How to Create a Garden - RTE 1 - 28/3

Antiquo

Folks, thought this would be of interest.

Saw this advertised for RTE 1 starting on Monday 28th March a program called How to create a garden.

Judging by the title it should be full of ideas and not too mind boggling for the first time gardeners out there (hopefully).

Prowetod

Anyone else see this? What did you think of it?

HardyEustace

I didn't think it was great. They were trying to emulate an urban garden set up but frequent problems in urban gardens are
2. storage of soil, debris, tools

which was all very neatly side stepped.

Also, judging from the guy who put the patio in, whacking sand down was vaguely mentioned, there was no advice on stone you'd choose or why, the process of laying down a patio.

Antiquo

Didn't watch it meself thought it would be a bit better than that though.

Dissapointing

MASTER...of the bra

I couldn't believe your man sprayed Round-Up, the whole thing was just lazy. "It's gonna go inert in the ground..blah blah...." Granted he's working on the flower/ornamental garden but still. And there's a good few in more or less doing it for them, the presenters.

That must be tip 1--->get someone to do it for you.

The vegtable end.......meh.......make raised boxes.

Not what I was expecting.

There hasn't been a good practical gardening show in a long time, there's to much time spent messing round with things the normal gardener would never be in to.

secman

Not a patch on BBC's "Gardeners World" to be honest, but I'll give it another chance to improve.

Secman

casey junior

Percy Thrower's badly missed!

redser7

Geoff Hamilton was best. Got a box set of specials he did a while back. Brilliant

magicbastarder

interesting that monty don got the nod again; given the fuss over carol klein not getting the anchor presenter role, i'd have thought she'd have stepped in after toby whatshisface left. and he got a rough ride, he seemed to take a lot of the flak for the change in format which i suspect was down to the producers.

bmaxi

Only saw a bit of this, wasn't overly impressed but will give it another go.
Not really fair to compare it to Gardeners World with the resources and background at the BBC and even that has deteriorated. I too was a big fan of Geoff Hamilton, I loved the way he got stuck in to everything and all the little homemade bits and bobs he'd come up with, sad loss. The programme at the moment features two of my least favourite presenters in Rachel de Thame and Joe Swift. Too much niche gardening and not enough muck under the nails. Either dig up Geoff or bring back Alan.

Funsterdelux

Bring back Gerry Daly I say! Yeah thought the whole patio thing was a bit of a cop-out too. And the whole round-up business, they should be trying to encourage alternative methods.

The only useful tip I got was the Buffalo dung, heehee

Zuiderzee

Yup, I found it quite poor, nowhere near as good as Garrai Glas.
Glad I'm not the only one as I felt a bit guilty about the poor write-up I gave them on the blog. At least it's a start.

Not very practical, the only thing I saw that was of any use to me was the pallet gate idea.

Also, this is in Fota, land that has been well cared for over the years, not exactly the urban garden it tries to emulate with its rocks, stones and waste.
Even worse - reclaiming land on a small holding

For the soil test for example, an expensive electronic device, not the bog standard shake and see that most people will use.

As MASTER...of the bra said, the use of roundup is disturbing. Why not show people how to make their own weedkiller or support a small Irish company making organic weedkiller like OWK? There is a recession on you know, and I feel that RTE should when possible try to promote Irish companies.

Also, there is one piece of advice I always give people when developing a new garden for veg from grass is use supernemo's - again - an Irish company but vital against cutworms and wireworms - in particular when starting a veg garden on virgin grass land like a lawn. If you don't listen to anything else I say, that's the one thing you should heed - I speak from bitter experience.

Pretty poor program IMHO - but at least they gave it a shot.

Sonnenblumen

I watched it for the first time the other night. Couldn't watch the full show, instructions were incoherent, presentation dreadful and attention to detail was completely lacking.

It was difficult to discern any real level of expertise, be it how to lay roll turf, instal a patio or even build a basic Raised Veg frame. A pallet gate, who would want such crap? Old McDonald's Farm?

Probably suffers from inadequate resources, overall, a very amateurish production of poor standard, and I doubt if I'll watch again.

A bunch of students would do better.:(

paddy147

Sorry,but that presenter hasnt a clue about acidic soil.:rolleyes:

He left bnehind some amount of stones in his soil when he was laying the rolled grass out.

Apart from that,it was a reasonable episode the other night.

paddy147

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

instal a patio or even build a basic Raised Veg frame. A pallet gate, who would want such crap? Old McDonald's Farm?

People who are into their allotments or starting out with an allotemnt.

Might be crap to a person like you,but its fine for people who keep allotments

Sonnenblumen

paddy147 wrote: »

People who are into their allotments or starting out with an allotemnt.

Might be crap to a person like you,but its fine for people who keep allotments

I would not consider an allotment a garden.

paddy147

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

I would not consider an allotment a garden.

Would you ever wize up and cop on.

Alot of people use their own gardens to grow their own fruit,and veg these days.The economic downturn has had a big effect on many many people and diy money saving ideas are all the rage now.

Alot of what that programme shows and deals with IS relevent to anyone who is starting out on an allotment or has an allotment allready.

Allotments are a fast growing pastime and hobby in this country,especially with the economic downturn and emphasis on growing your own veg.

Example of things dealt with on that programme that have relevence to an allotment is raised veg beds,growing potatoes and onions,moving around your vegetables each season,and so on.


Ive just started getting into the gardening and allotment side of things,thanks to my girlfriend.
Shes a fully qualified,professional horticulturalist,landscape architect and garden designer and she has her own 250 square meter allotment.

She loves working on and in state owned and private walled victorian gardens,raised garden projects and also on her allotment,so her passion has rubbed off on me.


So dont be looking down your nose at allotments or anyone who would get good information or use out of that programme and apply what they learnt to their own allotment or garden.


Many people also grow food,fruits and veg in their own gardens too.

That might not be to your taste or to low brow for you,but dont dump on it.Its very popular in this country nowadays




Wize up and cop on with regards your posts and comments.

Sonnenblumen

^^^who is looking down what nose and what are you ranting on about? I gave my opinion of the programme and that gate.

You love it, good for you.

paddy147

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

^^^who is looking down what nose and what are you ranting on about? I gave my opinion of the programme and that gate.

You love it, good for you.

Im pointing out something that is very obvious with regards that programme and how it would relate to allotments or peoples gardens,that you seem to like to slate,with regards your post about the programme and the diy tips they gave and showed.

Im not ranting on at all.And Im not looking down my nose at anyone,or low browing them either.

But Im making a clear statement to you with regards gardens and allotments in respect of the programme and what it showed.

Less of your belittling comments towards the people who would watch the programme or get any diy ideas or use from it.

Wize Up

redser7

Personally I think it is poor because it doesn't know what it is trying to be.
On the one had I think it is aimed at the complete beginner. Nothing wrong with that. But then they literally flies through areas with terriblly scant detail. I think it could be more off-putting that encouraging to a new gardener.
Best if they had focussed on fewer areas and given more detail. A waste of TV budget if you ask me. I image there is a huge appetite for a new Irish gardening programme. Why not give it the full hour and do it right!?
Now this is good TV ...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Geoff-Hamilton-Collection-Anniversary-Gardeners/dp/B000R343M6

I think there is about 20 hours worth of episodes for just over a tenner!

magicbastarder

a gardening program would not be a particularly expensive series to make; so it's a pity they don't set up a recurring one, a la gardeners world.
the 'dermot's secret garden' series is not really a gardening series, it's more a documentary.

Zuiderzee

Paddy147 - like Sonnenblumen, I do not think of an allotment as a garden, it's a dedicated veg patch -which I prefer.
Despite having 16 acres, I have set up my own kitchen garden as an allotment, based on what I have seen in England and had in Holland.
But I think you got the wrong end of the stick if you think that's an elitist comment somehow.
From the veg part of the show - the only bit that would interest me, I have already pointed out that they had a chance to promote better, and cheaper, alternatives to roundup and did not.

When it cames to the spuds, the presenter asked 'have these been chitted' without explaining what that means, simple things like that.

I think redser7 hit the nail on the head, the program is not well defined in what it is trying to be.

Mr.Boots

I did and will continue to watch it for 2 reasons....
Its Irish
Its about gardening.

I do however think its pretty crap
The gate was a bit silly
The guys attitude was very "celtic tiger" Spray roundup, roll out lawn, lads laying patio ect ect ....in and out quickloy and easily!!!
I think the ladies garden is more interesting, but again not enough focus on basics and essentials.

Wyldwood

I have to agree with the majority here, I don't find this programme very good. I've been a huge fan of Gardener's World over the years & was looking forward to an Irish gardening programme back on air this spring but what a disappointment. Bring back Helen Dillon!!

Sonnenblumen

redser7 wrote: »

Personally I think it is poor because it doesn't know what it is trying to be.
On the one had I think it is aimed at the complete beginner. Nothing wrong with that. But then they literally flies through areas with terriblly scant detail. I think it could be more off-putting that encouraging to a new gardener.
Best if they had focussed on fewer areas and given more detail. A waste of TV budget if you ask me. I image there is a huge appetite for a new Irish gardening programme. Why not give it the full hour and do it right!?
Now this is good TV ...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Geoff-Hamilton-Collection-Anniversary-Gardeners/dp/B000R343M6

I think there is about 20 hours worth of episodes for just over a tenner!

Agree, Geoff Hamilton made classic TV gardening programmes. Why doesn't RTE simply pay the rights to run the series, hardly cost grounds?

May be TG4 will do an Irish dub version.:)

niceoneted

I am in my house nearly 10 years and keep wanting to do something with the garden. I have watch numerous shows and have never been inspired. This time I am. I thought they made it look pretty easy to get started - ok a bit of graft. but they have taken the fear out of gardening for me.
I have a plan in place and purchased some of the items needed.
I think it depends on the level of gardener. I also think there could be some improvements but I am intelligent enough to fill in the gaps.

magicbastarder

there ya go - the sort of person who the show was aimed at seemed to like it.
to be fair, comparing it to gardeners world is unfair; gardeners world is aimed at gardeners. this is aimed at people who are not.

bmaxi

niceoneted wrote: »

I am in my house nearly 10 years and keep wanting to do something with the garden. I have watch numerous shows and have never been inspired. This time I am. I thought they made it look pretty easy to get started - ok a bit of graft. but they have taken the fear out of gardening for me.
I have a plan in place and purchased some of the items needed.
I think it depends on the level of gardener. I also think there could be some improvements but I am intelligent enough to fill in the gaps.

Usually the fear of gardening is a fear of failure and looking an idiot.
I've had my own garden, in one place or another, for more than forty years and I can guarantee that this year, I will make a balls of something I've probably been doing every one of those years.
The great thing about gardening is, you always have someone to blame, Mother Nature. Too much/little rain,sun, heat, cold, light, dark etc. I've planted "dwarf" shrubs which are now 30ft high, introduced plants which looked nice and then took twenty years to get rid of, stupid things too numerous to mention. The thing is you learn from your mistakes and you'll always get a second chance.
I hate these TV shows that show beautiful clipped topiary and immaculate lawns and all these manufactured beds and borders. That's ok if you have teams of professional gardeners and landscapers or oodles of time and money, but for the regular guy trying to get out the back between the showers, it's pie in the sky.
Just get out and do it and if it doesn't work there's always next year.

HardyEustace

niceoneted wrote: »

I thought they made it look pretty easy to get started - ok a bit of graft. but they have taken the fear out of gardening for me.

To be honest, the would be one of my main criticism about the program. I've recently finished my garden which, though a small garden, had a lot of hard landscaping in it. It is pure slog to dig out the garden, put hardcore down, get it whacked down properly, get your levels right.

I got professionals in do my paving, I was absolutely delighted with the quality of the work and because my garden is sloped, I needed all their expertise when it came to drainage and laying it out.

The guy who put the patio down barely mentioned all the work, didn't even show people what a whacker plate was, didn't mention how important levels were, drainage was happily skipped over and unless you'd done it yourself, you may not have noticed that he had THREE, YES, THREE people in the back ground helping...

Hardly do it yourself.

touts

I am currently doing my garden (front last year back this year) with both family/ornamental aspects and raised beds. I was looking forward to this show but I had a bad feeling when the guy said "gardening is easy. You stick it in the ground and it grows". Well either he is talking rubbish or my plot defies the laws of gardening. A good 15 to 20% of what "I stuck in the ground" last year is dead now. In my investigation of a number of these untimely demises I have discovered it could be frost, lack of watering, too much watering, wrong PH, disease, bad drainage, pests, wind, lack of sun etc etc. I probably have had all of these in my 12 months as a hobby gardner.

Basically "stick it in the ground and it grows" sums up the problems with the show.

And I dont like the new gardeners world. Last year it was packed with tips for the average Gardner with the average garden. This year it feels aimed at professionals running a 200 year old estate. I come away feeling how hopelessly immature, inadequate and small my litte plot is.

Sonnenblumen

Touts

plants can and do fail even if all the obvious factors are correct including PH, soil conditions, aspect, aftercare etc etc. In my opinion, poor ground preparation is also a common cause of plant failure. Simply digging a little hole is not sufficient which is why, hence one of Alan Titchmarsh's many tips, 'spend twice as much on the hole as you did on the plant'. Also within the many plant groups/varieties available, some are more vunerable despite what the books/labels might say. There are also a core group of sure fire reliables, but gardens like people are individual by nature, which is why it's good to trial and err etc.

The important thing though is to understand why and learn from why a particular plant did not do as well as expected. What's it called, experiential learning, and in the university of gardening, one is always learning.