

[Lorelei76]

Ive not had a pot go that dry no.
Maybe I should save myself hassle and just stick with compost, I really don't know.

[funnyperson]

Compost is fine Lorelei bearing in mind that any pots should have patent draining holes as Monty pointed out the last programme.

Incidentally one of the other things that irritates me about the new so-called inclusiveness of Gardeners World is the way it is the ethnic gardeners on the programme who have the tiniest gardens. It unnecessarily reinforces so many constructs about inequality and ethnicity.

Its like when in Bridget Jones' Baby she (and clearly the directors) thinks it is funny to mispronounce the name of the only brown person in the entire film.

Its why I do so like the current series of Strictly Come Dancing with the mixed race dance couples being judged on merit. Sorry to sidetrack

[Kr1stina]

Holly, you explain all the science stuff so well

[bookbook]

Do you think perhaps they are trying a bit too hard for a new audience - throwing four new presenters at us ? I also do like Frances Tophill and the Chelsea physic garden man. I do like Adam Frost. But watching him do his garden is a bit like dreaming what you would do if you won the lottery, or watching Grand Designs - 'aspirational' is the word for it I think !
shove - thank you for that book recommendation. It arrived the other day, and I read the prelude last night. I have already fallen in love - the bit that got me hooked is this - "Any one can kill plants with equal ease"

[SeaRabbit]

I take your points about the BME presenter funny, and I hope that she gets a chance to makeover some rolling acres too. Is anyone else wanting to get Adam to do Pilates so his posture improves?

[DesolateWaist]

I love Monty Don and the dogs.
I never got on with Big Geoff and found it all rather dry. Gardening seemed very complicated back in those days.

Not to keen on gardening Jamie Oliver Adam Frost and his massive house.

I agree with more gardening on a budget. So many times we watch an item about a boarder and comment about how they are planting a couple of hundred pounds of plants.

Still, it is our family Friday night! Me and DH love it and the cat comes and sits to watch too.

[DesolateWaist]

I agree Funny. Why is anyone none white always sent to urban gardens?

[shovetheholly]

Thanks Kristina! I do try tho sometimes I think I just confuse the issue.

I just found out that some of the changes are because they changed their producer, to the guy who did the last season of Bake Off.

I absolutey agree funny - and I don't think you're sidetracking at all, it's a really important point. While it's progress having presenters who aren't white and middle class, why does it have to be black and urban (meaning: London)? It is narrow. I would like to see the black presenters going round some of the great gardens in former slave-owning estates, questioning where the money came from!!

book - I am so glad you like the book, it's pretty comprehensive. I wondered the 'aspirational' side of it too. The RHS seem to have a real campaign at the moment to convince young people that there is money to be made in horticulture. I wonder if this is part of that - showing that a working class lad can make it very, very good indeed through gardening?

[SeaRabbit]

Lorelei could you get an allotment? You seems so interested in gardening- maybe put your name down if there's a long waiting list; you can always turn it down if you decide it's not for you.