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Old 29-09-2013, 06:27 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Sacha[_11_] Sacha[_11_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2013
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Default GW viewing figures

On 2013-09-29 15:56:31 +0100, Janet said:

In article ,
says...

On 2013-09-29 13:41:01 +0100, Jake said:

On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 12:16:20 +0100, Sacha


According to BARB, the 13/9 programme drew 2.03m. I think PS means
that they fluctuate week by week and have been as low as 1.5m. IIRC,
the fluctuation is between 2.5 and 1.5m.

Whilst it's a fact that viewing figures have reduced since the death
of Geoff Hamilton, I doubt that presenter/format changes alone have
caused the reduction from the 4.5m figure. TV delivery has changed
substantially in the intervening period and viewing habits have
changed substantially as a result.


Exactly.

The group has discussed the whys and why nots of watching GW many
times. Whilst I fall into the nots group, I worry that PS's repeated
criticisms will lead not to improvement but to its demise; after all
programmes with figures higher than GW have been cancelled before now.


I think what he's hoping to get is what he considers to be better
presentation. Just recently in the trade press, there was a new
brouhaha about MD not having visited a garden centre in 11 years, which
is hardly helpful to the industry which, at least partially, causes him
to be employed.


Nonsense. He is employed by the BBC as a TV presenter; not, to tout
for business for garden centres and horticultural trades. The BBC is not
a commercial broadcaster, does not sell advertising time, so there is NO
sense in which any BBC presenter owes their employment to the
horticultural trade.


Without the horticultural trade, the plants they breed, the plants they
sell and the plants they propagate, there would be no gardeners, no GW
and no job for gardening presenters. I certainly agree it is not GW's
job to promote particular plants or garden centre in a "let's push this
because old so and so has a couple of thousand he can't shift" but half
the point of a gardening programme is to tell the public of new plant
introductions, which plants can be used where and which varieties are
particularly successful in certain soils, locations or even parts of
the country. The frustration on here when plant names aren't shown is
more than obvious!


I can only assume that if he plants some new in his own
garden, one of his assistants is sent off to buy it.


Well that is hilarious, given how often you have loudly insisted that
your husbands nursery business is NOT to be confused with a garden
centre.

A garden the size of MD's calls for bulk buying and planting, and
nobody in their senses buys in dozens or scores at Garden Centre prices.
Instead,owners of large gardens buy stock direct from trade growers and
producers, which is more economical, better quality; and, they can
specify the size they want.


His garden is only about 2 acres, apparently, and other than hedging or
an orchard, there is no call for 'bulk buying', especially as he's such
a proponent of propagation. Nobody is likely to see him plant 48
Hostas or 60 Hydrangeas, bought-in. He has said himself that in the
early 90s he spent £1300 on 1400 trees and hedging plants at a tree
sale. He said that he only got them at such a good price because it was
a pouring wet day and few people turned out or stayed home to watch the
Grand National.

It's barely months, since Garden Centres were blaming MD for a slump
in their spring trade. Why? Because, during a cold spring he rightly
advised viewers not to rush to sow or plant tender stuff outside before
April.

Janet.


He didn't say 'tender stuff'. The DT report was that he said "You
don't have to sow anything at all until April". "ANYTHING AT ALL".
That advice allegedly cost the trade thousands of pounds and whatever
your personal opinion may be, it caused a terrific row at the time.
Trees and shrubs could have been planted, seeds and roses could have
been planted. We were telling people not to plant tender stuff! Any
nursery or gc worth its salt should do that until the danger of frost
has passed, though I've seen gcs pushing bedding plants in February and
would be adamantly opposed to such a practice. His remarks allegedly
did a great deal of harm. It's important that someone being viewed as
an expert by tv viewers gives solid facts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...g-flowers.html

In the past, he has told GW that people can't grow Hedychiums outdoors
in UK, which is simply not the case. It's a great shame you don't
follow Twitter and see what some of the professionals on 'shouty half
hour' have to say at times!

Whatever anyone's opinion of him as a presenter, he could and should at
least learn about the trade that keeps him in a job and it is
ridiculous - even disgraceful - that he hasn't been to a garden centre
in 10 years. How can he possibly be up to date with what is going on
in the trade that earns him a living? Imo, it is a shame he has
refused to meet Mr Burks and discuss the matter and insisting on an
apology (for what?) gives the appearance of arrogance. One of the
chief criticisms of the programme is that it is slanted in one
direction only and that is his own personal creed. It is not showing
enough of the very broad range of plants and activities open to the
average gardener.

The people who actually grow plants for a living say that he gave bad
information. I agree with the comments of some but not of others. I do
not agree GW should have links with plants available in garden centres
so that 'hard to sell' plants get a puff. That's using GW as a free
advertising channel and would be wrong, imo.

--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk