"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , VivienB
writes

What a picky lot you are! I am listening to *what* they are telling
me, so I can try to judge whether it is likely to be useful. So long
as they speak clearly, what does the timbre (or whatever it is you
object to) matter? I would much prefer either of these women telling
me something that I can use, to the decorative and pretty-voiced ones
going on about something valueless.

Regards, VivienB


But isn't that the essence of a good communicator? I bet there's loads of
really great gardeners out there but if they deliver the information n a
voice that has about as much enthusiasm and emotion as if they were
reading the telephone directory then the joy of their subject won't be
imparted. However Geoff and Alan and Dan Pearson and others all seem to
actually LOVE gardening whereas Diarmuid of the motorway constructions and
Chris of the 'I can jump over this fence easily' never seem to have the
'enthusiasm' for the individual plants, just the 'overall effect'

I guess there's two sides to gardening in the media's eyes. The effect
party who just want to have a five foot of blue/wavy to fill a space like
buying three foot of library books and then there's the others who do look
at an effect but actually seem to see the plants and especially (joy of
joys) the actual varieties. I mean to say, they suggest 'a clematis' to
fill a space but then there's ;literally hundreds to choose from!
Helen Dillon and the RTE programme about 8 years ago was brilliant, they
suggested varieties, some common, some unusual and even had me viewing
with a pen and paper. They didn't generalise for 'effect' but actually
looked at each plant and its performance.

I am forced to agree with this. Helen Dillon is THE best garden programme
presenter I have ever seen. She is unique.
I did not realise you lot over on the "mainland" got to see that programme.
She is quite a character, apparently, and has a keen sense of humour. I
recall in one programme she pointed out how to remember where to plant a
particular rose variety which had a ladies name. The name escapes me but
let's pretend it was Victoria. She said with a straight face that Victoria
was bad in a bed but good against a wall. She used to write the gardening
column for one of the Irish Sunday newspapers (Sunday Tribune) and these
were collected and published in book form. Some of it is very funny. It is
all passionate and informative.


janet
--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants