Topic: What did we think of The Edible Garden?

[fi]

i think Alys has some good practices of reusing things, organic, compost etc. the program was good showing people how easy it is to grow in their own garden (especially as there is a shortage of allotments) and that it can look good. my daughter (teenager) watched the programe with me on i player and she enjoyed it. I will be watching it with her as it seems to have captured her interest. also how fantastic a woman gardener with her own gardening series (may not be what i want to watch! but good for her)
the BBC does not cater for people who already have any depth of horticultural knowledge, i think these programs are to inspire new growers, it' the whole lifestyle thing. but at least its a positive image and my daughter laughingly tells me that i am fashionable now!
there will be some BBC researcher who browses these forums, so please make programes for people not new to horticulture.

[mpdjulie]

I had put it on a record on my sky plus box but after watching 1st programme I shall be deleting it.  No information at all just an airy fairy girl poncing around her back garden.  My husband says that there should be a gardening programme focused on just allotment growing seeing as how it is becoming more popular.  How informative and watchable would that be???

[goodlife]

well it may interest new growers..but do they really learn much...if you haven't done any gardening at all or little you don't pick much practical advice out of this program other than wondering around your plants with totally unpractical close on for gardening...now if you wan't learn how to show you knickers to your neighbour..... ;D ::)

[1066]

Well I had to go and have a look at these programmes on iplayer just to see what everyone was on about.
And I think Fi and a few others have summed it up for me. Not a programme designed for me, but maybe it will get a few more people thinking about trying a few veggies in their gardens. That's how I started, a few herbs, some strawberries, stuff in pots etc and I gradually ran out of room and got myself an allotment.
Besides there is so much info on the web and in books as to the actual details of sowing, planting etc that if anyone is interested they can find it themselves

1066

[Mortality]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s1lc8

Just watched the second Edible Garden program, to do with salad veg, I liked it, definitely better than the first one, shame about her tomatoes  :-\.

[plot51A]

Watched it for the first time yesterday, will not be watching any more. As for her reclaimed window "greenhouse" holding 1 tomato plant -"it only cost me £150" but she would only buy her tomato plants at the car boot sale to save money - pretentious tosh! and then - well shame about the tomatoes and blight but "I'm never growing them again" is hardly going to encourage anyone else to give it a try.

[goodlife]

...and why is she bothering George all the time?..taking chaps food..
I thought she was going to grow it all..it is one way of being self-sufficient ::)..
And why is she bying all the stuff?..for the price of the plants she could get the seeds and those packets will last for her couple or years at least!
How difficult it is to pick blight resistant variety of tomato, sow few seed and grow them to a plants..now that is what she should show for newbies!!! >:(

[Duke Ellington]

Give George his own tv show it would be far more interesing! He probably is wondering who is this strange woman, why is she taking my  tomatoes ;D ;D

I loved Alys's statement "I have never made nettle beer before" !! I think it would be better to have said "I have never tasted nettle beer before"

I am getting so fed up of these *selling a lifestyle* type of tv shows!

Duke

[manicscousers]

at least she gets her hands dirty though  ;D
seriously, no info about slugs and snails on salads, what does she do to stop them?  ???

[gwynnethmary]

Enjoyed Edible Garden more this episode- I think I'll make some nettle feed for my tomatoes.  Beechgrove still gets my vote though!

[goodlife]

at least she gets her hands dirty though  ;D
seriously, no info about slugs and snails on salads, what does she do to stop them?  ???

Oh yes..that too..pricking out lettuce seedlings with fingers!!Most of us would have used dibber, pencil or some sort of stick...but fingers.. ::)..now I wonder how many roots were there left in those little lettuces...
If she has horticultural training..I'm sure that she has never been tought to do that...!

[SueK]

(Finally) watched the first program on our pvr last night - I can't say it had no appeal, but I really don't know how she could say it was about peas and beans as it seemed to convey almost no information, for either beginners or more experienced gardeners.  She could have said so much on the subject, not just on cultivating the veg but also why they might appeal to people who are growing for the first time, including kitchen and food value sort of things, or even dropped a hint here and there.

Definitely a taster, rather than the way to go.

[carosanto]

Hi Y'All

Fi, You mentioned the one keyword which describes what this programme (and Gardeners World to some extent) is all about.  'Lifestyle'.  Alys is merely feeding a need to keep up with the latest fad.  Everyone's 'gone green',  et an allotment, dig a bit, stick up some pretty (expensive) supports throw in some bean plants,  a sweet pea or two, and of course some trendy tomatoes.  Go away, and return some weeks later to find birds, weather and weeds have done their thing.  Become disillusioned and go home to grow potatoes on the patio or salads in boxes instead cos it's not such hard work. 

The secret of 'sustainability' and the upkeep of a 'viable' allotment is not to keep up with what is 'trending' right now.  It is a mixture of common sense, good husbandry (is that now considered sexist?) and hard work.  Oh and you really do have to go to your allotment more than once every fortnight!  Alys is merely providing a 'lifestyle choice' - and will last till the next best thing comes along. 
 
Regards, Caro

[Mortality]

Just watched GW and Beechgrove (Iplayer), ok I guess not much about veg gardening though. ::)

[GlentoranMark]

Its an OK lifestyle program and has given me some ideas. You shouldn't really knock another gardening program as there isn't enough as it is, I do agree with the guy who wants an Allotment program.

[Froglegs]

Put me down as a Beechgrove fan much better than GW.

[froglets]

Thank you Thank you Thank you to everyone here who has helped me get back to The Beechgrove Garden.  I used to watch it when I lived at home, and mum often asks if I've seen it, but I have to remind her that it's not on English BBC.  ( But that's a whole other confusion - it's BBC so I must se the same progs.....)  I luv Jim McColl.

[Mortality]

Just watched the third, 'The Edible Garden' and I agree with Duke, give George and Mr Singh their own allotment show.  ;D
I still find it nice to watch even if it all looks like a jungle !!

[OberonUK]

Someone described the presenter to me as 'a cross between Charlie Dimmock and Sophie Dahl' Although that said, last night I did start to wonder if I should maybe get some rhubarb and grow it in the somewhat wild border I have. Hadn't even considered it before. Is showing things that don't work (her tomato) so bad? Better maybe than some other 'perfect' gardening programmes where everything always works and they never have so much as a dandelion to compete with? The message would have been better if it had come across as 'sometimes things go wrong but don't be disheartened, work our what caused the problem and try again next year' instead of the toys-out-of-pram 'I'm never growing tomatoes again'!

[goodlife]

Poor George again.... ::)That girl will eat his allotment empty...