Grow Your Own Magazine

Hmmmm.
for what its worth my plot is less than a minute away!
but I dont have any old boys and I really wouldnt know how long the waiting lists here are as my plot is offically classed as "garden" by the council.
The triangle beds looked good but arnt raised beds supposed to mean you dont step on them and compact the soil? Isnt that the point? so how will he weed the middle bit?
my council wont send me a skip so I can remove the old falling down and dangerous buildings, nor will they collect the aspestos sheets that are too big for the car.
free compost???? free scraping????? I know it happens in some places, I'm just envious.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

am watching gardeners world and was paticularly interested in the allotment feature. however where i am out in the country (5 min drive but would not bike as up a big hill) we get no water, no scraping off and our local timber merchants do not give away wood i do pay a minimal rent though. cant wait to see what his kids feel next week mine hate going to mine bored in 5 mnis

!!!!!...... " and it's not just because I am with the BBC" how out of touch do they think we are!!! once I heard that....well I just could not take it any longer.
Did he do any work on his plot??? nice to have water so close!!! cloches for triangular beds??? what to plant in the corners? oh please.....no more I just cant take it ;-)
"and it's not free just because we are the BBC"
Pigs at two o'clock ginger ......rat a tat tat

see - it is my understanding that Joe put the idea to the Beeb and he is funding* it and I think there is a touch of meaness going on here. If you notice he doesn't often even have a camera-man, he is self-filming**

True that his beds are a little odd, I laughed so much when Lottie-Man-Of-The-Century said 'St. Geoff's beds were 4 foot for a reason' ROFL.......
......however, remember that Joe IS a garden designer, he can't help bringing some of himself and his 'day work' into the plot and again - why shouldn't he!

Good luck to you Joe



*true he will be able to claim it against his tax bill and that is how it should be

**wonders if that is legal

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aka
Suzie

...and therefore knows little about growing stuff!

What a wasted opportunity from the BBC, no doubt they felt we needed yet more examples of where 'controversial' and adverserial' are what tv programming is all about!

You're welcome to him Piskie - I wish the Beeb had chosen his mate Cleeve to do the programme we might have had an enjoyable programme and something interesting to watch.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Hear hear. It took him 3 months to clear the plot - does anyone really want to watch that week-in week-out?

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

How many "traditional veg growers" would enter a garden design project/competition? ie: do what Joe does for a living, and be successful at it straight away?

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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Having had my rant, and thought about it.... afterwards...doh

maybe it is "each to his own" I like plots that are different.

I think its just his way of putting things that bugs me! lets wait and see what happens!
I will watch it again and again any gardening is good!

What's a 'traditional veg grower'?

If I wanted to watch a programme on brain surgery I wouldn't watch one done by a garage mechanic.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

But surely this (garden design) is just another leg/arm/brain of gardening no? Isn't it more like watching brain surgery performed by a GP rather than a garage mechanic?

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aka
Suzie

Oh, come on, you know - those folk that don't like change, them that bemoan about anything new, them's that like "traditional" methods. I've met a few in my time who question what I'm doing/have done on my plot. I know a number of what I call "traditional veg growers" who know almost nothing about flowers, about garden layouts or what they would consider the "namby pamby" side of gardening.

Sometimes, for us folk that are still learning, seeing other "professionals" also get it wrong, is perversley encouraging. Learning is about experience, rather than simply being told all the time surely?

So watching a programme on "gardening" you only expect to see a certain type of gardening, rather than, let's say - surgery in general?

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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In fairness, while it may have its flaws in terms of realism and a bit of artiness to it, at least the Beeb are showing allotment gardening on primetime tellie. I know a lot of you here mention a programme (The Big Dig?) that's on one of the multitude of otehr channels, but this is primetime tv which everyone in the country gets. And even if it's not totally true to life, it is relatively so (it will be interesting to see the appearance of not of weeds in the summer, and also how many seedlings he grows himself or does he rely on plug plants for year 1 - as I did).

I missed bits of it on Friday (the toddler wanted me to do bedtime - grrrr) but I saw a reasonable amount and it was useful and seemed relatively (bearing in mind the difference cameras would amek anyway) true to life. He did point out all the couch grass (I noticed about "cooch" too!!), and seemed to acknowledge that he should have taken more out beforehand (or maybe I was a bit too distracted at that point).

His beds may be a bit arty for some, but at least he is making clearly defined spaces for growing and others for walking. And he did modify it to put a path through the middle.

I can't watch it again unless I do the middle of the night trick (but might have had enough coffee tomorrow that it's possible!) as iPlayer doesn't work over here. But I will be watching with interest over the coming months, and even if Joe doesn't follow all the advice himself, at least it is being given and viewers can take it on board for themselves.

(As it happens, I spent the previous Friday night knitting a scarf while watching GW, but was on to a baby blanket last week!! Might try a scarf for myself soon....)

So I don't stand totally alone in my support for Joe then

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aka
Suzie

Nope. *stands next to piskie* shoulder to, erm knee.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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*gets box and waves JS banner with big lad

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Suzie

I'm going to have to watch this now..... do you have any idea how much I dislike watching JS? Am I allowed to speed through Monty or do I have to spend the entire time getting wound up and swearing at the screen?

I'll swap computers and get BBCi on.....


Mutter..... mutter......

Triangular beds, I can cope with, just. But I'm sorry, this 'scrape' thing that's been done really P's me off. Yes, I WOULD like to have seen it take 3 months to clear. This is the reality for 90% of people getting a new allotment. Not showing how much hard work it is to clear is doing a dis-service to all the people who have worked their nads off getting their plots sorted AND gives completely the wrong impression to people who think they can get a plot & have it productive in about 2 weeks... And as for timber merchants GIVING away timber to somebody not part of BBC - PAH!

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

I'm with you both.
We could even start a JS Appreciation Society or is that going to far ?

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Regards
Lady Jana Muck

http://ladyjanamuck.blogspot.com/

That sounds like a job for Bookface! Another favourite on here.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Tell you what, I'll support JS if he can come here and get me thesis finished in the same fashion. Tis due to the binders next tuesday and I can't concentrate!!!! (As in, I have enough material, I think, but I can't write it in any kind of coherent, making sense, kind of way).

JSAS - hum, has a ring to it

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aka
Suzie