Who is online?
In total there is 1 user online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 1 Guest None
Most users ever online was 62 on 10th April 2015, 8:24 am
Latest topics
» The Christmas workshopby FloBear 10th December 2019, 5:12 pm
» December in the garden ?
by freebird 6th December 2019, 11:17 am
» The November garden - time to tidy, but not too much !
by Dandelion 28th November 2019, 8:31 pm
» My new garden.
by Ploshkin 19th November 2019, 6:40 pm
» What arts and craft things have you been making lately?
by FloBear 19th November 2019, 5:55 pm
» What are you harvesting today?
by Dandelion 7th November 2019, 5:55 pm
» The October garden, a pause for reflection
by Dandelion 22nd October 2019, 8:39 pm
» Allotments could be key to sustainable farming
by Chilli-head 20th October 2019, 2:52 pm
» Shakshouka
by FloBear 3rd October 2019, 10:28 pm
» Shades of autumn in the September garden
by FloBear 3rd October 2019, 10:26 pm
» Welcome guest
by Ploshkin 8th September 2019, 10:41 am
» Practical Action
by Chilli-head 6th September 2019, 1:23 pm
» Overheated in the August garden
by Dandelion 3rd September 2019, 9:34 pm
» Adverts
by FloBear 29th August 2019, 8:53 am
» High summer in the July garden
by FloBear 23rd July 2019, 12:13 pm
» Insect hotel
by FloBear 12th July 2019, 1:00 pm
» Peregrines
by FloBear 4th July 2019, 10:18 pm
» Tomato trusses
by freebird 29th June 2019, 10:31 am
» Bursting out in the June garden
by FloBear 23rd June 2019, 7:11 pm
» New "New Horizons"
by Dandelion 21st June 2019, 4:01 pm
Statistics
We have 245 registered usersThe newest registered user is skweller
Our users have posted a total of 46078 messages in 2352 subjects
Donate to our chosen Charity

HML on FaceBook
Big Dreams Small Spaces
Big Dreams Small Spaces
I was catching up on this episode of Monty Don's Big Dreams Small Spaces series last night. One of the projects was introduced as being about providing a vegetable garden for people who were suffering illness, great so far.
But as the programme progressed I found myself getting irritated. [I should confess I had had a few glasses of wine by this point after a hard day at work, so forgive me if I'm a bit harsh]. There was talk of restoring derelict woodland, or their plan to build a productive terraced allotment on a treacherously steep slope in the middle of a wooded wasteland. When we see the site, there is woodland, with a lot of ivy. Restoring it seemed to involve cutting down trees and clearing the ivy (which is a great plant for all manner of creatures), and constructinmg a terraced garden using a digger. The only things that actually looked derelict to me was the ugly corrugated iron building and metal chain link fence that was retained ! In fact the building - I assume it was theirs - they made IMHO look much worse by parrtially and poorly painting it. The resulting garden still looked too shady for very sucessful veg growing to me.
Lovely idea helping people through gardening therapy, but why there ? Why not pick a truly derelict site to begin with rather than grubbing up woodland. Hmm.
But as the programme progressed I found myself getting irritated. [I should confess I had had a few glasses of wine by this point after a hard day at work, so forgive me if I'm a bit harsh]. There was talk of restoring derelict woodland, or their plan to build a productive terraced allotment on a treacherously steep slope in the middle of a wooded wasteland. When we see the site, there is woodland, with a lot of ivy. Restoring it seemed to involve cutting down trees and clearing the ivy (which is a great plant for all manner of creatures), and constructinmg a terraced garden using a digger. The only things that actually looked derelict to me was the ugly corrugated iron building and metal chain link fence that was retained ! In fact the building - I assume it was theirs - they made IMHO look much worse by parrtially and poorly painting it. The resulting garden still looked too shady for very sucessful veg growing to me.
Lovely idea helping people through gardening therapy, but why there ? Why not pick a truly derelict site to begin with rather than grubbing up woodland. Hmm.
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 2852
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I didn't see the episode you mentioned, but watched last week when a young homeowner wanted to transform her back garden, and a man who had been ill and had been homeless and jobless was transforming an overgrown allotment. It was the first time I'd seen the programme - in this series, presumably a lot of the ideas and impetus comes from the people who own the gardens/plots while Monty is there in more of an advisory role. I wonder how frustrated he became while making the series? He gives advice but doesn't really affect the final design.
The programme you describe sounds very frustrating - it sounds as if it would have been better to have left the site as woodland for people who have been ill to sit in, and maybe do some maintenance. It's not going to be much of a morale booster if the veg fail to thrive!
The programme you describe sounds very frustrating - it sounds as if it would have been better to have left the site as woodland for people who have been ill to sit in, and maybe do some maintenance. It's not going to be much of a morale booster if the veg fail to thrive!
................................................................................................................................
The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly in the air like birds and swim in the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers and sisters.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 4938
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 63
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I've only seen one or two of these. They were fairly sensible - one was a tiny back yard with high walls in London and the other a pocket handkerchief garden of a new build with, of course, no decent soil.
Ploshkin- Posts : 1445
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I watch this when I remember. A recent one had a woman with a small garden being advised by MD to put a large tree in the middle of it. Sensibly, and with some help from the garden centre chap, she chose a crab apple. Many of MD's designs and ideas are good but caution is needed when he suggests things like this. Last year he suggested planting the native iris in a garden pond (forgive me if I've grumbled about this before) a ridiculous suggestion as I know to my cost having tried it once myself. Surely he must know how rampant they are.
FloBear- Posts : 726
Join date : 2015-02-10
Location : East Dorset
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
Hah ha ! One of the biggest problems of gardening is that most plants will either not like your conditions and present a continual challenge to keep them alive, or they love your garden and want to take over. Your challenge is to find the few plants between those extremes. The absolutely best advice I've been given is to look what is growing well in your neighbours garden (open gardens days are great for this sort of espionage). You don't need to plant exactly those plants, but they will give a good understanding of the conditions you have.
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 2852
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I think they are mainly concerned with what looks good for tv regardless of the practicality or suitability. It's very rare that you see a programme revisiting these projects.
Ploshkin- Posts : 1445
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
Ploshkin wrote:I think they are mainly concerned with what looks good for tv regardless of the practicality or suitability.
That's TV in general. A good story beats good sense and facts any day.
But back to Monty Don's programme. I do quite like him as a presenter, and I think he does have the right sort of ideas - he did stress the need to get some light in a few times. Can't really blame him for the odd choice of site to begin with. The other story on the same programme was a couple building a ruin / folly of sorts; when the builder had finished Monty was attacking the rather too neat brickwork with a hammer and chisel to make crevices for plants; spot on, it looked far too neat to be convincing as a ruin !
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 2852
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I've seen previous series of this, so was glad you mentioned it CH. Have been catching up on the available episodes.
The programme you first mentioned, with the 'derelict' woodland - it would have been interesting to have a wider view of the entire space. Whilst I generally agree with your thoughts, the area cultivated looked to me to be a small piece of something much larger, so maybe the impact on wildlife wouldn't have been so great.
Overall though, with this series, I've noticed people's schemes becoming more outlandish than previously - a distinct element of 'Well I'm going to prove it can be done' despite having the advice and mentoring of an experienced, well-respected gardener.
The programme you first mentioned, with the 'derelict' woodland - it would have been interesting to have a wider view of the entire space. Whilst I generally agree with your thoughts, the area cultivated looked to me to be a small piece of something much larger, so maybe the impact on wildlife wouldn't have been so great.
Overall though, with this series, I've noticed people's schemes becoming more outlandish than previously - a distinct element of 'Well I'm going to prove it can be done' despite having the advice and mentoring of an experienced, well-respected gardener.
freebird- Posts : 1866
Join date : 2011-10-19
Age : 63
Location : Powys
Re: Big Dreams Small Spaces
I wonder if that is the TV production people rather than the people with the garden. The increasingly outlandish happened to programmes like Bake Off & Sewing Bee. I think the producers think they need to do it to keep audiences interested but the popularity of these types of programmes at the beginning is that they are ordinary people doing things that we could all realistically do and they therefore inspire and encourage people to have a go themselves. Unfortunately the programmes quickly move away from this to pure entertainment and lose the relevance to most peoples livesOverall though, with this series, I've noticed people's schemes becoming more outlandish than previously
Ploshkin- Posts : 1445
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|