GW (in case you'd forgotten or thought BBC had put it to sleep)

sirbrainy

8:30pm - 9pmBBC2, BBC HDThe green-fingered team presents an edition from all four Royal Horticultural Society gardens, exploring how each location's climate affects the plants that can be grown on the plots. Carol Klein learns about trial beds in Wisley, Surrey, Monty Don examines the colourful borders at Rosemoor in Devon, Joe Swift picks up propagating tips at Harlow Carr in Yorkshire, and at Hyde Hall in Essex, Rachel de Thame discovers plants that thrive in dry conditions.

sirbrainy

Not a very good one, is Carol Klein in charge now?

amcluesent

Monty just said he was 'away' this week.

The programme shows why Carol shouldn't be the lead on GW! During the programme there was a daddy-long-legs buzzing around inside my lamp shade and I'm not sure which made the most annoying sounds.

Farway

Not yet seen it [recorded] but I will be interested in the Wisley one Carol Klein learns about trial beds in Wisley as I was only there a few weeks ago and just wonder if Carol saw something I did not

blossomhill_2

I was intrigued that Carol was collecting seeds at Wisley saying something along the lines of "get out there and collect seed" - as an RHS member I have to pay a fee for seed collected from the RHS gardens and wonder if the right message was put across
I do love GW and am trying hard not to let Monty's dress-sense detract from the good advice he gives me
It was great to see how different the 4 gardens are, as I am very familiar with Wisley but have not seen the others
From a money saving point of view; RHS really stress the importance of disinfecting tools when taking cuttings and this could help cut down on losses for anyone who finds they loose more than the odd one

amcluesent

>wonder if the right message was put across<

She did say she's got permissions, but I agree this will have given peeps ideas.

EDIT - just got back from a Well Known Garden with pockets stuffed with seeds. They'd only have gone on the compost IMHO.

tim_n

I fast forward through any bits with Carol Klein in. Can't stand her. I much prefered last years format, this year I find it too flower orientated, but that's because I prefered veg growing stuff.

djohn2002uk

I might have made my views on Monty Don pretty clear on more than one occasion but it seems I am not alone. When the program moved to his garden in March, GW had 2.5 million viewers. By July it was down to 2.12M and 1.97M in August. Used to be 4M in Titchmarsh's day. Producers have now admitted their errors of the last 2 years for which they made Toby Buckland the scapegoat.

blossomhill_2

djohn2002uk wrote: »

I might have made my views on Monty Don pretty clear on more than one occasion but it seems I am not alone. When the program moved to his garden in March, GW had 2.5 million viewers. By July it was down to 2.12M and 1.97M in August. Used to be 4M in Titchmarsh's day. Producers have now admitted their errors of the last 2 years for which they made Toby Buckland the scapegoat.

Well they have gained me as a viewer - I haven't been a fan since we lost Geoff Hamilton but I am now a regular viewer and following Monty's advice avidly - I just don't like his cordruoy suit.

I don't need my TV gardeners to be very qualified, just dispensing advice in a way I can remember and follow (and not in as in T's case, demonstrating adult toys on another programme)

How do they monitor who watches it in other ways? I watch it on iPlayer or at a friend's house live, so I doubt my viewing gets noted

[Deleted User]

blossomhill wrote: »

Well they have gained me as a viewer - I haven't been a fan since we lost Geoff Hamilton but I am now a regular viewer and following Monty's advice avidly - I just don't like his cordruoy suit.

I don't need my TV gardeners to be very qualified, just dispensing advice in a way I can remember and follow (and not in as in T's case, demonstrating adult toys on another programme)

I agree. I like Monty Don - he reminds me a lot of GH, who was so encouraging to all us amateurs; I still watch his two "specials" - Cottage Gardens and Paradise Gardens - and have learned loads from his advice . He didn't rely on expensive gadgets, but taught us how to save money by "make do and mend", and STILL have a beautiful garden. Could do with his advice these days ...

And, personally, i can't stand Alan T (stopped watching GM when he was on). He's very good at presentation and advertising, but when I used to watch him, I always had the feeling that as soon as the cameras stopped rolling he'd be off with the gloves and straight back to his study to write yet another dreadful novel (I tried reading one once) or organising his next TV chat show. Basically, his heart isn't really in gardening in the same way as GH or MD - it's just another "income stream" for him and I think that really comes across

oldtractor

Good old Geoff Hamilton. Its just not been the same since he died.