Comments on: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and 'Britain's Best Garden'

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:25:43 +0000

Sounds like an interesting project. Andrew Lloyd Webber is great. Are you thinking about finding a singing presenter?(Seeing is believing!)Maggie Barry is a New Zealand presenter who has an interest in both gardening and food.

In the UK Rachel de Thame has caused quite a stir with her comments that; “Either you have an idea about how things should look as regards proportion and shape or you don’t. It is something that can be coaxed out but really it is innate.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-565907/Uproar-BBC-gardening-presenter-claims-Chelsea-Flower-Show-designers-dont-need-knowledge-plants-win.html

Perhaps after these comments it would be difficult for her to be considered a well informed presenter?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:41:22 +0000

This could be the $64,000 question – if the cost of financial advice has fallen to the credit crunch! I’ll think about it, but the key could be in finding a talented presenter. Perhaps we need an Andrew Lloyd Webber type talent show. I heard this morning that he is going to write a song for the Eurovision Song Contest and use a talent show to find a singer.

By: The Garden Monkey

The Garden Monkey — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:41:07 +0000

I have to agree, Tom.

What are your ideas for a TV Gardening programme?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:16:23 +0000

Thank you, Grenville, for describing additional weaknesses in Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s ‘I own Britain’s Best Garden’. The ‘I own’ part of the title adds a further note of boastful distastefulness to the show and, with the current hounding of bankers, invites curiosity concerning the funding of the design projects.
Monty Don’s programme was a much nicer production: excellent photography and pleasingly naive commentary. But it left me yearning for a well-informed presenter. TV executives treat gardening programmes as ‘watched by amateurs’ and therefore best ‘made by amateurs’, like reality-TV shows, with a few would-be-clebs to spice things up.

By: Grenville Johnson

Grenville Johnson — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:58:26 +0000

I agree that the programme is extremely shallow.The judges remarks are petty and sometimes unprofessional and they resort to the ridiculous voting system of holding up cards to decide the winner. We open our award winning garden that is the smallest in The Natioanl Gardens Scheme in Bristol.The main point is how have these gardens been selected for the programme? No one so far has mentioned this point in the programme, and often the owners and their gardens are humiliated by the judges. I’m surpised that the National Gardens Scheme is providing the awards in the form of the winners plaques for this dreadful programme.

By: stefan

stefan — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:06:30 +0000

i thought Monty Dons around the world in 80 gardens was excellent

By: John

John — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:59:52 +0000

Agred. But I think your point applies to design critics better than to designers. Lots of untrained people make good gardens (like Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson). Nor to you need a garden design training to have ‘good taste’ – maybe it doesn’t even help. But a design training and the experience of visiting a lot of gardens definitely makes a person into a better critic. Alan Titchmarsh is a complete ham when it comes to talking about design.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:53:29 +0000

Your point applies to design critics better than to designers. Lots of untrained people make good gardens (like Vita Sackville West and Harold Nicholson). Nor to you need a garden design training to have ‘good taste’ – maybe it doesn’t even help. But a design training and the experience of visiting a lot of gardens definitely makes a person into a better critic. Alan Titchmarsh is a complete ham when it comes to talking about design.