Topic: Gardeners World Allotment - Raised beds

[allaboutliverpool]

As an aside to my thread in Edible Stuff, Joe kept going on about his "raised beds".
It looked to me that all he had done was cobble together a few bits of nice timber and lay them on the soil.

He them proceded to spread wood chippings over the rotovated paths, thus ensuring that those paths become a repository for the roots of perennial weeds to spread to the beds.

He should have transferred the topsoil from the paths to the beds, thus RAISING the level of the soil. That would have given him deeper soil and better drainage with fewer weed roots in the paths.

He now has non-raised beds that need to be walked on because they are so big surrounded by paths full of couch grass and mares tail!

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Deep_bed_building.html

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html

[manicscousers]

next week there'll be 10 ton of topsoil miraculously appear in them, cynical, me ?  ;D

[debjay]

ROFL ;D
So true, all the garden goblins will come and sort it before next weeks show ;D

[springbok]

I think from what I can see is that he is not being an EXPERT with his allotment.  He is a novice to it all, just like lots of folk who have never had an allotment.

He has got the allotment for himself and his family which is being filmed throughout the year.

I think its great that just like myself,  making mistakes, but next year will learn from them.  Maybe you should tell him to come join this forum... but then again he could already be here asking questions and none of us would know lol.

I think your missing the whole point.   He is new to allotments!!!... Why pick on him just coz he is a gardening designer!!!!..  That was the whole point of filming him in the first place!!!... He didnt have a clue!!.. Watch episode 1 of gardeners world that was done this year... when Monty explained that they were going to film this allotment with its woes and successes through out the year... coz just like many beginners...he was clueless.

[AndrewB]

Totally agree - we don't all start knowing the best way to do everything - this site probably wouldn't exist if we did.   I don't have a problem with people pointing out better ways to do things but lets not be too critical - I think its going to be a great feature if we take it for what it is.

[Si D]

Problem is though, that many people look to GW to see how things should be done: they will assume that because it's on TV in a respected program that it is right.  Thus he runs the risk of inspiring many viewers to go off on the wrong tack from the outset. 

It was good that he laboured the point about his future couch grass problems.  But he might also have suggested that anyone thinking of starting a lottie might consider not trying to do the whole thing in one go......I fear we might end up with many temporarily cleared plots that become weed jungles by summer while their owners are recovering from the various stress injuries that they've incurred while trying to dig over the whole plot in one morning  ;D

[Lee Marshall]

I thought the programme was okay and was obviously filmed during January and February....the weeds will be growing now so if its honest we have a lot of interesting times ahead.   The highlight for me was when a lady passed him at the allotment and he said I am sorry but I have forgotten your name already....quick as a flash she said I am sorry I have forgotten yours also....brilliant and it wasn't edited..who is Joe Swift anyway?...who gives a s**t obviously not the allotment holders around him.

[Pootle]

For me the trouble was that he kept saying what he should be doing and then not doing it!  He is supposed to have some level of knowledge and even a gardener who has only done the 'pretty' stuff before would know about weeding...surely?

[davyw1]

Am i the only one that does not watch the programme. Altho i will admit to watching a minute or so of one where Monty was on about planting onion sets
" Onion sets need to be planted on firm ground " says Monty, " How i do it is push my finger into the soil to create a hole and then place the set in it" says Monty. If that is your idea of firm ground you would break your finger in my onion bed thinks i, and changed channels

[star]

Welcome Pootle  :D Hope you enjoy the site

 ;D ;D ;D ;D @ Davyw

[manicscousers]

hiya, pootle, nice to meet you, I've got a couple of beds like that  ;D

[Baaaaaaaa]

Do you think Mr Clarkson and his Top Ground Gear Force would have done it differently ?

[Deb P]

Do you think Mr Clarkson and his Top Ground Gear Force would have done it differently ?

Having watched their 'makeover' of Steve Redgraves garden, oh yes...... ;D

I watched the GW programme on catch up tv last night as I was interested to see what all the fuss was about. I thought it was ok, at least there is now some more airtime being given to allotmenteering.

However, I presume his haste to get to a planting stage is driven by the fact it is being filmed for the programme, which is a pressure I would hate to have. I too marvelled at the shape of his 'raised' (flat) beds, which I will be interested to see how practical they end up being. Not much information given about the rest of the layout, just a brief glimpse of his written plan which I would have liked to have seen properly.

I felt there was a strong feeling of an instant makeover show about the whole thing, I can't wait for him to plant his raspberry canes in that weedy soil and spend forever weeding them...

I think Monty Don is sitting at home in his veg garden having a right laugh at it all!

[bluehousehill]

I thought he was clear the he is a newbie. He has made mistakes but I think that is part of it. I hope he keeps going with it and gets enjoyment for his family and himself.

I really wish I had a van, loads of wood, bark, compost etc but I have got a lot of free stuff and have really got mine in a good way quickly and very cheaply but I took nearly a month off work as I had loads of annual leave to use up.

I just wanted mine in an ok shape so the family can have a go at planting, if we get anything this year it will be a bonus. I must admit I thought he was just a normal bloke starting out as I have only watch the programme once.

[keef]

I watched it, then truned it over when the old bird with the witches fingers came on.

He maybe a newbie, and yes he may not know how to do everything to start with - but he should at least listen to the advice of the other plot holders...

I can see where the other plot holders are coming from - his raised beds do look a bit daft in comparison to everyone elses allotments, but also they dont seem very practical, for a start they look to wide for a walking board (that wont bend and squash the soil down anyway), there seems to be a lot of wasted space aswell..

Anywhere else, if you saw that setup on a plot - you could gaurantee in a year it would be 2' high with weeds with a runner bean wigwan covered in bindweed sticking up in the middle, but as has been said the BBC garden goblins make it look all nice and pretty.

It would be good if we could get someone on here who has one of the other plots....

[caroline7758]

To be fair, he did say he needed to get the weeds out, so I guess he (and helpers) are going to do that, then fill the beds up. As I watched it I kept changing my mind- couldn't help feeling very jealous of the supply of compost and woodchips but enjoyed the rest.