Sick of Sarah Raven.. she has no idea..literally

[BlueAce73]

I’ve worked so hard in horticulture & agriculture.. her advice is crap

[BooseysMom]

I use DT Brown now and you cannot fault them. I ordered a blueberry tree and it arrived in perfect condition, thoroughly packaged and thankfully the right way up! I ordered seeds too and they delivered them separately with a free pack of seeds too which is the second pack I have received! Free delivery too! Excellent

[Gabygreenery]

@Trethew

OP what particular piece of advice is crap?

I mentally separate her podcasts/videos/books from her retail. I find her immensely helpful and practical and full of ideas. With her science background she understands and explains the science behind her techniques. I haven’t found any crap advice yet. I love the podcasts with Arthur Parkinson. Her latest book is brilliant.

BUT, I have had so many iffy experiences purchasing from her company that whilst I value her recommendations for particular varieties, I prefer to source them elsewhere if I can. Fibrex for pelargoniums, Peter Nyssen for bulbs and Chiltern for seeds. All cheaper and more reliable.

Beware also that the luscious photographs on her website and in the catalogues have such high colour saturation they are at times misleading so I always do a google image search to check the colour.

Exactly, colours from the SR catalogue are all tampered with. The catalogue is pretty but its colours are highly unreliable. To the point that a SR catalogue blue is often light purple (= actually pink) in real life. I always have to to a google image search to check the real colour. It's really annoying.

Also SR taught me gardening.I wouldn't say that her seeds and plugs are generally of bad quality. Some are of superior quality, others don't take. I'd say it's hit and miss. Crocus is more reliable.

[Blusteryday101]

@WishILivedInThrushGreen

@FuzzyPuffling yes, SR is married to Adam Nicholson whose grandparents were Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville West.
The family home is Sissinghurst in Kent.

SR did some sort of kitchen garden there , years ago but didn't take off if I recall.

There was a programme, years ago, about the National Trust needing to revamp its cafes and SR was approached to help develop them.
She didn't come across very well and I think some staff were unhappy with her.

Regarding her website and books etc... I think it's a case of style over substance.

I’m not surprised that her catering ventures didn’t go well. Her Christmas cookery book is the worst I have ever bought; imho the recipes are awful.

Tbh I am a bit sick of all of these poshos telling us how to do things like cooking, gardening or interior design. They all have other sources of funding

[KingscoteStaff]

Well her linen napkins are lovely.

[newnamethanks]

Never buying her plants again, terrible packaging and in poor condition.

[newnamethanks]

Just realised I posted a complaint on here 2 years ago! However, a friend was seduced by her beautiful catalogue pictures last year and ordered some plug plants. Unsuccessful specimens, had to badger for a refund. So my opinion hasn't changed unfortunately.

[irridium]

In the early days when she was fairly new to the market, I bought Rootrainers as they were not commonly sold elsewhere. They were about a 5 pack plus rack for about £20-25, I think at the time. I subsequently bought plants and they were healthy, well-packaged, and arrived fairly quick (the delivery charge was a flat rate at £4.95 which at the time seemed reasonable compared to other mail order suppliers). Also, customer service was good back then if a plant wasn't in good shape and refunds were promptly given. I think part of her success was/is she's managed corner the market for new varieties of seed, bulbs (tulip, dahlia for me) etc., which lured me to buy from her, but over the years, I stopped as the prices increased.

As she got more popular, she got greedier with increased prices which put me off. Nowadays, I just browse the catalogue, but have to restrain myself from buying despite how good the seeds are!

[SFisnotsimple]

“Tbh I am a bit sick of all of these poshos telling us how to do things like cooking, gardening or interior design. They all have other sources of funding”

YESYESYES!!! This really really fucking irritates me as well. More Adam Frost and less Monty more Nadiya and less Nigella and Kirstie Allsop can FTFO quite frankly. Ugh.

I can’t bear Arthur Parkinson either. Dared to speak out about something (which everyone would on here - not that controversial) on Instagram and he was blisteringly rude to me. Nasty man. I hate how SR has brought him on board to yoof her image.

[Blusteryday101]

I should have said that I don’t mind poshos if they are good at what they do! I don’t mind Monty at all because he has acquired his skill through hands on graft and I believe he was bankrupt when he started and he’s quite real about his mistakes and that he has help etc. Early Nigella was also excellent.

The ones I object to are those who who have had all the privileges and access to wonderful facilities, and whose offerings are still pretty poor!

[SarahAndQuack]

@SFisnotsimple

“Tbh I am a bit sick of all of these poshos telling us how to do things like cooking, gardening or interior design. They all have other sources of funding”

YESYESYES!!! This really really fucking irritates me as well. More Adam Frost and less Monty more Nadiya and less Nigella and Kirstie Allsop can FTFO quite frankly. Ugh.

I can’t bear Arthur Parkinson either. Dared to speak out about something (which everyone would on here - not that controversial) on Instagram and he was blisteringly rude to me. Nasty man. I hate how SR has brought him on board to yoof her image.

Ooh, I'm curious! What did Arthur Parkinson object to?!

I can't tell what I think of him - other than that he's very, very, very good at self-promotion. He does seem to have had some rough patches in life.

[SFisnotsimple]

@SarahAndQuack

Ooh, I'm curious! What did Arthur Parkinson object to?!

I can't tell what I think of him - other than that he's very, very, very good at self-promotion. He does seem to have had some rough patches in life.

I pointed out that zoos aren’t great places for animals. I can’t remember the exact details but he shut me down really rudely.

[SarahAndQuack]

Goodness! How odd, and as you say, how rude.

[whippetreal]

Oh I'm glad someone mentioned the colours in the catalogue. I bought a rose called Ferdinand Pichard from her. It looked more purple in her photo (first photo) but is actually more pink (second photo). Every other photo on the internet accurately reflects the colour I ended up with. Still beautiful and after settling in with just two flowers in year one. It exploded in flowers repeatedly the second year.

[Flaunch]

@SFisnotsimple

“Tbh I am a bit sick of all of these poshos telling us how to do things like cooking, gardening or interior design. They all have other sources of funding”

YESYESYES!!! This really really fucking irritates me as well. More Adam Frost and less Monty more Nadiya and less Nigella and Kirstie Allsop can FTFO quite frankly. Ugh.

I can’t bear Arthur Parkinson either. Dared to speak out about something (which everyone would on here - not that controversial) on Instagram and he was blisteringly rude to me. Nasty man. I hate how SR has brought him on board to yoof her image.

I’d compost Adam Frost if I could, he’s no Monty. The only suitable replacement for Monty imo is Frances Tophill. She’s fabulous, knowledgeable, likeable and doesn’t try to hard.

[SFisnotsimple]

@Flaunch

I’d compost Adam Frost if I could, he’s no Monty. The only suitable replacement for Monty imo is Frances Tophill. She’s fabulous, knowledgeable, likeable and doesn’t try to hard.

“He’s no Monty”

my point exactly!!! Thank GOD

[whippetreal]

Aww I like Adam Frost a lot. His segments often involve teaching you things you can do when you don't have a Manor House. I don't mind Frances but her garden at gardeners world live looked an absolute mess compared to all the others.

[reallyworriedjobhunter]

I have Sarah Raven's Christmas book and was sad that all the suggestions were more suited to a Manor House. At one point she suggests bringing several birch trees inside. I do buy plants from her but my garden still looks like a scrubby yard.

I also have one of Arthur Parkinson's books and he suggests dressing as a tramp to collect molehills.

However, my Mum taught Sarah Raven and her twin sister and said that they were both lovely children.

[RoseAndGeranium]

@reallyworriedjobhunter

I have Sarah Raven's Christmas book and was sad that all the suggestions were more suited to a Manor House. At one point she suggests bringing several birch trees inside. I do buy plants from her but my garden still looks like a scrubby yard.

I also have one of Arthur Parkinson's books and he suggests dressing as a tramp to collect molehills.

However, my Mum taught Sarah Raven and her twin sister and said that they were both lovely children.

Why would one collect molehills? And why would one need or want to dress as a tramp while doing so? I had never heard of Arthur Parkinson before reading this thread and on this evidence I don’t feel that was a bad thing?!

[reallyworriedjobhunter]

@RoseAndGeranium He says that they are good to add to your pots and that if you are dressed as a tramp while collecting them, you won't be challenged.

[RoseAndGeranium]

Huh. Fascinating! I see he recommends Sylva grow compost. I’ve never had any luck with that. Just about killed off my tomato seedlings two years ago.

[newnamethanks]

Beautiful rose, above. Glad it was a good buy for you.

[Geneticsbunny]

I have met Francis tophill and she is absolutely lovely. I would be more than happy with her as a replacement for monty on gardeners world.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

@reallyworriedjobhunter

I have Sarah Raven's Christmas book and was sad that all the suggestions were more suited to a Manor House. At one point she suggests bringing several birch trees inside. I do buy plants from her but my garden still looks like a scrubby yard.

I also have one of Arthur Parkinson's books and he suggests dressing as a tramp to collect molehills.

However, my Mum taught Sarah Raven and her twin sister and said that they were both lovely children.

All garden books used to be aimed at Manor House upwards at one time. There’s a famous quote on the lines that no garden, however small should be without it’s quarter acre of nut trees”

A lot of standard gardening tips were aimed at large country house gardens. It was interesting on Gardeners Question Time today - they were saying there’s been a revolution in gardening over the last 20 years, and much if the old, country house derived advice is being overturned.

[Muststopeating]

@Flaunch

I’d compost Adam Frost if I could, he’s no Monty. The only suitable replacement for Monty imo is Frances Tophill. She’s fabulous, knowledgeable, likeable and doesn’t try to hard.

This made me snort! And finally some sense... There is a whole thread on GW presenters and so many people seem to love Adam. He makes me a bit queasy.

Monty has his faults, but his dulcet tones followed by bird song made many a 4am wake-up attempting to settle newborn number 3 all the more bearable! Thank goodness for iPlayer!

I also quite like Frances, though I suspect I will not like her garden.

Does anyone else get the impression they spent the last series effectively interviewing Monty's replacement for main presenter?

[whippetreal]

The problem I have with Monty's dulcet tones and bird song is that it sends me to sleep. Not a Monty issue but I've been using gardening podcasts to send me to sleep in the middle of the night for a few years. Now if I try to watch gardeners world I start falling asleep, whether it's Friday night or catch up on Saturday morning.