10 AMATEUR GARDENING 13 JULY 2019Horticulture, not hot air
A
MATEUR gardeners are not
happy with TV coverage of
garden shows, if the comments
I receive at shows and events
are any guide. The number of presenters
grow, while the content diminishes.
When viewers watch football, they
do not see the commentator – and at the
interval, very successful former players
make comment from considerable
experience. Gardening presenters just
get in the way and block the views of
plants, areas of garden and flower show
displays. All that most of them seem able
to do is describe what we can already
see on screen, rather than adding
depth with unseen information.
Take, for example, the flower show
last month at the NEC in Birmingham,
where over 50 schools had mini gardensGarden shows are about plants – not presenters, says Peter
“They only describe
what we can already
see on the screen”
planted in wheelbarrows to the
theme of travel. There were some
excellent entries, with well-grown
plants on some, plus imaginative ideas
and clever designs.
None of this was seen on the one-
hour BBC programme, when time was
wasted with footage of walkers and
cyclists travelling along a canal towpath.
If we want to encourage youngsters to
get out in the fresh air growing things,
surely their excellent efforts should
have been seen on screen?
Then there was a florist competition
and demonstration by a world floral artist
winner on the Westland pyramid stage.
What have the editor, producers and
directors got against flower arrangers,
florists and floral artists?
School children harvested potatoes
from pots as part of the Potato Council’s
‘Grow your own potato’ competition
involving 15,000 schools – why was this
not shown? The young scholars were
an absolute delight as they went on a
treasure hunt looking for lovely new
potatoes in the damp compost – an
inspiration for us all. Let’s focus on
promoting horticulture, not presenters.Peter’s top tips
All photography Peter Seabrook, unless otherwise credited
with Peter Seabrook, AG’s classic gardening expert
Listen to
Peter’s free
podcast every
Thursday. Search for
‘This Week In The
Garden with Peter
Seabrook’ on
with Peter Seabrook, AG’s classic gardening expert iTunesPeter Seabrook’s amazing pyramids
at the recent NEC fl ower showThompson & MorganDoes TV focus too much on
presenters, and not enough
on the plants?4
Garden cut flower pinks from
Whetmans, including Dianthus
plumarius ‘Red Carpet’, unlike their
scentless sister spray carnations,
have delicious fragrance – something
presenters should be describing.2
Gerbera Garvinea Sweet
Series require the flower
stems to be twisted through 90°
and plucked out cleanly. The age
of each flower is easily seen as the
centre mounds with opening florets
on the central disc.3
The recently introduced
Helianthus SunBelievable is
easily propagated by cuttings; even
a piece broken off and pushed into
compost will root quite quickly.Inset: AlamyAlamy1
Garden alstroemerias need
stems plucked (not cut, leaving
a stump) for use as cut flowers (trim
off the white piece before putting in
water) and to remove dead heads.